#da from January 2024

[mrindpolitics]

DA Hike latest Update: DA/DR जबरदस्त उछाल के साथ, महंगाई भत्ता AICPIN 12 महीने के टॉप पर

Please read our new post.

दोस्तों आप सभी का स्वागत है हमारे वेबसाइ��� Mr. Indian Politics पर। आपको जानकर खुशी होगी कि AICPIN पिछले 12 महीने का रिकॉर्ड तोड़ते हुए जबरदस्त उछाल पर है जिसके चलते महंगाई भत्ते में जबरदस्त उछाल देखने को मिलने वाला है। जैसा कि आप सभी जानते हो जुलाई, 2023 से मिलने वाला महंगाई भत्ता 46% बन चुका है, मात्र घोषणा होनी बाकी है और जनवरी 2024 के लिए पहले ही महीने का जो अखिल भारतीय उपभोक्ता मुद्रा सूचकांक…

[reasonsforhope]

— Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped to its lowest level since March 2018, according to new data from the Brazilian government.

— Deforestation for the year to date is down 40% compared to 2023, with expectations for a significant annual decline when the “deforestation year” concludes on July 31.

— Despite declining deforestation in the Amazon, the region is experiencing a rise in forest fires due to a severe drought...

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon continued to plummet in May [2024], reaching the lowest level since March 2018, according to new data from the alert system run by Brazil’s national space research institute, INPE.

According to INPE’s DETER system, deforestation in May 2024 amounted to 501 square kilometers (193 square miles), an area 147 times the size of New York City’s Central Park. This tally brings the accumulated deforestation detected by DETER over the past year to 4,350 square kilometers, down 54% from the same time last year.

For the year to date, DETER has detected 1,182 square kilometers of forest clearance, down 40% from the 1,986 square kilometers recorded at this point in 2023.

[Note: January 2023 is when Lula da Silva was elected in Brazil. As you can see, after that, deforestation immediately plummeted. He is doing SO MUCH for the environment, we are SO lucky he beat Bolsonaro (the big pro-deforestation guy) for president of Brazil.

Also, in case the above chart makes you think we're doing worse than ever, that chart actually starts on a major low point for deforestation, toward the end of Lula da Silva's first term. Here's another chart that gives a longer-term picture, from 2002 to 2023. If we are lucky, Lula da Silva will bring the kind of drop in deforestation to us now that he did during his first term: an almost 80% drop in deforestation.]

Pictured: Annual deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon since 2002 under each presidential administration, according to INPE’s PRODES system. Note: Temer took office on 31 Aug 2016 replacing Rousseff, while other presidents started their terms Jan 1. Also 2023 data is preliminary.

The decline in deforestation registered by DETER mirrors the trend recorded by an independent system maintained by Imazon, a Brazilian NGO. Imazon’s system is seen as a check against official data.

The alert data suggests observers should expect a sharp drop in deforestation for the 12 months ending July 31, the period Brazil uses for measuring annual deforestation. July 31 corresponds with the peak of the dry season across much of the Brazilian Amazon, when cloud cover is at a minimum, facilitating efforts to measure changes in forest cover.

For the annual assessment, Brazil uses higher resolution satellite imagery, which requires more time for analysis. In contrast, the shorter timeframe of DETER enables authorities to take action against illegal deforestation if there is interest in doing so. Data from DETER and PRODES, the annual system, have a strong correlation.

-via GoodGoodGood, July 2, 2024

[qqueenofhades]

How do we balance the tentative joy of hearing about the indictment with the overwhelming and crushing knowledge that not a goddamn thing is going to come of this and ultimately nothing will change?

Because

um

reasons.

(actually i feel like if the skies split open and shithead goes to jail it'll just leave a giant sucking void for desantis to slime his way into the party's graces and he'll charge full speed ahead into nuking this country from the inside)

Okay, look. Everyone reacts differently, we've all been through a fuckload of trauma, and all that, but I just... really don't get the pre-emptive "don't get your hopes up, nothing will happen and nothing will change." I know that people do it as a defense mechanism, but we spent months hearing that Trump would win the 2020 election. (He lost it.) Then we heard that all his lawsuits to overturn might actually work. (They didn't.) Then we heard that he wouldn't be impeached after January 6. (He was.) Then we heard that he wouldn't be indicted, and well, today, he was. This is unprecedented in the history of America. Over 250+ years, and a current or former president had never been indicted for anything. Not even goddamn Nixon was formally charged, and Biden definitely isn't gonna pardon Trump the same way Ford did with Tricky Dick. And now that someone has finally bit the bullet and gone first, there are a whole cascade of other indictments lined up and waiting to be finished.

We don't know what will happen, but something will. Trump will be arrested and arraigned, and yet again: this has never happened before. Just throwing up our hands and going "well guess nothing's gonna happen and he'll get off scot free!" is NOT the energy we want to be bringing here. It's time to push forward, make sure that the Manhattan DA, and everyone else with pending charges against him, hold that motherfucker's greasy orange feet to the fire and make him FRY. As for DeSantis, as I have written about before, he's not smart, he's not a good candidate, and his ideas are not by any means universally popular. Fascists thrive on making you feel disempowered and hopeless, so it's no use to fight them since they'll just win anyway, and all the terrible events of the last few years have made it an appealing idea, but... c'mon now.

Everyone insisted for months that Trump would never be charged with anything. But almost 60% of the country thinks that the criminal cases against him are permanently disqualifying, and this is before any major cascades. This whole "if you dare to arrest Trump, he'll win in a landslide in 2024!" psy-op is just that: a psy-op. A trick. A bluff. They're shit scared that the Big Mac God King is finally on the brink of an actual downfall and facing consequences for his actions for the first time in his fucking miserable life, and they're trying to freak us out of doing it, because they have nothing left. So I say: get him. Run him over. Then back up the truck and run him over again.

[antifainternational]

Brian Lightfoot is one of eleven people prosecuted by San Diego’s far-right conspiracy theorist/District Attorney @summerstephan after a January 2021 clash between far-right extremists, who had gathered in San Diego to replicate the violence of the January 6, 2021 insurrection, and anti-fascists there to defend their community from the violence.

During that day, police allowed MAGA fascists, some equipped with knives and clubs, to indiscriminately attack anti-fascists, veterans, and passerby, then exclusively arrested anti-fascists who would not passively allow themselves to be maimed or killed by the mob.

