#International Day of Forests 2024 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

reasonsforhope · 4 months ago

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Masterpost: Reasons I firmly believe we will beat climate change

Posts are in reverse chronological order (by post date, not article date), mostly taken from my "climate change" tag, which I went through all the way back to the literal beginning of my blog. Will update periodically.

Especially big deal articles/posts are in bold.

Big picture:

Mature trees offer hope in world of rising emissions (x)

Spying from space: How satellites can help identify and rein in a potent climate pollutant (x)

Good news: Tiny urban green spaces can cool cities and save lives (x)

Conservation and economic development go hand in hand, more often than expected (x)

The exponential growth of solar power will change the world (x)

Sun Machines: Solar, an energy that gets cheaper and cheaper, is going to be huge (x)

Wealthy nations finally deliver promised climate aid, as calls for more equitable funding for poor countries grow (x)

For Earth Day 2024, experts are spreading optimism – not doom. Here's why. (x)

Opinion: I’m a Climate Scientist. I’m Not Screaming Into the Void Anymore. (x)

The World’s Forests Are Doing Much Better Than We Think (x)

‘Staggering’ green growth gives hope for 1.5C, says global energy chief (x)

Beyond Catastrophe: A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View (x)

Young Forests Capture Carbon Quicker than Previously Thought (x)

Yes, climate change can be beaten by 2050. Here's how. (x)

Soil improvements could keep planet within 1.5C heating target, research shows (x)

The global treaty to save the ozone layer has also slowed Arctic ice melt (x)

The doomers are wrong about humanity’s future — and its past (x)

Scientists Find Methane is Actually Offsetting 30% of its Own Heating Effect on Planet (x)

Are debt-for-climate swaps finally taking off? (x)

High seas treaty: historic deal to protect international waters finally reached at UN (x)

How Could Positive ‘Tipping Points’ Accelerate Climate Action? (x)

Specific examples:

Environmental Campaigners Celebrate As Labour Ends Tory Ban On New Onshore Wind Projects (x)

Private firms are driving a revolution in solar power in Africa (x)

How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution (x)

Rewilding sites have seen 400% increase in jobs since 2008, research finds [Scotland] (x)

The American Climate Corps take flight, with most jobs based in the West (x)

Waste Heat Generated from Electronics to Warm Finnish City in Winter Thanks to Groundbreaking Thermal Energy Project (x)

Climate protection is now a human right — and lawsuits will follow [European Union] (x)

A new EU ecocide law ‘marks the end of impunity for environmental criminals’ (x)

Solar hits a renewable energy milestone not seen since WWII [United States] (x)

These are the climate grannies. They’ll do whatever it takes to protect their grandchildren. [United States and Native American Nations] (x)

Century of Tree Planting Stalls the Warming Effects in the Eastern United States, Says Study (x)

Chart: Wind and solar are closing in on fossil fuels in the EU (x)

UK use of gas and coal for electricity at lowest since 1957, figures show (x)

Countries That Generate 100% Renewable Energy Electricity (x)

Indigenous advocacy leads to largest dam removal project in US history [United States and Native American Nations] (x)

India’s clean energy transition is rapidly underway, benefiting the entire world (x)

China is set to shatter its wind and solar target five years early, new report finds (x)

‘Game changing’: spate of US lawsuits calls big oil to account for climate crisis (x)

Largest-ever data set collection shows how coral reefs can survive climate change (x)

The Biggest Climate Bill of Your Life - But What Does It DO? [United States] (x)

Good Climate News: Headline Roundup April 1st through April 15th, 2023 (x)

How agroforestry can restore degraded lands and provide income in the Amazon (x) [Brazil]

Loss of Climate-Crucial Mangrove Forests Has Slowed to Near-Negligable Amount Worldwide, Report Hails (x)

Agroecology schools help communities restore degraded land in Guatemala (x)

Climate adaptation:

Solar-powered generators pull clean drinking water 'from thin air,' aiding communities in need: 'It transforms lives' (x)

‘Sponge’ Cities Combat Urban Flooding by Letting Nature Do the Work [China] (x)

Indian Engineers Tackle Water Shortages with Star Wars Tech in Kerala (x)

A green roof or rooftop solar? You can combine them in a biosolar roof — boosting both biodiversity and power output (x)

Global death tolls from natural disasters have actually plummeted over the last century (x)

Los Angeles Just Proved How Spongy a City Can Be (x)

This city turns sewage into drinking water in 24 hours. The concept is catching on [Namibia] (x)

Plants teach their offspring how to adapt to climate change, scientists find (x)

Resurrecting Climate-Resilient Rice in India (x)

Edit 1/12/25: Yes, I know a bunch of the links disappeared. I'll try to fix that when I get the chance. In the meantime, read all the other stuff!!

Other Masterposts:

Going carbon negative and how we're going to fix global heating (x)

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mint-yooxgi · 3 months ago

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Kinktober Day 26 - Tiefling!Yunho + Predator/Prey

@bangmechann Said: Yunho as a tiefling with consensual prey? A/n: This one turned out a lot more playful than I had intended lmaoo I think this is one of the first ones where the banner is like 😈🔥⛓🏴‍☠️🖤💀 but the content is like 💖☺️🌷🔫💟✨ idk, I thought it was fun! Tiefling Yunho is just a giant puppy dog... Warnings/Genre/Rating: 18+ MDNI - Smut, Mature, Established Relationship, Possession, Monster Features Word Count: 1,729 Kinktober 2024 Mini Masterlist

“Little Mouse,” A deep chuckle reverberates against the cold stone walls. “You know it’s futile to try and escape me.”

Amused lips quirk upwards in the corners. “It’s cute how you think I should be the one afraid of you.”

“Brave words coming from such a measly little human.” Yunho chuckles, his voice echoing around the ruins you’ve chosen to play this little game in.

“Watch it,” You warn, eyes narrowing slightly, “Or else this ‘measly little human’ is gonna walk their fine ass out of here.”

A head peeks around a broken wall, a small pout adorning his features. His hands curl around the stone, curved horns glinting beneath the light of the setting sun. Subtly, his eyebrows furrow upwards in concern.

“Sorry, Baby.”

A light puff of laughter escapes you, waving him off with your hand. Silently, you assure him it’s fine, motioning for the two of you to get on with your game.

He disappears back around the corner, and you both count to ten. After all, it’s no fun hunting the other if you know exactly where they’ve been hiding.

Moving quickly through the ruins, you find a new starting position. Yunho already has an advantage over you, being what he is, but you’ve lived with supernaturals long enough to know how to get around their heightened senses. Besides, he told you he would play fair, and you believe him.

This isn’t your first time engaging in this type of sport.

The damp earth is soft beneath your feet as you creep along a tattered stone wall. The area you’ve chosen is a particularly favourite spot of yours, hidden deep within the forest. The ruins of the old mill continue to crumble to this day, but the intricate way the rubble shapes itself leads to wonderful hiding spots. The crumpled building acts as a small maze, the surrounding trees the barrier to your impromptu arena.

Pressing your back against a stone wall, you rest just beside what used to be an open archway. You can hear the stream rushing in the background, and the soft sound of birds tittering in the trees above. A gentle breeze floats through the leaves, rustling as a few scattered raindrops fall from their green holders.

Straining your ears, you search for any signs of your lover.

Calming your breathing is easy, and you begin to pick out movement that wasn’t there before.

A footstep here.

The snapping of a twig there.

