#men and women in the ton so he gets highly defensive

[cicidarkarts]

In Idrees character bio or something it calls him the grey rat of his family. Do you think you can expand more on his family. I think that he does have an uncle shown in one of scenes with him but I want to know if you think more on idrees actual family. Do you think he had siblings? Did he have any sisters? What influenced him to join the Taliban?

So I have a ton of thoughts on little Idrees and what his home life was like. Before we get into all of that depressing shit, let's see a cute sketch of little Idrees :3

Baby 😭😭 And I'm not going to lie. I don't know what the grey rat of the family means. I'm not very good with Google (some of y'all are wizards) so my results didn't yield much fruit. However, I can make an educated guess by the description of "insignificant and useless", and various other idioms like black sheep and white crow, to mean he's an outcast. Unusual, doesn't fit in, either overlooked in the best case or used as the family scapegoat in the worst case. He was neglected and, imo, very abused. Much more info below the cut tw: child abuse, domestic violence (violence against women and children)

CiCi hand jumpscare. Found this lil dude at a Halloween party and had to have him :3 He sits on my desk now I think Idrees was the only male child in a long line of girls (I think 3 sisters). Because of this, he was held to impossible standards as a child, with particularly toxic male attitudes of what a man "should" be in the highly patriarchal and sexist culture of Afghanistan. But Idrees struggled to be what his father/baba wanted him to be. He was bookish, scrawny, meek, and averse to violence.

"You wasted my time, teaching me things of no worth."

His baba would never be proud of him for book learning. Being intelligent didn't save him from the wrath of his baba's iron fist. That's why I think he made this "teaching me things of no worth" comment. To Idrees, all of the knowledge he accrued amounted to absolutely nothing in the eyes of his baba. I like to think he was actually extremely intelligent, working at grade levels quite above his own, as Idrees would bury himself in studies as a way of escapism. He could get praise and adulation from Nurullah and his other teachers that he couldn't get elsewhere. From a young age, Idrees was witness to his baba's volatile behavior. His baba would fly off the handle at the slightest provocation, very clearly a product of the culture of his own shitty upbringing. He kept Idrees, Idrees' sisters, and his mama under his boot, and would commit violence against Mama jaan, who got the worst and most of it. When Idrees was about 8-years-old, witnessing Baba going off on Mama jaan yet again, he jumped in to help her. This was the first of a long bout of physical abuse he endured (and my headcanon as to how his tooth got chipped). Excerpt of how I think this played out found below.

His lil chipped tooth cute as hell tho

He never did anything right in the eyes of his father. Idrees didn't like to engage in violence and was seen as cowardly. Idrees kept to himself and was seen as weak. If he ever stepped out of line of what boys and men are supposed to do, his father would attempt to demean him by calling him a little girl. He was never allowed to be his authentic self. Eventually this spilled over to the rest of the family. Idrees became a scapegoat, and his family avoided him or joined in on the abuse just to appease their baba. Mama jaan tried to pretend he didn't even exist, as any time she came to Idrees' defense, she would be "put back in her place". It became easier to turn a blackened, blind eye. His baba was a Talib. Of that, I have no doubt. Naturally, Idrees would also join the Taliban, in an effort to prove that he was just as capable, just as much of "a man", as Baba. But the violence often inflicted on civilians and women scared him, and his baba became more and more disgusted with this as time went on. Idrees has never been able to discover who he actually is. As a person. As a man. It seemed no matter what he did, he fucked up. Baba always harped on about how much of a disappointment and a failure Idrees was. And Idrees started to believe it. Since defecting from the Taliban, fleeing the violence and the war and his terrible life, Idrees was left to pick up his pieces. He cut his fingers trying to solve the puzzle. Fear has kept him from finishing it, leaving an incomplete picture with pieces that don't seem to fit, his blood smeared across the rest. Even after the war claimed his father and uncle, their marks and bruises remain, tender to the touch. It's all too easy for Idrees to press on these bruises and feel their sting once again. All too easy for him to believe he deserves it.

Excerpt (~1k words & 4 min reading time; tw: graphic depictions of violence against women and children): With a sick pit in his stomach, Idrees recalled one of the many times his mother had been working to the bone. Their crappy little clay and brick home sweltered through the summer heat. The plain salt and pepper and cumin smells of his mama’s cooking wafted through the thick air, interspersed by his sisters arguing over something he didn't really understand (boys or their shared clothes).

Not that he cared to understand. As a young child, hardly eight years old, he threw himself into his studies. Stacks of books enveloped him as he lay on his stomach in his corner of the room, skimming over the same words he'd been trying to take in all afternoon. The quiet peace of school allowed him to concentrate but the chaos of his home was altogether different—distracting, soul-crushing.

The only refuge was his invisibility. If they ignored him, they didn't yell at him. If they didn't yell at him, he could project himself into his own world for a while. A world that soothed his weary mind with bright blue skies, fresh loam, clean running water, surrounded by people who didn't hate his guts.

That illusion shattered when he smelled burning. His mother cursed aloud; pots and pans banged and scraped. Bile rose up in his throat. He swallowed it down, trying to ease his trembling, sweaty hands as they closed his textbook.

“Baba will be home any minute,” said his eldest sister, voice laden with nerves. “This is all your fault,” his youngest spat.

He watched as his youngest and middle sister fought again over who was to blame. But even as the youngest of all of his siblings, he was well aware that Mama would be the one to catch Baba's ire. All of the bickering halted when the door opened. His sisters backed off as Mama tried to salvage what she could, her arms moving wildly as she stirred and scraped the pot.

Baba's large, imposing form stood in the threshold of the door, blotting out the light of the gleaming sun. His scraggly stubble wriggled alongside his nose as he sniffed the air. Those frigid blue eyes stared like ice into the back of Mama's head.

“Woman,” Baba demanded, slamming the door shut, “can you do nothing right?” “I'm sorry,” Mama pleaded. “I was distracted, I didn't mean to—” “Shut up! Spare me your excuses. I work hard all day and you can’t even have a decent dinner ready for me when I get home.” “I’m sorry,” Mama apologized again—but no matter how many sorrys she chanted, they fell on deaf ears. Baba approached her, his dark eyes sending chills down Idrees’ spine. “You know what happens when I don't come home to a hot meal.”

Idrees and his sisters kept their distance. His sisters hid behind their hijabs, shielding their eyes from what was to come. Idrees normally shut his eyes, too. He would clap his hands over his ears and internally recite words from his textbooks. But today, seeing his mama's defeated, horrified eyes watching his baba, something else bubbled up from deep within him.

Baba hurled a fist into Mama's face. She crumpled to the floor, disoriented, huddling down to protect her stomach. That bubbling thing erupted out of Idrees like a volcano. He threw himself in the way of the second hit, blocking Mama with his body. Baba’s knuckles connected with Idrees’ shoulder, heavy and excruciating like he’d been fighting another man and not his defenseless wife. Idrees flinched but kept himself between them, arms outstretched to keep Baba away from her.

“Stop it, Baba!” he cried. “What do you think you're doing, you little rat?” Baba spat. “Shouldn't you be reading your stupid books?” “Just leave Mama jaan alone!” “Idrees,” Mama cooed, grabbing his shoulder. “You don’t have to—” “No, no,” said Baba with a horrific chuckle. He gazed down at Idrees with his crooked teeth displayed in a malicious smirk. “Let him. If he thinks he can defend women, let him try. Go ahead, boy. Hit me. Be a man for once.”

Idrees’ heart thrashed like a terrified cornered animal in its cage. Baba was huge and plump from Mama's cooking. He stood with his belly exposed, laughing like it was a big joke. Idrees knew he was scrawny and unthreatening, arms like little twigs—something he’d been demeaned and berated for all his life. But he threw back a little fist and bashed it into Baba's gut as hard as he could. Baba let out a grunt behind his clenched teeth.

One of his sister’s gasped, then everyone went silent. The stillness of the house made goosebumps race up Idrees’ arms. His father's nasty, horrible glare burned into his memory—chilling eyes, teeth bared, staring into Idrees’ soul like a wrathful god.

He didn't say another word before slamming his large knuckles into Idrees’ mouth. One of his rings cracked against Idrees’ teeth, sending shocks of pain throughout his skull. Idrees staggered but before he could either fall or catch his balance, another hit battered his eye.

Things went black. His ears rang, muffling Mama begging for Baba to stop. When his senses returned, he was on the floor, his mouth flooded with coppery blood, his left eye swelled shut.

“Let that be a lesson to you, boy,” Baba said as he trudged away to his usual spot. “Women aren't even worth the blood you'll spill.”

He shouted orders at his sisters and demanded his mother get food to him in thirty minutes, “or else”.

Idrees was left to pick up the pieces of himself, his Mama only able to give him a tear-filled look before being forced to work. Idrees quivered to his feet, ears still ringing, mind bleary. Despite the room spinning, he tried to help clear out the burnt food. The second his hand touched a rag, Baba demeaned,

“What do you think you're doing, rat!? Are you a man or are you a little girl!?”

He stumbled away, logical thought slowly dissipating from his disoriented mind. He tried to get to his corner where textbooks and stories awaited him. His legs were so heavy like they were weighed down by boulders. He fell to his knees as pinpricks dotted his peripherals.

Somehow, he was able to cast the weakness aside, crawling toward his turrets of books. He hid himself away and was, by the grace of Allah, ignored for the rest of the night.

[cloud9in]

Encounter (Mc x Veronica)

Summary: Veronica goes out for drinks one night and finds herself in a situation where she needs saving. Good thing Bea exists right?

This fic was highly inspired by my boo @fundamentalromantic. Thank you so much for the idea and I hope you enjoy it.

Word count: 2,300

Warnings: Violence, implied sex, but 80% banter 

Tags: @samanthadalton @satrinadia @clowneryme @thedaft1 @alccaddsccup @penda-bear (tagged some people who I thought would like to read)

 A day before moving into Belvoire, Veronica decided she should get a feel of the area. New York was far different from the usual quietness of her small hometown in California. But on the bright side, the vlogger would get a ton of content for her Youtube channel in the buzzing city where people never sleep. The first few days of exploring involved bar hopping and recruiting Chloe to help her film in Soho and Chinatown for beauty week. Poppy took part in Veronica’s tour as well, and on Thursday the girls decided to check out the newest night club that opened up.

 Veronica stepped out of the car in a sparkly thigh-length dress with a slit, and black Louboutin heels. It definitely caught the attention of people standing outside the club, a few guys even attempting to approach her in their drunken state. Chloe basked in the attention, flirting with a blonde-haired guy who was clearly overdressed (in her eyes). Poppy dragged Chloe with her and the three girls walked swiftly past the long line of people and up to the bouncer. It didn’t take much effort to have him open the door for them, being as they were the three hottest people on the block, but Veronica also did have a killer reputation at just about any place she stepped foot in.

 An hour into partying and Veronica held her phone up as her livestream watched them all do a round of colorful tequila shots. The vlogger definitely felt the warm buzz of booze swimming through her veins as her muscles started to relax. New York was the place to be right now and more eventful than all of the years she lived in Cali. Veronica was excited to continue her career and studies in a place like this, but her peaceful thoughts are quickly cut off when someone approaches her, the smell of cheap alcohol invading her senses.

 “What’s a tigress like you doing in a raunchy place like this baby?” Veronica rolled her eyes at the hideous effort of flirting by a man who reeked of “just got divorced and into younger women”. His friends (who were probably part of the same club) seemed to laugh around him, encouraging the unwanted behavior. She shook her head and turned away from him in her chair. Don’t let some idiots ruin your night V, have some fun.

 She immediately stiffened when he wrapped his arms around her from behind, the wet feeling of his alcohol soaked beard grazing against her cheek. Veronica  jerked up abruptly, shoving the man away from her and placing her arms up in defense. “Get the fuck off of me.” 

 At this point people started to stare at them, Poppy and Chloe already standing by the Zeta’s side with anger. Veronica had left her phone on the table but the stream kept going, capturing the voices of patrons in the bar getting increasingly louder. The bearded man watched her with a predatory look on his face, well aware of the crowd that was forming around them. He grunted and turned away after realizing he probably couldn’t take on three women at once, atleast not in the way he imagined. Chloe scoffs loudly, crossing her arms, “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re scared of us. Pathetic piece of garbage.” 

 Yeah....bad idea Chlo.

 When he whipped around to face them, Veronica finally noticed just how large his muscles were, and how they were straining against his shirt. Oh shit. 

 “What did you say to me bitch?”

 Veronica shot a nasty glare at Chloe before facing the stranger once again, her arms slightly trembling. “Look, let's just forget all of this and move on with our night. Don't mind my friend...she’s just..” Veronica leans closer, mocking a whisper, “it’s that time of the month.” The guys laughed at her comment and she silently breathed a sigh of relief, hoping this would make them back off. The last thing Veronica needed was to get her ass handed to her on live, with thousands of people watching. Poppy stood there eyeing the men, her hand already on the tip of her phone, ready to speed dial her dad, or the cops...or her therapist if things went awry. 

 Chloe sneered at Veronica, her awful balance making her stumble as she stepped closer to the men. She clearly had too much to drink. “Oh please, I’m not sorry for anything that comes out of my mouth, even if it includes vomit!” She points a finger in their direction, “give me your best you motherfuc- mmh!”

 Poppy clamps one hand straight onto the blonde’s mouth before she can spit out any more profanity. Her face a mixture of annoyance and fear as the men start to lose their smiles. Veronica can see the bearded man getting ready to lunge at her and her flight or fight instincts seemed to kick in at the last second. She dodged the hand that tried to grab her, but he caught her leg as he was spent sprawling down on the ground from something behind. She yelped and kicked free of his hold before catching the gaze of a woman who stood a few feet away from her. Their eye contact was immediately broken as the stranger glared down at the man, “hands off the lady.”

 Two men from the group with buzzcuts tried to grab hold of the brunette’s arms but she spins easily and kicks one right in between the legs, making him fall in pain. The other guy tried to knock her down from behind but she locked his arm in an odd and excruciating position, “do you really want to do this?” His persistence led her to pull on his elbow, eliciting a scream from the man until he surrendered and scurried away, along with the rest of their crew.

 The brunette swiftly kicks the bearded man in the abdomen after seeing him trying to get up, “stay down you asshole.” 

 She wipes a trickle of sweat from her forehead and huffs out, “I’ve wrestled pigs bigger than these guys, but damn that was a workout.” Unbeknownst to the woman, it was all caught on tape and would be everywhere, including Belvoire’s hottest gossip blog the T. But she doesn’t have to worry about that because she doesn’t go there, right?

 Veronica gapes at the girl who single handedly became her hero, in tight leather pants. The curly-haired woman noticed the speechless expression on her face and smirked. “Well if I were you guys, I’d leave this place before the cops miraculously show up.”

 “Somebody should call the police! These- these bimbos tried to kill us-”

 Chloe earns another hand on her mouth as Poppy starts to push her towards the exit, “Oh yeah the only bimbo here is YOU, go and sit in the car before you end up in a jail cell.” 

 Veronica turns away from the chaotic scene and notices that the brunette has gotten closer to her. She can feel her throat starting to heat up, and it was enough to take her mind off what just happened. The Zeta girl tries to take a step and immediately feels her heel slip sideways, but the woman captures her hands and steadies her before she can fall. “Woah- careful there. Maybe we should walk outside? This club is starting to get crowded.” 

 They step around the man sprawled out on the floor. Yeah someone will probably come get him, no worries. Veronica lets her lead the way until they both step out to the curb. The brunette helps her sit down on the edge of the sidewalk before taking a seat next to her. “You know, I can’t keep living life without knowing the name of my savior.” 

 The mystery girl barks out a laugh as she siddles closer to her. She holds out her hand, hoping that Veronica would grab it, “Bea, Bea Hughes. And you?”

