#and not to fall into that catastrophying trap

[sag-dab-sar]

There is some discussion going around about how the Gods don't support TERFs. That the Gods aren't political or are political. That some people use them to justify their bigotry.

Personally this is exactly why I hate the rhetoric that the Gods have unconditional love. That they don't hate anyone. That they don't judge. That they don't punish.

They do.

They are not impartial on all topics.

They have things that make them angry.

The idea that they wouldn't punish, or at least refuse to help, people that make them angry is nonsensical.

Certainly there are things that we simply can't know if the Gods support one position or the other, they are incomprehensible, but there are definitely things with do know— xenia being an example. This isn't strictly a Hellenic Polytheism issue either.

If you mistreat people Zeus Xenios isn't going to turn a blind eye. If you think people deserve homelessness Nanše will be infuriated. Aphroditos and Nanaya are fundamentally anti-TERF. Nanna is explicitly described as passing judgments on people. The Gods have created— in some cases embody— law & justice. Dike, Themis, Utu, so on. Why would they disregard that which they created?

I'm sick of people making the Gods cuddly comfort objects.

-not audio proof read-

[silviakundera]

watching The Last Immortal, in ep 7. My random disorganized thoughts!

After actually making it through the xanxia angst parade of Ancient Love Poetry, I needed to see what's up with the next generation. And it does have that feel... watching the latch-key kids try to raise themselves & stumble through misadventures, living in the aftermath of the boomers making a total mess of the worlds.

Green tea birds still abound and the FL is born to suffer. I like that many of the conflicts and grudges are consequences of that dumb ass immortals vs demons/monsters nonsense that Obviously Evil Phoenix Empress caused in ALP.... Makes my time watching her get away with all that bullshit again and again feel less wasted.

But boy do the immortals and Heavens court still suck. Can ML just x-out and join the monster squad?

Lil Fox lord is very amusing. I'll be honest, I wish he and the soon to be long-suffering FL A'Yin could fall in love and actually be happy together. But I know the xanxia rules: the FL and ML must be tied by fate, so horrible catastrophies happen and he is the cause of her physical and spiritual torture on several occasions (gotta follow in those footsteps, can't let dad down!).

The FL is rather sensible and straightforward in a charming way and Zhao Lusi has a flair with this type of character. Just like with Orchid in Love Between Fairy and Devil, I looooveee the whimsy of plant or animal spirit beast type characters.

ML is immature and I didn't care for him at first, but his deep down care for FL as a friend in these early episodes, even though he's romantically interested in someone else, has melted my misgivings. I have a weakness for that kind of intrinsic gentle kindness for a friend.

Missing Tian Qi, my absolute fav character from ALP. (I can't even call it second lead syndrome... he was the 1st lead in my ❤ Dude was constantly actually handling the buisness of caretaking ML's 'wife' and child most of the time). If I didn't know they don't have the rights to ALP, I'd have a real problem with the idea that he hasn't been keeping some kind of watch on the kid, at least an underling - OOC). I assume he's xanxia trapped/lost somewhere for 300 years or so. Shit happens.

Should u watch this if you watched Ancient Love Poetry? I say yes: it does feel like a sequel, though they had to change names & file off the serial numbers.

[amethystpath-writes]

Secret Caretaking

Tumblr is acting extremely dumb so there's a high possibility that this will post twice now.

@badthingshappenbingo

Original Work

Secret Caretaking

Angel and demon whump, anyone?

@whatwhumpcomments

******

The halls changed as Angel walked through them. She did this often, walked, and watched what her Holy Land provided her with- what she desired. It was such a delicate system, one always so soft and comforting, but one that only ever served as a happiness while you explored it.

Usually she saw Earth's puppies and baby alligators- goodness she loved the alligators. All of the other angels disliked them- didn't hate them, but weren't particularly fond either. In any case, Angel loved them.

There were other rooms, of course.

Another room she loved passing through was the cloud rooms. Sometimes the clouds were painted with an early sunrise. Other times they were sunset. And the remainder of the times were solid colours that made the clouds look like something the humans would make with cotton and the coloured bulbs they created.

The Holy Land knew her well. Of course it did. It knew every angel inside and out.

Today, the land brought Angel something it never did before. As she walked through the ever changing hall and forever open doors of glorious joy, she spotted a closed door, one black and with a slit at the top with thick metal bars.

Angel stopped, peering at it from a few feet away. She...well, she didn't really like that door. It kind of frightened her. Why was the Holy Land giving her such a dark door? Angel didn't understand. But the Holy Land always knew what she wanted. Surely whatever was inside could be deemed relevant to herself.

With a deep breath, she collected herself, straightening her spine, lifting her chin until it was parallel with ground. This was how Angel walked when things were normal, and this- this completely normal door- was normal. Normal, normal, normal.

There was a handle, one that looked like old, rusting iron. This is normal. This is meant for me. Angel gripped the handle and pushed it forward until she was stepping and sliding through the crack. She watched her feet, careful not to trip over them.

When the door shut, she looked up to see her own light illuminating the room- more than that, she was illuminating a-a form. She didn't dare think the real word, even as she squealed in a sudden fear and let her back slam against the door she'd just slipped through.

"Ah, another of you."

Angel's light dimmed to almost match the pitch black the room had been before. But her light could never be dimmed all the way, especially in her silky white hair which glowed with a faint yellow-orange. Angels couldn't shave their hair, or else they lost their purity. It's why the man in front of Angel terrified her so. His hair was cut short- previously shaved, but now fuzzy, and no longer white or glowing. His skin was the colour of ash- grey, black, and white, like a fire burnt out. He was Fallen.

"You shouldn't be here, y'know?" His voice was barely a whisper. It made Angel wonder how it was so deep, how it penetrated her absent mind so easily. She was usually so good at blocking things out around her. Right now, Angel couldn't even think passed the fallen man's voice, the way he was stretched out before her, wings spread with rings punched into the thick leather and then attached to the walls on either side. She imagined those rings in her own wings and let out an involuntary whimper.

Her hand reached for the handle. She would pull herself up and then open the door and walk out. Simple. But it wasn't so easy as that. Her whole body trembled, shook like when Earth's tectonic plates shifted over one another.

"Come now. Won't you say anything?" The fallen man paused, waiting for a response of any kind. Then, when he received none, he said, "I may be in no position to tell you to leave, but maybe I could scare you out. That is, if you don't give me proper company. You did intrude. It's only polite that you give me your name."

His voice pinned Angel where she was. She wouldn't look up at him, not again. He seemed so large. Was it because she was cowered on the floor or was he really so big as that? She swallowed, still trying to clutch and pull herself to her feet.

