#part 11: fudged confession | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

nnnnoooooooooooo · 4 years ago

Text

My Ballot for They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They?’s 25 Favourite Films Poll

The following is my ballot for They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They?’s poll for their readers’ 25 favourite films of all-time. It contains a dozen or so favourites, several compromises, and a handful of personally foundational texts.

Seven Chances (1925, Buster Keaton): It ain’t easy to only choose one Keaton. This is one of Keaton’s films with a racist blackface character, which gave me some reservations. Still, this is a solid contender as his funniest picture, and, more importantly, this is Buster as I love him the most. Keaton’s characters were always the most cerebral and lost, keen observers with no understanding. An inability to communicate one’s emotions drives the need to convert it into a physical experience; Keaton inevitably becomes the object that cannot be stopped. His full forced desperation and athleticism, he is a master of locomotion. Featuring the finalization of the chase gag, along with a generous serving of his brand of surreal.

City Lights (1931, Charles Chaplin): Comedically and emotionally devastating.

Trouble in Paradise (1932, Ernst Lubitsch): Lubtisch’s portrayal of Continental aristocracy on the cusp. Containing love, melancholy, desire, rivalry, loyalty, betrayal, criminals, and thieves-- all saved by his grace alone, achieving a rare bliss of comedy and romance. Normally, I’d say that, in a temporal world, perfection exists only as a process, but then how would I explain this?

La grande illusion (1937, Jean Renoir): In the best of Renoir’s films, I find a type of harmony I find lacking in the rest of the world.

La règle du jeu (1939, Jean Renoir): In making this list, I never doubted either of these Renoir films having a place. Now, trying to write about my list, I find myself becoming frustrated at not finding the words to explain why I chose them. I’ve never been a great communicator, and I doubt that’s Renoir’s fault. I think it’s best for me to move on before I start misplacing my frustrations with my inability to write onto the film itself.

How Green Was My Valley? (1941, John Ford): Possibly the greatest movie ever made under Hollywood’s Studio System, and perhaps the closest we’ll ever get to seeing what Hedy Lamarr might have seen in John Loder. More than any other actor, Sara Allgood carries this film, in her role as the matriarch of the Morgan household. This is chock full of great character actors and moments as you’d expect from Ford. It’s the magic of childhood, the safety of the womb, the cyclical nature of a town where nothing ever seems to change, and the devastation of entropy. I lost track of how many times I cried.

To Be or Not to Be (1942, Ernst Lubitsch): This is my choice for a comedy from the 1940s, despite stiff competition from Hellzapoppin’, and the 11 movies Preston Sturges released over the decade. I had the privilege of seeing this at my local Cinemateque with an introduction by Kevin McDonald. I was late, and the audience had already begun to talk back. He rolled, and we were soon laughing before the “projectionist” could hit ‘play’ on the Blu-Ray. My friend came later. It was a packed house, so we weren’t able to sit together. I enjoyed hearing the variances in people’s response*, and the timing of their laughter. Trying to pinpoint my friend’s laughter from the crowd, I couldn’t help but hear our host’s generous laughter throughout the film. What a joy it was for all of us to experience this film together. I guess I haven’t had a chance to share those other movies the way that I was with this one. *A nice change of pace, as this usually makes me self-conscious

Shadow of a Doubt (1943, Alfred Hitchcock): I find Hitchcock’s women’s pictures to be some of his richest texts. Besides which, any film asking me to sympathize with Theresa Wright already has a lot going for it. Alongside The Wrong Man as Hitchcock’s most tragic film.

Brief Encounter (1945, David Lean): My favourite romance, whatever that says about me. A passionate extramarital affair between Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson) and Dr. Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard), told in flashback. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this placed among noirs, but I think this could be an example of a women’s film noir. There’s a thick sense of transgression and fatalistic mise-en-scene, along with an inability to escape, which ends the film on an unconvincing return to safety. After the two lovers part for the final time, Johnson returns home. Her husband, Stanley Holloway, asks for nothing, and expresses gratitude for her return. However, for all of that loveliness, Johnson has learned that the world is far more fragile than she ever dreamt. The husband is portrayed as a bit childlike, and, coupled with the affably stiff upper-lipped nature of their marriage, Johnson is unable to confess what’s occurred, which only preserves her turmoil. Unable to consummate, sustain, or forsake her romance with Howard, she may find some refuge with her husband, but salvation eludes her.

Out of the Past (1947, Jacques Tourneur): RKO Pictures, film noir, Jacques Tourneur, and Robert Mitchum– These are a few of my favourite things. As a prude, I don’t care to admit that I love cigarette smoke in B&W pictures as much as I do, and it’s deployed here to its zenith, courtesy of Nicholas Musuraca’s cinematography. Daniel Mainwaring’s script, along with Tourneur and Mitchum, use underplay in order to create a heightened effect. Mitchum’s somnambulism grants his portrayal of Jeff Bailey an omniscient cool, which extends to his character’s bisexuality. There’s such delight in hearing Mitchum, one of the best voices in movies, deliver the film’s lyrical dialogue in his disaffected baritone.

The Big Heat (1953, Fritz Lang): Perhaps Lang’s most cynical film? The culmination of all his conspiracies. The law vs. criminals, no longer as separate from one another, but as sides of the same coin: the establishment. Sergeant Bannion (Glenn Ford) engages in total war against Lagana’s (Alexander Scourby) crime syndicate. Those caught in between end up as collateral damage, pawns in their game. Each dismantles the family unit, Lagana disposes of Bannion’s wife (Jocelyn Brando), and Bannion displaces his child, so that both sides can carry on unfettered. The happy ending finds Bannion happily back at work in the homicide department, where they’re informed of a grisly murder. Oh boy, here we go again! Gloria Grahame, a sister under the mink, reigns as my favourite actress in all of film noir.

The Sun Shines Bright (1953, John Ford): It’s not easy to film a miracle, a feat for which I’d pair this with Carl Th. Dreyer’s penultimate film, Ordet. Speaking of Dreyer, if you have 15 minutes to spare, here’s a great video of Jonathan Rosenbaum discussing this movie alongside Dreyer’s final film, Gertrud. The responsibilities and limitations of society. Communities are built through sacrifice, as we give of ourselves, which accounts for the film’s sometimes funereal tone. One’s resting spot as the place to make a stand, but what good is taking a stand if it doesn’t lead anywhere? Our redemption lies not in preserving ourselves, but in guiding the world to a place that no longer needs us. Thus, not a dying world to save, but an understanding that we must pass in order to bring about renewal. Funerals become parades, and parades become funerals, as we walk the strait and narrow path between tradition and progress. Don’t take a stand while the world marches on, but lead us into thy rest.

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953, Roy Rowland): This is a musical written and designed by Dr. Seuss, which is to say that I think you oughta see it. Still, it’s hard to justify why I chose this over The Band Wagon. I’d probably better enjoy watching The Band Wagon, which I’d wager is Hollywood’s greatest musical, but there’s something about The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T that gets under my skin. I saw it on television when I was very young. Old enough to remember seeing it, but too young to remember more than three details: twins joined at the beard, the nightmare-inducing elevator operator, and a large piano requiring an exponential amount of fingers. This forgotten foundation, along with its Seussian imagery, grants the film a dreamlike feeling. Just as every good boy deserves fudge, every Hans Conried deserves a role like the one he has here, playing the titular Dr. T.

The Night of the Hunter (1955, Charles Laughton): A kid’s film featuring the personification of evil, not in Mitchum’s portrayal of the preacher Harry Powell, but in Evelyn Varden’s Icey Spoon. This movie is so full of indelible images that I sometimes forget LOVE/HATE tattooed on Powell’s knuckles. There’s a dreadful unease from the inability to fully save or preserve Ben & Pearl within a society whose systems turn on them so easily. Their safety is drawn and quartered at every turn, and so Ben & Pearl flee society, finding a guardian out yonder. Still, there’s a limitation to their newfound guardian’s protection. Their angel and their demon sing in harmony; evil becomes instructive to the children’s growth. It’s a hard world for little things, but there is hope. Mrs. Cooper (Lillian Gish) manages to find her redemption in protecting these children while she can. Perhaps we need them as much as they need us. This was Charles Laughton’s only film as a director, as well as the final of James Agee’s two films as a screenwriter. It isn’t right.

Sweet Smell of Success (1957, Alexander Mackendrick): This is my favourite film noir, possibly the nastiest as well. Of course, I cackle throughout the entire picture. Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis at their bests; the tension between a malevolent god and his jester/would-be pretender played as flirtation, conducting assassinations as though they were composing poetry. Shot on location in New York by James Wong Howe, giving us a view of Babel from the gutters up. Also, I’m just a big ol’ softy for Emile Meyer, who plays Lt. Kello.

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957, Frank Tashlin): As I see it, this is the best sex comedy of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Tashlin previously worked at Termite Terrace, making Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, and did a brief stop making Screen Gem cartoons over at Columbia in the middle. After having brought feature film techniques to his cartoons, he brought cartoon imagery into his live-action films. This is a vehicle for Jayne Mansfield, who may have been the most cartoonish of the era’s blonde bombshells, and so it is a happy marriage indeed.

Playtime (1967, Jacques Tati): This is cinema. Ah! Tati, Ah! Modernity

Out 1: noli me tangere (1971, Jacques Rivette & Suzanne Schiffman): Rivette’s movies feel alive in a way that I haven’t found anywhere else. The films I’ve seen are about conspiracy, games, and the development of theatre troupes: things that exist only in our minds, and are dependant on our cooperation with others. Things get so twisted that you wonder how they’ll ever untie it all, only for the shared illusions to be revealed as a complex series of false knots. I broke my rule with this film, in choosing a film that I’ve only seen once. I didn’t make the time to revisit this or Céline et Julie vont en bateau, my other favourite Rivette film, so I went with the larger labyrinth to lose myself in.

F for Fake (1973, Orson Welles): This is Orson Welles’s most playful film. I love Welles, the personality, almost as much as I love Welles, the director, so I chose a movie that features both.

Mikey and Nicky (1976, Elaine May): Perhaps the most tense and dark comedy I’ve ever seen. May reaches her highest levels of drama here, and does so without any cost to her usual standards for humour.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946, Frank Capra): I wasn’t sure about including this, given that it’s not even my favourite James Stewart Christmas movie, but what can I do? It’s a Wonderful Life is an institution in my family, we’ve watched this every Christmas Eve since I was grade 6. There was a year or two in the early ‘10s where we might have missed it, but, otherwise, we’ve been devout. This is also one of four sources that laid the foundation for my love of movies, and, in particular, older movies. I hope to continue to watch this every year. It just wouldn’t be Christmas. Growing up, my brothers and I used to be allowed to open one gift the night of Christmas Eve, which evolved into my brothers and I exchanging our gifts for each other. The first year my brother’s and I exchanged gifts, we happened upon CBC playing It’s a Wonderful Life in a 3-hour timeslot. Filling in the gaps of my memory with ego, I’d say that I instigated our watching it. I was always the biggest sucker for holiday specials, as well as being the most drawn to B&W. It was an instant hit with all of us, and so two traditions were born that night. For those curious as to what year this took place, I gave my oldest brother a 3 Doors Down CD. My older brother got me the Beast Wars transmetal Terrosaur figure. And. It. Freakin’. Ruled. CBC continued to air It’s a Wonderful Life every Christmas Eve, and we continued to tune in. My brothers and I continued to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve for about another decade, but now my family has a better Christmas Eve tradition to pair with our holiday movie: Chinese food, and, less dogmatically, vegetable samosas. Leftovers become brunch. We’ve watched the movie, I think, twenty times now, which includes one viewing of the unfortunate colourized version, and once in theatres. It’s a great movie to come back to each year. There are lots of little moments, lines, and details to zero in on, and each year I get to internally test and brag to myself about naming and recognizing the various character actors and bit players that pop up. Still, I sometimes find myself resisting its charms. A couple of years ago, my view of Frank Capra changed. I no longer saw him as the director I had previously thought him to be*. I wondered whether this movie stood on its own merits, or if I was holding onto it for sentimental reasons. I have since settled on this film being a genuine classic. Another source of resistance is that I’ve never watched this on its own, there’s a lack of an individual foundation to my relationship with the film. I’m so accustomed to viewing films on my own, I think there’s a relief in a taking a private experience, and having it succeed in a public forum. The two support each other, which is part of why a couple of films ended up on this list. However, when it’s a film I’ve only seen in the company of others, I become suspicious of my experience. I believe in the power of cinema when it’s to my benefit, only to doubt it when I fear that it has the power betray me. I guess that I lack faith. *The director I once thought Frank Capra was, I now find Leo McCarey to be.

