#Continuous-at-Sea Deterrent

[vyorei]

Copied from the OG Tweet as it's too long to screenshot. Source is @Jonathan_K_Cook on Twitter:

The missing context for what's happening in Gaza is that Israel has been working night and day to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian people from their homeland since even before Israel become a state – when it was known as the Zionist movement.

Israel didn't just cleanse Palestinians in 1948, when it was founded as a Western colonial project, and again under cover of a regional war in 1967.

It also worked to ethnically cleanse Palestinians every day between those dates and afterwards. The aim was to move them off their historic lands, and either expel them beyond Israel’s new, expanded borders or concentrate them into small ghettoes inside those borders – as a holding measure until they could be expelled outside the borders.

The 'settler' project, as we call it, is a misnomer. It's really Israel's ethnic cleansing programme. Israel even has a special word for it in Hebrew: 'Judaisation', or making the land Jewish. It is official government policy.

Gaza was the largest of the Palestinian reservations created by Israel's ethnic cleansing programme, and the most overcrowded. To stop the inhabitants spilling out, Israel built a fence-barrier in the early 1990s to pen them in. Then when policing became too hard from within the prison, Israel pulled back in 2005 to the outer perimeter barrier.

New technology allowed Israel to besiege Gaza remotely by land, sea and air in 2007, limiting the entry of food and vital items like medicine and cement for construction. Automated gun towers shot anyone who came near the fence. The navy patrolled the sea, stopping boats straying more than a kilometre or two off shore. And drones watched 24 hours a day from the sky.

The people of Gaza were sealed in and largely forgotten, except when they lobbed a few rockets over the fence – to international indignation. If they fired too many rockets, Israel bombed them mercilessly and occasionally launched a ground invasion. The rocket threat was increasingly neutralised by a rocket interception system, paid for by the US, called Iron Dome.

Palestinians tried to be more inventive in finding ways to break out of their prison. They built tunnels. But Israel found ways to identify those that ran close to the fence and destroyed them.

Palestinians tried to get attention by protesting en masse at the fence. Israeli snipers were ordered to shoot them in the legs, leading to thousands of amputees. The 'deterrence' seemed to work.

Israel could once again sit back and let the Palestinians rot in Gaza. 'Quiet' had been restored.

Until, that is, last weekend when Hamas broke out briefly and ran amok, killing civilians and soldiers alike.

So Israel now needs a new policy.

It looks like the ethnic cleansing programme is being applied to Gaza anew. The half of the population in the enclave's north is being herded south, where there are not the resources to cope with them. And even if there were, Israel has cut off food, water and power to everyone in Gaza.

The enclave is quickly becoming a pressure cooker. The pressure is meant to build on Egypt to allow the Palestinians entry into Sinai on 'humanitarian' grounds.

Whatever the media are telling you, the 'conflict' – that is, Israel's cleansing programme – started long before Hamas appeared on the scene. In fact, Hamas emerged very late, as the predictable response to Israel's violent colonisation project.

Israel could once again sit back and let the Palestinians rot in Gaza. 'Quiet' had been restored.

Ignore the fake news. Israel isn't defending itself. It's enforcing its right to continue ethnically cleansing Palestinians.

[faeriekit]

Frozen Out

Another phic phight fill, another day; this one's for @akela-nakamura. No one is allowed to say anything about my need for Far Frozen fics.

(Sister fics are Snow Day and Snowdrift Sanctuary)

Breakfast comes, and breakfast goes. Frostbite cooked last night, so it’s leftover soup. 

There’s some kind of bird meat in it that Danny’s vaguely aware of, and a root vegetable that’s basically a hardy onion. The grain in it is a wild rice that’s virtually identical to the one in the human world, supposedly; Danny never had wild rice while he was eating at his parents’ house, though, so it’s new to him. 

It’s interesting how it cracks and breaks apart on his tongue. The food’s different here, but the Far Frozen has food that mostly matches human cuisine in far climates. Sure, it’s made of ghost birds and ghost vegetables and ghost grains, but they’re at least recognizable as sea birds, vegetation, and grain. It’s not weird for him to eat food that looked like food. 

If Danny had moved in with Princess Dorathea the way she’d offered, he’d be eating ghosts that looked like people. 

Yeah. This is better. 

Danny likes his soup. It’s reheated on the stovetop so that it’s warm. 

His bowl goes beside the door— he’ll scrape the dishes in the snow later— and goes for his coat and boots. There’s gloves that Neuschnee, Tundra’s mom,  knitted for him, on tiny needles that would have been hard for him to manipulate even without her huge clawed hands. 

They’re very warm. They have little green and blue stripes and little blue snowflakes spun on yeti-fur yarn. He likes them a lot. 

Danny leaves the warm interior of the cave, takes a big breath, and wanders out towards the center of the settlement. 

There are lots of occupied caves in the Far Frozen. Some of them are constructed in ice, but many are formed from natural rock— or whatever passes as ‘natural’ in the Infinite Realms. Early history of yeti society is rocky; there’s apparently debate as to whether the yetis found the land while wandering the zone, whether the land spawned the people to occupy it as a deterrent against wanderers and interlopers, or whether they all came into being together. 

“Aren’t you immortal? Or, you know…long-lived? Long-dead?” Danny had asked, confused. “Weren’t you here the whole time?”

“Yes,” Frostbite had agreed easily. 

“So…shouldn’t you remember?” 

“There are theories about that as well,” Frostbite had pointed out, amused with Danny’s frustration. “As it is, we do not.” 

So. There’s that. 

That being said, Danny knows there’s a lot of history; Arctic can recite cycles of songs for five hundred seasons back, and he’s not over a hundred years old. 

Probably. 

Danny stops beside a snow drift and scratches his head through his thick hood. Is Arctic a hundred years old? 

…Anyway, Danny continues, trucking onwards, if he is, he has to adjust his worldview on teenage yetis. If he’s not, then that means that Danny’s right about part two of his plan, which includes the vague idea that a society of yetis with an advanced medical techniques and application probably has a library somewhere. 

Or. You know. So he hopes. Man, if they pass down the entirety of their medical knowledge through oral tradition, Danny’s going to be screwed. Either way, he’s just in time to wander into Pritla’s glacial alcove before they’re finished with their own breakfast— a fish, apparently, devoured by sharp teeth and a huge maw. 

“Morning,” Danny greets, because he’s polite that way. He knows Pritla knows he’s here. Everyone so far has made fun of how loudly he walks. 

“Good morning, Phantom,” Pritla greets back, blue tongue licking bits of fish out from between huge fangs. Danny’s human right now, but for some reason, using his human name is culturally weird to them. It must be less intuitive, or something. It’s not like they can’t recognize him either way. “Is there something you’re missing?”

“No, thank you.” Last time he was here, it was because Jazz had sent over his workbooks and worksheets with pencils and no sharpener. Once the tips had snapped, it had all been over. “Is there a library?” 

Pritla’s furry eyebrows rise up over their brow ridge. “Did you expect there not to be one?” 

Danny’s nose squishes. “No. I assumed there is one. I just don’t know where it would be.”

The yeti’s eyes roll up to the ceiling; honestly, Danny knows that they do hard work for Frostbite, but they’re kind of annoying. “Have you tried downstairs?” 

“...Downwhat,” says Danny. 

So. It turns out. Far Frozen goes down. 

Like, there’s a hole in the ice, and it goes down— down long steps carved straight out of the ice, into blue-glowing tunnels woven with streams of rock and salt. 

“...Huh,” Danny observes. “Down.”

“Indeed,” Prita rumbles. The yeti turns, their bulk and form imposing as they head back up the stairs. “Everything is etched into the walls; feel free to make any copies of the writings you find. The farther down you go, the newer the writing becomes.”

“Thank you!” Danny hollers back, finally feeling some sense of burgeoning accomplishment. He’s almost there; all he has to do is take something impressive down, and get it copied onto something portable. He has old blank scrap paper stuck into his pockets. This should be easy. He feels very confident in reading into the yetis’ written cultural knowledge…

…And then notices that it’s written in an entirely different syllabary. 

Right. Danny wants to bang his head on the ice wall. Universally spoken ghost language, entirely different societal interpretation. Shoot. 

Interpreting this will take him ages. 

Still, Danny settles in; there’s no rush. He wasn’t supposed to have lessons today, since Tundra caught a wheeze and now he’s being all whiny about it, so he has all the time until dinner to copy and to get some graphite rubbings off the wall. 

Danny pulls up one of the carved stools, sits his butt down, and writes. 

*

“Frostbite?” 

Frostbite looks down. Danny smashes his face into the yeti’s fur; it’s hardly even a blow to his guardian, and it’s apparently instinctual for cubs to do something similar anyway. So. It’s a very affectionate gesture, even if it feels like playing rough to Danny. 

And Danny gets petted by a giant yeti hand. There are many advantages to living in the Far Frozen. 

Frostbite rumbles something, but Danny can’t actually hear him through the fur. He pokes his head out to get a listen. 

“—Good day?” 

“Mmhmm.” It had been productive, anyway. “I saw the library.” 

“The hall of records?” Frostbites ask, his voice a gentle rumble. Danny leans into the sound. “Ambitious of you. Did you learn anything new?”

Danny had. So he talks about the loss of the rainy seasons for snowy ones and The Year That It Rained Upwards, and about drifting too far against the edge of the Infinite Realms until they smashed into another kingdom and were forced to fight. He talks about the process of washing starlight moss until it becomes food instead of vegetation, and he talks about what it says about birthing traditions, and what it means to be Never-borne in a people that had probably never once lived in the human world.

Or maybe they had? There were some theories downstairs that speculated that they were the ghosts of real Yetis. Danny hadn’t known what to think. He’d taken the notes down anyway, because…well…what if they are? What if they’re all that’s left of the human world’s yeti population: ectoplasmic imprints and non-living beings??  

Frostbite knows everything Danny tells him about. Obviously. He was there for almost everything, too. But he lets Danny ramble on in a way that his parents never had, letting Danny explain his own history to him with new eyes and new words. It’s cathartic. Danny clings to Frostbite’s fur as the yeti walks around their living space, skinning and deboning Sky Whale meat to add to tonight’s meal. An adolescent human really weighs nothing to him. It’s so funny. 

“I am glad to know that you are able to take advantage of the histories,” Frostbite rumbles. Danny preens. “What encouraged you to seek them out?” 

