commentairephoto

[avedoodles]

[albino-whumpee]

I´ll stay where I belong

Had an idea while writing another WIP and it derailed. Sorry I don´t control what my brain does anymore, so here. For the @badthingshappenbingo​ my prompt was “Nervous breakdown” Also, for @whumptober2020​ day 2 and 3 “collars and manhandled” 

 Taglist:   @castielamigos-whump-side-blog @giggly-evil-puppy @cowboysrappin @haro-whumps @burtlederp @neuro-whump @comfortforthepain @whumps-the-word @whole-and-apart-and-between @broken-horn @ashintheairlikesnow @rosesareviolentlyread @starnight-whump @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @as-a-matter-of-whump  @whumpasaurus101 @grizzlie70 @twistedcaretaker @boxboysandotherwhump @unicornscott

CW// Slavery, dehumanization, pet whump, conditioning, fucky headspace regarding self views, nightmares, implied hanging, manhandling, creepy comfort, a very blurry line between caretaking and whumping, implied ablism and negative views about stimming. Ask to tag and stay safe!

Albus was walking in the darkness of a place he hadn’t seen in his life, but knew like the back of his hand. He was dressed in white shorts and white shirt, just like his trainee uniform. Despite the usual lightness in his feet he could hear every step loud and clear, until he was suddenly sat in the middle of what looked like a library. Old books piled up on the ground all around the place. Stacked in shelves that reached the ceiling and beyond. He stared at the ground, where a compass was engraved on it, overlapping a constellation map.

Albus looked up when he heard the tingling bells of a jester hat. He blinked at the sight of a white jester with an annoying smile on its mask standing next to a wheel. He frowned. Turned his eyes at the engraved faces on each of the eight sides the red arrow could fall on.

They looked familiar.

“Sann..? And Ma’am?…what-“ he saw Tony and Sasha and Cloude, even Robert, but didn’t know who the other people were. Next to Sann and Jeremy, there was a little girl and an albino woman. On the other side next to Cloude, there was another unrecognized face.

To his surprise the jester spinned the wheel.

It fell on the albino woman. Then on the little girl. Then on all the others he knew. All the time giving him a pity glance and shaking his head. Irritatation was starting to set in, when at last, it fell on Sann.

Albus jumped at the pity head shake. Or tried to, but another jester shoved him back to his seat with a heavy hand on his shoulders. The other jester swinged a finger in front of his face and clicked his tongue like reprimanding a noisy kid.

“So unlucky. The wheel of fortune won’t spin on your favor” they said in a voice that sent shivers down his spine and felt wondering fingers crawling up. As if it could summon hands to touch the skin on his back “Albus” the boy took a shuddering breath “You may be lucky with how and not The Who”

In a puff, the wheel changed the faces for…punishments. Real punishments like at the facility. No, even worse. His breathing quickened when in another puff a version with a slightly blurry face of the girl appeared out of nowhere, followed by a white clown with red eyes.

“No…No, wait!” he whispered seeing the clown reaching towards the wheel. “No!” He yelled jumping up.

“That’s, right, No” the jester put his hands over his shoulders and slammed him down on the chair “Don’t move” he told him, voice suddenly way too deep. Albus whined in frustation. But a long finger passed over his mouth “hush, don’t speak. Do either and everyone will hit the jackpot!”

Albus eyes widened and his chest heaved in hurried breaths. His shoulders twisted to let a rope wrap his wrists together behind him. He wanted to cry out, having a bad feeling about the wheel and how the girl stared at it almost excitedly, but it was zipped tight. He could only let out muffled whimpers as he saw the wheel finally stop on the knot symbol.

He thrashed, but the jester manhandled him to keep him on the chair effortlessly. Almost enjoying seeing him struggle until he settled on letting him slam himself against the hard wood. He screamed when a foot held him thete. Twisting in the ground, he saw the clown getting out the rope, seeing it make funny shapes with it to the girl’s amused laughter.

Then blurry versions of every face came from the halls made of shelves. All eight of them had a white jester with one hand on their shoulder pushing them forward and the other on a rope. As if they were performing a dance, the clowns moved in perfect sync, pulled the tied up ropes on their necks, their faces smiling wide despite how tight they were on their necks.

Albus futile attempts to move or scream did nothing.

It was the sound of one final raspy stretch of the rope, one last tweak of a knot and a dry, cut short sound that woke him wide eyed.

He was sweating and holding his pillow tight. Too afraid to see the library, he didn’t uncurl his fingers off it until he saw Sann peacefully sleeping next to him. His broad back was there, but his own heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was trying to run away from his chest to check itself. Even in the safety of his bed, feeling his loosened up collar around his neck and feeling Sann’s radiator body next to him, he felt unsafe. Watched from the shadows.

He let go of the pillow and straightened up to cup Sann’s face, searching for some awareness on the half open eyes, but he was in the fifth dream and very far from waking up. He was tired from having nightmares too and Albus would take the only chance he had had this last weeks from resting? No, no.

Albus let him go immediately then. Swung his feet over the bed and pressed his hands to his face. Trying to calm the thundering beating of his heart as his knee bounced shockingly fast. He heard Sann groan at the bed’s movement.

“Al?” The boy half signed in his sleep. The easy gesture of white was barely understandable in the dark.

“Shh, shh. It’s ok,” Albus said pulling the sheets to cover Sann up to his neck, tucking in his left arm below too “It’s fine, go back to sleep” he whispered to Sann’s little purr when he squeezed his shoulder slightly and stood up to walk to the door.

He was trembling on the hall for a while.

Hadn’t bothered taking his glasses, so he stood there in the middle of the house with shifty shadows that twisted into something more macabre. Sometimes he could swear he could see handler Harry in the corner, hear his voice threatening to cane his hands if he dared keep going with his annoying nervous rubbing and rounding thumbs.

Running from him and the shadows, he suddenly found himself curling next to Zarai’s bed. In the corner where night stand and mattress touched.

His cheeks flared up in shame. What was he? A kid who had a nightmare and had ran to his parents bed? He flinched hearing the slam of a cane against a gloved hand.

That’s not what a pet should do. You know better than that ‘900, c’mon. She’s your owner. You shouldn’t be a nuisance to your kind Master that lets you sleep on your own bed in your own room without making sure you stay there, now do you?

He shook his head to the voice’s pleased hum.

It’s almost like you want to be punished. So cute. Now-

“Albus?” The woman whispered right when he stood up, his cheeks burnt so much tears threatened to roll down. She stretched to light on the lamp on her nightstand, seeing at the click, a sweaty terrified boy kneeling next to her. “Are you ok? What’s wrong?”

Albus opened and closed his mouth many times, but nothing came out. How could he even explain? He almost jumped away blurting out all sort of apologies when he heard her sigh and set her hand over his head. It was almost instinctively that he leaned on it with closed eyes. When it slipped down his cheek, Albus Held her hand with both his own with a sniff.

“Come here” she said moving to Cloude’s side. The man was gone for the weekend for a business trip, so there was plenty of space for him to crawl up and pull his knees to his chest. Feeling Zarai’s hand brush his back up and down, slowly smothering down the violent trembling.

“I-I-I´m sorry, ma’am” he whispered with his face hidden between his arms. The hand stuttered, but continued brushing his back and settled on his head.

“Its ok” The motion was so constant and warm, he could believe she meant it. “What is it? Can you tell me?”

He weighted the possibility of being honest for a second, but decided against it at the last second. Switched to other matters.

“What happens when I stop being good enough for you ma’am?” he said despite himself, lifting his head to watch her reaction. Calm and collected was what Zarai always appeared to be. Even in the middle of the night with an anxious pet on her bed pleading for comfort, she would give this air of composure Albus could actually feel comforted with. She dragged a long breath in.

“We will see why and work it out so you can do better” she slowly set a hand on the back of his head, right where the scar was, then pulled him closer to her chest forcing his body to follow the motion into a hug.

“No…no punishments?” He stuttered looking up to read her.

“No punishments” she sighed out long.

He shifted on her arms, finding her unexpectedly warm and comfortable. He closed his eyes and tried to relax a second. The rhythm of her heart was so absorbing as well, he stayed quiet just to hear it a bit longer, but questions lingered in his mind, searching to be answered. It was odd timing and he was being so bold, yet he needed to hear it. He desperately needed that reassurance.

“You won’t send me back when I stop being useful to you?”

A long silence stood, that the longer it lasted, the more he was aware his owner could have him wrapped around her arms one night and the next he could be back under handler Harry’s baton.

Yet when he was about to let the tears welling on his eyes roll down, she grabbed his chin and made him look at her.

“We said no punishments, Albus” She said carefully “Not ever”

The albino boy couldn´t help but lean into her embrace. Worries fled his body so fast his body was left exhausted at the release of tension. She gently laid his head on her lap and he was almost sure he could sleep right there and then and the nightmare wouldn´t continue. He tried to do that.

Not ever sounded like such a long time. It had been voiced like an immutable law too, yet, laws had clauses.

When his mind was slipping back to a dream laid out on her lap like that, she spoke. Wrongly assuming he was already asleep.

“Until I decide when, you will walk behind me, right next to me, wasn´t it?” She said with intentions he couldn´t name, yet understood when her fingers brushed against his collar.

What was the feeling he felt while laid out on her lap while she gently brushed his hair? What was it indeed, what he felt when he stayed wrapped in her arms for a while, before he went back to sleep next to Sann? What would he reply to Sann’s worried face in the morning, when he asked him what was wrong, why was he crying? Why did he felt a warmth on his chest that couldn’t suit either anger nor adoration?

The taciturn look he would have on his eyes when the fog WRU Installed on his brain took over when he spoke again would reply for him.

That’s right. Who I belong to is safe. The handler’s voice…no. His own voice said inside his head.

“And I’ll stay where I belong”

[kieranosbornfmp2]

Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild

With my two stories they are both about taking some form of journey and stopping a larger evil. This fits BOTW perfectly as it is about going on a journey to stop a larger evil. Though Core fits this more as Izanagi only goes to the land of the dead initially to save his mother I feel it stil fits both.

Directed by Hidemaro Fujibayashi and produced by Eiji Aonuma BOTW is the most ambitous Legend of Zelda game to date. This game was a massive turning point in the franchise. It turned the game into a massive open world unlike any other Zelda game apart from maybe Windwaker and also made the game stunning with its choice of cell shaded graphics. For a game made for the Nintendo Switch you would expect it not to run well, or for the game to look bad especially in docked mode but BOTW in my opinion is by far the best looking game ever to be released on the Switch.

The main story of the game is that Calamaty Ganon is due to awaken and with it the destruction of Hyrule. Zelda along with Link, Mipha, Urbosa, Daruk and Rivali make up the Champions and try to make a plan to stop  Ganon the moment he awakes. However this didn’t work, Ganon took over the weapons they had been building called the Guardians and also the Divine Beasts that the Champions were to pilot. Link almost dies protecting Zelda and Zelda uses her magic to push back the forces of Ganon. She gets Link to be taken to the Shrine of Resurrection. After 100 years Link wakes up to find that Hyrule castle has been taken by Ganon and that Zelda is trapped in the Castle casting magic to make sure Ganon doesn’t leave. Link sets out on a quest to awaken the Divine Beasts again and take down Ganon.

Breath of the Wild was extermely well recieved. It was labled a Master Piece and it is also the game that got me into the Zelda franchise as I used to not like the games as a kid. Now I have gone and played Link’s Awakening, and Ocararina of Time as well and wish to play more Zelda games in the future. 

Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild’s development was unlike any other. Fans of the series had asked for a Zelda game with a more connected map where they wouldn’t just be going from area to area with loading screens all the time. Nintendo had never really made a game like this before especially not on for the Legend of Zelda and Certainly not to this scale. They ended up looking toward the Elder Scrolls V Skyrim for inspiration. For the style they decided to go with inspiration from Japanese Anime that they had grown up with as a kid like Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki productions.

Before full development, the developers designed a playable 2D prototype similar to the original Zelda to experiment with physics-based puzzles. The final game uses a modified version of the Havok Physics Engine. Also in development they wanted to make the came work logically and realistically. This had a lot of attention put to it and the amount of detail and cool discoveries you can make in the game are still being found today. People keep finding new and cool things about BOTW and that to me is incredible that after 4 years the game still has surprises in store for you.

Unlike any other Zelda game BOTW is the first with voice acted cutscenes although Link does stay as a silent protagonist a design choice meant to allow players to see themselves as Link and give him his own voice. You do get some dialouge options when in game as Link but while in game it’s back to the classic Nintendo way of reading Dialouge which as a kid I didn’t like but now as I have grown up I don’t care for it and often play a lot of RPG’s that use this. 

Personally this game means a lot to me. It was such a wild adventure and I am going to go back to it after a few days from this post to go back and complete the master mode that the game has. I completed the game before doing absolutely everything other than collecting all of the Koroks as even the developers said they never intended for them to all be found that is why they made so many, the main thing Koroks are there for is to have a sense of magic, wonder and discovery in the world so I skipped getting all of them since there is 900 of them.

I might try and make my character have some elements of Link in them to show some love to this game and also to try something out so maybe giving him a tunic or a cap could be an idea or making design sheets similar to BOTW ones could be an idea to try if I run out of ideas to do.

[pinkykitten]

The Maze

Thomas x Taylor 

Warning: death, violence, cursing, spoilers (if u have not seen the movie dont read this)

Specifics: angst, fluff, romance, comedy, gifs, pics, aesthetics, oc, oc story, plus size, 600 followers competition 

People: too many to put down srry 

Words: 15,987 (omg this is the longest thing ive ever written in my life)

Requested: By @fyeahtaylorp (cannot tag) Ok so My OC’s name is Taylor she’s 5,5, plus size, blonde hair, blue eyes, and she’s sassy and confident most of the time. I was thinking maybe rebel Wilson as the actress she resembles. I want her to be with Thomas from the maze runner. I was thinking that they meet in the maze and she’s been there longer than him and they start as friends but when they escape the maze they grow closer especially after she’s taken away from the group when they get to wicked. Maybe she’s scared Thomas is into Teresa or Brenda but he’s is in love with her and she finds that out when he thinks something has happened to her and idk how to end it 😅😂

Authors Note: FINALLY IM ABOUT TO POST THIS AGHGHGHGHGH i am so srry this took so long ive been stressed lately and dealing with some personal issues but omg im so happy how this came out! i hope u guys like it as well and also its super long lol im srry. couple of things, i did not re read this cuz its too much so if there r mistakes then u know im not surprised. also i made my mind that i am not doing this every 100 more followers i get instead its every 300 more followers i get so next time i do a oc competition story will be when i reach 900 followers or if i lol thank u guys for the follow and i am totally getting back to writing i have a lot of things coming up that im excited for yay! hope u enjoy and thank u for requesting! 

previous oc story for my 500 followers: Erik Killmonger x oc Calantha Morrison 

“Stephen, Stephen...I need you. I’m scared.”

With a fright she woke up. Not understanding if her thoughts in her head while she slept were a dream or a reality. Everything she had just played in her mind was like a memory, it was as if Taylor lived through them.

She saw the sun beginning to rise, this was a sign to show her it was the start of the day. Her life seemed to be endless, it seemed to have no meaning. Everyday was unknown, unknown of where she came from or anything before the maze. She was stuck with many, many other young boys around her age, and some younger. It was unfair she felt to her and to the others.

“Where did I come from?” Taylor would ask herself from time to time, really pondering on that question.

As Taylor got up to start the day she got dressed in her ripped jeans and her long sleeve shirt, wearing her boots with it. “Time to begin the day.” She breathed out into the cool air but then she felt her most prized possession. Without even realizing she lifted her hand to touch her necklace. When she first arrived at the maze she was left with the necklace. It must mean something, but if only she knew what it meant, or who gave it to her? What did it signify?

“Hey Newt, hope you slept well,” Taylor smiled as she met with Newt for breakfast her stomach rumbling at the smell of Frypan’s food.

Newt chuckled, patting her arm as the walked to the others, “someone sounds hungry-

Taylor playfully hit his arm, “what’s that supposed to mean?

Newts face went pale as he thought that he had hurt Taylor’s feelings, “oh my, I’m sorry Tay.” She just laughed, “you’re fine Newt. But a girl’s gotta eat!”

Newt laughed at her statement and flung his arm over her shoulders, patting her soft arm in the process. They both walk to the breakfast area. Taylor sniffs the air and motions her way to the food. 

Taylor wiped her mouth as she stood up, enjoying her breakfast especially since she spent it with her friends. It was tough being the only girl in the Glade. Nobody there understood her, they tried to but it was difficult. It was just biology, she was a female and they, they were inexperienced boys. 

As Taylor’s boots trudged through the high, green grass she looked at the huge stone cold walls. The maze it what made everything in life seem impossible. Taylor stared at it, maybe if she stared at it long enough it would go away, but sure enough the concrete barriers were still there, almost seeming to laugh at her. 

“Hey you okay Tay?” Newt asked, concerned as he placed his hand on her shoulder. A smile growing on his lips. 

Taylor nodded and laughed, “yeah I was just thinking thats all. So these tulips, they are very beautiful.” Your hands landed on the flowers of Newt’s garden. The petals were soft and the scent was so pleasing. “Good job Newt, these are gorgeous!”

“Well, you helped me out with them, remember?”

Taylor chuckled, “yeah, I do.” She went to start by getting more suitable dirt for the produce and started taking out any weeds. Then watering them and adding food. 

As Taylor was about to replant some items she heard a lot of commotion coming from, “the box...”

Taylor sprinted to the elevator. All the boys were making a commotion. She squeezed through them and saw...him. Her heart started to beat fast as his light brown eyes met hers. Her blue ocean eyes widened when she saw him. She felt like she had met this boy before but she didn’t know where or how. When the boy’s face lands on her he seems to take a pause and as if inspect her. Gally takes him out of the box and they all corner him, not giving the newcomer space. 

“Hey guys give him some space!” Taylor shouted at the other boys, pushing them away from the newbie. Just then the newcomer makes a run for it. 

“We got a runner!” One of the kid yells. 

Taylor mentally slaps herself at how the others treated the new one. As the new boy falls and trips on the grass, Taylor motions to him. 

“Hello new one, I’m Taylor.” She stuck out her hand, a smile on her face. “Welcome home.”

Taylor and Newt show the ropes to the new kid, him still not remembering his name which she told him he will later on remember but his past will be always forgotten. She explained how everyone in the Glade has a job. “Alby, our leader, was the first one here, but we all have jobs here. Newt likes to garden.”

“And what do you do?” The boy asked, really interested in Taylor. 

Taylor put her hands on her hip all sassy, “well me-”

“Oh no here we go,” Newt laughed, knowing Taylor was about to make a speech of how important and how amazing her job is. 

“I’m a map maker. We have our runners who run the maze and every time they finish the maze they come to me! They tell me whats changed and what to add more. Its a team work and yes Newt to me it is one of the most important jobs. Just saying!”

As Taylor said this the runner came out of the Maze before it closed. 

With Newt’s permission Taylor shows the boy all the different areas and just a little bit about everything of his new home. 

They two sit on a log by the fire with the rest of the kids. Taylor hands the boy a drink to which he thinks taste bad. 

“So out there,” the boy points to the maze. “What happens out there?”

Taylor knew what horrible monster crawled those wall but she did not want to scare the new one, “I don’t really know, remember I’m no runner and for good reason. I could never run all that, I’m too slow.”

The boy laughs, “does anyone stay the night in the maze?”

Taylor shakes her head, her golden blonde hair also moving with her, “no, they wouldn’t survive. I don’t think, but any ways this is your first day here. Lets not worry about those things and instead worry about you having some fun tonight.” She saw the boy was not having it and was not wanting to have fun. With a sigh she sat firmly next to him. “Do you see those stars?”

The boy looks to the black sky, “there are millions of stars.”

“Yeah but these are yours.” She grabbed the boy’s hand and lead him to a bright twinkling star. “I can see that you are going to do just fine here. In fact many will trust, respect, and one will truly love you forever. Your time here will be something of learning and teaching to everyone.”

The boy nodded with surprise, “you got that all from that star, or are you just trying to make me feel better?”

“The stars never lie Greenie.” She puts her hand out to him as he takes it. They stand up to talk somewhere more private but as they do Gally throws a guy to the boy. 

They both start competing. “Okay Gally thats enough, he’s new here!” Taylor shouts to him over the other boys screaming and cheering. As she thought that the newbie would not win he pushes Gally to the floor. Everyone including Taylor cheers for the boy, but Gally kicks him making the greenie fall on his head. 

“My name is Thomas.” The boy stands up screaming with pure joy. “My name is Thomas, its Thomas!”

“Hooray for Thomas,” Taylor exclaims, slapping a hand on Thomas’s shoulder. The crowd goes wild for him. 

“Welcome home Thomas,” Alby says as he hand him a drink. 

The next day was hectic. One of the runners named Ben was stung by a griever and he attacked Thomas. Taylor heard the commotion and helped Newt hit Ben on the head with a shovel. Then Alby told the boys to lift Ben’s shirt. Seeing the stung made Taylor’s heart ache, she can see the pain and sadness of knowing in Ben’s eyes. She left with tears in her eyes. 

Taylor, Chuck and Alby all sat Thomas down to explain what had happened, to explain the nightmares that lay beyond those walls. 

She knew what was to happen the next day though. Ben is forced to enter into the maze and left their to die. There is no cure for the stung. Seeing this made Taylor cry, hating the outcome of life. 

Later on, Minho who is the lead runner and Alby go in the maze to retrace Ben’s steps. 

As Taylor awaited for them she spent the time with Thomas. Her hands were sweaty and she was nervous for them. Thomas made her feel safe and better. 

“I’m scared Thomas. I wish Ben’s life would not have ended that way, I hate when this happens.”

Thomas grabbed her hand and reassuringly rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. The action made Taylor blush and feel some sort of attraction to the newbie. “Every things gonna be fine Tay, remember the stars.” He smiled to her as he moved a piece of stray hair behind her ear. 

Taylor held onto Thomas’s hand and onto her necklace, just awaiting for the others. 

Finally at dusk Taylor and the others wait my the entrance of the maze. The doors have opened but there is no Minho or Alby. Taylor’s heart starts to pound, fast. She is frightened and scared. With her left hand to her lips she quickly searches for Thomas’s hand, her right soft one clasping his calloused hand.

“Why are they taking so long.” She whispered under her breath, clutching onto Thomas hand harder. 

“C’mon guys can’t we send someone after them?” Thomas asked, already looking worried. 

Gally squatting by the floor says, “that’s against the rules.”

Taylor rolls her eyes and massages her temple. 

“Either they make it back or they don’t.”

Newt looks at Taylor and Thomas, “can’t risk loosing anyone else.”

Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blows at the group awaiting. Taylor puts her arm up to shield herself from the particles in the wind. 

Then the maze gears start to turn and the maze walls start closing slowly. 

“Oh no,” Chuck whispers. 

“No please no,” Taylor starts to panic. Seeing the door start to close. 

“There,” points Thomas. 

In the distance of the maze Minho is carrying Alby, it seems as if he is hurt. 

“Oh my god look there right there,” Taylor shouts, feeling happy that she sees them, but they are so far away. 

“Wait something is wrong,” Newt points out. 

“Oh no,” Taylor says worried. 

“C’mon Minho you can do it!” Shouts Chuck. 

The rest of the boys start to cheer for Minho, Gally saying for Minho to leave Alby there. 

“C’mon Minho, hurry Minho! You can do this!” Taylor screams as loud as she can. Her heart racing every second that goes by. 

“They’re not gonna make it,” Newt and Taylor realize. 

“They’re too far away,” Taylor cries, tears going down her face. 

The maze walls getting close to shutting fully Taylor is at this point gripping Thomas arm so hard. 

Minho screams as he tries to drag Alby to the entrance of the maze, going as fast as he can. 

“He’s not gonna make it,” Taylor whispers. Every one is screaming, shouting, trying to push Minho to go faster. She looks around to all the scared faces, all the faces that seem to have hope. Taylor looks in front, feeling helpless as she cries more. 

