#[ no more Southern hospitality we going southern hostility]

[rengineer]

Engie, don't threaten to 'lay' anyone out. These people are freaks. They like their fair share of murderous men.

"You're right, I should've just infected 'em with Anthrax (given by Quinn) next time."

[practically-an-x-man]

Sorry my brain is still so frazzled, and I'm bad at coming up with asks on a good day. :D

For TST, can I get a director's commentary on a recent work? I always love those!

Thanks!!!

Thank you!! I think I'll go with that new Nikoletta/Abner AU fic I posted yesterday, Southern Hospitality :D

Talk Shop Tuesday

____

So everyone was a little weird around here. But the new guy took it to a whole different level.

This is one of those things where... idk, I can't say I struggle writing it, but it's definitely a challenge. Abner is weird. He just is. And a lot of his relationship with Nikoletta, both in canon and in this AU, isn't about the fact that she doesn't think he's weird, but that she doesn't care.

And I think, on that note, one of the tenets of their relationship both in canon and in the AU is that they don't have this immediate attraction. She thinks he's a little weird, he thinks she's kind of icy and intimidating, and there are biases and walls that they're still in the process of breaking down even as their relationship progresses. Before their relationship is even really built out of affection and trust, it's built out of loneliness, but in the end that leads to a deeper connection and trust because they made the conscious decision to work for it.

At this point, Nikoletta was tempted just to let it go. She wasn't exactly a social butterfly either, and as far as she was concerned she only needed to know her neighbors well enough to knock on their doors if there was a tenement fire.

This is one of those moments where I'm trying to link the AU with canon. Nikoletta may not be in Belle Reve here, but she's still a bit of a loner who doesn't believe in expending her social energy on things that aren't worth it. She'll be polite enough, but once she decides it's not worth it, she's done.

Long story short, she needs a reason to interact with him at this point, since she'd past the point of just being friendly for the sake of being friendly.

The door opened a crack. Through the gap, Nikoletta saw the faint glow of multicolored light illuminating the dark apartment beyond. Her first thought was of those flashy computer setups with the RGB lights - but if he had one of those, he certainly wouldn't be living in a place like this. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

I'm not sure why I chose to have this all occur when Abner's dealing with a dot flare. I think it boils down to two things: one, I think the vague body-horror of seeing bits and pieces of it here but then having him appear completely normal when they meet face to face adds an interesting touch to this piece, and two, I feel like it's more meaningful to Abner that she'd still offer to have him over even after witnessing something clearly strange and even a little unpleasant. It goes back to that first point - their relationship isn't built off an immediate attraction, it's a conscious choice to built that trust, and it starts with moments like this.

"Wait here." His voice was soft and somehow gentle, even as the door shut forcefully in front of her.

This is really what endeared me to Abner as a character from the very beginning. His power is destructive, he behaves oddly and is used as the butt of the joke by the rest of the team, but he's really very gentle. There are really only two moments in the movie where we see him genuinely get angry - once a brief flash of annoyance when Peacemaker is shoving him and badgering him about his condition, and later after Milton is killed and the others hardly seem to care. And once you get past some of those off-putting moments, he really is a sweetheart!

And of course, by extension, his being gentle (despite the pain he's in, despite being isolated, despite being surrounded by metahumans who want to push him around) is what endears him to Nikoletta as well. It's more obvious in the main story, since Belle Reve is such a hostile environment that he really stands out, but this moment here is really the AU equivalent to that. He's clearly dealing with something, he's clearly in pain, but he still helps her when he could easily just close the door on her.

Twenty minutes later, she found herself back in front of his door.

And here's Nikoletta's response to that, of course. This is the equivalent to their early interactions in Belle Reve in the main timeline - she saves him from the other inmate attacking him, he brings her coffee after she has a nightmare, slowly they start to connect through those little moments like that. It's again that slow build of trust, the daring to reach out even when it's not easy for either of them, and the connection that comes from those moments.

"You want to invite me over?" It was the most she'd ever heard him say at once. His voice still held the same gentle hesitance, like he was shocked she would even speak to him.

Poor guy's just not used to being included, invited, thought about, anything like that. His story really breaks my heart in that way, but I think it also makes moments like these a lot richer.

She'd extended the offer mostly as a courtesy - this was the South, offering to share a meal was hardly any more uncommon than saying "bless you" after a sneeze - but had never really expected him to agree.

Okay, yeah, a bit of hyperbole here, but sharing food is still a big thing here! I mean, I can't count the amount of times one of my theatre castmates has been like "I'm taking coffee orders, let me know what you want!" or brought in snacks for our tech rehearsals (to be fair, I'm included in this crowd, my dad and I brought cookies on our first tech day for Pippin) or offered to bring in pizza or sandwiches so everyone can eat during our two-show days.

Idk where I'm going with this, I just love the theme of sharing food as an act of love/connection.

Being face-to-face with whatever those pustules and tumors were? But she'd spent plenty of time around metahumans, she'd certainly seen worse. She couldn't say she was delighted by the thought of it, but neither was she disgusted.

That's the other thing I see a lot in Abner fics: romanticizing the dots and how they manifest. And like... if that's your thing, cool, and there's nothing wrong with that, but I think it's just as fair to say "this is understandably a little gross, a little unpleasant to look at, and you don't have to romanticize it to love and respect your partner. It can be gross and you can love them anyway."

I feel like I'm not articulating that thought very well, but like... if your partner has IBS, you can love them very much and still want to leave the room when they're having a flareup just because it's a little gross. If your partner has cystic acne, you're not obligated to find their acne beautiful and you're not a bad person if you don't, you just need to respect your partner and not reduce them to their condition. Human bodies are gross. There's going to be something here or there that just grosses you out, and that's not a moral failing, it's an impulse and you can't control it. You don't have to romanticize every little thing about your partner in order for it to be a healthy relationship.

So yeah. It weirds Nikoletta out a little bit. She's not used to it, she doesn't know what it is, and it's not exactly pleasant to look at. And that's okay, because she doesn't let it overwhelm her opinion of him.

He was… kind of cute. In an awkward, kicked-puppy sort of way.

Okay, yeah, Abner used those ten minutes to purge the dots and clean himself up a little. I was tempted to go the other way with it, and I think there would've been a lot of merit to the "more than meets the eye approach" where Nikoletta is put face-to-face with those visual biases she might have, but I went with this for three main reasons:

Abner as a character would probably want to purge the dots and make himself "presentable", if only because his mother's drilled it into his head that he needs to hide his condition in order to be respected and cared for. Sad reason, but it's the most logical action for him

As I mentioned before, I love the vague body-horror of Nikoletta catching glimpses in his apartment but then Abner appearing completely ordinary when they finally meet face-to-face

I just really liked the whole "Oh man I don't even know this guy, he was nice but that was a little freaky and I'm wondering if I made a mistake and- hey hang on he's kind of cute" thought process, I thought it was cute

This is getting long so I'm going to leave it here, there's not a whole lot I wanted to say about the last bit of the scene except that I was trying to be faithful to how they're both fundamentally very awkward people who are trying their best and how that carries over in their relationship regardless of what stage they're in, and I really had fun writing this piece.

Thanks for the ask!!

[alwaysdevilday]

So I found an interesting worldgen… (Icemourn Pt. 1)

Last night I got the itch to play some Dwarf Fortress (the Steam version because I love me some pretty graphics and menus) so I loaded it up and generated a world.

Much to my surprise, one of the options for a starting civilization (a nation of origin from which my dwarves can be from) was this:

What you're looking at is a civilization of one (1). The king of this entire nation is also its only member, and he spends all his time sitting in his castle alone at the edge of the known world surrounded by ice and frozen peaks. There ain't anybody else other than my seven starting dwarves.

I thought to myself "oh this is gonna suck, there's no way I can't do this", and decided to go for it. I was gonna raise this nation out of the dirt as if my life depended on it.

I chose a spot in the frigid coniferous forests off the landmass's southern coast. No close neighbors, just me and the bears and whoever decided to pass through.

For my preparations, I loaded up on the bare essentials until I ran out of points, gave my dwarves the standard spread of jack-of-all-trades skills and took a few animals for emergency food and protection. The water buffalo are hard to take down and although they eat a lot of grass in pasture, they yield lots of useful resources if I have to Do The Deed. War dogs would take up the task of saving my hide from any potentially dangerous wildlife.

I named the fortress "Icemourn" or Ushilleshal in the dwarven tongue. I thought it appropriate, given that the land remains frozen and blanketed with snow 9 months out of the year.

My embark location was rather auspicious, sporting a wide range of towering trees and plenty of fruit during the admittedly brief surface growing season. The presence of a small river and a natural (if shallow) cliffside did not go unappreciated.

My first task was to carve out a chunk of the hill into something more useful (and aesthetically pleasing). It was there that I would set up my home base, digging out soft and heavy earth to make room for rudimentary bedrooms and the first two workshop areas. The room to the north would be my first dining room, something I planned to convert to a tavern's main floor later.

Initial setup complete, I set about securing my dwarves' safety with some log walls around the entrance. A drawbridge would block all but the biggest and meanest of hostiles from entering in times of emergency. Thankfully, trees were so plentiful in this location that I almost certainly would never run out of usable wood (though that might spell trouble if elves decide to visit later).

That done, my next task was to start carving out the uppermost workshop and stockpile rooms to ensure that my dwarves could carry out essential tasks without being forced to venture into the harsh winter. Dirt walls are ugly and unpleasant, but they get the job done. Beautification would have to come later.

The bare essentials on their way, I had time to order my dwarves to dig deeper, down about 8 z-levels (units of height, estimated to be about 2 meters) until we struck rock. To my delight, the substance proved to be shiny black obsidian. An aesthetically pleasing material, and one I could make basic weaponry out of without having to go to the effort of setting up forges. And as a bonus, fire opal gemstones! Right at my fingertips!

By this time the year's thaw had come, right on schedule in the middle of the summer. Pretty! Warm! Hospitable!

This brought to mind the fact that sooner or later, I would need a water source, so I set my dwarves to tunnel out some of the loam towards the river, forming a subterranean channel that would pipe fresh water into a cavity beneath my entrance's "courtyard". A covered well would allow the dwarves access to drinkable water year round, without concern for it freezing easily.

As autumn approached, the first traders arrived from somewhere far away. I hastily set up a trade depot for them and dumped my sole bin of wooden crafts onto the offering table. By the time the deal was done, we had procured several barrels of alcohol (and the trader had procured a nearly 60% profit, absurdly) and had lightened our load a bit. Unfortunately, our three months of sunlight was over and the snow once again began to fall as the traders packed their things and hastily left.

Continued Later

[tyvian-ore]

rambling about hometowns and living places

when we moved from the northeast to the southeast usa when I was little I was so indignant about the move itself that I never appreciated the nature, the hospitality, or the accents and culture of the people around me there. I was so judgmental of anything I considered "southern" and said that word like an insult. now I live in a big hostile city and I miss all that. I'm glad now that I picked up a tiny bit of the accent, I'm glad I have those memories of walks through the nature there, I'm glad I got to experience southern hospitality truly. I miss expecting that strangers in public will have manners, I miss the comfort of those accents that I truly love more than any other usa accent now, I miss the specific quiet of the woods. I was so desperate to get away from my shitty family that I didn't appreciate the place we lived enough and now I miss it. I consider it where I actually grew up, people ask and I say I'm from there because it's the place that I know most. I wouldn't go back with the way things are right now, but if my birth family wasn't there and if it was safer politically, I'd go back just to take in the air again and find those people that were kind to me despite me being such an angry kid and I'd give a little of that kindness back to them. I know the south part of the usa has some serious problems on a political scale but when you get down to your neighbors and your communities there is a whole lot of genuine accepting love in the south. which is why it breaks my heart so much when people condemn every state down there for the loudest stereotypes that come out of it, for the corrupt politicians' decisions. there's a lot of love in those places, it's just that nobody gets to see it. I saw it, I should have appreciated it. I'll most likely never get to go back again, and I'm going to be a little homesick for that forever. but I'll carry that hospitality with me and I'll still say that's where I'm from. it's weird how a hometown isn't always a birthplace. and it's weirder how sometimes you may choose never to see it again.

