#the cafe was i think from the 1800s

[zombie-is-shuffler]

[thezombieprostitute]

Dream Come True - Part 9

Summary: The “Garbage Men” are the guys in the mob who get the dirt on others and clean up after the higher ups. They have many different ways of gathering intel by running legitimate businesses. One such business is Jefferson/Jensen’s cyber cafe where you regularly go to work. You’ve actually become good friends with Jefferson’s daughter and Jensen’s niece. You even volunteered as their after-school tutor. One day, there’s a robbery attempt where you get hurt protecting the girls. This is how you are introduced to Curtis Everett, the guy in charge of the “Garbage Men”.

A/N: Reader is plus sized, femme. No other descriptors used.

Word Count: ~1800

Warnings: Bullying, Fat shaming, Insecure reader, VIOLENCE. Please let me know if I missed any!

Part 8 -- Part 10

Series Masterlist

Curtis hears you whimpering in your sleep as you grip his arm tighter. Figuring you’re having a nightmare he gently wakes you up. You look around confused for a little bit before dropping his arm and apologizing. He reassures you with a smile as he massages his arm. You give him a confused look and he says, “you’ve been asleep for a few hours; my arm for a little less than that.”

“I’m sor-” you stop yourself when he raises an eyebrow. “Thank you,” you ventured. “Thank you for letting me sleep and letting me use your arm for a pillow.”

His smile grows, “it wasn’t a problem at all.”

“Have there been any updates?”

“Yes, not all of them good,” Curtis nods. “Ransom is in the hospital but he should make it. Lloyd’s co-conspirators are dead but he’s escaped. We’re working on trying to track him but he’s gone off our radar. We’re working with other families to signal us if they see him. In the meantime, no one goes out alone. Everyone travels in groups of at least two.”

He sees you tense at the information and unconsciously rub at your arm around where the bruise is. His eyes soften, “do you need an ice pack for that? Maybe some painkillers?”

“I think it might be a little late for an ice pack,” you whisper. “But, yeah, some tylenol or something wouldn’t go amiss.”

“Okay,” he says as he gets up. “Let’s go get you some.”

“Have you eaten,” your own stomach is aching and you don’t remember seeing Curtis eat anything before your nap.

“Not really,” he admits. “There’s probably some leftover pizza in the fridge. We can talk while we eat, okay?”

You follow him to the kitchenette area and, as you eat, you relate to him everything that happened to you after you left Ransom’s. It’s hard to believe all that you’ve been through in just 24 hours. Curtis never interrupts you but offers his hand when you have problems talking about your interactions with Lloyd. 

When you’re done he says, “that explains a few things we picked up from Ransom.” You give him a confused look and he continues, “Ransom told us that Lloyd was insistent on getting details about you. His co-conspirators were there with him because he had a potential security breach with you and they needed to see him clean it up.”

“Oh god, I got him hurt,” you whisper. “Fuck. I should’ve stayed at the hotel. Mr. Drysdale’s an ass but Lloyd is a monster. He doesn’t deserve that.”

“If you’d stayed at the hotel I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself,” Curtis admitted. “I wasn’t able to think straight until I got you back here. I really shouldn’t have left the team in the lurch like that. And I know I wouldn’t have listened to you if you tried to tell me to leave you there.”

“That couldn’t have been fair to the guys,” you complain. “I don’t think baking them some cookies will be enough to make up for it. They needed you and I got in the way.”

“Don’t,” Curtis chided. “Don’t speak about yourself like that. You’re a lot more important than you think.”

“I’m not much of anything,” you muttered. “I just fall into these situations. The nieces? Ransom’s signals? Lloyd? Things just happen and I react. Just like anyone else. You and your team are planners, able to think several steps ahead, able to keep safe in dangerous situations. Things don’t “just happen” to you. You’re able to prepare, think through possibilities. I just have blind reactions to everything in life.”

“You really don’t see your adaptability as a strength? Yeah, shit happens and blindsides you, but you’re able to keep your head above water. I have to do all of that planning because, as you’ve seen, being hit by an unknown throws me for a loop that makes me default to anger. And that quick switch you did to throw Lloyd off? That was incredibly quick thinking!”

“No,” you shake your head, “that was actually a bit of experience.” Curtis sits forward, concerned about the implications of your statement. “I wasn’t kidnapped before, nothing like that. I just…” you take a deep breath, “I’d go out with people I thought were friends. They’d get hit on all the time but I was definitely the ugly, fat friend. The guys who got turned down by my friends would occasionally get so drunk that they’d aggressively flirt with me. Not because they were actually interested, of course. They’d insist that they were being nice and doing me a favor. They’d frequently not take “no” for an answer because they couldn’t handle the thought of the ugly one not wanting them. The only difference between them and Lloyd is that Lloyd wasn’t drunk.”

“If you give me their names I’ll make sure they regret treating you like that.”

You give him a sad smile, “I already feel bad for getting Mr. Drysdale hurt. Even when people are assholes I don’t like to see them hurt. I’m weird like that.”

“You’re an angel like that.”

“I think it’s more, I wasted so much time with them that I’d rather not give them any more. Time is precious and I don’t want to waste it on people who don’t deserve it.”

Curtis hesitates, thinking on past interactions with you. “So, that day I called your prettiness a bonus?”

You duck your head close to your chest, “I overreacted. And for that I do apologize. You were just trying to be nice but I was hurting and I lashed out at you. I’m sorry.”

“If that’s you lashing out, I’m good,” Curtis chuckles. “All you did was accuse me of pitying you.”

“Still, you didn’t deserve my anger.”

“I think I got more anger from you when you were arguing about being overpaid. Or about the guys being overworked.”

“That wasn’t anger, Sir. That was debate and, well, stubbornness.”

“A stubbornness that seems to help people.” 

Curtis’s smile is broken by a yawn and you ask, “when was the last time you slept?”

“It’s been a while, I’ll admit.”

“You should really get some sleep, Sir.”

“I can’t,” he shakes his head. “Until we get some kind of update on Lloyd’s whereabouts, any sleep I get is going to leave me even more tired than if I never slept at all.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” you concede. “So, what do you generally do when you can’t sleep but can’t leave standby mode?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” he admits. “Usually there’s work to be done. Intel to verify, cleaning to do, garbage to dispose of. But right now all I’ve got is waiting and making sure you’re okay.” 

“Thanks for not leaving me alone,” you hum. “Thanks for bringing me with you. I know I was never supposed to know all of this. That I was supposed to stay on the legitimate side of things. But, even though I’m in the middle of the storm, I feel really safe with you.”

“That’s the greatest compliment I could ever receive,” he beams. “And I mean it.”

You’re walking back to the kitchenette from the bathroom when you’re slammed hard against the wall. You barely let out a squeak before feeling your windpipe cut off. You open your eyes and see Lloyd, smiling wickedly and holding a butterfly knife.

“Oh Pumpkin,” he sneers, “I told you not to run. Imagine my surprise when Pretty Boy finally confessed you were one of Everett’s agents? Fucker took my job, seems only fair I take his whore–”

His head is slammed into the wall you’re pinned against, barely missing you. The force is hard enough that Lloyd lets go of your neck and you drop, struggling to catch your breath. You’re able to register Curtis repeatedly smashing Lloyd’s head into the wall before Lloyd is able to push Curtis back. He spins to face Curtis, flashing the butterfly knife but Curtis doesn’t hesitate to charge as soon as he’s got his footing. 

You struggle to get away from the wall, not wanting to get Curtis hurt because of your interference. You find your phone in your pocket and send an SOS to Jake. You look up just in time to see Lloyd landing a kick to Curtis’s leg but he doesn’t even seem to flinch. He’s twisted Lloyd’s arm, making him drop the knife, before throwing him to the far side of the room. Curtis storms after him, not giving Lloyd time to get his footing, keeping him on the defensive, only able to focus on blocking or deflecting hits.

Curtis’s face is pure blood-lust and rage. You know you’re looking at Berserker. A small part of you knows you should be scared, but you’re not. He’s protecting you. Thinking you should return the favor and keep him safe, you look around for the butterfly knife. You’ve seen enough movies to know that it could come back into play against Curtis. You carefully remove it from the improvised arena and stay back.

