#2977 lives lost

[adauntlessjourney]

[pyndin-corp]

LIVE LOG OF EVENTS REGARDING THE INCIDENT INVOLVING SUBJECT OF INTEREST 2977. CLASSIFIED INFORMATION NOT TO BE RELEASED TO GENERAL PUBLIC.

16:42, Nov. 7; Subject’s corpse is brought in for identification.

16:49, Nov. 7; Subject is identified as previous augment recipient FAITHERN, Vesker.

16:50, Nov 7; Subject is revived via help of Dr. A. Sierra. Due to distress and aggression, subject is sedated.

17:05, Nov 7; Dr. A. Sierra and team restore augments and related data.

17:12, Nov 7; Subject is restored to health.

17:34, Nov 7; Subject lashes out at Dr. A. Sierra and team. Subject severely injures 2 members of team. Subject is again sedated for safety.

18:00, Nov 7; Surveillance connection is lost. Camera technician sent to review the issue

18:30, Nov 7; After prolonged radio silence, Surveillance connection is restored. Camera technician passes away shortly after. On site investigator is sent to determine cause.

18:40, Nov 7; It is revealed that the patient’s previous augment is highly radioactive. Previous augments are safely disposed of as soon as possible.

SUBJECT OF INTEREST 2977 HAS SINCE BEEN RELEASED, AT 00:47, NOV 9, THE SAME TIME AS THE WRITING OF THIS REPORT. NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST THEM UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

[marzbix-crystal]

The Big AU Info Post

As the title suggests, I am gonna write everything you need to know about my Land of the Lustrous AU in this little post.

REMINDER THAT THIS AU IS SEPARATE FROM AND DOES NOT REPRESENT THE CANON. THIS AU FEATURES CANON CHARACTERS BUT THEY WILL HAVE VARYING CHANGES MADE TO FIT THE AU, AND WILL NOT BE FOCUSED ON TOO HEAVILY, I DO NOT CLAIM THE ORIGINAL CANON CHARACTERS AS MY OWN. THIS IS AU IS JUST MY LITTLE SANDBOX FOR ME TO PLAY IN, THE MAIN FOCUS WILL BE MY OCS. ALSO, REGARDLESS OF THE PRONOUNS I GIVE MY OCS/THE CANON/AU CHARACTERS, THEY ARE STILL SEXLESS BEINGS WITH NO CONCEPT OF THIS, THAT, OR THE OTHER.

THIS POST WILL BE EDITED AS I GO, FOR INSTANCE IF I CHANGE SOMETHING OR LEARN SOMETHING NEW ABOUT HNK OR IRL GEMSTONES- PLEASE BE PATIENT

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

This is a semi-slice-of-life type AU, where the gems live their eternities together, maintaining and conserving their home. They nurture friendships, explore their world, face challenges, and much more! Story/worldbuilding/lore changes in this AU are as follows:

-The timeline is stretched out a bit, the Meteor events happened 30,000-45,000 years prior. The eldest gems are over 10,000 years old (but below 15,000).

-The Lunarians are friendly due to a treaty formed by Kongo, they help whenever and wherever they can with building, transport, and more. They do not stay on Earth for long periods of time, as the atmosphere is too thick for them to communicate verbally, and it feels like they're being crushed. Gems are sometimes allowed to visit the moon, and have adopted some of their concepts (I.e. different pronouns). The Lunarians will not be focused on and will appear as background characters.

-The gems are much better at coping and helping each other with mental health issues, though it varies from gem to gem- The Lunarians have helped with this.

-The Admirabilis move in and out of friendship with the gems, as their lives are much shorter and stories about the surface change with every generation. Though there has never been any hostility between them.

-The Island is not the only place left after the meteors visited Earth- there are a few other islands and two mainlands. Lunarians have Towers set up in these places, and they transport the explorer gems to survey the surrounding areas. The Home Island itself is also bigger, with more locations and terrains.

-Kongo is no longer with the gems, the internal damages he had sustained caused great fatigue, which only got worse until one day he couldn't wake up. Before he lost consciousness, he put Red Diamond and Fluorite in charge of everything, as they were the very first to emerge. His body is kept safe on the Moon in a temple. The youngest gem to remember Kongo is Proustite (2977 years old).

-Aechmea does not exist in this AU.

-Gems of the same structure are regarded as cousins/siblings. For example, Citrine and Onyx would be brothers, as they are both Silicates/Quartz; all the Diamonds are also siblings. Unless they emerge at the same time/same day (Twins like Citrine and Selenite), gems of two different structures would not be regarded as siblings/cousins (I.e Rhodochrosite(Carbonate) and Scorodite(Arsenate)).

-Gems that were taken to the moon before the original story are all present on Earth in this AU. Cairngorm is technically not present in this AU, as I do not know what to do with them yet, Ghost Quartz is present though.

-Since Kongo is no longer around to identify new gems, that job falls on Rutile, but the Lunarians are sometimes called to assist if they have difficulties.

-There will be more living species as well as the main three (Lunarians/Admirabilis/Gems), but they will not be focused on too much as some might get a little ridiculous (it's fantasy, it doesn't always have to make sense).

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

I do hope that those of you who follow will enjoy my OCs' adventures in this Land of the Lustrous AU, because I certainly will :)

[takenyoomies]

Takeomi's "Day Off"

Title - Takeomi's "Day Off"

Rated - T

Summary - When Senju said it was his "day off", this was not what Akashi Takeomi had in mind.

Tags - Food, Movies, Wakasa Lock-picking, Swearing, Benkei Slander, Mildly OOC

Characters - Takeomi, Wakasa, Benkei, Senju, Draken(mentioned), Shinichiro(mentioned), Terano South(mentioned)

TWs - mentions of character death

Word Count - 2977

Read on AO3

The evening forecast calls for-

“Rain.”

Thunderstorms until the late evening, and it will then clear up around nine o’clock. Back to you for the local news to talk about how you can protect yourself from-

Click.

Takeomi sighed as he took another drag off of his cigarette, neatly ashing it in a black ceramic ashtray he’d found long ago in the belongings of none other than Shinichiro Sano. With his gaze affixed to the ever infinite tile ceiling, one thing crossed his mind. What was he going to do on his day away from the rest of the members of Brahman?

It wasn’t often that the scar-faced man had a rare “day off,” as Senju called them. He chuckled at the idea as he hadn’t been employed since he lost his ambitions, though all things considered, helping manage the gang members did feel like a full-time job. There was the somewhat apathetic Wakasa, who seemingly followed Senju to the ends of the earth. However, enjoyed the occasional prank. Benkei was pretty hot-headed in their quarrels. However, outside of them, he seemed to enjoy the more minor things...only to also become hot-headed about those too. Takeomi rubbed the bridge of his nose as he remembered the time they went fishing only for Benkei to pick a fight with his fishing pole for not catching him any fish. There also was Senju, his sister, who was calm for the most part until she wasn’t, and it became a game of World War between the five of them as they tried to figure out who stole the last manju from the plate in the middle of the table. And lastly, there was of course the new member of the gang, Draken, who hid mainly in the shadows and made a relatively decent hot curry.

The scar-faced man stood from the well-loved recliner, stretching his back as he made his way to the kitchen to grab a beer, “Wonder what they’re up to today…” He murmured as he opened the fridge, plucking a silver can from its place on the shelf. He turned his body to walk back towards the living room only to hear the doorbell ring. He froze in place, blinking. No one other than four people knew he lived here, and all four of those people knew it was his day off.

The bell rang again.

He pursed his lips, thinking that perhaps they would go away.

“He has to be home, and he never goes anywhere.” A deep voice stated, almost in annoyance.

“True...I don’t see the point in him going anywhere, to be honest, and it’s raining.” A tired voice replied, almost sounding bored with the situation.

Takeomi huffed, “Oh, so they think I’m a hermit?” He thought to himself, crossing his arms with a smirk.

“Well...we could always use...that.” The last voice said, the doorbell ringing one more time.

“Oh! I like that idea.” The deep voice spoke excitedly.