Brian’s case is notable for DA Stephan’s prosecution of only anti-fascists at the rally; for her bizarre claims that antifa is not a social movement but a shadowy organization; and for her refusal to offer a plea deal to Lightfoot – the only racialized person charged.

In the spring of 2024, Brian was found guilty of “conspiracy to riot” and sentenced to two years in prison.

Write to Brian:

Brian Lightfoot #24726734 Mail Processing Center 451 Riverview Parkway, Building C Santee, California USA 92071

[mariacallous]

The target is you, voter. Russia, China, Iran, and other bad actors sought to interfere in the run-up to today’s US elections, according to research by the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), which has been monitoring online trends along with statements by governments, private companies, and civil society in its Foreign Interference Attribution Tracker. As DFRLab experts detail below, this year’s malign efforts in many ways surpass previous influence campaigns in sophistication and scope, if not in impact—and they are expected to continue well after the polls close.

Tipping the scale

“By sheer volume, foreign interference in the 2024 US election has already surpassed the scale of adversarial operations in both 2016 and 2020,” Emerson says.

Dina notes that each US adversary played to its strengths. For example, Iran and China “attempted to breach presidential campaigns in hack-and-leak operations that raise concerns about their cyber capabilities during and after the elections,” she tells us.

At the same time, the United States is more prepared than it was in previous election cycles. Russian efforts in 2016 “made foreign interference a vivid fear for millions of Americans,” Emerson notes. “Eight years later, the US government is denouncing and neutralizing these efforts, sometimes in real time.”

In fact, Graham tells us, “the combined actions by the US departments of Justice, Treasury, and State against two known Russian interference efforts was the largest proactive government action taken against election influence efforts before an election.”

Doppelgangers and down-ballot races

US officials this week called Russia “the most active threat,” and it’s easy to understand why. Emerson notes Russia’s “ten-million-dollar effort to infiltrate and influence far-right American media,” alongside the “Doppelganger” network, which has spread “tens of thousands of false stories and staged videos intended to undermine election integrity in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona.” Increasingly desperate, Russian actors have even sought to shut down individual polling places with fake bomb threats, he adds.

Meanwhile, China has focused on “down-ballot races instead of the presidential election to target specific anti-China politicians,” Kenton explains. Using fake American personas and generative artificial intelligence, China-linked operations have appeared across more than fifty platforms. Perhaps surprisingly, Kenton adds, “attributed campaigns appeared sparingly” on the Chinese-owned platform TikTok and far more often on Facebook and X.

Faith, fakes, and falsehoods 

“The primary aim is to erode Americans’ faith in democratic institutions and heighten chaos and social division,” Kenton explains, and thus to undermine the ability of the US government to function so it will have less bandwidth to contain adversarial powers.

“Some of the fake and already debunked narratives and footage circulating before the elections will likely continue to be amplified by foreign threat actors well after November 5,” Dina predicts. Expect to see activity around the submission of certificates of ascertainment on December 11, the December 17 meeting of the electors to formally cast their votes, and through inauguration day on January 20.

And in a post-election period where the results will likely be contested, Graham thinks there’s a “high likelihood” that foreign actors will “cross a serious threshold” from pre-election attempts to broadly influence American public opinion in service of their geopolitical interests to “direct interference” by trying to mobilize Americans to engage in protests or even violence.

Nevertheless, Graham points out that the high volume of foreign-influence efforts observed during this year’s election cycle so far does not appear to have had a significant impact in terms of changing Americans’ opinions or behavior.  

The consequences of foreign disinformation, Emerson adds, should be assessed against “the far more viral, sophisticated, and dangerous election-day falsehoods that Americans spread among themselves.”

[arthropodboy]

Free LaKeith Smith

Vice's Documentary About LaKeith:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFjFze39Dcc

(would not let me embed because it is age restricted)

Link to LaKeith Smith's Gofundme:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-bring-my-son-lakeith-home?utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet&utm_content=undefined&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer&utm_term=undefined In 2015, LaKeith Smith was charged for the murder of his friend A'Donte Washington, who was shot by a police officer. LaKeith was 15, and charged as an adult. He was sentenced to 55 years, for a crime he did not commit. For 8 years his family has been fighting to free him while he has grown from child, to adult in prison. During the 2020 George Floyd protests, they were able to hire a new attorney with the money raised from LaKeith's Change.org page.

On December 2nd, 2022, LaKeith will be attending a post conviction hearing. This may be the only chance he has to escape imprisonment for the rest of his life.

Please, watch Vice's documentary about LaKeith and A'Donte.

If you live in Alabama, please contact your DA, there is a pre-written email and link to the DA's email in the above link.

If you live anywhere else, please sign LaKeith's Change.org. That is in the above link as well.

LaKeith should be living his life right now, he should be spending time with his family and loved ones, he should not be behind bars. Please, help him.

UPDATE (2/12/2024)

On March 21 2023, Judge Sibley Reynolds re-sentenced LaKeith Smith to a total sentence of 30 years. Since then, his family and friends have been working relentlessly to free him.

Recently the Alabama attorney general's office agreed that judge Reynolds' order was confusing, misleading and hard to understand,

SO, WITHIN 30 DAYS OF JANUARY 23 2024 LAKEITH IS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE A COURT DATE FROM THE ALABAMA COURT OF APPEALS.

Please spread the word, LaKeith is so close to being able to live his life. Here is the official Free LaKeith Smith Instagram page which is run by his Mother and updated frequently:

https://www.instagram.com/justice4lakeithsmith/ Here is the linktree with ways you can help:

https://linktr.ee/freelakeith

[sgiandubh]

Hi!

Fitness Anon here…

The brand new photos of S’s pap walk in Soho today remind me of something I wanted to share with you about AM (now AD): Her husband plays football in Germany. About ten day ago there were reports in the yellow press about the get together of thee Munich players and their families as the Bundesliga sesason had ended.

AM was mentioned there with her baby. It was stated that she had previous relationships with other sport stars. None of these news mentioned her being linked to S.

https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/fc-bayern-kennen-sie-die-alle-schon-das-sind-bayerns-neue-spielerfrauen-664c48952c12487f81715baf

Dear (returning) Fitness Anon,

I will translate the relevant part of that article. It's funny how S didn't make the Bild editor's cut, eh?

He should really stop wasting money on such #silly BS. Nobody - I repeat: NO-EFFIN'- BODY - gives a flying fuck anymore.

Ok, perhaps Data Lounge does give a (static) fuck, but this is what they do for just about everybody in showbiz. S's personal brand has seemingly gone from magic to trash. Let us hope it won't turn into a cautionary tale of sorts.

