#he has those trills in the score for a reason (the reason being that trills are hot as fuck).

[lizziee-black]

Ok so hear me out

The song someone new by Hozier reminds me of Mike Ross from suits

Here are my reasons why

‘Don't take this the wrong way. You knew who I was with every step that I ran to you’

Harvey knows Mike inside and outside and knows how he would react to everything. Mike always wants to tell him everything but he doesn’t always, as he wants Harvey to see him as competent (which let’s be honest he does) or Mike thinks that Harvey won’t want to hear about everything in his life (like Harvey wouldn’t listen to Mike talk for hours the guy is in looove)

‘Would things be easier if there was a right way?Honey, there is no right way’

Him just trying to do the right thing the best he can and it backfiring on him.

Like that time Jessica threatened Mike and he did tell Harvey, then Harvey was mad about.

The guilt about the fact that he doesn’t have a degree and knowing if he is discovered all the people he helped and cases he did will be reviewed, but still wanting to continue because he loved his job his dream job since his parents died.That time he prioritized work over visiting his grammy then she died the next day.

‘so I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit every day with someone new’

Just mike caring so much about pro bono cases and being so invested in every case and empathize with his clients and encouraging them to settle from more money when he thinks the other party has done them wrong.

‘There's an art to life's distractions. To somehow escape the burning weight, the art of scraping through’

Mike drinking in bars with Trevor, smoking and going to trivia nights, just him being a bike messenger and scraping through and knowing he is smarter than most of the lawyers at the law firm/clinic he delivered packages to and knowing he wasted his potential but just distracting himself from all that.

‘The dark caress of someone else’

Personally I associate this part with Harvey but I am a marvey shipper soo.

‘I guess any thrill will do’

Like his smoking weed, that one time he tried to sell it ( I know it was to get money for his grammy but you can’t convince me it wasn’t also just a little bit for the trill) , selling test scores, agreeing to be an associate at a law firm without a degree, all the semi-legal stuff he and Harvey did, plus like the trill I am sure he got that like yea I can pull off all those things cuz I am smarter than you (cause mike is cocky).

‘I wake at the first cringe of morning And my heart's already sinned’

Him waking up knowing he is going to the job he loves that he is doing illegally but he can help it or stop himself because he needs the money and also because it has been his dream job since his parents died and him also know him doing his dream job is putting people he loves at risk Harvey, Donna, Rachel even Louis and Jessica basically anyone who knows his secret.

‘How pure how sweet a love, Aretha, that you would pray for him’

Donna and Harvey call him puppy I think he is pure and sweet at heart.

‘I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit every day Love with every stranger, the stranger the better’

Every day he gets to work on a case he pours his heart into it and I think when you care and pour you heart into something you love it even if it’s just a little.

I know Hozier didn’t mean the song that way but I think the song applies to Mike if you think about the way I have

I have only seen the first couple of seasons of suits if you can tell

[widevibratobitch]

watching THAT Don Carlo on the train rn and just. wow.

I am NOT immune to Mariusz Kwiecień's trills.

[atelier-dayz]

Wish you would write a fic where obi wan loses his memories after order66 and runs into vader (mustafar fight never happens)

Okay, when I first saw this, I had SO MANY QUESTION. But I figured something out. Not sure if this is even remotely what you expected but I had fun! :D

There’s something coming. 

‘Bi has no frame of reference for exactly what, but he has a bad feeling about it. The varactyls who have taken him into their lounge[1] are agitated, keeping closer to their nesting grounds than usual. Boga refuses to leave his side for even a moment, though she has stayed close ever since he’d washed ashore with her all those months ago, only a scant handful of memories to call his own.

They had been shot at, the blaster holes in his clothes and the burns scoring Boga’s side clear evidence of that -- and incentive enough for him to stay hidden away with the varactyls. He has avoided contact with anyone, but especially with the troopers in white armor milling around the closest city. Over the months, the troopers’ presence has diminished, though not disappearing entirely, and ‘Bi[2] still hides, something within him, the same something that allows him to connect with Boga and the others, telling him that something terrible has happened out in the galaxy, that he mustn't be found. Someone had wanted him, whomever he’d been, dead, and he must keep up that illusion. 

He has spent months living with the varactyls, living off the land with the knowledge left from his missing past. He tries to recall his memories, but is entirely unsuccessful. The feeling of being...hunted had faded as time had passed, but now that feeling is back.

Suddenly, a strange howl fills the air, and he and the varactyls look up as almost one as a small, black starfighter streaks across the sky, heading for the encampment of troopers just outside the city. Whoever is coming, they’re after him, he thinks. 

He’s morbidly curious about this newcomer, but an insistent and anxious Boga has him climbing onto her back. They flee, the lounge of varactyls swiftly climbing up and down the rough terrain, farther and farther away from the city. 

They are found anyways. 

A gunship descends onto the mesa where they’d chosen to rest for the night. They hold themselves silent and still, hidden behind the rocky outcrops in hopes of not being detected. ‘Bi spies through a slit between two slabs of rock as a man jumps out of the gunship before it even lands, his black cloak fluttering in his wake. One trooper jumps after him from a more reasonable height, a long blaster rifle in his hands.  

The man in black stalks forward, head turning left and right as he searches. His face is familiar. Somehow, ‘Bi knows him -- no, he had known him, but not this man before him now. This man feels like a jagged, festering wound, like fury and despair and pain all rolled into a miasma. His eyes are--wrong, glowing gold in the dimming light even at a distance. 

“I sense him. He’s here,” growls the man in black. 

“He’s not dead after all?” comes the distorted voice of the trooper through his visored helmet.

“If he was dead, I would have felt it,” the man says. “As it is--” 

‘Bi scrambles back as the man abruptly lunges forward and, a molten red-bladed sword in hand, cuts apart the rock formation he’d been hiding behind. A lightsaber, the word comes to him as he shields his face from the smoldering debris. 

“Obi-wan, you’re looking rough,” the man drawls, looming over him with his saber halfway extended towards ‘Bi.

“I--oh, that is my name, isn’t it?” 'Bi remarks as he gets to his feet. Obi-wan. Obi-wan Kenobi. 

“What do you mean--" the man falters. "Of course that's your name. What are you playing at?" He scowls, and Obi-wan stiffens as the man fully extends his saber at his throat. 

He remembers then holding a lightsaber once, remembers the live wire heft of holding one. A blue one, not screaming red like the one at his throat. His lightsaber. 

Now, he thinks, would certainly be a good time to have it, as the man glares down at him with those sickly yellow eyes.

"As I only have memories of the last few months, the Obi-wan you knew is...not present, so to speak," he says.

The man huffs. "That's the game you want to play? Surely the Negotiator can lie better than that--no, I know you can, with all the lies you've --"

He's interrupted by a screech as Boga leaps out from cover at him. 

"Boga, don't!" With alarm, Obi-wan raises an arm as if that would prevent her from lunging at the man. 

The man twists his face into a snarl and holds his free hand out towards her, fingers curling almost like claws. With a whine, Boga collapses onto the ground next to Obi-wan, head flailing and limbs scrambling against the dirt. 

"Boga." Obi-wan senses her pain sharply and strokes a hand over her feathered head as if that would soothe and shield her from what the man is doing to her. "Let her go, Anakin!" 

The name just slips out. 

Pain rips through his head as a smattering of memories return to him.

Anakin. Jedi Knight. The "Hero with No Fear." His former student. His friend. His brother.  

He recognizes nothing of the boy or man he'd once known in the man before him. 

"Anakin Skywalker was weak, and he is dead. I am Darth Vader," Anakin declares, and only after a few long moments, as if to prove a point, does he drop his hand. 

Boga slumps to the ground with a weak whine, and Obi-wan continues to stroke her head. 

"That was much too dangerous, my dear," he tells her. "Don't you worry about me, I'll be alright." 

"So sure of yourself, aren't you?" remarks Vader. "What was it you always lectured me about? 'Your lightsaber is your life?' Well, your lightsaber is gone, which means, so is your life.” 

Vader raises his saber, ready to strike Obi-wan down right there.

But Obi-wan is distracted. 

He should have realized. Varactyls are remarkably loyal creatures, and they had just spent months protecting him. They certainly aren’t going to stop now, as suddenly, trills fill the air. The entire lounge of varactyls charges out from all different directions, having taken the time to encircle them -- to encircle Vader.

Obi-wan knows though, that Vader would have no qualms cutting every single one of them down -- and looks ready to do so, pivoting to the nearest approaching varactyl and changing the grip on his saber as if he’s about to use it as a throwing spear. 

“No!” Obi-wan shouts, and through pure instinct, gathers up the something that’s been guiding him -- the Force -- and pushes with both hands. 

The invisible shove sends Vader flying into the air with a yelp, lightsaber slipping from his hand --  

Though this outcome does not surprise him nearly as much as seeing the trooper swing his rifle like a bat at just the right timing to send Vader off the edge of the mesa, Vader’s enraged roar trailing after him[3]. 

As the varactyls skid to a halt in a protective circle around him and Boga, Obi-wan gapes at the trooper, who takes a moment to look over the edge to follow Vader’s descent, before turning to Obi-wan. The trooper takes off his helmet, revealing a face identical to all the others save for a scar curving around his left eye and down the side of his face. 

“General, we should leave. I can’t say how long that will actually hold him,” the trooper says, gesturing to the gunship, where more helmetless troopers happen to peer out of the doors. 

Obi-wan squints at the trooper, taking in that distinctive scar, the left shoulder antenna, and the remnants of orange paint scratched off the armor. 

Crossing his arms, he remarks, “My memories might not be all here, but I’m fairly certain you shot at us.”

The trooper grimaces and brushes a hand over a surgical scar on the side of his head. Obi-wan hadn't noticed it before.

“I would never willingly shoot you, sir,” the trooper says. “...they put chips in our heads, turned us into drones the moment the...Emperor said the right words.” 

Obi-wan relaxes a bit, sensing the truth in those words, though that is a rather messy and likely painful subject to revisit at a more...appropriate time and setting.

“You...weren’t bluffing about the memories?” asks the trooper with a deep frown.

“Unfortunately not. They seem to be coming back though, in bits and pieces.”

“Oh, well then, Cody, at your service. I was your second before...well, before.”

More than that, he’d been a dear and trusted friend, Obi-wan senses, before the terrible things had happened. There are things, he suspects, that can never be fixed, but their friendship will not be one of them.

“We better get going, sir,” Cody says. 

Obi-wan makes to join him, but stops when the varactyls crowd around him. With a smile, he reaches out pat each of their heads. 

“Thank you for your help, all of you,” he tells them. “I wouldn’t have made it all this time without you.” 

They nip at his clothes and hair and bump his shoulders before edging away, and Boga bounds forward to his side, now recovered. He strokes her feathered head for a moment.

“I guess this is where we part ways then, Boga. You’ve been a wonderful friend. Do take care of yourself, all right?” 

But as he goes to join Cody then, Boga trills and follows him. He raises an eyebrow at her, but he can sense her devotion, her intent to continue following him wherever that may be.

“I...don’t think that’s the best idea, my dear,” he says, “Your home is here. Your friends and family are here.” But she trills again and even begins walking to the gunship without them.

“She’s welcome to come along, sir, there’s plenty of room where we’re going,” Cody says, failing utterly to not look like he’s smirking at Obi-wan. 

“And where exactly are we going?” Obi-wan asks.

“To the Rebellion, of course.”

Notes:

[1]A collective of lizards is apparently a “lounge of lizards” and since varactyls are lizard-like I went with that lol

[2] Obi-wan calls himself ‘Bi because that’s what it sounds like when the varactyls are specifically calling him.

[3] For visualization, please see Lumi’s gif at the end of this post with Cody using his rifle as a baseball bat.

Vader!Anakin’s speech patterns annoy me so much but they are what they are *sigh*. 

I kept accidentally referring to varactyls as vacteryls because there’s a medical syndrome called VACTERL alskdfjlkasj

[winterscaptain]

okay just for fun

ajf kids as star wars original trilogy score pieces

aka watch tali geek out about music for however many words this is

jack | throne room and end titles (a new hope)

https://open.spotify.com/track/0KOYV2jgRZWLcLI94kiscs?si=0ef95a600bb84012

let’s be real. this piece makes your chest feel too small for your feelings, it makes you feel like a superhero, it makes you smile. 

the brass in the very beginning has big jack energy for me. we know how much punch ajf!jack has - he’s straightforward and observant, cheeky and kind. this march ticks all those boxes. this opener is unapologetic, percussion and strings underscoring the high brass carrying our melody, just like jack. he’s got that kind of gentleness to him that his father does, but it’s under this brave, quippy exterior that’s just perfect for this march. 

while being generally noble as hell, the strings we go into the softer melodic section that guides us into the main theme - which is just a banger, objectively. jack has huge main character energy. this piece gives us that and so much more with that melody we all know and love. 

the low brass is so consistent!! it’s so loyal!! ahh!! 

the march kind of gives way as the piece moves along, delivering something softer and less rigid, something lighter. as type-a as jack is (he’s his father’s son, after all), he’s really able have some fun. 

leia’s theme sneaks in around the 3:20 mark, which exemplifies (to me) the connection he has to the rest of his family. but it dives right back into the main theme again - all strong brass that would be harsh if it wasn’t so well-adjusted. it’s exciting!!

isaac | luke and leia (return of the jedi)

https://open.spotify.com/track/4MKEo7fV2xIBbeIrbYj7vV?si=502fe798be43461b

there are so many layers to this piece. it travels so far and brings us back to somewhere we recognize. 

the almost mournful, clear french horn that stands on its own after the woodwinds lull us into this place of understanding and peace. this melody always makes me weep, for some reason. not so much because it’s sad, but it’s so full of connection. isaac’s spirit is so wound into that beautiful clarity of a well-played french horn for me - there’s something so deeply special about it. 

and it’s different from the other brass instruments! it’s harder to play and it looks different. i don’t think we have to stretch too far to see how that applies to isaac. metaphorically, he’s still a brass instrument, but he operates in a way that is fundamentally different than people around him. 

and then we get the strings and the woodwinds taking over that same melody, building on it and making it rounder and fuller. it’s hopeful, it’s complex, it’s so gentle. 

because this is luke and leia’s suite, there’s a conversation in the music - one that turns into a conflict. we can hear that in the strings around the two minute mark. isaac struggles. he sometimes has a hard time, but just like that high brass, he pushes through in a way that just makes your heart swell. 

the final bit carries us out the way we came in - a little bit of magic with that motif, leaving us with something that almost feels like the answer to a question. yeah, i’m crying. why do you ask?

caroline | princess leia’s theme (a new hope)

https://open.spotify.com/track/0mFyq7zeU21fW5VE9028lN?si=61caca109a3847a1

alright alright i know. but stay with me. 

