#187 regional

[quiltofstars]

Sh2-187 (left) // Manny Leinz

[gobrittpaige]

Regional Sponsor Migration Scheme 187: Your Path to Permanent Residency

Are you looking to live and work in regional Australia permanently? The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Subclass 187 visa offers a pathway to achieve your goals. This employer-sponsored visa is tailored for skilled workers nominated by an employer in a designated regional area. With streams like Temporary Residence Transition and Direct Entry, it suits various qualifications and experience levels. Our immigration agent in Perth can guide you through the process, ensuring a smooth application journey. This visa grants permanent residency benefits, including access to healthcare, education, and stability in regional Australia. Take the first step toward your dream life today.

[thebiggerbear]

no one's the new me

Summary: Soldier Boy is the OG Supe. You goad him into proving it and get more than you bargained for...or did you?

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Female!Reader

A/N: All unbeta'd. Thank you to @rieleatiel for the pre-read!

Warnings: smut; rough sex; language; implied breeding kink

Word Count: 846

Taglist: @avada-kedavra-bitch-187

Soldier Boy Taglist: @deans-spinster-witch; @birdiellie; @heartlessdelusions; @nancymcl; @brightlilith

@muhahaha303; @just-levyy; @solacedthistest; @deansimpala; @foxyjwls007

@onlyangel-444

Jensen Taglist: @samanddeaninatrenchcoat; @deansbbyx

You can also read on AO3

Strong hands tugged on your hair, forcing your head back and your body to arch, accommodating the brute force you were being fucked with. You could feel the aggression, the rage, that was being unleashed on you in response to your taunts earlier. Your words had been purposeful; you knew they would rile him up enough to throw caution to the wind and show you how wrong you were. It had been nearly three hours since he began teaching you to “respect your fucking elders.”

Your throat was sore, your ass bruised from hips brutally slamming into yours — plus you actually got spanked near the beginning because you were being a fucking brat — and your pussy was on fire. At least five orgasms had been out of your body so far, a new personal record for you, and yet you wouldn’t dream of stopping. Though you knew the man savagely pistoning in and out of you would, the second you said it. 

That was just another thing that drew your desire to him the second he stepped out of that tube back in Russia: the control. You’d watched in fascination as he let loose a burst of energy that knocked The Female on her ass, yet you later found out she’d been fortunate after that same energy took out city blocks and one old, washed up, backstabbing Crimson Cunt. The minute you saw him emerge from the smoking wreckage of her trailer, his suit and shield completely intact, you knew he was so much more than a weapon for Butcher and his merry band of idiots to wield against Homelander.

He was the embodiment of raw power, a purity from being the first ever Supe mixed with whatever cocktail the Russians had given him.

You certainly could feel that power, the might and god-like strength that the body slamming into yours contained. If you weren’t experiencing the best fuck of your life right then, your eyes would have rolled back into your head and you would have orgasmed from the heady knowledge of that alone. 

“Say it,” was growled menacingly into your ear.

You pressed your lips together to keep quiet. You knew that would only stoke the rage but that didn’t matter.

Fingers roughly gripped your chin and turned you to face the dark emerald gaze burning into yours, fury written all over his features. He stopped fucking you for a moment, only to deliver deep and harsh thrusts, his expression tightening with more anger the longer you refused to give in to his demand. You could feel your body starting to act of its own accord, the excitement rushing through you as fiery tingles began deep inside you, right near where he had been pummeling you a moment ago as a matter of fact. “Say it,” he commanded once more in a snarl.

The tingles radiated throughout your pelvic region and you started to feel a wave of sensations getting closer and closer to overwhelming every single inch of you. You reached up to grip his wrist, holding on tightly as your body began to shake. 

He was merciless, though. He wanted you to have learned your lesson. “Fucking say it.”

“No one…” You struggled to get out the words, to keep eye contact even; the feelings overtaking your body were that intense. You let out an exhalation of a sound you had never made before. “No one’s the new you,” you panted, your jaw dropping in a silent cry as that wave became like wildfire, consuming you rapidly, your fingers finding purchase in his forearm.

A shark-like smile slowly spread across Soldier Boy’s face as he watched you alternate between squirming and tensing up. “That’s right. And don’t you fucking forget it.”

You could see that he was about to resume pounding into you and once he did, you would be lost to the intensity of the orgasm that was quickly coming to claim you. A scream was about to tear out of your chest when he pushed in deeply one last time, him clearly enjoying that he had you on that edge, about to go over it, and deciding to be a dick about it. So you managed to grab his face, forcing him to meet your eyes, and quickly said what you’d been waiting to tell him ever since you saw him in that fucking suit, wielding that big ass shield which served as more of a weapon than protection. “Except the son you’re going to fuck into me tonight.”

His smirk dropped and the burning emerald was back, possibly more ablaze than before, and his grip tightened on you almost to the point of pain. If you weren’t in the throes of the most mind-numbing orgasm of your life right then, you would have given him your own smirk, knowing exactly what was about to follow. You thought he had unleashed on you before, but once again, he was intent on showing you just how wrong you were. You had never been happier to be mistaken twice in one night.

dividers by @firefly-graphics

[whencyclopedia]

Polybius' Capture of Achaeus and Fall of Sardis

Polybius' Capture of Achaeus and Fall of Sardis is the account of the end of the Siege of Sardis (215-213 BCE) by Antiochus III (aka Antiochus the Great, r. 223-187 BCE) of the Seleucid Empire after the betrayal and capture of his cousin Achaeus (d. 213 BCE) who had proclaimed himself king.

