#New Tech Odessa High School | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

inscribed-in-asteroids · 3 years ago

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AN: Took a while but here’s chapter six! Make sure to reblog and like, or leave comments and kudos on AO3, which is still the best place to read it.

Title: The Ripple Effect

Characters: Hordak and Entrapta, feat. Glimmer, Bow, Aurora and Eon (OCs)

Rating: M (for smut)

Repairing Harm Done

Hordak walks through the center of their new home away from home. Entrapta and he share their enjoyment of space, and going on adventures with her has been some of the greatest years of his life; however, Beast Island has been transformed into a multicultural landscape, where anyone could come here if they wanted, and stay here if they chose. While Odessa has been away with her friends, they opted to expand the lodgings here to accommodate growing numbers. Talon and he weren’t the only ones with children, and even without offspring, his siblings were finding life partners, and to add on top of that, visitors from nearby planets come to Etheria as well and, sometimes, like it so much they wish to remain.

Upon this realization, they made an organization to discuss blueprints, schedules and funding for such a project. The funding was no issue: Glimmer and Bow were more than happy to aid them, and have visited the island several times now to see what else was needed. It wasn’t necessarily money they needed, either, as everything on Beast Island was based on a trade system and very loosely; they have utilized the technology on the island well, and created elaborate new machines for daily living. Glimmer and Bow, simply put, love being involved. They offer their expertise, Bow on his own inventions and Glimmer with her magic, but they were enthusiastic to be present at all.

He notes his brothers above him in the trees, connecting large trunks with man-made bridges, where a community of apartments will be launched high above them. The groves are to be interconnected this way, allowing for more freedom of development and making use of every inch of the island, eventually establishing long pathways that will join all shores of the island. This will be the new dwelling place for many of the citizens on Beast Island, while the area he’s moving through will serve as the marketplace, with recreational centers, hospitals, schools and restaurants lined throughout the ground floor. They have been constructing it for a while, but high demand has allowed for a speedier process to take place. Underground it will be primarily used for laboratories, as he and Odessa have the largest ones. It’s also their excavation site for First Ones tech, which they still continue to find more than twenty years later, the deeper into the earth they go; it’ll also serve as their mausoleum, for when those days come.

Animals chirp in the branches, shadows moving along his frame. Looking up, he meets the eyes of his brothers hammering boards into place, and they wave down at him. Being in a good mood, he waves back—

A sharp pang goes up his shoulder. Wincing in surprise, Hordak holds his hand up for a moment. Confused, he shakes off the sensation and continues toward the direction of his residence. Opening the door, Hordak steps inside.

“Entrapta? I’ve returned,” Hordak announces.

No answer.

She must be out. Maybe he’ll go check up on Emily and Imp. The latter has been growing, which came as a surprise to everyone. No one believed Imp could actually get bigger. It’s about the time Imp needs to have tests run to check if he’s still healthy as his body develops, Hordak muses, beginning to climb up the steps—

His legs suddenly lock, and they buckle, causing him to sprawl on the floor. His palms and knees slam into the hard stone, sending waves of pain up his frame. Another shortly follows, stabbing through his body. And it’s never one type of stab—it’s sharp, a knife slashing through; or painfully dull, akin to being jabbed with a worn, flat spear. It may not cut, but it’s relentless. And he can’t ever tell which is worse.

Trying to stand, he finds himself unable to. He pushes up with his hands, and the pain stings up his nerves, all the way to his neck.

Hordak lets out a breath of shock, of anger, of fear.

No.

No no no no no no no—

He looks down at his hands, and the color recedes—the blue drains, melting from elbow down, streaks forming along his wrist, and he can feel them weaken at the shoulder.

Hordak yells out loud, hunched over from the agony, watching as his forearms split in two without warning right down the middle until they’re merely the width of bone within the muscles thinning blood flow slowing unable to move or feel or sense or know why—

Hordak lets out a cry of shock, jolting himself up. Breathing hard, he turns to his right. Moonlight cuts through the dark of his bedroom, the blinds never being tightly sealed enough for his liking. But for once, he’s relieved to see it.

His head falls into his hands, and he breathes in. Breathes out. He withdraws to look at them. His forearms show no signs of disease, stark in the dim room. His shoulders move as they should, and he rotates them to be sure. He claws the air with his fingers, two quick movements. Then he lets them go toward his palm, slowly, pinky first as the rest follow, moving in synchronicity. He repeats this motion four more times, and none of them hurt.

Entrapta shifts beside him, her arm reaching out for his body. Automatic. When she finds only the pillow, Entrapta opens her eyes. She props herself up on an elbow, reaching out to touch her husband.

“Hordak? Are you okay?”

Blinking, Hordak turns to look at her. Her hair is loose about her body, draping across her shoulders in long strands. She doesn’t wear clothes to bed, finding it more comfortable. She followed his example on that one. After decades of being in pain, he didn’t want to be constricted as he slept. It reminded him too much of how often he had to be bound in place by something or another to keep from falling apart. His body was attached by sinew and muscle, like anyone else, but it never felt like that. It always felt like one small gesture would render him incapacitated, and his shoulders would fall from their sockets.

Entrapta sits up, touching the small of his back, “Did you have a bad dream?”

Hordak sighs, “I… did.”

Entrapta brushes the side of his face, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Hordak reaches up to take her hand in his, “It… It was the usual dream.”

Sidling next to him, Entrapta lays her head on his shoulder, “I know. It’s scary.”

He lets out a breath, unable to disagree. Adora had fixed him, permanently, in that other lifetime. Horde Prime wouldn’t allow something defective in his midst, so his body had been healed at the expense of his mind’s free will. But when Adora expelled Prime out, he was released from the confines of both mental and physical anguish.

He knows this.

His body has not known that pain in many, many years.

But there are days when he’s walking, sitting, breathing, and his thoughts turn to anxiety. Anxiety about the day, the moment, when his body will fail him again. He exercises every day, relishing in the activity he had been denied. The strength and power and agility that he long forgot about and wishes to keep. He makes sure to have that routine set out for himself, to have those thoughts at bay, to stop worrying him. He recalls how nervous he’d been when Odessa had been born—to have his daughter in his arms, and he would panic about the pain coming back and he can’t grab her in time before she collapses onto the floor and she dies. In a second, just like that.

Pulling his knees up, Hordak stretches his arms out onto them, giving a heavy sigh.

Entrapta rotates a bit, brushing his hair out.

“Entrapta?”

“Yes?”

“Can you check?”

Without further question, Entrapta moves forward, inspecting his back first. She notes the perfect coloration of his body, from neck to fingertip. Drawing aside the covers, she makes similar mental notes from his hips down to his feet. She looks up at him, smiling, “You’ve never looked better!”

Hordak sighs, relieved.

Entrapta lays her cheek on his forearm, “And I do mean that.”

He meets her eyes, and she wiggles her eyebrows.

Hordak laughs, allowing the anxiety to leave him, “You’re a pervert.”

Entrapta’s grin widens, “Can you blame me?”

Hordak leans forward to kiss her forehead. And she tilts her head back so their mouths can touch. Her hand caresses the side of his cheek, and he relaxes.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up,” he whispers, after a good while.

“Don’t worry about it,” Entrapta says. She pushes him onto his back, brushing her thumb along his mouth. “You’re not alone, you know.”

Hordak nods, staring up at the ceiling. Entrapta lays next to him, and she taps her chest.

Without a word, he turns, burying his face into her collarbone. Warm and inviting.

Her hands play with his hair, humming quietly. Stroking her fingertips down his neck, careful of the port located there. Entrapta doesn’t stop until he’s taking measured breaths, long and deep; once he does, only then does she fall back asleep.

Hordak steps out into the bright outdoors. Everything is in place. From the new construction in the trees, to the bustling shoppers around him, and, below, he knows Imp and Emily are taking ownership of Odessa’s lab while she’s away, as they tend to when she’s absent. Her friends are missed as well, and he will admit to himself, it’s good for her to have them.

Tristan’s general apathy tends to keep him anchored, but it lifts away as soon as he knows she’s back home, becoming more involved and energetic. Hydrangea’s eagerness to keep peace always stays in place, but she defers to Odessa’s knowledge and skill more often than with anyone else. Hordak knows that there could be no better allies to his daughter than those two.

They’ve been her friends since childhood, and they gravitated toward one another in a manner he found interesting. Despite being born a clone, he knows who he is, and he tends to keep to himself, save for Entrapta’s presence. His brothers tend to be more gregarious, which baffled him at first on how willing they were to interact with Etherians, and he surmised that, even among replicas, he stands out as incredibly reclusive. There are a few who took to his more stern and introverted nature, of course, he isn’t unique to averting social events, but he continues to have the shortest temper, if pushed enough, and is withdrawn. Talon is one of those individuals to match it, as he tends to be around his wife alone, but he doesn’t mind the spotlight, and that’s their difference.

Hordak’s gotten better at being around others, but he finds it exhausting after a while. Entrapta says that’s okay, and she wouldn’t change that about him and has outright stated to prefer it. Large groups are only ‘fun’ to watch, not be part of.

Odessa, meanwhile, enjoyed company, and Tristan was the first person she brought home. Hydrangea and Odessa liked each other very much, which delighted Entrapta and Scorpia; however, Tristan’s addition caught them by surprise. Mermista wasn’t the warmest woman when it came to who associated with her son. Hordak knows that his actions from the past were to blame, but she hasn’t done anything to damage his child’s relationship with her companion, so he says nothing.

Hydrangea’s mother, Perfuma, is no different, though she tends to have a lenient grip. Which he knows is due to her bohemian attitude, rather than an acceptance of Odessa. She wouldn’t stifle her child, as she has asserted that children should be allowed to do as they please and grow up how they will. It’s not a sentiment he disagrees with—he gave Odessa all the freedom she wanted. Entrapta was the one to spoil her, and he took on the disciplinarian role, for when it needed to be done, but overall, he and his wife encouraged Odessa’s desire to do what she wanted. Sometimes, her strong personality could be overpowering for others, but she’s not a bad person.

Despite what others may think.

“How are you doing, hon?” Entrapta asks, getting up to his level.

“I’m doing fine,” he responds. “Did you need something from me?”

“No,” Entrapta smiles. “You always ask that.”

“Ask what?”

“If people need something from you.”

He pauses in his tracks, “Do I?”

“You usually ask that when I’m looking at you, or wondering how you are,” Entrapta states. “And when I say people, I mean just me. You don’t do it with others.”

Hordak looks at the ground, silent.

“That’s not a problem, Hordak! It’s an observation,” Entrapta assures him.

He doesn’t question it further, for now.

“Oh, hi, guys!” Entrapta says.

Hordak faces behind him, finding Glimmer and Bow waving at him. For a flash of a second, he’s stricken with concern, but remembers that they’re supposed to be here today. That must be why they were in his dream, and it has nothing to do with premonitions of impending doom.

“Hey! Hope we’re not late,” Bow says.

“You’re right on time!” Entrapta replies.

Glimmer smiles, “Good! I hope you don’t mind—we brought Aurora today.”

Hordak looks past them, their daughter standing near the portal. Utterly disinterested. Without thinking, he says to Glimmer, “Was it wise to bring her?”

She looks at him, surprised, before waving her hand and laughing, “Oh, Hordak, she’s fine! She’s a big girl. Aurora, come here please!”

Aurora’s expression belies her unwillingness to be present, a polite smile on her face.

He doesn’t want to be rude— Well, that’s not true, he wants to be rude. It just isn’t prudent. Aurora isn’t a person who tends to be engrossed in what’s going outside of her social circle.

Glimmer looks up at Hordak, “I brought her because as future queen, she needs to participate in what’s happening throughout Etheria. You and I are working on this together, so I figured she would benefit from learning how things work with other kingdoms outside of a council meeting!”

Hordak nods in understanding. Makes sense.

Entrapta looks at Aurora, “Hello!”

“Thank you for welcoming me,” Aurora curtsies.

“What’s first on the agenda?” Bow asks.

Entrapta laughs, “We’ll go up into the trees first! We’ve designed a mode of transportation that takes us all to the top!”

Hordak silently walks behind the group. Entrapta leads them to a lift that operates when people enter into the rectangular container, made of nearby materials, predominantly the wood and bark of trees, as they’re the sturdiest thing at the moment. It’s in its rudimentary stage, Entrapta explains, and hopefully it will be changed into solid metal soon, since they didn’t want to waste resources at once. They had to see if it worked first, and they needed to design a glass case to hold it. All of them are elevated toward the top, allowing them a view of everything below.

Glimmer looks over the side of the box, “Wow, where did you come up with the idea?”

“Remember Horde Prime’s ship? He had this sort of thing aboard. We figured it would help get people around easier,” Entrapta says.

“So, you took the contraption of someone deplorable and used it for yourself?” Aurora asks.

“Yep!” Entrapta says.

Glimmer stares at her child, and Bow’s brows rise an inch.

Hordak’s arms remain folded, glaring at the back of Aurora’s head. Not liking her tone.

She doesn’t approve of it. And while he may not like owing Prime anything, it isn’t conducive to advancement as a group to ignore advantages simply because it came from a heinous individual. Good people have bad ideas, and bad people have good ideas, it depends on how it’s used.

“I don’t see how this is sensible of your time,” Aurora says.

Entrapta laughs, “Not everyone can teleport like you and your mom! We have people who can’t jump and climb the way we can.”

Aurora gives a delicate sniff, unimpressed with the explanation.

Glimmer claps her hands together, “Well, I think it’s a phenomenal idea. Prime was a monster, but his ship was incredible.”

“Mama—” Aurora begins.

Bow points at the distant grove, “Oh, look, pookas! Aurora, these were the animals that I met with Adora while looking for Entrapta.”

“The very things that would’ve eaten you all, and my grandpa, alive. You don’t say,” Aurora dryly answers.

“They’re friendly now!” Entrapta corrects, hair morphing into a hand with a forefinger pointed up.

Aurora grimaces when a pooka chitters at her, stepping away.

Hordak comes forward, unable to deal with it any longer, “Perhaps, it would be better for Aurora if she went and explored on her own. There is a plethora of activity in the market, and the main thing we would all be discussing is infrastructure.”

Bow turns to him, “Oh, I don’t think it’s necessary for her to leave.”

Glimmer nods, his suggestion more than welcome, “Actually, he might be right. Sweetie, why don’t you go down and check things out?”

“Thank you, I will,” Aurora says, giving another polite smile. With that, she teleports to the ground.

Entrapta yells over the side, “Byyyeeee!”

Bow and Glimmer share a long glance at one another. Aurora is a pleasant young woman, and now at eighteen, she should be engaging with more outside of Bright Moon. Neither Glimmer or Bow could imagine not wanting to go out of their comfort zone, whether it’s irritating or boring. But Aurora had never been quite as easy with ventures toward the unfamiliar.

