#douglas island news

[titles-for-tangents]

Once more for the folks in the back:

Do not disregard the advice of a specialist just because you do not understand.

Do not disregard the rights of a community — obey cheerfully the rules issued by authorities.

Do not think you are entitled to special privileges.

From 2020.

Just like the influenza pandemic of 1918, society decided to move on and forget mitigations. We also decided to forget about covid in general too. Might be a good place to mention: every covid infection damages your brain. Might have something do do with this epidemic of forgetfulness about of covid.

[sitting-on-me-bum]

“Nugget Point Lighthouse Aurora”

Nugget Point Lighthouse, New Zealand. Nugget Point Lighthouse is on the eastern side of New Zealand’s South Island. It rests above the famous rocks, which were named by Captain Cook because they looked like pieces of gold. The lighthouse is set on a precipice, where the ocean meets the sky. From here, you can get panoramic views of the southern seas, so it’s a photographer’s dream location.

By Douglas Thorne

Northern Lights Photographer of the Year

[reasonsforhope]

For years, the people of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation watched over their waters and waited. They had spent nearly two decades working with Canada’s federal government to negotiate protections for Kitasu Bay, an area off the coast of British Columbia that was vulnerable to overfishing.

But the discussions never seemed to go anywhere. First, they broke down over pushback from the fishing industry, then over a planned oil tanker route directly through Kitasoo/Xai’xais waters.

“We were getting really frustrated with the federal government. They kept jumping onboard and then pulling out,” says Douglas Neasloss, the chief councillor and resource stewardship director of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation. “Meanwhile, we’d been involved in marine planning for 20 years – and we still had no protected areas.”

Instead, the nation watched as commercial overfishing decimated the fish populations its people had relied on for thousands of years.

Nestled on the west coast of Swindle Island, approximately 500km north of Vancouver, Kitasu Bay is home to a rich array of marine life: urchins and abalone populate the intertidal pools, salmon swim in the streams and halibut take shelter in the deep waters. In March, herring return to spawn in the eelgrass meadows and kelp forests, nourishing humpback whales, eagles, wolves and bears.

“Kitasu Bay is the most important area for the community – that’s where we get all of our food,” Neasloss says. “It’s one of the last areas where you still get a decent spawn of herring.”

So in December 2021, when the Department of Fisheries and Oceans withdrew from discussions once again, the nation decided to act. “My community basically said, ‘We’re tired of waiting. Let’s take it upon ourselves to do something about it,’” Neasloss says.

What they did was unilaterally declare the creation of a new marine protected area (MPA). In June 2022, the nation set aside 33.5 sq km near Laredo Sound as the new Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) MPA – closing the waters of the bay to commercial and sport fishing.

It is a largely unprecedented move. While other marine protected areas in Canada fall under the protection of the federal government through the Oceans Act, Kitasu Bay is the first to be declared under Indigenous law, under the jurisdiction and authority of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation.

Pictured: "In some ways, I hope someone challenges us" … the Kitasoo/Xai’xais stewardship authority.

Although they did not wait for government approval, the Kitasoo did consult extensively: the declaration was accompanied by a draft management plan, finalised in October after three months of consultation with industry and community stakeholders. But the government did not provide feedback during that period, according to Neasloss, beyond an acknowledgment that it had received the plan...

Approximately 95% of British Columbia is unceded: most First Nations in the province of British Columbia never signed treaties giving up ownership of their lands and waters to the crown. This puts them in a unique position to assert their rights and title, according to Neasloss, who hopes other First Nations will be inspired to take a similarly proactive approach to conservation...

Collaboration remains the goal, and Neasloss points to a landmark agreement between the Haida nation and the government in 1988 to partner in conserving the Gwaii Haanas archipelago, despite both parties asserting their sovereignty over it. A similar deal was made in 2010 for the region’s 3,400 sq km Gwaii Haanas national marine conservation area.

“They found a way to work together, which is pretty exciting,” says Neasloss. “And I think there may be more Indigenous protected areas that are overlaid with something else.”

-via The Guardian, 5/3/23

[spikes-got-anger-issues]

Looking at this closer, I noticed a few more things (and I am going to point out things I left in the tags on the original post). Adam has an.....interesting view of "Family":

-Adam only put arrows to Tasha from Leo and Donald and vice versa. He has "Mom" written under Tasha however, but maybe his mindset is that Tasha is just Leo's mother and not their (A,B,C) mother? Or he doesn't feel that Tasha has a motherly relationship with him and his biological siblings? Adam has called Tasha "Mom" in the past and actually calls Tasha "Mom" in the next episode, so who knows!

-On the contrary, he has "Dad" under Davenport and yet has an arrow connecting Donald to Leo and vice versa so he views/understands that Donald and Leo have a father and son relationship

-There is a very faint arrow connecting Leo to Douglas, but not vice versa. Daniel however does have an arrow connecting to Leo and vice versa

-Not sure if there is some kind of correlation, but the "R" in tree goes through Davenport before connecting to Tasha

-Bob only has an arrow to Adam and vice versa

-Perry has "Wife?" and "Mom?" under her name. She also has arrows connecting to Douglas and Donald, but none back to her

-Bree has "Sister" under her name, but Chase, Leo, and Daniel don't have "Brother" under theirs

-Douglas has "Uncle Dad" under his name. He also doesn't have any arrows going out to anybody

-The capsule has four arrows connecting to it (A,B,C) with Bree seemingly having two connections towards it, but it could be going somewhere else (Daniel?) but it's too faint to tell. Adam has the capsule having a connection back to him (lol)

-Daniel only has arrows to Leo, Adam, Bree, Chase, and Douglas

Moments later he claims that his tree now says that he died 35 years ago(???):

-We see that Adam has scribbled a large blue line over the trunk of the tree and through him/"ME" in the middle (to symbolize death??)

-There are a few new scribbly lines amongst the arrows now

-There is now a new blue arrow in the bottom right pointing to "Me?" I didn't screenshot it, but in the last few seconds of the episode we can see on the drawing that this arrow is coming from Perry despite it being written with a dark blue crayon

-Donald's connection to Chase has been thickened

-Bob's connection to Adam has been thickened

-The "R" in tree has been thickened along with the line trailing down from it in a few areas

-Something is written in red underneath "Family"

I can't get over how Adam came to the conclusion that Chase is his wife meanwhile he has "Wife?" and "Mom?" written under Perry's name

[margowritesthings]

I'll Be Home for Christmas (If Only in My Dreams)

A Christmas gift for @cassidylynnj <3

Being shut away in a safehouse wasn't exactly how you wanted to spend this Christmas, but somehow Steve and Bucky manage to bring some festive cheer to you.

pairing: Steve Rogers x reader x Bucky Barnes word count: 5520 words warnings/tags: starts out a little sad, flirty Bucky, ever so slight suggestive language, brief mentions of passed loved ones/grief, lots and lots of festive fluff tbh authors note: Happy belated Christmas! I wrote this as a fic exchange with my wonderful friend @cassidylynnj. A lot of this was completely new to me, including writing Steve, but I loved creating it! I hope y'all have had a lovely, restful season and I wish you all the absolute best for 2025!

Christmas divider by @saradika-graphics

Endless white nothing. 

It’s been 3 weeks since that day, when Bucky showed up at your work with a packed bag and a deep line between his brows, ushering you out and promising to explain when you got there. Where there is, you’re still not sure. James drove for hours, and once it got dark, it was difficult to decipher any road signs. He dodged every question, though you spotted that wince he couldn’t hide every time you asked how long you were going to be gone. Your heart sank a little, your Christmas shopping list still lying discarded on the kitchen island now. 

The two of you drove deep into the woods, the headlights the only things leading the way around winding paths and douglas firs. Steve was already waiting for you at the cabin, so secluded you’re sure somebody threw a dart at a map to decide where to build the thing. Bucky always was harder to read, but the second you saw Steve’s face, you knew something was horribly wrong. The tension in his jaw, the way neither of them could properly look you in the eye in case they saw just how sad you were and caved. They told you everything, taking it in turns to divulge all the terrible, awful details, but you could hardly concentrate over the ringing in your ears. The short of it was this: Avenger’s loved ones were being targeted and people were getting hurt. Laura Barton had been attacked on her own farm, and somebody had shown up at Morgan’s school. The others were taking precautions and Steve and Bucky weren’t planning on being exceptions. You’d stay here, in hiding, while other family members of Avengers were scattered around the globe until they neutralised the threat. This little cabin in the woods was to be your home… for as long as it took. 