 Veronica stares at her wide-eyed, a not so sarcastic gasp escaping her lips, “You-you don’t know who I am?”

 “...Should I?”

 Bea scrunches her eyebrows in confusion before snapping her fingers, “Oh wait! You’re a Kardashian..!” That earns her a hard smack to her leg but she can only laugh teasingly. 

 “I think that was the most disrespectful thing someone has ever said to me....You’re very lucky you’re cute. Oh and it's Veronica.”

 Bea bites her lip shyly, “You’re too beautiful to be one of them...Veronica. And you definitely look all real to me.”

 “Okay if you’re trying to seduce me, this is NOT the way to go Hughes.”

 They both bust out laughing and Veronica wraps her arm around Bea’s, letting herself sink into her side. “Thank you by the way...I mean, not like I couldn’t handle it myself.” She shrugs and looks down at their entangled arms, squeezing tighter, “I owe you one.”

 “You don’t owe me a damn thing Veronica. I’m just grateful I was there as well. This ain’t the first time those goons have harassed women in the area.”

 “Judging by that southern accent and fighting skills, I’m guessing you’re not from here?”

 Bea smiles down at Veronica, studying her bright hazel eyes and luscious lashes. “No I am not, but….if you want to know more about me, how about over a drink? If you want to.” 

 The Zeta girl laughs softly, nudging her, “Oh so you do know how to flirt Hughes. Let's do it! But um..it might be a little difficult to do that because my heel is broken.”

 Bea peers down at her stilettos which seemed to be way past 7 lives now and smiles to herself. In one swift motion she scoops Veronica up in her arms bridal style. The vlogger gasps in surprise before wrapping her arms around the brunette’s neck. “Our problem seems to have disappeared already. And you are incredibly light like a feather.” Bea teases the Zeta, lifting her in an up and down motion.

 “That’s because I’m 40% alcohol right now, but do keep me in your arms, perfectly convenient for me.”

 “You mean I get to carry a stunning woman in my arms free of charge? This must be heaven..”

 “Okay Ms. Flirt, keep walking I’ll direct you where to go.”

 Bea fought the urge to tease her about trying to be dominant but the voices of Poppy and Chloe caught their attention. She approached the car where Chloe sat…wailing hysterically..?

 “I don’t want to go to prison! Don’t let them take me Poppy please!” The blonde grabs Poppy’s dress and doesn’t let go, desperately looking around. When Bea finally stops in front of them, Poppy looks over at the two women and rolls her eyes, clearly fed up.

 “Poppy what the hell is happening with Chlo?!” Veronica breathes out, even though this is the last place she wants to be.

 “Chloe thinks I called the cops on her and she said she doesn't want to sleep on a concrete bed with two other women in a prison cell.”

 Bea raises an eyebrow as she watches the two Zeta girls stare at each other like they’re used to what was happening right now. Veronica gives Poppy a stern look, essentially telling her “leave me alone, I’m trying to get laid”, and the strawberry blonde catches on quickly. She turns away, sighing heavily, “Go, I’ll deal with this. But be at the house tomorrow, it's our first day back.”

 The Zeta grins and blows her a kiss, signaling for Bea to carry on down the sidewalk as she lays in her arms barefoot. Poppy watches them walk away and roll her eyes.

 “So, should I ask?”

 “I think you would appreciate it if I didn’t tell you.”

 The brunette laughs easily, crossing the now empty street. The more she walked the direction that Veronica guided her to, the more quieter it got. “Um… V. Where exactly are we going..?”

 “You’ll see. It’s a secret spot. Kind of like a speakeasy, except it’ll just be the two of us and we can do whatever we want.” Veronica flips her hair seductively, catching Bea’s gaze as she bites her lips and winks. The brunette can feel her heart starting to beat faster, her breath hitching in her throat. She barely can move her gaze off of Veronica’s hazel orbs, her cheeks reddening at the girl’s shameless comment. 

 Lucky for Bea (or maybe not), their night was just getting started, and Veronica would have her blushing again, but this time on her knees. 

 ***

 Veronica saunters confidently into the gates of Belvoire on move-in day, watching as others run around campus with luggages and bags. She sips on the iced latte in her land, eyes glued to her phone on the other hand. She eventually finds Chloe yelling at some assistant girl and immediately turns around, not wanting to deal with it. A woman with a suitcase and a grey Henley shirt approaches the blonde, reprimanding her for her rude behavior. The video of the fight last night appears on the T just as Veronica looks at her phone again. Bea’s leather jacket appears on-screen and knocks the man down. Veronica smirks as she watches the woman take on 3 men effortlessly. People around start to point at the brunette while looking at their phones, and Veronica doesn’t look up until two voices that appear to be arguing, get louder. She nearly drops the cup of coffee in her hands when she sees the same face that was between her legs the previous night. 

 And as Poppy approaches Bea, the brunette catches a glimpse of familiar hazel eyes and ombre colored hair and her eyes go wide. “...Veronica..?” Oh shit.

[kaedeharakaori]

Genshin Impact as K-idols

part one.

your fave genshin impact characters as kpop idols (that i know,, atleast)