[the-luckiest-guy-thanks-to-you]

The onion article isn't helping, but the point is definitely solid

remember when Israel blew up the AP building claiming Hamas was there as a cover to keep journalists from reporting on their attacks?

Have you seen the death tolls?

It's been said by al Jazeera, politico, and others that journalists are often kept away to keep them from reporting on what's going on. Al Jazeera wrote about it in relation to the hospital bombing and not being able to investigate because they were being held back. Politico wrote about how the cease fire would mean journalists could get into Gaza and US admin didn't like that things would be reported on.

Israel has been caught using chemical weapons

Israel's missile interception system keeps them extremely safe from any sort of bombardment that trying is basically useless

Joe Biden has said on multiple occasions that "if there were not an Israel, we would create one to protect our interests in the middle east"

Original (apologies for tiktok, easiest off hand recording)

Recently

Israel created and used Hamas as an asset originally hoping that it would result in giving Israel more power, that back fired dramatically.

Israel has been killing and meddling since it's inception to solidify it's place in the world.

When you are up against a country supported by the largest military in the world who runs an explicit apartheid state, there is no choice but to attack. States are legitimized based on a monopoly of violence. PolySci 101. For Israel to exist, they needed to kill Palestinians. That also means Palestinians only recorse will be to fight back, as Israel and the US simply don't care about their rights, never have, and never will. When armed with billions of dollars every year of military assets from the US, Palestine is put into a corner where there is literally not a single choice but to fight back.

“Hamas shouldn’t have attacked”

🙃

The Israeli genocide of Palestinians has been ongoing for 70 years.

[scentedchildnacho]

Path of life staff told us a tent in the city would get us cop beat up and arrested then forced to validate the comment admitted he is a creepy private Christian and has never been to jail to say things in a flippant glib verbally abusive way

Its a private kid they deal with things clinically

Your going to have to go to the doctor if you won't stop being a weirdo that can't actually manage a behavioural situation

Electro shock your head into weird shapes it's very excruciating to avoid jail sentencing

I know it's a Guadalupe and women can be persecuted like Christ now and you don't have to have any responsibility for what ya done

I don't know about cops but it's been my experience about police violence that violence in my life from people wearing police uniforms were illegals......the police otherwise I'm not with their organization and don't know anything about their internment

They may have been more mafia types or unelecteds

I do notice violence starts to people who start treating their internment in glib humorous ways.....they have to be in the jail and they don't appreciate people who don't take their condition holocaust serious

Chinatown if they made up this fictitious company the youth would do these extraordinary things

Its all just a film

He then admitted he isn't with any government agency to be making statements he does

I like Michael ondaatje.....the kidd though was truly no good....so I also notice police are hired like asylum lobotomy victims to go at an organized crime till it's gone that though has to be weeded out

I don't know about white Africans here but it appears that white africanism in southern situations like Mississippi and Alabama are still the evils black people have complained about

And Gloria Steinem and contradiction in white theory those whites of multicultural origin are the sex slaves so it's having to be blamed for africans like Elon musk

Homosexuality my African homo other that was suppose to be like a migrational privilege that I could acclimate to appears to claim I did things it did

Elon musk though from South Africa does come off like a Russian cliche he is near some type of original computer study for his charm but as a corporate entity has no understanding of the home white cultures he references the social home and corporate are two very different cultures

Simm theory or George simmel Chicago sociology on Elon musk look at this insecure confused and defeated ego if made to truly live what white people have to do for schools here

The Africans may have next generation genetic testing so Zelda Fitzgerald I think they continue to slave other whites so we don't die of assuming privilege

This woman in natchez Mississippi told me I have a homo Caucasian who sent her to a back stab that leached out a lot of fluid around her lungs.....and this clinic not brought to justice keeps claiming I'm this creepy clinic secretary

Their Caucasians that's why we can't ever admit Starbucks is over and do new things

The Same I think white corporatists use to be Quebec.....and that was too murderous and now Africans are here to destroy it

Apartheid a Marian was seen in 1951 in South Africa and 1950s africanism appears to still influance slaughter of unprotected Christians

If your not with them then

People may attack Elon musk a lot

I've also found out times I thought cops were kind of harsh to me weren't actually about trying to arrest me but explain like this deaf boy whose mother slaughtered him in northern minnesota that if I won't stop bothering my staff that is suppose to labor me legally my owner will kill me

And that's when my owner wanted me to walk around eating fast food without a proper eye appointment and kept getting more hostile to me the more police had to confront them about it

Aids and COVID because boys are often the most extreme example of this Holocaust

I guess Chinatown areas use to be Italian areas so that's why hospitality was shown to Jews and Irish it was creepy apparently to expect habits or orientation to change quickly

1965 but they could bring indigenous peoples back from Asia and they would improve resource exchange to Europe

[head-post]

Gaza faces threat of famine, Israeli airstrikes kill Hamas chief’s relatives

Another massive Israeli army airstrike has killed members of the family of the head of Hamas, while the UN continues to warn of high levels of famine in the Gaza Strip.

The death of a Hamas leader’s family

An Israeli airstrike killed 10 members of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh’s family, Gaza’s civil defence agency said on Tuesday.

Mahmud Basal, a spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence, told AFP that several bodies were probably still under the rubble but “we don’t have the necessary equipment” to extract them. The bodies were transferred to Al-Ahli hospital in neighbouring Gaza City, Basal added.

Haniyeh, the political leader of Qatar-based Hamas, lost three sons and four grandchildren in an Israeli strike in April in central Gaza, and the military accused them of “terrorist activities”. Some 60 members of his family have reportedly been killed since the Palestinian militants’ war with Israel began on October 7.

The announcement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said Israel remained committed to its proposed Gaza ceasefire and hostage-taking agreement, and his military chief said the remaining Hamas forces in southern Gaza. Netanyahu said, speaking in parliament:

We are committed to the Israeli proposal that President Biden welcomed. Our position has not changed. The second thing, which does not contradict the first, is that we will not end the war until we destroy Hamas.

The Israeli military released a statement following an assessment of the situation by its chief of staff in the Rafah area, where Israeli troops are battling remaining Hamas battalions. Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said:

We are clearly approaching the point where we can say that we have eliminated the Rafah Brigade, that it has been defeated, not in the sense that there are no more terrorists, but that it can no longer function as a fighting unit.

The threat of famine is growing in Gaza

Meanwhile, more than half of families in the Gaza Strip have been forced to sell or trade their clothes to be able to buy food, the UN said, as the risk of famine remains high across the territory following a new round of violence in recent weeks.

The latest Gaza Special Snapshot from the UN’s hunger monitoring system, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), to be released on Tuesday, said one in five Gazans – more than 495,000 people – are now “facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity” including “extreme food insecurity, hunger and exhaustion.”

The IPC noted that food supplies and nutritional services in northern Gaza had increased dramatically in March and April, which “probably prevented famine” there and improved conditions in the southern parts of the territory.

However, in recent weeks the situation “began to deteriorate again following the resumption of hostilities” and “a high risk of famine persists throughout the Gaza Strip as long as conflict continues and humanitarian access is limited”, according to the draft report obtained by the Guardian. The report said:

More than half [of households] also reported that, often, they do not have any food to eat in the house, and over 20% go entire days and nights without eating. The recent trajectory is negative and highly unstable. Should this continue, the improvements seen in April could be rapidly reversed.

The warning came despite months of US pressure on Israel for more aid efforts, the installation of a $230 million pier that has run into problems and repeated shipments of aircraft from various countries that aid agencies say are insufficient to meet vital needs.

Israel invaded Gaza after an October attack by Hamas in which Palestinian militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians and kidnapped about 250. The war has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Efforts to resolve the conflict with the Lebanese group

Israel will spend the coming weeks trying to resolve the conflict with Lebanon’s Iran-backed group Hezbollah and would prefer a diplomatic solution, Israel’s national security adviser said on Tuesday.

National security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said Israel had been discussing with US officials the possibility that an expected end of intense Israeli military operations in Gaza would allow an “arrangement” to be reached with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah says it aims to disrupt Israel’s operations in the Gaza Strip. Shelling on Israel’s northern border has led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from areas on both sides of the frontier, and has escalated in recent weeks, leading to fears of an all-out conflict. Hanegbi said at the Herzliya conference:

“We and the Americans believe and we will dedicate weeks now in an attempt to reach an arrangement. If there will not be an arrangement through diplomatic means, everyone understands that there must be an arrangement through other means. For now we prefer to focus on the diplomatic campaign.”

Hanegbi also said Israel was discussing with Washington a possible joint effort by the US, European and some Arab countries to find a replacement for Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip.

Read more HERE

[prof-peach]

Hello, Prof. Peach! I'm a Porygon, using my Trainer's account to send this ask because you don't have anons set up. We'd like to visit your island sometime and maybe volunteer or donate things to help with your rehoming efforts; do we have to fill out a permit? I'm not worried about getting hurt because my Sirfetch'd friend will protect me, but what dangers could there be for a technological Pokémon like me? Would the wilder Pokémon know not to attack us? Thank you!

We love reading about what you do and would like to help if possible ❤️

You’ll be happy to know that we have an entire island set up exactly for this. We have regular trips to the space by schools, youngsters, hospitals, and travelling trainers alike. We take pride in being accessible to all, should you wish to make your way to us. The south of the island is entirely safe, we house friendly, hospitable pokemon here, so even when young kids come along and run, and scream, and pet them, or try to interact, it poses no threats to anyone. the pokemon chosen go through strict training, and we make sure to put out only the most gentle of species on the visitors side. if an issue arises, theres dedicated pokemon AND human staff around to help and intervene. We havent had more than a scraped knee here for 15 years now, least not without provocation. Speaking of, theres security in place to help keep theft down, and we ask no one to catch pokemon not within the islands dedicated “catch zone”. should someone try, they’re often captured and turned into myself, or one of the staff on duty at the time to answer for their rule breaking. 

We hold regular events and activities for people to get involved with, depending on the time of year. Our next event is a spring flower show and fate during April, we have folks coming in from Sinnoh to Judge a pokemon costume contest, with guest judge Wallace, who is taking time from his busy schedule to stop by for the event. People can enter with a simple form, on the day. Theres usually plenty of local vendors, food, trinkets, held items galore thanks to Professor Grey, and plenty of locations to explore and enjoy. We pair these events up with adoption drives for pokemon ready to find homes too, so should you know of anyone after a partner, its a good event to join in with, you get a chance to play, interact, and relax with a lot of hopeful pokemon, all scrubbed clean and ready for a big day of meeting lots of new people.  As for donations, we do take them, depending on what they're for, if they don’t suit our needs we advise the donee’s to give to a more suitable location who may need the stuff more than we do. For example we’re not REALLY an egg based location, so we send a lot of our donated hatching units to breeders and specialists who take in unwanted eggs, as they need that help more than us for the most part. 

We don’t keep unruly Electric pokemon, and have a Porygon-Z within our labs facilities who has gone unharmed for a long time (outside of battle of course). This is quite a safe environment for an individual to explore at their leisure, with many greenhouses, research labs, and interesting nooks and crannies to investigate. Theres one barn i would avoid but should you come to visit us, i’ll be very clear which one, as its full of the Joltic and Grubbin lines, who may cause you some concern in their large groups, but tend to stick to their areas and aren't unusually hostile if left alone. 

The only thing we ask is to stay off the North side of the Island, as it homes the biggest, meanest, generally unkind, shy, or difficult, pokemon who don’t like to be on centre stage like those on the southern side. Theres a perimeter fence, and very clear signposting all along it, to keep visitors clear, we also patrol pokemon teams along the fence line to keep things safe for everyone. We ask everyone leave the area well alone, as the species behind it are uncertain of most people, and will either flee or attack on sight, mostly attack if i’m being really honest with you haha. I’m sure you're somewhat familiar with our work, and we do take in the worst cases, and most aggressive and difficult species, so they can be troublesome when around others. 

