#but Marine is way in her 30s and now it seems new opportunities are coming her way

[thebookwormfairy]

Kelpto!Marinette Au: Ft. Captain the Retired Police Dog

(Daminette)

In this au Hawkmoth isn't active (yet) so Marinette doesn't have her miraculous (yet)

Daminette Masterlist

First things first, Captain loves his girl

Even if she had sticky fingers

He knows she's never stolen anything from stores but she does "borrow" stuff from her friends

He first noticed it when her friend Luka came over

She kept taking his guitar picks and giving them back

At one point she took it out of his hand as he was playing

Luka didn't seem mad about her taking them in fact he seemed amused if not a little fascinated by her ability to do so

The there was the time she was with her other friend Kagami

She took her fencing foil right out of her hand

Captain expect the usually cold girl to get angry at Marinette so he jumped up from his place on the side lines to protect his girl

But as he made it to his girl's side Kagami started to laugh

Kagami: I should really stop being surprised by you Marinette

Captain was surprised by the girl's reaction but was happy that she wasn't mad at the girl

Captain started to notice that his girl's friends took Marinette skills as a challenge

They would set up mini heist for Marinette to do

They always have different objectives

One of them was to steal a ring off Luka's mom's hand without her noticing

Which of course Marinette succeeded

Anarka was very impressed by this

The loud music man, Jagged Stone, and his mate, Penny Rolling, also seemed to join in on the fun

One time the objective was to steal Fang

Marinette got it done in 30 minutes and just had Fang hang out with her and Captain

The crocodile was in Marinette's room for half a day before Jagged realized that Marinette had already got him

Captain notice that these heist would usually happen whenever Marinette was stress, like when she had a lot of commissions or it was exam time at her shool

It seemed that Marinette had her sticky fingers under control until they went to Gotham

Captain could tell that Marinette was excited to go to another country

But he could also tell that she was nervous to be without her family and close friends

She wasn't on bad terms with most of the class but she wasn't exactly on good terms either

It was almost like a stalemate in a war

A war between Marinette and Lila

They were civil was the best way to describe it

But that didn't mean that Lila wasn't looking for every opportunity to to push the stalemate to her favor

For that reason Captian snucked onto the plane so that his girl would have somebody with her

Of course Lila tried to make it out like Marinette did it on purpose

But luckily Marinette was quickly able to prove that she had nothing to do with it

Marinette: I have absolutely no supplies with me to take care of Captain! What kind of irresponsible dog owner would sneak a dog into another country without making sure they had to proper shots, food, and supplies?!?!

The class had to admit if there was one thing Marinette would never do it would be putting Captain in a situation that would put him in danger

So Marinette got Captain everything he needed while the class was out shopping

Though Marinette was thrilled to have Captain with her she was stressed that Lila was going to do something to the good boy

Marinette knew Gotham was a dangerous city and she wouldn't put it past Lila to cause some sort of "accident" to either her or Captain

So with her stress level up Marinette felt her fingers begin to itch

Usually she would turn to Luka and Kagami for times like this but they were on the other side of the planet

She could feel her fingers start to twitch as she walked around the block that her class was exploring

She always been good at controlling her kelpto tendencies but her nerves were really making them act up

She started to fidget with the stuff in her pocket when she heard shouting

Marinette looked up and saw a man running from a woman

Woman: Stop that man! He took my purse!

Marinette angled her body so that she would be in the man's path

The man not paying attention to the girl now in his path ran into Marinette

He was in such a hurry he didn't realize that Marinette had switch the woman's purse for a used poop bag when he ran into her

The man continued running not realizing the switch as Marinette walked over to the woman

Marinette handing the woman her purse: Here you go

Woman: Thank you so much

Marinette: No problem

Jason in the roof across the street: Guys you would not believe what I just saw

Tim over com: let me guess you are once again for going work to do patrol during the day

Jason: Yes but you got to hear what I just saw

Dick over com: What Jason?

Jason: I was watching over the shopping district and some guy snatch this woman's purse. I was about to jump in, when he bumped into this girl with a dog who switched the woman's purse with a use pop bag! The guy still hasn't realized the switch I can see him two streets over still running!

Dick: What?!

Tim: Really?! How did she manage that?

Jason: I don't know! She got some quick fingers on her! But we can't tell Bruce. She's right in his MO for adoption

Tim: Black hair blue eyes?

Jason: Exactly!

Damian over com: Will you three idiots quiet down! Unlike you three I still have school work to do, and it's hard to do that with you three chattering in my ear. Coms are only suppose to be used for emergencies during the day!

Jason: Oh calm down Demon Spawn. I just couldn't wait to tell y'all about this girl.

Damian annoyed: Well why don't you just ask her out then?

Jason: Nah not really my type, also she's a but too young for me, she looks around your age Demon Spawn

Dick: Ohhh, maybe we should set them up together

Tim: With such quick hands she would be a great addition to our team

Jason: And she has a German sheperd with her

Dick: She sounds great! Right Little Bird?

Damian: I've have enough of this, Damian out.

Damian turned off his com cutting off his brothers' laughter

The last thing Damian needed right now was his brothers trying to set him up with some random girl who was able to trick some low level criminal

The incident with the purse snatcher relieved a bit of Marinette's stress but she could still feel her fingers twitching as she ran them through Captain's fur

She couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen soon

She had the okay for Captain to come with her on all her schools outings

But that didn't mean that something wasn't going to happen

She just didn't know what

The next day when Marinette was walking Captain in the park when sheet a nice (and cute) boy named Damian and they hit it off

He was such a sweet boy with his own dogs

The two just seemed to click

All Marinette's free roam time was spent with Damian, Titus, and sometimes Ace

Captain got along great with Titus and he seem to have the same instant connection to Ace

The two were often seen cuddling when Damian brought her along

Captain was a little sketch out about this new boy

He couldn't get rid of this feeling that Damian was hiding something from his girl

He tries to ask Ace and Titus about it but the two just brushed him off

Though Captain did notice as the two got closer his girl's twitchy fingers calmed down and she didn't reach to sneakily borrow something from the people around her

So he begrudgingly accept this strange boy

Marinette had to say the best part about the whole Gotham trip was meeting Damian

The two were just friends but Marinette couldn't denied the spark she felt

There might have been a bit of flirting between the two but Marinette was hesitant to form a deeper relationship with Damian because she knew how hard long distance relationships were

On her final day in Gotham Marinette and Captain went with the class to get a tour at Wayne Enterprise

It was the finally stop before they were to return home

As Marinette entered Wayne Enterprise she was surprised to find Damian their waiting for them with an older man who had black hair and blue eyes

Marinette broke away from her class who were too busy talking among themselves to notice

Marinette: Hey Damian! What are you doing here?

Damian: Hey Angel, Captian-

Dick: Wait you didn't tell her Baby Bird?

Damian blushed at the use of his nickname in front of the girl he admittedly had a crush on

He had done his best to keep her away from his family and had succeeded

The only one he really talk to about Marinette was Dick who promised to keep Marinette between the two of them

But when Damian found out that Marinette and her class were going to be touring Wayne Enterprise on their final day in Gotham

Damian tried to tell Marinette before the day arrived but whenever he was ready to tell her, he would get lost in her big blue eyes or Captain would interrupt them

So as he stood in front of the girl who has wrapped himself around her finger in such a short time he was once again at a lost for words

Marinette wrapping her hand around Damian's and giving it a squeeze: Damian are you okay?

As Marinette pulled away she realized to her horror that she accidentally stole his watch

Damian and Dick stood wide eyed as Marinette held out Damian's watch

They didn't even notice her taking it off him

Marinette: I'm soooo sorry! I really didn't mean to take this! I'm so so so sorry!

Captain moved so that he stood between Marinette's legs ready to protect her if either of the two males in front of him tried to do anything to his girl

As Marinette freaked out a little bit Dick couldn't help but laugh as this young girl was able to pull off that trick without him or Damian noticing

Damian snapping out of his shock: It's okay Marinette, that's actually a really great trick. Not many people can sneak one by me

Marinette blushing: Thanks Damian, but you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?

Damian scratching the back of his head: Well you see Angel I'm here to help my brother give your class a tour of Wayne Enterprise

Marinette: So your Damian Wayne?

Damian: Yes, I hope that doesn't change anything between us

Marinette smiling: No, it definitely doesn't

Marinette and Captain walked back over to the class

As Damian watched Marinette walk away he went to put his watch back on only to see that it's gone from his hands

He hears a small wuff as he looks up he sees Captain sitting in front of him holding his watch

Dick: That some girl you got there Damian

Damian sighing: Yeah she is

Bonus

Jason seeing a picture of Marinette and Damian together: THAT'S THE GIRL I SAW!!

[glenncoco4]

You Can Count On Me

A/N: Chapter 8

••••

Marty Deeks has been patient his entire life, whether that be waiting until Christmas morning to open presents or until a new Donnie & Marie album was released, but when it comes to one Kensi Marie Blye becoming his fiancé, he’s anything but. So he’s not at all deterred when he steps into the small antique shop in search of a ring. Her ring, without getting a yes first.

No, she hasn’t said yes to his proposal yet, but she did confess that she wanted everything with him. So even if it’s not a yes right now, it will be eventually and he wants to be ready. 

Now here he is at the fourth store today, considering how large Los Angeles is and the amount of people, he thought it’d be easier than this. As he examines the display of unique and elegant jewelry, he begins to lose hope once again, nothing catching his eye. 

The shaggy blonde’s attention is suddenly pulled away from his perusal when he looks over to the man behind the counter and the older lady that’s holding out something to him. He’s only a few feet away but the delicate features of the solitaire diamond ring scream out to him. 

The older black woman feels the shaggy blonde’s stare, she turns, studying his face as his focus continues to stay on the ring in her hand. There’s one thing she’s learned in her 70 years of life and that’s the look of a man in love, but not just any love, a love that’s all consuming. 

He’s pulled out of his trance, realizing that the two have stopped their conversation completely and the woman’s gaze is now on him. “I don’t mean to stare its just...”

“No need to apologize, I recognize that look on your face. Reminds me of my Henry.”

He flashes her sad smile, knowing just by the reverence in her voice that she’s talking about him in the past tense. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. He was my first love...my only love. Some people don’t get that in life, we were lucky.”

“I know what you mean.”

Something in the way he drifts off for a minute with a dreamy gaze makes her consider her ring and the love she hopes it will be a part of again. “Tell me your story.”

Never missing the chance to talk about his girl, Deeks feels his lips pull into an automatic smile. “I met Kensi when I was 11 years old. My mom and I were in a bad situation at home and her family took us in. That first night we were there I had a flashback of sorts, as I was sitting there paralyzed in fear, she wrapped her arms around me and some part of me knew that I was finally home.” Shaking his head, he thinks about how easy it is for him to tell this woman with deep brown eyes full of understanding how much his best friend means to him. “I know its crazy, she was 8 years old, I was 11, but it made sense in my mind. Growing up we were inseparable, still are. We experienced so many life changing moments together and apart, but no matter what we were there for the other. She’s my person...the person I go to for everything, no matter how big or small it may be. I’ve always felt like I’m my most true and authentic self around her and she around me. We’re just synced. A few weeks ago we finally realized what everyone else around us saw from the start, we’re in love. It’s been 20 years and she still makes me feel like that safe little 11 year old boy. I didn’t see any point in waiting any longer, so I proposed to her a few days ago.”

The older woman takes a look around the store, expecting to see the young woman since he’s already proposed, she’d imagine they’d want to pick out the ring together. “Where is she?”

He feels the heat rise to his cheeks, a little embarrassed. “Well, she hasn’t said yes yet. My Kensi’s a thinker, she likes to look at a situation from all views.”

“But you’re still looking for a ring?”

“Yeah, because I know that she’ll be ready one day and when that day comes I want to give her something special with meaning behind it. I’ve been looking everywhere for the perfect ring and I was losing all hope until-“

“You saw mine.”

He smiles hopefully as she finishes his sentence. “Yes, ma’am.”

Without hesitation, she extends the delicate piece of jewelry towards him.

He hesitantly reaches for it, looking to her for confirmation. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. This ring deserves to continue being a representation of our kind of love. It represented mine and Henry’s for 50 years and now its for you and Kensi.”

“It’s so beautiful, I’m sure you could get so much more for it than what I have.”