The piece has become famous for the line describing Sardis as "the strongest place in the world" or "the strongest fortress in the world," almost always quoted out of context. Modern-day writers often repeat the line as though Polybius (l. c. 200 to c. 118 BCE) is claiming the city (and specifically the citadel) was "the strongest place in the world," but he is using that phrase ironically at the point in the story (8.20.12) when Achaeus has been captured while his people believe he is still safe in the citadel. The story is also well-known as a cautionary tale on trusting others, especially on matters of great importance.

Background & Summary of the Story

The Seleucid Empire (312-63 BCE) had been weakening since Arsaces I of Parthia (r. 247-217 BCE) had broken away to establish his own kingdom, encouraging others to do the same. Seleucid monarchs fumbled in trying to pull the empire back together until Antiochus III came to power in 223 BCE and, beginning in 219 BCE, personally led his troops on campaign to put down the revolts and reunite his territories. He entrusted Asia Minor, west of the Taurus Mountains, to his cousin Achaeus who had consistently proven his loyalty in the past. When Achaeus was accused of plotting insurrection, however, he understood that Antiochus III was not likely to wait to hear his side of the story or show mercy and so he declared himself King of Sardis and lord of the western territories. In 216 BCE, Antiochus arrived in Asia Minor (Anatolia) and placed Sardis under siege in 215 BCE.

The city was located in the Hermus Valley below the Mount Tmolus range, and high on the mountain was the acropolis with its famous citadel. Even if the city on the plain were taken, the citadel was easily defended and so, as the modern-day claim goes, may well have been regarded as "the strongest place in the world" (though Polybius does not use the phrase as many modern writers cite it). Achaeus, his wife Laodice of Pontus, his family and advisors, and others had all taken refuge in the citadel and there was no way for Antiochus to reach them. There was also, however, no way for Achaeus to leave and rally troops elsewhere to lift the siege.

Sosibius (l. 3rd century BCE), chief minister of Ptolemy Philopator of Egypt (r. 221-204 BCE), had been instrumental in the defeat of Antiochus III at the Battle of Raphia (also known as the Battle of Gaza, 217 BCE) which turned back the Seleucid king's invasion of Egypt. He now sought some means of freeing Achaeus from the citadel both to help the enemy of his enemy and, hopefully, defeat Antiochus III and break his power. Sosibius hired a Cretan named Bolis, who claimed to know the region around Sardis, could navigate the dangerous path down from the citadel at night, and would be able to lead Achaeus secretly to safety.

Once Bolis was hired and sent on his mission, however, he conferred with two others, Cambylus (an officer in Antiochus III's army) and Arianus (one of his own officers), and they agreed to divide the money Sosibius had given Bolis between them, inform Antiochus III of the plot and receive a sizeable reward from him, and then deliver Achaeus to Antiochus III for an even greater sum. The plan was put into effect, Achaeus was taken, handed over to Antiochus III, and executed, and Sardis fell in 213 BCE after the surrender of the citadel.

Continue reading...

[look-sharp-notes]

Людмила Михайловна Павличенко.

Одна из самых известных женщин-снайперов в мировой истории — Людмила Павличенко, на ее счету — более 300 убитых нацистов. Американские журналисты прозвали ее "Леди Смерть", хотя, конечно, эта улыбчивая девушка такого зловещего прозвища не заслуживала. Когда началась война, Людмила сразу пошла добровольцем на фронт. Первого нациста она убила под Беляевкой в Одесской области из винтовки Токарева СВТ-40. Через два с половиной месяца на ее счету было уже 187 убитых врагов. В декабре ее отправили в Севастополь, где она сражалась еще восемь месяцев. К июню 1942 года она уничтожила уже 309 фашистов, в том числе 36 снайперов. Всего во время войны в Советской армии служили около двух тысяч женщин-снайперов, из которых войну пережили только 500.

Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko.

One of the most famous female snipers in world history is Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who killed more than 300 Nazis. American journalists nicknamed her “Lady Death,” although, of course, this smiling girl did not deserve such an ominous nickname. When the war began, Lyudmila immediately volunteered for the front. She killed the first Nazi near Belyaevka in the Odessa region with a Tokarev SVT-40 rifle. After two and a half months, she already had 187 killed enemies. In December she was sent to Sevastopol, where she fought for another eight months. By June 1942, she had already destroyed 309 fascists, including 36 snipers.

In total, about two thousand female snipers served in the Soviet army during the war, of whom only 500 survived the war.

[girlactionfigure]

🟣 Tuesday - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

( 1 of 2 )

TODAY IS THE FAST OF THE 17th OF TAMMUZ - - the start of a three-week mourning period for the destruction of Jerusalem and the two Holy Temples.  On this day the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans, in 69 CE, after a lengthy siege - beginning the slaughter of the population and to the eventual destruction of the Holy Temple three weeks later.

