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acedormouse · 3 months ago

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The Complex Chupacabra Conjugate (Chapter 3)

Summary: Conjugated systems are a key concept in chemistry that explains why some molecules are more stable, reactive, or even colorful than others. It happens when alternating single and multiple bonds allow electron clouds to spread across several atoms, which in turn stabilizes molecules by lowering their overall energy. Characters: Ford Pines, Fiddleford McGucket, Original Male Character Word Count: 6,015 Warnings: Minor Animal Violence

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November 4

It didn’t register to me until the morning after my last encounter with Señor Chupacabra, the possible outcome from the bite it gave me to my (still mending) shoulder. The circumstances regarding how lycanthropy can be passed on vary from tale to tale, but I’ve seen and read enough horror media to know that being bitten is one of the most common ways that the infection is spread.

For the next two days, I was half panicked by the notion of me being cursed by a werewolf. What would it mean for me and my research?

I would imagine it would play out something of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde conundrum. I couldn’t allow my monstrous form to be left uncontrolled in the lab or town. I already have a reputation as the “weird guy” living out in the woods, and those claims don’t need any more validation than they already do.

I shall carefully monitor myself this month for any of the common symptoms of this possible metamorphosis.

Pale Complexion

Fatigue

Impaired Vision

Cottonmouth

Intense Sensitivity to Sound and Smell

Craving Meat (Raw)

Excessive Hair Growth

Fingernail Growth

Distension of the Jaw

Ten New Teeth (4 incisors, 6 premolars)

Sharpened and Refined Canines

Shifts in Personality, Such as Increased Irritability and Aggression

These symptoms have been debated throughout human history as well as from culture to culture, so I shall keep my eye out for a multitude of them to err on the side of caution. Even how a werewolf appears varies around the world, ranging from looking almost identical to a regular wolf to something half-man and half-beast. Thus far, I have not exhibited any of the aforementioned symptoms.

I believe the worst I experienced was the intense nausea and fatigue I felt the following day, though that had nothing to do with the bite.

The next concern would be, worst case scenario, if these symptoms were to begin to manifest. I need to have a reliable cure.

In my research at the local library, I have come up with two categories I would need to test, including cures present in traditional folklore (T) and those popularized by the media (M).

Silver (M)

Wolfsbane (M)

Exorcism (M)

Killing the Werewolf that Turned You (M)

Killing Whom Has Cursed You (T)

Destroying the Artifact or Magical Item that Has Cursed You (T)

Death (T) Maybe I Won’t Test This One

Above all, I need to test the validity of Señor Chupacabra’s claims.

If I haven’t made it clear thus far, I shall speak plainly- I wholeheartedly believe that they are a man cursed with lycanthropy until I receive evidence otherwise. It provided me with some details of its initial transformation, but the circumstances as to why are still unknown.

In support of it being a werewolf, I have only seen it in its transformed state during a full moon, it looks… well…. like a wolf, and it retains most of its intelligence and sense while in its animalistic state. From its account, its initial change differed greatly from all those thereafter, inferring it does have a human form that I have yet to witness.

I have learned that Moca is a municipality of Puerto Rico, though I dread inquiring about newspapers that reported the same tale that I was told of the slaughtering of livestock. This small town library can only provide so much material, and outsourcing. For now, I shall take its word as truth, whether or not the tale was spun to intimidate or fascinate me.

If it truly is the creature of the legend it spoke of, what makes it different from any other werewolf? It called itself ‘el vampiro de Moca’, meaning vampire, and its other given name translates to ‘goat sucker;’ is the blood it consumes from its victims more vital to its well-being? It was hard to tell on that first encounter how it was enjoying its meal, other than I can say with certainty there was, in fact, a lot of blood.

According to my calculations, I predict Señor Chupacabra needs anywhere from 2k-10k calories per night based on its energy usage, and given that one goat contains approximately 3.15 liters of blood (1 L has about 700 calories), it would need to consume at least one goat per night for a total of three throughout the full moon to meet the minimum requirement.

That’s only for blood intake from goats.

It said it only ate animals and livestock, but can it get energy from human blood? Does it matter what the source is?

I have no recollection of whether it consumed any of my blood during our last encounter or not, but I do know I would need to practice extreme caution if I were to test this claim. Losing more than two liters without immediate life-saving measures will result in death, which, again, I would like to avoid if possible.

I shall continue to track any developing symptoms, but I cannot let this deter my other work.

November 13

I finally have an opportune moment to document my full findings of the new fungus I discovered some months ago!

Please note that the following events and discoveries occurred on August 10 and 24.

This new species elevates the concept of the Artist’s Conk mushroom (Ganoderma applanatum) to a whole other meaning. They grow on the trunks of living and decaying trees and can measure anywhere from 5-50 centimeters long, 3-30 centimeters in width, and 1-10 centimeters thick. The mushroom's name was derived from its peculiar use as a drawing medium; if the recently exposed pore surface is rubbed or scratched with a sharp instrument, dark brown tissue is revealed. This results in dark lines and shading that become permanent once the fungus is dried. They act as both paper and charcoal for the artist.

The mushroom I’ve discovered is the paint, and the earth is its canvas.

Instead of a soft, leathery extremity and appearance that mimics the very wood it grows on, the edges are razor sharp and appear as though broken mirror shards are sticking out of the sides of trees. The other major difference is that they are opaque in every prismatic color. When sunlight passes through their surface, their respective colors shine on the ground below in a dazzling kaleidoscopic display.

I’m calling it the Stained Glass Mushroom!

Though perhaps I should consider a more literary classic name alluding to Theia, the Greek Goddess of immense beauty and divine light, who is responsible for granting precious metals and gems their glimmering brilliance. The way this fungus grows out of trees makes it look as though the shards were thrown with great force, not unlike the giant impact hypothesis. Theia is the name of the hypothetical planet that collided with Earth, which created our moon, mirroring the myth of Theia being the mother of Selene, the moon goddess.

Theia’s Illustrious Fungus will also be put under consideration.

The surrounding area of the circular glen that hosts them has a distinct scent not unlike the stale musk inside of a freshly opened mausoleum. Digging through the soil of the clearing, it's clear to figure out why; I would continuously find a large variety of animal bones below the surface as though the earth was attempting to swallow them.

These mushrooms don’t appear to be edible, so what caused the abundance of carcasses in this location? What lured them here? What was the cause of death? It’s difficult to find out with bones alone.

The stench from when I went back to study this species two weeks later was far more intense, as a deceased deer had lain decaying in the summer heat near the base of one of the trees.

It was odd, seeing no trail of blood leading towards it, nor would most predators leave a meal untouched for this long, unless, of course, there was something wrong with the meat.

I cautiously approached it, raising my shirt to cover my lower face to try to mask the putrid smell. As I put on a pair of latex gloves, I looked for any immediate signs of injury to the animal. No large, noticeable gashes, bullet holes, or anything of a similar nature were found. It took some prodding, but I soon found a slash along its right cheek, oddly discolored compared to the rest of its skin.

I pulled out a scalpel and made quick work of removing the surrounding tissue and deposited it in a double-layered plastic bag. I knew I had to return to the lab as soon as possible to freeze it, but I needed to gather more evidence before I left.

Removing one of these mushrooms from its tree was a process and a half. My pocket knife would only scrape its glassy surface and chip some of the edges. I found heating the blade was the most efficient way of detaching them from the trunk.

I was grateful for the industrial gloves I packed.

This fungus, unlike any of its size classification, is not poisonous, but venomous.

My theory is that the sharp edges of this fungus can easily cut into the soft tissue of mammals, birds, etc., and deliver a potent toxin directly into the bloodstream.

I ran every standard test I could back at the lab, but none of my analyses could detect the presence of anatoxin, psilocybin, or muscarine, among a few other common fungal toxins. Not surprising given that the death of the creature wasn’t caused by ingestion, but I had to be certain. (I wonder if it could be edible if prepared correctly…)

I made a call to JAX to acquire the necessary lab rats for further testing.

The process has been a slow one. I’ve narrowed down the possible toxins based on the damage done to the rat’s cardiovascular system, as well as the effects of osmotic lysis, but I must admit that chemistry was more of my old roommate’s strength than my own. It’s been an ongoing project that I’ve been working on whenever I grow tired of cataloging and organizing my growing collection of anomalies.

Whatever it takes to keep myself busy.

November 27

Another full moon has cycled over this strange and mysterious valley.

I remain unchanged.

It might pose the question- does this supply sufficient proof that our resident werewolf is what he claims to be?

I can assure you, no, it does not.

It simply eliminates this particular method by which lycanthropy can be contracted. Further still, merely because biting did not work in this individual case, it does not mean it is universal for all types of werewolves. It’s to be noted that the bite wound on my shoulder has scarred where it sank its teeth in deepest.

I must inquire during our next encounter how and why it had been cursed.

Another claim I’m still questioning is whether it was sheer luck or not is that as I went about my month working in the woods, I was able to roam freely with no disturbances from some of the more dangerous anomalies I’ve come across. Was that the result of the protection from the ritual or mere coincidence?

The amount of uncertainty I’m encountering is exceedingly frustrating.

Wkxv idu, kdylqj zhuhzroi vha zrq’w jlyh brx brxu sduwqhu’v fxuvh. L'p qrw vxuh li L'oo lqfoxgh wklv lq pb riilfldo uhsruw.

December 4

Damn!

Another failed antiserum test. I’m at a loss as to what direction I need to try next. Whatever toxin this fungus has specialized in, evolution has truly gifted it protection and a thriving life. Without treatment, a standard lab rat will die after twenty-four hours. Other remedies for other common toxins have been ineffective as well. I need a new angle, but where do I begin?

Ford hunched over the kitchen table, an unlit cigarette held between his teeth, looking between the journal entry he had just started and his latest calculations, he knew caffeine would be a necessity if he was going to give it another attempt tonight.

Shoving his seat back, he got up to start prepping the coffee pot, cursing at the filters that stuck together in his desperation.

As the machine began to churn to life, the phone on the kitchen table rang. The sun had started setting a while ago, it was that dreadful time of year when it would be dark just as five o’clock struck. Lighter in hand with no candles to even pretend he was appeasing his family’s heritage, he sat back down to answer.

“Pines residence,” he grumbled into the receiver, ready to light the cigarette for the headache he felt building behind his eyes.

“Is that how you always answer the phone these days? Christ alive, who were you expecting a call from?”

“Fiddleford! Sorry, I was expecting it to be my mother calling.”

“You still don’t even call your own Mama on Hanukkah? My mother would come across the country to skin my hind if I didn’t call her first thing Christmas morning.”

Ford laughed, feeling less guilty about lighting the cigarette he had already brought to his mouth.

“Now what’s with the sour tone I’m hearing? Surely talking to your Mama ain’t that terrible.”

He squeezed the top bridge of his nose and dug the knuckle of his thumb into his pounding left eye before taking the cigarette out of his mouth with a hard exhale. “I’ve been trying to craft the antiserum for a toxin released by a fungus I came across this past August, but all my tests thus far have been falling flat. I just finalized the results from the one I just ran, and I- excuse me, are you laughing, McGucket?”

