#while their behaviour is understandable what happens eventually is they need to make amends or it becomes harder for their loved ones

[iatethepomegranate]

Where was that post about Laudna's storyline being an allegory for addiction? I feel like this explains her behaviour A LOT in this conflict

Edit: Marisha confirmed this. The perils of live blogging, hey

[thyandrawrites]

hi! i've been reading your stuff for a short while and i really want to tell you you're basically validating my feelings on certain aspects of bnha (the villains). i have yet to find another blog that handles the villains as well as you do. i see too many takes i dont agree with, so thank you for that! also, my (kinda stupid) question is: do you think it's kinda "unfair" that endeavor gets a redemption arc because he's a hero while the league of villains doesn't (at least for now)?

Thank you so much for your kindness! I’m glad to create content that people can enjoy.

By the way, to answer your question. In general I think it’s unfair that heroes get handed narrative victories that they haven’t earned while the villains need to live through countless pages of torture porn to get some development. But aside from that... If you’re asking me if I think that Endeavor should get a redemption arc... Well, I have to make a little disclaimer. Redemption arcs are not inherently bad. They work like any normal character arc. Character x goes from point A to point B and learns things as they go. So I can understand the value in writing an atonement arc for an abuser if it was done right. There is worth in exploring why certain toxic behaviours are harmful for the people around you, because it educates people on the subject and simultaneously gives hope and/or escapism. In real life, it’s rare that abusers acknowledge their own bad actions and make a conscious effort to change into better people. So I can understand why people would want to see a narrative that’s more hopeful.

However, Endeavor’s atonement arc was... I wouldn’t call it a red herring, but it def was just the set up for a failure that was supposed to point out the fallacy in his thought process. To hopefully build the foundations for some real atonement later. Horikoshi was playing long game with it. He left us hanging for 100 chapters (that’s like two years’ worth of weekly issues not counting breaks), so for a lot of us Endeavor’s arc read like abuse apologism because he was trying to make amends for the wrong things and never for being an awful dad, you know? It wasn’t even a redemption arc (yet), but it sure sounded like one.

The real redemption might or might not come now that the whole truth is out. What happened before was just the set up for this turning point. I guess whether it’s “fair” that Endeavor be given a chance, it’s a matter that rests entirely on how he chooses to react to the news of his son being a villain. If he’s unsympathetic, and if he still refuses to acknowledge his role in Touya’s villain awakening, then he’s not even on the playing field for a redemption, because redemption implies realizing why your actions were wrong. If this is the final push he needs to finally act like a father, then a proper growth can happen.

Now, is it fair that a hero is getting all this narrative focus simply because he’s a hero? .... Not really, but that’s always been Horikoshi’s main flaw. Tho I wouldn’t say that Endeavor’s possible redemption excludes the possibility of the villains getting similar arcs. I’ve always been positive that at least the Shiga / Dabi / Toga trio was going to get saved eventually, considering their buildup, so I wouldn’t give up all hope yet. Endeavor’s proper atonement relies entirely on the fact that he will save Touya from his self-destructive path, so there’s that

[lillupon]

thoughts on kmg situation

Hi everyone, your friendly neighbourhood minwon writer here! I apologise to those of you who were hoping for an update this weekend. In light of recent events, I found it very difficult to get excited about Achieving Escape Velocity. Before I can resume posting, I feel it is necessary for me to work through my own thoughts. 

I am not trying to persuade people into believing a particular side. I share this with the hope that it will help others who are struggling to reconcile feelings similar to my own. I also see this as an opportunity to—with your guidance—become more passionate, and to learn how to be a decent human being, if that’s what I need to do. I recognise that I come barreling in here with my own cultural and environmental biases. Thus, anyone who understands the nuances of this situation better should feel free to educate me on the matter. If this is of no interest to you, kindly scroll on; I hope to see you when I next update. Otherwise, please join me for a few minutes. 

TL;DR

I support both Mingyu and the victim/OP

I believe that people change as they grow older and become more educated and informed

I am conflicted and have my misgivings about the additional allegations (group chat screenshots + bullying a student with special needs—which has now been resolved, yay!)

I will not unstan Mingyu

I will continue to write and update Achieving Escape Velocity

I want to start by saying that I am an older fan in my twenties, and that I have been a fan of Seventeen since 2015. I have found great joy and comfort in them for many years. As much as I have tried to remain impartial, I have likely fallen short of that ideal. The truth is, I adore this boy! I admire his talents as an artist. I am charmed by the persona of him that we get to see in the media; I see parts of myself reflected in this curated persona. That being said, I tried to remain critical of the stance I am taking. I asked myself, “If this situation was not about Mingyu, and was about my local weatherman instead, would I still feel the same way?” And the answer to that was: hell fucking yeah! Don’t worry, Local Weatherman, I got your back… 

Lastly, I want to say that I am approaching this from a Western point of view. I grew up in Canada, albeit with the traditions and beliefs inherited from fairly strict and conservative Asian parents. As an international fan, there will inevitably be some cultural disconnects in this thought piece. 

There are three main parts to my admittedly rough and disjointed thoughts. The first part addresses the original accusations. The second part addresses additional accusations that were made against Mingyu. The final part is about the future of my minwon stories.

You may agree with all of this, part of this, or none of this. These are simply the thoughts I am trying to work through. 

Thoughts on original allegations (therapy records OP)

How do I describe opening up Twitter on Thursday morning? One moment, I was reading about Mingyu drawing pubes on the classroom whiteboard. The next moment, I was reading about how serious allegations against Mingyu were. People were unstanning him and Seventeen, calling Mingyu a rapist, sending him death threats, etc. I truly did not understand how the situation escalated so quickly, and I nearly gave myself whiplash trying to follow jumps in logic. 

One side of Twitter was convinced that the Original Poster (OP) was lying and doing all of this for attention; they said victims could not be believed 100%. The other side of Twitter declared that Mingyu should be cancelled, and bashed anyone who supported Mingyu or remained neutral. People were sending Mingyu death threats despite the history of k-pop artists committing suicide. All of this reminded me why I avoided Twitter for so many years: Purity and cancel culture run rampant; the mobs want blood penance for every wrongdoing without first considering the nuances of the situation. People blindly defend their ults and set aside their morals to do so.

Here is what I got out of my initial reading of the translated (version 1, version 2) accusations:

OP was shy, timid, and isolated from her classmates. When she tried to speak up in class, Mingyu would tell her to shut up. This happened enough times that, eventually, OP stopped talking in class at all.

Mingyu and his friends told sexual jokes while OP was in the vicinity. These comments made OP uncomfortable and triggered her. However, they were not directed at OP.

The sexual jokes and comments did not escalate to sexual assault or violence. OP explicitly states there was no violence or physical contact.

Mingyu and his friends drew and laughed at inappropriate pictures of body parts/hair on the board. OP is not actually sure if it was Mingyu who drew the pictures, only that he was up there laughing with the others.

OP struggles with anxiety and depression; Mingyu was not the sole reason why she attended therapy. OP mentioned that she brought Mingyu up only briefly with her therapist.

Could I believe all of this being true? Yes, because I personally adhere to two Me Too philosophies: 

The first is that women almost never lie about sexual harassment, abuse, or assault. I absolutely believe that Mingyu is capable of making sexual jokes and comments. Teenage boys and girls alike are notoriously emotional and hormonal between the ages of 12 and 14. I can also imagine Mingyu drawing penises on whiteboards, complete with elaborate pubic hair. These are the antics of a typical middle school boy. For some reason, teenage boys—at least in North America—are very fascinated by their own genitalia and like to announce they have one by drawing pictures of dicks on any available surface. 

The second philosophy I abide by is that men and boys in power are likely to abuse it. All men—even k-pop idols—benefit from patriarchy. They are in a position to abuse, degrade, and humiliate women (obviously, I hope none of these things happen, but I also have to acknowledge the possibility that they do). This is especially true in patriarchal Asian societies. Someone as popular and attractive as Mingyu holds great influence and power in his peer groups. Can I see a young Mingyu being a dick to a girl who is quiet and timid and isolated from her peers? Yes.

But also… Who wasn’t a dick in middle school? I feel like my classmates and I were colossal idiots back then. Was it just my school where classmates told each other to shut up all the time? Was it just my school where kids put their thumb and forefinger in an “L” shape to their foreheads and called each other losers? Everyone has a different threshold for what they consider bullying, but for me, these gestures and comments were so commonplace that I merely accepted them as part of the elementary and middle school experience. These things are mean and insensitive, yes, but it’s possible to grow out of these antics.

It is difficult for me to form an opinion about these sexual jokes Mingyu made for two reasons: (1) cultural differences, and thus my own internal biases, and (2) we don’t know about the nature of these jokes. It’s hard to determine whether these comments constitute as sexual harassment without this context. Even then, people have different thresholds of what they are comfortable with, and what they are not comfortable with.

We don’t know whether these comments were along the lines of “That’s what she said” or “You know what else is big?” or “I grow hair down there...on my toes!” ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Or if they were jokes about sexual experience/performance, speculation about what someone looks like naked, the colour of their underwear, or raping a person (I’ve often seen these “jokes” directed at female streamers and influencers). In my opinion, there’s a big difference between the two. 

The former, while crude and immature, is not generally said with ill-intent, nor is it generally directed at a specific person. These are jokes that teens, both male and female, commonly make in North America. (Perhaps this is part of the problem: the fact that I consider this to be standard teenage behaviour...) I would hesitate to call it harassment unless the victim made it known that she was uncomfortable, and the boys continued anyway. I also understand that the victim may not have felt able to speak out against Mingyu and his friends. In this case, the boys might not have been aware of her discomfort. Teenage boys are not particularly well-known for being sensitive. 

The latter, however, objectifies and diminishes a person, and is disgusting and reprehensible. The latter is, without contest, sexual harassment. Absolutely no one should have to tolerate comments of this nature. Anyone who makes such jokes should be educated on why these so-called jokes are damaging, and how they perpetuate rape culture, as well as the sexualisation and dehumanisation of women, as well as men. Anyone who makes comments of this nature should be called out (and here I emphasise called out as opposed to cancelled) for their behaviour. It is imperative that they are educated, given the opportunity to reflect, apologise, and make amends. This is with the hope they know better in the future and do not make the same mistake again. 

Now, based on what OP said, the jokes Mingyu made seem more like the first case: he made a pun about body hair. I am pretty sure if Mingyu made “jokes” of the second nature, OP would have chosen to highlight that instead of a pun. However, this is something that needs to be clarified. The content of these jokes drastically changes the severity of the allegations.

Currently, I interpret this through the lens of my uncouth Western sensibilities: what OP described sounds like typical Western teen behaviour. There are many actions, events, and experiences that take place during our formative and adolescent years that come to define who we are as adults. Personally, I don’t think that drawing hairy penises on the whiteboard—inappropriate as it is—or being an asshole in middle school are these things.

But who am I to say, “Yeah, what OP went through was not that bad”? I can’t be the judge of that, and that’s absolutely not what I’m trying to do here. I don’t know the whole story, and even then, it doesn’t matter. I am an outsider in all of this. I’m not trying to diminish the years of suffering and torment the victim went through, and I apologise if that’s how I came off. Nothing I said previously changes the fact that these jokes negatively affected the victim. Nothing I said changes the fact that this girl’s voice was silenced because of some thoughtless middle school boy’s comments. These are wounds that people carry from childhood through to adulthood.

Impact matters just as much as intent. I might argue that in cases such as these, impact matters even more than intent. Mingyu might have done all these things without ill-intent, but OP’s trauma is very much real. (As a side note: This is one of the reasons why I am very happy with Pledis’ official statement. Their focus on healing and reparation—without absolving Mingyu or throwing him under the bus (yet)—is the right move.)

I’ve just been seeing so many death threats and demands for Mingyu to leave the group that I cannot help but wish people would extend him the empathy that they themselves would appreciate.

People are condemning a 12-14 year old Mingyu for making sexual puns and being an asshole. People are measuring a middle school aged-Mingyu against the ethical and moral standards they hold as adults, and they are finding that this young Mingyu fell short. This should not be surprising. I know if I judged younger-me by the standards I have today, I would be left wanting. 

I remember the kind of person I was as a teenager. I was hormonal. I made “That’s what she said” jokes, among others. While I never intentionally set out to hurt anyone, I know I have said crude and unkind things. As a teenager, I didn’t possess the tact I do now; I didn’t know how to self-regulate. I could be a mean and horny kid (not necessarily at the same time, haha!), but I also had parts of me that were deeply sensitive and caring and thoughtful of others. Teenagers and adults are multi-faceted. I would not want anyone to dig up these past receipts and use it as the basis to judge the person I am now. I would not want people to pick out the worst of my past actions and words, and use it to invalidate my success today. 

It varies case by case, but for the most part, I don’t think people should be punished for what they did or said as children; I would have been cancelled long ago if this were the case, as would many others. People change as they grow older and become more educated and informed. It is different if these behaviours and actions persist into adulthood. Then, yes: there should absolutely be consequences. I am not saying we can just sweep all our childhood wrongdoings under the rug. It is still important for us to acknowledge and reflect upon the wrongs of past words and actions, and to offer apologies and reparations where they are due.  

Should these allegations prove true, can I support both OP and Mingyu, or is that cheating? I do believe OP and my heart goes out to her. I understand why she chose to speak out. I know it must have been difficult to do so against someone who is a man, famous, well-loved, wealthy, and successful. I know it must hurt to see the whole world adore a man who has caused you pain. South Korea has a culture of enduring silently; this results in great mental strain and suffering. In speaking out, she relived past and present power imbalances. This is not easy for a victim to do, especially when you are a woman in a patriarchal society and your bully is a male celebrity.

I hope I am not invalidating her feelings when I reiterate that Mingyu was a young teenager, and teenagers can be mean and crude—intentionally or not. Mingyu is a public figure, so naturally, he is held to higher moral standards. But he is also human. He can and will make mistakes. He can and will continue to grow. I feel a lot of empathy for Mingyu, both now as he is forced to confront his past immaturities, and as he moves forward in his career. 

Thoughts on additional allegations (KakaoTalk group chat + ableism)

I will not be addressing allegations of Mingyu bullying a classmate with autism now that the issue has been resolved. (Again, I commend Pledis for their response, and for recognising that the ableism needed to be addressed first. Of the three l accusations, this was the one that Mingyu would not be able to recover from. Even now, he will not emerge from this unscathed). I will only be sharing my initial misgivings about these additional allegations.

First off, this is a very nuanced and precarious topic. I don’t want to diminish a potential victim’s experience, yet I hope people understand why I am so skeptical about accepting screenshots of chat rooms as hard proof. Here are a few reasons why:

(1) Bullying scandals have been erupting left and right, especially as of late. Some of these accusations have been proved true. Others have been proved false. Regardless, there seems to be a trend of digging up past receipts—fabricated or not—of celebrities with the aim of cancelling them or undermining their success. 

(2) Screenshots and chat rooms are easily manipulated and fabricated. This is different from a victim with a face speaking out against past incidents of bullying. They could be someone with malicious intent, or they could be a genuine victim. We just don’t know. And in the case of the chat rooms, it wasn’t even the victims who were speaking out.

(3) I wondered if these were antis who jumped on the coattails of the initial OP to stir the pot. These allegations (particularly the case of ableism, which has thankfully been cleared up now) are far more serious than original claims—why wait until now to bring them up?

(4) I find it difficult to trust even yearbook proof because people can and will sell yearbooks if they went to school with idols. In addition, yearbooks cannot prove interaction, and therefore, cannot prove bullying. At the same time, how do you prove bullying incidents from ten years ago? How do you disprove it? Cases of bullying aren’t often well-documented. It essentially becomes a game of my-word-against-yours. 

(5) There is a pretty well-known article from 2016 where Mingyu defended a classmate with a disability. It doesn’t necessarily disprove the current claim, but the timing is important here. The classmate shared their account back in 2016; it did not just surface after recent allegations. However, if I want to believe that the KKT screenshots are false, then I must also be willing to believe that this 2016 article may have been fabricated as well.

(6) As someone in their 20s, the thought of being in a group chat with a bunch of my middle school classmates is baffling to me. Personally, I don’t want anything to do with my middle school classmates.

There is not much more to say on this; I will patiently wait for Pledis’ statement on the remaining allegations.

Achieving Escape Velocity and other MinWon stories

In a previous blog post, I stated that when I write and talk about AEV-Mingyu and Wonwoo—or other variations of Mingyu and Wonwoo—they are strictly characters that I have made up in my head, and they are separate from the real Mingyu and Wonwoo. At the same time, I do absolutely draw inspiration from the real Mingyu and Wonwoo in the creation of these story characters. It is their faces, bodies, and voices that I imagine. Thus, my current anxieties surrounding this situation make it difficult for me to write and enjoy AEV.

However, I still love this story a lot, and I love sharing it with everyone! There’s so much more to this fic that I want to show. As I mentioned in the initial author’s note, this is the first time I’m posting something of this length and I worked really hard on it. For these reasons, I have every intention of continuing to write and update Achieving Escape Velocity. Regular weekly updates will resume this coming weekend.

[montierosepha-blog]

Epic RDR2 Extra Story

So you may have heard that there was originally more main story for RDR2 involving another love interest for Arthur, involving another 5 or so missions but that ultimately it was written out. Well here it is....sort of – it's definitely the closest thing to DLC we're going to get for a while!!! The short version of how this came to be is: Got depressed and wrote epic extra RDR2 story based in Chapter 3 with over 50 created 'screencaps' to accompany. Never done 3D character creation before so taught myself everything I could. Used a 17 yr old version of Photoshop and a free 3D rendering program. All of this is dedicated to G.J.V who was a massive gamer and tragically passed away from a similar infection to TB 3 days after we got married. Important to note – I wrote this when only in Chapter 3, I hadn't completed the game (still haven't more on that later) There are of course some minor clashes and bits that need changing but well artistic license! In terms of story this happens in Clements Point pre. The mission where Arthur is kidnapped by the O'Driscolls. Everything is pretty much the same, with the addition of the new character, and Molly is not with Dutch yet. I have used a mission from Chapter 2 just because it fitted so well incase you get confused! Along with the extra story I have written a slightly amended ending to Arthur's death (don't worry he still dies!) as well as an Epilogue moment for the new character.

Honestly I put way too much time into this, but it got me through an extremely rough time so I'm grateful just for that. However if you like it please let me know! Also I'm happy to answer any questions, there were lots of little nuances that were put in (some on purpose and some moments that were accidentally relevant to events or experiences that at the time of writing I didn't know anything about, but somehow worked out!)

So here we go!!!

Resilient, independant and deadly with a bow, Grace joined the Van der Linde gang at the same time as Charles. They had met several months before whilst tracking the same bear and decided that in the changing times, travelling together was perhaps safer for them both. From a wealthy background but with a tumultuous childhood, Grace spent most of her life surviving alone, except for a few years when she was taken in by an Indian tribe; learning and working alongside them she eventually proved herself and became one of them. However with the violent climate and her own troubles she decided to head out again on her own. She prefers the predictability of beats to men and whilst her dealings with the civilised world are limited, she is highly educated and quick thinking, something which appeals greatly to Dutch, but it appears her interest lie elsewhere much to his frustrations

Because I know you'll be reading the dialogue in the characters voices here is a clip of Grace's voice (it's a bit of a spoiler to the story but the only bit that could be re written into a monologue) 

https://youtu.be/wyekV2huIV8 (click through link may not work please copy and paste to browser to listen) The first time Arthur met Grace; a few months before the Blackwater incident, she was carrying a huge deer carcass across her shoulders. He offered to help and was promptly shut down, rather than take offence he found it quite endearing, and after a sincere apology from Grace later that day the two found themselves sharing stories and enjoying each others company. Whilst the events of the last few months have seen little time for socialising, the gang now settled, albeit temporarily in Clements Point, has meant that there are at least the occasional times for frivolity. With some money set aside, and recently appointed as deputies to Sheriff Gray of Rhodes, Dutch decided that it might be good for the gang to let off a little steam in Rhodes Saloon one evening - of course providing everyone was going to be on their best behaviour.

Clements Point Gang Camp, Early evening.

The majority of the camp is getting ready to head into town, a few of the gang have decided to stay behind but all are in good spirits, except Arthur who is clearly agitated.

Dutch- Arthur what is the matter with you this evening? Arthur- Nothing. Just, are you sure this is a good idea? Dutch- Arthur it will be fine! There's not going to be any trouble. We're just going to go, make a few new friends and get a better understanding of what we've got here. There is nothing to worry about! Arthur- Okay ok. I'm just being cautious is all. Grace walks past in her bloodied hunting jacket. Grace- Hey Arthur. Mr. Van der Linde, well don't you both look nice! Arthur- Aren't you coming into Rhodes with us? Grace- Well I was going to, but I don't think a jacket covered in animal insides is going to make quite the impression you two had in mind as deputies. Arthur- Well I'm sure everyone won't mind waiting for you.