Thomas realizes what must be done and without a second thought he runs ahead with only a few inches left until the maze closes. 

“NO THOMAS!” Taylor screams in a high pitched scream as she tries to grab Thomas. 

Everything else was like a flash before her eyes. Her Thomas was gone. 

“NO!!!!”

The door to the maze fully closed and Taylor fell onto the dirt, crying, knowing Thomas, Minho, and Alby were already gone. 

“No Thomas, why?” She cried as she wrapped herself in her sweater, wanting to feel his hand once again. 

She waited there all night, wrapping herself tighter in her sweater, clutching onto the necklace. 

“Taylor, you can’t stay here all night.” Newt said as he sat beside her, looking up the maze. 

“Yes I can and I will. Did you see what Thomas did Newt? He risked his life,” she stood up and placed her delicate cold hands on the stone wall. “He is  a hero, Newt. He’s probably scared, I just,” she gave a big sigh. “I just want him to be safe. He was one of the good ones, I saw it.”

Newt nodded his head and stayed with Taylor for as long as he could, when it was time to go to sleep he left Taylor with her thoughts. Taylor traced over the names of those who had passed away. Scolding herself for thinking that the name Thomas would be carved there. “C’mon Thomas, you gotta make it. You just gotta.”

When morning came Taylor was the first one waiting there for them. Her feet tapped subconsciously on the dirt floor. 

The door of the maze opened up and Taylor, Chuck, Newt and some others were there as well. Taylor held onto Chuck’s hand and he hugged her, trying to reassure here. 

“I’m here for you Taylor,” Chuck said.

“Thanks Chuck.” Chuck was like a little brother to Taylor. He was such a happy boy and just so kind it made her feel thankful to know him. 

Taylor and Chuck were so hopeful, just wanting to see the others there at the entrance of the maze. 

But nobody was there. 

“Told you guy,” Newt started. “they’re not coming back.”

Every one was starting to loose faith as they walked away, preceding with their life. Not Taylor though and Chuck. They stood and waited. 

Taylor looked down, starting to also loose faith as she didn’t see them coming. 

“No way,” said a boy as Taylor lifted her head she saw...

them. 

“Yeah!” Cheered Chuck. 

“Oh my god, yes! Yes!” She started to squeal. Taylor was overjoyed and so happy to see them. 

Thomas and Minho both worked together in saving Alby. They made it through the doors and laid Alby on the floor. 

Taylor’s eyes started to become glassy, they were starting to tear up at the sight before her. 

“You saw a griever?” Chuck asked, looking at Minho and Thomas. 

“Yeah I saw one.” Thomas said, out of breath. 

Minho shook his head, “he didn’t just see it, he killed it.”

The whole group looked at Thomas, shocked. Taylor smirked and hugged Thomas, “I knew there was something special about you.”

Thomas chuckled and hugged Taylor back. 

They arrive back to the hut where they all sit down and discuss what has changed within the maze. 

“This is where the magic happens,” Taylor whispered to Thomas as she gave him a wink. As they walked in there laid the map. It was unlike any other map. It was not made out of paper, no, it was made out of sticks, rocks. It showed where turns were made, how abstract the maze truly was. 

“Wow, this is what you guys do?” Thomas asked, mesmerized by how Taylor and her team had built the maze replica. 

“Yeah, now you’re a part of it.” Taylor bit her lip, trying to hold in her immense smile knowing now she gets to spend moments with Thomas. 

Thomas looks up at Taylor and grins at her, “well first off we went through here.”

Thomas and Minho sat in front of Taylor, telling her every little detail on how the maze has changed. They place the rock that they had written each section of the place and put it in its proper area.

Thomas peers around the room which makes Taylor uncomfortable. The room is dark, dull, it smells of copper, so much that someone could taste it. Taylor was the same way when she peered into the map making room, to her it was a bit scary, but if it was going to save the lives of all these kids, she would sacrifice her nose smell for a little bit. 

As Taylor listens to Minho’s route she stares intently at one piece, “hey maybe this is a pattern?”

The group discussed all night, for many hours. Words exchanging, ideas, thoughts, it was a long, long night. 

The next day as Taylor is tending to the garden she hears the unusual sound. The creaking of the box. 

“Guys! Guys come check this out!” She shouts as she runs to the elevator. The others arrive as well and the person that is shown shocks every one. 

“What in the world?” Some ask as they stare at this...

“Its a girl...,” Taylor crawls in the box as she stares at another girl. She’s not just the only girl anymore. A part of her feels happy and glad but another part of her feels, jealous. She did not understand why.

Newt jumps in as well, “yeah you’re right Tay...its another girl.”

They all stare in amazement and curiosity. Why would they be sent another girl? 

“Whats in her hand?” Gally asks. Newt takes out the paper in her hand and written on the small piece it says, ‘shes the last one ever’. Taylor’s face looks confused, what could this mean?

“What the hel* does that mean?” Newt looks up at Taylor. 

The new girl suddenly wakes up with a gasp, her breathing very hard. As she is struggling to regain her breath she utters only one name, “Thomas...”

The boys and Taylor look at Thomas, expecting him to know why this new girl said his name. He gave a look back of unknowing. 

As the three, Taylor, Thomas, and Minho discuss more about the maze in the map room some boys come around to the entrance. 

““What are you guys doing? You’re not allowed here,” Taylor tries to shoo them off but they stand their ground. “But its the girl.”

“What is she awake?” Thomas questions. 

The two boys look at each other then at Taylor’s group, “yeah well, you can say that.”

As Taylor runs to where the new girl is at Chuck chuckles and points up, “Girls are awesome.”

Taylor shoots him a face of annoyance, “really shank? Now you realize that?” She looks up to see the newbie throwing rocks at the boys down below. “Are you serious?” 

The boys have shields and are trying to diffuse the situation. 

“We just want to talk,” intervenes Thomas, but still the new girl keeps throwing rocks. 

“Let me handle this,” Taylor says as she stand in front of the boys. “Hello there fellow girl. How bout me and you talk? Just us girls only, hmm?”

The girl pauses with the rocks for a moment and that lets Taylor go up. 

As she climbs up she sees the girl there, huddled probably scared. 

“Hi there,” Taylor greets her with a smile. “Don’t worry none of the boys are coming up.”

“You’re a girl?” The new one asks, looking at Taylor up and down. 

Taylor nods, “yeah, I’m the first girl. Its nice to see another one, lets me have closure. Knowing I can relate to you.”

“How come I can’t remember anything?”

“Don’t worry, that happens to us all. I don’t remember anything, my past, memories, they are all gone. All I have is this to remind me that I did have a past.” Taylor pulls up her necklace for the new girl to see it. 

“Its beautiful.”

“Thanks, now you might remember your name a few hours from now or the next day.”

“My name is Teresa.”

Taylor is shocked a little. The new girl remember’s her name already. Something was way off about this Greenie. “Well Teresa my name is Taylor, nice to meet you.”

Behind Taylor climbs a Thomas. Teresa quickly pulls out a machete and points it at him. 

“Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, easy alright?”

“Yeah its okay Teresa, he’s one of the good guys,” Taylor smiles at Thomas. Thomas gives a little grin to Taylor at the comment she said. 

“So your name is Teresa?” Thomas asks as he settles next to Taylor. Teresa nods while Thomas introduces himself. “Teresa, I’m Thomas. But you already knew that, I guess, huh?”

Teresa still pointing the blade at Thomas looks to Taylor, “they said I kept saying his name in my sleep.” She turns to look at Thomas, “who are you?”

“He doesn’t know either,” Taylor says. “No one here remembers anything. We are just like you.”

Thomas places his hand on Taylor lap, “yeah, shes right. We all woke up in that box just like you. We are all the same. So I’m gonna take this.” Thomas takes the machete out of Teresa’s hand and gives it to Taylor. “Okay.”

Taylor let out the breath she had been holding. Taylor and Thomas stood by with Teresa, to make sure she felt safe. But there were so many questions that needed answering. 

Thomas, Minho, Winston, Zart and Frypan enter into the maze. Taylor says her goodbyes to them but as Thomas is about to leave Taylor meets with him. 

“I wanted to give you something before you go.” Taylor hands Thomas a sheet of paper, on the paper is drawn a butterfly on a flower. It looks so realistic and it is shaded nicely. “Its a little something so you remember me in there.”

Thomas smiles and brings Taylor into a long, tight hug. “I’m gonna miss you,” he murmurs in her ear. 

Taylor does not want to let go. She wants to keep holding onto him forever, “Please be careful out there. Please come back to me.” She cradles his face with her hands giving him a painful goodbye. He lets go and enters in the maze with the rest of the boys. 

When they return Gally states that Thomas has jepordized the peaceful relationship between the Gladers and the Grievers. 

“Really Gally? Just because they found that device inside one? Maybe that could be a way out!” Taylor tried to reason with him. But it was no use. Gally wanted him punished. 

“Wait a second, why don’t we just make Thomas a runner?” Newt suggested patting Taylor’s back knowing she would back him up on this idea. 

“That’s a great idea, second-in-command.” She expressed and put more emphasize on second-in-command to show he was high in social level. “Thomas would make a great runner.”

So it was made, Thomas ended up being designated as a runner. 

Minho guides Thomas to the maze Taylor built again. Now its more important than ever to really pay attention to the model since the boys found some new clues. 

“Three years,” Taylor says as she walks around the table where the model is being displayed. “Three years of exploration and finally now, now that you Thomas are making a difference, we are actually getting somewhere.”

Thomas places his hand on Taylor’s waist making Taylor blush. Minho spots the attraction between them and gives a smirk. He coughs and raises his brow, “...well then, along with what Taylor said the Maze’s numbered sections open and close in a regular sequence, that might be a code.”

Taylor peers at the device and then at the model of the maze. “Yeah, look. The device is numbered to correspond to a certain section within the maze. With this device we may be able to actually escape!”

This was good new to every one. Finally, a chance to escape, finally a chance to see the other world. That hope that Taylor longed for just seemed so out of reach mere seconds ago, yet when she says the plan it seems as if now it is lightly grazing her fingertips. Like she can feel it.

Taylor walks in on Teresa with two syringes. Taylor gave a face of curiosity. She did not know what liquid was in those shots and yet before Taylor could ask, Teresa already stuck it into Alby. 

“What did you do to him?” Taylor raised her fists to Teresa but she just put her hands up in defense. 

“Its okay Taylor!...Its okay. This is gonna help him.”

Taylor side eyed Teresa, “How do I know you’re not lying, hmm?”

Teresa shrugged, “you’re just gonna have to trust me.”

Taylor angry leaves the hut that Alby is in and goes into the woods to read and draw, trying to block out her. Taylor was not one to feel self-conscious, or jealous but when she saw Teresa she felt those evil things. When she saw Teresa with Thomas the anger boiled more within her. Taylor knew in her head that Teresa and Thomas must have had history together so Taylor knew she did not have a chance, and the thin girl always wins. 

That day Thomas and Minho again went into the Maze. When they came back Thomas was oddly happy to see Taylor. 

Thomas ran up to her and gave her a big hug. 

“Whats this for?” Taylor chuckles, deepening the hug. 

“Tay,” Thomas puts his hands on her cheeks, it looks as if he is about to kiss her. “We may have found a way to get out of here, to get out of this maze. Wouldn't you like that?”

Taylor smiles, “I would love that Thomas.” She then laces her fingers with his wanting to show him that she does care and that he does matter. Thomas looks at the two hands together and starts coming in closer to Taylor but then Gally interrupts and starts to have an argument with Thomas. The argument is cut short when Teresa says that Alby’s awake. Feeling relief Taylor makes her way over to his hut to see how he is doing. 

“Has he said anything?” Minho asks, worry clearly evident in his voice. 

“No,” Teresa answers. 

“Alby, Alby you alright?” Newt asks, looking into Alby’s eyes as he rests next to him on his bed.

“Lets not over crowd him guys. I don’t want to scare him or makes him feel uncomfortable.” Taylor says, standing next to Thomas and squatting to get a good eyes level with Alby. 

“Hey Alby,” Thomas said as he squats next to Taylor. “We might of just found a way out of the maze. You hear me, we could be gettin out of here.”

Alby then whispers the next two words, tears falling down his face. “We can’t...we can’t leave. They won’t let us.”

“What are you talking about?” Thomas asks, uncertain. 

“I remember,” Alby says, making Taylor gasp. 

“What do you remember?” Thomas questions Alby. 

“You.”

“Thomas, what is he talking about?” Taylor’s eyes searching for an answer as she looks to Thomas. 

“And you...Taylor. You two were always their favorites. Always.”

Taylor’s heart started to beat at an uncontrollable rate. She felt unable to breathe. Alby knew something of her past that she doesn’t even know. Did she know Thomas before the maze? Her head was starting to spin, her whole life seemed like a mystery to her. 

“Why did you do this?” Alby’s tears came out more as he stared at Taylor and Thomas. “Why did you two come here?”

There is a lot of commotion outside the tent. The whole group goes outside to see what all the ruckus is when they are met with something of their nightmares. 

That night the maze entrance does not close leaving the Grievers to pour into the glade. It was a war between the Gladers and the monsters. Every one who knew Taylor knew about her fears. One of her fears was spiders, and to her these Grievers looked like gigantic, scary, spiders. Taylor and the rest of the gang tried their hardest to fight against the demons but some won. Some of your group including Zart and the beloved Alby passed due to the fighting. It was a struggle to fight and to try to win. Taylor kept close to Thomas, making sure he was safe before her in any of this. 

As the fight finished Taylor looked around her. The home she knew all these years was broken, it was devastating. All their produce was gone, everything was up in flames. But Taylor did not blame Thomas for any of it, instead she embraced his actions knowing things were gonna change soon. 

Gally came furious to Thomas and punched him, blaming him for all the mess and how the Grievers are now angry with the Gladers. In an attempt to regain his memories, Thomas stabs himself with a  Griver stinger. 

“No! Thomas what are you doing?” Taylor called out to him, catching him as he fell after the impact of the sting. 

She waits, and waits. Since Thomas was knocked unconscious because of the sting, Gally made it that Thomas was put in a cell. So Taylor waited right next to the cell until Thomas woke up. She kept looking at him and then at her necklace. She felt like all this time she knew Thomas, something within her made her feel some sort of attraction towards Thomas. Like if they were meant to be. 

Thomas woke up, his eyes shooting open as if he were amazed or surprised. 

“Thomas you’re awake!” Taylor shoots him a smile as she combs back her blonde hair with her hands. “I have some bad news for you.”

All the while Taylor is telling him how Gally is going to sacrifice him and Teresa, Thomas cannot stop looking at her with a face. He just stares into those blue eyes, knowing full well the whole story, the reason for that necklace. He knows about her past, her memories. But he chose to keep that inside...for now. 

“Are you okay Thomas?”

“Why do you never give up on me? Like, here, you always takes my side, are always by my side, why?”

Taylor just shrugged, “I don’t know. I just feel comfortable and safe around you. Someone who makes me feel that way couldn’t be bad.”

Thomas smiles and puts his fingers through the cell spaces. Taylor grabs his fingers and with a heart warming grin opens the cell for him. 

Without Taylor, Thomas goes to the other to tell them about what he remembered. As Gally tries to sacrifice Thomas and Teresa, the other Gladers free them and are on their way through the maze. 

Taylor is very much afraid, going through the maze. She is afraid of the what she calls spiders, but the Grievers. As she walks through with the others for the first time Thomas holds her hand in his. 

“I’m here Tay. I’m gonna protect you.”

That made Taylor feel at more ease. As Taylor and the group come face to face with the monsters, Thomas saves and protects Taylor. They make it past through the Grievers, some from the group have passed but the survivors stumble upon a laboratory. 

“What in the hel* is this?” Taylor asks as she and the others see dead scientists and technicians there. “It looks like there was a shootout here or something.”

Suddenly a woman in a video recording shows up. Her name is Ava Paige, she starts explaining that the planet is broken by a solar flare, and then there’s the deadly virus called the Flare that if someone were to have it, it would affect the brain. The Gladers, Taylor, are immune to the flare. She then learns how all this, the maze, the chaos, all the hel* that they were put through was for an experiment. It was to study their brains as it worked as a resistance to the virus. Taylor feels as if she knows the woman, she keeps an eye on her while Thomas stares at Taylor, knowing the full story. 

Taylor can see in the background of the video, these men start coming out in these mercenary clothing and start shooting the others there. Dr. Paige lifts a gun to her head and before she shoots herself she utters these last words, “and remember, W.C.K.D is good.” She pulls the trigger and shoots the bullet in her head. 

Taylor shouts in surprise and puts her face to Thomas’s chest. Thomas pats her back lovingly and looks completely shocked, not knowing what the next step is.

 As Taylor looks back she sees, “Gally?” The whole group turns around and sees that Gally is there. It appears as if he has been stung from a Griever. He has a gun in his hand, his body starts shaking as he starts to tear up. 

“Gally...stop what you are doing. We can talk about this.” Taylor tries to reassure him as she puts her hand in front of Thomas to protect him. 

“We can’t leave.” Gally starts as he shaking his head. 

“We did Gally, we’re out.” Thomas says as he’s on alert mode. Nobody knowing what Gally is going to do next. “We’re free.”

“Free?” Gally laughs as he looks around. “You think we’re free out there? No, no there’s no escape from this place.” He then lifts the gun at the group. Every one gasps and walks back. Thomas tries to reason with him. “Gally listen to me. You’re not thinking straight. You’re not.”

Taylor turns around to see Minho tighten his grip around his spear. 

“And we can help you,” Thomas pleads. “Just put down the gun.”

With his gun pointing directly at Thomas, Gally cries, “I belong to the maze.”

“Just put down the gun,” Thomas says again. 

“We all do,” Gally says as he’s about to shoot. 

“Gally!” Thomas and Taylor scream as Chuck goes in front of Thomas and Taylor. Every thing happened at the speed of light. The gun was shot but Minho threw his spear directly into Gally’s chest. Every one is scared and shocked at the sight before them. Gally is struggling to breathe as he falls atop the broken pieces of glass. Just as Taylor thought everything was going to be okay Chuck starts to breathe differently. 

“Thomas,” Chuck says as he looks at him and Taylor looks down to his chest to see the bullet shot Chuck. 

“No, oh god please no,” Taylor starts crying as Thomas catches him before he fell to the floor. 

“Oh shi*, oh shi*,” Thomas panics as he runs his hands up and down Chucks face and chest, not knowing what to do with the wound. “Look at me, Chuck just hang on.” Thomas tries to talk him into staying alive, giving him words of encouragement. Taylor’s vision starts to become blurry from all her crying. 

As Chuck struggles to breathe he hands Thomas the carving he did that he was going to give to his parents. He is now entrusting that Thomas finish the quest. 

“No, Chuck you’re gonna give that to them, remember? You’re gonna live, my sweet Chuck.” Taylor voice comes out in broken sobs but at the same time her voice is soothing and comforting. Her hands go to stroke Chuck’s curly hair, wanting his death to be as peaceful as possible. 

“Thank you,” Chuck smiles as he looks up to Taylor and then Thomas. His breathing is loud and then...it stops. Those were Chuck’s last words. 

“Chuck? Chuck, hey. Hey, Chuck c’mon! Oh my god!” Thomas sobs as he sees his friend die right in front of him. His eyes still open as he fell asleep in death. Taylor looks up to see the rest of the group crying as well. She starts by putting a hand on Thomas’s back but she as well is sobbing vigorously. “Oh Chuck.”

Suddenly, a door opens and a bright light falls through the room. These men start running in as Teresa calls out for him. Thomas does not care, his tears and crying are all that comes out of him. Taylor puts her hand on her mouth and closes her eyes as she cries some more. The men come in and take the others away, but the pull Taylor and Thomas away from Chuck’s body. As they try to take Thomas away Thomas wiggles out of their grasp and crawls away to Chuck’s body. They pull him away as he cries to let him go. Taylor and the rest run out into a whole landscape of sandy dunes. Every one is ushered into a helicopter. As they throw Thomas in, Taylor grabs him and sits next to him, holding his hand. The masked man reassures the others that they are safe. The helicopter flies up and down below is the maze. Taylor opens her mouth in shock as she sees what the maze truly looks like. All her life that’s all she’s ever know. She was afraid to see what life was like after all this. 

“Relax kid, everything's gonna change,” the masked man says. 

Taylor looks out the window to the new possibilities, to the new future of her life. 

It had been a couple of years since Taylor was rescued, along with other Gladers, from the maze. They are all taken to a facility by a man named Mr. Janson. He tells the group that the building is a safe haven, it will protect them. That they are protected by WCKD, the virus and the after math of the virus...cranks. He also gives food, clothes, and sanitation. There are also others from different mazes present there.

Taylor met one girl that was also in her shoes. She was part of a maze as well. She was also bigger than most of the girls so Taylor and her had a lot in common. Her name was Jessica. On the first night that they stayed, Taylor felt afraid and unsure but Jessica made her feel welcomed and safe. 

(this is Jessica: oc, models name is Paloma Elsesser)

During lunch after Taylor would talk with her friends she would then talk with Jessica. 

“Don’t you feel its a little bit...odd.” Taylor asks one day as she stares at the people working at the facility. 

“What do you mean by odd?” Jessica raises her brow. 

“I mean, why would they give us all this? Like what are they really doing behind closed doors?”

“I don’t know about you but I’m happy with having these things. I think you’re just worrying too much.”

Taylor bit her lip as she nodded, “yeah you’re probably right.”

No...Taylor was very wrong. Thomas and another boy from another maze named Aris Jones went to inspect what was really happening behind closed doors. To Taylor it was horrific. She felt that every one here lied to her. They learned that Dr. Ava Paige is still alive and that Mr. Janson is working for WCKD. Taylor even learned that they were experiment on the immunes and Janson has yet to find the Right Arm, which is a resistance group located in the mountains. 

“Tay, they lied to us. All of us,” Thomas says as he tries to convince her. Taylor nods and hugs him. “Don’t worry Thomas, I would never lie to you. And besides we will always find a way out.” She smiles up at him and as they get closer and closer Jessica interrupts, “Oh am I ruining something here?”

Taylor puts her hand on her hip and chuckles, “no you’re not. C’mon I have a lot of explaining to do with you.” 

The group including Aris and Jessica escape the facility. Everyone runs to the doors as they announce on the speakers the count down. Thomas holds Taylor’s hand as they run while Jessica holds onto Newt’s hand. 

As Thomas tries to put the card in to open the door Mr. Janson and his group show up. The door isn’t opening though. 

“Aw shi*, it looks like its jammed!” Taylor becomes worried as Thomas keeps re trying and re trying. 

“Oh my god we’re not gonna make it,” Jessica bits her nails. 

“Thomas!” Yells rat-face. Everyone starts panicking and they start hitting the door while Thomas grabs the gun he’s holding and points it to Mr. Janson. 

“Open this door Janson,” Thomas comes closer with the gun, while Janson holds his hands up in surrender mode. 

“You really don’t want me to!”

“Open the dam* door!” Thomas screams while Taylor and Minho try to go through the door. 

“Listen to me! I’m trying to save your life. The maze is one thing but you kids would not last a day out in the scorch. If the elements won’t kill you, the cranks will. Thomas, you have to believe me. I only want whats best for you.”

Finally Thomas shows Janson’s true colors, he reveals the secret Janson has been keeping. “Yeah let me guess, WCKD is good?”

Janson becomes agitated and he lets his arms down, “you’re not getting through that door Thomas. 

“Its unlocked!” Taylor shouts as the door starts to move upward. On the other side you are met with Alvis and Winston. “Hey guys.”

“C’mon,” Frypan says as he runs out. Everyone goes except for Taylor. Taylor wants to wait for Thomas so she moves next to him. “C’mon Thomas we have to go! Lets go!” Thomas starts shooting Janson and his men as he backs up with Taylor. The gun stops working and he throws it to the men. As Thomas turns around to run away he grabs Taylor’s hand and they run together to the door with Janson and his men following them. 

Janson says in his watch, “shut the main vault door. Shut the main vault door!”

