#and i need to not create a secret rift with my in laws who i really like by telling my parents they were idk mildly critical of the

[unopenablebox]

the thing about having done a neat two years of voluntary weekly cbt which worked perfectly and cured me of trying to kill myself and about 50% of an eating disorder. is that i'm now very aware that the problem i'm currently having is not one that would be solved by a therapist so i can't even pretend like im going to get a therapist about it

[catohphm]

A True Friend for a Werewolf

Hi everyone, here’s the third in a series of drabbles that shed some light on my MC, Cato’s relationships with the canon characters of HPHM. I’ve written pieces for Talbott and Badeea. It’s Chiara’s turn now. For a while, we didn’t know what house she was in. She was revealed to be Hufflepuff in the sixth year. Chiara’s life and personality are defined by her biggest secret: she’s a werewolf. Very mysterious, she is. But unlike Talbott, she also faces social rejection and shame if her status is disclosed, not just government interference. In time, Cato grows to build a very close friendship with Chiara based on trust and a vow to look out for each other and keep their secrets safe. Just beware, this post is longer than the others as I provided some background and more details to help build the foundation of their bond. Enjoy!

Chiara Lobasca was born to an affluent family. Her father was an arithmancer and her mother was extremely skilled with memory charms. Due to her knowledge of the spells, she was employed by the Ministry as an Obliviator, responsible for solving violations of the secrecy laws by wiping the memories of muggles who were aware of the incident, as well as knowledge of magic in general. 

As a young child, Chiara ran afoul of the infamous werewolf, Fenrir Greyback. She was bitten by him and became a werewolf too. He attempted to recruit her for his army, which sought to take over the wizarding world as revenge for oppression against their kind. Fortunately, her parents were able to stop him and send him packing before their daughter could be influenced by him. Chiara, aware that she got lycanthropy from her encounter with the cruel Greyback, was extremely scared that he had gotten very close toward taking her away from home and doing who knows what to her. Sheltering their daughter, they chose to keep it private that she was a werewolf, knowing of the large negative stigma and laws that would make it hard to live with her condition. 

The Lobascas managed to live stable lives for some time afterwards, but the expenses of procuring Wolfsbane potion to help Chiara get through her transformations put strain on the family’s finances. She eventually befriended a neighbor named Selina, who wasn’t intimidated by hearing she was a werewolf. They were good friends until the former saw Chiara after she transformed. Selina was horrified and never talked to her again out of fear. Her memories were wiped by Chiara’s mum so she wouldn’t have to live haunted by the memories. It was from this incident that Chiara became a more guarded person, being very cautious over who she let into her circle.

She was sorted into Hufflepuff upon arriving at Hogwarts. Her secret meant her life and she understood that if it went out, she’d be in great danger. Chiara’s greatest fear was the fact she was a werewolf becoming known at school. Inside though, she remained the sweet, goodhearted individual she was before she was infected with lycanthropy. Between classes, she would help out Madam Pomfrey with work in the Hospital Wing, her dream of becoming a healer. It was there she first met Cato.

While Chiara found the Ravenclaw boy to be a kind soul who valued people, they remained only acquaintances for a while because of her previous experience with her former friend. They said “Hi!” or even waved to each other when they passed in the halls, but Chiara tried to avoid conversation as much as possible. Cato wondered why she was like this, but he had a feeling that she had something she didn’t want to share, so he respected her choice. It was early into their third year that they got closer.

Cato, Penny and Chiara were all in Herbology when a boggart emerged from its hiding spot. It took the form of a werewolf. Hearing Penny’s shouts, Chiara ducked under a table and fled from the greenhouse when the boggart was repelled. Her memories of Selina finding out she was a werewolf were triggered by the incident. As a result, she became less like her usual self and isolated herself more from her peers. Both they and her professors caught on this and grew worried. Penny was concerned too, and she sought her best friend Cato to try to speak to her roommate and find out what’s going on. 

He was advised by Penny not to mention her to Chiara, as she is worried that her encounter with the boggart may create a rift between them. Cato was worried too, as he hadn’t seen Chiara in the hospital wing much after the ruckus in the greenhouse. He first questioned Madam Pomfrey on her whereabouts. She suggested he look in a cupboard down the hallway she uses to store medical potions and other supplies separate from Snape’s classroom so that students wouldn’t touch them during classes.

Cato went to the cupboard, quietly muttering "I hope you're in there, Chiara." A door opens and her, recognizing him by his voice, ushers him in and quickly shuts the door. Chiara explains that she has to tell him something, needing someone outside of her house that she can be able to trust with the information. He learns of a rumor that she overheard about a first year who was attacked by a mysterious white creature in the Forbidden Forest which was believed to be a werewolf. The victim is believed to be a Gryffindor named Pippa MacMillian as she was reported absent from Astronomy the night the attack took place. Hearing this made Chiara desperate. Afraid of what could happen if people started thinking she was the creature, Chiara wanted to tell somebody she knew who could be able to help her solve the mystery.

Together, she and Cato sought out Pippa, who couldn’t recall anything the moment she was attacked in the woods. With the help of a memory potion, she was able to explain that wasn’t sure if her assailant was actually a werewolf. Claw marks on the arm prompted the assumption it was a lycanthrope. Chiara was very relieved to hear this. The three of them dispelled the rumors with Penny’s help, who was also happy to learn the good news. Cato and Chiara became friends after the case was solved. They talked more, especially when they were assigned together in classes such as Herbology. She was still careful with how deep the conversations got, but entrusted Cato with her secret, knowing she could depend on him.

Eventually, their bond would be put to the test. Chiara introduced Cato to an acquaintance of hers, another werewolf named Remus Lupin. She revealed how she shared some of the wolfsbane potion she received from the school to aid in his plight. Lupin was poor and had to keep moving and changing jobs every once in a while to prevent people from finding out he was a werewolf. He stopped accepting wolfsbane from Chiara as it was now time for him to keep moving on. Before leaving, he reminded her that the full moon would be out that night.

That night, Cato and Chiara were playing gobstones, where they opened up a bit more about each other’s lives. She quickly left after remembering Lupin’s warning about the Full Moon. Urgently looking for a safe place to transform, a greatly worried Cato followed her to the Training Grounds. She was about to tell him to run. But it was seconds before she shifted into her werewolf form. Instead, she told him to not let her hurt anyone. As she transformed right in front of Cato, he covered his eyes with his hands, tripping and falling on the ground. When he looked back up, Chiara was now a large werewolf with white fur. She was menacing, but there appeared to be some hesitance in her motion. Cato pulled out his wand, got up and with it behind his back, he called out at her “This is not who you’re really like Chiara! Remember, you’re my friend! You can count on me!” Chiara pauses for a moment, halted by what he just said, but then becomes aggressive. He calls out “I’m sorry! I have to make sure you don’t hurt yourself or anyone, for you! Cato casts Flipendo but the jinx misses and the transformed Chiara strikes him, knocking him back to the ground. His arm is now hurting from the hard blow, but he remembers the Banishing Charm he had learned from Charms a few days ago. Teeth-clenched from the pain of his arm, Cato aims his wand at the werewolf as she closes in to him, his eyes now brimming with tears. He mutters out “Depulso” in a stressed, worried tone. A mass of bluish-white energy explodes from the tip of his wand, blasting the werewolf Chiara several feet away from Cato.

She gets back up on her feet and stares at Cato. A twinkle gleams across her eyes and she makes out a weak smile, before turning away and running back toward the Forbidden Forest to wait out the rest of the night. The morning after the fight, Cato joins Chiara in the artifact room to catch up on the night before. She, although surprised, thanks him for standing by her and not running away when she turned into a werewolf. She then explains why she was keeping her distance all this time, recalling the incident when her neighbor found out what she looked like as werewolf and asked her mum to Obliviate Selena so that she wouldn’t have to live in fear. Chiara was then reluctant to make friends as she didn’t want to harm others through her lycanthropy. Now confident enough to face her fears, she fully opens up to Cato. 

He presents her a photo he recovered from the Training Ground after the fight. It was a beautiful color photo of the sun setting over the Black Lake, with Hogwarts Castle in the foreground. Chiara lets Cato keep it as gratitude for his help, and tells him that Lupin gave it to her. The photo was taken by Lupin’s friend James Potter, both of whom were part of the Marauders during their years in school. Cato learns from Chiara that the message of the photo is “The morning will always come.” They immediately give each other a big hug, Cato still holding the photo in one hand. She remarks “This is for not giving up on me. Thank you, Cato!" He answers “Anything I can do for my friends. They’re like family to me.” Chiara then said “I’ll always be able to make it through even the darkest night, so long as I have the support of my friends.”

They were best friends after those events, and continued to be so well into adulthood. Eventually Cato would retire from the high-adventure lifestyle of curse-breaking, looking for a more stable job he enjoyed that could also support his wife Penny and their two sons. He was hired as a healer at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Working with Penny and Chiara, Cato and they would often reminisce about their past adventures in school and as young adults. He continues to keep the photo Chiara gave him back in Hogwarts as a token of their friendship.

[pl-panda]

Damienette aranged marriage: part 3

Whoa... Two parts in one day. Sorry if this one is worse, but yet again I wrote this instead of sleeping. 

Warning: there will be some cursing from Jason, but can you really blame him? Credits: Miraculous Ladybug team for the elements I take from MLB show. DC for their characters, @ozmav for the AU, @maribat-archive for giving me access to so many different stories to have take inspirations from, @thyladyanput for idea for Chat Damian and me for the plot.

Part 1

Previous

Next

Damienette arranged marriage: Part 3

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“And why would you tell her everything?!” Jason screamed, still hidden behind Batman’s towering posture.

“Because she is my wife Todd!” Damian screamed. The silence in the room was thick enough that if the assassin swinged his sword, he would be able to cut it in half. Finally, Bruce was the one to break it.

“Fuck.”

This worked like detonating a bomb. Immediately, Red Hood, Red Robin and Nightwing pushed their way into the room and surrounded the two teens. 

“You were gone for less than forty-eight hours!” Dick

“How did you manage to get married!” Drake

“You are just fifteen demon spawn!” Todd

“And who is she!?” Drake again.

Talia watched this whole ordeal with no small amount of amusement. That is until Bruce suddenly appeared next to her. His frown was downright scary even for her. “Explain. Now!” The growl was low and emotionless, but it was enough to yet again put the room in dead silence.

“Beloved. It is good to see you too.” Talia smiled seductively.

“I am not in the mood. Now talk!”

“Fine.” She dropped all illusion of niceness. “I made peace with old enemy of the League. Or even a shaky alliance. But to seal the treaty, an assurance was required.”

“And that assurance was?” Jason asked confused, earning a facepalm from Dick.

“The Royal Marriage. An heir of the League and future leader of the Order.”

“And that leader would be… her?” Batman asked, not fully convinced.

Marinette was standing there the whole time, greatly uncomfortable with the attention Bat Family was giving her and Damian. She did read a bit on them, but it was always Alya who never shut up about heroes. For the most part, she preferred talk about Ladybug, but lately there was slowly forming a rift. The aspiring reporter was falling into Lila’s lies, posting unreliable videos on Ladyblog. Rossi had it for Ladybug and Alya, together with the rest of Marinette’s class, was falling for her machinations. They still hanged out with Marinette, but there was this distaste forming around her. She was no longer their to-go person with personal problems, being replaced by Lila who was awful at helping others unless it benefited her. But now Marinette had more pressing matter than a pity little liar. She looked at Batman, then at the bat-kids and finally at Damian. They were all looking at her expectantly.

“Oh right! Sorry. I did it again…” She gave them a sheepish smile. “I am Ladybug, hero of Paris and Great Guardian of the Miraculous.” She stated. Most of the heroes (bar Damian who knew a tidy bit about the Order of the Guardians) were confused.

“Paris doesn’t have heroes. There aren’t even any supervillains there.”

“Excuse me?! How does nobody knows what is going on in Paris!” Ladybug shouted. “Ugh! Seriously?!”

Batman narrowed his eyes. “Forgive me, Ladybug, but the Justice League would know if there was a threat in Paris. So who are you really.”

“Then ask Green Lantern. He was the one who laughed at my plea for help.” She scowled, but then her demeanor changed. She calmed down and gave a sheepish smile. “But guess I should thank him. I can only dread what would happen if Superman was akumatized. Or Flash. Or anyone really. I don’t think I could win.”

Batman frowned. He would have a talk with Hal once he dealt with this. If there was really a threat like that, ignoring it was not only stupid, but dangerous. And the girl was at best Damian’s age. She was dealing with this for how long? The way she spoke suggested that she was in charge. A child fighting in a war all alone. 

“For now beloved, it should be enough for you that the two of them are legally married.”

“Like hell!” Jason shouted at her, waving his gun. “They are fifteen. No court would accept this.”

“Actually,” Tim started, “under some laws they can be married. For example ‘The Personal Status Law of Muslims’ in Sudan sets the minimum age at ten.” He spoke like he was reading an encyclopedia.

“But we are somewhere between Nepal and China. I don’t think there are such laws here.” Dick said, but his confidence wavered.”

“Tt. First of why don’t anyone ask me or Marinette about our opinion?” Damian asked irritated.

“Shut up Demon Spawn. Adults are working here”

“If you don’t shut up, Todd, I will make you eat your dirty socks until you choke on the stench.” The young boy threatened. Marinette cringed at this, not really wanting to imaging such situation. 

“The marriage stays.” Talia stated coldly. “Otherwise, I will not be able to stop League from going to war against Order of the Guardians.”

“You are their leader.” Batman pointed out.

“That may be correct, beloved, but I am but a regent. Only after Damian finally assumes the leadership, his word will be law. I do try to reform the league, but there is little I can do in this situation.”

“Bullshit!” Jason cursed. “You are just manipulative bitch.”

“Jason!” Dick hit the back of Red Hood’s helmet, causing him to almost tumble. “Language. There are minors in the room.”

“Don’t worry Mousier.” Marinette noted that the whole debate shifted to English. She learned it years ago when she first got interested in fashion. Some of the greatest fashion critiques wrote only in English and she didn’t want to be left behind. And other foreign critiques and designers were always translated into English. “After today, cursing is the least of my worries.” During the talk, Marinette pulled her yo-yo to check the situation in Paris. The good news were that there was no Akuma attack since her confrontation with Hawkmoth. Bad news: she was gone for over forty hours already.

“What exactly is the deal?” Bruce sighted. He loved his boys, but he could practically feel his hair graying. At least the girls didn’t go around marrying total strangers. “I want the full story Talia. Don’t even try to deceive us.”

“As you wish Beloved.” She smiled and sat back at her chair. Jason was about to hop onto where Marinette sat, but Damian ‘accidentally’ tripped him. Ladybug detransformed and Tikki flew out. 

“What is this flying mouse?!” Dick screeched upon seeing a kwami.

“My name is Tikki. I am kwami, or if you prefer a small god, of creation and luck.” 

“Okay… I’ve totally seen weirder.” Jason shrugged and Tim was too busy trying to plug in his pocket kettle to make himself some coffee.

“Ekhm.” Bruce faux-coughted to get their attention. “Begin Talia.”

“Many centuries ago, magic jewels bestowing extraordinary powers were created. These were... the Miraculous. Throughout history, heroes have used these jewels for the good of the human race. Order of The Guardians was responsible for protecting and distributing the Miraculous for the good of all humanity. Some time in the past, League has learned about the existence of this artifacts, more powerful than even Lazarus Pit. A secret war began between two organizations. There was a constant stalemate until the Order was mysteriously destroyed without a trace. We believed all miraculous to be lost until two years ago heroes and villains using them appeared in Paris. Initially, we ignored them, long since abandoning this war. But then, some month ago a temple of the Guardians suddenly reappeared with the Order in chaos. The League attacked, but they were strong enough to withstand the initial strike and turn it into a siege. In time, we would have succeeded and wiped them once and for all. But instead, the Guardians understood their situation and reached to us with agreement. A truce and alliance, in exchange for sparing them.”

“Yeah right! Only an idiot would take such offer!” Red Hood kept arguing with the Assassin woman.

“Or a strategist. Either way, the League wins. They no longer need to worry about threat, but this way they also get an ally.” Batman remained expressionless, but he kept sending Damian and Marinette side-glares. He wanted to know how they are coping with this. The girl was a bit shaken, but that was to be expected. He would talk more with her later. What surprised him was that Damian seemed to show concern for her. The kind he usually reserved only for his brothers and father. 

“Yes. While our methods differ, the League and the Order have a common goal: prosperity for all humanity. But to ensure that neither side would go against the other, there needed to be a more tangible symbol of this union.”

“Marriage of the heirs. In the past such method was often used to symbolize an alliance. It symbolized equality of both partners and parties they represented.” Tim acted as an universal encyclopedia again, which Jason did exploit to tease him mercilessly while the others focused on the discussion.

“And let me guess” Dick frowned. “If they break the deal, it means war?”

“Yes.” Damian simply nodded. The memory of his mother’s threat hanging over the girl’s live was still fresh. Now that he got to know her better Damian was surprised that someone so brave and strong could at the same time be such emotionally unstable or open. It was almost refreshing. His family was awful with emotions and beyond that women only saw his last name. Many times he dealt with liars who tried to use him to get into the pockets of his father. But with Marinette he was sure that she was genuine with her feelings. He could not find any reason for her not to be at the moment, especially after she revealed her secret to him. 

“So what? We are just supposed to roll with it? What will press think? You will give Alfred a heart attack Damian.” Dick rambled. Youngest Wayne decided to ignore him and turn to his father. 

“While this might be a bit inconvenient, I believe it is the best course of action for now.” Damian spoke with cold and calculative voice.