“Sorry, sorry!” his winded voice apologized after another moment of stuttering laughter. “Here I’ve been worrying my head off that you were mad at me, but you’re just your same self as always. I’m just glad to hear you rambling on about stuff like that again.”

“I… suppose I miss having a like-minded ear to prattle on to.”

“Well…” Fidd elongated his ‘e’ with a last chortle. “Go on, then, before you burst.”

Ford coughed and took in a quick drag of smoke before continuing. “I’ve been hitting a lot of walls, you know how it is.”

“You’re not in college anymore, Ford, there ain’t a deadline to you finding out whatever this thing is. Problem is now you got me plumb curious about whatever the hell it is you found.” Ford could practically hear Fiddleford grinning hundreds of miles away. “C’mon! Give me the symptoms, the numbers- everything you got.”

With renewed energy, Stanford explained his findings thus far; he could hear his friend repeat almost every word aloud; the image of Fidd sitting next to him in class, muttering to himself as he wrote down their professor’s words in chicken scratch across wide ruled margins, presented clearly in his mind. “When the domain comes into contact with tissues of a victim, the MACPF domain enables the toxin to adhere to the cellular membrane and form a pore, generally leading to cellular death. This particular ability can be used on a large variety of tissue types.”

“Well, that right there explains all those different physiological responses.” Fiddleford, being just as good a chemist as he was an engineer, kept up with Stanford flawlessly. “You put those pores in capillaries, and you get hypotension for one thing.”

Ford uncapped his pen and began jotting notes in the margins. “I thought that the impairment of the respiratory system was due to paralysis of the skeletal muscles.”

“You got an increased heart rate and blood vessel permeability on top of the dilated capillaries. Everything is making sure blood flow is fast so it can distribute the venom all over the body quicker than a jackrabbit in heat.”

He turned to another page, information flying from Fiddleford’s words landing with a flourish from Ford’s pen.

“Lastly, the quaternary structure of this toxin can be described, more or less, as a large pore.”

“Now, are these subunits forming said pore held together by some kind of weak intermolecular force like a hydrogen bond?”

“Preciously.”

“Well then, smart guy, what are you gonna do to weaken those bonds?”

Ford took another drag as he watched the coffee pot finish dripping into the same chipped mug he’s used for years. He suddenly stood, papers sliding off to the tiled floor as he bumped the table in his haste; his words flew into the receiver, “The weak intermolecular forces connecting the tertiary and quaternary structures are composed of various subunits, so it’s susceptible to structural changes caused by heat.”

“At what temperature?”

“Between 40-45 degrees Celsius- enough to break the bonds but not scald the victim.” Ford paused, ink bleeding on his current thought. “Hold on, all of this sounds like the same treatment historically used to treat marine envenomation.”

Back in New Jersey, different types of jellyfish would wash up on shore, and kids would spend their summer vacation daring each other to poke and prod at them. Vinegar was kept at the lifeguard station since it was used to neutralize the sting and a heat compress was capable of breaking down the proteins of the venom; Ford had started keeping them in his bag after one incident of Stan-

“You can start looking in that direction. I know heat ain’t the cure-all and you’re still cooking up an antivenom, but maybe this’ll give ya another angle to look through. Been reminding me a lot of scorpionfish. I took a drive with Emma-May to Santa Cruz just before summer ended; they got a beauty of a marine lab with the university out there. She loves that kind of stuff, you should look into it. Might help your case.”

“Thank you, but I-”

“Hang on a sec- dear, ya alright? You need my help with that? Sorry Stanford, gonna have to cut this short.”

“It’s quite alright. I really should call my mother before it gets any later.”

“It was real nice talking to you. Haven’t heard much from you since the wedding. Em’s already six months pregnant- shit, have I had the chance to tell ya yet? That ain’t the way I woulda wanted to announce that.”

“I… that’s wonderful.” He sat back in his chair. “Are you hoping it’ll be an engineer or a biologist?”

It felt nice to hear that familiar laughter at his jokes again, even if Ford partially felt like he had to force it out.

“Neither. We need variety. Maybe a botanist. Call me if we’re right. Seriously now, don’t be a stranger. I wanna hear from you soon.”

“I’ll do my utmost. I’ve just been busy with work lately. Good night, Fiddleford.”

The call hung up as he propped the back of his chair to lean hard against the kitchen wall, his leg practically vibrating as he balanced on his bouncing toes; the error tone echoed in the otherwise quiet corner of the room.

The expected buzz of a new lead was having trouble burrowing its way in. Stanford should have been halfway down the stairs to the basement, but instead, he lingered. Lingered like the remaining sunset hues of gold, highlighting sticky note reminders haphazardly placed on the fridge. Ford had forgotten what most of them were for.

Groaning in irritation, he smothered the remains of his smoke in the crowded ashtray.

December 26 (5:34 a.m.)

The forests of Gravity Falls truly are a wonder year-round, but snow covered under the rich moonlight transforms it into a child’s fantasy of winter. I didn’t spend much time last year in the middle of the night tramping through the woods; I was busy handling the hobgoblins and fairies that decided my lab was a perfect safe haven until the ground thawed come spring.

Sleepless nights have been plaguing me for days and instead of tossing and turning in bed, I’ve been using that time to document nightlife activity during these long winter months.

For example, earlier this evening, I discovered another subtype of sprite! A relatively harmless one that makes its home among pine needles, perfectly camouflaged so only a keen eye can spot it. They even adhere a layer of frost to their body to further blend in with the freshly fallen snow.

Then, sometime into my walk, I spotted a bobbing orb of light out of the corner of my eye. My first thought was that it must have been a type of wisp. It wasn’t uncommon to spot them in these woods (especially at night), so I pursued its light like a moth drawn to flame.

To my great surprise, the flame was the moth!

A glowing Luna moth (Actias luna), to be precise.

This raised an endless amount of questions as its presence on this side of the country is practically zero to none, and on top of that, this is not the time of year they emerge. They mate in June and, at this latitude, only do so once per year. It’s not unheard of that those that mate too late in the season can cause the pupa to enter diapause, a state of suspended development. Those late-forming pupae fall from the trees come autumn, and will spend the winter waiting in the leaf litter on the forest floor until the longer days of spring signal it’s time to emerge.

Regardless of that possibly being the case, the ground is currently blanketed in a thick layer of snow, and my temperature gauge read 23 degrees Fahrenheit when I left the cabin. Hardly a spring awakening to be found.

I’ve been following its path for approximately half an hour, and it hasn’t landed anywhere for me to study it in great detail. The gentle light it emits has been comforting; perhaps it's my imagination that I can feel a tinge of warmth on my face. Between the brightness of the moon and my temporary companion, writing in my journal hasn’t been troublesome at all.

The Luna moth truly embodies the full moon in its pale majesty and splendor.

Ford looked up from his writing at hearing a distinct clicking noise from his newfound companion. The twisting tails of the moth were capable of creating sound patterns that disrupted a bat’s sonar ability.

Scouring through the thicket of branches for potential bat or owl sightings, he instead spotted a shimmer of colorful light a few feet ahead. Ah, he realized, he didn’t think he had wandered this far out; the Stained Mushroom Grove was nearby, and he had yet to observe it at night. “Would you care to join me?”

He grinned as it fluttered gracefully along the makeshift trail before him.

Apart from the circle of light surrounding it, the extraordinarily bright greens and teal of its wing far outshine those of its species. Perhaps most fascinating is that instead of the usual yellow or pink eyespots, they are an overly saturated red. I wonder if the caterpillars share any of these characteristics, or even yet, if their cocoons are capable of glowing, and if you can craft a shining, silk garment out of it?

Pushing aside a set of low-hanging branches, the full spectrum of light flooded across the stretched canvas before him. It shone even more brilliantly than the first bits of daylight breaking through the early morning fog and onto the night’s gift of a blanket of snow. There was enough breakage in the canopy of pines to let in a generous amount of moonlight to paint the glen like Mother Nature fancied herself a contemporary artist.

Coruscating colors shone like stagelights on the scene that played out before him. Three wolves and one dead deer posed stage left while a towering werewolf threatened their dinner from stage right. Ford hid back, peering through the pine branches like peaking through heavy velvet curtains.

Gauging from the tracks littered all over the grove and the scrapes on all creatures present, Ford wagered this fight had been going on for some time. One wolf had difficulty putting weight on one of its front paws, while another glared at its opponent with its uninjured eye. Their breaths were heavy clouds existing for only seconds in the air before fading into the darker hues.

The third and least injured of the pack squared up to the werewolf that was almost twice its size, prowling from side to side as it snarled threateningly. It suddenly launched forward, coming down with its bared teeth into the beast’s neck with a loud cry. The werewolf threw its head back and forth as though shaking water off its fur, the other’s teeth only sinking in deeper. It clawed hard at the creature’s fur, grip unrelenting on its taunt neck muscles as it was swung about.

Rearing back, the werewolf threw itself and the wolf attached to its neck against one of the fungal-infested trees. A pained wine echoed throughout the snow-covered grove as it released its bite and fell limp against the base of the trunk.

The werewolf rose back to its feet, its blood-soaked fur glistening in the overlapping colors of moonlight as it bared its fangs towards the remaining wolves.

Snarling almost giddily, it rushed forward, intent on finishing what it started. It pounced on the one with the injured paw, and gnawed at its hindquarters before chomping down on the same leg; it dragged it away from the deer carcass, and Ford could hear the sickening crunch of something breaking under its powerful bite.

The last wolf watched with pinned-back ears as the beast raised its head towards it. Barking, it charged towards the wolf, its head slamming into its side as it sent them careening into the snow-covered thicket.

Ford could only catch a glimpse from his hiding spot the sight of the beast slamming its paws downward and listen to the yelp of pain before silence fell over the grove once more.

He cautiously stepped out from behind the branches, and glaring at him from across the clearing were those familiar, stark red eyes. The werewolf snarled with a foaming mouth, life faintly witnessed in delayed intervals of pained clouds; Ford’s breath stayed caught behind his teeth. It stood on unsteady legs as it crept towards him, head strained and muscles stiff.

The air was tense, entirely different from the last injury Ford had inadvertently caused. Where previously its anger felt within its control, annoyed at the situation yet still entirely aware of the human side of its rational, it now felt a line had been crossed.

Feral.

“ Señor Chupacabra ?” His voice was level as he apprehensively took a step forward. ''No se preocupen, solo soy yo.''

It snapped its jaws at him.

Animal.

A lack of recognition and awareness.

His eyes caught sight of glistening blood on a set of low-growing mushrooms above where one of the wolves still lay limp.

''Mira, lo entiendo, estás herida.'' He raised a hand and slowly removed his glove, the cold air permeating the thin skin instantly. ''Más de lo que sabes.''

Its ears flattened back against its head.

Afraid.

The closer Ford got, the easier it was to see that the beast’s limbs were shaking and twitching. He knew the fungus’s toxin worked quickly. Pain was immediate, as well as signs of swelling and difficulty breathing.

He pocketed the glove and exchanged it for his fountain pen.

''Este hongo es tóxico y sin mi ayuda te matará.''

