#aden kent

[darkeagleruins]

JUST IN: The Ohio Attorney General has announced six indictments for illegal voting in U.S. elections.

We were told this never happens.

Those who voted illegally are alleged to be as follows:

• Ramesh Patel, 68, of North Royalton, was indicted for illegal voting as a U.S. citizen.

• Lorinda Miller, 78, of Hudson, faces two counts for voting as a non-citizen.

• Nicholas Fontaine, 32, of Kent, was indicted for voting as a non-citizen.

• Ahmed Aden, 35, of Columbus, is accused of voting as a non-citizen.

• Van Thuy Cooper, 53, of Hilliard, was indicted for voting as a non-citizen.

• Mario Dearaujo, 62, of Columbus, faces charges for voting as a non-citizen.

The election years in question are for 2008 to 2020.

Ohio AG David Yost remarked on the indictments. “The right to vote is sacred,” Yost said.

“If you’re not a US citizen, it’s illegal to vote – whether you thought you were allowed to or not – you will be held accountable.”

[practicefortheheart]

hello I heard you are potentially in the market for audiobooks … let me Provide

(these will all be queer lol)

firstly! if you use libby to read, you can bookmark at any place in the book and go right back there if you’re wanting to make fan art (but it is easier with an ebook).

I agree with anon, The Last Binding trilogy is great and each narrator has some fun interpretations, like that lisp for that one guy.

The Will Darling Adventures by KJ Charles — Cornell Colins reads this trilogy and he is FANTASTIC. he is so extra! he’s perfect for these books (set in 1920s Britain, queer men caught up in spy shenanigans and a conspiracy and danger!). this would be a great follow up to The Last Binding, it hits a lot of the same notes.

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros — Maxwell Glick narrates this creepy and dark supernatural exploration on jewishness in Chicago at the time of the 1883 world fair. gird your loins and prepare to love so many characters! Glick does a fantastic job bringing them to life; I was immersed.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles — this one is read by Martyn Swain and maybe it’s just bc I’m not British, but hearing all these diverse British accents aloud made this story feel more real to me. it takes place in Regency Kent where there are black market crime rings and murders and LOTS OF MUSHY LOVE!

I’ll stop there for now but you’ll be amazed how great audiobooks can be once you get past the thought of a human reading a sex scene in your ear alfjskfjdkskelsfkels (that was my biggest barrier). it’s great because of the vivacity of good read-aloud storytelling. not all are winners but there are sooooo many good ones out there.

I mean, I think most of the books I've read the last few years were queer (apart from some I had to read for my book club and non-fiction).

Thanks for your suggestions! I will check them out.

Yes, the explicit scenes needed some getting used to! It took a while before I could forget it was an actor reading them out loud and you know, having to act them out in a way?

Tbh my dad was a great storyteller and it is comforting to have someone tell you a story when you're doing things around the house, or making your way to work or just lying in bed with your eyes closed. There is some nostalgia in that.

[hazardouslesbian]

before aden got me to watch smallville I always thought it was funny that I’d be like “I don’t really care for superman though” and aden would say “it’s not about superman it’s about Clark Kent” and I would be like ?? that makes no sense they’re the same guy but now that I’ve seen smallville I get it bc I see superman and I’m like I literally don’t know him

[rubireads]

favourite passages from restore me by tahereh mafi (4 stars) - still recovering from that ending 🤯 over halfway through the series!

[train-whistles-and-art]

Art style!

[train-whistles-at-night]

OC Aesthetics: Aden James Kent

“I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.”  ― Maya Angelou

(No pictures are mine)

[mayor-skeleton]

Clent? I'm getting ship name vibes

Clent is just what I said when thinking of both Kent and Clem at the same time,,,

And it’s not a ship name, Clement and Kent come from two different universes!!

The chartreuse that Kent is buddies with has a different name and looks different too

[oopsabird]

One of the other boats I’m paying attention to that’s stuck in the Suez debacle and has decided to wait it out is THIS one:

I know, I know, I can hear you saying “What the fuck, Liv. That’s not a ship, that’s an attachment for my vacuum cleaner that lets me suck up dirt out of hard-to-reach crevices.”

Nah man, hear me out! It’s a boat I promise!

This is the FJORD FSTR, and it is currently anchored amidst the ships nearest the canal entrance in the Red Sea, waiting for the clusterfuck to unfuck itself:

Now, much like you probably do, when I first happened to click upon the VesselFinder profile of this vessel and saw that photo, I had some serious questions. Namely, uh:

what is that for, and uh,

why does it look like no boat in the history of boats has ever looked before?

it says it’s a passenger ship and it looks HUGE, are there hundreds of disgruntled passengers stuck on there???

Scrolling through the specs on FJORD FSTR’s profile for the beginnings of answers, one SUPER interesting thing immediately jumped out at me:

WELL. Now that deserves some googling.

(Aside: hehe, “year of built”)

Anyway. Google was super helpful and immediately eager to fill me in about this ship, and inform me that she is:

a fancy-ass catamaran-style car and passenger ferry,

destined to operate across the strait between Denmark and Norway (“between Kristiansand and Hirtshals”, to be specific),

equipped to hold 1200 passengers and MANY cars,

capable of a top speed of 70km/h (!!!)

totally brand spanking new.

How new?

I’ll take “the company that ordered her literally only took possession from the shipyard on February 26th” for five hundred Alex!

Turns out there ARE no passengers on this ferry yet, because it hasn’t even reached its actual operating location yet!

After being launched at the shipyard in the Philippines last month, it has been picked up by employees of the operating company (Fjord Line) who have been taking it home from the store the only way you can, with a 109m long massive floating lego block: by driving it there, empty and shiny and with the dust covers probably still on the instrument dials, in what was expected to be about a 4 week trip with an April 1st arrival.

Now, obviously from the Philippines to Denmark is a looooooong trip. It’s been a long trip so far just to get to the Suez Canal, an approximate route shown here in blue, and I’m sure both the crew and the ferry company paying by the hour for them to sail the shiny new toy home would much prefer that the rest of the trip be the much shorter Mediterranean route in pink, rather than going the looong way around Africa. But boy oh boy is there something funny about them going so far, after nearly a month at sea, only to end up stuck in traffic just a week or so of sailing away:

(I have no idea if they would or wouldn’t cut through the English Channel, but I didn’t feel like trying to draw it while not putting a line through Kent or whatever)

No wonder they’re willing to wait around in line and gamble that the canal will be cleared sooner rather than later! Especially when you consider that they already sold off the ferry it’s supposed to be replacing lol.

