#empathy verse 1000

[wolfjackle-creates]

If I remember correctly, it was your Empathy!Verse fic that brought me to your tumblr in the first place! Could we have a snippet for that one, please? 😃

Here you are!

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Jazz grinned and settled back at Jason’s side, sliding an arm around his waist. “Gotham, can you believe it? I was so homesick and needing some good death-talk. I was maybe two weeks away from transferring somewhere that had at least two other Amity Parkers when I literally ran into him outside the public library. Instead I got to stay and got a boyfriend out of it.”

“How could you!” screamed the dark-haired one. But she was projecting . “You haven’t talked to us for months! We’ve been worried about you all by yourself. And here you are, just waltzing back with a boyfriend you never bothered to mention.”As she finished, a thread of did work itself into her emotions.

Jazz frowned and sent back . “Honestly, I wanted to. But Jason here didn’t know anything about liminality. So I didn’t want to talk about him until he got used to that. And my courses have been hell. I’ve so many projects constantly.”

“Just don’t forget us again, okay? Hello, Jason. I’m Angela and this is Trisha. We’re both studying at Ohio State. We’re high school friends with Jazz.”

Jason shook both their hands. “I’m Jason. Not in school at the moment, but I work odd jobs around Gotham.”

“You should think about enrolling,” commented Jazz. “You’ve mentioned how you wanted to study literature when you were younger.”

Jason grimaced and knew he was failing to hold back his . “I’d need to finish a GED first. And my jobs are keeping me real busy. Not sure I’d be able to spare the time to go to class.”

Trisha cut through the awkwardness with a laugh and . “Well, classes are killer. I’m almost regretting going to college right now.”

Jason laughed as well . “Honestly, seeing this one”—he nudged Jazz—“and her workload is making me reconsider my former college aspirations.”

“Mr. Baxter isn’t going to be here for another hour,” said Angela. “Get yourselves a drink and something to eat and join us.”

“Has anyone else arrived?” asked Jazz.

“Oh yeah. With your arrival, there’s a good dozen of us in Elmerton right now. No one else from our grade, though.”

Jason kissed Jazz’s temple. “Take a seat; catch up with your friends. I’ll go order us drinks. Any requests?”

[softcallofdutyimagines]

More Vampire!Makarov content? Pwease? 🥺👉🏻👈🏻💖

Y E S YOU CAN !!! I love my vampy boys, I just never have an excuse to make content I feel like 😪 I didn’t quite know what to make, so here’s some head cannon/info dump and a sketchy, reference thing under the cut lol. Thank you 🥺💖💖

So I basically just take all of my vampire lore from Buffy-verse vampires tbh, so if you know what that is, cool, and if not I’ll talk about the important parts.

Ok, so there’s kind of two parts to a vampire: the deceased body of a human host, and the actual vampire demon that possesses the body

Now, vampire demons in their raw form are essentially just mindless killing machines, it’s only the memories and mannerisms of the deceased human host that create a creature with personality and direction

So all this to say, I feel like a vampire makarov would be and absolute killing terror

Sure he may not be getting paid to kill anymore, but now he has a legit need to kill in order to sustain himself

I mean, when you get down to it, a vampire is basically a psychopath (a person who literally doesn’t feel empathy and acts off of calculated, predatory/manipulative behavior) with superpowers and violent urges, and if “psychotic with violent urges” isn’t just what in game makarov is, then idk what to believe anymore

Like I said before, once the human has been resurrected as a vampire, they do remember parts of who they were and are thus capable of feeling certain emotions or connections to others

For example, a risen vampire may feel empathy towards a parent or loved one and chose to not harm them, despite knowing intimate details such as where they live

However, given the feral state of the vampire demon, they are pretty strictly unable to feel or reciprocate real, actual love

The closest they can come to it is a kind of stalker like obsession, where they kind of just want you for themselves and only themselves

If you were somehow able to get emotionally close to vamp makarov without getting killed, he’d be super protective of you, like mega ultra lmao

He 1000% lurks outside your house at night and follows you around if you leave

Surely there are other vampires and such around, so he does all this particularly out of a desire to protect you, rather then just obsessively wanting to be near you

A vampire can only enter a private dwelling if the occupant invites them in, so it’s up to you if you want to give him free access to your house or not

If you do decide to do this, he’d be about as close to pure joy as a vampire can be

After all, now he can just stay inside your house during the day instead of hiding in the sewers or whatever 👌🏻👌🏻

I don’t think vampire makarov would have any issues resisting the temptation to bite you tbh

He may have been a killer, but he had a looooot of control over himself, so you’re lucky there I suppose

Although, that brings me to the other point:

It’s a pretty big deal in Buffy-verse that vampires act the way they do bc they lack a human soul and the morality that comes with it

I’m not sure if it would actually do much, but I’m just imagining makarov going through the grueling process of trying to get his soul back so he can feel real love for you, instead of having all these urges to hurt you and others all the time

Maybe he gets a pure version of his soul back, one from when he was more innocent

It hurts so bad, hurts beyond words, when the weight of all the terrible things he’s done, but before and after his vampirism, hit him

You’d probably be quite stunned to have him come back to like that, half numb and riddled and crushed with guilt

But he did it aaaaall for you…

Bc as Spike once said:

[spiritmaiden23]

Full Name: Zelda Hylia but shhhh shhh Nickname(s): Zel, Zelly/Zellie, Zeldy, her grace  Age: 1000+ 18-19 this is post SS because it does change with verses Birthday: March 20 Species: Mortal goddess but will just say she’s a human ;v; (verse dependent too tho because in fantasy verse she’s a demi witch goddess and pokemon a regular human so yanno)  Nationality: Skyloftian  Gender: Female Preferred Pronoun(s): She | Her Sexual Orientation: Demisexual  Religion: Hyrule creation mythos.... sect of Hylia before remembering that she’s Hylia so... she sorta just focuses her devotion to the old gods and spirits of the realm.  Occupation: Knight in training until she reawakens as Hylia Reborn. Often times I say spirit maiden but it’s just a fancy pants way of saying shrine maiden since her duties somewhat mirrors shrine maidens. She’s also helping out settling other Skyloftians on The Surface post game. Aside from the whole god thing, she’s a totally normal girl as such she’s not a princess in any of her verses. Post, pre, during events of SS etc etc you get the picture!   Status: Alive and kicking! Aside from that one verse where she’s dead.  Fandom: Legend of Zelda ; Skyward Sword Face Claim: herself because I suck ass at finding good FC 

                     Relationships:

Parents: Gaepora and Canaria (deceased)  Siblings: Nope  Significant Other(s): None. Children: None but it’s canon she does have a family somewhere down the line I mean *gestures to the royal family* Enemies: Demise, Ghirahim... believe it or not Zelda doesn’t really have a lot of enemies nor does she consider all demons to be her enemies because she believes that there are good inside of them if they want to work for it. There could be other demons like Batreaux after all. It’s mostly people who want the Triforce or harm loved ones that she considers enemies. 

                    Physical Traits:

Eye Color(s): Blue Hair Color(s): Blonde Height: 5′3″ Body Build: Slender Notable Physical Traits: Ears!! They’re longer than most ears, valid since according to the lore the longer the ears the more connected you are with the gods and considering she is one :’))) she has naturally red cheeks so there’s a permanent light blush on them and the cool past scar above her heart that came from her past life, it was the mortal wound inflicted by Demise that made Hylia peace out and turn into human.                   Phobias and Diseases:

Phobia(s): Not much to fear when you fought in war for ages against a demon king, died, reincarnating after years of being in a dark void, died again for a brief moment, found out that you used your friend like he was a chess piece... failure to protect everything and everyone is probably a big one, and another war over the Triforce would be a huge concern. It doesn’t happen until the Era of Chaos and by then she’s long gone in the Spirit Realm so... holy shit she’s probably seen a lot in the after life now that I think about it and the long history of Hyrule. Funny enough, in witch/generic fantasy verse there’s a mild fear of mirrors.  Mental Disease(s): N/A  Physical Disease(s): N/A 

                       Personality:

Usual Mood/Expression: Staying true to being genki, she’s usually in a cheery mood! So she’s pretty bubbly, disgustingly cute, and happy for the most part. Post game, she’s still that optimistic, playful girl but she’s a bit wiser. 

