#Sicily team building

[siciliaconventionbureau1]

Sicily team building

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[blueiscoool]

15th-Century Hoard of Gold and Silver Coins Discovered in Israel

A coin hoard dating to the 15th century has been discovered near a medieval synagogue in Israel. Why it was deposited there, however, is a mystery.

Archaeologists have discovered a hoard of gold and silver coins by the remains of a centuries-old synagogue in Israel, near the Sea of Galilee.

The hoard of 364 coins, which was unearthed at the archaeological site of Huqoq (also spelled Yaquq), dates to the 15th century.

The team found the stash within two jugs under the collapsed wall of the synagogue. Most of the coins are from medieval Venice or the Mamluk sultanate, which controlled the region at the time. It's unclear why the jugs were filled with coins and left at the site, Robert Kool, a curator in the Israel Antiquities Authority's coin department, wrote in a paper published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Numismatics.

The earliest of the Venetian coins dates to the time that Francesco Dandolo was doge (leader of Venice), between 1329 and 1339, while the latest Venetian coins date to the reign of Francesco Foscari, from 1423 to 1457, Kool wrote. Many of the Venetian coins have images depicting St. Mark the Evangelist, who is traditionally ascribed as the author of the Gospel of Mark, as well as Latin inscriptions that can be translated as "It is to You, Christ, that this Duchy is entrusted which You govern," Kool wrote.

During medieval times in the eastern Mediterranean, Venetian coins were widely used as an export currency. "By the end of the fourteenth century [Venetian] ducats were the only European gold currency accepted in Mamluk Egypt and Syria," Kool wrote in the study.

Most of the Mamluk coins in the hoard were minted during the reign of Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay, from 1422 to 1438, Kool wrote. There are also a few coins from other locations in Southern Europe, such as a silver coin minted during the reign of James I, who was king of Sicily from 1285 to 1295, and even a coin from Serbia.

The "deposition of the hoard occurred sometime during or after 1438-1457," a date range that is based on analysis of the coins and other archaeological remains, Kool wrote in the paper. Who deposited it, where they got the money from, and why it was left at the synagogue are all unknown.

That said, there are many possibilities. It could have been money donated for repairs to the synagogue, or perhaps the hoard was deposited by a traveling merchant who left it there for safekeeping and never came back, Kool wrote. Yet another possibility is that the coins were left by pilgrims traveling to the tomb of Habakkuk, a prophet mentioned in the Hebrew Bible who lived in the seventh century B.C.This tomb is located near Huqoq.

The building stopped being used as a synagogue in the mid-15th century, Kool noted. After that, the building fell into ruin.

The hoard was found in the summer of 2018, but its discovery was not announced publicly at the time because of concerns about looting, Jodi Magness, a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who led the team that made the discovery but wasn't an author of the new study.

By Owen Jarus.

[toulousewayne]

Batfam and Batsis Headcannon: The Teams Part 1

Majority of DCU knows about the Batfamily and many work with them and have formed teams with them. However, while many have worked with Y/n she was never officially on anyone’s team. In fact a lot of the League have never worked with her but a select few have had the chance.

Superman and Wonder Woman have worked with her countless times, there were even times that had to fill in for Batman and she assisted them. It goes without saying Diana Prince loves all of the Batkids but Y/n definitely has a special bond with the Princess. While Barbara oversaw most of Y/n’s training she was trained by others. Her most worked with trainer was Diana herself.

Barbara had Y/n complete her training with Diana and she had to win in order for Barbara to give her final blessing for her to suit up.

“Remember never go for the obvious attack.” Diana swiftly block Y/n’s bow staff strike and shove her backward.

“Never let your opponent get your weak spot,” she attempted to strike the girl who backflipped out the way and block two punches,”You’ll face many who will not stop because you are a child, you must fight them with your all. And then,” she kicked the back of Y/n’s knee and she caught herself before hitting Diana in the chest.

“You give more. Never let your guard down.” Y/n smirked. Diana returned the smirk,”Good. Again child.”

She always worked with Clark, before Tim joined she had to protect the city while Batman and Nightwing were in England to find information about a Drug Lord who had recently smuggled weapons and drugs into the city and need to find him in London.

“Are you sure your gonna be okay, I can ask Wally to—“

“I’ll be fine mother hen.” She scoffed putting on her utility belt and cape.

“I know you will, but I’d rather be safe than sorry that’s why I’ve asked Clark to visit you throughout the next two nights.”

“What! So you don’t trust me after all!” She stocked over to him but he pulled his cowl up and hopped into the Batwing.

“He’s there as backup.” Nightwing joined him and with that they raced out of the cave.

Batgirl stood overtop of a building while listening to a group of armed men break into one of Black Mask’s buildings.

“Show time.” She threw smoke and glided down and began fighting them. She didn’t realize there was several more around the corner and soon she was surrounded by some armed and unarmed men.

“Where you gonna go now Brat-girl?”

“I don’t know yet maybe Amusement Mile,but you are so going to Blackgate creep.”

“You little bitch I’m gonna—“ before he could shot her his body was sent flying into a group of trash cans.

“Now that’s no way to talk to a young lady.” Superman smirked. The other goons looked like they were gonna shit their pants and Batgirl rolled her eyes.

“Go ahead pretend like I’m not here.” He quickly took all the remaining guns and crushed them into a ball.

Batgirl quickly started fighting the shocked and terrified goons until one managed to run but Superman met him around the corner and the goon passed out before he could do anything. He brought him back to the alley where Batgirl was tying up the rest of the goons.

“I had him.”

“Uh huh,sure you did.” Superman dropped the goon and Batgirl cuffed him to a dumpster.

She grappled to the rooftops where Superman was floating above as sirens could be heard in the distance.

“So,how about a pizza break. I can fly us to Sicily?” He offered.

Batgirl stood before the Kryptonite for a moment,”A Large Margarita?”

He grinned,”Scouts Honor.” She scoffed and climbed onto his back,”Dad’s right you kinda are a bit of a Boy Scout.” And he took off,”What’s wrong with that?” He asked innocently.

The other members of the league she did get to meet as well. She loved spending time with with J’onn while she studied as it was very quiet in the command room.

“So do all Martian have your powers, or are you just one of a kind?”

“While most of my people have gifts and abilities my were more advanced then those in my age group when I was younger.” He didn’t even turn in her direction as he continued to type away on the keyboard.

She tapped her pen on her Geometry textbook.”What was it like, on Mars before the invasion?”

He continued typing for a few minutes before stopping.” It was Home, many things here on Earth are alike. Such as bonds with friends and family, we had our customs and traditions as well. Many think we are so different and while yes there is a difference between an Earthling and a Martian may of us fiction the same in terms of daily living.” He was solemn for a bit before returning to typing.

“Well, I���m glad the team has as someone like you around.” The Martian grinned. “And I’m sure the Bat is lucky to have daughter so curious and eager to learn about different cultures.”

“He better be.” The tween smiled.

She had taken a liking to listening in on League conversations, many of which weren’t even about missions just chaos and disaster.

“Thats’s a bunch of bull!” Hal shouted as Barry and Dinah entered the canteen with irrigation painted across their faces.

Y/n was munching on cheese fries and reading a book Jason gave her a long time ago.

“Hey kid, how’s book going?” Dinah took a seat next to her. “It’s good, what is Hal whining about today?”

She smirked stealing a fry,”He thinks your father is a vampire or something because he’s never seen during the daytime.” She sighed.

“How did you guys even get on this topic?” She marked her book and placed it down eating her fries with Dinah.

“He’s human for crying out loud!” Barry whined sitting down with his tray of hamburgers, nachos, cheese fries and sandwiches.

Hal sat down to taking a large gulp of his Cherry Cola,”Look I’m just saying if we throw Holly water on the Bats he could burst in flames.”

Y/n rolled her eyes under her mask and muttered,”I see why John is the smart Lantern.” Hal turned his gaze to her and grinned.

“Hey kiddo, why don’t you enlighten us. You live with Dracula does he ever walk into the sunlight, does he ever run from garlic, does he ever state food on holy ground?”

“Only when it’s Lasagna night and you eat garlic bread too, But he doesn’t smell like a garlic plant like you do.” Dinah had to hide her face but Barry was doubled over laughing.

“Definitely the Bat’s kid.” He grumbled walking away while checking his breath.

Y/n spent many weekends at Titans Tower before and after becoming Batgirl. She enjoyed being dragged to new pop up shops with Kory or visiting the vintage camera stores with Donna.