As Taylor and Thomas are running to the door, the door starts to close. 

“No!” Shouts Teresa. 

Taylor grasps Thomas’s hand so hard as she runs for dear life. 

The group starts to shout at the two of them, “C’mon Thomas, Taylor! C’mon!”

The door almost closes as Taylor and Thomas slide under the small gap that was left. The two make it leaving Taylor so terrified. 

“Oh my god girl you scared me!” Jessica says as she grabs Taylor in a tight hug, helping her get up. “C’mon we gotta go.”

Alvis hits the lock so that Janson cannot get through. As the group is about to leave Winston grabs a gun making Taylor do the same. Thomas sees that Janson cannot get through so he puts his middle finger up, making Taylor laugh. They all run away. Taylor holding onto Jessica’s hand as they make it to the exit. The alarm sounding off. Thomas opens the huge doors and whats shown out there is really a windy sandy place. Taylor’s afraid and she holds onto Jessica’s hand tighter. 

“We got this Tay,” Jessica says with a smile. “We gonna be fine, you’ll see.”

Taylor nods and the group get out and into the scorch. 

Taylor and the rest end up at an abandoned market place. Its dark and very spooky, no light reaching inside at all.

“Wow its so dark, man,” Jessica puts her hands out in front of her to prove a point. 

Minho then starts the generator and as the lights come on it looks as if people were here before. There are tents and blankets resting on the floor, lights that are strung above the items. More lights keep turning on, lamps, small lights, they keep flashing on. Minho smiles thinking every thing is fine until a, what seems to be a woman, comes slamming on the fence door. Her mouth and eyes are pitch black and she has veins all over her face. 

Minho and Taylor scream in unison, “Thomas watch out!”

“What the hel* is that?” As Taylor stands next to Minho, bringing Thomas back. As those words left her mouth there was more screeching behind them. Taylor, Minho, and Thomas turned around and out came a whole group of them. 

“Oh my god theres more!” Taylor said backing away, her backpack behind her carrying her gun.

One of them came limping to the group but Minho picked up a sledgehammer and smacked the thing with it. 

“What the hell is that thing?” Minho asks, his flashlight shining on them. Out in the distance more of them came, “C’mon we gotta go! We gotta go!” Thomas shouted, pulling Taylor by her jacket with him. Running out the double doors the Cranks are right behind them. Taylor helps the boys to close the door before the crank could come in. 

“Hold it down!” Shouts Minho. 

“What?” Thomas asks. Taylor sees Minho is having some trouble pushing the huge cabinets to cover the door so she goes next to him and helps push. “Watch out Thomas!” Taylor exclaims as the cabinet falls to cover the door. 

Now, cranks are coming out of every corner. “Oh shi*,” Taylor mutters as Thomas grabs her hand and they all run away. Making it up the escalator Taylor follows Thomas but she slips and her foot gets caught in the escalator. Thomas and Minho almost up ahead don’t take notice of her fall. Taylor, panicking tries to take her foot out but it is really stuck. She turns her head back and sees the cranks coming closer. “Thomas! Minho!” Her screams echoes through the building and Thomas turns around not seeing Taylor. 

“Minho wheres Taylor?!?”

Minho shrugs and his eyes widen. “Crap c’mon!” 

Thomas ran like he has never ran in his life, he ran faster than ever in the maze. “I need to help her. Please, oh god please, please be okay.” He thought in his head thinking about Taylor. 

Taylor, still shouting sees the cranks coming closer and closer. She starts to tear up, this is it, this is where she dies. As the cranks are almost to her Thomas and Minho make it and see that indeed her foot it stuck. 

“Oh Tay this may hurt,” Minho winces as he sees her foot, but then he quickens as he sees how many are behind them. “Shi*”

Thomas grabs her hand, “don’t worry Tay, I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” His other hand is tending to her foot. 

Taylor smiles and puts her head back along with her hands. “I’ll hold them off boys.” She pulls her gun out and starts shooting those that are almost to them. 

“Okay but she’s a badas*,” Minho chuckles seeing even though Taylor hurting she still manages to get the work done!

“C’mon,” Thomas says as he is getting frustrated. Finally they set her free and she sprints in front of Thomas, him still holding her hand to make sure she is safe and with him now 100 percent of the time. 

“I told you we got you,” Thomas smiles as they now run so fast away from the cranks close up on them.

As Taylor, Minho and Thomas sprint ahead they see the rest of their group. 

“We have to warn them!” Taylor said as she started to wave her hands to get their attention and to show panic. 

“Hey!” Shouts Thomas. The rest of the group look at the three running and they wear a curious face. The three yell all different things, warnings, to run, to go away. 

“Why aren’t they moving?” Minho asks as he runs ahead of Taylor. Then Taylor sees their horrified face when they see the cranks running ahead. The others start running as the cranks get closer to Taylor. Taylor, already tired keeps her head in the game. Jumping over man boxes laid on the floor so as not to lose the momentum. A back pack is thrown to Thomas and Taylor assists him in putting it on. The group now rejoined, they make their way up another escalator. As they make their way up a crank appears out of nowhere and the others are scared and taken aback. Aris gets his bat and hits the crank with it. More cranks appear and the group is split up for only a short while. Teresa is split with Thomas while Taylor is put with the others. A crank comes at Taylor and Newt and as it is about to get the two of them Taylor pulls out her gun and aims straight at the cranks head, pulling the trigger. “Bulls eye,” Taylor smirks. Everyone meets up again as they try to make it to the exit. Newt again gets tackled by a crank and Thomas saves him. A whole group of cranks start appearing from the distance to the group of Taylor’s. Everyone runs to a small corridor that is nearby. It is tight and compact and no one knows where they are going. The cranks go into the tiny space as well. Everyone freaks out. 

“C’mon guys move it!” Taylor shouts as it is hard for her to manage in that tight space. They make it to doors but as Thomas and Minho try to open them up they cannot because they are locked. 

“Are you serious right now?” Taylor panics as she combed her hair with her fingers. 

Minho and Thomas try to open it up and Winston shouts, “I’ll hold them back.” He pulls out his gun while Taylor does the same. She stands next to Winston and starts shooting the cranks. Winston smiles at her and she nods, grinning. Frypan finally opens the door and Thomas grabs Taylor’s hand to go through the door first. As Winston tries to go out he gets caught by some cranks and as they try to take him out of the grasps of the cranks the cranks start scratching him on the stomach. Taylor with Minho and Thomas try to close the doors but Thomas sends Minho away. 

“Go Tay, I got this, go.”

“No I’m not leaving you. We do this together.”

Thomas looks at the cranks and at the right time he grabs Taylor’s hands and they both run away together. 

They all spent the night under some debris just waiting for the right time to make a run for it. 

When they all wake up, Thomas looks out to see if it is safe to leave. In the light of the morning sun Taylor peers around her surroundings and sees how city is in ruins. 

“WCKD is probably still looking for us. We have to move.” Taylor says as she stretches and grabs her gun. She grabs Jessica’s hand and brings her up for a stand. 

As the group trudges along through the sand Winston’s infection is getting worse until he falls down. Taylor can see the pain evident on his face, she feels so sorry for him. She wanted him to make it. She looked at the others face and some knew but some had hope. That was good for him in that moment, to have hope. 

“I’m not gonna make it,” Winston says in a rough, hoarse voice. His breathing is starting to quicken. Everyone looks at each other, not knowing what to do. “Please don’t let me turn into one of those things.”

Taylor feels a tear fall down her cheek, her heart breaking at what she is seeing. Winston pulls his hand out as if to hand something to him. 

Everyone is frozen but Newt goes and takes the gun. Thomas thinks that he’s going to shoot Winston but he doesn’t. Instead Newt gives him the gun, it will be on Winston’s time to do that to himself. 

“Thank you,” Winston manages to say. “Now get out of here.”

“Goodbye Winston,” Newt swallows the pain as he looks into his eyes. 

Everyone leaves until its just Taylor and Thomas. Thomas’s eyes become glassy as he looks at a dying man. “Its alright,” Winston reassures him in his last moments. 

“I’m sorry,” Thomas whispers. 

Winston’s last words were, “Thomas, take care of them okay?”

Thomas nods and leaves with Taylor. 

As they go and move away a gun shot is heard through out. It echoes in the world. Everyone pauses and just takes a time to gather themselves up and proceed. Taylor still has tears coming out but she doesn’t want to make a scene so she tries to compose herself and wipes her tears away. 

Thomas sees this and holds her hand, “hey you know, its okay to cry.” He said it more as a statement then a question. Taylor brought him into a hug and cried into his shoulders, feeling mentally tired and emotionally. But she was determined to make it to the end.  

Night came and so did sleep, but as the group was in slumber Thomas woke up to a civilization in the distance, but they are also greeted by a thunderstorm. They run to an abandoned building for shelter but as they are running Jessica slows down. Minho helps and tries to save her by helping her in running but he gets struck by the lighting. 

“Minho!” Jessica and Thomas cream in unison. As they take him to the shelter he does indeed survive. Jessica hugs him lightly, not wanting to hurt him and smiles, “thanks Min Min for saving my as*, I am a god dam* slow runner. For real though, thank you.”

They are greeted with chained up cranks. One after enough coming at them but not quite yet making it. 

“I see you’ve met our guard dogs.” A new voice calls out. It is a girl, she walks up to all of the group and smiles, “you guys look like shi*.”

“Hel* I like her already,” Jessica chuckles but Taylor hits her lightly on the chest. “Ow, what she seems pretty okay.”

“We don’t know what she’s like,” Taylor whispered to Jessica. 

“Don’t worry I don’t bite, the names Brenda.”

They meet Brenda and Jorge who lead a dangerous group of survivors. Brenda and Jorge learn that Thomas and his group had come from WCKD and are looking for the right arm they agree to take them to them. 

Moments later WCKD arrives and storms the place but Jorge’s bombs go off and the facility is destroyed. Taylor and Thomas split up. Taylor ends up with Jorge’s group while Brenda and Thomas are left behind. 

Thomas P.O.V.

Thomas and Brenda escape the cranks but Brenda gets infected by one. Thomas gets another flashback and remembers when he was working for WCKD. He tried to warn Teresa and Taylor about WCKD’s plans but they were all separated by WCKD’s troops. 

Thomas ends up kissing Brenda but as he is kissing her he thinks of...”Taylor.” he breathes out. 

“What,” Brenda asks as she stand back. 

“You are not her.” Thomas wanted that kiss to be Taylor. That was it, he knew he was in love with Taylor. 

Thomas P.O.V. end

Thoma and Brenda meet up with Taylor and the rest of the group again. Taylor runs to hug Thomas and puts her hands on his cheek, “oh my god. I thought something terrible happened to you.”

Thomas grins and puts his hands on her cheeks, “I’m fine, along with the help of her.” He points to Brenda and Taylor’s heart almost shatters. She can see something, some type of affection going on between the two. 

Taylor nods her head while putting up a fake smiles, “oh thats good. I’m glad you both made it out safely.” She puts her hands down and walks away. First she had to deal with Teresa now Brenda. She clenched her fist knowing how this ends. It will end with either beautiful girls getting the guy and Taylor getting no one. With big girls thats how it always ends. 

Jessica finds Taylor sitting away from the group. “Hey Tay Tay, whats wrong girl?”

Taylor just shrugs, “I know Thomas so well already.”

“What?” Jessica asks as she sits beside her. 

“I feel like I’ve known Thomas, like I’ve known him forever...Jess...I’m in love with Thomas.”

“Oh shi*,” Jessica mutters. 

“Yeah, oh shi* is right and I know he either likes Teresa or Brenda way more than fat old me.”

“Don’t say those things,” Jessica puts her arm over Taylor’s shoulder. “You are way more than that you hear? So what if you got a little junk in the trunk you are special Taylor. You did what other big girls no, what other girls think is impossible. You escaped that maze you escaped WCKD you did so many incredible things. You are kind and sweet but ooh but do you have sass! If Thomas cannot see all the amazing things I see or for who you really are than girl, he is not meant for you. You are a diamond in the rough sand paper sand.” Jessica picks up a pile of sand and this makes them both laugh. 

(not my gif! do not own)

“Thanks sis, I needed that,” Jessica helps Taylor stand up and they both embrace. 

“What a beautiful embrace, are we celebrating cause we’re not dead ladies?” Minho jokes, waiting patiently for the two of them. 

“Can I get some of that action?” Frypan chuckles as he playfully hits Minho like am I right?

The two side eye them, “No boys were are celebrating us big women...we can do anything, and that boys is a fact.” Taylor and Jessica walk hand in hand back to the group. 

Jorge interrogates Marcus, a survivor works for WCKD, into revealing the whereabouts of The Right Arm.

The group goes and finds their way arrive at the right arm relief camps. There are other survivors there and they are greeted by a man named Vince. He is the leader and decides if Thomas’s group can stay or not. 

Brenda’s infection worsens and Vince threatens to shoot her. But a former scientist that worked for WCKD stops Vince. “Hello Thomas and hello to you too Taylor.”

“You know me?” Thomas asks the stranger. 

Taylor’s face becomes of confusion, “wait how do you know us?”

“Interesting...it makes sense they put you two in the maze.”

“Thomas, what is she talking about?” Taylor raises her brow. Thomas knows and he looks away. “How does she know who I am? How does she know I was in the maze?” Taylor tries to look into his eyes but he looks away, almost ashamed. “Anybody?” When she looks at the others they too are not looking at her. Jessica pats Taylor’s shoulder. 

“Though I must admit,” the scientist kept going. “I was worried they’d kill ya after what you did.”

“After what you did, Thomas what does she mean?” At this point Taylor was getting furious, she felt like she was invisible. The stranger went to Brenda and tended to her. But she could see that Taylor and Thomas were both searching for answers. 

“What I did?” Thomas asked. 

“The first time we spoke you said you couldn’t take it no more. Watching your friends die one by one. The last time we spoke you gave me the coordinates of every WCKD compound, trial, and lab.”

“He was our source,” said Vince. 

“They couldn’t have pulled this off without him,” the scientist praised Thomas. “Take her [Brenda] to the tent. Get these guys some warm clothes.” They carried Brenda away. As Taylor went to ask Thomas what happened she saw the glances Teresa kept giving Thomas. 

Jessica saw that Taylor’s face was of anger so she placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “hey you think you’re gonna be alright?”

Taylor looked into her brown, haze eyes and nodded, “you know me Jess...I’m always alright.”

Jessica smiled and left her. Taylor grabbed harshly both Thomas and Teresa behind one of the tents. “What the hel* was all that back there?” Taylor shouted as anger entered into her. 

“Please Tay, let me explain.” Thomas tried to calm her, putting both his hands on her shoulders. 

“Please, make it quick. Why was she talking about us like she knew us? And you kept giving Teresa a look?”

Teresa looked down and then at Taylor, “Back then before the maze, you had worked for WCKD...”

Taylor’s face became of sadness and disbelief, “no thats not true. That can’t be-”

“It is Taylor,” Thomas whispered as he grabbed her hands. “Before the maze, you, Teresa, and me we all worked for the maze. Sticking our friends in a death maze, we did that. We worked for them. I went, when we were still working for them, to you two and tried to warn you both about WCKD but we were all separated, you were first Taylor, you were first to be put in the maze. Also, when we were working for them me and you were very close to each other...Where do you think you got that necklace?”

Taylor peers down to her chest and sees the necklace, her eyes start to water. Thats why the first time she saw Thomas she felt like she knew him. “You knew all this time and din’t think to tell me? You told her, my story, to her, and not even to me! Why would you keep something like that from me, Thomas?”

Thomas felt ashamed and guilty, “I don’t know Tay, I just-”

“He wanted to protect you,” Teresa butted in. Taylor pointed a finger at Teresa, “I don’t want to be rude, but you better but out right now or so help me god.”

Teresa walked up to Taylor, face to face, body to body, “Or what, Tay? What are you really gonna do to me? Thomas was just trying to protect you, if you really cared about his friendship then you would forgive him and you would accept the decision he made. 

“Yeah Teresa you’re are forgetting one thing, who was the first to be in that maze between us? Who had to live every breathing moment in there with just herself as the only female, and who had to accept that she may never see her family again because she doesn’t even know her history? That information was mine, Teresa, I should have, no, I needed to know that. So protect your boyfriend or your crush but nothing you say will make it better that he kept my life from me.” Taylor pushed Teresa to Thomas and went to go find Jessica. 

The scientist woman comes to Thomas and tells him he needs to give his blood. The scientists lady is Mary Cooper. As Mary halts Brenda's infection using an enzyme cure, Mary explains that the enzyme can only be harvested from an Immune's body, not manufactured, and that arguments over the methods of manufacturing the cure with Ava lead Mary's departure from WCKD.

After the argument they all had and Thomas helped Brenda Taylor saw Teresa climb these rocks. Taylor felt more angry when she saw Thomas climbing them to get to her, to see whats wrong with her. Taylor went and followed them to eaves drop on their conversation. 

“You okay?” Thomas questioned as he made it to the top and looked at Teresa. Taylor was hidden behind one of the boulder listening. “What are you doing up here?”

“Just thinking.”

“Well I’ll let you be alone.”

“Do you remember your mother?”

“Uh, I think so,” Thomas thought for a while on that question. 

“You remember mine? She’s a beautiful woman. Every body loved her, before WCKD she was all I had. When she got sick, I didn’t know what to do. They just kept her locked up, hidden. I thought she’d get better. Every night she’d make these awful sounds, like screaming. And then one night she just, stopped. It was finally quiet. I went down to her room, there was blood everywhere. And she just sat there calm. She said she was feeling better. The visions were calm, she’d taken care of them. She took her eyes out Thomas. There are millions of people suffering out there. Millions of stories just like mine. We can’t turn our backs on them. I won’t. 

Taylor’s mouth opened in shock, “please no please no.”

“What are you saying?” Thomas hoped she was talking nonsense, he hoped she did not do the thing that they were all running away from. 

“I’m saying I want you to understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Why I did it.”

In the distance there are helicopters and Taylor’s heart sinks, “oh my god they’re here.”

“Teresa...”

“Please don’t fight them Thomas.”

“What are you doing? What have you done?”

Thomas runs down and Taylor sprints in front of his path, “this way Thomas.” Even though Taylor was mad at him still she needed to protect him, she needed to protect her friends. She grabbed onto his hand and they both ran to the others to warn them, but they were too late. The helicopter shot a explosive and the camps blew up, “No!” They both scream in unison. 

There was an ambush by WCKD. As some warned others, other were dead. 

“Tay!” A high pitched scream came out as Taylor looked around she saw Jessica run to her. “Oh my god I thought they got you too.” They both hugged and tried to run away. But there were so many of the WCKD that Taylor knew she had to do something. “Jessica, listen to me, be careful.” Taylor whispered the words to her as she pushed Jessica to Thomas and stood next to Minho. 

“Go guys we got this!” Minho says as he and Taylor start shooting. 

“No, guys come back here,” Thomas shouts over the commotion. They all hide behind a couple of boxes. Just as Minho is re-loading his gun WCKD shoot a device on him that makes his still. 

“Minho!” Thomas screams as Jessica and Newt pull him back. 

“No!!!!” Taylor shouts as she starts shooting uncontrollably but someone from WCKD comes behind her and hits her with the back of their gun, making her fall down and they put the device on her. 

“Taylor!” Thomas and Jessica scream. Jessica gets up and, without any weapons tries to fight WCKD but they shoot her in the stomach. 

“NO!!!” Taylor screams at the top of her lungs. Her heart just breaking. She starts to sob as she tries to crawl to her friend. “Oh my god oh my god,” was all she could say. 

“Its okay Tay Tay, its okay. I’m sorry, I just tried.” Blood spilled and poured from her mouth and her breathing stopped. “No please no Jess, c’mon Jess please Jess. Please don’t go Jess!” Taylor shouted as she held onto her but WCKD dragged Taylor away from the body, her screams so high pitched it hurt anybodies ears. “Please don’t please, Jess!

“Tay, Minho,” Thomas shouted as he tried to get to her and him. But Vince stopped him. Thomas was crying as he looked at Taylor getting taken by WCKD. Taylor felt like her life was gone and she was already dead. As Taylor went inside the helicopter she was greeted by Ava Paige’s presence, Dr. Paige looked beyond and saw the survivors, she saw Thomas. With an evil eye she glared at him. 

Thomas P.O.V.

The whole place is a disaster. Everything is ruined. Most of the tents were burned up and the survivors are looking for any materials or items that they could save. 

“What do we do now?” Asks Frypan as he looks to the distance, trying to collect himself. 

“I would pick up whats left of us.” Scans Vince as he tries to see if there are others. “Stick to the plan, we take you kids to the safe haven. And we start over I guess.”

Thomas shakes his head and stand up, putting his backpack on. “I’m not going with you.”

Vince looks surprised, “What?”

“I made a promise to Minho and Taylor, I promised that I would protect her. Now she’s probably stuck somewhere scared, afraid, I mean she just saw her best friend die, right in front of her eyes. She means the world to me Vince, I can’t forget about them...I can’t ever forget about her. I have to go after them. ”

“Hey kid look around you,” Vince said, spreading his arms. “A’ight, WCKD just kicked our as*. Think about where you’re headed.”

 “I’m not asking anyone to come with me.”

“Thomas listen to me,” Newt motions to him, caring about his friend. “I’ve known Minho and Taylor for...for as long as I can remember. So if there’s any way we could help, trust me I would be standing there next to you. This what you’re talking about, is impossible.”

Jorge and Brenda appear and Jorge says, “more like suicide.”

“Maybe,” Thomas shrugs. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now. It’s not just about Taylor and Minho. Its about all of us. Its about everyone WCKD’s ever taken, everyone they will take. They’ll never stop, they’ll never stop. So I’m gonna stop them. I’m gonna rescue Taylor...and I’m gonna kill Ava Paige.”

Everyone looks at each other rethinking the situation. Harriet speaks up, “I have to admit, I’d like some revenge.”

Vince sees the expression of everyone and decides to just give in and help, “wow its a good speech kid, so whats your plan?” Everyone looks to Thomas for answers. 

Thomas P.O.V. end

“Hey Minho, Minho...,” Taylor shook the boy as they were in the train to who knows where. “You hear the birds?” Minho from all the torture was already being a totally different person. Taylor wanted to lift his spirits, but on the inside she felt empty and had no hope of being saved. Minho searches for the noise Taylor was talking about and then he does hear it all of a sudden, he turns around to see Taylor copying the noise of a birds chirping. She smiles at the end and makes Minho laugh. 

As she is standing there, all their hands tied by chains, Taylor sat next to Minho. Taylor coughs a little and then starts singing, “I thought I heard the old man say; leave her Johnny leave her. Tomorrow you will get your pay; and it's time for us to leave her.” Music was such an important aspect in her life, it made her feel happy and made her feel as if she could fly. “Leave her, Johnny, leave her! Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her! For the voyage is long and the winds don't blow. And it's time for us to leave her.” As she sang the last note she looked around to see the other kids there and Minho smiling. “You have a beautiful voice Tay,” Minho chuckled, nudging you. “Wait do you hear that?”

Taylor’s eyes search up and her head turns in his direction. It was the sound of a running car. “Yeah I do!”

Moments later there are footsteps heard up ahead on the trains roof. Taylor and Minho smile at each other, hopeful. 

Then the train starts to stop, Taylor and Minho falling forward from the harsh movement. Then a familiar voice is calling out, the others on the train are excited and start screaming for them to be rescued. 

“Taylor! Taylor! Minho!” The voice calls out to them two. They look at each other and answer with a crying yes. But are never rescued, they are instead taken back to WCKD to be tortured more. 

By many doctors Taylor is put in this machine that hooks up to her head. “Please no, not again, please.” They don’t listen to her and strap her in. 

The ocean, the waves calming and relaxing. Taylor is sitting right atop a rock, enjoying a book. In the distance she sees the maze. Her heart starts to beat quickly and she starts to panic. She hates this feeling. Her hands start to tremble. As she looks down in her book the pages start to be covered in blood. Taylor covers her mouth in disgust and tries to throw the book away but it keep landing back on her lap. Then the blood starts to make words. “They are coming for him.”