Takeomi blinked, wondering what that meant, only to hear the telltale sound of scratching at his door. He hurriedly rushed over, unlocking the door as he quickly realized what that was.

“How many times have I told you, if I’m not answering the door, don’t get Waka to pick the lock!” He yelled in exasperation as he whipped open the door. Benkei collapsed into the genkan while Senju and Wakasa remained kneeling outside, both looking up at the semi-tired-looking man holding a beer, a cigarette between his lips.

“Oh. Hi Takeomi.” Wakasa finally spoke with a wave, his bored face showing how unaffected he was by the man in front of him.

Benkei groaned as he rose from his position on the floor, “If you would’ve answered the door, maybe we wouldn’t have had to use Waka.” He rubbed his head, “And would it kill you to open the door slower?”

“You act as though I’m some item for you to use when you get locked out…” The two-toned-haired man retorted, standing from his crouched position, patting his pants as he put away the lock-picking kit back into his bag.

The buff man clicked his tongue, “As if that’s the biggest fucking issue here.”

Takeomi sighed, looking at the group in front of him, “What are you three even doing here?” He questioned, noticing the plastic bags, “It’s my day off.”

“Well…” Senju started, standing from her position on the ground as well, “We were going to meet up at the park, but it’s raining.”

“Yeah, I wonder who did that.” Benkei huffed sarcastically, crossing his arms.

“You can’t blame me for the rain every time.” Takeomi pointed out, taking a drag off of his cigarette.

“I can, and I fucking will.”

“Regardless of if Takeomi made it rain,” Senju cut in, looking over at the several plastic bags on the concrete behind them, “Your apartment was the closest.”

Takeomi exhaled, the smoke wrapping around him like the safety he needed in that moment as he paused to think. Yes, he could refuse them entry. Unfortunately, though, that would likely just cause them to force their way in like usual. He sighed in defeat, “Alright, get in.”

Senju smiled, “Yay!” The smallest cheered, rushing into the apartment past Takeomi and Benkei.

“Wait, shit, she’s gonna get the chair!” Bekei roared in sudden realization, attempting to blow past the other man as well, only to be stopped by an arm.

“Pick up the bags and then go fight over the chair. Don’t make Waka carry everything.” Takeomi warned, only to receive a glare in return.

“You do it if you’re so concerned.” He snapped, sliding under the arm that was blocking his path inside and rushing inside, “Hey Senju, you got it last time!”

Takeomi shook his head, “Never changes.” He looked over at the plastic bags that Wakasa was beginning to gather up, “It’s always us, huh?”

“Been that way since…” Wakasa trailed off before shrugging a bit, the lollipop in his mouth shifting, “Take these, and I’ll carry the rest.”

The older man knew what he meant by that sentence and was somewhat thankful he didn’t finish it. Sometimes he wondered if that ghost would ever stop haunting the three of them. He shook the thought as he grabbed onto the two plastic bags, peering into them and noticing the sheer amount of food.

“Just...how much did all of you buy?” He questioned, the cigarette on his lips nearly dropping in astonishment.

A hum of amusement came from Wakasa’s throat, “Senju kept putting things in the basket, and Benkei...Well, you know him.”

“And you?” Takeomi questioned, only to see the two-toned-haired man pull out a bag of lollipops. The scar-faced man's lips tilted into a smile, “How predictable.”

“Please,” Wakasa began as they walked inside, Takeomi could already hear the sounds of an argument, “My simple tastes are far superior to Benkei’s ridiculous tastes in cola-flavored garbage.”

Takeomi snorted, “I didn’t know you had a candy complex.”

Wakasa rolled his eyes, “Is that even real?”

“Beats me.” Takeomi chuckled as they made their way into the living room to see a smug-looking Senju placed in the comfortable recliner and an angry Benkei gesturing.

Benkei groaned, “Like I said, you got it last time so, get up!”

Senju smiled sweetly as she settled herself into the recliner, “No, I’m comfortable.”

You could see a vein pop on the buff man’s forehead, “Oh my god, you’re so!” He attempted to piece together before growling once more.

Senju snickered, “Use your words Benkei.”

“Senju, don’t be mean to the wildlife.” Wakasa sighed, placing the bags on the coffee table.

“I am not an animal!” Benkei yelled in offense.

“Hm. Debatable.” Wakasa shrugged as he sat down on one of the pillows.

Takeomi shook his head, placing the other plastic bags onto the table, opening his beer, taking a sip, and wrinkling his nose. Warm. However, this seemed to get the attention of Benkei.

“Hey, Takeomi, if you’re having a beer, share one with the rest of us.” The bearded man complained, strolling over to him.

“Bring your own.” He breathed, waving his spare hand at him, sitting down at the table beside Wakasa, “You just were at the store.”

“If I remember correctly, you said you were going to bum one off of Takeomi.” Wakasa’s bored voice cut in, exposing the other’s plans as he opened a bag of hard candy.

“I-I did not.” Benkei huffed, crossing his arms and looking to the side.

“I clearly recall you stating, Waka, I’m gonna get a beer from Takeomi, so I don’t have to buy a six-pack! I’m so smart, haha or something of that effect.” Wakasa mimicked the burly man set before himself, popping the lollipop out of his mouth and pointing at him with it.

Takeomi hummed, “Is that right?”

“No way, I would never say that!” Benkei denied, holding his hands up in refusal.

“Senju can confirm it, probably.” Wakasa sighed, popping the sweet back in his mouth.

“Ain’t no way she heard sh-”

“I was in the other aisle. Even I heard you say it, Benkei.” Senju confirmed.

“Okay, maybe I did say that,” Benkei muttered, looking to the side, “But come on, beer is expensive!”

“And bumming it off of me makes that okay?” Takeomi asked incredulously, shaking his head.

“Yes.” Benkei grinned, only to receive a look of disapproval from the man.

Takeomi sighed, “I’d say you’re unbelievable, though this is far too in character for you.”

Benkei snorted in amusement, “The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Eyebrow twitching, the scar-faced man sighed once more, "If you could stop swearing in front of my sister, that'd be wonderful."

Benkei huffed, "I don't think she minds it."

"Well I-"

Senju waved an arm, interrupting the conversation, “Hey, can you pass me the sour gummy worms?” She asked, as if to ignore the on-going conversation about herself.

Wakasa sighed and looked over to Takeomi, “You’re closer.”

Takeomi stared daggers at Benkei, who shrugged with a lopsided grin. He turned towards Wakasa, “Fine, fine.” Takeomi groaned, putting his cigarette out into the ashtray, “Which bag are they in?”

Wakasa shrugged, opening a can of juice, “Probably the one with the candy.”

Takeomi pulled one of the bags forward, fishing around for the bag of sour candy. “Is this the right bag?” He questioned as he fumbled through the several different types of snacks.

“Probably.” Wakasa’s bored eyes peering over at the man, “Actually, they might be in the other other candy bag.”

Takeomi stopped his search to look up at the two-toned-haired man, “You mean to tell me you have two entire bags of candy?”

The accused party sighed, “Listen, blame Senju for that one.”

“Nuh-uh Waka, you pitched in to at least half the damage!” The light-haired girl chimed in, crossing her arms with a knowing look.

Benkei snorted as he sat down at the table, “And by half, that’d be one bag each.”

“Thank you. I can do basic math,” Wakasa replied, rolling his eyes and pulling the other bag forward. His fingers instantly pulling out the bag of sour gummy worms, much to Takeomi’s surprise.

“How did you…” Takeomi started, only to have the bag of gummy worms flung into his chest, “...Nevermind.” He breathed, standing from his place at the table and walking over to the snowy-haired girl, “Here.”

Senju grinned, “Thanks.” She spoke happily as she grabbed the package of sweets out of his hands, biting open the top with her teeth.

Takeomi sighed attempting to grab the package back from her, “Hey, you’re gonna ruin your teeth like that.”

Wrinkling her nose, Senju looked up at Takeomi, “You’re not the boss of me.” She spoke sarcastically with a slight smile, shoving a gummy worm into her awaiting mouth.

The dark-haired man raised a brow, “...And I’m assuming you forgot that sour food is sour, again.”