But onwards to Bild's article: 'Do you know all of them? These are the wives of the new players of the Bayern Munich'

[Photo legend: 'the Bayern star player Eric Dier with his model girlfriend Anna at the secret end-of-season party at the Käfer']

'Are you familiar with all these ladies?

Last Sunday [note: May 19th], FC Bayern organized a secret end-of-season party at Munich's upscale Käfer restaurant - despite the 2:4 defeat in Hoffenheim, the drop to third place in the Bundesliga and the first season without a title since 2012, the mood among the majority of guests was good.

It was a true family brunch! Featuring some lesser known faces... (....)'

Anna Dier: It was love at first sight for Eric Dier (30) and the South African model. After they became a couple in 2022, they got engaged in November of the same year and married in July 2023.

Shortly after, they announced on Instagram that they were expecting their first child. The baby was born at the end of January [2024]. The defender player shows loving care for the baby, as seen on the return flight from Madrid, after the 1-2 defeat in the match opposing the Real. Anna and the little one went there to support him!

Before meeting Eric Dier, Anna was in a relationship with Alexis Sanchez (35). The Chilean record international player formerly was active at Arsenal FC, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Olympique Marseille, among others.'

But... but...

Vielen Dank, dear Fitness Anon. Between three Tumblr trolls and Das Bild, I choose to believe Germany's best-selling daily newspaper, that's been around since 1952.

[srbachchan]

DAY 5824

Jalsa, Mumbai Jan 28/29, 2024 Sun/Mon 11:31 AM

🪔 ,

January 29 .. birthday greetings to Ef Ram Bhole .. Ef Naresh Saraswat from Surat.. Ef Jay from Bangalore.. and Ef Heba Mamdoh from Egypt 🇪🇬 ..

And .. wishes for the 27th wedding anniversary of Ef Pradip Das and his respected wife Misti Das .. love and prayers .. 🙏🏻🚩💐

Oh dear .. missed the timings again .. but ever in response to the feelings of the Ef here I be .. with thee again ..

Work reactions were on hold and expressed in a moment of express .. but they are the results of several unfortunate delays that took place due unforeseen circumstances .. now they be seen and the schedules are being set up in time to come ..

The feelings of the GOJ seemed as always apprehensive before walking into the gates and seeing the well wishers .. some corners and fronts remain surprisingly the same .. how they manage that isa mystery .. but they do and they get my attention ..

But truly, this Sunday DAY is ever a revelation and a joy unlimited ..

love and more .. have to leave to work .. for ... !!???

Amitabh Bachchan

[aihoshiino]

Da Vinci Magazine Jan. 2024: A Q&A with Ai of B-Komachi!

In the January 2024 issue of Da Vinci magazine, there was an in-character interview with Ai as written by Aka Akasaka that you can read a translation of here! What I forgot to mention on that initial post is that there was also a little lightning round Q&A the original anon didn't translate at the time. Thankfully, they did post it and I just... completely forgot it existed until now. ;9 Shout out to past me who remembered to save it and kept me from having to dig thru the 4chan archives for it...

Unlike the original interview, this is my translation! So any goofs and gaffes are entirely on me lol. This is also totally spoiler safe, so you can read both this Q&A and the original interview no matter what point you are in the series.

Get to Know Ai Better! Q&A Session

Q. What motto do you live by?

A. I really like "Tomorrow is a new day." I'm one of those people who forgets all their worries after a good nights' sleep. (laughs)

Q. Tell us how you refresh yourself!

A. I like taking naps on my days off. I was saying earlier that I forget my worries once I've gotten some sleep but with this job, it can be hard to find the time to actually do it. Not just that, but lately I've been waking up in the night to take care of this and that, so when I do have the time to sleep, I really conk out.

Q. What is your routine on days off?

A. I wake up, prep some milk… oh, um - I like cornflakes so I always need milk for breakfast. Then I go for a nap (laughs). I know some of the other B-Komachi members like going to beauty salons or nail salons, but I don't do nails and I let my hair grow out so I'm usually just at home (laughs). I even cut my own bangs! I've been doing it for years so I'm pretty good at it. I've even cut other peoples' hair once or twice, though not anyone in B-Komachi.

Q. Your 20th birthday's coming up soon. What are you looking forward to doing once it arrives?

A. I want to try drinking alcohol. The president of my agency keeps saying, "I can't wait to have a drink with you!" He makes it sound like a lot of fun, so I'm curious to know what getting tipsy's like.

Q. What book left the biggest impression on you this year?

A. It's a manga, but I was moved to tears by "I'll Go With Sweet Today". The heroine is a girl who distrusts people and develops anorexia, becoming terrified of eating… I have a bit of that in me too, though not quite to the same extent she does, so I could really relate to her and her journey to recovery really moved me. If there's ever a live-action version, I'd love to play her!

Q: What would you like to do after the Dome concert?

A: I'd like to go on a trip or something. Where would be nice... Oh, I've heard of 'Mito Natto' before, so maybe Mito!

Q: What's something a fan said that made you happy?

A. You know, I didn't used to read any fan letters at all. But there was a time I was getting tired of being an idol and I was planning to quit, so the president made me sit down and read all the letters I'd gotten. That was the first time I'd ever realized just how much support I was getting and it made me go "in that case, I'll give them all my love and support in return!". I even wrote a song about it. So now I treasure all the letters and words I get from my fans. I actually got a gift from a fan recently, some 'star sand'. It was really beautiful and my real name "star" in it, it made me really happy. I've still got it displayed in my room.

Q: What is "true love" to you?

A. I guess if I had to sum it up, I'd say true love is being a genius who doesn't lie. I think maybe people lie to avoid lying. I'm not sure if that's a good answer and even I don't know if it makes sense, but it's just something I feel.

Q: Do you think you're a liar?

A: Hmm~~? That's a se~cret! (laughs)

[canonicallyobserving911]

Several Sentences Sunday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

Season 7 FANON FanFic: Buddie Multi-Chapter - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapter 29 will be posted soon.

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Currently 28 chapters completed: 1.77M Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

___________

I'm excited to finish writing Chapter 29 because at the end of Chapter 28, it was early in the morning and Buck and Eddie were lying in bed having a serious conversation about whether Eddie's going to delay the pursuit of his second paramedic certification, the ACP-C. Buck doesn't want him to give up his dream, especially now since they know what caused Buck's bradycardia and he's on medication. He's doing better and even though he's still grieving, he believes once he passes the last two stages of grief, Frank may clear him to return to work but he's still not sure if he wants to go back to being a firefighter. Also, Eddie's FMLA ends on January 31, 2024 but the question is will he extend it or return to the 118?