She also would play video games with Gar and Victor or mediate with Raven.

“You know the garden at the Manor are great place for tranquility.” She opened one eye looking in Raven’s direction.

“Tempting, I may take you up on that offer Y/n.” Raven had a tiny grin on her face.

“RAVEN! You’ve Hogged Y/n ALL MORNING!” The two turned to Gar who had a annoyed look on his face. Y/n giggled at his antics but Raven sighed.

“We’re mediating, beside you just want her to rematch you in Mario Party and we all know she’ll beat you anyway.” She replied.

“Not True!”

Kori, Dick and Wally enter the room and watch the two bicker back and forth. Y/n slips away to the kitchen where Victor is making pancakes.

“Do they ever not fight?” She turned to Victor who placed two plate of chocolate chip pancakes down. Wally took the other seat and began to devour them.

“This goes without but I doubt they even like breathing the same air as each other.” Wally commented with his face covered in syrup and chocolate chips.

“YOUR ANNOYING!”

“YOU SNORE!”

Dick and Kori watch from the kitchen as Vic hands them plates too.

“Y/n there’s a new sale, would you like to join me after breakfast?” Kori beamed.

“Of course, besides Dick promised to take me to the bookstore next door.” Everyone turned their gaze to the one and only Flying Grayson with syrup now covering his face.

“What?” The girls snickered at Dick but soon the voices of the other two took back over.

“Get a room already!” Victor yelled, which caused them to start bickering with him and Dick covered his face while everyone else ate and watched.

[natasa-pantovic]

Malta team in Agrigento Sicily Building Bridges Training

Malta team in Agrigento @Prisms Education

[practically-an-x-man]

Your OCs have to go into witness protection, where do they go, what are their new names and jobs? (And yes, I see Kestrel and Nikoletta, who are giving me "Really? You must be joking" looks...)

Oooh thank you! This is a really neat question!

Rae: Since she's already fluent in a lot of different languages, it's pretty easy for her to settle into a different life. She ends up in France, teaching English-language immersion for a public school under the name Raquel Moreau.

Robin: This one's tough... she's a performer, so a lot of people have seen her face and name before. She has to move across the country, and ends up working a low-profile job stocking shelves for a grocery chain under the name Melody Laurence. She doesn't get out much, since she's worried she'll be recognized. Peter isn't technically supposed to visit her, but they can't exactly stop him when he can zip across the country at a moment's notice

Madison: Um... how? She has a lot of extremely visible, identifiable physical mutations. The good news is, she'd be hard to identify without them, all she really needs to do is use Hank's serum every day and that's enough of a disguise. She ends up in Miami, working as a lifeguard on South Beach under the name Victoria Smythe.

Ophelia: She has to give up her hero work as Argonaut, which hurts her, but the rest is pretty easy to acclimate to. She's fluent in Italian already, so they move her out of the States entirely and settle her in Sicily, where she works as a civil architect with the name Luisa Abbiati

Jasper: Still works as a nurse, but is moved to a small town outside Denver, Colorado. They grow out their hair a little and stop dying it, and put together a wardrobe that's a little less flashy. Their new name is Rowan Evans

Katherine: Ends up moving back to the South, though is placed in Alabama rather than Tennessee (she is Not pleased about that). She works as a line cook during the day and spends her weekends organizing files for the local library archives, under the name Lashana Wells.

Kestrel: Well, you're right... they're not pleased about this at all, it took a lot of effort to build the life they have and they're honestly a little pissed at having to rewrite it all. The actual switch isn't too hard, since they can just shapeshift into another form and start using a different name and nobody would be able to tell the difference, but they're pretty miserable to have to give up their life as Kestrel.

Quinn: I mean... once she de-punks herself, she's actually pretty invisible. She lets her hair grow out and switches up her wardrobe, and bounces between menial jobs under the name Ramona "Mona" Ellis

Eris: Oh, they're terrible about this. They've been alive for centuries, but never once thought to switch up their identity. They're just... Eris. They're given an identity as a kickboxing instructor named Bellona Hardy, but that only lasts about a month before they get sick of it and just go back to their usual life (and spook the hell out of Rick when they suddenly pop back up in his apartment like nothing happened). They're sure they can take whoever's trying to hunt them down, anyway.

Nikoletta: Yeah, she's not thrill about this either. She's like "I literally just got out of prison, I'm happy for the first time in my entire life, and you expect me to leave?". She's moved to Salem, Oregon and given a job running historical tours for vacationers... which actually turns into a scam fairly similar to the one she ran in New Orleans. She knows she's not supposed to communicate with anyone from her normal life, but... there are rats in Salem, and she can't control what all they hear...

(I know you're not familiar with the Suicide Squad but another member of the team can control rats, so that's how Nikoletta subtly stays in touch with them)

[breitzbachbea]

Your turn! 3, 10 and 23 🤗

YES, another excuse to gush about the kids! Thank you! <3

OC Ask Game

Because I have roughly 240 OCs for my Human/Organized Crime AU - Yes, that is not an exaggeration, I recently counted them again. To be fair, this includes anyone I ever gave a name to, but even if they're an insignificant backstory character, they are a character nonetheless.

But because I have so many, I'll choose one for each answer!

3. is your character an indoor or outdoor person?

Leo Reiter is a very outdoorsy person! They're Lilli Zwingli's right hand and the only one in Team Liechtenstein who's actually a Liechtensteiner. As a child, they loved to play around with others in the nature around the town and go on hiking trips with their parents and dog(s). During their 20s and early 30s, they had less and less time for it. Both because of the pressures to excel at their job (they worked in finance before Lilli's big brother offered them a job) and because the dysphoria and depression was growing more and more over the years. They only went hiking for business team building and didn't enjoy it much. However, after they quit their job and started to work on their gender presentation, they found their way back to it. These days Leo enjoys any kind of outdoor activity, whether it's alone, with family and friends or business partners, again! Nothing like a good day hiking in the Alps!

(The depression, along with a ton of other baggage, was also caused by the fact that Leo tried everything, including sexual favours, to get ahead in their company. It wasn't a very fulfilling life, only living for others and always playing along - which then lead to them isolating themselves and building giant walls around them, once they left finance. Lego, the ship of Leo and Hugo, is ... god, is it a mess.)

And here's a picture of Team Liechtenstein! From left to right we have Leo, Hugo and Lilli! The artist is @c0ffinated - Hugo is their OC!

And here's one featuring Josef, the dog of Leo's parents

10. what kind of music do they enjoy?

Charlie Higgins loves Classic and Hard Rock! He's the right hand and best friend, basically brother from another mother, to Harry O'Connel. (Harry is my Ireland which I made when I was 14. That's why he has an English name ... in the hetaverse, he's called Liam now, but old habits die hard, so it's Harry everywhere else).

To be fair, he enjoys most types of Rock and even dips his toes into the transition zone between Rock and Heavy Metal. Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, Queen, KISS - He loves those bands. At the same time, he's also into pop & a big fan of Mika. I honestly can't wait to diegetically integrate two Mika songs into my rewrites of Irish Problems and Italian Affairs, the two fics I've written for the main story arch of my AU so far.

In Irish Problems, which I am currently rewriting, I love the thought that once Harry has come to terms that he's probably bisexual and interested in Michele (my Sicily OC and the man they're trying to broker a deal with), Charlie breaks out 'Lollipop' to hype Harry up for the business dinner and encourage him in his identity while also downplaying the concern that his rose coloured glasses would endanger the deal. "Jesus loves her - She wants mooore! Oh, bad girls get you down - Sing it! Sucking too hard on your lollipop, oh love's gonna get you down ..."

In Italian Affairs, I'd love to slip "Grace Kelly" in, because there's a HUGE Charco subplot. Charco is the ship of Charlie and Marco Bontade, one of Michele's right hand. Love the idea of Charlie singing it while getting ready for dinner in the bathroom of his hotel suite. The entire song encapsulates the subplot so perfectly ... Charlie's fear of being too much, being unprofessional and at the same time insecure that he'll never be enough for Marco. At the same, Marco's subconsciously held back by his twin brother Lorenzo, because falling out of sync is scary to both of them ... so the fact that Lorenzo doesn't like Charlie makes Marco think he mustn't either ...

"How can I help it, how can I help it? How can I help what you think? Hello my baby, hello my baby, putting my life on the brink. Why don't you like me, why don't you like me, why don't you like yourself?"

So in short, I think Charlie enjoys anything with a flair of drama, no matter how butch or glam, and a sweet guitar riff makes everything better! As long as he can move his body and sing along, he's happy with it.