The first week was almost peaceful. Steve and Bucky came and went between watch shifts and meetings, and even though you had to ditch your phone on the way here, it kind of felt like a detox. None of the noise of daily life, a forceful break from social media, not even the mad Christmas rush at work. The log cabin was small, but cozy. Draughty, but the boys made sure the fireplace was always stoked. Completely isolated, but a little bubble that Steve and Bucky visited to cuddle and eat with you and every so often stay over. Sometimes, it’d just be one, but occasionally you’d be lucky enough to get squished up between the two of them while they showed you just how grateful they were that you were safe. There was even a stunning view, picturesque trees dusted with snow, tiny flakes falling from the sky. 

But as bubbles often do, it burst. One week turned to two which turned to three, the possibility of going home for Christmas becoming bleaker. Your boys got busier with the mission, the visits got fewer and farther between, and suddenly you found the days dragging, the worry getting so much more intense and harder to ignore. The snow fell heavier, until the vivid green leaves were swallowed up and the ground was so thick with it you could no longer see the deer tracks.

Which brings you here. With your forehead pressed against the window, your breath fogging up the cold glass. It’s all you can see. Endless white nothing. Your mind is churning, as it often does by this window. Worrying about damn near everything, missing your family, wondering just how long they can keep you cooped up in here. No, that isn’t fair. You’re here for your own safety, you know that. Steve and Bucky are doing everything they can to keep you alive, as are the rest of the team. You’re so grateful, of course you are, but it’s not all that easy. The lonely days can drag, the whistling wind sometimes the only reprieve from an unforgiving silence. At first, you tried to write, reframing this whole ordeal as some sort of retreat, but your muse quickly depleted around the same time your festive spirit and optimism did, making it oh so difficult to tell the difference between the empty page in front of you and the snowstorm outside. 

Thoughts drift to home as you pull your knees up to your chest, hugging them in tightly. Wondering if your loved ones have finished their Christmas shopping, if your cousin has matched her ribbons to her wrapping paper again or if your nephew has gone to meet Santa yet. Thinking about the cookies you were so looking forward to making everyone, the new cutters you bought probably collecting dust in the drawer right now.

You’re debating if your neighbour has opened the packages you ordered when the wind breaks through the doorway, almost killing the quickly dwindling fire as Steve and Bucky both bundle inside. Though they bring a chill in with them, the warmth you feel at the sight of them seems to thaw a little of that wretched numbness growing in you. A small smile tugs at the corners of your lips as you stand to greet them, feeling the blood rush back into your toes now that you’re not scrunched in on yourself.

“Missed you, sweetheart,” Bucky mumbles first over the thick collar of his coat, “You doin’ alright?” He sets the logs he’s carrying down by the fireplace, coming back to wrap his arms around you and place a kiss on your forehead. You nod, though Bucky doesn’t look convinced as his eyes scan over your features. 

Steve discards his portion of firewood in the same pile as Bucky’s, your body instinctively turning to his when he comes for his kiss. He blows into his hands for a moment, breath warming his palms just enough to take the edge off when he cups your cheeks to raise your face up to his. Your lips meet in a tender kiss, while Bucky’s hands fall to your hips. Somehow, even though they’re fresh from a snowstorm, they’re two pillars of warmth. Some of the heaviness clinging to you dissipates instantly.

“You’re freezing, angel,” Steve almost scolds, glancing over to the fireplace. “You been sitting here all morning?” 

When he lets go of your cheeks to go and fix the fire, you nod again, needing to clear your stuck throat before you can speak actual words for the first time since they were last here. “There’s not much else to do,” You explain simply, trying not to sound so ungrateful for your safety. “I missed you both, though.” 

“We missed you so much, doll,” Bucky whispers into your ear, his breath tickling the shell as he pulls you into him from behind. “You’ve gotta keep that fire going, though, baby. This storm ain’t a joke.” 

You hold back a scoff. As if you didn’t know, as if that storm isn’t the only thing keeping you company lately. A shrug of your shoulders as you tilt your head to the side to let Bucky pepper kisses on your neck. Steve takes no time at all to revive the fire, expert hands working to warm the room back up. 

Soon, the three of you are bundled on the sofa, blanket draped over all six legs and thirty toes. Bucky has his warmer arm around you, while Steve draws gentle circles and swirls in the thighs you’ve draped over his. Right now, you’re right where you belong, sandwiched between your boys. It’s enough to drive away all those lonely thoughts. Enough to be completely content for now. 

You’re trying so hard not to think about the fact that, even though they’ve just got here, they’ll eventually have to leave again. So lost in trying to enjoy the here and now that you completely miss the worried glances Steve and Bucky are sending over your head, debating who’s going to be the one to ask without having to say a single word. A language built upon nearly a century of connection you often feel honoured to exist in the middle of. 

The circles on your leg still, which pulls your attention to Steve. He shifts in his seat. Clears his throat.

“So how are you, sweetheart? Really, I mean… I know it’s not easy, but-”

“I’m fine. Really, I’m fine,” you answer too soon, suddenly not able to look either of them in the eye. You don’t want to complain, don’t want to be any more of a bother than you already feel when all of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are working to protect you while you rattle around in here. 

“Talk to us, doll…” Bucky implores, pulling you closer into him, “We’re worried about you. Can’t help if you shut us out”

“Don’t be,” you plead, finally dragging your eyes up to meet his, hating the concern you see written on both their faces, “I’m okay. I just…” feel lonely while you’re out risking your lives to protect me, miss the christmas tree while my life is in danger? Your throat tightens. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

“It’s okay if you’re not,” Steve says softly, his palm now splayed across your thigh and squeezing gently, “You don’t have to carry this on your own.”

“That’s what we’re here for,” Bucky adds, pressing a kiss atop your head. His too kind words make you flinch away. 

“You’re doing enough for me. For all of us. You don’t need to be worrying about me missing a stupid Christmas tree on top of all that.” You’re embarrassed that you’ve even said it aloud, even though you know the issue runs much deeper than that. Bucky and Steve’s eyes both flicker between you and each other, while you wish the ground would just swallow you up whole in punishment for your outburst. 

“Sorry. I’m sorry. It’s just… not so easy, being alone like this all the time. I miss everyone, miss my friends, my family… my little flat with the Christmas lights I put up and that tree we decorated together… I know I must sound insane, thinking about all this trivial, meaningless stuff while people are in so much danger. I just can’t help it when I’m up here all on my own.” 

You watch Steve deflate in real time, his shoulders sinking as he processes your words. He pulls his hand out from under the blanket, grabbing yours to bring it to his lips. The kiss is tender and warming on your skin and it makes your chest ache. Even amongst all this, they always find kindness. 

“You’re not insane, baby. Not even close,” Bucky whispers into your hair, “and we’re so sorry you have to go through this.”

Tears well in your eyes at his apology. “No, no, please don’t apologise. I know you’re doing everything you can and I’m so so grateful and-”

“Hey, hey… it’s alright,” Steve soothes, his voice steady. “We know how grateful you are. But we’re also sorry. What you’re going through right now is tough, sweetheart, and it breaks my heart every time we have to leave. Trust me when I tell you we’re going as fast as we can so me and Buck can get you back home. With us. Where you belong.”

The picture forms so clearly in your mind. In your own bed, squished between two heated bodies, hard muscles and soft skin and long nights and slow kisses and all the time in the world. No stolen moments between missions, checking the clock and watching on alert every time a deer stalked past. You’d like that. Very much so. 

“She’s right though, Steve,” Bucky starts, fingers absentmindedly running through a little section of hair fallen free from your ponytail, “it is depressing as shit in here. I’ve seen barracks more festive than this.”

Steve’s frown forms at Bucky’s choice of language, but it settles into the lines in his forehead as he looks around the palace you’ve tried so hard to call home these last weeks. It’s pretty bare, with each piece of furniture a different soulless shade of grey. A far cry from the festive sanctuary you’d left behind.

Fingers still entwined in yours, Steve straightens his spine and leans forward in his seat. 

He pulls a genuine laugh from you for the first time in days when he says, “It is depressing as shit.”

They stayed for as long as they possibly could, talking through everything with you until that heaviness on your chest was replaced with a quiet hope. You kissed them both and saw them out, waving them off until they were tiny dots in the snow. Missing the plans that formed on their cold walk back to base. 

You feel refreshed after talking so openly with Steve and Bucky, determined to approach the rest of your time here with optimism and kindness to yourself. Keep the fire stoked, get dressed every day, keep your daily gratitudes. Make the best of what you have, especially when your boys are here. Stay strong. If not for yourself, then to make this all worth it.

You’re folding paper you’d found in a cupboard into a makeshift journal when you first hear muffled voices. It startles you, expecting neither Steve nor Buck to be back with you so soon and deducing the origin must be something violent. You stand, survival instinct making you wield a nearby pen as some sort of magic wand as your defense from the intruder. As the voices get louder, panic sets in and numbs your tongue. The door swings open, revealing the very tip of a… tree?

“I really don’t think this is gonna go through the doorway, Buck.”

“It’ll fit. We’ll make it fit.”

