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topazadine · 6 days

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Writing Notes: Seasons

I noticed a few leaves falling from my tree, which means only one thing: it's time.

Time for fall. My favorite, blessed, most beloved season. Pumpkin spice lattes! Candy apples! Cherry pie! Haunted houses! Chilly weather that makes me snuggle up into my hoodie! Candy!

And, of course, it means that I have to share some writing notes with you about seasons.

So today, we're going to share a few different perspectives on seasons. We'll talk about the "traditionally accepted" associations for seasons, but also share other options and how you can infuse them into your work.

Why Use Seasons at All?

You don't have to if you don't want to. Maybe you want to focus entirely on the plot. But, you might add some hints of it for these reasons.

Gives a sense of place. This allows you to show how this place is impacted by particular seasons. Winter in Kampala, Uganda, is going to be wildly different than in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Offers worldbuilding options. In a fantasy setting, seasons are an element of worldbuilding. (Just look at Game of Thrones.) There may be different dangers according to seasons, or unique holidays that can allow you to demonstrate how people interact with this world. Provides templates for description. You can get a lot of mileage out of showing a nice grassy field in spring or the leaves fluttering down during autumn. Don't go on for ages, but you can certainly add a few little flickers here and there. (just remember to put them in the right places for maximum momentum.) Deepens characterization. How characters feel about and interact with the seasons can tell us a lot about who they are. Someone who loves winter could love it because then they can ski, or because they want to cuddle up and be left alone. Someone who loves summer might like lounging around on the porch eating ice cream, or they might like it because it's time to go surfing! Suggests new challenges. If your character lives in Montana, winter is going to be horribly cruel. "The Hunter's Wife" by Anthony Doerr is all about how the seasons challenge the characters and help them grow. But in your story, it might be summer that's the worst. Or fall, or spring, or all of them but in different ways. Creates subtle symbolism. The season of your story can use certain symbolism depending on what kind of plot you have and what your overall theme is, as we'll discuss now.

So, now that we understand why seasons are important, let's look at each one and consider why it might be the best time for your story.

I will note that I am coming from the perspective as a person in the Midwestern United States. What I associate with the seasons, particularly the descriptions, may be utterly irrelevant to you depending on where you are from. If I made a wholly comprehensive list considering the entire world, we'd be here all day.

Keep that in mind and workshop some options for your setting and personal associations.

I'm not omniscient, so take what seems useful to you and leave the rest.

Spring

Ah, the flowers are blooming, the world is warming up, and we're finally crawling out of doors now that we're not buried in slush. Spring is generally associated with positive emotions, but there could be some dangers here, too.

To get some good symbolism, focus on spring's unique place between two fixed, more stable seasons, where we know what to expect: winter and summer.

There is a fragility and shifting balance in spring that can veer good or bad depending on what you're trying to show. Spring also has a sense of expectation, which can pay off (good summer) or fail (icky bad summer).

Associations

Positive

Warmth

Renewal

Hope

Rebirth

Childhood

Innocence

Potential

Change

New beginnings

Reunions

Optimism

Negative

Fluctuating emotions (spring can be quite unpredictable!)

New challenges on the horizon

Feeling exposed

"Nakedness"

Vulnerability

Growing pains

Feeling underappreciated, like a stepping stone to summer

Ferocity (like intense spring storms)

The fragility of life (not every baby animal will survive)

Descriptions

Positive

Wildflowers pushing through the soil

Baby animals

Trees blooming

New blades of grass

Budding leaves

Sunny skies

Life-affirming rain

Warming breezes

Slightly chilly nights

Weak sunrises

Days growing longer

Richly scented flowers

Negative

Sudden cold snaps

Dreary weather

Grey skies

Hard rain that traps one inside

Snow (a reminder of the past)

Flooding

Melting snow revealing last year's trash

Cold mornings

Shivering

Being too hot or too cold

Hard ground

Mud

Summer

Summer fun! Those lucky enough to live by a beach want to splash in the water or go kayaking above the cool waves. We can drink an ice cold soda as we head to outdoor festivals. Kissing as the summer frogs sing a chorus, or partying late into the night: how beautiful!

But summer can be awful, too. Too much beer at a festival and you throw up everywhere, or too much humidity and you die of heatstroke. There's a reason that gun violence goes up when it's hotter: people are pissy and itching for a fight.

There can be a great push-pull here as characters attempt to moderate themselves while also indulging their sense of adventure.

Associations

Positive

Adventure

Childhood

Freedom

Exploration

Warmth

Togetherness

Community spirit

Serendipitous meetings

Happiness

A sense of endlessness (longer daylight hours)

Puppy love

Negative

Long agonizing waits (again, longer daylight hours)

Exhaustion

Overwhelm

Oppression (sociological or environmental)

Excess

Sloth (if characters like to lounge)

Lack of control

Rage

Frustration

Disappointment

Descriptions

Positive

Droning insects

Fireflies (depending on area)

Warmth

Blue skies

Bright green leaves

Active wildlife

Butterflies

Cool drinks

Unexpected cool breezes

Fresh fruit

Whirring fan

Outdoor music

Sunshine

Beautiful sunsets

Negative

Loud, cramped festivals

High humidity

Extreme heat

Dehydration

Glaring sunlight with no shelter

Tornadoes/summer storms

Mosquitos

Broken fan

Sweating

Baking trash (ugh sorry)

Sore joints from the humidity

Spoiled/soggy food

Flat fizzy drinks

Autumn

Okay, I'll try not to be too biased here, so I'll point out that autumn can be both beautiful and terrible. On one hand, we've got the cooler weather, the gorgeous foliage, and the contentment of harvest time: a job well done, and a time to rest.

Many people feel like this is when they are closest to their past loved ones and can commune with those long gone, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. It's a good time for when someone is putting their demons to rest and moving on.

We can also feel cold, dread, and fear during autumn. The nights are getting longer, and there could be all sorts of scary things in the shadows. They, too, are gearing up for the freezing winter months - and they're hungry.

Associations

Positive

Maturity

Adulthood

Rest

Slowing down

Introspection

Thinning of the veil (Halloween)

Spirituality

Retrospection

Harvest and bounty

Change

Reflection

Negative

Fear

Dread

Decay

Lost opportunities

Dwindling time

Anxiety

Limitations

Closer to the end

Feeling one's age

The unknown

Breaking down

Past coming back to haunt one

Descriptions

Positive

Falling leaves

Brisk wind

Crackling campfires

Warm drinks

Busy animals

Frost sparkling on grass

Seeing your breath in the air

Freshly baked pie

Crisp apples

Decorative pumpkins

Cozy hoodies/cloaks

Mulled wine and spices

Harvested grain

Baked bread

Sudden warm days

Negative

Fog shrouded, isolated roads

Creeping cold

Howling animals

Dark nights

Rotting fruit

Bitter wind through cracks in the house

Cold rain

Spoiled grain

Meager harvest

Insufficient clothing

Dead creatures

Skeletons

Icy mist

Barren trees

Creaking houses

Winter

Winter gets the short end of the stick when it comes to symbolism. People focus on the horrible things (cold, loss, sadness) without considering the positives: family, togetherness, comfy mittens, warm hot chocolate and presents.

After all, humans have developed our very own symbolism just to cheer the time up; winter celebrations happen all around the world. You've got so many options here, both in terms of themes, activities, and descriptions. What you focus on will determine how your story feels.

Associations

Positive

Togetherness

Community

Family

Resilience

Perserverence

Joy and whimsy

Caring for others

Possibilities

Planning

Companionship (or solitude)

Optimism

Pushing one's limits

Quietude

Introspection

Better days ahead

Negative

Cold

Nature's fury

Helplessness

Poverty (in any form)

Feeling trapped

Unpleasant relatives

Death

Old age

Broken relationships

Barrenness

Struggle

Endings

Sorrow

Lack of empathy

Hatred

Descriptions

Positive

Roaring fires

Soft heavy blankets

Thick socks

Cozy mittens

Jams and jellies

Hot drinks

Presents

Winter decorations

Christmas cookies

Candles

Softly drifting snow

Clear night skies

Conversations in another room

Clinking glasses

Mulled cider

The contrast between chilly room and warm blanket

Dead quiet nights

Negative

Freezing cold

Driving snow

Stuck in big snow drifts

Tense muscles

Dry skin

Running nose

Barren cupboards

Tense conversations with distant relatives

Frozen hands

Harsh wind

Stuffy rooms

Cold floors

Animals scratching at the door

Lack of ventilation

Can't get warm

Shivering

So there are my thoughts on the seasons! Hopefully this sparked something for you.

Now, perhaps, you will consider reading my book (now cheaper than ever!)

9 Years Yearning is a whirlwind look at two men growing up and finding themselves - and each other, wink wink. It features Uileac, an orphan determined to protect his little sister and become the best soldier he can be. However, this is complicated by Orrinir, a blustery young man whose bravado hides a surprisingly sensitive heart. In just under 34k words, they experience the whole range of human emotions - and beat a few people up. Ooh la la.

If you do decide to read 9 Years Yearning, don't forget to leave a review!

It can even be a bad review if you want. Amazon uses ratings of all shapes and sizes to determine whether a book is worth getting shown to other potential readers.

Lack of reviews = Jeff Bezos breaks my door down with a baseball bat and drags me to the Hell Sphere.

So please, I have dogs that want their snackies. For $2 and a few nice words, YOU can help buy this small child her favorite treat (bully sticks).

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thehopefuljournalist · 1 year

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unrelated- what's your favorite news story recently?

Hello, thank you so much for asking!! I've had a hard time because this week was actually full of news stories and I'm working on releasing them all to you guys!

But let me tell you about my favourite one from today :)

As an activist, working within my own country and out especially in climate-related themes, I believe in people-power, fully. I know, of course, that some people have more power and influence than others, but there's no denying that there's strength in numbers.

This recent, huge, protest in New York is such a hopeful turn, I think. I love seeing that I'm not the only one worried, that I'm not alone in my fighting. With numbers, we have a bigger chance of winning over our world leaders, and by doing that, to protect ourselves and our futures.

Well, this is my favourite news story from the past two days.

This past Sunday, 75K climate activists took to New York's streets in a “march to end fossil fuels”

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the US continuing to approve fossil fuel projects, something which the Biden administration did earlier this year with the controversial Willow project in Alaska.

“We are all here for one reason: to end fossil fuels around the planet,” Ocasio-Cortez told a rally at the finish of the march, which ended close to the UN headquarters where world leaders will gather this week. “And the way we create urgency is to have people around the world in the streets.”

“The United States continues to be approving a record number of fossil fuel leases and we must send a message, right here today,” adding that despite record profits the support for the fossil fuel industry was “starting to buckle and crack”.

“This is an incredible moment,” said Jean Su of the Center for Biological Diversity, who helped organize the mobilization. “Tens of thousands of people are marching in the streets of New York because they want climate action,"

“This also shows the tremendous grit and fight of the people, especially youth and communities living at the frontlines of fossil fuel violence, to fight back and demand change for the future they have every right to lead,” she said.

The march came during Climate Week, as world leaders gather for this week’s UN general assembly, and a UN climate ambition summit on Wednesday.

On Friday, the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Biden was not currently scheduled to take part in Wednesday’s UN climate summit. Biden has been praised by climate activists for last year passing a historic $369bn climate law but criticized for allowing oil drilling projects and the expansion of gas facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.

A decision for Biden to stay away from the UN climate ambition summit is “unacceptable”, said Su of the Center for Biological Diversity. “The time is now for Biden to lead on the world stage, and show he means it when he calls climate change the existential threat to humanity.”

During the march, the Rev Lennox Yearwood, head of the Hip Hop Caucus, likened today’s climate movement to the US fight for racial justice.

Youth climate activist Vanessa Nakate, from Uganda, said: “When we say that we want climate justice, we’re not just talking about transitioning to solar panels. We are talking about leaving no one behind when you’re talking about addressing the injustices that come with the climate crisis."