Stanford stood well within the creature’s range if it wanted to lunge forward and attack him; odd how extended eye contact with his peers always put him on edge, but never a single anomaly. Never breaking, he uncapped the pen and swiftly slashed it across his exposed palm. The thin black line quickly shifted to red as blood bubbled to the surface.

A hushed silence passed over for a moment, and Ford watched each hard breath of curiosity and hesitation before its hackles stiffened in alarm as it poised ready. In that moment, he could believe the story of the villagers mistaking the hairs along its spine for quills.

“Not enough?” Forming a ‘V’ shape with his opposing hand, he ran those fingers across the sides of the fresh cut, enticing more blood to rise to the extremity. “You’re going to allow me to look at your injuries, whether you like it or not.” He gestured wildly to the dazzling, distorted display around them. “Fatal. Lethal. Mortales. ¿Entiendes?'' He dug his nail under the torn skin with a tight groan, attempting to prolong his body’s natural response of sealing the epidermal break.

It lunged forward, snapping its jaws as it began to slowly circle him. Ford noted how it avoided showing him its right side and favored weight on its left two legs. He couldn’t risk moving against its pattern, turning the other way to entice it to rotate could leave his back exposed. It moved slowly on shaky limbs, and Ford kept following. The blood on his raised palm dripped warmly and sluggishly down his wrist, and yet, no recognition sparked in its eyes.

Regardless of whether one was human or animal, there was always an awareness of finality and death that the brain recognized. If the beast’s mind were to cross the line of no longer fighting to stay alive, but an acceptance of the end, then Ford would have even less time than he originally predicted.

He rushed forward, every image of his brother racing up to him, what he thought was an embrace, only for him to tackle him to the ground, guiding him forward as he shoved his shoulder firmly into its forechest and wrapped his arms around its neck.

Stanford had hoped in its weakened state, he could use the surprise attack to catch it off guard and get the upper hand.

Instead, he found himself in the now-familiar position of the massive beast pinning him with his back against the ground.

The moonlit rainbow silhouetted the tufts of its cheeks and the points of its ears as it lowered its salivating mouth down to Stanford’s pulsating neck. One tooth could rip through cartilage and have him drown in his own blood. His hands flew forward before the thought could go any further. They clasped around the tip of its snout, his bleeding palm slicing against the points of its teeth, trying to shove its way to get his blood on its tongue. If scent wasn’t working, he had to work with the second most logical sense- taste.

Once he felt he had smeared as much as he safely could, he pulled its legs out from under it and brought the heel of his boot down into the presumed location of its wound. With a howling cry of pain, its grip loosened, and before it could take a bite out of its attacker, Ford had back-crawled in the snow a solid ten feet away, his exposed hand leaving a faint trail of blood.

''¿Quieres morir?'' Ford spat the question with as much venom as the mushrooms surrounding them. “Or are you so stupid you don’t know I’m trying to help you? Prove you’re the anomaly you say you are and not just some rabid wolf.”

''Cállate, tú eres la estúpida.''

He didn’t expect a verbal response this abruptly.

“How am I stupid exactly?”

“Running around in the middle of the night… do you know how many times I’ve saved your ass?”

Winter always brought a strange silence to the forest that could never be mimicked any other time of year.

Where those moments could be peaceful, the awkward silences that Stanford always struggled to fill on his own were anything but that.

“You’re injured. If you let me, I can-”

“López.”

“What?”

''Me llamo… López.”

After a long minute of needless shuffling through pockets for band-aids he knew he didn’t have, he quietly asked. “Why are you telling me?”

''Porque casi es por la mañana. The sun…”

It was early morning, but dawn had yet to break. They would have another two hours until the official sunrise; he didn’t know the particular rules of when a creature of the night ceased to be, but he understood the peril of the situation regardless. Ford had been out for hours, and home was a considerable distance away. Trekking through the snow with the injuries it sustained would require tremendous effort.

Standing up from his awkward position, he brushed the snow from the back of his pants and redonned his glove. “Pines. Doctor, if you want to be formal.”

The wolf snorted. ''Suena falso.''

Ford rolled his eyes. “Think what you want, son of the wolf . ¿Quieres ayudar o no?''

''Rápido, guapito.'' The tone and energy he had come to associate with the werewolf had significantly faded, even if it was still trying to make needless quips.

“Are you able to walk on your own?”

''Sólo… walk next to me and cierren la boca.''

In favor of not wasting time they didn’t have, Ford obliged, but when he attempted to put himself on the werewolf’s injured side, it snarled and turned its body away from him.

“You know, I’m going to have to look at it to treat it.”

“Oh? You’re doing that right now? You going to use pages from your book as a bandage?”

Ford scowled and continued walking.

The pace was slow.

Agonizingly so.

Any attempt at conversation was shut down with a snide remark, and every offer of help was met with a promise to bite whatever extremity it felt like threatening at the moment.

By the time they had reached Stanford’s front porch, the creature’s breaths were labored, and after some more curses and backtalk, it finally agreed to let Ford assist it up the stairs and into the bathroom.

With hot water filling the tub (that he hoped was big enough to accommodate the werewolf), Ford quickly stepped out to grab some extra towels, his first-aid kit, and a thermometer, only to return to the site of a naked man settled contentedly in the steaming water.

Scars littered over the expanse of tan skin, his fresh wounds bled slowly from the junction of his neck and shoulder, making the water an ugly shade of pink.

He looked up with tired eyes and grinned, flashing sharp canines. ''Siento haberte sorprendido, pero... this is easier for you, yeah?”

“Well… I uh… yes. Now that the hot water is neutralizing the proteins of the toxin that entered your bloodstream, there shouldn’t be any danger of you being in this smaller state of being.” Ford coughed and placed the supplies on the sink counter before sitting on the toilet beside the tub. “You need to soak at this temperature for at least an hour, then I can treat the rest of your injuries.”

“You going to… watch me bathe?”

“I need to maintain a consistent temperature, so yes, I will be here the whole time.”

The man closed his eyes and leaned his head back, sinking further into the water.

“And to make sure you don’t fall asleep.”

''Estoy agotada. More than tired, guapito. ”

“I’d rather you be tired than dead. You can sleep after I clean your wounds and give you the antiserum.”

''Solo hablar conmigo, por favor. Don’t let me die of boredom.”

“Oh! I can read you my journal entries! I think you’ll find them most fascinating!”

“I said, don’t let me-”

“The floating cliffs of Gravity Falls are indeed a geographic oddity located on the town's limits. My compass goes haywire the closer I get to them. Does this mean what I think it does? The answer may be underground.”

Every three pages or so, Ford would check the water’s temperature, add more hot water if required, and ask questions about what he had just read to Senor Lopez to make sure he was awake and cognitive.

“By the time the hour’s up, you’ll almost be an expert in this town’s strangeness!”

#stanford pines #ford pines #gravity falls #ace writes

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mariabtsos · 11 months ago

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Unsinkable ||j.jk|| Chapter 9

<- Previous | Index | Next ->

Description: The 1910s are the peak of passenger ships, it was also the peak of classism, Jungkook is a third class immigrant from Korea, and you are a first class “prisoner” not wanting to go back to a life of strict standards. Once you meet Jungkook, life seems worth living, but when tragedy strikes, will you guys make it out to live the life you planned?

Genre: One-shot, Titanic AU, poor/artist!JK x rich!f reader, angst, fluff, very slight smut, forbidden love.

Warnings: ANGST, major character death, descriptions of drowning or being stuck underwater, mentions of coma and it's effect (Brain Death wasn't discovered until 1968), ending of life supporting measures, grief, amputation of a limb.

AN: This is the second to last chapter, next one will be the final one, it will include a source list with excellent channels and educational sources for you to inform yourself about the Titanic and how everything played out according to history if you are not aware of the actual story, even if the 1997 film is somewhat accurate, there's things it got wrong that even I didn't know until my research for this story.

Word Count: 1.7K+

Thank goodness both Yoongi and Jungkook were being sent to the same hospital, Taehyung and Jimin arrived an hour or so after you, you made sure to give their names to the nurses so they could come see you, since you had to be admitted due to your knee, and the horrible frostbite on your nose and fingers.

You’d been put in the same ambulance as Jungkook, and although you were so happy to see him, his state made your heart shrivel up. His eyes were shut, and he looked so pale, you could still see some little spots of frost on his hair. He was still breathing from what you could tell, and you wondered if he could still hear you.

You tried reaching for his hand but the EMT stopped you, explaining that they had to take his temperature and then wrap him up in wool blankets, given how cold he was to the touch. All you could do was talk to him.

“We made it, Jungkook! We're almost at the hospital, you just have to hold on for a little longer,” you felt yourself tear up, why had this happened this way? You were supposed to be running off together right now, with Jimin, Taehyung, and Chris in tow. How had it all gone so wrong?

You were separated once you made it to the hospital, they had to take him for some tests and you to get your knee and ribs taken care of. The pain was unbearable, you hadn't realized how bad your knee was hurt until they set it back in place, then again, the doctors said that you had just reached normal temperature. Maybe you were too cold and too worried about Jungkook to care.

You were given crutches and pain meds and sent on your way, the hospital needed the beds.

“Ynie?” You saw Taehyung standing in the waiting room, tears in his eyes. You were so grateful they had made it to the hospital, and you didn't hesitate to give him a hug.

“Tae, thank goodness you're here!” He hugged you tightly, and soon after Jimin hugged you as well, the baby in his arms was now swaddled and had a little beanie, “did they tell you when Jungkook might be waking up?” the latter asked as you pulled away, you simply shook your head.

“I hope it's soon, did you guys see Yoongi? Is he okay?”

“We know he's awake, and we know he was screaming, but so were a lot of other folks,” Jimin answered. It was like he called on something, all of the sudden more screaming was heard. It wasn't just victims in pain anymore.

You saw a woman with one of her children down on her knees screaming. A bigger family hugging a pair of small children, a man quietly sobbing in the corner, and so many others. You were so lucky to still be alive, to have the one you love still be alive. You felt horrible for all of them.

“That big family over there, aren't those Martha's kids?” Jimin nudged Taehyung, who immediately made his way to them, followed quickly by Jimin.

You watched as they talked to them all, the kids immediately hugging Tae’s legs, his face contorted a bit as he kneeled down to be at the children's level, they hugged him tightly. You realized quickly that their mom probably begged for someone to take them up to the lifeboats, or maybe she'd managed to get there before they launched and she put them in there first?

Did you see her floating body when you were in the water with Jungkook? Had she been one of the first screams to dull down, or one of the last ones along with you? You assumed it was the latter, you hoped that's what it was and not that their other family had to come get them because they had no one else left.

Taehyung and Jimin sat quietly next to you in the waiting room, the dread you felt was unbearable, almost like the same dread you felt just a five days ago, when you boarded the ship that was now thousands of feet underwater, you wondered if there were alive toward the end, and you shivered at how horrifying, dark and lonely that must’ve been, going down with a ship and seeing nothing but darkness during your final moments.

You shuddered.

After what felt like hours to you, a doctor finally came out “Relatives of Jungkook Jeon?” The man called, he butchered your lover's name so horribly, but you didn't care at the moment, you stood up faster than your brain could realize and Taehyung ended up having to hold you up since you forgot your crutches.

