#whoever is responsible for the currently widely-held belief that

[shaanks]

you ever see a post and you agree with the actual content of the post but it's written in such an aggressively stupid, unnecessarily rude, weirdly guilt-trippy way that you're like. not only am I not reblogging this but I disagree with you personally now. not the message just you, the person who wrote this. please get a grip.

[uk-news-talking-politics]

Marcus Rashford and the rise of the political influencers

By Tom Westgarth and Walter Pasquarelli

Politicians are not known for their humility. However, as the second wave of the coronavirus swept through Britain, Conservative MP Steve Baker wasn’t afraid to show some on social media.

Baker had been asked by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford to allow him to reply to the MP’s Tweet about extending the school meals vouchers given to children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to a later date (Baker had turned off the ‘reply’ function). Baker replied, arguing that these measures would cause severe economic harm.

But the most interesting part of Baker’s response wasn’t the economic claim. His response stated: “You have 3.4 million followers Marcus, to my 96k. The power is yours here”. The white flag of surrender had been raised; Baker’s relatively smaller following meant that he had lost the online argument. The government later pledged £400 million to tackle living costs over the next 12 months for the most disadvantaged families.

Despite being one of the most influential backbenchers in the country, somebody who has one-to-one’s with prime minister Boris Johnson; how did Steve Baker succumb to feelings of powerlessness in the face of a footballer? At what point did a combination of an inspirational backstory and enormous online presence become more pivotal to shaping public policy than being an elected official?

The answer to this question cannot be realised without understanding ‘influencers’. Defining an ‘influencer’ is actually surprisingly hard to do, but they can essentially be described as individuals or small groups that exert a topical influence over a certain group of people through their online presence.

This could take the form of vloggers via their YouTube channel, or celebrities who are highly active on social media. Whilst Rashford’s initial celebrity came from a more traditional background (as a sports star), his consistent online activities mean he likely falls into such a bucket. Vlogging to a camera and casual tweeting evoke a sense of ‘relatability’ that distinguishes influencers from regular celebrities.

Internet sensations of this kind are highly sought after by brands, who pay them handsomely to promote various kinds of products. What gives these brands the bang for their buck is not the influencer’s industry knowledge, but the charismatic authority they exercise.

Despite this, many may dismiss influencers as irrelevant to social affairs. Critics lambast them as superficial figures that care more about views than values. They are often seen as symbolic of a generation glued to their screens on platforms that are eviscerating adolescent mental health.

But what these attacks on influencers appear to miss isn’t to do with their values. It is that their power is significantly underestimated. Part of the reason why the British government made such a hash of the Rashford-school meals saga was that they failed to predict the cut-through that a young, black footballer would have with the wider public.

Not every influencer has the sort of power Marcus Rashford has. But the political domain has evolved to a point where there are more than a handful of Rashford-like individuals out there. Governments and political parties need to recognise this, as influencers will increasingly start to engage in political activity.

***

At the heart of this trend is an ongoing seismic shift as to whom we trust and ascribe authority of knowledge production.  Now, this did not happen overnight of course, but it is part of an ever changing historical process.

In the beginning there was God. For centuries the church and its representatives were seen as the sole and only fountain of truth.

Then came science. In a large part of the West, science replaced religious belief as the main source of truth. The scientific method offered an alternative to the dogmatic teachings of the church, allowing flexibility to approve and reject previously-held beliefs as our methods and accuracy of inquiry evolved.

Such progress produced the internet. This provided everyone with a voice and ability to both obtain as well as disseminate information. But online, often authority can be associated with whoever shouts the loudest.

Academic and intellectual institutions, seen as the bastion of scientific progress, now come under fire. Facing charges of group think and reductive analysis, they no longer possess the same authority as they did in previous decades.

Simple analysis, and social media platforms that prefer disseminating information through retweets, shares and followers, are what makes the age of influencers so prevalent. It is under these environments that influencers are emerging as a new voice of trustworthiness, providing an alternative source of truth and knowledge. The follower count, amount of engagement and interaction have become a direct source validating their credibility akin to academic citations.

The internet and digital technologies created a vacuum as to who should be wearing the crown of trust. With traditional sources of authority becoming ever-less relevant, influencers have become credible actors for filling this gap.

*** It would be a mistake to ascribe influencers' success merely to some shallow numbers though. There is a much deeper connection, a unique relationship that they build with their followers, which makes them crave for new content like the new season of a real-life character from their favorite Netflix series.  The intimate nature of this informational distribution, where a creator is speaking down the lens of their camera, makes viewers feel as if they have a special relationship with the influencer - which is a trait that fundamentally distinguishes them from celebrities who are perceived as being polished, even from another planet.

Kenneth Burke described this phenomenon in his 1969 piece “A Rhetoric of Motives”. Burke explained that humans have an urge to identify with other groups and people. As biologically separate beings, humans seek to overcome this state of separateness through communication, music, red MAGA caps, you name it.

In times of identity politics, when voters formulate their political priorities based on the identity they espouse, influencers are set to accumulate increasing power over setting the tone. Influencers speak like you and I, fire updates in a continuous loop, broadcasting a shared sense of identity unifying a critical mass of people under a common purpose.

It is this cocktail of omnipresence and relatability that creates a weird attachment and ultimately loyalty - the most valuable currency in the political casino.

***

The UK government thought they had seen the last of Rashford over summer, once they had awarded him an MBE. Many viewed this honour as a cynical but deserved ploy to keep the Manchester striker on side. Of course, somebody as driven by the issue as Rashford ploughed on, forcing the prime minister to call the 23 year-old in order to assure him that the government was on the right track. This should serve as a case study for governments worldwide trying to work out how to engage with powerful influencers on matters of public policy.

Should they bring them on side, early doors, in order to keep them within touching distance? People are less likely to decry governments if they have a seat at the table.

The answer to this depends on several factors. One is, of course, the issue at hand. A less controversial issue may warrant greater collaboration. For example, the Sidemen, a group of British YouTubers with over 10 million subscribers, made a widely shared ‘Stay at Home’ video during the first wave of COVID-19. However, anti-establishment parties, in turn, could use influencers to destabilise the status quo from the outside.

Eventually, there may well be a point where such influencers decide to become politicians themselves. In the game of politics, the ability to carry millions with you on issues that one cares about is a highly valuable currency. If it is possible to have the adoration that many have for the likes of Trump, Farage and Johnson, without the detractors, then this makes for unbelievably powerful leadership qualities.

Objections to this belief are reasonable. Currently, influencers curry favour with a young audience that is widely geographically dispersed. In many voting systems, this will mean that building a significant coalition of support would be tough.

However, many influencers are moving away from youth-facing platforms into the ‘mainstream media’. KSI, a British YouTuber who came to fame playing FIFA in his bedroom, is now a chart-topping rapper. He twice sold out huge arenas to have a boxing bout against American vlogger Logan Paul (whose own charisma helped him recover from major controversies). These stars are by no-means ‘staying in their lane’, meaning they will capture both traditional and new forms of public life. When will we have our first YouTuber politician?

Finally, there seems to be little sign that Marcus Rashford is stopping. Not only has he released a BBC documentary on food poverty, he has partnered with publisher Macmillan to promote reading for economically disadvantaged children. Maybe he will stand for parliament one day, maybe he won’t. What is clear, though, is that influencers have the potential to become serious political players in the issues of tomorrow. But perhaps this time the politicians in question won’t come of age playing at Eton, but playing Esports.

Tom Westgarth and Walter Pasquarelli are policy consultants at Oxford Insights. They specialise in understanding trends in emerging technologies and AI.

[ciarawritesmarvel]

it’s the thought that counts - bucky barnes x reader

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: Some language but what’s new? No explicit romance but we know they fucked after this

A/N: Welcome to Day Ten of Hello Spring by @ibwhellospring! This is ridiculously late but I always said I’d be doing this over May and June, not just May! This one is silly and nothingy but here you go, I like a little bit of pure softness every now and then and all the time forever

Prompt: Allergies

masterlist is in my bio and tags will be in the reblog - please do drop me an ask to be tagged in bucky, steve or hello spring pieces! enjoy!

---

Bucky walked proudly into the compound, smiling at whoever he passed, which was already a touch out of character. Everyone smiled back, of course, and then looked back at him with furrowed eyebrows once they were past him, eyes widened and grins growing when they saw what he was carrying.

He could hear the hushed whispers about him easily. It only made him a little happier.

It wasn’t often that he was around hushed whispers of the right sort.

He got to the elevator where he pushed the button for his floor with a flourish, standing back and watching the doors close with just the hint of a smug smirk across his face. A couple of seconds in, the lift slowed to a stop and a resounding beep was heard as the doors opened to reveal Tony on the other side who nodded as a greeting.

He came to stand beside Bucky, pulling his sunglasses from his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose with a lengthy sigh.

“12 please,” Tony said and he pressed the button for him, hearing the tell tale beep once again as the elevator set off.

There was a pause but Bucky knew it was only a matter of time. He decided to speak up first, the silence slowly beginning to suffocate him in the small space.

“There’s nothing against it in the compound rules and-”

“Wasn’t even going to say anything,” Tony interrupted, stopping his train of thought and, though Bucky opened his mouth to say something further in his own defence he quickly thought better of it and shut it again, deciding that silence may have been the better option.

At floor 12, Tony left without a word and only one telling glance back at the item in Bucky’s hand.

Finally reaching his own floor, Bucky stepped out and into the corridor, seeing Steve on his way out, shrugging his jacket over his shoulders. His eyes widened when he saw his friend.

“You really did it, huh?”

Bucky smiled, one of the most genuine that Steve had seen in a very long time and it made his heart grow warmer in an instant.

“I said I would, so I did.”

“Good for you, Buck. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks.”

Bucky looked down at the floor, unable to look Steve in the eye at the sudden serious turn that the conversation had taken. It made Steve a little upset to see his lack of confidence showing through again but it was a process of baby steps and so he simply clapped his friend on the back as he passed him and didn’t look back, letting him get on with his day.

He speed walked to his room, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn’t run into anyone else on his way. He’d had enough interaction with the outside world for one day.

Once he had finally made it into his room and shut his door behind him with a sigh, he placed the product of his midday stroll onto his bed and let his soft smile return. It had been a good day.

---

You were beginning to get worried.

You were well aware that Bucky Barnes was a fan of his alone time and you made sure that you respected that at all times, hardly ever invading his own personal area unless you had express permission or had already made plans together. If Bucky wasn’t in the lounge area or the kitchen then it meant he deliberately wanted to be on his own. You knew that.

But you’d never known him to stay on his own for three days straight.

Which is why you’d found yourself outside his door, trying to work up the courage to knock and feeling incredibly guilty for even considering annoying him like this. But you just wanted to check if he was okay. You knew that he wasn’t always okay.

Before you knew what was happening, the door was opening and Bucky was startling at the sight of you and you’d become flustered beyond belief.

“Y/N? You okay?” He asked once he’d gathered his bearings again and you took a deep breath, trying to calm your raging heartbeat as best you could.

“Me? Yes! Yes, I’m fine. Fine, fine, fine,” you trailed off to a mutter and saw his brow furrow and you realised you sounded ridiculous. You also realised that you needed to explain exactly why you were standing right outside his door, “I’m actually here to ask if you’re okay? I haven’t...I haven’t seen you in a few days.”