alright so lets start with the men in genshin since i dont really listen to or stan girl groups. so i can imagine some are from bts and txt.

~~~~~

Zhongli as Kim Namjoon from BTS; why? because i can see qualities in Namjoon that are quite similar to the Lord of Geo. They're both wise in their own ways, smart and can easily adapt to certain situations that need solving. Although i can see Xingqiu being a close candidate to being Namjoon because of the fact that they love to read.

Kaeya as Min Yoongi from BTS; because of the fact that both are really sly and cunning as well as sassy when in the right moment. Although Kaeya can be more talkative at times, i can see that he's somewhat similar to Yoongi in a way. Both love alcohol dont @ me on that.

Childe as Jeon Jungkook from BTS; because both are buff as fuck and wont hesitate to fight someone, also very smart and wholesome, can be evil at times but please, they're both cinnamon rolls. Another contender for Jungkook is Xiao because,,, ✨edgy✨

Venti as Park Jimin from BTS; do i even need to explain? I feel like both would get along because of drinks *ehem* alcohol *ehem*. Venti and Jimin are bright and fuffy but can have the duality of a sex god dont quote me on that one. Both are also great singers and highly talented in music. I feel like Venti would make a great dancer👁️👁️

Albedo as Kim Taehyung from BTS; i can see some similarities but correct me if im wrong! Both look stone cold on the outside but on the inside they just want a shit ton of cuddles and kithes. Both feel like they dont belong but trust me you're more than wanted my babies. Albedo and Taehyung are really smart in their own ways and can adapt to certain situations as Zhongli and Namjoon, and with Kaeya and Yoongi.

Diluc as Kim Seokjin from BTS; minty, Diluc and Jin are not the same they dont have similar qualitie- STFU okay? stfu for a moment. I put Diluc as Seokjin because yeah, they aint similar but inteas they're the opposites of each other. In my defense, i see Diluc as Jin purely because both are built like gods and hella rich but also have the need to protect their loved ones like Diluc defends Mondstadt because its his home, and Jin protecting his younger members from harmful things like Namjoon protecting his members from the harsh words of haters.

Aether as Jung Hoseok from BTS; MULTI-TALENTED KINGS, Aether literally has a heart of gold like our dear Hobi. Aether's lowkey probably a good dancer like Hobi and they have the fuckin drip. Both are also scary as fuck at certain times. That is all.

Bennett as Choi Beomgyu from TXT; opposites; while Bennett is unlucky, Beomgyu is kinda lucky in a way (im reffering to the gameshow where TXT and Enhypen were together). Like the pair are really cute and wholesome too.

Chongyun as Kang Taehyun from TXT; both do some sort of magic,, that is all that i can say. Chongyun does exorcism while Taehyun does a more simple form of magic like card tricks but dont be fooled by his handsome face~

Xingqiu as Huening Kai or Choi Soobin from TXT; im not saying this purely because Hyukai is my bias and i have a certain favouritism towards Xingqiu but,,, Both love books in a way, and also VERY RESPECTFUL like really R E S P E C T F U L.

Xiao as Choi Yeonjun from TXT; multiple single words,,, edgy, talented, and respectfully hot. i can somehow see Yeonjunnie as Razor too because,,, WOOF WOOF BARK BARK GRR.

part 2 will be for the women of genshin impact😩👌

[collegeburnoutsuperstar]

Social Distancing Book Recs

I’ve been getting tons of book recommendations from friends and family to help get through social distancing/self-quarantine, so I thought I should share some of my favorite books with everybody!

Horror/Apocalyptic: *all books are ADULT*

- The Stand by Stephen King “This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death. And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides -- or are chosen” (Goodreads Summary).

- Inferno by Dan Brown “Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in an Italian hospital, disorientated and with no recollection of the past thirty-six hours, including the origin of the macabre object hidden in his belongings. With a relentless female assassin tailing them through Florence, he and his resourceful doctor, Sienna Brooks, are forced to flee. Embarking on a harrowing journey, they must unravel a series of codes, which are the work of a brilliant scientist whose obsession with the end of the world is matched only by his passion for one of the most influential masterpieces ever written, Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno” (Goodreads Summary).

- World War Z by Max Brooks “The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, form decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years” (Goodreads summary).

- It by Stephen King “It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real... They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But none of them can withstand the force that has drawn them back to Derry to face the nightmare without an end, and the evil without a name” (Goodreads summary).

- The Shining by Stephen King “Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic locations feels ever more remote... and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old” (Goodreads summary).

- House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski “[House of Leaves] focuses on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of the impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story -- of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of the unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams” (Goodreads summary).

Comedy:

- Good Omens by Neil Gaimen and Terry Pratchett “People have been predicting the end of the world almost from its very beginning, so it’s only natural to be skeptical when a new date is set for Judgement Day. But what if, for once, the predictions are right, and the apocalypse really is due to arrive next Saturday, just after tea? You could spend the time left drowning your sorrows, giving away all your possessions in preparation for the rapture, or laughing it off as (hopefully) just another hoax. Or you could just try to do something about it. It’s a predicament that Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon now finds themselves in. They’ve been living amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and, truth be told, have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and, in all honesty, are not actually looking forward to the coming Apocalypse. And then there’s the small matter that someone appears to have misplaced the Antichrist... “ (Goodreads summary).

- Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan *PG-13* Dad is Fat is a comedic memoir that details Jim Gaffigan’s life growing up in a large Catholic family to his experiences as a husband and father (specifically parenting his five young children while living in a tiny walk-up apartment in New York). I highly recommend the audiobook (which is narrated by Jim Gaffigan), my family and I always listen to it during road trips. It never stops being funny. 

- Bored of the Rings: A Parody of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings by The Harvard Lampoon *ADULT* “A quest, a war, a ring that would be grounds for calling any wedding off, a king without a kingdom, and a little, furry ‘hero’ named Frito, ready -- or maybe just forced by the wizard of Goodgulf-- to undertake the one mission which can save Lower Middle Earth from enslavement by the evil Sorhed… Luscious Elfmaidens, a roller-skating dragon, ugly plants that can soul-kiss the unwary to death-- these are just some of the ingredients in the wildest, wackiest, most irreverent excursion into fantasy realms that anyone has ever dared to undertake” (Goodreads summary).

Middle-Grade:

- Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan (book 1: The Lightning Thief) “Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends-- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena-- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods” (Goodreads summary).

- The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan (book 1: The Lost Hero) “Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper, and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for ‘bad kids.’ What id Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly? Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare about his being in trouble. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits during the school trip, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out. Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too-- like the curse everyone keeps talking about, and some camper who’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them--including Leo-- is related to a god. Does this have anything to do with Jason’s amnesia, or the fact that Leo keeps seeing ghosts?” (Goodreads summary)

- The Children of the Red King series by Jenny Nimmo (book 1: Midnight for Charlie Bone) “Charlie Bone has a special gift-- he can hear people in photographs talking! The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. This is what happened to Charlie Bone, and to some of the children he met behind the grim, gray walls of Bloor’s Academy. His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor’s Academy, a school for geniuses where he uses his grifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead” (Goodreads summary).

- Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements “Bobby Phillips is an average fifteen-year-old boy. Until the morning he wakes up and can’t see himself in the mirror. Not blind, not dreaming. Bobby is just plain invisible... There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to Bobby’s new conditions; even his dad the physicist can’t figure it out. For Bobby that means no school, no friends, no life. He’s a missing person” (Goodreads summary).

Science Fiction:

- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick *Adult*  “It was January 2021, and Rick Deckard had a license to kill. Somewhere among the hordes of humans out there, lurked several rogue androids. Deckard’s assignment-- find them and then... ‘retire’ them. Trouble was, the androids all looked exactly like humans, and they didn’t want to be found!” (Goodreads summary).

- Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton * Suitable for Young Adults* “An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them-- for a price. Until something goes wrong...” (Goodreads summary). 

Fantasy:

- The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman *ADULT* (book 1: The Magicians) “Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A senior in high school, he’s still secretly preoccupied with a series of fantasy novels he read as a child, set in a magical land called Fillory. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the craft of modern sorcery. He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. Something is missing, though. Magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he dreamed it would. After graduation he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real. But the land of Quentin’s fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he could have imagined. His childhood dream becomes a nightmare with a shocking truth at its heart” (Goodreads summary).

- The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater *YA* (book 1: The Raven Boys) “What do you know about Welsh kings?” This incredibly atmospheric story centers on a seemingly random group of teens as they uncover the mysterious and magical secrets of their small Virginia town.

- A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab *Suitable for Young Adults* “Kell is one of the last Antari-- magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes-- Red London-- and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III  in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. Now perilous magic is afoot, and treacher lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive” (Goodreads summary).

- The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien *Suitable for middle-grade through adult* “In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord. forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken form him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom” (Goodreads summary).

- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss *Adult* “Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bit to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story” (Goodreads summary).

- The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch *Adult* “An orphan’s life is harsh-- and often short-- in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But youge Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Loke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game-- or die trying” (Goodreads summary).

Fiction:

- The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich *ADULT mystery-thrillers/romance* (book 1: One for the Money) “You’ve lost your job as a department store lingerie buyer, your car’s been repossessed, and most of your furniture and small appliances have been sold off to pay last month’s rent. Now the rent is due again. And you live in New Jersey. What do you do? If you’re Stephanie Plum, you become a bounty hunter. But not just a nickel-and-dime bounty hunter; you go after the big money. That means a cop gone bad. And not just any cop. She goes after Joe Morelli, a disgraced former vice cop who is also the man who took Stephanie’s virginity at age 16 and the wrote details on a bathroom wall. With pride and rent money on the line, Plum plunges headlong into her first case, one that pits her against ruthless adversaries - people who’d rather kill than lose” (Goodreads summary).

- The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown *Adult* “While in Paris, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of the night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci-- clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter. Even more startling, the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion-- a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Victory Hugo, and Da Vici-- and he guarded a breathtaking historical secret. Unless Landon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle-- while avoiding the faceless adversary who shadows their every move-- the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever” (Goodreads summary).

- Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle *Adult* Sherlock Holmes stories are always fun when stuck at home.

- 11/22/63 by Stephen King *Adult* “Life can turn on a dime-- or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father’s sledgehammer slaughter of his entire family, Jake is blown away... but an even more bizarre secret comes to light when Jake’s friend Al, owner of the local diner, enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession-- to prevent the Kennedy assassination. How? By stepping through a portal in the diner’s storeroom, and into the ear of Ike and Elvis, or big American cars, sock hops, and cigarette smoke... Finding himself in warmhearted Jodie, Texas, Jake begins a new life. But all turns in the road lead to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald. The course of history is about to be rewritten... and become heart-stoppingly suspenseful” (Goodreads summary).

Non-Fiction:

- The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson *Adult* “In 1979 a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within the U.S. Army. Defying all known accepted military practice-- and indeed, the laws of physics-- they believed that a soldier could adopt a cloak of invisibility, pass cleanly through walls, and, perhaps most chillingly, kill goats just by staring at them. Entrusted with defending America from all known adversaries, they were the First Earth Battalion. And they really weren’t joking. What’s more, they’re back and fighting the War on Terror. With firsthand access to the leading players in the story, Ronson traces the evolution of these bizarre activities over the past three decades and shows how they are alive today within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and in postwar Iraq. Why are they blasting Iraqi prisoners of war with the theme tune to Barney the Purple Dinosaur? Why have 100 debleated goats been secretly placed inside the Special Forces Command Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina? How was the U.S. military associated with the mysterious mass suicide of a strange cult form San Diego? The Men Who Stare at Goats answers these and many more questions” (Goodreads summary).

- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert *Adult* (I recommend listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by Elizabeth Gilbert) “To recover from [an early midlife crisis, divorce, and depression], Gilbert took a radical step. In order to give herself the time and space to find out who she really was and what she really wanted, she got rid of her belongings, quit her job, and undertook a yearlong journey around the world-- all alone. Eat, Pray, Love is the absorbing chronicle of that year. Her aim was to visit three places where she could examine one aspect of her own nature set against the backdrop of a culture that has traditionally done that one thing very well. In Rome, she studied the art of pleasure, learning to speak Italian and gaining the twenty-three happiest pounds of her life. India was for the art of devotion, and with the help of a native guru and a surprisingly wise cowboy from Texas, she embarked on four uninterrupted months of spiritual exploration. In Bali, she studied the art of balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence. She became the pupil of an elderly medicine man and also fell in love the best way-- unexpectedly” (Goodreads summary).

[thebrainscheme]

So, for y’all non-Egyptian people out there, here’s what’s happening

After we made our revolution in 2011 and everything and trusted the army, they basically turned out to be one big shit. We protested and got killed and blah blah blah, then we elected a president (finally one fair election that hasn’t been played). We get Morsi, and while he wasn’t the best, he was trying to do good (imo).

But less that one year into his reign, Sisi (former Minister of Defense, whose name coincidentally means a type of donkey) performs a coup. On our first justly elected president who wasn’t given even a full year. Anyway, Sisi destroys the Egyptian economy, society, education, peace, everything. He shits on Egypt. Bad. He’s made the army the best in the country.

And I don’t mean the best as in highly trained proficient fighters, but the best as in they have all the benefits. They get placed as governors, ministers, directors, everything. They have privileges that include lower product and service prices, special (amazing) vacation spots, and winning anything they want (if they don’t you’ll get jailed so you better lol). They started getting their hands into everything in the country. From syringes to food to farming to construction, they work in literally EVERYTHING. And they pay no taxes, no fees on products entering from outside, have free workforce (Egypt has mandatory army year for all guys), and thus have benefits that allow them less cost. If you ever mention that they are bad, you’ll definitely be spending at least a couple of years in jail. Just saying.

Oh, forgot to say. After the coup, millions of Egyptians led protests in a square called Rabia Square. More than 5 thousand men and women were killed in order to dispel the forces. And then they burned the corpses. And then they said “we killed them cause they had possession of firearms and were terrorists”. Not true. My dad was there. They literally shouted “peaceful” in their protests. There were millions in the square, and zero firearms were found there.

Now life in Egypt is shit if you’re not A) a person of authority B) Army or police member C) have money, like a shit-ton of money or D) are foreign. Sisi has been spending Egypt’s money on palaces and vacation spots (millions of dollars). He spent 2 billion EGP on building a hotel for his friend. And he tells the weeping people “we’re too poor. You’ll have to bear.”

Now, a former constructor who used to work with the armed forces and Sisi was tricked out of 220 million EGP. (1 dollar = 17 EGP). His name is Muhammed Ali. So he escaped the country and is now making videos in which he exposes the corruption of the army and Sisi. We are trying to raise awareness so people will take action. Please post and raise the hashtag #Sisi_Enough. It won’t do anything to get him to leave, but it’ll show the word how bad he is, and then maybe someone will take action and have mercy on this beautiful country. Many people now eat from garbages, don’t know what meat or poultry tastes like, and have no homes. The least you could do is write a hashtag.

I’m happy to answer any questions regarding anything. Please do something about this mess.

[dndeviants]

Carriage Ride to Vallaki

Linda entered the carriage after Ireena and Ismark entered. The interior was just as black as the outside and it made her very disoriented for a few minutes, right before Vasili lit the lamps on the wall. With warm candlelight now within, Linda could see that the carriage was large enough to fit a large party of people, around eight or so, with benches topped with plush velvet seats, and small pillows for support. Built into the sides were slabs of wood that could be used as tables. Ireena and Ismark sat next to each other, opposite of Linda and Vasili. They rode on to Vallaki...

"Even though the lights are on now, I still can't see much...” Ireena muttered, “...and it must be noon now... this carriage really does block out a lot of light."

Vasili shrugged, "It is probably because it was commissioned by Lord Strahd for his own travels. We all know how... inconvenient daylight is for vampires."

Ismark snorted, "Yeah, fatally inconvenient."

Ireena nodded, "When we get to Vallaki, we can go to the cathedral? The Father there is... stable, right?" She looked to Vasili with concern.