Senju’s face had contorted, her nose wrinkling as her lips puckered, “Shut up…” She whimpered, shoving another gummy worm into her mouth.

"You're how old?" Takeomi questioned with an amused smile, as Senju pouted.

"Worst brother ever." She huffed.

Benkei tilted his head over only to burst into laughter, “Happens every time, man.”

“You do the same when you eat spicy food.” Wakasa mentioned as he took a sip from his drink, “Remember the time we ate Draken’s hot curry? You were crying like a baby.”

Takeomi snorted as he remembered the scene, Draken had said he would make them curry since they were eating out too much, and Benkei had been the most excited about it. But, of course, this only seemed to fire up the braid-haired man more when it came to making the curry, so when it came down to them eating, he had even given Benkei an extra serving.

“Do you remember when he took the first bite?” Takeomi pondered as he walked back over to the table, Benkei groaning and placing his head on the table in embarrassment.

“Man, quit it, do you have to?” Benkei pleaded, peeking an eye up towards the man.

“Do you mean the it burns part or take me to the hospital one?” Wakasa questioned with slight amusement.

The buff man grumbled, “I’m going home. This is bullshit.”

“So you can bark, but you can’t take a bite?” Takeomi teased, grabbing his beer and taking another swig, once again scrunching his nose, “This is disgusting.”

“Then why are you still drinking it…?” Wakasa sighed in exasperation.

“Because wasting beer is a cardinal sin.” Takeomi clarified.

Benkei sat up quickly, pointing at both Takeomi and Wakasa, “You know what else a cardinal sin is? Dunking on your homies.”

The two-toned-haired man blinked, before shaking his head and clasping his hands together, and looking directly into Benkei’s eyes, “So is having an IQ of below 70, but we’re still accepting of you, Benkei.” He spoke carefully before downing the rest of his drink, “Alright, are we watching a movie?”

Benkei sat at the table, mouth agape, unsure of what to say or do, all while Takeomi and Senju snickered uncontrollably in the background.

“Sure, we can do that.” Takeomi finally spoke through his laughs, lighting a cigarette, “Though we’re not watching Jurassic Park again and making Terano South references.”

“Aw, come on!” Senju pouted.

“We could always watch Pulp Fiction?” Wakasa offered with a half-hearted shrug.

Takeomi raised a knowing brow, “You just want to say the does he look like a bitch part again, Waka.”

He sighed, “Guilty.”

“What about-” Benkei began.

“No.” Takeomi interrupted.

The burly man huffed and crossed his arms, “But I didn’t even say shit!”

“We are not watching Austin Powers.” The man with the cigarette proclaimed, shaking his head.

“...Fine.”

“What about Goodfellas?” Senju pointed out, swinging her legs from the recliner, “That’s always a favorite.”

Benkei groaned, “We’ve watched that like 20 times, though.”

Takeomi hummed, “What’s 21, though…”

“Waka can probably quote all the lines in that one, too, then.” Benkei thought out loud.

“Did you hear him last time?” Senju asked while tilting her head to the side, “He even did the voices.”

“He wasn’t here last time we watched, remember?” Takeomi pointed out, taking a hit off of his cigarette and exhaling.

“Oh, right!” Senju realized.

“Wait, you mean to tell me I missed Waka doin’ Goodfellas impressions?!” Benkei asked, looking around at the group, “Why did no one tell me!”

“You miss a lot of things when you screw around doing other things.” Wakasa pointed out as he stood, “Goodfellas it is.” He walked over to the bookcase and grabbed a VHS case for the movie.

“The real question is...did we rewind it when we watched it last time,” Senju commented as Wakasa walked over to the television set and shoved it into the VHS player.

“I don’t see why we wouldn’t ha-” It was not rewound, “Goddamn it.” Takeomi huffed.

“Short intermission, I guess.” Wakasa breathed as he hit the rewind button, walking back to the table and plopping down.

The smoking man chuckled, “You know, I didn’t expect to spend my day off like this?”

“Oh?” Wakasa asked, raising a brow.

Benkei snorted, “What, did you expect to sleep all day and drink beer?”

Takeomi rolled his eyes, “No, though that sounds peaceful compared to the mess all of you seem to bring.” He huffed, inhaling the last of the cigarette and putting it out into the ashtray. The VCR clicked, signifying the tape was done rewinding. “I got it,” Takeomi stated as he stood from his seat at the table, walking towards the TV set.

“I guess it is your day off…” Senju hummed, her legs once again moving back and forth as she spoke, “But, we missed you.”

Benkei’s eye’s widened, “Shhh!! You weren’t supposed to tell him!” As he attempted to silence the small leader.

The scar-faced man’s hand stopped as it reached forward. He blinked. They missed him. He felt his heart swell in his chest as a smile spread its way onto his face.

“Hey, Takeomi...” Wakasa questioned boredly after a moment, “Tell me they didn’t take you out with just that?”

“I’m fine.” He responded, pressing play on the VCR and turning to walk towards the light switch. While the smile on his face had disappeared, the warm and fuzzy feelings had not as he switched off the lights. Making his way back to the table, he received an all-knowing look from Wakasa as he sat down.

As the previews for the movie were nearing their end, Takeomi leaned forwards towards Wakasa, attempting not to alert the other two members of the room.

“So, even you missed me?” He questioned quietly as the beginning scene started, the two-toned-haired man not entirely paying attention.

“Yeah, yeah…” the two-toned-haired man dismissed, the piece of candy in his mouth shifting against his teeth.

“Hm.” Takeomi hummed, leaning back on his elbows and looking up at the tiled ceiling once more. He could vaguely hear the storm outside over the sound of Wakasa quoting the movie, Benkei’s obnoxious wheezes of laughter, and Senju’s tiny kicks against his favorite recliner that he always gave up to one of them instead to sit on the floor himself. A gentle smile once again made its way back onto his face.

Maybe it should rain more often.

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Today marks a solemn anniversary. It has been 20 years since the 9/11 terror attacks, which killed 2977 innocent people, along with the 19 terrorists. 

We will never forget that terrible day, a day when innocent people who thought that Tuesday was just another day were massacred for the sake of fanatic ideologues. This just demonstrates the cowardice and evil of terrorism. 

Nor will we forget the death of firefighters, police officers, and other people who desperately tried to save the trapped in the Twin Towers. Many of those who survived have since succumbed to cancers associated with the smoke and particulates from the Towers. 

We will not forget the memories of desperate phonecalls from the Towers, or the many children who lost a parent due to these attacks. Nor will we forget those on Flight 93 who most likely saved America from another terror attack, for which they paid the ultimate price. 

Many of those who survived have suffered a range of consequences, from survivor’s guilt, to cancers, to PTSD. They are the continued victims of this unfathomable attack. To me, 9/11 was a vague memory, as I was 6 years old. I don’t even remember what I saw. For many, it is a living nightmare, even 20 years later. 

Ten years ago, a key architect of this wicked act faced justice in Pakistan, several months before the ten-year anniversary of 9/11. 

We must honour the memory of the dead and help the survivors by a total rejection of terrorism. Nobody ever has a justification for slaughtering innocent people in order to terrorise and cripple a nation. Anyone with those ambitions should not be welcome in the free world. 

May all the innocent who died rest in peace. 

Never Forget. 

[historysisco]

On This Day in History September 11, 2001: On a morning whose weather eerily feels like it is today, two jet airplanes crash into the Twin Towers.

Their impact upon the buildings of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan leads to the collapse of the buildings and the deaths of 2977 Civilians, 343 FDNY, 23 NYPD, 37 PAPD, 8 EMT (from private companies.) Many, many more have died throughout the subsequent years from injuries and illness sustained due to chemicals that they were exposed to during that fateful day.

Whomever said that “Time Heals All Wounds” wasn’t around New York City on 9/11/2001. May the 3000+ lost to us that day forever Find Peace and Rest In The Afterlife. Your lives and ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten. Thank you.