“How much do you have, son?”

“Four thousand.”

It’s not about the money for her really and that’s when the idea strikes her. “I think we can make that work, but on one condition.”

It takes everything in him not to wrap the woman up in a bear hug. “Anything.”

“You let me meet this woman of yours.”

Nodding his head, he can’t agree fast enough. He thinks about his love and how sentimental she is, especially when it comes to their relationship. She’ll definitely want to meet that’s given them something so special. “I’d like that...we both would.”

••••

The next day at work its as if the universe is helping him out when the death of a marine who had suddenly come into a lot of money lands on their front door step. Of course its tragic but the shaggy blonde can’t help smile at the opportunity this case is bringing him. 

Once the two pair of partners return from their respective assignments they gather in the bullpen, trying to figure out the different angels that could’ve resulted in the marine’s untimely demise. 

“Maybe he was here to spend it.” Kensi speaks up, snowballing off of Callen’s statement about leaving behind a paper trail. 

Sam’s eyebrows raise, nodding his head at the strong possibility that she may be right. “Corporal Peterson said he was thinking about getting married.”

“An engagement ring from Tiffany’s?” Deeks questions, knowing Corporal Porter had a serious girlfriend and it would be logical he’d be hunting for a spectacular ring now that money wasn’t really an issue. 

The brunette locks eyes with her partner, flashing him a small grin. “You have no idea what that little blue box means to a girl.”

He smirks, thinking about the small delicate ring that’s in the black satin bag tucked in his wallet between a photo of them and Marg’s information. One of the main reasons he went in search at an antique shop is because he remembers the gaudy diamond ring Jack had proposed to her with and how it screamed the opposite of what his best friend was. That should’ve set off warning bells from the get go, because if there’s one thing Kensi Blye is not, its flashy. His girl isn’t one for bling and he knows the story behind the ring he bought will mean more to her than any content of a little blue box could. “Oh, but I do.”

••••

She’s been feeling him stare at her on and off all day...well more than usual. It’s when they’re walking towards the home goods store to question Porter’s girlfriend that she’s finally it. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

His brow furrows at her accusatory tone, shrugging his shoulders. “What, a guy can’t look at his fiancée?”

“I didn’t say yes.”

“Didn’t you?” He smirks, knowing good and well that they’re as good as engaged. 

She shakes her head. He’s right, but there’s no reason for her to voice that, not that there’s really time to before they’re already at the front of the store.

As her partner goes off to distract Diane’s manager, Kensi’s able to question the blonde without interruption. It’s when the young woman talks about she and Porter picking out rings that she suddenly feels a strange kinship with her. 

When Jack had proposed to her all those years ago she hadn’t really thought about how gaudy and so unlike her that the ring truly was. It wasn’t until he was off in Afghanistan that she would catch herself staring at the large diamond thinking that it didn’t belong there. Everything was different with him, she realizes that now that her rose colored glasses are off. 

She’s been having these moments ever since Marty proposed, finding herself imagining what kind of ring he’d give her. He loves her like no other, he knows she’s not into blingy things. It makes her smile when she remembers all the times he’s seen women with large diamond rings and spouting off something about someone overcompensating. She’d laugh and that would make him laugh, and in turn they’d get stares from strangers making them laugh even harder. Never in her life has someone made her laugh the way Marty Deeks has. 

Kensi’s focus goes back to the woman standing in front of her, against her own will the image of their roles reversed comes to the forefront of her mind. What if it was Marty that had been killed? The answer brings a gut wrenching ache over her. 

••••

The jewelry store op had been a bust. As soon as the man behind the counter got a glimpse of Kensi’s bracelet the air shifted and they were immediately asked to leave. It may have not turned out like they planned but Deeks can’t help but love the fact he and his partner got to deceive their coworkers once again by “posing” as a couple. Kensi didn’t seem too keen on showing affection however, especially when Sam and Callen were just outside. He wasn’t the least bit surprised when the sharp point of her heel lands directly into the top of his foot.

So now here they sit in the bullpen, in silence, trying to figure out the team’s next move. He took over Callen’s chair so they could work more closely but neither have come up with any links to their victim in the myriad of old case files piled on each desk. 

The shaggy blonde takes a look next to him, smiling at the pout that’s displayed on his girlfriend’s face. She hasn’t spoken a word in the past 30 minutes which is kind of worrisome. Afraid that he pushed to far by calling her his fiancée, he speaks up in hopes that she’ll respond. “Are you mad at me?”

“Dogs go mad. People...people get angry.”

The spark in her mismatched orbs makes him want to forget this nonsense and kiss her right then and there, but he quickly remembers the terms of their bet and knowing Callen isn’t anywhere around, he continues this little charade...for now. “Is this about the jewelry store? Listen, I was just trying to sell the fact that we were a couple.”

“Yeah, whatever. Like anybody would believe that we’re a couple.”

He has to hold back a laugh at her words because ever since middle school that’s all people thought they were. “You’re right. You are so not my type.”

••••

It takes longer than any of them anticipated but eventually Porter’s killer is caught. As Hetty congratulates them on a job well done, she hands Kensi a small ring box. The contents of said box are a delicate simple ring much like Diane had described. 

She thinks back to the woman and her heart aches for the loss that she’ll never get over. The life that she’ll never get to experience with the man who she loved. She’s drawn out of her thoughts at the distinct laughter of her love filling the room. Looking across to Hetty’s office she watches as he exchanges some verbiage with Sam making Callen laugh and she could swear there’s a hint of a smile on the Operation Manager’s face. It’s then she realizes that she wants to accept Marty’s proposal. Who the hell cares that they’ve only been dating for a few weeks. They’ve known each other their whole lives and she doesn’t ever want to live without him. There’s just one thing she has to do first.

Taking out her phone, she presses call on the newly added number “Diane, hey, Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS. I was wondering if I could drop by. I have something that Tom left for you.”

••••

Deeks watched from the passenger seat of the SRX as his partner handed over the small box to Diane. As she pried it open, tears immediately sprang to the woman’s eyes and before either knew it her arms were wrapped around the junior agent in a giant bear hug. It suddenly made him think about what if he were the one that died, leaving Kensi all alone. The thought alone breaks his heart in two.

A few minutes later the pair bid their farewells and part ways. He’s surprised a little at the look in her eyes, its not one of sadness but there’s something else, something he’s not sure how to describe. 

The shaggy blonde is so focused on his girlfriend that he doesn’t realize she misses the turn towards his apartment, instead she keeps going for a few minutes until she hits the Santa Monica exit. A few minutes later they’re back in the same spot at the overlook where they were just a week ago. 

“What are we doing here?”

She turns towards him, that unrecognizable look still swirling in her mismatched eyes. “Well, I’ve been thinking.”

[janetfraiserdeservedbetter]

Pins And Needles (Chapter Two)

(Read Chapter One here)

Rating: G

Word Count: 2294

Fandom: Stargate SG1

Pairing: Sam Carter x Janet Fraiser

Summary:  Janet is a single mother and owner of a tattoo studio. Sam is a florist who has just moved into town. Janet's infatuated. Sam's a disaster gay. Flower shop/Tattoo parlour AU.

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Chapter Two

 Business was slow that day with only a few booked clients and a handful of walkins so Janet took the opportunity to get some administrative work done, which was good because she couldn’t stop thinking of the new florist. She put it down to Sam being so goddamn gorgeous.      She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes, deciding that she needed a break. The computer screen told her that it was almost 3 o’clock and she’d run out of coffee an hour ago. Vala was just finishing up with a client, a new marine in his twenties who’d gotten his first tattoo, a small eagle on his forearm. They’d had to take a few breaks, making what should have been a 30-minute job into an hour. Janet got to her feet, dumping her empty cup in the bin as she approached the counter where he was paying.      “How did it all go?” She smiled politely resting a hand on Vala’s arm who returned the smile, looking a little exasperated. As soon he had finished paying and the door closed after him, Vala rolled her eyes and dropped back onto her stool as she tidied up the area.      “That man is supposed to protect our country and he can’t even handle a tattoo. God’s help us all.”      Janet hummed absently as she fished for her bag out of the staff cupboard, glancing back across the street for the thousandth time. The sun had disappeared behind thick, dark clouds and the rain had just started, drizzling lazily against the sidewalk. Usually, Cassie would meet them at the studio and spend the afternoon doing her homework in Daniel’s shop until close but in weather like this, it wasn’t unusual for Janet to pick her up if she wasn’t with a client. The other woman followed her gaze and smirked, tossing a wad of paper towel at her.      “Go ask her out or are you a coward as well as a flaming homosexual?”      If it was anyone else speaking to her like that, Janet may have knocked them out. Instead, she rolled her eyes and ignored the woman’s taunts. “I’m going to get Cass, call me if you need anything.”