Vasili nodded, "The last time I checked he was. He still holds active communion."

"We should meet up with Aric first," Linda suggested.

"I agree,” said Ismark, “The more familiar faces the better. I only visited Vallaki once when I was a boy, and Ireena has never been."

"Good to know I am not the only one,” Linda smiled encouragingly at Ireena before delving into the book, Barovia and its Histories...

Pre-Conquest: The Tergish Invasion and the Twenty-Eight Years War (Years 320-348)

Before the rule of Strahd von Zarovich the First, Barovia was a territory belonging to Barov von Zarovich, a foreign King. However, in the year 320, a group of peoples known as the Tergs invaded Barovia, quickly overrunning the pitiful amount of garrisons established by Barov and his predecessors. Since Barov was too old to fight, re-conquest of the territory fell to his eldest son, Strahd von Zarovich.

Strahd von Zarovich was only 21 at the time of the invasion, but already a highly decorated general, known for his cunning mind and his strategies that had led to a decisive victory in a civil war from his own homelands known as the War of Silver Knives. Strahd had developed the strategy that would quiet the rival households at only age 17, and solidify his father's rule over the various territories. Strahd was a natural choice for leading the many armies to victory as they went to liberate Barovia from the Tergs.

However, this was not a quick war. The Tergs had advantages on almost every front as they had more advanced technology than that of Strahd's army, as well as more military power, and more men. In order to combat these disadvantages, it was up to Strahd to compensate, as political turmoil in his homeland limited what he could do. The first few years of the war were very bitter, and led to more stalemates than victories. Strahd instructed his armies to work in small groups, raid, and disrupt the Tergish operations. During this time, the guerrilla tactics used earned him the nickname of 'The Devil' by the Tergs, and they grew to fear his nighttime raids and attacks on their camps.

Strahd was also known as being a ruthless leader for his own armies. Records show that Strahd had at one point rounded up deserters and suspected traitors and had them impaled in the fields to serve as an example to the rest of his army. It is said that this first act of uncharacteristic ruthlessness towards his own men had given him the reputation of being a devil for the Barovians as well. 

The first light of hope for Strahd was during the year 326, when his army liberated the town of Krezk from the Tergs in the battle known as the Siege of Krezk. The Siege of Krezk took one fortnight to pull off in its entirety, as the armies of Strahd had cut off trade with the town, along with bombarding the palisades with catapults and fire...

 However, this was a mere distraction. Strahd himself along with a few elite soldiers, namely Reinhold Dilisnya and Gunther Cosco, disguised themselves as Tergs and infiltrated the town, armed the citizens of Krezk, and staged a rebellion against the occupiers. It was the success of the Seige of Krezk and arming common citizens that inspired Strahd to make revolutionary changes in military structure. No longer were his military commanders solely from the noble ranks, but included commoners of great skill, along with women. 

Under Strahd's command, women and commonfolk were trained as warriors, and some even rose through the ranks. Strahd kept Krezk as his stronghold for most of the remainder of the war, building up its defenses before continuing the invasion. During the years it took to fortify Krezk, Strahd vowed to not leave Barovia until the war had been won. Strahd resumed his conquest with a far larger and disciplined army than he had started. In the Year 340, he had over half of Barovia under his control. But another setback occurred in the year 342, when the Order of the Silver Dragon attacked his army, forfeiting the Order's claim of neutrality. The Order was defeated in the year 345, when the Order's silver dragon was slain by Strahd. However, tragedy struck the same year, when King Barov and Queen Ravenovia were assassinated by the hands of a Tergish Assassin. Strahd carried on with the war, and defeated the Tergs at their stronghold in Dorian's Keep, which was rebuilt into Castle Ravenloft, which completed its construction in the year 348.

 "Does anyone know anything else about these 'Tergs'? What all was involved with their invasion?" Linda looked up from the book, curiously.

Ireena shook her head, "It is only something that ever gets briefly mentioned, if ever."

Ismark offered his knowledge, "Well I think Pa researched them and found that they were a desert people that came in from the Southern Border when they invaded. They came for Barovia's resources, mainly fresh water, coal, silver, pine logs... necessary things for civilization. They were like any other empire trying to expand. But the invasion was terrible for the native Barovians because they dismantled our religious foundations, imposed strict laws, and carried out a ton of abuses which included press-ganging the Barovians into slavery."

Vasili was visibly impressed, "Yes, exactly so. And if I may add, the Tergs also had developed technologies that allowed them to take Barovia and defend it for as long as they did. Advancements not only in war machines, but in medicine and magic as well. That part gets glazed over in many historic recountings. They had wheeled vehicles that could traverse rocky ground, with slats for going over sand, which also worked for ice. They ought to be praised for their mechanical ingenuity... but their crimes against the people were abhorrent."

 "Hm. So that's why the war lasted so long,” Linda took some time to reflect on the new information, then continued to read.

Reign of Strahd I: Years 348-400

The first years of Strahd I were tumultuous and full of bloodshed. Strahd beheaded many of the village burgomasters on charges of theft and corruption in order to set an example to his people, as he was not content to live in his own homelands as King. He kept Barovia as his new capital, and displaced several of the nobility and boyars, including his own brothers, Sturm and Sergei von Zarovich. Sturm remained in the homelands, but Sergei von Zarovich moved to Castle Ravenloft in the year 350, with the corpses of Barov and Ravenovia in order to be interred in the tombs of Castle Ravenloft.

In the year 351, the Wedding Massacre took place. A wedding was to be held between Sergei and Tatayana Federovna, however many of the nobility, including Sergei and Tatayana herself were murdered that night. It is not entirely clear the reason why. Many theorize that Strahd himself initiated the massacre in order to quell the growing discontent with the nobility, and to limit the possibility of heirs to the Von Zarovich line. However, none of this has been confirmed.

Linda blinked and looked up, "So, this Wedding Massacre... is there anything more about what happened? What theories? Who survived?"

The siblings shook their heads apologetically and looked to Vasili. Linda turned to face him as well.

Vasili folded his hands and closed his eyes, concentrating, "Truth be told, my memory is a little foggy on the subject... but if I recall correctly... I believe that only a few members of the Wedding Massacre survived... namely the patron of the Wachter household, his daughter... and a priestess. Everyone else was murdered, or disappeared. As far as theories... many believe Strahd killed the guests, but I am not certain that is the case."

"Does this Wachter household still have a surviving lineage?" Linda asked.

Vasili nodded and held up a finger, "Actually, they are one of the noble families of Vallaki. They have property within the town, near my own residence."

 "I would like to meet them, then," she finished up the last part:

The remainder of Strahd I's reign was quiet. When he died in the year 400 at the age of 101, his corpse was paraded around Barovia for national mourning by his nephew, Grigori von Zarovich, who changed his name to Strahd II in his honor. After the period of mourning was over, Strahd I was interred in the tombs of Castle Ravenloft beside his parents.

Linda laughed a little bit, “Hah, what an incredible cover-up...” she mused, thinking about the vampire must have enjoyed his funeral parade. She returned to reading...

Reign of Strahd II: Years 400-475

Strahd II kept much of the same policies as his predecessor, maintaining a strict rule, but also allowing many of the villages to decide amongst themselves how to handle their own justice. Strangely, during this time, the Vistani had reappeared in Barovia for the first time in many decades since their banishment by Barov. In the year 445, the Vistani swear fealty to the von Zarovich line.

In the year 424, Strahd II marries Georgina von Ilyona, who produces a son in the year 430, and dies in childbirth.

Strahd II died in the year 475 at the age of 99, and was succeeded by his son, Strahd III. This solidified the naming tradition as was common in Barovia, and still is to this day.

 "These policies...?” Linda looked to her companions, “What are the laws of Barovia? And who are these Vistani?"

Ireena tilted her head,"The laws? What part of them? Civil? Taxes? Punishment?"

Linda made a broad gesture, "All of them."

Ismark began to list, "Laws of the land are that Strahd is supreme ruler of all Barovia. All those that live here are serfs. We have boyars, who are able to own- or I should say manage- the lands for Lord Strahd. And the Nobles are granted even greater management responsibility. Civil laws are very simple. There is no murder, thievery, assault, rape, fraud, et cetera.... and then Punishment is simpler. If you break the law, you die. Certain goods are taxed at certain rates, and these rates are fixed."

Linda’s eyes widen at the thought of death for every crime,  "Alright... that's archaic... and the Vistani?"

“Well...” Ireena shrugs, “they are a kind of nomadic and trading people, but they also have a kind of strange power that is both magic... and not magic at the same time. They are the only ones who can leave the mists."

Ismark raised a palm, "They are also spies for Lord Strahd, and will sell your secrets to him."

"Alright... good to know..." Linda looked to Vasili.

Vasili made a flippant gesture, "It's just one of the things they can do for Lord Strahd in exchange for them staying here. They- and Lord Strahd- don't actually care about your secrets. They only care if someone is actively planning an attack... not gossip about someone's auntie or anything like that."

Linda nodded and returned to reading.

Reign of Strahd III: Years 475-530

The reign of Strahd III is marked by harsh treatment of the boyars in his own land, and a surge of immigration from foreign lands. For most of Strahd III's reign, he kept the company of an Elvish man, Jander Sunstar, until the elf's death in the year 500.

In the year 501, two rival houses, the Petkovs, and the Cheknyas raised armies against each other in order to settle the feud. However, this was not taken lightly by Strahd III, and he had agents slay each member of the households, and impale their high-ranking sympathizers as a warning against civil war.

In the year 503, Strahd III married Gertrude von Trak and has a son, Strahd IV. Gertrude passes away in 513.

In the year 530, at the age of 100, Strahd III decided to formally relinquish command to his son, Strahd IV.

"Alright... murder... that's nice....”

Reign of Strahd IV: Years 530-579, the War Against Azalin.

Strahd IV married Nilya von Katarina in the year 530, and had a son, Strahd V in the year 535. Strahd III died in the year 535, quietly and out of the public eye.Five years later, Nilya bore a second son, Barov. Strahd IV had a more peaceful beginning to his rule, but it was disturbed when a lich masquerading as a mage made himself a guest of Strahd in Barovia in the year 542.

Azalin, as the lich was known, was a terror to the commonfolk, which Strahd made his duty to appease and contain, even going so far to shield his own subjects from the "mage's" wrath. In the year 575, Azalin slipped through Strahd IV's grasp, and conquered neighboring Darkon, and declared war against Barovia.

Strahd IV formally relinquished command of his army to his son Strahd V, who was a brilliant tactician and strategist. Strahd IV passed away only four years into the war.

 "A lich...? Oh, a war..."

Reign of Strahd V: Years 579-583, The War Against Azalin continues.

The reign of Strahd the fifth was the shortest reign of all of the von Zarovich's, due to the tragic end of the War Against Azalin. Strahd the V was described as being an honorable mage, who used most of the magic he learned under the lich's tutelage in order to protect the Barovian people from the very same monster. During the war, he had placed Aldrick Wachter as his second in command, and the both of them fended off hordes of the lich's undead, werewolves, and even the dreaded vampires.

The turning point of the war was when Strahd V discovered how to magically close the borders between Darkon and Barovia, but unfortunately, both Strahd V and Aldrick Wachter died in the process. A period of national mourning lasted for well over a year.

Strahd VI, who was 48 at the time, took over a quiet and peaceful rule.

Linda nodded a bit, “Strahd is the hero? Ah, him and a guy named Wachter. Yes, I must meet these people."

Reign of Strahd VI: 583-600

Another tragically short reign was that of Strahd VI, who was a peaceful and great ruler, allowing villages to flourish, and trade between the realms led to economic prosperity for the poor peoples of Barovia. During his rulership, much of Barovia was rebuilt and fortified after the high costs of the War Against Azalin.

However, in the year 600, at the age of 65, Strahd VI grew deathly ill very suddenly, and his brother, Barov, claimed the throne and renamed himself Strahd VII, at the age of 60.

It has long been suspected that Barov murdered his brother, but that has yet to be proven.

Reign of Strahd VII: Years 600-628

The rule of Strahd VII was noted as being a reign of terror throughout all of Barovia. Not only were the taxes harsher on its citizens, but public executions of criminals rose, along with accusations of treason from prominent noble houses. During his reign, many boyar families were driven to poverty or made extinct. Worse still, Strahd VII was a mage who had used magic to extend his mortal life. It seemed that the harsh and tyrannical rule would continue for lifetimes, until a group of foreign adventurers came to Barovia. Venine, a half-elven warrior, and his band of friends, Luska (a human cleric), Beatrice (a human rogue), Clyde Coppershins (a dwarf paladin), and Many-Scales (a dragonborne mage) came to Barovia from another world, and set to liberate it from the tyrant. Sadly, Venine was slain, along with Clyde and Beatrice, but the heroes managed to dethrone the corrupt mage lord, and undo many of his foul enchantments on Barovia, allowing many to escape.

There was a period of time where those remaining in Barovia were questioning who would lead them, until Strahd VIII mysteriously appeared and claimed the throne.

"Wait... Venine? A half-elf? Slain?" Linda’s heart raced and pounded, "I know this Venine! I... I killed him, actually..."

The siblings looked at Linda, confused, and Vasili tilted his head, perplexed, "But I had thought that he was already dead- at least according to the histories... how do you know this... man?"

Linda closed her eyes and thought of her days as a soldier of the Vanguard, and the half-elf that trained her to hunt vampires... "He was a vampire, and tried to kill me."

Yes, she remembered that he trained her to hunt a vampire that was attacking soldiers in the night... only to reveal that he himself was the vampire hunting her fellows, and that he only trained her to make the game more challenging for himself... except Linda won, Venine died, and that drove her down the path to becoming a hunter herself.

Ireena breathed, "So Strahd must have turned him..."

 "I would assume so," Linda muttered and re-read the part about Strahd’s death... "Though I don't think intentionally, because he died... and many escaped from Barovia."

Vasili observed Linda, "That is interesting conjecture."

Linda continued her read.

Reign of Strahd VIII: Years 628-650

The first years of Strahd VIII's rule were filled with tension and uncertainty, but he lowered taxes on the peoples, and worked to rebuild much of Barovia, allowing people to settle under his rule. The rule of Strahd VIII otherwise was unremarkable.

Reign of Strahd IX: Years 650-675

Strahd VIII stepped down to allow his son, Strahd IX to rule over Barovia, before dying in the year 658.

In the year 650, Strahd IX was due to be married to a woman named Ireena Strasnya, but she fell ill the night of the wedding, and died shortly after contracting illness.

Not much is known about Strahd IX due to the destruction of records in Vallaki at the hand of Lord Soth in the year 660. Strahd IX was unprepared to face a Death Knight, and so he had called Soth to Castle Ravenloft to appease the invader for a time, until the Death Knight grew impatient and unleashed a reign of terror over the townsfolk which lasted three days. Strahd IX misdirected Soth into the Mists, which led Soth to Sithicus. Soth conquered Sithicus, and the nation has had a rivalry with Barovia ever since.

It is estimated (due to the lack of records) that Strahd X was born sometime in the year 652 to an unknown mother. He ascended the throne in 675 when his father died suddenly.

"Hmm... a death knight.... also thwarted by Strahd."

Strahd X, from years 675- 689 (Present Day as of time of publish)

The early reign of Strahd X was marked by a newfound peace in Barovia, as trade between the realms had increased, along with several treaties with the other surrounding nations. Diplomacy between the boyars and Lord Strahd is frequent and mostly pleasant. Taxation of goods has been steady- neither being lowered or heightened, and infrastructure and restoration of documents has been a priority.

However in recent years, the reign of Strahd X has grown more tense, due to the actions of Malik Malokovich in the year 686 when Strahd X attended the Spring Festival of Vallaki. Lord Strahd had made his usual public appearance for the Spring Festival, and was ambushed by Malik when he had begun the ceremonial dance with the Spring Maiden, Volenta Popofsky. Strahd X survived the attack and Malik was quickly dispatched, however, Volenta tragically died in the attack.

Probes into Malik's intent found that the Burgomaster, Baron Metus-

Linda blinked and re-examined the name, "Baron Metus was from Barovia?"

Vasili nodded, "He was burgomaster of Vallaki before Vargas."

"Hm... Another uncontrollable vampire..." Linda felt she was on to something... and it wasn’t just any vampire either... 

Vasili was cautious with her, "What makes you say that?"

Linda knew the Baron Metus was the vampire that was responsible for murdering and raising Erasmus as a vampire... Erasmus Van Richten, the son of the legendary monster hunter, Dr. Rudolph Van Richten. That was the vampire that started Van Richten down his own path of monster hunting. She looked to Vasili... anything she said, she knew would be passed on to Strahd... it was best not to reveal her hand yet, "I came across it while reading something else."

She looked back down at the final pages...

Probes into Malik's intent found that the Burgomaster, Baron Metus was responsible for orchestrating the attack, and the Baron was taken prisoner to Castle Ravenloft by Lord Strahd, tortured, and executed for treason. Since then, Vargas Vallakovich was appointed as Burgomaster of the town.

Lord Strahd has since also limited his public appearances and launches investigations into the various households of nobility to search for traitiors. When a traitor is found, a public execution hastily follows. Many a village gate have been adorned with the heads of traitors in recent years, and no one speaks any doubts of Lord Strahd's right to do so, especially since Lord Strahd X is the rightful Lord and Protector of Barovia. One can only hope that anyone with traitorous intent come to their senses and abandon all thought of rebellion, or else meet a dismal end by the executioner's blade.

Morninglord bless us, and long live Lord Strahd.

 "And finish with good propaganda," She closed the book with a thump and looked at the other people in the carriage, "Well this Strahd is a... character, isn't he?"

Ismark shrugged, "Hasn't been too great to us, certainly. But what can you do?"

"Well if Linda and the rest of us continue our mission, he won't be anyone else's problem anymore,” Vasili spoke curtly.

Linda raised a brow and huffed skeptically, "So, Vasili... Why has Strahd started looking for an heir now, of all times?"

Vasili contemplated, "I... am not certain. I think it is something having to do with magic, and being able to escape... along with the events of last year's... rebellion, if you want to call it that. I don't think Lord Strahd feels it is necessary to rule anymore- but at the same time, the political instability of the boyars prevents me from being more open about my search. I think he fears that if he is open about the search, it will cause an even bigger rebellion, more instability... and it also doesn't leave him leeway to change if it ends up that this manner of escape doesn't work. It-”

Vasili paused, “It is a complicated matter."

Linda gestured around her, "How will finding an heir fix this? Won't it cause more instability by putting someone in his place and leaving?"

 "Which is what makes my job so complicated...” Vasili explained, “He can't leave just anyone in charge, but finding someone with the right potential, and grooming them to lead, while being open to new ideas and a fresh start, while at the same time completing the magical requirements necessary for escape... that is the goal."

Linda huffed,  "I don't think finding an heir is going to work. Quite frankly."