Hopefully we see you real soon, we’re open pretty much every day, can’t be an island and not take in travellers off the ocean, boats run from Olivine too, should you want to approach from that direction. The special seasonal events are usually really fun and exciting, and you get to see the island at its peak functionality, so we hope you make it in time for one.

[the-iron-orchid]

Rimworld: Arcana, Part 11: Bang Your Way To a Better Life

We’ve got plenty of corn and rice, but we’ve run out of meat entirely, that means no Fine Meals to keep people’s spirits up :c

...so Turel heads out to bring home the bacon (a bunch of wild boars moved in recently, and we all know they’re invasive!)

We have nothing for you, sadly. And seeing as it’s currently -2F outside, they’re probably not going to hang around for long...

“Dammit, Lucio, I’m a doctor, not a veterinarian!”

(Turel is busy hunting wild boar, so it falls to Julian to treat our asthmatic perv goat.)

Time to research Part 2 of our long-term preventive medicine plan. We may not be able to make enough to provide preventive meds to the whole colony, but we can at least try to keep our doctors healthy.

Real Talk: I very much want to control this part of the map. It has a lot of resources. The two main issues are the raider-slaying bugs in the caves, and the largeish open area to the north. For now, we’re going to open up a quicker route to this area just north of Lucio’s pen, because it’s a rich hunting area and Turel is spending many extra hours going back and forth to get our meals (deep snow will slow pawns down quite a bit).

Step 1: Build a small defensive area here before mining out a tunnel into this small cave (which connects with the area I want to control).

Step 2: Investigate the bugs. Since these bugs were spawned when the map was created, this nest is dormant (not making more bugs). I think the only reason they attack raiders is because the raiders start shit with them; they may leave us alone so long as we don’t fuck with them.

Not pictured: Tsedi bravely going in to snatch those 24 herbal Medicine away from the lair of the bugs! The Megaspiders chased him a bit, but they gave up very quickly (only a few tiles away from the mouth of the cave), and he got away easily. So they will attack if you get too close, but they’re far less aggressive than their counterparts in an Infestation event (when they spawn inside a deep-mountain base) or when infested ship chunks crash and they immediately start reproducing.

This means that if we tunnel into the caves from the southern end, we should be able to mine those resources without being attacked by giant bugs, but we can still enjoy watching idiot raiders get eaten by giant bugs. Win!

The secured tunnel is built! (I see you up in the right hand corner, you feckin Boomrat...)

Look, McFly, we’re just not set up to hold and feed two prisoners for a whole-ass quadrum, idk what you expect here...

Meanwhile, Heron and Julian have been banging their way to a better life.

Heron uses his nookie-fueled Inspiration to build a Masterwork end table, making his and Julian’s little love-nest that much more comfortable. Awww.

For his part, Julian remains focused on preventive medicine for the future.

The newest member of our colony, Holster, just adores Tsedi, but the feeling is not quite mutual lmao

Meanwhile, a bloody confrontation has taken place outside the perimeter between a faction hostile to us and a faction neutral to us.

Turel and Tsedi field-stabilize the wounded, while Jinana... eats their food 😂 Priorities ig

The hospital is full again, but if we can get these folks healed up and send them back to their faction, it will build a lot of goodwill. (With enough goodwill, other factions will even come help you against raids!)

...yeah, that’s crazy all right, what makes you guys think we have enough leather on-hand to do this? Gedoutta here!

[robotslenderman]

Perry and Elisa headcanons:

Elisa thinks it's weird that a Nosferatu Thinblood has a Hecata-like bite, but it's Dove who, due to her experiences with Modian, immediately realises that Perry is a full blooded Samedi. When Dove raised the possibility that Perry might be Cappadocian to Elisa, she was worried they'd have to protect him from the Hecata (and that Dove would refuse to extend that protection because of the treaty), but Dove said "nah, he's Samedi, he's Hecata. He probably has that bane as the equivalent of a genetic throwback - sometimes that happens." (Dove would know.) Much relief ensues and Elisa helps Perry learn about the Samedi and Hecata, and even gets him in touch with a couple over time.

Elisa is pretty casual about the smell. She mentions it and she doesn't pretend it's not there either. "I'd hug you, Perry, but it's three AM and you smell like shit so I'll hug you first thing tonight." Perry is a bit defensive/standoffish at first but comes to appreciate it over outright hostility and/or when people "politely" pretend it's not there while obviously not wanting to deal with it.

For example, when Elisa gives him a room in her haven she'll be upfront about the fact she's using sheet/pillow protectors to stop him leaking on stuff, a room with no carpet so the smell doesn't get stuck in it, an ensuite so he can clean himself off easily... but unlike most, you know, she's actually offering a bed instead of pretending she doesn't have a place for him to stay, and she's also pretty "yeah you smell like shit in the morning but I'm just gonna have to deal with that." He's not sure what to think about this attitude in the beginning.

Elisa also teaches him to weaponise the smell. "You just met someone? Be considerate. Insist on meeting your contacts outdoors early on in the night, and standing downwind from them. They get difficult? That's when you start visiting them in their office an hour before dawn and sitting in their chairs and leaking on their upholstery. They'll soon get the idea that you're someone they want the goodwill of - and that's invaluable. Most fledglings have to work really, really hard to have that kind of power over somebody and all YOU have to do is change what time you're meeting someone. Use that."

The above point pretty much drove home to him that yeah she hates the smell, but not HIM, and she's willing to work with it. He develops a crush on her after that.

He does make a move when he's more confident, a few years later. She turns him down and at first he's pretty self loathing over it but they have an open discussion about the smell and she's like, "look, if I had feelings for you I'd just work with that - sexy stuff first thing after dusk when you're at your best. But I'm not going to pretend I'm interested when I'm not out of pity because we both deserve better. I'm sorry I hurt you but I can't say yes to this, not when I wouldn't mean it."

He got over it rather quickly, to his own surprise.

He has his own car. He calls it the Corpsemobile. When he gets the opportunity he loves to give people ultimatums - "either I ride with you and stink up your car, or you can ride in mine. And mine smells worse than the state I'd leave your car in."

Elisa helps set him up with a good ghoul - someone who runs a small mortuary. Puts a small mattress in one of the shelves, actually makes a nice comfortable haven out of it. It being a mortuary means the smell isn't suspicious, and he just pretends to the staff that he has a medical condition and its way less hassle to sleep in one of their drawers.

Getting the corpse stink out of his clothes is almost impossible so he's ALWAYS going through fresh clothes. Elisa helps set him up with another ghoul that can give him a steady supply of shirts, underwear and pants.

He hates getting pulled over because the second a cop gets a whiff of the interior of his car they think he's got a body in the trunk. Elisa uses her connection with Dove to get him a third ghoul in the police force, but when he's not in Tucson he's SOOL there.

He has discovered that maggots actually keep the smell down, as they eat away at the rot, so when he starts rotting a few hours after dusk, he applies maggots to the areas he sees are starting to deteriorate and wraps them in bandages. The smell doesn't go away completely but it does make a difference.

When he's outside of Tucson and a cop insists on searching his car, he peels away a bandage and says "actually, that smell is me." He also has a bunch of fake medical paperwork so that they don't insist on taking him to the hospital - he says he's on antibiotics and the maggots prevent the gangrene from killing him, and because of that he doesn't have to stay in hospital.

He knows a lot of facts about maggot therapy to make it convincing. In reality I'm pretty sure that gangrene is not something that you can be an outpatient for but most cops aren't going to know that if he can be convincing enough.

Once, he was travelling with Harley in the front passenger seat when they got pulled over in the early hours. He played dead as Harley desperately tried to get him to wake up to prove to the increasingly freaked out cop that he was alive and just had a "medical condition". After calling for backup and getting Harley on the floor, when the cop opened the side door Perry went "BOO!"

The cop shot him.

They had to kill the cop and bury the body to preserve the Masquerade before backup got there, because while they can cover up Perry's clan bane with "it's a medical condition", it's a lot harder to cover up a bullet through the chest.

Perry thought it was hilarious. Harley, who's a lot more squeamish about killing innocent humans and destroying the lives of their families and loved ones for the lulz, didn't think it was funny at all.

(Elisa backs up Harley but privately also thinks it's hilarious, except for the bit where they had to kill the cop. "It's one thing to kill to protect ourselves, it's one thing to kill because we're hunters eating our prey, but it's completely another to set up a human to die for your own amusement. Don't do that again."

"I didn't kill her for the lols, I just didn't think she'd -"

"SHE WAS A COP OF COURSE SHE WAS GOING TO FUCKING SHOOT YOU, YOU DUMBASS.")

Yeah, that prank did damage his relationship with Harley for a while.

BUT sadistic prank notwithstanding, he actually has a pretty good relationship with Harley. Harley wasn't sure about the stinky Samedi at first, but was too much the southern gentleman to be anything but polite about it. He quickly got used to it and saw Perry for the lost kid he was. Because Harley was in his forties when he was Embraced, he was pretty calm and difficult to faze, so he was able to rub off on Perry and help calm him down over time.

Perry and Harley were both furious at Lettow when Lettow came back to Tucson. The way Harlow saw it, putting Elisa through her First Season was completely unnecessary and Lettow could have properly vetted her, and also a huge risk to the Masquerade. The way Perry saw it, if someone of a different clan can put her own life on the line (due to the Accounting) to take in a complete stranger who'd been a Masquerade issue for nothing in return, the least Lettow could have done was look after his own fucking childe.

They were even less impressed when Elisa got sexually involved with him and then romantically, because they saw it as Elisa wanting the security of having a sire and Lettow exploiting that. Elisa, meanwhile, didn't appreciate being infantilised. She defended Lettow because "he kept an eye on me from a distance", and he left caches for her to discover and arranged for her to have jobs when the courier jobs started drying up. Harley and Perry were like "gee, how generous of him."

Perry was like "if I knew her standards were that fucking low I'd have asked her if she'd changed her mind about not going out with me"

Lettow was on thin fucking ice with the two of them for a while, and it took time for them to realise his feelings for her were sincere and that he wasn't going to abandon her again. In the meantime he rarely took their bait and let their attacks and accusations roll off his back - as an elder he rarely took things personally, understood it was between Elisa and her childer, and wanted to respect that she wanted to maintain some peace. Part of it was also due to guilt and self loathing. But he was also glad she had two very protective childer to watch her back, since he knew that safety and support was very important to her.

Harley and Perry also threatened to Fight Him, which caused Elisa to double facepalm bc one, Men, and two, elder with super strength and fortitude. Lettow just thought it was funny but also took the opportunity to bait them on being young and rash. He didn't resist ALL the time.

Lettow and Perry would never be close, but they came to respect the place the other had in Elisa's life, and even came to rely on each other every now and then.

[backtobackbakubabe]

I am the Alpa Now part 1

Bakugo X Reader 

Words: 2808 

Reader is from America and somewhat of a delinquent with an alpha quirk that allows her to turn into a wolf as well as bond with dogs. She is sent to UA to straighten out her attitude. She ends up in a power struggle with none other than our favorite hot head. Words in Italics are words said telepathically 

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Don’t do the crime if you can't do the time... That was what my stubborn, hard ass, police chief father told me before shipping me off to some stupid school across the world.

What was my crime you may ask? I was my small towns vigilante for over a year. Sure I may have not respected law enforcement during that time, or public property for that matter, but I never took it too far. Or at least in my humble opinion I didn’t. But apparently the mayor and my father did not agree. The final straw was when I left mugger tied up in front of the police station with a note to the police asking them to do their fucking job. Sure that note may have been graffitied on the side of the building but I think I got my point across.

So that brings us to my time... which I will be spending as some school called UA in Japan. My dad knew one of the teachers there and they agreed it would be the best thing for me. Teach me some discipline and respect or whatever. So here I am on an airplane leaving the only world I’ve ever known behind. Sure Georgia wasn’t much but it was home.