▪️HOUTHIS THREATEN ITALY.. “Tomorrow Italy will say that it did not know that the Israeli fighter jets were about to launch an attack against Yemen, and if it had known, it would have withdrawn from the decision to supply them with fuel in the air. I emphasize that every country that participated in the aggression against Hudaydah should also be concerned, even if it is Italy.”  This follows unconfirmed rumors that Italy provided the refueling allowing Israeli jets to reach Yemen and return.

▪️CHAREDI ENLISTMENT.. 35 charedim from the Hesder Yeshiva Barkai in the Golan enlisted in the Air Force today.

▪️SIREN TESTS.. Morsheth, Kornit, Shekhniyya, Manof and in the Mashgav regional center in the Western Galilee - 10:05 through 14:05.

▪️TRYING TO SPREAD GAZA FIGHTING TO JUDEA-SAMARIA.. The IDF says it has recently identified attempts by Gaza based Hamas and Islamic Jihad to ramp up attacks in West Bank, including by funneling money and providing know-how.

▪️WIVES PETITION THE ARMY.. Dozens of women whose husbands have fought in the various sectors since the beginning of the Iron Swords War have signed a petition calling on Chief of Staff to prevent the mixing of men and women on the battlefield.  "We were shocked to hear from our husbands about … mixing the sexes while staying together in the field, including overnight stays. The social and cultural climate created by the mixing of soldiers and female soldiers harms the sanctity of the camp, its operations, and our family and marital resilience.”

🔸DEAL NEWS.. the “heads of the security establishment” agree to a deal that includes the withdrawal of troops from Gaza: "The IDF will be able to fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip for 6 weeks - for a hostage deal."  

.. This directly contradicts previous statements that the Netzer dividing corridor and the Philadelphi border corridor are key to preventing the re-arming and re-growth of Hamas.

.. “Security officials” repeat and emphasize that Hamas has not been able to strengthen mainly since the IDF took over the Philadelphi axis.

.. Degal HaTorah chairman, MK Moshe Gafni, in a closed conversation with families of hostages - supports the deal at any cost.

🟣🟣 Tuesday - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

( 2 of 2 )

▪️AIR TRAVEL.. RyanAir pilots appealed to the management to allow them not to fly to Israel due to the security situation.

▪️NATURE.. Invasion of the Giant Gecko!  The Nature and Parks Authority is asking for the help of the residents of the south in locating the gecko, after it was recently also found in Kibbutz Arava, and efforts are being made to reduce its population: "an invasive species whose potential for damage is very great”.  The brown gecko is mainly found on the walls of houses and pillars. It likes to climb high and to lighted areas, which attract insects. The gecko is huge, eats anything, reproduces quickly and wipes out other species.

▪️AID EXCESS.. Updated analysis shows aid donations to Gaza provide an average of 3,520 calories per person daily, placing Gaza in the top 30 of 187 countries for food availability.  https://x.com/Osint613/status/1815447888933085415/photo/1

▪️FARM SHELTERS IN THE NORTH.. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will place 300 additional shelters for the security of farmers in the north and for functional continuity.

⭕ HEZBOLLAH EXPANDS.. Hezbollah is expanding the shooting from Lebanon and bringing more and more new settlements into the balance-of-terror.

⭕ ROCKET BARRAGE from HEZBOLLAH at the UPPER GALILEE late last night, 10+ rockets.

⭕ 6 rounds overnight ROCKET and DRONE ATTACKS from HEZBOLLAH at northern towns.

⭕ HAMAS SHORT RANGE ATTACK.. ROCKETS at near Gaza towns: Nir Oz, Nirim, Ein HaShlosha

♦️LARGE COUNTER-TERROR OP in TULKARM.. road scraping for mines, drone strike, firefights.  The IDF eliminated the commander of the military wing of Hamas in Tulkarm, killing 2 commanders and at least 6 other terrorists.

♦️GAZA BATTLES - KHAN YUNIS.. overnight bombing in Khan Yunis was heard as far as Cesaria, in recent hours, the IDF has expanded the fighting : paratroopers and commando  combat teams entered. 

[argyrocratie]

"100 years of Interpol: Why there’s no reason to celebrate"

(...)

"Following several inconclusive conferences like the “International Conference of Rome for the Social Defense Against Anarchists” in 1898, the follow-up in 1904 in St. Petersburg, as well as the “First International Criminal Police Congress” in Monaco 1914, another conference took place in September 1923 following the initiative of Viennese chief of police Johann Schober. The conference was concluded with the founding of the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC), direct predecessor of today’s Interpol, with Johann Schober as its president. As Viennese police president he forced reforms towards a “modernization” of investigation methods and information exchange systems, making the Austrian police internationally renowned. He established an intelligence service that compiled a register of persons as well as indexes through surveillance and informants. The focus was not only set on general criminality but with regards to the politicaly active, like anarchists, communists and social revolutionaries. Regarding the personnel, he worked towards removing social democrats from the agency and employed antimarxists and later nazis.