"Alright, then."

Angel screamed and hid her head behind her clutched knees as the fallen jerked his wings forward. There was a persistent, but not quite repetitive, sound of something being pulled tight- a chain maybe. He was flapping his wings wildly and with each thrum and pull of it, Angel's body clenched tight like she was preparing for the man-thing to break free and hold a hand against her throat.

She didn't realize she was crying until the fallen stopped moving and told her, "You shouldn't be crying. I'm the one shredding myself over here."

"Shredding yourself?" Her voice was quiet. She hardly even heard herself. With closed eyes, Angel focused on her breaths. When she felt her limbs finally relaxing just a bit, she opened her eyes and looked at the wings before her. She didn't dare look at his face; she was too afraid of what she might find there, but his wings- his wings were destroyed, a torn line down each one from the rings he just hurt himself with. Angel stood in an instant.

"Why would you do that to yourself!" She clamped a hand against her own mouth. Angel spoke to the fallen man. She said something to him. There was no rule against it, per say, but- well, angels didn't talk to the fallen. Maybe it was a fear that, despite there being no rule, if they talked to one of the fallen, they would fall themselves. Maybe they would accidentally introduce themselves to the fallen- and therefore doom themselves.

Even with this terror in mind, Angel touched the bat-like, membranous wing in front of her. She stood at the right wing, shaking her head when her finger made contact and as a shudder traveled through her. Angel breathed shakily with the shudder, stiffening with eyes rolling back for a moment. She withdrew her hand.

"Will you heal?" Angel croaked.

"Of course I will." His voice was louder than a whisper now, but still quieter than his regular volume, Angel could tell. "Just not as quickly without your light."

"I won't give you my light," Angel said, dead-panned.

The fallen man laughed, and Angel watched the wing in front of her bounce as he did so. Her legs were still tensed as she stood. Damn him- literally- for getting her to speak by hurting himself.

"Oh no, no, no, no, dear angel. You would never give your light to my kind. But you would lend it, wouldn't you? Lend it if it were put to good use?"

Swallowing, Angel turned her head towards his own. Her tongue was pushed against the roof of her mouth.

His eyes were like fresh embers.

"You can still be saved," she observed by the glow of his eyes. Without herself realizing it, she took steps closer to his center mass, reaching a hand towards his face. His teeth snapped at her fingers and she yelped, retreating her hand. "You seem perfectly demonic to me. The Holy Land can't possibly see any angelic qualities in you."

"Now, if that were true, you wouldn't be here."

"And how would you know?"

He chuckled at Angel, and she hated the way his eyes glowed brighter when he did. She hated the beauty they portrayed. His eyes were the equivalent to Angel's hair.

"Did you forget I was an angel once, too? The Holy Land led you here. I take it it's because you desire to feel helpful." His eyes dimmed; he was manipulating her and she knew it. Still, he was right. All she ever did was wander around her halls and rooms. She was useless. But- "You could heal me, y'know? It's about the only way you'll feel any fulfillment in this hellhole you call heaven."

Angel thought about it, disregarding his aversion to her home. He had no right to be calling the Holy Land a- a...the word he said.

"Healing you might cause me to fall." Her voice was quiet, but seeing as she was directly in front of the fallen man, he heard her.

"The Holy Land would lure you into a trap?" He smirked, and she knew what he was implying. How holy could the Land truly be if it deceived its own angels?

"Well, yeah. You were tempted, weren't you? The Land is testing me. You- you're a test to me." Which also meant-

"If you walk out of here now without doing anything to help, I'll be hurt worse for attempting to escape." His eyes flared with an orange-red colour again. "I have a feeling they won't make you my tormentor. So, walk out and forever know you're a failure to yourself. Or, satisfy your one and only desire and heal me. Help someone real, even if it's a Fallen One."

He's right. You know he's right, she said to herself. As lovely as the puppy rooms, alligator rooms, and rooms of colourful clouds were...they would never be enough for her. Because she did want to help. It was all she ever wanted, to be a true angel, not just an emergency one- one that stepped in only when there weren't enough angels to help with a catastrophy on Earth with the humans.

"What if-" Angel turned her gaze down, ashamed that she was even thinking about doing this. But...but it was the only way she could feel eternally happy. She needed to be useful. "If I just heal you and leave, they'll know. Because if this is a test, they'll be waiting for me to come out of this room. And if you're healed, they'll know. They'll see my light in the once damaged parts of your wings."

The fallen man hummed as she spoke, agreeing with eyes burning something hot. He didn't feel it, of course, but his vision was always clearer when his foolery and trickery were in play- and succeeding.

"I'll heal you, and you can use the same light to make an illusion that the light is gone. A cloak. The fallen can still use light if they can still be saved. Your eyes reveal your cunningness, which means the Holy Land still accepts you enough that at least one angel will know to help. And I will. I'll help you, if you help me, too."

"You'll have yourself a deal if-" The fallen's lips curled and split to reveal yellowed and dirtied teeth. Four of them were sharpened, like a wolf's. Two on top. Two on bottom. The other angels said the Fallen used them to feed on their light so that they could return. It was terrifying to say the least, but even with teeth like his, the Fallen were beautiful creatures. Angel hated them- hated him, but he was her ticket to true happiness. "-you give me your name."

"What?"

His shoulders lifted and relaxed. "You heard me. I want your name."

"No." She shook her head. "No. No, you know I can't do that."

"It's the only word I'll trust of yours. Your promise, your word...it comes with your name. It's the only way I can trust you'll come back and heal me when the others inevitably torture me again."

Angel felt a fury she never felt before. Holy Land, she didn't even know what fury was. Melancholy, yes. Anger, no. "You don't need my name," Angel seethed. "The only thing you could ever use it for would be to- to return to Holy Land as an angel yourself and- and damn me in the end. Angels aren't allowed to give their names to the fallen. But you know that."

There were too many conflictions in this all. If she left the near-demon here without healing him, she'd never be content. But if she healed him and walked out without giving him her name, he wouldn't cast the illusion to save her skin. And if she did give her name, well he could use it at any point against her, to condemn her to Hell.

"How do I know you won't use my name the moment you learn it?"

The fallen man rose a brow, slid his jaw askew. "You think I want to be an angel even after they casted me away. No. But if I have to choose between being an angel and being tortured by them, I'll take the former unless I can escape- which you are going to help me do."

"But you didn't say-"

"It should have been a given, dear angel."

"I'll damn us both," she said, crossing her arms. It was cute. Wrath and cunning didn't match her features or personality. "I'll heal you for my satisfaction and if you won't cast an illusion to save me then your one chance at escaping will be gone because they'll take my feathered wings. I'll be fallen like you and you'll still be in this room being tortured."

