#This child is offically adopted and amongst the people

[patheticblorbloscholar]

I don't think anyone noticed but if you zoom in within the tail you can see blue attached within indicating a queue. Meaning this probably isn't 3 where the transformation happens but four. Unless there is enough running time to include Spider's first communion with Eywa. Notice the new threads? A completely different color, his longer songcord. This looks to be a timeskip so I am betting a hundred this is four.

Avatar 3:

Look at his BRAID 😭 The little pony tail tuft at the end 😭 I know he plays with it sometimes and wishes it was an actual queue

[forwards-beckon-rebound]

more jason todd hcs because i said so!!! pt 2

or more like what was he doing at wayne manor when he wasn't busy being robin pt 1

back in crime alley, he’d go to the one library because it opened late and had air conditioning and heating (a luxury his own home didn’t have)

he’d read basically anything he could get his hands on

mostly he reads stories about fantastical adventures in far off lands, fighting monsters and saving the day

sometimes he read stuff like the little princess and prays that really will be him one day

so when he meets batman for the first time and he doesn’t get beaten up for stealing the tires but instead adopted? he can’t help but want to see where this goes

he tries so hard to make bruce not regret his decision

he makes sure to stay at the top of his classes, even when that means late nights studying in his room even after all of his training

he finds any newspaper articles that he can on robin and marvels at all of his feats

he reads true crime cases, even if they make his stomach churn, so he can improve his investigation skills

he trains until he retches on the floor, and then he cleans it up so as not to bother anyone and goes back to training

sure he acts all confident and happy but really? he knows that his current life was given to him by the whims of some rich guy and he could very well lose it all the next day

he stashed nonperishable food in his room, trinkets he’s been gifted that he thinks he could sell

but as the days go by and it seems like bruce has no intention of making him leave, and in fact he’s being treated almost like a son? it makes jason gain hope

the first time bruce asks him to come to a gala, jason is so excited he can’t sleep

he's stressing out over his suit (it's the first time he's ever worn one, much less had one custom made to fit him)

he checks up on it multiple times a day and will lowkey freak out if he finds a wrinkle (he won't because obviously it's alfred)

he's practicing how to tie a tie in the mirror perfectly

once he gets to the gala, he's buzzing from the nerves and excitement

will he feel out of place amongst all of these rich people who probably see him as a charity case?

sure, but the fact that he’s making a public appearance…surely this means that his stay at the manor will not be short-lived

he gets introduced as bruce’s adopted son and with each greeting he can’t help but puff his chest out just a bit more

as he wanders towards the punch bowl, he hears a group of ladies gossip about whether jason is actually bruce’s illegitimate child

it makes sense. they both have black hair, blue eyes, the same square jaw and heavy set eyebrows

he could probably correct them if he wanted to. but this is one rumour he doesn’t mind floating around

and that night, he has never been more grateful for the colour of his eyes

he thinks somewhere along the way he gets caught up in all of it

he lets himself get comfortable at the manor

he didn't have much in his room growing up. mostly because there wasn't anything to display to begin with, but also because they'd be evicted from their previous place so often, more belongings just meant more things to move

fills his room with personal trinkets. a dagger here, a mask there. he has photos framed. him meeting the justice league, with the titans, his first christmas at the manor (bruce has the same one in his office too)

i personally hc that some entrepreneurial gothamites have made bootleg batman and robin merch (actually is it bootleg if there's no official merch? who knows)

kind of like those i heart new york shirts with the local tourist spots on it

but it's batman lmfao

butttttttt i'm just imagining them coming across a dude selling chibi batman and robin merch while they're on patrol

and bruce hates it because like why is his head so big? why are his eyes so disproportionately large? does he have some sort of illness

but he notices how long jason's staring at them so he breaks the batsona for a bit to buy it for him

and jason has it on display in his room

imagine if they have one of those height markers in the house from when dick was still home

and then they add jason's and he can't help but stare enviously at dick's marking and wonders when he'll get there

alfred assures him he will be as tall as master dick one day, and they'll make sure to add it so that he "wins," as he so put it

unfortunately that day won't come. not because he doesn't grow taller than dick but by that point, it's too late

he has his own personal corner in the library

it's a cozy armchair that's just close enough to a window to get natural light while he's reading, but also close to the fireplace so that on winter days he's not freezing to death

it wasn't like that when he first got there. actually, the chair was much closer to the fireplace, where the rest of the furniture is arranged

but as time went on, he thought it'd be okay if he moved the chair just a littleeee bit more to the right. surely bruce wouldn't mind. and nobody ever said anything, so he'd move it bit by bit until eventually it was where it still is

it looks kind of out of place at this point. i mean, imagine a singular armchair way off to the side. but it's his spot and nobody moves it, even after he's gone

honestly, everybody else never really went into the library before or after, but whenever jason had free time, that's where he would be

he's just always there, even though he's been told that he's allowed to take the books around the house or to school if he wants

he's so careful with keeping the books safe, thinks it best that he leaves them in the library

he doesn't want to give them a reason to think he's a bother

he will bring a few books to his room, the ones he likes to read before he goes to sleep to wind down

i'm just thinking about the little reminders of jason todd scattered throughout the manor

the dining chair that's a little wobbly from the time jason tried to show bruce a trick

a burn mark on a wooden pan handle from the first time alfred taught him how to cook

a window pane that's not quite like the rest of them after he tried to copy dick's iconic quad flip

a bronze dog statue in a hallway because of course the waynes would own one. its head is shinier than the rest of its body from the times he would pet it

and sure, you could call it damage if you wanted to

but it's hard to think about it that way when really, those are some of the last reminders that he really was there

< prev | m.list

[coochiequeens]

Germany WTF?

By Genevieve Gluck September 23, 2023

A woman in Germany has been warned by a court after comparing a transgender organization’s recently-adopted mascot and a symbol known to be used by pedophiles. Rona Duwe, a women’s rights campaigner, has received an order from the Higher Regional Court in Cologne barring her from further comparisons.

The initial complaint, lodged against Duwe in March, referred to a series of comments she had made online criticizing the distinct pink and blue butterfly being utilized as a mascot by a board member of the German Society for Transidentity and Intersexuality (DGTI – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transidentität und Intersexualität).

The butterfly, which has been named Fiely, is a mascot of the northern German trans self-help group Fielappers – a low-German word translating to “butterflies.” Trans-identified male DGTI board member Julia Steenken has appeared holding the butterfly in public situations, and, according to Duwe, the mascot has been present in photos taken at several court proceedings, at meetings of the national parliament or Bundestag, in medical clinics, at events with families, and with the police.

The butterfly mascot was designed by Andrea Fleßner, a trans-identified male involved in the founding of Fielappers. Fleßner also has a close working relationship with DGTI.

Fiely is often seen posed amongst other childlike-toys on its dedicated Facebook page.

The butterfly symbol utilized by Fielappers [L], and a list of pedophilic symbols identified by the FBI [R].

See rest of article

By Genevieve Gluck September 25, 2023

The city of Berlin has prompted outrage from locals after offering a graphic picture book on prostitution to children via its official website. The book, titled Rosie Needs Money (Rosi sucht Geld), is advertised as a resource for youth aged 6 to 12 years old.

According to Equal Opportunities Officer Kerstin Drobick, the book is a “helpful tool” for explaining prostitution to children of families residing in a red-light district of Berlin, located in Kurfürstenkiez, known as Kurfürstenstraße.

“In the years in which the Tiergarten Süd and Schöneberger Norden neighborhood management offices dealt with the issue of street prostitution and also had many conversations with residents, this was one of the topics: What do I say to the child? The Tiergarten Süd district management has faced this courageously,” Dobrick says in her defense of the book.

“An order was placed for a children’s book that tried to explain to the children what was happening there. Interestingly, extensive research has shown that educational books for children aged 10 and over avoid this explanation.”

Drobick also explains that the book on prostitution, which features graphic illustrations, was created “with primary school children and other people [in mind].”

See rest of acticle

[tf2occontest]

Dmtryo / The Chemist VS Rico Black

(Full matchup list here)

Alright team, here's a recap: This is a contest to determine who amongst you will take the top of the leaderboards and be hired at TFI! Simply put, whoever gets the most votes gets to move on, and whoever doesn't... Well. They'll be put down swiftly and cleanly. :}

So, mann your stations, because here are your next contestants! Vote for your favorite mercenary who you want to win the TF2 OC Contest! - P

OC INFO UNDER THE CUT!

We highly encourage you to take a peek to make your decision!

Dmtryo / The Chemist

@loverboy-cc

Image credit: @/loverboy-cc

Is a sadistic streak still a streak if its most of his personality? Chemist would say so, with a collection of uncomfortably brightly coloured flasks and a strong throwing arm you're soon to be the subject of his latest concoction! Ranging from small explosives to brief periods of invisibility and one vial of literal random effects, roll a D100 and hope you don't die.

Rico Black

@blackblackheart

Image credit: @/mickmundane

Project BLAK Dossier: Rico Andrew Black

Somewhere in a dented file cabinet in an exploded base in the middle of the desert, a file that will never be found again.

(TW: Disturbing content)

—————————————————-

Name: Rico Andrew Black (Note- not true surname. True surname unknown.)

Designation: Sniper

Age At Time of Acquirement: 9

Current Age: 35

Height: 6'1’’

Weight: 125 lbs. (Note- attempts to get Rico to eat properly have met in failure. Have induced him to eat via command, does not help. Metabolism is normal. Possible bulimia/anorexia? May also be form of rebellion.)

Sexuality: Unknown (Note- Rico has not been witnessed engaging with other members of his team or other people in general in a flirtatious manner- lack of data.)

Respawn Chip?: Yes

Theater?: Yes

Aware?: No Yes- control revealed after rogue behavior, as punishment

Personality: Rico is a ‘wild child’. Mischievous and high-energy. Despite this, he has taken to his training well, and is proud-to-arrogant of his achievements and growing skill. UPDATE: Rico has grown hot-headed and rebellious. Seems to greatly enjoy sowing chaos and discord- believes himself untouchable. Arrogant, but takes little seriously but his skills. UPDATE: Upon revelation of his Theater sessions, Rico has grown sullen and detached. Melancholy has grown worse over time- swings between depressive and hateful attitudes. Has added alcohol to his vice of nicotine, drinks to excess. Attempted to steal from medical stores- stopped and reprimanded. Still functions as an asset despite this, though devoid of his previous relish.

Team BLAK asset status: ACTIVE

Signature- Dr. M. Lang, Medic

———————————————-

In a drawer in a desk in an office at Mann Co. Headquarters:

Employee File

Name: Rico Andrew Black

Date of Employment: TBA

Position: Gunman, Hunting Assistant

Notes: I found Rico at Helen’s damnable side project. After I singlehandedly destroyed Helen’s damnable side project WITH MY BARE FISTS, I asked him for a demonstration of his skills. Boy is a crack shot if I ever saw one! Offered him a job on the spot. He seemed overjoyed, as he should be! But then he seemed sad, which was the damnest thing. He said he wanted the job but could not accept it until something something soul searching something ‘getting his shit together’.

Gave him full base access, leave to fill in on needed mercenary spots, and provisions when requested. Have his word that he will take position. I am not sure how long ‘getting one’s shit together’ takes, but I do hope he won’t dally too long! There are animals that need shot and punched out by the fists of SAXTON HALE! and his trusty side gunman.

[This just got signed by SAXTON HALE!]

The Real Goods:

Name: Rico Andrew Black

Class: Sniper

Team: Unaffiliated/Freelance Stand-In

Age: 37

Rico was adopted at a young age from an Australian orphanage, to be used as part of a side project by the Administrator- an elite mercenary team, honed by intense training, genetic alteration, and mental control to eliminate Teams that Helen felt were too 'compromised'. Members of Team BLAK included similarly acquired orphans as well as members of the R&D Team, along with one unaltered 'control group' member with a suitable lack of morals and lust for murder.

Rico grew up about as well adjusted as you can expect someone raised to be an organic weapon to grow up- rebellious and arrogant as anyone who knows he can't be outshot, and in love with the concept and causation of chaos as anyone thrashing against a stifling environment their entire lives. These acts of rebellion were tolerated for a surprisingly long time, until one day. Rico still can't recall what that final straw was- all he remembers is the absolute fury on the face of Dr. Lang- Team Medic, Head of R&D Medical, and, on paper anyway, his adoptive father. As punishment for whatever that forgotten transgression was, Rico was shown his leash and chain- code words implanted in his mind to force him to obey commands given to him. He was also informed he would be kept on a tighter tether from then on.

If that was the only punishment meted out to the Sniper that day it would have been distressing enough. But there was something unintended that occured- Alexandre Coeurnoir, the Team Spy, had overheard everything, and wasn't about to let full control of another human being go to waste. From then on, Rico's life went from stifling to unbearable as he found himself at the mercy of Alexandre's every whim, unable to either tell anyone about what was happening or escape from it. He was helplessly bound in the web of a terrible spider and, as the Spy teased, there was no hope of rescue. No one would come to save him nor care enough to. Any attempts to run away was met with an eventual undeniable pull to return, and he was as blocked from taking a more permanent exit as he was from telling a soul about his torment. His only means of coping came from alcohol, nicotine, disassociation, and his one joy- his beloved motorcycle, Baby. He would ride into the desert for days at a time, denying the call as long as his shackled mind would allow, and pretend he was the apex predator he once fancied himself as.

And then…

With the other members of Team BLAK either dead or scattered to finally live their own lives, Rico has kept himself busy keeping his promise to Saxton Hale. He lives primarily at Sawmill, in a treehouse he found in the forest and has since made his own, only going indoors when winter makes it too cold to be outside at length. While solitude suits him, he has made a handful of friends and is slowly but surely learning the one thing he was never taught- how to be a human being.