#September11 #NineEleven #NewYorkHistory #NYHistory #NYCHistory #AmericanHistory #USHistory #History #Historia #Histoire #Geschichte #HistorySisco

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTrwEg5LL2N/?utm_medium=tumblr

[reading-writing-revolution]

Heather Cox Richardson:

December 9, 2020 (Wednesday)

Today’s big story remains the loss of our neighbors to Covid-19. Today, our official death count passed the number of those killed in the 9-11 attacks. On that horrific day in 2001, we lost 2977 people to four terrorist attacks. Today, official reports showed 3,140 deaths from Covid-19, the highest single-day toll so far. Hospitals are overwhelmed, our health care workers exhausted.

As the country suffers, Trump has launched a new approach in his attempt to steal the 2020 election. While he has previously insisted that he actually won, and that his “win” must be recognized, this morning he tweeted simply “OVERTURN.” Republican leaders have ducked the question of Trump’s refusal to acknowledge Joe Biden’s win in the election by saying that the president has a right to challenge an election through legal means. Few of them commented on this new attack on our democracy.

Instead, the Republican attorneys general of seventeen states supported a lawsuit Texas has asked the Supreme Court’s permission to file against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, suing them over their voting processes. A majority of voters in those four states voted for Biden, thus giving him their state’s electoral votes and the presidency. The states that want to sue are all Republican-majority states. They are hoping they can get the Supreme Court to allow them to sue, and that it will then agree with their complaint and throw out the votes from those states so the Republican legislatures there can then choose their own electors and give the win to Trump.

Astonishingly, this argument comes from the party that claims to oppose “judicial activism.”

The states that have declared their support for Texas’s lawsuit are: Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. They are essentially asking the Supreme Court to disfranchise the majority in the United States and to let them put their chosen president in the White House. This assault on American principles is breathtaking.

Trump has also filed a motion to join Texas’s lawsuit in his personal capacity as a presidential candidate. His lawyer says that he “seeks to have the votes cast in the Defendant States unlawfully for his opponent to be deemed invalid.” Tonight, at a White House Hanukkah party, Trump told the crowd that with the help of “certain very important people, if they have wisdom and if they have courage, we are going to win this election.” The attendees chanted “four more years.”

Legal experts say this case is a non-starter. University of Texas Law Professor Steve Vladeck writes, “It is lacking in actual evidence; it is deeply cynical; it evinces stunning disrespect for both the role of the courts in our constitutional system and of the states in our elections; and it is doomed to fail.”

But the fact that Republican leaders have accepted, rather than condemned, this attempt to overturn a legitimate election says they are willing to destroy American democracy in order to stay in power. On CNN tonight, former Ohio Governor John Kasich, a Republican himself, called the lawmakers supporting Trump’s attack on democracy “morally and ethically bankrupt.”

Republicans might be stoking attacks on our electoral system because they know the courts will shut them down. After all, Trump’s lawyers are currently 1-51 in court, and it is unlikely the Supreme Court will take up Texas’s lawsuit. So siding with Trump is a cheap way for leaders to avoid alienating his voters when they will want those voters in 2022.

But they are playing a deeply cynical and wildly dangerous game. Yesterday, the official Twitter account of the Arizona Republican Party asked followers if they were willing to die to overturn the election, then posted a clip from the film “Rambo” in which the main character is threatening someone’s life, saying “This is what we do, who we are. Live for nothing, or die for something.”

Today, talk show host Rush Limbaugh told his listeners that they are, in fact, still a majority but they are plagued with “RINOs” who are selling them out. “I actually think that we’re trending toward secession,” he said. “I see more and more people asking what in the world do we have in common with the people who live in, say, New York? What is there that makes us believe that there is enough of us there to even have a chance at winning New York? Especially if you’re talking about votes….” (New York City has more people than 40 of the 50 states.) He went on: “There cannot be a peaceful coexistence of two completely different theories of life, theories of government, theories of how we manage our affairs. We can’t be in this dire a conflict without something giving somewhere along the way.”

The theme of civil war, and of America tearing itself apart, was one pushed hard by Russian operatives in 2018. On Twitter, “Civil War” trended today. An actual civil war is highly unlikely, but the unwillingness of leaders to stop this language is already leading to death threats against election officials. The longer they permit it to go on, the worse things will get.

Republicans are working to undermine the incoming Democratic administration in other ways, too. Last week, Attorney General William Barr announced that he appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as special counsel in October to investigate the FBI agents who worked on the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. While the law about special counsels says they must come from outside the government, Barr claims to have found a loophole in that rule. Durham can be fired only for specific reasons such as conflict of interest or misconduct. Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) applauded the appointment and the continuation of the investigation.

Today Biden’s son Hunter told the media that he has just learned that he is under investigation by the Department of Justice for tax issues, although CNN suggested it is a much wider financial investigation than that, and that it began in 2018. The Justice Department is also investigating a company related to Joe Biden’s brother James. While the DOJ is supposed to be independent of the president, these investigations echo Trump’s own calls for such investigations. Immediately Representative Ken Buck (R-CO) called for a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, and tonight, Trump tweeted that “10% of voters would have changed their vote if they knew about Hunter Biden…. But I won anyway!”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told Fox News Channel personality Laura Ingraham today that Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) should be “removed from Congress” after an Axios report that a Chinese intelligence operative had worked to ingratiate herself with California lawmakers between 2011 and 2015. The operative targeted a number of politicians, including Swalwell, and she fundraised on his behalf, but there is no evidence she broke any laws. In 2015, FBI officers alerted Swalwell, who immediately cut all ties to her. He was never accused of any wrongdoing. The operative left the country unexpectedly during the FBI investigation.

Although the Axios story was about Chinese espionage, right-wing media is aflame with attacks on Swalwell in what seems an attempt to discredit a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. Don Jr. tweeted that Swalwell “was literally sleeping with a Chinese spy,” an allegation that is nowhere in the story, although the story mentions that two unidentified midwestern mayors had affairs with her.

The White House appears to be trying to sabotage the Biden administration not only by keeping the Biden team from information it needs, but by tying its hands and slowing it down. The day after the election, the Trump administration proposed a new rule requiring the new Department of Health and Human Services appointees to review most of the department’s regulations by 2023. The rule would automatically kill any regulations that haven’t been reviewed by then. This would mean that, just as the new administration is trying to fight the coronavirus, it would be slammed with administrative paperwork. The department’s chief of staff denies the unusual move is political, saying that a review is necessary because one hasn’t been done for 40 years.

Now that the transition process has finally started, Trump loyalists are blocking meetings, or sitting in on them to monitor what is being said, especially at the Environmental Protection Agency. At Voice of America, Trump’s appointed head, Michael Pack, has refused to give meetings or records to Biden’s team. For their part, Biden’s transition folks are avoiding fights in order to get whatever information they can.

Republican senators are also signaling that they intend to delay confirmations on Biden’s nominees, although in the past 95% of Cabinet nominees have had hearings before an inauguration, and 84% of those were approved within three days. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), for example, questioned the experience of Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra. Becerra is the Attorney General of California, and he sat on the House Committee on Ways and Means, which oversees health issues, during his 24 years in Congress. “I don’t know what his Health and Human Services credentials are,” Cornyn told The Hill. It’s not like [Trump’s HHS Secretary] Alex Azar, who worked for pharma and had a health care background.”

[eudaimoniacollection]

Semiotics Analysis

September 11, 2001 is a day that will go down in history as one of humanities most horrific and tragic moments. Four different airliners were hijacked, two were flown into the north and south towers of the world trade center, one into the pentagon and the final plane crash landed in a rural field after the hijackers were overtaken by civilians. While many focused their camera lens’ on the twin towers, a certain photographer turned his attention to the civilians watching from the streets.  The image captures their reactions to the terrorist attacks, they watch with their mouths open in a state of shock. This photo was taken by Patrick Witty, a photo editor who worked with many well-known magazines such as New York Times, the International Times, Wired and National Geographic. The image is literal in the sense of the word. It freezes a historic moment in time allowing future generations to witness the human component of such an inhumane attack.