Article published September 17, 2023 - The Gaurdian

Another article, interviewing a young climate activist

#climate change #climate #hope #good news #climate crisis #more to come #climate emergency #news #climate justice #hopeful #long post

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justinspoliticalcorner · 7 days

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Mira Lazine at LGBTQ Nation:

A House committee just passed a bill that would forcibly out trans students. It was introduced by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), who previously advocated for Uganda’s gay death law, the Anti-Homosexuality Act.

The bill, H.R. 736, also known as the “PROTECT Kids Act,” would require elementary and middle schools to forcibly out trans kids to their parents if they ask to go by new pronouns or a new name or use the facilities associated with their gender. If schools failed to comply, they would risk losing all federal funding. “As a condition of receiving Federal funds, any elementary school… or school that consists of only middle grades… that receives Federal funds shall be required to obtain parental consent before— (1) changing a minor child’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form; or (2) allowing a child to change the child’s sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms.” The bill was introduced in February of last year and was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. It was voted out of committee on a 22 to 12 vote this week and will now be going to the House floor for a possible vote. H.R. 736 was introduced by Walberg in the House and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) in the Senate.

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI)’s federal anti-LGBTQ+ forced outing bill HR736 (aka the “PROTECT Kids Act”) would require elementary and middle schools across the US to enact student safety-endangering forced outing policies. The bill passed the Education and the Workforce Committee 22-12, and could be set for a full House vote.

The bill has NOTHING to do with “protecting kids”, but an excuse to harass LGBTQ+ students, especially if they do not have supporting parents.

#Tim Walberg #HR736 #PROTECT Kids Act #Forced Outing #Schools #Anti LGBTQ+ Extremism #LGBTQ+#118th Congress #Gender Identity #Gender Expression #Pronouns #Tim Scott #LGBT Schools #House Education and Labor Committee

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arlana-likes-to-write · 2 years

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Battle Scars by Paradise Fears

Summary: You are an empath living in the Avenger Towers. It isn’t your job to help the Avengers when their feelings get out of control but you do it anyway. What happens when you go on a mission and now the empath needs help?

Warning: mentions of guilt, depression, anger, doubt, sadness (all of the emotions and past traumas of specific Avengers), human trafficking

Word Count: 7.5k

Please read the end note after this story! It would mean the world to me and my family

Growing up was hard. You were constantly tired as you feed into the emotions of those around you. It started with a tight feeling in your chest as if a ton of bricks were resting there. Then the feeling moved to the base of your head, almost like a headache. Soon you began to feel whatever that person was feeling. It could be anger, grief, sadness, depression and on the off chance; happiness, joy, or pleasure. As you got older you learned to control it. It only took real intense emotions that would call on your mutant powers. So living with the Avengers was a challenge. They were intense people with even bigger emotions. You drank calming tea, meditated, and journaled to keep your own emotions in check. You weren’t a full time member of the team - you spent a majority of the time in the lab with Bruce and Tony. It was rare that you saw action in the field but you were prepared when duty called. Like this past weekend. The world seemed to be on a different level and the Avengers were sent to all corners to deal with rising threats. You were in the compound when Maria approached you with a mission report. You took it without hesitation and now as you sat in your room, a blanket wrapped around you tightly -protecting you from the world, you wished you told Maria no.

The mission went south as soon as you stepped down in Uganda, you were working closely with the Wakandans. Numerous reports of children going mission and the rumors of a human trafficking ring, meant you and T’Challa had to work fast before they left the country. You weren’t fast enough. You closed your eyes, wishing for the images of inside the shipping containers would leave your mind. Sometimes you wished the others had your ability so they knew you were hurting and they could come to you like you’ve done so many times for them.

Steve Rogers; Captain America

FRIDAY announced the arrival of the team but you knew they were back as soon the quinjet landed. Guilt. It was a powerful emotion and it was confusing one of your teammates and in turn, consuming you. You closed your laptop and headed to the elevator. Before you pressed the button, the door opened and Tony was leaning on the metal wall. “Tons, are you okay?” He nodded, pushed himself off the wall, and walked out the elevator. He didn’t look injured, just exhausted.

“It’s not me you're feeling El,” He said, placing a hand on your shoulder walking into the lap. El wasn’t your real name, it was your given name by the Avengers as your birth name carried too much trauma. It was short for elephant as Vision let slip that elephants were some of the most empathic creatures. But you weren’t a big fan of being called an elephant so El was the next best thing. “What happened?” You asked, following the billionaire. He became a father figure to you since your parents disowned you when you told them you were going to join the Avengers. Tony fell into his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. The mission was supposed to be a recon on an old HYDRA facility. There were rumors of a new super solider serum and Fury wanted the Avengers to get their hands on it before someone else did. Steve, Tony, Sam, Natasha, and Maria were sent on the mission - that was a week ago.

“Mission went sideways. It was a trap.” Your stomach dropped. “Wilson and Romonaff are in medbay.”

“How bad?” You asked.

“Wilson broke his arm. Romonaoff got it worse - she got a nasty hit to the head. She was unconscious the entire ride back home.” You nodded. “It’s Steve.” Tony whispered. “Steve is who you are feeling, tread lightly.” You gave him a smile and walked back to the elevator, asking FRIDAY where the super soldier was. The AI informed you that Captain Rogers was in the training room - he asked to be alone. You huffed as your rode the elevator to the training room. You wondered if you should have made a stop at medbay but you knew Dr. Cho would have her hands full and Yelena and Bucky would be down there. It was a quick walk to the training room when the elevator stopped. You were greeted with darkness, the windows were covered and a majority of the lights were off besides one. The soldier was illuminated by the light and was punching a sandbag. A pile was forming of ones he destroyed. Oh Steve, you thought, leaning on the door frame. With a hard swing from his right hand, the sandbag broke off the chain and flew towards the wall.

“You know,” You said, making your presence known. Steve’s shoulders tense up. “I don’t think Tony would appreciate how you are treating the building's equipment.” Steve sighed.

“I was wondering how long I had before you found me.” You hummed, pushing yourself off the walk and walked over to the soldier. Your footsteps echoed against the wall.

“I’d say 4 sandbags.” You joked. Steve smiled. “FRIDAY, open the window.” The AI listened to your request and the New York sun lit up the darkness. “Please advise the other Avengers that the training room is off limits.”

“Understood, El.”

“I gave FRIDAY that same order but it appears it didn’t work.” You shrugged, sitting on the floor, and patted the empty space next to you. Steve stared at the empty spot and you gave the stubborn captain a pointed look - he sat down next to you. With him being this close, you could feel his guilt. It was suffocating.

“What’s your favorite part of the day?” You asked, looking forward. He didn’t answer so you answered your question. “Mine is dawn. Dawn means to become day in old English so it’s the first sight of lightness in the morning.” You explained, looking at Steve. He was wondering about your answer. “Do you know why dawn is my favorite?” He shook his head.

“Why?” He questioned, his voice shaking.

“Because,” You said slowly. “No matter how dark it is there will be light towards the end. It may take some time but light will over power the darkness.” Steve let out a shaky breath and his blue eyes were glossy with tears.

“It’s so hard,” his voice cracked. “It is so hard to make the final call and it is possible that one of you or all of you don’t return home.” You laced your hand with his.

“Sam and Natasha are going to be okay.” You said. “You brought them home.” He shook his head.

“We got lucky this time. What if we aren’t so lucky next time?” He asked. It was a valid question, a question you didn’t have an answer to. This job was filled with uncertainties and a million ‘What if?’ questions.

“Then we deal with it together because you are not alone and keep marching on. We’ve all got battle scars and you’ve had enough just don’t give up.” You gave his hand a a tight squeeze. “This is worth fighting for. You are worth fighting for.” You watched as a few tears slid down his face. His guilt was still there but it wasn’t as strong.

“Thank you.”

“Captain Rogers,” FRIDAY’s voice called out. “Dr. Cho wanted me to inform you that Miss. Romanoff is requesting to see you.” You saw the tension leave his shoulders. You gently patted him on the bag.

“Go get her tiger.” Steve got to his feet quickly, stumbling slightly. You giggle at the flush of embarrassment that graced his cheeks. He gave you a grateful smile and jogged to Medbay. You sighed, leaning back and closed your eyes. You liked the quote by Umar Iban Al-Khattab: ‘No amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of worrying can change the future.’

Yelena Belova; White Widow

It wasn’t a normal occurrence for you when sleep avoided you. You laid in bed; hands behind your head as you stared up at the ceiling. A sudden rush of anger passed through you. The strong emotion took your breath away. It was anger mixed with sadness. You slowly sat up. “FRIDAY, who is up right now?” You asked the AI.

“Miss. Belova is in the kitchen and The Boss is in the lab with Mr. Banner.” You nodded, grabbing a sweatshirt from (you were pretty sure the sweatshirt belonged to Steve) and a pair of fluffy socks. The compound was always freezing at night. You left your room and walked the empty and dark halls to the kitchen. You figured you were feeling Yelena’s range of emotions. She returned from a mission with her sister, they were going on a recon mission to a lab. They’re primary object was to sneak in and steal some intel. You reached the kitchen and saw Yelena sitting at the counter, two bottles of vodka out and a shot glass. She saw you immediately so you didn’t have a chance to watch her. Instead you gave her a friendly smile, grabbed two spoons from the drawer and opened the freezer. Chocolate ice cream. Perfect. You closed the freezer and leaned against the counter. Yelena’s green eyes never left you.

Yelena was a new addition to the team and you knew she was cactious of you, Natasha must have told her about your ability. You offered her the extra spoon. “Want soom?” You offered. She looked at the spoon then the ice cream.

“No.” She said, simply. You shrugged, putting the spoon down and opened the ice cream.

“If you change your mind, the offer still stands.” You took a spoonful and ate it. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched the White Widow take a shot and fill it again.

“Isn’t that Sam’s ice cream?” She questioned. You looked at the container and saw in horrible penmanship Sam’s name and a drawing of a falcon. You smiled.

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” You almost dropped your spoon as the smile graced the Russian’s face. A wave of silence passed you two as you ate ice cream and she drank her vodka. Soon you noticed Yelenba looking at the spoon. She took it slowly and you pushed the ice cream container closer to her. “What’s your favorite ice cream?” You asked. She thought for a moment, took a spoonful and ate the chocolate ice cream.

“Mint chocolate chip.” You scrunted your nose. She laughed, throwing you head back. “What? It’s not good?” You shook your head.

“Not for me.” You mumbled. Her laughter made you smile. Her earlier feelings of anger and sadness were disappearing but they were lingering.

“So what is your favorite ice cream?” She asked.

“Rocky road.” You said without hesitation. “I have good memories with my parents sitting at a pond, eating rocky road and watching the ducks.” You said, sighing. You couldn’t tell if this overwhelming sadness was your own emotion or Yelena’s.

“I like mint chocolate chip because it reminds me of a time before the Red Room.” She stopped, taking another shot of vodka. You didn’t prompt the blonde to continue, hoping she would on her own. “Alexi took Natasha and I to a small ice cream shop. We had to stay in the car and he didn’t know what ice cream flavor kids liked so he got us mint chocolate.” You smiled as you listened to her talk. “Natasha didn’t like it but I ate all of mine.” She sighed. Yup, you thought, the sadness was coming from her. Her jaw clenched as she threw back another shot. The anger was back. “I hate them so much.” She confessed.

“Who do you hate, Yelena?” You asked softly. She looked at you, blinking her green eyes at you. She shook her head.

“Nobody,” she said suddenly. “It’s not important. You have more important things to do.” She stood, gathered her bottles of liquor, and shot glasses. “Thank you for sharing ice cream.” You stared blankly as the White Widow headed back to her room. You broke out of your trance and ran after her.

“Yelena,” her name stopped her. “You’ve had enough, just don’t give up. You are worth fighting for. You know we’ve all got battle scars. Just keep marching on.” She didn’t respond or turn around to look at you. “You are not alone.” Her body began to shake.