Danny goes quiet. 

Frostbite looks over his shoulder to look at Danny, but lets Danny resolve his silence on his own terms. 

“...I wanted to see. If.” Danny licks his lips. Frostbite hums, showing that he’s listening. “If…if there’s records of a real ghost society, with its own language and culture and everything…they’ve gotta listen, right?”

The round knife in Frostbite’s hand stills. 

“They always say that…that ghosts are just pretending, that there’s nothing to ghost consciousness, that there’s nothing to anyone’s existence in the afterlife. But there’s records.” Danny’s throat tightens. “There’s known history. There’s language and a syllabary and…and there’s political conflict and agriculture and advanced medical care and weather charts. That has to be enough proof. If I show it to them, then they should be able to see.”

The knife gets set down. Frostbite wipes his hands on a towel. Danny can’t see his face. 

“It’s gotta be enough,” Danny tries again. His throat hurts. His eyes itch. But he thinks he could be right. “So if I show it to them, and they see it, and they see how far back the knowledge goes, and how careful everyone is to take care of each other and how nice everyone is and how good, and…and…”

Frostbite’s hug is soft, and warm. It’s amazing, and it’s not his Dad’s. Danny’s Dad is never going to hug him again. 

Danny cries. 

“Oh, little one,” Frostbite hums, and his face looks just as pained as Danny feels. “Little Phantom, it’s not safe for you to return to them, even to drop off records. If they had wanted to know more of the Infinite Realms, they would have tried to search them. I do not think that they are willing to listen, and I am too afraid to risk your health to see if they would change their minds when confronted with evidence.” 

He sobs. “But, but,” Danny cries, his throat torn with emotion. The hug pins his arms so his sides, so he just ends up snotting into his guardian’s fur. “...But I need them.” 

“I know, little one.” 

“They loved me,” Danny cries, because he knows that it had been true— that, once upon a time, there had been a family made of Jazz, Danny, Mom, and Dad. “They… Frostbite, I miss them so bad!”

Frostbite’s arms tighten. He lowers himself to the ground, until Danny is in a nest of yeti fur and pain and devastation and little else. 

“I know, little one,” Frostbite says, because there’s no other reassurance he can give. 

“I won’t… They’ll never want to see me again!”

“...I am so sorry,” Frostbite murmurs, endlessly patient with him. His ears are pulled back, his eyes taut with stress. 

He can’t help it. He breaks down. 

Danny clings. He cries— long, and loud, because pretending that he had a home to go back to had only worked until it stopped. He wants to go home. He wants to pretend to be all-human again. 

He’ll never go home. He’ll never pretend to be all-human again. 

He’ll do his lessons and Jazz will ferry his schoolwork to and from Casper High but he’ll never live with her again— never do his homework on her bed, never watch Dr. Phil with her on the couch, never eat lazy breakfasts with her or spend nights wondering if she’d come home safe from her date. 

Sam and Tucker can visit, but they’ll never be able to stay; every trip will be stolen, surreptitious, since they don’t have a reason to be in his house anymore. No more Tucker and Sam gaming nights. No more trips to catch dinner together at the Nasty Burger.

No more Ops Center. No more house. 

No more of Danny’s bedroom. 

Because otherwise, Mom and Dad would know. And they would get him. 

Mom and Dad don’t love him anymore. And…that’s the end of it.

So Danny cries himself out. Wipes off his nose with his undershirt sleeve. Resolves to get over himself. It hurts, because everything hurts, but there’s still life to be lived, kind of. Probably. 

Presumably. 

He doesn’t let go of Frostbite, though, who doesn’t let go of him; so Danny ends up eating his rare Sky Whale stew on a furry throne made of guardian yeti, blearily shoving food in his mouth until his stomach stops cramping. 

Frostbite puts him back into his coat, one arm at a time. Frostbite carries him out of their cave, even though it’s usually time for a bright night’s nap after dinner. Whatever. Danny doesn't have the energy to ask what’s happening to him. 

In the end, though, Danny does recognize Tundra’s Mom’s glacial ice cavern, since no one else has such carefully carved walls. 

Frostbite doesn’t ask, and Neuschnee doesn’t disrupt; she sits, calm, carving a soapstone block, as Danny gets laid down on their woven carpet. 

Danny blinks. 

Frostbite goes, and comes back— and Neuschnee smiles wryly as Tundra gets placed down beside Danny, fast asleep and dreaming of cars. 

Danny’s never been in such a huge, furry cuddle pile before, but as Frostbite lays down, his huge shoulder pushing him into Tundra’s smaller form in a cascade of ghost dominoes…

It’s nice. 

Danny will never have back what he had, but he has this. 

…That can be enough. Right?

Danny doesn’t know the answer for sure, but he falls asleep still thinking about it, the scrape of knife on stone all that he can hear. 

…Sure. This can be enough for now. 

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

the shroud family curse and its implications for intimacy

I was thinking about what the Shroud parents must look like under their helmets and then I started wondering how they met and fell in love 🤔 While wondering about that, I came to the realization that Mr. and Mrs. Shroud's romance must have been a complicated one.

***Spoilers for books 6 and 7 of the main story below the cut!!***

Idia’s grandmother, Aidne, was the previous director of STYX. She was succeeded by her son (Idia’s father), which implies that the Shroud blood and the curse that comes with it are from the paternal side of the family. Idia’s mom, then, is the one who married into the family. (It’s not clear at this point if those that marry into the Shroud family are also magically afflicted with the same condition, but for the purposes of this post whether it is or not isn’t relevant as my point will still stand either way.)

The Shroud curse quickly burns away any blot the individual has in their body without the typical means of recovery (ie rest and self-care). If there is no blot to incinerate then the curse will turn to consuming the magical energy of the individual themselves, which could pose a threat to their wellbeing and even their life. Because of this condition, ancestors to the Shroud family threw themselves into research on blot in STYX. This would ensure that Shroud members were always around blot that could be burned in the place of their own energy, and provided a sense of false hope for them. They believed that if they worked hard enough, they may be able to find a cure for their curse--but over time, that belief waned, and instead it seems they are all now resigned to their fate and don't try to defy it. We see this is true of the latest generation of Shrouds, as Idia was groomed to become the next director of STYX from a young age even when he disliked the idea and how his responsibilities restricted his freedom. In fact, the Shrouds in general are described as being gloomy people, and this is possibly the result of the hopeless feelings they have about their curse.

A secondary consequence of the curse is that it socially isolates members of the Shroud family from society. Idia is somewhat of a special case since we also have to consider the mental and emotional anguish he experienced following his involvement in Ortho's death. However, even disregarding this horrific tragedy, it can be inferred that the Shrouds are forced into positions which make them more alone than others. For one, their jobs seem to be very demanding and literally physically keeps them away from others (besides colleagues) since the headquarters are located in bottom of the sea. In Idia's post-OB flashback, we get dialogue which implies that he is not allowed outside very often--something which we can attribute to his being the heir to STYX. This may imply that previous Shrouds experienced similar childhoods, and this is just a continuation of the cycle. (I do want to point out here that Idia says his family used to go out to various places together when Ortho was still alive, so it's not a strict requirement that the Shrouds have zero outside interaction. They obviously do go outside the lab, but we cannot say for sure how frequently.)

More importantly, there is also an emotional and psychological component to isolation. You do not need to actually be alone in a room to be considered "isolated" from others. You could, in fact, be in a room full of people and still feel "isolated" because you haven't made any meaningful connection with them. This is what I think it must feel like to be a Shroud out in the world. You may technically be considered a part of the population, but you still don't quite fit in. For example, Idia has previously expressed worries that people will stare at his hair and recognize him as a Shroud, then ridicule his appearance and attitude. Indeed, the gloomy presence that the Shrouds give off seems to be a major deterrent for others to interact with THEM. All that time spent in physical isolation must have also had an impact on the Shrouds' ability to socialize. Idia is a strong example of this; he is an avid gamer and feels comfortable with taunting people via a screen. His face-to-face manner of speaking, meanwhile, can be incendiary and often rubs his classmates the wrong way. His father is not the exact same as him, but Mr. Shroud seems to have his own issues communicating affection and tends to describe things in a serious manner or in terms of work. Thinking about the way the curse is constructed too, there is a built-in fear that the Shrouds can never truly form long-lasting relationships with others, nor completely reveal their true selves to friends. Idia exposits as much in book 6. When Ortho tries to get his big brother to be friends with the OB boys, Idia dismisses the idea and says it won't matter in the end because they will be "sent down the river" and have their memories of those fun times completely purged. This illustrates a defeatist mindset which may be pervasive in all or most of the Shroud family: if this is going to be the fate of my loved ones, why bother getting close to anyone at all? It will just be more painful for us in the end.

SO LIKE. What was Mr. Shroud probably going through when he was seeing his then-girlfriend????? ??? ??? ??? ? ? ??? ? ?? He was probably so frustrated that he couldn't tell her anything about who he really was, and probably even more frightened that if he did ever tell the truth, he might lose her forever (via River Lethe memory wipe). And even if she still accepts him for it, then what??? Then she has to join the Shroud family, and that's basically damning her to the same mopey life he has, researching blot in the middle of nowhere until they're nothing but bones. Imagine how intense that guilt must be, knowing that you (yes, YOU) are responsible for "dragging down" your beloved into the same miserable circumstances that you're in. Not only that, but surely then you'd also have to tell your S/O that any children you conceive together will have the exact same destiny in STYX. It's not just Mr. Shroud either, it must be generations of Shrouds going through this same thing.

But, but, but!! In spite of his fear, Mrs. Shroud must have said yes because she truly loves him with all her heart… Their relationship must be built on such a strong foundation of trust and loyalty 😭 (From here, this is all speculation/headcanon/me rotting about the Hades-and-Persephone-esque romance I picture Idia's parents having. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.) I don't think that Mr. Shroud would be the one to initiate or to be affectionate. At most, maybe he had a shy sort of crush on her. More likely it was Mrs. Shroud that first expressed a romantic interest and passionately pursued him. And then maybe over time his feelings blossomed but he was still too afraid to put this massive burden on her shoulders, knowing the responsibility he bears as the future director of STYX... BUT HE HAS ALSO BECOME TOO ATTACHED TO HER TO CUT HER OUT OF HIS LIFE COMEPLETELY... Her very presence is screwing with his usual sense of cool, calculated logic 💀

AND WHAT ABOUT "THE TALK" THEY'D HAVE TO HAVE TO FULLY DISCLOSE EVERYTHING???? HOW MUCH MR. SHROUD MUST'VE BEEN SWEATING WAITING FOR HER ANSWER????? ?? ?? ? ? ? Oh, Sevens. Now I've done it. Here comes the moment where he gets dumped and his mom sends in a whole squadron of men to kidnap his girlfriend and clean her brain up. But NO 😭 Instead Mrs. Shroud just clasps his hands and insists that they should get married so he'll never have to wallow in those miserable thoughts all alone... He's confused and keeps begging her to reconsider, because this decision will inevitably throw her entire life off course.