Lloyd manages to get in a few punches but Curtis is relentless. When Lloyd starts flailing, clearly losing consciousness, Curtis pushes him to the floor before continuing to smash his face in.

“Curtis!” You cry out painfully in an attempt to get his attention. You’re quite sure Lloyd is at least incapacitated if not dead. He doesn’t seem to hear you so try again, “Curtis, please!” 

He pauses. You see him blink several times, seeming to come back to himself. He turns to you, “I’m so sorry. You weren’t supposed to see that.” He backs away from Lloyd’s body, running to the sink to wash his hands. He keeps repeating, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Curtis, look at me,” you gently plead. His eyes shoot up and you see he’s scared, terrified even. “Thank you, Curtis,” you whisper, voice hoarse from Lloyd’s attack. “Thank you for rescuing me.” His hands stop shaking as he searches your eyes for any sign you’re scared. But you’re not. You hold firm in that and it helps to ground him. You step closer to him and he melts into your touch as you hold him.

Soon after the others come by and clean up Lloyd’s body. The higher ups are informed and let out a breath of relief. 

When the business side of things is concluded you ask Curtis if he’d be willing to stay with you at your apartment for a couple of days. You’re certain you’ll have nightmares and having him there, even if it’s just on the couch, will be a great comfort for you. He wholeheartedly agrees that he’ll sleep better as well if he can keep an eye on you.

Part 8 -- Part 10

Tagging @alicedopey because I promised I would. 

@alexakeyloveloki

@bigtreefest

@dontbescaredtosingalong

@hisredheadedgoddess28

@icefrozendeadlyqueen

@lokislady82

@texmexdarling 

@veltana

@winter-soldier-101

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Do you have any queer historical romance recs? Are there any upcoming 2024 queer historical romances that you’re excited for?

Absolutely, I have recs! As for 2024 books, I'm currently most looking forward to You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian, which is an m/m romance set, I believe in the 50s, set around the world of baseball.

I also just read A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland (out 4/9) which I SUPER recommend if you want a f/f romance set in the 1800s, with a touch of fantasy. It's about a prickly midwife who finds this mysterious woman in the middle of the night, literally about to give birth. She helps her, and her husband turns out to be a local fisherman. But... something isn't right... both with the husband, and with his wife's origins. And when the husband realizes the women are falling in love, he only becomes more possessive. I promise it's romantic and has an HEA and doesn't feature overwhelming sadness (there is domestic and sexual violence alluded to, but it's brief and off the page).

As for historicals otherwise...

M/M

We Could be So Good by Cat Sebastian--set in the same general era and space as the 2024 release, I think, about a pair of reporters slowly and sweetly falling in love, especially after they become roommates (and they were ROOMMATES).

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles--about a guy who moves to the marshland after he becomes a baronet, and has to take care of his estranged father's family left behind. He finds out there is a crime family of smugglers controlling the area, and he rats on them after seeing something sus... But when he goes to testify, who's there to stop him but the guy who he used to anonymously hook up with! JOSS DOOMSDAY. Joss Doomsday is amazing I love him. Super sexy, funny, and definitely focused on a side of England you like, never see in historicals.

The Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ--the standalone followup to the last book. In this case, another title is inherited, and this time the lord's this gruff former soldier. His cousins or something contest his inheritance, and he hires this young, charismatic secretary (especially important because our lord has a hard time reading, which I felt was done in a really touching way). Anyway, the sexual tension boils over and they start hooking up on the low, but there's a SECRET. (Also, the lord is very like "I'M ABUSING MY BOSSLY POWER" while the secretary is like "I mean... abuse it some more.....")

Band Sinister by KJ Charles--kind of a queer sendup of gothics, this is about a young guy whose sister is like, always spying on their scandalous neighbors who hold orgies and shit for the sake of writing her novels. Then she breaks her leg and ends up laid up in the orgy house, and he rushes over like NO ORGIES FOR HER, but he realizes the group of friends is actually super cool, especially the verrrry siiiiiilky smoooooth one who's just soooooo suave. So good, and especially interesting in that, while I would definitely not call this a poly romance, it does explore the complexities of open relationships and polyamory.

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian--Kit is a retired highwayman running a cafe, and suddenly this vERRRY pretty nobleman comes in flashing his very nice ankles and asking Kit to steal this mysterious book from his dad. Kit refuses, but agrees to teach Percy how to steal. Both are great, but omg PERCY is AMAZING. He's kind introduced as somewhat like... conventionally more on the femme side, but he's like a secret swordmaster, and also takes the lead with Kit sexually a lot. One of my favorite moments in this book is when he's blowing Kit and Kit thinks he's gone too deep and is like "SORRY" and Percy rolls his eyes and makes Kit grab his hair and start facefucking him lmao. Also has nice demi rep in Kit.

Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall--A frosty duke proposes to a woman he was always supposed to marry, and she subsequently goes on the run. He then has to pair up with her dramatic, fanciful twin brother. It's a really funny romcom, with a ridiculous duel that had me wheezing. Plus a semi-cultlike group of lesbians? Also, enthusiastic ass eating.

F/F

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera--A cold vamp widow wants this business deal with a fun and flirty heiress, and the heiress agrees to make the deal... If the vamp agrees to show her LESBIAN PARIS. Hot, and both of the leads are Latina.

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall--Adding this even though it definitely has a good dose of fantasy, because it's like... Jane Austen meets a Midsummer Night's Dream, with an emphasis on the fairies. This young deb ends up hexed so her dress is unraveling at a ball, and as she hurries into the pushes, she meets the mysterious Lady Duke, who's rumored to have murdered her brother and father. They begin this push and pull of seduction. It's both funny and kind of dramatic.

Trans/Nonbinary

Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall--the standalone followup to Something Fabulous. The runaway fiancee's ex, the genderfluid Peggy, is roped by said ex into attending an opera. The ex wants to seduce Orfeo, this gorgeous castrato soprano, and when they open their mouth to sing Peggy, who's very gruff and in control typically, faints. Orfeo is naturally like "WHO'S THAT" and begins pursuing Peggy rather than the ex. One of my favorite books, so funny (at one point they accidentally incite a gay orgy) with a hint of melancholy and great sex. Also, it has one of the most unique sex scenes I've ever read.

Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian--a bisexual marquess makes a new friend in this young dandy in town. They kiss, and he thinks his friend is going to blackmail him... But the friend, Robin, turns out to be chamber maid in disguise! Except they're actually not a man or a woman, and don't want to live as a woman. It becomes as an FWB thing, but naturally our romantic hero falls in love and things become Fraught. Has one of my favorite "resentfully horny" moments, when Alistair is watching Robin from across the ballroom, and they pull a glove off with their teeth, and he's like "THAT IS IMPROPER" and wants to fuck them so bad.

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall--Viola faked her death at Waterloo in order to live as her true self. Years later, she's pulled into helping her old best friend, the Duke of Gracewood, who's suffering from a chronic injury and severe depression following the battle. At first he doesn't recognize her... at first. Has an absolutely INCREDIBLE moment of recognition, and I really like that it's this romping old school type romance with a trans heroine.

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa--this one is actually a YA Pride and Prejudice retelling, highly recommend if you're open to it. In this case, the Lizzie character is actually Oliver, a trans boy, and he and Darcy fall in love--molly houses are included in this, which I really like. It's not super about historical accuracy, which I personally dgaf about, and it's very sweet and funny and warm. Also, the author is a trans man.

Queer Polyamory

Scandalous Passions by Nicola Davidson--FFM. A king's former mistress is sent away because the queen hates her, and is also asked to care for the king's ward. She and the ward begin to give in to their attraction, and at the same time their escort is this much-feared knight (who's really quite subby) who's been in love with the older heroine for years. And then he begins falling for the ward as well.... Super sexy medieval, with Dom/sub overtones.

Their Marchioness by Jess Michaels--A playwright is asked to a marquess and marchioness's home... Turns out he and the marchioness were in love before she was forced to marry the marquess. Fortunately, she and her husband are now very much in love, and he's basically gifting her a tryst with her old love for her birthday. Then he joins in... and it begins being more than sex. Has some bi awakening stuff.