                            Misc:

Skills: She may not look like it but Zel is pretty strong physically! She’s able to wield all sorts of blades but prefers the more light weight ones since her method of fighting is to be quick while on the defense and trying to disarm the person soon as she can rather than doing too much harm unless she has to, she’s too much of a softy you see. Once she’s fully awakened as Hylia she’s able to use the light magic latent in her body, it may not be as powerful as her previous form but considering she’s the closet to being a god her magic is far more potent than other members that share her bloodline later down the line. Her stamina is better than Sky Link’s... actually... but in truth, it’s how resourceful she can be. She was able to get to the first temple and nearly the second before bokoblins almost caught her... all by herself without Link’s or Impa’s help. That should say a lot about her! It helps that she had a form of teleportation...  Hobbies: Knitting, sewing, crafting, flying through the skies, travel, playing the harp, reading because she’s a giant book worm holy shit have you seen her room Animal: Birds! She loves all animals but birds! 

                            Stats:

Compassion: 10/10 Empathy: 10/10 Creativity: 8/10 Mental Flexibility: 10/10 Passion/Motivation: 8/10 Education: 10/10 Stamina: 9/10 Physical Strength: 8/10 Battle Skill: eeee 8/10 Initiative: 10/10 Restraint: 5/10  Agility: 8/10 Strategy: 10/10 Teamwork: 9/10

[nahthekidlived]

Henrik’s default opinions of his parents and siblings (subject to change per portrayals of these muses)

This is Henrik’s opinions of who they were as he remembered them, and who they’ve become. He did not see how they got from point A to point B, and therefore has no opinions on that, tho ngl he will deliberately shrug at past bad deeds of siblings he’s fond of if told of them.

Mikael

Prior to his first death: terrified of him. Henrik avoided attracting Mikael’s attention whenever possible, and secretly wanted nothing more than to rebel against him. He hated him and silently burned with anger whenever he saw him.

Now: even more terror. There’s no more anger. Not because he’s forgiven, but because the idea of him being as strong if not stronger than his siblings scares him so much that any thought of rebellion is gone.

Esther

Prior to his first death: Henrik was something of a Mama’s Boy growing up (though not nearly as much as Finn), but gradually became less so as he got older. He found her compliance towards their father infuriating.

Now: he’s gonna side with his siblings no matter what, and if Esther wants them dead she can choke for all he cares. (In his body jumped verse he’s once again a Mama’s Boy. He thinks she’s repentant of how she never helped them when it came to Mikael given her plan does not involve him, and forgives her.)

Freya

Prior to his first death: Henrik has no opinions. He didn’t know who she was. I doubt he even knew her name, and he was probably only vaguely aware of her existence at all.

Now: he’s pretty welcoming of her into the family, understanding of the concept of being stripped from the family as a child and missing 1000 years of their lives. Also, as someone who only recently tapped into his powers, he’s eager to learn should she decide to teach him.

Finn

Prior to his first death: he respected him far more than he did their parents, and looked up to him as the one he recognized as the oldest. He did find Finn irritating at times though.

Now: he’s conflicted. On the one hand it would be nice to have them all back together, but on the other hand the idea of Finn working with their mother to kill off the rest of their siblings is something that pisses Henrik the hell off. Even so, he doesn’t think he deserves to die for actions like that.

Elijah

Prior to his first death: Henrik adored Elijah. Henrik considered Elijah the most trustworthy of them all and he was likely Henrik’s first choice of sibling whenever he had any questions or concerns about something.

Now: his opinions of Elijah for the most part have not changed. He finds him only slightly more intimidating with how casually he can wipe blood from his hands, both literally and figuratively speaking.

Klaus

Prior to his first death: honestly Klaus was perhaps Henrik’s best friend. Henrik idolized him from day one, and a lot of his fear of Mikael is not necessarily because of how he himself was treated, but more so his sympathy/empathy towards Klaus. Henrik’s mischievous streak and impulsiveness is primarily influenced by imitating Klaus when he was small.

Now: like with Elijah, not much has changed. He doesn’t really care about what all he’s done, as long as he’s even kinda the same person towards Henrik. However, Henrik is terrified of werewolves now, and died before anyone knew Klaus’s biological father, and therefore himself, was one. Therefore, he’s likely to be very frightened of him upon finding out that information. At least for a little while.

Kol

Prior to his first death: Henrik was fascinated by what he could do. Think the baby sibling who just loses their mind with a :O face at something you consider basic. Henrik was excited about finally tapping into his own powers because he wanted to do what Kol could. Unfortunately, he died shortly after.

Now: little bit scared of him. He actually finds Kol the most intimidating of them. To Henrik, his change over the past 1000 years has been the most drastic, and he’s just a bit shocked by his tendency towards violence (which is a bit hypocritical of Henrik given how willing he is to shrug it off for Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah).

Rebekah

Prior to his first death: as the second youngest sibling next to himself, Henrik probably spent the most time with her, and he loved her dearly. Henrik’s compassionate side is primarily influenced by his love for her.

Now: she’s still the same Rebekah and no one can convince him otherwise. In instances where Rebekah is daggered, he’s likely to grow angry at whoever did it, even if it’s Klaus and will try to undagger her immediately.

[lachalaine]

LAYER ONE: THE OUTSIDE.

name:  Jacqueline Chatel Dulcet

eye color:  mahogany brown, got some gold flecks in the middle

height:  5′1″ - tho she wears some pretty tall wedge shoes usually so she’ll come off as 5′3 - 5′5 most of the time

clothing style: colorful bohemian style, also classy club attire, usually goes for crop tops, boots, shorts and ripped jeans

best physical feature: her eyes :) and then her smile and then her hair, in that order. her actual physique is just the excess ✨✨ 

LAYER TWO: THE INSIDE

your fears: her ex boyfriend, her past making a reemergence, tight and enclosed spaces, strangulation, slugs and worms 

your guilty pleasure: blowing things up

your ambitions for the future: play at coachella, play at ultra ibiza, get some music awards like maybe a Grammy or a Billboard Top 100 Hit, keep making music forever and ever and ever --- perhaps, maybe, eventually as she gets older, look into adopting, just so she has someone to look after and take care of??

LAYER THREE: THOUGHTS

your first thoughts waking up: blinks against the afternoon sunlight, groans loudly and huddles back into bed, 'Is it lunch yet?’ because honestly she’ll be lucky if she ever falls into bed before 6am

what you think about most: music, music, music

what you think about before bed: how ridiculously exhausted she is and whether it’d be okay if she just passed out fully clothed and with a full face of makeup or would she wake up with regret

you think your best quality is: her empathy 

WHAT’S BETTER?

single or group dates: single

to be loved or respected: it’s not love if there’s no respect.

beauty or brains: brains

dogs or cats: cats

LAYER FIVE: DO YOU…

lie: yes, but she’s very bad at it and you can usually always tell; but it’s the moments when you can’t tell when that you should be very, very afraid of the truth. 

believe in yourself: yes, yes, and yes; and in the few moments she doesn’t, she will still say yes, because actually trying is so much better then outright letting yourself fail.

believe in love: we do not talk about love in this house, but see below for the exceptions to the rule.

want someone: in every single verse where momo’s muses exist, and even at the basest level where she exists in general just because momo’s muses exist in general, yes. in every other verse where they’ll never exist together tho, i’m gonna say it’s a no.

LAYER SIX: EVER BEEN…

been on stage: five to six nights a week, every single week ✨

done drugs: hard nope

changed who you were to fit in: yes, in grade school and middle school and through half of high school

LAYER SEVEN: FAVORITES

favorite color: purples, blues, pinks and black.

favorite animal: every single feline in the world, has the softest spot of tigers tho.

favorite movie: she’s not really a movie or tv type of person?? but give her rom coms and action films and she’ll be happy.

favorite game: any and all mmorpg’s, the persona series, pokemon !! she loves video games very much!