"Are you sure about this? If you say yes to me, your fate will be sealed. You can never turn back. Your life will be sworn to the Isle of Woe." "Yup, I've never been more sure of anything in my whole life! Let's burn in the Underworld together, darling <3"

She provides a response that’s so easy and devil-may-care that he doesn’t know what to say back, so he just quietly laughs… and slowly those quiet laughs morph into quiet sobs… (like how flashback!Idia transitioned from laughing to crying when he was bragging about how indestructible the “new” Ortho is 😈 LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON—)

Idia drops this line during his extended post-OB flashback: "So it's romantic when a hero rescues his ladylove from the Underworld, but when I do the same for my brother it's wrong?" WHAT IF THAT WAS TRUE, BUT WITH THE GENDER ROLES REVERSED, FOR HIS PARENTS???? ?? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? Mrs. Shroud willing to literally throw herself into the Underworld to "save" Mr. Shroud... like how Persephone was willing to stay there with Hades... 🙃 I'LL EAT THAT SHIT UP, JUST DROP THE "HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER" UPDATE OF TWST, DEVS..... . . . .. ..... . . .. . .. . . . . . . .. .... . . .. . . .... . . .. . . . .

Okay, I'm done screaming and sobbing at the wall for now--.

[tribbetherium]

'The Early Rodentocene, 100 years post-establishment.

Before it was a paradise, it was a hamster hellscape.

Without predators to curb their numbers and a nigh-limitless supply of food, the first hamsters, having escaped the confines of Isla Genesis via land bridges that formed during a period of low sea levels, bred incessantly and exponentially. In the span of a century, they numbered in the hundreds of billions, becoming a tidal wave of hungry nibbling mouths that swept through Nodera, and then Easaterra, Westerna and Ecatoria like a rodent plague of continental proportions. They quickly ravaged the local plant life and introduced invertebrates, reducing once-lush grassland into barren wastes and driving many species of colonists to extinction as their numbers grew unchecked, their consumed biomass converted into even more hungry hamsters.

Eventually, having overrun the still-interconnected four main continents, they finally ran out of food, and began starving en masse: heaps upon heaps of tiny carcasses blanketing the landscape for miles on end and emanating the most terrible smell imaginable all across the land as they decomposed, a nauseating miasma of dead rodent times a hundred billion. And yet, in this putrid panorama of death and decay, some life endured. Fungi and microbes and flies and worms soon returned the nutrients of the dead to the soil, and dormant seeds and insect eggs awaiting the end of the scurrying storm burst back into bloom, nourished by the now richer earth. Trees, boasting lifespans measured in centuries, simply held off producing seeds and filled their leaves with distasteful tannins until the menacing swarms died down. Floating seeds and flying insects, blown across the sea from offshore islands and the unreachable Borealia, blew back inland and colonized the continents once again. And, with a new, enriched environment, new life flourishing once more, the world again became a paradise for the few hardy hamsters that survived the armageddon.

Unfortunately for them, it would eventually happen again, over and over, throughout the subsequent centuries. A pattern of extreme global boom-and-bust cycles of hamster populations defined the earliest days of the Early Rodentocene, as the ecosystem as a whole struggled to keep this rampant invading species under control. Time and time again, life would rebound from the devastation, only to be destroyed by the growing swarms once more within a few decades. As the centuries passed, however, the extreme pressure the hamsters put on the other species of the planet began to fuel their evolution: in a matter of just a few millennia, many plants, especially grasses, developed enormous rhizomes that grew deep underground, which continued to live on even as hamsters ate their leaves and stems. Invertebrates followed suit, laying large amounts of overwintering eggs in secluded places to assure at least some would survive, timing their emergence by evolutionary trial-and-error to times when hamsters were at their fewest. Some early plants became tougher, or more toxic, or thornier, while invertebrates retaliated with thicker exoskeletons, pinching mandibles, and painful stings to deter them from being eaten. Other species played an opposite game: instead satiating the predators with such a huge influx at the breeding season that they could not all be consumed, leaving a small percentage to survive and reproduce. Finally, and perhaps the most significant deterrent to the uncontrollable hordes, were the opportunistic microbes and invertebrates that, in the abundance of rodent hosts, became parasites and pathogens to them: ones that became particularly devastating when dense populations were in close contact, spreading quickly and causing large-scale deaths when numbers were too high.

As easily-accessible food became scarcer and starvation, disease, and competition began to take its toll, the population booms gradually became less and less severe as time went on, and the mass die-offs too became less and less devastating. Soon, new life began to flourish alongside the hamsters, not in spite of them, and, with their population levels now moderated by factors that kept them getting too overcrowded, the hamsters, once invaders, now became a part of the ecosystem. Some plants evolved to spread their seeds by having hamsters hoard them, while others relied on the nutrients spread by their droppings to grow. And by 10,000 years post-establishment, the periodic overpopulations and mass deaths were a thing of the past: balance restored to a biosphere disrupted by an unexpected arrival.

The world had changed to accommodate the newcomers: but the hamsters themselves were changed by this brutal cycle. With survivors sometimes as few as a hundred or so persisting each die-off, the gene pools narrowed and grew and fluctuated: and through rampant inbreeding, or genetic failsafes to combat the deleterious effects of lessened genetic variety, a plethora of mutations would gradually emerge in the once homogenous population: mutations that, with the aid of time and natural selection, became the catalyst that would shape the hamsters' future for the millions of years to come.'

---------

[bogleech]

How could bioluminesence ever be a deterrent against predation in the deep sea when literally every light down there is made of meat

Is it aposematism, is it batesian mimicry of other dangerous organisms down there?

In some cases it fills the role of "warning colors" for poisonous or bad tasting things! Predators learn the differences between light patterns and come to recognize which ones are not good to eat. But in many cases it's INSIDIOUSLY for the exact reason you point out, that light = meat. Therefore, if you light up like a beacon when a predator bothers you, there's a high chance it will attract an even bigger predator. Maybe the bigger predator eats you anyway, but maybe not! Maybe IT learned that you taste bad, but that you must only be lighting up of another perfectly edible thing is pissing you off. Or maybe, like some species, you just switch all your lights off and curl up and hide when the bigger predator gets there. Or maybe no bigger predator shows up, but the predator already messing with you knows from experience that this COULD happen and has to weight whether it's hungry enough to risk it the longer it continues the attack.

RUDEST use of this are animals like certain squid, worms and this shrimp that can squirt a glowing sticky slimy cloud as they swim away, so their attacker gets confused and blinded WHILE they become a giant neon "free food" sign

[sporesgalaxy]

what's uppppp I have some backstory writing for Pierre I've been fiddling with for aaagesss & I mostly like where it's at now. so I show you :)

short life history intro + Devil Fruit aquisition origin + little blurb from on the way to the Grand Line. enjoyyyy

warnings: animal death, bfrb (nail chewing)

•••

Tiny Pierra lets ants crawl all over her. She watches them tear apart a dying grasshopper in the garden, piece by piece.

Pierra looks with wonder in her eyes at a rotting fish covered with maggots. At a dead baby bird that fell from its nest too soon. At a bag full of bloody ducks her father shot.

Pierra gets too upset sometimes, and too frightened frequently. Pierra hides as often as possible.

When Pierra starts getting big, she wishes she was still small. She used to like squeezing into tight spaces; inside a box, under a small desk, under a bed. She doesn't fit anymore. Sometimes she feels like she's stopped fitting anywhere at all.

Pierra sneaks into places she is not supposed to be when she's alone, just to look around. Just to hear the silence.

Pierra takes food she is not supposed to eat, just to get away with it. Just to test how far she can go without being noticed. Just to be unnoticed on purpose.

When Pierra is 16, she goes to the market with her mother. While her mother speaks to someone, Pierra breaks off a tiny piece of the most interesting fruit at the stand. No one notices her do it this time. Pierra chews and swallows the piece of fruit, and it tastes bad, but Pierra is pleased to have learned what it tastes like without permission.

Later that evening, alone in her room, Pierra thinks she is dreaming, or maybe losing her mind. She wonders half-heartedly if the fruit was poisonous and she's dying. Then, she does what she always does when she thinks she is losing her mind: distracts herself and waits for it to pass.

It passes, eventually, but this won't be the last time. She learns that it's not madness, but the curse of a Devil. She learns she can't swim anymore. She prays for forgiveness. She tells nobody.

When Pierra gets too upset and admits it her mother a year later, she is begged never to transform again. To hide it forever, for her own safety. Human traffickers could be anywhere, her mother says, and Devil Fruit users fetch a high price. Pierra promises to keep hiding. Pierra wonders if it will be easier now, having someone who understands.

Pierra's mother goes back to acting like nothing ever happened. It doesn't get much easier.

----

Pierra Piper is currently one of many passengers on a large Navy escort vessel, which is in the process of entering the Grand Line through the Calm Belt. Pierra is trying very hard not to look at the water or think about Sea Kings. Her nose is buried resolutely in a short book.

The book isn't exactly comforting, though; it's about a man who transforms into a bug and finds himself useless and helpless and burdensome to his family, unable to continue working at his job or caring for himself. Pierra knew the book was about this, and chose to read it anyway. She reminds herself of that as she bravely turns the page rather than closing it.

It still feels surreal that Pierra is making a once-in-a-lifetime journey into the dangerous waters of the Grand Line for something as droll as her lab assistant job.

Pierra digs her nail into the book's spine restlessly.

She wonders if somehow, the Marines who interviewed her had known. Had been able to tell, just by looking at her, that she's been cursed by a Devil Fruit. Maybe there's some dead giveaway that she just doesn't know about.

