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sly-s-n0nfusion · 4 days ago

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Irl world inspirations for Orsterra and Solistia 🗺 pt2

Link to part 1!

SPOILERS for some travelers' stories!!

Solistia

Toto'haha: I believe this region takes its inspiration from South East Asia/Polynesia. The house architecture seems to be the same. Ochette's story also leans heavily on beastlings/humans' relationships with the god-like entities of nature and earth, which are very important topics in Polynesian culture.

Polynesian islands

the Harborlands: Again, I suspect that the Harborlands might be inspired by Italy, but this time the opposite coast, Venice (in Veneto). Canalbrine is very much inspired by Venice because of the town's architecture and boat transportation, as well as the boats themselves being a clear reference to gondolas. Castti Florenz, however, is a traveler who gave me a headache while trying to figure out where she comes from. Given that the character herself is an amnesiac, so we know very little about her past as an apothecary of Eir, so I tried to figure it out with what I have. We know for sure that she isn't from the Harborlands as she only found herself in there at the beginning of her story. In her flashbacks we see her group operating in the Brightlands, so she might come from there. Now her name is pretty weird, has probably both Italian and French influences (her surname, Florenz, might be a version of "from Florence", which would hint at her having Italian origins, but in one banter with Partitio she jokingly says her full name is "Castti De François" which is a very French sounding surname. Also, her teammate Trousseau has a very French name. If we lean into the hypothesis that they all come from the Brightlands they might have French origins, since the region is probably inspired by France as we'll look into it next) Castti 🤝 Osvald : coming from who knows where

Venice, Italy

the Brightlands: Even though the name New Delsta might make one think of New York, I believe the inspiration for the Brightlands' biggest city is Paris. The european-style theatre and the buildings' architecture itself make it look like France's capital city. In the 18th century France was also a big centre of industrial developement (Clockbank). Throné Anguis might also have the frenchiest name among al the travelers so I'm pretty convinced the Brightlands might be France. We all know the big mess that is Throné's genealogical line so I won't dive into that lol. Lostseed’s gothic cathedral though reminds me of Notre Dame in Paris, too

Paris and Conques, France

the Winterlands: As I said in the previous post, cold regions were the ones I struggled the most with. Solistia's Winterlands could be Siberia/Northern Russia because of the super cold weather, and the infamous prisons and ice mines used during dictatorships (Frigit Isle). It also has the Sacred Guard headquarters and the stained glass in there make me think of some orthodox churches. I still haven't figured out where Osvald V. Vanstein comes from, though, because in-game he says that he lives in Conning Creek, in the Harborlands, but I suspect he might be native of some other place because of his very German-sounding name and last name. So he still remains a mystery to me to this day, I jokingly explain that as "he comes from Orsterra's Highlands"

Siberia

the Wildlands: Safe to say that this region is inspired by Texas/Southern US. The aesthetics of Oresrush and its mining industry is enough of a hint to the Gold Rush in the United states during the 18th century. Both Partitio Yellowil and Papp come from this region.

Virginia City, Nevada

the Leaflands: Perhaps my favorite Solistia region! It's very likely inspired by Southern Spain as both Timberain and Wellgroove have very big buildings/castles just like many historical Spanish towns. Agnea Bristarni herself is very much Spanish-coded (except her theme which is very celtic-sounding for some reason lol) both because of her name and her flamenco-inspired dress

Rupit and Coca Castle, Spain

the Crestlands: Another region I kinda struggled with. Excluding the omnipresent catholic church elements, the area seems to have very high hills/mountains as well as anglo-saxon inspired architecture. Some friends of mine pointed out that it might look like the Welsh countryside, but Crick Wellsley's very British surname is what convinced me. Temenos Mistral and Roi are also orphans and their names were perhaps given to them by the pontiff himself. Also for some reason the region seems to be in a perpetual autumn

Wales

Hinoeuma: Perhaps the most interesting culture mashup region of all! The references to Japanese culture such as local dishes and clothing is plain to see, but there are also elements of Chinese culture such as Hikari's gold crown and some buildings such as the Trial pagoda. Khu being in the middle of the desert is a clear reference to the Chinese town of Dunhuang. Hikari Ku has clear Japanese elements in his design.

Dunhuang, China

Thank you for reading!

#octopath traveler #octopath traveler 2 #sly rambles #this one was a challenge

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whencyclopedia · 3 months ago

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Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre, or the Incident on King Street, occurred in Boston, Massachusetts, on 5 March 1770, when nine British soldiers fired into a crowd of American colonists, ultimately killing five and wounding another six. The massacre was heavily propagandized by colonists such as Paul Revere and helped increase tensions in the early phase of the American Revolution (c. 1765-1789).

Background

In the mid-1760s, the Parliament of Great Britain attempted to directly tax the Thirteen Colonies of British North America to raise revenue in the aftermath of the expensive Seven Years' War (1756-1763). Although Parliament believed it was well within its authority, the American colonists disagreed; as subjects of the British Crown, the colonists believed they enjoyed the same rights as all Britons, including the right of self-taxation. Since the colonists were unrepresented in Parliament, they contended that Parliament had no power to directly tax them; prominent colonists like Samuel Adams (1722-1803) of Boston argued that the Americans would be resigning themselves to the status of 'tributary slaves' if they consented to pay the Parliamentary tax (Schiff, 73).

In April 1765, news reached the colonies that Parliament had issued the Stamp Act, a direct tax on all paper documents. The outraged colonists protested the Stamp Act in a variety of ways; the Virginia House of Burgesses passed a series of resolves denouncing the act as a violation of Americans' rights, while colonial merchants began boycotting British imports. However, the most dramatic opposition to the Stamp Act took place in Boston, the capital of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. On 14 August 1765, a mob of Bostonians hanged an effigy of Andrew Oliver, the stamp distributor for Massachusetts, from an elm tree before viciously ransacking his house that evening. Fearing for his life, Oliver resigned the next day, but the mob was unsatisfied; on 26 August, it attacked the home of Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson of Massachusetts, stealing all movable goods from the house. These riots were celebrated throughout the colonies; the Sons of Liberty, a loosely organized group of colonial political agitators, dated its founding from the riots, while the elm tree on which Oliver's effigy was hanged became known as Boston's 'Liberty Tree'.

Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766, but the colonists barely had time to celebrate before a new set of taxes and regulations, the Townshend Acts, were passed by Parliament between 1767 and 1768. These acts imposed new duties on goods such as glass, paint, and tea, and required a Board of Commissioners to set up headquarters in Boston to oversee the collection of the taxes. When the five commissioners arrived in Boston in November 1767, they were greeted by a hostile crowd carrying effigies and wearing labels that read, "Liberty & Property & no Commissioners" (Middlekauff, 163). Nor did the commissioners receive a much warmer welcome from Boston's leading citizens; John Hancock (1737-1793), one of the city's wealthiest merchants, refused to allow his Cadet Company, a military organization he operated, to participate in a parade held to welcome the commissioners. Eager to put men like Hancock in his place, the commissioners seized Hancock's sloop, the Liberty, on 10 June 1768, on the pretext that the Liberty had transported contraband goods and that its captain had threatened a tax collector.

When British sailors arrived to take possession of the Liberty, they were greeted by a mob, who were already angry that the British had been impressing Boston sailors into the Royal Navy. A brawl broke out along the docks that soon blossomed into a city-wide riot, as thousands of colonists roamed the streets beating up tax collectors and attacking the commissioners' homes. The royal officials had to flee to Castle Island, a fortified island in Boston Harbor, to escape the violence. To restore order, General Thomas Gage, commander-in-chief of all British forces in North America, decided to move troops into Boston. Roughly 2,000 British soldiers, mostly from the 29th and 14th regiments, were loaded into transports and carried from Halifax to Boston, arriving in the town on 1 October 1768. A manifestation of Britain's imperial power, the red-coated soldiers disembarked and marched to Boston Common, their fixed bayonets gleaming in the sunlight.

#History #Adams #AmericanRevolution #AmericanRevolutionaryWar #WHE #[#]

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paintyoureyeswithavividmind · 1 year ago

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close to home | chapter twenty seven

plot: the reader throws herself into work to keep her grief at bay, and helps get everyone ready for their journey north

series masterlist

Pairing: Eventual Daryl Dixon x f!reader Word Count: 2,496 Warnings: violence, blood, typical twd, A/N: thank you for reading!!!

It had been two days since Beth’s death, and every day started out the same. You were okay when you woke up, then you remembered, and you wanted to cry. Then you were busy with the day and were able to get through it. Then, you lay down to sleep and remembered all over again and cried. Then it would repeat itself.

You learned about Rick’s plans on going to Virginia for Beth, and you immediately agreed to it. You wanted to honor your little cousin in the only way you knew how. You wanted her death to mean something. If you got Noah back to his family, his home, then it would.

But the group had things to do before the big move. You needed better transportation, and you needed supplies. So on the last day before you left, you were all busy getting ready.

Two supply groups were formed and would head in opposite directions. You’d travel twenty-five miles, see what you could get, and then come back. You were all due before sunset, and if you weren’t back, the remaining group would come looking.

You were with Michonne, Carol, Rick, and Daryl. Glenn, Maggie, Rosita, Sasha, and Tara would be the second group. Carl, Eugene, Tyreese, and Abraham would stay back at the campsite with Judith and Tora, and would wait. Rick wanted you to stay back, but you couldn’t. Besides, you were feeling better. Physically, at least.

Your group took one of the cars, the other group took the other car, and the campsite group stayed with the truck. It would offer the most protection in case something happened.

You were sitting in the backseat with Michonne and Carol and had been for a while now. The road was mostly clear, and after about fifteen minutes of Rick’s crazy driving, you approached a town.

“I’m thinkin’ we divide into two groups. We need food, water, and gas. We need stuff for Judith, too.” Rick said as he parked the car. “We also need some cars. The van will hold a decent amount of us, but we’ll need two more cars. I don’t think this one is makin’ the trip, and I’d rather not get stuck on the road with it.”

You climbed out of the car, your hand gripping your machete as you spotted a lone walker. You waited a second before approaching it, taking it down quickly. The rest of the group was taking out some supplies the group had scavenged the past few days--which was nearly nothing, though Rosita scored big when she found some empty gas containers.

“Michonne and I will look for food. You three try and get your hands on a car. Meet back here at midday, and we’ll reassess if we want to go back in for more.” Rick said.

You all nodded and made the journey into the town. It mainly seemed deserted, with a few walkers here and there that were quickly taken out. Soon, Michonne and Rick bid their goodbyes, and the three of you were left to scavenge.

Twenty minutes later, you were breathing deeply and covering the sore wound as Carol took the last walker down. It’d only taken a few minutes but it felt like more.

“There’s gotta be keys inside the shop,” Carol said. “You two pick a car, and then we’ll try and figure it out from there. I’m going to try and siphon some gas. Hollar if you need help.”

The three of you split up as you searched the small car dealership. When you’d seen the logo of a common car manufacturer, you felt like it was a sign from God. The lot was pretty full, and most car dealerships had cars with full tanks.

You returned to where most of the SUVs were, Daryl, walking slowly behind you and making sure nothing was around. Your gun was heavy and solid against your thigh, and you drummed your fingers against it a few times as you walked.

Your eyes scanned the few remaining SUVs, and you smiled when you saw the biggest one. It was an old Acadia, and it reminded you of the one your mom used to drive. You walked up to the door, wiping dirt away with your hand and then wiping your hand on your pants.