Dutch- No, Arthur. Why don't you and Bill take the cart and go on ahead with everyone. I'm more than happy to wait for Miss. Holden. Grace- That would be wonderful, Thank you. Dutch- Not at all, my dear. Grace disappears off, an irritated Arthur turns back to Dutch. Arthur- And what do we do if Sheriff Gray happens to be there and you're not? Dutch- Entertain him, Arthur. He's an idiot and a drunk, so even you shouldn't have a problem holding conversation with the man. Just keep everyone on their best behaviour and every thing will be fine. Arthur- (he lets out a sigh.) Whatever you say, you're the boss. Dutch- That I am.  (To the gang ) Now go have some fun! Just make it well behaved fun!

Arthur and the majority of the gang clamber onto the wagon and set off, leaving a few members, and more importantly Dutch and Grace behind.

The Parlour House in Rhodes, Later that evening.

It's busy and the gang are having a good time along with the locals. Charles and Arthur are at the bar. Charles – You look nervous. What's up? Arthur- Ah, I'm just still not sure about this whole thing Dutch is trying to pull with the Sheriff. Seems like a bad idea to me putting ourselves out in public so much like this, and as deputies! Charles- Dutch is smart man, I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Arthur- I damn well hope so. Where the hell is he anyway?

As Arthur speaks the doors to the parlour house open and in walks Dutch, with Grace firmly on his arm. They walk over and greet Arthur and Charles at the bar.

Arhur- You finally made it. Dutch- Of course! And doesn't Miss. Holden look wonderful? Grace looks a little uncomfortable as Charles and Arthur nod in agreement. Arhur- Beautiful. Looking like a real lady. Grace-As opposed to the rest of the time when I look like...? Arthur stumbles for what to say realising his insult.

Grace- (she laughs) it's ok, Arthur! Thank you. So drinks? Dutch- Actually I should find Sheriff Gray first. Would you accompany me, Miss Holden? If you two don't mind? Arthur- Sure; can't let drinking get in the way of business. Dutch escorts a reluctant Grace away which annoys Arthur. Arthur- Look at him parading her around like a prize horse. Charles-I wouldn't worry too much, Arthur. Grace has no ambitions with Dutch. Arthur- Well she should, he's the one in charge; it'd be a smart choice. Charles- Love isn't about being smart. Just look at my parents. Arthur- Well maybe. But you know what, there's too much going on right now to be thinking about any of that. Charles- Perhaps you should stop worrying, do what Dutch says, and actually have some fun. Arthur- You're right. Ha, you're always right, Charles. (to the barman) Another drink! A short while later Grace has managed to separate herself from Dutch, and is chatting to a group of rather drunk men, when one of them insists she dance with him. She's reluctant but not wanting to cause trouble she obliges. The men are rowdy and as the song ends Grace is very keen to get away and makes her way towards Arthur who's still at the bar. Just before she reaches him the man grabs her hand pulling her backwards asking her to dance some more. She politely says no but he insists. Arthur then decides to step forward. Arthur- The lady says no, mister. Drunk man - Oh and what business is it of yours? Arthur- Keep talking and you'll find out! Drunk Man- Oh really?

Grace- Ok, that's enough. We should go get a drink, Arthur. Arthur- (he calms a little as they turn and walk away) Sure.

Grace-Thank you for stepping in. Arthur- 'Course. Always ready to save a damsel in distress. Grace-Well I definitely ain't no damsel Arthur- Hah yes indeed. They laugh but Arthur then looks noticeably uncomfortable in the situation not really sure how to make conversation. Arthur- I... Uh.. Meant what I said earlier, you do... look very... Pretty. Grace- Thank you. I'm not going to lie I feel a bit uncomfortable in such a big dress, all done up! Arthur- Ha me too! (She looks at him a little quizzically.) ...That's... a nice necklace.

Grace- Oh, well I'd say thank you again, but, it's not mine. Dutch... gave it to me before we came here. Arthur- Looks expensive. Grace- Hmm, I think he's trying to make a good impression to these people. Arthur- Well he's certainly enjoying having a lady on his arm this evening. Grace- That's just business. Having a woman around makes him seem more trustworthy apparently. Arthur- If only they knew. Grace-I don't know what you're implying, Mr. Morgan! They laugh and chat for a little longer until Grace politely excuses herself and heads out. Dutch comes over to Arthur and is a clearly irritated. Dutch- Enjoying yourself, Arthur? Arthur- Just having a good time like you told us to. Dutch- I saw Miss. Holden was the object of some attention earlier. Arthur- Those guys dancing? Nah they're harmless. Dutch- Mm indeed. Mary Beth comes over to them both. Mary Beth- I'm sorry to interrupt gentlemen, but have you seen Grace? Arthur- Yeah she not long went out the back there. Mary Beth- Oh... Dutch- What's wrong? Mary Beth- Oh, nothing I guess. Just that man that wanted her to dance earlier. He's been watching her the whole time, just a bit odd you know? But I saw him head out that same way a minute ago. Arthur puts down his beer and with a look he and Dutch head out. Dutch-Arthur remember who we are to these people. Don't cause any trouble. Arthur- I'm not gonna cause any trouble I'm gonna prevent trouble. They head out the back outside to find the drunk guy blocking Grace from getting back in grabbing her wrists. Arthur- Hey! As Grace goes to move past the guy he grabs her and forces a kiss. Just as Arthur and Dutch start to move she has no  hesitation and knees the guy in the balls. Arthur stops and laughs, but Dutch looks less amused.

Drunk Man- Bitch! Grace- Asshole! Arthur- And to think we were worried about you. Grace- Well I told you, I ain't no damsel that needs rescuing! Dutch- well let's keep you close for the rest of the evening, shall we. We can't afford any trouble here. As they walk back into the bar Bill comes over. Bill- Poker. Upstairs. You in? Dutch- Not for me, I don't think it would set the right impression. Bill- Arthur? Arthur- Sure, I'm feeling lucky.

Grace- Me too. Bill- You? Grace- Sure, why you two scared? Bill- Not at all. Your money is the same as everyone else's! Arthur offers Grace an arm. Arthur- I guess we'll see you later, Dutch. Grace takes Arthur's arm and they follow Bill upstairs whilst Dutch is left fuming. They all play for a bit, Bill ends up going out quite early on much to his annoyance. Grace holds her own fairly well with the rest of the men including an unusually successful Arthur, but she decides to eventually bow out. Grace- Right, Boys. That is me done. Men- No stay! Grace- No, I've had too much to drink to keep my wits about me. So I am leaving with my dignity and my money! She heads back towards the stairs to be greeted by Dutch sitting on the sofa. Dutch- Miss Holden. Grace- Oh, Dutch. Dutch- Care to join me? Grace- Sure. Dutch- (pouring two drinks) Well, I didn't know you were so good at poker. It's not really a ladies game. Grace-There's lots of things you don't know I'm good at. (she downs the whiskey shot he poured) Dutch-Is that a fact... Grace- Indeed. (she's definitely drunk)

Dutch-You really do intrigue me, Miss. Holden. Beauty and brains it seems. (He takes her hand) I don't think I've ever met a woman quite like you. (he pauses for a moment). Arthur sees this all from the poker table but is in the middle of a hand (“You gonna play or not!”) At that point Charles walks up the stairs and over to Grace and Dutch, two beers in hand. Charles- Dutch there's a man downstairs asking for you, something about a meeting tomorrow morning. Dutch- (Dutch sighs and reluctantly stands )Ah yes. Do excuse me. Charles- (handing Grace a beer) Here's that beer Arthur wanted. Grace- (she's very relieved) Thanks. Grace walks back to the poker table just as the hand ends, Arthur didn't win. Random Man- Hey, she's back! Arthur- Everything ok? Grace- Yeah, of course. (she hands him the beer) Arthur- You know what, I'm gonna need more than this (he sips at the beer) Come sit here and be my good luck charm. (he indicates his lap and Grace happily obliges) The game continues and Arthur wins a big hand and the 2 other players bust out. Arthur- Sorry gentlemen - looks like my good luck charm worked. The men disperse leaving Arthur and Grace alone upstairs. Grace goes to the sofa where she and Dutch were sitting and picks up the barely touched bottle of whiskey. Grace- Hey, Dutch left this, wanna help me finish it. Arthur- Oh I dunno, stealing a man's girl is one thing, stealing his whisky is another! Grace- Considering what you do, this is hardly stealing. Arthur- Ok. You convinced me. Grace- Didn't take much! Arthur- Shut up. Grace- And if you call me Dutch's girl again, which I most certainly am not I'll- Arthur- Oh I know, I saw what you did to the guy downstairs. Grace- Oh that was nothing! I will do much, much worse to you... When I've had less to drink though. They laugh and head out beyond the now empty poker table to the balcony.

Downstairs the bar is emptying. The gang are heading home. Dutch is also saying goodbye to his business man and asks the girls where Grace is. They haven't seen her.

Bill- Dont worry, Dutch. I'll get them home safe. Dutch- Thank you. Have you seen Arthur? Bill - 'fraid not. He was doing pretty well on the poker earlier but that's the last I saw him. You coming back with us? Dutch- No, I'm going to get a room here tonight, I'm meeting someone early tomorrow morning. Hosea- (walking out with the others pats Dutch on the shoulder) Oh Dutch, you never stop. Dutch- There's no time to stop, Hosea. We stop, we perish. I'll see you all tomorrow. They all leave and Dutch asks for a room. Arthur and Grace are out on the balcony, merrily drunk and telling stories. Grace- (she gets up and looks over the balcony) I think everyone's gone! Arthur- Nah. Grace- No they're all gone. The wagons gone! Arthur- (he comes over) They have gone! What the hell! Grace- I guess we'll have to sleep here. Arthur- On the balcony? Grace- No. We'll get a room. Arthur- Together? Grace- Don't worry Arthur, I won't bite. They go back inside and lean over the bannisters shouting down to the barman who's clearing up. Grace- Hey Barman- Oh I didn't know there was anyone still here. Arthur- Do you have any rooms? Barman- Only one. The little one in the corner up there. Grace- We'll take it. Just throw me the key. The barman hesitates but eventually throws up the key, neither of them manage to catch it of course. They open the door, to a single bed room. Arthur- Well this is...cosy Grace- It's fine we just need somewhere to sleep. She goes over and sits on the bed. Arthur- You know, I've had a good time tonight. Grace- Me too. You're good fun, Arthur. Arthur is still standing glancing out the window. Grace- What's the matter? Arthur- Ah just thinking Grace- You probably shouldn't do that. Leave Dutch to do the thinking. Arthur- It's Dutch I'm thinking about! He'd kill me if he knew I was here with you. Grace- Don't say it. I will hurt you. Arthur- I know, I know....just... Dutch thinks- Grace-You know, maybe you shouldn't worry about what Dutch thinks and just have a little fun. She gets up and goes over to him.

Arthur- (smiling) Charles said exactly the same thing. Grace- Well, Charles is always right. Arthur- ...He is, isn't he... They kiss.

Rhodes Saloon, Bedroom, The next morning.

Grace wakes up and sees Arthur almost dressed. She smiles.

Arthur- We should really be getting back to camp. Grace- Sure. She starts to get dressed, Arthur turns away, almost embarrassed. Arthur- I uh, I'll see what I can do about transport. Grace- (she smiles at him) Ok. Arthur heads out, the morning light through the windows is strong in his eyes as he heads slowly towards the stairs. He stops suddenly as he sees Dutch, with his back turned looking out through the balcony doors.

Arthur- Dutch! Dutch- (he continues to look outside) Good morning, Arthur. I trust you slept well? Arthur- Uh yeah, I guess. Dutch- Because I know you didn't sleep alone. Arthur- Look, Dutch... Dutch- (he turns to face Arthur) Oh Arthur, I've watched you make many mistakes but I'm not sure if you've ever been quite so stupid.

Grace is dressed and heads out of the room towards the stairs but stops when she realises Dutch and Arthur are in front of her. Arthur- Dutch, listen. Last night was alot of fun, and we all had too much to drink. And Grace.... Well... I mean, it meant nothing... Dutch glances over Arthur's shoulder to see Grace who heard everything. Arthur turns to see her and his face drops. Arthur- I didn't... Grace- Dutch, you were my ride here, can we go home now please. She walks past Arthur to the top of the stairs and stops. Dutch- (he looks at Arthur, almost smiling) Of course, Miss. Holden. They walk down the stairs leaving Arthur alone.

Clements Point Camp, Evening, later that day.

Arthur is sitting alone at the fire when Charles comes over to join him. He asks Arthur what happened last night and Arthur explains. Charles- I see. I wondered why Dutch seemed so happy with himself today. Arthur- As far as he's concerned he's won some big prize.

Charles- Hmm, I wouldn't say he's won anything, but Arthur you've got to tell her how you feel, at least explain what happened. Arthur- I dunno. I ain't exactly good with feelings at the best of times. Charles- Well don't leave it too long. There's no time promised to any of us.

Over the next few days Grace stays away from the camp, mostly out hunting, so Arthur doesn't run into her at all. A week or so passes and she and Sadie are down by the river, teaching Sadie how to use a bow. Arthur finally has the courage to come and talk to her. Arthur- Hello ladies. Sadie- Hey, Arthur. Grace says nothing. Arthur- Uh Sadie, I need to talk to Grace, could you give us a minute Sadie- Sure.(she leaves) Arthur- Its, uh been a while. Grace- Yeah it has. Arthur- Haven't seen you around much, thought you might be avoiding me. Grace- Maybe I was.

Arthur- So is now a good time to talk? Grace- That depends. I'm holding some pretty sharp arrows so I'd choose your words carefully. He smiles, but then realises she wasn't really joking. Arthur- Look I feel like a prize idiot about what happened. Everything with Dutch, it was just so complicated. I didn't mean to upset you but I didn't know what I was supposed to say to him. Grace- Well telling Dutch it meant nothing seems pretty uncomplicated to me. Arthur- Of course it didn't mean nothing Grace- Then what did it mean, Arthur? Arthur- I... (he still can't say how he feels.) Grace- I thought as much. (she walks away.) Arthur- Grace! (to himself) Uh you dumb moron. Arthur looks up to see Dutch watching from his tent.

Clements Point Camp, Evening, a few weeks later.

In the next few weeks Dutch takes alot of interest in Grace, spending time with her, talking, lending her books, much to the annoyance of Arthur who often disappears for days at a time. But Dutch then has a job and he wants Arthur's help. Turns out there's a very important (and very wealthy) couple relocating to Saint Denis. Although most of their belongings are travelling via train the pair themselves are going via stagecoach, along with their most valuable possessions and money. It's Dutch's plan to have himself, Arthur, Charles and Grace attack the stagecoach and steal everything they can. Arthur- (to Dutch) So you actually want to do this with us? Dutch- Of course! The opportunity to rob some pompous, bastard; watch him squeal at the sight of us, oh I wouldn't pass that up, Arthur. Arthur- Fair enough. But uh, Grace? She ain't exactly the heist type. Grace- (walking into the conversation) I am more than capable of robbing a few rich, old folks, thank you, Arthur. Dutch- Exactly! She and Charles are the secret weapon. Take out the riders with arrows, nice and quietly and then we swoop in and do the rest. It's subtlety Arthur. You don't always have to go in all guns blazing to get the job done! Charles- The horses are ready, let's go. The four of them set off as the sun sets and night time approaches.

On a quiet road somewhere between Rhodes and Saint Denis. Night.

The stagecoach arrives and Charles and Grace take out the riders as planned, however as Dutch and Arthur head down towards the coach they see a second, heavily guarded coach approaching. They'd hit a decoy instead. As the main carriage approaches, they realise what's happened and a fire fight ensues. Charles and Grace ride down from their positions to help but Grace gets knocked off her horse and takes cover by the main stagecoach with the passengers inside. They're outnumbered and realise there's more guards coming. Dutch manages to get to Grace and gets her up onto his horse as they ride off they are heavily pursued and get separated from Charles and Arthur. Dutch rides far, eventually losing the guards but they are completely lost. They come across an empty cabin and decide to stop.

An abandoned cabin somewhere in the wilderness. Night.

Dutch- We should stay here tonight. Head out first thing in the morning and find our way back. Grace- Ok. I'll see if I can get a fire going. Dutch- Thank you, Miss. Holden. She works on getting the fire together as Dutch hunts around the cabin. Dutch- Well there's no food anywhere but I found this. (holds a bottle) which I am sincerely hoping is some form of alcohol. They sit close together to get warm by the fire and drink the alcohol Dutch found. Grace- I hope Charles and Arthur got away ok. Dutch- Oh I'm sure they did. Grace- What happened back there? Why was there another coach? Dutch- I don't know. I guess the information we got was wrong somehow. Such a damn waste, all for nothing. Grace- I was going to wait til we got back to camp but, well it wasn't totally for nothing... She pulls a massive money stack and 2 large bags of jewellery out of her satchel. Dutch- How on earth did you get this? Grace- When I was knocked down and took cover by the coach it was just sitting there, in a chest in the back. Dutch- Well how about that! Grace- I know I'm new to robbing rich folks but us hunters always know how to find what we're looking for. Dutch- You are an exceptional woman, Miss. Holden. Grace- (she takes another swig of drink) That I am, Dutch.

He moves closer. Dutch- I could definitely use an exceptional woman right now. He kisses her passionately and she makes no move to stop him.

The abandoned cabin, Early morning, the next day.

Grace wakes early and heads outside to see to Dutch's horse. She's feeling rather unwell and Dutch comes outside just as she's being sick. Dutch- Are you ok, Miss. Holden? Grace- I'm fine. I think it was whatever that drink was last night.

Dutch- I see. About last night- Grace- We should be getting back to camp. Everyone is probably worried not knowing if you're safe or not. Dutch- (hesitantly) Of course.

They get onto Dutch's horse and set off back home towards camp.

Clements Point camp, Afternoon, later that day.

As Dutch and Grace arrive back, everyone is pleased to see them. Arthur comes straight over to them both. Arthur- Well I am glad you're both ok, but Dutch, what the hell happened last night? Dutch- Arthur, it doesn't matter. We might not have come away with everything we hoped for but we didn't end up empty handed. Miss. Holden managed to get this. He takes out the money and jewellery bags and walks back to his tent clearly happy with how events turned out. Arthur- (looks to Grace) You ok? (he points to the marks on her face.) Grace- I'm fine. Just scratches. Arthur- Well at least you two were successful. Grace- What? Arthur- The money, and jewellery. Grace- I was just lucky. Arthur- Well you've certainly made Dutch happy. Are you sure you're ok? Grace- I'm fine, just tired. I'll see you later, Arthur. She walks away leaving Arthur a little confused.

Clements Point Camp, Evening, later that day.

A few of the gang including Grace are sitting around the fire, Arthur comes over to join them and sits himself next to her. Arthur- Hey. Grace- Hey. Arthur- Sadie and I was thinking of heading into Rhodes tomorrow wondered if you wanted to come with us, anything you needed? Grace- No. I'm fine, thank you. Arthur- Are you sure everything's ok? Did something happen with the stagecoach...? Grace- No, I'm fine, I'm just tired. I guess you were right, maybe heists aren't my thing. (She gets up.) I'll see you all in the morning. She walks away. Arthur hesitates for a moment and then decides to follow her but he stops when he sees Dutch is talking to her.

Dutch- Miss. Holden, are you... Is everything ok? Grace- I'm fine. Just going to sleep. Dutch- Of course. Again, good work on the stagecoach. Grace- Honestly it was nothing. Dutch- Not at all. You... You are becoming a fine member of this group. We're lucky to have you here...I'm lucky to have you here. Grace- Dutch- Dutch- I'll say no more. Just know that... you mean a lot to me. Grace- (she forces a slight smile) Goodnight Dutch. Dutch- Goodnight, Miss. Holden. She walks away and Dutch notices Arthur watching. He says nothing, but smiles and walks away back to his tent.

Several weeks pass in camp. Various jobs here and there, and the camp seems in good spirits for the most part. Grace is spending more and more time in the camp, rarely hunting. She has kept her distance from both Dutch and Arthur and spends time helping around camp but has also starting crafting jewellery and trinkets from animal parts such as teeth and claws.

Clements Point Camp, Late afternoon.

