#that man was ravaged into a two day coma

[petrichoraline]

can we stop and just commend xiao bao's resilience dealing with that butt pain with no possibility of relief? can't even use ancient medicine cause how would you explain that? wonder if he called the boys to bring him a bucket of really cold water or something

[entertainmenterea]

TOP 5 CILLIAN MURPHY MOVIES

Cillian Murphy is a talented Irish actor known for his versatile roles in various films as we know his famous role is Thomas Shelby in peaky blinders series

"28 Days Later" (2002) - Directed by Danny Boyle, this post-apocalyptic horror film follows the story of a man who wakes up from a coma to find the world ravaged by a deadly virus. Murphy plays the lead role of Jim, who must navigate through the desolate landscape, trying to survive amidst the infected population.

"Inception" (2010) - Directed by Christopher Nolan, this mind-bending sci-fi thriller features an ensemble cast, with Cillian Murphy portraying Robert Fischer, the target of a complex heist that takes place within dreams. The movie explores the concept of shared dreaming and blurs the lines between reality and the subconscious.

"Sunshine" (2007) - In this sci-fi thriller, also directed by Danny Boyle, Murphy stars as Capa, a physicist on a mission to re-ignite the dying sun and save humanity from an impending ice age. The film delves into themes of sacrifice, human nature, and the awe-inspiring vastness of space.

"The Wind That Shakes the Barley" (2006) - In this historical drama directed by Ken Loach, Cillian Murphy plays Damien, a young Irishman who becomes involved in the Irish War of Independence and the subsequent Irish Civil War. The film explores the complexities of nationalism, loyalty, and personal sacrifice.

"Peacock" (2010) - In this psychological thriller, Cillian Murphy portrays both John and Emma Skillpa, a man with a split personality disorder who has been living a double life. The film explores the consequences of repressed trauma and the struggle to maintain two separate identities.

[denimbex1986]

'Cillian Murphy has been paying his dues in the industry for two decades at this point, and his turn as the titular scientist in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer gives him the chance to stake his leading man credentials in a blockbuster film for the first time. While he is playing the "father of the atomic bomb," it was another apocalyptic-style event movie that landed Murphy his first big break.

In 2000, Murphy was cast by Danny Boyle in 28 Days Later, as a man who awakens from a coma to discover an abandoned world that has been ravaged by a zombie apocalypse. The movie was a critical and commercial smash hit, so much so that it spawned a sequel, 28 Weeks Later, in which Murphy did not appear. 28 Weeks Later did not achieve the same level of success as its predecessor, earning only $65.8 million on a budget of $15 million, whereas 28 Days Later garnered $84.6 million on a budget of $8 million. This disparity in financial performance is one of the factors that delayed the production of another sequel. Additionally, Alex Garland, the writer of 28 Days Later was not particularly satisfied with 28 Weeks Later since he was not involved in its creation.

Despite all of this, Boyle and Garland recently confirmed to Inverse that they were having "serious" discussions about a potential return to the franchise, and it sounds like Murphy could be involved with whatever they are discussing. Speaking with Collider's Steve Weintraub while promoting Oppenheimer, Murphy was asked about the prospects of returning to the series, to which he was very enthusiastic. Murphy agreed that, given his age, a title like 28 Years Later might be the way forward as he confirmed that he would "love to" do the film if Garland and Boyle are involved.

"I was talking to Danny Boyle recently, and I said, “Danny, we shot the movie at the end of 2000.” So I think we’re definitely approaching the 28 Years Later. But like I’ve always said, I’m up for it. I’d love to do it. If Alex [Garland] thinks there’s a script in it and Danny wants to do it, I’d love to do it."

What Are Garland & Boyle Planning?

Speaking with Inverse, Garland shared that he, "Resisted [making a sequel] for a long time because there were things about 28 Weeks that bugged me. I just thought, ‘F*ck that. I’d rather try to write a different story in a different world." He went on to say, "A few years ago an idea materialized in my head for what would be really 28 Years Later. Danny always liked the idea." While neither creative shared exactly what this idea is, Boyle did add, “[W]e’re talking about it quite seriously, quite diligently. If he doesn’t want to direct it himself I’ll be well up for it if we can execute a similarly good idea.“

With the knowledge that Garland and Boyle are diligently working on a plan and the added confirmation that Murphy has been speaking with them about the zombie franchise, perhaps fans will get that long-awaited sequel after all. Hopefully we won't have to wait until 2028 for it to happen, to truly play into the 28 Years Later tease...'

[psalloacappella]

grace note

original post on twt, here.

Edit: Published on ao3 as grace note 

“𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟.” — T.S. Eliot 

What is the liminal difference between low, sad sundown and the rust skyflickers of a village succumbing to self-immolation, its deserved ritual burning?

Turns out, Sasuke reflects at her bedside, not much. 

Day and night mingle and suffuse, bleeding through, not so unlike her blue veins pressing up to crepe paper skin, urgent signs of life; as one claws at the glass he imagines trapping her body, soul,

sanity. 

Sakura’s engagement ring rests on a small table, and light catches the glittering, smoky rainbow blend of a failed state. Bending reality — warping the room.

The silver earring next to it feels gauche, and Sasuke knows his sins are writ in the deepest grooves of the karmic universe. 

Some stupid kid, too young to be managing a hospital floor on his own: When Sasuke arrived averting his eyes and stepping over the dead lined in cemetery rows, ready for earthly departure, and perhaps the only wherewithal this unlucky medic still possessed, he thinks his brusque but desperate questioning will leave the man (no, this boy) combusting, shattering in an instant, a perfect model portraitcapture of the devastation ravaging the village. 

It had been this unsettling destruction that made Sasuke for the first time refuse to report to the best friend now former, as they had nothing left to say, and head straight to the only place left that held any meaning —

to the last person that made him feel alive.

“C-Coma.” The kid’s voice quavers, flickering and going out. Because Uchiha Sasuke is a legendary destructive demigod and the splintering of the new Sannin had been so palpable, so whispered and gossiped about in dark bars and back rooms, and children were carrying their parents’ political opinions to school as talismans and gifts, learning not how to love but how to live, how to navigate a crumbling world power. 

“She stayed as long as she could, evacuating staff and patients and then . . . well . . . a blow to the head. Bad. I think she . . . can’t remember what’s happening. She’s stuck under the surface, you know?”

Something apt about the way he describes it to Sasuke, an accurate specificity; she’s drowning, indifferent to reality, and maybe it’s a fucking blessing.

Because this kid worked as an assistant under Haruno Sakura; because he knew of the infamous final severing of friendship among them, Uzumaki Naruto accepting his ascension in a time of which he’d never dreamed. Too early, too full of loss to make sound decisions, which applied to all of them. Gone, two Hokage in a row. Morale, nonexistent.

And so, bereft of all the people that had made them whole, a council of elders survived another purge as they so often had, clinging to decades of greed, and began to run the chessboard. 

Sasuke hadn’t said thanks before brushing past, too busy struggling to stay upright, lest another person lose hope in hell, so another man can’t see his chest cave in to despair.

“Are you able to stay with her?”

Sasuke’s eyes don’t leave Sakura’s grey face. He can feel the young man shifting his weight foot to foot. The world’s too bright, vibrating at the speed of collapse.

“There’s no one left alive up here. I’d stay, I would,” and now he’s pleading, pleading with the last surviving member of the Uchiha, but truly, only a stranger, “but my mother. My sister. My husb—”

“Go.”

A stunned silence, before Sasuke forces it out again. “Just go.”

Weeping; Sasuke’s reminded of his young age again in the sniffles and gasps and thank you, oh gods thank you, but then, he’s not that much older. Not really.

“When . . . if her husband makes it back, can — can you tell him what happened?”

Instinct makes Sasuke brush a strand of hair out of her face, and he knows it’s pathetic and disloyal but all the world is falling and she’s the last thing that matters and he has never, ever made the claim to be a good and principled man. 

All he can offer up to the fleeing young medic is a noise in his throat, and its taken as assent despite the originator not knowing his real answer.

And they are alone.

After several silent minutes he finally squeezes her hand, as no one can judge him now in what will probably be the final hours, by death or infrastructure collapse or both. 

After so many years, it’s simply too difficult to be alone. To spurn any love left.

“I know you wanted me to forgive him,” Sasuke says to no one, “but you have always thought too much of me, believed in a goodness I never had.”

Before they could ever quite get it right together, find a foothold in a mad, mad world, they were put in their place by a sneering, cruel universe yet again. This is the punishment of those who take, who find solace in the state. Naruto, deeply in grief after the loss of Gaara, had been no match for the machinations of the council, a desperate plan to unite with their best ally for a second time as the rest of the world beared down on the seat of power, sniffing out imminent collapse. Sakura, reeling from her own losses (Tsunade, Kakashi, two Kages down, two kings tipped off the board), did not protest the arrangements. 

He places the backs of his fingers against her frigid cheek. 

“You had always worn your heart on your sleeve, at least . . . you did for me.”

Sasuke placed conveniently on faraway assassinations and assignments when they forced his friends’ hands and signed the bloodlines. 

He should have seen it coming — rotten roots of leaves.

Did Naruto take solace in marrying the fraying, threaded lifeline to his lost lover? Did he know the true nature of Temari’s visits, officially unofficial, that her eyes were always on someone waiting on the right way to tell her his feelings? Smart in strategy, stupid in women:  Everyone dancing a step too late. 

Sasuke presses her cold fingers to his lips, breathing hard and is it the anger as if to set fire, spark her back to life and memory and all his fears exhale in whispers did you smile like you loved him and did you kiss him like you meant it and did you give him a piece of you because no one can know Sakura without knowing a bit of team seven, a bit of himself, and in asking this, did you give him a piece of me? 

And her eyelashes flutter.

Fervent, the keen cleaving in his chest, blazing but cold. Relief and mild terror. 

He comes closer, bends over her in the bed looking so small, so bruised and worn and out of place, and for a moment she shrinks back, eyes rolling and then darting from his face to the bloodsky to the bedside table and flickering in panicked cadence all over again.

“What’s happening?” She clings to his cloak, pulling him close with a searing strength that he knows well, too well, that he thought he’d never feel again. Knowing she could crush him here and he would let her if he could stay. 

His heart daring to leap, though the guilt — well, he’s used to it.

“You were evacuating staff and patients,” he murmurs quietly, placing his hand on her balled fist, the one still with his shirt fabric in an iron grip. “You were hurt — hit your head.”

“Where is everyone else?”

Something’s unsettling in her glass green gaze. A missing detail, a filmy screen. 

“What’s your name?”

Sakura relents her grip, frown lines dashing across her forehead. “S-Sakura.” A fierce glare. “I’m in charge of this place, you know.” 

“Sakura.”

Divine, the way he says her name. She shivers and he thinks she’s weakening — 

she shivers and she knows this man has her soul.

“What,” Sasuke begins, settling on the bed next to her, “do you last remember?”

Flashes:  of stealing bells and forest snakes and waking up on a bench and climbing aboveground to stare at his handsome face in the glare of the sun; of the end of the world, of the beginning of theirs, the quiet moments in her office and the way he knows her heart.

“Everything.” Comes out in a coarse whisper, and she stares at her shaking hands. “At least, everything about you, Sasuke-kun.”

Like the tap of a tuning fork caressing each nerve ending — there’s never been a better way to hear his own name.

But now she purses her lips at the shadow left behind, the clear imprint of a ring previously worn. 

“Do you know where my husband is?”

Acutely aware that there’s a clipboard with pinned paper, reality writ black and white, Nara in sloping lettered ink. Attestation of her husband’s name. It sits on the table with the rest of the proof.

When her beautiful eyes flicker, there and back again, the expression she gives him asks for forgiveness. A request to abide. Or perhaps that’s wishful thinking from desperation, a man disloyal and low. 

Does he know her as well as he thought he did? Take parts of her for granted? 

In the flickering sundown, sky saturated with apocalypse fire, her expression could be earnest or confused or detached from reality — all depends on the angle of light.

Now she takes his face in her hands and asks, pleading, each word deliberate, 

“Do you know . . . where my husband is?”

The myth of making the selfish choice is that you agonize, game all the outcomes. Consider. Reality unfolds at the synapse-speeds of seconds.

“He’s right here.” Sasuke swallows hard after the admission, throat scorched dry. Leaning into the warmth returning to her hands, fighting the pinch of emotion in the tip of his nose, the prelude to tears. Placing his hand on top of her own, rubbing the indent on her ring finger in silent deliverance. For his cowardice. 

Mouth forming a lie against her temple, one he’s not sure she’ll ever know,

“I’m right here.”

[insidious-intent]

13. “I’ll take you home.” - Malex :)

I apologize if you were looking for sexc times, this wanted to be written! 

He finds the piece deep in the middle of the desert, pulled by its faint call. It didn’t look like anything special, just another piece of the glimmering alien spaceship, he knows it well. A deep placed certainty that grew in his bones drives him, and he is in the truck driving towards Carlsbad just as the day dawns. He might be a sailor, following the trail of a siren call, a dim instinct that keeps him moving deeper into the caverns. What he finds is a gentle bio-luminescence, making puddles of water glow pink and purple. It is the largest piece of the ship he has found so far, edges soft and curved and forever glowing. It takes him two hours to move the piece, careful of its size and worried about damaging it in the cavern, securing it the best way he can in the truck bed. 

He grins in satisfaction as the piece rests on the floor of his bunker, half a day after he started, still glimmering softly in the darkness. After the setbacks of the past year, having a workable piece of the ship feels like a great leap forward, and he’s never been one to look gift horses in the mouth. It takes hours to revisit the ship, place all the pieces back in sequence, even though it feels like minutes, but the remaining pieces of the console hum back to life. 