The Fallen One sighed in a dreamily way. "You won't let yourself fall. It terrifies you. I wouldn't know it as well as I do lest you had reacted differently when you realized what was behind that door when you walked in. And again when I flapped my wings. You. Flinched. Every. Time." He laughed. "But here's the thing. You aren't afraid of me. No, you're afraid of becoming me. You're going to give me your name. And you're going to hope with all your angelic being that I'm an honest 'near-demon', as your kind likes to call my own, wishing for God or the Devil's good grace."

Angel blew her nose like a bull, a huff more-like. "I shouldn't," she whispered to herself. "I can't." But the Holy Land says he can be saved. You have to try, Angel.

With a deep breath, she got to work. The glow in her hair gathered into her scalp before sinking into her blood. "My teeth aren't sharp enough to pierce flesh," she said, and swallowed like so many times before while she'd been in this room. She needed to wipe her light on his wings to heal him, but she couldn't get to her light on her own. "I- I need you to..."

"To bite." The Fallen One smiled, on corner of his upper lip lifting further than the rest. "Gladly," he said, and licked his teeth, lip curling a little too long on his sharpest ones.

Angel shook her head, took a shuddering breath, and hovered her index finger in front of the near-demon's mouth. He bit, closing his lips against her finger. Angel gasped, feeling the way his tongue lapped against her skin. "No. No, please! Stop!" But he wasn't stopping. He was going to steal all of her light. "My name is Angel!" His mouth opened. She stole her hand back, clutching it to her chest with her other. Angel nearly sobbed with relief, and also dread as she had just exposed herself to the Fallen One.

"You thought you were clever." His tongue wiped across his teeth where a bit of Angel's blood remained. "You thought with your little ramblings, I'd forget you never told me your name. Angel," he drawled. "Almost as delicious of a name as is your light. No matter. I have the light I need. You'll come back every week to give me more, or else I'll introduce you to Dear Ole Luci."

Angel took a step back, nose scrunched. "You can't be saved," she spat at him.

He sighed. "Didn't I already tell you I didn't want to be saved?" The Fallen One hummed. "Is that more light I see coming through the slits in the door? Looks like you're running out of time to leave my cell, Angel. I'd be scurrying along now."

She had to suppress the urge to scream and tear into him, not only because she might be caught, but because thoughts like that would earn her a ticket to Hell more quickly than what the other angels could tear her wings and throw her there themselves. "If," Angel stressed this word. "If you trick another angel into this evil bidding, I will sacrifice my wings in order to rip your own to pieces."

"Feisty," he mused in return. "Go on, now. I'll look forward to our next visit."

One last huff and she rushed out of the door. Damn him, she thought. And damn me for being fooled so easily.

******

If this weren't for a prompt, I would have split it into two 😬

[cutegirlmayra]

Could you please do a Boom prompt about after an intense battle Sonic is too exhausted (not necessarily injured) to go on adventures for at least a couple of weeks so the team finds a replacement leader (a Boom version of Gadget) that everyone welcomes with open arms but as time passes Sonic becomes worried and paranoid about this temporary substitute possibly becoming permanent?

I’ll do my best!

PROMPTS ARE ON SHUTDOWN! I have the right now to simply delete your ask if you send any while they are still on shutdown! I have a few more to go, patience is a virtue, my dear Cuties! (Followers)

Prompt:

“Ow! Yikes! That hurts! Ahh…” After a painful few turns of the nurse’s adjustments, Sonic relaxed on the couch and she nodded that her work was done.

“Well, he’ll be good as a springy ol’dandelion in no time.” The young, southern nurse wiped her hands with a few sliding claps and then turned to Sonic’s team. “Ohh, but the young man will need plenty of rest. Best to not do anything too dangerous or risky for a while, I’d reckon.” she began to pick up her black Doctor’s purse as Tails gripped his head in panic.

“Why don’t you just say ‘no fun allowed’ and kill us with boredom!”

“Tails, mind your manners.” Amy lightly scolded before turning to the Doc, “Thank you so much for your help. We’ll make sure he stays well-rested.” she bent her body a bit, rubbing her hands together as she escorted the Doc out the door.

“Oh, well, thank you. What a kind young woman you are-”

She then slammed the door and her eyes widened, “What are we gonna do without Sonic!?”

Sticks also leaped up onto the couch, looking down at Sonic with her boomerang behind her, “I told you not to go stepping on tinfoil laid over a mossy bank with a pine needle pointing south to southwest!”

“What does that even mean?” Sonic groaned, leaning his head up. “It’s over. We can’t disband the team, but that also means we can’t go adventuring till I heal from this mess…” he flopped his head back into the pillow of Amy’s couch, as the rest of the gang looked to one another, not sure how to break it to him.

“Weeeeellll….” Amy began, as Tails took over.

“It’s not like we have to have you in order to have fun…”

“Hey! No, no, no! This sound like a mutiny! Traitors! Every last one of ya!” Sonic, currently laying on his stomach, tried to turn around and shake his fist at them, but something in his back popped unexpectantly. “Yeouch..!” he froze in place before Sticks suddenly grabbed him and kicked him back into place with her foot, letting once again another howl escape from Sonic’s mouth.

“Hmm… I know! We’ll put an ad up!” Knuckles brought out a wrinkly newspaper and straightened it out with a quick whip of its long pages. “I might not know how to read, but thankfully, the job section has big pretty pictures to show you what they want from ya!”

He showed the gang, but Amy tilted her head, “Knuckles, these are for buying old or used items.”

“Oh, guess I’m color-blind.”

“What? It’s in black and white!” Tails gestured.

“Oh, guess I can read between the lines then.”

He folded the paper as the two just stared, but Amy sighed and continued, “Maybe Knuckles has a point.”

“He does!?” Tails turned incredulously over to Amy.

“No, no. Not like that. I mean about posting an ad. Just… a temporary replacement leader so we all have a sense of direction on how to have the most dangerous amount of fun as possible.” She jumped and held her hands in a fighting stance, leaping to her coffee table and then carefully dismounting with one foot fall at a time, she then held a cute stance.

“Huh, you may be on to something Knuckles.” Tails scratched his chin, as Sticks continued to perform a weird chiropractic catastrophy while they weren’t looking, forming Sonic’s limps and twisting his cartoonish body into a work of art…

“I’m game. As long as I can help my friends.” She suddenly nudged him and his whole body contorted back into his original structure.

“Ouch…” He muttered, muffled by the pillow.