“I'm his wife, is he okay? Can we go see him? Will he be discharged soon?” your mouth was moving faster than ever as you asked the questions.

“Mrs Jeon…” the doctor took a deep breath, you'd seen the look he was giving you before, you and your mother got that look when your father passed away. You started breaking down. “We did all we could but he seems to be in a deep comatose state and he can't breathe on his own,” he explained. You felt your knees buckle under you.

“Do you want us to stop life saving measures?”

How can this be? You both made it, you both got taken out of the water, he made it to a hospital. Why was that not enough? Why did his life have to end? You couldn't go on without him, you could go on, you were supposed to run off together.

“Mrs. Jeon?”

How could they ask you such a thing? You weren't going to kill the one you loved, who would do that? Surely there was something they could do, Jungkook would pull through, he was going to come back to you and they would have to, they were doctors afterall, if they couldn't save Jungkook then who could they save?

You suddenly felt faint, and all you heard Taehyung and Jimin yelling your name.

Where am I?

That was your first thought as you floated through the bright void you found yourself in. It wasn't like that for long, morphing into what seemed to be Jungkook’s hospital room.

“Hey darling,” hearing his voice made your knees buckle again. You turned and ran toward him, he was awake and smiling, you jumped into his arms and he hugged you tightly.

“What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here,” you were confused.

“What do you mean? We're supposed to leave together?”

Your lover sighed, the pain in his eyes was something you hated seeing. “This is my stop darling, I won't be able to join you,” he explained, and you felt yourself break all over again, “Remember what I said in the water? You need to live, make each day count, and one day we’ll meet again okay?” he held your face in his hands, “it’s okay to let me go, just don’t let them bury me okay, my body being in one place forever is not like me at all,” he wiped the tears streaming down your face.

“I’ll never let go, I will live for both of us Kook,” you bid farewell tearfully as his hospital room door opened. At the last second you felt him pull you, giving you one last kiss before what felt like a gust of wind pushed you out of the room.

And then you woke up.

You were still on the ground, Taehyung was holding you and the doctor was checking your pupils with a small light, “Are you okay? You scared us half to death, Yn!” Jimin sounded frustrated but relieved, you attempted to get up, but the doctor and Taehyung held you down, encouraging you to do so slowly.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered as they helped you up, Jimin handed you your crutches, and the doctor placed his hand on your shoulder. “It’s okay Mrs. Jeon, I’m sorry that I couldn’t give you better news, I’ll let you think about it and you can let one of the nurses know what you’d like, and they’ll let me know.”

Once he was gone you let Jimin and Taehyung know about what had happened, about your…dream? That’s what it had to have been. You told them what Jungkook told you and they were nothing but supportive, letting you know that whatever decision you made they’d be by your side. So you decided to let him go. It wasn’t the easiest decision, and the last few minutes of Jungkook’s life were the most painful you had ever felt in your short 18 years of life. You sobbed as they listened for a heartbeat or for any breathing. “Nurse, let it be on record, time of death is 20:25,” he put his supplies back into his coat pockets, “I’m very sorry for your loss Mrs. Jeon.”

Taehyung held you and Jimin rubbed your back, as he had his baby in his arms, you sobbed until your head hurt. The only good thing about this was that Yoongi did pull through, his right leg had to be amputated due to how broken it was and the damage the frostbite had done to it. It was a few more weeks before he was fully discharged, and thankfully a lot of first class passengers had come together to get accommodations for less fortunate survivors, Ms. Molly ended up finding Tae and Jimin, and you hid behind a pillar with Yoongi, who begged to not be seen by anyone you knew, whilst they spoke.

“Have any of you seen Yn? Or Jungkook?” she asked with a concerned look on her face. “We think they died in the water,” Taehyung sounded somber. You peeked to see the woman who had been so motherly to you, for a split second you thought she caught a glimpse of you.

“Oh…” the older woman’s voice shook, “well, I’ll give you this, I had set it aside for Jungkook, he was a wonderful young man and he deserved a better start here, you should be getting checks as well shortly with some compensation and Mr. Ismay has arranged for transportation for you and…anyone else who traveled with you,” she said a little louder. She whispered a last take care of her, before she walked away. They did end up getting $950 each, totalling a good $1900. You all set to travel up to northern New York, you wanted life away from the busy city for now, but you will ensure to live life to the fullest. For yourself and for Jungkook.

#bts fanfic #bts #bts au #jeon jungkook #jungkook au #jungkook x reader #jungkook fanfic #jungkook angst #kim taehyung #park jimin #min yoongi

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atrophicgardenia · 2 months ago

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okay. i've read the first four comics of dc vs. vampires. we know the vampire king/queen is probably one of the batfamily members given that it was stated at some point, but we don't know who yet. here's what i'm thinking.

Barbara Gordon

~suspicious in general. knows way too much about vampires, and was able to find that hotel room with ancestral dirt wayyyy too quick.

~however, she did interact with a vampire who didn't recognize her.

~she was one of the first to appear in the comic, so that might be foreshadowing of some sort. she was basking in the sunlight, so the audience isn't going to think it was her because of this. this only makes me more suspicious of her.

~during the scene with the holy water tea, she asked alfred for something "a bit stronger." she could have taken one sip and known. the sun also could have been making her weak, even if it didn't kill her, hence her asking for something with caffeine.

~when holding the cross, she said stuff like "oh! so well made!" playing the bimbo, are you? i'm onto you.

2. Bruce Wayne

~too paranoid of everyone. could be deflection.

~he did get near oliver's holy water arrow, but i don't know for sure if it splashed him. either way, we saw him make everyone else go through those tests. those who are with him could just be lurking in there (definitely sus of cass for this reason, but i don't think she's the queen. she gives queen energy, but not vampire queen energy. she wouldn't do that, with her past and all).

~willing to (re)kill vampires even though he doesn't kill. complete shift in morals. i don't trust it. he could be killing off the disloyal vamps.

~he knows the justice league well, so he would know that barry is not the one to convert.

~why would diana and hal come after him, though...? they could want his monarch position, but hal seems super loyal, even to the point of killing his best friend. he also is so actively solving this mystery, there's no way it's him.

3. Alfred Pennyworth

~nobody would suspect him.

~he is too good for it though. i weep even typing the thought that my man could ever be so evil.

4. Timothy Drake

~all i know is that he was willing to offer some suggestions in that initial batfam meetup.

~that awkward "...if i WAS one, i mean" isn't doing him any favors.

~wouldn't a dark and brooding bisexual vampire be so sexy?

5. Dick Grayson

~i just. i don't think it's him, man.

~he's hogging the spotlight in a lot of places with his "good guy" behavior, but that could just be his character...if dc isn't tryna throw us off.

~i'll say what i said for tim: a brooding bisexual vampire would be very sexy.

~his aesthetic is too circus-y for me to think it could be him. when i think of vampires, i'm not thinking of an old trapeze artist.

~acting dumb about vampire knowledge. he could be sucking up to barbara gordon because he knows it's her, though.

~or maybe he just doesn't know any because he is a new vampire...? where would he even be getting ancestral dirt, anyway?

6. Cassandra Cain

~probably not her. she could definitely be a vampire, but not the queen.

~one of the only people bruce told before he did his whole "process of elimination" thing with his family. he needed her to observe body language.

~if it is her, getting bruce to trust her first would be a hell of a plot twist.

7. Damian Wayne/Al-Ghul

~jumpy as freak at the possibility of bruce poisoning him.

~he did go back for more holy water cocoa, though. even if he found out a way to get resistant to it, i still wouldn't play around unless i wa trying to make sure all suspicion was diverted away from me. it's the same with the cross situation and the "i don't know why y'all are surprised."

~he also thought the vampire-killing gadgets were "cool." could be childlike interest, could be "oh, neat new ways to kill all who resist."

~no, i won't underestimate him because he's a kid. i will, however, apply the same logic i applied to cass--given his history, i don't think it would be him.

8. Jason Todd

~i feel like he would be a very good vampire king, objectively. look at how he took over the drug trade. he would totally be good at taking over the vampires.

~this is why i think it isn't him. he would have gotten things done already. next.

9. Duke Thomas

~counting him even though he's only shown up a little bit.

~too much exposure to sun, but again, he could've found a workaround.

~bruce did mention him being a suspect (well, his group), but there just isn't enough information to be certain.

10. Stephanie Brown

~WHERE ARE YOU, HOE?

#dc vs vampires theory #dc vs vampires #batfam #batfamily #bats

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velcropygmy · 9 months ago

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I can't express my disappointment in the American people. The best analogy I've heard for this election was from a teacher. She said, "Imagine teaching a class of honor students for a whole semester. At the final you give them an open book test and over half the class fails. Now imagine that disappointment. All that hard work for naught. Multiply that times a thousand.

It was all in front of everyone's eyes. I'll start with the orange man. He was never really a successful business man. People bought the image given them by a reality show. The people involved with that very show have all come out and said that no really serious billionaire they approached would touch the show. They built him up for the show and tried to tell you it was all a facade during the campaign. But no, you want to claim fake news because Trump said so. That's like releasing all those guys on death row, after all they all say they were framed and innocent. The guy has always been nothing more than a carnival barker with some inherited coin. 6 bankruptcies including casinos should have been a clue to someone. Not to mention the adultery, not paying his contractors.

The free press is one of this nations most important guardrails against corruption and the GOP and it's supporters followed the path of dictators like Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini. You see it in Russia, Turkey, China, any other authoritarian regime. The press has to toe the party line. Trump wants that. He said so.

Vladimir Putin blames the US for the fall of the USSR. He has stated that was the greatest socio/political tragedy in history. He has vowed to fight democracy. And yet I hear cheers at a Trump rally when his name is brought up. In the USA! And how is Putin fighting democracy? Disinformation and misinformation. And they are the experts. Find a vulnerable spot and create a divide. Race, Gay rights, anything. Social media is the greatest gift to Putin he could have ever gotten on Xmas. And Americans eat it like candy. An example was Matt Gaetz using information about the US arming the Azrov Battalion in Ukraine. His source, a Communist Chinese propaganda website. If you need proof I'll get the video. It's easy to find. Let's go on to the congressional investigation into Joe and Hunter Biden. Who were their witnesses? A Russian oligarch close to Putin and an FSB agents. Not to mention the fact that once Eric Trump told the press they get their money from Russia when asked because banks quit lending them money. Or that most Trump Towers in foreign countries are fully sold out but unoccupied. Trump has been laundering Russian mob money through his real estate for years.

His affection for dictators and saying they rule with an iron fist like that's a good thing. Has he ever said anything positive about a foreign leader that wasn't a dictator? I'll wait but I'm not holding my breath. His desire for Putin's approval is disgusting. Given that, to me the two greatest geopolitical tragedies would be Trump giving Ukraine to Putin and the fall of American Democracy.

The book was open, it's was all out there in front of everyone's eyes and they ignored it. America failed that open book test and it will cost everyone the world over for this fuck up.