Additionally, Chris is still dealing with one of his classmates lack of participation in their video game project and it's stressing him out. Furthermore, during their last group therapy session, Buck had a conversation with Captain Jeshan Mehta and he asked him if they could meet so he can get an objective viewpoint from someone about whether he could be a captain someday with the LAFD. He decided not to ask Bobby since he doesn't believe he'll give him an objective viewpoint because in September 2022, he told him he needed more life experience.

__________

Here's a snippet from Chapter 29 of one of Buck's and Eddie's early morning conversations about "New Beginnings".

___________

They’re in bed and since they’ve been talking for the last hour about a lot of different things, they’ve changed positions several times. Instead of facing each other, Buck’s lying on his back and Eddie’s covering the left side of Buck’s body with his own and his head is lying on top of his chest.  He’s listening to his heartbeat and it’s still one of the most beautiful sounds he’s ever heard.

While Buck’s lightly tracing his fingertips up and down Eddie’s back, he remembers the conversation they had in Philadelphia and since they haven’t discussed it since then, he decides now is a good time to bring it up again.

“Babe?”

Eddie hums, “Hmm?”

“Uh… do you think we should talk about the house in San Gimignano?”

He nods because it’s a subject they need to discuss especially since Angelo said he would contact them in early February.  “Yes, I believe we should.”

“How do you feel about us buying it?  I—I mean I’m asking because when we discussed it while we were in Philly, you suggested we withdraw our bid but we haven’t revisited that conversation.  Do you um… still feel the same way?”

He lifts his head and replies, ���No, I don’t want to withdraw our bid anymore because you were right, the white noise is loud as hell right now and we need to get out of L.A. for an entire month.  We’re all looking forward to it including the boys… all three of them.  It’s just, with all the logistics, I’m wondering how we’ll navigate the entire process from here and when I made the list, I thought about us contacting Tim and Sandra…”  He trails off when Buck’s eyebrows go up.

“You remember them don’t you?”

Does Buck remember Tim and Sandra? 👀

If so, does he remember what they do for a living?

Why is Eddie suggesting they call them for help with "New Beginnings"?

___________

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.

Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.

Chapter 24 - After Buck, Eddie and Chris arrive in London, England on December 24th; the Diazes immediately start preparing to spend their first family Christmas together. During their stay, each of them will hear a few choice words that will be the life raft to get them home to complete their searches to be seen and to be found.

Chapter 25 - After spending more than two weeks in Europe, Eddie, Buck and Chris are back in Los Angeles and they’re getting ready to attend Maddie and Chimney’s New Year’s Eve party. During the event, they have plans to make two surprise announcements but the question is, who’s really going to be surprised, the Diaz family or their found family at the 118?

Chapter 26 - Buck and Eddie are once again faced with their greatest fear of losing each other but this time it could be permanent and if it is, then they won’t be able to spend the rest of their lives together.

Chapter 27 - After Buck resumes therapy, he’ll continue to face the fact that he “DIED” in March 2023 and during those sessions, he’ll learn about the 7 stages of grief. As he continues his healing journey, Eddie will be right by his side just like he promised and the Diaz family will start to deal with their three minutes and seventeen seconds loss as a family.

Chapter 28 - Two years ago, Eddie was asked, “What are you afraid of?”; twice, once by Frank and once by Buck but he only answered one of them without deflecting. Since that time, he’s been to therapy and him and Buck got married but the question resurfaces when Frank asks Buck the same question and Buck asks it of Eddie for the second time. However, when Buck asks, his reasoning will be about something else entirely.

Chapter 29 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-28 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

[blmpff]

Dir. Hwang Da Seul to return with a new bl drama in 2024!

source 1: From the same production as ‘Where Your Eyes Linger’ and ‘To My Star’, Energedic Company is coming back with their newest BL drama, ‘#태권도의저주를풀어줘 (working title)’ and is helmed by Director Hwang Da Seul, known for her works in the aforementioned dramas and Blueming. Filming will start this month until late January 2024.

source 2: Energedic Company (the creators of To My Star 1&2) are officially producing their next kbl after TMS and Director Hwang Da-seul will be returning as a director for the upcoming kbl “Uncovering the Curse of Taekwondo” it’s set to start filming this December to late January.

01.12.23

[empressxmachina]

"Fresh Catch," a photo manipulation by me (Also on DA)

Previously, in Not-BG3, this unlucky little girl was looking for something or trying not to be looked at. Now, she can't run away... unless the luck of the dice is on her side. Of all the high fantasy content so far, I really blame the lovelies here for this.

So, perhaps the player character, or Tav, if you will, never left the mind of their previous adversary. Imagine casting a whole modified spell to catch that one person, lmao. Then again, imagine getting caught in it. The real question is, "Was this hunter notified of their presence from the trap going off and illuminating the skies and ground... or their blood being bled into the open air?"

For all intents and purposes, if I come to create more ideas like this, they'll be in a gallery/group called "Spoiled Homebrew" or something like that. Get it? Homebrew? D&D? Beer? I'll leave.

(references under the cut)

Shadow [Devil] Money Gang

Autodesk Sketchbook

Photopea ~FYI: The font used here is Alegreya, if you're curious. It's a close fit, and it's free. Like the Hells I'm paying $88 or whatever to get the actual font used.

"Sitting Woman in Elf Costume," Photo by Ann Bugaichuk from Pexels

"A Man in White Long Sleeve Shirt Walking Near a Window," Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels

"Roots, Moss, Tree..." Photo by shogun from Pixabay

"Alchemical magic circle. Astrology and the concept of religion," Photo by Pro_Art from Adobe Stock

Circa January 2024.

- The goal was to make this quite coded without actually being the thing. Though if one's headcanon somehow works well enough with this and him to imagine such a scene in-game or inspire something else, then I'm flattered.

- I do not know how small they are, and I know the D&D 5e Magic Circle doesn't work exactly like this. This is (more of) a preset trap in the environment than an offensive attack, okay?

[blueiscoool]

The Mona Lisa Painting Attacked in Paris

Protesters hurled soup at the Mona Lisa painting in Paris on Sunday, but it was protected from damage by its glass casing.

The environmental group Riposte Alimentaire – which roughly translates to “Food Response” – said two protesters involved with their campaign were behind the vandalism.