He approaches with the new piece, slowly and carefully. But all that worry was for nothing, because the ship accepts the piece as if it were a prodigal child, immediately slotting into place. The resulting hum is like a long forgotten melody, finally slotting back in his head. He thinks he cries, or at least tears up at the success, at the return of a piece of his home. He reaches out with reverent hands, wanting to feel the thrum of the console under his skin. The blinding light makes him close his eyes for a moment, a deep gong of reminder, of home, going off in his head. 

With the thrum of the ship under his hands, Michael Guerin opens his eyes, and sees the universe. 

***

The news calls it “an unfortunate consequence of climate change,” and the reports spread far and wide. Isobel knows none of it is true, the news is full of convenient lies people have come up with to justify the natural phenomena ravaging the state of New Mexico, and rapidly expanding outward. Four days ago she was woken up in the middle of the night by a scream she’ll likely never forget. It took her four days without sleep or food to figure out how to stop the voices in her head. Max is almost comatose next to her, his telepathic powers small and fragile in the face of the threat. 

Only on the fifth day was she able to open her eyes again, the silence leaving her ears ringing as if she stepped out of Planet 7. But she knew what to do by then, and she knew how to stop it. She thanks her past self for holding onto things she was given while the efforts to bring Max back were going on, and picks up the satellite phone. She has a few calls to make and she knows where to start - Kyle Valenti. 

She is done within the hour, and after making sure that Max is only sleeping, not in a coma, heads outside. There was a very high risk in stepping outside, the earthquakes and mini tornadoes had destroyed almost everything within a hundred mile radius. But no one knows that the eye of the storm lies right in Roswell, so Isobel climbs into her BMW and makes her way over to Sanders Auto & Junkyard. 

The air thickens around her as she approaches the junkyard, a vacuum seal pressure on her senses, pushing her away. Isobel knows that if she were human, she would have buckled under the atmospheric pressure by now, her alien physiology the only thing keeping her intact. The air around the junkyard is not air anymore, moving like water around her, shimmering hues of pinks and yellows and purples. Her car gives out right at the edge of the junkyard, the engine crumpling and smoking from the pressure. Isobel gets out and starts walking, reaching the bunker after what feels like hours. The cover is hanging open, and Isobel thanks whoever is listening for the ladder still being there. 

She sees her brother in the middle of the bunker, a glowing star in the dark. He is hovering a couple feet above the ground, but his hands are holding onto the ship that even now thrums like a hydraulic engine. Isobel knows she has only one chance, and she has had five days to make up her mind on what part she wants to play in her brother’s rescue. With a single determined breath, Isobel moves forward.

Removing Michael’s hands from the ship whites out the entire bunker, and knocks her unconscious for a whole minute. When she comes to, she can feel the earth finally settling, no more tremors attacking it. The air also feels normal again, and Isobel takes a deep and long breath. At least the world is safe now. 

When she finally makes herself stand, the ship has lost the deep thrum, but is still glowing, and unfortunately so is Michael. 

“Michael?” she asks, knowing she may not get an answer.

“Princess,” the legion of voices inside Michael responds, “we are honored to meet you.”

Isobel chokes back her tears, she doesn’t have time to panic. “Let Michael go,” she says, keeping her voice as steady as she can. 

“He is not a prisoner.”

Isobel tries to not let her frustration show. “You can’t have him, he is not yours to keep.”

The legion laughs, the voice cracking every light bulb in the bunker. 

But Isobel isn’t worried, because she always has a plan.

***

Michael’s having an incredible day. The ship is complete and running and both Max and Isobel are almost ready. The skies look clear, the air is crisp and refreshing. All around him, Michael’s friends and family join in to see them one last time. The mood is festive, Max and Isobel and him easily mingling, getting hugs and kisses, no one is unhappy that the three of them finally get to go home. 

Liz and Rosa are at the door, holding a big wrapped box out to Michael. Liz hugs him tight, but Rosa also adds a punch to his shoulder after her hug. “This is expensive booze, so hold onto it!” she says, and Michael only laughs. Rosa is a good friend. 

He knows something is missing, but can’t tell what. He looks around him, at all the smiling faces, loud cheerful yells and shouts of his friends and family. He has everything, right? 

“Guerin,” a voice says behind him, and Michael freezes. The voice is familiar, he knows it, but he can’t remember. He should remember. 

He turns slowly, and looks into the face of the man he loves. Has always loved. Will forever love. 

“Alex.”

“Hi Guerin,” Alex says. 

Michael grins, “Alex you made it!”

Michael smiles and walks towards Alex, ignoring the way the party has gone quiet and still, and he can’t hear his ship anymore. 

Michael’s mom steps in front of him, stopping him from reaching Alex. “Michael, stop. You need to go home.”

Michael looks at his mom and smiles reassuringly. “I’m going home, mom. Alex is my home.”

His mother is frowning now, “no Michael. You don’t belong here.” She starts tugging at his arm, trying to pull him back towards the ship. 

Alex stands there, looking at Michael, eyes full of love. “Michael, come back to me.”

Michael throws off his mother’s arm and walks forward again, smiling at seeing the love of his life in front of him. “Alex,” he whispers, heart full of joy. 

Alex smiles and holds his arms open, “Come on Guerin,” he whispers, that soft smile still on his face. “I’ll take you home,” he says before kissing Michael.

***

In the bunker, Isobel cries. Alex is on the ground, still holding Michael, his lips still on Michael’s. 

Michael finally opens his eyes.

Send me a prompt!

[rejectclone]

I’ve been meaning to update the mini bios for my OCs, it took me some time to try to condense their core aspects and backstory stuff into smaller paragraphs but I’m finally done!

NAME: Jared Clements

AGE: 28

GENDER: Male

SEXUALITY: Bisexual

RACE: White (is of Hispanic descent)

OCCUPATION: Detective/Deputy

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good

SHORT BIO: Who was once one of the greatest detectives in Neo York City’s police branches, now a shattered former shell of himself after the Incident. Physically and emotionally mauled from the explosion that killed his partners and his reputation, he now ruminates at the station, plotting for his revenge against the criminal organization that led to his fall. Formerly known to be the most kind and upbeat member of the station, he has become cold and callous to everyone, but the new recruit might pull him from his self-imposed darkness.....

NAME: Devon Cox

AGE: 25

GENDER: Male

SEXUALITY: Straight

RACE: ‘White’/Ambiguous (HEAVILY mixed, but he identifies mostly with being Italian)

OCCUPATION: Trainee Officer, former illegal bloodsport boxer

ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good

SHORT BIO: The bastard son of a seedy bookie and a mother who clearly did not take good care of herself, along with being the only mute member of his family, he was deemed a unwanted child. Eventually, his parent’s actions caught up to them one night out, and as they were slaughtered, their son was left alone at home. Soon adopted by his uncle on his father’s side, he was essentially forced to ‘repay the debt’ by becoming a bloodsport fighter, regardless if he wanted to do it or not. As a adult, the illegal ring has fallen due to on-going corruption, he is now again left alone as his corrupt uncle got hauled off to prison. Left to his own devices and lamenting his actions, he now wants to pave his own path by repaying his own debts by joining the NYPD. Unknown to his new coworkers, he has spilled blood numerous times and won’t hesitate to do what must be done in some situations.....

NAME: B055 M4N

AGE: 24 in 4027 (BEFORE DEATH) 80 in 4083 (POST RESURRECTION)

GENDER: Male

SEXUALITY: Straight

RACE: White

OCCUPATION: Lieutenant

ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral

SHORT BIO: He was supposed to be the next gleaming star in the NYPD’s legacy of lieutenants, all from the same bloodline spanning across decades...... until he was assassinated at his induction ceremony in front of the general public. Ironically, his fate was not sealed there, as a week before his induction, he was coaxed into signing up for a ‘organ donation program’, to a incredibly specific experimental medicine company. He never expected his corpse to be used in a unethical program to create a supercomputer, devised of a human consciousness instead of a AI, to ensure that it will have a good stance on logical proceedings of organization and the law, and will not suffer from conflicts of interest. Unfortunately for him, the total conversion to a machine was semi-successful, as they could only resurrect his head...... Now doomed to be a severed head in a jar filled with PFC and the inability to speak (well, at least without using text-to-speech), he has been forcibly instated to be the permanent boss of the station. His true appearance is a facade to essentially everyone, as the ‘higher-ups’ creates false non-existent lieutenants to be instated every few years to keep the act going, except a very select few know of his current situation.

NAME: Lydia Hall

AGE: 25

GENDER: Female

SEXUALITY: Lesbian

RACE: White

OCCUPATION: Psychiatrist, uses ‘personal nurse’ as a cover

ALIGNMENT: True Neutral

BIO: She is considered to be one of the ‘greatest’ newer psychiatrists to ever grace the continental US, but nobody expected her to suddenly disappear off the face of the earth, upon getting a ‘promotion’ one day. Unknown to almost everyone, she was coerced into the psychological monitoring of one of the company’s most experimental projects, the undead severed head turned database at the local NYPD station. His previous care taker had to be laid off due to ‘concerns’, and thus she now must monitor him on a near daily basis, cleaning out his tank, making sure he is still sane, and to just stay there to entertain him basically. She never expected her career to be basically reduced to a personal nurse, and yet here she is. Unfortunately for her, the true nightmare unfolds when a certain hazmat wearing being stumbles into the picture.

NAME: Lawrence Grey

AGE: 47

GENDER: Male

SEXUALITY: Straight

RACE: White

OCCUPATION: Geneticist

ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil

BIO: A famed scientist who has been working for ages for a experimental medicine company. He was renown for his research in advancing certain projects, some more well received than others however. A overall stoic man, his coworkers reluctantly follow his command, never fully knowing what he thinks of them. Dedicated to his work, the higher-ups gave him access to a incredibly hidden cloning program, regardless if he wanted to work there or not. Not wanting to bond to his ‘projects’, he continued his intimidating aura, until one of them in particular piqued his interest. It would have been better if the clone never showed any promise however, as the impeding transport to another lab will lead to his escape, and his ‘father’s’ coma.....

NAME: [REDACTED]

AGE: [REDACTED]

GENDER: [REDACTED]

SEXUALITY: [REDACTED]

RACE: [REDACTED]

OCCUPATION: [REDACTED]

ALIGNMENT: [REDACTED]

BIO: ……………… he wasn’t meant for this world. The forced byproduct of a illegal cloning procedure, made to be a rejected failure on purpose. As for why? The higher-ups of the organization believed that the more malformed and sickly the clones are, the higher the chance they might carry new genes that can cure said sicknesses. The #439th clone to be made, he seemed to be another waste of flesh and blood. If it wasn’t for his ‘caretaker’, he would’ve been euthanized after a month. Desperate to ‘spare’ this subject, the caretaker demanded him to be transferred to another laboratory base, as rumors began to spread that the project has been leaked to shareholders. That fateful night, he was given a technologically advanced hazmat suit to conceal his inhuman appearance, and was shipped off to his new ‘home’. Alas, as fate would have it, the hovervan he was in along with his ‘father’, crashed, leaving him to wonder aimlessly in the pouring rain, hiding in a alleyway until he was spotted by two odd looking officers, trying to close-off the crash site. He was taken in to the station, where somebody claimed it was his ‘son’. Taken up to the lieutenant’s office, much to the confusion of many, this clone will blend into daily happenings of the station.

NAME: Ren Nakamura

AGE: 22

GENDER: Male

SEXUALITY: Robosexual

RACE: Japanese

OCCUPATION: Future heir to the head of a crime syndicate, doubles as a criminal lawyer as a cover

ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral/Evil

BIO: The next in line to his family’s criminal syndicate legacy, he is reluctant at first, but must come to terms to what he must do. Raised up to be cold and unrelenting towards his underlings and other syndicate bosses, he will never back down from a fight, always striving to be on top. However, nobody really expected him to come up with a plan to undermine other syndicates, by actually studying criminal law and becoming a legitimate defense attorney in order to coax his clients into exposing future plans (in which he will immediately inform his father of...). Recently he was assigned a personal body guard, who has a ‘unique’ physical composition and will surely make a great hitman. The two of them go along quite well, considering their popular opposites in personality.

NAME: Deangelo Moore

AGE: 25

GENDER: MALE

SEXUALITY: Gay

RACE: German-American

OCCUPATION: Cybernetic hitman, uses ‘criminal lawyer’ as a cover

ALIGNMENT: Lawful Evil

SHORT BIO: Neither fully man nor machine, this once respected art dealer has gone fully into the seedy underbelly of Neo York. As a escapee convict test subject from a experimental ‘liquid metal’ cyborg program, he is a con man on the run, until as fate would have it, he was accepted as a personal ‘body guard’ for one of his former clients’s son. With no real home to go to anymore as his public reputation has been disgraced, he now gleefully takes in stride that he is a ‘ghost’ among the populous, a potentially unstoppable killing machine who is only curbed by his greed and urge to be respected by other powerful beings. His former life now gone, he now works for his employer as if they were blood relatives, and even agreed to do a surreal operation, to directly siphon information from other rival ‘organizations’ by acting.........as public criminal lawyers who defend them..........

