#valley verified

[inkcurlsandknives]

"Saints of Storm and Sorrow weaves an unforgettable journey into a world where gods walk among mortals and even the quietest whispers can spark a revolution. The thrilling action and complex characters provide a springboard from which Buba masterfully delves into the nuanced relationship between the colonizers and the colonized. Lush, vibrant, and spellbinding—this folklore-inspired fantasy gripped my imagination (and my heart) from the beginning and never let it go." Kyla Zhao, author of Valley Verified and The Fraud Squad

A great blurb from the lovely @kylajzhao Author of the Fraud Squad and Valley Verified, I couldn’t be happier to have a friend like you in my corner, yelling about each other’s stories at midnight will be something I always cherish. Publishing is such an arduous journey with a dozen ups and downs and I don’t know where I’d be without amazing authors like you always ready to cheer on the successes of others.

Head to gabriellabuba.com to find more fun pride events coming up on the #SaintsOfStormAndSorrowPrideAdventCalendar to celebrate the Launch of my debut novel Saints of Storm and Sorrow coming out June 25th with @titanbooks

Preorder your copy today! Buy link: https://linktr.ee/gabriellabuba

In this an enthralling Filipino-inspired queer epic fantasy, a nun concealing a goddess-given gift is unwillingly transformed into a lightning rod for her people's struggle against colonization. For fans of R.F. Kuang, Tasha Suri, and The Hurricane War.

[lizanneyoung97]

BOOK REVIEW: VALLEY VERIFIED BY KYLA ZHAO

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love Zoe’s personality and confidence. Even when she feels small, she’s still so sure of herself underneath all the doubt. She’s unashamed to be herself, especially when it comes to her fashion choices, and really strives not to let anyone get her down. Does it always work out that way? No, but she repeatedly bounces back in a way that is encouraging and provides a bit of optimism for anyone.

Her struggles are incredibly realistic. Trying to figure out if friendships were there because of the convenience of working together or because they are all genuinely connected is a struggle I think everyone goes through at some point. Watching Zoe navigate that, in addition to trying to fit into a new group of coworkers that has questionable boundaries at best and making a new friend, is a pleasant change of pace from what I usually read. You want to root for her to find people that she’s on the same page with, but empathize with her struggles in doing so. Her imposter syndrome is real and relatable and it’s great to see how she handles it.

After reading the author’s note, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I pegged pretty quickly how it would drop, it was just a matter of when. I’m really glad it didn’t play out how I expected and that justice was served, in my opinion.

If you spent too much time constantly rewatching Legally Blonde as a child (and maybe still as an adult), you shouldn’t sleep on Valley Verified. It’s the same vibe of a woman who’s a fish out of water, but quickly adapts to her new surroundings and thrives under pressure, despite what she’s put through.

[bookstagramofmine]

Cover Reveal: Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao

Cover Reveal: Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao @kylazhao_ @berkleypub @penguinrandom #UpcomingRelease #BookTwt #BookBlog #CoverReveal #Books #SiliconValley #LegallyBlonde #Bookish #Readers

Valley Verified: From Haute Couture To HTML You guys have definitely seen me post about The Fraud Squad! Kyla Zhao is now back with her second book, Valley Verified, where Legally Blonde meets Silicon Valley! Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao When a fashion writer dives headfirst into the cutthroat Silicon Valley tech world, her future threatens to unravel in this addictive novel by Kyla Zhao,…

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Review: Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao

I love good women's fiction about girl bosses and that's definitely why I picked up this book. I didn't know anything about it beyond that but the cover is also gorgeous, so I was really excited.

Zoe Zeng is an overworked, underappreciated fashion writer in New York, so when she's offered a job as VP of Marketing at an exciting new Silicon Valley fashion app, she jumps at the opportunity -even if it does involve moving across the country. But she soon realises that she is a bit out of her depth at FitPick and she's not sure she's cut out for securing the huge investment that the company needs or fitting in with her new colleagues.

The app itself sounds like it could be a cool idea but having worked in marketing for a tech start-up myself that had a strikingly similar concept, I knew that it was nowhere near unique enough to survive in an extremely saturated market. To be honest, because of that, I was waiting for it to fail, so without a big plot turn, I wasn't expecting a happy ending.

I was really confused how Zoe managed to get herself such an important job during a brief informal conversation with the CEO and no interview. Even at a small start-up, it just didn't seem realistic at all.

It also felt very unrealistic for Zoe to be on a six figure salary at a start-up in an industry she had very little relevant experience in. I know very little about Silicon Valley but I refuse to believe that this is normal.

The whole FitPick workforce looks down on Zoe seemingly just because she has a vibrant, unique style. Considering it's a fashion app, this seemed a bit strange. The only other female employee Lillian later reveals why she doesn't dress similarly to Zoe and it makes sense but I really couldn't understand why any of this small team of people would make a fashion app. There didn't seem to be anyone into fashion before Zoe showed up, so I'm not sure how or why the concept was developed.