“This will hold seven of us. We got seventeen, including Judith….” You trailed off, checking to see if the door was unlocked. It was, and you stuck your head into the car. “Seems like it was pretty new.”

Daryl walked to the passenger side door and looked in the glove box and visors. A pair of keys fell out, and you smiled at Daryl. He handed them to you, and you started the car. It took a second, but it started, and you sighed with relief.

“Tank is full, which is a relief. You might want to check the engine. It's been here since the start. Imma look for another seven-seater.”

Daryl nodded, “Shouting distance,”

You rolled your eyes but nodded before leaving. It was quiet, and the dealership seemed mostly untouched--which you were thankful for. You glanced back at Daryl, watching him sort through what was probably a dusty engine. You paused momentarily, watching the muscles in his arm contort as he looked through the machine.

Shaking your head, you looked across the lot to Carol, who was siphoning the gas from a car. You then walked around, looking for another bigger car to hopefully get you all to Virginia. Unfortunately, the rest of the SUVs weren’t worth trying, so you helped Daryl get the car out of the spot and park it at the front of the lot. Carol met up with you with a full container of gas, and after setting it in the trunk, you drove the car off the lot.

“Okay, so we got a car and some gas. We just need food and water. I think we should see if we can get some clothes. I’ve got blood on here that’s so old and stained that nothing gets it out.” You said as you drove.

“There’s a Goodwill; looks like a coffee shop next to it,” Carol said, leaning into the front and pointing.

“We should see if we could get Judith some clothes too. Maybe a car seat, too, if we could. I’m sure Rick would love that,” You said.

After parking, Carol went to the coffee shop while you and Daryl checked out the front of the store. A few walkers dumped into the glass, and you and Daryl worked carefully to kill them. It wasn’t a very big store anyway.

“Smells like shit in here,” You said, looking around the store.

He snorted, “Ain’ like it always smells.”

You nodded in agreement and walked down the aisles of clothes. You started at the pants, grabbing a few pairs the group's women could use and stuffing them into a bag you’d found at the front of the shop. You weren’t sure what everyone’s sizes were, and everyone being nearly starved didn't help. You did your best to fill up some clean shirts, too, even a few sports bras you hoped would be good.

You found a few things for yourself to change into, and after making sure Daryl was across the store, you quickly changed.

A few more minutes of searching later, you approached Daryl. He was grabbing a few plastic water containers in the kitchen area. “Here, I found these for you. Will these fit you?” You asked, showing him the clothes you’d found for him.

“What?”

“You need new clothes. Those ones are disgusting. Go, try them on. I’m going to look for Judith. And don’t argue with me.”

You handed them over to him and went to the baby area without another word. You quickly grabbed a few onesies, shorts, and shirts that would fit her, with room to grow. You grabbed some socks and shoes that looked right. Unfortunately, there was no baby food, but this was something. You even found a car seat, and added it to the growing pile of supplies you made in the middle of the store.

When Daryl met you, he had changed into newer clothes. They were just a pair of dark pants, a shirt he’d already torn the sleeves off, and his vest. But he looked better.

“Did you grab some stuff for all the guys?” You asked.

“Huh?”

You sighed, shaking your head. “We should grab some shirts for the guys. So they could change too.”

“I ain’ doin’ all that,”

You rolled your eyes and walked to the men’s section. It took about ten minutes for you to find stuff that would fit them all--since they were all different sizes. But you had enough shirts for them and wouldn’t even bother trying to guess pants sizes. At least all the women in the group were similar. And you had no idea how to look for men’s clothes.

After adding them to the pile, you walked towards the employee door and slowly pushed through, checking the small break room before entering. There were some dusty tables and two vending machines in the back. You started laughing when you saw them. They were still nearly full.

“Daryl!” You yelled, grabbing your machete.

The door swung open after a few seconds, and he came in with his bow raised but lowered it when he saw your face.

“Food,” You said, “Help me?”

Daryl looked at you, of course, unspoken on his lips. So he nodded and took the arrow out of the crossbow and then used the butt of it to break open the glass.

“Careful,” He said quietly as you reached in, pulling out everything and shoving it into one of your bags.

“Mhm,” You hummed, grabbing candy bars, bags of chips, pop-tarts, and granola bars. It wasn’t the healthiest of foods, but it was more than you had. You grabbed a blueberry pop-tart and ripped it open. It was stale when you took a bite, but you moaned at the taste anyway. “Oh my God,”

Daryl shook his head in amusement as he busted the other vending machine and pulled out all the water bottles.

“Here, eat,” You said, handing him the other pop-tart. He tried to refuse, but you forced it on him. “You gotta take care of yourself, too, Daryl. Hand me one of those sodas.”

“They probably taste like shit,” He said.

You shrugged, taking the soda from him and sitting on one of the tables. A meal of stale pop-tarts and flat soda wasn’t what you had in mind today, but it was like finding a little slice of heaven in the hell you’ve been in.

Once you finished your food and made Daryl drink, you went to grab the bags. The one with the water bottles was too heavy, and you barely lifted it off the ground. “Ugh,” You groaned. “You take this one.”

Daryl laughed quietly and you looked over at him. Hearing him laugh was a rarity and you loved when he did.

“C’mon, Carol’s probably wonderin’ where we at,” He said.

It took you two a good few minutes to load up all your supplies in the trunk, and you were sweating and aching when it was over. The truck was packed, and you tossed the car seat in the back. Before Daryl closed the trunk, you swiped a bag of chips.

“It’s our reward for all the work we did,” You said, opening it up. Before you could even take a chip, Daryl swiped it from you and took some himself. “Asshole,” You said.

He laughed again and handed the bag back to you after taking a few more.

“Bags are mostly air anyway, so you owe me,” You said.

“Let’s go check on Carol,” He said.

You followed him as you ate handfuls at a time. You’d been starving since yesterday, and you couldn’t stop yourself from eating the shitty chips.

