#location: scipio

[whencyclopedia]

Empuries

Empuries (also Emporiae or Emporion) was a Greek and then Roman colony on the northeastern coast of Spain. Thriving as a local and Mediterranean trading centre, it prospered from the 6th century BCE to the 2nd century CE. Several times the Romans used the port as a landing place for armies to invade and plunder Iberia and they established a military camp at the site which evolved into a small town embellished with the usual collection of Roman architectural features. The site today offers the visitor extensive ruins, notably a large portion of the city walls, a crytpoportico, forum space, and large private houses.

Historical Overview

Empuries was established by settlers from Massalia (Marseilles) in the 6th century BCE who founded the port of Palaeopolis on an island at the mouth of the Fluvia River. The settlers prospered through trade and then spread to the Greek town known as Neapolis near the coast which covers about 4 hectares. The two areas were called Emporion, indicative of their dependence on trade, where wine, pottery, and olive oil, along with goods from Massalia and those of Etruscan origin, were exchanged for metals and foodstuffs from the local tribes reached via the River Fluvia and the nearby River Ter.

The Romans used the port during the Second Punic War against Carthage, with Scipio Africanus landing expeditions there in 218 and 211 BCE, and again in 195 BCE when Marcus Porcius Cato led a force to quash the Iberian revolt which sprang up in reaction to Rome's demands for tribute. From 100 BCE, in order to create a more permanent base from which to exploit Iberia and protect the trade route from Italy, they built a Roman town from the original army camp. Located on the coast opposite from the Greek town, which had by then covered all of the island, the Roman town was laid out in right-angled blocks and eventually spread to cover some 22.5 hectares. The town received another boost when Julius Caesar settled veterans from his legions there in 45 BCE.

In the reign of Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE) the two still separate towns and a nearby indigenous Iberian settlement (Indika) were combined and awarded the status of municipium, which was given the collective name Emporiae. The town had its own forum, agora, small amphitheatre, gymnasium, and walls, and continued to mint its own coinage (which began in the 5th century BCE) with a characteristic Pegasus design. There were also temples to the Greek god of medicine Asclepius and to Serapis, the Hellenistic-Egyptian god. Empuries declined in importance for unknown reasons from the 2nd century CE but continued as a more modest, walled settlement well into the early Christian period.

Continue reading...

[hunty627]

Here’s the script for Genies in Lyoko.

One day, Steven and I were talking to the genie team about our favorite show, Code Lyoko. The genie team were very impressed, when all of a sudden, strange things began to occur. One example was a public bus was driving too fast out of control to the petrochemical plant! And at the very moment, 2 genies were reported seen in an old factory in France. So we all went to see. When we arrived, we met a boy named Jeremy. He said he’s heard of the genie team and says they can help his friends stop XANA, who was responsible for the strange things occurring. So, he chose 10 of the genies to go to Lyoko. They each took turns being scanned in the scanner and they were virtualized into the ice sector. They found Ulrich and battled the Krabs. Then they went through a way tower that took them to the desert sector, where they found Odd and saved him from the Kankrelats. Next, they went through another way tower that took them to the mountain sector, where they found Yumi and saved her from the hornets. Next, Jeremy typed in the code Scipio and that made the transporter appear take them to Sector 5, where they had to rescue Aelita from the creepers. She’s the only one who can deactivate an activated tower. When XANA activates a tower on Lyoko, he can launch an attack on the real world. Yumi, Odd and Ulrich got on their vehicles and Aelita used her wings and they, along with the genie team entered the tunnel that took them to the forest sector, where the activated tower is located. But they had to fight some tarantulas that were in the way. After the tarantulas were beaten, they saw the activated tower. But they got an unexpected surprise. There was William! he needed rescuing too! A Scyphozoa has linked its tentacles to William’s back, taking control of him! They worked hard and then Yumi tossed her fan and cut the tentacles off of his back. William was very relieved they came to save him. And while he and the others battled XANA’s creatures, Aelita went into the activated tower and entered the code Lyoko. Soon, the genie team and the Lyoko warriors were devirtualized and sent back to earth. Then we watched and waited for Yumi & Aelita to come out of the scanners too. And when the scanner doors opened, we all gasped in amazement! Aelita & Yumi were wearing genie outfits! They were the new genies! Everyone was very happy. But none were more happy than me & Steven. It was the best day of our lives that the genie team met the Lyoko warriors and they promised to lend a hand if XANA ever launches another attack. And so, we all went back home so Aelita & Yumi can tell the genie team all about their amazing stories. The end.

[windermeresimblr]

As Far As Dawn, 1.4

Milos: [My King. How are you feeling?]

Bilustibas: (groaning dramatically) [They've poisoned me, Milos.] Ultia: (Stop that nonsense! Nobody is poisoning you.) (to Milos, over her shoulder) [The King does not like how the milk of the poppy tastes.]

Tarbantu: (Because you spoil him. I’ve told you time and again you’re too soft on him--) Ultia: (No wonder you've been losing all those battles, you've been guzzling potions left and right--) Milos: (clears throat) [Excuse me, my lord. My Queen, I need to speak with you. In private, if possible.]

Ultia: [What do you mean, Scipio sent envoys?!] Milos: [They are waiting in the audience chamber.] Ultia: [Oh, Tanith! You let them in?] Milos: [We didn't really have a choice.] Ultia: [I suppose not. Unless we want to end up marching in a triumph! Have the herald inform them I shall join them momentarily.]

Author’s Notes

I have no idea what they would have given Bilustibas to control his pain during a flare-up. So I borrowed a leaf from Game of Thrones’ book. 

I apologize for the lighting in this one; I’m having difficulty keeping the light as realistic as possible while also still letting you see what everyone’s doing, and not running into walls. I may retake the photos. (If anyone has advice for shooting inside house lots, please send it along!)

Credits

AroundtheSims for the bedframe and SketchbookPixels for the mattress; Mutske for the windows and shutters

Danjaley for the poses

FakeHousesRealAwesome for the lot, which I made changes to in order to disguise my lazy filming location (the CAS world; I couldn’t be bothered to load Jefferson today.)

Anubis360, AprilRainSimblr, EA, and VenusPrincess for the hairs

All-About-Style, EA, KentConverts, myself (the veil and the chiton top), NaiyasFury, Pixicat, and RustyNail for the clothing

Simshelaene and Simlicious for the patterns

[everythingmaxriemelt]

“Bonn - alte Freunde, neue Feinde” - Episode 4

Synopsis:

The Schmidt family is in trouble. Else refuses to accompany Gerd to the German Business Ball and Toni senses her chance. In the pompous ballroom, everything that has status and reputation in the capital is gathered. Gehlen is also there and Toni watches as he disappears with her father and other men. She follows them and overhears a secret meeting about "Scipio" and a memorial service in honor of Adolf Hitler. But Toni is discovered and sent home by her father.

The appointment in Gehlen's calendar gives Toni no peace. She flirts with his driver, finds out the location of the conspiratorial meeting and tells Wolfgang about it. Wolfgang mingles with the guests in disguise and is promptly spotted by Gehlen and Gerd Schmidt. However, during a brutal interrogation, Wolfgang is able to convince them that he is one of them. While some trust Wolfgang, Toni becomes suspicious: Is Wolfgang a traitor? She goes to confront him, but suddenly their feelings boil over and they lie in each other's arms.

*gifs are mine

[dry-valleys]

Apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

Life of Brian (which incidentally was filmed in Tunisia)!

What is now Tunisia has been conquered and/or settled by Berbers, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Jews, Arab Muslims (who conquered what became Ifriqiya from the Byzantines and fought off Byzantine and Berber counterattacks between 670 and 705 AD, thus ensuring Tunisia became mostly Arab and Islamic, which it still is), Normans, Italians, Maltese, Spaniards, Ottomans, French, but this post is mostly about the Romans.

This is mainly a post about the ancient history of what is now Tunisia; you can see here, here, here, here, here and here for the rest of my series for modern times.

For much of antiquity, what is now Tunisia was part of Carthage, a mostly sea-borne empire founded in the 9th century by the Phoenicians, who had come from the Near East and were a Semitic people related to Arabs and Jews (both of whom live in Tunisia today), conquered and assimilated with the Berbers (who still make up much of Tunisian DNA, though the language and culture is less valued than in Morocco), the Carthaginians believing in racial harmony as long as everyone accepted their rule.