But wait, there’s more!

I may have lied, a little bit, earlier, when I said that there were no passengers on the FJORD FSTR during this delivery voyage. That is, strictly speaking, only half true.

While nobody has paid to take part in this voyage so far, there are some additional folks onboard who are not crew, but are being paid to be there:

Oh yeah, you read that right.

In addition to the 11 Fjord Line crew members operating the ship, for their passage through the particular bunch of waters they have currently been (unexpectedly) spending a week sat in, FJORD FSTR has embarked an unspecified number of persons who make up a “specially trained safety team”.

All this in the interest of deterring any potential pirates who (in the minds of these Danes) might look at this gargantuan floating slide whistle and start rubbing their hands together eagerly — or whatever paranoid Scandinavian ferry owners imagine tempted pirates might do. (Why desperate people like the Somali pirates would go after the big red empty Borg Cube when there are literal dozens of loaded-full cargo ships anchored as far as the eye can see nearby, is beyond me, but who am I to question rich Scandinavians lmao.)

So like, next time you’re having a weird week, try asking yourself:

“But am I having a weirder week than 11 sailors trapped indefinitely on a massive empty ocean-going luxury vape pen, with a team of hired guards, in the middle of the Red Sea during a crisis, hoping desperately against all clues to the contrary that they’re not about to live out the catalyzing incident of a Bond film?”

Odds are, probably not.

[djblendsky]

🎄YEARMIX 2020! 🎄

Mainstage & Allround Music!

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy 2021!

💬 Download mix: https://www.slammes.com/gate/8439/

Mixcloud: https://bit.ly/2WE4H6A

Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/2Kjq4HL

Facebook post: https://bit.ly/34D6e0R

► Visit DJ BLENDSKY Here:

Facebook: bit.ly/1V099GY

Twitter: bit.ly/1bPRfwd

Tumblr: bit.ly/2rlbGU1

____________________________________

Soundcloud (Main): bit.ly/28WQtTW

Soundcloud 2nd: bit.ly/1ghqTvB

Mixcloud: bit.ly/1ASfagd

Demodrop: bit.ly/2rDFZoK

Slammes: bit.ly/2QnK38j

Vi.be: vi.be/djblendsky

➥ Contact: dj.blendsky@outlook.com

Demo: dj.blendsky@outlook.be

____________________________________

🔊 Tracklist:

1. Blasterjaxx & Tony Junior - Jingle Bell Rock 

2. WDYW (FS Green Remix)

3. W&W pres. NWYR - Drakaina

4. Blasterjaxx feat. Amanda Collis - Rescue Me

5. Carta - Liang 

6. David Guetta x Robert Falcon - Play Hard & Bad (DJ KUBA & NEITAN Edit) 

7. BLASTERJAXX & ZafriR - ZURNA

8. Speedy J - Pullover (SDC 'Whoomp There It Is' Mashup)

9. David Guetta feat. Kid Cudi - Memories (Rogerson's Rewind)

10. Taio Cruz - Dynamite (Alpha Party Bootleg)

11. DJ Snake, J. Balvin, Tyga & Cedric Gervais vs. Brooks & Jonas Aden - Loco Contigo vs. Riot (Crunkz Edit)

12. Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive (Grens&Loos Remix)

13. Hurts Cause I'm Hooked (StevenMontana Smash-Up!)

14. Showtek - Cannonball (SDC 'More Than Friends' Mashup

15. Travis Scott & Frenna - Viraal Goosebumps (Beatz Freq Edit)

16. Starjack x Bingo Players - We Are Rattle 2K20 (Kent & Naitek Edit)

17. ENDOR X FISHER - LOSING PUMP IT UP (Naitek & Kent Edit)

18. Can't Stop X S&M X I Wanna (ColdeedMashup) Oliver x Rhianna X Whitney

19. DubVision vs. Maurice West, Saberz vs. Corona - Young Money vs. Rhythm Of The Night (Crunkz Mashup)

20. PITBULL - HOTEL ROOM SERVICE (ASURO AFRO FESTIVAL BOOTLEG)

21. Piece of your Devotion is gonna be ok (Alex Guesta Tribal Bootleg)

22. Frenna & Post Malone - My Congratulations Love (Beatz Freq Edit)

23. Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock

24. Sean Paul - Temperature ( 110 - 128 BPM Tallr Transition Edit )

25. Bizzey - Jingle EWA (TEAM PEACH Christmas Edit)

26. Bizzey - Jingle Traag (Team Peach Christmas Edit)

27. Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are (Rogerson Bootleg)

28. Jacka - My Humps (Jacka's Thursday)

29. Artistic Raw - Sound Of Da Police

30. Beach Boii - Rude (Buskilaz Remix)

31. DJ Snake - Magenta Riddim (SHAD Remix)

32. Tyga - Ayy Macarena (Kent & Naitek Transition 108 to 128bpm)

33. Replay (GOLDDIGGER$ Bootleg) 

34. Natasha Beddingfield - Unwritten (Praia Del Sol & Renco Bootleg)

35. Rihanna - Diamonds (ZIGGY & Team TNT Remix)

36. Beyonce vs Punjabi - Single Ladies x Mundian (Alex Ebs & Fames DJ Tool)

37. Henkie T & Aya Nakamura - Djadja DomDoen (Beatz Freq Edit)

38. Jax Jones x Krunk! & Dimatik - Breathe Elevare (G-Baess & TOSAK Edit)

39. Ginuwine - Pony (Team Rush Hour Remix)

40. Robert Armani - Hit Hard (SDC 'All Stars' Mashup)

41. Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey ft. Chris Deluxe - I'll Always Want To Pullup For Christmas (TEAM PEACH Christmas Mash)

42. Snollebollekes - Klappen Nondedju (SDC Extended)

43. B-Brave & Mariah Carey ft. Stavros Martina & Kevin D - All I Want For Christmas Is A One Night Stand (TEAM PEACH Christmas Mash)

[radiojamming]

Can you do a bio post for Tom Hartnell like what you did for John? I'm very interested in Tom as a real person!

yessss hartnell on main for EVERYONE. some of this is shamelessly lifted from the wiki article i wrote about him, so it’s still my writing! i’m just lazy.

