# Typical Scandinavian guilt

[edsonjnovaes]

Escandiculpa

A Noruega é um exemplo que muitas outras nações do planeta visam alcançar: um dos países com os mais altos níveis de felicidade, uma economia igualitária, um lugar privilegiado no ranking de nações por PIB per capita e gastos com bem-estar social, e um estado com um confortável ganho orçamentário. Livia D’Ambrosio – terra.25 ago 2024 Surgiu na Noruega um sentimento de culpa que se reflete em…

[bloodyknucklesforme]

Guest Check | Rolling Boil

An introduction to the new vibe of the Restaurant AU

Nina was not a good cook. She found planning out a meal to be an exhausting task. Her go to was pasta with veggie, protein and cheese. Tonight was penne with spinach, feta and a couple eggs cracked into the pan. Salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder (she hated chopping fresh, always too chunky) and occasional mixed herb. She'd eat a small bowl and fill a plastic container with the rest where it would inevitably rot.

Her mum always hassled her about wasting food. Eating was just hard sometimes almost as exhausting as figuring out what to eat. She'd subsist on crips, grapes and biscuits if she could.

She grabbed another handful of popcorn from the bowl on the coffee table. Some scandinavian crime show played on the TV. She'd watched so many she could follow along without reading the subtitles, just hearing the inflections in their voices.

It was helpful when she kept having to field texts from Simon, Kyle and John. John checking in because she'd called out sick the past three days. Kyle offering to bring her something to eat, he knew she wasn't sick. And Simon...

Her phone dinged. A dick pic from Simon. A picture is worth a thousand words but Simon's only meaning was "Can I come over?"

She frowned as she looked at the picture. It was taken outside, in the back parking lot of the restaurant. The lighting was almost romantic if she didn't know it was just the light above the back door. Taking a dick pic during his smoke break, seemed typical for him.

Kyle sent another text. Offering to pick up Thai and ice cream. She might have called off for the past three days but she hadn't left her flat in a week. He'd stopped by a few days earlier with sandwiches and pastries from Los Vaqueros Bakery. He was so doting it made her feel guilty.

He'd come by on her bad days. Curl up with her on the couch or in bed. Bring or make her dinner. Eat her out till she came at least twice.

Simon would come over just to hear his hips smack against her ass. Simon who'd fucked her in pub bathrooms and the backseat of his car. Simon who had to be convinced to stay the night and when he did would wake her up just to flip her on her stomach to fuck again. He wasn't a bad lover or even inattentive just not intimate.

She thought about telling both of them no and spending the night with her vibrator and a smutty romance book.

She raised herself from the couch and went to grab a package of biscuits from the cabinet. Still staring at her phone screen.

'I think I'm just going to go to bed' she texted Kyle before liking Simon's photo.

An hour later his hips were smacking against her ass, one hand gripping her waist while the other played between her legs. He was grunting loudly. She wrapped her arms around a pillow, moaning softly. She liked when he was rough. He had enough stamina that she could let her thoughts slip out like water from a sponge.

She didn't have to worry about any romantic feelings or guilt. It was simply sex.

"Put leftovers in the fridge for ya," he said, giving her ass a slap. He always smoke on the balcony between rounds. She could feel his cum dripping out of her. She dragged herself up and into the bathroom. She'd just finished cleaning up before he had her pressed against the sink, holding her chin to look into the mirror as he moved her limbs as he wished. Part of her wished she'd asked Gaz to come over instead.

Tag List: @queen-ilmaree@macravishedbymactavish@gogh-with-the-flow@water-bearz

[catsnuggler]

Thinking about "Right to Roam" practices in Northern Europe, as an American, who doesn't have that right, makes me feel sad.

My dad was a Mormon missionary for two years. I'm not justifying Mormonism or proselytization, I oppose those things. My opposition doesn't change what happened. Anyway, for two years, he went to people's doorsteps, without trespassing on their lawns or fields, and asked them if he could preach to them. Early on, he sometimes got into arguments with people who were particularly disagreeable, but after about 6 months, he realized that wasn't the way. In general, he behaved well as a missionary.

People pointed guns at him. They pointed crossbows at him. They sent their dogs after him. This, for knocking on their doors, and asking if he could preach to them. He didn't even walk on their fields, or take anything from them. If he had, I wouldn't exist to make this post, because he definitely would have been shot. He is a white man from the American south, and he was preaching in hillbilly country. He still would have been shot. It's probably just because he's white that the folks who pointed guns and crossbows at him didn't pull the trigger, that dog owners called their dogs back after he had to yell that he would kill those dogs who tried to get him. Being a missionary, he didn't typically yell death threats against anything. His life really was endangered.

American farmers and landowners have never stopped killing people to secure land for themselves, whether to get more land, or hold what they have. Even suburban homeowners will shoot people who are standing on the sidewalk, or walking, or who drive into their driveways even for a moment, or if somebody's pet went onto a homeowner's lawn and the pet owner goes over just to take their pet off the homeowner's lawn. It goes without saying that this is particularly true if the so-called "trespasser" or "loiterer" is a person of color, or visibly queer. Someone who picks somebody's crops without permission absolutely would be treated as a thief here, and likely any violence used against them would be legally justified.

It's not just for reasons of cultural diaspora and colonial guilt that part of me wishes I could go "back" to Northern Europe, to lands I've personally never been to, but from which my ancestors hailed, and where people distantly-enough related to me that it would be strange to call them "cousins" or "countrymen" live today. It's also because America really isn't as free as Germany, the Scandinavian countries (Which also have colonialism problems), or even France and the UK (France isn't "Northern" but whatever, and both France and the UK likewise have serious colonialism problems wrt their former colonial empires + their oppression of largely Celtic minorities in their borders -Bretons, Welsh, Cornish, Scottish, Irish, Manx). These countries have problems of their own, but, damn, America is worse. America is worse.

[margridarnauds]

So, I’m trying to articulate my thoughts on Valhalla and gender, which is sparked by the fact that, while Lagertha is prominently mentioned as the mother of the Ragnarssons (and you can find her axe), we never hear so much as a word about Aslaug/Thora, who is pretty much the real protagonist of Ragnar’s saga. 

On one hand: Lagertha is pretty much at a high of popularity right now, courtesy of Vikings (derogatory). On the other hand: Aslaug is in Vikings (derogatory) too. We see her AS THE MOTHER of most of Ragnar’s sons. There’s no reason for her NOT to be recognizable enough to be included. (Lagertha’s inclusion is also problematic - Instead of being able to divorce Ragnar and have her own life, they went the cheap route by having her being shot by a Finnish arrow.) But, at the end of the day.....it feels like, while Valhalla DOES include a diverse range of women (including our protagonist), ultimately there is....some sort of hierarchy involved, where women who fight, or at least wield weapons are automatically seen as better? 

Of our two longterm romantic interests, neither one wears a dress, both of them in traditionally masculine clothing, likewise for Ciara in WOTD. With Randvi, we’re first really invited to pity her/consider her as a really viable romantic option when we hear that she COULD have been a Jomsviking....had she not been married off to Sigurd. We see her taking down bandits, drinking ale, and we’re supposed to think, at that point, that she’s a worthy love interest. 

There’s this rather confusing line from the artbook, which says: 

“As a strategist, Randvi does not dress in a warrior’s outfit, but neither does she wear the typical women’s clothing of her time.” 

Which...seems to imply that being a strategist (a role that primarily involves her being behind a table), is automatically at odds with wearing a dress. Even if 9th century Scandinavian clothing was restrictive (it isn’t - We’re well, well before the days of tightlacing here, and women had to be able to go about their daily chores, and even IN the days of tightlacing as the peak of fashion, plenty of women didn’t, or went about their daily chores), she’s not doing anything that involves intense manual labor. Putting her in pants is simply a way of saying “Look! Look at Randvi! Look at how independent she is!” which....actually doesn’t work, when almost EVERY OTHER major female NPC is ALSO in pants. Including Valka who, as a völva, ergo a non-combatant role that mostly involves eating shrooms in her huts, has no practical need for pants, even if, once again, the clothing was impractical. If I didn’t know What A 9th Century Norsewoman Should Look Like, I would just assume that this was something that all noblewomen did. 

It’s very rare to see women actively weaving, as I’ve discussed before, with Eivor only weaving as one of the disguises that she can take to blend in. As a shieldmaiden who’s up and about constantly, I honestly wouldn’t expect Eivor to devote that much time to weaving, but it is a little jarring when the women who are constantly at the settlement don’t so much as mention it, since this was a great opportunity for women to get together, share gossip, tell tales, talk shit about the men, etc. in their own spaces. And there was a bit of an anxiety around it, because, while this was a necessary function for the creation of clothing (which, in the game, seems to just materialize in chests over the game world), it also was tightly associated with magic and sorcery. (Hence why there was a stigma against men practicing magic....unless you’re Odin, in which case Loki will talk shit about you but is anyone else? No. Because you’re Odin.) I want to emphasize that my issue here isn’t “STAY IN THE KITCHEN AND BE A PROPER WOMAN, EIVOR”, it’s more....erasing what the vast majority of women in the Viking Age DID. 

The closest we get to more traditional, more conventional women would be in the form of the religious women, but, from the Anchoress to the one murderous nun in the mysteries event to Frideswid in the Lunden Arc to Acha in the Lincolnscire arc, they tend to be portrayed as either zealous and evil or confused and easily manipulated, which ignores the reality for many medieval women, which is that, for many women who didn’t want marriage for one reason or another (whether it was that they were facing the possibility of a forced marriage, or they had no dowry, or they were lesbians, or they were ace, or they were any combination of those things), it was their one chance at a life of their own. I’m not saying that it was IDEAL, or that the medieval church was ideal, but it did give them options (that, incidentally, in the pre-Christian times....you didn’t have. Which is why I don’t attach any real sense of horror to Christianity coming to Ireland, at LEAST from the standpoint of women’s rights. There are other aspects to that, but we’re here, in 9th century England, so I won’t go into it.) No, it has to come from some moral defect, otherwise, they would be independent, like Eivor, like Randvi, like Petra, like Eadwyn, like Valdis, or even like Fulke, who is a religious figure referenced, extensively, as mad and heretical, but who makes a large impact on the plot and at least earns some level of respect, as opposed to the others who make relatively brief appearances.

Now, when discussing women warriors, there tends to be some moral value attached to it: “Women warriors DIDN’T EXIST, and if you argue that they DID, you just want women to be men, ignoring that non-femme women might find comfort in the knowledge that they aren’t alone”, often with a sense of moral guilt-tripping over “Erasing women’s suffering” (which also falls into the trap of assuming that being a woman = suffering, or that that’s the defining experience of being a woman) VS “Women warriors EXISTED and they were #NotLikeOtherGirls and that’s ALL we’re going to talk about as far as women at the time, as well as ignoring any potential evidence for trans or otherwise nonbinary identities”. Both options have the potential to erase or diminish what either option can mean to people. I hate both options equally, and I find that the way they’re brought in is incredibly manipulative. I’m not interested in saying that putting an axe in a woman’s hand = setting back feminism for twenty years. I’m not interested in saying that having essentially no more conventional women in the main cast = feminism. Both are bad, but what I’m concerned about is the lack of nuance in Valhalla and how it seems to assume that there’s ONLY ONE WAY to have power. (I’d hoped that Lady Eadwyn would be cool, and she is....even though we only see her in armor, she’s kind of what I would expect from a medieval woman, in the sense that her husband was Ealdorman and now she’s following in his footsteps, defending her rights as his widow, but then we replace her with a dude.)

As someone whose relationship to gender is Weird, I actually really, really enjoy playing a female character who has the kind of independence that Eivor has - I enjoy getting to jump around, killing things in a gloriously rendered historical environment. I enjoy that, with the exception of Dag, no one really questions it (though I would have been down for a more in-depth examination of gender in the Viking Age). I enjoy that Eivor is compassionate, clever, and aggressive, and that she’s able to have romances with both sexes. I’m not trying to nuke her via historical accuracy here (especially since the historical reality of shieldmaidens is SUCH a hot topic, I feel like wading into either end of the historical accuracy pool is a recipe for disaster) because I actually really, really like her as a character. There are relatively few times where I really, really identify with and love a main female video game character, especially since, so often, even into the present, when things are supposed to be better, I can still TELL that they were made by and for straight men, and this is one. What I AM saying is that I hate that it comes at the expense of basically every woman who ISN’T a warrior or otherwise “independent” by the game’s standards. You do have merchant women, the tattoo artist in camp, Valka, as mentioned before, but it all goes back to that point - We never really see a prominent woman running the household, managing the money, giving orders, which was an immensely important, powerful job, and as a result, it always feels kind of halfway done, that we’re over-representing one relationship to gender at the expense of another. 

[gem-quest]

NPC: Nimue DuLac (tbf)

“I praise what is truly alive,

what longs to be burned to death.”

--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Real Name: Nimue DuLac

Age: unknown

FC: Golshifteh Farahani

Species & Class: Half Night-Elf Sorceress

Guild: has ties to Ammolite

 Powers:

Night Elves (officially known as Noctium) are my version of drow, but instead of being subterranean they’re entirely nocturnal, very sensitive to light and fire magic, but with a strong affinity for water and death. They tend to keep to their own and much of their culture and known background are just rumors. There are many stories about them ranging from them sacrificing weak night-elves to underwater gods in a dark covenant to gain more power, to their tears being poisonous or vital ingredients for powerful sleeping draughts.  It’s quite rare to see half-elves of this background as they tend to be ostracized by both humans (or even other elves) and by full night elves. It is thought that they were the original creators of the sprawling temple complex on level 16, though very little is actually known about their original civilization.