[d1ana-m0nd]

╭─► ❝The Servant: Umbrella Academy's Servant❞

Five Hargreeves × Female! Reader || Written by Diana (d1ana-m0nd)

➢ Description : It's a well known fact that Sir. Reginald Hargreeves adopted 7 children to save the world from it's impending doom. Though, the number of children will change from 7 to 8 once a close friend of his, Rita Rossweisse was on her death bed and requested him to take in her child, who fortunately was born on October 1st 1989.

➢ Word Count : 9,850

➢ Links : Masterlist && Character Profile

Chapter 1: We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals

Under the eccentric billionaire's order, Pogo gathered the remaining people of the Umbrella Academy to Mr. Reginald Hargreeves office. All three of them stood in front of his desk: The robot nanny, The advanced chimpanzee, and the ever youthful servant named Y/N. The three of them were standing stiffly on their spot, patiently awaiting for the head of the Hargreeves household to speak.

As they awaited, silence became the norm. Although silence has always been the norm in the Hargreeves household, it was rarely tense, rather, this type of silence only occured when the others were still around, especially during their missions. Though you would suppose it was reasonable, after all, their lives were at stake when trying to save the world, and they wouldn't want to repeat "their" mistake back in 2006.

But it doesn't answer the question, why was it so tense now?

Was the Monocle planning something?

You breathed through your nostrils as though knowing that the assumption would make sense since, lately, you have noticed Pogo and Grace talking amongst themselves about something you were not aware of, though you did recall Grace looking dejected every time it was brought up.

"Mr. Monocle, may I have the permission to raise a query?" You broke the silence, making the scribbling noise abruptly stop. The cold eyes his children criticized him for were now gazing into your very soul, thus casting a spell upon your skin to shiver in a rippling manner. Despite knowing how he acts as a person, you will never get used to his actions.

"I have encouraged your lot to raise questions for a reason, so do not hold back when it comes to your curiosity." He encouraged his utmost attention to you, which made you more nervous than usual.

"Ms. Grace and Mr. Pogo have been mumbling to themselves about a plan to bring the Umbrella Academy back. I recall them periodically mentioning someone's death. I'm assuming they are referring to an important figure in their life, someone who will make them come back to where they came from…" You paused breathing through your teeth then continued. "So, they must be referring to you, yes?"

The Monocle looked satisfied with your answer then resumed scribbling on his priceless notebook. "I specifically told them to leave you breadcrumbs so I expect no less of you to catch onto our scheme."

The man who was deemed by his children to be a monster praised you in his own way but for some reason you felt dumbfounded by the confirmation. It even felt like your body was refusing to accept it. As the Monocle laid out the plan he had in mind, you tried to listen intently, keyword, tried.

"Is this necessary?" You blurted out. Their eyes darted to you, which made you want to shrink to the size of a molecule.

"I just don't think taking your life is worth exchanging to assemble the Umbrella Academy… Why don't you try calling them over? Like inviting them over for family dinner?" You suggested awkwardly rubbing the back of your nape.

"As much as we understand where you are going Ms. Y/N, I'm afraid that won't work with how…" The formal chimpanzee paused, trying to look for the right word. "Strained their relationship with their father is."

This whole thing began a cataclysm in your head, questions erupted left and right, your rationale losing its grip with reality because of how much it starts questioning the how's, the why's and what's of the situation you were in. However there was one thing for sure, the eccentric billionaire wants to assemble the academy and there has to be an objective behind it and what could it possibly be?

What could be the danger that made him gamble his life for the Umbrella Academy's return?

As you tried to rationalize, an intrusive thought disrupted your line of thinking.

"Master Five, your father is requesting for you to finish your breakfast. Now isn't the time for you to experiment with your abilities. You will have more time to explore them after the meal." You repeated the head of Hargreeves household's words, though they weren't the exact wording since you paraphrased it because you believed his original phrasing was harsh.

The boy in school shorts slowly turned to you with a familiar scowl on his face, almost mirroring his father's signature look. "You infuriate me."

He took slow steps towards your direction, his eyes not leaving your figure. It felt like you were a deer in headlights willingly awaiting for your death to come. Oddly enough, you kept your composure, externally unbothered but internally dreading what will happen next.

"All you ever do is follow that old man like a puppet, you can't even think for yourself and you speak as though you are following a script." He spat, his words seething with anger but for what?

"I have no use for you, so go back to your box." Five ended with a glare and walked away as though he was satisfied with the damage he had done to you.

"What about Number Five?" You suddenly uttered out, the intrusive thought bringing back his existence into both your mind and the room you were present in at the moment. "How will you know he will come back?"

"I know he will come back but, you are free to call my statement a hunch if it helps you sleep at night." The Monocle stated with a discernible look on his face followed by him quickly dismissing you three for the night.

The news of Mr. Reginald Hargreeves flooded throughout the streets of America: the televisions, the radios, and the people talked of it like it was the only thing worth talking about. Though it was understandable considering how impactful he was in today's society though some were rejoicing in his death for obvious reasons… However, what they didn't know was that this was all part of the plan.

You waited at the front of the door, in your best Victorian maid outfit, your hair was arranged how you wanted to be and you wore special shoes for the occasion. The others will probably say that you looked the same as usual and you will admit you looked the same, but it made you feel and look the part, the part of a servant.

The door creaked, which caught your attention. Your gaze was then directed to the humongous ape hybrid man of the Umbrella Academy, who was now struggling to not break the door handle while trying to maintain his balance. You presume he is still getting used to the Earth's gravity that's why he was struggling.

"Early as always Master Luther." You commended the larger male with a smile on your face.

"I'm sorry if I break something by accident, you know how long I've been on the moon and all." He muttered with a charming awkward smile on his face.

"It's fine, I don't think your father would really mind especially with how hard you've been working on the moon for years now." You reassured the male. You guys had a small chat until he left to take a short nap.

As you stood there waiting for the others, you decided that you were going to get some water for yourself and a chair so you could rest while waiting for the others. Out of nowhere, someone slammed the front double doors. You quickly went into a fighting stance, the portable staff ready to be equipped into the fight but, instead of facing danger, you were facing a man who was a danger to himself.

"ROSEYYY!" Klaus yelled out that terrible nickname he gave you since you guys were children. You weren't primarily fond of it because of how crappy it was but you forced yourself to tolerate it.

Your once wary self relaxed at the sight of him. "Master Klaus, I'm glad you are still in good condition but, it would have been preferable if you entered in a less heart-attack inducing way."

"You and I both know that I'm the light of the party!" The seance declared then circled around you, his arm hanging around your neck. "Which means, I have the responsibility to make this party fun for everyone. And~ just because it's a funeral doesn't mean it shouldn't be fun~ "

"I suppose that would make grieving a lot easier." You said rather uncertain about your response though Klaus didn't catch onto it.

"That's the spirit! Oh, by the way, have you seen Pogo?"

"I haven't, last time I checked he was in the basement…"

"Great! I'll just take a trip down memory lane while waiting for the others." He said then walked off as though he didn't make a big scene, though you doubt that he was planning to take a trip down to "memory lane".

You sat on a nearby chair and waited for the others to show up for the next 2 hours, though the interactions weren't that interesting.

"Good Morning Master Diego." You greeted the kraken with a smile just like the others though he didn't reciprocate your gesture. He just acknowledged your greeting with a nod, then went straight for the living room to loiter. As you waited for the others, you could hear knives being thrown at random directions, most likely his remedy for his boredom.

An hour later, the rumor arrived with her luggage in hand. You both exchanged pleasantries as you assisted her to her room with her luggage though she kept insisting she can carry it. But, you managed to talk her out of it, though you can tell she only felt bad because of how young you looked, despite your mental age.

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

Just outside the Umbrella Academy, a certain petite lady had arrived. She stared at the building before her but it felt like it was menacingly staring her down, as if warning her that it was her last chance to run away. Vanya was hesitant to enter and scared to be reunited with her siblings - adoptive siblings - who were most likely not on good terms with her after her book. However, she knew that she couldn't keep running away from them, so she took a deep breath then entered her childhood home.

Despite the fear that lingered, it subsided once she saw the interior of the house. Everything looked the same; the house felt untouched even after all the years that had passed, it was oddly comforting. Though it was most likely in Grace's programming to keep things in order that would please her father, the same could be applied to Y/N but she's mostly responsible for cleaning the yard though.

It was rather comforting that things haven't changed though it felt odd not being able to see Y/N be at the entrance to greet her. It was usually her job to greet everyone and congratulate them over the littlest of things like surviving a mission or mastering a certain skill.

Was she out to get groceries?

Vanya looked for signs of Y/N but found none. She decided to approach someone else who might know where you were. Luckily, she saw Grace by the fireplace, her attention enamored by how the fire danced and flickered.

"Hey Mom," Vanya greeted, but she didn't acknowledge the violinist's presence.

"Mom?" She repeated yet received no response.

"Vanya?" A new voice called out.

The petite girl awkwardly turned to where the voice came from and was met with her sister, Allison Hargreeves. The actress who recently got a divorce but is starring in a lot of movies like romcoms.

"You're actually here." She said in disbelief though there was a small smile present.

"Hey Allison."

"Hey Sis."

In spite of how awkward it was, both of the girls hugged it out. However, a man clad in black leather had other plans. Said man came out of where he was loitering then walked past his sisters.

"What is she doing here? You don't belong here. Not after what you did." Diego sneered at the violinist.

"You're seriously gonna do this today?" The actress asked, it was evident on her facial features that she did not want to deal with Diego's whining.

The brown-haired male didn't give her a piece of his mind but Allison was having none of it. "Way to dress for the occasion by the way."

"At least, I'm wearing black." The male in black snarked back at her and continued on with wherever he was planning to go.

"You know what, maybe he's right. I shouldn't-" Vanya muttered, as she was about to retreat back to her apartment but a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Miss Vanya, you may think that Diego is right but not all of us share the same sentiment as him. For now, let's put the feud past us and gather as a family to mourn for your father's loss." You said. Your words were comforting the uneasiness she felt, at least now she knew that two people - besides Pogo and Grace - wanted her to stay.

Once Diego's sour words were dissolved by you and Allison's overwhelming sweetness. You and the violinist were left by yourselves to explore the eccentric billionaire's house, what Vanya used to deem as her home. But, now it's a house filled with bitter memories for her.

"Miss Vanya, is it alright that I follow you around for a while?" You questioned her, the smile you wore around her over the years seemed like had no intention of being wiped off.

"Y/N, I told you to stop using honorifics around me." The petite girl reminded you, as she reciprocated your smile.

You giggle at the reminder. "It can't be helped, with how much I've been around Pogo, I just couldn't help but pick up the habit."

The brown-haired girl entered the living room with you. Her eyes wandered trying to identify if some changes were made, though she couldn't see any big difference. Unless you and Grace decided to move a decorative piece a few centimeters to the right, then she definitely would not have noticed that detail. As she surveyed the room, she couldn't help but, drift to the section of the bookshelf where her autobiography was nestled in between.

Suddenly, the advanced chimpanzee walked into the living room. A smile adorned his face when his eyes landed on the violinist whilst he adjusted his glasses.

"Welcome home Miss Vanya"

"Pogo." The brunette muttered then went to his side and hugged him.

"So good to see you." Pogo greeted but then his gaze shifted at the book that was in Vanya's hands. "Ah yes, your autobiography."

"Do you know, um…" Vanya glances down at the book hesitating to bring up the question but goes along with it anyway. "Did he ever read it?"

"Not that I am aware of."

Based on Vanya's lack of response, you could tell that she was both not surprised and disappointed. All those years of being by her side made reading her so easier. Just like the others, she was hell-bent on being recognized by their father, the only difference was that she wanted to be treated like an equal.

The petite woman then diverted her attention to the painting above the fireplace. "How long has it been since Five disappeared?"

"It's been 16 years, 4 months, and 14 days." You and Pogo said in unison, both of you shared a small smile not expecting to say it at the same time.

"Your father insisted we keep track," You stated, though you had a different reason for keeping track. You promise to yourself that once he comes back, you will redeem yourself for your past failure.

"You wanna know something stupid? I always used to leave the lights on for him. I was scared he would come back. It would be late, the house would be dark and he wouldn't be able to find us, so he'd leave again."

"So, every night me and Y/N make a little snack and make sure all the lights are on." The violinist recalled, a small smile on her face as she reminisced how you helped her at night making sandwiches and turning on all the lights at night though, Pogo did nag you both at one point for wasting electricity, so you guys had to revert to using lanterns.

"Oh, I remember your snacks. I'm pretty sure I stepped on half those peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches." The formal chimpanzee chuckled. While you tried your best to suppress your laughter, as you remembered the night you witnessed Pogo slipped on one of the marshmallow sandwiches.

"Your father always believed that Number Five was still out there somewhere. He never lost hope." The advanced chimpanzee reassured Vanya that the day of his return would come.

"And look where that got him." The brunette pessimistically said.

Spaceboy ordered you, Pogo, and Grace to gather the others in the living room. You and Pogo didn't waste any time and made sure everyone was in the place where Luther requested them all to be. Grace even hastened her usual pace to make snacks for everyone to munch on.

The numbers of the Umbrella Academy were all gathered in the living room. Although there were only a handful of people in the room, no words were exchanged. The only thing that was audible was the fire crackling, and the sound of Klaus concocting himself's special poison - an alcoholic beverage - from the bar.

"I guess we should get this started," The ape-hybrid-man stood up then suggested. "So, I figured we could have a sort of memorial service in the courtyard at sundown. Say a few words, just at Dad's favorite spot."

"Dad had a favorite spot?" Allison raised the question, surprised that this never went under her radar.

"You know, under the oak tree. We used to sit out there all the time. None of you ever did that?" Luther added but everyone else was dumbfounded by the new information.