M/F with Bi leads

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian--a standalone followup to Kit Webb. Percy's stepmother Marian is having a correspondence with a blackmailer, who unbeknownst to her is her odious husband's secret son. He ends up falling in love with her as they go back and forth with letters, so when she ends up in trouble and on the run, he comes to "save" her, only to find that Marian ain't that girl. Both leads are bi, and the sex is really cool and interesting because Marian doesn't like penetration due to trauma surrounding her pregnancy and labor. So she penetrates him (among other things) instead.

Hugo and The Maiden by S.M. LaViolette--a successful sex worker ends up being transported and washing ashore after a shipwreck. He's very snarky, but finds himself up against the vicar's uptight and uncompromising daughter--but he still has enemies lurking. Hugo is openly (for the day) bi and services both men and women. I really liked that even as he fell in love, his bisexuality wasn't like this background thing--he sees a guy he likes at one point and is basically like "if I wasn't taken......."

Any Duke in a Storm by Amalie Howard--a spy (who's also kind of a lady pirate) ends up being attracted to her super rakish and slutty first mate. She's bisexual, and one of the women on her ship is her former hookup (still her friend), which I like.

Melissa and The Vicar by S.M. LaViolette--a madame goes to a small village to recuperate and de-stress, and ends up falling in love with a virginal vicar she's so sure she can't have. Melissa is bisexual, and I thiiink a woman she used to be involved with is on the page? Her hero, Magnus, kind of has a "oh shit am I bi?" moment when Melissa tries to fake him out by pretending she's hooking up with Hugo. To be fair, everyone wants to fuck Hugo.

In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation--a scandalous woman begins chasing her sister (who ran off with a Bad Man) along with her brother's best friend, who's secretly in love with her. Margo is bi, and her relationships with women are one reason why she's considered scandalous~.

[infiniteglitterfall]

I think it'd be fun to sort of liveblog looking for countries that haven't abused/exiled Jews

I haven't found a list. So I'm making one.

Let's start with China. China has Jewish communities, and maybe not enough of them to become a target! The perfect amount?

Wow, Jews have lived in China since the 7th century CE. I've heard of the Kaifeng Jews!

Oh, this is ominous: "In the first half of the 20th century, thousands of Jewish refugees escaping from pogroms in the Russian Empire arrived in China. By the time of the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, only a few Jews were known to have maintained the practice of their religion and culture."

Wow, fun fact:

According to an oral tradition dictated by Xu Xin, Director of the Centre for Judaic Studies at Nanjing University, in his book Legends of the Chinese Jews of Kaifeng, the Kaifeng Jews called Judaism Yīcìlèyè jiào (一賜樂業教), lit. the religion of Israel. Yīcìlèyè is a transliteration and partial translation of "Israel".

Surprising and cool:

Famous Venetian traveler Marco Polo, who visited China, then under the Yuan dynasty, in the late 13th century, described the prominence of Jewish traders in Beijing.

Neither surprising nor cool:

Genghis Khan called both Jews and Muslims Huihui when he forbade Jews and Muslims from practicing kosher and halal preparation of their food, calling both of them "slaves" and forcing them to eat Mongol food, and banned them from practicing circumcision.

In the late 1800s a lot of Jews emigrated from India and Iraq to China; they "took a considerable part in developing trade in China, and several served on the municipal councils."

In the early 1900s, 20,000 Jewish refugees from Russian pogroms emigrated to Harbin, in northeast China and "and played a key role in the shaping of local politics, economy and international trade."

Surprisingly:

Dr. Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Republic of China, admired the Jewish people and Zionism, and he also saw parallels between the persecution of Jews and the domination of China by the Western powers. He stated, "Though their country was destroyed, the Jewish nation has existed to this day ... [Zionism] is one of the greatest movements of the present time. All lovers of democracy cannot help but support wholeheartedly and welcome with enthusiasm the movement to restore your wonderful and historic nation, which has contributed so much to the civilization of the world and which rightfully deserve [sic] an honorable place in the family of nations."

Wow. It really doesn't go into any more detail about the SMALL gap between "40,000 Jews moved to China from 1845-1945," and "most of these Jews emigrated to Israel or the West... by the time of the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, only a few Jews were known to have maintained the practice of their religion and culture."

That's four years.

Let's look at other sources.

At first, life in Shanghai was peaceful for its newest residents. The Jewish refugees were welcomed by Shanghai residents and they created a strong community with schools and a vibrant social scene. Some refugees began working as dentists and doctors, while others set up shops, cafes and clubs in the neighbourhood.

What the refugees couldn't foresee was they would travel across the globe only to fall into the clutches of the Nazis' most powerful ally. In 1941, Japan seized Shanghai. Acting under instruction from the Nazis, Japanese troops rounded up all of the city's Jews and confined them in Tilanqiao. Shanghai's Jewish ghetto had been born....

According to [historian Dvir] Bar-Gal, even prior to the Japanese invasion, many Jewish refugees in Tilanqiao lived in poverty compared to their comfortable lifestyles back in Europe. Conditions worsened greatly after Japanese soldiers gathered Jews from across Shanghai and forced them to all live within the borders of this newly formed ghetto. Jews were banned from leaving the area, even for work, unless they received permission from Japanese officers, which rarely happened.

Disease and malnutrition plagued the many heinously overcrowded group homes. "It went from a poor neighbourhood to an extremely poor neighbourhood," Bar-Gal said. "Many people had no jobs and lived in communal housing with many other beds and common bathrooms and kitchens. They had zero privacy and almost no food."

Yet, while six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust, and up to 14 million Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed during their nation's war with Japan from 1937 to 1945, the majority of Shanghai's Jewish refugees survived. This remarkable feat was described by Holocaust historian David Kranzler as the "Miracle of Shanghai", and according to Bar-Gal, they survived because Jews weren't a primary target of the Japanese forces.

In 1945, when World War Two ended with the defeat of Japan and Nazi Germany, Japanese troops retreated and most of Shanghai's Jews quickly left, relocating to places like the US, Australia and Canada. But had Shanghai not taken these refugees in, many of these more-than-20,000 Jews may have never survived the Nazi death squads....

The first structure I came across was the imposing old Tilanqiao Prison. During World War Two, the Japanese incarcerated dozens of Jewish refugees and Chinese dissidents behind its thick stone walls. The brutality of the Japanese gave the Jews and the Chinese a common enemy and a shared experience. This connection remains strong, according to Tian.

That still leaves at least another 20,000, though? (I would say almost 20,000, but for the ones who already lived in China.)

Hmm. Here's a paper that says Jews "not only took part in the revolution but had also helped igniting it and then stayed on or joined later. While dealing with this puzzle in my paper, I’ll try to offer a typology of Jewish activists and revolutionaries in China, to explain their motives (by choice or not), and to evaluate their contributions in perspective. It appears that their Jewish identity did not play a direct role in their revolutionary activism, but it did play an indirect role. Included in this study are Grigorii Gershuni, Grigorii Voitinski, Boris Shumiatsky, Michail Borodin, Adolf Joffe, Pavel Mif, David Crook, Sidney Rittenberg, Israel Epstein, Sidney Shapiro, Solomon Adler, Sam Ginsbourg, Michael Shapiro, and more. Their main value to the revolution was mainly writing, translation, communication and publication. Although they were all deeply committed to the Chinese Communist revolution, some of them were jailed – for years – and occasionally more than once. Nonetheless, they continued to believe in, and even to justify, the Chinese Communist Party."

Wait, waaaaait. I was about to try to find the full paper (titled "Combining contradictions: Jewish contributions to the Chinese revolution"), but I ran across this first:

A century ago, the Communist International and the then-Russian Communist Party dispatched several agents to help foment revolution in China, including Russians like Grigori Voitinsky and Vladimir Neiman-Nikolsky and the Dutch Communist Henk Sneevliet. In addition to their shared commitment to Communism, all three were of Jewish heritage.

O rly??

They came with SKILLS!

On the evening of July 30, less than a month after the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), members of the CPC’s First National Congress met for a vote on a new party program. Suddenly, an unfamiliar middle-aged man barged into the meeting hall. “Sorry, I’m in the wrong place,” the man declared before hurrying off.