“Who’s him?” Before she could react a wave crashes on her and brings her in the ocean. She is drowning but then all of a sudden she is in a cell. It is dark, very dark and it is wet and smells horrific. “What the hel*?” Next to Taylor in the cell is Jessica’s dead body, lying there her corpse. Taylor starts to break down and she sobs as she sees her best friend dead. “Oh my god!” But then she hears...it. A griever pops out and tries to get to Taylor but Taylor is separated by the cell. As she is backing away she hears a voice. “Taylor! Taylor!”

“Thomas?” She screams and Thomas meets her, “I’m gonna get you out okay? I will protect you.”

Thomas starts to fight off the griever, by himself and Taylor starts to scream, “No Thomas I need to protect you!” Then Thomas gets stung by the Griever and the griever rips Thomas head off. Horrified Taylor screams on the top of her lungs. 

Taylor hooked to that machine makes her see these things. She screams when nothing is really there in reality with her. The doctors check her eyes and see she has spaced out, she is out of it. She becomes almost brain dead. 

Only a few times does Taylor see Minho and every time she does he is getting worse and worse. She feels so bad for him. Taylor has tried to escape and tried but it never is successful. 

She sleeps in a cold cell, thinking about her friends and about the stars. How much those starts mean to her. She is mostly out of it from all the torture. She is being scarred for life. She lays there until WCKD arrive to bring her to another torture test or to check her vitals. 

As WCKD takes her to a medical room Taylor sees from the side of her eye Minho beating up Teresa. “That bitc*” Taylor mutters under her breath as she sees Teresa got away and they had to hold Minho down. Taylor chuckles, “thats my boy.”

Teresa makes it out but is scared when she sees Taylor, “you traitor!” Taylor gets out of WCKD’s grasp and makes a run for Teresa. Taylor kicks Teresa and knees her in the stomach. Teresa is on the ground, coughing up and hurting. “Yeah feel that, now imagine that 100 times worse.” Taylor lifts Teresa’s face by her hair so Taylor can see her better. “Thats how it felt when you took everything I loved away from me.” Teresa is crying and they pull Taylor back. “I won’t let you do that to Minho. I wont!”

Taylor was taken to be tortured again. Her hands in cuffs as if she were a prisoner. Suddenly, the alarm started to blare. The sirens turning on an alarming WCKD that something is wrong. They still took her into the room and went to hook her up. 

Minho P.O.V.

As Minho escaped the medical room where they were going to sedate him he met up with Thomas and Newt. 

“Minho,” Thomas said, sounding relieved. 

Minho looked to Newt and Thomas, “is this real?” They all smile but then Minho realizes Taylor is about to get tortured now. “Guys Tay’s in trouble, we need to go save her. I know where she is!”

Minho P.O.V. end

They hooked up all the wires to her brain and they were about to start it when there was a loud bang almost outside the door. All the WCKD doctors were scared, alarmed. One stood up and went to go see what the commotion was. There was another bang and then footsteps. Thomas, Newt, and Minho appeared in Taylor’s room and shot everyone there. A female doctor was about to press the button to put Taylor into that machine but Thomas shot her. 

“Oh my god!” Taylor screamed, strapped to her chair. “I can’t believe its you guys!”

Thomas, quickly, unstrapped Taylor and then picked her up so she was standing right in front of him. He felt his heart beating fast, he felt so happy to see Taylor. Here she was living, breathing, right in front of him. It was like a miracle. He sees though the bangs under her eyes and how she looks drained, tired. “Oh my god Tay, what did they do to you?”

Taylor started to cry but out of joy and happiness that she was saved, “they tortured me. They,” her cries were sobs now. “They made me believe that it was you, Thomas. You were killed and that to me was the worst torture.” Thomas puts hugs Taylor and puts his hands on her cheek. His face showing worry and sadness that Taylor had to go through that. “Its the worst torture to me because I couldn’t protect you Thomas, I couldn’t save you.” Taylor’s blue eyes looked up to Thomas’s brown ones and Thomas just went for it. 

Thomas leaned in, passionately to kiss Taylor. He brought her closer to him. He put his hands all over her curves not caring about them, just loving the girl for who she is and thinking she is the most beautiful woman on the earth. They both closed their eyes in the kiss and it was hard and passionate, his tongue slipping inside just for a minute. Just to have one taste of her. It was full of love. 

(not my gif! do not own)

Both their foreheads rested on each others and they smiled, “I love you so much Taylor.”

“I love you more, Thomas. I need to say I’m sorry for getting so angry with you not telling me about my past. I get why you did it, you were trying to protect me.” She steps closer to Thomas and takes a hold of his hands while Thomas kisses her lips and forehead. “Its okay Tay, I’m sorry for keeping that away from you. I felt so scared and not sure when WCKD had taken you. You mean so much to me, not Teresa, not Brenda, you.”

Taylor kisses his lips again and sees the boys face in the back. Newt is so over it, rolling his eyes. And Minho looks as if he’s gonna throw up. 

“Are you guys like done. We kinda have to get out of here,” Minho broke the silence. 

Taylor and Thomas chuckle, “wow they are just, wow.”

Taylor nodded, “I know, way to ruin the moment guys!”

Newt rubs his temple, “If I have to see one more kiss I may just leave on my own.” He chuckles at the end. 

Taylor and Thomas laugh and they grab hands and make a run for it. 

As they run they meet some folks from WCKD and they run into a random room. Thomas locks the door. There is someone banging the door from outside, this scares Taylor and she holds onto Thomas for support. “Don’t worry Tay, I got you. I won’t let anything bad happen to you again.”

“Newt c’mon,” Minho goes to a cart and places it in front of the door. 

“Um Thomas, what do we do?” Taylor asks as she sees the huge window in the room. Every one is trying to think of a plan but WCKD  already is using a blade to try to pry the door open. 

“Any ideas?” Minho questions. 

Thomas looks at the window and then back at the group, “maybe.”

“Oh hel* no! You do realize how thick I am, I’m gonna be the first one down there and then you guys will come afterwords and use me as a soft landing.” They all look at Taylor as she said that and she just waves them away, “never mind.”

Every one helps getting a tank through the window. It falls to the water down below. 

“Okay its doable. Just need a little running start.” Thomas says as he goes back. 

“Oh my god are we serious about this? Is he serious? What if that water is shallow, we’ll die Thomas!” Taylor tries to reason with him, her heart thumping out of her chest. They all go next to Thomas, Taylor holding his hand to feel more comforted even though she felt so terrified. 

“You sure about this?” Minho asks, scared. 

Thomas looks at Taylor and shakes his head, “not really.”

Minho rolls his eyes, “nice pep talk.”

“Yeah, I’m bloody inspired.” Newt says too. 

“Ugh we’re gonna have to do it,” Taylor cracks her neck and is prepared, putting on her game face. But the door flies open and Janson comes through, angry. “Fuc* it!” Taylor says as the group runs forward. 

They all jump and through the jump Taylor’s hand is holding Thomas’s. Some one screamed Thomas name and then someone cursed. Taylor just screamed so loud the whole way down. 

As the group is running through the last city they are met up with, “Gally?”

Gally sees Taylor and chuckles, “hey Tay, its nice to-”

Taylor runs to him and punches his all over but Thomas pulls her away, “why are we with this guy? He’s a traitor! He killed Chuck!”

“I know Tay, I know. He’s on our side now. He saved us.” Thomas brings her back and tries to control her. 

“Also Gally was stung and out of his mind when he did that,” Newt said as he put a reassuring arm around her. 

Taylor still feels like she wants to kill Gally, “how the hel* did you survive anyways?”

“I was saved, treated and now I’m helping you guys. Like I said, its nice to see you again Tay.”

“Yeah well I wish I could say the same thing.” Taylor answers back sassy. “What happened here?” 

Explosives go off, there is fire and terror every where. People are screaming, violent. Its like the end of the world it seems to Taylor’s eyes. 

 Then Taylor hears harsh breathing coming from Newt. “Newt?”

Newt sends Minho and Gally away, also wanting Taylor to go. “No, I’m not going anywhere. Thomas, whats wrong with him?” 

Thomas looks down, sad and Taylor’s heart almost drops. “No he can’t no.”

“I do Tay. I have it.” Newt says in an almost reassuring voice. His lips turning black like if they were goop. Alarming Taylor and Thomas that they need to figure out something quick. As Newt is struggling he hands Thomas a silver pendant. Taylor and Thomas assist Newt in walking to a safer place and they end up to an empty area where Newt passes out. 

All of a sudden Teresa’s voice is heard through out the whole city. She explains that Thomas, with his blood, can save Newt if he comes back to WCKD.

Thomas has tears in his eyes and so does Taylor but Newt stands up. Awkwardly like he isn’t himself. 

“Newt?” Thomas says, trying to sound gentle. 

Taylor’s heart was going so fast. She felt that she already knew but she didn’t want to believe it. “Newt, we’re here buddy. We are here for you, shank.”

Newt turns around and Taylor already knew, he had become one of them. Newt looks directly at Thomas, “Newt.”

Saliva coming out of Newt’s mouth and looking like a total different...thing, he charges towards Thomas. Thomas pushes him away making him fall on the floor but he gets back up. 

“Newt its me, its me!” Thomas tries to tell Newt but Newt is not the same person anymore. 

“Newt we wont hurt you!” Taylor tries to get into his head. She pulls Newt away from Thomas throwing him on the floor. Newt tackles Thomas and with the forces of Taylor’s strength and Thomas’s they roll him away. Newt gets up and jumps on Taylor and almost bites her. “Thomas help! Newt stop please! Its me, Taylor!” She is screaming as his mouth is almost a few spaces away from her face. Thomas kicks Newt and Newt falls on his back on the floor. Thomas helps Taylor stand and as they get up Newt utters for them to kill him. 

Newt, again tackles Thomas and Taylor tries to get him off but Newt is too strong. As Thomas utter his name Newt stops. “I’m sorry Tommy, I’m sorry Tommy.”

“Its okay, its okay,” Thomas smiles at Newt. Newt then grabs Thomas’s gun and tries to shoot himself in the head. Taylor quickly grabs the gun away from him. “No!”

Newt grabs his knife and tries to stab Thomas. Thomas struggles to keep the blade from intruding his chest so Taylor puts her hands on the blade to stop him. Her hands are getting cut, slicing through soft skin. Taylor winces at the pain and notices blood dripping from her hands on Thomas’s shirt. The shirt soaking up the crimson liquid. “Please Newt stop.” Taylor pushes Newt off with Thomas punching him in the face. 

As Newt and Thomas fight, Newt trying to stab Thomas they meet up together. Taylor hears the knife slicing through and starts to cry. It didn’t matter who it stabbed, it wasn’t like she cared more for one and not the other. She cared for both of them so much. “Newt, Thomas...” She muttered as she started to sob. 

They hold on more to each other and as they part the knife went into Newt’s chest. “No! No! There has to be so way, please no, please!” Taylor is panicking at this moment, she is uncontrollably sobbing. Her heart breaking more as if that were possible. “No Newt, not my Newt.” 

“Tommy...” Newt whispers, as himself. He falls down but Thomas catches him so his fall would be less painful. “Tay...”

Taylor was right beside him, holding his hands and looking into his eyes. Brushing his honey golden strands back. 

Taylor then remembers the things her and Newt did. Its like a whole book she thinks of. She spent so many years with him she felt not herself. She remembers when they would garden together. Newt would pretend that the carrots were his teeth and do funny faces with them. Taylor would throw dirt on him and say if he were to grow into a flower, he would be the most beautiful flower out there. Whenever Taylor would feel sad or sick, Newt was there for her. Cuddling with her, taking care of her, worrying about her. All those times worrying, when she wanted him to have a great life. Whenever Taylor felt self conscious Newt would always say, “don’t think about those bloody thoughts love, to me you are perfectly splendid in every way.” Then he would end it off with his charming smile. One time Taylor drew a portrait of himself, resting against the tree, so peaceful. Newt smiled and was shocked, calling Taylor the most creative person in the world. “You got my good side also,” he would chuckle with a wink. The most fondest memory Taylor has of her and Newt is that they both would rest and lay upon the tall blades of grass. Laying next to each other but Newt was laying up and Taylor was laying down. Their heads were next to each other. Taylor would sing to Newt, making Newt feel at peace. He always liked her singing. Then would it would come of night Taylor would read the stars and tell him, “I see big things, for the both of us. Our lives will change Newt, you’ll see.” Then she would ask Newt, “if we did make it out of here Newt...where would you go?” Newt would take a while and Taylor would smile, “I’d love to go to the ocean, full of water and...stuff. Who knows?” Newt would look directly into Taylor’s eyes and nod, “I would go anywhere, as long as its with you.” Taylor would grin and give him a huge bear hug. “Don’t worry shank, we’ll get there. We’ll always get there and when we do, we’ll do it Newt, together.”

Taylor cried as she looked at Newt’s dying form. She collected herself and looked directly into his eyes, clasping him hand and running her finger through his hair. As the wind howls low in the night Taylor breathes in and out, (this song is called rainbow by kacey musgraves)  “Oh tie up your bow, take off your coat and take a look around ” She starts singing, knowing Newt would love to hear the peaceful melody. His breathing starts to relax and he smiles, looking directly into her ocean blue eyes. He can’t utter a word but Taylor knows what he would say, “thats bloody good mate” or “wow Tay, to hear that come out of you is amazing, its like everything is possible.” 

“Tay..” Thomas whispers, tears coming out more. The lyrics mean something so important to Taylor. Thomas nods and knows Newt, no, Newt deserves to go away peacefully. 

“Everything is alright now” Taylor sings to him telling him he can let go, he can go now that they will be alright and he does not have to suffer or worry no more. 

The lyrics mean to Taylor so much. This song is for Winston, Jessica...Chuck. All those who passed away for fighting for something they believed in. 

“'Cause the sky is finally open, the rain and wind stopped blowin' But you're stuck out in the same old storm again” Taylor means as she makes up the lyrics as she goes that the sky is opening to welcome Newt, so Newt can see his friends Newt can see Winsont, Jessica, and Chuck. He can play with them and tell them jokes and use his beautiful accent. Taylor starts to shed some more tears knowing she’ll never get to hear Newt say her name again, she’ll never hear his little comments about anything any more. She struggles to sing the other lines but she does it knowing they are important to Newt. 

“Let go of your umbrella, darlin' I'm just tryin' to tell ya That there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head Yeah there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head” The umbrella means for Newt to let go, thats its okay for Newt to die. But the rainbow part means that his friends his family were always there for him and they will always be there for him and that they will always remember him. Then he’ll get to see so many rainbows where he’s going, he’ll get to play with them and be himself. 

As Newt gives his last breath Taylor sings the last part, “It all be alright” Newt dies with his eyes open and Taylor closes them and kisses his cheek. “We’re gonna miss you Newt. Have fun my darling Newt...” Taylor and Thomas hug as they sob together. Brenda arrives but she is too late. 

Thomas and Taylor go to WCKD and confront Ava. She keeps insisting that their ways are good. She is then killed by Janson who is infected. As Janson knocks Thomas out Taylor runs away and hides, following them. He takes Thomas to a lab where Teresa is ready to extract his blood. Janson tells though that he and WCKD are only truly interested in curing those whom they please, which results in Teresa turning on him. 

Thomas and Janson fight, making Taylor follow them. Teresa sees Taylor and they look at each other knowing they have to save Thomas. They are all stuck in one room together. Thomas sees that Janson shot him in the gut. Taylor goes to Thomas and kisses his forehead telling him, “we’re gonna help.” Her and Teresa come up with a plan to distract Janson. As Teresa takes charge of the plan and Taylor goes to Thomas to help him out, Janson almost kills Teresa but Taylor and Thomas throw a chair into a lane of glass, releasing two turned workers. Those things kill Janson and with Taylor and Teresa assisting Thomas make it to the rooftop. The aircraft by Jorge and Vince await them there. Thomas helps Taylor get on board first and then Thomas leaving Teresa last. Teresa is about to get on with Taylor’s help as the building collapses, “no!” Taylor and Thomas scream as Taylor tries to grasp Teresa’s hand. Teresa falls to her death. 

The group reunites with the immune and the right arm. They arrive at a safe haven that was revealed by Ava. Its where the rest of the population can live safely. 

That night as Taylor sits by the ocean she feels a paper in her pocket. “What in the world?” She takes it out and unfold it revealing to be the picture that Taylor drew of Newt. “He kept it all this time?” Taylor whispered to herself as tears started to come out. She sees her drawing and as she turns it over she sees that Newt drew her a picture, its of them laying in the tall green grass, smiling and holding hands There is a note there and it says, “To my beautiful friend, you have made my life the best, you have made me feel nothing else but joy. For that I want you to live your life, go anywhere and start your adventures. Remember how I said I would go anywhere with you, well its still true. Wherever you are at this moment, I am there with you, you may not see it but its true. So have fun my beautiful Tay, thank you for having my back and for making me feel like I can do anything. You deserve all the best, I am so proud of you Taylor. Also, you were always my rainbow hanging over my head.” Taylor kissed the letter and dried her tears. “Thank you Newt,” she whispers as the waves crash lightly in the sand and the sun begins to go down.

Taylor goes to where they are carving the names of those who they lost and she pats Minho’s shoulder as he carves out Newt’s name. Taylor kisses her fingers and pats his name, she does the same when she sees Chuck’s and Winston’s name. She grabs the carving tools herself and carves out Jessica’s name, smiling when she finishes it. 

Taylor goes to the group of the others and hugs them, hugging Minho, Frypan, Brenda, even Gally. “I wanted to say, thank you for all that you have done, Gally. I forgive you.” She pats Gally and Gally thanks her. “And I know Chuck forgives you as well.” Taylor says as she smiles. She takes her seat next to Brenda and Thomas arrives hugging everyone. Thomas sits next to Taylor and Taylor grabs his hand kissing it. Thomas smiles and kisses her on the lips. 

He then kisses her forehead and whispers, “I love you so much Tay.”

Taylor chuckles and laces her fingers with his, “I love you more...my Thomas.”

20 Years from that

“Mommy, mommy, c’mon lets go see the fishies,” Taylor’s son called out to Taylor as she ran to him. Standing by the ocean was her husband, Thomas smiling. The others were there as well, there kids present. 

“Wait up Newt! Mommy can’t go that fast!” Taylor chuckled as she ran to grasp her son’s hand and then her husbands. As they walk in the sunset the breeze is nice and cool and Taylor places a hand on her stomach, “I can’t wait to see you soon Chuck, mommy’s excited.” Thomas kisses his son and kisses her stomach and her forehead. “Daddy’s excited too, c’mon lets go see the ocean, I think there’s also a rainbow there.”

Taylor smiles and her family, the family that means everything to her, they walk away going on with more discoveries and more loving adventures. 

Tag list: @harrington-lover, @angelgl16, @perfectlybeautifulsuit, @hyehoney, @wtfisalltherandoms, @haven-prelude (wont let me tag), @leasly, @totally-alexa21, @creamy-pasta-boi, @multireese, @fanfictionrecommendations-com, @prentisskelley, @malereaderforkpop (wont let me tag), @guardian-of-cookies, @justafangirl-97, @teenageshitposts (wont let me tag), @andreaoreas, @dippergravity (wont let me tag), @some-booty, @fromfoolishpeopletodeadpeople, @collectiveyou

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[thehikingviking]

Hole in the Mountain Peak (11,306 ft) via Lizzies Basin from Weeks Trail

We woke up to a wet and overcast morning in Wells, Nevada. The weather forecast predicted a sunny day, but I was having second thoughts regarding our planned hike up Hole in the Mountain Peak, especially after a long night with the baby waking up several times to cry. We had driven a long way just to reach this point, so I intended to see this through. Clouds began to dissipate as we drove towards the trailhead. We left Highway 232 and passed through an unlocked gate as we transitioned to a dirt road, and what I assumed to be a private property easement. The road slowly deteriorated as we continued up Weeks Trail. Your vehicle’s off-road capabilities will determine your starting point. I hoped to reach the end of the road, but we ended up a little less than a mile and 900 vertical feet short; Ugh! My Jeep is getting older and I didn’t want to push it, so I reversed back down to a flat spot and strapped baby Leif to my chest. There was an individual camping in the sage brush below us, and another vehicle making its way up the trail below us. After a few hundred feet of hiking, the vehicle eventually caught up to us. I asked Asaka to stick out her thumb, but he drove right by us. I told Asaka that next time she should show a little leg, but then the truck stopped and waited for us to catch up.

He was happy to give us a ride, and just didn’t want to stop his momentum on one of the steep sections of road. He was a friendly older fellow who was planning to depart for an overnight fishing trip to Steele Lake. We chatted about the outdoors for the short drive and he dropped us off at the end of the road. What a score that was; eliminating 500 vertical feet of climbing was what I needed. Once at road’s end, the clouds cleared enough to expose the “hole in the mountain”.

We said goodbye to our new friend and entered the brush where a cairn marked the starting point. The trail was overgrown, but only knee to waste high.

This section didn’t last very long, and we soon transitioned to a birch forest. We weaved through the patches of trees, spotting cairns here and there to give us assurance that we were on track.

We reached a point where the GPS tracks I had loaded onto my phone split. I noticed a use trail that descended into Lizzies Basin. I reasoned that a small amount of elevation loss would be worth it if it avoided any further bushwhacking or potential cliffs.

There is no big lake here as the map suggests, but instead a marsh of sorts. There was a light trickle in the stream. The use trail disappeared but the terrain was wide open and it was clear where to go. We aimed for the large chute on the right side of the amphitheater, which appeared to be class 2. 

The shifting clouds above gave periodic views of the hole in the mountain. I hoped that all the clouds would clear up by the time we reached the summit.

We took our first rest at the base of the chute.

The chute was very steep, but the grassy sections made the rocks stable. We took a slow and methodical approach for this section.

The chute took some time, but once we reached the top we were less than a thousand feet from the summit. We took another long rest here before starting up the final section of the ridge.

As we made our way up the talus slopes, several large mountain goats ran over the crest of the ridge. They moved too quickly for me to take a photo, and Asaka missed them altogether.

I was concerned about class 3 scrambling which was reported in some trip reports, but what I found was a benign series of ledges that were easy to navigate even with a baby in tow. Leif had begun to cry, as it was now his feeding time, but we were only a few minutes from the top. I decided to push through, making it to the summit shortly after. I was tired but relieved to have made it. To the north was Humboldt Peak, and the general direction of the Hole in the Mountain.

To the west was Tent Mountain.

To the north was Greys Peak.

To the east was Lizzies Basin.

Even though we were hundreds of miles away, the views were still spoiled by the California wildfires. A lot of the nearby points along the ridge looked just as high as we were, so I was relieved to find the summit register, verifying the prominence of 4,849 ft.

Not long after signing the register, Leif became very upset, and we had trouble finding out what was wrong. He was either hungry or cold, or both, and after failing to get him to calm down, we decided it was best to just go down and figure it out below. Once we dropped down a bit, the wind died down and the temperature got a little warmer. He fell asleep in the carrier, and I did my best to not disturb him as I delicately descended the talus.

I was pretty tired by the time I reached the top of the chute, but Leif was still sleeping and decided to keep moving. 

We took another rest once at the bottom of the chute. I was tempted to give the baby to Asaka for a short while, but I also wanted the satisfaction of knowing that I could carry the baby the whole way.

We picked up the old use trail down by the creek and followed this back out to the road.

We descended the steep road until we reached the car.

From there, we began our drive east to the trailhead of Pilot Peak, which I planned to climb the following day.

[ventrue-rosary]

Broken Chains

Read Chapter 1 here or on ff.net (this chapter will also be posted there)!

Chapter 2 - The Auction

When Lyris’s consciousness slowly returned, she first became acutely aware of the hard surface she was laying on. Hard and cold. Lyris’s eyes opened. She could hear a cacophony of several different conversations overlapping, making it impossible to decipher what was being said. The dim light and the blurriness of her vision prevented her from being able to discern her surroundings. Her eyes slipped shut again. The voices faded…

The sudden sensation of ice-water crashing over her body yanked her back awake.

