#but vindication is on the horizon folks

[destialpal]

Buck is up in that helicopter stressing about the water, Eddie is up there stressing about being in a helicopter again. They get separated on the job. They’re still stressing bc of trauma and now they can’t find their partner/are worried about their partner. When they see each other again it’s a huge sigh of relief. They can breathe again. Bc on top of facing their trauma, they also had to face the idea of loosing the other again.

We get more talking out their own trauma separately and surrounding each other, we get talking about the will, we get them talking about how they don’t want to live without the other period. We get confessions.

In the words of Nancy Pelosi, “tic tac toe. A winner”

[leftnotright]

PROOF APOLLO WEARS HAWAIIAN SHIRTS

“The Tri-Ni-Sette machine is failing. The world will die.” “We can’t do anything going forward. Going backwards, however, is another matter.” Ryohei had his mission: To go back. To before the most recent Arcobaleno Curse, to before the slaughter of the Simone. To before the Tri-Ni-Sette System finally gave out. Ryohei was used to loss, in the ring and in life. But this time, he promises, he’ll win. Reborn had his mission: Get in this man’s pants, or die trying. After all, Reborn was nothing if not an Icarus.

(Or: The ‘size matters’ fic)

Parings: Reborn/Sasagawa Ryohei Characters: Reborn (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Ten Years Later Sasagawa Ryouhei, Sasagawa Ryouhei, Vindice (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Arcobaleno (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Checker Face | Kawahira Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ryouhei Time Travels

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

CHAPTER 8: YOU'RE SO GOLDEN

The Simone Islands were hot and just a little bit humid. 

Sand peppered the cracks in between the bricks and stones of the paths. A windmill groaned on the horizon on the east side of town. A fountain bubbled in the centre of the square, a sandstone plaque engraved with the name ‘Cozzarto’ .

A gaggle of girls giggled as they walked past, wrapped in pretty dresses of bright reds and pastels. A team of young men worked to heave crates and sacks onto a cart bound for the Simone docks. An elderly couple walked arm in arm, skin dotted with age and sun, faces creased with laughter lines. 

The Simone Islands were hot and just a bit humid. The Simone Islands were alive. 

Ryohei took in a breath, smelling that bay air and freshly tilled soil up on the hills. 

“How are you liking the place?” A man asked, joining Ryohei at his side, fountain spray touching their cheeks. 

Hair a blazing red, and pupils crossed with the stigma of Simone, Abramo, the grandfather of a boy who would be Enma, smiled at Ryohei. His jaw was speckled with stubble that he scratched at with only four fingers; his middle finger lost in an incident at the mill. His mother, rest her soul, said it was redemption for using it so much to offend people. 

“It’s great,” Ryohei said, voice almost light with awe. 

“Ain’t we just!” Abramo agreed, and gave Ryohei a solid pat on the back. “From our women to our wine, you’ll never find anything quite like us!”

The last time Ryohei had set foot on this land, he had never even reached the town. Far down in the thicket, the Simone Islands had been hauntingly quiet. 

The thought that all this was washed away. In a single night. Right in front of the young eyes of Enma’s Family— 

Ryohei looked at the grimm shape that hung above the ground like a man from a noose. 

“Ah, of course,” Abramo turned and looked upon that shade. “Allow me to introduce Basker Ville, our local lurker. Not much of a talker, let me tell you.” 

Basker Ville, the Vindice guard, which haunted the mountains and shores of the Simone Islands. Ryohei had never heard of him before, one of the many wrangled bodies in those damp halls. Now, the first line of defence against the complete undoing of everything.

Ryohei gave his new brother-in-arms a smile. 

Basker gave a low groan that sounded like something heavy dragged across stone. 

“Ryohei,” Abramo said, throwing his arm around Ryohei’s shoulders. “I hear you’ve been moved into the Vindice’s new base down in the old quarry. I’ve been there; bit of a creeping damp problem. If you ever need a break, come hang out with us up here!”

Abramo was trying to be welcoming, and set an example for the rest of the island, which watched on with bated breath and careful eyes. They weren’t used to outsiders after centuries of exile. And so many had come. Ryohei, even after three days now, was merely the most recent of the swathe of folk to the island.

Like Abramo had said, almost overnight, a deep, cavernous hole had been bored into the walls of the vacant quarry. With skill and speed befitting the corpses of history’s Best, a base had been constructed out of the layers of cracked stone and calcified coral. The Vindice had made their home under the feet of the Simone.

The island was shaken, to have the Wardens beneath their floorboards. 

Most of them didn’t even know why.

Only the main branch of the Simone had been told by Bermuda personally. From there, it was up to the Family’s discretion who on the island needed to know. 

“Thanks!” Ryohei smiled, and without hesitation, threw a reciprocal arm over Abramo’s shoulder as well. “Hey, do you know anywhere good to eat around here? The Vindice aren’t big on meals. Ghouls and all. No offence.”

Basker Ville grunted, bandaged face completely unmoved.

Abramo grinned. 

“My good man, let me introduce to you the wonders of Simone-style cuisine.”

Maybe it was the weird herbs that grew on the island, maybe it was the centuries as a closed community, or maybe it was the adventurous palletes of people who were so in tune with the earth they walked upon, but Ryohei had never seen these kinds of variations before.

The Simone did beautiful things to a steak. Their minestrone had an almost minty sting at the end. Their rosemary tarts were kind of spicy. 

‘Flash pickled’ was an entire range of goods, and compared to traditional pickling, it had a distinctly warmer undertone. Depending on the intensity, it could almost taste smoked. 

There was this specific rock that when boiled in sugar and a particular root made the sugar change colour and pop in your mouth. They had more kinds of beer in a single space than seemed anyway safe, and dear God, their wine.

Ryohei happily kicked his feet under the table as he ate his nth meal of the morning. Abramo nearly sick with laughter as the plates stacked up, a group of Mountain Flame folk cheered Ryohei on. 

“It’s your own fault, Kozato!” A waitress laughed as she put down a cup of sweet tea in front of Abramo. “You basically challenged the man when you said you’d pay. He eats more than a Mountain.”

“It’s just so good!” Ryohei groaned, clearing off his plate with his spoon. 

Despite the isolation, Italian blood was thicker than any mulled wine and one attribute had stayed over the generations: food brought people together. And the head chef of this fine family diner, an old woman with a spine like a question mark and a grip that could crush diamond, was all but singing Ryohei’s appetite praises as she pinched his cheeks bruised.

In the corner of the family diner, Basker Ville stood like the monster at the end of the bed. At his feet, a trio of girls sat, threading paper flowers into the holes of his gnarled coat, a pile of red paper napkins between them. 

Their mothers watched on with growing warmth. Basker Ville did not move an inch.

Ryohei grinned as another plate of pasta was brought out to him, with seafood straight from the Simone Bays. He dug into it with gusto, feet doing a little tappy dance on the red tiled floors.

“Ryohei.”

Ryohei looked up as a shadow loomed over his table, and the scent of something damp and something rotten crept into his nose. Ryohei swallowed his pasta, refusing to let it go to waste despite how the taste had soured on his tongue.

“Hi Jaeger,” he waved with his spoon. 

Basker Ville came floating over. Ryohei spied the red paper flowers lining the bottom of his tattered cloak. 

Jaeger looked at the state of his coat. Basker Ville made no move to remedy his uniform. 

Jaeger seemed to sigh. Then he turned back to Ryohei who was packing his pasta into a takeaway box.

“You are to return to Base,” Jaeger announced. “The Machine is ready to be witnessed.”

Abramo looked up sharply, a breath taken from between teeth. 

Ryohei grinned, feeling a surge of excitement and hope bloom in his blood. He stood without further prompting, takeaway under his arm.

“Ready when you are!”

“May I come!?” Abramo nearly choked out, standing as well. The diner was quiet as they watched. “I — I would like to come as well. To see the Machine.”

Jaeger turned his head slowly towards the head of the Simone Islands, regarding him with icy silence.

“Huh? You haven’t seen it yet?” Ryohei blinked, looking at the Simone man beside him. “Dude! Sure, come on!”

“ Boy —” Jaeger began, frustration clear in that single utterance.

Basker Ville appeared behind the two mortal men and in a flurry of tattered cloaks and red paper flowers, Ryohei and Abramo were plunged into that wet stench of decay and rot. Ryohei grunted as he landed on his behind, the butt of his shorts instantly damp. Abramo stood beside him, grounded and unshaken.

“Earths,” Ryohei grumbled.

Abramo laughed and helped Ryohei to his feet, “Up we go.”

Ryohei pouted as he pulled at his shorts, peeling the wet khaki from the back of his thighs with great tactile discomfort. 

Basker Ville groaned and turned to lead the way, navigating halls of sandstone and bedrock, lined with carved-out pillars that harkened back to the Roman Headquarters. Bits of seashells and ancient coral pocked the walls. Abramo trailed his fingers along the wet tunnel, feeling the layers of stone and the passage of time that had built the very land his ancestors walked upon.

Ryohei waddled after them in his wet shorts.  

The sandy floors crunched into stone, and Ryohei was tempted to see if his breath would fog as they walked deeper into those tunnels that wound and twisted beneath the island of the Simone. At one point, he heard Abramo murmur, “We must be near the tavern,” like he could have somehow mapped their progress by memory.

Basker Ville gave a soft huff in response. It sounded like the rattling of rusted plumbing.

They walked for a few more turns, the hallways branching off and splintering with doors lining the way. Ryohei glanced at one as they passed, ‘Maintenance Room 3’ the plaque read. 

Ryohei snickered. 

It got colder. Ryohei felt his skin pebble with goosebumps. Abramo rubbed his arms. Their footsteps splashed in shallow puddles that pooled in the grooves of carved stone. It smelt of sea water and dead fish. 

The tunnel curved down steeply, bits of seashell and sand slipping under their sandals. 

A door stood at the end of the dark tunnel, layers upon layers of Vindice chain crossing the large stone and steel slabs. Basker Ville groaned as he approached the doors, a dark Flaming hand outstretched. The door warped, darkness leaching through the cracks. It spread like a mould and smelt equally as musty, moist and rotten. Basker Ville stepped aside, and Ryohei stepped through the portal.

The ground was hard-packed stone under Ryohei’s sandals, and the scent of fish was deftly cut by the sharp stench of hot, welded metal and solder. The room was a cavern freshly carved out of the island, gems and mineral deposits dotting the walls and vaulted ceiling, those gleaming riches now unimportant and just another part of the structure. Three grand doors were in each third of the room, each one made of metal and stone and chained down like a Vindice criminal under watch. 

Multiple Vindice ghouls floated around, their coats cast aside or sleeves rolled high on their thin, bandaged arms. They carried crates of scrap metal, tanks of butane and coal, and bags of sand. They crouched as they worked with spanners, floating high overhead as they bent beams into arches. 

A tunnel off to the side burnt red hot, waves of pure heat wafting out as the sand was dragged in. Faintly, Ryohei could hear glass shatter.

Wires of copper and coolant branched like bulbous roots, sprawled across the floors like wandering vines. Seven large metal bases had been built into the bedrock floor, arching structures of red-hot metal beams wound tightly together like the bud of a rose about to burst into bloom. They stood grand in the centre of the room, at least two men tall and catching the light of Flame and fuse as the Vindice welded. 

Ryohei crossed the room, stepping over the wires carefully. They were heavy; if he bumped them, Ryohei didn’t doubt that he’d be the one to move before they did.