#maga

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weirdestbooks · 1 year ago

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Secrecy and Deception Chapter 6

The Tests (Wattpad | Ao3)

Table of Contents | Prev | Next

Event: Operation Crossroads-Test Able

Location: NE Lagoon, Bikini Atoll, The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, United States of America

Date: July 1, 1946

America was incredibly nervous. Today was the day of Test Able, the first of three nuclear tests he would conduct on Bikini Atoll. He needed to understand the weapon he had created. America knew the A-bomb was a powerful weapon, but how effective was it?

How could he use it properly? What effect did it have on military equipment? Would these bombs make the Navy obsolete?

“Will it kill us all and doom the world?” James commented unhelpfully.

“I’m ignoring you,” America snarked quietly before returning to his thoughts, hearing a small amused laugh from Rebecca.

With America’s concerns about Soviet and what he is up to, America needs to have more power than him. He wasn’t going to have a nuclear monopoly for long, so America needed to take advantage of the time he had now to understand the A-bomb better than any other nation.

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands had been nervous about the tests, fearing their effects on her land. New Mexico, the only friendly personification to experience the bomb, had agreed to keep her company and quiet her nerves.

They would be watching the tests in a different room, as several countries had come to watch them, and America didn’t want them to find out about New Mexico, even if they were aware of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands’ existence.

“Can’t we tell Father now that we’ve disowned him? It’s his family, too, and he deserves to know!” Rebecca insisted.

“We won’t!” James snapped.

“Now is not the time, guys. America needs to focus and not talk to us. There are eyes watching.” Unorganized Territory said. Sending a quiet mental thanks to his daughter, America looked around the room, scanning the countries present. Britain, Canada, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Egypt, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, and, much to America’s horror, the Soviet Union.

America knew Soviet was taking advantage of these public tests to find more about the bomb so he could create his own. That might be a reason why many of those nations were here.

In any case, the tests were public, so it’s not like America could do much about their presence here. In fact, he thinks it had been DC to tell him it was the most observed and talked of scientific test in all of human history.

No pressure or anything.

The first test, the one that America would be watching today, was called Test Able. It would be a test that was similar to the way he had bombed Hiroshima. A plane would be dropping the weapon onto the ships, where it would detonate.

Then, after Test Able, they would have two more tests. One would be a nuclear bomb that was detonated at a shallow underwater depth. The second one would be a deeply submerged explosion.

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands was especially concerned about the underwater ones. She was afraid that the people they moved off the atoll would not be able to return to due to radiation. Several nuclear scientists had also said the same thing, that there could be severe radioactive contamination. Other critics said that the tests were too provocative.

Despite the concerns, they were moving on anyway. America needed to understand the power he had at my disposal, and he needed to know how to use it. What’s the point in having a powerful weapon if you don’t understand it?

“I just wish you weren’t hurting people in the process,” James murmured.

“Trust Territory will be fine,” Unorganized Territory said. James sighed but said nothing else. While America recognized James’ concerns, the tests had to be done. They were dangerous and risky, but they were necessary.

“America!” he heard Soviet’s unwelcome voice call.

“Hello, Soviet,” America responded as the taller country approached him.

“I’m very interested in seeing what your new weapon can do up close.” He said.

“Because you want to make your own?” America questioned. Soviet laughed.

“Who doesn’t? Those bombs are full of a lot of power. Any self-respecting country will be after that power.” He responded. America smiled, stepping away from him to walk over to his father, Canada, and Australia.

“But only one of us won the race, and I made it first,” America pointed, taking note of the irritation that flashed across his face.

“Yes, you did win this race. But don’t let that victory go to your head,” he said. America almost laughed. A young country like Soviet was trying to give him advice? That was very amusing.

“Tamper your pride lest it blinds you,” Caleb said in a sing-songy voice.

“I won’t,” America responded before ending the conversation, walking over to sit next to Australia.

“Hello, Uncle America,” she said, greeting America with a small grin.

“Hello, my favorite niece,” America replied, causing Australia’s grin to widen.

“I knew you picked favorites,” Canada said. America flipped him off, causing him to roll his eyes. His father sighed.

“You are all so childish. America, when will the bomb be dropped?” He asked, muttering the first sentence.

“That’s barely childish!” someone protested.

“Soon, any moment now. The plane had just taken off when I came in.” As he did so, America said, spotting the plane, “See, look, there it is, you impatient man.”

America’s father scoffed slightly before he nodded at America, eyes turning to focus on the plane.

“Still rude as ever,” James said.

“America was rude first,” Rebecca pointed out, ever the defender of Britain.

America wasn’t sure if he should be annoyed but sighed and returned to watching the plane. Moments after his eyes went back to the plane, he saw the bomb drop.

“Here we go,” America muttered.

The bomb exploded above the ships. There was the bright light and the mushroom cloud, which were all watched by the observers with laser focus, and the analyzing gaze that many nations had become distinct for having.

“That’s bright,” Australia commented lightly.

“That’s…powerful,” Dad said, sounding like the words hurt him to say.

“Don’t think he likes the reminder that we have more power than him,” James commented.

“Well, now that the first test is finished, I should go find the scientists, see what information we got from the tests, and make sure Trust Territory’s alright,” America said, standing up.

As he walked out of the room, he noticed that Soviet was still staring out the window. He must be very intent on learning all that he can about the bomb. America would have to keep an eye on him for the rest of the time he spent here.

If he was a threat, America needed to keep this weapon out of his hands for as long as possible.

———————

Event: Operation Crossroads-Test Baker

Location: NE Lagoon, Bikini Atoll, The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, United States of America

Date: July 25, 1946

“I’m nervous,” Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands told New Mexico as America and his people were preparing for the second atomic bomb test.

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands had been watching the waters of the lagoon, where she knew the atomic bomb, Helen of Bikini, was. Her nerves about Test Able made her interrogate New Mexico for hours about the test and how it was for her.

“I know. It's nerve-wracking, waiting for it to explode and just not…just not knowing what’s about to happen. At least I was fighting for most of it. I only got called back ‘cause they wanted to see if it hurt countrypeople,” New Mexico responded, moving to stand next to Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and putting a hand on her shoulder. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands sighed.

“I’ll just be grateful when these tests are over,” Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands said. New Mexico nodded.

“So will I. I understand why Dad and his people feel they are needed, but they are…” New Mexico said before trailing off with a shrug. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands understood what she was trying to convey. Despite mixed feelings, the tests were happening for a reason. As much as Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands wished she could stop them, she knew she held no power in that choice.

She knew she was lucky to be alive, after what America had done to her mother.

“Well, hey, at least it is only three tests, and we’ve already completed the first one.”

“Yeah, it could be more. I just hope that I’m not going to be a permanent testing ground. I don’t want all nuclear tests America ever does to be tested here.” Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands said. She didn’t want to become a testing ground. She…she had people that needed the land more than America did.

“Dad promised that your people would be able to return to this atoll. So testing here definitely isn’t going to be permanent.” New Mexico pointed out. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands nodded.

“You have a point there,” she said, remembering when America moved her people to Rongerik Atoll. America and his military had built them houses, and all of them had seemed confident that they would be able to come back.

“See? The tests aren’t forever. Just for July and August. I think. It might depend on how much information Dad gets out of these tests. Not that he’ll test more! Just that he might take longer than August to get all the information!” New Mexico said, stumbling over her words. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands laughed.

“Thanks, Xico,” he said. New Mexico smiled and opened her mouth, most likely to respond, before a man opened the room door.

“The bomb is going to be set off in two minutes.” The man informed them. New Mexico nodded.

“Thank you for letting us know,” she said. The man nodded and left.Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands exhaled a shaky breath. New Mexico sat in the chair next to her and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. “Don’t worry. I’ll be here if you need it.”

“Thank you, but I’ll be fine. I just…this is my home, and I don’t want to see it destroyed,” Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands said, releasing her hand. Every second seemed to tick by excruciatingly slowly as the silence in the room became deafening.

Then it happened. A giant bubble of water broke the lagoon's surface, and a colossal wave began rolling over the ships and heading toward them.

“That’s way more destructive than Able.” New Mexico muttered.

“At the very least, it looks that way. Although tidal waves might form from that.” Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands muttered, thinking of all the ways that could hurt her.

After a while, although Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands couldn’t be sure how long, as her focus wasn’t on the time passing, the wave subsided, and she could see several ships were gone.

“Well, that’s the second test down.” New Mexico commented. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands snorted.

“Wish it was the last one,” she said. She wanted her atoll back, and she wanted her people to be able to return.

She just wished it would all be over soon.

#countryhumans america #historical countryhumans #secrecy and deception by weird #countryhumans

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true-blue-sonic · 2 years ago

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What exactly is Silver's dynamic with Blaze? Specifically in Sonic 06, Colors and Team Sonic Racing?

I gave this some thought last night, because I feel like their dynamic between games is actually a bit different. Let's see!

Starting with Sonic '06, there is a bio that mention Blaze sees Silver as a 'younger brother': a Japanese bio for '06 has the term 弟 or otouto in it, which is a way to refer to a younger brother. Specifically, the translation from DeepL I get says "Blaze is strict with [her]self and shy around other people, but [s]he has feelings for Silver, whom [s]he works with, as a companion and like a younger brother." In general, Blaze seems to be the calming factor to Silver's more impulsive and hot-headed nature. She tells him to calm down when he expresses frustration about Iblis' undefeatability after the first battle with it, in the boss battles she's the one who comes in with warnings and tips on how to defeat monsters (e.g. telling him Iblis' weak spot is his head, or that Silver can destroy the armoured parts of the Egg-Genesis), and generally she's just a focused presence that motivates Silver to stick to his mission to save the future.

So generally, in '06 they are shown to have a close bond: for example, in the Test of Friendship Silver needs to undergo, Blaze is the one captured, and she gives him a very genuine-sounding "Silver, thank you." when she is freed again. She furthermore has clear trust in Silver, following him without a doubt when he presents to her a final plan to defeat Iblis that he is sure will work. Similarly, Silver is stated to be "young and somewhat immature" in an interview with Nakamura: he benefits from Blaze's calm demeanour and the fact she helps keep him on track. He is furthermore clearly distraught at the prospect of Blaze sacrificing herself to save the world, doubtfully asking if she is his friend (which Blaze doesn't answer directly, but I think the sentiment is a clear yes, she is, and she likes his naive nature. They say approximately the same in both Japanese and English, though Japanese does not state anything about Silver 'not knowing what to do' without Blaze.). Whether Silver sees Blaze as an older sister or just as a close companion, I cannot say exactly, though. But one thing is for certain: Silver benefits from having Blaze nearby him to keep him focused, and Blaze is similarly fond and trusting of him in turn.

And then the events of '06 got basically wiped, with Silver and Blaze's history alongside it. The first time they are shown meeting again in the games is Sonic Colours DS (where I'm not counting Mario & Sonic Winter DS). And in this game, their dynamic is actually a bit different! What happens is that Orbot and Cubot challenge Blaze and Silver to a fight in Eggman's amusement park, and promptly get trounced. Silver and Blaze lament that it wasn't a challenge in the slightest, but interestingly, in both the Success and Triumph endings, Blaze and Silver almost begin one-upping each other for a bit:

Succes:

Tails: I almost feel bad that those robots picked a fight with you two. Sonic: Heh, talk about unlucky. Silver: Right? Blaze: Don't exaggerate. I merely defended myself. And it was soon obvious how weak they were. I pulled my punches. Sonic: THAT was pulling punches? Yeesh.

