#Townsend gen 2

[townsenddecades]

1331 – Day 2 – Crawley Residence

Theodora is a little apprehensive when her mother summons her and her father to her parents’ chambers, with an odd look on her face and the explanation that she needs to tell them something. Can she have guessed what Theodora is planning? Is that why she wants to talk to her and her father without her grandparents overhearing?

But wouldn’t she look angrier then, instead of simply…strange?            

When her father has closed the door behind them, she gives them a tired smile. “I’m sure both of you have noticed that I’ve been ill rather often as of late.”

“And that is something to smile about?”, George asks, frowning.

“It is in this case, because I’m very sure that I’m with child again.”

From her earliest childhood, Theodora has been taught that staring at people one owes respect is impolite. She has always tried to keep to that, but in this case, she is sure that she can be excused for her disbelief, given that her father is staring at her mother as if she had sprouted a second head.

She doesn’t know why the news shocks her so much. Her mother is thirty-seven – certainly not a young woman anymore, but not quite past childbearing age. Maybe it’s the fact that her sister has just had a little girl, or that she herself is old enough to be wed now.

But while her mother may not be too old to conceive, she is certainly at an age at which doing so is dangerous. Her worry is reflected on her father’s face, as shock morphs into concern.

“Are you sure? You haven’t conceived since…”

“I know”, she says, taking his hands in hers. “And I am sure. I wouldn’t have told you otherwise.”

“I’m glad we’ll have a chance to have another child”, he says, still with that worry in his eyes. “But I know this pregnancy might be dangerous for you. At your time of life…”

“Are you calling me old, George Crawley?”

Not even the teasing edge in her voice can lift the seriousness from her father’s face, which makes her sober as well. She sighs. “I know it’s not without its dangers, but older women than I have safely delivered children. I can’t say that I’m not apprehensive at all, but this could be the son we have been praying for all these years.”

“I think I’d prefer you alive and well to a brother, Mother”, Theodora says. She isn’t sure if she should be speaking, but her parents obviously consider her old enough to hear that sort of talk now. She is of age to marry herself, after all.

Anna turns to her at that, letting go of her father’s hands to grasp hers instead. There is that gentle smile on her face always put on in the past when she wanted to comfort Theodora after a nightmare or any other frightening event. “It will be fine, my girl. I promise you.”

“I’ll rely on that, Mother.”

But privately, she thinks that this changes everything. Oh, she isn’t worried about her inheritance – although it will be affected should the child be a living boy. But it changes her plans, drastically so. Because there is one thing Theodora Crawley irrefutably knows: she cannot leave. Not now.

And she fears that that fact might break more than her own heart.

A few days – or rather, nights – later, she deliberates whether to meet her Balwin at all. She has promised it, but that had been before her mother’s revelation. What would be the point of such a risk now? There is no question in her mind that the night will end differently than they had originally planned. Planning to elope was fine and good before, but now, with her mother in such a delicate state, she knows she cannot cause her such heartache.  

Sending him a message would be less painful. But he can’t read, and messengers talk. And he deserves to hear her reasons from her lips. She owes him that much.

So, in the end, she still goes. She waits until the house has fallen silent, her parents and grandparents and the servants fast asleep, quietly dresses herself again and slips out onto the streets unnoticed. It is deepest night. The only people that should be out and about now are the watchmen, and she has learned to avoid those quite well.

The frosty weather, winter’s first grasping fingers, is an aid to her, helps her greatly. Her teeth may chatter as she presses against a wall in an archway to avoid a watchman’s eyes, but the cold also keeps most vagabonds out of the streets.

Slowly, carefully, makes her way to the gate nearest to her family’s home. As planned, Balwin’s watchman friend is there, but he looks a little surprise at her lack of baggage.

“I’ll be back in a while”, she says quietly as she slips through the door he opens for her. “Can I count on you to let me back into town?”

“Have gotten cold feet, have you?”

“Not exactly.” But her exact reasonings are none of his business, so she keeps them to herself. She doubts that her mother would appreciate her spreading the word, even if she finds it unlikely that anyone would much care what some guard had to say about a high-standing family like hers. She turns around. “I will explain it to Balwin. But I need to be home by dawn. So, will you let me back in?”

“If I have to.”

“You will”, she says shortly, before turning away from the door to hasten to her destination. Young women like her shouldn’t walk around outside the town walls’ protection on a night like this. If she were caught, it would ruin her reputation. But back when they had made this plan, her reputation in town hadn’t mattered anymore, because she would never have seen it again anyway.

That’s different now. But still, she hastens towards the old lighthouse, deserted now. She is alone there when she arrives, but she knows that it is only a matter of time until her love arrives.

In her excited state, the wait feels endless, although in reality, she likely isn’t alone for more than a few minutes. She knows that in another world, one where her mother isn’t expecting another child, she would be anxious for different reasons. She’d be worried about a future on the run, about whether she might be stood up because her love has changed his mind.

Now, she is anxious because she fears his reaction to her having changed hers.

She doesn’t know whether to sigh with relief or to flee when she hears his thread, so familiar now, on the stone steps leading up to the door. Yet, she is in his arms in a moment once she sees him, pulling his face down to hers to kiss him. It is wanton and not at all as modest as she has been taught to be, but she is too high-strung to care about that now. Besides, nothing about their relationship has ever been appropriate.

She shouldn’t even have met him, really. The daughter of a gentleman and a fisherman’s son hardly move in the same social circles. But there is a lot that can happen when two young people happen to be without their guardians on market day. Especially when the young man helps the young woman out of a tight spot.

They got to talking after that, and despite their social differences, she quickly found herself falling for the slightly ragged, handsome young man. But all the while, she had known that her family would never approve. The army of far more affluent, well-positioned men they have introduced her to is a testament to that.

It can only be a matter of time before they arrange a betrothal for her, which is exactly why Balwin and her had planned to elope.

Unlike her, he has taken a bundle with him, things he would need on the road, which fall to the ground with a soft thud as he takes her into his arms to return her kiss. Only after a few moments does he gently untangle himself from her. “Were you worried I wouldn’t come, to greet me like that?”

“Of course not.” Her voice is shaking. She should tell him now, but she doesn’t know where to start. “I’m just glad to see you.”

“Good”, he says with a smile. “Because if we manage to get away, we will have to keep apart from everyone else for a while. Where’s your baggage? We should leave as soon as possible.”

“I haven’t taken anything with me. I…I can’t leave now, Balwin. I’m sorry.”

“What?”

The different emotions flickering over his face – confusion, disappointment, hurt – nearly undo her and make her want to take it back. But how could she do that? She hasn’t left a note. She doesn’t have anything on her but the clothes on her back. She couldn’t possibly leave like this, even if she still wanted to.

She puts a hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes, trying to make him see how sorry she is. “I haven’t changed my mind about us”, she says earnestly. “But my family’s circumstances have changed. My mother has told us that she is with child again.”

He frowns. “So?”

She stares at him in disbelief. “Me running away would upset her terribly. I was sorry about that before, but in this state, it could kill her or my little brother or sister!”

“I’m sure it can’t be that serious.”

“It is”, she says bluntly, annoyed that he doesn’t seem to share her concern. He has a mother too, hasn’t he? “My sister and I are her only living children. Why do you think that is? She has had many more pregnancies, and all of them ended either in stillbirths or miscarriages. I won’t risk that happening again.”

She can tell that he still doesn’t like it, but after a moment, he sighs. His shoulders sag. “But your mother has your father and the rest of the family. Won’t that be enough?”

“Now you’re being obtuse”, she says, but she can’t help the sadness in her own voice. “You know that’s not the same. I’m not saying that I changed my mind. I still want to be with you, and I still know that I won’t be able to have that here. I don’t want to call off the plan, just…postpone it, until Mother has been delivered of her child.”

“Our plan was to vanish before the winter snows block the road. If we wait for the birth of your brother or sister, we won’t be able to leave before spring.”

“I know.”

“And your parents could just decide to marry you off before winter’s end.” He takes a few steps away from her, shaking his head. “I understand your reasons, Thea. I really do. But don’t you see what this means for us?”

“Even if my parents do find a groom for me, that won’t keep me. I’m prepared to throw my entire life away for you. Why would being betrothed stop me?”

“And having a husband?” he asks quietly. “Would that stop you?”

That makes her hesitate. Running from the altar is one thing. Her family won’t be happy, and neither will the family of whatever man they choose for her, not to mention that being promised to someone is nearly as binding as a marriage itself. But if she were to be married, even against her will, any marriage she would contract after that would be invalid. Her children would be illegitimate.

She takes a deep breath. “I will make sure it won’t go that far.”

“And I can’t change your mind?”

He looks at her as if he is sure that this is the end for them. Maybe it is. A lot can happen in two years. But she knows in her heart that she would never forgive herself if she ran away now and something happened to her mother because of it.

“No. I’m sorry.”

Previous: 1331, Day 2, Part 2/4 <--> Next: 1331, Day 2, Part 4/4

[genevievefangirl]

Gen's Top 100 DBDA Fics - PART 5

For all caveats/rules/backstory, please read the Master Post

if i could hold you for a minute By: hyperfixationbox @finleycannotdraw Rating: T Tags: Touch Starved, First Kiss, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Friends to Lovers Summary: "The truth was, simply, that Edwin had never been hugged, in all his years of life and his decades as a ghost. His parents were faceless, formless haunts, more of a suggestion than a memory, and Hell didn’t exactly boast a comfortable or affectionate climate. Charles, though he was a very touchy person, always laying a hand on Edwin’s arm or nudging him with his knee, hadn’t ever hugged him until that night in Port Townsend. And Edwin couldn’t get it out of his head." - Edwin is touch-starved. Charles is touchy. They eventually reach the obvious conclusion, after talking about their pasts, their insecurities, their feelings, and what they mean to each other. This is a story about honesty, closure, comfort, and (of course) love!! My Notes: Touch starved Edwin who just wants to be hugged? Throw in some trauma, cuddles, and feelings realization and a great fic is born.