Bucky was sure that if he didn’t calm down his heart would burst clean out of his chest and into the air, glowing and golden and fully alive. You’d come to check on him? Him? It went a long way to confirming his sneaking suspicion that you enjoyed his company almost as much as he enjoyed yours.

But that thought was a dangerous one and so he turned on the defensive almost instantly.

“There was really no need for you to come check on me, I’m fine.”

His response was curt and took you completely by surprise. You thought you saw a flash of guilt in his eyes but before you could break that down and over analyse it, you suddenly felt your throat closing up as your eyes grew itchy and watery. You tried to blink it back desperately but couldn’t manage it.

He was devastated. He watched you gulp loudly and saw the tears stinging your eyes and his previously glowing, golden feeling turned dark and sour instantaneously. His defensive attitude had been far too sharp and he’d known it but he hadn’t wanted to kid himself about what he might mean to you. How little he might mean.

“Sorry, Bucky, I-”

“Y/N wait!”

But he was too late and you were already hightailing it down the corridor, turning the corner and continuing at a run. He took a few steps to follow you before the familiar doubt washed over him once again and he stopped himself in his tracks. No need to make things worse.

He sighed as he trudged back into his room and closed the door softly behind him. After all, he’d only been leaving his room to find you and show you his surprise.

---

You were sat in the living room, feet up on the sofa, head resting against the armrest behind you. There was a quiz show on in the background but your eyelids were heavy and you were half-asleep as you watched. Almost everyone usually in the compound was on some high profile mission that Tony and Steve had elected to tell you nothing about, much to your chagrin. You weren’t sure who exactly was left with you today, since you’d hardly seen anyone, but all on your own and without any of your usual partners in crime, you were left wasting away on the sofa.

You really needed to get better at being in your own company.

Suddenly, the TV droning cut out and you were snapped awake fully by it, sitting up and swinging your legs off the sofa, looking around to see who had turned it off. Your eyes landed on Bucky, standing half in, half out of the room, eyes unable to meet yours and hands fiddling in front of his body. You instantly felt shame coursing through your body at the mere sight of him, after your ridiculously awkward encounter just yesterday.

“Bucky, look, I am so sorry about-”

“No, no, let me apologise first, please. I can’t believe I was so harsh with you for just being so-” he took a sharp breath inwards and you desperately wanted to speak but you let him continue, for his sake, “-so unbelievably kind. You’ve always been so kind to me. And I try to return that but sometimes it comes out wrong and...well, I’m trying. And actually that leads me onto my next thing which is-”

You sneezed. Loud and jarring in the middle of his heartfelt words. You’d really tried to hold it but that had only made it worse when it finally burst free. You sneezed twice more, eyes watery and looked up through tears apologetically.

“This is why I ran off yesterday, Bucky,” you said softly, trying not to breathe too much and risk setting your allergies off again, “When my allergies flare up, it is far from pretty. So I ran. It was nothing to do with you...and it was really childish.”

You added the last clause in an extra embarrassed mutter, finally breaking eye contact with the man in front of you to rub away the tears threatening to spill over onto your cheeks. Bucky looked rather dumbfounded and you would have laughed at the look on his face in nearly any other situation.

“Oh.”

“Have you started wearing a new cologne? Or have you got some new flowers in your room? The weirdest things tend to set it off and currently that seems to be...you?”

A pause. Bucky pressed his lips together. Took a deep breath.

“Well this is shit.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I said, this is shit,” Bucky said, his tone back to the one that you often counted yourself lucky to hear, a more lighthearted one, the one that he held when you watched terrible old horror movies together and when he caught you late night baking and pushed himself up onto a counter to watch.

“What’s shit?”

“My surprise. I had a surprise.”

“You did?” you asked, already surprised and he scoffed good naturedly at himself.

“I did,” he took another breath and you were beginning to get impatient before finally he blurted it out, “Are you allergic to cats?”

You balked. Eyes wide. Blinking rapidly. Cats?

“I don’t know…” you began warily, “Why would you be asking me that question, Bucky?”

He shrugged.

“I adopted a cat,” he said it nonchalantly as if there was no significance there, even though you on the other hand were choking on your own saliva, “Thought it might be a good companion for me. No, for both of us while we’re off missions. Clearly...clearly I was mistaken.”

He was talking in a joking tone, but there was a chime of hurt there, that he’d made a mistake, that he’d upset you, that he’d upset the balance of your relationship. A smile crept its way from the back of your mind to the forefront of your face, lighting up your eyes on its way.

“You got a cat,” you began repeating, standing from the sofa and rounding it until you were stood just a metre apart, leaning against the back of the sofa instead, “to keep us company while we’re stuck here in the compound. And it turns out I’m allergic?”

“...Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. I’m so sorry about-”

“Nope.”

“...what?”

“Nope. You’re not apologising right now.”

“...I’m not?”

“You’re not,” you insisted, taking a testing step forward and inwardly fistbumping yourself when he didn’t retreat from you, “You’re hugging me.”

“...I am?”

You rolled your eyes at his cluelessness and slowly closed the gap between you with a few steps, until you were stood right in front of him, arms coming up to stretch out wide and invite him in. But he needed to take the final step.

He did, much to your utter delight.

His hands on your back and yours around his shoulders, you rested your chin on his right shoulder, closing your eyes for just a second as his face slowly came to rest in the crook of your neck. By this point, your eyes were streaming and although you didn’t care, when Bucky felt a splash of wetness on his shoulder and realised what it was, he pulled out of your embrace as quickly as he had melted into it and held you at arms length.

“I’ll be back in a minute.”

He turned on his heel and hightailed it out of the room and you stood confused for a few seconds before it suddenly dawned on you what he was doing and you broke into a run.

“Don’t you dare get rid of that cat, Barnes!”

You screamed as you ran after him through the compound corridors only hearing some diabolical laughter in response.

(Eventually, when the team returned and you had hidden the cat in your room just to prevent Bucky from getting rid, it was decided as a group that the cat would stay and Tony quickly began work on some anti-allergy technology to save you from constant crying.)

[therainroguefanfiction]

🔥 ℝise Ⱥbove I̾t ◈ Chapter 047 [Teamwork]

📑 Table of Contents | ◂Backward

Word Count: 3,352

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

〈“Don’t be scared to say what’s on your mind. Show them all your colors, show your pride. And no matter what they say, know you’re a star.” Mackenzie Ziegler, “Teamwork”〉

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

I stepped inside the classroom, eyes locking with heterochromatic ones. I suppressed a shiver as I approached my desk. To think that I could have been flame fuck’s kid… I could have been Shouto’s sister. Now I feel bad about all those dirty thoughts I had when I first met him. Ugh, what was that dipshit mom of mine thinking? Was he married to Shouto’s mom back then? He had to be… right? That means he cheated on his wife – that doesn’t really surprise me, he seems the type. Did mom know he was married? Did he pay her like he paid off his wife’s family? I groaned, letting my forehead hit my desk.

A hand rested on my shoulder followed by a soft, familiar voice. “How are your injuries?”

“Todoro -” My eye twitched as flame fuck popped into my head. “I’m fine, Shouto. How are you doing?”

His eyes widened a bit at the use of his first name, cheeks dusting a light pink. “I wasn’t injured that badly.”

“Good.”

Shit, it feels awkward as fuck now. Silence settled over us and I briefly wondered if he’s feeling as awkward as I am. Students started to file into the room, swapping stories of their adventures during their internship.

Obnoxious laughter filled the room as Kirishima and Sero loudly chorused, “Holy crap! What the heck, Bakugo?!”

Huh? Katsuki? I can’t see anything but those two idiot’s backs. I stood up, slowly approaching the three boys.

“Stop laughing…” Kat’s voice was strained. “My hair’s gotten used to this and I can’t get it back the right way…”

“Woah,” My eyes widened as I stepped up beside Kiri. Katsuki’s body was shaking and his hair… it’s flatter than Kyouka’s tits! “Uh… new fashion choice, Kat? Actually, it don’t look that bad. You look like… a prep.”

“Did you not hear me?! I’ll kill all of you!”

“I’d like to see you try, pretty boy!” Sero laughed loudly.

“What did you call me?!” With an explosive pop, his flat blonde hair expanded outward, returning to its natural spiky state.

“There it goes!!” The two chorused, clutching their stomachs.

Before he could actually kill them, I threw my arm around his neck and dragged him over to his desk. He elbowed me hard in the gut, which was still fucking sore, before falling onto his chair. I wheezed in pain, “The fuck was that for?”

His vermillion eyes narrowed as they met mine. “You ignored all my damn messages! And then fucking Iida called me telling me you’re alive! What the fuck, tiger?!”

“My phone kinda… broke,” I deadpanned, sitting backward at the desk in front of him. “Well, as it turns out, our bad feelings were right. I put our instincts to the test, you’re welcome.”

He scowled, leaning forward on his desk. “What the fuck happened?”

I rested my arms on the top of the chair and sighed. “The hero and all of her sidekicks were all dead when I arrived at the agency.”

He sucked in a breath, his eyes widening.

“It was the League of Villains. I was actually about to call you and tell you what I found when they appeared. Tried to get away, but that damn warp gate is a pain in my fucking ass.”

“Wait…” Katsuki.exe is processing this information. “The league had you all fucking week?!”

Ojirou, currently the closest person to us, glanced over at us at the sudden exclamation and I sent him a sheepish smile before scowling at Kat. “No one fucking knows, so shut your fatass mouth!”

“You’re a fucking dumbass, you know that?” He growled, smacking his hand on the desk. “I told you not to go!”

I hummed. “I also met my dad.”

“You what?”

“Apparently, he’s a top hero over in Ireland.” I held up a finger and grinned. “But wait, there’s more! I learned some juicy shit about my mom. You won’t fucking believe -” My words paused in my throat when I felt an aura spike across the room. Holy cow, Ochaco’s aura is hella stronger than it was before!

“I’d say that it was very enlightening,” she punched the air a few times. To be honest, I feel relieved that her spirit has changed, gotten stronger. That means she’ll be safer.

“I think she found her fighting spirit,” Tsu commented.

“Yeah, that battle hero must’ve been something else,” Kyouka agreed.

“After one week, she’s like a totally different person.” Kaminari mused.

“‘Different’? Don’t be fooled, Kaminari.” Mineta got a terrified look on his face, his skin pale and eyes wide. “All women are demons at heart. They just hide their true personalities behind pretty faces…” His voice shook and I smirked. Good, that bitch put him in his place. Now let’s hope he fucking stays there.

“What the heck did Mt. Lady do to you? Everyone at my internship loved me, it was actually kinda great! Now, if you wanna talk about the ones who really changed, it was those three,” Kaminari nodded toward Shouto’s desk where he, Zuku, and Iida were gathered.

“Oh yeah! The hero killer!” Sero exclaimed.

“Glad you guys made it back alive,” Kirishima gave them a soft smile. “Seriously!”

Momo nodded. “I worried about you, too.”

“You’re lucky Endeavor showed up and saved you guys,” Sumo’s voice sounds so goddamn condescending, the little fuck.

“So cool~” Toru swooned. “Just what I’d expect from the number two hero!”

I scoffed, narrowing my eyes at the desk beside me. “Bastard didn’t do shit.”

Katsuki’s eye twitched in annoyance. “Don’t fucking tell me… you were there, too?!”

“Huh?” Kaminari’s golden eyes met mine. “You were there, too, Winchester?”