The Louvre has since reopened the “Salle des Etats” room which houses the Mona Lisa after it was evacuated.

“Two activists from the environmental movement ‘Riposte Alimentaire’ sprayed pumpkin soup on the armoured glass protecting the Mona Lisa, this Sunday, January 28, 2024, around 10am (4aET),” a statement from the museum said.

“The Louvre’s security staff immediately intervened.”

The museum said it was lodging a complaint.

Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece the Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre museum and is arguably the most famous painting in the world, drawing millions of visitors each year who line up to pose with the small artwork, which is just over 2.5 feet tall and under 2 feet wide.

The enigmatic portrait is no stranger to both vandalism and thievery.

It was stolen in 1911 by a Louvre employee, raising its international profile, and the bottom of the canvas suffered an acid attack in the 1950s, leading the museum to beef up protective measures surrounding the work, including bulletproof glass.

In 2009, a woman angrily threw a ceramic cup at the painting, breaking the cup but leaving the painting unharmed.

Then in 2022, a visitor smeared frosting all over the Renaissance-era painting’s protective glass.

By Stephanie Halasz and Chris Liakos.

[karahalloway]

The Highwayman: Part II - On The Stroke Of Midnight

Fandom: TRR (Historical AU)

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series Summary: On a dark, moonlit night, a highwayman's luck runs out...

Masterlist: The Highwayman

Chapter Summary: Harper makes a choice...

Word Count: 4,200

Rating/Warnings: M (swearing, betrayal, physical violence, main character death)

Chapter theme song:

A/N1: So... This was obviously not fun to write. Nobody wants to kill off their characters, but the rewrite would've deviated too much from the original if I had tried to change such a key piece of this story. So, it is what it is... *runs and hides to cry in the corner* There are some additional notes at the end.

A/N2: This is my second submission for @choicesprompts January 2024 Song Rewrite Challenge. The song I chose to rewrite is The Highwayman by Loreena McKennit.

Part II - On The Stroke Of Midnight

"Oi, Harper!"

I turn my head absently at the sound of my name. "Huh?"

My father is standing beside me with a stony expression. "The poor boy, Théo's been callin' after ye for donkey's, lass! Now, git over and grab those orders the patrons are waitin' on!"

"Yes, Da," I nod quickly, turning away.

He grabs me by the arm. "An' quit yer calf-eyed moonin'. We're gettin' paid t' serve, not t' stand 'round idling."

"Yes, Da," I nod again, hurrying over to the bar as my father releases me, shaking my head in a bid to clear my senses.

After Drake's departure last night, I had been too overcome with excitement to sleep. I had tossed and turned throughout the hours that remained until cockcrow, when I slipped back into my thankless role as the publican's daughter.

My days have begun at sunrise for as long as I can recall. After dressing, and tying my hair back to keep it from falling into my face, my first task was to empty the chamber pots of the previous night's contents from every room.

Then, it was onto the kitchen for a quick breakfast of ale and gruel, before tackling the litany of chores that awaited me each and every day. Stoking the fireplace in the hall. Collecting eggs from the henhouse. Sweeping. Dusting. Darning. Washing. Gathering the remnants of old candles to make into new ones. Checking the stores and making a list of required items to acquire. Brewing and decanting ale. Not to mention serving patrons at meal times, and cleaning up their mess.

The list was endless. And exhausting.

So, I am nigh on dead on my feet and it is not even sundown.

Only the knowledge that Drake is on his way back to me — for the last and final time — keeps me moving forward, albeit at a fraction of my customary pace.

"My apologies!" I gasp, arriving at the bar. "My head is in a bit of a tizzy tonight!"

"There is a full moon out tonight," my father's aide replies solemnly, pushing the tankards of ale over. "So, I suppose you are not wholly to blame."

"Thanks, Théo," I say with a distracted smile, gathering up the drinks and turning back to the hall.

Théo has had a bit of a soft spot for me ever since he came to us as an inn guard a few years prior. But an unfortunate mishap with a fully loaded cart several moons back had forced my father to pull the lad into an expanded role as partner to help keep the the inn running while he recovered from a broken leg. And thus our encounters had become more frequent.

But a couple of strolls on the moor, and one stolen kiss notwithstanding — both very much encouraged by my father, as he had somehow convinced himself that Théo will one day become my husband, and we'll collectively inherit The Crown & The Flame — I have politely sought to discourage any true advances between us.

As fate had already bound my heart to a dark-haired rogue, who arrived on a dark horse in the depths of an equally dark night, nursing a viscous wound to his side and an even fouler attitude.

Brigands, he'd told me, as I stitched him painstakingly up, his eyes flashing with malice while his hand gripped the neck of the whiskey bottle by the light of the lone candle in my room.

I wanted to ask more. But I could see that he was in pain, so I held my tongue while threading the makings of a new scar into his sweat-soaked skin... the latest addition to the brutal tapestry that already marred his flesh.

Once I completed bloody task, he yielded to sleep right there in my bed, somewhat against his will, I have to admit. But, then again, he had not exactly been in the best shape to contest with me. And I can be very persuasive when I set my mind to it.

Yet, by the time I had awoken the following morning, having spent the night in the floor next to him — not wanting to disturb his rest, but not daring to leave his side either, for fear he'd succumb to fever — he had vanished, like a ghost in the evening mist...

...that is, until he reappeared about a fortnight later, perched on the sill of my open window like an overgrown crow, nearly sending me to my own grave in fright.

He offered me gold for my services, but I had refused. When he had asked me what I desired  instead, I told him: a tale. I have never ventured further than the closest town, and he looked to be a man who'd seen his share of the world.

He obliged, weaving for me the story of his misspent youth eking an existence out from the merciless streets of the capital after a tragedy rendered him a homeless and destitute orphan.

But even as a child, when his family had been whole, he had watched the great ships that sailed in and out of the port — envying their mystery and freedom. And so, he bided his time (and stolen coin) until he was able to finally stow away on a corvette, ending up, ultimately, on the distant shores of a country called La Louisiane inthe New World.

I'd become so caught up in his recounting of far-off lands, strange peoples, and even stranger creatures, that the dawn of the new morn snuck upon me unknowingly... predominantly because he had yet to sufficiently explain to me what the devil a 'cocodril' was and how it was not quite akin to a dragon.

"I shall return to finish the tale," he promised, turning back to the window.

"When?" I pleaded, desperate to hear more... and loath to see him to leave again.