In 1938 the ICPCs leadership was taken over by the National Socialists and its headquarter was moved to Berlin-Wannsee, where it shared its rooms and lead with the Gestapo. The ICPCs records, that were transferred to Berlin, like the so called “Internationales Zigeunerregistratur (international gypsy registry)”, as well as the records concerning counterfeiting of money and passports, helped the National Socialists prosecuting certain groups and in their mass production of counterfeit money and fake passports in the KZ Sachsenhausen.

The ICPC was dissolved in 1945 but newly formed as the International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol – probably also to distance itself from the ICPC of the inter- and poastwar period. However, certain continuities are observable in its 100 year history, even though it was probably only a coincidence that in 1968 Paul Dickopf, a sworn SS-policeman, was elected president and the prosecution of nazi criminals did not start before the 1980s…

_

Interpol, as it exists today, is, contrary to the popular medial representations, not a supra-national police agency with the authority to arrest, but more an association that functions as network of law enforcement agencies of its member states. As an organization, it offers administrative support in the fields of communication and data banks/information exchange, as well as support in investigations, expertise, and trainings for the various law enforcement agencies.

(...)

Besides its headquarters in Lyon, France, and seven regional bureaus, the organization has bureaus in each of the 195 member states with more than 1000 employees, making her the largest police organization. The budget of 140 million euros is comprised of the member states’ contributions and, additionally, separate contributions from EU, several repression agencies of the member states (FBI) and the Interpol Foundation. But Interpol also receives donations from NGOs, the private sector (Philipp Morris, FIFA, IOC, Quatar 2022, etc.) and other international organizations (UNICEF, FRONTEX, etc.). One of the organizations central tasks is the maintenance of 19 data banks, that contain entries on missing and wanted persons, fingerprints, DNA samples, and stolen (travel) documents. According to its own accounts, the data banks contain 125 million police files that are queried 187 times per second. In 2022 alone this results in 5.9 billion queries with 1.4 million hits. In Austria 32 million wanted person searches were queried through, or for, Interpol in 2020, additionally there were 900.000 car inquiries, as well as 7.4 million inquiries on stolen documents.

(...)

Transnational repression

Arguably the most important instrument for repression by Interpol is the sending out of so-called “Notices”. These are calls for support requested for by Interpol member states and subsequently being sent out to law enforcement agencies globally. These Notices are divided into colours depending on their respective purpose. A Black Notice is a call for support in finding or identifying a body, while a Blue Notice is a request for information regarding the whereabouts of an individual. The by far most frequent Notices are Red Notices, i.e. the request for information of whereabout and the arrest with subsequent extradition of a person.

These Red Notices are very popular in autocracies like Turkey, China, Russia and some of the Arab states as tool for the international persecution and repression of dissidents or other politically persecuted individuals. The perfidious thing here is that affected are not informed about their international labeling, or can only lose them after long-lasting and expensive juridical processes. The president of the Uighur World Congress, now living in Germany, was searched for, by these means, for 21 years after China issued such a warrant.

When labeled with a Red Notice, people do not only have to live in fear of repression by the original persecuting state but also in fear of the cops of the other 194 member states. Apart from the ever present danger of being arbitrarily arrested and extradited, it can impossible for affected individuals to open bank accounts, move across borders or find a job. Red Notices are thus not only issued as means of political persecution and extradition, for some states it is enough to simply make the life of dissidents abroad as hard as possible.

According to the Interpol statutes, Red Notices cannot be issued out of political or religious reasons but it is only since very recently that requests – though, of course, by Interpol itself and only lapidary – are being controlled; though, rather, such a control can be easily circumvented by issuing the Notice on a wrong warrant. This happened to the nephew of the former opposition leader Fethullah Gülen. He was arrested and extradited from Kenya to Turkey on basis of a fake warrant for child abuse, in Turkey, however, he was wrongly convicted for being part of a terrorist organization for which he is still serving time in Turkish prison.

The Bahraini dissident and human rights activist Ahmed Jafaar Muhammad Ali was, on his flight from Bahraini authorities, extradited from his Serbian exile on base of a Red Notice from Interpol, deported to Bahrains capital Manama where he was directly turned over to the local repression agencies. This happened despite intervention by the European Court of Justice and its demand towards the Serbian state to annul the undertaking, since Muhammad was facing possible torture and execution in Bahrain for his political work. He actually was even held captive and tortured prior to his flight for taking part in anti-government protests. In his absence he was sentenced for life. In 2017 two of his co-convicts were, after two years of inhumane captivity, executed by the Bahraini state. All this was known to Interpol and the Serbian authorities, yet neither were the extradition cancelled nor the Red Notice at Interpol annulled.

Interpol thus becomes a tool of repression by autocracies and dictatorships, and the supposedly “democratic” states their henchmen. This transnational contempt for mankind puts a spotlight on the fact that no single state, may it be ever so “democratically legitimized” or appeal ever so much to respecting human rights, can be trusted. As long as this world is trashed with an internationally connected body of pigs, the politically or religiously persecuted or individuals persecuted for their race, have nowhere to be safe."

...

[shapeshiftersvt]

Cryptid Collection Spotlight: Champ

We're going to be spending this week infodumping about the six cryptids we chose to feature in our Cryptid Collection! We'll be posting about the lore and origins, our thoughts, experiences, and relationships with all of these cryptids, and we encourage folks to share their own!