LAYER EIGHT: AGE

day your next birthday will be: november 29

how old will you be: canonically 26 - BUT I’M KEEPING HER FROZEN AT 25 FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE OKAY THANK U

age you lost your virginity: 21

does age matter: yes, if you’re talking normal human beings and not supernaturals that stay alive for 1000+ years

LAYER NINE: IN A PERSON

best personality: honestly, she just likes anyone that can put up with her crackpot schemes and not turn her over to the police

best eye color: she’s the type to like everyone’s eye color because they always remind her of pretty jewels, tbh. the more intense in shade they are, the more captivated she is.

best hair color: she has a soft spot for people with unique hair colors like her own

best thing to do with a partner: cuddle, snuggle, soak in a bath together

LAYER TEN: FINISH THE SENTENCE

i love: “my life, the way it is right now.”

i feel:  “content, and happy, and lucky. my heart doesn’t feel heavy, and i’m glad for that.”

i hide: “my heartache, from everyone - even from myself. i can’t stand it, especially on my own.“

i miss: “when i didn’t have so much to hide. i miss when i could tell people things when they asked and not have a minor breakdown from it.“

i wish: “i was a better person, in general. i wish i didn’t have so much blood on my hands, so many ghosts breathing down my back. i wish i wasn’t so easy to crack.”

Tagged by: @throattore​ thank u so much for this!!  Tagging:  @secrecykept​ for a boy of your choice ??@killrate​ @pallasminor​ @heartpaid​ and anyone else, just take it!

[missjackil]

My 14x17 Opinion

Game Night

This was the first new episode since “The Announcement” and I have to say I was putting off writing it. I usually post these the day after, but I procrastinated so it’s a bit late. So forgive my butt-hurt tardiness and let's have at it.

I enjoyed this episode, though it wasn't without some issues. I must say that I was pleased that it wasn't as Sam-lite as I thought it would be from the promo pics, trailer, and knowing Jared didn't work a lot that week, I will always want for more Sam in an episode, but all his parts were necessary and high quality in this one, so I'm not angry at all. 

We start the episode with Donatello making cookies, singing Raindrops are Fallin’ on my Head, which made me smile. It made me think of Butch Cassiday and The Sundance Kid and I love that movie, and if J2 ever want to play the leads in a remake, I would be willing to pay for it myself! 

Donny gets interrupted by the door, and we know this is a problem because its the first 5 minutes of SPN, let's be honest. As soon as I see the bad guy’s wedding ring, I think “Shit... here comes Nick”. I thought he was gonna kill him and I'm glad he didn't. I like Donny, he looks like my dad. 😊

Back at the Bunker, the fam is getting ready for “Winchester Game Night” and Dean is playing Mouse Trap, and having no luck getting it to work. I had that game as a kid too and was never able to get it to work either, but it was fun putting it together! I did think it was a little sad but fitting, that Dean would have played that game as a 4 yr old, but leave it to John and Mary to give Dean a game made for older kids, that never worked out the way it was supposed to and had too many small parts he could choke on. (the irony is not lost on me)

Mary and Jack are in the kitchen. I could literally almost smell the Jiffy Pop popcorn. A Saturday night staple at my house growing up (any of you out there ever taste that greasy salt left on the sides of the foil pan? Good stuff!) and Mary starts in with the questions for Jack. I got a kick out of him telling her its annoying, and her face after. It’s ok Mary, he’s fine, he’s just a teenager now. Something I guess she never got to experience from the adult side. 

Sam is out getting pizza, and all the times they’ve had pizza, I never really saw what Sam likes on his. Apparently both he and Dean like lots of pepperoni. Good choice boys! The joy is short-lived (of course) by Donatello’s call, and Dean and Mary go off to help. I loved Sam sitting there researching. I have always loved his look of interest and concentration during these times. Smart!Sam moment #1 he figures out the language is ancient Hebrew, #2 he has the moment of realization that he knows it’s from the Bible, and knows what chapter and verse. (demerits for the writers though for not knowing Peter is in the New Testament and is in Ancient Greek, not Hebrew, but kudos for Sam/Jared for at least knowing the book is located near the back of The Bible)

Mom and Dean in the car. Now we have the talk about how wrong she knows she’s been but how appreciative she is to have this time with him and Sam. Uhoh... sounds like lines typically given to a character who is soon to be killed off? Hmmm we’ll see. Soon they arrive at Donny’s to find Nick. He says he's poisoned Donny and to save him, they have to help him. He wants to talk. 

Back at the bunker, violent rage!Sam awaits!! GOD that gave me tingles in the best way! I loved Dean leading Nick down the hall in cuffs, in slow motion as if leading him to his execution, and Sam standing there with his chest puffed out like a friggin’ bulldozer, and the snarl and slam attack against the wall!! (hand me that towel, please??) Dean backs Sam off, lots of brother touching going on, but we need intel, we can't kill him yet. 

Now Sam is in self-loathing mode.... he thinks everything is his fault. So many people dying because of him. This is gonna be a big issue soon, I promise. Mom talks Sam off the self-deprecating ledge and tells him he gave Nick another chance because he’s a good man and that's why she’s so proud of him. Sam softens up into the sweetest “aww shucks ma” smile and I want to hug him💕 also, still lines are being spoken by mom that are synonymous with being killed off.

Now, I procrastinated talking about Cas and Anael because the whole thing was boring. I'm not a wife hater but at least make her necessary if you’re going to cast her. I was ok about her role as Sister Jo for Devil’s Bargain but she hasn't been necessary since. Cas wasn't even necessary in this episode. We knew he was hiding the fact that Jack killed the snake, and there are probably 1000 other ways they could have reminded us that the Samulet is still around and maybe they can use it, than for him to find a similar one in the thrift shop or whatever that place was. I dug Methuzula though, he was the oldest dude in the Bible. He wasn’t an angel, for any of you worried about him liking lasagna or why he couldn't just smite Cas... its because he's HUMAN just extremely old. 

On to more interesting things. 

Nick wants to talk to Jack. I was not pleased with Nick referring to Jack as his son. Im not 100% convinced that the writer (and all involved really) remembered that Jack isnt Nick’s son, but added that as a note of empathy Nick has for Lucifer, you’d THINK someone, particularly Jack would say “Im not your son” ?? but anyway, he gives intel to Jack and also gets his blood (dun dun dunnnn) 

Sam is again a smarty pants and knows the antidote for Thalium is Prussian Blue (makes note) and figures he can hack the live feed (brains are so sexy) I also love that Sam’s word is the go word. So many more decisions are made because Sam thinks its the best option than he's ever given for in the fandom. So Sam and Dean take Nick with them to find Donny. 

I really love the broments in this part. Dean tells Nick if he tries anything funny, Sam will shoot him. “And if anything happens to me....” “Sam will shoot me”  “To start!” says Sam... because if he hurts Dean, Sam isnt letting him off that easy. But in true SPN form, as soon as Sam and Dean are separated, shit goes south.

Mom calls Sam and lets him know Donny was shot up with Angel grace, as Jack figured out, Nick was playing them. Now the fight between Sam and Nick ensues! Nick tells Sam why he used Donatello, which was to bring Lucifer back, “You can't, he’s dead he’s in the Empty” Sam says but this show’s self-awareness gets me sometimes lol Nick’s like “Cmon Sam you know no one stays dead anymore” and Sam starts kicking his ass. 

Now, I have already seen a million of you whine and complain that Sam didn’t kill Nick. It’s almost as though some of you have never met Sam Winchester. Of course Sam could have killed Nick, and most of us wish he did, but Sam has stopped himself from killing humans before. He stopped himself with Jake in AHBL and also with Toni in 12x01. Unfortunately it always bites him in the ass. Could it be that Sam thinks if he can kill a human with his bare hands that he’s a monster? This isn’t bad writing folks, this is Sam’s character. 

Nick takes advantage of Sam’s hesitation and starts nailing him with a rock. Spewing crap about Sam being Lucifer’s Perfect vessel and such.... this can only mean that issue will be coming up soon! Sam gets in the car and starts laying on the horn for Dean, calling out to him... Dean hears Sam is in trouble, enough playing around here time to kill some demons. 

When he gets to Sam. he sees he’s badly injured. Sam can hardly hold on to consciousness, protective!dean kicks in! Apply preasure to the blled, call 911, call mom. Now check for brain damage and play a counting game with Sam This hurt my feels so much, it made it feel so much more serious than all the other head injuries he’s sustained. Dean and his caring big brother smile and light hearted speech so Sam doesnt panic just kills me in the best way!! Sam tries to count with him a little and breaks into “You always put me first... your whole life” and manages to muster a little smile. Dean knows Sam believes he’s checking out, and you see the fear all over Dean’s face as Sam fades away. (OMG these 2!! Every freakin time!!)