Although Nim is half-human, she maintains the Noctium talent for necromancy and affinity for water, particularly that of the lake which she guards. Her power and tie to the world of the living do seem bound to the phases of the moon, another vital symbol to the Noctium. She does have various forms though, and they each have slightly different specialties. As is Noctium tradition, items can be ritually killed by breaking them and given to the netherworld through sacrifice to the water and moon. Pools, swamps, and chiefly the ocean are seen as boundaries with the netherworld, where Noctium gain their power. So ritually killing an item can link it to that power, that long lineage, and the water or moon themselves. In her more mundane form, Nimue can’t raise the dead exactly. But she can link souls to items or link items to souls, imbuing them both with the powers of death/water/the moon and imbuing them with some of the life of the soul itself. This is how she herself found her way into this cycle of resurrection, linking herself to first the lake she haunts and then to the Quicksilver Longsword (one of the winnable items from her quest). In her most powerful or desperate while in her more mundane Nim form, she can even call upon the souls an item has taken, turning a player’s most treasured weapon against themselves with the vengeful spirits of those they’ve killed with that weapon.

In her more powerful form, Nimue -- as a conduit for her lake, the moon, and the full force of the netherworld -- she has much more physical control over the dead. As well as being much more physically strong than her other form, she can raise the dead of those trapped in her lake to fight whatever unlucky player triggered that route of her quest. She can also somewhat resurrect herself on command in that form, though she becomes more changed with every resurrection, melding with the thousand souls crying out from the water’s depths.

As a NPC, she seems much more alert and conscious than many others. Her dialogue is complex, and sometimes verges on prescient. In reality, her AI draws from all the choices players have made throughout the game to inform how she reacts to them and her different dialogue. Kill a certain NPC instead of save them? Choose one wrong answer in a riddle? Favor one side over another? She seems to know. This usually makes her a perfect quest for classes focused on choice making, such as Celestials. But this also makes her a very difficult mini quest for those who approach the game more randomly. And, more randomly, in her full Nimue form she seems to be gaining knowledge of other things players are doing beyond the pre-scripted choices they make in certain quests. 

Appearance: Players can pick up Nimue’s quest at various points throughout the game, and there are a few cameos of her in different NPC forms on different levels to hint at her background before her quest begins. But most players first see her as a humble herbalist in the lonely wilds of the Valley of Monsters. There, she wears the same buttoned blouse, embroidered vest, plain skirt, and various leather bags full of mysterious odds and ends, though the colors vary depending on the day. Overall, her look is reminiscent of traditional scandinavian folkwear. She wears her long, loosely curled black hair loose, sometimes absentmindedly tucking feathers or twigs or bird bones behind her ear. Her eyes are wide and somewhat sad, tired in the way of something ageless and knowing. But when she meets someone’s eyes, she stares through them as if she is peering through a rippling pool to see what lies beneath. 

“I turned and ran

To save a life I didn't have.”

--In the Woods Somewhere, Hozier

Places Most Likely to be Found In-Game: around her lake in the valley of monsters. She is pretty much trapped there as that is where her mini quest is picked up. Different dialogue options will hint at her having traveled across various levels, and she may even give some veiled hints for the maze in the Midwinter level and the Faerie Court depending on how players interact with her.

Item Drops:

She can be a source of healing potions for players grinding in the Valley of Monsters, as well as a simple healing spot. Stay in her cabin and you’ll wake fully healed.

There are different routes for players who’ve activated her quest, all depending on their specific interactions with her. These routes also determine which items players will gain from her quest, and ultimately which strategies will be necessary to finish her quest (most often by killing her or neutralizing her so she sleeps again at the bottom of her lake). The most common item people go for are Noctium Tears, a potent ingredient in sleeping draughts, poisons, and hallucinogenic potions which can provide prophetic visions for future levels. This is definitely the more practical item drop, and usually coincides with the more gentle end to Nim’s quest, simply laying her to rest again or trapping her once more to hold off the cycle of resurrection for a time. The more powerful though admittedly more unpredictable and possibly disastrous item she gives players would be the Quicksilver Longsword, a blade imbued with all her anger, guilt, roving curiosity, and trapped energy. This is the trickier route to set up, though ultimately the most difficult to finish although the most rewarding in terms of XP. This route requires Nim to transform into Nimue, where Nim is just one voice among thousands and the true power of the Netherworld is unleashed as she tries to break free from her lake prison. The sword is the only true piece of Nim left, and its powers of transformation and connection to the moon make it one of the most useful weapons in actually defeating Nimue. 

Along with the main items she drops, Nim can also be a source of unique apparel for those focusing on the medieval aesthetic, a guide to acquiring valuable herbs in the Valley of Monsters, one of many NPCs to gift certain magical scrolls to players, and a source of information on runes themselves.

Strongest character trait: wise and melancholic

Player Stats: (She has two sets of stats based on the path the player chooses, that of Nim and that of Nimue. Nimue is inherently stronger, although Nim is much more manipulative. Players may choose to handle either of them in different ways, either typically through force or in much subtler ways. I wanted her normal stats to be similar to a PC, but her altered stats are much higher, a punishment of sorts for those players who provoke her into that form)

STRENGTH: 2 || 8

DEFENCE: 2 || 8

CHARISMA:  7 || 4

PSYCHE:  8 || 8

WILLPOWER: 7 || 7

CAUTIOUSNESS:  4 || 1

AGILITY: 4 || 8

ENDURANCE: 2 || 7

INTELLIGENCE: 9 || 10

LUCK: 5 || 9

 Personality: 

“Like the stars chase the sun Over the glowing hill, I will conquer Blood is running deep Some things never sleep

Suddenly I'm overcome Dissolving like the setting sun Like a boat into oblivion”

--Queen of Peace, Florence + the Machine

Biography: 

 Playlist

Pinterest

[kalleskultur]

Sketches of the inchoate

It’s Syttende Mai, we’re in the living room of our apartment, there’s a TV mounted on a white wall.

You take your earrings off, which are large, and silver, and quite reflective, your hair is blonde.

Our bedroom is quite sunny, as is the entire apartment -

I watch your hands as you take your earrings off, your ear is almost glowing a bit in the light, I can see the faint outlines of the vessels branching under your skin, and your earlobes look like small, slightly opaque gumdrops in context.

It’s all bit disorienting, and I’m relieved we’re finally home, and it’s nice that you feel so comfortable around me.

Our apartment is not that big, but it’s certainly not small at all -

My snobbishness keeps me from fully appreciating most things, including our home, though you are the rare exception, leaving even my exhausting pretensions at a loss, unable to find an unflattering aspect of your appearance, or behavior.

The bedroom has what looks like floor to ceiling windows, and the room is filled with typical Scandinavian summer sunlight, ultra-bright and white.

Your knees are shaking somewhat, planted into the bed, with your palms also flat on the bed, supporting you, with your back approximately upright -

Your hair is down, obscuring your face, which is looking into your lap, just a few inches away from mine.

I drank beer for most of the day, to avoid getting too drunk, and acting like a jerk, so I must really like you, and it seems as though we love each other, but I’m nonetheless concerned with your opinion of me, which is atypical -

It breaks my confidence, leaving me less free to enjoy my drunkenness than I’m accustomed to, which I dismiss as an unavoidable consequence of adulthood, and a mature relationship.

We’re engaged, and I can feel pangs of financial anxiety at times when I see your ring, and my obnoxious car, and my obnoxious clothing, my obnoxious expenses generally, all tethered about some pretentious drivel that I do, pushing papers about a desk, quantifying some nonsense risk, all of which leave me carrying the constant weight of a career that appeals in many ways to what is worst about me -

An overly aggressive jack ass, eager to remind everyone else that they probably wouldn’t fare terribly well but for the constraints of civility.

You elicit something else in me that I’ve grown dangerously addicted to, perhaps because I’m being paid to be my worst self most days, providing me with an escape -

An exaggerated privacy that is all ours.

We both enjoy the same pretentious bull shit, shamelessly enjoy the way we both look, the fact that we share the same set of cues that lets everyone around us know exactly where we fit in now, and where we expect to be.

Nonetheless, we seem to really love each other, and spend a significant amount of time laughing at each other’s expense, suggesting that despite healthy mutual admiration, there’s a current running under it all that keeps us from slipping too far into our own graces.

The light cuts through a glass plant vase, through the soil, illuminating its roots, which distracts me from you -

It’s on a table near the bed, to the righthand side from my perspective, just a few feet away from my eyes.

Your legs are shaking, seated near me in the center of the bed, as I’m still laying on my back, and you’re crying.

You say, in a disappointed tone, with inappropriately long pauses, “Charles, ... ”

“I want us, to have a kid.”

You don’t look at me, struggling with your delivery of the idea, using the word, “kid”, which I’m not sure was entirely deliberate, though you say it with the insistence of a demand, and not a suggestion, so it’s clear to me that you’re serious, and that you’ve been hiding this idea from me.

I become nervous, and uncomfortable, expecting something quite different initially, but I noticed a change in your mood, so I expected something.

The birds are up and chirping quite a bit, which is seriously annoying me, and subtracting significantly from the gravity of the moment.

Without much pause, I sit up a bit, placing my lefthand on your arm and say, “OK”, though I’m still not sure of the merits of the idea, and I grow worried that my apprehensions have shown in my delivery or expression.

You slip your arm out, and place your hand in mine, and I squeeze it, with a firmness consciously adjusted to convey both manly assurance, and sensitivity.

I was drinking Carlsberg, or Tuborg -

I don’t remember which, but it was a green glass bottle, for sure.

The curtains are open, we’re on a somewhat high floor, so no one can see in as a practical matter, and the sun is so bright, it cuts through the fabric of the curtains -

We must look like lit up cutouts from a distance, haplessly entangled in each other, while our handler is off doing otherwise.

You have extremely beautiful eyes, and some freckles near them, and though I’m used to seeing you at this point, I’m always taken back by your appearance, especially now -

Faint outlines of your lips flash, mixed in with the bright sunlight bouncing around your hair, and your skin smells and looks simply wonderful, and as you lean in to adjust your posture, I can see droplets on your eyelashes, which remind me of the light breaking through the roots of the plant minutes earlier, though I can’t make sense of why I made such a superficial association at a moment like this.

“You think it’s, OK, that we have a child together?”

To an American, you have a sophisticated accent, suggesting plainly that you grew up speaking British English, but you nonetheless have the charm of a Norwegian bumpkin, with the typical bouncy pronunciation when speaking English.

You start laughing, at yourself, and my thoughtless response, for a bit, for having been so emotional, which suggests it’s out of character for you, which might be why I’m actually worried about what you think of me.

You wipe your eyes, and your nose, collecting yourself, and though an imposingly mature person emerges, I can see that part of your persona has been shattered a bit by your own honesty, which brings me a bit of pride, and guilt, but mostly pride.

You slap my right shoulder quite hard, laughing harder, and say,

“You’re such a prick! Charles,” sounding this time entirely British, and I gather that you measured my placating had grown to something else entirely, leaving you confident in my love for you, and your expectations, though its realization may have been a bit off from what you had hoped.

You slip in the shower afterward, and hit your head, which leaves me feeling legitimately hopeless, for the first time in my life -

The prospect of an impossible loss becomes a possibility, and my arrogance shrinks into meekness.

It’s something I’ve never known, and I resent having let myself slip so far into my affections for you, but my concern for you preoccupies my thoughts, after a moment of initial hesitance in reflection -

All I can see is your wet hair stuck to the bones of your naked back, and the top of your head, your hair roughly split down the middle, darkened from the falling water, and I’m terrified that I’m about to see blood color the soap running down the drain.

I cautiously move your hair back from the left side of your head, as you’re still seated on the shower floor, not saying anything at all, or moving, simply staring forward -

Your skin has been scraped off a bit near your left eye, but you don’t seem to have any serious injury, which I find relieving, though the realization that you’re safe frees a bit of callousness, and aggravation, as I sit behind you and take your right hand, and lean in toward you, giving you a moment to organize yourself, and your thoughts.

You slip your fingers in between mine, and the water becomes a bit of a nuisance to us both.

[porcelainvampyr]

Dahlia Du Lac

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General Information

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Full Name:

➯ Dahlia Camille Du Lac

Name meaning:

➯ Dahlia means “valley” It is of Swedish and Scandinavian origin.

➯ Camille means "religious attendant". It is a popular a commonly found French name.

➯ Du Lac is of French origins, meaning “from the” for someone living near a lake.

Pronunciation:

➯[da-lee-uh] [doo-lahk]

Nickname(s):

➯ Dolly, Rosy, mi amor, and others

What they prefer to be called:

➯ Dahlia, Dali, or Dolly

Type of vampire (pureblood, ex-human, hybrid, etc.)

➯ pureblood, full vampire

she was passed on the abilities of “the great ones” powerful vampires, which have existed since the beginning of time.

Age:

➯ finds it to be pointless to keep track, and believes birthdays are stupid

Age they look to be:

➯ 16/17 years

Gender:

➯ Female [she/they]

she isn’t picky, and is comfortable with most pronouns. as the times change, so does she.

Biological sex:

➯ Female

Ethnicity:

➯ White/French

unsure of actual origins.

Country they live in currently:

➯ USA, California

her family moves around frequently, often staying in their summer home in California instead of their actual place in Louisiana.

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Appearance

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Hair: (Style, colour, length, etc.)

➯ short-ish, bleach blonde, wavy, and well taken care of.

often experiments with different styles and isn’t afraid to chop it off at a moments notice.

Eye colour:

➯ Baby blue

Typical pupil shape:

➯ Big circles

Does the appearance of the pupil change? (If so, how?)

➯ Not often, but sometimes during a hunt they turn to slits. (This only occurs after a long period of not feeding).

Fang length:

➯ Small, but extendable

Are the fangs easy to see?

➯ No, she often hides them

Skin tone:

➯ Pale white

Favorite/typical outfits:

➯ Feminine & edgy

participates in punk/riotgrrl subculture, so often she wears ripped, sewn, and DIYed outfits. She participates in the kinderwhore subculture as well, despite hating Courtney Love.

Height:

➯5’3

Body structure:

➯ petite, hourglass

Often wears revealing clothing to show off her body. She is fairly confident, and finds the stretch marks on her hips to be beautiful.