“What?” Sero added. “No way!”

Shouto spoke up, his voice and face blank. “Yeah, that’s right. He saved us.”

“Did you guys hear the news about the hero killer?” Ojirou questioned. “Everyone’s been saying that he’s somehow connected to the League of Villains. Can you imagine how frightening it would’ve been if that creep had been there when they attacked the USJ?”

“They’re not connected,” I responded blankly. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”

Kirishima tilted his head. “How do you know?”

“Uhh… woman’s intuition?”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, “What a dumbass excuse.”

“He’s scary, yeah, but did you see ’em in that weird video?” Kaminari asked. “It’s all over the internet.”

“I didn’t even know there was a video of him,” Ojirou responded in surprise.

“Yeah,” he continued. “Stain’s a pretty evil villain, but like, super tenacious! He’s almost kinda cool, don’t you guys think?”

“Kaminari!” Zuku cried out in disbelief.

“Huh?” the blonde’s gaze slipped to Iida and his expression turned guilty, his hand shooting up to cover his mouth. “Oh, uh… dude…!”

“No, it’s okay. You’re fine.” Iida replied calmly, holding his hand up. I can see the bandages peeking out from the sleeves of his jacket. “It is true that he’s quite a tenacious villain. I understand why people might think he was cool, but instead of helping the world, his beliefs led him to cold-blooded murder. No matter his motives, killing cannot be condoned.”

Kaminari lowered his head, shoulders slumping. I stood up and rested my hand on his head, ruffling his blonde hair.

Iida continued, “To keep anyone else from suffering like me… well,” he held his arm out straight, glasses glinting under the bright lights. “I promise… I will strive to be the perfect hero!”

“Yeah, let’s do it!” Zuku cheered.

I clicked my tongue, moving my arm to rest on Kaminari’s shoulder. “I hate to be that bitch -” Which is a total lie. “I get what you’re tryin’ to say, right, but~ to quote a very creepy but quite brilliant mad scientist: ‘There is no such thing as perfect in this world. That may sound cliche, but it’s the truth. The average person admires perfection and seeks to obtain it, but what’s the point of achieving perfection? There is none. Nothing. Not a single thing. I spit on perfection! If something is perfect, then there is nothing left. There is no room for imagination. No place left for that person to gain additional knowledge or abilities.’”

Sero whistled. “That’s pretty deep.”

Katsuki scoffed. “You can remember that long ass fucking quote you can’t even remember simple math equations. Dumbass.”

“In conclusion!” I met Iida’s eyes and offered him a grin. “Don’t strive to be perfect, strive to be the best hero you can be, Mr. Class Rep~”

He returned the smile, nodding his head. “You’re right. I never thought of it that way.”

Zuku looked between us with worry before sighing in relief when he realized we weren’t gonna butt heads again.

“It’s time for class to begin! Everyone, please take your seats!” Iida ordered loudly.

“He’s back…” Fumi sighed.

“This is your fault for talking about weird stuff,” Kyouka sweatdropped, glaring at Kaminari whose face fell in response.

“Sorry… I’ll keep my mouth shut…”

“Class 1-A will ensure there is peace!”

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

Class 1-A was led to a secluded area away from the school building. It was basically a mini-city, but instead of buildings, there were a bunch of warehouses and a shit-ton of pipes and empty tanks.

“I am here!” Toshi fell from the sky, as he usually does, landing in front of the class. “Hope you’re ready to return to our lessons! Today, it’s hero basic training! Feels like I haven’t seen you in a while. Welcome back! Now then, listen carefully for what’s in store. We’re going to be conducting a little race. Take everything you’ve learned from your internships and apply it to this rescue training.”

“If it’s rescue training,” Iida’s bandaged arm shot up into the air. “Then shouldn’t we be at the USJ instead?”

“Ah! That facility specializes in disasters. As I said earlier, this is a race. So prepare!” Toshi grinned. “You’re about to step into field Gamma! Inside is an area full of factories that form an intricate labyrinth, so good luck finding your way around. You’ll be competing in groups of five. Each person starts from a different location on the outskirts of the model city. I’ll send a distress signal and you do what you must to rescue me! Whoever finds me first, wins! But try to keep the property damage to a bare minimum, please.” He sent a sharp look at Bakugo while pointing his finger directly at him.

Chief didn’t even try to be discreet with that shade.

Katsuki growled, glancing away. “Why are you pointing at me?”

“Alright! First group, to your places!”

Group one consisted of Zuku, Ojirou, Iida, Sero, and Ashido. The rest of us gathered around the large screen to watch the race. Kaminari frowned at the screen, his voice filled with worry. “Iida hasn’t completely recovered yet, right? He should sit this out!”

“Yeah,” Kirishima nodded. “And everyone in this group has really good mobility.”

“I’d say Midoriya’s at a heavy disadvantage against those four,” Momo commented.

“That’s what I think,” Kyouka agreed. “Moving around quickly isn’t exactly one of his strong suits, that’s for sure.”

Momo added, “And whenever he uses his powers, he always gets badly injured.”

I held back my smirk as my eyes met Shouto’s. That’s right, no one knows about how much my lil cinnabon has improved or how he can now use One for All with less drawbacks aside from Iida and Shouto. Man, their surprised faces are gonna be fucking priceless! I glanced at Katsuki’s back. I bet he’s not gonna be too happy, though.

“Who’s your pick?” Kirishima asked, glancing at Kaminari. “I’m betting on Sero!”

“Oh yeah~? Hmm, I’ve got odds on Ojirou.”

“I choose Ashido!” Mineta interjected. “‘Cause she’s got a super athletic body!”

Kat humphed. “I know Deku will be last.”

“Even if he’s still recovering, I think Iida’s got this one,” Ochaco commented, to which Tsu nodded in agreement.

Fumi glanced at me over his shoulder when I moved to stand behind him. “Who do you believe will win, Jen-san?”

“Zuku,” I responded without much thought, only to immediately regret it when Katsuki glared at me.

“Is everyone ready?” Toshi raised his hand, pressing the trigger button. “Begin!”

The five of them took off, using their quirks to propel themselves over obstacles and across pipes. Currently, Sero is in the lead.

“Look at him go!” Kirishima cheered. “In a maze like this, it makes sense to be above everything else!”

“So that means Sero’s at an advantage because he can take to the sky,” Shouji mused, using one of his fake mouths to talk. I wonder if he has a real mouth. That might explain why he always wears that face mask. Hmm~

A flash of green flashed across the screen, instantly grabbing my attention. I grinned proudly, throwing my arms around Fumi’s neck. With him standing at only five-foot-two, I was able to easily rest my chin against the top of his soft, feathery head. Come on, Zuku, show everyone how much you’ve grown!

“Woah! Midoriya?!” Kirishima, Kaminari, and Mineta chorused in disbelief.

“When could he do that?!” Kaminari exclaimed.

“Crazy… those jumps… he looks just like…”

A strong, angry aura rose around Katsuki as he stared at the screen, his hands shaking. I knew he wasn’t gonna take this well… I sighed deeply, turning my gaze back to the screen. Why’s he always gotta get all pissy every time Zuku makes the smallest bit of improvement? Zuku was jumping from pipe to pipe with ease, a strong green aura around his body. He’s doing so… well…

I sweatdropped when his foot slipped off the pipe, sending him flying to the ground. “Zuku, you fucking idiot…”

Fumi chuckled, patting my arm. “He almost took first place. His improvement is impressive.”

“And~ it’s over!” Toshi grinned as the group made it to him one after another. He handed over a sash to the winner, Sero, that said ‘Thanks for saving me’. Is this the fucking Miss USA pageant? “Thanks, hero, and congratulations!”

“Alright!” Sero put the sash on, a proud grin on his face while Ashido stomped her feet in annoyance.

Zuku was lying flat on his face, clearly distraught by his mistake while Iida kneeled beside him, “Uh, Midoriya, you’re okay, right?”

“Young Sero may have come in first, but compared to the start of the year, you all showed me some incredible improvements! Keep working and preparing for your upcoming final exams!”

My body stiffened. F-Final exams?! What? When the fuck are those? What’s on them? Is it a written exam? A fight? Oh Satan, I’m totally gonna fucking fail if it’s a written exam. I mean, I did pretty well on the entrance exam written test, but that’s only because Toshi gave me a crash course before the test! Now that I’ve been here for a while and been in class, there’s no way in hell he’ll help me again.

“Are you nervous?” Fumi questioned.

“What makes you think I’m nervous?” I muttered.

“You’re shaking me like a leaf in an Autumn breeze, Jen-san.”

“Oh, shit. Sorry, Fumi.” I released my grip, sending him a sheepish smile, which he returned with a warm one.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do well. Even if you don’t win the race, there’s no need to fret.”

“The race… right…” Fuck the race, I’m worried about the mother fucking exams!

“Group one, leave the field. You’re up, group two!” Toshi ordered.

Group two consisted of Kaminari, Fumi, Aoyama, Kyouka, and Shouto. Though it was a close one between Shouto and Fumi, Dark Shadow is just too damn powerful and adorable and Fumi ended up winning by half a second.

Group three consisted of Mineta, Katsuki, Sumo, Ochaco, and Shouji. It should be pretty fucking obvious that Kat won. He’s also still pissed off at me, if that glare is anything to go on.

Group four consisted of Kirishima, Toru, Mountain, Momo, and Tsu. Toshi decided to assign me to this group.

As we headed into the city, I threw my arm around Kirishima’s shoulder, earning a curious look. “You wanna try somethin’ with me, Kiri?”

He tilted his head. “What is it?”

“Let’s tie!” I grinned, holding up a finger. “I’ll carry you on my back while I race. Not only will we both win, but it’ll help me work on my strength.”

“I don’t know, Winchester.” He frowned, rubbing his arm. “There’s no way All Might would allow that.”

I clicked my tongue. “He never said it wasn’t allowed, did he? Besides, heroes are meant to work together to save people, right?”

He hummed, cupping his chin. “Yeah, that makes sense. Okay, let’s do it!”

“Cool. Go to your spot. As soon as the race begins, I’ll come nab ya, so be ready.”

“Got it!”

Kiri was sent to the top of an empty, circular tank while I started off on the ground. We ended up being on opposite ends with the rest of our group between us. Damn, I was hoping we’d be closer to each other. I’m gonna have to channel my inner Sanic for this one! I breathed out, squatting down as my blood began to boil within me.

“Are you ready~?” Toshi called. “Begin!”

I quickly turned my body to the left, launching myself into the air and propelling forward with flames beneath my boots. I could just faintly hear the murmurs of surprise from the class, but their words were just an illegible jumble from here. “Kiri!” I landed in front of him and he wasted no time jumping on my back. I pushed off the ground, running along the thick pipe connected to the tank.

“Yaoyorozu is in first place with Tsu close behind,” Kiri informed me, allowing me to focus on my footing.

I grinned, pushing my legs harder. “Not for long!” I jumped from the roof, using fire to propel my body forward. Come on, move faster! Kiri deserves to win! “Hey, Momo!” I yelled when I got close, startling her.

She was using a colorful parasail to fly through the air easily. Her head whipped around in surprise, eyes wide. “Jen, what -”

“Sorry!” My grin widened as I turned my body in mid-air so that my feet were slightly higher than my head. “Kiri, use harden!” I felt his weight increase on my back and I focused my power on my feet, large flames shooting from the bottom of my boots and propelling us forward like a mother fucking rocket. We shot past Momo, barreling straight toward a surprised Toshi.