     “...So then I told Eliza where to shove it -”      “Cassandra Fraiser!”      “-Then Mr. Waters gave me detention for a week! A week, mom! That’s, like, totally unfair!”      The school traffic was backed up for blocks and what was supposed to be a 10-minute drive had turned into half an hour and Janet couldn’t wait to get home and sleep.      “Cassie, I thought we promised that you were going to try to behave this year.” The teenager rolled her eyes, arms folded across her chest and Janet sighed, squeezing the steering wheel. “What were you arguing about anyway?”      This time, Cassie didn’t answer, the silence heavier than it ought to be. They inched forward in the traffic.      “Cass.”      “She called you a dyke.” A car honked for them to move forward again - the congestion was clearing now - and Janet let out a long, sharp breath.      “I’m sorry, Cass.”      “It’s not right, mom! How was I the one to get in trouble when they called you… that?”      “I appreciate you standing up for me, Cassie, but sometimes you need to pick your battles. Outside of school, snot the kid but when you’re in class, you… you can’t risk your education.”      “So, I let them win?” The conversation was going in circles and before she could think of an appropriate answer, they were parking in front of the studio. Janet turned in her seat, lips pursed.      “No. But you don't sacrifice your education for a low life like that.” The teenager huffed and Janet reached over, squeezing her hand. “I’m proud of you...Wanna grab a hot chocolate?” They shared a smile and Cassie nodded; the rain had eased off now but the pavement was slick and Janet made sure to watch her step as she climbed out.      “Sam?” She was surprised to see a tall, blonde woman talking to Vala and the two women turned to them as they entered. “Getting a tattoo?” Pink flared across Sam’s fair cheeks and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket, shrugging. “I, uh… I finished unpacking most of my boxes and I thought maybe you could show me around?” The warm blue eyes moved then from her to the teenager.      “Oh, I’m sorry, I promised Cassie--”      “Don’t be silly, mom,” the girl interrupted, grinning as she looked between them, “Vala promised to help me with my homework.” Her partner in crime laughed, giving Janet the thumbs up. Sam looked a little confused but good-naturedly went along with it. Janet gave her an apologetic smile, ignoring the two trouble makers. “Then I’d love to show you around.”      “Great.”      She shot her daughter and staff a look and followed Sam onto the sidewalk, glad for the warmer clothes she’d chosen that morning. The afternoon was looking grey and damp, with the promise of more rain to come but for now, it left the air with memories of winter just passed.      “So, you have a daughter?” The question didn’t sound judgy but like she was genuinely interested. They made their way down the main street that was fairly empty for this time of day, taking their time on their stroll.      “Yeah, she just turned 14… It’s been a hell of a ride.”      “Is her dad a tattoo artist too?”      Janet hesitated. “No, he’s not in our lives anymore.”      “Oh, god I’m sorry..”      “No, no, don’t be, he’s not dead, though sometimes I wish he was.” She could see the confusion written all over Sam’s face and she smiled back reassuringly. “No, we just don’t have anything to do with him, not since we moved out here a few years back.”      “Sounds like it was for the best…”      “Best thing I’ve ever done...What about you? You married?”      Sam laughed gently, blue eyes warm and Janet felt her belly do a little flip. “No. Nearly happened a few times but apparently, I attract psychos. Jonas, well, he ended up getting into some weird cult and Pete wanted different things than I did.”      “Men, huh.”      “Yeah. I guess that’s part of the reason I came out here. Fresh start and all that.”      A faint rumble echoed across the sky and as a pair, the women looked up as the first few drops of rain dropped onto their cheeks. With very little notice, the skies opened again and unleashed the mother of all rain, fat heavy drops pounding the pavement. Sam shrieked and Janet laughed, a little bit giddy as she pulled Sam into the hardware store. The door slammed behind them and the blonde woman shook the water out of her hair, grinning like a mad man.      “Wet enough for you, ladies?”      Lightning illuminated the street again as the women turned to the voice. Standing by an ancient cash register, positioning a metal bucket under the steady drip from the roof was a handsome man in his mid 40’s; his skin was like honey and despite the weather, his silvering hair was hidden beneath a khaki cap. Janet barely remembered to let go of the other woman’s hand and greeted the man with a grin. “Hey there, Jack,” She tried to fix her windswept hair, suddenly a little self-conscious. Jack kept himself in better shape than most other men of his age and he was well aware of women’s desire for him. Janet had seen her fair share of the man over the past few years but recently and most importantly, mutually, they’d decided that neither of them was willing to advance the ‘relationship’ further than what it was; too many drinks and late-night booty calls. They were both damaged in their own ways and neither seemed very good at working on themselves. Still, they were good friends and Cassie adored her ‘Uncle Jack’. That didn’t mean that Janet wouldn’t blush when he smiled at her like that.      “This is Sam, the new florist.” He wiped a hand on his jeans and offered it to the blonde with a disarming smile.      “Sam Carter.”      “Jack. O’Neill. Nice to meet ya. That your ‘Ninja’ across the road?”      “Sure is! You got one?”      “Been trying to rebuild one for years but… Ah, you know how that is.”      “Yeah, don’t I just. Got a shell at home but… well.”      They both chuckled and Janet looked between them, brows raised with amusement.      “Hope you don’t mind if we hole up in here until the rain passes.”      “Not at all. Cam keeps saying that this place could use a feminine touch.”      As if summoned, a younger man stuck his head out from the staff room, chowing down on some macaroons. Introductions were made, macaroons passed around and the staff kettle boiling while the storm raged on outside. Janet set herself on top of a small step ladder, watching as the florist spoke excitedly about her motorbike preferences.      The store was large, much larger than her studio but with rows and rows of shelves cluttered with every type of nut, bolt, washer, screwdriver, and tool you could need. Jack didn’t keep the place very tidy but from what he’d told Janet, his ex-father-in-law had handed the keys over to him just before the divorce so most of the stuff was from as early as the ’80s.      “So you’re ex-military?” Sam asked Jack, making herself comfortable on a fishing chair.      “How could you tell?”      Sam blushed, shrugging. “I know your type. My father was in the Air Force.”      The man turned then, a sudden realisation coming to his face. “Carter. Of course, Jacob Carter?”      “Yeah. You knew him?”      “Met him in passing a few times. How is the old man going?”      “Oh, he...passed away a few years ago. Cancer.”      “Ah geez, I’m sorry. He was a good man.”      Cam emerged with a tray of cups and macaroons his grandmother had made, he explained. He set it down on the counter and passed both women a cup of hot coffee. Sam shot Janet a skeptical look as the smaller woman sniffed the liquid. It smelt wrong and she wasn’t sure any amount of creamer or sugar could save it.      “Sorry,” Cam commented, seeing their looks of distrust. “We usually get coffee from Jackson down the road so this is all we’ve got at the moment until the rain stops.” He held up his makeshift coffee mug - a mason jar that Janet could have sworn was holding pencils on the front desk moments ago. Jack took a sip from a battered styrofoam cup and grimaced.      “How’s Cas?” he asked the tattoo artist who decided not to risk the murky brown liquid and cradled the cup on her knee.      “Yeah, not bad. She, uh… got another detention today.” Janet shrugged.      “Just say the word, Jan, I can take her for a weekend. Straighten her out.” His words were not unkind and a smile accompanied them. She was well aware that his ‘straightening out’ would be movies and pizza. Still, it would be good for Cassie to spend some time with a parental figure like Jack. She often worried if she was doing the right thing by her daughter. It scared her to think that she was going to stuff her up in some way.      “Thanks, Jack.” Their eyes met for a moment and she almost missed his touch. No, she thought, she had to be strong. As handsome and enticing as Jack was, Janet couldn’t let herself go there again.

     It took almost an hour for the rain to ease and in that time, Sam and Jack seemed to hit it off, discussing their experience with the Air Force. Jealousy boiled in the base of her stomach but she tried to ignore it; she had no right to be jealous of either of them.      As soon as the sky cleared a little, Janet got to her feet, setting her cup down by the counter. Three sets of eyes followed her.      “I best get back. I don’t trust Vala with Cassie for too long; lord knows what trouble they’ll get into.”      Sam stood as well, smiling at the smaller woman. “I’ll walk you back.”      Janet nodded and the women said their goodbyes, not without Jack offering his help with Sam’s bike. There was that jealousy again and Janet made sure to hide it behind a tight-lipped smile.      “Sorry the tour didn’t go so well,” she commented once they were out on the street. They’d only made it half a block before the storm hit and cut their time together short. Now though, the sky was blue, the darkest clouds moving towards the ever-darkening horizon.      “It’s okay. They seem nice.”      “Yeah, they’re good guys.”      “Well maybe,” Sam shrugged, “I could buy you lunch tomorrow and we could finish the tour?”      Janet felt her cheeks get a little warm and she nodded, smiling gently. “Sure. I think I can fit you in.”      “I’ll bring the umbrella.”      They made it back to the shop as Cassie and Vala were locking the doors up. Sam made her way across to her bike that was drenched from the downpour.      “Let us give you a ride home,” Janet called. “We can swing by in the morning and drop you off.”      Even if Sam was more interested in Jack, Janet wouldn’t let that stop her from making friends. Women had to stick together and she definitely wasn’t about to let a guy get between her and a new friendship.      She saw Sam smile from across the road as she secured her bike and slung her bag over her shoulder. Janet made sure to ignore Cassie’s giggles all the way home.

[bellarxse]

Get to know: Cesca Joyce (TMOHB)

100 Questions (https://the-moon-dust-writings.tumblr.com/post/159843387908/100-oc-questions) to get to know Cesca Joyce, MC in The Motion of Heavenly Bodies

1.    How do they present themselves to others? Soft femme – she has had the importance of femininity and her appearance drilled into her from an early age by her mother, but she has withdrawn from the idea of high-maintenance femininity as much as she feels she can

2.    Do they like animals? Cats and marine life. She doesn’t like dogs.

3.    How do they dress? Often as casual as she can manage, and often in something which hides her chest.

4.    How many language do they know? Fluent in English and German. proficient in French. Likes to watch K-dramas with subs, so she can pick up on the odd phrase now.

5.    How big is their family? Parents divorced. Two full siblings, two paternal half-siblings.

6.    What is their purpose in the story? Uh..they’re the main character. Ha. No, Cesca’s “arc”, such as it is at this point, is going to be about the importance of recognising and pursuing your own desires rather than letting people tell you what you should want.

7.    Do they know how to fight? The extent of her knowledge is basically that you should tuck your thumb into your fist if you throw a punch. That’s basically it.

8.    What is their back story? Distant father (working in international finance), mother (thwarted model, pregnant too young and unable to cope) at home with children she never wanted in the first place. She wants them to be the successes she never was, to shine with radiance that blinds the world. Sarah, their first daughter, is genial and hard-working but painfully plain, and the youngest, Alice, is manipulative and cruel, and looks it. But sweet little Franze, with her angelic curls and innocent blue eyes? Yes, she will do nicely. But it isn’t long before she rebels. Skinned knees and grubby hands (“Mutti, look what I found!”), and a profound disinterest in how to make herself more beautiful. So Julia tries again, taking away her rocks and microscopes and replacing them with vanities and lotions and potions, until Franze is a dejected little doll – almost literally, listless and lifeless. A teacher at school flags up “Cesca’s” (Franze’s) behaviour as being a “concern”, and threatens to involve child protection services. But how could it possibly be a concern? This is what little girls are supposed to be like.

9.    Why is their name their name? Conceived on holiday in France – and it’s generally considered an upper middle-class name in both countries

10.Do they have any nicknames? Francesca (anglicised), Franze (German diminutive), Cesca (English diminutive – her favourite), C (school friends)

11.Do they have a romantic interest? …I mean, yeah, that’s the point – but that would be telling. So instead, let’s talk about her only other long-term relationship, Julian, when they were both 17. A son of Father’s friend—and Father is friends with some of the best society has to offer, he’s told her himself—he is sure of himself and charismatic enough to make Cesca believe it as well. She thinks he loves her, though he only ever really loved chasing her, and she cries when he breaks up with her, not one week after they had had sex for the first time.

12.How do they cope with struggles? At work, depends on the struggle. She tries to judge carefully what the best course of action would be – either she’ll take some time away to let it simmer; or she’ll keep at it until she finds another way in. In her personal life, she avoids whatever she can get away with.

13.Do they have anyone they can lean on? More than she knows – she’s never tested it with anyone else other than Sarah. She isn’t always sure how her friends feel about her, not truly, especially after she is selected to go on the show without them.

14.How do they react to someone dying? Lot of numbness. She can seem insensitive or uncaring, but it takes a while for it to sink in.

15.Can you name 5 personality traits they have? Reserved, analytical, emotionally perceptive, avoidant, sensitive

16.How did they become a character? Because I was fed-up of the S3 MC being just different flavours of the same bold, confident person. I mean, it’s a CYOA game, there aren’t exactly many opportunities to feed in complex hopes/wants/fears, but even the S2 MC could choose to be “cool and mysterious” or “all out”.

17.Do they get along with others? She often chooses the path of least resistance – so often people think they get on with her better than they actually do, because she isn’t always honest with how she feels about things or people

18.What flaws do they have? Arrogant (mostly at work), naïve, perfectionist, practical, rigorous/over-zealous

19.How do they influence the story? A little too spoiler-y for now…

20.What do they look like? Honey blonde curls (usually pinned back), blue eyes, 5’ 3”. Quite pale, even after weeks in the Spanish sun – it would take a lot more time and effort for her to tan. Some freckles, but not many. Looks delicate at first blush, but is deceptively strong for her build. Bottom hourglass.

21.What are their hobbies? Collecting and listening to old vinyl records. Swimming and free diving.

22.What are their ticks? She blushes at the drop of a hat, and she bites her lip. She doesn’t intend it to come off as sexual or flirty (quite the opposite) but people don’t believe her.

23.Do they like children? If you ask her, she’ll laugh and tell you no, loudly. But Sarah has just had twin boys, and Cesca thinks that she might just die for them anyway, even if they don’t need her to.

24.How do they react to being around wild animals? Aquatic animals – loves it, very affectionate/serene (even when she went cage diving with sharks). Land animals? More of a mixed reaction, depending on how physically large/imposing they are.

25.If they were given the task to prank someone, who would it be, what would they do and would it work? She doesn’t so much prank people as plot to ruin their lives, particularly careers.

26.Do they have survival skills? Not really – her mother didn’t think it was necessary for girls, and she has thrown herself into science since.

27.Are they more book smart or street smart? More socially savvy than she gives herself credit for, but mostly book smart

28.How do they get out of a difficult situation? Depends on the situation. In a dangerous situation, she will call for help. In a socially awkward position, she’s like to use her looks to get out of the situation (e.g. sending someone off to get her a drink from the bar and then disappearing into the crowd). In a romantic situation, she’d use her intellect and talk through in excruciating detail why they’re not compatible.

29.Do they use their body, mind, personality or force to get what they want? See 28

30.What music do they enjoy? Older music, from the 1960s-1980s (90s at a push). She does like some more modern things, but usually if they’re either drawing inspiration from older trends or europop. Trashy Europop is a guilty pleasure of hers.

31.How do they overcome obstacles? Grit and determination, mostly.

32.When faced with a difficult decision do they get stronger or break? At work, stronger. Emotionally, she’s never fully broken down but she’s come close a few times.

33.Do they have any special powers? Just her brain.

34.How do they change throughout the story? She gets a little more assertive in articulating what she wants – but there will still be some room for growth

35.Do they have any friends? If so, are they close knit? Two close friends from school, who would do anything she asked of them (in terms of emotional support), but she is too scared to ask them. So their friendship appears more superficial than it actually is, in terms of what they do together

36.How is their family life? She only really sees her older sister. She avoids Alice (younger full-sister) like the plague and doesn’t make an effort to see her father’s new family. Will basically shut down if she has to see her mother. Christmas is not a happy time for her.