The coffee shop was small, and Carol was inside. She’d found a decent amount of supplies in here. She’d found a few jugs of vegetable oil, cornmeal, and grains. An industrial size thing of oats. There were two can openers and some lighters. Nothing that you’d all be able to just open and eat, but it was better than nothing.

“I found you some clothes,” You told Carol, grabbing some of the supplies.

Carol smiled at you, “You’re my new favorite.”

***

By midday, you were waiting in the new car with all your supplies at the meeting point. Michonne and Rick weren’t back yet, but there was still time. You were sitting on top of the front of the car, leaning against the front window. Daryl had gone off into the woods to see if he could do some hunting for a few minutes.

Carol was pacing back and forth on the road.

“They’ll be back. It’s Rick and Michonne.” You said.

Carol nodded, “Yeah, I know. I hope they found water.”

You sat up and squinted in the sunlight. “We’ll figure it out if they didn’t.”

Carol turned back at you. “You told Daryl.”

You knew exactly what she was talking about. “I needed to… needed to tell someone, you know?”

She nodded and crossed her arms. “I understand. I’m glad. He asked about it. It was nice talking to someone about it.” She admitted.

You were about to lean back when you heard a car and watched as a car sped over the hill toward you. You didn’t need to even attempt to worry about who it was--Rick’s driving was a dead giveaway.

The car slowed as they approached, and when Rick put it in park, they both got out. They looked like they had a bit of trouble but were okay.

“How’d it go?” You asked them.

“We found a small apartment building. Probably only ten units. Single floor.” Rick said, “We only cleared a room before heading back. There are probably two dozen or so walkers there. Where’s Daryl?”

“He went to see if he could catch anything. He’ll be back soon. He said he’d be gone for twenty.” Carol said.

“Did you get stuff from the apartment?” You asked.

Michonne nodded, “Yeah, they had a decent amount of food.” You knew exactly what that meant. Whoever it was, they killed themselves early on.

You slide off the front of the car, ignoring the slight ache on your side. “So you wanna clear it?”

“I’d like to. We have the time. How did you guys do? I see you got a car.”

“We found a decent amount. Oh, I got some clean shirts. Michonne, even got some pants.” You said, “Not for you, Rick, sorry.”

“I’ll take a shirt. You won’t see me complaining,”

#daryl x y/n #daryl x reader #daryl dixion x reader #daryl fanfiction #the walking dead daryl #daryl dixon x reader #daryl dixon #twd #daryl twd #daryl x you

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arctic-hands · 2 years ago

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More than 400 food products sold under dozens of brand names were recalled due to possible Listeria contamination, the US Food and Drug Administration announced Friday.

The recall by Fresh Ideation Food Group LLC includes ready-to-eat sandwiches, salads, yogurts, wraps and other products sold in nine states and Washington, DC, from January 24 through January 30.

...

The recalled foods were distributed in Connecticut, the District of Columbia,Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia, according to the FDA.

The products -- which included items like bacon, egg and cheddar muffins, breakfastcroissants, tuna and chicken sandwiches, and fruit cups -- were sold in stores, vending machines and by transportation providers, according to the company.

"All recalled products have a Fresh Creative Cuisine label and/or identifier on the bottom of the label with the Fresh Creative Cuisine name and a fresh through or sell through date ranging from January 31, 2023 through February 6, 2023," the company said.

#food recall

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the-name-is-z · 2 months ago

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SKELETONS | ch. 55

daryl dixon x f!oc

masterlist

a03 link

Summary: After the events at Grady Memorial Hospital, the group turns back to the road, and revisits the struggles that come with it. Warnings/Information: AMC's The Walking Dead OC Insert | 18+ Advised | strangers to lovers; the slowest of slow burns; gore; angst; horror; humour; m/f; mourning; unhealthy coping mechanism; canon character death; starvation; dehydration; implications of eating dog meat

Chapter 55 - Days Gone Bye

It had been seventeen days. Seventeen days since Beth. None of them had really processed it, not yet. Noah was hanging on by a few threads, Maggie was in shambles. When they left the hospital a few of the group went on a supply run, returning with a truck they could use to transport all of them at once.

Everything blurred together, and when she did sleep, she dreamt of blood and loss. She heard but did not listen. Looked, but did not see. The few of them that didn’t know Beth were affected less, keeping Rick and the rest of the group from spiralling completely. It was helpful. Iris liked Tara. She was goofy, honest. Lived fully, authentically. It was something to admire. Eugene, however, was quickly outed as a liar.

On their way to Washington, he had admitted, in a life-threatening situation, that he lied about D.C.. He knew nothing about their situation, nothing about a cure, nothing about anything. He was good with words, smart enough to string something together, and cowardly enough to stick to it without any real integrity. It was clear how deep they were all affected by the events at the hospital when Iris didn’t even attempt to muster up an ‘I told you so.’

Daryl built a fire that they all sat around, quietly. Judith’s cries kept them from sleeping, even in the darkest hours of the night. Not that any of them really would have slept anyways. Noah told Rick about a place he and Beth had planned on going to, a safe place. It all seemed like a fever dream, and Iris could barely keep her head on straight.

The only moment where she felt she could start to have peace, was when Daryl pulled her head down onto his shoulder, resting his own chin on top of her head.

“It was secure.” Rick explained, looking around to the group. “It has a wall, homes, twenty people. Beth wanted to go with him. She wanted to get him there. Its a long trip, but if it works out, it’s the last long trip we have to make.” Iris sighed quietly. Something told her that their long trips would never stop. But she’d always been a little glass-half-empty.

“And what if it isn’t around anymore?” Glenn asked as he stared down into the pavement. He looked exhausted. They all did.

“Then we keep going.” Rick replied.

“Then we find a new place.” Michonne added.