“I’m angry at Natasha, Alexi, and Melina.” She answered, turning to face you with tears coming down her cheeks. “Why did they give me back to the Red Room? Why didn’t Natasha come back for me?” You weren’t sure if she wanted you to answer or she was just throwing these questions to the universe. “We got separated on our mission and I found my way out of the lap and I couldn’t find Natasha. I thought she left me again.” Her hands tightened around the neck of the bottle. “I don’t want to be alone again.” You took a few tentative steps towards the Russian, closing the distance.

“You aren’t alone.” You said, taking the glass out of her hands. “As long as I’m here you won’t be alone.” She looked into your eyes, looking for any lie in your words. She chuckled, whipping away her tears.

“Natasha was right. You are a weird one.” You laughed, throwing your head back.

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Come on, let's go watch a movie.” You held out your freehand and the Russian took it.

Bucky Barnes, White Wolf

You watched the Quinjet touch down, wrapping the rain jacket tightly around you. It was down pouring in Upstate New York. This was the type of weather where you wished you were curled up in your room, under blankets and hot chocolate. But you were waiting for members of the team to come home from a mission. Bruce, Sam, Bucky, and Steve were returning home from clearing out an old HYDRA base, a simple mission. But Bucy stumbled upon mission reports of him as the Winter Soldier and it triggered a depressive episode. Sam sent you a text on their way home. Bruce was the first out of the Quinjet. He descended the ramp and jogged over the covering where you were standing to avoid the rain. You smiled at him. “How’s the team doing, doctor? Any injuries?” He shook his head, spraying water on you.

“Cap dislocated his shoulder but nothing major besides,” he waved his hand. You nodded, he was talking about Bucky.

“Headed to the lab?”

“Yeah after a shower.”

“I’ll see you down there.” He placed a gentle hand on your shoulder.

“Take your time, kid.” He went into the compound. Next to descend the ramp was Captain America. He was stretching his shoulder as he didn’t seem to be bothered by the rain.

“How’s the shoulder, Captain?” He shrugged. “I’ve had worse,” You laughed, shaking your head.

“Natasha is waiting for you. FRIDAY alerted her that you were hurt.” Steve groaned and followed the same path as Bruce. You waited for the next member to come out but no one did. You groaned, ran through the rain, and up the ramp into the Quinjet. You loved the sound of rain hitting metal. On any other day you would enjoy the sound but as you walked through the Quinjet to find Bucky and Sam, a cloud covered your mind. It stopped you in your tracks. Darkness, regret, and sadness crept through you. You felt cold. You shook off the feeling and continued. You found Bucky, sitting on the ground, Sam kneeling in front of him with his hands on Bucky’s knees. The cute interaction made you smile. Sam looked away from his boyfriend and smiled.

“Hey, El.” You waved. “He’s barely said a word and hasn’t moved.” You nodded, walking over to them. You placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder.

“I got him.” Sam nodded, standing up. He pulled you into a quick hug.

“Thank you.” His words vibrated through his chest. You scrunted your nose, pushing him away.

“You stink.” Sam laughed, shaking his head.

“Yeah, yeah.” He bumped your shoulder against yours as he left you and the super soldier alone. His head was down, staring at his hands. You sighed and sat next to him.

“If you could be an animal, any animal in the world, what would you be?” You asked. He didn’t respond, he made no sign that he heard you. “I think I’d be a butterfly. Across different cultures, the butterfly has become a metaphor for transformation and hope. It starts with a colorless caterpillar and turns into an exquisite winged beautiful creature.” You explained. He leaned his head back and was looking forward. Progress. “White Wolf.” You whispered. “A wolf symbolizes loyalty, protection, and freedom.” He let out a shaky breath and his blue eyes were glossy with tears. “In many Native American cultures, wolves are scared creatures. They are strong and courageous.” You looked at the soldier. “I think the Wakandans picked a perfect name for you, Bucky. You are a wolf.” He shook his head. “Why not?” You asked.

“I hurt and killed so many people.” His voice was shaky as tears fell from his eyes. “I’m not a protector but a monster.” Your heart broke at the way he was talking about himself.

“The Winter Soldier did those things. The White Wolf didn’t.” He formed his vibranium hand into a fist, opening and closing it. “Better days are near. Hope is so much stronger than fear. You’ve had enough just don’t give up. You are worth fighting for. We all have battle scars.” You stood up, taking your rain jacket off, and held out your hand. “Do you trust me?” You asked. He looked up at you.

“Of course.” He said.

“Then trust me when I say I trust you with my life Bucky Barnes and I know everyone behind those walls,” You pointed in the direction of the compound. “Do as well.” He hesitantly put his flesh hand up to grab yours but you pulled your hand back. Confusion flashed across his face. “Other hand.” You told him. He sighed but grabbed your hand with his vibranium one. The temperature difference shocked you. You pulled him to his feet and dragged him out of the Quinjet, down the ramp, and into the rain.

“What are we doing?” He asked.

“Teach me how to dance.” You said, grabbing his flesh hand. His eyes grew wide.

“What?” He questioned.

“You heard me, old man. Teach me how to dance.”

“In the rain?” You nodded. “Right now?” You nodded again, excitedly. “Why?” He asked.

“Because it’s fun.” You said simply. He gave you a pointed look. You shrugged, rolling your eyes. “Have you seen Shawkshank Redemption?” You asked. Bucky shook his head. “Remind me to have a long talk with Sam on what movies he’s showing you.” He smiled. “Towards the end of the movie, one of the characters stands in the pouring rain with his hands stretched out.” You demonstrated the iconic scene with your hands outstretched to the sky. You grabbed his hands again. “Rain is a symbol of rebirth, the flow of life, and cleansing.” You squeezed his hands. “Your memories of the Winter Soldier won’t go away overnight and that quilt, anger, and sadness you carry may never leave you.” You told him honestly. “But you will learn to cope with it. Some days will be better than others. Let today be a reminder for you that you are still alive and so many people care about you. You are not alone.” Your smile grew. “So cleanse away those thoughts and dance with me.” Bucky chuckled, shaking his head.

“Alright, let’s see those moves.” The darkness was still looming over Bucky but just as a rainstorm, the clouds passed and the sun began to shine again.

Maria Hill; Deputy Director of SHIELD

You regretted saying yes to Wanda. She had a date with Vision and she asked you to finish her mission report and hand it in to Maria. Bucky and Sam invited you and Yelena to play Guitar Hero but you had to decline because it was impossible for you to say no to the Sokovian. You groaned, putting your hand up to knock on the Deputy Director’s door but stopped. Intense feelings of guilt, stress, and dread washed over you. You shook off the feeling and knocked on the door. It took a minute but you heard Maria call out, “Come in.” You opened the door and stepped into her off. Ah. It was Maris you were feeling. Her desk was covered with files. She had another desk with a 3 screen computer system and you could make out emails that needed to be answered. A bottle of whiskey was on her desk, unopened but you could bet she was itching to open it.

“What can I do for you?” She asked. Her question broke you out of your trance.

“Mine and Wanda’s mission report.” You said, holding up the folder. You watched Maria suppress a sigh. Over the years you’ve learned to never ask if someone was okay if you could feel their emotions - they would deny something was wrong. You walked over to her desk and handed it over to her. She reached out for it with a tired smile.

“Thank you.” She went to grab it but you pulled it away.

“Are you hungry? Because I haven’t eaten all day and I could eat.” It was a small lie but Maria didn’t need to know that. She shook her head.

“I’m not hungry.” Well that was a lie. “Besides, I have too much to do.” You handed her the folder but once again as soon as she was going to take it you pulled it away. Her glare would send any agent or Avenger running but you smiled. “I’m about to kick your ass.”

“I know.” You jumped on the empty space on her desk to sit down. “I’m thinking Chinese or maybe Italian. No Indian. Ugh Mexican.” You were swinging your feet, careful not to damage her desk. “What are you thinking?”

“If I give you an answer will you leave and give me your mission report?” You nodded. Maria sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Fine Indian.” You smiled, jumped off her desk, and handed her the file.

“I’ll be back.”

“Can’t wait.” Maria deadpanned. You rolled your eyes at her dry humor. An hour later you found yourself back at Maria’s door. This time you entered without knocking. Nothing in her office changed besides the bottle of whiskey was now open. “Food delivery.” You said, kicking the door closed. You sat on the empty space on the ground with your back resting on the wall. You began to lay out the food, glancing at Maria. “Are you going to join me?” You asked.

“Why do I have a feeling you won’t let me say no?” You smirked.

“Because you know me very well.” Maria rolled her eyes, standing from her desk and walking over to you. She made sure to grab the whiskey. She sat in front of you and chose her food. You ate in a comfortable silence until Maria broke it. She took a hefty swig of the whiskey.

“I know what you are doing.” You hummed, unable to say anything with a mouth full of food. “You can sense I’m feeling a certain type of way and you think it’s your job to help.” You whipped your mouth with a napkin. “I’m fine.” Debatable. But you kept that comment yourself.

“I’m not doing anything.” Which was true. “My mom told me that working on an empty stomach leads to mistakes and mistakes will make work take longer.” “It’s hard to take advice from a woman that disowned their own kid because they wanted to do good.” You were shocked at Maria’s bluntness regarding your family. She winced. “Sorry that came out wrong.”

“No, I mean you aren’t wrong.” You sighed. “My relationship with my biological family ended poorly but I found a new one because of it. You, Nick, and all the other crazy characters that live here are my family.” Maria nodded. She was looking down at her food, stirring it. She appeared to be lost in thought and her emotions were muddy, you couldn’t pinpoint what she was feeling. You wondered if her feelings had to do with the idea of family. There were rumors that the Deputy Director had family issues of her own and her agent assumed that was why she’s so unpleasant. You bite the inside of your cheek. “Are you up for a little adventure with me?” You asked. She looked up at you.

“Oh what the hell. You’ve already made me behind.” You smiled, cleaning up the food. The first step was the fridge then you lead Maria out of the compound to a remote area of the property. You were close to the treeline but had a lot of empty space to move around in. It was twilight - the sun was beginning to set and the stars were coming out. The air seemed fresser here. “Why did you bring me out here?” She asked.

“To scream.”

“Excuse me?” She questioned. You nodded, jumping on the balls of your feet.

“One of the best things about nature is it’s the world’s best secret keeper. You can tell it anything and it will hold it forever.” You explained. You had good memories of yelling your secrets with your brother at your vacation home in Maine. “Even if you don’t say words and just scream or yell or laugh or cry. The trees, the stars, and the moon will listen.” Maria looked confused. “Allow me.” You looked up to the sky and screamed. You looked back at the SHIELD agent and she was shocked by the sound. But you felt freer, the weight that you felt on your chest was a little bit lighter. This time you yelled looking at the ground. “Try it.”

“You are insane.”

“Probably but have I ever steered any of you in the wrong direction before?” Maria sighed and shook her head. You waved your wan, telling her it was her turn. She closed her eyes, looked up at the sky, and screamed. You cheered and clapped your hands. She yelled again. On her third scream, you joined her. “How do you feel?” You asked. Her cheeks were flushed and her chest was rising and falling, a little faster than normal.

“Better. A lot better.” You smiled.

“Tell nature everything. Tell it all of your secrets.” With a deep breath in and out you yelled, “I wish I was good enough for my parents. I wish I didn’t miss them and I hate that I still love them.” Her face softened as if a part of her understood everything you confessed. “Your secrets are safe with me and nature. Scouts honor.” Maria chuckled, pending down to pick up a rock. She threw it in the air and caught it a few times before tossing it into the woods.

Placing her hands on her hips, she yelled, “Sometimes I wish I declined the promotion of Deputy Director.” You kept your face neutral at Maria’s confession. “I lose sleep at night when I send the Avengers and my agents on a mission because I worry they won’t come home.” Your heart broke. “I have to pick and choose who we help and it kills me that we can’t help everyone.” You smiled at her. “I want people to see me. Not an agent or Deputy Director, just Maria.” She yelled one more time and fell to her knees. “I wish I could be good enough for my dad.” She whispered. You sat on the grass in front of her. The only noise between you two was Maria’s labored breathing as she tried to get her heart rate under control.