Doctor Who: The Lost in Time Collection (1963-69, various): This was a last minute decision that ended on a mistake. I ought to have chosen Daleks: The Early Years instead, which has the proper framing of a retrospective documentary. Daleks: The Early Years is a VHS release hosted by Peter Davison, featuring interviews with key people from ‘60s Dalek stories, cannibalizing clips from Dalekmania (another documentary on Daleks in the ‘60s), and orphan episodes and snippets from otherwise lost ‘60s Dalek serials. It’s also one of the VHS tapes that I grew up with, and my introduction to the fact that, at the time, over 100 episodes of ‘60s Doctor Who were missing and presumed lost. This was my introduction to the concept of lost media. Since then, a further 12 episodes have been found, and the number of missing episodes has dropped to 97. Instead, I chose The Lost in Time Collection, which is a 3-disc collection of orphan episodes and surviving clips from otherwise missing ‘60s serials, not actually a feature in itself. It’s a really nice sampling of the Doctor Who’s best era, and the episodes and clips are sometimes more interesting without the rest of their serial for context. While I didn’t get this collection until I was an adult, I had managed to see most or all of its contents growing up, mostly on various VHS compilations, as well as some clips online. As the deadline for submissions approached, I chose the one I enjoy more, rather than the one that first changed me. I suspect that Doctor Who was the first work of science-fiction that I got into, as it predates me in our household. My brothers and my getting into Transformers predates my memory, but it does not predate my being around. Doctor Who also served as my first exposure to B&W viewing. I was really into science-fiction growing up, and the genre was really my first interest in older films. The interest didn’t really bridge its way from my youth into my present. Heck, I wasn’t even particularly a movie person until into my twenties. In early adulthood, after fading for a bit, my fondness for science-fiction was more directed towards video games and books. So while it didn’t lead into my love of film and B&W, it laid a lot of the groundwork for what I’d eventually come to love. My oldest brother remembers staying up late with our parents to watch Doctor Who, and my older brother has memories of trying to stay up with them, but it was no longer airing on any of the stations we had by the time I was kicking. Loved, but unseen, it developed a sort of mythic reputation in my young mind. Over the years, we managed to see a bunch of serials on VHS through our local library system, and we eventually got 5 VHS releases of our own before the decade ended. We got a book, The Doctor Who Yearbook, which had listings and synopsises of every serial ever made. The classic Doctor Who series lasted 26 seasons, consisting of 153 serials, and just shy of 700 episodes. No matter how many episodes of Doctor Who I managed to see when I was growing up, it was only ever the tip of the iceberg. My younger self liked daydreaming about all of the adventures, planets, aliens, robots, and monsters, but that would begin to dissipate with age. While I loved Star Wars for the many of the same reasons as I did Doctor Who, the advent of more Star Wars wasn’t all that fulfilling, with Episode I: Racer for the N64 PC as a noted exception. More than the fact that I was caught up in the cultural backlash against George Lucas, the lack of a well defined characters and society in the original trilogy was a virtue. The toys and books really capitalized on this. I was the kid that wanted to know every weirdo and background character’s life story. I was such a mark. The more movies they made that added to the lore, the smaller their galaxy seemed to be, in opposition to an expanded universe. Each piece promising to add to the larger picture only seemed to reveal a smaller whole. More movies telling the same stories with different versions of the same characters. A galaxy that once seemed so vast now revealed to be comprised of maybe two dozen people, many of which are related or connected to each other in some tired and unnecessary way. Eventually, I got really into Jonathan Rosenbaum, and began to project my ego all over his preferences, to which Star Wars became a victim. I gave up on the series after sitting through a showing of Episode VII. Fires subside, and, these days, I’m mostly indifferent towards the series. Undergraduates can be a bit much, y’know? While the new Doctor Who series also fell out of favour with me, it was easier for me to divorce it from the original series. Having seen the series only in disparate pieces, rather than a linear narrative may have helped. I have no illusions that the original series is anything more than a silly kid’s show that mostly takes place in corridors, which is a fine thing to be. It’s enough to be a delight. The deceit of nostalgia is that I can return to these works I once loved with the same feelings and wonder that I had as a child. While I remain fond of Doctor Who, the whole of a serial is often less than the sum of its parts. After all, being a serial, half of the adventure is meant to take place in your head during the week between episodes. It’s the opposite of binge-watch material. It’s hard to commit to working your way through such a bulky series at a deliberately slow pace. Besides, even spacing the episodes out some, it’s still not going to capture my mind the way it would when I was a child. The virtue of the Lost in Time Collection is that you’re never seeing a serial as a whole, only as individual pieces. The collection consists of 18 complete episodes from 12 serials, with clips and bits from an additional 10 serials. Only one serial has more than two episodes featured, The Daleks’ Master Plan, a 12-part epic, which has its 3 known surviving episodes on the set. Freed from the responsibilities of being part of a larger story, you get to enjoy the pleasures of each episode as its own entity. Charm exists outside of context, and what may have been stretched and strained over half a dozen episodes can easily be sustained in the single episode or two that remains. A piece of Starburst may not keep its flavour any longer than a piece of Hubba Bubba, but at least it has the decency not to overstay its welcome. The less that remains of a serial, the more interesting it becomes. For some serials, the only surviving clips are the scenes that were cut by censors, and so you’re only seeing the juiciest bits. Protected by obscurity, just as recording in B&W protected this era of the series against its lack of budget, the childlike sense of wonder remains. Any missing serial could have been great. We lack evidence to prove otherwise. What little remains from these serials is enough to imagine what may have been, and it’s easy to give the benefit of the doubt to an old friend. No longer just a science-fiction adventure, the series has grown into a larger and more engaging adventure in film & television preservation. Thanks to its cultural status and following, questions as to how these stories were lost, why years of episodes were junked, how they were returned, in which disparate places were episodes found, who has been hunting for them, what were their methods, to what lengths did they go, what places remain to be searched, what remains to be found, what’s trapped in the hands of private collectors, and what has been lost forever have all been thoroughly explored, though some answers continue to elude us. For those interested, Youtuber Josh Snares has an extensive series of videos that breaks down many of these questions as best as one can with what’s publicly known, and, despite being on yotube, I don’t think he’s annoying. Doctor Who best represents my film lover’s sense of discovery, combining the joys of hearing about a film that piques my interest, trying to track a film down, discovering or rediscovering a new favourite, learning about film history, and the efforts of film preservation. Hearing about films I’d like to see can be nearly as rewarding as actually watching the films themselves. The more that I see, the more there is that I’d like to see. The harder something is to find, the more interesting it can become. Film is a physical object, so there is a battle against time for us to discover, recover, restore, and preserve works before they’re lost to time. The good news is that many efforts are being undertaken, both by professionals and by amateurs. The advent of crowdfunding has really helped to create more opportunities for completing these endeavours. Following an Indiegogo campaign, Netflix stepped in and completed Orson Welles’s The Other Side of the Wind. Many of Marion Davies’s silent films have been restored in recent years. Thanks to the efforts of Ben Model and his team, I will soon have the pleasure of seeing eight Edward Everett Horton shorts that haven’t been in circulation since the silent era. Steve Stanchfield (Thunderbean), Jerry Beck (Cartoon Research), Tommy Stathes (Cartoons On Film), and their cohorts are doing God’s work in finding and restoring old cartoons, and giving them an audience once more. I don’t think there’s ever been a more exciting time to be so out of touch.

The Muppet Movie (1979, James Frawley): The Muppets’ movies were a staple of our household growing up, and this ranks alongside The Great Muppet Caper as the best of them. This movie has a very self-aware humour to it, exemplified by the introduction. The camera wanders through a studio backlot, following a car carrying Statler & Waldorf, who provide us with the first dialogue of the film, announcing their intent to heckle the film. Inside, the Muppets are waiting for a private screening of The Muppet Movie to begin. It’s a disaster. A monster tears out one of the seats, the visibly deranged Crazy Harry blows up another, people are dancing in the aisles, and chickens are flying about. Objects being thrown include, but are not limited to, popcorn, Lew Zealand’s boomerang fish, and paper airplanes. A full-sized Muppet looms in the background, a giant colourful bird with enormous unblinking eyes, leaning a bit from side to side. An acknowledgement that somebody has let the animals in charge of the zoo. Still, a coziness remains amidst all of the chaos. Kermit attempts to introduce the movie to his peers, the lights go down, and he takes his seat. The movie opens in the heavens, where the credits and a rainbow appear. It clears onto a long, long shot of a swamp, slowly zooming in to reveal a frog on a log, playing a banjo, singing Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher’s The Rainbow Connection. We’re taken away. One of the most vital aspects of the Muppets is that they exist in our world, something that gets lost in their 90’s trend of literary adaptations. An entire world of Muppets isn’t much of a utopian vision, but the idea that these animals, monsters, and whatevers belong in society alongside ‘real’ people is. This trend was part of a larger regression throughout the years with the Muppets. What began as a self-aware humour turned into a self-depreciating humour, and, eventually, a self-loathing humour. The Muppets used to take on the world, but, in later years, they seemed unable to dream of anything more than getting back together once more, so that they could reaffirm their lack of success. Bring them back to life so they can take one more dying breath. This Muppet movie is filled with celebrity cameos, in part a tribute to their variety show, as well as to the vaudevillian origins of most of their shtick. Here, the cameos serve the Muppets. Later, the Muppets would take a backseat, and become vehicles for others, not even allowed to star in their own movies. I wish they were given better opportunities to shine. As good as this film is, I have to admit that this film’s treatment of Miss Piggy is embarrassingly sexist. While they don’t look like Presbyterians to me, at their best, I think the Muppets have almost as much hope to offer as any religion.

Transformers: The Movie (1986, Nelson Shin): Watching this movie gives me the feeling I always hope that I’ll feel whenever I’ve bought concert tickets. I don’t watch this so much as I sing along to it. I even knew Vince DiCola’s score down to a ‘T’. With all due respect to Storefront Hitchcock, this is my personal Stop Making Sense.