Sneevliet, well-versed in the techniques used by the police around the world to crack down on revolutionary activities, suggested that the meeting be adjourned and urged members to leave. By the time police arrived 10 minutes later, the building was already cleared out.

If you think that's impressive, try this!

Richard Frey... was an Austrian Jew who fled to Shanghai in the late 1930s. He worked for a hospital in the city until 1941, when he moved to a Communist military base in North China to teach medicine. In 1944, Frey was transferred to the central Communist base in Yan’an in China’s northwest Shaanxi province, where he soon succeeded in producing a crude but much-needed form of penicillin. 

He just. Made up his own penicillin for them.

What the entire fuck.

HERE we go!

International Journal of China Studies, December 2020. "Combining Contradictions: Jewish Contributions to the Chinese Revolution," by Yitzhak Shichor, University of Haifa and Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Fun Fact:

Jewish Lithuanian activist Grigory Gershuni emigrated from Russia to China by hiding in a barrel of sauerkraut.

Yeah okay, I think China's number one on the list of Hey, Some Countries Didn't Try That!

Next time: Japan? Or Brazil? Hmmmm.

[vixessrin]

Lore tiiiime-

I wound up busier than expected this weekend but ahhh I still wanted to at least get some refs posted ;;;

These are all my (current) Starlight Express OCs! C: With the exception of Wren, they're actually all based on engines and rolling stock from a tourist line in my state that I really love <3

A lot of their main details are on their refs, but I'll put some quick facts below!

------

Blue:

excursion steam engine/lead engine of the yard (very much doesn't think of himself that way)

previously worked as a freight engine for another line

oil conversion, built as a coal burning engine in the late steam era

oldest of the engines but looks younger due to restoration work

Throttle, Cobalt, and Seven:

triplet diesel engines built in the same year/class (based roughly on GP types)

Throttle is the group's unofficial 'leader'

oddly protective of Blue/their yardmates

Cobalt's a dork but he's a big softie too

Mack:

caboose who's worked for several railroads over the years

looks grumpy/stern, actually very friendly once you talk to him

gets along well with Blue and the coaches, especially Octavia

uses a headset to help the human train crew on excursions

Octavia, Delilah, and Charlotte:

the coaches of the line! Octavia is a first class coach, Delilah is the line's dining/cafe car, and Charlotte is a passenger coach

Octavia is the group's leader, kind of a mother figure to the rest of the coaches/trucks

they're the ones who actually act as the tour guides on the excursions, though the engines are known to chime in sometimes

Charlotte and Seven are a couple <3

Rewire:

the yard/line's resident repair truck

takes her work seriously, works with the human shop crews well

gets along well with Carlisle (secretly likes to gossip with him)

very occasionally joins special/historical excursions

Carlisle:

bar car with a flare for performative bartending and a specialization in moonshine-based drinks

keeps himself looking neat and proper, prides himself on it tbh

very charming/flirtatious

has to help others with their makeup more than they would care to admit lol

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Wren is a different case, she's kinda half her own character and half self-insert c: Her line never really existed, though some of the locations and route are based in reality. She's kinda the result of my love of very early 1800s steam, particularly early Baldwin designs!

------

annnnd that's everyone! I love drawing these guys and making up more lore for them <3

[gingerjunhan]

hello pookie 🤭🩷

it’s 👽 anon, i know its been awhile. could you possible write an ot6 fic where it’s like their love languages and then them acting out said love language? 🤭🤭 peace and love

☆彡 hello 👽anon, welcome back!! I hope you’re doing well :) I LOVED this request!! Hope you enjoy!!!!

word count: 1800 | pronouns used: they/them | genre: fluff, established relationship | cws: (implied) drinking w/ Gunil, reader is sick w/ Jooyeon, not really proofread, lmk if I missed something

goo gunil

okay narrowing down one love language for Gunil is HARD

one of his love languages is clearly physical touch but since he’s the oldest and the leader, I can also see his love language(s) being words of affirmation or acts of service

he’s all over you all the time, be it with hugs, small favors, or praise

Gunil was on his way over to your place to have a very casual date night-in. You were gonna order some takeout, crack into some wine, and unwind from all the things that have been stressing you out this week. You were fixing your hair, and right as you were finishing up, you heard your door open.

“Hello, sunshine!” Gunil called into your home. You couldn’t help but to laugh.

“I’m in the bathroom!” You called out to him. You heard Gunil pad his way down the hall and soon enough he was leaning on the doorframe of your bathroom, watching you fix your hair. “Hello, my love,” you quickly greeted him, looking away from the mirror for a moment to give him a quick peck.

“Looking gorgeous as ever, (Y/N),” he complimented as he stepped into the bathroom behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist.

“Thank you,” you smiled. “My hair hasn’t been agreeing with me today, so I’ve been trying to fix it.”

“I think you look great,” he praised once again, leaving a kiss on your cheek.

“What time is it?” You asked, trying to ignore your butterflies. “I should probably order our food soon”

“I can do it,” he offered.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind.”

“Nope, it’s okay,” Gunil insisted. “You stay here and finish getting ready. I’ll go order some food and pour us some drinks, okay?”

You made eye contact with him in the mirror, “Okay.”

He gave you another kiss on the cheek before leaving the bathroom. “You want your usual?” He called out to you as he left.

“Yes please!”

kim jungsu

Jungsu is another physical touch guy low key

if not, he’s quality time for sure

just by looking at how he is with the others I know he falls somewhere under these categories

you will feel so so loved around him for sure

Sitting in a cafe with Jungsu, you listened attentively as he told you about going on tour- all the things he was excited to do and all the places he was excited to see. Although it made you upset that you couldn’t go with him, you were glad he was getting this opportunity and that he was so excited about it.

“I can’t wait to see what Europe is like!” He mused. “I can’t wait to go to London or,” he gasped, “Paris!” You couldn’t help but smile at the way he was lighting up during this conversation. “I wish I could take you there with me. It is the city of love after all.”

You blushed at his comment, breaking your eye contact with him. As you looked away, you diverted your attention down to your joint hands. At the start of the conversation, Jungsu gently took your hand in his, soothingly brushing his thumb over your knuckles as he spoke. He was leaning into you from across the table, with your legs intertwined underneath it. When he finally caught your gaze again, he smiled at you, squeezing your hand. As he did so, his free hand pulled out his phone, checking the time.

“Oh! We should probably go. They close soon.”

You looked at him, wide eyed. “What? But we got here at 3:00?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re telling me we’ve been in this cafe for over three hours?”

“Hey,” Jungsu couldn’t help but to laugh at your shock. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

kwak jiseok

I think Jiseok is gift giving but in like a… bird type of way?

like a bird to a shiny object, Jiseok will make sure to pick up whatever makes him think of you and bring it home

I don’t think he would be good with words most of the time (again: reference how he giggles at any mention of girls) so he relies on giving you his love in a physical form

“(Y/N)! (Y/N)! I got you something!!” You turned to see Jiseok jogging towards you from the door of the Heroes’ dorm. You had been hanging out with the guys, and Jiseok and Jooyeon were sent off to get snacks at a local convenience store.

“You got me something?”

“Yeah! Here!” Excitedly, Jiseok held out his hand and dropped a small keychain into your palm. “For you!”

You smiled at his giddiness, examining the small trinket. “Thank you, baby!” You pulled him towards you can give him a kiss on the cheek, causing him to blush like mad.

“A keychain?” Jungsu questioned from the seat next to you.

“Yeah!” Jiseok answered before you had the chance to. “(Y/N) collects them, so when I saw this it made me think of them. Plus, it’s their favorite color and it has glitter on it- and who doesn’t like glitter?”

Jungsu stared at Jiseok, confused by his sudden outburst of excitement. You, however, blushed at the action. You’ve accumulated quite the collection of items- keychains, plushies, anything that made Jiseok think of you. You rotated the keychain in your hand, smiling at it.

“Do you like it?” Jiseok asked, a little more calm now.