If I Should Die Before I Wake By: ThatMerryWandererOfTheNight The7thPlinth on twitter Rating: T Tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: Edwin and Charles are telling each other stories about heroes, gods, and monsters. But not everything is as it seems. What creature is lurking on the edges of their perception? And do stories have the power to change reality? This is my contribution to Day 2 of Painland Week 2024, Myths & Legends My Notes: This one was like a punch to the gut. It was a little confusing at first, but every subsequent reread gets better and better! The twist broke my heart! If the boys going through emotional trauma is your thing, this is the fic for you!

Impetuous Decisions In An Emergency By: DryadGurrl @dryadgurrl Rating: T Tags: Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: Edwin is injured on a case, Charles goes a little feral and a lot scared, returned feelings are realized and everyone makes it out okay. or: 'The Case of the Infested Foundry' My Notes: Something about Edwin getting a hook in his shoulder really does it for me. Maybe there is something wrong with me lol

in the name of love and something deeper still By: imnotcryingipromise Rating: T Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: "No, I- I think it's sweet that you care about him -that you want to protect him or his feelings or whatever- but you can't be alone forever for his sake," Crystal explains, panically. Charles drops the girl's wrists then, turning his whole body away from her, the way a chided dog might cower in its cage. "Maybe I can. I definitely feel like being alone right now," he snaps. *** In which, during a romantic rendezvous, an obviously distracted Charles Rowland, admits to Crystal that he cannot stop thinking about Edwin. Expectedly, an argument ensues, leading to a startling realisation for the ghost boy. My Notes: Charles realizes that he loves Edwin, while snogging Crystal (ouch). He really does have the worst timing sometimes.

It Was Worth A Wound By: ahyperactivehero (ahyperactiverhero) @ahyperactivehero Rating: T Tags: Werewolf, Case Fic, Protective Edwin Payne, Protective Charles Rowland, Hurt/Comfort Summary: Charles and Edwin take on a case with a werewolf and everything goes wrong. Or right, depending on how you look at it. Charles gets hurt and he realizes exactly how strong Edwin Payne can be. (And maybe realizes he thinks his best mate is kind of hot along the way.) Day 3 of Painland Week- First Kiss/ Love Confession My Notes: Edwin getting all protective when Charles is hurt makes my heart happy.

It's Nice To Have a Friend By: Captain_Kieren Rating: T Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Angst, Hurt Edwin, Protective Charles Rowland, Whump Summary: Charles and Crystal get Edwin out of the witch's house and take him home to recover. They're all shaken and drowning in grief, and some words need to be said. (A missing scene from episode 8.) My Notes: I love me some Edwin whump and this certainly qualifies. The trio dealing with all their emotions and trauma after Esther is very important to me and I love when fics explore it.

it's not fair how much i love you By: AWorldOnFire @aworldonfire Rating: G Tags: Fluff, Established Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: Charles loves Edwin so much it's almost unbearable. "There’s always been something special about seeing Edwin sleep. His face relaxes and, without fail, his curls seem find a way to escape whatever ghostly force has kept them permanently flattened to his head since his death. Edwin becomes slack and peaceful; the tension leaves his body and there’s nothing Charles can do to escape his gravity." My Notes: Another fic that bends the ghost rules so we can get sleep fics! The thought of them having a room in Crystal's flat with a bed in it is the sweetest thing ever!

just because it hurts, doesn't mean you're gonna die By: SuchASeeweedBrain @daffietjuh Rating: M Tags: AU - The Old Guard, AU - Immortal, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: Crystal dies on a Tuesday afternoon. It feels so stupid. Who dies on a boring, gloomy, grey Tuesday afternoon in May? or The characters from DBD are not dead (sort of) but they do die a lot. Crystal is very confused, Charles would like to punch anyone who looks at Edwin wrong, Edwin would like to catch a break at some point this century and Niko is just happy to have made another friend. My Notes: I read this before I saw the Old Guard movie it is based on, but that did not hinder my enjoyment of it whatsoever! This really was such a fun ride! I mean, immortal characters on the run with a side of protective Charles? Yes please!

just frame the halves (and call them brothers) By: Anonymous Rating: T Tags: Case Fic, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Edwin's Family Dynamics Summary: Walter R. Payne died one hundred and nine years ago in France. Walter R. Payne has not left France since, nor has his fellow soldiers. That is until a young psychic offers to help them move on. And better yet, the psychic knows Walter’s younger brother who he was not seen in over a century. Edwin Payne has was killed one hundred and eight years ago. It was not in active combat, like he expected. He never even made it into the army. He died in his school, and spent over half a century in Hell for it. Edwin has changed a lot in the last century, and he’s been perfectly content to ignore the memories of his short life in favor of his new afterlife. Until, a new case comes up involving his older brother. My Notes: I loved how this fic characterized the Payne family and Edwin's relationship to his parents and siblings. The outside POV was also very well done; it is nice to get a fresh perspective in fics. I find the Payne family so interesting as characters and this fic delivered on giving them the depth I crave.

lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate By: KiaraSayre @starsandatoms Rating: M Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Edwin in Hell, Angst, Aftermath of Torture, Edwin & Crystal are Besties Summary: Edwin is in Hell. Nothing is as it seems. My Notes: This is a very dark fic exploring Edwin's time in Hell with an interesting twist. If you love the relationship between Crystal and Edwin then this is the fic for you, they get a lot of time together in this.

That's the first 50 fics! Hope you guys are having as much fun with this as I am!

[citrinedecades]

1320 Decade Summary

As of the end of 1329, the main Barrow family counts 6 sims:

Brayden Barrow • 27 years old • Head of the family

Fatima Barrow • 27 years old • Head spouse

Romarin Barrow • 7 years old • Heir

Khalil Barrow • ?? years old • Evil child granted by the well

Celeste Barrow • 3 months

Edward Barrow • 3 months

The old Barrow farm houses 5 sims:

Rosemary Barrow • 45 years old • Family matriarch

Hubert Howe • 49 years old • Matriarch's spouse (not part of the legacy)

Cailan Barrow • 23 years old

Becca Barrow • 20 years old

Tristan Howe • 5 years old • Matriarch's son of 2nd marriage (not part of the legacy)

Three of the Gen 2 Barrow siblings remain unmarried:

Esther Barrow • 17 years old

Alexander Barrow • 16 years old

Alyson Barrow • 15 years old

The Townsend household counts 5 sims:

Brandan Townsend • 29 years old

Stefanie Townsend • 28 years old

Nicolette Townsend • 9 years old

Terra Townsend • 7 years old

Regina Townsend • Newborn (aged up to toddler for the picture!)

The de l'Orme household counts 2 active sims:

Adelaide de l'Orme • 36 years old

Frederik Jr. de l'Orme • 27 years old

The Pasquier household counts 6 sims:

Daisy Pasquier • 27 years old

Noah Pasquier • 25 years old

Hannah Pasquier • 7 years old

Christopher Pasquier • 6 years old

Dale Pasquier • 4 years old

Tiffani Pasquier • 2 years old

The Graves household counts 4 sims:

Harlan Graves • 31 years old

Adrianna Barrow • 20 years old

Cara Townsend • 9 years old • Illegitimate daughter of Harlan Graves & Sheila Townsend (mother of Brandan Townsend), not part of our legacy

Lavender Graves • 33 years old • Lover of Adrianna (not part of our legacy)

The Atwood household counts 4 sims:

Gabriella Atwood • 24 years old • Last surviving Barrow sibling of Gen 1

Corey Atwood • 24 years old

Shanna Atwood • 5 years old

Basil Atwood • 2 years old

The Baker household counts 6 sims:

Vasco Baker • 24 years old • Heir to Cecelia's line

Mariana Baker • 23 years old

Lino Baker • 4 years old

Dina Baker • 2 years old

Angela Baker • 1 year old

Zayne Baker • 22 years old

The Rochefort household (formerly the runaway Baker orphans) counts 2 sims:

Lucia Rochefort • 20 years old

Endrio Rochefort • 19 years old

The Verviers family counts 5 sims:

Lucan Verviers • 46 years old

Auguste Verviers • 19 years old • Heir to Gemma's line

Rosa Verviers • 25 years old

Ghyslain Verviers • 11 years old

Kristine Verviers • 2 years old • Possibly the child of Cailan Barrow

During this decade, there were 29 births, of which 17 are still alive.

Our average age at death is 10, but if we omit spouses from the statistics, it drops to 5.1.

We had a total of 12 deaths:

Joslyn Barrow (1320-1320)

Margaery Barrow (1320-1320)

Eva Pasquier (1322-1323)

Felix Barrow (1325-1325)

Elisha Pasquier (1325-1325)

Brian Townsend (1326-1326)

Violet Atwood (1326-1326)

Fred Barrow (1326-1326)

Rex Graves (1328-1328)

Mary Barrow (1327-1328)

Ennio Rochefort (1328-1329)

Benson Abeu (1329-1329)

44% of playable sims have made it past the age of 5 years old, compared to 61% in the previous decade.

The sim having gotten married the most often is still Gemma Barrow who was married 3 times (Hale, Verviers, Verviers).

The couple who has had the most children is still Frederik & Rosemary Barrow with 11 children (9 singles and 1 set of twins)

The sim who has died and been resurrected the most often is still Brayden Barrow with three deaths (cardiac explosion, murdered, cardiac explosion)

The average number of pregnancies per woman is 4, down from the average of 9 of the previous decade, which is explained by having more women included in the statistics now that Gen 2 has made it to adulthood.

The deadliest year so far was 1316 with 5 deaths. The years with the most births are 1327 and 1329, which are tied with 5 births each.

See you in 1330!

[fundielicious-simblr]

Bonus!

I finally bit the bullet and did an updated group photo for gen 3 because I wanted to replace the header I have for this account right now. I'm still stuck on what to do for a profile picture, but I'll figure it out eventually I guess. When planning out the posing for this, I was inspired by @duggardata to do some info points for my sims, so I'm going to be doing some basic and random facts about these little bunches of pixels to end the year. This ended up being a mini thesis, so grab a snack if you plan on scrolling down, and I'll put the post under the cut to save your scrolling the TL. When I started this it was meant to be a small cute post with random information, and has now become an actual analysis. If I've missed anything or if i find more that I can talk about, there definitely can be more of these later down the line.

