#FERS Retirement Training

[smarterfeds]

Unlocking the World of Benefits: SavvierFeds' Global Training Solution

In an increasingly interconnected world, access to quality benefits training for federal employees is no longer confined by geographical boundaries. Smarter Feds, a leading provider of professional development, presents a ground-breaking approach to benefits training that transcends borders and bridges the gap between in-person and virtual learning.

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Traditional benefits training often limits participation due to logistical challenges and time constraints. Smarter Feds understands the evolving needs of today's federal employees, whether they're stationed in the heart of bustling cities or remote corners of the globe. By offering both in-person and virtual training options, Smarter Feds ensures that valuable insights into benefits are accessible to all, regardless of their location.

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What sets Smarter Feds apart is their commitment to personalization. Leveraging the power of technology, they bring benefits training directly to the screens of federal employees around the world. Through virtual training sessions, individuals can engage with expert trainers, ask questions in real-time, and collaborate with peers, creating an interactive and immersive learning environment.

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Empowering federal employees with comprehensive knowledge about their benefits is at the core of Smarter Feds' mission. The training sessions delve into the intricacies of federal benefits programs, equipping participants with the understanding needed to make informed decisions about their financial and professional futures. Smarter Feds covers a wide spectrum of topics that matter most to federal employees, from retirement planning to healthcare options.

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Conclusion

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[smarterfeds1]

Navigating Your Federal Retirement Journey: Essential Training for FERS Employees

For federal employees enrolled in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), planning for retirement is a complex and often daunting task. With a myriad of unique provisions, annuity options, and retirement strategies, it's crucial for FERS employees to receive the appropriate training to make informed decisions about their financial future. In this article, we will explore various training programs available to FERS employees to help them navigate the intricacies of the FERS retirement system.

FERS Annuity Training

Understanding the FERS annuity system is fundamental to planning a successful retirement. FERS annuity training provides federal employees with the knowledge they need to calculate their annuity benefits accurately. This training covers the different components of the FERS annuity, such as the Basic Benefit, Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). By participating in this training, FERS employees can ensure they make well-informed choices when it comes to their retirement income.

FERS Special Provision Employee Training

FERS Special Provision Employees have unique retirement rules and benefits that differ from the standard FERS guidelines. Specialized training programs are available to help this subset of federal employees understand their specific retirement options. This training delves into the nuances of special provisions, such as law enforcement, military service, or specific agency requirements, ensuring that these employees are well-prepared for retirement under their unique circumstances.

FERS Retirement Training

General FERS retirement training provides comprehensive insights into the retirement process for all FERS employees. This program covers the eligibility criteria, annuity calculation methods, and other essential aspects of the FERS retirement system. FERS retirement training offers a solid foundation for planning retirement and making crucial decisions regarding annuity options.

FERS Law Enforcement Officer Retirement

Law enforcement officers under the FERS system have distinct retirement needs and regulations. Specialized training programs for law enforcement officers address these unique requirements, covering topics like the Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) retirement category, service credit, and eligibility criteria. This training helps law enforcement officers make informed choices about their retirement.

Federal Employee TSP Strategies Training Tampa

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a key component of the FERS retirement system, allowing federal employees to save for retirement. Training programs in locations like Tampa focus on TSP investment strategies, helping employees understand how to maximize their TSP accounts to secure a comfortable retirement. These programs cover investment options, contribution limits, and withdrawal strategies.

FERS Special Retirement Supplement Training Workshops Orlando

The FERS Special Retirement Supplement is designed to bridge the gap between federal retirement and Social Security benefits. Training workshops in locations like Orlando provide valuable insights into how this supplement works, when it applies, and how it impacts retirement income. Understanding the supplement is critical for FERS employees who retire before becoming eligible for Social Security.

ChFEBC Retirement Training Texas

Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultants (ChFEBC) offer specialized retirement training in Texas. These consultants are well-versed in the intricacies of the FERS system and provide personalized guidance to federal employees. ChFEBC retirement training in Texas caters to the specific needs of each employee, offering tailored solutions and strategies to ensure a successful retirement.

FERS Survivor Benefit Training Orlando

FERS Survivor Benefit Training in Orlando addresses the important topic of survivor benefits. It is essential for FERS employees to understand the survivor annuity options available to their spouses and beneficiaries in the event of their passing. This training covers the eligibility criteria, annuity amounts, and the impact on survivor finances.

Conclusion

Navigating the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) can be a complex and challenging journey. To ensure a smooth transition into retirement and make informed decisions, FERS employees should take advantage of the various training programs available. Whether it's annuity training, special provision employee training, or Thrift Savings Plan strategies, these programs offer the knowledge and expertise needed to secure a comfortable retirement. By investing in proper FERS training, federal employees can make well-informed choices and embark on their retirement journey with confidence.

[flyingwargle]

sunaosa week day 7: past / future

suna stands in the center of his living room, hands on his hips, surrounded by boxes. after a long and successful volleyball career, it’s time for him to hang up his court shoes, fold the compression sleeves, and frame the jerseys. his retirement press conference went without a hitch, and so did his farewell party with ejp. all that’s left is to pack up his apartment, and move everything to his new home with his husband in hyogo.

it's the start of a new chapter.

osamu is in the kitchen, carefully wrapping the glassware in newspaper and old copies of volleyball monthly. he straightens to stretch his back, suna watching out of the corner of his eye. “everything good over there?” he asks.

“yeah. where are ya gonna donate these?”

“probably the nearby restaurants. “i’ll bring the cups to ejp.” they were always short on coffee mugs in the lounge, and most of his are in good condition. “washio said he’ll take the pots and pans, komori will take the air fryer, and nagito wants the blender.” osamu insisted they’ll buy everything new for their kitchen, which is why most of it is being pawned off.

“i put the pots’n’pans in a box fer him. he can just take it whenever.”

suna nods, then surveys the living room. they’re taking his tv, but donating the coffee table, couch, porch chairs, and shelves. the books and pictures are already packed, accolades safely wrapped and sealed. the bathroom is packed too, towels tossed with his clothes, toiletries spent. all that’s left is his bedroom.

it’s surprisingly cluttered, despite how little he brought with him. leading up to his retirement, he donated most of his training gear, along with clothes that no longer fit. he prepares a box and starts going through his desk drawers, filled with old receipts, invoices, contracts, and documents. osamu joins him, recycling bin in hand. “thought ya might need this.”

“thanks.” suna inspects each piece of paper before tossing it, just in case. osamu continues to pack the clothes in another box, an effort that suna abandoned halfway for a change of pace. they work quietly, until–

“hey, rin. look at this.”

suna turns around. osamu has a wrinkled envelope in hand, his name addressed on the front. it’s sealed shut, so he fetches a pair of scissors from the kitchen to slice it open. “did ya write me a love letter at one point?”

“actually…”

inside are three folded pieces of paper. osamu stares at the first page – specifically, the date. “ya wrote this…five years ago?”

he nods, joining him on the floor. “yeah.”

“were ya gonna send it ta me, or…”

“i was, but…well, you know what happened.” although many of their friends call them high school sweethearts, they broke up when they were 21, were exes for three years, and then got back together on new year’s on the cusp of the fourth. the reasons for their separation sound amateurish now – they couldn’t handle the distance, they were chasing parallel dreams, they couldn’t, didn’t, wouldn’t make time for each other.

while they were separated, osamu opened three more onigiri miya locations; suna played in the olympics and overseas. osamu won awards for his food and service; suna became sponsored by top brands and corporations. osamu starred in documentaries and television shows; suna was featured in interviews and press conferences.

when they met again during the new year’s party organized by inarizaki alumni, both agreed that it made sense to try again, now that they were older, smarter, better. it led to an engagement. it led to marriage. it led to this.

a life together, walking down a singular path.

“i was in chicago, i think. i felt homesick after eating at a japanese restaurant because their onigiri…reminded me of you.” suna’s arm snakes around osamu’s waist, resting his head on his shoulder to read his own writing, shaky kanji after years of writing mostly english. “i missed you, but i couldn’t tell you, so i…wrote you a letter.”

he remembers that night vividly. his teammates took him there for his birthday, where all the dishes were recipes passed down through the owner’s family. as he ate, all he could think about was home, but what came to mind wasn’t aichi, hyogo, nor shizuoka. instead, it was osamu.

osamu, who would video call him for hours while working in the kitchen. osamu, who would reply to his memes or shitposts with equally cursed content. osamu, who would sleep shirtless so he could absorb suna’s body heat, even in the middle of winter.

when home is a person that you can’t have, what does home become?

osamu flips to the second page. the kanji is messier, strokes uneven, with increasing amounts of hiragana to substitute the characters that suna couldn’t remember how to write. he is quiet, eyes traveling across the lines, pensive. then, he reaches the last page, which only contains a few lines.

when i’m with you, i feel timeless, because my love for you is infinite, no matter the distance or time. i used to fear what the life without volleyball would look like, but i’m not afraid anymore, because i know that it’ll always be with you.