Wherever he is, he’s moving closer, and you’ll be damned if you let him win this time.

Slipping your hand into your back pocket, you pull out a small object. Tightening your fingers around the handle, you prepare yourself for what you’re about to do. Everything has to be perfect, otherwise all of your meticulous planning will be for naught.

It’s time you had him at your mercy, instead of the other way around.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look today?” His gentle voice cuts through your thoughts.

Whipping your head towards the sound, you begin stalking closer to him. The corner of your lips quirks upwards, internally chuckling at the sudden one-eighty he seems to have done. Then again, Yunho can hardly ever go a day without complimenting you at least three times.

It’s sweet, and you wouldn’t want him any other way. So, you decide to use this to your advantage.

“Hmmm, I don’t think you have.” You hum, keeping your voice low as you continue creeping through the ruins. “Have I told you how handsome you look with your horns out?”

A soft, giddy giggle sounds from your left.

“Should I keep them out longer, then?”

Out of the corner of your eyes, you see a shadow dart by.

“Well, that depends.”

“On?” His inquiry is eager, voice drawling out from behind the ruins of a tattered staircase.

Slowly, you inch closer, weapon at the ready.

“Do you want me to jump your bones every time I see you?”

Another giddy giggle echoes around the stones, causing your brow to quirk.

“Oh? Does My Baby like that idea?” You grin to yourself, catching a glimpse of his soft brown hair as you slowly begin to climb the remaining stairs. “Knowing I can’t keep my hands to myself when I see him? Or how about how much I love holding onto those glorious horns while I fuck his face?”

You swear a low moan escapes him.

“I thought you said we weren’t allowed to play dirty.” His voice drops, a gravelly rumble that fills the area and goes straight to your core.

“But Darling,” You coo, eyes glinting as you stand over him on the steps. “You should know by now that if I’m going to get down and dirty, it will only ever be with you.”

A sharp inhale is given by the half-demon below, and you use this opportunity to strike.

Letting out a gleeful cry of victory you jump down from your spot. You raise your weapon to strike, grin stretching wide across your features. Only, the moment your feet land on the soft earth, your ankle decides to give out beneath you.

“Jesus- fuck!” The words escape you as you go tumbling to the ground, arms splayed out before you.

A boisterous laugh sounds from behind you as you spit a mixture of dirt and leaves from your mouth.

“Blech!” You stick your tongue out, wiping at your mud covered clothes after pushing yourself upwards and into a sitting position.

“Are you alright?” The comforting hand of your boyfriend places itself gently upon your back, rubbing lightly as he soothes you. Still, there is no mistaking the laughter that clings to his words.

“Oh, now you want to check on me?” You huff, giving him a dramatic pout. You turn away from him playfully, crossing your arms over your chest as his jaw drops. “No, no, it’s fine!”

Another chuckle escapes him, a tender gleam in his dark eyes as he kneels beside you. His one hand continues to stroke over your upper back while the other gently places his toy water gun onto the ground.

“You almost had me.” He hums, checking you over for any serious injuries. When he finds none, the breath of relief he lets out is audible, even to you.

Your brow quirks, and you have to restrain yourself from letting a devious grin stretch onto your features.

“Who said the game was over?”

In the blink of an eye, you’re rolling out of his touch. Before he has a chance to react, you grab his water gun from the ground, pointing it directly at his head. Now armed with two of the same weapons, you laugh maniacally as you relentlessly pull the triggers.

The moment the water hits Yunho’s face, he recoils slightly backwards. His eyes are closed, lips pulled into a line as his shoulders deflate. A sigh of amusement escapes him, shaking his head as you continue to squirt water into his face.

After a few more moments filled with your victorious laughter, you lower your weapons.

Bringing a hand up to his face, Yunho wipes the water from his skin. Shaking his now damp bangs out, he blinks his eyes open.

“I got you good!” You cheer, wiggling happily in your spot.

Yunho can only chuckle at the ear-splitting grin that has stretched across your features. “You got me good.”

“You should have seen your face!” You tease lightheartedly. “Bet you didn’t think I could sneak up on you like that.”

“Maybe I let you sneak up on me.” He hums, almost knowingly.

You snort out a laugh. “Don’t kid yourself, Babe.”

He shakes his head in amusement, small droplets of water continuing to drip down his skin.

“You know,” He quirks a brow, tongue darting out over his lips, “This isn’t the typical way I enjoy getting wet.”

Your eyes go wide, lips parting slightly in disbelief at the sudden dark look in his eyes. A moment later and you manage to calm yourself, a knowing smirk pulling at your features. You watch as he pushes himself to his feet, brushing off the dirt on his knees before walking over and offering you his hand.

“Well then, my good sir,” You grin, taking his hand into your own. “How do you enjoy getting soaked?”

A low, pleased growl rumbles out from his chest as he pulls you back onto your feet. Only, he doesn’t let you go, opting to tug you right into his awaiting arms. Dark eyes stare at you with nothing but loving desire, his hand splaying over your lower back.

The feeling of his claws teasing at the hem of your shirt has a shiver rushing down your spine.

“I could tell you.” He hums, his free hand coming up to cup your cheek. Gently, his thumb traces over your bottom lip, admiring you openly as the last rays of the golden sun filter through the trees. “But I think I’d rather show you.”

With those words, Yunho is scooping you into his arms and tossing you over his shoulder. A wide grin settles onto his features, hand cupping your ass as another pleased rumble shakes his chest. The way you let out a little squeak as he smacks your ass is simply icing on the cake.

“Yunho!” You squeal, wiggling slightly in his grip as giggles escape you. “Put me down!”

“Oh, I’ll put you down eventually.” He nuzzles his cheek against your hip, squeezing your ass appreciatively. “There’s a nice fire waiting for us in the hearth back at the cabin, begging to bathe your skin in its amber glow. Perhaps even some nice wine…”

You hum, ceasing your playful attempts to wiggle out of his grip. “Keep talking.”

“Soft blankets, some fairy lights,” He continues. “And just for you, an eager half-demon who wants you to grip onto his horns as he buries his face into that delectable cunt of yours.”

A pleasant shiver runs up your spine, and you practically melt into his arms. “I can commit to that.”

“Good. I am but a humble servant to your pleasure right now, and I never want you to forget that, Darling.” He chuckles lowly, his hand caressing over your ass as he walks closer and closer to your shared home. “Tonight, you’re in charge.”

#cultofdionysusnet #mfu-net #yunho smut #yunho scenarios #yunho x reader #ateez smut #atz smut #ateez x reader #atz x reader #ateez scenarios #atz scenarios #kpop smut #kpop scenarios #kpop x reader #kpop au #tiefling au

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kazuhahalol · 3 months ago

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— the first snowfall | k. kurta

kurapika sees snow for the first time in York New city, triggering horrible memories.

warnings: none

word count: 912

december 14th 2024

It never snowed much in the Lukso Province. With the location being directly under the sun’s rays with every tilt of the planet, it refused to snow in the lush, green forest. The last time it snowed was a few years before Kurapika was born. Kurapika is currently body guarding Light Nostrade’s daughter, Neon, in the hotel they’re staying at for an auction. His stiff and lean body stays posted outside the wooden door, mind racing with thoughts and .9 millimeter stuffed in his belt. The large glass windows displays the city lights below and above, obnoxious honking sounding from ground level. He doesn’t get much sleep here.