I'm going to queue this for 11:30pm my timezone, so I wish you all a very happy new year, may you get everything you desire and more!

This is all 36 people that make up the 3rd generation. I've arranged them in birth order, so this is technically chronological I guess. I did mess up when I got to the end because I forgot about Ashton (Allan & Casandra's 13th - the irony 😂) and plopped her further down than she should be.

Names L-R:

Back: Adalynn Leonard, Barrett Collins, Macie Collins, Carter Paulson, Abbey Hill, Brittany Dahlmann, Zoe Moreno, Valentina Townsend, Alan Paulson, Tanner Collins, Maggie Wright, Celeste Paulson.

Middle: Kyra Shearer, Reece Collins, Kristyn Crocker, Sabrina Crawford, Beckett Collins, Amira Eichelburg, Priscilla Roberts, Annette Collins, Jarrod Paulson, James Hunt, Charles Collins, Zachary Paulson.

Front: Rory Godwin, Ruby Rae Godwin, Parker Collins, Ava Grace Godwin, Conner Paulson, Jarrett Paulson, Gabriela Hunt, James Lee Collins, Matthew Collins, Ashton Collins, Amelia Godwin, Archie Collins.

Now onto the stats!

Basics

Out of the 36 :-

Men: 17

Women: 19

The split between men and women is 49/51 (don't quote me on my maths, I dropped maths classes as soon as I was able to 😂) Within the siblings groups it's definitely not as even, though the final results even themselves out. Gender roles are heavily enforced in these households, so ones that are female heavy (Allan and Casandra's 8 girls to 5 boys) compared to those that are male heavy (Claire and Ryan's 6 boys to 4 girls) will have different experiences. Having girls being born earlier in the birth order definitely helps lighten the load when there's a new children every other year.

Marriage

Marriage is definitely a stage of life that fundies emphasise for their kids, with purity culture pushing for them to be married as soon as possible to (A) prevent sin and (B) produce children as fast as possible. Of course, there's those for whom marriage doesn't happen at the desired time, but in times like this the advice is to wait "on the Lord's timing".

For those eligible for marriage out of the 36:

21 are married

1 is engaged

1 is in a courtship

The average age for marriage is 22. The youngest age being 18 (Maggie, Reece, Priscilla) and the oldest being 29 (Abbey)

I don't have exact data for the courtships so I can't do an average, but I can say the longest relationship prior to engagement was Abbey and Adam's - they dated for two years before getting engaged.

Speaking of dating, fundies and many other conservative christians push courting rather than dating. They reason that it's more serious and with the purpose of marriage, and if you add in purity culture there's the argument that they're saving 'pieces of their heart' for their future spouse. Out of the 23 couples who are either married or on their way there, only 2 couples kissed before marriage: Abbey & Adam and Brittany & Colton. These two couples weren't held to as strict standards as their cousins due to their parents outlook on things, they already knew that their daughters didn't personally agree with the convictions on purity (plus with brittany marrying into a well known political family, they saw it as a means to an end 😂) The other 19 couples (soon to be 20) saved their first kiss for the altar, as will the one courting couple (Zachary & Kelsey). Only 3 couples had no touch courtships the whole way through (and this number is debatable because I myself couldn't keep a storyline straight hehe - but from the character personalities and different plotlines let's agree with 3): Reece & Stacie, Alan & Tessa, and Tanner & Tabitha. In all 3 cases it was the girls family that set the stricter rules, which is more common as girls are engineered to guard their purity.

As if common with real life fundies, the older the kids get the faster they get in courtships that end in marriage. This is one of that things that you can't really predict since people's stories are different, Adalynn was the first one to get married 13 years ago, and the next family wedding was Barrett's 3 years later. In the first 9 years since the 3rd generation started getting married, 8 couples were married. The beginning of the next decade is when things started to happen in a flurry, 5 couples got married with four of them having their first child in the same year (this wont make sense, but if i try to make it fit real world parameters i'll acc go insane HAHA - this is fictional so it's allowed not to make sense) The most couples to get married in a year is 7 couples, and with the 13 left I doubt that there will be the same back to back that was happening earlier. The girls have gotten married faster than the boys, but that was to be expected when you consider that gender roles play heavily into fundie culture. It's easier to marry off a daughter to be a wife and mother than having to marry of a son, she will be provided for but he needs to be in the place where he can provide for a family that has the potential to grow exponentially. Obviously because this is a game where reality is suspended, the men in the game don't have to do much to be providers.

Education

Education is important as it shapes a person's thoughts and opinions, therefore fundies are more than likely to homeschool their children so that they are in control of what their child is exposed to. For those who think total at home education isn't where the Lord is leading them, there are other options available such as a homeschool co-op and private christian schools, with the last resort being the public education system.

The 2nd generation are quite diverse with their belief systems, influencing their thoughts and opinions around how they educated their children - and let's be honest, finances do play a certain role here whether you like it or not.

Allan & Casandra - Casandra totally homeschooled all 13 of their children through K-12.

Branden & Lea - Lea homeschooled their 3 children from kindergarten through to grade 8, and for high school the kids attended a private christian school.

Claire and Ryan - Claire totally homeschooled/currently homeschools their 10 children.

Danielle and Sebastian - Danielle totally homeschooled/homeschools their two children.

Elaine and Taylor - Elaine homeschooled/homeschools their 5 children through a homeschool co-op that she taught at prior to having children. The kids are educated by various teachers that specialise in different subjects using an approved curriculum.

Fletcher and Cara - They've chosen to send their son to a private christian K-12 school.

Grayson and Keira - Keira homeschools the kids until they're in grade 8, then they send the kids to a private christian school for high school.

When it comes to university, fundies definitely don't push it onto their children as they see it as a place where they'd be brainwashed. As the times have changed, there have been more and more conservative christian universities that have opened up that cater to fundies, so there are more fundies getting a tertiary education.

Right now there are only 8 out of the 36 sims that have gotten degrees or are actively pursuing them:

Beckett - He's the only one of his siblings to attach themselves to a university, even if his degree was in Bible & Missions at a very conservative bible college. His siblings' skill sets are either self taught or they were mentored by someone, though his sister Amira is doing an associates degree at some point (I just haven't figured out in what yet).

Abbey - She has an distinguished degree in biology and currently works as a marine biologist. I sent her and her sister to the in game university and physically sent them to classes and everything (which is something I'm never doing again HAHA). Back then I also didn't have the thought to send them to a christian university, so let's pretend she just skipped everything evolutionary for her degree.

Brittany - She has a distinguished degree in communications and worked as a political commentator before getting married. She and her sister were the first girls to go to university from their cohort (as well as the first to not be homeschooled), especially since they're in the first phase of the 3rd generation when the 'vibe' in their extended family was very conservative.

Tanner - He has his MD and is now working as a doctor (using the in-game university mechanics) he was also the first boy to attend a secular university, but there obviously weren't as many opinions on him doing it than on his sisters doing it.

James - He has his degree in Bible Counselling with a focus on Youth and Ministry from a local bible college in his area. It was a two year degree to help create missionaries that could be sent out to help churches. He met his wife whilst at university and they married as soon as they graduated, they now live in henley on Bagley as missionaries assigned to help grow a church there. His sister Gabriella doesn't know what she wants to do (i also have no clue), so that will be revealed in due time.

Kyra - She got her degree in early education and is now a kindergarten teacher at a private christian school, she even met her husband at the school through his niblings. Her mother (Elaine) being a teacher and her father also being college educated was definitely an inspiration to her. Being educated in a homeschool co-op also helped her realise her love of teaching.

Rory - Rory is currently at a local university getting a law degree (for my game i'm using a mix of education systems, incase you get confused) and is currently enjoying it. He initially wanted to join the police force like his uncle and cousin, but decided on enrolling in university instead. His parent's are encouraging him down the political route, but with a law degree he can do anything.

Ruby Rae - She's currently in nursing school and is enjoying learning the curriculum. In my head she's always been that character that I'd send off to nursing school, especially with her uncle marrying a nurse, it just felt meant to be for her character. I initially envisioned one of allan and casandra's girls maybe going to nursing school too, but in the end it didn't pan out.

The only ones I can say are definitely attending college in some form are James Lee (Fletcher), Matthew and Archie (Grayson). They'll be like their parents and go to fairly conservative universities and go on to live your average fundie-lite conservative life.

Children

CW: There will be mentions of pregnancy, problems with getting and staying pregnant, pregnancy loss, and infertility of various kinds.

Fundies think of children as gifts from God, with many taking that ideology and running with it, usually ending up with children in the double digits if their fertility agrees with it. The notion of being 'quiverfull' implies that a couple don't use any methods of contraception, with the idea that if God wants them to have a child then they will conceive and birth one. 6 couples of the 2nd generation (Allan to Elaine, then Grayson) were all open to whatever kids the Lord would give them, and they ended up with a variety of children - one couple having 13 and another having just 2. Life throws various curveballs, or as they say "the Lord works in mysterious ways", so there can be many plans that don't work out - let's not forget that people's fertility isn't always textbook. Casandra had 2 miscarriages that I didn't plan in game, the mod I have gets triggered by certain conditions and the alert was a surprise to me. I don't roll for pregnancy losses, unless difficulties getting and/or staying pregnant are part of that character's story for whatever reason e.g. Madelynn, Stacie, etc.

Out of the 21 married couples, only 4 don't have children: Abbey & Adam, Beckett & Mandy, James & Emma, and the newlyweds Parker and Lana.

Abbey and Adam - They're not quiverfull so they've got a timeline for when they'll have children, but they definitely want them.

Beckett and Mandy - They've been married for around 4 years and have not yet had children, they're marked as a quiverfull couple so they're not preventing pregnancy, there's just no children as of yet. Honestly speaking, I haven't thought that far about the ways that children appear in their storyline but I have 3-4 options about where things could go.