More realistically, Pierra had been chosen for transfer despite her inexperience simply because she's big. She isn't especially athletic, but maybe being 7 and a half feet tall was deterrent enough for some pirates. Or maybe it was about being sturdy and able to reach things in a large laboratory.

Pierra chews her thumbnail and makes a great effort not to think about the sorts of biological research experiments she's read about the World Government allegedly subjecting prisoners to, or just how many prisoners the Marines have access to on the Grand Line. Those reports might not even be true. Pierra's thumb begins to bleed.

She wishes she had turned this job down. She wishes her mother hadn't been so encouraging despite the danger. She wishes her dad hadn't sounded so happy for her. She wishes the job didn't pay so much. She wishes it didn't promise a free return trip in 6 months. She hopes she'll meet a rich Zoologist while she's on the Grand Line.

[workersolidarity]

[ 📹 Palestinian residents and journalists run, bike and drive away as fast as they can as the Israeli occupation forces fire directly at the civilian population in the city of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, June 29th. 📈 The current death toll figures: 37'834 Palestinians killed, while another 86'858 others have been wounded since October 7th, 2023. ]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🏘️💥🚑 🚨

ISRAELI OCCUPATION CONTINUES GENOCIDAL WAR ON DAY 267: 66% OF ISRAELIS WANT NETANYAHU OUT OF POLITICS, MAJORITY OF ISRAELIS WANT ULTRA-ORTHODOX TO BE CONSCRIPTED, UN HEALTH REPPORTEUR CALLS ISRAELI WAR "GENOCIDE" AS SLAUGHTER CONTINUES UNABATED

On 267th day of the Israeli occupation's ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed a total of 3 new massacres of Palestinian families, resulting in the deaths of no less than 40 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, while another 224 others were wounded over the previous 24-hours.

It should be noted that as a result of the constant Israeli bombardment of Gaza's healthcare system, infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings, local paramedic and civil defense crews are unable to recover countless hundreds, even thousands, of victims who remain trapped under the rubble, or who's bodies remain strewn across the streets of Gaza.

This leaves the official death toll vastly undercounted as Gaza's healthcare officials are unable to accurately tally those killed and maimed in this genocide, which must be kept in mind when considering the scale of the mass murder.

A new television poll conducted inside the occupied Palestinian territories and published on Friday has found that 66% of Israelis believe occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should leave politics and should not seek re-election, while just 27% said he should stay in office, and 7% answered they weren't sure.

Among right-wing Israelis, a different picture emerges, 37% of right wing Israelis opposed Netanyahu seeking re-election, while 53% said Netanyahu should stay in office.

At the same time, a full 85% of Israelis overall support a probe to look into the October 7th Palestinian resistance attacks on Israeli settlements.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation's leadership continues pushing for a war in Lebanon, worrying the Zionist entity's US ally who has maneuvered warships closer to the border between "Israel" and Lebanon, supposedly with the purpose of preparing to evacuate American citizens and soldiers as fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation army continues to escalate.

According to reporting on the moves by the United States, the American amphibious assault ship, the USS Wasp, which carries a force of US Marines, moved last Wednesday to the Mediterranean Sea in the vicinity of the region, joining the USS Oak Hill and another ship and forming a readiness group in the case of escalation.

The US warship group is trained in evacuating civilians from dangerous war situations, but also has offensive capabilities, as well as espionage and surveillance capabilities, and can also be paired with the F-35 attack aircraft.

According to one source, the warship group is also intended to project American military power in the region, in the hope that this will act as a deterrent against the axis of resistance led by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Sources speaking with US news outlet NBC have said the United States is increasingly concerned with possible Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon in the coming weeks, this despite pressure exerted by the Biden administration for both sides to show restraint.

The Israeli occupation, however, is sticking with its position to keep Hezbollah away from its northern border, while the Zionist security establishment demands the creation of a buffer zone 10 miles deep along the border with Lebanon.

American officials are intent on settling the nerves of the two sides, publicly playing down the chances of war between the two sides, and claiming they see no evidence that a major escalation on the border is imminent, but then warned that a single miscalculation could spark a major regional war.

However, public pressure continues on the Israeli leadership to act against Hezbollah, and to ensure Israeli citizens can return to their homes in the north. US officials said this pressure is "very real", adding that the Israeli leadership feel the need to "do something" about the threat in the north.

Since the beginning of the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, the Hezbollah Lebanese resistance movement has launched daily waves of rocket, drone and mortar strikes against Zionist military targets, and colonial settlements, in the occupation's northern territories, threatening to escalate the situation if the Zionist entity does not end its slaughter of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

In other news, it is being reported that since the start of the Zionist entity's ongoing genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, the United States Biden administration has sent the Israeli occupation thousands of highly destructive bombs and enormous amounts of ammunition.

It was explained the Americans have sent the Israeli occupation "at least 14,000 MK-84 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 precision-guided Hellfire (surface-to-air) missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, and 2,600 small-diameter air-dropped bombs were transported," along with other ammunition.

Additionally, the Biden administration intends on sending further shipments of US bombs and ammunition, including the shipment that was previously suspended out of concern that the Israeli occupation forces would continue to use the giant bombs to target civilians.

According to American officials, the US intends on sending the Israeli occupation army another 1'700 bombs weighing 220kg, which are expected to arrive shortly.

Reporting in the United States is also stating that the Biden administration has come under enormous pressure from some members of Congress following their decision to suspend the single shipment of bombs, including a bizarre series of comments and videos published by Netanyahu, leading the administration to reverse its decision.

In more news, on Friday, the United Nations Repporteur on the right to Health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, has made public comments stating that groups of people were being literally exterminated in the Gaza Strip, and that no other word but "genocide" can be used to describe what it happening.

Speaking with Turkish news outlet, Anadolu News Agency, Mofokeng pointed to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Gaza Strip, noting that residents of Gaza were being deprived of essential services and basic needs.

"We know that people are trying to survive, but that’s really all they can do," she said, adding there is no food, safe drinking water, or safe housing in Gaza.

Pointing to the increasing death toll in the Israeli occupation's ongoing war, and the horrific conditions for those trapped under rubble or living with disabilities due to the war, the special repporteur said that "When you look literally how small Gaza strip is and the kind of destruction that’s happening, it’s really impossible to understand how this is still going on."

Speaking about the reports coming from international aid organizations that depict a dire healthcare situation in the enclave, Mofokeng went on to say that "when they (hospitals) cannot get supplies and essential medicines, and when healthcare workers themselves are being killed and harassed, it makes the attacks on the right to health even more prominent."

Mofokeng went on to condemn the support the Israeli occupation receives from the United States and Europe, which she says supports a "genocide."

"How many more children must die?" she asked, adding that people in Gaza are living a "daily nightmare."

The special repporteur asserted that the situation in the Gaza Strip reflects an "apartheid regime", and that the Israeli entity's attacks on civilians meets the definition of "genocide".

She went on call for a global conversation to recognize the events in Gaza as a genocide, and to hold the perpetrators accountable in International courts.

"I’m not in charge of prosecuting anybody," she said. “But when you have a group of people who have literally been exterminated, what else is there to declare it a genocide?"

She ended the interview by declaring that Israeli violence against healthcare personnel in Gaza, along with its denial of human rights for Palestinians are entirely unacceptable, and further urged the international community to take action to address the crises.

Meanwhile, the genocide continued in Gaza over Friday night, and renewed again on Saturday morning, with several deadly airstrikes responsible for killing a number of Palestinians and wounding even more.

North of Gaza, Israeli occupation warplanes bombed a residential house in the Yarmouk area, adjacent to the Al-Jazeera Club Stadium in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of two children and wounding at least 5 others.

Several citizens were also wounded after an Israeli airstrike targeted the Al-Maghazi Refugee Camp, in the central Gaza Strip, while Zionist soldiers opened fire on the tents of displaced Palestinian families near the Al-Shakoush area and the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of the city of Rafah, in the south of Gaza.

At the same time, Zionist warplanes bombed a residential home belonging to the Abu Khadra family on Al-Wahda Street, in central Gaza City, killing four Palestinians, including two children, and wounding 10 others who were taken to the Baptist Hospital in the city.

Meanwhile, at dawn on Saturday, Israeli artillery detatchments renewed its shelling of civilian homes in the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

Similarly, occupation artillery forces shelled more tents of displaced families, along with agricultural greenhouses in the Al-Mawasi area, northwest of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Local civil defense crews reported recovering the decomposing bodies of 5 Palestinians after the Israeli occupation forces withdrew from the Shakoush neighborhood, west of Rafah City, while Zionist forces continued firing on civilian homes east of Khan Yunis.

Israeli fighter jets also bombarded a house in the Al-Maghazi Camp, in the central Gaza Strip, killing at least one civilian and injuring dozens of others, which coincided with the bombing and shelling of the Nuseirat Camp.

At the same time, the Israeli occupation's warplanes launched two raids on the Tal al-Hawa and Sheikh Ajlin neighborhoods, southwest of Gaza City, while occupation drones and armored vehicles targeted residential homes near the Candle Mosque in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, along with the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood, resulting in a number of casualties.

The slaughter continued when Zionist warplanes bombed two homes belonging to the Abu Kamil family in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, along with the Qwaider family in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, in the south and center of Gaza City.

Also in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a civilian vehicle, killing several Palestinians and wounding others, while occupation fighter jets bombed the Municipal Park in central Gaza City, killing and wounding a number of others.

The Israeli occupation army also launched a bombardment of the Al-Saada Towers area in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City.

In yet another atrocity, the Israeli occupation forces bombed a residential house in the Bureij Camp, in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of at least four civilians, and wounding a number of others who were transported to Al-Aqsa and Al-Awda Hospitals.

As a result of the Israeli occupation's ongoing war of extermination against the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip, the endlessly rising death toll now exceeds 37'834 Palestinians killed, including over 15'000 children and in excess of 10'000 women, while another 86'858 others have been wounded since the start of the current round of Zionist aggression, beginning with the events of October 7th, 2023.

June 29th, 2024.

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@WorkerSolidarityNews

[usafphantom2]

Two more B-1B bombers are deployed in Spain

The two recent B-1B bombers arrived in Morón for the latest deployment of the bomber task force in Europe.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 30/03/2024 - 15:30in Military

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers during the 24-2 Bomber Task Force at Morón Air Base, Spain. (Photo: Scott Rathbone / Flickr).