Meanwhile, Mary and Jack found Nick and he has summoned Lucifer and just about to take him in again (Lucifer looked pretty cool,,, gotta say) and Jack zaps Lucifer back into the rift (no not forever guys... cmon) and starts torturing Nick. Mary kinda flips out telling Jack to stop. He’s contorting his hand, burning him from the inside out... not simply killijng him. Mary is full on worried now. Jack stops and Nick is laying on the floor. Mary is in shock and tells Jack to go help Sam, He heals him and Dean cant even hide his relief as he turns away to catch his breath. 

Now Jack returns to Mary who is more than worried about how Jack was torturing Nick. We know the Winchesters dont mind killing, but draw the line at torture. However, Mary stupidly poked the bear. She could have just kept herself and Jack calm and talked to the boys later, but she poked and poked till Jack freaked out. Though I am wondering if Jack was also hearing Lucifer when he was shouting “Leave me alone!!” But in any regard, he looked at Mary and something happened. Fade to black. 

Aside from the Cas/Anael part, I really enjoyed this episode. A few issues yes, but it hit most of the marks needed for me to enjoy an episode. Ive already rewatched it twice and will again and again. 

On a scale of Bloodlines to Lebanon, I give this a strong 7.5 without the Cas/Anael bit it would have been an easy 8.

[stumbling-while-balancing]

Y'all, I'm back and about to be really controversial but I think what upsets me most about this fandom is how Keith's emotions and struggles are handled verses how the rest of the character's emotions and struggles are handled.

There's such a lack of empathy for the things that Keith goes through, it's unreal. If what happened to Keith had happened to any other character- pushing themselves away from the team, the team not speaking up against them leaving after they didn't need them anymore, being excluded from the rest of the Season only to show up and display self-sacrificial, suicidal tendencies? You know how crazy the fandom would be if any other character had done that? Especially Lance?

But because it's Keith, not only have I not seen very few (almost none) posts worrying about his mental state, I have seen multiple posts disregarding his mental state. Keith's perfectly good with leaving the team to join the BOM guys! Leaving the first family he has had since he was in the Garrison is absolutely the emotionally healthy thing to do! It didn't hurt at all that no one really tried to talk him out of it once they had Shiro back!

Shiro at least hugging Keith and letting him know he would be there for him which was the only nice thing, next to the group hug. But the above picture proves that Keith didn't want to leave and probably thinks they don't care.

And please, please don't get me started on posts where they call him leaving selfish, because how. HOW?! By making sure none of the rest of the team had to give up their Lions? By making himself more tactically useful by joining the BOM? Just how?

Then you get to the posts talking about how Keith sacrificing himself is just him following the BOM way, which, while true, completely ignores the emotions that Keith must have been going through. For Keith to have been willing to sacrifice himself, that intrinsically means that he believes his sacrifice brings greater worth to the team then him being alive. It means that he feels like the team will be just fine without him. It means that he has a very small perception of his personal worth. It means that he only values himself (and believes himself valued) for what he can contribute to the mission.

I'm going to piss a lot of people off with this, (and I'm genuinely not trying to upset you, but it has to be said) but what really kills me is that Klance, the shining mega ship of this fandom, the one that loves angst when it comes to Lance, is... completely ignoring Keith's emotional state. I have seen 1000% more posts about Lance's air show and how Lance must feel with Keith gone then I have posts even hinting at Keith's emotional state. Even posts bashing him for leaving because it hurts Klance. This is worrying, because fandom? They think that Keith gets fandom focus because he's part of a mega ship. But really, 90% of Klance focus is on Lance.

I'm not trying to be mean, Klance shippers, because besides how some of you act I have nothing against your ship. Though it's not my OTP, I even consume your content sometimes, because Klance can be really cute and a lot of you are really talented. But sometimes I think a good majority of the Klance fandom actually hates Keith. Not only have I seen Klance fans post anti-Keith things now and in the past, a lot of you seem unable to bring yourself to care when Keith is going through an emotionally dark time, whereas Lance would have you all in tears. Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe as y'all have time to think about this Season you guys will surprise me and actually start focusing as equally on Keith's emotions and struggles as you do on Lance's? I hope so, but I'm only hesitantly optimistic.

So fandom, please don't think that Keith being part of a mega ship means he's handled with care in this fandom. Please don't ignore his struggles, ones you would feel empathy for if they happened to any other character. Please don't look at this character and write off his emotions.

Because for the people that identify with him, it hurts.

[diaspora9ja]

Premier League predictions: Lawro v Sister Bliss from Faithless

Tottenham have by no means earlier than been to this point above Arsenal going right into a Premier League north London derby, however will type depend for something on Sunday?

Spurs, who’re prime of the desk after 10 matches and haven’t misplaced within the league because the opening weekend of the season, are assured to be no less than 12 locations above the Gunners at kick-off.

Their earlier largest benefit was 11 locations, when Spurs had been tenth and Arsenal had been twenty first earlier than they met on the second weekend of the 1993-94 marketing campaign. Arsenal gained that recreation 1-0.

“Arsenal’s efficiency within the win in opposition to Manchester United firstly of November was glorious,” BBC Sport soccer skilled Mark Lawrenson stated. “However since then they have not come anyplace close to that within the Premier League.”

Lawro is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, in opposition to a wide range of company.

This weekend, he’s up in opposition to Sister Bliss, from iconic digital outfit Faithless.

Faithless have simply launched All Blessed, their first studio album for 10 years, and have launched a marketing campaign for the Select Love Assist Refugees charity known as #playitforward which is designed to lift cash for charity via the sharing and giving of music.

“Play It Ahead seems like a soccer charity, nevertheless it is not,” Sister Bliss instructed BBC Sport. “Together with a number of different artists, we’re signing and auctioning a number of vinyl to assist people who find themselves residing in probably the most unimaginably robust situations.”

Sister Bliss is an enormous fan of Manchester United ahead Marcus Rashford and his work to lift consciousness of kid meals poverty within the UK. “Props to Marcus. He’s probably the most extraordinary sportsman, and a correct hero. He provides footballers the most effective identify.”

Followers returned to soccer matches this week and Sister Bliss is aware of all concerning the distinction a crowd makes when you find yourself performing – whether or not it’s music or sport.

“In the mean time our new music cannot exist within the area that it was alleged to – with a reside viewers at an indoor venue or competition,” she defined.

“The album is concerning the life we live proper now, and discovering empathy and tolerance, and the issues in life we have to nurture us and join us to one another.

“It’s got very heat vibes – individuals have stated it’s like getting an enormous hug. You may nonetheless expertise that listening to it via your headphones, however I’m simply gutted I am unable to play it to individuals in particular person and have that incredible connection, which is a unprecedented feeling.

“Sport is similar. For the previous few months, the emotion and power you get from being the particular person enjoying in entrance of a crowd, and the place that takes you, has been lacking from the expertise.

“Let’s hope all of us get it again quickly, as a result of all of us yearn to really feel that once more.”

Faithless are used to performing to 1000’s of individuals at festivals and arenas

Sister Bliss is well-versed within the fortunes of a number of completely different London soccer golf equipment due to her Tottenham-supporting dad and her band-mates – Maxi Jazz is a Crystal Palace fan and affiliate director of the Eagles, whereas Rollo Armstrong follows Arsenal.

“I really feel like I’ve acquired allegiances in north London and south London,” she added. “Is that even allowed?!”

“However Arsenal in all probability want all of the assist they will get proper now. As Rollo lamented to me this week, they can not get their act collectively in the mean time.”

End result Lawro Sister Bliss FRIDAY Aston Villa v Newcastle* P-P P-P P-P SATURDAY Burnley v Everton 1-1 1-1 0-3 Man Metropolis v Fulham 2-0 4-0 5-0 West Ham v Man Utd 1-3 1-1 3-1 Chelsea v Leeds 3-1 2-1 3-2 SUNDAY West Brom v Crystal Palace x-x 1-2 1-1 Sheff Utd v Leicester x-x 1-2 1-2 Tottenham v Arsenal x-x 2-0 2-0 Liverpool v Wolves x-x 2-1 2-1 MONDAY Brighton v Southampton x-x 2-0 1-0

*Aston Villa v Newcastle has been postponed.

An accurate consequence (selecting a win, draw or defeat) is price 10 factors. The precise rating earns 40 factors.