37.Are they likable? I certainly think so, but she’s my ambitious little alien baby so…

38.Are they the hero, or anti-hero? Depends on your viewpoint – certainly some of her “competitors” wouldn’t see her as the hero…!

39.Do they make questionable choices? I mean, we’ll see.

40.How do they become who they are? Through putting her head down and ploughing on. Ultimately running away from…

41.How was their childhood? …being made to feel like the only thing that mattered were her looks. Her mother tried to enter her for pageants and the like, and it was actually one of the terms of the divorce – her father wouldn’t give her mother any alimony if she made Cesca compete in anything like that.

42.Are they close with anyone who is going to screw them over? Again, we’ll see, don’t want to get into plot elements too much…!

43.How do they adapt to different situations? Do they adapt at all? She adapts because she has to, but she’s not particularly good at it.

44.How do they speak? (e.g. soft-spoken, hot-headed, vulgar) Usually soft-spoken, which makes a genuine laugh all the more startling.

45.Are they opposed to violence? There’s something about having been raised to be a good girl and knowing how people should behave in polite society which makes taboos like violence more exciting.

46.When is their birthday? 1st January 1997

47.Are they quick to judge? She tries not to, but she can make snap judgements based on appearances or actions that she finds hard to shake

48.Do they have anything they are trying to hide from others? How she doesn’t like being complimented on her looks, because they just wouldn’t understand.

49.Do they act different around different people? She is much more confident around her work colleagues, because she feels like she can show off her processes, rather than dumb herself down for people. She is very reserved around people she doesn’t know well and most of her family.

50.Do they enjoy the arts? Not a huge fan of reading, unless it’s science-related. Loves music, especially on vinyl. Likes films, usually action/thriller/horror.

51.Do they like science? Loves it. There’s a kind of beauty about it, about how it lets her order the world, and how she can see the world reflected in her microscope.

52.Are they more emotional or logical? I mean I don’t agree with the premise of the question, because it’s a false dichotomy, but she would say she’s more logical. Make of that what you will.

53.How do they deal with their emotions? Distraction tactics. Which means that there’s some stuff that she’s just…never dealt with. Massive issues with her mother.

54.How do they cope with sadness? She’s almost constantly sad, and she’s never really let the weight lift from her shoulders. It doesn’t bother her personally – it only really bothers people that care about her.

55.What is something they care about? She cares about the environment – she tries to be as sustainable as her budget allows, and she’s almost fanatical about saving water. (So she’s clean but she showers only as often as she needs to)

56.Would they die for anyone/anything? Probably her nephews.

57.What do they do when they are happy? Being happy looks very like being sad – she behaves much the same way, but she might fidget less or smile slightly.

58.How would they come across to other characters? E.g. messy, lazy, caring, childish Calm, shy (especially in the context of Love Island, since she doesn’t cope well with being flirted with overtly), clinical

59.Do they have a phrase they use over and over? No? Not yet, anyway

60.In a crowded room are they in the corners, sides or middle? She would gravitate to the sides, so that she can see everyone more clearly. If she’s with friends she trusts (and particularly if she’s had some alcohol) she’s not averse to being in the middle of the room, but it’s not her first option.

61.Are they comfortable being in a crowded room? She can find it overwhelming.

62.How do they relax? Listen to records, watch TV. She usually needs to relax by herself and “de-person” for a bit.

63.Have they ever harmed anyone and regretted it? Verbally or physically? She is usually the one to break off any budding relationships, usually before they become sexual. So for some of these early relationships, they were hurt because they thought she was really into them, but they were usually at an early enough stage that it was fairly minor emotional pain.

64.Do they like to dance? Not unless she’s drunk some alcohol. She doesn’t feel like her body moves very naturally, she needs her inhibitions to be much reduced before she even considers it.

65.How do they get around their environment? (vehicle use) She cycles a lot. She learned to drive when she was 17, but she’s a nervous driver and she doesn’t like it.

66.What about pet peeves? Loud chewers. It’s a sensory thing, she really doesn’t like it. Linked to this – people who talk with their mouths full constantly (she’ll allow it if you’re surprised or if you didn’t expect to be asked a question but if it’s your default? Get in the bin)

67.Do they have a disability? No.

68.How do they react to getting flowers? It depends on the person – if they’re someone who she would like to receive flowers from, it can make her month. If it’s from someone she wasn’t expecting, she can be a bit unsure of how to react – are they are thank you? Are they a proposition? She really doesn’t like receiving flowers from a “secret admirer” or something like that.

69.Would they ever wear a flower crown? Not usually, maybe for something like a wedding? And definitely not if she’s the only one.

70.Do they like themselves? Sometimes. She likes herself when she’s at work and successful. She usually likes herself when she spends time with friends. If she’s left on her own for too long she can start to doubt herself.

71.Who do they dislike? People who aren’t genuine/honest. People who focus on their appearance too much.

72.What is their motto? When she read “If I look back, I am lost.” in the first ASOIAF novel, she had to take a few minutes.

73.Do they have any markings on their body? A few minor scratches from falling off her bike a couple of times. Some freckles, more on her arms than her face.

74.Have they ever been abused? Physically, not at all. Emotionally? Most of her interactions with her mother and her sister are hostile in some way or another, and her father’s attitude can best be described as neglectful.

75.What is their biggest fear? Not to get too body horror about this, but her recurring nightmare is that she makes someone (and the person changes depending on what’s happening in her life) and they push/hit her and she’s hollow, or she smashes to the ground like porcelain.

76.What are their goals? She wants to finish her research into biodegradable plastic, and ideally start a second study to see if the same desired results can be achieved with fewer/cheaper resources.

77.How do they go about achieving their goals? She keeps her head down and ploughs on.

78.Do they have a fight or flight response? Yes, but she almost exclusively chooses to flee.

79.Is there someone in their life that they care about more than themselves? Her sister and her nephews. I don’t necessarily think that her having fewer people she cares about more than herself indicates that she’s selfish or overly arrogant. It’s just that her feelings are a little more subdued, so she doesn’t necessarily think about most people in that way.

80.How would they fare in a zombie apocalypse? Pretty badly, probably – unless she was in an area that hadn’t been affected yet, and she was able to work on a cure/”silver bullet”.

81.Do they have any tattoos? If so, are they significant? No, but she’s not averse to getting them. But if she gets one, she wants it to be significant, and she doesn’t want it to be linked to something that she might regret (like a relationship)

82.Are they good at mental math? Frighteningly so.

83.Do they get along with others? Again, she often takes the path of least resistance, so she seems to get along with lots of people, but she can get quite resentful.

84.Are they lazy? No

85.Are they self-motivated? Yes

86.How do they cope with anger? Short answer, she doesn’t. She was told from an early age that girls don’t get angry, and that means she struggles now to pinpoint when she is feeling angry. She often experiences other symptoms, like headaches or nausea, which she will treat instead of expressing herself.

87.Have they ever been in a situation where they were helpless? Physically, no – she’s been lucky. Emotionally – she felt helpless for a lot of her childhood, and then worries now about letting someone else make her feel helpless again.

88.Are they organized or messy? Pathologically organised – think Monica from Friends.

89.Can they remember a lot of information at once? In the right context, yes. At work, she’s like a machine, remembering formulae and compounds. In her personal life, she often gets overloaded. But she picks up on a lot, and it’s a sign that she likes you if she notices or remembers little details about you.

90.What is their occupation? Environmental scientist (specialising in chemistry, but her degree is in biochemistry).

91.Do other characters respect them? Yes, I think so. Especially at work, she’s seen as one of the key members of the team. In her personal life, it depends – she chooses friends carefully, and her friends respect her. Her father and siblings (aside from Alice) respect her more than she’s willing to notice. Her mother doesn’t, and Alice (younger full sister) loathes her.

92.If they were given minutes to live, what would they do? Who would they want to see and say? She would want to spend time with her sister. She wouldn’t want to talk about her feelings, but she would be more physically affectionate.

93.How do they deal with stress? Burying herself in work. Also, free diving is a good stress-reliever for her, because it requires so much of her concentration that she cannot afford to think about what is stressing her out.

94.Do they have a more submissive or dominant personality type? Depends – very dominant at work, less so among family and friends. I’ll cover NSFW stuff in a different post, but the short answer is, “it’s complicated”

95.Do they have a pet? No – she would like a cat, but she feels bad about leaving it in a London flat all day.

96.Do they have a stash of weapons? …no?

97.Where do they live? Who do they live with? She used to live in Putney with Ellie and Tina; now she lives alone in a small one-bedroom flat in Westminster that’s really meant for students.

98.How do they calm themselves down? Listening to music, staring at a wall. I’m a little worried that I’m making her sound crazy, but she can feel the tension leak out of her, and she can move on, at least in the short term.

99.Are they co-dependent? She makes an effort not to be – she is so affection- and touch-starved, though, that she is in danger of seeing another person as a source of self-worth.

100.                 Are they a day or night person? Day person – she wakes up very early (probably at about 5am), even when she doesn’t need to, and so she struggles with late nights. She isn’t usually smug about being an early bird, but she will let herself be a little more overt if there’s a particularly annoying Morgenmuffel…!

[fieryrondo]

my report on skate canada 2019 and how i fell in love with figure skating all over again (part 1)

It’s taken me about a month to sit down and write this. Not necessarily due to lack of time (though that is a factor) but because the experience was so much. Even now, with grainy photos and videos taken with a trembling hand as proof of my time there, Skate Canada feels like a bit of a fever dream. The best kind that leaves you breathless, heart-pounding and longing for more.

I’m not a stranger to traveling alone but this would be my first international venture for something solely recreational, something solely just for me. A purely selfish pleasure. The planning itself was a.process that evolved over the course of months. And to be honest, there were times when I thought this trip wouldn’t happen at all. My flight, booked months in advance, got moved up several hours earlier than expected, forcing me to decide between missing part of the gala or to stay an extra night. Personal problems drained my stamina, and several bouts of poor health stoked the fear that this day would never come. It only became real when I set off for Boston, carry-on, and swan plush in tow, for the first leg of my journey.

Kelowna, a charming lake-resort town in the middle of nowhere British Columbia. There are no direct flights from the East Coast there and I ended up having an overnight stopover in Toronto. From what I saw from the vantage point of the aircraft, Toronto was a beautiful city and reminded me a little of Los Angeles. However, I had little time to appreciate the city. I checked into a hotel to shower, warm up some leftovers, and resurrect my dying phone.

(above) My companions for the journey. 

The swan was for Yuzuru, I know it is traditional to give him a Pooh bear but I picked the swan because it was the first program of his that I saw and to this day, it is still my favorite. It has a lot of meaning for me. The Sakura Pooh was my lucky charm, the Pooh ears a last-minute purchase. 

Due to my schedule, I had to miss the first day, which itself was a bit of a risk. Isn’t it crazy? Traveling thousands of kilometers just to watch half a competition? I certainly thought so. Not to mention how Yuzuru performed during the short would have a direct impact on how he would approach the free skate. Skate Canada has never been his strongest competition. Even if he was the overwhelming favorite, like most fanyus, I’ve learned to take nothing for granted. When I heard that he skated well in the short, I breathed a little more easily before settling down to draft my letter.

“Perhaps it’s a bit forward of me, a complete stranger, to wish you this, but congratulations on your chest muscles” was the opening line of my letter, as suggested by my good friend Tanya over @turistinmyowncity​. I was too embarrassed to actually take photographic evidence but rest assured I did include it. I like to think that it may have made Yuzuru smile. A gold foil origami crane was added for additional luck. Like many fans, I was keeping my fingers crossed for Yuzuru’s first Skate Canada title.

And then it was off to the airport again, this time for the second leg of the flight. Unlike the first flight, not so many passengers were flying to Kelowna and we all got to pick our own seats.

It did not occur to me that catching Yuzuru’s practice was even within the realm of possibility until I had realized that we had arrived in Kelowna 30 minutes earlier than scheduled. A fanyu i had been corresponding with had texted: “Yuzuru’s skating second to last in practice. If you hurry, you might make it.”

