#in his defense they responded to a fire at a jewelry store and the store owner convinced him it'd be a good investment for the future!

[epiphainie]

two months into their relationship tommy is looking for bandaids, hand cream, a new toothbrush, whatever in buck's bathroom and notices one of the drawers doesn't work right when he can't get it closed. he sticks his hand in the back to see what's stuck there and what comes out when he pulls out is a little velvet box. it's a ring box, tommy realizes, sneakily hidden there away from unwanted eyes and now in his hand as he stands there and looks down at it all dumbfounded.

buck enters the bathroom right at that moment and comes to a halt at the door. his eyes widen and start going back and forth between the box and tommy's face in an almost comical manner, but all the color is drained from his face so tommy can't help jumping to conclusions.

first he think there's someone else in buck's life, someone serious, and tommy's just been a fun pastime for the last few weeks but he immediately eliminates that thought because of how stupid and unlikely it sounds. so what comes out instead is "was there someone? before me? who said no?" he cringes. "taylor?" and damn saying that hurts because he didn't realize he was a rebound. he doesn't want to be a rebound.

meanwhile buck is standing there with his mind whirring in laps to find an answer that assures his boyfriend that no, you're not a rebound, of course not, but also hopefully doesn't make buck look like a crazy-person, because, yeah, he bought an engagement ring for his boyfriend of two months. the deodorant stick he's currently using is older than that.

[imagine-docx]

dresses.

Summary: Bucky is a cute single dad who needs to get a dress for his daughter because his ex wife’s wedding is in a few weeks. Insert you, the cute kids shop owner who has a ton of knowledge in this department. [ChubbyBucky!SingleDad!AU]

Warnings: swearing, and some insecurity mentions and some body shaming, suggestive content right at the end.

A/N: the amount of love i got on sneaky is astronomical! and i love and appreciate each and everyone of you who read it and enjoyed it! also, please remember to sign all the petitons, and donate if you can and attend protests if you can! black lives matter. - amanda

➽───────────────❥

Nope, nope, no, absolutely not, fuck this. Was the exact thought process Bucky went through his mind. The reminder just popped up that in two weeks was his ex wife’s marriage ceremony and reception.

Bucky and Natasha were once married, and had little Layla from the marriage. Layla was caught in the crossfire of a nasty divorce when Bucky and Nat ended things when she was only 3. When Bucky got the invitation for the wedding, he felt the same exact heartbreak when he realized Nat was cheating on him, and felt someone throw his heart into a fire when he realized the man she was currently engaged to was the exact man she cheated with.

He got up and realized that he should check if Layla had any clothes to wear to the wedding. He looked through her closet and realized Layla outgrew almost all of these or weren’t there for the wow factor.

He sighed, closing her closet. He ran his hands through his hair, he turned around and was greeted by the mirror that was there. 

The divorce was hard on Bucky and it was obvious. He put on a few extra pounds around the waist, his shoulders rounded out, and his thighs filled out his pants from all the late shifts at the security firm. Another sighed escaped his lips, he was seeing his ex in laws again and he didn’t look the greatest. 

He walked down the stairs and grabbed his keys, and was going to pick up Layla from Wanda’s house and take Layla dress shopping.

➽───────────────❥

“Wow you look like shit,” Wanda greeted him.

“Glad to know someone like you is caring for my kid,” Bucky sarcastically responded, allowing himself into her house. 

“You already knew what you were signing up for when you knew I was dating Sam,” Wanda said, guiding him to the kitchen.

Bucky met Wanda through Sam. Sam met Wanda through the security firm, when Wanda was working for her old company and they changed the codes without her knowing, she flipped out and somehow Sam and Wanda clicked, and here they were. 

“Where’s my kid?” He said, looking around for the little bundle of joy.

“Upstairs with Sam,” she responded. He eyed Wanda, “Listen, they’re bonding because I need to talk to you.”

“Shoot,” he said, grabbing a banana from the fruit basket.

“Nat’s getting married next week.”

“I know that.”

“You should get a date,” Wanda said bluntly.

“I would, if I could.” He stated, “Oh, I need a dress for the wedding.”

“Even better!” Wanda exclaimed, “That cute shop owner seems like she can help you out.”

“Wanda,” Bucky warned. Wanda was referring to you. You owned this little shop called Sew Lovely and were always helping him out with clothes for Layla. 

He learned about it through Wanda as she was friends with you, and god was he smittened by you. You always helped out with what she wore, and the majority of her closet came from your little shop. 

Everytime he came to see you, he felt like he was falling deeper and deeper, and it didn’t help that Layla would spend any given moment with you, and you were amazing to his kid.

“I’m trying to help,” she said defensively.

“Daddy!” He heard a little voice exclaim from around the corner. 

“Hi pumpkin, did you have fun with uncle Sam and aunty Wanda?”

“Uh-huh, we coloured, watched movies, so much fun.” Layla said.

“Tell me more while we’re in the car,” he said, getting up from his seat and walking to the door. Before leaving he leaned back to Wanda, “I’m going for the dress,” Wanda smirked, “Not for the girl, for the dress.”

Wanda kept that smirk on her face, “Of course Buckaroo.”

➽───────────────❥

He decided to take Layla out for smoothies before shooting you a text asking you if you were free to help find him a dress. He poked the straw into Layla’s drink before he felt the buzz from his phone in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the text message while poking his own straw into his drink. He let out a small smile “Come love,” he said grabbing her hand before making their way back to the car. 

Upon buckling her in, he brushed some hair out of her face, “We have to go shopping baby,” he cooed.

“I love shopping!” she exclaimed. 

“Glad to hear baby,” he said, before navigating to the shop. 

➽───────────────❥

He held Layla’s hand, while navigating to your shop. “Is aunty here?!” she asked, excitedly. 

“Of course,” he chuckled as Layla dragged him into the store.

He heard someone call out Layla’s name and it could have been confused with an angel. “I knew that was my favourite sugar puff!” you exclaimed, crouching to hug her. 

“Aunty! I’ve missed you!” Layla exclaimed, throwing her arms around you. 

“And would you look at that, it's my favourite client,” you said. 

Your hair was tossed into a messy ponytail, you were wearing an oversized white knit sweater, a pair of black jeans and some white sneakers. Even though the outfit was simple, you look like god himself spent ages creating you. “You know I would have no idea what to do with fashion,” he joked. 

“Of course I do,” you joked back. “So how can I help the two of you today?”

“I need a dress for a wedding,” he said, biting back the fact it was his ex wife’s wedding. “Say no more,” you said, before crouching back down to Layla, “Alright love, we need to get you a dress. What are you thinking?” 

“I want poofy! Colours! Flowers!” She exclaimed. 

“Oh she knows off the bat, let’s go sugar puff,” you said, getting up and grabbing her hand and taking her around the shop. 

➽───────────────❥

And that’s how Bucky spent the remainder of his day looking at dresses with you and Layla. He sat while the two of you looked around and tried things on. He admired how well you two bonded, as if you were mother and daughter, “I like this one the most sugar puff. What do you think?” 

“I love it!” She exclaimed, she threw her arms around you for the second time today, “Thank you Aunty!” 

Bucky looked over and saw that Layla was sporting a poofy white dress with red flowers and green leaves around it. “I love this one,” he said in awe at his daughter. 

“No problem baby, I guess we have to get you matching jewelry,” you said, engulfing her into another hug.  

Bucky let out a groan, “You guys have been shopping for so long.”

“Don’t rush a girl,” you joked. 

Another forty five minutes and almost two hundred dollars later. They were done. “Remind me to never go shopping,” he joked. 

“When you have a girl, you can never say no,” you smiled at him, making his heart melt. 

“Thank you so much,” he said, feeling insecure because he knew someone like you would never like him. 

“Not a problem sugar,” You said, and his heart skipped a beat. “See you next week?”

“You can count on it,” he said, giving you a small smile.

“Bye Aunty,” she said, hugging at your legs.

“Bye sugar puff, bye Buck,” you said, as they walked out the shop.

He should probably stop spending so much money at your shop, but seeing you made it all worth it.