From an objective viewpoint this photograph is nothing special, it’s just a group of people watching something behind the camera. The impact of this photo lies in its context, when and where the photo was taken. Witty snapped this photo just as the south tower collapsed, just before a wave of debris and dust cam rushing towards the crowd. Once the viewer is able to see the photo subjectively, meaning is suddenly attached to the image. On that fateful day 2977 lives were lost, hundreds more were injured and those who watched everything were left emotionally scared. We no longer see just a group of people; we see victims of one of the largest scale terrorist attacks to date. They can only watch as tragedy unfolds before there eyes. They are the signifiers; with just their expressions they inform the reader what they are witnessing is horrific beyond belief. They express the state of the image, bringing its raw emotions to life. Those emotions are the signified. In this image we can see the disbelief, the pain and the terror displayed on their features. The event 9/11 is what this photograph encompasses, it is the sign. This image being in black and white allows the viewer to focus on the subject matter without being drawn to bright colours elsewhere. The focal point of this photo lies in the people, they are what the viewer should be focusing on.

Patrick Witty’s photograph captures the disbelief and panic felt around the world that day. The image is one of many to document what happened September 9, 2001 and those who were affected. I believe this photo does an amazing job at expressing the emotions that filled 9/11. At first glance the viewer would not know the message behind the photo. However, with a bit of research, the history of the image can easily be traced, this fact only adds to its impact. It is important that we have such documentation to show future generations and stop a similar situation form occurring. Images such as this one are a great way of remembering all the events from that day and the lives that were taken.

Bibliography:

Witty, Patrick. 9/11 Photos. 2001, New York Times, New York

[cincirican]

We finished our 9/11 workout in memory of those who lost their lives in September 11, 2001. This is one of my favorite workouts and also one of the most powerful and emotional to think of. Doug and I have been partners in many of the Team WODs at Queen City CrossFit and I always appreciated his partnership. Our WOD consisted of: 2001 Meter Row (the year) 4 rounds of (the planes) 9 Rope climbs (the month) 11 Bear Complex (the day) Then finish with a 2977 meter row (the lives lost) We finished in 41:50. Today we remember but we… #neverforget https://www.instagram.com/p/CTsHwAMrjew/?utm_medium=tumblr

[yoga--faith]

H.E.R.O. Healer. El Roi. Redeemer. Omnipresent. 9/11 20 Years Later, new blog written by YogaFaith Trainer, Ambassador and Fire Wife Claire Williams. We honor the 2,977 lives lost and vow to never forget. Will you join us in renewing this vow? Tomorrow at 8am pst a special video with Claire airs. Please subscribe before then to see it @youtube YogaFaith (link in bio here on Instagram). #WeWillNeverForget #911 #YOGAFAITH #FDNY #2977 #clarityyoga #yogafaithambassador (at Twin Towers New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTqxfmfLKAC/?utm_medium=tumblr

[chaplainamerica316us]

                                   An American Tragedy

                                         By Chaplain Paul 193 Feb 28 2021

 These are some of the greatest tragedies to hit America to give people the right perspective about what happened in the tragedy of New York nursing homes in 2021.

Pearl Harbor attack December 7 1941 a day that will live infamy.  2403 lives lost.

New York on 911 2977 lives lost.  

The sinking of the Titanic April 14 1912 1500 lives lost.

The Sant Valentine’s Day Massacre 7 lives lost and the world was shocked and outraged.

The Space Shuttles Columbia and Challenger accidents of Feb 1 2003, Jan 28 1986  killed 7 people in each shuttle.  

San Francisco earthquake Oct 17 1989 3800 lives lost.

San Francisco earthquake 1906 3800 people died.

Hurricane Katrina Aug.  23- 31 2005 1833 lives lost.

Sept 8 1900 the Galveston Texas Hurricane killed over 8000 people

And tying this greatest natural disaster to effect America is the loss of life of over 8000 people in New York nursing homes because of Governor Cuomo’s incompetence, arrogance, pride and very poor judgment. It is disgraceful how are elected officials and the public have remained mostly silent about this great tragedy it is immoral and wrong that we as a nation do not demand that those responsible be held accountable and sent to prison.  

[volleyguy16]

Coach Mike S. and I the privilege to row 2977 meters in honor of all those that lost their lives 19 years ago. We are so blessed to be able to do this for those who can't. We want to send out love to all the families still affected by this tragedy. We also want to say thank you for all the support of our members and our families... lastly but not least, thank you @rokstead90 for challenging us to take on this very important memorial row. One love! #morelife #WeAreFamily #RowForChange #rowtoremember #911 #2977neverforgotten @orangetheorynicholshills @orangetheoryoklahoma (at Orangetheory Fitness Nichols Hills) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFBHNq7B3MA/?igshid=9yh4rcwzyitb

[therumble-online]

It was the event which shocked humanity. 2977 people lost their lives. Today we think of them & their families, those whose courage knew no bounds, & the countless acts of bravery which continue to resonate 19 years on. #september11 - the day the modern world changed. —————————————————————— . . . . . #911 #worldtradecentre #september #neverforget #history #newyork (at 911 Memorial - World Trade Center Site) https://www.instagram.com/p/CE_R3UdjKhG/?igshid=1vcwpp72yi92k

[nostalgiaispeace]

622.

5000 Question Survey Pt. 31

2901. have you ever written a letter to: a friend: yeah a lover: no a celebrity: yes. congress/house/reps: no the president/leader of your country: no. 2902. Why are cigarette companies allowed to manufacture and sell cigarettes when they are so unhealthy and dangerous? same reason alcohol companies can i guess. 2903. Do you chat with people in an elevator? no 2904. What’s your favorite Jack Nicholson movie? hmm...The Departed?