"Will there be refreshments?" Klaus asked as he brought his drink to where everyone else was at. "Tea? Scones? Cucumber sandwiches are always a winner."

"What? No. And put that out. Dad didn't allow smoking in here."

"I agree with Master Luther, please put that out Mr. Klaus, the smell is unpleasant and it takes a while to ventilate the house. I recommend you smoke outside if you're hell-bent on letting off steam though." You suggested to the seance as you stood behind his slouching figure, which made him jump, have you been behind him since the very beginning? He didn't see nor hear your footsteps.

"Is that my skirt?" Allison raised a brow at her brother's fashion choice.

"What?" The brown-haired male looked down at the bottom part of his outfit then smiled. "Oh, yeah, this. I found it in your room. It's a little dated, I know, but it's very breathey on the bits."

"Listen up. Still some important things that we need to discuss, all right?" The ape-man said calmly, gaining everyone's attention simultaneously because they knew something was about to implode.

"Like what?"

"Like the way he died."

"And here we go." Diego muttered as he rolled his eyes at Luther.

Based on his words, you knew that Diego thought that Luther was being overdramatic but you thought otherwise, after all you were an accomplice. You knew where this was going, you can only hope they would go for the bait but, you highly doubt it knowing how they are not coordinated with one another. Though, there was a slim chance they would work together, it was slim but it was better than holding onto nothing.

Vanya's brows were knitted together in confusion. "I don't understand. I thought they said it was a heart attack."

"Yeah, according to the coroner." Spaceboy emphasizes 'the coroner' as though they weren't reliable. If anything, they were more reliable than the paparazzi.

"Well, wouldn't they know?"

"Theoretically."

"Theoretically?" Vanya repeated, not following through with where Luther was going with. To be fair, she was not alone, everyone was as confused as her.

"I'm just saying, at the very least, something happened. The last time that I talked to Dad, he sounded strange."

" Kudos to Mr. Hargreeves for tricking Luther into believing him. Though, I shouldn't be surprised considering how he becomes gullible when it comes to Mr. Monocle." You mused as you played with the ends of your hair, giving away to the others that you were deep in thought.

Diego will not say it but he's had his eye on you since this meeting has started. He didn't understand why you were taking everything to heart. You were never the type to be serious unless told to be. This 'meeting' wasn't even serious, it was all bullshit. Which made him think, what were you thinking?

"Oh, quelle surprise!" Klaus gurgled through his drink.

"Strange how?"

"He sounded on edge. Told me I should be careful who to trust." The dark blonde-haired male reasoned but no one was buying his words.

"Luther, he was a paranoid, bitter old man who was starting to lose what was left of his marbles." The Kraken angrily retorted.

"No, He must have known something was going to happen." Luther turned his attention to Klaus "Look, I know you don't like to do it, but I need you to talk to Dad."

"I can't just call Dad in the afterlife and be like, 'Dad, could you just… stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take a quick call?'. " The Seance exclaimed with jazz hands.

"Plus, I'm not in the right… frame of mind." The brown-haired male added.

"You're high?" Allison said in disbelief.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Klaus laughed as he confirmed her statement.

"I mean, how are you not? Listening to this nonsense?"

"Well, sober up, this is important." Luther ordered him, to which Klaus reluctantly sighed, knowing he didn't have much of a choice.

"Then there's the issue of the missing monocle." The ape hybrid added to his conspiracy. Even though it was silent, you could hear the others internally groaning as more words came out of his mouth.

"Y/N, while you were cleaning up Dad's room, was the monocle still there?"

"Last night I wasn't assigned to give him medicine, it was Mrs. Grace's turn. So I can't be too sure if he wore the monocle. Though the crime scene cleaners and investigators did let me know that they made sure to keep everything in the same spot." You reported, as your thinking pose shifted into your default one.

"Make sure to check the cameras around the time they were cleaning." He commanded, you bowed in return to confirm you will do as he says.

"Who gives a shit about a stupid monocle?" Diego barked as he stood up, nearing Luther's figure.

This was only an assumption but you could tell that Diego was catching onto where Luther was going with. If a fight were to break out, you had to make sure to pin down Diego first before any damage could be done.

"Exactly," Spaceboy agreed then added. "It's worthless. So whoever took it, I think it was personal. Someone close to him. Someone with a grudge."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Oh isn't it obvious, Klaus? He thinks one of us killed Dad." Diego hissed followed by him glaring at the person who was supposed to lead the Umbrella Academy, instead of retorting back his’ brother’s accusation, Luther went silent.

"You do?!" Klaus exclaimed in disbelief.

"How could you think that?" Vanya questioned.

"Great job, Luther. Way to lead." The Kraken angrily stated as he started to walk away from Luther's shit show - his words not yours.

"That's not what I'm saying." The dark blond-haired male tried to explain but he was cut off.

"You're crazy, man. You're crazy. Crazy."

"I'm not finished!"

"Ok well, sorry, I'm just gonna go murder Mom, I'll be right back."

"That's not what Mr. Luther was saying." You tried to butt in only to be ignored.

"I didn't-" Luther sighed, finally reading into the idea that it was pointless to reason anymore.

"Allison," Luther called out "The Rumor" but she walked away from him. "Jeez…"

"That went well…" He muttered to himself, not realizing there was still another person left behind.

"Master Luther, might I suggest something regarding your endeavor to uncover this mysterious monocle thief?"

"Y/N I appreciate the help but, I think I need time for myself now…" Spaceboy breathed through his nose.

"I understand, I will let you be after this but, you have to keep in mind that whilst investigating you must broaden your scope, especially your list of suspects." You dropped a huge hint, just like the Monocle told you to do so.

"Au revoir." You said, leaving Number 1 by himself, like the lonely number he was.

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

16 years ago is the day Umbrella Academy debuted. There's a robbery at Capital West Bank at Main and Sixth, this was Umbrella Academy's first mission so the numbers were dispatched to resolve the issue however, you and Vanya were exempted from it so you were both forced to stay by Mr. Reginald Hargreeves' side.

The eccentric billionaire brought out his small hand held telescope and pointed it to where the mission was taking place. From a distance, you could barely tell what was going on but, you weren't worried for them. The thieves can't compare to the umbrella academy's strength, so you knew you had nothing to worry about because they could handle themselves. However, someone else was bothered by the thought of being left out.

"Why can't I go play with the others?" The young violinist questioned, her eyes longingly staring at her family who were having 'fun' without her.

"We've been through this before, Number Seven," Mr. Hargreeves paused as he lowered his telescope. "I'm afraid there's just nothing special about you."

"Oh."

Silence reigned the atmosphere even after the Monocle left you both to your own devices. At the moment, he was being interviewed by the press. With plenty of time and privacy in your hands, you try to cheer up Vanya but she is still looking over at the others.

"Personally, I think your special Vanya. Mr. Monocle has kept you by his side for a long time now, despite having no powers, so there has to be a reason behind it." You tried comforting her.

Vanya exhaled as her gaze descended down to her feet. "He only keeps me by his side because he knows he can't throw me away."

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

The song 'I think we're alone now' played, Luther usually played that song whenever the Monocle left the house. As the song's lyrics went from one ear to another, you couldn't help but recall the days of the other numbers dancing to the song with their own dance moves that each expressed themselves as a person. The thought of it made you smile as you busied yourself helping Miss Grace around the house.

As you were smiling and humming to yourself the song that Luther played, your attention was suddenly taken away by the sound of thunder rumbling, followed by blue light flashing from the outside, and the sound of all the metal objects being thrown towards the wall. Just like everyone else, you went outside to check what was going on, only to find a blue ball of energy appearing in the middle of the backyard, accompanied by the wind howling in its presence.

"What is it?" The violinist questioned, increasing her volume a little so everyone could hear her.

"Don't get too close!" Allison said worried for both of your safety, with a hand on both you and Vanya's shoulder to stop you guys from doing anything stupid.

"Yeah, no shit." The Kraken shot back.

"Looks like some sort of temporal anomaly." Luther paused as he tried to analyze it again then added. "Either that or a miniature black hole. One of the two."

"Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan."

"Out of the way!" Klaus shoved the bigger man with a fire extinguisher in hand.

"What are you-"

The seance sprayed the fire extinguisher towards the strange blue ball but, his attempt didn't work so he decided to throw it towards the hole thinking it would work yet, nothing happened.

"What is that gonna do?" The rumor gave her brother - the rarely sober one - a questioning look.

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know! Do you have a better idea?"

Electricity around the blue ball crackled as the wind howling became stronger, as an image of a person in the blue ball became more visible. It seemed like the person was attempting to cross through the portal, which alarmed Luther and Diego.

"Who, whoa, whoa. Everyone, get behind me." The ape hybrid man stepped up and used his larger frame as a shield for everyone.

"Yeah, get behind us." Diego added as his smaller but well built frame shield you and Klaus.

"Well, I vote for running, c'mon!" The lanky man shouted trying to drag you back into the house but you stood your ground and swatted his hand away.

Everyone is rooted to the ground, their eyes staring right at the portal. As the mysterious person started to become younger and smaller - though you felt like your eyes were deceiving you - then said person fell out. As the portal faded, everyone began to approach the person that came from the portal. The young brown haired male gathered his footing, his clothes larger than his frame, his mere presence left everyone flabbergasted.

"Does anyone else see little Number Five, or is that just me?" Klaus asked out loud.

Klaus' question prompted Five to look down and realize he was back to his 15nth year old self, "Shit."

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

At the moment, everyone was trying to process the bizarre specimen before them. Said specimen was not doing anything weird, if anything Five was just prepping his ingredients and materials to make marshmallow sandwiches. Though the others were staring at him as though he was an apparition that the seance had successfully resurrected in one go.

The younger male could feel their inquisitive stares, instead he chose to sigh and raise a question. "What's the date? The exact date."

"The 24th," The petite woman replied, her confusion still apparent on her facial features.

"Of what?"

"March."

"Good." He said and continued on like nothing happened.

Everyone stared at the younger male as though he was out of place. Truth be told, he is out of place among them but from an outside perspective he would easily be deemed as the younger brother. Whilst you, on the other hand, had stopped functioning. You refused to believe that Mr. Hargreeves knew that Five would return the moment he would die.

"So, are we gonna talk about what just happened?" Luther asked yet he was ignored by the boy silently making his marshmallow sandwiches.

Noticing his “younger” brother’s neglect, the larger male abruptly stands up. "It's been 16 years."

Five scoffed at the other male's statement, then teleported to the shelf behind Luther. "It's been a lot longer than that."

"I haven't missed that." Spaceboy murmured though you couldn’t tell if he was referring to Five’s attitude or how he loosely uses his powers.

"Where'd you go?" Diego questioned.

"The future. It's shit, by the way." The younger male teleported back to the table once he got what he was looking for.

"Called it!" Klaus exclaimed happily.

"I should've listened to the old man," Five grumbled as he teleported to the fridge and opened it. "You know, jumping through space is one thing, jumping through time is a toss of the dice."

The brown-haired male blinked back to the table and paused, then examined Klaus' outfit. "Nice dress."

"Oh, well, danke !" The seance accepted his - physically - younger brother's compliment.

"Wait, how did you get back?" The violinist inquired.

"In the end, I had to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum state version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time." Five explained but his answer left them with more questions and more confusion.

"That makes no sense." Diego replied, which he will grow to regret later.

"Well, it would if you were smarter." The younger male retorted. To which the kraken took offense, as he abruptly stood up and tried to tackle Five but Luther blocked him with his arm.

"If you are that desperate to understand, ask someone to translate it for you in simpler terms. If you want to ask who could possibly condense it down to your level of intelligence then, I suggest you ask the other 15 year old in the room." The younger brown-haired male sarcastically recommended as he side glanced at you.

Everyone followed his gaze which resulted in everyone's attention on you, which made you freeze up, not expecting to be acknowledged out of the blue. "Well… From what I understood, Master Five miscalculated during his time travel, because of the miscalculation he was only able to project his consciousness and not his physical form at the time. And, since his physical form didn't develop during this period, he was forced to manifest in his 15 year old body. Am I correct Master Five?"

"Close enough." Five confirmed though there was a slight error in your explanation but he does not want to go into tangent about it because he knew that it would be pointless and he would start deviating from the main topic.

"How long were you there?" Luther asked.

"31 years, Give or take."

Simultaneously, Diego and Luther sat down. You raised a brow at this, complemented with an amused look on your face. Although neither would admit it, they both shared the same brain cell most of the time and it was hilarious.

"What are you saying? That you're 46?" The ape hybrid inquired, his tone giving away his disbelief.

"No, my consciousness is 46. Apparently, my body is now 15 again." The younger male corrected the larger male.

"Wait, how does that even work?" Vanya raised one of her brows yet she was ignored.

"Delores kept saying the equations were off. Eh." Five looks out the window, his back facing his siblings as he eats the sandwich, then he faces his siblings. "Bet she's laughing now."

"Delores?" The violinist's question was ignored once again as his gaze was fixated on the newspaper.

"Guess I missed the funeral."

"How'd you know about that?" The ape hybrid man asked.

Five rolled his eyes at Spaceboy's question. "What part of the future do you not understand?"

The younger male read the paper's headline then asked. "Heart failure, huh?"

"Yeah."

"No."

Five clicked his tongue. "Nice to see nothing's changed."

"Uh, that's it? That's all you have to say?" Allison grunted, confused by his stunt.

"What else is there to say? The circle of life." The boy commented as he left, just like how he left to get milk 16 years ago.

"Well… That was interesting." Luther stated as silence settled among them.

Once the abrupt family reunion ended, everyone left the kitchen to prepare themselves for the funeral. On the other hand, the servants of the Hargreeves household were busy tending to their tasks while helping the others. As you finished your chores, Pogo did not hesitate to switch shifts with you in monitoring the CCTVs, though as you were monitoring it. You couldn’t keep your eyes off of Five, his mere existence boggled you. It didn’t help that you kept replaying what Mr. Hargreeves said to you.