“rin.” a hand finds his, the slim silver band digging into his skin. suna looks into osamu’s eyes, the same as he did on their wedding day, and sees nothing but love in its depths, an endless pool constructed of memories between them, from the first day they met at inarizaki, to now, sitting on his floor among boxes, packing a past to bring into the future.

“i never told ya, but in all those years…i never stopped lovin’ ya, either.” his voice rumbles deep and tight, the telltale sign that he’s holding back tears. “i knew why we had ta do it, but…if i were more selfish, i woulda asked ta keep tryin’, an’ tryin’, an tryin’. yer worth all my effort.”

“i wish we were both more selfish,” suna murmurs. “but look. we made it.” he puts their hands together, matching bands gleaming in the light. “you’re a successful business owner. i had the best volleyball run of my life. and now, we have each other. we’ll always have each other.”

the letter falls as they kiss, enveloped in one another’s warmth. there is one part of the writing where the ink is smudged, paper slightly wrinkled, relics of tears shed for a lost love, now a witness to a love that is eternal, that will light their way through the unknown, that will guide them to a new life.

together.

[angelofacidx]

Pet pt 3

Read at your own risk, and read the tags

Compliance.

Compliance, fawning and disassociation so heavy that your head feels like it’s filled with thick cotton gets you by, helps you survive in this hell. You are surviving, no longer living. You trade pieces of your soul and dignity for small comforts.

Eating three meals a day without complaint leads to Simon asking your food preferences and even taking suggestions on what he might prepare for dinner that week. Gritting your teeth and baring Johnny pinning your beaten body to the couch with his dead weight so that he can cuddle you earns you the privilege of sleeping at the edge of their bed, right by their feet. Enduring the pair using you as a sex toy though you feel nauseous down to your bones guarantees you a daily bath.

“I ken, I ken. Just a little more fer me bonnie.” Johnny’s voice is laced with concern and pain, as if the situation at hand is ripping him open while only shallowly scraping you.

His left hand is rested on the arch of your foot while the right has a vice grip on your calf, moving your stiff muscles and nearly causing your vision to fade to black; your body trying to escape from the pain. The road to hell was paved with good intentions when Johnny took on being your doctor and physical therapist. He was right, without moving properly your muscles would atrophy and you’d have a worse situation to deal with. However this isn’t the Middle Ages, so pain killers would be nice, bastard.

Though you get better everyday, your broken ankles still leave you unable to use your legs properly. You can crawl with mild discomfort, hobble with excruciating pain if you’re picked up and given a shoulder to cling on for support. Regular walking and running is so from the horizon it discourages you from even toying with the idea again.

Johnny pats the outside of your calf with a pleased hum, lowering your leg slowly to the mess of pillows, propping up your legs and taking the pressure of gravity off them.

“Did so good today. Getting better everyday pretty girl.” He hums, placing a kiss to your clammy forehead, before lowering himself to rest his head on your lower belly.

Arms snake around your waist as he nuzzles the softness below your belly button, making himself a home there, and letting his eyes close in contentment. Before you can stop it, your hand cards its way through the tuft of hair atop his head, fingers dancing down towards the freshly shaved sides. This is disgusting. You’re disgusting. You should be strangling him until the blood vessels burst in his eyes, not petting him like a lap dog.

You can’t keep yourself from feeling bad for the man. Though the treatment he receives is much better than yours, he doesn’t seem to have much more freedom in or out of the house. Your leash was pulled taught while his had a little slack. Your mind wanders to what he was before this, before Simon. Was he like you? Terrified, missing friends and family, or was he a willing participant?

“Something wrong?” He asks in a soft tone, reserved for when the two of you are alone. You’re not sure what tipped him off, almost as if he was reading your thoughts.

“How uhm… How long have you been here. With Simon I mean.”

“Ach, been a long while.”

“…And how long exactly would that be.”

“Well, ah moved in when we were still serving together out of convenience. Then we retired a few years back.” He says, eyebrows knit together as he tries to do the mental math and recollect dates in his brain.

“Do you like it here? With him?” A bold ask, but something you’d been dying to know.

“Course. Ah love the big bastard.” A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips fondly.

“Do you love him or were you trained to? Do you love the pain? Never being alone?” You ask softly, hand moving to cup his chest, right over his heart.

His smile falters down, his eyes zoning out slightly and he seems to retreat to somewhere in his head you hadn’t seen yet.

“Well….” He starts, before being interrupted by Simon’s voice.

“Dinner, get washed up.”

…

After your meal, you’re carried up the stairs and to the master bathroom. Johnny tenderly strips your clothes while you’re sat on the counter, careful to not put any strain on your injuries. Just as you’re about to be hoisted into the tub, a hand stops him.

“Go get ready for bed, pup. I’m supervising bath time tonight.” Simon’s tone is so sickeningly neutral.

The shift in routine causes your heart to immediately hammer in your chest, especially when Johnny slinks away and closes the door, trapping you in here with the monster. Everything in you screams danger.

Unceremoniously you’re lifted off the counter and plopped into the tub, sloshing water out of the side and onto the floor as you hiss in pain, ankles making contact with the porcelain walls. Simon kneels beside the tub, lacing his fingers tightly into your hair, flush against the base of your skull.

“You dirty conspirin’ fuckin’ mutt,” He hisses before snapping your head backwards and under the water for a moment, saturating the locks.

You come up as quick as you were pulled down, coughing and doe eyed.

“What are you talking about?” You all but shout before remembering your place and lowering your tone.

“M’ not fuckin stupid. I know you’re tryna get in his head. Wriggle your way in there like a parasite.” His hands are extremely rough as he shampoos your scalp, no doubt ripping small chunks from the root that makes you hiss in pain.

“I don’t—.”

“I have a baby monitor in every room. Y’ really think I’d leave two stupid pups unsupervised?”

Before you can brace, you’re dunked under the water again, pulling fluid into your lungs. This time however, you’re not brought up as quickly. Your body’s natural reaction to cough only makes your situation worse, inhaling more water. You begin to panic, thrashing around with everything you have, beating on his arms and chest with your hands. Black spots form in your vision and your muscles start to betray you, becoming more and more useless before you’re wrenched out of the water by your hair.

Your lungs scream in pain as you violently cough water up, which turns into vomiting the clear liquid back into its basin. Your chest heaves as you regain vision and your balance, tears brimming your eyes as you look up to Simon. He looks all too pleased, simply grabbing the soap bar and moving on.

“I was just startin’ to become fond of you too.” He muses before pulling the black plug nestled at the bottom of the tub to let the water drain.

You’re wrapped in a towel and carried out of the bathroom, before he deposits you on the bed in front of Johnny, giving him the tedious task of brushing and styling your post bath hair, a task he is usually happy to do.

He gets to work, applying the usual products into your hair before running the brush through it. A large clump of your hair falls into his hand, causing his expression to fall. He’d hoped he was wrong in his assumption of what was happening to you in there.

By the end of it, Johnny brushes four clumps of your hair out before he’s done. You take your regular position at the foot of the bed, huddled up in a ball as the pair settle above you, your eyes grow heavy with exhaustion from your near drowning.

The real Johnny is in there somewhere and you know it. You just have to get him out.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Epel, Lilia: Apple-y Ever After

Epel talks about how goals for studying potionology in the Harveston sledding event, so I thought to bring it up again in this piece! It’s pretty crazy what biotech is capable of…

I remember there was a Shrek x Skittles collab with a sour green apple flavor called “Apple-y Ever After”, so I now always think of that when I see any apple candy 😭

Note for EN only readers: “magical shift/magift” is the JP equivalent for spelldrive.

A Boy in Bloom, and his Flowering Future.

“What's something you would like to do this year?”

Epel's answer came as easily and as smoothly as spreading apple butter on toast. It came just as fast as a magical wheel, too. The reply practically smacked Lilia in the face.

“I wanna be a regular player on our magift team!” Epel declared, his eyes wide and shining. “Leona-senpai actually picks me a lot compared to other first years, and he’s complimented me plenty for my flying skills… but there’s still a lot I need to work on."

His interviewer smiled warmly. "Kufufu. Sebek has also been quite eager to prove his mettle in magift--he's been training nonstop in hopes of earning recognition from Malleus. To think that you've already caught the eye of a dorm leader, Epel... most impressive."

"Y-You think?!" The birthday boy's cheeks pinked. "Then... do you think one day I can be as big and as buff as Sebek-kun?!"