*insert dramatic cinematic action sequence where I race to the nearest cab driver, shakily request to be taken to Prospera Palace expediently without breaking any traffic safety laws and then quietly die to the barely heard strains of Origin while the main entrance security guard painstakingly searches my luggage.*

One of the most vivid memories I have of Skate Canada is dragging my ridiculously bulky carryon (gimpy wheel and all) up the flight of stairs in Section 114, trying to flatten myself and become one with the stairwell wall and not get in anyone’s way. A volunteer took pity on me and let me stand on the top of the steps for a closer look. The first thing I saw, of course, was Pooh-san, that bright splash of red and yellow works perfectly as a homing beacon.

I missed Origin but was able to catch the last few minutes of practice. As for first impressions go, I’m afraid I don’t have anything particularly new to offer. Yuzuru looks as exactly as he does in photos. Sharp, precise, graceful. And fast! He kept practicing what looked like his entrance into quad loop. 

With men’s practice over, I met up with fellow fanyu VentusCantabile, an extremely sweet person with an excellent singing voice :). I dropped off my luggage at our Airbnb (conveniently located two blocks away) before rushing back over to the arena for the free dance. The venue itself is not that big so even in seats from the nosebleed section you can get a pretty good view. I was in section 112, the closest I could get to the judges' side view and also got a decent(ish) view of the kiss and cry.

I must confess that I don’t really follow ice dance and am unable to provide anything insightful. To me, everyone looked absolutely stunning. I cheered extra loud for Sara Hurtado/Kirill Khaliavin, the first Spanish ice dancers to win a Grand Prix medal. It’s no secret that I miss Javi terribly since his retirement so it was so nice to see Spanish figure skating continue to make strides. Sara’s story is also particularly inspiring. Like Javi, she has worked extremely hard to put Spanish figure skating on the map.

Other teams that impressed were: Gilles/Pourier, Hubbell/Donohue and Fear/Gibson. Fear/Gibson had an especially fun program and the Russian family next to me were so cute in that they were cheering for all of the European teams.

And then it was time for the ladies.

Media will talk about Trusova’s mindbogglingly difficult quads, Rika’s sublime triple axel, Medvedeva’s fight of a free, but the free skate of the night for me personally was Marin’s La La Land. So tenderly skated! Marin is so lovely and a true pleasure to watch live. To watch her bravely skate through (bandage and all) the best free she’s had in ages, how meaningful it must have been. And thus the first sea of Japanese flags washed through the stands. 

Here is Evgenia! Her dress is actually extremely beautiful. A very charismatic skater, there were a lot of fans who had come from overseas to cheer for her. 

Cute podium :)

Then a break for lunch. The funniest thing I found about being in Kelowna is how it is no exaggeration that figure skating fans just take over the town. The restaurant we went to was packed full of figure skating fans. Talking with fanyus was surprisingly easy. A bit awkward at first but it wasn’t long before we were easily chatting about scoring GOE guidelines and work and other fandom interests.

Then back to the rink for pairs. Given that there was a dearth of filled seats in the lower rows, I half-guiltily took the opportunity to sit a bit closer.

Watching pairs. Is. Terrifying. Lifts are hella more impressive. Twists are gravity defying. Throws are put your hands together and pray the guy does his part to help his partner land those jumps.

Vladimir Morozov lifting Evgenia Tarasova. I appreciated them a lot more live. Their elements are huge and so so clean.

Boikova/Kozlovskii are also now officially my favorite Russian pairs team. I had originally planned on filming their free since seeing quality pairs skating is such a rare opportunity in the US (cough, cough, please invest in pairs more, usfsa). I could not take my eyes off of them for one second. They were so confident and radiating electric charisma from start to finish. A young team with a very bright future!

Between the break, I also spotted Elladj Blade and Kevin Reynolds, the latter was kindly signing autographs. I was too shy to approach either of them but let me tell you Kevin is very sweet with little kids.

And then on to the men! The arena was starting to fill again so I ended up moving up a few rows. I was nervous (for a variety of reasons) but this was ultimately the event I came to see. Watching men is a bit like Russian roulette, you can either expect magnificence or implosion (or sometimes both). Not too many falls but pops are quite painful to see, especially when you know they are so costly. Still, there was a lot to like. Watching Matteo made my heart ache because his style reminds me so much of Javi’s (and doing a flamenco program does not make that association any easier). Roman is also really gorgeous to watch live, but he was so nervous during the free he was unable to show us what he’s really capable of.

At some point, you can sense the audience’s point of focus shift, probably during Camden’s skate (also really liked Camden!). I was sitting pretty close to the side of the skater’s entrance and noticed that all of the fans right by the stairwell had their phones/cameras out. Stairwell shooting is always a reliable indicator of Yuzuru’s arrival ^^

That roar of approval when Yuzuru takes off his jacket is something else. Origin 2.0 is a beautiful costume and way, way more sparkly in real life. Photos don’t quite do the sparkles justice.

Those six minutes of warm-up were honestly some of the most stressful I’ve experienced. Yuzuru kept drilling the quad loop, the jump that he had been having trouble with during practice. After he had gotten a beautiful one under his belt (good, please do that again in the free), he seemed to calm down.

I found it very difficult to concentrate on the other skaters in the second group. By then the stadium was packed and every seat was filled. I had doubts about whether or not I would even get the chance to throw my gift onto the ice because I was so high up and nowhere near the aisle. Worst case scenario, I would just keep my swan.

Keiji!!! He was so fun to watch here. I really love both of his programs this season and he was totally on from the very first jump! Not gonna lie, I saw my life flash before my eyes when he almost ran straight into the boards on his second sal, and then the dainty single toe on the end made me laugh. :)

So it never occurred to me, a formerly strictly broadcast viewer, the amount of time that skaters have right before they skate. There is SO much time. While they were doing the slow-mo replay and the judges were punching buttons, Yuzuru was already whizzing on the ice. He landed a very beautiful quad toe. Feather light. Airy. Calm and commanding, he looked good to go.

At this point, I put down my phone. Although part of me cried at the thought of not having a personal recording of Yuzuru’s free, it felt important to focus entirely on him with my own two eyes.

There are no words that can quite describe what I felt when watching Origin. When I look back on this skate, I can only remember how hard I ground my teeth. How I could feel the opening drum beats like the beats of a human heart. How my knuckles whitened as they grasped the edge of my hard seat. Yuzuru went for the loop and spun out, clinging on to the ice by the edge of his blade. Not the prettiest landing but he made it.

The sal next, smooth as silk. Step sequence, violin choreo(!!), that scream for the prettiest triple lutz I’ve seen. Quad toe. How many quads left. My fingernails were digging into my plastic wrapped swan. THAT FUCKING QUAD TOE-EULER-TRIPLE FLIP. Ahhhhhhhh, roll of thunder, hear our cry.

The CLAPPING. 6000 voices in perfect synchrony. Every completed jumping pass felt like a victory charge. That bionic knee bend determination to eke out that double toe. All jumping passes cleared. At some point I must have started breathing again. A song in my heart, indiscriminate joy squeezing the heck out of my vocal cords. Lay down that ina bauer! A tiny slip on the hydroblade but he’s done it. He’s ground the silver curse to dust. When you’re screaming at the top of your lungs but you can’t hear a thing because everyone else around you is screaming louder than you. Final clapping sequence. Dramatique pose, punch the air. Sound your barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.

322.59!!! Feels. So. Damn. Right.

[wessasaurus-rex]

One Piece: Chapter 973 - Predictions

It is interesting to see the 20 years idea came from Oden. In the end, it seems that by having learned of all the secrets of the world, Oden had a much better understanding of the overall picture than Toki. After all, the end of the void century might have been a very chaotic time and Toki was maybe too young to understand what was going on.

An updated timelinel:

41 years ago: start of the flashback, the Mountain God incident

39 years ago: Oden becomes Daimyo of Kuri. The same year, Roger reaches Lode Star and realizes there might be another "last island”

38 years ago: the incident at God Valley

33 years ago: former Rocks pirates start recruiting. Kawamatsu, Inu and Nekko join Oden

30 years ago: Oden joins WB and leaves Wano

28 years ago: Roger realizes he has a terminal disease, he goes to the twin capes to recruit Crocus and starts his last journey. Momonosuke is born on the Moby Dick.

26 years ago: Hiyori is born on the Moby Dick. Oden is poached by Roger and leaves the Whitebeard pirates for a year. Roger is shown the road poneglyph from Zou.

25 years ago: Roger and his crew reach the final island and name it Laugh Tale, they then disband. Oden comes back to Wano, then starts to make a fool of himself.

24 years ago: Roger turns himself in to the Marines and is executed.

23 years ago: Moria clashes against Kaido. Ryuma's grave is robbed.

20 years ago: Oden and his men attack Kaido, they are defeated and captured. Oden is executed but saves his retainers. Momonosuke and Kinemon are sent 20 years into the future.

I really hope that there is more to the reason behind the start of Nekos and Inus feud. A 20 year long hatred for eachother just because Neko rejoiced ? Why would Inu hate him for that ? Neko didnt provoke Orochi and Kaido, Oden himself said their minds were already set on killing him anyway. Now, to some prediction:

Chapter 973: This chapter is the last in the flashback. Usually Oda doesnt match the end of a flashback with the end of a chapter, he likes to transition in and off of it between his panels. Toki's mind is set on sending the scabbards 20 years into the future. Now they only have to come to her. At the start of the chapter we will switch back to Kinemons party fleeing the Flower capital. Shinobu may have to sacrifice herself to stall Orochis men in pursue. Along the way, as we know, the argument between Neko and Inu will get worse and they will eventually fight among themselves. That will enable Orochis men to capture them. The other scabbards will not stop and continue rushing back to Kuri. They will find that Odens castle is already in flames, attacked by Kaidos crew. Kaido is inside the castle, preparing to eliminate Odens family. Denjiro and Ashura will attack Kaido and drive him off to buy some time. Toki will then explain her power to the scabbards and send Kinemon, Kiku, Raizo, Kanjuro and Momo 20 years in the future. She will then entrust Hiyori to Kawamatsu and tell him to go into hiding. Finally, she will tell her prophecy as the castle will collapse in flames. I believe that a this moment she chose to teleport 20 years in the future to see if the scabbards would succeed. It is possible that she chose a date further back in time than the scabbards and that she hasnt even reappeared in the present a this stage. If she decided to do that, I dont think it would be shown just yet in the story. In the second half of the chapter we will have the last panels from the past and transition back to the present, on the shore where the scabbards were awaiting their allies. Their argument will be interrupted when an arrow with a message will land close to them, an arrow shot by Usopp from far away and bearing a message from Luffy.

I think this 3rd act needs to address two more plot points regarding Wano's intrigues before the raid on Onigashima takes place in the fourth act. Who is the traitor, and who really is Kyoshiro ? There are chances these two intrigues are linked, and will be solved together. And for that, the plot needs to move back to the flower capital.

So about Kyoshiro. I do believe in the theory where Denjiro and Kyoshiro are the same person. There are several clues leading to that. First, there is the fact Kyoshiro is not loyal to Orochi, at all. He has also been introduced in the first act along the remaining scabbards. Kiku: chapter 913, Kyoshiro: chapter 919, Ashura: chapter 920, Kawamastu: chapter 920. Conveniently, he is also a samurai and money changer. When he finds the card with Kinemons coded message for the rebellion, he seems to understand it. For the record, only those who secretely swore 20 years ago to rize up when the time is ripe were meant to understand the message (so those who had a crescent tatoo on their ankle). He also talks about Toki's death like a first-hand witness. But who was there when she died ? Kaido, his men, maybe some retainers of Kuri and probably Denjiro and Ashura. Where Im getting is that story-wise Kyoshiro was left behind in the capital on purpose. He will join the uprising and enable the thousand or so captured samurai in the capital to take up arms (which will bring their forces to ~5000, the ideal number Kinemon was hoping for at the start of the arc). He will also potentially help in finding the traitor if there is any.

Speaking of the traitor. I tried spinning the problem in every direction I could think of. There are too many possibilities still when you consider that important info might be withheld by Oda. For instance,  it is possible that Shinobu was captured and tortured 20 years ago, had her spirit broken and now secretely serves Orochi. Which would explain the contrast between the thorough and badass Shinobu from the past and the goofy and somewhat incompetent Shinonu from the present. Or the two are not the same person and the present one is an impostor. Still too many possibilities, and not only regarding Shinobu.