It wasn’t long before a silent but resourceful ‘replacement hero’ joined the team. Named “Gadget” lovingly by the team for his kind and helpful spirit but amazing tools, they set out and had a ton of fun together. Not only doing dangerous feats and stunts but also taking on Eggman.

Sonic, watching the news, noticed everyone having fun and pulled himself off the couch, jealousy and worry about being replaced motivating him to do something about it.

Tails fell by Gadget’s side, “Offph!” but Gadget bent down and helped him up, giving him a thumbs up and fist bump. “Alright, you’re the best buddy to have onboard, Gadget!”

Sonic, still a bit hurt, suddenly made a face like his heart was spiked and growled, racing by the two. “He’s still my best friend!” He grabbed Tails and ran off to find the others.

Gadget, shrugging, ziplined over to Knuckles and took out a few robots on the way as he knocked into them. “Hey, that was awesome!” Knuckles cheered, also giving a fist bump to him and thumbs up. “You’re one cool dude, Gadget!”

“I’m still the coolest!” Sonic zoomed into Knuckles, now carrying him along for the ride as well as Knuckles let out a ‘Ye-Ohffph!’ as he was rammed into.

Gadget looked a bit confused but swung down on his line to Amy which had hooked right beside her. He took her hand and she threw her hammer to have the building collapse on the robots that were trapping her from below.

She looked up to him, her eyes shining as Gadget winked to her.

When he put her down, he went for a fist bump which she giggled at and gave shyly back. “My hero~”

“Still you’re only hero!” Sonic, right on cue, also raced into her as Gadget scratched his head before Sticks hopped down and gave him a hug from behind.

“Aww~ Does this mean you’re all mine?”

There was a moment where Gadget just looked to her, and the two half-expected Sonic to come out… but he didn’t.

“HEY!” Sticks, offended, looked around and let go of Gadget, “You tellin’ me I’m not worth being insecure over!?”

“I’m not insecure!” Sonic, like a bullet-train, finally caught up and zipped into the screen, also plucking her from her spot.

At this point, Gadget just rolled his eyes and smiled with kind eyes. He seemed to understand now.

Sonic, still looking a bit hurt, placed his friends down and heaved a bit, pushing up from his bent knees to talk to the gang.

“I can do it! I can save the day! Me! And the rest of you! Ha…Ha… My… Friends?” he was clearly not doing well, but the gang was touched by his sentiment.

“Of course we’re still friends, Sonic.” Tails got up and held him steady.

“Yeah, we would never forget about you.” Amy also held him up from the other side.

“But… But you were all having such a fun time with Gadget… I-I-I thought…” Looking to his two friends, he seemed stunned to hear them say that.

“Now, Sonic. Just because I buy a fancy new toaster doesn’t mean I want my toast any different.” Knuckles patted his head, but Sonic and the gang still looked a bit confused by the metaphor.

“In other words, the big bloke is saying that just because we have a new friend now, doesn’t mean we don’t want the friendships we’ve already got.” She smiled to Knuckles who looked down at her, a bit confused.

“No, I was talking about how I bought a new toaster from that newspaper ad, but all my toast comes out differently and with Sonic’s face on it.”

“Wait, my face is where?” Sonic was momentarily distracted but Eggman began herding all the citizens together, having a ray-gun that would brainwash them into being his mindless slaves.

Gadget came over to the gang, gesturing that the citizens needed help.

“What’s that Gadget? Little Timmy fell in the well?” Tails tried to understand but Gadget shook his head.

“Hmm… Oh, I got this.” Tails pulled out UT.

But because he wasn’t making sound, UT was useless.

“Hmm… I guess I do kinda miss your sassy jokes and puns, Sonic.” Tails turned back to Sonic who proudly took that comment as Gadget hunched forward, exhausted from the statement made.

The town was soon saved and the gang grew a bit jealous, all watching Sonic and Gadget becomes really good friends before they finally kicked him out and went back to being a team.

However, each of them did hang out with Gadget every now and then, but watch as the kettle calls the pot black!

End

Just noticed you said "not necessarily injured) lol my bad! But if Sonic pulled an all-nighter or has been running errands for everyone and wants a break, I still could use this structure lol the beginning would and could be altered tho!

[azspot]

I wouldn't have founded my first startup without socialized medicine. Although my background was squarely middle class, I didn't come from wealth, and I didn't have a safety net to fall back on. If I'd had to pay hundreds of pounds a month for healthcare on top of my basic living expenses, or if I'd known that an accident could have led to lifelong financial catastrophy, there's no way I would have quit my salaried position to start a company.

Of course, I didn't have that risk, because I lived in a country with a safety net. It was also a country where I could get the computer science degree that has enabled my career for free, meaning I've only ever had the barest whisper of student debt. And where going to the doctor was something I could do any time something was wrong with me, without having to care about how much it would cost.

I didn't understand how privileged I was to not be afraid of those things until I moved to the United States.

What boggles my mind is that this is often used as a legitimate argument for not having a safety net. The need for health insurance in particular means that millions of people remain in the relative safety of their jobs, rather than stepping out and doing something on their own, or looking for something new. Because most workers either don't have significant savings or can't risk them, they're effectively trapped into working for wealthy employers, who have leverage over them as a result.

[alittleofsomethingarts]

The Spy Comic (7-10 + Q&A #2 and a fic)

Alrighty guys, this took a while to post and draw!

The Spy Comic (1-6 + Amino Q&A)

The #10 took me a while to do, but otherwise I hope you guys enjoy this stupid comic!

#7 Criminal Scum

#8 Unscripted Wrestle

#9 Wow Wow Chibi Cuties!~~♡

EXTRA #2

#10 A Catastrophy

EXTRA #3

QNA #2

And last, but not least, a little story I wrote way back in August with the origins of the Spy Crew, adding to the lore. Whoops. Yes my mind went that way.

COVER:

~~•°☆♡○♧○♡☆°•~~

Agent Punny sighed deeply. How did it get to this point? How come her job doesn't bring any joy anymore? She was looking at the new recruits training, going back in her mind to what could've started all of this mess.

It started out really well. Her skills proved to be very useful in the agency, and she became the top newbie in a matter of weeks. The best agent, Agent King, invited her personally to pass the hardest test of all - becoming his partner. Nobody has passed it before, until Punny proved herself to be worthy.

She was ecstatic, for she admired him from day one. He was funny, had good work ethic and just was so super cool... And she wanted to get to know him better. At first, being the partner of the Best Agent of C.R.O.W.N. (Crime fighting Rentless Operators Whamming No good) was the best job ever. She got to spend with him every single day, going on epic missions full of danger and action. He did most of the action though, Agent Punny was very observant and helped Agent King to get through all sorts of tough situations.