“I’m proud of you.” You said. Her head snapped up to look at you. “I know I’m not the person you want to hear it from but it doesn't make it any less true. You have an incredibly difficult job and many agents and Avengers give you shit for doing your job. I also bet dealing with Fury isn’t a walk in the park either.” Maria let out a wet chuckle, whipping away a few tears that fell. “But never doubt we don’t have faith in you.” She let out a shaky breath. “We’ve all got battle scars. You’ve had enough, just don’t give up and stick to your guns. Keep marching on.” You took Maria’s hand in yours, squeezing it. Her emotions weren’t as cloudy.

“Thank you for this.” She said softly. She let go of one of your hands to cover her mouth as she yawned.

“Come on, Deputy Director, you need sleep.” You stood up, pulling her to her feet. “And before you argue with me if you go get some sleep I will help you tackle that mess of an office.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“No I don’t,” you said. “But I want to help if you want me too.” You gave her the option to not feel as if you were pressuring her.

“I’d love your help.” You began your walk back to the compound. She put her arm around your shoulders. “They are missing out.” She said, “You are one hell of a superhero.” You smiled, looking at the ground. “I’m proud of you too.”

Natasha Romanoff; Black Widow

You hated being cold. It was winter in Upstate New York and you were not having a good time. Yes, it was pretty and snow meant Christmas but you had half the mind to march to Tony and ask him why he didn’t build the Avenger’s compound in Florida. You were bundled up in a fluffy blanket with hot chocolate in your hands near the fireplace. You were reading when you heard footsteps headed your direction. Grief and sadness as the Black Widow sat next to you. You put your book down and opened your arms. Natasha didn’t even hesitate to move to sit between your legs and you wrapped the blanket around her. The redhead slumped against you, allowing you to hold her weight. You and the Black Widow had a complicated relationship. She hated that you always knew her true feelings and it took years for her to realize you weren’t going to use it against her. It wasn’t until after your fight with Ultron, Natasha started to trust and open up to you. She was the only person in the compound to come to you when her feelings got out of control. It was comforting to know she trusted you on such an intimate level and you weren’t going to break it. You rested your head on her shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it?” You asked. She didn’t answer verbally but you felt her shake your head. “Okay, we can just sit here until you are ready.” The Black Widow just returned from a mission with Steve, Wanda, and Vision. They were in Russia for 3 days. You knew she was going to struggle being there. You sighed. She was warm and you were jealous.

“You are always so cold.” She mumbled. You rolled her eyes.

“Trust me I’m aware.” The redhead chuckled. “But at least I have a best friend as a heater.” You gave her a squeeze. You got the opposite reaction you thought you were going to get. Natasha tensed up in your arms instead of relaxing more. “Tash, talk to me.” You whispered.

“Can we go to your room?” She asked, her voice was shaking. You nodded.

“Of course.” The Black Widow was comfortable showing emotion in front of you, Steve, and Yelena but not the whole team. You lead the redhead to your room. You held open the door and as soon as Natasha walked in, she climbed into your bed. You closed the door, joining her, and she moved to lay her head on your chest. As routine, you began to run your fingers through her hair. You felt her tears on your shirt but you didn’t call attention to it. You let her cry. You weren’t sure how long you laid there but Natasha sat up and leaned against the wall.

“I hate Russian missions.” she said, rubbing her eyes. You sat up and handed her tissues that you kept on your nightstand. She took them with a smile.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She shrugged, looking up at your ceiling.

“The mission went well. We got in and out without any problems.” She closed her eyes. “We were leaving and I saw these kids playing soccer in the street. Just kicking a ball with no care in the world and I was looking at these kids and I saw myself and Yelena.” She shook her head. “I don’t know we didn’t have that. I mean we did but it was for a mission it wasn’t real.”

“Natalia.” You said. She winched at the name. It was an argument that happened a lot when Natasha first told you about the Red Room mission in Ohio. You determined early on that Natasha told herself that her ‘family’ wasn’t real to help with her guilt and to make it hurt less that they gave her away. The Russian sighed.

“Yes, yes, I know the mission gave me a real family.” You smiled. “I got angry watching these kids because what they had was stripped away from me.” You nodded. A normal childhood. A childhood that wasn’t about training or ballet lessons.

“What else happened?” You asked, it wasn’t the whole story.

“One of the kids got hurt. She had to be 6 maybe 7 and an older kid ran over to her. It was nothing major, just a scraped knee.” She looked back at you and you watched tears start to leave her green eyes. You had a pretty good idea why seeing this was affecting her but you learned it was best for people to say it out loud if possible. “She was only 6 too.” Yelena. You were feeling guilt and grief pulsing through the Black Widow. “And I just left her. I didn’t go back for her.” You knew Yelena and Natasha had come to an understanding of what happened all those years ago but it didn’t make the pain and the guilt any easier. “I let her get controlled.” You shook her head.

“That wasn’t you Natasha. You had no idea what was going to happen to Yelena.”

“I should have gone back for her.” You shrugged. “Maybe you should have or maybe Dreykov would have gotten you under his control too.” You grabbed her hand, running your thumb over the back of her hand. “The world is filled with ‘What ifs’ and we’ll drive ourselves mad thinking about what could have been.” You knew from first hand experience. Many nights you lie awake wondering what your life would be like if you said no to Tony. What if you didn’t join the Avengers? “We can’t join the past but we can live for the future.”

“Would you change the past?” She asked. You thought for a moment, looking at your connected hands.

“No, I love the life I’m living.” You squeezed her hand. “Definitely how I thought my life would be but I can’t complain.” She nodded her head slowly. “You’re not alone anymore, Nat. Neither is Yelena. Some days that guilt will eat you up inside but better days are near. Just don’t give up.” Natasha squeezed your hand back.

“I’m glad life brought us together.” She confessed. “You have done a lot for me, for all of us.” You felt your cheeks burn at her honestly.

“Just doing my job.” Natasha rolled her eyes and pushed you gently on the shoulder.

“Your job isn’t to be our therapist but we approached it.” You shrugged.

“Miss. Romanoff, Miss. Belova is looking for you.” The AI said. You looked at Natasha.

“Movie marathon?” You suggested. “We said we’d try to watch all the Harry Potter movies in one sitting.”

“FRIDAY, tell Yelena where I am and bring snacks and drinks.” You laughed as Natasha got comfortable in your bed. You grabbed the remote and queued up the first movie. Life hasn’t been the kindest but you wouldn’t change it

El; Empath

“Has anyone seen El?” Maria asked, walking into the common area holding a folder in her hands. Natasha laid on the couch, her head in Steve’s lap and her feet in Yelena’s, who was playing Mario Kart against Bucky and Sam.

“FRIDAY said they were going to shower and be right out.” Sam said, without looking away from the screen. Natasha looked at Maria and saw the worry on her face. The Black Widow sat up, earning a curse from her sister.

“What’s wrong, Maria?” She handed Natasha the folder.

“That is T’Challa’s report on their mission.” Maria watched Natasha open the report and the color drained from her face.

“Nat,” Steve said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “What happened?” Bucky paused the game. Natasha cleared her throat.

“We arrived at the abandoned warehouse at 0700. Upon searching the area we found no signs of anyone being there for some time. Our last area to search were two large shipping containers.” Natasha sighed. “As we got closer, we noticed the smell. El opened the first container. Inside were the bodies of 15 children, ranging from 5 to 16. There were no survivors.” Natasha closed the file. A heavy silence filled the common area.

“How do we help them?” Yelena asked, breaking the silence. “They are always there for us, how do we be there for them?”

“I have an idea,” Maria said. “But I’m going to need help.”

You didn’t expect a knock on your door and you were tempted to ignore it. But another round of knocking forced you to leave your cocoon of blankets and walked to the door. A wave of emotions rushed through you; anxiety, hopefulness, excitement, and joy. It was a weird mix and you had to compose yourself before opening the door. It was Maria. Today was full of surprises. “I haven’t finished my mission report.” Truth be told, you haven’t even started the report. The idea of having to relive the past 48 hours made your stomach turn. “I’ll have it on your desk by tomorrow morning.”

“I’m not looking for your report.” Oh. Before you could question why the Deputy Director was at your door she continued, “I read T’Challa’s.” Oh. You didn’t know the King of Wakanda needed to write mission reports.

“Oh.” You said, looking down at your feet. “I uh well you know how things went down then.” You felt tears in the corner of your eyes. A headache was forming and your chest hurt as you held back the tears. Maria held out her hand.

“Do you want to go on an adventure with me?” She asked. It was a strange deja vu moment. How many times have you stood in front of the team with your hand out hoping they took it? You wanted to crawl back into bed and ignore the world but you took her hand. You barely got the chance to close your door before Maria dragged you to the elevator. She pressed the button and waited for the metal door.

“Where are we going?” You asked. She gave you a smile.

“The roof.” She said as the doors opened. The roof of the compound was your favorite place. It allowed you a place to sit in silence; to feel the wind, listen to the trees, and look at the stars on a clearless night. The roof also allowed you to get away from everyone when you needed a break from their emotions. The elevator opened and you stepped onto the roof. The normal bare roof was transformed. A protector was set up, playing the intro to Hercules. It was one of your comfort movies. In front of the projector - were an assortment of pillows and blankets. Yelena was sitting on some of the pillows with a bowl of popcorn trying to throw pieces into Sam’s mouth while Bucky watched. Natasha and Steve were pouring chips into bowls.

“What is this?” You asked. Your voice caused your teammates to look at you.

“This,” Sam answered. “Is our version of the talk you give us.” You looked at him confused. Maria led you to the pillow fort and you sat down. Steve and Natasha joined you.

“You are always there for us no matter what we are feeling without us needing to ask.” Maria explained.

“This is us doing it for you.” Bucky shrugged. “Words aren’t our strength but Maria thought a movie might help.” The SHIELD agent blushed at being called out that this was her idea.

“We can watch it with you or if you prefer to watch it by yourself, that’s okay too.” Steve said. It was weird, you were feeling no overpowering emotions from them just you own. You were overwhelmed.

“Uh, stay please.” You cleared your throat. “Please stay.” Yelena smiled.

“We got you, dorogoy.” You found yourself resting your head on Maria’s lap with Yelena laying next to you as Natasha started the movie.

“Do you think Thor has met Hercules?” Natasha asked as the muses began to tell the story.

“He’s met Zeus, so probably.” You said, taking a handful of popcorn.

“Sh,” Sam said, throwing a piece of candy at you. You gasped, taking the candy and unwrapping it. You eat it. “Stop talking.”

“Can we sing?” Yelena asked, glancing at him. He thought about it.

“I will allow singing.” Yelena gave you a high five. You were feeling better surrounded by people that loved you.

As the credits began to roll, the reality of the situation you experienced crashed down on you. You turned your head into Maria’s lap and bit back a sob. Her hands immediately wento your back, soothing your cries. “We weren’t fast enough,” Your words were muffled but you knew you had their attention as the movie was muted. “Everytime I close my eyes I see that shipping container. Gods, I wish we were faster.” You cried. How many families had to be notified? Families were broken. Sons and daughters were lost. Siblings were never coming home. “They were right.” You said. The words of your parents echoed in your mind. Failure. Worthless.

“Who are you talking about, malen’kiy slon (little elephant)?” Natasha asked.

“My parents.” You felt Maria tense up. “They didn’t just not want me to become an Avenger but they said I wasn’t good enough to become one. They said I’d fail.”

“No,” Natasha said. You heard movement and soon you felt warm hands on your arms and pulled you into a seated position. “I won’t sit here and let you think bad about yourself. They were wrong.”

“Nat.” You said, slowly.