He reached the seven bases, lined up in the centre of the cavern. Seven spots, for seven Flames. The new batteries, the new Machine to save the world.

Ryohei touched the base. The metal was cold. It was incomplete. The Machine had no power. 

“This place,” Abramo uttered as he stepped out into the cavern, looking around in wonder. He looked up at the rocky roof. “We’re under the church.”

“Indeed. Your church was built upon the part of your island that went deepest below sea level,” Bermuda’s childish voice rang out as he floated over. Behind him, Jaeger followed. “I see you’ve arrived finally, Ryohei.”

“Yeah,” Ryohei answered, still squatting beside the centre base. He took a long breath that tasted of burnt metal. “You guys have been busy. It’s looking good.”

“But unfinished,” Bermuda said, and looked upon the metal frames. “I hoped to be further along. To test this theory.”

“It’ll work,” Ryohei said, voice stern and sure. 

Bermuda regarded him coolly, unfazed. He couldn’t let himself be moved so easily. Not again.

“A theory,” Bermuda uttered.

Ryohei gritted his teeth, but let the topic lay.

“So,” Abramo spoke softly, coming to touch the machine as well. “This is where you want us to put our Earth Flames?”

“Correct, once the Machine is complete, we will require you and your most powerful representatives to inject your Flames,” Bermuda said.

Ryohei looked at the Machine, still just a skeleton of the one Ryohei had helped power in his youth. There was a distinct difference though — this one was bigger. Even now, in its stripped-down state, Ryohei could tell this Machine would amount to something mammoth. 

When it was finished. 

“What’s the part you’re stuck on?” Ryohei asked, rapping his knuckles against the metal base. 

A Vindice ghoul grunted at him in warning.

“Two components,” Bermuda sighed and floated towards that small tunnel that wafted with heat and glowed an ominous, sweltering red. 

Ryohei stood up with a groan and followed after him, as the stench of a hot kiln grew stronger. 

The room was solid stone from ceiling to floor; trails of scorch and smoke climbed the walls. Metal rods leant against anvils, great sheers and tongs littered tables. Several bodies of exposed bandage and rot worked the room, shovels in blackened hands as they fed the three, gaping, hungry mouths of the furnaces, carved out of the bedrock of Simone Island. 

Abramo coughed as he stood behind Ryohei. The air was dry and leached life from his throat as he tried to breathe. 

A Vindice corpse lumbered across the workshop, metal rod in hand. They dipped the end in a vat of something utterly molten. Steadily, they twisted and dipped, twisted and dipped, until a great blob of red hot sat perched on the rod. The Vindice crossed the room, still twisting to keep that mass from drooling off, and poked it into the belly of the furnace. 

They took a breath. Their stomach expanded, their barrel of a chest rose. They pressed their gnarled, dry lips to the end of the rod and blew. 

The blob ballooned, and swelled, and the Vindice raced to a large, metal chamber — a mould — and blew again. The molten balloon grew. Back and forth they ran, tempering, heating and blowing until the metal chamber caught the edges of the red bubble. And with another great gust of breath, the bubble took shape, a cylinder, two men tall, and cast in glass inches thick.

Carefully, two other Vindice transferred the slow cooling glass to the far side of the room. The floor sparkled and crunched under their shoes. They set the cylinder in place, a kind of bareboned version of the Machine’s base. Still sealed at the top with warped glass, the chamber was almost rosie as it cooled, and as the last blotch of heat leached away, a Vindice ghoul raised their hand.

Flames of Night erupted within the cylinder. It flickered and swayed, seeming to eat at the light around it.

The glass cracked. A long, spider-webbed split that grew, and stretched, and clawed its way across the glass. 

Ryohei threw his arm up as the chamber exploded. Glass rained down on their heads, all small shards and fine crystal powder.

“Five seconds,” Bermuda mused. “A new record. Well done.”

The Vindice in the room nodded in thanks and swept up the shards to be poured into the vat, melted, and everything began again. 

“The first issue we have met is the container. The blueprints call for glass specifically, but no glass we craft can contain Flames. The frequency they emit when pure is too much for it,” Bermuda explained, watching the craftsmen try again, and again, and again.

Hands blackened, bandages soaked in sweat and fluid, lips chapped and cracked. Cuts and burns littered their broken bodies. In the light of the furnace, they glittered, glass in their hair and embedded in their skin.

Bermuda watched.

Steadfast. Stubborn. Too willful to lie down, even in death. His Vindice would persist.

Ryohei dusted the glass on his arms into the vat and shook out his shirt. 

“So you need some special glass or something?” Ryohei asked as he picked bits out of his hair. 

“In short,” Bermuda uttered. Then Bermuda turned and, without preamble, floated from the room. “The second issue is more technical. Whoever designed this Machine was a genius. Whoever scribed it, however, was an idiot.”

Ryohei grinned. He didn’t have the heart to tell Bermuda that the ‘genius’ and the ‘idiot’ were one in the same. Verde, nor Tabolt, were very good at explaining their creative process. 

“It is taking a small team to decipher whatever madness their handwriting and lexicon is.”

Ah, that was Tabolt, definitely.  

“Haha, sorry ‘bout that! In their defence, they were in a rush!”

“Clearly,” Bermuda muttered. “No matter. They’re making progress. Whether it be through your ‘Verde’ or the Vindice, the instructions will be deciphered.”

“That’s the spirit!” Ryohei cheered and gave Bermuda a pat on the back.

The Vindice Boss wobbled in the air, before he gave Ryohei a sharp and scathing glare. He rightened his hat with a huff.

Ryohei gave a sheepish smile. Abramo snickered.

Ryohei looked around eagerly as they exited the tunnel and crossed that central amphitheatre that housed the metal bones of the Machine. Just seeing it, the tangible progress towards his Family’s Will — it was enough to inspire Ryohei again. Lit the fire under his feet.

He couldn’t wait to get out there and track down Verde. 

Bermuda led them to another one of the three doors and a portal warped to life. On the other side of the chain door was a staircase. Made of stone, coral and dangerously steep, it reached up, up and disappeared behind the curve of the earth. 

They climbed those stairs, Abramo trailing his fingertips along the wall, feeling the jut of ancient sea shells and slate. Their soles crunched on the sandy stairs, and slowly, Ryohei could feel the soft touch of a breeze across his face.

The stairs reached a landing made of stone, scratched and slashed with chisel marks. On one of the walls were five deep divots, lined up and worn in, like some sort of shelf. Abramo let out a sound of recognition.

“Wait, this is—” Abramo uttered and looked up.

Ryohei followed his gaze and saw a trap door, old and metal. He looked to the divots — a ladder — and climbed. He reached the trapdoor and pushed. The metal hinges groaned, dust and dirt crumbled from the seams. 

Ryohei breathed deep.

He could smell incense.

Ryohei blinked, eyes adjusting after so long underground. He looked around. Pews sat before him, old and well-worn, even with their glossy finish. Stained glass windows lined the stone walls, depicting prophets and saints. Candelabras flickered, barely visible against the slanted afternoon sunlight.

Abramo had said the Machine was built under the church.

He heaved himself up and out of the hatch, the rough lines between the tiled floor bit into his palms. 

Ryohei felt his nape catch alight and scorch down his back.

Ryohei spun. The mortar dug into his knees. 

That tall, lithe silhouette sat in position of pride upon the altar, one knee crossed over the other. Around him, candles were in their stands, each one warm and lit, leaning and flickering as if to reach and touch sun-kissed skin. A burnt match hung from his fingertips, the smoke curled.

They tilted their head and Ryohei saw the shadows peel away, and a satisfied smile was lit by the sweet touch of golden hour. The sun caught those black eyes and shone like something precious, something great. Full of life and freedom. The Greatest. 

Ryohei grinned with teeth and heart. 

“Reborn.”

Reborn, the very embodiment of the golden hour and dripping with light, shadow and heat upon that flaming altar, smiled back.

“Hello Ryohei.”

[cksmart-world]

SMART BOMB

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

By Christopher Smart  

May 30, 2023

NO HOAX — WITCHES EXONERATED

A dozen convicted New England witches have been vindicated 370 years after their executions. Dozens were dispatched for witchcraft in colonial America — and that was way before the scourge of social media. In different times folks now affiliated with QAnon could face the dunking wheel. Don't go getting any ideas, Wilson. Last year, Massachusetts formally exonerated Elizabeth Johnson, the last person convicted in the Salem Witch Trials. She was spared the noose and lived to be 77. Some historians say she suffered from mental instability that was mistaken for special powers. Colo. Rep. Lauren Boebert and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem might have been strapped to the dunking wheel for their special powers. If they didn't confess to witchcraft they'd be drown. If they did admit it, they were hung. You're right, Wilson, it is kinda like when a Republican is asked whether or not they support Trump. The comedy about witches, “Bell, Book and Candle,” it is not. Someone has cast a spell over congressional Republicans and undoing it will be tricky, said Democrat Elizabeth Warren. It would require Trump's little toe, a pot of heated chicken's blood, a shock of Mike Pence's hair, the guts of a toad, epsom salts, a Waring blender and a squirt gun. Nobody said it would be easy.

EVADE THE WOKE MIND VIRUS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

If you want to be safe from forced Marxist indoctrination — escape to Florida. Gov. Ron “Churchill” DeSantis, is riding in on a self-righteous stallion to save us: “We fight the woke in the legislature. We fight the woke in the schools. We fight the woke in the corporations. We will never, ever surrender to the woke mob.” He champions the “Stop Woke Act,” that would keep schools and businesses from making white people “feel guilty or get distressed” by banning the teaching of the hideous poisons of slavery, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement and Critical Race Theory. Now, DeSantis is running for president to save the whole country from, the scourge of Black history, diversity, trans rights, homosexuality and women's reproductive health. But wait, there's trouble on the horizon. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled large parts of the Florida law are unconstitutional. What the hell? Paraphrasing George Orwell's novel “1984,” he said, “The clocks were striking 13 and the powers in charge of Florida’s public university system declared ultimate authority to muzzle professors in the name of ‘freedom.” He issued a temporary injunction stopping enforcement, saying the law is “positively dystopian.” Freedom from Marxist indoctrination will have to wait. Sure.

FDA APPROVES BRAIN IMPLANTS — BAD NEWS FOR CONGRESS

Imagine a future where old folks don't forget names, idiots aren't idiots and conservatives like Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan can tell the truth from lies. No Wilson, we are not making this up. The FDA approved Neuralink's request to begin clinical trials where devices are implanted into human brains that link to computers. The company, owned by Elon Musk, is developing electronic implants that could restore debilitating functions, like paralysis, and could even teach monkeys how to play computer games. For Marjorie Taylor Greene it could be a real game changer. She would know that the “Gazpacho Police” are judges of soup not Nazi cops and that Monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease. A computer chip would be sewn into the surface of the brain to the RAM equivalent of Einstein. This would allow 88-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to know what day it is. But Sen. Mike Lee would't sign up for one because he's smarter than any computer. He even knows when it's time to duck out of a coup before heads roll. On the other hand, it would be great for Utah Rep. Burgess Owens. He could discover that he can vote however he wants despite instructions from Kevin McCarthy. Maybe not — that's a lot to ask of a computer.