Oh, wait… how the fuck do I land? My flames died and I reached out for the metal railing surrounding the roof, just barely managing to curl my fingers around it. Kiri lost his grip on me, shooting off my body and rolling across the rooftop. My body jerked backward as I flipped over the railing, my body hitting the roof and my fingers twisting painfully around the metal.

Okay… that could have gone a bit smoother…

Toshi was staring down at me in shock. No no, that’s fine. Don’t check on your students or anything to make sure they ain’t internally bleeding. I know I’m cool, Toshi, but get yo shit together, fam.

Momo landed between us, quickly unstrapping the parasail from her body, face covered with worry. “Are you two okay?”

Kirishima was on the other end of the roof on his stomach. He lifted his head with a grin, “That was… awesome!”

I was on my back, staring up at the azure sky as I lifted my hand to give her a thumbs up. “Totally tubular, yo.”

Momo smiled softly, shaking her head. “I can’t believe the two of you worked together like that.”

I forced myself into a sitting position, uncurling my fingers from the metal. They were throbbing but I don’t think they’re broken. I sent Toshi a grin, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

Toshi finally snapped out of his shock, clearing his throat. “Congratulations young Jen, young Kirishima!”

Kirishima laughed happily, launching himself at me and wrapping his arms around my neck. I smiled warmly, ruffling his hair.

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

▸ Forward

📜 Read more by checking out my masterlist 📜

[polyadvice]

What are Zinnia's thoughts on sex and masturbation when it comes to religion?

i was wondering, what’s your opinion on sex, masturbation, etc. and religion? i was raised religiously but i’m not as religiously involved as the rest of my family. plus i’ve masturbated a couple times but i’ve never had sex. unlike the church and religious standards i view these things as healthy and normal. i just wanted to ask what’s your take on it?

I am a Christian (you can read about my faith here), so I can really only speak to my religion. The word “religion” is so vague and encompasses a wide range of beliefs and practices, so we ought to be careful about painting all spirituality with a broad brush. Even “Christianity” includes a huge variety of philosophies and attitudes about sexuality, from extremely repressive to quite progressive. I belong to a very progressive church but have at times been part of more repressive environments.

My personal opinion is that humans were created with the Divine intentions of love, connection, growth, wholeness, joy, and creativity. When we act in a way that draws us away from a healthy, whole, joyful relationship with ourselves, other people, our communities, or our world, that takes us out of alignment with that Divine purpose. The universe - and its creator, the embodied, personified God I believe in - is fundamentally aligned with love, and that’s why hatred, violence, cruelty, pain, and stagnation are all such destructive forces - they pull us out of alignment with God and the reality God has created for us.

Therefore, anything we do with our bodies and our relationships that gives rise to love, joy, beauty, wholeness, creativity, and connection is not a violation of Divine will. And, anything we do with our bodies and relationships to foment cruelty, hatred, pain, shame, isolation - those, to use my youth worker voice, bum God out. There are certainly ways to have sex or masturbate or be in relationships that are fundamentally damaging and destructive, but we have to separate “inherently harmful” from “harmful because social structures say they are.”

It is impossible to make a clear argument that sex outside of marriage, or masturbation, are inherently damaging to our relationships with ourselves, each other, or the Divine. However, shame and guilt, or inaccurate information, or conditional social bonds, are clearly and demonstrably destructive. All people deserve clear and non-judgmental information about their bodies, all people deserve a healthy and fulfilling sex life (whatever that means for them). God wants this for us! God values wisdom and health, not shame and confusion.

I think Rachel Held Evans put it well when she wrote “If same-sex relationships are really sinful, then why do they so often produce good fruit—loving families, open homes, self-sacrifice, commitment, faithfulness, joy? And if conservative Christians are really right in their response to same-sex relationships, then why does that response often produce bad fruit—secrets, shame, depression, loneliness, broken families, and fear?” This quote is about same sex relationships, but you could very easily apply this theological logic to abstinence only education, shame and fear tactics around sexuality, treating bodies as inherently dirty or sinful, and strict gender roles. Do they bear fruit? Do they lead people into the types of healthy, whole, fulfilled lives and experiences that God wills for us? Or do we have story after story, and study after study, demonstrating that comprehensive sex ed, body acceptance, and freedom are far healthier? The Scriptures I follow call often for wisdom and growth and understanding and truth, and it would be foolish to ignore the reality around us.

Sex and masturbation are part of our community and our bodies, and the health of our community and our bodies are things God cares deeply about. We shouldn’t use them harmfully, and of course we can definitely be sinful or harmful with our bodies and with sex, but identifying what “harmful” or “unhealthy” means is a spiritual task we can draw on plenty of sources from, not just whoever is currently being loudest in Evangelical Christianity.

There is lots of sexual sin in our world - rape culture, sex trafficking, revenge porn, criminalization and marginalization of sex workers, lack of access to sexual healthcare, and so much more. Masturbation can become a numbing or addictive behavior. Sex can used destructively in a number of ways. But nearly everything can be used for good or ill. (God gave us fun and joy, and there’s nothing inherently sinful about play, but things like gambling addictions and the exploitation of young football players are bad.) Sex and masturbation are part of our lives that we need to learn how to make healthy choices about. Religious or not, figuring out how to be a healthy, happy, whole, joyful person takes nuance and effort. It is rarely achieved by following a strict, arbitrary, one-size-fits-all set of rules.

My religion - Episcopal Christianity - teaches that our God is a living God. Living things can be engaged with, life implies growth and change. Our faith is not dead or stagnant. Death has been defeated! It also teaches that we were gifted the Holy Spirit to help us in our interpretive and discerning work as we try to figure out how best to live in alignment with Divine love, light, grace, and mercy. Scripture is a living document, a history of people trying to figure that out in their own ways and their own times. We were also designed with wisdom and reasoning qualities, able to learn and question and grow. Being in a relationship with any Divine power, through any religion, should involve guidance from Divinity, as well as your community, scripture, and your own experience, on what is true and wise and holy.

If you have more questions about sex and masturbation, check out Scarleteen’s excellent resources.

[mdelpin]

To Kill A Dragon - Chapter 4

Previous: Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Next: Ch 5

Chapter 4: Questions Only Lead To More Questions

"Sting, we have a problem," Makarov disclosed to the image of Sting Eucliffe that appeared in the communication lacrima in his office, "Natsu's been taken."

"What?" Sting spluttered, shocked by the news that his hero could have been bested.

"Does it have anything to do with that cult you were telling me about, the Penta whazzits?"

"Penta Dragons," Rogue Cheney appeared in the lacrima beside his Master, looking at his friend with amusement, "Seriously, you couldn't remember the word dragon?"

Sting looked ready to retort, but Makarov took the opportunity to interrupt and get them back on track.

"We're not sure of anything at the moment, but I think the Penta Dragons are the most likely culprits. We know they were following him," Makarov reminded Sting.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Rogue appeared outwardly calm, but his eyes told a different story. They were wide and alert, and Makarov could almost feel that garnet gaze burn through him as Rogue stared at his face attentively, determined to take in every word. It reminded Makarov that the dragon slayers had grown closer since the events of the Grand Magic Games, quickly becoming a family of sorts.

"A shapeshifter pretending to be Erza was able to get close enough to take him."

"That's impossible," Sting instantly protested, leaning forward in his chair, "Natsu wouldn't have been fooled by a shapeshifter, especially not one pretending to be Erza."

Rogue nodded his agreement and proceeded to elaborate, "Even though shapeshifters can change their appearance, they can't imitate a person's scent. It would have been a dead giveaway for any dragon slayer."

Makarov pondered those words, weighing them against what he knew. He hadn't thought about that limitation being a problem. For most humans, it wouldn't have made a difference, but the Twin Dragons were right. Natsu should have picked up on that, unless...

"What was she doing?" Rogue interrupted his train of thought, bringing him back to the conversation.

"According to Gray, she was attempting to seduce Natsu, but he wasn't responding to her advances. Then our Erza showed up and distracted Gray, by the time they searched for Natsu, he was gone. We haven't been able to find any trace of him," Makarov informed them, his tone grim.

"I find that unlikely," Sting muttered, looking very serious. "I mean, who in their right mind would reject Erza?"

"Idiot!" Rogue chastised the Sabertooth Master, "Is that really what you're thinking about right now? Focus!"

Rogue sighed in a way that spoke volumes, shaking his head at his friend's antics, but sporting a subtle twinkle in his eyes. It revealed a fondness that Makarov found endearing, but it was soon replaced with distress as Rogue seemed to realize something.

"Master Makarov, I think Sting was approached as well."

"No, I wasn't," Sting disagreed, his tone leaving no doubt that this wasn't the first time the topic had been brought up, "I've already told you, that was different."

"Right," Rogue scoffed, the sarcasm in his voice unmistakable, "Cause it's not at all strange that Minerva just happened to show up in Era wanting to jump your bones."

"For the last time, it wasn't like that!" Sting huffed, glaring daggers at his friend as he seethed. "I never should have told you!"

"At least Natsu was smart enough to be suspicious," Rogue muttered under his breath, quietly enough that Makarov couldn't make out the words, but Sting's reaction was enough to show something unflattering had been said.

Both dragon slayers looked ready to fight, and Makarov knew he had to do something quickly before their bickering could escalate. Gods knew he'd had plenty of practice with Natsu and Gray.

"BOYS!" Makarov yelled in his most authoritative voice, "We don't have time for this."

Sting and Rogue brought their attention back to the Fairy Tail Master, looking somewhat embarrassed at their behavior.

"That's better," Makarov smiled kindly, "Now can one of you tell me what the hell you're talking about?"

"I apologize," Rogue bowed his head slightly in deference, "At the last Guild Master meeting, Sting bumped into Minerva Orland at Era, and she came on to him rather strongly."

Rogue glanced over at Sting, waiting for a nod from the Sabertooth Master before continuing, "She took him to a hotel and after... well when Sting woke up, he seemed to have been drained of his magic power." Rogue informed the Fairy Tail Master uncomfortably. "He's fine now, but I thought that was rather unusual."

"I have to agree with Rogue, that seems very suspicious given the current circumstances," Makarov had to keep himself from facepalming at Rogue's words, reminding himself Sting was still young and inexperienced.

He might have done the same thing at his age, but they'd just gotten done talking about dragon slayers being targeted! He took a deep breath to compose himself, not wanting to weaken the boy's confidence.

"Would it be possible for the two of you to come to Fairy Tail? I think it would be easier to have all the dragon slayers together to discuss this."

Sting and Rogue had a whispered conversation before turning back to the Fairy Tail Master, "We'll be there tomorrow morning," Sting replied, avoiding Makarov's gaze.

"Sting, we all make mistakes, it's how we learn. Someday I'll tell you some of mine." Makarov promised.

Sting rewarded him with a small smile as they said their goodbyes and Makarov ended the communication. He didn't like this one bit. If this was indeed the same person then why let Sting go and take Natsu? Was Sting a test run and Natsu the real target? Were the other dragon slayers in danger?

Makarov felt responsible, for all that he'd been upset with Sting he knew he wasn't without blame. He regretted that he hadn't taken the threat more seriously, this whole situation could've been avoided if he'd just put some measures in place to protect Natsu.