Vasili was stunned, "Why... why not?"

Linda spoke with exasperation, "Because you are still forcing someone who might not even want the position. You would still have a massive rebellion anyway, because you are just having someone groomed to rule by someone that they are really unhappy with. It would be better to make their current opinion of Strahd better."

Ireena nodded, "I actually agree when you say it like that Linda. Right now... I don't know what to think of him, but I haven't really been given anything to think well of him either,” she gingerly touched the wounds on her neck.

Ismark deadpanned, "That is going to be tougher than just ousting him-” he made a defensive gesture to Vasili, “-not trying to sound treasonous, just realistic."

Linda waved a finger to Ismark, "However, you aren't thinking about what has already happened in your history- Strahd has been killed before by foreigners. It's not a viable option."

Vasili slowly raised his hand, "I agree that such drastic measures would be detrimental to everyone... still seeing how half of Barovia is already divided on opinion. If Strahd were to... perish, then the Barovians would turn on each other. It's already happened before."

Linda blinked and turned to Vasili, "What do you mean 'before'? Nothin' about that in the history book."

Vasili sighed, "The book glosses over a lot of things. 'Questioning who would lead them' I believe is how they put it. Think, Linda... what would they do to each other, if they were divided on such a 'despotic' ruler? If he was as terrible as it is stated, do you think the 'Eighth' would have had so easy a time claiming the throne? No, they were on the verge of civil war. Half of the nation was not effected by the magics and the rule, and half were. Half supported, half opposed. No one could agree on who would rule, so they decided each to get rid of the other half."

Linda folded her arms, "That's not the case this time. Now everyone seems to hate Strahd. So it wouldn't happen the same way again."

Ireena grew curious, "What would you think would happen?"

Linda held up her hand, "Instead of the nation being divided into two, it would divide by villages, and the factions with each village. Even more unrest, and bickering."

Ismark folded his hands and thought for a minute. "Well... the first thing he'd have to do to get people to not be so afraid, would be to limit his own power. Because, there may still be a way to stop him, even with him coming back. I mean, you could trap him in his coffin, and that would solve a lot of problems."

Linda looked to Ismark with an expression of exasperation, "It still comes down to who would rule you. It doesn't fix the problem." 

Vasili held up his hands, "I see both your points. I may not agree with some of the things that he's done, but I still think that somewhere deep down there is a part that still cares about his people, which is why he's not abandoning them outright... as flawed as the plan may be."

Linda snapped at Vasili, "The whole problem is that the people don't see that Strahd cares! We have this-" she waved the book in the air, "-and it doesn't say anything!"

Ismark nodded, and pointed to Ireena’s bite, "We also have this- and we still don't know why he targeted my sister, or what the thing with the wolves and my father were."

Ireena touched her throat unconsciously, then forced her hand back down to her side, "I don't know what happened, or why he bit me twice, or why there was something after Papa. But I remember the doctor telling me when I was very little to keep the Devil Strahd from seeing me... Papa took it seriously too. They were afraid of what he would do to me, and I am too. I would just like to know why."

Vasili grew silent. When he spoke again, his voice was calm, but hollow, "Well, Lady Ireena, you have my word, and the word of Strahd that there will be no further instances with you or your family. And we are heading to a priest right now, rest assured, you will be safe from any harm in Vallaki."

Ireena seemed to grow a bit more calm. "Thank you. I think you are trying your best, Lord Vasili."

Ismark grew curious, "How many errands do you typically run? If Strahd manages to escape, would you go too?"

Vasili rubbed his temples,"I run too many errands. I haven't rested in my home in quite some time, so if it is in less than suitable condition, I apologize. However, it shouldn't be, because I have Mina to take care of it in my absence....” He looked to Ismark, “As for whether or not I would go..." He paused, "I think I would have to. He'd need someone to handle daytime affairs and to keep an eye out for any nemesis that would try to hunt for him in a new place."

Linda looked to Vasili... she felt that there was something less-than-truthful about Vasili’s manner... she definitely felt that he would go with Strahd... but not for the reasons stated... His underlying tone, though very well and expertly disguised... betrayed a small hint of fear. Something hidden from her and the siblings...

"What are you afraid of, Vasili? What are you hiding?" Linda squinted at the vampire’s servant...

Vasili looked coolly over to Linda, only briefly quirking his brow, “What do you mean? About what? Everyone has something they fear, everyone has secrets...”

"That is not why you would leave."

Vasili paused and went quiet, "Perhaps I will tell you the real reason in private. I am not comfortable sharing this amongst everyone however. But I will say that I do not believe Strahd could survive without me outside of this realm. And that is a fact."

Linda scoffed, "So why would this all-mighty vampire need your help Vasili? I'm pretty sure he downed a lich and a death knight without you."

Vasili listed, "Well... for one, daytime vulnerability, getting much needed supplies, determining appropriate feeding- and let's face it, I think I am more likable than Strahd when it comes to people..." Vasili offered a small smile.

Linda forced herself to ignore his charming smile,  "I don't really think he needs your help. ‘Cause you can get by without those things. I think he's using you. Manipulating you. Have you ever thought about life away from Strahd?"

Vasili blinked, "Once or twice. But it's difficult. Really, it's all I have ever known... I was kind of... born into it."

Linda felt pity for him, "I think you need a break from his influence."

He raised a brow, "What would you suggest? It is a little difficult, seeing as I have to report in every so often."

Linda waved him off,  "Just send a letter. Travel with us for a bit. See our point of view, and make your own opinions. "

Vasili hesitated, "I'm not sure..."

"You should have a break,” Ireena pitched in, “Gods know what you've been forced to do with all the villages after last year. Take some time for yourself. You seem like you do a lot for very little in return. So just listen to Linda and take a break, I mean, your mission isn't going to work anyway, and you know it, so don't try to force it."

Ismark nodded and smirked, "Just grab a couple pints with me at Blue Water. Help Linda with her research if you need something else to do. But definitely get Ireena to the priest."

Vasili seemed surprised by the sudden comradery. He shifted in his seat,"Alright, very well. I can at the very least take notes, so that he thinks I am doing something. But if I delay any more than I need to, 'trouble' isn't going to be what I am in."

Linda smirked, "Don't sweat it. I am sure he won't be very cruel to you, seeing as you are the only one who ever does anything for him."

Vasili conceded, folding his arms across his chest, "Alright. Fine. I will allow myself to indulge in pleasant company, and put business aside..."

Linda leaned toward Vasili, and gave him a friendly pat on his shoulder. She smiled at him and lowered her voice, "There you go, that wasn't hard, was it?"

Vasili blinked at Linda and looked at her, and opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it, and instead looked out the window, “Ah, hm... Here we are, Vallaki...” He cranes his head and furrows his brow, “I wasn’t aware that there was going to be a festival... I wonder what all this is about, then...”

[allenmendezsr]

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Christine Tomczak, 26

[hale-of-stiles-heart]

sterek + 7?

“I forgot how much I hate you,” Stiles grumbled sullenly as he slid into the passenger seat of the Camaro.He was careful not to jostle his skinned knee as he shifted around to get more comfortable. With a beleaguered grunt, he crossed his scratched up arms over his chest.He was beyond done. Mostly because he was covered in fairy guts and tiny bits of bone, his hair matted with thick, dark blood that fucking sparkled. Because apparently fairy blood fucking sparkled.His arms stung where the fairies had mercilessly slashed him up, their tiny claws surprisingly sharp and unbearably painful when they pierced his flesh. His left knee was still bleeding from where he had scraped it on a rock after Isaac had accidentally knocked him over.His ears still ached from the shrill banshee-like screams the fairies had let out as they had attacked. It was bad enough to almost make him wince in sympathy for the werewolves whose ears were probably still ringing.But sympathy would have to wait since it was the werewolves’ fault that he was grimy and dirty and covered in sparkling blood, in desperate need of a long, hot shower at midnight on a school night. Unfortunately, his shower had to wait, too, since Derek had taken his sweet time burying the sharp toothed little bastards, gathering up their remains and dumping them into a deep hole by the treeline.The rest of the pack had already taken off in that white suburban mom’s excuse of a Toyota that Derek had loaned Boyd for the night. All of the betas had crammed in so tight it would have made a sardine feel claustrophobic.Regardless of the tight confines, Stiles had valiantly attempted to get a seat in the Toyota. But Isaac, the little fucking cheat, had beat him in rock, paper, scissors, leaving Stiles stuck behind, having to catch a ride home with Derek.Speaking of the perpetually grumpy alpha, he was fastening his seatbelt in the driver’s seat. He rolled his eyes at Stiles’ petulant comment, very clearly unamused.But Stiles didn’t really care how annoyed Derek was with him considering the fact that he was beyond pissed off at the Derek. So much so that he refused to bite his tongue any longer than he already had.“I can’t believe you called me for that,” Stiles hissed as Derek started the Camaro’s engine that roared to life with a deep purr. He flicked on the headlights that cut through the murky darkness of the preserve, shining a bright beam through the thicket of oak trees the fairies had erupted out of.The same frolic of fairies that had been almost comically easy to dispose of. A few claw swipes here and a couple swats of their hands there and the fairies had been completely finished, the entire horde decimated. Beyond frustrated, Stiles said as much, viciously growling out, “Fairies. Fucking fairies. Not even a full court of fairies. It took about half an hour to get rid of the little bastards! You should’ve just handled it yourself instead of completely ruining my night!”Derek rolled his eyes again as he put the Camaro into gear. As he did a tight, efficient K-turn before heading out towards the road, he voiced his disagreement, casually dismissing, “It was just a date, Stiles. It’s not the end of the world.”Stiles let out a frustrated groan as he unfolded his arms, throwing his hands up in pure exasperation. Because of course Derek didn’t understand. Why in the hell would he?Derek was god’s gift to the earth and everyone knew it. He was sweet and smart and strong and good looking. Like, unearthly good looking. Unfairly good looking.With all his dark stubble and thick hair, his incredible physique and chiseled features, he was a veritable Adonis. A runaway runway model strutting around Beacon Hills in all his glory.It was no wonder that Derek had people drooling over him no matter where he went, whether it was the grocery store or the post office or the freaking gas station for Christ’s sake. Young women and elderly women alike never failed to ogle the handsome alpha.Stiles had even seen a nun check out Derek’s ass once. A nun. Because Derek was so unbelievably gorgeous that it made people break their sacred vows to resist the temptations of the flesh.In short, Derek was basically six feet of beautiful badass-ery which was he had no idea why the date had been such a big deal for Stiles. Because unlike Derek who had a dangerously sharp jawline and high cheekbones and a devastatingly gorgeous smile, Stiles was one hundred and forty seven pounds of pasty skin and flailing limbs.Where Derek was muscular and strong, Stiles was scrawny and wiry, barely able to make it through the high school’s presidential fitness test. Where Derek was graceful and charming, Stiles tripped over his own feet and suffered from a perpetual bout of verbal diarrhea.Where Derek was seamlessly able to draw anyone’s eye, Stiles was lucky if people even noticed him walk into a room. Hell, he had actually been marked absent a few times because he was so painfully unremarkable.Being ignored and overlooked was essentially a very succinct summary of his entire high school experience. Which was why he had been so excited when Adam had asked him out.Adam was the captain of the school’s soccer team, a highly decorated striker with a record amount of goals under his belt. He was one of the popular kids who drove a fancy foreign car and threw parties at his palatial home every weekend.With his pale blonde hair and deep green eyes, he was model gorgeous. He had tons of people, both men and women, fawning over him left and right. Which was why Stiles could still hardly believe that Adam had asked him out.He had been doodling in the margins of his statistics notebook in class, having already skipped several chapters ahead in the textbook, when someone had tossed a note onto his desk. Careful not to let Ms. Fleming see him reading it, Stiles had discreetly unfolded the little square of notebook paper to find a hastily scrawled message.It was from Adam, a quick note asking Stiles out that Sunday. A phone number had been included.After class, Stiles had punched the number into his cell phone and sent a text to ask where they were going. According to the response, they would be going to some fancy cafe that Stiles hadn’t even known was in Beacon Hills.Admittedly, Stiles had been extremely skeptical at first. He had been convinced that it was some sort of elaborate prank, a cruel joke thought up by some asshole. It wouldn’t be the first time it had happened.So, on Sunday evening, he had sat on his front porch in his nicest pair of jeans and a brand new button up, half expecting Adam to not show up at all. But at eight forty three, Adam had pulled up in his ritzy dark blue Lexus, looking sinfully good in a tight t-shirt and dark skinny jeans.After letting his dad know that he was leaving, he had climbed into the passenger seat and they had sped off to Café Rouge.Things had been going pretty great. They had talked about upcoming tests and college applications while they sipped overly expensive lattes on the outdoor patio.Stiles managed not to embarrass himself by rambling or bringing up anything that might send Adam running for the hills. He even managed to forget about the supernatural craziness that was his life for a little bit.For his part, Adam had talked about himself enough to be slightly annoying. But he made up for it by leaning in close like he was going to kiss him.Predictably, it was right then that Stiles’ cell phone had rung with Derek’s ringtone. All of sudden, the peaceful atmosphere of the cafe had been rudely interrupted by the chorus of Hungry Like the Wolf playing obnoxiously loud.With a heavy sigh, Stiles had apologized to Adam and begrudgingly answered his phone. Derek rarely called unless it was an emergency.Derek had growled out that the pack needed some help with a group of fairies that were encroaching on Hale territory. He had been even more impatient than usual, demanding to know where Stiles was.With another deep sigh, Stiles had given Derek the name of the cafe. After hanging up, he had apologized to Adam again, claiming that he had to help his friend out with something, insisting that it was an emergency.Derek pulled up in the Camaro a few minutes later to drive Stiles to the preserve. Once there, they had spent two hours trekking through the thick underbrush of the forest in search of the fairies’ hideout.They finally found them in a grove of oak trees, hiding in the hollowed trunk of one of the older trees. The second the pack was within a three foot radius of their tree, the little bastards had attacked.As per usual, Stiles had been the prime target. Half an hour later he was all clawed to hell, with skinned knees, a split lip, and a ruined shirt.All in all, the night that had started out rather hopeful had been dragged through the mud. It wasn’t as though he was all that into Adam but since the guy he had been pining over for years had never shown any interest in him, he figured it was the best he was going to get.And Derek just had to ruin it.“Fuck you,” Stiles spat as Derek made a left turn, heading back towards town. “It wasn’t just a date, asshole.”“I’m sorry, was it your anniversary?” Derek sniped back as he leaned over to turn on Stiles’ heat warmer. But if he thought that would be enough to placate Stiles, he was dead wrong.“No, jackass,” Stiles retorted, turning his head to stare out the window at the passing scenery. Growling under his breath, he continued, “It was our first date. My first date.”The Camaro lurched to a sudden stop when Derek belatedly stomped on the brakes, coming close to blowing past a stop sign. He whipped his head to the side to gawk at Stiles, incredulously demanding, “What?”Stiles bristled, crossing his arms over his chest as he turned to meet Derek’s gaze with a glare. Curling his lip, he defensively snapped, “What do you mean ‘what’?”“You’ve never been on a date before?” Derek elaborated, his brows knitting together. The disbelief in his tone made Stiles even more defensive.“Yeah, so what?” Stiles snarled, narrowing his eyes at the alpha. Gritting his teeth, he informed Derek, “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t really have people beating a path to my door.”“But you’ve never been on a date before?” Derek reiterated, his voice thick with confusion. It grated on Stiles’ nerves like nothing else. He was about to snap at Derek when the alpha glanced down and mumbled, “That doesn’t make any sense.”“What the hell are you talking about, dude?” Stiles demanded. “It makes perfect sense. I’m just some skinny little nerd who can’t shut up to save his life. Not exactly prime dating material.”“Don’t talk about yourself like that!” Derek thundered, tightening his grip on the steering wheel until the vinyl cried out in protest. His jaw was tight as he gravely announced, “You’re brave, loyal, incredibly smart, good looking… Anyone would be lucky to go out with you.”“But then…” Stiles trailed off uncertainly, dropping his arms. He lowered his eyes to his lap as he softly mumbled, “Why haven’t you ever asked me out?”There was a long, uncomfortable silence, awkwardness thick in the air between them. Surprisingly, Derek was the one who broke it.“Next Friday,” he said quietly. “I’ll take you to the diner on Fifth. You can get as many curly fries as you want and you can talk my ear off about whatever you want. I… I can pick you up at seven?”“Yeah…” Stiles breathed, sure that he was dreaming. If he was, he never wanted to wake up.Without another word, Derek stepped on the gas. They drove further into town, leaving the preserve behind for now.Smiling to himself, Stiles reached over to tug one of Derek’s hands off of the steering wheel, intertwining their fingers. As he ran his thumb over Derek’s knuckles he thought about how he would explain things to Adam. Because he loved Derek more than anything. And that was something he would never forget.

[britonell]

Bit more about Japanese culture and anime...

There was some interest after this Inuyasha post. Thought it would be cool to go more in-depth and relate it to anime, so next time you watch something you can go, “Oh yeah. That happens over there.”

No, THAT doesn’t happen in Japan.

As a word of caution: I grew up near Tokyo in the 90′s, when the economic bubble had burst but your average family didn’t feel the effects until later. Culture may have shifted slightly after the economic downturn (I know there’s a more nationalistic undertone now, like most of Asia), and everything I say will not apply to all of Japan. Places like Sapporo and Ōsaka have their own distinct cultures, like how New York and Texas are uniquely different.

But since most anime are set in or are geared towards the Tokyo crowd, I have a good idea of the cultural influences. Especially when relating it to Inuyasha, which was published and set in the 90′s (at least in Kagome’s modern time).

Memories~

Also, what I’m about to say below is about Japan (Tokyo). Please don’t start applying it to other countries in Asia, or you will be laughably misled.

Additionally, I’m not some researcher who did extensive study on my own culture. I’m just relating to y’all my background, experiences, and the little bit of knowledge I’ve gleaned from my memories of living there as a little girl, as well as from stories shared by my parents.

Suffice it to say, you should not cite me for your research paper.

You’re on your own, suckers!

I didn’t want to bother making multiple posts, so this is gonna be looooong. It’s not all roses either. If you have this fantastic, perfect vision of Japan, turn back now! You hear me?

Now then.

Are you ready, kids?

HERE. WE. GOOOOO!!!

When I was in Japan, public elementary schools still ran 6 days a week (half-days on Saturdays, when we did nothing productive). Now only some private schools run for 6 days. But what I remember is the nutritious lunches. They were definitely healthier than pizza. And we had to drink all. That. Damn. Milk.

Whoa. The bottle I had to finish was a little smaller than that.