The halls are quiet and empty, a person or two occasionally navigating towards their hotel room. He could tell they were affluent if they were staying at such a hotel. Your work shoes step against the carpet of the floor as you come back from your restroom break, seeing the blonde staring straight ahead at the huge billboard on the roof of the office building across, advertising some type of federal banking company.

You clear your throat softly, careful not to startle or agitate him. “Long night?”

Kurapika doesn’t turn but closes his eyes in exhaustion and nods, his eyes opening to fixate on the billboard outside once more. “Every night’s a long one here.” His voice is quiet, barely more than a murmur, like he’s trying not to disturb the silence he’s settled into. There’s a slight edge in his tone, a heaviness that you can’t quite read. Something mixed with regret and enervation.

You linger a moment, then add, “Not much to do but watch, I guess.”

He shifts his weight subtly, his gaze never breaking from the glass. “Watching is quite literally my job. Everything else is a distraction.” His tone is curt, almost dismissive. It’s clear he’s not looking for conversation, but he doesn’t seem intent on pushing you away either. It’s like he’s learned to tolerate your presence without fully acknowledging it.

The silence hangs between you, and you can’t help but feel the tension he holds, the way his stance is coiled like a spring even when he’s standing still.

You hesitate, then try once more. “Can’t be easy, though.

There’s a barely perceptible exhale, more exasperated than anything. “Easy isn’t the point,” he mutters, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. For a moment, he looks away from the window, his posture rigid. “If you’re finished with your break, I suggest you focus on your post.”

You internally let out a sigh before copying his stance, shutting up and staring out the window, but on guard. Your eyes are trained onto the billboard. The white billboard lit up with obnoxiously bright LED lights with a very happy man holding his credit card. You decided to name him Lorenzo, as he’ll be your only friend for the next few hours. You hadn’t noticed it started to snow until you wonder what in the world is flying around outside. You stare at the frozen particles in childlike wonder. Growing up in York New, you always loved how beautiful the snow looked in the city. Unable to refrain yourself, you walk towards the glass of the square window and watch as the snowflakes fall from white clouds covering the night sky.

You draw a small smiley face on the fogged up glass from your breath before turning towards Kurapika, seeing his disturbed face. You grow confused. Unbeknown to you, Kurapika has never seen snow before. The day Kurapika came back to find his clan slaughtered, he was traumatized by the sight. Mutilated bodies scattered here and there, blood splattered on what used to be a kids playground, and the fire set to many of the huts and houses of the province. One thing he’ll never forget is the ash that fell from the sky due to the many houses lighten ablaze. His heart races as his scarlet eyes flare up behind those black contacts. The snow. The ash. It’s too similar to him. Just like how the ash covered the dead bodies of his friends and family, it started to cover up the ground and roofs of the city buildings.

“Something wrong?” you ask, careful to keep your tone neutral.

Kurapika’s head snaps back slightly, as though pulled from a deep, dark memory. He presses his lips into a thin line, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “It’s nothing,” he replies, his voice edged with something close to irritation, as if even admitting that much is a vulnerability. His gaze returns to the snow outside, but this time he makes an effort to look away, to ignore it.

You drop your hand from the glass, the small smiley face already fading.

“Right.” You glance down the empty hallway, sensing that pushing further will only agitate him. And it’s clear he doesn’t want sympathy, nor distractions.

Kurapika straightens, the faintest tremor in his shoulders as he resets himself. “Get back to your post.” His tone is steely, all business now. “If there’s anything you should be concerned with, it’s not the snow.”

You nod once, sensing the finality in his words. As you turn to walk back to your post, you catch one last glimpse of his reflection in the glass, rigid, guarded, and isolated. The snow continues to fall softly outside, and you understand, just a little, why he avoids looking at it. Why some memories are best left buried.

#hunter x hunter #hxh #hxh x reader #x reader #kurapika kurta x reader #kurapika x reader #kurapika #kurapika fanfic #kurapikaheadcanons #kurapika kurta #hxh fanfic #hxh 2011 #hxh manga #hxh kurapika #fanfic #anime x reader #anime

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demifiendrsa · 3 months ago

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youtube

GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- Season Pass 4 Playable Character #1 [Queen Dizzy] Trailer

youtube

Japanese version

youtube

Battle Balance Update Trailer

youtube

Full Paris Games Week 2024 Showcase Panel

DLC character Queen Dizzy and the free Season 4 “Battle Balance” update will launch on October 31, 2024.

DLC Character Queen Dizzy

Slayer (voiced by Kira Buckland in English, Kazue Fujita in Japanese)

Ease of Use: ★★★☆☆

Luminous wings guiding the pathQueen of compassion in full bloom

A half-Gear born between a Gear and a human. Although she once distrusted humans, meeting many kind people gradually helps her overcome those feelings. Sincere and pure at heart, she loves nature and humanity, despising conflict. For a time she lives in hiding in the Forest of Demons after an elderly human couple takes her in. Johnny then asks her to join the Jellyfish Pirates, where she is welcomed warmly. During this new peaceful life, she meets Ky Kiske, a director of the International Police Force at the time, and falls in love. She eventually bears him a son, Sin. Later, she is sealed away in slumber to escape an enemy attack and subsequently freed during the Cradle incident. After Ky steps down from his position as Allied King of Illyria, Dizzy now rules the new kingdom Vialattea together with him. Although still growing accustomed to her official duties, she finds each day fulfilling.

#Guilty Gear Strive #GGST #Guilty Gear #Dizzy #Queen Dizzy #Arc System Works #video game #PS5 #Xbox Series #Xbox Series X #Xbox Series S #PS4 #Xbox One #PC #Steam #Nintendo Switch

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beautifulbizarremagazine · 3 months ago

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Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition ‘Paracosmic Escape’ at @moderneden Gallery in San Francisco: Nov 9 - Dec 5, 2024 😍

‘Paracosmic Escape’ Curated by: Beautiful Bizarre | Art Direction by: @musoniumgallery Exhibition Dates: November 9 - December 5, 2024 Modern Eden Gallery, 1100 Sutter Street | San Francisco

Sales enquiries: please email Gallery Director, Kim Larson at [email protected]

‘Paracosmic Escape’ explores themes of retrospection, introspection, and complex relationships with the real world, where internal gateways offer a place of sanctuary to heal from and provide explanation to the effects of reality. ~ @keeleygerardart (Art Director of @musoniumgallery)

Exhibiting artists: Alexandra Lukaschewitz, Alexandra Manukyan, Andi Soto, Andie Taylor, Annie Montgomerie, Brian Haberlin, Brian Mashburn, César Orrico, Calvin Ma, Camilla d’Errico, Crystal Morey, Dewi Plass, Diego Orlando, Ellen Jewett, Erika Sanada, Forest Rogers, Georgios Georgolios, Haejin Yoo, Hannah Flowers, Howard Lyon, Ito Chieko, J Louis, Jana Brike, Jasmine Becket-Griffith, Jason Mowry, Jessica Dalva, Jesús Aguado, Jon Ching, Juliet Schreckinger, Juli About, Katie Gamb, Kevin Peterson, Kim Slate, Koh Kisung, Kristin Kwan, Kseniia Boko, Laura Colors, Larysa Bernhardt, Lavely Miller, Lesley Thiel, VZEWL, Lindsey Carr, Lisa Lach-Nielsen, Lo Chan Peng, Lou Benesch, Luke Hillestad, Lucia Heffernan, Marc le Rest, Mark Jeffrey R. Santos, Mary Syring, Mothmeister, Nadine Tralala, Naoto Hattori, Nicole Evans, Noah Norrid, Olga Esther, Ornélie, Orphans Inc, Raúl Guerra, Richard Ahnert, Richard A. Williams, Rima Day, Ross Takahashi, Roxanne Sauriol Hauenherm, Scott Listfield, Shannon Taylor, Siana Park, Sooj Mitton, Spencer Hansen, Stasia Schmidt, Stéphanie Kilgast, Stephanie Rew, Tania Rivilis, Tina Yu, Tina Spratt, Tom Bagshaw, Tristan Elwell, Ulyana Turchenko, Vasilisa Romanenko, Victor, Vincent Giarrano, and Yousuke Kawashima.