LAWRO’S PREDICTIONS

FRIDAY

Aston Villa P-P Newcastle

This match was postponed following a “vital improve” in Covid-19 instances on the Magpies’ coaching floor.

SATURDAY

Burnley 1-1 Everton

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Sister Bliss’ prediction: 0-3

Match report

Man Metropolis 2-0 Fulham

Lawro’s prediction: 4-0

Sister Bliss’ prediction: 5-0

Match report

West Ham 1-3 Man Utd

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Sister Bliss’ prediction: 3-1

Match report

Chelsea 3-1 Leeds

Lawro’s prediction: 2-1

Sister Bliss’ prediction: 3-2

Match report

SUNDAY

West Brom v Crystal Palace (12:00 GMT)

Palace missed the spark of Wilfried Zaha within the defeats by Burnley and Newcastle – they want him again.

Slaven Bilic’s Baggies beat Sheffield United final week, however they held on for that three factors. He’ll assume this can be a recreation the place his aspect must get three extra. Will he play a barely extra offensive workforce due to that?

I fancy Palace at The Hawthorns although.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-2

Sister Bliss’ prediction: 1-1

Sheff Utd v Leicester (14:15 GMT)

Final season the Blades had been excellent, however they did not rating that many objectives. Strikers David McGoldrick, Oli McBurnie, Lys Mousset and Rhian Brewster, though he is unproven, have all come up from the Championship and that’s the downside.

It is that second-season syndrome. I believe they had been enjoying means above themselves final marketing campaign. They’re nonetheless troublesome to beat however they are not making sufficient possibilities.

I believe Leicester have some actually tremendous gamers however I do not see them ending within the prime six. You’ve got seen within the house video games ahead Jamie Vardy denied area to run into, whereas they’ve gained 4 of their 5 away video games as a result of groups are approaching to them.

I anticipate them to beat the Blades.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-2

Sister Bliss’ prediction: 1-2

Tottenham v Arsenal (16:30 GMT)

Tottenham are a greater aspect than Arsenal, a extra dependable aspect and they’re superior defensively which is largely all the way down to the supervisor and his philosophy.

Jose Mourinho’s forwards Harry Kane and Son Heung-min have additionally been the most effective two within the league bar anyone, and can give the Gunners defence a tricky time assuming Kane is match.

Arsenal do not appear to have leaders in the mean time – so when the going will get robust they do not going.

Their new signing Thomas Partey seemed a participant in midfield, however simply as he acquired began he acquired injured. They actually miss him.

And in assault, since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang signed his contract… has he been away? It is simply that one purpose because the begin of November.

It is a derby with that added incentive, however with out a lot of a crowd it’s going to be a wierd one.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Sister Bliss’ prediction: I am actually hoping for an Arsenal win however they’re missing confidence in the mean time so that’s not the most certainly consequence right here. There’ll loads of thoughts video games from Jose Mourinho beforehand too. 2-0

Liverpool v Wolves (19:15 GMT)

Wolves have at all times given Liverpool a very good recreation.

They are a respectable aspect, though this season they have been tinkering with their system and have been sluggish starters at occasions. They had been 1-0 down at house in opposition to Southampton and also you had been questioning what they had been doing earlier than they got here again to attract, after which final week they went to Arsenal and made them look bizarre.

They are going to be a purpose risk in opposition to Liverpool, however the house aspect could have the sting.

I believe the Reds have completed properly to this point this season whenever you keep in mind the accidents and so they’ve additionally not had a constant backline. Privately supervisor Jurgen Klopp can be pleased however he is aware of there is a robust time arising.

It is a good factor the assault has been so good, particularly Wolves outdated boy Diogo Jota who already has 9 objectives.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-1

Sister Bliss’ prediction: Liverpool are smashing it in the mean time. I am a fan of Jurgen Klopp, and you may see why his gamers love enjoying for him. 2-1

MONDAY

Brighton v Southampton (20:00 GMT)

Southampton have gotten some good unsung gamers there together with James Ward-Prowse who scored these two cracking objectives in opposition to Aston Villa and grabbed one other within the defeat by Manchester United final week. He’ll be a risk once more in opposition to the Seagulls.

The supervisor has completed a superb job and the membership deserve a pat on the again for holding on to him regardless of that 9-0 defeat in opposition to Leicester final 12 months.

Brighton had been good in opposition to the Reds in final week’s 1-1 draw and have began to seem like an honest aspect. I do know they have not overwhelmed the Saints since they got here as much as the Premier League however I fancy them to finish that run.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Sister Bliss’ prediction: This can be a resort versus a port. I am going with Brighton, as a result of from my touring expertise, they have an extended stretch of sea entrance with a correct promenade and pier to get their cardio train in beforehand. It is nice for operating or roller-blading, which might add a little bit of enjoyable to coaching, would not it? 1-0

How did Lawro do final time?

Final weekend, Lawro acquired three appropriate outcomes from 10 matches, together with one actual rating, for a complete of 60 factors.

He beat Maximo Park frontman Paul Smith, who acquired two appropriate outcomes, together with one actual rating, for a complete of 50 factors.

TEAM P W D L PTS +/- 1 Man Utd 9 8 1 0 25 +8 2 Chelsea 10 7 2 1 23 +1 3 Leeds 10 7 1 2 22 +9 =4 Liverpool 10 6 3 1 21 -2 =4 Man Metropolis 9 6 3 0 21 +7 =6 Arsenal 10 6 1 3 19 +8 =6 Leicester 10 6 1 3 19 -2 8 Tottenham 10 6 0 4 18 -7 9 Wolves 10 4 3 3 15 -2 =10 Burnley 9 4 1 4 13 +9 =10 Everton 10 3 4 3 13 -2 =12 Southampton 10 3 2 5 11 -6 =12 West Ham 10 3 2 5 11 -7 14 Newcastle 10 3 1 6 10 -1 15 Crystal Palace 10 2 3 5 9 0 =16 Brighton 10 2 2 6 8 0 =16 Sheff Utd 10 2 2 6 8 +4 18 Aston Villa 9 2 1 6 7 -8 19 Fulham 10 1 0 9 3 -2 20 West Brom 10 0 1 9 1 -2

GUEST LEADERBOARD 2020-21

110 Amy Macdonald, Steve White 90 Adam Devonshire 80 Raye 79 Lawro (common after 10 weeks) 60 Celeste, Caroline Weir 50 Declan McKenna, Paul Smith, DJ Goal 0 Rema

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[oliverphisher]

Emma Viskic

Emma Viskic’s critically acclaimed Caleb Zelic series has been published worldwide and won numerous awards. RESURRECTION BAY won the 2016 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction and an unprecedented three Davitt Awards. It was shortlisted for the UK’s prestigious Gold Dagger and New Blood Awards, and was iBooks Australia’s Crime Novel of the Year.

Darkness for Light (A Caleb Zelic thriller) By Emma Viskic Buy on Amazon

AND FIRE CAME DOWN won the 2018 Davitt Award for Best Novel and was long listed for the Dublin International Literary Award. DARKNESS FOR LIGHT is out now. Emma is currently working on the fourth novel in the series.

What are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life? 

To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee

To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. Mocking Bird is a master class in how to combine character, social issues and story. Plus, I identified heavily with Scout as a child, and longed to be as gutsy as her.

Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter Series) By Thomas Harris

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. I’m not a fan of the psychotic killer trope, but Thomas Harris manages to paint a picture of tortured mind that is at once insightful, repellent and –  dare I say it?  –  sympathetic.

The Golden Gate By Vikram Seth

The Golden Gate, by Vikram Seth. I was lucky enough to be given this novel in verse in my early twenties and fell in love with its delightful rhythms, wit and sorrow.

What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)?   

After putting it off for months I recently got my bike serviced. It’s a small thing, but I’d stopped riding to my studio because the gears weren’t working. Apart from the obvious health benefits, riding really clears my head and helps the ideas flow.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? 

I wrote two full-length manuscripts before my debut novel, Resurrection Bay. Some people are appalled that I ‘wasted’ that much time, but I learned more from writing them than anything else I’ve done.

Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by? 

Embarrassingly enough ‘Just Do It’ springs to mind.

What is one of the best investment in a writing resource you’ve ever made? 

I don’t need much in terms of equipment or space. (I wrote Resurrection Bay on a Dell notebook computer without Word or spellcheck) I do, however, read a lot of books. In the past I’ve mainly borrowed them from the library. I still use the library a lot, but I buy a lot more of them now.