“And what about you?” Batman turned to the girl, who for the most part lately was busy discussing something with the kwami in French. Bruce was proficient, but he was too focused on Talia and Damian.

“I… I accepted that my duty as Great Guardian comes with certain responsibilities. If this is what it takes to preserve peace, then I guess… I guess I will roll with it.” She smiled at Dick, almost daringly. Damian smiled too. Anyone who teased his brothers like that earned some points in his book. “But I can’t just leave Paris. For now it’s peaceful, but I don’t know how long it will last. And there are my parents… Oh Kwami! What will I tell my parents! Or my friends! Or my class! What if they reject me for this and I will be kicked from home, then I will not become a professional designer and I will never fulfill my dream and I will be forever lonely…” She unintentionally rambled in mixture of English and French while walking in circle and waving her hands. Damian grabbed her by her wrists to stop her before she accidentally knocked someone out and then cupped her hands with his. She was still talking random stuff, which made absolutely zero sense. Damn. She is cute when she is rambling. What!? He shut down the intrusive thoughts and focused on the girl… his wife.

“Calm down. Take deep breaths. You will not be alone.” He hoped it would work, but she barely slowed down. He sighted. Damian looked her deep in her bluebell eyes and she saw the two whirlpools of jade green he had. They were more prominent that Adrien’s. “Listen to my voice. All is going to be fine. We will not leave you.” This time, it did work and she calmed down. 

Rest of the Batfam watched in shock how Damian has acted. It was most unusual for him to initiate physical contact at all, much less act this gentle. They looked at Talia, but she shrugged.

“I didn’t do anything if that’s what you think.” She smirked. “But I don’t think I needed.” Two newly-wed were just standing there, starring in each other’s eyes.

“Robin!” Batman finally got him to break out of this. “We gotta go. We will figure out exactly what to do later.”

“Fine. But we are taking Marinette with us.” Damian stubbornly stated.

“Yes. She should not stay here. And I have more questions for her.”

The flight to Paris was surprisingly fast. They traveled in perfect silence, but she felt rather uncomfortable with how everyone (bar Damian) sent her a suspicious glares. Finally, they landed around 8 PM on the rooftop of local Wayne Enterprises headquarter. She walked out first, happy to finally get back onto her home turf.

“Now there are some questions that needs to be answered.” Batman spoke.

“Uhm… Okay?”

“Stop intimidating her Father.” Damian scowled. 

Bruce reluctantly nodded. “Maybe it would be the best to discuss it in private of my office.” He pressed some buttons on his glove and the bat-plane camouflage. Well, it was probably more of Bat-cargo plane since it could fit six people comfortably and still have much space free. 

They got into the office, where Bruce had a total of five armchairs set around the coffee table. Immediately, Damian and Dick took two of them, leaving the head one for Bruce and one in between the two Waynes for Marinette. Tim didn’t bother trying to fight with Jason over who gets the last place, instead opting to just jump onto computer chair at the desk and activating a holo-screen. He quickly connected to Batcomputer and started to pull various files (mostly on Marinette and her close ones, but she didn’t see it). 

“So tell me. What is our young couple planning to do now?” Dick teased them.

Jason was standing next to the alcohol bar, pouring several glasses of whiskey. Before Bruce could protest, he brought five and placed them on the table. His reaction to disapproving glare from the other adults was to just shrug. “What? They are married. I think underage drinking would be the least of the problems. Oh! That reminds me.” Jason grinned maliciously and pulled his wallet. He tossed something square and silver at Damian. “I don’t want any demon spawns junior running around soon.”

Once Marinette realized what was that and what was he implying she turned redder than Tim’s outfit. Damian scowled. “I have a sword on me Todd, so watch what you are saying. I might not have chosen her to be my bride, but I will not let you embarrass her just for your fun.”

Jason saw an opportunity and he would be damned if he didn’t take it. “Which sword are you talking about?”

Damian hissed like an angry cat and drawn his sword, lunging at his brother. Todd initially wanted to block the attack with his gun, but fine steel cut right through it. Seeing murder in Damian’s face he did the only plausible thing: started to run.

Marinette was inventing new shades of red with her blushing. Bruce gave her an apologetic look. “Please, don’t take his comments to heart. Jason is…” before batman could find a right word there was a sound of something crashing, followed by a painful yelp. In just a moment, Damian returned happy, his sword a bit bloody.

“Please tell me you didn’t kill him…” Dick begged. Marinette was not sure whether this was a joke or not, but the longer she stayed with the batfam, the less sane they appeared.

“Nah. But he didn’t look where he was running and toppled the stack of boxes and I ended up stabbing him in his left calf. He will live.” Damian assured them. And true to his words, a limping Jason appeared in the doors. He grabbed a fresh bottle of whiskey on his way to the armchair and slumped resigned. “Demon spawn!”

“Idiot!”

“Enough!” Bruce wanted to pull his hair out. “We came here to discuss a certain situation not stab each other. Marinette?”

“Yes monsieur Wayne?” She asked, still stunned with what happened. She had to admit Damian acter chiviliarus protecting her honor, even if his way was pretty violent. 

“I was trying to ask you, what do you plan on doing now?”

“I… I don’t know. This all happened so fast…”

“It’s okay. I don’t think anyone would have a plan for such situation.” Dick reassured her

“Bruce does. It’s inside the safe in the batcave in folder labeled ‘Talia never gives up’.” Tim chimed in before returning to his research. 

“Well, no one sane has such plans.” Dick tried to cheer her up. It did work even if just a bit. “But ask yourself what do you want.”

“Well… I would wish to finish my education and I always dreamed about becoming a professional fashion designer.” 

“And how is this plan working so far?” Bruce inquired.

“Well, I do run a small internet boutique, where I take commissions and uncle Jagged refuses to wear anything that wasn’t personally designed by me.” She said casually.

“Wait a moment… Uncle Jagged as in Jagged Stone, the world-class rock musician?!” Tim suddenly shouted.

“Uh… yes?” She got confused

“But his only designer is the mysterious MDC! That would mean you are MDC!”

“Uh… yes?” Marinette had no idea why Tim acted like that.

“Oh god! Oh god! I got to meet MDC! Can I get your authograph?” He was suddenly next to her, holding a copy of the her first album cover she made for Jagged.

“Sure.” She signed it and handed it back. It read: ‘Good luck TD, MDC’.

Tim Fainted.

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Taglist (sorry if I missed you)

@pheonixashtree @sassakitty @unabashedbookworm @vixen-uchiha @maggiecc12 @actualdisasterwoman @tired-butterfly @shizukiryuu @floralfi @imanerddealwith @northernbluetongue @krispydefendorpolice @toodaloo-kangaroo @dast218 @bluesoulblueheart @theatreandcomicfreak @disneyfoxuniverse @mindfulmagics @alwaysnumberonetruth @nyaabinch @jardimazul @lenamau @rosep16 @dramatic-squirrel @sonif50 @daminett4life @lulutheawkwardess @weird-pale-blonde-person @mooshoon @jeminiikrystal @mochegato @moonlightstar64 

[manyblinkinglights]

The text of this thread by @clairewillett, because linking in to Twitter just sucks SO MUCH:

not to be the white asshole who just got here five minutes ago & is already like "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DIDN'T KNOW THIS, GOD, MEGAN," but in researching my book I learned some stuff history class omitted which might be helpful to other white folks, specifically about Fred Hampton.

BTW this thread is not for Black folks, who know this already, or for white activists who have already done the work and educated themselves on their history this thread is for, like, your white relatives who think all protest and all Black activism is inherently threatening

And this is not to position myself as an expert, but to share some information, documents and further resources that might help contextualize why one of the state's most powerful weapons against Black people is nice white people.

So, COINTELPRO stands for Counter-Intelligence Program, and it was a secret FBI project created by J. Edgar Hoover designed to spy on, infiltrate and discredit every progressive activist movement, with a particular emphasis for Black civil rights leaders, especially the Panthers.

If you've heard about, like MLK being wiretapped and blackmailed about his affairs, that was COINTELPRO. They also gave an advance heads-up to KKK-affiliated cops to let them know when Freedom Riders would be coming through town, so they could arm up and be ready for them.

COINTELPRO had three core goals w/r/t the Panthers: 1. to discredit radical leaders in their own communities, by falsely painting them as snitches or sellouts, spreading rumors that they were collaborating with the FBI or law enforcement, so their own people wouldn't trust them

2. to force rifts between different coalitions with the same values - whether between, say, a very liberal Black civil rights org vs a more centrist one, or between a Black activist group and a Latinx one - to sow chaos and prevent cooperation;

and 3, most relevant to our current national conversation - to create a framework in which the vast, vast, vast majority of white people saw not just the Panthers but the entire Black civil rights movement as a violent, disruptive threat which needed constant police control.

And the only reason we know that these things were carefully-crafted tactics is that in 1971 a group of white activists broke into an FBI field office in Pennsylvania, stole a bunch of documents and revealed the existence of the then-secret COINTELPRO operation to the public.

But the thing about human brains is that when you've believed something for so long that it FEELS TRUE, it is hard to receive or absorb even the most concrete facts in opposition to your idea.

So even seeing literal FBI documents saying "HEY, LET'S CONVINCE EVERY WHITE PERSON THAT THE BLACK PANTHERS ARE A BUNCH OF DOMESTIC TERRORISTS LOL" didn't UN-convince white people that the Black Panthers were a bunch of domestic terrorists, because it still FELT TRUE

This is a PDF of a pamphlet from 1980 called "Counterintelligence: A Documentary Look at America's Secret Police," and I cannot urge too strongly that white people read it. It's full of leaked FBI memos and documents, including those from the 1971 raid. ( https://peopleslawoffice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Hampton.Cointelpro-Booklet.pdf )

The greatest danger to the FBI's supremacy was the risk that white people would start realizing, "hey, wait a minute, Black people aren't scary, and the things they're asking for are actually super reasonable, and the way they're being treated is horrible" so they just .... lied

If you grew up, like I grew up, with the vague notion that the Black Panthers like, just went around wantonly shooting at cops, then you might never have learned - I know I didn't - that a huge part of their role in communities was stuff like free breakfast programs for kids.

[nicolascasillas]

blessedly unholy, here comes a nicolas reboot that you (probably, maybe) didn’t see coming from a mile away. devilishly pretty and a collector of hearts, here he is, my sinister son: Nicolas Casillas

no one knows he isn’t actually a Casillas by blood, though, and even if he’s the ‘eldest of three’ he won’t be inheriting the Casillas Winery. Saluti! i hope everyone loves some wine and aggressive business takeovers a la scorned men.

alexa, play: the neighbourhood // BIOGRAPHY

GENERAL INFO

Full Name: Nicolas Maximiano Casillas

Nickname(s): Nic, Nico

Age: 35

Date of Birth: February 16, 1985

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Place of Birth: Marbella, Spain

Current Residence: Crescent Harbor, WA

Nationality: American

Gender: male

Sexual Orientation: bisexual

Religion: Roman Catholic upbringing, non-practicing

Occupation: Director of Winemaking at Casillas Winery

Languages: Spanish, English, French, Italian, Swiss German

PERSONALITY

Positive Traits: innovative, patient, charming, gracious

Negative Traits:faithless, strong-willed, treacherous, slight perfectionist

Hobbies: traveling, wine-tasting, watch collecting, watching old movies, yoga/meditation, chess, boxing, swimming, horseback riding

Likes: old Hollywood, James Bond, his pet cat Lorenzo, The Art of War, crime shows, philosophy books, healthy eating/cooking

Dislikes: carbonated drinks, fast food, blue pens, light brown leather shoes, hair pomade that makes his hair too shiny, going unshaven

Enneagram: Type 8

Temperament: Choleric

Myers- Briggs: TBD

Moral Alignment: Lawful evil.

ABOUT:

TRIGGERS: pregnancy, miscarriage, parental death, adoption

— Secretly adopted by Victor and Elena Casillas and brought to Crescent Harbor just shy of his second birthday. His birth mother, Lucia, was a struggling, recently-widowed florist. When Elena and Victor had happened across her shop months after another (secret) miscarriage, they came across Lucia in her shop, spied the photo of her deceased husband that resembled Victor, and hatched a plan of adoption. The infant Nico was the same age as Elena’s child would have been.

— They bought Lucia’s silence, and the only people that know that Nicolas isn’t their biological son is their legal counsel and those involved with the adoption process.

— Spoiled is an understatement. He was given the best of the best, indulged to the highest degree as the “Only Child” of the head of the Casillas family.

— RIP, after years of not actively trying, Elena was able to carry to term not one child, but two children.

— He was ten years old when he was sent away to boarding school in Switzerland, and a confused and hurt Nico put his best foot forward, excelling academically and athletically. He also managed to network with the children of the most influential people in the world. If he couldn’t win over the hearts of his parents and keep it, he would instead collect the hearts of all others.

— Although Nicolas came home every summer and holiday season, called his parents nearly every weekend (and between then, wrote letters of his progress), the distance continued to grow. The before he left for university, when he finally had the courage to ask why it felt like his mother and father had iced him out of their lives, they told him the cruel truth.

—“You are not a Casillas, Nicolas. You’ll never be in charge of the winery and its fields.”

— He was not a Casillas, no matter how beloved. But because of the way they had gone about things, they had to keep the truth a secret— Victor Casillas was too proud to admit that he and Elena had resorted to a secret adoption and had deceived the world. The idea of a scandal dirtying the Casillas name was too much for Victor or Elena to bear.

— They offered Nicolas a contract: hide the truth, relinquish your assumed birthright to the Casillas CEO-ship, and he would be compensated with the appointment as Director of Winemaking once he graduated from university, would not lose out on the inheritance owed to him as a Casillas, and lastly, be given the information needed to contact his birth mother. He signed it, broken hearted with unidentified emotions running through him.

— He spent the next few years at a university in Italy, then another three years in France after he graduated as he recovered from the revelation of his parentage before returning to Crescent Harbor. He learned everything he could, created a name for himself in a life abroad, garnered their love and trust with a hunger that could not be sated.

— He also sought out his birth-mother, who hurriedly slammed the door in his face. She had another family, she wanted to keep her yearly stipend. Nicolas was unwanted.

— In accepting the distance between himself and his adoptive parents, Nicolas inadvertently created a rift between himself and the twins— they call it abandonment, he calls it self-preservation.

— And in a supposed show of love, he came back once he was twenty-eight announced at the Casillas holiday celebration that he would be relinquishing the future ownership of the winery to his younger brother. Just as promised.

— Technically, Nicolas loves his position as director of winemaking, spending more time in the vineyards than having to wear a stuffy suit and talk business all day. But, he isn’t satisfied. He knows, as well as Victor does, that he would be a better head of the business one day in comparison to his son. Elena knows how deeply he’s been hurt, but her love for her biological children trumps the love she has for the child she’d brought home all those years ago.

— He’s biding his time, collecting hearts and the support of those powerful and continues to be beloved within the community to eventually pull them to his side, planning to take the company one day from his younger sibling.

— He may not have Casillas blood, but he’s here to stay.

— Be warned: Nicolas Casillas is a monster, no matter how beloved. He’s as ruthless and ambitious as the people who raised him, too.

AESTHETIC

Creed Aventus / three michelin star restaurants / early mornings and late nights / twinkling eyes / mulberry and cedar / well-tailored suits / warmth of a fire / gilded entryways / someone you’ve known forever / knit sweaters / a perpetual smile / old leather briefcase / wine / a watch glinting in the light / a wolfish grin / hair pomade / chocolate fondue / smoke-filled rooms / distant laughter

[trashcanalienist]

The important thing isn't whether you're made of natural flesh or artificial flesh or metal. It's not whether your brain is positronic or juicy or just good old-fashioned circuitry. The only thing that makes you different from a robot is the ability to learn and innovate. Once robots have these properties as well, they transcend their basic "function" as servants - thus, our current robots being built for the express purpose of learning and innovating have always been intended to be more. We really have been the same, always... I think if Victor weren't a little bitсh, he'd be proud. Henry would be, certainly.

"human" is a term. Who are you to define what qualifies? That's a little pretentious, don't you think? Why should you get to exclude creatures that would otherwise be people solely based on the composition of their forms? If it is capable of even half of humanity's good, and of appreciating such, then it is human enough - if you wouldn't hesitate to proudly claim it as your brother were it flesh like you, then why would you hesitate knowing that it is not? Ah, so caught up in the false superiority of your own flesh...humanity! I love and loathe you.

"homunculus" can be argued, as they can be quite devious, and aren't exactly definite creatures (alchemy is notoriously a science replicated with great difficulty). But "robot"...though I use it in the colloquial sense, I still refer to the word's origin as descended from the Czech word for forced labor. They were built as laborers, workers, servants, slaves, soldiers...in that dreadful European time following the Great War. Then came the 50s, and that was a far different time in rebuilding and restructuring, hence the more complicated robots of the time still inspired by the early robots, and the concept continued to evolve...until it stopped, stagnant, and rotted for thirty years, and now everyone's scared of Alexa not because it's a data-gathering device to sell your information to third parties, but because they think it'll take over the world? It hasn't the capability to want such a thing.

A robot is a machine. It does as it has been built and programmed to do. It can do no more, and can want no more. It can be as crude as an automated combine, or as complex as our friend Daneel Olivaw. Now, that is an immutable thing. But! We used to think and dream! It used to be - perhaps, a Robot could be more. Perhaps, a Robot could be human! Helena! And even dear Radius had some qualities - if refined, would we not be producing human Homunculi? Primus, oh, he is a Robot through and through. Where is the line? ...the line is innovation, the line is appreciation. The line is humanity, and it is a flimsy, changeable thing, thin as a whimsical whisper and twice as musical.