I think it's illegal to post that one picture Jonah did of him YET again to tumblr, but you can see it in all its glory here.

Have these two done by @pyromaniacqueen too!

(Marco is on the left on the next one, Charlie on the right)

23. what are your OC’s biggest flaws and biggest strengths?

Tahir Rashid's theme song should be "Oh No!" by Marina. He's Arthur Kirkland's right hand and a certified lawyer who went through law school with flying colours. (We don't talk about the subsequent burnout and breakdown that made him end up in the mob ...)

Tahir's biggest strengths are that he's tirelessly dedicated to his work and damn good at it. The best is only just good enough, he's got a strong work ethic and keeps not only his own life in order, but keeps an eye on everyone else as well. He's incredibly intelligent, very eloquent and can be a charmer as well. He loves his family & especially his little sister more than anything else - to ensure a better life for his loved ones was the main reason he became a lawyer. He's often also the voice of reason to Arthur and Robert's hotheads. (Robert is the other right hand). He usually opts for a diplomatic solution to avoid confrontation, pulling strings behind the scene.

However, the spite that fuels his work ethic also is one of his biggest flaws. He's just as proud as the other two, wears his head pretty high and is easily annoyed by others. He's snarky and voices his disdain for others freely. He likes to hold grudges. Though very disciplined, he can't say no and pushes himself beyond the boundaries of his body to ensure that work gets done (which can be a flaw as well as strength). And his discipline also makes it incredibly hard for him to express emotions, putting a strain on relationships he actually cares about and on his own emotional & mental well-being. (I have never seen three so emotionally stunted men like Team England, I swear to God). His sensibility also turns into cowardice at times and when it comes to physical confrontations, he has to hide behind Robert & Arthur. As much of a deadly weapon he is behind a desk with a law book, as useless is he at an actual fist fight.

Here's a lovely Team England picture by @captkirkland, with Arthur on the right, Tahir in the middle and Robert on the left

And another two contributions by Jonah, first chibi Team England and a wonderful Railey one (Railey is Tahir/Robert as ship)

[seroothincs]

Part 2

1957 - 1959, Little Italy, Springfield. (Tony - 13, Legs - 11, Louie - 6) Tony was supposed to go to a private catholic school in the area but he wanted to go to a school that was attended by the not so fortunate kids, since he knew that the energetic and wild kids would bring the most fun and action with them. Kids who didn’t come from rich backgrounds like Tony. So he started attending the catholic school that was located directly in the east end, surrounded by apartment complexes. This school was heavily understaffed and lacked funds, they had to combine elementary and middle school together in one big building to make ends meet. Sadly this school was not so well-off and prominent than the private schools in the upper east.

Life had always been boring ever since he moved away from Sicily, where he could play with the other kids in his neighbourhood, wrestling in the mud until the sun came down.

Now he was just stuck in a new country, in a new town and in a new life. If boredom was a disease then surely Tony would be dead by now. Speaking of childhood

Now we come to my favourite part, the meet and formation of their little gang.

Sadly we have only two pictures of the gang in the WAY younger years to go off, one from “Springfield up” and the above picture from “The Blunder years”. But thanks to the Simpsons writers, this really helps me out.

It’s not like Tony made efforts to become friends with the other kids, it was just that they didn’t seem interesting to him. They were all energetic and playful yes but not in the way Tony was searching for. He needed some friends at his side that shared the same mind-set and the same mischievousness to have the guts to put some actual fun into this dull town.

Tony was simply looking for excitement and adventure, and saw creating a junior gang as a way to live a more exciting and dangerous life. He may have already been attracted to the idea of living outside the law and taking risks to gain power and influence from a young age on. Given his family history.

One day there was this group of kids, ordinary rascals yeah but one particular boy of them piqued Tony’s interest. He saw how this group of three terrorised two younger boys, what stood out to Tony was the tallest of the bunch. He had short brown hair and looked rather mature for his age, he definitely looked older than Tony with his height. Tony stood to the side as he watched this group basically rob those smaller kids from their backpacks. They didn’t do much after, just dumping the contents out of the backpacks onto the ground and leaving while they laughed, a boring show for Tony but he noticed how this taller boy gave one of the smaller ones a black eye, with no hesitation as well.

At least that kid knew how to throw a punch.Tony couldn't help but feel intrigued by this tall, mature-looking boy who seemed to have no qualms about using violence to get what he wanted. He saw potential in him and decided to approach him after school. 

He introduced himself as Tony while the boy only told him his nickname, “Legs”.

Tony started to talk to Legs about the incident from earlier, he told him he was impressed how he willingly punched that kid, without someone to tell him to do it too.

Tony was all like, “Look, You’ve got good moves. Ever thought about being part of something bigger than hanging around with those two bozos? I’m putting together a team of kids who have strength like you do that we can use together to show this town that we’re not kids to underestimate. Are you in or are you out?” Now Legs was deeply confused about this whole ordeal, fortunately once Tony explained it more clearly and especially mentioned the part of wanting to show the adults that they as kids just want to have fun rather than responsibilities. That struck close to Legs.

He was the oldest of three other siblings, his family were more of the poorer kind and so had to share their apartment blog with two other families.

Life was tough in little Italy so Legs had to take up multiple chores in their household since their parents were busy with their work and came home often exhausted.

This caused him to become mature and grow up fast in his early age, though he never let his responsibilities stop him from having some fun. Playing in the dirt with others his age made him feel more loose and less of problems to care about. Another little hobby of his was bullying and terrorising others. It was not nice but he didn’t care, he needed a proper kick in his life, away from his family and longing for the sweet taste of mayhem.

His family is also another reason why Legs did not spend a lot of time in school, he had to work around the house and help his father in the shop. Leaving no time to study or learn subjects like other kids his age were doing.

With his size and strength, the tall boy could prove to be a valuable asset to Tony's junior mafia and Legs could have all the fun in the world at Tony’s side.

So he joined. Now the reason behind Tony wanting to create this little gang of rascals and misfits, was to not only to show adults that they are nothing more than kids but also to disrespect the adults and wanting to live by their own rules.

Alternatively he felt a sense of displacement or a lack of belonging, just like Legs, which could have made him more susceptible to the allure of the criminal world. Nevertheless, he managed to get Legs on his young team. For now all they wanted to do was to cause mischief.

But they still had to recruit some members.

Legs mentioned Jeremy, Andrei, Vincent and Mattia. A few kids he knew well in his neighbourhood, he especially mentioned how each one of them had their own special sets of skills.

One after another, Legs introduced them all to Tony and they showed what they had specialties.

Jeremy was a fast runner, he was just as tall as Legs though slightly shorter, he was quick like a cheetah and held the title of champion in the local track and field club. His only fear was heights.

Andrei is just as strong as Legs, if not stronger, while Legs took karate Andrei was concentrated on his Wrestling. He could take on any child even if they were older than him. But Andrei didn’t talk much, he suffered from social anxiety and therefore didn’t want to join Tony’s gang at first until he took it more into consideration and agreed to it 3 days after.

Vincent was great with a slingshot, he had this little shooting range put up in the backyard of his house that included empty cans and bottles. He once “borrowed” his Dad’s shotgun and aimed at one can, hitting it directly in the middle where he drew the dot.

Sure he got his ass whooped for that but that was a memorable day.

He can be a bit hot-headed though, not heeding people’s warnings that often led him into many accidents.

The last on the list is Mattia, he didn’t have physical skills but he was a smooth talker, he managed to gaslight Tony into thinking that Mattia’s father served as a secret agent who is still working undercover. Pretty impressive, though the only slight problem to him was that he did not like to work with others, he was fine being alone which is also why he does not work with Tony and the others often. With this team, and at times with Mattia, they made great progress in leaving their footprints wherever they went and started taking up requests from others.

Requests that often forced them to apply violence into their little games, but they only took these jobs if the reward from the client was worthy enough. (often they would accept money but when they felt like it, they wanted candy.) Though there was something they lacked, each time they tried to undergo a plan or a scheme, they were caught. No matter how hard they tried to stay low, they were always snatched by their collars off their jackets and pulled to the police station where they quickly made a name for themselves as the junior mafia.

Louie was a small yet ambitious kid, his father had recently passed away under mysterious circumstances and so it was left to his mother to raise him.

Sadly she caught a case of lung cancer due to the conditions she was working under in the factory, she was weak and had not much time left.