Arthur finds Grace sitting on the outskirts of camp working away on one of her necklaces. Arthur- Grace? Grace- Hey, Arthur. Arthur- You're quite hard to find these days. Grace- Just keeping myself out of trouble. Arthur- Well, I brought you some alligator teeth. Sadie said you were collecting them, or something? Grace- Oh, thank you. Arthur- So, what you doing with them? Grace- Sounds crazy but there's a bit of market for selling things like this in Saint Denis. Lots of rich folk who'll buy anything if you tell them it will bring them more money or improve their love life. Arthur- Sounds like I could do with one of those! Grace- (she smiles at him) Well...maybe I'll make you one sometime. Arthur- Well thank you. (he turns to leave) Grace- Arthur? (he turns back to face her) I was thinking about heading out to do some fishing sometime. Kieran said he found a pretty sweet spot around the cove from here. It's never really been my forte so I was wondering if you'd be up to giving me a few pointers sometime? Arthur- Well I'm not much of a fisherman, really. Javier is the one you should speak to. Grace- Oh. Ok. He goes to leave again but then catches on and turns back around. Arthur- But I've got some time now if you're not busy? We can just fish here, I can should you what I know? Grace- That would be great, thank you. Grace packs up her things and meets Arthur down on the dock in camp as he teaches her to fish, but this doesn't go unnoticed as Dutch is watching them.

Over the next few days  Arthur and Grace rekindle their friendship. Even heading out to the cove Kieran had mentioned and catching plenty of fish.

Clements Point Camp, Evening.

That evening a few of the gang are around the camp fire; with songs and drinking the mood is jovial. After a while the group starts to break up as they prepare for bed leaving Arthur and Grace sat alone by the fire chatting.

Grace- I keep forgetting but I have something for you. Arthur- Oh yeah? What is it? Grace- Here. (She pulls out a talisman necklace and hands it to him.) Arthur- Hey, you finally made me one. Grace- No, actually, this one's different. This is an Indian talisman. It's made from wolf's teeth. It was given to me when I'd finally proven myself to be loyal to the tribe I was with. Arthur- What did you have to do; hunt down the wolves?! Grace- (she smiles) No. But the point is, it's supposed to offer protection to who wears it. I know you've got your guns to do that but with everything the way it is I figure a little extra doesn't hurt. Arthur- Well, thank you. But what about you? Grace- Oh I think I'm well enough protected. (They look at eachother and smile.)

Arthur- I feel like I keep learning new things about you every time we speak. Grace- (She smiles and stands up.) I guess I better get to sleep. Arthur- Sure. Goodnight... Grace. Grace- Goodnight, Arthur. As she walks away she notices Dutch standing with Micah, he's been watching them both the whole time. She stops and turns back to Arthur. Grace- And Arthur? You know you should never go hunting the wolves. Arthur- Why not? Grace- Because the wolves will hunt you.

Her face is serious and concerned but she forces a flicker of a smile and walks away. Arthur can now see that Dutch is watching but before he can think too much Charles comes over and sits next to Arthur. Charles- So have you told her you love her yet? Arthur- What? No. I mean after everything that's happened she... She doesn't... Charles- (he laughs and shakes his head) Oh Arthur. They both look over to see Dutch trying to talk to Grace as she makes her excuses and walks away. Charles- Honestly, if you care about her, you shouldn't wait to tell her. You never know what might happen.

Clements Point Camp by the dock, later that night.

Everyone is asleep as Grace is sat alone down by the dock. Arthur sees her and wanders over. Arthur- Thought you'd gone to bed? Grace- Oh, I couldn't sleep. Arthur- You want some company? Grace- Sure. (he sits with her) Arthur- We caught some good fish earlier. Grace- Yeah we did. Pearson's happy he's cooking something other than deer for once. Arthur- Oh I'm sure he'll find some reason to complain about it though. Grace- More than likely. The conversation is so stilted and awkward. Neither really knowing what to say.

Arthur- I've enjoyed our fishing trips together. It's...been nice, spending time with you again. Grace- It has. I've missed you, Arthur...but... I need to tell you something- Arthur- I need to say something too, Grace. I think... Well I know, I should have said it sooner. I mean I'm not exactly great with talking and it's complicated, I guess... Grace- Arthur... Dutch- Arthur! The moment is broken as Dutch walks over Dutch- Sorry to interrupt, Miss Holden but I need to speak to Arthur. Grace- (flustered by the sudden intrusion.)  Of course, it's already late. Arthur, we can talk tomorrow? Arthur- (through gritted teeth.) Sure. What is it Dutch? Dutch- That train we've been planning to hit, Micah says it's coming through tomorrow night. We need to go over the plan and make sure we're ready. Arthur- And this couldn't have waited til the morning? Dutch- I'm sorry, Arthur, did you have more pressing matters to deal with? Arthur stares at Dutch for a moment, weighing up his reactions, he sighs and shakes his head. Arthur- No. Dutch- Good, come on then, Micah's waiting. They head into Dutchs tent, Arthur reluctant and heavy hearted.

The Train Tracks, late evening.

Everyone is in place ready to stop and rob the train travelling with very wealthy passengers. Arthur, John, Charles and Sean are with the oil wagon on the tracks. Dutch and Grace are dressed up riding as passengers on board the train. The train stops as planned and they all begin to rob the  passengers.

But things don't quite go to plan as the law seems more than ready for them. Whilst they try to fight, they realise they are more than outnumbered and all start running. They spot a barn in the distance and head towards it, Grace falls behind and is pursued by a loan gunmen who shoots her in the leg. She falls down but manages to shoot him dead before he can finish the job. The rest of the gang are almost at the barn when Charles realises Grace isn't with them. He turns and sees her far behind them on the ground and races back. Grace rips her petticoat and ties up the bullet wound in her leg just as Charles gets to her. He helps her up and they run to the barn to hide with the others. Arthur- Are you ok? Were you hit? Grace- No, I'm fine. I just fell. John- Anyone still following? Grace- No that guy was the last of them. Charles- (looking through a crack in the barn) We've got a problem. Someone from in the house. They peak out and notice a man with a gun coming out of the house and towards the barn. Sean- What do we do now? John- He's only one man... Grace who is still looking notices the man on the veranda but now with a woman, and two children standing in the doorway. Grace- No, there's a whole family there. They might not have seen us all come in. You all climb up there, Charles and I will remove the ladder and stay here. The men move to the top level of the barn, and after removing the ladder Grace and Charles hide. The old man appears at the barn doors ready to shoot. Man- I know you're in here, there's no point in hiding. Grace slowly emerges from her hiding place with her hands up. Grace- (begging and weak) Please, sir. Please don't shoot. Man- What the hell are you doing in here and where's the other one I saw. Grace indicates to Charles to come out. Charles- We don't mean any harm, sir. Man- I heard gunfire. You running from the law? Grace- No, not at all. That... That was my uncle. He was crazy and furious with us... We... We're in love and we needed to run away. The man's wife arrives behind him. Woman- What on earth is going on? Man- These kids say they're running away together. But I don't know if I believe them, heard gunfire an' all. Grace- Please, we're not hurting anyone At that moment, on the upper level Sean knocks against something making a noise. The man raises his gun aggressively and walks towards them.

Man- Are you lying? Is there someone else in here? Grace- No, no there isn't, I swear. Please! (Grace looks to the wife.) I... I'm pregnant. Man- What? Grace- I'm pregnant. It's... It's why we had to run away. Please, please don't hurt us! Both the man and woman's attitudes change immediately and the man lowers his gun. Woman- Well, I guess we can't have you sleeping out here, can we. Man- No...I guess not, but we ain't no charity, it's just for tonight. But I'll be damned if I let a pregnant woman sleep out in a barn. Charles- Thank you, both. Grace and Charles follow the Man and Woman into the house, leaving the rest of the gang stuck on the top level of the barn. Sean- Well this is bloody great! So we have to stay up here whilst they get wined and dined. Arthur- Don't be such an idiot, we'd be in trouble if they hadn't believed all that. John- It's too high to risk jumping down but we might have to try if they don't manage to get the ladder back. An hour or so passes and John sees Charles climbing out of a window and down a trellis on the house. He gets to the barn and puts the ladder back in place. Sean- Am I glad to see you, I didn't think you were ever coming back. Dutch – Are you and Grace ok? Charles- We're fine. Nice family. They've said we can stay the night but we'll try and leave as soon as we can. John - I honestly can't believe that worked! Dutch- Of course it did. No one resists the helpless plea of a pregnant woman. It's the perfect lie for sympathy. Charles- That may be, but its not a lie. Arthur- What you on about, Charles?

Charles- Grace. She is pregnant. Hosea's been making some remedies for the sickness. Arthur- Jesus. Charles-I better get back before they realise I'm missing. We'll get back to camp as soon as we can. He leaves Sean- (looking at Arthur) Pregnant? Wonder what that's all about eh, Arthur? Arthur- We need to get back to camp. Dutch- We need to speak to Hosea. John- Come on let's go, it's gonna take a while on foot.

Clements Point Camp, Early morning, the next day.

By the time they get back it's nearly light. Arthur and Dutch storm to see Hosea who is sitting reading the paper at the table. Arthur- Hosea, what the hell is going on. Hosea- And good morning to you both, gentlemen. Dutch- Don't play coy, Hosea. We know about Grace. Hosea- Oh dear, I was afraid we couldn't keep this secret for too much longer. Dutch- Why didn't you say something? Hosea- Because it wasn't for me to say. Arthur- Well you told Charles. Hosea- I needed some supplies! Arthur- Dammit, Hosea! Dutch- How long has she been coming to see you? Hosea- I don't know. A few weeks now, I guess but of course she could have been pregnant for longer. Dutch- How much longer? Hosea- I don't know.

Arthur- Wait... why does it matter how long she... (Arthur's face drops with realisation) You... Dutch- Arthur... Arthur- You!... Hosea- Gentlemen! Arthur realises most of the camp is now watching. He pushes Dutch away slightly with a roar. Dutch- Where are you going Arthur? Arthur- Somewhere I can't shoot you from!!! Arthur gets on his horse and rides away. Dutch- (to everyone else) – Well, don't you all have things to be getting on with!! He heads back to his tent to be alone.

Clements Point Camp, Afternoon, later that day.

Charles and Grace have finally made their way back to the camp and as they arrive they notice everyone watching them, all now aware of what's been going on. Grace- (To Charles) Well... I guess my secret's no longer secret. Grace manages to stay away from everyone for the rest of the day, until Sadie finds her late that evening right on the outskirts of the camp and persuades her to come back. As they're walking back Dutch stops them both. Dutch- Sadie, would you ask Ms. Grimshaw and the girls to sort out some hot water for Miss. Holden in my tent please. Sadie- Of course, Mr. Van der Linde. (She leaves.) Dutch- (to Grace) Why don't we find somewhere to sit and wait. Grace reluctantly agrees and they head to the scout camp to wait. Dutch- You really didn't have to keep this a secret you know. Grace- I know, and I'm sorry I should have told you sooner. Dutch- I spoke with Hosea. He... He says he's not sure how long it's been... She doesn't answer.

Dutch- It's Arthur's isn't it. Grace- Dutch, I'm so sorry. I know how much it would have meant to you- Dutch- There is absolutely no need to be sorry. Grace- I feel like I've betrayed you- Dutch- No, not at all. You are incredibly loyal, and I am proud to have you here. But perhaps, no more secrets from now on? Grace- Of course. Dutch- (he holds her tight.) I'm sure that water is warm by now. You can get cleaned up and I'd like to offer you my tent for tonight, we can hardly have you sleeping on the floor. Grace- Thank you...for everything. They go to Dutch's tent, Susan has just finished, she smiles and leaves. Dutch- I'll be outside if you need anything. She starts to undress her top half, she has several bruises and cuts on her back, he watches her for a second, sighs and closes the tent.

Clements Point Camp, Early morning, the next day.

Arthur arrives back at camp looking worse for wear and is still a little drunk. Kieran is awake and cleaning the table. Members of the camp are stirring. Arthur- O'Driscoll. You seen Grace? Kieran- Arthur! Uh... Arthur- Come on boy where is she? Kieran hesitates as someone else now walks over and he glances nervously to Dutch's tent. Kieran- She's uh... Arthur- Get outta my way. He pushes Kieran out of the way and storms over to Dutch's tent where he sees Grace asleep in his bed. He looks around for Dutch and sees him down by the lake. Kieran is stuttering around panicked, and trying to wake people. People are now getting up and see Arthur storm off. Dutch turns just as Arthur reaches him. Dutch- Arthur- Arthur- You son of a bitch.

Dutch- You remember who you're talking to! Arthur- And who am I talking to, Dutch? You think you're so damned important, so above anyone else that you can just take whatever you want without thinking of anyone else but yourself? Dutch- Grace? I didn't take her, she CAME to me. She came to me because you weren't here! Arthur- No, you were always there, sneaking your way in behind my back. Actually you didn't even have the decency to do it behind my back! Dutch- You're being ridiculous. Arthur- It doesn't matter now does it. You won! Dutch- Won? It's not a game, Arthur! I love her. Arthur- So do I! Dutch- Oh yes, so great a love it must be. Such a fine MAN you must be that you can't even tell her that! Arthur, without thinking pushes Dutch, who falls to the ground. Dutch starts laughing and looks at Arthur. Arthur- What is wrong with you?!

Dutch- (he stops laughing and looks up at Arthur, almost sad) It's yours, Arthur. The baby is yours. Arthur- What? Dutch- Grace told me. But as usual you ran away. It's probably for the best she came to me. What kind of father would you be anyway. Arthur completely snaps and pulls Dutch to his feet in a rage, ready to beat him as Grace shouts out. Arthur turns around to see Grace. As she'd hurried out of Dutch's tent she banged the stitched up bullet wound which  reopened. Her dress now soaked in blood, she calls out Arthur's name before dropping to the floor.

Dutch and Arthur run over and shout for Hosea. They roll her over and see the blood. Arthur- Is it the baby? Dutch- Hosea!!!! Hosea runs over to them. Arthur- Is it the baby? Hosea- I'm not sure, I don't think so... Hosea moves Graces skirt to reveal the split open bullet wound. Arthur- What the... Hosea- It...it looks like...a bullet wound? Arthur- (shaking her to consciousness) Grace...hey, Grace, what... what happened? Grace- The other night...after the train, I got hit before we got to the barn...I stitched it up...to go...to the doctor... Hosea- Did you get the bullet out? Grace-I couldn't.... It was too...deep. Hosea-We need to get her to the doctor straight away. Dutch-Rhodes isn't that far. Hosea- There isn't a proper doctor there, we need to get her to Saint Denis. Dutch-Will she make it that far? Arthur- She'll make it. Come on, Grace. (He picks her up) Dutch- Hosea ride in the back with Arthur. Charles with me upfront. They get into the wagon and race to Saint Denis.

Saint Denis, Doctors Office, Late Afternoon, later that day.

Arthur and Dutch are waiting in a corridor as the Doctor approaches. Doctor- Are you the gentlemen who brought Miss. Holden in? Arthur- Yes, we are. How is she? Doctor- She's going to be ok, got her here just in time, I'd say.

Dutch- And the baby? Doctor- No, I'm afraid not. Arthur- Can we see her? Doctor- Of course. She was asking to see someone called Arthur earlier; I presume that's one of you? Arthur- That's me. Doctor- Ah then follow me. He leads Arthur to the room where Grace is.

Arthur- Grace... Grace- Arthur...I'm glad you're still here. Arthur- I...Why on earth didn't you tell us about- Grace- The baby? Honestly can you even imagine, with everything that's going on right now... Arthur- Abigail had Jack... Grace- Things were pretty different back then so I'm told. But now, since Blackwater, it's different and it's not safe. I'd have been sent out of the camp. Arthur- Dutch wouldn't let that happen. You could walk up right up to him and shoot him in the chest and he'd still welcome you back with open arms. He loves you. .. Well...we all do... Grace- I'm not so sure everyone does... (Arthur avoids her eyes) I've caused a lot of trouble. Dutch walks into the room Dutch- Not at all. You just work on getting better and we'll get you back to camp as soon as we can. Grace- Thank you... Both....thank you. Dutch smiles and walks out, Arthur goes to follow. Grace- Arthur.... the baby... It was... Arthur- I know. But I guess that doesn't matter now. Grace-No. I guess not. Arthur- We'll see you soon, Grace.

Clements Point Camp, Afternoon, A few days later.

After a few days resting in Saint Denis, Grace is back at the camp. Although there are no ill feelings towards her, she doesn't feel settled knowing how much trouble she's caused. Dutch, however doesn't seem to notice and is doing everything he can to make sure she is ok.

Dutch- And you're sure there's nothing else you need? Grace- (she forces a grateful smile) No, honestly Mr. Van der Linde I'm fine and I promise I'll be back to helping out here and back out hunting in no time. Dutch- Well you take it easy till you're completely back to health. And if you need anything you just come straight to me, ok? Grace- I will, thank you. Dutch- You are more than welcome, my dear. Grace walks away smiling as Arthur approaches, annoyed by Dutch's behaviour towards Grace.

Arthur- Back on the old Dutch charm I see... Dutch- Not this again, Arthur; do you have a problem with my looking after Miss Holden? Arthur- I guess that depends, Dutch. What exactly are you planning? Dutch- Arthur, I don't expect you to understand someone's true value. Arthur- Value? What is she now, some kind of possession to be owned? Dutch- She's valuable, Arthur. To me. I saw her worth long before you ever opened your eyes. Arthur- Hasn't she been through enough? Dutch- And whose fault is that? Arthur- You're blaming this all on me? Do you really think she's gonna want anything to do, with either of us after everything that's happened? Dutch- I guess we'll see won't we.

Clements Point Camp, Late afternoon, later that day.

Grace, troubled by what she heard speaks to Karen and Sadie about it all.

Karen- Well, I certainly wouldn't mind having two men fighting over me. God knows I could use the excitement! Grace- It's not like that though, I feel like a prize cow having two bulls butting horns over me. It's not fair to the rest of the camp to have this going on. I...I think I should leave. Sadie- Now don't say that. There's a lot going on for everybody right now. And all this, well I'm sure it will all die down soon enough. Grace- I really hope you're right.

Clements Point Camp, Midnight.

Grace has quietly packed up all her belongings, and is sneaking out of the camp with her horse, but someone in the shadows is watching. Micah- And where are you off to? Grace- Micah! I... Micah- Got a lotta stuff there. Looks to me like you're leaving. Grace- I...am. Micah- (he goes back to sharpening his knife) I see. For good? Grace- I think it's best.

Micah- Well far be it from me to get involved. I mean... I've seen them disagree on a lot of things but I ain't ever seen them hatin' each other quite like this. You really got under their skin. Grace- I know. It's why I've got to go. Micah- Well...good luck to you. Grace- You wont tell anyone you saw me will you? Micah- Not at all. Your secret's safe with me. Grace- Thanks, Micah. Grace gets on her horse and rides out of camp. Micah sits, sharpening his knife with a sickening grin on his face.

Clements Point Camp, Midday, the next day.

Dutch is asking around the camp for Grace, concerned as Arthur is also nowhere to be found. He eventually opens her tent to find all her belongings gone. Dutch- Ms. Grimshaw have you seen Miss. Holden? Ms. Grimshaw- No, not since last night. Why what's the matter? Dutch- She's gone. All of her things too. She's just gone. Karen- (overhearing and walking over) Oh my. She really did it. Ms. Grimshaw- Karen what on earth are you chattering about? Karen- Well...she said yesterday she thought it would be best if she left. She couldn't stand everything going on with....well with Dutch and Arthur...you know, fighting all the time. Dutch- (shouting to Lenny) Who was on guard last night? Lenny- Micah was, I think. Dutch- Well where on earth is he? Lenny- I don't know. He left early this morning said he had some business to sort out, didn't say where. Charles has now come over concerned with Grace's disappearance. Charles- He could be anywhere. Dutch- She could be anywhere! Charles, Lenny head out to Rhodes see if anyone saw her passing through. Lenny- Sure. Before they get to their horses Arthur rides back into camp. Arthur- What's all the commotion about? Charles- Grace. She's gone. Lenny- And Micah too. Arthur- (he laughs) What they run off together? Lenny- No Grace left last night. Taken all her things. Karen said she had been talking about getting away from the camp. Arthur- What? Karen why the hell didn't you say something?!

Karen-I didn't know she was going to do it! She was just talking. Arthur- So wait, what's Micah got to do with all this? Charles- Micah was on guard last night he must have seen her leave. But he's gone off somewhere, no one knows where he is. Dutch asked us to head to Rhodes see if she came through that way incase anyone saw her. Arthur looks over and sees Dutch watching them all. Arthur- Fine, I'll come too.

Rhodes, Afternoon, later that day.

They get to Rhodes and ask around. It seems someone did see her; she was buying supplies and mentioned that she might head to Van Horn. Arthur- Look it's pointless us all going. You both head back to camp, I'll head out and see if I can find her. Lenny- Ok, but what do we tell Dutch? Arthur- Tell him.... Tell him I'm going to sort this mess out once and for all. Charles- Just be careful, Arthur. They separate with Arthur riding towards Van Horn.

Van Horn Saloon, Later that evening.