"I know he will come back but, you are free to call my statement a hunch if it helps you sleep at night." It still felt unnerving that he knew and it even felt more unnerving seeing the real deal before your eyes.

Although you were in a dazed state, your mind didn’t completely block out the noise from the physical world. When you heard pitter-patter hitting the window, you shifted your gaze to the outside and noticed the change of weather. People say that whenever the sky darkens and the rain occurs at a funeral, it means the angels are mourning because one of God’s children died. While others say it’s both an inconvinience and a coincidence. Truth be told, the rain did fit the atmosphere for mourning, though the children of the Monocle would say otherwise.

As you were monitoring the CCTVs, Pogo called over everyone to prepare themselves for the funeral. In spite of the rain, you all still went along with the funeral. Everyone brought an umbrella with them, except Luther and Diego. The atmosphere was serious but someone disrupted the mourning.

"Did something happen?" The robot asked with a smile which caught Everyone’s stares.

"Dad died. Remember?" Allison reminded her.

Grace’s smile faltered at the statement. "Oh. Yes, of course."

"Is mom okay?” The Rumor asked concerningly.

"Yeah, yeah, she's fine. She just needs to rest. You know, recharge.” Diego reassured them, the others doubted his words but went along with it anyway.

"Whenever you are ready dear boy." Pogo signaled. To which, Luther stared at the vase and took a few steps before opening the lid, instead of gracefully dancing with the wind, the ashes of the old man fell out.

"Probably would have been better with some wind." The larger man remarked.

"Does anyone wish to speak?" Pogo brought up but everyone went silent.

"Very well," Pogo adjusts "In all regards, Sir Reginald Hargreeves made me what I am today. For that alone, I shall forever be in his debt. He was my master… and my friend, and I shall miss him very much. He leaves behind a complicated legacy-"

"He was a monster." Diego interrupted, despite the horror that was ridden in the other’s faces, Klaus was laughing as more words came out of his brother’s mouth. "He was a bad person and a worse father. The world's better off without him,"

"Diego." Allison called out.

"My name is Number Two." He corrected her then added. "You know why? Because our father couldn't be bothered to give us actual names. He had mom do it."

"Would anyone like something to eat?" Grace interrupted once again.

"Ms. Grace, that won't be necessary." You shut her down.

"Oh, okay."

"Look, you wanna pay respects?" Diego spits on the dust then gestured at it as he spoke. "Go ahead. But at least be honest about the kind of man he was."

"You should stop talking now." Luther warned Number Two as he took small steps towards the smaller male.

Diego shifted his gaze towards Luther. "You know, you of all people should be on my side here, Number One."

"I am warning you."

"After everything he did to you?" Diego slowly walked towards Spaceboy.

"He had to ship you a million miles away-" The latino went right up at his face and glared at the larger male.

"Diego, stop talking."

"-That's how much he couldn't stand the sight of you!" Diego harshly pointed his finger towards Luther's chest.

Luther grabbed Diego's hand then performed a right hook to go for Diego’s head but he dodged it, followed by a left hook to which Diego swiftly dodged as well. Both numbers grunted with each fist they threw and dodged.

"Boys, stop this at once!" The advanced chimpanzees' words fell into deaf ears as both males went on with their fist fight. You were about to intervene but, Five grabbed your wrist.

"Their grown men, not children, let them handle this on their own." Five advised you. You knew it was not a direct order but, his words made you hesitant. Against your will, you stayed by his side.

Luther slammed his arm onto Diego which caused him to stagger back but, he managed to tank it and wore a smug look. The latino then taunted the larger man, "Come on, Big boy."

Luther jabbed but missed, Diego punched him in the gut, as Spaceboy was hunched back Diego drummed the larger man's back.

"Stop it!" The violinist screamed yet no one heed her words.

"Hit him! Hit him!" Klaus egged on.

Luther did a left hook but Diego countered it. Seeing that no one was going to listen to Pogo, he sighed and scoffed as he leaves the children by themselves.

Number One grabbed Diego's collar and threw him near Ben's statue. When the latino was on his knees, Luther tried to punch him but, Diego kneed his stomach. The clad in black tried to kick Luther again but Luther pushed him. Before he could apply more force, Diego turned the tables.

"Get off me!" Diego shouted.

Luther tried to slam his arm but, Diego was quick to dodge with a complimentary punch. Both were now panting and staggering, barely on their feet. Everyone’s eyes were on the fight but you had your eyes on Diego’s distance. He was dangerously near Ben's statue.

"I don't have time for this." Five muttered then return inside.

"Come here, big boy!" Diego taunted once again.

Luther ran towards him and sent a punch towards his direction but due to Luther being slow, Diego was able to dodge it. Ben's statue instead became the victim of Luther's wrath.

"Oh…" Klaus’ face shifted to shock as he witnessed Ben’s downfall… twice if you count the statue as Ben’s replacement.

"And there goes Ben's statue." Allison said under her breath then begins to walk away from the fight.

Out of nowhere, Diego brought out one of his knives.

"Diego, no!" You and Vanya shouted in unison.

Before you could run and tackle the Kraken, he already threw the knife toward Luther’s direction. Luckily, Luther's arm only got scraped. Even though you failed to protect him, you quickly rushed to his side as he frantically pants. He hurriedly covered up the wound and retreated to the house, to which you followed.

Once you were finished with helping Luther, you were quick to go downstairs and check on Five. You already lost him once, you don’t want to lose him under your guard again. On your way there, you passed by Allison who seemed relieved seeing you.

"How's Luther?" She asked, concern evident in her eyes.

"Master Luther's fine, luckily the wound was not deep and it merely grazed him. Though, I hope that next time he does not easily get reeled in by Diego's taunting." You said wishfully even though you were aware that was not bound to happen considering their track record over the years.

"I doubt that. After all, boys will be boys." The rumor’s statement made you smile since there was some truth to it. Although you all had been apart for years, the others didn’t change, they were still the same people you grew up with. Hopefully nothing could change that.

As both of you arrive at the kitchen, you guys witness that Five is looking for something, whilst Klaus was on the table loitering and doing his own thing. You didn’t think much about the number of people until Allison raised a question "Where's Vanya?"

"Oh, she's gone." Klaus replied.

Out of instinct, you were about to go and leave the kitchen to look for the violinist but then, you remembered your original objective and stayed in the kitchen instead and just mentally said sorry to Vanya.

"That's unfortunate." Five said as he slammed the refrigerator closed.

"Yeah." Allison was taken aback by Five’s statement, especially knowing the type of person he usually puts up front, until he added on. "An entire square block. 42 bedrooms, 19 bathrooms but no, not a single drop of coffee."

"Mr. Hargreeves hated caffeine." You reminded him but he glared at you to silence you, which worked.

"Well, he hated children, too, and he had plenty of us." Klaus remarked with a laugh.

"I'm taking the car." The younger male was about to blink to where the cars were parked until you interrupted him. "Master Five, where are you going?"

"To get a decent cup of coffee." He hissed at you with venom.

Truth be told, you didn’t understand why he would need to go outside, he could have just asked you to buy coffee for him or you make one for him instead. Though you supposed that would take longer than he would like, and knowing his patience and unspoken dislike of you, he would not appreciate the time you took.

"Do you even know how to drive?" Allison questioned which only caused his furrow brows to become more prominent.

"I know how to do everything."

As Five was about to teleport away, you grabbed him by the wrist before he could blink away.

"May I come with you?"

"I'm 46 years old, I don't need a babysitter." He hissed, clearly hating the idea of being babysat by you.

"Master Five, I'm not coming with you to babysit you, I'm coming with you because I need to monitor you in case you are feeling the side effects of time travel." You tried to reason, though you admit that reasoning was rather flimsy.

"That's the same thing as babysitting but as a shitty excuse!"

You sighed, thinking you failed but, as you were about to let go of his wrist, he grabbed yours instead. His lips near your ear, as he carefully whispered "I'm only letting you come with so someone can catch me up-to-date."

His voice and the distance between both of your bodies made the gears in your head pause, followed by embarrassment flushing your face. Before you could even respond, Five randomly teleported you both to the garage. For a moment, your mouth was left ajar but, you were able to register the boy's silent gesture to enter the car, to which you followed.

Throughout the whole ride, it was silent until Five spoke, "Did you want out of that shit hole so bad that you were willing to go out with me?"

"No, Mr. Hargreeves wanted me to monitor you once you returned." You lied well it was a half lie but, it was true you wanted to monitor him and something about him was bothering you.

"Even on his deathbed you can't even catch a break. Though, I should expect that from you." The boy huffed passive aggressively, which made you feel awful, why did he hate you so much?

"Before his death, did he ever say anything? Like wanting to reassemble the Umbrella Academy?" The boy in school shorts asked promptly, to which you found yourself hurriedly creating a lie.

"The Monocle did say he had plans on reassembling the academy but he never got to do so..."

From then on, the whole car ride was silent as you guys arrived in front of a donut shop named "Griddy's Doughnut". It was rather retro looking - at least based on what you have heard from books - despite it being past the 2010s, they didn't renovate the building into a more modern look. Which you found yourself questioning if they were short on budget or not…

You walked behind Five as a precautionary measure then entered the building. As the counter came to view, the physically younger male approached it then, rang the bell twice, you both sat down silently as a another customer entered the building. The man took in a deep breath as he took a seat. Once the sound of the bell ringing finally alerted the waitress, the sound of clattering ceramics were cut short followed by her entering the counter.

Waitress chuckled as she wiped her hands clean, "Sorry, the sink was clogged."

You awkwardly smiled at her, silently understanding her pain. Then she took out her notepad and pen from her apron. "So, what'll it be?"

"Uh, give me a chocolate éclair."

"Mm-hmm. Sure."

"Can I get the kids a glass of milk or something?" She said with a smile which made you internally cringe for her, you felt like you already knew what was going to come out from Five's mouth.

Five scoffs then says, "This kid wants coffee. Black."

That was surprisingly milder than you expected but, you were relieved that the donut lady was spared from Five's mouth.

Waitress paused, her mouth agape but quickly tightened as she then turns to the man beside Five, "Cute kid." She chuckled.

In turn, Five forced a smile which only worsened the uneasiness you and the donut lady felt. To divert her attention, You coughed and smiled at her. "I'll just have a glass of water."

"Okay." Her body language more at eased with you, the waitress then began to prep for your orders.

Five sighs, "Don't remember this place being such a shit hole. I used to come here as a kid, used to sneak out with my siblings and eat donuts till we puked."

Your eyes widen at his admission, they snuck out without you? Even Vanya? Were you that untrustworthy that they had to hide it from you?

"Simpler times, huh?" Five mused.

"Eh." The older man looked puzzled but, played along, "I suppose."

Waitress cleared her throat as she placed everyone's orders in front of us, "Here."

Five nudged you with his elbow and motioned for you to pay the bill. You pat your skirt's pockets to look for your wallet but, the other man interrupts your search.

"I got theirs."

"Thank you sir." You thanked him with a small smile, to which he returned.

As you took small sips, everyone did their own thing. Your eyes busy wandering about the building, looking for something that would be useful in a certain scenario, like how the broom could be used as a substitute for a wooden staff, a plate as a distraction, and a butterknife for stabbing.

Five glanced at the other customer's vest then strikes up a conversation with him. "You must know your way around the city."

"I hope so, I've been driving for 20 years."

"Good, I need an address."

Five asks for an address for the place he is looking for and the man jots it down on a napkin then leaves once he's finished. The boy then carefully folds the napkin and stuffs it in his blazer's one of many hidden pockets.

As the brown haired boy was about to drink his coffee, he heard the door swing open then notices the reflection of the newcomer - rather newcomers - from the bell, all of them were wearing combat gear which meant one thing...

"Hmm. That was fast."

You glanced at him, confused by what was happening and how Five knew these people.

"I thought I'd have more time before they found me." His answer did not suffice your curiosity.

"Okay. So, let's all be professional about this, yeah?" One of the masked men proposed but the boy beside you had other plans.

Five placed a hand on your thigh then began to do Morse code of 'SOS' to notify you are both in danger. At first you were in high alert, ready to take out your retractable staff but, the boy followed up his secret message with 'I can handle it'. You were not at ease by his answer, not one bit.

"On your feet and come with us. They want to talk." The leader of the masked men demanded as he used his firearm to gesture for Five to go down on his knees.

"I've got nothing to say." Five said so breezily and arrogance which bothered you even more, is this how he handles live hostages?

"It doesn't have to go this way. You think I want to shoot a kid? Go home with that on my conscience?"

"Well, I wouldn't worry about that…" Five turns to the person who had his firearm pointed towards Five's head. "You won't be going home."

Five retreats his hand from your thigh then grabs a butterknife and teleports behind the group leader and stabbed his neck. Then he quickly disappears, while they were distracted by their dead comrade, he reappeared by your side and teleported you behind the counter. Against your will, you peeked and watched him do his work.

He blinked then reappeared on top of a counter, with a very relaxed pose with a smug look on his face. "Hey, assholes!"

You did not like the fact that he looked like he was enjoying this.

The gunmen were shooting at where the voice came from but, he disappeared, leaving the men to shoot up the place and leave it in ruins. The boy in school shorts reappeared at the front door then knocks on it to get their attention, as they ready their firearms to shoot at him. He mockingly salutes then vanishes once again.

You didn't want to be useless so you took a nearby mop and broke it then, stabbed one of the gunmen using the broken half. Before one of the nearest attacker could shoot a bullet through your skull, Five quickly untied his necktie then choked him.