NAME: ‘John’ (he was never properly named by any of the scientists, so he named himself. His ACTUAL name is Specimen - 1257)

AGE: 21

GENDER: Male

SEXUALITY: Straight, but questioning

RACE: Literally nothing

OCCUPATION: Chemist, radiobiologist

ALIGNMENT: True Neutral

BIO: After two nuclear wars ravaged the Earth, odd things will happen to all sorts of life. This is one of them, a human who has the unfortunate pleasure of having their physical composition be mainly nuclear radiation. Much about his early past is kept under wraps by the US government, who sent him away as a infant to a remote chemical research base in Alaska, in fear of him being the next nuclear detonation. Left without proper social interaction and is just seen as a genetic anomaly, it left him with a warped view of life. With incredibly poor socialization skills but a surprisingly large scientific intellect, he has been reduced to hidden-away lab worker, who’s aware of essentially being a captive but is shocking content with it. After all, if he were to be released, the genral public wouldn’t take too kindly to a mannequin-like being with stark white skin and exposed green goo leaking out of his facial orifices, with a near constant glowing aura.

NAME: ‘Mark’ (he was never properly named, and this is just a name given to him by ‘John’. His ACTUAL name is Specimen 1258)

AGE: 21

GENDER: Male

SEXUALITY: Literally doesn’t care at all

RACE: Literally Nothing

OCCUPATION: Convict, former hitman

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

BIO: What’s more strange than one severely irradiated human being with physical nuclear radiation as flesh and blood? His red colored doppelgänger. With a past even more shrouded in mystery, this ‘man’ seems to originate from the wastes, the former parts of the US that were scarred from the previous two wars. Claiming to be the next step in human evolution, he is incredibly cruel and harsh, and when introducing himself to the criminal underworld as the ‘best’ hitman, he was severely feared by many. Even other rival hitmen who genetically or cybernetically augmented themselves saw him as a legitimate threat to themselves, as after all, he’s a actual living biohazard. They all chipped in together to pin him against who they believe is true my IMMUNE to him, another ungodly hitman with a liquid metal composition. The plan worked, as letting him just step foot into NYC triggered radiation alarms, thus exposing him to the government for the very first time. After a short stint at a supermax prison, he was given a deal: stop irradiating the guards and convicts, and we’ll move you to a more private place where you can do basically almost anything you want. The place in question? A remote research base in Alaska.....

[theparanormalperiodical]

The True Story Behind An American Werewolf In London (1981), And The 9 REAL Werewolves That You Might Bump Into This Full Moon

What makes a horror film a cult classic?

Is it a suspenseful and seriously-addictive plot? Is it iconic characters with quick-witted one liners? Or is it the way the director throws out the old rule book and redefines the genre forever?

An American Werewolf in London (1981) doesn’t score so highly on any of those questions, but despite hitting the big screen amongst a herd of werewolf-inspired movies, it is officially a cult classic.

But why? 

With CGI so bad it’ll rival a low-budget episode of Buffy, and with sex scenes so bad it’ll rival a high-budget episode of Buffy, this Yankee doggo wouldn’t need a silver bullet to be floored at the box office these days.

However, when the hum of the theatre-goers melted away into a hush as the opening shot of the Yorkshire Moors back in ‘81, this film was set to terrify the audience.

Jump-scares worthy of Annabelle 36: Yes, This Doll Still Ain’t Dead redefined the genre, with the shockingly realistic transformation scene taking centre stage.

Back in the 1980s, you didn’t see stuff like this. 

That’s why to the previous generation An American Werewolf In London is considered one of the most terrifying movies to date. But to me, the real terror doesn’t lie in the engorging snout of the American tourist, nor his every-decaying gap-year bestie. 

It’s how realistic this movie is to real werewolves.

Today’s post is all about how accurate the film’s portrayal of the werewolf is to the legends of the beast, and the roll-call of the 9 most famous real werewolves.

Let’s get spooky!

First, Let’s Recap Of An American Werewolf In London (1981)

The horror genre is infamous for many things.

The grotesque violence against women, female characters with less complexity than a box of condoms, and plots thinner than the women cast as final girls.

This film is no different, but it's the latter point that really matters here. 

The story starts with two American tourists who decided to spend their Gap Year in England. 

Yeah, me neither.

But instead of having an emotional connection with an elephant in India, they stumble into a cosy little pub named The Slaughtered Lamb. Chockful of secretive villagers and satanic imagery - oh, and a vague warning about the full moon - our scene is set. 

Basics, they tell ‘em: “Teach english to the primitive villagers all you want, just don’t go on the moors or you will get pregnant and die” 

Guess who gets lost and ends up on the moors. What’s that I hear? Mysterious howling that is getting closer to them? 

One of the pair - Jack - is attacked first, and is mauled by the wolf-like being. David is attacked too, but the pub-goers shoot it before it has a chance to rip his throat out.

But moments before he passes out from the pain, he does not see a creature. He sees a naked man, instead. 

(Dun dun duh)

David wakes up 3 weeks later in a London hospital with no recollection of the attacks, but a policeman fills him in, claiming he was attacked by a lunatic. David’s dead pal Jack then makes the first of his appearances in a kind of ghostly-corpsy form. He lets him know that what attacked them was a werewolf, and that David is now one. 

Jack urges David to commit suicide to prevent an attack he cannot control, and to end the curse that makes Jack appear as a ghost that will continue with the existence of the bloodline. During his stint in hospital, he falls for a nurse who he shacks up with when he leaves hospital.

During his first full moon, he stalks the streets of London, slaughtering several in the process. He wakes up in a wolf enclosure at the London Zoo, unharmed by the creatures and with no memory of last night.

Eventually, he begins to piece together the reality of his, uh, werewolf-ness, and attempts to prevent another massacre by getting himself arrested, but he fails. He is drawn into an Adult Cinema by Jack, and meets the ghosts of his other victims who helpfully suggest suicide methods for him to try. 

David transforms for the last time, and continues his attack into central London until he is cornered in an alley. His nurse-lover rocks up, and attempts to calm him. For a moment this seems to work, but he is then shot by police and dies. 

A sequel did follow up this film, and and sees a similar story set in Paris. The setting isn’t the only difference, however; this time we see an underground werewolf society that’s looking for ways to control the, uh, werewolfness using drugs. 

How Accurate Is This To The Legend Of The Werewolf?

Haunted houses, mass murderers, and the creepy details of infamous court cases - it doesn’t take much to justify typing ‘based on a true story’ onto a movie poster.

But the original inspiration behind this film doesn’t just follow one vague story about a vague ghost doing vague ghost things like taking that 10 quid out of your coat pocket even though you spent it on that candle from TK Maxx and are officially in denial that you have a problem it’s not a problem mum it just really rare to find that candle okay these are american imports.

The writer-director, Max Landis, wanted to focus his film on something real, on “something where you really [didn’t] have to suspend disbelief”.

To Landis, Werewolves are an “international” monster, with each individual culture having some man-beast supposedly roam their lands and ravage their communities. He even cited historical cases like in France or in Wales where people were burnt to death for their afflictions, cases that will get their attention later in this post.

So if this film was directly based on the legend of the werewolf, what was the legend of the werewolf?

*Inhale*

A werewolf is a human that can shapeshift into a wolf having been cursed by another, or by an affliction from another werewolf during the night of the full moon. 

Then again, tales tell of drinking water from the puddle created by a wolf’s footprint or wearing a fur belt too much that can cause one to become a ‘wolf-man’.

Scientists have debunked claims stretching back as far as 27 AD with a variety of medical causes unexplained in years gone by, from Lycanthropy (a disorder from which one believes they can transform into a wolf) to Werewolf Syndrome (medical conditions which involve excessive hair growth), to Poryphoria which coincidentally is also used to debunk rumours of vampirism. But the widespread belief that once dominated the world suggests supernatural forces could have been at play, too.

In fact, only in the 18th century did official court cases stop referencing werewolves in Bavaria and Austria.

Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped myths and mysterious stories from still cropping up today. 

Historically, werewolves and witches were often closely aligned, whether the wolves were used by witches for their own purposes, or they were ridden by them. Therefore, a link was forged between witchcraft trials and the hunts for the man-wolves.  

That being said, it wasn’t just witches they were closely allied with: Germanic tradition might have focused on the former associations, but the Slavic countries considered them closely allied with vampires. This belief in werewolves in Europe - the epicentre of the beastly action - emerged in the 14th century, and peaked in 16th century france. 

This is where the first link between the historical cases of wolf-men and the movie emerge. If the number of werewolf cases grew during one era, this can point to 2 things: that rumours of werewolves fuelled more rumours, or that werewolves were real and thus spreading the curse.

So, when Jack appears as a corpsey-ghosty-being-thing and tells him that the werewolf bloodline needs to end with him, the film conforms to werewolf legends.

Specifically, werewolves were considered to have a variety of give-away traits whether transformed or as a human: unibrows, curled fingernails, low-set ears, and a certain swagger were dead giveaways for werewolves in their human guise. 

Or, when in wolf form, it will bear characteristics such as not having a tail, bearing human eyes and speaking with a human voice. So yes, that scene in Twilight is an accurate depiction of a werewolf. 

But aside from David looking like a wolf during his transformation, one of the key similarities between historic cases and the film is the post-transformation effects:

Having returned to human form, werewolves are often weak and completely debilitated. In fact, severe depressions are often mentioned, too, something that must become pretty annoying if its every 4 weeks. 

Remember when David was in that coma for 3 weeks?

Remember when the ghosts lectured him on suicide methods?

Speaking of folklore mirroring the film, remember the totally-not-creepily-named pub? Ah yes, The Slaughtered Lamb:

The five-pointed star was enough satanic imagery to suggest a divine link to the werewolf that isn’t explored in the movie, but historically curses from gods, saints, and the devil are mentioned. The latter is specifically true for Russia, suggesting this werewolf might be fresh from Mother Russia. 

Oh, and of course, witches supposedly did deals with the devil, suggesting a witchy-satany-link that explains the decor of the pub. 

Given their warnings of a full moon and a desire to protect the young men from their original forays onto the moors, it suggests the decor was put in place as a protection against the supernatural forces haunting the area, or maybe even a deal with the forces to protect the pub or village itself. 

The penultimate parallel is the OG attack itself.

The policeman claims David and Jack were attacked by a lunatic. And if you check out this post on the full moon, you’ll know how well this fits the concept of the werewolf. 

The final key similarity is this: 

The Ancient Greeks and Romans believed in the power of exhaustion to cure people of werewolf, uh, -ism. The captured victims would be subjected to unruly levels of physical exertion in the hope that it would drive the beast from the body. 

We discover in the second film that the actual ‘cure’ is adrenaline. By engaging in activities which encourage enough adrenaline to rush through the body, the beast can be kept at bay.

This is confirmed by the concept of killing a werewolf in the first film: when the werewolves are shot, they immediately return to human form. 

Quick flashback to GCSE biology, ‘couple dots connected, and here we are.

The 9 Real Werewolves That Have Existed Throughout History And Might Still Exist Today

So - we know that An American Werewolf In London is pretty-gosh-darn-accurate to the legend of the mythical beast that is the werewolf.

But it’s not like werewolves actually exist, do they?

Do they?!

#1 - Pierre Burgot (1502)

The 16th century was a pretty shite time to be alive. If you weren’t dying in childbirth, you were being beheaded for adultery, you dirty b*tch.

Pierre Burgot was facing such a predicament, but his was slightly more furry. Whilst tending his sheep like most french farmers, three men on horseback rocked up and asked him if he’d like to renounce god and follow them, instead. With the promise of protected sheep, he accepted, and was later turned into a wolf as a part of the contract.

Then, in true devil-worshipper-werewolf fashion they terrorised the region, willingly becoming wolves to kill, pillage, and eat innocent civilians. 

When Burgot was eventually attacked during a quick snack, he was discovered in human form, mirroring the movie titling this post.

#2 - Giles Garnier (1573)

A hermit concealed in the woods who may or may not turn into a wolf is a pretty common tale still cropping up today, but back in the 16th century, this was more popular than ever. 

With a taste for childrens, he began to pick off and partially devour young locals. The villagers’ proof of his attacks, however, did not simply come from pinning the attacks on a recluse:

They saw a wolf maul a young boy and followed it to see it transform back into a human form - the human form of Giles Garnier.

Garnier even confessed to his shapeshifting-situation. 

#3 - Perrenette Gandillon (1598)

A 15 year old boy was livin’ his best Middle Ages life when he saw a wolf lunge at his sister. With its human hands it grabbed her and killed her, then switching its attention to him. 

It might have left deep wounds, and he might have died days later, but the boy had just enough time left to cough up a brief description of the hairy hands he saw grab his younger sister - and the scar gracing the wolf’s body.

From here the villagers led a mob to the house of Perrenette Gandillon, a woman who bore the same scar. This was actually a very common way to deduce a werewolf back to its human form. The thing is, they then worked out that it wasn’t just her who was getting wolfy.

Her whole family had actually been spotted in beast-mode, something they later each confessed to. 

(They were even believed to pace on all fours in their prison cells.)

#4 - Jacques Roulet (1598)

This is the ultimate werewolf story, bringing together an ostracised member of a community and family relations that would make Christmas dinner more awkward than my UKIP aunt naming dropping Jacob Rees-Mogg.

When a young boy was found mutilated and two wolves seen, they were hunted down until a man dressed in rags and in a daze emerged from the darkness.

Jacques Roulet was his name; slaughtering innocent children was his game.

It is believed that he and his amigos had been given their powers by the devil himself, and the eventual confession of these amigos supported this claim.

#5 - Peter Stubbe (1582)

Whispers of werewolves have littered court records and conjured up local legends for centuries, but there are some people that stand out from the crowd - this is one of those werewolves.