Arthur trudges into the bar, it's late and he looks weary. Arthur- (to the bartender) Hey, I'm looking for someone. Woman, dark hair, new around here.. Maybe looking for work? Bartender- Hmm, there was a girl here this morning. Don't know where she ended up though. You could try the hotel on the pier. Arthur- Thanks

Arthur heads to the hotel and walks upstairs. As he gets closer to the rooms, he can hear raised voices and commotion. He gets to the door and recognises Grace's voice. Grace- Gentlemen, I've asked you nicely now I'm telling you, leave me the hell alone! Man 2- Come on we just want to have a little fun. Grace- And I told you, I'm not here for that. Man 1- I don't really think you have a choice. The sound of something breaking causes Arthur to kick in the door to see two men and Grace. One of the men has Grace pushed up against the wall with his hand around her throat. Man 1- (looking at Arthur) This one joining in too? Grace kicks him and he hits her across the face causing her to fall to the floor. Arthur heads straight in lays a punch on the first guy who runs straight out. The one who hit Grace, is more than ready for a fight. Eventually Arthur gets the upper hand and is ready to beat the guy to death til Grace's voice breaks his rage and he stops.

Grace- Arthur! Stop! Arthur- (he looks at her and then drops the man). Get out of here! The man lurches to a stand and runs out. Arthur looks to Grace. Arthur- Looks like I got here just in time. Grace- I was handling it Arthur- Yeah you were definitely doing fine by yourself . Grace- I don't need you to save me, Mr. Morgan. Arthur- So it's Mr. Morgan now? Look stop being stubborn and let me take you home. Grace- Are you deaf as well as stupid? I told you I don't need you.

Arthur- You need something! (he sighs and calms down) Look just come home. Grace- Home to what? Arthur- To everyone. Grace- So I can watch you and Dutch at each other all the time! Arthur- It's not gonna be like that anymore. Grace- No you're right, it wont be like that because I won't be there. I have caused enough trouble, (she pauses) and I have no reasons to come back. Arthur- You have plenty of reasons! Grace- Do I?! Give me one reason, Arthur. They stare at eachother. Her stare is challenging and piercing. He breathes heavy, as she stares back. It exhausts him but like a man challenged in a duel he finally draws. Arthur- Why do you women always make every thing so god damn complicated!!Grace, with everything like it is right now,  I'm having trouble keeping my wits about me as it is. There just doesn't feel like there's time for anything else and no matter what's happened I made a promise to Dutch, to everyone, to see this through til the end. Grace- I know all that, Arthur. But why is it too ‘complicated' for us to do that together? I was never asking for us to leave everything behind and ride off into the sunset. I know what this life is and I don't care where or when it ends. I wanted to see it through too but I wanted to see it through with you! Arthur- Why the hell would you wanna do that? I have nothing. I am nothing!

Grace- Well then I love nothing because I love you, Arthur Morgan. I love you! Arthur- And I love you! Grace- Then perhaps, you could stop making it so damn hard for us to be together? Arthur- You're the one who ran off! She glares at him, but then softens. He pauses for a moment and his voice quietens. Arthur- Look, I- Grace- If you say it's gonna be complicated one more time- Arthur- I was gonna say, I'll try.... You and me... I guess we could try something. Grace- (a little taken back) Well...I...I guess that's a good start. Arthur- But, you have to understand I can't leave. Not the gang, nor Dutch, I was gonna before- Grace- Arthur, stop. (reassuringly) I'm not going to ask you to leave. Not now. Not ever. Not for anything. Arthur- (he moves to sit down on the bed) It just, it doesn't seem like a life for a family. I look at Abigail with Jack and John when he's there. It just doesn't seem right. They deserve more. You deserve more. You're too good for all this. You're a good woman, Grace. Grace- Arthur, I don't know where you got this idea that I'm a good person, I might have a good background but it's not the same thing. I've made my choices and I'm here. Arthur- And this is the life that you want? With me? Grace- What other life is there? Swanning around in some big house somewhere, pretending I'm somebody important? Someone 'good'? I don't want to spend my life pretending to be something I'm not and you shouldn't either.

Arthur- But all this, running jobs, running away, all in the name of some big plan that Dutch has set out for us? Grace- Dutch is a good man. Arthur- Oh I know, I mean, I trust him with my life. But where does it end? Getting killed on a job or by bounty hunters or the pinkertons catching up with us one day? Grace - It doesn't matter how it ends. We're all gonna die some day, Arthur, every damn one of us; but I'm not afraid of it. I know what's coming to me, I made my peace with that a long, long time ago. Arthur- What do you mean? Grace- (she pauses, for a moment, wondering whether to tell him) When I was a kid, I shot the guy who killed my parents. One of them anyway. And my Aunt and Uncle who eventually took me in... let's just say they did some truly awful things to me and one day...well I knew that just had to stop. But I didn't feel a thing.  Not at all. And god knows I've killed people for a lot less good reasons since then. Arthur- I've lost count of the men I've killed. Mostly in the name of something that I'm not sure I believe in anymore. Grace- You still believe or you wouldn't be here. Arthur- I know. But do you think a person can ever change? Do good, be a better man and that it then means something? Grace- Maybe, if your heart is really true, I guess, if you really want to change. But I think it'll take more than a little redemption to stop the devil catching up with me. Arthur- Well I guess that's me done then. Grace- (she takes his hand.) Listen, none of that matters. What's here and now, that's what matters. Arthur you just...You just keep going til the end. Whatever that may be. Arthur- I guess I should marry you before we all end up dead. Grace- Marry me, huh?! Arthur- (he realises what he's said and looks at her.) I... Grace- I've seen you face hundreds of men with guns before but I have never seen you look so scared! (she laughs it off.) Come on. I haven't exactly unpacked.  I'll just grab my things and we should get out of here. She heads to the chest and grabs her things when she turns around she notices Arthur hasn't moved from the bed.

Grace- Arthur? Are you ok? He's looking down at something in his hand. His thoughts broken by her voice he looks up at her. Grace- Arthur? Arthur- I was thinking... Grace- I told you before, you need to stop doing that. Arthur- (he holds out a ring) Will you.... marry me? . Grace- What? Arthur- You said it, we could be dead tomorrow- Grace- It's not quite what I meant- Arthur- I mean...You're right! I have nothing. I don't even have a real ring, I have this. I don't even know where this came from, but..I have you.

Grace- Are you sure... about this? Arthur- I'm not really sure of any thing much any more, but you.... you I'm sure of. Grace-... Okay. I... guess so... Arthur- You guess? Grace- I'll marry you, ok! They both smile at one another. Arthur- I promise I'll get you another ring. Grace- Arthur, I'm marrying 'you' . If this ring is stolen, and well, we both know that it is, then it's absolutely perfect. They kiss, but the moment is broken when the men who Arthur beat up return along with several others looking for pay back. Grace and Arthur manage to fight their way out of the Van Horn hotel and ride off back towards Clements Point.

Clements Point Camp, late afternoon, the next day.

It's the next day and Arthur and Grace ride in to camp. Sadie and Charles see them arrive and head over. Sadie- Well I am glad to see you both back here together. (noticing the marks on Grace's face and neck) Are you, ok? Grace- Oh, I'm fine, I...got myself into some trouble, but Arthur turned up just in time. Sadie- So what happened; where did you end up? Just as Grace starts to speak Micah wanders over. Micah- Well, I thought you weren't ever coming back? Grace- I wasn't but... Arthur...asked me to marry him. So here I am; I guess, back for good.

Micah- Well ain't that just lovely. Guess I better go tell Dutch the happy news! Arthur- Micah! (but he's already walked off). Damn weasel! The group has gathered around and congratulates Arthur and Grace. Charles especially giving Arthur a big hug. Arthur- Thanks, I uh... Better go speak to Dutch. Arthur leaves Grace with the group and wanders over to Dutch's tent just as Micah walks away.

Arthur- Dutch- Dutch- Micah tells me there's cause for celebration? Arthur- Yeah... I guess....look, Dutch; I didn't mean this to- Dutch- I'm not taking it personally, Arthur. Miss Holden is a fine woman. Capable of making her own decisions. And you, my son are a fine man. I'm...happy for you. Arthur- Thank you. Grace comes over. Dutch- I'm happy for you both. (he forces a smile) Grace- Arthur can I speak to Dutch alone for a minute please? Arthur- Sure. Arthur walks away a little reluctantly. Grace and Dutch look at eachother for a moment neither sure what to say. Dutch finally breaks the silence. Dutch- Well, I never thought you to be the marrying type, Miss Holden. Grace- Neither did I, but...Arthur is a good man. Dutch- He is. And you... love... him? Grace- (she looks him right in the eyes and pauses for a moment) I do. Dutch looks away. Grace- Dutch... You need to know. I'd do anything for you. You gave me a life and I will always owe you that. No matter what, that will never change.

She kisses him on the cheek and then walks away to join the others with Arthur, who holds her tightly, a little afraid to now let go.

Clements Point Camp, Early Afternoon.

Blessed are the Peacemakers. Micah convinces Dutch to meet with the O'Driscolls for a parle to hopefully put an end to their feud. Arthur is asked to join them as a lookout in case it all goes sour. It seems, however, that there was never any intention of a truce, as Arthur is captured.After managing to escape where the O'Driscolls were holding him, he is found by Grace, who went out determined to find him. She brings him back to camp where he recovers. Ultimately she blames Dutch for letting this happen.

Clements Point Camp, Late afternoon, several weeks later.

Arthur is sat by the lake with Grace, he has a long hair and beard after several weeks recovering. Grace- I spoke with Reverend Swanson, he's sorted something out with the church in Rhodes. Says we can get married as soon as we like. Arthur- I'm surprised you still want to. Grace- Well I wasn't expecting you to take your "we could be dead tomorrow" speech quite so literally but... When Dutch told me that you hadn't made it back.... Well I gave him hell for it! I thought I'd lost you. So as soon as you feel up to it, I'd still like to, whilst we're both still in one piece. Maybe get you a hair cut in the mean time though.

Arthur- I was thinking of keeping it. Grace- Arthur, I always said I would never try to change you and the life you lead but get a hair cut, please! You look like you've been living in a cave. They both laugh.

Outside Rhodes Church, Midday, a few days later.

Grace and Arthur have just been married, as they step outside the sun is shining and the whole gang is there to celebrate. Sean walks out in front and then turns to face them. Sean- I still can't believe what I'm seeing. The great Arthur Morgan getting married. The world's gone mad! Arthur- I'm gonna get mad if you don't shut up!

Sean- Ah I'm only messing with you, Arthur! This is amazing. I'm so happy for you both. Grace come here and give your new brother a hug. You're definitely one of us now. Grace smiles and heads towards Sean to give him a hug as she does the crack of a bullet is heard and Sean is shot in the head. Grace's wedding dress is covered in blood as the gang scatters in panic. Dutch order's most of the gang to get back to the camp as a gun fight now ensues. Turns out the Gray's were waiting for an opportunity to hit them and they did just that. After the firefight they get Sean's body and head back to camp.

Clements Point Camp, Early evening, later that day.

As Arthur, Dutch and the rest of the gang get back to camp they discover that in the panic at the wedding someone managed to grab Jack. They suspect that the Braithwaites took him so the majority of the gang set out to bring him back. Before he leaves Arthur turns to Grace, who's still standing in her blood stained dress. Arthur- Grace I...God damn, everything has gone to hell! Grace- It's not your fault Arthur, it's not. But... but Sean? Just gone....and now Jack's been taken.

Arthur- I am so sorry. Grace- Don't be...Just go bring that boy back. Arthur- We will. For what it's worth; I love you. Grace- I love you too. Arthur saddles up and rides out with the gang towards Braithwaite manor.

And from there the story continues as it does in game. After I'd written this I did find this time to be a bit of a turning point in Dutch's behaviour – especially with him not bothering to rescue Arthur after being captured, and somewhat felt that him losing Grace to Arthur could have easily been the catalyst for him growing suspicious and unhinged.  Although there of course would be clashes with the existing RDR2 story I couldn't not write a slightly different ending (high honour, helping John, and also Grace's epilogue) so read on...

The Mountain, Night.

Arthur, Grace and John are fighting their way through along the mountain, Arthur, exhausted by it all stops to catch his breath.

John- Alright, Arthur, come on, let's go. Arthur- You go. Grace- Keep pushing, Arthur. Arthur- No... (he coughs wiping blood from his mouth) No, I think I've pushed all I can. Grace- Come on! Arthur- You go. John- We ain't got time for this, not now. Arthur- We ain't all going to make it. Go... now. I'll hold them off. Grace- Arthur. Arthur takes off his hat and places it on John's head. Arthur- It would mean a lot to me. Please. There ain't no more time for talk. Go. Go to your family. John- Arthur- Arthur- Grace... Grace- We said to the end. Arthur- This is the end. Grace- Not like this? Arthur- Like this. Grace- But, Arthur I- Arthur- I know. Grace looks at him, pain seeping into her eyes. Arthur- You get him back to his family, ok? She nods and he whispers something in her ear.

Grace- I love you. Arthur- I love you too. Now both of you, get out of here. John- You're my brother. Arthur- I know... I know. They all take one last look at eachother as Arthur clambers up the mountain and John and Grace make their escape. After Arthur's death John and Abigail wanted Grace to stay with them, but she told them she couldn't, that she wanted to head out on her own and at least try and live the life that Arthur so desperately wanted. When asking about Arthur's belongings Grace told John he should keep them, that there was only 1 thing she wanted but the rest was his. "I was only his wife. But you? You were family".  She left, and John and Abigail never heard from her again.

Grace's epilogue. Year 1914.

We see an older Grace sat on the veranda of a ranch house. It's early evening and the sun is low in the sky. A male voice is heard. Voice- Are you coming inside? Grace- (she sounds a little breathless and weak but she smiles) I'll be there in a few minutes... Arthur.

Flashback to the night Grace and John left Arthur on the mountain. Arthur- “You get him back to his family ok?”  (He whispers in her ear whilst placing his hand on her stomach) “and you look after ours.”

Back on the veranda a boy of around 15 walks over to Grace and crouches beside her.

Arthur Jr - How are you feeling? Grace - A little tired. Arthur Jr. - Ok, well don't stay out here too long. (He stands up and kisses her on the head.) Grace- I won't. I love you. Arthur Jr.- I love you too. He goes inside leaving Grace alone. Her breathing is slowing as she watches the sun sink lower in the sky. She smiles and closes her eyes. As her life fades, smile still on her face, the sun finally disappears below the horizon as her hand falls to her side letting go of what she was holding...

[amnachil]

The College Society Chapter 1 Part 5

The next part is here ! Let’s see what will happen to our guys :)

Liam Monday September 25

Nonchalantly, the young lad headed towards the kitchen. He just woke up, and he felt unmotivated. Why are we forced to start lessons on the morning ? He would have prefer to work only the afternoon. The unicorns were still asleep, lucky magical creatures ! Anyway, he opened the fridge and took the jam (his mother gave him strawberry jam), then grabbed the bread and prepared his breakfast. From his position, he could hear Nick, playing videogames in the living room. Did he have been playing the whole night ? Now used to his roommate's habits, Liam was able to sleep despite the noise. And by the way, when he had gone back home from work, Nick had been still awake playing. Well, it's his life and he does whatever he wants. The young boy finished his breakfast, and headed towards the bathroom. When he passed by the living room, his friend declared :

"Get ready dude, our guests are coming soon."

At first, Liam just nodded. Then, he realised Nick said "guests". What's he talking about ?! We're waiting someone ? (Liam was a bit inattentive, he could miss some informations from time to time, but a meeting ?) (Well, after all he forgot his own mother last sunday...)

"I told you Rebecca and Colton were coming for the group project."

"Colton."

The chestnut boy feared to see Colton. After this... painful moment with Barbara and her boyfriend, he had noticed this one was in their promotion too. And moreover, in his tutorial group. And I freaked out. But of course, Nick and Rebecca chose him for the project. Feeling perfectly awake now, Liam looked at his roommate, thinking about a pretext to run away. Nick, slumped in the sofa, was focused on his game. Besides, the brown lad noticed with a bit of surprise a tiny roll of fat covering his friend's belly. What am I imagining ? He's just bloated because as always, he stuffed himself. After all, several empty bags of chips laid around. (Rebecca had already considered their living room to be a pigsty).

"I'm sorry Nick but... I have something to do this morning." Liam eventually ventured.

"What are you talking about ? You told me you were free to work this morning !"

I don't remember... He often didn't remember what he had said. (Which sometimes led him into troubles). But he needed a reason to avoid Colton as much as possible, or he would have to face Barbara. I might be overreacting a bit... But anyway, I'm launched into this now.

"I left something... at Pasta's Place." he lied poorly. "I need to go this morning before the lesson..."

Nick (who was still playing and fortunatly didn't see Liam face) (Liam was a bad liar, and he was blushing like hell when it came to lie) nodded slowly.

"Okay dude, just go. We'll start without you."

Once in the street alone, Liam felt idiot. He was doing all that only to avoid a conversation about his ex and his family. It's because bad things happened... To be honest, really bad things happened, but he wasn't forced to reveal everything. And the more I shun Colton, the more suspicious he will be about my behaviour. Sadly, Liam was digging himself in deeper. He had been looking to the restaurant for at least thirty minutes, wondering, when someone hailed him. It was Rebecca, and while she was coming closer, his brain started to freak out. Gosh, what is she doing here ? And what can I tell now ?

"I was looking for you." she panted, evidently left out of breath. "I ran everywhere to find you."

"Something bad happened ?" he asked.

She appeared worried, and Liam having quite a good imagination, he was thinking about the worst. Did Colton just eat Nick ? What about the unicorns ? If the forces of evils were already there...

"No, absolutely not. But you weren't coming back, and Nick told me the Pasta's Place was just at ten minutes, but you left like one hour ago. So we were getting preoccupied."

He blinked, surprised. He didn't realise how much time passed. And I didn't expected Nick to be worried... Rebecca stood up straight and stared at him, perplexed.

"Did you find it ?"

"Find what ?"

"The thing you have forgotten."

Again Liam blinked. He totally forgot he had faked forgot something. Am I having memories issues or what ? She already was considering him stupid, but now...

"Yes, I found it." he eventually whispered.

"Nice. By the way, Colton cancelled at the last minute because he had a transport issue, so we have decided to put the project back and the lesson is also cancelled... Liam, are you fine ?"

Realising he was smirking like a kid, the lad stopped. Colton isn't here. Finally a bit of luck. He smiled to Rebecca, and declared :

"We should go back now."

And he started to walk, pleased by the good turn of this morning. (After all, he just avoided Colton). (And they wouldn't work on this annoying project). (He even might go back to sleep, after all).

Later this day, at sunset, Liam was alone at home when someone knocked on the door. We're not waiting anyone... Curious, the lad opened, and ran into the last person he wanted to see.

"Hi son." greeted his father. "You're doing fine, as far as I can see."

Isaac Strucker smiled. Nonetheless, Liam didn't smile back. What is he doing here ?! Why ? When he had moved in town, the young lad had expected to never see him again. His father left the family twelve years ago, when the eldest was only six, and had just came back from time to time, without any justification. Still today, Liam remembered his mother crying, alone in her bedroom, when she discovered she was pregnant of her third child but without any man to help her. And this last summer, Isaac had come back again for... reasons. He had decided to retrieve the children. Since Liam's mother had financial problems, and  thanks to his good lawyer, Isaac won the trial, and Chloe and Luka had to move with him. By luck, Liam was becoming independant, so he avoided this situation, but he kept an huge rancor towards his father. And now he's here, in front of me like if nothing happened. The forces of evil.

"Your mother told the judge you were depressing and not eating well, but it seems to me like your are in good shape Liam." declared his father with a smirk. "I wonder what will she invent next in order to prevent me for helping my children."

"You didn't help us when we needed you." retorted the freshman.

"That's why I'm back now boy. And if you need money, I can give you whatever you..."

"I don't need your help." interrupted the lad. "I'm doing fine by myself. Why are you here ? What do you want from me ?"

Isaac lowered his eyes humbly. He almost seemed sorry, but Liam wasn't naive. He took everything from my mother. She lost her three children in the same time. That's not how you make amends. The young lad remembered those nights, when he helped his mother to take care of Luka, the youngest. He remembered the longs evenings with Chloe, alone at home while their mother worked at her second job. We always managed to live without him, and we were happy. He annihilated everything.

"I can't force you to forgive me Liam." eventually stated his father. "But even if you don't believe me, I was worried since your mother told to the court you were depressing. I just came to see if everything was fine."

He took a break, but the brown boy knew he wanted to add something. He just waited, holding his urge to punch his father. The unicorns had told him he wasn't a good idea..

"Furthermore, I think Chloe and Luka would be happy to see you during the holidays... If you agree to come at my place, of course."

"I thought they were allowed to see mom during the holidays ?" questionned Liam.

"Well, not anymore... My lawyer wanted to prove to the court she was a compulsive liar and too desesperate to be a good mother, and thanks to you, it will be easy."

"Thanks to me ?"

Isaac took off his phone, and smiled cheerfully.