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You wouldn't be totally alone though. Due to your Alpha quirk you were allowed to bring your wolf-dog Mercy. You yourself could turn into a wolf about the size of a small horse and as durable as a tank, and you could also establish your alpha dominance over other dogs and in some special cases you could bond with them and add them to your pack. So far you've only managed to add Mercy but it was an amazing bond you wouldn't trade for anything. The bond allowed you to telepathically communicate with him and the longer you were bonded the smarter he got. He was basically thinking full sentences now. He was also getting faster and stronger, it was like part of your quirk was rubbing off on him.  

You were anxious as hell knowing he was in a kennel in the cargo area of the plane. You knew he was okay though. You could feel his presence, but it did nothing for your nerves. You just wanted to land already and give him a big squishy hug.

Somehow you managed to fall asleep and when you woke up you were in a different country. You knew only a small amount of Japanese and you didn’t know anything about the culture... Here goes nothing.

You were picked up at the airport by a fancy looking SUV. The man driving didn’t look at all pleased with the fact that Mercy would be riding in the car with you.

“Why does this man stare at me?” Mercy made sure to stay in between me and the driver as my luggage was loaded into the car.

I gave him a quick scratch behind his ears to try and calm him down. “Easy Mercy. He’s nice. I just don’t think he wants you to shed all over his nice black leather seats”

Huffing he jumped into the backseat of the SUV, “It’s not like I have fleas…and I took a bath before we left!”

You giggled at your beta buddy and hopped in behind him, ignoring the confused look of the driver. He must think you’re crazy laughing at nothing. But then again you were used to that. You didn’t always remember to speak to Mercy telepathically and you had to admit you looked crazy having a one-sided conversation with a dog.

You marveled at the passing town through the window. You definitely were not in Georgia anymore.

When you arrived at the school it was already a little after midnight, but you were nowhere even close to being tired. The car pulled up to the front gate and you could see a few figures out there waiting for you. You were from the south and you were used to good ole southern hospitality, but you couldn’t believe they were up past midnight just to help you with your things.

The driver got out and started unloading your belongings from the trunk as you took a deep breath and opened up the google translator app on your phone. “Alright y/n you can do this. You’re a badass bitch who takes no shit from no body. You are smart, you strong, you can do anything…”

“Oi! You fucking done talking to yourself?”

Your head whipped up to see that a spikey haired blonde had opened the passenger door in the front and was staring at you. You sighed and returned your phone to your pocket, “Oh thank god you speak English!”

His red eyed narrowed, “Yeah unfortunately I have the highest scores in English so I’m the one stuck with you for however long it takes you to catch up.”

Mercy started to growl sensing this new guys hostility. I snapped my fingers, “Hey. Calm down! He’s a friend. He’s obviously an asshole but he’s our new friend.”

Mercy continued to growl low in his throat, “No. I am your friend. I don’t like him. He is not our friend.”

You snorted, “I can have more than one friend dumbass. Now chill the fuck out.”

The new guy was now glaring at you. His red eyes tried so hard to look mad, but you could see a hint of curiosity in there. “Oh great she fucking talks to dogs… Let’s go! The rest of the welcome wagon extras are ready to piss themselves they are so excited.” He started to walk away but he gave you one last glance, “And tell your mutt to stop fucking staring at me like I’m dinner.”

“WHO IS HE CALLING MUTT!”

You just laughed at your dog as you made your way out of the car and grabbed your backpack. Mercy followed and took his place at your heels. You walked up to the smiling group of students waiting at the front of the building that looked the most like dorms.

A green headed boy with a huge smile walked up and bowed, “Hello my name is Midoriya. Welcome to UA! This is Iida, our class rep, and of course you’ve already met your guide Bakugo.

You smirked so weird guy’s name was Bakugo, “Nice to meet all of you. My name is Y/n, and this here is my beta Mercy. He’s part of my pack and he’s very sweet unless you give him a reason not to be.”

“Tch.. yeah right. Dumbass dog growled at me.” Bakugo’s eyes narrowed.

Iida sighed, “Well Bakugo I’m sure you probably gave him a reason to then.”

Midoriya leaned over and picked up one of your bags that actually held all of Mercy’s things. “So Y/n, what did you mean when you said he was your beta?”

You took the bag from him and strapped it to Mercy. “He actually likes to carry his own bags. But yeah so back to your question. I’m the alpha which makes him the beta… and well… I guess it’s just easier to show you.”

Your eyes started to glow blue and then you shifted into your wolf form. You absolutely loved being in your wolf form. You always felt so powerful and free. Like you could do anything, like you had no limits or rules to follow. Your senses were naturally better than most peoples but in your wolf form they were heightened even more. At this moment in time you could hear the thudding heartbeats of the people before you. You could see the beads of sweat dripping down Midoriya’s forehead. You could smell what you could only describe as excitement coming from someone.

Bakugo was the only one who looked unimpressed, so you walked up to him. Your eyes being level with his. Your large electric blue eyes staring right into his scarlet ones. You took a step closer sniffing him and just when you could sense he couldn’t possibly be more annoyed.. you went and give him a nice big lick from chin to forehead.

“Ugh! That’s disgusting! What the fuck!” He was frantically whipping his face with the sleeve of his shirt and shooting daggers at you the whole time.

“Y/n why do you kiss the angry boy! I don’t like him!” Mercy huffed and shook his head.

You shifted back into your human form laughing the whole time. “I’m sorry but you should have seen your face. I just had to!” Your nose scrunched up at the smell of something really sweet. Almost sickeningly so. You sniffed until it led you to Bakugo’s palms. “What’s that smell?” You covered you nose to stop to awful smell from invading your nostrils and further.

Bakugo smirked as his hands crackled with mini explosions, “Well if were showing off our quirks the-.”

“Kachan stop! There will be plenty of time for that tomorrow… Sorry Y/n as you can see he has a short fuse.” Midoriya was rubbing the back of his neck now, “But he’s not so bad once you get to know him I promise.” He gestured to the dorms, “Shall we show you to your room?”

You nodded and attempted to pick up what was left of your bags. It wasn’t easy though and soon enough you were starting to drop stuff. You were about to stop to rearrange how you were carrying everything when Bakugo strolled up next to you and took two of your bags, “Shit did you have to bring everything you own?”

Before you could respond he was storming off ahead of you.

“Just give me the signal and I’ll bite him.” Mercy tight on your heels, taking in all the new surroundings. You knew he was fighting the urge to pee on every bush you passed. He may be smarter than most dogs, but he still had those territorial instincts.

“Mercy we got sent here because we apparently need to learn how to behave… I don’t think biting someone on our first day is a great idea…”

“He started it!”

You just chuckled as you followed your new friends into the building and down a few halls. First floor, very nice.  

Bakugo threw you bags down in front of a door and immediately stalked off to the room next door and slammed the door behind him. Great so he was your neighbor too….

Midoriya gave you a shy smile, “So usually the girls sleep on a different floor. But given the fact that your quirk means you have an animal we thought it would be smart to put you next to Koda. His quirk is talking to animals so he always has a few pets. So he’s your neighbor to the left. And ah .. Kachan is your guide for the next few weeks so it makes sense that you would be close to him so he’s your neighbor to the right. If this makes you uncomfortable though we can always find you a new room!”

You waived him off, “I’m fine! I don’t scare easy. Thanks for all the help! I can take it from here. I guess I’ll see you all in the morning?”

Iida bowed, “Yes. Bakugo should come collect you no later than 7 am to escort you to class. Your uniform should already be hanging in your closet. Good night.”

You gave a quick awkward bow, “g’night y’all”

You could hear Midoriya giggling about how you had actually said y’all as you closed the door. He seemed like a sweet guy, a little goofy maybe, but sweet. Bakugo on the other hand… You couldn’t wait to fuck with him. He just seemed so tense and you felt like you could quite literally make him explode.

Your room was pretty sparse save for a bed, nightstand, desk, and a lamp. You could work with this. A few posters and pictures from home. Maybe a cool rug… you were happy you didn’t have to share with anyone though. By nature you were a night owl. You preferred several small naps throughout the day then a whole nights sleep. You were always just so restless to sleep for too long.

You unpacked Mercy’s things first and gave him a quick snack. You put the bed he almost never used at the foot of your bed. You knew he would just end up in his usual spot curled up next to you. He didn’t have many toys but he did have lots of bones to chew on. He only had one single stuffed toy. It was an elephant that he had gotten when he was a puppy and he was a little protective of it. You threw the stuffed elephant on your new bed and sighed. The rest of your shit could wait until tomorrow.

Mercy hopped onto the bed and curled up around his elephant and yawned, “If we’re not going for a run tonight then I’m going to go to bed.”

You looked at your phone and saw it was a little past one in the morning. Bakugo would be here to “collect you” in less than six hours. Usually you’d try and scope the perimeter before sleeping anywhere but you figured this place was probably one of the most secure places you’ve ever been, and you also had no idea what kind of day you had in store tomorrow.

“Yeah bud, I think a good night sleep is probably best. I don’t know if we’ll get a chance to nap tomorrow.”

Mercy started to wine, “Noooooo I need my naps.”

Well no one said you can’t nap. You’re not the one who’s actually going to be in class.”

“Wait you’re taking me with you right? To class?”

You frowned and climbed into bed next to him, “Yeah I don’t know. They never got back to me on if you could go to class. They said you were welcome during training sessions though…”

Mercy wined again obviously stressed out, “That’s not fair! I want to learn too! I don’t want you to leave me! We just got here, what if something bad happens. Nooooooooo”

The end of his sentence resulted in a howl. Shit. “Mercy shut up! You’re going to get us in trouble. They’re going to kick us out if you start waking people up in the middle of the fucking night!”

But of course, he wasn’t listening. He just continued to howl, throwing a temper tantrum just like a toddler would.

You huffed in irritation and your eyes started to glow. You used your alpha voice, “I said Stop….”

His howl immediately stopped and his head bowed to show his submission, “I’m sorry…. I am a good boy. I’ll stop now.”

You gave his head a quick pat before pulling the blanket up to your chin. “It’s okay buddy. I know the first few days are going to be a little stressful.” You reached over and turned the lamp off. “See you in the morning. Try to get some sleep.”

You felt Mercy move his massive furry head to lay on your stomach, “Hey… please don’t be mad…. But I kind of need to pee.”

You rolled your eyes and threw off the blanket, “Of fucking course you do. You have the smallest fucking bladder for how big a dog you are.”

“Wolf”

“Whatever let’s just go.”

You opened your door just to be met with the angry glare of your neighbor, “Are you going to fucking talk to dog all night? These walls are thin!”

You stared at him for a minute before cracking a smile and patted his head, “Is it past someone’s bed time?”

Flustered Bakugo took a step closer, “Tch what? No? You and your stupid dog are just really fucking loud!”

“WOLF! I AM A WOLF!”

You nodded in acknowledgment to Mercy and returned you attention to Bakugo, “Wolf.”

He sneered, “Excuse me, what?”

You shrugged, “He’s a wolf. You called him a dog and he’s a wolf and I think you should apologize.”

His eyes bugged out of his head, “I’m not apologizing to a fucking DOG!”

Mercy started to growl so low it was almost a hum. You could tell he was nervous but also a little amused. “Tell him if he doesn’t get out of my way I will pee on him.”

You started laughing which pissed Bakugo off even more, “OI! What’s so funny!”

You thumped him on the nose, which is something you usually did when training dogs. Nothing hard just a light thump. “He said he needs to pee and you look an awful lot like a tree.”

“Ugh you disgusting excuse for a woman! No fucking manors!” He stomped off back to his room slamming his door for the second time that night.

[robyndehood]

My Son's Story (pt. 1)

DISCLAIMER: I Know it's a bit of a long read, but it's important. Please read. I promise it isn't boring. Thank you!

Hi Everyone,

Intro

This is my first real attempt at Tumblr. Please contact me if anything I post violates a rule or is not considered appropriate. Anything I post, I truly mean no harm nor offense to anyone. But I need to write daily again to regain my gift and share it with the world. I have been working on my version of the "great American novel" for years. As a child, I was well on my way to becoming a successful author, but people had other ideas for my career path - and to put it bluntly - my contribution to society. Writer's block set in and then what was second nature to me - creative writing, became a lost skill. Or maybe a distant memory. Writers know that half the struggle as an artist is the dilemma of our own aspiration towards perfection. But nothing is perfect. It is a social construct and the antithesis of true beauty.