Peter Stubbe was a well-off farmer who made his name in the community. Unfortunately, how we remember him is different to his community. Supposedly, Stubbe made a pact with the devil, requesting that “at his pleasure he might work his malice on men, women, and children, in the shape of some beast”.

His pact resulted in a murder spree spanning 25 years. By the time he was supposedly discovered as the culprit of the murders haunting Bedburg, he was described as devoid of humanity during his time as a wolf, and he had no memory of his actions once returned to his human form. 

#6 - The Beast of Gevaudan (1764)

Our story starts in 1764, when the residents of Gévaudan started noticing people were dying. Sure, it’s nothing new for 250 years ago, but when their throats were consistently being ripped out, concerns were raised.

With 210 attacks being blamed on these legendary man-eating animals or wolf-dog hybrid, this became a myth all too real for the inhabitants of the area. Lone men, women and children near livestock were the victims of these attacks, suggesting a totally normal beast attack, right?

But when they discovered that only the necks were being targeted, this pointed to much more mythical roots, explaining why we consider this one of the most prominent potential sightings of a werewolf to date.

#7 - The Livonian Werewolf (17th century)

You’d think werewolves would be mysterious marvels of nature, rarely divulging the realities of their lives, right? This guy bucked the trend.

Thiess of Kaltenbrun was a typical Swedish bloke who spent his time practicing folk magic, wearing fur pelts, and becoming a wolf. Widely known to be a werewolf - despite being in his 80s - the authorities brought him in for questioning on an unrelated matter. From there he spilled on his specialist lifestyle.

He claimed he and others of his kind would only change on certain days like Pentecost or Midsummer Night by throwing on a wolf pelt, a common method of becoming the mystical being.

He also claimed that they would kill and ‘gather’ meat in wolfy form, but cook it in human terms. 

Yet the most peculiar point he made was that werewolves were not demonic creatures, but were agents of god. Werewolves would spend their free time travelling to hell to battle the devil and the witches, and bring back the livestock they had stolen, contradicting all other tales we have seen so far.

#8 - The Southend Werewolf (1952)

William Ramsay was only 9 years old when it first happened. One day, he suddenly felt an icy shiver take over his body, a smell like rotting meat float around him, and an aggression overcome his mind. He was shivering, he was growling, he was in-tune to his senses.

He had - or so he claimed - become a werewolf. 

He then finished up his transformation by ripping a fence post out of his garden. Super-human strength was often reported whenever this would overcome him, confirming that all these signs bear a similarity to cases of demonic possession. 

Other events of turning into a werewolf bear similar resemblance, including him attempting to attack and kidnap a prostitute and biting doctors attempting to restrain him. After every event, Ramsay would fail to remember the attacks. 

He even checked himself into a mental hospital in an attempt to get to the bottom of his affliction in the 1980s. They found no explanation for these events.

And it was following these similar cases of him ‘turning’ - including one that involved the police and splashed his story across the papers - that the Warrens decided to pay him a visit whilst in London. They deduced that this was a Demon Animal Spirit. Having been suspicious of his claims prior to their investigation, they then claimed an exorcism was required. So, Ramsay was flown out to the USA, and an exorcism performed by Bishop McKenna occurred. 

At first, the exorcism did fuck all. But it was only when the bishop touched his forward and asked the demon to reveal itself that Ramsay once again began to turn. That was the final time that Ramsay ever became a werewolf.

#9 - A Mysterious Beast Is Killed In Montana (2018)

Strange and unknown creatures are always being killed, captured, and caught on camera. But with the ‘hoax’ label stamped firmly on most of these cases, they often go disregarded. This is not one of the cases.

In May 2018, deep in rural Montana, a creature was shot dead by a rancher. Cloaked in long, grey fur, bearing huge claws and an oversized head, this was no ratified beast.

The authorities had no clue what it was. 

The teeth and paws were too short to belong to a wolf, and the floppy ears and fur did not point to a doggo, either. 

Do You Think Werewolves Exist?

If you liked hearing ‘bout werewolves, I’m sure you’ll love to hear a new ghost story everyday, right?

Tap follow to see a new one in your feed on-the-daily!

[not-another-archive]

D-Day fic (title undecided)

Storyboard for context (btw I’m calling the guy next to Murdoc on the 4th panel Terry)

“You’re really gonna lug that bloke everywhere, eh?”

“Yes. Required by law.”

“Since when did you start obeying the law?”

“Since I got caught’s when,” Murdoc snapped as he shoved the comatose Stuart into the car. Terry had tagged along, one of his many hooligan friends that seemed to come and go at moment’s notice. Murdoc stared at the one-eyed, blue-haired heap slumped in the back seat. A second passed. Murdoc sat the boy up and daintily placed the limp forearm on the kid’s lap, pleased. Terry scowled. “Get in already, bender,” he muttered. “Bender!?” Murdoc yelped as he slammed the door shut. Once he hopped in the driver’s seat, he pouted and flitted his eyes around, trying to think of a comeback. Suddenly, a smirk crept across his lips. “Say, would a bender be looking to participate in...oh, I dunno, that parking lot with all those loons mucking about, eh? Care to go for a hell of a spin, Terry? Or are you some kind of bender?” Terry’s eyes widened as the greasy animal revved his late father’s jalopy.

“You’re bluffing, now.”

“Nuh-uh!” Murdoc cracked a snaggle-toothed grin, “we’re in Nottingham, mate, we may as well.” He cackled as the beat-up Vauxhall Astra, patched up from the fairly recent crash that bestowed him the unresponsive teen, sputtered its way to the parking lot derby.

By the time they got there it was raining lightly, but that wasn’t stopping anyone. Terry wasn’t too keen on potentially snapping his neck, much to Murdoc’s amusement. He opted to stand and watch while the mop-topped madman tore up the parking lot. Despite Murdoc’s mockery, Terry gave him a big smile and a double thumbs up for luck before stepping out. Murdoc smirked, and a chuckle rolled out of his throat as he fiddled with his cigarette. He tossed it out the window and slammed his foot on the gas. The deafening roar rumbled out of the car, almost drowning out the cheers. He picked up more speed and performed a few donuts, tossing the blue-haired ragdoll, still in the backseat, to-and-fro. Murdoc, however, was having a whale of a time, laughing maniacally and beeping the horn. Eventually, when he’d had his fun, he screeched to a halt next to the crowd, surveying his captive audience, panting and feeling — kind of — alive. They were going wild, waving, whistling, hollering; it’s what he longed for, what he dreamed would meet him onstage one day…

Murdoc was quickly snapped out of his musings with something else that allured him so.

Tits!!! On a lady!!!

A girl had taken her top off to, well, encourage him. And boy, did it ever. Murdoc’s freakishly long tongue lolled out of his maw as he tried to plan his last trick on the spot, the grand finale. He revved the engine once more, to another wave of applause. The speedometer gradually climbed up to around ninety as he spun the car around the lot. With his rearview mirror ravaged with cracks and rendered useless, he turned his head out the window to see if that lady was still offering her “encouragement.”

B-DUM!!!

It hadn’t been so much as two seconds before Murdoc’s car barrelled head-on into a bollard at top speed. There was a deafening crunch of metal twisting, shattered glass, and the smell of rising smoke. The car alarm rang like a cry of agony. Murdoc shrunk in his seat. The impact had left him pretty scraped up, but mostly alright; a bruise or some cuts here and there, but it was nothing he wasn’t used to. The very kid he was supposed to look after would beg to differ. Having not been buckled, Stu careened through the windshield and hit the pavement, skidding on his face for what felt like half a mile before his head made a final impact on the curb. Oops.

Almost on cue, the rain seemed to pick up slightly, and the surroundings grew dreary to match the sky. Stuart lay limp on the road, surrounded by bits of broken glass. Murdoc, hands still latched onto the wheel, craned his neck to get a look at him. Moments passed. Despite the blaring alarm and the rain, it felt just as heavy as silence.

Stuart’s fingers twitched.

He lifted his head off the ground.

Painstakingly slow, the boy who was a crumpled, immobile heap mere seconds ago pushed himself off the road. Disoriented, the spindly teen hoisted himself to a shaky standing position. And there he stood, swaying, but there he stood. Murdoc stared, gobsmacked. Then he finally got a good look at the boy’s face. He was missing teeth, he was all bloodied up, but that was barely noticeable compared to what took center stage.

Stuart had no eyes. In their place were two empty, reddish-black voids. Murdoc had bashed one in before, but what were the chances it would happen again?

Now, this was quite a unique look, Murdoc thought as a smile began to stretch across his face. That kid worked in the Keyboard Emporium, didn’t he? He was fervently plotting now, gleefully hunched over the wheel. This was an opportunity he couldn’t miss.

Murdoc stepped out of the wreckage and trotted over to the bizarre-looking fellow.

“Hey!” He waved as he approached the lost-looking lad.

“...Huh?” The further disfigured Stu turned to squint at the small, grayish, greenish, blackish blob.

“...Erm…” Murdoc scratched the back of his head. Perhaps he didn’t plot as well as he thought. “R’you...ok?” He asked, surveying the damage. The younger bloke didn’t respond, staring blankly in a now quite literal sense until he could figure out it was a person he was looking at. He looked at Murdoc, then back at the wreckage, then back at Murdoc, then the car again. Suddenly, his pitch-black eyes widened and his bleeding jaw dropped. “Oh my god!” He warbled, turning back to Murdoc, “did you crash that car?” Murdoc wasn’t entirely sure how he was supposed to answer that.

“...Yeah.”

“I coulda been killed!”

“Oh, shut up, you-“

“You saved my life, mister!” Enthused, Stuart leaned closer and began twiddling his fingers.

“...Beg your pardon?”

“Not sure why I was on the ground, but if you hadn’t crashed your car, you woulda run me over n’ killed me for certain!”

Murdoc was at a complete loss. At least this idiocy and/or delirium was in his favor.

“Yeah, let’s go with that.”

“What was that, sir?”

“Nuthin’.”

There was a bit of a pause. Stuart observed his now fuzzy surroundings. Murdoc looked at the ground and whistled for a second or two before clearing his throat. “You play keyboard, right?”

“Yeah!” A big, dopey smile spread across Stu’s scraped up face, “I work at Uncle Norman’s Keyboard Emporium. Ever been?”

“Oh yeah. I don’t think they like me very much over there, though.” They chuckled, but only Murdoc knew why it was funny.

“...Why not?” The boy tilted his head. “Not important,” Murdoc made a dismissive gesture, “anyway, erm, I’m forming a band, actually, and I think you’d be a welcome addition.” Stuart’s new eyes tried their hardest to light up. “You really mean it?”

“Sure, sure. I’m certain those… interesting looks of yours would make good frontman material. Definitely draws attention.” Stuart beamed another jacked grin, overjoyed from the pseudo-complement. “Why, thank you, mister! Sign me up! I owe ya for saving me whole life ‘n such.” Bingo. With some disinfectant and patching up, Murdoc would have the perfect face for the band. Other than his own mug, of course. “I sing too,” Stuart added. With a voice like that? “Doubt it,” Murdoc replied curtly. “Well,” he tutted, “no use standing around in this rain. I’ll nick a car and you can clean yourself up at my place.”

“Ok!”

The new recruit was rather complacent watching Murdoc smash a random car’s window and start it up, and soon enough the budding band was on the road. It felt strange for them to both be conscious. Once they were properly introduced and caught up, small talk was made, but it was dull. As frustratingly dull as the former coma patient himself.

“Er… Murdoc… whose car is this again?”

“I told you, it doesn’t matter!”

Similar conversation plagued the car throughout the ride. All the while, Murdoc found it ridiculous that this moron could look so strange and have a name like Stuart. Not if he had anything to say about it.

“We can’t keep calling you Stuart, man.”

“Then call me Stu!”

“No! It’s boring! You need a stage name, looking like that.”

“...StuPot? That’s what they called me in school.”

Murdoc groaned. “Let me do all the thinking, and you can tell me what you like best. C’mon, man, it’ll be cool.”

Murdoc ran through a list of nicknames he thought of on the spot. As Stu dismissed one after another, Murdoc grew exasperated.

“Well, if you don’t like Denthead, Dentrimental, or Dent, Daft, and Beyond, then what?! Come on, those were good!!!”

The boy shook his head, “Too long for me. I like Stuart. It’s easy to remember and quicker to write.”

“I can’t work with that criteria!”

Stu almost rose his shrill voice. “Just keep it simple, please.”

“Ugh, simple’s what we’re trying to avoid!” Murdoc scowled. “Just Dents, then?”

“Does it have to be about the dents in my skull?” Stu whined. “Well, I mean, yeah,” Murdoc retorted. “You have dents in your skull,” he continued, “that’s fuckin’ metal.” Stu nodded slowly. “It’s just a bit on the nose, innit?”

“Then…” Murdoc was damn near out of ideas. “How about… 2-Dents, then? ‘Cos you’ve got two now, don’t you? It’s not just ‘Dents’ and it could be ‘2-D’ for short, yeah? It doesn’t sound bad, even without the implication of brain damage, so there you go.” Stuart mulled it over, nodding slowly, then picking up speed as his bloody face beamed once more. “I actually really like that! That- That’s quite good, innit?” He went so far as to declare, “from now on, I want everyone to call me 2-D!” Murdoc was pleased. “That’s the spirit!” He hollered. “Right then, 2D, this is it. The big one. We’re on the road to stardom, I can feel it. This is gonna be revolutionary, just you wait.”

“Well, no… we’re on the road to your place, remember? If we’re going to stardom we must’ve taken a wrong turn…”

“Well, you see, my place happens to be where stardom is.”