Air Alert V. 4 (late 2000’s, TMT Sports): First, and most importantly, I do not recommend Air Alert nor any other paid for vertical jump program. I cannot stress that enough. They’re not designed by people who really know what they’re doing, the marketing is predatory, they’re unjustly hard on your joints, and they’re methods are not in conjunction with their promises of wild vertical gains. While I hope to stop finding that people have also done Air Alert, I immediately feel a strong kinship with those I learn have also been misled. Air Alert is a 15-week vertical jump program that makes the dubious promises of adding 8-14 inches to yer vertical leap to everyone, regardless of their current physical condition. It promises to add explosiveness to yer hops, but its means are an exponentially increasing amount of jump exercise repetitions. This is to say that, in practice, Air Alert actually builds jumping endurance, which teaches yer muscles to conserve energy, rather than to expend it in an explosive manner. Like all jump programs, it also fails to address that much of your jumping’s height comes from a combination of your core and upper body strength, as well as technique. The version I got also came with an advertised-as-new Air Alert Advanced, a further 6 weeks of yet more intensive exercise routine to add another 3-6 inches to yer leap. I did the 15 weeks of Air Alert, and, like everybody else I’ve known, I got 2-3 inches added to my vertical. After the recovery week suggested following completion of the program, I tried dunking at the church. You had better believe that I told my dad to bring his digital camera, ’cause this was gonna be a big deal. Being able to dunk was surely going to usher in a whole new era in my life. Now, I had been wrong about these sorts of things before. I had become skinny, I got a couple of nice shirts, I listened to what I though was the right unpopular music, and I had stolen some jokes, but my life largely remained the same. It seemed as though my life couldn’t be redeemed by vanity and trivialities, J still wasn’t dating me, but this would be so much more. This was dunking. This was going to be different. We went to the church, and I had the same problems as before. I could get high enough, but I couldn’t throw down. The further you extend a limb from your core, the less strength it has at its disposal. I had little upper-body strength to begin with, and, fully extended, my hand is pretty far from my body. I’d always lose the ball on the way up, or lose height putting more of my strength onto the ball. Legs can only take you so far. At my best, I’ve brought the ball to the rim, lost it, and, thanks to momentum, had the ball go off of the backboard and in. A lay-up isn’t a dunk. My knees have been crunchy ever since. After a further month of letting my joints recover, I tried my hand at Air Alert Advanced. After the first week, which consisted of 3 days of 2000 individual jumps, some of my friends reunited to play soccer at our old high school. I was proud to see that the goals we had rescued were still on the field. However, I found that my joints were so worn down that I could only run at a steady pace in a straight line. Turning, accelerating, and decelerating were all, sadly, out of the picture. I decided not to continue onto the subsequent weeks. I was still a fatuous pauper, single, and working at a shoe store while friends had gone on to do other things, so what did I manage to accomplish? Well, for starters, I gained some athletic ability for the first time in my life, which was neat. I gained a lot of leg strength, endurance, and quickness, as well as the previously mentioned 2-3 inches to my vert, all of which I treasured. Despite being the skinniest guy on the court, my legs were strong enough to anchor me in the key, and contend with guys up to double my weight. I went from being a guy who showed up to Dunkball, to becoming a guy that people wanted on their team. While others got tired throughout the night, slowly losing their vertical, I managed to jump just as frequently and just as high in my last game of the night as I could during my first. As both the tallest and the lankiest guy at Dunkball, my height advantage now increased in the air. I’d let people box me out, only to jump and reach over them. I felt so free. I was, and remain, Dunkball’s most improved player. Of course, it helps to have the advantage of having started out lower than everybody else. Once, somebody brought a friend who was taller than me. It was awful. As for dunking? Well, I could dunk small balls at the church, if I could close my hand on them. I managed to dunk a flat soccer ball on an outdoor net at a school yard once, but I never verified its height. I could dunk at the Academy chapel with the rim fully raised, though that rim sags in the front, so I’m guessing that rim was about 9’10”. Still, that won me a game of H-O-R-S-E or two. Sometimes, when warming up for Dunkball, someone would instigate a dunk competition, and I managed to develop a trademark dunk which nobody could replicate or stomach: the underhanded dunk. Norm was the only person not to loathe it, bless his heart. While I never managed to dunk on a proper 10’ net, I was able to goaltend, which has no use outside of being a dick to a friend. I was smarmy enough to do it once. Even at Dunkball, I never became much of a dunker, except on turnovers or tip-ins, or unless I had a guard who could do the work of setting me up. I’m more opportunistic than aggressive, besides, who am I going to beat off of the dribble? On my worst nights, I was still a tall guy who could jump, so I always drew the interest of a defender. I’ve always preferred defence to offence, and my favourite offensive play is to box out their post-player, either to be in a better position to rebound, or in order to prevent them from goaltending. Defence is where Air Alert made the most difference for me. They either had to box me out in order to stop me from goaltending, or try banking it in. I could sit low enough to the ground to defend outside players without losing speed. With a lower net, some players didn’t arc their shots as much, allowing me to swat them away with ease. There was nothing better than blocking a dunk. Some people took it personally, and would try coming at you on the next play; we all loved blocking Joseph. Still, the best was blocking Norm’s dunks, even if it meant landing on my back. It was summertime, the final game of the night, with uneven teams and lopsided match-ups, but, somehow, it’s neck and neck. Not only are we still in it, we’ve had the lead. Will is shooting, Nathan is hustling, and I’m blocking everything. My greatest defensive game ends prematurely after I block one of Norm’s dunks, landing horizontally, with all of my weight squarely on my tailbone and elbows. I call it a night, and, in the morning, learned that we had lost immediately after I left. At this point, I had memorized Air Alert’s number of sets and routines, and so I lent the DVD to Graham. He promised to return it soon. This was in 2010. I learned how to juggle that August, but that didn’t save me either. I kept up my jumping exercises, doing week 4 as maintenance, losing consistency once I started university that fall. Dunkball slowly lost consistency, too, and so I eventually took up the reigns of organizing it. People changed wards, got married, moved, and started families. It was hard to motivate people to come out without a guarantee. At some point, I became one of the veterans. As Dunkball continued to lose consistency, and as I went through occasional bouts of burn-out withorganizing things, Dunkball changed from being year-round into seasons, and, later, patches, of activity. The benefit of being the one to organize Dunkball is that it allowed me to filter out the jerks between patches of activity. There aren’t a ton of rules, you can make a pass off the wall, you can charge, you can play it in the hall, and goaltending is a way of life, but life is too long to spend it with people who can’t play sports without yelling. We weren’t as athletic as we once were, but the new players were generally pretty skinny, so we were still able to push them around. I stopped buying bus passes after my first year of university, which helped me to maintain most of my leg strength. While I was in university, I managed to keep most of my vertical, but my confidence became precarious, which affected my intensity. I wasn’t soaking through my shirts anymore, I started to let people push me around. After I dropped out of university, I grew into a much more sedentary lifestyle. The leg strength I had used to define myself diminished. I’ve had a really hard coping with that. At times, the prospect of playing Dunkball felt more embarrassing than motivating. I felt lost out on the court. I didn’t feel strong enough to bump around in the key, and I felt sluggish trying to play on the outside. Still, I had now been around long enough that I was able to lead a team, if necessary. I’d hide from my refuge until I felt strong enough to return. Volunteering and winter each got me walking again. Collin organized a soccer team the summer before the pandemic, which got me running and jumping again. I felt more determined, and began to feel better. No longer trapped by where I was, or where I felt I should have been, I was content with making progress. I think that I handled the early months of the pandemic better than most people. With our usual routines in disarray, I stumbled out of the feedback loop I was caught in. Finding some self-compassion and focus, I created structure to my quarantine in order to work on some goals. I was going to come out of the quarantine dunking. I was joking this time, but I need to dream about something while exercising. Otherwise, I’m just jumping in place, staring at the door. I went through weeks 1-7 of Air Alert, ending with the rest week that marks the halfway point. After which, I returned to doing week 4 to maintain strength. With churches closed, activities cancelled, and others on lockdown, I started secretly meeting Nik on Saturdays to shoot the ball around. This was back when we were allowed to keep small circles of contacts. The benefit of having keys. The only downside was that the building didn’t have any air circulation outside of facilities management’s offices. Regarding the pandemic, our city still didn’t have any cases of community transmission. Two of us shooting the ball around became three, and soon we were playing 2-on-2. Dunkball was back, baby! Sans the titular Dunkball, which had gone missing, stolen by missionaries. I knew that it was only a matter of time before they got rid of the Academy chapel, so I was really motivated to play as much as we could while it was still safe. It took us a little bit before we managed to get six players out on the same day, and we still ended up playing 2’s some nights. We weren’t getting many guys out, but we always had good games. Everyone who came out hustled and was a solid atmosphere guy. We’d mostly play best-of-5 or 7 game series, maybe switching teams up for a final game or two. The series managed to stay pretty tight, with nobody ever reaching a dynasty. Facilities management leaves the building at 5:30, and, with nobody else around, our secret combination was free to schedule Dunkball whenever we pleased. We were playing twice some weeks. We were able to accommodate people’s schedule. Marvin, my favourite teammate, was able to come out. I hadn’t been able to play with him in years. A high percentage of our small group of players were relatively new to the game. It was really exciting to see them develop, even if Jason blocked me that one time. I had found my place again, having regained some of my leg strength and quickness. My core and upper-body strength, elusive at the best of times, had become memories, but I worked around that. My game is mostly designed with those absences in mind anyways. Consequently, my play became much more lateral, rather than vertical, after the 4th and, later, 5th game, as Collin noted. I also managed a new trick or two, like learning to bait people into banking their shot, and then blocking it off of the backboard for a quick turnover. My intensity was up, or at least the A/C was down. I was soaking through my shirts again, and I was happy. It was a hot and humid summer. I missed Jason’s birthday, so I brought some blackout chocolate banana bread to celebrate. As it turns out, a thick moist cake is not refreshing when you’re exhausted and sitting around in a hot and stuffy room you’ve spent the past 2-3 hours further heating up with yer friends. Collin became the MVP the following week when he brought a box of freezies with him. All my life, I had never seen their true worth or potential. I took them for granted in my youth, and turned my nose up at them as I grew older. Now I understood. I had Dunkball, I had friendly players who responded when I tried organizing things, we had freezies, and, as the Ward Clerk, I had convinced my Bishop that we should buy a new ball (despite the fact that playing at the Church was still verboten.) I was grateful, but I still longed for a day where we had more than 4-6 players, so that we could have subs between games. It’s nice to be able to switch up teams between games, rather than trying to push Arles all night. It’s even nicer to sit down every once in a while, especially after failing to push Arles around. Our province was still fairly safe, but that was beginning to change. Two regulars had at risk family members, and we began seeing community transmission. I planned to end what was to be the penultimate season of Dunkball after Labour Day. I was concerned what would happen once the school year started. Before then, we had eight* people come out to Dunkball one morning. Four pairs of family members, in fact. This gave us rotations between games, and a variety of playing styles, leading to more interesting match-ups and dynamics. Whoever loses would get to take a break; excitement was in the air! I questioned Collin’s choice of shoes. He reminded me that I’m solely responsible for their condition. I lend Collin my shoes. He likes the shoes, and I like his freezies. *the ideal amount is 8-9 people Shoot for teams: Graham, Collin, and I hit our shots. Collin has speed, Graham has range and strength, I have the height, and we all rebound. We win the first game easily, manage to survive the second, and win our third. Dynasty! Shoot for teams again, and I’m back on the floor with David and Marvin. David anchors the key, allowing me to cheat on defence, while Marvin generates offence and creates mismatches. We all defend. Three more wins, and it’s another dynasty! Marvin and I sit this time, and watch as Jacob (handles), Graham, and Jason (positioning) steal the game. Marvin and I go back on with Limhi, a guard heavy team playing an post-player’s game. They shoot and pass, drawing out the defence, while I set picks, prevent goaltending, and try to clean up on the boards. They cover the outside, while I guard the inside. When the other team goes to the inside, I make their post-player turn away from the net, where either Marvin or Limhi, cheating off of their man, are waiting to strip them of the ball. We win the first game, taking back the floor. They carry me through the second. Last game of the day, and the other team starts to fall apart. As per tradition, we extend the game, but only to to 15, because only Graham and I want to play to 21. We stumble as they regroup, but Jacob gets frustrated, and their chemistry falters. I assume that I’m to blame, become self-conscious, and begin calling fouls on myself whenever I make any contact with the other team. Of course, this happens on every play, because I’m trying to box out my brother. I get some weird looks as David sighs, he just wants it to be over. I get a clean stop, Limhi scores, and the day ends on a third dynasty. I remain undefeated. Freezies for everyone! That was the third to last time we played Dunkball. We had another night with six players, and ended the season with a morning of playing 2-on-2, after which we ran out of freezies. I was optimistic that we’d be back playing sometime in the New Year. We barely registered a first wave of the pandemic, but restrictions ended prematurely, and school started back up. Cases kept climbing. I was scared in October, but that was only the beginning. When we first started playing Dunkball that summer, our province was first in the country. By Christmas, we had become the worst. We began to curb the number of new cases, but restrictions were eased before hospitals finished dealing with the second wave. In May, we began transferring patients to other provinces. For some reason, the plan is to reopen in July. For some reason, a duo tried organizing ball in March. I declined. Our congregation was changing buildings, so Nik and I went over to grab some stuff. I found that our Dunkball had gone missing again, but I found the original Dunkball, which hasn’t held air since 2015, and brought it home. In April, facilities management began clearing out the Academy chapel, in anticipation of listing the building for sale. They didn’t inform our Bishop until later that week. He went over to pack anything worth keeping, only to have found that they had already junked everything belonging to our congregation, as well everything belonging to the Yazidi community group that had been meeting there prior to the pandemic. I don’t know the building’s current status. Nik and I kept our keys in the hopes of playing again, but it’s unlikely that things will be safe to go back to normal in time. Dunkball exists as a time and a place: Thursday nights after Institute class at Academy. Last fall, they moved institute classes over to the stake centre. The Academy building is being sold now, and Dunkball is over as we know it. As I previously mentioned, I lent Graham, the Gordie Howe of Dunkball, my Air Alert DVD and booklet back in 2010. For the past ten years now, he has meant to return it, only for it to slip his mind. I usually forget about it, myself, only for him to remind me when he apologizes. In the moment, I sorta feel guilty that he worries about it. I mean, it’s fine, I don’t need it. He’s put it on his desk, he’s placed it by the door, and though he’s either seen me or a member of my family at least once a week for the past decade, my copy of Air Alert still hasn’t made its way back to me. I’m not even sure that I want it back, but I appreciate his sincerity. It’s become tradition for him to maintain this false tension between us. At this point, I’d hate to see it go. What if this tension is what’s sustained our friendship throughout all these years? What if Graham’s only been coming out to Dunkball because he feels guilty? I won’t see him at Dunkball anymore, and, as of this week, he won’t be seeing me at church anymore. It’s things like this that keep us alive. I hope that Graham never returns my copy of Air Alert, but I hope that he always tries. ”There is no end to matter, There is no end to space, There is no end to Dunkball, There is no end to race.” - If You Could Hie to Kolob Dunkball, by W.W. Phelps.