“I’ve heard that before.” “Yeah, and haven’t I always made it fit?” 

You can feel the glare Steve is throwing Bucky through the wall of the cabin, no x-ray vision required. You lower the pen to your side as your curiosity takes over, walking you to the doorway. Sure enough, your boys are back, standing on either end of a huge douglas fir, snow still clinging to its leaves that shake off onto the porch.

“Hey, doll.” Bucky stands up front, gripping the top of the tree with his vibranium hand while waving with the other. He grins like a kid at… well, Christmas. “Couldn’t stay away from ya’. Figured we’d bring you a little something to cheer you up.”

“A little something? That thing is huge.” You retort, the smile on your face betraying the accusation in your voice.

“Bigger’s better.” Bucky smirks, raising and lowering his eyebrows suggestively. You’re giggling, so hard you almost miss Steve grumble from the back end of the tree.

“Yeah, yeah, Buck, your dick is huge. We know. Can we get this thing inside before we let all the cold in?” 

Somehow, in Bucky’s infinite wisdom, they do make it fit, and are pulling the very base of the tree through the doorway when you can finally get your hands on them. The cold clinging to both of them bites at your skin but you don’t care as you drag them both closer to you.

“I didn’t think I’d see either of you again today… Especially not with a big ass Christmas tree. What’s going on?”

“Couldn’t stand to see you so sad, sweetheart. There’s not much we can do about being stuck here, but you said you missed Christmas so we figured we’d bring a little Christmas to you.” Steve presses a kiss to the top of your head as you snuggle into them, only now noticing the backpacks they’re both carrying too. 

“There’s not much to work with out here, so we had to go old school,” Bucky explains, pulling away from the hug briefly to shrug his bag off his shoulder and drop it next to the tree.

“It’s traditional,” Steve counters, almost scolding in his tone. “Christmas like when me and Buck were kids.”

“Same thing.” Bucky shrugs, while your gaze falls to the tree taking up nearly half the space of your cabin.

“Did… did you cut this down just now?”

“Ain’t no tree store in the middle of nowhere, doll.” 

You roll your eyes at Bucky’s smart mouth, playfully pinching his bicep before breaking away from them to get a better look at the tree. It really is ridiculously large and you’re 90% sure it won’t even stand without bending at the ceiling, but your heart still aches at the thought of what Bucky and Steve have done for you. The thought of them bickering out there in the snow, wanting to find you the very best one to put a smile back on your face has your cheeks straining. 

“And… What's in the bags? If I even dare ask.” The grin is unstoppable now as you watch Steve and Buck take off their coats and shake the snow from themselves..

“Supplies, of course.” Buck teases, kissing your cheek on his way to the kitchen, “200, right?” 

“200,” Steve confirms to Bucky, picking up both bags before you get the chance of a sneak peek. “Patience, baby.” He winks, playful, boyish grin lighting his face up. 

“200 what?” You follow them both into the kitchen, finding Bucky fiddling with the oven while Steve unpacks both bags out onto the island. So far, you can spot some twine, matches, and a tinfoil parcel that you think might be popcorn.

“Degrees,” Bucky says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “You didn’t eat all those oranges, did you?” 

He looks relieved when you slowly shake your head no, your mind whirring to catch up with your surroundings. Popcorn, oranges… old school, Bucky had said.

“We’re making Christmas decorations?” You guess, hope and excitement blending into a smile that makes it all worth it for Steve and Buck.

“Clever girl.” Bucky praises, as Steve starts pulling an assortment of candles and tealights from the second bag. There’s a whole pile of stuff now: pomegranates, candy canes, newspapers, even-

“Is that an iPod Nano??” The astonishment in your voice is clear as you pick the little purple device up, the screen lighting up in your palm. An old school Christmas, indeed.

Steve looks a strange mixture of proud and somewhat confused when he pulls out a portable speaker and adds, ”Bruce set it up for us. Says it’s completely untraceable, but he put all the Christmas songs on there. Every single one.” 

He’s not wrong. You spin your thumb around the pressure pad, watching Earth’s entire festive discography flash before your eyes. Everyone from Mariah Carey to Nat King Cole. Emotion wells in your chest, forms tears that sit on your waterline. This is too much. Everything they’re already doing for you, and now this? Working so hard to keep you happy. 

“You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble, you know you’re doing enough…” You mumble, watching both frowns develop simultaneously. Gods, you don’t want to sound so ungrateful again, but it’s hard sometimes not to feel like such a burden when two supersoldiers wait on you hand and foot.

“And miss Christmas with our favourite girl? I don’t think so.” Bucky weaves around the island to find his way to you and Steve. You feel the cold pinch of vibranium on flesh as he takes your hand to bring it up to his lips. He lowers his voice, “you know we’d go to the ends of the Earth for you, doll. Pulling down a tree or two is nothing.”

And you know he means it. They both do. They’d tear the multiverse apart for you, spend their Christmas swapping watch duties to keep you safe, even find you a freaking iPod Nano in the grand old age of 2024. You look between them, finding such honesty and love in their eyes your heart hurts.

That smile starts to warm you from the inside out again as you clutch the Nano tight to your chest. It might actually be your favourite Christmas present ever. 

“You ready to bring a little Christmas cheer to this place, angel?” Steve asks, hand cupping the back of your head. You nod, unable to actually stop smiling now they’ve convinced you that you’re worth all this and more. 

“So ready.” You dock the iPod, while Steve and Bucky both gently caress your back through your cable jumper. The moment is so tender and perfect and-

“YOU’RE HERE, WHERE YOU SHOULD BE-” Kelly Clarkson screeches, making all three of you jump an inch. Now shaking fingers quickly manage to shut the song off, leaving you with the residue of Bucky’s laughter ringing in the air. You can’t help but giggle too, watching two of the world’s bravest heroes startled by an American Idol.

“Sorry, sorry. Modern Christmas music is not the vibe, noted.” You hold your hands up in a mock surrender before turning back to the speaker dock. “Wait, hang on, I think it’s sorted by year…” you think aloud, scrolling all the way back to the top. To the likes of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. 

Dulcet tones fill the space between your bodies when you press play, classic strings melting into the honeyed, mellow voice of Bing Crosby telling the three of you to have yourselves a merry little Christmas. The room feels warmer already, absolutely nothing to do with the roaring fire and everything to do with the love woven into this gesture the boys have done for you. You feel so seen, so known, so unbelievably loved it almost hurts. 

“Thank you so much for this. Both of you.”

“Don’t thank us yet, doll. Not before we’ve actually managed to get that tree up and standing,” Bucky jokes, eyes now flickering between the fir and the space it should be filling. 

First things first, though, the oranges. 

“You’ve gotta have them in at the lowest heat for about 2 hours,” Steve explains, slicing the fruit on a board while you lay the pieces on a baking tray. You’ve never done anything like this, most of your ornaments back home hand-me-downs from family or bought at Bryant Park. There’s something really special about it, though, being taught how by men who lived in a world before tacky glittery Christmas abominations took over the world.

“And they have to be the same thickness, or else they’ll dry unevenly,” Steve adds. You look to Bucky just in time to catch his playful eye roll.

“Sir, yes, sir,” Bucky taunts, saluting the Captain (of orange slices) with a stupidly serious expression on his face. You hold your giggle best you can, batting Buck lightly on his metal arm. 

“Hey! Leave him alone,” you scold, lacking any sort of conviction when you let him pull your back up against his chest.

As Steve finishes up slicing the last orange, you start to lay the slices on the tray. They both watch you fondly, Steve thinking aloud, “I used to do this with my Ma before the war. She taught me all the tricks.”

You can just see it now: a little Steve meticulously watching to make sure each piece of the garland was sliced evenly.

“We did it too,” Bucky adds, “but me and Becks just fought over who got to eat the leftover slices.”

There’s a moment where each heart in the room aches for those who aren’t, who can’t be. You wish you could have met their families, Steve’s mother, Bucky’s little sister, and thanked them for making your boys just the way they are. Steve and Bucky long for the same, think about how much they’d all truly love you. The moment passes slowly, softly, fondly. Sealed with a kiss Bucky presses to your temple from behind and one from Steve on your knuckle.

The smell of citrus still hangs in the air by the time Steve and Bucky are bickering over the tree, orange slices now drying out in the oven. You’ve been set on paper chain duty, watching them both from the couch as you cut bits of paper up into neat strips. It’s pretty much your own personal sitcom, Steve currently the only one holding the tree while Bucky looks on.

“Yeah, no. A little more to the left, actually. No, the other left. My left,” he sneers, earning a huff from Steve. He lifts the thing with ease, but by the eighth adjustment you’re not sure how long before the thing might be thrown across the room. 

“I think it’s perfect right there,” you quickly add, your eyes following the branches upwards to see the tip of the tree bend at a right angle across the ceiling. “...Absolutely perfect.” 