‘On your feet.’ It was Athria. He grabbed her arm and hoisted her upright. Her head pounded and vision spun. She then noticed the manacles around her wrists and ankles, and that she was dressed in a simple, white shift-dress. All of her belongings were gone. Her eyes finally adjusted to the low-lit room.

Lyris was stood atop a stage, separated from the roaring crowd by metal bars. There were others up there with her, all women: a halfling, two humans, and a half-elf.

‘Alright, everyone settle down!’ Athria yelled. When the crowd didn’t quiet, he held up one hand, and set off a deafening explosion. Lyris moved to instinctively cover her ears only to be stopped by her chains. The din of the crowd petered out.

‘Marvellous. Now, ladies and gentleman, today I have for you six spectacular specimens. I think you’ll agree we have a fine selection for you to choose from. Now, then...why don’t we start with the smallest?’ He dragged forward the halfling. She squeaked in protest, dragging her feet against the floor.

‘As you can see, she’s easy to control, and just, simply adorable. I don’t think she’ll make a great bodyguard, but she would be a fantastic pet. We’ll open bids at 200 gold pieces.’

One hand went up. ‘250!’

‘275!’

‘280!’

‘Do we have any more bids? No...alright then, sold to the aasimar lady, for 280.’

Immediately, she was taken off the stage, and led to her owner.

Next was one of the humans. She had even less composure than the halfling, kicking, screaming and crying as she was dragged forward into the light for the crowd to see. A few people ‘ooh’d’ and whistled. She was sold for 600. The other human, who merely accepted her grim fate went for 400. Next was the half-elf. When Athria began pulling her forward she slipped from his grip and tried to make a run for it.

‘Oh, foolish bitch.’ Athria stretched out on of his hands.

The half-elf seized up under the hold-person spell. Athria sauntered over to her, pushed her to the ground and stomped on her shin. Lyris flinched at the horrible snapping sound, followed by a harrowing scream.

‘My apologies.’ Athria half-dragged, half-carried her forward. ‘This one will need some house-training, clearly. To cover medical expenses, we’ll open the bidding at a mere 75 gold.’

She was sold to a half-orc for 200. Now Lyris was the only one left.

‘And this exquisite specimen is one I collected yesterday.’ Several of the crowd cheered when Lyris was pulled into view. ‘A none-drow elf is a rare site in Luskan. So I expect you all to bid generously and seize this rare opportunity. She has some scars, but she is durable...tested her myself.’

‘Fuck you.’ The words tumbled from Lyris’s mouth. If she wasn’t bound she would claw the bastards eyes out.

Athria laughed. ‘She has quite the temper. And would seem there is still some lingering pride that needs to be beaten out of her. But like I said...durable.’ He backhanded her across the face. Her injured cheek immediately stung ‘Starting bid...shall we say, 800 gold?’

‘900!’

‘950!’

‘1000!’

‘10,000 gold!’

The crowd broke out into murmurs at the claim. Lyris might have felt flattered she was valued so highly, were it not for the fact she was being sold like property.  Athria looked around, trying to catch site of the bidder. A human man dressed in dark refinery stepped through the crowd, who parted for him without hesitation. The deep blues and blacks of his clothes contrasted with his white hair and alabaster skin. He was flanked by two elven slaves, and followed by a good half-dozen armed and armoured men.

‘10,000...did I hear correctly?’

‘Yes, you did my good man. It’s quite the prize you have.’

‘That is...a very generous bid. Do we have any advances on 10,000?’ The room remained silent. ‘Going once...going twice...sold! To the human gentleman!’

Athria grabbed Lyris by the chain connected to her collar and yanked her forward. He handed it to the human. He nodded in thanks to Athria and snapped his finger. One of his existing slaves stepped forward, staggering under the weight of the sack of gold. She thrust it into Athria’s arms, eager to be free of his weight. As she did, she knocked into him, making him stagger back an inch.

The human whipped his head around to level her with a glare. ‘Insolent girl! How dare you touch you betters!’ He raised on hand and made a turning motion of with. Her neck broke with a resounding snap. She collapsed onto the ground, head angled impossibly at Lyris’s feet. She tore her eyes from the dead girl to the human. His eyes bore into Lyris’s with unspoken threats, even as he reached for his own coin purse.

‘Another 2,000. For your trouble.’

Athria bowed. ‘I am forever grateful to you. I do hope we can do business again one day.’

‘I’m sure we will, once these two have exhausted their usefulness. Until we meet again.’

He pulled on the chain, dragging Lyris out of the building.

The light from outside burned her eyes as she exited the dim room. Through her squinted eyes, she saw a gilded horse-drawn carriage waiting. Lyris and the other girl were dragged towards the carriage, but they didn’t sit in it. Their chains were connected to rings on the outside of the carriage. One on each side.

He turned to Lyris before stepping foot in. ‘Oh, excuse me. I believe I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ambassador Andro Ves Eglier. But unless you want ten lashings, call me Sir or Master. What is your name?’

Lyris felt a prickle of anger, her draconic pride rearing its head.

‘Hm, a mute? Not to fear. I have ways of extracting words from your pretty mouth. For the meantime, we shall call you...Dawn. To symbolise the dawn of you new life.’ He went to step into his carriage then stopped himself, sparing Lyris one last, pitying look. ‘ I do hope you can keep up.’

‘Hey,’ Lyris whispered to the other girl. She was a wisp of a thing, clearly underfed. She wore the same white shift dress Lyris did, but it hung loose from her malnourished body. ‘Hey, what’s your name?’

‘Nerissa,’ she whispered.

‘Is that your real name?’

Nerissa shook her head.

‘Then what is?’

‘I...I don’t remember.’

The carriage set off at a slow pace. They began walking behind it.

‘How long have you served that dickhead?’

Nerissa turned to her, wide-eyed then glanced around, paranoid. ‘Don’t say things like that!’

‘Or what, he’ll kill me? I doubt it. I’m quite the investment.’

‘There are worse things than death.’

‘Like slavery?’

Nerissa fell silent. As they broke out of the narrow streets, the carriage picked up pace. Nerissa and Lyris quickened their stride as their chains pulled taut.

‘Where exactly are we going?’

‘Blackford Hold. Milord’s homestead overlooks the Black Raven River.’

Lyris recalled a road of the same name from her map. ‘That’s 2 days journey from here…’

Nerissa nodded. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘What for?’

Nerissa leaned forward, her blue eyes looking up at Lyris sympathetically. ‘For what they may do to you tonight.’

[str-spangled-banner]

1769 - Steve x Reader

Summary:  You’re an Avenger by the name Anima, whose powers are immortality and invulnerability. You’re on a mission with a few from the team when your abilities are put to a test.

Warnings: Light swearing, light violence.

Words: +2 900

A/N: Please request! I’m up for writing just about anyting! Also, this is my first writing on this blog so please go easy on me :)))))))))

Truth be told, I quite like the thrill of warfare. Call me damaged and psychotic all you want, but there’s something about it that gets me riled up like nothing else. Perhaps it’s the patriotism in me igniting for fighting for my country? Perhaps it’s the built up rage being relieved by punching a few bad guys in the face? Perhaps it’s the fact that I know I won’t fall on the battlefield? I can’t really put a finger on the reason as to why I enjoy it so much. Maybe I am a lunatic? I don’t think I’d know if I were one. Lunacy tends to shield itself rather well from the person it possess. Let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if a doctor went on to tell me I was medically mad. The amount of bloodbaths I’ve gone through with a smile on my face are too many to count on my both hands.

“Y/N?” Steve called out as he looked across the Quinjet from his seat to mine, a crease carved between his brows. “We lost you there for a second.”

Had they? I didn’t realize I had been so deep in my daydreaming. "Sorry, just memorizing the Declaration of Independence in my head.” She made fun of the Captain of the America who always rolled his eyes at her nationalistic comments.

“I was going over the plan. Are you okay with being ground-bound on the west side? According to the little intel we have, that’s the side that’s the most guarded area of the premises. Lang and I will head for the center to get the files while Romanoff and Barton guard the entrance. All you need to focus on is the-”

“Bomb, yes, I got it.” She saluted only to receive yet another eye-roll.

“I hate to interrupt, but am I the only one worried that this bomb might go off? Who says it’s not an atomic bomb? We could put a big hole in the middle of Canada’s map here.” Scott said, anxiously looking between the group of five who had been assigned the mission to infiltrate the newly created Hydra facility in the middle of the cold, harsh Northwest Territories.

“It’s not atomic and it won’t blow up. If it does however, I can’t promise that I’ll go to your funeral.” She leaned her head back casually and shut her eyes to rest for a moment.

“Oh- oh you douche. That’s a low blow.” Scott whined.

“Stop it, both of you. This is a serious mission that we have in front of us. Hydra have never had a permanent structure this close to America before. If I were you, I’d take this a little more seriously. God knows what they’re up to out here.” Steve lectured before his eyes trailed out the window to the seemingly endless forests spreading out beneath them. He remained staring out for a while with an empty look in his eyes before returning his focus to within the aircraft. “How far off are we?”

“T minus 2 minutes, according to this shitty GPS system Tony upgraded to.” Natasha informed from her seat in the cockpit.

 "You know I’m on the line, right?“ Tony’s voice erupted into everyone’s earpiece. ”Talk shit about my equipment agin and you might just have to use your own.“

"I’ll happily do that anyway. Hell, even the GPS on my phone is better than this.”

“Stop!” Steve repeated, louder and more urgently this time. I looked at him and could see the worry in his eyes which was an unsettling sight. The whole mission was really setting him on edge. Hydra had been his arch nemesis since day one as Captain America. Maybe she didn’t know everything about them, but as far as her knowledge stretched, Hydra had never left Europe in this way before, not by settling down at least. Maybe she was too uneducated about the subject to even assume how things had been and how they were, but Steve really seemed to dislike that they were so close this time around.

“We’re approaching.” Natasha broke the short silence which had filled up the Quinjet awkwardly. “I don’t know how high tech these guys are, but if they have radars, we’ve been on them for a couple of minutes at least.”

“Right. Just prepare for drop-off and we’ll handle things as we go. Y/L/N, you’re up first.” Steve ordered and I simply nodded. I unbuckled and stood up, looking down on my black and grey suit with imbedded with hundreds of vibranium disks, making it flexible yet damage-safe of incoming projectiles of as good as any kind. I slid my finger across the keypad by the back and the mechanism to the door began to buzz as the hanger lowered. Air whirled inside violently and wipped my ponytail around my neck to my throat and I narrowed my eyes as I observed the ground that no longer was so far beneath us. There was straight road which cut through the forest, leading up to the Hydra outpost with at least four guard towers along its way that I could see. No doubt there were more around the facility itself.

“Ready for drop off?” Clint, who had been silent for the hour prior, called back to make sure I was good to go. I held up a thumbs up, and on cue, the jet slowed down and steadied whilst hovering in the air.

I exhaled deeply before turning my back to the open back of the aircraft and closing my eyes again, feeling the wind grab onto my snug attire as I let myself fall backwards. As I continued to fall I peaked my eyes open, seeing the Quinjet flying across the grounds to where Steve and Scott would be dropped off. As a couple of seconds passed, I arched my back and raised my arms above my head skillfully until my body swung around in the air and aimed with my feet down. Only a split second went by before I landed with a ground breaking thud, literally. I would like to think that I timed the turn due to skill, but knowing myself it was most likely because of coincidence.

As I stood there, thanking higher forces that I had spared myself from an embarrassing landing with my whole back facing down, bullets began to pepper at my side. I slowly turned towards their source only to find three Hydra soldiers brutally shouting as they did little to none in damage. As they began to realize that themselves, their facial features turned from offensive to defensive and their open fire ceased until none existent.

“I already hate you guys…” I couldn’t help but mumble as I picked up speed with the three soldiers in my sight. In panic, they opened fire again. Bullets rained down on me like a goddamn, tropical storm and I could feel them ricochet off of both my armor and my skin. When I finally reached them, I grabbed a hold of one and threw him over the two others, knocking them all to the ground. They tried to scramble to their feet but before they could I held one of their rifles in my hand and grabbed the end of the barrel.

“Don’t…” I used the weapon as a golf club and hit the head of one of the men, knocking him out. “Be…” I hit another. “Dicks!” I hit the end of the weapon in the head of the remaining soldier and let it go afterwards, the rifle flying down the cliffs which began shortly outside of the fence surrounding the premises.

“Language.” Steve commented into my earpiece and I couldn’t help but let out a long groan.

“Don’t you start with that again.” I warned him, not in the mood to have my profanity pointed out. As the line remained silent after that I grabbed the two rifles left on the ground before I continued my way inside. I put my free hand into the net fencing and tore it apart, creating a hole large enough for me to enter through. A soldier patrolling on the roof of the concrete structure opened fire and I took one of the rifles in my hand and threw it like a dart, knocking the soldier to the ground like someone had slapped a fly with a flapper.

“Tell me when you got eyes on your target, Anima.” It was Steve again, and my focus was pulled from reality upon hearing him call me by my superhero name, or whatever I was. He never used it, never used any of the names we all were called. I can’t honestly tell if I like it or not. I can’t tell in what way he said it either. Unemotionally and negatively, or motivationally and inspiringly?

“Yes, sir.” I couldn’t think of a witty answer. A few soldiers had rushed out upon hearing the shooting and fired at my head and upper body, a few bad shots hitting my legs and the ground behind me. “Could you not?” I turned towards them. As they didn’t as much as stutter in their attack, I took the last rifle and threw it towards them. They flew back into the wall beside the door where they had exited and unconsciously sagged to the ground into a pile.

Anima was not something I came up with myself, but I did allow it to stick around. Originally it had been Peter’s idea. When I first became part of the team, months after things had settled after their civil dispute, a late night in the Stark Tower after an all too long party, a rather tipsy Tony insisted that I should have a superhero name. I had refused at first but everyone else had liked Tony’s idea and before I knew it, Peter had names me after the Latin word for life. It grew in the team and I didn’t really argue about the naming, so it stuck. Now, that A clings onto the upper parts of my suit like an emblem I should be proud to wear, which I actually kind of am.

I was inside before I knew it but things didn’t exactly looked how my mind had pictured. There was a huge room like that of a hangar, a few cars in one end and a dozen of guards surrounding my obvious target in the very center. They opened fire, just like all their coworkers, and I pushed forwards in their peppering ammunition.

“God that’s loud.” Clint commented on the line, referring to noise from my end.

“I’ve tried to tell them to stop a few times now but it seems they don’t want to listen.” I replied as I reached the men. They tried to engage in hand to hand combat instead but I began to knock out one by one slowly but surely. As my focus was on grabbing a guy from the floor and toss him down the large room, a crash filled my left ear as I felt a poke at my cheek. I turned my head around just in time to see the shards of a knife fall to the floor, a soldier standing with its handle by my head where he had attempted to pierce it.

“Did- did you just try to stab me, in the face?” I questioned him, watching the blood drain from his own face in absolute horror. “Do you know how much I like my face?!” I grabbed hold of his body armor and slammed him down to the ground. His helmet pushed up over his forehead but he was still able to see. “Did you seriously think I’d let you get away with that?”

I waited, gave him time to come up with some kind of an answer, but as he began to whimper in fear and rattle like a dry leaf in the wind, I used my head against his own to juggernaut his ass to sleep. I rose to my feet, eyes locking onto the bomb centered in the great hall when I noticed the small screen on it, my limbs numbing upon realization.

“Fuck!” My hands reflexively went to my head to pull at my hair, but it was tightly kept back and I felt my hands drop to my sides.

“Lang-”

“It has a timer!” I interrupted Steve, definitely not in the mood to be scolded cause of my language. “The bomb has a fucking timer on two minutes!”

“What?” It was Natasha, not wanting to believe what I was saying.

“One minute fifty seconds! There are no buttons on it, no wires. I can’t disarm it!” I could feel my breaths becoming shallow, my heart racing inside my chest. I’ve never been worried about dying, simply because I can’t, but everyone I know doesn’t have the blessing in a curse of being immortal and invulnerable. The blast radius of the bomb could be the size of the room it was in, but most likely it would wipe out the entire base and then some. Hell, even what Scott said about it being an atomic one seemed plausible when the timer was ticking down right before my very own eyes.

“Scott, you need to get to Y/N and get inside the bomb. We need to disarm it..” Steve ordered and I just shook my head, not caring that no one was around to see me do it.

“There’s no time! I’m improvising.” I watched as the timer went past one minute as I picked it up, cradling the cylindric piece of metal in my arms. I could hear Steve yell something about not doing anything stupid through my earpiece, but frankly, I couldn’t care less of what he had to say. I was holding a bomb and god knows how much it’ll take down with it if it goes off. I emerged from the door I had entered through, almost tripping over the soldiers still hanging around outside. I began to turn the corner when more billets began to rain down and I threw myself back to the safety of the wall. That way was a no go, so to the left it was.

I walked around the other corner of the extended part of the facility, a clearing which seemed to be a landing area for helicopters and such expanding before me. I glanced down at the bomb, seeing that the timer was down to forty already. “I’m north west of my drop-off point and I really need you guys not to come here right now.” I said as I came to the middle of the landing platform, kneeling to the ground with the bomb resting against my thighs.

“Y/N, I see you.” It was Steve. I looked up only to see him and Scott further away, far enough so that I couldn’t see their faces properly. “Don’t do this. We don’t know if you’ll survive!”

“Get back, Captain!” I called out, probably audible physically as well as over the intercom. “I walked around Hiroshima the day after the bomb dropped. I kissed a guy who died of the plague, whilst he was kissing me! I’ll be fine!”

“You’ve never contained a bomb before, you stubborn idiot! Drop it and run!” Steve truly begged now.

I looked down towards the timer, seeing it count down to ten. I took long breaths, feeling my body relax as I cradled over the bomb and covered as much of it as I could, a smile spreading on my face. “Cover your ears, guys. This one is gonna be loud-”

The bomb detonated. Flames whirled out from the areas where her body hadn’t covered it. Steve and Scott flew into the wall behind them as the shockwave rammed into them. The ground quakes at their feet and the Hydra base around them rattled in the bombs wake. Steve crawled up to his hands and knees before grabbing ahold of the wall for support. His knees buckled but he managed to stand, eyes gazing out over the helipad where he saw nothing but smoke.

“No…” He felt his heart sink. “No, no, no. Please-”

Steve went quiet as the smoke began to clear out, my body being detectable in its midst. I brushed sooth off of my attire, pouring as it stained the grey fabric black.

“Are you kidding me? I just cleaned this.” I tried to rub it with my fabric clad hand, my fingers peaking out from the fingerless gloves being just as black as them thanks to the sooth which was there too, along with the rest of my body.

“Oh you f-…” Steve cut himself off, beginning to jog my way. I tried to not look over at him as if I hadn’t noticed him. Instead, I nonchalantly continued my useless attempts in cleaning myself up. As Steve from out of nowhere was an arms length away, I looked up only to have two, huge arms wrapped around me. My eyes blew open and my body remained stiff as a stick as he continued to hug me without remorse.

“Uh… Steve? You good?” I questioned as I tried to wiggle my arms free and could feel him tighten his grip of me instead. After a few more seconds he let go and looked into my eyes, his being burning red from the smoke around us.

“You’re a damn idiot, you know that?” He seemed to wait for an answer, and I awkwardly broke eye contact before smiling again.

“I was born in 1769, Steve. I think I’ll live a little longer.”

[exeggcute]

zenyatta ults: a guide

so, zenyatta’s ultimate: transcendence. it lasts for six seconds, and heals all allies within a ten-meter radius at a rate of 300 hp per second as long as they are in his line of sight. zenyatta himself becomes invincible and his speed doubles, but he can’t use any of his regular abilities or shoot any orbs--you’re locked into transcendence for the full six seconds. however, any harmony or discord orbs you placed prior to using your ult will still remain active. 

you’re invincible, but you can still fall off the map (which I learned the hard way) and you’re still affected by knockback from whole hog/primal rage/barrage/etc. zarya’s graviton surge can still suck you in while you’re transcending and you’ll remain trapped just like usual. he heals nearby allies for 300 points per second, but your teammates can still be killed if the damage is greater than that: tracer’s pulse bomb is an instant 400 damage, and d.va’s self-destruct is roughly 900 or so, so the 300 per second is not enough to save your teammates (although you can certainly save yourself). however, a transcending zenyatta functions like an environmental object in that he can break line of sight attacks--meaning that, while he can’t out-heal d.va’s ult, he can use his body as a shield to break line of sight between your teammate and the exploding mech. so, you can cower behind a friendly ulting zenyatta as if he were a wall/payload/reinhard shield. 

zenyatta can also panic ult to get himself out of a fight when he’s cornered, but I strongly recommend against this unless your death is going to have a major impact on the team (e.g., if you’re defending the first point on volskaya and your team would be down a hero while you’re walking all the way back, and the enemy is positioned around you about to strike). even then, you really should not panic ult. you can distinguish a good zenyatta from a bad zenyatta because a bad zenyatta will transcend as soon as you pressure him even a little bit, thus wasting his ult. if you know for a fact that the enemy zenyatta has his ult and you want to squeeze it out of him (like, if your mei is ready to lay down a blizzard and you don’t want the enemy zen coming in and negating it), get some of your teammates to corner him. if you can get him to panic, and if he’s not a very good zenyatta, he might use his ult right then and there, leaving the rest of his team defenseless later on when they really need it.

you can ult offensively help your team cap a point: stick behind your teammates while they get to work (and maybe use some ultimates) and when the enemy team bears down on you and your teammates start taking damage, ult. this gives your teammates six seconds to go apeshit on the other team with little to no consequences. with any luck, that’s enough time for your teammates to get some picks and start taking the objective. I don’t usually do this a whole lot, but in the right situation it can give your team an extra edge.

you can ult neutrally if, say, you have two tanks who are both critical and right next to each other, even if you’re not engaged in a fight. zenyatta gets his ult pretty fast so there’s no need to be stingy with it. once again, I don’t usually use my ult this way, but it can be useful if you need to heal up several critical teammates at once. 

you can ult defensively to negate an enemy ult, and this is by far my favorite means of using transcendence. like I said earlier, you heal your teammates 300 points per second, easily countering anything that does less damage than that.

ultimates you can NOT counter with transcendence include: tracer’s pulse bomb, d.va’s self destruct (unless you use your body as a shield like I explained earlier), junkrat’s rip-tire (depending on how close you are to the explosion; it’ll save teammates from splash damage, but not the full 600 damage right at the center of the tire’s radius), and pharah’s barrage (although you can under certain circumstances; much like the rip-tire, it’ll help teammates who are caught in splash damage, but not ones who are directly taking rockets to the face). I actually have no idea if you can use transcendence to counter an enemy mccree’s deadeye, but I get the feeling it wouldn’t work.

however, there are many, many (normally devastating) ults you can counter.

genji’s dragonblade does 120 damage per hit, and if we do a little bit of math, we find that that’s less than the 300 healing per second zenyatta does. so when I hear an enemy genji ulting, I’ll often pop a transcendence and ride his ass through his whole ult, effectively making all of his hits absolutely useless. this is really really fun but the enemy genji will definitely remember this and resent you, so watch out for later revenge.

reaper’s death blossom does less than 300 damage per second, so if an enemy reaper is ulting, I’ll ult right on top of him so that any allies who are caught in the death blossom radius are instantly healed by transcendence. 

soldier’s tactical visor does far less than 300 damage per second, but it’s slightly trickier to negate, because you have to stick close to your teammates rather than just tailing him like genji or reaper. the enemy soldier could be halfway across the map and still hitting your teammates, so you have to predict which teammates are in his crosshairs at any given moment and move to them accordingly. it’s not actually that hard, though, because soldier’s tactical visor usually takes a few seconds to kill a target, often giving you enough time to float over to a critical teammate.

bastion’s rockets in tank mode do, like, 250 damage per hit or something. so you can definitely out-heal his damage, but you have to be fast and (once again) predict where he’s going to hit rather than following his actual positioning. 

hanzo’s dragonstrike is difficult to counter, usually because by the time you realize what’s happening, you’re already dead. but if you manage to transcend before getting taken out, you can definitely save anyone else in the dragons’ path.

mei’s blizzard starts out by slowing you down, so if you’re trapped in a blizzard as zenyatta, you have a very small window here to pop your ult before you get frozen completely. you won’t get frozen while transcending, but your teammates still will--however, your transcendence will negate the actual damage from the blizzard. you can easily keep everyone alive, but they’ll still be frozen.