There were a few moments where Zoe talked about her parents and how important they were to her. However, she apparently never visited them or really spoke to them for the entire course of the narrative. So, it felt strange to even mention them really, as it didn't feel like they were her motivation.

Valley Verified was an easy read and I liked how Zoe and Lillian's friendship developed over time. However, I didn't really understand how Zoe managed to instantly become close to Bernadette, a random woman she met while shopping. So, several things about the book didn't really make sense to me but I did appreciate the insight into corporate California and the trials of fashion marketing.

[bizarrebirds]

Hello, I am Ahmed. The war destroyed my life. Can you help me?

In the Name of Humanity please Share, repost, and donate if you are able to donate.

Thank you for listening to me🙏 🙏 🙏

My tumblr link:👇

https://www.tumblr.com/ahmadwaleed555/764613869090013184/hello-gys

#167 on the vetted fundraising list created by @/el-shab-hussein and @/nabulsi

.

[syd-beads4evac]

Nausicaa for inktober for Falestine Day 26 prompt: rifle

Thank you everyone who has supported my fundraisers this year - whether you shared my posts, donated, or bought my beadwork, every bit of support went a long way to help my sister and I's friends. Until Falestina is free, I will continue to do everything I can to help.

[swampvoid]

Heloo

Im Mahmoud from Gaza ..i need your help if you can

Please donate to save my life and my family 🍉🇵🇸

My link in bio

Asking for help is not easy .l request a small donation of $ 15 or $25 from each person .$35 will save my family and help me cover travel expenses and rebuild.what's left of my home

you can deliver your regards

throgh link (please see my bio)https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-gaza-family-to-get-out

My account has been verified by @90-ghost

Hello!

Thank you for reaching out. Sharing for visibility.

I'm at loss of words about what people in Gaza are going through. I wish you peace & health.

[yo9urt]

video games....

[msclaritea]

[musicrunsthroughmysoul]

Since it's Laura Nyro's birthday today, I'm just going to put it out there that I don't know what my favorite Laura Nyro album is - Nested or Mother's Spiritual? I like the same amount of songs on both albums, and I can get almost any of those songs stuck in my head at random, and pleasantly so! Technically Eli and the Thirteenth Confession should also be in the running, and though "Poverty Train" is one of my favorite songs of all-time by Laura, I'm not as attached to other songs on that album, whereas I find myself more attached to more songs on Nested and Mother's Spiritual.

P.S. Even though I get the pun or whatever regarding "Nested" and "Mother's" Spiritual, I still find the commentary on Wikipedia about these albums kind of...fucking weird, to be honest. I'm sorry - when was "American Dreamer" about raising children? "Mr. Blue (The Song of Communications)"? I'm not saying you can tell when men are the ones talking about women but who the hell else is going to so blatantly reduce a woman's work to being inspired by being a parent? Holy fucking christ. BARF. Of course, the way anyone will assume that women's work is most significantly inspired by raising children has been seriously poisoned by the sickness of sexism, patriarchy, and reductive gender roles. Anyone can be guilty of assuming it, sure, but what place does it really have when discussing an artist's work? Literally I fear repeating myself about that for the rest of my fucking time on Earth.

Anyway, MOVING ON, I think my other favorite songs by Laura are "The Right to Vote" (her humor and use of heavy irony in this song is FUCKING DELICIOUS AND DELIGHTFUL AND I COULD LISTEN TO IT FOR HOURS AND HOURS ON REPEAT, and I have. Tbh I listen to it every election day) and "American Dreamer" (and technically "Springblown," also, but I find the intro kind of tedious until you get to the "Every time that I see your face/It's like a warm embrace" and then I'm like dEAR GOD OKAY OKAY YEAH THIS COULD BE A FAVE...musically it also reminds me of Joni Mitchell in its willingness to be all over the place musically, stylistically, rhythmically, etc. but in an incredibly interesting and compelling way; Laura Nyro was also a genius, in case I haven't said that before)! So, again, I'm stuck on figuring out which of her albums is my favorite. Maybe I don't need to choose? Maybe I'll just say both.

[arkipelagic]

The Spanish surnames of many Filipinos have often misled foreigners here and abroad, who are unaware of the decree on the adoption of surnames issued by Governor-General Narciso Clavería in 1849. Until quite recently in the United States, the Filipinos were classified in demographic statistics as a “Spanish-speaking minority,” along with Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Mexicans, and other nationals of the Central or South American republics. The Philippines, as is well known, was a Spanish colony when Spain was mistress of empires in the Western Hemisphere; but the Americans were “hispanized” demographically, culturally, and linguistically, in a way the Philippines never was. Yet the Spanish surnames of the Filipinos today—García, Gómez, Gutiérrez, Fernández—seem to confirm the impression of the American statistician, as well as of the American tourist, that the Philippines is just another Mexico in Asia. Nor is this misunderstanding confined to the United States; most Spaniards still tend to think of “las Islas Filipinas” as a country united to them through the language of Cervantes, and they catalogue Philippine studies under “Hispano-America.” The fact is that after nearly three-and-a-half centuries of Spanish rule probably not more than one Filipino in ten spoke Spanish, and today scarcely one in fifty does. Still the illusion lives on, thanks in large part to these surnames, which apparently reflect descent from ancient Peninsular forbears, but in reality often date back no farther than this decree of 1849.