They took side roads near the interstate, planning to move through South Carolina, North Carolina, to Noah’s place near Virginia. Rick went with Michonne, Glenn, Tyreese and Noah, leaving the rest to wait where it was safe.

Rick’s group returned after a day, with grim, stony expressions and a body wrapped in a white sheet. Tyreese’s absence was noted by all, and they set to digging another grave. Noah explained while Rick dug that the place he knew was gone, as was his family. It had been overrun by walkers, and Tyreese got bit. Sasha was crushed, and she sat silently to the side, refusing to speak.

When the grave was done, Gabriel recited a funeral rite from the Bible, each of them taking a shovel-full of dirt to bury Tyreese. Iris took a shuddering breath as she passed the shovel to Sasha, who barely brought herself to toss a few grains of soil into the grave before dropping the shovel and walking away.

Rick finished the grave dutifully, Carl having crafted a cross from nearby tree branches and some spare twine. They carefully adorned the cross with Tyreese’s beanie, and stood around the grave, beneath a willow tree.

Once more, the group spent days wandering. They used the van until it ran out, scavenged what they could. None of them had starved like this since the prison, even in the days in between. Daryl often wandered off by himself in search of food and solitude, but returned just as often with nothing to show for it. He himself had resorted to eating worms from the ground, which Iris decided she wasn’t ready for. She wasn’t that hungry… yet.

Daryl, Maggie, Iris and Sasha divided into the woods, looking for something, anything. Water, even, but they were out of luck. They met up once more at the edge of the woods, beginning the short walk down a gravel road to where the truck, and the rest of the camp, waited.

“Oh shit.” Sasha murmured.

“It’s been a day and a half.” Maggie stated. She looked over the others, sitting on the ground around the truck. “They didn’t find any either.”

“How do you know?” Sasha asked.

“I know.” Maggie replied. Iris sighed, her knife belt hauled over her shoulder. “How much longer do we got?”

“Sixty miles.” Iris replied quietly.

“I wasn’t talking about that.” Maggie murmured, and Iris looked behind her to meet her gaze. “I know.” She replied.

“We’re out. Just like the other one.” Abraham grumbled, pulling the truck to a stop. This was the second car they’d gone through in as many days.

“So we walk.” Rick replied.

The sun bore down on them as they got out of the truck once again. They walked down the road, Rick holding Judith tightly and sticking to the shade. They looked like a group of walkers themselves, slowly and hopelessly meandering down the asphalt road. About ten yards behind them was an actual group of walkers, following them in hopes one of them collapsed and was left for dead.

“We’re not at our strongest.” Rick pointed out, looking to Iris who walked beside him. She raised an eyebrow. “We’ll get them when it’s best. High ground, something like that. They’re not going anywhere.”

“We’re only gonna get weaker, Rick.” She murmured. “No one has the energy to go look for food, nevermind climb hills.” Judith cooed, grunting as she squirmed in her father's arms.

“Would you?” Rick asked. Iris nodded, taking the baby from him. He fell back a few steps, in line with Daryl, who had been quietly brooding for the past week. “It’s been three weeks since Atlanta.” She heard Rick say. “I know you lost something back there.”

“She’s hungry.” Daryl grunted, jerking his chin toward the baby. Rick nodded.

“She’s okay.” He replied. He worried more than anyone about Judith’s wellbeing, and his words were more for convincing himself than speaking the truth. “She’s gonna be okay.”

“We need to find water, food.” Daryl muttered.

“We’ll hit something in the road.” Rick assured, nodding. He looked up, analyzing the cloud patterns. Eugene at one point had been lecturing them about the difference between clouds that rain and clouds that don’t. Iris was pretty sure those were the kind that didn’t. “It’s gonna rain sooner or later.”

“I’m gonna head out.” Daryl stated, shrugging off his rifle as he came to a stop. “See what I can find.”

“Hey. Don’t be too long.” Rick replied, pulling the rifle over his own shoulder. He walked over to Iris, jerking his chin after Daryl. She nodded, passing Judith back to him and following Daryl into the woods.

“I got it.” Daryl grunted after a few minutes of her following a few feet behind.

“You gonna stop me?” Iris asked. He stopped, looking back at her with a knowing look as she caught up to him.

After a few minutes of walking in comfortable silence, they came upon a field of tall grasses, Daryl looking down for any tracks or trails.

“Anything?” Iris asked.

“No, it’s too dry.” He replied, shaking his head. “Ain’t nothing here.”

“Do you wanna go back?” Iris asked, looking over at him.

“You go.” He grunted lowly, not meeting her gaze. Iris frowned at his stillness and took a long breath.

“She saved our lives.” She said quietly, her lip quivering as she let the tears line her eyes for the first time since the hospital.

Daryl said nothing, and barely looked back as she stepped over to him. She pulled the knife from her belt, the one she’d given Beth to use, the one Beth still had on her when she hugged her tight at the hospital. Daryl took it, tracing the edge of the leather sheath. The sun suddenly felt hotter, the cicadas in the distance, louder.

“It was hers.” Iris’ voice broke. “We’re not dead. That’s what you said. We’re not dead.” His lip quivered as he looked up at her. “I know you. I know you. We have to feel it.”

He stared at her, hard. He could hear Beth’s voice in his ears. You’re gonna miss me so bad when I’m gone, Daryl Dixon. She was right. She was so goddamn right, and he hated it. Hated that she told him he’d be the last man standing. Even when the person across from him meant… so much more. Iris reached forward and he stiffened as she delicately brushed the hair out of his eyes.

“Dad, look.” Carl murmured, pointing ahead. Iris and Daryl had returned some time ago, another fruitless search ended. There was a blockade of cars in front of them, three or four. Cars meant potential. Whether that potential was good or bad, that remained to be seen.

“I’m gonna head into the woods, circle back.” Daryl announced. He looked to Iris and she nodded. She would let him be alone this time.