“I love it. Thank you.” You gave him a quick kiss again, this time emitting a soft “ew” out of Jungsu.

oh seungmin

Seungmin is literally such a tease that I think he could fall under any of them!

the more I think about it the more I think it’s words of affirmation

I could also see gift giving but again- he’s a tease- the flirting would be relentless

Ahh, Sunday morning. One of the only times of the whole week that you felt no shame in dressing your worst. You were currently in your kitchen, making yourself and Seungmin a pot of coffee. Your hair was a mess, and you were wearing a pair of shorts and one of Seungmin’s oversized t-shirts. You let out a yawn as you poured yourself a cup of coffee.

“There’s my baby,” a voice sounded from behind you. You turned to find Seungmin, also fresh out of bed. He was silent on his way into the kitchen, and the addition of his deep morning voice made you jump a bit. “Why did you get out of bed? I missed you.”

You smiled at his words, “I wanted to make us coffee.”

Seungmin came up beside you and went to grab a mug. You stopped him before he could reach the shelf, presenting him with a mug of coffee you had prepared, just the way he likes it. He smiled at you, taking the beverage.

“I’m so thankful for you. You're the best.” He gave you a kiss on the forehead, and you blushed lightly. “What would I do without you?”

You laughed softly, “Make your own coffee?”

He laughed also. “That’s true. What a sad life I’d live.”

han hyeongjun

quality time!!!

Hyeongjun gives me the vibe that he would love to just sit and hang out with you, since he isn’t necessarily big on physical touch

like, you don’t even have to be saying anything, he’s just happy to be there :)

You were sat at your desk doing work, and Hyeongjun was sitting on your bed behind you, sketchbook in hand. You had been working on an upcoming assignment for a little over half an hour now, and you were finally finishing up.

“I’m sorry that took so long,” you spoke to Hyeongjun, turning around in your chair. “I just need to do some final revisions and then I’m all yours.” Your words make him smile.

“Take your time,” he said simply. “I’m in no rush.”

You went to turn your attention back to your work, but you couldn’t help but let yourself look over Hyeongjun for a moment. You could just barely make out his face through the way his fluffy hair fell over his eyes. What you could make out, however, were his eyebrows knit together in focus as he drew something in his sketchbook. He looked up at you, and your eyes met. He seemed a little surprised.

“What?” He asked.

“Nothing. You’re just cute when you’re focused.” You smiled at him and turned back around in your chair. Hyeongjun stared at you for a second, flustered, before going back to his sketch. He smiled to himself as he began to add more marks to his page. Moments like this were some of his favorites. Moments where, despite working in your own little worlds, you still made sure to try to include him in yours. It was one of the things he loved most about you.

lee jooyeon

physical touch and acts of service

I am a proud supporter of the clingy Jooyeon agenda, and with that I believe that Jooyeon would wait on his partner hand-and-foot

like, don’t you worry your pretty little self about anything bbg because Jooyeon is doing everything for you and topping it off with a kiss on the forehead

You had recently come down with a small cold, and Jooyeon was not taking it lightly.

“Are you sure you don’t need anything else?” Jooyeon was sitting on the edge of your bed, his eyes scanning over you worriedly.

“Jooyeon, I’m fine. Thank you,” you insisted. “I think I’m just going to try and take a nap.” At this, Jooyeon perked up a bit.

“Can I join you?”

“I don’t want you to get sick,” you frowned.

“I won’t,” he shook his head, and you couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. You knew he was just trying to take care of you, but he also couldn’t control if he got sick or not.

“Okay,” you accepted his offer, and he quickly went around to the other side of your bed, throwing back the covers and crawling into bed next to you. He pulled you close to him and began running a hand through your hair. Between the hand in your hair and his natural heat and comforting smell, you fell asleep in no time.

When you woke up again, Jooyeon was still next to you, only he had repositioned slightly. In your half awake state you noticed the water on your nightstand had been refilled with more cold medicine waiting for you next to it. Also, another blanket had been spread out on the bed.

“Good morning,” Jooyeon said with a smile.

“Morning,” you sniffed. “How long was I asleep?”

“A little less than two hours.”

You let out a groan.

“Are you hungry? I made you some food, it’s out in the kitchen.”

taglist: @dazzlingligth , @mini-mews , @mxlly143 , @somethingaboutcheese , comment to be added!⁎⁺˳✧༚

[nats-reads-reviews]

October 2024 Reads & Reviews 📚 🎃

Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi - 5/5⭐️ I absolutely loved this book! I'm a big fan of magical realism romances and this one hit the nail on the head for me. It was cozy, it had depth and great character development, and the spice was hella spicy! I'll definitely be reading the second book to this series when it comes out.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - 2.5/5⭐️ This book was okay, and I was a little let down, since it's such a popular horror book. But, realistically, not all classics live up to modern day standards of story-telling. I found the dialogue between the characters having too much tongue in cheek humor for what was supposed to be a scary, eerie story. I'm glad I read it though because I can see how this story sets up the modern-day haunted house story and the way vulnerable characters are prone to be effected to hauntings more.

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore- 3/5⭐️ I didn't know what to expect with this one since it's been so viral and maybe I over-estimated the book because of that and should have known better lol. Even with that being said, it was still a super cute, cozy fall romance that has a good level of spice. If you want an easy, entertaining and no-frills seasonal romance, I'd recommend this one.

Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers - 3.5/5⭐️ This was a really neat book. If I had to summarize it, I would say it's, "Young Adult Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark with Native American Characters and Themes", which is pretty cool! There was a bunch of short stories and each one had some pretty cool illustrations. I loved that all the stories had characters that were related spanning from the late 1800's to modern times and onward. The inclusion of the family tree was pretty awesome, as well. Very neat and unique read!

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden - 5/5⭐️ Damn! This was probably one of the my favorite McFadden books so far. I really didn't see the plot twist at the end of this book coming. This was a quick, easy and entertaining read that I'd recommend to any fan of psychological thrillers. I enjoyed the variety of crazy people in this book - they all had their own motives and intents behind their actions for doing wrong and it makes you think a bit about the reasons people turn to murder.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw - 2.5/5⭐️ This was such a strange book! I read it for a book club and I think a more realistic, horror style storytelling of The Little Mermaid is super cool. However, it seemed to me that the author used the most complex, and uncommon words to her writing that made it utterly pretentious and difficult to read. The ending was good but I felt the timeline of the story telling was very off and some of the story came after the acknowledgements page which was bizarre to me.

Murder Your Employer: McMaster’s Guide to Homicide - 3/5⭐️ I really didn't know what to expect of this book but it was very unique and highly detailed, as well as filled with dark humor. I enjoyed the story and the premise of a school to teach people how to "delete" people the world would be better off without. However, it just wasn't my cup of tea. It was very quirky which I loved but it just wasn't for me.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst - 3.5/5⭐️This book is the definition of "cottagecore". It was really cute and cozy, however, it was definitely slow for the first half of the book. The second half was a lot more fast-paced, and I loved the ending. I just wish the pace was more evenly spaced out. Still very much an enjoyable, feel-good book.

A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair - 3/5⭐️ I loved a more magical realism take on Greek mythology and the gods being like celebrities within the world of mortals. This was a story about Persephone and Hades relationship. The spice was super good, like very good! The story wasn't anything groundbreaking good but I love an easier fantasy read without it coming with the need of as much lore to the world they live in.

[ask-obt]

So what are the caps on your drinks from Spinda's cafe made of? Magi Glass?

Guildmaster: It's crazy, because somehow pokemon know what glass is here! The first time I saw a cup I asked my Wigglytuff mama if it was made with magic or something from a dungeon, and she explained that it's sand that gets heat up until it melts, and then talented pokemon can make them into different shapes! Some things also use metal lids, and they'll even imprint logos and other crazy things on them! I have nooo idea how they came up with that kinda thing. They probably dug up a bunch of old human artifacts and studied them!!

Keaton: Well. You've heard the phrase "history repeats itself", haven't you sir?

Guildmaster: Yeah!! ... What's that got to do with it?