With how powerful the dragon slayers had gotten it was easy to forget how young and inexperienced they still were. It was a mistake he wouldn't repeat, already thinking of some countermeasures to protect the other dragon slayers.

Makarov left his office and went downstairs to check on his brats. He knew that Erza and Gray especially were having a hard time with Natsu's disappearance.

He found Gray sitting alone at a table, a dark aura surrounding his already gloomy person, but he looked up when he heard Makarov, an unmistakable glint of hope shining in his eyes. Makarov shook his head, and Gray seemed to shrink in front of him.

"Gray, this is not your fault," Makarov declared firmly, as he sat down next to him, knowing Gray was blaming himself for Natsu's disappearance.

"I just stood there, Gramps," Gray avoided his Master's gaze, but Makarov could see that the ice mage was clenching his fists so tightly they were turning an angry red. "I was so concerned by what I thought I was seeing, I never went to him."

Gray looked up at Makarov then, shoulders hunched and eyes wide, "I was right there Gramps, I should have been able to do something."

"You had no reason to suspect that wasn't Erza," Makarov insisted, attempting to sound reassuring.

Gray arched an eyebrow at his Master in disbelief. Makarov coughed awkwardly as he realized how ridiculous that sounded if Erza was acting the way Gray had described.

"Gray, whoever took Natsu was powerful enough to grab him before he could even put up a fight," Makarov held Gray's gaze wanting him to interiorize what he was about to say. "I understand the guilt you're feeling, son, but remember this, if you hadn't been there, we wouldn't even know he was missing."

Gray didn't look entirely convinced, but he gave a small nod. "What do you think they're doing to him?" The words were asked in a soft voice that tore at Makarov's heartstrings. He'd always known there was more friendship between the two rivals than what they showed, but it warmed his heart to see it.

"We can't afford to think about that," Makarov warned him, "Natsu is strong, you know that better than anyone. We must trust in that."

"I realize you're worried, we all are, but you have to hold on to the belief that we will find him soon," Makarov declared firmly.

"And when we do, we'll teach whoever took him what it means to go up against Fairy Tail," Makarov assured him, squeezing Gray's shoulder before leaving him to his thoughts.

He climbed on to the bar to address his guild, taking a moment to observe his mages. He didn't particularly like what he saw.

"Listen up brats," He boomed, waiting for everyone to stop talking and pay attention to him. "A member of our family has been taken from us against his will."

"Now, I know you're all worried and upset, and that's understandable."

He looked down at the crowd of mages that stared back at him, all wearing some degree of shock and exhaustion on their faces.

"I can promise you, we will stop at nothing to get him back, but right now the best thing we can do is to get some rest."

Natsu's teammates and the dragon slayers immediately protested, but Makarov remained firm. "We will begin our search again tomorrow."

Makarov took a moment to address the dragon slayers, "Gajeel, Laxus, and Wendy, we don't know whether Natsu was their only target so I must ask you not to go anywhere on your own. Please make sure you have at least one other mage with you at all times."

Once the dragon slayers nodded in agreement he addressed the other mages, "We have a powerful shapeshifter in play, you will let Mira know where you're going at all times. Now go home, we'll meet back here tomorrow morning."

There were a lot of murmurs and complaints, but the guild soon began to empty.

xxx

Sting and Rogue entered the Fairy Tail guild hall the following morning and looked around for the Fairy Tail Master.

"Good morning," Mira's greeting was a lot quieter than usual, but she still managed to be welcoming. "You're from Sabertooth, right?"

Sting and Rogue nodded, "We're here to see Master Makarov."

"The Master is expecting you," Mira gave them the biggest smile she could muster, "I'll let him know you're here." Mira walked to a door they'd never noticed before and knocked.

"Master, the dragon slayers from Sabertooth are here."

Makarov walked out of the room towards them. "Master Sting, Rogue, I'm glad you could make it," He shook their hands before leading them through the door he'd just exited and beckoning them inside.

Sting and Rogue followed the Fairy Tail Master into what looked to be a conference room. There was a large circular table that was filled with mages from the guild. They quickly recognized the other dragon slayers, as well as Natsu's teammates, but there was a blue haired mage they weren't familiar with.

"Now that everyone is here let's begin," Makarov showed the Sabertooth dragon slayers where to sit and waited for them to get settled. "I believe you're familiar with everyone here?"

"Almost everyone," Sting made a point of studying Levy.

"Ah, right. Let me introduce Levy McGarden, she is our resident Script Mage and scholar," Makarov smiled at Levy proudly, causing her to flush with pride.

Sting and Rogue nodded at her and waved, and she smiled at them in greeting.

"Alright then, let's not waste any more time. While updating Master Sting on our situation, it was brought to my attention that he might have been the target of a similar attack last week in Era."

All eyes fell on Sting, who concealed his discomfort by telling Makarov, "Just Sting is fine."

Erza stared at Sting, wondering nervously if the shapeshifter had been pretending to be her at the time. Sting returned her gaze, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

Rogue promptly smacked him on the head and scolded him, "Please take this seriously and don't be an ass."

Sting was about to protest but seemed to think better of it. He turned to Erza and assured her, "Don't worry, It wasn't you."

Erza looked relieved. She really hoped that Natsu had realized by now that she hadn't been the one to make those embarrassing advances on him.

"Based on what we've seen so far, it's likely that a sexual act is required to seize their magic. In Sting's case, it seems they were successful. They were able to take some of his magic, although we don't know for what purpose at this time."

"It's possible that they only took Natsu because he didn't cooperate, and will return him as soon as they drain him of his magic," Rogue added, trying to put a positive spin on the situation.

The male dragon slayers immediately looked at Wendy protectively, and she rewarded them with a shy smile.

"Laxus and Natsu had reported they were followed on several occasions, so we should consider Laxus a target as well," Makarov continued, looking at Laxus worriedly.

"Don't worry about me, old geezer. Even if they managed to take me, I'd show them what a huge mistake they'd made," Laxus assured his grandfather with a confident grin.

"Could their type of magic be relevant?" Lucy asked, "Natsu is fire and Laxus is lightning. Sting, what kind of dragon slayer are you?

"I'm a White Dragon Slayer, you could say my magic has to do with light," Sting informed her.

"Levy, have you come across anything in your research that has to do with those elements. Maybe in regards to that cult?" Makarov asked the blue haired mage.

"I haven't been able to find out much about them, and there aren't a lot of books about dragons. They stole most of the existing ones from the Magic Library so I can only guess at the moment."

She wrinkled her nose as she voiced her thoughts, "They call themselves Penta Dragons or Five Dragons, so maybe Sting, Natsu, and Laxus somehow represent three of those dragons. I'm not sure who the other two dragons would be though."

"We have air, iron, and shadow here. There's also that poison dragon from Oracion Seis," Wendy pointed out, "I don't know of any other dragon slayers.'

"So we could be looking at three more attacks," Makarov stated, "Why would they pick Minerva or Erza for Natsu?

"Sting's always had a thing for her," Rogue commented matter of factly.

"How would they know that though?" Makarov asked, "Just how long have they been watching?"

"If they've been watching then why Erza?" Lucy wondered, "That doesn't make sense, Natsu has never shown any interest in her. They could just as easily have picked Gray or me."

"Maybe it's just a matter of opportunity," Wendy theorized.

"Where would they have come into contact with Minerva?" Rogue asked, "Nobody has seen her since the Grand Magic Games. Could they have already been watching us then?"

"Who cares? How is any of this helping us find Natsu?" Gray exploded. He'd tried to remain silent, his frustration mounting with every pointless word discussed, but he couldn't take it anymore. Was he the only one that felt the urgency of the situation?

He was tired of all the questions leading nowhere. The temperature in the room began to get colder. "While we are sitting here talking he could be getting raped. You think that just because they might return him when they're done, that's okay?" Gray slammed his fist on the table, "What do you think that's going to do to him? If it was any of us, do you think he'd be sitting here listening to this crap?"

"Gray! We're all upset, but you need to trust that the Master is doing the best he can," Erza reprimanded Gray.

"I know it feels like we're not doing anything, but figuring this out might help us find him," Levy added quietly before getting lost in thought.

"How were they able to evade Laxus and Natsu's dragon slayer senses?" Levy muttered to herself. "What if we asked the Magic Council about the Penta Dragons? They might have more recent information on them."

Makarov didn't feel comfortable reaching out to the Magic Council yet. They always made everything more complicated than it needed to be and they could very well try to put limits on what he and Sting could do.

"I'd rather keep them out of it for now, " Makarov replied, and Sting nodded his head in agreement, "Once they get involved we'll lose control of the investigation."

"Did any of your dragons ever tell you anything that you think might be helpful here?" Makarov asked the dragon slayers.

"Metalicana didn't really talk about other dragons," Gajeel shook his head looking around at the others. The other first generation dragon slayers nodded in agreement. Their dragons had mostly been focused on training them in their magic.

"Alright then, Levy and Lucy you're to go to the Magic Library. See if they can provide you with a list of the books that were stolen and try to locate any books on dragons or dragon lore that the Penta Dragons might have missed."

Both mages nodded in agreement, and Makarov thought of something else, "Also, look for anything you can find on Tiamat herself. Erza, make sure they get there safely."

Erza acknowledged her orders, although she didn't look pleased.

"I would like for all the dragon slayers to stay here, especially you, Wendy," Makarov continued issuing orders, "If anything unusual happens, I want to know about it right away."

"What about me, Gramps?" Gray asked his Master. He really needed to do something.

"I want you to stay here with the dragon slayers in case we need to go on the offensive."

Gray sighed. Great, more waiting. He was already going crazy sitting around doing nothing. He hated to admit it to himself, but he was really worried about the Flame Brain. It wasn't like him to go down without a fight, and these people were playing dirty. The idea of Natsu being helpless didn't sit well with him. Natsu had never been weak, not even as a child. Gray should know, they'd been fighting since the day they'd met.

Where are you?

Gray had already felt so much loss in his life. He'd promised himself after he lost his Master Ur, that he wouldn't let anyone else in, but Fairy Tail didn't work that way.

Over the years, they'd all managed to worm themselves into his life and his heart, but none more so than his obnoxious, idiotic, tough as nails, pink-haired best friend.

Gray knew had their positions been reversed Natsu would've probably already used his enhanced sense to find and rescue him. Then he'd tease him mercilessly about being an Ice Princess. Gray would have happily put up with that if it meant his friend was safe.

Three more days would pass before he was given any orders.

A/N: This one gained about 1200 words but Sting and Rogue got a bit more depth which they deserved cause they are important characters in the story. Also added a bit more depth to Gray and Makarov’s interactions. Revised and edited May 06, 2019

[theladyofspaceandtime]

The Trials and Tribulations of Love - Chapter 3: Caught in the Middle

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’m back to posting more of this fanfic on here. You can always check out more about this story on @katherineofknighton​ It is also up to date on Wattpad, Fanfic Net and A03 for reading too. 

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Robin is accused of crimes he didn't commit as Marian and Katherine try to figure out who is really behind them. Guy and Katherine's friendship grows more.

Pairing: Guy of Gisborne/Original Female Character & Robin Hood/Marian of Knighton

Chapters: One ||  Two || Four

Word Count: 3,391

CHAPTER 3 - Caught in the Middle

NOTTINGHAM CASTLE

Katherine was beginning to notice that everyday proved to be a new experience in this cat-and-mouse game between the Sheriff and Robin. And the sisters just happened to be in the middle of it.