#art #artist #painting #drawing #sculpture #digital art #photography #art exhibition

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ausetkmt · 2 months ago

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Benin grants citizenship to slave descendants as it faces its own role in the trade

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — When Nadege Anelka first came to the West African country of Benin from her home island of Martinique, a French overseas territory in the Caribbean, the 57-year-old travel agent said she had a feeling of deja vu.

Nate Debos, known by his stage name NaTRILL Dizaster, left, who said he would apply for Benin citizenship, poses with Ay.Yon Michaels, right, of the rap duo Ayakashi Krewe inside an old school bus in New Orleans, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Feeling at home in Benin, Anelka decided to settle there last July and open a travel agency. She hopes to become a citizen by taking advantage of a law passed in September that grants citizenship to those who can trace their lineage to the slave trade.

The new law, which was initiated by President Patrice Talon, who has been in office since 2016, is part of a broader effort by Benin to reckon with its own historical role in the slave trade.

The law is open to all over 18 who do not already hold other African citizenship and can provide proof that an ancestor was deported via the slave trade from anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Beninese authorities accept DNA tests, authenticated testimonies and family records.

In this Jan. 29, 2019 file photo, the flags of the nations of Benin and Togo, the west African homes of the survivors of the slave ship Clotilda, remain on display on a monument at what was the Africatown Welcome Center in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Julie Bennett, File)

Benin is not the first country to grant citizenship to descendants of slaves. Earlier this month, Ghana naturalized 524 African Americans after the West African country’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, invited them to “come home” in 2019, as part of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in North America in 1619.

But Benin’s citizenship law carries added significance, in part because of the role it played in the slave trade as one of the main points of departure.

European merchants deported an estimated 1.5 million slaves from the Bight of Benin, a territory that includes modern-day Benin and Togo and part of modern-day Nigeria, said Ana Lucia Araujo, a professor of history at Howard University who has spent years researching Benin’s role.

In this Nov. 17, 2011 file photo, a fisherman stands amidst city trash brought in by the tide, as he prepares to launch his fishing boat, in Cotonou, Benin. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

Benin has struggled to resolve its legacy of complicity. For over 200 years, powerful kings captured and sold slaves to Portuguese, French and British merchants.

The kingdoms still exist today as tribal networks, and so do the groups that were raided. Rumors that President Patrice Talon is a descendant of slave merchants sparked much debate while he was running for office in 2016. Talon has never publicly addressed the rumors.

Benin has openly acknowledged its role in the slave trade, a stance not shared by many other African nations that participated. In the 1990s, Benin hosted an international conference, sponsored by UNESCO, to examine how and where slaves were sold.

And in 1999, President Mathieu Kérékou fell to his knees whiling visiting a church in Baltimore and issued an apology to African Americans for Africa’s involvement in the slave trade.

FILE- A man paddles a canoe near a Voodoo sacred forest in Adjarra, Benin, on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)

Memorial sites are mostly in Ouidah. They include the “Door of No Return,” which marks the point from which many enslaved people were shipped across the Atlantic, as well as the town’s history museum.

At the “Tree of Forgetfulness,” enslaved people were said to be symbolically forced to forget their past lives.

“Memories of the slave trade are present on both sides of the Atlantic, but only one of these sides is well known,” said Sindé Cheketé, the head of Benin’s state-run tourism agency.

Nate Debos, 37, an American musician living in New Orleans, learned about Benin’s citizenship law while visiting for the Porto Novo mask festival. He had never been to West Africa before, but his interest in the Vodun religion led him there.

Debos is the president of an association called New Orleans National Vodou Day. It mirrors Benin’s Vodun Day, a national holiday on Jan. 10 with a festival in Ouidah celebrating Vodun, an official religion in Benin, practiced by at least a million people in the country.

It originated in the kingdom of Dahomey — in the south of present-day Benin — and revolves around the worship of spirits and ancestors through rituals and offerings. Slavery brought Vodun to the Americas and the Caribbean, where it became Vodou, a blend with Catholicism.

“Vodou is one of the chains that connects Africa to the Americas,” said Araujo, the professor. “For enslaved Africans, it was a way of resisting slavery.”

European colonial powers and slave owners sought to suppress African cultural and religious practices. Vodun was preserved through syncretism, as African deities and spirits were merged with or disguised as Catholic saints.

“Our African ancestors were not tribal savages, they had sophisticated cultures with very noble and beautiful spiritual practices,” Debos said.

He now seeks to establish more partnerships with collectives practicing Vodun in Benin, which would require him to stay in the country for longer periods. He will apply for citizenship, but not with an intention to move there permanently.

“At the end of the day, I am an American, even when I am dressed in the wonderful fabrics and suits they have in Benin,” Debos said.

Anelka, the travel agent now living in Benin, said her motivations behind getting Beninese citizenship are mostly symbolic.

“I know I will never be completely Beninese. I will always be considered a foreigner” she said. “But I am doing this for my ancestors. It’s a way to reclaim my heritage, a way of getting reparation.”

#Benin grants citizenship to slave descendants as it faces its own role in the trade

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abdalrahim88 · 2 months ago

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My name is Abdul Rahim, I work in restaurant management in Gaza, I am also a pastry maker and I train, qualify and develop the skills of young people to work in the restaurant field.

Today I am blessed with a wonderful wife, Iman, and two beautiful children, Adam and Sanad. As I write these words, warplanes and drones hover above us without stopping from their annoying sound, I hug my children to distract them from the continuous and terrifying sounds of bombing and destruction around us.

I worked hard to build my career here and I am proud of my ability to build a home for my family. The Israeli occupation destroyed our home in October, as well as the restaurants where I and my colleagues worked.

In the second week of October 2023, my family was forced to evacuate Gaza City to Deir al-Balah due to the heavy bombing in our surroundings, then we were forced to flee again to Al-Zawaida, then to Deir al-Balah again, then to Al-Nuseirat. Displacement is exhausting and painful, especially for my mother, father and children.

Now, my wife, children, mother, father, brothers, uncle and his wife, we all live in one tent because it is the only option. In the fourth week of February 2024, an entire square around us was bombed by Israeli warplanes. At home, I saw nothing. The atmosphere was filled with gunpowder and dust. I started screaming for my children. Sanad was playing next to me and Adam was sleeping next to my wife. I screamed at the top of my lungs looking for them and turned on a small flashlight and started searching for them quickly until I found them. These are difficult and unforgettable moments. My child Adam sustained three injuries. The first was in his spine, which led to two broken vertebrae. The second was in his head, which led to a skull fracture. The third was in his chest, which led to internal bleeding. He needed rapid intervention from medical staff to save his life. After that, he had to stay in the hospital for several weeks to receive treatment, but he is still suffering. As for Sanad, a shrapnel hit his chest. We are still living in harsh conditions in the tents. We are facing a difficult conditions, and aid is being prevented from entering, so we lack basic necessities, water and food. Because we ran away from our homes with only the clothes on our backs, we have none of our belongings to deal with the harsh conditions.