I don’t know the numbers on torbjorn’s molten core, but you can definitely ult to save any teammates taking damage from a level three turret. 

reinhardt’s earthshatter can’t stun you while you’re transcending, but it’ll still stun your teammates--but once again, like the blizzard scenario, you can easily keep your teammates alive through the process, they’ll just be lying on the floor moaning for a few seconds. of course, if you get stunned before you manage to ult, you’ll be incapacitated just like anyone else. 

roadhog’s whole hog and winston’s primal rage are weird to counter, because they don’t deal a tremendous amount of damage, but they still knock you back while you’re transcending. I don’t usually have a problem countering winston, but roadhog can be difficult because he’ll push you too far away from your teammates to save them, unless they get pushed in the same direction with you. your mileage may vary here.

zarya’s graviton sucks in anyone nearby, and deals a small amount of damage per second to anyone caught within it. the damage from the graviton alone will almost never kill anyone, but the enemy team is 100% going to capitalize upon this opportunity and just starting shooting the shit out of you, if not comboing ults entirely. you can transcend even if you’re caught in the graviton surge (if you’re quick enough), although you won’t be able to escape its pull. however, at this point in my overwatch career, when an enemy zarya uses her ult I’ll actually go out of my way to use transcendence and purposely walk into the graviton (if I’m not already sucked into it) to save anyone caught in there. you may or may not be able to negate any combos here, but the same rules still apply as before: so you’ll save your team from a graviton/death blossom combo, but not from a graviton/pulse bomb combo.

[brajeshupadhyay]

The Trailer: The ‘squad’ gears up for two tough primaries

DETROIT – The day after her 44th birthday, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) gathered supporters and volunteers at a juice bar in her district for a socially distanced party. Rashida-for-Congress sanitary wipes shared table space with birthday cake. A tracker snuck in and was quickly ushered out by the congresswoman herself. When it came time to speak, Tlaib choked up, reflecting on how her district had come together to protest police brutality and stand with Black Lives Matter.

“This is the only place that ever truly embraced everything about me, including that little edge, and that little rawness that I have,” Tlaib said. “All the different colors of rainbow are out there, marching, and saying black lives matter. And they know that it’s not only about who killed George Floyd, and police brutality; it’s about the systems that set up George Floyd to be killed in that way.”

In nine days, Tlaib will defend her seat against Brenda Jones, the Detroit City Council president she defeated by just 900 votes in the 2018 primary. Last time, the district’s mostly black electorate splintered behind other candidates. This time, her opponents united behind one opponent. 

One week later, fellow squad member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D) of Minnesota will face challenger Antone Melton-Meaux, who rocketed from obscurity to raise $3.7 million by arguing that the congresswoman is too “divisive” to represent Minneapolis. Omar, who won easily in 2018, is feeling the backlash from comments she made about pro-Israel donor influence and from a trio of campaign finance controversies, all of it thrown back at her in millions of dollars of ads. 

In the first primaries of this year, as the presidential contest wound down, the resurgent left that elected Tlaib and Omar was mostly focused on expansion. Campaign organizations that had helped elect the “squad” – Tlaib, Omar, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) – ousted more conservative Democratic incumbents in Illinois and New York. There are a few more targets on the calendar, such as activist Cori Bush’s rematch with Rep. William Lacy Clay of Missouri, and a challenge to House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal in western Massachusetts.

But for the next few weeks, the squad is playing defense. Seven hundred miles apart, Jones and Melton-Meaux make roughly the same argument about the incumbents: That they are too abrasive and too famous, that their cities would be better off with representatives who could work across the aisle and make less news. In an interview, Jones repeatedly cited the comments Tlaib made on her first day in Congress, promising to impeach the president, and referring to him with an unprintable epithet.

“How often have you, as a reporter, heard someone speak like that?” Jones asked. “Even when you disagree with someone, there is a professional manner of disagreeing with them. I am a professional legislator. I am a professional worker. And I think that professionalism is important in doing the job of representing the people.”

Jones did represent the district briefly, at the end of 2018. The resignation of Rep. John Conyers Jr. created a special primary election to fill his seat the same day as the primary for a two-year term. Tlaib won the six-way primary, while Jones won the four-way special. That put Jones in the House for a few weeks, and her campaign’s advertising asks voters to “return” Jones to the seat. In advertising from Concerned Citizens of Michigan, a pro-Jones PAC, black voters are told that “the 13th belongs to us” and that it’s time to “take our seat back.”

Tlaib’s rebuttal has been her record. When she mentions impeachment, it’s typically to say that the same president she voted to impeach has signed her legislation; when asked about that, Jones points out that the Republican Senate hasn’t taken up some of Tlaib’s work, such as an amendment to spend billions of dollars replacing lead water pipes.

Local Democrats long expected Jones to run, pointing to the results from 2018, when nearly two-thirds of Detroiters backed one of Tlaib’s rivals. “I think it’s about numbers,” said Ian Conyers, a former state senator and grandnephew of the former congressman. Like the three other candidates who ran behind Tlaib and Jones two years ago, he has endorsed Jones: “If there had been a runoff in 2018, Brenda Jones would have won. It almost feels like Rashida has an opinion and a prescription that the people of the district themselves have not asked for.” 

Tlaib does hold some advantages. The city council president did not officially announce she was running until March 25, a week into the state’s stay-at-home order. Eight days later, Jones tested positive for the coronavirus and has made only limited public appearances since. Tlaib has raised more than $3 million, double what she spent to win the seat in the first place; Jones has raised less than $140,000, less than half of what she spent in the crowded 2018 race.

It’s another story in Minnesota, where the official Democratic Farmer-Labor Party has rallied behind Omar, but her challenger is set to outspend her in the final stretch. Melton-Meaux, an attorney who’d never run for office, trailed in fundraising until the last few months before the primary. But he established himself a credible competitor. Since March, Melton-Meaux has brought in millions of dollars, most of it from Minnesotans, and nearly half a million of it bundled by the pro-Israel NORPAC and Pro-Israel America PAC.

The money has funded a steady stream of direct mail and TV ads against Omar. The ads don’t focus on the incumbent’s position on Israel. Instead, they portray Omar as “aggressive” and corrupt, emphasizing some fundraising controversies that made as much news in national conservative media as they did in Minnesota. One involves a misuse of funds for travel, which Omar paid a 2019 fine to settle; one is more personal, accusing her of funneling campaign money to her husband’s firm.

On Saturday, Omar defended her use of E Street, which played the same role in her successful 2018 campaign before she married the firm’s co-founder Tim Mynett. “They’ve contracted vendors for us to not only run ads, digital ads, but also to do all of our mailers, and online fundraising,” Omar said of Mynett’s firm. “They are a one-stop shop.” (The firm’s other founder has also defended Omar.)

Tlaib and Omar arrived in Congress with similar profiles on the issue of Israel, and both opposed a resolution condemning the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. Asked why donors had rallied behind Omar’s opponent, but not Tlaib’s, Michigan Democrats speculated that Tlaib’s district would likely be broken by redistricting in 2022 anyway. Any map in Minnesota is likely to keep Omar’s 5th District, which covers Minneapolis and its closest suburbs, largely intact. But a simpler reason is that of two immigrants who came up through local activism, Omar has been more combative.

In this race, Omar has questioned Melton-Meaux’s résumé as an attorney with an emphasis in workplace mediation whose old law firm helped companies fight union drives. “There’s no evidence that this mediation is something that’s ever been deployed in bringing people together in our community,” Omar said. “On the contrary, I have a track record of being a coalition builder.” Asked about his legal work, Melton-Meaux said that he had no role in anti-union work at a “multinational firm that does a lot of different things.”

She has also tried to paint Melton-Meaux’s backers as Wall Street cronies and Republicans, like telecom executive and Trump donor Howard Jonas. “Look at the sheer amount of money that is coming from people who funded Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell,” Omar said in an interview, recalling the cries to “send her back,” an insult directed at the two Muslim members of Congress who were born outside the United States; in Omar’s case, arriving here as a refugee. “They’re giving to a man who agrees with the sentiment that we shouldn’t be in Minnesota, that we shouldn’t have representation in Congress, that our voices and visibility in the halls of Congress is an inconvenience.” 

But Melton-Meaux has pushed back. “The support we’ve got from PACs is from nonpartisan organizations that have given to Democrats and Republicans, including Democrats like Senator [Tina] Smith and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and even, yes, Joe Biden,” Melton-Meaux said in an interview. “What’s really happening here is that the congresswoman does not want people to know just how much strength we have here in the district.”

As incumbents, she and Tlaib benefit from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s rule that contractors who work for challengers to Democratic incumbents can’t work with DCCC candidates; Melton-Meaux has criticized that rule. “It’s a decision that I think, frankly, is trying to chill the democratic process. I have a constitutional right to run for this office,” he said. 

But Melton-Meaux has less than three weeks to convince Minneapolis to ditch Omar, and Jones has less than two weeks to win over Detroit. Meanwhile, Omar’s campaign has activated her national supporters, bringing both Tlaib and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont together for a virtual “day of action” on Sunday. At Tlaib’s Saturday party, Angela Gallegos, 34, recalled how she met the future congresswoman at a protest, more than a decade ago, before either of them were involved in electoral politics.

“When I see the opponent’s sign, that’s almost equivalent of a Trump sign to me,” Gallegos said. “Like, why are you doing that to my girl? It’s Rashida. Everyone knows her. We should get her back.” 

Reading list

Inside the futile quest for a big MAGA party in Jacksonville.

What it’s like to run for office and watch a post office throw the election.

The next stage of the fight with Xi Jinping.

One of 2020’s left-wing underdogs is on the ropes.

The backstory of how Portland’s endless protests became a focus for the White House.

The simple, fixable and politically fraught reason behind hours of long lines.

How the end of traditional campaigning also means the end of tracking and gaffe-catching.

In the states

After New York’s primary debacle, which has left tens of thousands of votes uncounted and more in limbo, the Democratic-controlled legislature in Albany passed another reform of the absentee ballot process. Instead of being processed 30 days before an election, voters’ requests for absentee ballots will be processed as soon as they’re received. Like voters in states that previously implemented expansive mail voting, New Yorkers will be informed of their ballot status and get chances to “cure” it — ie, to fix an error that left the ballot uncounted by election officials. Connecticut, one of the few remaining Democratic-run states that requires an excuse for requesting absentee ballots, took a step closer to nixing that with a broad, bipartisan vote in the state House of Representatives.

In Illinois, the first state where Kanye West obtained signatures to petition onto the ballot, five voters have challenged his filing. While West only needs 2,500 signatures to appear as a presidential candidate — he did not file the name of a running mate — he filed around 3,200 total signatures. That’s in the danger zone for a successful challenge, as scrutiny can sometimes remove 20 to 30 percent of the names on petitions, if voters’ identities cannot be verified. (In weekend tweet, West suggested he could “beat Joe Biden off write-ins,” though only 10 states and the District of Columbia count write-in votes for candidates who have not filed for official status.) 

West may have missed the deadline to make the ballot in Maine, where petitioning ended on Saturday. Meanwhile, the state’s Republicans are continuing their effort to end the state’s ranked-choice voting system, after a petition drive to put it on the ballot for November failed. A new federal lawsuit argues that ranked-choice voting disenfranchises those who don’t want to rank more than one candidate; if successful, the lawsuit could change calculations about the state’s presidential and Senate contests, where third parties and independents currently pose no “spoiler” risk to either party. (While Democratic Rep. Jared Golden won his 2018 race thanks to second-choice voters who’d supported a left-wing challenger, there is no third party in his race this year.)

Ad watch

Ilhan Omar, “Ballot Box.” The Minnesota congresswoman waited until this week to run ads ahead of her Aug. 11 primary. This one boils down a longer campaign video into a message about activism in which she only sometimes appears, wearing a mask and casting a vote. “We can translate our cries for justice into legislation, and that’s the fight we’ve been leading in Congress,” says Omar, whose voice is the only one in the spot.

Americans for Tomorrow’s Future, “Self-Dealing.” The super PAC has mostly played in Omar’s race with harsh direct mail; its first ad compiles a series of financial controversies into a story of the congresswoman benefiting from her role. “She’s paid her new husband’s business over $1 million in campaign funds,” a narrator says. That’s the only cash total mentioned in the spot, as the civil fine Omar paid for a long-running expenses scandal was just $500.

Rashida Tlaib, “Rooted.” The main ad in rotation for Tlaib’s campaign, it combines quick flashes of her legislative record (“Rep. Tlaib secures $1.5 billion for access to water for families”) to the kind of high-profile stances her opponent, Brenda Jones, has pegged as too distracting from her job (“Deny ICE its request for more funding, abolish it.”).

Concerned Citizens of Michigan, “Take Our Seat Back.” A PAC created to help Jones, CCM’s TV ad argues that the legacy of the late John Conyers can be filled by Jones. It never says outright that Jones can represent the district better because she’s black. But the only white politician seen in the ad is former House speaker Paul Ryan, from 2018, swearing in Jones to fill the final weeks of Conyers’s expired term. “The 13th belongs to us,” a narrator says.

You are reading The Trailer, the newsletter that brings the campaign trail to your inbox.

Poll watch

There are just 100 days left until the general election, and fewer days until early and absentee voting starts across most of the country. The calendar was enough of a hook for multiple news outlets to conduct swing state polls, with some wide variances but one consistency: Democrats are holding a lead, with the president trailing Joe Biden when voters are asked who is best able to handle the pandemic and social unrest.

Here’s a poll-by-poll look.

Michigan Joe Biden: 49% Donald Trump: 40% (-1)

Minnesota Joe Biden: 51% Donald Trump: 38%

Pennsylvania Joe Biden: 50% Donald Trump: 39% (-3)

The two of these states won by the president four years ago were last polled in April, not long into the coronavirus pandemic. Minnesota, narrowly lost by Donald Trump in 2016, is polled for the first time this cycle, with no evidence that the protests that began there at the end of May have altered the state’s defining trend: suburbanites moving toward the Democrats, and “greater Minnesota” voters in rural counties moving toward the GOP. 

Joe Biden: 50% (+3) Donald Trump: 45% (-1)

Since March, the last time NBC/Marist polled the state, the positions of both the president and Gov. Doug Ducey have deteriorated. Just half of Arizonans now approve of Ducey, and just as many as say that the pandemic is getting worse. President Trump’s disapproval rating has jumped to 53 percent, with his personal unfavorable rating even higher, at 58 percent. That has opened up the race for Biden, who just 41 percent of voters view favorably. That was Hillary Clinton’s rating in 2016, when she narrowly lost the state. What’s changed? Just 50 percent of voters have a negative view of Biden, compared to 57 percent for Clinton, and Clinton and Trump entered Election Day with the same favorable rating.

Arizona Joe Biden: 49% Donald Trump: 45%

Florida Joe Biden: 51% Donald Trump: 46%

Michigan Joe Biden: 52% Donald Trump: 40%

Here and in the CBS numbers below, Biden has gained and down-ballot Democratic candidates have inched ahead. In Arizona’s Senate race, Democrat Mark Kelly leads by 7, while in Michigan, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters leads by 16. Both of their opponents have plenty of money and have been on the air for months, but nothing has clicked, and while Michigan challenger James is black, he’s losing nonwhite voters by the same 50-point margin as the president.

Michigan Joe Biden: 48% Donald Trump: 25%

Ohio Donald Trump: 46% Joe Biden: 45%

The best set of polls for the president this weekend still show him losing; he’s just holding onto more white voters, and his support from black voters is a bit higher than 2016. (He gets 9 percent of the black vote in Michigan and Ohio; four years ago he got 6 percent and 8 percent of the black vote in those states, respectively.

These are the only polls this weekend that suggest a strength for the president: job creation. A majority of voters in both states think Trump would do more than Biden in creating manufacturing jobs, and a plurality of voters think his reductions in environmental regulations have helped the economy. While the Trump campaign has obsessed over policing in its recent ads, there’s an opening there for its anti-NAFTA attacks on Biden. The caveat: In both states, more than two-thirds of voters say they dislike how Trump “handles himself personally,” and in both, only half say that of Biden, who has been appearing in public, at most, for a few hours each week.

Candidate tracker

President Trump stayed off the campaign trail this week, marking a month since what may have been his last traditional rally of the campaign season, in Tulsa. Since Thursday’s White House briefing, when he canceled the Republican convention in Jacksonville, Fla., Trump has only fitfully engaged in the campaign. Still, with little fanfare, he continued his run of announcements and executive orders with an order that would force Medicare to pay lower prices for prescription drugs.

“As a result of the orders I’m signing today, the heads of the major drug companies have requested a meeting to discuss how we can quickly and significantly lower drug prices and out-of-pocket expenses for Americans,” Trump said on Friday. “They want to do what’s right.  Look, they’re going to do what’s right. Look, I think it’s so important what they’re doing on therapeutics and vaccines. And we’re going to see them on Tuesday. We’ll see if we can do something here.”

Joe Biden had no public events after the middle of the week, but he participated in a virtual Friday fundraiser that focused on Latino issues, co-hosted by actress Eva Longoria.

“Day 1, Dreamers are staying, period. They’re more Americans than most Americans are,” Biden said. “The idea of having to worry if you go to get tested or you go to get help for COVID that you can be deported? No. Not in my country. Not in my country, not going to happen.”

On Saturday, Biden marked one year since a failed effort to grant temporary status to Venezuelans fleeing the country — a point of contention with some in the party���s left. “The people of Venezuela and Hispanics across our country deserve a real ally who will stand up for what is right, and not just pay lip service to the suffering of the Venezuelan people,” Biden said in a statement.

Countdown

�� nine days until primaries in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington … 11 days until primaries in Tennessee … 13 days until primaries in Hawaii … 16 days until primaries in Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont and Wisconsin … 22 days until the Democratic National Convention … 32 days until the Republican National Convention … 40 days until some absentee ballots start going out … 100 days until the general election

The post The Trailer: The ‘squad’ gears up for two tough primaries appeared first on Shri Times.

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Cumbria’s ‘Spiritual Line’ is Ready to Move Visitors

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A group of Cumbrian-based heritage attractions is shining light on the uplifting religious and spiritual experiences it can offer within Cumbria’s two World Heritage Sites, by including a ‘Spiritual Line’ on what it is calling its ‘Heritage Cumberground’ map.

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Cumbria’s Living Heritage (www.cumbriaslivingheritage.co.uk) includes five uplifting stop-offs on its ‘Spiritual Line’ – Whinlatter and Grizedale forests, Swarthmoor Hall near Ulverston, Lanercost Priory near Carlisle and Furness Abbey, in the south-west of the county.

The Spiritual Line is one of 10 themed lines on its imaginary version of London’s underground designed to make it easier for visitors to identify what appeals to their interests and their personal requirements from an experience.

In selecting the five stop-offs, on its Spiritual Line, Cumbria’s Living Heritage is illuminating the ‘faith tourism’ possibilities within its 32-member network and defining faith tourism as both visits to religious sites and the spiritualism that many faith travellers seek when planning their itineraries. 

The latter encompasses meaning, mindfulness, relaxation and meditation, with a visit primarily providing a path towards achieving greater contentment and inner peace.  Cumbria’s Living Heritage is confident that it can offer all of these much sought-after states of being – and much more.

More information on the Spiritual Line stop-offs follow, whilst the Heritage Cumberground map can be downloaded at www.cumbriaslivingheritage.co.uk 

Exploring the Spiritual Line

The forests of Whinlatter and Grizedale offer calming peace and tranquillity, as well as the physical and mental benefits scientifically proven to be bestowed on those spending time under a forest canopy.  These include. immunity boosting, stress-busting and mood enhancement.

Whether it is at Whinlatter - England’s only mountain forest - or Grizedale, visitors can breathe in the invigorating forest scents and all the positive energy emitted by trees.  But there are also spectacular fell and lake views to enjoy, at various spirit-lifting viewpoints.  Both stunning Bassenthwaite and calming Derwentwater are visible from Whinlatter, enabling forest venturers to discover far more than just trees.

At Grizedale, they can also stumble upon spiritually uplifting sculptures by hugely talented contemporary artists, spending time pondering the meaning of some, appreciating the lines of others, such as the inspiring ‘Lady of the Water’, or being enriched by a view through a breathtaking sculpture like ‘17 Degrees South’, which both wows and stimulates the senses. 

Whilst revitalisation is possible 365 days a year, Grizedale is now offering other restorative experiences at certain times of year, including sky safaris for stargazers, Qigong sessions and forest bathing – all not-to-be-missed by those seeking a spiritual uplift.  Both forests are also perfect places to which to head for quiet contemplation and self-reflection, offering much to restore body and mind.

The same is also true of Grade II-listed Swarthmoor Hall – a house associated with spiritual renewal for more than three centuries. Despite this being the birthplace of the Quaker movement and the former home of Margaret Fell (later Fox) and the Quaker leader, George Fox, many non-Quakers head here each year to discover their own identities, tap into their creativity and develop a deeper sense of worth. There is something about the calming atmosphere at the house that appeals to all, whilst the Quaker way, focusing on equality and peace, is assuming more relevance than ever in today’s fractured society.

At Swarthmoor Hall, visitors can arrive for a day trip that involves an audio tour of the house, explaining how it would have been in the time of George Fox, when he stumbled across it in 1652 and made it his headquarters. Visitors can admire Judge Fell’s study, a collection of period furniture and Margaret Fell’s heavily carved bed, carrying the quilt that is being recreate, as a living quilt outside, through careful and considered replanting.   With this happening in the flower bed close to the charming and tranquil café, neither whiling away the hours there, nor enjoying moments of reflection in the garden, are wastes of time, but rather time well-spent recharging the soul.

Whilst visitors can compose their thoughts during just a short period of time at Swarthmoor Hall, those seeking more meaning in life can visit for a retreat, or to attend a religious or creative course.  Another mindfulness option is a Pilgrimage, on offer twice a year (in May and August), which involves visits to other Quaker sites and Meeting Houses within Cumbria and nearby counties.   It is also possible to design your own Pilgrimage itinerary, perhaps building in some of the plethora of walks on offer locally, which are great rekindlers of spirit. 

Swarthmoor Hall has 14 guest rooms for stays on a self-catering or B&B basis and also has a Shepherd’s Hut for those wishing to enjoy true solitude or added peace, with this being situated beside a tranquil wildflower meadow, with views over nearby hills and fields.  Unwinding by the wood-burner could possibly accelerate the benefits of downtime, away from the distractions of work and all the stresses of modern life.

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At Lanercost, the semi-ruined 13th century Augustinian monastery can speak to those seeking solace and peace, despite having had a turbulent past, due to its location on the Anglo-Scottish border close to Hadrian’s Wall.  The monastery’s appeal to King Edward I did nothing to ease tensions, resulting in unwelcome visits by Robert the Bruce and his brothers, as factions on both sides of the border warred almost continuously.

With its unusual (for Cumbria) dedication to Saint Mary Magdalene, to whom King Edward I expressed a particular devotion, leading him to gift the monastery the statue still seen to this day, there are century-long religious facets to explore, with prestigious royal links besides.   In fact, it was the King’s emotional attachment to Lanercost that probably saved it from ruin, as it led him to grant monies to the priory, to help it recover from the huge costs of having to host both King and court during a six-month period between 1306 and 1307.