"Mayhaps if you continue your training."

"AW, HECK YEAH!!" Epel let out a whoop of excitement, pumping a fist. "Just you wait! Ah'll beef up 'n show ya what fer!!"

Ah, youth, Lilia chuckled, a curled hand to his mouth.

"It appears that you and Sebek are similar in many ways. Both fresh blood, both determined to show their strengths. However, our Sebek is very close-minded. It's good of you to be so willing to not only improve yourself, but look to ways to broaden your world view."

"Ah, Sebek-kun can be..." Epel trailed off, afraid to finish his sentence--but both of them knew exactly what he was referring to.

"If only he would be more willing to stray from his comfort zone..." Lilia heaved a deep sigh. "There are many wonders to behold in Twisted Wonderland, and I would like for everyone, Sebek and you alike, to be able to experience them.

"In one new city alone, you can find people from all walks of life coming together to live in harmony. Not only that, but it encourages the exchange of ideas--and with it, the ability to change the future."

"Change..." Epel clutched onto his broom tightly. The fingernails (that Vil had spent so long buffing and polishing to a fine shine for him) dug into its wooden handle.

"By the looks of it, that's already well on your mind, hmm?"

"Well, I kind of have to. Back in Harveston, we don't have a lot of people my age. It's mostly adults and the elderly. Harveston relies on farming as its main source of income, and without enough manpower..."

Epel frowned and shook his head. Lilac locks fell across his forehead, framing the sadness on his face.

“I want to find ways to make farming easier for my folks. Potions that help apple trees be more resistant to disease or bear more nutritious fruit, brooms so we can reach the apples on the highest branches easily, things like that.

“My grandparents and great grandparents are getting up in their golden years now. When I think about my meemaw injuring herself while on the job, it motivates me to think of new ways to make it easier for her and all of Harveston. If I can travel to the big city, I could learn even more, and I could use that to help my home.”

Then we could all live happily ever after.

“My, you have such wonderful aspirations, Epel,” Lilia hummed approvingly. “It’s nice that the youth of today are so mindful of their elders~”

"Eh, 'youth of today’?” The birthday boy’s eyebrows raised. “Er, but aren’t you not that much older than I am? You’re talking like you’re on the brink of retirement yourself.”

Lilia's eyes creased, catching a sunbeam. “Is it not natural for third years to show concern for their freshmen? After all, tomorrow will be shaped by both my hands and yours. Let's do our best to make it a future worth fighting for!"

"... Yeah!!" Epel nodded enthusiastically, hugging his broom to himself. Determination kindled, warmth blossoming like an apple blossom within him. "The future's ours for the pickin'!"

“That’s the spirit.” Lilia shaded his eyes and peered into the golden sky. “… It looks our time is up. You should get going to the future that awaits you. Show me some of your flying prowess that Leona has praised so much~”

Epel beamed broadly, his cheeks dimpling. “Alright, you asked for it! The Poison Apple of the Felmier family’s going to take flight!”

WHOOSH!!

Violet sparks erupted against the sunset, fizzling out into lavender light. The contrast lasted for just a flicker before swallowed by the sun. Only the petals that trailed in Epel’s wake was proof that he had ever been there.

Rowdy, boisterous laughter kicked up. When was the last time he has gone full throttle like this? He would never tire of this exhilaration.

Wh-ooo-sh.

“… Huh?”

Epel felt his head, and found it barren. A sinking feeling set in. Gathering his nerves, he dared to look back—

“A-Ah, my hat!!” He wailed, reaching out for it.

The brim slipped away, sly as a snake. A wind blew hard, throwing hair into Epel’s face.

He smiled. Then, taking a deep breath, he let his truest feelings be known to the world.

“CONSARN IT!!!”

[asoulwithadream]

ALRIGHT MATES. OFMD PREDICTION S2 TIME. I've gathered me theories, and am ready to put 'em down fer yer enjoyment so I can regain me sanity fer the oncomin' weeks. If I be right on anythin', I reckon I can safely say that I be an oracle.

Stede sets off to find Ed with the help of "Susan" (who I am convinced is a mermaid), and possibly Anne Bonny. In the scene where Stede is looking off into the distance with Ed on the other side with his nine guns, you can see Buttons in the background rowing. This starts the timeline of the red scarf*, which has to have been found somewhere on the island or on the water. They are rowing in any direction, which may be how they get to China, if it China at all. How they survive is beyond my estimation prowess.

They get off the island, and now in search of a proper ship. This around the time where he throws the bottle into the ocean. Might even be in episode 1: he wants Ed to know as soon as possible that he's coming. However, they get to China pretty fast. But again, it may not be China. A bit confused about the location and how long it would take them to meet up. Maybe they do a longer time skip (this could add to the effect, if Stede has been searching for Ed for a while.) But maybe not. The timeline between event 1 and 2 is confusing.

Edward raids ships, finds the one with the marriage (or maybe he's actively searching for it?)— cue depressed topper decoration. Izzy tries to speak to him, but it doesn't go well. This is also where he stocks up on pearl decorations, since many wedding guests are wearing pearls in this scene, and we can see it when he's stranded.

Something happens to the Revenge. It's maybe caught in a storm, or suffering damages from a battle, but either or Ed falls off the ship, and while Jim tries to reach out for him they don't reach. I'm not sure how many of the Queen Anne's Revenge crew survive, but Izzy, Jim and Frenchie surely do. (Blackbeard's actual ship is called the Queen Anne's Revenge, so I think Ed may begin calling the Revenge that after the divorce.)

Ed washes up on Ocracoke beach. This is important, and relevant historically. Ocracoke was Blackbeard's favourite inlet, and where he ended up as a "semi-retired pirate." He has no way of contacting anyone else, and therefore builds a camp there in order to survive. Perhaps it aids his process of acceptance that Stede isn't coming back, and maybe even to help in his grief if he thinks that Stede has died.

Enter Hornigold. The man dressed in sails and ropes on Ocracoke where Ed is may be Hornigold, who has been hiding out there all along. He is shooting at Hornigold because if you look at the easer with 0.25x speed, after Ed shoots, Hornigold kind of flinches backwards, but it cuts to another scene quickly. It may be a ghost, but we can see him later on with a different outfit on. But I have a theory on this: Ed thinks it's a ghost, but he isn't, and he has to nurse Hornigold back to health after the gunshot wound. We know that that is possible, after the multiple stab wounds from s1.

Izzy sets off to find Stede; he realises that Ed has turned into something he wasn't expecting- he isn't Blackbeard, he's the Kraken. Izzy needs help finding Blackbeard, and goes to Stede, because he knows, he's accepted that they need each other. It's part of Izzy's nauseating personal journey that will make me go insane. This is where Stede gets his red coat and sparkly disco pants, and he begins to receive training from Izzy aboard the Revenge.

Both they and the British marines find out that Ed is on Ocracoke. Somehow- it may be sailors stopping for a while seeing him on there, or if there is a village there have been reports of a tattooed man, or the Revenge was sighted near during the accident. They both get there at the same time, and that is why they're fighting. Ed's being attacked by the British, and Stede is fighting them off too– they see each other across the battlefield.

Stede is injured. The scene where he is screaming, even thought the running joke is that he's dancing with no space for Jesus, I think that he's been injured during the battle on the black sand. EVEN THOUGH, Ocracoke has golden sand, it's NZ, and it's pretty. We already know from the automatic gaydar and leather jackets that OFMD does not have to make sense. Maybe it's Ed tending to him.