// one thing that I always think is interesting about how pmd is interpreted is the level of technology folks seem to think the pokemon have accessible to them. somehow it's easy to imagine that they have an organized postal system (implying the existence of addresses, which implies the existence of property borders and surveying, and also implies a printing press or at least reliable access to writing materials- and not just for scholarly purposes, but to write newsletters and junk mail on a wide scale), an economy (implies the development from a trade and barter system, as well as the ability to smelt and manufacture a currency), and complex architecture involving steel I beams (something I'm pulling from gurdurr's shop in gates which i'm sure is just meant to be visual shorthand, but it's something developed in the mid-1800s which is around when light bulbs came into the scene)... but they somehow don't know what glass-blowing or threaded fasteners are despite being a technique developed almost 2,000 years before a lot of those other things lmao. not to mention even older methods of craft like clay which date all the way back to over 20,000 years ago. I think a lot of it has to do with how pmd itself isn't quite consistent with what technology exists, trying to go for a medieval but whimsical feel with a few comforts from modern day thrown in. but playing around with those expectations with characters like the guildmaster and julius is fun B) I'm of the thought that if a society has developed language, culture, and economy, it's not really far-fetched to think they'd have basic comforts

[darkbluekies]

I do collect Barbies! This genuinely isn’t me trying to brag or sound arrogant, but all of my 59 Barbies I currently have are collector/special/limited edition. I like them not because of their status, but because their clothing/quality was so well done. They’re from the late 90s to 2000s.

I’m not gonna list them all of course, but I think you’ll like these as a lot listed are historical/time period inspired outfits. Let me know though if you have different/more style preferences and I’ll try to find some to share with you again.

Barbie Cafe Society

Barbie Faberge Porcelain (3 in series)

Barbie Great Fashions of the 20th Century (7 in series)

Barbie Hollywood Movie Star (6 in series)

Barbie Mrs. P.F.E. Albee: Avon (2 in series)

Barbie Royal Jewels (4 in series)

Barbie Victorian Tea Porcelain (2 in series)

Barbie Victorian with Cedric Bear

Barbie Wedgwood (2 in series)

The website I used when collecting is https://barbieguide.sosugary.com/index.php

It’s a great catalog of Barbie releases. You’ll find a lot more historical inspired dolls on there, and Barbie makes excellent porcelain dolls too that I think you’ll like.

And tips if you’re interested in fashion doll collecting…

Don’t buy newer collector/special/limited edition dolls from Mattel. They’re worse quality for outrageously more money. Trust me on this. (A lot of my collector Barbies I was able to get for $30-$40 USD new in box, compared to the $100+ USD price tag Mattel charges now for collector dolls).

Mattel has been declining in quality ever since 2016 (probably earlier) and is still going lower present day. So if you’re interested in good quality play-line or collector dolls, try to get pre 2016.

Mattel dolls most of the time have polypropylene hair, which is considered the worst hair quality fiber as it literally disintegrates over a few years and isn’t easily brushsble/stylable.

Mattel also gives most of their dolls cheap paper-like printed clothing or molded on clothes.

If you want quality, buy MGA. They have nylon hair (easily brushsble, stylable, and won’t disintegrate). Much higher quality clothes/fabrics with intricate details and complex designs.

Mattel=Quantity

MGA=Quality

Thank you for your time!

That's cool to hear :))) it's nice to find someone that shares the interest of dolls, even if it's a different kind! Although I learned a lot, thank you♡ I'll check out the older styled ones!!

I'm not very interested in fashion dolls (apart from those from the 1800s) so unfortunately I'm sticking to my child looking dolls, which is why I kind of like the American girl dolls that are supposed to look like 1900s/1800s

I'm going to take this opportunity to brag about my girls as if they were my children. Here are my some of my older dolls<3

Just like you say about Barbies, these dolls also have limited editions (such as the discontinued one with a very, very uncanny voice box from the 1880s) unfortunately, I don't have any of them. BUT, I do have two from the most famous doll makers, Kestner and Armand Marseille<3 Always have to look for the markings that tell exactly which model they are

And I have one special girl who I call Darling who has human hair!!

And I just have to squeeze this in, when I was in Belfast I got to see a doll I have been such a big fan of for so many years. It's a doll that was floating around in the wreckage and actually seeing her up close in real life made me tear up in pure happiness. She was absolutely stunning, and I think she might (just might) be a similar model to my doll with the red boots, but i could get a good luck of her neck to see the "tag". Here she is!!

I just had to, dolls are one of my biggest interest and i have to take every chance i get♡

[sinspark4]

Roddy's Ghost Adventures

The Rake: This is the first video Rewind stumbled across after finding something called "The Dark Web" when searching for media for his crew mates. The video is distorted, corrupted, everything inside it is hard to make out or understand. All Rewind can gather from the feed is the panicked screaming of a human and glowing, yellow eyes. He does his best to clean up some of the feed but there are strange viruses lurking in the coding Rewind doesn't want to get anywhere near. He thinks he sees a forest, a house in the background, and a sign reading "Warren Park Trail, Montana." Then the video just ends. Abruptly. He took a moment to contemplate the recording before reading the caption.

Locals spoke of a creature known as "The Rake," a nightmarish being with sunken eyes, elongated limbs, and razor-sharp claws.

Legend had it that "The Rake" was once human, transformed by dark experiments or supernatural forces. Its first recorded appearance was in the late 1800s when it stared hauntingly at a family before vanishing into the night.

As years passed, more encounters were reported, each describing the creature's ability to appear and disappear, leaving behind an aura of dread. Witnesses spoke of its featureless face and guttural noises, claiming that even a brief encounter could plunge a person into madness.

Rewind snickered. This was ridiculous. They'd been on and off earth enough times they would have known if there were any humanoids outside of humanity by now. Some sparkling humans must have just gotten bored.

He ignores the twinge of discomfort ringing in the back of his processor and shuts his vocalizer off just in time to stifle the high-pitched yelp clawing up his intake when a bright yellow hand lands on his shoulder.

"Hey Rewind, whatcha got there?" Rewind turns his helm to stare up at his captain. Slowly, a smile spreads his lips behind his facemark. Oh this.....this will be good.

Log 1

Bots along for the ride: Rewind, Rodimus, Drift

Location: Warren Park Trail, Montana

Subject of interest: Urban Legend - The Rake

Notable Mentions: The air here seems....heavier. Shadows seem to somewhat defy sources of light. Rodimus has taken it upon himself to "Flame up" so everyone can see where they place their pedes. Drift's headlights help but they don't seem to penetrate the strange blanket of darkness. Walking around tonight in search of this legend has proven fruitless. Perhaps this is the first he can strike off the list? He will have to wait till they were back on ship and he had a moment to himself before he can review the feed. He's going to have to do a lot of tweaking before the video is comprehensible.

Here is the rendered photo without the drawn on Video Cam.

This is the first installment of my new mini-series. I am so excited to finally post this, I've had the rendered photo done for a while now and was just waiting on myself to finish up the companion comics.

This literally was entirely inspired from solely two things.

1.) As I was sketching Roddy for practice, the song "Dumb Ways to Die" came up on my for you playlist on Spotify. This kinda put in a little seed of sorts.

2.) My brother is starting to get into art and we often go to the cafe together to practice. It's great being able to have a critique buddy right there as you're working together. On the day after scenario 1, him and I went to the cafe and I had been practicing landscapes. My intent had been to make a fairytale like environment. I showed him, we looked at each other, and both stated. "Yeah that's haunted." It's like a light bulb went off in my head. A very very insistent light bulb.

And thus, "Roddy's Ghost Adventures" has been born! Stay tuned for future installments~

[beardedmrbean]

Oakland's largest employer has reportedly told workers that due to safety concerns in the city, taking breaks indoors is recommended. 

KTVU first reported that Kaiser Permanente, which was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Oakland, has recommended employees "stay in their buildings for lunch and work, in response to street robberies of workers who went out to grab something to eat." Kaiser's main corporate office is located in the Ordway building at 1 Kaiser Plaza by Lake Merritt. The memo, which was issued last month, also reportedly advised employees to avoid in-person meetings, if possible, and only recommended the Claremont Hotel in the Berkeley Hills for out-of-town guests.

"Those recommendations remain in place for now," Kaiser Permanente said in a statement to multiple media outlets. "Kaiser Permanente is committed to ensuring the safety and security of our employees and physicians across all of our locations. We continually monitor our environments for concerns, review our practices and strengthen them wherever possible." 