The new story of the day was of Robin Hood going around killing innocent folks of every kind. An emergency meeting was called to order with the Sheriff and lords of the land, and Marian just happened to speak out about Guy’s plan of action, causing Edward and Katherine to apologize for it.

But the Sheriff believed her to be right. And it seemed Katherine’s friendship with Sir Guy of Gisborne was growing more as she stood outside the castle, coming to meet him and ask about his plans for catching Robin Hood. Marian started suggesting that Katherine use her growing friendship with him to get close and get information.

And once again, she found herself stuck in the middle of everything.

“Sir Guy.” She said, walking up to greet him with a warm smile.

“Katherine.” He gave her a brief smile, acknowledging her.

She looked to all the dogs howling and barking as men held them tight on a leash. “All these dogs to hunt down one man, I take it?”

“Yeah, it was my idea. The Master at Arms would have us do nothing.” he replied with arms crossed, looking at her.

“At least we have someone like you, thinking ahead and willing to take action.”

“He’s a little man promoted too far. Anyone would make a better Master at Arms.”

“I believe you could handle the job well.” Katherine stated, causing him to give her a brief smile for her open belief in him.

“Yes.”

There was a brief silence among them as they stood there smiling over the other. Guy was moved by her public display of kindness towards him, but tried to maintain his cold, hard reputation, not wanting to show any kind of emotion for too long.

And despite not having much of an opinion on him yet, Katherine was just using her charming ways as requested by her sister. She had a way with people, but couldn’t help but feel there was something more to this man. Almost something she wanted to uncover. It intrigued her.

“My father sent Marian and I here, by the way.” Katherine said, finally breaking the silence. “He thinks it is safer with a killer on the loose.”

He turned to look at her. “You say a killer. You do not think it is Hood?”

She knew she would have to choose her words wisely by the look he was giving her. “Whoever it is, he thought it would be safer here in the castle.”

Guy looked as if he were hesitating with his response before he turned away from her. “No, that is not permitted.”

Katherine looked down with worry. “Oh.”

Noticing the look on her face, he sighed, giving in. “I will talk to the sheriff.”

She looked back up to him with a bright smile on her face, feeling grateful. “Thank you Sir Guy.”

He gave her a brief smile once more before walking away and to his post. “Alright, I want an alliance sweeping south through the forest. Let’s show the Master at Arms how to hunt down Robin Hood. With these dogs, he will run.”

Katherine went around the corner and met her sister, giving her a nod that everything was going accordingly to plan. Marian nodded in acknowledgement. But she couldn’t deny the fact that something had happened between her and Sir Guy at that moment. It was as if she saw a glimpse of the warmth underneath his usual cold and callous self.

Was she really seeing that, or was it just another front?

Katherine didn’t think about it too much, focusing her attention back to her sister and their plan.

“Good, now we can help Robin with our position at the castle.” Marian whispered. “I believe he isn’t behind this, nor the Night Watchman for that matter.” She still hadn’t revealed to her sister that was the Night Watchman yet. In fact, she planned to keep it hidden from her, as she had been doing.

“You think it’s someone here at the castle?” Katherine whispered, eyes wide.

She nodded, confirming her thoughts. “More than likely one of the sheriff’s plans to make Robin look bad in the eyes of the people. That way they lose hope and respect for him.”

Well, there was no denying that Sheriff Vaisey wouldn’t go to those extremes to get what he wanted. Ever since he replaced their father as sheriff, Nottingham and it’s people began to suffer for his wicked ways. He started taxing people ridiculously, especially just for the heck of it.

The greed of one in a powerful position. Katherine would never understand it and was thankful their father was never that way.

“But thanks to my intervention by directing Sir Guy’s attention towards you, and your ever wonderful people skills, we can figure out exactly what they are up to.” Katherine gave her a smile.

The two sisters stopped chatting as they heard two guards coming around the corner to be at their sides at all times. Now that they had a plan in motion, it was time to get to work and have everything play out.

Marian and Katherine walked through the doors of the castle to find a maid cleaning cups outside. The women exchanged smiles and nods with each other before the sound of an arrow being fired was heard. The maid screamed out in pain, having been shot.

“Guards!” Marian exclaimed, as the ones currently with her went to see the woman. Many others followed suit, sounding the bell.

Katherine looked up to see a figure across the way in the tower, covered in armour taking their leave. She questioned if they were the one responsible. “Marian, there was someone at that tower.”

Her sister looked across the way, but they were already gone.

“Lady Marian, Lady Katherine.” The Master at Arms came rushing in. “Come with me, please.”

“How could this have happened?” Marian asked. “I thought you had the castle locked down.”

“You must get back to your room, it is not safe here.” He ushered them off as both sisters gave him a look.

Katherine turned to whisper to her sister. “I think you were right about it being someone here.”

“Just who is the question.”

“Do you think it’s him, the Master at Arms?”

“I’m not sure what to think right now.”

“I think that man is incompetent.”

They hurried back to their room as news around the castle began to spread of servants getting shot with arrows and being killed. Katherine thought it best to snoop around the castle some more and what better way, then to be beside the sheriff. He was guarded and it was their safest bet to figure out what was going on.

Marian and Katherine stood in the hall with him, pouring drinks as Guy came into the room, clearly frustrated by everything happening. “What is going on here?” he roared. “Three people have been killed under your nose!”

“Well, that is unfortunate.” The Master at Arms replied vaguely.

“It’s incompetent.” Katherine grinned at this, noticing he agreed with her views on the man as well.

“And what have you achieved? You found some food, the reminiscence of a picnic, but Robin Hood? No-”

“At least I found something, which is more than could be said for you.”

The two men started yelling over each other, arguing. The sheriff was clearly starting to get annoyed with it. “SHUT UP!” he yelled, silencing them immediately. “A couple of women. Grow up.”

The sheriff began to walk towards the sisters as Marian handed him a glass and Katherine handed Guy one. “Forgive me,” Marian started to speak, “All these killings, they are attributed to Robin Hood, but what proof is there? There were no witnesses. How could he have moved about the castle unchallenged by your guards?” This granted a look from the Master at Arms. “And you yourself must have been there moments before the maid was killed.”

“That I cannot recall.”

Katherine spoke up beside Guy. “I agree with my sister, it is most suspicious for you to be there in the knick of time. And from one point of the view, the killings have been useful, no? Giving you the chance to shine?”

This prompted a look from Guy who glared at the Master at Arms. Both Katherine and Marian walked away.

The sheriff went to the Master at Arms side, whispering. “Did they see you?”

“They are guessing, my lord. They are just girls.” he waved it off.

“Katherine!” She was stopped in her tracks by Guy catching up with her. Marian looked to her sister with a smile before continuing on to give them privacy. Guy nodded for the guards by her side to go away.

“Sir Guy.”

“Is what you say true?” he asked.

“What? That I believe the Master at Arms has something to do with all the killings and that he’s just trying to hide his position in all of it to outshine you? Absolutely.”

Guy let out a breathy chuckle at her honesty. At least she agreed with him. She seemed to be the only person so far who did. Katherine put a comforting hand on his shoulder, causing him to look at it in surprise. “I believe you in, Sir Guy. You’re doing everything you can.”

He was taken back by her touch and absolute belief in him. It was something he had never experienced before and Guy found himself enjoying it. “Do you still feel safe here in the castle if you believe he is behind it?”

He almost wanted to ask her to accompany him at Locksley Manor, but knew that would be highly inappropriate.

“My sister is here and she and my father are adamant about us staying at the castle. I cannot leave.” She told him.

Guy nodded, understanding how much she cared for her sister and father. “Just stay safe. Try to keep to your rooms at all times.”

Katherine was moved by his concern for her. “We will.”

It was night time and everyone inside the castle was fast asleep. Marian and Katherine had been assigned separate rooms, something they had not been accustomed to in a long time since they used to live at the castle.

Katherine was woken by footsteps and the door suddenly opened to her room. She was surprised to see Robin Hood running across to her side of the bed, putting a finger to his mouth indicating for her to keep quiet. Just then, a guard stormed in as she glared at them.

“I’m sorry, milady.” the Guard apologised, leaving and closing the door.

Robin pulled back the covers and looked at her with a smile. Katherine just glared at him. “You’ve come to the wrong room. My sister’s room is down the hall.”

“Katherine...still not happy to see me I take it?” he grinned.

She wanted to slap that grin off his face, covering herself with the sheets. It was indecent to be in this situation, much less with him of all people, but she was used to him trying to sneak into their room at night to visit Marian. “Never. What are you doing here?” she sneered.

“I’ve come to find out information on who’s soiling my name.”

Katherine rolled her eyes, scoffing. Of course he was concerned with his reputation, but she honestly couldn’t blame him. “Marian and I believe that the Master at Arms, De Fourtnoy, is behind it.”

“And your reasoning?”

She sighed, frustrated with him. “Do you want my help or not? Take it or leave it.” Robin began to listen. “He was conveniently there when the maid was killed and with a murder on the loose, it consolidates his position. Everything is going accordingly to plan for him.”

“Well, I plan to change this situation.”

Brown eyes narrowed at him. “Just don’t get yourself killed. Marian would be most upset and I don’t wish to see her hurt again.”

Robin’s eyes widened at her before a smile came to his face. “Thanks for your help, Katherine.”

She began to roll back over into her bed. “Get out of here before I call the guards on you. Marian’s room should be on the right side of the hall.” He chuckled at this before making his escape through a secret passageway.

___________________________________________

NETTLESTONE VILLAGE

After receiving her visit from Robin, Marian had made her way to Nettlestone Village the next day. She had told Katherine that she was going back home to collect things for Robin and asked her sister to stay at the castle.

Katherine obliged, but found it odd nonetheless.

Marian dressed up in her garb as the Night watchman and watched as the Sheriff and Guy talked among the townspeople. She caught the form of a soldier grabbing a bow and arrow and quickly making off.

She began to run after him, but was suddenly stopped by Robin Hood. “What do you think you’re doing?” he yelled, obviously not knowing who she really was. He thrashed her around as she tried to stop him. “You’re killing innocent people. What kind of man are you?”

Marian saw there was no way out of his grasp and began to take off her cloak and mask, revealing herself to him.

Robin immediately jumped back in surprise, realizing what he had done. “Marian!”

The other merry men began to run in and stopped, just as surprised to see her. “You’re the Night Watchman?” Much asked.

“There is no time for this. I know who’s trying to kill the sheriff. It’s Joe.”

Green eyes went wide. “Joe Lacey?” Robin asked.

Marian, Robin and the Merry Men began to run after him, trying to stop him. It ended up with them all pointing arrows at each other, ready to fire.

“Joe, put the bow down.” Robin said.

He looked at him sadly. “You let me do this, Robin.”

“Why did you kill them, Joe?”

The guard cried, glaring. “My Ruth, she worked all her life in the castle. When she laid dying, where was the sheriff? Did he come visit? Did he send food? No sent Jodirick because we hadn’t paid our taxes. He put us out and she died like a dog sick on the street. And now, so will he.”

“You kill that sheriff, Prince John will send another one.” Robin stated. “And the people of that village will be tortured because a sheriff died there.”

Joe sighed. “It’s just me then.” He noticed the looks they were giving him. “What? Am I the only man in Nottingham who can say what he likes and do what he likes?”