Aurora is a creature of habit and routine, so she tends to stick with people that she knows, which is why they gave Marlena and Clawdeen the day off, both to allow Aurora to expand her horizons on her own, while giving their goddaughters well-deserved rest. Adora and Catra serve, too, as Aurora’s respective godparents, for they had all promised to be the guardians of each other’s children. And it’s why they decided, when Aurora asked if she could visit her extended family on the outskirts of the Whispering Woods, they pushed her to join them on this trip to Beast Island.

Aurora’s behavior since arrival was troubling Glimmer; she’s sure it wasn’t obvious, but her daughter radiated displeasure. Aurora is normally so genteel, with impeccable manners, which were inherited from Angella, and nurtured more by Bow and his relatives. Glimmer, even as she gets older, could never get rid of her fire to engage with every little aspect of life as much as she could. There was so much to do and see and experience, and she likes to believe that Aurora’s the same, even with her personality being softer than her own: mellow, caring, even shy. She knows her daughter is a good person.

Everyone always says so.

Bow and Entrapta have gone ahead, chatting animatedly about inventions and the latest in revolutionary designs. Addressing Hordak, Glimmer murmurs, “I’m sorry about Aurora.”

Hordak looks at her, “I don’t see the need for an apology. She doesn’t have to hide her disdain.”

Glimmer pokes him lightly in the arm, teasing, “Why? Because you’re the same?”

“Exactly,” Hordak replies, giving a light chuckle.

Sighing, she holds up her face with her hand, “Still, I don’t know why she’s upset today. I know kids don’t like to be with their parents after a certain age, and want to be with their friends—I was definitely that way—but I thought maybe she would have fun, you know? Engaging with the people, the mix of culture. Beast Island is so grand now!”

“I’m glad to hear you approve of what we’ve accomplished thus far,” Hordak says.

“That lift contraption is useful, but nothing will ever overshadow the day we got indoor plumbing in the palace.”

Hordak smiles, letting himself relax in the easy conversation.

Aurora walks through the throng of individuals bustling around. She didn’t expect so… many clones. She knows this is one preferred habitation, along with the kingdom of Dryl, and they are sporadic in other parts of Etheria. But to have so many of them present is a sight to behold.

She doesn’t approach any of the shops, but watches closely. Etherians, too, are wandering from stall to stall, store to store, and she ponders why any of these citizens would want to leave their kingdoms. Do their leaders not provide enough for them that they feel the need to come to a place still in development? She has heard of Beast Island’s many, many changes from childhood to adulthood, but she doesn’t see the appeal of coming to a location that isn’t as established as the rest of Etheria. New Chelicerata is an exception, since restoring a ruined kingdom isn’t a simple task, and that was in no part thanks to the Horde destroying the land and water.

To add on top of that, Aurora notes the strange carts being driven around the area. Compact metal transportation vehicles that are hovering above the ground, or whizzing through the canopy. An invention from Entrapta, no doubt. She tends to be the mind behind the majority of the designs. Those cannot possibly be safe.

Aurora treads lightly along the ground, a little dash of levitation magic that she’s been practicing. A gaggle of children, both Etherian and mixed, run past her, and she sidesteps out of the way. None of them are paying attention to where they’re running, almost doing the same to a couple of people. She quietly shames their parents for not teaching them respect better.

“Hey! You all have to slow down!”

She recognizes the voice, stopping in her tracks.

“Aww, but we wanna run!” chime youthful voices of reckless abandon.

Her eyes shift back and forth from either side, not risking looking behind herself, wondering if she can slip into a nearby building.

“You want to run? Go that way into the woods and return after a while. Whoever’s fastest wins and gets bragging rights.”

“What if one of us gets lost?”

For a moment, she wonders if she could master the invisibility spell this very second—

“Your parents didn’t tell you, but that’s the price of being fools running around without a care: you didn’t get to learn map reading. It’s a curse, so it’s inevitable you’ll die in the jungle.”

The children laugh, “What? No way!”

As the conversation turns to protest, Aurora darts behind a wall, letting out a breath. Crisis averted.

“You know, I heard that if you run like mad back to your homes, and don’t get lost, the curse is lifted! But you can only try when the moon’s half full.”

A gasp comes from one of the children, “Oh my gosh! It’s half full tonight!”

“I guess you kids better practice for this evening!”

Aurora peers around the corner, listening to the children fall for the outlandish lies, while unable to see anyone.

She’s startled when the next sound is that of quick steps coming her direction, darting past her—

Instinctively, she teleports, narrowly avoiding collision with a child. She closes her eyes and sighs.

Why can’t she go home?

“Aurora? What are you doing here?”

She tenses.

She didn’t plan where she’d wind up.

Slowly, Aurora tilts back her head, giving her signature smile, “Eon. I didn’t expect to see you.”

Peering down, Eon quirks a single brow, “You didn’t expect to see me where my family is? Do you not know how visitation works?”

Aurora withdraws, realizing with embarrassment how her head had been resting on his chest. He stands there, nonchalant, several stacks of flour levitating above his palm. He wears Mystacoran attire, deep, noble colors of purple with the usual white or gold accents replaced with his signature black.

Standing out as much as her, if she’ll admit anything. She attends any event wearing dresses, colored soft pink with whites trimming her sleeves and the hem of her skirt. She smoothes out her outfit, looking at the fabric, “I know how visitation works. Normally, you’re locked up in your room.” She side-eyes him. “Doing nothing to better yourself.”

Eon gives a cocky grin, “At least I don’t fake being busy to drown out the monotony enveloping my life.”

Decorum be damned, Aurora’s expression turns mocking, “I happen to like monotony. Schedules keep things together.”

“Another way of declaring you’re uptight,” Eon retorts, sauntering past her.

Aurora emits a light scoff, teleporting beside him, “I am not uptight! I appear that way to the lethargic. It wouldn’t hurt you to make an effort.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Highness,” Eon replies, spinning on the ball of his foot and giving a small bow with his head. “I forgot that commoners like myself need your example to show us how we could improve ourselves.”

Aurora tosses back her hair, “That’s part of being a princess—leading by example.”

Eon rolls his eyes, continuing his path, “Of course. I wouldn’t want to contradict you.”

“But I would contradict you,” Aurora replies. “I don’t understand why you’re carrying the sacks like that.”

“Like what?”

“Magic isn’t something to do menial tasks with. Did your muscles atrophy from being bedridden?”

“I happen to enjoy using my magic for all my needs,” Eon says. “If it makes things easier, why not do it?”

Aurora shakes her head.

“So, what are you on the island for? Did your family finally admit you were found among the beetles, and that’s why you have those wings?”

“Are you insinuating I’m a pest?” she questions, annoyed, folding her arms.

“Beetles happen to serve a very good purpose,” Eon tells her. “I wouldn’t imply such malicious concepts about you.”

Aurora gives him a pointed glare, “If you must know, I happen to be tagging along with my parents. They wanted to check on how construction is going for your people.”

“Ah. That’s nice,” he says, sincere.

“For you, maybe.”

Eon resumes being distant, “Well, I thank you for showing you care. Your presence graces us.”

“I suppose this will do as I’m waiting for them to be done,” she replies, looking around with annoyance.

Eon stops in front of his destination, setting the cargo carefully on the ground. He waves at an uncle, who nods his thanks before continuing to help a customer.

“Why don’t you take it inside?” Aurora asks.

“They know where it is.”

“It’s nicer to put it inside,” Aurora insists.

Eon grunts in annoyance. Levitating them back up, he goes around the corner. He halts, turning to her, hiking a thumb in his new direction, “Are you coming?”

Blinking, Aurora glances behind him. “This job doesn’t require two people.”

Eon leaves the sacks floating, pivoting around, “If you’re going to make demands of me, the least you can do is watch me do it.”

“But—”

He gestures to the building, “Would you rather loiter outside this public establishment?”

Aurora concedes, following him to the back door. She supposes it’s better than being out in the open.

Hordak lets his mind wander as his companions take rein of the conversation.

The nightmare threw him off more than he’d care to admit. He has had this sort of dream before, however, he was shaken to his core with this one. It was the most vivid he had ever experienced, and an aspect of slumber he’d care to not go through again.

Bow and Glimmer head to a group of his brothers who are in the midst of adding beams together.

He took it upon himself to take a break in a home that was under development. It needs a little more work left, but it’s otherwise complete and ready for furnishing. No one will bother him here.

Entrapta looks into the house, noticing his posture. He’s staring out a window that overlooks the trees, the drop going straight down, hands behind his back. His thinking position. She swings over to where he stands, closing the door behind her, “Are you still holding up?”

Hordak’s brow twitches. He doesn’t tell her that it’s a poor choice of words, because he knows he’s a little more sensitive to this matter than usual.

But Entrapta touches his shoulder, “Oh, I’m sorry! I meant to ask if you’re fine.”

“That is not something you need to concern yourself with. They’re mere words.”

“Words that are insensitive,” Entrapta replies. He doesn’t give a reply. She sits on her hair, gazing right at him. Unmoving.

Hordak’s eyes flick over to her for a second. He continues to stare straight ahead. “Entrapta, you needn’t apologize or feel responsible.”

“I believe you when you say that,” Entrapta says, not removing her eyes from his features. Suddenly, she gives a bashful smile, “I just care about you.”

Heart twinging, Hordak stiffens. He knows that her concern is sincere, and he appreciates it. He raises a hand to her cheek, brushing it, “I know.”

Entrapta flushes, his gaze intense. She can’t help but look down then, soft giggles leaving her lips. His finger traces the shell of her ear, and a shudder snakes along her spine. Body growing warm from the attention. He always knew how to make her feel special. After Prime’s defeat, Hordak had layers of emotion to sift through. He had been angry for many years, and she knows there’s parts of that residual rage underneath the calm. But one aspect of his nature that blossomed was a sensitivity that left her speechless. Hordak doesn’t believe it, but he can be very romantic by simply being honest with her.

“Hordak,” Entrapta whispers, touching his hand.

He tilts his head, “Yes?”

“You know I love you,” she says.

“Yes, I do,” Hordak replies, surprised. “And I love you too.”

Entrapta gives a breathy laugh, turning her face into his palm, hiding. She peers up at him with one eye, “Really?”

“More than you could comprehend,” Hordak tells the truth.

“Aww!” she coos, pressing his hand into her cheek, slightly muffled as she buries her face into his palm again.

A light blush tints his face, and he gives a soft laugh, “Entrapta, what’s this about? Are you upset that you cannot help me with my problem?”

“A little,” Entrapta holds his hand in hers, kissing the inside of his wrist. “I don’t know what to do sometimes, and I don’t know if me being around helps at all.”

“You’re a great help,” he assures her, thumb stroking her cheekbone. “Don’t doubt your affect on me.”

Entrapta grins, “I know some of the ways I affect you, silly!”

Hordak steps closer, smile widening along his lips, teeth flashing. His voice lowers, “Do you?”

“I like to think so,” Entrapta teases, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, fingers moving into his hair.

Her lips touch his, and he pulls her close. Her body curves against his, and even after decades of being near her, he’s always amazed at how she feels. Hand angled behind her head, his other one shifts down her back, sliding down her thigh.

Entrapta moans into his mouth, and she realizes that she’s been wanting to do this all day. His breathing grows ragged, moans interspersed with her name, sounds that she never gets tired of, because he only makes them with her.

Hordak pushes her against the wall, and he feels her hair slacken through her frame. Her legs wrap around his waist, allowing herself to be held up by his hands. Entrapta gives a soft groan, pulling him close. Her mouth caresses his neck, causing his body to shiver. Her hands glide down his back, grazing over exposed skin.

His hand snakes up her frame, and angles between her legs. Against the fabric, he begins to rub her clit, and Entrapta gasps in welcome surprise. Grinding against his fingers, she gives a small bite to his ear lobe, hot breath tickling his skin.

Hordak presses harder with his fingers, and he knows she’s growing damp. He captures her mouth with his, swallowing a moan she emits, flushed and excited. She grins against his chin, giving a small chuckle.

Encouraged, Hordak stops petting her. He looks at her, “Entrapta, remove your clothes.”

“Ooooh!” Entrapta does as he says, discarding everything but her shirt.

With ease, he lifts her back up, pushing her securely upon the wall and placing her legs over his shoulders. He has no hesitation as he leans in, breathing in, and glides his tongue up slick folds, rubbing over the clit with the end of his tongue.

Entrapta gasps, closing her eyes in pleasure. His tongue moves slowly, taking his time. It moves through the sides, around, teasing the clit, but never going in. Entrapta’s hands caress his hair, brushing through dark blue locks. His moans vibrate into her skin, mouth burning hot on burning flesh.

Hordak’s tongue suddenly darts in, and Entrapta’s back arches, mouth parting open. Groaning deep in her throat, Entrapta’s fingers grip his hair harder. Hordak pushes her legs further aside, nails digging into tender skin. He pulls away, giving her a brief glance, as his teeth graze along the delicate skin of her inner thigh.

“Hordak…” Entrapta whispers.

“Hmm?” he hums, mouth covering her clit, sucking hard.

Her moan escapes in a staccato, trembling. Biting her lower lip, Entrapta forgets what she’s supposed to ask. Lost in the sensation of his mouth on her clit, tongue dragging along swollen lips. His fingers squeeze the sensitive flesh of her backside, his ears twitching when she says his name. Soon, she’s soaked, unable to think or speak, overcome by physical touch. His arms, once the most obvious area of his defect, don’t waver from the weight, keeping her steady without qualm.

She would love him no matter his appearance, but she’s happy that he has the body he lost before. It brought him so much pain and agony, leaving him enraged and bitter. Entrapta would watch him suffer every day in the Fright Zone, even with her modifications. He felt inadequate, pathetic and alone. She would never think of him this way—he was the most brilliant mind and kindest heart she’d ever met, valuing her for who she was. Loving her despite her own imperfections. She never gave a thought to her physical appearance. What she always worried about was how her mind, her personality, her feelings would be perceived.

He accepted all of it.

And she wants to help him overcome whatever fears remain in him. That the imperfections of his body wouldn’t ever be the only thing of him she’d accept—it would be the doubts, the worries, the anger. He was her friend and husband. He, and he alone, would always be enough.

The heat in her stomach spreads throughout her body. Growing feverish, sweat shining on her skin, her toes curl into his back. Hordak’s ministrations are relentless, breaths muffled as his tongue moves back in, deeper than before, making circular motions within her body.

Shaking with incredible force, it bowls Entrapta forward, clamping her hand over her mouth. Eyes shut closed, brows knitting together, she trembles from the orgasm rocking through her every nerve and muscle. Slowly, her eyelids open, finding him staring up at her.

“Wow…”

Hordak smiles, pleased at such a reaction.

As he wipes up his chin, Entrapta brushes aside his hair, tugging strands over his temple. “Oh... I remembered what I was going to ask…”

“Yes?”