not only is caroline aaron’s little princess, there’s a connection to the piece i chose for isaac - their motifs complement each other, just like they do as siblings. we have some french horn in here too, delivering a melody that is delicate, feminine, but not weak. it’s so clear!! such a bright tone. 

there’s a little bit of uncertainty that sneaks in there in the beginning, but the flute comes in at about the 1:30 mark to remind us of that light, that something that is difficult to articulate or understand. it’s taking us somewhere - the melody line feels meandering and lilting, like a breeze. i always think of caroline as a breath of fresh air in many ways. 

and then you get those STRINGS oh yeah okay i’m crying. we have this melody again - this motif that is so recognizable - building in, layering with the entire orchestra until it just tips over the edge in a way that’s absolutely breathtaking. caroline is both predictable and unexpected in this way - we know it’s coming, we know that the music is going to hit that precipice and blossom, but when it does whooooooo boy is it powerful. 

sophia | rebels at bay (the empire strikes back)

https://open.spotify.com/track/2NWNkDoePT1QOKx8wUnf7d?si=4a4cc22379814337

this is an.....unorthodox choice. i’ll admit it. 

but i didn’t want to pick a theme or a suite for sophia - i needed a piece that makes you want to move. this one underscores a battle in the film, and i think it’s just perfect for our soph. it’s got these lilting strings and woodwind sections and then it dives into something intense, maybe even a little masculine. 

but it’s hurried!! you gotta go!! where??? i don’t know! and then there are these little breathers built in. just like sophia, it moves and watches and moves and watches. these little breaks always take us somewhere surprising. it could get darker, maybe even a little scary, but it’s always moving. this reminds me of sophia’s bravery. she pushes through - often with grit and raw energy. 

around the 3:40 mark we get the main theme motif back - this reminded me of her connection with jack. this rushed, intense piece becomes something that sounds hopeful and heroic with bars we’ve heard before. 

this piece also travels, like luke and leia, but there’s a sense of urgency. there are always stakes for sophia because she bets big or not at all. she throws herself into everything she does with zeal and enthusiasm. 

even when the imperial march makes an appearance, it’s faster than the original, still upbeat and exciting to experience. i love this piece because no matter how many times i hear it, it has me on the edge of my seat. 

elliot | parade of the ewoks (return of the jedi)

https://open.spotify.com/track/5T0aZmjk3KNrLayQu7VBgP?si=902a5770241c4728

i can’t get over the whimsy in this one. it’s unexpected and a little magical in all the right ways. 

we start with the woodwinds and a kind of plucking underscore - elements that remind me of elliot’s go with the flow kind of attitude. he just plots along, adding something curious and youthful to those around him. 

the range on this piece is super wide - we go very low and very high. we’ve got low brass creeping in with these trills just to keep it a little spicy, just like our favorite youngest sibling.

and then of course the french horn shows up. both john williams and i love a french horn and a repeating melodic motif. 

this song is so confident!! and so triumphant. like i get big self-satisfied vibes from this song and that just...is elliot to a T.

[theavengerfairy]

One Step Closer - Chapter 4

Previously known as “Gravity”

Aaravos adored games, especially when those games involved real risks and consequences. Every sparkling fiber of his being would vibrate with excitement as he carefully ushered each pawn into place to create a grand masterpiece that he alone could see unfolding. At times, one of those pawns might start to shift out of alignment, operating of its own accord instead of by the will of its master, but it never took more than a few polished half-truths to lure the insurgent back into place. Patience was the key to success, and if being imprisoned for longer than he cared to calculate had taught him anything, it was patience.

Things may have seemed placid in Viren's cell, but as his grub-like vassal clung to the shell of the mage's ear, Aaravos sensed that the castle was still abuzz even at this late hour. He could feel the reverberations of marching feet through the stone floor and walls, and he could faintly hear the whispering of a gentle wind overtop of Viren's muffled snores. Most importantly, however, he could sense the baleful nip tainting the air as something wicked steadily closed in on the dungeon where it sensed its master's presence.

"It would seem that your phantoms have returned." he crooned smoothly, fully aware that Viren could not hear him from the realm of dreams. "Do not fret. I will take care of everything."

Peeling itself off of Viren's ear, the little caterpillar inched its way across the mage's cot and then up the cell wall until he reached the grate in the ceiling. After wiggling through with ease, it only had to wait a moment or so in the deserted courtyard above before being blanketed in shadow as four pairs of blank, glowing, purple-tinged eyes peered down at it from within towers of churning smoke that vaguely resembled the shape of elves. To anyone else, these creatures of shadow would've been terrifying, but the little caterpillar raised itself up and stared right back at them with an air of haughtiness.

"Your master is resting, but it is not yet time for you to do the same. You still have work to do." Aaravos crooned without a hint of hesitance even though the phantoms could easily trample the caterpillar beneath their heels if they wished too. Why? Even though they could, he knew that they wouldn't, for just like the mage who had summoned them, they were also drawn to the power emanating off of him.

"Your master's possessions have been scattered across the land in an attempt to control him, and one of these relics could be your and his undoing. Bring back the coin in which your leader is imprisoned, the leader who in his pride led you all to your deaths, and you will soon have your rest."

Though their faces showed no expression as the shadows continued to listlessly sway back and forth in the wind, Aaravos could sense their reluctance. It seemed even as phantoms, traces of past loyalties and autonomous thought still lived on inside them; this, however, was not a major problem for him.

"Why do you hesitate? Does it not anger you that the one responsible for your demise now has a chance to return home to the open arms of his family while yours grieve your loss? He made the call to move forward with your mission knowing full well that your chances of survival were slim, and now he simply gets to walk away from that while your blood, the blood of those who trusted him, stains the floors of this palace? Should he not suffer a fate worse than death?"

One by one, a change swept over each ghost, their eyes glowing brighter as their previous uncertainty was burned up by the flames of bitterness; it was a light and a heat that Aaravos never grew tired off as he drank it in again and again.

"Go. Find your leader's coin and its brothers. Justice will not be denied."

-----------------------

"Can I skewer him?"

"No."

"What about mildly maim him?"

"No."

"...Can I at least give him a bad enough gash that he'll need stitches?"

"No! The last thing we need to do is draw attention to ourselves by being petty and starting a fight."

"He kidnapped Callum and Maddie!"

"And we are going to discreetly get them back. We fight only as a last resort."

"Ugh, fine!"

It wasn't that Anora couldn't understand Rayla's desire for payback, but retribution never just ended once the scores were even. Having to worry about a vengeful party pursuing them would only further complicate their already complex quest, so for now retaliation, though tempting, was not an option.

It hadn't exactly taken the two elves long to realize that something was wrong, but true to the stories Madeleine had told Anora about Midan, the blacksmith's son indeed proved to be a slippery serpent to catch. Despite managing to procure adequate disguises and sneak into town fairly quickly, Midan was already gone by the time they found the shop and discovered the note that Madeleine had managed to tuck amongst the tools in the back room without getting caught. The fact that they had to ask around about the location of the artisans' fair before finding someone that actually knew only added further to Midan's head start, and while Anora and Rayla probably could have caught up with him if they were on their own, Zym's restlessness meant making occasional stops during their journey, thus allowing the scoundrel to remain one step ahead of them.

By the time they arrived at the fairgrounds, the festivities were already in full swing with more humans crowding around exhibits and mingling between stalls than either elf had seen in her whole life. From this resulted their current situation of hiding in a dense thicket of shrubs not too far off from the line of tents, Rayla keeping watch while Anora attempted to coax Zym into a basket that the younger elf had "borrowed" from the back of an unwatched cart.

"It's only for a little bit, cutie, I promise. Come on! You want another treat?" Grabbing one of the fresh figs from the rations in her bag, Anora placed it inside the basket. "There, now you've got a fig, an apple, some berries, and some milkfruit, a feast fit for a prince. What do ya say, Zym?"

After a moment of thinking as critically as a baby dragon could, Zym tentatively sniffed the mouth of the basket before apparently being won over as he hoped inside with a happy trill. Once she had secured the lid of the basket in place and carefully shrugged the case onto her back, Anora fixed her hood and cloak and stuffed her hands into her gloves, Rayla following suit.

"I still don't see why we can't just split up and meet back here. We'll cover more ground that way." Rayla grumbled as she fiddled with the pink finger of her gloves that had been stuffed with leaves and a twig to mimic a fifth finger. A surprised sputter sprayed from her lips when Anora suddenly appeared in front of her and began smudging dirt over her markings to complete her disguise.

"Midan is smart. If he notices the same two hooded figures frequenting his booth, he might become suspicious, and the longer we're here, the higher our chances of getting caught become. We need to find them, come up with a plan, execute it, and then leave as quickly and quietly as possible." With her and Rayla's tattoos concealed beneath a layer of grime, Anora briskly exited the safety of the shrubs and beckoned Rayla to follow her with a small jerk of her head. "Come on!"

Zym thankfully stayed contently quiet in the basket as the girls crept past the outermost tents and into the fray, heads down and senses alert. After passing several stalls from all of which the heavenly smell of baked goods wafted, it dawned on them that the booths were probably arranged according to trade, meaning they would not have to scour the entire grounds so long as they found the designated area for the blacksmiths. The density of the crowds and the scarcity of maps or directional signs to promote more sales as s wandered aimlessly about ensured that their task remained somewhat difficult, but the smell of burning timber and the ringing of many mallets hammering away at different metals eventually drew them to the right place. As the fourth stall on their left came into view, Rayla was the first to catch a glimpse of those familiar green eyes beneath that mop of fluffy, brown hair, and it didn't take long for them to lock back onto her.

Callum pretended not to notice the two elves until they had crossed over to the stall, and he bit down hard on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling as he made his way over to the booth's counter as casually as he could. Casting an apprehensive glance back at Midan, who was busy chatting with two reasonably attractive dames at the other end of the stand, he made sure to grab a few odd bits and baubles as he went.

"Hi ladies! What can I help you with?!" he announced quite loudly, depositing the knickknacks onto the counter with a harsh clamor, and to his relief, Midan didn't even spare him a look of disdain. Picking up one of the miscellaneous trinkets scattered in front of him, he held it out as if showing it to the two elves, his voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned over the countertop. "I can't talk long without Midan becoming suspicious. Where's Zym?"

Rayla jerked her head toward the basket while Anora took the trinket from Callum and turned it over in her palm. "Are you alright? Where's Maddie?"

"She's in the back and we're both fine other than being a little tired. In fact, she's been tinkering with something since our arrival last night that she believes will distract Midan long enough for us to slip away."

Pride dressed Anora's lips with a lustrous shimmer like the most beautiful of rouges. "Why am I not surprised? Is there anything that we can do to help?"

"There's one more thing that we need but haven't been able to get since we're constantly being watched."

"What do you need?"

"Wildflowers. Lots of 'em."

Rayla's nose wrinkled at the absurd request. "Flowers? What are flowers going to do?"

"He's allergic." Anora muttered, nodding at Midan as theories about Maddie's plan began to take form in her mind. "He obviously can't see us giving them to you."

"Bring them to the back of the tent and toss a rock through the back entrance to let Maddie know that you've made the dropoff. She'll tell you the rest of the plan, and I'll do what I can to keep Midan busy in the meantime."

Rayla groaned under her breath. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Why do you always assume that I'm going to do something stupid?"

"Because you usually do something stupid!"

"You two are cute, but let's save the flirting for a less precarious time, yeah?" Out of the corner of her eye, Anora noticed the two maidens who had been preoccupying Midan's attention were departing, meaning that the louse would be on them in moments if she and Rayla stuck around for too much longer. Setting the trinket that she was still holding back down on the counter, she extended her hand to Callum, who shook it as soon as he realized what she was doing.

"Don't push yourself too hard. You'll need whatever energy you have left for hightailing out of here."

Callum's eyes remained locked with Rayla's until she and Anora were swallowed up by the throng of festival patrons. Gathering up the samples that he had brought out, he spun on his heels and beelined for the curtains separating the front of the tent from the workspace in back. However, just before he could cross the threshold and disappear, he was yanked to a stop by Midan's hand firmly clamping down on his shoulder.

"Don't tell me you spent all that time talking to those two clients and didn't sell anything?"

Callum swallowed thickly to push down the anxious butterflies fluttering in the back of his throat. "They...They said that they had some other errands to run first and would come back if they had the money."

"Let me handle the transaction when they return. I want to make sure that the payment is...authentic given their haggard appearance. Business is going to slow down as the crowds congregate at the indoor attractions to escape the heat of the day, so go wash off and polish those samples. I trust the cleanliness of those bums as much as their money."

--------------------

The sun hung just above the tops of the tents on the far west side of the festival grounds, painting everything with a golden glow.

"Blasted sun. No matter where I stand, it's shining in my eyes." Midan grumbled sourly, shielding his face with his hand as he stumbled about half-blind. "Clem!"

"Um, it's Callum."

"Whatever. Go scrounge around in the back and see if you can find anything to block out that darn sun!"

"Uh, you got it!"

As Callum slipped through the curtains in the back room, Madeleine raised her head from the two small metal tubes sitting in her lap and locked eyes with him. At his nod, she rose, handing him one of the cylinders and held the other to her chest as she left her comrade to gather both their things.

"Midan?" She winced as she poked her head through the doorway right into a particularly bright ray of sunlight.

"Why aren't you working?"

"I'm waiting for the last order to cool down enough so I can polish it." Raising one hand to shield her face while blinking rapidly to quell the tears that welled to defend her eyes from the bright assault, Maddie just barely made out the Midan's silhouette and strode over to him. "I just wanted to talk to you about an idea I had for a new product."

"You're being unusually considerate. You heatsick or something?"

"No. You and I may not like each other, but your dad is still my business partner. He's going to need all the extra cash that he can get for his medical expenses, right?"

"Touché. Tell me what you've got."

"I can do better than that. I built a prototype during my lunch break!" Tucking the braided cord attached to the bottom of the tube beneath her thumb to hide it from sight, Maddie held out the gadget for Midan to see. "I haven't decided on an official name yet, but for now I'm calling them celebration starters!"

Midan squinted at the cylinder. "...It's an embellished pipe."

"Wrong! It's much more than that!"

"Is that so? How does it work then, little genius?"

"Like this!"

Without missing a beat, Madeleine pulled the string attached to the celebration starter as far as it would go and then released it, aiming the barrel directly at Midan's face. Wildflowers of all colors shot into the air with a pop, and the noise was soon followed by three others just like it as more flowers filled the air. The festival-goers all gasped in delight as the fragrant petals rained down on them, but Midan's reddening eyes had bugged out in horror.

"You little-" His exclamation was cut off by a thunderous sneeze, Madeleine springing just beyond the reach of his fingers when he made a mad grab from her.