Post script — That's a wrap for another wonderful week here in the promised land where we keep track of drag shows in St. George so you don't have to. The city council there is being sued for putting a drag on drag shows. Freedom of speech has to stop somewhere and in Utah's Dixie it's when men with beards and hairy arms don bustiers and dance around in spike heels. It's just not right and the mere thought of it drives city leaders up a wall. The Southern Utah Drag Stars filed the legal action in federal court alleging St. George discriminated against them by denying a permit to shake their booty in a public park. In related news, St. George Mayor Michelle Randall will again allow public comment at city council meetings. They were suspended earlier when a group brandishing signs proclaiming “Save Our Children” raised a ruckus, called the mayor and council communists and accused them of trying to make “St. George the drag queen hub of the West.” Caught between drag queens and angry vigilantes the mayor said public comments could resume if they were “respectful” and not “obscene or profane.” The “Save Our Children” folks won their demand for First Amendment rights while denying Southern Utah Drag Stars theirs. Let freedom ring.

Well Wilson, when you think about it, witches don't get a lot of respect. Donald Trump takes their name in vein and hey're always getting blamed for... just about everything. So wind up the guys in the band and ring out a little something for those New England maids who had it even worse than drag queens:

Susanna Martin was a witch who dwelt in Amesbury With brilliant eye and saucy tongue she worked her sorcery And when into the judges court the sheriffs brought her hither The lilacs drooped as she passed by And then were seen to wither A witch she was, though trim and neat with comely head held high It did not seem that one as she with Satan so would vie And when in court when the afflicted ones proclaimed her evil ways She laughed aloud and boldly then Met Cotton Mathers gaze "Who hath bewitched these maids," he asked, and strong was her reply "If they be dealing in black arts, ye know as well as I" And then the stricken ones made moan as she approached near They saw her shaped upon the beam So none could doubt 'twas there The spectral evidence was weighed, then stern the parson spoke "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live, tis written in the Book" Susanna Martin so accused, spoke with flaming eyes "I scorn these things for they are naught But filthy gossips lies" Now those bewitched, they cried her out, and loud their voice did ring they saw a bird above her head, an evil yellow thing And so, beneath a summer sky, Susanna Martin died And still in scorn she faced the rope Her comely head held high

(Susannah Martin — lyrics unknown)

[tybaltsjuliet]

must see horror movies?

the cabinet of dr. caligari (1920). the first cult film. the first horror film. the sets! the somnambulist! the cultural debts we owe this movie will never be repaid.

häxan (1922). a folk-horror fantasia. i've been thinking a lot lately about that teju cole quote about how fiction and nonfiction is not a natural way to split up narrative experiences, and this is a wonderful example of that.

frankenstein (1931). and, really, all of the universal horror movies. but to get your foot in the door at the monster mash, this one is the way to go.

the night of the hunter (1955). robert mitchum as the most sinister of ministers. you can argue that this isn't a horror film per se, but i'll argue harder. one of my favorite pieces of southern gothic, too.

(horror of) dracula (1958). the best of all dracula films and the place to begin with hammer horror. (the sequels get mad campy. but no less entertaining.)

psycho (1960). you don't need me to recommend psycho but i'm doing it anyway and i am doing it for anthony perkins, who deserved a goddamn oscar for this.

night of the living dead (1968). dawn and day are equally worthy for different reasons but nothing beats the locked-down nightmare that started it all.

ganja & hess (1973). this is the only gothic vampire romance that matters. like so much great horror (see: the night of the hunter, above), and especially great horror by marginalized creators, this was rightfully vindicated by history and yet still deserves to be vindicated harder.

the wicker man (1973). summerisle's got everything: christopher lee; bawdy folk songs; phallic maypoles; the battle between christian law and order and the old ways' rights and rites; A CHILD. if you've gotten this far in life without knowing the ending, go watch this immediately before that can change. not only the best folk horror movie of all time, but possibly one of the best movies of all time, period.

the texas chain saw massacre (1974). i didn't see this till 2020, somehow. i thought i was desensitized to whatever it might throw at me after spending my adolescence bragging about getting through a serbian film and thinking house of 1000 corpses was the funniest thing i ever saw. i was dead fucking wrong and i'm so glad i was. every now and then you come across a movie, new or new to you, that reminds you why you're so in love with a genre and revitalizes your passion for it. texas chain saw did that for me.

the omen (1976). my favorite religious horror movie of all time, even more so than the exorcist. also has what i personally consider the scariest scene in any horror movie (the graveyard sequence). gregory peck having been a lifelong devout catholic really adds a certain je ne sais quoi to his performance as the father.

halloween (1978). what is horror without the slasher, and what is the slasher without halloween? i really don't care about your freddys and your jasons. michael myers is where it's at.

hellraiser (1987). like texas chain saw, one of the classics that really puts the horror back in horror. a complete fucking nightmare from start to finish, and the cenobites aren't even the worst of it.

event horizon (1997). yes, see alien. yes, see annihilation. but don't neglect this (literal) hellscape of an outer space horror movie. it is neither glossy nor groundbreaking but it is deeply committed to being horrifying and it succeeds.

el laberinto del fauno (2006). nothing like a fairy tale about a princess of the underworld set against the backdrop of franco's spain to remind you that no one is doing the blending of fantastic horrors and very, very real horrors like guillermo del toro. not to mention that the creature designs in this movie are off the charts - the faun is the most beautiful being i have ever seen.

over the garden wall (2014). (not technically a movie but watched all together it's only about two hours and this is my list, so.) don't let the cutesy old-fashioned cartoon style and jaunty songs fool you. what starts off as charming, if unsettling, folksy quirkiness quickly gives way to another terrific fantasy horror. i watch this annually at halloween and it fucks me up every year.

last night in soho (2021). i hesitate to put something with a plot pretty much entirely revolving around rape and SA on a "must-see" list, but if that is subject matter you're not highly sensitive to, this is a terrific angle on the rape revenge horror movie. not as crass as the, uh, classics of the subgenre, but not defanged to the opposite end of offensiveness like a certain other blonde-led "revenge" movie i won't name. another one of my personal favorites.

[dua-yinepu]

-147-

The first gate: the name of its gatekeeper is "Inverted of Face, Multitudinous of Forms"; the name of its guardian is "Eavesdropper"; the name of the announcer in it is "Hostile-Voiced."

Words spoken by the Osiris Ani, the vindicated, when arriving at the gate: "I am the great one who makes his own light. It is so that I might adore you, Osiris, that I have come before you, the one purified by the efflux within you against which the name of Rosetjau was made. Hail to you, Osiris, in your might and your power. Raise yourself up, Osiris, in Abydos, so that you might circulate around the sky and that you might row before Re, so that you might see the folk. O you with whom Re has circulated, behold I say, O Osiris, to me belongs the dignity of a god. What I have said happens. My arm shall not be repulsed from it by the wall of charcoal. Open the way in Rosetjau, so that I might cure the sickness of Osiris, so that I might embrace the one who cut out his own divine standard, who made his way in the valley. O great one, make the path of light for Osiris."

The second gate: the name of its gatekeeper is "One who opens up the breast"; the name of its guardian is "Seged-face"; the name of the announcer in it is "Wesed."

Words spoken by the Osiris Ani, the vindicated, when arriving at the gate: "He lifts himself up, acting in front of these three, making judgments and one who protects Thoth. Do not be weary, you just secret ones, you who lived on truth in their years. I am the one weighty of striking power, the one who makes his own way. I have traversed, so make a path for me. May you allow that I pass and rescue. May I see Re among those who make offerings."

The third gate: the name of its gatekeeper is "One who Eats the Putrefaction of his Posterior"; the name of its guardian is "Alert of Face"; the name of the announcer in it is "Gateway."

Words spoken by the Osiris Ani, the vindicated, when arriving at the gate: "I am the secret one of the cloudburst, the one who separated the Two Companions. It is in order that I might drive evil away from Osiris that I have come. I am the one who clothed his own standard, who emerges in the Wereret-crown. I have established offerings in Abydos. Open the way for me in Rosetjau because I have relieved the sickness in Osiris. I have painted his perch. Make way for me so that he might shine in Rosetjau."

The fourth gate: the name of its gatekeeper is "One whose Face Repels, One of Multitudinous Voices"; the name of its guardian is "Alert One"; the name of the announcer in it is "One who Repels the Crocodile."

Words spoken by the Osiris Ani, the vindicated, when arriving at the gate: "I am the Bull, the son of the Kite of Osiris. Behold, you witnesses for his father, the possessor of his grace. I have cut off harm from him. I have brought life for him at his nose for eternity. I am the son of Osiris, make a path for me, so that I might pass by in the God's Domain."

The fifth gate: the name of its gatekeeper is "He Lives on Worms"; the name of its guardian is "Shabu"; the name of the announcer in it is "Hippopotamus-faced, One who Charges Opposite."

Words spoken by the Osiris Ani, the vindicated, when arriving at the gate: "I have brought to you the jaws which are in Rosetjau. I have brought to you the backbones. I have united his many parts thereby. I repulsed A/p/o/p/h/i/s for you. I have spat upon his wounds. Make way for me among you, for I am the eldest among the gods, purifications for Osiris. I have protected him in triumph. I have gathered his bones and I have pulled together his limbs."

The sixth gate: the name of its gatekeeper is "Seizer of Bread, Raging of Voice"; the name of its guardian is "One who Brings his own is "Sharp of Face, Belonging to the Pool."

Words spoken by the Osiris Ani, the vindicated, when arriving at the gate: "I have come today, I have come today. I am the possessor of the Wereret-crown, the assistant of the magicians. I have protected truth. I have protected his eye. I have rescued the eye of Osiris for him. Make way so that the Osiris Ani might go off with you in triumph."

The seventh gate: the name of its gatekeeper is "One who Prevails over Knives"; the name of its guardian is "Great of Triumph"; the name of the announcer in it is "One who Repels the Demolishers."

Words spoken by the Osiris Ani, the vindicated, when at the gate: "I have come before you, Osiris, so that I might be pure of evils. May you circulate around the sky, may you see Re. May you see the folk. O unique one, you are in the night bark as he circles the horizon of the sky. I say what I please his dignity, to his power. It happens just as he says (even if) you repel (me) from him. You have made for me all the goodly paths to you."

Recitation when reaching the seven gateways. It means that this blessed spirit will be able to enter these portals. He shall not be turned away; he shall not be repelled from Osiris. One shall allow that he be among the blameless blessed spirits in order that he might prevail among the chief followers of Osiris. As to any spirit for whom this is done, he shall be yonder as a Lord of eternity in one flesh with Osiris. Do not use for anyone else - take great care!

Plates 11-A, 11-B, part one.

[teammuseadventures]

Chapter 6 - Breaking Convention

Part One: First Impressions

The sun shone high in the sky as the Nereid approached the coast, gliding over the waves at a slow and steady pace. After over a week at sea, and a couple of stops, at last Team Muse was prepared to land on the mainland once more, and to make the final leg of their journey to Northamer— and hopefully to find Dodge.

"Avast!" exclaimed Alexei, standing at the helm and eagerly pointing off toward the horizon. "Land ho, off the starboard bow! All hands on deck! Look alive, me hearties!"

Gogo just crossed his arms irately and sulked. "Would you cut it out with the nautical jargon, Alexei? Just because we’re sailing, it doesn’t make you a pirate, and it’s getting annoying now."

Alexei sighed deeply and resumed his usual speaking voice. "Oh, come on, dude. Lighten up, would you? I’m just enjoying myself a little. Aren’t you the least bit excited? We’re finally about to reach Northamer!"