Today, beautifully preserved cloisters are the perfect place in which to pray, whilst spirits can be raised through an appreciation of the dramatic tier of arches and the fine monuments to be found within the priory buildings.   Despite the Lanercost Priory Church being dissolved by Henry VIII, later restoration work has preserved it for visitors today, who cannot help but note the Lanercost Cross – an unusual medieval stone carrying an inscription from 1214 which notes various European rulers and religious leaders of the time. 

The tomb of Thomas Addison, scientist and physician, can be found at the priory, along with a memorial to Reverend Henry Whitehead, a pioneer in the field of cholera.  A collection of Roman altars can also be seen in the Cellerium, which formerly stored the priory’s food.  With three stained-glass windows designed by Edward Burne-Jones and a restored embroidered wall-hanging by William Morris, of Arts and Crafts movement fame, Lanercost is a honey-pot for both the traditional faith tourist and the spiritual tourist alike.

The same can be said for Furness Abbey, where the imagination can run riot when it comes to imagining this abbey at the time of its founding by Stephen, later to be King Stephen of England.  Nowadays, visitors can see much of the east end and west tower of the church, an ornately-decorated chapter house and the abbey’s cloisters. 

Our knowledge of the abbey’s past has been sharpened by the excavation of a crozier complete with crook, and an impressive gemstone ring, once worn by a monk, highlighting the wealth that this abbey once enjoyed. 

Its collection of rare effigies, often viewed as being remarkable, add to the drama of an abbey that was once the second richest Cistercian abbey in England, second only to Fountains Abbey.  Dating back to 1123, and made entirely from local sandstone, the gothic-style monastery is alluring in the extreme.  J M W Turner was moved to make etchings of it, whilst Wordsworth referenced it in his epic poem, The Prelude, and a young Teddy Roosevelt played in its ruins in 1869. 

Furness Abbey is also rich in ghost-lore – the White Lady, the headless monk on horseback, the monk on the staircase, and the squire’s daughter, all being part of local myth and legend.  Tales of an underground tunnel running to Piel Castle and Dalton Castle also abound, giving the 900-year-old site compelling heritage and a strong religious narrative that can leave faith tourists spellbound.

Head to Cumbria to discover these religious and spiritual havens for yourself and you should find whatever it is you wish to derive from your visit. With fresh mountain air all around, as well as splendid scenery and amazing views, there is something to inspire around every corner. 

To explore other thematics within Cumbrian heritage besides the Spiritual Line, just download the Heritage Cumberground map at www.cumbriaslivingheritage.co.uk  It could help change your view of the world.

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[recentanimenews]

Anime vs. Real Life: Run with the Wind – Predicting the Team’s Starting Order

  The prestigious Hakone Ekiden is almost upon us in Run with the Wind, as Haiji, Kakeru & Co gear up to finally conquer the steep mountains of Hakone. The 2-day relay race between 20 Japanese Universities dates back to 1920, and annually takes place on the 2nd and 3rd of January, taking the runners all the way from central Tokyo to Lake Ashi and back. I’ve been looking forward to seeing the tradition-steeped racecourse animated since my first visit to some of the early locations of the show, and at last, Haiji took the gang on a trip to preview all of the course’s ten sections in last week’s episode. In order to have at least a fighting chance, the mismatched group of dorm inhabitants will need to match everyone’s strengths to each 22 km section. So while we go over each stage now, let’s make this a little more fun, and try to predict the runner for each section!

  *All images were taken with Google Street View

The 2-day race from Tokyo to Hakone is divided into a total of ten sections, where each runner runs one section, handing over a sash to the next runner of their team at the designated relay stations. The five sections on the first day lead all the way from Otemachi to Lake Ashi, which equals a total of 108 km (67.1 miles). The second day retraces the course all the way back to Tokyo, with a few slight variations, which is why the distance is 109,9 km (68,3 miles) in this case. Each of the sections is around 22 km (13,5 miles) and should take them around an hour to finish, which seems absolutely insane from my layman’s point of view.

  Section 1 - Musa / Section 10 - Prince

    The Hakone Ekiden starts in central Tokyo in Otemachi at 8am, on the north side of the Yomiuri Shimbun Building. The start of a race can make or break a team, naturally making the first 21,4km-long section, which is completely flat for the most part, one of the most exciting ones. The roaring crowds and dozens of camera teams will be putting a lot of pressure on the starters here. Musa seems like a good fit here because of his good composure, and due to the fact that he is one of their fastest runners on flat tracks, as stated by the twins during the training camp. They’ll definitely want a fast runner to start them off.

  The race finishes right here again on the south side of the Yomiuri Shimbun building on the next day, with an equal amount of fans cheering them on. The anime already somewhat foreshadowed that Prince would be the one running the final section. While they were inspecting the Tsurumi relay station, which is where runners pass along the sash from sections 1 to 2, and 9 to 10 on the way back, all of them looked at the road ahead to Hakone. Except for Prince, who was facing backwards.

  Section 2 - Kakeru / Section 9 - Jotaro

The glorious section 2 is called the ace’s section, and teams usually pick their strongest and fastest runners for this stage. The harsh section runs 23,3 km from the Tsurumi relay station to the Totsuka relay station and includes two long and steep slopes. Kakeru is the team’s undeniable ace, and Haiji already asked him if he were up for it, so I don’t think there’s any doubt here. On top of that, Fujioka ran the section in last year’s race as well, and their inevitable duel has been teased for quite a while now.

  As for the return stage, I have a feeling that Jojiro or Jotaro, one of the twins, will run section 9, and I’ll explain why a little further down.

  Section 3 - Yuki / Section 8 - Jojiro 

The third section is the most scenic one, with runs along the ocean and the majestic Mt. Fuji lingering in the background. We probably know the least about Yuki’s and King’s running style and capabilities, so all we can do is guess here. But since Yuki mentioned during the training camp that he now enjoys a good view, even though that’s something he’d thought he’d only enjoy once he was old, so I’d probably place the team’s strategist here.

The scenic section 3 and section 8 respectively are also the sections with the most bystanders and fans cheering. The twins’ primary reason for joining the team in the begging was to impress girls, but they’ve lately have been lacking the motivation to run, since they don't see much purpose in running in a race they don't have any realistic chance at winning. While that is true, it’s also important for the team to at least make it into the top ten of the Hakone Ekiden, since the first ten teams will qualify directly for next year’s race. Sections 8 and 9 are very important for mid-table teams, as this is often where the bitter fight for the remaining top ten slots starts. This might give the demoralized twins the push they need to keep on fighting.

  Section 4 - Nico / Section 7 - King

  Nico has been running in high school before, so his experience might come in handy for the many slopes of section 4.

    Section 7 has a significant drop in temperature, going from the mountains all the way down to the coast. I don’t really have any specific reason here, but I’ll just gamble that King will run in this section.

  Section 5 - Shindo / Section 6 - Haiji

  Section 5, the final section of the first day, should definitely go to Shindo, as this is the most brutal one, climbing almost 900 meters into the steep mountains of Hakone. However, Shindo himself is from the mountains and has proven during the training camp that no one can beat him in an uphill battle.

Section 5 and the first day end right next to the Hakone Ekiden museum in Hakone, on this little parking spot. This is also the turnaround point of the race, and the race will continue right here on the next day going back to Tokyo. The winner of the first day will start at 8am on the second day, with the remaining teams starting with time-delays according to their achieved times on the previous day.

As for who is going to run in section 6, the first section of the second day, I fear it’s going to be Haiji. Running up the mountains is brutal, but going down them equally so, putting a lot of strain on the runners legs. And as Haiji likes to repeat: the mountains of Hakone are the steepest in the world. His leg is completely healed, right? There’s nothing to worry about, right? RIGHT?!

No matter which section he’ll run, Haiji’s physical condition will be the cause for some drama. It’s important to note that the whole team gets disqualified when a runner drops out of the race. There’s also an additional rule that if a runner can’t reach the relay station within 20 minutes after the top runner, that the next runner has to start with a differently-colored substitute sash. The time difference will then be added to the overall time.

And there you have it, a complete overview of all the sections of the Hakone Ekiden. Check out my map for all of the mentioned spots, as well as the locations from my first visit to the early Run witht the Wind anime locations. In case you want more, here and here are also some comparisons from the Hakone Ekiden qualifier.

      Who do you think is going to run in each section? And will Haiji’s leg be fine? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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Wilhelm is an anime tourist, who loves to search for and uncover the real-world spots he sees in anime. You can talk with him on Twitter @Surwill. 

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

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[esprit-de-corps-magazine]

HITLER'S LAST ROLL OF THE DICE: On New Year's Day 1945, The Luftwaffe Launched Every Plane They Had Into The Air

(Volume 24-11)

By Anne Gafiuk & Ken Wright

On September 18, 1944, the advance party of the Royal Air Force occupied the large, hastily evacuated Luftwaffe base at Eindhoven in Holland. Because it was designed to be a permanent air base, to the delight of the new tenants, it was equipped with brick buildings, well-constructed huts, dispersed taxiways and earthen revetments [soil piled on three sides]. During the following months, the Eindhoven-based pilots were extremely busy with ground support tactical reconnaissance and artillery reconnaissance missions, backing the rapidly advancing Allied ground forces.

At this stage of the war, some degree of complacency may have developed among Allied aircrews regarding the Luftwaffe’s ability to mount any meaningful opposition. The German Luftwaffe was starved of fuel, short of aircraft, pilots; morale was at its lowest point. Most of the resistance efforts were, at best, token gestures as Allied fighters virtually owned the skies over war-torn Europe.

Flying Officer Gordon Hill, who flew Spitfires with RCAF No. 416 Squadron, recalls that on December 31, 1944:

Our flight crossed the corner of Germany that we had crossed two or three times a day for a couple of months. We had never seen flak there ever before! I got hit. I felt it and I heard it. My No. 2 told me I was losing a lot of oil. I said, ‘Green 3 leaving formation with Green 4.’ I wanted protection so I dragged Green 4 along with me. I made a force landing on the B78 airfield in Eindhoven south of Arnhem in Holland with my wheels down, which was nice since I ran out of engine oil some time before. My wingman, Green 4 went on home. 

I left my airplane and asked the Royal Air Force Flight sergeant in charge of servicing Spitfires if he could look at my plane. As they were refuelling at the time he said it would be quite a while before he could look at it so I decided to go to the Typhoon Mess. I spent New Year’s Eve with the ‘Tiffy’ boys. I knew a half a dozen or more. I flew with some of them in Canada on the West Coast. As the alcohol was flowing, we rang in the New Year.

The Eindhoven airfield was already a hive of activity on the morning of January 1, 1945 as the squadrons were preparing for their early-morning missions. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day with the cold frosty ground sparkling in bright rays of the morning sun. Apart from the sounds of military activity filling the air, everything appeared delightfully peaceful. It was to be, in hindsight, a spurious peacefulness.

Early that same morning, 208 kilometres away at the Gütersloh Luftwaffe airfield in the Westphalia area of Germany, pilots of Jagdeschwader 3 were picked up at their quarters at 0500 hours. After a short breakfast at 0700 hours, the target for the day was finally revealed as Eindhoven. Each pilot had to deliver several attacks and they were to circle the airfield anti-clockwise between each individual attack. No alternative target was given. The pilots received maps on which the course was marked and on which instructions to be followed during flight had been previously inserted.

The return flight was to be made from the target on a bearing of approximately 90 degrees, and pilots were told to head for any of the airfields that had been marked on their maps, according to preference.

At 0822 hours, the first aircraft took off from Gütersloh as part of Hitler’s Operation Bodenplatte. Over 900 aircraft from various airfields began a massive low-level attack on 16 vulnerable Allied airfields throughout France, Belgium and Holland.

F/O Hill continues:

The next morning, January 1 at about 0815, the flight sergeant reported my aircraft repaired, refuelled and ready to go. He drove me out to the airplane and parked beside the Control Truck. This is where the air traffic controller was. Everything was mobile. There was a small tent next to the truck with two men in it. I put on my parachute, helmet and gloves, then climbed into the airplane, worrying that I would not be able to start the aircraft for lack of power. I might possibly need a boost because there might not be enough battery power. I pressed the starter, pushed fuel into the cylinders, but nothing happened, so I climbed out of the airplane. I took my parachute, helmet and gloves off, putting them onto the end of the wing, then went to the Control Truck. I had my hand on the door knob of the truck when I heard a gun firing. I said, ‘Someone has pushed the wrong button.’ The man in the truck said, ‘No! That’s a German button!’

The Eindhoven airfield was about to get a pasting as the aircraft from Jagdeschwader 3 began their first strafing run led by Geshwaderkommodore Heinrich Bӓr. Reports put the time at about 0920 hours. “There was no place to take cover except the Control truck,” remembers Hill. “Why the Germans did not take it out, I don’t know. That would have been what I would have done in their place. This all lasted about 20 to 30 minutes. It was an awfully long time. A Jeep came and picked me up. We drove past my airplane which was totally shot up.”

Flight Lieutenant Harry Hardy, DFC, RCAF No. 440 Typhoon Squadron, explains:

My flight was attending a morning church parade when suddenly: cannon shells started hitting the airfield and I found myself on the floor between the altar and the organ. We all crawled onto the floor; then we made our way to the air raid shelter. The Germans were firing the entire time but, fortunately, we didn’t lose any men. After the raid was over, as I was smoking my pipe, a bomb blew up outside the bomb shelter and I bit right through the stem of my pipe. It was a late bomb going off: one of our own! The Germans thought the airmen would have been recovering from celebrating New Year’s Eve.

Flight Lieutenant Wally Ward, also with No. 440, continues:

I was standing behind some shelter at the edge of the field. I had finished my tour and I was just waiting to be posted out of the squadron to an aerodrome up near Newcastle to instruct on Typhoons. The squadron was lined up to take off when I saw Messerschmitt 110s and Focke-Wulf 190s come over the horizon one after the other.

They shot the hell out of the Typhoons. They circled and went back again. (There was more than one attack.) Our pilots jumped out of the planes and rolled away and looked for a ditch for refuge. A Messerschmitt 262 (jet) was directing the attack. It was circling the airfield at about 5,000 feet. The Messerschmitt and Focke-Wulf were lined up like they were on a game shoot.

The Eindhoven defences, especially the four RAF squadrons manning their Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns, did their utmost to defend the airfield and shot down several German aircraft. One remarkable event took place when a Fw 190 was hit by Bren fire operated by the Senior Armament NCO Sergeant Large of No. 438 Squadron and Sergeant McGee. At the time of the first attack, Large was down the road from dispersal waiting to see the Squadron’s take off. Large, serving as ground crew with No. 438, wrote in his personal report:

I saw a number of aircraft making attack on the field and I first thought it was just a German hit-and-run but after the second and third wave passed over, circled and continued their attacks from out the sun, I figured they were playing for keeps. I therefore hurried back to the dispersal area armoury where the Bren guns were kept. There, I saw Flight Sgt McGee and we decided to take a whack at anything flying over the dispersal area. We each took a Bren gun each and two boxes of clips and stood outside the dispersal door and waited for any Jerry that came within range. In all, we believed we fired at 10 or 12 Focke-Wulf 190’s and Messerschmitt 109’s. Strikes was (sic) seen on at least two aircraft. One was coming from the south of us at a height of not more than 40 feet. We both fired a full magazine at him. We saw strikes down the engine in the direction of the cockpit and we saw small bits and pieces fly off. The enemy aircraft flipped over on its other side and we saw black smoke coming from the aircraft.

A few days later, a Fw 190 was found some 500 metres southwest of the village of Oirschot, north of the Eindhoven airfield. The Focke-Wulf had been struck by small arms’ fire on the port side and the wounded pilot, Hauptmann Ewald Trost, had been taken prisoner. He had suffered burns to his face and bullet wounds to his right arm.

“I was in shock,” says Ward of the large-scale attack. “I was astonished. At this late stage of the war, we hardly ever saw enemy aircraft. We had the dominance of the skies. This was my first chance to see so many enemy aircraft … dozens of them all in one place. Afterwards, I flew to Brussels. I saw all these heavy bombers had been all shot up — B17s, maybe — they were destroyed. They had not been dispersed. We never thought it could happen. Fortunately, no one in my squadron got hurt.”

Flight Lieutenant Robert Spooner, DFC of No. 438 recalls:

German aircraft shot up our airfield killing at least ten people and injuring many others. Certain selected Allied airfields were attacked simultaneously. Many aircraft lined up on the parkway were strafed and set on fire. Our squadron had four planes on the runway. Flight Lieutenant Pete Wilson, 438 Squadron’s new squadron leader, and his number two had already opened throttles and were heading down the runway when the attack started. Both were killed before they could get off the ground.

The German planes were having a ball. A row of Spitfires, lined up wingtip to wingtip, were set on fire. Many Typhoons were victims as well. Other planes parked in revetments fared better. Smoke and flames from burning aircraft were everywhere and must have been hard for Jerry to see what to attack. Our squadron did not get wiped out completely so we were ordered to get a flight in the air to let the Germans know that we were still operational. In stressful times like this, things seem to happen in seconds but we were told later that the attack had lasted 25 minutes.

Around 0945 hours, the ordeal for Eindhoven airfield was finally over and the last pilots of Jagdeschwader 3, in small groups or individually, headed for home.

One eyewitness, Flight Lieutenant Bergmann, a Dutch pilot with No. 181 Squadron who was showing his brother around the airfield that day, recounts his version of the attack:

Even with their eyes closed, the attackers would have hit something. Next to about 300 aircraft, most of them parked in line, the airfield was filled with vehicles of every type. In addition, fuel and ammo dumps and stocks of all sorts of equipment. Fires started all over the airfield, Typhoons preparing to take off tried to get airborne, while others aborted their take-off; pilots leaping from the aircraft and taking cover. None of those aircraft remained untouched. One of the Typhoons that managed to get airborne shot down a Luftwaffe aircraft but was himself shot down. Only a couple of metres away from us, a courageous Canadian was firing his Sten gun from the end of the runway at the attackers.

Besides No. 438, other squadrons were also caught taxiing onto the airfield. Many Typhoons of No. 440 were on the runway ready to take off and received a going over by the attacking fighters. Fortunately, all the pilots survived during the 23 minutes of hell that paralysed everyone. Under the circumstances, their escape unscathed was something of a miracle.

While the RAF regiments were trying their best to shoot down the enemy aircraft, fuel and ammunition dumps were set on fire. Thousand-pound bombs exploded every few minutes, individual aircraft were burning in the dispersal area, rockets — possibly slung under the wings of the burning Typhoons — ignited and took off in all directions. Slowly, a thick pall of smoke settled over the area blotting out the early morning sun. The attack had come as a great shock, but it is possible that, after it was over, there may have been a degree of comrades-in-arms admiration that the Luftwaffe could have mounted such a large-scale operation. 

The attack on Eindhoven can be considered a success. In addition to destroying 26 Typhoons and five Spitfires, the Germans also damaged around 30 more Typhoons. However, German losses had been considerable. Twenty-five per cent of the attacking force of 60 aircraft had been lost and three more damaged. Nine pilots were killed and six ended up as POWs.

What documents remain do not accurately record the exact overall tally of the Allied aircraft that were destroyed during Operation Bodenplatte. Estimates of 305 aircraft destroyed and 190 damaged are believed to be much lower than actual loses. Although the Allies could rapidly replace men and material, the Germans could not, especially in pilots. The overall Luftwaffe losses from Bodenplatte totalled more than 250 aircraft and 215 pilots.

Hitler’s Luftwaffe Adjutant, Nicholas Von Below, wrote on January 1, 1945:

A catastrophe befell the Luftwaffe the same day. Goring [Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe] had planned a strike by almost a thousand aircraft on the Western frontier against various [enemy] targets. Preparations for Operation ‘Bodenplatte’ were kept strictly secret; nevertheless, the attack was greeted with heavy Allied anti-aircraft fire. On the way back, our aircraft flew over accurate German flak, the batteries not having been informed of the operation on the grounds of secrecy.

We suffered heavy losses which could not be made good. ‘Bodenplatte’ was the last major operation undertaken by the Luftwaffe.

The only service in the Luftwaffe left capable of offering any effective resistance was the Nachtjagd or night-hunting fighters.

Hitler’s last roll of the dice cost him dearly. As General der Jagdflieger and fighter ace Adolf Galland said, “We have sacrificed our last substance.”

[gossipnetwork-blog]

How Scooters Are Becoming Millennials' Extreme Sport of Choice

New Post has been published on http://gossip.network/how-scooters-are-becoming-millennials-extreme-sport-of-choice/

How Scooters Are Becoming Millennials' Extreme Sport of Choice

Pedestrians on the sidewalks of downtown Chicago hold up cellphone cameras, drivers honk in frustration and the police don’t quite know what to do. It’s not every day that 300 young scooter riders flood the streets, ignoring red lights and turning a loading dock into a temporary stadium – to the dismay of at least one exasperated business owner.

It’s called a street jam, where riders flock from all over the world to shred a city, performing tricks and causing the same type of mayhem more usually associated with skateboarders. For those who grew up during the Razor-scooter boom in the early aughts, it’s hard to see a scooter as much more than a fad, let alone a symbol of rebellion, but that stereotype doesn’t exist for the younger generation. Eighteen years after the release of the first Razor, scooters have come of age, spawning a uniquely millennial subculture with the same disruptive spirit as skateboarding – minus the steep learning curve. And according to many scooter riders, it’s actually overtaking skateboarding in popularity.

“I’ve seen less and less skateboarders over the years,” says Devin Szydlowski, a 17-year-old semi-pro rider who traveled from San Luis Obispo, California, to take part in the Chicago Jam in August, one of the largest in the U.S. “It depends on the [skate] park, but we have the majority. There’s more scooter riders than skateboarders. We’re targeting younger kids, whereas skateboarding is targeting older kids.” A study on Statista.com by the Outdoor Foundation backs up his observation: The number of skateboarders in the U.S. decreased from 10.1 million to 6.4 million between 2006 and 2016, with an even more dramatic drop among skaters age six to 17.

“It’s huge in other countries,” says Logan Fuller, a 25-year-old whose baggy, torn jeans and mischievous eyes look straight out of a Nineties issue of Thrasher magazine. He’s one of the best known scooter riders at the jam and is capable of grinding down a 22-stair handrail. Fuller is based in Maryland but basically lives on the road, traveling from jam to jam, supported by sponsorships and contest winnings. “I just went to Russia and France for street jams, they’re crazy. There’s, like, a thousand people,” he says.

Starting at Grant Park Skate Park, the riders at the Chicago Jam – most of whom look under 18 – critical-mass through downtown, stopping along the way to grind down rails and spin scooters around their heads like helicopters. As with skateboarding, the chance of landing a trick is relatively low and the probability of racking yourself on a rail dangerously high.

The event is totally rogue, with no permits and no Internet trail outside social media. Historically, it was organized by a prominent scooter manufacturer, but this year it grew too large for a business to carry the legal liability should (or when) the cops arrive. It’s so loosely planned that there’s not even a route map; organizers simply direct the mob using a megaphone.

The best tricks win prize money, crucial since many of the top street scooter riders backpack across the country for months at a time. But what’s more important than money is the opportunity to put faces to Instagram names. After the jam, kids gather in a warehouse to watch the premiere of a scooter film, buy scooter art prints and mosh to a performance by Atlanta rapper KZ, whose Instagram features as many photos of him on a scooter as in the studio. There’s a rebellious spirit to the gathering, and half the young riders seem like the type to sneak cigarettes between classes – but good luck asking any of them for a lighter. After all, this is the vaping generation.

Skateboarding’s roots lie in 1960s surf culture, but push scooters originated as much more of a kids’ toy. The image started to change when Razor launched its insanely popular “Pro” model in 2000. The founder owned a toy company and saw that scooters had become trendy as transportation for Japanese businessmen in Tokyo, thus the brand’s initial retail partner: The Sharper Image (sticker price: $149). They sold at a pace of one million units per month for the first six months.

Razor soon realized that scooters could become a new action sport and began to invest in building a community. In 2001, they offered a $1,000 prize for the first person to land a backflip and created the first touring team of riders.