The Ultimate Birthday Gift

So, that said, let's talk about my son. He's three - he's actually turning four in December. He was born on my birthday and has been the greatest gift that I have ever received. I won't pretend that he is perfect or even generally compliant with my directions. But he's loving. He's empathetic. He's brilliant. He's beautiful. And most of all, he is the sweetest person I have ever met.

I am going to go slightly off-topic for a bit; just to paint the full picture. I don't want to ramble and I am definitely a believer that a short and to the point message is almost always far superior to a long and complicated message. But bear with me because this snippet of the backstory is essential. And my son's story is important.

Appalachia

We live in Pittsburgh, part of the Appalachian Mountain Range. There is no other way to say it than the unadulterated, ugly truth of it - Pittsburgh is racist. Very racist. Beyond that, there is a general lack of common courtesy to outsiders, customers of businesses, other patrons in stores, etc. And the rudeness, is actually pretty much unrelated to the racism. It sounds strange and surely, minorities who are on the receiving end of it would certainly assume that racism was the reason why they said "excuse me," "thank you," etc. and about half the time are ignored like they're a ghost. But don't get it twisted - there are many times the aforementioned behaviors by many Pittsburghers IS induced by racism AND a lack of common courtesy and manners. You see, their deep-seated tribalism is indoctrinated into many Pittsburghers so completely from a young age that they know no different. It would be difficult for them to understand this article and I'd bet anyone ten bucks that if enough PIttsburghers read this post - they will attack my analysis of Pittsburghese culture as though the post itself is a blitz on the entire city.

Brown or White?

I am latin and there aren't many latins in Pittsburgh. But when we moved to Pittsburgh when I was in seventh grade, people knew my last name. Summer had just passed and I do get brown. I can get brown very quickly in the right type of sun and I get brown eventually in the sun that exists in cloudy and northern Pittsburgh. In seventh grade, some boys decided it would be funny to call me "estupido," and up until two years ago, I avoided sun exposure that would reveal my "brownness" like the plague.

Subversive, Subconscious, and Secret Racism

So, not long after I started that strategy, I was treated as white. (Side note: latins can be any race; but it seems that societal constructs are seeking to change this long accepted designation and categorize latins as some in between, brown race and not an ethnicity. To be honest, I am ok with that and now proud to be latin.)

The reality of being treated white in Pittsburgh for many years was that I learned what white people actually said when they were only with other whites. The most common thing that was said was one white person mumbling to other white people that someone was a "dumb n******" or a "dumb monkey." I've heard white adults refer to children who were black as "n***lets." But it was always this crocodile smiling through their teeth behavior. They'd never dare say it to a black person. Instead, they'd just indirectly discriminate against them.

I do have to mention that by no means do all Pittsburghers behave this way. It's just too many of them. I don't know the percentage, but if I had to guess I'd say - 50% plus.

Yes, Racism Happens All The Time Even if You Don't See it Happen

Many white people will tell you that racism is gone because they don't ever observe it and Obama was president - a black president. Therefore, everything is now over. I can admit that I have experienced my share of discrimination when my skin darkens. But I had no clue how bad it was for black people out here until my son became the recipient of the ugliness of it all. To me, racists are by definition ignorant cowards; so it makes sense they'd pick on a small boy whose only family is his mother.

Evil Always Starts Slowly

If one reviews history, every evil dictator or regime began slowly chipping away human rights. By the time the citizens realized the dire state of their country, it was too late. Their freedoms were already taken away and mechanisms to fight back had also been methodically erased.

When my son was born - a boy who is half African (his father (if you want to call him that since he is basically not involved) is from Ghana); no issues arose for the first two and a half years. But then the indirect discrimination started. The same rules that applied for white children didn't apply to him. I could give so many examples. But let's just say, as a rambunctious boy, if my son mimicked a white boy's same rambunctious behavior, we were confronted and the white family was not confronted.

One day I made an appointment for my son's hair to get cut at Philip Pelusi. They made the appointment knowing that he was only two and a half. The receptionist let me know that the stylist was a "Grade A Stylist," so I would have to pay more. I was fine with paying more; cool. After the appointment was made, I mentioned to the receptionist that my son was mixed race. We ended the call and I began to get my son ready to leave. Within ten minutes, the salon called back and informed me that they didn't/wouldn't cut my son's "type of hair." I promptly returned the call and explained his hair was curly, that's all. They blatantly lied and told me that the stylist doesn't cut ANY curly hair. Right. So, if a white lady came in with curly hair she would be turned away? I doubt it. Either way, the stylist is "Grade A." She is also licensed to cut hair by the state. Shouldn't a requirement for state licensing require one to know how to cut all "types of hair"?; I saved the recording, by the way, and still have it.

As months progressed, little by little wherever my son and I went in "white areas," we felt hostile vibes. Other incidents occurred that couldn't be proven as racial discrimination, but I knew. Whites behaved as though my son didn't deserve to be around them.

Southern Hospitality

We traveled down south a few times in the past year. Yes, some of the south is very racist still to this day. But not where we drove. Suddenly people responded when we said "excuse me," "thank you," etc. No white families prevented my son from playing with their children. No one told me my son was a nuisance or put out that vibe.

The Lesser of Two Evils?

But we had to come back each time because we live here and I've been working my way out of the projects that I have lived in for four years. Shootings. Open drug use and sales. The smell of crack in the hallways. Infestations in other apartments that come our way no matter what we try. People peeing on the hallway floors. Yes, seriously. Young children being encouraged to bully and beat up other kids. Children stealing or attempting to steal my son's toys because their mothers buy them none. Gamgmembers as young as twelve.

So, I concluded: "yes, we will move, but until then, we only sleep in our apartment and we do not play at the projects' playground." I figured IF I saved a certain number of money since I have a car that I saved for and bought last year, we would make it in our new, chosen city (Tampa or Jacksonville).

But then the racism against my son in the "white playgrounds" became worse. One day he was playing with a five year old boy at an indoor playground. The mother had no issue with it. The father of the boy arrived half an hour in, promptly scooped the boy away from my son, and told his son that he had told him he was not to "play with n*****s." My son couldn't understand why he could no longer play with his new friend and kept calling to him, "friends again!" while sobbing because he thought he had upset the boy. I had to leave with my son because of it.

Another time, a ten-year-old boy taunted my son on an outdoor playground and called him a "dumb monkey." My son first attempted to yell, "I NOT DUMB MONKEY," a few times; but the boy persisted and even smirked in my direction. My son ran to me and asked me to make the boy stop. No parent in sight and again, I just had to leave with my son.

Enough is Enough

Finally, last month or so, my son and I were at our usual laundromat doing laundry. We had finished. My son skipped a few steps in front of me and tried to open the glass door but couldn't push the bar to open it because of his height. He placed (yes, placed..lightly) his foot on the door to try to give it a bit more of a nudge. I was a few seconds behind him so just pushed the door open and we went to our car to load our clean laundry into it. In retrospect, I saw an older white male go next door to the beer store right after we walked out of the laundromar. The beer store employee approached us as I loaded my laundry into my car and then intended to leave.

The beer store employee told me he was getting "reports that kids were kicking glass." He said kids. Plural. And what he said made me envision a bunch of grade school kids kicking around broken glass on the sidewalk or parking lot. I responded calmly that "I have one kid and he's been with me the whole time. He wasn't involved." The beer store employee wanted drama to transpire. It was obvious. He said in a threatening manner: "Just so you know, I have cameras." My son and I exchanged glances because we were confused. What kids? Kids were kicking glass. Where? What glass?

Again though, I calmly responded that my son wasn't involved and he should check his cameras. He told me he was calling the cops. So I got my three-year-old son in his car seat and set a time limit of ten minutes to wait. We weren't running when he didn't do anything. The cops of course showed up about a minute later. It's ridiculous because in our projects (different police department than the laundromat police department), there have been shootings where children were outside playing when several clips were emptied into crowds and the police station is a block away. I know people called and it took an hour for them to arrive on scene.

Long story short, the laundromat cops knew it was a bullshit call. The supposed "kicking glass" was because my son placed his foot on the door to try to open it when we were LEAVING. The police eventually informed us that was the alleged "kicking of glass." There was no kicking that happened. The door wasn't even dirtier, let alone damaged because my son tried to use his foot to open the door. Lightly, by the way.

Even though the police were kind to my son, for the next week, my usual gregarious child was terrified to go anywhere. He eventually told me it was because "the cops will chase me and take me to jail because I bad guy now."

He's over it now. Mostly.

But we still have to pick between the craziness of playing at our aforementioned projects or going to a "white playground" and risking my son being rejected. It's usually a 50/50 shot that he will be rejected. If he gets rejected, he gets very upset.

Again, these are problems we never faced on our travels down the southern eastern seaboard. We didn't get treated like this at the destinations or on the journey by car to and from the destinations.

I knew we were living in an extremely racist and rude area, but one day I found this. It's a map delineating the results of a study conducted by Google and others regarding the level of racism in different parts of the country.

I already knew this much. But it's good to know I'm right that we are in the worst part of the U.S. for racism and the kindness we received traveling to those certain southern states was no illusion. And I did ask locals before I found this map if I was right that people are kinder to all colors in whichever given area.

Not the Worst Thing That Happened But the Last Straw

People talk a lot about Karens these days. This lady looked like she jumped right out of a Karen meme. My son was two feet away from her while we waited in line and she said as obnoxiously as possible: "Can you handle this? Please get him out of MY space." Yeah, I didn't let it go. At all. Her argument was that she said "please" so it's OK to make my son feel like a "this" and not a little boy. I held him while he sobbed. Long story short, I decided right then anywhere has to be better than this.

It isn't me just knowing people are being nasty to my son and I'm upset. He understands. He had an evaluation for something and he tested very well. He cried about each of these incidents. He just wants to make people smile and make friends.

So, next month we are going for it. I'm no where close to the aforementioned goal. I have some savings. We may end up in shelters at first after savings dry up in a few weeks. But we cannot survive up here. Nor can we advance here.

Side Note

I wrote this mostly to inform others of the status quo and reality of racism and the real effects it has on one tiny boy. And I know it will just get worse if we stay since it's this bad already.

But if you anyone knows of any resources to help us get on our feet in a month in Tampa or Jacksonville (Tampa is my first choice, but either one.) I have applied for housing, even though I didn't and don't want to go back to projects; but I'd take one down there over watching my son endure so much pain any day of the week.

Ok, so final part: I'm going to say upfront I feel extremely awkward with this paragraph because this isn't my way (years before my son was born I was homeless for a stint and never sat with a sign or a cup. Just couldn't do it), but for my son, I'm going to drop my cashtag here. Everyone is struggling and I know there are people with much worse problems. I appreciate anyone who has read this far and can help spread the reality of what I wrote about. That's the reason for the article; but if help is received at all because of it, we would be grateful but it's definitely a far second most important reason for the post. Here it goes, for my baby, in case it'll change his life and give us that better foot up, here it is: $RobyndeHood

[sweet-xoxo-thatcares]

1st dream I ever had of JA together was right after I started my new job at the tax spot, and Jay was texting me about a house they wanted to rent and was looking for a roommate to help cut the cost. They showed me this brown house with an upstairs and downstairs, but it was like near the Northside kinda...but near Kettering. I remember looking at the map thinking dang it look kinda rough in the neighborhood, but 800 something month sounded good split between 3 ppl.

The dream that night was us in this small looking house in the forest, but we were happy until we actually went outside towards our backyard and there was the trees. Pine trees to be specific. We started running towards it because we were playing a game,, idk if it was tag or hide and seek...all I know is that it felt like we both were playing, me and Jay running with Ayunna nearby running too, and then all of a sudden we had to start running back to the house cause a bunch of peopl started coming out of the woods chasing us, before we even hit the trees.