The upstart Roman Republic, later Empire, having defeated the Greek ruler Pyrrhus in the Pyrrhic Wars of 285-270 BC, came into conflict with the Carthaginians, who also fought the Berber kingdom of Numidia.

At first the Romans were bested by the Carthaginian war elephants and their army of not just North Africans but other mercenaries and subjects including Celts, Spaniards, Greeks, and sub-Saharan Africans, in the First Punic War of 264-241 BC; nearby was fought the Battle of Tunis in 255 BC, which Carthage won.

The war ended, though, with a Roman victory on battlegrounds including what is now Tunisia as well as Sardinia and Sicily; then as now, a frontier of Europe and North Africa through which migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, often made unwelcome in modern Tunisia, try to pass.

Despite losing the First Punic war, Carthage endured under the leadership of Hamilcar Barca, who reclaimed much of Carthage’s power in the Mercenary War of 237 BC. Then in the Second Punic War of 218-201 BC, the feared Carthaginian general Hannibal (247BC-183-81 BC), Hamilcar's son, counterattacked.

Hannibal marched on Europe with his feared elephants, crossing the Alps in 218 BC, and after the Carthaginian victory at Cannae in 216 BC 'Hannibal ad portes' was used as a threat by Roman mothers; his status in Roman minds was a bit like that of the Russian and American empires in the minds of the other today.

Hannibal did not march on Rome; we will never know whether doing so would have led to a great victory or hastened Carthage's demise, but Carthage did end up losing this war thanks in part to the efforts of the great general Scipio Africanus (236 BC-183 BC) , and Hannibal went into exile in 195 BC, though this was not yet the end of Carthage.

Carthage fell to the Romans after Roman victory in the Third Punic War of 149-146 BC; it was destroyed but much later rebuilt by Caesar Augustus, who founded the Roman Empire from the republic and reigned from 31 BC to 14 AD, and is now located near the modern capital of Tunis. The Roman province of Africa bordered on Mauretania, which contains modern Morocco (please see here for my series on Morocco, which I went to last year and which has much in common with Tunisia).

The ampitheatre at what is now El Djem was part of a large Roman city, Thysdrus; made of locally quarried stone with 192 arches, it was built in 238 AD by African consul Gordium and held 35,000 fans, who enjoyed chariot races and gladiator fights. Gordian became emperor in the same year but lasted only 22 days before being overthrown and killed! Nevertheless, he will not be forgotten as long as this building stands.

(This building is a symbol of Rome’s huge empire, which sprawled as far as my own country, and I went to the Roman city of Virconium, very near where I live, a few months ago; it’s odd thinking one rule applied from there to here).

The tragedy that happened here was much later; the Revolutions of Tunis in 1695 AD which was a feud/civil war between two brothers. Loyalists of Ali Bey al Muradi barricaded themselves in here and were bombed by supporters of his brother Mohamed Bey al Muradi as part of a struggle that ended only on the seizure of power by Al-Husayn I in 1705, who founded the Husainid Dynasty that was enthroned until Tunisia became a republic in 1957 (later posts will deal with this).

These bombings, without which the ampitheatre was encircled, were a struggle within the Ottoman empire; the Ottomans ruled Tunisia from 1574 to 1881, and you can see here for the rest of my series for what they did and what happened next.

Since 1979 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site and there is a classical music festival held here every year; sadly I didn’t catch it, but you can if you go this summer.

Legend has it that when Roman general Scipio Aemilianus ( the adopted grandson of Scipio Africanus) saw the destruction of Carthage he wept, and when asked why, answered “A glorious moment, Polybius; but I have a dread foreboding that some day the same doom will be pronounced on my own country”.

This did indeed happen when the Vandals brought down the Roman Empire in 455 AD, but while they and all later empires came and went, Tunisia has remained itself.

[perfect-homemade-chili]

358 “Lost Treasures.”

But like, why chili…? Thank you for asking, because it implies the existence of other great and wonderful lost treasures of the world which, in contention for our time and pursuit, justifies the irreplaceable worth of our research on chili overall. We will examine three such lost relics/treasures below that currently tickle our imaginations, and will likely suggest more in the future— 1) Tesla’s papers/research on infinite energy—I genuinely believe this exists, is fully articulated, with a solution that might be resoundingly simple (for reasons to speculate in another post) but, considering its potential to disrupt geopolitical spheres/energy grids on a global-scale, no wonder it is “lost.”

2) Shakespeare’s collaboration with Fletcher, the lost play Cardenio—Fletcher (of Beaumont and Fletcher fame) is, like Ben Jonson, a top-tier Elizabethan playwright often overshadowed by Shakespeare’s ubiquity, and I would barter my annual Netflix subscription to see their collaborative effort once. By the way, some people (including late British barrister/buddhist scholar, Humphrey Christmas) believe Shakespeare did not exist, but was a pseudonym for Francis Bacon or a group of writers, including Jonson and Marlowe, etc… and yet, there is a very funny tidbit about Shakespeare, that the playwright in real life dressed quite bizarre/provocatively for his time… and an inscription (unless it is an inside joke) by Ben Jonson on Shakespeare’s first Folio, next to his portrait, basically writes “don’t judge this dandy by his appearance, but by the substance of his work.” Lol.

3) The last treasure I hope will be rediscovered is the lost Lives of Plutarch—okay, there are many, so this is kinda like wishing for more wishes… But I have reason to believe at least a few are not actually lost, like Tesla’s papers. Think about it—some of the lost Lives are among the most illustrious/celebrated of history—Heracles, Epaminondas, Scipio, Meander, Hesiod, Pindar, Leonidas, Augustus, Claudius, even friggin’ Nero…? it just doesn’t make sense, when we miss these but still have the lives of Otho and Galba (who? Exactly.) I have an awesome farfetched whimsical conspiracy theory for this—that maybe some Lives, especially Hercules and Hesiod and Epaminondas… maybe even Orpheus at some point?… were stolen and kept from the public because of occult or alchemical secrets they may otherwise divulge; the story of Hercules (like the timeless Journey to the West) was deeply symbolic of the meditative/cultivation process… and Orpheus is known for journeying into the underworld and escaping… so. Someone call Robert Temple to the job.

If it seems like we are making circles with dead pizza-crust, please remember you can always take a break by visiting our Farm, where secret treasures await behind unimposing rustic pastoral charm… (some working imageries): a cool lake nestled in mountain cliffs and evergreens and, hidden just below its silent surface, tall columns and lost monuments of temples and sculptures, remnants of a forgotten city; a stately courtyard full of fruit trees surrounded by a thorn-hedge, hiding a basement laboratory for occult gastronomy and alchemy; a cozy campfire in a dark forest, out of which beats more pungent than brimstone and more dank than swamp-planet X2693 sometimes escape; a magnificent library with tall windows and winding staircases, with secret titles that, when pulled in order, open a secret door to a balcony overlooking the world.

—sandwich#002—Florentine-style sandwiches are world-famous and were among my fondest memories during my study abroad before I was asked to leave for making shady deals with Moroccans. I recently happily located a branch location near where I live in NYC, All'Antico Vinaio. Some iconic builds that I’ve rediscovered include a) lardo, gorgonzola, truffle honey, b) salami, pecorino, truffle honey, c) mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio cream and pistachios, d) salami, pecorino cream, artichoke cream, spicy eggplant… and of course prosciutto combos, which most people already know, like mozzarella/basil/tomato (caprese).

[zooterchet]

Spider-Man:

Online Arrests Filed, through "Glamour Girl":

1996: Andrew Wachowski, "nil".

1997: Carrie-Anne Moss, "Damn-Yankee".

1998: Brian Monaghan, "qwerty".

1999: Keanu Reeves, "Howie".

2000: Rich Kyanka, "Toggan".

2001: Anthony Weiner, "Betty".

2002: Larry Wachowski, "Apathy".

2003: Hugh Jackman, "Ghul".

2004: Sayed Adnan, "Petula".

Hannibal Rising:

Michael Charlebois: "Cain", a spy's accountant, out of "Chutzpah", a political artist.