James and Emma - These two are in the same boat as Beckett and Mandy in terms of their views on children, they want them but haven't 'been blessed' with them yet. In the actual game they're side characters, so I let the 'Neighbourhood Stories' take over their story unless I see it necessary to intervene.

Parker and Lana - They're newlyweds, so there could be a pregnancy announcement from them any day now. Though I have taken real life parameters into consideration with how fast a couple does conceive, since in real life it can take the average 'healthy' couple up to a year to get pregnant. So you'll just have to wait and see when Lana will be posting a sonogram 😂

Of the 17 couples that have children, they have birthed a whopping 50 children that make up the ever growing 4th generation. There are currently only 2 pregnant women that are gestating 3 children, which is I think the lowest to ever happen by holiday season. The speed at which they have children has definitely sped up the more couples get married. When Adalynn got married in 2010, she had cousins still being born, so for the first five years (2010 - 2015) the 10 grandchildren that were born came from her, Barrett, and Valentina (let's not forget that Kyleigh had triplets then twins back to back, so she went from zero to five children in 3 years)

The 10 children born in the 4 years after that are from Adalynn, Barrett, Carter, Valentina, and Brittany. The next 3 years (2020-2023; i use years to count so i don't get lost, but I make it a point not to mention years in the posts cause that adds opportunities for confusion 😂) were a wedding and baby boom, bringing us to the present day. 2020 had 5 couples marry and birth four children, 2021 holds the record for the most weddings and the most children born: 7 couples married and there were 12 children born. 2023 isn't finished in the game, but so far there has been 1 couple married with another set to marry at the end of the year. So far in 2023 there have been 5 children born, and the pregnancies that are in game aren't set to give birth this year so that's the number for that year.

With all these births happening in waves essentially, how fast are these sims multiplying? In true duggardata fashion I've got the intervals ready for you:

Adalynn & Mason - 9 children in 13 years of marriage: 7 singletons and 1 pair of twins, 8 boys and 1 girl.

Skills

Fundies are known to have their kids learn a skills, usually in the form of musical instruments. From my own childhood as well as research I've gathered via many hours of watching and reading, a musical instrument is the best thing to learn as the 'easiest' way to glorify God is through music. Music plays an important role in worship services, and so having children that can play instruments well allows for them to 'be of use' for worship; families also capitalise on said talent and travel around playing music as a ministry.

The skillset of the 2nd generation does play a role into how their children ended up:

Allan worked as a carpenter (and by carpenter i mean he reached level 10 of the woodworking skill and would just make things to sell) whilst being a Pastor, before retiring and working as a Pastor fulltime. He didn't learn how to play an instrument as he was focused on learning a skill that would help provide for a family.

Branden found his skills in writing, he worked as a writer in the writer field and wrote books that now provide him with royalties, like his brother, he wasn't enrolled in music lessons as his parents had other priorities set for him.

Claire was enrolled in music lessons and found she had a real skills for playing the piano as well as writing music, her mother also had her and her sisters learn homemaking skills such as gardening, cooking, balancing a checkbook and how to run a household. Claire put being a wife and mother first, but also continues to use her skills to minister for the Lord. She's become well known for her performance as well as her hymnal music arrangements (think Kim Collingsworth-esque vibe) and also teaches music as various music camps from time to time.

Danielle learnt how to play the violin as well as learning how to be a homemaker, and as she got married later in life she was the person who stepped in to run the house after her mother passed. She uses her skills whenever asked, like playing at church or at various worship events, but she's mainly focused on gardening and baking.

Elaine learnt how to play the piano and used to play at church and various events, but found her joy was in teaching. She took over homeschooling her younger siblings and went on to earn her teaching qualifications.

Fletcher was taught the piano by his older sisters, but lessons weren't pushed on him by his parents. He went on to focus on fitness and joined the police force after finishing highschool.

Grayson was more book focused and didn't learn an instrument, similar to Elaine he focused more on books and studying and ended up going to medical school.

Harley is the youngest girl and learnt how to play the guitar as a girl, as she was the youngest she didn't have to perform as often as the older siblings did. She went on to get a degree in Fine Arts and now works as the editor in chief at San Myshuno's biggest fashion magasine.

It's easiest to display the information based on the sibling order from gen 2, so here's the list of the various skillsets of the 3rd generation:

A -

Casandra being your typical conservative fundie woman, made sure that all the kids got music lessons, whatever she couldn't teach herself she found someone to teach them. Piano: Since Casandra plays the piano she taught the kids until they were in their teens, then if they chose to continue they could get lessons with Claira. Adalynn, Macie, Zoe, Beckett, Charles and Ashton chose to learn the piano and so far Zoe is the only one who has taken that and made it a career of sorts like her aunt Claire. Violin: Macie also chose to learn violin, with Amira, Priscilla, and Annette also learning the violin. Guitar: The boys mostly chose to learn the guitar, Barrett, Reece, and Parker all chose the guitar, with Maggie being the only girl to choose to learn the guitar. Of the 13 kids to learn a musical instrument, only Zoe has taken it and made it something that monetarily supports her.

B -

Lea learned how to play piano growing up, and enrolled all three of her children in piano lessons. Abbey, Brittany, and Tanner all had piano lessons until they were in their teens and focused on different extracurricular activities once they joined the private christian school.

C -

Claire made sure all her children know an instrument, the four girls (Valentina, Celeste, Kristyn, Sabrina) all know both the piano and the violin, with the 6 boys all learning piano and Carter and Alan also learning how to play the guitar. There were many suggestions of them starting a family band, but Claire and Ryan didn't feel that the Lord was leading them in that direction.

D -

Both James and Emma have learnt to play the piano, James' wife Emma can play the piano, violin, and the flute and has her degree (from a biblical college) in music with a focus on worship music.

E -

Elaine put all the kids into either piano or violin lessons, Kyra did lessons in both until she was a teenager, Rory did piano until he was a teenager, Ruby Rae did violin lessons and still plays at church, Ava Grace continues to play Piano, and Amelia still does violin lessons.

F -

Fletcher and Cara put their son into organised sports, so no music lessons this side.

G -

Keira wanted her boys to have some musical knowledge, so Matthew does guitar lessons and Archie does piano lessons.

That's all I've got for now, but as I was doing this I definitely found more things that I could write about in a few months. I hope you enjoy this!

[cammie-morgan-goode]

Cam’s Writing Masterlist

Hi friends! For those of you that are looking for more writing blurbs and a deeper analysis of the Gallagher Girls Series and its characters, look no further! I’ve compiled a list of all of my writings thus far. I’ll update the list at the end of the week with everything I’ve posted that week.

Thank you so much for the support, I can’t do this without you. ❤️

Cammie Appreciation

importance of Josh for cammie’s character growth

importance of Matt’s death for cammie’s character growth part 1

importance of Matt's death for cammie's character growth part 2

OSOT angst for Cammie part 1

OSOT angst for Cammie part 2

My mom’s a badass one-shot

Cam’s a smarty

Zach Appreciation

Zach’s nightmares and Joe’s nightmares

Zach’s love for Cam

Zach and Townsend Bonding

Zach’s thoughts on Tabby wedding

Zach and Catherine’s relationship part 1

Zach and Catherine’s relationship part 2

Zach and Catherine like mother like son

Zach Bonding with the Girls headcanon

Zach’s experience with girls part 1

Zach’s experience with girls part 2

Zach getting flirted with

Zach Cooking

Zach is a damn good spy

Zach angst: I Went Crazy one-shot

Zammie Fluff

Who’s shirt is that really? One-shot

Caught One-shot AO3

You also Squeak One-Shot

Let’s Make a Cake One-Shot

It’s Distracting, Zachary One-Shot

Am I Keeping You Up? One-Shot

Are you even working? One-Shot

Will Jimmy Mind? One-Shot

Our Sweater One-Shot

Zammie Angst

Did you have a nightmare? One-shot

Deserve One-Shot

Bruise One-Shot

Code Red One-Shot

Zammie Parenting

Headcanon: Spy

Who Needs More Supervision? One-Shot

Just Like Your Mother Next-Gen One-Shot

She’s Perfect Next-Gen/Parenting One-Shot

Zammie Things

when Zach came back and cam didn’t

Zammie Christmas things

Zammie nightmares part 1 analysis

Zammie nightmares part 2 analysis

Macey Appreciation

Macey McHenry appreciation

McWinters Fluff

Itch One-Shot

McWinters Angst

McWinters Parenting

Bex Appreciation

Liz Appreciation

Best Friend Appreciation ‘00s

Zammie Proposal

Joe Appreciation

if Joe was awake during OSOT

Joseph Solomon Matchmaker

Gallagher/Blackthorne exchange

ranting on the inner workings of the DC tail via Joseph Matchmaker Solomon

Matt Appreciation

Matthew Morgan appreciation

Rachel Appreciation

Changing Gallagher Academy history

Why and when Rachel took the job as Headmistress

Joe/Rachel Fluff

Joe/Rachel Fluff: Endearing One-Shot

Joe/Rachel Angst

Joe/Rachel Parenting

Matt/Rachel Fluff

Perfect One-Shot

Reunion One-Shot

Matt/Rachel Angst

Matt/Rachel Parenting

Abby Appreciation

Townsend Appreciation

Tabby Fluff

Sit Still One-Shot

Stay with me Please One-Shot

Tabby Angst

You Knew? One-Shot

Things I Don’t Say One-Shot

Tabby Parenting

A Day In The Life, Right? Parenting One-Shot

Sorry, Your Hair Was In Your Face Parenting One-Shot

Best Friend Appreciation ‘80s

besties in the 80’s headcanon

connections between our grownups

if Matt was around when Rachel and Joe got together which is hilarious

NSFW Ramblings

Headcanons for each character

Zammie’s first time

McWinter’s kink

Book + Character Analysis

Zach in DJGC

Zach leaving Blackthorne

CMH Zammie

Zach and Joe analysis

Character Heights

Character Birthdays pt 1

Character Birthdays pt 2

Character Zodiacs

Character Siblings

Blackthorne Friendships

Epilogue Ideas

Circle and the Circus

Character Favorites

Music

Hobbies

Pets

Foods

Fights

Gallagher Academy

The Sisterhood Girly Things

Languages

Spy Games at the Academy

Random Headcanons

Zammie Wedding pt 1

Zammie Wedding pt 2

Zammie Wedding pt 3

Random Character Headcanons

Cameron Family Name

GG music playlist

Fancast ideas + things

Casting Ideas

Zach's Looks

Book Appreciation

growing up with these books changed me

Questions

Code names

Fanfic recommendations

Updated: 05/07/23

[shamelesslymkp]