“I was going… to ask… if you think anyone will notice us gone…”

“Perhaps. But I don’t believe there’s a problem, so long as we begin going back now.”

Entrapta gives a gentle pat to his shoulders, and he sets her down. Beginning to dress, she grins, “I think this house is ruined.”

“Nonsense,” Hordak returns, waving a hand. “We need only open a window.”

Cackling wildly, Entrapta leaps up into his arms, nuzzling his neck, “You’re so bad!”

Hordak kisses her cheek, “I try.”

“I can be bad too,” Entrapta says, leering down at his groin.

“I don’t think we have the time,” Hordak replies, arm wrapping around her waist. “As favorable as that outcome would be.”

“Awww… You don’t want to make an attempt?”

“I believe, unfortunately, we have been gone long enough to arouse suspicion.”

“That’s an understatement,” Entrapta replies, wiggling her eyebrows, hand stroking over his clothes. “We definitely can’t hide that.”

A boyish grin and light blush changes his normally stoic demeanor. The expression staggers her mind to a halt, mystifying her on the rare moments it occurs. He’s so pretty...

“Entrapta?” he asks, smile still in place.

Finally recalling what needs to be done, Entrapta moves toward the door, grinning, “I’ll go on ahead, okay? You take your time!”

He nods, and she blows him a kiss that he, on reflex, pretends to catch.

Squealing at his playful attitude, Entrapta bounces out the door.

Hordak hears her voice grow distant, and he notes the faint replies from their friends. Hordak looks back out the window, catching his reflection in the glass. He looks down at his arm, touching it where he can remember missing bone and sinew. He takes in a breath, feeling the air move through his nose, into his chest. The power in his body undeniable.

It’s an odd feeling. Being afraid of nothing.

Aurora follows Eon throughout the market. He, apparently, was needed today. His magic lent significant help to his people, restoring broken objects, fixing machinery, and taking deliveries to several places. She won’t admit it, but it was a welcome relief from simply milling about by herself. Granted, these are tasks servants would be doing, but it made her feel normal, like she was accomplishing objectives at Bright Moon.

Eon looks down at her, “Don’t you have other places to be?”

“If I did, I would’ve left,” Aurora replies.

“Are you bored?”

“No, not at all,” she shakes her head. A little surprised she means it, too.

Eon takes her word for it. He hadn’t expected her to trail after him the entire time, and he would catch her standing by, occasionally offering unwanted critique, but he wasn’t going to argue with her. Early on, he certainly did. But the day has been long and he’s hoping to rest soon. She always does what she wants.

“Are you almost done?” Aurora asks.

“Yes,” he replies. “This is my last spot.”

Aurora looks at the sparse appearance, not even a sign put outside. Eon opens the door, singing its soft chime, and Aurora steps in after him. She’s struck to find rows of jewelry arranged along the four walls, painted navy blue, with cases planted into the middle of the floor. Though empty, they are meant for future displays.

Eon heads over to the case closest to the back door, tapping a bell resting on top.

Aurora joins him, “Is anyone present?”

“Should be,” Eon replies, turning around to face the front. He puts his hands in his pockets. “It’s not an issue if no one is—I can come back later.”

Aurora peers at the glass case, looking at dazzling necklaces, bracelets and rings aligned on vermilion velvet stands. She didn’t expect a store of this magnitude on Beast Island. The quality of the items are beautiful, with delicate designs.

Eon watches her from the corner of his eye. Her expression is intrigued, perusing the case with calm interest. He closes his eyes, waiting for the merchant to arrive. He listens to the faint tread of Aurora’s feet on the ground, the soft tap of her fingers on the surface of glass. He lets his mind wander in peace, glad to have a moment to himself.

Aurora eventually returns to his side, “Are you sure they’re here?”

“Yes,” he answers, not opening his eyes. “If you prefer, you can go find your parents.”

Aurora turns around, skirt slightly shifting about her feet. She stares up at Eon, debating whether to take him up on the suggestion or not. Her parents might be done, but if they’re not, she wouldn’t be able to leave again as smoothly as before. Staring at each side of the room, she says, “This is rude.”

“Uh-huh.”

“This wouldn’t happen in Bright Moon.”

Eon gives an exasperated sigh, “No, of course not. Nothing bad ever happens in Bright Moon.”

She ignores it or doesn’t hear. Aurora boasts, crossing her arms, “Right! Glad you see it my way.”

“Your Highness,” Eon scoffs, turning to face her. “If everyone could see things your way, we’d have a greater need for service animals.”

She blinks, “Why is that?”

“Everyone would be blind,” Eon answers.

Aurora says, tone clipped, “Oh, what would you know?”

“A lot more than you,” Eon replies, feeling vigor return.

“I doubt you possibly could!” Aurora’s head tilts at an arrogant angle. “The only thing you’ve proven today is that you make an excellent mule.”

Feigning injury, Eon clutches his chest, “Ah! You hurt me. But I could’ve sworn that you were fine with loyal, hard-working creatures. Unless that only matters when it’s useful to you.”

Aurora crosses her arms, huffing quietly.

Eon has known Aurora his entire life. Aurora has proven time and again that she has an elitism that tends to push her away from most people. Her parents are open-minded, cheerful individuals, and together they tend to liven any situation. Aurora can be charming, but she lacks sincerity. While not brash, her keeping an absurd distance from the folks around them during his errands proved that she was around him because he was the one thing she knew, rather than any intention toward actual civility.

Aurora inspects her shoulder, finding a loose thread. She points at it, and it dissolves in the air.

“I thought magic wasn’t a toy,” he says, taunting.

“This isn’t the same,” she snaps.

Before Eon can retort, the door opens behind them. The two turn around and find a woman standing there. Full-figured, with brown hair, hazel eyes and pale skin, the merchant is dressed in Bright Moon garb. Silver arm bands go up to mid-forearm, and she removes a light blue cape to hang on a coat rack.

“Eon, hello! I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. My meeting ran late.”

“No worries. I thought as much,” Eon replies.

The woman stares at Aurora for a moment, stunned, then smiles, “Your Highness! Welcome to my shop.”

Returning the warm greeting, Aurora nods at her, “Hello, I’m pleased to meet you. What’s your name?”

“Minette, Your Highness. If I may ask, what are you doing on Beast Island?”

“Royal duties,” Aurora gives a dainty laugh. “It’s been lovely!”

“I’m glad to hear that!” Minette says, walking over to a desk.

Eon bends down, giving Aurora a deadpan stare.

Aurora shoos him back, returning it with a glare.

“So!” Minette begins, causing the two to stand upright before she can notice. “Eon, I was wondering if you could help me with something.”

“What is it?”

With an excited skip in her step, Minette returns to the chair behind the larger collection of jewelry, “I needed a model for some of my jewelry, and using you would be really helpful!”

“Really? That’s it?” he asks, a bit surprised. “I don’t need to patch a hole in your roof or magic up boxes?”

“Sorry! I understand if you’d prefer to do those things instead,” Minette jokes.

Eon takes his seat, a little relieved that this is the easiest job he’s had today. Aurora sits in a chair nearby, crossing her right ankle under her left, hands in her lap.

“Your Highness, you can scoot closer,” suggests Minette.

Eon gives Aurora a brief glance.

“No, thank you, I’m comfortable where I am,” Aurora says.

“Nonsense! You can try anything on too!”

Aurora is about to decline when Eon rises to his feet and stands behind his seat. He indicates to it with a quick motion of his head, and Aurora elects to accept it. He pushes the chair under her, before levitating the one she’d been in next to it.

Minette smiles, bringing out her first batch, “How is Nyxia?”

“She’s doing well,” he informs her. “She’s likely in a meeting herself.”

“Your mother isn’t usually doing business with other people, correct?”

Eon peruses the jewelry that she places out on the table. Picking up a silver-banded ring, a crimson gem laid in its intricate center, he says, “I suppose she isn’t. But she will occasionally meet up with someone. I think she had to discuss matters with the council on Mystacore.”

“No doubt causing a stir of some sort,” Aurora adds, slipping a white bracelet onto a delicate wrist.

Eon glances at her, “You would know how to do that, wouldn’t you?”

Aurora gives a demure grin, “Whatever do you mean?”

“Playing coy only works on the dim, Aurora," he tells her with a smirk. "But I don’t blame you for being outside of familiar company that you think it’d work on me.”

“Ha ha.”

Minette watches with curious fascination, beaming at them, “You two must be good friends.”

Aurora and Eon turn to her at the statement.

“Am I wrong?” Minette asks, unsure now.

Aurora gives an awkward smile, a little odd on her lips, “Oh, it’s not that! We’ve known one another for years.”

“For how long, if I may ask?”

“A long, long time,” Eon replies, trying on a bracelet as well, shining black. “My mother knows her aunt.”

“Ohh, I see! I wasn’t aware that you knew the royal family, Eon.”

“Not many do,” he answers.

“How do you know Eon?” Aurora returns the question to the other woman.

“He lived near me at Bright Moon,” Minette explains. “I was a resident of the complexes there.”

“Really?” Aurora asks, shocked. “Why did you move here?”

“I always liked to engage in the unusual,” Minette tells her. A happy smile grows on her face, “It was delightful having Eon move in next door. I had become acquainted with his family when they would visit, and they informed me that my designs might strike a chord with a different crowd too, so I decided to set up shop outside of Bright Moon. I’m going to live here permanently, but I’ll be keeping my place over there to be in touch with my family.”

“Oh, I see…”

Minette notes the slight change in Aurora’s disposition. She sets down a narrow container on the table, “Do not misunderstand, Your Highness! Eon and I had been neighbors for a good few years, and he talked to me about the changes occurring on Beast Island. It seemed like a good opportunity to try my business out here too and build a second location. I grew up in Bright Moon, of course, but a change of pace now and again doesn’t hurt, right? I love my home, but knowing that Beast Island had potential was exciting!”

Eon gives Aurora a brief glance, “Surely, you understand what she means.”

Aurora goes quiet, not wanting to look at him. The two enter a chit chat that doesn’t involve her, to which she finds relief. She doesn’t fully… understand Minette’s motivations. He, unfortunately, is correct. An overachiever herself, Aurora can comprehend pushing toward her goals. But her ties to her home are so valuable, that she can’t help but feel a little slighted that a subject of hers decided that it was better to live here, in an underdeveloped metropolis. She can’t disconnect that success is tied to her kingdom and all its facets. It figures that Eon would be capable of convincing someone that, an idea they’d never considered before, might be what they want. He was always good at that.

It has been… ages since they’ve been in each other’s presence. They don’t interact often, but when they do it can be rather... tense. Tense is how she describes her relationship with Eon. His personality is both sardonic and frigid, which can lead to frustrating discussions. He has been more than pleasant thus far—even with his tendency to argue with her. She attempts to be cordial when she can, but she finds his quips to cut to the quick bothersome.

Then he does things like hold out chairs for her, or open doors and allow her to enter first, and she’s a little confused how someone can hold her with contempt and yet high enough esteem to do favors.

Maddening is also how it can be expressed being around Eon.

Aurora’s curiosity rises when Minette pulls out another box, dark and smooth, with a simple crescent moon latch on the front.

“These are my latest earrings!” Minette says, opening it. An array of different sets are revealed, but Aurora’s eyes hone in on a simple pair: pink tear-drop shaped earrings, not looking like anything special, but they have a soft sheen to their color that’s appealing.

“Your Highness, you seem taken with these,” Minette pulls them out. “Would you care to try them on?”

“Oh! Um, yes, thank you,” Aurora holds them in her hands, delicately pinning each one through her earlobes. Minette places a mirror in front of her, and Aurora discovers that she not only finds them pleasing, but she’s enchanted by it. They dangle as she moves her head, and she smiles. Genuine and delighted. “These are beautiful.”

“Thank you!” Minette turns to Eon. “And what about you?”

Eon stares at Aurora, and he pulls himself out of his reverie before Aurora can turn to face him. He looks down at the velvety interior, checking the selection. He does find his eyes trained on a similar pair, but in lovely lavender rather than the rosy pink she chose, their diameter wider a bit at the tip before becoming more rounded at the bottom by comparison as well. He picks it up, staring at it for a moment.

“Try them on, try them on!” encourages Minette.

Eon does as she says, and he checks the mirror too. He gives a light chuckle, the side of his mouth tilting up, “You do know how to win a man over.”

Minette claps her hands excitedly, “Good! Do you two like them enough to get them?”

Aurora nods, beaming, “Yes, absolutely!”

“Yes, I definitely want them,” Eon begins. He reaches for his pocket, “How much is this, Minette?”

“Eon, you silly boy,” the older woman giggles. “Consider them a gift from me to the both of you, hm?”

Aurora waves a hand, “Oh, that’s sweet of you, but you should be paid for your work!”

Eon nods in agreement, taken aback, “It doesn’t feel right to have them handed over. I can pay for Aurora’s set as well.”

Aurora, a little flattered despite herself, coos, “Aww, really?”

“Yes, really,” he answers.

Minette wags a finger, “Ah-ah-ah! I won’t hear of it. It really is my way of saying thanks to Eon for helping out today and times past; and Your Highness, I’d be honored if you wore them!”

Grinning, Eon shrugs, reclining in his seat, “Well, who am I to turn down a free present?”

“Thank you very much, Minette,” Aurora says. She looks at the mirror again, enjoying herself for the first time today.

Glimmer stands next to Entrapta, looking over a couple of blueprints that the engineer created with a team of clones. The day has passed with little event, and Glimmer was glad about that. She addresses Entrapta, “How is Odessa, by the way? Will she be home soon?”

Entrapta nods, widening her smile, “Yes! She will be home in a month.”

“Ooh, that’s exciting!” Glimmer says. “I bet you’ve missed her.”

“I knooooow!” Entrapta flips in place through the air. “I told her if she found anything interesting to bring it back!”

“Where did she go again?”

“She went to visit our family in Inicos. It’s a long journey, but the return trip is much shorter.”

Glimmer nods, then glances at Hordak. She leans in, whispering, “Do you think Hordak is excited?”

Entrapta picks up the cue, and whispers back, “Yes! Hordak doesn’t show it, but he misses our baby too.”

“That’s so cute!” Glimmer says.

“I know!”

From where he stands, Hordak’s ears twitch a little, looking over his shoulder at the women. They simply wave at him, and he resumes conversation with Bow.

Glimmer turns her attention toward the darkening sky. It’ll be about time to head back to the castle. She’s been enjoying herself since she’s arrived. Even with all the experience she has now, she cannot help but feel unsettled when she’s in the palace for too long, and it has been an overdue time in regards to going out. Beast Island may not be what individuals think of for relaxation and enjoyment, but without all the technology trying to kill you, it’s fun. Bow can attest to that.

The sound of the elevator is familiar by now that none of them turn to it. But a moment later, Glimmer hears, “Hi, Mama!”