"Oui, Gogo," added Julienne. "This is your home, is it not? I expected that you would be très joyeux to be returning after such a long time. Do you not wish to see your family?"

"First of all," replied Gogo, shaking his head, "not to disparage my family, but I wouldn’t mind staying away from them for a while longer. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but I have two brothers and three sisters. That many people under one roof… it’s too chaotic for me. And secondly… you do know that Northamer is a really big place, don’t you? I wouldn’t exactly call this my home. Truthfully, Alexei, even if your friend really is somewhere on this continent, I have no idea how you’re going to find him."

Alexei looked back at Gogo again, trying (unsuccessfully) to conceal his consternation. "I thought that was why we brought you along. You said you were familiar with this area, didn’t you?"

Gogo shrugged. "I’m familiar with my area, Trono Woods. If we end up there, I can help you. But if we’re coming in from the south, I think most of the territory around here is probably claimed by the Kingdom of Acorn. I’ve never been there before."

Alexei groaned in frustration and buried his face in his hands. "That would’ve been very useful information for me to have known before we came all this way, Gogo…"

"It’s not my fault," Gogo whined. "You never asked."

"Gogo…," growled the echidna, brow furrowed in annoyance. "Consider yourself lucky I’m not a pirate. Otherwise, I think I could be entertaining the idea of keelhauling you right about now…"

"C'est assez, Alexei," said Julienne, intervening between her two friends and trying to calm them both down. "Nobody is being hauled across the keel. Let us just focus for now on reaching the land and figuring out where we are, shall we? We will worry about finding Dodge later."

"Fine," answered Alexei. "I guess it’s probably a good idea to go ashore now and look for someone or something to help us regain our bearings before we start wandering around the countryside. From what I've heard, the Kingdom of Acorn is a pretty heavily populated place, so it seems like a logical area to start looking for Dodge. We'll go from town to town until we find a lead."

Alexei pushed the throttle forward and piloted the small hovercraft closer at a quickened pace. As the vessel neared its destination, the group could see more clearly that the beach they had seen on the distant horizon was actually a thin, sparsely vegetated sandbar, which formed a natural barrier between the ocean and a large area of wetlands comprised of grasses sticking straight up from the water. Without solid ground on which to stop, Alexei slowed the craft down and ventured over the sandbar and into the marsh, taking care not to do any damage to the natural ecosystem. After several minutes gliding through the grass at a cautious crawl, the group found themselves floating up a green river into a mangrove swamp, with the trees and a thick veil of mist blocking out most of the sun and creating an eerie, shaded ambience.

"Alexei…," said Gogo, trembling with anxiety. "Wh-where are we going? Th-this place d-doesn't look v-very inviting…"

"There's got to be some solid land around here somewhere," said Alexei, undeniably a bit nervous himself. "I'm sure if we just keep going upriver, eventually we'll find someplace to stop..."

Gogo just shook his head. "I don't l-like this, Alexei. I've got a b-b-bad feeling about this p-place... With all these trees and this f-fog, I can't tell if we're coming or going. Wh-what if we get lost in here?"

Julienne nodded. "Alexei… I do not agree with Gogo, généralement, but… in this case, perhaps he is right…"

"Shh," said Alexei, curtly cutting off Julienne's objection before whispering, "Quiet. Do you hear that?"

Julienne and Gogo went silent as Alexei eased the motor down to a full stop. Without the hum of the engine, the group was able to hear the full, cacophonous din of the swamp—the crickets chirping, the bullfrogs croaking, the birds twittering, and… music? Yes, faint as it was, it was unmistakable. Echoing off in the distance, through the mist, the uncanny twang of banjo strings being plucked could be heard just up ahead.

"La musique…," said Julienne.

"See?" gloated Alexei with a vindicated grin. "I told you guys. There's got to be somebody here playing that."

Gogo gulped, still not very convinced. "Yeah… but is it somebody friendly?"

Alexei placed his hand back on the throttle and eased the hovercraft into resuming a slow crawl. "Only one way to find out." Moving forward, the lilting strum of the banjo grew gradually louder and louder, until, through the haze, the group could make out a building alongside the river, with a small dock extending into the water. The building on the shore was a small, rickety-looking wooden shack, its roof green with moss. Sitting on the edge of the dock, with his legs dangled over the water, was the banjo player—a young muskrat, no more than 14 or 15, his focus exclusively occupied by his music. As the hovercraft got closer, Alexei once more killed the engine, hopping out on deck to wave to the young musician. "Ahoy there!" he called out. "Uh… do you mind if we moor our boat here?"

The muskrat stopped playing and looked up. As the strange craft approached, he stood and answered back with a confused shrug, "Sure y'cain, mister. That's what the dock is fer."

Satisfied that he had permission, Alexei stepped back to the helm and gently brought it alongside the dock. "Julienne, Gogo," he barked, "grab the mooring ropes and tie us off." Julienne and Gogo obeyed, quickly springing into action and lashing the Nereid in place. When the craft was finally still, the three friends disembarked onto the dock, where they were greeted by the muskrat with his banjo.

"Hello," said Alexei with a friendly wave. "I'm Alexei, and these are my friends Julienne and Gogo."

"Howdy, y'all!" answered the muskrat with a warm, welcoming smile and a pronounced drawl. "Mah name's Skeeter. That sure is a strange-lookin' boat y'all got there, mister. Ah ain't never seen nothin' looks like that on the bayou before. Y'all ain't from around these parts, are ya?"

"No," chuckled Alexei apprehensively. "That's a hovercraft. I built it myself. We just came across the ocean from Soumerca. But the three of us actually came from even further away, in Eurish. Do you mind telling us where we are? I think we're a bit lost, to be honest."

"And we are also in great need of the supplies, si possible," added Julienne.

Skeeter set down his banjo and nodded. "Oh, well, y'all're in the Southern Baronies, don'tcha know. This here's the town of Gator Creek. If'n ya need stuff, y'all came to the right place. This building righ'cheere is Pelican Joe's General Store. He can sell ya whatever y'might need."

"Really?" said Alexei, perking up. "That's great! Say, um… we're also trying to get further inland, to the Kingdom of Acorn. Would you happen to know the easiest way to get there?"

Skeeter went quiet for a moment, the smile fading slowly from his face, then shook his head. "No, mister, Ah'm afraid not. Ain't no way inland from here, 'less'n ya wanna cross through the rest of the Great Swamp. But why would ya wanna go to the Kingdom of Acorn anyway? Ain't nothin' worth seein' there."

"We're looking for a friend of mine," Alexei explained. "We've spent the past several months trying to track him down, and we think he might be somewhere in the Kingdom of Acorn."

Skeeter sat down and started slowly plucking his banjo once more. "If'n that's true, I s'pose y'all oughta know, y'all got about as much chance of findin' him now as ya do catchin' a one-eyed white gator with nothin' but a potato sack… I hear tell, ain't many people left there asides robots, on accounta Robotnik. Why, they's rumors of a town inland a ways from here, 'cross the swamp, a place called Mobius Corners. They say th' entire place is a ghost town now, practically, 'cause all of the folks got roboticized and done disappeared without a trace. We's safe here, 'cause we got the swamp protectin' us. But goin' to the Kingdom of Acorn now… why, you's practically givin' yourself to Robotnik on one o' them fancy silver plates."

Alexei's heart practically burst at hearing the news. Could it be possible? Team Muse had come all this way— across the desert in Efrika, through the rainforests of Soumerca, over the stormy ocean. Now, at last, after months of travel, they had finally reached their destination, only to find that it may all have been in vain, and Dodge may have been roboticized after all? "No…," he gasped breathlessly, refusing to accept this grim assessment. "No, you're wrong… Dodge is smart. Like, really smart. He… he wouldn't get captured by Robotnik… If it came to that, he'd find a way to escape, just like we did…" Seeing how shaken her friend had been by the muskrat's words, Julienne reached up her arm and wrapped it around Alexei's shoulder, to comfort him.

Skeeter looked up at Alexei with a sympathetic sigh himself. "Well, shoot. Ah didn't mean nothin' by it. Ah'm sure ye're right, an' yer friend is safe. Ferget I mentioned it. If'n yer fixin' to go through the Great Swamp, though, y'all should do it before night falls. The bayou's a dangerous place ta be in the dark, 'specially if yer not from around here…"

"Come, Alexei," Julienne interjected. "Time, it seems, is of l'essence. We have the supplies to gather, rappelles toi?"

"Y-yeah, okay," answered Alexei, still visibly shaken. "I guess we ought to get that done and be on our way." Taking a moment to regain his composure, Alexei motioned to Julienne and Gogo to follow him off the dock and into the shack. Skeeter resumed playing his banjo.

The interior of the general store was lit from above by four evenly-spaced hanging lanterns, and lined with shelves packed with assorted bottles and cans and bags, with a few rusty old metal signs adorning the walls. Sitting back on a stool behind the counter, with a small electric fan plugged in and running beside his cash register, an old pelican with spectacles waved to the newcomers as they entered. "Howdy, folks! What can I do fer y'all today?"

"We just arrived in town," explained Alexei. "We're just stopping here briefly to stock up on supplies before we continue on our way. Do you mind if we just look around?"

"Sure, sure," said Pelican Joe with a smile and a nod. "Where you folks headed in such a hurry, though, if y'all don't mind me askin'?"

"The Kingdom of Acorn," answered Alexei. "We're looking for a friend of mine."

Pelican Joe shot Alexei a perplexed look. "Well… y'all know you're actually in the Kingdom of Acorn now, right?"

"Really?" asked Alexei. "But the kid outside told us we were in the Southern Baronies."

"That too," said Pelican Joe. "It's… a bit complicated. Y'see, the Southern Baronies are technically part of the Kingdom. But most folks here are none too happy with the royals governing over us, so I wouldn't go around willy-nilly tellin' people you're plannin' to go there, if I was you."

"Oh, I see," said Alexei. "Thanks for the tip."

Pelican Joe leaned forward and set his elbows on the counter. "Don't mention it, young fella. Shame y'all have to be on your way so soon, though."

Gogo perked up. "Hmm? Why's that?"

"Well," answered the pelican, "'cause y'all are gonna miss the big convention."

"La convention?" asked Julienne, peering over from browsing the selection of groceries. "What convention?"

"There's a big art convention here in town this weekend, startin' tomorrow," said Pelican Joe. "Our local governor, Baron LaPin, is a big patron of the arts. A couple years back, he and his wife came up with the idea to hold an annual convention here in Gator Creek, to attract all sorts-a creative types from around the area to show off their works. Built a fancy new convention hall fer it and everything. Nowadays practically the whole town is in attendance. Here, I got a flyer for this year's attractions right here." Pelican Joe hopped up off his stool and grabbed a piece of paper off the wall behind him to hand to Alexei. The echidna began skimming over it, before freezing, his mouth agape in shocked incredulity.

"Alexei? What is wrong?" asked Julienne, alarmed by his reaction.

"Guys…," said Alexei, still trying to regain his breath. "You're never going to believe this… It says right here, one of the artists displaying this weekend… is Edgerton Cam!"

Julienne shook her head, her eyes widening in amazement. "Tu blagues! But, Alexei… is that not the photographer that your friend was serving as an apprentice? That means…"

Alexei beamed jubilantly. "It means that Dodge… could be coming with him, here!" He passed the flyer to Julienne and Gogo. "Okay, guys, change of plans," said Alexei. "We have to check this out. Even if Dodge isn't coming here, it's the first solid lead we've found to determining his whereabouts. So… it looks like the three of us are going to an art convention!"