According to the Oakland Police Department’s crime statistics, violent crime, which it defines as homicide, aggravated assault, rape or robbery, went up 23% from 2022 to 2023. Oakland police took 3,687 reports of robbery last year compared to 2,680 in 2022, and an astonishing 17,239 reports of burglary. That number has been steadily rising, from 10,584 in 2021 and 13,994 in 2022. Residential, vehicle and commercial burglaries are combined to find that number. 

Kaiser's news was met with consternation by local businesses, which are already struggling with lower foot traffic and crime. "I don't think you want to discourage people from walking around and kind of give in to the bad elements that are running around," one 19th and Franklin cafe owner told KTVU. "I think quite the opposite: I think that if there are more people on the streets, there will be less incidences."

Last February, Kaiser decided to move about 10% of its Oakland workforce, amounting to approximately 1,200 employees, to its Pleasanton campus. At the time, it cited decreasing numbers of in-office Oakland workers due to remote or hybrid work. A Kaiser spokesperson told SFGATE it was “exploring options for potential future use” at its offices at 1950 Franklin St. and 1800 Harrison St. in Oakland, which the spokesperson said were barely used since the pandemic.

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

if you were to meet a person from the 1800s what is the first modern day item you would show them?

How I imagine it would go:

Person: I was in this place the other day called an 'instant tea shop'. It was kind of like your internet cafes. They had really good food. (I point to the coffee counter, which has a display of mugs with cartoon frogs.) I really liked it.

Me: That is very kind.

Person: Did you hear about this 'instant telegraph' business we had? It's like your telegrams, but faster. Your letters take like two hours to reach the East Coast, but they only take a few minutes on our 'instant telegraph' --

Me: (incoherent, horrified noises)

Person: I think my dad and some people in our town are getting on it -- it's called 'telecommunications' but in this 'instant tea shop' we called it a 'telephone', but I know the telegrams call it a 'telegraph' and it's weird!

Me: (spits tea across the table)

[mariacallous]

Married musicians turned restaurateurs, Aaron Tomasko and Rachel Brashear, are filling a niche — and bellies — by serving up Jewish Ashkenazi staples at Sweet Lorraine’s Latkes & More, located in Portland, Oregon.  

What started out as a food cart focused solely on slinging latkes has evolved into a full Jewish dairy establishment. Portland has a long history of formidable chefs emerging from tiny food carts, but the city is not as well known for Jewish food coming out of those carts. While Jewish immigrants began arriving in Oregon in the mid-1800s, Portland’s Jewish community has historically been relatively small in size compared to larger coastal cities, albeit it continues to grow and thrive. For context, there are more Jews living in the Upper West Side of Manhattan than in the entire state of Oregon. Regardless of the exact population count, it’s clear there’s a hunger for Jewish food.

“Portland has a lot more Jewish people here than the Jewish people think there are, and it is a foodie city,” Tomasko told The Nosher. 

Brashear added, “We also have a lot of regulars and friends who are interested in Jewish food and don’t have a Jewish connection. New York expatriots come to us, or people who saw something on Seinfeld and always wanted to try it.” 

It’s clear why there’s mass appeal, at Sweet Lorraine’s the menu features dishes rarely found anywhere else in the state: classic Askenazi dishes like kasha varnishkes, noodle kugel, buttery matzah brei and egg creams. Tomasko and Brashear pay attention to every detail of every dish they serve, with painstakingly handmade potato knishes, challah made from scratch for egg sandwiches, lox sourced from the Smokery—a small local fish business run by an Irish Jewish family — and fry up latkes fresh to order. 

As a former deli owner and latke enthusiast, I can confidently say Sweet Lorraine’s makes the best latkes I’ve ever had. They have a crackly, crispy exterior, but are shockingly airy and light inside; wide, but not too thick, and not too thin. 

Among friends and family, Tomasko has always had a reputation for making stellar latkes. The pair even joked about opening a latke cart for years. When Covid hit in 2020, they found themselves suddenly unemployed and unable to play gigs or teach music classes in person. The inside joke started to seem like a viable career pivot. While they had no prior chef experience, they took a chance on their gut instincts: People love latkes. Newfound unemployment gave the couple time to develop their concept and test their recipes, and by February 2021, Sweet Lorraine’s opened up shop. They named their cart after Tomasko’s grandmother, who was the inspiration for their menu. Lorraine was known among friends and family for her exceptional latkes, and she taught Tomasko’s mother, who in turn taught him how to make the family’s signature potato pancakes.

“The first year we were open ended up being the last year of her life,” Brashear explained, “she was so proud of it. She told everyone she met that she had a restaurant named after her.” 

“[Opening Sweet Lorraine’s] allowed me to have a deeper relationship with my grandma than I ever had before,” said Tomakso. 

It’s no secret that it’s a tricky time to be in the restaurant business; the cost of running a food cart in Portland has nearly doubled in the past year. After a few years of being open, the food cart pod where they were located decided to close, so Sweet Lorraine’s relocated inside the Labyrinth Forge Brewery.

Their Jewish food business remains a family operation: Brashear heads up the baking and Tomasko mans the griddle. With good communication, they’ve found their stride as partners in life and in food, and dream of opening a little cafe or lunch counter in the future. For them, Sweet Lorraine’s is more than a restaurant — it’s a community gathering space, and one that’s explicitly Jewish while still being welcoming to all. 

Tomasko offers, “Food is this magical thing and it’s our main passion, and our goal is to focus on fostering that connection that unites this community.”

[thelomlisfictional]

A Peculiar Woman

(Sherlock Holmes/Female Reader)

POV Sherlock (probably OOC)

"What a peculiar woman, at least more puzzling than any open cases."

NOTE: Decided to post my AO3 stuff (account has the same username as my tumblr), I have a second part to this but I honestly like how vague this is. However, I also totally get the frustration when you love the concept of a oneshot that isn’t continued so I’m not opposed to writing more of this, lmk what y’all think :D

FUN FACTS (about me and this fic): Henry Cavill is like my original celebrity crush so even before he was in Enola Holmes I was picturing him as Sherlock, but this fic is set in modern times cause I overthink stuff. It was going to be in the Enola Holmes universe cause I just love the romance/courting aspect (diehard Jane Austen fan), but I realized that to do this fic justice I would need to study the 1800s and I simply don’t have that much time. Anyways… I hope you enjoy!!!

A woman dressed in business attire strode into the room, quite boldly stating, “My client didn’t do it.”

Interesting, I did not think this man, more adolescent, could afford a lawyer. Alas, she was right; her client hadn’t committed the robbery.

“Are you Mister Stonnes’s lawyer?” Lestrade did always have a knack for questioning the obvious.

If not purely by her announcement of him being her client, she was also clad in a seemingly unworn business skirt and matching blazer, typical of a lawyer. Her eyes were piercing, even with cheeks flushed from exertion, her skin appeared soft. Oddly enough, the only makeup she wore was lipstick. While nice looking in a sense, one would not expect her to be a lawyer. Yet, something in her eyes was akin to a predator circling its prey.

Regardless, how would she possibly know Stonnes was not the perpetrator? Scotland Yard had yet to unravel the not-so-intriguing mystery. By the coffee stain on his shirt and the ill-set photo of him and his girlfriend on his lock screen, Robert Stonnes was on a late-night coffee run with his mistress when the robbery occurred. It always is quite funny watching others try to catch on.

Instead of wasting her breath on his foolish question, she remarked, “Even a blind idiot would be able to see that Mister Stonnes was in Addington during the robbery.”

Sure enough, she presented a receipt from Cranesbury Cafe at the time of the robbery and a USB. Her pitiful client looked comically hopeful; how could Lestrade think Robert Stonnes, so daft he would be unable to think his way out of a paper bag, had committed the robbery? The lawyer ignored the distasteful glare from Donovan as she told Lestrade the contents of the USB, security footage from the very same cafe. I must admit I like her technique of insulting the police while also doing their job for them. A clever one she was, or perhaps comparatively less idiotic. Even so, how did she get the footage? Lestrade at least had enough of a brain to look embarrassed as she dropped the exonerating evidence on the table and directed her client to stand. The almost giddy look she sent Stonnes was strange, very unlike one an experienced lawyer would make. What a peculiar woman, at least more puzzling than any open cases.