➽───────────────❥

At this point, there was a week until Nat’s wedding and he was internally freaking out, he tried on his suit the previous night and it didn’t fit. The pants could barely make it past his midthigh, the dress shirt needed about three more inches before it could fit around his frame, and the jacket couldn’t even fit his arms.

Layla was asleep in her room, and he sat on the bed and tears started brewing in his eyes. Makes sense why Nat left, and why she wouldn’t like me, he thought referring to you.

He shut his eyes to prevent tears from slipping down his face. He steadied his breathing before shooting Wanda a text asking if she could watch Layla for a little longer than he anticipated. He tossed his phone on his bed, before dumping the suit in the trash can and going to shower.

➽───────────────❥

Bucky left work early, having asked Steve to cover for him while he went suit shopping. Once leaving work he somehow found himself on your street. He decided to see what you were up to before going suit shopping. 

He walked up to the shop and saw you were sitting on the bar stool, innocently chewing at the tip of your pen while looking at the notebook that sits in front of you. You were wearing a black romper with sunflowers all over them, an oversized black cardigan that was slipping off of your body, you had your hair tossed into a messy bun, glasses sat on your nose, and a pair of black sandal heels were on your feet. 

He found himself slowly walking up to the shop, opening the door, the bell went off from above him. You looked up and let out a huge smile, which made his heart melt and he returned a goofy grin. 

“Got worried for you Buck, haven’t seen you in a while,” you joked.

“Dad duties call, doll,” he said walking up to the counter, “You alone?”

“Jessica and Natalie are in the back,” you said pointing your pen off to the back, “It’s fairly early, aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“Don’t want me here doll?” He said, raising an eyebrow at you.

“No, I just need to make sure you have the funds to keep my store running,” you joked.

“Gotta go suit shopping, was on my way, and thought I should stop in and let you know I’m fine,” he joked.

“You going by yourself?” You asked.

“I have no one else doll, Steve and Sam are at work,” he said running his hand through his hair.

“I can come,” you said, quickly adding, “If you want.”

“I don’t want to drag you away from work,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Hush hush, I’ll come.” You closed the notebook, got off the stool, “Let me tell them I’m leaving and grab my bag?” 

“I’ll wait here,” he said smiling at you.

“Don’t move,” you warned, before walking to the back.

He looked around at the new displays, he thought about how much time you probably put into it, “You moved, about an inch. Can’t trust you anymore, Barnes,” he heard you say from behind you.

“My apologies doll, how could I possibly make it up to you?” He asked.

You linked your arm around his, “I’ll come up with something,” you said, as the two of you exited the shop.

➽───────────────❥

The two of you found yourselves at this small suit shop at the edge of Brooklyn. Walking in, the two of you heard someone yell, “James.” And an elderly Italian man came and greeted him with a hug.

“Hi Bruno,” he said, returning the hug.

He pulled away and noticed you, “Who’s this beautiful dame?”

He introduced the two of you, before Bruno brought the two of you deeper into the store, “He’s provided suits since I was young.”

You nodded, “It’s cute.”

“How about have the pretty dame sit and I do the measurements,” Bruno said. You sat on the stool provided and sipped on the smoothie that you bought for the two of you. Bucky felt embarrassed as Bruno took his measurements in front of you, but you flashed him a reassuring smile, and he felt some of the insecurities fade away.

➽───────────────❥

An hour later and Bucky found himself getting frustrated. Nothing looked good on him. He tried navy blue suits, beige suits, grey suits, plaid suits, and to no avail he could find anything. Bruno went to look at other options, while Bucky looked in the mirror. It was obvious he was picking at his own body.

You got up and walked over to him, rubbing his back, “You look gorgeous Buck, don’t deflate yourself.”

“It’s just that,” he started, “It’s my ex wife's wedding, and I don’t look good. I want to impress the family, but I look like-”

You cut him off, “You look amazing, and she’s an idiot for letting you go. If her family doesn’t like it, that sucks, cause you’re no longer their family.”

“Thank you,” he said, pulling you into a hug.

“I got your back Buck,” you said, hugging him back, “But you should have told me we were dressed to kill, I would be on it.”

“Now that you’re in on it, what’s running through that mind of yours?” He said, pulling away.

“Black,” you said, “Can’t go wrong with that.”

He smiled before yelling out, “Bruno? You got a black suit?”

➽───────────────❥

He hated how right you were, but also simultaneously loved that you knew him that well. He smiled at you, “Doll you know me well.”

“Gotta look out for my two favourite Barnes, don’t I?” you asked.

“James, you look amazing, you just need a tie,” Bruno said, before going off to find a tie.

You got up and smoothed out the suit near his shoulders, “I owe you one,” he said, looking down at you.

“You owe me a lot sugar,” you said.

Bruno came back with a red tie, “I think this would look good on you James.” You moved away from him, and let Bruno tie the tie to complete the suit. 

“The colour brings out your eyes,” you commented. 

The tie was rich, vibrant, red, and contrasted nicely against the black suit and his blue eyes. “You look amazing James.”

“Thanks Brun, I’ll take it,” Bucky said, looking at himself in the mirror, smiling at how good he looked.

Bruno walked to the front and rung up the order, “You really know what’s good for me doll.”

“What can I say? I know my Barnes,” you joked.

“How about I go change, then I’ll treat you to dinner?” He asked.

“He’s living up to his word,” you joked.

“I always do doll,” he said, before walking back to the dressing room.

➽───────────────❥

Bucky was a man of his word and took you to the small dinner about three streets away, but still was on the outskirts of town. You finished up dinner and were driving back, “You know your way to a girls heart.”

“I always do,” he joked.

You two sat in comfortable silence the rest of the way back. Pulling up to your house, he walked you to your step. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“Anytime Buck,” you responded.

He scratched the back of his neck, “Are you free this Saturday?” He realized what it sounded like, “I mean, you can be my plus one with Layla,” he rushed out.

“Of course I would come Buck,” you unlocked the door, “Text me the details?”

“Of course. Good night doll,” he said.

You kissed him on the cheek, “Night Buck,” you said before scurrying inside, missing the blush that rose to his cheeks.

➽───────────────❥

Bucky didn’t see you at all that week. He was busy getting his haircut, buying other last minute things he needed before the wedding. He kept in contact with you through texts, telling you he’d pick you up at four.

It was three fifty and he was in his car, with Layla in the backseat singing loudly to the pop that played on the radio. He was nervous, he didn’t know what to expect. He unbuckled Layla, before making his way up the steps. He rang the doorbell and waited for you to answer.

Once you opened the door, he felt the wind get knocked out of his lungs. Before him you wore a red satin dress, with a low cut exposing your cleavage, the black heels accentuated the length of your legs, you had a necklace with your initial as the pendant, a small gold bracelet and some gold earrings. 

“Aunty! You look so good!” Layla said, breaking Bucky’s train of thought.

“Thank you sugar puff, you look beautiful,” you said stroking her hair. You pulled the door in behind you and locked it, and dropped the key into your back. 

“You look gorgeous doll,” he said, still in awe at you.

“You clean up well Barnes,” you said, “Let’s get to that wedding.”

➽───────────────❥

Bucky found himself looking at you with awe whenever you didn’t notice. A lot of the family Bucky once met at his wedding leaned into him saying that his current family was cute and received their blessings. 

He didn’t notice how much the three of you looked like a family until one of Nat’s cousins pointed out that his tie, matched your dress, which matched the flowers on Layla’s dress.

He looked over and saw you, Wanda, Carol, Nebula and Sharon sitting and sharing a drink. He smiled, before he heard someone call out his name, he turned around and saw Natasha, “Can we talk?” 

“What?”

“I wanted to apologize for everything, and I’m glad you found someone who treats you well and loves Lay,” Nat said, motioning to Layla sitting on your lap.

“Thanks Nat,” he responded, sipping on his soda.

“Truce?” She asked.

“Truce.”

➽───────────────❥

It was well after twelve, and Bucky was dropping you home. Layla was taken to Wanda’s earlier, and Layla was going to spend the night there. You and Bucky had a grand time, you two laughed, shared drinks, shared a few dances, and a few glances here and there. 