What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love? 

It’s not unusual for a writer, but I love spending time alone with my thoughts.

In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour, or habit has most improved your life? 

Netflix! I’ve got a puritan work-ethic, and never used to watch daytime TV, but last year I took to bribing myself with bad renovation shows and they kept me going through a difficult patch of writing.

What advice would you give to a smart, driven aspiring author? What advice should they ignore? 

First drafts are always terrible; the beauty comes in the rewriting. 

If anything purports to be a writing ‘rule’ ignore it.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession often? 

The instruction to ‘write what you know’ is one of the worst. It leaves no room for imagination, empathy or exploration. I like to flip the idea and think ‘know what you write’. That is, talk to people, listen, read, research, and be empathetic. And, most importantly, if you’re writing from a cultural identity outside your own, do the work. 

In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to (distractions, invitations, etc.)? 

I’m slowly learning to say no to extra work. I also keep the all-important morning hours free to write whenever possible.

What marketing tactics should authors avoid?

Avoid spending your own money. Also, social media isn’t a great tool for selling books. It can be a great way of connecting with readers and writers, but any sales that come out of it are a bonus.

What new realizations and/or approaches have helped you achieve your goals? 

My first career was as a classical musician and I think that helped set me up for life as a writer. I write like I used to practise  –  writing and rewriting over and over again until the piece is as good as I can make it.

When you feel overwhelmed or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? 

Step away from the computer and get some exercise, watch Netflix, or sob quietly into my whisky.

Any other tips?

Try not to compare your journey with other people’s.

________

Enjoyed this Q&A? Want to discuss in more depth? Join Community Writers. You'll get access to 100+ exclusive writing tips. Q&As with successful authors, an exclusive ebook on building an audience and much more. Sign-up for free as a community writer here

source https://www.thecommunitywriter.com/blog/emma-viskic

[wolfjackle-creates]

I really love Empathy!Verse so that's what I'll request

It is something I had a ton of fun with! Hopefully one day I can make it into an actual fic rather than a loose collection of ideas.

-----

Jazz sent him a wave of . “Tea and a scone.”

The barista’s smile was strained when he went up to place their order. But she didn’t make any comments past what was needed for the interaction. Behind him, he could feel the excitement between Jazz and her friends as they began debating Thanksgiving day traditions.

While waiting for their order, he heard the employee whisper to her coworker, “More Amity Parkers.” She used the same tone someone from Metropolis might say “Gothamite” and Jason bristled.

He must’ve let something leak, because Jazz, without turning to look, sent a forceful .

Jason rolled his eyes and huffed.

She reiterated the silent order. Through their silent communication, her conversation with her friends didn’t so much as pause. But the from the other two women was quite clear.

The barista who handed him his orders squeaked as she called out his name.

It took all of Jason’s willpower to keep from raising his eyebrow at her and give a simple, “Thanks.” If the muffled laugh from Jazz was anything to go by, though, he wasn’t as successful at holding back the that he was feeling.

Jazz had told him about Bruce’s visit. Maybe he could learn how to hold back his feelings, too.

But he pushed the thought to the side. For now, he wanted to focus on the upcoming meeting with Jazz’s family. And what better way to practice than by meeting her friends?

He sat down next to his girlfriend and flashed the other girls a smile. “So, do you have any good stories about Jazz from high school?”

They burst out laughing while Jazz feigned offense. Jazz’s friends were more than happy to tell him about the things Jazz and her brother had gotten up to during their high school years.

Jason, in turn, told them about her time in Gotham. Including the time Batman and Nightwing paid her a visit in her dorm room and freaked out her roommate. They thought it was hysterical that Jazz was now in a single because housing had no idea what else to do with her.

The hour wait for their transport passed so much more quickly than Jason had expected.

[amaralikecamera]

tryin to get grandma to care-

Preface- this is a message I sent to my namesake grandma (~70) after she asked about my opinion on sarah h. sanders being kicked out of a restaurant for being trump’s spokewomen & defending kids being kept in cages. At the time, all I could say was that “it sounds like you’ve bought fox news’ tale hook, line, and sinker!” but I promised to send details to why I felt that way - including the bible verses that instruct christians to accept immigrants (as grandma is a christian herself).

If your grandparents love you but hold some heinous beliefs / passively support the administration... maybe start inquiring in a similar vein? No one else in their life will do it. 

Hi grandma,

Sorry for my delay in sending these to you. I've had difficulty focusing lately. Please give me the 10 minutes it takes to watch the youtube links I sent you, then read what Senator Warren has seen. After that, I feel we'll be speaking with the same understanding I, at least, have. I'd be happy to watch/read what moving news clips/articles you've been witnessing, too.

Here is the news exchange that made me lose any empathy for Sarah H. Sanders (watch to 0:39):

https://youtu.be/VnX9RP00fC4?t=6s

Here's a breakdown of how Jeff Sessions is responsible for separating over 1000 kids from from their parents...and justifying it with the bible. The Late Show, with Stephen Colbert:

https://youtu.be/j4KaLkYxMZ8?t=52s

The bible quote I mentioned:

Deuteronomy 10:18-19 – “For the Lord your God...loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

These are some others my Christian friend has been sharing:

Hebrews 13:1-2 – “…show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels…”

Romans 12:13 – “Mark of the true Christian: “…Extend hospitality to strangers…”

Luke 3:11 – “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none…”

Malachi 3:5 – The messenger will bear witness against those who thrust aside the alien.

Jeremiah 7:5-7 – “If you do not oppress the alien…then I will dwell with you in this place…”

Deuteronomy 24:14 – “You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land...”

Deuteronomy 10:18-19 – “For the Lord your God...loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

Leviticus 19:33-34 and 24:22 – When the alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

Exodus 22:21 – Moses gives God’s law: “You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien; for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.”

And, here is the experience of Senator Warren after visiting a detention center. Some people have been kept in cages for 2 weeks. I bolded parts I found especially important.

Sunday morning [June 24, 2018], I flew to McAllen, Texas to find out what's really happening to immigrant families ripped apart by the Trump administration.

There's one thing that's very clear: The crisis at our border isn't over.

I went straight from the airport to the McAllen Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing center that is the epicenter of Donald Trump's so-called "zero-tolerance" policy. This is where border patrol brings undocumented migrants for intake before they are either released, deported, turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or, in the case of unaccompanied or separated children, placed in the custody of Health and Human Services.

From the outside, the CBP processing center looks like any other warehouse on a commercial street lined with warehouses. There's no clue about the horrors inside.

Before we could get in, CBP insisted we had to watch a government propaganda video. There's no other way to describe it – it's like a movie trailer. It was full of dramatic narration about the "illegals" crossing our border, complete with gory pictures about the threats that these immigrants bring to the United States, from gangs to skin rashes. The star of the show is CBP, which, according to the video, has done a great job driving down the numbers.

Then an employee described what we were about to see. "They have separate pods. I'll call them pods. I don't really know how they name them." Clearly they had gotten the memo not to call them what they are: cages. Every question I asked them had a complicated answer that led to two more questions – even the simple question about how long people were held there. "Nobody is here longer than 24 hours." "Well, maybe 24-48 hours." "72 hours max." And "no children are separated out." "Well, except older children."

The warehouse is enormous, with a solid concrete floor and a high roof. It is filled with cages. Cages for men. Cages for women. Cages for mamas with babies. Cages for girls. Cages for boys.

The stench – body odor and fear – hits the second the door is opened. The first cages are full of men. The chain link is about 12-15 feet high, and the men are tightly packed. I don't think they could all lie down at the same time. There's a toilet at the back of the cage behind a half-wall, but no place to shower or wash up. One man kept shouting, "A shower, please. Just a shower."

I asked the men held in cage after cage where they were from. Nearly all of them were from El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras.

Then I asked them how long they had been there – and the answers were all over the map, from a few days to nearly two weeks (72 hours max?). The CBP agents rushed to correct the detained men, claiming that their answers couldn't be right. My immigration specialist on the trip who speaks fluent Spanish made sure the men understood that the question was, "How long have you been in the building?" Their answers didn't change.

Cage after cage. Same questions, same answers.