I could have gone on about my legs, honestly. Now, I only included those formative texts that I’m willing to admit are still a part of me. I did not include those works whose influences I feel that I have repented of, which is why the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin footage of Bigfoot from Bluff Creek, California, The Weezer Video Capture Device, Newsies, The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny, nor anything related to Dorm Life or MST3K are not included on my ballot. In any case, I’m sorry not to have found room for Johnny Guitar.

10 notes · View notes

rwby-nwbe · 5 years ago

Text

Just Finished RWBY Volume 2...

...and HOLY HECK IT GOT BETTER.

[Warning: Spoilers for Volume 2 and Long Post.]

New antagonists! More huntsman action! More characters and interactions! And the fights, tho. THE FIGHTS!

*Ahem* Okay, clearly I just need to start from the beginning...

Episode 1

We start the new season by being reintroduced to our new antagonists, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black. They may be villains, but they're also obviously teens (Mercury radiates prick energy) and they're dynamic is entertaining. Also, RIP Tukson, he seemed like a nice dude...

We then cut back to Team RWBY and JNPR, who are apparently on break at the moment. It's also nice to see Sun again, and we also get to meet Neptune. Anyways, someone throws a pie in Weiss face, and you know what that means...

FOOD FIGHT!!!

Seriously, THESE KIDS ARE CRAZY. Ruby can apparently surf on lunch trays! Weiss used ketchup and a freakin' swordfish like Myrtenaster! Blake used baguettes and a sausage link like Gambol Shroud! Freakin' YANG was punching things with TURKEY! JAUNE... threw a melon, that was cool; nice to see that he's losing the noodleness of his body. NORA RIPPED OUT A PIPE, STUFFED IT TO A MELON, AND CALLED IT MAGNHILD! Note to self: never challenge Pyrrha to a fight near a vending machine (or anytime, really). Ren can kick WATERMELONS, and fight with LEEKS. HOW CAN THEY EVEN DIGEST ALL THAT FOOD!?

RIP Neptune's hair though, I hear grape is hard to wash out...

Then we cut back to the White Fang and Torchwick, who are then met with Mercury, Emerald, and later the great Cinder Fall herself. I'll admit, Mercury's funny but a jerk, and Emerald... I'm pretty sure I was mentally screaming "YOU'RE BEING MANIPULATED" when I saw her and Cinder. First she doesn't give Emerald a hug, then she tells her to not think and just obey? RED FLAGS. RED FLAGS EVERYWHERE.

Oh, speaking of Cinder, while she does radiate boss energy, I'm glad that I don't personally like her. I don't know what it is, but it might be the fact that she's treating everyone else like her pawns (and considering she used a chess piece later in this volume, I wouldn't be surprised). I mean, good villain, but like any good villain, I want her to get roasted, though that might not work given her Semblance.

Also, Roman Torchwick, you beautiful jerk, never change. I love ya, but I also love seeing you get dragged, which is what Emerald did to you at the end of this. Yep, I'm on board for this season!

Also, the new opening. I thought nothing could top "This Will Be The Day." I was wrong. Haven't listened to all of it yet, but "Time To Say Goodbye" SLAPS.

Episode 2

So, several things. There's board games, insert Yu-Gi-Oh reference here... Yang has too much power. Also, if I remember the lingo right, then this is also the episode where the White Rose shippers got crumbs, the White Knight shippers were once again denied, and where the Iceberg shippers were born (while the rest of us were titling our heads in confusion with Jaune). Jaune continues to be a social dork (what's with the blonde boys blowing Blake's secret? Don't think I've forgotten about Sun...). Blake is being consumed with the burden of RESPONSIBILITY. I feel that Blake. Oh, and the ending...

Why do out villains have to be clever enough to infiltrate the actual school!? And Weiss' "We're doomed." I hope that's not secret foreshadowing...

Episode 3

Jaune fails yet again at wooing Weiss (at least Yang comforts him at the end), and the gang begins their espionage. We meet Penny again, Weiss deals with her past, albeit briefly, and Penny... oh boy. She's hiding something, and the hiccups make it obvious. What could it possibly- oh...

Episode 4

Most of us had our suspicions, what with Penny's awkward demeanor and ludicrous super strength, but yep, she's a robot! Aw, get yourself a real one like Ruby. Oh, and Neptune's useless with Yang around. Speaking of, HEY, good to see you again, Junior! So Blake and Sun intercept the White Fang rally and... oh fudge they got giant robots. BAIL! We also get to see Neptune's weapon and Sun's semblance (before they nope off the road and leave the rest of the fighting to RWBY, while they go off and get ramen, the jerks...). Also, nice to see that they have team attack names (I believe some of them double as ship names), and this is where we get to meet the Ice Cream Queen Neopolitan (not to be confused with the now officially dubbed Ice Queen Weiss Schnee. If even the villains are calling you that, then congrats, you have a new title)! Neo then proceeds to give them the slip, and I personally believe that Yang only disliked Weiss' pun because it highlighted her failure.

C'mon Yang, at least she's TRYING!

Episode 5

Pyrrha is a combat queen. 'Nuff said. Suck it, CRDL.

Oh no. Mercury is both a smart aleck AND smart. This will not end well.

Blake, take a break. No, seriously, working yourself to death just because you think you can doesn't mean you should. You will only feel worse. TAKE A BREAK.

Well Jaune, mission failed. You'll get her next time.

Pyrrha Nikos. Sweetie. We're talking about Jaune Arc here. He's not gonna get the hints you're dropping unless that "hint" is a full blown irrefutable confession so obvious that even he can't screw it up. I know you want to help him because you like him (and yes, even like like him), but it's clear Weiss isn't interested, at least not now. Capitalize on that!

And our villain group continues to be dastardly. *Chuckles* We're in danger.

Episode 6

The dance draws near, and it seems that both Blake AND Jaune could use a pep talk!

Poor Blake. It appears your faunus trait makes you more cat-like than just the ears.

Also, poor Ren. He just wants a nice bath, but alas, the power of bromance.

Oof, tough love from Yang. Pretty good flashback, though. Also, Pyrrha, your selfless nature will be your undoing, listen to Nora.

...oh God, if I'm saying "listen to Nora" when the world isn't ending, we might ACTUALLY be in danger.

Aw, the dance looks fun. Poor Jaune, tho. Don't worry, at least Yang, Blake, and Sun are having a good time (and this is the part where I realize I'm becoming a SunnyBee shipper, crap). Poor Ruby, having to wear heels. Don't worry, Ozpin will keep you company.

Oh crap, the villain kids are here! What are you up to!?

Episode 7

This one gets the runner up for my favorite episode. Alternatively, I give it the title "Team Leaders Know What's Up."

Jaune, you may be a dumbass, but you're the rare "Surprisingly Competent Dumbass With A Heart Of Gold," and you get my respect for that. Being socially awkward with Ruby? Comedy gold. Putting things into perspective for Neptune? Props, my dude. Comforting Pyrrha? Friendship goals (even though it should be more than friendship goals, but hey, you put on the dress, I'll give you that). Nice dance moves, by the way, JNPR.

As for Ruby... drinking Jaune's punch? Iconic. Noticing Cinder sneaking away? Nice. Fighting her in heels of all things? You, my dear red reaper, are on another level. A shame that Ironwood couldn't get there faster and that Cinder had to bail, but oh well.

Also: Penny continues to be heckin' adorable. I will never NOT stan.

Episode 8

HEAR YE, HEAR YE, THE NOBLE DOG ZWEI HAS GRACED US WITH HIS ADORABLE PRESENCE. Tremble before his ability to fit in boxes and melt Weiss' heart. Oh, and RWBY gets exposed to Ozpin, but surprise! Even Ozpin doesn't have to play by the rules! Though that could get him in trouble with Ironwood later...

Why does this show keep showing me characters that I want to get to know better in record time!? Team CFVY looks so interesting, and it's nice to see Velvet again! Ooh, I hope we see them more later...

Also, Professor Oobleck, I know we saw a bit of you in Volume 1, and I wish we got to know you better. You seem delightful.

Episode 9

Okay, my previous statement of DOCTOR Oobleck still stands. I love this chaotic fast man.

He's both funny AND deep! His reaction to Zwei? Comedy gold! Him picking apart RWBY's motives and the Grimm? Disturbingly thought provoking, but enjoyable. Also, Ruby, you're great, but you're not entirely a genius, you're just a little bit lucky.

In conclusion: there are a lot of characters to stan in RWBY. Dr. Oobleck is one of them.

Episode 10

We learn about WBY's motivations, now excuse me while I go crying in the club right now.

OH NO, RUBY GOT KIDNAPPED! AND SHE DOESN'T HAVE HER SCYTHE! FRICK, it's a mindset kind of deal! Without her scythe, she thinks she's useless! Oh, and Roman's there too, that's not good.

...that is REALLY not good, Oobleck! Get down there, all of you! Wait, is your thermos... your WEAPON!? HOW THE FU-

(Sidenote, I looked up the name, since most weapons have them and I'm impatient for them getting name dropped. "Antiquity's Roast," eh? Fitting...)

Episode 11

So... this episode.

Poor Ruby. She failed to fight back, she almost ran away but then it turns out Melodic Cudgel is also a GRAPPLING HOOK. Thank god Yang and company finally busted their way in.

...why are Roman and the White Fang going kamikaze with those train car bombs? Oh right, the Grimm. Crap, that ain't good.

Ah, Oobleck. You may have accidentally repeated Ruby's line, but a swig of your thermos/club/flamethrower and then using it to bat Zwei into a cannonball of death redeemed you!

So Neo's back. She's skilled, sassy, has something going on with her eyes... Oh boy, Yang's getting outclassed by a pipsqueak. That's gotta suck.

Does every faunus (baring Blake, Sun, etc.) hate the SDC? Seriously Weiss, what did your father DO!?

Roman, do not get flirty with Blake. Junior tried something similar with Yang way back in the Yellow Trailer, and he got socked in the face. You deserve that kick in the head.

Oh look, Yang's mom is here! Nice, now Neo can't kill her (don't you dare, you little ice cream, I swear...). Oh. OH. That's a big sword. Yeah, ya better run, Neo. You ain't winnin' this fight. Great, now I want to know what Yang's mom's deal is. Figures she just warped away afterwards...

And now the Grimm are above ground. Yeah, seems like a good time for the season finale.

Episode 12

Now THIS is my favorite episode.

Look at that, Jaune's getting good instincts! And it's nice that Team JNPR was able to help RWBY. Also nice that Jaune can actually kill a Grimm now. Good job, man. You earned Pyrrha's smile of approval.

As much as I'm wary of the antagonist trio, I'll admit, they can fight good. Especially Emerald, her guns are sick. Why am I warming up to her so fast? What is this magic!?

...CFVY. CFVY. WHY ARE Y'ALL SO BADASS? Seriously, Yatsuhashi's carying an entire sword and a half. Fox just pulled a Ren and caused a Grimm to explode. Coco... God, Coco- WHY DOES RUBY HAVE SO MANY QUEENS, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!?

"You just destroyed my favorite clothing store. Prepare to die."

I-FREAKING-CONIC!

And she just murders Grimm with a BRIEFCASE. That turns into a GATTLING GUN. BECAUSE OF COURSE IT'S ALSO A GUN. (BTW, Gianduja is a really cool name for it.)

And now I want to know Velvet's weapon! It doesn't look like much now, but apparently it took a semester to build. And we know that Velvet can fight based on what we saw with her and Fox, so how does she ADD to that!?

THAT TRACK IN THE BACKGROUND, TOO! "CAFFEINE~" HELL YEAH!!!

Ooh, Port and Oobleck teamup! Oh no... THE GLYNDA IS MAD PEOPLE. I REPEAT, THE GLYNDA IS MAD! SHE HAS NO PATIENCE FOR YOUR GRIMM BS!!!

Welp, Roman got handled, though I doubt it's for long... Yay, RWBY finally gets a break! Oh boy, trouble brewing between Ozpin and Ironwood, that ain't good.

...bull man's back. Uh, guys, Adam's back! And he's helping the bad guys! THIS IS REALLY NOT GOOD.

...oh, so your name is Raven? And that's what you look like under the mask. There's the resemblance... Oh boy, where have you been all of Yang's life?

...

So all in all, Volume 2 was even better than Volume 1, in my opinion. It's like they took the first volume and amped it up to 11. Longer runtimes, great comedy, great action sequences, great CHARACTERS. It's just a complete trip! 10/10, would ride again. Welp, it's getting late, so I can't immediately start Volume 3. But what Volume 2 gave us is good enough to tide me over.