A word regarding Luffy/Joy Boy. I really don't think Oda is taking the path of some "reincarnation". I think only the will/drive for freedom is surviving and passing from individual to individual. But all is not about the will and ideal. One can only accomplish so much without some sort of natural power. Some people are forces of nature and blessed with attributes such as conqueror haki/ ability to hear the voice of all things/ ability to turn all the people around you into allies. There is one or more of such type born with those attributes in each generation. All of them will not use these abilities for good purposes. All of them will not become explorers or pirates, all of them will not have the opportunity to reach Laugh Tale and learn the secrets of the world. And even if they did, we understand now that they need at least the help of Poseidon to do anything about it. I think Montblanc Norland was a predecessor  of Luffy and Roger. He ran out of luck and got executed before accomplishing more. Roger was a "chosen one" as much as Luffy and Norland but was too early and he understood it. He was still the first to reach the last island since the void century and decided to make good use of this feat for the future. With Luffy we are only following the story of that one capable man who came at the right time, who was by any means luckier that all those who preceded him. The reason Oden really believes in the coming of a new Joy Boy in 20 years is because of what he heard from the sea kings and the actions of Roger. By talking of the One Piece and initiating a new pirate era, Roger ensured that the capable individual(s) of the next generation had a pretty good chance to strife for freedom and try to explore the whole world and its history.

[survivorwildwest]

Episode 1 - Still Hot, Still Sandy, Still a Buncha Liars

Jeff begins his narration as a train bends around the rocks of the Mojave Desert. He says, “Since humanities inception, societies rise and societies fall. Societies evolve. Societies change. And so, Survivor is once again changing things up!”

The camera pans to Jeff on horseback standing over the Grand Canyon, “Welcome to Survivor: Wild West! We’ve brought back some of your favorite Survivors from west of the Mississippi. They’ll be stranded outside an old ghost town in the Mojave Desert with only the supplies on their back and whatever they can scavenge in the remains of this town.”

“People forget, a lot of the first cowboys were black.” Carl says in a talking head before adjusting his hat.

Probst rides his clydesdale to the middle of an intersection. He looks around the skeletons of buildings and notices a saloon on the corner. He ties his horse to the hitching post outside and walks inside. The spurs on his boots spin as he steps in front of the cast. The 20 castaways sit around the saloon, at the bar stools and the poker tables, on the stairs and the piano bench. Jeff welcomes the cast of returnees to the new season. He first calls out Cao Boi, “Cao Boi, obviously, you’re the first person we call when we start to think about a Wild West theme.”

“It’s not the Wild West without a cow boy,” Cao Boi says.

“From one Cowboy to another, Colby, our first season in America, we need to get Colby Donaldson.”

“Yeah, I guess I was America’s Favorite Son for a while,” he answers.

“Still are,” Jerri interjects from the other side of the room.

“Jerri,” Jeff says turning his attention to her, “Why are you here on the Wild West season?”

“Well, I’ve already got the hat,” Jerri jokes as she tips her hat, “but, I’m just here to bother Colby. Same as always.”

Colby rolls his eyes and looks back to Jeff.

“Not excited to see Jerri, Colby?” Jeff asks.

“How could I not be excited to see Jerri Manthey? It’s been 20 years,” Colby says, presenting a purposeful smile.

Jeff then turns to Michaela, “Michaela, how old were you when Colby was first on Survivor?”

“I woulda been eleven, Jeff.”

Colby laughs at his own age.

“So, was Colby an idol of yours at that age,” Jeff asks.

“Honestly,” Michaela says, “not really. I mean, it was cool that he was from Texas and all cause I’m from Texas, but no I couldn’t relate to him. To hear you call him the proto-American, I just have to ask, ‘Who’s America?’ I just don’t see what makes Colby Donaldson any more American than Michaela Bradshaw.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Michaela,” Jeff says, “And with that, the season begins. Teal tribe, you are Suhtai,” he tosses the tribe to his left a satchel with their buffs and a map to their camp in some nearby hills. “Orange tribe, you are Tsitsistas.” He does the same for the tribe to his right.

“Your tribes are named after two Native American tribes who travelled together until the early 19th Century, the two tribes came together, or merged, and became known as the Cheyenne people,” Jeff explains, “Now, you have 30 minutes to scavenge this town. There are supplies hidden throughout these ruins. As of now, Survivor: Wild Wild West is on.”

Jeff leaves the saloon and the hunt for supplies begins. A few people dive over the bar for any bottles of alcohol they can find. Some whiskey, gin and red wine are found by Wendy Diaz.

“I don’t even really drink,” Wendy says in a talking head, “but I noticed the label on the wine bottle was a little... oh i don’t know... curled up in the corner, so I took it!”

Wendy runs off to a corner away from everyone else to unfurl the wine bottle. She crouches under a table to avoid any witnesses when she sees Russell and Brandon Hantz enter the room to chat.

“But then,” Wendy continues in her talking head, “Russell and Brandon showed up! And Russell is on my tribe!! And I hate Russell.”

Russell tells Brandon he’ll take care of him, he just needs to get to the merge. “Find an idol if you can,” Russell advises.

“But then,” Wendy’s narration continues.

Wendy removes the wine label when the Hantzs leave.

“There’s Gold in them thar hills!” She exclaims, reading the label in her talking head.

Wardog opens a crate of supplies behind the saloon where he finds rations, kerosene and a small tube he suspects is an advantage.

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a coyote sits on the porch of a saloon.

After the scavenging of the town, each tribe hikes to their camp. At the Tsitsistas Camp, Colby builds a fire and Ben gathers everyone around, “Alright, so let’s all introduce ourselves. My name is Ben Driebergen. I’m 37 years old. I have a wife & kids. I fought in the marines and then I played in Survivor: Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers and again last season in Winners at War. Who’s Next?”

“Yeah, hi, I’m Lauren, 23, I played in Edge of Extinction. No kids. No significant other. Just… little ol’ me,” Lauren says with a grimace.

“Uh, I’m Kass, Chaos Kass, you may have heard, I played in Cagayan and again in Cambodia… or Second Chances I guess”

“Hey, I’m Ken. I played Millennials vs Gen X. I was on the Gen X tribe. I am also single.”

“Hey everyone, yeah, I’m Brandon. I’m Russell’s nephew.“

Everyone stares at him and nods slightly.

“Hi, I’m Kim-”

“And, I just want you all to know,” Brandon continues, “I know last time I played, things didn’t look so great. I want you all to know, I’m good now. I’m not gonna throw any tantrums or any fits or anything. I’m gonna be good. I’m good now.”

Kimmi Kappenberg says, “Alright, I’m Kimmi, I played in Season TWO” she holds up two fingers, “And then again in Second Chances.” She mirrors the peace sign she made on the other hand for “Second Chances.”

“Hi, I’m Bi. I played in David vs Goliath but had to leave early because of an injury.“

“And I’m Lisa! I played in the Philippines like a hundred years ago.”

After a few minutes of small talk, people begin to go their separate ways. Ben, Brandon, Kass, Lauren, Ken and Kimmi use some wood they’d taken from town to build a shelter. Lisa pulls Bi aside to lend a shoulder if Bi wanted to talk about losing her opportunity. Colby continues to work on the fire as Michaela sits with him.

As the desert sun beats down on him, Colby rubs two sticks together. He sweats through his shirt. Michaela reaches in her pocket, “Colby,”

He looks up. Sweat drips from his eyelash into his eye.

“You think these might help,” and she pulls out a dry box of matches, “I found them next to a stove back in town. They’re old and they don’t look like they’ll work but it’s worth a try.”

“Sure. You know,” Colby says as he places the dusty match against its dustier box, “I don’t think of myself as more American than you.”

The match lights and he brings it to the kindling to ignite. He looks back to Michaela, “After everything going on, you know, the world’s fucked right now. Honestly, living in the desert for a month and a half sounds alright right about now,” Colby jokes.

“The world certainly is fucked right now,” Michaela laughs, “You’re not wrong, Colby.”

“It’s been fucked for you guys for a while though, right?”

“’You guys’ meaning black folks?”

“Well, yes and no. I just mean, people who don’t look exactly like me.”

“Ha,” she laughs, “sure, that’s true.”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

“It’s alright. You’re learning.”

“I know. I just feel bad.”

“I’m not asking for your pity, Colby. Just asking for your assistance.”

“You know,” he says, “I’ve been doing a lot of listening since everything started and what I keep hearing is ‘Listen to black women.’ So, that’s what I’m gonna do. I really do want to help, however I can.”

She looks at him, taking in his intention. She sticks out her hand for him to take and they shake hands.

“Colby’s a good dude,” Michaela explains in a talking head, “He means well. That’s good. ”

“Okay, so, with us working together now,” Michaela asks, “who would you recommend we go for first?”

Colby looks down toward Bi and Lisa, then at the group building the shelter, then back at Michaela, “How about Ben?”

“I don’t see why not. He’s already won. Have you won?”

“Not once. In 20 years, never once.”

“Me neither.”

The two of them stare down Ben from across the camp.

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a desert collared lizard scurries from the shade of one rock to the shade of another.

At the Suhtai Camp, everyone drops their things. Jerri immediately turns to Russell, opens her arms and says “Russell, my old friend!”

“Jerri, hello again,” he says.

“I saw your nephew is here.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” he chuckles.

Carl calls everyone to the center of camp and introduces himself, “Hi everybody, I’m Carl, I played in David vs Goliath, along with Elizabeth.”

“Oh, hi, yeah, Carl’s right, we played David vs Goliath together. We were on the Davids tribe.”

“Oh! I played my season with Taylor!” Hannah Shapiro exclaims.

“Hey everybody… I’m Taylor, or Tails. We played uh…”

“Millennials vs Gen X!” Hannah finishes.

“Well, I think I’m the only person from my season, I’m Todd,” Todd says.

“What’s up, man,” Taylor says.

“I’m the only representative from my season too. I am Cao Boi, obviously. I was on Cook Islands.”

“I was on the same tribe as Wardog!” Wendy exclaims.

“Wendy!” Wardog shouts, as if no one would have figured it out.

“We were on the Edge!” Wendy explains, “of Extinction!”

“Wendy’s funny, man,” Taylor says in a talking head, “She’s kinda uhh cooky but she’s fun, man.”

“Do you want to go get water,” Jerri asks Russell.

“Yeah,” he mutters, “Grab one of them young kids.”

Jerri looks over the crowd of people getting to know one another, then looks back at Russell and grins, “Let’s go.”

As they make their way through camp, Jerri turns to Wendy, “Do you want to come get water?”

Wendy nods and follows Jerri and Russell.

“So,” Russell starts with his deceptively charming southern grin, “What do you think of everyone so far?” 

“Well, so far everyone seems cool! Although, maybe I’m not the best judge of character. I didn’t make it far my first time out.”

Russell and Jerri make pouty faces at each other outside of Wendy’s view. 

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that this time, honey,” Jerri promises.

“Yeah, you’re with us now,” Russell assures her.

Wendy nods in agreement to Russell and Jerri, but in a talking head yells, “Who said I wanted to be in an alliance with you, RUSSELL?!”

The three of them find the camp’s well. It’s nestled amongst a rock formation. Overhead, there’s a sign deeming the well, “The Oasis." Wendy eyes a small hill on their way back, then explains in a talking head, “There was a little crease in the rocks where it looked like something could be hidden and the sand around it looked... weird... So, after we all got back to camp and sat around the campfire, I got up to use the bathroom aaaand…” she pulls out a two and half inch tall gold nugget, “There’s gold in them hills! It’s the idol!”

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a coyote surveys the landscape.

When he has a moment alone, Wardog sneaks off to open the advantage he found in the scavenge. He reaches a finger inside and finds a note reading “Extra Vote” and one voting parchment.

“Holy shit. Alright. Alright. That’s good.”

The next morning at the Suhtai camp, each survivor wakes from their tent and makes their way to the fire. Kass is the first person awake and begins to tend to the fire. Lauren wakes shortly after her and yawns for what feels like eternity, then sits near the fire with Kass.

“How long you been up,” she asks through the remnants of her yawn.

“Oh, just a little bit.”

“You go looking for an idol?”

“Please, Lauren, it’s far too early to worry about that.”

Ken saunters his way around the campfire from the tent.

“Morning folks, What’s on the docket for today?”

“There’s a challenge,” Kass tells him.

“Oh, right on. I think we’re pretty strong, so we should be alright. Didn’t you play soccer, Lauren?”