As much as she would've liked to stick around and relish over her fine work, Maddie speedily vaulted herself over the counter and sprinted into the crowd. Catching a flicker of Callum's scarlet scarf in the evening light somewhere off to her right, she veered off in that direction, focusing all of her strength into her legs until she had caught up with him, and together they ran towards the chosen meeting place: the eastern entrance of the grounds. Their feet had already begun to burn like they were running over a bed of hot coals by the time the pillars decorated with many colorful banners and other ornaments rose into few, and just as they flung themselves down at the base of the one columns in order to catch their breath, Anora and Rayla burst forth from the sea of people, panting heavily as they refused to slow even slightly.

"Get up! We gotta go!" the latter shouted, eyes wide and frantic.

Before Callum could ask what was wrong, the crowd parted for a portly man with a crimson face marred by an angry scowl as he charged after the two elves with his son and daughter flanking him.

"Thieves! Thieves!" he bellowed.

Anora grabbed Callum and Maddie by their arms and more or less dragged them to their feet while Rayla continued to run, her fist pressed against her chest as something glittered inside. The prince's mouth hung agape, his eyes darting from his friends to their pursuers.

"What did you guys do?!"

----------------------------

Moments earlier...

It was a beautiful sight that Anora would've liked to enjoy, the flower petals dancing through the air like snow after being launched from Madeleine's invention, but she and Rayla dutifully slipped the now empty gadgets into their belts and ducked behind a wall of stalls. Keeping their heads down and bodies low to the ground, they zipped along their predetermined course completely unnoticed aside from catching the attention of the occasional small child who was quickly shushed by a preoccupied parent, and the steady sinking of the sun created many long shadows that stretched out to offer them additional cover. However, it soon became apparent that they had forgotten to consider one particular detail when it came to their seemingly seamless plan: Zym.

Having been startled out of a deep nap by the loud pops of the celebration starters, Zym clawed quite furiously at the lid of the basket, and with a few good swipes, he managed to tear a hole just large enough for him to wiggle out of. His little feet scarcely touched Anora's back before he unfurled his wings and sprang into the air, giving neither elf much time to react as he glided through the air and scampered through the back entryway of a large, deep indigo tent as soon as he touched the ground.

When their minds finally processed what had just happened, Rayla and Anora dug their heels into the dirt and swerved in the direction of the tent, halting just a few inches shy of the opening in the wall of cloth.

"Zym! Come back here! You can't be in there!" Rayla called as she peered into the darkness, searching for any sign of white down or icy blue scales that should've stuck out like a sore thumb against the shadows of the tent. All she was met with was a soft, anxious whine from the dragonling, the origin of which she couldn't quite pinpoint.

"I don't think he's coming out on his own," Anora muttered, sliding the basket off of her back. Taking the lavender scarf that hung around her waist and laying it out flat on the ground, she placed the busted lid on top of it and wrapped it in the soft but fairly sturdy material, tightly tying the ends to ensure that it didn't come loose. Tucking the lid under her arm, she handed the barrel of the basket to Rayla. "I'll try herding him back towards you, but you'll need to be completely silent if we don't want him to bolt. Think you can do that, Moondrop?"

"...You're kidding, right?"

"I know, I know. I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

Hearts hammering against their ribs, they slunk into the belly of the pavilion, their soft, careful footsteps sounding more like the stomping of elephants to their own ears. When their eyes adjusted to the dimness, they found that the inside was mostly filled with an array of colorful tapestries decorated with what had to be the most degrading depictions of different kinds of elves that either girl had ever seen. Towards the center of the room stood three ornately carved, wooden pedestals topped with soft pillows, and above each one hung a series of banners that could just barely be read from where they stood if they squinted.

"...Haunted Coins from Xadia?" Rayla scoffed with blatant disgust, "Are you serious?! We don't even have haunted coins! Who would actually believe this nonsense?!"

"You'd be surprised," Anora remarked absent-mindedly, having already dismissed the laughable exhibit and resumed her scouring for the baby dragon. As soon as she noticed a pale shape crouching behind the base of pillar closest to them, she pointed it out to Rayla followed by drawing two arcs in the air that eventually met at a point in front of her. Rayla immediately understood and began to close in on the pillar from the left while Anora took to the right.

"Zym," she called when she was close enough to see the tip of the dragonling's nose poking out from behind the pillar. "I know you're a bit spooked right now, but we have to go before we get caught. There will be no more loud, scary noises, I promise."

Zym's answer was a shrill, suspicious yip, nostrils flaring slightly when Anora entered his line of sight. Slowly dropping down into a crouch, the elf held her hand out to him as she inched closer, not daring to glance at Rayla to ensure she was ready and risk Zym realizing what they were up to. Fortunately, Zym's attention remained fixated on Anora as he shuffled his feet uncertainly while Rayla tiptoed up behind him, basket held out in front of her. They had him cornered, and when Anora lunged forward, Zym spun on his heels and fled straight towards the mouth of the basket. At the last moment, however, he spread his wings and splayed out his little limbs, his front claws grabbing onto the rim, and using the edge as a foothold, he propelled himself upward at a slight angle. Anora leaped into the air before he could get very high, wrapping her arms around the prince's middle and pulling him to her chest. Unfortunately, she hadn't paid much thought to her trajectory in her haste, and thus she came crashing down on top of the pedestal, which proved to be much flimsier than it looked as it crumbled beneath her weight.

"Yep, that's definitely going to leave a mark." she groaned, rolling onto her side and then up into a sitting position all while Zym flailed in her arms. Rayla was by her side in the blink of an eye where she held the basket steady so Anora could place Zym inside.

"He's a little fighter; I suppose that's a good thing though." the Oceancry elf remarked as she secured the lid once more and slipped her arm through one of the vessel's straps, hoisting it up onto her back again. Shifting onto her knees so she could stand back up, she jerked to a stop when something resting on the bed of splinters beneath her snagged her eye.

"Rayla...you said Xadia doesn't have any haunted coins, right? Then why does that one have a moving face on it?"

"You mean your reflection? Besides, that isn't even a Xadian coin..."

"Rayla?"

The color drained from Rayla's already pale face and her eyes widened to the size of two full moons as she stooped down, unable to believe what she saw. Staring back at her was a face she knew all too well despite being clouded with a fear that she had never seen adorning those features before, and as she gently scooped the coin into her trembling hand, she watched the terror melt away and sheer relief rise up in its place.

"Runaan..." she whimpered, hand clamped over her mouth as she fought back the urge to break into tears. Suddenly, it felt very hard to breathe, as if the weight of the entire world was pressing down on her lungs. "...how did you...what...who did this to you?"

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Anora's head snapped up to behold a middle-aged man and four children of varying maturities looming in the main entrance of the tent. The man, obviously the owner of the tent, glared at them with two small, beady eyes that peered out from behind bushy brown brows and bulging cheeks, grinding his feet into the dirt as he prepared to charge. Snatching up the pillow from the remains of the pedestal, she hurled it at the man, nailing him in the face.

"Rayla, run!"

With their father momentarily disoriented, the two eldest children, a boy and a girl, rushed at them. Glancing upwards, Anora noticed how the weight of the numerous tapestries was causing the roof of the tent to sag, so she grabbed the closest one and yanked it as hard as she could. This proved to be just enough strain as the center of the tent caved inward, cutting them off from their assailants. Brought back to her wits by Anora's shout, the commotion, or a combination of the two, Rayla closed her fist tightly around the coin and barreled back out into the open with Anora close behind her.

[comicgeekscomicgeek]

Their Hero Academia, Chapter 14

Continuing my string of new viewpoint characters, we have Sora Iida!  This is the raw, unedited version, and will eventually be cleaned up a bit when it goes up on FF.net and Ao3. Chapters 0-12 can be found here

The unedited chapter 13 can be found here

Their Hero Academia – Chapter 14: Sora Iida Takes Off

“For the record,” Sora shouted after Kenta Sato and Kimiko Ojiro, “being unable to access the Wi-Fi does not constitute a “science emergency!”  I am not your tech support!”

Honestly!  All Ojiro had done was turn the Wi-Fi functionality off on her phone.  Hardly a science emergency and definitely not worth the urgency with which she and Sato had demanded that she come with them.  In fact, there was no reason why she should have had to leave the room in the first place.

Clearly, something was going on.  Shenanigans were afoot! But what?  With all respect to the two of them as her friends and future Heroes, neither Sato nor Ojiro were clever enough to be the primary suspect in anything.  But they were usually to be found in the company of Takuma Sero, who possessed the rather unique ability to be rather clever and rather stupid at the same time when it came to getting into trouble.   Perhaps he had spearheaded something while the other two distracted her?  But what? And why would they not distract her younger brother as well?

These were questions that she clearly was going to get no answer to until she had additional data. On the other hand, she had multiple projects of her own to work on and there had been no sign of any damage to anything.  Perhaps she was better off ignoring it, so long as they did not cause any apparent disruptions?  It would mean a return to the designs she and Tensei were working on.

Yes, perhaps that was best.

Sora returned to the Common Room to find Tensei sitting at the table she had left him, looking up with the kind of grin that was usually reserved for a very serious breakthrough in design, one with only a very small number of explosions and minimal property damage.

“Brother?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.  “Did something happen while I was gone?  Did you figure out how to reduce the thrust multiplier to a manageable size?”

He continued staring ahead for a moment, though from the look in his eyes, she could tell his thoughts were moving quite rapidly.  Their mother got the same look fairly often and from what their father had said, so did she.  According to Father, the only trick to bringing one of them out of it was a sudden shock.

“Oh, younger brother,” she trilled.

That brought Tensei to attention, his eyes focusing on her.  “While that is factually correct, it is only a matter of minutes!  The data is statistically irrelevant under most circumstance!”

She offered him a somewhat apologetic nod.   He was easy to get riled up.  Not quite as easy as Father, but few people were.   Their mother could do it with just a slight change of expression.   “It was necessary.  You were quite clearly lost in thought and I did not wish to wait for you to come out of it on your own.”

“I was not…” Tensei trailed off, starting to stand.  Halfway though, he sat back down.  “Forgive me, Sister,” he said.  “I was indeed lost in thought.  Much has occurred since you left the room and I am still uncertain of how to process it all.”

“Elaborate,” she said. “Did Sero do something?  He was not with his usual collaborators.”

“It was Sero,” Tensei told her.  “He wished to thank me for saving his life earlier.”

That was perfectly logical, but it did not make sense with the deception.  “Commendable,” she said.  “But that does not explain why Ojiro and Sato felt the need to remove me from the room before he did.”

Tensei smiled again. “There was more.  He asked if I wished to engage in a one-on-one activity with him this weekend.  I accepted.”

“Oh, well then, that is…”

Wait.

She stopped and replayed the words he had just said in her mind. “Are you telling me, you have a date?”

More information assembled itself in her brain.  “With Sero?”

Tensei nodded.  “I do.”

“I am very happy for you, Brother,” Sora said.

She realized it was the first lie she had ever told him.

***

“Kirishima-Bakugo!” Sora shouted, arms flailing through the air as she entered Kirishima-Bakugo’s room. “I require advice!”

Kirishima-Bakugo looked up from her chair, where she was lifting small weights.  She gave Sora a long, penetrating stare.  Perhaps it was meant to be some form of communication?  Was it code?  She could crack that if she applied enough thought.

Somehow dissatisfied with Sora’s response, Kirishima-Bakugo finally spoke.  “…And you’re coming to me, why, exactly?  Isn’t this more Tokoyami’s bag?  Or Toshi?  Or Izzy? Besides, I thought you usually talked things through that brother of yours.”

Sora frowned. “Unfortunately, this concerns my brother, so I am unable to request his advice on the matter.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you came to me.  We ain’t exactly best friends or anything.  …And it’s not like I’m exactly known for making the best decisions.”

“Those are true statements,” Sora admitted.  “But Tokoyami, Todoroki, and Toshi are occupied with their study group with Shinso and Haimawari.  I did not wish to interrupt.  I know we are not close, but I would appreciate council all the same.”

Kirishima-Bakugo finally set down her weight.  “This have anything to do with your brother getting a date with Sero?”

Sora felt her eyes go wide. “How do you know that?  I only just learned moments ago!”

The blonde, muscular girl laughed at that.  “You do remember Ojiro was involved, right?  Once she knew it, assume everyone who exists, did exist, and will exist knows.”

She picked up her phone and called up a post from a social media site.  It showed a picture of a happy if somewhat shell-shocked Sero with the caption “My BFF (@Takuma_Sero) just scored himself a date with Tensei Iida! I’m so proud of him!  And Iida is such a hottie!  So jealous!”

Sora stared at it for a moment.  “That was fast.”

“So what’s up?” Kirishima-Bakugo asked.  “Just don’t tell me you were crushing on Sero.  Because that would have really been barking up the wrong tree.”

She shook her head. They had all known Sero was gay for some time; he made no secret of it.  She had known Tensei was as well, of course, though she was uncertain how many of the others did.  He did not really speak of romantic or lustful inclinations one way or the other. Like her, machines and intellectual challenges were typically his first priority.

“No, nothing like that. It is just…”  Sora trailed off, waving her hands in the air in awkward gestures.

“I’m gonna need words, Jetset.  My Quirk ain’t mind reading.”

Strange.  She could usually articulate her ideas quite clearly. Or at least, clearly enough that her brother and mother could understand.  Other people sometimes did have a hard time following her.  But words were not usually a problem.

She tried again.  “Tensei and I are twins.”

Kirishima-Bakugo raised an eyebrow.  “And water is wet.”

“It is just… I should be happy for him.  It is good that he has found someone to spend time with, someone he might like.  But for some reason, I am not.”

For a long moment, Kirishima-Bakugo stared at her again.  Then, a strange, amused grin finally crossed her face.  “I always wondered what would happen when one of you left the nest.”

She stood and rubbed Sora’s hair vigorously.  “You’re jealous, Jetset.”

Sora pulled back, running a hand over her blue-black hair to smooth it back down.  “I am sorry, but… what?”

Kirishima-Bakugo flopped back in her chair, still grinning.  “You,” she said, “are jealous. That someone who’s not you is getting to spend time with your brother.”

“No, that cannot be it,” Sora said, looking down.  And yet… The data point introduced by Kirishima-Bakugo completely recontextualized the data points she had already gathered about the situation.  Her reluctance to be happy about the situation, a nagging concern in the back of her mind that she could not name…

“We have always done everything together,” she went on.  “We have the same Quirk, we have the same interests, we understand each other well enough that we can practically read the other’s thoughts.  I cannot remember a time we have every spent more than a few hours apart.”

“You do know they’re not getting married or nothing, right?  This might not even work out.”

She was aware of that, wasn’t she?  And it was not realistic to expect that her brother spend his every second with her. He already did not do that; they had to sleep sometimes, after all.  Not at much as most people would probably prefer they do, but that was an argument for another time.  But they typically did spend the majority of their waking hours together.  Two minds and four hands made for lighter, smarter work, after all.