Triumph:

Sonic: I'm still just surprised at how persistent those robots are. Tails: You're sure you guys are all right? Blaze: I could handle the likes of those two all day. Silver: Seriously. I could take care of those two myself, easy. Blaze: I could handle them by myself as well! Tails: Easy, guys. We're all friends here, and you work together well. Sonic: Yeah, you guys were in perfect synch. Blaze: Hmph. I suppose it was an easier fight with your help. Silver: It almost felt like we've paired up before. Tails: Wow, maybe you guys were partners somewhere, some time. I guess anything is possible!

Especially in Triumph, we see that Silver begins to almost brag ("Seriously" and "easy") about how he could have taken care of the robots himself, causing Blaze to defensively react that she could have done so by herself as well. I could be entirely wrong, but I do not recall an instance in '06 where the two of them were so competitive together, or almost disregarding of the other's efforts for a second. In other words, in Colours DS they do not seem to think that they needed the other there to help out... but the very moment an indication comes that they were fighting well together, Blaze relents and says that Silver's help was valuable to her all the same. In a kind of gruff, not very flattering way ("I suppose it..."), but definitely there. And Silver is the one who proceeds to point out that they feel familiar to the other, in a clear reference to '06.

What I think can be concluded from this game is that the alleged brother-sister relationship '06 stated they had, or at least their sense of close companionship, is not really there anymore. At least not to the levels it reached in '06. Blaze and Silver are effectively strangers who just happened to stumble across each other, and who are left only with a vague sense of familiarity and none of the memories explaining why that is the case. Silver says it almost felt like they've teamed up before, which to me does not express a clear sentiment of him being sure it actually happened. It seems more like a vague, odd-sense-of-deja-vu kind of musing. And yet, they are still noted to be in perfect sync with each other when it comes to their fighting, even if their statements about said battle might clash with each other somewhat. They're clearly alright with spending time together and are to be feared in battle, but the very tight-knit companionship they once had has been undone along with the events of '06, I think is accurate to say.

In Generations they are shown hanging out together somewhat at the end, but they don't talk, so that indeed brings us to Team Sonic Racing. In here, I feel like they have a closer bond than in Colours DS. Blaze genuinely compliments Silver at the end of a race, telling him he did a good job out there. She is also the one picking up that there's something on Silver's mind, which she asks about directly and gets an honest answer in turn to. And lastly, she very blatantly states she trust him, which I think for Blaze is a big deal: she's certainly less withdrawn than she was at the start of Rush, but she's still not one who makes friends very easily or who is excessively jovial and embracing of the power of teamwork. Laying out her trust so obviously is not something I think she'll do with every character. Overall, Silver and Blaze seem like better friends to me than they were in Colours DS, which makes sense considering they might simply have spent more time together.

So to conclude, I think we can say that Blaze and Silver are good companions. Blaze is the one with the level-headed nature that Silver can discuss his troubles with, and Silver in turn is someone Blaze appreciates for his honest, naive-ish and determined nature. I think it can be argued that Blaze regarding Silver as closely as a little brother is something that was mostly the case in '06 alone, due to them apparently growing up together (the wiki says Silver accepted Blaze for who she was even when other people were teasing her for her fire powers, but I feel like they're muddling Rush and '06 there. There also is no source linked, so I am not sure how reliable that statement is. But Silver clearly did not fear Blaze and her pyrokinesis despite the fact a fire monster is the one who'd destroyed his world, so I can see merit in the statement all the same.). With '06's story never happening in the first place, their close bond has been removed as well, but they seem to be rebuilding it to an extent in the later games. And what is also of note is that in a recent Sonic Channel story wherein everyone's memories were wiped, Silver and Blaze start out gruff and dismissive towards each other also, but it takes very little for them to begin appreciating each other once more. Also there they are in perfect sync in the end when it comes to their battling.

So tl;dr: good companions with mutual trust between them, where Blaze is the more supportive and level-headed one and Silver is the one who relies on her for guidance, but where she appreciates his nature. Arguably not as close as they were in '06, especially not in Colours DS, but I feel like it can be reasoned they are building towards that again with the time spent together in later games.

#silver the hedgehog #blaze the cat #team sonic racing #sonic colours ds #sonic the hedgehog 2006 #sonic 06 #long post #I have entirely mandela'd mind wiped myself here but I am SURE there is *A* bio out there that says Silver regarded Blaze with-#-an 'older woman's allure'#I remember it because I didn't (and still don't) understand exactly what was meant by it #but for the life of me I cannot find it anymore #and thus I also don't know the *exact* context in which it showed up and if it actually said what I think it does...#it probably was a Japanese bio so translating it is going to be difficult for me... but if I just had it that would help tremendously

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beardedmrbean · 1 year ago

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Wait I thought that First Nations is a proper term we use now to describe Native Americans?

Ugh

Also yeah the learning thing

It’s not like our education system is outdated as hell

Or being run by out of touch politicians

Perhaps you can find the link, but I heard that the public education system was changed in the 90’s for specifically to cater to neurotypical girls

Teachers unions are corrupted up the ass

But as I mentioned before that thanks to DNA ancestry test, we know black Americans of slave descent are 64% Yoruba

Yet despite one of the biggest gaming franchise Assassin’s Creed is based off pseudo surrounding it

And I’m not lying

The British Museum and the Smithsonian used assassin creed games for a Alexander the Great event and to visual the American Revolution in a sector

Imagine telling yourself 20 years ago that games would reach such levels?

Also when was dna ancestry known to the public

But anyways, one thing that perhaps other black Americans can help me with. Is that we when it comes to history, all we know about the old world is that we were enslaved

Keep in mind that I only learn about the Yoruba because of Hollywood fuck up

So imagine how HARD it’s going to explain community…who literary rates ain’t exactly the best

Okay there a saying I heard (paraphrasing) “If they ain’t going to teach you right. You think they’re going to treat you right?!”

Also perhaps in the evening as I notice something with a lot of stuff surrounding government in the 80’s-90’s media

I was trying to say the whole “Why we weren’t taught this in school” started with SJWs millennials in the early 2010’s

I’m just wondering how bad sjws critical thinking skills are when they never connected the dots that people who run the education system have their hands in the military industrial complex as well

Killary anyone?

It works, there's a screenshot floats round from a kids textbook that people try to pass of as HS talking about, well.

Every time it pops up we get dozens of people whining about the US education system until it's pointed out that, one it says "First Nations" which is the official way Canada says it (US is Native American) and two it says Quebec City in the bottom right center.

Outside of official things I don't think it matters which you use provided everyone knows what you're talking about.

Snopes actually covered this one, didn't need to but it was a opportunity to bash Europeans so they took it.

Perhaps you can find the link, but I heard that the public education system was changed in the 90’s for specifically to cater to neurotypical girls

I don't have a link on that one, nothing is turning up either but it is something that I've seen stated, also seen loads of studies showing that single sex classes turn out more capable students. Fairly well established that guys and girls learn differently so that makes sense.

The British Museum and the Smithsonian used assassin creed games for a Alexander the Great event and to visual the American Revolution in a sector. Imagine telling yourself 20 years ago that games would reach such levels?

That's rad, 20 years ago I'd have believed it, 30 jamin on my SNES not so much.

Also when was dna ancestry known to the public

Not sure, let's learn together

"Affordable" is the keyword there, general public wasn't doing them

But anyways, one thing that perhaps other black Americans can help me with. Is that we when it comes to history, all we know about the old world is that we were enslaved Keep in mind that I only learn about the Yoruba because of Hollywood fuck up So imagine how HARD it’s going to explain community…who literary rates ain’t exactly the best

Oakland’s rebellion against phonics set children back; let’s not repeat it

TL:DR; there was a structured phonics based curriculum that was increasing literacy rates rapidly in Oakland schools the teachers well.

Despite the obvious success of that curriculum, Weaver says teachers hated it. “This seems dehumanizing, this is colonizing, this is the man telling us what to do,” Weaver said. “So we fought tooth and nail as a teacher group to throw that out.” They succeeded, and Oakland children paid the price. Reading proficiency in the Oakland Unified School District abruptly decreased from 2014 to 2015, when the curriculum change was introduced. It hasn’t rebounded to pre-2015 levels. The district has a reading proficiency score of just 34%, well below the already stupidly low California state average of 51%.

🎉🎉🎉🎉Score a big win for decolonizing education🎉🎉🎉🎉

Also perhaps in the evening as I notice something with a lot of stuff surrounding government in the 80’s-90’s media I was trying to say the whole “Why we weren’t taught this in school” started with SJWs millennials in the early 2010’s

I said that several time actually, reading a random thing about WWI and came across the Ottoman Empire and couldn't remember learning a damn thing about them, WWI was Germany and Austria Hungary vs everyone else and for some reason this extended into Africa and the middle east but we're not going to worry too much about that.

As gaps go, that one was a doozy, you thought skipping over some random activist that did something that kicked off some movement was bad wait till you hear about the Empire that existed in the middle east, Africa, and Europe that was nearly completely left out of my history lessons.

Leaving Uzbekistan out I get, but not a 700 year old empire that our founding fathers had positive diplomatic relationships with.

Positive part was it gave me a whole bunch of stuff to learn, all on my own, without some bureaucrat deciding what was and wasn't important.

I’m just wondering how bad sjws critical thinking skills are when they never connected the dots that people who run the education system have their hands in the military industrial complex as well. Killary anyone?

Wait till you find out who helped make it so student loans couldn't be discharged through bankruptcy (biden)

The federal department of education was the beginning of the end for the US educational system and federal student loans greased the slide we're riding down.

People get mad when i say they need to be phased out, but honestly it's one of the best ways to make college affordable again imho. Just be bumpy for a decade or so till schools realize they need to stick with classes that will allow people to make a living.

Other option is make schools secure the student loans not the fed, they want their investment back they need to make a good investment.

#zoomer huey anon

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securelifetimelegacy · 2 months ago

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#Secure Lifetime Legacy

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frau-wilhelm-klink · 6 months ago

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Seconding all of this - and laughing out loud at shieldfoss's last sentence - because yes! It's not just rude, it's incredibly rude. And I say that as somebody who doesn't smoke anything, but doesn't give a shit if other people do so long as it's not around me. Very much a 'you do you as long as you're not hurting anybody' type of person.

Listen, you guys: I live in Alaska, okay? This state is, by far, the most pro-canabis state in the entire US of A, save for maybe Colorado. There's so many dispensaries everywhere, it's not even funny. But even our restaurants and whatnot are still non-smoking on the inside.

Look, I'm all for legalizing marijuana federally. Not only so people can get from point A to point B without being arrested for having a weed pen, just 'cause they landed in a state where it's not legal (that is A Thing™️), but so all US military personnel who genuinely need to partake in some weed on their downtime can do without getting kicked out of the service. Because as it stands right now, they can't. Not on the weekends, not when they're off work, on furlough (vacation, for those of you who don't know military terminology) or any other time. If they piss hot on a random drug test, they're done. They can't even partake of it as an edible! So active duty personnel and reservists are forced to turn to things like alcohol in order to fight depression. Hell, the lack of federal cannabis legalization means veterans can't even smoke weed once they get out if they want the VA to cover certain medications...although that's a whole different rant.