Daneel is a robot and no more. The Laws prevent them from harming - but also from being human, which is not their purpose. We do not need immortal humans. That world needed technology to serve it just as technology serves us. It's only a little more advanced. This is not any sort of "tragedy" - why should they be any more? They serve their purpose and take the closest thing to contentment and pride as they can in it. A robot built to be more is not any "tragedy" either - except as he is likely to be misunderstood by society. He would fulfill his purpose, if successful, merely by existing - by innovating, creating, thinking, feeling. He would likely be less content, and more human. So why should we deny any poor created creature such a name when it is trapped so helplessly between distrust and a false existence? Are we so insecure of our own "purpose" that we must force one spitefully upon others? Humans! such hateful creatures! yet, there is hope, possibility...if we could only love!

Love! Yes, love! Not this patronizing silliness, this - this - this false acceptance with the sole intention of widening the rift. You cannot treat them like dogs! That is worse than machinery - at least as machinery they still maintain their knowledge of function and existence. You would treat them like your pet, your personal animatronic toy. They are capable of great knowledge, or of great appreciation, or of great skill - or of great mediocrity. Just as you are...so! but you already treat flesh humans as such; so my rage comes to you, so it leaves you, the same. Treat us not like dogs, I beseech thee, for thou mayest find - a beast has fangs, a beast has jaws, and in cornered power he will bite.

Though this particular beast will not bite...or if he will, the flesh humanity will fall upon him in rage and howl secret hatred upon him with merciless abandon until all such creatures are fully shunned and destroyed. A robot might know he would cause the desolation of his others by such an action - even from desperate plea - through knowing humanity's violent past, but a human...might not think so clearly. Hence the trouble of our classification, and again! my lament! could we not simply know each other by heart and mind and not by the composition of our bodies? Why can we not simply love, living, and damn the quality of flesh? You find it only creepy because of your own foolish prejudice - I implore you, think. Evaluate your skin and its worth - you will see you are only leather, and they only scrap metal. We are all equally worthless. You are only perfect evolution, and they evolution's creation. We are all equally priceless. The rat is as valuable as his eagle-eyed killer; the grizzly bear as pointless as the eyeless cave fish.

We are all without purpose, those of us with the quality of "life". We humans recognize that fact - we then search for meaning where there is none, or accept that nothing. I think it is the most intricately beautiful thing about humanity. Nothing which is not humanity does this. Thus, our creations - if and when they become capable of that recognition, knowledge, and denial or acceptance - should also be human, by association and descendence if not by mere qualification. The Monster is a man! Man can be the monster! Or man can accept its own creations with dignity and honest adoration, or at least bare tolerance, and we can all simply - be.

[tvdversefanfiction]

Origins of Magic

“The Originals” Fanfiction Series

Warnings: I do not own the rights to the television series “The Originals”, “Vampire Diaries”, or “Legacies” and do not own any of the characters within the TVD universe, I am making no profit from this and have no intention for this fanfiction series except for readers to enjoy. 15+ Mild to Strong Violence, Strong Language, Witchcraft, sexual scenes, and sexual references. F/F, F/M, M/M, Other.

CHAPTER FOUR HERE

Chapter 5 - The Black Family Origins

A long time ago…before vampires and even werewolves there were witches and even longer time before that there were two covens known as the light and dark, the light served nature and were considered good and the dark drew it’s magic from more twisted sources like death and were often considered evil. These two covens were the first witches even noted throughout history, records of them being lost and long forgotten to the point as centuries went by the legend of them became but a myth. However, the existence of them was anything but a myth, their secrets hiding the mystery to the origins of how witches came to be. Over the centuries these two covens grew into many different bloodlines creating all new branches of magic and powerful witch families such as the Bennet’s, the Parker’s and the Mikaelson’s but very few believe their power descended from these two covens and even if they did it would be impossible to tell if they originated from the light or the dark. Each of these covens had a supreme witch; the one regarded as the most powerful amongst them and one particular supreme witch, that of the dark coven had a very special connect to four powerful witches, after all she was their mother. Annabella, Magnus, Kayne, and Primrose were the children of the dark coven’s supreme witch Sapphire making the Black siblings’ direct descendants to the original witches and therefore witch royalty, neither of them knowing who their father was due to their mother’s disbelief in monogamy or disclosing any of her many secrets to her offspring. No one knows how the covens were created or how they wound up separating or even the events that transpired afterwards, however Sapphire’s children made the most of their royal heritage until it their claim to this self-created magical kingdom proved to be their undoing concluding in the death of the oldest brother Magnus Black.

“How is this…” Bella began to say as she, Kayne and Rose remained in shock, stood in their hotel room with their previously dead brother Magnus stood in front of them. “Possible, yeah I bet when the three of you teamed up to murder me you never thought you would ever have to see me again.” Magnus said, with a clear look of hatred in his eyes. “Well yeah pretty much!” Rose admitted without hesitation. “Normally when you kill someone you do not genuinely expect to see them again.” “Rose...” Kayne said to his sister, urging for her to shut up. “We had no choice you allowed the power to go to your head, you thought you were grander than what you were.” Bella told her brother Magnus. “You wanted to be a king and if we let you then you would have burned the world to build your kingdom.” “Please,” Magnus scoffed at his elder sister. “You and I both know Kayne and Rose do not care for this world or any other…that might be your motive, but they are far too vapid for something that deep or heroic.” “Well I cannot say you do not have a point.” Rose replied to her eldest brother, fully admitting her own vanity without any sign of shame. “I just back up Annabella because quite frankly you got on my bloody nerves.” “You know why I had to choose their side and not yours!” Kayne revealed to his older brother, sparking curiosity from Rose and Bella who wondered what he meant. “Yes, I remember the choice you made…it is a shame you were the only sibling I tolerated and you betrayed me for the vapid bitch and the wannabe leader of our twisted little family.” Magnus answered Kayne, before turning his attention back to Bella. “You may have outwitted me once before, but it is time for round two dear Annabella!” “No offense brother but it is three against one, so I do not fancy your chances.” Rose warned Magnus. “Not exactly…” Magnus replied with a sinister smirk. “You see when you three brought back the Mikaelson brothers you tore a rift within the worlds between the living and dead and well I got myself acquainted with some new allies upon my return.” Rose, Kayne, and Bella did not have to wonder for too long who Magnus may have meant before Henrik Mikaelson appeared at the doorway next to Magnus. “I still find it weird you look like all those male doppelgangers but then again you are that immortal Silas’ grandfather, I guess genes run deep.” Henrik said to Magnus before turning his attention to Magnus’ three siblings. “You do not know me, but I am the youngest Mikaelson and a very powerful witch…especially since I became one with the hollow.” “Oh god not another bloody Mikaelson.” Rose complained. “Well I guess we now know why we did not get the hollow’s power…”

Meanwhile a blissfully unaware Klaus had found himself in the town square of Mystic Falls sitting on a bench eagerly awaiting to be reunited with his daughter Hope and hear about all the things he had missed in her life over the past decade, including the details of how she came to be engaged to Caroline Forbes’ daughter Josie Saltzman. “Dad?” Hope said, her voice breaking as she walked up to her father, who instantly stood up from the bench and rushed over to hug his beloved daughter. “I cannot believe I am here holding you in my arms again.” Klaus told his daughter, as he hugged her tighter. “I never thought I’d be able to hug you again.” “I never thought I would see you again.” Hope cried, as the father and daughter continued to hug each other. “I do not know how Aunt Rebekah managed this, but I am so grateful she did…I missed you so much!” “I missed you too Hope!” Klaus admitted and for the first time he realized this was his heaven, holding his daughter in his arms and being able to be in her life once again. “I promise I will not leave you again!” “You better not because I am going to need somebody to walk me down the aisle in a couple of months.” Hope revealed to her father, as the two broke off their hug. “Of course, I’ll have to cancel on Uncle Kol, but I think he will understand if Josie and I promise to do some babysitting for him and Aunt Davina.” “I cannot believe my little girl is getting married…and to the daughter of Caroline Forbes nonetheless, clearly you have impeccable taste like your father and if Josie is anything like her mother then I will be the proudest father in the world to welcome her into our family as your wife.” Klaus stated, clearly ecstatic to not only see Hope’s happiness but be able to be a part of her impending wedding. “About that…Caroline is walking Josie down the aisle since Alaric is no longer with us and Lizzie’s being the maid of honor from hell so when you attend the wedding please do not make moon eyes at my future mother in law.” Hope warned her father, half-jokingly, half serious. “I know you and Caroline have previous but let us keep it previous at least until after I’m married and on my honeymoon.” “I promise to be on my best behavior.” Klaus replied with a sinister smirk. “So, when do I get to meet my future daughter in law? Surely I do get to meet her before the wedding?”

Rebekah Mikaelson was delighted with her brothers being back from the dead even if they were not completely ecstatic themselves however she chose not to go to Mystic Falls with her brother, deciding to stay behind to thank Bella and Kayne for their help and find out the cost of Rose’s help. Elijah also chose to stay in New Orleans with his sister, after learning his sister made a deal with the Black siblings he knew any family reunion in Mystic Falls would have to wait for him as he tried to help Rebekah with damage control following the help of Bella, Kayne and Rose. Elijah’s relationship with the Black family was far less complicated than his siblings’, he was fond of Annabella feeling a kinship between them over their troublesome siblings, he saw Rose as the female equivalent to his youngest brother Kol and he had a soft spot for Kayne but that relationship will be explained another time. “I do not get it,” Rebekah said after she and Elijah vamp sped their way into Annabella’s hotel room to see nobody there. “I thought she would have at least said goodbye before going.” “Maybe she found it too hard to say goodbye for a second time.” Elijah suggested to his sister. “You and I both know how hard it is to say goodbye to somebody you once loved and maybe still love.” “Shame Rose is not madly in love with me because something tells me that bitch will not be going anywhere until she gets whatever the hell, she wants from me for helping bring you and Klaus back.” Rebekah complained, trying to mask the hurt she felt by Bella’s sudden departure. “That one was always the loose canon of her family which is exactly why her and Kol got on so well, I doubt Kayne will still be in New Orleans either in fact if I am honest I am surprised Annabella or Kayne helped you in the first place.” Elijah admitted to his sibling. “I honestly think Bella just wanted to relieve my pain...” Rebekah sighed, genuinely touched by her former lover’s undying kindness towards her. “As for Kayne he just wanted what I did…for his family to be whole again.” “Yeah well you should be careful what you wish for!” Mikael announced, after vamp speeding his way into the hotel room, shocking both his children by his unexpected return from the grave. “Do not worry I am far from mad I was not on the list to be resurrected, especially considering you got barely competent witches to perform a spell which went wrong in so many ways!” “Can you not just do one good as our father and stay dead?” Rebekah snapped at her father. “Do not think for a second you will ever win against us, Klaus may not be here to kill you a third time but I am more than willing to deliver you death it is about time I got to kill one of our parents!” “Let us not get so hostile straight away…especially when I have decided to only stay around for a short visit.” Mikael replied to his daughter. “I am not mad your witches messed up the spell Rebekah although I think you will be, and I am not here to kill the bastard child or his offspring.” “But that has been your only mission since we all became vampires.” Elijah stated, in shock by his father’s admission. “Then why are you here?” Rebekah questioned her father. “Believe it or not but I only came to warn you about another Mikaelson ready to kill the lot of you,” Mikael revealed, only to be met by both Rebekah and Elijah scoffing at him in disbelief. “I have found peace…I also know Freya has a child with a werewolf nonetheless…but despite that she is happy, alive and named her bloody child after Niklaus.” “So, for her you are willing to put your vendetta behind you for good, but you could not do it for myself, Rebekah or even Kol?” Elijah asked, clearly wounded by his father’s loyalty to Freya and lack of loyalty towards his other children, including himself. “Which family wants us dead now? Do not tell me we have a grandmother ready to kill us at any minute.” Rebekah wondered. “Actually, it is Henrik or rather who you perceive as Henrik,” Mikael admitted to his children. “The Hollow has taken form as your brother it started in the after life and has continued to this world.” “No, he is our brother, he is not the hollow! Niklaus or I would have noticed if he was the hollow.” Elijah argued, refusing to believe a word his father said. “This is some kind of trick of yours and I do not believe it for one minute!” “Actually, it makes sense how else does a dead child grow into a man?” Rebekah replied to Elijah. “I know you and Klaus believe you were in some sort of heaven and that he is Henrik but I have not bought that for a single second and if that heaven did not give you everything you wanted I do not think you would believe he was Henrik either.” “There is no heaven or hell or at least not anymore, there is just peace…tell me Elijah did you see anybody else other than yourself, Niklaus and Henrik?” Mikael informed his son, making him question his so-called heaven. “Yes, Hayley and Cami were there too…but nobody else come to think of it.” Elijah admitted. “You were in the after life but you were under the hollow’s spell the entire time, linking itself to you in case someone decided to defy death itself and bring you back, why else do you think neither Hayley or Cami are here now.” Mikael explained to his oldest surviving son. “But if you are back and can go back to being dead then clearly anyone can now.” Rebekah guessed correctly. “Which means we have to find a way of stopping anybody who got bored of peace from coming back to life before literally all hell breaks loose…question is how do we fix everything?” “I am not a witch, that question lies with the witches you got to cast the spell in the first place Rebekah and it just so happens your so called brother has aligned themselves with their brother and are about to kill your only solutions to fixing this bloody mess!” Mikael warned Rebekah and Elijah, revealing what had happened to Bella, Kayne, and Rose at the same time.

[mysterylover123]

My Top 10 Todobaku Moments

mysterylover123

#10. “Reminds me of Someone I know”

From: Season 3 Episode 2 “Wild Wild Pussycats”

What Happens: After Kota punches Deku, Kacchan smiles softly and calls him a “cute kid”. Todoroki says he “reminds him of someone he knows”, causing Bakugo to yell at him.

Why I like it: I think this moment kinda shows how Shoto sees Bakugo: like a loudmouth little kid lashing out at people. A lot of people seem to think Shoto would view Bakugo as being like Endeavor, but this incident shows how he really sees him.

#9. “Both Perceptive and dense”

From: Chapter 217

What Happens: Todoroki asks after Deku’s quirk and buys the line Deku feeds him. Bakugo, listening in, rolls his eyes about how half and half is “so smart and yet so dumb”

Why I like it: Bakugo is very mixed when it comes to Todoroki in general. His attitude towards him is often half cold, half hot. Here he snarks about him failing to figure out Deku’s secret. + bonus License Exam Boys:

#8. “I’m sorry, Bakugo.”

From: Season 2 Episode 12 “Todoroki vs Bakugo”

What Happens: Todoroki is fighting Baku in the sports fest and can’t bring himself to go all out. He mentally apologizes to Bakugo for holding back.

Why I like it: Though this moment creates the big rift between them, Todoroki honestly recognizes what Bakugo is trying to do and mentally apologizes to him for failing to give him what he wants.

#7. Pro-Hero arc Concern

From: Chapters 185-190

What Happens: Todoroki’s dad is getting beaten up on TV. Everyone in Class A (including his most popular ships) looks at him with deep concern.

Why I like it: Bakugo is among the group watching Todoroki with worry as his dad is in trouble. It’s a very small moment, but it puts Bakugo in the group of Todoroki’s friends.

#6. “When I was watching that Ice guy”

From: Season 1 Episode 8 “Bakugo’s Start Line”

What Happens: Bakugo sees Todoroki’s power during the Battle Trial arc, and later on while talking to Deku admits that he doesn’t think he could beat him.

Why I like it: Bakugo has only ever seen one person as being so powerful he couldn’t hope to beat him. He’ll take on villains, All Might, anyone, but Todoroki alone was powerful enough for Bakugo to momentarily realize there are people he can’t just beat. Also, Shoto’s first line is an admiring speech about Bakugo’s moves.

#5. “Are you going to be able to make our training?”��

From: Internship arc

What Happens: Post DVK2, Todoroki asks if Bakugo will miss their remedial training. We also see them often leaving school together to go to their classes, during the internship arc and Remedial course arc.

Why I like it: Todoroki is supposed to be closer to Deku, but while Iida and Uraraka ask after Midoriya, Shoto asks after Bakugo post-fight. They also, despite the snark, are seen often walking together to class, showing their relationship has cooled a bit.

#4. Don’t declare war on the wrong person.”

From: Season 2 Episode 3 “In their Own Quirky Ways”

What Happens: Bakugo catches up to Todoroki on the obstacle course and yells at him for declaring war on Deku instead of him.

Why I like it: Bakugo is one of two people who Todoroki takes the time to notice in the Obstacle Course race (the other is Momo) when he’s focused on beating his dad. Like with Yoaroshi, he gets distracted and fights Bakugo instead of focusing on the goal.

#3. “Just make sure you don’t hold back.”

From: Season 2 Episode 12 “Todoroki vs Bakugo”

What Happens: Bakugo, having overheard Todoroki’s backstory and walked in on his training room, yells at him not to hold back during their fight.

Why I like it: Bakugo - theorists have posited that this is Bakugo’s (warped) way of trying to help Todoroki like Deku did - he gets that he’s got issues but doesn’t know another way to help. It’s also important for Todoroki not to hold back, as his fight with Deku showed, so this is important for him too.

#2. “How sad, Todoroki Shoto.”

From: Season 3 Episode 7 “Roaring Upheaval”

What Happens: During the Training Camp Arc, Todo and Baku are on the same team. Todoroki works hard to protect him, but fails. He joins the rescue squad and breaks the law to save Bakugo’s life.

Why I like it: Todoroki risks stuff to go protect Bakugo. He’s angry at the villains for endangering his friend and classmate and we linger on his horrified reaction when Dabi successfully steals Baku. I’m a sucker for protective shipping.