2905. Who should play the part of Superman? don’t care. wouldn’t watch it. 2906. Do you like when your friends and your mate’s friends hang out? i don’t care? 2907. Doritos or Cheetos? doritos 2910. Do you brush your teeth three times a day? no 2911. Should I stop making questions with multiple parts and just count each actual question as a question? i don’t care 2912. What gives your ego a boost? dunno 2913. What knocks your ego down? bullying 2914. Live and let live or live and let die? dunno 2915. What do you think of Damien Hirst’s art piece Mother and Child, which is half a cow in formaldedhyde? dunno it. 2916. Why is it that 70 percent of americans Do Not want to go to war with Iraq and yet we are going to war with Iraq anyway? ummm Is this democracy? no 2917. Imagine you have two choices of what life you can live: One: You are provided with meals, medicine, clothes and shelter. You are always with your family. You can lie in the sun and smoke, drink, play, cook, etc.. There will be certain rules you must follow such as no killing, no hurting others, no leaving the commune you were born in, no stealing, no tv, no newspapers and no books. OR Two: You are turned loose in the world with nothing. You start out cold and hungry. You may stay cold and hungry forever but you also have the opportunity to try and make a life for yourself. This will take a lot of hard work and there is no guarantee you will ever live comfortably. Which life do you choose? both seem shitty WHY? because first has no books and the second i’ll be cold 2918. Why is there no ‘Mr. America’ pageant? who cares Should there be? no. pageant life seems stupid. What qualities would YOU look for in a Mr. America if such a contest were to exist (like miss america he would have to be a role model)? pageants are stupid. 2919. If something offends you do you feel that it has no right to exist? sure. but that’s not reality 2920. Why do advertisers seem to believe that guys will buy any product that a hot girl in a bikini is sitting next too? because sex sells 2921. What would you do if your mom had a fight with a male acquaintance and you heard an answering machine message he left her cursing at her, calling her names and being very disrespectful? i’d call him and cuss him out 2922. What do you represent? myself? 2923. What message does ___ send when given as a birthday present?flowers: nice? slippers: i dunno but i love love it candles: you didn’t know what to get me? diamond necklace: you like me alot? gift certificate: you know what i like cash: you know what i like books: you really know what i like 2924. Have you ever completed a paint by number? probably If yes of what? i dunno 2925. How long has it been since you colored in a coloring book? years 2926. What have you been caught doing? dunno? 2927. Does temptation make you do what you love? no 2928. Do you have an gadgets in the house that you don’t know how to use? What? probably...technology 2929. Do you read the instructions to things or skip them? skip 2930. Will you ever reach your full potential? probably not 2931. Who is your biggest fan? no idea. 2932. Who do you take care of? myself and my husband Who takes care of you? same as above, and my mom 2933. Do you think that lawyers should only argue cases when they feel like the client is in the right? i think they should do their job. If you were a lawyer would you argue cases when you felt like your client was completely wrong? same as above 2934. Is it sexy in here or is it just me? it’s just you. 2935. You are giving out your phone number to a HOTTIE by writing it on a napkin. Do you write a little note or draw a picture too? If yes, what? i wouldn’t do this. 2936. Can you fold paper into anything (a hat, a swan, a boat, etc)? What? no 2937. How can a girl get a guy-she-is-dating’s mom to like her better? i don’t know? 2938. What is one theory about life or anything that you came up with that no one else has? no 2939. Do you like answering questions about: (bold) your life? your taste? tv? music? art? politics? life? religion? issues? sex? loved ones? favorites? objects? math? philosophy? hypothetical situations? things that require lots of thought? 2940. The mortuary science department is having a bake sale. Does this strike you as funny? no 2941. What would you think of a new reality tv game show where real life criminals on death row competed in life threatening tasks for the prize of a reduced sentence? that’s stupid as fuck. Did you know that they are considering making this a show? no Would you watch it? no 2942. What was the last song you looked up the words to? dunno 2943. What Saturday morning cartoons do you like? i don’t have cable 2944. If anything’s possible, then is it possible that nothing’s possible? no..? 2944. What does the T in T-Shirt really mean? dunno 2945. Would you alter your routine if there was a sniper in your area? probably? If so how? i wouldn’t leave the house 2946. Is castration a good punishment for extreme or repeat sexual offenders? just put them in prison and keep them there. 2947. If you are a girl have you ever experienced penis envy? no If you are a guy would you still want to live if you had to be castrated? 2948. Imagine you are teaching a class of sixth graders. A the start of the year you tell them, “If you come away with class and have learned only ONE THING, I hope that you learned….(finish the sentence) no 2949. If you were being interviewed for a job in a clothing store how would you sell yourself to the prospective employers? lolol i wouldn’t work in a clothing store 2950. How do you stop pop up ads? adblock...i think 2951. You are alone. You take a bus to the mall. The stop is right in the mall parking lot. You window-shop. You don’t buy anything. You want to get back on the bus to go home when you realize you have lost all your money. You have no cell phone. All the payphones are jammed with gum. You can not get it out. How do you get the $1.50 you need to get on the bus and get home??? i would ask someone to borrow a phone to call someone 2952. How long would it take you to organize your bedroom? probably a whole dat 2953. Make up a nickname for your bedroom: no 2954. What comes after: I’ve got a love-a-lee bunch of coconuts (diddly dee) There they are a-standing in a row. Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head… 2955. Where ARE the wild things? our imagination 2956. You get a six cd changer for the car, only problem is that you know that once you put in six cd’s you can NEVER take them out. Which 6 cd’s do you put in? oh god fuck you 2957. Let’s play Jeapordy. (Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Dooooo-) I’ll give some answers..you give the questions. Ready? Begin. The answer is: Purple what colour is barney the dinosaur? Yellow what colour is a banana? Candle what’s something you can light up during a romantic dinner? Pepsi who’s coke’s biggest competitor? Peace i dunno Lisa what’s the name of the eldest simpsons daughter? Cotton what type of fabric are most t-shirts made out of? Flag what does america take too seriously? 42 i dont know 2958. Pick a letter. A List some great words starting with that letter: no 2959. Is eight days a week enough to show you care? no 2960. Have you told your parents you love them today? no. 2961. What is the difference between a number two pencil and any other kind of pencil? no idea. 2962. Have you ever cross-dressed? no. 2963. Are we living in a world without end? seems like it 2964. What do you think of that couple that was just on the news who kidnapped a 16 year old girl for a week and forced her to be their sex slave? that’s disgusting. 2965. Wanna watch a movie about a cheerleading competition? no 2966. Are you singing in the rain? no but i love that film 2967. Should the sopranos actors have been allowed to march in the St Patrick’s Day parade? i don’t care 2968. Is oral sex, anal sex or regular sex more intimate? regular. 2969. Is it time to switch to Decaf? never 2970. Why is it that the truth hurts? some people are pussies 2971. How do you feel about: ticketmaster? meh scalpers? i don’t trust them 2972. What are you guilty of? being a bitch 2973. Have you ever done any of the following in order to catch a buzz or get high? sniffed glue: no sniffed magic markers: nope. ate paste: no. drank Nyquil, rRobitussen or any other Over-the-counter drug: no. 'huffed’ (inhaled or sniffed) any kind of fabric softner, cooking spray or other household product: no. whip-its: no. 2974. What gives you inner strength? dunno 2975. ::eyes you suspiciously::Where have all the COOKIES gone? i don’t have any cookies ever so 2976. What is a good gift for someone you don’t like so that it SEEMS to be nice but really 'gets’ them somehow? they don’t get gifts 2977. If you don’t like the service at a restaurant would you skip the tip? they would get a small one Why or why not? because they wouldn’t deserve a good one. 2978. Apples or peaches or pumpkin pie? none. 2979. What Race/nationality was Jesus? Jewish 2980. What was one evening you’ll never forget? getting proposed to 2981. Name 13 ways to look at a blackbird: no. 2982. Trick or Treat? treat. 2983. If you had money to burn, what 'toy’ would you spend your money on (think monopoly game with real money, luxory boat, a train layout that takes up a house, etc.)? probably something harry potter related 2984. Are you having trouble with aol 8.0? LOL what? how old is this. Or if you don’t have aol…have you ever been to a podiatrist? no 2985. If you could write your own ten commandments, what would they be? 1 no 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2986. When people lose weight, where does it go? don’t care 2987. Your mate/partner/wife or husband/longterm boy or girlfriend/etc. has SOMEHOW gotten his or her FAVORITE celebrity’s attention. Your sweetie has always thought this celeb was so sexy and now the celeb kinda fancies your sweety as well(although the celeb is not interested enough to stick around for more than one night). Your sweetie wants to have a one night stand with the celeb. Knowing that this is your sweeties one and only chance to bang (or even hang out with) a celebrity (ESPECIALLY their FAVORITE celebrity) you would say: do your thing. 2988. Have you ever seen an Ed Wood film? probably? maybe? it’s possible. i watch a lot of films. if yes, what one(s) and what did you think? If no, aren’t you curious to see a movie by the person known as the worst director of all time? 2989. What kind of bread do you like to eat (white, rye, potatoe, grain, whole wheat, etc)? honey wheat 2990. Are you emotionally articulate? maybe 2991. Does everything happen for a reason? seems like it. 2992. Do you take a piece of those you have loved and carry it around forever? yeah If yes, than aren’t they still with you even when you are gone?

feels that way 2993. Is it true that the child is worth ten of the parent? i don’t know? 2994. Can you think of a door that has closed in your life? yes Can you think of a window that has opened? maybe 2995. What does this mean to you: 'Necessity is the mother of invention’? nothing

Do you believe that necessity is also the mother of: courage? idk survival skills? idk independence? idk 2996. What helps you to get over a Major heartache? i wish i knew 2997. Can you depend completely upon yourself? yes have you ever tried? i have to 2998. How can you tell the difference between the end of one part of your life and the beautiful beginning of the next part? i wish

2999. Have you ever read an stories by Kate Chopin? no If not, I suggest that you do. okay

3000. Do you often make the best discoveries when you really weren’t looking for anything (or anyone)? yes

[chiquitabae]

A Happy Medium

Hey y’all!! This is my first time posting any of my writing. I’ve got a little one shot here.

I want to thank @xxluckytrashxx for telling me the idea and @bungalowbillstory for editing my story into what it is now.

Characters: Daehyun, Youngjae, Yongguk

Word Count: 2977

A young man was at the shopping center, trying to find some new work clothes. The season was changing and he was going to need something different to wear to keep him warm. He wandered from store to store, not quite finding what he needed yet. Finally, he wandered into a store that sold the perfect type of clothing for his line of work.