Note: I know most Asians are lactose intolerant, but no classmate of mine ever got a stomachache. We definitely weren’t drinking soy milk. It could’ve been processed/long-life milk. I’ve heard people with lactose intolerance in Japan drinking milk just fine, but traveling to the US and symptoms showing up. Dunno what’s different between our milk supplies.

You’ll find teachers pushing kids to drink their milk. You got mocked by your classmates if you failed to finish your bottle or carton. Reason is, we just don’t get a lot of calcium in out diet, not like other countries. Osteoporosis is sort of accepted as an inevitability -- that’s why you see so many old men in anime who’re tiny or have a terrible hunchback. It’s an exaggeration of the truth.

Look at that little fella.

Moving on... Boundaries are EVERYTHING: Thanks to movies and shows, Japanese people are aware how people abroad like being physically close to one another in a public setting.

THAT SAID, if you and your spouse greet each other with a chaste kiss in front of a young Japanese woman, you’re gonna hear a high-pitched squeal or a giggle -- not out of disapproval, mind you. It’s just not something you see everyday in Japan. Older folks and men who’re too cool to care will just avert their gaze. Or laugh awkwardly.

Awkward laughing is our thing.

A possible reaction to public kissing, along with awkward laughing. Not for the hip and cool kids, though. They might whistle at you.

Japan has some clear social rules about what can be done in specific situations. At least, it’s clear to us. People visiting might get a serious whiplash.

Example: I remember there being a channel that ran news programs during the day. What I didn’t know at the time was that after 10 pm -- BAM, topless host of an erotic game show. It was the parents’ responsibility to make sure kids stayed away from certain channels at night.

Same for certain streets. Host club workers will entice young women on these streets to drink at their clubs, and they can do that because kids and families don’t use those streets.

Don’t let the anime fool you. A lot of host clubs are shady, like drugs-sex-yakuza-type shady...

However... there was that one time my dad thought it would be funny to bring my mom and I to take a walk down a certain street because he’s a cheeky bastard (I was like 4 years old). According to my dad, there was utter silence as host club workers immediately clammed up and averted their gaze. One person went up to my dad and asked him if we were lost.

Hilarious talking about it now. Highly questionable back then.

My dad has a strange sense of humor.

Oh, after-work drinking culture for office workers is another accepted oddity. Spouses are NOT invited. Some companies are strict about married couples not working in the same building. Bizarre, I know, but they really want to keep marital issues away from company grounds. Some private schools even have strict rules about dating, but I went to public school so I’ve got no personal stories about that.

Drinking with coworkers really is about networking and strengthening ties with coworkers, like in other countries, but in Japan you can easily find a CEO getting drunk and wearing his tie around his forehead and dancing with his shirt unbuttoned. Not joking.

Exaggeration of the truth. I say exaggeration because most office workers aren’t gonna be that good looking. Heh.

Despite most Japanese people suffering from alcohol flush reaction, drinking after work is part of the work culture. In the 90′s, if they missed the last train (trains don’t run 24/7) you used to see office workers sleeping in parks.

Note: Pickpocketing is still virtually nonexistent in most of Japan. There’s even a whole fashion trend of young men showing off the latest wallet design by letting it hang from their back pocket with a fancy chain.

I’ll be honest. I couldn’t find an appropriate gif.

Nowadays, there’s capsule hotels (pod hotels). They seem like a novelty to tourists, but in reality are used by office workers that stayed out too long and don’t want to spend money on taxis, because that shit is expensive...

...for a reason: Japanese taxis are really nice. The doors slightly swing open for you when the driver pushes a button.

Anyway, morning comes and the office workers take meds for the hangover and they’ll be back to their serious selves come workday.

Nothing to see here, get back to work.

Next, Japanese language: We’ve got a shit-ton of loanwords. Like, off the top of my head, I don’t know the Japanese word for bread. I always say “pan,” which is from Portuguese. Being an island nation, you can clearly track which word came from which traders and missionaries.

I was on the phone with my dad while writing this. He assured me there’s a Japanese word for bread. He couldn’t remember. Then told me to stop playing around, before saying he’s going back to his sitcom...thanks, dad.

“Cosplay,” coined in Japan during the 80′s, is the combination of the words “costume” and “play.” Even the word “anime” is from “animation,” and in Japan it means just that. I remember watching a movie review when I was a kid and the reviewer calling the foreign movie “a great anime.” It wasn’t a 2-D movie. I think it might’ve been A Bug’s Life, but I wasn’t interested so meh.

And the big anime eyes have Western influences too! The great Osamu Tezuka, the father of manga, was influenced by Disney and Betty Boop.

A modern version of Tezuka-sensei’s iconic Astro Boy.

We’ve been using words and phrases from other countries for ages. We literally say “Merry Christmas,” because wishing someone to have a good foreign holiday in Japanese is just a waste of time -- unless you’re really nationalistic and don’t want to use English words. There are people like that, some of them politicians. Ugh.

Sushi on Christmas? Eh, why not? Holidays like Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and Halloween were all introduced to Japan by corporations, anyway.

I was talking to an old Japanese friend, and she exclaimed “Sweet” in the middle of conversation, which made me pause (she never moved out of Japan). More English words have come into casual Japanese conversations since I left the country, and they’ve been sort of molded and melded to form new terms. Terms I find weird...and make me feel old.

Oh, another thing that seems to surprise a lot of people I’ve met: Japanese people sing Happy Birthday in English. No one I personally knew sang it in Japanese...I guess we collectively decided it sounded better in English? All I know is that, as a little girl, every time I went to a birthday party we sang it in English.

Asked my dad why we sing it in English. His response was basically, “Who cares?” Also, is anyone else getting a little hungry?

It’s not that weird of an idea...because of reasons. The first being birthdays weren’t that big of a deal for commoners until a certain time period (I want to say Edo period). People just kept track of the years, so it was as if everyone’s birthday was the first day of the new year/springtime.

Secondly, English is a mandatory class beginning as early as kindergarten. Don’t think we’re all bilingual, though. It’s English meant to pass tests. I will be the first to admit, we’re not linguists. We learn enough to say certain phrases.

Heh. Sleeping in class is an international trope.

Onto couples and what’s acceptable: If you spot your girlfriend holding another boy’s hand in public, even if it was to get up some slippery stairs, it would be understandable to get a tiny bit defensive. So all those anime guys with jealousy issues? Perhaps context would say they’re being reasonably miffed. Or not, it depends.

Is it an upstanding citizen helping your girlfriend? Relax, man. Is it a romantic rival who wants a chance to be physically close? CODE RED! CODE RED! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! BOUNDARIES HAVE BEEN CROSSED! I REPEAT!

BOUNDARIES. HAVE. BEEN. CROSSED.

Inuyasha’s half dog. He’s just being territorial! :P (Respecting boundaries was a bigger deal in the past, anyway.)

Other than couples-only events or somewhere only young adults roam, hand-holding is really the only way to publicly show your affection. Kissing a friend on the cheek? Unless you did that with every friend and you grew up in a different country, you’ll get some raised eyebrows.

Back pocket butt squeeze? Y-Y-YOU DEVIANT!

That’s pretty much fool-around-in-the-alleyway territory.

One of the few times boundaries can be crossed? The arts. Once you get into the entertainment industry, or become a TV personality or a comedian, suddenly there’s this invitation to do crazy shit.

The arts is where you let go and do all sorts of strange and wild things.

Laws have tightened since the 90′s--the comedians were REALLY out there back then--but even to this day our manga, anime, and TV shows can push the limits of our sensitivities. Movies can be crazy violent. Video games can be crazy perverted. Prank shows can be crazy outrageous.

It’s sort of our outlet.

Our insane, dirty, naughty outlet.

Japanese people aren’t that religious (yes, we’re transitioning from booty to faith): A lot of us put down Shinto or Buddhism or whatever on paper if asked, but only out of respect for our elders who really were practicing. These days, people will go ahead and have a Christian wedding and then have a Buddhist funeral.

I’m not kidding here.

Cardcaptor Sakura!? ...I’ve actually seen weirder.

Despite the up to date youth, past beliefs and ideas are still deeply rooted in our culture (like saying “See you in the next life,” even if you don’t really care about the validity of reincarnation), so people can still be superstitious without belonging to a religious organization...and discrimination against females at the workplace and homophobia can be worse than in other developed countries.

The truth is our culture isn’t perfect.

I’m sorry, but it’s true.

So it’s understandable that people would be confused by the conservative behavior of Japanese people, because our media would suggest the complete opposite. In public, we keep to our boundaries, from combination of culture and lack of physical space.

You know those face masks people in Asia seem to wear all the time? In Japan, the ill wear those out of necessity in the city. Grueling work culture demands we work even while sick (unless you physically can’t get up). Cities are crowded, we’re stacked on top of one another in tiny apartments, but most jobs are in cities so we’ve got no choice but to cover our sneezes and coughs with masks as we squeeze into really, really crowded trains.

Good luck getting a seat during rush hour! You know what, good luck getting room to breathe.

Speaking of work culture: Customer service...best in the world, even the government employees are polite and prompt. I’ve lived in a couple of countries, and there’s no comparison. Pay for these Japanese workers isn’t that great and there’s no incentives like tips, it’s just that their standards are way higher. To a fault. “The customer is always right” is taken to a ridiculous level.  

My dad remembers a news story about a waiter that politely quit after he was verbally skewered to tears by a customer, patiently waited outside until the customer exited, and then ambushed him with a bat. The typical reaction to the news story? "About time.”

Yay, violence!

I know working in customer service in the US can be brutal. The difference that makes it worse in Japan is there’s this widespread cultural expectation for workers to bow and apologize for everything no matter what, because service workers must be humble first and foremost, which is as humiliating and emotionally taxing as you can imagine.

The waiters of a typical restaurant in Japan aren’t even allowed to be sarcastic or cheeky to a rude customer, like snidely say, “I hope your day is as pleasant as you are,” because that could get them in trouble. They could even get in trouble for not smiling enough, or not being as eloquent as possible, or not wearing their uniform perfectly...

And these are considered “reasonable” demands from the manager!

“Grin and bear it” takes on a whole new meaning in Japan.

Our petty crimes are infrequent. Since our housewives are such busybodies, police get plenty of tattletales. But, like in a lot of countries, there’s under-reporting of certain crimes--sexual assaults--due to shame and whatnot. Stuff like train groping? Probably a combination of repressed desires, predators taking advantage of the under-reporting, and the submissive personalities commonly found in Japanese women.

We’re really good about returning lost property, however. It’s like our pride forces us to do so. Giving change someone left in a vending machine to the neighborhood police station as lost property is pretty much the first thing we learn in kindergarten, along with proper hand-washing.

My dad went back to visit Japan in 2015, and saw a man pick up and pocket currency someone ahead of him dropped at a bus stop. Dad’s reaction to this: “Society has fallen.” I tend to agree.

The few homicides that occur aren’t brought on by something like road rage, but more along the lines of crimes committed by repressed people with long-held, festering grudges that snapped, like the abused waiter. Or something really elaborate, like a yakuza cover-up. Either way, it can get really heinous.

Don’t let Detective Conan fool you. Ours murders aren’t that numerous. Or fun to solve.

Why do we snap? We have this culture of holding things in; gaman, which means to endure. It’s supposed to make you patient and persevere, thus negating entitlement, but I can say with certainty there’s too much of it (except in our politics), and it’s bad for our mental and physical health, e.g. our ridiculously grueling work culture and possibly snapping like that waiter.

Our subcultures (cosplay, anime) can be fun and neat. Our main culture, not so much. It’s only in specific events and areas of Japan, like cons and Harajuku, where you won’t be judged for being out there and letting loose.

I mean, we’ve got problems with shut-ins for a reason.

On a more lighter note...hot springs!

There used to be a lot more volcanic activity in Japan (smoke used to spew out of Mt. Fuji).

Natural hot springs birthed a particular bathing habit that we follow to this day, even at our own homes -- we prepare first by showering and cleansing ourselves, and then get into our boiling bathtub to relax our muscles.

In the past, travelers were essentially sharing the natural hot springs, so it was a no-brainer that they would try to get clean before getting in. Habits stuck, I guess. Of course, it’s less true for those living in tiny apartments without bathtubs. A modern travesty, really.

Even our monkeys love ‘em!

...if you’re curious about the monkeys: We have wild snow monkeys all over Japan that bathe in natural hot springs. There’s a national park famous for them. Japan also has islands full of cats, an island full of rabbits, and a public park full of deer too.

Something neat to end the post: It can be fun shopping at their flea markets and bazaars (we really call them that, yay loanwords). Japanese people are really, really great at taking care of their belongings, as evidenced by their temples and shrines. Hand-me-downs and used objects may be resold in their original packaging--that’s how well cared for they are.

Most of the city streets are clean too. Unless it’s festival time~

Went ahead and asked my dad why so many in Japan keep the original packaging. “Dunno. Habit?” he said. Then he went to eat some sunflower seeds. Helpful, dad. Helpful.

[bronsonthurman]

Google Employee’s Viral Letter: More Noise in a Cacophony of Echoes

(Text of the letter here.) Let’s get one, self-evident fact out of the way: we know there are real issues facing women in tech because women in tech say so. No one wants to be the squeaky wheel at work and there is no gain to be had by doing so; when there isn’t a problem, we will hear few complaints. While the same may not quite hold true for leadership, men can not claim any history of being any better at it. As women move into more positions of leadership we see the same variety of solid competence and flailing fakery as we have always seen in men; the Angela Merkels versus the Debbie Wassermans, for example, are no more or less prevalent than the George Washingtons versus the James Buchanans. People aren’t very good at leadership, period. Come to think of it, people aren’t very good at code either.

Another thing people aren’t really that good at is solid critique. Making and refuting claims with actual evidence is a ton of grueling work. Its much easier to make presumptions and let those you agree validate them, while dismissing those who don’t. All sides of every debate are guilty of this. Sure, someone could present an actual case of feminist participation in typical human fuzzy-think and self-service. But why do that when you can just respond in kind? Hell you can even pat yourself on the back because someone sent you a message of support--wow, you must be right, because someone else agrees!

Any vitriol you hear in this statement is as much self-loathing as anything else. I get it, sometimes you just have to speak up and unless your job is academic you won’t really have time to write a solid research paper. I’m proving that point with every word. I certainly experience dismay when I encounter sloppy feminist diatribes. But if I am going to embarrass myself by ranting, I’m not going to do so protecting a status quo that I can damn well see is wrong. I will go off half-cocked only for other men making me look bad by their sloppy chauvinist diatribes. Call it one bad turn deserves another if you like.

In his letter anonymous google employee cites the (presumably left leaning) echo chamber twice by the third paragraph. At the same time the letter sits firmly in its own (presumably right leaning) echo chamber. It asserts status quo cultural conditions as irrefutable biological facts. On that rocky foundation it posits efforts to change these conditions are artificial impositions on the natural. It decries a lack of evidence for what it opposes, but sees no need to provide evidence for what it supports. This does not mean every claim made is false, any more than the claims of the opposing echo chamber. It does mean the letter is just adding more noise to the cacophony of echoes.

That there are some biological differences between men and women is apparent, but any conclusions to draw from that are highly disputed. I have seen evidence both for and against genetic determinism, all of it well removed from the source and casually reported, just like whatever information the author drew on for his letter--which we can safely assume since he didn’t think his evidence worthy enough to share. The only conclusion worth drawing is that biology may or may not contribute to gender gaps and the debate demands a more solid body of evidence either way. Yet this Google employee blithely asserts that differences between men an women are “universal across human cultures.” This is a laughably indefensible claim just at home in sloppy feminist work as it is in this sloppy chauvinist work. History and geopolitics certainly offers considerable variation in gender formulation once corrected for the homogenizing influence of Western dominance. Are there certain trends across a wide range of cultures, like male dominance in politics and female dominance in family? Sure. Does that make the a case for biological causes that explain and justify female under representation in programming and leadership, even as women vocally clamor for these roles? No, no it doesn’t, at all, just as it fails to proves maleness to be the eternal source of all villainy.

The letter goes on to associate women with feelings, aesthetics, sociability, artistry, gregariousness, and agreeableness, and to deny them ideas and assertiveness. This shows a remarkable lack of historical knowledge. Indeed women’s capacity for all those attributes was once refuted by patriarchal artists and leaders, just as the author today refutes their capacity for “rational” attributes. Over time culture--yes culture--shifts in what it allows for different genders. The assignment of those attributes to women is no less specious and bigoted than the denial of the same to men.

The text swerves from biological determinism to political bias, u-turns back to restatement of its gender difference claims threaded through non-evidence based suggestions, detours complaints about Google’s bias and non-evidence based decisions, to “I am not sexist” disclaimers, and makes the occasional pit stop for a meaningful statement taken, incorrectly, as proof of the whole irrational rant. Surprise, lefties have bias! It might even affect the decision making around inclusivity policy. Whoah, not all differences are socially constructed? Surely then Google’s diversity programs must be wrong. Mr. Anonymous would have done better to confine himself to discussing the specifics of those programs and offer “concrete suggestions” that were in fact concrete, actionable proposals shown to contribute to “non-discriminatory ways to reduce the gender gap.” Instead we get “stop alienating conservatives” and some points about why we should do that. I fully support not alienating everyone, but how do you do that when conservatives are only comfortable if disadvantaged groups stop trying to better their lots in life and instead just know their place? They alienate themselves by claiming an exclusive right to wield power in their own self-interest. Other even less concrete suggestions include “de-emphasize empathy” and “prioritize intention.” Some effort is made in the bullet points to add specifics, which in these cases amount to some dubious claims about the effects of empathy and a call to stop micro-aggression training. At least that last bit was specific, if not supported.