Today we're talking about our home state's very own lake monster, Champ!

👣The Cryptid Collection 🐍Champ Travel Poster 👥Cryptid Binders & Sportsbras 🧵Cryptid fabric designs

There is no shortage of sea serpents and lake monsters all over the globe, the most famous of all them of course residing in the depths of Loch Ness in Scotland. But did you know that our home state of Vermont has its very own lake monster?

Champ, like Nessie, is named after the lake it calls home — in this case, Lake Champlain, which borders northeastern New York to the west, southern Quebec to the north, and northwestern Vermont to the east. Though while sightings of Champ have been reported up and down the shores of Lake Champlain, in Vermont, at least, it's the city of Burlington that's adopted Champ as its own.

By absolute happenstance, of the six cryptids we chose to feature in our collection, three of them have origin stories or momentous first sightings, and three of them just kind of ... exist. Champ is one of the latter. While there have been sightings of unusual marine life in Lake Champlain as far back as 1609 by the lake's modern namesake, Samuel de Champlain, there hasn't really been one explosive or momentous moment in Champ's history.

Reports of a "serpent" in Lake Champlain have come in fairly steadily every few years since around 1819, with most encounters amounting to either seeing the serpent writhing around near the surface, or simply swimming along with multiple humps and sometimes its head visible above the water. The physical descriptions have often varied from sighting to sighting. It was described by some as being silver, while others claimed it was "drab", while a Captain by the name of Crum reported to the Plattburgh Republican newspaper in 1819 that it was black with several distinct markings, including a white star on its forehead and red band around its neck. Some report spikes along its back, some horns "like those of a huge catfish", some three teeth. While, as far as size goes, it's been reported to be as short as 20 feet long, to as long as 187 feet.

So is it any wonder that debunkers over the centuries have had a hard time narrowing down just what Champ "really" is? The most common theory might be a sturgeon, other theories include catfish, seals, otters, snakes, and, in the case of a reported "baby sea serpent" caught by a Chaplain Transportation Company employee, a salamander.

Still, for all the discrepancies between the eye witness reports, Champ has continued to keep both the region's and the country's fascination since those early reports. Even P.T. Barnum got in on the action, not once but twice! In 1873, Barnum contacted a reporter at the Whitehall Times offering $50,000 (around $1.3 million today) for anyone who could provide him with "the hide of the great Champlain Serpent", plus any additional funds needed in "securing the monster's remains".

That didn't quite pan out for him, though, so fourteen years later, in 1887, he announced to a reporter in Boston that he was still very interested in being the first person to possess physical proof of "the Lake Champlain sea serpent". Though his offered reward had dropped by that point to a mere $20,000 (around $650,000 today) while expanding his requirement to "dead or alive [...] providing that the serpent is more than fifty feet in length."

A brief aside: That 1887 article closes by calling Champ "his snakeship" and I, for one, will not be referring to His Snakeship, Champ, without his proper title from now on.

Barnum never got his proof, but with the advent of photography, there have been many photos snapped of His Snakeship, Champ, particularly with the modern advent of point-and-click personal cameras. The most notable was taken by a woman named Sandra Mansi on a family vacation in 1977. It appears to show the narrow neck and bulbous head of an animal curling up out of the water and around as if to look behind it. It remains one of the clearest photographs of His Snakeship, Champ to this day. And it is still not quite clear enough to definitively prove once and for all that His Snakeship, Champ is real.

For those who believe, His Snakeship, Champ, might be a true sea serpent — a long, relatively narrow-bodied marine animal that moves through the water like an enormous snake. Or it might be a marine dinosaur that's somehow managed survive in Lake Champlain's depths for over 10,000 years, like His Snakeship, Champ's Scottish cousin Nessie — a whale-like body, four pairs of flippers, and a long tail and equally long neck.

But whatever it is, what we know for sure is that it's a true Vermonter and we couldn't create a cryptid collection without including His Snakeship, Champ.

[mel-et-ses-histoires]

Ben du coup... c'est quoi le prix de la courgette en Albanie méridionale ?

Alors après quelques recherches j'estime le prix de la courgette à environs 187 Lek soit 1.80 euros, avec des variations en fonction de la qualité et de la region bien sur.

[bungou-stray-dogs-archive]

Kouyou Ozaki card - Pandemonium Night

Leader skill - Seductive spider's web Increases Emerald hp 65% Increases sync strike rate 30% Active skill - Are you trapped too...? Deals x10 Emerald dmg to an enemy Reduces enemy atk 25% for 2 turns Inflicts venom on all enemies Sub-skill 1 - Running is futile Activates when hp is 85%+ (79%+ at lv.5) Increases atk by 85 for 1 turn (110 at lv.5) Sub-skill 2 - A spider's web knows no bounds Activates when a Port Mafia character is in the team Reduces Crimson enemy dmg by 110 for 1 turn (135 at lv.5) Memo Ozaki Kouyou's imagination is running wild with tales of the jorogumo. She seems intrigued by the spider-like creature that turns into a beautiful woman to attract its prey. In some regions, tales of the jorogumo are told as tragic love stories, a truth that makes her gaze sadly at the book. Quotes "Using its beautiful appearance as a weapon, the jorogumo lures men to its lair and attacks them. What an intelligent creature. It certainly lives up to the phrase, "every rose has its thorn."" "It seems a jorogumo once showed mercy to a woodcutter after he vowed not to reveal her existence. However, the man broke his vow and lost his life... How foolish of him to waste a life once saved... Although, there are many variations of this tale." "There is also a tragic love story with a jorogumo and a woodcutter. The woodcutter visited the jorogumo in her lair, growing weaker and weaker each time until he tripped over her web and drowned... How depressing. They should have at least let them wed." Affiliation: Port Mafia Emerald affinity Atk: 1688 (Max) | 187 (Base) Hp: 8361 (Max) | 935 (Base) Balanced type