Unfortunately...

Agent King turned out to be a complete workaholic. He would care only about doing a good job, and he seemed to be enjoying what he does, but Agent Punny wanted something more. She did everything in her power to grab his attention, but he only saw her as a friend and a partner. It was bumming her out a lot, to the point of having a slightly worse work performance.

She remembered it clearly - that day she almost sent Meme King to his death, by forgetting to tell him about an acid trap laid down by the enemy. They were sitting on a bridge, waiting for C.R.O.W.N. bus to pick them up, along with the bad guys...

But before Agent King could confront her about it, a guy looking just like Agent King approached them. He was immediately accepted to C.R.O.W.N., due to having great powers and high morals, and in a matter of a week, he was accepted as one of the top agents, breaking all the records the company had before. The guy was dubbed Agent King Junior, for being an almost exact copy of Agent King.

What Punny found, however, is a new friend. She was bouncing between both Agent King's, going on different missions together. But it didn't improve her mood much. While Agent King Jr. turned out to be a very good friend, he wasn't all alone and there was no way Punny was going to ruin somebody's relationship over her selfish desires.

That quickly changed on the faithful day, when C.R.O.W.N. discovered the man behind many of the troubles the company faced. His name was...

"Doctor Fell?" Agent King Junior scratched his head, as he and Agent Punny were looking through the files.

"This is a side mission the HQ has given us. In between missions we must spy at him and find out everything that we can." Agent King has already read the file and was instructing his young colleagues.

"But there's not much to read," Agent Punny raised the only sheet of paper that they had on the guy.

"The agents that tried to do research on him, have all mysteriously disappeared, so it's up to us to get the data on him." Agent King had tossed a different file towards Agent Punny. "Me and Tori will have to go on the next mission, so the first phase of data gathering falls on you."

She was looking at the bad quality photo of Dr. Fell in the files, thinking that it would be nice to have a better look. There was a written description, of course, so that it would be easier to identify him, but that side mission was for another time.

Or so she thought.

Apparently, their next mission involved stopping somebody from spreading a chemical with who-knows-what to a building full of innocent people, who turned out to be Dr. Fell himself, in flesh (or, rather, bone). Both she and Agent King had a good look at Fell, before he escaped, not before they managed to stop him from poisoning an entire building. As she suspected, his golden tooth and wide grin looked better in person. And his coat looked absolutely badass, making him look really cool. Agent Punny kept reminding herself that Fell was an enemy.

That night Agent King and King Jr. located the house Fell was living in and tried getting in, but were almost killed by the traps set by the Doctor. Their clothing was all scratched and cut, and Agent King had a piranha stuck to his cloak, but they were all alive and well, and brought a lot of data to the company.

Ever since then, both Agent King's and Agent Punny were rotating in spying at Dr. Fell. Agent Kings mostly tried getting as much data on the traps as possible, and she was spying on Fell whenever he got out in public in civilian clothes.

Little did they know that Doctor Fell was completely aware of the eyes on his house and himself. He was really annoyed at the fact that a couple of stubborn idiots were sticking their noses, where they weren't suppose to. He didn't want them to know what's he's been experimenting on, and went an extra mile to set up high security around his house and motion detectors with mini cameras on his neighbours houses. Eventually, Agent Kings were getting more and more traps, and spent a lot of time disabling them, but they could never make it in time. Fell made a habit of going out for not more than an hour at the time, which sort of annoyed Agent King, who had never had trouble with traps beforehand.

He also noticed that some goat lady monster was seemingly following him around, whenever he went out. Intrigued, he decided to lure her closer, thinking she had something to do with those annoying skeletons in his backyard. She was definitely not bad looking, from the footage he'd seen of her spying on his house.

Agent Punny was appointed to spy on Doctor Fell all the time, for Agent Kings got busy with plenty of missions she wasn’t aware of. Though whenever they got free, they would check on her or even replace her, if she was falling from exhaustion. To Fell’s disappointment, the goat lady was never truly alone. She would either be with those pesky skeletons, or other agents of all sorts, and she would always be nice to them. He sometimes teleported to listen to what they were talking about, and not too long after that he decided to pursue after Agent Punny and spend a night with her.

And, oh boy, did he succeed… But she was getting ahead of herself.

Whenever she was alone or wasn’t looking, he’d slip little notes and gifts in her surroundings and even her pockets. Agent Punny was rather puzzled, but it didn’t take her too long to figure out who it was from. She did notice a skeleton hand putting a flower in her pocket once and, in the rare instances she was left alone, one time he opened up the window on the front and blatantly waved at her! Something irked her to keep this attention to herself, though. It was mysterious and special. Eventually, she was looking forward for those little things and she kept every single note to herself. Just like Fell hoped and planned.

And none of the C.R.O.W.N. agents could get close even to the front door.

But then, it happened. Something that would completely change her outlook on things.

One hot afternoon, after a night in a casino, she didn't have time to change to casual clothing from her field dress, so she was hanging out around Fell's house, looking at the front door, being totally fabulous. She remembered, how the sun was burning everybody alive, and how loudly nature made itself known with the birds and the insects singing together in chaotic harmony. She was under a tree shade, though, so the sun wasn't as bad on her fur. To her surprise, she heard a voice from behind her back:

"Hey there, Sweet Momma, I've noticed you've been hanging out around my house a lot."

It. Was. Fell!!! Her heart started to beat fast, and she tried to keep her cool, but she suddenly started sweating and her cheeks turned red involuntarily. Thankfully her shades were shielding her panicked eyes. She noticed him getting closer as he said just loud enough for her to hear:

"Why don't you come over and have a cup of coffee?"

He was inviting her to his house?! WHAT??? How did it even-

The next thing she knew is that she was sitting in his living room, holding a cup of iced coffee and him sipping his own coffee next to her. Her cheeks were red from how flustered she felt. She just stared at her mug and muttered:

"I don't even like coffee..."

She could hear Fell putting down his half empty mug on the coffee table, and reaching for her mug, levitating it with his magic.

"Well, you don't have to drink it if you don't want to."

Her special C.R.O.W.N. mobile device started vibrating in her pocket, getting Agent Punny's head back in place just enough.

"I-I really shouldn't be here-"

"Ssshhh..." her sunglasses were lifted up with magic and her eyes met with his. When did she turn her head?

"They can wait after we have some fun~"

He knew that at this point, she wouldn’t say no.

"Ah-"

___

"AGENT PUNNY!!!"

She snapped back into reality, and turned towards her colleague Agent Screen, that has been calling for her for the past minute.

"Are you alright? You've been zoning out a lot for the past hour without moving an inch."