“Wow! No kiddin’!”

The new duo was jovially cruising to Murdoc’s shitty bedsit in high spirits now that everyone had an appropriate title. Still, likely due to 2-D’s lack of brain functionality, it wasn’t long before conversation dissolved to nothingness.

Suddenly Murdoc cussed and banged his fist on the wheel, wide-eyed.

“What happened, Murdoc?” 2-D chirped, craning his neck at the fellow.

Murdoc had one hand on the wheel, one hand rubbing his temples. “We forgot Terry.”

“Who’s Terry?”

Murdoc hesitated, then he sat up, looking straight ahead. “Eh, you’re right, no one important.”

[foamyphilosophy]

My Paracosm

"A paracosm is a detailed imaginary world. Paracosms are thought generally to originate in childhood and to have one or numerous creators. The creator of a paracosm has a complex and deeply felt relationship with this subjective universe, which may incorporate real-world or imaginary characters and conventions. Commonly having its own geography, history, and language, it is an experience that is often developed during childhood and continues over a long period of time, months or even years, as a sophisticated reality that can last into adulthood."

I have had one that continues to this day as a a 24 year old man. I had no idea this was an actual thing, I thought it was just normal to create an imaginary universe in your free time. After learning that this is apparently a unique thing I wanted to share a peek into my universe.

It is a land parallel to our own, similar to how Heaven, and Hell exist in tandem with Earth but rest in different realities. I called it Dagorn. Time even ran differently while Adam and Eve existed on Earth without care and Lucifer existed in Heaven not yet fallen hundreds of years pass for each day that passes on Earth. Dagorn held all the magical and mythical creatures we know today. This was also the birth places of The First Ones. Beings that are the byproduct of creation. With each new element of the universe is made so too do the First Ones get born.

The first was a pair of Twins because their existence is intricately tied together. Yin and Yang. Yin looks like a woman dressed in a black formal dress like a womans business suit, with long white hair and red eyes. She's very cold and analytical and is the byproduct of Time's creation. Yang is a man with a white formal suit, with black hair and blue eyes and is very expressive compared to his sister and is the byproduct of Reality. Although they are the eldest and Yin's vast and seemingly endless knowledge and Yangs grounded realism neither of them rule over the other First's they leave that to Volcan the First of the Sun.

Volcan was made with the first star and Volcan's form is difficult to describe. He made the first Phoenix to represent him. He too has a Human shape but every hundred years he "dies" in a very dramatic way (with a lot of fire which typically reduces his room or the room he is in to ash) and rises from the ash in a new body the shape and gender are entirely random. To date he has been a woman 10 times ironically enough despite how long he has existed. Ironically I thought of this before I even knew about Doctor Who but included the firey explosion after witnessing it.

My two favorites, my first favorite was Anarchy the first of Chaos who was a town to the First of War, Pain. Anarchy true to her nature enjoyed pranking people and using her power to sow a little chaos into society. She looked like a woman with long wild red hair, sharp teeth and yellow pupils and the whites of her eyes were black. She could alter reality to a certain degree but couldn't outright change the universe. She was basically a really powerful summoner. She had desperately wanted people to enjoy her company and be respected but her nature was too unstable for many people to trust. Eventually Lucifer decided to take matters into his own hands and decided it was best to just kill her. He convinced her he needed her for a special mission and eager to show she could actually be helpful agreed. It was then he tried stabbing her in the heart and leaving the building she was in to burn to the ground. Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on how you look at it) she managed to survive and was simply in a magical coma reliving her worst moments. Her rage and spite got her to dig herself out of her unmarked grave and tried getting revenge by destroying every form of authority and attempted to destroy Heaven. Recruiting Mepheles (First of Fear) Sun Wu Kong (first of Anger) Miser (first of Sadness) and Pain (First of War) It took The forces of Heaven, Hell and the other good First Ones to take her down. Even then they failed. Putting her soul in her ring, and her spirit in her journal, her body turned to stone and waits for her "pieces" to reunite.

My second Favorite is Cannibal, called Cannie for short, she is the First of Hunger. She resembles an elven woman with wavey blood red hair and typically dresses like a Duke and is oddly skinny despite her affiliation with hunger. She came into existence during the first famine when the First of Destruction Hexus ravaged the land. The more force of nature First simply appear but the more personal First gain form from the first to experience it. Such is the case for Cannibal. When her village was being ravaged, and she was on the verge of starvation she was caught under rubble when trying to steal some food in the chaos. As she started to succumb to her injuries the last thought that crossed her mind was dying while starving. It was at that moment she was reborn as a First and her first action was to use her power to maul and eat Hexus, he escaped but barely. Earning her the name. Her power is similar to Alucard in Hellsing. In fact that is a huge inspiration for her. She lives in near eternal hunger and all living creatures become a part of her after being consumed. She holds the power to summon those she has eaten in the past and has a personal army loyal to her and will let her eat them if the succumb to sickness or crippling injury so they can serve her loyally as a part of her. She is the patron of Revenants, Zombies, and and Vampires. She is also one of the few people that seem themselves as a friend of Anarchy, lives among mortal beings instead of her own and she owns a mountain side castle ran by the undead that willingly serve her. Despite her destructive nature and what she represents she spends as much power as she can to help the world and is considered one of the Seven Pillars of Balance (the heroic First Ones)

I honestly could go on and on but I have struggled to turn this world into a cohesive story. It's such a fleshed out universe for me but maybe the detail is what makes it hard for me to create a story. I could spend chapters upon chapters doing world building but this was a peak into my brain world.

[madamedeher]

Inquisitor as a Companion

Because I have no self control.

This is technically a mash up of 2 tags, the details of the Inqy companion and the banter can be found here and here.

Happy reading this is my son and I love him.

p.s Obviously Rivaini people wouldn’t use maker or Andraste as an exclamation SO since their society is ran by women I thought... why not make mother that kind of word.

Inquisitor’s Name: Cassian Bijor

Race / Class / Specialisation: Elf, Mage, Shape-shifter

Gender Identity: Male

Varric’s Nickname for them: Shocker

Short bio: Cassian Bijor, and elf who is half Dalish with an Orliesian last name is no stranger to questioning looks. As the son of a Rivaini seeker, he is gifted in the magic arts and knowledge of the fade.

Childhood was average for the man (or, as average as it could be). A lingering jealousy caused by his twin sister being next in line to be seer caused a large rift between the two. His sister, Misha, was a rather naive and tender-hearted woman, and Cassian thought he should be the seer instead of her.

Nonetheless, Cassian followed Rivaini tradition and trained to become head guard of his seaside village. When news of the rift spread to Rivain, so did news of the Inquisition looking for those who might have more than average knowledge of the fade. Bored of his born-into living style, Cassian jumped at the opportunity to help the Inquisition stop this evil spread.

What would their companion card look like? Cassian would be deep water with only his nose and above visible. His black hair would be spread across the water like tendrils. While you see little of his face, his expression seems calm/serene. In the background it looks like the beginning of a lightning storm behind him.

Recruitment mission: After getting a certain amount of power, Leliana would approach the inquisitor about a friend of hers who has ample knowledge on the fade and spirits. The Inquisitor can accompany her to a tavern where Cassian would approach the two, hugging Leliana and introducing himself.

The recruitment dialogue would breakdown as follows:

Inquisitor I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Cassian Bijor, son of Seer Aniha of Apricce. It’s a pleasure to meet you.

---> Inquisitor Option 1: You’re the one Leliana was talking about.

The one and only. Has she talked of me much? Miss me that dearly, honey? [Leliana: Only for you, Cassie.] Come Inquisitor, sit, I imagine you want to hear why I asked for you.

---> IO2: Pleasure to meet you too, Cassian.

I appreciate the politeness. Come, sit, I imagine you want to hear why I asked for you.

---> IO3: Ah, when Leliana said she had a friend I shouldn’t have expected someone normal.

...Ha. Sit. Let me tell you why I asked for you.

---> (If Mage): Son of a seer? Isn’t a Seer a guardian mage in Rivain?

Mm, yes, sort of. I’d consider a Seer more of a leader such as a mayor than a strict guardian. Nonetheless, sit, I imagine you want to hear why I asked for you.

---+++---

When I heard of the Inquisition, I was instantly taken by the cause, as I’m sure many are. I have extensive knowledge on the fade and would like to formally extend that knowledge to you. I understand you already have am, “expert” on the matter, but tell me, do you know what makes a Seer?

---> IO1: Does it work like nobility in Ferelden where power is passed down?

Ah, well, yes that too, but that is not the main reason. A seer will allow herself to become possessed by a benevolent spirit when of age. Only then can she have the power and wisdom to protect her village.

---> IO2: Do I look like I know that, elf.

I suppose not. I’ll talk slowly for you. A seer will allow herself to become possessed by a benevolent spirit. With the power of the spirit, she can be a Seer.

---> IO3: Because they won a lottery picked out from a funny hat?

I suppose that would be more entertaining, but no. To be transparent, it’s actually quite a serious act. A seer will allow herself to become possessed by a benevolent spirit when of age. Only then can she have the power and wisdom to protect her village.

(If Solas is in the party, he’ll interject. “They let their seers become possessed by spirits, Inquisitor.”)

Neatly put, stranger. That is, in short, what happens.

---+++---

[Cassian Joins The Inquisition.] Sounds fun if anything. I’d like to have you on.

[Cassian Does Not Join The Inquisition.] You really think I’d let someone who allows possession in my Inquisition? No.

Where they would be in Skyhold / Haven:

Haven: Sitting in the tavern reading through a stack of books.

Skyhold: A table on the second floor of the tavern, reading a larger stack of books.

Personal quests:

Quest 1: Twin, Interrupted - Cassian gets a panicked note from his twin sister, Misha, who says she’s being held hostage by a group of cult-like templars who want to put her into a homemade circle. Cassian begs the Inquisitor to help him rescue his sister from the deranged group who holds her. After rescuing her she tells that she came to Fereldan looking for her brother. Their mother has started acting very strangely and she didn’t know what to do. Cassian leaves the inquisition until Skyhold. [Can’t initiate full romance unless this quest is complete and has to be done before leaving Skyhold]

Quest 2: Sheep’s Clothing, Wolf’s Call - Cassian returns to the Inquisition with his face scars and falls into a soldier’s arms. He’s taken to an infirmary where the Inquisitor tries to confront him about his absence, but he’s found to be in a coma. The Inquisitor can find a special plant through finding it on missions or a Leliana war table mission to give to Cassian and revive him. When given a poultice version of the plant, Cassian, after a bit of rest, reveals that his mother has been possessed by a demon. He tried taking care of it himself but he didn’t have it in him to kill his mother. Cassian instead held his now demon mother in a self made prison in a cave as to keep her from the village. Eventually he got too weak and had his sister keep her back while he went back the inquisition for help. Cassian tells the Inquisitor how he feels ashamed of his mother and is always criticized for his religion so he didn’t want to reveal his mother is one of the few Seer’s to succumb to temptation.

The Inquisitor can validate Cassian and help him deal with the situation.

There's a romance option here, where Inq can say he should never be ashamed of who he is and they personally quite like it. He kisses Inq and they’re now locked in his romance.

The Inquisitor can reject helping Cassian. Cassian will disappear until a certain amount of power reached and reports of a large bear is reported in the Hinterlands. If the Inquisitor goes to the Hinterlands to defeat the bear, on the bear’s body is a note written by Cassian saying he has nothing to live for. It’s heavily implied the bear the Inquisitor just killed is Cassian.

Quest 3: Death Comes In... - If helping Cassian he takes the Inquisitor and companions to the cave. His sister Misha and father Lemren are outside the cave, his sister casting a large shield at the mouth of the cave. Cassian dismisses his sister who is very physically tired and is helped by their father to rest. Lemren then explains to the group that the twins’ mother had started acting out of sorts a little after Cassian joined the inquisition. The group all advance into the cave (Lemren comes along, he’s a rogue with a bow and arrow). Aniha, possessed by a hunger demon, initiates a fight in her human form. When under a certain health point, Aniha will stop fighting and try to spark a deal with the group. The hunger demon from within says it will leave Aniha willingly if it can ravage the unsuspecting village she was the seer for in Rivain.

Option 1: If the deal is taken, the village is doomed for everyone in it to die. This also makes the Bijor family pariahs in Rivain and are ran out of the country. They stay in an alienage outside of Orlais instead of Rivain.

Option 2: If the deal isn’t taken, the hunger demon takes it’s true form and essentially becomes a boss battle. When defeated, it’s seen that the hunger demon targeted Lemren and Misha whom are mortally wounded. Lemren can be offered to become a warden but refuses. Aniha, Lemren, and Misha all die within this option, but the village in Rivain is saved and Cassian isn’t run out of his home country.

How to get their approval:

Recruit Cole [Greatly Approves]

Turning Cole human gets a Slightly Approves

Choosing the mages [Greatly Approves]

Allying with the mages earns Approves

Disband the Templars [Approves]

Help Vivienne with her main personal quest. [Slightly approves]

Side with mages in pretty much any instance

Have an open mind about the fade or magic in general

Inquire about Rivain or express an interest in going one day

How to get their disapproval:

Turn away Cole [Greatly Disapproves]

Choosing the Templars [Disapproves]

Allying earns Slightly Disapproves

Make the mages your soldiers instead of allies [Greatly Disapproves]

Leave Hawke behind in the fade [Disapproves]

Be mean to Sera or Cole

Are they romanceable? Yes, but getting to the romance is a kinda slowburn lmao. Can also be romanced by anyone. But there will be a cutscene that changes depending on race where he gives them a token of affection that relates to their culture.