As he was busy, you threw a plate towards a thug's head to distract him and the others. Whilst Five grabbed a pencil then stabbed one of the gunmen that was about to try and tower his smaller figure.

The last two thugs were about to charge their guns at you but, Five ran to your side and blinked away with you in his arms, as the idiots shot themselves. As silence finally settled in, he reappeared to the masked man he was choking earlier and retrieved his necktie.

As you were examining the donut shop, you noticed one of the gunmen is still alive so you approached him then snapped his neck to end his misery. As you left his side, he noticed that one of the men after him dropped a tracking device, which explained how they found him so quickly.

The brown haired boy asked you to use one of the assassin's knife to cut open his arm and dig into his arm to remove the tracking device. Once you were both done, you guys left the building and dropped the tracking device in a nearby puddle then left as if nothing happened.

Five and you made your way to Vanya's apartment, well it was mostly you leading the way since you were the one who memorized the way there. Instead of loitering outside Vanya's apartment like a normal person, Five had other ideas. Without a word he grabbed your wrist and teleported you guys into the violinist's apartment.

Suddenly, the door clicked and the doorknob turned, which Five took as his cue to turn on the light, which made Vanya jump on her heels. Although you knew it was not an appropriate time, you smiled and waved at Vanya nonetheless. You were just glad she came home safe.

"Jesus!" She jumped, a hand on where her heart is supposed to be.

"You should have locks on your windows." Five suggested.

"I live on the second floor."

"Rapists can climb."

You tried to stop yourself from chuckling at his statement, knowing it was a serious conversation and He probably would not appreciate your response.

"You are so weird." The petite girl mumbled as she sat beside you then, began checking on both of you guys. Based on how her eyes widened, you could tell she noticed there were some specks of blood on both of your clothes.

"What happened?" Vanya's worry evident on her facial features.

"It's nothing." Five dismissed but the violinist's lingering gaze never left the specks of blood on his collar.

"Why are you both here?" Vanya asserted.

"I've decided you two are the only ones I can trust." Both girls in the room raised their brows at Five, this type of situation was rare and rather odd.

"Why me?"

"Because you're ordinary."

You glared at Five and stepped on his foot, to which he rolled his eyes at. He forgot you were very protective of Vanya.

"Because you'll listen." He corrected himself though the petite girl had his doubts.

"Miss Vanya, is it alright if we use your first aid kit? We weren't able to pass by a pharmacy on the way here and I'd like to disinfect and treat Master Five's cut." You asked and she went to the bathroom to get the first aid kit then gave it to you. As the servant, you did your task like always, which is to aid with the numbers wounds.

"When I jumped forward and got stuck in the future. Do you know what I found?" The brown haired boy asked.

"No."

"Nothing… Absolutely nothing."

You paused from tending with his wounds and checked if he was telling the truth, he was dead serious.

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

The world lay in ruins, a wasteland of rubble and debris. What was once bustling cities and towns were now piles of twisted metal and broken concrete. The streets were empty, save for the occasional scavenger picking through the remains of what was once a home or a business. The air was thick with dust and smoke, making it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead. It was a world of silence, save for the occasional sound of rubble shifting or the distant echoes of a once-great civilization now reduced to rubble and fire.

Five stood amongst the rubble devastated by what the future had become. It was now a world of despair, a place where hope had been lost and the future was uncertain.

"As far as I could tell, I was the last person left alive."

Five walked then found a newspaper and read the title.

"I never figured out what killed the human race, but… I did find something else."

"The date it happens."

ㅤㅤㅤ❲ T H E ☕ S E R V A N T ❳

"The world ends in eight days, and I have no idea how to stop it." He said, his words were soft but it was enough to cause your heart to tremble in fear. Both you and Vanya had shocked engraved onto your faces, still processing what you guys heard.

Knowing this sounded like it was going to be a long night, you turned to the girl next to you and asked, "Miss Vanya if it's alright, may I put on a pot of coffee?"

Vanya nodded wordlessly, as she agreed this was going to be a long night for everyone else.

➢ Taglist : @kumioon @buuhsworld @incapableofanything @igotanidea

[thearchmanofgreenfield]

Victoria Montgomery: The Steel Queen and the War of the Coin

a They Who Hide Under Top Hats story

History

After the defeat of the Woodland Folk by St George Montgomery and St Amia Bargandowan at the Last Battle of Folk the House of Montgomery established themselves as the heads of a new dawn in the history of Hatlynshire. George and Amia would consolidate the power of the title of the Grand Prince and centralize the government of Hatlynshire. They would go on to have one son named Thomas. After the death of George Montgomery in the year 32 AF. Thomas Montgomery would inherit the title of Grand Prince of Hatlynshire.

Thomas, with the advice of his adopted aunt St Annalise, would go on to lay the foundation of what would later become the Order of Man in order to deal with the remnants of the Woodland Folk living amongst the humans. He did this by founding a secret order of hidden soldiers working under direct order of the Grand Prince. Thomas himself would have a son named Claude Montgomery. Thomas would later fall ill due to stress caused by the increasing political tension in Hatlynshire which had occurred due to the populous demanding an end to the old system of government under the Grand Prince.

Thomas would die of illness near the end of the year 47 AF at the age of 53. Claude would succeed him but the increased political turmoil coupled with the death of his father would cause him to undergo a state of severe depression and alcoholism. After an assassination attempt held, against him and his family in the year 50 AF he would eventually concede and pass reforms limiting the powers and privileges of the Grand Prince and expanding branches of the government giving more power to the people. He especially gave power to the noble families of Great Borough, who formed the Chamber of the Governing Commission that had final say over new decrees brought forth by the GP. It was during his reign that private industrial sectors of Halynshire, which had started off as a small movement in rural Hatlynshire started as a result of the demand for a new system, began to expand rapidly. This only worsened the situation politically.

Finally, after nearly nine years as Grand Prince, Claude Montgomery would succumb to his weakened mental state and end his life on the year 56 AF at the age of 36 by hanging himself from his office. He died months before the birth of his son, Carlton Montgomery. 

Early Years

Victoria Montgomery was recorded to have been born on the seventeenth Day of the year of 47 AF in Jacob’s Manor, Great Borough. The first child of Claude Montgomery and Alissa Cristenwall. She was born mere months before the death her grandfather Thomas which would send her father into state of misery. She would also fall victim to the Montgomery Assassination Attempt of 50 AF when she was only three years old. She would survive the incident in which the Montgomery family would be ambushed by a mob of men armed with swords and knives whilst out in public.

The death of her father would occur when she was nine. Moreover, it was followed shortly by the birth of her brother. After the death of Claude, Lady Alissa Cristenwall would become Grand Princess-Regent in her son’s name. The political turmoil of Claude’s reign would continue, during which time the House of Montgomery would lose more and more of its influence. Lady Alissa’s reign was unpopular as many saw her as an outsider to the family. Her attempts at maintaining power by undermining the rising influence of the fledgling industrial elite were met with harsh criticism and disdain. To regain popularity, she would also revitalize the Hunt for the last living descendants of the Woodland Folk. An endeavor many viewed as a frivolous as it was believed that the Folk were eradicated decades prior. In the end, to prevent all out revolution, Alissa placated the people by passing reforms that took more power away from the Montgomery Family.

Finally, after twelve years of rule in the year 67 AF. A combination of political leverage by the wealthy industrialists and the nobles, some government advising and a rumored Folk conspiracy led to Lady Alissa voluntarily abdicating her position has regent. In her place was installed the then 20 year old Victoria Montgomery, who many saw as a legitimate heir and a youthful forward thinker (though some argue that they favored her more as a puppet ruler).

Reign

The Chamber of the Governing Comission (The CGC)

Upon ascending to the title of Grand Princess-Regent. Victoria would first begin by looking towards the growing private industry of Hatlynshire, which was slowly encompassing more and more of the Hatlynshire economy. New Boroughs formed due to the urbanization of rural areas outside Old Hatlynshire such as Bernstein Borough and Hatles Borough had been founded under the new industrial era. Thus, this created a rift between the new elites and the old noble families in Great Borough. Her predecessors had usually aligned themselves with the old nobles who held authority over the nine districts of Great Borough. But as time had gone on even those Nobles had used their wealth to engage in business ventures slowly accumulating wealth which further weakened the old system.

It was clear to Victoria that change had to be made; by that point, the title of Grand Prince was only a few steps away from becoming a figurehead. Her first reported action upon ascension was the complete reorganization of Great Borough. This included the removal of all remaining noble families from positions of administration. Her reasoning for this was the argument that their increasing pivot towards the New Industrialist Movement had made them biased, corrupt and unreliable. The nobles, who had initially supported her ascension, rose up in opposition, demanding Victoria’s abdication. Her response to this upheaval was to make a public announcement atop the steps of City Hall under the statue of George Montgomery a few days later. Announcing her actions to the public. A speech that would later be known as ‘The Monument Address’.

“…On this great day I make this address to you, my dear people! On this great day, atop these great stairs, in front of this mighty hall at the foot of my great-grandfather’s monument do I now make my vow to you! For as your leader I shall smite down those who sow the seeds in our unity, those who seek to gain from our weakness and those who seek to use their power to wreak malice and injustice upon our people!...”

-Excerpt of Victoria’s Address, The Legacy of the House of the St George.

Her address would successfully rally the people, with some people claiming that her words rang like the legendary battle cries of St George himself. With that, she was successfully able to force the Nobles to relinquish their power. And in their place she established a system of elections for each district of Great Borough. Though it has been cited that her popular influence often swayed these elections to whichever candidate she favored most.

The Industrialists and the War of the Coin

After replacing the Noble families with loyal associates, thus having the Chamber of the Governing Commission in her favor, by 69 AF she turned her attention to the New Industrial Movement. Particularly to the new Boroughs, which had become urban territories that existed outside the government’s direct control yet still functioned under government law, a system the Industrialists and the general populous wished to continue. It was around this time that rumors began circulating of a possible exodus of allegedly Folk-descended people from Great Borough to the new territories. Fears began to arise of the potential eclipsing of government power by the sheer economic might of the Industrialists.

To quell this growing threat Victoria first attempted to reinforce he her mother’s anti-industrialist laws, which increased taxes and government intervention in the Outer Boroughs. But doing so made her lose favor with the Industrialists and as an act of revolt the outer Boroughs ceased all trade with Great Borough and City Hall. This created a threat of famine and a deficit of goods, something which led to mass public outrage. Yet Victoria did not back down, challenging the Industrialists to a war of attrition. And thus began ‘The Years of Hunger’, a period of four years in which Great Borough received no supplies from the outer territories, leaving most citizens to rely on illegal smuggling of goods. During which Mr. Corsman Gaft, the unofficial leader of the Industrialists was quoted as saying:

“The poor denizens of Great Borough have suffered close to half a decade of suffering. All so their princess can make her message clear,”

 This period culminated in yet another assassination attempt against Victoria in the year 73 AF, orchestrated by angry citizens supported by various anti-government groups. Victoria yet again survived the assassination and she would eventually repeal her anti-government laws ending their 4-year standoff.

However, in light of this defeat, despite her reputation being tarnished, Victoria did not step down. She then decided that in order to overcome the Industrialists she must undermine their economic power. Hence she would spend the next year formulating a great project. A project unveiled in 75 AF. This project, known as the Great Enterprise, was focused around building government funded business to directly compete with the Industrialists. When news of this plan reached the leaders of the outer industrialist movement, they once again threatened to stop trading with Great Borough.  Shortly after this declaration, unnamed assailants would murder Corsman Gaft outside his home by stabbing him to death. The death of Gaft was considered by many as the point in which Victoria Montgomery started resorting to less ethical ways of dealing with her enemies. Shortly after Gaft’s death, his close friend Bartholomew Darland, who controlled most of the roads leading to Great Borough, was arrested by Great Borough authorities and charged with treason. He too would die mysteriously whilst in prison.

The deaths of key members of the industrialist movement led the remaining members to fear for their own lives. They would eventually agree to keep trading with Great Borough despite Victoria’s clear plans to undermine them in the future. Her alleged illegal methods led many in the Outer Territories to call her ‘Victoria the Demented’. But such pad publicity was minor hindrance.

As per her plans to enact the Great Enterprise, the government began to buyout businesses in Great Borough and convert them to state owned firms. But while these newly formed entities were officially funded by City Hall, it is also alleged that many of these firms were funded and owned solely by Victoria herself and some of her allies. All the new companies formed in under one year and within the next two years, they were competing directly with the industrialists. Their decreased taxes and increased subsidies led them to expand rapidly. But in response the industrialists enacted a series of espionage attempts which included murder, bribery and arson. Victoria herself would engage in similar actions against the Industrialists, a conflict that would last for nearly a decade and would be dubbed ‘The War of the Coin’.

This war would eventually end in early 88 AF. When Victoria made a move that would guarantee the victory of the Great Borough companies over the Outer Borough companies. With the help of Bernard M. Sorah, a banker and an elected member of the CGC, Victoria would replace the currency of Hatlynshire, Beauro, with a new currency named Sorasy (named after Bernard Sorah himself). She would then make the trade of the old currency punishable by imprisonment and offer the new currency at only one location for over a year after its implementation, the Bank of Great Borough with special funds granted to the industrialists who had allied with the government over the past decade. The immediate devaluing of their reserves and the inability to obtain the new currency made the economy of the Outer Territories crumble. It is recorded that all throughout the years 88 and 89 AF hundreds of merchants and traders were imprisoned for trading with false currency. By the middle of the year 89 AF the majority of Outer Borough companies had gone under, something which plunged them into a deep recession. Finally, the remnants of the movement accepted defeat at the hands of the government with it even being recorded that Mr. Milton Henricks, the last ‘head’ of the movement, knelt before Victoria when invited to Great Borough for the discussion of compromise in the winter of 89 AF. Not wanting to see Hatlynshire fall further into economic hardship Victoria and the Industrialists came to an accord. It gave greater economic freedom as well as official government recognition to the Outer Boroughs in exchange for anti-industrialist policies that would make is so that never again would corporate might exceed or threaten the power of the government and the Great Borough Companies. This agreement, named The Treaty of the Enterprises, would end the War of the Coin and Victoria’s implementation of the Great Enterprise would earn her the nicknamed, the Steel Queen.