You mean it, too. It’s way too big for this room, shedding pine needles all over the place and has a definite tilt to its posture, but you’ve never seen a more beautiful tree in all your life… You just hope it stays upright till New Year.

Steve takes full credit for the tree, ‘since I did all the heavy lifting’, while Bucky tries to claim the title of project manager. One look at you, wrapped in masses of colourful, masterful paper chains, and they both know who’s really the boss here. Which is why they both follow your carefully thought out delegations in the kitchen. 

“Why does Steve get the fun job?” Bucky whines, frowning at the pomegranate you’ve handed him as if it has personally offended him.

“Because I don’t trust you with the popcorn,” you answer, narrowing your eyes. “Or an open flame,” Steve adds, earning a swat from Bucky.

“It’s a precise science,” Steve explains to you, as if he’s creating a new supersoldier serum in a lab rather than cooking popcorn. One hand holds the handle of the pot, the other keeps the lid closed as he slowly shakes the kernels around the flame.

You don’t need to be looking at Bucky to know he just rolled his eyes. You’ve seen him throw a bag into the microwave and forget about it on more than one occasion, leaving your apartment to smell like burn for days to come. Really, you didn’t mind. Every time you came home, it made you think of him. 

“Sure it is, Captain Kernel.” Buck mumbles, hitting the back of the pomegranate so hard he dents the rind and sends seeds shooting across the room. You pull one from your hair as you turn to him, soft laugh ringing through the room.

“I thought I was Captain Oranges? You can’t keep reusing the same jokes, pretty boy.”

“Sure I can. It’s Christmas,” Bucky argues with a ridiculous pout, reaching to pull another seed from your hair and popping it in his mouth before pulling you closer, a sticky mess of pomegranate juice waiting for you when you get there.

“Bucky!” You shriek, squirming in his arms as he laughs, utterly unrepentant. 

“You all good over there, baby? Need me to stage a rescue?” Steve hasn’t stopped shaking the pan, never disrupting the rhythm, though he has leaned in closer to listen out for any pops over the squealing.

“Oh, she’s fine,” Bucky answers before you can, still pressing sticky, pomegranate kisses to whatever skin he can reach. “Just a little sticky.”

“You’re lucky you’re cute, Barnes,” you grumble, wiping some of the juice from your cheek with the back of your hand.

“You’re damn right I’m lucky,” he quips, with a cocky grin, loosening his grip just enough to let you squirm free, though not before stealing one last kiss. 

When the corn is popped and the seeds are neatly in a bowl (your own doing), it’s time for the thread. This step does little more to capture Bucky’s attention than the fruit bashing did. He quickly gets distracted with trying to eat as much as he can and inappropriately touching you and Steve, both of which he manages quite a lot of. It’s a delicate task that takes enough time to bring the iPod through to the 50s and into the songs the boys aren’t so familiar with. Still classics, like Eartha Kitt and Chuck Berry, but past Steve and Bucky’s time. Vintage to you, but a strange shard of the unknown future they missed to them. 

This decade of music brings a little more energy into the cabin, and by this time, the entire place smells like sweet citrus and pine. A truly festive attack on the senses. The orange slices have dried enough to thread, which you and Steve team up to tackle while Bucky lights the candles. Apparently, Steve would prefer Bucky be in charge of open flames rather than sharp needles. You’re so content in this bubble, so lost in each activity that you’ve hardly noticed the sun setting outside. The candlelight feels intimate and cozy as the three of you finally decorate the place. Hanging paper chains from the walls, wrapping your freshly made garlands around the tree. 

“Aren’t they so perfectly seeded?” Bucky teases as he lifts you up onto his shoulders, allowing you to reach the tallest part of the tree to hang some of the oranges up there.

“Masterfully done, darling,” you respond, tongue pressed between your teeth as you reach for the farthest branch you can, “don’t think we could do Christmas without you.”

Steve helps you down, your frame landing right up against his as his hands fall to your hips. You feel every hard muscle against your supple body, every ridge and mound and-

“Are those candy canes in your pocket, Captain Rogers, or are you just happy to see me?”

“Both. Can’t it be both?” He teases, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“I’d honestly be kind of disappointed if it wasn’t.” 

Bucky joins you at your back. “Alright, lovebirds. Break it up. I was told I had to behave at least until we finished the tree, Rodgers. No cheating.”

You’re reluctantly separated to focus on hanging candy canes by a suddenly all too dedicated to the cause Sargeant, giggling and teasing as he slips several into his own pocket for later. 

The very last ornament fits right in the middle of the tree, which Steve lifts you a couple of inches off the ground to reach. The three of you stand back, admiring your handiwork. Leaning to one side, too big for the room. It’s messy and uneven and may fall down at any moment, but you don’t think you’ve ever seen anything so beautiful in your entire life. 

“You think we did good, doll?” Bucky asks, the soft candlelight glowing against his skin.

“I think we did perfect.”

And the moment is just that: perfect. Peaceful and cozy and wonderful… until Elton John starts shouting about Christmas. It’s so jarring you snort, heading over to the speaker before you have to attempt to explain the concept of Elton John to men born in the 1910s. “Sorry, on it.” 

You scroll back through the ages, eyes scanning over each song title until you stop near the top. 

I’ll Be Home For Christmas - Bing Crosby.

A smile twitches onto your lips, heat blooming from your chest. That was what started this whole thing, wanting to go home for Christmas. Yet now, looking at your boys in front of the tree they cut down with their own two hands, the one you decorated together as a family, you realise you’ve never felt so at home in your life. 

The mood instantly fixes itself as the song plays. You stand thoughtful for a moment, before you feel that familiar warmth at your back. Steve.

“Dance with me?” He whispers, fingers already running around your waist to spin you into him. He holds you in the traditional position, left hand holding yours, right on your waist as you both sway to the melody. Your eyes meet in a tender moment that feels like it lasts a lifetime, but Bing is only singing his second verse when you hear: 

“Can I cut in?” Bucky’s voice interrupts, playful and hopeful and happy after watching you and Steve.

Somehow, you fit perfectly between them as the three of you dance together. It feels like a moment you could bottle in a snowglobe: the music, the warmth, the candlelight. A Christmas unlike any other, with more heart and love than you’ve ever known, not a single bit of glitter in sight. 

Eventually, the song fades into another, leaving you all standing in this tangled embrace. In front of your perfect, messy tree.

“Merry Christmas, doll,” Bucky whispers, pressing a kiss on your cheek.

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” Steve echoes, his head resting atop yours thanks to the considerable height difference.

“Merry Christmas, boys,” you whisper back, eyes glistening as you unravel just enough to look up at them. “I love you both so very much.”

And it doesn’t matter where you are geographically on the 25th of December. It never did. You were always going to be home for Christmas, as long as Steve and Bucky were by your side.

[cenorii]

Generalized theory about re9

I'm looking forward to re9 as much as you are, and I have a lot of logical conclusions about what kind of story we'll be greeted with in it. But Capcom is good at surprising people, so my thoughts on this installment may just be a grain of sand in the sea or a half-truth.

In this theory I will give my view on the plot of re9 and give my arguments, so sit back, there will be lots of facts and pictures!

Let's start with the fact that back in 2016 Capcom threw in an interesting plot detail for us called Umbrella Corps. I can't call it a real game, it's more of a story DLC for all games.

The plot: the main character is an unnamed mercenary nicknamed 3A-7. He is part of the Umbrella Corps, a secret corps that belongs to Blue Umbrella, an organization that "reformed and got on the right path". Didn't it seem like a lie back in re7, right? The purpose of this corps is to search for bioweapon samples in quarantined areas that the BSAA has failed to sterilize well. The main character is involved in an operation called "The Experiment" but survives every step of the way due to his combat experience. The plot glimpses an unknown Corps Leader (Executive) who even his subordinates know nothing about. One man who sent 3A-7 on missions once wondered why this Executive was so feared, why he was so intimidating, and why he knew so much about the events in re4, as if he had been to that island himself. But only two men survived the events in re4 - Leon and Wesker. A male subordinate attempted to get the Executive's DNA, but disappeared in the process. He was killed for wanting to know the truth and was replaced by a woman who also knew nothing about her boss. At the end of the story, the main character survives even after the most difficult challenge and is contacted by this mysterious Executive and told that he has plans for 3A-7. The main character is voiced by D.C. Douglas, just like the Executive, whose voice can be heard in co-op mode at the end of the missions.

His phrases: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe7LEaA7em8

Albert Wesker is also voiced by Douglas. So why would Capcom take on such a recognizable voice? Why voice two characters at once with that voice? It can only make sense if the Executive turns out to be a suddenly alive Wesker. If you listen to his intonation, it's safe to say it's him, or his clone or twin brother.