You were wrapped up in his suit jacket due to it being colder than you anticipated when you were leaving the hall. “I had fun tonight,” you said, as you walked up the stairs.

“Thank you for coming, I appreciate it,” he said.

“Anything for you,” you said looking at him, you felt the air shift and you didn’t mind.

Both of you leaned in, until your lips were touching and moving in harmony. Your arms found their way behind his neck, and his hands were wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer. You broke away when you needed air. You gave him a sheepish smile, before he pecked your lips again.

“Glad this dress did its job,” you joked.

“You bought this just for me?” He asked, running his fingers along the satin material that was along your waist..

“Of course, I needed to match your tie, for obvious reasons, and I hope it would lead to something like this. Needless to say, it did its job,” you said brushing hair out of his eyes.

“Well, if this dress is for me, I would like to see it on the floor,” he whispered seductively in your ear.

“You better get to work loverboy,” you said, before he picked you up and took you into your house.

[crashingmeteorz]

it’s the ba sing se bimbos, back again (jinjetsongko). here’s some stupid stunts these ridiculous kids would pull:

mixing the dangerous herbs and serums song and her mother have. they all get accidentally high one day. fortunately they do it at zuko’s apartment, so when iroh comes home and finds them tripping he just gives them calming tea and amuses himself by asking them philosophical questions.

“what is the meaning of life?” iroh asks them. “fruit pies,” song says very seriously. “FREEDOM!!” jet roars. “being the sexiest person in the room at all times,” jin says. zuko says nothing, because he’s too busy crying and hugging iroh and telling him he loves him.

“what do you think the meaning of life is, mushi?” song asks. “life is what you make of it,” iroh tells them. “personally, i find meaning in doing what i love, and spending time with the people i love. this evening, for example, is very meaningful to me.”

of course, since none of them have fathers, they all join zuko in crying and telling iroh they love him.

at some point, jin adopts a wild injured pygmy puma, who she calls sho, and is furious that he takes an immediate liking to zuko over her.

sho becomes their mascot, and also a fat lazy house cat since they all pamper him endlessly, but one day he goes missing.

they track him down to a butcher shop (similar to the one momo almost got chopped up in), release all the live animals, and somehow manage to set a fire in the process. song and jet assume between the grease and the heat and the commotion, it was bound to happen. but jin caught zuko’s look of rage when he saw sho crying in a cage. she knows who started the fire.

she’s not a snitch, though, and obviously she’s glad to have her pet back, so jin just keeps up the whole grease fire thing. plus, zuko’s such an awkward dweeb that she figures he really needs his some kind of deep dark secret to stay even A Little Bit Cool, so she lets him have it.

they don’t really stir the attention of the dai li since they mostly cause (and sometimes solve) problems in the lower ring, and while zuko and song are happy to fly under the radar, this just infuriates jet and jin. they want attention, damn it!

so they end up planning increasingly ridiculous heists in the upper ring. jewelry store underpaying their laborers? robbed and tagged as a scam. fancy government official is selling secrets to the fire nation? so sad, too bad, the guy goes missing but he leaves a chopped-off finger behind. children are being stolen and sold to wealthy buyers in the upper ring, eager to show off their “rescued” babies? the whole thing is exposed and kids are reunited with their families.

somehow, they still only barely get the dai li’s attention (probably because they’re too busy keeping tabs on the avatar). zuko has a talk with jet about thinking things through. this is the only thing that gets jin and jet to chill out because ZUKO using words like “irrational” and “risky” seriously is the wake-up call of the century.

(at this point, i could see the story going one of two ways: 1. life continues as normal for the friends, and jet learns his lesson, or 2. jin backs off but jet continues to go bigger and more extreme until he gets kidnapped by the dai li. he thinks he has a plan, until he gets brainwashed.)

(song, zuko, and jin notice primarily because he disappears for a bit. this isn’t unheard of, but as the days creep into a week they get worried. when he comes back, he’s just...weird. it’s definitely worth investigating. song and her mother use some herbal medicine to clear jet’s mind, and discover just how sinister the dai li is. obviously, they have to get revenge and figure out what’s going on. maybe they even run across a certain lost bison on their trip to lake laogai.)

other (happier) shenigans include: visiting the zoo and all of them being soft for the animals, accidentally starting a self-defense club for kids in the lower ring, and separately meeting different members of the gaang.

song meets katara while they’re both out at the market, and, in proper teenage girl fashion, they compliment each other’s outfits. they chat by the fruit for a while, song mentions how dealing with teenage boys can be annoying and katara’s just like tell me about it! then katara mentions she’s a healer, and obviously she and song geek out over techniques and medicines they can both use to supplement their efforts in the future. it’s a very wholesome encounter.

jin meets sokka and flirts her butt off. he’s funny and cute and a little awkward, but he tells her he’s got a thing with another girl. jin tells him she’s very lucky, and he says “actually, i’m the lucky one, she’s the leader of the kyoshi warriors!” and jin just flips out. the kyoshi warriors are her heroes. she used to want to run away and join them. holy shit dude DO YOU KNOW HOW COOL YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS??? and sokka’s just like i know! she’s amazing! and they spend half an hour talking about suki.

zuko meets toph, who vaguely recognizes his voice, but never really got an explanation about who he was, and since his uncle’s really cool, she doesn’t really care about the incident in the ghost town. zuko was so distraught over iroh at the time that he had barely even noticed toph (plus, even if she does look kind of familiar, that extremely powerful earthbender couldn’t have been a 12-year-old blind girl, right? right??) she compliment iroh’s tea-making ability, but admits she doesn’t really get the art herself.

“thank you!” zuko says, because someone else gets it - it’s just tea! then he blushes a little at his outburst and gets back to work. she chats with iroh some more before thanking him for the tea and leaving, and zuko lowkey thinks she’s really funny, and as she leaves she says “it was nice to see you again, mushi! well. hear you. i can’t see anything.” and zuko cracks up in spite of himself. (once zuko joins team avatar, their disaster-rich-kid-solidarity comes out in full force).

jet meets aang (again) but it’s via the graffiti he paints on the walls of the upper ring. it says stuff like “division is oppression” and “mr. earth king, tear down this wall!” and aang replies whole-heartedly, with something like “that’s what i’ve been saying! also this place is weird. have you lived here long? i’m aang bumi. i am called bumi. after the famous king. not the earth king. the other one. most importantly, i am not related to the avatar at all.”

i imagine sokka helped him write it, and since we all know they go into Stupid Mode when they’re together there’s a lot of crossed-out lines and rewrites.

jet responds by talking at length about the “resistance”, and aang’s just like “oh cool! power to the people! but also peace and love!” and jet thinks it’s dorky but he also is like “oh my god this kid is so stupid. when i find this idiot child i am going to teach him to about the revolution and then i’m going to protect him with my life.”

i like to think they all join team avatar, eventually, but the first meeting is just:

katara: song! why are you with zuko?

song: zuko? no, this is jet.

sokka: no, that’s jet! THATS zuko! he’s the prince of the fire nation!

jin, knowing full well zuko’s a firebender and suddenly panicking: he’s the what

jet: you think LEE is the prince of the fire nation? he couldn’t even lead this friend group.

toph: are we talking about mushi’s nephew?

aang: who the heck is mushi???

song: excuse me, all due respect, because you’re the avatar and it’s an honor, but please don’t talk about mushi in that tone.

sokka: oh it’s an hONOR IS IT????

zuko: (banging his head against a wall)

credit for this au as always to the awesome @azenkii

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[newstfionline]

Friday, June 25, 2021

The United States ranks last among 46 countries for trust in news (Reuters Institute) Trust in news worldwide grew slightly in the wake of the pandemic, according to the Reuters Institute’s annual Digital News Report. But not in the United States—it was one of the few countries that did not see an increase in trust from 2020 to 2021, and the percentage of Americans who trust news overall—29%—was the lowest among the 46 markets surveyed. The long-predicted end of the “Trump Bump” showed up clearly in the research, with Americans’ interest in news declining by 11%. National news outlets like The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN and MSNBC have all seen significant dips in their audience numbers.