Sora was a woman of science. She had been taught from a young age to hypothesize, experiment, analyze the data, and come to a conclusion, even if the results were not the ones you wanted.  The walls of their home had several scorch marks that attested to that.

She became aware of Kirishima-Bakugo snapping her fingers in her face.  “You went away there for a little while, Jetset.”

“I am sorry,” Sora said. “But I think, Kirishima-Bakugo, you are right.”

“Say that again.”

“’You are right’?”

She grinned.  “I just wanted one of you eggheads to admit that for once.”

Kirishima-Bakugo went on, “Look.  My own personal life’s kind of a mess right now.  And I really ain’t the person with answers.  But the way I see it, being a little jealous ain’t terrible.  Letting it take over, letting it get in the way of you and your brother, that’d be terrible.  I know I’d hate it if I let something come between Tai and me.”

Sora nodded.  Her jealousy was an understandable factor. But one she could control.  There was no reason to deny her brother a chance at some happiness.  She would hope he would do the same for her.

“I…   Thank you,” she said.  “You have given me a lot to think about.”

Kirishima-Bakugo nodded. “Yeah, well, you’re not the only one who can use their head.  ‘sides... Just think of how he might feel when you find some guy to ask out.  Or girl.  Or whoever.  If that’s your thing.”

“Oh,” she said, “I suppose that would be rather hypocritical of me.  Especially as I like…”

Kirishima-Bakugo held up both hands.  “Nope, don’t wanna know.  I got enough going on without getting you even more sorted out.  I already know more about you than I needed to.”

“Still,” Sora said, “I must thank you.  This was a very clarifying discussion.”   She held up her arms, awkwardly.  “Social convention tells me I should hug you now.”

“…Let’s skip that, okay?”

***

When Sora went to find her brother, he was not in his room.  Thankfully, Shinso knew where he was and told her that he was on the roof.   She first went down to the Common Room to grab bottles of grape and apple juice from the fridge, then went up to join him.

Tensei was standing near the edge of the roof, looking up at the stars.    “Brother?” she asked.  “Are you nervous about your date? It is soon?  Where are you going?   I demand additional information!”

He turned and smiled, accepting the bottle of apple juice that she offered him, taking a long swig before he answered.  “I am filled with uncertainty. This is my first date ever and I feel incredibly unprepared.  But Sero has suggested this Saturday and going for a quick dinner and to the arcade downtown.  He seems experienced enough in these matters, so I agreed with his plans.”

She took a drink of her own apple juice.  “If I could offer you advice, I would,” she said, “but my dating experiences are no different than your own.”

“Do you suppose I should ask Father for advice?”

Sora shook her head. “I think we both know that would useless.  Mother always says that she had to get Aunt Mina and Aunt Toru to explain her interest in him to him before he understood.  Though he claims they were overly direct about it.”

This got a laugh out of him. “This is true.  Though I am uncertain as to what they could have said to fluster him so.”

Sora shrugged.  “I am afraid I have no idea.”

She frowned.  The two of them had always been open and honest with each other.  Now was not time to change that.  Even if her opinion on the situation had changed, he deserved to know her full thoughts on the matter.

Tensei noticed.  “You seem preoccupied, Sister.”

She finished her juice before she spoke, feeling it fueling her body and her Quirk.   It was a warmth, spreading through the rest of her, concentrating itself in the jet engines on her back.  “I told you I was happy for you when you told me you had a date. And I am, now.  But when I told you that, I was lying.”

His eyes widened. “You were?  But why?”

“I was jealous,” she said. “I was afraid if you were spending time with Sero, we would have less time together.  And I realize that this is still true.  But that does not make it wrong.  We are twins and always will be.  But that does not mean we cannot have our own lives as well.”

“As if I could ever forget about you,” Tensei said.  “You are my sister.  I will always try to make time for you.  But I am also inexperienced in the requirements of other relationships.  So if I fail to achieve balance, I will be relying upon you to set things right.”

She nodded.  “Of course I will. Can you forgive me my jealousy?”

“Of course!”

“And,” Sora said, “you will do the same for me, should I ever pursue a romantic relationship?”

“Certainly,” he said. “Though as your brother, I am obliged to threaten any boy you might be interested in with bodily harm, should he be anything less than a gentleman to you.”

“And as your older sibling, I should remind you that the responsibilities of protecting the younger sibling from their romantic partner falls to me.  Perhaps I should be pre-emptively defending your honor with Sero with threats of violence!”

“You are older by only three minutes!  That is a statistical rounding error!”

“Nevertheless, it is still factual and precise!���

“I am not having this argument again!”

“Because you are losing!”

“I do not concede that!”

“The facts do not care about whether or not you accept them, they simply are!”

Tensei gave her a curious look, as he put data points together.  “For the sake of being prepared to defend your honor, is there anyone you have romantic interest in?”

He always shifted topics when he knew her logic had defeated him.  Well, she had already nearly told one person tonight, perhaps she ought to tell someone for real…

“Both of you go inside! It’s after curfew!”

Sora peered over the edge of the roof, spotting Aizawa down on the ground, patrolling the school grounds.

“How does he do that?” Tensei asked.  “His vision should not be that good.”

Sora shook her head.  “If I have learned anything so far this week, it is that Mister Aizawa is a statistically anomaly all his own.”

***

Sora returned Tensei to his room and was on her way back to hers when she saw Toshi coming from the stairwell.  Mostly likely, he had finished his study session with Tokoyami, Todoroki, and the rest. Even in his casual wear, his muscles were readily apparent.

“Oh, hey, Sora,” he said.  “How’re you taking being lab-banned?”

She frowned.  “It is going,” she said.  “A week is a long time to be away from the Support Workshop.”

“Well, you did kind of blow it up…”

“Only a little!  We put the fires out very quickly!”

Toshi put up his hands in an apologetic gesture.  “Okay, okay, just a little exploding.  I’m sure it was fine.”  

“It was,” Sora insisted.  “But Power Loader did not see it that way.  After he was done banning us, I saw him break into the bottle he keeps in his desk for “emergencies.”  Whatever that might be.”

Toshi blinked slowly for a moment, looking at though he might say something about that, then shrugged.  “Well, I’m sure it will pass pretty quick.  We’ve got plenty of Hero stuff to keep us busy.   We’re going out to the USJ next week, after all..  Uncle Kota says he’s got some really special stuff planned!”

“That is good,” she replied.  Though she was not completely without worry about it.  They all knew what had happened during their parents’ first visit to the USJ.  While they all knew the likelihood of anything like that happening to them was amazingly slim.  The various members of the League of Villains were either dead or in prison. Nevertheless between who they were and what else was going on in the world, the school was taking a great number of precautious.

He nodded.  “Yeah, I’m really excited for it.”

Indeed, she could see the excitement already in his green eyes.  It was an aesthetically pleasing look on him, especially when he smiled.  

“It promises to be an interesting experience,” she agreed.  “Though I am not as certain as to how well I will perform at rescue work.  I can certainly catch falling people, as my brother did for Sero earlier today, but much of it requires more delicate work than my Quirk allows.”

“That was a good catch,” Toshi agreed.  “But don’t sell yourself short either.  The right Quirk in the right place at the right time can make a big difference, sure.  But you and your brother are way more than just flying around.   You’re both crazy smart.  That’s important too.”

Sora felt her cheeks redden slightly.  “You are too kind, Toshi,” she said.

“Yeah, well,” he said, rubbing the back of his hair, messing up his green hair. “It’s true.”

“Thank you,” she said again.  Perhaps there were better words here.  But she still felt as though the time was not quite right.   Not when she was still battling down the last vestiges of jealousy. “I will keep that in mind.”

He smiled again.  “Good,” he said.  “See you in the morning then?”

She nodded.  “In the morning.  Good night, Toshi.”

“Good night, Sora.”

She headed back to the stairwell to head back to her own room.  She definitely required further data points before proceeding.   Perhaps she could interrogate Tokoyami or Todoroki for more information before she put a plan of action into effect…

[nny11writes]

Passing- AKA the College AU/Fake Relationship AU 3

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Ahsoka slumped down in her seat, letting her butt slide to the edge of the booth and jamming her knees ruefully into Anakin’s hip. “That’s not real advice Skyguy!”

Anakin glared at her over the dregs of his milkshake. “It is, in fact real advice Snips! Just actually ask her out and see what shakes out.”

Ahsoka crossed her arms and pouted as she grumbled, “Dude she said fake dating. That’s actual dating, like, having to actually be a couple. She doesn’t want that.”

“How do you know?” Anakin asked before taking one last, annoying slurp out of his drink. “Maybe she’s into you.”

“If she’s into me, why didn’t she ask me out instead of asking if I’d be her shaker?” Ahsoka pushed her knees harder into his hip and earned a stinging slap on them for the effort.

The droid server paused at their table, it’s optics flashing a few warnings at their antics. Anakin smiled brightly at it until it rolled along to the next table. Then he glared at her as if she was the one being difficult. The gall!

Anakin hissed at her, pointing at her even as he fumbled for his credit chit. “I don’t care what the hell a shaker is, but have you considered that she’s a nerdy, socially inept, shut in?”

“She’s not a shut in!” Ahsoka managed to not wince as she picked the hardest thing to defend. Barriss was a brilliant, well liked, and well behaved person. She was also something of a shut in.

Anakin smirked at her as he asked, “Oh really? When’s the last time she went out for fun?”

“Yesterday,” she said while mentally patting herself on the back.  It wasn’t even a lie!

“...was this a solo outing to the library?”

Ahsoka opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to explain that it still counted.

“Ha!” Anakin crowed as he dragged her up out of the booth. “She’s a loser Snips, and if you want to date her then you need to ask her out.”

Ugh, that was sensible and sounded like a responsible thing to do. Ahsoka would literally rather contradict Dr. Nu in galactic history than force Barriss to awkwardly shoot her down. In thanks for her best friend paying for her lunch, Ahsoka flopped half boneless onto him and whined. Anakin was thankfully closer to her height than most of her friends, otherwise she would have happily thrown them both onto the floor of the SUB via melodramatic faint. When Anakin’s response was to grunt and drag her along Ahsoka whined even more pitifully, adding in a faint distressed trilling.

“That has never worked in your life.” Anakin groused as he elbowed her.

“Ow! Skyguy, I am already emotionally vulnerable, you don’t need to add tenderized.”

Anakin held the door open for her before cutting off a group of ithorians to follow her outside. “Don’t lie. Emotionally vulnerable is what you’ll be after Obi-Wan’s test today. Besides what’s the worst that can happen, she’s not Lux.”

Ahsoka felt zero remorse for punching the back of his head. “Leave Lux alone! He meant well.”

“Lux,” Anakin growled as he unlocked his speeder bike and rubbing furiously at the lump on his head, “was a barve.”

The problem with Anakin was that he was all for Ahsoka exploring her romantic feelings until she was dating someone. Then whoever it was just instantly got on his shit list for no apparent reason. Another good reason to not ask Barriss out actually. “Lux is not an asshole. He’s, Lux is five tooka cats in a tailored greatcoat.”

Anakin glared at her before jamming his helmet on. His voice crackling as the modifier kicked in, giving him a ridiculous deep voice. He claimed it was to get out of speeding tickets. Ahsoka would argue that CSF had never been able to catch him to issue a ticket, and that Anakin was a drama king.

“Lux,” his stupid deep voice came out, “ditched you at every opportunity and then broke up through message. He was most disappointing and it is unfortunate I did not see him before he returned to Onderon. Lessons could have been learned.”

“Alright, well as soon as you stop pretending you’re scarier than you are, and remember how to not be a schutta we can talk.” Ahsoka was done with his bantha fodder.

Anakin’s voice followed her for a moment before she ducked into the lunchtime crowds. “Rude!”

Ahsoka weaved through the crowd, slipping through every gap she could to put a little space between her and her stupid friend. As soon as she hit the crossroads, Ahsoka made her way off the main paths. She needed to think, or clear her head, or something. There was no way she’d be able to concentrate and hopefully pass Obi-Wan’s exam like this. Ahsoka needed to focus on the political fallout from the Ruusan Reformations, and not on the way her heart had fluttered when Barriss had leaned into her for support during the holocall. Her heart did another two step at the memory. Barriss isn’t a touchy feely person and she was totally leaning into you and flopped all over you. Ahsoka could feel that stupid smile growing on her face again. She wants to fake date you through the holidays!

Wow, of all the pathetic things to get this excited over, giving someone else a cover story for a few months was one of the most pathetic she could think of.

Still.

Ahsoka huffed and rubbed the back of her head. Ruusan Reformations. Grade. For class. Important!

Would it have killed Anakin to just agree that she was wasting her time and shoot her down gently before she ruined her friendship with Barriss? Maybe she should have cancelled and had lunch with Kalifa. Kalifa was always good for reality checks.

Or call Padme and get better relationship advice. Ahsoka rolled her eyes as she ducked into the PoliSci building. She needed to stop herself, or pay someone to follow her around with a water bottle to spray her every few minutes. She managed to focus on that image until cramming herself into one of the tiny desks in the lecture hall. Any other class and she would have luxuriated in the over sized seats for larger students, but there was a wookie in this class and Ahsoka valued having both arms attached thank you. Adjusting herself around until her thighs didn’t feel like they’d snap from the pressure Ahsoka pulled out her datapad and pulled up her notes.

She even managed to focus on them for a whole five minutes before catching the reflection of a mirialan in her screen. He even had diamond tattoos, but she felt they suited Barriss’s face better. UGH! I am such a laserbrain!

Ahsoka crumpled over into a stupid lump and lightly smacked her forehead onto the desk a few times. “Calm down Tano.”

“I do not know why, but yes. You should calm down.” O-Mer smiled softly at her as Ahsoka twisted to look up at him. “Perhaps you can start by sitting up properly? Increased air flow and less back pain.”

She grumbled as she straightened up and twisted to let him slide into her row. “I’ve got twice as many vertebrae.”

“Yes, but they can still hurt.” O-Mer nodded sagely, the beads threaded into his braided hair clicked softly against one another with the motion. “There is no need to worry about this exam Ahsoka, Professor Kenobi lets you drop your lowest score.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and glared at him. “I’m not worried about the exam. Mostly. It’s personal.”

He looked thoughtful even as he turned to study his own notes. Kriffing cereans and their kriffing politeness! She kind of wanted him to ask? But not really? Ugh. Ahsoka had barely begun to stew when she suddenly remembered that O-Mer literally had three girlfriends.

“It’s girl trouble actually.” Ahsoka tried to keep herself composed.

Two sunflower yellow eyes locked onto hers with pure sympathy radiating from them in nearly visible waves. “Oh, I am sorry to hear it. Did Barriss turn you down?”

Ahsoka spluttered, “N-no! That’s not-who said anything about Barriss?”