The purpose of the letter is not obvious, but it boils down to opposing diversity programs and training. It visits the reverse discrimination argument several times and makes reference to widely covered issues of college admission and hate speech. This conservative rationale is what gets my dander up, not least because it has a specious logic that requires some thought to see through. If we won’t discriminate against anyone on the basis of gender or race we shouldn’t discriminate against men or white, should we? This line of thinking discards a significant issue, that our culture at large already discriminates for men and whites, in particular at the level of Google. That this is a generalized truth with many specific deviations does not detract from it. The best anecdote I have involves a woman who hired a whole department of employees who shared her gender, race, hair color, hair length, and hair style. That this manager needed to examine her unconscious biases was particularly obvious; that this example points out a female does nothing to refute the need for white male dominated corporate America to affirmatively ensure they don’t unconsciously prefer people like themselves. From the top tier of candidates for a competitive position the final decision is going to be highly subjective. It’s not about unqualified minorities cheating to win; it’s about perfectly qualified minorities getting a shot they deserve as much as anyone else.

Throughout the letter a series of footnotes is included, not to cite sources or evidence, but to make additional room for more of the same, only even less focused, plus an occasional disclaimer or clarification. When the text mentions “veiled left ideology” it directs to a footnote expounding the failure of communism, as if disadvantaged groups trying to increase their presence in a temple of capitalism are secretly communist agents. There is one perfectly good, unattributed quote on rigid male gender roles; on its heels comes a straw man definition of political correctness presented as prove of authoritarianism. Here the author slips out of language carefully couched in appeals to openness and objectivity and we glimpse the most troubling aspect of this letter.

Somewhere, lost in the echoes of his own chamber, there is a human being struggling with sincere fears and alienation, as deserving of voice and sympathy as anyone else. Fear is rarely fully justified, but it is just as rarely baseless. I have sought legitimate men’s rights criticism and so far come up only with muddled alt-right nonsense like this, with the occasional fair point drowned out by unmerited conclusions, intransigent defenses of the status quo peppered with--but not supported by--the occasional just claim. There is a case to be made of male struggles: their gender is stuck in stereotypes and double-standards just as women liberate their own from the same. Affirmative action could well swing towards bigoted discrimination, though I wouldn’t claim that it has. Individuals of any class deserve equal opportunity regardless of the general state of equality, so the woman manager of a small non-profit shouldn’t prefer employees like herself any more than a male executive at a massive multinational conglomerate should. That some women inflict occasional injustices against men is not a surprising or revolutionary claim; women are human beings, people as perfectly capable of self-serving bigotry as anyone else. That their opportunity to do so rests on the shoulders of a movement to reject sexism does nothing to refute that movement. For too many years too many men used their opportunity in reprehensible manner; a rush to decry equal-opportunity bigotry would be premature, to say the least.

Maybe someday soon I will do the serious work and research needed to make this case, much as pioneering women did for their movement. Until then I will reserve my rants for sloppy, fuzzy-logic, alt-right nonsense like this Google employee offers.

Seriously men, just cut this bullshit. It’s embarrassing.

[delsonbundrick97]

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[raindrenchedstories]

Not myself

Day woke in the middle of the night to a strange yowling noise outside her window. Sitting up, she opened the window to find Reaver perched precariously on the balcony. “Mhn... Reaver? The hell?”

Her response was a low, worried growl. Day paused. Reaching for her book on Gordylie. Reaver didn’t normally act like this. So she assumed it was a Gordylide thing. Sitting on the balcony with him, she flipped through under the porch light.

He shifted his weight and whined uneasily as she read through the care guide. “Let’s see... I don’t see any injuries. You’re not looking sick. Can you speak?”

“Waaaarg!”

“Nope. Nope you’ve forgotten how to talk.” She sighed. Taking in the heat radiating off his body. She placed her hand on his, he wasn’t boiling yet. But he was shaking.

From everything Reaver told her, heating up was either a conscious act to warm himself, or a defense mechanism. He would forget how to be a person in emergencies as well. So something happened. He either was scared or hurt. She pulled his shoulder, encouraging him to climb down from the railing and into her lap

He complied readily. Nearly clinging to her. She soothed a hand down his back circling her fingers around the base of one spike and adding pressure. He melted. Frightened little whines creeping out of him every so often. “Okay. I gotta get you home bud. Come on.”

She stood, and he hesitantly followed. Leaving a note for her sister Day packed herself up so it didn’t look like she was wandering Calgary with nothing but her pajamas on. She held Reavers hand the whole time.

Dragging the reluctant gordylide through town, Day stuck to well lit, but private areas. Reavers beastly nature showing in full at this time. Oddly it was a pretty safe time for women on the streets. Something had been abducting men specifically.

A lone man walked the streets across from Day. He was armored like a hunter. Any weapons he held must have been concealed. He paused. Staring at Day with her gordylide boyfriend. Tilting his head, the man crossed the empty streets.

Day stayed still as the man approached. “Sorry to bother you miss. Um... Is this your familiar?”

“Sorta’. He’s one of the smart ones. Just... Well he’s not really there right now. Don’t know why.” Reaver was still shaking. Still twitchy. He clung to her as they were stopped.

The man paused. Eyeing him. “I see. Ah, Mort by the way. And you are?”

“...I don’t give out my first name but please call me Day.” The mans eyes lit up red. Day immediately shut her eyes and turned away.

“Oh! Oh no don’t worry miss. Not a vampire. Not human but not a Vampire.” He responded. “That just happens sometimes. I’m glad you know better than to give your first name out like that though.”

“Yeah well... My sister’s a changeling.” She shrugged.

“Got it. I just... I thought I recognized this guy is all. He looks a lot like my dad’s familiar. But... It’s not him. Sorry to have bothered you miss... You should get home. It’s not safe out tonight. For him.” The man gestured to Reaver. Day sighed. Running a comforting hand over Reavers shoulders.

“I know. What about you?”

“Best bait is the thing they’re hunting. Besides. This thing’ll get more than it bargained for. Have a good night.” They parted ways there. Reaver still clinging to Day. His movements were stiff.

They arrived at Reavers apartment after a while walking. She hastily unlocked his door. Bringing him some place he knew would probably help him calm down. As if it were clockwork, Reaver found the one spot on the floor he seamed to gravitate to. Laying down there and facing the door.

Day approached the door to lock it again only to hear a protesting whine. Reaver seamed to grow panicked. She locked it, striding back to his side as his whines turned to soft whimpers. He clung to her hips, burying his face in her stomach.

“Oh Reaver. What happened out there?”

Daylight pooled in from the kitchen window. Reaver winced. Covering his eyes with his arm. God his side hurt. From his hip down. He remembered bright lights, and screeching tires.

He took a deep breath. He was home. Day’s scent was heavy in the air too. She must have brought him here. Though he had no memory of what happened between the car and waking up. 

He could tell his favorite blanket had been draped over him. His shirt was taken, but that was probably due to his spikes tearing through it. A pillow rested under his head. Day was breathing lightly in the same room.

He probably freaked out when she tried to leave. He’d feel guilty if he knew more about the situation. But after shedding in front of her, Reaver had decided to brief her on certain things.

Opening one blue eye, he found that damn book she kept with her by his elbow. The fucking care guide she kept referring back to. He sighed. Pushing himself from the floor. Hissing in pain as he got up.

“Mh Reaver?” He froze, Day was staring at him from the sofa with concern. He forced a smile.

“Hey beautiful.” He moved to sit up, blanket falling from his shoulders.

“What happened last night?” She mumbled. Slowly crawling off the sofa and making a B-line for his kettle. In need of tea. “Also lemon ginseng today?”

He slowly made his way into a standing position, forcing himself forward to sit at the counter. She joined him. “I wanted to ask you the same... I...I know I got nailed by a car but it’s a blur after that.”

“A CAR? Who the fuck!? -”

“Hangover rules babe.” Reaver winced. Clutching his head.

“Where?”

“W- twenty second street I think.” He sighed. Waiting for the inevitable angry ranting and demanding they call the police. Which, if he freaked out, he might not be able to do.

“No, I mean where did you get hit?” He paused. Looking at her curiously.

“On my right side. It was low.” One minute he was talking with his girlfriend. The next she was gone. He heard water cascading down from his bathtub. Something clattered against the porcelain surface. “Must’ve wanted a shower.” he muttered to himself.

“REAVER! Get your bruised ass over here!” He jerked, nails trying to sink into the counter-top. Eyes wide and staring down the hall to his bathroom. After Day didn’t get the response she wanted she stormed out. Glaring at him.

“Daaaay?” The stool was kicked out from under him. But as opposed to being dropped on the floor, the diminutive woman caught Reaver by the middle. Lifting him and carrying the flailing man down the hall. “DAY!”

There wasn’t much arguing with the woman. He highly regretted spotting for her workout routines now. He was afraid to try and over power her. So he soon ended up being wrestled into a salt bath. Sitting with his arms folded, a hand firmly planted on his chest keeping him in place.

“This wasn’t necessary.” He huffed. Day giggled splashing his face with water, before letting him sit up. Taking something from her ‘care kit’. He hated that bag as much as he hated the damn book.

“Retract for me?” With a long, agitated sigh, Reaver relaxed, his muscle mass decreasing and spikes pulling into their place in his back. A soft cloth ran up his back alongside a hand bracing his shoulder.

“It’s my hip that’s banged up babe.” He chuckled. Popping his left knee out of the water to rest on it. He couldn’t really complain too much. As she made sure to get the salted water where it needed to be. And he couldn’t lie, it felt good.

The rest of the day he had to sit there awkwardly being tended by Day. As well as letting her examine just how strong his legs actually were. Which she didn’t shut up about for an hour.

“...Did I do anything last night? Anything bad, or uncomfortable?” The question rested on his mind for a while. However Day just laughed it off.

“No. You did get a little weird when I went to lock your door. But other than that you just wanted to be held.” She smoothed a hand down his back carefully. Letting him melt under her touch.

Reaver heaved a sigh of relief. “Good. That’s good.” Sure, asking for physical comfort was embarrassing, but normal for a gordylide. Turning to a trusted companion for help was also normal. He understood it.

“Reaver? Why did you freak out when I got close to the door?” Reaver blinked back. Laying his head flat in his arms.

“Pfft. It’s... My dad went out hunting, back in my realm. He closed that door... and never came back.” He stared off into the distance. Trying to push the image of that day aside. “Now, when my brain’s working, I know people come back. I know there aren’t a ton of monsters out to eat the people I care about.”

Day sat listening. Trying to press down at his spikes and ease his growing tension. “But when it’s not working. I don’t know that. I just know sometimes people don’t come back. And I don’t want to lose anybody.”

She sighed. Rolling Reaver so he was laying on his left side, she squeezed under him and let him curl around her. “Well. I’m coming back. Always.” He laughed, leaning down and giving her a kiss on the head.

“I don’t think I could get rid of you if I tried.” Still, she was squeezed a bit tighter to his frame. He held her like a security blanket while calming himself down. Staring at that damn book again. He pulled it to himself, flipping it open to a marked page.

Reaver froze part way. As it turned out, Day used notes as bookmarks. Notes that fell awkwardly onto the floor. Day herself had apparently fallen asleep in his arms. So Reaver pulled the notes back together and read them. Eyes stinging a bit.

They were lists of his personal favorites just from watching him. From lemon drop candies, which he seamed to be getting a lot of lately, to which blankets were his favorite. Listed most to least.

He read through them. Noticing the things he’d told her about himself. He paused. Seeing a small plan she’d laid out in one of the last notes. Detailing how to handle a day like yesterday. Including the bath, and keeping him calm the next day.

He glanced at the last page at the end. It detailed the things she loved about him. And it was surprisingly cramped. She still searched for places to put more information it seamed. The whole page was filled with small things. Things like “He smiles in his sleep” but they meant the world to her.

And she meant the world to him. He sighed, leaning his head back into the pillow. Only now realizing she’d bought him THIS pillow because it was firm, and scratchy in texture. He put her notes back in order and shut the book. Playing idly with her hair.

A soft smile crossed her face. She turned so she was her face into his chest. “Love you...Don’t worry about work. I called and said you wouldn’t make it.”

“Thanks babe. Love you too.”

[nookishposts]

Dear Gentlemen:

To the men in my life, if I haven’t found a way to let you know how much I love and respect and appreciate you, then I’m sorry. I cannot imagine my life without you in it; the intelligence and the humour and the support and the unique gifts you bring are very important to me. Thank you for being there.

To the fellas over 50, you guys are the bridge generation, the ones who I am counting on to be raising your sons and grandsons better in some ways than the way you were raised. As children of the 60′s you were still very much subject to the “big boys don’t cry, real men don’t eat quiche or change diapers, gotta bring home the bacon” nonsense. in fact I know for certain that lots of you did learn how to change diapers, how to make the damned quiche from scratch, and allow yourselves to cry in joy and in sorrow. That’s why I like you....you were willing to drop the crap and get busy being human instead of a caveman. We are all raised with a certain amount of gender-role mythology and we are learning to consign it to the compost heap where it might break down and fertilise something good in time. We are inching our way toward  more equalised workplaces, more equalised political representation....wait...no....we’re not....in fact, there are a few speed-bumps along the road we’d like to discuss. Since your ability to wield a shovel or a new idea is comparable to those of the women in your lives, let’s talk a little about how to level the road in ways that make it safer for every person to travel.

By now, you’ve had a saturated bellyful of Bill Cosby and Brett Kavanaugh. You’d had to have been living under a rock to miss it. Powerful men are being held accountable for their actions and their attitudes by women who have been rallying the courage since the 1960′s and so much earlier. Women have educated themselves and supported one another until a wave of pussy hats swept the world in 2016 when He Who Does Not Deserve To Be Named (President) got elected through ignorance and apathy. MeToo and NoMore took root in the rich soil already provided by our (First and Second Wave Feminist) Moms. These things are not new, but thanks to instant media, the whole World now knows the moment something happens. The voices of women aren’t so easy to ignore anymore, are they?

So, here’s where you come in. A bunch of lovely guys I know have approached me in one way or another and said in effect: “We have no idea what it’s been like for you. And we are a little scared to say and do the wrong thing. We don’t want to make it worse.How do we help? What can we do?” I admit I am not entirely sure of the answer, but I can offer food for thought.

A man very dear to me has related a couple of anecdotes recently: twice he was going about his ordinary day and came across an adult female who was either hurt or ill. When he went to offer his assistance, each time respectfully introducing himself and remaining at a non-threatening distance as he offered his help, he was stonewalled by women suddenly arriving and planting themselves between him and the injured party, glaring at him as if he had done something wrong. This man is a well-educated, highly-trained, semi-retired professional who is the definition of humanitarian. He is genuine and kind. He has children of both primary genders who were raised to think critically, play to their strengths, accept the consequences of their choices, and be respectful of other human beings, period. That both of his offers of help were perceived as threatening, left him taken shaken and unsure of how he might have done anything at all differently. In one case, he was in his own front yard, cutting the grass, when a woman fell at the end of his driveway. The second incident happened on a public train. That his maleness alone was enough to make him suspect, both alarmed and disarmed him.

I am guessing any number of the men in my life, met with the same defensive response under the circumstances described, would have been similarly shaken.

Let’s look at a bigger picture: we have the combined phenomenon of victims speaking up, and  assailants being held to public scrutiny like never before. Media is all over it, for better and for worse. The foundations of male privilege have taken a few serious hits and the good ole boys not used to being held to scrutiny are roaring in righteous indignation. Some of them are so smugly certain they will not be successfully challenged  they make outrageous public statements akin to tossing gasoline on a growing fire. They simply shout louder, more vehemently, and more often in the absolute certainty of their rightness of position without bothering to listen to anybody but themselves. They perceive themselves as completely safe in their power.

Sexual assault is a crime of power, not of sex. It is the assumption that “might makes right”, therefore if I am powerful I can do whatever I like, to whomever I like because they cannot or will not be able to fight back. Women have understood this since time began. We are raised to be under constant vigilance no matter where we go or what we do. It is a fact of our femaleness that we must take the full responsibility for staying safe. We check the backseats of our cars. We check to see who is on the bus when we board and who is also getting off when we depart. We never go on a walk in the woods (or anywhere else) alone. We know how to use keys and fingernails and strategic bodily cleverness in ways no man could imagine. Never offensively, always, ALWAYS in defense. You’ve seen us travel to the bathroom in packs. For good reason.

The more women speak up, the more certain types of men will be offensive in their response. They will blame the victim, use smear campaigns, discredit witnesses, anything to avoid culpability never mind change. None of this is new. It’s just more visible.

So gentlemen, here’s what you do: you take that concern that you are now better understanding and you make it work for change. Real men do cry. And they listen. And they stand shoulder to shoulder with the women in their lives as well as with one another. They start by demonstrating to their sons and grandsons how to respect women, by the way that they treat their spouses and mothers and daughters and sisters. They call out and correct disrespect: at home and everywhere else. They work to make politicians aware and  accountable for policy that leads to real change. Women right now are so angry and so determined to be heard clearly once and for all that we turn to each other for strength and solidarity rather than to men, because we know that other women “get it.” The battle has gone on so long that we are tired of explaining ourselves. You don’t recall the drunken fumbling you did despite her protests when you were 18 years old, but you can be damned sure she does. She will carry it and it’s effects all of her life. It wasn’t an important moment for you, but for her, she couldn’t fight back and you callously used that advantage against her. Whether you knew it or not. 

Its a very sad day when one human being reaches out to help another who is suffering and is rejected simply because of their gender. We’ve got such a shit-ton of work to do to rebuild trust. For now, just listen. Pay attention. If you are having trouble understanding, ask a woman in your life to spell it out for you. Some things you may just have to take our word for, like why it takes so long for us to speak up in the first place. Or why we continue to automatically raise our daughters to protect themselves from men.