We ran for our lives, at almost full speed, but I don't remember who hit the house first and no they didn't look like zombies. It was just a burst of a bunch of people covered in black, from head to toe chasing us, going as fast as we were. I remember when I got to the house I couldn't find everyone and I told my lil sister (idk why she was there) to go check downstairs and low and behold Ayunna was whispering, calling someone on the phone as she was in the living room and I was peeking in on her through the kitchen. She said my name and said it sort of alert, but kept it on hush hush like a teacher calling a student's parent. She said "Kylee's shaking and freaking out about it."

And I think she meant it like I was ready to go home. I thought she was calling her mom, cause I didn't plan on telling my mom about moving out with them at the time.

Because I was scared and paranoid about being far away from home with strangers chasing us from the woods. I didn't see Jay when she made the phone call, Interestingly enough. I remember there was a closet filled with supplies with like an orange kayak, some sports gear, some oars, and some other stuff. I don't remember what I was looking for in the dream, I was just trying make sure nobody from outside got into the house.

Crazy right? And this was in 2019. Had I said anything, I'm sure they would have just thought it was a bad dream. The house in the dream didn't look Nothing like the house Jay had shown me. It looked sorta different, because there wasn't no carpet on the floor except in the living room. The house in the ad had carpet everywhere.

Also, as gross as I'm willing to admit....the 1st sexual dream of Jay happened in January right before we got let go of that bookstore temp job....

Jay was grinding on me fully clothed and kept grunting the words "respect it" with each ride/hump on my..... I woke up wet and confused because I didn't understand why Jay would have said that to me, hovering over me, starting with a serious face, one hand over my left shoulder, the other between my right arm and right side of my body. As if I was supposed to be scared or something....like wayyy too rough.

Now that I see it, I think Jay wanted me to respect their privacy and their body. Because around that time, I was questioning if I was even gay and how I could possibly even like them when I didn't even know if they had a dick or not or nothing at all....I was concerned and confused because Jay was taken and why was I thinking about it so damn hard for like a solid week I didn't see them at work and it drove me nuts not to know, but I couldn't ask cause that's rude. I kept trying to prove myself wrong with counteraccusations like "how can you know you're gay, when you haven't even kissed a girl? We don't know if she or they has boy parts?"

I felt really guilty about liking Jay, someone out of the spectrum and not my normal type....cause they weren't normal. They were like an alien to me, I usually could observe people 1st before talking to them and trusting them to see if we would even be a good fit or so....but in Jay's situation....i needed to do some research before I was the curious George asking too much information that I shouldn't have been interested in knowing but still wanted to know for my own sake. Like how to address non binary ppl, how to say they and use the pronouns, and xr./xrs. or etc...but Jay wanted to be called Mister later on.

I made sure I knew alot more than my coworkers to be prepared for conversation matters so I didn't come off like an ignorant associate who didn't bother to Google it before saying it out loud. Cause with anything new, I always google 1st and look on reddit for unfiltered personal opinions about stuff.

Which is still the reason why I think Jay could actually want to date/have sex with men in the future. after taking hormones so many ftms said once the dysphoria felt like it was gone and they were comfortable being themselves, as a man...they started opening back up that door they once closed towards men. Some even went girls only, to bisexual, to just gay (dating men). And there were a bit more reddit asking why there isn't as many straight ftms and why is there more ftms turning gay after transitioning....which sorta sucked to hear but I needed to know in case I had another panic attack again from being shocked from any more unexpected, extreme news from someone who always acted like they were anti-dick. Even to go as far as declining dick offers from sugarmommas they told me about.

It was gross to hear that they offered me up to that same random sugarmomma without even asking me if I was comfortable or even wanted to have sex with another stranger. Cause I sure as hell didn't. They just offered my name up to her, like they were selling me off as some hoe-sub. Being petty cause I started looking for an actual commitment on tinder.

I hated them for doing stupid, inconsiderate, uncomfortable shit like that, thinking Imma just go along with everything just because I liked them.

I'm still mad about that too. That jealous pig. Man whore themselves. They've slept with more ppl than me and had the nerve to call.me a "bedhopper" when you're the one getting yourself emotionally caught up and cheating on your girl by breaking rules she told you not too. Petty, angsty, stupid bitch with man issues. Didn't want nobody checking them about they behavior cause I guess they thought they were being overdominated.

This idiot thought I was tryna challenge their dominance (red flag #142🚩lol) when I said sarcastically "I wasn't gonna buy you none, anyway" when Jay interrupted me with "oh I don't want any candy." after I said as we waited in the avengers movie line "I should have gone to the dollar party to get some candy, had I known it was gonna be this long of a wait." They thought I was being hostile....when noooo I was just stating the candy wasn't for you, and why should I give a fuck? Lol 😆 I always do that with my sisters and parents at home. That's how we talk to each other, sarcastic assholes and smart jokes. I asked Jay is your masculinity sensitive after they called me out about making that comment that I thought wasn't offensive...but I guess it rubbed then the wrong way?? But like how, cause it was about candy and I wasn't mad at them when I said it.

They took that candy comment way too seriously. Cause even ayunna agreed with Jay that I was challenging their dominance? Like wtffff how can I challenge someone's dominance without even being aggressive, pushing a button, or getting in your face?

I think they thought I was just the nice girl who never talks back. Bullshiiiiittttt I have a mouth. I'm allowed to speak 🤣😅 fucking idiots and they thought I was the sensitive one. Jay sensitive too. Any time they felt less like a man, they took it out on us, like a lil crybaby, like a punk. But I didn't say anything....cause it seemed like anything I said to defend myself they would get into my head too about how it don't make sense.

Truly I think we just came from 2 different backgrounds, one where I was taught to obey but speak my mind. And Jay was taught that control and making others controlled by fear, while they got to be enabled to do so...was their life at home being the oldest. I never like even my own manager for doing that, controlling, poking, and bitching about stress then then taking it out on us because he has anger and commitment issues at biglots.

Jay came from "I'm the man, you're supposed to shut up and be quiet when I say it." I came from a house that woulda whooped yo ass for saying shit like that to my own momma. We don't play that shit around here and I grew up in the south, and southern raised folk. You always respect women just as proper and equal as men too. Yes sir, thank you ma'am, and do you need some napkins, that southern hospitality and respect for other people, friends, and family I was taught that. Jay must have not been taught manners and stuff like I did. My momma and daddy a mind even teachers made me be nice and be a good listener, and a good student always ready, alert, paying attention. You got off task, you fall behind in school, so always pay attention. Dad always was hard on me reminding me to do my best and treat people the way you want to be treated.

[cerezsis]

The Missing Link

Chapter Three: Jia

Summary: Amon and the Equalists have taken over Republic City. No bender is safe. So why is one just out in the open?

--

           The empty streets of Republic City were even more desolate and hostile under the guise of night. Not even a week had passed since the Equalist’s terroristic takeover, but it felt like so much longer. Benders were being rounded up and taken to Amon every day. People caught protecting benders were also hauled away, taken to spirits knows where. It was a terrifying chapter in the city’s history, that much was certain. Their only hope now was the United Forces, and the Avatar.

           As she continued to drive down the slush-covered streets, the fifty-something-year-old woman spared a glance at the rear-view mirror. Her dark blue eyes looked so tired, fatigued by currents affairs. She longed for the comfort of her own bed, for her head to rest on her husband’s chest as they drifted off to sleep. That, however, wouldn’t come any time soon.

           As she was about to look back at the empty road, something caught her eye. Her stomach dropped and her grip on the steering wheel tightened as she realized what was coming up behind her.

           Monkey feathers!

           She tried to stay calm. Maybe they were just patrolling. Maybe they would leave her alone. However, as their motorcycles drew closer and closer, she realized she wasn’t to be so lucky. Taking a deep breath, she pulled off to the side of the road, stepping out of the car with her hands in the air.

           “What do you want?” she asked, her voice steady and without the fear she felt pulsating through her being.

           The two equalists got off their bikes. Judging by their builds, she guessed they were both male.

           “Identify yourself,” one of them ordered.

           “Kaida, daughter of Suki and former councilman Sokka, and owner and operator of Kaida’s Academy of Martial Arts and Self Defense. I’m a non-bender. What do you want with me?”

           The two men stood, taking in the information.

           “Kaida, huh?” the shorter equalist pondered, “We’ve heard of you.” He and his partner put their hands on the bolas they had stored in their belts, not drawing them but making sure the woman in front of them could see they had them. “And we’ve heard of your twin sister; the waterbender.”

          “We’re familiar with the whole family. Her husband’s a waterbender, their daughters are waterbenders, and your older sister’s firstborn is a firebender.” He paused as they both took a step closer, a clear attempt at intimidation. “Tell us where we can find them, and you’ll be free to go.”

           “I have no idea,” she said, still showing no outward signs of fear, “I haven’t heard from them since you goons took over.” She lowered her arms, looking the two men square in the eye. “And since you haven’t either, my guess is they’ve fled the city. I have no idea where they could be.”

           The two equalists looked at each other. Given the family’s high profile, it was common knowledge that the three who lived in the city weren’t the only sisters; the eldest of them lived in the Southern Water Tribe, and the second eldest lived on Kyoshi Island. Sure, they could still be in the city, but them having fled was equally possible. There was no way to be sure in that moment. They were at a standstill.

           “May I go now?” the ever-growing impatient woman asked, “It’s been a long day, and I’d like to go home.”

           The men nodded at each other and took their hands off their weapons.

           “Don’t think we won’t be talking to you again.”

           “Oh, I’m sure you will. Goodnight.” She turned around, reaching her hand out to open the car door. Seeing this, one of the equalists was hit with a realization. In one quick motion, he reached for his bolas, using it to grab the wrist of the woman in front of him.

           “What are you doing!?” the now taken aback woman demanded.

           “Uh, what are you doing?” the confused equalist asked.

           “Kaida is right-handed.”

           Her stomach plummeting, the woman looked down, seeing her left hand on the car’s handle.

           Before the other equalist had time to react, Jia sprung into action. Using her unbound hand, she took advantage of the damp streets, and in one swift motion, a sharp slice of ice freed her from the bolas’ grasp. She ducked down just in time for the other equalist to draw his weapon, aiming for her, but instead hitting the car’s window, shattering the glass.

           Kaida’s gonna kill me for that, Jia cringed.

           Maneuvering her way out of the attack range, she bent as much water off the streets as she could. Immediately, she realized it wasn’t enough. As the men in front of her swung their weapons, she knew this was a fight she couldn’t win. She was outnumbered, low on ammo, and not to mention, there were pressing matters at hand.

           “I don’t have time for this!” the waterbender shouted as she thrusted what little water she had at the men, knocking them down. “You know who I am! You know my profession! One of my patients is showing signs of pre-eclampsia, and I need to get to the hospital!” She swallowed hard. There was only one way out of this fight – one way they’d let her do what she needed to do. “If you let me attend to me patient, if you let me save mother and child… I’ll go with you willingly. I’ll surrender and allow Amon to take my bending.”

           She studied the men closely. Though she couldn’t see their faces, she could tell by how long they looked at each other that this was a first for them.

           “Do we have a deal?”

           The seconds passed slowly, too slowly for Jia’s liking. Finally, they nodded at each other and stood up.

           “There will be no funny business from you tonight,” one of them said, “If you double cross us, we know where to find your sisters. We will find them, and we won’t have mercy on them, or their children. Understand?”

           Jia nodded. “We’ve wasted enough time. I need to get to the hospital.”

           She walked past them, appearing as calm as ever as she got into the now damaged car. The two equalists got on their motorcycles, and they followed her to the hospital. Jia pulled into the staff parking lot, parking the car in the first spot she found. It wasn’t as packed as it usually was, the missing cars, Jia quickly noticed, all having belonged to the waterbending staff.

           As she stepped out of the car, the equalists hopped off their bikes, following her as she made her way to the staff entrance. With the door just a few feet away, she suddenly stopped and turned around.  

           “Oh no, absolutely not. You’re not coming in here.”

           Even without seeing their faces, Jia knew they were glaring at her.

           “And why is that?”

           “Why? This is a hospital, not an Equalist hangout! We may have a deal, but I will not compromise patient safety and privacy.” She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing into a glare. “So, unless you plan on holding the placenta for me, you’re not coming in.”