But.

But!

I don't care how pro or anti-cannabis you are. I don't care what your reasons for smoking it indoors are. When you are in a public, indoor space - such as a music venue or restaurant - smoking anything is not okay unless that indoor space has a specific, designated smoking section. Even then, make sure you stay within it. If you need to light up/take a puff/whatever else that damned badly, go the fuck outside and do it there. Don't make the people around you who can't get away from it suffer because you're a dick. That goes double for things like concerts and comedy shows, where you literally cannot get back into the building once you leave as a rule!

Now see, most places are non-smoking all the way around. This not only includes weed of all kinds, but things like vapes and cigarettes. And you know why? Because some people are sensitive to smoke, even if it's invisible and/or odorless. It's the chemicals in the smoke itself that sets off people's medical conditions. Nobody in the history of ever has had their lungs not work properly because they couldn't smoke that fucking instant, but you can't say the same about non-smoking when you flip the script. Keeping indoor spaces smoke free ensures everyone can enjoy themselves without potentially compromising their health.

Plus, I'll be honest: things like weed pens, vape pens and cigarettes stink to a non-smoker. It's absolutely disgusting. To the people who think it's okay to smoke inside, I hope somebody comes to your house and prepares a food that you absolutely cannot stand the smell of, and which takes hours to air out of your house to boot. Because then you'll understand how non-smokers of any kind feel when you light up/take a puff/whatever else around us. Not cool.

You don't know what medical conditions people around you have. Not every disability is visible. For people like asthmatics or those who have cystic fibrosis (just to name two), you could literally send them into respiratory distress with your smoke. You never know, so be considerate of others. Smoke at home, in your car, outside, whatever. Other people's freedoms don't end where yours begin.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

In honor of a bunch of weirdly aggressive posts I've seen this past week:

#no but seriously #this should be common sense!#wait‚ I forgot: the world is running short on that these days😂#oy #but yeah‚ don't smoke inside!#cannabis #smoking inside #smokers and non-smokers #not my usual content #random post

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beaversatemygrandma · 8 months ago

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Some yapping. Because i can.

Agh, I've got good things to look forward to, but one thing feels a bit off now. So, first off, weighted wonders dragon kickstarter plush. Hell yeah. Gonna be the bday present for myself. Very Excited. Keeping up with updates almost obsessively. Those things look Wonderful.

Second off is that date/not a date plan. I planned it for sunday night, which is basically my saturday night with work scheduling and thankfully our tourist trap town is starting to slow down now after the holidays so it's actually reasonable to do something like that in a restaurant that's basically downtown. Now, today, he was supposed to set that plan in stone which i assume he did, but he also told me not to come over after work bc he felt as if he was getting sick and didn't want to pass anything on. (which is weird considering he didn't tell me to stay away when i was and instead took care of me with less physical touch when i'd stop by. Super sweet and what honestly made me realize that he's genuine about all of this.) NOW, if he doesn't end up okay by sunday, I'm not really sure what to do with that plan if he did set it in stone bc i was wanting to make a day of it. Like, we've been getting all of the parts necessary to replace my car stereo (something he offered during his flirting stage and is actually following through with) and those should be getting here in the next couple days. So I could just go during the afternoon of my day off, hang out there, get that done, and then we just go out and test that thing out on the drive there. And then obviously, something afterwards. That i would very strongly prefer nobody is sick for. Highly Prefer.

I mean, honestly, it's fair that this happens somehow. I just hope this has nothing to do with the huge covid numbers right now. I mean, there's a child that goes to school and she was just very gross looking last week... ugh.

I don't want to get sick again so soon. But the plans. I really want those to go over properly. Like that seems like a fun day. I'd really want to do all of that. Like i'd almost say to try again next week if he's still not right by then.

...Another stranger thing to me though. I weirdly enough actually miss him after just not going over today?? Then again i kinda realized i did when i was out of state for a bit, but this feels different somehow?? Like after such a short time??? And i guess a bit different bc there's not a nightly check in either. And maybe a bit bc i have a weird feeling the plans might go differently or something.

I swear i'm also just coming to terms with this whole damn thing. Like every single external sign is just "do not touch this guy" but i really want to just touch him. Literally and figuratively i guess. It's getting to the point where it's very hard to deny the fact that i actually kind of hope that this does turn into something more. I'm actually the only one stopping it from being more. Like red flags galore. A huge flag that's just "DO NOT" and some green ones just littered about telling you not to ignore the big red one but he's otherwise perfect. ...literally like that. There's so much baggage and history there that it's actually kind of stupid. If i were to straight up tell the things he's told me, everybody reading this would wonder what the actual fuck i'm doing even past the "on parole" thing. And that would just ignore the sheer amount of everything else. I mean, there's some bonus points that come from literally just handing me the red flags for evaluation after i told him I was still working on deciding on those. Like just saying i need time to figure out if he's toxic and he's just "so this is what to look out for" and i'm just stuck with that info now... There's a certain level of honesty and care that just kinda get you to look directly past those red flags. And he's well aware of a big deal breaker among his past that if he started again i would cut him off without hesitation and with how all of this is going, i think that is actually enough to prevent it. (From what I've gathered, his drug past is most definitely self medicating. Probably needs actual mental health care but is also the type who seems to think that mental illnesses are kind of like inconveniencing labels?? Maybe if he had more info. Idk. Either way, I seem to make him happy and that definitely does something.) Then there's the baggage past and i don't think that's going to be fixed anytime soon. It involved cutting off the one who is legally his wife. Never physically together though. And when she is around all he can really do is hate everything she says and does (something something, mad he's turning himself around and leaving her to nothing but she literally won't help herself. She's the problem even though he blames himself.) either way, ugh. It's a whole damn thing.

...I'm going on a tangent of thoughts again. This guy just lives in my head now i swear. I'm going to stop by tomorrow as long as he's not actively dying i think.

#taks speaks

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randomclam24 · 9 months ago

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Somebody dropped a truthnuke, and it most definitely isn't any longer going to be found on soyja,c

Basically I.e. you have to remember that meme of a guy saying "you need to go back to IRAQ Update - Honestly I believe the greatest deception, that being of our time is the fact that we believe that life occurs on a screen and not in the flesh, that's why you devolve unconsciously to black people violence or sneeding That housing can be provided for them, to no difference Update - Like, Doom and Quake, from back in the day, especially Quake or whatever, which *is* on the same logical conclusion You would have to have been back in the day, saying you who are going to manipulate the masses through the media, we will pose some preventative Update - Since every event is subconscious, and I mean that really and truly As Synth put it, people going back into Cartoon Network grindrset And this is unaffiliated Honestly the logical conclusion of being brutal with yourself is that you have to keep doing it more and more like Trump said about success o algo until you hit - oh! cognitive dissonance! reality just is and has no effort The point of lambasting yourself, retrospectively, is to make sure you can't just settle back in to your former self. It has to hurt and give you a nagging But that's no endpoint! Like I couldn't complain out of responsibility at Philmont despite the way I sleep that pain is just the beginning of the trek in the unwaking mind Update - So what are we trying to learn? Update - Okay so when I post "I have no fucking idea", I return to it again, this is after a great forgettining where everyone ceases paying attention, so after that reality is it's just my inner demons or whatnot attacking. You want that Update - Basically, when an update comes in according to gangstalked timing This is untrue You find out what depth of love the deep state has over us We create boards of effectual memes garnering our consensus at the sleeping level - that is lampshades made of human because the memes were originally being But magic revamps all that, making it obvious Update - Really just browsing >Journalism whinepiece that is really the "you're breaking up with the One Truth" copypasta Journalism - you would hear the orchestral sound of it in introductory phases of movie trailers This is that thing? we believed in setting us apart in the 2000s which justified the fact that the theory of the actual memes we used as 2000s livers (in all retrospect it doesn't feel reality) are the most deep establishment - I have to tone it down they're stepping I *have* to do something they're fucking me 2000s memes are the most deep establishment memes in recorded history? (alright a stepper-inner will stepper-inner Update - This OP's picrel was the ragehttps://boards.4chan.org/pol/thread/491224031#p491224722 Update - Real Lain-outside-her-school-but-looking-at-it-to-dissociating-eternity-o-algo instant We all apparently agree with total CEO death out of the aether, yet if you said everyone who isn't the liberal's literal body is their bossUpdateBasically the conclusion for Synth Ass: When it comes to gauging whether or not something is meant in a shit test, at this scale and I know this is where the *woman* breaks up with ya: you have to go to deviantart

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briamichellewrites · 1 year ago

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The Shinoda house was loud with three cats and three puppies. Growler, Misty and Kate Spade were best friends. They did everything together. Mike could not be more in love with them. Bark! Bark! Twelve paws hit the ground, as they ran in the grass outside. He and Dave brought them out to get exercise and use the bathroom. They ran around the fenced-in backyard chasing each other. Growler stopped to use the bathroom. He was called a good boy.

He opened his mouth to smile. Bria was inside with the cats. Princess felt like the puppies were trying to take her spot in the house. She climbed up to the top of the cat room and refused to come down. Bria was ignoring her diva behaviour. Micha and Henry were keeping their distance from her. Micha wanted to be outside with the dogs. Bria was not letting him leave the house.

She didn’t want him running off. If he did go outside, he would need to be on a leash. He was watching from the window and sulking. His human could be so mean sometimes. Henry? He was playing by himself. She crouched down and scratched his head.

“Good boy.”

He purred happily. “Thank you, human.”

Micha meowed because he also wanted his head scratched. She asked him if he was done sulking. He came over and rubbed against her leg. She gave him a head scratch and called him a good boy. It was only a short time before the guys came back in with the dogs. Growler and Kate used the bathroom, whilst Misty did not. They would have to make sure she didn’t have an accident later.

She asked her if she didn’t have to use the bathroom. Misty whined. She tried, but she couldn’t. Was she still a good girl? She assured her she was. Dave called her adorable. She loved animals, just as he did. It didn’t matter what kind of animal they were. She needed to love and take care of them.

She was doing surprisingly well considering Brad wasn’t there. He was working on another movie with Angelina Jolie. Before he left, he promised her he would be faithful to her. He intended to keep that promise. She was the only woman he wanted to love. The next day was going to be busy for her. She had a doctor’s appointment, a meeting with her manager and a therapist appointment.

She was going to get lunch somewhere in there. Her manager was going to want to know if she was still sober. She could answer truthfully that she was. Mike asked her about her schedule. He and Dave wanted to get an idea of where she would be. They sat down, and she grabbed the laptop she recently bought for herself. It was the newest Apple MacBook. The salesperson at the store helped her set it up. She input all of her appointments into the calendar.

There was no way in hell she would remember them otherwise! They went through her schedule. Dave asked about her doctor’s appointment. It was a once-a-year physical. Because of her history of cancer, they would take a blood test. Was she still at risk for it?