Bill Cosby may be 81 years old and blind but he is going to prison as much for his refusal to acknowledge the resonance of his actions as for the crimes themselves.  If you watched any part of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s statement to the Senate Committee last week, you saw a cornered brat sputtering and pointing fingers and thumping his varsity chest to avoid any responsibility for actions he likely does not remember because it mattered nothing to him. He refused to even acknowledge the possibility that he could have done wrong, even asking a female committee member if she had ever blacked out from drinking instead of answering the question put to him. Deflect, deflect, deflect. Kavanaugh believes that by virtue of his paid-for position of both power and privilege, if he yells long enough and loud enough in indignant fury, his accuser will be vilified and the old boys club will pat him on the back for holding his ground. Like a man. And probably award him a greater position of power to boot.

Can you really blame women for being on the defensive, for sticking together now more than ever? When the president of a first world country brags openly about sexually assaulting women and is allowed to continue in office? When assault trials have become regular entertainment? When females are still expected bear the full responsibility for whatever happens to them at the hands of men?

Dear Gentlemen; we need you now to “get it”. Women have had to fight for the right to vote, to be in the workforce, to stand in the political arena, to be recognised in the World itself as persons under the law. No more “boys will be boys” crap. Not in the locker room or any where else for that matter.It will not lessen you in any way as men. Real power is how you choose to use it. 

[talleybarr1-blog]

Picking The Right Neck line.

Mugsy Pants, a start-up males's fashion brand, has released a line from jeans that provide men additional room in the lap location. Unit laboratory: This is where we assess exactly how our job is actually featured both on several internet browsers and on different tools featuring phones as well as tablet computers. Powerful men have actually been behaving badly, e.g. tweeting, raping, cheating, as well as being offensive to almost everyone in the whole entire planet. Undoubtedly, an increasing number of guys are finding brand new companies, developers and even techniques to use particular things through Instagram, instead of men's websites. That approach possibly enticed some males far back that this was acceptable to inexcusably objectify females. A different study back in 2014 that was actually double-blind as well as placebo-controlled, did locate that, when 14 guys ingested pills filled with bitter ONE HUNDRED% cocoa, or gelatin, or even a mixture of both, there was actually a rise in acne lesions for cocoa consumption. On a day-to-day basis I regularly like just what Rachel Bilson has on. http://gesund-lebenblog.de/fungalor-preis-erfahrung-aus-forum-test-bestellen-wo-kaufen-amazon-apotheke-oder-hersteller/ seem like we are actually type of similar as for design goes. If needed, Flatiron the loose edges from your hair for a smooth finish and also haze with shine spray (like Garnier Fructis Type Sleek & Shine 5-in-1 Product Spray). Whatever you individuals decide to carry out before, after or in the course of this challenge, do not forget what this social movement is about: showing actually (or even facially) exactly what you're supporting morally, and maybe fiscally: the fight versus guys's cancer cells as well as psychological health condition. I predict that 85% of women as well as 95% of guys just presume it is actually comical and also they end up with an extra favorable image of Trump as a person which points out whatever he is presuming. With her reddish hair as well as her glowing cheeks, along with her soft upper arms as well as her lack from tight muscular tissue tone, that appears to me that the outrage girl Natoire intended to leave to us all of these years later was actually the sort of female who health and also electricity and glow made her therefore very beneficial to the guys (as well as females!) from her opportunity. At that point decrease on him slowly, seeking out at him as you take him right into your mouth-- which guys find to become an amazing turn on. Many men like the limited and well-maintained feeling linked with utilizing alcohol-based aftershaves, as well as they have been actually said to that these shut the pores. After reviewing the post my excitement quickly frittered away: The remedy for men with loss of hair was to possess them cut their scalps. As well as I do not assume that is wise to tap the services of folks as aged as Clinton and Trump for tasks that demand high energy and also mental mastery. If your company is based upon development, media and also generating buzz, this is actually the design for you. Inform your stylist you wish layers that include volume to ensure you get the best type. Inning accordance with him, the type is actually never, ever complementary to any man or any one of his outfits. She is actually the explanation I started using an everyday sun screen lotion and a massive evening cream coming from the grow older from 19, as well as why-- no matter what!-- I regularly wash off my groundwork and mascara in the evening. The concern from extreme oil as well as sparkle could be attended to by utilizing items like the Clear Cell Salicylic Clarifying Restorative The insight of charm editors is actually for guys to make use of a weekly procedure item having salicylic acid. Example: Any sort of lot of tiny program providers, yet IBM is just one of the most fascinating instances this design. About Weblog - I am actually a woman from handful of phrases, yet I developed this blogging site to share my own hacienda design interior decoration, on a daily basis domesticity on our 35 acre farm with apple orchard and also obviously my hand made RUSTIC HACIENDA 'WARES'. Update: I ought to have stated that the best method to approach this is to examine different etymological kill shots on imprisoned jihadists. She is actually verification that design is not simply one thing you are birthed along with, however that it may be discovered. Contrast my type of blogging to one of the most usual types, that include proposal for some interest group or yet another, advice, info, and also punditry. Inning accordance with my visitors, examples from unethical procedure of males feature several elements from the lawful device, the armed forces draft sometimes, the lesser expectation of life from guys, the higher self-destruction fees for males, circumcision, as well as the expanding amount of government organizations that are actually largely for ladies. Style pointers: You may clothe this appearance up with considerable amounts of bling or dress down with a handful of signature pieces. The past admissions professional who dwells in Philly is actually right now the creative supervisor for his very own service, Guys's Style Pro, a menswear blogging site. Likewise that Tata Harper Skincare is, foremost and also 1st, regarding high-performance elements to steer outcomes, sustaining type is actually Amour Vert's main objective. In normal British design our team constantly appear to stint sunlight defense, leaving behind hair ruined as well as wanting some serious TLC. Disapproval from guys for their supposed faults is virtually business as usual in this nation - so much to ensure our company seldom classify it. As well as if a male is highly effective, that is actually 2 strikes against him. Garnier Fructis Design De-Constructed Appearance Tease creates tons of dainty amount without any obvious starchy streaks. My other theory is actually that I do not possess a vehicle so I am actually creating a disparaging post about guys that do. I can not control that out. The video, qualified The Guv is an Expectant Girl," is actually all aspect of the Job Daily life Promo" project lately introduced in the Kyushu and Yamaguchi areas from Asia, which aims to encourage men to embrace a far better work-life harmony. Anyone may wear this no matter hair style or structure, and also that's easier to type compared to you believe!

[mellifluous-cicadas-blog]

A Temporary Introduction To Blockchain - For Usual Men and women

pump and dump Crypto-what? If you've got tried to dive into this mysterious issue identified as blockchain, you would be forgiven for recoiling in horror at the sheer opaqueness of the technical jargon that is typically employed to frame it. So ahead of we get into what a crytpocurrency is and how blockchain know-how might adjust the earth, let us talk about what blockchain really is. In the most basic phrases, a blockchain is a electronic ledger of transactions, not not like the ledgers we have been making use of for hundreds of many years to report profits and buys. The function of this electronic ledger is, in truth, quite substantially equivalent to a traditional ledger in that it records debits and credits among individuals. That is the main concept at the rear of blockchain the big difference is who holds the ledger and who verifies the transactions. With classic transactions, a payment from one individual to another includes some type of middleman to facilitate the transaction. Let us say Rob wants to transfer £20 to Melanie. He can possibly give her dollars in the variety of a £20 be aware, or he can use some type of banking application to transfer the funds directly to her lender account. In each cases, a financial institution is the middleman verifying the transaction: Rob's funds are confirmed when he normally takes the income out of a money equipment, or they are verified by the app when he makes the electronic transfer. The financial institution decides if the transaction ought to go forward. The financial institution also holds the history of all transactions designed by Rob, and is entirely responsible for updating it anytime Rob pays an individual or gets cash into his account. In other terms, the lender holds and controls the ledger, and every little thing flows by means of the bank. That is a ton of accountability, so it is significant that Rob feels he can have faith in his bank otherwise he would not danger his money with them. He demands to come to feel self-confident that the lender will not defraud him, will not drop his funds, will not be robbed, and will not disappear overnight. This need for trust has underpinned fairly much each and every big behaviour and facet of the monolithic finance market, to the extent that even when it was discovered that financial institutions have been being irresponsible with our income through the monetary crisis of 2008, the governing administration (one more middleman) chose to bail them out rather than possibility destroying the remaining fragments of rely on by letting them collapse. Blockchains run in another way in one particular critical respect: they are solely decentralised. There is no central clearing home like a financial institution, and there is no central ledger held by a single entity. Alternatively, the ledger is dispersed across a huge community of pcs, referred to as nodes, every single of which retains a copy of the overall ledger on their respective difficult drives. These nodes are connected to one a different through a piece of software program referred to as a peer-to-peer (P2P) consumer, which synchronises facts throughout the community of nodes and makes positive that all people has the exact same model of the ledger at any presented position in time. When a new transaction is entered into a blockchain, it is very first encrypted working with state-of-the-art cryptographic engineering. After encrypted, the transaction is converted to something called a block, which is essentially the phrase utilized for an encrypted team of new transactions. That block is then despatched (or broadcast) into the community of personal computer nodes, in which it is confirmed by the nodes and, as soon as verified, handed on by way of the network so that the block can be added to the end of the ledger on everybody's pc, below the listing of all previous blocks. This is called the chain, therefore the tech is referred to as a blockchain. The moment accredited and recorded into the ledger, the transaction can be concluded. This is how cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin work. Accountability and the elimination of have faith in What are the rewards of this program more than a banking or central clearing program? Why would Rob use Bitcoin rather of usual forex? The reply is have confidence in. As talked about ahead of, with the banking technique it is critical that Rob trusts his financial institution to guard his dollars and handle it correctly. To make certain this occurs, huge regulatory devices exist to confirm the actions of the financial institutions and ensure they are healthy for purpose. Governments then regulate the regulators, making a type of tiered technique of checks whose sole objective is to help avoid faults and negative conduct. In other words and phrases, organisations like the Financial Services Authority exist precisely mainly because banking companies can not be trustworthy on their own. And financial institutions regularly make blunders and misbehave, as we have witnessed far too several times. When you have a solitary supply of authority, electricity tends to get abused or misused. The have confidence in connection between folks and banks is uncomfortable and precarious: we never genuinely have confidence in them but we really don't truly feel there is much choice. Blockchain systems, on the other hand, never will need you to believe in them at all. All transactions (or blocks) in a blockchain are confirmed by the nodes in the network prior to staying additional to the ledger, which implies there is no single position of failure and no single acceptance channel. If a hacker needed to efficiently tamper with the ledger on a blockchain, they would have to concurrently hack hundreds of thousands of desktops, which is just about difficult. A hacker would also be fairly substantially not able to convey a blockchain community down, as, once again, they would want to be ready to shut down each and every single computer system in a network of desktops dispersed about the globe. The encryption process by itself is also a critical element. Blockchains like the Bitcoin 1 use intentionally challenging procedures for their verification treatment. In the circumstance of Bitcoin, blocks are verified by nodes performing a intentionally processor- and time-intense collection of calculations, generally in the kind of puzzles or complicated mathematical difficulties, which suggest that verification is neither instantaneous nor accessible. Nodes that do dedicate the source to verification of blocks are rewarded with a transaction payment and a bounty of newly-minted Bitcoins. This has the perform of both incentivising men and women to grow to be nodes (since processing blocks like this demands rather highly effective desktops and a lot of electrical power), although also handling the method of making - or minting - models of the forex. This is referred to as mining, simply because it involves a appreciable amount of effort (by a laptop, in this situation) to develop a new commodity. It also indicates that transactions are verified by the most independent way doable, more unbiased than a federal government-regulated organisation like the FSA. This decentralised, democratic and highly secure mother nature of blockchains signifies that they can perform without having the need for regulation (they are self-regulating), federal government or other opaque intermediary. They perform mainly because people will not believe in each other, somewhat than in spite of. Permit the importance of that sink in for a when and the excitement about blockchain starts to make feeling. Clever contracts Where points get really interesting is the programs of blockchain outside of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Given that one of the fundamental rules of the blockchain system is the protected, independent verification of a transaction, it truly is easy to think about other techniques in which this sort of approach can be useful. Unsurprisingly, a lot of this sort of purposes are currently in use or advancement. Some of the greatest types are: Sensible contracts (Ethereum): in all probability the most interesting blockchain advancement right after Bitcoin, sensible contracts are blocks that have code that must be executed in order for the agreement to be fulfilled. The code can be anything, as long as a computer can execute it, but in straightforward conditions it implies that you can use blockchain technology (with its unbiased verification, trustless architecture and protection) to create a type of escrow system for any variety of transaction. As an case in point, if you are a net designer you could create a deal that verifies if a new client's internet site is released or not, and then immediately launch the cash to you once it is. No far more chasing or invoicing. Clever contracts are also getting used to demonstrate ownership of an asset this sort of as residence or artwork. The likely for cutting down fraud with this technique is monumental. Cloud storage (Storj): cloud computing has revolutionised the world wide web and brought about the introduction of Big Data which has, in convert, kick started off the new AI revolution. But most cloud-based mostly systems are run on servers stored in one-spot server farms, owned by a single entity (Amazon, Rackspace, Google and many others). This presents all the exact same difficulties as the banking method, in that you facts is managed by a solitary, opaque organisation which represents a solitary position of failure. Distributing knowledge on a blockchain eliminates the have confidence in issue solely and also promises to raise reliability as it is so substantially harder to get a blockchain community down. Electronic identification (ShoCard): two of the largest troubles of our time are identify theft and information defense. With vast centralised solutions this kind of as Fb holding so substantially info about us, and initiatives by a variety of formulated-world governments to retail outlet digital information about their citizens in a central database, the probable for abuse of our private facts is terrifying. Blockchain technological innovation presents a prospective answer to this by wrapping your important facts up into an encrypted block that can be confirmed by the blockchain community when you need to have to confirm your identity. The purposes of this range from the apparent substitute of passports and I.D. playing cards to other locations these as replacing passwords. It could be massive. Write-up Resource: http://EzineArticles.com/9690855

[hudsonespie]

PHOTO RELEASE–Huntington Ingalls Industries Launches National Security Cutter Midgett

PASCAGOULA, Miss., Nov. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division launched the National Security Cutter (NSC) Midgett (WMSL 757) on Wednesday. Midgett is the eighth NSC Ingalls has built for the U.S. Coast Guard. It will be christened during a ceremony on Dec. 9.

“As the National Security Cutter program continues to mature, we are providing our Coast Guard customer the best ships in their fleet,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. “Our shipbuilders know and understand the importance of quality in building these highly capable cutters so the men and women of the Coast Guard can perform their important national security missions.”

Midgett was translated via Ingalls’ rail car system to the floating dry dock last week, and the dock was moved away from the pier on Tuesday night. With the assistance of tugboats, Midgett launched off the dock early Wednesday morning.

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/file?fid=5a15a0772cfac2469eba1ed8.

“We’ve become very good at building these ships and continue to improve with the incorporation of lessons learned from previous cutters,” said Derek Murphy, Ingalls’ NSC program manager. “Launch is a much-anticipated and exciting event, but it’s still just one step in bringing this cutter to life. Our shipbuilders are ready to get back to work to ensure Midgett is the best NSC to date.”

The ship is named to honor John Allen Midgett, who was awarded the Silver Cup by the U.K. Board of Trade in 1918 for the renowned rescue of 42 British sailors aboard the British tanker Mirlo after it was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of North Carolina. He was also awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1924. Midgett was a senior enlisted member of the U.S. Lifesaving Service when it merged with the U.S. Lighthouse Service and U.S. Revenue Cutter Service to become today’s U.S. Coast Guard.

Legend-class NSCs are the flagships of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet. Designed to replace the 378-foot Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters that entered service in the 1960s, they are 418 feet long with a 54-foot beam and displace 4,500 tons with a full load. They have a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 110.

NSCs are capable of meeting all maritime security mission needs required of the high-endurance cutter. They include an aft launch and recovery area for two rigid hull inflatable boats and a flight deck to accommodate a range of manned and unmanned rotary wing aircraft. The Legend class is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the Coast Guard, with robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. NSCs play an important role enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness at a time when the demand for their services has never been greater.

Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HII’s Technical Solutions division provides a wide range of professional services through its Fleet Support, Integrated Mission Solutions, Nuclear & Environmental, and Oil & Gas groups. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs nearly 37,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit:

HII on the web: www.huntingtoningalls.com

HII on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HuntingtonIngallsIndustries

HII on Twitter: twitter.com/hiindustries

Bill Glenn william.glenn@hii-co.com 228-935-1323

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