REC: MagpieMorality - Not The Desired

URL: https://ift.tt/bendl8D Monty, snatched by quick claws and quicker lips from the clutches of Despair, has woken up alone. The Cat King is gone, missing, his deal with Monty unfulfilled, and not a single clue is left behind to indicate where he might be. Not one that Monty can see, anyway, but he's just a guy who was a crow. He needs to find the Cat King so he can finally get what he truly wants, and he needs help. He needs... professionals. He needs the Dead Boy Detectives. Charles, Edwin and Crystal return to Port Townsend to help. (Words: 10,501; WIP) | Part 2 of skin & bones !!!fandom, !!fic, |site:ao3, +fandom:dead.boy.detectives.(tv), ::rating:mature, ~author:magpiemorality, character:monty.(dead.boy.detectives), character:edwin.paine.|.edwin.payne, character:charles.rowland.(dcu), character:the.cat.king.|.thomas, character:crystal.palace.(dcu), character:tragic.mick.(dead.boy.detectives), character:niko.sasaki, character:desire.of.the.endless, relationship:the.cat.king.|.thomas/monty, relationship:monty/edwin.paine.|.edwin.payne, relationship:edwin.paine.|.edwin.payne/charles.rowland, relationship:crystal.palace/charles.rowland.(dcu), ::category:f/m, .gen, .m/m, \no.archive.warnings.apply, ~ao3:post-canon, ~ao3:canon.compliant, ~ao3:implied/referenced.character.death, ~ao3:implied/referenced.abuse, ~ao3:implied/referenced.torture, ~ao3:implied.sexual.content, ~ao3:implied/referenced.suicidal.thoughts.&.behaviours, ~ao3:heed.the.tags, ~ao3:sequel, ~ao3:rescue.missions, ~ao3:case.fic, ~ao3:shapeshifting, ~ao3:magic, ~ao3:magical.kidnapping, ~ao3:the.endless.are.fucked.up, ~ao3:fae.deals, ~ao3:magic.deals, ~ao3:bindin

[mariacallous]

For years, Finland bucked the trend of NATO expansion catching fire throughout the post-Soviet European mainland. Old habits, like neutrality, die hard. 

But while NATO went through eight rounds of enlargement, expanding the alliance to include 30 countries and adding nations, such as Spain and Slovenia, that punched below their weight on military spending, Finland—with the energy to match the most caffeinated population in the world—was getting stronger. 

With memories of the Soviet invasion during World War II still vivid in the public imagination, when the Finns lost a tenth of their territory but avoided occupation, Finland bucked the post-Cold War trend in Europe of divesting military assets during the 1990s, earning side-eye from the Clinton administration and some NATO nations. 

Yet Finland formally joined NATO this week already spending 2 percent of its GDP on defense, the alliance’s military target, and is used to fielding weapons familiar to the rest of NATO. Finland will field F-35 fighter jets by 2025, which will replace U.S.-designed F/A-18 Hornets currently deployed, for example. Finland is also one of only a few countries that fire the so-called joint air-to-surface standoff missile, known as JASSM in defense parlance, which allows Finnish fighter jets to launch armor-piercing standoff strikes at about a million dollars a pop. 

And while Finland’s standing military is just 23,000 troops—smaller than New York City’s police force—Helsinki is ready to mobilize a force of up to 280,000 in wartime, owing to a model of national conscription that calls on men over the age of 18 to serve up to a year in the armed forces. Current and former European and U.S. officials insist the call-ups aren’t just a bunch of benchwarmers from the practice squad.

“They can mobilize pretty quickly a very professional group, not a bunch of overweight reservists in their 50s,” said Jim Townsend, a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for NATO and Europe. 

Russia’s western flank, which shares an 800-mile border with Finland, is all of a sudden looking a lot less threatening more than a year into Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has left a skeletal Russian force hanging around in the Nordic-Baltic region. Finnish officials are still banking on Turkey softening its opposition to Sweden’s NATO bid for naval and logistical support, but Helsinki has already announced plans to buy the Israeli-made David’s Sling medium-range air defense system and has deployed the Norwegian-and-U.S.-made National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, the same batteries that defend Washington, D.C., from the threat of an aerial assault. 

NATO was already in the region before Finland’s entry, with Norway closer to the Russian port city of Murmansk than Finland and Narva, Estonia, nearer to St. Petersburg—with the stopping power of swamps, forests, and water in between NATO and Russian lines. The entry of a 31st country will force the alliance to update its command structure and rejigger defense plans farther north, but Finnish officials see it as an opportunity to extend deterrence into the North and the Baltic seas. 

And Finland’s military is going to be put to NATO-standard tests almost immediately on entry. Though Finland has participated in low-level exercises with NATO troops before, the multinational Defender 23 exercise kicking off in Europe this month will see Finnish troops participating shoulder-to-shoulder with 9,000 U.S. forces, the first large-scale operation the Nordic country has conducted with the alliance.

Finnish pilots will conduct overflights of the North Sea in F/A-18 Hornets during the exercise that spans 10 countries, German Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz said in a press conference at the German Embassy in Washington on Tuesday. He sketched a scenario that maps how the alliance would respond to the invocation of NATO’s Article Five self-defense clause on the European mainland.

From an airpower perspective, U.S. military officials are already looking at options to integrate Finland’s intelligence collection capabilities into NATO, as well as extending the ability of the alliance to operate in frigid conditions. And Finland has kept a “Winter War” mindset stemming from the 1939 Soviet invasion.

“It’s an agile combat employment,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, the director of the U.S. Air National Guard. “They have landing strips just about anywhere, and they go right into the roads.”

And the ongoing fighting beyond NATO’s borders has compounded Russia’s difficulties in the west, which it has denuded in a so-far futile bid to batter Ukraine. Russia’s once-feared 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, with tanks, artillery, and missile defenses in tow, suffered heavy losses in the assault on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and the 138th Motorized Rifle Brigade reportedly suffered such heavy losses in the city that some troops tried to mutiny. It could take years, if not decades, for Russia to return to military strength along the northern Kola Peninsula, the big thumb that abuts northern Finland.

“We have rather good military intelligence so that we actually know more about where their troops are than they do in Moscow,” said Harri Ohra-aho, a ministerial advisor for intelligence in Finland’s defense ministry, with a twinkle in his eye. “We have followed those troops for more than 100 years.”

The Baltic Sea was once a Russian lake, fronted on one side by Warsaw Pact nations and ringed by a neutral Finland and Sweden that wanted nothing to do with the nuclear tensions between Moscow and NATO. Now, the Kola Peninsula—home to Russia’s Northern Fleet, ballistic missile submarines, and its only aircraft carrier—is right up against NATO borders and aspirants. 

“If you’re a Russian planner in the past, during the Cold War days, having those two new neutral nations, as well as having the Warsaw Pact around the Baltics, you had a pretty big balance of power in your favor up in the high north,” Townsend said. “That whole geopolitical tectonic plate has shifted.”

[thewalkingplumbob]

Previously / Legacy Tag

Jessica was entirely fed up with Nico. He never did anything but sit in front of the computer, either playing some stupid game, chatting with some “friends” from a different town, or attempting to hack something. She needed him to help her with Reila, his daughter, and also help her with the household chores. But no, he never offered; he always left everything up to her. And she was frustrated beyond belief. He didn’t even congratulate her getting accepted to college! Things had been so different when they first fell in love. He really had been a great dad for the first few months after Reila was born, always helping change her diapers, always making sure her onesies were clean. Now it was like he didn’t care anymore.

Jessica, annoyed: Do you think you could take five minutes away from the love of your life, Mr. Computer, and help me with the laundry?

Nico: Oh yeah sure. Give me a sec to finish coding this thing...

There was no such thing as a “sec” for Nico. He didn’t even turn around to look at Jessica when he answered her. She let out a heavy sigh and picked up the laundry basket. Looks like she would be doing everything tonight, again.