Can you have sex with them? Yes, a bit before the final battle if you talk to him a scene will trigger

Are they open to polyamoury? Sort of. He’s technically open but extremely picky. The only person in Inquisition I can even kind of see that happening with is with Bull.

If they can be romanced and are not, will they begin a relationship / relationships with other character(s)? If so, who? Canonically he romances Bull, so sorry adoribull shippers Cassian will snatch him up.

Who are they friendly with? Leliana, Vivienne, Cole, Morrigan, Bull

Who do they dislike? Dorian, Solas, Cullen

Companion card changes:

Loyalty: After the 2nd personal quest, his card goes to him completely submerged with his hands up out the water. His black hair almost completely fills the water around him. When all of his personal quests are completed the card changes for a last time to him about ankle deep in the water, emptying a jug that seems to be filled with that water. His hair is shorter now and less wily, but completely covers his face.

Romance: Instead of being face deep in water, he’s now completely out of it. He also appears to be leaning over a figure and cradling them. The black tendril hair is still there and it seems to be wrapping itself around them. He’s wearing a slightly open golden robe. The storm from earlier is completely over them, but it seems like a ray of sun shines down on just them.

Side Missions: (eg: fetch / gather / kill quests) Probably random quests to find memorabilia of his home country. If you haven’t noticed he loves the place.

Opinions on mages / templars / how the world is going to shit? Like everyone he pretty much in panic mode. He doesn’t really understand what the mages go through but has clear sympathy for them. As someone who wasn’t raised by the chantry one iota he doesn’t understand the templars and the Andrastien religion, like, at all.

Something guaranteed to make them leave the party: Being mean to Cole is like the quickest way to stack disapproval, so.

Special Events:

Imprisoned at Redcliffe: How is your Inquisitor holding up in Redcliffe, being slowly infected with red lyrium over the course of a year? He’s barely lucid, probably. He can get enough thought collected to follow the inquisitor and throw some spells but he just wants to die.

At the Winter Palace: Does your Inquisitor enjoy the party, any special events with them at the Palace? He would have never experienced anything as grand and would fumble his way through the complicated manners.

In the Fade: Your Inquisitor’s reaction upon entering the Fade? Archdemon’s taunt, and Inquisitor’s response? Epitaph on their grave? The taunt would be his hidden regret yet jealousy towards his sister. He hates that he couldn’t be seer, but also feels guilty because he knows his sister didn’t want it either. He held resentment towards her for several years. Also his fear would take the shape of himself possessed. The tombstone was a little bit of a tough one. I think, in the end, it would say corruption. 

Trespasser: What is your Inquisitor up to two years after Corypheus’ defeat? Any special events with them over the events of Trespasser? This all depends on the personal quests endings. Obviously if you deny helping him in quest 2, he dies. If his family survives, he moves to the alienage they’re in in Trespasser and ends up dying on a missionary mission, squalid and poor (he also breaks up with the Inquisitor like right at the end of Trespasser). If the village is saved, and not romanced, he joins the chargers and ends up with bull. If romanced, he and the Inquisitor do odd work in Rivain and live in a lil cottage.

Banter

Cole’s reflection on their thoughts: Confusion, guilt, longing, rage... Rage. Rage. Past lives, past actions, so much anger compartmentalized into a tender heart. He wonders what life would be life if he could be as soft as he once was. He wants to be that innocent, that pure, that untouched. A mother’s touch fades away. It’d been years since someone hugged him. 

Damn the fade.

Comment(s) on Mages: “These ignorant souls. They have no idea what good they could do in the world, trapped in those towers.”

Comment(s) on Templars: “What is the point of this sect of guard? Rivain has existed for centuries without them, yet they act so scandalized when I tell them that fact.”

When looking for something: “Shall I cast a locating spell?”

When finding a campsite: “Ah, a place to rest our heads.”

When the Inquisitor Falls: “Attention to the inquisitor!”

When they are low on Health: “I’m falling back!”

When they see a Dragon:

[First time seeing a dragon with him in the party] “Sweet Mother… I’ve never seen a dragon before. They really are magnificent.”

“Poor creatures, trapped in their own powerful body. I wish we could domesticate them.”

When during their small side quest: “I truly appreciate this, Inquisitor”

Default Saying:

Hostile/Cold/Neutral

“Yes, Inquisitor?”

“Inquisitor, may I help?”

“I have a moment.”

Warm/Friendly

“Hello you!”

“My friend, something you need?”

“Of course I have a moment.”

Romanced

“Hello, beautiful boy/girl.”

“Always glad to see you, mi vida.”

Travel Banter with Canon Companions of your choice:

[Varric] You mad at me, Shocker?

[Cassian] Beg pardon?

[Varric] You always look at me with this face that says, “I’ll bury you alive if you step too close.”

[Cassian] That’s just my face, Varric.

----

[Cassian] So, Blackwall, I saw you woodworking the other day. You seem quite talented.

[Blackwall] (Sputters on breath) You- you were watching me? When? Where?

[Cassian] (Sigh) Still scared of me, are you.

[Blackwall] ...I apologize.

[Cassian] Don’t bother. I still don’t know why Sera told you that scary story about my supposed ghost friends.

----

If Not Romanced

[The Iron Bull] Hng!

[Inquisitor] Something wrong, Bull?

[The Iron Bull] Cass just shocked me!

[Cassian] He pinched my bottom. But that didn’t sound like a noise of pain, did it.

[The Iron Bull] Ha, nah, it really wasn’t.

[Literally Everyone] (GROANS)

---

If Romanced

[Cassian] Ahem, please do take time and remember to be careful.

[Inquisitor] Hm? Have I hurt myself recently?

[Cassian] The fact that you can’t keep track of your injuries is enough evidence you need to be more cautious, Mi Vida.

Friendship?: “Ah, the faithful Inquisitor. It’s good to see you again, friend.”

Leaving the Inquisition: “I thought... I thought the inquisition was different. You were different. Mother... why did I leave Rivain. I apologize, inquisitor, but I can no longer accompany you in good faith. Goodbye.”

[sladewilsonisanantihero]

Wintergreen journals 2

Deathstroke #1, August 1991

"He was the BEST. But he STILL wasn't perfect."

Deathstroke #1, August 1991

"From the journal of W.R. Wintergreen, Major, British Army, Ret."

"Near Kitale, Kenya...I reach the limits of my patience within an hour or so, whereas if necessary he can sit immobile for days. Sitting. Waiting. For his prey."

"I've known Slade Wilson for over two decades yet he constantly confounds me. He ignores the grueling, white heat while I am forced to swim in my sweat, gulping down gallons of iced water and lemonade and damn little else that would make tolerable this drought-stricken place."

"I have been a soldier all of my life. As such I do not FEAR death, but neither do I TEMPT it. Yet HE seems to SHOUT out its name--challenging it--DARING it to take him on one on one. MOST men seeing a wild bull RUN the other way. But he does not hide. He never kills from concealment."

"I sense at times in him a RESPECT for things of nature. A respect that demands a cold, clean and painless kill. So, permitted a choice----he meets his prey FACE to FACE.”

"After a kill he usually retires to his bath, but of late he spends his time alone in his study. Something has been bothering him, but he has not yet confided in me. I am troubled by his silence."

"Slade always understood why Addie had tried to KILL him once. That's why I've always suspected he never stopped loving her."

"He was an American army legend long before the WAR. She was Captain Adeline Kane, trainer for some very special forces. Her training was RIGOROUS. Half the men washed out during the first three weeks."

"Those who remained... Those who LEARNED......became the best FIGHTING MACHINES the army had EVER seen."

"He was the BEST. But he STILL wasn't perfect."

"He was fearless, but his fighting techniques were one-dimensional. She taught him to think three-dimensionally......to peripherally defend himsself on ALL sides at once, in every manner conceivable. She wanted him to lose his reliance on weapons. She taught him to BECOME a weapon. The result: he GRADUATED with HONORS."

"I quietly watched with PRIDE while he received his justly deserved honors. When the ceremony was over, I stepped forward. He introduced me and said, ‘Wintergreen, the captain's A-I--the BEST.’ I believe that's when I knew he was in love."

"They were married before year's end, and I stood by his side as best man. I wonder--would we have been so blissful if we knew what was to come? Perhaps it's best that the good lord did not equip us with such FORESIGHT. The war had escalated and he was sent into battle to do as he was TRAINED."

"Meanwhile, she had become pregnant and remained behind to give birth to their FIRST Son, Grant."

"I am often amazed at how little true happiness has touched their lives, and how much HOPE still lives."

"We drove about two hours out of Stuttgart to an old, once magnificent castle I'd been in perhaps a half dozen years before. Waller."

"Sigh. He won't take the easy way. Unfortunately, he never does. Never DID."

"He had been a top soldier, and when the government asked for volunteers to test a new medicine to help the army resist enemy TRUTH SERUMS, he of courrse volunteered...”

“We write our Future while we live it. Each decision is like a tree with many branches. If he had not taken the A.C.T.H. derivative medicine there would be no Deathstroke. If there had been no Deathstroke, Adeline wouldn't have tried to kill him and Grant would still be alive. So many branches stemming from a single tree."

"At first there was an uncanny display of almost superhuman strength. Even the steel retaining straps couldn't hold him. The medicine affected his ADRENAL GLANDS in a manner not expected. He screamed like a madman----Or an animal finally unleashed."

"They tried to grab him as he screamed and thrashed amid a mass of flailing arms and legs. My fear was during the confusion an MP might use a weapon in self-defense. Fortunately, someone acted quick and gave him a sedative. I was ordered to leave."

“All information concerning him was suddenly deemed CLASSIFIED and VERY TOP SECRET. Adeline and I spent a month fighting army red tape. One day I may outline the procedure for dealing with lead-headed bureaucrats."

"When we were finally permitted to see him, he was near death. He hovered in that soldier's coma for several frantic weeks more. But he was too tough to die and he recovered. When he was discharged he wore a smile I'd only seen on him in combat. The following months he alternated between periods of superhuman strength and complete fatigue. For a man truly alive only in action, he tried to live a normal life. Meanwhile, Adeline was pregnant again and Grant grew up sturdy as his father."

"Oh Lord--Poor Grant. I remember him as a sullen, angry child who both Loved his father and hated him. He ran away when he was seventeen, came to New York, and joined the local teen gangs. Had he not left home perhaps the lives of both father and son would have taken a drastically different turn. But Grant was there when the alien called Starfire crash-landed onto his apartment introducing him to the world of the Teen Titans. Grant grew bitter and angry when the Teen Titans unthinkingly rebuffed him and then his girlfriend left his bed. He blamed the Titans, demanded revenge and submitted to an experiment that would give him the power to destroy his supposed enemies. His Brain Power increased to 100% efficiency. His reflexes and speed quintupled. He became THE RAVAGER and Grant proceeded to attack the people he saw as foes. Grant fought alongside the Terminator never knowin his fellow mercenary was also his Father. For Slade went to New York to save his son's life only to be forced into battle he never wished to wage. Then tragedy struck. the experiment was a Failure and Grant was Destroyed from within. Slade Wilson could only stand and watch as the Ravager--His first-born son--died in his arms."

"Surrounded by tragedy, There have been too few moments in his life where he could be called content..."

[mihretsgermanlitblog]

10 Interesting German Novels

Siddartha by Hermann Hesse: “Though set in a place and time far removed from the Germany of 1922, the year of the book’s debut, the novel is infused with the sensibilities of Hermann Hesse’s time, synthesizing disparate philosophies–Eastern religions, Jungian archetypes, Western individualism–into a unique vision of life as expressed through one man’s search for meaning.It is the story of the quest of Siddhartha, a wealthy Indian Brahmin who casts off a life of privilege and comfort to seek spiritual fulfillment and wisdom. On his journey, Siddhartha encounters wandering ascetics, Buddhist monks, and successful merchants, as well as a courtesan named Kamala and a simple ferryman who has attained enlightenment. Traveling among these people and experiencing life’s vital passages–love, work, friendship, and fatherhood–Siddhartha discovers that true knowledge is guided from within.” (Amazon)

A Well-tempered Heart by Jan-Philipp Sendker: “Almost ten years have passed since Julia Win came back from Burma, her father’s native country. Though she is a successful Manhattan lawyer, her private life is at a crossroads; her boyfriend has recently left her and she is, despite her wealth, unhappy with her professional life. Julia is lost and exhausted. One day, in the middle of an important business meeting, she hears a stranger’s voice in her head that causes her to leave the office without explanation. In the following days, her crisis only deepens. Not only does the female voice refuse to disappear, but it starts to ask questions Julia has been trying to avoid. Why do you live alone? To whom do you feel close? What do you want in life? Interwoven with Julia’s story is that of a Burmese woman named Nu Nu who finds her world turned upside down when Burma goes to war and calls on her two young sons to be child soldiers. This spirited sequel, like The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, explores the most inspiring and passionate terrain: the human heart.” (Barnes and Noble)

The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili: “At the start of the twentieth century, on the edge of the Russian empire, a family prospers. It owes its success to a delicious chocolate recipe, passed down the generations with great solemnity and caution. A caution which is justified: this is a recipe for ecstasy that carries a very bitter aftertaste. Stasia learns it from her Georgian father and takes it north, following her new husband, Simon, to his posting at the center of the Russian Revolution in St Petersburg. A ballet dancer never makes it to Paris and a singer pines for Vienna. For twenty-four-year-old Eva Bruhns, World War II is a foggy childhood memory. At the war’s end, Frankfurt was a smoldering ruin, severely damaged by the Allied bombings. But that was two decades ago. Eager for her wealthy suitor, Jürgen Schoormann, to propose, Eva dreams of starting a new life away from her parents and sister. But Eva’s plans are turned upside down when a fiery investigator, David Miller, hires her as a translator for a war crimes trial. Though it means going against the wishes of her family and her lover, Eva, propelled by her own conscience , joins a team of fiery prosecutors determined to bring the Nazis to justice—a decision that will help change the present and the past of her nation.” (Barnes and Noble)