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers bombers landed this week at Morón Air Base, Spain, totaling four USAF bombers at the station and completing the arrival of the Bomber Task Force (BTF) 24-2 on Tuesday (03/26).

The bombers transited to Europe passing through the Barents Sea. Throughout the missions, the four U.S. aircraft operated in international airspace and in full compliance with international law.

"Our ability to maneuver through the Arctic and position advanced strategic bombers in Europe is critical to ensuring our Allies and partners our commitment to regional security and stability," said General James Hecker, commander of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Africa Air Forces and NATO Allied Air Command. “The global security environment requires a forward-looking approach and we will continue to face this challenge through strategic planning and innovative operations,” he added.

This mission shows the continuous and dynamic operations of the US in the European and Arctic regions, adapting to the evolving security environment alongside the Allies and partners.

The BTF 24-2 is a routine part of the Large-Scale Global Exercise 2024, a generic term that incorporates dozens of separate U.S. military exercises and activities, under multiple combatant commands, that allow the U.S. Joint Force to train with Allies and partners and improve shared understanding, trust and interoperability in security challenges around the world.

The bombers and support personnel will carry out a series of missions to train alongside the Allies and partners during the deployment. Through these missions, USAFE-AFAFRICA allows the dynamic use of forces in the European theater, providing strategic predictability and guarantee to the Allies and partners, while contributing to deterrence, introducing greater operational unpredictability for potential opponents.

Tags: Military AviationB-1B LancerbombersBTFEjército del Aire/Spanish Air ForceUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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I

[captainkurosolaire]

Code Red

Squirmed digits adorning a tattered-grim-soaked sanguine cloth, crimson dripping from the utterly defeated and shaken Captain suffering from his darkest day fore now.

Feline ears rang sharply, sweat and tears with blood’s inclusion more thicker mixed into combination upon forehead nestle, stowed away on his retreating sea-vessel on the run from pursuing savages that have declared annihilation, turned his life and the association of anyone in his orbit as nothing more than a playful murderous game, his palms further proved, stained with the deepest red from an irreplaceable life dismembered and packaged.

A fresh pectoral mark of slavery left branded on flesh burned as a reminder only quelled by a psychological breakage unraveling, awaiting to determine his humaneness. Every instinct flaring up to retaliate, blood for blood and overall translation; freedom, but doing so meant every progression ever made, all the enjoyment of every sight of color that he relished to treasure in this realm, his world, would become an unholy sight of only ever crimson red going forth.

His leg’s trembling still in horrified fear after confronting the worst. Thinking he could rescue his abducted Crewmates safely, stealthily slip through the barriers of a Nation bred on sinking their teeth in all.

Two pairs of silhouettes outside his cabin’s door and drew inside, a roughed up, latterly beaten and bruised, a tortured Judas who had shown signs of haggard too, donning a old tunic and overgrown mangled hair from his captivity. Only person, Captain managed to get out of there from his Crew alive. Alongside Sinbad the Young, who caused these events to take place, attempting to swindle out a dangerous Crew from their believed, owes.  

All of these three fellows, branded in connection, tracked and given an expiration date with their runic markings that almost were identical to a curse, approximately one summer, to slay their common handler.

...Yet that foe was practically inconceivable to even bring to thought their demise. An unmatched Giant, the proclaimed, All-Father of Scourges, YORE of the Gorey Seas was what they’d have to defeat.

There laid many mythos, legends, pirate omens and warnings everyone was to know better to kneel. Infamously said to have collected a bounty so massive, and lethal that due to having so many casualties was removed for the safety of adventurists or self-acclaimed Warriors, having themselves gruesomely humbled, brutally slaughtered and displayed with their decapitated heads piked, trophies all over the border of his Nation of warning and unmatched display of dominance. The outer-banks of the Isle, laid an unfiltered section of gory red, murky, cadavers left rotting and floating to further cause deterrence; practically an Isle bleeding.

It's foretold, with all the perfections and flawlessness that spawned from mortals to their believed Kami’s, Twelves, lowly Primals, they worshiped so dearly, that in order for this realm to continue to coexist with its consistent ideology of balance in all outlets from astral to umbral, forces of positive and negative, that polarity conditions must be managed, unequal force was needed to be curated carrying the most impurities, sins, ugliness into a Necessity all gathered, a giant amalgamation formed ripping through his progenitress's womb gruesomely upon conception.

His carnage and terror garnered throughout seas to such an extent, exiled fierce tribal members from Dorthals and "deemed" almighty races, deemed exclusive to only superior touted for their overwhelming ferocity, which drew in the interest to gather in a force of an Era, built to conquer unequivocally. Forming their own language, culture, walk.

Early members of their Nation, OMONGA, in mere youth and meek, primitive naturally raised and survivalist, were thrown in tribunal arena, left to fend against a selected savage wild beast dependent by their Blind Prophet who unveiled visions, these migrated or native creatures were riled up to purposely be enraged, given dangerous experimental, chemical enhancements and abused, to make their Tribunal Predator as lethally fearsome as possible. If they managed to survive and slay, they would then have their aetherial compounds and aspect, become ritualistically Imprinted, following and mimicking the prowess of their selected savage carrying on and embodying their trophy hunt in their putrid forms molded. Brandish to carry the legacy of ruthless designs.

From Captain’s very adolescence in the Goldbrand his surrogate Father and Founding Captain, told both Sol and Kuro, countless and endlessly, reality. That unbelievable power lurked. Tread ever watchfully while the promise of golden Freedom had boundless fortune to attain, there's steep costs, prices of Blood came before, lines that couldn’t be sailed, waves that should-not-ever be challenged.

Shallow waters too massive for them to ever think feet could contend against.

Upon Captain's encounter confronting YORE that led to this pitiful state he was paralyzed in. That-Which-Stood-The-Tallest; mercilessly, callously, revealed, The Goldbrand was created by that very monster, a sub-crew composed of slaves, who only were made to collect treasure for servitude and borrowed prosperity; hence the namesake...

Entire time, the sail he casually followed believing his Founder’s invention and groomed beliefs instilled, carrying prideful merit, was no more than inheriting the mantle of awaiting Scarlet Destined slavery a facade existence he bore.

Leashed prey tasked to find shiny objects like collected unwanted mutts and dispose in moments of desire for that is the truth of all things. The mightiest biggest reaped and ensured their bellies fed plump. Revelations unfolded these Predators of YORE’s Elite thrived in a Crew identically dubbed, the Bloodbrand coexisted.

A fuming, huffing puffing Highlander couldn’t believe the distraught or unpleasant sight of a once bold Captain finally confronted with the very first time he could say, Kuro was truly afraid. From witnessing countless deaths, otherworldly sights, to acquiring scars of incredible marvel proportions, to challenging inside the realms of the Void and bleak, obscurity to often drowning in the Presences of higher deities, or uncertain depths, none, none of them held a seemingly notion of fret from the brazen Seeker who paraded around with a feverish recklessness abandoned, but everyone, and all. Has a predator out there that's a designated devour, a force stronger that instinctively alone makes their rattling bones quiver to petrified liquid. 

Truthfully Sinbad's inner-issues were self-reflected, masked as fellow billowing rage, for his own self-blame for causing this situation, but couldn’t take accountability due to atrocious Pride. His Crew were all eradicated of his own Captaineering while he licked and nursed his wounds helplessly and barked through tinted-ego, drunk on his fleeting moment of success he became drunk despite once heralding his straight-edge lifestyle. However consequences have been delivered, his loved-fiance suffered mutilation from being captive, only rescued from Solaire’s daring rescue.

Branded despite all that over showing muscularity being painfully useless, shown unrivaled, MIGHT unlike his facade brawn. Forbidden, cursed, from ever hearing his heart speak fluently with her severed tongue. His entire manly existence is barred ever transparently, everything he gloated, herald over the Seeker now was his own fated string.

Chewing inward on his cheek, “Well? Going to pack up here, sulk and wait to get butchered? We takin’ this on the chin? Without giving our own, huh?! Nah, fuck that. I refuse! They TOOK FROM US! They’re OWED to have everything ripped whether I have you two join me or not, I don’t give a soddin' damn, I'll ignite my remaining flesh just to make them taste hell incarnate.” Captain continued mute, rolled into like a ball; defeated. Muttering to himself with lunacy. Cradling tighter to his chest the severed appendage head of the fallen. 

“Can nothing get through to him?! Pick yourself up, stand up for fucksake.” Intolerantly getting more aggressive the bulky Highlander showing temper these two were the only people who commonly could fight. Any moment now their ship would be raided by their pursuers, they were given a head start, with playfulness and pity by their captors, wanting to have a thrilling hunt, to get them rushing, none of OMONGA cared for anything but the sheer thirst battle offered or an opportune war, blood, this was their orgasmic greed they sated.

The once Princely First demeanor shielded his Captain, “Lay off! Reminder, this would’ve never happened if not for you! YOU caused this. You’re looking to project the last ounce of ‘esteemed’ manhood you may have, but it’s so blatantly obvious, you’re in shambles too. Stop the farce, end your festering ego. …Or do you need a reminder? If it wasn't for Captain and his perished one, we would’ve never gotten this far. We’ve got five alive on this ship, three were their recently jailed slav-” Lashing the Brute, grappled Judas by his collar and uprooted him from the floor and tossed him with anger against the wall, his temper and nostrils flaring and breathing heavily, the outburst was fleeting but he couldn’t look at Judas forwardly. His cheeks left wet streaks of hard knowing… It was correct. He lowered the Midlander onto his soles with a gentler approach, “...I-I’m sorry.” Another showing of fear displayed.

Was beyond extraordinary to see how Judas handled himself compared to the other two, forcing himself to be level-headed and prevent sink in any discomfort, always a master and manipulator of his own emotions. Despite being perhaps the one who was titled the Cowardice Prince. He comprehended the gravity of everything.

The First-Mate exhaled, “You’re right about something, we have to fight if we wish to survive. Even if we cannot beat all their numbers, we’ll at-least dent them, I’m not against drawing whatever vitality I may have. So I’ll join you, Sinbad. We can start by fortifying and making preparations. I advise rushing to set whatever advantages we can and have others hide in the brigs and wait to escape in the chaos through the cannon-windows creases, being divergence could be a solid honorable way to die. If anything Captain, if you can hear me, take the emergency rowboat with them, I can’t thank you enough for coming back for me and Casta. Told you, I’d be that wind.” Last words, laid out in heartfelt and a jolly smile, echo the memory of that handshake they exchanged, remaining light before taking haste.