           The two men cringed, very clearly disgusted as they glanced at each other.

           “Remember what I said earlier,” the taller equalist said, his composure coming back to him, “We will find your sisters if you double cross us. We’ll be waiting for you right. Here.”

           “Oh, of course.” Her arms fell and she held them behind her back. “Now if you excuse me, I have a job to do.” She spun around, turning her back to them as she walked through the double doors.

--

           The rush of the running water was the only sound in the hospital locker room. Scrubbing her hands vigorously, Jia looked up at her reflection. Her dark brown hair was now pinned up and hidden under the bright blue surgical cap. She knew her sister didn’t have the same practical reason for wearing her hair up high, but it still baffled her why she wore hers so low. They may have the same face, but they had such different tastes in style.

           Kaida put her life on the line to hide me and my family. Why am I critiquing her hair style right now?

           Her light brown hands scrubbed nearly raw, Jia reached for the hand towel.

           I wonder if they’ll let me go after they take my bending. Or will they hold me hostage? She wondered, Imnek won’t risk the girls’ safety; he’s not stupid. Akina would never give up her son like that, and Kaida wouldn’t betray her family, or put Kirika’s life on the line by revealing she’s been hiding us in the academy’s basement… but I wouldn’t put it past her or Akina to do something equally stupid to save me.

           Her hands now dry, she forced the thought out of her mind as she turned and left the locker room.

           It’ll be ok. You’ll be ok. Bending doesn’t define who you are. You’ll still be Jia, even without bending.

           The halls of the hospital were long. Having worked there for over twenty years, she knew them well. She’d attended to many mothers, delivered many babies. More than she could possibly count. Her greatest breakthroughs were made within these walls. Nay, the world’s greatest breakthroughs. It was because of her research – combining her tribe’s ancient healing practices with modern medicine – that the nation’s maternal and infant mortality rates dropped so significantly. She accomplished so much, saved so many lives…

           You can still do that. You can still be a doctor without bending… albeit, not as efficiently. But you can still teach your methods to new doctors. You can still be on the research board. Lives will still be saved. Your research won’t go in vein.

           She rounded the corner and walked into her patient’s room, pushing her thoughts down and putting a comforting smile on her face. The heavily pregnant woman laid in bed, gripping her husband’s hand. It took only one look to determine just how nervous they were.

           “We’re almost ready to take you back,” Jia said, her voice calm and professional, “Do you have any further questions?”

           The woman looked to her husband, before sheepishly glancing at Jia. “Are you certain this is safe? Will I be able to have more children after this?”

           Jia walked closer to her, grinning with assurance. This procedure was still relatively new, so it wasn’t uncommon for women undergoing it to be nervous, especially first-time mothers.

           “It’s 100% safe and shouldn’t affect future fertility. I’ve seen many mothers go on to have more children after a surgical delivery.” Though her words calmed the couple significantly, she still saw worry in their eyes. “I can assure you, you’re in the best hands possible. My team and I have performed this procedure thousands of times. I even underwent it myself when I had my youngest.”

           The woman was intrigued. “Oh?”

           Jia nodded. “Yep. See, rather than present head, or even feet first, my daughter decided she wanted to lay sideways,” she explained, gesturing her hands across her stomach to illustrate her point.

           “Oh my!”

           Jia chuckled and shook her head. “That’s kids for you. Always gotta be different.”

           The mere thought of her children gave her a sense of calm. Even if she was a lost cause, they would be safe. And once this was over, they’ll be able to go back home, go back to some kind of normalcy.

          Losing your bending doesn’t mean losing everything. You’ll still be a doctor. You’ll still be Nasak and Uki’s mother. You’ll still have your family. You’ll still be you. Amon can’t take that away from you.

           “We both made it through the procedure in good health,” Jia continued, “She’s a perfectly healthy teenager now, head of her school’s drama club and everything. You and your child will make it through, too.”

           The couple grinned, visibly more relaxed. Before more could be said, two nurses came in, wheeling in a bed to transport the patient.

           “Looks like we’re ready for you. It’s almost time to meet your baby.”

           The woman gave a genuine smile and looked to her husband. “We’re almost parents!”

           Her husband gave her a gentle kiss before the nurses started helping her onto the new bed.

           Everything’s going to be ok... I hope.  

--

           The cold of the night became increasingly evident the longer the two equalists waited outside. It was one thing to be constantly on the move in this cold, but just sitting around waiting was something else entirely.

           “Isn’t she done yet?” the taller of the two complained, rubbing his hands together, “How long does it take to deliver a baby?”

           “You’d be surprised. When my nephew was born, it–” He cut himself off. His posture stiffened as realization hitting him like a frate train, something his companion immediately took notice of.

           “What, you forget you were supposed to babysit or something?”

           The other man didn’t respond right away. He briefly debated if he even should.

           “… I’ve told you the story, right? When my sister was nine months pregnant, she was suddenly convinced something was wrong. She tried to tell the doctors, but they brushed her off. Something about nerves and being a first-time mother… but one finally listened to her.” His head hung low as he continued the story. “Turns out, she was in the early stages of placenta abruption. Dr. Jia admitted her to the hospital right away, and thank the spirits she did. Just two days later, she started hemorrhaging. If she hadn’t already been in the hospital, she would’ve bled out. It happened so fast…” He looked up at his companion. “Dr. Jia saved her life. She saved my nephew’s life. I didn’t remember her face until now. I didn’t know this Jia…”

           The other equalist looked to him in sympathy. The two had known each other for a long time now. He’d even met this sister, briefly. He knew she and her baby were the only family he had. He knew they meant the world to him.

           No other words were exchanged for the longest time. The only sound to be heard was that of the wind, and the occasional passing car.

           “So… what do you wanna do?”

--

           Jia stood in the hallway, staring at the exit. Her patient had delivered a healthy baby boy. Mother and child were in the clear, and both were doing well. At this point, Jia was comfortable enough to leave them in the care of the non-bending staff. Which meant she was out of time.

           Taking a deep breath, she held her head high as pushed open the double doors. If nothing else, she would face this nightmare with dignity and honor.

           As the night air hit her skin, Jia’s heart nearly stopped in shock. No one was there. The motorcycles were even gone. She was alone.

           She looked around, careful not to let her guard down. They could still be there, ready to ambush her. It was when she spun around in the direction of the car that she noticed it; a piece of paper tucked underneath the windshield wiper. Approaching with caution, she walked over and picked it up. Her eyes widened as she read the words, unsure of that to make of it.

           Wrong person. Sorry.

[randomrichards]

BEST MOVIE MOMENTS OF 2020

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Abe Makes Dinner from ABE

Teen chef protégé Abe (Stranger Thing’s Noah Schnapp) hopes that his dinner blending Israeli and Palestinian dishes will mend a bridge between his Israeli and Palestinian families (as well as his atheist father). But he gets a sad dose of reality when he learns the hard way that a wedge between families can’t always be solved with a meal.

“Wait for It” from HAMILTON

On June 16, 2016, Leslie Odom Jr. surprised many by beating Hamilton star/creator Lin-Manuel Miranda for the Best Actor award at the Tony Awards. And now they understood why thanks to Disney+ presenting the musical. And it all has to do with the song “Wait for It.”

In this soulful musical number, Odom Jr. allows us to understand Aaron Burr’s beliefs in letting fate leads his path. Whether it’s winning the heart of a married woman or watching all his loved ones parish, Burr is willing to wait for destiny to reveal why. It also showcases the contrast between Burr and Hamilton. This song changes Burr from History’s villain to a complicated anti-hero.

10)          Deku and Bakugo go full Super Sayan in MY HERO ACADEMIA: HEROES RISING

My Hero Academia always delivers great action scenes and they truly shine in their latest round in the cinema.

In his final battle to protect young brother and sister Mahoro (Tomoyo Kurosawa in Japanese, Dani Chambers in English) and Katsuma (Yuka Terasaki in Japanese, Maxey Whitehead in English) from ruthless power-stealer Nine (Yoshio Inoue in Japanese, Johnny Yong Bosch in English), underdog hero-in-training Izuku “Deku” Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita in Japanese, Justin Briner in English) transfers his “One-For-All” power to hotheaded classmate Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto in Japanese, Clifford Chapin in English). The result is an image of the in super powered form resembling Super Sayans.

When Deku reaches 100% power, the film suddenly turns white then stretches into abstract imagery.

Honestly, the main reason I put this on the list is because it’s pure awesome and I’m not afraid to admit it.

9)            A Survivor Model from COLLECTIVE

This documentary follows the reporters of Romanian Newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as their investigation into the Colective Club fire in Bucharest that killed 27 people and left 180 injured exposed vast health care fraud that caused survivors to die in the hospital and would bring down the government. Another key focus is a survivor who was so badly burned she lost most of her fingers. The camera focuses on her as she watches conferences about the fire.

In a standout moment, she models for photo shoots. In this moment, we see a beautiful woman who refuses to allow her disability to stop her, revealing her power.

8)            the Wuhan Flu Song from BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM

Many best scenes of 2020 will focus on the bed scene with Tutar and Rudy Gulianni. But I prefer to focus on the scene where Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) performs the “Wuhan Flu Song” at a Anti-Masker Rally. Not only is it deliciously cringy and hilarious, but It perfectly captures all of Cohen’s strengths as a comedic performer.

As with Borat’s previous cringy yet catchy “Throw the Jew Down the Well, Cohen uses the Borat persona exposes the ugliest side of America. Watching the Qanon conspiracy theorists cheering on Borat (under the guise of Country Steve) singing about injecting Obama with the Coronavirus horrifies while splitting sides. This moment reveals the dangerous consequences of misinformation and conspiracy theorists on society. Plus, the song is shamelessly catchy as hell.

Add the fact that Cohen was nearly attacked during this scene shows how far he’s willing to go to make a point and get a laugh.

7)            The Dinner Scene from LET HIM GO

This scene is a perfect example of how you put subtext in a scene. On the surface, It’s just Weboy matriarch Blanche (Lesley Manville) serving porkchops to her daughter in law Lorna’s(Kayli Carter) former parent in laws Margaret (Diane Lane) and George Blackledge (Kevin Costner). But with the context of Margaret and George trying to deliver Lorna and their grandson from her abusive husband, you can feel the hostility in the atmosphere.

It’s a credit to the actors and their ability to hide their aggression under a mask of southern hospitality. It’s especially true for Manville, who brings to life a woman who is a master of hiding her cruelty under a pleasant smile. She may sound welcoming to them, but you can tell something’s off about her. No wonder she’s able to manipulate the police into siding with her. Hell, many audience will be surprised when they find out she’s British in real life.

Lane matches her every step of the way with the most nuanced jabs.

It won’t get as much appreciation due to it’s unassuming nature. But it’s a perfect scene to show how to bring nuance to a performance.

6)            The Restaurant Scene from THE INVISIBLE MAN

At first, it seemed Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss) finally has the drop on her sociopathic control freak ex Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). After days being tormented by him, Cecilia finally has proof of how he turns invisible. Now she goes to a public restaurant to convince her sister Emily (Harriet Dyer). But then a  levitating knife appears out of nowhere and slits Emily’s throat before flying into Cecilia’s hands.

Director Leigh Whannell and cinematographer Stefan Duscio do an excellent job using everyday envirnoments to create a sense of unease. Whenever the camera lingers on a kitchen, you search with anxious eyes for any sign of Adrian. In this case, they use the ambience of a crowded fancy restaurant to create a false sense of security. And yet, you can’t help but wonder if Adrian’s still watching them.

It’s in this scene where title character goes from a good villain to a great villain. Here we see what a cunning monster he truly is. The scene also showcases Moss’s terrific performance as her desperate eyes showcase the complete helplessness she feels in this scenario.

5)            Edna sheds her skin in RELIC

Rarely do the words “horror” and “heartbreaking” go together, but that describes the ending to this underrated gem.

Kay (Emily Mortimer) returns to her family home to care for her mother Edna (Robyn Nevin), who seems to be suffering from dementia. Now she and her daughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) find themselves trapped in the crawlspace while fleeing a warped Edna, who has been warped by a supernatural force. With contorted joints and decaying flesh, she has become monstrous. At first it seems they have defeated Edna and are heading out the door.