Alice O'Neill: "Kilpatrick", a female spy, out of "U'Niall", a spy's slaver.

Kenny Winston: "Weinstein", a Gentile's banker, out of "Cromwell", a German fire fighter.

Ryan Taylor: "Gaylord", a Buddhist assassin, out of "Polk", an optometrist.

Katie Stevens: "Stevenson", a Jamaican drug runner, out of "Alexander", a Macedonian inventor.

Matthew Lennox: "Satan", a Jewish king, out of "Nigger", a Parisian actor's mother to Scipio Africanus.

John Remby: "Roosevelt", a poverty demanded leader, out of "Alexander", a Macedonian inventor.

Pasquale Acosta: "Ibn Rashid", a Medina Arab, out of "Princeps", a Central Powers mercenary.

William Morgan: "Davis", a Southern cotton obsessive, out of "Hamilton", a treasurer's informant's officer.

Mark Salib: "Harding", a munitions developer, out of "Gilgamesh", a sugar salesman.

Cassie-Leigh Stock: "Donalban", a Puerto Rican Aryan, out of "Gould", a fascist writer for Francisco Franco.

Alexandra Gaetano: "Crowley", an Irish priest, out of "Brian", the victim of Christ.

Jenna Williamson: "Bundy", a Canadian spy, out of "Booth", a Mossad hired assassin.

Zach Savell: "Morales", a firefighter's inventor, out of "Aragorn", the first cowboy.

Maureen Harrison: "Harrison", a poisoner artist Gadze, out of "Cornwallace", a disgraced general.

Jen McDade: "Aensley", a British banker, out of "Lemerise", a British cop family.

Jeremy Stevens: "Mosley", a Group Force Leader, out of "Oswald", a British undercover agent.

Raven Bush: "Desperado", a Comanche Sheriff, out of "Joseph", a defeated Greek.

David Cohen: "Adolph", a German Turkish spy, out of "Ataturk", a cigarettes salesman.

Nicholas Maynard: "Hayes", a patent swindler, out of "Bourbon", a female transgender.

Allison Haimes: "Chi Minh", a CIA undercover, out of "The Duke of York", a professional British knife fighter.

Greg Connolly: "Visser", an Afrikaans Irish, out of "Lan Ray", a Boer Holocaust victim.

Brian Monaghan: "Myers", a KGB Ireland, out of "Carnegie", a Scottish Knight.

Ivan Tomasic: "Dahmer", a professional first strike mutually assured destruction pilot, out of "Ljudovich", an Austrian Black Shirt.

Christopher Sweeney: "Sween", a Black Baron Schultzstaffel, out of "Washington", a Romalian Boelyn.

Joshua Moen: "Van Zant", a professional raconteur assassin, out of "Chaucer", a Knight's Guard.

Bernice Lamb: "De Salvo", a Nietzschean Ubermensch, out of "Panzram", a sculptor author.

Joshua Golden: "Eshkol", an intelligence programs founder, out of "Mosaic", a Hittite Prince.

Uma Thurman: "Magnusdotter", a bodybuilder assassin, out of "Catherine", a surmised monarch.

Joseph Biden: "Capone", a police officer criminal, out of "James of Scotland", a legal reformer.

Lloyd Ahlquist: "Agnew", a Rabbinical entomologist, out of "Bin Laden", a prison convicts manager.

Will Ferrell: "Adams", a carnival's lover, out of "Pedro II", a harbormaster.

Joseph Kennedy III: "Kenway", a pork meats distributor, out of "Kennedy", a Tepes, a cannibal.

Star Wars Episode 1-3:

Leadership:

"Duo": Shaun Wilcox, Hawaiian Coastal Engineer, US Navy Japan.

"Libra": James Holmes, DC Comics Development, Mossad Counter-Bay Station.

"Leo": Jeffrey Lange, Cleveland Rotary Association, Finance and Debitures Apartment.

Duo:

"Blueberry": Police code on APB scanner, to catch "ranger patrols", off cented Mounted and Royal Mounted sections (Canadian-German, Protestant Universalist).

"WTC Location Grab": Profiling of Osama Bin Laden, three days after 9/11, to DC Comics Location and Transition Wards, Mossad Afghanistan; Tora Bora Prison Complex.

"San Andreas": Capture of Toris Nelby, British Co Anchor Author, "Crack Underground"; while in live transit of threat of CIA agent Peter Tsapatsaris, "Nails", posing as "Peebo" on internet as fraud of Russian-Jewry infiltrating CIA Annex Three; Winchester Frauds, IDF Biotech Experiments. Toris Nelby, "Peebo", detained and "destroyed", by fired rounds, from Eric Frein.

Libra:

"British Exemplar": Takeover of Japan by Warerra Party, masquerading Clone Wars film, recently released, by "Lucas Arts", as actual factual plan of attack; Pearl Harbor, as represented by "Kleinmen", Rohypnol dealers for Mossad.

"Gutwill Five": Seizure of criminal resources and allies of Framingham Narcotics, rogue Israeli Defense Forces section of Massachusetts cops, out of Jewish gangsters in Ohio; biker gangs, Canadian Freemasons.

Leo:

"Assassin's Creed": Creation of Assassin's Creed concept, as alternative to parents pamphlets to place children in Mossad underground as "Moslems" or "Mussulman".

"Guantanamo Live Range Agent": Use of third degree interrogator's training from mother's Marine NCO doctor, "Glen", to hunt his killers inside INTERPOL's top ranks; Gwenn Pratt, John Washburne, Steven Charlebois, Brian Monaghan, Alexandra Gaetano, and John Kerry.

"Philips Freemasons of Boston": Stage point of removal of Ted Bundy catchem code, to take over Boston Triads for FBI and State Police, through Cyber Command aegis helix on Los Angeles Police Department server scans; return of Chinese to American policing, as FBI informants and cover agents, against rising tide of Taiwanese nationalism; unions and Russian-Jewish consortiums of film and media logic.

"Pinkville": The strike on the Hell's Angels as a capture turn of the Canadian Freemasons for operating criminal ventures in factories, sports leagues, and boarding schools, to turn children into slaves and writers and prison convicts; the French and British Freemasonic attempt to undo Bill Clinton's peace for labor, athletics, and prison inmates.

"Hideous Karl": Use of Jack Unterweger's serial killer profile, tying a necktie for a business meeting, taught by Scoutmasters in male and female scout troops, for any career or American act, to pen research work for Christopher Nolan, MGM, and FOX.

"The Steroids Scandal": Outing American-Japanese pharmaceuticals, and MI-6 doctors, for selling performance enhancing steroids, Suboxone, for decades, under different brands and claim of brands; the public lawsuit against Dr. Joshua Golden, of United Health Associates, by the Attorney General of Massachusetts, Maura Healey.

"The Kennedy Campaign": Legalized marijuana, certified safe and non-sprayed by tree surgeons elected by towns, free from media myth presented on Holland and British telecasts, or by journalist work by High Times magazines authors. Held under tax stamps, through the State Police.

"Spiral": The culmination of three decades of work, as an NSA, from kindergarten to the mid-thirties, in the takedowns of INTERPOL, On Leong Tong, the Unitarian Church, and MI-6. The culmination of years of experience, placed in two blog reformatories, "Lex Luthor and the Sudbury Boys", and "Spiral - The Batman Killer", the prior academic references, the latter actual career references. The shutdown of the "United Nations Security Council", by planting a forged work on American Marxism from 2003, from an economics business professor at UMass-Amherst, Gerald Friedman, through the actual United Nations; published independently overseas, by those dependent on the United Nations as an American CIA entity; falsely framed as MI-6. The same NSA trick, used on Stephen Glass, a Vatican affiliated lawyer out of the Italian government's Nortel structure.

Spiral:

Joshua Moen: Keep the President's secret about Raven Bush getting stoned, or Cam Hollopeter marries your wife. But you don't have a wife, you're in love with Superman. Not Batman.

Method: Men's writing and literature styles, conflict terms of endearment in imago transformation.

Keanu Reeves: Clear Ben Brown of raping Raven Bush, or place yourself in perpetuity of your film, "The Matrix 1", being owned by the Crown Government.