Piercings:

➯ many, TBD

Determined: bellybutton, nose stud

Tattoos:

➯ N/A

Major scars:

➯ TBD

Determined: left hip (bite mark from her turning)

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Feeding

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How they feed:

➯Although she isn’t as messy as Lestat, at times after long periods of not feeding, she can go into a feral state; opting to hunt her prey in a cat and mouse fueled killing, instead of her usual ways. In times like this, it is common to see her coated in bloodshed. Not afraid of getting it all over her face, hair, and clothes because of their wonderful house staff. On regular hunts, she often uses drugs or alcohol to soothe or knock out her victims before draining them. Often she leaves bodies about, uncaring of how alarming it might be to others.

How often they feed:

➯not nearly as often as she should. She gets cravings every two weeks or so, since full vamps don’t have to feed nearly as much as vamplings do. Though, she can go months without hunting before having one of her breaks.

Are their attacks fatal?

➯Yes, she refuses to turn her victims, so when she attacks they are expected to be fully drained and dead.

Can they eat non-blood things?

➯Yes, though she finds the taste to be bland and boring.

Favorite blood type:

➯Any, blood is blood. Though, blood of people who deserved it tastes the best.

Do they experience severe guilt over feeding?

➯At times, though she typically zones out when extremely hungry.

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Biology

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Vampiric weakness: (like sunlight, holy water, etc.)

➯ Holy water, and her own self destructive tendencies

Vampiric strengths:

➯ creating illusions, day-walking, mind control, and lust (draws in possible victims)

Notable abnormalities compared to other vampires:

➯ she shouldn’t have the abilities that she was given, and should be able to burn in the day, plus due to crosses.

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Social

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Do they hide that they’re a vampire?

➯ No, she is rather open about her sickness

Relationship with mother:

➯ n/a

Relationship with father:

➯ n/a

She cannot recall anything that occurred before her turning, which includes her birth parents and human-life. Though, her fathers insist it be the best for her.

Relationship with sibling(s):

➯ they look out for each other, regardless of their constant bickering and fighting. They would go down for each other any day.

Do they prefer to socialize with humans or vampires?

➯ prefers company of other vampires, but finds communicating with humans to be a nice change of pace sometimes.

Often she gets frustrated by the human urge to know more about everything. She refuses to turn humans, believing that they should first enjoy the life they were given before being offered another chance.

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Personality/Mental information

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Dahlia is relatively quiet, keeping thoughts to herself due to how much speaking sometimes pains her. When having good days, she is very flirty and upbeat. Though she is outgoing to the people she knows, she dislikes taking like that to strangers. When talking to someone new, she speaks very few and far in between. Often letting other people carry conversations for her, or translate basic sign.

She often gets people asking her out after seeing her around, which is because of her vampiric abilities. It draws possible victims to her by her looks and charm, but this drives her crazy when spending time with people she likes or just trying to do simple things. Which also reverts her to her quiet nature.

Dahlia has a great memory apart from her black out, and remembers the littlest of things that happened centuries ago. Though, she doesn’t bother holding grudges and finds this quirk to be rather annoying. Especially when trying to sleep. (WIP)

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Opinion of other vampires:

➯ she has a tendency to trust them quicker thank humans due to having more experience navigating conversations with vampires. She very easily makes friends, mind control or not.

Opinion of humans:

➯ Treats them like baby animals, thinks often that they are too soft to do things themselves. Finds them more entertaining than of equal status.

Mental illness(es):

➯ Selective Mutism, ASD, synesthesia, and depression.

Sexuality:

➯ Yes. (Pansexual)

Romantic orientation:

➯ pan-romantic, poly romantic (fine with open relationships or multiple interests)

Seme, seke, or uke?:

➯ seke, isn’t picky (switch)

How do they view themself?

➯ often very confident, but frequently has downward spirals and her confidence goes down the gutter.

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Backstory

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Dahlia was born in the early 1800s to a rather poor family in Strasbourg. She was found bleeding out in the streets during a time which Louis and Lestat are visiting France. They decide to loop her into their disfunctional family by pushing a confused, and mute French girl into a house with three other angry vampires. Background is rather difficult to document due to her spotty memory, but Dahlia was turned at age 17/18 in her home of France. After her turning, she has no recollection of her true orientation or parent’s whereabouts. Nor does she know the true reasoning for her turning. Still young, she was told that Lestat had turned her. The only details he gave were calling it a “saving grace” and giving no further explanation.

After a bit of snooping she has ideas of Marius being her creator. He is a vampire which hold the blood of the “great ones” or vampires as old as time and as powerful as gods. This makes her realize that she is immune to most things that her “parents” were not. She discovered through trial that she was a day-walker, immune to crosses and holy imagery, and garlic… though she is too nervous to attempt any tests with holy water.

After Lestat finds out about her snooping, both her and Louis decide to ship her off to Venice for a short period of time to study under Marius. As they find dealing with just Claudia to be enough. Marius accepts her with open arms in an attempt to help her come to terms with vampirism. It is there that she discovers that her true maker was not Lestat, nor Marius. Her true creator was Makare, one of the twins. A feral “great one” who frequently traveled and fed on whoever was in her way. It is also where she met Armand, a brother like figure to her through her trial and errors of learning how to survive in the vampire world. Armand had been turned around the same age as she was, so they instantly bonded. Ensuing chaos on whoever was around them. Armand helps her learn how to improve her speaking and she teaches him how to let go. They frequently travel around with the “theater troop” all of vampires from various ages which she became comfortable with.

Soon enough, the time in Venice was ripped from her and she returned to Louisiana with Lestat and Louis after the death of Claudia. There was a rift between them all due to the time spent apart, but they all seemed to be trying their best in order to make everything work. Spending time around her, Lestat tried his best to bond, taking her hunting and on shopping trips. Louis would chat with her and read books together. They also bought her a violin, something she didn’t know she could play until she put her bow to the strings. After that, her talent for music and instruments blossomed.

She spent a lot of time in the early years of the 1900s doing some lowkey singing, releasing music, and putting her voice over the radios. Though, soon enough people were begging for live shows. Something she refused to do, no matter how frequently asked of her. When the pressure became too much she left it behind and focused instead on her instruments. Often dancing or modeling when it was asked of her.

Lots of time passed until the 50s, when the little adopted family came across a greaser in France who had been left to bleed out moments earlier by his ex-girlfriend. Feeling a connection, Louis turned him to save his depleting life. Who is now her brother, known as Auzzie. He agreed to join them and dahlia took on the responsibility of teaching him the ropes.

They frequently moved around from France, to Italy, to Louisiana, to many other various places. Dahlia frequently met other vampires along their travels. She remembered particularly meeting a vampling in the 70s that made her realize so many things. He was quiet and and sweet, yet they had so many meaningful conversations. He showed her better and easier means of hunting, and she showed him that it was okay to be himself. That he had nobody to impress. They spent many nights together, but as she always had to, they moved away. The two frequently sent letters— until that fateful day which she never received a response. She felt alone.

Dahlia had been selectively mute since she could remember, but as decades farther pass, she tries to further leave her shell. But, in large crowds and stressful situations she still tends to revert back into old habits.

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Other

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Religious views:

➯ atheistic

Occupation:

➯ Model, freeloader ;)

How are they doing economically?

➯ very cushioned by her father’s riches

Medical conditions:

➯ none, but frequently faints due to low iron when not having fed for awhile.

Disabilities:

➯ selective mutism

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Character theme

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Kinderwhore, grunge, rocker girl:

Playlist stuff:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0UVNqEa0LvAIYIRkujUGGw?si=rIppSDZ5RQ2kbX_DFFPJLg

[ticklish-touch]

Name: Kent Morrison Age: 25 Height: 5'11" Star Sign: Capricorn Ethnicity: Scandinavian, possibly some Russian Sexuality: Homosexual Personality: Broody, quiet, full of sarcasm & snark. Hot-headed. Total edgelord. Has a playful, dominant side that emerges when he feels close enough to someone. Despite his misanthropic attitude, he won't hesitate to get into fights to protect people in need. Likes: Horror, video games, dark fantasy, metal, collecting figurines Dislikes: Homophobes, bright sunlight, crowded places, overly cheery people, careless parents Ticklish Spots: Belly, underarms & thighs. Ribs are his worst spot. As a 'Ler: He doesn't typically like tickling someone unless he's close with them or finds them attractive. He's a terrible bratty tease that will gladly point out just how much his partner is squealing, squirming and giggling. Can be a bit rougher with his tickling methods but never pushes his 'lee too far. As a 'lee: Does NOT like being tickled on his ribs unless the 'Ler promises not to make fun of his comical reactions. Acts like he hates being tickled otherwise, but finds it exhilarating if it's with a partner he trusts. Gets very easily flustered by good-natured teasing, especially when a 'Ler points out how much they love his laugh. Biography: Kent's father left the family when he was in his preteens, and his mom was snippy and overbearing; both of these things led to Kent spending most of his time to himself. His large stature, antisocial demeanor and interest in creepy media led to many other kids avoiding him and spreading rumors. He only ever actually started fighting people when they found out an embarrassing secret: Tickling his ribs caused him to screech, gaining him the nickname 'this little piggy'. Other kids would gang up on him and tickle him until he screamed and started getting violent. His roughhousing caught the attention of a group of delinquent bullies that invited him to hang out with them. Desperate for friends and bitter about his circumstances, Kent agreed. When Kent admitted to his mom that he might be gay, she started guilting him over not being able to give her grandkids and trying to convince him it was just a phase, sending him into an even worse cynical outlook. Soon, his homophobic groupies began to target Jamie, Nate, Aiden and Inzi. Kent was jealous of their strong friendship so he also bullied them and let his group harass them. But in the meantime, he began to realize he had a crush on Aiden. Kent finally started to tell himself that he needed to get over his bitterness when Inzi and Jamie both openly showed him kindness despite his actions, and when Aiden called him a coward. One day when he saw his group gang up on Aiden, he finally had enough; he came out openly as gay, got into a brawl with the delinquents to make them back off, and apologized to Aiden and the others. He still tries to avoid them out of guilt - and out of nervousness for their shared tickle kink - but is on much better terms. He even hangs out with Nate from time to time. He wants to be an engineer or computer technician someday but struggles to stay motivated in college. He picks up some extra money building PCs.

[oc-tipstricksandreviews]

Any chance of a review for my Batman OC? I’d really appreciate it. Also, uhm, it’s a really long bio, so… sorry? ^_^; I may or may not have gone overboard…

Full Name: Lily Amelia Dangerfield

Nicknames: Wildcat Lily knew that she needed to have a codename of sorts, when she started playing the ‘costumed identity game’, to help separate those actions from her normal life. While undergoing training, she was given the nickname ‘Little Cat’, which –coupled with her lifelong fondness for all kinds of animal and the nature of her burgeoning powers, as well as various terms used for thieves– helped her settle on this. It was also, in part, a way to reflect a degree of independence from those who trained her in the first place.

Feral After a particularly-devastating encounter with Black Mask, Lily abandons the entire ‘Wildcat’ persona. However, feeling that what drove her to heroism in the first place was not done, she created an entirely new persona. Lily’s choice of her new codename was partially a way to acknowledge the new and much broader scope of her powers –regardless of how much it actually scares her– but also to serve as a reminder to herself to not live up to what it could imply… not completely, anyway. She also was getting a bit sick of people comparing her to Catwoman, simply because they both used the word ‘cat’ in their codenames.

Little Lily A longstanding nickname used by her family, thanks in no small measure to her rather diminutive stature. Especially since starting high school, however, several friends and classmates have taken to using it as well. The fact that there is a girl in her class whose name is Lillian, and who is significantly taller than she is, helps a lot.

Emery Roosevelt When Lily started to dabble on the wrong side of the law, she created an alias which she used for every ‘costume-connected’ action and interaction that she could. There is even a somewhat illegal bank account at the Gotham City Bank that is under this name, which her criminal employers paid her by. After turning away from most of that lifestyle, she still uses it for much of her costumed activities. Her grandmother has an interest in name etymology, which is an interest that Lily has at least partially adopted; her alias connects to Lily’s real name in multiple ways… ‘Emery’ and ‘Amelia’ come from the same root, while ‘Roosevelt’ –meaning ‘rose field’– links with ‘Dangerfield’ in terms of a thematic feel, coupled with a trend in the Dangerfield family of names that refer to plants.

Age: 15 at the start of her hero’s journey.

Birthday: March 17 – Feast-day for the unofficial patron saint of cats, Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, as well as being Saint Patrick’s Day.

Gender: Female

Eyes: Bright amber in colour, with shades ranging through the whole gamut of golden-yellow, orange, golden-brown, and even some flecks of burnt-red. They are rather large and set at a catlike tilt –having shifted slightly since her powers started to come into the picture– and are framed in long lashes that are darker than her natural hair colour. She rather likes using eye-makeup, with a preference for dark brown or black mascara, black eyeliner in ‘cat’s-eye’ patterns, and colourful and sometimes rather thick eye-shadow.

Hair: Naturally a light ‘golden-platinum’ shade of blonde, Lily’s hair is almost dead-straight, fairly thick, and generally kept at a length that reaches about halfway down her back, coupled with fairly long bangs as well. Typically, she simply lets it hang loose, but she will tie it back into a ponytail or plait when she needs it out of the way. Lily takes a degree of pride in her hair and cares for it extremely well when she has the opportunity, making it very silky to the touch and keeping it fastidiously de-knotted. On occasions where she has coloured it –typically using temporary dyes and mostly done before going on an ‘outing’ as an added piece of identity-security– Lily favours vivid colours, due to the sheer contrast to her natural colour.

Skin: Light tan with a creamy cast and a plethora of freckles on her face, shoulders, forearms, knees, and thighs… and plenty in between. She doesn’t really tan in the conventional manner so much as she grows new freckles, which she often jokes is why she has so many in the first place. She does have several scars from various incidents, but what she doesn’t want to potentially explain away, she covers with makeup or clothing. Any that she does leave open to be seen, she’s probably coined two or three different stories about how it happened, on top of the actual truth.