Louie was still small and young, he didn’t know why his mother behaved differently.

He just wanted for her to get better, to help in this situation he picked up on the responsibilities in their shared apartment.

He was 6 and couldn’t do much other than clean, bring out the trash and buy groceries, his mother still had to work for the money but ever since Louie’s father died their cash was slowly coming to an end.

They were in desperate need of it.

This was one of the reasons Louie wanted to join Tony’s gang. He had heard all about how there was this group of five kids that can do anything for you if you offer them the right reward for it.

They are said to have a whole inventory full of money and earn all the free candy they could ever want.

Louie admired how they were carefree, rebels who didn’t play along to the Adults rules and caused mischief wherever they went.

It was a bad decision to get himself mixed up with them but he needed to do it, he knew the D'amico's were filthy rich and if he could join Tony’s gang then surely he could save his mother from whatever was plaquing her.

One day he did attempt to talk with them, but they were not impressed with his request of joining them.

They laughed at him, he was too small, too young and he was weak. He had nothing to offer them in return as services.

It’s not like they even let him finish talking, they took one good look at this puny boy standing before them and instantly cut him down.

Legs was the only one going as far as to push him to the ground, to prove his point of Louie being way too weak and only will end up getting into their way.

Tony wanted to intervene, he did question this kid’s motive for wanting to be apart but he couldn’t speak now with him.

He did later as his friends walked off, he advised the kid to not go down this path of crime, he was younger than Tony and he seemed like he had good intentions.

He wouldn’t want this kid to throw his life away all for some gang Tony put together.

Louie did not let their words break him, he was gonna show them who was weak.

Proving his strength in his own way.

Two days later when the masses came into church, when the collection basket was passed around, a new idea came to Tony.

He and his gang were in need of some cash, they had once snuck into the security room off their school and saw plus overhead a conversation between the principal and the mayor.

The town is facing a money crisis, and the mayor is desperate to find a way to bring in more revenue. All while the principal of the school is struggling to improve its reputation and academic performance. In exchange for a large donation to the school, the principal agrees to falsify the school's academic records to make it appear as though the students are performing better than they actually are. The mayor then uses these falsified records to attract new businesses and residents to the town, promising them access to a high-quality school system.

If they went through with this deal then the town would be corrupted and many students would graduate without the skills they need to succeed in college or the workforce. The town's reputation will be tarnished when the truth about the falsified records gets exposed.

Tony and his gang didn’t want any of that to happen, not to their town and to their families. That’s when Zach told them something about how the mayor had previous allegations of being a sexual offender, his mother was a journalist and knew all about it, Zach told the team that the old man down in the bakery was the mayor’s old friend and had some serious dirt on him. He even had a videotape to prove him guilty.

If they could get their hands on that tape then the mayor’s reputation would be in ruins, forcing him to obey the kids' demands.

They only want the mayor to think of another way to fix the money crisis rather than corrupting their own school and personal lives with his wrong-doings.

So Money was the key-thing in this operation, they didn’t want to take it out from their own treasure since they worked hard to gain it all.

Sometimes all It needed was to do something bad in order to win. Tony was like, “Hey, if we can steal that basket of money we would finally have enough to buy those tapes off from Old Alberto”

And Legs was all like, “Bet. Let’s do it.”

After the sermon, the five boys tried to get the basket but were caught by the priest. Forcing them to run off.

Now someone who had watched this all go down was a younger Louie, his mother had forgotten her purse in the church and so Louie wanted to grab it for her.

He did so but not without witnessing how Tony, Legs and Jeremy attempted to grab the basket but then fleeing the scene as the priest caught them red-handed.

This gave Louie an idea, he walked up to the priest soon after the boys ran away and told him how those kids were part of a fundraiser, they wanted to take the money and give it away to the poor, when the priest why the three didn’t just told him that Louie responded with that the priest would have already known that, he was supposed to get notified after the sermon by the head of the fundraiser that the boys would be asking for donations.

In conclusion, Louie’s way to talk his way out with the priest worked and he handed the basket to Louie for the supposed fundraiser.

Meanwhile the boys gathered back together behind the church, they were stuck and were beginning to just use the already earned treasure they had until Louie came around with the basket.

The boys were impressed by this little kid’s tactic to get the basket and soon after he was allowed to join.

Seeing as he could be a valuable asset to their team because of his small height, he could easily slip through people and remain undetected.

And if plans would fail, he could use his innocent appearance as a way to talk their way out.

First they saw him as only a tool but everyday that they spent together they began to feel more like brothers to him.

He was like the sweet and innocent baby brother you would suspect nothing wrong with, however under that face he has a devilish side to him.

Especially Tony, Legs and Louie began to grow close to each other, they shared common interests and were unstoppable if it were just the three of them.

Inseparable as young troublemakers.

On one summer break the three and the rest, including some other kids from the neighbourhood, played a big game of cowboys vs Indians.

The boys dressed up as native americans who would have to fight against the others dressed in common clothes.

They used tactics such as capturing others from opposite teams as hostages, using water balloons, spears out of sticks and slingshots as weapons. This little game was the highlight of their holidays, though in the winter they did not hang together a lot. Mainly because it was cold and the streets were covered in black ice.

[privilege-rpg]

ANDREA BEISTE

☆ FULL NAME: Andrea Elisa Bieste ☆ GENDER: Ciswoman ☆ PRONOUNS: She/Her ☆ AGE: 35 (December 5th, 1988) ☆ TYPE: Adopted sibling; solo ☆ HOMETOWN: Chicago, Illinois ☆ JOB: Sex Therapist; Human Sexuality Professor at PSU ☆ SCHOOL: PSU Alumni ☆ SEXUALITY: Fluid ☆ FACECLAIM: Stefania Spampinato

ABOUT ANDREA

Tw: Parental death, car accidents

Andrea was born in Sicily, Italy to an Italian father and an American mother, Alicia, who was on a study abroad program and got pregnant with her after a one night stand. They moved back to America when she was a baby, after her mom tried to find where her mother dropped out of college and raised her on her own. Alicia told her from a young age that she did not know who her father was, but that didn’t matter since they had each other. She was content to just be with her mother, who deeply cared for her and worked hard to provide a life for her. They moved next door to her mother’s cousin, Sheldon who and Andrea was happy to be able to play with her cousins who lived nearby. She saw Sheldon as a father figure, not caring much she once called him aunt. She gave dirty looks to those who insulted him or were mean to him. They were all a family and loved each other and that’s what mattered.

When Andrea was 13, her life changed in an instant. One night, her mother went out at night, leaving her at home. Her mother always told her when she would came back. However one night, her mother was killed in a car accident. She was devastated and didn’t know what to do when the cops came knocking on the door to tell her the news. Luckily, Sheldon lived right next door and came over and helped out immediately. In her will, she left Sheldon as the sole guardian of Andrea. Sheldon welcomed her with open arms and didn’t treat her any differently from his own children. While she missed her mother, she was glad that she was adopted into Sheldon’s family rather than being sent to live with people she didn’t know.

Andrea wasn’t sure what she wanted to major in college, but she knew wanted to honor her mother’s wish of her going to college longer than she did. Her freshman year, she took a Human Sexuality course and became fascinated. She declared it as her major and eventually went on to get her doctorate in psychology, with a focus on human sexuality, helping couples and individuals with their sex life and sexuality. She loves her job, even when people give her questioning looks when she tells them what she does for a living. 

FAMILY BACKGROUND

Sheldon Beiste did not have an easy life growing up as a closeted transgender man in Milwaukee. He always felt like a misfit and wrong somehow, but that didn’t stop him working towards his life goals. After suffering a bad ACL injury in college, Sheldon’s dreams of (then) being the first female quarterback for the Green Bay Packers went up in smoke, but that didn’t deter him. Instead he changed his college major and became a football coach, starting with his home team of the Milwaukee Badgers and gradually building a reputation as a tough, no-nonsense kind of a coach. His success with the Badgers lead to more and more opportunities and eventually he coached the Chicago Bears to their 1986 Superbowl win. He settled as the Bears coach in Illinois for a little while and met his first husband, finding himself pregnant, deciding a little stability would be the right thing to do for his family.

After divorcing his first husband, Sheldon had a couple of other boyfriends but never really settled with another man, far more concerned with his children and their wellbeing than he was with his own romantic life. Being a dad was by far a greater achievement than any football tournament, and after two consecutive Superbowl wins with the 49ers in San Fransico, Sheldon retired from coaching to focus on his family instead. It was a few years later that Sheldon realised that all these weird and uncomfortable thoughts and feelings about his body weren’t normal insecurities that women had, and finally admitted to himself to that he was, in fact, a transgender man.