“She’s right.” You looked at Bucky. “What happened in Uganda wasn’t your fault.” You looked down, feeling shame creep around you. Maybe if one of them took the mission the outcome would have been different. You weren’t an Avenger. You weren’t a hero.

“Why do you like the stars so much?” Sam asked. The question caused your spiraling thoughts to stop. You didn’t look up.

“I like them because of the stories they tell.” Steve answered. “History is persevered in the night sky.” You smiled, looking up.

“I think they are pretty to look at.” Yelena added. “It’s amazing to think we live underneath such a work of art.” Your smile crew. It was an interesting feeling being on the other side of your silly little question game.

“I like them.” You began. “Because they are a reminder that we aren’t alone. While you are looking at the stars someone else could be looking at them too.” You let out a shaky breath. “And..hundreds of years ago someone was standing in your exact spot, looking at the same stars.”

“Exactly,” Maria said softly. “We’ll carry you home. You’re not alone. Keep marching on.”

“This is worth fighting for.” Sam said. Natasha gave your arms a gentle squeeze. You looked at the red head.

“You know we’ve all got battle scars.”

“You’ve had enough. Just don’t give up.” Steve said.

“You are worth fighting for.” Yelena smiled. “Just keep marching on.” You nodded, whipping away your tears. You laughed.

“I thought you said you guys were bad with words.” You joked.

“We learned from the best.” Maria smiled.

“Thank you,” You said. “Thank you for this. Can we watch another movie?” You asked.

“Anything you need.”

“Ooo I get to pick.” Yelena jumped up and picked The Incredibles. She laid back next to you, grabbing your hand.

“Great choice.” Bucky said. You couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. You didn’t care as you leaned back in Maria’s arms. The Avengers were fighters, soldiers, and righteous. They were once lost, broken, and defeated. But they all had battle scars. As the movie began you were grateful to call them family and home.

I’m not the type of person to ask for help but I feel a little helpless. Hurricane Ian devested my home town (I don’t live in Florida anymore) but I lived where the path of the hurricane directly hit for 13 years. That being said my grandfather lives down there and his house was damaged. My grandfather hasn’t had the easiest few years. His wife (my grandmother) passed away 2 years ago during COVID, he’s recently been put on oxygen, and he’s a lone done there. My parents are working on getting down there but the city is a mess and he’s without power and electricity.

I’ve added my kofi donation page to this story. All donations no matter how big or small will go directly to helping my grandfather get back on his feet and help get my parents down there. They will be missing work by going down there so it will help with bills.

I appreciate all the support and love you all have given me. If you happen to donate I’d love to write you a personal story for a fandom of your choice. Any amount will help.

Much love. -Arlana

#marvel fanfiction #marvel one shot #yelena belova x reader #natasha romanoff x reader #steve rogers x reader #james bucky barnes #maria hill x reader #natasha romanoff x steve rogers #james bucky barnes x sam wilson #yelena belova x you #natasha romanoff #maria hill #bucky barnes x reader #james bucky buchanan barnes #bucky barnes x you #maria hill x you #natasha romanov x reader

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tomorrowusa · 9 months

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Uganda is Africa's most homophobic country. And the hatred unleashed there by the government and extremist religious groups has led to violence.

A prominent Ugandan LGBTQ+ activist is in a critical condition after he was stabbed on his way to work on Wednesday by unknown assailants on a motorbike.

Steven Kabuye, 25, suffered knife wounds and was left for dead in the assault on the outskirts of the capital Kampala before being found by local residents, police said. Human rights defenders have been warning about the risk of attacks on members of the LGBTQ+ community after Uganda last year adopted what is considered one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world. Kabuye told detectives investigating the incident that he had been receiving death threats, according to a statement issued by police spokesperson Patrick Onyango. “According to Mr Kabuye, two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle, wearing helmets, approached him. The passenger jumped off and attacked him, specifically targeting his neck with a knife,” Onyango said. “Kabuye managed to shield his neck with his right arm, resulting in a stab wound to his hand. Despite attempting to flee, the assailants chased and stabbed him in the stomach and left him for dead,” he said, adding that local residents had found him and taken him to a medical clinic.

You can in certain instances get the death penalty for being gay in Uganda. The assailants probably felt it was their duty to try to murder Steven Kabuye.

In May last year, Uganda adopted anti-gay legislation containing provisions making “aggravated homosexuality” a potentially capital offence and setting out penalties for consensual same-sex relations of up to life in prison. Homosexuality has long been illegal in Uganda under a colonial-era law criminalising sexual activity “against the order of nature”, with life imprisonment possible for a conviction. The new law added further offences and punishments. Kabuye had posted on X that he was deeply concerned about the consequences of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023. “This law violates basic human rights and sets a dangerous precedent for discrimination and persecution against the LGBTQ+ community. Let us stand together in solidarity and fight against bigotry and hate,” he wrote.

Uganda is a good place to avoid even if locals just think you are LGBTQ+.

Uganda's homophobic President Yoweri Museveni seized power in January of 1986. That's so long ago that the Space Shuttle Challenger was still intact when he began his reign as de facto president for life. According to the journal Foreign Policy, Museveni may be looking to turn Uganda into a North Korea-style monarchy without crowns.

Politics in Uganda has become a parable of dynastic decay. For 37 years, President Yoweri Museveni has ruled with a supporting cast of relatives, army officers, and hangers-on. They see themselves as the only ones capable of running the country—and have profited handsomely from doing so. Museveni has twice had the constitution rewritten to remove limits on his rule. But he is now 78, and he cannot rewrite biology. Enter his 49-year-old son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba: a hard-drinking, trash-tweeting soldier who considers himself “the most handsome General on earth.” After a rapid promotion through the army ranks, Kainerugaba says he wants to run for president at the next election in 2026.

Uganda is part of the corrupt Axis of Homophobia which includes Russia and Iran. It deserves the same opprobrium which is directed at those decrepit régimes.

#lgbtq+#homophobia #steven kabuye #uganda #violence against gays #the axis of homophobia #yoweri museveni #muhoozi kainerugaba

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everalii · 12 days

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Random Hogwarts Legacy Girls Headcannons

Now the girls!

I'll be doing a headcannon post for my MC, Claire Beckett, but this is only for the NPC girls.

♡ Poppy Sweeting ♡

• Hates people? Of course, unless they're Ominis Gaunt. She was head over heels for him since she saw the boy sit on the Sorting Hat stool in the 1st year. She was completely overwhelmed when he begun courting her;

• Poppy at first wanted to become a researcher like her grandmother, but after fighting poachers with MC, decided she'd be an auror, and her main goal was to end every poaching camp possible;

• Her last name may be Sweeting, but she enjoys salty food. Shepherds pie is her favourite meal;

• She considers MC her best friend, and eventually, Natsai as well. You'd always see the trio together;

• Was haunted in terrible nightmares by the dragon she saved with MC. In her dreams, she failed to save her. Ominis was the one to comfort her, and he commissioned a necklace with a dragon pendant for her, the pendantwas charmed to calm her dreams;

• Transfiguration was her second favourite class, however, she'd cry if the task was to transfigure some creature into and inanimate object;

• She's passionate Cancer, born in june 27th.

◇ Natsai Onai ◇

• Her biggest dream is to return to Uganda, where she can roam free as a gazelle;

• But, if she was to stay in Britain, she would love to become and auror with Poppy and MC. They would ravage poachers and ashwinders;

• Her best friend is Anne, and she was the only one to know about her animagi form until MC and later, Poppy. The proximity with Anne also made her close to Sebastian. Garreth was also her best friend, and she suspected he fancies Anne;

• Is the seeker of the Gryffindor quidditch team. She caught the snitch three times already! Her broom was once jinxed so she wouldn't be able to catch it, but she did it anyway;

• When in Hogwarts, she corresponded with her friends in Uagadou, and they found extremely weird to wield magic with a wand. She has grown fond of her wand, but every time she could, she'd cast wandless magic just to impress people;

• She got very self conscious of her colour and hair texture when she got in Britain, but Anne helped her to overcome her insecurities;

• Born in January 6th, she's a strong capricorn.

♤ Anne Sallow ♤

• She was actually the troublemaker of the twins. Ominis had to put up with 2 idiots sharing a single braincell;

• Her favourite class was Herbology, she would stay for hours in the greenhouse with professor Garlick chatting and tending the gardens;

• Once, Cressida spread a rumor about Anne and Ominis being involved romantically during their 4th year. Anne and Natty broke into the restricted section so she could get a book on hexes. She hexed Cressida's hair to turn into a green goo. Anne was in detention for a good 3 weeks, but the Gryffindor never lied about her again;

• Anne is a legilimens, and Sebastian is a natural occlumens. Despite being difficult, Sebastian doesn't lock is thoughts with much efficiency so she can read a few things. Usually is his perverted thoughts of MC, which Anne is disgusted about;

• She was unsure about MC at first, thinking she stole her place in Hogwarts, as everyone of her friends also became friends with MC. But they eventually got along, when she realized her brothers feelings for the new girl;

• Loves to cook and bake. When the pain attacks were sparce, she would bake for her uncle to make him calmer. It helped, and he was way less stressed;

• An her twin, she's a Sagittarius, born in december 14th. Also, she's was born first.

♤ Imelda Reyes ♤

• Her family comes from Spain, and when nervous, she shouts in spanish. Due to her spanish blood, she was supposed to be admitted to Beauxbaton, but much to her British mothers satisfaction, she received a Hogwarts acceptance letter;

• Her older brother plays in the Spanish National quidditch team, however, Imelda's wish is to play in the British team so she can beat him;

• Couldnt sstand Everett, only the mention of his name makes the blood boil in her veins. Hes always teasing her and she was always fighting him. During their 7th year, she realized she'd fallen for him and it haunted her for good. They begun courting shortly after graduation;

• Secretly loves romance novels, and spent 7 years day dreaming about the one she would marry;

• Also dances very well. Somehow, she managed to teach flamenco to Garreth, and they dance at parties and gatherings;

• Is very lightweight when it comes to alcohol, a cup of butterbeer makes her head dizzy and rambling non-sense.

• A very hot heated Virgo, born in september 8th

Any girl you want headcannons? Tell me in the comments.

Also, my own birthday was mentioned, guess which girl I gave it to.

Love y'all

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy mc #poppy sweeting #natsai onai #imelda reyes #anne sallow #hl #hogwarts legacy headcanons #hogwarts legacy sfw

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bopinion · 1 month

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2024 / 33

Aperçu of the week

“All we have to do is call our opponent a communist or a socialist or someone who will destroy our country.”

(Donald Trump. We'll see about that...)

Bad News of the Week

Since the end of the coronavirus pandemic - although there hasn't actually been one - I've been waiting for its successor in a slightly anxious mood. Another rapidly infecting virus that spreads worldwide, is potentially deadly and, above all, restricts all our lives again. Now it's here: Mpox. For the first time since Corona, the WHO (World Health Organization of the United Nations) has declared the highest alert level, a “public health emergency of international concern”. Because of the virus that was previously called “Monkey Pox”. Discovered in Congo at the end of 2023, it has now also broken out in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya.

The initial figures spoke of 14,000 suspected cases. Based on the usual 50% rate and the reported 500 deaths, this means that one in twelve people who become infected will die. That's a lot. So it's certainly a virus that should be taken seriously. One day later, it was reported that the first case in Europe had emerged in Sweden. Then the first three in Asia in Pakistan. It's the usual pattern: on the one hand, every infectious disease spreads faster and more uncontrollably in times of international travel. On the other hand, specific cases are only discovered when they are specifically sought or tested for. So the numbers will now quickly go through the roof. Because the spread is already more advanced than we know.

What will happen now? What will the states do? How will society react this time? And above all: what have we learned? There is a lot of talk in Germany about the need to come to terms with everything that has happened around COVID. Also to learn from the mistakes. There is a lot of need for clarification - for example with regard to the procurement of masks, the closure of schools, compulsory vaccination, curfews and unequal treatment in the retail sector. And what has happened since (drum roll please!): Nothing. What applies to politics also applies in private life. Some friends turned out to be conspiracy theorists, others were law and order hardliners, most were simply irritated and unsettled. There were even rifts right through families. Rifts that still exist.