Somehow overlooked, this decree, with the Catálogo Alfabético de Apellidos which accompanied it, accounts for another curiousity which often intrigues both Filipinos and foreign visitors alike, namely, that there are towns in which all the surnames of the people begin with the same letter. This is easily verifiable today in many parts of the country. For example, in the Bikol region, the entire alphabet is laid out like a garland over the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, and Catanduanes which in 1849 belonged to the single jurisdiction of Albay. Beginning with A at the provincial capital, the letters B and C mark the towns along the coast beyond Tabaco to Tiwi. We return and trace along the coast of Sorsogon the letters E to L; then starting down the Iraya Valley at Daraga with M, we stop with S to Polangui and Libon, and finish the alphabet with a quick tour around the island of Catan-duanes. Today’s lists of municipal officials, memorials to local heroes, even business or telephone directories, also show that towns where family names begin with a single letter are not uncommon. In as, for example, the letter R is so prevalent that besides the Roas, Reburianos, Rebajantes, etc., some claim with tongue in cheek that the town also produced Romuáldez, Rizal, and Roosevelt!

Excerpt from the 1973 introduction to Catálogo de Alfabético de Apellidos by Domingo Abella

[wiisagi-maiingan]

Tornadoes are becoming more and more common outside of the "tornado valley" area and hitting areas that they used to be much less common in, like mountains.

"Tornado season" has gradually faded away and tornadoes are a deadly threat no matter the month or season.

Tornadoes are becoming stronger in general and doing more damage.

Tornadoes are more likely to form in groups, so instead of one tornado forming, we're seeing multiple form in close proximity to each other.

This is not going to get better any time soon. No matter what we do now, climate change is going to get worse and even deadlier before things get better.

Please, if you live somewhere with ANY significant risk of tornadoes, do research on tornado safety using reputable and reliable sources. Tumblr posts are not reliable sources for emergency protocols and if you cannot verify someone's claims with official and professional sources, do not trust it. There is so much available information from governments and emergency services, you do not need to rely on tumblr posts and you SHOULDN'T be relying on those posts, especially when they strongly contradict things you've been told irl by professionals.

[todaysbat]

Zoos you can see bats at:

last updated: september 29, 2024

Have a zoo to add? Please send an ask, submissions in replies and reblogs get lost amid the numerous notes this blog gets.

-This blog is not affiliated with any zoos listed here

-A question mark next to information indicates missing or unverified information (and send an ask if you can fill in or verify information, please)

-Please send an ask if there are broken links.

**Guide to Accreditation Organization abbreviations**

AZA: Association of Zoos and Aquariums

APGA: American Public Gardens Association

WAZA: World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

IMATA: International Marine Animal Trainers Association

HC: Humane Conservation

ZAA: either the Zoological Association of America or the Australasian Zoo and Aquarium Association

BIAZA: British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums

AMMPA: Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums

EAZA: European Association of Zoos and Aquaria

CAZA: Canadian Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (AZAC in French)

BGCI: Botanic Gardens Conservation International

AAM: American Alliance of Museums

**

**

Arizona (US)

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (AZA) - Tucson - Pallid Bat? - https://www.desertmuseum.org/

**

Colorado (US)

Denver Zoo (AZA, WAZA, HC) - Denver - Common Vampire Bat - https://denverzoo.org/

**

California (US)

San Diego Zoo (AZA) - San Diego - Rodrigues Fruit Bat - https://sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/

Oakland Zoo (AZA) - Oakland - Island Flying Fox, Malayan Flying Fox - https://www.oaklandzoo.org/

**

Florida (US)

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (WAZA, AZA) - Jacksonville - Seba's short-tailed bat, Straw-colored fruit bat, Common Vampire Bat - https://www.jacksonvillezoo.org/

Lubee Bat Conservancy (AZA) - Gainesville - Malayan Flying Fox, Variable Flying Fox, African Straw-colored Fruit Bat, Rodrigues Flying Fox, Evening Bat, Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox, Indian Flying Fox, Gray-headed Fruit Bat - https://www.lubee.org/

Animal Kingdom at Disney World (AZA) - Orlando - Malayan Flying Fox - https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/animal-kingdom/

Zoo Tampa/Lowry Park Zoo (AZA, WAZA) - Tampa - Malayan Flying Fox, Straw-colored fruit bat - https://zootampa.org/

**

Idaho (US)

Zoo Boise (AZA) - Boise - Indian Flying Fox, Ruwenzori Long-haired Fruit Bat - https://zooboise.org/

**

Illinois (US)

Brookfield Zoo (HC, AZA) - Brookfield - Rodrigues Fruit Bat - https://www.czs.org/Brookfield-ZOO/Home.aspx