Race & Ethnicity: Half-Human and half-Farfarmniflatch, by birth –not that she knows. Due to various circumstances, she would also classify as a Metahuman, as well. Her mother’s ethnic background is European, predominantly Scandinavian, to be exact. [Also, I swear I did not make that race up… It exists in the DC universe, and an example of one is Rita Lopez a.k.a. ‘Monstergirl’.]

Build: For her small size of 5’0” at age 15, Lily is actually somewhat lanky, being more limb –especially leg– than she is torso. She is lithe and lean, covered head to toe in wiry muscle, and more than capable of performing acts of flexibility that wouldn’t be out of place in a circus. Everything about her body, including her facial features, is slender and delicate in appearance, which gives her a rather elfish look when coupled with her height. Her body is developing in a way that suggests that she’ll have the potential for ‘decent’ curves, if she carried more fat on her tiny frame.

Civilian Attire: Overall, Lily’s sense of style is probably best described as being ‘contemporary’ or ‘alternative’. She likes clothing that has clean lines in the hem and cut of the fabric, loves wearing denim or leather, and adores hoods, gloves, and boots. Buckles, zips, laces or drawstrings, and metal rings are also common throughout her wardrobe. As far as colours go, she especially likes rich and warm colours such as purple and red, but doesn’t like wearing green –somewhat ironic, considering her birthday.

Super-Attire #1: As with many costumed figures, Lily’s suit covers all of her body and even includes a mask that covers her entire head. Her costume is mostly black –or rather a shade of dull purple that is so dark it’s practically black– with deep red stripes. The mask is the same colouration and has a catlike design, complete with ‘ears’ (which is where she tends to ‘store’ her bun’d hair), with orange lenses over the eyes. Shoes and gloves are blended into the suit itself; the shoes are split-toed (parkour shoes), and the gloves are full-fingered with the inner two being coloured red. Lily also incorporated some ‘armour’ into the mix, padding the elbows, shoulders (including across the top of her back), and knees with leather, but overall it’s fairly basic in terms of its construction. Also included in her ensemble is a belt around her hips –with several pouches secured to it– connected to a pair that loop around her legs for greater security during acrobatics and climbing. She will abandon this suit for another one after a particularly devastating encounter with Black Mask, along with creating a second codename for herself.

Super-Attire #2: Lily didn’t change her costume very much when coining a new masked identity. The only particular changes she made was to the aesthetic side of the equation, rather than to the practical side. In truth, the only real difference is in the addition of a ‘sleeve’ for her newly-acquired tail, which she eventually gets rid of entirely, and simply allows the limb to be bared while costumed. The aesthetic changes are as follows… The primary colour of the costume is now a rich warm purple –far less dark than the previous version. The stripes are now black, lined in crimson, and pierced through with another, smaller, crimson stripe. Black is also present from toe to just above the knee, from the first knuckle of each finger and thumb to just above the elbow, and down the entire length of the tail-sleeve, fading into the purple in each case. All of her fingers –and both thumbs– are now purple, with a crimson line running down the digit from an equally-red knuckle pad. Her belt ensemble is now completely black, as well. She upgraded her mask design –not only by making it a different colour– in the sense that she’s included makeshift sensory-insulation, in an effort to help her concentrate while in costume.

Morality: Lily begins her costumed career as a low-grade ‘villain’, being a thief –albeit one that prefers to target those who she believes can afford to lose a bit of their wealth. Later on, following a rather disastrous incident with a member of the Gotham Rogues Gallery, she starts to try her hand at a more hero-like lifestyle. In truth, she’s probably best described as either ‘neutral’ or ‘anti-hero’…

Motivation: Redemption, guilt, and self-blame… and addiction.

Personality: Lily can be described as being catlike in many ways, and it’s something that she believes may be connected to her initial abilities. She is extremely curious –sometimes to the point of reckless endangerment– and is also very playful, mischievous, and hedonistic. If she can be lazy and comfortable, she generally prefers to be… unless her occasional habit of being contradictory raises its head and she refuses to stay still for more than five seconds; she has, in the past, wanted to be both warm and cool at the same time, without the potential excuse of being ill. If given half a chance, she is an extremely tactile person, regularly invading the personal space of others –seemingly without a care– while tending to be hyper-aware of her own.

Highly intelligent and determined, Lily is an avid learner of any and all information that she can get her hands on, with the topics ranging wildly –from knots to soufflé, for example. Lily learns things quickly, too, especially if she is able to do so in a tactile or kinetic manner. Learning by listening, however, is probably the worst way to teach her anything, thanks in no small part to her regular bullheadedness. Despite all this, she is prone to being rather foolish or simply too reckless for her own good –or that of someone else– especially when her emotions get the better of her.

When Lily puts her mind to something, she is very dedicated to finishing what she’s started. This dedication also extends to the interpersonal scale, when someone manages to meet her often-rather-variable standards. Her loyalty is typically hard-won, but equally tends to be unshakable; any grudges that she holds are just as difficult to break, while being much easier to garner. This ‘all or nothing’ approach stems mostly from her sense of pride, as she believes that she’s a good judge of character… unfortunately, she’s not actually as good at it as she thinks she is.

In the event of feeling indebted to someone, no matter her other opinions on them, she will go above and beyond the call of duty to pay them back. Lily hates the feeling of owing anyone anything, but by going slightly overboard with repayments, she can validate asking for a favour from them at some later time, should she deem it necessary. Naturally, this is also something that can be manipulated rather easily by others, once they realise it… not that she’s especially quiet about it, when such topics come up.

Lily possesses a strong sense of morals, albeit a slightly twisted one, which she will adhere to –come hell or high water. She refuses to actively target anyone whom she knows to be worse-off than herself, empathising with them to some degree thanks to her own history. She also does everything she can to keep from targeting anyone who is suffering from a chronic illness or other such condition, whether directly or indirectly. Children are also largely safe from her less scrupulous activities, but only if they’re younger than her… or look like her brother in any notable way. Regardless of her moral code, however, she is more or less an adrenaline junkie with blossoming kleptomania. She loves to acquire things that are furry, shiny, sparkly, or glittery, and harbours a great deal of jealousy towards those who have the fame and fortune that she doesn’t… especially without bending or breaking the law.

As far as Lily’s temper is concerned, it’s usually released in loud and reasonably quick bursts of sometimes-violent anger that flares up out of seemingly nowhere, and may last for just a minute or two before simmering back down. She likes to joke, following these outbursts, that they are her ‘literal hissy fits’. In the instances where Lily tries to instead bottle her emotions up –particularly after her abilities first manifested– her temper is much more than simply explosive… it can be outright dangerous, as her negative emotions build like a physical force that needs some form of release… After her abilities grow beyond a certain point, the ‘bottling approach’ becomes a slippery slope to triggering a practically-uncontrollable rampage. Unsurprisingly, Lily much prefers the smaller but more frequent bursts over the larger but less frequent ones.

Having initially grown up almost in the country, Lily loves anything to do with the outdoors, although she’s not as fond of city-based outdoor stuff. She also adores animals of almost all kinds –even more so after realising that she could converse with them to some degree– with a particular fondness for cats, if only because of the purring.

Last, but definitely not least, Lily has a more or less ‘built-in’ fascination for the metahumans and aliens that inhabit the world. Everything about them excites her in ways that she can’t really explain, but she certainly does know that –if given half a chance– she’d love to meet each and every one of them. Fantasies of proving herself ‘worthy’ of being counted among the number of empowered beings of that world permeate her thoughts more often than she’d readily admit. Lily gets this from her father, along with her dislike of being told what to do and her propensity for finding the violent option to be more fun.

Habits & Quirks:

Checks and double-checks windows and doors of wherever she’s staying for the night, even before moving to Gotham.

After Reed comes into the picture, teaching him new things and just taking him for some exercise around the city is one of her primary relaxation methods.

Scans every room she enters for exits.

Loves to have potato crisps and tea in the same ‘meal’.

Hates people walking close behind her.

When she’s nervous, she can barely stay still. At the very least, her hands will be doing something –fiddling with whatever she can as a way to work out the built-up energy.

If allowed to, she’s prone to sleeping though the day and staying awake during the night. She especially loves seeing both dawn and dusk, although they tend to disappoint her somewhat in Gotham’s city limits.

If she dislikes someone, she’ll practice her knowledge of other languages with them. Ironically, this actually got her some impromptu lessons in Italian, courtesy of various members of the mob.

Hates the smell of soy sauce.

Always watches a movie with popcorn, and can barely focus on it if she doesn’t have any.

Fears: Aside from the concept of experiencing another death through an empathic bond, Lily isn’t overtly afraid of anything; that’s not to say that she’s fearless, however, as there are other things that can get under her skin. Overexposure to confinement makes her rather antsy, potentially to the point that she may suffer a panic attack in extreme circumstances, and this is mostly due to the fact that it leaves her vulnerable to many forms of attack. Lily also has a pronounced and pathological dislike of drowning, although –strangely– suffocation inspires a much less potent reaction.

Good Traits Rundown: Curious, intelligent, determined, playful and likes to joke, avid and quick learner, dedicated, loyal, pays her debts, strong sense of morals, won’t attack or otherwise target certain people if she can help it, temper is usually fairly fleeting, loves animals and is liked by them in return…

Bad Traits Rundown: Hedonistic, lazy, reckless, mischievous, contradictory, ignores the personal space of others, bullheaded, foolish, holds grudges, proud, not actually that great a judge of character, easily guilted into doing things for other people, moral code is a bit twisted, adrenaline junkie and kleptomaniac, jealous of those better-off than herself, can be violent, potential for becoming obsessed and in a bad way…

Physical Powers: Initially

Retractable talons on all digits [ref: Sabretooth in ‘Wolverine Origins’ movie], shorter on toes than on fingers. She took to wearing gloves and closed-toe shoes whenever she was going to be seen by people who didn’t already know about her powers.

Lily’s eyes changed after her abilities manifested, getting slightly larger and a bit more tilted. Her pupils altered to become vertical slits, although it’s not especially obvious unless looking closely or when she’s in extreme-light situations, and they now function more like those of a feline than a human.

She has the capacity to rapidly grow or shed fur or scales on all or part of her body, although it takes her some time to figure this out.

Enhanced

After a particular encounter with Black Mask, Lily’s body will permanently change once again, this time leaving her with a long and fully-prehensile tail, covered in sleek blonde fur.

Her ability to grow and shed fur or scales will expand to various other body-coverings found in the scientific classification of ‘Animalia’, including bone-like formations –although this particular variant will only ever be able to be used on parts of her body.

Special Abilities: Initially

Proportionate physical abilities of a cat her own size. This means strength, speed, stamina, agility, nimbleness, reflexes, dexterity, flexibility, etcetera… She also has the senses of a feline, including a sort of ‘proximity sense’ centred around her head that is her equivalent of having whiskers, and is not dissimilar to ‘spidey-sense’.

Lily possesses an empathic connection with vertebrate animals that she has any particular familiarity with, and she can ‘connect’ with one fairly quickly, as well. Once a connection is forged, she can then conduct a slightly crude form of conversation with the animal. Lily can have a bond with no more than three animals at once, and one of those ‘slots’ is dedicated to her pet dog. She also has an empathic ‘twin-bond’ with her brother… or rather, she used to.

Enhanced

Her physical capabilities expand to encompass everything found in Earth’s vertebrates. This includes her senses, and will cause her more than a few issues while she gets used to them yet again.

After a particular encounter with Black Mask, Lily gains the ability to transform into a sort of variable and mismatched werebeast-like form, wherein she has very little control or even notable humanlike thought processes. Changing forms requires some sort of ‘stress stimuli’ for a very long time –although she may never be able to fully-control when, what, or how this happens. The first transformation of this sort is what she believes left her with a tail in the first place.

Weaknesses: While there are several very-obvious perks to Lily’s powers, there are also cons to each part of her power-set. Her claws, like those of a cat, are subject to being extended outside of her conscious control –while stretching or when startled are particular examples. She’s also just as able to be hurt by them as any other creature. Lily’s tail is also primarily controlled by her subconscious, moving ‘on its own’ unless she concentrates on telling it what to do. It is highly-sensitive, and it’s quite easy to cause her to black out from pain when her tail is mishandled. Both claws and tail are hard to hide, at the best of times. Her ability to grow and shed fur or scales, etcetera, is a rather draining thing to do, as well.

Enhanced senses always have the same basic drawbacks; she is easily overwhelmed by them, even to the point of passing out… not to mention that, if her ‘proximity sense’ is triggered, she may be left jumpy or even somewhat paranoid. Lily’s enhanced physical capabilities, while incredibly useful and potent, take a very long time for her to get accustomed to –she still, after years, makes mistakes with them. There is also the matter of her stamina… she can entirely misjudge how much energy she’s got left, and it’s more than possible for her to literally run herself to death.

Even Lily’s empathic abilities and conversing with animals have their drawbacks. Out of a desperate need, she will often go out of her way to put the wellbeing of said animals over her own or that of other people, as she can feel the pain or even death of beings she’s connected with. She can also have difficulty telling the difference between people and animal conversations, especially if she’s tired or otherwise distracted –her dog, Reed, is the only exception to this, as she can almost immediately recognise his ‘voice’.

Lastly, she has little to no control over her transformation abilities; she can barely instigate it at will, she has almost no say in the physicality of the form, and has extreme difficulty controlling herself… let alone thinking clearly or even like a human while transformed. She also can’t turn into anything ‘more normal’ than a great big werebeast-thing.

Origin of Powers: Lily’s powers come from two types of sources. One is the fact that her father –unbeknownst to her– is actually a member of the Farfarmniflatch alien race. This is where the capacity for transforming herself actually comes from, although –given that she’s only half-alien– her capabilities with such are not as wide-spread or well-controlled as a full-blooded Farfarmniflatch. The other source is an amalgamation of at least three –possibly more– different mutagenic compounds that her body has been subjected to.

The first one to come into play had –decades prior– been introduced to the water supply of the city she initially lived in. It was part of a plan to steadily transform the population into metahumans, to be thusly recruited into various projects, including as super-soldiers. The secret organisation [yes, I will be doing some more work on this bit, such as determining who the fuck these peeps even are] responsible for it was working in conjunction with a portion of the local government and a prominent corporation with a stake in the area as well, along with other similar groups in various locations around the world.