THOMAS HARTNELL, A.B.

(March 12th, 1822 - ??)

Thomas Hartnell was born to Thomas and Sarah Hartnell on or near March 12th of 1822. He was baptized on May 12th of that year in the St. Mary Magdalene Church of Gillingham, Kent. The second of five surviving children, he was particular close to his eldest brother, John, and his younger sister, Mary Ann. Thomas came from a large family of shipwrights and sailors, and ended up engaging the latter career. The Hartnells lived in an area called Nelson Road & East Row in Gillingham, near the Chatham Dockyard on the River Medway where Thomas’ father was employed as a shipwright.

The elder Thomas Hartnell died on April 23rd, 1832, when his younger son was ten years old. Presumably with the family under some financial pressure, Thomas joined the Navy at age fifteen. On April 14th, 1837, he signed on to the HMS Brune, a refitted 40-gun French frigate formerly known as the Thétis. The Brune was docked at the Chatham Dockyard and served as a learning vessel for new sailors. Thomas served on the Brune until December 23rd. The next year, the Brune was permanently dismantled.

The day after Thomas signed off the Brune, he was enlisted aboard the HMS Volage, a 28-gun Sixth-rate frigate. At the same time, later Franklin Expedition Lieutenant Graham Gore signed on as well, as did John Strickland, Thomas’ possible first cousin. Just as well, Thomas’ tenure on the Volage provided a physical description in the ship’s Description Book, kept in order to properly identify sailors in instances of desertion or death. In the book, Thomas is described as being 5′8″ with “fair” eyes and light hair, which has been inferred to have been red, as his younger brother Charles’ hair had been. Thomas also had his initials tattooed on his right arm. 

Their time on the Volage was destined to be an exciting and terrifying one, as the Volage would engage in the Aden Expedition in which the British Navy, through force, captured the Yemeni port of Aden. After numerous skirmishes, the Volage famously engaged in the Battle of Chuenpi on November 3rd, 1839, during the First Opium War in China. The Volage and its blockade partner, the HMS Hyacinth, fired the first shots of the battle, accidentally directed against another Royal Navy ship. In May of 1841, Thomas signed off on the Volage, and four days later, signed on to the HMS Tortoise. Four months later, his oldest brother, John, would sign onto the Volage. 

Now promoted to able-bodied seaman due to his years of experience, Thomas’ time on the Tortoise was high-energy and adventurous. The Tortoise first served as a convict transportation ship to Van Diemen’s Land, now modern-day Tasmania. At this time, Sir John Franklin was Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen’s Land, and undoubtedly knew of the Tortoise’s arrival, if he did not outright meet with its captain and crew. In all, the Tortoise carried 400 convicts and 103 officers charged with maintaining peace aboard the ship. After leaving the convicts, the Tortoise was assigned with gathering kauri-wood spars for masts in New Zealand. In 1842, the Tortoise was involved in a conflict against the Te Arawa tribe after Major Bunbury of the 80th Regiment of Foot drew up a force of about 40 to 50 men, including some sailors from the Tortoise, to participate in the expedition. It is unknown if Thomas Hartnell was one of these men.

The Tortoise returned to Chatham Dockyard in winter of 1843, and Thomas paid off on it on December 11th of that year. He did not join another Navy ship until early 1845.

In spring of 1845, Thomas, with his older brother and John Strickland, signed on to the HMS Erebus as ABs. They were among the first of the regular crew to sign on and received double pay for Arctic service with the Franklin Expedition. Both Thomas and John had their pay allotted to their mother, Sarah while Strickland had his pay allotted to his mother, Ann, possibly John and Thomas’ aunt. 

By November of 1845, John Hartnell had fallen deathly ill. On January 4th, 1846, he passed away from complications related to tuberculosis, pneumonia, and a severe zinc deficiency. The situation among the men surrounding his death is unknown, but what is known is that John was buried in one of Thomas’ shirts–a finely-made blue-and-white striped shirt with a handmade string button and T.H. 1844 embroidered in red thread on the shirttail. John was also well-groomed at the time of his burial, with his hair combed, beard trimmed, and nails cleaned and cut. Presumably, as according with some Navy tradition, Thomas would have had a large part of the responsibility for preparing his brother’s body. Also in accordance with tradition, he would have put the first shovelful of gravel onto John’s coffin when his brother was buried on Beechey Island.

What happened to Thomas after this point is so far unknown. Like the majority of the Franklin Expedition members, he was presumed to have died on King William Island after the Erebus and her sister, HMS Terror were frozen in after three years. Whether Thomas died earlier or later, during the infamous “death march” is also unknown. As of yet, Thomas’ remains have not been identified. 

When it became apparent that John and Thomas were not to return home, Thomas’ younger brother, Charles, fought bitterly to establish himself as head of his brother’s estate. Due to a Crown debt, John’s pay and medals could not be obtained–and would not be until 1986. Charles did eventually succeed and the Admiralty reluctantly directed Thomas’ pay and medals to him. Charles would have a hand in establishing his brothers’ good reputation and memory in Gillingham, and may have erected a headstone in their honor in the St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard, even though their true remains were thousands of miles away.

[centralcitysfinest-rp]

Admin A: ( @thedaughterbeneaththehood  & @graceofgothamcity.)