Lincoln Park Zoo (AZA) - Chicago - Egyptian Fruit Bat - https://www.lpzoo.org/

**

Kansas (US)

Sedgwick County Zoo (WAZA, AZA) - Wichita - Indian Flying Fox - https://scz.org/

Topeka Zoo (AZA, WAZA) - Topeka - Indian Flying Fox - https://topekazoo.org/

**

Kentucky (US)

Louisville Zoo (AZA) - Louisville - Common Vampire Bat, Rodrigues Fruit Bat - https://louisvillezoo.org/

**

Louisiana (US)

Audubon Zoo (AZA) - New Orleans - Seba's short-tailed bat, Common vampire bat - https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/zoo

BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo (AZA?) - Baton Rouge - Indian Flying Fox - Currently in the process of regaining AZA accrediation, expecting an update in Spring 2024 - https://brzoo.org/

**

Massachusetts (US)

Capron Park Zoo (AZA) - Attleboro - Rodrigues Fruit Bat, Indian Flying Fox - https://capronparkzoo.com/

Franklin Park Zoo (AZA) - Boston - Straw-colored Fruit Bat - https://www.zoonewengland.org/franklin-park-zoo/

Stone Zoo (AZA) - Stoneham - Seba's short-tailed bat - https://www.zoonewengland.org/stone-zoo/

**

Michigan (US)

Detroit Zoo (AZA, WAZA) - Royal Oak - Straw-colored fruit Bat - https://detroitzoo.org/

**

Maryland (US)

Maryland Zoo (AZA) - Baltimore - Seba's Short-tailed Bat - https://www.marylandzoo.org/

**

Minnesota (US)

Minnesota Zoo (AZA, WAZA, IMATA) - Apple Valley - Egyptian Fruit bat, Straw-colored fruit bat, Long-haired fruit bat - https://mnzoo.org/

**

Nebraska (US)

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (AZA, WAZA) - Omaha - Short-tailed Fruit Bat, Common Vampire Bat, Egyptian Flying Fox - https://www.omahazoo.com/

**

New York (US)

Bronx Zoo (AZA) - Bronx - Rodrigues Fruit Bat - https://bronxzoo.com/

Prospect Park Zoo (AZA) - Brooklyn - Rodrigues Fruit Bat - https://prospectparkzoo.com/

Central Park Zoo (AZA) - New York City - Short-tailed Fruit Bat, Rodrigues Fruit Bat - https://centralparkzoo.com/

**

North Carolina (US)

North Carolina Zoo (AZA) - Asheboro - Common Vampire Bat - https://www.nczoo.org/

**

Ohio (US)

Akron Zoo (AZA, APGA) - Akron - Rodrigues Fruit Bat, Seba's Short-tailed Bat, Straw-colored fruit bat - https://www.akronzoo.org/

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden (AZA, BGCI) - Cincinnati - Indian Flying Fox, Common Vampire Bat - https://cincinnatizoo.org/

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (AZA, ZAA, AMMPA) - Powell - Large Flying Fox - https://www.columbuszoo.org/

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (AZA) - Cleveland - Straw-colored Fruit bat, Egyptian Fruit Bat - https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo

**

Oklahoma (US)

Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens (AZA, BGCI, AAM) - Oklahoma City - Seba’s Short-tailed Bat - https://www.okczoo.org/

**

Oregon (US)

Oregon Zoo (AZA, WAZA) - Portland - Rodrigues Fruit Bat, Straw-colored Fruit bat - https://www.oregonzoo.org/

**

Pennsylvania (US)

National Aviary (AZA) - Pittsburgh - Malayan Flying Fox - https://www.aviary.org/

Philadelphia Zoo (AZA) - Philadelphia - Rodrigues Fruit Bat, Common Vampire Bat - https://www.philadelphiazoo.org/

Pittsburgh Zoo (ZAA, HC, AMMPA) - Pittsburgh - Jamaican Fruit Bat - https://www.pittsburghzoo.org/

**

Texas (US)

Cameron Park Zoo (AZA) - Waco - Jamaican Fruit Bat - https://www.cameronparkzoo.com/

Dallas World Aquarium (AZA, WAZA) - Dallas - Common Vampire bat, Seba's Short-tailed bat - https://dwazoo.com/

Houston Zoo (AZA) - Houston - Seba's Short-tailed Bat - https://www.houstonzoo.org/

San Antonio Zoo (AZA, ZAA) - San Antonio - Large Flying Fox, Seba's Short-tailed Bat - https://sazoo.org/

**

Tennessee (US)

Memphis Zoo (AZA, WAZA) - Memphis - Common Vampire Bat, Seba's Short-tailed Bat, Egyptian Fruit Bat, Bulldog Bat - https://www.memphiszoo.org/

**

Utah (US)

Hogle Zoo (WAZA, AZA) - Salt Lake City - Species? - https://www.hoglezoo.org/

**

Virginia (US)

Metro Richmond Zoo (ZAA) - Moseley - Straw-colored Fruit bat, Indian flying fox - https://metrorichmondzoo.com/