She's available from the Ayakashi scout, the Anniversary scout, the Kouyou Special Select scout & the Kouyou Birthday scout (EN & JP)

[axl-ul]

Character Intro: Kogar Výtaušeima

Aliases:

Man with No Eyes, Majster/Majstre, Master Embalmer, Embalmer

Quote:

“An Embalmer should be the healer of the sick and the hunter of the damned.“

Physical traits:

Height: 190 cm (6 ft 2.8 in)

Weight: 85 kg (187 lbs)

Build: lean, quite muscular

Hair: dark brown, chin-length, later cut short

Eyes: dark brown

Skin: pale with ashen undertone, dry

Unusual traits: has a scar running across the forehead and by the width of his left cheek, a part of his left ear is missing with the rest being severely disfigured

Personality:

Those few who remember the Embalmer, describe him as a stoic with only a couple of words on his lip. Yet he carried out his actions as swiftly as he was able to swish his sword through the air. Cold and intelligent, he never let anything to cloud his judgement. Although, some say he was more than foolish when he decided to keep a creature he named as his only disciple and successor in the craft of the embalming. Admittedly, some of his procedures could be viewed from eccentric to drastic. Yet everyone should bear in mind the Embalmer swore to protect the sanctity of a soul. There is a rumour that the two girls from his care lived up to the adulthood and viewed the bat demon/vampire as not only their guardian (and a master for the older one), but even as their 'father' as well, though they did not relate to him by a single drop of blood. This only claims another rumour that his old heart was able to fully beat around his only children.

Personal life and relationships:

Master Kogar was known as a man of few words yet many actions what showed when he took under his roof three little children, two of them being wolf demons. Sources claim that his relationship was warmest with the oldest and the youngest one as the middle child often decided to misbehave and occassionally throw some blame onto the oldest child. However, the Embalmer did his best to find his way even to this girl and bring her up.

Other than the three foter children, most probably belonging to the tribe of the Wendic demons (with the exception of the oldest child who hasn't been confirmed as neither a demon or a human), he kept in touch with other embalmers from his order. Which isn't much surprising as bat demons are known to separate themselves from other demon tribes, but never from their own clan.

Although Master Kogar did use the name Výtaušeima as his family name, he was never born to such a clan. Rather, it is a surname he chose to carry as his predecesor was named Výtaušeima. Killing his former master upon learning he had been involved with the cultists of the Repentent Ones, he kept onto the name in hopes to cleanse it one day for he believed in his master's innocence unitl the day of his death. The surname was also passed onto his foster children whom he had taught to never forget but always forgive.

He carried out his duty as an embalmer to his last breath when he was impaled by villagers from the neighbouring demonic settlement deep in the forest within the region of Carpathian Mountains (the most probable location for the place of the incident is suspectedd to be held in the region of Low Tatras, however no certain claim has been made so far). Left to succumb to his wounds, the only witness to this horryfying scene, apart from the demons who carried out the execution and later died in an inexplicable incident, was his successor, Ulfrika Výtaušeimová, the Master Embalmer of many names but only one face she covered with the mask of her deceased master.

Role:

A minor character in Empire of Dust (mostly mentioned)

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Taglist (let me know if you'd like to be added): @vanessaroades-author @rubywrite @aohendo @rbbess110 @jgmartin @outpost51 @athenswrites @kainablue

[stele3]

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-says-investigation-underway-palestinian-prisoner-abuse-case-2024-08-18/

[gobrittpaige]

Unlocking Permanent Residency: Visa Subclass 187 Requirements

Are you considering employer-sponsored migration to regional Australia? The Visa Subclass 187, or Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS), could be a great option. This visa allows skilled workers to live and work permanently in designated regional areas, with sponsorship from an approved Australian employer. Key requirements include nomination by an Australian business in a regional location, a full-time job offer, relevant qualifications or experience, and meeting specific English language standards. Our immigration agent in Perth can guide you through the process, including necessary skills assessments, to help you secure permanent residency for yourself and your family.

[somediyprojects]

Mirabilia Designs #187: Luda WIP stitched by kateneyck. Pattern designed by Nora Corbett.