“I-- yeah, I did.”

“So you’re probably pretty strong. Michaela’s strong, Brandon’s probably strong, Bi’s a boxer so she must be strong.”

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a lone desert cottontail rabbit hops over and under the rocks, looking for shelter.

At high noon, both tribes head to their first immunity challenge. Jeff explains, “Each tribe will have a conestoga wagon. You must move your cart through various obstacles, disassembling and reassembling pieces throughout. Along the way, you will collect puzzle pieces. Then, two people from each tribe will solve the puzzle. First tribe to complete the puzzle wins immunity.”

Kass and Michaela are chosen as the puzzle solvers for Tsitsistas. Todd and Cao Boi volunteer for the puzzle on Suhtai.

Both tribes fumble a bit as they figure out how to situate themselves around their large conestoga wagons. Once they finally do, Tsitsistas takes a slight lead. Lisa is slow getting back to her position after the reassembling portion of the challenge. Brandon starts yelling they’re “not going to win” until Michaela yells from the puzzle, “Bro, just shut up and get it done.” The disorder causes Suhtai to catch up and take the lead, inciting Brandon further.

“We got it on the puzzle,” Michaela promises, “Be cool, Brandon.” 

Suhtai makes it to their puzzle first and begins working on it, but Tsitsistas is only a few steps behind. As soon as Kass places a tile, Todd is right behind her, then Michaela is right behind him, then Cao Boi next. The four of them are finding pieces with no trouble. When Suhtai goes up by a piece, Tsitsistas is right behind and vice versa. Todd and Cao Boi slam their final piece in and call Jeff. He checks it as Kass and Michaela continue working. “Suhtai thinks they have it,” he places one hand on the puzzle as he looks it over, “That is not right!”

Kass and Michaela clamor for Jeff. He does the same to their puzzle and announces, “Tsitsistas wins immunity!”

In a talking head, Todd blames the loss on Cao Boi after he placed two pieces in their opposite places, “I just don’t understand why you would volunteer yourself and then miss something like that!”

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a purple-throated hummingbird hovers over a nest.

Back at the Suhtai camp, the first vote scramble begins. Todd goes to Taylor first, “Look bro, we shoulda had that challenge.”

“Yeah, man.”

“Cao Boi fucked us,” Todd says, mimicking Taylor’s cadence, “He misplaced two of the pieces.”

“Why would he do that,” Taylor genuinely asks.

“I don’t know, man, but we gotta get him out.”

“You got it man. Let’s do it. I’ll talk to Hannah.”

Taylor wanders over to Hannah, who’s sitting with Wendy, “Han.”

“What’s up, Taylor?”

“So, I was just talking to Todd, he said it’s Cao Boi’s fault we lost. Yeah. So, we have to take him out.”

“Tonight?”

“I mean, yeah. Are you down?”

“Yeah, I mean, sure. That works for me.”

“Wendy, are you down to vote Cao Boi?”

“Sure!”

After Taylor leaves, Hannah asks Wendy if she’s got Wardog. 

“I think so. At least, I can get him to vote with us this time.”

“Okay, That’s good. Wardog’s good.”

“Wardog!” Wendy yells from across the camp.

“Wendy, hey, what’s up,” he asks as he walks over.

“What do you think of Cao Boi,” Hannah asks.

“I’ve got no allegiance to Cao Boi. You guys want to do Cao Boi tonight?”

“Yeah,” Hannah says. 

“Alright, let’s do it,” Wardog says.

Meanwhile, Cao Boi recognizes he’s being targeted. He goes first to Todd and explains, “Everyone here on our tribe has played with someone else on our tribe. Some people have played with people on the other side. You & me, though? We haven’t played with anyone else. Why don’t you and I start something?”

“What are you thinking?”

“Jerri and Russell, that’s a strong connection. They went far together in Heroes vs Villains. You know who else they went far with? Colby. Is there a better story in Survivor history than Jerri and Colby?”

“So, Jerri?”

“I’m just saying. With Jerri gone, Russell and Colby aren’t working together. With Jerri there, they might.”

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a bushel of daisies blow in the wind.

Wendy goes to Russell and Jerri to tell them the Cao Boi plan. They hear the plan, then Russell asks, “Who came up with this?”

“Todd,” she tells them, “Hannah and Taylor already agreed to it. And Wardog.”

“Thanks, Wendy,” Jerri says.

“This is very helpful information,” Russell says, sounding more condescending than he realizes.

In a talking head, Wendy is exasperated, “He talks to me like I’m a child. I can’t stand him. I wish we were taking him out tonight.”

After Wendy leaves, Jerri points out to Russell that Todd and Cao Boi are going to team up to take out the other couples. She believes she’s the target.

Somewhere in the Mojave Desert, a mantis prays.

Cao Boi approaches Carl and Elizabeth and gives them his pitch for Jerri. They hear him out and agree to the plan. He then finds Wendy shortly before Tribal Council. “Wendy,” he says, “We’re voting Jerri tonight.”

“Okay,” she agrees without question.

As the sun sets over the horizon and the temperature drops, the Suhtai tribe join Jeff around a campfire outside a cave. Unlike previous tribal councils, this season’s has only one row of seating around the fire so everyone is in full view of one another the whole time. The voting booth is inside a small cave in the nearby hills. “So,” Jeff begins with his infectious grin, “Here we are. Survivor 41. Tribal Council. How does it feel, Wardog?”

“Honestly, Jeff, it sucks. No one ever wants to be here.”

“How about being in the desert, Russell? Any different?”

“It’s still hot, still sandy, still a buncha liars. Don’t matter if it’s Samoa, Nicaragua, Fiji or right here in the Wild West. It’s still Survivor and I’m still the best at it.”

“Haha yeah, alright, dude,” Taylor laughs.

Jeff and Russell turn to Taylor to finish.

“You’ve never even won, dude. How can you call yourself the best?”

“Gotten a lot further than you, bro.”

“Alright, bro. We’ll see.”

“Are you voting for me tonight?”

“No,” Taylor laughs.

“Who are you voting for?”

“Cao Boi! He fucked us in the challenge! Todd said!”

“Alright,” Russell says with a quiet grin before he turns back to Probst.

“Alright, with that, It is time to vote. Taylor, you’re up first.”

Taylor gets up and proudly votes. The other nine make their votes. Jeff tallies the votes and returns to read the votes. “If anyone has the hidden immunity idol and you’d like to play it, now would be the time to do so.” No one stands up. Jeff reads the votes. “Cao Boi, Jerri, Cao Boi, Cao Boi, Cao Boi, First Person voted out of Survivor: Wild West: Cao Boi.”

Read Episode 2 Here

[sciencespies]

This Climate Detective Reconstructs What the Ocean Was Like Millions of Years Ago

https://sciencespies.com/nature/this-climate-detective-reconstructs-what-the-ocean-was-like-millions-of-years-ago/

This Climate Detective Reconstructs What the Ocean Was Like Millions of Years Ago

Smithsonian Voices National Museum of Natural History

Get to Know the Scientist Reconstructing Past Ocean Temperatures

June 8th, 2020, 6:00AM / BY

Juliana Olsson

As the ocean continues to warm, scientists look to the past for answers on how to manage today’s environmental problems. (Sophie McCoy/NOAA)

Brian Huber has always been curious about the past. As a child finding arrowheads on his family’s farm, he’d wonder who made the arrowhead, what the landscape looked like at the time, and what the arrow’s target was. So, when a college a professor introduced him to paleontology, he was hooked.

Now a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, Dr. Huber uses fossils to discover clues about past environments and how organisms lived. As part of the Meet a SI-entist series, Huber tells us more about his “climate detective” work reconstructing past ocean temperatures, and what makes him optimistic for the future.

What do you do at the Smithsonian?

I study microscopic fossils called foraminifera, which are single-celled organisms with distinctive shells. Their fossil record goes back at least 540 million years ago to the early Cambrian period, but they still live in the ocean today. Most of my research focuses on foraminifera that lived during the Cretaceous (145–66 million years ago). I look at the evolution and extinction of different species of foraminifera and analyze the chemistry of their shells to reconstruct ocean temperatures throughout Earth’s history.

Foraminifera are great “thermometers” for the ocean. The chemical makeup of their shells relates directly to the water temperature. Different species float near the surface and live on the ocean bottom, so you can get the whole range of the ocean’s temperature. These are three views of the same 91-million-year-old specimen, Marginotruncana sigali. (Brian Huber, Smithsonian)

How has your work changed since COVID?

Usually, I’m busy participating in committees, mentoring interns and post-docs and involved with lots of projects—all of which take time away from research. But right now, my calendar has really cleared! Working from home has allowed me to focus on finishing up projects that have been on the back burner, like getting through a backlog of data that I haven’t had time to write up for publication. I’m currently writing a paper revising a lot of different species of foraminifera in a group that’s been poorly defined for decades. We’re naming several new species and genera.

What excites you about working at the Smithsonian?

I love the opportunity to pursue research questions using the museum’s collections and specimens I collected through my own field work. I also like helping build exhibits like the Ocean Hall and Fossil Hall and educating the public. And I really enjoy working with my colleagues, they’re a great group of very talented, enthusiastic and motivated people.

The team behind the National Museum of Natural History’s Sant Ocean Hall reunited for lunch 10 years after the exhibition’s opening. Left to right: Jill Johnson (Exhibit Developer), Brian Huber (Curator of Foraminifera), Carole Baldwin (Curator of Fishes) and Mike Vecchione (NOAA cephalopod biologist). (Brian Huber, Smithsonian)

Today is World Ocean Day and the first anniversary of the opening of the National Fossil Hall. How does knowing about the ocean’s past change the way you think about its current state and its future?

The past is a framework for understanding how the natural system works today. The ocean sediment cores I’ve studied show that temperatures were very warm during the Cretaceous because of major volcanic activity that produced a lot of carbon dioxide.

CO2 is a greenhouse gas. It’s a blanket that’s kept the Earth warm for millions of years. But the rate that we are burning and releasing it into the atmosphere now is much faster than anything that’s happened before. We’ve burned 370 billion tons of CO2 since the 1850s, and half of that just since the 1970s.

We know from the past that the Earth and life are resilient. So, something will survive; the question is what. The biggest concern is how rapidly the ocean has changed, especially in the past few decades. People used to think of the ocean as too vast to be affected by what we do on land—that it would always be a reliable food source. Now, we realize that coral reefs worldwide are in peril, many fish species have been over-harvested and even accidental bycatch has caused drastic reductions among some marine life.

How do you find optimism for the future in all this adversity?

What’s amazing about humans is we seem to get ourselves out of many of the fixes that we put ourselves into. We engineer things to solve problems. The hope is that we can use technology to find a way to put the genie back in the bottle and to live lives comfortably but in a way that’s more environmentally sound.

I’m optimistic because technology and engineering keep improving the tools we use to solve questions from the past. As we learn more about the past, we better understand how Earth’s climate-ocean system worked and why some extinctions occurred, which can show us how to manage our current global environmental problems.

Another thing that gives me hope is the increasing amount of international collaboration in science. When we work together, we get multiple perspectives which helps us understand the world better. There’s a lot of exciting science going on, and the hope is that the public finds out about it and realizes how important science is in our lives—that you can’t ignore science.

Huber (left) with international colleagues from the 2009 Tanzania Drilling Project. (Brian Huber, Smithsonian)

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your career?

At a pretty early stage of my career, I found evidence for extremely warm temperatures around Antarctica during the Cretaceous. My argument was dismissed as too unlikely to have been real, but over my career, more fossil and chemical evidence have shown that there actually was a time when Antarctica was covered by forests and temperatures remained above freezing even during months of polar darkness.

So, it’s been my quest to build out the ocean’s temperature history further and further back into the Cretaceous. Answering that question has taken me to all kinds of places, including an ocean drill ship to get sediment cores to help construct ocean temperature records. In 2017, I was Co-Chief Scientist on a two-month-long ocean drilling expedition with 30 scientists from 15 different countries, and I’m excited to continue working on deep-sea samples that will reveal previously unknown details of Earth’s past. The amount of really incredible science that has come out of that International Ocean Discovery Program is just amazing, and I have especially enjoyed the collaborations and friendships that last long after people sail together. It’s like my experience being one of the lead curators on the museum’s Sant Ocean Hall—our core exhibit team still gets together once or twice a year.