[asfaltics]

subfluence merged in an ornamental lake

  but these very subfluences       1 subfluence over boundaries or lands       2 subfluence which natural causes have on the limity of the reflection       3 subfluence, recording occurrences       4 subfluence over ennui. I had not the       5   subfluence. What do we do? What does the       6 subfluence, discoverable or unexplained       7 subfluence, at nights       8 subfluence in production or waste, used freely       9 subfluence literally incalculable, the principle on which       10   the heart-beat is subfluence.       11 subfluence diffused       12 subfluence full of romance       13 lies, and other caustic or irritant subfluence       14 subfluence, the signaling, the adjustment of huge mechanisms       15   subfluence merged in an ornamental lake       16 subfluences subdued       17 his special subfluence, for he was an omnivorous reader, and had a picturesque and even romantic outlook on       18 subfluence, with the colors still       19 subfluence the entire cotton trade       20   subfluence spread far and wide.       21 subfluence, the possibility of human flight       22 subfluence for lack of language : error       23 Subfluenz-Prozesse       24 Subfluenz, einer varistischen       25  

sources (most, and mostly OCR misreads)

1 OCR misread for “substances,” at “Of points wherein we and Papists differ, viz., Transubstantiation, &c.,” in John Rawlet (1642-86 *), A dialogue betwixt two Protestants, in answer to a Popish Catechism (Third edition, corrected; London, 1686) : 82 2 ex “A sketch of the life and public services of Gen. William Henry Harrison.” in (Isaac Rand Jackson?), General William Henry Harrison, Candidate of the People for President of the United States (Baltimore, 1840) : 6 Harrison (1773-1841) would have a short (31-day) tenure as president, but had done enough damage in previous roles, particularly with regard to indigenous people. see wikipedia 3 ex “Scripture and Geology” (by N), in The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction (Saturday, August 14, 1841) : 99-103 (100) see wikipedia for its publisher John Limbird (1796?-1883) 4 ex “Druids and Bards,” being an extensive notice/review of three books — J. B. Pratt The Druids Illustrated (1861), John Williams, ed., Brut y Tywysogion (1860), and Godfrey Higgins, The Celtic Druids (1829), in The Edinburgh Review, 118 (American Edition; July 1863) : 20-36 (35) 5 ex “A Rolling Stone.” By George Sand, translated from the French by Carroll Owen, in Library of Famous Fiction 2 (1879) : 1-113 (109) 6 OCR cross-colum misread, involving M. H. Cobb, “Common Sense Applied to Living” (pp 5-7) and “A Parlor Drama, in Two Acts” by Augusta De Bubna (pp 7-13), in The Brooklyn New Monthly Magazine, Henry Morford (1823-81), editor and manager; 1:1 (January 1880) : 7 7 ex A. Ernest Sansom, “The Dyspepsia of Infancy,” in The New York Medical Times 19:2 (May 1891) : 33-37 (34) 8 involving obituaries (memorials) for James Holmes and David Wright, in the section “Connexional Biography” in The Primitive Methodist Magazine 73 - London, 1892) : 51 on “Connexionalism” (and its relation to “network”), this, from wikpedia — “The United Methodist Church defines connection as the principle that ‘all leaders and congregations are connected in a network of loyalties and commitments that support, yet supersede, local concerns.’ Accordingly, the primary decision-making bodies in Methodism are conferences, which serve to gather together representatives of various levels of church hierarchy.” 9 ex “Brief Gleanings : The treatment of Leanness and Obesity” in The Medical Brief (A Monthly Journal of Scientific Medicine; J.J. Lawrence, Proprietor) 20:10 (St. Louis, Mo; October 1892) : 1240 10 ex W. Garden Blaikie, “St. Paul’s Pastoral Counsels to the Corinthians.” in Exegetical and Expository Section, The Homiletic Review 29:5 (May 1895) : 451-453 11 Aloysius O. J. Kelly, “Essential Paroxysmal Tachycardia — Report of Four Cases.” (Read October 14, 1896), in Proceedings of the Philadelphia County Medical Society 17 (Session of 1896) : 166-180 (171) Kelly (1870-1911) obituary at Boston Medical and Surgical Journal (now NEJM) March 9, 2011) : 360 12 out of chronology (and unlinkable snippet, only), mea culpa, ex The Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle 21 (1813) : 328 13 snippet only, evidently from Chapter 9 “Signs and Tokens” of Charles Dickens, Bleak House (1852-53), here ex Works Volume 3 (1899) : 374 14 misread involving “Milk a Universal Antidote” and “School-Meals for Underfed Children” in The Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette (A monthly journal of physiological medicine) 16:1 (January 1900) : 20 15 ex Edward Nelson, “Electricity in Service on British Battleships,” in Electricity 29:23 (December 6, 1905) : 311-313 16 preview snippet only, at (Commonwealth of Australia) Parliamentary Debates 57 (1910) : 3207 17 ex index of volume, Proceedings of the American Society for Psychical Research (Section “B” of the American Institute for Scientific Research) vol. 5 (New York, 1911) : 771 18 ex entry (by “C. L. G.”) for Meredith White Townsend (1831-1911), in Dictionary of National Biography, edited by Sidney Lee. Second Supplement vol. 3, Neil – Young (New York, 1912) : 532 19 preview snippet only, ex The American Year Book 5 (1915) : 300 20 § 816. Corners... in William Herbert Page, The Law of Contracts Second edition; revised, rewritten and enlarged with forms. Volume 2. (Cincinnati, 1920) : 1441 21 ex “Balboa Day, September 17th, 1919 in Honolulu,” in Bulletin of the Pan-Pacific Union (January 1920) : 6 22 misread, involving report on “The Langley Flying Machine” (and some controversy between S. P. Langley and the Wright brothers), and “The Impurity of Pure Substances” (review of A. Smits, Theorie der Allotropie (1921)) in Nature 108 (November 3, 1921) : 298 23 misread, involving Booth et al v. Floyd (No 2358) and Blackstone v. Nelson, Warden (No 2457) in The Southeastern Reporter 108 (August 27 - December 3, 1921) : 114 24 H. J. Behr, “Subfluenz-Prozesse im Grundgebirgs-Stockwerk Mitteleuropas.” Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft 129 (1978) : 283-318 25 K. Weber, “Das Bewegungsbild im Rhenoherzynikum Abbild einer varistischen Subfluenz.” Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft 129 (1978) : 249-281 referring to the Variscan Orogeny (wikipedia)  

method

1

There is no word “subfluence,” or only barely one. This started with the self-written biographical note of poet Jack Hirschman, in A Caterpillar Anthology (Clayton Eshleman, ed., 1971) —

“They are lyrical poems, in verse or free-form, as distinguished from the poems in this anthology, which are breath forms reflecting a more total slavery to the conditions of the spirit’s war-torn years. The major influences on my works are influence itself, in as many levels of order, disorder, disaster, paranoia, joy and ecstasy as the deathless magic of being alive permits a vessel now of fire, now of air, to spark, glow, flame and ember according to the law of nature.”

“Influence” — that word — led to thinking about variations, e.g., effluence, outfluence, pre-fluence... “subfluence” — an underground stream a less-than fluency (stammering, stuttering) a brittleness?

Little — or nothing — surfaced in a google books search, save for errors — typically a “sub” at the end of one line, a “fluence” at the start of the next (in a different column). Quite enough for present purposes. And so these subfluence derivations are built around a word that isn’t quite a word. Some license has been taken with the text in this post: dispensing ellipsis or [brackets] where text is erased (or rather, dropped); in some instances, some words that preceded the subfluence, are moved to follow it.

2

And yet, the word does appear, in some (and only a few) geological texts, typically having to do with the geotectonic unterströmungshypothese (undercurrent) concepts — and field work done in the Northern Calcareous Alps — of and by Otto Ampferer (1875-1947). More on Ampferer to come. For now, these references —

Wolf-Christian Dullo and Fritz A. Pfaffle, “The theory of undercurrent from the Austrian alpine geologist Otto Ampferer (1875-1947) : first conceptual ideas on the way to plate tectonics,” Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 56 (2019) : 1095-11 here

Karl Krainer und Christoph Hauser, “Otto Ampferer (1875–1947): Pioneer in Geology, Mountain Climber, Collector and Draftsman,” in: Geo.Alp Sonderband 1 (2007) : 91–100 here (pdf)

wikipedia (in German)

Dr. Otto Ampferer. “Über das Bewegungsbild von Faltengebirgen” (On the movement pattern of folded mountains), in Jahr. Geol. Reichsanstalt (Yearbook of the Austrian Geological Survey), 56:3-4 (1906) : 539-622 “Mit 42 Zinkotypien im Text” here

3

“Subfluence” also surfaces as a company name, social media handle, &c., &c.

—

all tagged subfluence  

[galaxiqs]

consider this a starter for my ORIGINAL CHARACTERS. please specify who you want and i will get to them slowly but surely. options are under the cut. i will be capping at 5 per character, just so i don’t get overwhelmed by one over the other <3

ashton andrews ( tom holland, pjo oc )

aurora ross ( liana liberato, glee oc )

billy mitchell ( keiynan lonsdale, pjo oc )

blake townsend ( adam dimarco, legacies oc )          /          (  3 / 5  )

brenna sloan ( poppy drayton, glee oc )

dallas quinn ( lulu antariksa, pjo oc )          /          (  1 / 5  )

delaney tremaine ( arden cho, descendants oc )          /          (  1 / 5  )

emma fitzherbert ( zoey deutch, descendants oc )

jackson flemming ( tyler hoechlin, legacies oc )

jakob bjorgman ( n/a, descendants oc )

jordan tucker ( logan lerman, hp next gen oc )          /          (  2 / 5  )

juliana carvalho ( camila mendes, fandomless hybrid oc )          /          (  2 / 5  )

kamala ravi ( naomi scott, hunger games oc )          /          (  1 / 5  )

marcus gothel ( carter jenkins, descendants oc )

sasha mccarthy ( vanessa morgan, fandomless powered oc )          /          (  2 / 5  )

sawyer blakesley ( virginia gardner, legacies oc )          /          (  2 / 5  )

[townsenddecades]

1331 – Day 1 – Glennborough (3/3)

The house – only a hut, really – she is shown to is indeed small, especially for a family of five. Its arable land is barely more than the patch in front of it, and that soil is covered in grass that reaches up to her waist and dwarfs her two younger children.

But it serves her other needs: while still in walking distance of the town walls, it is far enough away that Christopher won’t be closely observed. Only one other hut of similar build is nearby, and while it’s inhabited, walking there still takes several minutes. It’s not the complete isolation of their life in Lüghaven, but she could have done far worse.

The hut’s furniture is simple, but functional enough for a beginning. She resolves to try and make it more homely by adding straw mats or rugs, and to clear the land in front of the house before winter, as Baroness Goth has suggested. It may not be much, but they can make a home here.

It won’t be a complete one. Not without Simon. A part of her still despairs over this, but she knows that she has to prevail, even that means simply putting one step in front of the other for now. It will become easier with time. Or at least, that is what she hopes for.

That way of thinking is especially important now that she is sure that their family of five will soon be a family of six again. Because there is one thing she discovered during those few days of rest, one that she judged prudent not to tell Lord and Lady Goth.

She is expecting yet another child. Simon’s last child.

How she will manage to take care of all of her boys and the household and give birth on her own, she has no idea. She knows how exhausting carrying a child is, and how unlikely it is that she will be able to handle the hard work that will be required of her. But there is no other choice. She will either prevail, or they will all starve.