Of course, a lot of things may be happening in the meantime, before, or afterwards, that I can not guess. *The Red Scarf Dilemma: We still have to take into account the timeline of the red scarf, which very surely happens during event 1— but we don't see it during the punch scene, which is later on, around 6 (he may have just taken it off to store it, or to hide it from Izzy). Furthermore, in some scenes the colour, pattern, and shape seems a bit off, more closer to Lucius' scarf or the one from the guy he's punching in event 6. However, I don't think it's Lucius' scarf either, because it would be Pete wearing it instead, since they were boyfriends. I want to believe that it's Ed's though. I really do, but there are just some things aren't just making sense— however, they don't have to. ❤️ In addition to Stede's clothing, in the scene where he is screaming you are able to notice a pearl earring. Perhaps it's the same one that Ed wears later on? A gift? Lucius: He's alive, and I know it. He's on the cast for season 2, and he's too much of a character to be killed off. The only thing I want is an episode where it's not clear whether or not he appears as a ghost or is actually alive— Ed maybe catches him (either in the walls or at Ocracoke) and Lucius has to pretend that he's dead and haunting him either because he's sassy and bitchy like that, or out of fear. That's all. Spanish Jackie: I think she comes after the events describe in this rant. They're in a better place, they've found Ed, he may not be fine but he's healing, and perhaps his clothes are just so incredibly dirty and foul after the time he's been at Ocracoke that they lend him Buttons'. Drag Queen Wee John Scene: That one scene on the decorated Revenge with Hornigold(?) and Wee John is so incredibly confusing, and perhaps the part which I'm the least sure about. I'll just list of what I've noticed from the scene: Hornigold is holding a string instrument bow, and looks like he's singing. Wee John, while looking absolutely snatched, is being held in a form of medieval hand stocks? There is someone tied against the mast of the Revenge, who might be Stede, because of the dark blue shirt. Oluwande and Roach are being held with their heads in some sort of weird contraption, which makes me think that the crew of the Revenge are being tortured. On the other side of the mast, however, there is something with long hair, which I think may perhaps be another female pirate? Perhaps the one in charge of the torture, but maybe not, since I can't tell if she's tied to the mast or not. What if it's Mary Read? My hopes for lesbian pirates are being raised exponentially. However, since Hornigold(?) is the only one not really seemingly in any distress, and is singing and possibly even playing a string instrument, it may be him whose instigating this. Additionally, after his time of piracy, he did take up the offer to become a privateer, and later on a pirate hunter, which does antagonise him quite a lot at this point in time before proven otherwise. Plus, where are Governor Spotswood and Lieutenant Robert Maynard, AKA the guy (Spotswood) who employed the other guy (Maynard) to kill the last guy (Blackbeard)? Will they be making an occurance in season 2, or will we have to wait a bit longer for them, if at all?

Then again, we have take into consideration the date. At the start of s1, it was June 3rd of 1717. Based on an estimation made by another Tumblr user, historically from the time that Stede hired his crew till episode 10, it has been a year. However, for the sake of the OFMD canon, it is more correct to assume that the timeline was as follows:

May-June: Stede hires the crew of the Revenge a bit at the time, and maybe has them at full capacity a week or two before June 3rd.

On August 31st, Stede is almost hanged by the Spaniards, and saved by Ed and the crew of the Queen Anne.

On September 1st, that is the day where Stede wakes up and Ed and Stede have their first genuine interaction. I say that Stede has only been unconscious for a day, because the crew's first meeting with Ed was shown directly before Stede woke up, and almost no progress on the sorry state of the ship was made. (However, the latter can't really be used as evidence, because of the The Crew "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" of the Revenge.)

They are together for a few weeks (few being 2 - 9), as Edward puts it at the end of episode 10. Therefore, in the longest case scenario, that would put them being captured at the beginning of November, however historical accounts report that Stede and Edward split around December, so we can just extend the time for a month or two for shits and giggles.

So, I would say very loosely that season 2 begins around new years, in 1718. Did I mention that 1718 is the year that both Major Stede Bonnet and Captain Edward "Blackbeard" Teach die? Blackbead dies in the end of November, while Stede lives only for 1 month minus 1 day. If they follow history, they only have 11 months before one of them dies.

I really want to know how David Jenkins is going to take this into account, if he's going to take creative liberty and fake their deaths, or stick with history and have them actually pass away. I think it may be the former, since there has been discussion about a potential season 3 in the works if the WAG/SAG-AFTRA strike is a success.

BUT he has the possibility of making it appear that one of them dies, maybe Blackbeard since his death is historically before, and keeping it a secret until season 3, where his death is revealed to be one giant fuckery for both Stede and the viewer, possibly due to the actions of the unknown BBEG of s2.

That's it. I'm not insane over the silly gay pirates.

[alexar60]

Ce que cache un masque

Nul ne se souvient de ces dieux vénérés par les anciens. Peut-être leurs légendes étaient-elles les ancêtres de nos mythologies grecques, égyptiennes ou indous ? A cette époque, ils côtoyaient les géants, les monstres des abysses. Ils vivaient sur les montagnes les plus hautes ou dans les profondeurs des enfers. Ils combattaient les astres et régnaient sur l’univers.

A cette époque, l’homme n’était qu’un simple mortel méprisable, jouet soumis à ces dieux. Il les vénérait parce qu’il les craignait. Il craignait leur courroux, les cataclysmes engendrés par leur colère. Car ces dieux étaient capables de provoquer les tremblements de terre, d’inonder les récoltes, de noyer l’humanité sous des éruptions volcaniques ou juste de foudroyer n’importe quel mortel.

Ofnadwy était une de ces grandes déesses. Elle était la mère de la beauté, de l’éclat, la déesse des déesses et la mère du soleil. Elle aimait regarder les hommes la prier. Parfois, elle entrait dans ses temples et s’amusait des prêtresses invoquant son nom devant l’autel. Il n’y avait rien de plus jubilatoire que d’écouter ces petits êtres chanter ses louanges.

Il arrivait souvent qu’elle s’intéresse à un homme beau et fort. Dès lors, elle descendait de la montagne des dieux et, prenant l’apparence d’une belle femme, elle aguichait sa proie pour se délecter de lui à la tombée de la nuit. Car Ofnadwy était aussi la déesse de la luxure, la mère de toutes les putains. Et aucun homme ne lui résista.

Un matin, après avoir quitté la couche de son amant, la déesse croisa le regard d’un inconnu. Elle suivit discrètement le jeune homme parti chasser dans les bois. Elle se cacha d’arbre en arbre afin d’admirer sa musculature et son visage magnifique. Le jeune homme s’arrêta et visa de son arc  un chevreuil. La flèche partit sans toucher sa cible. Dès lors, il ne put que regarder l’animal fuir.

Qui es-tu jeune et beau garçon ? demanda Ofnadwy en se présentant.

Je m’appelle Didwill, fils de Dewr.

La déesse, de plus en plus émerveillée par Didwill, tourna autour de lui en usant de ses charmes. Elle caressa son doux visage mais il ferma les yeux. Elle comprit qu’il resterait insensible à ses avances.

Si tu acceptes de passer la nuit et de t’offrir à moi, susurra-t-elle au creux de son oreille, je ferai de toi le plus grand des chasseurs. Tu sais que j’en ai le pouvoir.

Il inspira profondément avant de défier du regard Ofnadwy.

Ta proposition m’honore belle et grande Déesse. Mais je ne peux t’offrir ce qui ne m’appartient plus. Car j’ai déjà donné mon amour à Lleuada.

Surprise par ce refus inhabituel, Ofnadwy s’éloigna du chasseur. Cependant, la colère envahit son esprit et elle décida de retourner dans la cité pour rencontrer la fameuse Lleuada. Elle traversa la ville et n’entendit que du bien de sa rivale. Elle était décrite comme une très belle femme aux cheveux noirs, à la peau de lait. Son corps aux courbes parfaites, ses yeux de biche déstabiliseraient n’importe quel héros. Et effectivement, lorsque la déesse remarqua la jeune femme, elle fut stupéfaite de voir que sa beauté était comparable à celle d’une déesse. Elle remonta dans la montagne des dieux, déçue qu’un homme se soit refusé mais surtout, furieuse qu’il préféra une mortelle à sa place.

Pendant plusieurs jours, Ofnadwy ne put retirer de sa mémoire ce couple qu’elle imaginait en train de faire l’amour. La jalousie grossit en elle si bien qu’elle réfléchit à une vengeance.

Si tu t’es refusé à moi, alors tu la refuseras, Grommela-t-elle.

Elle partit rejoindre Copradur le dieu des forges. Ce dernier travaillait dans son atelier au sommet d’un volcan. Sa poigne battait le fer comme jamais. Il avait inventé des armes flamboyantes, des coffres impossibles à forcer, des ornements d’une pure beauté et les plus beaux bijoux que l’homme n’a jamais créés. Copradur était en train de forger une épée lorsque la déesse l’interpela.

Ô Copradur, mon frère ! Je souhaite que tu me construises un objet qui détruirait la beauté de mes ennemies.

Sans poser de question et sans attendre, le forgeron laissa ses domestiques finir l’arme et utilisa toute sa force pour frapper un métal magique. Il tapa constamment la matière rougie par le feu afin qu’elle reste modulable. Il frappa si fort qu’on entendait plus le volcan gronder. Il frappa pendant une semaine et un matin, il présenta son œuvre à sa sœur.

Voici un masque qui répond à tes attentes. Fais porter ce masque à ton ennemie et tu seras comblée, annonça-t-il avant de retourner à sa forge.