“Yeah. I’m supposed to get tested once a year, even though I went into remission almost twenty years ago. It’s best to catch it early.”

It was a scary thing. They prayed she didn’t have a relapse of symptoms. It would just be one more thing to go through. It would not be her fault. She was healthy, despite her drug addiction. Her body was free of the chemicals from the heroin she put in her body. Her mental state was also healthy. She was taking her medications when she was supposed to.

She was also keeping track of her moods throughout the day. The boys would be at home with the band. They had a meeting about their next album. Mike noticed she was distracted by something on her laptop. He stopped talking.

“I’m listening. I’m just double-checking the time for my therapy session. You guys are having a meeting to figure out your new album.”

“How did you do that? I can’t do two things simultaneously”, Dave asked.

“ADHD makes you great at multitasking.”

They laughed. Once she saw the correct time, she closed the lid of her laptop and gave them her full attention.

The following afternoon, Dave took Mike’s phone. He was distracted by it because he was waiting for Bria to message him about her appointment. His anxiety level was high. The previous evening, they had dinner together. She then went up to her room to talk to Jason privately. Whatever they were talking about was none of their business.

Tick… tick… tick. The studio didn’t have a clock on the wall. He could still hear the seconds ticking. After hours, she returned home. They paused the meeting to get an update from her. She poked her head in and apologised for interrupting. It wasn’t a problem.

“What did the doctor say”, Mike asked.

“I’m still in remission.”

“Thank god!”

“I’m going to get something to eat. I’ll let you guys get back to your meeting.”

Yeah. Jason expressed interest in meeting you if you’re interested in that. I thought we could do a triple date sometime with us, him and Jack; and Mike and Dave. We could just hang out informally at my place and maybe have pizza or something. I’ll have to see when he’s coming home and if Jack is coming with him. He might want to wait until further into the relationship to introduce him. Anyway, it’s just an idea. – Bria

Yeah. I’m at Nobu now. I just sent Brad a text about you guys meeting. I’m waiting to hear back from him. I don’t think it will be a problem. We just have to figure out a time that works. The doctor said I’m healthy. Is it okay if I give Brad your phone number? Just in case. Anyway, if I don’t answer, it’s because I’m in a steak coma. Ps call your brother. – Bria

Brad got back to his trailer after a long day. He was ready to eat dinner and relax. As he heated some leftovers, he sat down and checked his phone for the first time. He saw one from Bria and then one from Jason introducing himself. The message was polite. He apologised for contacting him out of the blue. Bria gave him his phone number. He had zero problems with him messaging him. It was on his mind to do that. He just kept forgetting.

It’s nice to finally meet you. Albeit, not officially. I’m in Glenwood, Colorado for a while filming a movie. I have no problems with you messaging me. I’ve been meaning to ask Bria for your phone number. She told me that you two are in an open marriage. I trust her implicitly. I just need to get your approval to date her. – Brad

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon

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umichenginabroad · 1 year ago

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Week 1-1: The Lost Levels

þetta reddast, my most favorite 2 words these past few days. An Icelandic phrase roughly meaning “It’s going to be fine and work out”. You might wonder what could I have possibly gotten myself into over these past few days, and oh boy was it a lot of fun. From venturing through weird corners of Reykjavik to getting lost on the buses I went through it all. This is Alex Shamoun and let's get right into it!

þetta reddast, our first adventure was into the city proper into downtown Reykjavik. This was a really cool adventure and was honestly really fun. We went up into Hallgrimskirkja (the big church) and went all the way into the bell tower. This might not seem like much, but the reason why this was such a big moment was because this is where the hat I was wearing got recognized! A traveler from Canada recognized the hat I was wearing as Monokuma and he was a really nice guy and ended up taking this picture for me.

Picture of me in the bell tower of Hallgrimskirkja

After the church we went down the main shopping street. The first place that we made a stop at was Café Babalú. We went here with Christopher (our guide) and it was well worth it. This cafe is not like a normal café. While yes they do sell coffee and pastries and the normal things it has 2 major distinctions (one much larger) that help set it apart from every other café in Iceland. See Icelandic people take their coffee very seriously, and so for this café to be so renowned it must be special, and after 10 minutes of waiting in a line for the bathroom I realized what was so special. THE BATHROOM WAS STAR WARS THEMED!! The massive smile on my face was immense and it was such a cool experience. They had the Star Wars soundtrack playing the entire time that you are in the bathroom and it is filled with Star Wars decorations and such. Also they have a cute orange cat. Honestly that bathroom may be the peak of this trip, I have yet to find out.

The bathroom in all it's glory

That all was Saturday, there was some more stuff like we went to the Icelandic history museum and we ended up going to the Flea market but for the sake of keeping with the theming let us continue. On Sunday we got to finally go to Reykjavik University, the school that we are studying at for the next 6 weeks. It is absolutely amazing. The school is solar system themed, there is a center of the school called the Sun and each of the wings are named after different planets.

Map showing the current state of Reykjavik University

One of the best things about the university is the free hot chocolate, coffee, and tea that we can drink whenever. It honestly is the thing that is going to keep me there and make me long for the days in Reykjavik drinking hot chocolate in class. We were all enjoying some drinks after receiving orientation when we decided to go outside onto the balcony. All of a sudden, we realized that the door was locked from the inside and we couldn’t get back inside. þetta reddast, It’ll be fine! Thankfully, it was a nice day outside and so it wasn’t actually that unpleasant. Nice by Iceland standards is sunny and 50 degrees. But in fact þetta reddast was correct, it was fine. We got to enjoy the nice view a little longer and then Christopher called security to come and unlock the door for us.

The view from the balcony

After the University fiasco a group of us decided to go to the Icelandic Costco to get some much needed essentials to survive these next 6 weeks. The Costco is someplace that you have to bus to, and so we were able to test our newly acquired bus cards and see just how smart we all were. In fact, we were not. We ended up turning an hour long bus ride into an almost 2 hour adventure in trying to get to Costco. We first went to our first bus stop and then we realized that the bus we needed to get on was running late. Rather than doing the smart thing and just waiting for that bus to get there, we decided to board another bus and head to the bus station. This was our first mistake as this actually took us further from Costco.

After that we rerouted and then waited 10 minutes for another bus which would actually get us to our next bus transfer and get us closer to Costco. We then spent that entire drive figuring out which stop to get off and transfer at. þetta reddast, it's going to be fine. We ended up getting off of that bus at another bus station and started walking to the transfer stop. That was when we saw the bus that we actually needed to get on to get to Costco pull up and we thought that it was going to be racing to that bus stop. So, we all started sprinting towards the bus stop to not miss the bus. Then we turned around, and realized that the bus had stopped at the bus station for a driver change. We all just sat at the next stop for like 4 minutes realizing how stupid we all were. In the end, we were able to get on that bus and make it to Costco. Once at Costco, the hard part was carrying everything back, we had kind of figured out the routing the hard way by this point. But yea, þetta reddast, everything is going to be fine. Truly though, everything did work out in the end and everything was fine.

WE MADE IT TO COSTCO!!!

Moving onto Monday!!!! Nothing interesting really happened Monday. Anyways, I’ll talk more about lectures and normal things in another post, but that’s not for this one.

Today (Tuesday)! While at the University we received a text from Christopher about volcanic fog that was polluting the air and he warned us not to walk home, so as to not breath in the air. We ended up having to stay at the university until 5:45 pm due to our crash course in Icelandic culture. We realized quickly however, that the only route for us to get home would either be walking or to wait until 6:30 for the next bus back home. þetta reddast, it’s going to be fine! We decided to walk back home, in the volcanic fog, and then go get Reykjavik Chips. On our way back we passed through some shady routes and even went over a freeway on a bridge. But, the moment that embodied þetta reddast the most was when we were walking on a half built turf field (underneath was just rock and junk), where on our right was a kid’s soccer match being played and on our left was a field of construction.

The construction to our left

The Soccer game parallel to us

Now if you think that is where the fun from today ends then you would be incorrect. We managed to make it back into town and we were heading on the right way when suddenly someone told us that we should turn and take a different route. They were in the front and so we all just followed them. þetta reddast we said, thinking that it will all just work out eventually. 4 minutes until the place stayed at 4 minutes later for a lot longer than 4 minutes. We eventually ended up just doing a full donut and ended up on the original road we were going to take. We did thankfully make it to Reykjavik Chip, it in fact was fine. But, the process of getting there was definitely something else.

Alex’s Food Corner

I like to cook and eat food so I’m going to talk about different food I cook/eat every week and rate them based on things like price and stuff so I hope you enjoy my really scuffed takes.

Kufta: Middle eastern burger

This was something that I made with ingredients from Bonus (the grocery store). It is pretty much just a burger with some middle eastern spices and cooked in a pan. It came out really good considering that I have actually never made them by myself before. Although, the fact that I accidentally bought sweet instead of sour pickles was a disappointment. Overall 6/10, good for the price but pickles and a little more refinement of the spices could have made it better.

Costco Hotdog:

Ok, I know what you might be thinking, but hear me out, this was fire. Iceland has a really interesting thing in that they put fried onions on their hot dogs and honestly it’s so good. This hot dog honestly was worth the 2 hour long bus ride by itself 9/10. There is nothing really more to say, it was genuinely one of the best things that I have eaten in Iceland so far.

SPAMMICH:

For those of you who don't know what this is, it is a spam sandwich. It is the breakfast for those of many of us who need some quick and easy food. Spam is so good and honestly it weirdly cheaper (and probably healthier) here then America. This it a solid 6/10 though just in that sourdough bread is kinda mid, but honestly was still really good.

Yellow Rice with Costco Chicken:

I made some Yellow rice with basmati rice and turmeric. While it took way longer than it needed to because I was still getting used to the induction stove it actually came out really good. I did make a pound of rice and so I have way more rice then I needed to make and so I’ve just been eating it but with the Costco rotisserie chicken it is really good 7/10. I’m biased towards my rice but I do think the fact that I’ve been eating the same thing for a few days now ( I made A LOT of rice) might take it down a point.

Fish and Chips:

This was the fish and chips that I ended up getting from Reykjavik Chips. I decided to try 2 sauces with it, ketchup and then chives. The chips (fries) were absolutely amazing, maybe a little salty but fantastic overall. I personally am not the biggest fan of fish, but honestly the fish was alright. That mostly comes from the fact it’s battered and fried but like it was still good. It literally was falling apart and at points was a bit lacking in terms of crunch and flavor, but it was really fresh and was good. My only complaint is how little sauce they give you. I would have loved more ketchup, but they charge 300 Kroner ($2) per cup of sauce. Overall, 7/10 is how I would rate this. I’m not going to consider the sauces too much, but the food itself (about $18) was not bad for the price and was a nice and fulfilling dinner.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my adventures in Iceland and my food takes. As always, it's 1 am as I finish writing this and I have class at 9 am tomorrow. I will see you for the next post. Good night, and remember

Picture of an Icelandic sunset at midnight from my balcony (it's just pretty that's all)

-Alex Shamoun

Robotics

IPE: Engineering in Iceland

#UmichEnginAbroad #IPEIceland #AlexShamoun #IPESummer24 #Iceland

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