"I filmed you, and, in this way the court'll see you're perfectly fine. This added with the others proofs I collected will be enough for the judge. I was pretty sure you were at my side, my son. Thanks you."

And without waiting a reaction (Liam was too astounded to react quickly), his father just left him while shouting :

"See you for the holidays !"

Rebecca Thursday September 28

"Well, I guess I just have to buy another trash can." mumbled Nick, barely disconcerted.

The young girl, as for her, was dismayed. What the fuck this trash can did to deserve this ? It was dismantled, completly destroyed. And according to Nick, it was only the last victim.

"I understand he got issues with his family, but butcher a trash... Was it necessary ?"

She started to get worried. She would manage to ignore Liam's listlessness, but since monday, he had those surgings of violence she feared.

"I guess the trash can is good for the trash can." laughed Nick. "Anyway, let's go, Theo is waiting you for the training."

"How can you be so quiet ?! Your roommate is a violent guy."

"Nope. Family is the explosive subject, but otherwise, he's totally nice. And anyway, currently, he's just a serial trash can killer. I don't know what they did to him."

"I'm not kidding dude ! You should be prudent."

Nick stared at her with entertainment.

"Are you worried for me ?"

She rolled her eyes. He's impossible. How the hell could we have become friend ?

"As you said, he's a serial trash can killer, so how long before he attacks you ?"

He stuck his tongue out, and headed towards the door with the dead trash can in his hands.

"Let's go Miss Savage !"

Once they were changed and ready to swim, Nick, still wearing his vest, sat on a bench, took his gameboy and lost his interest for her. Watching him, Rebecca chewed her lips. He wasn't doing any exercise, and he was eating junkfood all day long. Just, she had no problem with him doing this, but Bob would disapprove. He wanted her to be in an optimal environment, which meant with healthy and athletics people. Until now, she lied to him, affirming Nick was a good swimmer but... But soon, Bob will come here to see if I'm telling the truth, and he'll find out what's really going on. She had to do something. Nevertheless, she would think about it later, because Theo called her to train, and she joined him. For a moment, she did a series of lengths, focused on her performance, but then, she glimpsed Liam. The chesnut haired lad was absent-mindedly dipping his feet in the water, staring into space. He's so weird... According to Nick, he had some family's issues he didn't want to talk about. But something went wrong on monday, and since, he was destroying trash cans from time to time. Rebecca was curious. She considered him like a friend, and she wasn't the kind of people to let friends alone. And yeah, to be totally honest, she was worried for Nick. To live alone with a violent man was dangerous, especially when this one was taller and beefier than you. Consequently, she headed towards Liam, and sat next to him. (Obviously, he didn't notice her... This guy was seriously daydreaming). (Sometimes, she was jealous about this ability : he could simply be somewhere, and forget everything, simply by watching the sky... that was a kind of superpower).

"Liam, I think we should talk. Look, I saw the trash cans you destroyed, and I think you should calm down a bit, because this is scary. Yeah, Nick is scared."

It was a little lie (honestly, she was convinced Nick was afraid but didn't show it) but probably the best way to make Liam react. For that matter, he looked at her, and sighed lengthily.

"I'm sorry for Nick. I didn't know he loved his trash cans this much. Anyway, I'm fine now, so don't worry. I just needed to...unwind a bit, you see ?"

"If you have problems Liam, we're here to help you." she whispered.

Honestly, she didn't expect him to talk. She knew him now (at least as much as someone could know this moody dude) and he wasn't the kind of people speaking about himself easily. She was fine with this, because herself was a secret girl too.

"Everything's fine." he assured (as she expected). "Thanks you Rebbie, I'm gonna tell Nick I'm sorry about the trash cans. I seriously thought he hated those."

The black girl smiled and nodded, letting him go. Did he retain only that Nick loved the trash cans ? Because it wasn't my point at all...

Later this night, once the training ended, Rebecca was going to left with Liam and Nick when Laura came to her. The short blonde girl looked a bit worried. She had dark rings under her eyes, and hold her bags strongly, like if she feared to be attacked.

"Sorry to bother you Rebecca, but I may have a favor to ask you." she started quickly. "Theo can't bring me back home this night, and I wondered if you could come with me. I have... infamous neightborhood to go through."

The black girl nodded slowly. Why he couldn't escort her ? What a good boyfriend... The two girls left the pool, and once she informed Nick about her change of plans, Rebecca followed Laura. Soon, they ended up alone in the darkness, faintly lit by the only street lamp working. They walked in silence, and the big girl felt unsure as much as they keep moving. Strange noise resonated around them.

"Are you... making this walk every night ?" she asked in order to say something.

"Yes." agreed Laura. "But usually, Theo is with me, and because he's tall and strong, we avoid most of the problems."

"Only most of them ?"

A trash can fell into the floor. (Why it was necessarily a fucking trash can ? He could not be a street lamp ? Or not, because it would be really scary). Rebecca took Laura hands, ready to run, but suddenly, the whole street lit up. A bunch of girls shouted something incomprehensible and rushed her.

"Welcome to the sorority Rebbie !" yelled Laura. "Here is your private induction seminar ! Have fun !"

And before she could say anything (like the fact she wanted to sleep because she had classes tomorrow) she found herself lifted and she lost the control.

Pete Sunday October 1

This ass. This ass. The young lad could not resist but stare at this handsome ass. Theo sport a tight black swimming trunks for the tournament, and exhibited his hunky body for the great pleasure of his lover. Nevertheless, Pete could only watch by far. Obviously because Laura was there, too close, and also because he didn't succeed to please Theo again. Since his conversation with Bradley more than a week ago, the idea of gaining weight in order to attract the captain was growing in his mind. He didn't know if it was really healthy but he was like an addict asking for more drugs. I should talk to him about this but... I'm not sure how to broach the subject. Anyway, while the organizer called the 100 meter crawl swimmer, Pete headed towards the restaurant, and glimpsed Nick, Rebecca and a stranger who were looking to the pool while eating a meal. He joined them and smiled.

"Hi dudes. Can I sit with you ?"

Nick nodded, and the freshman took it for a yes. He knew Rebecca wasn't exactly liking him, but whatever. I don't care about her after all. By the way, this stranger is cute. He was brown, with a beautiful and delicate face, and two glowing blue eyes. Noticing Pete was staring at him, he introduced himself as Colton, Nick and Rebecca's friend.

"Nice to meet you." responded gladly the blond guy.

For a moment, they watched the swimmers and commentated the performances. As Rebecca declined Theo's offer to make the tournament, and because Pete as Nick were too bad, they were all just watching and supporting their team. Now that I think about it, I never saw Nick swim... Outside, the organizer declared Theo winner of the 100 meter, and they all clapped with enthusiasm.

"I knew he was the best." laughed Nick. "We should eat something to celebrate his victory."

"Eat again ?! Seriously dude, you just finished your meal !" took offense Rebecca.

"And what are you gonna do to stop me, mom ?"

Nick stood up and went to the buffet, ignoring the fact his friend was holding an insult.

"He'll finish like a fat cow." she complained. "Don't tell me I didn't warn him."

"Maybe he'll, but that's his problem you know ?" replied softly Colton. "If he prefer eat than watching his figure... As long as he's happy znd healthy, there's no need to worry, right ?"

Rebecca nodded slowly, but Pete was completly focused on Nick, who went back with a huge tray of food. Did he seriously want to eat everything ? By the desesperate look of Rebecca, he wanted to. However, around them, nobody seemed to be displeased by the glutton, and Pete found himself quite fascinated by the way Nick stuffed this food down his throat. He glanced at Theo, who was outside with some friends, and then went back to Nick. Maybe... Maybe if I do the same and gain a bit of weight... I would get Theo back... Or even better, I would have Theo only for me...

After the tournament, Pete went to Mcdo for is work, and managed to eat the most greasy food he found, before he came back home. In order to gain weight rapidly, he already had quite a good idea. Since he was member of the culinar club, he was making the diner for Mike and himself, while his roommate was doing the cleaning and the shopping. And as a football player, this one used a caloric poder (highly compound of protein) in order to maintain his muscle mass. Of course, with a high amount of exercise, it worked quite nice. However, Mike told me that when he took this poder, he had to eat less and as healthy as possible, like salads. Otherwise, it's too fat. But Pete wanted greasy food. He wasn't a big eater, his stomach had a low capacity, but the poder wasn't nourishing, so he could easily swallow it with a big plate. By doing this for several days, he would gain a bit of weight, and Theo would be turned on. That was why Pete started to prepare a huge meal for him and Mike, and then put some poder in it. Mike is doing so much sport, and is so tall, he'll not see any difference. Then, he sat on the table, and called his roommate.

"It smell delicious !" was glad this latter. "You outdid yourself... Are we celebrating something special ?"

"I heard you won the first match of the season." lied Pete. "So here's the reward."

It was a little lie, nothing too bad after all. Mike looked at him, and mumbled :

"I was on the bench the whole time but thanks I guess. You're cool."

"Yeah, I know."

They both started to eat, and for the first time in his life, Pete felt the desire to devour as much as possible, because he knew it was the only way to please Theo.

To be continued

Hope you liked it :). Well, to those who wonder, the main plot is around Liam, but through other characters we can explore more of their college society. The first chapter is also a kind of introduction. There are 6 parts left !

There is still a lot to go through, especially for our poor Liam... What in his past is so unpleasant that he wants to forget it ? Rebecca is still looking for her place in this new place, will she manage to find it ? And will Pete succeed to reconquer Theo ?

If you want to know more about Liam, don’t forget to read my previous story ; The High School Game !

See you next week ! (I hope :x)

[eliza-hamilton-holly]

Dear Readers,

I apologise for my absence. I am, in this post, going to further explain it, but please, before you continue onwards with this post, be wary, considering it has mentions of suicide, manipulation, and toxicity. If that isn't something that you are comfortable with, I implore you to stop reading.

I would just like to say that, in no way, shape, or form, should my experience or feelings towards this person make you dislike them in any way. I will be using gender neutral pronouns for them, and not referring to them by name, in hopes of keeping their identity a secret, as I don't want to upset them.

Well, truthfully, I don't care about them. I don't particularly care about upsetting them. In all honesty, I don't think that they cared enough about me to be upset by my words, but being publicly exposed would most definitely upset them.

I am telling you about this because, for one, it explains my absence recently, and for two, I believe that this is a teachable moment. I recognise that everyone who reads my blog is a real, actual person with real, actual feelings, and this situation is more than likely to happen to you.

What happened is simple - I was stuck in a very toxic relationship.

I say relationship and do not mean romantic, in this instance. This was a friendship - if you can call it that - and it was just bad.

To start with, it was incredibly one sided. All I did was give, and all they did was take. It was very draining. I got one day of having something back. One day. What did I have to do to get that one day of communication and worry? Quite literally have a heart attack. I was giving, and giving, and the other person was giving nothing back. They couldn't even be bothered to send me a message every few days without serious prompting, and the prompting made me feel awful for being so bothersome.

It drained me, and made me feel worthless. Unwanted. It made me feel easily replaceable. I knew that they liked everyone else much, much more than me, and whenever I confronted them about treating me well, they got extremely defensive and denied it outright.

It made me feel as if I was going crazy. This is a manipulation tactic. By taking my concerns and, instead of addressing them, accusing me of things unrelated, or flipping it so that they were accusing me of what I had brought up, it made me feel as though I was treating them poorly. It made me more reliant on them, because it made me feel like they were never in the wrong, and I always was.

They constantly assured me that they liked me, but they never showed it. I think that they kept me in their menagerie because I was a resource that could be exploited. They knew how dedicated I was towards them. They knew that they could ask the world of me and I would deliver.

They rarely gave me anything in return. No time out of their day, no check in, no phone call - nothing. I am not someone who focuses on material items whatsoever, but what is required to sustain a friendship with me is a little bit of time out of your day to talk with me. Not daily, even. I understand that people are busy.

However, when they are consistently posting, talking to others, never starting conversations, and then when that point is brought up, they tell you that they were too sick to talk, but they were entirely fine to do all of that and not send a message to check in, and they do this multiple times, it gets suspicious.

I gave them plenty of opportunities to let them tell me they didn't like me. They made me feel as though I was insane for even thinking that. It wasn't reassurance, hearing that. It just made me feel worse.

On top of that, they secluded me. They wouldn't let me talk to their other friends - and I understand that that is a choice, and I am not particularly upset about this one, but it can be a sign of manipulation. By keeping me away from all of their other friends, they made it so that I couldn't freely express my concerns about them to others who knew them, nor could I ever come close to tainting the image of perfection their friends held of them.

These things eventually led to me feeling completely worthless, taken advantage of,

They introduced me to one of their friends, very early on, who we will call X, and X and I became very close very quickly. X expressed to me concerns about the person who we am no longer friends with, due to their manipulative and toxic behaviour, and, soon after I met X, X cut them off for the same reasons I would later cut them off for.

On top of this, X told me about at least one other person who felt the same way about the toxic person. Knowing that there were at least two other people out there who felt the same helped. It made me feel less out of my mind for doubting the person.

Please do note that when I say out of my mind, I do mean it. I genuinely could not understand why I thought that they were mistreating me at that time, because I was still being manipulated by them. I thought that my feelings were extremely irrational. I thought I was paranoid, and imagining things that weren't there. I was doubting my ability to trust myself, and that is a very scary feeling.

All of this led to me feeling suicidal. I tried to propel myself off of the Golden Gate Bridge, because I live very close to it, and, at the time, it seemed like a good idea. It was not a good idea. Please never try to do that. If you are feeling suicidal, there are hotline numbers to call (I will reblog this post with a list), and if you need someone, you can always go to your friends, or you can come to me - I don't care if we've never talked before, you can come to me and I will take care of you.

So, the lesson in this is that if you are feeling mistreated and used by someone, no matter how close you are with them, you should rationally bring up your concerns and see if they're willing to work on them with you, or if they make you feel worse for bringing your concerns up. Manipulative and toxic people are hard to spot in your own relationships at times. If someone makes you feel bad about yourself, you should cut them out of your life. You do not need that negativity.

Friends do not make friends feel like shit.

If you have someone in your life that you are considering cutting out, do it. You wouldn't be considering it if it wasn't for a reason, right? Once you cut that person out of your life, you will feel better.

I cut this toxic person out of my life a week ago, and, already, I feel so much better. I have this weight off of my shoulders.

The first day was the most difficult. I cut them off, and then I started doubting myself. Was that the right choice? Would I regret it? The answer came very shortly after- no. I feel so much better after getting rid of them. They were a truly awful friend, and a negative influence to have in my life.

I feel good about myself for finally growing a backbone and cutting them out of my life. I've never done that to anyone before, no matter how awful they were to me. My family is very messy - drug and alcohol addiction runs rampant in it, and there are people that I should have cut out years ago that I never could manage to. In turn, they just came back to continue to hurt me. Knowing that I can cut someone out - knowing that I'm strong enough to handle that, and it will make me feel better - feels nice, I won't lie. It has made me more confident.

The person I cut out has not reached out to me since. They have ways of contacting me if they really cared about me and wanted to make amends.

I took some time off from this blog just to reorganise myself. I am feeling so much better now, and I see myself back here for the foreseeable future.

I have some questions in my inbox from who knows how long ago, and I will answer them eventually! Most likely today while I'm making cookies. Feel free to come and talk to me!

Sincerely,

A Happier Eliza Hamilton Holly

[spacenerrrd]

Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover: Chapter 3

Sander sides

Word count: 1,945

Characters: Patton/Creativity, Virgil/Anxiety, Patton/Morality, Logan/Logic

Warnings: Nothing. If there is please let me know xox

Summary: Logan runs a library in a small town, allowing him to share his love of books without feeling left out. His business partner and friend Roman helps by running the bright Disney themed cafe that attracts more people to stay for longer. The two clashing but somehow perfect match of a friendship went their days peaceful in their small community until one day a new pair of brother; Patton and Virgil, moved into town and showed the owners a new way of live.

Chapter three: Tears Were Spilled

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2

~~~

Splash.

Soft rain drops hitting the glass woke Logan up from his deep slumber. Although the bags under his eyes begged for him to stay in bed and get more sleep, his logic made him shuffle his feet across his floor to continue his morning routine. A coffee for breakfast was all he treated himself to as he got ready. The pyjama shirt was replaced with the usual black polo and suit pants follow. The blue tie slid around his neck and was loosely tied and adjusted to sit properly on him. The coffee cup was discarded into the sink as Logan made quick work of his shoes and jacket before he headed out into the rain. His stomach rumbled and his eyes ached as he regretted himself for staying up late the night before. ‘It was illogical’, he thought as the rain pitter-pattered against his head. ‘Why was I being so bothered something that really meant nothing? Roman was just speaking his mind, and that’s alright. He was just pointing out facts, so why were the facts bothering me so much?’ Logan stopped in his tracks and licked his lips quickly to confirm it. Tears were flowing down with the rain slowly along his cheeks. It didn’t help his already aching eyes and so Logan quickened his steps so he could hurry out of the cold that was stinging the tip of his nose and into the warmth of his library. The key trembled slightly at his freezing fingers but soon the lock clicked and Logan was in the warmth, naturally bringing a smile to his face. The heater and lights kicked in and Logan seemed to properly wake up, no matter how little sleep he got. By the time Roman walked in with his loud voice echoing through the library about how the weather was going to ruin his hair Logan had cleaned himself up, tears and tiredness pushed aside. The prince seemed to not notice anything an ife did, he knew better than to ask from how they ended things yesterday. The library was opened at the exact time of 7:30 like everyday, the cafe running at full speed and Logan extremely needing the distraction from his mind that seemed to be racing and his heart that was wondering.

The children he had tutored for a while smelt something fishy when Logan yawned a few times and seemed to drift off when the students were writing away as he usually likes to hide any sign of ‘weakness’ like being tired and to keep his thoughts on the lesson. He insisted he was fine and most of the students dropped it...except for-

“It’s totally about Patton isn’t it?

“No Lucy, now let’s get back to this math that you were struggling with just yesterday.”

“Oh no, I’m perfectly fine. I practised all night and understand everything now.” Lucy beamed. “So spill the beans sir.”

Logan gave her a blank expression for god knows how long, but she kept wiggling her eyebrows and a smirk covering her face that eventually broke him. He sighed and the smile she did could’ve powered the town. “I got little sleep last night because Roman pointed something out that now makes me afraid…”

Lucy’s face softened, eyes kind with a sense of understanding. Truth be told, Roman and her were the only people who knew what had happened in Logan’s past. Roman; because he was there when it happened. Lucy; she came in late one day to a slightly upset Logan crying into Roman's shoulder.

“Oh Logan….why are should you be afraid? What if it's a new start for you? You can make amends to your feelings. You can't live your life behind a curtain forever. Pain is meant to be felt, because it allows you to feel the great emotions stronger.”

Logan was silent. His gaze was on the work in front of them, trying to work out the equation left unsolved to try and distract himself. Soon his vision was blurred and Lucy was wiping his tears away from his face. “But what if….it hurt so much, I don't know if I can take something like that again.”

“But what if it's magical? This could change your life, this could be so good for you. Maybe just give Patton a chance. He makes you smile and-”

“Hey kiddos! What's going on?” Patton was smiling like the Sun, pulling the seat up next to Logan. It instantly dropped when he realised Logan was crying. “Oh god, what's the matter bud?”

Logan didn't turn around at first. He was going to flat out ignore him until Lucy raised her eyebrow at him and he sighed. I'm just figuring some stuff out and-” he couldn't finish his words before he was pulled into a hug.

“Shh, it's alright Lo. I've got you.” The softness in his tone and the warmth he gave Logan made him crack as he started crying softly into his shoulder. A hand rested on the back of his head to keep him close while another ran up and down his back, making him feel cared for. He had lost track of time but when he looked up Lucy had cleared her stuff and was gone. He turned his gaze to Patton who gave him the sweetest smile it was almost sickening. He tried to return one, but after failing he just dropped his head back on to his shoulder. A silence fell between the two, Logan focusing on the hand still tracing his spine that made him shiver. The curiosity of a question got the better of him as he asked “Why do you care Patton? What seems to be so special about me for you?”

“Well jeez Lo, there's no one answer. I just hate seeing anyone sad, especially my friends.”

“Did….did you just say….friend?”

“Of course I did! You're such a sweet and kind person, why wouldn't we be friends?”

Logan lifted his head again to see a large smile across his face, giving the corner of his eyes crinkles. A soft, real smile drifted over his own face as well, settling with the dusty pink over his cheek. They were both staring at each other for a bit, a nice warmth surrounding them until Logan realised what was happening and stood up quickly, snapping Patton out of it too. “I apologize for my behaviour. I will make sure to keep my feelings under control next time.”

“Lo, you silly goose! I didn't mind, this was really sweet.”

“Well….I have work I must attend to. I am sorry to leave you-”

“Oh it's ok! I'll just follow you then, it must get lonely walking around by yourself.”

Logan stood there for a moment. If he wanted to keep this 'friend’ he had made he should probably hang with them. “I guess you can accompany me with my tasks.”

“Oh yay! What fun! Maybe I can also help you too!” Patton jumped up and stood next to Logan, sides pressed together slightly that made his cheeks pink and lips let out a giggle.

Logan's faced flushed too as he walked around, assisting people and organising the books with the help of Patton

Virgil was, again, getting distracted by Roman playing with some kids. With a headphone pounding loud music into his ear, he drummed his pencil against his empty sheet. Although he couldn't hear them, the smiles and obvious laughter that they all shared made Virgil's heart swell from seeing the enjoyment. He pushed his luck too far though, for Roman was about to check Virgil out when he caught him staring. Throwing him a wink, the hooded boy went red and buried his head down to try and actually write something.

Roman smirked, whispering something into the girls ear beside him. She looked over at Virgil and smiled, nodding before running over to him and tugging on his sleeve.

Virgil looked up annoyed until his eyes rested on her. He softened a little bit. “What do you want?”

“Well sir, we were wondering if you would like to play with us.” Her hopeful shimmering green eyes melted Virgil's heart, and so unlike he usual would, he responded with “What are you playing?”

“We're playing high tea, and the m-magesy would love for you to join us.”

Virgil looked over her and finally paid attention to the little cups and table set up, teddies filling in the gaps of the children who already left. He sighed. “Give me a minute ok?”

She happily nodded and skipped back over, taking her space in the table.

Virgil made quick work of cleaning up the table he was sitting at until everything was in his bag. He thought for a moment before pausing his music and putting his headphones away. He trotted over and sat his bag next to the throne before making it to the others.

Roman was the first to speak up. “Ah, my dear boy. I'm so glad you got the invite.” He smirked slightly, making Virgil blush and dig his nails into his palm in annoyance. “Why don't you take Tigger’s spot from the table then.”

Virgil saw the Tigger teddy next to Roman himself and sighed, moving it back a bit before sitting down. The small girl who went up to him handed him a plastic tea cup and offered him some tea from the plastic tea pot. He nodded silently and the other kids went back to their chittering, asking Roman and now Virgil questions about stories. Virgil listened to the amazing and wild stories he told the kids and not understanding how he was suppose to compete with it. So instead of telling, he quickly grabbed his sketchbook and got the children to describe monsters that lurked around for him to draw. The detail the kids gave of them have Virgil the perfect amount for his to draw up until the last freckle. Being so distracted with the adorable kids and the feeling of the pencil on paper, he didn't notice the gaze Roman had on him. The look with a small smile that said so many things and how he shuffled just that little bit closer until their knees touched.

Roman and Virgil worked together to entertain the kids. Roman would talk about the heroic stories each of the kids did to fight against these monsters while Virgil drew the scene out, showing the kids at the end that made them gasp and beg for more. Before they knew it, the last kid had left and the time settled onto 6. Virgil sighed happily, slowly falling back to Earth from his daze of bliss. It was then he realised how close he and Roman were, making him as red as the decor. He went to shuffle away but was stopped when Roman grabbed his wrists, flushed a bit as well.

“I….just needed to say thank you. These kids mean so much to me a-and to see them happy like th-that is just so ama-azing.”

Virgil looked up to see that tears were starting to fall down Roman's face. He didn't really know how to help someone else going through this, so he just did what Patton did to him. He pulled the prince into a soft hug.

“I'm s-sorry, they just are s-so perfect and-”

“Shhh Roman, it's ok.” Virgil played with Roman's hair, the other hand rubbing circles into his back.

For a while they sat there, just holding each other like that. Both faces flushed with embarrassment and tears rolling down one to land on his leather boots.

Splash.