He didn’t care about anyone’s opinions on his gender other than his children, and thankfully they loved him just the same as “dad” as they had as “mom”. Sheldon did experience some initial backlash in terms of his career, but eventually landed himself a sports correspondent job on CNN. That involved into his own sports radio talk show The Beiste Is Loose, before eventually turning into a late night talk show host for The Late Late Show. He still talks about football as much as he can, but he enjoys sharing his homespun sayings with his guests and being “the friendliest face in late night television”.

[siciliaconventionbureau1]

Sicily tailor-made experiences

Sicily is a land of rich history, stunning landscapes, and tantalizing cuisine. Exploring this beautiful island is an experience like no other, and what better way to do it than through Sicily tailor-made experiences? Sicily tailor-made experiences offer you the opportunity to delve into the heart of this enchanting destination in a way that suits your preferences and interests.

For more information- https://www.siciliaconventionbureau.it/tailor-made/

[visionboardyr2025]

⚫️ $50k in savings, bills paid early, income and savings numbers always growing, investing in my business and Gabes business, opening up investment accounts, watching our credit scores grow and our kids savings accounts.

⚫️ healthy baby girl, miles being the most loving brother. Miles loves helping with his sister, singing to her, sleeping with her, picking out her clothes, giving her kisses. He is always excited to show her off.

⚫️ having support from the grandparents (Gabe’s mom and dad and my mom and dad) they love to play with miles and take him out or watch the baby so Gabe and I can continue to have date nights. They are a huge help and the kids get to grow up with them in their lives which is amazing. The grandparents have really come together and made life much easier for Gabe and I - giving us breaks to be with each other, talk finances, decide our child’s education, and talk about our goals as a couple and a family.

⚫️ Gabe and I gave a living relationship with each other. We communicate well, we deal with finances really well. We work together to provide an amazing home for our kids and we make sure to love each other. We prioritize our own health and wellness and we dress our best. We feel really good with each other and we support each others dreams. We parent together and give each other breaks when we need it. We are truly a team and we have just fallen more and more in love with each other.

⚫️ abundant, buying the nice things I love, while having a balance of putting money in savings, investing, being smart, and living life to its fullest

⚫️ miles in baseball, golf, Spanish classes, and being homeschooled with me. We do art, math, writing, reading, he’s learning and growing and I take him to hang out with his friends, to the moxi, to the botanic gardens, the beach, museums. We are always exploring. He’s growing up to be strong, smart, active. He’s social and smart yet he loves being close to me - his mom. He loves playing with dad. He loves his sports ⚾️ ⛳️ he’s amazing at golf and baseball and people are wildly impressed with him.

⚫️ we take our kids traveling 🧳 on weekend trips, out of the country (Italy in 2025 - a new country/ place each year). We go on train rides, visit family, always have our own space to stay as a family.

⚫️ my Etsy shop: digital products and art products taking off and providing us with between $3k - $10k per month so we’re able to completely pay off debt, save money, and live life fully while I still have the freedom to be a present mother and take care of myself. I love to create my art - paintings, digital - whatever it is. I’ll take on clients here or there but I mostly focus on my passive income. It’s provided a huge amount of profit and it’s fun for me. I create art whenever I feel like it and add the items to my online shop/ etsy. Sales picked up so much in 2024 that I was able to truly focus on motherhood and creating.

⚫️ yoga and exercise regularly. Investing in my skincare routine, my hair, getting myself and Gabe nice clothes and shoes that make us happy. Stroller walks with harden and the kids. Breastfeeding my baby girl and watching her be strong, healthy, happy. Feeling in love and comfortable with my body.

⚫️ vacationing in Sicily Italy for 9 days for Sophia’s wedding - staying at Connie’s gorgeous home, with the kids, eating the BEST FOOD, feeling so abundant, wealthy, happy with my friends and family.

⚫️ HOME: our home is our sanctuary. Our home is coming together beautifully, slowly, and with so much intention. We have started making the yard a gorgeous sanctuary. We have begun to hang up art. I feel so much pride in my home, in my space. The kids room and living room are functional, gorgeous and just as I pictured. Miles loves to play in his room with his toys. Miles also loves to work on the garden and play with his tractor 🚜. He loves to play make believe and have fun in the yard or have time building on his Lego wall in his room. He’s creative and artistic, smart, and he’s been a huge help with the baby girl. The living room is my artsy haven: I’ve hung up the art pieces I want, got the bookshelf I dreamed of, the dining/ living area that I envisioned, the rug I wanted, the curtains, and each little detail is coming together down to the coasters and display books. The hallway is also coming together with a spot for keys and mail, a functional and aesthetic storage for our shoes, little signs on the door that say take off your shoes, a beware dog sign on the gate. My room is cozy and safe and my office space is SO ME and so aesthetic: with the custom shaped wooden table slab that me and my dad sanded and stained, the cute desk items, beautiful round lamps, gorgeous curtains, amazing laptop and recording set up (Gabe also loves to use the recording set up for Pokemon - his channel is GROWING fast), little organizational trinkets, the best books, gel pens, laptop stand holder, all the things that make me so happy, and the coziest chair! I love my work space when I sit to work on my digital products or post helpful videos on my YouTube channel. I’m having FUN with my work and home.

⚫️ life is truly peaceful and every element that I worked in manifesting has shown up in my reality. I knew it would and it did. The money, the savings, the family, the health, the clothes, the travel, the business, the ease, the time with my kids. It’s everything I dreamed of but I’m living it in real life. And I’m just so freaking content/ happy/ blessed. 😇 This life I have - I am so so so grateful for.

[blueiscoool]

Ancient Warship’s Bronze Battering Ram Sunk During a Battle Between Rome and Carthage Found

Found near the Aegadian Islands, just west of Sicily, the bronze rostrum played a role in the last battle of the First Punic War, which ended in 241 B.C.E.

In 241 B.C.E., two empires faced off in a naval clash off the coast of Sicily. By then, Rome and Carthage had been fighting for more than two decades. Rome’s victory in the skirmish, officially called the Battle of the Aegates, brought an end to the First Punic War, the initial conflict in a series of wars between the two ancient powers.

Now, explorers have recovered a piece of that final battle: the bronze battering ram of an ancient warship. According to a statement from Sicily’s Superintendence of the Sea, the ram was found on the seafloor off the western coast of the Mediterranean island, at a depth of around 260 feet. To retrieve the artifact, the team used deep-water submarines from the Society for Documentation of Submerged Sites (SDSS) and the oceanographic research vessel Hercules.

The seabed off the Aegadian Islands “is always a valuable source of information to add further knowledge about the naval battle between the Roman and Carthaginian fleets,” Regional Councilor for Cultural Heritage Francesco Paolo Scarpinato tells Finestre sull’Arte. He adds that the find is yet another confirmation of the work of the late archaeologist Sebastiano Tusa, who spearheaded exploration of the seabed as the site of the 241 battle after a separate ram, also known as a rostrum, was first found there in the early 2000s. In the two decades since, researchers have recovered at least 25 rams from the seabed.

At the time of the Battle of the Aegates, Rome and Carthage had been at war for 23 years, fighting for dominance in the Mediterranean. As the Greek historian Polybius later wrote, the Romans sank 50 Carthaginian ships and captured another 70 along with their crews, taking nearly 10,000 sailors prisoner during the naval battle. Rome forced Carthage to surrender. But the fragile peace was short-lived: Over the next century, Rome would go on to fight a second and third war against the Punic people, winning each time.

“It was very costly, both in terms of human life and economically,” Francesca Oliveri, an archaeologist at the superintendence, told BBC News’ Alessia Franco and David Robson in 2022. “In the last phase, Rome even had to ask for a loan from the most well-to-do families to arm the fleet and build new boats.”

The recently discovered ram has been brought to Favignana, one of the Aegadian Islands, for further study. Though its features are difficult to make out because the object is covered in marine life, researchers have been able to discern a decoration on its front: a relief depicting a Montefortino-style Roman helmet decorated with three feathers.

The battering ram adds to the wealth of war relics found on the seabed, which also include 30 Roman soldiers’ Montefortino helmets, two swords, coins and many clay amphorae (large storage jars).

According to the SDSS, rams were the most important naval weapons of their time. They were placed on the bows of warships at water level so that sailors could crash their boats into enemy vessels, damaging and sinking them. The plethora of rams scattered on the seabed are testaments to the weapons’ effectiveness in ancient battle.