...I am so glad I started this series. Well, this is goodbye for now. Cheers, internet!

-Mathewton, the RWBY Newbie (22 March 2020)

21 notes · View notes

canid-slashclaw · 5 years ago

Text

The Outliers - A Guild Wars Love Story

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapters 10 and 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16 , Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Amalthia lay on her circular bed, curled up on a ball crying as the sheets all around her were left in tatters. During her fit of anguish, she overturned the workbench, clawed up the mattress and threw several pieces of equipment through the windows. Her eyes couldn't stop the streaming as she buried her muzzle between two of the quaggan plush toys that she hugged tightly to her face.

"Amalthia?" Her father said, as he knocked on the door that led to the spiral staircase. "May I come in?"

She said nothing.

"Please. I want to talk. Your mother is gone. I made sure she would never come back to do that to you again."

"It's open. I swapped the locks on the door to the outside. That bitch fudged the lock on the door leading to the outside stairs. She set us up," Amalthia said while trying to keep her composure.

Her father stepped on through and noticed the anger that was inflicted upon the furniture. In the middle of the bed, his daughter slowly raised her head up and looked in his direction.

Ludrick hobbled over to her bed then sat down as he rested his paws on his walking cane. He reached out and began to gently stroke her golden mane.

"I am so sorry that all of this happened. It is my fault, mostly."

She looked up at him and placed her hand on his knee. "You mean your fault for allowing him to do business with us? Your fault for him and I being friends but nothing more?"

"Amalthia. Please. I never intended to see either of you hurt. I did what I had to do to protect you both."

"Protect him? How? By threatening to kill him? By telling him to never come back? How is that protecting anyone??" She hissed.

"Understand. My initial rage towards Kaleb was genuine. But I soon realized just how much danger he was in with Siri. If I did not give her a convincing appearance that I was as revolted as she, then there is no telling what she might have done to him when she left."

"I'm not sure I quite understand."

"Neither do I cub, neither do I. Anyway, I explained something to your dam that ensured she would never pose a threat to either you or the boy. As far as she is concerned, we are all dead to her. But my heart still feels heavy for how I treated Kaleb," Ludrick confessed somberly.

"What did you say to mother?" Amalthia asked curiously.

"What I said to her was for her ears only. Please trust me on this matter."

"Amalthia - you may or may not believe this, but I understand what you are going through more than you know."

She looked at her father puzzled. "Understand? All that I understand is that you frightened the poor boy to death even though he almost lost his life trying to protect me. And yet you have the nerve to treat him horribly after all he's done for us?"

"I told you that part of my behavior was an act to fool Siri. I did what I did to save the boy. Amalthia... there is something else I must say..."

She sat up holding her plush quaggans close together while resting her head atop their two heads. "I'm all ears..."

"I grew up in a world where such interactions between humans and our peoples was unheard of. The world I lived in would never have accepted the kind of relationship that you and Kaleb have. But... deep down I've come to realize that sometimes it is the world that needs changing and not the people themselves."

"A wise old norn once told me that there are those among us who are outliers. Ones who simply do not fit the mold that society has poured for them. Thus, I have come to the undeniable conclusion that you and Kaleb are such people."

Amalthia looked up in silence, her ears perked up intently as she waited for her father to say more.

"What I'm trying to say, cub, is that since you and he cannot change to accommodate the world then perhaps it is the world that needs to change to accommodate the two of you."

He gave her a gentle pat on the head.

"Are you saying that you approve of our relationship?"

Ludrick just looked her in the eyes and smiled. "You do not need my approval. Both of your spirits are strong and no matter what was thrown at either of you, the two of you maintained your resolve for each other. Such a quality is rare, indeed. You love him. I know that. That is why you should follow your heart."

Amalthia's eyes suddenly began to fill up with tears of joy as she flung open her arms and hugged her father.

"Thank you! You don't know how much this means."

Returning the embrace, her father stroked her head then looked into her eyes with a reassuring stare.

"Go to him, Amalthia. Tell him that I hold no hard feelings towards him and if he would find it in his will to forgive me of my actions. For a lack of a better word, you have my blessing for him to be your mate."

Overjoyed, Amalthia began getting herself ready to go out and find him. She hugged her father one more time then helped him down the stairs before heading out. Instinctively, she knew that Kaleb would be either at his parents place or at Ulfgar's. She figured that due to the circumstances of the encounter, Kaleb would probably be hanging out at the tavern. However, if he wasn't she would wait for him there for as long as needed.

(All chapters have been posted to AO3. Chapter 22 is posted here.)

#gw2 fanfic #guildwars 2 fanfiction #tyriaslibrary #the outliers #amalthia steelblade #charr

5 notes · View notes

hopelessromanticspoonie · 6 years ago

Text

To Keep You Safe

Title: I’m fired up and tired of the way that things have been

Chapter: 8/?

Author: hopeless_romantic_spoonie

Summary: Life as the assistant to Tony Stark was busy, but boring. All of that changed when I touched something I shouldn’t have and woke up with strange new abilities. If I thought that trying to figure out my new place in life as an Avenger was tough, I had no idea what was in store for me once I ran into the frustrating God of Mischief, Loki.

Rating: E (later on)

Notes: Friendly reminder that this is un-Beta’d, so please excuse any typos or grammatical errors I no doubt missed during revisions!

Also on Ao3 here :)

Warnings: Language

~~~

I quickly established a new routine without my training sessions with Wanda to distract me.

8 AM: Wake up, chug coffee, practice being social, get dressed.

9 AM: Run laps around the perimeter of the Compound.

10 AM: Get my ass kicked by Nat. Repeatedly.

11:30 AM: Inhale lunch.

12 PM: Suck at controlling my powers.

3 PM: Do more laps around the Compound.

5 PM: Zone out to reality TV in my room.

6 PM: Dinner with the gang. Play at being a human some more.

8 PM: Go to the gym to punch stuff.

9 PM: Shower, get ready for bed, pass out.

2 AM: Wake up from traumatic nightmares and fall asleep to more pointless reality TV.

5 AM: If I hadn’t exhausted myself enough, wake up again from nightmares.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

~~~

Over a week into my new work-myself-so-hard-that-I-don’t-think routine, I noticed that my carefully constructed schedule wasn’t fooling anyone.

Nat was staring me down with pointed glares in between each ass-kicking session. She mentioned that I was losing my edge. I didn’t know I had one to begin with, so that was a nice compliment.

One morning at breakfast Steve went full Captain America and pinned me to my stool with an insanely heavy hand on my shoulder, promising me that I can always talk to him about anything. It’s absurd how much strength that guy holds in just one hand. Probably more than I had in my entire body if I’m being honest with myself.

Bruce tried to get me to start going to daily sessions with him again. At the risk of bringing out the big guy, I never showed up to the meeting times he suggested--and that I never agreed to. He left well enough alone and only made F.R.I.D.A.Y. nag me about it once a day. Good guy, that Banner.

Thor seemed determined at cheering me up at any opportunity. He watched my favorite reality TV shows and sitcoms with me, kept me company sometimes when I couldn’t sleep at night, and even tried to help me learn some new techniques in the gym--that was the ass-kicking of the century. He was a sweet, lovable bear of a man who did give a mean hug, but sometimes he was just too much. Too loud and too big and too enthusiastic. He needed an off button or some sort of dial to turn it down.

The last one to break and say anything was Tony. He interacted with me much less than he used to in the past now that I was a mini-Avenger in training and not his Personal Assistant. I went into his lab every three or so days so he could check on any injuries I’d gotten from training, take a few blood or tissue samples, and update me on Wanda and Vision. It’s hard to get a surly word or fake smile in edgewise when he does ninety percent of the talking, so I flew under the radar for longer than I had expected I would. For a genius, he could be oblivious about interpersonal relationships.

His breaking point was when I just flat out didn’t respond to his latest status report on my magical voodoo coach and her door-hating man.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Jen? I just told you that they’re going to be out for at least another two weeks, and you don’t even bat an eye? Since when do you not care about your friends?”

I did care about Wanda and Vision, I did. Tony had informed me a while ago that the insanely smart Princess of Wakanda, Shuri, had successfully managed to remove the stone from Vision’s head and Wanda had promptly destroyed it. Vision was doing fine, but he was adjusting to having to use doors now that he couldn’t just walk through walls anymore. He couldn’t shoot beams from his forehead anymore, or alter his appearance to look human, but those were all minor setbacks when it came to destroying the Mind Stone and keeping him chugging along. Once they were finished with their Hydra brain-digging they’d be headed straight home.

My hands twisted themselves together in my lap. “I do care,” I insisted unconvincingly.

Tony took off his glasses and leveled me with a hard stare, his arms crossed over his chest. “What’s going on?”

“What do you want me to say?” I huffed, unable to meet his disappointed gaze any longer.

“Explain why I’ve had four of our friends and coworkers come up to me and ask if you were okay. If the tests showed anything negative because your piss poor attitude sure does. Did your favorite person get kicked off of Survivor? Did Ben and Jerry’s stop making Hunka Hulka Burning Fudge? What is it?”

I groaned, pulling my knees up to my chest as I sat on the exam table and shoved my face into them.

“You wouldn’t understand, Tony.”

“Try me, Poison Ivy,” he insisted, not unkindly.

“It’s dumb as hell.”

He came over to sit down on the table next to me and nudged my shoulder with his. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. told me that you’ve been having nightmares and I know you haven’t been talking to Bruce about it. I can get someone in here if you need it. A professional. Just gotta ask.”

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. is a snitch,” I muttered, fiddling with the handle of my knife on my thigh absentmindedly. I had taken to wearing it again, at Tony’s request, and it was equal parts reassuring and daunting to have that steady weight on my leg again. Of course Tony would check up on me when he noticed something. He was basically Dad of the team, and he’d been doing his best to take care of everyone, including me, for as long as I could remember. He would see my restlessness and work ethic and nightmares for what they were. It wasn't as if this was a new pattern of mine. “I don’t need to see anybody. I’m fine.”

“Then get the hell over it. You’re an Avenger now. You gotta sort through this shit however you need to so you can get back on your A-Game. Hydra is still out there looking for your skinny ass. They aren’t going to stop trying to breach the Compound’s defenses or lure you out because you’re throwing the world’s longest pity party for yourself. Wanda and Vision are out there risking their lives for you, so maybe show a little gratitude for their hard work and don’t act like a waste of space,” he snapped, his voice barely restrained as he poked my arm with each point until I looked up at him. He was right in my face, giving me every ounce of disappointment and rage in his clenched jaw and hard eyes that he refused to let out in his words. It was so paternal and there was so much care driving the speech.

And it broke me.

I pulled my eyes from him to stare up at the ceiling, blinking to try to keep the tears that pricked at my eyes from falling. It didn’t work, though, and they slipped down my red face anyway. I chewed on the inside of my cheek and crossed my arms over my chest as I worked as hard as I could to keep from crumbling under the weight of his disappointment.

“Oh, shoot. Hey, kid, it’s okay. We’ll figure it out,” Tony said worriedly, hands fluttering uselessly in front of him.

I took several deep, shaky breaths before I felt in control enough to get off of the exam table and put some distance between us. I needed to lessen the intensity somehow. Why was everybody in this damn Compound so freaking intense all the time? My hands clasped over the back of my head as I paced in front of him and just let my jumbled thoughts spill out of my mouth.

“No, it’s not okay. It’s frustrating as hell and I’m pissed and I can’t do anything about it so I just don’t but that doesn’t work because then I’m just bottling all of this up inside. That’s not good for my powers, so I haven’t been able to use my abilities and practice since it happened. And that’s not good because I need to make sure I can defend myself and that I don’t need anybody to help me. And I can’t sleep at night because I keep seeing those…” I sucked in a shaky breath, “those guys but then I wake up alone and it doesn’t feel safe and I’m so angry at myself and-”

“Woah, woah, woah. There’s a lot to unpack there. Let’s start from the top, okay?” Tony asked, raising his hands to stop the rambling tirade as it spilled directly from my brain out of my mouth. He waited until I had stopped pacing back and forth and was looking in his general direction before he continued, “What is frustrating as hell?”

It was too much to pick apart. “Everything.”

“One example, kid. Throw me a bone.”

“Can’t do just one. Better question,” I countered quickly.

Tony rubbed at the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger, squinting his eyes together tightly. “Okay... Why can’t you do anything about whatever is frustrating as hell?”

“Because I’m not the one who did it.” Well, kinda.

“Who did what?” he asked, his frustration clipping his words.