Method: RTS counselor first sight response, however on public Majesty's review in Court.

Jenna Williamson: Place wired testimony through VFW, and accept your draft into the United States photographic corps unit for an upcoming military conflict.

Method: Coverage of the USS Cole bombing, being varied into a "K", the "Kierney" Amish mark on Marlboro cigarettes.

Ben Brown: Admit into economics program despite not earning a valedictorian's GPA through gymnastic and academic marks in highschool, or a military tour on apprenticeship to warrant officer status.

Method: US Presidential merits and statuses of badge, passed, during freshman year orientation.

Matthew Lennox: Separation from Raven Bush, under her alias, "Silver Laventi", at UMass-Amherst; attempting to engage for Elks Club, the Drake family, to remove from David's vicinity and allow him to take a law career for the Winchester CIA undercover in Israeli biotech medical testing on "Goyim", humans that have done DXM.

Method: Interjection through a Coen, the "Chutzpah" family, and placement of Raven inside the German underground as a medical advisor.

Peter Tsapatsaris: Outing that the name and alias used, is false, linking instead to a black drug dealer murdered on the MUSH.

Method: Interpreting with the actual alias, as the individual being extorted by the claimed name, out of Brian Monaghan's connection to NEWS Harvard, the studio print for the Boston Herald.

Brett Norman: Moving between ExSec operations controller, Andre Berube, after being recruited for role, and a permanent incarceration in Pembroke, watched by Steven "The Rifle" Flemmi.

Method: Placement in Pembroke military ward facility, to remove Rhode Island judge in league with Israeli Medical Authority.

The Matrix:

British Commonwealth (UK) Positions:

Boris Yeltsin: Claim, working through America for economic reestablishment.

Elie Wiesel: Claim, working to prevent anti-Semitism in United States.

Stan Lee: Claim, working in an MI-6 brand to teach police morals.

Queen Elizabeth II: Claim, defending British Isles against Adolf Hitler's traditions.

George W. Bush Jr.: Claim, Shriner's Freemasonic Lodge of England.

Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) Roles:

Boris Yeltsin: National Rifle Association.

Elie Wiesel: Romalian Federation.

Stan Lee: Hitler Youth.

Queen Elizabeth II: Catholic-Sepulchre Jewish Orthodoxy.

George W. Bush Jr.: Kaiser's Lodge.

[xhudgenssistersconfessions]

Here are some reviews about bad boys where they mention Vanessa, not much about her performance but some reviews that mention her, not many because most of the reviews are about the film itself and Will and Martin but for those who are lazy or not want to read spoilers lol:

- Helping them get to the bottom of things are fellow cops Dorn (Alexander Ludwig) and Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens). The latter’s entire role sadly consists of her either brandishing weapons or inquiring about the location of her body wash.

- Numerous familiar female characters (including Vanessa Hudgens’ weapons expert and Paola Núñez’s police captain) come back to either wield guns or play damsels in distress, but the focus is firmly on the genial central pair as they dart around Miami raising the body count.

- Among the cast, Hudgens, Ludwig and Núñez return to their cops roles with relish

- Ride or Die also centers Marcus and Mike’s families — biological and extended, as is the case with Rita (Paola Núñez), Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens) and Dorn (Alexander Ludwig) — as much as their friendship. And it’s nice to see how their support system has grown

- With both this familial storyline and the participation of Mike and Marcus’ squadmates Dorn (Alexander Ludwig) and Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens), Bad Boys: Ride or Die continues the franchise’s deliberate descent into soap opera-y

- . Vanessa Hudgens and Alexander Ludwig get to develop into real personalities who you could see in a spin-off. Likewise, Paola Núñez, Jacob Scipio, and especially Dennis Greene

- There is some sense of cohesion from the last film as most of the characters introduced in “Bad Boys For Life” return. Most of the crew, such as Dorn (played by Alexander Ludwig) and Kelly (played by Vanessa Hudgens), come back, albeit in far less prominent roles

There is more, i can back later 😉

.

[ultraheydudemestuff]

Springfield Metallic Casket Company

105 N. Center St

Springfield, OH

The Springfield Metallic Casket Company was located on the northeast corner of Main and Mechanic (now Lowry) streets in Springfield, Ohio. The company was founded in 1884 by A. A. Baker, D. R. Hosterman, Ross Mitchell, Scipio E. Baker, and Edgar N. Lupfer. The company grew to become one of the nation's largest manufacturers of metal caskets and burial vaults. By 1959 it had 230 employees.

In the early 1960s, the company became a division of Springfield Greene Industries, Inc., which also owned Springfield's Thermometer Corporation of America. Later, it became a subsidiary of A-T-O Corporation of Willoughby, Ohio. The casket company finally had to close its doors on November 30, 1974, after almost 100 years of continuous production. It was one of the largest producers of burial vaults and metal caskets in the country, and some rumors claim that caskets were built there for Al Capone, President John F. Kennedy, and Buffalo Bill Cody. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 2016.

[nibaldop]

Este es Escipión, en honor al guerrero, general, político y comandante romano en la antigua región de Hispania. Es una impresionante escultura de un elefante africano, con 15 toneladas, 11 metros de largo y 8 metros de alto, hecho en acero y materiales naturales como madera y caña, y que se encuentra ubicado en la Plaza exterior que da acceso a BIOPARC, el parque zoológico de Valencia. Es obra de Fernando González Sitges, quien es biólogo, especializado en Zoología, dibujante, escultor, guionista, director y realizador audiovisual. ... This is Scipio, after the Roman warrior, general, politician, and commander in the ancient region of Hispania. It's an impressive sculpture of an African elephant, weighing 15 tons, 11 meters long and 8 meters high, made of steel and natural materials such as wood and cane, and which is located in the outer square that gives access to BIOPARC, the Valencia zoo. It's the work of Fernando González Sitges, who is a biologist, specialized in Zoology, draftsman, sculptor, screenwriter, audiovisual director and producer. ... #turismo #turisme #tourism #arte #art #artes #arts #escultura #sculpture #Escipión #elefante #elephant #FernandoGonzálezSitges #biopark #zoo #bioparkvalencia #igvalencia #igervalencia #instavalencia #valencia #comunidadvalenciana #españa #spain (en BIOPARC Valencia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn7ZDjEoUjO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kungfuslipper]

Oooh, what's Location: Scipio?

This is some Thornidala I'm working on for @purgetroopercody. Here's an (very unedited) excerpt:

Dark eyes were looking at her across the table — not unlike her's, perhaps a little lighter. They caught the dimmed light in ways her own space-black did not. His were unguarded. Another feature hers lacked.

He was brought into existence for war — bought with credits already bloody. Why had she never thought before about these men? Never past the sound of their booted steps in her blindspots. He could never be only a reassuring voice and a shadowing helmet, again.

I wanted to work through a couple of themes with this story. The first is the nature of her relationship with Anakin, and how she might respond to his abusive treatment in the Scipio arc. Then I wanted to get underneath the idea of Padme's privilege, and how having a close encounter with Thorn would help challenge her understanding of the clones and their role in society. Sex gets all mixed up in this, so the main thrust is to bring the point forward that we don't pay attention to other people's problems until they affect us directly, emotionally.

[scribble-dribble-writes]

Evasive Maneuvers

You’re excited for your first mission only to realize you’ve been paired with the one Jedi that broke your heart five years ago.

Pairing: Obiwan x Female reader

Contents: Angst, tension, past friends to enemies to lovers, obiwan secretly pining away, thigh grab fight scene (need I say more)

Word Count: 3.2k

You’d been beckoned to the Jedi Council at once, the frantic protocol droid had let you know. A spur of excitement kindled within you, having been stuck in the library for so long because of your research on a new separatist droid had made your eyes mildly aversive to the light. But being out there in the battlefield and getting appointed on missions was a rare opportunity for you, so your hopes were up, in the possibility that this might be your first deployment.

The double doors of the Council hall stood undisturbed by passing individuals, locking away the secrets and strategies that were discussed behind it. Steadying yourself for a moment to dust off and smooth out your robe, you proceeded to raise your hand to push through the door when it began to move on its own. Shielding your eyes from the streak of sunlight that escaped through the creak between the doors, you made your way inside. “Right on time, you are.”, Yoda spoke as he remained seated. A small smile spreading across your face, you bowed your head in respect. The need to be impeccably perfect was nagging your mind. You cannot afford to lose this opportunity.