Robin sighed, annoyed he was missing the point. “Matthew, the millers boy!”

“That was an accident. The Sheriff moved.”

“And the sheriff moved the next day when you killed 3 more stable boys and washerwomen.”

Joe was beginning to panic, feeling remorse for his actions, but still strong with the need to kill the man. He looked back at the sheriff who was running for his horse. “The Sheriff's leaving. Let me do this terrible thing, Robin.”

He shook his head. “No.” Marian began to join Robin’s side, aiming their bows at him. “Put it down. I will shoot you.”

Joe turned and aimed at the sheriff just as Robin and Marian fired at him, both men falling to the ground. Joe rolled down the hill and onto the ground right at someone’s feet. He looked over and chuckled. “I did it, I shot the Sheriff.”

“No,” the Sheriff said, “you shot the deputy.” Joe looked in shock at his failure. “My lookalike.”

Robin, Marian and Much watched from a distance as they saw Gisborne making his way over to the sheriff’s side, sword at the ready as he stabbed him.

“Poor Joe.” Marian said sadly. “I understand his grief. But why did he kill so many?”

“He didn’t.” Robin replied.

“Who did?”

“Let’s go.” Much said as they began to run off. Robin stayed behind, watching as the Master at Arms met up with the sheriff, thinking back to what Katherine had told him.

He made his way to meetup with the sheriff, sneaking into his carriage, confronting him on having the Master at Arms kill others just to give him a bad name before the sheriff kicked him from the carriage.  

_______________________________________

NOTTINGHAM CASTLE

There was a knock at the door as Katherine went to answer, surprised to see Guy at her door. He had a smirk on his face, excited to tell her the wonderful news. He walked into the room as she closed the door. “You were right, about De Fourtnoy.”

“Really?”

“The Sheriff found he was the one behind the killings. He has appointed me the new Master at Arms.” Guy declared proudly, puffing out his chest.

“That’s great!” Katherine cheered. “See, you’re already on your way to becoming a better Master at Arms!”

He grabbed her hands, taking her by surprise. It was silent between them for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes. Katherine felt her heart starting to race a little, more than likely from panic at the sudden action. Her breath had caught in her throat.

“It is all thanks to you.” he said, causing her to get lost in the deep look in his blue eyes.

“M-Me?” she managed to say, taken by surprise. “I only told you what I thought to be the truth.”

He smiled, rubbing his hand with his gloved fingers, daring to take the risk to show his emotions. “What I mean is your belief in me.”

“Oh.” Katherine replied, seeing something new in his eyes as he looked at her differently.

“Thank you, Katherine. I hope we continue to become good friends.” he emphasised, letting go of her hands.

“As do I, Sir Guy.” She smiled. He opened the door and left the room, causing her to finally let out the breath she was holding. She didn’t know that Guy was on the other side of the door, catching his breath as well.

Katherine started to question what just happened between them.

________________________________________

NETTLESTONE VILLAGE

Marian and Robin were walking around the village after he returned. “Can I ask you a question?” He looked at her. “Why do they call you the Night Watchman when you come out in the day?”

“I don’t normally.” Marian replied. “You know I can’t be seen. And I did not choose the name.”

Robin scoffed. “Oh, anyway, you do not need to do it anymore. Day or night.”

“Now that you’re here you mean?”

Robin chuckled at this. “Yes.”

Marian returned the chuckle before stopping to explain herself. “My father had my sister and I taught to fight. He wanted us to have choices in the world, and I choose to help the poor. You are not about to stop me doing that.”

“But do your father and sister know what you’re doing?” he raised his eyebrows at her.

She knew she had been caught, clearing her throat. “My father thinks I do embroidery and I usually tell Katherine I’m just going somewhere real quick.”

Robin started to laugh, finding her response amusing. And to think Katherine of all people didn’t catch onto her sister’s shenanigans, especially when they were constantly together. Much less Marian not telling her sister of her secret identity.

He looked over to Much before looking back to Marian. “Give me a moment, I have a mill to open.”

She nodded as he walked off with his merry men to help the townspeople. The townspeople were overjoyed with Robin, taking him into hugs. Much went to join Marian by her side.

“He has to have the glory, doesn’t he?” she asked him, watching Robin with a smile.

“Glory?” Much exclaimed, giving a face. “Nah. I think he just wants to be loved.”

Much and Marian exchanged knowing looks with each other as her eyes landed back on Robin. He glanced over to her, both exchanging smiles. There was no worry with that, Robin was loved by both of them, especially Marian, even if she wouldn’t say it.

[unsolvedbs]

The Unsolved Murder at Northfield Mount Hermon

Onto Part II of the Buzzfeed Unsolved-esque cases that have happened where I was staying just a few weeks ago!! More factual than supernatural, but definitely still Unsolved.

This post is for the True Crime event that happened on the campus of this school; for the Supernatural accounts I have recorded regarding this place you can read about here.

I am also completely retelling from these sources ( x / x ) so you can also either read my summary below or the sources themselves. (There is also a book about the case but unfortunately I didn’t have the time to do such a thorough research).

TRUE CRIME

Rev. Dr. Elliot Speer became headmaster of the of Mount Hermon School for Boys (Massachusetts) in 1932, taking over the position from the original founder of that school and its sister school (Northfield Seminary for Young Girls), Dwight Moody. Speer was more liberal with the school and wanted it to go in a more modernist direction, creating conflict with how the Presbyterian church currently thought of what he should be doing. By summer of 1934, Speer had firm control of what was going on inside of the school, the church-wide controversy still raging.

September 15th, 1934.

Speer spent a lot of time in his study, reading religious texts and writing. It was a habit that he would commit to every night after dinner.

“ About 8:20 p.m. Speer was seated at the desk, apparently writing something, when he stood and turned toward the window. At that moment there was a single blast from a 12-gauge shotgun fired point-blank through the window. Five pellets of double-ought buckshot, each about 1/3-inch in diameter, caught Speer in his right arm and the right side of his chest.

Almost immediately after hearing the blast, Mrs. Speer and her father rushed into the study. Speer had managed to stagger about 20 feet from behind the desk to the doorway where his wife found him.

“I don’t know what happened,” were Speer’s last words. ”

One of the observations made at the scene was how a low hanging bough outside of the window would have served as a good hiding spot for the shooter. The maid of the house at the time claimed to have heard heavy footsteps running on the lawn outside immediately after the shooting, and another witness heard a car speeding away after incident. The attorney who took command of the crime assumed that whoever committed this must have been familiar with the school itself, as he essentially stated that a stranger finding one’s way through the wooded paths on the campus was like going through a “virtual labyrinth”.

One of their first leads was the dogs that the Speer family had owned. The investigators theorized that the dogs had made no noise because they recognized whoever the murderer was, yet had to rule that theory out when the eldest dog Andy did not pay attention to any of the investigators around the house during the investigation anyhow, and the younger dog Amy was locked up in the kennel at the time of the murder.

“ Investigators were also intrigued by the possibility that the killing was inspired by an English murder mystery book The Public School Murder that Speer owned. That book told the story of a school headmaster who was murdered by a rifle shot through his window. ”

For the next few months, the police followed hundreds of leads, and interviewed a few thousand NMH alumni. The investigators tried looking for anyone who could’ve wanted Speer dead: anywhere between a disgruntled student/teacher or a “religious fanatic” who disagreed with Speer’s beliefs and policies over the school. They did track down one former student who apparently had a list of violent acts they wanted to commit, one of the items being killing Speer. However, the student was actually in Virginia at the time of the murder.

“ By December, however, police had quickly eliminated all but one suspect — the school’s dean, Thomas E. Elder. ”

Elder’s relationship with Speer was rather conflicted, as he was one of the remaining fundamentalists at the school that went against Speer’s beliefs, and was rather upset when the school passed over him and chose Speer to be the new headmaster of the school. Elder was also known to have a quick temper and able to hold grudges. In addition, there was a lot of damning evidence from the case that went against him.

“ •He was known to have once owned a shotgun of the type used to kill Dr. Speer, but denied this to police. •After Speer’s murder investigators saw that Elder had injured his right index finger — the one most likely used to pull a trigger — and friends told police that Elder’s shotgun “had a defective trigger guard.” •Elder placed a telephone call to Speer’s home shortly after the murder. Police surmised that he did this to ascertain whether his attack was successful. •Two letters, one supposedly written by Speer to Elder and the other in response, “are believed to be forged to simulate a firm friendship which actually did not exist between the pair.” •Speer reportedly lent The Public School Murder to Elder shortly before he died. However, in other reports, authorities simply said that Speer owned the book.

The most damning evidence of Elder’s guilt was the fact that he turned several clocks on the Mount Hermon campus ahead by 15 minutes as part of a scheme to establish an alibi.

The timepieces included the landmark clock on the tower of the school’s granite chapel, and, more importantly, the clock on the mantlepiece of Elder’s home. “

One notable event was during the night of Speer’s death, Elder was talking with a young man in his house when he pointed to his clock on the mantle and said “It’s getting late, I have to go someplace.” Elder’s guest turned out to be a shortwave radio enthusiast, and when he got home, he received a message and realized that Elder’s clock was actually wrong.

All of this evidence stated was presented to Justice Hayes during the inquest. “  Hayes closed the hearing at the request of the prosecution to prevent the suspect from “framing a defense” or “absconding if it became clear that he would be held for murder.” 

Hayes, however, did not feel that the prosecution’s case was sufficient to warrant presentation to a grand jury, much less to a trial court. After hearing from more than 60 witnesses in a seven-day hearing, Hayes determined that Speer was killed by “a person unknown to this court.” 

Shortly after the Hayes report was released, Dean Thomas Elder retired from the school and moved to New Hampshire where he operated a poultry farm. Six years after the Speer murder Elder was arrested for threatening a former Mt. Hermon school colleague with a shotgun. He was acquitted at trial. “

Was Thomas E. Elder responsible for the death of Rev. Dr. Elliot Speer? Could it have been a different student or religious fanatic? Or perhaps even an unknown force coming into play? This case is and will probably remain, Unsolved.

[ultrasfcb-blog]

Zinedine Zidane leaves Real Madrid: What next for Champions League winners?

Zinedine Zidane leaves Real Madrid: What next for Champions League winners?

Zinedine Zidane leaves Real Madrid: What next for Champions League winners?

Zidane announced his departure at a news conference held at the club’s Valdebebas training ground

He left as he arrived, and as he had spent the last two-and-a-half years: with dignity.

Zinedine Zidane’s decision to quit Real Madrid just five days after leading the team to their third consecutive Champions League title has thrown the Spanish giants into turmoil.

Los Blancos president Florentino Perez was obviously stunned by the decision, which Zidane delivered with a notably open and revealing news conference on Thursday lunchtime, and now the Bernabeu top brass have to work hard and work fast to identify and pursue their preferred successor to the Frenchman.

The Spanish media was also taken aback, conveying a reaction of amazement: an article on Marca’s website claimed the news has “hit the dressing room like a bomb”, while El Mundo stated “the club have never believed there could be a better captain for such a difficult ship”.

Here BBC Sport reflects on the reasons for Zidane’s exit and what it means for the reigning champions of Europe.

Is his resignation a surprise?

Zinedine Zidane became the first coach to win the Champions League in three consecutive seasons

Yes. The news clearly came as a total shock to Perez, who spent much of the news conference sitting at Zidane’s side with a vacant expression on his face, as though he was struggling to believe what he was hearing.