“Acted like an asshole. Which is to be expected of him, but it’s frustrating because I believed him and I trusted him and that’s a dumb, naive thing to do when it comes to the God of Lies and Mischief,” I explained, my voice sounding as deflated as I felt after my outburst.

It had been dumb to believe him. He didn’t have me. I wasn’t safe. He wasn’t going to be around like he promised me in that car. The look in his eyes had been a lie. The gentle touches and steamy kisses were easily faked to deal with a sticky situation. That’s all. I had known better than to trust him, I had every reason not to believe that he had changed, and I ignored it all because of two life-saving moments, some making out, and a halfway confession of mind control. I knew better.

He shifted on the table, shaking his head and blinking dramatically as if to make what I just said any less nonsensical. From his continued confused expression on his face, it didn’t work. “I’m sorry, Jen, but you’re gonna have to explain.”

And so, after taking a beat to gather my thoughts, I unloaded everything onto Tony. The admission in the car. The dancing and making out in the club. Our fight against the Hydra assholes. How he was in the car. How he was completely different on the rooftop. And how pissed I was that I was pissed that he was ghosting me now after he’d made himself such a staple in my life over the last month.

After all was said and done, I collapsed onto a nearby chair and hung my head, letting my thick hair fall to partially hide my face while I waited for him to tell me what I already knew: That I was an idiot. I was naive. I shouldn’t have expected any different from Loki. He was known for this sort of behavior, wasn’t he? When the reprimand I was expecting didn’t come after several pregnant beats, I peeked up at him to be met with a very guilty-looking Tony staring back at me.

“Oh, kid. I fucked up,” he sighed.

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. “What did you do, Tony?”

“I, uh, overreacted. I might have flipped out. When Sam and Nat called to tell me what had happened with those guys I lost my cool. And then when you pulled up and I opened the door to see Loki holding you like that, while you looked so broken… It brought out this whole protective thing in me that usually just comes out around the Spiderkid.”

I got up and stood directly in front of him. “What. Did. You. Do. Tony?” I asked through clenched teeth, working very hard to remain in control as my pulse thudded in my ears.

“You know who he is. The Trickster God of Lies and Mischief. All I saw was this thousand-year-old god taking advantage of someone who’s had too many hard knocks in life. So I talked to him.” Tony held his hands up in surrender.

“No shit, Sherlock. What did you say?” I asked, feeling the familiar power roaring to life beneath my skin. It was nice to have it feel so accessible after almost two weeks of frustration, but I smothered it the best I could. I wouldn’t get a good answer out of Tony if I dragged him outside and made a tree give him a nice tight squeeze.

“I told him to stay away from you. That you were off-limits and he’s no good for you. You’ve been through too much to be chewed up and spit back out once he’d finished playing with the shiny new mortal-”

“Fuck, Tony! Damn!” I shouted, throwing my hands to my side. My knife came unbidden into my waiting hand, but I didn’t raise it against him. I wasn’t that far gone to my anger. “You aren’t my Dad! That’s not your place!”

He stood up so that we were face to face, his jaw tight as he glanced at the dagger before looking back at my tight face. “That’s right. I’m not. Because he got them killed. Did you forget that?”

It was like he had stabbed me in the heart and punched me in the gut at the same time. I shoved the unwelcome last images that I had of my father out of my mind as tears that I had just gotten control over pricked at my eyes once again. I took a stumbling step away from him, as if I could walk away from the emotional turmoil he’d thrust upon me. “No, I didn’t. But that wasn’t him. He wasn’t in control.”

“And you believe him?” he asked incredulously. “He’s a liar.”

I hesitated briefly. “Not about this. You didn’t see his face.”

“I don’t need to. I know what he is. You’re not thinking clearly,” he accused, shaking his head at me.

“I’m not doing this with you right now,” I stated, backing away from him. I stormed out of the room, fumbling and then shoving my knife back into its sheath. I missed on the first attempt, leaving a steadily bleeding thin slice down my thigh and ruining my leggings, but I didn’t miss a step. I had a god to confront.

I jogged to the roof, standing there panting with my hands on my hips and my head dropped to my chest. My breath condensed in the air in front of me, and I made myself try to slow everything going on inside of me, from my blood rushing through my veins to my power desperately trying to claw its way to the surface, way down while I waited for Loki to show up. He was always creeping around somewhere and he would have been curious about my argument with Tony, I was sure of it. We hadn’t exactly been quiet about it.

Sure enough, by the time I was in slightly more control of myself, the hair on the back of my neck raised at the feeling of someone watching me. I had talked to Thor about this odd sensation, and he agreed that my suspicions of Loki being to blame were probably correct. He was more than capable of messing with my head enough so that I wouldn’t be able to sense him there if he wanted to, which meant that he wanted me to know that he was around. He was too good at his magic to just slip up like that. No, he was playing with me just enough so that I would know he was being an invisible creeper without actually making himself known. It was like knowing that there was ice cream in the freezer while you were on a diet. It was there, but it might as well not have been for all the good it was doing and the torment it caused.

“Stay out of my head, Loki. Don’t be a coward. Show yourself,” I called, holding my arms up in the air challengingly.

“I am a god. A Prince of Asgard. I am no coward,” his voice hissed in my head.

Gotcha.

“You won’t even speak out loud or show yourself. Seems pretty cowardly to me,” I goaded him loudly. “Afraid?”

Loki appeared before me in a flash of green light, gripping my upper arms and shoving me roughly back against the door behind me. His eyes were crazed as they swept over my face. “Don’t you dare assume you know anything about me, mortal.”

I stared him down, telling myself that this was all show even as my body reacted very differently. I was practically vibrating with an electrifying mixture of fear and rage as his fingers dug painfully into my flesh and he towered over me. But he wouldn’t do anything me. I had to believe that. If he was going to kill me he wouldn’t have saved my life twice over by now. That was a little harder to make myself fully believe when he looked so manic and wrathful and I knew just how much damage he could do to me if he wanted to. Very easily.

“I know that Tony talked to you,” I said quietly, continuing when he opened his mouth to probably give some smartass answer, “I know that he treated you terribly. Like a monster. Telling you to stay away from me even though he didn’t have the right. Twisting everything around so it seemed like you manipulated me into trusting you.”

Loki tightened his grip on my arms, only releasing them when an involuntary wince twisted my firmly set mouth. He didn’t back away, though, his angered breaths blowing against my face as he sneered down at me. He dragged a long, cool finger across my jaw. “How do you know that I didn’t manipulate you? Mortals are so easily swayed, especially the fairer sex.”

“What would be the result of that? What would you get out of saving my life twice, tending to my wounds while I wasn’t even conscious to appreciate it, and helping me hold it together after the night of the club? What does that do for you?” I refused to move away from him. That was what he wanted. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

His brow furrowed for half a second, as if he was actually contemplating my question, but quickly replaced it with his mask of fury once again. “I was merely toying with you, love. It was in my best interest to go unrecognized in the club, and then afterward I would’ve been imprisoned again if I had let them take you. Your Avengers hold a soft spot for their new pet.”

He was just lashing out at me to avoid confronting his emotions. I had to keep on digging or we weren’t going to get anywhere.

“That doesn’t answer why you comforted me.”

He finally took a step away from me, and even that small amount of distance eased the rapid beat of my heart in my throat. From the way his eyes ticked to my neck I had to assume that my pulse was visible to him, and he had taken notice. Disgust dripped off of him as he replied, “Because you were pathetic. A warrior does not mourn those that they slay in battle. I had to keep your fragile psyche together long enough to get you to your equally feeble friends, who wouldn’t see it for the weakness that it was.”

His words finally achieved his goal, and I had to look away to try to hide how they had cut me to my core. He was just voicing what I had been telling myself. I did feel weak and pathetic for reacting that way, but it also meant that I wasn’t some robot who had no value for human life. Any normal person would be troubled by the knowledge that they had killed someone and gotten more men brutally killed just be existing. Either way, I couldn’t win.

But the aspect that hurt most of all was that he hadn’t acted out of concern for me. It was all to save his ass and get rid of me, just like I had suspected. At least, that was what he wanted me to believe. I couldn’t accept that completely, though, not when my gut was telling me otherwise.

I straightened up off of the wall and set my fiery gaze on him once again. “So explain this to me, and don’t you dare interrupt. You are going to hear what I have to say and then you can fuck right off to go haunt some other poor soul.”

I hesitated to see if he would try to stop me, but surprisingly he just stood there in stunned silence as if he couldn’t believe that I was standing up to him. It wasn’t like this was the first time. But I was fully done at this point and I needed to get everything out of my system and then I could just leave it. But he was going to let me say my peace, damn it.

“I don’t know how long you think that you can lie to yourself, but it isn’t going to work forever. I’m not going to let it. You spent weeks watching me like I was some fucking science experiment. You slithered your way into my life by constantly hanging around, by making me reliant on you when I wake up from my nightmares, by stopping bullets aimed my way with your own body, and then drop me on my ass. You don’t do all of those things for anybody. I don’t see you doing any of those things for Natasha. I know that girl has to have nightmares with all the shit that she has been through. I don’t see you throwing yourself in the line of danger for somebody like Sam. You don’t get to just thrust yourself into my life like that and then waltz out like nothing happened. I’m not some plaything that you can use and toss away. I’m a person, even if that doesn’t mean much to a freaking thousand-year-old asshole alien prince.”

“You do not get to tell me what to do,” he hissed.

But while his words were laced with anger, I could see the cool facade that he had constructed slowly cracking at the edges. Just a furrowed brow, his lips slightly parted, his eyes darting between my own. But it was enough to give me that last bit of oomph that I needed to continue.

“What are you going to do about it? Stab me? Kill me? I’m just a human woman. It wouldn’t be hard to do at all. If that’s what you want, then do it,” I seethed, pulling my dagger out and holding it to my neck for him, staring defiantly at him even as tension pulled my muscles taut. “Because either you admit that you did those things because you wanted to, because you felt something and that you’re too much of a coward to admit it, or you can get the hell out of my life. None of this halfway bullshit anymore. I’m too tired and too stressed and I’m struggling too much to play games with the Trickster God.”

His shining eyes took me in, and in one quick move he stepped up to me so that our chests were touching and his hand closed over mine, holding my knife at my throat. “I admit nothing.”

His grip hadn’t been very strong and I yanked my hand away easily. I sheathed my knife and shook my head, all of my rage melting out of me, leaving just exhaustion to weigh me down. “You see everyone else so clearly but yourself.”

He flinched at my words and closed his eyes tightly but I didn’t let myself question his reaction. I just wanted to be done with this conversation and never have it again. So everything needed to be said. I wasn’t going to have any regrets or thoughts of ‘what if’ when it came to this moment, consequences be damned. It wasn’t like he could hurt me anymore than he already had.

“If you won’t admit it, I will. That night, something changed. And I’m not just talking about when we were dancing together, or when we kissed. Yeah, that was really good, you weren’t wrong about that. But it had felt right. We… we fit. Even though you’re a giant compared to me, we fit. And then, after...,” I paused and took a steadying breath as I choked out the words around the lump of frustration in my throat, “you were the only thing that felt safe. You were the one that I trusted to protect me and hold me together. And I needed that, especially during my nightmares. And I hate that I needed that so much. I try to be so independent. But you had abandoned me.”

I ran a hand through my hair with a heavy sigh. “And that’s fine. You don’t owe me anything. I’m going to learn to live with what I did and what I saw in time. I’ll do it on my own. But I can’t do that if I’m also trying to figure out this situation on top of everything else. I can only handle so much at one time, and I have to take care of myself. You acting like an asshole to me one second and then treating me so tenderly the next isn’t going to cut it. You have to pick one.”

My hand settled lightly on his bicep. “I hope that one day you can be honest with yourself. Because I don’t think you are right now, and I think that’s hurting you more than you think it’s protecting you,” I whispered, squeezing his arm softly before walking away from him.

I didn’t expect him to stop me, and he lived up to that expectation. I didn’t run into anyone as I took the elevator down to the ground floor, and the few employees that I passed as I made my way outside didn’t even glance up at me as I moved quickly through them. The bite of the winter air returning to the exposed skin of my face was more than welcome as I began my usual jogging route along the perimeter of the Compound. I needed to think, and with Loki currently occupying my favorite thinking spot, this was my alternative that wasn’t the confines of my room. I wanted the open air right now.

I didn’t get very far before all of the emotions that I had cycled through in such a short period of time finally fully released themselves into hot tears that rolled down my cheeks. I always cried when I got overwhelmed. It was embarrassing. I let out a strangled shriek and stopped jogging, bending forward at my waist and pulling my sweater into my fists to wipe away the evidence of my emotions. Loki was right. I really was pathetic.