We now know that Blue Umbrella are no longer the honest people they try to make themselves out to be in re7. In the "Not a Hero" DLC, Chris says he doesn't trust them. He has good intuition. It is in re7 that it is revealed that the Blue Umbrella are using Wesker's designs to create weapons effective against biological threats. Various firearms signed as "Albert W." are now being used by BSAA soldiers. Isn't that strange? No matter how good these weapons are, naming them after a bioterrorist and enemy of humanity is a strange move, isn't it? Someone secretly respects him.

Chris's trust in the BSAA dwindles to the point where he creates his own small unit, the "Hound Wolf Squad". Once again, his intuition doesn't let him down. At the end of the re8 storyline, Chris discovers an unpleasant truth... The soldiers the BSAA sent into "village" to contain the Mold have turned out to be biological weapons. They are creatures completely indistinguishable from humans, and look just like Chris. They have his face.

But why? Why Chris?

To answer that question, we need to go back to the Umbrella Corps storyline.

The mercenaries in the Corps have been collecting bioweapons samples for the mysterious Executive with Wesker's voice. The Corps is owned by Blue Umbrella, who cooperate with the BSAA and supply them with their weapons and medical supplies. It's safe to say that the Corps is also cooperating with the BSAA. These three organizations have created a new bioweapon indistinguishable from a normal human being using Chris' DNA. Hero DNA.

Why would the Executive want a bioweapon with Chris's appearance? Chris to Wesker has always been someone he considered his equal. Chris is "one of his best men." Who else but him would have thought of that? Who else besides him will speak in the voice of Douglas and hide from people? All of these details blatantly hint that Wesker is alive and involved.

Another interesting detail that also hints that Wesker is alive. Yes, it's my old theory. In re8 on the Heisenberg board this photo can be found. I originally thought it was his own photo, however why would he want his own photo on his own information board? The person in the photo is clearly older and has different facial features.

The red line from this photo leads to Chris. Heisenberg sees a connection between the two men, but who is this mysterious old man?

It's Wesker.

I'm 98% sure of it. Look closely at the points of interest: facial features, the shape of the nose, the distance from the nose to the mouth, the shape of the face, and the shape of the chin. Heisenberg knows from somewhere that Wesker is alive. But judging by the insignificance of this photo on the board, he doesn't think it's true or anything important.

Putting all this information together, we get a picture of a possible re9 plot:

Wesker is again the antagonist\anti-villain, but perhaps not the main one. He operates from the shadows, running Umbrella Corps. He's obsessed with Chris and hides his existence from everyone, killing those who try to figure out his identity. Perhaps in the plot, Chris will meet an unnamed 3A-7 who is connected to the conspiracy between Blue Umbrella and BSAA. A major upheaval of all these organizations is coming and unexpected secrets will be revealed. Perhaps Ada Wong will be involved, as her concept is in re8 and the idea could still be realized. Wesker must have become very weak after the events of re5, or something happened to his body, which is why he can no longer maintain his standard image and his hair grows a lot. The plot will not be tied to defeating him, because he is not the main evil in this story.

If BSAA has a big conflict brewing, then Jill will be affected. She could team up with Chris again, or she could get her own unique storyline (or DLC). Also, I think Claire might help her brother in some way by using TerraSave's resources, because that organization fights for human rights and in this case, Chris' rights were violated when his DNA was stolen. Looking back at this picture of the story, I'm starting to believe the rumors that the game will get very large scale and maybe even get an open world.

However, all of this can be forgotten and discarded at Capcom's will. As logical as my re9 story picture looks, the writers may do something completely different that will surprise us all. Would I be upset if they scrapped such a logical and cool plot? A little bit. I'll be interested in playing and seeing what OTHER plot they come up with. I'll still be interested in what Capcom will try to surprise us with. Re9 is definitely a very important game for the whole story, because a lot of things will be dotted here. And even if they end up scrapping the idea of a living Wesker, it won't make re9 a bad game in my eyes. I will love these theories and the various AU's with alive Wesker even after the release of this game.

If you're wondering how Wesker survived in volcano, then I suggest you read my theory, in which I delved into this issue so much that I figured out the melting point of his clothes. It's here. Also in this theory there is a detailed analysis of the bioweapon-Chris, possible ways to understand the plot of Umbrella Corps and etc.

Thanks for reading!

[finitevariety]

omg the fact they found james fitzjames...

Douglas Stenton, adjunct professor of anthropology at the University of Waterloo, said, "The identification of Fitzjames' remains provides new insights about the expedition's sad ending."

Inuit told searchers in the 1850s that they had seen evidence of cannibalism among the crew members, a story that shocked Europeans.

In 1997, it was corroborated by the late bioarchaeologist Anne Keenleyside, who found cut marks on almost one-quarter of the bones discovered at King William Island.

Fitzjames' jawbone is one of those with multiple cut marks, demonstrating that he was cannibalized after death.

"This shows that he predeceased at least some of the other sailors who perished and that neither rank nor status was the governing principle in the final desperate days of the expedition as they strove to save themselves," Stenton said.

[mostly-mundane-atla]

Inupiaq Books

This post was inspired by learning about and daydreaming about visiting Birchbark Books, a Native-owned bookstore in Minneapolis, so there will be some links to buy the books they have on this list.

Starting Things Off with Two Inupiaq Poets

Joan Naviyuk Kane, whose available collections include:

Hyperboreal

Black Milk Carbon

The Cormorant Hunter's Wife

She also wrote Dark Traffic, but this site doesn't seem to carry any copies

Dg Nanouk Okpik, whose available collections include

Blood Snow

Corpse Whale

Fictionalized Accounts of Historical Events

A Line of Driftwood: the Ada Blackjack Story by Diane Glancy, also available at Birchwood Books, is a fictionalized account of Ada Blackjack's experience surviving the explorers she was working with on Wrangel Island, based on historical records and Blackjack's own diary.

Goodbye, My Island by Rie Muñoz is a historical fiction aimed at younger readers with little knowledge of the Inupiat about a little girl living on King Island. Reads a lot like an American Girl book in case anyone wants to relive that nostalgia

Blessing's Bead by Debby Dahl Edwardson is a Young Adult historical fiction novel about hardships faced by two generations of girls in the same family, 70 years apart. One reviewer pointed out that the second part of the book, set in the 1980s, is written in Village English, so that might be a new experience for some of you

Photography

Menadelook: and Inupiaq Teacher's Photographs of Alaska Village Life, 1907-1932 edited by Eileen Norbert is, exactly as the title suggests, a collection of documentary photographs depicting village life in early 20th century Alaska.

Nuvuk, the Northernmost: Altered Land, Altered Lives in Barrow, Alaska by David James Inulak Lume is another collection of documentary photographs published in 2013, with a focus on the wildlife and negative effects of climate change

Guidebooks (i only found one specifically Inupiaq)

Plants That We Eat/Nauriat Niģiñaqtuat: from the Traditional Wisdom of Iñupiat Elders of Northwest Alaska by Anore Jones is a guide to Alaskan vegetation that in Inupiat have subsisted on for generations upon generations with info on how to identify them and how they were traditionally used.

Anthropology

Kuuvangmiut Subsistence: Traditional Eskimo Life in the Latter Twentieth Century by Douglas B. Anderson et al details traditional lifestyles and subsistance customs of the Kobuk River Inupiat

Life at the Swift Water Place: Northwest Alaska at the Threshold of European Contact by Douglas D. Anderson and Wanni W. Anderson: a multidisciplinary study of a specific Kobuk River group, the Amilgaqtau Yaagmiut, at the very beginning of European and Asian trade.

Upside Down: Seasons Among the Nunamiut by Margaret B. Blackman is a collection of essays reflecting on almost 20 years of anthropological fieldwork focused on the Nunamiut of Anuktuvuk Pass: the traditional culture and the adaption to new technology.

Nonfiction

Firecracker Boys: H-Bombs, Inupiat Eskimos, and the Roots of the Environmental Movement by Dan O'Neill is about Project Chariot. In an attempt to find peaceful uses of wartime technology, Edward Teller planned to drop six nukes on the Inupiaq village of Point Hope, officially to build a harbor but it can't be ignored that the US government wanted to know the effects radiation had on humans and animals. The scope is wider than the Inupiat people involved and their resistance to the project, but as it is no small part of this lesser discussed moment of history, it only feels right to include this

Fifty Miles From Tomorrow: a Memoir of Alaska and the Real People by William L. Iģģiaģruk Hensley is an autobiography following the author's tradition upbringing, pursuit of an education, and his part in the Alaska Native Settlement Claims Act, where he and other Alaska Native activists had to teach themselves United States Law to best lobby the government for land and financial compensation as reparations for colonization.