“…I have conquered the great beast who had so proudly loomed over us for more than half a century. And now its severed head lays beneath my feet…”

- Victoria’s speech, conducted during spring 90 AF.

She would later pass reforms taking taxation off the hands of the CGC and forming a new Bureau of Taxation and Commerce. A department in which Bernard Sorah would serve as its first ever Head Treasurer.

NOTES: Should I do a follow up to this? Cause I really want to explore Victoria's other exploits and her relationship with her brother. But yeah, her and this whole story is just something i thought of in my spare time. Then I started writing it and I REALLY got into it.

As for the image? Well I didnt pull a whole lot of effort into it cause it was meant to be a header image for this one post. The background ended up being real rough but I'm not too mad about it.

And here's some extra trivia, the reason the overall fashion looks different is since this is so early in the AF timeline i decided to use older fashion trends, mostly just the 1600s-1700s. This makes it feel distinct from TWHUTH which has a more 1880-1920 feel.

Anyways, what did you guys think? Please feel free to let me know! Cheerio! :D

They Who Hide Under Top Hats (TWHUTH)- on tumblr

The 'They Who Hide Under Top Hats' Community- on tumblr (invite)

tagline for community members: @harleyacoincidence, @autism-purgatory, @rivenantiqnerd, @sm-writes-chaos, @hellothere2009, , @shin-soumisa

[mutodaes]

Introducing: Rhyvet! Rhyvet is 26 year old ex-scholar who has a tumultuous history with the Royal Ausvardian Court. More under the read more!

Rhyvet by and large is a fairly awkward and abrasive person. He wasn't the most socialized child, being adopted by a stand-offish village who found his odd appearance to be a bad omen of some sort (yet not bad enough to toss away a child). It wasn't until a local boy had drowned that Rhyvet was finally sent away to join an Ausvardian military recruitment caravan. During the groups travel back to the capital, Rhyvet gained some basic combat training, as well as showing promising potential as a strategist and scholar. Once shown to the academy's admissions office, Rhyvet gained a place amongst the studying elite and eventually became an attendant to the Godking himself. There were several reasons he climbed the social ladder so quickly; He had an uncanny ability to read people's intentions and movements, as well as a body that matched no singular species endemic to the land. As much as Rhyvet believed he had earned his place, it mostly boiled down to the royal court wanting to keep a close eye on someone they deemed "unnatural".

[chrisbitchtree]

Enchanted to Meet You

Lokius - 2.6k - T

***

Loki knows he’s not meant to be a part of a loving family. If there was anything that growing up with Odin as his adoptive father showed him, it was that he never had been, and never would be. It was hard to understand as a child why nothing he ever did made him good enough for Odin, good enough for him to sing Loki’s praises as he constantly did Thor’s.

So, it was with that in mind that Loki built a life for himself that safeguarded against making any meaningful connections. He worked for his father’s finance company, in a role that took him all over the country. A week in Florida, two nights in Wisconsin, down to Mississippi for a week and a half. With his schedule the way it was, he never had to worry about difficult goodbyes, because even if he wanted to stick around, he couldn’t.

If he couldn’t stick around, he couldn’t get attached, couldn’t fall in love, couldn’t get his heart broken after wrapping it up and handing it to someone like the precious gift that it was, and he wouldn’t have to worry about breaking anyone’s heart himself.

If anyone asks Loki about his lack of meaningful friendships, or the fact that he’s never dated anyone long enough to even say they were in a relationship, he tells them carefully crafted tales about being a commitment-phobe who chose this for himself, but deep down, Loki knows he wants more.

He wants to have birthdays to buy presents for, wants pictures and postcards to hang on his fridge. He wants to be invited to holiday parties, wants people to buy souvenirs for on his work trips, wants to share a good bottle of wine or an ice cream sundae. He wants people to dote on and love and have love him in return.

***

His latest trip to Houston starts out the same as usual. He arrives just before work starts for the day, so he goes straight to the office, puts in a full day, then heads over to the hotel to check in and freshen up before going out to his favourite wine bar. He’s been looking forward to it all day, as they have an excellent cheese plate and a terrific cabernet, but when he arrives, he finds it closed due to a water main break. Fuck.

Frowning, he considers his options. He could go back to his hotel and order dinner at the restaurant in the lobby, but that’s a ways away, and his grumbling stomach reminds him that he hasn’t eaten anything since the smoothie he had for breakfast this morning.

He’s about to pull out his phone and see if he can find anywhere else suitable in close proximity when out of the corner of his eye, he notices the blinking neon sign for what is apparently “Frank’s Roadhouse Bar and Grill” across the street. It is as far from Loki’s kind of place as you could possibly get, but he needs food now, so with a deep sigh, he quickly jogs across the street and into the low brick building.

***

Stepping inside, Loki surveys the space, and is pleased to see that it’s not too crowded. A couple patrons and the bartender look up as he enters, but he mostly goes unnoticed. He takes a seat at the bar and picks up a greasy, laminated menu. After much consideration of his limited options for things that aren’t completely soaked in grease, he settles on a burger and chef’s salad. He’ll just have to make sure he goes to the hotel gym before heading into the office in the morning so he can work the burger off.

Food order settled, he flips over to the pages listing the drink options and notices that there’s only one white and one red wine listed amongst all the beers and cocktails. This has to be a mistake. “Excuse me, bartender, can I please see your wine list?”

The bartender sets down the glass she’s polishing with an amused laugh and leans over to look at the menu. She points to the two wines, the house red, and the house white. “You’re looking at it. Which one would you like?”

Good god, this night can’t get any worse. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he replies “I’ll take a glass of red, with a burger, medium rare, no cheese or…” he glances at the menu again “special sauce, extra pickles, and a chef’s salad, dressing on the side.”

“Coming right up,” she says, writing down his order and slipping it through a small window before grabbing a wine glass and filling it for him from a bottle on one of the dusty shelves.

She hands it to him and it’s as he’s taking his first sip that he first notices the only other patron at the bar. He’s probably about ten years Loki’s senior, with greying hair, a moustache, and a crooked nose, and what’s certainly an interesting sense of style. He’s decked out in khaki dress pants, a baggy dress shirt and a bright blue fleece vest. Loki’s fairly certain he’s never even touched fleece before, let alone worn it. He shudders at the thought. And just to top the look off, he’s got sunglasses dangling from his neck on some odd sort of rope.

“Not the kind of place a guy like you is used to, huh?” The man asks, before taking a sip from the bright orange cocktail he’s drinking through a skinny little straw.

Usually, Loki would just brush off strangers who tried to converse with him, pretending to look very interested in his phone, but for some reason, he didn’t have it in himself to be rude tonight. And they were the only two seated at the bar. It was quite obvious that the man was speaking to Loki.

“You can say that again,” Loki laughs bitterly into his drink.

“Not the kind of place a guy like you is used to, huh?” the man repeats, a wide grin on his face.

Loki stares at him blankly for a moment before catching on. “Oh gods,” he groans. “That might just be the worst attempt at humour in all of human history. Are your jokes always that bad?”

“Sure are,” the man laughs, taking another sip of his stupid drink. Loki wants to slap it out of his hand, but he also wants to grab it and take a sip. It probably tastes better than this cheap wine. “I’m a dad. I can’t help but tell terrible jokes.”

Loki zones back in just in time to hear him say it. Of course this man is a dad. It makes perfect sense. And that probably means that he’s married. Which means that Loki has no chance. He shakes his head to rid himself of that alarming line of thinking. The wine coupled with the lack of food must be getting to him. There’s no way Loki would want a man wearing fleece. And yet, he can’t help the little spark of excitement he feels when he notices that the man isn’t wearing a wedding ring.

“Ah, how lovely.” He replies, unsure of what else to say. He wants to continue the conversation but isn’t sure how. It’s not like he and this man will have a whole lot in common.

Thankfully, he’s saved by the bartender arriving a moment later with his food.  That’ll give him a couple minutes to think of his next move. He inhales half his burger, along with the majority of his salad, before coming up for air. When he does, he finds the man eyeing him, a curious look on his face.

“Do you have any kids?” The man asks, picking up his drink and moving two stools over, to the seat next to Loki.

“Oh, no,” Loki laughs, surprised that the man would even ask. He gestures to himself. “Do I look like a doting father?”

The man shrugs. “You never know. Not everyone’s look can scream exhausted and overworked father of three like mine.”

Loki tries to hold his tongue, but he can’t, so he asks “Just getting a little time to yourself? Wife at home with the kids?”

The man shakes his head. “Oh, no. I’m a widower. Two years now.” He pulls a chain out from inside his shirt, a ring dangling from the end.

Loki can see the sadness in the man’s eyes as he toys with the ring, and he suddenly feels an incredible urge to cry for the first time in years. He awkwardly pats the man’s back in what he hopes is a comforting gesture.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to dump that on you. That was weird. I’ll just, uh…” he tucks the ring back under his shirt and sticks out his hand to shake Loki’s. It’s warm and calloused and he’s got a nice, firm grip. Loki’s mind wanders to thoughts of the man firmly gripping something else, and he berates himself for it.

“My name’s Mobius, by the way.” The man, Mobius, says. Mobius, what a curious name. Not what Loki would have expected, but somehow fitting.

Loki remembers his manners and introduces himself in return.

“Loki, like the Norse god of mischief?” Mobius asks, a twinkle in his eye.

Loki’s impressed. It’s rare that anyone actually knows who he was named after without him having to explain.

“Bingo,” Loki replies, downing the last of his wine. “How’d you know?”

“Oh, just a big fan of mischief,” Mobius replies, winking, and Loki feels himself flush. What the fuck is going on? Loki should not be this attracted to a man whose wallet probably had Velcro on it, but he feels himself giving into it, shuffling his chair a little closer to Mobius’s, close enough that their feet touch.

“Can I buy you another drink?” Mobius asks, reaching for his wallet. He pulls it out, and yes, of course it has Velcro on it.

“Sure,” Loki nods, because why not? The man is nice, and it’s not like Loki has any other prospects in this establishment.

“Great,” Mobius signals the bartender before glancing at his watch. “It’s only 7, and I’ve got the babysitter until 9. We can talk some more, get to know each other better.”

The bartender gets to them, and Loki starts to place his drink order. “I’ll have another glass of-“, but Mobius cuts him off before he can finish.

“No, he won’t. Two tequila sunrises, please and thank you.”

Loki can’t believe this. Someone ordering for him? He’s always the one to make the decisions on a date. Not that this is a date. Is it? It’s starting to feel like one.

He turns to Mobius, mouth agape, only to find the other man looking right back at him, a twinkle of mischief in his eye. “Thought you could use a little sweetness in your life. Something tells me you don’t get a lot of that.” And then he has the audacity to wink at Loki! Where does a man in a fleece vest get off winking? And why is it hot?

Loki hums in response, too flustered to speak. Their drinks arrive shortly, and while it’s a bit too much for Loki to add it to his regular drink rotation, he finds that Mobius was right. Much like the moustachioed man beside him, it does provide him with a bright punch of sweetness that he didn’t know he was missing until he had it. He grabs the older man’s hand and squeezes it in thanks as they drink in companionable silence.

They spend the next hour and a half trading questions back and forth, hands clasped between them, and Loki finds himself opening up to Mobius in a way he hasn’t opened up to anyone in a very long time. He tells Mobius about growing up in Thor’s shadow, feeling like he would never be enough for their father, no matter what he did, how it made him feel unlovable, and uncapable of giving love to anyone.

In return, Mobius tells Loki about his sons, how proud he is of them, even when they’re driving him up the wall with their pranks and messy bedrooms, about the watercraft sales business that he owns and operates, and how it feels to have loved and lost someone. It makes Loki’s heart ache for this sweet man. He wants to hold him close and tell him that he���s proud of him. It also privately pleases him that Mobius has chosen to spend his small sliver of time that he gets to himself with Loki.

Before Loki knows it, and certainly before he’s ready, Mobius’s phone starts chirping loudly in his vest pocket. He extracts it and punches a button, silencing it. “Time for me to head out if I want to be home by 9,” he says with a sigh.

“Can I walk you to your car?” Loki asks, once they’ve settled their bills. He surprises himself when the words pop out, as he’s not usually one for drawn out goodbyes. But he really shouldn’t be that surprised. He’s known almost from the first minute that they spoke that Mobius is different. Special.

Mobius nods, a grin settling back on his face. “I’d like that.”

All too soon, they’re standing beside Mobius’s vehicle, a minivan that appears to be near the end of its lifespan. It’s worlds away from the luxury cars that Loki’s used to, but of course, it just adds to Mobius’s charm, to think of him driving his children to school and sports practice, to ride the jet skis that he speaks so highly of.

Suddenly, Loki’s feeling shy, something else he’s not used to. He’s always the one to take charge, to go for what he wants. Does he kiss Mobius? Hug him? He can feel his palms getting sweaty as he stands awkwardly, hands in his pockets, staring at some far-off point over Mobius’s head.

Thankfully, Mobius isn’t feeling shy at all, as evidenced by the calloused hand that he cups under Loki’s chin, directing his gaze slightly downward, so they’re eye to eye. Mobius isn’t a short man, but Loki’s a good four to five inches taller, and it’s cute the way Mobius peers up at him with his soft blue eyes edged with laugh lines.