"Ah... Mmm, I'm alright." She stood straight up and stretched, bringing relief to her stiff body.

"You sure? We're all worried about you."

She noticed other agents were looking at her with worry in their eyes, making her smile nervously.

"Well, don't worry about me, I'm really fine. Maybe tired a bit. I'm gonna go to the chill room and grab a snack or something..."

She waved to the agents that were looking at her and hurried to the lounge. Agent Screen coughed and fixed the screen on his head, as the Special Forces caretaker Agent Dance asked:

"Was it me, or was she smiling the second before she snapped back to reality?"

___

Drinking some tea and munching on a sandwich, she was sitting in her favorite spot in the corner, where she could watch other agents come and go. Agent Cocoa was snoring on one of the couches and Agent Scram seemed to be very busy with his documents. She wanted to get her situation sorted out, so she tried to remember what was the last thing she was thinking about...

... Oh that.

She still remembered what happened that day and night. They were definitely having LOTS of fun. The next morning she woke up in Fells bedroom, completely naked and alone, in shock of what had happened. She sat up, looking for her dress, which had been carefully laid on a chair next to the bed. Grabbing the blanket to cover herself, she got to her dress and pulled it towards herself, searching for her C.R.O.W.N. mobile device. She flipped it open, to see at least a 50 missed calls and around a 100 new messages. Knowing that the 10 agents that tried to contact her must be worried sick, so she wrote her superior, Agent King, that she had infiltrated the house...

... But why does she feel so bad about telling on Fell to the CROWN HQ?

Punny sent the message and sat on the bed, with the blanket covering her front and her hands pressed against the chin. It didn't take her long to realize why she was feeling bad.

"Good morning, hun~" she heard and felt a peck on the cheer.

I don't want to work for C.R.O.W.N. anymore, she thought.

She felt something being put on her knees. It was a plate with bacon, eggs and thick pancakes, complete with a side of mustard being poured all over the bacon.

"Breakfast is served~"

At first she smiled and thought that it was a really nice gesture, but then she remembered who was she with.

"I can't eat this! What if you laced it with poison?!"

Fell looked as if he was deeply insulted.

"Why would I poison the food I eat myself?"

As to prove her wrong, he grabbed a piece of bacon off her plate and ate it in front of her. She just stared at him and started giggling. She had a good knack for when people were lying, and this was not the case here.

That was a start of a very weird relationship. She never reported on what she did with Fell in his house, but she did report on some other things. Like how he said that she's welcome to come over anytime. Agent Punny didn't use the privilege often, though. Mainly because her co-worker friends wouldn’t leave her side anymore.

He'd start bringing her tea at times or other snack food and chit chat when the other agents weren't looking. They had a lot in common, surprisingly, and the chats were always warming her heart. Sometimes he would tease her, by kissing her in front of other agents and flipping them off before disappearing... And the more Fell did that, the more the thought returned to her head.

I don't want to work for C.R.O.W.N. anymore.

I don't want to work for C.R.O.W.N. anymore!

I DON'T WANT TO WORK FOR C.R.O.W.N. ANYMORE!!!

She looked at the empty paper cup in her hand with a wet teabag on the bottom of it. Is she really ready to leave the agency she's been apart of for many years now? Two months ago she'd say no.

"Tori! Quick!" Agent King teleported to the room, disturbing Agent Scram’s documents, making them fly all over the room, and ran up to her. "We've got information of Dr. Fell!"

She looked rather calm. "What's wrong?"

"We've got information on where that evildoer  will appear next! He's got some evil plan going on! Make sure to look presentable!" He teleported away with a pop.

"Oh boy..."

~~•°☆♡○♧○♡☆°•~~

Right after that the first comic of the spy series happens.

[annieboltonworld]

Juniper Publishers- Open Access Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources

Thinking Through the Ecological Economic Notion of Steady-State Economics

Authored by Ashwani Vasishth

Opinion

I first encountered the work of Drs. Daly, Costanza, Perrings, et. al. at a time when I had just committed myself to understanding what it meant to take "an ecosystem approach" in planning. As such I was particularly enthusiastic about a body of work that seemed to give us both an imperative to act, and the means whereby to adjudge the consequences of our actions. It seemed to me Ecological Economics offered both a necessary and sufficient basis upon which to craft a theory of planning. But the more I read in the history and science of ecology, social theory and evolution, the more reservations I found myself making. Briefly put, I began to suspect that Ecological Economics, as a movement, is not particularly ecological, makes little room for evolution, and rests deeply on a hard separation of humans from nature. And yet, there is too much that I find savvy in the economic arguments of Nicholaus Georgescu-Roegen and Dr. Daly, and the ecological arguments of Robert Costanza and others. So I would like at least to relocate the sources of my resistance, and present three of these.

The rhetoric of limits

There is something particularly seductive and appealing about the idea of limits. It seems commonsensical that things in a finite world must be finite. After all, there is only so much planet to be had. And the call to limits has always been a mainstay discourse, in both resource management and environmentalism. Carolyn Merchant [1] documents the concerns of John Evelyn and Samuel Pepys about forestry resources in mid-1600s England, and their discourse is stunning in its similarities to what we hear today. Thomas Malthus [2] developed the mechanisms for arguing the limits to natural population in the mid-1700s. Similarly, George Perkins Marsh [3] set a high standard for environmentalism in the mid-1800s, in the sophistication of his call to limits. There is no doubt in my mind that the world today is fundamentally a different place, and that we are quite actually closer to planetary limits than we ever should want to be. Nor do I buy the substitutability arguments commonly raised by attackers of the idea of limits.

Yet, as Galileo had it, the world does move. First, the boundaries we make when we name many of these things of concern (fuel, raw materials, food) are not inherent in the things, but are artifactual constructs that change with intent and with purpose. And second, we (nature in the round) respond to circumstance as much as circumstance responds to us. Then its not about "substitution" (a particularly mechanistic concept) but about responsiveness. Horst Rittel’s postulation of "wicked problems," [4] Martin Krieger’s presentation of "sticky systems," [5] and Lovelock and Margulis’s Daisyworld model [6,7], together seem to force a quite different conception of how the world happens and how we need to take natural occurrence.

At first glance, it seems Ecological Economics does itself a diSteady State Economics vice (as a theory for planning) by tying itself so strongly to the factuality of limits. But to suggest that it not do so raises another problematic, I think. Can we have a theory about how we might plan differently without siting it upon a hypothesis for why we should act differently? If this is the case, and without wishing to be overly Popperian, does not the former become so much more unattainable, being then contingent on the ability of the latter to resist falsification? Especially as we begin to recognize the implications of scale hierarchic organization [8] for descriptions of reality--in that we can always find some level of organization, some perspectival location, and some scale of description at which any assertion of reality can be perverted [9].