And now we could all be facing the same situation, just as ill-prepared. And if Mpox doesn't develop into a pandemic, perhaps swine fever will spread to humans. Or bird flu. Or something else entirely, be it from the South American jungle or from the secret laboratory of some deep state. Or a revenant from the past spreads again - cholera still exists after all and first cases of polio are reported from Gaza. No, I'm not panicking. But I do have one or two worries. After all, humanity has shown itself more than once to be incapable of learning from the past. I would love to be wrong about that.

Good News of the Week

Venezuela is not giving up. It is wonderful to see how the people are fighting for democracy, no longer wanting to put up with the corruption of their “elites” and finally wanting to have a perspective worth living in. Just under a month ago, elections were held in the Latin American country, which could actually live in prosperity and peace but is suffering from dramatic economic decline, inflation and poverty since years. Or as investigative journalist Sebastiana Barráez says in the news magazine Der Spiegel: “Maduro has couped!”

Initially, the state electoral authority declared President Nicolás Maduro Moro, who has been clinging to power since 2013, the winner without providing any evidence - as is actually required by the constitution. The opposition has now had access to more than 80 percent of the printed protocols of the individual polling stations and has made them public. According to these, their candidate Edmundo González won with around 67 percent of the vote - compared to 30 percent for the incumbent head of government. So did Maduro commit electoral fraud? It looks like it.

The United Nations and the Carter Center had sent election observers to Venezuela. They have now criticized the election authority's actions and declared that the official result was not achieved democratically. The panel of experts speaks of an “unprecedented process in recent electoral history”. No wonder that most Latin American countries as well as the USA and Europe did not recognize the “official result”. And Maduro? He doesn't give a damn. The despot has further intensified the repression against the population with the help of the military, the National Guard and other state organs loyal to him. According to the independent rights organization Foro Penal, over 2,000 people have been arrested since the election. These include opposition politicians. And journalists. That speaks a clear language.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the US government has now offered Maduro and close associates of the regime an amnesty if they relinquish power. I wish the Venezuelans would keep up the pressure. And the international stage too. Until Madura and his clan really abdicate. Because then the country, which has already been abandoned by 20% of its population in recent years, could return to better times. In a survey conducted by the Gallup polling institute in December 2012, the country's inhabitants were among the happiest people on earth. It would be nice if this vague memory could become reality again.

Personal happy moment of the week

“Your application for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) has been approved. You are now authorized to travel to Canada by air.” Nothing more to add here. Taking off this sunday. Boy am I excited...

I couldn't care less...

...about the discussion that Germany “only” came 10th in the medal table at the Summer Olympics in Paris - behind hosts France and Great Britain, even though their populations are smaller. “What does it take for more medals?” asks the Tagesschau news channel. That is of little interest to me. Much more important is the charisma of athletes as figures of identification for a nation, the role model function for children, the motivation to surpass oneself. After all, it's not for nothing that the Olympic motto is “Taking part is everything”. In that sense, Eddie the Eagle really did fly.

It's fine with me...

...that the Democrats' party conference is now turning into a coronation mass. Because the most important decisions have been made: Presidential candidate and his (better in this case “her”) running mate. Normally, I would now say that political program content should not be completely secondary. But I don't care about that at the moment. The main thing is momentum. The main thing is optimism. The main thing is not to go back. The main thing is that Donald Jessica Trump doesn't triumph in November. Harris Walz!

As I write this...

...we're trying to catch a mouse. Apparently it was raining too hard outside and it wanted to get out into the dry. Now she's hiding behind a bookshelf and is afraid of us - even though we want to rescue her and set her free. Update: we've got her and she's fine. Second update: there seems to be another one...

Post Scriptum

It's good when someone doesn't look away but points. Even if it's about Israel committing an injustice. After all, you are then almost reflexively vilified as an Anti-Semite. In this respect, I am pleased that the European Union is showing more and more backbone in this regard. In this case, I am not referring to the maltreated Gaza Strip, but to the West Bank, where the Palestinian population is suffering more and more from brutal attacks by militant Israeli settlers - who can be sure of the backing of Benjamin Netanyahu's increasingly right-wing extremist government.

Once again, there have been attacks by extremist Israeli settlers on the population of the West Bank. And now EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has had enough. He will “present a proposal for EU sanctions against the supporters of the violent settlers, including some members of the Israeli government”. Including the government! That's a bombshell. I very much hope that he finds the necessary support for this. Because this massive problem is currently all too easily overlooked in the great shadow of Gaza.

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aroacegarlicbreadlover · 2 months

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name every country

Ok here’s a list of every country that I totally wrote all by myself (Totally not copy pasted don’t worry about it):

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of The Congo, Denmark (We are coming for you Denmark. We will win. Do not try to fight back), Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Ironland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Legoland, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria,North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of The Congo, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sanlow, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, The Fire Nation, The Gambia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Note: This is not technically every country because a lot of different countries have different definitions of what a country is and I’m not including every single micro nation ever created (I may or may not have included one though, as well as a few other Easter eggs which ones may it be?)

Also I realize this will take up a lot of space and probably be annoying so uh, sorry about that anyone else who’s reading this. Blame anon. We should all blame anon for everything bad that ever happens in our lives from now on. (Don’t ask why I wrote this last part I just want there to be some content worth anything in this post)

Also just so this is something about aspec which is this blogs main purpose: Aroace people exist. There you go

#Tw countries #The previous tag is not a real trigger warning that has ever been used in the history of anything I think so idk why I put that #Ask me anything #Idk what I’m doing anymore I’m going insane #I’m just adding random stuff to the tags at this point cause idk what else to do #Taggymctagface

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kneelbeforezod · 10 months

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Just gonna go ahead and say it. Since so many people are missing the nuance.

The reason so many Western powers do nothing to stop Israel is because it means admitting their own antisemitism was a driving force behind Israel's very creation.

Literally every country/kingdom/empire in which the Jewish people have lived, throughout history, has villified them and tried to kill them, cast them out or some combination of both. The very reason there are Jewish people across Europe is because the Roman empire found them to be too hard to manage in large numbers as they did not respect Roman authority. So the Diaspora or "dispersement" happened repeatedly and the middle eastern Jewish population was spread across Europe as far west as the UK and as far east as Russia.

Antisemitism was running rampant in the UK, the US and many other places before Hitler came along. The very reason that there is a stereotype about Jewish bankers, is because for a very long time (particularly in England) they weren't allowed to work most jobs in most fields. Their options were limited, and lending (not borrowing) money is not allowed by the Roman Catholic Church, which ruled over England from the 6th century to 1534. A thousand years of being a nation's only bankers is going to make you rich, but when times got hard economically, the British began to default on their debts and the stereotype of the "greedy jew" was born from this.

Antisemitism is thousands of years old and the aforementioned countries and others were looking for a way to deal with this "problem" and the idea of giving them their own country to go live in. So they leave yours, was presented and initially rejected, until Hitler came along. What the Nazis did allowed for this idea to move forward, now with the entire world feeling sympathetic to the horrors the Jewish people endured under their occupation.

Uganda was actually the original site planned in 1905, but their government and WHITE settlers their fought tooth and nail until another site was chosen, Palestine.

People seem to think Israel has always existed, but that is simply not the case. The word Palestine derives from Philistia, the name given by Greek writers to the land of the Philistines who in the 12th century BCE occupied a small pocket of land on the southern coast, between modern Tel-Aviv-Yafo and Gaza. The name was revived by the Romans in the 2nd century CE in “Syria Palaestina,” designating the southern portion of the province of Syria, and made its way thence into Arabic, where it has been used to describe the region at least since the early Islamic era. The Romans literally wiped Judea off the map, reduced it to rubble, before renaming it, and it stayed that way for the next 400 years.

Around 30% of the Palestinian population was already Jewish and living in relative peace before 1948. They could've easily increased their numbers without drawing new borders, but the Jewish lead British government (the Rothschilds and others already had their hands in everyone's pockets at this point) made it clear in 1917 with the Balfour declaration, that they intended to take Palestine from the Ottoman empire during WW1, and designate it the Jewish homeland. Actually, as soon as the war kicked off, British War Cabinet member and zionist Herbert Samuel proposed the government express support for zionist ambitions in order to gain more Jewish support (money and soldiers) for the ongoing world war. This effort continued through to WW2, finally gaining global support upon the world's realization of Hitler's atrocities.

This situation is anything but black and white.

#israel #palestine #arab #jewish #muslim #peace

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justforbooks · 7 months

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It did not seem like a good thing when a precious consignment of human tumour samples on its way from Kampala, Uganda, to Heathrow was diverted to Manchester. When the samples finally arrived at the Middlesex hospital in London, they were swimming in murky fluid in their vials as though they had been infected with bacteria.

But when the pathologist Anthony Epstein looked at the fluid under the microscope he saw no bacteria, just individual cells that had been shaken loose from the tumours. And that was just what he needed in order to search for elusive virus particles and test his hunch that they were causing cancer.

In the early 1960s Epstein, who has died aged 102, had heard a lecture by Denis Burkitt, an Irish surgeon working in Kampala, that described strange tumours (now known as Burkitt lymphoma) growing around the jaws of children in equatorial Africa.

Intriguingly, the geographical distribution of the condition seemed to depend on temperature and rainfall, suggesting a biological cause. Epstein, who had been working with viruses that cause cancer in chickens, immediately suspected a virus might be involved, perhaps in association with another tropical disease such as malaria.

Epstein began to collaborate with Burkitt, who supplied him with tumours from children he had treated. But Epstein’s efforts to grow pieces of tumour in the laboratory and isolate a virus had all been unsuccessful until the dissociated cells arrived.

With his graduate student Yvonne Barr, he then decided to look at cultures of these cells in an electron microscope, a powerful instrument that had only recently become available in his lab.

The very first image showed a tell-tale outline that looked like one of the family of herpes viruses. It turned out to be a previously undescribed member of that family, and was given the name Epstein-Barr virus. In 1964, Epstein, Barr and Epstein’s research assistant, Bert Achong, published the first evidence that cancer in humans could be caused by a virus – to be greeted by widespread scepticism even though they went on to demonstrate that EB virus caused tumours in monkeys.

Thanks to samples supplied by Epstein, in 1970 Werner and Gertrude Henle at the Children’s hospital in Philadelphia discovered that EB virus also caused glandular fever. That made it possible to design a test for antibodies to the virus in order to confirm a diagnosis. EB virus turned out to be very common, infecting most children in early life, though it usually causes glandular fever only in older teenagers and young adults. As well as causing Burkitt lymphoma in endemic areas in Africa and Papua New Guinea, it is also associated with a cancer of the nose and throat that is the most common cancer of men in south China, as well as cancers in people whose immune systems have been compromised, such as those infected with HIV.

More recent research suggests that EB virus might also be involved in some cases of multiple sclerosis, and that people who have previously had glandular fever are more susceptible to severe Covid-19.

After the discovery, Epstein and others devoted time and effort to trying to find out under what circumstances EB virus causes cancer. The relationship between the virus, other diseases, human genetics and cancer is complex, and it took decades before the medical community could accept the EB virus as a cause with confidence.

Not until 1997 did the International Agency for Research on Cancer class it as a Group 1 carcinogen, formally acknowledging its role in a variety of cancers.

The discovery of EB virus opened up a whole new field of research into cancer-causing viruses. It also raised the exciting possibility of preventing cancers through vaccination, an advance that has now been achieved in the case of human papilloma virus, which causes cervical cancer, and hepatitis B virus, which causes liver cancer.

By the time of his retirement in 1985, Epstein’s research group at the University of Bristol had developed a candidate vaccine that protected monkeys infected with EB virus against tumours, but neither it nor any other candidate has yet been successfully developed for human use.