“What did you say your name was again?” Perhaps John had heard of her; he was more genial than I. He would know of this exchange immediately; I am sure this is far more interesting than his lunch date anyways.

“I didn’t. Good day, Mr. Holmes.” What an outlandish answer! She is indeed strange. She quickly began walking away as her client signed the necessary paperwork. While my intrigue was increasing, my chance of solving her was decreasing.

Following her, I prodded, "Your lack of answer shows one of two things: you are either rude, which I do not take you to be; or, you have no interest in networking. In which case you are a successful lawyer, your mannerisms and unworn clothes disprove that theory, stupid and inexperienced, possible yet improbable, or, not who you say you are, evidenced by the haste at which you are leaving. So what are you hiding, Madam?"

Now outside the building, she stopped midstep and turned with a sickly-sweet smile plastered on her face, "The name is Y/N, it has been lovely meeting you. If you would like to contact me with any legal questions, here is my card." Her words were laced with venom as she handed the card over. With that, she began walking again.

The grey card was blank except for her name and number, written in small golden font.

[dknuth]

Budapest

We arrived in Budapest by bus instead of our ship, and we had to get up and out extra early to do it. The main entry on the ship was full of luggage tagged for people going to the airport, to the official hotel in Budapest, or to a drop-off for those going their own way. As usual, three ships were at the dock; ours was the furthest. The main entries for the ships usually don't line up well, so we passengers had to go up to the top deck and cross from ship to ship there, then down to the entry of the last ship and up the ramp to shore. In the meantime, the staff was doing a bucket brigade with the luggage between ships, lifting them over all the railings. Then we had to wait at our bus for our luggage to arrive and identify it before loading it. It all happened in what looked a bit like chaos but on time and amazing efficiently, no thanks to the passengers.

Our drop-off in Budapest was only a few blocks from our apartment and we had arranged an early arrival there, so we could walk directly there and let ourselves in. In line with our individual inclinations, Cathie wanted a nap after that morning, and I wanted a walk. The main market was about a mile away, PERFECT!

There was a pedestrian street that covered most of the distance. Budapest has many miles of beautiful pedestrian streets with stone paving blocks lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. So it's a lovely walking city. The cafes, bars and restaurants were all busy and a lot of people on the street.

The whole pedestrian street and many more is paved with stone tiles. They were paving the side streets around it.

It takes a lot of labor compared to concrete, but looks so much better!

The manhole covers in these areas are also beautiful with a bronze finish.

There are also monuments and statues all through the city.

The whole effect is a very inviting atmosphere.

I think a big difference between Europe and the US is people here expect to walk, and enjoy walking. Most Americans want to drive to a store and then drive to the next store. Even the big shopping malls are dying, because people don't want to walk. I love to walk so it is a real pleasure to be somewhere that is designed for walkers!

We were learning more modern local history and much of Budapest was run down and in bad shape until the early 1990's. If so, they have made an amazing transformation in 30 years.

The market building is impressive.

Inside many of the stalls are selling tourist goods, of course, but there are still plenty of places selling fruits and vegetables.

I bought an onion and a pepper, eggs, and some mushrooms thinking of omelets for breakfast. I also got some fruit and bread and spotted a vendor selling dried and candied fruit. I've been thinking that it's been a while since we made fruitcake, in part because the fruit has gotten harder to find. So I went back the next day and bought a load.

The buildings from the late 1800's to early 1900's are the stars of the urban landscape here. But many of the modern buildings are also handsome.

A big question in my mind has been how to get around, since Cathie can't walk as far as she used to. We discussed local transit and the Hop-On/Hop-Off buses. I took a trip across town using the local transit app. I was fairly confused. I knew I needed to start at one transit station and the number of the subway line, or was it the bus, or maybe the tram? There is a small icon of a vehicle, but on my phone, I could not tell them apart. I assumed that it was the subway. It looked like the color of one of the subway lines. But I couldn't find one that had the destination station. So I went back up top and found that it was also the end station for some of the tram lines and one tram line matched up. After that, it worked fine. I'm still not sure if the online ticket I bought and validated at the subway station was valid for the tram. Another problem with transit is while the subway may be efficient, you do not see the city at all!

I decided that all might be confusing for Cathie and got tickets for the HO/HO buses. The first one we took was terrible: the motor was so loud we couldn't hear a thing and the inside of the bus smelled of diesel fumes. The woman making the announcement is incomprehensible to us. The stairs to the top were closed. When we got on, and only later figured out that there was another one in the back.

When we got off and then caught a later bus it was much newer, quieter, and didn't stink, also the announcer was much better.

The other trouble with the HO/HO buses is they run in a loop, in one direction only. So to go to a place and back would mean doing the whole loop again.

My conclusion was that the thing to do is to spend more time figuring out the public transit options and operations. If the trams or buses work for your destinations it's the best option. The HO/HO buses are only for those who do not want to do that.

We didn't do much in the way of churches and museums. Cathie didn't have the energy and I didn't have enough interest. But St. Stephen's Basilica was just a couple of blocks away, so we went.

The pavement in front was incredible. It was mosaic like that in Roman churches, but outside!

Like much of Budapest, it was built between 1850 and 1905. So it's not ancient. But 150 years of Ottoman rule will really constrict your church building.

We went on the roof and had a great view across the city.

[quincyhorst]

One of the things I've been always the most weirded out by Big Waves is the fact that despite their australian nationality, both main and reserve keeper have both motifs in either title or name about greek mythology. Summarizing, Jean's called the 'true Poseidon' in most of his profiles, and Quincy while referencing real-life seahorses could also refer to the mythical creature Hippocampus that pulls off the chariot of the sea god. (This could be a coincidence, BUT COME ON, it all gets into place way too well).

But now the question comes into place, why greek mythology?

In my personal opinion, I think Level 5 just wanted to reference a sea god; so they went with the most known Poseidon. Sure, he might be greek, but after him there aren't many other water gods or deities known to the japanese public, and specially when it comes to actual australian (First Nation) mythos (Which are all obscure unfortunately). I guess that with that set they quickly realized about the seahorse/hippocampus (And the irl animal's relation to coral reefs) and BAM. Perfect reserve keeper motif. Let's all ignore the fact that there's already both a character and a Keshin named after the sea god, because that's another whole topic for later.

And here's on the superficial level of why; but now I'd like to add here a little headcanon that I got from this idea. First off, curiosity time: Greek people are one of Australia's biggest migratory groups, having come to the country since the 1800s and still having a strong community/culture to this day.

So, here's my proposal: Jean and Quincy's references to greek mythology might be just thematic choices, but I really like the idea in-universe of both either being or descending from Greek Australians.

Now in more detail:

Quincy's mother (Demi, original surname being Samaras) descends from greek people that had been living on WA for a long time already. Their story wasn't perfect at all, and in some cases they had to go through difficult situations due to discrimination and prior violent riots, but their resilience made them be able to persist until this day. Though while they were a bit more lax on passing down their culture unlike other GA communities, she and her parents still like to honour their traditions, blending within the already vibrant celebrations of the german Horst. In fact, whenever they get to visit Grandma Samaras in Kalgoorlie, they always take a stop in a nearby greek cafe installed a long time ago. Said place also sells homemade greek yoghurt, a specialty recipe passed down generations. And one of Quincy's favorite foods!

Now as for Jean, I tend to see his father to be part greek, though more disconnected with the culture due to few factors. Add ALSO his absence from his son's life since he was young, and... :( Unlike Quincy, Jean barely cared about the mediterranean country at all; only knowing few things thanks to his caretaker Jonah and his favorite "japanese cartoon" ever: The Great Tales of Greece. But after that, Jean just couldn't care less about what or where he comes from.

But I honestly like this idea as a way to make both keepers bond with each other. Jean shows a surprisingly big knowledge about greek mythology (Blame the anime mentioned earlier), which makes Quincy curious and a chance for him to share his interests. And maybe later on as adults they'll find out Jean's greek side, making Quincy want to help him "reconnect" with it in a way or another...