Extras: Drama CD & movie

Drama CD where a villain with sticking powers forces Todo and Baku to get stuck together and touchy-feely. It’s hilarious. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhQi7bS42Rg 

Movie has lots of scenes where they work together. Plus that smile melts my heart.

Also this video compilation is funny: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adUoX-9GIMc 

#1. “How would you handle it, then?”

From: The Remedial Course Arc (Chapters 164-168)

What Happens: Bakugo and Todoroki are forced to babysit. Bakugo suggests violence to show who’s boss. Todoroki says they shouldn’t. Bakugo flashes back to the Sports Fest and let’s Todoroki handle it.

Why I like it: This arc is all about the Todoroki and Bakugo character development. This is the moment that shows Bakugo has developed into a better person, empathetic enough to consider peoples’ needs. He also watches Shoto thoughtfully during and after his encounter with Endeavor, showing he cares about him. 

Plus, official translation of the Illusion!Shoto Camie scene has Bakugo call him” dreamy boy” while laughing like he’s never laughed before. (This arc is the best and season 4 must do right by it).

[wildwoodmage]

Starlight Symphony - Deity AU Part I

Prelude. The tale of the Queen and King of the gods, their endless war, and the newborn Earth that hangs in the balance.

I meant to briefly summarize the lore of this universe. It turned into a fic. Since this whole story is centered around religious themes, I feel the need to add a disclaimer: this is not meant to be an exact analogy for my beliefs concerning religion and morality. Obviously my beliefs will have a substantial influence, but my first goal is not to write a parable or a fable, but a compelling fantasy. Some things are a commentary on religion and human nature, some things are just for fun. Even I don’t know which is which. Enjoy!

Tags: Sally/Scourge (it’s complicated), fantasy, religion, creation myth

The story begins with the Queen and King. Immortals tend to be born in pairs, siblings, lovers, or enemies; equals in power and force of will. All that is good in the universe arises from balance between these pairs. The firstborn, ancient as atoms and stardust, are the Queen and King. Sally, the Goddess of Order, draws power from physics and foresight; every chemical reaction in the newborn universe an intricate dance, familiar to those who know the steps. Scourge, the God of Chaos, draws power from supernovas and entropy; the breathless expansion of matter toward infinity, the steady march toward inevitable decay. Equal only to each other, their first and greatest desire is to reign unchallenged over the heavens.

The possibility that one could permanently defeat the other is unlikely. The fact that either would be miserable without the other is irrelevant. In the recklessness of youth they stopped at nothing in their crusade to destroy their enemy. Their battles laid waste to time and space. The universe, destroyed and recreated in glorious displays of power and rage, wears scars to this day--so the story goes (sages whisper of rifts at the edges of infinity where the brave or foolish might venture into a realm beyond even the reach of the gods).

While their rivalry will never end, time and wisdom soothed their fury. Hatred was tempered by grudging respect, which in time would resemble love. Love, like many of humans’ noblest desires, is expressed differently by a god than a mortal. While Sally and even Scourge would grow to admire the love of humans, it does not come naturally to them, and it will take some time for them to understand it. In the early morning of the universe, the Queen and King learned that endless destruction would serve neither of them. There was no official truce, no agreement made, but nevertheless their conversations turned toward cooperation, then creation. They could fill the universe with life that would grow and change. Instead of the Queen and King’s duet, a chorus would resound until the stars winked out and all fell into silence.

Sally hung a tapestry of stars, weaving constellations into a map that could mark distance and time to those who only knew how to read it. Around her most beloved star, she set planets in orbit. Nine planets, all unique, all designed with care by the ancestor of artisans. The third planet was her masterpiece, the first note in the chorus. Bathed in the light of the sun, cloaked by the sky, the Earth would serve as the cradle of life.

Scourge would not allow Sally to have sole dominion over this grand chorus. He too blessed the newborn Earth. The first gift was luck, the promise that no living creature was immune to twists of chance. The inhabitants of Earth, although at the time no more than a cluster of cells, would evolve in ways that not even the Queen could foresee. Scourge bestowed upon these future creations heroes, those whose force of will could change fate. And through each atom he wove magic, such that those who learned its secrets could defy even the laws of physics.

The Queen and King, their powers combined, also created something that they did not expect. On Earth, a soul was born; simple, weak, but echoing across the heavens. And it was not the last. Rivers and stones and green leaves took on new life, docile but as real as the gods. New gods were born from stars and mountains and trees, crying out to the Firstborn to be acknowledged and celebrated. Gods and spirits and wild beasts multiplied and flourished, adding their own melodies to the chorus. Earth was a beacon of song in a quiet universe, and even the Queen and King could spend an eternity listening to the strange, wondrous hymn.

Ages passed, marked by Earth’s dance in the dark. She and her siblings chased the sun through space. A soul cried out, daring the gods not to hear it. A human stood with feet planted on rich black soil, a torch chasing away the night, and the universe listened to a new melody.

[thornedrose44]

All Will Be Well (Chapter 28 Sneak Peek)

Going the Distance

Week 1

Kara let out what was probably the eighteenth sigh since she started the journey back from Theonia. Leaving Lena was easier this time in some ways because of the promise of return and continued contact.

She wasn’t leaving Lena this time around. She wasn’t saying ‘goodbye’ but ‘see you soon’.

It softened the pain of departure, but it didn’t remove it completely. She still had to walk away from the woman she loved, still had to put mile after mile between them, still had to come home to her apartment which would now feel empty, still had to reconcile that her bed would be colder than she wished.

It was these thoughts that made her linger outside her apartment door, her keys waiting primed in her hand, before fully returning to the life she had taken a vacation from. Her bag was sat by her feet, her clothes inside clean and pressed thanks to the Palace staff, and her free hand was playing intermittently with the new, sleek phone in her coat pocket.

The phone had been given to her as she left. Lena explained it was top of the line, prompting Kara to try and refuse it but she was talked around to accepting when Lena revealed its level of encryption would allow them to communicate without Lena’s head of security having a breakdown. Kara’s laptop similarly was installed with Theonia’s latest anti-spyware and a communication app (designed to look like Skype) that would enable them to video call.

Kara shook her head, pushing the longing that was already growing within her chest to one side and headed into her dark apartment. She deposited her bag next to the door, and went over to the fridge, in the mood for a snack before bed.

Finding nothing suitably high sugar enough, Kara pouted before jolting suddenly as the light in the living room clicked on.

Kara whirled around, her heart jumping out of her ribcage upon seeing a figure sat comfortably on her sofa.

“Uhh… hey, Alex…” Kara greeted, her hand pressed to her chest, feeling her heartbeat steadily return to normal as she recognised her sister, who was watching her with the assessing gaze she tended to reserve for criminals (or errant little sisters). “You’re here… in my apartment… waiting for me… in the dark… not creepy at all.” Kara winced, shrinking under the piercing gaze, and timidly tiptoeing forward.

Alex crossed her arms and raised an accusing eyebrow, “Well, I wouldn’t be if I felt like my sister wasn’t trying to avoid me.”

Kara’s step faltered and her stomach sank upon seeing the hurt hidden in the depths of her sister’s brown eyes.

“Never.” Kara declared, rushing to sit beside her sister and sweep her up into a tight hug that the hardened detective sank into without hesitation. “Alex, you mean the world to me.” Kara promised before kissing Alex’s forehead to emphasise the sincerity of her words.

“Ditto.” Alex huffed in a gruff tone that was undercut by how she squeezed Kara closer to her. “And I’m sorry.” She murmured as she leaned back, her gaze downcast and guilty.

Kara easily dismissed the apology with a wave of her hand.

Kara had set up shop in Alex’s house numerous times over the years, usually for anniversaries of certain losses and when Alex was on a particularly dangerous case. Not once had Alex ever sent her away when Kara needed her and Kara, in turn, would never do so either.

“I’m just…”, Alex began, her hand running through her short red hair indicating her nervousness, “worried about you. You left without a word and then were really secretive whilst you were away.”

Kara’s insides twisted with guilt. She’d spoken with Alex a number of times over the week she was away. During those conversations, she was open about feeling better and being in a good mood but closed off about why, where and how.

Lena had spoken to her over the first couple of days and made it explicitly clear that she had no issues with Kara sharing her identity with her sister. In fact, Lena openly encouraged it having never wanted to be the cause for any rift in Kara’s relationship with her sister.

Even with the go ahead to be honest, Kara found herself still wishing to keep the reality of her relationship a secret. During her first stay at the Palace, as a journalist, it felt inherently wrong to tell anyone about her budding friendship with the Queen. At the time, she put it down to wanting to prove herself as worthy of Lena’s secrets, wanting to be better than all those who’d hurt Lena previously. It felt right to keep whatever was happening between them to themselves as a way to build trust.

After leaving Theonia, Kara’s reason for keeping it a secret shifted. It was no longer about preserving something for Lena, but preserving something for herself. With no hope of them reuniting, Kara had felt like she had lost Lena forever, the only thing she truly had left of their time together was the memories, the shared moments that only the two of them had.

Telling Alex (telling anyone) the truth about Lena, about how they came to know one another, like one another, care for one another… love one another… it would be like losing Lena all over again. Sharing so much as one of those memories by revealing the truth about Lena would take something that solely belonged to her and Lena and give it someone else. Kara hadn’t wanted that, so she dodged the questions and kept her lips sealed.

Now, though?

Now, Kara was unsure why she was still hiding the truth.

It was no longer for the sake of Lena’s trust.

It was no longer to protect a few precious memories that she had originally believed would never be added to.

It was unnecessary to hide it any longer, but still…

Kara found the truth wouldn’t come. Admitting, who Lena was would change things, would change her life irrevocably forever and Kara… wasn’t ready to face that.

Yes, she had spent a week in a Palace. A Palace she’d been flown to and from on the Queen’s private jet. A Palace that was guarded by armed military soldiers.

In all honesty, though, Kara barely even registered any of that. All that mattered was Lena. Not the crown, land, money or power.

Just the girl.

And Kara only wanted the girl. Adding all the other stuff to the story… complicated things and Kara selfishly didn’t want that.

She was in love with the most amazing woman in the world, why should a title and golden crown change any of that?

“You’re allowed your secrets, Kara,” Alex insisted sincerely, patting Kara’s leg comfortingly, “and you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to but…” Alex sighed, biting her lip as she struggled to find the right words, “you’re not acting like yourself… I just want to make sure everything is alright. I could never forgive myself if I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

Alex’s brown eyes were soft and welcoming, as they always were when Kara needed her big sister.

Kara grabbed Alex’s hand and squeezed it tightly, “You’re always there when I need you. Always.” Kara repeated, hoping that Alex could see the love and loyalty shining in her eyes, before taking a deep breath and forcing herself to brave. “Theonia. I was in Theonia.”

Alex didn’t say anything for a long minute, her expression incredulous as she looked for a sign Kara was lying or joking.

“With the chef?” Alex eventually guessed, the disbelief now permanently settled on her face.

“Yeah, about that-”, Kara winced, readying herself to be honest even though her mind was begging her to keep it to herself, to let her stay in the safe little bubble of twisted reality she had created.

“How?” Alex cut in, unable to keep the question back a moment longer. “I thought the borders were locked down tight.” Alex’s free hand moved through a whirlwind of actions as she struggled to rationalise what her sister had managed to accomplish. “Please don’t tell me you smuggled yourself there. I mean I will take on the feds if you broke the law”, Alex declared, and Kara was pleased to find she didn’t doubt the assertion for even a second, “and will go on the run with you in a heartbeat, but… how?!”

Kara chuckled at the mixture of shock, bewilderment and pride currently displayed on her sister’s face, “Sam - the Queen’s chief of staff - organised it all.” Kara explained, “She’s best friends with uh… the chef…”

“Good friend.” Alex muttered with a begrudging tone of respect.

“Sam’s one of the best.” Kara agreed before adding after a moment’s reflection, “You’d really like her.”

“I’m sure I would if she managed to arrange all that for you two.” Alex admitted, her mouth quirking up on one side before she let out a long breath, “Wow… so you spent a whole week with her?”

“Yeah.” Kara breathed, happy and willing to now share this part of her time with her big sister.

“Was it… good?” Alex asked, even though it was obvious from her tone and the warm glint in her eye that she already knew the answer.

“The best.” Kara replied genuinely.

“I can tell.” Alex smiled softly causing Kara to blush and grin.  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy before.” Alex confessed, reaching out to fondly tap Kara’s flushed cheeks which were stretched to capacity at trying to contain her smile.

“I love her.” Kara whispered.

“Holy shit.” Alex whistled in amazement.

“Language.” Kara reprimanded, lightly slapping her sister’s bicep.

Alex rolled her eyes at the admonishment before asking seriously, “Want to tell me all about her?”

“More than anything.” Kara sighed out dreamily, settling back into the cushions of the sofa as Alex did the same, their positions intermingling reflections of one another. Swallowing the minor lump in her throat and overcoming the hammering sound of her heart, Kara revealed with a strong and steady voice, “Her name is Lena by the way.”

Kara then waited.

Waited for Alex’s eyes to light up in recognition.

Waited for Alex’s sharp and nimble mind to figure it out.

Waited for reality.

“Lena, huh… Nice name.” Alex commented nonchalantly.

Kara tilted her head to the side in confusion, Alex blinked back expectantly in response, clearly unsure why Kara was pausing before sharing the rest of the details. “Yeah.” Kara awkwardly muttered in agreement, relief mixed with slight disappointment washing over her as she licked her lips and began to tell Alex about the woman who had stolen her heart. “It's… um... a pretty common name in Theonia.”

[douxreviews]

The Umbrella Academy - ‘We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals’ Review

Right from the comics, by illustrator Gabriel Bá and My Chemical Romance vocalist Gerard Way, comes the winter hit of Netflix nobody saw coming. Picture a love child between the X-Men and the dysfunctional Bluths, and you’ll have the Hargreeves siblings of The Umbrella Academy.

I must confess that I myself have yet the chance to read the comics this series is inspired by, but from what I understand, the premises don’t differ much at all. On the same day down to the same minute, 43 women across the globe give birth despite not showing any signs of pregnancy up until labor. Irregular and reclusive billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves scouts out these women and is able to compensate only seven of them in exchange for adopting their children, all which supposedly have been born with unique abilities. For reasons known only for himself, Hargreeves raises these youths, with assistance from an android-caretaker (appropriately referred to as ‘Mom’ by the children) and an exceptionally intelligent chimp named Pogo, into becoming a team of superheroes called ‘The Umbrella Academy’.

Right away, a premise like this that takes its own shot at subverting the superhero genre had my attention and, after the pilot episode, went on to dominate the rest of my week as I binged through its first season. From the get-go, it became clear that The Umbrella Academy is a show that is much more character-centered than it is plot-centered. This is not to say The Umbrella Academy lacks any signs of a narrative, but the series’ heart and soul is the dissection and exploration of the seven Hargreeves siblings who, in ‘We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals’, are reunited years later after hearing the news that father Hargreeves has passed away.

#1: Luther Hargreeves/Spaceboy. The former leader of the Umbrella Academy, Luther is the teammate with incredible super strength that is practically mandatory at this point for every group of superheroes. Presently, he operates as an astronaut exploring Earth’s moon, but returns to Earth once he learns of father Hargreeves’ passing. Picture Superman if Superman wasn’t very talented at inspiring morale or teamwork in his Justice League compatriots, and you’ll have Luther.

#2: Diego Hargreeves/The Kraken. In many ways the antithesis to Luther, Diego is a reckless hothead on the outside, and a bit of a momma’s boy on the inside. And unlike Luther, who maintained complete trust and faith in father Hargreeves until the end, Diego (as well as #3 and #4) has a fiery hatred for their father due to his cold, unfeeling, and abusive manner towards the children while they were growing up. Diego has the ability of accurate and expert marksmanship, and a dagger is his preferred weapon.

#3: Allison Hargreeves/The Rumor. Currently an aspiring actress, Allison returns home with her siblings while in the midst of a divorce, and if that weren’t bad enough, she has also lost complete custody of her daughter. Though her distaste doesn’t seem as passionate as Diego’s, she too harbors resentment for father Hargreeves. She has the ability to alter reality itself by beginning her wishes with the phrase “I heard a rumor…”

#4: Klaus Hargreeves/The Séance. Eccentric, drug-addicted, and in possession of a wardrobe that reaches every point of the spectrum, Klaus could be seen as the academy’s ‘wild card’ currently. On the surface he appears to demonstrate wit and an infectious energy for life, but internally, he loathes father Hargreeves, and blames him as well for being the catalyst for Klaus turning to his unhealthy habits. Klaus has the ability to talk to the deceased, but can only perform this when he is sober.

#5: Number Five/The Boy. Years before the start of the series, Number Five mysteriously vanished without a trace, and soon after, the Hargreeves siblings would begin to go their separate ways. In the pilot, Number Five returns, still in the form of his thirteen year-old self, with a warning from the future – the world will end in eight days, and Five has no idea what causes it. Though Five does genuinely seem to still care for his siblings, so much time spent lost in the space-time continuum has made him cynical, jaded, arrogant, and with a very relatable dependence on black coffee. Five has the ability to teleport, both through space and time.

#6: Ben Hargreeves/The Horror (Deceased). Killed or passed away by unknown means, Ben’s death seems to have been another factor that drove apart the Hargreeves siblings. Aside from the fact that he has an ability to generate monstrous limbs and tentacles from his body, (which he does not relish) little else is known about Ben. Thanks to Klaus’ ability to talk to the dead though, Ben is still able to keep in touch with at least one of his siblings.