Captain left as it started, alone in darkness.

Sleep-deprived, eyelids closed momentarily, deeply, a decision was begged for answering.

[Prev:Chapter]: ( --- X --- ) ~ ♪"And The Sky Turned Black..."♪

[redpenship]

as i'm sure you have heard by now, a recently leaked document from the eggman empire has finally confirmed the long standing rumor that dr. robotnik has been secretly developing a badnik system capable of prowling the oceans and locating submersible vehicles within just a few minutes of being launched. while he yet to deploy this system in an actual combat scenario, the leaked documents are already showing extremely worrying (or promising, if you're the dr) accuracy and speed in locating submarines in preliminary tests. seeing as he appears to be nearly done with the testing phase and mere months away from being able to use it in combat situations, i'd love to hear your opinions on the short term and long term effects of what can essentially be considered a death blow to the entire idea of second strike capabilities as it relates to SSBNs.

in the short term, obviously countries with already active fleets of SSBNs will continue to use them to defend from other nuclear powers without the badnik system. but in the case of countries currently building or with orders for SSBNs, do you think they will scrap their programs/cancel orders?

do you think dr. robotnik would be willing to share this technology with countries within his sphere of influence, or will he keep it close to home and within his empire's direct control?

for the long term, i was also interested in hearing your opinion on whether the U.F. and eggman empire are likely to regress back into a cold war, only this time without the comfort of SSBNs and deterrence hinging entirely on more precarious ideas such as launch on warning? do you think the current geopolitical climate is unstable enough to allow this or has the empire's growing reliance on global markets to source raw materials made dr. robotnik unlikely to risk the possibility of sanctions and blockades?

Once again, Dr. Robotnik has proven himself to be strategically incompetent. SSBN-seeking badniks has to be one of the stupidest ideas I've ever head. But then again, what else can you expect from someone who consistently loses to a bunch of stupid animal children?

On strategic grounds, Robotnik is committing two major errors: 1. Denying your opponent(s) the ability to launch a nuclear second strike only leads to increased instability. By creating these badniks, Robotnik has created a situation where his enemies have decreased confidence in their ability to retaliate. They are now increasingly incentivized to launch first strikes; in such a security environment, the decisions leading to these strikes will be based on minimally verified information as leaders rush to not lose their strategic advantage. It is simply more dangerous for him.

2. Contrary to the general belief that nuclear war will always end in global devastation, there is a prevailing belief among nuclear weapons states that nuclear war will only occur in a 'limited war' fashion. In a limited nuclear war, the bombs would almost exclusively strike counterforce targets--in other words, they would only attack each other's military assets/missile silos/etc. NWS have generally agreed that there will never be a conflict serious enough to require all-out nuclear war. With this in mind, many theorists believe that nuclear war will start at sea, away from land-based civilian targets. The U.F.'s doctrine of command and control permits submarine commanders to launch nuclear-armed torpedoes without authorization, and there have already been incidents in the past where nuclear war was nearly ignited by aggressive submarine officers. As Robotnik sends his badniks into enemy territory for surveillance, he runs the risk of being detected and then attacked by the submarines. It is likely that he may accidentally provoke war if he is not careful with his badniks (which we all know he will not be).

To answer your other questions, it's generally pretty stupid to share nuclear technology with states in your sphere of influence (unless you are using a dual-key system). Chun-nan certainly regrets sharing nuclear technology with (Sonic world??) North Korea.

I can only assume the plans for these badniks were leaked by Robotnik himself as a bargaining tool. He's made a pretty big deal about being asked for metal virus reparations, so this might be his way of trying to pressure everyone into dropping the case. I only hope revealing this kind of technology doesn't result in it proliferating among NWS navies.

[mariacallous]

Moscow’s decadeslong weaponization of energy against Europe became an incontrovertible fact in late 2021 and early 2022, when the Kremlin throttled natural gas deliveries to stop Germany and other European countries from aiding Ukraine. To make sure that Russia cannot use energy to wage war again, it’s time for the United States to place permanent sanctions on the remaining Russian gas pipelines to Europe, starting with the existing but soon-to-expire sanctions on Nord Stream 2, the inactive gas pipeline that connects Russia with Germany under the Baltic Sea.

With Europe’s energy imports from Russia now down to a trickle, attention has increasingly focused on other questions—above all, just how reliable U.S. support for Ukraine will be going forward. Not only did the Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives block nearly $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine last fall and early this year, but the Biden administration has also been slow-rolling aid, is about to let several billion dollars in aid expire unused, and continues to dither on allowing Ukraine to strike military and infrastructure targets with long-range weapons.

But recent developments suggest that the next big question mark concerning support for Ukraine and Europe’s ability to withstand Russia is emanating not from Washington, but from Berlin.

In the years running up to Russia’s most recent invasion of Ukraine, successive German governments under Chancellors Gerhard Schröder, Angela Merkel, and Olaf Scholz pursued a policy of accommodation toward an increasingly authoritarian and aggressive Russia under President Vladimir Putin. This included the concepts of Neue Ostpolitik—or the “new eastern policy,” a supposed reboot of former Chancellor Willy Brandt’s Cold War-era rapprochement toward the Soviet bloc—and Wandel durch Handel, or “change through trade.”

In theory, the two concepts were supposed to lead to stable relations and even democratic reforms in Russia, based on the notion that increased commercial ties with Europe would show Putin the benefits of peaceful relations with Germany and the West. Unlike Brandt—who knew that the carrot of Ostpolitik only worked with the stick of strong Western deterrence—successive German administrations not only let their defense capabilities atrophy, but also vetoed NATO contingency planning on its eastern frontier, lest the Kremlin be offended.

Close ties with a resource-rich Russia also coincided with the interests of the German corporate sector, which has long wielded an outsized influence over policy in Berlin and has rarely let pesky distractions such as national security or human rights get in the way of deals with authoritarian nations.

This is not just hindsight. For almost two decades, there was a persistent chorus of contemporaneous warnings against Berlin’s policies toward Russia, the folly of which remains as evident today as it was at the time of their enactment. Despite Putin’s increasingly brutal crackdowns at home, multiple occupations of neighboring countries, and mounting attacks against Western democracies, successive German leaders kept rolling out their tired nostrums on Russia to cover the increasingly sordid business and energy ties they forged with Moscow.

Each of the three German leaders contributed. Schröder signed a highly controversial energy deal with Russia only a few months before departing office in 2005—and went to work for Kremlin-controlled Gazprom shortly thereafter. He eventually held posts at multiple Russian state-controlled energy enterprises, including as chairman of the shareholders’ committee at the Gazprom-backed Nord Stream 1 pipeline project, which he had greenlit as chancellor.

Merkel, his successor, then pushed through another pipeline project—Nord Stream 2—even as Russians were conducting cyberattacks against the German parliament and a campaign of assassinations in Europe, including one just steps from the Chancellery in Berlin. Not even Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine in 2014 could stop the project.

In mid-2022, Merkel admitted that she had never been under any “illusion” that Putin would change his ways through increased trade with Germany—yet she pursued the deals anyway. To be fair, Merkel never ruled alone, and for 12 out of the 16 years of her chancellorship, the traditionally Russia-friendly Social Democrats held powerful positions. These included then-Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a close confidant of Schröder’s, and then-Economic Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who greenlit the sale of Germany’s largest domestic gas storage infrastructure to Gazprom.

Steinmeier, who embodies Berlin’s failed Russia policies like few other politicians, is today Germany’s ceremonial president and missed a splendid opportunity to step down on Feb. 24, 2022, following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Gabriel, meanwhile, has also paid little political cost. He belatedly admitted mistakes in his relations with the Kremlin and seems to have reinvented himself as a staunch trans-Atlanticist with plum positions at Atlantik-Brücke, Harvard University, and the Eurasia Group.

Scholz, in turn, clung to Nord Stream 2, which was close to completion as Russia’s war on Ukraine was brewing in 2021 and early 2022. He refused to consider sending even strictly defensive weapons to Ukraine, offering to provide 5,000 helmets instead. He finally gave in to overwhelming pressure to revoke the pipeline’s operating permit just hours before Putin launched the invasion.

To Scholz’s credit, just days after the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, he proclaimed a bold reorientation of German foreign policy—the so-called Zeitenwende, or change to a new era—which was aimed at finally facing up to the Russian threat and renewing Germany’s defense posture. Since then, Germany has become the second-biggest provider of aid to Ukraine after the United States, including military, financial, and humanitarian aid.

Little is left of the Zeitenwende today. Last month, Germany slashed military aid for Ukraine in a draft federal budget for 2025 released last month, roughly halving it from the previous year’s total of 8 billion euros ($8.9 billion). While Berlin’s defense budget has finally reached NATO’s minimum of 2 percent of its GDP, the German government shows little hurry to build up weapons stocks and raise military readiness. With a view to next year’s national elections and rising support for Kremlin-friendly parties shaping recent regional elections, Scholz appears to be positioning himself to campaign as the “peace chancellor” who kept Germany out of the war. Too much help for Ukraine would only get in the way. Obviously, Berlin slashing aid would deal a major blow to Kyiv’s war effort, especially given doubts about Washington’s reliability following the November elections and the possible need for Europe to stand on its own.

Even as a cloud of uncertainty rises over German military aid to Ukraine, the cloud over Berlin’s future energy policy could turn out to be just as dark. Germany accomplished the feat of replacing Russian gas supplies in an astoundingly short time, but it’d be naïve to think that there won’t be strong pressure from German corporations and across much of the political spectrum to restore commercial ties with Russia the moment that a cease-fire between Moscow and Kyiv were announced. This pressure would be especially acute in the energy sector, where Germany long sought deals for relatively cheap pipeline gas from Russia. Germany’s energy options have shrunk even further following the shutdown of the last of its nuclear power plants last year.

It’s in the interest of the United States and all supporters of a free and peaceful Europe that Germany does not go back to its old Russia tricks.