~~~

Yoooooo, sorry about the late chapter post but I was away and couldn’t get to my computer until now but I hope you’ve enjoyed it! Let me know if you want to be added to the next chapter.

Next chapter

Tag list meh lads:

Tags: @deathbyvenusftw @moonlightinwater @princeanxious @roman-is-a-gay @coffeekeyboardsss @ocotopushugs @thepoolofthedead @sanders-sides-things @angered-turtle @gayrobotalien @rebaobsessions @a-ghosts @catsandrandomness @fricksonsticks @v-blue-writer @hanramz-the-fander @your-username-is-unavailable @emphoenixcat @daughterofsomnus @anaveragegayfan @louisthewarlock @saro5100

[peteramcsherrylaw]

A New Chapter in Ontario’s Doctor’s Note Debate

Once upon a time, if an employee woke up feeling under the weather, they would call their place of employment and let them know they would be taking a sick day, and that would be the end of the matter. Of course, this presumes the employee had not used all of their paid or unpaid sick days for the year. The point is, the employer would accept the employee’s explanation at face value and that would be the end of the matter.

However, there was always the chance that employees could take advantage of the system, and ‘call in sick’ in order to get an additional paid vacation day. In fact, this most certainly happened. Most employees know at least one person who has done this, and some may even know people who don’t want to ‘waste’ a sick day on staying home sick. Instead, some people may work through mild illnesses in order to ‘save’ a sick day for something more enjoyable.

This behaviour eventually prompted some employers to begin requesting a doctor’s note from any employee who claimed they were too sick to work. On the one hand, a doctor’s note serves as validation of an employee’s claim, backing their position and reassuring an employer that the request was valid. On the other hand, requiring a doctor’s note places a number of obligations on an employee, who in theory is ill, to spend their recuperation time driving around town, potentially infecting others, trying to find a doctor who will see them on a same-day basis. In addition, doctors began to be inundated by patients just looking for a note to validate a claim of a stomach bug, or a migraine, taking time away from patients who needed actual care or prescriptions. As a result, doctors began to charge patients for these notes, placing an additional burden on the employee to pay out of pocket.

Bill 148: Employers No Longer Allowed to Request Doctor’s Note

On January 1, 2018, Bill 148 (the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017) came into effect and amended parts of the Employment Standards Act, which governs much of the employer/employee relationship in Ontario. Specifically, Bill 148 entitled every employee to 10 personal emergency days per year, with the first two being paid. In order to qualify for these days, an employee must have been with their employer for at least one week.

Additionally, the Bill restricted the rights of an employer to demand a doctor’s note from an employee requesting a sick day. An employer was permitted to ask for one, but could not deny the leave if the employee refused. In theory, this would prevent an employee who was too sick to leave their home from having to attend a doctor’s office to request a note. For those suffering from something like a migraine, which can make a person extremely sensitive to light, or a stomach bug, travelling outside the home under those conditions is far from practical.

Bill 47: Doctor’s Notes Once Again on the Table

One year to the day that Bill 148 came into effect, Bill 47 (the Making Ontario Open for Business Act) repealed and replaced several aspects of Bill 148. Pertinent to this discussion, the 10 days of personal emergency leave (included 2 paid days) were repealed and replaced with three separate leaves, all of which are unpaid. The leaves are as follows:

sick days (up to 3 per year)

family responsibility leave (up to 3 days per year)

bereavement leave (up to 2 days per year)

The time an employee must have been with their employer in order to qualify for these leaves was doubled, from one week to two. In addition, the restrictions on an employer’s ability to demand a doctor’s note were removed, once again enabling employers to require a note from any employee requesting a sick day.

In the months leading up to the new rules coming into effect, the Canadian Medical Association conducted a poll to determine what effects these changes might have on employees. Among the key findings were the fact that the majority of working Canadians opposed an employer’s right to demand a note for a minor illness. Further, 80% of Ontario respondents said they would attend work while sick if their employer required a note in order for them to stay home. This raises the possibility of increased infection if a contagious person attends work while sick.

Sick Notes Temporarily Suspended Due to COVID-19

Among the many changes to Ontario employment law during the ongoing health crisis is the temporary restriction on employers, preventing them from demanding a sick note for employees who need to stay home. This has been done primarily to allow an employee who is showing symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home from work while reducing the chances of spreading the infection to others by attending their doctor’s office. This measure would presumably be lifted once the threat of infection is eliminated, likely once a reliable and safe vaccine is introduced.

Bill Banning Sick Notes Proposed in Ontario

This brings us to the present-day, and a new Bill proposed by Guelph MPP and the leader of Ontario’s Green Party, Mike Schreiner. The Bill would see the law in Ontario changed permanently, beyond a time when the threat of COVID-19 is effectively reduced or eliminated, to ban the requirement of a doctor’s note in Ontario. According to Schreiner, this would not only relieve Ontario workers from the burden of getting a note while sick (or attending work while sick), it would also be a help to medical professionals in Ontario:

“I’m hearing from workers, but I’m also hearing from health-care professionals that requiring sick notes makes absolutely no sense anytime…Why would you require people who are sick to go to a doctor’s office, potentially getting other people sick, simply for an administrative requirement to get a sick note…If we’re going to call frontline workers heroes, let’s treat them with respect, treat them like heroes and permanently eliminate the need for sick notes, which will keep everyone safer.”

While the Bill has just been introduced, we’ll continue to monitor its progress and will provide updates as they become available.

As evidenced above, the laws around sick leave and employee rights and obligations have changed several times in recent years. It can be difficult to know what the current laws require.

If you have questions about your rights as an employee with respect to sick leave, contact the offices of Guelph employment lawyer Peter McSherry. We will ensure you understand your obligations and help you determine whether you may have a claim due to a violation of your rights by your employer. Contact us online or by phone at 519-821-5465 to schedule a consultation.

The post A New Chapter in Ontario’s Doctor’s Note Debate appeared first on Peter A. McSherry.

from WordPress https://petermcsherry.ca/a-new-chapter-in-ontarios-doctors-note-debate/

[baddyxangel]

Hey sorry for reviving this so late buuuuut let me just put in a few points.Ok, so when I watched 5a, I was having a hell of a time, considering i adore stiles and his personality, and seeing stiles do bad things makes me so happy. After the Donovan situation and then when he was in a car with Theo, saying he felt good about killing him, I really believed they could have developed so much from that story, but after 5b, it's almost like they forgot about it. He had one heartfelt conversation with his father about losing something and never being able to get it back, but that's it. I was wondering, did this annoy you as much as me? Considering they never developed the fact that Stiles LIKED killing Donovan?

It's really complex, I did a lot of talking about this on tumblr, so I learned my way around it like a pro Stiles was glad in that instant because the threat was gone, he was safe, but it was quickly replaced by guilt. People overlook it, but he tried to help Donovan when he was on the spear. And it wore down on him because he couldn't tell anyone but in 5b something very interesting happens, he gets very good at pretending to be s1 stiles, he's suddenly clumsy, his brain to mouth filter is gone again, he goes from sleeping in a foetal position (in s4 with malia) to sprawled out on the couch in the sheriff's office which presents a few options

he bangs his head A LOT in s5a and a lot of the things that are obvious do fit concussion symptoms, clumsiness, sleeping at irregular times etc

he has gotten over it (hahahahaha)

he's faking it

being knee deep in the meta on tumblr (same username) I've been through a lot of the eps 2 or 3 times looking for hints, clues etc, and it's come down to brain damage which is cured medically with trepanning (opening him up to magic and revealing his otherness) OR he's faking because he wants to fit in again my own gut says b, he's faking it because he wants everything to run smoothly. There are hints that he and Scott are still broken up, but Stiles is pretending because BH needs it, and he's biding his time until he leaves. I'm going with this until further knowledge but with the suggestions in 6 that he's missing it will be interesting that with Kira gone if Scott cares.

tumblr user sublimeglass (or was it cupidsbower, definitely one of the two) pointed out there is often a huge difference between what characters on teen wolf SAY and what they DO look at Stiles, he spends five seasons advocating violence and death, to the point he suggested "chloroforming the little bastard and throwing him in the lake" [about Liam] but he's actually the least violent member of the pack. He is known as the liar but he's a terrible liar and very rarely breaks the truth. Peter is seen as being hideously lying and he uses the truth cleverly but it is the truth. It uses a specific narrative viewpoint and that viewpoint is often wrong, characters (and us) assume and when we assume we're usually, 99 times out of a hundred, wrong. Go through season 5b and ask yourself when does Stiles turn to Scott, he confides in Lydia and his dad, he goes to Scott in regards the attack because he needs power in his corner. Scott didn't talk to him about Duke (that wasn't new for Scott) but Stiles wasn't wounded like he's been before. We have Stiles who broke up with Malia, Lydia is in Eichen, Scott broke up with him - and he wants to help, he wants to be useful which Scott implied (accidentally or not) that if Stiles had killed (remember it was an accident and Scott still doesn't know the details, he still thinks Stiles smashed Theo's head in) he was cast out of the pack - which means he can't help. So why not suppress who he is and act like they expect him to be so they don't drive him away. It certainly fits his character. It's that it was SO obvious that makes me question it. Combined with his line at the end of season 5, about everyone falling where they need to be (I can't remember the quote off hand) instead of his plan to keep everyone together at the start - that's a huge shift and it certainly fits 5a stiles better than 5b but the foetal thing - he couldn't sleep until he was the little spoon, which is the foetal thing, but people like being the little spoon because it makes them feel safe. The same reason they sleep in the foetal position, which makes them small. "This stance, favoured by worriers, is said to show the sleeper is seeking to return to their comfort zone after a stressful day. Foetal sleepers are conscientious, ordered and like things in their place, according to the study, but are also in danger of over-thinking problems and worrying unnecessarily." from a study done by Premier Inn he can't "sleep without his pillow" which suggests (from the same study) ften clutching their pillow, they can appearing to be “holding on for dear life” in what is thought to be the most uncomfortable sleeping position for adults. Those who adopt it can feel as if life “happens around them” and they are just “hanging on for the ride”, believing they lack control over what will happen the next day. now before he seemed to be either a starfish or a frog, the frog is lying on their stomach with their ass in the air (often because placed on their front as a baby, the frog was recommended for a while) but the starfish Starfish The Starfish Position was the least popular amongst those with a preference, with only five per cent of those surveyed choosing it as their favourite. Starfish sleepers lie on their backs with legs sprawled and arms stretched up near the head, and were reported to make friendship a priority. They dislike being the centre of attention, instead offering to listen to the problems of others and go out of their way to offer assistance to those in need. which sounds very like s1 stiles the details in teen wolf are amazing! sometimes the big story details are a huge mess, but the tiny details - spot on every time. so him swapping from sleeping on his side curled up (if not full foetal) to sprawled on the sofa with one leg over the back is odd. His body language seems a lot tighter as well, which is why I think he's faking it. Even you questioned how far he'd gone.

I'm kinda "eh" about it. The situation was really dubious from the beginning. A fool would know the difference between murder and accidental killing, of all things. I felt Stiles acted out of character when initially dealing with it, by not telling anyone...yet at the same time, it's totally understandable why he feels the way he does about it. Maybe it was in the right vein, but much too extreme. It would've been so much better if he had actually struck the killing blow on purpose, establishing to Scott that sometimes killing is necessary, due to the simple fact that Stiles is human and isn't given a choice. If that had happened, so much of what happened later would have felt more natural and believable. There would've been some good moments between the two. As for how it was dealt with, I agree it was interesting. It was like when he was talking to Malia on the full moon, about how he liked the power and control from the Nogitsune. That was a surprise, yet it makes complete sense why he'd feel that way, and it's understandable why he'd never bring it up that much. Same goes for feeling good about Donovan's death. Stiles is pragmatic. He serves as a small foil to Scott, who is stuck being an idealist. I believe Scott will eventually have to kill someone. But, he would never admit to liking it. Stiles ultimately follows Scott's ideals, but as we've seen, if it came down to it, he would be glad they were dead. He felt pretty shitty about it, too, but still. The talk with his father felt like tying up loose ends. The sheriff gave him a little perspective, and it was nice. Scott missed the point entirely. As a character Scott is selfish and a bit self centred, but he's not narcissistic. He has a tendency to assume he knows what he's doing and that everyone agrees with him. In his apology he never once said sorry. He said I thought it was going to be either me or Malia, but as the sheriff pointed out Stiles didn't kill him. He talked to the Sheriff honestly. but he felt he couldn't go to them, his dad because he was the sheriff and he thought he'd covered up a crime and his dad would drive him away - because in our heads the voices of our loved ones are much meaner than they are in real life. And he believed he couldn't tell Scott because Scott would reject him, and at that point it was likely he would have, but Theo stirred the pot and made it much worse, much more likely. The show tells us Scott's a great guy, but if you get past that to actually look at him he's really not. He's fantastically written, but he's not a good guy, he's judgemental, and actually displays a lot of really dangerous behaviours. In a meta on tumblr actually I found he fit 15 of 17 key behaviours recognised in cult leaders. And that phrase "the cult of Scott McCall" coined by Superhappygenki (on tumblr) is spot on, the characters, Deaton leading them to a large extent, sell Scott as the wunderkid, and because Scott is good at saying the right things and appearing at the right time (often not to do much) we believe him, right up until he does something that makes you go - ummm no and then like an onion the layers fall away. In his paranoia over what happened Stiles believed the worst of Scott so he shut down what happened, stuffed it down and tried to make amends, and when Scott faced him down he did exactly what Stiles feared, he not only drove him away but in such a way that he seemed to throw him out of the pack. Had Stiles not been shut down when he tried to tell Scott outside Eichen House - he could have tried to be objective, by the time he was able to talk about it - on the drive to Mexico, it had it's claws in him.

Hey sorry for reviving this so late buuuuut let me just put in a few points. Stiles loves to be in control. He likes to feel powerful, and he's always had an inkling of that. He really, I mean really, cements that fact after his possession. He tells Malia he likes feeling powerful - and he gets it. And, putting aside the fact that he never implied he liked killing Donovan. He just likes that Donovan has died - which is totally different in the whole "murder scale" I qualified for this post. But putting all that aside, I mean, who wouldn't feel good that a threat to them and the people they care about is gone? Even if it was accidental. I love dark!Stiles too. I mean, he's got so much potential to be an anti-hero. He reminds me of deadpool a lot. Not the point though. I guess, what I'm trying to say... Stiles might finally be coming back round to himself? You know? He (and the writers) just pushed aside the whole Nogitsune possession thing. So, it would make a lot of sense that the first death he actually caused while he was in full capacity mentally would hit him extremely hard. And there's the whole extreme emotional distance between him and literally every other person on the show - the fact that instead of talking about his problems, he talks around them and just lets his friends infer what he might mean. He's kind of really fucked up & secretive about it! I'd love to see him (them/thewriters/whatever) explore this shit more explicitly in canon.