Grace Singh (FC: Danielle Rose Russell )

Mia Smoak (FC: Kat McNamara)

Admin C: ( @legacies-of-justice )

Genevieve Dibney (FC: Madison Iseman)  

Conner Hawke-Diggle (FC: Keith Powers)

Admin K: ( @historyhasitseyesonus)

William Clayton  (FC: Ben Lewis)

Zoe Ramirez (FC: Lindsey Morgan)

Allura Danvers-Schott (FC: Kiernan Shipka)

Chris: ( @sons-of-tomorrow )

Scott DeSanta (FC: Tyler Blackburn)

Lucas Rivera (FC: Noah Centineo )

El: ( @palmertwin )

Theodore Palmer (FC: Emery Kelly)

Elle: ( @thefutureseekstruth )

Chloe Evita Chow-Whitlock (FC: Jessica Henwick)

George: ( @nightstarofcentral )

Mar'i Grayson (FC: Laura Harrier)

Heather: ( @agentmiriamcarter)

Miriam Hope Carter (FC: Elizabeth Olsen)

Alastair Trevor (FC: Cody Christian)

Jess: ( @legaciesofdisaster) 

Elliot Palmer ( FC: Emery Kelly) 

Orion Quinn ( FC: William Moseley) 

Kaitlin: ( @pheobetrevorprince )

Pheobe Trevor (FC: Rosabell Laurenti Sellers)

Kathyrn: ( @bvautifulmess)

Lucy Quinzel (FC: Dove Cameron)

Nora West-Allen (FC: Jessica Parker Kennedy)

Kat: ( @tomorrow-is-our-today )

Lyla Rose (FC: Charlotte Best)

Arianna Kent Troy (FC: Grace Phipps)

William Stone (FC: Daniel Sharman)

Kris: ( @spoiledreddrakes )

Lux Crystal Wayne-Drake (FC: Virginia Gardner)

Jackson Thomas Wayne-Drake (FC: Nick Robinson)

M: ( @faereeves )

Lily Reeves (FC: Dominique Provost-Chalkley)

Megan: (@usedtobethefuture)

Natira Murtaugh (FC: Lana Condor)

Mary Danvers-Schott (FC: Maisie Williams)

Rachie: ( @lxurelhxrper )

Joanne Laurel Harper (FC: Florence Pugh)

Rhona: ( @dead-parents-club )

Leia Luthor-Danvers (FC: Brianna Hildebrand)

Aden Lawson [née Lance-Todd]  (FC: Oliver Stark)

Andrew Spivot (FC: Gregg Sulkin)

Taylor: ( @fearofgodspeedx )

Don West-Allen (FC: Jacob Artist)

Yasmin:  ( @aherocslcgacy) 

Eliza Danvers (FC: Natalie Alyn Lind )

John Grayson (FC: Lucien Laviscount)

Tommy Robert Harper (FC: Dacre Montgomery)

[antiquechampagne]

Chapter 28 - Sleep Walking

The rest of the trek back to Goodneighbor was unusually silent.  Payne found her mind playing the whole disastrous return trip over and over as they avoided super mutant patrols and raider nests. Not only was she worried about how much damage she had caused with Hancock confidence in her, but rehashing her past had dredged up old baggage she thought long since buried. She started to second guess every interaction with him, over analyzing her word choices, how he reacted to her.

She adjusted the new knife strapped to her thigh for no particular reason, trying to break herself free from her intrusive thoughts. The long elegantly curved blade extended from below the wrist, ending in a viciously pointed tip. She found a deeply scratched “D” in the handle when they made a pit stop, wondering what significance the letter might have had.

Fahrenheit met them at the door to the Old State House, ushering Hancock in with a disgruntled look, several papers in her hand.

“No rest for the wicked!” Hancock shrugged before disappearing inside.

Payne took her leave, needing to clean up after the trip. For the next week, she went through the motions: guarding Hancock, patrolling, even half-listening to Magnolia sing in The Third Rail. She found her mind under assault by random memories at random times that clung to her and spread like a poisonous vine.

Walking back to her hotel room one morning in a fog, mentally exhausted after a night of slow drinking. As she rounded the corner, she found the Memory Den looming in front of her. She had never given much thought to the wares the establishment pedaled. The past was something she rarely thought about. She found it not worth disturbing the long settled dust… but now? The past pressed up against her mind, bleeding through to the present. Before she had realized it, her hand was pushing open the doors.

Irma looked up in surprise. “Well, good morning to you, sweetheart! Isn’t it a bit early for a social call? Kent’s probably still in his pajamas.”

Payne looked around nervously. “This… isn’t a social call, Irma.” She paused, unsure how to proceed.

“Just last week we paid our…oh.” Irma caught Payne eyeing the closest memory lounger and thought a moment. “Let me go see if Dr. Amari’s up, dear. Give me a minute.” Irma rose from her chaise lounge. “I’m not promising anything. Amari’s pretty stringent when it comes to screening new clients.” An easy smile curled her rosy lips. “At least I know you’re good for the caps.”

Alone, Payne listened to the strange rhythmic humming emitted by the machines surrounding her. She pressed her hand to the cold glass, peering inside. She was contemplating walking out, embarrassed to even be standing in the lobby, when Dr. Amari appeared.

“The memory loungers are complex pieces of equipment. Please don’t lean on them,” chided the doctor. Payne straightened up and quickly removed her hand. “Irma says you’re interested in our services. She also seems to think you could endure the procedure. Reliving memories… can be quite jarring if you haven’t prepared properly.”

“I been in here enough to know the spiel, Amari. I’m not going to live in a pod like Kent. I just want to... see some family I haven’t seen in a long time. That’s all.”

“Memories with people are easier, especially ones with loved ones,” Irma said. “Just focus on them, and you should do just fine.”

“Fine.” Amari said curtly. Money changed hands. “Just sit down in a lounger. Focus on a strong memory while I lock onto it.”

Payne laid down on the plush reclined chair of an open pod. She was glad to see a lack of restraints as the glass dome lowered around her. A television monitor suspended inches from her face, crackling with static and snow.

“All right. I’m scanning the hippocampus now. Good. Synchronizing the temporal lobes…”

“Let the show begin!” Irma chimed cheerfully.

Payne felt the hum of the machine grow louder as her vision went a snowy white.

“We’re almost there. Your memory is loading now.” Dr. Amari’s voice sounded tinny and distant, like she was whispering through a metal pipe. “We’ll be monitoring you.” Payne felt her heart rate jump at the phrase. Why was she doing this to herself? Putting herself in the hands of a doctor, of all people. That didn’t go so great the last time…

“Just relax, please. Focus on the memory.”

Payne forced herself to calm down, remembering the last truly happy time she had with her family.