Mace Windu seemed to be deep in thought when only then did you begin to recognise the other faces in the room. Senator Organa and Senator Padme had worry etched across their faces which only made you feel more nervous. The possibility that you could have been called upon only to assist with information was sedimenting itself in your thoughts. Clearing your head, you continued to stand firm. “Where is Skywalker?”, Windu asked his voice edged with annoyance just as the doors behind opened and footsteps were heard shuffling in. The peaceful environment was broken with the utter sound of bickering between Anakin and –

Your hands clenched together, tighter as you recognised the voice of the other Jedi. It was one you had not heard for years. Unknowingly your breathing began to feel laboured, this cannot be happening now. You braced yourself, there was only one reaction to this situation. You will ignore him just as he had ignored you for the part five years.

Anakin came to a stand still next you. “This time it was your fault.”, he spoke. “How is it my fault?”, you heard him. “Had you listened to what I said, we would still have my ship.”, Anakin continued. “Parts of it. We should be glad we landed at the state it was in.”, he responded, his charm still intact. Anakin huffed. “Generals, if you’re quite finished, we could get on to more important matters.”, Windu chided. The two Jedi quieted down.

“Senator Padme, could you explain the recent developments?”, Windu asked. To which Senator Padme can forth elegantly.

“There has been a tip off about a meeting on Scipio involving Senator Clovis. It is said that intelligence about the next location of a droid factory and General Grievous’s whereabouts are to be shared.”, she explained. It made sense as to why she was worried, Clovis was her friend.

“I was asked to spy on Clovis but it will cause for the others to become suspicious and could lead to a the disk being lost. However, a source has promised to give us this information if we send a Jedi to collect it. I suspect it to be a foul play of sorts but the intelligence on such matters could turn the tide for the Republic.”, Padme looked at Anakin briefly before turning towards the panel. “Important it is, to get the disk.”, Yoda leaned onto his staff. “Which is why you’re here”, Windu addressed you. “None of the politicians have met you. Your anonymity can serve to our advantage. Moreover you are thorough on separatist weaponry, it will allow you to assess new technology you happen to spot in Scipio.”, You nod suddenly aware everyone’s focus was on you, especially his. “Settled, it is. Accompany you, Kenobi will.”, Yoda spoke and you froze. This was exactly what you did not want to happen. “Master if I can, might I suggest that Anakin take my place? His quick thinking might be well suited for this mission.”, Kenobi interjected. This sparked frustration within you, that you looked straight at him, your face betraying your thoughts, you were offended. The daylight made his hair look like it had been spun from gold and everything about him had changed. The last you had met him was when you were both padawans. You didn’t recognise the man who stood in front of you. He was your closest confidant when you were young, making life easier when you were living alone. But be had broken that bond long ago. Now you were strangers.

“I only- Kenobi caught your gaze. It was a lie, his eyes held the same familiarity you grew to love and yearn for. The very same ocean pools that were reserved only for you to take stolen glances and that spoke a secret language only to you. But now, he would give everyone else the luxury of his company while he pretended like you never existed. He averted his gaze back to Yoda. “Skywalker has been requested to be in Senetor Padme’s security detail for her trip to Naboo today.”, Master Windu let him know. “Oh.”, Kenobi let out a dejected sigh. The library began to feel better than this humiliation you felt your thought surge.

He feels insulted to even be seen with you

“When am I to leave?”, you asked the panel. “You both are to go in disguise to the masked ball that is to happen this evening. It will grant you access into the palace.”, You nodded in response. “It feels nice to be relieved from tolerating his company for a change.”, Anakin was the first to respond, a playful smile on his face as he looked over to Kenobi, who was now looking distraught. “Well you’re lucky. You had to tolerate him when he liked working with you. I don’t think I will have the same privilege.”, you stated which earned you a genuine smile from Skywalker. “Next mission, I want you to join me and my Padawan, Ashoka. Till we meet again.”, he bowed his head and followed Senetor Padme and Organa out.

“ General Kenobi, a pleasant surprise.”, your face remained calm, while the bones in your hands might as well be broken now. “Ah yes. A surprise for sure. I will meet you at hangar bay 5. Don’t be late.”, with that he walked out the hall, it was clear how he viewed you as something that was beneath him. Balling your hand into a fist, you knew this mission was going to be a difficult one.

The disguise was extravagant. A dark blue silk gown with gold embossed patterns. Your dark brown hair down up in a similar fashion to that of the other senators. The finishing touch was a black lace mask to hide your identity. You had never worn anything else apart from the Jedi robe. Looking back at the clock, panic struck you. You should have met Kenobi at the hangar five minutes ago. Picking up the ends of your dress you ran down the corridor. Breathless when you reached the bay, his back was facing you and his arms were folded. He stood tall, his shoulder muscles held taut beneath the baby blue silk tunic. His foot frantically tapping away in leather shoes and the pristinely pressed silk pants accentuating his frame. His head perked up. “I remember telling you specifically to not be late. Now – he turned to see you. The second time he’s done that, forgetting what he wanted to say. He sported a similar mask to yours, his hair swept back with his beard trimmed down. You were strangers yet again but it felt new. Like you were seeing each other for the first time. He composed himself. “We better get going.”, he held a palm towards the ship’s entrance. Not wanting to push your luck any further, you walk ahead.

----

General Kenobi, who gave out commands and led troops against droid armies found it difficult to sit still next to her. His cool demeanor was lost, around her he felt like a boy again. Picking at a wound on his finger, he thought better to not acknowledge her, but all he wanted was to look at her. Soft starlight illuminating the length of her neck, her brown eyes were dark moons drawing him in like he was at the mercy of its gravitational pull. This was why he had to avoid her. He had become infected with an alarming rush of emotions that went against the code. He thought putting adequate distance between them would cure whatever it was that was making him sick like this. But it had only made it worse, all that time apart did him no good. He feared if he rested his hand he would want take hers in his. He didn’t speak to her because he knew he’d be begging for forgiveness for what he did. He had become the reason her smile didn’t reach up to her eyes. He broke their friendship all because he was scared and foolish. Now she hated him, the only person that felt like home. This was his own doing, now he will bear the consequences of it.

“You’ve been keeping well.”, she broke the silence. His fears were materializing. “You seem to have grown out of your awkward phase.”, the corner of his mouth tipped up in a half smile, his eyes still focused on his fingers. “So you still remember, General Kenobi.”, her voice did not retain any sort of pleasantness. Blast it, he was supposed to act like he was indifferent about her. His eyes met hers, her face was now contorted in anger. “Do you take pleasure from this? Five years Kenobi. You had not spoken a word, ignored me in the corridors, to a point you will not even meet my gaze. What have I done? To deserve such a punishment? Am I so beneath you now that you have your fame?”, she asked every word sharp as a dagger.

“Now you sit next to me and talk as though we are friends?”, She continued. He didn’t know what to say, how could he make amends for what he had done? Even to say her name he felt worthless, guilty. “You were my best friend once. Never making me regret having left my family and home to become a Jedi, because I found you. And yet I was labelled as an unwanted attachment that you had to cut off. All the kindness you show to others, you seemed to have forgotten when it came to me.”, she spoke trying her best to mask the pain. He drew up his courage to look at her, the edge of her eyes glistening in the faint light. His chest tightened, this was not what he wanted. He had to tell her. He needed to tell her the truth. “I don’t want to be your best friend.”, he found his resolve to fix all of this now. The ship jerked out of hyperspace, a trooper asked for his assistance. Not now. But the moment was lost. The hurt in her eyes were too palpable to ever try to go back. He pursed his lips, any hopes of fixing this was lost now. He headed to the command pit.

----

You didn’t know what you were expecting to hear. But his confession was the closure you needed. You were the fool, holding onto the past when he has clearly moved well past. You fixed your mask back on as the ship prepared to land. Your lightsaber remained well hidden tucked beneath a ruffle in your dress. Your focus was the Intel disk, anything else can wait.