Sadie Bower Neakok: An Iñupiaq Woman by Margaret B. Blackman is a biography of the titular Sadie Bower Neakok, a beloved public figure of Utqiagvik, former Barrow. Neakok grew up one of ten children of an Inupiaq woman named Asianggataq, and the first white settler to live in Utqiagvik/Barrow, Charles Bower. She used the out-of-state college education she received to aid her community as a teacher, a wellfare worker, and advocate who won the right for Native languages to be used in court when defendants couldn't speak English, and more.

Folktales and Oral Histories

Folktales of the Riverine and Costal Iñupiat/Unipchallu Uqaqtuallu Kuungmiuñļu Taģiuģmiuñļu edited by Wanni W. Anderson and Ruth Tatqaviñ Sampson, transcribed by Angeline Ipiiļik Newlin and translated by Michael Qakiq Atorak is a collection of eleven Inupiaq folktales in English and the original Inupiaq.

The Dall Sheep Dinner Guest: Iñupiaq Narratives of Northwest Alaska by Wanni W. Anderson is a collection of Kobuk River Inupiaq folktales and oral histories collected from Inupiat storytellers and accompanied by Anderson's own essays explaining cultural context. Unlike the other two collections of traditional stories mentioned on this list, this one is only written in English.

Ugiuvangmiut Quliapyuit/King Island Tales: Eskimo Historu and Legends from Bering Strait compiled and edited by Lawrence D. Kaplan, collected by Gertrude Analoak, Margaret Seeganna, and Mary Alexander, and translated and transcribed by Gertrude Analoak and Margaret Seeganna is another collection of folktales and oral history. Focusing on the Ugiuvangmiut, this one also contains introductions to provide cultural context and stories written in both english and the original Inupiaq.

The Winter Walk by Loretta Outwater Cox is an oral history about a pregnant widow journeying home with her two children having to survive the harsh winter the entire way. This is often recommended with a similar book detailing Athabascan survival called Two Old Women.

Dictionaries and Language Books

Iñupiat Eskimo Dictionary by Donald H. Webster and Wilfred Zibell, with illustrations by Thelma A. Webster, is an older Inupiaq to English dictionary. It predates the standardization of Inupiaq spelling, uses some outdated and even offensive language that was considered correct at the time of its publication, and the free pdf provided by UAF seems to be missing some pages. In spite of this it is still a useful resource. The words are organized by subject matter rather than alphabetically, each entry indicating if it's specific to any one dialect, and the illustrations are quite charming.

Let's Learn Eskimo by Donald H. Webster with illustrations by Thelma A. Webster makes a great companion to the Iñupiat Eskimo Dictionary, going over grammar and sentence structure rather than translations. The tables of pronouns are especially helpful in my opinion.

Ilisaqativut.org also has some helpful tools and materials and recommendations for learning the Inupiat language with links to buy physical books, download free pdfs, and look through searchable online versions

[count-alucard-tepes]

Heyy, could you do what would the op daddies social media profile pictures be?

Haha sure, I’ll do a description 😂

Kizaru ✨: it’s a photo of him at his desk while he’s doing paperwork, looking deep in thought. This was taken by his secretary.

Akainu🌋: he’s carrying his favorite plant in the photo and even gives a little smile.

Ryokugyu 🌱: it’s him butt naked with only his sunglasses and he’s surrounded by all his plants…very Adam and Eve inspired.

Fujitora 🐅: it’s of his favorite bowl of soba noodles.

Sir Crocodile 🐊: it’s a selfie of him and his bananawanis.

Doflamingo Donquixote 🦩: it’s a thirst trap of him in the mirror showing off his hot body.

Benn Beckman 🔫: it’s one of those dad selfies that are way too close to their face and he’s not smiling.

Katakuri Charlotte 🍡: it’s a side profile picture that was sneakily taken by one of his siblings.

Killer🔪: it’s a picture of him in an apron that says ‘kiss the killer’ while he’s cooking spaghetti.

Kaido🐉: it’s of him getting wasted.

King 👑 : it’s a photo of him without his mask while he reads a book.

Queen👑: it’s of him performing on stage looking cool af.

Izou🔫🔫: it’s a photo of him in his favorite kimono looking like a snack.

Dragon D Monkey 🐉🐒: it’s a picture of him when he was younger.

Oven Charlotte 🍞: it’s of him baking a loaf of bread.

Buggy🤡: it’s a picture of him with his hair down and looking sexy af.

Marco the Phoenix 🦅: it’s of him just chilling on an island with a drink in his hand.

Eustass Kidd🤘🎸: it’s a photo of him making a machine with his devil fruit abilities.

Rosinantè Donquixote aka Cora-San💕: it’s a selfie of him and Law.

Who’s-Who ❤️‍🔥👹: it’s a thirst trap picture of him biting his lip in the mirror and showing his sexy body.

Gecko Moria🦇: it’s a picture of him from 20 years ago when he was hot af.

Iceburg💜: it’s of him drawing a new ship, looking thoughtful but sexy.

Gild Tesoro⚜️🏅: it’s him looking out at his ship, looking all regal and shit.

Rob Lucci🐆: it’s him in his leopard form.

Karasu🐦‍⬛: it’s his wanted poster picture.

Koby🦸💘: it’s a selfie of him and Luffy.

Douglas Bullet🚅: it’s a picture of him at the gym in the mirror while he’s flexing his muscles.

[probablyasocialecologist]

There is a certain irony that the most recent global building booms – the brand new cities of the oil-rich Arab countries and the vast Chinese urbanisation of the early twenty-first century, despite their often outlandish formal innovations and unprecedented scale, have taken as their ultimate model the dissipated, car-dominated suburbia already established in the US and across the world. Dubai may have built islands on the sea, but they are covered in low-rise villas, sold to investors, part of an ongoing global transformation of the home into an asset class, a bubble of an entirely different kind.

Douglas Murphy, Last Futures: Nature, Technology and the End of Architecture

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Jane Wyman (All that Heaven Allows, Larceny, Inc., Magnificent Obsession)— I dare everyone to watch All that Heaven Allows and not MELT at Jane Wyman's gorgeous smile ("a silver-tipped spruce?" ugh, what a moment). And also just enjoy her literally playing a MILF opposite Rock Hudson, and in beautiful a Douglas Sirk Technicolor flick, what more could you want?

Dorothy Dandridge (Carmen Jones, Porgy and Bess, Island in the Sun)— The first Black actress to ever be nominated for best actress, Dorothy Dandridge was a groundbreaking actress who deserved better. She started her career as a singer, being put in a song-and-dance duo with her sister by their stage mother, and singing in soundies (I highly recommend cow cow boogie, it's adorable), proto-music videos. She started appearing as a featured singer in films. Her star was on the rise and she soon became a star solo performer. She continued acting, but had limited options because she refused to do stereotypical roles. She finally landed a starring role in Bright Road in 1953, but it was the movie Carmen Jones that truly cemented her as a star and sex symbol. Not to sound cheesy, but she literally sizzles on screen. You can't help but understand how poor Harry Belafonte gets caught in her trap, just look at her. This is the role that got her that Oscar nom. She didn't win cause I mean #OscarsSoWhite, but she was a sensation and continued starring in films, despite troubles in her life (including a shitty director bf who fucked with her career and a traumatizing pregnancy/delivery). Outside of her filmwork, she was also an activist, fighting against racism. She left behind an amazing legacy, and continues to inspire many actresses to this day (including also very hot first (and only) black woman to win best actress, Halle Berry).

This is round 2 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Jane Wyman:

Dorothy Dandridge propaganda:

Beautiful actress and hand-working and talented singer, she's especially notable for the number of firsts she accomplished such as the first African-American woman to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the first African-American woman to appear on the cover of Life magazine.

Dorothy Dandridge was a classic Hollywood triple threat, singing, dancing, and acting with the best of them. She was the first African American nominated for an academy award for Best Actress for her role in Carmen Jones and she was just jaw-droppingly beautiful.

this og of black film needs no introduction (star on the hollywood walk of fame anyone?), voice of an angel, heavenly features, just an overall stunning lady :)

Look at her!!! She is so unbelievably charismatic in Carmen, it’s insane. Her chemistry with Harry Belafonte is off the charts, and every time she puts another outdoor [sic] on it’s like ‘oh god this is a whole new level of stunning’ 🥵. She was so so talented, when she’s on screen I genuinely dare you to tear your eyes away from her. Deserves to be known so much better but due to Hollywood racism and a tough personal life she didn’t make it as big as she should have done. She’s incredible.

First Black actress to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress! Was the first choice for the role of Cleopatra that went to Elizabeth Taylor (we were ROBBED).

[weirdowithaquill]

Traintober 2024: Day 11 - Fauna

Dilly the Duck Goes Missing:

Of all the various animals on the Island of Sodor, none was more famous than Dilly the Duck. Originally, the duck had been used as a prank, and hidden in Donald’s tender by Duck – but now she was a permanent fixture at Haultraugh Station, where she assists the stationmaster. The stationmaster loves working with Dilly – she’s very good with children, and has harassed several horrid passengers and fare evaders until they were much nicer!