The feeling of losing everything you have in a moment is like running barefoot through a forest of thorns without knowing where it will end and what you will face next. I am doing my best to keep my family safe but there is so much we do not know. We hope that this nightmare will end every day so that we can return to our homes or what is left of them and rebuild them. My children want to return to their home and their toys, and I hope to help them pursue their dreams and achieve them.

The money raised will help complete the treatment of my son Adam who is still receiving treatment and rehabilitation and will help my family survive with everything needed on the ground. Wood and coal, food, clean drinking water, diapers, detergents, mattresses, and winter clothes especially for the children.

Also housing and rebuilding our lives.

And if the war continues... traveling abroad will be the best solution in an attempt to survive the war that does not spare anyone. We talk to our children and remember the good times in our house, where we used to sit, play and spend time together. My son Adam tells me that he wants his room and his bike back, small dreams that I will try to achieve again.

However, we do not lose hope. My children are my strength and my faith in God gives me patience.

Thank you very much in advance.

#free gaza #gaza #free palestine #save palestine

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literary-illuminati · 4 months ago

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2024 Book Review #48 – My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

This is the second book by Graham Jones I’ve read, though of the two it’s easily the more famous and the first I actually heard about. I was not at all prepared going into it – this is overall an interesting and engaging read, but it’s hardly what I’d call an easy one. Not do to any failures on the book’s part, really, but it’s not trying to hold your hand and you really have to meet it where it is (the mind of a traumatized teenager with a shit life and a weird obsession as a coping mechanism).

The book is told from the very close perspective of Jade, a high school senior in a tiny mountain town that was slowly decaying in the usual way right up until the moment where a collection of lawyers, real estate develops and tech moguls fell in love with the forest on the far side of the lake and decided to transform it into the perfect new home for them to raise their families. Jade, meanwhile, is living on the ragged edge of the dying town, giving her hair a shitty new dye-job every week and more focused on avoiding her drunk asshole of a father and his friends than graduating highschool. Her true love and object devotion, though, is horror movies – slashers, specifically, Friday the 13th and Halloween and all the other formulaic gore fests of serial killers and punished indiscretions and heroic final girls. And when a pair of European tourists really are mysteriously killed well tresspassing on the lake, and she meets the gorgeous, athletic, impossibly good daughter of a tech billionaire who just has to the final girl, she realizes she must be living through one.

Horror – especially slasher horror - is one of those genres where it’s feels like there are more metacommentaries and deconstructions (for whatever meaning you give the word) than there are examples played straight these days. Even if you did make a beat-for-beat formulaic slasher movie it would probably end up reading as self-parody by default. This book goes as far in the other direction as is physically possible – Jade understands the world nigh-exclusively through the lends of slasher movies, and the narration and her internal monologue is absolutely saturated with references and comparisons to them. Like Scream squared. You will, I expect, find this either charming or utterly intolerable, but you’ll find out quite early in the book; it starts in chapter one and simply doesn’t stop.

Now, I’m not particularly sure the book has much to say about horror – that the slasher genre is intensely formulaic and oddly moralistic isn’t exactly news to anyone who even slightly cares. Instead, it’s used mostly as a characterization tool. The central tension of the book (or, at least, the first 3/4 of it) is honestly whether there’s any reality to the slasher stuff or it’s entirely Jade projecting. Which is a much more tense tension than any amount of violence is likely to be, really – you legitimately don’t know which way it will go!

One consequence of the narrative marinating in horror trivia is that the way it actually presents violence is kind of uncanny. I’m honestly not entirely sure whether it’s intentional, but when Jade has spent the entire book blithely talking and fantasizing about fictional violence and being an utter gore-head about the coming apocalyptic violence she’s so certain is on the horizon, when it actually arrives it all feels a bit oddly unreal. Which is not exactly helped by said apocalyptic violence being incredibly confusing and hard to understand from a limited perspective until the very end when it’s just outright exposited to the reader, in a way that I wasn’t sure wasn’t Jade being Jade until the monster literally walked on water.

The book really lives and dies by what you think of Jade as a character. She is a damaged, messy teenage girl who makes consistently poor choices and responds to people trying to help her by lashing out or running away. She also literally only talks about and relates to other people through Slasher movies. She also spends a large portion of the story convinced the town is going to be massacred and ambivalent about whether it deserves it (to be fair, you will probably agree). This was a genuinely difficult read to continue at several points, and it was entirely down to sympathetic cringe and secondhand embarrassment at her every social interaction. Which to be clear I consider an absolute artistic triumph! But oh it was a struggle to get through.

The book’s approach to race, class and the general experience of being marginalized is more subtle than its take on horror tropes, but at times only barely. Jade is poor, half-Indian, and stuck dealing with a profoundly shitty home life on a few different levels. She is just barely riding the edge of graduating high-school or not, and that only from some very indulgent authority figures, with no particularly bright future to look forward to. It’s not what the book is about or anything, but the book makes absolutely no effort to paint her as a prodigy or destined for great things – and the contrast between Lethe the golden girl daughter of oligarchs is sharply and painfully clearly drawn, in how they are treated, how they go through life, and what sort of lives they seem to be cruising towards.

I am told this is the first book in a trilogy, and I’ve got to admit I have no fucking idea why or what the sequels could possibly be about. I also feel no real impulse to go chasing after them, but I’ll probably get around to it at some point.

#book review #my heart is a chainsaw #stephen graham jones #sff #horror

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rjzimmerman · 4 months ago

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Excerpt from this story from EcoWatch:

A new report from a team of international scientists has revealed harsh realities on Earth, with 25 of 35 planetary vital signs reaching record extremes. Without immediate action, scientists warn that these extremes could threaten life on Earth.

In the new study, published in the journal BioScience, scientists presented a stark look at the state of the climate crisis.

“We are on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster. This is a global emergency beyond any doubt. Much of the very fabric of life on Earth is imperiled. We are stepping into a critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis,” the scientists wrote.

Scientists use 35 different planetary vital signs to track the effects of climate change, including human population, global tree cover loss, meat production per capita, energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, ice mass changes, glacier thickness and more.

Twenty-five of these vital signs are already breaking records, including human population, coal and oil consumption, ruminant livestock populations, U.S. heat-related deaths, carbon emissions, methane levels, fossil fuel subsidies, ocean heat content changes, ocean acidification, glacier thickness and tree cover loss, among others.

According to the scientists, the human population is increasing by around 200,000 people per day, while ruminant livestock populations are increasing by around 170,000 animals per day. They also found that fossil fuel consumption increased 1.5% in 2023.

A separate report, the 2024 Forest Declaration Assessment, recently confirmed a decrease in tree cover, with 6.3 million hectares of land deforested in 2023.

Although the scientists did find that renewable energy consumption increased in 2023, renewables are still not overtaking fossil fuel demand enough to limit severe impacts of climate change.

Further, scientists warned that atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane concentrations have reached record highs, the average surface temperature of the Earth is at a record high, ocean acidity has broken records, ocean heating is at an all-time high, and global sea levels are at the highest amounts ever recorded.

On the other hand, Greenland and Antarctic ice masses have reached record lows, and the average global glacier thickness is at an all-time low.