The second mutagen was –quite literally– fed to her, during their training. The purpose of this one was to introduce certain traits or capabilities into her system, and had been in use by that group for many, many years. It was keyed specifically for animalistic mutations, and this is where she believes her abilities actually come from, having learned about the concoction on her final day training with them.

Lily came into contact with the third compound while performing her first clandestine job. It took her to the laboratory where the mutagen was being created. She was supposed to steal research data and destroy evidence, but things didn’t quite go as planned. Lily was spotted and had to deal with security, which in turn resulted in her getting essentially bathed in the concoction; contact lasted for hours until she managed to get it all off, with the mutagen sinking through her skin and a few open wounds in the meantime.

When Lily’s body finally gave in to the mutagenic mixture, including a dash of Lazarus via Gotham’s groundwater, she somehow managed to survive a fever that would generally have been considered to be pretty much lethal in its intensity. She didn’t, however, initially obtain the fullest extent of what her abilities could become. As time goes on and she not only becomes more familiar with them but is also regularly pushed to her limits, they will mature… growing and expanding in ways that she doesn’t anticipate. The more stress she is under –physical, mental, or emotional– the faster this evolution happens…

Skills:

Clothes-making and mending – Lily was taught how to sew by her grandmother, including some seamstress skills, while her grandfather started to teach her how to work harder materials like plastic, metal, and wood. She continued learning these skills even after his death.

Gymnastics – She was notably-talented at this from an early age, and even managed to reach a regional competition before pulling out of it due to her grandfather’s failing health.

Contortionist – Even without her powers, Lily was always naturally-flexible in the extreme.

Parkour and ‘urban exploration’ – Lily’s fascination for exploring the places she goes developed from an occasional hobby to an outright pastime, particularly after beginning her costumed career. Parkour was just part of the parcel, and is something she engages in, even on her ‘days off’.

Light and quick on her feet – Capable of turning almost on a dime, Lily’s nimbleness is one of her favourite traits. The fact that she learned how to walk almost silently is also a plus.

Trained as a ninja of sorts, primarily thievery and assassination – Trained by a martial-arts branch of a multinational criminal organisation –not that she knew it at the time– Lily has the know-how to be devastatingly dangerous, although she definitely prefers not to kill if she can get away with it. She learned the battle and stealth skills they taught her at an astonishing rate, thanks to a knack for both topics. From there, she developed her own quick and highly-acrobatic fighting style, with a growing bestial edge as her powers develop further.

First-Aid and some ‘higher-grade’ medical skills like suturing – Another set of skills taught to her by her grandmother.

Family:

Paternal Grandfather (adopted) – Basil Anthony Dangerfield… A retired army pilot, and a craftsman by trade. He proposed to his to-be-wife while he was bleeding profusely onto her, after an accident with a saw. Basil was always a ‘good man’, by almost every way of measuring it, including being an active member of the community. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with cancer when Lily was still just a kid, and died shortly afterwards.

Paternal Grandmother (adopted) – Rosemary Dianne Dangerfield… Trained as a nurse and then –later in life– expanding her knowledge and skills with the intention of becoming an accredited doctor, she and Basil were teenage sweethearts who actually managed to stay in love. She’s not taking his death well, however, and her health is ailing because of it.

Maternal Grandparents – Aaron & Heather Jensen… A builder and a teacher, respectively, the Jensens were unhappy about their daughter’s choice in fiancé, and refused to help in any way with their wedding. Because of this, Lily has only met them once, when she was around about two years old, and doesn’t know anything about them other than that. Heather was suspicious about whether or not Lily and her brother were even Jarred’s children –believing that Jarred was actually impotent, which was part of the reason behind the animosity from both of the Jensens towards him– and tried to get Dahlia to have them properly tested. She never brought it up to Jarred, the twins, or even to her parents-in-law.

Father (adopted) – Jarred Laurence Dangerfield… A businessman on the rise with his own company, Jarred had big plans for his family. He was madly in love with his wife, and had wanted to marry her since they met in university, despite the barely-masked hostility of her parents. When the car crash that killed him happened, he was dead before those attending the scene could get him out of the vehicle.

Father – Unknown member of the Farfarmniflatch race… He came to Earth while tracking radiation trails from shards of Krypton. While he didn’t find much of what he initially came for, he did partake in the locals with some fervour. Included in this is a one-night fling with Dahlia. She was tipsy and discussing human biology with so much enthusiasm that he found it amusing. However, he regretted having sex with her the moment they’d finished, and he left before she woke. It’s likely that he has no idea that he became a father from that event…

Mother – Dahlia Marie Dangerfield… Before her death from the same car crash that killed her husband, she had earned a PhD in biology and was part of a research team that studied infectious diseases. Her one-night-stand with an unknown man just one day before Jarred proposed was a secret that she kept very close to her chest, mostly out of shame. About a week before the accident, however, she discovered something odd in the blood samples the team was working on, and intended on bringing her discovery to the attention of the rest of them.

Twin Brother – Florian Aster Dangerfield… He had dreams of becoming a stunt-man for films and television. Aster went through the same training regime that Lily did, matching her progress step for step; he even developed abilities of his own –reptilian-like ones– and coined the codename ‘Basilisk’ for himself, coupled with the alias of ‘Julius Roosevelt’. They were a package deal, and almost never apart for longer than a few hours, if that. He died while on a mission for Black Mask, leaving what remained of the family completely devastated.

Nationality: Australian

History: Lily was born in a bayside city in south-eastern Australia, called ‘Batmania’ [equivalent to a real city, and that’s actually what it could have been called… I found it too funny to pass up]. Her early life was fairly simple, focusing on school, friends, and her family –especially her partner-in-crime, Aster. After the car crash that killed their parents when they were seven, however, the twins went to live with their grandparents on a vineyard at the outskirts of the city.

For a couple of years, life was good. Basil and Rosemary instilled into the twins not only a love of life and everything to do with the outdoors, but also a strong sense of responsibility to always repay one’s debts. Unfortunately, this drive would be called into practice in a way that none of the family could have anticipated…

Basil was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, and –Rosemary being too proud to do so– Lily and Aster sought out any help they could find; Lily wound up garnering it from one of the worse sources possible. Her gymnastics ‘career’ had attracted the attention of a number of less-scrupulous individuals in the area, and when a ‘friend of a friend’ said that they could help move the small family to America, where there were more specialists in that particular variety of cancer, Lily didn’t think it through. All that was needed to pay the help back… was to undergo a bit of battle and stealth training, and steal a little something for them. Aster found out about the arrangement and insisted that he go through it with her, refusing to let his sister do anything dangerous without some kind of help from someone who actually cared.

The ‘friend of a friend’ was part of a multinational crime syndicate that dealt with all manner of illicit items and actions [no, this isn’t the League]. The chapter in that area was focused primarily on producing drugs, but also had a sort of ‘ninja dojo’, which is where the twins went through the training they agreed on, speeding through their lessons at a rate that shocked everyone. This prompted those working there to send word to the chapter in the city they were sending the Dangerfields to, so as to –they hoped– continue to use their talents. Unknown to the twins, part of the ‘training’ they put them through included the introduction of a mutagenic compound into their bodies through the food and drink that they were served at the ‘dojo’.

The job went down without much of a hitch, and started the twins off in their adrenaline-hunting lifestyle. Rosemary allowed this to happen; she was distraught and preoccupied by her husband’s failing health, and the twins told her that they had joined a sport team that was trying to gain a foothold in the area. Having no reason to challenge the explanation, she did nothing to stop them.

The family moved to Metropolis in Delaware [I think…], but despite everyone’s best efforts and all of the money that Lily and Aster had earned, Basil lost his battle to survive. In her grief, Rosemary –once a pillar of strength in their lives– became little more than a wreck. The syndicate chapter in the city attempted to get the twins to continue working for them, but Lily was hesitant to continue to steal and Aster refused to do anything for them without his sister. As a result, they watched uneasily as the rest of the family’s finances slowly but surely disappeared.

At the start of the school holidays before the twins were to enter grade 7, they moved again, this time to Gotham City in New Jersey [I think…] –getting a place in the Bowery area of the city’s East End. This proved to be both a good thing and a bad thing… The change of scenery –prone to gloomy weather as it is– helped to break Rosemary out of the emotional slump she was in, but the urge to do something dangerous and more than a little bit illegal started to tickle at the edges of the twins’ minds; why should their peers have all these fancy things and not them, all because of some medical tragedy? They managed to refrain, however… then things changed.

After only a few days in their new home, both twins fell terribly ill. Dangerously-high fevers and potent nausea left them bedridden for well over a week, before vanishing as suddenly as they came. Being low on funds for both medical care and any form of medication, Rosemary cared for the siblings as best she could. In the wake of their miraculous and even somewhat synchronised recoveries, their grandmother started to retreat back into herself once again, her fears of losing her only remaining family reigniting her grief and depression from the death of Basil… leaving the twins to once again try to pick up the slack.

Seeing no other real options, they returned to what the syndicate taught them, focusing on theft and doing their best to only target those who could afford to ‘spare a few bucks’. On their first outing of this kind, the twins learned what the mystery illness had done to their bodies –awakening powers inside of them that they’d never even dreamed of– and even that they’d gained a greater ‘knack’ for animals as well… although, arguing with an irate alley-cat was an adventure unto itself, as was trying to smooth said argument over. The pair decided to make good use of these discoveries, and became a duo of ‘super-burglars’, donning costumes that Lily had designed and made herself, and coining new identities for themselves as ‘Wildcat’ and ‘Basilisk’… even creating the ‘Emery Roosevelt’ and ‘Julius Roosevelt’ aliases to function alongside them.

For a time, they were quite successful, managing to avoid both the GCPD –and any security personnel– but it was inevitable that they’d eventually be caught by someone… While conducting an attack on Roman Sionis a.k.a. ‘Black Mask’, a prominent member of the criminal underbelly of the city, the twins were caught by his underlings. Instead of being killed outright for their attempt –as was expected– they were instead given an ultimatum; work for him, or he’d kill them for trying to steal from him. Having very little choice, the Dangerfield twins agreed. The druglord kept them working for him for about a year, before loosening their leashes, letting them think they’d been forgiven. The reason he showed what could be called ‘mercy’ for the two is this: he figured that they had far too much guts for their own good, but were young enough to potentially be taught otherwise… Roman had every intention to keep the twins on his payroll.

The last mission before they were let ‘loose’ actually went quite awry. They had been tasked with targeting the Falcone family, following the falling-out of an already-tentative truce between Roman and Carmine Falcone –among other prominent mob leaders. Unfortunately for them, the Falcones were expecting a hit of some sort, and the pair very nearly died. While they did manage to injure several of Carmine’s men, the job was more or less an utter bust. On their way home from this failure, they came across a sodden pile of fur, which followed them back to the Dangerfield residence –despite their attempts to make following them difficult. The pup –named ‘Reed’ for his wood-like colouring and seemingly-never-ending energy– became a fixture in their home rather quickly, however, not counting a couple of days spent trying to keep him hidden from their grandmother.

For two more years, they continued to earn money and infamy. Other members of Gotham’s criminal population started to seek out their services, even to the point that they were hired to conduct a hit for someone almost immediately after they’d been hit through someone else’s direction. Lily started to bring up the potential for them to ‘get back to the old game and move into the big leagues’ and do work just for themselves, but Aster felt that they had little to no choice but to continue as they were; he wasn’t sure that they should truly launch into the ‘unaffiliated vigilante or villain game’, like so many other costumed figures in the city. The money they were earning largely went to taking care of their now-ailing grandmother, a goal which allowed them to almost completely disregard their growing addictions to the adrenaline rush, and to validate their actions whenever concerns of the legality of what they were doing arose. All the while, the twins somehow managed to avoid being caught by someone ‘on the right side of the law’.

Things took a turn for the worse when they were hired by Roman once again. The job quickly flew out of their control, ultimately resulting in Aster’s death. Lily was traumatised by it, not just because it was by her suggestion that he was in the situation that killed him, but also because they’d been using their shared empathic bond as a form of silent communication –like every prior job they’d undertaken.

Lily, after doing what she could to numb herself to what had occurred, returned to inform Roman of their failure. He didn’t take it well and –in an effort to ‘persuade her to take his time and money more seriously’– revealed research that he’d done on the twins’ true identities; he’d managed to learn that not only did they have more family in Gotham, but he’d also narrowed down where they lived and attended school to the span of a few blocks each. In a panic, Lily lashed out, even killing a couple of his underlings in the chaos. She didn’t, however, escape without any trouble…

Things spilled out onto the streets. While Lily was under fire, several innocent bystanders –who had the misfortune of being nearby and not quite fast enough to run away or hide effectively– were caught in the crossfire. With more deaths on her conscience and multiple injuries to nurse, Lily eventually managed to lose all of her pursuers. She blamed Roman for the deaths of the bystanders almost as much as she blamed herself, and being weighed-down by all that guilt, Lily couldn’t bring herself to return home… even though she knew that it would likely destroy her grandmother even more.

Reed tracked her down the next day, dragging a boy Lily’s age with him. This boy was Taron Dawson, who –feeling sorry for the injured girl he’d found– took her back to his place in the Cauldron area of Gotham, where he lived with his concerned yet incredibly laid-back uncle, a night-shift doctor. To her shock, Taron and his uncle worked to treat her wounds, and even offered for her and Reed to stay with them for the foreseeable future… all without asking any questions other than to know something to call them both. She gave them her middle name, only, unsure if she could trust their generosity.