Fortunately, the United States can help ensure that this does not happen. In 2019, the U.S. Congress passed limited, technology-calibrated sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline—in the form of the bipartisan Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act—resulting in a one-year delay in construction as Russia scrambled to find other technical means to complete the project. But the law, which was expanded in scope a year later, will sunset at the end of this year if Congress doesn’t act. Even though Nord Stream 2 has never come into operation, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently introduced new legislation that would renew the sanctions.

This should be a no-brainer for Congress. Already, the Senate Armed Services Committee and Banking Committee have reportedly approved extending the sanctions via an amendment to the annual National Defense Authorization Act. All that is required now is for the leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to sign off, which is likely to happen soon.

The problem, however, is the White House. In late 2021, even as Putin was amassing troops at Ukraine’s doorstep, the Biden administration waived the sanctions that had delayed Nord Stream 2. It made a deal with the outgoing Merkel government: In exchange for sanctions relief, Berlin promised national and EU-level sanctions the moment that Russia “attempt[s] to use energy as a weapon or commit[s] further aggressive acts against Ukraine.”

Despite clear evidence that the Kremlin was already undersupplying European gas storage and threatening Moldova following its 2019 election of a pro-Western government, no German-led sanctions were forthcoming. Instead, the Merkel government fast-tracked approvals and dispatched envoys to Washington just weeks before the Russian invasion to lobby Congress to spare Putin’s pipeline. Biden and Scholz—who replaced Merkel as chancellor in December— finally stopped the project shortly before Russian tanks rolled across Ukraine’s frontier.

There is no excuse for a reprise. The era of Gazprom’s domination of Europe must finally be over, and neither the German business community nor the country’s pro-Kremlin political factions should contribute to undermining European peace and stability again. And if the Biden administration—which has pandered to Berlin to the exclusion of most other European allies—decides to oppose bipartisan congressional plans to extend sanctions, it should rethink that approach.

After all the sacrifice of the last few years, there is no reason to let malign Russian energy interests use their friends in Germany to creep back into Europe. And whoever wins the U.S. presidential election in November, American policy toward Europe should no longer pay such lopsided attention to the opinions of Berlin.

Biden, however, may once again be accommodating Scholz’s worst instincts if he intends to block the renewal of Nord Stream 2 sanctions, which will expire if Congress does not act. On Capitol Hill, support for sanctions renewal is bipartisan. It’s time for Biden and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin—who both have less than five months left in office—to bolster Europe’s long-term security by allowing the extension of sanctions.

While they’re at it, Biden and Cardin might also encourage new laws to prohibit, once and for all, former public officials from working for Russian state-owned-enterprises or their subsidiaries. And they should pressure Berlin to do likewise. Otherwise, Russian interests will make sure that a whole lot of trade without much change is coming down the pipeline.

[warningsine]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels released footage on Thursday showing their fighters boarded and placed explosives on a Greek-flagged tanker, setting off blasts that put the Red Sea at risk of a major oil spill. The vessel was abandoned earlier, after the Houthis repeatedly attacked it.

In the video, the Iran-backed Houthis chant their motto as the bombs detonated aboard the oil tanker Sounion: “God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam.”

The blasts capped the most-serious attack in weeks by the Houthis in their campaign disrupting the $1 trillion in goods that pass through the Red Sea each year over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, as well as halting some aid shipments to conflict-ravaged Sudan and Yemen.

The Sounion carried some 1 million barrels of oil when the Houthis initially attacked it on Aug. 21 with small arms fire, projectiles and a drone boat. A French destroyer operating as part of the European Union’s Operation Aspides rescued the Sounion’s crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, as well as four private security personnel, after they abandoned the vessel and took them to nearby Djibouti.

The footage released Thursday shows masked Houthi fighters carrying Kalashnikov-style rifles boarding the Sounion after it was abandoned. The bridge appeared ransacked. Fighters then rigged explosives over hatches on its deck leading to the oil tankers below. At least six simultaneous blasts could be seen in the footage.

The footage, as well as comments by the Houthi’s mysterious leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, confirmed an earlier analysis by The Associated Press that the Houthis boarded and planted explosives on the Sounion. The Houthi-controlled SABA news agency described al-Houthi as saying the Sounion attack shows America “is lying in its claims regarding any deterrence of Yemeni operations supporting Palestine.”

“The effectiveness of our operations and their control of the situation is acknowledged by the enemies,” al-Houthi said.

Western countries and the United Nations have warned any oil spill from the Sounion could devastate the coral reefs and wildlife around the Red Sea. However, the EU’s naval force in the region says it has yet to see any oil spill from the Sounion.

Operation Aspides “is preparing to facilitate any courses of action, in coordination with European authorities and neighboring countries, to avert a catastrophic environmental crisis,” the EU mission said. “Together, we can protect the environment and maintain stability in the region.”

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric commended the efforts by the international community and the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, “to secure the immediate access to the vessel and avert an environmental catastrophe.” The Houthis have agreed to allow the operation to proceed safely, he said.

Dujarric did not offer any indication when it might start but added that the reports that “the salvage operations for the tanker can proceed with tugboats and rescue ships to access the incident area” are encouraging.

On Wednesday, the Houthis suggested they may allow the Sounion to be salvaged, though the rebels already once blocked crews trying to reach the abandoned vessel, the U.S. military said.

The U.S. State Department declined to directly comment on the video Thursday. It referred to earlier remarks in which spokesperson Matthew Miller warned “the Houthis’ continued attacks threaten to spill a million barrels of oil into the Red Sea, an amount four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster” in 1989 off Alaska.

This isn’t the first time the Houthis have used the threat of an oil spill to their advantage. It took years of negotiations before the rebels allowed the U.N. in 2023 to remove 1 million barrels from the oil tanker Safer off the coast of Yemen, which had been used as a floating storage and offloading facility.

“Experience has shown that the group is willing to interfere with salvage efforts if they can turn the situation into a political bargaining chip,” warned Noam Raydan, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near-East Policy who has studied the ongoing Houthi attacks.

The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.

The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

Meanwhile Thursday, the U.S. military’s Central Command said its forces destroyed a Houthi missile system and drone.

[jpoliticsandevents]

Quick Look At Israel and Ukraine Status; A WW III Alert.

Simply put, the Global West is getting its ass kicked, that includes the United States, UK, Germany, France, and co, NATO and G7. They all embarked on the Ukraine Operation well before the Russian Invasion into Ukraine with the explicit aim of aligning the country to NATO to further violate the United States open promise to not expand NATO 'one inch east of Berlin.' What a joke that turned out to be. At a time where the world is filled with terror of war being brought to a neighborhood near you, The United States, Ukraine, and Israel are beating a war drum as loud as they can. Ukraine just this week face massive surrenders and desperately attempted to blow up a nuclear facility today. Thank everything that is good that so far there are no reports of leakage of radiation reported by Russians or any on ground agencies that have checked so far. Ukraine did walk away with more funding from recent Zelensky visits to US Presidential candidates though and he seemed ready to continue this madness with blatant disregard for logistical or resource-management impossibilities and soldier morale dropping. At this moment it is estimated Russian losses are far less than Ukrainian losses, and Russian soldier replenishment is strong and steady which cannot be said for the Ukrainian side. They are down on men, equipment, food, ammo, and any type of air support or ground support with no backup on the way.

On the Israel five-front disaster involving Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, and possibly more foes to come soon, the United States and Israel still show massive arrogance and appear to fancy themselves the regional bully the same as they have for the last 30+ years. However, Iran's second strike on Israel most recently declared loud and clear for any on the global stage with ears to hear past national and state propaganda that Iran has effective full deterrence in the region. The Iron Dome is effectively vanquished along with the billions or trillions spent building and maintaining it from U.S. taxpayer dollars. Iran spoke loud and clear they can hit anywhere in Israel they want, at any volume of violence and that there is nothing the world can do about it. The best air defense systems in the world are coughing up blood as Israel and the U.S. spin a PR campaign to tell everyone there was no damage done and that Iran's missile barrage was 'ineffective' and vow vengeance. This would be a fatal mistake for both Israel as well as the United States as far as any kind of regional dominance is concerned, the facilitation of trade routes and strike forces deep into the heart of the Middle East will no doubt go up in flames. Israel is already in deep deep political, societal, and economical trouble as ships arriving at the docks grinds to a halt as a result of regional strikes and Yemen's sea blockade, who themselves face US weapons of war and violence as punishment for their rebellion against the NATO/G7 order.

None of any of this ends well for the United States or the World, we are headed straight for nuclear catastrophe or possible WW III if nothing is done. We cannot allow any genocidal candidates to be President of any country any longer as the laborers of the world, we must show that we are willing to disrupt and overthrow their money and weapon machinations in response to SOME KIND of moral principle. General strikes are needed across the Global West and in every country possible to achieve any kind of reform before its too late.

[destroyerofnations92]

For early access to my fanfiction stories set in the World of Westeros and/or A Song of Ice and Fire, come take a look at my Patreon. For only $10/month+VAT you get access to every single one of stories months in advance to regular (free) members and those on other websites, like AO3.

Below a snippet from chapter three of the girl in the green dress, an AU where Daemon has a tad less self-control when Alicent wears her declaration of war.

*************

“This is madness!” the Grand Maester raged, “Prince Daemon committed treason! He laid hands on the Queen! Humiliated a kind and pious woman for all to see! The mother of the King’s sole male heir!”

“Queen Consort,” the Lord Commander corrected Mellos, who turned his enraged eyes to the Westerman, “Also, what does it matter that she is mother to the king’s sole male heir? Prince Aegon is not the King’s chosen heir. Princess Rhaenyra is the King’s heir. Unless you wish to imply something about the princess’ status as Heir to the Iron Throne?”

The Grand Maester blanched and the Sea Snake only barely managed to contain his snort. Ser Otto’s sycophants on this council were too obvious and clear in their intentions, even now, with the man himself banished, and yet it had been Daemon who had pushed back against their schemes, rather than the man who should have long ago—the King.

“The Lord Commander is correct. Queen Alicent is the queen consort and Princess Rhaenyra is the King’s heir,” the new Hand replied, “Not Prince Aegon. However, this matters little to the matters at hand. For all intents and purposes, the Prince did commit treason.”

“If anyone committed treason this eve, it was the queen,” derision dripped from Corlys’ words, “She attempted to stoke the flames of rebellion against the Princess of Dragonstone—against the King’s chosen and true heir!”