Western drought brings another woe: voracious grasshoppers (AP) A punishing drought in the U.S. West is drying up waterways, sparking wildfires and leaving farmers scrambling for water. Next up: a plague of voracious grasshoppers. Federal agriculture officials are launching what could become their largest grasshopper-killing campaign since the 1980s amid an outbreak of the drought-loving insects that cattle ranchers fear will strip bare public and private rangelands. In central Montana’s Phillips County, more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the nearest town, Frank Wiederrick said large numbers of grasshoppers started showing up on prairie surrounding his ranch in recent days. Already they’re beginning to denude trees around his house. “They’re everywhere,” Wiederrick said. “Drought and grasshoppers go together and they are cleaning us out.”

Condo building partially collapses in Miami-Dade (Washington Post) A large oceanfront condo building near Miami Beach partially collapsed early Thursday morning, killing at least one person, injuring another 10 or more and prompting a mass search-and-rescue response as 51 people remain unaccounted for. Dozens of units from police and fire agencies rushed to Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla., at 1:30 a.m. after the northeast corridor of the building collapsed, assistant fire chief Ray Jadallah said. Rescuers evacuated 35 people from the 12-story building, including two recovered from the rubble. Fifty-five of the more than 130 units were destroyed. The partial collapse came one day after the building had passed inspection.

Calls grow to evacuate Afghans to Guam as US troops leave (AP) In the chaotic, final hours of the Vietnam War, the U.S. evacuated thousands of South Vietnamese who supported the American mission and were at risk under the communist government. With U.S. and NATO forces facing a Sept. 11 deadline to leave Afghanistan, many are recalling that desperate, hasty exodus as they urge the Biden administration to evacuate thousands of Afghans who worked as interpreters or otherwise helped U.S. military operations there in the past two decades. Despite unusual bipartisan support in Congress, the administration hasn’t agreed to such a move, declining to publicly support something that could undermine security in the country as it unwinds a war that started after the 9/11 attacks. The Biden administration for now is focusing on accelerating a special visa program for Afghans who helped U.S. operations. Even if the legislation passed immediately, the number of visas would fall far short of the estimated 18,000 Afghans waiting to be processed. And the average wait is more than three years. The process also has been hampered by the coronavirus pandemic, which led the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan to suspend visa interviews.

Footage of Amazon destroying thousands of unsold items in Britain prompts calls for official investigation (Washington Post) British lawmakers are demanding a meeting with tech giant Amazon’s country manager after an investigation at a warehouse in Scotland revealed that thousands of unsold or returned items—including televisions, books, sealed face masks and laptops—were being destroyed by the company. Footage from the undercover investigation by ITV News at a warehouse in the Scottish town of Dunfermline, also showed drones, headphones, jewelry and countless other high-value products being placed into boxes labeled “destroy,” before huge trucks were followed carrying the stock to landfill sites and recycling centers. One ex-employee told ITV News that workers were expected to get rid of an estimated 130,000 items a week. The broadcaster described the practice as “waste on an astonishing level.” Amazon operates 175 centers worldwide, spanning more than 150 million square feet of space where employees prepare items to be shipped and delivered to customers around-the-clock. ITV News noted that the reason for the destruction of the goods may be attributable to Amazon’s business model. Companies worldwide store items in warehouses owned by the online shopping giant. However, if the items fail to sell, they are charged rising fees that some may struggle to pay, leading to piles of goods that need to be stored—or dumped—elsewhere. Many Britons, also concerned by the investigation, demanded to know why items that appeared to be in good condition were being dumped when vulnerable people or charities could have used the goods.

Black Sea tensions (Foreign Policy) Russia complained on Wednesday of a “blatant British provocation” in the Black Sea, as a British Navy vessel sailed near the Crimean peninsula on its way to port in Georgia. Both sides contest the facts of the incident: The Russian Defense Ministry said it fired warning shots near the British ship and dropped four bombs in its way, while the British Defense Ministry said no such obstruction occurred. A BBC journalist on board the British ship said he heard shots “out of range,” and that Russian military planes shadowed the vessel. Tensions in the area are expected to remain high as NATO conducts military exercises in the Black Sea starting on Monday.

It’s 118 Degrees in Siberia (Vice) The Arctic Circle is known for viciously cold winter temperatures that can cause frostbite within minutes—but this summer, parts of the area are so hot that touching the ground could burn your skin. The Siberian town of Verkhojansk recorded ground temperatures of 118 degrees on Monday, according to the European Union’s Earth Observation Programme. The agency’s satellites captured images of the record-breaking heat wave gripping the Russian north. The Siberian town of Saskylah saw an all-time peak ground temperature of 90 degrees, and other towns recorded temperatures near 110 degrees, according to the EU’s space agency. The World Meteorology Organization highlighted how dire the situation is in the Arctic, which is warming more than two times quicker than the global average. The fast rate is caused by a phenomenon called “Arctic amplification,” or the domino effect of the region’s highly reflective snow, large water volume, and fragile ecosystem. The high temperatures are causing wildfires in the Arctic too. As early as April, wildfires began to spark across Siberia, and got so bad the smoke could be seen from space, according to NASA imagery. In 2020, Siberia was also hit by record-breaking hot temperatures, dating back to 1885, according to National Geographic. “For a long time, we’ve been saying we’re going to get more extremes like strong heat waves,” Ruth Mottram, a climate scientist at the Danish Meteorological Institute, told National Geographic in 2020. “It’s a little like the projections are coming true, and sooner than we might have thought.”

Afghan government could collapse six months after US troops withdraw (The Hill) Afghanistan’s government could collapse as quickly as six months after all U.S. troops withdraw from the country, according to new analysis from the U.S. intelligence community. The latest intelligence assessment, reported by The Wall Street Journal, said that the Afghan government, led by President Ashraf Ghani, could collapse between six to 12 months after all American forces are pulled from the country. Some other officials, however, said that the government could fall as soon as three months after the U.S.’s withdrawal from Afghanistan is finished, the Journal reported. Previous analysis, the newspaper noted, said that Afghanistan’s government could stand for as long as two years after the American troops leave.

China’s borders (Foreign Policy) China’s borders will remain closed to most visitors until at least the second half of 2022 over concerns of further COVID-19 outbreaks imported from abroad. Chinese officials are reportedly worried about two sensitive events: the Beijing Winter Olympics and the formal conferral of an unprecedented third term for Chinese President Xi Jinping near the end of 2022. It’s possible some restrictions will remain until after the annual Two Sessions in early 2023. But the move may also reflect China’s lack of confidence in its own vaccines. Although its domestic vaccination program has been highly successful, with more than 1 billion doses administered, case data from other countries shows the Chinese vaccines aren’t doing a good job at preventing the spread of the virus, particularly the spread of new variants.

China says after massed drills that Taiwan’s future lies in ‘reunification’ (Reuters) Taiwan needs to be clearly aware that its future lies in “reunification” with China and that it cannot rely on the United States, China’s military said on Thursday, responding to questions on a massed incursion by Chinese warplanes last week. Twenty-eight Chinese air force aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) last Tuesday, the largest number to date reported by the Chinese-claimed island’s government. The incident came shortly after Group of Seven leaders issued a joint statement scolding China for a series of issues and underscoring the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, comments China condemned as “slander”.

Japan proposes four-day working week to improve work-life balance (DW) Japan is attempting to buck its “salaryman” stereotype and improve the work-life balance of its citizens in new economic policy guidelines that recommend a move to a four-day workweek. The Japanese government cited increased employee retention, especially for those caring for children or older relatives, as an incentive for employers to adopt the policy. Japanese authorities are hoping an extra day off per week will lead its citizens to solve even more societal problems: By using the time to do more shopping to boost the economy and by giving young people more time to socialize, which may, eventually, boost the country’s sluggish birth rate. However, there is concern that management will be reluctant to do away with some of the attitudes towards business that have served Japan Inc. so well for generations—even if there is clear evidence that traditional approaches are less effective than they were in the past. Employees, on the other hand, find the idea of a shorter working week appealing, but they do worry about reduced wages and accusations that they are not fully committed to their company.