“Can I?” Mobius asks, and Loki barely has time to respond before his lips are being captured in a soft, sweet kiss. He’s gently guided backwards so his back is up against the van, and Mobius crowds between his legs. Loki can feel the beat radiating from his body as he presses his tongue to the seam of Loki’s lips, seeking entry. Loki lets him in, moaning softly at the feeling of the other man inside him, even in this small way.

“Come back to my motel,” Loki pants, a hand fisted in Mobius’s shirt as they come up for air.

“I’m sorry, Loki, but I can’t. The kids. My youngest especially. He gets up at 10 every night like clockwork for a glass of water, and he’ll be upset if I’m not there to tuck him in. Plus, the babysitter starts charging time and a half if I’m late.” With one more chaste kiss to Loki’s lips, he pulls away and takes out his keys, unlocking the van. “Can I see you again?”

Loki, who’s trying not to visibly pout and is definitely failing, perks up at that. This too is different. He’s usually not one for seconds dates, but he rattles off his number and smiles when Mobius says he’ll text him.

And with that, Mobius drives away, and Loki finds himself alone in the parking lot, grinning like an idiot, and for the first time, feeling like he might be capable of loving, and being loved in return.

[agent-robin]

agent robin's intro!

this is an I Expect You to Die (VR videogame) oc askblog run by @frenchtoastfive.

please read all (excluding under the cut) before sending an ask.

Say hello to Agent Robin, a young low-ranking agent of the Enhanced Operatives Division!

ALIAS: Agent Robin

NAME: X■■■ ■■■■

AGE: 1■

HEIGHT: 159cm

PRONOUNS: he/she/they

INTERESTS: art, writing, acting, photography, sudoku (yet she rage quits after 2 minutes)

FAVOURITE FOOD/DRINK: white grape juice :D

BIRTHDAY: October 13th 200■

SEXUALITY: aroace!

You can send asks at any time, but your ask will probably have to wait, because Agent Robin is active in her office from:

(GMT +8, timing is an approximation)

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - 3:30pm to 7:30pm

Wednesday, Friday - 6pm to 7:30pm

Weekends - 11am to 9:30pm

if you want, you can ask for free SFW IEYTD doodles (canon and oc characters allowed). agent robin would love to draw them! only uncoloured doodles for now, though. also, remember that robin's busy with missions sometimes, your ask won't be answered immediately, especially if it's a doodle ask.

ASKBLOG RULES

-no NSFW. RP flirting is allowed to an extent. Robin's a minor and so am I, so please be respectful. Also, be warned that if you flirt with him, it'll probably fly way over his head, haha.

-don't be weird! You can be the nice kind of weird like giving cheese donuts tho

-no hate. RP hate to Robin is okay, I guess, but please keep it to a minimum, and make it clear that it is roleplay. I'm really bad at reading in between the lines :D

-if you have an ieytd askblog as well, feel free to ask in character!

-dinosaurs are cool, homophobia and transphobia are not :)

-in this post i'm using she/her for Robin only to avoid confusion, but in other posts i will use her other pronouns.

some random fun facts under the cut!

fun facts :D

-agent Robin is pretty young, and one of the few reasons she's an agent is because she can cry on command, which helps in certain missions that need someone to act as a child. other than that, she can't really climb up the ranks of the EOD, because of her inexperience and her unwillingness to step out of her comfort zone.

-she likes croissants

-Robin's never met Agent Phoenix before, of course, but she looks up to them a lot.

-she uh she likes macarons

-she has a million plushies in her office/room. to the point that you can fling yourself onto the floor and be cushioned by the plushies. this is partly because robin sleeps in her office, and partly because plushies go brr.

-following the plushie thing: every day, without robin noticing, people add one plushie to the pile. robin realised this only after a few weeks.

-the plushies have a monarchy and a status ranking amongst themselves. only the high status plushies get to kneel before the king of the plushies and-

-ahem the plushie thing got a bit out of hand

-yeah this is how agent robin entertains herself while locked in her office on slow days

-she's left handed (and so am i!)

-backstory (WIP): when robin was really young, she got caught in one of the EOD's missions, and the agent sent to diffuse the problem failed, inadvertently ending the lives of thousands of people, robin's parents among them. tainted by guilt, that agent took robin back to agency headquarters and the EOD basically adopted her. the agent later had to switch jobs to being a handler because of his actions, but everything's fine now haha

-SHE LIKES CHEESE STICKS 

-everyone at the EOD treats robin like a baby heh

[almaqead]

"The Trustees." Introduction to Surah 33, Al Ahzab, "The Coalitions."

This Surah was revealed in Medina and contains seventy three verses. In the fifth year of Hijrah the Jews of Medina, pagans of Mecca, and the hypocrites hidden amongst the Muslims united to fight against the Muslims.

Arabs like Jews want the Black Pillar of the Crusades to lift. The Quran was the wind that blew through the Middle East and organized a resistance to the constant onslaught of the Catholic Church and its henpecking away at the intellectual meat of mankind. It is true the Church educated some, but mostly all it did, all it does still, is kill.

Without the Quran Ahzab, "the radiant stone" in Hebrew, called the Coalitions in Arabic, the Church would have long since overruled all that is interesting about mankind. We just covered how a Naze becomes a Nazir and calls together a Jehayadat, a Court of the Aseembly, now we know the Jehayadat must bind the world together in a Coalition to prevent the world from slipping away into an American darkness no one else can seem to stop.

Those terror tunnels and dungeons in Syria came from somewhere, eerily like the ones in Gaza, and what Mike and Karen Pence did there, also not so lawful or good. And they are heading faster than buckshot to uproot immigrants, lynch black people, allow Russia tro overwhelm Ukraine, a place I promised to protect, and challenge every enlightened establishment in the world. There must be preparations or they will succeed.

Trump has vowed to take Aqsa for himself, as the icing and cherry on his political promises cake. He must be removed legally from office as I have said before fulfilling this promise becomes possible.

The Messengers have all said this must be a bloodless fight. The Jehayadat must curb mankind's taste for violence and institute reforms that will prevent fundamentalists from taking over the way of life the Prophets have told us is appropriate for us.

America is the feedstock for all that is wrong in this planet. It must be embargoed, sanctioned, and politicized until Joe Biden does what has to be done to erase the threat he allowed to grow up around him - the Republican Party -like a crop. Like a crop of bad seeds sown in sour soil, they must be burnt down, never harvested again.

America is not even fulfilling its military obligations, those can remain under the command on NATO that will do what is righteous in this dangerous time. When America is ready to grow up, we will see it again.

In the interim, as the Quran said those who can must pray, they must visualize a future free of hypocrites, warmongers, child molesters and cavemen and massage the world's governors to do what has to be done to put a stop them for good using the confines of the legal material the secular law profession has given us for these purposes. This will secure the onset of the Masjid, required by God for all Muslim inhabitants on this planet.

I have said it before, take to the streets, raise your hands and your voices, peacefully force Joe Biden to comply with the law. Donald Trump cannot be the next President. We cannot allow this corruption to fester and threaten the planet again.

This will secure Aqsa and place the first stone for the Masjid.

Thus begins the Surah.

33: 1-4:

O Prophet! ˹Always˺ be mindful of Allah, and do not yield to the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Follow what is revealed to you from your Lord. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what you ˹all˺ do.

And put your trust in Allah, for Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.

Allah does not place two hearts in any person’s chest. Nor does He regard your wives as ˹unlawful for you like˺ your real mothers, ˹even˺ if you say they are.1 Nor does He regard your adopted children as your real children.2 These are only your baseless assertions. But Allah declares the truth, and He ˹alone˺ guides to the ˹Right˺ Way.

Commentary:

All mankind are the adoptees of Dar al Islam when life on earth is threatened by a diabolic. The Value in Gematria says this is a holy duty of the scholars Allah calls his Trustees, the Naze, Nazir, all the Muftis and Imams, the occupants of every household that prays:

The Number is 13510, יגה‎י‎, the yighi, "touchy, exhausted, tired."

We want the weary world to get touchy with the Quran. We are suspicious of it because brown skinned people who wear funny looking clothes talk about it but there is no doubt, God expects all men to use it to its full capacity to understand its history and make straight the way.

I am not asking Muslims to throw themselves into the path of a speeding bus and deepen the impression they are easily angered terrorists. I am asking the world to consider the moral implications of the Quran and do what is right because it is wise.

A world that is free and open to all Muslims will such become such good world. This is what we are told, and what we learned when Angela Merkel sheltered so many Syrians without condition after Bashar Assad took their lives from them and they needed a place to go. Now they are on the way home. Their futures are bright.

We know Zakah works, we know it works best in large numbers. The widepread practice of Zakah is called the Sunnah, which in Hebrew means to "He will save us, please." All who are "different" or are unequal in the eyes of the rest are to be given shelter by the Trustees of Allah on the basis of the Sunnah. The world must be persuaded by the might of the Ahzab to practice it.

Even with America threatening to discontinue support of Syrian repatriation, the Jehayadat can succeed in the global defense of the Sunnah. This is the only cause worth beating on the chest, calling all righteous persons around the world to fight against its enemies.

The Surah will continue.

[drgnbld]

"I may not have thanked you much at the time, but without you I wouldn't be where I am. I mean that literally. Had you not asked for my help at the Lake, I may have never broken free of the mindset I was in. If you hadn't proven I could stand up for people, I wouldn't have rushed to Goldenrod."

He smiles.

"I may have wonderful parents who I love very much, but you are within my extended family, Lance. Thank you."

" gold... "

for everyone involved, the pre-rocket takedown missions in mahogany town ( and even post in goldenrod ) plays a looped video in all those who were involved minds. it was a rough time - extremely rough. one of the biggest takedowns done by the gmen all while being helped by kids. lance has never really forgiven himself for all of it. no child should've gone through that and was something he was so adamant on after the rocket incidents in kanto years prior.

a part of him tells himself in the darkest depths of night those he's accidentally put in danger through the actions he's taken. it comes at him as a broken record, repeating every little detail, exaggerating those he can't say he ever saw for certain. gold, lyra, hell even silver should never have been put into the positions they had been.

there's a running joke amongst the league and the clan about his treatment of the younger protagonists - how he cares for them as a father would, how it wouldn't be surprising to find adoption forms for them all stashed away somewhere in his office. the reality is a lot more brutal than that. lance feels responsible for them. he feels as if he should be the one there to help protect them, guide them, because everything they went through wasn't something a child should.

after a while of course he stopped looking at them like kids. they were seasoned trainers. gold was champion. but that never stopped lance from caring the way he has in the past; the way he does now. and while those actions certainly spoke louder than the words kept in his heart he never quite saw the otherside of that coin - that gold would think the same way about him. that they were just as much a family.

he wishes they never went through what they did, but he'll be damned if he wasn't proud of the person gold, and the others, had become. taking a deep breath in, mostly to compose himself, lance finally allows himself to smile even when slight tears prick, blink and they're gone.

" that strength has always been inside of your heart and soul, gold, and it shines so brightly even now. we never quite discussed what happened beforehand and what made you feel the way you did, but shaking that off, taking the rest of your life in stride; that was all you. "

his hand reaches for gold's shoulder to grasp with all the affection he can muster without directly hugging him. " I am so proud of you, and that goes for all of you. not just your strength and determination, but even parts of you which you may dislike or more. you are a part of my family as much as I am yours. you'll always have a home with us. "

[hardynwa]

Kebbi spent N9bn in eight months to reposition education -Gov

Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, says his administration has within its first eight months in office spent over N9billion in repositioning education. He disclosed this at the flag-off of the National Campaign on Out-Of-School Children in the Geo-Political Zones in Nigeria held in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday. A statement signed by his media aide, Ahmed Idris, and made available to our correspondent said the governor explained that the sum was spent on the construction of classrooms, provision of motorised boreholes and hand-pumps, construction of toilets, provision of furniture, renovation of dilapidated classrooms as well as provision of textbooks and writing materials. The statement read, “2,000 teachers were trained to improve their pedagogic competence for effective teaching in schools, adding that six mega schools were being constructed to provide access to education by Almajiris and other categories of out-of-school children in the state. “717 Post-Basic Literacy Centres were established across the state for post-basic literacy programme for the Almajiris that had already undergone basic literacy programme under Better Education Service Delivery for All. “BESDA programme, Kebbi State recorded tremendous success in terms of enrolling the different categories of out-of-school children into schools through the instrument of non-formal learning centres. “Not less than 3,945 learning centres were established comprising Almajiri, Girl-Child and Nomads Children and more than 500 learners have been enrolled in a basic literacy programme. “This has let Kebbi attain an enviable position amongst the 17 BESDA participating states in terms of achievement of rewards.” In his speech, the Minister of State, Education, Dr Yusuf Tanko-Sununu, urged the Kebbi people to appreciate the new administration by supporting its policies and programmes and rendering good advice that would take the state forward. He appealed to individuals and groups to key into the national campaign on out-of-school children and other issues related to education “as government alone cannot do it.” Tanko-Sununu advised the state government to establish a strong foundation by constructing more classrooms and recruiting more teachers to make it easy for the Federal Government to come in and assist. The minister urged the governor to ensure the recruitment of professional teachers who duly registered with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria. While applauding the governor for increasing allocation to education in the 2024 budget, the minister also advised him to talk to traditional rulers in the state to see how teachers’ respect would be restored. The Director of Basic Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Falake Olatunji-David, said the programme was the third phase of the several interventions embarked upon by the ministry to ensure a substantial reduction in the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria. She lamented that a recent study shows that Nigeria accounts for one out of every five out-of-school children in the world and 45 per cent of out-of-school children in the West African sub-region. The director appealed to spirited individuals in the state to aid the less privileged in the community by adopting the children and youths “who are of school age and supporting the education of such.” In December 2023, the governor flagged off the construction and upgrade of 120 secondary schools across the state valued at N8.9bn. Speaking at the ceremony which was held at Bubuche in Arugungu Local Government Area, the governor said the gesture was meant to reposition the education sector in the state. He explained that the programme, which was under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment in collaboration with the World Bank and Dominat Engineering Limited aimed at promoting the education sector by providing a conducive learning environment for children. “This flag-off will occasion the constitution of new schools designed to upgrade 120 schools from primary school to junior secondary and junior secondary to senior secondary schools under AGILE,” he said. Read the full article

[grantgoddard]

Living on the frontline : 1985 : Dave Asher, 21 Aharonson Street, Tel Aviv

“There’s a bomb!” someone shouted. “There’s a bomb!”