"Quel excitant!" exclaimed Julienne, reading over the advertisement. "I have never been to a convention before! Oh! Et selon cette affiche, there will be a showcase of cuisine from all around Mobius!"

"Let me see that," said Gogo, snatching the flyer from Julienne and browsing it himself. His eyes lit up. "Ooh! Hey, guys, look! It says here there's going to be a film festival! And William Catner will be in attendance, to do a Q&A panel on method acting!"

"Wait… the William Catner?" asked Alexei. "The star of Chao in Space?"

"Is there another William Catner?" retorted Gogo. "Apparently, he's here to promote the sequel, Chao in Space 2: Perfect Chaos Strikes Back."

Alexei chuckled to himself. "Boy, I bet he gets pretty tired of doing the convention circuit after a while. Chao in Space fans can get a little… obnoxious sometimes…" Looking back at Pelican Joe, the echidna asked, "Excuse me, sir, could you tell us where we might be able to stay for the night, and where we could find something to eat?"

Pelican Joe thought for a moment. "If y'all're lookin' fer a good meal, the best place around here is Bert's Diner. Just go upriver a bit further, into the heart of town. It's right on the main road there, on the way to the convention center. Ya cain't miss it. As fer someplace to stay… that'll be a far sight trickier. Most of the inns around here are prob'ly booked full up fer the convention by now. Y'all can try—ya might get lucky… but I wouldn't bet on it."

"Hmm, I see," said Alexei with a shrug. "Well, in that case, I suppose we could just park our hovercraft somewhere and camp out there for the weekend. We've done it for more than a week now already. What's a few extra nights?"

 After the group had bought enough supplies from the general store to sufficiently stock up for the rest of the weekend, Alexei piloted the hovercraft further upriver. Sure enough, as dusk began to set, the lights of the village of Gator Creek gradually flickered on, revealing a small haven of civilization in the midst of the swamp. Alexei found an open space along the river not far from the main area of town, beside a large oak tree draped with Spanish moss, and moored it there on the riverbank. Once it was secure, the three friends walked up the berm and into town. Just as Pelican Joe had said, they found Bert's Diner on the righthand side of the main road and stepped inside.

              "Hmm," said Alexei, looking around. "Looks like we might have a bit of a wait, guys…" Indeed, the small eatery was absolutely packed with patrons; all the booths were occupied, there was not a single open stool at the counter, and there was a small group of Mobians waiting just inside the door to be seated. Alexei pulled his friends aside with an uneasy smile. "I guess the rest of the convention attendees got here early. What do you think, guys? Should we stick around?"

              Julienne shrugged. "I do not mind waiting pour le diner ce soir. It will be the relief to have a fresh-cooked meal again, after the week of rationing our food. Not to mention, I am très curieux to see what sort of food is served in the Southern Baronies…"

              "I'm with Julienne," said Gogo, sniffing the air. "Something here smells wonderful."

              "Okay, then," said Alexei with a nod. "It's settled."

              The group waited there for a few minutes before a waitress came over to seat the guests in front of them and noticed them standing there. The waitress was a young Mobian raccoon, with short blonde hair, grey fur, and wearing a paper hat and a pink dress. "Howdy, folks! Sorry for the wait. The weekend of the art convention is always really busy like this. How many?"

              "Just the three of us," said Alexei.

              "My name is Roxy. I'll be your waitress this evening," said the raccoon. "It'll just be about another fifteen or twenty minutes, if y'all don't mind."

              "That's fine," replied Alexei with a polite smile. "We can wait."

              "Thanks for understanding, said Roxy. "You'll be next." Roxy showed the other guests to a booth, leaving Alexei, Julienne and Gogo standing there.

              A little more than fifteen minutes passed. In that time, a few other small parties of Mobians entered the diner, and waited behind Team Muse. Finally, Roxy returned to seat the group in a booth that had just opened up, and gave them menus. "Can I get you folks started with some jalapeño poppers? Or maybe the soup of the day?"

              "Ooh, soup sounds good," said Alexei.

              Julienne nodded. "Je suis d'accord. Make this two, s'il vous plait."

              "Three," added Gogo. "I don't like jalapeños. Too hot for me."

              Roxy jotted down the order on her notepad. "Alright, three soups, coming up. I'll give you all a few minutes to look over the menu and decide what else you'd like."

              "Oui, merci," said Julienne, opening her menu to look inside. Roxy nodded quietly and stepped away from the table. After a few moments, Alexei looked up and said, "Dear Walkers, this crowd is impressive. I don't think I've seen this many people in one place since we were back in Empire City. If Dodge is here, I sure hope I can find him with this many other people around…"

              "Hmm," murmured Julienne. "Maintenant que tu le dis… this whole time we have been traveling, I do not think you have ever told us very much about him. I do not even know what your friend looks like."

              "Oh!" exclaimed Alexei. "Yeah, I guess it would help if you knew more about him. Well, let's see… appearance-wise, he's pretty distinctive. He's a lynx with white fur and glasses."

              "White fur?" said Gogo. "That's odd. I thought most lynxes had brown fur."

              "He's leucistic," said Alexei. "He told me all about it. It means he's a bit of an anomaly. The rest of his family has brown fur, but he was born with white. He told me it's the reason his family gave him his real name, Shiro."

              "Shiro, huh?" replied Gogo. "Where'd he get the name Dodge, then?"

              Alexei thought for a moment. "You know… that's a really good question. I'm not sure if he ever told me. You'll have to ask him yourself."

              Julienne unwrapped the napkin in front of her, with her silverware inside. "You said he was from the Dragon Kingdom, oui?"

              "Yes," nodded Alexei. "He told me he lived on a small island in an archipelago off the eastern coast of the mainland, near a town called Kawa Crossing. His parents and his grandfather live there too. Or, at least they did the last time I spoke with him. It's… been a while."

              "How did you meet?" asked Gogo.

              "Well, I told you we both hacked Robotnik's communications satellites, right?" said Alexei. "It was… about three years ago now, when I still lived with my family in Albion. There were three of us: me, and Dodge, and our other friend Remainder. You haven't met him, Gogo, but Julienne and I ran into him in Soleanna before meeting you. Dodge and I bonded over a shared interest in computers and art— he showed me his photographs and his cameras, and I showed him my paintings. Aside from my sister Anna-Re, he was really the only person I'd met at that point who actually thought my artwork was anything special. And I think the bond was mutual, too. As far as I know, his family homeschooled him, so Remainder and I were like the first two people his age whom he could really call friends. We just instantly connected. You remember how it was like when you and I first met, don't you, Julienne? It was something very similar with us. And he was also the one who really encouraged me to stand up to my father, and to tell him I wanted to be an artist and not a scientist like him. He was the one who suggested I should leave Albion, and set up my own studio elsewhere." Alexei paused with a smile. "You know… I just realized… if it hadn't been for Dodge's help and encouragement in striking out on my own… I don't know if I would have ever met either of you. I'd probably still be back in Albion right now, continuing down the path my father wanted for me."

              "Well, then, we must thank Dodge when we see him," said Julienne with a warm smile of her own. "I cannot imagine these past few years sans toi, Alexei. I would still be trapped in that burrow in the forest, by myself."

              "And I… don't know where I'd be," said Gogo. "After the theater fired me, I had no idea what to do with myself. I could have ended up on the street. You two coming along when you did was a stroke of amazing luck."

              At that moment, Roxy returned to the table with a tray, upon which she carried three small bowls of soup. Setting a bowl in front of each of the three friends, she said, "Alright, here ya go. Three soups of the day. Are you folks ready to order now?"

              Alexei flipped through his menu. "Hmmm… the Bert Burger with fries looks good. Could I get one of those, and hold the pickles… aaand a lemonade?"

              "I think I will have une salade du jardin et un… sweet tea, s'il vous plait," said Julienne. "I am watching my figure."

              "Oooh!" said Gogo. "Foot-long chili dogs! I'll take two, with extra cheese! And a side basket of onion rings, and a large root beer! … And maybe a small coleslaw."

              "Got it," said Roxy, taking the group's orders, and stepping away from the table. "I'll have Bert get on these orders right away."

              Gogo looked up to see Alexei glancing at him with a cockeyed expression. "Dude," said the echidna, "that seems like a lot of food. Are you really going to eat all that?"

              "I'm hungry," answered Gogo defensively.

              Alexei shrugged, unwrapped his spoon from his napkin, and began eating his soup. The first taste was surprisingly flavorful— a mix of savory and salty and a slight sweetness, unlike anything else he'd ever had before. "Mmm! Hey guys, you have to try this soup! It's really good!"

              Julienne took a small taste of her own soup, and was instantly delighted. "Oh! Tu as raison! C'est delicieux!"

              Gogo sniffed his bowl of soup cautiously, then tried a bit as well. It was so delectable, he began slurping it down quickly, and within moments, he had devoured about a third of his bowl. "Hey! This is great! What do you think this stuff is? I've never had anything like it before!"

              "Je ne sais pas," said Julienne with a puzzled look. "But we must ask! If it is possible, this is a recipe I would gladly collect!"

              "Excuse me," said Alexei, calling Roxy over to the table as she walked by.

              "Is everything alright?" asked the raccoon.

              Alexei nodded. "Oh, yeah, more than alright. We were just remarking to each other how great this soup is. What is this?"

              "Oh, you like it?" chirped Roxy gleefully. "That's our daily special: Possum Stew."

              Alexei and Julienne abruptly froze with expressions of complete revulsion. Gogo, completely aghast at this new revelation, choked and hacked and coughed violently, then managed to stutter, in a wheezing voice, "P-P-Possum… stew??" Shakily, he looked down at his half-eaten bowl, and noticed his own reflection in the broth, staring back at him. The image was too much, and holding his hand over his mouth, he jumped up out of the booth without hesitation and raced toward the restroom.

              "Oh dear," said Roxy with a worried frown. "Is he alright?"

              Breaking the tension, Julienne slowly slid her bowl away from her, did her best to conceal her disgust, and anxiously laughed, "Oh, erm… Do not mind our friend. He will be fine. He has simply been un peu, how you say… 'under the weather' lately. Now, this 'Possum Stew', vous dites? Wherever did you acquire such a… unique recipe? This is a… regional delicacy?"

              "No, ma'am," said Roxy, shaking her head. "We're the only place around that serves it. It's a special recipe created by one of our other servers, Ms. Possum. That's why Bert decided we ought to name it in her honor. It's good, isn't it? I don't know exactly what all's in it, because the spices are a trade secret, but it's the best veggie stew in the bayou."

              Alexei and Julienne simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, then exchanged glances. With another sigh (this time out of reluctance), Alexei shrugged and answered Julienne's silent coaxing. "Yeah, okay. I guess I better go find Gogo and check on him…"

                The next morning, having spent the night sleeping in the Nereid, Team Muse awoke bright and early and made their way over to the convention center. It was a huge concrete brick building with large windows, surrounded on three sides by undeveloped swampland; it was located about fifteen minutes' walk from the main town, through the forest. The main entrance was on the side facing away from the swamp, with a large meadow where people could congregate. After standing in line for nearly an hour, the group paid for three two-day passes, which were given to them in laminated name badges on lanyards so as not to be easy to misplace. At the door they were also each given a small bag containing a guide booklet to the convention, and a small keychain branded with the words MobiCon '36. As the three friends entered the main hall of the convention center, they were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event— there were colored lights and speakers pumping out pleasant music, mounted atop the metal pillars supporting the structure from the inside, and all around there were Mobians everywhere, just wandering aimlessly around the enormous indoor space. "Sacre bleu!" exclaimed Julienne, awestruck by the sight. "It is… so much bigger than I expected it to be!" Taking note of a group of nearby Mobians in strange attire, she turned to Alexei and said, "Huh… C'est bizarre. Why are those people dressed up in such a way?"