Settlement Is Reached Over Stuck Ship That Blocked Suez Canal in Egypt (NYT) The owner and insurers of the enormous container ship that blocked the Suez Canal for six days in March and disrupted global shipping have reached a settlement with the Egyptian authorities, one of the insurers said on Wednesday. The insurer’s statement did not specify the amount, but said that once the settlement was formalized, the ship—after nearly three months of haggling, finger-pointing and court hearings—would finally complete its journey through the canal. Since the ship was freed in a huge salvage effort in March, about six days after running aground across the Suez, the canal authority had been locked in an often acrimonious standoff with the ship’s owner and operators over what the authority said it was owed for the incident. The authority had sought up to $1 billion in compensation.

[miss-eucatastrophe]

Chapter 3: Bruises

A/N: My first ever FF– Previously posted only on AO3, now available here. I hope you like it! I have no beta so please forgive any mistakes! (I’m still getting the hang of tumblr)

Pairing: Bucky x PlusSize!OFC/Serum!OFC (Can also be read as a Bucky X Reader fic. Your name is Cassandra. You’re welcome you beautiful bitch).

Summary:Trying to integrate into “normal” life, Bucky slowly falls into a routine. Wake up, run, gaze at the woman who works in the toy store as he passes by, eat, mission, sleep, repeat. But when he goes toe to toe with a thief who threaten’s to trash his routine by becoming an obsession, will he be able to put his bizarre life back in order, or will this woman turn his 21st century world on it’s head?Yep, the Bucky/Serum!Reader story you didn’t know you wanted.

Rated: Explicit (For later chapters. Smut does not occur until Ch 12, everything before that point is T or M.)  

Chapter 3:

This was about pride. Bucky wasn’t ashamed to admit that. His ego had been bruised the first time and he wasn’t about to let that happen twice. “I’ve got eyes on the jewels.” He whispered gruffly through their communicators.

“I’ve got rooftop one.” Steve replied.

“I’ve got two.” Sam added.

“Ah good. Actually watching the object this time.”

“Tony.” There was the Captain Voice™.

“And by that I mean, I’ve got three.”

Bucky didn’t want everyone to come along. Hell, he didn’t even want Steve to come this time. But that was his ego talking. She got away once, but this time he knew what he was expecting and he wouldn’t let it happen again.

“Remind me again why we’re not watching any of the doors?” Sam asked from his perch in the Egyptian exhibit.

“How many thieves do you know who just waltz in the front door?” Steve wasn’t often snippy. During missions, he was particularly professional. But, he’d be lying if he said the other night’s blunder didn’t get under his skin as well. He didn’t blame Bucky, though he felt his tension. Steve always took blame upon himself. He really should have had eyes on the crown, and more importantly his oversight had lead to the destruction of a priceless fossil, a lost crown, and destruction of privet property.

“Yeah this chick hates windows as much as Cap here hates doors.” They didn’t need to see Tony’s face to view his smirk. It was obvious- and well… Captain America had destroyed a lot of doors with his mighty shield. Tony started to hum the beginning of Steve’s old theme song- Steve cut him off immediately. “Shut up, Tony.”

“My feelings.” Tony responded, mock pain in his voice.

Then came the crash. They could hear it from Sam’s intercom. “Shit.” He murmured.

This time it wasn’t the rooftop window that shattered, it was one at the ground level. The girl dove through the window, rolling on the floor and drawing her gun, pointing it up at the Falcon in his perch and firing. It was as if she’d known exactly where he was. The bullet missed his chest, hitting a panel at the front of his suit.

Sam jumped off the perch to dive down at the woman. He extended his wings only to find out, too late, that one wouldn’t open. The bullet had jammed into one of the main panels of his suit in just the right brittle section. He cursed, trying to right himself with one wing, twirling to the ground in a graceless spiral.

The Falcon continued his path downward, heading straight for a series of glass cases. The woman ran from her crouched position, springing up beside him as he neared the floor and delivered a kick to his side, sending him propelling to a display of stuffed mannequins. It should have added insult to injury, but it was a much softer landing by comparison to the glass cases.

When Sam’s world stopped spinning, he stood up on unsteady legs, using one of the mannequins that was still standing as a support. The girl was gone. “I’m grounded.” He groaned, taking off his goggles and rubbing his head.

“Stay put. I’m coming.” Steve murmured, pushing off the wall he’d been crouched beside.

“Stay in position, Rodgers!” Whenever they were on a mission, Steve and Tony fought for dominance like a couple of children. It was a constant mystery as to who was really in charge of the whole thing. Most of the time the team just followed whoever’s orders sounded more reasonable, or they acted as a team, using the information given to them to make the best call for their actions. But it didn’t quell Steve and Tony’s bickering.

In this case however, things had been decided for him. Their target landed in front of the star-spangled hero, stopping his charge for the Egyptian exhibit. With that mask in place he couldn’t see her smile. “Captain.” She said sweetly. The sweet tone didn’t seem to be mocking. It was almost like she was genuinely happy to see him.

A tone that was contradicted by the balled fist she had aimed for his perfect face. Steve flicked his shield from his back and thrusted it in front of the fist. When her fist made contact with the shield, the sound reverberated around the room. Such a hit should have shattered the girl’s hand. But to Steve’s surprise and confusion, she pulled back and used the force of her punch to skid backwards away from the super soldier.

“Most men are opposed to protection.” She murmured, standing back with her hip cocked, the mask muffling her voice.

“I’m old fashioned.” Steve shot back. There was a pause-- a tension between them as if they were waiting to see who would blink first. It was Steve.

He threw his shield in the girl’s direction and charged after it. She dropped to her knees, the disk flying over her head, kicking her leg out as the Captain approached, knocking out his knees and sending him onto his back. She pressed her palms to the floor and lifted her lower body up, twisting to throw her heels downward on the blue clad man.

He rolled out of the way, sending her heels into the marble floor and creating a crack that webbed out from the impact.

Steve sprung to his feet and ran to where his shield had embedded itself in one of the opposing pillars, yanking it from the stone with great effort. The Captain turned in time to see the thief running at him. She leapt into the air, using the momentum of her fall to deliver a kick to the captain.

He was seeing a pattern, she did a lot of her combat with her legs, preferring kicks over punches.

He crouched and held his shield over his head, bracing himself as her boot came down on it. He pushed up, forcing the girl upwards to the ceiling. Lowering his shield, he looked up to see the girl gripping the chandelier.

The girl kicked her legs, swinging from the chandelier. She built enough momentum to let go of the sparkling decoration and drop onto the ledge of the second floor. She hooked herself against the banister and swung over. “Thanks for the lift.”

Steve cussed and ground his teeth. “Language.” Tony called over the intercom.

Steve ignored him. “She’s heading your way, Buck.”

Bucky smirked and dug his metal fingers into the column he’d been hiding behind. “Copy.”

He heard steady footsteps and watched from around the corner as the woman approached the necklace. She lifted the case and set it down on the floor, as if trying to cause minimal damage this time. She plucked the jeweled necklace from its headless torso display and placed it around her neck, turning in the direction where Bucky was shrouded by shadows.

“What do you think, handsome? Is it my color?” She cocked a hip and pushed the mannequin off of the podium to rest her elbow there, posing. “I’ve never been a big fan of the way emeralds look on me.” She murmured, her fingers caressing the main gem that hung low on her neck.

“You’d look better in sapphire.” Bucky mumbled, stepping out of the shadows.

“Oh good! I was worried I’d have to come drag you out here.” She purred, though Bucky’s jaw tightened. He walked closer to the woman. She eyed his shoulders, focused on the way he moved. In her mind she compared him to a panther, slinking closer to it’s pray. She pushed away from the podium so they could circle each other and for that moment nothing else existed.

“Someone’s mad about last time.” She smirked behind her mask, tilting her head to the side.

“Didn’t realize how strong you were last time.” Bucky stopped his pacing, all muscles wound tight under his black clothing.

The thief mimicked the action, stopping in her tracks, the only thing moving was the necklace between her breasts. It rose and fell with each calculating breath. “That was stupid of you.”