Suddenly she found herself standing on a sidewalk, a bright blue sky above her head. The gentle rays of the kind fall sun warmed her skin. She could not suppress a wide, genuine smile. In front of her stood the perfect salmon-pink house of her childhood, complete with her mother’s concrete birdbath front and center in their yard. She could detect the delicate sweet smell of her mother’s baking wafting through the air. The house was decorated for Halloween, with black bats hung from the eaves and grinning carved pumpkins on the front porch. She was home!

Payne felt as if her heart stopped. Looking through the living room’s giant plate-glass window, two familiar silhouettes sat, lit only by the movie playing on the television set. She noticed it was her mother’s favorite horror flick, Dementia. And there they sat, her mother and brother, sharing popcorn as they watch their family’s annual horror movie marathon on her birthday. She froze, terrified that if she dared to move, the whole fragile world could disintegrate before her. Tears welled in her eyes seeing the two talking and laughing jovially together. Silently, the shadow of her brother got up and moved out of the room. Finally, Payne broke out of her trepidation and raced up the walk.

As she reached for the door, a single gunshot shattered the bucolic peace of the pristine pre-war neighborhood. Time dilated and stretched. Payne could hear her mother’s blood-freezing scream behind the door. Looking down, bright red blood seeped under the front door, oozing past the toes of her shoes.

“MOM! ADEN!” she screamed, pounding on the door that would not budge no matter how much she pushed. Somewhere close, a deafening claxon began blaring. This wasn’t right, this wasn’t how this happened… and yet it was happening…everything, all at once. In the sky, missiles streaked across a darkening horizon, choked with strange glowing green clouds.

“What the hell?” cried the tinny voice, far away from the horror unfolding around Payne. “Get her out. NOW!”

Ignoring the voice, Payne renewed her assault on her front door, cursing in frustration. She had to get to her family, needed to protect them from the horrors only she knew were coming. Her heart pounded in her chest, dread making bile rise in her throat.

Suddenly, Payne felt hands wrap around her arms and begin to pull her away and down the sidewalk. Skeletal figures wearing soiled and tattered nursing uniforms dragged her, their long needle-like fingers digging into the flesh of her arms, dripping glowing green ooze. She kicked and shoved, trying to twist from their ironclad grip. The bombs exploded in the sky. Payne screamed as the whole world went white.

“Just calm down, sweetie.”

She could still feel hands holding her down. In full panic, not knowing where she was, Payne threw off her attackers with a violent shove. Then, she did what she always did. She ran.

__

Kent arrived at the second-floor landing of the Old State House, huffing and panting. The closest guard on ran to his side.

“Hancock…” He puffed. “Payne…”

The noisy commotion brought Hancock out, followed closely by Fahrenheit. “Kent? What’s going on?” he asked.

Still winded, Kent took a deep breath. “Payne went to the Memory Den.” Hancock’s eyes went wide. “I don’t know what happened, but she freaked out…”

Before Kent could finish his sentence, Hancock rushed out the door and into the street. It didn’t take him long to find where Payne had run to. A crowd of drifters and Neighborhood Watch had gathered a cautious distance around a small metal shack at the end of the barricaded street past the hotel.

He stopped next to a watchman. Without having to ask, the man issued a report.

“From what I hear, Payne ran out of the Memory Den like a bat outta hell. Never saw anyone move that fast… but she’s holed up in Randy’s shack there. Blocked up the door and screams if anyone gets close. Thank God Randy wasn’t in there when she busted in… They says Irma’s pretty banged up. Amari’s helping her out right now. We’re not really sure what to do next.”

Hancock clapped him on the back, a wordless thanks. “Wish me luck.”

“What? Boss… you can’t go in there!”

“Don’t worry about your old Mayor. Did you forget I have a silver tongue?” He popped a Mentat in his mouth. “A little extra boost couldn’t hurt, either.”

Hancock strode through the crowd. He stopped to ask an onlooker to borrow a sack hood hanging from their waistband before walking up to the small shack. He peered through the spaces between the table and bed that had been hastily thrown into the doorway. He could see Payne pressed between the wall and a tall dresser. She rocked as she rubbed her arms, her head down and eyes pressed closed.

Quietly, he asked, “Payne?”

“GO AWAY!” she roared in response, not even looking his direction.

“Come on, Payne. It’s me...” Something glass shattered as it hit the upturned table, so close to his face he had to brush a few shards off it. He thought for a moment.

“Dahlia?” he offered, almost whispering. Payne stopped rocking. “Dahl, listen to me. It’s Hancock. All I want to do is talk.” She slowly turned her head and finally looked at him, her eyes squinting as if she was trying to focus on something far in the distance. Her face was red and angry, burned by her run into the daylight. He carefully moved some of the furniture aside, mindful to reduce any noises that might startle her. Walking into the one-room shack, he stopped as Payne tensed up.

“Alright, I’ll just sit right here until you feel like saying something.” Hancock sat cross-legged on the dirty floor and watched her, a calm and patient expression on his face.  This wasn’t the first time he had talked someone down, though normally it was from some drug-induced haze. He studied her as she anxiously watched him. He wasn’t sure if she was actually seeing him at first. Her eyes darted all around the room, following unseen phantoms. Eventually she squirmed so that she faced him, still wedged partially in her protective corner.

Finally she asked timidly, “Hancock? Is that you?” She scrutinized his face. “Are you really here?”

“It’s me, sunshine. Looks like you’re in a bit of a bad way.” He didn’t move as she tentatively stretched out her hand to gingerly touch his knee. She found it solid and unwavering, firm in its existence in time and space. Some of the tension released from her shoulders.

“Where am I?” She put her hands to her temples, the specter of a claxon reeling in her ears. “When am I?”

“You’re in Goodneighbor. It’s 2287. The bombs fell over 200 years ago. Specifically, you are squatting in Randy’s place… well, what’s left of it. He might not be too fond of your redecorating the place.”

Payne looked around the disheveled room, frowning as if seeing it for the first time. She hung her head between her curled up knees. “I fucked up pretty bad, didn’t I?”

Hancock scooted closer, resting his back on the wall next to her. “Nothing an apology or two won’t amend.” Hancock remembered the one time he had run afoul of Amari, spilling a full bottle of vodka on one of her machines. “Maybe caps, too. That helps.”

An uneasy silence settled between them.

“What happened in there?” he cautiously ventured. “I didn’t really peg you as a Memory Den kinda gal.”