**

Wisconsin (US)

Henry Vilas Zoo (AZA, WAZA) - Madison - Seba's Short tailed bat - https://www.henryvilaszoo.gov/

Milwaukee County Zoo (AZA) - Milwaukee - Common Vampire Bat, Straw-colored Fruit Bat - https://milwaukeezoo.org/

Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - Green Bay - Not a zoo, included here because they are open to the public; it is the largest park in the Green Bay Park System and the home of the second largest wildlife rehabilitation program in the state; Accreditation unclear, Sanctuary is run by the city government - Various species native to the area - https://greenbaywi.gov/1418/Bay-Beach-Wildlife-Sanctuary

**

Washington (US)

NO LONGER ANY BATS ON EXHIBIT IN ANY ZOOS IN THIS STATE

**

United Kingdom

Northumberland Zoo (BIAZA) - Morpeth, Northumberland - Livingstone’s Fruit Bat - https://www.northumberlandzoo.co.uk/

Chester Zoo (BIAZA, WAZA, EAZA) - Upton-by-Chester, Cheshire - Rodrigues Fruit Bat - https://www.chesterzoo.org/

West Midland Safari and Leisure Park (BIAZA, EAZA) - Bewdley, Worchestershire - Rodrigues fruit bat, Seba's short-tailed bat - https://www.wmsp.co.uk/

Jersey Zoo (BIAZA) - Jersey - Livingstone's Fruit Bat - https://www.durrell.org/visit-jersey-zoo/

ZSL London Zoo (EAZA, BIAZA) - London, England - Rodrigues fruit bat - https://www.londonzoo.org/

**

Australia

Taronga Zoo (ZAA) - Sydney, New South Wales - Ghost Bat - https://taronga.org.au/sydney-zoo

Perth Zoo (ZAA, WAZA) - Perth, Western Australia - Ghost Bat - https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/

Tolga Bat Hospital - Atherton, Queensland - Not a zoo, they are included here because they do tours of their facilities; They are accredited by different organizations than zoos. - Various species native to Australia - https://tolgabathospital.org/

**

Czechia

Prague Zoo (EAZA) - Prague, Czechia - Straw colored fruit bat - https://www.zoopraha.cz/en

**

Canada

Toronto Zoo (AZA) - Toronto, Ontario - Straw-colored fruit bat - https://www.torontozoo.com/

Biodôme (CAZA, WAZA, AZA) - Montreal, Quebec - Jamaican Fruit bat, Seba's Short-tailed bat, Pallas's Long-tongued bat - https://espacepourlavie.ca/en/biodome

Vancouver Aquarium (AZA, CAZA, AMMPA, HC) - Vancouver, British Columbia - Jamaican Fruit Bat - https://www.vanaqua.org/

Assiniboine Park Zoo (AZA, WAZA, CAZA) - Winnipeg, Manitoba - Seba's Short-tailed Bat, Indian Flying Fox - https://www.assiniboinepark.ca/zoo/visit/hours-and-rates

**

Croatia

Zoo Zagreb (EAZA?) - Zagreb - Egyptian Fruit Bat - https://zoo.hr/english/

**

[midnightmah07]

THE NAME CHANGE IS SO RANDOM. ITS BAUR ALL OVER AGAIN, BUT WORSE

I ACTUALLY NEED TO VENT ABOUT IT BC IM ACTUALLY PISSED SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE IT JUST DON'T READ WHAT'S UNDER THE CUT

Ok for those who don't know apparently (I think it's not 100% verified source so I'm HOPING it's mistaken) Fellow Honest and Gidel had their names changed, so now Fellow Honest is named Ernesto Foulworth in twsten and Gidel is named Gino

*Breathes in* ok. Lemme just get this out of the gate before I start venting and screaming about how much I hate this. I find Gino a very cute name and it fits Gidel very well, it's adorable and I can 100% see it and even accept it. Foulworth is a really cool surname, although I wouldn't accept it as a name. I don't like Ernesto because it doesn't fit Fellow's face to me, he died look like an Ernesto + it's a common-ish name in Brazil so I don't like it.

With that off the way...

I HATE THIS CHANGE WAY TOO MUCH.

I was ok with them changing Baul's name to Baur and Farena to Falena because these names could be written both ways given the Japanese language because of the fact that certain sounds don't exist in Japanese (if I'm not mistaken), I was fine with them changing Briar Valley to Briarland because it doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things, same thing with mandol to thaumarks and magift to spelldrive. I have a very big problem however when twsten suddenly decide to change names of important characters and these changes are very big and make absolutely no sense at all, and this is what happened to both Kifaji (from Sunset Savannah event) and Fellow + Gidel

There's absolutely no freaking reason to change Kifaji's name to Neji, his name is actually 100% well written and obvious in Japanese, there's no room for interpretation because all the sounds for Kifaji's name exist, there's no way they could've interpreted that ad Neji. Fellow and Gidel's names aren't like that but there's NO WAY you can go from their katakana name pronunciation to Ernesto Foulworth and Gino. It just doesn't make sense.