“She is practically the only person you speak of.” O-Mer had the grace to not laugh in her face.

The nerve!

Lekku twitching with indignation, Ahsoka huffed, “I’ll have you know that I speak of many people. Like, uh, Anakin, and Kalifa...and uhm, Riyo? Anyways! No, she didn’t turn me down! I’ll have you know she asked me out actually!”

Her brain caught up just in time to laugh at her, while O-Mer smiled in confusion.

Kriff.

“I just didn’t expect it? And-I said yes of course, I’m not stupid ok, but, like, you know?” What in the actual ten corellian hells was she trying to say?

“I cannot say that I do, but congratulations.”

“Yeah congrats! What are we celebrating?” Jinx half flopped on his boyfriend from the row behind them startling Ahsoka half to death.

So much for predator instincts!

“Barriss asked her out and Ahsoka said yes.” O-Mer provided, unhelpfully spreading the lie that Ahsoka had blurted out.

Jinx looked between them suspiciously while Ahsoka hunched in on herself. “So why do you look like death? Cute girl said yes, or, well, you know what I meant.”

Caught between an earnest romantic sop and his cute asshole boyfriend, Ahsoka knew she was in too deep. This was over her head. Fess up time. “I don’t know what to do because-”

“Take her to the gardens, I mean it’s a cliche first date but probably more her speed than  watching illegal pod races.” Jinx cut her off with a shrug, “It’s not that hard honestly. You overthink everything.” O-Mer half  lifted his hand, as if this was some sort of deranged class question than an unasked for bit of advice. “I heard the fine arts building is having an opening for Twi’Lek golden age tapestries. Those are both beautiful to behold and erotic.”

“Hot.” Jinx said with a wink and a set of finger blasters.

If death would like to just take her now, Ahsoka would welcome it.

“Alright everyone, please put away your notes. Bags under your seats and hats off as you can.” Obi-Wan called out, smiling as he made eye contact with her.

Not what she’d meant but Ahsoka hadn’t exactly been specific with her prayer.

It took more willpower than she’d expected to stop envisioning the tapestries and her fool ass trying to justify why this was a Mature and Sophisticated date. Ten minutes in Ahsoka decided that the gardens was a much better hypothetical choice for all parties involved and shortly after was engrossed in her paper.

[funnycutcats]

All About Cute Breed Bengal Cats

All About Cute Breed Bengal Cats

Back in the 1980's Jean Mill (Millwood Bengals (USA) thought how wonderful it would be to have a domestic size cat with the exotic look and markings of a Leopard! Jean acquired an Asian Leopard Cat (Felis Bengalensis) which is a small,forest-dwelling wild cat that inhabits parts of Asia. Its markings are similar to that of the Leopard. The next step was the mating of the Asian Leopard Cat to the American Shorthair and domestic cat she used these cats to stabilize the timid, shy temperament of the Asian Leopard Cat. After years of frustration and excitement, the Bengal cat as we know it today emerged. Modern Day Bengals The Bengals of today are truly a breed that intrigue and delight almost everyone who comes in contact with them. Their beautiful patterns, colors, and markings along with their inquisitive nature make them a unique breed to own. Colors and Markings Bengals come with varying background coat colors, cream, golden and orange, on these base color's they can have either 'spotting' or the exotic 'marbling' pattern. 'Rosettes' highly sort after as this particular pattern most resembles the markings of the Asian Leopard Cat and the Leopard (see photo on the right) Snow Coloured Bengal's  Bengal's also come in what is called 'snow' coloring and have the same markings and patterns as the traditional 'brown or marbled' Bengal's. The 'snow's' come in three different categories which are as follows:- Seal Lynx Snow Seal Mink Snow Seal Sepia Snow Warpaint litter Bengal Temperament Bengal's are boisterous, energetic and very playful, sometimes a little headstrong and quite often naughty!!! They are very intelligent and can be quite easily taught basic commands. Many walk on a leash and come when called, they love to retrieve paper or balls. They really are more dog like that cat! I am sure they know what you are going to do before you do it! I hope this introduction will encourage you in your final decision into owning one of these wonderful animals. I can almost guarantee you will not regret it!

bengal cats pets Bengal Cats are not wild contrary to many people's opinion. They were bred from the crosses of the Asian Leopard and domestic cats. And, now they are extremely popular since they make good pets and have a beautiful leopard-like coat. The breed is said to be more domestic than wild, yet it has retained some of the habits peculiar for a wild animal such as climbing trees. Nowadays, almost all major organizations recognize the breed and it is eligible for showing. Bengal Cats - Description These are large cats that can reach a size of 15 pounds. Females are usually smaller than males with the average weight being 8-10 pounds. They are robust rather than delicate and have a well-developed muscle structure. The legs should be slightly longer in the back than in the front. The feet are large and rounded. A broadhead that may seem slightly small in proportion to the body characterizes the breed. The muzzle is broad and has prominent whiskers with high cheekbones. Bengal Cats Coat The Bengal cat has a very soft short to medium coat that is slightly longer in kittens. It is thick and luxurious and comes in various color patterns. Some Bengal cats may have a traditionally dark background color with stripes and spots. Others are called snows since the background color is creamy or pale white. It is desirable for Bengal Cats to have glitter.

Bengal Cats - Breeders - Rescues

Those Bengal cats that have at least three to four Bengal-to-Bengal breedings in their background are considered as the best pets. An SBT (stud book tradition) Bengal cat has four or more generations of Bengal-to-Bengal breedings. F1 Bengal cat comes from a breeding of a Bengal cat and the Asian Leopard, so F2 Bengal cats come from Bengal-to-Bengal breeding with one Bengal-to-Asian Leopard Cat breeding, etc. Once, the Bengal cat could be bred to cats with similar color pattern, yet this practice seems to be gradually reduced. Nowadays, most catteries breed Bengals to Bengals and are proud of their pets. The price of a Bengal cat varies from $650 to $800 and can reach as much as $2000. Needless to say, pet quality Bengal cats are comparatively less costly than show quality Bengal cats. Those Bengal cats that have at least three to four Bengal-to-Bengal breedings in their background are considered as the best pets. An SBT (stud book tradition) Bengal cat has four or more generations of Bengal-to-Bengal breedings. F1 Bengal cat comes from a breeding of a Bengal cat and the Asian Leopard, so F2 Bengal cats come from Bengal-to-Bengal breeding with one Bengal-to-Asian Leopard Cat breeding, etc. Once, the Bengal cat could be bred to cats with similar color pattern, yet this practice seems to be gradually reduced. Nowadays, most catteries breed Bengals to Bengals and are proud of their pets. Needless to say, pet quality Bengal cats are comparatively less costly than show quality Bengal cats. TICA (The International Cat Association) registers Bengal Cats, so do most other registries except the CFA (Cat Fancier's Association). For more information about standards and registries contact the AACE (American Association of Cat Enthusiasts), ACF (Australian Cat Federation), ACFA (American Cat Fanciers Association), TICA, or UFO (United Feline Organization). Various organizations dedicated solely to Bengal Cats can also provide information about the breed and breeding issues. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({});

Bengal Cat Breeders

bengal cats pets Of all Bengal Cat Breeders, Jean Mill is definitely the most recognized and famous one, since it was her who created this unique breed, and to who the whole world owes the pleasure of contemplating these sweet little leopard cats. Bengal Cats look very similar to Wild Asian Leopards, as they carry their gene, but they are not wild by nature and are as good with humans as any other domestic cat. Bengal Cats enjoy home life, and they cannot imagine it without interaction with their loved ones. They are very strong and enduring cats and are quick to learn new things and tricks. Bengal Cats enjoy splashing about in water and are famous for the vocal characteristics that single them out from all other domestic cats. Besides their melodic meowing, they can give all sorts of trills, twitters, chirps and so on. They seem to have a much richer vocal language than most other domestic cats, although they are not extremely noisy. Bengal Cat Breeders can tell you all you want to know about the cat’s temperament so that you will see if this is the right cat for you. Many people have a biased attitude toward these cats because of their wild appearance and for fear of aggression. All purebred Bengal Cats of today are completely free from wild behaviors, being even more people-oriented than some most intelligent Oriental cat breeds. Bengal Cats are superb pets, and they never show unmotivated aggression. They enjoy being carried in the arms, and are good with strangers. Show cats are known to withstand over 100 handlings each day without a single growl or bite. If you would like to have a “miniature leopard” in your home but still have doubts about his temperament, it is high time for you to turn to an experienced and qualified Bengal Cat Breeder who will dispel all myths and misconceptions about this wonderful breed. Bengal Cats have a flexible and sturdy body formation. Their coat comes in spotted or marble patterns. There are quite many coat color patterns common to the Bengal Cat, and there are no two identical cats on the planet. However, all Bengal Cats bear a strong resemblance to the Wild Asian Leopard, as this is the reason why they were bred. Bengal Cats are the only felines whose coat has a unique pearl or gold dust sheen and notably soft texture. Bengal Cats are large domestic felines, weighing up to 20 lbs. These cats are capable of expressing their emotions in numerous fashions and can be either rambunctious or peaceful, depending on their mood. Bengal Cat Breeders take great care selling their cats to responsible and trustworthy people, who will not engage in unethical breeding or take to abusive or harsh handling.

Domestic Bengal Cat

The Domestic Bengal Cat is a unique breed of cats, which is not yet recognized by the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA), but it has a registry with the International Cat Association (TICA). Actually, the Bengal Cat is a hybrid cat that was created by crossing the wild Asian Leopard with a number of domestic breeds with the goat to create a “miniature” leopard with what can be termed as “absolutely domestic temperament”. Indeed, Bengal Cats, though they look definitely wild, are absolutely people oriented and show no more aggression than any other domestic feline. Domestic Bengal Cats possess a characteristic leopard-like appearance and are strongly reminiscent of their wild ancestors. They are sturdy and athletic, with hind-quarters a little higher than the front, and with a characteristic thick striped tail. The coat is spotted or marbled, and there are a number of coat patterns typical of the breed: Seal Marbled Lynx Point, Seal Mink Marbled Tabby, Seal Mink Spotted Tabby, and Seal Spotted Lynx Point, and so forth. The coat is very smooth and feels silky to the touch, and it has a unique pearl or gold dusting glitter. Bengal Cats have dark stripes extending from their eyes and going to the back of the neck. The Domestic Bengal Cat is a very intelligent and communicative feline. He is absolutely free of any unprovoked aggression and will love to keep you company in whatever job you are going to do. Bengal Cats are renowned for their sweet and loving temperament, as they have scores of ways of expressing their emotions. They seem to completely understand human language and can be trained to do a number of tricks. Many Bengal cats learn easily to open doors, turn on and off water taps, switch on and off a light, etc. They are particularly inquisitive about food. The Bengal Cat is one of the few felines that love water. The Bengal Cat is famous for his loud and melodic voice, as well as for a number of other unique, almost bird-like twittering and chirping sounds he can produce. Bengal Cats are not widely spread, and hence they are highly prized. If you feel like having one in possession, you must be ready to pay a large sum of money for a kitten. It is absolutely imperative that you purchase only from a reputable breeder and strictly follow his or her advice on how to properly care for this cat. The Domestic Bengal Cat is a very friendly and affectionate companion, but you must make sure all cats are well socialized and enjoy good care. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({});

Bengal House Cat

Bengal cats The Bengal House Cat is a great pet, as he is not too demanding in terms of daily care. However, this is quite a rare and expensive breed of cats. The breed originated in the 1970s, by Jean Mill, who strove to develop a unique feline species with the size and temperament of a usual domestic cat and with the appearance of a leopard. In other words, the Bengal cat resulted from the addition of the gene of the Wild Asian Leopard to the domestic cat’s genetic pool. The Bengal cat was accepted as a breed in 1983 by the International Cat Association (TICA). However, the Cat Fanciers Association of the USA rejected the breed as most American organizations tend to be more suspicious about hybrid species. Today, there seem to be few reasons to fear behavioral problems in the Bengal Cats allegedly stemming from the Leopard’s gene, as these cats are more people-oriented and better lap companions than many old and reputed domestic cat breeds. Bengal House Cats of today are not sterile and are bred successfully. First crossings did produce sterile males, but Jean solved this problem by diversifying the animal’s genetic makeup. There are no sterile species in four-generation Bengal Cats. This wonderful breed attracts the attention of cat lovers all over the world by its exotic feline appearance. Their coat features characteristic jaguar-like patterns of rosette-shaped spots on the back and sides. There are distinctive dark lines extending from the eyes and then go backward. Bengal House Cats are large in size, weighing 10-20 lbs; males are larger than females. Bengal Cats come in spotted and marbled colors, which include the following: Seal Spotted Lynx Point and Seal Marbled Lynx Point, Seal Sepia Spotted Tabby and Seal Sepia Marbled Tabby, Seal Mink Spotted Tabby, Brown Spotted Tabby, Brown Marbled Tabby, and Seal Mink Marbled Tabby. Bengal Cats are increasingly popular in various parts of the world. With so many people showing interest in this breed, Bengal breeders and experts have realized the importance of preserving the purity of the cat’s gene pool. For this reason, responsible and reputable breeders tend to scrupulously check potential buyer’s personal qualities and opportunities in order to make sure they can handle them properly and keep them sound and healthy. Every buyer, in turn, must purchase kittens only from reputable breeders, who produce purebred kittens and breed for quality, not quantity. Purchasing from a responsible breeder will guarantee you a happy and funny life with your Bengal House Cat for years to come.

Bengal Cats - Temperament and Habits

Bengal cats are said to make good pets as they are beautiful and spend much time with their owners. They like to play and often use their claws as hands. Supply them with a toy and see how they will catch and fetch it to you. However, they have retained some of the instincts peculiar for wild cats. They are good tree climbers, so supplying them with a tree is essential. They enjoy the water, which is not peculiar for most felines. Isn't this fact amazing? In fact, they will immediately start playing with water once the owners leave the shower on. Intelligent and playful, they make good companions for children and are generally good with other cats and dogs. Temperament depends much on the background of the Bengal cat. The greater the percentage of Asiatic Leopard blood, the wilder the pet cat is. It is recommended to buy Bengal cats that are removed at least three or four generations from the Asiatic Leopard. Otherwise, they can be hard to manage. Bengal cats make great show cats on the condition that they are well mannered. The standard accepts such behavior as restlessness and anxiety during a show. Yet, Bengal Cats that resist any examination and are unruly during a show should be disqualified. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL44i4o3-gM (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({}); Follow us on : Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest Read the full article

[jurassicparkpodcast]

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | Review

Traumatized. Jaw-Dropping. Unsure. Emotional. Concerned. Words can barely describe the feelings I felt leaving the theater after seeing Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom for the first time. It was an odd experience. What is usually a joyous celebration once the credits roll, left me feeling void of a response to everything I witnessed. Sounds bad, right? My answer to that question is not so simple. 