However, one day Dilly didn’t come to the station. The stationmaster waited for her until he was needed elsewhere, and then Duck waited for her as long as his drink break would allow on his first passenger run. Dilly didn’t show her beak for either of them! More worryingly, she didn’t make an appearance when Donald blew his whistle and called for her. Instead, a male duck flapped angrily at him for a couple seconds before continuing out to sea.

“Ah hope she's alricht,” worried Donald as he gazed out over the tidepools. “It's no like Dilly no tae come bi the station.” All day, the engines waited and watched, but even as Douglas clanked through with the last of the empty ballast trucks, there was still no sign of the duck.

Duck and Donald were the most worried that night in the sheds. “It’s not like her,” sighed Duck. “Normally Dilly likes to stay nice and close to the station and bum food off the passengers.” “Maybe she’s hibernating?” suggested Oliver brightly. “Driver told me lots of animals hibernate, like bears!” “Bears don’t hibernate!” snorted Duck, “or else we’d be down a mainline engine for half the year – and besides, Dilly’s a duck, not a bird. If anything, she’d migrate.” “An Dilly's niver migratit before, sae thare's na point suggestin it either,” Donald finished firmly. Oliver pouted. “I was only trying to help,” he grumbled.

The engines talked about it for several more hours, but try as they might, none of them could think of a reason why Dilly had seemingly vanished.

Over the next few days, the engines kept a keen eye out, but still they couldn’t find Dilly. Instead, they were randomly hounded from above by a very irate male duck. Douglas blew steam at it, Oliver swore at it, and Duck and Donald just wished that that duck was actually Dilly. The male duck managed to get into just about everything and cause a fuss – be it getting stuck in the rafters, locked in the waiting room or even trapped inside the water tower! Everyone was just about fed up with the male duck and its dim-witted antics. Until one day, the male duck physically grabbed Donald’s driver’s hat.

“Oi!” shouted Donald’s driver, and he leapt down from his engine in hot pursuit. The male duck took Donald’s driver on a wild duck chase across the tidepools that dotted the coastline before suddenly dropping the hat. Donald’s driver skidded to a stop and stared!

“Dilly?!”

Donald’s driver returned to the station looking very amused indeed. “No wonder we couldn’t find Dilly,” he chortled. “She’s laid eggs!” “Like Duck did once,” grinned Donald, just to watch his old friend snort indignantly. It turned out that Dilly and the male duck had had a clutch of eggs together, and had made a nest overlooking the line by the edge of one of the tidepools. The male duck – who everyone unanimously agreed to name Ditzy – had wanted someone to help Dilly look after the eggs so she could go find herself some food.

It didn’t take long for Dilly, her nest and her eggs to all be moved to a new, specially-built bird house by the edge of the station where the stationmaster could care for the eggs while she got right back to terrorising rude passengers and begging for bread. As for Ditzy? He’s now also a permanent face around the station, though he spends most of his time being an absolute ditz and getting stuck in the water tower. Worse yet, Ditzy recently figured out doors, and once managed to hitch a ride all the way to Tidmouth before anyone realised!

And when the little ducklings were born, they instantly became the single most doted-upon animals on all of Sodor!

Back to the Master Post

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

Rhys Darby returns to New Zealand for two huge milestones - Spy

Rhys Darby is back in New Zealand.

Why is Kiwi comedy star Rhys Darby back in New Zealand?

Rhys Darby is returning from his base in Los Angeles for a double celebration over the next few weeks - his 50th birthday and a special event to mark his 25 years working as a stand-up comic.

“I’m home for my 50th birthday celebrations,” he reveals to Spy.

Darby hits the big milestone on March 21 and says he, his wife and manager Rosie are planning on a shared party with their family and friends.

A week later, Darby will be in proud parent mode as his eldest son Finn’s band, Great Big Cow, will be performing at The Whammy Bar on Karangahape Rd on March 27.

“So, as a cool dad, I’ll be there of course, with my band manager suit on,” he says.

There will be fun and laughter to have on Waiheke Island the following week too. Popular island spot Wild Estate Vineyard in Onetangi has secured Darby for an exclusive one-off New Zealand show with an intimate audience of only 200 tickets.

Punters can be sure Darby’s will be giving the native birds on the island a squawk for their money with his famous bird calls from his 2021 TV stand-up show Mystic Time Bird.

“The show is called ‘25 Years’ - it is a celebration of my stand-up career,” say Darby.

“I’ve hand-picked the best material from my five comedy specials, and I’ve also added some new stuff,” he divulges. “It’s all killer, so the audience can expect me having a blast, and so I’m sure they will too.”

Wild Estate has become the go-to live venue on Waiheke for comedy and live gigs; last month, the Jordan Luck Band rocked the vineyard, and comedians Nick Rado, Tony Lyall, Paul Douglas and Ruby Esther have all had successful stand-up nights there too.

Darby has been home several times over the last few years, whether to film with his mate Taika Waititi in West Auckland for the second season of their hit HBO Max show Our Flag Means Death in late 2022, or his Kiwi road trip with David Hasselhoff called Hoff the Beaten Track last spring.

Darby finished the year with aplomb, hosting the 51st International Emmy Awards in New York in November.

The production company for his road trip show, Stripe Studios, made headlines last month with the New Zealand Herald’s Media Insider column, penned by Shayne Currie, reporting Stripe for unpaid bills. The production company also filmed a travel-style show with US comedian Iliza Shlesinger. Currie reported the Netflix comedy star is applying to have Stripe Studios (Comedy) Ltd liquidated. Stuff followed up this story, reporting Hasselhoff was also owed money from the production company.

Darby politely had no comment on the state of his and The Hoff’s road trip show, but sources say Darby played a big part in getting as many of its Kiwi crew as he could paid by Stripe.

However, Darby did share that Hollywood has been rather wet and dull so far this year. “I have a few top-secret TV and film projects in development, which I am really looking forward to.”

“What I can reveal is: I’ve been involved in Mukpuddy’s awesome adaptation of Badjelly the Witch,” he says.

“I think it’s going to be so so good!”

Source: NZ Herald

[moonfromearth]

Karter Douglas for @akitasimblr's Mad About Dodo Challenge!!

Can't believe Dodo is getting is own bachelor challenge! Yay! After three attempts he's earned his turn as bachelor of honor 😉

Found this dude in my library from back when I made a load of sims with the Horse Ranch pack and he's actually awesome I can't believe I haven't used him for something sooner 😆

About Karter...

Age: YA Pronouns: He/Him Aspiration: Angling Ace Traits: Rancher, Outdoor Enthusiast, Freegan Likes: Red, Orange, Blue, Alternative Music, Americana Music, Rancher Music, Retro Music, Nature Enthusiasts, Optimistic Sims, Pet Enthusiasts, Discussing Hobbies, Gossip, Jokes, Silly Behavior, Country Fashion, Fishing, Fitness, Handiness, Mixology Dislikes: Focus Music, Winter Holiday Music, Pessimistic Sims, Egotistical Sims, Malicious Interactions, Complaints, Polished Fashion, Wellness, Painting

Extra Info:

Born and raised in Chestnut Ridge in the kind of area where everyone knows everyone.

Eternally optimistic. Always sees the bright side of things.

Loves being outside and wants to take trips to places like Granite Falls someday, and see places away from the desert.

Very much a "someone's trash is another's treasure" type of dude. He enjoys salvaging old items (and literal garbage) and fixing it.