Dès lors, Ofnadwy redescendit parmi les hommes. Elle entra dans son temple et invita la belle Lleuada. La jeune femme ne pouvait refuser la convocation apportée par une prêtresse. Devant le lieu sacré, deux rangées de religieux formèrent un couloir. Elle embrassa Didwill qui l’accompagnait. Les amants entrèrent dans le temple. Lleuada et Didwill furent éblouis par la richesse et les trésors décorant les murs. Ils admirèrent les dessins sur les tapisseries qui racontaient l’histoire des Dieux. On proposa au couple d’approcher d’une table couvert de victuailles. Ils mangèrent les mets les plus succulents et délicats. Pour remercier la déesse, ils posèrent aux pieds de sa statue quelques feuilles de lauriers recouvertes d’un peu de leur sang, car telle était la tradition. A ce moment, à leur grande surprise, Ofnadwy se présenta.

Gardez vos pathétiques offrandes, cria-t-elle. Je ne veux que ta beauté Lleuada.

A peine avait-elle fini sa phrase, qu’un groupe de malabars agrippèrent le couple. Les uns pour empêcher Didwill d’intervenir, les autres pour retenir Lleuada. La déesse approcha de la jeune mortelle, sortit le masque de métal magique, et le posa sur la tête de la jeune femme.

Didwill ne put retenir ses larmes en entendant hurler Lleuada. Il essaya de réagir, de se débattre en vain. Cela dura une petite minute, une éternité.

Lorsqu’Ofnadwy retira le masque, elle fut ravie. Didwill pleura suppliant de la sauver, les prêtres et prêtresses demeurèrent choqués mais aussi heureux de voir que leur déesse était capable de telle prouesse. En effet, le masque avait retiré le visage de la belle femme. Il ne restait qu’une surface lisse, blanche et brillante à la place de son nez de sa bouche et de ses yeux. L’ensemble était collé au fond du masque.

La déesse partit en gardant le masque et son contenu comme trophée. On relâcha Didwill qui se précipita vers le corps inerte de Lleuada. Elle était morte, il ne pouvait rien faire. Dès lors, il s’enfuit et nul ne sait où. Certains diront qu’il chercha l’entrée de la montagne des Dieux pour se venger. D’autres, qu’il s’est saoulé avant de se jeter du haut d’une falaise.

En découvrant son acte, Copradur se sentit trahi par la demande d’Ofnadwy. Jamais il n’avait pensé qu’elle utiliserait ce masque contre une innocente mortelle. Il se sentit aussi coupable de cette tragédie. Pendant la nuit, il descendit de son volcan, entra dans le temple pour récupérer le corps de Lleuada et l’emporta avec lui.

Parce que tu as été belle, tu as subi la cruauté des dieux. Alors, je t’élève au rang de celle qui t’as tuée. Désormais, tu règneras la nuit et tout le monde pourra découvrir que tu restes encore belle.

C’est ainsi que Lleuada devint la lune. C’est ainsi que les hommes continuent d’admirer sa beauté même si son visage est caché dans un masque. On dit que la nuit, elle s’élève à la recherche de son visage. Mais chaque fois, Ofnadwy, toujours jalouse, fait apparaitre le soleil pour l’empêcher de le retrouver. Jusqu’à ce qu’elle soit dans les bras d’un de ses amants, alors, la lune réapparait pour chercher encore son visage tout en montrant aux hommes qu’elle reste belle sans.

Alex@r60 – août 2023

Photo : Barbara Steele dans le masque du Démon (1960)

[floaroma-sanctuary]

Adoption Spotlight!

Two-fer Tuesday is back again! Today’s bonded Pokémon are no surprise to anyone. Addie and Susie, the Plusle and Minun power twins!

These two are trained service Pokémon and are quite the pair! Sadly, the little girl they were trained to help passed away, and the family couldn’t keep them. We have helped them as much as we can, but there’s not much we can do without them having someone in their care.

Addie and Susie would do best going to either a home with a skilled trainer or a family who needs trained service Pokémon. They are trained to mostly be mobility aid Pokémon, helping their trainer grab things they can’t reach, but they are also trained to monitor any heart issues their trainer may have. Plusle and Minun are naturally good at hearing and tracking electrical impulses, making them fantastic service Pokémon for anyone with heart issues.

I cannot stress enough that these Pokémon are not ready to retire and live a relaxed life. They have many years left of work in them and are WORKING POKÉMON. They are also not suited to battling because of this.

When it’s their downtime, they are very much like normal Plusle and Minun. They’re very playful! They each have their own favorite toys (a rubber ball and a stuffed flower) that will be brought home with them when they’re adopted.

While they are Electric-types, Plusle and Minun are known to be VERY low output Electric-types. Just as with all of our Electric-types, they will be adopted with their special static-reducing brush.

If you think you or your family would benefit greatly from these wonderful hardworkers, please send a message to this blog or come on in from Monday-Friday, 8 am to 7 pm, or Saturday, noon to 5 pm.

[leaderoffestivals]

CROSS FIRE: Fist and Fist Ch 3

Adonis: I won’t hold back either. HA―!

Scenario Writer: Kino Seitarou (with Akira) Season: Summer Characters: Kiryu Kuro, Mikejima Madara, Nagumo Tetora, Sazanami Jun, Otogari Adonis 

<During the scheduled usage time for the Karate Club Duo at the MMA gym.>

Kuro: Alright. It’s our turn to use the Mixed-Martial Arts gym now. 

We’re all done with our warm-ups, so let’s get in the ring. 

Tetora: Ossu! 

By the way, Taisho, why aren’t you in your Karate uniform? I thought you’d definitely be wearing one since you’re a Karateka!

Kuro: Yeah, about that. I just had a talk with the Little Miss here while you were in the changing room earlier, Tetsu. 

Since this practice match will be used as part of the promotions for CROSS FIRE, it’s been decided that a common uniform will be prepared—

—for our BUTOUKAI members to wear so that any and all of us will be able to go into the ring and fight. I think we’re expected to be decked out in that attire whenever there’s a need for publicity. 

Tetora: Woah~! Big Sis Anzu, were you actually here all along?!  Uuuu~ You should’ve told us you’d be coming! I would’ve had some refreshments prepared to receive you if only you had!

Kuro: Ahaha. She probably didn’t want us to go to all that trouble fer her. 

That bein’ said, thanks for making time to come visit us when you’re so busy, Little Miss, but—you did say you were here at the Gym since mornin’, so that means you were able to watch the Inexperienced Trio while they were trainin’, right? 

Hmm, I see.  You were observin’ them from halfway through their session, but have been asked to keep what they were doin’ a secret, huh?

It’s fine, that’s only to be expected. Especially since this is Mikejima we’re talkin’ about—you can’t tell just by lookin’ at him, but he’s always got his bases covered. 

He definitely knows the Karate Club will have the advantage if we were to face off in a by-the-book battle, so he’s probably prepared a few aces up his sleeve, am I right? 

… … Fufu. From the look on yer face, it seems my guess was right on the money. 

Even so, there’s no need fer you to worry. It doesn’t matter what kind of strategy Mikejima comes up with, I’ll take ‘em all down. 

Tetora: You’re so cool, Taisho! That’s why you’re the former Taisho of the Karate Club!

Let’s get into the ring right away!

Kuro: Alright. I’ll be counting on ya. 

Tetora: … …!

Kuro: … … … …

(... … Well then. This is the first match I’ve had in a long while, the first since I retired from the Karate Club, in fact. 

My skills were better than Tetsu’s back when I was still in school, but how about now? I don’t know how dull my fighting sense has gotten since then, but let’s give it a shot.)

Kuro: HA—!

Tetora: … …! 

(Ohhh. I expected it, but Taisho’s punches are powerful indeed. Even though I blocked it perfectly with my arm, my body’s still tingling from the shock.   

However, I’ve been training hard everyday as the current Captain of the Karate Club too!

Taisho’s someone whom I admire very much, but even so, I won’t shrink back because of that!) 

Take thaaat!

Kuro: Hoh~. That was a good roundhouse kick, Tetsu—

But it’s way too shallow to count as a decisive blow. You’ve got to come at me with more conviction than that!

Tetora: Of course! That goes for you as well, Taisho! Don’t hold back when you come at me!

<Meanwhile… …>

Madara: We’re into the second half of today’s training now. The weather’s still pretty hot for autumn, so do take precautions to avoid heat stroke even as you go all out for training!

Adonis-san, were you able to prepare the items I’d asked for? 

Adonis: Yes. I managed to borrow the hardballs you wanted from the local baseball club. 

They kindly lent us these to us after Sazanami and I went to negotiate with them. 

Jun: Hehe~ Those guys were pretty accommodating, weren’t they? They even said we could use them however we wanted to as long as they’re properly returned afterwards. 

By the way, isn’t it about time you told us what we're gonna do next? Why did you ask us to prepare these baseballs? 

I can’t see how this has anything to do with Mixed-Martial Arts training at all, though… …

Madara: Oh, regarding that… Do you remember I spoke about how Karate is strong because of its focus on fundamentals and basics?