"I know not for certain, lass," he admitted, reaching a gloved hand out to brush a wayward lock of hair behind my ear. "But look for me by the moonlight."

And that's how our liaison had started — in a dark room, under the magic of the moon, our hearts filled with secrets.

But tonight, the charade will finally be put to bed. For together with the money, I intend to leave my father a note explaining everything. As that way, he'll at least know that I am safe and well... even if that knowledge will likely be a meagre balm against the pain he'll no doubt feel at my perceived betrayal.

But I cannot continue living in pretence. My nights with Drake have opened my eyes and my heart up to possibilities that I never dared conceive of, let alone believe to be within my grasp... and I am eager to start a new page.

I just have to bide my time 'til my love's return... in spite of the fact that patience is certainly not my strong suit.

A few more hours, I tell myself stoically as I navigate 'round the long trestle tables. And then—

The door of the inn bangs open, sending a torrent of cold air rushing into the warmth of the hall.

My head snaps towards the sound of the intrusion, a fool's hope budding in my breast, in spite of the knowledge that Drake would never risk such a public entrance...

...but what I see sends my heart crashing into the pit of my guts.

"Search every nook and cranny!" bellows a lanky man sporting the guilt buttons and epaulettes of an officer of rank. "Leave no floorboard in this rat's nest unturned!"

"What is t' meaning o' this, sir!" deplores my father as a line of armed Greencoat dragoons stream into the inn. "Ye can'na just—"

"I can — and indeed, am required by the edict of the law!— when I have been given reasonable suspicion that an establishment is harbouring a known and sought-after criminal," retorts the man with thin-lipped sneer, surveying the eaves as if he expects ruffians to pounce onto him at any second.

Da's eyes crackle with indignation. "Harbouring? A criminal! That accusation that is beyond outrageous, sir! This 'ere is a reputable place, I'll have ye know, an'—"

"Not according to the witness who came forward this morning," the man cuts in brusquely over the sound of boots and crashing furniture echoing up from around the building. "By whose own words, this inn is a hotbed of salacious going-ons, not to mention illegal activity. So, I suggest that you—"

"Who!" demands my father, his features contorted in offence and rage. "Who dares speak these scurrilous lies and—?"

The officer thrusts his arm out. "That man over there."

All eyes in the hall shift as one to land bodily on the subject of the disputation.

"Théo?"

The name tumbles from my lips in a hoarse croak of disbelief. My father cannot seem to even manage that, as he stands, staring mutely, hurt and betrayal carving his aghast countenance.

"So, you see, Mr Gale," continues the man unabashedly, seemingly oblivious to the shocked silence that has cloaked the room, "the source of the accusation is more than credible. A man of good and honest standing in this community, who also happens to be an employee of the—"

"Good and honest?" spits Da, rounding on the intruder with barely concealed malice as he finds his voice again. "He fabricates lies for his own gain! Though what that could possible be, I'll—"

"I saw them," says Théo softly, almost as if in apology, coming to stand by my father in front of the bar. "Last night, I—"

Da reaches out to grab his aide by the lapels of his jack, face nigh on puce with gall. "Saw who? Speak, lad, or I swear t' Almighty God, I'll—"

"Midnight Jack..." Théo replies, making no effort to protest the roughness of his treatment. "...and your daughter."

The tankards I am still holding slip from my fingers to crash to the hard-packed earth of the floor in a mess of shards and ale.

"They were talking," Théo continues, eyes meeting mine solemnly as my father's hands slip from his clothes in horrified silence. "They'd left the window of her room open and I could hear—"

"Captain Beaumont!" cries a soldier, rushing down the stairs with a clatter of heels and buckles, carabinier still in hand. "We found something!"

"Report, Lieutenant Besnard!" snaps the captain, rounding on his subordinate with impatience. "You know I detest being held in suspense!"

"I think it best you come and see for yourself, sir," the lieutenant replies, shifting his eyes in my direction.

Dread pools in my veins like lead. Oh, no...

Captain Beaumont chews on the assessment for a short moment. "Very well, Besnard. Let us assess your findings. And bring these three along — I am certain they too will find the results...captivating."

Gloved hands seize me roughly from behind, and push me towards the stairs. Yet I am too overcome with an ill sense of foreboding to even think to struggle, the cold hand of trepidation binding me more surely than any man could.

The gold... They found the gold...

The dragoons troop us up the stairs in dreadful silence, save for the sound of the creaking floorboards ‘neath our feet.

Marching the our group down the length of the corridor — along the length of which doors stood ajar, revealing the mess of upended contents within — we at last arrive at our destination.

The soldiers shove my father and I unceremoniously through the doorway of my room...

...and I immediately spot the gaping hole where the loose floorboard should have been.

My insides tighten painfully.

"Ah, you were right, Lieutenant," approves Captain Beaumont as he strides towards the foot of my bed. "This certainly is a sight to see!"

My father's eyes widen as he lays eyes on the treasure as well.

I wish I could explain, to help him make sense of it, but fear has lashed my tongue against the wall of my throat.

Kneeling down, the dragoon commander reaches into the small space and lifts out a handful of coin and jewels. "Now, what could an inn-keeper's daughter possibly want with such bounty?"

"It inna hers!" cries Da suddenly. "It's mine! My daughter, she—"

"Clearly is the inhabitant of this room," comes the steely toned rebuttal. "The brush on the dresser, and the ribbons poking from the drawer... These clues make it abundantly evident that it is a woman who sleeps herein. And I see only one woman..."

A chill runs down my spine as the captain lifts his eyes to mine. Brown — like Drake's — but without an ounce of warmth or humour.

"It is her room, aye!" affirms Da desperately. "But she knew nothin' o' the gold! 'Twas an arrangement 'tween myself and—"

The captain scoffs as he straightens back up, letting the booty fall through his fingers to clink back into the recess in the floor. "Noble of you, Mr Gale, to wish to safeguard your daughter. But I think we can all confidently conclude that what you have just uttered is a bare-faced lie..."

Da emits a grunt of agony as one of the soldiers steps forward on silent command to strike him in the back with the butt of his musket.

"...and I do so despise liars," Captain Beaumont declares dispassionately as several more dragoons descend on my father.

"Stop!" I plead, straining against my own captor as hot tears slide down my cheeks at the sight of the brutal retribution. "I beg of you... Please! I confess! The gold is mine! My father is innocent—!"

Captain Beaumont holds up a hand and the beating halts just as abruptly as it began. "There are no innocents in this sordid business. Merely degrees of culpability. Take him away."