The ball was well in motion as you entered the hall filled with royalty and senators. He extended his arm, which you took to keep up appearances. Smiling and navigating through the crowd, your eyes scanned for the man you were supposed to meet to retrieve the disk from. But you could sense it, that something was off. You looked up at him just as he looked at you. He sensed it too. Someone bumped into you, but before you could recover, they were lost in the crowd. “Its too crowded.”, he spoke closely to your left ear. “It’s a ball, what did you expect?”, you responded when you felt something in your hand. A small piece of paper, on it scribble ‘Meet me at the west balcony’. “Kenobi”, you alert him. “Something doesn’t feel right.”, he spoke. “I predict it’s a trap.”, you tell him. “I predict the same as well.”, he responded.

You make you way towards the Balcony, walking past the entrance to see if anyone was there. “No one is here.”, you hold on tighter to his arm. “The disk, it is a trap.”, you explained. “To get the republic to send the Jedi.”, he deduced further. “If caught by the separatist’s, the Republic will have to pay a heavy ransom.”, your mind now attuned to the surroundings sensed the call for droids. “They’re sending in droids.”, you look at him, nervous. Looking about before anyone could spot you both. He leads you into a tight darn enclove.

Pressing the button on his comms, “Rex. Come in, Rex.”, he whispered. “Yes, sir.”, Rex’s voice responded. “Bring the ship to the west balcony. We won’t be able to make it out otherwise.”, he relayed the command. “We’ll be there, Sir.”, Rex’s response cut out. “Do we wait it out?”, you ask. “Ideally, unless trouble decides to follow us.”, he spoke in a low and measured manner. “Trouble always follows you.”, you look up at him. Almost pressed up against eachother, “Yes, mostly in the form of Anakin Skywalker.”, He spoke keeping watch. “If we’re not friends then what are we? What is this?”, you motion between him and yourself. To which his attention is focused on yours, his blue eyes appearing dark and solemn with no hint of mischief. “What I said earlier, that wasn’t all.”, he spoke. “So there’s more? Please save me the heartache”, you fanned your arm which he caught in his and slowly placed it on the side of his face.

His skin was warm to the touch, you only conjured this moments like these in your dreams. Grazing your thumb across his cheek bone, he leaned into your hand, his eyes filled with pain, so much pain that you began to feel it. “I never meant to push you away. If I could take it all back, I would.”, he spoke softly. He inhaled sharply and said your name. And you wanted to tell him to say it again. “All these years, I spent in agony. Everything I did, I wanted to do the exact opposite. I’ve come to learn how much you mean to me. I can’t lose you again. I won’t. Tell me what I need to do earn your forgiveness. I will do anything.”, you took a second to decide, he was earnest in his apology. You cup his check, the stubble under your fingers feeing deliciously rough. Sliding your hands behind his neck, you hugged him. His hands were around waist in an instant pulling you close. “Just say you’re sorry.”, you whispered in his ear. He buries his face into the crook of your neck. “Oh.”, he says your like an antidote that had cured his spirit, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”, he says as his hand finds the back of your neck, tilting your head towards his. Slowly he placed his forehead on yours, his breath soft and hot against your skin, the smell of sandalwood making you forget everything else.

The sound of droids from both sides of the corridor began to echo. “How about we continue this after we get back in one piece?”, he took your hand in his and in the other, your lightsabers ready to ignite. Spinning you so that your backs were against each other, you began to deflect blaster shots as the ship emerged near the balcony. It's ramp lowered down and ready for you both. Slicing though the droids that got too close, you fought to find an opening to make a run for it. “It still doesn’t explain why you did it? Or what you meant earlier?”, you asked as you run your saber through a droid. “Now is not the time.”, he responds angling a blaster shot back at a droid. “Was your apology a gimmick then?”, you ask. “No.”, he shouts over the sound of cross fire. “Then tell me why you did it?”, you press on, almost rid of most droids on your side. “Maybe we should go back to how things were, you’re still as insufferable as I remember.”, he grunts as he knocks down a droid.

Turning to help him, you balance yourself on his weight placing a hand on his thigh to kick down another droid. “Not my answer. Why?”, you turn towards his as he thrusts his saber just above your shoulder to drive it through the head of a droid behind you. You widen you eyes and fold your arms waiting for his answer while you use the force to deflect another droid. “We need to go.”, he turns to leave once the first troop of droids were handled. Turning to see you haven’t moved. He huffs. “You will never tell me the reason in quiter circumstances. Knowing you, you’ll lock it away for the next five years. Why did you do it? Why did you push me away?”, you ask. He taps his foot impatiently. Running a shaking hand through his now messy hair. “Because I was starting to fall in love with you.”, he yells out in a quick sentence. “Now let’s go.”, he jumped off the railing and onto the ramp. You follow suit but can’t help the smile that’s breaking out on your face. You jump from the rail and he catches you, steadying you in his arms. The ship whirs off into the atmosphere. “That’s the smile I’ve missed for years.” he says smiling. “So now that we’re not in a life threatening situation, is it true that you love me?”, you ask wrapping your arms around his neck with a grin. “Yes, you’re the only one I’ve loved”, he laughs as though he were offended you would even think other wise. “I was hoping you’d say that, Obi.”, you smile again. “You just want to hear me say it again.”, he smiles his cheeks turning red. “Yes, now tell me again. You need to make up for the lost years.”, You close your eyes, expecting him to feel flustered, but he leans in and whispers in your ear, “I.”, a pause, “Love.”, a soft kiss on your cheek the ends of his mustache grazing your skin lightly. “You.”, he looks into your eyes. You were experiencing joy that if you tried to put it into words it will not make sense. “No, that won’t do.”, you scrunch up your eyebrows, a mischievous grin playing on your lips. He blinks back in confusion, trying to figure out what was wrong. You tilt his head towards you. With no prying eyes around, you pull him by the collar of his tunic, your lips find his.

[ocean-blue-whump]

The Logistician

Heist Team Masterlist

Tagging @painful-pooch @winedark-whump @justplainwhump @diyalogues @thingsthatgowhumpinthenight - let me know if you want to be added/removed!

CW: some very brief referenced sexism

*** 

Jude looks out the cafe window, taking small sips of her cappuccino and watching people bustle around on the sidewalk. “He’s supposed to meet us here.”

“Give him time, Jude,” Penn mutters, taking a sip of his own coffee. Jude was barely able to stop herself from laughing at the bartender’s face when he ordered a black eye—a cup of coffee with three shots of espresso. “He’ll be here.”

“I’m surprised you okayed this,” she admits, setting the cup down. “He’s going to be the only one on the team with no experience.”

“Yeah, well, we don’t have many options here.” Penn shakes his head. “He’ll have to do, Jude.”

“I know.” She purses her lips and crosses her legs at the ankle, sitting up straight. “At least this is a nice place to get coffee.” 

The rest of the team is there with them. Ace and Markham are at a high top table, engaged in what looks like a very silent, passive aggressive game of go fish. Ace has a mocha, Markham has a cup of coffee that he totally didn’t pour vodka in. 

Ace seems…good. Better than the last time she saw her, but that memory haunts Jude. She doesn’t think about it, won’t tell Penn. 

Darien is sitting alone, drinking some sort of frappe and typing on his laptop, and Scipio isn’t too far over, drinking tea and writing in a notebook. 

Once they’re done here, it’s off to the airport, heading to Atlantic City and their apartment for the foreseeable future. 

But first, the logistician. She found him through a friend, someone with intricate knowledge of the building they’re supposed to rob. Apparently, he used to work there, but she has her doubts. 

The door to the cafe opens, and Jude looks over to see a man walk in. He’s short and surprisingly young, probably a year or two older than Ace, wearing circular glasses and a fleece jacket. Jude watches him place his order, a latte with oat milk, and once he’s got his drink, he walks over, standing next to her and Penn. 

“Are you Jude?” he asks Penn in a quiet voice. 

Penn grins and shakes his head. “Nope.”

Jude’s more than used to people mistaking Penn for her. They assume because he’s the man, he’s the one in charge, pulling on the strings. They’re partners. He might be the face of their team, but she runs just as much on the more…subtle end. “I’m Jude,” she says in a calm, even voice. “Sit down.”