              "Oh, them?" laughed Alexei. "They're just cosplaying. A lot of people who attend conventions like this enjoy going as characters from television or movies or comics. It's sort of like what Gogo does. The only real difference is, they're not actually going up on stage. They just walk around like that."

              "Interesting…," added Gogo, his eyes wandering toward a dark-haired female bat in a gothic costume with a corset and a particularly short skirt. "Seems a bit like method acting. Sometimes, to get prepared for a role, I stay in-character even when I'm not on-stage."

              "Yeah, it's sort of like that," said Alexei. "Except they just do it for fun."

              Looking up straight ahead, Julienne noticed a large arrangement of kiosks, with what appeared to be shelves of merchandise for sale. "Alexei… qu'est-ce que c'est, over there?"

              Alexei pulled out his guidebook and flipped through it, until he found a map of the convention center's layout. "Hmm… according to this map, that's the Dealers' Showroom. Stores from all over the region have representatives there, selling items from their stock to convention-goers."

              Gogo pointed in a different direction, toward an area with dozens of tables, each one with at least one Mobian sitting by it. "And that? What's that?"

              Alexei grinned. "Oh, that? That's Artist Alley. That's the space reserved for independent artists to promote themselves. You can check out their work, and most of them will even take custom commissions."

              "Ooh!" said Gogo, his eyes lighting up. "You mean I can tell them what I want, and they'll draw it for me?"

              "That's right," answered Alexei, nodding. "But you do have to pay them for it."

              Gogo frowned. "Aww, really? But they're just sitting there and drawing. It's not like it's really that difficult. I see you doodling all the time. If they're going to charge me, I might as well just get you to draw me something for free."

              "I'm going to ignore that you said that last bit," growled Alexei irately, gritting his teeth. "But let me set you straight on something. Visual art is a serious discipline that requires every bit as much effort and dedication as acting or cooking, or any other profession, for that matter. Oftentimes, depending on the medium, a polished piece of art can take several hours, or days, or even weeks of concentrated focus to produce. Do you have any idea how much emotional investment we develop in each of our projects? The only reason it looks easy to you when I do it is because I've spent years practicing, learning how to use the various media properly, and I've trained myself to be able to do it well. Saying that artists should give away their art for free because it's 'not really work' is extremely insulting. You don't see me going to a theater just to throw shade on acting as an occupation and heckle the actors about the cost of admission being so high, do you? Come on, dude. A little more respect, if you please."

              "Point taken," said Gogo sheepishly, as Alexei's words sank in. "Well, I don't have any more money on me anyway, so… I guess I'll just have to find something else to do here. I hope that Q&A session with William Catner doesn't charge any extra fees."

              "I don't think so," replied Alexei, flipping through the guidebook once more. "I think that's covered in the cost of your admission. But that's not until much later this afternoon. In the meantime, we might as well do what we came here for. Let's go see if we can find Dodge."

              "Oui," said Julienne, tucking her own guidebook and complimentary keychain into her handbag. "C'est une bonne idée. Where do you think he would be, Alexei?"

              Alexei scanned the map of the convention center carefully for a few minutes. Finally, he raised his finger up and pointed to a spot on the map. "Hmm… this seems like a likely place, right here. The main gallery. If Dodge is here, he's probably with Edgerton Cam. And since Edgerton Cam is a famous photographer, I'd expect his work to be on display in the gallery, rather than in Artist Alley. Looks like we just need to go straight ahead, then turn right and go up this set of stairs." He folded up the guidebook and put it back in his bag. "Let's go!"

              The group began walking straight ahead, past the Dealers' Showroom and Artist Alley, into another section of the building. As they turned the corner to their right, they located the staircase just in front of them. To their surprise, however, they discovered that it was all the way on the other side of the convention center's food court. The group sniffed the air. From just a cursory glance, they could see that the convention's advertised claim of a diverse selection of cuisine from all over the planet was indeed true— there were vendors set up with regional food from Mercia, the Kingdom of Acorn, the Dragon Kingdom, and even the United Federation. Julienne and Gogo stopped in their tracks, their stomachs rumbling. "Umm… Alexei?" said Julienne. "You know… we have not yet had le petit déjeuner…"

              "It's cool," said Alexei with an easy-going laugh. "You two can stay here and get something to eat. I'll go check out the main gallery for Dodge on my own, and meet you both back here in a little bit."

              Gogo grinned. "Thanks, Alexei! We'll save you a seat!"

              So Julienne and Gogo went off together to find something among the various vendors which would be suitable for breakfast, and Alexei climbed the stairs on his own. Making his way into the main gallery, he found it set up like a labyrinth of white walls, each adorned with framed paintings and photographs, with some sculptures in the center of each room. After a few minutes of searching, he finally found what he was looking for: a room that contained nothing but the photographic work of Edgerton Cam. Stopping for a moment out of curiosity, he turned to take a closer look at the photos. The majority of them were black and white, with the prevailing subject matter being nature. There were photographs of shafts of sunlight through forest canopies, of raging river rapids carving through desert canyons, of majestic snow-capped mountaintops reaching high into the sky, until they pushed into the clouds. As he stood there, silently awed by the glorious landscapes captured on matted photo paper, an old fox with greying fur came up and stood beside him. "Quite a view, eh?" he remarked.

              "It's… amazing," said Alexei. "I've… never seen any place quite like these…"

              "It's nice to see someone your age with an appreciation of subject matter like this," said the fox with a polite smile. "It's important to preserve places like these. Which one is your favorite?"

              Alexei looked around. One of the photographs in particular caught his eye— a photograph of a vivid orange and pink sunset in the desert. It was one of the few which was in color. "Oh," he said, "that one. I love the color in that."

              "Heh," chuckled the fox. "You know, it's odd that you should pick that one. I always felt that photo didn't quite do it justice. You should have seen it in person. It was even brighter and more intense than it looks here."

              Alexei's head snapped to the side to look at the older fox standing there. "W-wait… you mean… you're…"

              "Dr. Edgerton Cam," said the fox with a humble nod, as he extended his hand. "But most folks just call me Doc."

              "Oh, wow!" exclaimed Alexei, shaking Dr. Cam's hand. "It's an honor to meet you, sir… er, Doc. My name is Alexei. I've heard a lot about your work, and… I've come a very long way to be here today. There's… something I need to ask you."

              Dr. Cam furrowed his brow curiously. "Oh? What's that?"

              "Do you have an apprentice who goes by the name of Dodge? I'm looking for a really good friend of mine, and several months ago, I got a message from him saying that he was coming to Northamer with you."

              "I sure do," said Dr. Cam, nodding once more. "And you're in luck. He's here at the convention with me. Any friend of his is a friend of mine, too. He's somewhere around the galleries at the moment, looking at the other artwork. Wait here just a moment, and I'll see if I can track him down for you."

              So Alexei stayed behind and continued looking at the photos on the wall as Dr. Cam went deeper into the maze of gallery rooms. After about five minutes, he heard a voice call his name in disbelief. "Alexei?" He turned to find Dr. Cam standing there, with his bespectacled white lynx apprentice at his side, wearing a red t-shirt, matching khaki pants and cargo vest, and brown boots— a familiar face, with an expression of complete shock. "I… I don't believe it!"

              Alexei beamed with fulfillment. "Hey, Dodge," he said with a wave. "Long time no see, huh? Remainder sends his regards too, by the way."

              Dodge raced over to Alexei and gave him a big hug. "It really is you! But… but how?! I thought for sure that Robotnik had captured you!"

              "He almost did," said Alexei. "It's a long story. For now, suffice it to say, I'm making good on my promise to come and find you if I escaped. You didn't make it easy on me, though, buddy. That little trick you pulled with the hex codes and the misdirect with the alphanumeric strings was a work of pure genius. It took me an entire week to figure out what you'd done."

              "Oh, you got my message, then?" said Dodge. "I can't believe that actually worked. To be honest, I only really put it up out of wishful thinking."

              "Ahem," interjected Dr. Cam.

              Dodge's attention instantly shifted back to his mentor. "Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Cam. Uh, hey, look, Alexei… I'm kind of here in a professional capacity. I'd love to catch up with you in a little while, as I'm sure you've got quite an interesting story to tell me, but… um… well…"

              "No, no, Dodge," said Dr. Cam with an understanding wink. "You've worked hard enough. You go enjoy the convention with your friend. You've earned it."

              "R-really?" stuttered Dodge. "You mean it?"

              Dr. Cam gave Dodge a thumbs-up sign. "Really, I mean it. Go on, you two. Have fun."

              "Awesome!" replied the lynx excitedly. "Thanks, Dr. Cam!"

              "Come on, Dodge," said Alexei, motioning for his friend to follow him. "We've got a ton of catching up to do…"

                "Whoa," said Dodge, following Alexei out of the main gallery and toward the staircase. "You actually watched them set fire to your studio?"

              "Mmhmm," answered Alexei. "Everything I had there— paintings, hardware, personal items— it all went up in smoke the night I left you. I barely made it out alive."

              "How did you escape? Didn't they follow you?"

              "Oh, yeah, of course they did. I spent like three days in the woods just trying to shake them. By the end of the third day, I was so tired I just collapsed and sort of resigned myself to my fate. Fortunately for me, someone else found me first." Alexei led Dodge down the stairs, gazing down at the food court from above. Within moments he skimmed the crowds and spotted the table with the green hedgehog and purple possum. "Speaking of which… there they are. Here, follow me. I want you to meet my other friends."

              "Other friends?" asked Dodge apprehensively.

              "Oh, don't worry," said Alexei. "They're cool. You'll really like them." Alexei motioned for Dodge to follow him into the crowded cafeteria, over to the table where his friends were sitting. When he got there, he called out to them, "Hey, Julienne, Gogo! Look who I found!" Turning back toward Dodge, he introduced his friends. "Dodge, these are my friends Julienne and Gogo."

              Julienne flashed a welcoming smile. "Enchanté! We have heard so much à propos de toi from Alexei! It is so good to meet you enfin!"

              "Hey there!" added Gogo, waving. "Estragon O'Possum, stage entertainer extraordinaire. But you can call me Gogo. I do comedy, drama, magic tricks, even a little song and dance. I'm a real quadruple threat!"

              "Uh… hi," said Dodge with a modest smile and a nod as he took a seat across from Julienne. "It is… nice to meet you both as well."

              "You wanted to know how I managed to escape Robotnik," said Alexei, sitting between Julienne and Dodge. "Well, Julienne here is the one responsible for that. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here. She's the one who found me when I collapsed in the forest. She took me in, fed me, and together we fled to Soleanna. Several months later, I remembered the promise I'd made to you, about tracking you down, and the two of us went to Empire City, where we met Gogo. Ever since I figured out your message, we've been traveling, trying to reach Northamer to find you. We didn't have any way to cross the ocean, so… we sort of took the long way around."

              "Whoa, wait a minute," said Dodge. "Did the three of you walk all the way here from Empire City?!"