She looks over Entrapta’s shoulder, and she rises to greet her daughter, “Aurora! Hi, honey. Did you have a good time?”

The princess gives a delicate shrug of her shoulders, “I suppose.”

“Are those earrings?” Glimmer asks, pointing to her ears. “You didn’t have them on before.”

Aurora touches one, “Oh, yes! Do you like them?”

“I adore them! They’re such a compliment to your face—” begins Glimmer, when her eyes slide over to the left. She lets out a loud gasp, “Eon!”

Eon continues his strides, giving a salute with his hand, “Hello.”

Glimmer, despite being dwarfed by the younger man, teleports over the remaining four feet and crushes him to her. “Oh my gosh, how’ve you been?”

“Not broken,” he remarks.

“Oh, I know you’re fine!” Glimmer laughs, releasing him. She holds his wrists in her hands, appraising him. “By the moon, you’ve gotten tall.”

Eon brushes his hair from his face, grinning down at her, “Thank you, it’s genetics.”

Entrapta bounces over, giving him an affectionate pat on the back, “And your strict diet!”

“That too,” he agrees. “I’d kill to have a slice of cake.”

“Were you with Aurora just now?” Bow asks, walking over to them with Hordak.

“She accompanied me all day,” Eon informs the couples. “She performed good samaritan duties.”

Glimmer can’t help her astonishment. She looks at Aurora, “Really?”

“He happened to be walking by, that’s all,” Aurora explains. “He worked, I watched.”

Bow holds his daughter by the shoulder, pulling her to him, giving her a happy shake, “You learned a thing or two though, didn’t you?”

“Sure, Papa.”

Eon leans down to Glimmer, “You know, she actually got dirt on her.”

“For once, huh?” Glimmer jests back.

Flushing, Aurora crosses her arms, “Mama, please…”

Hordak turns to Bow, “Will you three be returning to Bright Moon now?”

Bow nods, “Since Aurora is here, and it’s getting late, we likely should.”

Glimmer turns to the clone family, “Would any of you be interested in coming back and having dinner? The cooks don’t mind that!”

Entrapta shakes her head, “As much as I’d like to ask for tiny food from your chefs, Hordak and I have a previous engagement to attend to, so we’ll have to say no!”

Hordak nods at them, “Perhaps another time.”

“Got it!” Glimmer says, looking up at Eon. “What about you? You can have that slice of cake with us!”

“I got something to finish up here, but thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Eon, please, it’s Glimmer!”

“Sorry, Glimmer.”

Bow adds, “You should come by the next time you’re around!”

“Thank you,” Eon says, glancing at Aurora. “I’ll consider it some time.”

After a few more pleasantries, Eon bids farewell first. Hordak and Entrapta accompany the family to the portal about halfway before they veer off to their own place.

Glimmer stares up at her husband, “This was a great outing, wasn’t it?”

Bow stretches his arms toward the sky, “You bet! It’s good to get out of the stuffy meetings now and then.”

Aurora purses her lips, “I think we could’ve gone home sooner.”

Glimmer looks at her daughter, “Didn’t you have fun with Eon?”

“I had as much fun as one could while watching someone do menial labor,” Aurora replies.

“It’s good to get out regardless,” Bow says.

“I did always like that boy,” Glimmer tells them.

Aurora sighs, not understanding how he can win her parents over. He can be charming, to be sure, and he surprised her today by how useful he was to others. Even thoughtful. But he doesn’t have anything else going for him. She finds it to be a lucky thing that he enjoys being distant from her too.

Today was a fluke.

After all, he is a clone’s son.

Entrapta holds Hordak to her chest, brushing his hair as he falls asleep, “Did you have fun earlier today?”

“In the house or with our friends?”

“Both!”

Hordak smiles at her. His fingers slide up to touch her face, “I did enjoy myself.”

Entrapta leans forward, kissing the bridge of his nose. She puts their foreheads together, “Are you sure you don’t want me to do anything?”

“You can return the favor to me later,” Hordak says. “I’m comfortable.”

Entrapta continues petting his scalp, finding that she is also in a cozy position, and maybe they will just have more fun tomorrow. She yawns, voice getting drowsy, “Are you happy Odessa is coming soon?”

“Yes, I am,” he replies. “There’s much to discuss with her.”

“There is…”

Hordak’s eyes drift to his wife’s collarbone. Breathing in the scent of her skin, Hordak pulls her closer. His thoughts begin to pick up in the quiet of the room. Churning. Once his mind finds something to think about, he can have as much a difficult time letting it be as Entrapta could. And their daughter was, for better or worse, the same.

He asks, with unusual hesitation, “Is Odessa keeping something from me? She has a strong wanderlust, and she enjoys visiting family but... she doesn’t feel like herself. When she left, it seemed as if she was unsure of how to approach me. That she didn’t want to inform me of any event she experienced. Am I imagining it?”

She doesn’t answer.

“Entrapta?”

The question receives light snores as a response.

Sighing, Hordak kisses the column of her throat before settling into her chest, unable to stop thinking of his dream from earlier. The sense of unease he has balled in his chest.

He is curious what this odyssey would entail for his daughter and her friends.

And he is worried what the outcome may be.

#hordak #entrapta #entrapdak #odessa #fanfic: The Ripple Effect #shera #spop

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movedtooh-westly · 4 years ago

Note

Heyo, your ocs are so interesting! I already love them. Do you have a story line for the characters? What are some facts about them? Have a good day and don't forget to drink lots of water :)

Okay for starters, thanks for the ask! hope you’re well too! it makes me happy when people are interested in whatever i’m working on :D (it’s a long post, strap in)

A general plot to the story (mind you, it’s still in it’s early stages of being created):

Alinsky Cross, a dangerous combination between a kleptomaniac and a genius, is a master at orchestrating large scale tests and thefts, stealing items like priceless objects and large sums of money. However, he becomes increasingly confident and lets his guard down during a specific heist. The people he was stealing from were called the American Artefact Collection Committee (AACC). The AACC were able to pinpoint who stole their most prized artefact (which is a little acorn-looking thing with origins that are not human, dubbed ‘tenebrarius’), as Alinsky underestimated their security. However, they ruled out the possibility of Alinsky being the thief and instead, captured his father, Ernst Cross, in retaliation. Alinsky is unaware that it was the AACC who captured him or that it was even his fault to begin with. After about a year since Ernst’s abduction, Alinsky starts to explore different methods of finding him. Running out of new and successful ways, he turns to more mythological ideas. While Alinsky believes it was natural for his brain to wander into hypothetical territory, his actual influence came from a connection to the magic world he is unaware of.

This magic 6th sense came from an encounter with a demon (which are part of the magic world) when he was barely five. He escaped it, only suffering a scratch on his left hand. wounds inflicted from Faefolk to humans leave the human with a connection to the magic world, which is why Alinsky can sort of sense magical presences.

This leads him into capturing Esther Snowe, a member of the Faefolk council, in exchange for the secrets to fairy technology. Ernst is brought home a year after Esther is released with the tech, but the reunion isn’t a happy one.

Facts about the characters:

My main character lineup consists of

Alinsky Cross

Bear (Harding Dietrich)

Esther Snowe (Elf)

Farley Coven (Harpy)

Odessa Dew (Elf)

Elisabeth Cavey (Dwarf)

Rooney Pelph (Centaur)

I’ve made a post about Alinsky already here. It has some general info and fun facts about the gremlin boy.

Bear is a martial-artist and had been training since he could walk, basically. When he graduated, he pursued an education in becoming a butler, before becoming bored and instead ending up on the wrong side of the law. He was employed by gangs and other underground companies as a tank or bodyguard. Bear also worked as a contract-killer for a while before deciding it wasn’t for him and instead used his 30s to travel the globe. He was finally employed by Ernst and Vivian Cross before Alinsky was born and the three became rather close friends. When Alinsky was born, Bear became his personal bodyguard. He’s a big softie but that’s usually only revealed after you get through the walls of blank faces and reserved nature.

Bear facts:

He used to be in a swing band (he played BARITONE SAX)

Bear likes to bake and can make one mean quiche

Bear is a big fan of ABBA

Esther Snowe is the Elf Representative in the Council. She is one of 13 Reps (each corresponding with a Fairy race) and the only female to become a member in five centuries. She was apart of the FAE (Federal Army and Enforcement, hehe) and had actually made lieutenant before she quit. She had witnessed the death of some civilians and believed they were her fault and she found it easier just to run. She couldn’t properly let go, however, and often visits her old friends during breaks and stuff. Esther was a role model for aspiring members of parliament and her unexpected abduction was pretty tough on her. Esther is an optimistic and strong individual with a fighter’s spirit and one hell of a social butterfly.

Esther facts:

Esther likes to collect knives and is quite skilled in knife combat

She’s scared of small spaces

Esther makes little pompoms just for fun

Farley Coven is the FAE’s technical person. They had upgraded the interfaces, tools and gadgets to their liking and it’s pretty much useless to try and use it without their help. Farley is a big fan of human TV shows and often watches famous sitcoms during work. They had been a bit of a nerd during their schooling years but had really come to grow on the FAE’s troops and atmosphere, especially since Dew is such a joy to tease. Farley is a cool and relatable individual with too many jokes and not enough time.

Farley facts:

Farley is incredibly smart but likes to hide their intelligence under a laid-back facade

They have that ✨shrimp posture✨

Friends is definitely their favourite sitcom (they also probably watch buzzfeed unsolved tbh)

Odessa Dew (or just Dew, Commander, your highness, etc) is the Commander of the FAE’s 1st precinct. She’s a skilled fighter and takes a lot of pride in her job. Dew’s first job option was a teacher but found herself rather unfit for teaching (i.e she might have thrown a kid across the room). She’s well respected and is part of the family in the FAE. Dew specialises in retrieval missions and loves field action. she also may have a small crush on Esther but we repress that stuff don’t we . Dew’s a tough and enthusiastic person but has that that “i would fistfight god behind the 7eleven” energy.

Dew facts:

Dew has a hoarding problem with plants

She likes watching sports

Her and Farley are best buds, even if she won’t admit it

Elisabeth Cavey is a competitive digger, which is a popular sport among the burrowing races of the fairies (e.g. gnomes, dwarfs). It’s mostly a hobby but she’s gained some popularity in the recent years. Elisabeth had started out wanting to become a nomad and live on the surface but had decided to become a sport star while she was in senior school. She’s pretty competitive but rather shy and spends her spare time gardening. Elisabeth is also quite sensitive and has a tendency to take things personally.

Elisabeth facts:

She has totally thought of just bailing and living secretly on the surface

With help, she pirates human novels to read

Like Dew, Elisabeth is also a plant hoarder

Rooney Pelph is a national racer and competes in races and obstacle courses. He’s very hyper and barely sits still. He doesn’t really sleep much either. Rooney is a big fan of games (like tag and whatnot) and dreams of playing with others his age, but centaurs usually give up on games once they hit 60. Rooney is also a big fan of video games but due to his stardom, doesn’t really get to do much gaming. He’s quite a calculated individual and is a deep thinker but is pretty bad at converting his thoughts into words.

Rooney facts:

i totally didn’t name him after the headmaster from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

He’s a big fan of feminine clothing! he loves frills especially :J

Rooney will consume entire cans of mints in under an hour.

if you got this far, great job. hope you enjoyed my ramblings. my inbox is always open if you have any questions about my OCs, story or anything else :]

#oc ask #woo that's a lot of text #long post #the documents of alinsky cross #so... this is them :)

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luliputu-blog · 5 years ago

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The Ukraine Business E-visa Stories

https://ja.ivisa.com/ukraine-business-e-visa

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gordonwilliamsweb · 3 years ago

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12,000 Square Miles Without Obstetrics? It’s a Possibility in West Texas

The message from Big Bend Regional Medical Center was stark: The only hospital in a sparsely populated region of far West Texas notified local physicians last month that because of a nursing shortage its labor and delivery unit needed to temporarily close its doors and that women in labor should instead be sent to the next closest hospital — an hour’s drive away.

That is, unless the baby’s arrival appears imminent, and the hospital’s unit is shut down at that point. In that case, a woman would deliver in the emergency room, said Dr. Jim Luecke, who has practiced 30-plus years in the area.

But that can be a tough call, he added. Luecke described his concerns for two patients, both nearing their due date, who had previously given birth, boosting the chance of a faster delivery. “They can go from 4 centimeters dilated to completely dilated within a few minutes,” said the family physician, who estimates he’s delivered 3,000 babies.

Some pregnant women already travel an hour and a half or longer to reach the 25-bed Big Bend Regional in Alpine, said Dr. Adrian Billings, another family physician who delivers babies there. “Now to divert these ambulances at least another 60 miles away, it’s asking for more deliveries to happen en route to the hospital, and potentially poor maternal or neonatal outcomes.”

Luecke can’t recall a time when the obstetrics unit at Big Bend Regional has closed.

But it’s happening in other parts of the state: Ten rural hospitals have stopped delivering babies in the past five years or so, leaving 65 out of 157 that still do, according to the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals.

Hiring and retaining rural nurses has become even more challenging amid the pandemic as nurses have been recruited to work in urban covid-19 hot spots and sometimes don’t return to their communities, said John Henderson, chief executive officer at TORCH. More recently, some Texas hospitals have offered signing bonuses of $10,000 or more as they jockey for nurses, he said. “Covid has caused a resetting of market rates and a reshuffling of nurse staffing.”

The circumstances at Big Bend Regional, which serves a 12,000-square-mile area (about the size of Maryland), illustrates the ripple effects of potentially losing obstetric services across a broader region. The hospital, owned by Quorum Health Corp., serves a swath that extends southwest to the Mexican border and includes Big Bend National Park as well as the communities of Presidio and Candelaria. The nearest hospital, the 25-bed Pecos County Memorial in Fort Stockton, is 68 miles northeast of Alpine.

As of late July, Big Bend Regional’s obstetrics services remained in flux, with the unit closed for four- and five-day stretches, said Billings. Physicians have been told that the unit would typically remain open only Monday morning through Thursday morning of each week until more nurses arrive, he said.

The staffing crisis highlights the need for more state and national efforts to train rural nurses and other clinicians, Billings added. “The big concern that I have is that, if we don’t fix this, this could be the beginning of a rural maternity care desert out here in the Big Bend.”

The hospital, which delivered 136 babies last year, said it is “working feverishly to ensure adequate staffing levels in the coming weeks,” recruiting to fill 10 nursing positions in the labor and delivery unit, according to a statement to KHN. “When our hospital is on diversion for elective OB patients, we communicate in advance with nearby emergency transport services and acute care providers to ensure continuity of care,” the statement said.

Kelly Jones of Alpine, who worried she was having contractions, couldn’t get anyone to pick up the phone for a few hours at Big Bend’s unit in mid-July. She decided to drop off her son at a friend’s house and head to the hospital.