“You should try this on, I think it would look cute on you,” A voice said over his shoulder.

“No, just stay quiet,” He huffed out, walking away from said item to end the conversation.

“Youngjae, please,” the voice says, a little more determination lacing his voice.

“No. Now keep quiet, please,” Youngjae retorted.

Pulling some pants off the rack, he checks the size before hanging them over his arm and moving on. As he continues to look, several other people walk in, mostly young men with their mothers trying to find clothes that will fit.

Walking to another rack, Youngjae loses himself in his shopping, wanting to get done quickly.

“Please Youngjae, I found one that would fit,” The voice says once more.

“I said no already. Now shut up,” Youngjae snaps a little loudly. He looks up and there’s a lady there, gaping at him.

“Excuse me, I never said anything to you.” She says, turning up her nose before stalking away.

“Oh no ma’am! It’s not- I mean I wasn’t, please… I’m sorry,” Youngjae fumbles with his words. He stares after the lady before whirling around towards the party at fault.

“Damn it Daehyun, look at what happened! Why couldn’t you just take no for an answer?” Youngjae huffs crossing his arms.

Daehyun stands there pouting at Youngjae, before looking away and muttering, “Just hurry up, I hate being in public.” Youngjae nods in agreement, and hurries through the rest of his shopping.

While they’re leaving the shopping center, Daehyun bounces around excitedly. Youngjae tries to keep an eye on him as they walk, but sometimes he jumps in and out of visual reality.

They’re walking past a lady when Daehyun accidentally jumps through her. They both gasp and Youngjae stops dead in his tracks. The lady looks around, lost and confused, before wrapping her arms around her and shivering.

“You’re not suppose to be doing that to the living,” Youngjae hisses lowly when they get to his car. He opens the door to get in and asks, “Are you alright? You’ve been quiet since you passed through that lady.” Daehyun appears in the passenger seat, eyes glazed over. Youngjae looks worried at him for a couple seconds before starting the car.

Driving home late makes Youngjae tense. They have to drive through a wooded area before getting to the part of town where the houses and apartments are. There have been stories passed from resident to resident about the things that show up at night while driving down this road. Youngjae isn’t usually afraid of anything, he talks to people others can’t see after all, but sometimes an odd chill will run down his spine.

They’re driving through the darkest part of the road, with only his headlights and the last remaining rays of the sun streaking the sky. His eyes glance up to his rearview mirror, then back down to the road. He slams on his breaks, seeing something in front of him, making Daehyun snap out of the daze he’s in. They both watch as a woman shimmers out of view and is gone.

Youngjae pulls his car to the side of the road and jumps out, looking for the lady. He jogs out to the middle of the road, Daehyun close behind. He circles, trying to locate the person he almost hit.

“This way,” Daehyun suddenly says. Youngjae runs after Daehyun as he glides across the foliage, leading him to the lady. Youngjae can’t explain why he pulled over or why he’s so desperate to find her, but he’s just feels something in his gut compelling him to. He often feels like this around those stuck between worlds, having a hard time moving on, but never with Daehyun. Maybe because he’s not ready to move on, or he’s not really stuck here and he can freely pass between here and the afterlife. Youngjae stopped questioning these things, because he couldn’t ever find any answers.

Finally reaching the lady, he can see that she’s been looking for a way to move on for ages. He slowly paces toward her, holding his hands up to show he’s no threat. She must be able to sense who and what he is because she glides over towards him. Catching a glimpse of Daehyun standing behind Youngjae, the lady nods in thanks.

Closing her hands around Youngjae’s, he shakingly exhales, his breath turning to mist. He closes his hands around her’s and lets his eyes flutter shut. Directing positive energy towards the spirit in front of him, Youngjae lets her know that the year is 2017, that her family is probably waiting for her on the other side. He lets her know that all will be well and healed when she crosses over. With several more minutes of communication and confirmation, Youngjae starts to direct a healing light towards the spirit in front of him, welcoming her to the other side.

“Thank you,” the spirit whispers against his mind, pouring gratitude into her words before passing on. Youngjae lets his eyes flutter open and looks around, sensing the peace the spirit has left behind her. He sighs, turning around and finding Daehyun with a small smile on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Youngjae asks him. Daehyun just turns and glide back to the car, with Youngjae close behind.

“Remember that lady I walked through earlier?” Daehyun asks Youngjae.

“You jumped through her, but yes, I remember,” Youngjae corrects the spirit.

“She’s been trying to find a medium to help her great-grandma pass over, and you just did it because you almost hit her,” Daehyun answers, face relaxing. Youngjae looked surprised, could spirits read minds? Guessing what Youngjae was thinking Daehyun speaks.

“No we can’t read minds, we can talk to them, but not read them. But when we pass through people we can gain emotions and general thoughts coming off of them, that’s why we don’t like it and usually avoid it. I was trying to see if I could connect with the great-grandma while we were headed home, but you did a better job of finding her than I did,” Daehyun chuckled making Youngjae sigh, realizing Daehyun was okay. He doesn’t correct Daehyun when he says home, since technically Youngjae is the only one truly living there.

Several days later Youngjae wishes Daehyun were alive, just so he could kill him. It’s getting near the full moon, which sometimes affects spirits badly. Youngjae sat on his couch, watching Daehyun mumbling about something  in the corner. Whenever Youngjae would ask what was wrong, Daehyun would shush him.

“Are you being bothered by spirits I can’t see yet because it’s not the full moon for another night?” Youngjae asked, trying not to look worried about his resident spirit.

“Yeah, they’re all trying to talk to me at once about you helping them move on, but there are so many, what if it drains you?” Daehyun asks, eyebrows furrowing in concern.

“I’m not new to being a medium around the full moon. I help a lot of spirits around now. That’s why I always have the day after the full moon off, so I can recover,” Youngjae explains, stretching himself out on the couch, eyes fluttering shut.

Youngjae jolts awake to the dark, feeling the air in his apartment drop several degrees. Shivering, he sits up, looking around for Daehyun. He spots him, sitting in the corner, lazily flickering in and out of view.

“Daehyun?” Youngjae asks, concern wrinkling his forehead. Daehyun, shocked, blinks out of view, startling Youngjae. He jumps up, spinning around his tiny living room, careful not to trip over the small coffee table in the center of the room.

“Daehyun!” Youngjae calls out, truly concerned for the spirit. Suddenly Daehyun appears right in front of his face, startling the poor medium bad enough to let out a yelp and fall back onto the couch. Seeing how startled Youngjae got, Daehyun starts hovering over him, trying to make sure he’s alright. Youngjae sits up, looking at him, unsure if he should be upset or relieved.

“I’m so sorry,” Daehyun starts, “The other spirits were whispering strange things into my ears and I was worried about you, but I couldn’t do anything. I wasn’t going to touch you, because I don’t know what would happen if I did. I’m so glad you’re awake. You’ve got some really…. energetic spirits waiting for you,” Daehyun rambles off. Youngjae nods, making sure nothing is broken, before getting himself ready to help some spirits pass over.

Youngjae works for hours with no complains, helping spirits young and old pass from our world to the next. Most are thankful, others are confused, but none the less they all pass peacefully.

“The last one for now is a friend of mine. He says he’s finally ready to move on,” Daehyun breaks the silence. Youngjae is quiet, observing how this affects the spirit.

“I’m sure if he’s reincarnated soon we can find him, this isn’t goodbye Daehyun,” Youngjae quietly explains to the spirit. Daehyun nods before turning his head slightly to the right and whispering something Youngjae can’t hear. A quiet, young spirit appears next to Daehyun, his long black hair falling in his eyes a bit while long earrings dangle from his ears.

“Yongguk, this is the medium that I’ve become good friends with, he’ll make sure everything goes alright as you pass over,” Daehyun explains to the other spirit. Yongguk grins, a big gummy grin at Daehyun, before pulling him into a hug.