During her recovery, she spent a lot of time thinking about what she was going to do. Fear kept her from even contemplating returning home, but she knew that she would never be able to stay out of further trouble. Reaching the conclusion that her conscience needed some form of easing, Lily decided that she would, at long last, drop working for other criminals and would instead try to atone for what she considered herself to be guilty of –even the inevitable death of her grandmother, as she couldn’t see herself returning home before that happened. If she could make a more positive impact on the city, then perhaps she would be able to sleep again…

~*~|LATER EVENT|~*~ At some point, Lily will once again find herself in Roman’s grasp. He’ll put her through multiple forms of torture as a way of not only punishing her for her transgressions against him, but also to –he hopes– break her spirit enough to get her to be controllable again. Unfortunately for him, the ultimate result of the torture is that her abilities will evolve, and she’ll gain the ability to fully-transform. She breaks out of his grasp while going on a werebeast-y rampage, only ending when she runs out of steam, although she may be found and restrained before then… by Batman, for example…

Potential Arkham Diagnoses:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] – Primarily courtesy of Aster’s death. Much of Lily’s attitudes towards other people is at least partially governed by the trauma of feeling her brother die. It makes forging new connections with people difficult for her, thanks to a persistent fear that she’d be forced to face that situation again. Animals, on the other hand, have more pronounced survival instincts, and so she finds it easier to connect to them. Possible triggers include talk of being close, being physically close, etcetera.

Sociopathy – As an adrenaline junkie with a fondness for thievery, she naturally has some disregard for the rules and regulations of society. Lily doesn’t think like a law-abiding citizen, and never has.

Kleptomania – Summed up in a few words… she’s addicted to stealing.

Violent Outbursts – Lily’s temper, commonly being released in vibrant explosions of emotion, naturally leads to some bouts of violent temper as well. Couple this with her lack of fine mental and emotional control when transformed… It should also be mentioned that, under the right circumstances, she’s more than willing to kill.

Obsessive-Compulsive Need to Prove Oneself – While not always a bad thing, in Lily’s case it translates as a need to measure herself against the yardsticks that various other costumed individuals embody. She’s compelled to compare herself to people like ‘Poison Ivy’ or ‘Superman’, and –if possible– best them in some way.

Goals:

Learn to drive, and get a car or motorbike of her own.

Become fluent in at least two other languages than English, and ‘Animal’ doesn’t count. She’s taken lessons in Italian and Japanese. Spanish is on the short list for another one to try, and is actually the one that her grandmother tried to get her to learn at first.

Have both the money and the freedom to travel the world.

Survive and perhaps even excel at the whole ‘hero thing’.

Learn just what the full extent of her abilities even are… This is one that she will have particular difficulty with, thanks to certain traumatic events…

Uncover the truth regarding the syndicate that trained her, and about the situation regarding her original hometown.

Get revenge on Black Mask, in particular.

Schooling & Desired Occupation: Lily has finished primary school, and is in grade 10, also known as sophomore, in high school. She has a few potentials for what she wants to do when she’s an adult; veterinarian –or some other job that deals closely with animals– is at the top of her list, but vying for that space are things like acting and working on special-effects for film or television. She’s doing her utmost to stay in school, including keeping it as secret as she possibly can that she’s wound up without a place to call home.

Likes & Dislikes – Food: Her favourites are Italian cuisine in general, omelette, pie, and musk-flavoured candy… her least favourites are lettuce and anything in the same family as it, coffee, bangers-‘n’-mash, and boiled candy.

Sexual Orientation & Details: While she’s not above playing with anyone –especially if it gets her something and so long as it doesn’t actually go anywhere out of her control– Lily hasn’t really given much thought to the topic as a whole. There is at least one person she has some interest in, but things are complicated between the pair of them, so she hasn’t really done much about bringing that fact to the guy’s attention. Lily has a particular aversion to people who don’t seem to permit her to have thoughts and feelings of her own. When someone matches her beat for beat, though, it leaves her with a case of the butterflies. A sense of humour, a love of a challenge or adventure, certainly an appreciation for animals, and being able accept someone with powers… these are all things that she finds important.

Pet: Reed, a mixed-breed dog that is part German Shepherd and part Siberian Husky, he’s big and more than a little bit intelligent. His thick fur is mostly chocolate-brown with black ticking and swathes of creamy-white on his throat, belly, and legs –akin to the typical white markings found on huskies– all of which contrasts strikingly with his icy-blue eyes. Reed was abandoned on the streets of Gotham as a pup, but he found Lily and her brother in the aftermath of a job that nearly killed the pair of them… and then he followed them home. Their grandmother was hesitant, at first, to let the dog stay, but his goofy and eager nature won her over. At the time that Lily starts her ‘hero career’, he’s around two years old, and has since become one of her most trusted allies.

Relationships – Friends & Allies: Reed [OC] Ever since they met, Reed has been an almost-constant companion for his Person, and is dedicated to keeping her alive and well. As Lily is able to converse with him to a degree, his responsiveness and helpfulness is almost unmatched throughout the country. Also, she absolutely adores him.

Ariana Bourke a.k.a. ‘Aranea’ [OC] More of an occasional-ally than a true friend, the two of them sometimes help each other out on the field. As Ariana is older, she feels it’s her responsibility to help Lily when she can and gladly accepts favours in return… but she also has a decidedly-different set of morals and aims, which can easily lead to conflict between the cat and the spider.

Lillian MacDougal [OC] A classmate affectionately known as ‘Big Lily’, she is one of Lily’s primary anchors to reality. At school, they are nearly inseparable, which constantly eats away at Lily’s conscience –she desperately wants to tell her friends about her ‘other life’, but is also scared of how they’d react, among other things. While Lillian has noticed something ‘off’ about Lily, she has yet to press for any details outside of the occasional question. Her father is a member of the GCPD, and is someone Lillian deeply admires.

Nathan “Nate” Ackerman [OC] Another classmate and close friend, Nate actually knows more about Lily’s escapades than he lets on. He’s been following all costumed incidents that he can find any information about for a year or two, thanks in no small part to his mother having been killed by the Joker. He’s also the school’s biggest geek, according to many of their peers, and tries to help Lily out where he can with these skills… secretly at first, naturally.

Relationships – Enemies: Roman Sionis a.k.a. ‘Black Mask’ He is the one who not only introduced her to working with Gotham’s criminal underbelly, but is also the person she was working for when her relations with organised crime really crumbled. Due to what happened, she greatly dislikes all who are connected to that section of Gotham’s population, but focuses her dislike primarily on the bigger names like Falcone, Maroni, and Cobblepot, and leaves going after their hench-people for when she actually feels a need to. He, on the other hand, seems torn between punishing her severely for what happened and getting her back in his employ… or both, if possible. In truth, with such a large part of her costumed career being spent in the employ of the mob, several members of the mob believe that she belongs to them.

Jack Napier a.k.a. ‘The Joker’ Technically, these two have yet to meet. This is more on behalf of her friend, Nate, but Lily dislikes what he does for fun.

Tabitha & Martin Lear a.k.a. ‘?’ & ‘?’ [OCs] [Connected to the whole ‘master plan to mutate the world’? These two are just names, at the moment…]

Relationships – Neutral & ‘It’s Complicated’: Selina Kyle a.k.a. ‘Catwoman’ Lily has no particular issue with Selina, but she is deemed by many others to have tried to copy the more well-known cat-burglar. This rubs both of them the wrong way, for various reasons. Selina decided to look into the younger thief, keeping an eye on her and ‘trying to decide if she’s “mini-me material”’. On the other hand, Lily holds a decent amount of respect for Selina and what she’s managed to do.

Taron Dawson a.k.a. ‘Thunderbird’ [OC] Taron confuses Lily to no end, as he will seemingly switch ‘sides’ at the drop of a hat. He quite likes her –and has since they first met– and she’d like to reciprocate, but their differences of opinion and regular butting of heads stand in the way… along with the fact that she’s frequently bewildered and frustrated regarding his intentions. Despite this, he regularly takes the time to meet with her and chat about anything and everything… the fact that Reed likes him is another piece in his favour. The irony of a bird chasing a cat is not lost on either of them.

Bruce Wayne a.k.a. ‘Batman’ Lily has yet to meet the Batman, but she respects him a great deal for Batman’s hero status and everything that he’s done. Bruce Wayne, however, is someone that she harbours a lot of jealousy for, thanks in part to not knowing about the Wayne family tragedy. On the flip side, Bruce considers her to be a reckless child who knows very little about the world she’s been pulled into, and would definitely like it if she gave up the costume entirely –one less person for him to be aware of. There is some possibility that they’ll wind up working together in some way, whether temporarily or permanently is still uncertain…

Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon & the GCPD Naturally, Lily generally wants nothing to do with any cop. She’s terrified of being put in jail, but is also completely addicted to the costumed life. Having been a thief –and other things– for hire by the mob for some time, and then becoming an unrecognised vigilante… they aren’t especially fond of her activities, to put it mildly. That being said, describing them as ‘enemies’ is not quite right.

Other: Lily is very rarely seen without some kind of bag, usually a backpack, and her favourite one is an over-the-shoulder single-strap backpack that she’s modified with a second strap that loops under that same arm; she always keeps a notebook and about four different pens in it, along with her wallet, a bag of treats for Reed, usually some form of snack for herself, and a few other odds and ends –not least of which being her house-keys for her grandmother’s home.

I don’t see any potentially bad quirks about your character. It seems fine to me.

If you want me to look into greater detail on any aspect, go ahead and shoot me a message or an ask

[renegadesepiida]

This weekend I snapped back into the realization that, hey, I like to cook. I haven’t been cooking or eating healthy food for a while just cause I’ve been lazy, which is, of course, not good neither for me nor my wallet. So yesterday I went back to the grocery store and only bought food that I need to make into a meal. There, now, I can’t be as lazy anymore.

This train of thought about food makes me reminisce about meals that I have had in other countries, where people can be a bit more adventurous, or where the diets have evolved differently than ours. While some people will find this a bit shocking and maybe even disgusting I would recommend at least trying any of these tasty “meat” treats. *List in order of least to most odd, according to responses from people when I tell them. And I am not taking fish/sushi or shellfish because, one I’d be here all day [a lot of people don’t really like any seafood :( ] and two, because that’s been a staple of the American diet for a while and I only want to count the meat dishes that I thought were strange when I first tried them.

Escargot

Snails – of course, this dish isn’t uncommon here in the states, in fact, Northern California is where I first sampled it around the age of, maybe, 16(?). Escargot is much more common in France when I was visiting Paris for a week in 2014 with my friend Catherine we would always split the appetizer of 6 snails. The only reason that this makes the list is because a lot of people still look at me funny when I say that I’ve had the dish. While the squishier texture may turn some people off (I enjoy it), c’mon, guys it just tastes like garlic butter.

Goose Liver Pâté

This is another common dish for those rich folks, and while I was in France I wanted to try it, just once. I am not personally in favor of stuffing the life out of the geese or duck or any other bird people choose to do this too, and I even now I don’t know if it makes any of it taste better since I’ve still never had a normal goose or duck liver. Or, really, liver of any kind.

Reindeer/Venison

While deer or venison can be pretty normal with people who hunt, it wasn’t something that I grew up with, so when I tried a piece of deer sausage around the age of 12, without releasing what it was, I enjoyed it. After I found out I was a bit sad, but soon after I didn’t really care. Now, though you can get venison at certain burger places, and it’s good don’t get me wrong, but it’s not quite the same. Reindeer on the other side of the world, Norway is where I had it as a delicious lean steak in a traditional restaurant in Bergen. Reindeer tend to be smaller that other deer, and is less gamey, probably because they have been more or less domesticated.

Moose

Yummy Norwegian moose is the only kind of moose I’ve had. It is tougher and a bit gamier than venison, but still good. I got the purest taste, but I enjoyed it most when it was a meat option on the top of a breakfast “sandwich”. Even wanted to bring some home, but customs doesn’t allow any meat to be brought from Norway, even when it’s store bought and still package sealed.

  Emu

If anyone has ever had ostrich I assume it tastes like that, but I couldn’t say because I haven’t had ostrich. I just know that emu is good; it tasted like beef to me but was stringier. In the Australia of 2010, I had it on a pizza (and picked it off for the single flavor) at a restaurant called The Australian Heritage Hotel.

http://www.gourmantic.com/2011/03/01/australian-heritage-hotel-kangaroo-crocodile-the-rocks/

Never did try crocodile.

Pinnkjøtt

            The traditional Christmas dish, sheep ribs, which my uncle and aunt’s dad once got in the newspaper for is one of the best dishes in the world. While sheep or lamb ribs are common in the US, they aren’t prepared this way. After the main meat has been taken off the leftovers are frozen and then unfrozen and cooked in a big pot for the Christmas dinner feast. While each rib does not have an enormous quantity of meat on each, each bite is well worth it. Melt in your mouth delicious. Pair with mashed turnips (and/or potatoes) and sauerkraut (red and/or white pickled cabbage) or whatever else you want.

http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/12/pinnekjott/

    Armadillo and Coatimundi

Most people know armadillos from the southwestern US and Mexico, but they also are so common in Guatemala that they are eaten there, unlike the countries further north. The white-nosed coati is another mammal species from Guatemala. Every day we would see dozens of these animals sniffing around the forest ground searching for bugs to eat. With their tails in the air, they looked like backward brachiosauruses, adorable. One night when we stayed overnight in the city of Flores, on the island in Lake Petén Itza, during the Guatemalan independence celebration. While celebrations were happening all over the island our group of five went out for dinner. The plan was to follow our professor and guide because they told us that they were going to their favorite restaurant, which has exciting food we should try. After some wandering and hoping we found the right place, we walked through a closed door at the opening of an alley and found that we were in the restaurant the professor mentioned, due to the fact that we could see them sitting and drinking at a table. They informed us which of the dishes we should get. And the five of us ended up splitting a few orders of both. I tasted the armadillo first, and while it wasn’t bad, especially with the sauce, there were so many tiny bones, like a fish and it was gamier than I’d like. That was annoying to me, plus the meat didn’t taste good enough to put up with the bone issue. Moving to the coatis’ meat, wow, that meat was good. Light and tender, with a great sauce and no bones. Perfection.