I had just collected ‘NME’ from the newsagent that reserved it for me each week and had been lazily staring at a display of the new ‘designer’ stretch jeans in the windows of Gloria Vandebilt’s shop. All had been calm on the city’s main shopping street. Then suddenly it was chaos. People ran in all directions as if their lives depended upon it … which they did. Men, women and children screamed as they fled down side streets, their shopping bags flying behind them like parachutes. I was in amongst them, running at full pelt until I thought I was far enough away from the suspect device. How would I know? I didn’t. Did I hear an explosion? No. Was it really a bomb? I never knew.

On the walk home, I called in at the post office and joined a lengthy queue at the counter for overseas mail. Once I handed over my letter, the man behind the counter inspected it and adopted the withering look of an adult castigating a child … or a new immigrant.

“You cannot send this,” he said, visibly weighing up my ignorance. “We are at war.”

“Oh,” I said sheepishly, taking back my letter. “Okay. Thanks.”

Where I came from, you could send a letter anywhere in the world. I had spent much of my childhood doing just that, writing to radio stations as far away as China, Russia and Syria … and receiving replies. However, I was now learning that life is different during a time of war. I had written a fan letter to ‘Radio One’, an FM station in Beirut, Lebanon with English-speaking DJs who played the latest international hits, interspersed with familiar identification jingles stolen from ‘BBC Radio One’. Since radio transmissions ignore borders and war zones, I had become a committed listener in recent months. Now I had to return home with my unsent letter.

‘Home’ was temporarily a house at 21 Rehov Aharonson in Tel Aviv, where I was sleeping on the living room floor of the lower flat rented by fellow Brit Dave Asher. He was a well-known DJ in Israel from having presented the ‘Voice of Peace’ radio station’s breakfast show for several years. There were drawbacks to my accommodation. One morning I awoke to find ants nesting in my hair, while the nocturnal journeys of slugs from behind the adjacent bathroom sink gave me frequent ‘Alien’-type nightmares. But Dave had let me stay for free and I was grateful for his generosity. Weeks turned into months; how quick they pass.

Dave had a job as DJ at a city centre basement lesbian nightclub which he kept inviting me to attend. I did visit on one occasion, but was faced with the challenge of convincing two burly doormen that I wanted to enter a female-only club filled with scantily clad women because I said my male friend was working inside. Dave was also the DJ at a packed concert by American drag queen Divine in a huge former cinema, one of the most entertaining events I have attended. My crazy plan was to remain in Tel Aviv by finding a job in the record industry, for which Dave had helped me make contact with people he knew in the business. Pre-internet and pre-mobiles, this required a lengthy wait for replies to handwritten letters.

As summer was hot inside the flat, at the end of the day I would walk the short distance to the end of the street and sit on one of the public seats along the promenade. I could put my feet up on the sea wall, read the day’s ‘Jerusalem Post’ newspaper, watch the sun set over the Mediterranean and cool down in the onshore breeze. One day, a man seated near me asked if he could read my paper when I had finished with it. He spoke in Hebrew and I replied likewise.

By then, I had learnt enough of the language to hold a basic conversation. The frustration of not even understanding destinations displayed on the front of city buses had forced me to learn the Hebrew alphabet and numbers from a schoolbook. Every afternoon I developed my vocabulary by watching ‘Sesame Street’ (‘Rehov Sumsum’ in Hebrew) on television, where the first word I learnt was the ‘dustbin’ in which Grouch (Moishe Oofnik) lived.

I was suspicious of this man trying to strike up a conversation because, weeks earlier, I had been sunbathing alone on Tel Aviv beach when a man came and sat far too close to me on the sand and propositioned me for sex. He appeared to interpret my indignant refusal as merely ‘playing hard to get’ and continued to pester me, so I now avoided the beach and its potential for further unwanted attentions.

Thankfully this man on the promenade seemed different. Because our initial conversation had been in Hebrew, he found it hard to believe that I was not a recent immigrant to Israel struggling to learn my new language. After several rounds of questioning, he was eventually convinced that: I was not Jewish; I was British; I spoke English; and I was Christian. Only once these facts had been established did he have sufficient confidence to identify himself to me as a Christian Palestinian.

“Meet me here at the same time tomorrow,” he told me. “There is something I want to show you.”

Despite an incendiary device having recently exploded at the end of our street, thankfully with no casualties, I decided to risk meeting this man again the next day on the promenade. We walked to a walled compound a few hundred metres away where he spoke Arabic into the intercom, the gate opened and we walked through a garden into a house. He took me inside and knocked on what appeared to be a bedroom door. When it opened, it was immediately apparent that this was no normal small bedroom.

Bunk beds were butted up against each other on three walls of the room, leaving no space in their midst for other furniture. The small window had been covered so that the room was dark except for a single lightbulb on the ceiling. After my entrance, I was being stared at by six men, each sat on their bunk, their sweat thick in this non-air-conditioned room. My guide explained to them in Arabic why I was there, then he turned to address me.

“I wanted you to see how Palestinians have to live in Israel, the same land in which our families were born,” he told me. “Before dawn every day, we are employed outside to clean the beaches, sweep the streets and collect rubbish but, by the time the sun comes up and the crowds come out, we have to make ourselves invisible by returning to accommodation like this. As a fellow Christian, I wanted you to see how we are forced to live in our own homeland so that you can tell people what life is really like in Israel for those who are not Jews.”

A man arrived with a big bag of takeaway food which he started to dole out to each of the men in the room. I wondered to myself if I was to be included in their evening meal and how that could happen when there was no available space for a guest to sit. My guide quickly quashed that notion.

“The men will not eat their food in front of a stranger,” he explained. “We have to go now.”

It had only required a few minutes in that crowded room for the man to have made his point. He was understandably angry about his people’s situation. He told me that, having seen their conditions myself, I now had evidence to refute the disinformation that most of the world believed. We left the compound, he went his own way and I never saw him again.

After several months of messages, letters and calls from public phone boxes, I was finally offered a meeting with the head of an international record company’s Israeli subsidiary in his penthouse flat. There I explained that I had recently secured airplay on British radio for Israeli pop records through my knowledge of the UK radio industry. I believed I could do more like this to develop Israeli music’s presence overseas.

“You should go home,” he told me sternly. “Israel is not the place for you. There is a war going on. The economy is in bad shape. Things are terrible here. Go home and find yourself a job there.”

I departed Israel on the next available flight, disappointed by my failure to secure a job. I left behind an economy with an annual rate of inflation nearing 1,000% and a currency so devalued that it required a thick wad of banknotes just to buy a loaf of bread. Prices in shops had to be updated daily, written on post-it notes stuck along shelf edges. At checkouts, there were insufficient banknotes in tills to provide change, so customers were given the equivalent value in sweets and candies. Coins had become obsolete because they were worthless. I was carrying around several hundred banknotes stuffed down the front of my underpants because my wallet was now too small.

Back in Britain, within three years I had organised the release and promotion of an Israeli record that reached number 15 in the UK singles chart, accompanied by a ‘Top of the Pops’ television appearance. It became the biggest selling Israeli record in Britain since Esther and Abi Ofarim’s ‘Cinderella Rockefella’ in 1968, coincidentally my very first single purchase. Singer Ofra Haza became an international star, later recording songs for a Disney movie. Despite failing to find a job in Tel Aviv, I had managed to successfully pin music from Israel on the ‘world music’ map of the 1980’s.

It was Dave Asher who had first introduced me to Ofra Haza’s music in 1985. Two decades later, his job was presenting the breakfast show on a radio station … in Beirut!

[fabulivonline]

All you need to know about choosing the perfect study table furniture

The inside of homes has changed. Today, a growing number of people prefer to spend considerable time at home. People must consequently have all they require in order to function happily as well as comfortably, as this today involves putting in extensive hours at the workplace and in the classroom. Throughout the twenty-first decade, home offices as well as homeschooling are increasingly growing in popularity, as well as a study table remains among the essential elements of equipment that individuals now use.

In metropolitan homes, a smart study space or office room seems to be amongst the needs. A study space or office is equipped with everything an individual requires to go about their regular business or academic activities. It has a lovely study table, a cosy chair, a modest area for books, some greenery, and utilities with as many gadgets one would require.

Why should you invest in study table furniture

Study tables are desks that have been specifically created for work as well as study. This is a typical item of furnishings in children's rooms and office spaces. Additionally, you might locate makeshift study tables within rented as well as shared visitor residences. If someone is planning to study as well as work for such a lengthy period of time, they are required to remain in a suitable position. Writing from bed, concentrating, or adopting poor postures could seriously harm your health. As a result, amongst the main elements of furniture intended for a child's or individual's room would be the study table furniture.

Things to consider while buying a study table furniture

Size of the study table

One flexible study table is provided to guardians for their children's rooms. Whenever reading as well as taking classes online during home education, some youngsters prefer not to sit adjacent to one another. This is a waste of space in these circumstances. So, before reserving any seat at the table, think about your needs and those of your children. Many people choose to establish their workplace with a large work table as well as integrated power outlets. For those who do most of their job from residence, this is fantastic.

Price of the study table furniture

From just a few thousand to several million study tables are offered. The price of a study table is heavily influenced by a wide range of factors. A high-quality fabric may be more expensive than you anticipated, and bespoke design should also be taken into account. When money is tight, you may have to choose amongst durability and design. You can't expect the appeal of a superbly made study table to last for years, as well as you also can't survive with such a study table you detest. To make the best decision, it is advised to talk it over at an interior decorator.

Design of the study table furniture

Making a decision from a variety of lovely study table layouts is challenging. To narrow down and screen out all the study tables which could really complement your living area décor, you must first make decisions about other elements. Making a decision on the study table layout at your household is quite simple if you are aware of the dimensions, economy, style, as well as material. If you're still unsure, you can make a Pinterest board as well as a mood panel of such interior design of your apartment and include images of such study tables that made the short list alongside the remainder of the furnishings. It would assist you in picturing the last room preceding firing the bullet.

Wrapping up

In the twenty-first era, study tables are indeed a piece of furniture that everyone needs. There are many internet stores where you could simply acquire a study table as well as have an interior designer develop and create one for you. Some of the handful businesses offer ready-made as well as customised study table furniture in a variety of styles.

[hardynwa]

Kebbi spent N9bn in eight months to reposition education -Gov

Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, says his administration has within its first eight months in office spent over N9billion in repositioning education. He disclosed this at the flag-off of the National Campaign on Out-Of-School Children in the Geo-Political Zones in Nigeria held in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday. A statement signed by his media aide, Ahmed Idris, and made available to our correspondent said the governor explained that the sum was spent on the construction of classrooms, provision of motorised boreholes and hand-pumps, construction of toilets, provision of furniture, renovation of dilapidated classrooms as well as provision of textbooks and writing materials. The statement read, “2,000 teachers were trained to improve their pedagogic competence for effective teaching in schools, adding that six mega schools were being constructed to provide access to education by Almajiris and other categories of out-of-school children in the state. “717 Post-Basic Literacy Centres were established across the state for post-basic literacy programme for the Almajiris that had already undergone basic literacy programme under Better Education Service Delivery for All. “BESDA programme, Kebbi State recorded tremendous success in terms of enrolling the different categories of out-of-school children into schools through the instrument of non-formal learning centres. “Not less than 3,945 learning centres were established comprising Almajiri, Girl-Child and Nomads Children and more than 500 learners have been enrolled in a basic literacy programme. “This has let Kebbi attain an enviable position amongst the 17 BESDA participating states in terms of achievement of rewards.” In his speech, the Minister of State, Education, Dr Yusuf Tanko-Sununu, urged the Kebbi people to appreciate the new administration by supporting its policies and programmes and rendering good advice that would take the state forward. He appealed to individuals and groups to key into the national campaign on out-of-school children and other issues related to education “as government alone cannot do it.” Tanko-Sununu advised the state government to establish a strong foundation by constructing more classrooms and recruiting more teachers to make it easy for the Federal Government to come in and assist. The minister urged the governor to ensure the recruitment of professional teachers who duly registered with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria. While applauding the governor for increasing allocation to education in the 2024 budget, the minister also advised him to talk to traditional rulers in the state to see how teachers’ respect would be restored. The Director of Basic Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Falake Olatunji-David, said the programme was the third phase of the several interventions embarked upon by the ministry to ensure a substantial reduction in the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria. She lamented that a recent study shows that Nigeria accounts for one out of every five out-of-school children in the world and 45 per cent of out-of-school children in the West African sub-region. The director appealed to spirited individuals in the state to aid the less privileged in the community by adopting the children and youths “who are of school age and supporting the education of such.” In December 2023, the governor flagged off the construction and upgrade of 120 secondary schools across the state valued at N8.9bn. Speaking at the ceremony which was held at Bubuche in Arugungu Local Government Area, the governor said the gesture was meant to reposition the education sector in the state. He explained that the programme, which was under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment in collaboration with the World Bank and Dominat Engineering Limited aimed at promoting the education sector by providing a conducive learning environment for children. “This flag-off will occasion the constitution of new schools designed to upgrade 120 schools from primary school to junior secondary and junior secondary to senior secondary schools under AGILE,” he said. Read the full article