Epstein was born in London, one of three children of Olga (nee Oppenheimer) and Mortimer Epstein. Mortimer was a writer and translator who edited The Statesman’s Yearbook for Macmillan from 1924 until his death in 1946. Olga was involved with charitable work in the Jewish community. Anthony attended St Paul’s school in west London, where the biology teacher Sidney Pask encouraged boys to go far beyond the syllabus and whose pupils also included Robert Winston and Jonathan Miller.

Epstein won a place to study medicine at Trinity College, Cambridge. He moved to Middlesex hospital medical school in wartime London to complete his training, before doing his national service in India with the Royal Army Medical Corps. He returned to work at the Middlesex hospital as assistant pathologist, conducting his own research. Thinking electron microscopy might be useful in his studies of cancer-causing viruses in chickens, he spent some time learning the new technique at the Rockefeller Institute in New York (now Rockefeller University). Not long afterwards he attended Burkitt’s lecture and began the serendipitous route to his discovery.

In 1968 he was appointed professor and head of the department of pathology at the University of Bristol, where he remained until his retirement. He moved to Oxford as a fellow of Wolfson College in 1986, becoming an honorary fellow in 2001.

An exemplary scientific good citizen, he served as foreign secretary and vice-president of the Royal Society, and sat on boards and councils for numerous national and international research organisations, including as a special representative of the director general of Unesco; he was also a patron of Humanists UK. Among his many prizes and honorary degrees, he received the international Gairdner award for biomedical research in 1988. He was appointed CBE in 1985 and knighted in 1991.

“It was a series of accidents, really,” he said of his discovery in a conversation with Burkitt they recorded for Oxford Brookes University’s oral history archive in 1991. “Lucky quirks.” Burkitt immediately responded with Louis Pasteur’s aphorism: “Chance favours the prepared mind.”

Epstein was a deeply cultured man who retained a lively interest in many subjects – particularly oriental rugs, Tibet and amphibians – until the end of his life.

He is survived by his partner, Kate Ward, by his children Susan, Simon and Michael, from his marriage to Lisbeth Knight, from whom he was separated in 1965, and who died in 2015, and by two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

🔔Michael Anthony Epstein, pathologist, born 18 May 1921; died 6 February 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #Anthony Epstein #in memoriam

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pbaintthetb · 7 months

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Lol watched Book of Mormon (and hoo boy possibly actually one of my faves I've watched on stage. Plot is average at best but the goddamn choreo and the lights- the act 1 finale? I digress) thoughts

You can never go home again, or more accurately, You can never go to Orlando again. Anyway Price probably needs a few years to resort his head and life before he can go to Orlando and appreciate it because currently I don't think he can seperate what he wants (needs) Orlando to be from what Orlando actually is...

Orlando and Salt Lake City are the same in the sense that neither of them actually exist and they're metaphors (ignoring the fact that they do, both exist). Both Nabalungi and Price songs about their favourite fictional (real) real (fictional) place are kinda tragic because it reveals the things they view about the world as fact. Hence why this place is so special. Yes comparing Price's pretty first world problems with Nabalung's concerns is a bit of a stretch but also it kind is the same thematically.

I do hope Nabalungi can get what she wants from Salt Lake City though, although not necessarily in Salt Lake city idc.

The vibe I had in the interval was that it was possible out of district 9 Price is the only one to have actually read the Book of Mormon, cover to cover. Cunningham explictly hasn't, the conversation about "latter days" made me wonder if the other mormons only kinda read it which-

leads onto my thinking that like Price's relationship with Mormonism is, in many ways, more academic/clinical. Like he's got that kind of obsession with religion that I personally associate with people who don't actually believe but either A. really want to or B. really want to disprove it. Price is firmly in A, but yeah like I feel like Price needs Mormonism to be real where he is in the plot (Orlando. If mormonism is real he can go back to Orlando. And it's worth it.) But he doesn't necessarily actually have that spark of genuine belief the other District 9 elders have ya get me? Like he knows it back to front he knows the logic, adn in the coffee scene talks about how a lot of it has always seemed nonsensical and incoherent to him. It's a set of rules and guidelines but idk if Price actually has like core real belief/faith.

When those extra rows of lights came down for Man Up near the end of act 1? Oh yeah you bet we were all in for a fantastic time then, you know good stuff is gonna happen

The lighting in Sal Tlay Ka Siti was beautiful, like I mean the actress's performance and voice were great too, but the lighting really sold the like kinda hopeful tragic nature of the song. She's so happy most of the time but that song, ugh, the tree branch gobos, the visible beams, the colour KSJDFJS:LKDF

Lol disco ball.

The set? It's so detailed? And they get it up so fast? LIke I know they drop blacks in "You and me (but Mostly me)" so it's more than the black out, but STILL?

Again, how do they get the waistcoats on so bloody fast in "Turn it off"??? (I do actually have theories about this but that's not the point, it's stilll so cool)

Maybe this is just the run i watched, but like the Mormons, other than being dressed the same are all roughly the same height (except Cunningham) so their numbers are so extra cool because they really do kinda blend and move as one unit and it's so cool to watch. Especially Hello and Two by Two where they all have black ties.

Did they just start a new cult at the end? Curious what most of the mormons are gonna do when they leave Uganda. Also curious if their parents got an angry phone call from the mission president and are just like.... why aren't they home yet???

BFN is an elder now? Okay... not gonna touch that and how that happened

Nabalungi's dad is fucking hilarious omg his delivery this guy

The only song I'd heard was "You and me (But mostly me)" but I had been told of the spooky mormon hell song. The latter slapped. Did not have Atilla the Hun playing flute on my bingo card that day.

^I loved the blacks coming in from all sides to trap Cunningham out of "You and Me (But mostly Me)" and leave Price as the star also like I knew the song but teh first "but mostly me" cracked me up

One of the incorrect names Cunningham called Nabalungi was "Nigel Farage" lol. Couldn't hear much of the dialogue after that.

About the incorrect name, Nabalungi has the patience of a saint for sure.

Oh during teh play i couldn't watch half of it because I was too busy watching the district 9 elders, but mostly Price reacting to it. It was hilarious. Price looked so fucking happy but like he was trying to hide it and was clapping Cunningham on the shoulder at one point.

As a musical, it's incredible, and it properly contextualises a few things people have said about it and how long it's been running. By "as a musical" I mean the general production of it n shit. The plot is pretty average, the songs have funny lyrics but a lot of the numbers probably won't hold up so well on sound track for me personally- but when you're watching it??? oh yeah. Oh yeahhh.

Oh, the pipes on the guy playing Cunningham, man. MAN.

You can never go to Orlando again.

#Book of Mormon #this is more for my personal reasons so I can recall my thoughts on it in the future #you can never go to orlando again #I don't think price lost his conviction or faith in mormonism but rather his conviction that mormonism was worth having faith in

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hannahlikeso741 · 1 year

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Some Amit Thakkar Headcanons

Since Amit is getting some much appreciated love, I decided to share some headcanons about him. Please note I really tried to research as much as I could about India, looking up as much as I could and talking to some of my colleagues who come from varying parts of India, but if I do get some things wrong, please let me know!

He is Gujarati ( Solely based on the surname Thakkar, which is commonly found in the Gujarat state in India)

Amit Thakkar is not his full name ( If we are following the naming system of the Gujarati, it would be his given name, his father's name and his surname in that order. We are missing his father's name.)

He's an Aries ( Again, if we are following the Gurajati naming traditions, his given name, Amit would respond to his Rashi, the Indian Horoscope. Amit responds to the sign Mesha, which Aries is the equivalent)

His family is wealthy and highly educated, and were able to send him to Hogwarts due to their ties to the British Raj. (New telescope aside, a clue lies within the surname. Thakkar is also a common surname found among the Lohana 'Jati' people of Western India where Gujarat is, are famed for being traders. Some of the Lohanas who manage to get an education worked for the British Raj. It is a long history, but this is as best as I can sum it up.)

He is shaken from his first adventure, but secretly he wants more. (Again, we are going back to the Thakkar surname, where it is said they are from the Kshatriya caste which is tied to warrior aristocracy. I like to believe he still got some of that in him, otherwise he wouldn't willingly enter a goblin mine)

He loves astrology as it is closely tied to his Hindu religion. (Thakkar as a surname is closely tied to Hinduism, where astrology is found under the Jyotisha, one of the six auxiliary disciplines of Hinduism, mainly used for time keeping.)

He has family in Colonial India and Africa. (Again back to the Thakkar surname, there were many Thakkars who migrated to the British African colonies like Uganda for example)

He is a polygot. (Ok this might be a bit of a stretch, but I'm just basing it around his family being traders and highly educated. India has plenty of languages, so it wouldn't surprise me if Amit had to learn Hindi, Gujarati, and English to get by, yet he still has time to learn Gobbledegook.)

Well that is all I got for now. Please let me know if there are things to add!

#hogwarts legacy #amit thakkar

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anonymousewrites · 1 year

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A Study of the Heart and Brain (Book 2) Chapter Eight

Father Figure! Sherlock Holmes x Teen! Reader

Chapter Eight: Gigantic Hound

Summary: A man comes with an interesting case to (Y/N) and Sherlock, and they go on a trip to investigate.

A few months had passed since the case with Irene, and Sherlock, (Y/N), and John had returned to their usual routine. By “usual,” that mean John putting up with Sherlock and (Y/N)’s boredom and the nonsense that came with it until an interesting case came up. It didn't help that Sherlock's mind was buzzing with the truth of (Y/N)'s parentage, and he needed a case to take his brain off it, or he'd go mad. He could hear Moriarty's words echoing within him, and his mind could come up with the most horrible ways Moriarty would use (Y/N) against him. He knew how capable Moriarty was of hurting people. He didn't want them to hurt. he wanted them safe. All in all, the stress was a burden, and it was driving him mad.

“Nothing?” said Sherlock grumpily as John flipped through the newspaper, trying to find a topic to excite the bored detective.

“Military coup in Uganda,” suggested John.

“Hm.” Sherlock found it boring.

“Another photo of us with the hats,” said (Y/N) distastefully.

“Oh, um, Cabinet reshuffle,” said John.

(Y/N) groaned. “Nothing interesting.”

John sighed in exasperation. “It’s just because you two are bored by basically everything.”

“Oh, John, I envy you so much,” said Sherlock, sighing dramatically.

“You envy me?” asked John.

“Your mind—it’s so placid, straightforward. Mine and (Y/N)’s —they’re like an engine, racing out of control; a rocket tearing itself to pieces trapped on the launch pad,” bemoaned Sherlock.

“We need a case!” said (Y/N), turning over in frustration on the couch.

“You two solved one! By harpooning a pig!” cried John. Bloody drama queens, honestly.

“Yes, but we need the next one!” said Sherlock.

“Is there nothing on the website?” sighed John. He felt like a babysitter.

“Oh, yes, a fun note from a child,” sighed Sherlock.

“ ‘Dear Mr. Sherlock Holmes and (Y/N) (L/N). I can’t find my bunny, Bluebell, anyway. Please please please can you help?’ ” recited (Y/N). They glanced at John. “And apparently, the night before Bluebell disappeared, it turned luminous. ‘Like a fairy,’ according to Kirsty. Then, poof! Bluebell was gone. Hutch locked, no sign of forced entry.”

“Am I going to have to hear you complain forever?” grumbled John.

“That or Cluedo,” said (Y/N).

“Oh, no! We’re not playing that again!” said John vehemently.

“Why not?” asked Sherlock.

“Because I don’t hear you two bicker over whether the victim did it or not. Or whether it’s even in the rules,” said John.

“The rules are wrong,” said (Y/N), crossing their arms.

The doorbell rang downstairs, and the trio stopped moving.

“Single ring,” said John.

“Maximum pressure just under the half second,” said Sherlock.

“Client,” summarized (Y/N). “Finally.”