There was a special feeling seeing the first footage revealed from Universal's marketing campaign, when Chris Pratt's character, Owen Grady, pet a baby raptor named "Blue". It was the first time we - as an audience - saw a dinosaur in this film's cycle. Things were simpler then. Months later we found ourselves in the midst of one of the biggest marketing campaigns ever created for a film, touting Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as a film with potentially the most dinosaurs in a "Jurassic" film. I had my assumptions, but after seeing Fallen Kingdom - it was confirmed. We had seen most of the film via trailers, tv spots and other promo material. I was surely bummed at that notion. 

Sitting in the theater, waiting to see a film for the first time is always an interesting experience. It's been three years of conjecture, theories and debunking on the podcast, but none of that really matched up to the direction this film headed. I kept saying - "we'll be in a new place", but I didn't expect how new it would be. "Jurassic" films have a "feel". Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom felt the least "Jurassic" to me. THAT IS NOT A BAD THING. It's different. It's new. After seeing this film, no one can really say that it's The Lost World: Jurassic Park or that it's re-hashing the past. Writers Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly, along with Director J.A. Bayona seriously took this franchise in a BOLD new direction. This movie is more of an action film than ever before. It's more dramatic than any previous film. The horror is amped to new levels. None of that even includes the new plot element that is the catalyst for an entirely different discussion. This series is forever changed. 

J.A. Bayona and Cinematographer Oscar Faura are the reason why this film feels the most stark in comparison to the previous four films. Of course we all know that Director Steven Spielberg is a master of light, but what was a casual observance in previous films, really comes to the forefront in Fallen Kingdom. There is so much visual mastery happening in this film, that it's hard to single out my favorite aspects. Whether it's a silhouette against the moon or a brief glimpse of a skulking monster, Bayona and Faura deserve immense accolades for making this unabashedly the most breathtaking film in the franchise. 

Today, films are dictated by the incredibly wild set pieces on display, and Fallen Kingdom is no different. We can argue all day about today's films being all action and no substance, but within that genre, I think Fallen Kingdom blends action and substance really well. We have the visually impressive volcano escape, the moments of reflection from the characters in motion and of course the Gothic horror elements inside Lockwood's Estate. The set pieces certainly take front and center, but I wouldn't say they define the film. It really does feel like a great character piece, building off what we knew about these people and dinosaurs from Jurassic World and giving them more layers. When you look back on Jurassic World and even Jurassic Park, you will see things through a different lens. I think that is the mark of a good film - changing your perception to make you think differently about the past. It's not just an island on fire and jump scares, there is substance. 

I've had to remind myself many times after seeing the film - I laughed a lot... this film brought me to tears... my jaw hung open, completely enthralled - but I still felt unsure. I couldn't put a finger on it, because I had seemingly enjoyed everything on the screen. Yes, there are a few cringe-worthy moments, i.e. one of which involving Owen Grady and the impending lava - but what was it that truly haunted me? Maybe it was the destruction of all we've know and loved for the past 25 years or maybe it was my expectations being denied - I don't know. So much of this film was technically better than Jurassic World, back in 2015, but I left the theater after that film feeling much more fulfilled.  

Looking at the players involved, Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt held the reins, with Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, Rafe Spall, Isabella Sermon and James Cromwell to a name a few, becoming stellar additions to the "Jurassic" franchise. Bryce Dallas Howard put on a clinic in this film, using facial expressions to convey so much emotion - she was incredibly believable. Daniella Pineda ignited a spark in this franchise with secondary players that hasn't been lit since The Lost World. Newcomer Isabella Sermon continued the through-line of child actors being a major part of "Jurassic" films, and potentially elevated that role beyond that of Jurassic Park. Rafe Spall's character Eli Mills is certainly modeled after many of the traits found in the previous film's characters, but he performs it effortlessly better than his predecessors. This cast as a whole, even the ones unmentioned, combine for an extremely memorable ensemble performance. Of course Mr. Jeff Goldblum, the one and only, shines in his time on screen. 

Tying us to the elements of the past is a MAJOR theme in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Jurassic World certainly had it's call-backs, but Fallen Kingdom takes it few steps farther and uses that nostalgic feeling wisely. I had my complaints about the use of the Visitors Center in Jurassic World, but this film widens the universe with nostalgia in some of the best ways possible. There are layers of connections to the past that will leave you contemplating how it all fits together. The film weaves in stories you never knew existed and builds the past in ways you didn't expect, but I'm trilled to have these details to sift through. I'm still emotional thinking about all the ways this film shook us. They used nostalgia as a blade and stabbed me through the heart in several different ways. This film also attempts to copy the ideals of The Last Jedi by killing the past. From here on out, the franchise will be different. We see death, we see destruction and we see the birth of new threads that could potentially take us into complex new territory. I'm both excited and scared to contemplate those paths on the podcast. 

Time and time again, the one aspect that has been somewhat steadfast is the scores of the Jurassic Park franchise. This film is no different, but I find myself wondering how this score will compare after hundreds of spins. "Jurassic" music has become iconic to even those less obsessed than myself. It's timeless, it's epic and it's filled with wonder - but what about now? All the talk about how things will change from here on out and how visually this is a different film, what does that mean for the music? It's dark - maybe even darker than the film displays, but that wind of change has captured the score as well. As usual, the score contains hints of old, but mostly new and composer Michael Giacchino finds ways to blend three films worth of scores together perfectly. The masterful track "Volcano to Death" breaks my heart each and every time. I audibly gasp when I realized Giacchino pulled the rug out from under me on that track. It still hurts. 

The score does have some pitfalls in my opinion. I absolutely love all the new motifs - they are epic, bombastic and brutally subtle at times, but I feel it is lacking in diversity. One new theme that I've been calling the "dinosaur theme" is pretty constant throughout the score. It shows up in the film from beginning to end and seems to be only directly tied to dinosaurs. That's fine, but it comes off as a bit repetitious while listening to the score. The only theme we've ever associated with dinosaurs before would just be the main Jurassic Park theme from John Williams. I also cannot find a hint of a theme for the main dinosaur villain of this film, the Indoraptor. The Indominus Rex theme from Jurassic World was peppered throughout that score and remains one of the most notable themes from that film. I was hoping for something similar with the Indoraptor, but unless I missed something, it doesn't seem to be here. As a musical work, the score as a whole is phenomenal - but as a thematic work in a film, I think it slightly misses the mark. Maybe I'll eat my words there, but that's how it comes off after the initial twenty listens or so. 

In some ways, the third act of this film mirrors what we see in Jurassic World. A few select moments felt like on-the-nose recreations or at least contained similar outcomes. I find myself asking much of the same questions that I had at the end of Jurassic World. Throughout the film, we are littered with the consequences of saving the dinosaurs, but I cannot help but wonder if these consequences are THAT dire. Certain threats lend themselves to greater consequences, but I feel like most of those were left on the back burner in the film's culmination. I look forward to debating the secondary consequences the most. The funny thing about this film is that at the end of the day, it's a magic trick. You think you "Set A" of consequences are the more concerning, but the whole time it was actually "Set B" that you didn't expect.  

Where do we go from here? - That is the main question this film poses. It makes us continue to question our relationship to dinosaurs, to humanity and our morals as a society. The film leaves us hanging on a cliff, wondering how things will be resolved on June 11th 2021, when the third installment of Jurassic World arrives. I am traumatized. This film is a big departure from what we are used to - but in the end, I think we will be better off for it.

Article written by: Brad Jost

[dragnews]

Where Female Elephants Without Tusks Roam — and Poachers Stay Away

ADDO, South Africa — Through the narrow slit of the underground hide in front of the water hole, an African morning revealed itself. The sun painted the earth orange. A lion stepped out of the bush and a small herd of perfectly camouflaged kudus, a large antelope-like animal, started and bolted away.

Soon a single bull elephant appeared where the lion had been, shaking his head as if scanning the bush. After a while, five female elephants descended the orange hillside to drink.

Even from a distance it was easy to tell they were females; in South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park, they are almost always the ones without tusks.

In most African elephant populations, as few as 2 percent of the cows lack tusks. But among Addo’s 300-odd females, the rate is 90 percent to 95 percent, a trait that has evolved rapidly over the last century.

And at least partly as a result, Addo’s elephants have also been spared something else: poaching.

“Addo elephants might be the biggest success story anywhere,” said the park’s conservation manager, John Adendorff. “So maybe it’s not a bad thing that they don’t have tusks. Tusklessness has helped protect them.”

Addo is the most dramatic example of the increase in the numbers of African elephants without tusks but not the only one.

In Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, widespread poaching during that country’s civil war in the 1970s to 1990s killed off disproportionately large numbers of elephants with tusks.

The result is that in Gorongosa, 53 percent of adult females and 35 percent of newborn females have no tusks, said Joyce Poole, an elephant biologist with the research and conservation organization Elephant Voices who has studied the animals for 43 years.

“Among females then, the poachers were preferentially killing animals with tusks and leaving tuskless ones to survive, so they were breeding and producing more tuskless offspring,” Dr. Poole said.

An increase in females without tusks has also been seen in Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda in recent years.

Although scientists have not worked out the genetics, the absence of tusks appears to be a sex-linked trait and rarely occurs among males, except through injury.

This is why the unnatural selection brought about by poaching has not affected bull elephants much. Even in Addo, nearly all bulls have tusks, although they tend to be smaller than those of bulls elsewhere — another disincentive to poachers.

A 50-year-old bull can grow tusks as heavy as 49 kilograms (108 pounds) each. With a world ivory price in the range of $1,000 per kilogram, that’s a nearly $100,000 payday for poachers.

The Addo park on South Africa’s Eastern Cape is almost as far south as any of the world’s wild elephants go.

Although the lack of tusks on the female population has discouraged poachers, the park is taking no chances. Its 80 rangers are armed and ready with military training and weaponry, a small air wing, and high-tech infrared and motion-detecting sensors planted throughout the park.

The rangers stake out water holes and game trails, regularly camping out overnight in the thickets. When one of the sensors picks up something that may be human or a vehicle, the rangers’ smartphones trill with alerts.

“In order to catch a thief, you have to think like a thief,” said Michael Paxton, a ranger who is a veteran of poacher wars in South Africa’s Kruger National Park along the Mozambique border.

So far, Addo officials and scientists say, there hasn’t been a single instance of poaching of protected species in the park. That seems odd considering that in addition to elephants, Addo also has more than 200 black rhino, the rarest rhino species, as well as Cape buffalo herds and other endangered species.

But it’s not just the security that keeps the poachers at bay, said Graham Kerley, an expert on the Addo elephants from South Africa’s Nelson Mandela University. Another factor is the nearly impenetrable landscape, known as valley thicket.

Nearly everything in the thicket is edible to the mega-herbivores such as elephants and so nearly everything has evolved thorns and spikes in a kind of vegetarian arms race. The plants’ names reflect that: mother-in-law’s tongue, needle plant, spike thorn, pig’s ear and the elephants’ favorite snack — the speckboom or bacon bush.

“The dense bush makes it difficult and dangerous to be on foot as well as unlikely to encounter poachable animals,” Dr. Kerley said. “The prospect of getting good ivory is also low, and the risks of gunshots being detected is high.”

The Eastern Cape’s “great white hunter,” Maj. P. J. Pretorius, attested to that in his autobiography, calling Addo “a hunter’s hell.” Major Pretorius wiped out nearly the entire Addo elephant population in the early 1900s, killing more than 100 of them.

When he finished, there were only 11 surviving Addo elephants, and of the eight cows, four or more were tuskless.

Anna M. Whitehouse, an elephant expert who has studied the Addo population for many years, said the number of tuskless elephants increased steadily after the park was founded in 1931, reaching 98 percent by the early 2000s. All of them descended from those original 11.

But Ms. Whitehouse attributed that to inbreeding among the small number of animals, a phenomenon known as “genetic drift,” rather than because of natural selection due to poaching.

Dr. Poole, the elephant biologist, acknowledged that likelihood as well. But while Major Pretorius was not a poacher — local farmers hired him to kill off the elephants — the effect was the same.

“It was still guys with guns killing elephants,” she said, “and obviously they were most interested in elephants with tusks, who they would have shot first. People were into ivory then, too.”

Male elephants use tusks to fight other males for access to females, and to guard their family herds. Protecting the tuskless females seems to be the reason bull elephants often come first to the water holes in Addo.

But tusks are also tools for gathering food, digging for water and fending off predators, so cows need them as well.

Nonetheless, the absence of tusks does not seem to have hurt the Addo elephant population much. It has been doubling once every 13 years and now numbers more than 600.

“Maybe tusklessness is the future,” said Mr. Paxton, the ranger. “Our cows have gone a hundred years without tusks and they’ve done O.K.”

Many scientists say something similar happened to the Asian elephant, possibly before modern times. Females of that species seldom have tusks, and the male tusks are much smaller than those of African elephants.

Ivory has been coveted in Asia throughout history, and the demand in China and other Far Eastern countries remains the biggest driver in elephant poaching. Recently, though, demand has dropped somewhat in China.

But there is a new problem for Asian elephants that may yet reach African ones — the desire in China for elephant leather accessories and traditional remedies made from their hides.

“Now the poachers are starting to come after elephant hides,” said Mr. Adendorff, the park’s conservation manager.

Addo’s rangers tend to get emotional about their elephants. Mr. Paxton took visitors to the final resting place of a big tuskless cow who was accidentally injured in March trying to force her 12-year-old son out of the herd, a normal social behavior.

The young bull resisted forcefully, breaking his mother’s leg so badly a bone protruded and rangers had to put her down. As soon as that happened, elephants that were scattered around the park — every one of them probably a relative of some degree — started coming to the body.

Some came from as far as 20 miles away until scores were standing nearby, their heads hanging, either quietly or making a low rumbling noise, in what some zoologists have interpreted as a display of mourning.

Mr. Paxton pointed to the elephant’s bleached skeleton, picked clean by scavengers.

“They still come to visit here,” he said.

“They’re so incredibly intelligent,” Mr. Adendorff said. “They cuddle their young and spank them when they misbehave. But I hate to say that they’re close to humans, because we’re the scourge of this planet. They’re not.”

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A6 of the New York edition with the headline: These Elephants Have No Tusks. No Poachers Either.. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

The post Where Female Elephants Without Tusks Roam — and Poachers Stay Away appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2tiDRSq via Today News

[cleopatrarps]

Where Female Elephants Without Tusks Roam — and Poachers Stay Away

ADDO, South Africa — Through the narrow slit of the underground hide in front of the water hole, an African morning revealed itself. The sun painted the earth orange. A lion stepped out of the bush and a small herd of perfectly camouflaged kudus, a large antelope-like animal, started and bolted away.

Soon a single bull elephant appeared where the lion had been, shaking his head as if scanning the bush. After a while, five female elephants descended the orange hillside to drink.