Here is my queencitystitchretreat finish! Luda by noracorbett for mirabilia designs. Stitched on 32 count Country French Rain linen from Wichelt, with custom embroidery and color conversions. This piece really spoke to me when I first saw it. My family is originally from a very poor region in Western Ukraine/Southern Poland. Ukraine, and many other Eastern European countries, have seen a resurgence in traditional culture and clothing since the Orange Revolution in 2004, and then the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. The vinok floral wreath and vyshyvanka embroidered shirt have come to represent Ukrainian tradition and patriotism in the face of Russian oppression. It was such a wonderful experience to finish the piece at the retreat, surrounded by friends and fellow stitchers.

[repuddle]

Dubai Under Water: Historic weather causes flash floods in UAE and Oman

Dubai faces historic flooding as record rainfall 'sinks' the city. Learn about the chaos at Dubai International Airport, the human toll, and the regional impact of the unprecedented storm.

Click on the Source below to view the article:

[nicklloydnow]

“Russia said it would revoke its ratification of a major international nuclear-test-ban pact, a move that threatens to exacerbate global instability brought on by the war in Ukraine.

The step comes at a time when no arms talks between the U.S. and Russia are under way, Moscow has suspended its participation in the New START strategic-arms treaty, and ties between Washington and Moscow have reached lows not seen since the Cold War.

(…)

Though the treaty isn’t legally in force because not enough nations have ratified it, major powers including Russia, the U.S. and China say they are abiding by its terms.

A State Department spokesman said that the Russian move “needlessly endangers the global norm against nuclear explosive testing,” and that the U.S. remains committed to observing a moratorium.

Some former U.S. officials noted the revocation comes at a time when Russian military experts have been discussing whether Moscow should resume tests to confirm the effectiveness of some of Moscow’s new nuclear weapon systems.

“The Russians are clearly having a debate about resuming nuclear testing and this is moving them one step closer to such a move,” said Lynn Rusten, a former U.S. arms control official who is now a vice president of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit organization on security issues.

“If Russia were to test, other states would follow,” she added. “It would open the door for China to resume testing, for India and Pakistan and other states to follow.”

(…)

The U.S., which was the first nation to sign the treaty, has observed a moratorium on nuclear tests since 1992. But it never ratified the agreement in the face of congressional objections over verification and other issues. China, whose last nuclear test was in 1996, has also signed but not ratified the treaty.

A total of 187 nations have signed the accord and 178 have ratified it. For it to take legal effect, eight nations would need to ratify it: China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the U.S.

(…)

The U.S. has said that Russia has likely undertaken experiments that exceed that “zero yield standard” at its site at Novaya Zemlya, a remote archipelago in the Arctic Circle, an allegation Moscow has denied.

(…)

On Thursday at the Valdai Discussion Club, Putin said Russia had almost finished working on new types of strategic weapons and that it had successfully tested the Burevestnik, a global-range nuclear-powered cruise missile, and finished work on the Sarmat, an intercontinental ballistic missile that carries a heavy nuclear payload.

“As a rule, specialists say, [with] a new weapon it’s necessary to make sure that a special warhead will work smoothly, and tests need to be carried out,” Putin said.”

“Satellite imagery and aviation data suggest that Russia may be preparing to test an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile — or may have recently tested one — with a theoretical range of thousands of miles.

Movements of aircraft and vehicles at and near a base in Russia’s remote Arctic region are consistent with preparations that were made for tests of the missile, known as the Burevestnik or SSC-X-9 Skyfall, in 2017 and 2018, according to a New York Times analysis.

(…)

Russia previously conducted 13 known tests between 2017 and 2019, all of which were unsuccessful, according to a report from the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit group focused on arms control. And mishaps can be deadly. A missile launched in 2019 crashed and eventually exploded during a recovery attempt, killing seven people, according to U.S. officials.

“It is exotic — it is dangerous in its testing and development phase,” Daryl G. Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said. Whether the Burevestnik has been tested again since 2019 isn’t clear, but even with a successful launch, the missile would still be years away from “operational deployment,” Mr. Kimball added.

In previous tests, the missile failed to fly a distance anywhere close to the designed range, estimated to be around 14,000 miles. U.S. officials assessed that during its most successful test flight, lasting just more than two minutes, the missile flew 22 miles before crashing into the sea. In another test, the missile’s nuclear reactor failed to activate, causing it to go down only a few miles from the launch site. For a test to succeed, the missile’s nuclear reactor would need to initiate in flight, so that the missile can cover much more ground.

According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative report, the missile is a “second-strike, strategic-range weapon,” intended to be launched after a wave of nuclear strikes have devastated targets in Russia. The missile could carry a conventional warhead but, in practice, would likely carry a nuclear payload, albeit a smaller one than most other nuclear-capable weapons. If used in wartime, the missile could have the potential to destroy large urban areas and military targets, experts say.

(…)

The Burevestnik is one of six strategic weapons, along with others such as the Kinzhal ballistic missile and the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, that Mr. Putin introduced in a 2018 speech. He asserted that the weapons could overpower and outmaneuver existing U.S. defenses. Addressing the West, he said, “You have failed to contain Russia.”

Visual evidence of testing preparations includes before-and-after satellite images.

Imagery taken on the morning of Sept. 20 shows numerous vehicles present on a launchpad at the base, including a truck with a trailer that appears to correspond to the dimensions of the missile. A weather shelter that typically covers the specific launch site had been moved about 50 feet. By the afternoon, the trailer was gone and the shelter was moved back to its original position.