“I…” Payne choked on her words. She had no idea how to formulate what had happened into a coherent thought. Nothing made any sense to her. She started again. “At first everything was fine… I was in front of my mother’s house, but then…” Her mind stumbled. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. “It was like the most horrific nightmare you can imagine, tailor-made for me. Everything happened at once… my brother shooting himself… the bombs falling… the nurses pushing poison into me.” She folded in on herself again, hugging her body desperately.

“I’m sorry. I messed up,” she whimpered. Hancock could see tears well in her eyes. “I just… I just wanted to see them again. My mother. My brother. I wanted my last memory to be a happy one… not…” The words caught in her throat.

Payne found Hancock’s hand unexpectedly on top of her own. Instinctively, she curled her fingers around his, clinging to his steady presence.

“I’m sorry,” she sniffed.

“Nothing to be sorry about. Even dream girls have nightmares sometimes.” He smiled weakly, and to his surprise, Payne returned the gesture.

“I suppose so,” she said. “At least the air raid sirens have stopped.”

Hancock gave her hand a gentle squeeze. To him, she seemed over the worst of it. “I think you might want to see how Irma’s doing. I heard you roughed her up a bit right before your impromptu ‘hide-and-seek’ session.”

“Oh shit,” Payne spat and stood up. She was a bit shaky, but moved towards the door.

“Hold on. You’ll need this.” Hancock tossed her the sackcloth mask. She nodded in thanks before slipping it over her head. They carefully put as much of Randy’s possessions back where she had found them.

“Time to go mend some fences.” Payne stepped out into the daylight with Hancock.

The crowd murmured. A sallow-looking man trudged out of the throng.

“Nothing better be broken in there!” Randy huffed.

Hancock pressed a few caps into his palm. “Get yourself something nice, okay?” Payne raised a hand in protest. He waved it away. “You’ve got bigger fish to fry. Let me handle this one.”

Back inside the Memory Den, Payne removed her mask gingerly. Kent rushed up to Payne’s side as soon as the duo entered.

“Oh my god… Are you okay, Payne?” he asked, worry tight across he sinewy features. “You gave us all quite a fright.”

“Kent, I…” Payne started, but as she looked up, the sight of Irma reclining on her chaise lounge with her arm wrapped in bandages and suspended with a crude sling arrested her thoughts.

“Irma!?” she started to rush to her friend’s side. Dr. Amari, kneeling next to the memory lounger Payne had been using, glared at her. Payne slowed her steps as she drew close. “What… did I do?”

“You damn near ripped Irma’s arm off!” Dr. Amari exploded, pointing an accusatory finger her way.

“Now, Amari, stop being so dramatic. I’ll be fine… unless you think your bandaging isn’t up to snuff.” Amari huffed. Irma turned back to Payne, wincing with the effort. “You pack quite a punch, gal. When you threw me off and ran, I landed badly. Amari says I broke my collarbone and pulled some ligaments.” A pained look passed over Payne’s already downtrodden features. “Hey now, I knew it was risky grabbing you while you were in there… in the state you were in.”

“I’m sorry, Irma. I’ll make it up to you, somehow.”

“Don’t worry about me, dear.” Irma cooed.

“Irma might let you off easy, but I certainly am not. Look at what your little ‘brainstorming’ session did to the lounger!” Amari still knelt beside the machine.

“I’m sorry. I will find some way to fix this. I’ll get the caps…”

Dr. Amari was keenly examining the egg-like glass dome of the pod. Large spidery cracks radiated out from a single point of impact. “How the hell did you manage to crack nano-carbon infused industrial safety glass? It’s not like I can just put in an order to get a replacement shipped here!”

Payne just stood looking at the floor. She had nothing she could say or do, so she did nothing at all.

Finally standing, Dr. Amari turned to face her. But Amari’s anger seemed to cool slightly upon seeing the silent pain written in Payne’s down-turned eyes and ridged frame. “But we’ll figure out something.” Amari’s analytical eyes scrutinized Payne’s rosy complexion. “What happened out there? You’re as red as a boiled mirelurk!”

“I’ll be fine.” Payne mumbled.

“No. You need a thorough post-procedure examination. From what I saw on the monitors, your hippocampal and amygdalar synapses lit up like a Christmas tree. Cross firing and mistiming like that could cause extreme neural fatigue! I need to make sure you aren’t suffering from a stroke or some other kind of brain injury. Just give me a moment and I’ll perform the tests.”

Payne stood stone-still. Dr. Amari waited for some kind of answer or response. None was forthcoming.

Hancock cleared this throat and put a hand on her shoulder.“Payne?” he cautiously ventured.

“No.” She didn’t even move her head. Amari looked confused, unsure how to proceed.

“Oh, come on, honey. Amari will use her best bedside manner.” Irma tried coaxing her.

Payne seemed rooted to the spot.

“Right…” Hancock remembered. “No doctors.” Amari’s nose wrinkled, offense blooming on her cheeks. Hancock put a hand out, waving Amari to give him a moment. “Payne?” Her eyes shifted to him. “Would it be okay if stay with you? I’ll make sure nothing goes south, watch her the whole time. You won’t be alone.”

Amari gave him a sideways look and almost dismissed him, given there were already several people in the room, but Payne’s posture began to relax.

Payne thought. After a few seconds, she nodded. She quickly added “No needles.”

“What?” Amari balked.

Hancock shot her a quick irritated glare, screaming ‘get on board, sister!’ with wide black eyes.

“Gah, fine. No needles.” Amari motioned to a lounger. The muscles in Payne’s jaw tightened. “Of course… no chairs too?” frustration saturated her words.

Hancock pulled over a disused folding chair. “What about this?”

“How do you expect me to diagnose anything if I can’t even check for proper brain function? I can’t wave my hand over her head and see an fMRI!”

“No needles and no loungers. Take it or leave it.” It was clear Payne was not going to budge.

Dr. Amari threw her hands up in. “What a waste of my time. If you drop dead of a hemorrhagic stroke, don’t blame me!”

Hancock unfolded the chair. Payne gingerly sat, her palms balled in her lap. A grumbling Amari pulled out a battered doctor’s bag, pulling equipment out on a nearby computer bank. She wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Payne’s upper arm. Hancock watched as Payne looked away, her eyes wide, darting around the room as she fought to stay in the chair. Her hands clenched, kneading her thighs.