They moved closer to the blockade and it carried on around the corner of the road, revealing more cars for them to search. Iris and Maggie ducked down toward a small car, wiping the windows to make sure it was clear before searching inside. The keys were in the ignition, but no gas. Nothing in the console or the glove box. Iris pulled the keys out and walked around to the back, unlocking the trunk.

“Jesus Christ!” She exclaimed, jumping back as a walker reached out to her. She put one hand to calm her racing heart, the other in the air to calm the others, who had looked up and stood at attention. Maggie leapt out of the car, looking back toward Iris. “Sorry, sorry, all good. It’s… nothing.”

The girl had been young, early teens at most. Her wrists and ankles were bound tightly, bare feet nicked with small cuts and scrapes. She’d been gagged, a green strip of fabric tied tight around her head. She’d been there long enough that it had started to separate her jaw bone from the rest of her skull. She was blonde, with blue eyes. The walker rasped, reaching out with both hands toward Iris, struggling to sit up. She looked like Beth.

Iris almost slammed the trunk closed, but she turned back, burying her knife into its skull quickly. She closed the trunk and locked it once more, chucking the keys into the ditch beside the road. Maggie didn’t see the body. That was for the better.

Finding the blockade of cars empty of all useful things, the group sat down on the side of the road in the shade, taking a break while they waited for Daryl. Carl had fallen asleep on Iris’ shoulder, his baby sister sleeping softly in his arms. Iris had one hand supporting her head as she slept, but it didn’t last long.

They all snapped awake, lurching upward as a branch snapped in the trees, Daryl’s silhouette appearing not long after. He looked to Rick, who shook his head discreetly. Daryl sighed, walking across the road. Iris looked up at the sound of liquid sloshing, noting Abraham opening a small bottle of bourbon.

“So all we found was booze?” Tara asked quietly.

“Yeah.” Rosita replied. Iris frowned, knowing that was a recipe for disaster, but she let him drown his sorrows anyways.

“It’s not gonna help.” Tara pointed out.

“He knows that.” Rosita agreed.

“It’s gonna make it worse.”

“Yes it is.”

“He’s a grown man.” Eugene said, brushing it off. “And I truly do not know if things can get worse.”

“Don’t jinx it.” Iris hissed, scowling at him. “We’ve all faced worse. I’d rather this, any day, than sit and wait for fucking cannibals to hand-select those of us they think look tastiest.” She glanced to Carl, wincing at her own foul language. “Sorry.” He shrugged.

They all looked up again at the sound of more rustling, a pack of dogs running out of the trees. The one at the head of the group had blood staining the white fur at its chest, a chain with a small tag hanging from it’s neck. Though Iris assumed it had forgotten any command its owner might have tried to teach. Daryl shot up, unsheathing his knife as he sat in a crouch.

There were four dogs, a German shepherd that barked loudly at them, two growling dobermans, and the shaggy border collie at the front of the group. Rick got into a crouch, angling himself in front of his children. Iris did the same, pulling out her own knife as they barked.

The first one let out a yelp as the silenced bullet dug into its side. Sasha corrected her aim, using one more bullet for each of them. Iris’ eyes widened and she turned back to look at Sasha. Rick got up and grabbed a few long sticks, snapping the ends to sharpen them.

TAGLIST:

@heidiland05

@ryoujoking

@catlalice

@maxinehufflepuffprincess

@lowkeyhottho

@fadingpalacebonkpsychic

@hayley1998

@negansbestie

@lizey-thornberry

#thenameisz #daryl dixon #skeletons #the walking dead #the walking dead daryl dixon #twd daryl #twd daryl dixon #daryl dixon x oc #daryl dixon x original character #daryl dixon x fem! oc

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lboogie1906 · 3 months ago

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General Darren W. McDew (September 29, 1960) was born in Rantoul, Illinois. He graduated with a BS in Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute.

He trained as a pilot in the 82d Flying Training Wing, Williams Air Force Base. He took combat crew training in the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker in the 93rd Bomb Wing at Castle Air Force Base. He was at the 42nd Air Refueling Squadron, Loring Air Force Base, as a pilot instructor and flight commander. He served in administrative and support capacities in DC, as an Air Force aide to President Bill Clinton. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel and was put in charge of the 62nd Operations Group, McChord Air Force Base. Command assignments were with the 375th Airlift Wing, Scott Air Force Base, 43rd Airlift Wing, and Installation Commander, Pope Air Force Base, Air Force District of Washington, Andrews Air Force Base, and two stints at the Pentagon. He was made Commander of the 18th Air Force and promoted to Lieutenant General.

Upon being promoted to the rank of 4-star General, he took command of the Air Mobility Unit at Fort Scott Air Force Base. He served as Commander of, the United States Transportation Command headquartered at Fort Scott, which provided air. He is responsible for coordinating the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, the Navy’s Military Sealift Command, and the Army’s Surface Deployment and Distribution Command.

Among his numerous awards and decorations are the Armed Forces Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Command Pilot Badge, and Presidential Service Badge.

He logged more than 3,300 flight hours in military aircraft ranging from the small, twin-engine Cessna T-37B, to the Northrup T-38A supersonic trainer jet, the Bell UH-1N Twin Huey helicopter, the Lockheed C-130 Hercules turboprop transport plane, to the mammoth four-jet engine Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.

Married since 1983 to Evelyn K. Massenburg, they have a daughter and a son. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

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mariacallous · 1 year ago

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Vasectomies are on the rise, but not all men are ready to commit to a permanent form of birth control. While the surgery can sometimes be reversed, it's expensive and doesn’t always work. What if there was another option?

Virginia-based biotech company Contraline is testing a new type of male contraceptive akin to a vasectomy but made to be fully reversible. Today, the company announced that surgeons in Australia have safely performed the procedure on 23 men in an early-stage trial.