They just made this change to??? Change it???? Some people are saying they like it and appreciate it because it's tying with the Italian roots to Pinocchio and listen, I do like that too, but I don't like the fact that they did that through changing important characters names. I don't like it. It's unnecessary. I'm all for putting more cool references about the movies/stories' origins but without changing things so important like a character name. If Yana wanted to name these characters Neji, Ernesto and Gino she would've done so. But no. She decided on Kifaji, Fellow and Gidel. What's the freaking issue with translating that names as they are.

I'm just. Sorry I'm just so angry I wish I was optimistic and laughing about this situation as anyone else but I actually hate this new trend twsten is doing sm I can't even laugh at it.

[a-m-w-worlds]

The Hidden Meaning of Names in Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek

Okay, so I like names. I like researching them, discovering their meanings and histories, and finding the perfect one for my characters, locations, etc. This means it makes my nerdy little heart happy anytime I discover that someone else put as much thought into their character names as I usually do, and let me tell you, Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek, is a goldmine!

The first name on this list I've known about for a long time, Guadalupe Comillo. Through other sources (mostly Heroes of Olympus if I'm being honest) I knew Lupa was the name of the She-Wolf in Roman mythology who cared for Romulus and Remus, so I already assumed Guadalupe's nickname, Lupe, was a reference to this. But I later learned the actual meaning of the name Guadalupe is "valley of wolves". This was a really fun discovery, but I kind of assumed she was the only character to have a name like this, until…

Lou Talbot.

I happened to fall down a rabbit hole one night regarding the classic Universal Monsters (falling down weird rabbit holes is a favorite pass time of mine!) and I discovered that the titular Wolf Man from the 1941 film happens to be named Larry Talbot. Since Lou was the only other Talbot I knew I made the connection instantly and had a good laugh over it, until it occurred to me that if Lou and Guadalupe both have wolf-themed names, other characters might as well!

The Hunt was on!

After making the Talbot connection I started checking other films and turned up two more connections. Bill Kessler shares his surname with David Kessler, the werewolf in the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London and Julius McQuade shares his name with the protagonist of the 1983 film Lone Wolf McQuade.

A basic search for the name Randall, Ollie and Freddie's surname, reveals that (at least according to this Wikipedia article) it's an anglicized form of a Scandinavian name meaning "shield wolf". (Ironic considering how badly Ollie wanted the wolf dead!)

And a search for Yanni Volkstaia's surname turned up this Reddit post by lemonapplecherry that fit into my hunt beautifully. In this post they explain that Volk is the Russian word for wolf, (easily verified by Google Translate) and Staya is a Russian word denoting a group of animals or a pack if you will!

And according to this article (and several others I forgot to save the links for, oopsy) Sheriff Mahihkan's surname is the Cree word for Wolf!

So, the simple version:

Guadalupe Comillo's first name means "valley of wolves" and (bonus fun fact) her surname means "acolyte". Pretty fitting since she one of the only characters who cares about the wolf's safety!

Lou Talbot shares his surname with Larry Talbot, the werewolf from Universal's The Wolf Man.

Bill Kessler shares his surname with David Kessler, the werewolf from An American Werewolf in London.

Julius McQuade shares his surname with the protagonist of the film Lone Wolf McQuade.

Ollie and Freddie Randall's surname means "shield wolf".

Yanni Volkstaia's surname is a fusion of the Russian words for wolf and pack.

Sherriff Mahihkan's surname is the Cree word for wolf.

These are all of the characters from The White Wolf of Icicle Creek I've been able to draw concrete connections between their names and wolves for, but I'm not convinced they're the only ones! There are still three characters I really expected to find connections for: Chantal Moique, Elsa Sibbelhoth, and Daniel "Trapper Dan" Weisnitz. Based purely on how atypical their surnames are, I was CONVINCED they must also have wolf connections, but I've been completely unable to find any. I've run every wolf-related word I could think of through every language on Google Translate and found nothing. I've searched for literary names connected to wolves with no luck. I've run their names through search engines to no avail. (Google reeeeaaaaalllllllyyyyy thinks I mean Monique when I search for Moique!) And I've done some (admittedly shallow) glancing into different types of wolves and people who have researched wolves, and still haven't found anything.

So, any and all members of the Clue Crew hanging out on Tumblr, I want to know, do you know any wolf connections that I missed? If you let me know of any I'd love to add your findings and credits to this list!/gen

Thanks for reading and happy sleuthing!

[chaosbarelycontained]

The Bones of You

North Country Boy Chapter 10

Pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x AFAB!OC

TW: None, I was feeling sappy

Words: 2k

Synopsis: The mission goes slightly awry

The team of six, small yet dangerously effective, stopped a mile from the ancient fortress, their vehicles partially hidden from view by giant boulders that littered the edge of the glacial valley. Jules had managed to tamp down the spectres of the past, locking them tightly away, and was now back in her ops head-space. She listened with laser-sharp focus as the Captain briefed them one last time, slapping each of them on the chest or shoulder in encouragement. He looked at Jules, scanning over her face for a second then winked and nodded before the team split into two groups and began to make their way stealthily towards their target.