Jones, who is nearly full term, knew the unit had been closed a few days earlier that month but didn’t realize that closures were still occurring. “I went in and said, ‘I think I’m in labor.’ They were like, ‘Well, you can’t go into labor and delivery because they’re closed. So we’re going to take you to the ER.’” In the end, medical personnel determined she wasn’t going to deliver that day and she went home.

Since the hospital first alerted doctors last month, the unit has been on diversion July 5-9, July 14-18 and then again July 22 until Sunday, July 25, according to Billings. Efforts were being made to recruit nurses from Odessa, 150 miles away, to fill in, but the outcome was uncertain, Billings said.

Luecke scheduled an induction for one patient for July 26, when her pregnancy would be at 39 weeks — a week short of full term — and the unit was scheduled to be open. “We are trying to induce them [women] on the days that they [the hospital’s unit] are open,” he said.

Jones, who is being cared for by another physician, is scheduled for induction Aug. 2, at 39 weeks. “For a while, I was not sleeping. I was really stressed. I was panicking about every scenario,” said the 30-year-old, whose pregnancy was initially considered high risk because her son had been born prematurely.

But Jones felt better once her induction date was set. And what if the baby arrives sooner and the unit is closed? She’s been told to go to the ER, to be taken from there by ambulance to the local airport and flown to Fort Stockton.

Malynda Richardson, director of emergency medical services for the town of Presidio, which sits along the Mexican border about 90 miles from Alpine, said its first responders transport more than two dozen women with pregnancy-related issues each year, most of them in labor, including an average of two who deliver en route. First responders, including paramedics, are not typically trained to assess a woman’s cervix for dilation, making it more difficult to gauge imminent delivery, she said.

Also, when responders drive an additional two to three hours round trip to reach Fort Stockton, that affects the Presidio community, which can reliably staff only one ambulance, Richardson said. “What happens when we do have that transport [of a woman in labor] and have to go to Fort Stockton and then we have somebody else down here having a heart attack and we don’t have an ambulance available?”

Rural obstetrics units require far more nurses than doctors to remain open, so diverting women elsewhere in the short term makes sense, said Dr. Tony Ogburn, who chairs the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine. “If you don’t have trained nurses there, it doesn’t matter if you have a physician that can do a C-section or do a delivery; you can’t take care of those patients safely,” he said.

Registered nurses who work in labor and delivery have completed specialized training, such as how to read a fetal heart monitor, so a nurse from the ER or another hospital unit can’t easily step in, Billings said. “It’s kind of like having a small football team or a small soccer team and not being able to pull from the bench,” he said.

Billings said he’s reached out to Dr. Michael Galloway, who chairs the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Odessa and has been helping coordinate efforts to recruit nurses from that city. But even if Odessa nurses agree to pick up some shifts at Big Bend Regional, they are likely a stopgap solution, said Billings, who questions how long they’d be willing to work so far away from home.

Luecke believes Big Bend Regional administrators are doing everything they can to improve nurse staffing. But, like Billings, he’s worried that these July temporary closures could become longer-term.

“We are hoping August will be a different situation,” Luecke said. “But it’s pretty iffy right now.”

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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stephenmccull · 3 years ago

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12,000 Square Miles Without Obstetrics? It’s a Possibility in West Texas

Luecke can’t recall a time when the obstetrics unit at Big Bend Regional has closed.

“We are hoping August will be a different situation,” Luecke said. “But it’s pretty iffy right now.”

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

12,000 Square Miles Without Obstetrics? It’s a Possibility in West Texas published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

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kevrocksicehouse · 4 years ago

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Nick Nolte starred in North Dallas Forty, one of the best and most cynical football movies. A few other films with an irreverent look at America’s real national pastime.

The Freshman. D: Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor (1925). A nerd (Harold Lloyd) tries to become the Big Man on Campus at a university described as “A football stadium with a college attached” in this freewheeling silent slapstick look at college sports.

Horse Feathers. D: Norman Z. McLeod. (1932). Moving on from slapstick to sheer anarchy with the Marx Brothers who send up corrupt coaches (Groucho: “My boy, get in there and play like you did in the last game. I’ve got five dollars bet on the other team.”) Inspirational speeches (Groucho “Boys if you can’t beat that bunch of half-witted goofs” “Dad, you’re talking to the wrong team.” “I know I am, but our team wouldn’t listen to me!”) and the game itself where Harpo scores the winning touchdown in a horse-drawn garbage can.

The Best of Times. D: Roger Spottiswoode (1986). In this satire of football-mania, Robin Williams is a banker in a small town who fourteen years ago dropped the ball in a crucial game against their high school’s arch-rival. He gets the idea to replay the game with the original players. Hilarity really does ensue.

Any Given Sunday. D: Oliver Stone (1999). A look at back-office politics on a fictional Miami team that has just suffered key midseason player injuries, centers on the conflict between a thirty-year veteran coach (Al Pacino) and the team’s new owner (Cameron Diaz) and involving an egocentric third-string quarterback (Jamie Foxx) an unethical team doctor (James Woods) and a tech-savvy offensive coordinator with an eye on Pacino’s job, all directed by Stone in his trademark overheated style. Turns out it’s a good fit for the subject.

Friday Night Lights. D: Peter Berg (2004). Billy Bob Thornton is the coach of The Permian Panthers, an Odessa Texas team in this unsentimental depiction of high school football that later spawned an excellent TV series by the same name. Whether the team wins or loses counts, but not as much as what the game does for (and to) its players.

#nick nolte #football #kevrock

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sweetsmellosuccess · 7 years ago

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Sundance 2018: Day 5

Number of Films: 4 Best Movie of the Day: The Oslo Diaries

Search: Over the last couple of decades, we have adapted to computer tech in ways both overt and internal. It is more often than not the way we connect with other human beings, and the means by which we interact in society. This makes for an interesting branch of storytelling, conducted entirely via the screens, apps, and cameras so ubiquitous in our lives. Aneesh Chaganty‘s mystery thriller begins promisingly enough with an emotionally powerful 10 minute recap of one family’s progression told entirely through saved photos, videos, calendar entries, and emails. We meet the Kims, watching as their daughter goes from kindergartner to high school freshman, even as her mother gets sick, goes into remission, and then gets sick again. It plays like a high-tech Up, and brings us on board emotionally with the father, David (John Cho), such that when his daughter Margot (Michelle La) suddenly goes missing, we feel his increased panic at the thought of losing her. It’s a promising premise, that carries itself reasonably well up until its final act, when this carefully crafted thriller loses its sense of restraint entirely, and plays instead like a cheap airport paperback. There are moments when Chaganty captures the confusing mishmash of crowdsourced input (naturally, there are quickly concocted reddit threads declaring the father the culprit in her disappearance; and various trolls on different platforms who revel in the pain another family is experiencing), and a satisfying combination of on-screen activity and visual scenework (mostly via FaceTime calls), but unfortunately all the precision work of the first act gets lost in the shuffle of its completely far-fetched ending.

The Oslo Diaries: There was a heady time back in 1995, where it really seemed as if the ages-old Israeli/Palestinian conflict would finally be resolved. Mor Loushy and Daniel Silvan‘s Doc explores the top secret peace talks that began in 1992, between a pair of Israeli professors, and a trio of Palestinians sent by PLO head Yasser Arafat to gauge the interest in real, substantive compromise. Through the inevitable pitch-and-yaw of the two governments, Arafat and Israeli prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, met on the White House lawn to sign the basic accords -- wherein each country formally recognized the other’s right to exist -- and the long process of actually implementing the new plan began in earnest, a process that had seemed positively insurmountable just a few years before. The Doc captures the flood of optimism in both countries at the prospect of real peace, a belief cemented at a massive peace rally in Tel Aviv, but sadly the accords died the second a radical Israeli student fired three bullets into Rabin as he was leaving the rally. As the agony has continued unabated in the 23 years since, with some 16,000 deaths in the unresolved conflict, it’s particularly painful to see just how close the world came to the resolution of one of its most entrenched conflicts. It’s a fascinating if not deeply disheartening time capsule of a brief era of optimism.

Assassination Nation (pictured): Hopped up and too much of everything, including an incoherent political bent that wants to strike a blow for feminist empowerment, instead it just muddies the water with buckets of stage blood. Sam Levinson‘s film, about a town driven to Purge levels of violent madness after a series of hacks first exposes public figures, then goes on to reveal half the town’s dirty business. At first, the mobs are content to laugh and mock the victims, but then things get a good deal more vicious. Through it all, we watch the plight of Lily (Odessa Young), and her three besties (Hari Nef, Suki Waterhouse, Abra), as she gets accused of being the hack’s perpetrator, sending the masked mob into a frenzy to go after her. Far from a satire -- apart from everything else, it doesn’t have much of a sense of humor -- it positions itself as a modern feminist diatribe, only its message is garbled by Levinson’s chaotic narrative. It pays lip service to deeper meanings, but doesn’t really offer much other than feminists are handy with heavy caliber guns, the internet is messed up, and many horrible things happen in the name of lulz.

Beirut: Something you don’t very often see at Sundance is a decently budgeted international thriller, but Brad Anderson’s film, written by Tony Gilroy, features a Hollywood cast (John Hamm, Rosamund Pike), and some of the kind of dense political intrigue with which Gilroy is best known. Hamm plays Mason Skiles, a former U.S. diplomat in the Middle East who experienced a severe trauma in Beirut, leaving him a hard-drinking husk back in the States. When a complicated hostage situation arises there a decade later, he is quickly recruited by the CIA to return to the city in which he lost so much in order to broker a deal on behalf of an old friend. The film moves along smartly enough, depicting the political quagmire and competing interests of various factions, but at a too svelte 110 minutes, it actually doesn’t quite have the heft to do its story justice. It’s the rarest of films that actually needs to be a bit longer to properly flesh it out. Reportedly, Anderson made the film from a script that had been languishing on the shelf for more than 20 years, and it feels like an earnest effort by a writer who hadn’t yet quite worked out all the beats of his stories.

Tomorrow: Hard to believe, but we’re moving into the wind-down part of the fest already. First off, I will watch the highly anticipated new film from Lynn Ramsay (Ratcatcher), You Were Never Really Here; then jump to the environmentalist minded doc The Devil We Know; before taking in the buzz-worthy Madeline’s Madeline; and close out the evening with the female buddy pic, Never Goin’ Back.

Into the frigid climes and rarefied thin air of the spectacular Utah Mountains, I've arrived in order to document some of the sense and senselessness of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Over the next week, armed with little more than a heavy parka and a bevy of blank reporter's notebooks, I'll endeavor to watch as many movies as I can and report my findings.

#sweet smell of success #ssos #piers marchant #films #movies #sundance #sundance 2018 #park city #utah #film festival #assassination nation #beirut #john hamm #brad anderson #search #Aneesh Chaganty #john cho #the oslo diaries #arkansas democrat-gazette

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itsfinancethings · 5 years ago

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Lori Alhadeff is haunted by the fact that she did not send her 14-year-old daughter to school with a bulletproof backpack. The mother of three had wanted to buy one but never got around to it. By Feb. 14, 2018, it was too late. Her first child, Alyssa, was fatally shot trying to hide under a classroom table at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. “I wish to this day that I did give that protection to Alyssa. It could have saved her life,” Alhadeff says. “Obviously, I regret that.”

After the massacre, which killed 16 others, Alhadeff bought bulletproof backpacks for her two sons, who are now 14 and 12. “I have peace in my heart for my two boys, at least, that I’m doing everything in my power to protect them,” says Alhadeff, who won’t let her sons go to school without the backpacks.

With more than 69 people killed so far in mass shootings in the U.S. in 2019, thousands of Americans like Alhadeff are seeking security through an explosion of products marketed to those scared of being shot or of losing loved ones to gun violence. Backpacks that double as shields are sold by major department stores, including Home Depot and Bed, Bath & Beyond. There are bulletproof hoodies for children as young as 6; protective whiteboards and windows; armored doors and anchors designed to keep shooters out of classrooms; and smart cameras powered by artificial intelligence that alert authorities to threats. In Fruitport, Mich., officials are building a $48 million high school specially designed to deter active shooters, with curved walls to reduce a shooter’s line of sight, bulletproof windows and a special locking system.

In 2017, U.S. schools spent at least $2.7 billion on security systems, and that’s on top of the money spent by individuals on things like bulletproof backpacks, the IHS Markit consulting firm reported. Five years ago, in 2014, the figure was about $768 million, IHS said. But school shootings haven’t decreased in frequency, and critics of the growing industry in bullet-resistant items say the only beneficiaries of these so-called security measures are the people making money off of them.

“These companies are capitalizing on parents’ fears,” says Shannon Watts, a mother of five who founded the gun control advocacy group Moms Demand Action following the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre that killed 20 first-graders and six educators.

In September, as students were returning to school, Sandy Hook Promise, a gun violence prevention nonprofit led by family members of Sandy Hook victims, released a video that used biting satire to highlight the bulletproof industry and the country’s failure to prevent mass shootings. It shows cheerful children returning for classes and using their new clothes and back-to-school supplies to save themselves and others from a shooter. One boy shows off his new skateboard, then uses it to smash a window and escape; a girl demonstrates how her new socks can be used to tie a tourniquet; another uses her jacket to lock a set of double-doors. The message is clear: these shootings should be prevented before kids get to the point of using tube socks to save classmates from bleeding to death.

Survive the school year with these must-have #BackToSchool essentials. https://t.co/9KgxAQ0KGz This PSA contains graphic content related to school shootings & may be upsetting to some viewers. If you feel this subject matter may be difficult for you, you may choose not to watch. pic.twitter.com/5ijYMtXRTy

— Sandy Hook Promise (@sandyhook) September 18, 2019

But with efforts at gun control legislation stalled as the Senate refuses to take up a House-passed bill that would require background checks for private gun sales, even critics of the booming security industry concede it’s unlikely to slow down. “There’s not a parent in the country who isn’t worried that their child will be the next victim of gun violence,” Watts says.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 330 mass shootings—in which at least four people other than the shooter were injured or killed—so far this year in the United States. This summer alone, 31 people were killed in back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio and another 10 died in attacks in Gilroy, Calif. and Odessa, Texas. In the aftermath of each tragedy, companies saw striking growth in profits. “It’s a business fueled by fear,” says Sean Burke, president of the School Safety Advocacy Council, which works with school districts and police departments.

TuffyPacks, an online retailer selling ballistic shields that are inserted into backpacks, reported up to a 500% increase in sales after the shootings in El Paso and Dayton in early August, which coincided with back-to-school shopping season. “Every time shootings occur, we see spikes in sales,” says TuffyPacks CEO Steve Naremor, 63, of Houston, Texas, who insists his company’s $129 inserts are no different from other safety equipment, like fire extinguishers and bicycle helmets. Guard Dog Security, a competing company that sells bulletproof backpacks that weigh up to 4.5 pounds and can cost up to $299, couldn’t keep up with the orders. “They were selling out faster than we could get it back in stock,” says Yasir Sheikh, its 34-year-old CEO. Sheikh—who like Naremor declined to disclose revenue figures—launched his company in 2009 but didn’t see a huge demand until Sandy Hook.