The (apparent) reification of Steady State Economics

There seem to be two related sources to my resistance here. First, and idiosyncratically perhaps, I keep waiting for some utopian clarion call to reclaim Eden--some mythic "balance of nature" that would assure us comfort and cornucopia, denying the possibility of catastrophy and oblivion. More significantly, the arguments behind the growth versus development formulation of Steady State Economics remind me perversely of Cynthia Russet’s discussion [10] of the contesting conceptions of progress and evolution held by Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer. To caricature grossly, Comte's sociology held that progress was cyclical equilibrium and evolution open-ended, while Spencer held that progress was ever-upward toward some perfect final state. In some simplistic sense (and to reveal fully my lack of economics) Steady State Economics and conventional economics seem to me to take half of each--with Steady State Economics arguing that progress is equilibration toward some ideal state and conventional economics arguing that progress is simply directional and unending.

The conceptions of equilibrium on which Steady State Economics seems to rest (in spite, I think, of Dr. Daly's consistent attempts to disallow a static conception of equilibrium and final states), seem different from the dynamic and perturbational ecological equilibria revealed collectively by the work of ecosystem ecologists such as CS Holling (in evolutionary landscapes) [11], Eugene Odum (in succession theory) [12], and Stewart Pickett (in patch dynamics) [13]. As Holling has argued, when equilibrium is taken evolutionarily, aiming for stability may be a very good way of assuring we'll miss the mark altogether. I doubt there is any simple explanation of the problematic embedded in the worldviews of Steady State Economics and Ecological Economics, but Pepper’s discussion of root metaphors [14] may help to explain some of the internal contradictions that seem to be built so deeply into the conceptual (and historic) framework of the movement.

Unresponsive humans and typological nature

The exchange between Dr. Mark Sagoff and Dr. Daly [15] made wonderful reading. To the extent it was a debate, I don't doubt the round went to Dr. Daly. However, there was one (incidental) point raised by Prof. Sagoff that stays with me-that Ecological Economics falls victim to the same paradigmatic trap which it seeks to displace in conventional economics-of a linear, mechanistic, Newtonian modeling (in making the clear and impenetrable separation between natural and man-made capital).

This becomes even more problematic for me when humans and nature are generalized beyond experiential recognition and disallowed attenuating, responsive movement. Take the problem of over-population. By way of background, I come from India, where in the 1960s and '70s population control was deeply embedded in everyday life. Of course, I also saw the quite particular effects on quite particular individuals that such measures had, and the sometimes devastating price individuals paid for this "global" need. Yet neither the notion nor the need was alien to me. But the world moves on. There are time lags no doubt (reculturaltion, like acculturation, is a time-sensitive process). Still, a pressure that is imperative today becomes redundant tomorrow. And as a recent modeling study by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis suggests, the odds of another doubling are at the very least dropping rapidly.

Or take two (no doubt trivial) points from the discussion here of globalization and free-trade. In globalization, the discussion on capital mobility seemed to postulate an exclusive opposition between relative and absolute scarcity. But if we take a more ecological, niche-making model of particularized opportunistic diffusion, then patterns will be patchy and differential, processes will be sticky and discontinuous, and the interesting questions are about where and how, rather than whether or not. In the free trade discussion, the issue of child labor is often raised. I know well the occasionally inhuman, often exploitative, and usually unethical conditions of child labor in India [16]. But that is only one dimension of a layered and nested reality. As long as we hold to such a unidemensional, essentialist view, it's easy to propose tariffs and barriers. And no doubt restrictions would be beneficial for all at the societal level of organization, but the results are quite different at the level of individuals. Similar instances, I think, can be found of the ways Ecological Economics in its Steady State Economics manifestation often appears to typologize nature, denying it much say or standing in the formation of potential futures.

For more articles in Open Access Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources please click on: https://juniperpublishers.com/ijesnr/index.php

[brittanythescrivener]

Shadow of the Tomb Raider - Alternate Universe - Chapter 1

What if Lara was on Trinity’s side?

Requested by @roxlovescommanderourke4ever​

Cozumel, Mexico

“Rourke?  You there?” Lara called into her radio.

Static.

“Oh, damn!”

She clicked on her light and struggled to free herself. Her leg was pinned and her pants torn.  “Shit.”

Lara’s radio crackled to life a few moments later.  “Croft, you okay?”

“I’m here.  Just a little stuck.  Uh, a rock pinned my leg.”

“I’m on my way.”

“I won’t be long.”

Lara tried again to pull her leg out from under the rocks, grunting with exertion.  She pulled out her knife and took a deep breath.  Against her better judgment, she pried the rocks free just enough to pull her leg out from under them.  She climbed up through the narrow gap into an open chamber and laid back on the cold, hard floor.

“Rourke, I made it,” she said into her radio.

“I’m on my way in.  Almost there.”

“Sorry I didn’t wait.  Be careful.”

Lara approached the altar with wonder. She pulled out her camera and started snapping photos of the structures and glyphs when Rourke came in behind her and joined her at the altar.  He immediately noticed her leg.  

“I saw where the passage collapsed back there.  Want me to take a look at that wound?”

“No, I’m fine,” Lara said, continuing to take photos.

“What is all this?”

“Constellations.  This inscription—it’s some sort of riddle.  Pink fish . . . .”

“Pink fish?”

“Silver-crowned mountain.  There’s a date here, but something’s off—looks like it was damaged.  Perhaps intentionally.  But who would’ve tampered with it?”

Lara stared at the altar for several moments, and Rourke could see the wheels in her head turning.  She took several more photos before putting her camera away.  She looked up at him and said, “I’ll try and decipher the riddle—see if the date has anything to do with it.”

“Just one more thing before we go,” Rourke said.  “We have to arm this detonator again.”

“Yeah,” Lara said, “we don’t want anyone else getting in here.”

Lara and Rourke leave the temple in silence.  He knew she was deep in thought—he could see it in her face.

“You want to freshen up?  Regroup at the cafe?  Dr. Dominguez is supposed to be there tonight.”

Lara laughed.  “Is that your way of telling me I look like hell?”

Rourke laughed softly.  “Maybe.”

“Maybe . . . we could have dinner?” he asked.  He knew it was a long-shot.

“I’m not very hungry,” Lara said.  

“Right . . .” Rourke said quietly, rejection burning hot on his cheeks.

Lara turned to him and said, “But I’d love to have a couple drinks with you.”