“We are finding so many things that help to illustrate a little better the world of the third century [B.C.E.],” Oliveri told BBC News in 2022. “It’s the first site of a naval battle, in the world, that has been scientifically documented like this, and it will continue to be documented—because the area of interest is very large. … It will take at least another 20 years to explore it fully.”

By Sonja Anderson.

[linuxgamenews]

Discover the Exciting Updates in Legends of Crusader Kings III

Legends of Crusader Kings III game update is due to welcome new players on Linux, Steam Deck, Mac, and Windows PC. Thanks to the skilled team at Paradox Development Studio for their continuous loyalty. Available on Steam and Humble Store with 81% Very Positive reviews. Big news coming in Legends of Crusader Kings III update, and it's looking for both long-time fans and those who've been on the fence about jumping in. Paradox Interactive is rolling out a whole month of content aimed at making their medieval strategy experience even more accessible. And the best part? There's a free update coming in May. So, if you've been a bit wary of all the maps and complex looking interfaces, now's the perfect time to give it a shot on Linux or Steam Deck. Over the next month, Crusader Kings III is due to bring back some well-known faces. Doing so from one of the most liked start points in the experience. This isn't just for show; it's about showing the variety of strategies and stories you can play. Even if you're all about the combat, you'll find that mixing up your approach can enrich your overall experience. The folks at Paradox know that their strategy titles aren't the simplest to get into at first. But Crusader Kings III has a knack for drawing in all sorts of players. Thanks in large part to its unique 'story generator' vibe. And that's what the Legends of Crusader Kings III is all about. It's aimed at lowering the entry barriers, focusing on diverse approaches you can take. This also makes it less daunting for anyone to step into this rich historical world.

Introducing: Legends of Crusader Kings III

Now, let's talk about Legends of Crusader Kings III. This update plays to the strength of the game - deeply developed character personalities and histories that steer your strategy. Whether you're playing a warlike king or a shrewd money manager, each character type opens up different paths and vantages. The 1066 “Rags to Riches” start is getting a makeover here. Along with five rulers each with a key trait:

Diplomacy: Petty King Murchard of Munster - a master at building relationships, aiming to unite Ireland.

Stewardship: Duke Vratislav of Bohemia - a wealthy ruler focused on development and construction.

Learning: Duchess Matilda of Tuscany - fostering education and rising research in Italy.

Intrigue: Emir Yahya of Toledo - a schemer in the volatile political landscape of Iberia.

Martial: Duke Robert of Apulia - a bold leader eyeing the rich territories of Sicily.

In Legends of Crusader Kings III, each of these leaders is getting a fresh context. While featuring their distinct styles, and even some new events to deepen the immersion. Plus, they're getting updated looks and stories, making them stand out from the hundreds of other choices. So, if you own the game, get ready for the Legends of Crusader Kings III update in May. And if you don't, maybe it's time to consider adding it to your collection on Linux, Steam Deck (playable), Mac, and Windows PC. Available on Steam and Humble Store. Priced at $49.99 USD / £41.99 / 49,99€.

[scavengerhunt-toronto]

Top Restaurants in Runnymede Toronto

Runnymede is a neighborhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada located north of Bloor Street West between Jane Street and Runnymede Road north to Dundas Street West. It is located directly north of the former village of Swansea and west of the High Park North neighborhood.

Great care is taken to ensure the character of Toronto neighborhoods is preserved, thus the addition of high-rise apartments is not permitted, and new businesses in the community must prove that they will not produce adverse effects on residents, such as noise pollution or increased traffic. They must also fit well with existing businesses, and reduce the frequency of automobile use in the neighborhood (i.e. by providing a needed service within walking distance).

GATTO Wood Oven Pizza

GATTO (pronounced Ga-toh) means Cat in Italian. Located in Toronto’s Bloor West Village neighborhood, nestled between High Park and Etobicoke, Gatto Wood Oven is a restaurant that brings authentic Italian recipes, and outstanding hospitality to Toronto’s West End restaurant scene. Since opening our doors in 2018, we have been thrilled to host our guests coming from the beautiful nearby neighborhoods of Bloor West, Swansea, The Kingsway, Baby Point, and many others. Our menu was designed by an outstanding chef, a native of Asiago, a town known for its famous cheese, located in the Province of Vicenza, in the Veneto region of Northeastern Italy. Chef Enrico Dal Sasso has poured his love for food, authentic ingredients, and most importantly for the people who bring us all the amazing food, in the dishes served at Gatto! The joy you experience when you are trying our food, is the joy of the farmers, the cheese makers, and the beekeepers, who wake up every morning to provide us with the joyous fruits of their labor. Your enjoyment is why we do what we do! See you at GATTO!

La Capricciosa

We drove with passion & built la Capricciosa to make you feel at home & enjoy a meal with friends and family. We are passionate about genuine hospitality. Our chef draws his inspiration from his childhood in Sicily, Italy, and encourages our team to learn the history behind the cuisines of each Italian region.

Scavenger Hunt Anywhere provides the best Team Building Activities Toronto. We have been helping companies and teams increase their productivity, build collaboration and communication skills, and have fun while doing so. Our team building activities Toronto are designed to help your group members learn how to work together in a new environment. We provide you with a list of instructions that your group can complete together or against each other. You may work out as a team or compete against each other. The choice is yours! The best part is that there are no winners or losers in our games – only winners!

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[dotcie]

「1」 ━ you let all your love riot inside you.

》 PAIRING: simon 'ghost' riley x afab!reader 》 NOTES: no use of y/n, no mention of name, weight, hair style, or skin colour 》 WARNINGS: church setting | p-in-v smut | reader wears panties + a skirt/dress 》 CHAPTER: 2.8k | 1/3 [masterlist] | AO3

"Didn't take you as the religious type."

"As if," you reply in a tone that promises a backstory, but the two syllables fade between the expressive statuettes, wooden benches, and prayer candles of the small chapel without any further explanation. 

Orange-red impressions of the low-lying evening sunshine through the pale mosaic windows, immersing the scenery in a warm, nostalgic light. It smells of candle wax, cold stone, and potting soil. You—slightly tipsy from the wine Gaz had found in the safe house's cellar—declined another card game with Price and Soap to take one last walk before tonight's exfil. 

Somehow, the intel about the arms dealer hiding out in Sicily's southern mountains turned out to be wrong. Shepherd had been livid, but you can't really complain about a few quiet hours spent with the last sunbeams of the day, surrounded by nothing but trees, blue skies, and breathtaking views. 

The safe house is well hidden in the nook of a mountain range, about two hours away from the nearest town. You had spent two days roaming back alleys and streets of the closest clusters of civilization; trailing along pathways built after the American occupation of Sicily—uneven streets and soulless concrete buildings with stained facades; now belonging to the country, just like Simon and you now inevitably belong in each other's lives.

His approaching footsteps echo through the high walls of the chapel until they stop at the front row. He slowly sinks down on the wooden bench next to you, not asking any follow-up questions about your personal beliefs or what exactly you are doing here. You always liked that about him; he doesn't waste his breath on unnecessary words.

"Was looking for you," he says instead, crossing his legs. One over the other, left foot perched on the edge of the stone steps leading up to the chancel. By the look of all the dust, you doubt that anyone has been in here for a while. The last entry in the visitor book out front goes a few months back, and the small bouquet of wildflowers on the small altar had long withered. 

Your smile stays undetected as you gaze at the decorated ceiling. "And you found me."

"Hm," Simon hums, casually wrapping an arm around the back of the bench—around you. 

He smells like bar soap and aftershave; fresh out of the shower. While you were roaming the streets in civilian clothes, dressed like a tourist, he had spent all day on scabby rooftops and sun-lit balconies, watching your every step through his scope. You didn't get to work together often. He was busy, so were you, and the merits of your assignments usually followed different directions. It was sheer coincidence that you had business with the arms dealer the team was after, and an even bigger coincidence that you weren’t already working on another mission, in some other part of the world.

In this line of work, you rarely get to spend time on the same continent as him, so the thought of parting ways tonight doesn't bother you as much as it used to. 

Goodbyes—as Price once told you—are part of the job. 

"Found this yesterday and thought of you," Simon says quietly. There is an off-tone in his voice you can't quite recognize; it's low, almost hesitant. His posture straightens ever-so-slightly as he holds up his fist over your lap and waits until you open up your hand, before he drops a silver charm into your palm. 