The demand that follows mass shootings prompted Vy Tran, 25, to quit her job and use $100,000 in savings and retirement funds to start selling homemade bulletproof hoodies. Her company, Wonder Hoodie, began as a side business, which she launched after her next-door neighbor, a mother of two, was shot dead in their Seattle neighborhood during an attempted robbery in 2016.

Panicked after the killing, Tran says she searched online for body armor to protect her mother and younger brother, but the products she found were either too expensive or too heavy. So Tran, a health and safety consultant, decided to make them herself, using Kevlar that she ordered online. Tran was making an average of one or two hoodies a week until 58 people were killed at a Las Vegas music festival on Oct. 1, 2017 in the worst mass shooting in modern history. Sales spiked, and there were suddenly 10 to 15 requests pouring in every day.

Courtesy: Vy TranVy Tran in one of her bulletproof Wonder Hoodies

“I couldn’t keep up with the orders,” says Tran, who hired a team to help her. Wonder Hoodie has since fulfilled almost 1,000 orders for hoodies that cost up to $600 and weigh up to 9 pounds.

It’s not just young and new CEOs leaping into the growing field of gun safety products, and the merchandise isn’t all body armor. Chris Ciabarra and Lisa Falzone of Austin, Texas, launched Athena Security, a smart camera system, after they sold their first tech startup for $500 million in 2017. Athena’s software detects 900 different types of guns and can send an alert and video feed to law enforcement if it senses a threatening movement, like someone pointing a gun, according to Ciabarra. More than 40 schools, malls and businesses in the U.S. use Athena’s software, which charges $100 a month for each camera it monitors. Since schools and malls typically have 100 cameras building-wide, Athena could make more than $100,000 a year monitoring just one school. The weapons detection program has been installed in one of the two New Zealand mosques where a suspected white supremacist opened fire in March, killing 51 worshippers. After the massacre, New Zealand’s prime minister banned assault weapons. But that’s not likely to happen in the United States, says Ciabarra. Even presidential candidates during the fourth Democratic debate Tuesday night couldn’t seem to agree on how to manage assault weapons. Rep. Beto O’Rourke and South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg clashed on the best way to get the weapons off the streets, whether by banning the sale of assault weapons or also instating mandatory buyback programs.

“We’re not going to change the law and forbid guns. It’s not going to happen,” Ciabarra says. “People will have weapons.”

Jason Connolly—AFP/Getty ImagesAA teacher takes part in an active shooter drill during a firearms course for teachers and administrators in Commerce City, Colorado on June 28, 2018.

When Mike Lahiff, a former Navy Seal, launched ZeroEyes, a competing gun-detection system based in Philadelphia, he and his team of fellow veterans saw it as a continued service to the country. Lahiff, a 38-year-old father of four, hopes the U.S. will find a way to reduce gun violence and put him out of business. “If the active shooter problem goes away, and that’s the end of the company, then great,” he says, “that’s a win for me.”

***

While mass tragedies spark surges in sales, most of the bulletproof products on the market today, including backpacks and hoodies, would not withstand the force of the assault-style weapons commonly used in high-casualty attacks. Killers used assault-style weapons in the Sandy Hook and Parkland school shootings, as well as in El Paso and Dayton. The products would, however, protect against most handguns—the weapon of choice in the majority of U.S. gun murders in 2018, according to newly released FBI data. Handguns were used in nearly 65% of the roughly 10,000 gun murders that year, while rifles were used in about 3% of the cases, statistics show.

But spending hundreds of dollars on a hoodie or backpack is not a viable option for many people, particularly those living in lower-income neighborhoods plagued by gun violence. In St. Louis, for example—which has the highest murder rate among major cities in the nation, according to FBI data—more than 65,000 people are living below poverty, and the median household income is about $44,000, according to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. Even across the nation, many Americans are not prepared to handle a sudden expense of $400 or more, like replacing a broken car engine or visiting an emergency room without insurance, according to a recent report by the Federal Reserve. Nearly 30% would have to borrow or sell something to pay for the expense, and 12% would not be able to cover the expense at all, the report says.

NICHOLAS KAMM—AFP/Getty ImagesBulletproof whiteboards and backpack inserts at the Hardwire factory in Pocomoke City, Maryland, on March 1, 2018.

Bulletproof products may make consumers feel safer, but they may be putting people in more danger, according to school safety experts like Michael Dorn, a former police chief for the Bibb County School District in Georgia who’s now the executive director of Safe Havens International, a nonprofit that advises schools on security. Dorn worries that in a shooting situation, students with bulletproof backpacks may expose themselves to greater risk by standing in place and holding up their packs for protection instead of running away. “A focus on the armor could result in death because people don’t focus instead on things they need to do like lock a door,” says Dorn.

The products may also be distracting officials and parents from focusing on long-term solutions to gun violence, like adequate training and stronger gun laws, critics say. School districts investing in these products are doing so, in many cases, knowing they’re not real fixes, according to Ken Trump, a school safety expert and president of the consulting firm National School Safety and Security Services. “They rely on the hardware, the technology, the gadgets, so they can focus less on the human side,” he says.

Researchers have found some evidence that so-called red flag laws, which allow courts to take guns away from potentially dangerous people, may help stop mass shootings. A recent study by the University of California Davis School of Medicine cited 21 cases in which such a law in California was used to help prevent potential mass shootings in the state. The measure exists in 16 other states and Washington, D.C.

Rather than buy body armor or conduct active shooter training drills, school officials and parents should focus more on early intervention strategies, including student-threat assessments and better student supervision, according to gun control advocates and safety experts. Dorn, who has an 11-year-old son, says he wouldn’t let his child carry a bulletproof product to school, even if it was free. “I teach him how to be alert and react rather than rely on something that’s so statistically unlikely to do any good,” he says.

Alhadeff knows the backpacks she bought for her sons are only the last layer of protection. To improve safety in other ways, she launched a national nonprofit, Make Our Schools Safe, and won a seat on the local school board, where she’s pushed for legislation to make schools safer. In February, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy enacted “Alyssa’s Law,” named for Alhadeff’s daughter, which requires every public elementary and secondary school in the state to install a silent panic alarm button. When pressed, the alarm would immediately alert local law enforcement, reducing emergency response times. On Oct. 4, a bipartisan version of the bill was introduced in Congress.

“Before the shooting, my biggest fear was whether my children would do well on their tests,” Alhadeff says. “It’s sad and unfortunate that our society has come to this.”

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rolandfontana · 5 years ago

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How the Media Abets ‘Fame-Seeking’ Mass Shooters

Media coverage of mass shooters feeds their urge for fame and notoriety, according to a study published in Aggression and Violent Behavior.

Half of the 10 most widely covered mass shootings since 1999 were perpetrated by individuals classified as “fame-seekers,” measured by their actions both before and after the incidents, according to the study co-authored by Jason R. Silva, an assistant professor at William Paterson University; and Emily Ann Greene-Colozzi, a doctoral candidate at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Blaming the “symbiotic relationship” between mass media and mass shooters, the study argued that news outlets’ “efforts to satiate the public’s fascination with violence (by) reporting …sensational and violent forms of homicide,” is exploited by so-called “fame-seekers” wielding guns.

The authors said that their research, which found an apparent “media bias toward perpetrators who actively seek out fame,” suggests “the media is not responding to the characteristics of the event itself, like casualties or location, but is instead devoting attention to fame-seekers, at least in part, because of the fame-seeking behaviors they exhibit before and during the attack.”

The authors identified 45 cases out of the 308 incidents of mass shootings between 1996 and 2018 that they categorized as “fame-seeking.” Five of the ten most widely covered incidents since the 1999 Columbine High School shooting were perpetrated by individuals who wanted media attention, they found.

“Fame-seeking mass shooters are differentiated from other mass shooters by their explicit desire for infamy,” they wrote, noting that the media is quick to take the bait.

“The media has been providing sensational coverage to mass shooters for decades, [but] only recently has the general public become aware of the ramifications of this attention,” the study said.

The researchers found that “96 percent of fame-seeking mass shooters received at least one mention in the New York Times, compared to about 74 percent of their [non-fame seeking] counterparts.”

“In fact, the Columbine, Sandy Hook, Tucson, Virginia Tech, and the Orlando shooters received 38 percent of all the articles dedicated to all mass shootings from 1966 to May 2018,” the study added.

The authors offered the example of the May 2018 Santa Fe, Tx high school shooting, which left 10 dead and 13 wounded. Just before the event, the shooter posted a photo on Facebook with the message, “BORN TO KILL.”

Within hours of the attack, his name and face were seen by the public around the world.

Photos of the shooter surfaced afterwards, showing him in a black trench coat similar to the “iconic attire” the Columbine shooters wore.

The fame-seeking perpetrators identified in the study were overwhelmingly young white males (80 percent) targeting schools. In addition, they often perceived themselves as victims.

The study found that these shooters were more likely to use multiple weapons (often obtained illegally), and exhibited signs of mental illness (66.7 percent), grandiose behaviors (86.7 percent), narcissism, and suicidal tendencies (42.2 percent).

Silva suggested their urge to revenge real or perceived social rejection and isolation motivated a compulsion to make their acts as widely known as possible.

With the number of “fame-seeking” shooters growing since the turn of the century, the authors said it was time for the media to acknowledge its role.

“In many ways, the media controls both what issues the public views and how this information is framed,” they wrote, suggesting that the press “can help to discourage copycats and fame-seekers through anonymized narratives.”

But it isn’t certain that such forbearance will work.

After a September 2019 shooting in West Texas, Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke refused to provide the name of the gunman on live television.

“I’m not going to give him any notoriety for what he did,” Gerke told the Associated Press.

Nevertheless, within minutes, Twitter lit up, circulating his name like wildfire. Twitter users accessed the information easily from the Odessa Police Department’s Facebook page.

In this era of a saturation of social media and around-the-clock news, it’s “next to impossible to keep a lid on such information,” the Associated Press concluded.

Nevertheless, the study warned that the concentrated amount of media attention obtained by perpetrators leaves the impression that the press is reinforcing their initial motivations, and paves the way for “copycat” actions.

“While the ‘No Notoriety‘ campaign and ‘Don’t Name Them’ movement have been vital for reducing attention to perpetrators — and focusing on victims — there is still a need for further….responsible reporting of mass shootings,” the researchers wrote.

The full study, Fame-seeking Mass shooters in America: Severity, Characteristics, and Media Coverage can be downloaded here.

Andrea Cipriano is a staff writer for The Crime Report.

How the Media Abets ‘Fame-Seeking’ Mass Shooters syndicated from https://immigrationattorneyto.wordpress.com/

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davidoespailla · 6 years ago

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The New Boomtowns: 10 Surprising U.S. Cities Where Home Values Are Soaring

iStock; realtor.com

The big news in the world of real estate: After years of home prices going up and up and up—rising well out of the reach of many eager wannabe buyers—the market has finally begun to soften. That’s prompting sellers, prospective owners, and just about everyone else to wonder if they could even (gasp!) be heading down.

But hold your horses! Just because the rate of price acceleration is starting to slow nationally, that doesn’t mean every market is pumping the brakes or moving in reverse. There are a few places where home price growth isn’t just edging up, it’s actually growing at an accelerated rate, putting fat profits into the pockets of sellers. And here’s the thing: They’re not those ultrapricey, usual suspects like New York, San Fransisco, or Seattle.

So where are these booming outlier metros? The realtor.com® data team took a deep dive into our listings to find the American housing markets where home prices are growing at the fastest clip.

There are a couple of different things spurring the growth in these unexpected go-go metros. Some, tethered mostly to one industry, have gone through plenty of boom and bust cycles—and are currently at the top of a boom. Others are still-affordable places located near ultraexpensive cities, enjoying an influx of buyers seeking relief from high costs. Most are places that fell so far in the housing crash that they still have more room to grow.

“As other markets are starting to level off a bit or go down, some are playing catch-up from a bump in the road,” says Joseph Kirchner, senior economist at realtor.com.

To come up with our findings, our data team analyzed the increase in median list prices on realtor.com from September 2017 to September 2018 in the nation’s 300 largest metropolitan areas.* Then we ranked the places that saw the biggest percentage change in home prices during that span. We limited our list to just two metros per state to ensure some geographic diversity.

So where are America’s new boomtowns?

Markets where home sales are skyrocketing

Tony Frenzel

1. Odessa, TX

Median list price: $271,400 One-year change: 34.4%

A four-bedroom home in Odessa, TX

realtor.com

A combination of rebounding gas prices, improved extraction technology, and a remarkable shale boom in the oil-rich Permian basin in West Texas has pushed the Odessa job market to new heights. (The jobless rate in this region is just 2.7%, a full percentage point lower than the national average.) In fact, global business research firm IHS Markit projects that the region will soon produce more oil than anywhere outside Saudi Arabia and Russia.

While everything seems great now, things weren’t always so rosy—the downside to an oil-based economy is that the city pingpongs between up and down economic cycles. From 2014 to 2016, the price of a barrel of crude oil dropped from above $100 to under $30. But in the years since, oil prices have rebounded, hovering around $70, and Odessa is back on top. And it seems destined to stay there for a while.

With all the engineers, truckers, and welders moving here, the number of homes on the market has plummeted by 44% over the past 12 months, which is pushing prices ever higher. Those Texas-sized, four-bedroom ramblers so common to this area don’t stay available for long.

“There simply aren’t enough homes now,” says Reneé Earls, CEO and president of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce.

2. Wichita Falls, TX

Median list price: $140,000 One-year change: 27.2%

Wichita Falls, TX

DenisTangneyJr/iStock

A couple of hours northwest of Dallas, the streets in Wichita Falls are lined with classic ranch homes with two-door garages—catnip for young families, retirees, and military veterans who served at the Sheppard Air Force Base in the city. Affordability plays a big role: Many of these places are still under $150,000.

Not long ago, the housing market in Wichita was in trouble. Buyers backed off in a big way in 2013 when the region was hit by a severe drought that depleted much of its drinking water, says Henry Florsheim, president and CEO of the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

But “in the spring of 2015 it rained so much that our lakes completely filled [back] up,” Florsheim says. And the housing market has been on a tear ever since as it dovetailed with a stronger job market. That includes the $55 million expansion of the manufacturing plant owned by Vitro Architectural Glass in 2017.

Fun fact: The self-proclaimed “world’s littlest skyscraper” is located in Wichita Falls. Built in 1919, the Newby-McMahon Building was supposed to have been a high-rise in the city’s downtown. But investors (who forked over $200,000) didn’t realize the blueprints listed its measurements in inches instead of feet, leading to construction of a 40-feet-tall, 18-feet-deep, and 10-feet-wide building. It’s now used as an antiques store.