It was his friends' idea for him to sign up for the bachelor challenge. Honestly, he mostly agreed for the outdoor island adventure... But the cute bachelor isn't a bad bonus... 😆

Very out of touch with current news/famous people. He had never heard of Dodo before the bachelor challenge. He's so out of touch he's probably never even heard of Leo, either! (*gasp*)

Download [Google Drive]

(He has two pieces of cc. Just a skin detail and scar. 😄)

[asongofgoldenfireandblackblood]

Hello, hello, we're wishing everyone in our lovely, incredible, spectacular court a wonderful mid-week check in! There have been some changes in the line up of our court so here are all the latest updates 💜

New members have joined our court! Please give them a warm welcome and follow:

@lavender-cupbearer @lady-samantha-of-hightower *Blog for Prince Lucerys TBD @thejacaerys

The following roles and faceclaims are now taken:

Lady Violet Vance (Youngest daughter of Lord Triston and Lady Roslin, betrothed of Prince Viserys II) Lady Samantha "Sam" Hightower (Lady of Oldtown) Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Second eldest child of Queen Rhaenyra and Heir to Driftmark) Prince Jacaerys Velaryon-Targaryen (Eldest child of Queen Rhaenyra and heir to the Iron Throne)

McKenzie Foy Hannah Dodd Timothee Chalamet Harry Colette

Due to player choice, inactivity, or other unforseen circumstances please wish farewell and unfollow:

@moondancer-rp @thedadkraken @ladyvypren @theredripper @myrielle-of-goldengrove

@theladyrohanne @goldenclarice @little-griffin-jocie-connington @thedaringprince @notatargaryenbastard

The following roles and faceclaims are now open:

Princess Baela Targaryen ( Dalton Greyjoy (Lord of House Greyjoy and Lord Paramount of the Iron Islands) Sabitha Frey (Lady of The Twins and Lady-Wife of Lord Forrest Frey) Toron Greyjoy (Eldest son and heir of Lord Dalton) Rylene Rowan (Second youngest daughter of Lord Cedric and Lady Selyse Rowan and The Pearl of The Reach)

Lady Lucinda Lannister-Greyjoy (Third Salt-Wife of Lord Dalton and mother of his heir, Toron) Lady-Regent Alla Tyrell (Widow of the late-Lord Tyrell and regent to their son, Lord Lyonel) Lady Jocelyn "Jocie" Connington (Younger child of the late-Ser Hugh and Lady Daisy Connington and companion of Princess Visenya) Prince Daeron Targaryen (Youngest son of King Viserys and Queen Alicent and twin of Princess Rhaenya) *The Role of Prince Jacaerys has already been claimed by one of our current active players

Abbie Hern Clive Standen Wang Laoji Avan Jogia Kaitlyn Dever

Medalion Rahimi Matilda De Angelis Robyn Betterbridge Patrick Gibson Douglas Booth

It seems the court has been corrected on its previous perceptions so please take note that:

The role of Lord Gunthor Darklyn with the faceclaim Rege Jean-Page is on reserve from 1/8 through 1/15

The site's most wanted list is now updated

Several pages on our site directory are currently in various stages of remodeling, if you have questions about writing for a specific house on the site please feel free to send an ask, our message box is always open, and we'd love nothing more than to chat about the AU more over on our OOC-Discord!

Full member list under the cut!

~ With Love, Mod Ivory 💜💜

@black-queen-rising - Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen @rogueprincedaemontarg - King-Consort Daemon Targaryen @aegontheyoungprince - Prince Aegon III Targaryen @princeviserystargaryen00 - Prince Viserys II Targaryen @thelittleprincesstargaryen - Princess Visenya Targaryen

@alicenthightowerrp - Dowager-Queen Alicent Hightower @goldaegontargaryen - Prince Aegon Targaryen of Dragonstone @helaenasdreamfyres - Princess Helaena Targaryen of Dragonstone @shrykosjaehaerys - Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen of Dragonstone @jaeheratargaryen - Princess Jaehaera Targaryen of Dragonstone

@thejacaerys - Crown-Prince Jacaerys Targaryen *Blog for Lucerys TBD - Prince Lucerys Velaryon @rhaenaspearls - Princess Rhaena Targaryen @princejoffreyvelaryon - Prince Joffrey Velaryon @aemond-one-eyed - Prince Aemond Targaryen @thefallenprincesss - Princess Rhaenya Targaryen

@rideroftheredqueen - Princess Rhaenys Targaryen-Velaryon @lordhusband - Lord Corlys Velaryon @littlevelaryon - Lady Daenaera Velaryon @calla-celtigar - Lady Calla Celtigar @sersteffondarklyn - Lord-Commander Steffon Darklyn

@lord-kermit-of-riverrun - Lord Kermit Tully @oscartullyofriverrun - Ser Oscar Tully @abby-the-writer - Lady Abby Tully

@roslinstrong - Lady Roslin Vance @vvilliamvance - Ser William Vance @ladylaceyvance - Lady Lacey Vance @tonameestbelle - Lady Jyanna Vance @lavender-cupbearer - Lady Violet Vance

@lady-samantha-of-hightower - Lady Samantha "Sam" Hightower @garmundhightower - Ser Garmund Hightower @ladyoflongtable - Lady Bethany Merryweather

@cool-aunt-amarys - Lady Amarys Greyjoy @sirenalannysgreyjoy - Lady Alannys Greyjoy @rightfvl-lysa - Ruling-Lady Lysa Farman @thefairheiroffairisle - Rodrik Greyjoy-Farman @gysellablacktyde - Lady Gysella Blacktyde

@josswesterling - Joss Westerling @cerellelannister2 - Lady Cerelle Lannister @tyshara-the-lioness - Lady Tyshara Lannister @sharp-lioness - Lady Cerissa Lannister

@ladyjocelynbaratheon - Lady Jocelyn Baratheon-Targaryen @cassandra-of-baratheon - Lady Cassandra Baratheon @thecleverestorm - Lady Maris Baratheon @lady-ellyn-of-the-storm - Lady Ellyn Baratheon @thefourthstormfloris - Lady Floris Baratheon

@jeynearrynvale - Lady-Paramount Jeyne Arryn @cissy-grafton - Lady Cissy Grafton @robingrafton - Ser Robin Grafton @teoragrafton - Lady Teora Grafton

@creganstarkrp - Lord Cregan Stark @lyarra-of-house-stark - Lady Lyarra Stark @benjen-mormont - Lord Benjen Mormont @lyannanotmormont - Lady Lyanna Mormont @lady-of-knives - Lady Berena Bolton

@theprincessofd0rne - Ruling-Princess Aliandra Martell @princesscoryofsunspear - Princess Coryanne Martell @doranyronwood - Lord Doran Yronwood @mahiraofdorne - Ruling-Lady Mahira Dayne @davos-allyrion - Lord Davos Allyrion

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

Fairyland by Catherynne Valente

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

Beyonders by Brandon Mull

Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable--until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

The Missing by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who's also adopted, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, "You are one of the missing." The second one says, "Beware! They're coming back to get you."

Jonah, Chip, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere - and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives.

Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying?

The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith

Pongo and Missis had a lovely life. With their human owners, the Dearlys, to look after them, they lived in a comfortable home in London with their 15 adorable Dalmatian puppies, loved and admired by all. Especially the Dearlys' neighbor Cruella de Vil, a fur-fancying fashion plate with designs on the Dalmatians' spotted coats! So, when the puppies are stolen from the Dearly home, and even Scotland Yard is unable to find them, Pongo and Missis know they must take matters into their own paws!

Tales of Magic by Edward Eager

Four children wish on a Half Magic coin that gets their mother Alison half-way home, rescued by Mr Smith. Mark's wish zaps them to a desert without island, where half-talking cat Carrie gabbles to a camel. Romantic Katherine battles Launcelot. Eldest Jane rejects siblings for another family. Stubborn youngest, Martha, causes a riot downtown.

Bambi by Felix Salten

Bambi's life in the woods begins happily. There are forest animals to play with -- Friend Hare, the chattery squirrel, the noisy screech owl, and Bambi's twin cousins, frail Gobo and beautiful Faline.

But winter comes, and Bambi learns that the woods hold danger -- and things he doesn't understand. The first snowfall makes food hard to find. Bambi's father, a handsome stag, roams the forest, but leaves Bambi and his mother alone.

Then there is Man. He comes to the forest with weapons that can wound an animal. He does terrible things to Gobo, to Bambi's mother, and even to Bambi. But He can't keep Bambi from growing into a handsome stag himself, and becoming...the Prince of the Forest.

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield

Pauline, Petrova and Posy are orphans determined to help out their family by attending the Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training. But when they vow to make a name for themselves, they have no idea it's going to be such hard work! They launch themselves into the world of show business, complete with working papers, the glare of the spotlight, and practice, practice, practice! Pauline is destined for the movies. Posy is a born dancer. But practical Petrova finds she'd rather pilot a plane than perform a pirouette. Each girl must find the courage to follow her dream.

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Rebecca’s father had died three years before and the family farm had become heavily indebted. In order to ease the burden on her widowed mother, Rebecca is sent to live with her lonely aunts at their farm and there she spends the next seven years till she becomes an adult. Rebecca brings her youthful enthusiasm and imagination to their quiet life and often clashes with her stern Aunt Miranda. Yet, Rebecca finds love and acceptance with her Aunt Jane and she grows up to be a proper and intelligent young lady who never loses her sunny outlook and kind heart.

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Being a princess isn't all that...

You've heard the fairy tale: a glass slipper, Prince Charming, happily ever after...

Welcome to reality: royal genealogy lessons, needlepoint, acting like "a proper lady," and—worst of all—a prince who is not the least bit interesting, and certainly not charming.

As soon-to-be princess Ella deals with her new-found status, she comes to realize she is not "your majesty" material. But breaking off a royal engagement is no easy feat, especially when you're crushing on another boy in the palace... For Ella to escape, it will take intelligence, determination, and spunk—and no ladylike behavior allowed.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jaqueline Kelly

Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones. With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger.

As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.