He practically falls over himself trying to sit down, and Jude can’t help but raise an eyebrow. Age is no indicator of skill, Ace proved that to her, but the logistician moves like an awkward teenager, clutching his latte. “I’m Be—”

Penn cuts him off, leaning forward. “Nah, man. We don’t do real names. You gotta pick something else.”

“Hollis,” he says, a little too quickly. “My name is Hollis.”

“Hollis.” Jude nods, taking another sip of her cappuccino. “Do you understand why you’re here?”

He runs a hair through his messy, curly brown hair, his leg bouncing up and down nervously. “I worked for Hammer Tech at their Artemieva House location. Well, I was an intern.”

Penn is barely able to keep a straight face, downing the rest of his drink and staring at Hollis. “More conviction. If you can’t sell this shit to us, well…” He shrugs. “This isn’t the job for you.”

Hollis bites his lip before saying, a little less shakily, “I was an intern for Hammer Tech at Artemieva House. You contacted me because I had less than stellar things to say about them online, but I’m also listed in the footnotes as someone who worked on their security systems. Unless I’m wrong?”

“Spot on,” Penn says with a grin, looking to Jude. 

Jude fixes Hollis with a look, trying to read him. He just seems nervous, unsure of himself as he clutches his latte. “We need your knowledge of Hammer Tech and Artemieva House in order to pull off a job. You’ll make over a million dollars. All you have to do is give us information to help us acquire a certain item from that house.”

“What item?” he asks, leaning slightly as his eyes light up. 

Good. She’s got him interested. “Are you in?” she asks. “I can’t say this is perfectly legal.”

“I’m in. Fuck Hammer Tech. They fucking fired me and I’d love to see their stupid jaws drop when they realize something is missing from their ‘impenetrable security system.’ As long as I don’t actually have to go in Artemieva House. Place gives me the creeps.”

“You won’t have to go in. You’ll be in the van with our getaway driver.” Jude taps her perfectly manicured nails against her cup, hoping this mismatched team won’t be the death of this job. “The Artemieva Diamond Necklace. That’s our target.”

Hollis’s jaw drops. “Oh, fuck. That’s…yeah. Wow. I, um…”

Penn stands up, gesturing with his chin to the other members of their team to stand up. “Well, the gang’s all assembled, then, so let’s get to work.”

Jude smiles at him. That’s what she can count on Penn for, his leadership and his charm while she runs the show. “Welcome to the team, Hollis. Hope you’re ready.”

He chuckles and awkwardly rubs the back of his neck, visibly nervous. “Can you ever be ready for something like this?”

Penn smirks. “No. No, you can’t.”

[bestiarium]

The Peryton [medieval European mythology?]

It is unclear whether the Peryton is a mythological being, or a beast of modern fiction. It was first mentioned in the 1957 ‘Book of imaginary beings’ by Jorge Borges, who wrote fiction, so the Peryton is to be regarded as a modern invention. He cited a medieval manuscript as his source but said manuscript has never been located and is assumed to be fictional.

It is, however, depicted on a real medieval emblem, that of the Dukes of Bourbon, but there’s no evidence that the winged deer in heraldry has an actual connection to the supposed myth.

In any case, the Peryton is a wondrous animal that supposedly lived in Atlantis before it disappeared under the waves. Resembling stags with the feathers and wings of a bird, these creatures have the ability to fly and they cast a humanoid shadow.

It is capable of killing exactly one human in its life, after which it becomes docile. After having killed a human, the Peryton casts a regular shadow.

Supposedly, a swarm of Peryton attacked the Roman general Scipio when he tried to cross the sea to Africa. They killed hundreds of Roman soldiers, until the general ordered his men to reflect the sun with their shields. This blinded the Peryton and the swarm dispersed.

Despite the (likely) lack of actual mythical origins, the Peryton eventually became a rather popular fantastic creature in modern fiction, hence its inclusion in this list. It made appearances in franchises like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dungeons & Dragons (anyone remember Ghosts of Saltmarsh?). 

(image source 1: Lucymia, found on weheartit.com) (image source 2: Vespur Inglewood on furaffinity.net. I, uh, don’t usually visit that site)

List of creatures so far

[ram-reads]

Summary: The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy takes place a year after A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. During that year Felicity has made her way back to England and is looking for a way to get into the medical field. She has a hard time achieving that goal though due to the field of medicine being occupied by sexist men. She thinks she has finally found her chance when she is told that Alexander Platt, her idol, needs help on an expedition he has planned and probably wouldn’t be deterred by her sex. The problem is that he is located in Stuttgart and is about to be married to Johanna Hoffman, her childhood friend that she had a falling out with. Her first problem is solved when a pirate named Sim offers to pay the travel fees as long as Felicity helps her get into Johanna’s house. More problems arise though after she meets Platt in person and Sim ends up stealing something that belongs to Johanna. Thoughts: For the most part I did enjoy the plot. The story could get a little boring here and there, especially at the beginning. It’s a slow starting book. Once the plot fully reveals itself it remains consistently interesting. It helps that I tend to like road trip-esque stories. It’s fun getting to travel to multiple places in a book and seeing the characters react to being in a new setting they’re not used to, especially if they never had plans to travel in the first place but circumstances forced them to. Felicity only ever planned to travel to Stuttgart so it was fun seeing how the plot unfolded in a way that she ended up having to travel to many more places. I just wish we had gotten to explore these places more because it felt like the majority of the book was either spent on a ship or in a house. I tend to not enjoy historical fiction books so much when the main focus of them is on how discriminated women were back in the day. This is because it just makes me angry remembering all the obstacles women faced in the past, which then reminds me of all the obstacles women still face today because we are still far from being treated equally. It surprisingly didn’t bother me as much in this story even though being discriminated against based on gender is a major focus of the plot. I think this is because all three characters are so determined to achieve their goals. They know what they want to do and they’re not going to let men keep them from their dreams. I loved their confidence and how they all supported each other when their confidence wavered. I was a little disappointed that the piracy part of the title hadn’t been used to its full potential. It doesn’t really come into play until the last hundred pages and since I love pirates I was hoping for them to play a bigger role.

My feelings on the three main characters differed. Felicity’s perspective was fun to follow, though she does fall into the “I’m not like other girls” rut that usually annoys me. Luckily it was actually called out and addressed. While I did like her storyline it took me a long time to reconcile the Felicity of this novel with the Felicity from the first book. She seems more reckless when in the last book she seemed level-headed, and I get that it’s because she is desperate but it still felt off to me for a long time. Johanna Hoffman is Felicity’s childhood best friend that she had a falling out with due to Felicity thinking she was no longer the same person because Johanna started to like “girly” things like dressing nice. She wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a naturalist, but like Felicity she faces many roadblocks because of her gender. I didn’t care much for Johanna but not because she irritated me or anything, I just didn’t connect with her. I did like how her character was used to make the commentary that you can still be “girly” and smart. Sim is a pirate that Felicity gets introduced to through Scipio. She agrees to pay Felicity’s way to Stuttgart because she wants access to Johanna’s house for reasons that she won’t tell Felicity. Out of all three girls I found her to be the most interesting, so of course she is the one we get to see the least of. I like characters who are hard on the outside but are actually kind. It also has to do with the fact that she’s a pirate princess who one day wants to take over her father’s pirate empire. Who wouldn’t be intrigued by that? I also liked how Sim was Muslim because I don’t come across many Muslim characters written by authors from the United States or the United Kingdom. It’s even more rare for me to see Muslim characters in historical fiction that takes place mostly in Europe, so it makes me incredibly happy to see this representation. Fans of Monty and Percy from the first book will be pleased to hear that they are present in this novel. While they don’t play as big of a role as Felicity did in their story they are still in the novel for a good portion of it and I enjoyed the part they played. The bond between them and Felicity is super sweet. There was no romance in this, yay! Well, at least no romance subplot involving Felicity because guess what? She’s aromantic or asexual! I can’t say for sure which one because I’ve seen this book on many ace lists, but I personally read Felicity as aromantic because she seems to have no interest in romantic relationships at all. Either way I’m just glad to have the representation and that the focus was on the friendship between the three girls. They were all at their best when they were together and I liked seeing all of them supporting each other in their ambitions. My main gripe with the writing was that the chapters were too long. There were too many chapters that were over twenty pages long (some even over thirty!) and not enough breaks happening within those super long chapters. I’ll never understand why some authors write this way, especially when so many events happen within a chapter that it could easily be broken up. Mackenzi Lee still excels at writing history though. It’s always cool reading the additional information she has at the end of the book. I really enjoyed her Seven Real Women Who Would Have Been BFFs with Felicity, Johanna, and Sim bit. I’ll have to look up more about Jeanne de Clisson because she sounds like a badass. It’s always clear from these sections that Lee did a lot of research to write her stories and I appreciate that a lot when I’m reading historical fiction. It’s probably because she does such a good job researching that she’s able to effortlessly mix in a little drop of fantasy into that time period and make it seem believable. As a big fan of historical fantasy I love to see it. While I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first book due to the plot not being consistently interesting until about halfway through it was still a great read. Seeing Felicity and her friends fight back against sexism was satisfying along with seeing all the representation this book had to offer. All three girls had an amazing friendship that I wouldn’t mind seeing again someday. Maybe in a novella set a year or two after this story? Monty and Percy got one so I think Felicity and her friends deserve one too. I’ll be waiting!