“Thank you Daehyun for helping me move on,” Yongguk says in a deep voice. Youngjae is just quiet, watching in wonder as the spirits say farewell to each other.

Yongguk glides over to Youngjae, finished with his farewells. Youngjae puts his hands up, welcoming Yongguk to take them. Once their fingers are interlocked, Youngjae’s eyes flutter shut, drawing energy to pass to Yongguk, showing him that all will be well after passing over. Youngjae hears Yongguk gasp, but it’s a joyful gasp.

“I can seem my next life, my reincarnation,” Yongguk says with joy in his voice, “Come find me Daehyun, and maybe I can stay here with Youngjae,” Yongguk says right before passing on through the comforting light.

Once Yongguk is gone Youngjae let’s his eyes flutter open. Yawning, Youngjae lays back against the couch, feeling accomplished and at peace. He looks at Daehyun, observing the spirit. Daehyun seems more relaxed and happy, suddenly making Youngjae feel a pang of fear. What if Daehyun is now ready to move on as well? What would he do without the spirit being there?

“Are you ready too?” Youngjae asks quietly. Daehyun shakes his head, causing relief to go through Youngjae.

“I have to find Yongguk first, in his new body,” Daehyun says determined.

“How will you know it’s him?” the young man asks.

“Just like you can always tell it’s me hanging around and not some other spirit,”.

“He could be on the other side of the world though, what then?”

“He’s not, he’s close. I can feel it. Shall we go look?”

“You can, then tomorrow you can take me to him, but for now, I need some food and some sleep.” The spirit nods, agreeing.

After eating and sleeping a good 8 hours, Youngjae woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. While going through his morning routine, he notices something is missing, but doesn’t quite realize what that is until he’s brushing his teeth.

With his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth, Youngjae walks through the apartment looking for Daehyun. Not finding him, he concludes that the spirit might still be out looking for his friend. Not being too worried about the spirit, Youngjae finishes brushing his teeth.

Going out to the living room, Youngjae nearly jumps out of his skin. Daehyun is sitting on the couch with a big grin on his face. Youngjae starts taking deep breaths, focusing on calming his heart rate down.

“I found Yongguk,” the spirit speaks happily.

Walking down the street, following a spirit isn’t Youngjae’s favorite thing to do. Especially if that spirit is Daehyun while he’s excited. Weaving in and out of people, Youngjae starts to wonder how long it will take.

Suddenly, Daehyun turns into a pet store. Slowing down, Youngjae catches his breath as he pushes the door open. Listening to the bell jingle, Youngjae looks around for Daehyun. Finding Daehyun, he makes his way over towards him, seeing all the kittens near him, but the spirit is just focused on one kitten.

Looking down on the kitten, Youngjae can tell why. The aura and presence of this kitten just tells you it’s Yongguk. When the kitten notices Youngjae he gets really happy. Youngjae reaches down for the kitten and picks him up, holding him close to his chest. Immediately the kitten starts purring and snuggling up as close as he can to the young man.

“We’re getting him, right?” Daehyun asks excitedly. Youngjae worries his bottom lip, he doesn’t want to be the reason Daehyun breaks his promise to the spirit, but an animal is a big responsibility. He wanders around the pet store, looking at food prices, collars, toys and all the things a kitten needs, making Youngjae sigh.

“Yeah, we’ll get Yongguk,” he says quietly to the spirit next to him. Daehyun glides around very excited, but careful not to run through anyone, as Youngjae goes to the counter to get the paperwork dealt with and signed. Once Youngjae got everything needed for the little kitten, the three head back to Youngjae’s apartment.

Entering, Yongguk starts exploring the apartment, leaving Youngjae to put everything away. Sighing, he watches as Daehyun hovers over the kitten exploring the house.

“Don’t let him destroy anything, please?” Youngjae pleads with the spirit. Daehyun gives him a look.

“How will I stop him, I’m a spirit?” Daehyun points out.

“You know what I mean,” Youngjae mutters, putting the cat food away.

Several days later, after dealing with the full moon, and getting use to Yongguk’s constant presence, Youngjae can feel something off with Daehyun. He’s more withdrawn, quieter, and talks to Yongguk a lot. He doesn’t know if the kitten understands him though. Youngjae isn’t sure what to do with the spirit, it’s not like there is a spirit counselor he can take him too, or a doctor or anything, Youngjae isn’t even sure a spirit needs those types of things. Still, Daehyun is worrying the young man.

Keeping an eye on Daehyun, Youngjae tries to keep life going as normal. Until one morning, when he can’t. It’s been several hours after waking up and Daehyun is nowhere to be seen. Yongguk is being really clingy, which is also worrying the young man.

Giving the spirit several more hours, Youngjae goes to search for him. He looks in all the places he’s taken Daehyun to time and time again, but he can’t be found. He spends several hours out looking, but it get’s close to Yongguk’s dinner time, so he turns and heads home.

Several more days pass and nothing was heard from Daehyun. Youngjae finally gets some more time to go out and look for him. He wanders the streets, using his medium gifts to reach out to the other spirits in the area, asking them if they’ve seen him. They haven’t, making Youngjae incredibly worried. As he’s walking down the street, he suddenly gets this feeling that’s telling him to check down this alley coming up. So he walks down the alley, only half heartedly looking for his companion.

Feeling discouraged, Youngjae leans against the alley wall and slides down to the ground, not caring how dirty it is. The sudden feeling of loss enters his heart, making him question when this annoying, ever present, spirit became so important to him. Sniffling, Youngjae rubs his face, trying not to cry. This spirit, that’s always been there, morning, day, and night is gone, and Youngjae doesn’t know how to cope. He’s been around for years, helping him with his gift and watching over him as he uses it.

Sniffling even more, Youngjae feels the tears running down his face now. Why? Why did he leave without saying anything? Did he not know what he meant to Youngjae? Why was Youngjae so hard on him? All these questions running through his mind, made Youngjae start crying even harder.

Being summoned by his crying, a small kitten comes out of the dark and starts rubbing against Youngjae’s legs. Quieting himself down a little, Youngjae notices the kitten. Feeling the urge to pick him up, Youngjae does, letting the kitten curl up in his lap. As he’s scratching the kitten he notices that he has a mole under the same eye Daehyun did. Confused he searches internally about how he feels about this kitten and realizes, he just found Daehyun.

“You stupid, stupid spirit. Why didn’t you say anything when you left me! HUH!? Do you know how worried I’ve been and how long I’ve search for you? Why? Why?” Youngjae breaks down crying into the kitten’s side.

Sniffling along the way, he takes the kitten home with him. Opening the door, Daehyun jumps out of his arms and starts playing with Yongguk, who finally looks happy for the first time in a couple days. Sinking on the couch the two kittens join Youngjae and curl up all happily, finally with their medium.

[cp-addict]

9/11/01 - Today I would like to ask you to stop for just a moment to remember those that sacrificed everything to save people they most likely never met. I would ask you to let that sink in; it's hard to wrap your mind around in this self absorbed, self righteous society we live in today. Have we really changed that much? Has the American way really been altered forever? We seem to walk through life almost annoyed that we even have to interact with our fellow Americans. Some of you were either to young or not even alive when this horrific tragedy took place so let me remind you what you learned in the history books 2977 Red Blooded Americans lost their lives that day. TWO THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED SEVENTY SEVEN. To put that into perspective that's more people than live in my entire hometown! I feel we may have forgotten what it is like to be a unified country. I long for us to be like we were on 9/12/01! I don't long for the tragic circumstances do not get me wrong, but I long for the times when skin tone didn't matter, heritage didn't matter, what side of the track you were from didn't matter only that we were all AMERICANS first and foremost. We check on our neighbor down the street to see if they were okay or needed anything. We went down to the blood bank and donated. We volunteered at our local shelter. We did whatever we could to help someone in need without worrying about what we got out of it. Despite this tragedy we did not let them die in vein. I fear however that we have forgotten that passion to help. I fear we have lost the compassion we once had. Please take a moment today to say a silent prayer for those families that are still hurting from their lose and for our country that is still wounded. Pray for your fellow Americans! — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/34Gtv0b