Jun: Yes, about how being simple is its strength, right~? And that’s why you’d need to use irregular attacks for the element of surprise――

Could it be that these hardballs are also part of your preparations to rattle your opponent? 

Madara: You’ve guessed it right! That said, it’s forbidden to bring weapons into the ring, so I won’t be using these hardballs to attack thoughhh!

Adonis-san, please throw those balls at me—as hard as you can.

Adonis: Throw them at you? 

Madara: Yep! You don’t have to hold back at all. Throw ‘em with everything you’ve got!

Adonis: Got it. Do be careful not to get hurt, Mikejima-senpai. 

Hngh―! 

Madara: Oh~h! Excellent throw! 

―And I’ll wait till the very laaast moment―and dodge it! Fufu~n!

… … So, one segment of training will be dedicated to dodging balls like these. By letting my eyes be used to tracking these fastballs, I’ll be able to avoid getting hit by Kuro-san’s powerful punches!

Jun: Hm~m, so that’s what you wanted them for~. You’re simulating an actual combat experience by using these balls to stand in for the opponent’s punches, huh?

Well, it’s true that even if you were to defend yourself from Karate’s straight punches with blocks, your guard would still be worn away. Dodging them would be the best option by far~!

Madara: Yes, it’s great you get my intention so clearlyyy!

However, if Adonis-san’s the only one doing the throwing, it’ll never match up to the attack rate of an actual battle. Jun-san, could you join Adonis-san in throwing those balls at me~?

Jun: Sure thing~. This is like a training scene straight out of a manga (1), it’s getting fun~ ♪ 

Let’s defeat the Karate Club soundly with the flexible thinking unique to those who’ve got zero experience!

Here I go~! Take THAT!

Adonis: I won’t hold back either. HA―!

Madara: Fufufu~. You’ve gotta do better than that~! That didn’t even graze meee! 

Let’s keep up the training at this pace~! As long as one is fully prepared, there’ll be nothing to fear from Kuro-san!

—————-To be continued——————-

Chapter 10  /  Chapter 12

Translator’s Notes:

It IS a scene from a manga. Another Dragonball reference, lol! Dragonball Z Ch 428 (https://dto.to/chapter/142136) has a training scene where Gohan gets Goten to throw rocks at him while he dodges.

It is unproofed, so if there’s any feedback, please DM me. 

[jeanjauthor]

Lemme tell you something. I'm Gen X. They PUSHED "go to college to get a good paying job!" on the younger half of my generation...even as they started hiking college tuition costs through the roof. Older generations looked down on trade skill jobs.

This is why the trade skills are hitting 55 and reaching retirement jobs with few people to replace them in slightly younger age brackets.

Now, I'm from Western Washington, where "get into tech! get into IT!" were the big rallying cries...but IT isn't paying like it used to.

You know what's still paying well?

Plumbing. Roofing. Painting. Electricity. Carpentry. And other such "blue collar" tradeskill jobs.

Because we still need those things, and we need skilled workers...and they are willing to train apprentices for many of those jobs. (Be advised that they do require a physically active body in most instances.)

(Also, pro tip: If you can't get in on the ground floor as an apprentice, ask to be their Go-Fer employee, to do all the "half-forgotten jobs" that nobody else wants to do...like cleaning the work trucks, getting the truck license plates registered, groundskeeping around the office, running the errands nobody else has time to do because they're busy doing the skilled labor stuff, helping go buy all the bulk supplies at the wholesalers, etc, etc, etc. If you are willing & able to learn, and work well, you can often be offered an apprenticeship, or be given advice on how to get into the training courses (and have the money to pay for those courses!) to be able to get the apprenticeship needed.)

[smarterfeds1]

Federal Employee Benefits Workshops Kansas City

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Sign up for a workshop:

Address: 601 S. Harbour Island Blvd., Ste 109 Tampa, FL 33602

Email: Stacey@smarterfeds.com

Call: +1 (877) 309-5133

https://smarterfeds.com// talk-to-a-specialist/

Ph: +1 (727) 205-0255

[alain-keler]

Après le retrait israélien de Gush Katif, le bloc des colonies à Gaza.

Mardi 13 septembre 2005

Voiture halée à la sortie de mon hôtel à Gaza jusqu'à Shirat ayam par la route directe le long de la mer, étrange chemin ouvert de nouveau après de longues années avec hier le départ de l’armée israélienne, mettant fin à 38 années d’occupation.

Newwe dequalim. Au milieu des ruines qques bâtiments se dressent encore. Un dernier souvenir de 38 années d’occupation, le centre commercial et la mairie, la yashiva en forme d’étoile de David avec sa synagogue ainsi que l’imposante synagogue du centre de la ville. De tous côtés, des palestiniens fouillent les décombres et retirent tout ce qu’ils trouvent, fer, bois, câbles. Beaucoup de gens très pauvres venus avec leurs carrioles tirées par des ânes qui ne semblent pas en meilleur état qu’eux. Tout cela a un côté triste. Ce n’est pas maintenant que l’on verra la fête.

L’impressionnant mur qui sépare la zone industrielle de newe dequalim du camp de réfugiés de Khan yunes est toujours là, sauf qu’il ne fait plus peur car les soldats sont partis. Des jeunes sont en train de peindre dessus des fresques révolutionnaires agrémentées de motifs religieux. 

Un homme dans  une boutique de Khan yunes où j’allais acheter de l’eau me confie son analyse de la situation :wisdom of the God, la sagesse de dieu, Israël a détruit des maisons palestiniennes, puis leur dieu, leur propre Dieu leur a ordonné de détruire leurs maisons avec leurs propres mains. Tout le monde est égal en face de lui (Dieu). Israël detroyed palestinian houses and their own God told them (the israeli) to detroy their houses with their own hands. Everybody is equal in front of him.(God)

Je pense que s’il n’y a pas de joie sur les ruines de Newe dequalim, c’est parce que le paysage de destruction n’est pas différent ici que ce que l’on peut voir à Khan yunes le long du mur où à Rafah le long de la frontière.

La joie commence à se voir sur la plage de Shirat Ayam. Depuis le début de la seconde intifada en 2000, les palestiniens n’avaient plus accès à la mer. Seules les 20 familles de colons résidantes illuminés par Dieu et protégés par un grillage et des soldats sur des miradors de Shirat ayam y avaient accès.

Aujourd’hui, ils sont plusieurs milliers avec leurs ânes, chevaux, carrioles, tentes à se baigner, rire, s’amuser, goûter le plaisir oublié depuis 5 ans. Cette plage devenue par la force des choses privée est en fait la plage naturelle et l’accès à la mer de la ville de Khan Yun.

Rafiah Yam n’existe plus. Dans cette colonie dépourvue de structures spéciales (supermarchés, écoles etc…) , que des maisons. Au coin d’une des 2 rues de la colonie, la maison de Socrate, ou ce qu’il en reste.

Rafah. La frontière avec l’Égypte a été ouverte. Les égyptiens veulent faire un cadeau aux palestiniens après l’incident d’hier qui aurait vu la mort d’un jeune palestinien essayant de passer cette frontière. En fait, cette mort n’a jamais été confirmée, et l’explication de cette ouverture non plus. Il semble qu’il y ait eu une pression telle qu’il fallait faire quelque chose avant que tout cela ne tourne à l’émeute. De toutes manières, je ne vois pas trop les égyptiens faire des faveurs aux palestiniens, il se dit qu’ils sont très racistes à leur égard.

« It’s christmas », me dit un homme traversant la frontière. Ils sont des milliers à escalader le mur qui sépare Philadelphia road de l'Égypte, en fait ce petit mur est la vraie frontière.

Hommes, femmes voilées, enfants, vieillards, moutons, j’ai même vu une grosse moto portée par-dessus ce mur. Ils sont simplement heureux. C’est une ouverture de la cage. C’est la première fois depuis 1982 et la construction de cette frontière que les palestiniens peuvent quitter librement Gaza. L’événement est de très grande importance.