3. Homosassa Springs, FL

Median list price: $225,100 One-year change: 22.1%

Four-bedroom house for sale near Homosassa Springs, FL

realtor.com

As soon as the first snow falls, Northeastern boomers grab their sunglasses and bathing suits and take off for Homosassa. They aren’t the only warmth-seeking creatures. Hundreds of manatees leave the cold waters of the Gulf of Mexico and swim up rivers and into lakes throughout the region.

Just over an hour north of Tampa, Homosassa isn’t packed with sprawling retirement communities and big-box stores. Instead, it has more of an outdoor vibe with great wildlife parks and kayaking options. As a result, it’s become a hub for retirees who want to buy a well-priced home with some property and woods.

“This is one of the most affordable counties to buy in Florida,” says local broker/owner Kevin Cunningham of Re/Max Realty One. Homosassa Springs is part of Citrus County.

But it isn’t just transplanted empty nesters driving up prices. The region’s economy is finally growing after undergoing a rough patch—employers are finally hiring again, including Duke Energy, which is nearing the completion of a $1.5 billion natural gas plant on Crystal River.

4. Terre Haute, IN

Median list price: $109,600 One-year change: 21.8%

Terre Haute, IN

peeterv/iStock

Like many blue-collar towns in the Midwest, Terre Hauta was pummeled by the last downturn. Manufacturing plants sat idle. Construction workers took pink slips. And while the national unemployment rate didn’t top double digits, in Terre Haute it peaked at 12.5%.

“The reason why our home prices are going up is because we’re still recovering from the housing bubble,” says Cy Marlow, managing broker at L.J. Michaels Real Estate in Terre Haute. “Our baseline was much lower than the rest of the country, and we’re still catching up.”

Home to Indiana State University, Terre Haute has a steady flow of college students moving to the region. And with homes so affordable, their parents will often buy them a home to live in while they’re in school. Lucky students! The mortgage on older, two-story homes priced between $50,000 to $80,000 is lower than what it can cost to live in a dorm.

5. Battle Creek, MI

Median list price: $140,000 One-year change: 20.9%

Battle Creek, MI

DenisTangneyJr/iStock

In the heart of the Rust Belt, Battle Creek has a heavy industrial presence, with employers like DENSO Manufacturing Michigan, an automotive parts maker with a 1.4 million-square-foot campus in the region. With American manufacturers posting good numbers, Battle Creek is looking good for the foreseeable future and seeing more folks snapping up homes.

It’s not all work and no play in this outdoorsy town just over an hour away from Lake Michigan. Those who aren’t afraid of heights can take a hot air balloon ride at Altitude Endeavors. And while they’re up there, they’ll see neighborhoods that are packed with ranch-style and traditional two-story homes priced below $200,000.

6. Bowling Green, KY

Median list price: $260,000 One-year change: 20.9%

Bowling Green, KY

DenisTangneyJr/iStock

Bowling Green’s price hikes are due in no small part to nearby Nashville, TN, becoming more and more unaffordable. With the median home price in the country music capital hovering around $350,000 these days, Bowling Green has emerged as a strong alternative. Here buyers have their pick of two-story, traditional homes with an acre or two for around $250,000.

The city is also close to the Mammoth Cave National Park, the longest cave system in the world. (It was also famously cited by counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway as the site of the “Bowling Green massacre.” Two Iraqi refugees had been arrested there on charges of trying to send weapons and money to al-Qaida in 2011. But there was no massacre.)

“Bowling Green has a lot of job opportunity, ranging from Western Kentucky University to Fruit of the Loom, which is headquartered here,” says Hank Wilson, a local real estate agent with Crye Leike Executive Realty. “These are jobs that aren’t going anywhere.”

But the number of homes on the market isn’t keeping up with the demand.

“They’re developing new neighborhoods, but construction isn’t going up quick enough for the number of people interested in moving in,” Wilson says.

7. Burlington, NC

Median list price: $245,100 One-year change: 20.7%

A five-bedroom home near Burlington, NC

realtor.com

All of the engineers and tech firms that have moved to Durham, home to Research Triangle Park, are pushing home prices there out of reach for a lot of folks. To cut that mortgage payment down, many folks in Durham are heading 30 minutes west to Burlington, where finding a two-story, four-bedroom home in the suburbs for under $230,000 is still possible. That sure beats the $356,800 median list price in Durham. Yet prices here are rising fast.

Even if many homeowners commute to Durham or even the state capital of Raleigh (about an hour away), they shouldn’t discount the local job market in Burlington, a former textile hub that was once known as the “Hosiery Center of the South.” If you’ve ever had to take a drug test for a new job, you’ve likely encountered LabCorp, a network of laboratories and a S&P 500 company headquartered here.

And new residents shouldn’t forget to pack their hiking boots. A local go-to is Cedarock Park, a 500-acre park at the foothills of the Cane Mountain Range.

8. Boise City, ID

Median list price: $335,100 One-year change:19.6%

Boise City, ID

vkbhat/iStock

Some places pride themselves on everyone knowing each other’s names. Not in Boise. With all of the new residents moving in, there are just too many new faces to keep up. Last year Idaho had the largest percentage surge in population the nation, at 12.2% from July 1, 2016, to July 1, 2017, with much of the growth happening in Boise.

A number of folks in high-cost states like Oregon and Washington are crossing state lines to save some money. (The median prices in the states are $400,000 and $425,000 respectively and just $329,900 in Idaho.) They love Boise’s beautiful Western vistas plus perks like the Gene Harris Jazz Festival each spring and kayaking on the Boise River.

The increase in home prices might be even higher if it weren’t for the huge building boom: About 1 in 4 homes listed on realtor.com in Boise City was built within the past year. These new homes, often with fenced-in backyards and huge walk-in closets, are being built in sprawling subdivisions. Many of these new homes cost under $300,000—something you can’t find in Seattle.

9. Las Vegas, NV

Median list price: $330,000 One-year change:16.8%

Las Vegas, NV, home for $499,000

realtor.com

A decade ago, many neighborhoods in Las Vegas were lined with foreclosed homes, making the city a poster child for the housing bubble. But things are looking up in Sin City. A combo of an improved tourist economy, younger buyers hitting the market, and an influx of folks from high-cost places in California is driving up home prices again.

“Millennials [in Las Vegas] have found real estate can be a great investment. When they graduated high school or college, they saw their parents losing a lot in real estate here,” says Charles Profeta, broker/owner of Engel & Völkers Henderson. “But as they’re getting into the meat of their careers and making good money, they’re starting to buy homes.”

Many of these younger folks are grabbing two-bedrooms condos and townhomes priced below $200,000 in neighborhoods such as Spring Valley, which has a suburban feel but is just a short drive into downtown.

Las Vegas is way more than just tourism these days, with companies such as Zappos.com, an online retailer, growing like crazy. That’s a good thing for the long-term prospects of its real estate market, since vacations are the first thing people stop spending money on when a recession rears its ugly head.

10. Indianapolis, IN

Median list price: $250,100 One-year change: 16.4%

Indianapolis, IN

Davel5957/iStock

Over the past few years, more millennials have been flocking to Indianapolis, attracted to the good jobs at companies like drug maker Eli Lilly and business software titan Salesforce. And they stay for the lifestyle and cheap real estate.

“What’s driving up the prices is the big influx of people moving in,” says Stacy Barry, a local real estate agent at Century 21 Scheetz. “Over the last few years we’ve started to explode.”

And unlike in many parts of the country, millennials are able to afford to become homeowners, with choices from townhomes near downtown, which is dotted with skyscrapers that are home to large publicly traded companies, to single-family homes in walkable suburbs like Carmel and Fishers. And all that demand is causing inventory to tighten. In fact, Indianapolis has seen the third-biggest drop in inventory among the largest markets in the country.

“I just represented a new builder who created a community of townhomes. They ran for about $300,000 to $350,000, and the entire community sold out in eight months,” Barry says.

* A metropolitan statistical area is a designation that includes the urban core of a city and surrounding smaller towns and cities.

Allison Underhill contributed to this report.

The post The New Boomtowns: 10 Surprising U.S. Cities Where Home Values Are Soaring appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

The New Boomtowns: 10 Surprising U.S. Cities Where Home Values Are Soaring

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cover32-yahoopartner-blog · 8 years ago

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This Week in NFL History: May 21 through May 27

Relive and recapture iconic moments. Recall an anniversary of an event that forever changed the landscape of the NFL. It’s all here in This Week in NFL History. This Week in NFL History will look back at some of the most memorable events that have occurred during this week historically in professional football. Each nugget is a tidbit of information that is connected to the NFL through history.

AROUND COVER32

2017 NFL Free Agency: Taking a look at the best available players remaining in free agency

Remembering Chris Cornell: Reliving Soundgarden’s 2014 NFL Kickoff performance

What’s Trending: Bundchen’s comments raise more concerns about NFL’s growing concussion problem

NFL Past and Present: Comparing the current Miami offense to Dolphins’ offenses of seasons past

Around the NFL: Should the Seahawks sign Colin Kaepernick to backup Russell Wilson

This Week in NFL History

May 21

1923-Head coach Ara Parseghian (Miami {OH}: 1951-55, Northwestern: 1956-63, Notre Dame: 1964-74) born in Akron, Ohio Career Record: 170-58-6 (Miami {OH}: 39-6-1, conference: 19-2-1; Northwestern: 36-35-1, conference: 22-31-1; Notre Dame: 95-17-4, bowls: 2-3). Parseghian won two National Championships in 1966 and 1973 with Fighting Irish. He has the third most victories in Notre Dame history after Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz. The NFL players Parseghian coached include Hall of Fame defensive tackle Alan Page, Hall of Fame tight end Dave Casper, running back Rocky Bleier, and quarterback Joe Theismann. Parseghian also played two seasons with Cleveland Browns in 1948 and 1949 as a halfback and defensive back. The Browns won All-America Football Conference championships in both seasons.

1970-Running back Herbert (Dorsey) Levens (Notre Dame: 1989-90, Georgia Tech: 1992-93, selected 149th overall by Green Bay Packers in 1994 NFL Draft; Packers: 1994-2001, Eagles: 2002, Giants: 2003, Eagles: 2004) born in Syracuse, New York Career Stats: 1,243 carries for 4,955 yards and 36 touchdowns; 304 receptions for 2,334 yards and 17 touchdowns. Levens was an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 1997. He played in two Super Bowls with Packers: winning Super Bowl XXXI over Patriots and losing Super Bowl XXXII to Broncos.

1977-Running back Errick (Ricky) Williams (Texas: 1995-98, selected fifth overall by New Orleans Saints in 1999 NFL Draft; Saints: 1999-2001, Dolphins: 2002-03, 2005-10, CFL Toronto Argonauts: 2006, Ravens: 2011) born in San Diego, California Career Stats: 2,431 carries for 10,009 yards and 66 touchdowns; 342 receptions for 2,606 yards and eight touchdowns. Williams was the NFL rushing yards leader (1,853) in 2002. He was a First-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection in 2002 as well. Williams was the 1998 Heisman Trophy winner. The Saints traded their entire draft to the Washington Redskins to select Williams. He opted to retire in 2004 because he was facing a multi-game suspension for violation of the NFL drug policy. Williams came out of retirement in 2005 and was suspended for the 2006 season by the NFL for a fourth violation of the league’s drug policy. Williams was also a promising baseball player. He was selected by MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies right out of high school, playing four years in the Phillies’ minor league system before deciding on an NFL career. Williams is currently an analyst with ESPN’s Longhorn Network.

1986-Running back William Edward (Eddie) Royal (Virginia Tech: 2004-07, selected 42nd overall by Denver Broncos in 2008 NFL Draft; Broncos: 2008-11, Chargers: 2012-14, Bears: 2015-16, current free agent) born in Alexandria, Virginia Career Stats: 408 receptions for 4,357 yards and 28 touchdowns; 35 carries for 275 yards; 131 punt returns for 1,354 yards and three touchdowns, 57 kick returns for 1,375 yards and one touchdown.

May 22

1940-Offensive lineman Henry Michael (Mick) Tingelhoff (Nebraska: 1959-61, signed with Minnesota Vikings as undrafted free agent in 1962; Vikings: 1962-78) born in Lexington, Nebraska Career Stats: Tingelhoff never missed a game in his professional career, starting in all 240 of his NFL games. He was a six-time Pro Bowler (1964-69) and a five-time First-team All-Pro. Tingelhoff was the anchor of a Vikings offensive line that helped the team win 10 division titles in eleven years from 1968-78 and appear in four Super Bowls (IV, VIII, IX, XI). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

1960-Offensive lineman David (Dave) Rimington (Nebraska: 1979-82, selected 25th overall by Cincinnati Bengals in 1983 NFL Draft; Bengals: 1983-87, Eagles: 1988-89) born in Omaha, Nebraska Career Stats: Rimington started in 80 of his 86 career NFL games. He was the only winner of two-time winner of the Outland Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate offensive or defensive lineman (1981, 1982). The Rimington Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate center, is named in his honor.

1977-Cornerback Donald Andre’ (Dre’) Bly (North Carolina: 1996-98, selected 41st overall by St. Louis Rams in 1999 NFL Draft; Rams: 1999-2002, Lions: 2003-06, Broncos: 2007-08, 49ers: 2009) born in Chesapeake, Virginia Career Stats: 479 total tackles (420 solo), five sacks, 43 interceptions, 131 passes defended, 20 fumbles forced, 12 fumbles recovered, seven defensive touchdowns. Bly was a two-time Pro Bowler (2003, 2004) and an All-Pro in 2003. He played in two Super Bowls with Rams; winning Super Bowl XXXIV over Titans and losing Super Bowl XXXVI to Patriots.

1986-Wide receiver Julian Edelman (Kent State: 2006-08; selected 232nd overall by New England Patriots in 2009 NFL Draft; Patriots: 2009-present) born in Redwood City, California Career Stats: 425 receptions for 4,540 yards and 24 touchdowns. Edelman has played in three Super Bowls with Patriots: losing Super Bowl XLVI to Giants, winning Super Bowl XLIX over Seahawks and Super Bowl LI over Falcons

1992–NFL owners approve recommendation to add two new teams, Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars, resulting in six divisions with five teams each for a total of 30. Panthers and Jaguars began play in 1995 NFL season.

May 23

1965-Cornerback James Hasty (Central Washington: 1983-84, Washington State: 1986-87, selected 74th overall by New York Jets in 1988 NFL Draft; Jets: 1988-84, Chiefs: 1995-2000, Raiders: 2001) born in Seattle, Washington Career Stats: 909 total tackles (847 total), 10 sacks, 45 interceptions, eight forced fumbles, 24 fumbles recovered, five defensive touchdowns. Hasty was a two-time Pro Bowler (1997, 1999 and an All-Pro in 1999.