              "Well, not all the way," answered Gogo. "We took the train to Mazuri, we crossed Efrika on pashas…"

              Julienne continued. "… Rode hoverbikes to Soumerca…"

              "And then," added Alexei, "I built a hovercraft out of spare parts, and we sailed the rest of the way. We've got the hovercraft moored along the river. I never could've done it without Julienne and Gogo here, though."

              Julienne grinned giddily. "Aww… merci, Alexei. It is sweet of you to say."

              "We are pretty great, aren't we?" snickered Gogo with a cocksure tone.

              Dodge turned to Alexei, seemingly unimpressed with Gogo's egotistical boast, and said, "That's amazing, Alexei! I can't believe you did all of that for me. You've got to show me this hovercraft some time. What kind of power supply does it run on?"

              "I took the plasma engines out of our hoverbikes," Alexei explained.

              Dodge looked intrigued. "Oh, interesting. What capacity were the batteries?"

              Alexei thought for a moment, trying to recall those particular technical specs. "Well, it took a few… creative modifications, but when I combined them, I was able to get them up to 56 amp-hours."

              "And you had, what? 3 of them?"

              Alexei nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

              "I'm impressed," said Dodge. "I'm not sure I would have attempted an ocean crossing with nothing but three partially depleted plasma hoverbike batteries. Must have been one heck of a jury-rig."

              "Yeah, but that's why I ultimately decided on a hovercraft rather than a boat," said Alexei. "I decided it would cut down on drag and minimize the drain on the batteries. Not to mention, it was much easier to pilot on shallows."

              "True, true," nodded Dodge. Julienne and Gogo watched silently as the two friends bantered back and forth about engineering, their impatience beginning to show with each exchange. Still, Dodge continued, completely oblivious. "What sort of top speed did you manage to hit with it?"

              "It tops out about 65 knots," said Alexei, a little pridefully.

              "Hey, that's not bad," replied Dodge. "Though, I bet with a little tweaking, it could go even faster. I'd love to offer my suggestions… um… if you'd be open to them, of course."

              Alexei grinned. "Of course! Could be a lot of fun, reworking things a bit with you around."

              "So," interrupted Julienne, finally unwilling to endure the technical conversation one second longer. "Dodge… Alexei tells us you are from the Dragon Kingdom, oui? How is it that you came to find yourself here in Northamer?"

              Alexei straightened up in his chair. "Oh, yeah. I was sort of wondering about that myself, Dodge. How did you manage to land a gig as Dr. Cam's apprentice?"

              "Oh," said Dodge, pushing his spectacles back on his nose and locking his eyes on Alexei. "Well, it was sort of just a stroke of luck, actually. For about two or three months after you signed off and disappeared, Alexei, I was pretty distressed about losing you as a friend. I thought Robotnik had you, and that you'd either been killed or, even worse, hauled off to the roboticizer. My mother figured she needed to get me out of my room to clear my head a little bit, so she sent me on an errand to the local market in town to buy some items for her. While I was there, I just… happened to run into Dr. Cam. He told me he was doing a photo excursion tour all over the Dragon Kingdom, and that he was in the area to take pictures of some of the forests and bamboo groves on the island. I told him I was a photographer too, and a really big admirer of his, and he asked to see some of my work. He was so impressed by what I showed him that he offered me a year-long apprenticeship position at his studio in Furville. My family saw it as a really big opportunity for me, so they agreed to it. I've been his darkroom assistant ever since."

              "What about that message you left behind?" asked Alexei.

              "Oh, I did that before leaving with Dr. Cam. It was the last thing I did before completely disconnecting my computer from Robotnik's servers permanently so I couldn't be traced like you were. Like I said, I really wasn't expecting you to actually see it. I just… wanted to cover my bases. I guess I was holding out hope that you had somehow survived. I never dreamed that you'd actually show up here in person."

              "Well, I did tell you I'd meet you face to face someday," snickered Alexei. "You can't say I didn't warn you." Unnoticed to Alexei or Dodge, Julienne sighed and Gogo slumped back in his chair with a bored expression on his face and rolled his eyes.

              "Heh, I guess not," replied Dodge with a quiet laugh. His eyes remained fixated on Alexei, in a way that did not even seem to acknowledge the presence of the others at the table. "I'm really happy to see you, though."

              "Oh, hey! You know what you should do?" said Alexei, finally taking notice of Julienne and Gogo's discomfort. "You should show the others some of your photos. I bet they'd love to see."

              Julienne perked up. "Ooh, oui! That sounds fantastique! Alexei has told us about how good your photography is."

              "Oh… uh… thanks," said Dodge with a hint of sudden tension in his voice. "I… don't really have any of it on me at the moment. I was mainly at the convention with the expectation that I'd be helping Dr. Cam exhibit his. But… if you'd like to see something… I do have this." Dodge reached into one of the pockets of his vest and pulled out a small, metallic grey device.

              "A camera?" asked Gogo, looking at the object in Dodge's hand.

              "Not just any camera," said Dodge. "The only one of its kind. I designed and built it myself a few years ago, using a few parts I ordered from catalogs and a few that I machined by hand in my workshop. It's a hybrid of film and digital, with a built-in light meter and 4x zoom function. There's even a setting for recording digital video."

              "Dude!" exclaimed Alexei. "It's gorgeous, Dodge! That must have taken you a long time to build."

              The lynx nodded graciously. "The difficult part was finding the right lens for it. I ultimately ended up mail-ordering a 4.5 mm from RNO Optics and fashioning a suitable mount for it myself." Handing it to Alexei, he asked, "Hey, you want to take a closer look?"

              "Sure, if it's okay with you," said Alexei. Finding Dodge indicating his agreement, Alexei took hold of the camera and turned it over in his hands, examining it in much greater detail. "Oh… Dodge… the craftsmanship on this thing… all these intricate little hand-machined pieces… it's a work of art."

              "Thanks! I had a feeling you'd be interested. It's not nearly as impressive as improvising something like a hovercraft, but I'm pretty proud with how it turned out."

              Julienne craned her neck over Alexei's shoulder to take a look for herself. "May I see?"

              In an instant, Dodge's posture became tight, as the request clearly seemed to make him uncomfortable. "Um… well… to be honest… I'd feel a little more comfortable if Alexei holds onto it for now. It's… sort of a sophisticated piece of equipment…"

              "Excusez-moi?" snapped Julienne. "Are you saying I am not sophisticated?"

              "Oh… no, no!" answered Dodge, putting up his hands reflexively and shaking his head in the most vehement denial he could muster. "Not at all! I… er… I just… I've known Alexei for a while, and… I know he's into engineering like me. I… just figured… he'd be a little more careful with it than you, because he could see how… delicate it is?" Sensing himself making things worse, he caught himself and stood up from the table. "Uh… you know… forget I said anything. Breakfast seems like a good idea. I think I'm just going to grab some really quickly and join you guys. You're all welcome to look at the camera while I'm away. Just… uh… be gentle with it, okay?"

              "Don't worry, Dodge," said Alexei. "I can vouch for Julienne and… well, maybe not Gogo. But Julienne and I will definitely handle it gently."

              "Hey!" shouted Gogo, taking offense.

              Alexei shook his head. "Relax, dude, it's just a joke. You know, for a comedian, you seem to have a difficult time recognizing ones that are about you."

              Dodge retreated from the table, leaving his camera behind and looking around at his options for breakfast. As soon as he was gone, Gogo greedily snatched the camera out of Alexei's hands, inadvertently grazing the buttons on top with his finger. "Gogo!" cried Alexei. "Be careful with that, would you? I just got done telling Dodge we wouldn't break his camera."

              "Alexei," said Julienne, still fuming from Dodge's earlier solecism. "We need to talk."

              "Hm? What about?"

              "��coute, Alexei… you know how much Gogo and I care for you, and we were more than happy to go along with you to find Dodge because we know how much it meant to you… but your friend… he is… how to put this…?"

              "He's a total geek," blurted out Gogo. "All he wants to talk about is plasma batteries and camera lenses."

              "Hey, that's not fair," said Alexei. "You just met him. Give him a chance."

              Julienne crossed her arms irritably and shook her head. "Oui, it is true that we just met him. And perhaps Gogo, he did not express it the most tactfully… but did you not see the way that Dodge behaved around us, Alexei? He was focused only on you, and completely ignored the two of us. We might as well not even be here, so far as he is concerned. And whenever he does give us a chance to speak, he is condescending, as if expecting we would not have anything interesting to say. I know he is ton ami, Alexei, but you must face the facts. He is just… Pour quel mot je regarde? … Rude and uncouth."

              Alexei just sat there with a stunned grimace, searching for the right thing to say in response. He felt an instinct to defend Dodge. On the other hand, though, Julienne wasn't entirely wrong, either, and he knew it. His allegiance was torn, between two close friends, to both of whom he was indebted— and there he sat, caught in the middle, unable to reply. He was still struggling for words when Dodge returned to the table a few moments later with a tray, upon which he had placed a bowl of rice porridge, a bowl of miso soup, a small plate of grilled fish, and a cup of hot green tea. "Alright, I'm back," he said, completely unaware of the preceding conversation. "Don't mind me. Breakfasts in the Dragon Kingdom are probably a little different from what you're used to. It's the first time I've had an opportunity to get a breakfast like this in a long time." Glancing over at Gogo and pointing to the camera, he added, "You done looking at that?"

              "Here," said Gogo innocently, handing it back to him. "It's all yours." Both Alexei and Julienne looked on silently, trying to conceal the tension and pretend nothing was wrong.

              Dodge took the camera back from Gogo, and quickly noticed a small red light blinking on the backside of the camera, which had completely evaded everyone else's attention. "Oh… hmm, that's strange. Looks like I've got a new video recording here…"

              "Wh-what?" asked Alexei, snapping to attention as the true horror of the unfolding situation sank in. "W-wait, Dodge. Don't…"

              But it was too late. Dodge had already pushed the button to start the playback, and was treated to the video:

 ALEXEI: Gogo! Be careful with that, would you? I just got done telling Dodge we wouldn't break his camera.

JULIENNE: Alexei… We need to talk.

ALEXEI: Hm? What about?

JULIENNE: Écoute, Alexei… you know how much Gogo and I care for you, and we were more than happy to go along with you to find Dodge because we know how much it meant to you… but your friend… he is… how to put this…?

GOGO: He's a total geek. All he wants to talk about is plasma batteries and camera lenses.

ALEXEI: Hey, that's not fair. You just met him. Give him a chance.

JULIENNE: Oui, it is true that we just met him. And perhaps Gogo, he did not express it the most tactfully… but did you not see the way that Dodge behaved around us, Alexei? He was focused only on you, and completely ignored the two of us. We might as well not even be here, so far as he is concerned. And whenever he does give us a chance to speak, he is condescending, as if expecting we would not have anything interesting to say. I know he is ton ami, Alexei, but you must face the facts. He is just… Pour quel mot je regarde? … Rude and uncouth.

ALEXEI: (stunned silence)

DODGE: Alright, I'm back. Don't mind me. Breakfasts in the Dragon Kingdom are probably a little different from what you're used to. It's the first time I've had an opportunity to get a breakfast like this in a long time… You done looking at that?

*CLICK*

                Dodge recoiled from watching the video, a pained look of betrayal on his face. "Oh… oh, I see. Well, if that's how you guys really feel… I guess... I should just go, then." He stood up, tucking his camera back into his vest pocket. "Alexei… it was… great to meet you, finally."