The fortress was perched on a low rocky outcrop at the point where two valleys converged, the dusty red limestone craggs blending into the carved stone blocks of the fortress’ foundations. When they reached the halfway point, Soap broke away, heading for the higher ground he’d scouted out to bed himself down with his M249 and a cracking view of the majority of the fortress compound. Price’s voice through her headset confirmed that Roach had done the same on the other side of the fortress.

The early morning sun had not yet breached the walls of the valley, leaving the expanse before them thick with shadows. It served to keep them hidden all the more and, for that, Jules was grateful. She was barely winded when she and Ghost reached the foot of the fortress and began to scramble up the ancient rock walls.

“West clear,” Soap verified from his vantage point.

“East clear,” Roach agreed.

“Copy that,” Price responded, huffing a little through the mic as he hauled himself up the rock face.

It was one of the easier climbs Jules had attempted. Time and erosion from the fierce steppes winds had left gaping cracks between the layers of rock and then the large stone blocks of the fortress.

“Reached the top, good to go?” Ghost said into his mic.

“Affirmative,” Soap verified, his comment echoed by Roach not a moment later.

Jules followed the Lieutenant up and over the wall, dropping down as silently as they could onto the worn slabs of the fortress’ courtyard. They stayed hidden in the deep shadows cast by the walls as they skirted around the perimeter, on high alert for any potential hostiles. They didn’t encounter any as they silently moved towards the room that Jules had identified as potentially holding the server, and that put her on edge. The other half of their team had only encountered two guards, who they swiftly executed with deadly precision.

Fortunately the fortress wasn’t of great size, which was normal for structures of that age, so it didn’t take them long to reach the small collection of buildings that they targeted. There were no doors to bar their way, and the windows held no glass, so their entrance into the first room had the advantage of being soundless. It meant that the two hostiles they found within were caught by surprise and were easily dispatched by Ghost’s deadly knife as he shouldered Jules out of harm’s way.

She couldn’t form words, as astounded as she was by his audacity, and simply gaped as he wiped off his blade on the leg of one of the hostiles.

“What the fu-“ she hissed, ready to tear him a new arsehole regardless of his rank, but stopped abruptly as Ghost stiffened and held his cupped hand to his ear.

She froze, listening intently, her grip tightening on her rifle as scuffs could be heard from the room beyond. Ghost closed his fist, pointing his thumb to the floor before raising a single finger, and Jules nodded in confirmation. Moving as one they flanked the doorway and then burst into the next room. It was mere seconds before Ghost had the hostile immobilised on the floor, his neck pulled back at an excruciating angle.

“Server,” he growled lowly, in Russian.

The hostile spat, refusing to speak, but Jules left them to it, her attention drawn to the rest of the room. There were no windows there but there were wires coming through the doorway and running along the wall up to the high ceiling. She tracked them with her eyes, splitting her attention to remain alert for any incursions. High up on the far wall there was a wide ledge, probably for some sort of raised storage in days gone by, but there was a congregation of wires leading to it and Jules could see a faint blinking light to the back of it. Bingo.

She stalked back over to Ghost, who still hadn’t manage to elicit any intel, and drove her knife into the hostile’s jugular, slicing it across his throat for good measure.

“No loose ends,” she murmured. “I found it.”

“Fuckin’ ‘ell. No flies on you, eh?” Ghost muttered, staring at Jules as if he was seeing her for the first time. He managed to mentally shake himself, dropping the body like a sack of potatoes and rising to his feet.

“Giz a boost?” Jules asked, gesturing with her chin towards the ledge.

Ghost complied without question, boosting her up onto the ledge and then standing guard below.

“Shouldn’t be long,” Jules muttered, accessing the port on the server and plugging in the palm-sized tablet she carried.

“Accessing the server now,” she said into her mic, informing the team of her actions.

It was laughably easy to begin transferring the data. There was barely any security on the system and the firewall they had was about as ancient as the structure they were standing in.

“Building cleared,” Price said, his voice carrying a note of surprise. “Thought there’d be more. Don’t let your guards down.”

“All clear out here too,” Roach agreed. “Too fucking quiet.”

Jules watched as the percentage bar filled, coming closer and closer to the end of the transfer. A light blinked in the corner of her eye and she turned her attention towards it. It flashed again, and then again, a rhythmical pattern that seemed to get faster. Weird. The little yellow LED was on a small box attached to one of the side ports on the server, with two wires leading away from it. They ran along the ledge and then, once they reached the edge, tracked down the wall. Jules’ tablet pinged its completion and she disconnected from the server but not before she realised that the little LED was blinking even faster than before.

“Done,” she announced, before rolling and dropping off the ledge.

The expected contact with the floor didn’t happen as two large hands wrapped around her waist and stopped her descent, slowly lowering her to the ground. She froze for a second, the hands not moving - in fact she swore she could feel them tighten a little - as she stared up at Ghost’s enigmatic expression.