It's tiny, the metal tarnished and dull, but you recognize the shape of an evil eye surrounded by beam-like notches. It's beautiful, old, and you smile at the gesture. He has done this before; bringing little trinkets to you like a befriended crow; to show that he was thinking of you.

"A goodbye gift?" You look up at him, tracing the fine lines with your index finger. 

"More of an apology." 

"What for?" — "Y'tell me."

He is quiet for a long second, then adds: "Didn't return any of my calls."

It takes you a moment to understand what he is talking about, but when you do, your shoulders sag a little under the weight of his words. 

"I was seeing someone," you say slowly, watching his reaction. "Just for a few weeks." 

He scoffs, shifting in his seat. "Tosser got sick of you that fast?"

"No," you deadpan, smiling up at him all casual and loose and horribly unfazed. "Felt wrong to pretend to like him when I am still thinking about you."

The words sweep between the two of you like a wave; they fall from the tip of your tongue and crash under the heavy truth behind every syllable, before sizzling into a deafening quiet. 

You don't mean to stir things up, these days are long behind the two of you; your committed relationship is dead—has been for a while. You tried the whole dating thing. You tried living the lives of two normal people in love, but there was always another job, always another issue, or trigger, or simple miscommunication, and never enough time to figure things out. 

You and he were once more than what you are now, but it's okay, you tell yourself. It's okay. Sometimes things just don't work out. 

"Thanks for the charm, Simon." 

It is perversely satisfying to see that he still shivers at the sound of you saying his name. 

He nods, and a burst of words builds up inside of him, but he stays quiet—he always does. You used to hate that about him, but now there is nothing left to say. There is nothing he can do to make it work, nothing he has to offer, so his hand slowly moves to your thigh and slightly squeezes your flesh. 

"Enjoyed watching you through my scope today," he murmurs, his thumb swiftly sliding over the texture of your sun-kissed skin. 

"Creep," you return half-heartedly.

It's not his fault, you think, that he wants to show love through touch and all he knows to do is kill. You're not averse to it either; your relationship didn't fail because the love and attraction wasn't there—in the end, it just wasn't enough. 

You move to knock knees with him, but your hand instinctively reaches for his face. Your fingers cub his jaw, slide down the side of his neck, and trace the skin between the collar of his black t-shirt and mask, skimming over his pulse. It's soft. Gentle. A light brush that has no other meaning or purpose except to test the water.

He lets it happen, heavy half-lidded eyes fixed on you. The intimacy is heartbreaking; swallowing you whole. It's easy to forget where things went wrong when the memories of him still linger on your fingertips. So you dip your thumb below the seam of his mask for a second—give him enough time to protest—and once you are sure he doesn't mind, you pull it over his head. You place the mask next to you on the chapel bench and gently put down the charm on top. 

The air between the two of you is thick with feelings—sexual tension, anticipation, a hint of hope—that he wants to bottle up, but can't. Not with you. 

"Hi," you whisper, and he is there immediately; breathing hot air against your lips, kissing the corners of your mouth. It's familiar in the softest, most heart-aching sense, and you lean into the gentle kiss he places on your lips. 

He pulls you onto his lap, mumbling—"C'mere"—in that soft but growly voice of his. It's a gravelly, promising tone that sinks straight to your abdomen. All this time has passed, and you still have a weak spot for him.

You meet in the middle, somewhere in the space that doesn't divide you anymore, and his arms wrap tight around your waist as you sink onto his thighs. He's already hard. You move against the bulge in his pants for some long-needed fiction, but it's not enough—you desperately, greedily want more of him. 

Simon's hands move up to your ass and squeeze hard. His soft kisses turn into impatient demands; he's all over you, grabbing and squeezing, and kissing, as if he has to convince himself that this is in fact happening—as if he wants to savour every second of you. 

"Simon," you plead breathlessly, and he finally backs off just to look at you. His eyes are dark and burning, leaving you with an almost painful longing for more.

"Should have taken my calls if you're that desperate for me," he murmurs, and you can hear the berating tone resonating in his voice. It echoes slightly off the tall chapel walls while your heart beats rapidly in your chest. 

He grabs your thighs with both hands and manhandles you to sit up in his lap, pressing you against his chest. You can hear the buckle of his belt, as he fumbles with his pants below you. He's too eager—reaching for your covered cunt at the same time, sliding his fingers over the fabric of your panties, dipping into your wet slit until he can feel how ready you are for him. 

You groan into his shoulder, planting wet, hot kisses onto the flexed muscle on his neck. 

"I'm sorry," you pant. "I shouldn't—shouldn't have ignored you."

He doesn't answer, but his movements become more frantic. He pushes your panties aside and then slowly, without a warning, slides a finger into your throbbing cunt. 

"Was worried about you," he admits with a shaking breath, then: "Christ, you're wet for me."

Your head is spinning. You want to feel close to him again—need him to fill you up. It's been too long, and the anticipation makes you whisper pleas against his hot skin, toes curling in arousal. 

Simon doesn't waste any time. He pumps into you one, two, three times. He adds one more fingers, curls them inside of you, and then quickly tries to line himself up with your drenched entrance. The position you're in is awkward; he can't see shit and your legs start to burn from the effort it takes to hold yourself up, but you both curse and laugh at the eagerness between the two of you. He guides you through it—lean back for me, yeah, that's—fuck—that's good, love—and you tilt your hips until your body makes a path for his length. 

When you finally sink down onto him, he meets you from below. 

His head falls back immediately, eyes squeezing shut at the feeling of you clenching around his cock. You curse as the full length of him fills you too quickly.

The feeling of being so full of him—so stretched out by him—twists you and pushes you towards the dooming realization of how-fucking-much you have missed him.

The feeling is overwhelmingly satisfying. Red-faced and heavily breathing, your forehead sinks against his with a sigh. For a moment, all you can do is slump against him; lightheaded and drunk off the intimacy. You hold still. Your hands cling to his neck and shoulders, his arms wrapped around your back, his cock buried deep inside of you. 

Simon's fingers gently hold the back of your head. He gently brushes some hair out of your face, before lifting your chin to pull you into a deep, mind-numbing kiss. It's too much now, and you're clamping around him, slowly starting to move your hips against his. The motion is lazy—the friction minimal, but more than enough—and he moans into your mouth at the sudden stimulation. 

"That feels good for you, baby?" he mutters against your lips, eyes half-lidded and hazy. 

"Yes," you choked out quietly and uncharacteristically desperate. "Fuck I—I missed you. Missed you so much." 

He places kisses on your collarbone while you roll your hips on top of him. His hands wander to the small of your back—gently rubbing and tracing fingertips over your soft, warm skin. You stay like this for a hot minute; fucking slow and deep—whispering sweet nothingness to each other—while dust particles dance in the last sun rays of the day. You lean on his shoulders for support, smelling the familiar scent of him, listening to the deep, shaking breaths he lets out. 

A new wave of heat washed over you, climbing up your spine before returning to the crest of your thighs. It's just you and him, lost in a moment of shared bliss and togetherness. 

Your head flies back as he reaches for your clit, providing his fingers to rub against. You're chasing your orgasm now, it's creeping onto you with every rolling motion of your hips. Simon can tell you're getting close, so he grabs your sides and pulls you deeper.

"Missed you too," he blurts out in the heat of the moment. "Always miss you." Inhaling deeply, his eyes shut. "Did you think of me while he fucked you?"

"All the time, always" you choke out, digging your nails into his shoulders. "Never felt as good, Simon."

The sheer thought of you being with someone else makes him livid—all rational thoughts about your non-existent commitment to him are abandoned. 

"Say it again," he demands with a grunt, and you meet his eyes.

“No one fucks me as good as you."

The words spill into the quiet of the chapel and something within him snaps. He shakes his head—questioning his sanity—and suddenly digs his hands under your thighs. Simon is not thinking straight; he abruptly stands up and lifts you up with him. 

"Simon—," you want to protest, but he already lifts you up with ease and carries you to the chapel's altar in three large steps. 

Here you are now; hands clinging to his neck and shoulders, your legs wrapped around his waist. His fingertips digging into your thighs. He puts you back down on the altar's edge, lifting one of your legs over his shoulder, and briefly kisses your ankle. 

"That okay?" His voice is dark, worn—fucking irresistible—and you nod impatiently.

The sight alone nearly tosses him over the edge.

"You fuckin' ruin me, y'know that?" he spits out, his hands gripping you tighter. 