But if there is one thing she is sure of, and it is that somewhere, the Watcher is laughing.  

Previous: 1331, Day 1, Part 2/3 <--> Next: 1331, Day 2, Part 1/4

[jupneko]

Wooooo okay here’s a long-overdue updated extended family/friends tree! Sorry it’s so tiny in tumblr’s view rn cause there’s so many gen 2 sims it doesn’t know what to do lol

clip art credit: birthday crown PNG Designed By 588ku from Pngtree.com; accessories PNG Designed By 588ku from Pngtree.com; halloween icons PNG Designed By syedhassan from Pngtree.com.

[id: a sims 4 family tree showing headshots of each sim over a light blue background, with lines connecting immediate family, and dotted lines connecting extended family to their respective main character. Names are written below, and relationship type is designated with symbols or text. Additional details are shown with symbols. In the first gen row we have: Terri Patterson, married to Akira Kibo. Off to the side of Terri are: Candy Behr (Terri’s good friend) and her sister Yuki Behr; Marcus Flex (Terri’s friend); and Mortimer Goth (Terri’s friend) and his wife Bella Goth. Off to Akira’s side are: Samaria Teheiura (Akira’s friend) and her husband Mark Eggleston; Miko Rucker-Ojo (Akira’s old roommate) and her husband Grady Rucker-Ojo; and Darling Walsh (Akira’s old roommate). All sims in the first gen are adults. Terri & Akira are marked as “played”. Terri is marked as founder. All are still living except Mortimer Goth and Marcus Flex.

In the second generation are: Judith Kibo and Carole Kibo, both adults, twins and daughters of Terri Patterson & Akira Kibo, and Latisha Gast, Carole’s girlfriend. Off to the side of the twins are: Chelsea Bolton, Roger Benedict, Naomi Oh, and Navya Savalani (all Judith’s good friends), Shaina Gaines, Nawai Hauata, Itzel Millard, Reese Shea, Bruno Townsend, and Gia Butterfield (also Judith’s friends); Mariam Dye, Kristie Goldstein, Francisco Lovett, and Arthur Willoughby (all Carole’s good friends), Brianne Hatfield, Jamal Najera, and Cory Landrum (also Carole’s friends); Gen 2 also has: Cassandra and Alexander Goth, both adults, children of Mortimer and Bella Goth; Kirby and Jamison Teheiura, teenager and toddler, respectively, the kids of Samaria Teheiura and Mark Eggleston; Katie Rucker-Ojo, the adult daughter of Miko and Grady Rucker-Ojo; and Marian Walsh, a child, the daughter of Darling Walsh. Judith and Carole are marked as “played”. Judith is marked as “main household heir”.]

[fundielicious-simblr]

Gen 3 - Couples

Here are the ‘main’ and ‘side; characters for gen 3 that we’ll be seeing various amounts of. I’ve updated the gen 3 couples info page so everything should be correct at this point, but I will try and keep it updated often. Head to the aforementioned information page for more links to the wedding links and some of the couples’ love stories to get more context on the couples.

This is going to go in chronological order since that’s the sequence I’ve defaulted to for this gen’s lists 😂This post is definitely a loooong one, so get ready to read  😂

[1] Mason & Adalynn Leonard

Adalynn (32) married Mason (33) when she was 20 and he was 21; they’ve been married for 12 years and have 7 children together.

They met at Family Bible Camp and courted for 8 months. They were both the first (and oldest) sibling to get married and shared their first kiss at the altar.

They live in Willowcreek, where Mason works for his father’s business and is also an assistant Pastor at his father’s church - Willowcreek Baptist. Adalynn is a stay at home mother who cares for the house and homeschools their children.

They’re labelled (in my lists) as Quiverfull Fundamentalists as they’ve decided to leave the amount of children they have up to God - as a result they have 7 children: Noah (9), Luke (7), Aaron (6), Paul (4), Joshua (2), and twins Caleb, and Jonah are newborns.

They are labelled as one of my heirs for this gen - so you’ll be hearing from Adalynn a lot.

Here’s their family: Mason is holding Caleb, Adalynn is holding Joshua, then from L-R it’s Noah, Luke, Aaron in the middle, and Paul and Joshua at the front.

[2] Eric and Valentina Townsend

Valentina (28) married Eric (31) when she was 20 and he was 23. They’ve been married for 8 years and have 4 children together.

They met after Valentina’s mother and aunt Danielle did some matchmaking and introduced them, they courted for almost 6 months before getting married. They too shared their first kiss at the altar.

They live in Brindleton Bay. Eric works as a freelance Computer Programmer, but considers fatherhood is top priority and Valentina cares for house and home, while working on her music career in her spare time. 

They’re labelled as non-quiverfull fundamentalists, after the birth of their first child they chose to control the amount of children they have, and as a result they have 4 children: Aria (7), Ansel (6), and twins Asher (1) and Abbott (1). They also subscribe to fundamentalist beliefs, but don’t implement things that they feel wouldn’t work with their family.

They’re Level 2 as theyre still fundamentalists, and because Valentina’s mother Claire was the most quiverfull Collins female from gen 2.

L-R: Aria (7), Valentina (28), Abott (1), Asher (1), Eric (31), and Ansel (6)

[3] Barrett & Kyleigh Collins

Barrett (31) married Kyleigh (29) when he was 23 and she was 21. They’ve been married for 8 years and have 8 children together.

They also met at Family Bible Camp, they courted for 3 months before marrying, and saved their first kiss for the altar.

They live in Newcrest, Barrett is a mechanic and has now started preaching at his family’s church, Newcrest Baptist. Kyleigh stays home and homeschools their children while caring for the home.

These two are labelled as quiverfull fundamentalists, and left the number of children they have up to God which had led to 8 children: triplets Chloe (8), Allan Jr (8), and Benjamin (8), twins Rose (6), and Violet (6), Daisy (4), Marigold (2), and Olivia (1)

These are also my heirs, so there should be more posts on them as time goes on.

L-R: Allan Jr (8), Violet (6) (at the back), Rose (6) (sat down), Olivia (1), Barrett (31), Marigold (2), Kyleigh (29), Benjamin (8) (at the back), Daisy (4), and Chloe (8)

[4] Carter and Madelynn Paulson

Carter (30) married Madelynn (27) when he was 24 and she was 21. They’ve been married for 6 years and have 2 children together.

They met at Family Bible Camp and they courted for almost a year before getting married, they too saved their first kiss for the altar.

They live in Willowcreek, Carter is a police officer at Willowcreek Police Department whilst Madelynn cares for house and home whilst also working with several women’s charities in her spare time whilst their son is at the homeschool co-op.

They’re labelled as non-quiverfull fundamentalists, they’re already open about having a limit on the amount of children they’ll have, and so far they have 2 boys: Lester Jr (6) and Fitzwilliam (newborn) (not sure whether I should spoil the final number or not 👀) but they’re still fundie enough to go to camp. They are picky about what they choose to follow in terms of fundamentalist beliefs however.

These two are essentially what has become level 3 - not heir status, but because they’re still mostly fundie you’ll be seeing more of them than some of Carter’s siblings.

Carter and Madelynn’s family

[5] Shane and Maggie Wright

Maggie (25) married Shane (26) when she was 18 and he was 19. They’ve been married for 7 years and Maggie is pregnant with twins! (AN: this was a surprise to me too 😂)

They met when Maggie travelled into San Myshuno with a group from her home church to assist a group from his church with a local political campaign for the conservative candidate. They courted for almost a year before marrying - her being 17 and him being 18 at the time, Maggie’s parents wanted her to take it ‘slower’ than her older siblings. They too saved their first kiss for marriage.

They live in the city, Shane works for a graphic design company and Maggie is a fashion photographer and a social media influencer - she’s a following of over 30 thousand followers on Simstagram that grows daily.

These two are labelled as Conservative Christians. Maggie has fully broken away from the way she was raised and lives a secular (but still bigoted 🤡) life with her husband. They waited until they were a bit older to have children, and are now expecting twins! 

These two are Level 2 - They’re the breakaways from the heir group, so having their story would be good for variety.

 [6] Reece and Stacie Collins

Reece (24) married Stacie (24) when they were both 18 years old, they’ve been married for 6 years and have 1 child with one more on the way!

They first met at a conference in Stacie’s native Windenburg, they started courting when they were both 17 and married soon after they turned 18. They had a no touch courtship and engagement, and saved their first kiss for marriage.

They live in San Myshuno. Reece is a freelance software programmer and works with various churches and organisations, Stacie was also a freelance programmer prior to them having children, now she stays at home with their son.

These two are labelled non-quiverfull fundie lite. They both wanted to set their own rules for what they believed after marriage; initially both were open to leaving the number of children they had up to God, but when they found out about Stacie’s troubles surrounding pregnancy, they decided that they’d be selective with how many children they had. They now have one son, Liam (3) and another baby on the way.

These are Level 2 - they’re part of my heir family and are some of my favourites, so we’ll be seeing a lot of them.

Here they are with their son Liam - soon they’ll be a family of 4!

[7] Colton and Brittany Dahlmann

Brittany (29) married Colton (31) when she was 24 and he was 26. They’ve been married for 5 years and have 1 child together.

They initially met and became friends at university, they then reconnected when Brittany visited Colton’s father’s political offices for an interview. They dated for a year before Colton proposed at a charity benefit they both organised. These two did not save their first kiss for the altar (but don’t tell Brittany’s parents that 💀)

They live in Windenburg on the Dahlmann family estate. Colton works at his father’s political offices and is planning on launching his own campaign, while Brittany stays home with their daughter, during campaign season she’s at the offices helping with media strategies.

These two fall under the Conservative Christian label. They’re both secular enough to fit in the world, but conservative enough to be on the conservative political scene as up and coming players. These two definitely have a set amount of children - optics are everything nowadays.

These two are level 3 - they’ll have a few storylines now and again, but we’ll mostly ‘hear’ of them rather than see them.

Here’s Colton and Brittany with their daughter Nicole (4)

They’ve also got an announcement to make!