“It was a dress!” the Grand Maester insisted, “None had thoughts of the beacon atop the Hightower burning until the Prince mentioned her dress! None saw it as rebellion! The Queen most certainly had no such intention!”

“And yet, all of House Hightower wore green?” Lord Beesbury was the most senior of small councillors and had been a staunch defender of Prince Daemon in the past, “Green is not House Hightower’s colour, and yet they all chose to wear it?”

It seemed like the Grand Maester had no response.

“The queen was continuing where Ser Otto left off in undermining Princess Rhaenyra,” Ser Harrold had never been this vocal before, “Was Prince Daemon wrong in what he did? Yes. He committed a grievous sin but he did so in defence of his niece. In defence of the king’s daughter and heir.”

“Exactly,” the Master of Coin added, “Prince Daemon never felt resentment toward his niece, even in light of the king’s own unexpected choices.”

“What choices,” Ser Tyland snapped, clearly far braver whilst not in the presence of the Rogue Prince.

“Odd how we did not hear you during the feast,” the Master of Coin’s tone was dripping with derision, “And yet now, you are piqued and annoyed. Maybe the Prince should be called here to see if you are as lionhearted while in the presence of Prince Daemon.”

Corlys did not even attempt to stifle his snort at Lord Beesbury spitting out the word lionhearted.

Ser Tyland turned away from his fellow councillors with a blush on his face.

Viserys finally spoke, ignoring his new Master of Ships, “What do you mean, Lyman?”

“You named Rhaenyra heir at the Hand’s insistence. Going against the precedent set by the Great Council of 101 AC. Now, I am not denying you had the right to do so. You are the King. What you say goes,” the elderly lord paused, “But you insulted your brother. Who for all your reign was the sole deterrent of anyone who might believe they should not answer to a king without a dragon. Your brother fought your battles and your wars, even when you refused yourself to see the urgency of them.”

The King said nothing. He just stared ahead. If Corlys did not know the man as well as he did, he might have believed he was unaffected by Lord Beesbury’s words.

“Prince Daemon was your fiercest champion during the Great Council and yet you turned him away afterwards. Kept him shackled into a union neither he nor his wife wished for.”

“They took vows!” the Grand Maester snapped.

“Our late Good Queen took vows, Grand Maester,” the Master of Coin barked back, “Unlike you, I was actually present that day.”

Mellos was braver than the Master of Ships, or at least more foolish than he for he did not keep quiet and instead changed course, abandoning his previous argument for another one, “The King made him Master of Coin and Master of Laws. Good men were forced out of their seats around this table to accommodate the Prince! You were dismissed from your office, so the Prince may have a seat around his brother’s Small Council table!”

“I was and I felt no shame about it. It was the Prince’s right as the King’s brother. I supported him then, as I support his right to a seat now.”

“He failed in those positions. He was a spendthrift and a tyrant!”

“According to the Hand,” Corlys chimed in, “Prince Daemon was dismissed because the Hand found him to be a spendthrift and a tyrant.”

“The king dismissed his brother, not the Hand,” Mellos pointed out, “Are you claiming the King to have been wrong,” the man must have believed he won the argument and emerged victorious from their verbal spat for he sat back in his chair with a smug smirk upon on his face.

He underestimated the Master of Coin, “Yes, the King was wrong.”

*************

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[feedyourmind1031]

 Economic Overview: Key Market Developments

Critical Update

Sudden market shifts may occur due to significant events. Monitor trading positions and implement risk management strategies during these uncertain times.

Economic Overview

As we enter a new quarter, the market faces numerous challenges. Rising war tensions, de-dollarization efforts, and upcoming elections in the U.S., France, and Iran contribute to the uncertainty. Here’s a detailed analysis of these developments and their potential impacts.

Currency Shifts

Russia’s move to use the Chinese Yuan for international trade and the increase in gold reserves by central banks are noteworthy. While the Yuan may not replace the U.S. Dollar soon, these actions indicate strategic shifts. Gold purchases serve as a hedge against potential currency volatility.

Geopolitical Conflicts

Middle East: The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has intensified, with Iran warning of severe retaliation if Lebanon is attacked. Daily strikes continue, and countries like the U.S. and Germany have advised their citizens to leave Lebanon.

South China Sea: On June 19, 2024, Chinese coast guard officers attacked Philippine military personnel near the Second Thomas Shoal, escalating tensions. The U.S. has reaffirmed its defense treaty with the Philippines, which could lead to military involvement if violence escalates.

Korean Peninsula: North and South Korea are on edge, with Russia signing a defense treaty with North Korea. Border incidents and threats over South Korea’s potential troop deployment to Ukraine have heightened tensions.

Nuclear Brinkmanship: France and Russia’s nuclear brinkmanship is a significant risk, with both countries attempting to establish deterrent boundaries.

Economic and Market Effects

These conflicts could alter monetary power dynamics and supply chains. Expect increased oil demand and gold purchases as safe-haven assets. Silver demand will also rise due to its military applications.

Diplomatic Relations

Zimbabwe and Zambia: Tensions are high as Zimbabwe aligns more closely with Russia, accusing the U.S. of militarizing Zambia.

Election Updates

Iran: Presidential elections are nearing completion as candidates drop out.

France: The first stage of snap parliamentary elections is complete.

U.S.: The first debate between Biden and Trump was contentious, adding to the uncertainty of the upcoming election.

Natural Disaster Considerations

While not detailed here, it’s crucial to consider the impact of natural disasters on economic activities and implement strong risk management.

Key Market Data and Analysis

Final GDP: Increased from 1.3% to 1.4%.

Unemployment: Fell by 3k more than forecasted, indicating a stronger U.S. economy.

Core PCE: Decreased from 0.3% to 0.1%.

Consumer Confidence: Fell but remained above forecasted numbers.

Housing Market: New home sales dropped significantly, while pending home sales improved slightly but missed expectations.

GOLD

Gold prices remain within a range, with resistance at 2431.705 and support at 2295.536. A bullish trend is expected despite fluctuations.

SILVER

Silver prices showed growth, reaching 29.900 before settling at 29.018. Resistance is expected at 29.900, but an overall upward trend is anticipated.

DXY (Dollar Index)

The dollar index showed growth but may face weakness with the anticipated September rate cut. A bearish outlook is expected.

GBPUSD

The pound remains within a range. With potential rate cuts in both the U.K. and the U.S., significant price changes are unlikely in the near term.

AUDUSD

The Aussie dollar shows upward momentum but needs to break above 0.67142 to confirm this trend. Analysts predict rate cuts only in late 2025, potentially benefiting the currency.

NZDUSD

Similar to the Aussie dollar, the New Zealand dollar shows growth and may benefit from delayed rate cuts until late 2025.

EURUSD

The ECB’s cautious rate cut approach has weakened the Euro. Further cuts are expected but at a slower pace, indicating potential continued weakness.

USDJPY

Despite interventions, the USDJPY continues to grow. Watch for further interventions and economic data to gauge future movements.

USDCHF

The Swiss Franc fell after recent rate cuts. Further rate cuts are uncertain, making the USDCHF volatile.

USDCAD

The CAD showed weakness against the dollar, with analysts predicting further rate cuts. Price consolidation is expected as we await more data.

Stay informed and practice diligent risk management as we navigate these challenging market conditions. More updates to come.

[jefarawol]

With things in order at the Rising Stones we made our way to Sharlayan.

So─what news have you for us?

Well, as we postulated, there were indeed what appeared to be the remnants of an unexplained disturbance in the aether at the scene of the Ultima Weapon's destruction. A ripple at odds with the presiding pattern.

Though faint, the waveforms bore a strong resemblance to those observed following the destruction of the Isle of Val─when I believe Hydaelyn shielded me with the blessing of Light.

To confirm our findings, we paid a visit to the Sil'dih Aqueducts. There we detected the same waveform, but orders of magnitude larger...as one would expect of a more recent disturbance.

Hydaelyn. There is no other explanation.

But there is more. When I studied the site where Y'shtola used Flow, it appeared that not two but three beings had been affected. Yet unlike Y'shtola and Thancred, there was no trail to follow. Our unknown third party was simply there...and then not there.

Now, recall your visions of a vast crystal floating in a sea of aether. Though this too is but a theory, studies of gifted subjects suggest that, when communing with Hydaelyn, we briefly leave our bodies behind. 

So, let us consider the facts. One─Hydaelyn interceded. Two─a third being was caught in Y'shtola's Flow and vanished without a trace. And three─Hydaelyn may have the capacity to summon the consciousness of gifted individuals to Her side.

You are implying, I take it, that Hydaelyn guided Minfilia into the compass of my magick...that She might summon her, body and soul, unto the aetherial sea? In which case, we must needs continue our search there. For a blessing, the means to do so already exists.

I speak of the Antitower─a Sharlayan construction conceived to provide scholars a vantage point over the aetherial sea. Though I know not where its entrance lies, we need only ask its last custodian─a contrary old crone who, for another blessing, refused to join the exodus.

Master Matoya was the keeper of the Antitower!? I had no idea... Then our course is clear. We must petition her aid once again.

Master Matoya as always was thrilled to see us. Not one to mince words or engage in idle small talk she got right to the point of out presence again.

Oh, what a surprise. Well? What secrets have you come to extract from me this time?

Ah. Though it pains me to admit it, your words strike close to the mark. We humbly ask that you grant us entry to the Antitower, that we might use it to seek a friend who we believe has been transported to the aetherial sea.

And who told you I could do such a thing, I wonder.The tower was abandoned to its magical keepers fifteen years ago. They have the run of the place now. If that is no deterrent to you, then by all means.

Is that all? I felt sure you would seek to dissuade us from our course, given your role as custodian.

Role? Hardly. The Forum foisted the title on me. During the exodus, every entrance to the Antitower was sealed save one. My role consists of making sure no one with ill intent sneaks through it. Such was the Forum's final “order” to me. Well? I can remove the wards right now. Will you be going or not?

We will, Master Matoya. We will do whatever it takes to find Minfilia!

...We'll see about that. You, Baldesion girl─you're staying here with me. I need your help to restore the wards to their original state. The rest of you can go─on the condition that you clean up the mess in the tower. If you encounter any unruly familiars, you're to tend to them. Those are my terms, and I'll hear no argument.

Well, it appears the mistress has spoken. Lead the way, Jefara.