With that Bucky charged at her, gripping her around the waist and pinning her back against the podium. He reached beside her and gripped her wrist in a vice with his metal hand, struggling to hold her in place. She hooked her legs upwards, folding herself over and dislodging his arms from her waist and wrist, gripping his neck between her knees. She used her new position as leverage, resting her forearms back on the podium for stability and twisting her lower body to knock the man off his feet.

With Bucky on his back, he curled and thrusted back up to get on his feet, the woman, crouched on the podium. He drew two of his guns from his hips and fired at her, forcing her to spring upwards to avoid the bullets. She ran across the room, Bucky’s bullets following her movements until she slid over a row of display cases and ducked behind them for cover.

“Calm down terminator. We want her alive.” Tony flew into the room, dropping down with a thud, the Captain right behind him.

Tony lifted his hands, palms of his suit glowing as they powered up for a blast.

“Alright Miley Cyrus, give it up.” Bucky and Steve looked at Tony with confused expressions. Bucky arched a brow, and Steve squinted.

Sam came in in time to explain. “Because she came in like a wrecking ball.” He muttered, gun drawn.

“I thought it was clever.” Tony murmured defensively. Bucky and Steve were still baffled but let it go, peering at the jewelry display case that the woman had hid behind. Bucky holstered one of his guns in favor of keeping only one pointed in her direction. No sound came from behind the case.

They remained in an unrequited stand off until Bucky got frustrated and became the first to move. Tony reached forward, taking Bucky’s shoulder in a tight fist to keep him back, but even in his iron suit Bucky shrugged the hand off.

The former Winter Soldier jumped onto the case, pointing his gun downward at-

Nothing.

His blue eyes narrowed and he barred his teeth, growling deep in his chest. “Son of a bitch.” There was a hole clearly punched or kicked in the base of the wall large enough for the thief to fit through.

“Language.” Tony called for the second time that night.

“One goddamn time.” The Captain muttered, shooting Tony a look.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“How many avengers does it take to shut down one thief?” Sam grumbled in the morning after they’d all been well rested from the night before and had finished licking their wounds.

“Evidently a number greater than four.” Tony commented, throwing himself into one of the armchairs in the lounge. “But hey if we’re bringing more in- how about we make it the young ones. You know. Ones that’ll get my jokes. I keep forgetting Captain Grandpa and Sargent Senior Citizen over there aren’t hip.”

“She’s strong.” Steve commented, rubbing the back of his neck which he’d tweaked in his fight with the woman. In reality, it was already healed. The memory was enough to make him sore.

“Let’s change your name to Captain Obvious.” Tony murmured, throwing his arm over his eyes as if to block out the sunshine that had started to coat the compound.

Steve rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch next to Sam while Bucky remained standing behind it, his arms crossed over his chest.

“What I mean is that she’s not human.” Steve muttered. Sam nodded and picked up the TV remote, flipping on the news.

“What is she then?” Sam mumbled. He ached in places he didn’t even know he had. He wasn’t going to run today. Steve would have to drag him kicking and screaming like a man baby.

“Asgardian maybe?”

Tony interjected Cap’s thought process immediately. “Nope. Doesn’t sound like a runaway thespian when she speaks.”

“A white ass Hulk?” Sam tried. Tony snorted. He didn’t need to correct that one. That was obviously out.

There was a silence that fell over the room, all eyes on the TV without really watching it. They couldn’t hear it over the wheels turning in their heads anyway.

“A super soldier.” Bucky said suddenly in a horsed hush.

All eyes turned to look at him. “I thought they were all killed by Zemo in Siberia.” Steve’s brow crinkled and Tony frowned. They all tried not to bring up Siberia. Obviously, it wasn’t a happy memory. All had been forgiven but not forgotten. Well, as forgiven as it could be. Tony still harbored some underlying resentment towards the metal armed member of their team. He knew it wasn’t necessarily Bucky’s doing, but those scars ran deep.

“They were,” Bucky amended quickly. “But in your 21st century I can’t imagine someone hasn’t managed to copy it.”

“Or something like it.” Tony amended, “HYDRA?” Steve shrugged and cocked a brow at Tony’s guess. “What would hydra want with museum pieces?”

Sam hissed against the chatter. “Shh! They’re talking about the artifacts on the news.”

Tony reached for the remote instinctively and turned up the volume. Some people just always had to be in control of the remote.

“- and in an odd twist of fate the three priceless treasures that had been stolen this week have found their way back home. The pieces were returned to their rightful museums in seamless condition as if they hadn’t been stolen in the first place.” The woman on the screen stated in her best announcer voice, using the Smithsonian as a backdrop for her story.

“Guess the thief had a guilty conscious.” Her co-anchor back at the station added to which the woman nodded with a clearly fake laugh. “Or a change of heart.” She added before they switched topics.

“Why would she give them back?” Steve muttered, running his hand over his brow in frustration.

“She said green wasn’t her color.” Bucky murmured sarcastically. He was bitter. It was clear in his tone.

Steve leaned back, molding into the couch and pinched his brow, sucking in a frustrated breath. “I’m so damn lost.” He mumbled, the hand at his brow shifting upwards to run through his blonde hair. “That makes four of us.” Sam tilted his head back, he could use a nap.

Tony scoffed softly but didn’t add anything.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If Bucky’s face often looked pissed, then it looked furious today. He never had to worry about someone talking to him on his run, he didn’t even have to worry about anyone looking at him half the time. But today his face clearly said, ‘don’t even look at me’. As a result, all innocent bystanders practically dove out of the way to avoid him.

Well, almost all.

As Bucky came around the corner, he had to slide to a stop to avoid colliding with a woman. His sneakers skidded against the ground, kicking up what little rocks where there, bringing him chest to chest with Cassandra. She flinched, as if bracing for impact, but it never came. She smiled brightly at Bucky, a Starbucks pink liquid in one hand and a muffin in the other. “Hey.” She said simply, putting the straw between pale pink lips.

“Hey.” He replied sheepishly after a moment of hesitation. “Sorry I… My mind was elsewhere.” He mumbled as she took a sip of her drink.

“Well why don’t you follow me to the shop and tell me about where your minds been?” She asked and gestured with her head in the direction of the shop. “Got here early so I thought I’d go to the coffee shop and pick up some breakfast.”

Bucky looked at the pink drink and arched a brow. “No coffee?”

“Doesn’t work for me.” She replied, though she rushed to add. “I don’t like it anyway. Tastes like tar.” She fished her keys out of the back pocket of her jeans. Finally- a decent view. He looked down at her ass unabashed, only looking up when the door opened. He followed her in, closing the door behind him.

“And since you’re here I might as well put you to work.” She grinned and pointed to the boxes by the door. “They’re kinda heavy for me.”

Bucky smirked and picked up the first bulky box, walking to set it on the back counter where she could sort it. “Anything for you, baby doll.” He murmured with a wink. Spending time around this woman really did bring the old Bucky back. For the time he was with her the weight of the world seemed to be off his shoulders.

Cassandra smiled and bit her lip, a nervous habit it would seem.

Bucky could feel her eyes on him and despite her apparent shyness she made no move to avert her gaze. She followed the path of his arms where flesh mirrored metal, listening to the gears adjust in his metal arms like a symphony and watching the muscles shift and flex under his flesh.

“Shivery isn’t dead after all.” She giggled, taking off her jacket and placing it on the chair at the counter. For this, unfortunately, she had to avert her gaze, turning her back to him.

“It just got frozen for a couple decades.” He shot her a look over his shoulder and his smile faded. “What’s that?” He gestured to her forearm with his chin since his arms were full.

Following his gaze, she looked to her arm which had a harsh purple bruise around her wrist, spanning up half her forearm. Her eyes appeared to glaze over it quickly and she lifted her arms and looked down as if inspecting herself completely. “What’s what?” She looked at Bucky, brows up and eyes wide in an innocent expression.

Bucky dropped the box on the counter and took her right arm gently in his metal hand, letting her wrist rest in his palm. “This.” Blue eyes narrowed, his flesh hand taking hers gingerly so he could inspect the bruise. “Oh!” She exclaimed as if she hadn’t seen it. It was rather impossible to miss. “I must have bumped into something.” She slipped her hand from Bucky’s and rubbed at her wrist tenderly with a bright smile and a shrug of her shoulders. “As you know I’m not very graceful.”