“Gerroff!” Jules snorted, wiggling away from the Lieutenant and trying to ignore her racing heart as she stalked over to the edge of the room to track the wires from the ledge.

She found them again and followed them, hunkering down as they disappeared into a crack where the wall met the floor. A waxy substance filled the crack and a sinking feeling filled Jules’ chest. She swiped a gloved finger along the mystery substance and raised it to her nose, pulling down her bally to get a better whiff.

“Soap, you copy?” She croaked, nervously.

“Copy, Tiger,” he responded.

“You know of any IEDs that smell like almonds?” She sensed Ghost stiffen behind her, not knowing if it was from her discovery or the undisguised apprehension in her voice.

“No’ that I…wait. What colour?”

“Green?”

“Fuckin’ shit balls,” Soap cursed. “Archaic bastards, usin’ 808. Primed?”

“Affirmative,” Jules swallowed thickly.

“Get tha fuck outta there, Tiger,” Soap exclaimed, a hint of panic in his voice. “Captain, I recommend ye hoof it.”

“Copy that, Soap. Everyone evac, sharpish,” Price commanded.

They wasted no time in retreating. With the fortress clear of hostiles they headed for the closest gates, not even considering to attempt the struggle of scaling the walls once more. Jules ran as fast as she could, her legs pumping and her chest heaving, but the giant strides of the Lieutenant quickly began to extend the distance between them. She wasn’t sure they were out of the blast radius yet but Ghost slowed just a little to let her catch up. She didn’t look at him, focused as she was on getting as far away as possible but then there was tension on the back of her vest, her feet were off the ground and she was flying through the air as an explosion sounded from behind them.

Air rushed out of her lungs as she was crushed by the 6’2” behemoth that landed on top of her. A pain shot through her ribs and she winced as she looked up into Ghost’s whiskey-coloured eyes.

“Did you just fuckin’ chuck me?!” She hissed.

* * *

“Rob’s just upstairs puttin’ three tubs worth of gel in his hair. He’ll be down by next Christmas,” Jules said to Simon, who leaned against the counter in her kitchen as he waited for his best friend. “I swear half his kit bag is gel when he comes home for a visit. Where y’off to anyway?”

“Just the pub.” He beckoned her towards him and she went eagerly, standing in front of him with a grin. “Wish you were comin’ with us.”

“Yeah, I know, but Rob don’t want me crampin’ his style.”

Simon snickered. “That muppet wouldn’t know style if it hit ‘im in the cock.” His hands went to her waist to pull her closer.

“You got that right, an’ yet he manages to pull a bird every bloody week. Y’should ‘ave fun tonight, the pair of you.”

“There’s only one bird I’ve got my eye on,” he said, squeezing her waist a little.

“Oh yeah, that Tracy that lives near the park. I heard she’s a right goer,” Jules teased.

His hand cupped the back of her neck, his thumb stroking her cheek. “Y’such a dick, come ‘ere.”

Jules grinned cheekily and slid her arms around Simon’s neck and stepped into him, raising her face as he dipped his head down to kiss her. A quick kiss became another, and then another, each deeper than the last until Jules found herself lifted and placed on the kitchen counter. She wrapped her legs around his waist as they both became lost in each other.

“What the fuck is this?!”

Jules froze with a gasp and Simon’s head whipped round before he turned his body to put himself between her and an irate Rob.

“Easy mate,” Simon rumbled placatingly.

“Easy? I come back from Preston an’ see you wi yer tongue down our Jules’ throat! How long’s this been goin’ on, eh?” He craned his head to look at Jules. “Don’t tell me yer shaggin’ him.”

“What if I am, Rob. S’none of y’business,” Jules snarled, her chin raised defiantly.

“How long?“ Rob asked the pair of them.

“Long enough,” Simon replied.

“Long enough for me to love him, alright, Rob? So shut yer gob, yeah?” Jules blurted, her face heating. She felt Simon stiffen and then he turned, grinning at her with his eyebrow raised. “Oh, y’can wipe that cocky fuckin’ smirk off yer face an’ all, Riley. I said what I said. Fuckin’ deal with it.”

Rob laughed, his hands raised in surrender. “Fine, fine. Whatever. I mean, I know I said take care of her, pal, but I din’t mean literally.”

“Yeah, well, sorry mate.” Simon gave a sheepish shrug.

“Are we goin’ to the fuckin’ boozer or what?” Rob announced, as if the revelation of their relationship had never happened.

“Yeah, you sure ye’ve got enough gel on your head?” Simon quipped.

“Piss off,” Rob threw back as he sauntered out of the back door.

Simon turned to Jules, a soft look on his face. “Thought he were gonna twat me for a minute,” he admitted.

“Well at least we don’t have t’sneak around anymore,” she said quietly.

“True,” Simon hummed, dipping his head to kiss her softly. “Love you too, Princess,” he murmured, before following Rob out of the door.

Taglist: @aykxz98 @spicyspicyliving @wickizer