[news24fr]

La Cour suprême entendra jeudi une requête contestant l'ordonnance de la Haute Cour d'Uttarakhand de quitter 29 acres de terrain ferroviaire à Haldwani alors que les résidents de la maison d'environ 4 000 personnes continuent de protester, de prier et d'implorer les autorités de ne pas procéder à la démolition. Outre les maisons - près de la moitié des familles prétendent avoir un bail foncier - la région compte même quatre écoles publiques, 11 écoles privées, une banque, deux réservoirs d'eau aériens, 10 mosquées et quatre temples, en plus des magasins, construits au fil des décennies. L'administration du district, suite à l'ordonnance du tribunal du 20 décembre après un long litige, a publié un avis dans les journaux demandant aux gens de retirer leurs biens d'ici le 9 janvier. Il couvre une bande de terrain de 2 km près de la gare de Haldwani — Gafoor Basti, Dholak Basti et Indira Nagar, dans la région de Banbhulpura. Les autorités ont effectué une inspection sur le terrain tandis que les habitants continuaient à organiser des marches aux chandelles, des sit-in et des prières pour arrêter l'expulsion. Une prière de congrégation, «Ijtemai dua», a été effectuée par des centaines d'entre eux dans une mosquée de la localité. L'imam de Masjid Umar, Maulana Mukim Qasmi, a déclaré à l'ANI que les gens priaient collectivement pour une solution. Certains des manifestants ont été vus en train de pleurer. Uttarakhand | Un directeur divisionnaire supplémentaire des chemins de fer (ADRM) ainsi que d'autres responsables de l'administration ont inspecté la zone empiétée des chemins de fer à Haldwani. Cela vient après que la Haute Cour a ordonné de supprimer l'empiétement ferroviaire. pic.twitter.com/jVH4GyLMIR — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) 3 janvier 2023 Après que l'activiste-avocat Prashant Bhushan a fait une mention officielle à la Cour suprême, un banc composé du juge en chef DY Chandrachud et des juges SA Nazeer et PS Narasimha a déclaré qu'il serait entendu jeudi. Accusant le gouvernement BJP d'agir contre une zone où la plupart des habitants sont musulmans, des militants et des politiciens se sont également joints aux manifestations. Harish Rawat, haut responsable du Congrès et ancien ministre en chef, a tenu un « maun vrat » (vœu de silence) d'une heure à son domicile de Dehradun, la capitale de l'État. "L'Uttarakhand est un état spirituel", a-t-il dit, "si 50 000 personnes, y compris des enfants, des femmes enceintes, des vieillards et des femmes, sont forcées de quitter leurs maisons et de sortir sur les routes, alors ce serait un spectacle très triste." L'ex-CM de l'Uttarakhand et chef du Congrès, Harish Rawat, est assis sur un jeûne silencieux d'une heure dans sa résidence de Dehradun pour soutenir les habitants de Banbhulpura de Haldwani À Haldwani, les gens manifestent dans les rues après l'ordre de HC de supprimer l'empiètement sur les terrains ferroviaires pic.twitter.com/8RsmMGljdH — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) 4 janvier 2023 "Le ministre en chef est le gardien de l'État. Mon jeûne silencieux d'une heure est consacré à [Pushkar Singh Dhami]," il a dit. M. Dhami n'a pas réagi, mais la police et l'administration municipale disent que l'ordre du tribunal doit être suivi. "Nous avons divisé la zone en zones pour une mise en œuvre facile", a déclaré le chef de la police régionale Nilesh A Bharne à l'agence de presse ANI. Le magistrat du district Dheeraj S Garbyal a déclaré : « Les gens restent ici sur les terrains de la voie ferrée. Ils doivent être expulsés. Nos préparatifs se poursuivent pour cela. Nous avons exigé la force. Nous les expulserons bientôt. Les résidents remettent en question le calendrier et l'intention des chemins de fer. "Je suis ici aujourd'hui et je ne serai peut-être pas là demain ; ce sont mes enfants et mes petits-enfants qui m'inquiètent", a déclaré Khairunisa, 70 ans, l'un des manifestants, à L'express indien. « Où iront-ils si

notre maison est démolie ? Les chemins de fer ne se sont-ils réveillés qu'après la construction de maisons, d'écoles et d'hôpitaux sur ce terrain ? elle a dit. Le rapport Express indique qu'un Government Girls 'Inter College (GGIC), qui compte plus de 1 000 étudiants, risque également d'être démoli. Un membre du personnel aurait déclaré que l'institution avait vu le jour en 1952 en tant que lycée avant d'être améliorée au fil des ans pour devenir un intercollège en 2005. L'administration a reconnu que plus de 2 000 étudiants seront touchés. Le plan est de les déplacer dans des structures préfabriquées dans une autre zone à proximité pour l'instant.

[pongnosis]

AU Devil snippet

From the ’incomplete stuff in my writing folder that will never get edited into an actual fic’-section of my laptop (a section which mainly consists of a lot of documents with about half a page of writing that will never be opened again, let’s be real here). I had an idea for an AU DDBS future in which one of the assassination attempts against Yassen succeeded that wouldn’t leave me alone, so I ended up writing about 2k worth of Alex having a miserable time. Posted here just in case anyone wants to share in his misery!

Warnings: Major (off-screen) character death, not edited, incomplete, present tense because that’s how it started and you can’t convince me to fix it now.

Rating: PG-13

There is no time to grieve, no time to find his feet. Dr Three had already started to step back from SCORPIA’s day-to-day business in favour of his own interests and focus on training his successor. The plan was always to retire when Alex turned twenty.

Now that successor is dead and his eventual successor is seventeen and nowhere near ready to take over.

If Alex wants it all to be worth it, if he doesn’t want to see their plans crumble around him, he’s going to have to learn fast.

Dr Three can’t control SCORPIA on his own. He was still working with Yassen to trim down the organisation to make it manageable under one executive.

Alex gets a field promotion. Less than fourteen hours after the explosion, he is on a flight to his first SCORPIA base to grind any thoughts of ambition and politics into the ground.

---

Alex adapts. Sagitta adapts with him. No one needs to spell out the facts of life. Orion is no longer Cossack’s second-in-command but the heir to SCORPIA and Dr Three’s voice and will in the field. The kid was a target before. Now, with Cossack dead and Orion propelled into the spotlight too young and too soon, that risk grows by magnitudes.

Sagitta has to be able to live up to that responsibility. If they can’t, Orion needs someone who will.

They were never good people. Good people have no place with SCORPIA’s combat teams. Good people don’t murder, or sell military secrets, or betray their country for a better salary.

Orion let them be softer and friendlier. He gave them a stable base and the thrill of adrenaline both. Now it’s time to live up to their name, just like Orion will live up to his.

----

There is no funeral. Yassen put no instructions into place, and Alex isn’t sure where Yassen would even have wanted to be buried in the first place.

The Fer de Lance burns in the Black Sea instead, a funeral pyre loaded with fuel and the ashes of the man who saved Alex’s life. When the flames reach the cargo and sets off a fireball that Alex can feel all the way from the escorting ships, she turns night into day and outshines the sun itself for a few, brief moments.

It’s as close to Yassen’s childhood home as Alex can get with politics and a ship of her size. He hopes that Yassen would have approved.

----

SCORPIA retires Danube as a call sign.

Like flight numbers after bad crashes or particularly brutal hurricanes, it is not a reminder that is kind to keep in plain sight. If Hill wants to revive the name, it’s his decision and his decision alone. Alex won’t force it on him, and he won’t let anyone else, either.

----

It takes Commander Hill a solid week to be released from the hospital, and another three past that before Alex sees him.

By then, Alex has spent the past month in a whirlwind of politics and lessons and brutal evidence that seventeen or not, he earned his position through skill and not indulgence.

Alex doesn’t recognise himself in the mirror any more. He’s paler and harder; sharp lines and cold eyes, and he can’t recall the last time he slept a full night.

He wants to be angry. He wants someone to pay. But he sees Hill and sees that same bone-deep loss reflected in him, too, the paleness and the knowledge that the man lost his whole team; people he cared about and was responsible and possibly even considered friends.

He wants someone to pay, but Hill is not that someone, and another vague idea solidifies in his mind.

“… I have a job offer for you,” he says instead.

Hill listens.

----

Alex sends Crux to send a message to SCORPIA’s enemies and clean out those bases that seem to have taken events as a chance to make a grab for power. She brings Commander Hill and the newly-named team Deimos with her along with additional backup and firepower as necessary.

Alex and Sagitta start in Russia, Crux and Deimos in South America, Nile and Ammit in Indonesia. Three can’t be everywhere. He is one man, almost seventy, in charge of an organisation he was already in the process of handing over to his successor.

Trust and attachments is an old argument between Alex and Three. With time working against them and the risk of a successful coup rising by the day, Three allows Alex to make what will become the first important decision of his own future reign of SCORPIA: Nile and Crux are given completely free hands to carry out their task. There is no time to approve everything, no time for constant updates. Whatever they do, whatever they decide, whatever is deemed necessary as they work through SCORPIA’s infrastructure to secure it, base by bloody base, they do so with Orion’s voice and authority.

Three believes in control, Alex believes in trust.

Two months later, when the first signs appear that SCORPIA is stabilising, when Three and Alex are both still alive despite several assassination attempts, Alex knows that trust has paid off.