The approach uses a soft, water-based substance called a hydrogel that’s injected into the vas deferens—the pair of tubes in the male reproductive tract that transport mature sperm. Within 30 days of being inserted, the gel led to a more than 99 percent reduction in the number of moving sperm, according to the company. No serious side effects have been reported.

Kevin Eisenfrats, cofounder and CEO of Contraline, says it’s like an IUD for men. “Right now, there is nothing out there that’s long-lasting and reversible for men,” he says. “This is made for people who are not ready to have kids, are spacing out having kids, or think they are done having kids but maybe not ready for that permanent option.”

In a vasectomy, the vas deferens are cut and sealed so that sperm can’t travel from the testicles to the urethra, the tube inside the penis.

Contraline’s method involves making a small piercing in the scrotum and using a handheld injector to push the hydrogel through a catheter that’s connected to the vas deferens. The catheter is then taken out, and the puncture heals on its own.

Once injected, the hydrogel is meant to block sperm from getting into semen. Eisenfrats likens the gel to a coffee filter, where sperm are the coffee grounds. Sperm can’t get through the filter, but semen, a liquid, can still pass through.

Men in the trial ranged from age 25 to 65 and were placed into two groups that received different amounts of hydrogel: a lower volume and a higher one. Implanting the gel took about 20 minutes and was done under local anesthesia, unless someone chose to be sedated instead.

Eisenfrats says sperm concentration and movement in the men are comparable to levels seen with a vasectomy. “We’re seeing that this is working.”

The purpose of the current trial is to assess the gel’s safety and longevity, not how well it prevents pregnancy. Participants were asked to use a back-up form of birth control while being enrolled in the trial.

The gel is designed to dissolve at the end of its lifetime, so the men will be followed for two years to determine how long it takes for that to happen. Eisenfrats says the goal is to have a product that lasts one to two years.

But men might want to restore their fertility before that time frame, so Contraline wants to show that it can safely reverse the procedure. The company has tested the reversibility of the gel in dogs, showing that sperm counts and sperm quality rebounded after removing the gel. It plans to launch a second trial this year to test the on-demand reversibility in people. Only men who said they do not want to have children were included in the initial trial.

While the study is small, Heather Vahdat, executive director of the Male Contraceptive Initiative, a nonprofit based in North Carolina, is encouraged by the safety profile so far. Her organization funds research into nonhormonal male birth control and has contributed funding to Contraline. “Reversibility seems very feasible,” she says.

The nonprofit Parsemus Foundation has been researching a similar gel, called Vasalgel, for several years, but has faced delays getting it to human trials. The San Francisco-based health organization partnered with a biotech company, NEXT Life Sciences, in 2022 to further develop Vasalgel. In a 2017 paper, researchers with the foundation showed that Vasalgel could be flushed out in rabbits with an injection of baking soda. Sperm flow returned in the animals after reversal.

“These are not complex components in these polymers. They’re pretty well characterized, and we know how they behave,” Vahdat says.

But any medical procedure could cause side effects or complications. Raevti Bole, a urologist specializing in men’s health at the Cleveland Clinic who’s not involved in the trial, says an injection into the vas deferens could come with a risk of skin infection, mild discomfort, or minor bruising, she says.

And there are still unknowns about the gel itself. While hydrogels are biocompatible and generally safe, Bole says she would want to know if Contraline’s product could cause permanent scarring or changes to the vas deferens and whether repeat injections could be done safely.

One practical consideration is how doctors will monitor patients to make sure that the gel is still working. “Even if the risk of pregnancy is low, I would want to know the risk to counsel my patients and allow them to compare their options,” Bole says.

Contraline’s gel is still years from becoming commercially available. The company will need to conduct trials of hundreds of men and their female partners to test its efficacy in preventing pregnancy. Eisenfrats says the company aims to launch a larger trial in the US in the next few years.

Meanwhile, there are other forms of male birth control in the pipeline. The US National Institutes of Health and the Population Council, an international nonprofit focused on health and social sciences, are testing a hormone-based gel that men apply daily to their shoulders to block sperm production. And in December, a small trial launched in the UK to test a hormone-free contraceptive pill developed by YourChoice Therapeutics. It prevents sperm production by blocking access to vitamin A.

YourChoice and Contraline are avoiding hormones because they tend to produce unpleasant side effects. A previous trial of an injectable hormonal contraceptive for men was stopped early when a safety monitoring board found a high number of adverse events, including acne, mood disorders, increased sexual drive, and muscle pain. The rate of side effects was high compared to what women typically experience while on hormonal birth control.

There’s evidence that men are interested in trying new types of contraception. In a US survey conducted in 2017, the Male Contraceptive Initiative found that 85 percent of the 1,500 male respondents aged 18 to 44 were interested in preventing their partner from getting pregnant.

“Men want to step up. They’re realizing that their partners have all these effects from birth control,” Eisenfrats says. “They need more options to take charge of their reproduction.”

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ericaportfolio · 2 years ago

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TW: For references/mentions of abuse. You all are going to hate this character.

After some of the last crazy few weeks, I finally finished another character sheet based on the art from the Hello Puppets games with another OC I created if the show did not get canceled, no fire, and no possessed murder puppets ever happened. This character was created when the Lackadaisy Pilot came out, but I added some Helluva Boss (don't watch the show if you are under 18 kids, please wait) mafia episode influences.