[seongkiran-blog]

( i’m sobbing she’s precious )

hi guys, i’m jules and i’m so excited to be a part of this rp !! i just saw that my app was in all caps by mistake bc my phone likes to fuck with me like that and i’m cringing omg. so i applied a few days ago but life got super hectic and i only just reapplied now that i’ve come up for air rip. but this is my eternally fucked, lowkey honey girl kiran who thinks she’s stoic and intimidating af but more often than not has the smallest of smiles at the v least on her face. here’s some basic — & extensive, sorry lmao — info about her ( TW: death, self-destructive behaviour, adjustment disorder/situational depression ) :

born seong kiran/kiran diana seong on march 12, 1997

scarborough, canada born and raised to first-gen korean-canadian parents

the epitome of a bitter smol™ that’s prepared to fight over everything (stubborn brat )

has twin five year old siblings that she fucking adores, which is a big deal since she doesn’t care intensely for many people

her parents were both only kids that ventured into science-based careers; her mom was a pharmacist at her late grandparents’ small clinic and her dad was a neurosurgeon at toronto gen hospital, so they were upper-middle class you could say

s u c k e d at making friends in her formative years and when she did, they didn’t stay for v long

plenty of chances for her to find new friends though since the gta is huge and has a ton of other kids around so it wasn’t all in vain

also her vanity when she was a kid was prob a turn off for others lol

smart af, like english? a’s. math? a’s french? a+

eventually didn’t suck at the whole friend thing and had a small group of people she grew rather fond of

she ended up graduating as valedictorian and was accepted to mcgill to study pre-med and become a neurosurgeon just like papa seong

always wanted to follow in his footsteps, so it came as no surprise to her parents

( TW: DEATH ) during her midterm break in her first sem, her parents decided to take the family to their cabin near muskoka for a weekend away from the city/suburbs

they were a little over halfway there when her dad tried to veer the suv away from a moose in the middle of their lane, but wasn’t successful

kiran was conscious during the whole thing, though she sustained a concussion and the twins were unharmed in their carseats; however their mother died on impact and their father suffered from a cranial injury ( .. i only just realized how ironic and morbid this is after working with this muse for a while oh my g o d )

she went with the twins to the hospital and was inconsolable over the loss of her mother alone, while her father was in critical condition and the outlook was promising, though not certain

he was put in a medically induced coma after being operated on and she and her godparents ( who advised her on the whole thing since they were docs themselves ) decided to hold out hope for a recovery

the twins were put in her care and she was left to deal with the burden of their loss, her education and the obvious, her brother and sister’s newfound dependency on her

she withdrew from the few people she became close to over the years, her grades began to slip as well, and she was always weighed down by grief and anxiety

she tried to stay in school while taking care of the twins, but it was becoming more and more difficult to do so. she just managed to keep her head above water throughout the rest of the first sem though

moved out of res, into an apartment and relocated the twins for the time being to see if she could pull it off

( TW: SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR ) add the fact that a part of her began to question if she could really follow in her dad’s footsteps, and that she let further anxiety from the pressures of making her parents proud get to her and she was soon on a downward spiral

she slipped away from her academics and was slowly becoming a poor guardian; soon, kiran was partying too hard and winding up in the hospital or a stranger’s dorm, skipping labs, and was generally a lost cause when the twins were under the care of a sitter

failed a couple of courses by the end of the second semester and had her godparents flying out to crack down on her dumb ass

felt hopeless and lost, but especially so when she posed the risk of losing the only family that she had left, realizing how selfish her actions were and trying to amend her mistakes

dropped out of mcgill for the time being and took up a job as a retail clerk to provide for the three of them ( despite inheriting their mom’s estate and all, as she put the money that came from it into the kids’ savings )

was soon in the clear in her godparents’ opinion and has tried to do right by her parents and siblings since then

after losing herself for a while, she found that she was right back to where she started with friend-making, but rather than it being her just not knowing how, it was that she didn’t want to let people in after everything that had happened

she didn’t remain a loner, but she didn’t have a ride or die by any means

for the sake of her a.d and bc of the bad memories that t.o and mtl held, she found herself relocating to greenville of all places

but deep down she knows mama seong would be happy about the kids growing up in a smaller town than near dt toronto

about four months after settling in, she began attending a nearby college in what would have been her fourth semester and has since maintained a high gpa after retaking the courses she fucked up in

her dad has since woken up, but he’s going through extensive forms of therapy to restore his motor, neurological, etc functions

she’d be back in t.o if her godparents hadn’t advised against it since it was still rly overwhelming for him and his three kids ( two of whom wouldn’t rly know him either ) coming back prob wouldn’t help ??

still has nightmares from the accident, the girl’s scarred for life and is thankful that the twins were too young to remember

sees a psychiatrist at the behest of her godmother bc she rly can’t cope by herself in all of this but she doesn’t like to burden others with her problems ( doesn’t like people knowing much about her regardless but )

now to her personality and extra facts ig ??? this has gotten so out of hand already, sTOP ME

the most stubborn chick alive, will never admit she’s wrong unless you weasel it out of her with some heavy guilt-tripping

she used to be a fucking NIGHTMARE to most people before everything went awry, still can be but it’s more or less an act with a little bit of it also being herself

a true instagram addict, which makes sense bc she can be p vain at times

rather intuitive tbh

can be insightful as well

feigns annoyance and boredom with people/their antics

some weird ass detachment method on her part that she didn’t shake, but question her on it and she’ll shut it tf down

but is still genuinely, easily irritated all the same ?? not even i understand this chick

curses like a sailor is she isn’t too curt in her responses

has a problem with trusting others, feels like she can only truly rely on herself so if you break through that barrier then congrats ig

she won’t make it obvious though, she’s a sociable being and will actually take to you if you pique her interest with free booze or a wild story

just don’t expect her to surrender much of her life story, but she’ll also get a bit offended if you don’t offer a bit of your own ??

the most annoying internalizer of emotions ever if you’re actually friends with her, 110% will not confide in you if you’re not one of four or five people in her life

also fears loss more than anything, so she isn’t close to many people for BOTH the trusting aspect, as well as wanting to spare herself the pain of watching more loved ones die or leave

but if you’re one of the v select few people she’s let in completely, she’ll never let you go. she’s the definition of loyal and will legit die for you

so so devoted to her little brother and sister, like she loves them more than anything and does everything so that they can succeed when they’re older

all of the sports acceptable for kindergarteners, music lessons, ballet, you name it, she’s got them registered

puts them before herself all the fucking time, her mom wouldn’t be impressed with her putting herself last as opposed to finding equilibrium

anyways, point is, you’ll never see her be more affectionate and joyful than with her family, godparents included

her being good with other kids though ?? she’s been working on it and she’s coming around

still can’t stand screaming brats though lmao

will be super polite to even her enemy’s parents mostly bc fuck that person.. unless their parents aren’t pleasant people either, then she’ll be unpleasant right back lmao

trust me when i say that she has a heart of gold and will do what’s morally right, is so so soft but will forever be in denial like i cannOT STRESS ENOUGH

defensive pessimism at its finest

fluent in french and korean

memes are lowkey the way to her heart

well, memes and food ofc

such a poutine hoe™

sci fi junkie

here for aesthetically pleasing everything

her place is almost never in disorder, oddly enough

quite the party girl, though not the same as when she was a frosh, is able to control herself when there aren’t too many stressors plaguing her

queer af, doesn’t know what her sexuality is but she knows she isn’t straight ( but for all intents and purposes, she’s pansexual )

she just needs someone else to take care of her honestly, she still doesn’t know what she’s doing with herself lmao

trying her best™ to be better in general but change doesn’t happen overnight so she’s not rushing into it, aka she’s still comfortable with being a bit of an asshole for as long as possible

you sometimes won’t know who she is from one day to the next, kind of the personification of a wild ride

so that’s kiran, if you’d like to plot just hmu or like this and i’ll come to you !! i’ll link some possible connections later bc my laptop’s about to die and i can’t find the charger anywhere ? @my mom, pls stop moving my stuff, it’s giving me more heart palpitations than my econ final last month

[noeulchoi-blog]

alert: noeul choi has accepted your request. she is currently twenty-one years old, cisfemale and a retail assistant but aspires to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. they are described to be steadfast & reticent. rumor has it that [ redacted ]. could it be true? we’ll find out. — ( jeon somin, k, she/her, at )

in the box: a brand new, 256gb macbook air to replace the laptop that she’s had for years. she felt the need to hold off on a necessary upgrade to be able to support herself and her family

( .. her cuteness kills me )

hey everyone, i’m k and i’m excited to be a part of this rp !! so it’s wednesday and yet i’m still as emo as ever about bts at the bbmas bc mY BOYS !!!! anyways this is my eternally fucked, lowkey honey girl noeul who’s been through some shit. here’s some basic — & extensive, sorry lmao — info about her ( TW: death, self-destructive behaviour, adjustment disorder/situational depression ) :

born noeul emilia choi/choi noeul on march 12, 1996

pronounced “no-ewl” but she goes by “noel” for the most part since it’s easier for most lol

etobicoke, canada born and raised to first-gen korean-canadian parents

the epitome of a bitter smol™ that’s prepared to fight over everything ( stubborn brat )

has twin five year old siblings that she fucking adores, which is a big deal since she doesn’t care intensely for many people

her parents were both only kids that ventured into science-based careers; her mom was a pharmacist at her late grandparents’ small clinic and her dad was a cardiothoracic surgeon at toronto gen hospital, so they were upper-middle class you could say

s u c k e d at making friends in her formative years and when she did, they didn’t stay for v long

plenty of chances for her to find new friends though since the gta is huge and has a ton of other kids around so it wasn’t all in vain

also her vanity when she was a kid was prob a turn off for others lol

smart af, like english? a’s. math? a’s french? a+

eventually didn’t suck at the whole friend thing and had a small group of people she grew rather fond of

she ended up graduating as valedictorian and was accepted to mcgill to study pre-med and become a cardiothoracic surgeon just like papa choi

always wanted to follow in his footsteps, so it came as no surprise to her parents

( TW: DEATH ) during her midterm break in her first sem, her parents decided to take the family to their cabin near muskoka for a weekend away from the city/suburbs

they were a little over halfway there when her dad tried to veer the suv away from a moose in the middle of their lane, but wasn’t successful

noeul was conscious during the whole thing, though she sustained a concussion and the twins were unharmed in their carseats; however their mother died on impact and their father suffered from a cranial injury

she went with the twins to the hospital and was inconsolable over the loss of her mother alone, while her father was in critical condition and the outlook was promising, though not certain

he was put in a medically induced coma after being operated on and she and her godparents ( who advised her on the whole thing since they were docs themselves, i have a huge backstory for even her parents haha ) decided to hold out hope for a recovery

the twins were put in her care and she was left to deal with the burden of their loss, her education and the obvious, her brother and sister’s newfound dependency on her

she withdrew from the few people she became close to over the years, her grades began to slip as well, and she was always weighed down by grief and anxiety

she tried to stay in school while taking care of the twins, but it was becoming more and more difficult to do so. she just managed to keep her head above water throughout the rest of the first sem though

moved out of res, into an apartment and relocated the twins for the time being to see if she could pull it off

( TW: SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR ) add the fact that a part of her began to question if she could really follow in her dad’s footsteps, and that she let further anxiety from the pressures of making her parents proud get to her and she was soon on a downward spiral

she slipped away from her academics and was slowly becoming a poor guardian; soon, noeul was partying too hard and winding up in the hospital or a stranger’s dorm, skipping labs, and was generally a lost cause when the twins were under the care of a sitter

failed a couple of courses by the end of the second semester and was under investigation by cps for her lack of responsibility over the kids

felt hopeless and lost, but especially so when she posed the risk of losing the only family that she had left, realizing how selfish her actions were and trying to amend her mistakes

dropped out of mcgill for the time being to prove herself to the twins’ social worker and took up a job as a retail clerk to provide for the three of them ( despite inheriting their mom’s estate and all, as she put the money that came from it into the kids’ savings )

was soon in the clear and has tried to do right by her parents and siblings since then

after losing herself for a while, she found that she was right back to where she started with friend-making, but rather than it being her just not knowing how, it was that she didn’t want to let people in after everything that had happened

she didn’t remain a loner, but she didn’t have a ride or die by any means

noeul eventually returned to mcgill in what would have been her third year and has since maintained a high gpa after retaking the courses she fucked up in

her dad has since woken up, but he’s going through extensive forms of therapy to restore his motor, neurological, etc functions

for that reason, she figured that she should transfer guardianship to her godparents for the time being, as she wanted to see her family ( or what remained of it ) reconnect more than anything and that would be impossible while her dad’s in toronto and she and the twins are in montreal

relocated to la on impulse ( .. dumbass ) bc she felt like mcgill held too many bad memories ( that and warmer weather ?? fuck yes ) so she transferred to ucla

still has nightmares from the accident, the girl’s scarred for life and is thankful that the twins were too young to remember

sees a psychiatrist at the behest of the social worker bc she rly can’t cope by herself in all of this

now to her personality and extra facts ig ??? this has gotten so out of hand already, sTOP ME

the most stubborn chick alive, will never admit she’s wrong unless you weasel it out of her with some heavy guilt-tripping

she used to be a fucking NIGHTMARE to most people before everything went awry, still can be but it’s more or less her being herself and not putting on an act

a true instagram addict, which makes sense bc she can be p vain at times

rather intuitive tbh

can be insightful as well

feigns annoyance and boredom with people/their antics

some weird ass detachment method on her part that she didn’t shake, but question her on it and she’ll shut it tf down

but is still genuinely, easily irritated all the same ?? not even i understand this chick

curses like a sailor is she isn’t too curt in her responses

has a problem with trusting others, feels like she can only truly rely on herself so if you break through that barrier then congrats ig

she won’t make it obvious though, she’s a sociable being and will actually take to you if you pique her interest with free booze or a wild story

just don’t expect her to surrender much of her life story, but she’ll also get a bit offended if you don’t offer a bit of your own ?? 

the most annoying internalizer of emotions ever if you’re actually friends with her, 110% will not confide in you if you’re not one of four or five people in her life

also fears loss more than anything, so she isn’t close to many people for BOTH the trusting aspect, as well as wanting to spare herself the pain of watching more loved ones die or leave

but if you’re one of the v select few people she’s let in completely, she’ll never let you go. she’s the definition of loyal and will legit die for you

so so devoted to her little brother and sister and still takes on the role of guardian despite them not being together for the time being

you’ll never see her be more affectionate and joyful than with her family, godparents included

her being good with other kids though ?? she’s still working on that

will be super polite to even her enemy’s parents mostly bc fuck that person.. unless their parents aren’t pleasant people either, then she’ll be unpleasant right back lmao

defensive pessimism at its finest

fluent in french and korean

memes are lowkey the way to her heart

well, memes and food ofc

such a poutine hoe™

sci fi junkie

here for aesthetically pleasing everything

her place is almost never in disorder, oddly enough

quite the party girl, though not the same as when she was a frosh, is able to control herself when there aren’t too many stressors plaguing her

queer af, doesn’t know what her sexuality is but she knows she isn’t straight ( but for all intents and purposes, she’s pansexual )

she just needs someone else to take care of her honestly, she still doesn’t know what she’s doing with herself lmao

basically you won’t rly know who she is from one day to the next, the personification of a wild ride

so that’s noeul, if you’d like to plot don’t hesitate to message me, or like this and i’ll come to you !! i’ll link some connections in a bit

[brajeshupadhyay]

What the Bloomsbury India-Delhi Riots 2020 fracas highlights about the pernicious cynicism in Indian publishing

In 2014, Penguin withdrew Wendy Doniger’s The Hindus: An Alternative History after protests by right-wing groups led by the SBA (Shiksha Bachao Andolan). Among the lawyers who had filed the petition to ban Doniger’s book was Monika Arora. Six years later, Arora has found herself at the centre of another Freedom of Expression row.

Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story, a book co-written by Arora alongside Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra, was initially supposed to be published by Bloomsbury India. Last week, Twitter users noticed an advertisement for a launch event for the book, where BJP leader Kapil Mishra (who delivered a hate-speech-laden tirade in New Delhi’s Jafrabad, shortly before violence erupted there and other parts of the city) was among the guests. The book itself sought to place the blame for the Delhi riots squarely on Muslim students, activists and other people protesting against the controversial CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) — a claim that wouldn’t pass muster with any fact-checking desk on the planet.

The ensuing outrage meant that Bloomsbury first washed its hands off the event, and eventually the book itself. This prompted several liberal commentators, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap among them, to declare that they were not in favour of a ‘ban’ on the book, no matter what its contents. Gurgaon-based Garuda Prakashan will now publish the book — they have a history of publishing Islamophobic texts, so presumably Arora and co. will fit right in.

A couple of quick points before we address the truly important issue here (namely, how lax are Indian publishing’s editorial and fact-checking standards?). First, the whole affair has been incorrectly perceived as a Freedom of Expression issue — it really isn’t. Freedom of speech does not include hate speech and it certainly does not include the right to a lucrative book contract or the privilege of being published by a major international firm. As Garuda Prakashan proved, there’s any number of avenues (including self-publishing) that the authors can use to disseminate their message. Secondly, the word ‘ban’ really should not be used lightly — we were among the first nations in the world to ban The Satanic Verses in the ‘80s, remember, and since then, state and national governments have banned a great many books in India, like Great Soul, Joseph Lelyveld’s biography of Mahatma Gandhi (which Modi banned during his time as Gujarat CM). Ergo, we should restrict the #FoE and ‘ban’ discourse to cases where the state has repressed a book using coercive action — this is very important.

Now, to the matter at hand: Bloomsbury India, and how it handled the entire affair. When an author or authors send a book proposal to a publishing house, this is what happens typically — first, the editorial team deliberates on the book. And if they decide to back the project, they then try and convince the CEO as well as the rest of the teams: Sales, Marketing and so on. And when all of these people agree to proceed with the project and the CEO signs off, the publishing house decides to make a formal offer to the author(s).

Therefore, in this case, there are editors, sales people, finance people and marketing people at Bloomsbury India who looked at this dangerous, malicious, Islamophobic text — fiction marketed as ‘untold truth’ — and decided, ‘Yeah, let’s publish this and make some money at the expense of some of our most vulnerable citizens.’ That, to me, is despicable behaviour.

However, I would also like to inform you that singling Bloomsbury India out for this is myopic. Yes, it’s true enough that Bloomsbury has a shitty track record of publishing Hindutva propaganda.

Here’s the thing, though — so does literally every other big player in English-language publishing. And it’s about time we started calling BS on all of it.

Both Penguin Random House India and HarperCollins India are quite happy to profit off the work of Jaggi Vasudev (better known as Sadhguru), who mixes heavy-handed, faux-scientific bunkum with good ol’ Hindutva talking points. HarperCollins has also published several (terrible) books by Rajiv Malhotra, the infamous US-based Hindutva ideologue who has been caught plagiarising many times (hilariously, he once claimed that plagiarism is actually just inspiration; the Anu Malik defense). Apparently, if you have enough followers on Twitter, your manuscript does not need to be original — or you know, follow even a modicum of ethical or journalistic standards.

Former Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy, whose Twitter account reads like an Islamophobe’s bingo card, was published by Penguin Random House India in 2018; he wrote a biography of Syama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the progenitors of the BJP. Penguin was so eager to publish Roy that they were okay with the fact that Popular Prakashan had already published his book in 2012 (after which it sank without a trace) — it is usually very difficult  for previously published books to be acquired anew (this is different from a reprint, both in terms of scale and publicity). Rajat Sethi and Shubhrastha, who were electoral advisors for the BJP’s successful Assam campaign, wrote a book about the experience — called The Last Battle of Saraighat, it was published by Penguin Random House India. Again and again in the book, Bangladeshi Muslims and Bengali-speaking Muslim people in Assam are conflated — this is such a massive and basic fact-checking error that one fails to understand how or why Penguin did not edit those lines.

Basically, readers need to start holding English-language publishers accountable for the questionable and cynical decisions that they make. In February, I wrote an op-ed on the state of English-language publishing in India — the Jaipur Literature Festival had just dragged peaceful protestors out of the festival venue, and once again, the spotlight was on ZEE, the openly pro-BJP media conglomerate and title sponsor of JLF. Those words are just as true for the current Bloomsbury fiasco.

“The JLF and English-language publishing in general are labouring under the delusion that they can continue to be progressive/liberal darlings while behaving like corporate centrists — profiting off low-key controversies (while ignoring much larger, urgent, human rights-adjacent ones), cozying up to those in power, making editorial choices that keep perceived ‘outsiders’ and ‘undesirables’ at arm’s length.”