"No!" I shriek in desperation as the dragoons lift the prone form my father up and proceed to drag him from the room, specs of rusty blood dripping onto the floorboards in their wake. "Where are you—!"

A gloved hand smacks across the side of my face, sending my vision into a spin as the sharp taste of blood exploding in my own mouth abruptly cuts off my remonstrations.

Through the thick haze of pain and tears, I see the forest green of the captain's coat move past me as the jingle of coins echoes on the edge of my awareness.

"Seems your information was actionable, Mr Mallet," Belvedere Beaumont surmises as he steps over to the dark form of Théo, who has been observing the entirety of the interaction with an ashen face. "And for that you shall be rewarded."

Raising my head, I see Theo stare at the clutch of ducats like they are tainted.

"What..." Our betrayer swallows thickly. "What will you do to them?"

"That is none of your concern, Mr Mallet," replies Captain Beaumont assertively, hefting the leather pouch in his palm. "But you can rest assured that the hand of the law will be swift and decisive."

Théo's eyes widen in sudden panic. "But... But you want The Highwayman..."

"Like I said," intones Captain Beaumont, raising the coin pounce higher. "There are no innocents. Only degrees of culpability. So, unless you desire to share in the fate of your employers, I suggest you take the prize I am offering you, and spend it wisely."

Théo jerks his gaze to mine in anguish. "Harper... I am sorry."

Grabbing the money, he dashes from the room like the naked cur he has revealed himself to be.

Bastard...

"A true blessing, and a curse... money," Captain Beaumont observes, turning back to me. "It changes hands — and loyalties — so readily, does it not? Almost like magic."

"What do you want?" I spit at him, acutely aware of the fact that I am now very much alone with, and at the mercy of, this monster.

"But love...?" the captain continues, as if he hadn't heard me. "Love — or its absence — is far more duplicitous. It crawls into our hearts and twists our minds out of any rational sense of order."

"And what would a man like you possibly know of love?" I demand with more bravado than I feel, in a desperate attempt to mask the fear suffusing my limbs.

"I know it can spark wars and topple empires," he relies coolly, reaching out to pinch the strand of hair that had escaped from my bun between his gloved fingers. "Perhaps even hang a thief."

The air rushes from my lungs in horror. "No..."

"Lieutenant!" Beaumont barks over his shoulder, spinning on his heel away from me. "Rope!"

"Right here, sir!" affirms the subordinate, pulling a length of cordage from his pack.

"Bind this woman," comes the clipped instruction. "And take her to the window."

My struggles are for naught as my wrists are lashed together in front of my body.

"That renegade dog clearly loves you," declaims Captain Beaumont as his goons drag me to the casement. "Or he would not have entrusted you with the safekeeping of his ill-gotten treasure. The question is... Do you love him in turn?"

I raise my chin definitely as I am thrust onto the hard ledge of the window sill. "More than you can comprehend."

He meets my gaze with a serpentine smile. "That was my hope."

I stare at him in bewilderment as he reaches past me to crack the window open. "What are you—?"

"The way I see it," he continues, almost conversationally as the cold night air rushes over my skin, "you have a choice to make. Either you assist me in luring our mutual friend to his untimely, but very much overdue death — thereby potentially absolving you and your father of any involvement in this sorry affair, though that will be for a judge to decide — or I will claim obstruction of justice and hang the lot of you as accomplices. The decision is yours."

"You are vile..." I bite out through clenched teeth as a my mouth is smothered by a kerchief.

"I am a man of the law," he counters dispassionately. "And the law is clear — the penalty for highway robbery is death. Either by action, or association. And the evidence against you is, sadly, rather weighty." He flicks his eyes towards the gaping hole in the floor where two dragoons are busy loading the booty into a sack. "So, do not blame me for the unsavoury consequences of your own foolishness. You set yourself on this path. Knowingly."

I turn away from him, a torrent of guilt streaming down my face.

What have I done...?

The minutes tick slowly past, and the hours crawl by like years as we wait in silence under the silvery light of the moon.

And I have ample time to contemplate both my fate and my doom.

For there is no doubt about it — I am doomed, one way or another. Captain Belvedere Beaumont has made that abundantly clear.

Either I give up the love of my life, or I consign both myself and my father — not to mention my unborn babe — to a shallow, unmarked grave that will be forgotten just as soon as it is dug.

Both options are too horrendous to even contemplate.

Which is why I have very seriously debated throwing myself off the ledge of the window I am sat on. As that way I can at least break the captain's malicious hold on me.

But suicide is an unforgivable sin. Or so I've been taught. And, in any event, my death would be for naught, for I would doom the men I love just the same... Drake would walk unknowingly into the dragoons' ambush and Captain Beaumont would most likely slit my father's neck in spite.

So, I sit. And wait. And curse the fates — and myself — for this unforgivable turn of events. Because if Drake and I had eloped last night, our destinies would've been very different.

"Rider on the knell, sir," advises a soldier with a spyglass trained across the moor.

"I see him," confirms Captain Beaumont, eyes glinting with anticipation.

Raising my head, I spot the lone figure silhouetted against the darkness as he crests the hill, second horse in tow.

My heart jumps into my throat. Drake.

"Not a sound," orders Captain Beaumont as Drake and Drogon disappear from view in the shadow of the hill. "We bide our time and let the fair lady lure the rogue in."

The soldiers nod as they set about priming their weapons.

My mind is racing. I have to warn him... But how?

I feel the point of a blade press against my throat. "Just so you do not get any funny ideas in that pretty little head of yours..." warns Captain Beaumont as he takes up position behind me, the barrel of his pistol coming to rest on my shoulder, my form concealing his in the darkness.

I cast my gaze around the room. But my hands are bound and I have no recourse to even my voice, let alone a weapon.

But then a dragoon kneels down in front of me...

...and the ghost of a plan begins to take shape in my mind.

It is risky... and fraught with danger. Not just for myself, but for Drake as well. But I have been presented with a sliver hope. And though it may be a fool's hope, I must take it. As I cannot, in good conscience, purposely lead the man I love to slaughter.

I will not give Captain Beaumont that particular satisfaction. And — in any event — a life without Drake would not be worth living anyway.

The minutes continue to pass with bated breath as we wait for Drake to reappear.

"Movement on the roof, sir," whispers a dragoon, adjusting the hold on his musket.

Sure enough, a shadow has appeared in the darkness, drifting across the thatch of the barn in stealthy silence.