“We started putting on competitions locally and then a national tour,” says Ali Kermani, a skateboarder who helped Razor cultivate its extreme-sports program. “We’d go all over the place to skate parks that had strong scooter scenes, like the Incline Club in New Jersey and Skate Barn West in Washington [State]. Then the first street jams started happening in New York.”

Even though the sport isn’t recognized by the X-Games and no Tony Hawk figure has propelled it to the mainstream, athletes are innovating at an unprecedented pace. The most groundbreaking trick in skateboarding history is likely Hawk’s 900 at the 1999 X-Games, the result of nearly 50 years of skating progression. Scooter rider KC Corning landed one in 2004, showing how quickly the sport is evolving.

“Scootering is the first sport that developed through the Internet, so we were able to build a whole industry in just a few years,” says Andrew Broussard, considered by many to be the godfather of scootering. He landed his first tailwhip on July 4th, 2001, and became hooked. While still in high school, he launched Scooter Resource, a message board that for the next decade would be the website of record for the community. Broussard also began hacking together custom scooters capable of taking more abuse, a business originally branded Scooter Resource in 2006, before being renamed Proto Scooters in 2008. The company doubled its revenue for six years straight, its growth only slowing once a rush of other companies entered the market.

A rift exists between “park” and “street” brands, with street riders preferring upstart, rider-owned companies like Proto and TSI to corporate operations like Fuzion (available at Walmart). Scooters are modular, which has created a marketplace for component-specific companies like River Wheel Co. and Tilt, which produces nearly indestructible wheels, decks, forks and even the clamps that connect the parts. Scooter riders (or often their parents) drop up to $700 on pro-level rides, a sharp contrast to the costs of earlier models.

One scooter rider grinds down a rail in Grant Park, Chicago.

The lexicon of tricks grew and was cataloged on Scooter Resource with specific credits for the pioneers behind each move. Because a scooter has handlebars like a BMX bike and a deck like a skateboard, it’s a hybrid capable of incorporating tricks from each with a much quicker learning curve, which is undoubtedly part of why it appeals to a younger crowd.

“When you first start out skating, you can’t just ollie right away, you have to practice for six months,” says Szydlowski. “On a scooter, a bunny hop takes, like, a day to learn. Or an hour.”

Today’s riders mainly find inspiration on YouTube. It’s resulted in underground scooter celebrities like the Funk Bros – Corey and Capron Funk – who are far from household names but boast 3.5 million subscribers. Scooters still play a part in their videos, but they’re now known mainly as Jackass-style pranksters (who can land triple front flips). Ryan Williams, a well-known rider of both scooters and BMX bikes, has 950,000 Instagram followers. But despite these riders’ huge followings, their popularity leaves little trace outside social media.

The rest of the community is the same; nearly everything happens on Instagram or Facebook. According to Tommy Daddono, one of the organizers of the Chicago Jam and a founder of scooter manufacturer Outset Select, his event is one of the most popular street jams in the world, but it was un-Googleable until a week after the dust had cleared.

Since pro-level scooters are so costly, many of the kids come from affluent backgrounds. Despite this, the scene feels decidedly DIY. Riders dress with a mix of grungy skater gear and a touch of Internet irony. One middle-school rider in Chicago wore a black cap with small text reading “Link in Bio.” Just like skateboarders, shredded jeans and dirty Vans are the style, but unfortunately for the burgeoning scene, it takes more than just streetwear to convince skateboarders who came of age during Razor’s initial boom that scooters are cool. Landing a backflip at a skatepark definitely turns heads, but a combination of entitlement and inexperience has made most scooter riders a bane to skateboarders, inline skaters and BMX riders.

“There’s a stigma because of all the little kids,” says Daddono. “Every skateboarder will tell you that [scooterers] don’t look where they’re going, they’ll ride in front of you. They don’t have the etiquette yet.” Many simply never learn, which Broussard credits to a lack of guidance from older kids. “Skaters will complain about it, but they’ll never go up to scooter riders and explain why what they’re doing is dangerous or bad park etiquette,” says Broussard. “But if it’s a young skateboarder, they’ll give them pointers and help them out. It’s a hypocritical attitude.”

Pioneering riders like Daddono, 24, and Broussard, 31, turned to scooting because they felt skateboarding’s street credibility died with its commercial boom. Buying a board at the mall wasn’t rebellious. Instead, early scooter riders dug through garage sales for dollar scooters, took them to skate parks and rode them until they were literally destroyed – typically about an hour.

“Skateboarding used to be anti-establishment, but now if you wear skate clothing, you’re trendy,” says Broussard. “Scooters started [out] punk-rock. The older generation couldn’t afford skateboards or BMX bikes, but we could dumpster-dive for scooters.”

“Every skatepark I’ve been in, there’s always a skateboarder with a chip on their shoulder and are super mad,” says Szydlowski. “Skateboarders are trying to make themselves feel better, because they know that their sport is dying in a sense.”

Although events like the Chicago Jam appeal to a younger audience, it’s the relatively older kids who play the starring roles. Mike Hohmann, a 22-year-old with frayed Kurt Vile hair, is a good bet to win prize money at any jam. He’s based in Florida but has spent the past six months couchsurfing between events across the country. In May, he won several hundred dollars for grinding a 30-foot rail called the Green Monster in Austin and had a similar payday in Chicago for landing a backside 360 bar twist down a dozen steps at Grant Park. Once Hohmann’s cash runs dry, he’ll return to Florida to work a pair of minimum-wage jobs to save for his next trip.

“It’s the community I love. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you are, everyone’s a brother here,” says Hohmann.

Scant documentation of the community has emerged outside social media, but the scene does have historians. One is Dylan Kasson, a professional rider for Proto who has photographed scooting for a decade and hosts a popular podcast, Tandem. He’s produced several photo books and is compiling a larger survey of the sport that he hopes to publish under the title The Scene.

“Scootering is so new that it’s still in that stage where there’s a lot of untapped potential,” says Kasson. “Videos are the most important thing. That’s how people realize new tricks are possible.” 

As documentation of the sport grows, so does the industry around it. As with skateboarding, apparel companies like Sky High have formed to serve the subculture. The 11th annual Scooter Con in San Diego boasted 1,500 attendees, and in October, Vault Scooters hosted the first-ever invitational competition, called Sovereign of Street, which had a prize pool of $11,000. Scooters are also a big part of Nitro Circus, an internationally touring stadium event with an emphasis on daredevil mega-ramps (it’s where Capron Funk landed that triple front flip).

Even though it’s still a fresh industry, it might already be getting too mainstream for Broussard, who fears the popularity could ruin the rebellious character, just like with skateboarding.”The founding generation of scooter riders is drastically different than the current generation,” he says. “We rode because after the Razor boom, it was not trendy. We were experimental. Now, some kids spend more time accessorizing their scooters than riding them.”

Rebelliousness was certainly on display in Chicago, however. It’s hard to call a mob of 300 kids riding into oncoming one-way traffic anything but daring. They were not only endangering their own bodies by running red lights and hurling themselves down stairs, but also destroying public and private property. The Most Disorderly Conduct Award went to a teenager who climbed to the top of a 20-foot wall overlooking a loading dock, then launched himself off it with a sinister grin, landing on the roof of a parked van and nearly causing the roof to cave in.

“Just like with every sport, there’s the rebellious scootering, where it’s just haywire, no one gives a crap and they just do illegal things,” says Szydlowski.

Even so, not even the police seemed convinced this was a group to be concerned about. The only real legal altercation happened at a 10-foot ledge overlooking a busy street. Riders filed into the road to block off cars and, surprisingly, the first officer on the scene graciously looked the other way. He just seemed shocked that these kids would attempt something so stupid and asked that no one hurt themselves, a luxury that would’ve never been afforded to skateboarders. After about 10 minutes and a few very dangerous tricks, another cop arrived and quickly broke up the scene. The organizers thanked the officers over the megaphone and the scooter riders erupted in applause, but not before a mumbled chorus of younger voices could be overheard saying, “Fuck the police!”

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DETROIT – The day after her 44th birthday, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) gathered supporters and volunteers at a juice bar in her district for a socially distanced party. Rashida-for-Congress sanitary wipes shared table space with birthday cake. A tracker snuck in and was quickly ushered out by the congresswoman herself. When it came time to speak, Tlaib choked up, reflecting on how her district had come together to protest police brutality and stand with Black Lives Matter. “This is the only place that ever truly embraced everything about me, including that little edge, and that little rawness that I have,” Tlaib said. “All the different colors of rainbow are out there, marching, and saying black lives matter. And they know that it’s not only about who killed George Floyd, and police brutality; it’s about the systems that set up George Floyd to be killed in that way.” In nine days, Tlaib will defend her seat against Brenda Jones, the Detroit City Council president she defeated by just 900 votes in the 2018 primary. Last time, the district’s mostly black electorate splintered behind other candidates. This time, her opponents united behind one opponent.  One week later, fellow squad member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D) of Minnesota will face challenger Antone Melton-Meaux, who rocketed from obscurity to raise $3.7 million by arguing that the congresswoman is too “divisive” to represent Minneapolis. Omar, who won easily in 2018, is feeling the backlash from comments she made about pro-Israel donor influence and from a trio of campaign finance controversies, all of it thrown back at her in millions of dollars of ads.  In the first primaries of this year, as the presidential contest wound down, the resurgent left that elected Tlaib and Omar was mostly focused on expansion. Campaign organizations that had helped elect the “squad” – Tlaib, Omar, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) – ousted more conservative Democratic incumbents in Illinois and New York. There are a few more targets on the calendar, such as activist Cori Bush’s rematch with Rep. William Lacy Clay of Missouri, and a challenge to House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal in western Massachusetts. But for the next few weeks, the squad is playing defense. Seven hundred miles apart, Jones and Melton-Meaux make roughly the same argument about the incumbents: That they are too abrasive and too famous, that their cities would be better off with representatives who could work across the aisle and make less news. In an interview, Jones repeatedly cited the comments Tlaib made on her first day in Congress, promising to impeach the president, and referring to him with an unprintable epithet. “How often have you, as a reporter, heard someone speak like that?” Jones asked. “Even when you disagree with someone, there is a professional manner of disagreeing with them. I am a professional legislator. I am a professional worker. And I think that professionalism is important in doing the job of representing the people.” Jones did represent the district briefly, at the end of 2018. The resignation of Rep. John Conyers Jr. created a special primary election to fill his seat the same day as the primary for a two-year term. Tlaib won the six-way primary, while Jones won the four-way special. That put Jones in the House for a few weeks, and her campaign’s advertising asks voters to “return” Jones to the seat. In advertising from Concerned Citizens of Michigan, a pro-Jones PAC, black voters are told that “the 13th belongs to us” and that it’s time to “take our seat back.” Tlaib’s rebuttal has been her record. When she mentions impeachment, it’s typically to say that the same president she voted to impeach has signed her legislation; when asked about that, Jones points out that the Republican Senate hasn’t taken up some of Tlaib’s work, such as an amendment to spend billions of dollars replacing lead water pipes. Local Democrats long expected Jones to run, pointing to the results from 2018, when nearly two-thirds of Detroiters backed one of Tlaib’s rivals. “I think it’s about numbers,” said Ian Conyers, a former state senator and grandnephew of the former congressman. Like the three other candidates who ran behind Tlaib and Jones two years ago, he has endorsed Jones: “If there had been a runoff in 2018, Brenda Jones would have won. It almost feels like Rashida has an opinion and a prescription that the people of the district themselves have not asked for.”  Tlaib does hold some advantages. The city council president did not officially announce she was running until March 25, a week into the state’s stay-at-home order. Eight days later, Jones tested positive for the coronavirus and has made only limited public appearances since. Tlaib has raised more than $3 million, double what she spent to win the seat in the first place; Jones has raised less than $140,000, less than half of what she spent in the crowded 2018 race. It’s another story in Minnesota, where the official Democratic Farmer-Labor Party has rallied behind Omar, but her challenger is set to outspend her in the final stretch. Melton-Meaux, an attorney who’d never run for office, trailed in fundraising until the last few months before the primary. But he established himself a credible competitor. Since March, Melton-Meaux has brought in millions of dollars, most of it from Minnesotans, and nearly half a million of it bundled by the pro-Israel NORPAC and Pro-Israel America PAC. The money has funded a steady stream of direct mail and TV ads against Omar. The ads don’t focus on the incumbent’s position on Israel. Instead, they portray Omar as “aggressive” and corrupt, emphasizing some fundraising controversies that made as much news in national conservative media as they did in Minnesota. One involves a misuse of funds for travel, which Omar paid a 2019 fine to settle; one is more personal, accusing her of funneling campaign money to her husband’s firm. On Saturday, Omar defended her use of E Street, which played the same role in her successful 2018 campaign before she married the firm’s co-founder Tim Mynett. “They’ve contracted vendors for us to not only run ads, digital ads, but also to do all of our mailers, and online fundraising,” Omar said of Mynett’s firm. “They are a one-stop shop.” (The firm’s other founder has also defended Omar.) Tlaib and Omar arrived in Congress with similar profiles on the issue of Israel, and both opposed a resolution condemning the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. Asked why donors had rallied behind Omar’s opponent, but not Tlaib’s, Michigan Democrats speculated that Tlaib’s district would likely be broken by redistricting in 2022 anyway. Any map in Minnesota is likely to keep Omar’s 5th District, which covers Minneapolis and its closest suburbs, largely intact. But a simpler reason is that of two immigrants who came up through local activism, Omar has been more combative. In this race, Omar has questioned Melton-Meaux’s résumé as an attorney with an emphasis in workplace mediation whose old law firm helped companies fight union drives. “There’s no evidence that this mediation is something that’s ever been deployed in bringing people together in our community,” Omar said. “On the contrary, I have a track record of being a coalition builder.” Asked about his legal work, Melton-Meaux said that he had no role in anti-union work at a “multinational firm that does a lot of different things.” She has also tried to paint Melton-Meaux’s backers as Wall Street cronies and Republicans, like telecom executive and Trump donor Howard Jonas. “Look at the sheer amount of money that is coming from people who funded Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell,” Omar said in an interview, recalling the cries to “send her back,” an insult directed at the two Muslim members of Congress who were born outside the United States; in Omar’s case, arriving here as a refugee. “They’re giving to a man who agrees with the sentiment that we shouldn’t be in Minnesota, that we shouldn’t have representation in Congress, that our voices and visibility in the halls of Congress is an inconvenience.”  But Melton-Meaux has pushed back. “The support we’ve got from PACs is from nonpartisan organizations that have given to Democrats and Republicans, including Democrats like Senator [Tina] Smith and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and even, yes, Joe Biden,” Melton-Meaux said in an interview. “What’s really happening here is that the congresswoman does not want people to know just how much strength we have here in the district.” As incumbents, she and Tlaib benefit from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s rule that contractors who work for challengers to Democratic incumbents can’t work with DCCC candidates; Melton-Meaux has criticized that rule. “It’s a decision that I think, frankly, is trying to chill the democratic process. I have a constitutional right to run for this office,” he said.  But Melton-Meaux has less than three weeks to convince Minneapolis to ditch Omar, and Jones has less than two weeks to win over Detroit. Meanwhile, Omar’s campaign has activated her national supporters, bringing both Tlaib and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont together for a virtual “day of action” on Sunday. At Tlaib’s Saturday party, Angela Gallegos, 34, recalled how she met the future congresswoman at a protest, more than a decade ago, before either of them were involved in electoral politics. “When I see the opponent’s sign, that’s almost equivalent of a Trump sign to me,” Gallegos said. “Like, why are you doing that to my girl? It’s Rashida. Everyone knows her. We should get her back.”  Reading list Inside the futile quest for a big MAGA party in Jacksonville. What it’s like to run for office and watch a post office throw the election. The next stage of the fight with Xi Jinping. One of 2020’s left-wing underdogs is on the ropes. The backstory of how Portland’s endless protests became a focus for the White House. The simple, fixable and politically fraught reason behind hours of long lines. How the end of traditional campaigning also means the end of tracking and gaffe-catching. In the states After New York’s primary debacle, which has left tens of thousands of votes uncounted and more in limbo, the Democratic-controlled legislature in Albany passed another reform of the absentee ballot process. Instead of being processed 30 days before an election, voters’ requests for absentee ballots will be processed as soon as they’re received. Like voters in states that previously implemented expansive mail voting, New Yorkers will be informed of their ballot status and get chances to “cure” it — ie, to fix an error that left the ballot uncounted by election officials. Connecticut, one of the few remaining Democratic-run states that requires an excuse for requesting absentee ballots, took a step closer to nixing that with a broad, bipartisan vote in the state House of Representatives. In Illinois, the first state where Kanye West obtained signatures to petition onto the ballot, five voters have challenged his filing. While West only needs 2,500 signatures to appear as a presidential candidate — he did not file the name of a running mate — he filed around 3,200 total signatures. That’s in the danger zone for a successful challenge, as scrutiny can sometimes remove 20 to 30 percent of the names on petitions, if voters’ identities cannot be verified. (In weekend tweet, West suggested he could “beat Joe Biden off write-ins,” though only 10 states and the District of Columbia count write-in votes for candidates who have not filed for official status.)  West may have missed the deadline to make the ballot in Maine, where petitioning ended on Saturday. Meanwhile, the state’s Republicans are continuing their effort to end the state’s ranked-choice voting system, after a petition drive to put it on the ballot for November failed. A new federal lawsuit argues that ranked-choice voting disenfranchises those who don’t want to rank more than one candidate; if successful, the lawsuit could change calculations about the state’s presidential and Senate contests, where third parties and independents currently pose no “spoiler” risk to either party. (While Democratic Rep. Jared Golden won his 2018 race thanks to second-choice voters who’d supported a left-wing challenger, there is no third party in his race this year.) Ad watch Ilhan Omar, “Ballot Box.” The Minnesota congresswoman waited until this week to run ads ahead of her Aug. 11 primary. This one boils down a longer campaign video into a message about activism in which she only sometimes appears, wearing a mask and casting a vote. “We can translate our cries for justice into legislation, and that’s the fight we’ve been leading in Congress,” says Omar, whose voice is the only one in the spot. Americans for Tomorrow’s Future, “Self-Dealing.” The super PAC has mostly played in Omar’s race with harsh direct mail; its first ad compiles a series of financial controversies into a story of the congresswoman benefiting from her role. “She’s paid her new husband’s business over $1 million in campaign funds,” a narrator says. That’s the only cash total mentioned in the spot, as the civil fine Omar paid for a long-running expenses scandal was just $500. Rashida Tlaib, “Rooted.” The main ad in rotation for Tlaib’s campaign, it combines quick flashes of her legislative record (“Rep. Tlaib secures $1.5 billion for access to water for families”) to the kind of high-profile stances her opponent, Brenda Jones, has pegged as too distracting from her job (“Deny ICE its request for more funding, abolish it.”). Concerned Citizens of Michigan, “Take Our Seat Back.” A PAC created to help Jones, CCM’s TV ad argues that the legacy of the late John Conyers can be filled by Jones. It never says outright that Jones can represent the district better because she’s black. But the only white politician seen in the ad is former House speaker Paul Ryan, from 2018, swearing in Jones to fill the final weeks of Conyers’s expired term. “The 13th belongs to us,” a narrator says. You are reading The Trailer, the newsletter that brings the campaign trail to your inbox. Poll watch There are just 100 days left until the general election, and fewer days until early and absentee voting starts across most of the country. The calendar was enough of a hook for multiple news outlets to conduct swing state polls, with some wide variances but one consistency: Democrats are holding a lead, with the president trailing Joe Biden when voters are asked who is best able to handle the pandemic and social unrest. Here’s a poll-by-poll look. Michigan Joe Biden: 49% Donald Trump: 40% (-1) Minnesota Joe Biden: 51% Donald Trump: 38% Pennsylvania Joe Biden: 50% Donald Trump: 39% (-3) The two of these states won by the president four years ago were last polled in April, not long into the coronavirus pandemic. Minnesota, narrowly lost by Donald Trump in 2016, is polled for the first time this cycle, with no evidence that the protests that began there at the end of May have altered the state’s defining trend: suburbanites moving toward the Democrats, and “greater Minnesota” voters in rural counties moving toward the GOP.  Joe Biden: 50% (+3) Donald Trump: 45% (-1) Since March, the last time NBC/Marist polled the state, the positions of both the president and Gov. Doug Ducey have deteriorated. Just half of Arizonans now approve of Ducey, and just as many as say that the pandemic is getting worse. President Trump’s disapproval rating has jumped to 53 percent, with his personal unfavorable rating even higher, at 58 percent. That has opened up the race for Biden, who just 41 percent of voters view favorably. That was Hillary Clinton’s rating in 2016, when she narrowly lost the state. What’s changed? Just 50 percent of voters have a negative view of Biden, compared to 57 percent for Clinton, and Clinton and Trump entered Election Day with the same favorable rating. Arizona Joe Biden: 49% Donald Trump: 45% Florida Joe Biden: 51% Donald Trump: 46% Michigan Joe Biden: 52% Donald Trump: 40% Here and in the CBS numbers below, Biden has gained and down-ballot Democratic candidates have inched ahead. In Arizona’s Senate race, Democrat Mark Kelly leads by 7, while in Michigan, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters leads by 16. Both of their opponents have plenty of money and have been on the air for months, but nothing has clicked, and while Michigan challenger James is black, he’s losing nonwhite voters by the same 50-point margin as the president. Michigan Joe Biden: 48% Donald Trump: 25% Ohio Donald Trump: 46% Joe Biden: 45% The best set of polls for the president this weekend still show him losing; he’s just holding onto more white voters, and his support from black voters is a bit higher than 2016. (He gets 9 percent of the black vote in Michigan and Ohio; four years ago he got 6 percent and 8 percent of the black vote in those states, respectively. These are the only polls this weekend that suggest a strength for the president: job creation. A majority of voters in both states think Trump would do more than Biden in creating manufacturing jobs, and a plurality of voters think his reductions in environmental regulations have helped the economy. While the Trump campaign has obsessed over policing in its recent ads, there’s an opening there for its anti-NAFTA attacks on Biden. The caveat: In both states, more than two-thirds of voters say they dislike how Trump “handles himself personally,” and in both, only half say that of Biden, who has been appearing in public, at most, for a few hours each week. Candidate tracker President Trump stayed off the campaign trail this week, marking a month since what may have been his last traditional rally of the campaign season, in Tulsa. Since Thursday’s White House briefing, when he canceled the Republican convention in Jacksonville, Fla., Trump has only fitfully engaged in the campaign. Still, with little fanfare, he continued his run of announcements and executive orders with an order that would force Medicare to pay lower prices for prescription drugs. “As a result of the orders I’m signing today, the heads of the major drug companies have requested a meeting to discuss how we can quickly and significantly lower drug prices and out-of-pocket expenses for Americans,” Trump said on Friday. “They want to do what’s right.  Look, they’re going to do what’s right. Look, I think it’s so important what they’re doing on therapeutics and vaccines. And we’re going to see them on Tuesday. We’ll see if we can do something here.” Joe Biden had no public events after the middle of the week, but he participated in a virtual Friday fundraiser that focused on Latino issues, co-hosted by actress Eva Longoria. “Day 1, Dreamers are staying, period. They’re more Americans than most Americans are,” Biden said. “The idea of having to worry if you go to get tested or you go to get help for COVID that you can be deported? No. Not in my country. Not in my country, not going to happen.” On Saturday, Biden marked one year since a failed effort to grant temporary status to Venezuelans fleeing the country — a point of contention with some in the party’s left. “The people of Venezuela and Hispanics across our country deserve a real ally who will stand up for what is right, and not just pay lip service to the suffering of the Venezuelan people,” Biden said in a statement. Countdown … nine days until primaries in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington … 11 days until primaries in Tennessee … 13 days until primaries in Hawaii … 16 days until primaries in Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont and Wisconsin … 22 days until the Democratic National Convention … 32 days until the Republican National Convention … 40 days until some absentee ballots start going out … 100 days until the general election The post The Trailer: The ‘squad’ gears up for two tough primaries appeared first on Shri Times.

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