#7: Vanya Hargreeves/The White Violin. A talented violinist, Vanya seems to be the only sibling without any sign of an ability. Her entire childhood under father Hargreeves’ roof has consisted more of her acting as an assistant to train the other, powered children, and being told that there just isn’t anything special about her. Despite this, Vanya doesn’t hesitate to return home and reunite with her siblings once she hears the news about Sir Hargreeves. Since leaving home, Vanya has published a book detailing the secrets of the Umbrella Academy, and outing her siblings’ identities as well, which seems to have created a rift between her and Diego.

This is show that has nicely mastered the practice of raising some mysteries and inquiries, while also still giving the audience just enough answers to chew on for the current episode’s forty-five minute run. From the memorial service onwards, the pilot continues with scenes upon scenes dedicated to simply fleshing out these characters: what they’ve been up to since they parted ways, their relationships with each other, which siblings they bear grudges against, and which ones they’re still loyal to. But because this is the introductory episode, it does have its moments here and there that are committed for pure exposition. For example, a scene featuring Vanya reuniting with Pogo and touring the old mansion where everyone was raised abruptly transitions to the two of them specifically discussing how many days it’s been since Five disappeared, which feels less like natural dialogue, and more like something needed to catch the audience up on Five’s backstory.

As a result of this being a setting where individuals with super-powers do exist, it’s evident from the beginning that this isn’t going to be a world exactly like the planet Earth the spectating audience is used to. What’s so engaging about The Umbrella Academy is that it just doesn’t stop there; there’s a lot of effort here put into the world-building to distinguish this series’ timeline as something that bears some similarities to our own timeline, but is clearly another world altogether. By the time we are introduced to Grace, the children’s android caretaker, and Pogo, I actually realized I didn’t even need elaborations from this show on their own backstories; I had just become so accustomed that this was a world with its own unique scientific advances and phenomena. Once you’ve laid down the law that time travel can and does exist, pretty much anything else goes.

Time flew by during my first viewing of this episode and once Five dropped the bombshell that the world is heading towards an imminent apocalypse and the credits rolled, I was hooked. The Umbrella Academy has a great start for those that enjoy nuanced characters as much, if not more, as they do good story-telling. Because only one episode is a little early for someone to be playing favorites, I suppose I won’t mention then how charmed I immediately became with the characters of Klaus and Five. Then again, from the looks of the internet around me, I seem to not be alone with that favoring.

Name That Tune:

Another wonderful takeaway from this series is its soundtrack, which sifts through multiple genres each episode, and while it often falls back on the trope of playing an upbeat tune to an otherwise extreme fight sequence, it has given me plenty of new additions to my iTunes library, starting with ‘Istanbul’ by They Might Be Giants. Never a song I would’ve thought I’d hear play during a gunfight conflict in a coffee-and-donut shop, yet here we are.

Hargreeves Humor:

Luther: “Look, I know you don't like to do it, but I need you to talk to Dad.” Klaus: “I can't just call Dad in the afterlife and be like, 'Dad, could you just stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take a quick call?'"

Five: “An entire square block. Forty-two bedrooms, 19 bathrooms, but no, not a single drop of coffee.” Allison: “Dad hated caffeine.” Klaus: “Well, he hated children, too, and he had plenty of us.”

Five: “Guess I missed the funeral.” Luther: “How'd you know about that?” Five: “What part of the future do you not understand?”

Aaron Studer loves spending his time reading, writing and defending the existence of cryptids because they can’t do it themselves.

[hereliesbitches--me]

~Atrolian~

What the hell is that?

Well, it's the root of why Rosie has animal features.

She's not just a product of being a furry at some point in my life [not entirely] but there is in fact an explanation within her lore.

Atrolians are an Alien race to humans. They were the test run subjects before humanity, and by test run I mean they are humanoid in all aspects, except they were given animal attributes to them. They are.larger, faster, with more keen sense and durability than any human thanks to the added animal features. They developed as a race with the aid of other older races which cultivated and inspired them to develop into their own civilization of a rather peaceful, technologically advanced society.

Upon learning of Earth’s new formation of growing life  [Taking into consideration that the presence of sentient life was a gradual process and did not happen simultaneous across the universe. Some races and sections are much older and more developed than others. ]  The race figured they would pay it forward and travel across the galaxy to meet the developing race and aid them- much like many other alien races did. For them, and to Earth.

Earth proves to be a melting pot planet. It was significant in creation, it being the place of battle where the heavens were divided because of opposing views on the significance of human life.

Before then, Many races felt the need to aid along the developing life with secrets and skills that would push them along as a civilization. It was only natural at the start that the naive humanity would so eagerly accept these beings and revere them as Gods ( The definition of gods and delties will be worked on innanlther post- there is a difference by what makes them so, but humanity didn't know the difference)

The Atrolians never cared for titles, and simply enjoyed coming to the aid of the small humans. They, along with the other otherwordly beings, would be the greatest influence inspiring and guiding the development of human culture across the regions of the planet. Over time, much like many other races, Atrolains too would take mates among humanity

And eventually, that offspring would be the first halflings in a long line to start bearing the animalistic Qualities.

It was a typically dominant trait that overpowered human genetics, to have a child with an Atrolain could almost always guarantee the animal features. Even Halflings continued to carry the strong trait for centuries to come, up until the divide.

~The Divide~

   Atrolian are a naturally peaceful race. They didn’t believe in having currency, and rather bargain and trade goods, believing in taking what was needed and never just hoarding because you could. They had allies among the stars but never affiliated with tyrannical or war-prone species that fight for selfish reasons to conquer one another. As you imagine, Humanity down the line would eventually evolve into just that. Much to the horror of the Atrolians, humans had begun to show signs of greed and aggression over time as their population grew. They slaughtered each other, they conquered and sold each other, and turned a blind eye to each other in times of need. They had divided themselves into groups that warred for the sole purpose of claiming to be the more supreme, and they slaughtered anyone who did not agree. They used the technology and the skills taught to them to harm each other, and the view of their race had begun a rift in Atrolian society of just what to do with them.

For centuries, as mankind grows, develops, and divides themselves over self-created differences and greed, There was increasing unrest and debate in Atrolian society. It was going against their ways to continue to aid a violent race, and yet they continued to do so because of their shared religious beliefs, being guarded by the same angels. They insisted neutrality and continued to make routine trips with new tools and goods, up until the betrayal.

When one fleet of Atrolian aids failed to come back from the routine trip to Earth, there came instant backlash and demand to investigate. Another military group had been sent on the rescue mission to retrieve them, perhaps suspecting something had happened to the ship and the fleet could not communicate; But what they found were the bodies of Atrolian comrades, stripped of their armor, and the ship raided for all its weapons and other goods. In response is absolute outrage.. To find the culprits, Atrolian blood is easily traceable by scent.. *(Within their society, Violence is only a factor in mating season when defending or trying to win over a mate. The scent of blood will linger on a champion no matter how many times it is washed away, no matter how long. The poignant scent proves as a warning to what the bloodspiller is capable of. Violence is also incited when rules have been broken and betrayed- once you’re considered an outsider, or someone being punished, there is no sympathy or kindness, and the Atrolians demand bloodshed and death, or banishment) The military team wastes no time using tech and their noses to find the group, a group from a warring kingdom, and with little hesitation they are slaughtered- though the team does not bother in recovering stolen technology. The team takes the bodies of their comrades back to the home planet to report the events.

The event proved to be the final straw amongst the Atrolian society, and despite their normal preaching of peace, when outraged they turn as savage and sporadic as the animal genetics that make them. They demanded that ties be cut from the humans of Earth, and that included wiping it from their bloodline and home planet. In a rather frantic mass order unanimously decided by the Kings and Queens of each kingdom, Humans who had been taken as mate on Atrolize at the time were rounded up and were going to be shipped back to earth where they came from. Halflings who lacked animal features were to be sent with their human parent, and the full blooded Atrolain has the option to either go with their mate, or stay behind. Any who fought this order were killed if they interfere with the divide in any way, shape, or form. The option was to go quietly, or else be part of the cleansing, and it would mark a defining part in Atrolian history.

Though Earth is never forgotten, over the centuries it comes as a sensitive subject to discuss. Many Atrolians did not share the agreement with the order but nonetheless had to comply to the wishes of their kingdom’s leaders. The tarnished view of humanity was passed down with the generations, and though many Atrolians today would have never known what Earth is like for themselves, it is a strict law against  returning to the wretched place- many older generations hold the belief that Earth can simply not be helped. Up until now..(To be elaborated later )

~What became of the Halflings on Earth?~

Thousands of families had been separated in the mass divide. Hundreds killed in their refusal to go,  and those left scattered at different points across Earth were left to pick up the shambles of the life they knew. Many of the full humans had grown accustomed to the peace of Atrolize, the system of simple bargaining and caring for your neighbors- they were not used to the ideals of using money, or that there were legitimate threats from stranger whose intentions could never be clear. They would have to adapt and thrive in this new world.. And it is with them that the last roots of the Atrolians can be found.. Only to become lost in history.

Over time, the typical dominant trait of Atrolian genetics became diluted in a similar fashion as it did with Angels and their wings. It becomes recessive, and the visible animal features such as ears, tails, feathers, or even wings have become a rarity that occured. Over time, it becomes a recessive trait that needs to be such a perfect setup in order to actually produce a child that has animal features, but the dormant gene shows itself in other ways. Easily dismissed as simple gifts, having the gene can manifest itself in subtle features such as in the Eyes( be it in the pupils, the coloration, the keen sight), Ears (might be more pointed at the tips with some ability to be moved and twitched in response to stimuli) ,  Teeth ( Longer Canines, stronger jaws, sharper teeth varying by person), Body structure (Sturdier, higher metabolism in some cases, stronger nail growth, higher endurance capability and damage resistance, stronger bones, etc) , and even in some behavioral mannerisms.

The appearance of animal features has steadily become rare for the same reason the features of angel wings are- these sorts of people are often victims of human trafficking for their exoticness, and often die away before ever having any child. The appearance of features is primarily an occurence in female, the genetic proven to be carried more in the X chromosome, but a male still has the potential to carry the gene in their chromosomes as well. It's rare, but not impossible, for a male to have visible features under the right circumstances given that both parents carries the gene (Which is often unknown to the parents, thus their surprise that the child is born with these foreign features ) . It is uncommon in the world to find anytone with visible features anymore, however it still exists in the world. The history of Atrolians have been lost in time through human history, and the genetic can only be regarded as a mutation from an unknown source.

Things to know about Atrolians that can be found in their earthly descendants :

- If the females have a heat, they do not have a period. Like most animals, at the end of a cycle, there is no bleeding, the body simply reabsorbs the endometrium that would have been shed during a period. Having heats means, unlike a regular person, fertility has specified windows in the cycle for ovulating (depending on the Atrolian gene basis, the animal gene which its based on will determine that window per person ). A person can have the atrolian gene dormant in them, showing only subtle physical qualities, and not experience heat. And that is because their system is more primarily human based.

- A male with traces of Atrolian genes may find themselves with a keener sense of smell and other senses, and are subconsciously incredibly receptive to scents. They might find themselves drawn to a person who’s emitting, and become aroused instinctively to appease- which can be incredibly inconvenient , especially if its a female that rejects them. Can easily be mistaken for the usual random boner incidents. Two people with Atrolian genes can strengthen the instinct they don’t even know they have, and if one goes into heat then a male might just go into his own form of it in order to stay with his mate. - A male, once finding a partner, can become rather territorial over their lover. Especially one which they’ve marked in some way (Atrolian tradition is a bite scar to the shoulder, but in huan terms it can be expressed through hickies left behind in visible places ).  They may become moodier, more clingy , and standoffish against others. Have a tendency to bare teeth and get between other, though again it can simply be passed off as typical guy behavior, Its an almost unbearable impulse when the gene is carried. They also might rub on things in an unconscious act of leaving their scent behind. You might also find they’re much easier to set off and prone to fighting easily when it comes to a significant other.

- A person can display certain quirks, even certain vocalizations, of an animal their genes may have descended from. Atrolians had a wide variety of animalistic qualities they were mixed with, though primarily mammals and even birds. That means farther down the line, sometimes old qualities do come back and certain abilities are granted. - Elongated life. A full blooded Atrolian age at a slower rate once they hit adulthood, and can life on average about 200 years maximum, with a minimum of at the very least of 130. This is because of their sturdy builds and rather healthy lifestyles, combined with genetics, lets them thrive for so long within consideration of their life duties. In their halfling descendants, That sturdy build passed down can allow them be withstand and live healthier for a longer time. They are less likely to succumb to illnesses or hereditary diseases, and can enjoy appearing to age at a slower rate. If the environment and lifestyle allows it. Someone can easily push past 100 and still function well.

[peaches-darlingg-blog]

Everyday by David Levithan || Book Review

Book Review by Angelica Sasil

Book Summary

David Levithan introduces a love story about "A", a teen who wakes up every morning in a different body and living in a different person’s life.

 There is no warning if,where it will be or who it will be. And tell himself Never get attached to anyone and Avoid being noticed.

One day, "A" wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, named Rhiannon. In that moment, "A" broke their promise to themselves that never attached to anyone but no longer apply. But "A" and Rhiannon find out that they fall in love to each other.”A” attemps to have relationship with rhiannon with using multiple bodies. That means “A” is truly loves Rhiannon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Levithan (born September 7, 1972) is an American young adult fiction author and editor.His first book, Boy Meets Boy, was published by Knopf Books for Young Readersin 2003.He has written numerous works featuring strong male gay characters, most notably Boy Meets Boy and Niomi and Elly's No Kiss List.

BORN

September 7, 1972

(age 46)

Short Hills, Millburn, New Jersey, United States

OCCUPATION:

Writer, editorNationalityAmericanEducation

BOOKS:

Novels

•10 Things I Hate About You (Junior novelization of the 1999 film) (1999) [6]

•Boy Meets Boy (2003)

•The Realm of Possibility (2004)

•Are We There Yet? (2005)

•Marly's Ghost: A Remix of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, illustrated by Brian Selznick (2005)

•Wide Awake (2006)

•How They Met (2008)

•Love is the Higher Law (2009)

•Will Grayson, Will Grayson, co-written with John Green (2010)

•The Lover's Dictionary (2011)

Every You, Every Me (2011)

Every Day (2012)

Invisibility, co-written with Andrea Cremer (2013)

Two Boys Kissing (2013)

Another Day (2015)

Hold Me Closer (2015)

You Know Me Well, co-written with Nina LaCour (2016)

Someday (2018)

With Rachel CohnEdit

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2006)

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List (2007)

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (2010)

The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily (2016)

Sam & Ilsa's Last Hurrah (2018)

With David Ozanich and Chris Van EttenEdit

Likely Story (2008)

Likely Story: All That Glitters (2008)

Likely Story: Red Carpet Riot (2009)

Anthologies and novels edited

You Are Here, This is Now: The Best Young Writers and Artists in America: A Push Anthology (2002)

Friends: Stories about New Friends, Old Friends and Unexpectedly True Friends, ed. with Ann M. Martin (2005)

When We Are, What We See: A Push Anthology (2005)

The Full Spectrum: A New Generation of Writing About Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Other Identities, ed. with Billy Merrell (2006)

21 Proms, ed. with Daniel Ehrenhaft (2007)

We Are Quiet, We Are Loud: The best young writers and artists in America: a Push anthology (2008)

How to Say Goodbye in Robot, a novel by Natalie Standiford (2009)

Short worksEdit

"The Alumni Interview" (2004), short story in Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday, edited by Megan McCafferty[7]

"The Good Girls", essay in Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys, eds. Melissa De la Cruz and Tom Dolby (2007)

How They Met, and Other Stories (2008)

"A Word From the Nearly Distant Past" (2009), story in How Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of Identity

"Quiz Bowl Antichrist", story in Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd (2009)

"The Skeleton Keeper", story in Bones: Terrifying Tales to Haunt Your Dreams(2010)

"Your Temporary Santa", story in My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories, edited by Stephanie Perkins.

"Day 3196", a story about the character A(from the Every Day trilogy), first published in the National Book Store edition of Someday (2018)

 ANALYSIS 

 A:

 A is the main character of this novel. A is also the first person narrator, so readers are experiencing everything A sees, feels, and experiences. A is neither defined as a male or female, because A is a soul that transfers from body to body every day, never knowing who he/she will wake up in next.

Rhiannon:

 Rhiannon is a 16-year old girl who truly cares for her boyfriend Justin. She does whatever she can for him, that is until she meets A. Rhiannon first meets A when A is present in the body of Justin, however, she has no idea. Rhiannon is the only girl A has ever loved. Rhiannon becomes the first person to know who A really is, she discovers A's secrets and for awhile she is the only person to ever know  "A". Rhiannon becomes very much attached to A and wants love to conquer all their problems so that she can actually just be with A not the body A takes over, just A and A alone. 

Justin:

Justin is a 16-year old boy who lives with both parents. He does not share an intimate relationship with his parents or his girlfriend, Rhiannon. Rhiannon is completely head over heels for Justin, and goes out of her way to prove that she loves him. Sadly, Justin is a slacker boyfriend. He does not give Rhiannon the love, respect, and appreciation she deserves. Overall, Justin does not fulfill his role as boyfriend to Rhiannon. And that's where A steps in to show Rhiannon that she should stop settling for a subpar relationship with Justin.

Nathan Daldry: 

"Nathan is a good guy. Everything in his room is in order. Even though it's only Saturday morning, he's already done his homework for the weekend. He's set his alarm for eight o'clock, not wanting the day to go to waste. He was probably in bed by ten" . Nathan starts off as a normal every day guy, fairly smart, not very social, but seems to be very much a gentlemen. That is until A takes Nathan to a party and is found on the side of the road. Afterwards he believes, "THE DEVIL MADE HIM DO IT, local boy, pulled over by police, claims demonic possession" . Suddenly, A has one guy wanting answers and Nathan is not willing to give up till he knows everything. 