She laughed at the joke at her own expense but Bucky’s skeptical gaze remained. The bruise was fresh, only a few hours old at most judging by it’s deep coloring. Bruises didn’t start to yellow until about three days after infliction. At four hours they were a light purple and at twenty-four a deeper one. This bruise was between the two. She would remember how she got it.

Even through her absentminded rubbing of the area, Bucky could make out it’s shape. An oval like formation on the top of her forearm, four long and narrow bruises on the side and one wrapping under to connect with the four. It was as if she’d been gripped. Though each section had wider areas of blank space than a normal hand’s knuckles would create where they met.

Bucky opened his mouth to speak when the front door chimed and a man and woman pushing a baby carriage came in. “Morning Cassie!” They pipped up, giving a little nod and mouthing a ‘good morning’ to Bucky as well though they didn’t know him.

Cassandra turned her head to regard the family of three with one of her signature bright smiles. “Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Thomson… And Baby Thomson.” She added jokingly. The brunette turned her focus back to Bucky and shrugged. “Duty calls. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

Bucky gave a short nod and with that Cassandra walked over to the regular customers and he made his way out of the store with one more glance over his shoulder.

A variety of thoughts were rocketing through Bucky’s already scrambled mind but they weren’t adding up.

[kansascityhappenings]

Pulse gunman’s widow found not guilty

Watch Video

ORLANDO, Fla. — Noor Salman, the widow of the Pulse nightclub gunman, sobbed Friday as she was acquitted of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and of obstruction of justice in connection with her husband’s 2016 rampage.

A visibly anxious Salman, wearing a dark suit, stood in federal court as the verdict was read. She wept and heaved as her attorneys — one of them also crying — embraced her. She looked back at her relatives.

“Thank you,” she whispered to her lawyers.

One of her uncles, seated in court behind her, stifled a sob as relatives held one another.

As Salman left the courtroom, she looked back at her family again, her eyes red and teary.

“We are so grateful to them, so grateful for their verdict,” Susan Clary, the spokeswoman for Salman’s family, said outside court. “She can go home now and try to pick up the pieces.”

Jurors began deliberating Wednesday afternoon.

Salman’s relatives and Clary also said they were sorry for the victims and survivors but grateful for the trial’s outcome.

“It’s Good Friday for everybody,” an uncle, Al Salman, said. “I want to say thank you, Lord.”

Defense attorney Linda Moreno later expressed her admiration for the families of the victims and the survivors.

“We’re very grateful to this jury and to the Orlando community,” she said. “Maybe this was the only community that could do this.”

Added defense attorney Charles Swift: “This jury will stand in my mind as remarkable. … They were pillars of this community. We knew their backgrounds. They were true judges in this case.”

A community still working to heal

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer tweeted that the trial’s conclusion will help the community heal.

“We can never bring back the 49 innocent victims whose lives were taken on June 12, 2016, or erase the pain that the horrific act brought to so many, but we remain focused on helping the victims and family members continue the healing process,” he said in statement.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said he shared the disappointment of the victims’ families with the verdict.

“This has been an emotional event for our community and many feel that justice has not prevailed,” he said in a statement.

“However, the system of justice has spoken and we should look to the continued healing for the families and our entire community so that this event will not define us.”

Salman, 31, was arrested in January 2017, months after her husband, Omar Mateen, killed 49 people and injured more than 50 others when he opened fire the prior June at Pulse nightclub. Mateen was killed by police who responded to the attack.

Prosecutors said Salman aided Mateen ahead of his killing spree, then lied to the FBI in an attempt to thwart the investigation.

“This case is about what she knew and what she did,” Assistant US Attorney Sara Sweeney said. “The defendant didn’t pull the trigger that night, but she did serve as a green light for her husband.”

Salman’s attorneys argued that their client was not an accomplice but a simple-minded victim of her husband’s infidelity and lies.

“She doesn’t go to the mosque, she searches for Hello Kitty on her website,” Swift said in his closing argument. “We’re supposed to believe she had long conversations with Omar Mateen about jihads?”

Salman did not testify during the trial. She faced life in prison.

‘I wish I had been more truthful’

During 10 days of testimony, jurors watched surveillance video showing Mateen buying weapons prior to the shooting and also opening fire inside the nightclub.

Security cameras also recorded Mateen going with Salman on a shopping spree for clothing, toys and jewelry at several stores in central Florida at least a week before the shooting.

After Salman’s arrest, she said in a statement to the FBI that she knew in advance that her husband was going to do something violent.

“I wish I had done the right thing, but my fear held me back. I wish I had been more truthful,” she wrote in the statement, which was shown in court.

FBI special agent Ricardo Enriquez testified that Salman said in several statements to the FBI that Mateen watched jihadi beheading videos, purchased a rifle and ammunition and went to a gun range to practice.

‘She’s not calculating’

Defense attorneys cast Salman as a mother and a victim of Mateen’s abuse and infidelity, as well as of the FBI’s coercive investigators.

“Omar Mateen is a monster. Noor Salman is a mother, not a monster. Her only sin is she married a monster,” Moreno told jurors.

Since the defense launched its case Monday, Mateen’s family and friends described her as a peaceful person and a good mother. They said Salman is not capable of being “calculating,” “deceptive” or “able to connect the dots.”

“Nothing harmful would come out of her,” a friend of Salman’s who was identified only as Ms. Ahmed told jurors, according to CNN affiliate WKGM.

Bruce Frumkin, a forensic clinical psychologist, testified Tuesday, saying lack of sleep, mental issues, low IQ scores and lengthy interrogations contribute to false confessions.

Salman was interviewed by authorities for 11 hours and her IQ score is 84, which makes her “below average in intelligence,” Frumkin said.

Gunman’s father was FBI informant

Defense attorneys filed a motion for dismissal last weekend after prosecutors informed them that the shooter’s father was an FBI informant who is under criminal investigation.

The revelation threatened to upend the case against Salman, but the judge denied the motion, saying it was not relevant to the case against her.

Seddique Mateen was a confidential FBI source at various points in time between January 2005 and June 2016, a motion filed by the defense states, citing an email from Sweeney.

The email also states that Seddique Mateen is being investigated for money transfers to Turkey and Afghanistan after documents were found in his home on June 12, 2016, the day of the Pulse attack. The dates of the money transfers were between March 16, 2016, and June 5, 2016, according to the email.

Defense attorneys argued that if they had known about Seddique Mateen’s FBI status, they may have argued other theories during the trial, including that the Mateens, rather than Salman, conspired to support ISIS, according to the motion.

Seddique Mateen had been on the prosecution’s witness list but was not called to testify in the trial.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports http://fox4kc.com/2018/03/30/pulse-gunmans-widow-found-not-guilty/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2018/03/30/pulse-gunmans-widow-found-not-guilty/

[aspirgallant]

The Calm Before the Storm

The day had been long and hard for the people of Yobash. With word of the oncoming Forged assault, they had spent its entirety properly arming themselves and preparing their defenses. Unfortunately, Ma’bud’s assessment of the students’ fighting abilities proved to be accurate. Save for the few who had once been soldiers or guards, many had little training with a weapon. Amal spent much of the day teaching volunteers basic techniques; just enough to defend themselves if magic wouldn’t suffice.

Aspir was mostly busy discussing strategy with Ma’bud and the sentries. Though he encountered the Forged far less than he’d like, in the couple of instances he did, Aspir had gained some familiarity with the various types of they would likely have to confront. He shared with them all he could, and watched as they planned and accounted for each type.

With the knowledge he provided, Ma’bud and the elementalists set about constructing various fortifications; primarily walls of solid sand to provide cover and elemental runes to act as traps. Several underground archives were converted into bunkers for those who couldn’t fight. They were stored with food and water should the worst come to pass and hiding became the only option. As the sun began to set, there was only one thing left to do: lower the very barrier that had protected the school grounds from the Dragonbrand for a decade. With its size and visibility, the chances of it attracting the Forged were simply too great.