We are already seeing the devastating impacts of these vital signs hitting extremes, with a 117% increase in heat deaths in the U.S. from 1999 to 2023. Last year, areas across Asia experienced deadly heat waves that killed thousands of people, the report authors warned.

Now, the U.S. is facing two back-to-back hurricanes amid rising ocean temperatures, which have nearly doubled in the past two decades, a recent report from EU Copernicus found.

#planetary vital signs #climate change #climate crisis

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isabeljkim · 1 year ago

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by popular request: my 2024 awards eligibility post (now on my blog)

so yeah i wrote a bunch of stuff this year but this is the stuff i think is The Best! So you should read these three short stories and if you go "this is great, isabel j. kim, this makes me feel real human emotions and experience joie de vivre or perhaps the opposite of joie de vivre in a good way" then please consider nominating or voting for me on Stuff.

note that the locus award is specifically Open To Everyone, wink.

anyway ok stories, descriptions and links under the cut, in no particular order

Zeta-Epsilon, in Clarkesworld's March 2023 issue Nonlinear spaceship heist. Here's an exerpt: Start at the cleave of it, not at Zed’s meat death or Ep’s centuries-long destruction, but at the moment that Zed halves his own mind and walks away. Or as was reported in the internal memorandum, the moment when Pilot-Commander Zeta San Tano killed himself at his infinite post on the M.K.S. Epsilon, leaving behind an empty airlock and a crippled starship unable to communicate, limping its way home after battle, carrying a full complement of soldiers.

The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside, in Apex's January 2023 issue Fae, lawyers, and inadvisable queer romance with your officemate. Here's an exerpt: Their power is how they can turn you into one of them. That’s the trick of it, see. You can go in with your swords and sacrifice, you can go in with your red heart and good intentions, and they will grin with their white teeth and say, “Welcome to Grey & Tender, LLP. We’re so glad you’ve agreed to join our summer class. We’ll be sending you the paperwork shortly.”

Day Ten Thousand, in Clarkesworld's June 2023 issue This one is about..oh, just read it. (tw: sui). Here's an exerpt:

A man who will be given a second name in ten thousand years and a man whose name will be forgotten sit in a forest, or perhaps a grassy plain, or perhaps a cold tundra. It is a biome that will not exist in ten thousand years but whose footprint will be pressed into the earth and folded over.

The first man—Dave, let’s call him Dave—says, “Are you sure about this?”

The second man says, “Which one of us has epilepsy and can see the future, you or me?”

#awardsposting #consider me for awards #then work will probably let me take time off to go!#also its pretty good

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itachis-eyes · 5 months ago

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Sasuke Every Day Until He's Freed From Tree Prison: (draws the forest in my head for a scene from a silly little RP)

@dark4kuran hi :3

August 30th, 2024

Got an idea? Askbox!

A ko-fi could get me to my goal of a new internal hard drive!

#sasuke #sasuke uchiha #uchiha sasuke #kakshi #kakashi hatake #feral kakashi AU #sasukeeveryday #digital art #fan art #art #artists on tumblr

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darcylewisbingohq · 6 months ago

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1. driftwood | bonfire | pyromania

2. sweater weather | a dark and stormy night| 10 days of rain

3. centaur | Sleepy Hollow, NY | bakotsu

4. Halloween virgin | Halloween veteran | Queen of Halloween

5. hidden lagoon | The Pettenedda (well monster) | a bunyip in the billabong

6. dungeon | hidden away in Hydra’s sub-basement | subterranean terror

7. supernatural harbinger (Vardøger) | bilocation (doppelgänger) | the Gothic double (Jekyll v. Hyde/Banner v. Hulk)

8. the Hanging Wood | Witches Castle | the Black Forest

9. Chinese Lantern | vampire fruit | Ghost Gum

10. sheet ghost | haunt | ghost POV

11. phobia | fear made flesh | [insert your personal fear here]

12. alienation | Hill of Crosses | “Waltzing Matilda”

13. mutation | sentient Hydra experiment | interviewing a monster

14. Sasquatch | Wild Man of the Woods | Silvanus (similar to a satyr or faun)

15. tarot cards | crystal ball | ouija board

16. a sling ring | a mystery portal | Doors of Death

17. immortal enemy(ies) to lover(s) | succubus soulmate | fiends for life

18. feline | witch’s familiar | thylacine sighting

19. dragon | La Gargouille | kaiju battle

20. enthrall | ‘like a moth to a flame’ | Mothman

21. a virgin sacrifice | fresh flesh | Drop Bear

22. cider festival | beer garden | Oktoberfest

23. rum runner | mooncusser | Half Moon Bay

24. Jersey Devil | Monster of Ravenna | La Llorona

25. costume | disguised naiad | swan maidens

26. (pre)deceased | axe murder | Fall River, Mass.

27. howl | werewolf | Forest of the Wolves

28. runic carvings | curse | a cult of witches

29. Blood Moon | The Hunt | the Wild Hunt/Santa Compaña

30. catacombs | reliquary | ossuary church

31. rich people Halloween party | a Gothic masquerade | Hydra’s Halloween Ball

Alternates

Because the Darcy Lewis Bingo Mod Team are writers and artists ourselves, we understand that not all prompts are created equal and, therefore, are not necessarily inspiring to all creators. So, for 2024-25, we are including a list of 10 fun, spooky alternate prompts you’re welcome to use on any day you get stumped by the creator prompts we’ve supplied above. Each alternate prompt may only be used once, however, so use them wisely and don’t take them for granted. These are not easier prompts by any means! And don’t forget that all of your Promptober fills must incorporate our beloved Lady of the Astrophysics Lab, Dr. Darcy Lewis!

A1. a 2-sentence horror story (req.: cannot be longer than 2 sentences & must tell a complete horror story)

A2. Darcy’s First Halloween

A3. a Halloween Darcy drabble (req.: exactly 100 words)

A4. the Avengers go out on Halloween Night in New York City

A5. an onomatopoeic story or poem (req.: must include at least 13 onomatopoetic words)

A6. a Darcy retelling of the Headless Horseman (or your favorite classic spooky story)

A7. an acrostic poem about Darcy, the Avengers, and Halloween

A8. The Mummy AU

A9. an autumnal Darcy haiku

A10. record a podfic (with permission) of a friend’s spookiest Darcy fic

With our alternates, this means every player begins this round of Promptober with a whopping 103 spooky season prompts. We can’t wait to see what you make of them in the year to come. Have a spooky time creating, Darcy Friends!

Promptober 2024 is a list of 31 this-that-or-the-other prompt themes handpicked by our mod team to cross international borders for creators to choose from to create spooky, oogie, or hygge fanworks for the autumn & Halloween season (or for Scary Christmas, Valloween/St. Guillotine’s Day, Half-Halloween, Gay Halloween!, Summerween, Scary Christmas in July, or Autumn Down Under for our Aussie creators). We continue to be not your mom so we’re not here to tell you when or how long you can celebrate your Spooky Season. Here at Darcy Lewis Bingo HQ, all your spooky holiday lifestyle choices are valid. In fact…

Important Dates & Deadlines

Promptober begins on August 3rd, 2024 this round, but you know how we feel about deadlines. 🔪 So, for this round of Promptober, we’re doing away entirely with hard deadlines and we mean it! You have from August 3rd, 2024 until our next Halloween event begins, and even beyond that, if you like! Though we do strongly recommend wrapping up this challenge before the next spooky challenge begins, this event remains open basically as long as this bingo exists. No pressure to complete, ever, just inspo and encouragement. 🧡

Promptober Challenges

Promptober Mini Challenge: choose and complete fannish works for any 13 of the prompts from this list for our mini challenge. Creators may choose 13 prompts from the list of prompts—any 13 prompts at all!