“I am not worth your tears.”

I straightened up and lowered my hands to my sides, digging my nails into the fabric clutched in my palms. I kept my back to him, not wanting to be seen crying for what felt like the thousandth time that day. “Oh?” I asked, cringing inwardly at the break in my voice on such a short word.

His voice was closer this time. “I am not. No one is.”

I barked out a harsh laugh. “Yeah, well, I guess I’ll keep that in mind,” I scoffed, walking away.

His slim fingers encircled my wrist gently to stop my speedy progress away from him. “Did you mean what you said?”

I turned around to face him, swallowing my pride and looking up to him. The cold hatred that he had worn earlier had gone, and in its stead, his eyes were soft as they took in my tear-stained face. Tentatively, he reached up and swiped away a tear as it rolled down my cheek. “Did you mean what you said?” he implored in a low voice.

“I don’t have any reason to lie,” I replied, just as quietly.

In one swift motion he yanked me against him, encompassing me in his strong embrace. My face collided almost painfully with the hard muscles of his chest he was so fast. I remained stiff against him, even as one hand moved from my back to cradle the back of my head. I wasn’t going to let myself get pressured into enjoying how heavenly he smelled, or how comforting it was to my weary heart to feel his voice rumbling through his chest.

“Only one other woman has been able to see through me so effectively.”

A small smile cracked my lips. “Smart woman.”

“Yes, she was,” he replied, voice weighed down with a terrible sadness that tugged at my heart. “This will not be easy.”

I didn’t say anything for a while, letting myself process everything. If he said that I could see through him, that had to be his weird proud way of admitting that I was right. But what about? Everything? That’s what it sounded like. But my weary heart and mind needed more clarification.

I hesitantly lifted my hands from their place at my sides and rested them on his waist, sliding over the slick fabric of his shirt. “I’m going to need you to be more specific, Loki.”

A sigh ruffled my hair before his hands moved to my shoulders to hold me at arm’s length. That same softness was still there on his face, but it was now laced with a hint of vulnerability and fear that I wasn’t used to seeing on him at all. “I have grown quite attached to you, as of late, little one.”

Stifling the hope that soared within my chest, I raised an eyebrow at him. “No tricks?”

He pushed an errant piece of hair behind my ear and let his hand fall to rest on my shoulder so his fingers could lift goosebumps on the soft skin of my neck from his caress. “No more tricks. Not with you.”

Smiling wearily, I stood on my tiptoes and wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face into the column of his throat. “Don’t make me regret this, Loki,” I pleaded, my voice muffled by his skin.

His arms crushed me to him so tightly that it was hard to take a deep breath, but it still didn’t feel close enough. I felt his smooth lips move against the skin just beneath my ear as he replied, “I wouldn’t dream of it, love.”

#to keep you safe #loki #loki odinson #loki laufeyson #loki friggason #loki fanfic #loki/ofc #marvel fanfic #marvel #marvel fanfiction #language tw

55 notes · View notes

thatmultifandomhoe · 7 years ago

Text

Strawberry Cream and BBQ - 4

Pairing: Hybrid Hoseok and Human Reader

Overview: Your best friend knows she can count on you for anything, so when she asks you to watch her hybrid while she’s gone for a study abroad trip for four months, you can’t say no. But when these four months are over, things have changed in a way no one expected.

Word Count: 2,973

Genre: Hybrid AU, Fluff, Future smut, Angst, Best friends to Lovers

Warning: Angst, angst baby

Surprise Update. In honor of reaching 1,000 followers, here’s an early update. I hope y’all enjoy!

Master List

Sneak Peak - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10 - Part 11 - Part 12 - Part 13 - Part 14 - Part 15 - Part 16 - Part 17 - Part 18 - Part 19 - Part 20 - Part 21 - Part 22 - Part 23 - Part 24 - Part 25 (Final) - Move in Day: A SC&BBQ Drabble

©thatmultifandomhoe Do not repost, translate, or use my stories without permission.

It was a ritual for you and Hoseok at this point. Every time you went to Munchies, you both got the same exact thing, and depending on the day you sometimes added to it. For Hoseok, it was two scoops of vanilla ice cream with peanut butter in a waffle cone and rainbow sprinkles. You got two scoops of the triple chocolate fudge ice cream in a dish with M&M pieces and chocolate syrup.

The first time you took Hoseok with you to Munchies, he had been confused after you ordered, a peculiar look on his face as he looked at you. It wasn’t until you were sitting that he asked why you didn’t get strawberry ice cream.

“I actually don’t like strawberries,” you answered, taking that moment to have a bite of your ice cream.

He was already in the middle of licking the side of his cone when you confessed, making his eyes widen. “But…but your scent. It’s strawberry cream.”

You pointed your spoon at him, nodding in agreement. “I know,” you spoke after swallowing. “I think it’s because of the shampoo and conditioner I use. They’re strawberry cream scented and I always use them. It’s my favorite.”

Hoseok’s mouth had dropped open a little, but nodded in understanding. “That does make sense then. If you use something like that so much, it kinda molds to your natural scent in a way.”

That had been three years ago and according to Hoseok, even if you did run out of that specific shampoo and conditioner and had to make do with another type, you still smell of strawberry cream.

“Thank you, Strawberry,” Hoseok said as the two of you sat down in your booth. It was in your opinion, the best seat in the building. It was against the wall in-between two other booths, which meant you got to watch who came in and out of Munchies. Sometimes you’d try and put together stories for whoever walked in for the fun of it. Hoseok liked giving them superhero powers and you wondered what secrets they could be hiding.

“You don’t need to thank me,” you said, taking another bite of your ice cream, this time smaller so you could speak again. “If it weren’t for you, I would be here all alone.”

He rolled his eyes, waiting for you to clean your spoon off the ice cream that was on it to take it. Without even asking, he scooped some of the peanut butter off his and spread it onto your desert.

When he first started doing that, you kept on telling him that he didn’t need too, but he ignored you. He liked switching it up though, either holding out the cone for your take a bite or scooping it with your spoon. “You were already doing that before I came along.”

“And that made me realize I was simply waiting for you to come and join me.”

Hoseok laughed, handing you back the spoon so you could continue eating. “You lived a sad life before me Strawberry.”

“Not sad,” you pointed out, spreading the peanut over your ice cream more so it wasn’t just in one spot. “Just different. Why do you always gotta give me some of the peanut butter?”

He simply shrugged, taking a bite out of the waffle cone this time. He was a fast eater and so he was always halfway done with his treat before you were even made a noticeable dent in yours. “I love it, but they always put on a little too much for me.”

“Then why don’t you ask for less?”

“Because you love peanut butter but refuse to get it on your ice cream, because then you’ll feel bad about binging out on all these sweets at once. Honestly, you shouldn’t feel bad about it. Ice cream is supposed to make you happy, not sad. Besides it’s not like we’re here every day. More like once a month really.”

Your mouth dropped open, blinking as you simply stared at you. If anything, you thought it would be a short answer along the lines of, ‘because you like peanut butter so why waste it.’ It wasn’t though.

Vaguely you could remember him asking you why you just didn’t get it after noticing you staring at it one time. That had been an embarrassing moment for you. Staring at someone else’s food was not creepy or weird at all. It wasn’t all your fault though. You had a major sweet tooth that resulted in you binging on sweets more times than you would like to admit. The fact that he remembered you telling him this, it made you feel warm on the inside.

When he sensed a shift in your emotions - your strawberry scent becoming a little sweeter - Hoseok raised an eyebrow as he looked at you while licking his ice cream. It was a silent question but you just shook your head instead and focused on yours. He was quick to notice the soft smile that appeared on your face, but didn’t mention it. Instead, he silently took a moment to admire how shy and happy you looked. Shy wasn’t usually a word he’d typically used to describe you. He had broken any barriers that had been up the first day he met you.

This…this was different though. And he couldn’t remember the last time your scent turned this sweet. It wasn’t overpowering or sickly sweet, but it was like the feeling you might have after eating your favorite candy for the first time in months of not having it. It also reminded him of that moment when he wakes up in the morning and his blankets were just perfectly warm, and he didn’t want to get out of bed.

Hoseok couldn’t remember the last time someone’s scent made him feel that way. Whatever it was that was making him feel this way though, he liked it.

The ride back to your apartment was quick and quiet this time. But this was because Hoseok was immersed in his phone, checking his messages and social media in-case Sue had sent a text or posted some pictures. His leg shook and he was chewing on his bottom lip in a nervous manner.

You let him go about his search. He wouldn’t relax until he had some form of contact from Sue telling him she was okay. By the time you pulled into your parking lot, Hoseok had checked and rechecked his phone more times than you can count. Killing the engine, you looked over at him, waiting to see if he noticed where he was.

It took a few minutes, but he blinked as he glanced at you, then around his surroundings. A faint blush appeared on his cheeks as he put away his phone and murmured a sorry.

“Can we go inside now and get out of the cold?” You teased, tugging on your hat and gloves.

Hoseok adjusted his jacket and regrettably put on his hat, his ears flattening to make it fit properly. Usually he went without it but your parking spot was the furthest away from the building entrance. It sucked, but it was something you learned to suck up.

“Why can’t we park closer?” Hoseok whined, slinging his bags over both shoulders. You had grabbed his suitcase and was wheeling it behind you.

“Because that’s my assigned parking space,” you gently explained. The wheels from the suitcase rattling against the pavement.

“But it’s so far away. And it’s so cold.”

“It’s only a few minutes Hobi.”

The hybrid pouted as he faithfully followed you to the sidewalk, the wheels suddenly gliding now. “It’s still cold.”

You rolled your eyes and in a matter of minutes the two of you were inside the elevator going up to your apartment. Hoseok didn’t wait to take his hat off, as soon as he was inside the living room the grey knit beanie was off and his ears were free.

“Better?” you asked, amused with his reactions.

“Good God yes.”

“Alright. Need me to show you to your room?”

Hoseok gave you, the look, as if he couldn’t believe that you just asked him that. The apartment was small but this wasn’t his first time here. It wouldn’t surprise you if he was able to smell his own scent lingering around from the last time he came over. “I think I can handle it from here. But thank you.”

Without even a struggle, he picked up his suitcase and maneuvered his way into the spare room. Last night you had cleaned it up for him, dusting the dresser and nightstand and putting on clean sheets. You even got out his favorite blankets that he loved to curl up with. They were heavy blankets that were soft to the touch along with a few others that your mother had knitted. It was the comfort of home that got him excited every time.

The squeal that came from the room informed you that Hoseok found the blankets.

Hoseok came out of his room sooner than you expected. Typically, he spent at least one weekend out of the month at your apartment - it was always so casually mentioned by Colin to Sue that they needed some time to themselves without Hoseok – and would take the time to unpack his clothes into the dresser and set his belongings out even if it was just for two days.

“It smells different.” He announced, frowning as he walked over to where you stood by the closet hanging up your jacket.

You sniffed once but didn’t smell anything different. If anything, you could still smell the buttercream scented candle you had burning earlier that morning as you got ready. “Different how?”

His nose crinkled as he walked around, sniffing every few steps. “Like someone else has been here. A hybrid specifically.” He came to a halt at your couch, bending over the arm only to stand straight up; his face contorting and a low territorial growl emitted from his chest. There had only been a few other times you heard Hoseok growl like that.

The first time had been a couple months after Sue adopted him. Taehyung, one of your friends who was also a hybrid, had been horsing around with Sue, and Hoseok had seen him grab her arm. His natural instincts to protect her instantly came out when he released the warning growl. When he realized they were only playing, he felt guilty. He had to train himself to not react so severely when their friends were around. After that, the only other times you heard him growl was when he was with you. He sometimes would do it to tease you, but it wasn’t an all the time thing.

“Who’s been here?” Hoseok slowly asked, his jaw clenching as he waited.

Blinking, you ran a hand through your hair as you thought back, trying to remember who’s been over in the last month or so. “I don’t recall,” you slowly answered. “Our friends but that was a couple months ago Hoseok.”

He shook his head though, his upper lip curling up into a snarl. “No. It’s not any of them. It smells of ferret and none of our friends are that breed of hybrid.”

“Ferret?” You repeated, this time frowning. Ferret hybrids had been considered one of the more exotic breeds but over time they fell into the domestic category.

Hoseok nodded, pacing around the living room, his attention going to your bedroom door. You never shut it but as he headed towards your room, you suddenly wondered why he was being like this. Then most importantly, if you had picked up the clothes that you had thrown around while trying to come up with an outfit this morning.

Totally normal thoughts of course.