The Book of Dreams by Nina George: “Henri Skinner is a hardened ex-war reporter on the run from his past. On his way to see his son, Sam, for the first time in years, Henri steps into the road without looking and collides with oncoming traffic. He is rushed to a nearby hospital where he floats, comatose, between dreams, reliving the fairytales of his childhood and the secrets that made him run away in the first place. After the accident, Sam—a thirteen-year old synesthete with an IQ of 144 and an appetite for science fiction—waits by his father’s bedside every day. There he meets Eddie Tomlin, a woman forced to confront her love for Henri after all these years, and twelve-year old Madelyn Zeidler, a coma patient like Henri and the sole survivor of a traffic accident that killed her family. As these four very different individuals fight—for hope, for patience, for life—they are bound together inextricably, facing the ravages of loss and first love side by side. A revelatory, urgently human story that examines what we consider serious and painful alongside light and whimsy, THE BOOK OF DREAMS is a tender meditation on memory, liminality, and empathy, asking with grace and gravitas what we will truly find meaningful in our lives once we are gone.” (Barnes and Noble)

The Little Paris Bookshop: “Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.Internationally bestselling and filled with warmth and adventure, The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people's lives.” (Barnes and Noble)

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillipp Sendker: “Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened. After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.Internationally bestselling and filled with warmth and adventure, The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people's lives.” (Barnes and Noble)

The StoryTeller by Pierre Jarawan: “Samir leaves the safety and comfort of his family’s adopted home, Germany, for volatile Beirut in an attempt to find his missing father. The only clues Samir has are an old photo and the bedtime stories his father used to tell him. In this moving and engaging novel about family secrets, love, and friendship, Pierre Jarawan does for Lebanon what Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner did for Afghanistan. He pulls away the curtain of grim facts and figures portrayed in the media and shows an intimate truth of what it means to come from a country torn apart by civil war. With this beautiful and suspenseful story, full of images, Jarawan proves to be a masterful storyteller himself. Pierre Jarawan is the son of a Lebanese father and a German mother and moved to Germany with his family at the age of three. Inspired by his father’s love of telling imaginative bedtime stories, he started writing at the age of thirteen. He has won international prizes as a slam poet, received the City of Munich literary scholarship (the Bayerische Kunstförderpreis) for The Storyteller, and was chosen as Literature Star of the Year by the daily newspaper AZ. His debut novel The Storyteller was a Spiegel bestseller in Germany, proclaimed Book of the Month by the leading Dutch television talk show DWDD, and received unanimous rave reviews from the European press.” (Barnes and Noble)

The Women on the Stairs by Bernhard Schlink: “In a museum far from home, a lawyer stumbles across a painting of a woman he once knew, Irene. Decades before, he had become entangled in her affairs when he was called on to settle a dispute between her husband, who had commissioned the portrait, and the painter of the work—who was also her lover. When, ultimately, the lawyer fell in love with her himself and risked everything for her, she mysteriously disappeared—along with the painting. Now, face to face with the portrait once again, the lawyer must reconcile his past and present selves. When he eventually locates Irene, he is forced to confront the truth of his love—and the reality that his life has been irrevocably changed.  A poignant, intricately crafted novel of obsession, creativity, and love, this is Bernhard Schlink at his peak.” (Barnes and Noble)

A Whole Life by Robert Seethalar: “Andreas Egger knows every path and peak of his mountain valley, the source of his sustenance, his livelihood—his home. Set in the mid-twentieth century and told with beauty and tenderness, Robert Seethaler's Whole Life is a story of man's relationship with an ancient landscape, of the value of solitude, of the arrival of the modern world, and above all, of the moments, great and small, that make us who we are.” (Barnes and Noble)

Wetlands by Charlotte Roche: “Wetlands—an international sensation with more than a million copies sold worldwide—has been at the center of a heated debate about feminism and sexuality since its publication last spring. Charlotte Roche’s controversial debut novel is the story of Helen Memel, an outspoken, sexually precocious eighteen-year-old lying in a hospital bed as she recovers from an operation. To distract herself, she ruminates on her past sexual and physical adventures in increasingly uncomfortable detail. The result is a funny, shocking, and fearlessly intimate manifesto on sex, hygiene, and the compulsion to obliterate the covenant that keeps girls clean, quiet, and nice.” (Barnes and Noble)

[resmarted]

here i am again, smashing the crystal vases and good china, ravaging the beautiful dining room and chucking antiques across the room. i want to be done here, i want to be done here! i want to move on, but to what? i can’t remember how to even be a person, i can’t find the light and this tunnel is so dark and endless, we don’t even have headlights to guide us. i came here to bring you on a date in the stylings of nineties classic it takes two starring kirstie alley and the olsens, except instead of mka we are switching them out for young taylor swifts, that’s right two of them, which is all i could think about the entire time i rewatched it again. so here goes nothing, we open on a street corner in philly because this is our version and the ahhccents are gonna be mewr sewth philly than ahhhnything. taylor swift number one, let’s call her taytay the scrappy orphan that has self-professed lousy english like aintcha gonna wanna git ewta here before they catcha? nobody even blinks and in pigtails and a worn out backwards baseball cap on her head, this ten year old who is probably played by an eight year old swift bc coming from a fellow tall person we just sprout from the crib it’s nuts, i’ve always looked older than i was from being tall. so eight year old swift is playing ten year old scrappy orphan taytay who is always chewing gum and has a baseball bat as kirstie alley (YOU.) look out the window and yell at her like, cmahhn tay! you got an appt with the butkis’ and i told u not to get that dress dirty! and tiny taylor chewing gum is like awww cuhmuhhhhhn doi-anne! just lemme knahck this one outta the pawrk first! that’s not the line it’s something else referencing the fact that they’re playing in the middle of the street of their inner city neighborhood. she is the pretty white girl of the orphanage so it makes no sense she hasn’t been adopted but is of course the star athlete of the kids and favorite of the social worker you-kirstie alley. she is accosted by kids and called a reject and lil taytay’s all why i awwwghta! she’s making her best >:| face, and pop goes the weasel she hits the ball and probably breaks a window or something and as she runs to the cab the kids are like, the butkis ppl are creeps that collect kids! and taytay is tayrrified before threatening the other kids with her fists in the air as the cab drives away. cut to a close up of a nineties cellphone and private plane landing, and taylor number two is wearing a practical pantsuit in beige and just won another piano competition, and she overpronounces all of her t’s at the end of her words. let’s call her fancita. yes i’m serious, i’m already so tired and bored of this story, it was way more exciting after rewatching the other night. whatever this story is just a remix of the parent trap anyway and that’s why we have two baby swifts and don’t ask me why, don’t ask me why i’ve taken you this far down the rabbithole but let’s just keep going until we find each other. so fancita is an aristocratic princess that plays tennis and i don’t know, i’m just trying to get to the part where they are like omg let’s get this social worker and rich man who has a cell phone company before that’s even a thing, and while orphan taytay is in danger of becoming the next adopted butkis - which in this version is just straight up trafficking ring i mean come on, they were pedos and it was heavily insinuated in the movie, but basically she’s in danger of being adopted into an abusive hellhole and fancitay is like hey girl hey! when her butler arrives to pick her up from her private jet. the nineties always portrayed wealth with these long ridiculous limos and british butler limo drivers, which as we now all know rich people are just driven in cars w tinted windows and the only people riding in limos are seniors in high school, but i digress. she meets her new soon-to-be stepmother, also played by taylor swift, present day style. she’s all, when i was your age i had already been through three stepmothers, you’ll be in a tibetan boarding school as soon as the wedding is over tomorrow! for this she is in her satanic red high priestess dress from lwymmd, golden snake rings at all. actually let’s just say at some point she’s bathing in diamonds as well, i mean there are many versions of her current snake-embraced image that we can use for this but that’s not the point, it is that im not even in love with grown taylor swift! i am just trying to fill the void of my dead wife who loved children and built a camp conveniently across from the literal castle we live in. i haven’t been there since, pushes back hair like sigh, since she died ten years ago right after fancitay was born. i’m all, cell phones, i hate the damn things. back when i invested in them everyone thought it was just something out of star trek and now i’m a lonely billionaire marrying snake taylor in a haze of confusion and thinking that’s what i should do, fancita needs a mother after all. you’re a tough talking protective mama bear that wants to adopt orphan taytay but you’re just a social worker and what? the butkis’ already had the paperwork go through to adopt her?? i come to find you after a failed horse meetup planted by the taylor twins to apologize for leaving you to get yelled at by steptaylor, and you’re like look keep your fancy cell phone company lifestyle and keep it moving, bucko! in the movie they get into a food fight but i’m not trying to go that deep, but basically we fight until you, an enraged four foot two version of kirstie alley okay you’re actually just a tiny goth and i’m a clumsy ogre, that part never changes. you push me with all your might, not necessary trying to push me into the river but it happens and i’m all, oh my god i feel like a kid again! this must be love! okay but seriously, that part’s the realest. i do feel like a kid again, and this must be love, mustn’t it? what will our tiny taylors tell us? we don’t know what it is or why, but it makes sense because we feel it, i can feel you. even when you say to your fellow social worker friend (played by your bandmate and beloved drummer) guys like that only date girls with food names like candy or muffin or cookie, and princess taylor disguised as orphan taylor turns around from her archery practice, greatly offended and snapping back, his dead wife was a teacher that loved kids and built this camp and she wasn’t a food her name was kathy with a k played by kourtney in a brief shot of her glamorously in a casket but dripping in jewels and hands delicately crossed over her chest. whatever, goth kourtney fantasies are not the point ok i know that. you look at princess taylor disguised as pauper taylor and are like well excuse me jeez, you don’t gotta bully me over it. sigh so then the state comes for her and accidentally send my daughter to some terrifying child sex ring that nightmares are made of and turned into dateline episodes, and this one is no less horrifying. orphan taylor shows the butler various scars and marks and bruises to show that she’s a fraudulent child that happens to just be another cute blonde that adults didn’t look closely enough at and notice bc they aren’t actually twins in this story, they’re just strangers that look alike. which honestly is prob when they first really started making the olsens insane irl like, pitting them against each other by pointing out fraternal differences and how one was the cute one the other was just the sister oh, don’t even get me started, dear. steptaylor comes home with ultra long extensions like repunzel after sneaky orphan taylor put gum in her hair. the original she gets it all cut off and suddenly her loss of beauty is signified by a short haircut which is so dumb and we just can’t agree with something so stupid, so in this she comes back with thousands of dollars worth of hair that isn’t hers just to prove her worth and appeal, which honestly is much sadder than a short sassy do any day. we get to the home of the butkis’ but no one answers and a neighbor who in the actual movie looks exactly like mike, like no shit just put a bass on him and it’s like every dude in a band probably but him specifically - unless i hallucinated it, the point is! he originally says oh that guy works those kids into the ground at the factory all day, or something like that, but in this version maybe he just shudders bc everyone just gets the pervy vibe from this butkis guy. the door gets kicked in as they are just about to initiate her into the butkis cult of abuse, and i don’t know i think it just ends with like, kirstie alley and the dad kissing? like they don’t get married or anything i don’t think. which leaves so many questions open like, if they do end up getting married, will the taylors become friends? will fancita resent taytay for taking up space and attention away? or will she be so grateful for good mother that everything will be fine and normal and fall into place? it seems like they’re all destined to end up on doctor phil. i mean, what happens when this bonehead (me) doesn’t continue to invest properly and his dumb luck cell phone business inevitably plummets because by the late nineties they’re a dime a dozen and each one is a sinking ship. what happens when they go bankrupt and all have to be poor, will they stay together? will princess taylor be like this is all your fault you’re bad luck with your poor people vibes! bc she can’t understand the crashing economy and how this is just what happens to people, one day you can be rich and the next totally broke, and it’s not really anyone’s fault. are you going to still love me even though i am horrible at saving money is what i’m asking? like, can you just quietly move money around in my accounts for me and put stuff in my savings when i’m not looking? because if i see literally any extra change i’m going to be like time to go eat giant cheeseburgers and drink ourselves into a coma! i got a groupon for a hotel stay in florida, let’s road trip! i know what your biggest concern is besides money and it’s because i know you like the back of my head (not at all), but the answer is no, steptaylor drowns in a sea of snakes at some point because i don’t have time for a decent end for her. i feel like it should be more feminist, like maybe she gets a job slinging mary kay and in the process realizes not only is she a boss at making her own income but that she doesn’t even need the amount of makeup she had been using before. she has like her own spiritual journey in the background somewhere far, far away from us and our super exclusive love, as well as our twin daughters taylor one and taylor two. i have completely forgotten their names by now but i’m just here to see if you even still love me. well? do you??? i’m just trying to prepare you for when i’m like, starting every other sentence with “you know when my wife died…” at really inappropriate times like, to a cashier in the checkout line or just in bed when we are having a romantic evening that i was bound to spoil in one way or another, so it may as well be with dead wife talk. you will probably just laugh and attempt to smother me with a pillow for being so, so embarrassing. i miss you i love you i hate you i don’t know you. i want you. do i ever even say anything else anymore? i mean it is halloween season so technically i don’t have to be original, right? you are the only ghost i could ever truly love, and that’s saying a lot seeing as how i arrived to this world haunted. pls tho, don’t ever stop being my best boo.