“Sit still, please,” ordered Amari.

Hancock leaned against the boxy metal mainframe. “Hey!” Payne looked up into his mischievously sparkling eyes. “What did the necrophiliac say to his girlfriend?”

Payne scrunched up her face. “What?”

“What did the necrophiliac say to his girlfriend?” he said again.

“How the fuck should I know?” Annoyed, Payne blinked as Amari took a light and looked in darting eyes.

“I really dig ya!” Hancock snickered.

It took a moment, but a weak smile broke Payne’s frigid features. A few scrawny laughs broke through her fear-heightened panic. “That’s a horrible joke.”

“Yeah? How about this one?” Amari brought out a small hammer, tapping Payne’s knees and elbows. “A ghoul walks into a bar. The bartender tells him ‘We don’t serve ghouls here!’ The ghoul says to him ‘That’s fine. Is the human fresh?’”

“Jeezzzus!” Payne shook her head. “Don’t quit your day job. Stand-up doesn’t suit you. At least not with those dad jokes.”

Amari stood up and addressed them. “From the little I can tell, you are okay neurologically… but your blood pressure is sky high.” She looked to turn away, but returned to face Payne, her severe eyes a bit softer than before. “If you ever feel like you might be able to stomach a proper examination, come back.”

She paused again.

“You know, everything experienced in the Memory Den is kept strictly confidential.” She finished cleaning up her tools.

Payne mulled over the exact import of her words. How much did she actually see in those monitors?

“You should go get some rest, and that is my professional opinion. Whatever happened to you in the lounger, it put you through the wringer.”

Author Notes: This is my first beta read chapter. I hope I can start improving my writing. Be patient, but I hope it will be worth it!

[dovebuffy92]

https://www.fanbolt.com/115038/the-good-fight-season-5-review-white-privilege-bigoted-theories/

The Good Fight Season Five, created by Phil Aden Robinson, Michelle King, and Robert King, explores the Reddick & Lockhart (R&L) law firm dealing with institutions, truth, and racial justice constantly being under fire. Michelle King and the rest of the writer’s portrayed the COVID-19 pandemic brilliantly.

In the world of The Good Fight, the pandemic was entirely under control by the start of 2021. Mask wearing and social distancing are only highlighted in the first episode, “ Previously On…”.

“Previously On … ” features a series of recaps revealing how the main characters like Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) and Jay DiPersia (Nyambi Nyambi) function during the height of the pandemic. Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) moves to London to work for Black billionaire Bianca Skye (Chasten Harmon). Name partner Adrian Boseman (Delroy Lindon) moves to Altana to join the Black Lives Matter movement.  Investigator Jay spends the height of the pandemic hospitalized for COVID. Former firm investigator Marissa Gold (Sarah Steele) enrolls in law school at Chicago-Kent. The chaos ensues from here.

In Episode Seven, “And the Fight had a Detente …” everybody believes name partners Liz Reddick (Audra McDonald) and Diana are in a romantic relationship. The fake relationship is never referenced, and it’s as though it never happened for the remainder of the season. The writers left a lot of great material on the floor.

The other over-the-top storylines in Season Five, like copy store worker Hal Wacker (Mandy Patinkin)  creating a court with no legal training, continued throughout the whole season. It’s too bad since the “fake lesbian” storyline was the funniest aspect of the season, bringing a necessary lightness to a dark time.

It’s hard to keep a straight face when the Tucker Carlson style anchor throws out the insane theory that Diana is a closeted Lesbian. The anchor’s only explanation for his theory is that Diana’s husband, conservative Kurt McVeigh(Gary Cole), remains camera shy. The ridiculous assertions continue when he says that she is dating named partner Liz because they are inseparable.

The Fox anchor’s baseless statements cause the two frenemies to laugh uncontrollably, triggering us to do the same. His theories are even funnier since the two female lawyers can’t get along this season.  Liz wants White Liberal Diana to step down as a name partner so R& L can be a Black-led law firm. Diana thinks that she deserves her power within the firm. The two former friends can’t stand to be in the same room together. They are only partnering up to win a $5 million civil suit against the Chicago Police Department for excessive force.

It gets funnier when the “Liberal” judge Charles Abernathy (Denis O’Hare) buys into the notion that the two women lawyers are girlfriends. Why would an intelligent being who leans politically progressive believe some bigoted journalist from Fox?

One look at Baranski and McDonald’s facial expressions reveals their plan to take advantage of Abernathy’s bigoted liberalism. Without saying a word, we know what they’re thinking. The scene shows their acting chops. This farce goes so far that R& L HR has the two women sign a “love contract.”

Since it’s a serialized story, we are left hanging because this incident is never mentioned again. The friendship chemistry between the two female partners brings magic to the show, sadly only present for this episode.  Chicago’s Justice system’s biased beliefs about the two women enabled them to forget their differences for a little bit and work together.

Institutional racism has always been at the center of The Good Fight, but this season tackles white privilege straight on. R& L usually takes on police violence cases, but this is the first time the writers reveal how the healthcare system is one of the worst culprits of institutional racism.

Episode Five, “And the Firm Had Two Partners…” is all about Drug Kingpin Oscar Rivi’s (Tony Plana) lawsuit against a hospital for racial discrimination. He thought that his twenty-something-year-old daughter died of COVID-19 because she was a person of color. His theory is that while White patients received adequate medical care, doctors ignored his daughter’s needs. It turns out that Rivi’s daughter received the best care because everybody feared him, though Jay almost died of COVID.

The investigator was packed like a sardine with at least forty other Black patients in the pit, a.k.a. hospital waiting room. The doctors declared them all “too far gone.” These Black men and women laid in their hospital beds, gasping for air with little to no medical supervision. While in a coma, Jay overheard nurses making comments revealing they don’t care about Black lives. Jay only survived because White divorce lawyer David Lee (Zach Grenier) called the hospital to check in on him. Nurses brought him to a private room. David helping Jay is an example of White privilege being used for good.

The outlandish behavior by R & L’s clients and the justice system reflects how culturally divided the United States remains even without Trump at the helm. If you love past seasons of The Good Fight or its predecessor, The Good Wife, watch all the new episodes on Paramount Plus!