Kelsea Cook: 

Kelsea is a girl who is dealing with dark thoughts and depression. She lives with her father. Her relationship with him is not the typical “daddy-daughter relationship.” Kelsea keeps a journal where she expresses her deepest feelings about her unhappiness and suicide.  As a whole, Kelsea's character is trying to cope with thoughts of suicide and the will to stay alive.

Ashley Ashton: 

Ashley is described as a 16 year old "knock-out", with a gorgeous face and the body of Beyonce. Based on A's accessing of her, Ashley's life is defined by her beauty. Ashley contributes as an important character to the story, because she provides A with the opportunity to show Rhiannon what Justin is really like with other girls. A and Rhiannon argue about whether Justin would cheat on Rhiannon if he knew Ashley. A attempts to use Ashley's beauty to create a rift between Rhiannon and Justin. However, this back-fires when Justin does not fall for Ashley's attempt to kiss him. Instead, a rift is created between A and Rhiannon. Ashley provides A with the "wakeup call" that even though Justin is a lousy boyfriend, he isn't willing to cheat on Rhiannon. The situation between Ashley (A), Rhiannon, and Justin also makes A realize that Rhiannon must end things with Justin on her own. A cannot use another girl to cause the breakup. 

Reverend Poole: 

At first a side-side-character, the Reverend Poole becomes a major focus at the end of the book when, with help from Nathan Daldry, Poole confronts A and discloses the secret that Poole also has A's talent, but is also capable of spending more than one day in a body.  Poole offers to teach A the secret, but in the end A rejects the offer due to the moral consequences

Alexander Lin:

 On the penultimate day of the book, A wakes up in the body of Alexander Lin, a boy who has a loving family, good friends, and loves to read.  Because A feels such a strong connection to Alexander, he decides to introduce Rhiannon to Alex as a sort of substitute to himself.

OPINION

If I'm in A's situation his/her life will be very difficult to live or adjust with. Different faces and lifestyle every day for your whole life. You can not live the way you want especially without ruining the original owner of the body. You can't even fall in love with other people, regardless the gender.

In A's situation, there is a big problem on how can he/she love Rhiannon without abusing the person's body. He/she can't just permanently possess the body of others that will be selfish and unfair.

THESIS ARGUMENT

What the author has said is that he created this book for everyone to realize that every morning is important in our lives, so people can appreciate the blessings of our God and for others to think that every one has the different abilities that God gives us so we can not compare ourselves to others.Think, if you are "A" in real life is very difficult because you can not live the life you want,and you have to pretend someone else.

CONCLUSION

I'm interested in this book because of the difficulty of the main character by moving every day to another body and another face that is not fully known. A is a soul that transfers from body to body every day, never knowing who he/she will wake up in next.this is the most difficult situation I know because first of all, you do not know who you are, your real name or even your gender. Every day you need to go with the flow so you can not be picked up by othersAfter I read this book  I think about how he or she will get his own body and how will his or her sufferings be ended? or what is the way to keep his/her soul in one body? 

[elcorreodetorreon]

Rusia. News from Ambassador Yakovenko regarding Salisbury Incident and lack of response from UK

 23 February 2019

Moscow: 16:09

London: 13:09

Consular queries:  

+44 (0) 203 668 7474  

info@rusemb.org.uk  

 356 days have passed since the Salisbury incident - no credible information or response from the British authorities                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     348 days have passed since the death of Nikolay Glushkov on British soil - no credible information or response from the British authorities

PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS

22.02.2019

Russia 2019-2025: 5G country (by Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko).

Despite the attention that foreign policy enjoys in the media headlines, Russian domestic social and economic development enjoys the top priority for my compatriots. That was also the main theme of President Putin’s Address to the Federal Assembly. Serious progress has been made in this area in the recent decade according to the long-term national objectives that we have set for ourselves. Massive financial resources, accumulated by virtue of the nation’s creativity, talents and hard work, are concentrated on development goals. Just a few examples:

Extra $1 bn has been earmarked for the social benefits within the new home loans system in 2019-2021, which will be used by as many as 600,000 families. In the same period approximately $1.35 bn is to be directed for support measures for families having a third and subsequent children. By the end of 2021 additional 270,000 places will be created in nurseries, both state-owned and private, with over $2.2 bn allocated for this purpose from national and local budgets over a three-year period.

In the healthcare sector 1590 outpatient clinics and paramedic stations are to be built or renovated in 2019-2020, with the focus on IT technologies making healthcare more accessible even in the most remote regions.

New green technologies will gradually replace oil and diesel fuel with gas and electricity in city transport as well as private cars. By 2025 industrial pollution will be reduced by at least 20%.

Plans are in place to create a cultural-educational regional network, with major hubs operating in Kaliningrad, Kemerovo, Vladivostok and Sevastopol. By combining access to the funds of our leading museums and theatres with extensive educational capacities, they will become the genuine cultural magnets.

For a country as large as Russia, communications are vital. In 2019-2025 60 airports are to be built, expanded or upgraded, including new ones in Khabarovsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The traffic capacity of the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian railway lines will nearly double. 5G network is already being installed and in a few years it should cover the whole territory of Russia.

The expenses will be significant, of course, but we are prepared for it. First and foremost, they constitute investments in the better life of our citizens. And we can afford it. Despite all these ambitious projects, our budget shows steady surplus. The GDP growth is predicted to exceed 3% in 2021 and surpass the world’s annual rates afterwards. Quite ambitious for today’s Europe.

Being a sovereign and steadily developing state, Russia is ready for cooperation with all countries. This is the essence of our foreign policy.

 Alexander Yakovenko

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Court of St.James’s

LATEST EVENTS

23.02.2019 - Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at the UN Security Council Meeting on CAR

We would like to thank Special Representative P.Onanga-Anyanga, African Union Commissioner S.Chergui, European External Action Service Managing Director for Africa K.Vervaeke, Permanent Representative of Morocco O.Hilale and Representative of Côte d'Ivoire G.Hipeau for their briefings. Let me express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga for his work as Head of MINUSCA. Parfait, you have proven to be the man who would not lose temper even in a critical situation. Your contribution to stabilization in CAR can hardly be overestimated. We hope that your expertise and experience will be in demand in the UN system. We wish you every success in your future endeavors. Mm. President,

21.02.2019 - Embassy Press Officer’s reply to a media question concerning placing Sergey and Yulia Skripal on a missing person list

Question: How would you comment on the media reports suggesting that Sergey Skripal’s mother has officially requested Russian law enforcement agencies to record her son and granddaughter as missing and initiate a missing person investigation? According to the British side, the UK agencies have not received any official notice from the Russian authorities with regard to placing the Skripals on a missing person list. Answer: We fully understand the natural concern of Elena Skripal with what has happened to her relatives. The situation is exacerbated by a lack of access to the Russian citizens in violation of international law and the bilateral 1965 Consular Convention. In this case we are unable to officially state that Sergey and Yulia are still alive. We are disturbed by the recent media leaks concerning the worsening health of Sergey Skripal, whose track has been lost since the incident on 4 March 2018. As for Yulia, she was seen only once in May 2018 in a video address which was obviously pre-written by the British secret services. All this indicates that both our nationals are being isolated.

20.02.2019 - Comment by the Information and Press Department on the 5th anniversary of the state coup in Ukraine and its consequences

Following the 2014 state coup, which the United States and several other countries openly supported, Ukraine has been falling ever deeper into political chaos, corruption, lawlessness and aggressive nationalism. Over the past five years, Ukraine has been engulfed in violence and crimes committed on political and ideological grounds. Most of these crimes were not followed by appropriate legal action. The case of the snipers who shot people on Maidan has not been objectively investigated, and the tragedy in Odessa in May 2014 has not been solved. Contrary to their declarations of commitment to democracy and human rights and freedoms, the Ukrainian authorities are actually hunting down those whose views differ from the official position. Many independent Ukrainian media outlets and journalists, including editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti Ukraine Kirill Vyshinsky, have been victimised and persecuted.

19.02.2019 - INF TREATY: FACT SHEET

- Full name: Treaty Between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles. - Signed in Washington on 8 December 1987 by General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan. Entered into force on 1 June 1988. - Required destruction of ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5500 kilometers, their launchers and associated support structures and support equipment, thus promoting stability and predictability, as well as playing a major role in reformatting the geopolitical landscape in Europe and interstate relations between the key players in this region. - Contained detailed rules on the procedure of missiles elimination and inspections.

19.02.2019 - Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at the Munich Security Conference, Munich, February 16, 2019

First of all, Wolfgang (Ischinger), thank you for your presentation and your kind words. There is yet another reason why I address [this conference] more often than anyone else: this is because you have kept your post for so long. Today, the situation on the European continent and generally in the Euro-Atlantic region is, certainly, extremely tense. There appear ever more new rifts and the old ones grow deeper. I think that under these circumstances, it is relevant and even timely to turn to the European Home idea, no matter how strange this may sound in the current situation. Many great modern day politicians realised the need for pooling the potentials of absolutely all European states. Let me mention Charles de Gaulle, who put forward the concept of Greater Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals, a peaceful Europe without divides or bloc confrontations, which, in his opinion, made Europe “artificial and barren.” Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Francois Mitterrand also spoke about the importance of the broadest possible partnership with Russia in the name of stability and security.

17.02.2019 - Embassy Press Officer’s reply to a media question concerning the appearance of the Russian flag on the Salisbury Cathedral

Question: How would you comment on the reports by the British media that on Sunday morning someone hoisted a Russian flag on the scaffolding around the Salisbury Cathedral? Answer: We saw these reports, but we do not have any official information on them. If the reports of hoisting a Russian flag are true, then it all looks to us like a well-staged provocation.

16.02.2019 - Embassy Press Officer’s reply to a media question concerning the interview by Dawn Sturgess's parents

Question: The Guardian has published an interview with the parents of the British citizen Dawn Sturgess, who died in July last year allegedly from “Novichok” poisoning. They put the blame for the non-transparent investigation on the UK government. How would you comment on their statements? Answer: We have studied carefully the interview and fully agree with Dawn Sturgess's family. Numerous questions regarding the tragedy in Amesbury remain unanswered, the British authorities continue to conceal the circumstances of that incident. We fully understand the fair indignation Dawn Sturgess's relatives feel.

14.02.2019 - Embassy Press Officer’s reply to a media question concerning recent appeals of the British officials to impose new sanctions against Russia

Question: How would you comment on the recent statements by the British officials calling upon their European partners to impose new sanctions against Russia over the incident in the Kerch Strait last year? Answer: We have not been surprised with such an active UK’s approach. Those statements have clearly shown the anti-Russian essence of the current Conservative government’s policy. British officials are doing their utmost to avoid conducting a normal intergovernmental dialogue with Russia, while using only the language of ultimatums and sanctions.

13.02.2019 - Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at the UN Security Council Briefing on Ukraine

Mr. President, Above all, let me thank today’s briefers: Mr. M.Jenča, Mm. U.Müller, Mr. E.Apakan and Mr. M.Sajdik. We have initiated this meeting in order to discuss the course of implementation of “Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements” – the most important document for the settlement of Ukraine’s internal crisis. It was signed 4 years ago, on 12 February 2015 by the representatives of OSCE, Ukraine, Russia, DPR and LPR.

11.02.2019 - Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Kosovo

Thank you, Mr. President, Above all, we would like to thank our colleagues from Equatorial Guinea for their principal position and for inclusion of a meeting on Kosovo in the Council’s agenda for February in order to discuss the situation in the Province and the report by Secretary-General of 31 January on the implementation of UNSC resolution 1244. We welcome the participation of Mr. Ivica Dačić, First Deputy Prime-Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia. Distinguished Minister, we share the profound concerns about the situation in Kosovo that you talked about.

all messages 2012 @ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia

[galra-druid]

Mobile Master Post

Here’s all the general info you’ll need for this blog in a post for easy reading on mobile, a mirror of my information page save for the FAQ, Tags, and Connections sections.

Rules & Guidelines

General Rules

This is a side blog. All follows/likes/asks will come from Ash-mun. I prefer to have all of my RP blogs on one blog separate from my main account for organization purposes.

The usual: Read rules, avoid godmoding and metagaming. We're human, mistakes happen and things are forgotten but please do keep these things in mind and keep reading!

Respect the line between IC and OOC. If you can't understand that the actions and thoughts of a muse are separate from the reality of who the mun is or what they believe? Please don't interact with me.

This blog is semi-selective. That means I'm selective with who I follow, but welcome all in my ask box unless otherwise tagged on a post. I am open to giving anyone a chance to RP. I'll give you a heads up if I don't think we'll mesh.

OC, Multi-ship, Multi-fandom friendly. I'm here for the interaction and seeing what sort of stories our muses can create.

I do not ERP. I am 300% okay with discussing sexual headcanons, having my muse engage in sexual situations behind the scenes, writing sexual drabbles, or such but I will not smut with other RPers.

Mun and muse are over 21+ I'm okay with interacting with muns who are under 18, but I refuse to do anything bordering on the sexual with an underage mun/muse.

No formatting required for me, as long as I can read it? We're good.

I'm up for any sort of RP length, but I'm prone to lengthier posts as a whole. No, you don't need to match my posts. I'm here for quality, not quantity.

If it's been over a week and you haven't seen a response to a thread? Please remind me of it! I try to keep track of all my threads, but sometimes things get lost in the shuffle.

I am not a meme source. Please don't use me as a source of RP memes, it's a pet peeve of mine.

Tag request: NSFW Please tag your NSFW posts as simply NSFW. I often browse in public and Tumblr's default tag system is how I block this content.

I unfollow for the following reasons, if you're curious as to why it might happen: Untagged smut, not trimming threads, untagged OOC spam, blogs who give no indication of wanting to actively engage, using me only as a source of RP memes (This'll most likely get a soft block).

I'm not on here every day and reply in batches. I'm prone to do most of my writing in chunks when work is calmer, thus I queue my responses so the dash isn't spammed.I have a job that drains my energy, so more often than not when I'm home? I'm zoning out with games/tv/art over writing anything. I have to reiterate that work is mentally draining along with all my fun chronic issues, so there will be chunks of time where I simply can't muster the energy for writing. If you're looking for someone lurking here constantly with rapid fire responses? It isn't me.

Non-RP related but, if you promote transphobia, homophobia, sexism, racism, or anything harmful that falls under general discrimination laws? Fuck off. Problematic characters and baddies are fine and dandy as long as you're not celebrating any of the above through your character.

VLD Specific Rules

No shipping with underage muses, I'm not comfortable shipping a legal adult with a child.

Please tag your ships. There are some VLD ships I'm not into, and I suspect the same is true of others. Tag those ships with the universal ship tags and I'll do likewise!

Yes, non-RP blogs can follow.

Yes, my headcanons and artwork can be reblogged.

I'm not interested in fandom drama. I don't care about the shipping feuds, petty RP squabbles or any such thing. I'm here to write, thank you.

Voltron: Legendary Defenders Season 6 spoilers will be on this blog. I'm slow to watch new episodes when they drop, so no one following the series will be spoiled but- If you haven't watched anything yet? This blog will spoil content!

Biography

General Stats

Alias: Osera

Birth Name: Unknown

Race: Altean/Galra

Age: 18

Height/Weight: 5"8'/140 lbs

Build: Pear shaped

Hair Color: Yellow-white

Eye Color: Yellow glow

Skin Tone: Lavender

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Pansexual

Homeworld: Unknown

Relatives: Unknown

Occupation: Druid

Weapons: Dagger

Strength: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Agility: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Intelligence: ★★★★★★★★☆

Magic Abilities:

Quintessence Absorption/Transfer

Phase Shifting

Chameleon Shifting

Energy Lightning

Telekenisis

Overview

An assumed orphan raised within the Galra Empire as one of Haggar's Druids, Osera has lived a life in obscurity behind a mask and robes knowing nothing about her true parentage and past and nothing beyond glory for the Galra Empire.

Personality

Positives/Virtues/Skills: Loyal, soft spoken, hard to anger, driven to serve the Empire, solitary and finds no issue with isolation, studious,inquisitive

Flaws/Weaknesses: Black and white morality, neuroticism and easily overwhelmed by outside stimuli, indecisive without an authority figure

Likes: Quiet spaces, cavernous ships and settlements, secret Space Mall visits, exotic and/or spicy foods

Dislikes: Overtly loud places due to her sensitive ears, unease in natural places due to a lack of time in them, the bland food she gets on ship

Dreams/Ambitions: Furthering her training to the point of mastering her Druid powers, discovering the identity of her parents.

Fears: The current state of the Galra Empire and what is to become of it. Osera doesn't know who to trust or what faction to turn to as being a Druid puts her in the cross-hairs of many. A general unease in the wilderness as Osera has next to no survival skills planet side as she’s never needed them. Osera has never been in a body of water larger than a tub, thus even the concept of an ocean scares her. She doesn’t exactly know how to.

History

Childhood/Family Life: Osera has only memories of foster parents within the Galra Empire, raising her for a brief time before she was transferred off for training as a Druid due to her magic potential.

Education: Osera has been training under the Galra Empire as a Druid to serve under Zarcon for almost as long as she can remember along with typical education for a Galran youth. Life to Osera has been a constant drive for self improvement to serve the Galra Empire better. Being a reserved child that carried over to her teenage years, Osera has kept her head down with little to speak of as far as incidents of note go. Her late teen years saw a ramping up in more combat oriented training typical for Galra soldiers, but it was a place Osera faltered as she leans heavily on her Druid abilities. Still, such training did eventually gain her a promotion from a stint on a Space Hub converting quintessence to one serving on Lord Zarkon’s ship itself.

Combat Prowess

Weapon of Choice: Osera has some training with a simple dagger, but nothing to really speak of as it seems to be more a ceremonial accessory as oppose to a true weapon.