Perez announced that Zidane had only told him about his decision the previous day, and the outgoing coach revealed that the only member of the playing squad he had spoken to personally was club captain Sergio Ramos.

Zidane was unusually and commendably honest about his reasons for quitting, admitting he did not see clearly how he could keep the team winning next season, and repeatedly stating his belief that the team needs a “new discourse” as well as underlining the intense pressures and demands of the role.

He did not reveal when he had come to the conclusion that he should leave, but there were a couple of clues: when he was asked to identify his worst moment in charge, Zidane had no hesitation in pinpointing the Copa del Rey exit against Leganes in January.

And the last question he faced – before exiting the room and the club to a warm round of applause – asked Zidane whether winning his third consecutive Champions League title a few days ago convinced him that now was the right time to go. Zidane smiled ruefully, and responded: “Maybe. Maybe, yes.”

What – and who – next for Real?

Zidane’s Real Madrid record Competition G W D L GF GA W% Spanish La Liga 96 68 18 10 263 101 70.8 Champions League 33 22 7 4 78 37 66.7 Spanish Copa Del Rey 12 6 4 2 33 15 50 Fifa Club World Cup 4 4 0 0 9 3 100 Uefa Super Cup 2 2 0 0 5 3 100 Spanish Supercopa 2 2 0 0 5 1 100 Total 149 104 29 16 393 160 69.8

A number of names are being circulated as potential replacements for Zidane, with the most heavily-touted candidate being Mauricio Pochettino.

It is believed the Tottenham boss would be Perez’s first option: he has admired Pochettino since his time in La Liga in charge of Espanyol, a club with whom Real have friendly relations, and he was greatly impressed with the London side’s performances when they went head to head in the Champions League this season.

The stumbling block is that Pochettino signed a new five-year contract with Spurs just a few days ago, and the Argentine may be reluctant to jump ship so soon after committing himself to the club – even though there have been rumours that his new deal contains a get-out clause if Madrid come calling.

In that case, another obvious candidate is soon-to-be-outgoing Chelsea coach Antonio Conte, but the fiery Italian might be a bit too much of a loose cannon for Perez, who would prefer to employ someone a little easier to control – and someone with a more attacking philosophy.

Germany boss Joachim Low is also being linked with the job, but that appears unlikely as he recently signed a new four-year contract and has shown no sign of being unhappy in his current role, while Perez could go left of centre and attempt to hijack Chelsea’s move for ex-Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri, or even attempt to lure back Jose Mourinho from Manchester United.

And perhaps there’s another outsider worth considering: a respected and admired coach who has boundless experience at the top level and has recently become available for employment. Au revoir Zizou, bonjour Arsene?

Bale and Ronaldo out, Neymar in?

The only time Zidane looked even vaguely irritated during his final news conference came when he was asked whether the uncertainty over Cristiano Ronaldo’s future had anything to do with his resignation. He shot back a curt response: “No, not at all”.

However, there is no escaping the fact that whoever Perez picks for his next coach will have some major issues to confront, with the futures of Ronaldo and Gareth Bale being at the top of the list.

Conversely, the prospect of Neymar being added to the squad will be another big consideration, with reports in the Spanish media repeatedly insisting the Brazilian star is eager to manoeuvre an exit from Paris St-Germain this summer.

Perhaps the most interesting question, though, is the extent to which the new boss will have any say in these matters – the timing of the managerial appointment and the desire of Perez to have a personal influence over personnel matters could mean the new man is presented with a squad, rather than being allowed to choose one.

There will be plenty more to consider, including the potential for goalkeeper Keylor Navas to be pushed aside by Thibaut Courtois or (a long shot) David de Gea. Does Luka Modric, soon turning 33, need to be replaced? Is it time for Karim Benzema to move on? Should young star Marco Asensio be promoted to Galactico status? Are Eden Hazard, Robert Lewandowski or Mohamed Salah transfer targets?

Most fundamentally, whatever group of players the new manager ends up with, he will have to decide upon and then implement a clearly defined playing system – something which was rarely evident under Zidane and probably lay behind his admission that he didn’t know whether he could maintain the team’s success.

What next for Zidane?

Zidane’s Real Madrid won their first La Liga title since 2012 thanks to a final-day victory at Malaga in 2017

Bizarrely, despite winning three consecutive Champions League crowns in a grand total of nine trophies in two-and-a-half years, there is still a major question mark over Zidane’s ability as a coach.

The Frenchman has been labelled as lucky rather than brilliant by his detractors – especially from the direction of Barcelona – and although that’s nowhere near a good enough explanation for his achievements, it is undoubtedly the case that Zidane’s tactical qualities are widely doubted.

He inherited an elite team and not one of the players who started the 2017 or 2018 finals was a Zidane signing. His greatest asset at Real was his ability to manage the oversized egos within the dressing room, retaining the unfailing respect of his players and keeping everyone pulling in the same direction in an environment where that has traditionally been no mean feat.

But it’s by no means certain that he’d be seriously considered by top clubs when their managerial positions become available – and, for now, Zidane claims he wouldn’t be interested anyway, saying that he is not looking for a new club and does not intend to coach next season.

Considering his qualities, however, he would probably be best suited to international management. So if Didier Deschamps fails to get the most out of a talented France squad at this summer’s World Cup, he would be an obvious choice to take over his national team.

And considering the unusually amicable parting of ways he has enjoyed with Perez, don’t be too surprised if Zidane turns up at the Bernabeu again in the future. As he stated in his news conference, this could be a “see you later”, rather than a “goodbye”.

BBC Sport – Football ultras_FC_Barcelona

ultras FC Barcelona - https://ultrasfcb.com/football/5085/

#Barcelona

[2017mdia4120-blog]

Mierke - Week 4

Maureen Mierke

3 February 2017

1.     Travel ban on Muslims to include social media “vetting”

Trump recently ordered a “suspension of arrivals,” or as everyone else knows it as, “a travel ban” without notice to seven specific countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. This will include an investigation of social media accounts and telephone contacts from individuals trying to enter the United States. Trump has stopped immigration from these countries for 90 days, but the ban may be longer if “stronger vetting procedures are not in place once the review period has elapsed.” Due to this ban, many people with legal U.S. passports were either denied boarding to the United States or were detained once in the country. Trump’s famous tweet on this was, “If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the bad would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad dudes out there!”

I think this is ridiculous. Singling these people out simply because of their skin color or religion is not right. If this review was happening to every single person trying to come into the country, it would be more fair, but just picking and choosing people is not okay. America is supposed to be a “melting pot” and doing this is painting America in a completely different light.

Website: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/travel-ban-muslims-include-social-media-vetting-170131205425042.html

2.     The Women’s March Defines Protest in the Facebook Age

On election night, a Hawaiian woman named Teresa Shook was heartbroken over the election results. She made an event page on Facebook for a mock-march. By the next morning, she had received over 10,000 responses and experienced activists joined the cause, ready to make the march a reality. On January 21, this march – the Women’s March – was held all over the nation. People from every major city were marching for reproductive rights, environmental rights, equal pay rights, climate issues, and more – “Too many demands to fit on one poster” as one poster actually wrote. The march brought a lot of issues to the forefront and showed that comradery in dark times is the light that everyone needs. Now, with the march over, it is a matter of staying motivated and pushing for more action, not just on social media, but in the real world, too.

I love that this march was a simple thing that started on Facebook and transformed into this nation-wide symbol of solidarity. I’m so proud of everyone who marched and this just goes to show that social media can make a difference and start change. 

Website: https://www.wired.com/2017/01/womens-march-defines-protest-facebook-age/

3.     Interior Department reactivates Twitter accounts after shutdown following inauguration

Two retweets were made by the National Park Service on Inauguration Day that were not in favor of President Trump. The first was two images comparing the crowd sizes between Obama’s 2009 Inauguration and Trump’s current Inauguration. The second was about policy concerns that were taken down off the White House website. Immediately after, the Interior Department shut down its Twitter accounts in order to investigate the incident, as they were unsure of whether or not they had been hacked. Early Saturday the Twitter accounts were reactivated and the National Park Service spokesperson apologized for the “mistaken retweets.” Many people, however, supported the tweets and were proud to see an organization speaking up against Trump.

I thought this was really interesting and rather funny, because President Trump got his panties all in a bunch after these tweets and he made park services find an actual image of the numbers of people at his Inauguration. However, for all of the people who were saying that they were proud to see an organization stand out against Trump’s beliefs, I do not think they are totally correct in that matter. In actuality, whoever retweeted those posts probably meant to do so on their personal accounts and so, the opinions aren’t necessarily those of the entire organization. Still, it was interesting that people stood up for an organization being allowed to share political views.

Website: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/01/20/interior-department-banned-from-twitter-after-retweet-of-smaller-than-usual-trump-inauguration-crowd/?utm_term=.c585cd13c3dc

4.     Celebrities Want You To Know The Obamacare Enrollment Deadline Is Jan. 31

After Trump’s Inauguration, he and his administration ordered a ceasing of all outreach efforts for the Affordable Care Act, even though it had open enrollment until the end of January. That order was later reversed, but in the confusion, celebrities took to social media to create their own ads informing people about the ACA (Obamacare) and when the deadline was. Colton Dunn, Lena Dunham, Ava DuVernay, Billy Eichner and Olivia Wilde, John Legend, and Nathan Fillion were some of the ones involved in doing this. Politicians also joined in, including Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Barbara Lee, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Tim Kaine, and others, many using the hashtag #GetCovered.

I thought this was very interesting that, first, Trump thought it was okay to ban ads about Obamacare when people are still allowed to enroll it. Second, I love that so many celebrities and politicians took matters into their own hands and worked to spread the message of Obamacare enrollment themselves. One of the videos embedded in this article was also hilarious because people didn’t know that the Affordable Care Act and Obamacare are the same thing. They actually thought there were differences between them and they were choosing one over the other. This goes to show that people need to be educated more on topics such as these.

Website: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/celebrities-want-you-to-know-the-obamacare-enrollment-deadline-is-jan-31_us_588f72d3e4b02772c4e7fcff?

5.     President Trump institutes media blackout at EPA

The Trump administration has instituted a media blackout at the Environment Protection Agency and has banned staff from awarding any new contracts or grants, sending out press releases, blog updates, or posts to the agency’s social media accounts. Trump instituted this after his Inauguration Friday and has called it a “regulatory freeze pending review.” The communications director for Trump’s transition team at EPA, Doug Ericksen, said, “We’re just trying to get a handle on everything and make sure what goes out reflects the priorities of the new administration.” State agencies that rely on the EPA said that they were given no notice about the freeze and are looking to understand the impact of it on their programs.

This was interesting because, although I’m sure each presidency does take some time to review policies that were in place before him, it just seems like this came out of nowhere. Even the organizations that have attachments to the EPA said they were not informed of its happening. It seems, too, that people are kind of afraid to make moves around President Trump, in fear that he will shut them down or something. A transportation department employee in the article even said, “Everybody’s being very cautious.” People shouldn’t have to tip-toe around for fear of upsetting their new president; people should feel confident in knowing that he is trying to help them, but that is not currently the case.

Website: https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/01/24/trump-bans-epa-employees-from-updating-public-via-press-social-media/Anr90pkwhavC2kzK8pwsyK/story.html