"Hold your fire," orders Captain Beaumont, pulling the cock of his flintlock back. "We need him in range. And for the love of God, do not fucking miss!"

The soldiers nod tersely as Drake creeps unknowingly closer.

"Five paces..." rasps Captain Beaumont, his hot breath gusting my ear. "Four... Three... Two..."

I close my eyes. Forgive me, Da...

"O—"

Kicking my legs out with a roar of determination, I heave myself backwards with all my might. My feet catch the side of the musket balanced on the ledge before me, sending a shot sailing out into the night with a bright flash of gunpowder.

I pray to the moon and the stars that it missed Drake.

Captain Beaumont's pistol discharges next to my ear as the back of my head collides with the bridge of his nose, shattering it with a bony crunch.

The knife he's been holding clatters to the floorboards as he stumbles backwards with a cry of pain. And as the support of his body disappears from behind me, there is nothing to hold me aloft.

I thud bodily to the floor, gasping for breath as the suddenness of the impact knocks the air from my lungs, my ears ringing from the earlier crack of the pistol, the smell of my singed hair burning my nose.

But I only have one aim... One mission... To get ahold of that knife.

Twisting myself around, I spot it — glinting in the moonlight merely a foot away.

Throwing my hands out, I reach for the weapon, the roar of shouts and gunfire breaking above my head...

...but find myself crying out as my hair is grabbed from behind.

"You conniving whore!" hisses Captain Beaumont as he wrenches me backwards, my scalp screaming in protest. "You will rue the day you were born!"

Tears blur my sight as I feel the hair rip from my head.

But still I strain towards the knife, which lies just beyond my fingertips, my teeth gritted against the pain, my heart hammering.

The edge of my nails scrapes the hilt...

A lone shot punctures the maelstrom of the chaos.

Captain Beaumont's grasp falters, and I crash back onto the floorboards.

Grasping for the dirk, I twist back 'round...

...but the sharp movement sends pain shooting through my chest and I am suddenly gasping for breath.

The knife falls from my hands as I clutch at my breast... and my fingers sink into the warmth of the flesh within.

"You cack-handed ingrate!" screams Captain Beaumont from above me. "I'll have you whipped for this!"

"She was trying to kill you, sir!" comes the voice of the lieutenant as the acrid taste of blood blooms in the back of my throat.

"She was our only hope of luring that bastard in!" shrieks Beaumont in rage, the stomp of his boots rattling the floorboards next to me as he advances on his subordinate, causing me to cough. "And you shot her!"

"Sir!" shouts another dragoon. "A horse and rider! Galloping north!"

"After him, you witless buffoons!" orders the captain, his face streaked with crimson and rage. "Do not let him get away!"

The soldiers scramble from the room as my lifeblood seep out of my veins onto the dusty floorboards.

And as the darkness closes in on me, I offer my soul up to the night with one final wish...

Fly, my love... Fly like a witch on the wind.

The story continues in Part III: The Highwayman Comes Riding (coming soon)

A/N: Some notes and comments below:

Cocodril - I appreciate that it's alligators that live in Louisiana, not crocodiles. However, according to a helpful article I found, the correct Louisiana French term for alligator is 'cocodril' or 'cocodrie' (both pronounced the same), or occasionally 'caïman', but never 'alligator' as alligator is considered to be an English word, and therefore not part of the 'correct' French vocabulary. Also the terminology makes sense from a historical, cultural and linguists perspective — Europeans would have been familiar with crocodiles from ancient time (Ancient Egypt, etc.), but not alligators, and would not have originally realised that there was a difference until people like Carl Linnaeus and Charles Darwin started systematically cataloguing species, starting in the late 1700s, so they probably just initially applied the familiar but 'wrong' term and it stuck. That said, French French does differentiate between 'alligator' and 'cocodrie', but that is a more recent linguistic development than the original French Louisiana one. Okay; massive tangent concluded 😆

Musket - If anyone has read the original poem, or listened to the song, you will have probably realised that I made another change to the story, namely the manner in which Harper dies. In the original, Bess is bound to the foot of her bed, her hands tied behind her, and a musket lashed in such a way that it points to her heart. However, she somehow manages to not only free her hand from her bindings without anyone noticing, but she also manages to grasp the trigger of the musket. Now, if anyone has bothered to look at what a musket actually looks like, you will quickly realise that this sequence of events in the original poem/song is a straight up impossibility because muskets of this era are friggin' long (typically around 5ft or 1.6m), so there is no way that I can see that Bess would've been able to reach the trigger if she is stood up, or even sat down. So, the manner of death had to change. That said, I tried to stay as true as possible to the original. But, if anyone disagrees with me, happy to be educated!

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[pbandjelly535]

wait explain the cards.. where are they from, how do you get them?

So the cards are all manufactured by Topps which is a trading card company. The sets with these particular Paige cards released in January and March of 2024.

They do college sports card sets which they refer to as Bowman University. When you buy a box of cards you don’t know what/who you are going to get. They will have a checklist with the players included as well as the different types of cards you can receive (#’d, autos, special inserts, etc.)

It makes a lot more sense to buy the individual cards you want rather than trying to rip boxes (which are expensive) and you aren’t guaranteed any player it’s completely random based off of the set lists.

I bought all of the cards on eBay (from people who actually ripped the boxes and listed them) and then sent them to PSA which grades all different types of trading cards. The grading process is based on things like centering, corners, surface, and edges.

This increases the value of the cards compared to them being ungraded or “raw” as they are called in the hobby.

For example the Orange Prime Signatures, and prospect auto came out of this box.

The bowman u best card that I’m keeping came out of this box:

[dasmutquisition]

2024 info

Welcome back. Yes it's rather late in the year. Yes the exchange has been absconded with by Jarak who's running it this year. Or next year as it's a January start. Yes, I know, we're all doomed. No, I will not be taking any criticism of my technological abilities (or lack thereof which is why there's no pretty images in this).

If you've not gathered what this is:

Nobody Expects the Dragon Age Smutquisition is a fanwork gift exchange that showcases works rated Explicit in the DA Fandom. Any pairings or groups are eligible as long as they contain at least one DA Character from any DA Media. All works must be rated Explicit and tagged appropriately.

2024 Important Dates:

Noms: Jan 1st - Jan 14th

Signups: Jan 15th - Jan 28th

Assignments sometime 29/30th

Due date: 3rd March

Anon Reveals: 10th March

Creator reveals: 17th March

Further information forthcoming when I get the hang of posting to tumblr again. It's been a long time.

Jarakrisafis