[dipulb3]

Families speak on Holyoke Soldiers' Home Covid-19 outbreak | Appradab

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/families-speak-on-holyoke-soldiers-home-covid-19-outbreak-appradab/

Families speak on Holyoke Soldiers' Home Covid-19 outbreak | Appradab

“He gave his life jacket to avoid wasting a person,” his daughter Sheryl Blais mentioned, recounting a favourite story of the person she so admired. Her father did not drown that day within the Pacific. However he would drown by Covid-19 many many years afterward the morning of March 30, when the illness flooded his lungs with fluid.

Blais, who was 90, spent his closing months of life on the Troopers’ Dwelling in Holyoke, 90 miles west of Boston. Because the virus ravaged the ability, no fewer than 94 veterans misplaced their lives, a minimum of 76 of these misplaced testing constructive with Covid-19.

In a single line of that report a social employee calls out a choice superiors gave to consolidate contaminated and wholesome veterans collectively in a single ward. The employee famous that transferring the previous troopers downstairs was “like transferring the focus camp — we (had been) transferring these unknowing veterans off to die.”

One other harrowing interview within the investigator’s report described a well being employee soothing one veteran whereas “throughout from him is a veteran moaning and actively dying.”

The employee defined that close by “is one other veteran who’s alert and oriented, although he’s on a locked dementia unit. There’s not a curtain to defend him from the person” in his final throes.

Holyoke is not the one American nursing residence that noticed these horrors throughout the top of the pandemic. In April, a tip led police to search out 17 bodies in a nursing residence in New Jersey. In one other case, 60 bodies had been present in vans outdoors a New York funeral residence. And a nursing residence in Washington turned the epicenter of that state’s outbreak.

By early June, 1 / 4 of all US nursing properties were reporting a minimum of one dying, and federal information confirmed a minimum of 26,000 nursing residence residents had succumbed to the virus.

Every statistic comes connected to a narrative — usually a breath-stopping, intestine punch of a narrative — about somebody’s father or mom dying alone, gasping for breath. That was the horrible actuality for too many on the Troopers’ Dwelling in Holyoke.

The grieving households of the veterans hope that by telling the tales of their family members — women and men who bravely served their nation — different nursing residence tragedies like this may be averted.

‘Why in God’s identify would they do that to those vets?’

On the Troopers’ Dwelling in Holyoke, Robert Blais was dwelling within the 2-North part, and was one of many veterans who was required to affix what would change into a dying ward on 1-North, with beds arrange within the open with contaminated sufferers.

His daughter was one of many fortunate few who obtained to see her father earlier than he handed, regardless of the chaotic circumstances.

“Once I walked in and noticed all of it, I used to be shocked,” she mentioned. “They’d individuals consuming their lunch whereas others had been dying subsequent to them. Why in God’s identify would they do that to those vets? They despatched them actually right into a dying entice.”

The official Covid-19 dying tally at Holyoke is 76, however Blais thinks that quantity is larger. Her father, as an illustration, was swabbed on March 27, and informed the outcomes would come again in 5 to seven days. He did not stay to see them. So his dying certificates would not say Covid-19.

“I referred to as up the physician and requested to have the dying certificates modified to Covid-19,” she mentioned. After quite a lot of convincing, she obtained the precise explanation for dying added. However different households in the identical place have tried that and failed.

Blais is left along with her final glad reminiscence of her father, every week earlier than his dying. Her household staged a celebration for Robert, which he could not attend as the ability was limiting visits throughout the pandemic.

“He was simply standing within the window blowing us kisses,” she mentioned.

The US Division of Veterans Affairs cited Holyoke as not being in compliance with Uniform Federal Accessibility Requirements. A follow-up examine from the state mentioned that simply 5% of the beds on the residence had been in compliance with VA requirements, with the vast majority of the rooms exceeding the restrict of two beds.

And generally, six residents would share a single toilet, circumstances that raised issues for an infection management. The examine really useful revamping the constructing, however a 2012 proposal for a brand new constructing by no means obtained the funding wanted to interrupt floor.

Now the households are decided to rectify points on the residence that officers started elevating a decade in the past.

Honoring her father’s dedication to service, she’s enlisted in a struggle of her personal, working with households of different Troopers’ Dwelling victims to construct a brand new 53,000-square-foot addition to the the ability. Such a venture would add 120 personal rooms, and would improve the house’s capability to 270 long-term care residents.

“My dad is aware of that I’ll struggle to the tip for justice and to make the ability what it ought to have been seven years in the past,” Blais mentioned.

‘He seemed like he was in a coma together with his eyes large open’

Laurie Mandeville Beaudette is without doubt one of the girls with whom Blais shares her grief, and a way of renewed objective.

Her father, 83-year-old James Mandeville, had served within the US Navy for 4 years throughout the Korean Conflict, spending a big chunk of that point deployed in Europe.

Late in life he lived at Holyoke, in a cramped room with three different vets, with beds solely about 2 toes aside, she mentioned. Because the pandemic was rising, Mandeville had begun dwelling in a non-public room, and when his daughter visited on daily basis she would sanitize every space of his room with Lysol.

“You would not suppose the virus would get into a non-public room, but it surely did,” she mentioned.

Mandeville was recognized with Covid-19 and despatched to a close-by hospital, forming a type of veterans wing with dozens of others transferred from Troopers’ Dwelling.

He had problem respiratory, wheezed, stop talking and finally turned completely unresponsive.

“On our final FaceTime he seemed like he was in a coma together with his eyes large open,” his daughter mentioned. “On Easter I used to be such a large number as a result of I could not get the picture out of my head.”

She managed to slide into the hospital to see him earlier than he died, sporting full-body private protecting tools, together with the jumpsuit. She let him realize it was OK to go.

“He squeezed my hand. That was it,” Beaudette mentioned. “Even when he might have opened his eyes, he would not have acknowledged me.”

Her father handed two days later, on April 14. A hospital employee referred to as her to say he had held Mandeville’s fingers and prayed for him as he drew his final breath.

Within the final two and a half months, she too has remodeled her ache into the households’ reform effort. On Thursday, Gov. Baker responded to his impartial investigator’s report, with concepts together with laws to make clear oversight guidelines over the state’s veterans properties and including workers.

“We actually really feel like we’re gaining momentum,” she mentioned. “It is serving to lots with grieving.”

The survivors on the residence will not be the identical

Cheryl Turgeon did not lose her father, however he is now not the identical man who had learn the papers every morning at Holyoke and joked with nurses.

Her father, 89-year-old Dennis Thresher, served within the US Air Pressure throughout the Korean Conflict, rising to the rank of workers sergeant whereas flying aboard bombers. His position, through which he and his crew braved enemy fireplace, would earn him a Peace Medal.

Because the pandemic set in, she mentioned she needed to “name on daily basis to verify issues had been being taken care of.”

After creating signs, Thresher was transported out from Holyoke and admitted to the hospital on March 31. He spent six days on a Covid-19 flooring. He misplaced 30 kilos.

He laid in isolation for weeks, turning into lonely and depressed, whereas circumstances at his residence worsened.

“I do know (a nurse) who mentioned they’re bagging two our bodies a day,” Turgeon mentioned. “That is 2020. That should not have occurred.”

She usually visited her father three or 4 instances every week. After three months she shared a socially distanced air hug along with her father on Friday, June 19. However the assembly was bittersweet. Seeing how he’d regressed, she held again tears.

“I pray that he can return to baseline however he hasn’t walked since he obtained again,” she mentioned. “He is a powerful man. I am preventing for him and he is preventing with me.”

They’re campaigning to construct a brand new troopers’ residence

One of many individuals main the struggle to consolation the households and revamp Holyoke is the ability’s former deputy superintendent, John Paradis.

He was the No. 2 particular person in cost there from 2013 to 2015, when he resigned in protest concerning the facility’s poor circumstances. He wrote letters and spoke to elected officers to complain about points there, together with staffing, an inequity in funding between the state’s two veterans properties and the small room sizes.

Placing vets in such shut quarters was an apparent an infection danger, he felt.

The issues got here to a head in December 2015. Paradis and his boss, former superintendent Paul Barabani, knew there was federal funding on the desk to fund 65% of the proposed new constructing they hoped might safely home the veterans. However the state of Massachusetts did not present the final 35% to get the venture green-lit.

Now, simply the type of outbreak Paradis had feared has struck at Holyoke.

“All of these items, whenever you put them collectively, created this excellent storm for Covid-19,” he mentioned.

One of these excellent storm is a warning of what outbreaks might do at different nursing properties or veterans residence if we’re not all ready for it.

“Making certain that this tragedy won’t ever occur once more is the best legacy we may give our dads,” Beaudette mentioned.

[number06fan]

Touching Shrimp Causes Man to Fight for His Life from Vibrio

Succulent shrimp is a taste that sends the taste buds into overdrive. This delicious delicacy is a staple of the American diet and is a must for any visit to the beach. Scenes from Forrest Gump and his best friend Bubba’s love of shrimp come to mind when picturing shrimp. For if it’s good enough for Forrest Gump, it is good enough for me! As wisely told in the movie “shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich“. Unfortunately, as we enter the winter months those summer days at the beach feasting on shrimp are a distant dream. As a seafood, shrimp are not without their own danger. They can pose a huge food safety risk. The latest case happened in Raleigh, North Carolina with devastating impact, where shrimp and vibrio caused a man illness.

A man recently fell victim to deadly food poisoning after contracting a bacterial infection from shrimp. He was put at risk due to the recent Hurricane Florence which ravaged the East coast in September with 50 people dying in the Carolinas. This disaster hit North Carolina hard, being over 350 miles wide when it hit. Hurricane Florence knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of homes and downed trees. Life-threatening storm surges led to winds of up to 70 miles per hour and evacuation warnings for 1.7 million people in the area. Hurricane Florence is yet another example of how deadly mother nature can be. Global warming is leading to more devastating disasters such as this with hurricanes becoming stronger and more frequent.

There are strange circumstances regarding the infection of this man. First, he was infected by a shrimp that was given to him by a friend a whole three weeks after Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina. Second, he didn’t eat the shrimp, but rather transfer it into a smaller bag for freezing. His wife explained how “he took them out of the 10-pound bags and put them in smaller bags, and he put them in the freezer. That’s it.” As more information is becoming known to authorities, it is becoming clearer that he suffered from extreme bad luck. The situation turnt nasty and deadly extremely quickly and the medical community is still perplexed. After a few hours of his wife discovering that something was wrong, her husband was shaking and slurring his words. This tragic turn of events happened at a breathtaking pace.

Two days after the first discovery that something was wrong, the man was left fighting for his life and put on life support and into an induced coma at WakeMed in Raleigh, North Carolina. He had more than 11 bags of medically needed “stuff” dripping into a port within a port in his neck. He had been fighting against the odds and in the first two days, doctors said he had less than one percent chance to live. After intensive investigation from the doctors at WakeMed, a diagnosis of Vibrio vulnificus was given. This harmful bacteria lives in coastal waters and is more prevalent when the water is warmer. Clinton explains how “it entered his body and got in the bloodstream. It affected his organs – his heart, his liver, his kidneys.” His heart went from 40 percent function down to 25 percent. The bacteria ate up his lower left leg and right foot to the point that they might have to be amputated.

All from touching shrimp.

Vibrio

Vibriosis is a relatively unknown, but can be a very serious, disease that causes an estimated 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths in the U.S. every year. The bacteria can cause a skin infection or get into the bloodstream and cause more serious problems – one in seven people who contract an infection die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People with vibriosis become infected by consuming raw or undercooked seafood or exposing a wound to seawater. Most infections occur from May through October when water temperatures are warmer.

When ingested, Vibrio bacteria can cause watery diarrhea, often accompanied by abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills. Usually these symptoms occur within 24 hours and most people with a mild case of vibriosis recover after about 3 days with no lasting effects. However, people with a Vibrio vulnificus infection can get seriously ill and this typically occurs in people with a weakened immune system. Severe illness is rare needs intensive care or limb amputation. About 1 in 4 people with this type of infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill. To reduce the chance of getting vibriosis, the CDC recommends not eating raw or undercooked shellfish, such as oysters. If you have a wound (including cuts and scrapes), avoid contact with brackish or salt water. Brackish water is a mixture of fresh and sea water. It is often found where rivers meet the sea. Further, cover the wound with a waterproof bandage if there’s a possibility it could come into contact with brackish or salt water, raw seafood, or raw seafood juices.

The Real Deal

There is a real urgency from doctors to deal with the rapidly spreading bacteria ravaging through the man’s body. He had surgery on his legs where the bacteria had eaten away. The surgery was to remove more dead skin and clean the area, and put artificial skin on until they could graft skin there. It was worse than they thought. Given that he only had a one percent chance of survival, doctors tell his wife that he’s lucky to be alive. She doesn’t know how much longer he will be in the hospital, but she’s raising money to help cover the cost of his treatment. A crowdfunding campaign set up by his wife has so far raised $12,780 of the $50,000 goal. This has been achieved by donations of 330 people in 15 days. The description on the Crowdfunding explains how “what a horrific journey so far! But he IS alive! It will be a long journey to recovery!”

We wish this man a speedy recovery and send our thoughts and prayers to his family.

By: Billy Rayfield, Contributing Writer (Non-Lawyer)

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