              "Aww, come on, Dodge," Alexei pleaded. "Don't go. We came all this way. They… they don't know you yet like I do…"

              "No, dude," said Dodge, shaking his head dejectedly. "I understand. You've got other friends now. That's cool. I'm happy for you. The last thing I want to do is hang around somewhere where I'll be the outsider."

              "But, your breakfast…"

              "I'm not hungry anymore, dude." He paused for a moment. "I'll see you around, Alexei," he finally said, gathering just enough energy for a weak wave goodbye. And then, his heart broken, Dodge turned and walked away, leaving his tray of food untouched.

              Julienne and Gogo looked at each other guiltily as Alexei helplessly watched his friend walk off in the direction of the building's main exit. "Well," said Gogo finally, unable to resist breaking the tense silence. "That… could have gone better…"

              That was it. That was the last straw for Alexei. Jumping to his feet, he angrily glared at his other friends— Gogo first, and then Julienne. "You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves!" he castigated them, with a voice full of fury. "Look at what you've done! We spent all this time, and came all this way, and we finally got a chance to spend some time with Dodge… and you go and insult him behind his back, just because he's a little different! That's really classy, guys. I told you last night that Dodge doesn't have many friends. Okay, so maybe his social skills are a little lacking, and maybe he gets a little intense when we discuss engineering projects. But let me ask you something. You saw how I behaved back in Soumerca, when I was working on the hovercraft to get us here. Did you guys think I was a geek? Hmm? Or you, Julienne— whenever you're cooking something… you don't think you can get a little condescending, like the rest of us don't understand the first thing about cuisine? Oh, and don't worry, Gogo, I haven't forgotten you. Take it from me, dude, you've got a lock on rude and uncouth behavior. 'Oh, everyone look at me. I'm a giant attention magnet. I want the stage all to myself, with the spotlight on me. Maybe people will love me if I tell jokes and pull bandanas out of my sleeve.' But you know what? I overlook that stuff, because that's what Team Muse is about… or at least, what I thought it was about. We're all weird. We're all passionate. We all obsess over whatever it is that interests us, whether it's painting or building or cooking or acting. We've all experienced loneliness and hardship as a result of that passion. And that's why I can't even look at you guys right now— because you basically said those things into a mirror, and didn't even realize it."

              "Alexei…," whimpered Julienne, on the verge of tears. "We… we did not mean—"

              "Yeah you did," said Alexei, cutting her sentence short. "You meant exactly what you said." He gave both of his friends a derisive, scornful scowl, and finally added, "Now if you'll excuse me… I'm going to go find Dodge, and see if I can salvage our friendship. I'll… be back, eventually. Just, right now, I need some time away from you guys." And without another word, Alexei turned and followed in the same direction as Dodge, hoping to catch up with him.

              Gogo and Julienne just sat there despondently, eyes cast downward in shame. Gogo's ears drooped involuntarily, as the sting of Alexei's words reverberated inside of him. Looking over at his unwitting accomplice, Gogo finally asked, "Hey, Julienne? You okay?"

              "Non," answered Julienne curtly, completely overwhelmed with remorse.

              Gogo let out a soft sigh. "Well, that makes two of us."

[spicynbachili1]

Cambodia’s beleaguered opposition and the fight for democracy | News

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – In June 2017, Cambodia’s pro-democracy opposition occasion made unprecedented positive factors within the native commune elections, casting severe doubt on Prime Minister Hun Sen’s skill to increase his 33-year rule within the following 12 months’s nationwide election.

There was a spirit of optimism when Kem Sokha’s Cambodia Nationwide Rescue Get together ready to tackle Hun Sen on the poll field. Many years of political violence appeared to be at an finish and democracy, first tried in 1993, was inside Cambodia’s grasp.

On November 16, 2017, nevertheless, the CNRP was forcibly dissolved on spurious allegations of tried revolution, leaving politicians, analysts, and journalists the world over no alternative however to declare Cambodia’s democracy formally lifeless.

Right now, the nation is successfully a one-party dictatorship with the opposition occasion scattered the world over, solely spoken about in whispers in Cambodia.

Hun Sen’s Cambodian Individuals’s Get together occupies all 125 seats within the Nationwide Meeting. Kem Sokha is below home arrest for unfounded fees of treason. Different CNRP leaders comparable to co-founder Sam Rainsy and Sokha’s daughter, Kem Monovithya, stay overseas to keep away from the same destiny. Their supporters stay in a state of fixed worry.

The transition to full-blown authoritarianism was strongly condemned overseas, with the US and European Union threatening to impose sanctions if democracy shouldn’t be restored. The EU is contemplating revoking a preferential commerce cope with Cambodia, a transfer that might value the economic system tons of of hundreds of thousands of . On the prime of the West’s record of calls for: the unconditional launch of Kem Sokha and the reinstatement of the CNRP.

No future

Lee Morgenbesser, an knowledgeable on authoritarian regimes, mentioned the CNRP has no future below Hun Sen, who has repeatedly declared the occasion can’t be resurrected.

“For a short second, the CNRP confirmed peculiar residents that there was a political occasion combating for the emergence of democracy in Cambodia,” he mentioned in a current electronic mail.

In a forthcoming paper titled Cambodia’s Transition to Hegemonic Authoritarianism, Morgenbesser explains how the current crackdown was unprecedented and essentially modified the character of Cambodia’s political panorama.

New constitutional amendments declare that political events “should place the nation and nation’s pursuits first”, a imprecise requirement that might give the Cambodian authorities broad authority to accuse opposition events of being unconstitutional. Different amendments gave the politically biased Supreme Courtroom the authority to dissolve any political occasion.

Not solely had been these legal guidelines used to destroy the CNRP, however in addition they be certain that nothing just like the CNRP can ever problem Hun Sen once more.

“A couple of civil society teams and autonomous media organisations may be allowed to function, and some political opponents may be allowed to take part, however none will likely be permitted to threaten the CPP’s newfound hegemony,” Morgenbesser wrote within the article.

‘Cautiously hopeful’

The CNRP was initially shaped by the merging of two distinct opposition events led by Rainsy and Sokha, respectively. After Sokha’s arrest, the occasion shortly splintered alongside these previous alliances. The deputy leaders didn’t seem to have a contingency plan, and there have been frequent spats between Rainsy supporters and Sokha supporters.

Simply this month, tensions flared once more when Rainsy supplied to make a wager with Hun Sen on when Sokha could be launched. Sokha’s camp blasted the stunt, calling it “immoral” and “indecent”.

Regardless of this, the CNRP’s exiled leaders on either side nonetheless imagine the fractured occasion can return.

“I’m cautiously hopeful that we are going to regain our house within the nation within the close to future,” mentioned Sokha’s daughter Monovithya, who has been campaigning for worldwide motion towards Hun Sen’s regime since her father’s arrest.

Cambodian opposition chief below home arrest after jailing

In the meantime, Rainsy mentioned the occasion’s dissolution “vindicated” the CNRP, proving it’s the authentic consultant of the folks.

“Hun Sen had really no alternative however to dissolve the CNRP with a view to stay in energy as a result of he knew he would lose any actual election,” Rainsy claimed.

Whereas it may be a stretch to say CNRP definitively would have gained a good election, it was clearly a threat Hun Sen wasn’t prepared to take.

“Hun Sen may dissolve the CNRP on paper however not within the hearts and minds of the folks,” Rainsy mentioned.

It is true that greater than three million supporters did not merely disappear, however thus far they have not been a big presence through the crackdown. No person protested when the CNRP was dissolved and solely a handful gathered when Sokha was dropped at court docket in Phnom Penh.

Heng Ratha, a former member of the CNRP’s provincial working group in Siem Reap, mentioned he needs the occasion’s management had remained in Cambodia to steer resistance efforts.

“For my very own opinion I do not suppose it was so obligatory for the CNRP leaders to go away the nation like [vice-president Mu] Sochua and Rainsy. They need to return to Cambodia to confront and discover a answer with [CNRP] members and supporters,” he mentioned.

Worldwide strain

Whereas Rainsy has appropriately identified that returning carries the danger of arrest and even assassination, doing so would drive Hun Sen to make a tough resolution, one thing he has not but needed to do. If Rainsy returned, Hun Sen would have two selections. Both arrest one other excessive profile, standard politician, inviting unrest and elevated worldwide strain, or enable him to imagine a management place in any resistance motion. For Hun Sen, forcing influential dissidents overseas is the best-case situation.

To their credit score, the leaders in exile have had vital success in interesting to the worldwide neighborhood for strain and sanctions.

Different CNRP activists, just like the outspoken Kong Mas in Svay Rieng, say they help the selections the occasion leaders have made and imagine they did all the pieces they might. Whereas the CNRP may have been extra ready or made higher selections through the disaster, judging them too harshly could be akin to sufferer blaming – they had been put able they by no means ought to have needed to cope with within the first place.

“There have been many dialogues between the CNRP and the ruling occasion, however Hun Sen at all times violated the agreements,” Mas mentioned.

Mas sees the revocation of the EU commerce deal as the very best probability for change, predicting that just about 1,000,000 garment staff will lose their jobs.

“That circumstance will make lots of people offended and folks will collect and protest towards the federal government to resolve the issue,” he mentioned.

Supporters of Kem Sokha, chief of the Cambodia Nationwide Rescue Get together (CNRP), protest throughout his bail listening to in September [Samrang Pring/Reuters]

Others are usually not so optimistic. Than Sorith in Kampong Cham agrees the CNRP management acted appropriately, however would not see a future for the occasion.

“I do not suppose the CNRP can return to political exercise,” he mentioned, including he would not imagine folks will protest even when the commerce deal is canceled.

Whereas it is unlikely the CNRP will return, Morgenbesser does see change on the horizon, noting that demographic tendencies don’t favour the ruling occasion.

Citing “deep grievances regarding corruption, inequality, land grabbing, and growth”, Morgenbesser warns that Hun Sen has added one other drawback to his record: “undermining expectations for democracy amongst Cambodian youth”.

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from SpicyNBAChili.com http://spicymoviechili.spicynbachili.com/cambodias-beleaguered-opposition-and-the-fight-for-democracy-news/

[notalwaysthecaptain-blog]

Found in an alley

@frozen-lies-and-green-eyes

Late fall of 1941. It was around the time most folks would be bundling up in hats and scarves and readying supplies for winter. While war raged across the ocean, the States struggled with the effects of the depression. Sure, the war brought some manufacturing work for a lot of people, but Steve Rogers wasn’t exactly the ‘factory job’ type of guy. Not by choice, of course; no one would hire a guy who was Five foot two, and ninety pounds sopping wet, with a myriad of health maladies...

So Steve had been looking for other work; work in shops, contract jobs at the newspapers for art, and other such things. He had worn his only jacket, which for all rights was not nearly thick enough for this kind of weather, and the little sniffle that came out of him pointed to some consequences on the horizon.

Speaking of consequences, what happens to a man whose barely chest-height when he runs headfirst into a guy twice his size who just so happened to be harassing a young woman? Well, a couple of fists in the face, a foot to his stomach, and dirty, wet set of clothes as he inevitably met with the damp pavement of the alleyway the scuffle had taken place in. The harasser walked away, irritated but vindicated, leaving Steve looking bloodied on the ground as skinny limbs struggled to haul him up off the ground.

But hey, the woman had gotten away. That was a plus, right?