Even from a distance it was easy to tell they were females; in South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park, they are almost always the ones without tusks.

In most African elephant populations, as few as 2 percent of the cows lack tusks. But among Addo’s 300-odd females, the rate is 90 percent to 95 percent, a trait that has evolved rapidly over the last century.

And at least partly as a result, Addo’s elephants have also been spared something else: poaching.

“Addo elephants might be the biggest success story anywhere,” said the park’s conservation manager, John Adendorff. “So maybe it’s not a bad thing that they don’t have tusks. Tusklessness has helped protect them.”

Addo is the most dramatic example of the increase in the numbers of African elephants without tusks but not the only one.

In Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, widespread poaching during that country’s civil war in the 1970s to 1990s killed off disproportionately large numbers of elephants with tusks.

The result is that in Gorongosa, 53 percent of adult females and 35 percent of newborn females have no tusks, said Joyce Poole, an elephant biologist with the research and conservation organization Elephant Voices who has studied the animals for 43 years.

“Among females then, the poachers were preferentially killing animals with tusks and leaving tuskless ones to survive, so they were breeding and producing more tuskless offspring,” Dr. Poole said.

An increase in females without tusks has also been seen in Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda in recent years.

Although scientists have not worked out the genetics, the absence of tusks appears to be a sex-linked trait and rarely occurs among males, except through injury.

This is why the unnatural selection brought about by poaching has not affected bull elephants much. Even in Addo, nearly all bulls have tusks, although they tend to be smaller than those of bulls elsewhere — another disincentive to poachers.

A 50-year-old bull can grow tusks as heavy as 49 kilograms (108 pounds) each. With a world ivory price in the range of $1,000 per kilogram, that’s a nearly $100,000 payday for poachers.

The Addo park on South Africa’s Eastern Cape is almost as far south as any of the world’s wild elephants go.

Although the lack of tusks on the female population has discouraged poachers, the park is taking no chances. Its 80 rangers are armed and ready with military training and weaponry, a small air wing, and high-tech infrared and motion-detecting sensors planted throughout the park.

The rangers stake out water holes and game trails, regularly camping out overnight in the thickets. When one of the sensors picks up something that may be human or a vehicle, the rangers’ smartphones trill with alerts.

“In order to catch a thief, you have to think like a thief,” said Michael Paxton, a ranger who is a veteran of poacher wars in South Africa’s Kruger National Park along the Mozambique border.

So far, Addo officials and scientists say, there hasn’t been a single instance of poaching of protected species in the park. That seems odd considering that in addition to elephants, Addo also has more than 200 black rhino, the rarest rhino species, as well as Cape buffalo herds and other endangered species.

But it’s not just the security that keeps the poachers at bay, said Graham Kerley, an expert on the Addo elephants from South Africa’s Nelson Mandela University. Another factor is the nearly impenetrable landscape, known as valley thicket.

Nearly everything in the thicket is edible to the mega-herbivores such as elephants and so nearly everything has evolved thorns and spikes in a kind of vegetarian arms race. The plants’ names reflect that: mother-in-law’s tongue, needle plant, spike thorn, pig’s ear and the elephants’ favorite snack — the speckboom or bacon bush.

“The dense bush makes it difficult and dangerous to be on foot as well as unlikely to encounter poachable animals,” Dr. Kerley said. “The prospect of getting good ivory is also low, and the risks of gunshots being detected is high.”

The Eastern Cape’s “great white hunter,” Maj. P. J. Pretorius, attested to that in his autobiography, calling Addo “a hunter’s hell.” Major Pretorius wiped out nearly the entire Addo elephant population in the early 1900s, killing more than 100 of them.

When he finished, there were only 11 surviving Addo elephants, and of the eight cows, four or more were tuskless.

Anna M. Whitehouse, an elephant expert who has studied the Addo population for many years, said the number of tuskless elephants increased steadily after the park was founded in 1931, reaching 98 percent by the early 2000s. All of them descended from those original 11.

But Ms. Whitehouse attributed that to inbreeding among the small number of animals, a phenomenon known as “genetic drift,” rather than because of natural selection due to poaching.

Dr. Poole, the elephant biologist, acknowledged that likelihood as well. But while Major Pretorius was not a poacher — local farmers hired him to kill off the elephants — the effect was the same.

“It was still guys with guns killing elephants,” she said, “and obviously they were most interested in elephants with tusks, who they would have shot first. People were into ivory then, too.”

Male elephants use tusks to fight other males for access to females, and to guard their family herds. Protecting the tuskless females seems to be the reason bull elephants often come first to the water holes in Addo.

But tusks are also tools for gathering food, digging for water and fending off predators, so cows need them as well.

Nonetheless, the absence of tusks does not seem to have hurt the Addo elephant population much. It has been doubling once every 13 years and now numbers more than 600.

“Maybe tusklessness is the future,” said Mr. Paxton, the ranger. “Our cows have gone a hundred years without tusks and they’ve done O.K.”

Many scientists say something similar happened to the Asian elephant, possibly before modern times. Females of that species seldom have tusks, and the male tusks are much smaller than those of African elephants.

Ivory has been coveted in Asia throughout history, and the demand in China and other Far Eastern countries remains the biggest driver in elephant poaching. Recently, though, demand has dropped somewhat in China.

But there is a new problem for Asian elephants that may yet reach African ones — the desire in China for elephant leather accessories and traditional remedies made from their hides.

“Now the poachers are starting to come after elephant hides,” said Mr. Adendorff, the park’s conservation manager.

Addo’s rangers tend to get emotional about their elephants. Mr. Paxton took visitors to the final resting place of a big tuskless cow who was accidentally injured in March trying to force her 12-year-old son out of the herd, a normal social behavior.

The young bull resisted forcefully, breaking his mother’s leg so badly a bone protruded and rangers had to put her down. As soon as that happened, elephants that were scattered around the park — every one of them probably a relative of some degree — started coming to the body.

Some came from as far as 20 miles away until scores were standing nearby, their heads hanging, either quietly or making a low rumbling noise, in what some zoologists have interpreted as a display of mourning.

Mr. Paxton pointed to the elephant’s bleached skeleton, picked clean by scavengers.

“They still come to visit here,” he said.

“They’re so incredibly intelligent,” Mr. Adendorff said. “They cuddle their young and spank them when they misbehave. But I hate to say that they’re close to humans, because we’re the scourge of this planet. They’re not.”

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A6 of the New York edition with the headline: These Elephants Have No Tusks. No Poachers Either.. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

The post Where Female Elephants Without Tusks Roam — and Poachers Stay Away appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2tiDRSq via News of World

[party-hard-or-die]

Where Female Elephants Without Tusks Roam — and Poachers Stay Away

ADDO, South Africa — Through the narrow slit of the underground hide in front of the water hole, an African morning revealed itself. The sun painted the earth orange. A lion stepped out of the bush and a small herd of perfectly camouflaged kudus, a large antelope-like animal, started and bolted away.

Soon a single bull elephant appeared where the lion had been, shaking his head as if scanning the bush. After a while, five female elephants descended the orange hillside to drink.

Even from a distance it was easy to tell they were females; in South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park, they are almost always the ones without tusks.

In most African elephant populations, as few as 2 percent of the cows lack tusks. But among Addo’s 300-odd females, the rate is 90 percent to 95 percent, a trait that has evolved rapidly over the last century.

And at least partly as a result, Addo’s elephants have also been spared something else: poaching.

“Addo elephants might be the biggest success story anywhere,” said the park’s conservation manager, John Adendorff. “So maybe it’s not a bad thing that they don’t have tusks. Tusklessness has helped protect them.”

Addo is the most dramatic example of the increase in the numbers of African elephants without tusks but not the only one.

In Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, widespread poaching during that country’s civil war in the 1970s to 1990s killed off disproportionately large numbers of elephants with tusks.

The result is that in Gorongosa, 53 percent of adult females and 35 percent of newborn females have no tusks, said Joyce Poole, an elephant biologist with the research and conservation organization Elephant Voices who has studied the animals for 43 years.

“Among females then, the poachers were preferentially killing animals with tusks and leaving tuskless ones to survive, so they were breeding and producing more tuskless offspring,” Dr. Poole said.

An increase in females without tusks has also been seen in Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda in recent years.

Although scientists have not worked out the genetics, the absence of tusks appears to be a sex-linked trait and rarely occurs among males, except through injury.

This is why the unnatural selection brought about by poaching has not affected bull elephants much. Even in Addo, nearly all bulls have tusks, although they tend to be smaller than those of bulls elsewhere — another disincentive to poachers.

A 50-year-old bull can grow tusks as heavy as 49 kilograms (108 pounds) each. With a world ivory price in the range of $1,000 per kilogram, that’s a nearly $100,000 payday for poachers.

The Addo park on South Africa’s Eastern Cape is almost as far south as any of the world’s wild elephants go.

Although the lack of tusks on the female population has discouraged poachers, the park is taking no chances. Its 80 rangers are armed and ready with military training and weaponry, a small air wing, and high-tech infrared and motion-detecting sensors planted throughout the park.

The rangers stake out water holes and game trails, regularly camping out overnight in the thickets. When one of the sensors picks up something that may be human or a vehicle, the rangers’ smartphones trill with alerts.

“In order to catch a thief, you have to think like a thief,” said Michael Paxton, a ranger who is a veteran of poacher wars in South Africa’s Kruger National Park along the Mozambique border.

So far, Addo officials and scientists say, there hasn’t been a single instance of poaching of protected species in the park. That seems odd considering that in addition to elephants, Addo also has more than 200 black rhino, the rarest rhino species, as well as Cape buffalo herds and other endangered species.

But it’s not just the security that keeps the poachers at bay, said Graham Kerley, an expert on the Addo elephants from South Africa’s Nelson Mandela University. Another factor is the nearly impenetrable landscape, known as valley thicket.

Nearly everything in the thicket is edible to the mega-herbivores such as elephants and so nearly everything has evolved thorns and spikes in a kind of vegetarian arms race. The plants’ names reflect that: mother-in-law’s tongue, needle plant, spike thorn, pig’s ear and the elephants’ favorite snack — the speckboom or bacon bush.

“The dense bush makes it difficult and dangerous to be on foot as well as unlikely to encounter poachable animals,” Dr. Kerley said. “The prospect of getting good ivory is also low, and the risks of gunshots being detected is high.”

The Eastern Cape’s “great white hunter,” Maj. P. J. Pretorius, attested to that in his autobiography, calling Addo “a hunter’s hell.” Major Pretorius wiped out nearly the entire Addo elephant population in the early 1900s, killing more than 100 of them.

When he finished, there were only 11 surviving Addo elephants, and of the eight cows, four or more were tuskless.

Anna M. Whitehouse, an elephant expert who has studied the Addo population for many years, said the number of tuskless elephants increased steadily after the park was founded in 1931, reaching 98 percent by the early 2000s. All of them descended from those original 11.

But Ms. Whitehouse attributed that to inbreeding among the small number of animals, a phenomenon known as “genetic drift,” rather than because of natural selection due to poaching.

Dr. Poole, the elephant biologist, acknowledged that likelihood as well. But while Major Pretorius was not a poacher — local farmers hired him to kill off the elephants — the effect was the same.

“It was still guys with guns killing elephants,” she said, “and obviously they were most interested in elephants with tusks, who they would have shot first. People were into ivory then, too.”

Male elephants use tusks to fight other males for access to females, and to guard their family herds. Protecting the tuskless females seems to be the reason bull elephants often come first to the water holes in Addo.

But tusks are also tools for gathering food, digging for water and fending off predators, so cows need them as well.

Nonetheless, the absence of tusks does not seem to have hurt the Addo elephant population much. It has been doubling once every 13 years and now numbers more than 600.

“Maybe tusklessness is the future,” said Mr. Paxton, the ranger. “Our cows have gone a hundred years without tusks and they’ve done O.K.”

Many scientists say something similar happened to the Asian elephant, possibly before modern times. Females of that species seldom have tusks, and the male tusks are much smaller than those of African elephants.

Ivory has been coveted in Asia throughout history, and the demand in China and other Far Eastern countries remains the biggest driver in elephant poaching. Recently, though, demand has dropped somewhat in China.

But there is a new problem for Asian elephants that may yet reach African ones — the desire in China for elephant leather accessories and traditional remedies made from their hides.

“Now the poachers are starting to come after elephant hides,” said Mr. Adendorff, the park’s conservation manager.

Addo’s rangers tend to get emotional about their elephants. Mr. Paxton took visitors to the final resting place of a big tuskless cow who was accidentally injured in March trying to force her 12-year-old son out of the herd, a normal social behavior.

The young bull resisted forcefully, breaking his mother’s leg so badly a bone protruded and rangers had to put her down. As soon as that happened, elephants that were scattered around the park — every one of them probably a relative of some degree — started coming to the body.

Some came from as far as 20 miles away until scores were standing nearby, their heads hanging, either quietly or making a low rumbling noise, in what some zoologists have interpreted as a display of mourning.

Mr. Paxton pointed to the elephant’s bleached skeleton, picked clean by scavengers.

“They still come to visit here,” he said.

“They’re so incredibly intelligent,” Mr. Adendorff said. “They cuddle their young and spank them when they misbehave. But I hate to say that they’re close to humans, because we’re the scourge of this planet. They’re not.”

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A6 of the New York edition with the headline: These Elephants Have No Tusks. No Poachers Either.. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

The post Where Female Elephants Without Tusks Roam — and Poachers Stay Away appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2tiDRSq via Breaking News

[newestbalance]

Where Female Elephants Without Tusks Roam — and Poachers Stay Away

ADDO, South Africa — Through the narrow slit of the underground hide in front of the water hole, an African morning revealed itself. The sun painted the earth orange. A lion stepped out of the bush and a small herd of perfectly camouflaged kudus, a large antelope-like animal, started and bolted away.

Soon a single bull elephant appeared where the lion had been, shaking his head as if scanning the bush. After a while, five female elephants descended the orange hillside to drink.

Even from a distance it was easy to tell they were females; in South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park, they are almost always the ones without tusks.

In most African elephant populations, as few as 2 percent of the cows lack tusks. But among Addo’s 300-odd females, the rate is 90 percent to 95 percent, a trait that has evolved rapidly over the last century.

And at least partly as a result, Addo’s elephants have also been spared something else: poaching.

“Addo elephants might be the biggest success story anywhere,” said the park’s conservation manager, John Adendorff. “So maybe it’s not a bad thing that they don’t have tusks. Tusklessness has helped protect them.”

Addo is the most dramatic example of the increase in the numbers of African elephants without tusks but not the only one.

In Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, widespread poaching during that country’s civil war in the 1970s to 1990s killed off disproportionately large numbers of elephants with tusks.