On the outside, Francis Nack, Father of Nick Nack, runs an Arcade Casino in one of the cities near the town the Handeemen lives. But in reality, Francis is the French Mob Boss and uses his Arcade Casino as a coverup for a money racketeering scheme. Sadly, after years of emotional and physical abuse, when Nick was about to turn 18 in a month, he was secretly approached by a banker who was hired by his missing mother, Jancis, years ago to give Nick his inheritance from her to use if he wanted to get away from the crime family and use that money for anything he wants to pursue. Obviously, Nick took the money, went to an art college, and years later joined the newly formed Handeemen group that later became a show. Blessing or a curse, on the premiere episode of Season 3, when the Handeemen accepted an offer to help a kid win a pinball tournament, they are suddenly picked up by a mysterious luxurious travel escort transportation. To Nick's (even Virginia's) dismay, it turned out that the pinball tournament was taking place at the same Arcade Casino with Francis waiting for them. As Francis's premiere episode progresses, his intentions are made clear becoming the main antagonist for Season 3. Yep, Season 3 became a French parody of The Godfather.

Historically, the law chased the Mafia out of Las Vegas during the Mid-1980s. Whoever got the character approved by the censors must have been the many therapists at the time when PSA episodes really started to kick in the late 1980s/early 1990s to spread awareness of child abuse because the Handeemen fandom was theorizing if Nick came from an abusive home, but nobody was expecting The Godfather route. So what better way to bring awareness than by making the abuser the main antagonist for the season. Francis is literally the French version of The Godfather. Along with Lackadaisy and Helluva Boss, his biggest inspiration came from the 2003 French animated comedy, The Triplets of Belleville, which is a CLASSIC!!! Though be warned of mature content in the film since the movie is for audiences thirteen and up. The mafia in that film is similar to the Nack Mob in this AU. Like father like son, they are almost alike, except for height and Francis is commonly nicknamed Scarface for his scar. Francis originally had Brown Hair that faded over time. To get the season approved by the producers and the censors, instead of having a regular Casino as a backdrop, they instead went with an Arcade Casino with arcade games, pinballs, and fair games in a classic Las Vegas-like setting.

Nick's mom, Jancis Nack, was a mixture of Riley and Daisy with Audrey Hepburn influences. Speaking of Daisy, Jancis's hair was inspired by Daisy's blueprints from the Hello Puppets games. Nick's mom's disappearance becomes one of the biggest mysteries in the show, some thinking Francis had something to do with it. So yeah, Nick has 🎵 parent/daddy issues🎵 everybody!

#hello puppets #hello puppets midnight show #hello puppets midnightshow #hello puppets fanart #hello puppets au #Scout Saves the Show AU #hello puppets nick #hello puppets nick nack #nick #nick nack #nick nack's dad #Francis Nack #the godfather parody #the triplets of belleville #villain alert!#slight tw

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todaysdocument · 1 year ago

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Manifest for Brig Virginia of Baltimore

Record Group 36: Records of the U.S. Customs ServiceSeries: Slave ManifestsFile Unit: September 1823-December 1823

MANIFEST of Negros, Mulattos, and ^free persons of Color, taken on board the Brig Virginia of Baltimore - whereof John Staples - is Master, burthen 23.9 - tons, to be transported to the Port of New Orleans - in the District of Mississippi - for the purpose of ^Residing in the City of New Orleans [struck through: being sold or disposed of as Slaves or to be held to Service or Labour] Sex. Height. Number of Entry. Names. Male. Female. Age. Feet. Inches. Whether Negro, Mulatto, or person of Color. Owner or Shipper's Name and Residence 1 Lucy Boyer Woman 45 5 1 light mulatto Lucy Boyer for Herself & children--Shipper 2 Robert D. Smith Male 19 5 2 brown 3 Caroline Boyer Girl 13 4 10 lightish mulatto Emily Boyer do. 9 4 2 light mulatto District of Baltimore, Port of Baltimore, the 1 day of November 1823 [illegible - struck through] I John Staples - Master of the Brig Virginia - - do solemnly, sincerely, and truly swear [struck through: each of us] to the best of our ^my knowledge and belief, that the above described persons of Color have not been imported into the United States since the first day of January, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eight; and that under the Laws of the State of Maryland, they are not held to Service or Labour, as Slaves and are entitled to freedom under these laws, [illegible, struck through]--So Help me God. her Sworn to this 18 day of Lucy [hand drawn X] Boyer November 1823 before mark Jas. H McCulloch COLLECTOR.District of Baltimore, Port of Baltimore, the 18 day of November --- 1823 I Jas. H. McCulloch Collector of the District of Baltimore, do hereby Certify that the within is a true copy of the Original Manifest or List of ^free persons of color^, left on file in this office; and I do further certify, that [illegible, blacked through] John Staples --- Master of the within mentioned Brig Virginia ----- ha^th[struck through: ve] this day made oath, in manner directed in the ninth Section of the Act of Congress, passed the Second day of March 1807, prohibiting the Importation of Slaves into the United States --- I do hereby authorise the said Master to proceed with the said free ^persons of color [illegible, blacked out] named as within, and being Four ---- in number, to the Port of New Orleans ---- in the State of Louisiana Given under my Hand at the Custom-House of Baltimore, the date above written. Jas. H. McCulloch Coll.r [Collector] [Handwritten in black in to lower left of McCulloch's signature] I John Daly [Certifie?] that I examined the within list And finde the Same to agree John Daly Inspr [Inspector] Below Decbr (December) 10th 1823 [written upside down] 10 December 1823 Brig Virginia Staples From Baltimore Slave manifest

#archivesgov #november 18 #1823 #slavery #slave trade #middle passage

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simplelimos12 · 2 months ago

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Environmental Benefits of Choosing Executive Bus Services in Fairfax

Given the growing emphasis on sustainability among many organizations and businesses, Fairfax enterprises must take advantage of the opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of executive bus services. Therefore, switching to executive buses in Fairfax comes with several unique environmental benefits that make them more ecologically beneficial going forward.

Decreased Carbon Footprint: The executive bus in Fairfax also helps to reduce the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by business travel. Since a bus can accommodate a large number of passengers, there won't be many little automobiles or other private vehicles. As a result, this kind of trip consolidation helps to relieve environmental pressure by lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing traffic congestion.