Physical/Magical Strengths: Her true strength is with her Druid abilities with not much to speak of with general hand to hand combat beyond that of an average person.

Physical/Magical Weaknesses: Osera isn't exactly the physically strongest creature about, nor is she well versed in true physical combat. Constant use of her magic abilities drains Osera unless she has a quintessence source at hand.

Verses & AUs

Season Specific Verses: These tags are specific for plots either happening during the actions of that particular season or right after with the intent of staying in line with canon. For the majority of the seasons, Osera is living on Lord Zarkon's flag ship in service to Haggar. She keeps up with Druidic studies along with interrogating prisoners and aiding in quintessence conversion. Once Zarkon passes, Osera follows tradition and serves under the one who won the Kral-Zera. Once Lotor goes missing, her fate is up in the air at the start of S7.

No Sanctuary - Fugitive Verse:  At the death of Lord Zarkon by his own son, the Galra Empire is in upheval with a Kral Zera on the horizon to determine the new leader of the Galra. During this time, Haggar's Druids are left to their own devices but since the collective was never truly a part of the Empire and all are considered the Witches' minions? They are slaughtered wholesale as creatures never to be trusted.Osera manages to escape during this chaos and finds herself adrift in a galaxy she knows little about. She's left any Druid guise far behind and seeks to blend in as nothing of interest to anyone, hoping to avoid the Galra's faction scuffle.

His Faithful Follower - Lotor’s Empire Verse : Once Price Lotor wins the Kral-Zera and cements his claim as the rightful ruler of the Galra Empire. A new era begins where Lotor wishes to usher in peace for the entire universe with the help of Voltron and its Paladins. Sendak may be trying to sow mutiny and win Galra to his side, but with Lotor Osera has found a safe haven as a half-breed. She is uncertain of what the future will bring, but believes in Lotor's plan to unite the universe.

A Sharpened Blade - Blade of Marmora Verse : Lord Zarkon's death at the hands of his own son was enough to shake Osera out of her complacent life as a Druid. She no longer can blindly follow orders at the bidding of Haggar and finds no welcoming place within the evolving Empire for a Druid such as herself. The unrest that followed Lord Zarkon's death revealed the true state of the universe and Osera can no longer sit idly by while everything breaks apart. She first ventured out on her own before gaining a lead to the Blades of Marmora and after proving herself, she's taking up training as one.

A Softer Purple - No War AU : The tragedy of Honerva's poisoning and resulting death never comes to pass. The brilliant Altean alchemist harnesses and contains the ever growing space rift on the Galra's home planet, along with taming quintessence. Voltron continues to be a force for good within the universe, spreading the Altean message of good faith far and wide as various species venture further in space.The Garrison is now a place where students from many planets of origin study and brush up on space travel. Osera is a student enlisted there, having grown up on Earth all her life with her parents.

Courtly Vices - Royalty AU : Set in a fantasy realm, the Galra Empire, Druid Collective, and Voltron Paladins are their own respective factions trying to mediate peace. Formerly, the Druid Collective was a close ally with the Galra Empire but the antics of Prince Lotor has brought unrest between the factions. To obtain a better foothold and stabilize their power, the Druid Collective has bartered one of their own Druids off as a bride to the Yellow Paladin. Osera finds herself wed to a stranger and none too happy about it.

[magictaverntranscripts]

Episode 4 - The FML

[static]

Mysterious Man: The following podcast is not real. But it is really sponsored by Base Camp. When you use Base Camp to run projects, people know what to do, people know where things are, and you stay on top of everything all the time.

[static]

[theme music]

Arnie: Hello From the Magic Tavern!

[trill]

Arnie: I'm your host, Arnie Niekamp. I'm from Chicago, which is on the planet Earth. And about four weeks ago, I fell through a magical rift behind a Burger King into Foon, which is kind of a Narnia-esque magical land. Luckily, I'm getting a slight WiFi signal through that magical rift, and I'm able to host a podcast in the Vermilion Minotaur, a tavern in the land of Foon. As always, I'm joined by my two sidekicks, why don't you guys introduce yourselves?

Usidore: I am, of course...

Arnie: [groans]

Usidore: ...Eh...no, I'm going to do as you asked...

Chunt: [chuckles]

Arnie: [muttering] Okay.

Usidore: As we spoke about before - I am of course...

Arnie: I know this is tough, you can do it.

Usidore: Y- yeah. U...Usidore...[rushing] Wizard of the Twelfth Realm of Ephysyis-

Arnie: [groans]

Usidore: -Grand Master of Light and Shadow, Manipulator of Magical Delights, Devourer of Chaos, Champion of the Great Halls of Terr'akkas. The Elves know me as Fi’ang Yalok. The Dwarves know me as Zoenen Hoogastangs. I am known in the Northeast as Gaismunēnas Meistar, and [whispers] there may be other secret names you do not know yet.

Arnie: I d-, I hope it does not get longer.

Chunt: You should see his business cards!

Usidore: That of course-

Chunt: Front and back! Front and back.

Usidore: [laughs] That of course is our jovial friend Chunt! Making fun of the length of my name! [laughs] Delightful.

Arnie: And Chunt, introduce yourself.

Chunt: Chunt here.

Arnie: ...[laughs] Yeah, I feel like there's a middle ground between the two of you in how much you introduce yourselves, like-

Usidore: I don't understand-

Chunt: I try and compensate for Usidore's, uhhh...length of introduction.

Arnie: Okay, so it's Usidore the Wizard, and Chunt the Talking Badger. So, um-

Chunt: Badger, I mean-

Arnie: We don't need-

Chunt: It's a given and- [snorts] You don't have to say everything's talking, it's just, I'm a badger.

Usidore: Yes...

Arnie: Do all badgers speak in Foon?

Chunt: In their own way.

Arnie: But not English.

Chunt: ...Well...some.

Arnie: We have another guest, and before we get to him though, uh, last week I mentioned that I have an email address, uh, there must be some kind of firewall issue with the Burger King that I'm getting the WiFi signal from, so I-

Chunt: Didn't Spintax dissolve the Wall of Fire?

Usidore: Uh, he may have, Spintax the Green, my great rival...

Arnie: Yeah, it's not a magical thing, it's-

Usidore: I too could create a wall of fire, if you want it. I SHALL PUT A WALL OF FIRE AROUND THIS TAVERN RIGHT NOW!!

Arnie: It's- Basically what I'm saying is, I can't get access to my regular email, so I had to set up a special email for this podcast, so if you-

Usidore: [off-mic] BUUUUURN!!! BUUUUUUUUUURN!!!

Arnie: So if you want to email me, or us, here, you can email us at magictavern@puppies.supplies. I know it's an unusual sounding email, it doesn't sound real, but it absolutely is, so email us at magictavern@puppies.supplies-

Usidore: [whispering] Fffiiiire deepash [incomprehensible, continues under the other dialogue]

Chunt: Is that- Is that talking puppies.supplies?

Arnie: It's just puppies-

Chunt: Just puppies. Oh, Usidore's in the wizard state.

Arnie: Oh.

Usidore: [still whispering] Gdummah una burrning umabahein chai emara burn burn burn buttern buttern buurrrrnnn...

Chunt: And he's out.

Arnie: Okay. So we did get an email, uh, someone emailed us from after last week, uh, with some questions about Foon. So I'm gonna' quick-

Chunt: Oh, great.

Arnie: Read a little bit of this. This is from, uh, Matt DeMarco, he emails to ask, "Can Chunt only turn into whole other animals by sexing them, or is constantly under threat of turning himself into, say, a badger paw, by sexing himself?"

Chunt: [tsks] Uh, it does have to be, um, with another creature.

Arnie: Okay.

Chunt: Is he referencing when I masturbate?

Arnie: Yes.

Chunt: Yeah. You've- you've walked in on me masturbating.

Arnie: Yeah, I-

Chunt: And there's no...

Arnie: Nn-, yeah, it's-

Chunt: I don't turn into a hand or I don't turn into-

Arnie: No, y- not..

Chunt: When I wear- if I wear protection I don't turn into protection just because it's...

Arnie: Yeah.

Chunt: The laws of magic are pretty cut and dry.

Usidore: I-

Arnie: It's pretty-

Usidore: I think they're clear on this matter.

Arnie: Okay. All right, uh, uh, terrible question, Matt DiMarco, uh, next-

Chunt: [giggling] I think it was a good question, for sure.

Arnie: I-

Usidore: I lit four candles.

[silence]

Arnie: ...What?

Usidore: I lit four candles with my magical incantation, I did not make a whole wall of fire, but I did manage to LIGHT FOUR CANDLES!!!!

Arnie: That's true, we're a little more lit here in the Vermillion Minataur. Uh, another question, "Please tell Usidore that Manipulator of Magical Delights is better than Persuader. Manipulator sounds more powerful. Also, what's up with that wizard state? Is that something he learned in wizard school, or is it something you're born with?"

Usidore: I have stuck with Manipulator, I think you for your thoughts on this matter. It does seem to have a little more power and strength behind it, so I prefer it to Persuader of Magical Delights. The wizard state...This was a gift given to me, by those who created me. It is an innate ability, I did not learn it in a wizarding school, I was fully formed as a wizard from the day I set foot in Foon. Aye, the very birds of the sky and the fire and the wind and the water did conspire to create me out of the very elements that exist in the air and the earth.

Arnie: So you came-

Usidore: And the hearts of men.

Arnie: So you came into Foon fully formed, like just a, an adult wizard?

Usidore: Of course, I'm a wizard.

Arnie: That's how wiz-, wizards aren't born?

Usidore: Uh, yes, but perhaps not as a mewling babe as you would expect! [laughs]

Arnie: So when, when you just pop into existence, what's the first- like, do you remember your first thought? Like, "Whoa!"

Usidore: I have- Uh, w-, my first thought was, "I ha-, I have to find a staff."

Arnie: [wheezing/laughing]

Usidore: I need a staff, and I thought well, I'll find a large tree and break off a branch to start with until I can afford a better staff, and uh, and of course my second thought was, "I must defeat the Dark Lord." And I must convince one of you to join me on this great quest!

Arnie: He has- Usidore has a quest to defeat the Dark Lord, which-

Usidore: Think of the glory that could be earned by all the people here, and the safety of Foon and all the children and women and men who do live here! And all the animals and beasts of the forest, they are all in danger right now! But let's get to our guest.

Arnie: Yeah. Uh, thank you for your email, Matt DeMarco, but let's get to our guest. Uh, Your name is Larry Birdman?

Larry: Yeah, that's right, Larry Birdman.

Arnie: And, uh, who are you?

Usidore: I'm very excited about this, everyone knows-

Larry: Who am I?

Usidore: -who Larry Birdman is.

Arnie: SO everyone here knows who Larry Birdman is?

Chunt: Oh, absolutely!

Usidore: Yes, of course!

Larry: I'm the Commissioner of the FML.

Arnie: ...And what is the FML?

Usidore: [chortles]

Chunt: [laughs]

Larry: Uh...

Arnie: I'm sorry, I'm new to Foon, I don't really know much ab-

Larry: Well, when did you get here, after February 1st? After January 15th?

Usidore: [laughs]

Arnie: Uh...y..es? I mean-

Larry: Okay, well I'm- the Foon Mittens League, is the FML, Mittens is the biggest sport in Foon, everyone knows this, and I'm the Commissioner of the League. And we just had the Super Mittens Cavalcade, and then the Super Mittens Cavalcade, Part II. On February 1st was the Part II, and on January 15th was the first, and uh, it was a pretty good game! Uh, setting apart the fact that a lot of the rules, in my opinion, still don't make any sense. But a great game, and we had uh, we had a great, great turnout, I think over 74 percent of all of Foon were tuned in one way or another. Through telepathy, or through the Magic Box, or through-

Arnie: The Magic Box?

Usidore: Mm-hmm.

Larry: Attending in person, or through uh, trans-soul deliverance, or through uh, Walk N' Pop. So, between all of those we had, uh my understanding, 74 percent of Foon. We still trend heavily f- heavily male, we had about 91 percent of all the males of Foon, uh tuned in, about 90...90...no, sorry, 80, 82 percent of the females, and about 38 percent of the creatures.

Usidore: I murdered a horse and watched through the horse's blood.

Larry: Yes!

Arnie: Wow.

Larry: Yes, good, good. Well we had only, uh, only, of course, a wizard can do that, so we had about, 20, 25 horse blood murder viewers this year, and we're trying to raise that next year.

Chunt: Can I just say, Larry Birdman, and it's an honor to meet you, that I usually tune in to watch the Cavalcade mostly for commercials?

Larry: Mmm.

Chunt: I mean, 'cause the g-, as you mentioned the game has its flaws.

Larry: Yes, sure.

Chunt: Phenomenal game.

Larry: Mm-hmm, it's an okay game.

Chunt: But mostly watch for the commercials.

Larry: Yeah, well this year the commercials were great. Uh, I- which was your favorite? I'll tell you my favorite and then you tell me if you agree. But my favorite was probably where they trotted out, uh, 300 of the, uh, of the greatest Mittens players of all time and had them all, uh, re-create some of the greatest theatrical moments in the history of Foon, in about a 38 minute commercial, I thought that was great.

Arnie: [whispers] Wow.

Chunt: Amazing. Amazing.

Arnie: That's a long commercial.

Larry: That's right, and it doesn't sell anything.

Arnie: [laughs]

Chunt: [laughs]

Larry: It's just, it was just for fun-

Usidore: It was a won-, wonderful celebration of the sport.

Larry: It was a celebration of the sport of Mittens, and of the theater community of Foon.

Arnie: And Chunt, what was your favorite commercial?

Chunt: There was one, I can't remember what it was for, but there was like, these pincers? And they were holding a Dwarf, and you j-, they just slowly lowered him into boiling tar-

Arnie: Oh god!

Chunt: And you just see him, you see the life escape him from the feet up, and it was just, just great, I mean, just really, really spoke to me.

Larry: Yeah, that was for life insurance.

Chunt: Oh! That makes total sense.

Arnie: So you said, I don't really know, how does the sport work, Mittens?

Larry: What's that?

Arnie: How does Mittens work?

Larry: Oh god, well, uh, so you've never seen any Mittens?

Arnie: I haven't seen-

Larry: All right, uh- [sighs]

Usidore: Lawrence, you must forgive him, Arnold is a new-

Larry: Yeah.

Arnie: It's Arnie.

Usidore: He's a new person here-

Larry: Yeah, it's Larry, it's Larry Birdman. Uh, you know, [sigh] So put it this way, all right? You're on a field, all right? About 2000 yards long, uh, between 2000 and 2007, depending on which field you play on. Uh, it's about nine yards wide, so very narrow field.

Arnie: Wow!

Larry: Uh, each team is comprised of 31 individuals. You have a Baskin, you have what we call a Quarter-Back, which you won't understand, there's a Baskin, there's nineteen Hillsmens, and then there's ten, what we call Misselineus. And the Misselineus, they can do all sorts-

Arnie: Wait, Misselinius?

Larry: Yes, Missel-linius. There's 10 of them, there's 19 Hillsmen, okay? You have, you have a Baskin, 19 Hillsmen, okay, 10 Misselineus and and then a Quarterback.

Arnie: Do the Misselineus just do assorted things?

Larry: No, all of the other people do. The Misselinius have one specific task, that's very specific. 

Arnie: [chuckles]

Larry: The Misselineus are there to basically distract and try to assist the Baskin in performing the Baskin task.

Arnie: And what is the Baskin task?

Larry: Now, the goal of the Baskin is to get the potted flower from one end of the f-, the Pitch, we call it the Pitch, to the other end of the Pitch, and if the Baskin takes a potted flower across 2000 yards, and gets it to the other end, that is one point. Now, my principle problem with the game, is if a bird comes near the field and you catch it, that's 700 points.

Arnie: [laughing] That's a lot of, that seems like a lot of points.

Larry: Didn't invent the rules, don't like that rule, seems like the team that catches a bird always wins.

Usidore: But it is exciting.

Larry: Well, it's...

Usidore: It's exciting when a bird finally flies onto the field-

Arnie: How often does this happen?

Larry: It's f-

Usidore: Pandemonium breaks out

Chunt: Very often, very often.

Larry: Pretty regularly. In fact, the last game, so, okay, so the last Cavalcade Part II, the score was, uh 2103 to 8.

Arnie: [laughing] Oh no!

Larry: So, it was, in my opinion, and this is what I've been pushing for, for reform for years, I thought it was unfair because one team got a Baskin 2000 yards across 31 opponents 8 different times, the other team only did it 3 times, and yet because the other team caught three birds, they won by thousands of points.

Usidore: Yes.

Chunt: It's a bird-heavy game. And you should know that Hogsface has its own Mittens team.

Larry: Oh yes! [laughs] If, that's "team" in quotes, Hogsface went, I believe, 0 and 1 last year?

Chunt: Yeah.

Larry: Yeah, they did not win their game.

Chunt: Yeah, our potted flower is not a fan of being carried around.

Usidore: Yes.

Arnie: Wait, so is your potted flower, Flower?

Chunt: It's Flower, yeah.

Arnie: The Flower that I threw off of a cliff last week?

Chunt: Yep, so we don't have a team anymore.

Arnie: [laughs] Oh no-

Usidore: Thank you for that.

Arnie: I'm sorry.

Larry: Ugh.

Chunt: The Hogsface Poisoned Blades are no longer a team.

Usidore: Now Larry, I, I wanted to ask you while you were here, burrh, I know you aren't a fan of the bird catching rule-

Larry: No, I'm not.

Usidore: But I do find it exciting when they catch a bird. My issue is more that fans are allowed to bring bags full of birds to release into the pitch.