Then Kay looks back to see her mother lying on the ground, struggling to breath. This brings the film into a unexpected turn as Kay carries the creature that used to be her mother to bed. When Kay peels the skin off Edna’s body to reveal a charcoal skinned, dying creature, the film goes from creepy to heartbreaing. Anyone who ever lost a loved one to dementia will recognize to devastating feeling of watching them fade away right in front of your eyes.

4)             The one-take action scene in EXTRACTION

Well, we can’t have a best movie moments of 2020 list without mentioning the 10 minute action sequence from Extraction.

As black market mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) shields the kidnapped son of a drug lord from other mercenaries, his race across a Bangladesh village delivers all you want from an action movie. Fast paced car chase? Check. Semi-automatic gun battles? Check. Hand to hand combat? Check. Parkour across rooftops? You bet. Sometimes you’ll even get people get hit by cars during hand to hand combat. All of this happens while cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel makes it look like one take.

Sure, sophisticated viewers will recognize there the cuts are hidden. But when director Sam Hargrave is willing to ride on the hood of a car as it races across dirt roads for the sake of a shot, you can’t help but be impressed

3)            Opening Bike Ride from THE CLIMB

The film begins with what sees like a regular bike ride. American Mike (Director and Co-Writer Michael Angelo Covino) and Kyle (Co-Writer Kyle Marvin) are racing across the road of a French mountain before Kyle’s wedding. But then Mike reveals he’s slept with Kyle’s fiancé, resulting in the furious Kyle to chase Mike. Unfortunately, they’re both too exhausted to commit to a long chase.

The whole opening sequence could be its own short film. Covino and cinematographer Zach Kuperstein) shoot it all in one unbroken take, allowing the awkward exchange to flow more naturally. It leads to a hilarious moment when Kyle tries to chase Mike, but neither have the energy to keep going. Plus, it summarizes the reoccuring cycle of the film with Mike becoming increasingly self-destructive and a terrible friend and Kyle being nice until pushed too far.

2)            The Ending from UNCUT GEMS

After spending two hours in a state of panic, it looks like the audience will finally breath a sigh of relief. After locking his pissed off brother in law Arlo (Eric Bogosian) and his goons Phil (Keith William Richards) and Nico (Tommy Kominik) in the Jewelry store with him, smooth talking jeweler and gambling addict Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) makes the biggest win of his life via pinpoint accurate predictions of a basketball game. Now he has millions of dollars; way more than enough to pay off his debt. Everything’s coming up Howard. That is until the furious Phil puts a bullet in Howard’s head and proceeds to rob his store.

With all his reckless behaviour (including putting his girlfriend at risk) and overconfidence, you knew at somehow Howard was going to be punished. But when the flilm cuts to scenes of Howard’s family celebrating the game and his girlfriend leaves with the money, you can’t help but know how bad they’re going to feel when they find Howard dead.

Then the camera zooms into Howard’s bullet wound to reveal the same colourful kaliedescope imagery as shown within the title uncut gems. With Daniel Lopatin’s enchanting new wave score playing, this moment gives the audience a moment to finally relax before closing with Gigi D’Agostino’s L’amour Toujours.

In spite of (or because of) his flaws; Howard is himself an uncut gem.

1)            The little things inspire Joe from SOUL

Everyone recognizes “The Pixar Moment”; that scene that elevates a Pixar film from great to extraordinary. No one can truly define it, but it’s the one scene from the film everyone talks about. It’s the ten-minute prologue from Up. It’s Anton Ego’s reaction after trying Remy’s dish in Ratatouille. Even a lesser Pixar film can have this moment; a perfect example is when Lighting McQueen allows Ramirez to race in his place in Cars 3. Now we can add another film to the list thanks to Pixar’s latest masterpiece Soul.

After a day of escaping the afterlife and being trapped in the body of a therapy cat, Joe Gardner’s (Jamie Foxx) has finally achieved his dream of being in a Jazz band. And he feels…nothing. So, he heads back to his piano to ponder his direction in life. Then he finds the items 22 (Tina Fey) collected while in his body. What results is a moment fans will be coming back to in their moment of need.

As Joe rests 22’s items in front of his piano and starts playing, he comes to realize how a pizza crust and a seed truly meant to her. In the process, he comes realize the moments that seemed meaningless at first had some magic in them. The joy of playing for his father. The feel of the ocean waves flowing on his feet. The taste of a café’s pie.

In a time when many people can’t do any major activities, this moment serves as a reminder of to appreciate the little things in life. I imagine many audiences will return to this scene in their lowest moments.

[gstqaobc]

CBC NEWS The Royal Fascinator Feb. 7, 2020 Hello, royal watchers and all those intrigued by what’s going on inside the House of Windsor. This is your biweekly dose of royal news and analysis. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this delivered to your inbox. Janet Davison Janet Davison Royal Expert

Who will step up for Meghan and Harry?

(Lefteris Pitarakis/The Associated Press)

It was a striking image that day in June of 2012 — just six people on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, sending a signal widely interpreted to foreshadow a slimmed-down future for the House of Windsor.

It was the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee marking her 60 years as monarch, and joining her on the balcony were her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles; his wife, Camilla; Charles’s two sons, Princes William and Harry; and William’s wife, Kate. (The Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, was in hospital at the time and it would be four years before Harry met his wife, Meghan.)

Charles has long been thought to favour a core group of senior family members to carry the House of Windsor forward in the next reign.

But Harry and Meghan’s departure from the upper echelons of the family leaves a big hole in that plan.

"I think [Charles] envisaged having Harry as part of that,” Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, said via email.

Seward said that along with William and Kate, Charles saw his sister, Princess Anne, and his brother, Prince Edward, as part of the plan.

Harry’s departure “really blows a hole into Charles’s well-thought-out plan for a slimmed-down monarchy based on the core family,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith

told Vanity Fair

.

Even though Harry is now down to sixth in the line of succession, he would still have been expected to carry out more senior duties for several years because numbers three, four and five in the succession (William and Kate’s young children, George, Charlotte and Louis) are up to two decades away from being active royals.

“So Charles and William have been counting on Harry to be, in effect, third in line to the throne and that’s all out the window, too,” said Bedell Smith.

Harry and Meghan have been staying out of sight for the past couple of weeks and are thought to be on Vancouver Island, where they were over Christmas before making their seismic departure announcement.

In the meantime in the U.K., it’s been royal business as usual for everyone from the Queen on down. Elizabeth was out and about twice this week —

and reminisced about her father and his corgis

— as her regular winter stay at her Sandringham estate, north of London, draws to a close.

Charles and Camilla were at a reception for the British Asian Trust and other engagements. William, who has a new role as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and Kate were at the British version of the Oscars and did a day trip to Wales.

Observers have been trying to figure out whether there’s any evidence of Harry and Meghan’s departure affecting what other senior members of the family are doing.

But in many ways, that seems to be a stretch — at least for now.

“As official engagements are usually fixed some months in advance and Harry and Meghan’s official departure is not until the spring, I don’t think we have yet seen much direct evidence,” Seward said.

“The crux will come on family occasions and none are scheduled in the immediate future. The future of Harry’s military appointments is obviously under consideration and will be announced as soon as it is decided.”

Still, it all leaves many open questions about how other members of the family may step up their roles. One person seen by many as likely to gain more prominence is Edward’s wife, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.

“I think Sophie will take on a lot more royal duties and patronages,” said Seward.

And then there are Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew, who has stepped down from public duties in the wake of fallout from his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and a disastrous BBC interview related to that.

“I am not sure about Beatrice and Eugenie,” Seward said. “Before all this happened, I know Andrew was keen for them both to have royal roles, but Charles was not.”

Another spring wedding

One thing that is sure for Beatrice — she has a confirmed wedding date and venue. Buckingham Palace said this morning she and fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi will marry May 29 at the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace in central London. The Queen will host a reception just up the road, in the gardens behind Buckingham Palace. After a flurry of royal weddings in Windsor over the past couple of years, this promises to be a lower-profile, smaller and more intimate affair — perhaps not surprising given the controversy surrounding Beatrice’s father, Andrew. St. James’s Palace does, however, have a rich royal history. Other weddings that have taken place there include that of Queen Victoria in 1840. It’s also been the scene of several christenings, including Beatrice herself in December 1988, and more recently Prince George in 2013 and Prince Louis in 2018. Andrew and the FBI — what's going on? Prince Andrew was the focus of more attention recently after the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York told a news conference held outside Epstein’s former mansion that Andrew had given “zero co-operation” to the inquiry into the convicted sex offender.Immediately after that, sources close to Andrew were reported as saying he was angry and “bewildered” by the claims he had been unco-operative, and that he hadn’t received any request to speak to the FBI.A lawyer for a victim of Epstein also urged Andrew to co-operate with the FBI.Seward said until an approach is made by the FBI through official channels, “nothing will happen.”“This doesn’t lessen the potential wrong, but he can’t answer anything until his lawyers are contacted, and then they don’t have to answer straight away,” Seward said. “I think he will help the investigation, but has probably been advised to wait until such time as all the necessary evidence as to where he was and what he was doing has been gathered.”Andrew has said he did not see or suspect any sex crimes during the time he spent with Epstein. He has also denied any inappropriate relations with a woman who has said she was forced to have sex with him three times between 1999 and 2002. Andrew has said he has no recollection of meeting her..

Royal angst — beyond the House of WindsorOther royal families have also seen their share of controversy and high-profile headlines in the last little while.The public prosecutor in Luxembourg has launched a probe after reports of physical violence toward staff who work for the tiny European country’s royal family.It was only the latest headline there, coming about a week after Grand Duke Henri issued a statement to defend his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, against allegations of a “hostile working environment” at the palace.“Why attack a woman? A woman who speaks up for other women? A woman who is not even being given the right to defend herself?” Henri said in his statement.Next door, in Belgium, former King Albert II admitted he fathered a child during an extramarital affair half a century ago.The acknowledgement came after a court-ordered DNA test found that the 85-year-old, who abdicated in 2013, is Delphine Boël’s biological father.Boël had been engaged in a longstanding court fight to prove that she is his biological daughter.

Royally quotable

"Yet in 2020, and not for the first time in the last few years, we find ourselves talking again about the need to do more to ensure diversity in the sector and in the awards process – [a lack of diversity] simply cannot be right in this day and age."

—  Prince William

speaks during the British Academy Film Awards

.

Fans of the Netflix drama The Crown will have to content themselves with just five seasons, rather than the six everyone had been expecting. Creator Peter Morgan had said he’d planned on six seasons of the show focusing on Queen Elizabeth’s reign, but the other day he nixed that idea and said five seems like the “perfect time and place to stop.” The way the series is going, that should take viewers up to around the year 2000. Given some of the higher-profile royal controversies of late, perhaps it’s understandable why Morgan is content to stop at that point. “I think there’s concerns the closer you get to the present day, in terms of how much dramatic licence can you ethically take about events that are unfolding,” said Toronto-based royal historian and author Carolyn Harris. “And also, the show would become more controversial if it was speaking about events that are in many ways still unfolding at this time, and imagining conversations behind palace doors.” Season 5 will see another actor take on the role of Elizabeth. Imelda Staunton, who’d long been rumoured for the part, will follow Claire Foy (seasons 1 and 2) and Olivia Colman (seasons 3 and 4).

Royal reads

1. A century before Harry and Meghan, an Italian noble family

sought refuge in B.C. — and stayed

. [CBC]

2. The RCMP and U.K. security officials are

discussing how best to protect Harry and Meghan

while they are in Canada, and who will ultimately pay for their security. [CBC]

3. Harry

lost a press complaint

he filed against a newspaper over a story it published about photos of African wildlife he has posted on Instagram. [BBC]

4. To mark the 200th anniversary of King George III’s death, his

massive collection of military maps

has been made available online, offering insight into global conflicts from the 16th to 18th centuries. Also going back in time,

a vest worn by Charles I at his execution

is going on display.  [The Guardian, BBC]  

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