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[topicprinter]

There's so much to think about when starting any new business, and if you’re a food or drink business, you've got to get on top of labelling and certification, as well as finances, marketing and the product itself. Don't know where to start? Follow these 10 tips from Enterprise Nation.1. Get on top of your financesMaybe the least sexy area for some  but very important nonetheless. Are you going to be a limited company? VAT registered? What are the financial implications/benefits? Do you need an accountant? Most accountants will be willing to advise you on what you need to do without charging you at that stage so it's worth a phone call.Also, how are you going to fund your business growth? Will you need to look at attracting investors to help you scale up in future? If so, now's the time to be working on getting your brand established so you have a strong platform from which to approach them.2. Find out about your customers and marketThis is critical, but don't worry; it doesn't have to cost a fortune. Having a proper profile of who your customers are and what they want will allow you to make decisions about your brand based on evidence and understanding, rather than guess work or generalisations.You'll need to be able to prove to retailers that there is demand for your products and that consumers like your brand; knowing them inside out will help you to tailor your product offering more accurately, too.Alongside your growing understanding of your customers, you'll also need to get a clear picture of what’s happening in your market place, what your competitors are doing, how their pricing stacks up against your plans and the latest trends in food and shopper behaviour.3. Sort out your manufacturing and certification"If you target larger retailers, you'll need to get your production site certified, so you can prove the food you make is safe and legal." Claire HooperYou may well still be making your products in your kitchen, but you will need to think about where you will go to scale up the volume, as well as meeting regulatory requirements in terms of food safety and hygiene. It's worth looking at production kitchens such as The Olive Grows as a possible first step. They'll have all the relevant approvals in place so you can move up without having to commit to production runs.Alternatively, if you're looking to outsource straight away, the British Contract Manufacturers and Packers Association will be able to put you in touch with possible partners.At the same time, if you have plans to target larger retailers, you will need to start thinking about getting your production site certified by an appropriate body, so you can prove the food you make is safe and legal.SALSA certification is usually the best bet in the beginning. It's only granted to suppliers who are able to demonstrate to an auditor that they produce safe and legal food and are committed to continually meeting the requirements of the SALSA Standard. SALSA was set up with the express aim of helping small businesses and is now widely recognised by the retail trade as an acceptable form of accreditation.4. Calculate your likely costs and pricingIt's critical to have a good handle on your costings. You'll need a clear picture of what your selling price will need to be to make profit and also check that this selling price will fit in your target marketplace.Building in retailers and/or wholesalers margins, transport costs, ingredients, your time or a labour cost, marketing and all the other things you’ll need to allow for early on will ensure you have no nasty surprises further down the line.5. Position your brandIt's important to start thinking about this at an early stage. Knowing what your USP (unique selling point) is will be critical in helping you target your consumers effectively. Even if you have a fantastic product, you still need a point of difference if you are going to persuade retailers to list your brand. Don’t forget, you are competing for space on their shelf against numerous other brands. It doesn't have to be revolutionary; just a point of difference that means something to your consumers, a story to get the retailers to listen and see incremental sales potential in it. Tied in with your consumer research showing there is a demand for you product, you will stand a much better chance of getting your product listed."Even with a fantastic product, you need a point of difference if you're going to persuade retailers to list your brand." Jo Densley6. Design your packagingYou’ll need to think about what type of packaging to put your product in so the product inside is safe and legal, as well as ensuring it appeals to your consumer with an eye-catching design that sells what your brand stands for. You may need help with this from a packaging technologist.The type of packaging you choose could also affect what shelf-life you can give your products. Don't forget that it will need to protect your product through whatever channels you decide to sell it, too. whether that's online, wholesale or direct to retail. Even if you are currently selling direct to the customer at fairs and markets, it is worth thinking about these aspects now if you are plan to grow your business.7. Know your labelling requirementsWe've heard horror stories about people copying label info from products similar to their own and ending up in a sticky situation when that doesn’t meet legal requirements. Our advice is don't do it! It's worth speaking to a food technologist or your local Trading Standards Officer to check that you comply with regulations. At the same time, consider what your type of customer is likely to want to see. For example, if your product is aimed at the health market, nutritional information that’s easy to read will be critical.8. Work out your shelf life and buy a barcodeTo find out how to get your product shelf-life tested, contact your local Environmental Health Officer. Their details will be available on your local council website under Environmental Health. The good news is that you can still get your product listed in delicatessens and farm shops while waiting for your shelf life results, especially if your products are likely to have a long shelf life. To begin with, you could try going for a slightly shorter shelf life than that of an established competitor, then amend it when you get the definitive answer from your own lab tests (contrary to our previous advice, following what someone else does is ok here!). Barcodes are quick and easy to get. Visit the likes of GS1 for more information and to buy a barcode. Enterprise Nation members can access a special offer from GS1 here. The barcode image will be sent to you by email then you can provide it to your packaging designer quickly and easily. While not every independent retailer will require them (they're only needed for computerised tills, ordering and stock control systems), if you have plans to grow it’s worth sorting them out in the early days; you'll need a separate one for each product."You'll need to raise awareness of your brand, build relationships with potential customers and show retailers that you’re doing your bit to drive sales."9. Think about your distribution channelsYou may think you don#t need to look at this right at the start if you're just selling directly to customers at farmers' markets or fairs. However, if you’re thinking of using a wholesale distributor further down the line to try to get into stores further afield, it’s a good idea to build their margin in right at your initial costing stage. This way you can see whether your brand will be profitable in the long term.While the effect of this extra margin on your profits may seem a bit scary, don’t forget that the increased volume will eventually bring down all your other costs, and using a wholesaler will also save you time and money on chasing payments, handling orders and invoicing.10. Write a marketing planIt doesn't have to be a multi-million pound TV campaign, but it's worth having a skeleton marketing plan in place, even at the very beginning. You will need to raise awareness of your brand, build relationships with your potential customers and demonstrate to retailers that you're doing your bit to drive your own sales and that there is demand for your brand.Starting out with social media, a blog, some interesting plans for food fairs or targeting your local press will be enough in the very early days, as well as a willingness to support your local farm shop, delicatessen or other stockists, perhaps with tastings in store, for example. We hope this has given you lots to think about! 

[estelaparas4580-blog]

These Famous People Are Actually Barely Recognizable In Their Childhood Years Photos

Security ( HealthDay)-- A sizable portion from parents who kids possess food items allergy symptoms have worries over the security of their kid at institution, baseding upon a research posted on the web May 12 in BMC Pediatric medicines.|Parents are frequently having a hard time restrictions on their youngsters's tablets, smart phones, personal computers, and also TVs. As well as last but not least, I strongly believe that the fully developed health professionals of youngsters under age two can sometimes experience starved for a bit from interaction with other miss. 2. Understand that the person could seem overlooking you, especially since eye connect with is actually commonly hard for individuals along with autism, yet they are possibly spending even more focus in comparison to you would certainly ever think.|When one is extremely young, researches reveal that the optimum grow older to know a foreign language is. If parents force their choice on their youngster, which violates the teacher's assistance or proficiency test leads, at that point that mistakes. If 60 per-cent of mentioned misuse cases are misleading, what do we must do as moms and dads to prevent this coming from happening to our little ones when they possess kids of their own?|This is actually the cleaver function of the recalls of Shawn's childhood at the beginning from a lot of incidents. If you are actually handling a STRANGE little one, satisfy find a minimum of one other individual who is actually also handling a STRANGE child or has lived through this. Support and understanding are really challenging ahead by. The principal cause is that STRANGE youngsters are masters from manipulation and also appeal.|Having a family pet is actually a large duty considering that you must make sure this has every thing that it needs to have, as well as you should likewise have opportunity to have fun with it. However, that's nothing at all compared with this male that deals with concerning 300 pet cats! Abandonment occurs when a mother literally, emotionally or even emotionally eliminates herself from her kids. The combined age degree classroom can be a benefit to both the older kids and also the much younger kids identical. B. To compute the EDD through Nagele's policy, add 7 times to the very first day of the last menstruation period as well as matter back 3 months, changing the year appropriately.|Children's primary teeth are an ever before transforming factor, occasionally being actually shed for no noticeable explanation. First of all, Cara wasn't pregnant as a youthful teenager, so to think about just what her moms and dad's next-door neighbors would certainly think is actually ridiculous to me. She was actually 25 years of ages as well as chose to be located concerning who the dad was so she can eliminate the little one.|Are you the parent from an infant that is concerned regarding the possible partnership between vaccinations as well as autism? Folks that have actually experienced misuse, neglect and various other adverse childhood years experiences (ACEs) such as dealing with residential violence throughout their childhood go to a lot greater threat from mental disease throughout life.|When a household experiences a collision that beverages the entire community, there are actually opportunities. He likewise pointed out that moms and dads like Laura, that feared about her boy's care, are actually commonly taken care of smoothly and compassionately by clinical personnel. I carry out possess my ups as well as downs, however nowadays, I skip my husband a lot more in comparison to any kids I could have possessed.|Being actually looked at an agent is not one thing to brag about. The writer of the post is a school advisor in OnlineSchoolAdmissions and also gives free of cost consultancy to moms and dads and also institutions for simple as well as prompt on-line college admissions. Eventually if she experiences that this corrected that she be come back to her birth parents, then the DeBoers were actually without a doubt incorrect to claim that this was in her benefit to stay with all of them.|As summer winds down, kids and parents are actually planning for the begin of the academic year, but also for children along with food allergies, going to university for the very first time can have considerable tension and anxiety. It still might be a teacher-student negative fit, yet your youngster might be either on the sluggish edge of typical or even experiencing a learning disability. Find Parent Assets Some of the most effective manner ins which innovation may assist your kid is through helping you learn more regarding knowing.|, if you are a parent or a guardian you need to know or even few moms and dad about the Child Protection Recognize and the traits regarding CPS kidDefense Often, a WOW's stepson of this age presents a contrary habits and comes to be possessive from the WOW. Relating character-assassinating tales to the little ones as well as others concerning the other parent. We right now know, for example, that nonreligious little ones of spiritual parents cast off their ideas for causes that possess little to carry out along with mental reasoning. Confidential, I'm in primarily the exact same boat, but, as my husband has been actually wed two times previously, I became a step-grandparent this exact same year that I'm also someplace between the negotiating as well as depression phases of sorrow and existential dilemma I have actually been handling, while also the stepmother from his three teenagers from his second relationship. However through age 5, many kids discover that talk possesses a give-and-take aspect, and that they must wait their turn to claim exactly what performs their thoughts. 4. Despite the rugged streets that the parents have possessed with the rebellious boy, very likely compared to not, they will still love their kid and be actually more heartbroken that there is no longer an opportunity making amends with him. You can easily either embrace professional invites welcoming the guests to go to the occasion from your little one's first Holy Communion, mentioning the day, venue and time. Remind the children to carry out their nurturing actions today. Harassing must not be put up with; little ones ought to feel risk-free as well as valued in any way times. Along with regular procedure as well as therapy, kids with high operating autism may even manage to live total, normal lives. A Purdue University youngster growth professional can easily discuss what moms and dads and caregivers must know when talking about the junior high capturing that is actually therefore close to house. At some phase in every child's life they will display bold, impulsive or perhaps disobedient behaviours. Robbie obtained authorized adult release types from both Cara and the little one's obvious father Scott. ( HealthDay)-- Bags can indicate backaches for schoolchildren, but an orthopedic cosmetic surgeon possesses insight for moms and dads and children concerning how you can always keep soreness away. That features kids which have autism. Because I've been actually working along with the exact same factor for a long time, I really feel for the other folks on right here. She needs to have been actually molested by parents or even loved one. Children may say to deceptions for any type of variety of main reasons, depending upon their age. Kid affection as well as pedophilia coincide: jakosiebiedbac.info Desire for our Children. Each moms and dads nurture their youngster in vital techniques which is popular to the development and also the well being of the kid. Teething additionally raises your kid's temperature; nonetheless, this is not responsible for fevers over ONE HUNDRED levels Fahrenheit. On schedule, he will launch visitors and little ones to the PRT workplaces, the armory, the instruction area and also the car park along with the parahuman containment vehicles, presenting them just what it required to deal with the nearby heroes. There are actually ways to mess up grandchildren without interfering in their parents attempts to educate all of them and create all of them. Particularly nowadays wherein the latest economic downturn has actually affected exactly how the young people watch their future, parents are expected to uplift the morale from the young creation. If your young child has trouble coming to sleep you could possibly try removing their day time snooze as well as making sure that they participate in some sort of physical play in the day (the recommended volume from exercise for children is a hr on a daily basis).

[lifeofthelostjuliet-blog]

What would you do if you were me?

What would you do if you were me? That’s a question I have asked but always get different answers. I think they honestly miss the actual question being asked, because people are fully capable of giving their opinions to what they think they would do. But that’s the thing, it’s what THEY would do, not you. It’s like they have completely misunderstood the question. They see 1 side, they react as if it was them, but if they were you would they really do what they are telling you to do? It’s always easier giving advice to situation that you don’t have to live through, you see the obvious course of action but is it really the easiest? For them maybe it’s clear as day, but for you it’s not just black and white, it’s black and white but also every shade of grey and in between them there are multicolours that you can’t explain. You see the problem is, no one is you, so how can you even ask that question and expect an answer or some advice that you can hand on heart actually follow? So again I ask the question, “What would you do if you were me?” And now really think about it, If you had the same personality, same mental defects and personal issues, the same history and life story, the same feelings and emotions, the same temperament, the same knowledge of the situation, the full unedited version of the story and the true knowing of the other people involved, now take a step back and then be honest with yourself, would you really keep to the same opinion you were giving or would it change?  Would you be more hopeful, more optimistic, maybe you realise you are more accepting of the other person’s failings or idiotic unforgivable behaviour? The chances you keep telling that person to stop giving, you realise you would actually give more. Those words you are telling that person to say you realise you could never say in a million years. Now do you see the problem? Now you can understand that this is the exact situation I am currently in; I have heard every side to each argument, I have heard every opinion and bit of advice you could possibly think of, I have heard the blunt pessimistic views of people playing the devil’s advocate, I have heard the views of people saying what they think the other person truly feels and why they are doing what they are doing, I have had the middle ground where although mainly negative the person sees both sides and tries to not tell you the right thing to do because of the fear that they might actually be wrong, and then you get the optimistic views, these are sometimes the worst views to get, you know the ones where they fully believe that the universe works in amazing unexplained ways, that everyone meets for a reason, connections and souls exist, and that everything works out exactly how it should,  and finally because they have seen it they know it will work out in the most beautiful way possible, and that’s because they have that gut feeling as if they just know, you see now why sometimes this is the one view you really don’t want to hear? The most useful ones however is when you get the viewpoints of people who know what it’s like for the other person so can sometimes excuse and also explain some of the actions performed by that person, However annoying it is because you genuinely would rather think the other person is a heartless robot with an emotional range of a tea spoon, the point is you start to see the bigger picture, you know the one you would rather pretend didn’t exist?  Yeah that one! And when you start to see that, then you start to think that maybe the other person is suffering too, just not in the same way you are. And that’s when it hits you, because this is the same situation you are in, when you are telling people they are not you so how can they tell you what to do, you realise that you are not them either, so how can you judge them or tell them how they should handle a situation? It’s a complicated process to understand, everyone handles things differently, everyone sees things differently, and everyone processes or handles certain events or hardships differently. We are not the same, and whereas you might be able to deal with a certain difficulty with great ease or very little pain, another person might see this as a final straw, they snap, they break and they run for the hills. They cannot cope with things the same as you, instead they run, they face what most people refer to as the fight or flight instinct. We all have it, and in each given event in our lives, every hard battle we face these instincts and we end up doing one of them…….Do we fight or take flight? Most people are not strong enough depending on the previous life experiences, mental state or issues, and when things start feeling like too much, they feel trapped, pressured and like they can’t breathe, even thinking about it gives you an urge to just run. Most people fight when this happens, but for others the flight instinct is much greater than the need or want to fight and so they give in. They don’t take stock of how their rash course of action is, they don’t realise how this has affected others involved, all they see is for them, they are out of the situation, they are away from the scariness that is life, and for a short time they don’t need to think about anything. They feel the freedom, they can finally breathe. The only problem with this is while most of us would have fought this by now, the flight people, the things they ran from slowly become to catch up with them. It starts with reminders which feed into their dreams, they realise they aren’t eating or sleeping, they become tense without really noticing why, they become irritable, clumsy, scattered and unable to fully process what they think or feel.  So they start to shut down even more, they do things to help blank everything out, they drink, they cut the reminders out of their lives, they isolate themselves, they avoid certain things and eventually they become void as they mentally shut down, and they do this just to get some peace of mind. But those problems they are hiding from get stronger until they are staring at them straight in the face giving them no other option but to stand up and deal with them. All those emotions they have kept buried inside resurface, all that fear raises its ugly head and they are back to where they started, only this time they are so far from reality and they have hurt so many people in the process of running that they are now alone to fight their own demons, and they finally realise their mistake, but is it really too late to make amends? I am a fighter, I always have been, occasionally I have run from things that get too much and I want to hide from what’s inside my head, I isolate myself completely and for a moment be just me, and not have to deal with anyone or anything, to not have to deal with other peoples issues and problems, and just be completely alone. I know the feeling of that freedom, but I also know what it’s like when everything finally catches up to you. So another question I ask myself, if I was them, the runners of the world, if I was truly them with all the same issues, traits and emotions and serious problems, and went through the same things they did, would I of done it differently? Could I honestly blame that person for dealing with their situation the way they have done? Or could I understand that for them, this was all they knew how to do. They are not me, so how can I judge? Would I want someone to judge me for doing something that no one could possibly understand?  Or would I expect people to understand my sudden rash decision, to understand why I reacted the way I did, to support me in my decisions regardless of whether they are wrong and can be hurtful to others? I think I would want to be able to have the choice to make that mistake, to handle a situation in the wrong way but what felt right at the time, to be scared of everything and for just a moment to be truly free of feeling or worrying about the realities and responsibilities of my life, to be truly selfish in my approach and to just think about myself, to shut off from the world and just not have to think until I am ready, and I hope that when all is said and done that the people around me who love me the most, that they would know me well enough that when I finally come back and realise what I did, that they will still be there and could be forgiving. They may not understand, but they know that I did what I had too for me and if they were me in that situation that they would probably do the same.  So I will ask you the same question again…… what would you do if you were me?

[brajeshupadhyay]

In 2014, Penguin withdrew Wendy Doniger’s The Hindus: An Alternative History after protests by right-wing groups led by the SBA (Shiksha Bachao Andolan). Among the lawyers who had filed the petition to ban Doniger’s book was Monika Arora. Six years later, Arora has found herself at the centre of another Freedom of Expression row. Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story, a book co-written by Arora alongside Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra, was initially supposed to be published by Bloomsbury India. Last week, Twitter users noticed an advertisement for a launch event for the book, where BJP leader Kapil Mishra (who delivered a hate-speech-laden tirade in New Delhi’s Jafrabad, shortly before violence erupted there and other parts of the city) was among the guests. The book itself sought to place the blame for the Delhi riots squarely on Muslim students, activists and other people protesting against the controversial CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) — a claim that wouldn’t pass muster with any fact-checking desk on the planet. The ensuing outrage meant that Bloomsbury first washed its hands off the event, and eventually the book itself. This prompted several liberal commentators, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap among them, to declare that they were not in favour of a ‘ban’ on the book, no matter what its contents. Gurgaon-based Garuda Prakashan will now publish the book — they have a history of publishing Islamophobic texts, so presumably Arora and co. will fit right in. A couple of quick points before we address the truly important issue here (namely, how lax are Indian publishing’s editorial and fact-checking standards?). First, the whole affair has been incorrectly perceived as a Freedom of Expression issue — it really isn’t. Freedom of speech does not include hate speech and it certainly does not include the right to a lucrative book contract or the privilege of being published by a major international firm. As Garuda Prakashan proved, there’s any number of avenues (including self-publishing) that the authors can use to disseminate their message. Secondly, the word ‘ban’ really should not be used lightly — we were among the first nations in the world to ban The Satanic Verses in the ‘80s, remember, and since then, state and national governments have banned a great many books in India, like Great Soul, Joseph Lelyveld’s biography of Mahatma Gandhi (which Modi banned during his time as Gujarat CM). Ergo, we should restrict the #FoE and ‘ban’ discourse to cases where the state has repressed a book using coercive action — this is very important. Now, to the matter at hand: Bloomsbury India, and how it handled the entire affair. When an author or authors send a book proposal to a publishing house, this is what happens typically — first, the editorial team deliberates on the book. And if they decide to back the project, they then try and convince the CEO as well as the rest of the teams: Sales, Marketing and so on. And when all of these people agree to proceed with the project and the CEO signs off, the publishing house decides to make a formal offer to the author(s). Therefore, in this case, there are editors, sales people, finance people and marketing people at Bloomsbury India who looked at this dangerous, malicious, Islamophobic text — fiction marketed as ‘untold truth’ — and decided, ‘Yeah, let’s publish this and make some money at the expense of some of our most vulnerable citizens.’ That, to me, is despicable behaviour. However, I would also like to inform you that singling Bloomsbury India out for this is myopic. Yes, it’s true enough that Bloomsbury has a shitty track record of publishing Hindutva propaganda. Here’s the thing, though — so does literally every other big player in English-language publishing. And it’s about time we started calling BS on all of it. Both Penguin Random House India and HarperCollins India are quite happy to profit off the work of Jaggi Vasudev (better known as Sadhguru), who mixes heavy-handed, faux-scientific bunkum with good ol’ Hindutva talking points. HarperCollins has also published several (terrible) books by Rajiv Malhotra, the infamous US-based Hindutva ideologue who has been caught plagiarising many times (hilariously, he once claimed that plagiarism is actually just inspiration; the Anu Malik defense). Apparently, if you have enough followers on Twitter, your manuscript does not need to be original — or you know, follow even a modicum of ethical or journalistic standards. Former Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy, whose Twitter account reads like an Islamophobe’s bingo card, was published by Penguin Random House India in 2018; he wrote a biography of Syama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the progenitors of the BJP. Penguin was so eager to publish Roy that they were okay with the fact that Popular Prakashan had already published his book in 2012 (after which it sank without a trace) — it is usually very difficult  for previously published books to be acquired anew (this is different from a reprint, both in terms of scale and publicity). Rajat Sethi and Shubhrastha, who were electoral advisors for the BJP’s successful Assam campaign, wrote a book about the experience — called The Last Battle of Saraighat, it was published by Penguin Random House India. Again and again in the book, Bangladeshi Muslims and Bengali-speaking Muslim people in Assam are conflated — this is such a massive and basic fact-checking error that one fails to understand how or why Penguin did not edit those lines. Basically, readers need to start holding English-language publishers accountable for the questionable and cynical decisions that they make. In February, I wrote an op-ed on the state of English-language publishing in India — the Jaipur Literature Festival had just dragged peaceful protestors out of the festival venue, and once again, the spotlight was on ZEE, the openly pro-BJP media conglomerate and title sponsor of JLF. Those words are just as true for the current Bloomsbury fiasco. “The JLF and English-language publishing in general are labouring under the delusion that they can continue to be progressive/liberal darlings while behaving like corporate centrists — profiting off low-key controversies (while ignoring much larger, urgent, human rights-adjacent ones), cozying up to those in power, making editorial choices that keep perceived ‘outsiders’ and ‘undesirables’ at arm’s length.”

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/08/what-bloomsbury-india-delhi-riots-2020.html