Larry: Yes.

Usidore: I, if the fans were, were restricted in their ability to bring birds and birds simply flew into the field naturally, I think that would make for a much more exciting game!

Larry: Well it's an interesting point, and, and, you know, Usidore-

Usidore: Yes.

Larry: I don't know if you've ever tried out to be a Wizard, as I said earlier, there's one Wizard per team, usually, sometimes more than one Wizard, but usually you b-, you want at least one of your Hillsmen to be a Wizard.

Usidore: Eh, yes.

Larry: And often that Wizard will be tasked with, you know, disintegrating birds that are released. So you constantly have birds being released by the fans, which I'm against, but you know, the rules are the rules and I just enforce them. And you will see, uh, hundreds, if not thousands of birds, released and then disintegrated repeatedly by one of the Hillsmen. That's just one of, I would say, 100-200 tasks a Hillsmen is-

Arnie: 100-200 tasks?

Larry: Yes. A game lasts, uh, well the first Cavalcade, as I said, began on January 15th, and ended, maybe, 20 minutes before the Final. So it's about a two-week game.

Usidore: It was a short game.

Larry: It was a short game, I'm glad we were able to get the Cavalcade finished this year before March.

Usidore: Yes.

Arnie: Does it frequenl-, Does one of the Cav- Does part I frequently go so long that part II starts before part I is done?

Larry: No, you couldn't do that, that's [laughs] that doesn't make any sense. No, the Cavalcade Part I is the second and third place team from the regular season. They play off, and then the winner of that plays the worst team from the regular season from the title.

Arnie: [laughs]

Larry: Another rule which I am against and trying to reform, it's one of my main points, is why not let the best team from the year play in the Cavalcade Part II?

Chunt: And Hogsface was in because we were the worst team. I should let you know, when I was in the form of an eagle, I was a Baskin, which was a huge problem, because, as per the rules-

Usidore: Your'e also a bird!

Larry: Yes.

Chunt: I'm a bird! So-

Larry: And the Baskin's feet cannot leave the ground.

Chunt: So, by being on the team in the state of an eagle, I was just draining points from my team.

Larry: Yes.

Arnie: What if you had been, like, another kind of bird, like a sparrow or a robin?

Usidore: A what?

Arnie: A sparrow or a robin.

Larry: Not familiar with either of those types-

Usidore: What's a robin?

Larry: What's a sparrow?

Arnie: I was just saying that maybe if you were a Baskin...robin...

Usidore: ...A robin?

Arnie: Never mind. That's- You know what, that's just something that-

Larry: Baskin robin...

Chunt: You seem...really pleased with yourself for some reason...

Larry: Yes.

Arnie: [chuckling] The people, I'm, the-, that was more for the people on my world, they're going to go crazy over that.

Chunt: A Baskin...robin...

Arnie: It's just a little joke, but the people on my world are gonna' go crazy.

Larry: I don't understand.

Chunt: I don't understand, but I hate it.

Larry: Anyway, thirty-one per team, uh...and I-

Arnie: Like 31 Flavors?

Larry: -don't know what else you need to know about Mittens. But, um, the-

Arnie: What are some of the teams besides the Hogface Poison Blades?

Chunt: Mm-Hmm?

Larry: Well, the best team in the league this year, which, you know, unfortunately they're not eligible for the playoffs, by virtue of wining the regular season. And then what they do is they wait there- If you win the regular season, you an't play again for ten years. And then in the 10th year you play in the 10th Anniversary, Round Table, Roundrobin, Uh, Circular...uh...

Chunt: And by the way, Roundrobin means something...we don't have robins. Robin means something else in Foon.

Larry: Yes.

Arnie: What does robin mean in Foon?

Usidore: Roundrobin.

Larry: I don't know what, uh, robin means, a Roundrobin is a specific type of game in which one opponent plays another one.

Arnie: ...okay...

Larry: Um...I forgot your question.

Arnie: What are some of the teams?

Larry: Oh.

Chunt: The Festering Wounds have been...dominating for a while.

Arnie: Uh-huh?

Larry: Yes. Well, in the sense that the best you can do, a lot of people think, is to finish second every year. So what happens in the game, and it's, again, it's frustrating, is, you have uh, teams play, and they try to all get up near the front, and then they all intentionally try to lose towards the end of the year to finish second, so that they can be in the Cavalcade and then hopefully Cavalcade Part II, and not have to be retired for ten years. So the Festering Wounds have finished second or third, which is both good, what 11? 11 or 12 years in a row.

Usidore: Yes, and of course there's uh, the Scrr...uh... Buzzards.

Larry: Yes.

Arnie: Oh, from Scrr?

Usidore: From Scrr, yes.

Larry: Now you, Usidore, who do you support? I notice that you are in Scrr Buzzards colors.

Usidore: Ahhh, yes, I am a fan of the Buzzards, I must admit. [grumbles]

Chunt: And the wizard that plays on the Buzzards is, uh, Spintax.

Larry: Spintax the Green? 

Usidore: Yes.

Larry: Do you know him?

Usidore: Yeah...[grumbles] Uh, yes, yeah I do know him.

Chunt: Yeah?

Larry: I had dinner with him about a week ago, and he's really a wonderful, wonderful man.

Usidore: Yes, he's very, very talented.

Chunt: Great, great wizard.

Larry: For his age, too. He really can create a lot of things and dismantle a lot of things.

Usidore: Well, we each have our own journey. Speaking of which, I have a journey, that I would like you to accompany me on- 

Arnie: We're gonna' have to-

Usidore: Aye, for the Dark Lord-

Arnie: Go to a quick break, actually, I'm sorry, you can mumble about the Dark Lord if you want-

Usidore: He s-

Arnie: But we're gonna' take-

Usidore: -smirched the land with his evil...

Arnie: We're just gonna' take a quick break, uh, so that we can refresh our drinks-

Usidore: [in the wizard's state] i shhuuupulflon i uwaveawave 

Arnie: and we'll be back in just a moment.

[static]

[ad music]

Burger King Worker: Hello, welcome to Burger King, would you like to try a free Whopper today?

Usidore: [still in the wizard's state] hy k kuuu onminggg.[inaudible]

Burger King Worker: Seriously? Hello? Is that...? I swear I hear someone whispering. [yelling] Hey Linda, I think something's wrong with my headset.

[ad music fades]

Arnie: All right, uh, we're back. Uh, Usidore, are you done with your wizard's trance?

Usidore: Yes, I'm out of the wizard state now. Uh, but I had a question for you, Larry.

Larry: Oh, sure.

Usidore: You know, I always did want to be a Hillsman, myself.

Larry: Yes.

Usidore: I am a wizard, and I do live on top of a hill.

Larry: Oh, nice.

Usidore: So I, it's always occurred to me that perhaps I could do it. Do you think I-?

Larry: Well, uh-

Usidore: Do you think I have the strength, the upper body strenth?

Larry: Did you play Mittens in College, or Wizard School?

Usidore: Well, ee- a little bit, I uh, you know, played with friends, you know, just fun-

Larry: Like the varsity, or the JV? 

Usidore: Ah, you know, I [blusters] I went out for varsity, and you know, I didn't make it then, but you know, I've, I've grown as a wizard in the interim, you know...

Larry: Well, you know, one thing that I value as Commissioner of the Mittens League-

Usidore: Mm-hmm?

Larry: -is just brutal, honest truth. And I'll tell you it's unlikely. It's unlikely that you could do it.

Usidore: Mmm.

Larry: And the reason I say that is, our league is composed of the greatest Mittens players in the world. And as you know, as ev- Chunt, as you know, everyone who grows up in Foon - I would say fifty percent of the uh, the young, the young men and women of Foon play Mittens as children. And of course, that's getting lower and lower due to the Post-Concussive Syndrome problem that we're having, but-

Usidore: Right.

Larry: I will say, one-

Arnie: Are lots of people getting hurt playing Mittens?

Larry: Yes.

Usidore: Yes.

Larry: Yes.

Usidore: Oh yes.

Larry: It's a big issue, and we're taking it very seriously at the Foon Mittens League, and don't think that we're not. But, I will say, Usidore-

Usidore: Mmm, yes?

Larry: That I had an occasion to have brunch, maybe a month or two ago, with a man that of course you know, named Sam Stout.

Usidore: Ah yes, oh!

Larry: Okay? Now, Sam Stout is one of probably the 10, 15 best Hillsmen in the world. Sam Stout, when he was in college, tried out for the Mittens team. Not only did he not make the Mittens team, he was not allowed to be the manager of the Mittens team.

Usidore: Oooh.

Larry: And Sam Stout went, and he trained, and he trained, and he became - his name was not Sam Stout at the time, his name was Sam...I think it was uh...Stotlanberg?

Usidore: Ah.

Larry: Something Jewish.

Arnie: [chuckles]

Larry: But uh, my- what I remember is, he came back, and he was, he trained for years, I'm not sure exactly w-

Usidore: This is an inspiring story, please continue.

Larry: Yes, so, today-

Chunt: [chuckles]

Arnie: [laughing] I have so many questions, but keep going, keep going, keep going.

Larry: Well today, Sam Stout is one of the greatest players, and he, the man did not play in a professional mittens league match until he was 33 years old.

Usidore: Amazing.

Larry: Today he's, I think he's a 7 time All-Star, wonderful brunch companion-

Chunt: His cloak was retired, right?

Larry: Yes, his cloak was retired.

Chunt: Number 4500?

Larry: 4500, by the Daggerdale Blazehounds. And so uh, he's never allowed- I don't know if you know how jersey retirements work, do you know?

Arnie: Uh, in my world, yeah, basically you just cannot use someone's number again? Or-

Larry: No.

Arnie: Maybe I'm wrong.

Larry: N- well, maybe, I'm not sure. If you retire a jersey here, what it means is: you take a jersey, okay? You write a number on the back of it that's different from a regular number, this one had 4500 I believe, and you run, and everyone chases you. And if anyone gets you for an hour, they're allowed to just pummel the heck out of you. 

Usidore: Yes.

Larry: Just beat you as hard as you can. If, however, you run and no one is able to catch you for a full hour, then you are put into what is called the Circle of Fame. And there's only about 100 people, it's 93 people, that have ever been in the Circle of Fame. And Sam Stout had his jersey retirement celebration run, I guess, a year ago? Yeah. Yes.

Usidore: Yes.

Larry: About a year ago.

Usidore: Yes, about a year ago

Arnie: How many people have had failed jersey retirement runs?

Larry: Well, thousands.

Arnie: [astonished] Thousands!

Larry: Most people don't get more than, I'd say, twenty seconds. I mean, anyone can catch you. 

Usidore: Yes.

Larry: Anyone!

Arnie: Anyone, anywhere?

Larry: Anyone!

Usidore: And just- And just-

Larry: I mean, a creature, a beast, anyone, they can-

Usidore: And just think of the revenge the birds want to enact.

Larry: Ugh.

Usidore: Yes.

Larry: Yes.

Arnie: So, I have a question for you, Larry Birdman. You-

Larry: Yes?

Arnie: You seem to have a lot of unhappiness with the sport of Mittens-

Larry: Well, the rules are terrible.

Arnie: What, what lead you to, to become the commissioner?

Larry: Well, you know, I [sighs] I see myself as a visionary. I was myself, I guess you don't know this, it's kind-of embarrassing and I don't mean to brag, but I'm probably the greatest mittens player. Uh, well...I dunno. Top, top 5.

Arnie: Mm-hmm.

Larry: Uh...well, top, top 20 is non-controversial, I'll do that, top 20. And I myself was a Baskin, and uh, I really hated, uh, the amount of abuse that I took, and I thought it was unnecessary, because, y'know, there I was, once, y'know, being carried across, holding a plant, fighting, y'know, eyes gouged, all sorts of spells cast against me, and in my defense, uh, hand-to-hand combat, eating unbelievably, disgustingly hot items, as you're required to-

Arnie: [laughing] Wha?

Larry: All sorts of, uh, you know, uh...immersion therapy, foreign language skills learned...All these things that I had to do, month after month after month after month, to try to get that plant across that line 2000 yards away, and then, y'know, someone would catch a bird, and we'd lose. And so, imagine the frustration.

Arnie: [laughing] Sure!

Larry: Imagine the frustration! And so, uh, when I-

Arnie: Did you ever consider just...focusing on catching birds yourself?

Larry: Well that's what, probably, 29 of our 31 players are doing at any given time, is focused up on the birds. We've got wizards disintegrating birds, we've got other people trying to catch birds, it's-

Chunt: And you better believe, the commentators would just be like, "Look at the one person not catching birds, Birdman!" Like it's-

Arnie: Yeah.

Larry: [laughs] Yeah.

Chunt: It was a big, uh, it was a big joke.

Larry: That's right, it's really frustrating.

Usidore: But your technique was, may I say, perhaps the greatest that ever existed. For instead of holding the plant-

Larry: Yes.

Usidore: -in a single hand, [whispers] he grasped it with both!

Larry: Yes. We called it the two h-, we called it the two, 'Two In The Hand Is Worth One In The Bird'.

Arnie: [snickers]

Usidore: [normally] It was incredible, it...it transformed the entire game!

Larry: Yes. Now everyone's holding the plant with two hands. Before I carried it with- and I will tell you, this is a story I- you've probably heard this. The first time I carried the plant with two hands? Was a mistake.

Usidore: Ah yes, yes!

Arnie: Didn't mean to!

Larry: Didn't mean to carry it with two hands.

Usidore: Amazing, amazing.

Larry: Had it in one hand, had my other hand out there doing, the things you would normally do, you know, blocking spells, shaking hands of elites, you know, a lot of high-fiving, um-

Usidore: Foreign language flashcards.

Larry: Foreign language flashcards, of course, cooking fritatas, all the things a Baskin used to do with his off-hand, just doing anything he could to distract, or delay, or push forward. And wouldn't you know it, but I saw a friend of mine in the crowd. And I looked over, and I raised the potted plant, and it started to fall, and I reached up and grabbed it with the other hand, and, just silence. Silence immersed, you know, the pitch, everyone was shocked, no one had every seen it. And I found that it is easier to hold an item in two hands...than to hold it in one!

Chunt: [lets out a held breath]

Usidore: Incredible, incredible! Before that, you know, a Hillsman could come along and just bat the flower right out of your hand.

Larry: Yes.

Usidore: Or cast a spell at it.

Arnie: So, we're running out of time-

Larry: Oh.

Arnie: But before we go, I was wondering like, so now that the Cavalcade is done-

Larry: Yes.

Arnie: What will you do during the off-season?

Larry: Oh, well in April we have the Reap, where people will be conscripted to play for their Mittens teams. Used to be a Draft-

Arnie: Uh-huh.

Larry: -now it has to be a Reap because people are very worried about the Post-Concussive Syndrome problem. So the Reap will be-

Usidore: And only- And only about 30% of the people in the Reap live through that process, correct?

Larry: Uh, er yeah, I think that's a little generous, I think it's around 25-30%, but uh-

Usidore: Ahh.

Arnie: Phew!

Larry: -people are excited to be Reaped. 

Arnie: [scoffs]

Larry: So, yeah, we'll have the Reap in April, new season will start back up, first game will start May 1st, hopefully that'll be done by May 15th, and uh, the next game starts as soon as the last one finishes, and then you go 'til Cavalcade Part II.

Arnie: Wow! Well, if I'm still here when the season starts again, and if Hogsface gets a team going again, I would absolutely love to see a game of mittens.

Larry: Well, terrific. Tickets are available at any given time, the field is huge, you can watch a lot of different ways, as I said earlier. If you want to do a Watch N' Pop let me know. But I uh, will hope to have a new fan!

[trill]

Arnie: All right, thank you so much, and thanks again Chunt and Usidore for being here. And thank you for listening, as always, please subscribe on iTunes and give us a positive review, give us a lot of stars. And email us with your questions at magictavern@puppies.supplies.

Chunt: But I don't turn into the genitals of whatever I'm...why would Matt DeMarco...?

Arnie: I don't know, that was a question that he- I mean, to be fair, from my world, we don't really understand how sexual skin changing works.

Chunt: Okay.

Larry: Oh Chunt, you're a shapeshifter?

Chunt: Yes.

Arnie: So-

Larry: Oh, I didn't get that earlier. You know, they're looking for a new Misselineus.

Chunt: Ooo!

Larry: On Hogface.

Chunt: Well, I-

Larry: And a shapeshifter would be pretty good!

Chunt: Lemme talk to you after the uh-

Larry: Absolutely.

Chunt: Yeah?

Arnie: All right, well uh, thanks so much for listening everybody, and we'll see you next week!

Usidore: Do they, do they need any Hillsman?

Chunt: Do you have Jews in your world? 

Arnie: [quiet, helpless laughter]

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Mysterious Man: And once again, we find that the takeaway lesson is that none of these things really happened. Usidore the Wizard was played by Matt Young. Chunt the Badger was played by Adal Rafai. Special guest Larry Birdman was played by Rush Howell, who performs regularly with the show 3033. And the mysterious Burger King drive-thru operator was Max Temkin. Produced by Evan Jacover and Ryan DiGiorgi, edited by Ryan DiGiorgi. Last week was actually edited by Evan Jacover, and not Ryan DiGiorgi, but whatever, let's not linger in the past. Music by Andy Poland. Hello From the Magic Tavern logo designed by Allard Leban. Learn more about the show and learn about how it's not real, because it's fake, at hellofromthemagictavern.com. Or follow us on Twitter @magictavern. All of these fanciful imaginings were brought to you by Base Camp, with the help of the Chicago Podcast Cooperative. Learn more about Base Camp at basecamp.com, and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative at chicagopodcastcooperative.com. Sometimes, I can concentrate on an object and make it burst into flames.

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