[train-whistles-and-art]

Some older OCs I decided to spruce up a bit

Ethan, Ameillia, Virgil, Aden, Angel

[train-whistles-at-night]

Have you ever wondered what Tyler, Aden and Daryl’s colors are? No? Well here they are anyway.

[writingandprocrastinating]

even. more. names.

(and meanings!)

~

Aerin - Gaelic, meaning ‘Ireland.’

Aden - Hebrew, meaning ‘attractive, handsome.’

Aero - Greek, meaning ‘of the sky.’

Aleph - Hebrew, meaning ‘chief, number one.’

Alwyn - German, meaning ‘friend.’

Andromeda - Greek, meaning ‘to be mindful of a man.’

Annika - Sanskrit, meaning ‘grace, gracious, favored.’

Ares - Greek, meaning ‘bane, ruin.’

Aric - Norse, meaning ‘rule with mercy.’

Arlen - Gaelic, meaning ‘pledge, oath.’

Aspen - American, meaning ‘quaking tree.’

Astraea - Greek, meaning ‘star.’

Bowen - Welsh, meaning ‘son of Owen.’

Bram - Hebrew, meaning ‘Father of a multitude.’

Cabot - French, meaning ‘to sail.’

Cade - Old English, meaning ‘something or someone lumpy or rotund.’

Cadence - English, meaning ‘rhythm, flow.’

Caelen - Gaelic, meaning ‘victorious people.’

Carson - Middle English/Scottish, meaning ‘son of Carr.’

Cassandra - Greek, meaning ‘unheeded prophetess.’

Circe - Greek, named for the Greek goddess of magic living Aeaea, an island.

Celia - Latin, meaning ‘heavenly.’

Cree - Native American, meaning ‘highly spirited.’

Dabria - Latin, meaning ‘name of an angel.’

Dakini - Indian, meaning ‘demon.’

Dario - Greek, meaning ‘rich, wealthy.’

Earleen - American, meaning ‘pledge, noble.’

Eaven - Very old Celtic (Irish), meaning ‘fair radiance.’

Echo - Latin and Greek, meaning ‘reflected sound.’

Edlyn - English, meaning ‘small, noble one.’

Eira - Welsh, meaning ‘snow.’ Also Sanskrit,  meaning ‘the earth.’

Elijah - Hebrew, a Hebrew prophet in the Old Testament.

Ender - Turkish, meaning ‘very rare.’

Enzo - Italian, meaning ‘rules the home.’

Evienne - Hebrew, meaning ‘breath of life.’

Faron - Old English, meaning ‘handsome servant.’

Finlay - Gaelic, meaning ‘fair-haired soldier.’

Gaia - Greek, meaning ‘earth.’

Gaston - French, meaning ‘stranger, guest, host.’

Geronimo - Greek, a Spanish form of Jerome. 

Grey - Old English, meaning the color grey. 

Gre(/a)yson - English, meaning ‘son of the grey-haired man.’

Guinevere - Old French form of a Welsh name meaning ‘fair, white.’

Herschel - Hebrew, meaning ‘deer.’

Hyrum - Hebrew, meaning ‘my brother is exalted.’

Ianto - Welsh, meaning ‘Yahweh is gracious.’

Ivelisse - Spanish, meaning ‘life.’

Janus - Latin, meaning ‘archway.’

Jolyon - English, meaning ‘youthful.’

Kafka - Czech and Jewish, meaning ‘jackdaw.’

Kalen - Gaelic, meaning ‘slender, fair.’

Kent - English, meaning ‘high or coastal land.’

Laertes - Greek, meaning ‘gatherer of the people.’

Laron - French, meaning ‘thief.’

Lyra - Greek, meaning ‘lyre.’

Lysander - Greek, meaning ‘liberator.’

Maddox - English, derived from Welsh, meaning ‘son of Madoc.’

Marcellus - Laitn, meaning ‘hammer,’ derived from Mars, Roman god of war.

Milana - Czech, Russian, meaning ‘gracious, favored’ in the former and derived from ‘milaya’ from the latter, meaning ‘dear, beloved, pleasant, and sweet.’

Miro - Slovene, Croatian, meaning ‘peace, world.’

Noelle -  French, meaning ‘Christmas.’

Nortia - Latinized version of Etruscan goddess Nurtia, influencer of time, fate, destiny, and space. 

Nova - Latin, meaning ‘new.’

Nyoka - Swahili, meaning ‘snake.’

Oran - Gaelic, meaning ‘light, pale.’

Orpheus - Greek, meaning ‘the darkness of night.’

Ophelia - Greek, meaning ‘help.’

Pax - Latin, meaning ‘peace, the binding thing.’

Philo - Greek, meaning ‘lover, friend.’

Primus - Latin, meaning ‘first.’

Quillan - Irish, meaning ‘cub.’

Quinn - Gaelic, meaning ‘wisdom, reason, intelligence.’

Raven - English, derived from the name of a common bird.

Reid - Scottish, meaning ‘red.’

Rehan - Islamic, from the Quran, meaning ‘scented.’

Remus - Latin, from the two twins who founded Rome.

Saar - Hebrew, meaning ‘storm.’

Sabar - Arabic, meaning ‘one who is patient.’

Sipho - Xhosa, meaning ‘gift (of God)’

Sirius - Greek, one of the brightest stars in the night sky. 

Stellan - Swedish, meaning ‘peaceful one’ or calm.’

Syon - Hindi, meaning ‘followed by good luck.’

Taras - Ukranian, meaning ‘son of the god Poseidon.’

Tarian - Welsh, meaning ‘shield.’

Valentina/Valentine - Latin, meaning ‘healthy, strong.’

Valia - Latin, meaning ‘concealed.’

Valeria - Latin, meaning ‘strength, health.’

Valente - Italian, Galician, and Portugese, meaning ‘brave, valiant.’

Wren - English, a small songbird.

Zachariah - Hebrew, meaning ‘the Lord has remembered.’

Zain - Arabic, meaning ‘grace, beauty.’

Zaire - Portuguese, meaning ‘the river that swallows all rivers.’

Zarek - Persian, meaning ‘may God protect the king.’