Huber aboard the research ship JOIDES Resolution discussing drilling results at the core sample table during an International Ocean Discovery Program expedition in 2017. (Brian Huber, Smithsonian)

What advice would you give to the next generation of scientists?

Find something that excites you. What makes you curious? Maybe you’re more analytical or you like solving puzzles, using statistics or math. Just find something you’re interested in to motivate you.

Be open to asking questions and following up. Talk to the professor after class and say, “I wasn’t sure about this, can you explain more?” or “I’ve been wondering about this, I’m really excited about this, what can I do to find out more?” These days there’s so much online, there are all kinds of ways to dive in.

Finally, getting your research out there is really important—not just publishing, but also going to meetings and interacting with people in and outside your field. One of the most gratifying things in my career has been seeing how paleontology went from a pretty narrowly focused science to one that is really collaborative. Be open to collaboration because you’re not going to solve problems by yourself, there’s a lot of different angles that these things need to be tackled from.

Meet a SI-entist: The Smithsonian is so much more than its world-renowned exhibits and artifacts. It is a hub of scientific exploration for hundreds of researchers from around the world. Once a month, we’ll introduce you to a Smithsonian Institution scientist (or SI-entist) and the fascinating work they do behind the scenes at the National Museum of Natural History.

Related stories: Meet the Scientist Studying How Organisms Become Fossils Get to Know the Scientist Studying Ancient Pathogens at the Smithsonian Leading Scientists Convene to Chart 500M Years of Global Climate Change Here’s How Scientists Reconstruct Earth’s Past Climates

Juliana Olsson is an exhibit writer and editor at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Her favorite aspect of the job is getting to share her passion for the natural world with museum visitors (and occasionally getting to go on fossil digs and try out virtual reality headsets). Her least favorite part of the job is battling writer’s block. Before joining the Office of Exhibits, she received her Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University.

More From This Author »

#Nature

[newyorkroleplay-archive]

ADAM WILDE --

Birthdate: April 19th, 1988 ( 30 ) Gender and Pronouns: Male, he/him Hometown: New York, New York Neighborhood: Upper East Side, Manhattan Occupation: Bartender Faceclaim: Jesse Lee Soffer Trigger Warnings: Death, Drug Use, Gambling, Military.

BIOGRAPHY --

It is a fortunate rarity that stereotypes are correct, but Adam Wilde met every single one that was ever said about him. Born in 1988, Adam wasn’t the oldest, nor would he be the youngest. He fit somewhere in the middle of the Wilde family; and what a name it was for that family. He grew up knowing that they were able to skirt around the law and its interpretation. That ideology would follow him all throughout his life. As a child, he quickly learned just how to push people’s buttons and found entertainment in the reaction. He had a very good time growing up, oblivious at this point of the dealings that his father had gotten them into. He idolized his older brothers Adrian and Skyler, following them around like a puppy dog until they grew tired of him; and even then he stuck around. Getting through school, he was another ‘Wilde’ kid; in more ways than just his surname. He was rambunctious and curious about everything, finding that he did indeed love to learn, but taking instruction from an authority figure was where the problem lied. Call it upbringing, call it genetics, but either way; he struggled in school despite possessing the intelligence to succeed.

Miraculously, he made it to high school without being held back purely because of his lack of drive. Adam knew the material, and his teacher’s all knew he knew it, but there was almost nothing they could do to get him to do the work. He was far more interested in his life out of the classroom, as most teenagers were, but most teenagers didn’t have New York City as their personal playground. The Wildes were infamous, and he had grown to know just exactly what that meant. He loved it. Authority figures never seemed to warrant much respect from Adam, and no wonder; his father was a kingpin with his own underground empire. Their business dealings were almost legendary, though it was all kept very quiet. Otherwise, jail time would’ve been inevitable. Throughout high school, Adam did what he could to help out the family business. Whether that was taking shifts at the Haunted Star, pushing drugs through his school network, or overseeing some of the gambling rings they dabbled in. Gambling was his favorite. He loved the risk and reward scenario. Adam clearly had an addictive personality, but there was nothing at the time that made that problematic. He wasn’t using the drugs he was helping to push, and he had only dipped into the firearms market to take a simple pistol for his own protection. The gambling was another story. Nearly all of the money he was given by his father was tied up in one form of bet or another, and this was what he preferred, though his temper let loose whenever he lost.

Graduating, somehow, Adam was now unleashed on an unsuspecting society. He had no idea what he wanted to do with his life other than continue with what he’d done in high school. He wanted to keep the Wilde businesses successful, thus keeping his pockets flush with betting cash. The responsibility-free lifestyle couldn’t last forever. After a heated conversation with his father after losing a particularly lucrative bet, it was decided for him that he would enlist in the marine corps. Adam didn’t care one way or the other, it was another adventure and another opportunity to see things that he hadn’t before. A small part of him was a little concerned about the fact that he could die, but he had the ability to close off that possibility and ignore it completely. He was shipped off to basic training immediately, making a few friends and far too many enemies; mostly with the officers that were supervising him. A warning from his father about making something of himself was the only thing that helped him get through the brutal training. At that point, if he had showed back up at his father’s doorstep, a failed recruit, he would’ve been turned away. So he put on a mask of being the obedient soldier and carried on, making the cut and being stationed with a division in Afghanistan.

He was freshly twenty years old and ready to take on the world; literally. Adam was never quite sure who they were supposed to be fighting, but most of the time it felt like everyone in the small town they were stationed in was supposed to be an enemy. It didn’t take him long to ignore that, forming friendships with the locals and other marines stationed there alike. He was a like-able guy, especially when he put the charm on purposely. Soon enough, his instincts and old habits came back with a vengeance. Boredom and a long leash would do that. He had learned from the best and formed his own gambling den, betting on such banal things as cock fighting, the time a cow would give birth, boxing matches, and anything they could find. All good things eventually come to an end, and bad things weren’t much different. His illicit dealings had lasted an amazing three years before  his superior officers were alerted. They came down hard on him, embarrassed that something like this had gone on for years under their noses and in various locations across the bases. Dishonorably discharged, twenty three year old Adam went back to his father’s house with much more experience than either of them had expected. He had feared that his father would turn him away, the threat having rang through his mind since basic training at eighteen, but he did no such thing. He embraced his youngest son and brought him back into the family business fold with no hesitation.

Adam was home; in more ways than one. He was back doing what he was comfortable with, and what he had tried to recreate overseas. His second home was the Haunted Star, being among people that needed him. Well, they needed his family’s product or their fun to be had, but in his mind they were the same thing. He loved to be needed and relished in his role by his father and brother’s side. He thrived in a place where most did the opposite. Meeting Daphne a few years after coming back from Afghanistan was icing on the cake in his mind. She was gorgeous and there was something about her that kept drawing him in, unlike any other girl that he had met and been around. She could have easily been a one off, but something in his body wouldn’t let him let her go. What she saw in him, he wasn’t sure. He was charming, he knew that because he worked hard to be able to put on that face, but she was someone who was able to see right through him nearly all the time. She had no idea about his family’s dealings, and he intended to keep it that way, despite how appealing the idea of having some sort of Bonnie & Clyde-esque relationship was. The world was a scary place and he wanted to protect her as much as he could. Not letting her get involved with the drugs, gambling, and firearms business was something he could control.

Everything seemed to change when Adrian was killed. That wasn’t something anyone saw coming, least of all Adam. Somehow the idea that they were untouchable had permeated his mind. The world felt fragile now without Adrian Wilde in it. To say that Adam was devastated was an understatement. He had always looked up to him, following in his footsteps as a child literally and then metaphorically as an adult. He began to use the product that his family had been peddling for years, as a way to numb his mind from the ache of a missing limb; his missing brother. He was throwing himself into his hedonism, risking things that made him happy. Daphne. His quick wit. His ability to gamble smartly. And he was doing the opposite. He was losing money hand over fist because he would make bets while high and not care about the outcome at the time. Destruction is fast becoming his go to state of being, unable to cope with the shift in his family dynamic.

PERSONALITY --

( + ) charismatic, loyal, sociable. ( - ) callous, deceitful, narcissistic.

[sciencespies]

Ocean creatures mysteriously swim in circles, and scientists don't know why

https://sciencespies.com/nature/ocean-creatures-mysteriously-swim-in-circles-and-scientists-dont-know-why/

Ocean creatures mysteriously swim in circles, and scientists don't know why

A beady-eyed shark encircling its prey is a classic scene known to many ocean lovers. Except this captivating circling behavior is not all it seems, according to a new study that has observed whales, penguins, and sea turtles swimming in circles, too.

“We’ve found that a wide variety of marine megafauna showed similar circling behavior, in which animals circled consecutively at a relatively constant speed more than twice,” says marine biologist and lead author Tomoko Narazaki from the University of Tokyo, Japan.

Tracking their movements in three dimensions and looking at where and when tagged animals tended to circle, the researchers have come up with a host of possible reasons why. But of course, the research throws up more possibilities to ponder than it has answers, so let’s dive in.

The researchers first noticed these mysterious circling behaviors in green sea turtles, which had been tagged and tracked using 3D data loggers as part of another study.

“To be honest, I doubted my eyes when I first saw the data because the turtle circles so constantly, just like a machine,” says Narazaki, who has also studied why sea turtles swim so slowly.

“When I got back in my lab, I reported this interesting discovery to my colleagues who use the same 3D data loggers to study a wide range of marine megafauna taxa.”

What they found was that sea turtles were not alone: whales, sharks, and penguins showed more or less the same circling movements as well.

To study this broad range of marine animals, the researchers teamed up with local scientists and field volunteers in Japan, the Comoro Islands off the east coast of Africa, and the Crozet Archipelago, further south in the Indian Ocean, with some help from the British Antarctic Survey also.

They tracked 19 animals in total, including tiger sharks, king penguins, Antarctic fur seals, one goose-beaked whale, and a whale shark.

Before this, marine life has been tracked far and wide, but either down to high-pressure depths or horizontally across the ocean surface, using depth recorders or satellite tags.

Multi-sensor data loggers, the likes of which this study team used, have now made it possible for researchers to measure fine-scale animal movements across depth, latitudes and longitudes, and down to a timescale of seconds – an impressive feat in Earth’s expansive oceans.

You’d think swimming in a straight line would be the most efficient way to move about – and it is, from the perspective of saving energy. But in an open ocean that’s blue in all directions, animals making a beeline from one place to another might be swimming straight past a feast of an opportunity, so best be curious and circle.

Some of the circling displays were recorded in areas where the animals typically forage for food. For instance, four tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) tagged off the coast of Hawaii circled up to 30 times and down to nearly 130 meters (426 ft) in their feeding grounds.

However, the Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) circled mainly during the day even though they primarily feed at night; meanwhile, a group of playful king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) mostly circled at the surface in between deep food-gathering dives – so there’s clearly more to the story than food.

That said, other marine creatures do use extraordinary circling motions to capture prey.In 2019, humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) were seen creating a ‘net’ of bubbles as they swam in rings to trap fish. So each to their own.

Mating rituals might be another possible explanation, with one tagged male tiger shark trying to court a female partner by swimming around her in circles.

But the most surprising finding to Narazaki was seeing a couple of homing sea turtles swimming in circles as they approached their nesting beaches. One turtle in the study circled 76 times one day and 37 times the next, selecting the correct direction to swim in after intense deliberation.

This observation has the research team thinking that circling behavior might also play some role in navigation. Their hunch is that migrating sea turtles may swim in circles to detect gradients in Earth’s magnetic fields which they use to navigate across the oceans and to find their way home.

There’s likely not just one answer to this aquatic puzzle, as the animals could be circling for a multitude of reasons.

“For example, some animals might move in circles to enhance prey search while simultaneously collecting geomagnetic information,” the researchers write.

“Others, such as elephant seals drifting down like falling leaves, might maintain directional sense by geomagnetic scanning while resting in seemingly featureless mesopelagic depths.”

All in all, this study is big on collaboration but only small in numbers, and it lacked information on the presence of nearby animals that could have influenced the animals’ behavior.

Still, marine scientists around the globe should be able to put this new technology to good use in search of more clues as to why marine animals swim in circles.

The findings could also help establish a clear baseline to later identify the impact of external factors – such as shipping traffic – on animals’ movements, behavior and navigational abilities.

The research was published in iScience.

#Nature