Next we came into the area where the children were held. These cages were bigger with far more people. In the center of the cage, there's a freestanding guard tower probably a story or story-and-a-half taller to look down over the children. The girls are held separately in their own large cage. The children told us that they had come to the United States with family and didn't know where they had been taken. Eleven years old. Twelve. Locked in a cage with strangers. Many hadn't talked to their mothers or fathers. They didn't know where they were or what would happen to them next.

The children were quiet. Early afternoon, and they just sat. Some were on thin mats with foil blankets pulled over their heads. They had nothing – no books, no toys, no games. They looked shell shocked.

And then there were the large cages with women and small children. Women breast-feeding their young children.

When we went over to the mamas with babies, I asked them about why they had left their home countries. One young mother had a 4-year-old child. She said she had been threatened by the gangs in El Salvador. She had given a drink of water to a police officer, and the gang decided she must be in with the police. The longer she spoke, the more agitated she got – that she would never do that, that she understood the risk with the gangs, but that the gangs believed she did it. She sold everything she had and fled with her son to the United States.

One thing you won't see much of in the CBP processing center? Fathers caged with their children. After pressing the CBP agents, they explained that men traveling with children are automatically released from the facility. They just don't have the cages there to hold them. Women with small children, on the other hand, could be detained indefinitely. I pressed them on this again and again. The only answer: they claimed to be protecting "the safety of the mother and children."

CBP said that fathers with children, pregnant women, mothers of children with special needs, and other "lucky ones" who are released from the processing center are sent over to Catholic Charities' Humanitarian Respite Center for help. That was my next stop in McAllen. Sister Norma, her staff, and volunteers are truly doing God's work. Catholic Charities provides food, a shower, clean clothes, and medicine to those who need it. The center tries to explain the complicated process to the people, and the volunteers help them get on a bus to a family member in the United States.

Sister Norma introduced me to a father and his teenage son from Honduras. The father said that a gang had been after his son, determined that the boy would join the gang. The only way for the boy to escape was to run. The man left his wife and four daughters in Honduras to bring his son to the United States. His only plan is to find work here to send money home to his family. His cousin lives in New Jersey, so CBP sent their paperwork to the local ICE center in New Jersey, and they would soon begin the long bus ride there.

Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley provides a lifesaving service to people of all faiths and backgrounds, but with a humanitarian crisis in their backyard, they're clearly stretched as thin as it gets. With more money and volunteers, they would gladly help more people.

I asked Sister Norma about the women and babies who were in indefinite detention. She said her group would open their arms and take care of them, get them cleaned up and fed and on a bus to a family member – if only ICE would release them.

"This is a moral issue. We are all part of this human family," they say.

Next, I met with some of the legal experts on the frontlines of this crisis – lawyers from the Texas Civil Rights Project, the Border Rights Center of the Texas ACLU, and the federal public defenders.

I gave them a rundown of everything I'd seen so far in McAllen, particularly when it comes to reuniting parents and children, and they raised some of my worst fears:

The Trump administration may be "reunifying" families, but their definition of a family is only a parent and a child. If, for example, a 9-year-old crosses with an 18-year-old sister – or an aunt or uncle, or a grandparent, or anyone who isn't the child's documented legal guardian – they are not counted as a family and they will be separated.

Mothers and children may be considered "together" if they're held in the same gigantic facility, even if they're locked in separate cages with no access to one another. (In the world of CBP and ICE, that's how the 10-year-old girls locked in a giant cage are "not separated" from their mothers who are in cages elsewhere in the facility.)

In the process of "reunifying" families, the government may possibly count a family as reunited by sending the child to a distant relative they've never met – not their parents. Some relatives may be unwilling to claim these children because it would be inviting ICE to investigate their own families.

Parents are so desperate to be reunited with their children that they may be trading in their legal right to asylum.

The system for tracking separated families is virtually unknown, if one exists at all. One expert worries that for some families, just a simple photo may be all the documentation that the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services have to reunite them. (I sincerely hope that's not true.)

The longer the day went on, the more questions I had about how the Trump administration plans to fix the crisis they've created at the border. So my last stop of the day was at the Port Isabel Detention Center, about an hour east of McAllen. It's one of the largest detention facilities in Texas.

The Department of Homeland Security had released some details on its plan to reunify families. The release noted that Port Isabel will be the "primary family reunification and removal center for adults in their custody."

Let's be clear: Port Isabel isn't a reunification center. It's a detention center. A prison.

There's no ambiguity on this point. I met with the head of the facility. He said several times that they had no space for children, no way to care for them, and no plans to bring any children to his locked-down complex. When I pressed on what was the plan for reunification of children with their parents, he speculated that HHS (the Department of Health and Human Services) would take the children somewhere, but it certainly wasn't going to be to his facility. When I asked how long HHS would take, he speculated that it would be weeks, but he said that was up to them. He had his job to do: He would hold these mothers and fathers until he received orders to send them somewhere else. Period.

So let me say it again. This is a prison – not a reunification center.

We toured the center. It is huge – multiple buildings isolated on a sun-baked expanse of land far from any town. We didn't go to the men's area, but the women are held in a large bunk-bed facility with a concrete outdoor exercise area. It's locked, double-locked, and triple locked. Tall fences topped with razor wire are everywhere, each backed up by a second row of fences also topped with razor wire.

An ICE official brought in a group of nine detained mothers who had volunteered to speak to us. I don't believe that ICE cherry-picked these women for the meeting, because everything they told me was horrifying.

Each mother told us her own story about crossing the border, being taken to a processing center, and the point that they were separated from their child or children. In every case, the government had lied to them about where their children were being taken. In every case, save one, no mother had spoken to her child in the days since the separation. And in every case, no mother knew where her child was.

At the time of separation, most of the mothers were told their children would be back. One woman had been held at "the icebox," a center that has earned its nickname for being extremely cold. When the agent came to take her child, she was told that it was just too cold for the child in the center, and that they were just going to keep the child warm until she was transferred. That was mid-June. She hasn't seen her child since.

One mother had been detained with her child. They were sleeping together on the floor of one of the cages, when, at 3:00am, the guards took her away. She last saw her 7-year-old son sleeping on the floor. She cried over and over, "I never got to say goodbye. I never got to say goodbye." That was early-June, and she hasn't seen him since.

Even though the CBP officials at the processing center told me that mothers with children that have special needs would be released, one of the mothers I spoke with had been separated from her special needs child. She talked about her child who doesn't have properly formed legs and feet and walks with great difficulty. One of the mothers spoke of another mother in the facility who is very worried because her separated child is deaf and doesn't speak at all.

The women I met were traumatized, weeping, and begging for help. They don't understand what is happening to them – and they're begging to be reunited with their kids.

Detainees can pay to make phone calls, but all of their possessions are taken from them at the processing center. The only way they can get money for a call is for someone to put money on their accounts. I asked if people or charities could donate money so that they'd be able to make phone calls to their family or lawyers, but they said no – a donor would need the individual ID number for every person detained at the center, and ICE obviously isn't going to release that information.

Three young lawyers were at Port Isabel at the same time we were. The lawyers told us that their clients – the people they've spoken to in the detention center – have strong and credible cases for asylum. But the entire process for being granted asylum depends on one phone call with an immigration official where they make the case for why they should be allowed to stay. One of the first questions a mother will be asked is, "Have you been separated from a child?" For some of the women, just asking that question makes them fall apart and weep.

The lawyers are worried that these women are in such a fragile and fractured state, they're in no shape to make the kind of detailed, credible case needed for themselves or their children. They had no chance in our system because they've lost their children and desperately want them back.

We stayed inside at Port Isabel for more than two hours – much longer than the 45 minutes we had been promised. When I finally went to bed that night, I thought about something the mothers had told me – something that will likely haunt me for a long time.

The mothers say that they can hear babies cry at night.

This isn't about politics. This isn't about Democrats or Republicans. This is about human beings. Children held in cages today. Babies scattered all over this country. And mamas who, in the dark of night, hear them cry.

I'm still working through everything I saw, but I wanted you to know the full story. The fight for these children and families isn't over – not by a long shot.