The result is that in Gorongosa, 53 percent of adult females and 35 percent of newborn females have no tusks, said Joyce Poole, an elephant biologist with the research and conservation organization Elephant Voices who has studied the animals for 43 years.

“Among females then, the poachers were preferentially killing animals with tusks and leaving tuskless ones to survive, so they were breeding and producing more tuskless offspring,” Dr. Poole said.

An increase in females without tusks has also been seen in Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda in recent years.

Although scientists have not worked out the genetics, the absence of tusks appears to be a sex-linked trait and rarely occurs among males, except through injury.

This is why the unnatural selection brought about by poaching has not affected bull elephants much. Even in Addo, nearly all bulls have tusks, although they tend to be smaller than those of bulls elsewhere — another disincentive to poachers.

A 50-year-old bull can grow tusks as heavy as 49 kilograms (108 pounds) each. With a world ivory price in the range of $1,000 per kilogram, that’s a nearly $100,000 payday for poachers.

The Addo park on South Africa’s Eastern Cape is almost as far south as any of the world’s wild elephants go.

Although the lack of tusks on the female population has discouraged poachers, the park is taking no chances. Its 80 rangers are armed and ready with military training and weaponry, a small air wing, and high-tech infrared and motion-detecting sensors planted throughout the park.

The rangers stake out water holes and game trails, regularly camping out overnight in the thickets. When one of the sensors picks up something that may be human or a vehicle, the rangers’ smartphones trill with alerts.

“In order to catch a thief, you have to think like a thief,” said Michael Paxton, a ranger who is a veteran of poacher wars in South Africa’s Kruger National Park along the Mozambique border.

So far, Addo officials and scientists say, there hasn’t been a single instance of poaching of protected species in the park. That seems odd considering that in addition to elephants, Addo also has more than 200 black rhino, the rarest rhino species, as well as Cape buffalo herds and other endangered species.

But it’s not just the security that keeps the poachers at bay, said Graham Kerley, an expert on the Addo elephants from South Africa’s Nelson Mandela University. Another factor is the nearly impenetrable landscape, known as valley thicket.

Nearly everything in the thicket is edible to the mega-herbivores such as elephants and so nearly everything has evolved thorns and spikes in a kind of vegetarian arms race. The plants’ names reflect that: mother-in-law’s tongue, needle plant, spike thorn, pig’s ear and the elephants’ favorite snack — the speckboom or bacon bush.

“The dense bush makes it difficult and dangerous to be on foot as well as unlikely to encounter poachable animals,” Dr. Kerley said. “The prospect of getting good ivory is also low, and the risks of gunshots being detected is high.”

The Eastern Cape’s “great white hunter,” Maj. P. J. Pretorius, attested to that in his autobiography, calling Addo “a hunter’s hell.” Major Pretorius wiped out nearly the entire Addo elephant population in the early 1900s, killing more than 100 of them.

When he finished, there were only 11 surviving Addo elephants, and of the eight cows, four or more were tuskless.

Anna M. Whitehouse, an elephant expert who has studied the Addo population for many years, said the number of tuskless elephants increased steadily after the park was founded in 1931, reaching 98 percent by the early 2000s. All of them descended from those original 11.

But Ms. Whitehouse attributed that to inbreeding among the small number of animals, a phenomenon known as “genetic drift,” rather than because of natural selection due to poaching.

Dr. Poole, the elephant biologist, acknowledged that likelihood as well. But while Major Pretorius was not a poacher — local farmers hired him to kill off the elephants — the effect was the same.

“It was still guys with guns killing elephants,” she said, “and obviously they were most interested in elephants with tusks, who they would have shot first. People were into ivory then, too.”

Male elephants use tusks to fight other males for access to females, and to guard their family herds. Protecting the tuskless females seems to be the reason bull elephants often come first to the water holes in Addo.

But tusks are also tools for gathering food, digging for water and fending off predators, so cows need them as well.

Nonetheless, the absence of tusks does not seem to have hurt the Addo elephant population much. It has been doubling once every 13 years and now numbers more than 600.

“Maybe tusklessness is the future,” said Mr. Paxton, the ranger. “Our cows have gone a hundred years without tusks and they’ve done O.K.”

Many scientists say something similar happened to the Asian elephant, possibly before modern times. Females of that species seldom have tusks, and the male tusks are much smaller than those of African elephants.

Ivory has been coveted in Asia throughout history, and the demand in China and other Far Eastern countries remains the biggest driver in elephant poaching. Recently, though, demand has dropped somewhat in China.

But there is a new problem for Asian elephants that may yet reach African ones — the desire in China for elephant leather accessories and traditional remedies made from their hides.

“Now the poachers are starting to come after elephant hides,” said Mr. Adendorff, the park’s conservation manager.

Addo’s rangers tend to get emotional about their elephants. Mr. Paxton took visitors to the final resting place of a big tuskless cow who was accidentally injured in March trying to force her 12-year-old son out of the herd, a normal social behavior.

The young bull resisted forcefully, breaking his mother’s leg so badly a bone protruded and rangers had to put her down. As soon as that happened, elephants that were scattered around the park — every one of them probably a relative of some degree — started coming to the body.

Some came from as far as 20 miles away until scores were standing nearby, their heads hanging, either quietly or making a low rumbling noise, in what some zoologists have interpreted as a display of mourning.

Mr. Paxton pointed to the elephant’s bleached skeleton, picked clean by scavengers.

“They still come to visit here,” he said.

“They’re so incredibly intelligent,” Mr. Adendorff said. “They cuddle their young and spank them when they misbehave. But I hate to say that they’re close to humans, because we’re the scourge of this planet. They’re not.”

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A6 of the New York edition with the headline: These Elephants Have No Tusks. No Poachers Either.. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

The post Where Female Elephants Without Tusks Roam — and Poachers Stay Away appeared first on World The News.

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Promise and A Thousand Rejections: Ronald Whitenhill & the Pursuit of Higher Education

by Misha Ponnuraju

It is 2:37 PM on April 28th, and 260 Aldrich Hall has been flooded by the uninterrupted trill of the phones and sound of tired voices—Ronald Whitenhill, UCI alumnus and admissions counselor, being one of the unlucky five trapped here on this otherwise beautiful spring day. This is the Office of Admissions at the University of California, Irvine. Today, thousands of people are getting rejected.

The notices of denials are given to multitudes who have applied to transfer from community colleges. For three hours, there have been at least eight different scorned students waiting to speak to an admissions employee. Ronald is prepared for every type of woe and whine. Working at the Admissions office since 2012, Ronald has seen through every, so-called, “unique situation” in the wake of the denials season. He has heard all of the stubborn grievances and unrelenting pleas. He has seen people threaten to sue and file complaints. Ronald is unmoved by all of them—especially today, as people are being increasingly insolent in the wake of disappointment. “I’m going to sue,” a denied student threatens on the phone, “I am going to bring my lawyer in and sue your school.” Other students outrightly deny the reality of their admissions status. “You’re lying to me, you aren’t telling me the truth. I need to talk to an admissions counselor.” At this point, this student admissions employee has reached her capacity for patience. Now, she turns to her supervisor, Ronald. “This is Ronald Whitenhill, an Admissions Counselor at UCI. How may I help you?” Ronald attempts to recapitulate what the employee has already said, but cuts down the delivery time of bad news significantly. He discusses competitive GPAs, minimum unit counts for junior-level transfer—some of the criteria for admissions. Phrases like, “What it comes down to is….” and “Sir, we are going in circles…” are heard in a thunderous voice that is heard throughout the office and past the cubicles. Occasionally, application evaluators, who are tucked safely in offices away from the scorned masses, will peak out their heads—curious about the verbal confrontation. “Listen.” Ronald’s stern voice signals the end of his patience. This demand brings a smirk to the student employees, who knows that Ronald won’t hold back his punches. He is done playing nice. At a certain point, the office responsible for giving a seventy thousand rejections must draw the line. Whether that line be GPA or standardized tests, Ronald is ready to let them know the bottom line is. At 5 o’clock, when the office has been granted sanctuary at the end of its business day, Ronald reflects on the reason for this chaotic time of year. “UCI is no longer a back-up school. UCI is evolving.” ____________________________

Not to say that Ronald has no sympathy for students who put their heart and $75 application fee out for judgement and scrutiny. Ronald went through that experience himself—initially as an undergraduate student and now, as faculty member at UCI. Ronald has become all too familiar with UC Irvine and how the campus buzzes throughout the admissions process. In the fall of 2016, UC Irvine received a record-breaking amount of applications— 104, 672 in total. In the previous year, UCI received 97,717. After UCLA and UC San Diego, UCI has become the third most applied to university in the United States--a surprising demand for a young university that very recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. This popularity has a direct impact on the competitive nature of receiving admissions--increasing the average GPAs and standardized test scores of those hoping to become an Anteater (UCI’s famous mascot). This was not always the case, according to Ronald. “Nowadays, the students who want UCI are the ones who have been working hard since their freshmen year. They are engaged from the very beginning. Back in the day, the students who attended UCI were the types of kids who were smart enough to get into the higher-tiered UCs--LA, Berkeley, whatever. These kids are the ones who messed around and realized, “Wait I need to go to college. They’d start to shape up by their junior year. I was one of those kids.” Ronald entered UCI as a freshman in 1999. Bio major—thinking about medical school. This is a common characteristic of incoming freshmen, 40% of which came in as a Biological Sciences major with hopes of an M.D. at the end of their name. Ronald’s kryptonite eventually became his chemistry courses. “I’d study for the first midterm and get overconfident by the second, you know? Wasn’t my thing.” Ronald did not find his true passion wearing a lab coat at McGaugh Hall. Instead, he found his passion further down Ring Road at the Cross Cultural Center. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ronald spent his free time advocating for Student Initiated Programs (SIP), a student-led effort throughout the UC System to increased the enrollment of underrepresented students. “This effort still has a presence on campus—today, you know it as the SOAR Center.” The Student Outreach and Retention Center (SOAR) exists on campus, providing mentorship programs and academic assistance to undeserved undergraduate. Current SIAPs (Student Initiated Academic Programs) include the American Indian Student Association at UCI and Black Student Union—both representing student populations at UCI that are beneath 5%. In his day, Ronald’s specific work with SIPs included applying and receiving a $10,000 grant to create outreach programs for high school students from marginalized communities, specifically the African-American community. However, Ronald was able to combine his passion for outreach with other organizations beyond the one he found at the Cross Cultural Center. Ronald merged his undergraduate experience and affinity for higher education as he worked within his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha—a historically black fraternity founded in 1906. Within this community, Ronald worked in a program called, “Go to High School, Go to College”—an outreach program that inspires and motivates young African-American men to pursue higher education. “I still connect with some of the men I met through this program. I typically meet these young boys when they were 9th or 10th graders. The ones I have stayed in contacted with have graduated university, some of them pursuing a Master’s Degree. One is on his way to a PhD.” Ronald still checks up on them through social media, a motivation as he continues to work in outreach. This type of representation is increasingly important. On UCI’s own campus, the population of underserved minorities, like African Americans, still remain at a dismal number of 3%. However, this has an interesting affect on the population existing at UCI, something that Ronald has personally experienced and has commented, “UCI has 300,000 students. When there’s only 1,000 of you, you’re going to say hello. You’re gonna stick together.” Ronald’s intimate experience in outreach gave him reason to be at UCI—true meaning and excitement. However, the residual lack of fulfillment from his academics prompted a change in him.

While most people believe that the path to higher education is a straight path, Ronald attended UCI until 2004 before taking a seven-year hiatus to begin a professional career at Target. “I got bored,” Ronald explains. “I was tired of that cycle and needed to do something different.” This restlessness brought pushed him to enter the professional workforce—leading him to get a job as a team leader, or supervisor, at Target. Thus began a seven year career as a manager in retail. However, despite being away from education, Ronald found himself being brought back to it in surprising ways. “There were these kids—just graduated—who came in and immediately got better positions than me. I was smarter and a better thinker than them, but they had a Bachelor’s and I didn’t. It really makes you think about what a BA means.” At Target, Ronald discovered patterns between his undergraduate experience and his new professional career. “Without a doubt, the extracurricular experience of leadership was directly applicable to the workforce. These opportunities of a B.A. is what makes it valuable. I eventually got supervisor positions without a BA—I relied on talent, leadership, and skill. However, having a BA would’ve brought me to that place earlier.” Ronald’s philosophy regarding higher education evolved after he had left it; the value of a B.A. does not lie solely in the lessons taught within the classroom, but it also includes the opportunities found in student organizations. Being able learn and execute leadership within the close-knit community of UCI—a characteristic that Ronald considers exclusive to the Irvine campus—is what makes new graduates from four-year universities valuable. Beyond his personal experience as a worker, Ronald’s conceptualization of the importance of higher-education also stems from the characters he met at Target. In this corporate atmosphere, Ronald witnessed firsthand the potential consequences not having the privilege of higher education from accredited institutions. The majority of his cashiers were female employees—sometimes young mothers—who were also trying to go to a certain type of nursing school. However, many of these women were stuck in cyclical obstacles as they had enrolled in for-profit universities. These institutions were less spaces for academia and vehicles for upwards mobility than they were  keeping students in an expensive trap. The consumers who were drawn to this type of institution were often nontraditional students without an educational background from all walks of life—working adults, single moms, and the like. “These institutions weren’t made to set these students up for success.”  Ronald could not help but compare this to the resources and opportunities he saw available at a four-year university—especially UC Irvine, which is ranked as the #1 university to assist low-income and first generation students by the New York Times in 2015. At a certain point, Ronald knew he had to finish what he had started. His experience in corporate America was enough to motivate him complete his education — understanding that there is still more work to be done in outreach and more he has to learn. Ronald ended up returning as a student in 2011, and graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. After graduation, he finally began to work at the Office of Admissions—coming full circle from an undergraduate student to working behind the scenes as an admissions counselor.

Now that Ronald is able to continue his outreach as a counselor at UCI, his position has more weight and power. Ronald is well acclimated with the type of student that UCI seeks—the passionate, well-rounded, intelligent student that can bring something meaningful to the UCI campus. Typically these, students are ones who have been groomed to attend school from birth. Oftentimes, those in underrepresented minorities do not have this privilege. Ronald is from both of these worlds—the world of higher education as it becomes increasingly competitive and the community of minority communities that are not typically born in those privileged atmospheres. Out of 104,067 applications, around seventy thousand will not get accepted—thousands of dreams unfulfilled and hearts broken. The gap between the educated haves and have-nots can be closed—the ability of students from underrepresented communities is one that is oftentimes underestimated. Ronald, with his perspective from both sides of admissions, has faith in these applicants. “Look at the kids who are able to excel in situations that are not conducive to success. Those kids are the ones who will be able to succeed here and go back to their communities. All they need is information. They need to know how the system works to get a part of it. These kids are smart, and they can do it.”