------

Yassen’s will is a complicated mess as befits one of the co-Heads of SCORPIA, and even Alex isn’t privy to the whole thing. He does know that the majority goes to him. As Yassen had done very well for himself even before his place on the Board, Alex becomes abruptly rather more wealthy than he was.

It’s a lot of money and he knows it. He’s had plans to write up a will of his own and Yassen has mentioned it more than once, but he’s had so many other things to worry about and – he wasn’t sure he was ready to face that.

He doesn’t feel like he has a choice any more and it’s a bitter realisation.

Yassen was always supposed to be in it. With their various responsibilities, they spent more time away from each other than not. Alex always knew that if he got killed, odds were that Yassen wouldn’t be there to target as well. He supposed the same had been the case for Yassen.

His will is less of a mess but still complicated. There are some minor mentions in it but the largest ones are easy.

He sets Tom and Jack up for life. He can’t promise a new SCORPIA leadership will lift a finger to help them, no matter how many stipulations he puts into place – frankly, he’s sure that if something takes him out within the next decade, SCORPIA likely won’t survive at all – but there are contingency plans to take care of that instead. New identities, secret bank accounts, detailed instructions, and regularly updated lists of useful contacts.

Like Danube with Yassen, Alex knows that there is a very real risk that anything meant to target him could kill a number of people around him as well. It’s a risk Sagitta accepts and gets paid well to take, but they have always been more than just security to Alex.

If anyone from Sagitta survives whatever takes out Alex, they will be set for life as well.

-----

Six months after Yassen Gregorovich is killed, Three summons Jack to his office. Her feelings about Gregorovich’s death have been – complicated. They had tolerated each other but never saw eye to eye on things. They both put Alex’s well-being high on the list of priorities but had very different interpretations of how to handle that. The complicated sense of grief, she suspects, comes mostly from the loss of someone else in Alex’s corner and the effects the man’s death has had on Alex.

Three’s summon is in no way welcome. Jack goes, anyway, because she doesn’t have a choice. The talk goes about as well as she expects, with Alex half a world away and increasingly Orion more than Alex Rider, and with Yassen’s reluctant protection gone.

“Orion,” Three says, “will need unconditional support if he – and by extension SCORPIA and all who fall under her aegis – is to have any chance to survive and succeed.”

Jack bristles despite herself. “What are you implying?”

There isn’t a drop of humanity in Three’s expression, just the cool, sharp edge of a scalpel in an autopsy room; the utter inability to genuinely be human that Jack noticed from the first time she met him and which had become increasingly common in Gregorovich as well.

“You are about to become a liability to him, Ms Starbright.” It’s the words that Jack has expected to hear for months but it makes them no less terrifying coming from Three with no one around to temper him. “He will need unconditional support to succeed at this time, not someone who clings to inconvenient remnants of morals despite being in the employ of a terrorist organisation. In acknowledgement of Alex’s young age and attachment to you, you have two options. You will be released from all current agreements with a sizeable bank account available to you, a new identity, and a non-disclosure agreement of everything related to SCORPIA. You will be free to make your own future but will never see Alex again and will no longer enjoy the benefits of SCORPIA’s protection.”

Jack swallows. The immediate idea is appealing but she knows what it would mean to lose that protection. The sort of people who would try to hunt her down, even with the best new identity that SCORPIA could provide. That’s not getting into the idea of never seeing Alex again. “And the alternative?”

Three smiles. There isn’t a drop of warmth in it. “You have been brought up to standards for a civilian SCORPIA employee over the past year. Your Malagosto classes served you well. That is a decent foundation but hardly enough. You will enrol at Malagosto and pass on your own merits. If you graduate, you will be guaranteed your choice of a position, even with Alex. If you fail, again, the alternative is money and a new identity. SCORPIA will demand no payment for your training either way.”

Something settles cold and heavy in Jack’s lungs and makes it hard to breathe.

Graduate. She knows exactly what that means. Pretty euphemisms that can be summed up kill someone to prove you won’t be a liability or leave everything that has become your life: Alex, Tom, your friends, everyone, and start over from scratch.

Both options are awful. Was this what Alex felt like, too, when he realised what he was really up against? Two awful options and no way out that wouldn’t end with his death?

“How long do I have to decide?” she asks, partially in an attempt to buy time. She needs to consider this, needs to think it through, needs to -

“Until you leave this office,” Three responds. Then he smiles thinly. “Of course, you are welcome to stay for as long as you need to make a decision. Dwale is due in ten minutes with an update on the plans to settle the small matter of retribution. Orion will join via video call. I expect the discussion will be – lively.”

Graphic, Jack’s mind translated. She loves Alex but knows that getting even has been on his mind since he got the news about Yassen’s assassination, and Three -

“Malagosto,” she says hoarsely but manages to keep her voice level. “Malagosto. Sir.”

- Three is still the ruthless old sadist at heart and while she knows that SCORPIA will keep to the letter of the agreement, she knows that nothing good will come from choosing to leave. She’s one of the last bits of humanity Alex has left – that the future Head of SCORPIA has left – and she won’t take that away from him.

Jack Starbright will have to learn to kill. She only hopes that after months isolated at Malagosto with the full curriculum, she will have stopped caring by the time she has to do it.

[la-bucolie]

Jour 22 : Magie

La maison de grand-mère est comme une boîte à chaussures, c'est elle qui le dit. Ses murs sont fins comme du carton, rafistolés d'aluminium, de grillage et de contreplaqué. Elle s'en fiche de la pluie, et elle n'a jamais froid. Chaque hiver, je la vois sur le quai du train, debout dans la brume à m'attendre, elle empile sur son corps maigre des couches et des couches de manteaux, de couvertures, si bien qu'à cette distance je croirais presque qu'elle est enfin devenue ronde, une mamie gâteau. Mais non. Elle n'a jamais rien dit, ma grand-mère, et elle ne prépare que des galettes avec des ronds de pâte qu'elle jette sur les parois du four. Je regarde cet étrange ustensile sous lequel le feu brûle. Parfois j'ai si froid que je voudrais m'y asseoir, mais à chaque fois grand-mère comprend et choisit ce moment-là pour me tendre l'assiette de viande hachée et celle de turtur. Je regarde la bouillie mauve, brillante. Cette-fois, ça doit être à la betterave. Le turtur, ce n'est ni de la purée, ni de la pâtée. C'est une crème douce avec des morceaux qui fondent, préparée avec tout ce qui pousse sous la terre. Je n'ai jamais mangé ça ailleurs que chez grand-mère, c'est son plat de l'hiver, les galettes, la viande, le turtur. Je n'ai pas besoin que grand-mère parle. Elle me regarde longtemps et comprend ce dont j'ai besoin. Elle porte autour du cou trois amulettes que je vois pendre entre ses seins l'été ; elles brillent faiblement, vertes et mordorées, me font penser à des bonbons interdits. Dans le salon, ensevelie sous du linge et de grandes parures, une télé reste allumée jour et nuit sur une chaîne que je ne connais pas. On voit des gens jouer de la musique, parler une langue étrangère, lire des livres. Je n'ai jamais appris la langue de grand-mère, alors j'essaie, tous les soirs depuis mon lit, de comprendre ce qui se dit à travers le mur de carton. Les consonances finissent toujours par m'endormir. Le matin, j'accompagne grand-mère déterrer les racines pour le repas du soir. Nous marchons pieds nus dans les marais froids, je tremble, trouve refuge sur un rocher à l'orée de la forêt. Grand-mère se penche et plonge ses mains dans la gadoue pour attraper de petits poissons préhistoriques. Ceux-là savent ramper, j'aurais voulu en adopter un, mais ils sont trop rares pour ne pas en faire de la friture. Mes doigts se promènent sur l'écorce d'un arbre, jusqu'à trouver, dans un creux tout sanglant, quelque chose de dur comme du caramel. Je tapote, gratte le contour. C'est une ambre. Grand-mère me prête un couteau avec lequel j'extrais mon trésor. En rentrant, je dois me frotter les mains avec du sable pour retirer la sève. Puis je vais me laver dans la salle de bain, ma pièce préférée, avec sa cuve en bois, son vitrail à la fenêtre maintenu comme par magie entre briques, les champignons qui poussent dans les recoins. L'eau est bien chaude, j'hésite à sortir. Quand je traîne trop, mes pieds se décollent du sol et je flotte jusqu'au peignoir, il m'enveloppe et la porte s'ouvre doucement, ça me chatouille le corps, me berce, je sais que c'est grand-mère qui fait ça. En me couchant, je découvre sous mon oreiller l'ambre de ce matin dans une petite cage en fer au bout d'une corde. Mon amulette à moi. Ce soir-là, en fermant les yeux, je comprends les voix qui s'élèvent depuis la télévision.