When Rourke arrived at La Casa Mexicana, Lara was already waiting.  He knew immediately that he was overdressed.  He’d chosen to wear a black suit for some godawful reason, and she was wearing an oversized poncho over her gear.

When he joined her at the table on the balcony, she slid a beer across the table.  He was never one to deny a cold beer and immediately took a swig.  He looked down over the edge of the balcony and said, “Dr. Dominguez is here.”

“My father mentioned him in his journal.  More than once.  I’m eager to meet him.”

Rourke turned his attention back to Lara.  “So how’s your leg?”

Lara ignored his question.  “Rourke, look!”  She moved her chair beside him and held the photograph of the glyphs in her hands.  “The riddle . . . it’s directions!  To find the hidden city, go south along the shore until you find the pink fish.  Then chase the heart of the serpent to the silver-crowned mountain.  Look at this!  It’s the constellation Hydra, the serpent.  This star is the heart.  It sets in the southwest.”

Rourke looked at the photo for a long moment.  “So, southwest of the Amazon river?  Brazil?  We already looked there and came up with nothing.”

Lara shakes her head.  “Peru.”

“Peru?” he asked, furrowing his brow.

Lara pointed to the photograph of the damaged number from the altar.  “This number looks like a Maya thirteen, but what if it’s really an eight?  With precession, it—.”

“What?”

“Uh, precession.  The Earth tilts, so over time, the stars appear in a different place on the horizon. Important if you are navigating by the night sky.”

“Okay?”

“In the Maya calendar, that’s a two thousand year difference!  Back then, the heart of the serpent set directly to the west.”

“So that’s why it’s in Peru, not Brazil.”  His face lit up.  “We’ve been looking in the wrong place.”  

“We need to look for the silver-crowned mountain in Peru.”

Rourke studied Croft for several moments.  He’d always thought that she would be an asset to Trinity, but he never realized just how brilliant, resourceful, and beautiful she truly was. Rourke surprised himself—he couldn’t believe that thought even crossed his mind.  He’d studied her dossier extensively and watched her in Siberia, but none of that prepared him for the day they finally met face-to-face.  They’d been working together for almost six weeks, and he wasn’t entirely convinced he could trust her . . . yet.  That didn’t stop him from developing an unshakable attraction to her.  He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since their first day in Cozumel.

She was still sitting close enough that he could smell her shampoo. He met her brown eyes and put his hand on her arm.

“What would you do if I kissed you right now?” Rourke said, the words just tumbling out of his mouth before he had the chance to think them through. He cursed himself.

Lara smiled. “Two things could happen. I could—.”

Rourke surprised her, pressing his lips against hers before she had the chance to turn him away.

“Aren’t you sneaky?” she joked.

Rourke leaned in to kiss her again when his phone rang loudly, startling them both.

“Yeah, this is Commander Rourke,” he said gruffly.  “Good, we’re on our way.”

He put the phone back into his jacket and said, “They’re almost in.  Let’s go.”

Lara followed Rourke down to the courtyard where Dominguez was seated.  

“Doctor!  We found it!” Rourke shouted.  

“What?  Show me!” he said with excitement.

“Croft, this is Dr. Dominguez,” Rourke said to Lara.

Dominguez offered Lara his hand. “Lara Croft.  You know, I’ve been interested in your work.  It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”

“We should go,” Rourke said, urging them to start moving toward the dig.

“Did you make contact with the high council, Commander?” Dominguez asked.

“Yes, sir.  Even after the fiasco in Brazil, no one questions your leadership of the organization.”

“We’ve come too far to stop now.”

“Yes, sir.  They’re ready for anything.  Someone set off the trap at the first site.  We think it was Jonah Maiava.”

Just the mention of Jonah’s name immediately caught her attention.  She couldn’t believe that he’d been foolish enough to follow her.

“Wait.” Dominguez turned and scanned the crowd.

“What’s wrong?” Rourke asked.

“I want confirmation, Commander, no more guessing.”

“I’ll make sure we get visual confirmation.”

Rourke’s phone rang again.  “Yeah? This is Commander Rourke.  Dominguez wants confirmation Maiava is here.  You have the photo.  Male.  Early thirties.  You got that? Good.”

“Well?” Dominguez asked.

“They’ll find him.”

“Good. I don’t want anyone getting in there.”

Lara was worried.  She knew that Jonah was more than capable of holding his own, but she knew that Trinity would use whatever means necessary to eliminate him.  She couldn’t bear to have that on her conscience.

As they entered the dig site, Rourke picked up his radio and said, “This is Commander Rourke.  All teams, get ready for Operation Blackout.  I want the site secured ASAP.  When Dr. Dominguez arrives, we all go in together.”

“What’s Operation Blackout?” Lara asked curiously.

“It’s our insurance policy, Croft,” Rourke said.

“All units, get ready. Dr. Dominguez is on his way down.”

“What do you mean insurance policy, Rourke?” Lara asked with concern.

Rourke raised his radio to his lips once more. “None of the local workers leave the site alive.  We’ve planned for this.  Make sure the perimeter’s secure.”

The three of them round the corner just in time to see Jonah Maiava knocked to the ground, the obsidian dagger falling from his hands.

“Stop! Don’t hurt him,” Dominguez ordered.  

“Jonah Maiava,” he said.  He approached him slowly, offering him his hand.  He ignored his gesture and pulled himself to his feet.

Rourke picked up the dagger off the ground and handed it to Dominguez.

He laughed in disbelief as he held the artifact in his hands.  “The key of Chak Chel.  I have sacrificed my life for this.  Where is the silver box of Ixh Chel?  Give it to me.”

Jonah did his best to put on a brave face.  “It’s in a safe place.”

“You don’t have it?!” Dominguez asked with disbelief.  He turned to Rourke.  “Get the helicopter.  Now!”

It never occurred to me that you would just take it with this key and the silver box, we can remake the world.  Without weakness, cruelty.  Certainly with none of this.  But without the box?  The apocalypse.  The death of the sun!”

“You’re lying,” Jonah spat.

“Jonah, you felt it when you took the Key.”

“Tremors are common.”

“A tsunami is coming, and this is the first of many catastrophies.  Your doing!”

“You would’ve done the same!” Jonah shouted.

The sound of screams in the distance announced the arrival of the tsunami.

“God,” Lara muttered.

“Yeah,” Dominguez said with disgust.  “By taking the Key, you have set the apocalypse in motion.  Do you realize the tragedy you have unleashed?”

The sound of an approaching helicopter drowned out all other sounds.  

“The Cleansing has begun.  It falls to me now to stop it before it consumes us all!” Dominguez said as he walked away.

The last thing Jonah saw was Rourke taking Lara by the hand and pulling her onto the chopper.