Their new client, Henry Knight, sat in the client chair. (Y/N) hadn’t bothered to move from their couch, Sherlock sat in his armchair, and John sat in his. Henry had brought a documentary on his home, Dartmoor, and himself that now played on the TV. A strange opener for a case, but (Y/N) found that strange usually ended up interesting.

“Dartmoor. It’s always been a place of myth and legend, but is there something else lurking out here—something very real?” asked the reporter. “Because Dartmoor’s also home to one of the government’s most secret of operations—the chemical and biological weapons research center which is said to be even more sensitive than Porton Down. Since the end of the Second World War, there’ve been persistent stories about Baskerville experiments: genetic mutations, animals grown for the battlefield. There are many that believe within this compound, in the heart of this ancient wilderness, there are horrors beyond imagining. But the real question is, are all of them still inside?”

The setting switched to Henry sitting indoors and speaking to an offscreen interviewer. “I was just a kid. It-it was on the moor,” he said. The scene cut away to a child’s drawing of a gigantic dog with red eyes.” The caption read: Henry’s drawing (Aged 9).

“It was dark, but I know what I saw. I know what killed my father,” said Henry ominously.

The television switched off. Sherlock and (Y/N) were bored of the documentary. They wanted facts from Henry, not curated moments from TV.

“What did you see?” asked Sherlock.

“Oh. I…I was just about to say,” said Henry, pointing at the dark screen.

“Yeah, in an edited TV interview,” said (Y/N). “We want to hear it from you.”

“Yes, sorry, yes, of course. ‘Scuse me,” said Henry, wiping his nose with a napkin.

Anxious, thought (Y/N). Likely trauma-induced.

“In your own time,” said John.

“But quite quickly,” said Sherlock, wanting to get to the case and skip the boring emotional part.

“Do you know Dartmoor, Mr. Holmes?” asked Henry.

“No,” said Sherlock.

“It’s an amazing place. It’s like nowhere else. It’s sort of…bleak but beautiful,” said Henry. “We used to go for walks, after my mum died, my dad and me. Every evening we’d go out on the moor.”

“Yes, good. Skipping to the night that your father was violently killed. Where did that happen?” questioned Sherlock.

“There’s a place—it’s…it’s sort of a local landmark called Dewer’s Hollow. That’s an ancient name for the Devil,” said Henry.

“Did you see the devil that night?” asked (Y/N), cocking their head.

He looked at them, a haunted air in his eyes. “Yes…It was huge. Coal-black fur with red eyes. It got him, tore at him, tore him apart.” Henry swallowed and fidgeted nervously. “I can’t remember anything else. They found me the next morning, just wandering on the moor. My dad’s body was never found.”

“Dog? Wolf?” hypothesized (Y/N).

“Or a genetic experiment,” said Sherlock sarcastically.

“Are you laughing at me?” asked Henry.

“Why, are you joking?” asked Sherlock.

“My dad was always going on about the things they were doing at Baskerville, about the type of monsters they were breeding there. People used to laugh at him. At least the TV people took me seriously,” muttered Henry.

“Probably did wonders for Devon tourism,” remarked (Y/N).

“Yeah…” said John, shifting as he realized Sherlock and (Y/N) were going down the not-so-nice questioning route. “Henry, whatever did happen to your father, it was twenty years ago. Why come to us now?”

“I’m not sure you can help me, Mr. Holmes, since you find it all so funny,” said Henry, huffing and standing up to leave.

“Last night,” said (Y/N), crossing their arms.

Henry paused. “How…How do you know?”

John sighed. Here we go again.

“You came up from Devon on the first available train this morning. You had a disappointing breakfast. Black coffee, too. And right now you’re anxious for your first cigarette of the day,” said (Y/N). “Trust me, we can help.”

“How on earth did you know all that?” cried Henry.

“Punched out holes where your tickets been checked,” said Sherlock. “The train napkin you used to mop up the spilled coffee, the strength of the stain shows you didn’t take milk. There are traces of ketchup on it and around your lips and your sleep. Cooked breakfast or the nearest thing those trains can manage. Probably a sandwich,”

“How did you know it was disappointing?” asked Henry, still bewildered.

“It’s a train breakfast. They all are,” said (Y/N), shrugging.

“Then there’s the nicotine stains on your fingers…your shaking fingers,” continued Sherlock. “No chance to smoke on the train, no time to roll one before you got a cab here. It’s just after 9:15. You’re desperate. The first train from Exeter to London leaves at 5:46 am.”

“You took the earliest, so something must have happened last night. Were we wrong?” asked (Y/N), cocking their head appraisingly.

“No, you’re right. You’re completely, exactly right. Blood hell, I heard you two were quick,” said Henry, nervously rolling a cigarette.

“It’s our job,” said (Y/N).

“Um, Henry, your parents both died and you were, what, seven years old?” began John tentatively.

“I know that,” said Henry.

“That must be quite traumatic. Have you ever thought that maybe you invented this story to account for it?” finished John.

“That’s what Dr. Mortimer says,” said Henry.

“Who?” asked John.

“His therapist,” said Sherlock and (Y/N).

“My therapist,” said Henry.

All three spoke simultaneously.

“Obviously,” added Sherlock.

“Louise Mortimer. She’s the reason I came back to Dartmoor. She thinks I have to face my demons,” said Henry.

“What happened when you went back to Dewer’s Hollow last night, Henry?” asked (Y/N), raising an eyebrow. “You went there on Dr. Mortimer’s advice, and now you want the help of detectives. What happened?”

“It’s a strange place, the Hollow. Makes you feel so cold inside, so afraid,” murmured Henry.

“Yes, if I wanted poetry, I’d read John’s emails to his girlfriends. Much funnier,” said Sherlock. “Now, what did you see?”

“Footprints on the exact spot where I saw my father torn apart,” said Henry.

Would it kill him to be more specific? thought (Y/N). “What type of footprints?” There was more to it, they could tell.

Henry swallowed. “They were the footprints of a gigantic hound.” He was nearly hesitant to say it, knowing how ridiculous it was.

“Say that again,” said Sherlock, leaning forward.

“I found the footprints, they were—” began Henry.

“No, no, no, your exact words,” interrupted Sherlock. “Repeat your exact words from a minute ago, precisely as you said them.”

“They were the footprints of a gigantic…hound,” repeated Henry.

“We’ll take the case,” said (Y/N). Like Sherlock, they had realized this was a very specific term to use, “hound.” That, and this was the second animal that was odd. Bluebell was the first, and little Kirsty was from the same area. This was promising indeed.

“Sorry, what?” asked John. He was surprising something so…crazy had piqued their interest.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It’s very promising,” said Sherlock. “Baskerville…You’ve heard of it, right, John?”

“Vaguely. It’s very hush-hush,” said John.

“Sounds like a good place to start,” said (Y/N).

“Ah! You’ll come down, then?” said Henry eagerly.

“Yes, yes,” said Sherlock, waving a hand. “You go on ahead, Henry. We’ll follow later.”

“Twenty-year-old disappearance, a monstrous hound? I wouldn’t miss this for the world!” cried Sherlock.

After arriving in Dartmoor and Devon, Sherlock, (Y/N), and John checked out the countryside. Using binoculars, they spied out Baskerville and confirmed the minefield warnings around them. Afterwards, they headed to Grimpen Village where the Cross Keys Inn kept its doors open to tourists and travelers.

“Three times a day, tell your friends. Tell anyone! Don’t be strangers and remember…stay away from the moor at night if you value your lives!” said a man trying to drum up interest in his tours.

(Y/N) just rolled their eyes as they walked with Sherlock and John. After a quick check in, the innkeeper, Gary, grabbed their keys.

“Here you go. Single room for you,” said Gary, handing a key to John. “And then a two bed room for you and your kid.” He handed a second key to Sherlock. Then, John ordered a drink, and he stole a receipt labeled “Undershaw Meat Suppliers.”

“There you go,” said Gary, handing back the drink.

“Thanks,” said John as Sherlock got up to circle the room and make deductions. “I couldn’t help noticing on the map of the moor, a skull and crossbones.”

“Oh, that, aye,” said Gary.

“Pirates?” asked John.

“Eh? No, no. The Great Grimpen Minefield, they call it,” explained Gary,

“Oh, right,” said John.

“It’s not what you think. It’s the Baskerville testing site. It’s been going for eighty odd years. I’m not sure anyone really knows what’s there anymore,” said Gary.

“More than just explosives?” asked (Y/N).

Gary nodded. “Break into that place, and, if you’re lucky, you just get blown up, so they say…in case you’re planning on a nice wee stroll.”

“I’ll remember,” said John grimly.

“Aye. No, it buggers up tourism a bit, so thank God for the demon hound! Did you two see that show, the documentary?” asked Gary.

“Unfortunately,” murmured (Y/N).

“Aye, God bless Henry Knight and his monster from Hell,” said Gary jovially.

(Y/N) leaned forward and put on the “wide-eyed-curious-teen” look. “Have you ever seen it? The hound, I mean? I love this supernatural stuff.”

“Me? No,” said Gary. He nodded to the tour guide from earlier. “But Fletcher has. Can give you a right good story. He runs the Monster Walks for the tourists. He’s seen it.”

“Oh, really? Thanks!” said (Y/N) with a bright-eyed smile.

They jumped down from the barstool and went over to Sherlock. “Dad!” they said eagerly. “Gary said the tour guide, Fletcher, has seen the hound? Can we go find out?”

Sherlock effortlessly went along with their charade. “Of course.” Together, they walked over to Fletcher, who had ordered a drink. “Excuse me, is it true?”

Fletcher turned. “What’s true?”

“That you’ve seen the hound,” said (Y/N), still playing their part.

“Maybe,” said Fletcher.

“Do you have proof? I love this type of stuff and want to know,” said (Y/N) eagerly.

“Well, uh, I did,” said Fletcher. With an eager audience, he was willing to speak. “Once month ago, up at the hollow. It was foggy, mind—couldn’t make out a thing.”

“I see. No witnesses, I suppose,” said Sherlock.

“Wait!” said Fletcher, pulling out his phone. He found a picture and zoomed in. “There.” In the darkness of the photo, a four-legged something stood in the distance. Unfortunately, it’s distinct size or shape couldn’t be made out.

“I can’t really tell what it is…” huffed (Y/N), “upset” at not having better proof.

“Well, that’s not all. People don’t like going up there, you know—to the Hollow. Gives them a…bad sort of feeling,” said Fletcher.

“Is rumors of being haunted supposed to be proof?” asked Sherlock doubtfully.

“Nah, don’t be stupid, nothing like that, but I reckon there is something out there—something from Baskerville, escaped,” said Fletcher.

“A super-dog? A terrible hound?” asked (Y/N).

“Maybe. God knows what they’ve been spraying on us all these years or putting in the water. I wouldn’t trust ‘em as far as I could spit,” said Fletcher.

“Is that photo the best you’ve got?” questioned Sherlock.

Fletcher hesitated before continuing, eager to impress. “I had a mate once who worked for the MOD. One weekend we were meant to go fishin’, but he never showed up—well, not til late. When he did, he was white as a sheet. I can see him now. I’ve seen things today, Fletch, he said, that I never want to see again. Terrible things. He’d been sent to some secret army place—Porton Down, maybe; maybe Baskerville, or somewhere else. In the labs there—in the really secret labs—he’d said he’d seen…terrible things. Rats as big as dogs, he said, and dogs…dogs the size of horses.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a caste of a pawprint. A sin inch long paw print.

Sherlock and (Y/N) raised an eyebrow in surprise. This was certainly an interesting turn of events.

“Wow. That’s so cool. Can I take a picture?” said (Y/N) eagerly. Fletcher nodded, and they snapped a photo of the pawprint for later. “Thanks!”

Sherlock and (Y/N) walked away and glanced at each other. It seemed the next step would be to get into Baskerville.

“Did you bring Mycroft’s ID?” asked (Y/N).

“Yes. Did you bring the grown-up clothes?” asked Sherlock.

“Obviously. Can’t go into a top secret lab looking like a teenager,” said (Y/N), shrugging.

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