Promptober Mega Challenge: choose and complete fannish works for 31 of the listed prompts for our spooky main event! Creators may choose any 31 of the total 93 prompts listed to complete this event.

For an extra personal challenge, you may limit yourself to only posting a fanwork inspired by one of the prompts listed by the number that corresponds to each day of October for every day of the month all month long, but it’s absolutely not required for completion of this event. We want you to succeed and create, and to share new Darcy works, so our goal is always to support you in your fannish creative endeavors and make that as easy as possible.

*If you post every day in October as a personal challenge, mention us @darcylewisbingohq in your tumblr posts to let us know you’ve posted a new work or update so we can reblog your daily posts in as close to real time as possible. Once we’ve left a like on your post, rest assured: that means it’s in our queue, just waiting its turn to be featured on our blog.

Promptober 2024 Guidelines

Promptober fills must prominently feature our beloved Lady of Astrophysics, Dr. Darcy Lewis!

Promptober creators have all of our 2024-2025 round to work on this event! If you want to work on it the whole year until we release the next spooky season event, we encourage you to do that. If spooky challenges are particularly your jam, we’d love to see what you do with ours when you’ve got the whole year to tackle it!

entries—Your fanwork is NOT required to use the prompt exactly as it appears on this list. Prompts need only inspire your fanwork, whether they appear word for word in it or not. However the prompt inspires you is correct, as far as we’re concerned. Subvert the prompt, reverse the prompt, marry the prompt—it’s up to you.

All forms of fannish works are accepted and encouraged for this event! Fanfic, fanart, poetry, podfics, fanvids, playlists, fiber and other crafts, fan edits, moodboards, etc.

You may start posting your Promptober fanworks as soon as they’re ready to share. No need to wait until October and no need to rush to get them all done in that month, either.

Fanwork Fill Requirements

100 words for written works or word art, with the exception of poetry with independent formatting rules (such as haikus).

1 image for artwork or handcrafts of any kind and a description for the visually impaired of the medium used and what it represents.

1 image for cosplay or character-bounding and a description for the visually impaired of cosplay or clothing and any other fashion influences incorporated into the costume or clothing (be descriptive! talk about fabrics and colors, tone and texture! describe the emotions the colors you used evoke in you as the creator!)

9 elements for moodboards (background, images, texts, ephemera) and a description for the visually impaired of the moodboard and what it represents.

6 images for social media AUs and a description for the visually impaired of the creation and what it represents.

10 songs for playlists and a text list of artists and songs to give credit to the original artists, plus a description for the visually impaired of what the playlist represents and how it relates to Darcy.

Still not sure if your creation will meet the minimum prompt fill requirements? @ a mod! we’ll create new requirements based on new types of creator fanwork submissions, as needed.

These participation requirements are identical to our annual bingo event; those guidelines are always pinned at the top of our tumblr blog where they’re easy to find; the link to those guidelines and fill requirements can also be found on Discord in our #bingo-info channel.

#darcy lewis #promptober #promptober 2024 #spooky season #writing challenge #fanwork challenge

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ofstarsandflames · 7 months ago

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Hello all! Congratulations to all participating in RobStar week, both creator and audience!

Also, remember yesterday when I said I'd participate in every prompt this week? Guess which idiot decided to get covid!

This gal!

Luckily, it's not too bad! I have my Vaccines and was told I'd get better in a few days. Unluckily, I feel like I've been hit by a truck.

Thankfully, I already have drafts written up for this week! Unfortunately, a couple of them were unfinished and so I had to complete them in a hurry to meet the schedule.

This is one of two fics that were incomplete. If it is not up to par, I sincerely apologize!

Anyway, I decided to go for a more angst-y approach to today's prompt, heh-heh. Some of the content below may differ from what we are familiar with in the show, but fret not! I will expand on my ideas more once RobStar week is concluded!

With that, please go right ahead and jump right in! I hope you enjoy!

RobStar Week 2024, Day 2

Power Swap

Robin might have to kill Cyborg once he got a hold of him.

While a majority of the cybernetic teen’s inventions had delivered positive results, there were often some that proved more difficult than what they were worth.

The ‘Ability Monitor’ and ‘Flash Teleporter’ proved to be the latter.

A series of hijinks occurred, resulting in both Robin and Starfire getting caught together by both inventions.

And now here he and Starfire were, powers and clothing swapped with the other’s with broken communicators (and by definition GPS’s), as they tried to navigate the endless labyrinth that was Jump City’s National Park.

They must have been out there for hours, seeing as the sky went from beautiful day to stark night.

It did help that he was able to fly over the trees, gaining a better view of their endless landscape. Unfortunately, having trouble staying afloat mixed with being unable to find a definitive landmark certainly made things more difficult than they needed to be.

Yeah, it was no longer a maybe. He was DEFINITELY going to kill Cyborg once they made their way back to the tower.

“Everything okay?” Star asked from below.

Robin lowered himself from the air, hoping the action looked natural despite his trouble doing so.

“Everything’s great!” Robin landed next to her, internally cringed at how overly-peppy his voice sounded. “Perfect, even! Why, I’d go so far to say I've finally perfected your powers!”

Suddenly, as if fate itself decided to call out his bluff, Robin’s left hand glowed an intense bright blue. That hand, leaning against a nearby tree, caused the poor timber to instantly light up in blue flames.

“...”

Nothing, at least for the first couple of seconds.

“Huh, look at that.” Starfire said in a strangely calm tone.

“AHHHH!” Her partner was the opposite, his features displaying pure panic. “WE HAVE TO PUT IT OUT!”

Robin ran around in a panic. He needed to find something that could keep the fire from spreading throughout the forest!

What to do, what to do, what to d-

HISSSSSSSSSSSSS

A loud hissing sound pulled him back to the present. The poor tree was now covered with a white foam, the last of the blue flames flickering out of existence.

There stood Starfire, a mini fire extinguisher in her hands.

Ah, right. One of the many useful tools stashed inside that signature utility belt.

“Oh, uh…” Robin let out a light cough, cheeks warming up in embarrassment. “Nice work.”

Starfire’s mouth curved into a small smile, her eyes obviously filled with mirth despite being covered by one of the Boy Wonder’s signature masks.

“Well!” Star said in an impressed voice, putting the fire extinguisher back in ‘her’ belt. “Looks like you weren’t lying about perfecting my powers.”

Though his eyes were also masked, Starfire knew he was throwing her an embarrassed glare.

“Not funny.”

Though his hand no longer glowed blue, Robin still shook his hand in an attempt to “chase away” any lingering Starbolts. Star giggled at the sight (resulting in another glare) before she continued leading the way to their intended destination.

“Oh, do not be so hard on yourself.” The now human girl called out to him. “I know firsthand how difficult my powers can be to manage. You are actually doing quite well, despite what you may think.”

Even though he knew she was just trying to cheer him up, it wasn’t like Starfire was necessarily lying.

Robin remembered the Titans’ first month as a team, having to learn about each other and how to work together in-tune with their abilities. Starfire in particular had more than a few moments where her powers flared up out of nowhere, most likely a response to how she was feeling according to her.

On the bright side, thanks to her they managed to find better ways to fire-proof the whole tower.

Her powers, being somewhat fire-based, often had the unavoidable side effect of rising heat.