I can’t say where the restaurant was or what it was even called. So for one of the best meals you may ever have, I wish you and myself (when I can get back) all the luck in the world.

http://www.enjoyguatemala.com/guatemala-lakes/

  Hamam Mahshi

When I mention that I ate pigeon in Egypt, people in the US tend to tilt their head and ask me if that was such a good idea. Of course, it was a great idea, the culture, including around food is different, but the ideas are the same. Unlike in the US pigeons in Egypt are not ‘rats with wings’ as we see them here, in many countries just like in Egypt, pigeons are raised like any other free-range farm animal. The one to two-year-old birds are killed for their meat, while the older ones continue mating, just like we raise cattle or poultry in the US. Except better because they are not fed hormones and such and have large cages outside where they can fly around on the roofs of buildings in the city. The main way to enjoy pigeon is to have it in a soup or get the full bird that has been stuffed with rice after the inside had been cleaned out. I say, at any time you could, try this meal. Not only is it nice to eat, but tearing it apart the correct way is also a fun challenge.

http://www.internationalcuisine.com/egypt-squab/

Kangaroo

Another delicious meat, which I first had at the Australian Heritage Hotel in 2010 on a pizza. Seriously, this was the best meat I have EVER had. It didn’t taste like anything I’ve tried before and then I get asked, “Oh, then, does it taste like chicken?” NO! It’s WAY BETTER than chicken. And I miss it a lot… Most people probably stare at me because of my over the top reaction, but I also get some people trying to guilt me, cause “kangaroos are so cute”. No friends, well yes, but no. In Australia, they are hunted regularly by “Roo Shooters” because of serious overpopulation issues with a few, if any, natural predators that are not extinct. So don’t feel too bad, plus the used the entire animal for other materials (for example a leather hat).

https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/publications/kangaroo-shooting-code-compliance/kangaroos#poi

http://blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/2013/04/03/a-necessary-evil-the-kangaroo-cull/

  Lutefisk

Literally translated, ‘lye fish’ is a fermented fish dish from Scandinavian countries like Norway and Sweden. It is typically made from cod or another plain white fish that is easy to fish up in the North. When I say the name, listeners usually ask, “What is that?” And then when I respond with “fermented fish” I get ewwwws and grosses. It is a very good meal if made properly (like pretty much everything). If the fish isn’t unfrozen properly the meat will turn gelatinous, which is what most people find disgusting. I have found that with food, texture is seriously everything. Even though my aunt and younger cousin both hate lutefisk, even when my aunt’s dad prepares it. My older Norwegian cousin, uncle (mom’s brother), mom, sister, and I all love it but only get to have it up at the hytta (cabin). It is so good, especially with the bacon sauce to put on top (and I don’t even like bacon!) and I eat it with turnips, but potatoes are also an option.

https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/LutefiskHistory.htm

Grasshoppers, Ant larva, and Grubs

While traveling around the various states of Mexico we tasted maybe different kinds of food. The most apprehensive I ever was, was the second year, in central Mexico eating bugs. Yes, when I was a little kid I accidently ate an ant, but these were on purpose, all of them prepared by the cooks in the kitchen especially for us. The grubs were the introduction. Lightly fried and tossed in a bowl. They were the appetizers; both Kat (another girl on the trip) and I were the first to try them. And surprisingly, but unsurprisingly, the grubs seemed to taste good, but actually, they didn’t really taste like much of anything. A little vegetable oil and some salt made each one a savory cloud with a slight crunch. The ant larva was the next dish I tried; in the dish, mixed with a white sauce and probably different vegetables, the tiny balls of larva looked like couscous or quinoa. Because I was not apprehensive about trying this one I took between a quarter and a half of a teaspoon, it was not good. In fact, I wanted to spit it out it was so bad. Don’t let this discourage you, though, when I took the ant larva off the plate alone and ate it, it was much better. So whatever the ant larva was mixed with was what I disliked and not the bugs themselves. The last dish of insects, on a different day, in a different restaurant, in a different state, was little bowls of baby grasshoppers served to us with chips, salsa, and lime. The combination of chips, bug, and lime tasted just like salted lime and vinegar chips. Nothing wrong with that at all, and I definitely ate quite a few before my main dish arrived.

  Hvalbiff

Whale – specifically Minke whale from Norway. A highly controversial topic, which I would direct anyone to read a few articles for more information. I am in no sense of the word, an expert on the subject, but I do know a bit about whaling. And while I can never defend overfishing, like what Japan hunters do illegally with any whale they see, I can see the merits of Norway for greatly reducing the intake over the past several years and only hunting species that are not at risk of being endangered. In fact, these whales are of least concern, and just like their ancestors: Norwegians, Icelanders, etc. all use the entire animal. And let me just say, it also tastes similar to a lean steak, with less fat. My cousin and I bought one box from the grocery store and cooked it up for dinner; one box was more than enough for the both of us.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minke_whale

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/160331-norway-minke-whaling-fur-farms/

http://us.whales.org/issues/whaling-in-norway

  Around the world, you’ll find food that you may not have considered ever trying. But I always like to immerse myself in any culture I visit, not only is it respectful, but you’ll get a whole new experience and widen all horizons. Where ever you go the people living there have been there much longer, years, generations, centuries, and they know what they’re doing. I trust that they want to share the best of their lives with me as I would with them.

GO FORTH AND EAT FOOD!

Meet Some New Meat This weekend I snapped back into the realization that, hey, I like to cook. I haven’t been cooking or eating healthy food for a while just cause I’ve been lazy, which is, of course, not good neither for me nor my wallet.

[brentrogers]

Coping with Internet Trolls

In Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore, a troll is an ugly being that hides under bridges or in rocks. They have claws and harm humans whenever they get the chance. An internet troll is a person who posts hateful mean comments online. They hide under pseudonyms to avoid real-life repercussions.  

According to a 2014 study by psychologists Erin Buckels, Paul Trapnell and Delroy Paulhus, trolls have what is referred to as the dark triad of personality traits. In their article Trolls Just Want to Have Fun they state, “trolling correlated positively with sadism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, using both enjoyment ratings and identity scores.” Sadism means enjoying causing harm to others. Psychopathy is an antisocial personality disorder that includes little to no feelings of remorse, guilt or empathy. Machiavellianism means a person is, in general, deceitful and manipulative.

Our image of people who have the dark triad traits is typically based off of characters from movies or crime shows. They are portrayed as serial killers or mob bosses. In reality, most are sad, disconnected, bitter people who feel a need for, yet lack, social influence. No surprise there considering they are never well-liked people or strong contributors to society. 

As a child, some adult probably told you that bullies are cowards. Childhood bullies typically pick on weaker or somehow defenseless peers. They may also select victims they feel jealous of or perceive as different from them. Most bullies outgrow these behaviors as they develop character and compassion. However, some clearly do not and the internet provides the perfect outlet for them. 

Trolls take pleasure from causing pain. Their ability to upset or harm gives them a feeling of power. They lack the positive personality traits needed to feel compassion or guilt; so it’s actually worth it to them to spend their time and energy posting nasty messages.  

Many countries are working to make it illegal to post under a fake name. The belief is that if they had to uses their real names (being cowards) most would not be willing to attack. In the USA you can sue a troll under the name “Defendant Doe” and the courts can use their powers to unmask them. 

However, it’s important to remember that trolls are not super villains, but rather broken individuals. Don’t feel angry with them, but rather sad for them. If they did not envy you or feel that you are impactful then they would not be reacting to you. You cannot have an internet presence without dealing with trolls at some point. Remind yourself that the more trolls you have, the more important and influential you actually are. They are just some ugly soul living under a dank bridge, while you and your internet presence are living in the light of day.

The comedian Sarah Silverman famously responded to a troll with love and compassion. It caused him to apologize. (I myself did invite one to lunch who claimed to live near me but have not gotten a reply). In general, I ignore them or my assistant does so on my behalf. 

If you are a troll I hope you get the help you need. Sharing your pain won’t heal it.

If you are being trolled by someone else, say a little prayer for them and focus on the people who support you. If a troll hurts you remember it could be worse, you could be them.

Coping with Internet Trolls syndicated from

[biofunmy]

Climate of guilt: Flying no longer the high road for some

School’s out for summer and Swedish lawyer Pia Bjorstrand, her husband and their two sons are shouldering backpacks, ready to board the first of many trains on a whistle-stop vacation around northern Europe.

The family is part of a small but growing movement in Europe and North America that’s shunning air travel because it produces high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. While experts say fighting climate change will require bigger and bolder actions by governments around the world, some people are doing what they can to help, including changing long-held travel habits.

The trend is most prominent in Sweden, where the likes of teen climate activist Greta Thunberg have challenged travelers to confront the huge carbon cost of flying.

“Even I, who was climate aware 10 years ago, didn’t think about flying in the way that I think now,” said Bjorstrand as she waits on the platform of Nykoping station in eastern Sweden. “I didn’t know that the effect of flying was so big. So we flew everywhere.”

Airlines argue that flying accounts for just 2% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions and increasingly efficient planes now use about the same amount of fuel per passenger as a half-full car. Yet the ease and falling cost of air travel is enabling more people to fly more often, meaning airline emissions are soaring even as other sources decline.

In 2013, commercial carriers emitted 710 million tons of carbon dioxide. This year, industry group IATA predicts airlines’ emissions of CO2 will reach 927 million tons, more than an industrial country like Germany. The figures don’t include other factors that scientists say increase the greenhouse effect from flying.

Compared with rail travel, planes fare particularly poorly.

Bjorstrand’s train journey from Nykoping to the Danish capital Copenhagen weighs in at 2.4 kilograms (5.3 pounds) of CO2 per person, according to an online calculator created by the Germany-based Institute for Energy and Environmental Studies consultancy. That compares with over 118 kilograms (260 pounds) of CO2 for a one-way flight.

Such amounts quickly take a big chunk out of the annual carbon budget of 2,000 kilograms per person that scientists say would be sustainable.

The rail journey is almost twice as long by train — 5 ½ hours compared with three hours of flying and transit — but that’s fine with the family. There’ll be plenty of time for Oscar, 9, to pore over his comic books and Gabriel, 11, to read up on World War II history or just watch the lush green forests and lakes of southern Sweden glide by.

Last year, Sweden’s forests literally went up in smoke as the country experienced a heat wave that led to wildfires unprecedented in its modern history, driving home the possible consequences of global warming for this rich Nordic nation.

It was around that time that Thunberg, then a 15-year-old student in Stockholm, began staging weekly protests outside parliament that inspired similar demonstrations by teens and young adults elsewhere. Thunberg has become a celebrity among environmentalists for her heartfelt speeches, savvy use of social media and willingness to take long train journeys to attend events in Rome, Vienna or London.

In Sweden, this stance against air travel has spawned the term “flygskam,” or “flight shame.”

“I can see guilt growing,” said Bjorstrand. “Some colleagues try not to talk to me about their long-haul flights.”

The main Swedish train operator, SJ, says it sold 1.5 million more tickets in 2018 than the previous year. Even the number of business travelers is up, rising 12% in the first three months of this year, the company said.

Pushback against flight-shaming is coming from some unlikely sources.

Anders Levermann, a scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, believes that the world needs to stop adding carbon to the atmosphere by mid-century if it wants to keep average temperature increases below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) as outlined in the 2015 Paris accord.

But an abrupt end to air travel could have disastrous consequences for society, Levermann warns.

“I think travelling in general brings people together,” he said. “That includes aviation.”

Levermann argues that the climate movement shouldn’t focus only on air travel.

“At the moment it is treated like whales for biodiversity,” he said. “It’s a poster child.”

A more effective way to reduce carbon emissions would be to pressure political leaders into taking decisions that have a nationwide or global effect, rather than guilt-tripping individuals into minimizing their carbon footprint, said Levermann.

There is some hope that governments will act. Environmental parties were one of the big winners of last month’s European Union Parliament elections. Leaders of the 28-nation bloc will this week debate a long-term strategy on climate change, while lower-ranking officials meet in The Hague to discuss taxing aviation fuel and airline tickets.

“For decades, governments have failed to regulate aviation emissions,” said Andrew Murphy, an aviation expert at Belgium-based pressure group Transport and Environment.

Some pin their hopes on technological advances in aviation, including electric planes, though viable battery-powered models aren’t on the horizon yet.

In the meantime, airlines are trying to address customer concerns even as they prepare to fight new emissions taxes.

“It’s obviously a hot topic and something we’re seeing particularly in the European market,” said Steffen Milchsack, spokesman for Lufthansa. The German airlines group wants to start using synthetic kerosene produced with renewable energy in coming years and recently began paying a small fee to compensate the carbon emissions caused by staff travel.

Such small, voluntary payments — known as offsets — are preferred by airlines over government-imposed taxes or carbon caps.

So far, a majority of passengers are still unwilling to pay more for flights or fly less. A survey by the German travel agents’ association, DRV, found that only 2% of air travel last year was offset.

But Julia Zhu, a spokeswoman for Atmosfair, a German nonprofit organization, says the amount of CO2 offsets it processed rose from 550,000 tons in 2017 to 800,000 tons last year.

“The summer of 2018 was sort of a turning point,” she said.

Atmosfair uses money from offsets — typically a few euros (dollars) per person for a short-haul flight — to support small-scale carbon reduction efforts, such as buying efficient cooking stoves for families in Africa and Asia.

Zhu said companies are increasingly deciding to offset business travel, with a similar effort underway among U.S. academics. Murphy believes grassroots efforts to fly less could ultimately have a significant impact.

Pia Bjorstrand, however, isn’t prepared to give up flying altogether just yet. Last winter, like many sun-starved Scandinavians, the family took a long-distance flight. They bought carbon credits to offset the trip to Namibia.

“The U.S. or Africa or Southeast Asia, it’s hard to go by train,” she said.

———

Frank Jordans reported from Berlin. Mark Carlson in Brussels contributed to this report.

———

Follow Frank Jordans on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wirereporter

Sahred From Source link Travel

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[deevahkitty]

Soccer Dads

This weekend was a struggle. My life has changed fairly dramatically over the past year… I went from dating a new guy every week to exchanging rings with a man I intend to spend the rest of my life with. I now have 2 teen/tween boys that make my daily interactions with male folk quite different than they used to be. But none of this means I don’t still have very nearly daily interactions with men who are inappropriate, offensive, and sometimes terrifying.