- source:

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethWarren/posts/10155822214623687

Also, last but not least-

I want to share John Oliver's report on it - please excuse the 4 instances of profanity, as I feel the content is important (and will help you understand why I had no sympathy for Sarah H. Sanders being kicked out of a restaurant). Stop after 3:26 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezxRf1-1Jf4

Here's Rachel Maddow's breaking down as she tried to read the news, of how children in TX are being sent to 'tender-age shelters' (<1 min)-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKuIjT-k-C8

I hope you'll pray from the kids separated from their families, then use your lack-of-phoning-fear to contact your representatives. Ask their secretary what their position on the family detention and reunification policies are, then tell them your feelings about them as a constituent. I remember you did so once when Congress was planning to cut food aid to children... so you have the power. ;)

Rep. Justin Amash (next election: 2018) : 202-225-3831

Sen. Gary Peters (next election: 2020): 202-224-6221

Sen. Debbie Stabenaw (next election: 2018): 202-224-4822

Thank you for talking with me - I hope you'll let me know what you think of this information (and any response from your representatives).

Love, 

[ke1kaku]

transformers (megatron) rambling

anyway, i just want to talk about megatron for a second because I feel like idw transformers has done a good job of making everything shades of grey rather than black and white and so many people just cant comprehend it and try to skew things one way or another. I've always recognized megatron as an example of how extremism is bad, despite good intentions. LIKE honestly this guy starts out as oppressed lower class citizen, rights taken away by the government, writing about how everyone deserves to choose what they want to be in life rather than have society dictate to them what they should be - he's a freedom fighter! He starts a revolution that overthrows the corrupt government! But even though he's great at commanding, fighting, revolution-ing - he doesn't know how to compromise or make peace in a way that's not just "destroy everyone who doesnt agree with me" LIKE IS THIS NOT STRAIGHT UP REMINISCENT OF TUMBLR CULTURE - of a mindless desire to destroy disguised by the good intention of 'doing the right thing' ? Of a complete lack of empathy for the 'other side' because 'my side is the right side'? And wow does megatron do some shitty things - he gets caught up in self righteousness and violence - he even recognizes that the things he's doing are wrong, but considers them 'just'. But that's why I love mtmte megatron's arc so much? Yes, it's a redemption, but it's not one that's easy or lets him get off scott free - it's megatron recognizing that where he ended up is not where he started and he needs to face punishment for it. that his version of justice is not the end all be all of what's right and what's wrong. It's a return to his well intentioned roots that makes him realize all the horrible shit he's done! The end of LL6 wasn't a happy ending for him!! He didn't even want to stay in functionist verse, but he was manipulated and lied to by terminus for his own gain, 'abandoned' by the people he considers his conscience - he's put into a position where it'd be so easy to regress into mindless violence (especially with terminus's influence, despite him trying to do the right thing,,,,again), it makes me want to tear my hair out. But it's not supposed to make me happy- it's supposed to make me feel uneasy because this ending wasn't written as 'and now megatron gets everything he wanted :-)' bs. Anyway theres people who have said all this in a more well written cohesive way, but I just wanted to talk about how I felt Megatron's entire character was a show of how the 'bad guys' arent 1000% villainous and that, yes, good people can do fucking awful horrible things, especially when they think their actions are justified - and it's a warning to us all that good intentions dont make good actions, and that violence and anger (and tyranny) cannot make peace, or at least, thats what I got from it.

[wolfjackle-creates]

Congratulations on the 1k followers! It is very well deserved, and I can't wait to see more people find your stuff!

I'm a massive sucker for everything that Empathy!verse, which makes it my request for this event.

Thank you for sharing your works with us!

Sorry these took so long! I had to reread what I'd originally written and then decide what I wanted to do next. But I got there in the end ^.^

-----

Jason exited the bus at Jazz’s side in Elmerton. It looked like your average midwest small town. Across the street from the bus station was a cafe and Jazz grinned at him as she took his hand and pulled him over to it.

“I can’t believe we’re almost home! I can’t wait for you to meet everyone.”

Jason pulled on her hand to bring her closer so he could kiss her cheek. He sent back his own . “You sure I’m gonna make a good impression?”

Jazz rolled her eyes. “Danny will give you a hard time. But that’s just because I’ve dated some real jerks in the past so he automatically doesn’t trust anyone I bring home. His behavior will be a reflection on me, not you.” Her filled every word.

“Is there anyone I have to beat up? You know I’m good for it.”

She laughed and projected her . “If you even try, I’ll kick you out to spend Thanksgiving at Wayne Manor.”

Jason shuddered. “Right, no searching out your exes.”

He felt a that felt so different from Jazz that he stopped in his tracks. But Jazz kept hold of his hand and was waving widely with her free hand as she dragged Jason into the cafe. “Angela, Trisha! You’re here!”

Two women—one with dark brown hair, the other with light brown hair—were waving back just as exuberantly. Both were dressed for the November chill and had rolling suitcases sitting by the corner table they’d taken.

Jason set down their bags against the wall as Jazz ran over to hug the women. The strong emotions of filled the space. Jason was content to hang back and watch them.

Suddenly the lighter haired one broke the hug and spun to face him. “Woah! You just projected? Jazz, where’d you find this guy?”

[wolfjackle-creates]

1000 Follower Celebration!

I'm blown away, honestly. The last time I had any notoriety in a fandom was back in, like 2007 or 2008 when I was on the Dibbuns Against Bedtime fan forums for Redwall. I was made the head of my dorm as the site started dying because I was the most active member in said dorm.

But you all? You're here because you like something I'm making? It's so wild to me. I appreciate every single one of you. Every like, every reblog, every comment. They warm me up.

I've been thinking over the last few days what I want to do. The obvious answers—prompt fills, polls to determine what I write, story snippets—I do all that with too much regularity. And I'm trying to avoid taking on more fics as I focus on the ones I've already got going.

So we're gonna do something a bit different this week.

Over the next week (From Wed 2/21 to Wed 2/28) send me the title of one of my WIPs (listed below) and I will respond with a few paragraphs. Not my usual 1.2-1.6k that I like to do for WIP Wednesday, but a few paragraphs. At the end of the week, I'll compile them all and post everything in a single post.

I won't be adding all the links like I usually do with each addition to a story until I post that final draft, but I'll tag everything with "[story name] 1000" so you can click that and follow along with the fic in some sort of order.

There are six WIPs eligible for the game! Please limit yourself to one fic per ask, but you may send in multiple asks. I will request that, for now, you limit yourself to one request per fic (aka a max of 6 requests per person). If I find that I'm able to keep up, I may waive that request in the upcoming days. But it will depend on how busy my inbox (and life) get.

Bring Me Home

Ghost!Robin

Answer My Call

I'll Carry Your Heart (Until I Find You Again)

Want to Hold On and Feel I Belong/Bad Reveal AU

Empathy!Verse

I totally forgot about the Empathy!Verse when I did my last ask game. Mostly because that has been entirely written on Tumblr and I...kinda forgot to transfer it to a Scrivener document. Ooops. 😅

Something to Feel isn't on this list because I want to dedicate my time to it today. I'm close to the end, I think, and already have one ask in my inbox about it that I totally meant to get to before now (if it's your ask, I promise I haven't forgotten you!).

Brief Story Summaries

Bring Me Home: Tim and Danny are online friends and know each other's secrets. Currently in the arc where the Young Justice and Team Phantom help Danny escape after a reveal gone wrong.

Ghost!Robin: Jason is haunted by the ghost of the Robin he used to be. Danny finds out when Jazz introduces him to Jason over a meet-the-in-laws dinner. Currently, Jason and Robin are meeting with Frostbite to learn what may have happened.

Answer My Call: Jazz is sending texts to Danny after he escaped a GIW facility and they can't talk. But it turns out Jason is the one who's actually been getting them.

Carry Your Heart: Jason and Danny meet in the Ghost Zone while Jason is dead. They become friends. But Jason runs to Desiree to wish for his life back. A wish she fulfills. Danny goes to visit him, only to find his core left behind in a lair that's in ruin.

Bad Reveal AU: Danny is living with the Waynes when he finds out they're also the Bats. He freaks out because he believes the bats are working with the government (aka the GIW). So he shoots Bruce and runs away. The bats are now trying to convince him it's safe to come home.

Empathy!Verse: Liminal!Jazz is studying in Gotham and feeling the lack of other liminals to interact with. After getting used to the undercurrent of emotion that follows all interactions with ghosts/liminals, humans just feel...flat. Then one day, she literally runs into another liminal as she's going to the library. Jason Todd. Only... he doesn't know what it means to be liminal. So Jazz is there to show him.