[dc41896]

Oil and Vinegar

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A post shared by Jacob Scipio (@jaycpo) on Jan 6, 2020 at 9:10am PST

Pairing: Armando Armas (Jacob Scipio)xBlack Reader

Warning(s): Ok so I don’t think this imagine would be considered a spoiler, but just to be on the safe side 🚨SPOILER WARNING!!!!🚨 Other than that, slight angst (I know it’s not the usual fluff what is going on?!?!!!😂)

“Alright guys, this is Armando and he’s gonna be working with us for a while,” Rita introduces to you and the team.

“Wait, as in the Armando that’s supposed to be in jail right now?,” Rafe asks, pausing to look at his boss as if she’d gone mad.

“No Armando as in your new teammate so show him the ropes and treat him as such,” she corrects before turning on her heels to return to her desk.

“Hey I’m Kelly, and over there with the guns is Rafe. By the computers is Dorn and next to him is our other rookie, Y/N,” Kelly introduces pointing to each of you respectively.

Giving you all a slight head nod, he follows Kelly as she begins showing him around the facility.

“Who’s Armando? From what Rafe said, sounds like you guys have history,” you ask Dorn, looking around to make sure your new teammate wasn’t around to hear you talking about him.

“And you would be correct,” he begins with a sigh. “Long story short, he was a person of interest for us during an investigation until some turn of events involving Detective Lowry.”

“I see..” Slowly nodding your head, you turn back to the screen in front of you continuing your work. Still on his tour, you notice him glance your way out of the corner of your eye before shifting his attention back to Kelly as if nothing happened, as soon as you look in his direction.

Although you had yet to talk to him, you could tell his personality was quiet yet intense. Like he wouldn’t easily let anyone in and if you were lucky enough to break down one wall, there was probably 10 more you had to get through. More than likely he wasn’t too thrilled about being on a team either, which would definitely make his time here interesting.

Two years later after a handful of missions and assignments, your predictions couldn’t be more right. He was quiet with pretty much everyone at first, that is until Rafe starting puffing his chest out one day.

“Oye, you might want to calmaté with the big boss act before you get knocked down,” he spoke during one of your combat trainings. Smooth yet a bit menacing, you knew he meant business.

“And who’s gonna do that?”

Shrugging, he places his hands in the pockets of his black sweatpants making a noise with his mouth as if he was thinking.

“I don’t know, maybe me? I’d even put my money on her honestly,” he answered tilting his head in your direction.

“East boys, stop showing your feathers. Plus he has a point Rafe, we all know Y/N could definitely take you out,” Rita adds, breaking the tension and making Dorn, Kelly, and even Rafe, softly laugh.

Not to toot your own horn or anything, but she was right. Yea you might’ve spent most of your time helping with tech, but when it was time for action, no one could touch you.

Being an excellent fighter himself, that usually left you and Armando partners for missions, like the one you were currently on. However being partners didn’t really change his quiet nature. The only time he would really talk to you was about an assignment or if someone else needed you for something.

You honestly didn’t think much of it though knowing how he was. Coming back from the current assignment though, he did something no one could have predicted.

“Where were you?!,” he yelled as you both entered the surveillance truck. “We kept calling you and you wouldn’t answer!”

“Sorry, I was a little busy getting hulk smashed into the wall,” you answer holding your back. “Dorn I got the flash drive and broke through the first firewall while I was inside, but there’s another one I didn’t have enough time to get through.”

“On it, thanks!”

“Next time answer when someone calls,” Armando mumbles walking pass you to reload his gun.

“Sure thing dad.”

“Excuse me?!”

“Relax it was just a joke. What’s your problem?!”

“Right now you!”

“Hey! Armando, Y/N enough! I don’t know what’s going on between you two but get it together and fast!,” Rita yells, the rest of the crew looking back and forth between the three of you to see what would happen next.

Shaking his head, he goes back to his gun as you scoff, sitting down next to Dorn to see what he’s come up with.

———

“What is it?!,” your boyfriend, Wes, frustratedly greets.

“And hello to you too. Is everything ok?,” you ask, back at your usual spot in front of the computer screen searching files.

“Yea it’s fine, just busy with work.”

“Oh ok, well do you want me to call bac-?”

“Listen I don’t have time to talk, I’ll just see you later,” he quickly answers, hanging up before giving you a chance to say goodbye.

“Novio still being a di-?,” Armando speaks, your backs towards each other from him being at computer behind you.

“1. Watch your mouth and 2. He had a lot of work to do so he’s just stressed. And way to eavesdrop on my private conversation!”

“Seems like he’s stressed everyday from the way he talks to you. And I wasn’t eavesdropping, you’re the one having a phone call in the middle of the office.”

“Whatever.” Searching for possible locations of a suspect, all that can be heard in the room is the light clicks from you typing on the keyboard.

“You deserve better Mari,” he replies, his rich Mexican accent breaking the moment of silence between the two of you.

“Is he serious right now?!,” you thought turning around in your seat looking at the back of his head.

“So first you get mad at me for not answering when you guys called and now you’re trying to have a say in who I date?! Last time I checked you’re not my dad!”

“I know I’m not and I’m not trying to be! I’m just saying-,”

“And I’M just saying that I’m a grown adult who can handle herself so thanks but I’ll ask for your help when I need it. Oh and you know my name so I don’t understand why you’re calling me Mari.”

Turning around to face you, you’re met with deep brown eyes that instantly had you in a trance. Although he was so tough, and at times intimidating, they looked so soft and inviting making you wish you could stay that way for a while longer.

“Mari is short for Mariposa, or butterfly. On one hand, it’s a graceful, beautiful creature that can bring light and happiness. But according to the butterfly effect, can also come with deadly consequences,” he finishes looking just as deep into your eyes as you were his.

“Hey can one of you print some-,” Kelly starts to ask before seeing both of you quickly return to the way you were sitting, of course causing an eyebrow to rise as she began wondering what could’ve been going on.

“Yea I got it just send it to me,” Armando replied.

“Will do,” she smirks making eye contact with you donning a look that said “you guys did/were about to do something and I want to know everything,” before backing out of the door.

“Like I said Mari you deserve better.”

“Hmm and let me guess, warning me somehow calms your conscience knowing you’ve done the same?”

“I’ve done some messed up things Y/N, but none of them included mistreating my girl,” he answers momentarily looking down at your lips before turning around to collect all of his stuff to leave.

“Night.”

“Goodnight,” you answer as he walks out the door, backpack hanging from one shoulder. Still collecting your thoughts about what just happened, Kelly walks through the door just as he leaves locking it then putting the key in her pocket.

“Alright spill what happened or you’re never leaving this room,” she states sitting next to you and giving you a much needed laugh for the day.

Taglist: @crushed-pink-petals @fumbling-fanfics @honeychicana @lady-olive-oil @themyscxiras @lovelymari4 @melinda-january @nunubug99 @felicity-x0 @ellixthea @jojolu @jnk-812 @brwn-sgr @captainsamwlsn @itshinothey @wildfirecracker @nina-sj

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