Being a parent means I spend a lot more time around married people than single people these days, which cuts down on the inappropriateness. I hang out with people whose kids are friends with my kids, whose kids play soccer with my kid. The interactions are fairly stereotypical… for the most part, everyone is pleasant with everyone, but the dads mostly talk to the other dads and the moms typically talk to the other moms. As such, I barely even remember the names of most of the dads, but the moms I’m becoming quite friendly with.

This weekend there was an out of town soccer tournament. Many of the families decided to stay in a hotel rather than have the long drive both ways both days. Saturday night, my partner took our oldest to a play since he’s not really a sports guy and had been bored at the games. I stayed at the hotel with our youngest (the soccer player) and the other families. The kids played in one area, the parents sat and had dinner and drinks in another, close but not together with the kids. The combination of much wine and beer flowing, the kids being out of earshot, and a sense of getting to know each other, everyone was jovial and funny and often making jokes to saucy for the soccer pitch. For example, jokes about “Naughty Nurses 7” being on the pay per view in the hotel room (I didn’t fact check this, but hey, maybe it was).

I was crunching the ice in my drink, and one of the dad’s turned to me and said “sexually frustrated?” I sputtered out an “excuse me?” And he said “we used to say when a girl chews ice it means she’s sexually frustrated. Is (my partner) not taking care of business at home?” A couple of people laughed, a couple didn’t seem to hear. I didn’t want to make a scene so I smiled and said “I’m perfectly satisfied, but thanks.”

A while later, one of the guys was explaining that because he is Scottish, he is quite frugal. I didn’t know this was a thing, but he was adamant… Scots are a frugal lot. One of the moms joked then that she was half catholic and half jewish, so she understood guilt and guilt trips better than anyone. Another mom said she was Swiss, which meant she had to eat chocolate every day. Playing along, I said I am Scandinavian, and as such I am perpetually pale and incapable of getting tan. The guy who asked about my sex life earlier said there was something else about Scandinavians I was leaving out. I said what’s that? He said “Blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and …” and he makes a gesture to mimic having big boobs. I rolled my eyes a bit and said “yes, I have blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin and a magnificent rack.” And I turned away from him to continue talking to the other parents at the table. He continued talking to me as if I were still engaging, saying he’d noticed and appreciated. Then I excused myself to go to the restroom and as I was standing up, he looked me up and down and said “and you’ve got great legs too.”

As we group of parents moved about throughout the evening, he managed to stand or sit next to me at every move. I started asking him questions about his wife, who was at a different tournament with their daughter. I tried to be as pointed as possible without making a scene. He caught NONE of the subtlety.

I have no idea if any of the other parents heard or caught n to any of it. And if they did, if they knew I was uncomfortable and unhappy with the turns of the conversation, or if they thought I was encouraging. I found myself questioning every move I made. I don’t want to be the killjoy who can’t take a joke or friend ribbing. But that is not what he was doing. But he said everything in such a way that if I had said anything against it, it would have looked like I was a prude or stick in the mud or just a general bitch.

Later, when telling my partner what happened, his response was “What can I do about it? I can’t go start a fight with him.”  This is an ongoing concern with him when he sees how people treat me. He wants to say something, but is always afraid doing so will start a physical altercation, and he doesn’t want to fight. I assure him over and over again I don’t want him to fight. But his fears are very much like my fears are about standing up to men. I wonder if I do anything other than smile or laugh along, will he hit me? Will he grab me? Will he just say something worse? So I play nice and don’t stand up for myself. My partner has never been with a woman that gets the same amount of attention that I do. He tells me his now-deceased wife never had men talk to her this way or treat her this way. I don’t want to say or do anything to upset his memories of his wife, so I don’t tell him that she probably did have these interactions… maybe not as blatant, maybe not as often, but I’m sure she had them. But he didn’t see it, and she didn’t tell him. He sees it with me because a lot of men are blatant. A lot of men are rude to him because he is with me. And he hears about it because I tell him most (not all) of the bullshit that happens. So it’s in his face that men treat me like an object of sexual fantasy and not like a person. And it upsets him. It upsets me too. But he becomes frustrated because he feels there is nothing he can do.

Last week I told him that as a tall, broad shouldered white man, he is probably the best person to call men out on this shit. Because the men who act this way don’t listen to women. We’re just bitches who can’t take a joke. We’re ball busting feminazis who are probably secretly dykes if we don’t enjoy what they are saying/doing/acting towards us. If a man that they perceive as being “one of them” told them to STFU, maybe they would hear it. But he tells me again and again “I’m not a fighter.” And his fears that if he calls a man out, that man will attack him, are not outside the realm of possibility. Some of these assholes think they should be allowed to murder a woman for turning them down. Some of them feel like a woman just NEEDS to get hit sometimes. So maybe he’s right and he can’t say anything.

But where does that leave me when men treat me like I exist solely to titillate them? What do I do when a man talks to me like that and makes me feel like I’ve no power to protect myself?

No, I don’t think mr. Soccer Dad would have laid a hand on me in any way if I had told him to fuck off. But this is not an interaction that is common amongst the soccer parents. So would the other parents in the room be upset at me for making things awkward? I am so tired. I just don’t want this to keep happening. And I don’t want to have to change my wardrobe and my hairstyle and my smile and my voice in hopes that men will stop treating me like meat. Because I don’t think they will stop. Even if I was plain or even ugly, even if I were flat-chested and buck-toothed and bald. Even if my skin was bad and my clothes were dirty. Homeless women are some of the most at-risk for sexual assault, and they aren’t known for their sexy beauty.

I don’t have any answers except I just want it to stop.

[annoyingcherryblossomnight-blog1]

Excursions Of Greece

In the New Testomony we are given a number of parables that Jesus used to reveal truths about The Kingdom of Heaven. Collectors this morning agreed to proceed to finance Greece as the disaster drags on. "Greece has carried out an enormous a part of what it was alleged to do, adopted an bold reform program and a funds for 2013 that's impressive," Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker informed reporters in Brussels late morning now we have seen the EURO slip to a two month low towards the greenback all the best way right down to $1.2681. Athens and Sparta became essentially the most famous metropolis-states. There are lots of packages that cater to all sorts of budgets, interests and timescales. Safety degree is the bottom in the developed a part of Europe, however usually it is not going to consists of direct bodily violence, but most of stealing issues due to certain levels of poverty. The apricot timber are greatest referred to as fruit producing bushes, however a latest national marketplace for flowering timber, Prunus mume, has rapidly developed, because of the abundant white, pink, or red flowers that may seem as early because the winter in some in some areas of the United States. Three days after our first meeting John invited me back to his condo…it turned out to be the most luxurious penthouse in town overlooking the Gulf of Siam…a private elevator, 5 stand alone balconies with gardens and mini-waterfalls, a sauna, big front room, three or four bedrooms, and Bacon lithographs hanging from all of the partitions. In modern day care houses that is typically accessible to help elderly people preserve cellular in their later years. A walk round any city would reveal the magnificent historical stays and the museums all through Greece carry the stories of wealthy cultural previous. Most of the vacationers from completely different locations are drawn to this fashionable spot simply because of the big selection of customs and cultures are found here and likewise on account of its unique historical past. Utility: God does not need us to provide out of a way of strain or guilt, however with joy. All of us noticed what happened in Greece when their financial system crashed, and when it happens right here, in the perennial "land of loads", it'll make the Athens riots look like a day at Disneyland. The world is fascinated however it takes particular folks just like the Bredons, the Fleur Ng'wenos and the Wangari Maathai's to show that surrealism in nature. Town has this amazing range of theaters and art galleries that offer not just massive amount of knowledge to its visitors, but also is succesful to entertain with an interactive and zealous method. Once more, in the aftermath of the Olympic Video games, many real property analysts preserve that the nation - particularly in and round Athens - has been overbuilt, at the least to a point. The three countries are also famous for the Mediterranean blood that runs by way of the veins of its individuals. Greece is situated alongside the Mediterranean, comfortably positioned between Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. And while it may not seem necessary, it's compelling to comprehend that this is an consuming plan that dates again centuries, and that before we messed all the pieces up with our out-of-management portions and trans-fatty fast foods, civilizations the world over lived lengthy and healthy lives by following this kind of weight loss program. In Belguim there may be, after all, the well-known Spa the place where the very phrase "Spa" comes from then in England you have Tub so aptly named. We will begin with arguably probably the most unexpected one, the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia (The National Museum of Better Greece), an important archeological museum. Festivals like Pentecost Monday, Nafplio Pageant, Historical Olympia International Festival, Assumption, Ohi Day, Miaoulia Pageant, Nafplio Pageant, Athens Worldwide Movie Festival, Second Day of Christmas, Epiphany, Apokreo, Clean Monday, Greek Independence Day and extra are the biggest celebrations you could take pleasure in within the Greek capital. From Kew Gardens in England, the Windmill Palm tree was spread all through Europe, from the Mediterranean scorching climates of Italy and Greece to a chilly hardy testing ground within the landscape gardens of Switzerland and Bulgaria, where the Windmill Palm bushes have remarkably survived, leaves even remaining inexperienced when coated with ice or snow. Due to this fact, individuals prefer this non-costly choice as the perfect alternative that turns up to be a great way to enjoy holidays economically. So, having defined the significance of summer time trip let me provide you with some good causes to begin planning them right after you've got read this text. On the metropolis's shoreline lies Alefkándhra, commonly generally known as Little Venice, an artsy district packed tightly with art galleries and upscale golf equipment. While there are different therapeutic and medicinal functions for the fenugreek seed, it is primary and most well-known use is to assist girls who are breast feeding, and there's a purpose for that - it truly works. "The important thing risks concern the general coverage implementation, on condition that the coalition supporting the government seems fragile and some elements of the program face political resistance, regardless of the willpower of the government," mentioned the report by the "troika" made up of the European Fee, European Central Bank and IMF. We can see, maybe, how physicists might conclude, for instance, that a particle of light shouldn't be a particle till it's measured at the display screen. 9. If your saddle is a component suede with leather skirts and flaps be sure to preserve the cleaner off these leather components. Olympic takes place after each four years. There are a whole bunch of Islands, all owned by Greece but many unpopulated. King Leonidas who's the leader of Spartans leads his troopers against vicious King Xerxes who wants enslave the individuals of Greece. Orihime and Hikoboshi hope for good weather the following 12 months. cheap hotels gran canaria Turns out the opposite Europeans - Germans and Scandinavians, in particular - are paying Greece's bills, since those nations have done a significantly better job of managing their economies (though how significantly better off their economies could possibly be if they did not excel, too, at ladling out the swag, we could by no means know). From what has been written to this point, and from all of the sources and references the place this article was taken from, the Mediterranean food plan comes extremely really helpful by health professionals. Mykonos is an island of Greece, located among the many Cyclades islands within the Aegean Sea. Locations like Acropolis of Athens, Tower of the Winds, Hadrian's Library, Temple of Athena Nike, Propylaea, Agios Eleftherios Church, Jewish Museum of Greece, Nationwide Museum of Contemporary Artwork, Tzistarakis Mosque, Kaisariani Monastery, Previous Parliament Home, Athens War Museum, Herakleidon Art Museum, Omonoia Sq., Arch of Hadrian, Theatre of Dionysus, Nationwide Backyard, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Temple of Hephaestus and lots of extra sites are probably the most superb locations where you can find the true spirits of Athens. The far end of the seaside (away from Ibiza City) is calmer, with much less individuals and house music. Make sure that to make use of a professionally designed package, too, so your proposal will look great. Hyperbole: The food was so good it received time without work for conduct. Most people know the well-known places where one could take the waters. So it is a nice experience to enjoy the recent and non-polluted air of Santorini by traveling with open-roof vehicles. The village of Limni Keri, inside strolling distance from Keri, is house to a fantastic seashore with calm seas and comfortable sand that's good for households and couples. The phrase Spa comes from the well-known celebrated Belgian health resort, which has a pure Sizzling Spring and it's stated by some to be quick for "solus par aqua," and as Solus stands for Health and par for and aqua water then we appear to get in the English language "well being through water." In ancient instances, there have been small water swimming pools, which had warm water piped into them from pure sizzling springs. Dishes like Gyro, Souvlaki, Saganaki, Revithokeftedes, Tirokroketes, Mousakka, Feta Me Meli, Tzatziki, Greek Salad, Kebabs, Dolmathakia, Spanakopita and lots of extra are the best to be discovered in the metropolis of Athens and have flavors that are uncommon to be found wherever else in the world. There are plenty of locations to go, but the city of Interlaken is a highlight. Carratraca has been renowned for lots of of years for the pure curative properties of its sulphur-water hot springs. In those days these were often simply small pools of water with the advantage of having heat water piped into them usually from a natural sizzling spring. With adventure based mostly excursions, boat excursions, biking excursions and more tours of Greece you possibly can customize a vacation that means that you can explore the ancient past, expertise the exciting nightlife, have heart pounding action or just absorb the native tradition. From 1994, the video games of various seasons had been held in separate years. Allowing households the flexibility to take lengthy walks, tan, go crusing and snorkeling, go to the volcano on Santorini Island and stop by the recent springs. Most of the occasions, these spending are basically done on things like flight prices, food and lodging costs, other additional prices, to call a couple of. You'll love its untamed white sandy beaches, previous houses, and historical churches. Sea taxis ply at common intervals between Symi harbour and the various close by beaches - Aghios Nikolaos, Aghia Marina and Nimborio - whereas Pedhi Bay can be reached by bus. This morning's meetings prevented one other flareup in the debt disaster that has been going on for the last three years in Greece.Greece needs to chop the deficit by 2%, but this is very difficult when your residents don't want to pay greater taxes. So if you're planning on utilizing a car arranging it forward of time is always good selection. Distinctive pottery that ranks as art was produced on some of the Aegean islands, in Crete, and within the rich Greek colonies of southern Italy and Sicily. See Parthenon and admire every handmade sculpted design on the marble.