1974-Cornerback Duane Starks (Miami {FL}: 1995-97, selected 10th overall by Baltimore Ravens in 1998 NFL Draft; Ravens: 1998-2001, Cardinals: 2002-04, Patriots: 2005, Raiders: 2006-07) born in Miami, Florida Career Stats: 347 total tackles (311 solo), one sack, 25 interceptions, 32 passes defended, seven passes defended. Starks won Super Bowl XXXV with Ravens.

1976-Placekicker Thomas James (Jay) Feely (Michigan: 1995-98, signed with Atlanta Falcons as undrafted free agent in 2001; Falcons: 2001-04, Giants: 2005-06, Dolphins: 2007, Jets: 2008-09, Cardinals: 2010-13, Bears: 2014) born in Odessa, Florida Career Stats: 332 field goals made in 402 attempts (82.6 percent), 449 extra points made in 452 attempts (99.3 percent). Feely led the NFL in field goals made (32) in 2002 and field goal attempts in 2002 (40) and 2005 (42). He was a Pro Bowler in 2005. Feely is currently a college football analyst with the CBS Sports Network.

1986-Running back Timothy (Tim) Hightower (Richmond: 2004-07, selected 149th overall by Arizona Cardinals in 2008 NFL Draft; Cardinals: 2008-10, Redskins: 2011, Saints: 2015-16, 49ers: 2017-present) born in Waldorf, Maryland Career Stats: 752 carries for 2,977 yards and 32 touchdowns, 162 receptions for 1,208 yards and two touchdowns.

1991-Defensive lineman Aaron Donald (Pittsburgh: 2010-13, selected 13th overall by St. Louis Rams in 2014 NFL Draft; Rams: 2014-present) born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Career Stats: 163 total tackles (116 solo), 28 sacks, seven passes defended, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovered. Donald was the 2014 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He has been selected to three Pro Bowls (2014-16) and is a two-time First-team All-Pro (2015, 2016)

May 24

1935-Head coach James Everett (Jim E.) Mora (USFL Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars: 1983-85, Saints: 1986-96, Colts: 1998-2001) born in Glendale, California.

Career Record: USFL regular season: 48-13-1, postseason: 7-1; NFL regular season: 125-106 (Saints: 93-74, Colts: 32-32), postseason 0-6 (Saints: 0-4, Colts: 0-2). Mora’s Stars won two of the USFL’s three league championships (1984, 1985). Despite his success in the USFL, Mora never won an NFL postseason game. He is best known for his honest, no-nonsense assessments of his teams to the media, including the “Playoffs?” tirade of 2001. Mora continues to work as an analyst and broadcaster. He is the father of former Falcons and Seahawks head coach and current UCLA head coach Jim L. Mora.

1960-Tight end Peter (Pete) Metzelaars (Wabash: 1978-81, selected 75th overall by Seattle Seahawks in 1982 NFL Draft; Seahawks: 1982-84, Bills: 1985-94, Panthers: 1995, Lions: 1996-97) born in Three Rivers, Michigan Career Stats: 383 receptions for 3,686 yards and 29 touchdowns. Metzelaars was a productive part of Bills offense that played in four consecutive Super Bowls (XXV, XXVI, XVII, XVIII). He caught the first touchdown pass in Panthers franchise history. At the time of his retirement, his 235 career NFL games were the most by a tight end. Metzelaars won Super Bowl XLI with Colts as an offensive line coach.

1966-Offensive tackle Anthony (Tony) Jones (Western Carolina: 1984-87, signed with Cleveland Browns as undrafted free agent in 1988; Browns: 1988-95, Ravens: 1996, Broncos: 1997-98) born in Royston, Georgia Career Stats: Jones started in 174 of his 184 career NFL games. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 1997 and won two Super Bowls (XXXII, XXXIII) with Broncos.

1967–American Football League granted ownership group led by Paul Brown a franchise in Cincinnati, Ohio. Team was named Cincinnati Bengals as either a celebration of Cincinnati’s professional football history (a team named Cincinnati Bengals existed in the three previous incarnations of the AFL) or a slight to Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell, who had been head coach of Massillon (Ohio) High School football team, nicknamed Tigers. Bengals began play in 1968.

1980-Linebacker Jason Babin (Western Michigan: 2000-03, selected 27th overall by Houston Texans in 2004 NFL Draft; Texans: 2004-06, Seahawks: 2007-08, Chiefs: 2008, Eagles: 2009, Titans: 2010, Eagles: 2011-12, Jaguars: 2012-13, Jets: 2014, Eagles: 2015) born in Kalamazoo, Michigan Career Stats: 373 total tackles (284 solo), 64.5 sacks, 12 passes defended, 14 forced fumbles. Babin was a two-time Pro Bowler (2010, 2011) and a Second-team All-Pro in 2011.

1984-Long snapper Zachary (Zak) DeOssie (Brown: 2003-06, selected 116th overall by New York Giants in 2007 NFL Draft; Giants: 2007-present) born in North Andover, Massachusetts Career Highlights: A linebacker at Brown, DeOssie became the Giants’ long snapper in his rookie season. He won two Super Bowls (XLII, XLVI) with Giants. DeOssie made the Pro Bowl in 2008 and 2010.

May 25

1939–Carl Storck named second president of National Football League after death of Joe Carr. Storck served as president until his Apr. 4, 1941 resignation. His most notable act as president was his refusal to allow Philadelphia Eagles and team that would become Pittsburgh Steelers to merge. The league’s owners created position of Commissioner to be the league’s chief executive. Storck was angry with league’s owners as he had given twenty years (fifteen unpaid) to the NFL and didn’t receive any criticism from the owners during his tenure. Elmer Layden was named NFL’s first commissioner in 1941.

1971-Defensive lineman Keith Hamilton (Pittsburgh: 1988-91, selected 99th overall by New York Giants in 1992 NFL Draft; Giants: 1992-2003) born in Paterson, New Jersey. Career Stats: 512 total tackles (386 solo), 63 sacks, eight forced fumbles, 14 fumbles recovered. Hamilton played Super Bowl XXV and was an All-Pro in 2000.

1976-Offensive lineman Tarik Glenn (California: 1993-96, selected 19th overall by Indianapolis Colts in 1997 NFL Draft; Colts: 1997-2006) born in Cleveland, Ohio Career Stats: Glenn started in all 124 of his career NFL games. He was a three-time Pro Bowler (2004-06) and won Super Bowl XLI.

1978-Linebacker Brian Urlacher (New Mexico: 1996-99, selected ninth overall by Chicago Bears in 2000 NFL Draft; Bears: 2000-12) born in Pasco, Washington Career Stats: 1,354 total tackles (1,040 solo), 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 85 passes defended, 11 forced fumbles, 15 fumbles recovered, four defensive touchdowns. Urlacher was the 2000 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2005 Defensive Player of the Year. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler (2000-03, 2005-06, 2010, 2011), a four-time First-team All-Pro (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006), and a Second-team All-Pro in 2010. Urlacher was also named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.

1984-Linebacker Shawne (Lights Out) Merriman (Maryland: 2002-04, selected 12th overall by San Diego Chargers in 2005 NFL Draft; Chargers: 2005-10, Bills: 2011-12) born in Washington, D.C. Career Stats: 257 total tackles (196 solo), 45.5 sacks, one interception, 18 passes defended, eight fumbles recovered. Merriman led the NFL in sacks (17) in 2006. He was a three-time Pro Bowler (2005-07) and a three-time All-Pro (2005-07). Merriman was selected using a draft pick from the New York Giants as part of the trade that sent Eli Manning to the Giants and Phillip Rivers to the Chargers during the 2004 NFL Draft.

May 26

1939-Sportscaster Brent Musberger born in Portland, Oregon. Musberger began his career doing NFL play-by-play for CBS in 1973. He is perhaps best known as the original studio host of CBS’ The NFL Today (1976-90). His intro of “You’re looking live at…” became one his most recognizable catchphrase. Musberger also covered the NBA, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the U.S. Open tennis tournament, and the Masters for CBS. After his firing from CBS in 1990, he covered Major League Baseball, the NBA, the Indianapolis 500, College and Little League World Series, NASCAR, college basketball, and college football for ABC Sports/ESPN. Musberger called his final game, a NCAA basketball game between Kentucky and Georgia, on Jan. 31, 2017.

1949-Quarterback Dante (Dan) Pastorini (Santa Clara: 1968-70, selected third overall by Houston Oilers in 1971 NFL Draft; Oilers: 1971-79, Raiders: 1980, Rams: 1981, Eagles: 1982-83) born in San Francisco, California Career Stats: 1,556 completions in 3,055 attempts for 18,515 yards, 103 touchdowns, and 161 interceptions. QB Rating: 59.1; 216 carries for 685 yards and eight touchdowns. Pastorini was the third quarterback taken in the first three picks of the ’71 Draft (Jim Plunkett was first, Archie Manning second). He was a Pro Bowl selection in 1975 and won Super Bowl XV as Plunkett’s backup with Raiders.

1955-Wide receiver Wesley Walker (California: 1974-76, selected 33rd overall by New York Jets in 1977 NFL Draft; Jets: 1977-89) born in San Bernardino, California Career Stats: 438 receptions for 8,306 yards and 71 touchdowns. Walker led the NFL in receiving yards (1,169) in 1978. He was a two-time Pro Bowler (1978, 1982) and an All-Pro in 1978. Walker is the Jets’ second all-time leading receiver (after Don Maynard) despite being legally blind in his left eye.

1965-Linebacker Gregory (Greg) Lloyd (Fort Valley State: 1983-86, selected 150th overall by Pittsburgh Steelers in 1987 NFL Draft; Steelers: 1988-97, Panthers: 1998) born in Miami, Florida Career Stats: 791 total tackles (707 solo), 54.5 sacks, 11 interceptions, 35 forced fumbles. Lloyd was a five-time Pro Bowl selection (1991-95) and a three-time First-team All-Pro (1993-95). He helped Steelers reach Super Bowl XXX. His son, Greg Jr., also played in the NFL as a linebacker.

May 27

1954-Offensive tackle Jackie Slater (Jackson State: 1973-75, selected 86th overall by Los Angeles Rams in 1976 NFL Draft; Rams: 1976-95) born in Jackson, Mississippi Career Stats: Slater started 211 of his 259 career NFL games. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler (1983, 1985-90), a three-time First-team All-Pro (1987-89), and a two-time Second-team All-Pro (1983, 1985). 24 different quarterbacks (including Vince Ferragamo, who led Rams to appearance in Super Bowl XIV) and 37 different running backs (including Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson-who set the NFL single season rushing record in 1983-and Jerome Bettis) played behind Slater. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

1968–Chicago Bears founder George Halas retired as head coach with a record of 324-151-31 (318-148-31 regular season, 6-3 postseason). His six league championships (1921, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1963) are tied with the Packers’ Curly Lambeau for most in NFL history. Halas remained the team’s principal owner and played an active role in day-to-day operations until his death on Oct. 31, 1983.

1972-Wide receiver Antonio Freeman (Virginia Tech: 1991-94, selected 90th overall by Green Bay Packers in 1995 NFL Draft; Packers: 1995-2001, Eagles: 2002, Packers: 2003) born in Baltimore, Maryland Career Stats: 477 receptions for 7,251 yards and 61 touchdowns. Freeman was a Pro Bowler and First-team All-Pro in 1998, the same season he led the NFL in receiving yards (1,424). He played in two Super Bowls with Packers: a win in Super Bowl XXXI over Patriots and a loss in Super Bowl XXXII to Broncos. Freeman caught the go-ahead, then-record 81-yard touchdown in Super Bowl XXXI. He is perhaps best remembered for catching a ball on his back that initially appeared to be incomplete (after it was almost intercepted) during overtime of a Monday Night Football game in 2001.

1981-Defensive end Darnell Dockett (Florida State: 2000-03, selected 64th overall by Arizona Cardinals in 2004 NFL Draft; Cardinals: 2004-14) born in Burtonsville, Maryland Career Stats: 459 total tackles (349 solo), 40.5 sacks, four interceptions, 18 passes defended, nine forced fumbles, 14 fumbles recovered. Dockett was a three-time Pro Bowler (2007, 2009, 2010) and a Second-team All-Pro in 2010. He recorded three sacks in Super Bowl XLIII, tying a record with Hall of Famer Reggie White and Kony Ealy.

1988-Cornerback Vontae Davis (Illinois: 2006-08, selected 25th overall by Miami Dolphins in 2009 NFL Draft; Dolphins: 2009-11, Colts: 2012-present) born in Washington, D.C. Career Stats: 387 total tackles (340 solo), two sacks, 22 interceptions, 104 passes defended, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovered, one defensive touchdown. Davis was a Pro Bowler in 2014 and 2015.

2006-Running back Craig (Ironhead) Heyward (Pittsburgh: 1985-87, selected 24th overall by New Orleans Saints in 1988 NFL Draft; Saints: 1988-92, Bears: 1993, Falcons: 1994-96, Rams: 1997, Colts: 1998) died at age 39 in Atlanta, Georgia (b. 1966) Career Stats: 1,031 carries for 4,301 yards and 30 touchdowns; 177 receptions for 1,559 yards and four touchdowns. Heyward was a Pro Bowler in 1996 but was perhaps best known for a series of humorous television commercials for Zest body wash in the late 1990s. Heyward’s son, Cameron, is a Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end.

– Curtis Rawls is a Managing Editor for cover32 and covers the NFL and New York Giants, like and follow on Facebook and Twitter. Curtis can be followed on Twitter @TheArmchrAnlyst.

The post This Week in NFL History: May 21 through May 27 appeared first on Cover32.

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itsfinancethings · 5 years ago

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October 18, 2019 at 06:00AM

— Sandy Hook Promise (@sandyhook) September 18, 2019

Courtesy: Vy TranVy Tran in one of her bulletproof Wonder Hoodies

“I couldn’t keep up with the orders,” says Tran, who hired a team to help her. Wonder Hoodie has since fulfilled almost 1,000 orders for hoodies that cost up to $600 and weigh up to 9 pounds.

“We’re not going to change the law and forbid guns. It’s not going to happen,” Ciabarra says. “People will have weapons.”

Jason Connolly—AFP/Getty ImagesAA teacher takes part in an active shooter drill during a firearms course for teachers and administrators in Commerce City, Colorado on June 28, 2018.

***

NICHOLAS KAMM—AFP/Getty ImagesBulletproof whiteboards and backpack inserts at the Hardwire factory in Pocomoke City, Maryland, on March 1, 2018.

“Before the shooting, my biggest fear was whether my children would do well on their tests,” Alhadeff says. “It’s sad and unfortunate that our society has come to this.”

#IFTTT #Blogger

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