Now all there was left to do was wait. Aspir decided to spend that time trying on the armor Amal had picked for him within the underground sanctuary. The set’s age was evident in the patches of tarnish that dotted each plate. What he assumed had once been dark purple cloth had dulled into a pale violet and was thoroughly chewed through by insects. He doubted it’d provide much protection at all. Still, he had to admit Amal was right. When it came to the Forged, some protection was better than none.

The sun was completely down by the time he exited his tent, which was based near the edge of the bubble. He was greeted to the sight of a small fire being diligently fed by Quenchya, with Mayline curled up peacefully nearby. He walked over to choya friend, presenting himself to her.

“So? What do you think? Does it look good?” He spun around, giving Quenchya a view of his entire body.

The choya stared blankly at him for a few seconds, then proceeded to return to her work of dragging sticks into the fire.

Aspir chuckled to himself. “Yeah, it could use a little polish.”

When she was satisfied, the tiny choya nestled up in a nearby sand pile. Aspir himself plopped right down next to the fire, basking in its warmth as the chill air of the night set in. As he leaned back onto his hands, he peered up into the sky. It was the first time since he arrived at Yobash that he could appreciate stars, which had previously been obscured by the barrier. They seemed so much more vibrant in the desert, forming a sea of lights and color.

He couldn’t help but to think about his star-loving partner. It had been nearly a month since Aspir had last seen Theo; perhaps even longer. He pulled the chain around neck his out, cradling the ring and locket Theo had given him in his palms. He wondered if his fiancé was alright. For all he knew, Theo could’ve been off risking his life in some other adventure with the Whispers. He just prayed he’d be able to see him again soon.

A voice came from behind him. “Outlander?”

Aspir jumped slightly in surprise, quickly tucking the jewelry back into his armor. He turned to see Amal behind him, waiting patiently. “Uh, yes?”

“Is it alright if we talked?” she asked.

Curious, Aspir nodded at her. “Of course.”

Amal nodded in turn, and took her place on the opposite side of the fire. She stared into the flames, something clearly on her mind. After a minute or so, she looked towards Aspir once more.

“I just wanted to apologize for my aggression towards you these past few days. These are simply…” She breathed out, suddenly looking very exhausted. “Difficult times.” She ran her hands through her hair before continuing. “I’ve seen you doing your best to help the people here. Clearly, I misjudged you.”

Aspir smiled at the warrior. “It’s fine. I know things have been tough around here with Balthazar and his followers. But we’ll beat him, and then maybe things will get better!”

Amal scoffer at his words. “Our troubles started long before Balthazar’s betrayal, and will continue long after. He’s just another tragedy in a long of list of them for Elona.”

A downcast looked appeared over Aspir. “What do you mean?”

“Do you know of Joko?” the warrior asked as her gaze lowered towards the fire.

“I do. The exiles in the Riverlands told me some things, and I’ve, uh… run into the Awakened. Though, they seem more welcoming here in Vabbi. It’s been confusing,” Aspir said while scratching the back of his head.

The warrior’s eyes glared intensely at the fire, her whole face creasing madly. “Do not fall for their act. The Awakened are how Joko ruins this nation. They manipulate its people and anyone who dares to defy them are silenced. He’s nothing, but a plague,” she spat out.

Aspir didn’t respond. The words simply never came.

Amal’s features softened. There was no more hate in her eyes, just grief. “Tell me, outlander. Where you come from, do such tyrants exist?”

Aspir considered the question. He wanted to say no, but that wasn’t exactly the truth. “Well, sort of and not really. There was a lot of bad people in power, and we payed for it.” His eyes trailed down to his metallic arm, which he realized he was clenching. He had to inhale to relax. “But there was good people too, and they won. We got our justice.”

Amal chuckled sadly. “We got not such thing here. The good lost and Joko triumphed, but even that wasn’t enough. He changed what good was; turning our heroes into villains and himself into the hero. He took Elona’s very soul away and filled the void with his doctrine.” She shook her head and sighed. “Whether we defeat Balthazar or not, Elona is still a long way from ever being truly free… ”

Aspir bent forward and wrapped his arms around his legs. He curled into himself, suddenly feeling very small. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be… It’s just the reality of things. What matters now,” she pulled out one of her daggers, holding it up above the flames, “is that we keep living.”

The dagger grabbed Aspir’s attention. In the light, it shone with what he could’ve swore was a rainbow of colors. He was absolutely transfixed by it.

“My mother gave me this dagger, and her mother before her. It has passed down to each generation of Sunspear of in my family; to act both as a reminder of an Elona before Joko, and as a symbol of what Elona could be again.” Her voice started to well with pride.

Aspir’s eyebrows rose up. “Wait, does that mean you’re a…?”

For the first time since he had met her, Amal smiled. “Despite everything Joko has done to destroy us, we’ve survived. Every day that we live is in direct defiance of his will. As long as the Sunspear are able to fight, there is hope that Elona can be free once more.”

Aspir looked at her in awe. In that instant, she looked like a proud and noble hero. The exact sort of hero he had hoped to be one day. Even with all the troubles that plagued her home, Amal managed to stand strong and defiant.

How does she do it, he thought. How does she manage to live with it all?

The words slipped out like water. “Don’t you ever feel like it’s not good enough?” He immediately cupped his mouth, not entirely sure why or even how he said that. He started to blush, mortified as he was by his own words.

Amal looked taken aback by the question. She stared silently at him, only increasing the awkward tension between them. Only after processing what he said, did she finally start to speak again. “Is that how you-”

Her words were immediately cut off by the sound of a gunshot in the distance, followed by shouting. Quenchya and Mayline stirred from their slumber, and Amal stood up to seek out the cause of the disturbance. It wasn’t long, however, before one of the sentries sprinted up to the camp.

Her breathing was quick and harsh as she spoke. “The Forged have been sighted near by! They are coming!” the sentry shouted.

Amal squinted, her grip on the dagger tightening. She looked down to Aspir. “Are you ready?”

Aspir turned onto his feet and leapt into his tent. The two women glanced at each other in confusion, but he quickly reemerged with his shield and the mace he had taken from the sanctuary. He nodded at her with a determined look.

Amal nodded back and turned towards the sentry. “Then let’s go. The army of the War God is going to find we’ve got more fight in us than they could ever know.”

The sentry began to head back to where she came from; Aspir and Amal closely behind. All around them, villagers scrambled to run for hiding places, while those who would fight took up their stations. The three of them stopped to kneel behind a stone barrier set up outside the school. There, they waited patiently for the first signs of the enemy.

Anticipation filled the air as they listened. At first, all that could be heard was the quiet ambience of the night. The three remained in place, poised to strike. But, it seemed like nothing was coming.

Growing impatient, Amal gestured to the other two to stay put. She slowly started raise herself up, peeking her head ever so slightly above the barrier. Almost immediately, a fiery bullet blew a chunk of the wall off mere inches from her face. Standing only a few meters away, a Forged rifleman had its sights set on her. It let loose another shot, which Amal dodged gracefully with a spin. She used the momentum to fling her dagger with much greater accuracy than the rifleman. It flew right into the gap where its forearm met its upper arm. The magic keeping the appendage together flickered and suddenly went out. It’s forearm dropped to the ground, taking the rifle with it.

Amal jumped over the barrier, leaving Aspir and the sentry behind. She ran towards the rifleman, and dived for her dagger. She successfully grabbed it while rolling past, and upon landing on her feet, she jumped up right behind the rifleman and threw her arms around its head. With both hands on the dagger, she shoved it back into the gaps of the rifleman’s helmet-like face. It struggled for only a few seconds before Amal’s magic took hold, snuffing out the flames within the metal being. It slumped lifeless against her, and fell apart into the sand.

“Watch out!” Aspir cried.

Amal had only a second to turn and duck before another bullet hit her. The glowing flames of dozens of Forged appeared, all armed with weapons burning just as bright. Amal backed off towards Aspir and the sentry, and together the three got into a defensive stance while others appeared to defend Yobash.

It was going to be a long night.