Additional imagery captured on Sept. 28 shows the launchpad active again, with a similar trailer present and the shelter again drawn back.

On Aug. 31, the Russian authorities issued an aviation notice for a “temporary danger area,” advising pilots to avoid part of the Barents Sea off the coast and 12 miles from the launch site, known as Pankovo. The notice has since been extended several times and, as of Sunday, was scheduled to be in force through Oct. 6. Russia issued a similar notice before a Burevestnik test in 2019.

Additionally, two Russian aircraft specifically used for collecting data from missile launches were parked about 100 miles south of the launch site in early August, at the Rogachevo air base, according to analysis of satellite images by Bellona, a Norwegian environmental organization. The aircraft are owned by Rosatom, the Russian atomic energy company. They remained at that base at least through Sept. 26, according to additional satellite imagery. During Burevestnik tests in 2018, aircraft of the same type were also in the vicinity.

(…)

The highly secretive nature of the Burevestnik missile initiative and the remote launch location make it difficult to determine if a test is forthcoming or if the weapon may have already been recently retested — or perhaps both. While launch tests of the Burevestnik have been conducted at the Arctic base in the past, Russia could also test just the missile’s rocket motor or a component of the missile itself.

(…)

Experts said the missile is dangerous not only in its ability to carry a powerful nuclear warhead but in its potential to release harmful radioactive emissions if the missile were to explode or malfunction during a test.

If put into use, the Burevestnik would be considered part of Russia’s nuclear arsenal, making it subject to a nuclear arms reduction treaty that Moscow signed in 2011. That agreement limits the total number of warheads and delivery vehicles the country can deploy.

But with the treaty, known as New START, set to expire in February 2026, the missile could contribute to “the leading edge of an uncontrolled arms race” if no new agreement were to replace the expiring treaty, Mr. Kimball said.

Ultimately, he said, a test of the missile would be a “sign that Russia is moving in the wrong direction.””

“President Vladimir Putin has said Russia successfully completed the testing of a new nuclear-powered strategic missile and could revoke its ratification of a nuclear test ban treaty, raising fears that Moscow could resume nuclear testing for the first time in decades.

The Russian leader’s renewed nuclear talk on Thursday came against the backdrop of escalating rhetoric among Kremlin hawks, with a prominent propagandist drawing criticism this week for claims Russia should detonate a nuclear weapon over Siberia to send a message to the West.

(…)

“The last successful test of the Burevestnik, a global-range cruise missile with a nuclear propulsion system, was carried out,” Putin said.

The question now, Putin said, was about resolving some “purely administrative and bureaucratic” procedures in order to move on to mass production of these weapons and putting them on combat duty. “We will do this soon,” he added.

(…)

“This is a stupid weapon system, designed by stupid people for operational reasons that are not tremendously useful,” William Alberque, the director of strategy, technology and arms control at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told NBC News.

(…)

Since the start of his war in Ukraine, the Russian leader has repeatedly threatened to unleash the country’s powerful nuclear arsenal should its sovereignty or territorial integrity be threatened.

It’s part of the country’s so-called nuclear doctrine, which Putin said Thursday there was no reason to update, when asked if the threshold for employing nuclear weapons should be lowered to restrain the West. “No person in his right mind and clear memory” would think of using nuclear weapons against Russia, Putin said.

He added that he was not ready to say whether nuclear testing is actually needed, but threatened to revoke Moscow’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which bans all nuclear explosions, whether for military or peaceful purposes. It would mirror Washington signing but not ratifying the treaty, Putin added.

(…)

It comes just months after Russia suspended its involvement in the last remaining arms control treaty with the U.S., which limits nuclear stocks.

Putin did not specify when or where the alleged testing of the Burevestnik missile took place.

But the New York Times reported earlier this week, citing satellite imagery and aviation data, that Russia may be preparing to test an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile, or may have recently tested one.

(…)

A suspected failed test of Burevestnik in 2019 killed five scientists and caused a radiation spike in a nearby city.

Technologically, the weapon is not that much of a challenge, said Alberque, but safely deploying it is much more difficult. “There is a reason the U.S. abandoned this technology in the Cold War. It’s just a bad idea,” he added.

The failed test in 2019 illustrates the dangers of this technology, he added.

Talking about its testing may primarily be an attempt to intimidate the West and force concessions on Ukraine, but Moscow withdrawing from the nuclear test ban treaty would be a huge deal, Alberque said. Russia is part of the global monitoring system that helps detect nuclear explosions and losing Russian sensors would deal “a hammer blow” to that ability, he added.

According to the United Nations, the Soviet Union’s last nuclear test took place in late 1990, so the resumption of nuclear testing by Putin’s Russia would be a major development that could further escalate global tensions.

(…)

Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Russia’s English-language RT network, suggested Sunday that there is no need for nuclear strikes on Washington when a thermonuclear explosion over Russian territory, like Siberia in Russia’s far east, would knock out all radioelectronics and satellite systems, in a major blow to the West. “Nothing so terrible would happen” to the area or locals, she said, adding that it’s one of the “most humane” options she sees available.”