Soon they’ll be a family of 4! (AN: had to throw this in because this post took so long)

[8] Tanner and Tabitha Collins

Tanner (25) married Tabitha (20) when he was 24 and she was 19, they’ve been married for a year and have 1 child together.

They met at Tabitha’s home church in Willowcreek, they courted for 6 months before getting married. They were married in a double wedding along with Tabitha’s twin sister and her husband Alan (who is also Tanner’s cousin), both couples saved their first kiss for marriage.

They live in Willowcreek. Tanner works at Willowcreek General Hospital doing his residency in the Obstetrics/Gynaecology unit, Tabitha stays home with their baby.

These two are quiverfull fundamentalists. They’re open to the amount of children that God feels necessary to bless them with, they currently have one child, a newborn son they named Tanner Jr.

These two are level 2.5/ level 3 - They’re fundie as hell, so they’ll most likely appear in conjunction with other fundies, but we’re not going to focus on them as much.

Here they are with their son TJ

[9] Francisco and Zoe Moreno 

Zoe (29) married Francisco (33) when she was 27 and he was 31, they’ve been married for 2 years and have 1 child together.

They met when Francisco moved to Newcrest and started attending the Collinses church, there he met Zoe whilst she was singing with the choir. They courted for 9 months before getting married, they saved their first kiss for the altar.

They currently live in Oasis Springs, Francisco is deployed to a military base in the desert but is allowed to live off-base due to being married. Zoe stays home and takes care of their son, while also working on her music.

These two are labelled non-quiverfull fundie lite. They both wanted to set their own rules for what they believed after marriage, and due to them constantly moving because of Francisco’s job, they’re more careful with how often they have children. They currently have one son, a 1 year old boy named Javier Jr (JJ).

These are Level 2 - they’re part of the heir family, so they’ll be references to them a lot.

Here they are with their son JJ.

[10] Beckett and Mandy Collins

Beckett (23) married mandy (20) when he was 21 and she was 18, they’ve been married for 2 years now.

They met when Mandy moved to Newcrest to be a mothers helper and joined the Collinses church, they courted for 6 months before marrying and they saved their first kiss for marriage.

They live in Selvadorada, they moved to serve in the mission field soon after they married. Beckett is the pastor of a church that they’ve set up there, and Mandy’s role is that of the Pastor’s wife.

These two are labelled as quiverfull fundamentalists and have left the number of children they have up to God. They currently have no children due to unexplained infertility, but are praying for whatever God wants for them.

These two are Level 3 - Their location means you’ll get updates every holiday season.

[11]  Alan and Tessa Paulson

Alan (27) married Tessa (20) when he was 26 and she was 19, they’ve been married for 1 year and have 1 child together.

They met at Tessa’s home church in Willowcreek when Alan’s cousin Tanner started courting Tessa’s twin sister. They courted for 5 months before marrying in a double wedding, they also saved their first kiss for their wedding.

They live in San Myshuno, Alan works for a Christian Media company as a critic and Tessa stays home with their child.

These two are quiverfull fundamentalists. They’re open to the amount of children that God feels necessary to bless them with, they currently have one child, a newborn son they named Charity.

These two are level 2.5/ level 3 - They’re fundie as hell, so they’ll most likely appear in conjunction with other fundies, but we’re not going to focus on them as much.

Here they are with their daughter Charity (AN: i love that both babies got the redhead gene 😂)

[12] Gregory and Kristyn Crocker

Kristyn (24) and Gregory (27) have been married for 10 months and are expecting their first child together

Their families have known each other through various conferences over the years, so he approached Kristyn’s parents about courting her. They courted for 7 months before getting married, and saved their first kiss for the altar.

They live in Oasis Springs, Gregory works for the faculty at the same Bible university that his father is the Dean of, and Kristyn stays at home. In her spare time she volunteers with the children’s ministry of their church.

These two are non-quiverfull fundamentalists. Gregory’s family aren’t quiverfull, so he didn’t feel it necessary to adopt that in his family, Kristyn is currently pregnant with their first child.

These two are Level 3 - They’re not that important, so they’ll probably reappearin recaps.

Their growing family!

[13] Felix and Priscilla Roberts 

Priscilla (20) and Felix (25) have been married for 2 months

They initially met at Felix’s sister Madelynn’s wedding but started courting after meeting again at a conference. They courted for 8 months before marrying - they saved their first kiss for the altar.

They live in Oasis Springs in the Roberts household with Felix’s parents, Felix works as a lawyer for his father’s law offices whilst Priscilla helps his mother with the families charities.

These two are labelled non-quiverfull (sort of) fundie lite. They lean more fundamentalist than the rest but can still be labelled as fundie lite.

These are Level 2.5 - Priscilla comes from the heir family so they’ll be referenced a lot and will be seen in updates.

[14]  Thomas Eichelburg and Amira Collins

Amira (22) and Thomas (23) are recently engaged to be married

They met when Amira was in Thomas’ native Windenburg fora conference with her family, they’ve been together for around 10 months. 

[15] Adam Hill and Abbey Collins 

Abbey Collins (28) and Adam Hill (29) are engaged to be married

They met at a conference for their jobs as marine biologists and have been together for 2 years.

[16] Tucker Crawford and Sabrina Paulson

Sabrina (24) and Tucker (25) have been courting for 2 months

The couple started courting at Family Camp this summer after being friends for a while

And THAT is the end of the gen 3 couple intros, what should’ve taken 3 days has taken 2 weeks because university work ramped up and i underestimated just how much information would be covered 😂 The next post will cover the gen 3 singles/children, which should be a much shorter post.

[omgstupendousbouquetbasement]

US Strikes in Somalia Nearly on Par with Strikes in Iraq, Syria

The pace of U.S. military strikes against al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab in Somalia this year is nearly on par with the number of strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

The U.S. has carried out 25 strikes against al-Shabab to date in 2020, including one Monday in the vicinity of Janaale, Somalia, that U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said killed four terrorists.

Data released to VOA by a U.S. defense official show the U.S. carried out 29 airstrikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria from January 1 to March 1, the latest date in which strike data was available. A full strike report from Operation Inherent Resolve is expected later this week.

Strikes in Iraq and Syria have significantly tapered off since the territorial defeat of the so-called Islamic State caliphate last March.

In 2019, there were more than 2,000 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, with at least 1,600 of those carried out in the first couple of months. U.S. Central Command has decreased troop numbers in Syria, where thousands of IS fighters are estimated to remain, but increased troop numbers elsewhere in the Middle East in an effort to counter the threat of Iran.

FILE - Al-Shabab fighters march during military exercises in the Lafofe area, some 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of Mogadishu, Somalia, Feb. 17, 2011.

Meanwhile, AFRICOM conducted a record 63 strikes in Somalia last year. Most were against al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab, which has an estimated 6,000 militants in Somalia, with a handful of strikes against Islamic State. There were 47 U.S. military strikes in Somalia in 2018.

"Airstrikes are preventative measures to ensure al-Shabab does not increase in size and strength," AFRICOM spokesman Maj. Karl Weiss told VOA on Monday. "That said, airstrikes and kinetic operations are not the command's primary effort in Somalia; our core activity is the training of Somali security forces."

Despite the ramped up strike numbers in Somalia, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has appeared averse to adding more U.S. troops to Africa, where Islamic extremists have plagued the continent from Somalia to the Sahel.

FILE - Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, March 2, 2020.

The Pentagon is in the middle of a review of AFRICOM that could reduce the number of U.S. troops on the continent. The first troop change in Africa under Esper's leadership withdrew conventional troops and replaced them with specialized military trainers.

Esper has said the move would leave "roughly the same number of troops on the continent," while giving U.S. commanders the capability to bolster partner forces.

Members of Congress have pushed back against any potential troop cuts, saying a decrease could provide an opening for strategic competitors Russia and China. Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim Inhofe, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have even called for an increase in the number of U.S. troops deployed to Africa.

Esper is trying to follow a shift started by his predecessor, Jim Mattis, away from counterterrorism toward strategic competition with China and Russia. During Mattis' time as defense secretary, the U.S. pulled 100 to 200 troops from West Africa and was preparing for further cuts.

Defense officials said extremist groups in West Africa did not appear to pose a threat to the U.S. homeland, but they have since continued to pummel U.S. allies, especially in countries like Burkina Faso. A top general in U.S. Africa Command admitted to VOA at the time of the troop pullout that the U.S. and its allies were "not winning" the counterterror war for the Sahel.

AFRICOM Commander Gen. Stephen Townsend has said al-Shabab is the "largest and most violent" of al-Qaida's branches worldwide. Defense officials have stressed that while al-Shabab does not possess the capability to strike the U.S. homeland, the group has the intent to do so.

"It is important to impact their ability to threaten peace and security in East Africa and prevent their threats against the U.S. from being a reality," Townsend said in a press release last month.

Townsend and CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie testify together in front of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.  

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[thewalkingplumbob]

Previously / Legacy Tag

She was the one that ended things, so why did it still hurt so bad?

Jessica sat on her bed, pulling her knees close to her chest as the tears seemed to fall out of her control. It was true that she would always love Nico. He was, after all, Reila’s father. But he was also her first love, first kiss, first time, first everything. She had thought at one point, before her pregnancy, before Reila, before all that had happened in the past year, that they could’ve made it through anything. But life doesn’t always go as planned.

All she needed for now was a moment to herself, to let herself feel it, to cry everything out, so she could move on.

[ao3feed-turn]

A New Bassist

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2NwamFZ

by ThebanSacredBand

Or - How Robert Townsend joined the band Culper

Words: 913, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of Liberty Song (AKA the Turn band AU nobody asked for)

Fandoms: Turn (TV 2014)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Benjamin Tallmadge, Caleb Brewster, Abraham Woodhull, Robert Townsend (1753-1838), James Rivington, Benedict Arnold (mentioned), George Washington (mentioned)

Additional Tags: band!au, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Bands, Benedict Arnold is an ass, Robert Townsend is tired

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2NwamFZ