You moan and arch your back when he presses his cock deeper into you. He knows how to touch you, once he starts to rub circles around your clit while pounding into you; feverish and rushed. 

"Gonna make you cum now," he mutters under his breath. "Right here."

He's pushing into you, using the new angle and leverages to fuck you like he pleases. You lock eyes as he picks up the pace, creating wet sounds with every thrust.

You are getting close, your walls clench in desperation, and he knows you—he can tell you are peaking—so his mouth meets yours and muffles your moans. You feel completely senseless as he fuck you until finallyfinallyfinally you tip over the edge at the sound of his moans vibrating in your mouth.

Soft, bright pleasure washes over you, while Simon presses his forehead into yours, twitching and rutting through the wave of his own orgasm.

"Fuck me," he breathes, ragged and harsh.

You both are panting as his grip loosens on your body. His sweaty forehead lays heavy against yours, messy hair tickling your face. His hand lifts to your cheek; knuckles brushing over the blush on your skin. It's more intimate than it should be, but you don't back away—you never do. 

"That's—" you breathe out shakily, "why I need to stay away from you." 

It earns you a dry scoff and the barest hint of an eye roll. At another time, another place, he would tell you that you are wrong. He'd collapse on your shoulder and press his face into your neck and he wouldn't have to say anything else because you would just know and he could just be—but he knows better, and lets you deny him.

He accepts it because he loves you, and he understands why you can't love him.

"Just call me back next time, yeah?" he says. "So I know you're okay." 

There is no longing in his voice, just loss, and you think, perhaps, old love just dies hard, and you need to carry this one with you a little bit longer.

— NEXT PART. — SERIES MASTERLIST.

[ahmedalys-blog]

One

Story 8 Egyptians captured by French intelligence officers and freed an Egyptian commando squad

.................................................. .........................................

In a French prison in the heart of Algeria in 1957, sat Alaozbashi Khalid Radwan, the ship's captain «Athos 2», shake the dust off the floor of his cell, paints forms and to wipe them, go slow time but feels that it never goes on, as if time had stopped since entered into this the dark world.

Bunched thoughts and memories in the top of the young captain, his family how he feels now? Do you appreciate him to see them again? What about his fiancee, that that girl's dream to marry her and live with it until the last moments of his life .. the last moments of his life .. Is it closer than imagined?

Five months ago on his arrival to this place hateful, guards the French phrases penetrate the ear such as lead, remember the failure of his mission in the delivery of weapons to the Algerian resistance to resist the occupier, the task was well prepared, restores those first moments when the call came on Friday, when attended to him a commanding officers , unusually, to ask him to go to the naval command in Ras El-Teen expeditiously.

In contrast to the usual, went in civilian clothes, as requested, to the naval base, accompanied by direct commander, Colonel Ahmed Fathi, in front of the commander of Navy Building, Suleiman Ezzat. Remembers the moment he entered the office, the center looks and faces have not seen before: «This is the officer who Orhha mission», the report «Fathi» his words Brigade Suleiman Ezzat, to begin the last interview with «Khaled»: «O Khalid your Arhg the task is not easy and is full of hazards and risk, and I think you're incompetent after her talk direct your leader Ahmed Fathi about you, then you are a candidate for the leadership of the yacht Atos to the west coast of Algeria on a secret mission should not teach them a thing, no matter the degree of your relatives do, and all we can say you're going in scholarship to Russia, and the flight details Vstarafha delegate of the General Intelligence ».

Khalid came out of the office after a few hours frequency words that filled the man, who discovered he was not only Hamdi El-Deeb, one of the most important revolution officers in July and is responsible for supporting the rebels Algeria Office: «We are here as a revolution of the Arab and Islamic principles help Arab brothers, religion and language (the people and the head Algerian) until it receives the full independence and freedom, and here we offer material support and arms to the rebels .. responsibility entrusted to you carrying a cargo of arms and some Algerian volunteers trained in Egypt to the Algerian coast », so said to him,« Deeb ».

According to the newspaper, the Algerian sunrise, the task begins move the ship from where the dock berth Czech arms to the eastern sidewalk, where will stand as an ordinary cargo freighter, until you reach the arms shipment in train cars and accompanied by Hamdi El-Deeb and a number of general intelligence officers, as well as Algerians volunteer team, which It was composed of eight members, to be loaded on a cargo ship after the evacuation of civilians from the port.

He was on board the ship, which was still holding British citizenship since buying them, and raise them Britain flag for camouflage during the mission, sailor Roman, was surprised by the nature of the job, but he relented in the end, after much of the money promised when implemented, in addition to Alaozbashi Khaled and seven of his aides and eight Algerians , not to the total task Men 17 men.

Although the face of the ship to some trouble on the way, most notably a malfunction in the machine room, which forced it to resort to the Italian island of Sicily to fix it, and her stay there for two days, no one comes out of the ship, but the Roman seas, who used back drunk, but that it had completed the road to the Algerian coast to reach their goal in 14 of October, to receive them there are men of Algerian resistance, however they approached the beach began resistance signals to emerge, to pervade happiness Men ship down the Algerian team to explore, but that happiness was soon changed to amazement after they approached more , where the ship and found itself besieged by French marine yachts.

Once he found the captain himself and his colleagues in this position, so quickly lowered the whole Egyptian crew to the boat rubber, while lit it on fire in a shipment of arms in order not to fall in the hands of the French, before they get to his colleagues, and at the same time the Algerian group was able to escape from the French ambush to the mountains with the help of the resistance.

Egyptians Roman and seas occurred in the hands of the French, and here is Alaozbashi Khalid has been in this prison is trying to solve the mystery .. how exposed the plan?

The captain did not know what it is languishing in his cell is that on the night of nights spent in Sicily, and while he was drunk Roman seas, revealed the secret plan for a man of Men French intelligence that quickly prepared the ambush to the Egyptians. In Cairo, there have been news to everyone in shock, but the response was a process other fast-smuggling, and at the same time for a period of 5 months, watched Egyptian intelligence with the help of the Algerian resistance prison where the Egyptians put, was a plan to liberate the prisoners carried out by commandos Egyptians mode.

Almighty lead voice in front of the prison, to awaken Khalid from his thoughts, announcing the arrival of Egyptian commandos, who had slipped into Algeria in civilian clothes from Libya, and with them the men of Algerian resistance, and clashed Egyptians and Algerians with prison guards French and managed to break into the prison and freeing the detainees, and while pulled Alaozbashi Khalid and his men with men of Algerian and Egyptian commandos resistance, fell a martyr of the Algerians, while Egyptian forces are all able to go back to Libya safe, to help the Libyan popular forces and the Egyptian embassy in Benghazi to return to Egypt, and be an Egyptian victory over French

[a-really-bad-decision]

sometimes I remember how Everything about veth must look to people in felderwin, and feel like I’m losing my mind

like imagine you’re some small town nobody who went to high school with this chubby, awkward girl that no one paid attention to except maybe to make fun of her or push her around. The only thing you really remember about her is that she brought her button collection to third grade show and tell and the cool kids bullied her about it for like a month. Smart, real quiet, but just an all around weird girl. Married her nerdy AV club boyfriend and had a kid right of of high school, but you’re small town folk, and that’s what you do, so w/e

a few years later, you find out she was murdered. Sad, definitely shocking, but at the end of the day you didn’t really know her all that well. You give your condolences to her parents, maybe bring over a casserole to her grieving widower, but you and the town collectively move on. The most you hear about the brenattos for the next year is that yeza snagged some big time government contract, which is a little weird for a small town chemist, but hey maybe there was something to veth’s nerdy AV club boyfriend after all.

then out of nowhere, the Russians(tm) airdrop into your podunk little town, torch some buildings, kidnap yeza brenatto of all people, and peace out. Easily the wildest thing that’s ever happened in this shithole, cause what the fuck. What the fuck was yeza working on?

then a couple of weeks later, dead-for-a-year, button collecting, squirrely little professional doormat veth brenatto shows up, not only alive, but with SEAL team fucking 6 at her side and an AK-47 strapped to her back. What the fuck. Every single one of them looks like they could kill you in 10 different ways, and you can tell at a glance that veth has seen some shit. What the fuck. Her and her hypercompetent looking friends announce they’re chasing after the Russians on foot and leave. What the fuck.

you never see veth or her friends again, but last you heard she’s doing black ops wet work for either the government or the russians. Depends on who you ask. She might or might not have helped broker peace between them. Also old edith wrote and the brenattos are living in Sicily and are millionaires now

what the fuck