Rising heat…

Robin blinked in confusion. It was the middle of August and a relatively cold night, why was he so hot all of a sudden?

And why did his stomach start hurting out of nowhere?

Intense…

Suddenly, Robin felt his throat closing up. He tried to take a deep breath but found himself unable to. If anything, his breaths were coming out in short, heavy pants.

Burning…

“Robin?”

Starfire turned, uneasy at how quiet the other suddenly was.

She gasped at the sight before her. Robin was doubled over, one hand clawing at his throat while the other clutched his head.

“ROBIN!”

Starfire immediately ran to his side. She tried to place a hand on his back in an effort to calm him, maybe help him up to examine his condition. However, and much to her shock, the second she made contact with his skin she had to pull away.

He was hot. Burning hot. So much hotter than was supposed to be physically possible.

Starfire’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘Why…’

She shook her head, utter distraught and confusion filling her head.

‘Why is this happening to him as well!?’

A loud, strained gasp filled her ears and brought her out of her stupor. Robin was now kneeling, purple and silver clothing sticking to his skin as he continued to burn from the inside.

‘No!’ Starfire internally yelled to herself. ‘This is no time to panic!’

She may not have known why this was happening to him, but she did know how to relieve it.

Starfire placed herself in front of Robin, kneeling to meet his level. She held his face in her hands, ignoring the intense pain as his skin burned her hands.

“Robin, listen to me!” Starfire commanded in a voice fit for a leader. “You need to manifest some Starbolts. Right now.”

Robin was more than confused. Why did he feel like his insides were on fire? Why was Starfire commanding him to produce a pair of Starbolts? Why was she so calm?

But regardless, what else could he do except listen?

He closed his eyes, trying hard not to think about the pain enveloping his whole body. His mind worked to recall as many rage-inducing thoughts he could muster.

‘Nothing but a sidekick.’

A different, more controlled heat began forming in Robin’s palms.

‘My last night in Gotham City.’

A small blue flame, bursting with energy, slowly manifested in each of his hands.

‘Slade.’

That did the trick.

A fully formed blue Starbolt, bursting with immense power, appeared in each hand.

“Nicely done!” Starfire’s voice was filled with relief. “Now, keep them in place for as long as you must. In just a moment, you will feel the burning sensation fade.”

Robin’s eyes widened, his masked eyes displaying a fair amount of uncertainty.

“Star, what-”

“Please Robin!” Starfire pleaded, never once releasing him from her hold. “Trust me!”

Robin trusted her. Though he was still unsure of the situation, that much he knew to be true.

Suddenly, Robin felt a wave of cool relief washing over him. The intense burning sensation slowly went down, his insides going from a painful boil to a subtle simmer.

They were both still for a moment. Not a sound could be heard, other than Robin’s labored breathing.

His breathing followed that pattern. His breaths went from difficult, painful huffs to the simple, mindless action it had always been before that moment.

Almost as quickly as it began, Robin was back to his not-so-normal current self.

“Thank goodness!” Starfire let out a sigh of relief as she helped the other to his feet. “I was so worried it would not work!”

Robin watched the Starbolts in his hand slowly fade away, trying his best to process what just transpired.

“Star?” Robin asked, his eyes never leaving the flame in his palm.

Starfire’s body froze. His voice, it’s tone… why did it suddenly hold so much weight?

“Y-yes, Robin?”

The dancing blue flame, once brighter than the moon shining in the black sky above, flickered when the hand it stood on closed.

Even if it was dark, Starfire could not miss the heavy stare directed her way.

“guys…”

Ears perked up, Starfire quickly snapped her head in the direction of where the sound came from.

“robin…”

“starfire…”

The others! They must have been locating them with Cyborg’s heat sensing technology!

Starfire was relieved, thankful for their perfect timing.

“R-Robin.” Star pointed up ahead. “Did you hear that? The others, they must be nearby!”

Grabbing his hand, Starfire tried to listen for the direction of where the voices were coming from.

“They must be over th-”

She tried to walk to where the voices were, but was halted in the process. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Robin planted firmly in place.

“Robin?”

Another tug of his hand. Like before, he wouldn’t budge.

“Why are you…?” Starfire tried pulling him with her, but without her super strength it was no use. “What are you doing? We have to go find the others-”

“What was that, Starfire.”

Starfire stopped pulling. Her eyes widened behind the mask.

“Wh-what do you me-”

“You know what I’m talking about.” Robin was now the one to hold her hand, keeping her from running away. “What happened earlier?”

Starfire held her breath, more nervous than she had been when she discovered her powers had been transferred to the team leader.

She needed to be careful how she worded this, lest she makes things worse.

“O-oh! You mean that.” Starfire giggled, attempting to diffuse the situation. “You needn’t worry about that! It simply happens whenever I go for long periods of time without releasing my Starbolts!”

“Wait!” This revelation shocked Robin. “Are you saying you’ve felt this on multiple occasions!?”

“Well… yes.” Starfire admitted. “I hadn’t used my Starbolts since we defended the city last week. However, I did not think my condition would pass to you.”

“Forget about that.”

Robin grasped her shoulders, forcing each other’s masked eyes to meet.

“How long have you dealt with this?”

Starfire grimaced, unsure of how he would take her answer.

“Robin…”

“How long, Starfire.”

She considered lying for a moment. The last thing Starfire ever wanted to do was make things difficult for her friends, as it was her personal duty to aid and make things easier for them.

Unfortunately, Robin knew her. He would know if what she said was untrue, especially since he was refusing to let this one go.

“Since I first landed on Earth.” Star answered truthfully. “I noticed it after I first flew away from you all, and I also discovered how to relieve it soon after.”

Robin’s eyes widened, the revelation striking him more painfully than the sensation ever felt. Seeing his reaction, Star knew she needed to resolve this problem as quickly as she could. .

“Robin, please do not worry about me.”

Starfire squeezed his hand in reassurance. She removed the domino mask she wore, wanting him to see the sincerity behind her words.

“I promise you, I can handle it. It is not so bad once you are used to it, and it helps that I do not recall a life where I do not experience the feeling.”

Robin could not believe what she was saying.

How was he not supposed to worry, when she had just revealed that she had been experiencing that awful burning sensation since she first arrived on Earth?!

Even if she’d had it for as long as she remembered, which was proven to be short due to the loss of her past, Starfire shouldn’t have to experience such a painful feeling on a constant basis!

Robin wanted to say this. He knew the alien was hiding more than she let on and he wanted to know why.

But, even if that was what he desired, it would not matter. Starfire’s eyes, while showcasing her sincerity, also displayed her resolve.

She was not going to reveal more than she wanted.

“Fine.”

Robin finally released her. There was a tension in the air, so thick and heavy it needed to be hacked with a knife.

He nodded his head to where the voices continued to shout out.

“We shouldn’t keep them waiting. Cyborg’ll restore us back to normal once we reach the tower.”

Starfire nodded, not wanting to risk him questioning her any further. She was not sure if she would be able to resist had he continued to be persistent.

Star just hoped Robin would no longer look into the setbacks of her powers, for both of her sakes. Even if she did not know why, or maybe on the chance she could not remember why, she knew the answer would only lead to trouble.

Unfortunately for her, Robin was not finished. If anything, he was just getting started.

He was going to get answers, for both their sakes.

#canon rewrite #my universe #my fic #starfire #robin #teen titans 2003 #teen titans #robstar #RobStar Week #robstar week 2024

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