Hybrids that you knew raced through your head as you tried to figure out who it could be that triggered Hoseok. Why would the scent be going into your bed…your cheeks flushed as that night quickly came to mind.

It suddenly became clear who he was smelling. It had been a blur but you remembered, or at least, parts of it. Johnny had been in one of your classes, he was a sweet guy who flirted with everyone, but no one gave it much thought. It was just part of his personality; he was harmless. When you first met him, you didn’t even realize he was a hybrid. His ears were small and easily concealed when he grew out his hair or wore hats, and he tended to tuck his tail under his shirt. He said it amused him when people realized he wasn’t human.

What had been a day meant to hang out and study for an upcoming test in your Literature class, took a turn for the worst. At least for Johnny it did. His previous owners had put him on medication for his heats and so he hadn’t experienced one in years. Now that his new owners decided to take him off it, he had been hit with a situation that he didn’t know how to handle. You on the other hand, while you weren’t a hybrid, you weren’t stupid. With the knowledge from your Hybrid 101 class - and stories from your other hybrid friends - you knew what was happening, and because you absolutely hated seeing anyone in pain, offered to help in any way possible.

Johnny had accepted without hesitation.

Hoseok’s growls echoed in your apartment as he breathed in deeply upon entering your bedroom where it was the strongest. His chest heaved as the other man’s scent invaded his nostrils. The sound of your racing heart hit him first before you timidly called his name, your guilt and embarrassment crashing into him.

“Who is he?” He harshly growled, his tail swishing back and forth in agitation as his hybrid instincts became the best of him.

You swallowed back the lump in your throat. It had been a month ago. You didn’t think the scent would have lasted that long. “A friend from one of my classes.” You whispered, staring down at the floor.

Hoseok saw red as he turned to face you. “You mated with a ferret?”

The way he said it made it seem like an insult as you quickly shook your head and met his gaze. “No Hoseok. Johnny didn’t mark me at all, I promise. He’s never experienced a heat before…he was going to be in so much pain and I didn’t want him to suffer.” You couldn’t remember the last time Hoseok had been so angry, he was usually happy and went with the flow. Even with Colin he never acted out. This was a side to him you never knew existed.

He stared down at you, having the advantage since he was a good head taller than you. While your explanation made sense, and he knew you were free to make the choice to be with whoever you wanted, he couldn’t help these emotions that were overwhelming him. With your sweet scent filling his senses and the lingering scent of, Johnny, he was unable to think straight. He didn’t even understand why he was acting like this in the first place; he just was.

Hoseok growled in frustration, roughly running a hand through his hair. He needed to get rid of this scent. Staring at you, he suddenly moved towards you, tightly wrapping his arms around you and buried his face in your hair to breathe you in.

You were frozen. Your mind raced as you tried to think of something to say or do to make this better for him. Nothing came to mind though. “I’m sorry.”

He didn’t speak. Instead, he breathed you in until all he could smell was strawberry cream. With a shaky breath, he relaxed enough to lean back, the animalistic side calmed down to a point that allowed him to think. “Open the windows, just enough to get air circulation.” He spoke, his voice low and devoid of emotion. With one last sniff, he moved around you and walked into the living room and started to promptly open the windows.

You watched him move with stiff movements, having an idea as to what he was doing. To help relax him, you slipped on a sweater but went around to the rest of the rooms and opened the remaining windows. When you reentered the living room, he was sitting on the couch, shifting around every now and then. He gave a quick sniff and his face scrunched up again.

Hoseok was scenting your apartment.

With a glance in your direction, his eyes softened as he took in the way you tugged your sweater tighter around your body and the worry in your eyes. He whined a little, conflicted with how he was going to explain his actions. How was he to do that when he didn’t understand it himself? If he didn’t get rid of the ferret’s scent it was going to drive him nuts.

To an extent, you did understand. The rival smell of another man in your apartment, especially one he didn’t know, tugged at his natural instincts. But usually that only happened when a hybrid was romantically linked to the female. Hoseok wasn’t. Sure, he sometimes got a little protective of you when someone new came along, but he was like that with all of your friends.

“I’m gonna make us some coffee,” you softly spoke. “You do what you need to.”

You waited until he nodded, watching as he stretched out on the couch. Walking into the kitchen, you filled the kettle with water and was turning the stove on to heat it, taking a deep breath of your own.

Hoseok was your best friend. That was it.

633 notes · View notes

mmbarr · 7 years ago

Note

Okay just answer all the ice cream flavours i wanna know thankssssss xxx

Thats a lot.... But ok

chocolate: when was your first kiss?- 14ish

french vanilla: how old are you?-19

cotton candy: three places you want to travel to?- Take me anywhere

strawberry: a language you wish you could speak?- French

coffee: favorite cosmetic brands?- Glossier

mint chocolate chip: indoors or outdoors?- Depends on the season!

cookie dough: do you play any instruments?- Failed attempts at guitar and piano

rocky road: favorite songs at the moment?- Silver springs by Fleetwood mac was dramatically performed in the shower this morning

butter pecan: favorite songs for life?- Im unable to commit to an answer for this question

cheesecake: what’s your zodiac sign?- LIBRA

toasted coconut: the beach or the pool?- I prefer swimming in a pool

chocolate chip: what’s your most popular post?- Um none

bubblegum: books or movies?- Books for alone time, movies for alone time with someone you love

pistachio: manga or anime?- what

salted caramel: favorite movies?- Im unable to commit to an answer for this question part 2

birthday cake: favorite books?- The Catcher in the Rye holds an unbelievably special place in my heart.

moose tracks: favorites for manga?- what

orange sherbet: favorites for anime?- who

peanut butter: favorite academic subject?- I liked all of it as long as I could do it my way

black raspberry: do you have any pets?- kitty kitty meow

mango: when and why did you start your blog?- I started my tumblr blog when I was like 11 because I liked pictures of fluffy dogs and Harry styles

mocha: ideal weather conditions?- Ok I like it to rain while I sleep, a foggy morning, I like a warm day, and a warm night with a slight breeze

black cherry: four words that describe you?- Unstable- but make it fashion

neapolitan: things that stress you out?- I ignore responsibility so much that I never feel stressed because I just pretend its all cool

raspberry truffle: favorite kind of music?- Classic rock baby 4lyfe

chocolate marshmallow: favorite brands of candy?- Thats so specific I don't even know

toffee: a card game that you’re good at?- Go fish, when luck is on my side.

lemon custard: do you eat breakfast?- breakfast food is my favorite food but I almost never eat it in the AM hours

dark chocolate: turn ons?- My boyfriend

fudge: turn offs?- Not my boyfriend

peach: how do you relax?- lay

praline: a popular book you haven’t read yet?- Pretty much any popular book thats come out in the past few years

superman: do you like sweaters?- always

cherry: do you drink tea or coffee?- both

dulce de leche: an instrument you wish you could play?- Electric guitar so I could be a bad ass rock and roller

blackberry: have you ever laughed so hard you cried?- Always at my own jokes

ginger: a new feature you wish tumblr could have?- idgaf

blueberry lemon: favorite blogs?- mine

almond: favorite mean girls quote?- I guess it’s probably because I’ve got a big lesbian crush on you! Suck on that

butterscotch: what color are your nails right now?- No nail polish :(

cinnamon: have you ever been confessed to?- Probably

blue moon: have you ever had a crush on someone?- ohhhh yes

cappuccino crunch: do you take naps?- far too often

mint: the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?- I literally don't get embarrassed- but I’m sure there have been many things

brownie batter: do you like sushi?- Veggie sushi <3

key lime: where do you want to be right now?- idk surprise me

red velvet: do you wear prescription glasses?- Yeeee

green tea: favorite flavors of ice cream?- Pistachio

1 note · View note

bylerlipglances · 3 months ago

Text

Stonathan analysis series

Part 1: In the closet

Part 2: Story of how Steve Harrington fell in love with Jonathan Byers.

Part 3: Steve's obsession with the scent of gasoline.

Part 4: Who's Incharge?

Part 5: Grand Plans, Roadmaps and Dreams of Steve & Jonathan

Part 6: Mr. Cool Loves Mr. Hot

Part 7 : Met someone

Part 8: Steve and Jonathan keeping each other tools real close.

Part 9 : Jonathan misses Steve

Part 10: Distraction

Part 11: Steve's Fudged confession | Steve's Type

Part 12: Jonathan's Type -> cute teddy bear + Skull Rock

Part 13: It's heart to heart

Part 14: The Snack: cookie, coke

Part 15: Steve's Gay Charm

Part 16: Tapes and Telephones

Part 17 : Nails

Part 18: Fake ☺ Smiles ☹

Part 19: Hammer, Triangle symbolism, Music ; s5

Part 20: Stonathan parallel

For a more nuanced perspective and deeper context, this section pairs best with my brilliant mutual @strange-anni’s Stonathan analysis posts + critical assessment of Jancy and Stancy. READ HERE

#STONATHAN RECEIPTS #stonathan is canon #stonathan series #stonathan #steve harrington #jonathan byers #steve x jonathan #jonathan x steve #stoncy #stonathan theories #stonathan analysis

17 notes · View notes

blog-healthytips · 5 years ago

Text

Mulberry: The Fruit that Protects Your Heart & Liver

Mulberry Juice

There’s a pretty good chance that you’ve seen a mulberry tree or two pop up in your local park, neighborhood or even your own backyard. This tree produces a tart and tasty fruit that looks similar to a blackberry and can be used to sweeten up just about any dish.

The mulberry fruit may be tiny, but it provides some pretty big health benefits. It can aid in weight loss, keep your liver healthy, and even provide a hefty dose of vitamins and minerals with each serving.

Next time you spot this superfruit in your farmer’s market or backyard, give it a try and enjoy its unique flavor and nutritious properties. What Is Mulberry? The mulberry tree comes from the Moraceae family of plants and is closely related to figs, breadfruit and banyan.

This flowering tree grows quickly at first but will typically only reach between 30 and 50 feet in height. Mulberry trees tend to grow in temperate climates, are harvested around June through August, and can be found around the world across Europe, India, North Africa and the Middle East.

The trees produce a long, cylindrical fruit that can be white, red, purple or black depending on the type of tree. They are sweet and slightly tart, though the flavor can vary. White mulberry, for example, has a sweeter taste and is less tart than black or red mulberry fruits.

The fruits of the mulberry plant can be baked into desserts or added to yogurts and smoothies to enhance the flavor and kick up the nutrient profile.

Mulberry is high in many important nutrients and has been shown to have a variety of health benefits, from reducing cholesterol levels to keeping blood sugar steady.

Benefits of Mulberry 1. May Help Fight Cancer Like other types of berries, mulberries are considered one of the top cancer-fighting foods. This is due to their impressive content of antioxidants, which are compounds that help fight off harmful free radicals and protect cells from damage.

A study conduced in Japan found that mulberry juice was able to effectively reduce levels of oxidative damage caused by free radicals in mice. (1) Another 2006 animal study had similar findings, noting that mulberry juice acted as an antioxidant and reduced stress caused by these cancer-causing free radicals. (2)

In 2017, researchers from Korea isolated a specific compound from mulberries and found that it was able to induce cell death in breast cancer cells and slow the growth and spread of tumor cells in mice. (3)

Other antioxidant-rich foods that can help fight damage caused by free radicals and may help prevent cancer include other berries, vegetables, and certain herbs like turmeric and cinnamon.

Check Also : Shahtoot Juice Ke Fayde

2. Promotes Weight Loss Mulberries are a nutrient-dense food. This means that they are low in calories but contain a good amount of several nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and iron.

Fiber, in particular, can help promote digestive health, treat constipation and even aid in weight loss. Just one cup of mulberries can meet up to 10 percent of your daily fiber needs. When you eat dietary fiber, it moves through your gastrointestinal tract undigested. This adds bulk to stool and enhances satiety, keeping you feeling fuller for longer to reduce your appetite. (4)

Some research even suggests that mulberries could have an anti-obesity effect. An animal study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that treating hamsters with mulberry water extract for 12 weeks lowered both body weight and visceral fat. (5)

For a low-calorie, healthy snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep your calorie intake low, try topping a cup of high-protein Greek yogurt with some tasty mulberries.

3. Decreases Cholesterol Levels The fiber found in mulberries is mostly insoluble fiber, but it also contains about 25 percent soluble fiber in the form of pectin. (6) Soluble fiber is a type of fiber that can absorb water and has been shown to help reduce cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of heart disease. (7, 8, 9)

The properties of mulberry itself may also have a favorable effect on weight. A study in the Journal of Food Science found that the compounds in mulberry helped prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, one of the major risk factors of heart disease. (10)

In the animal study from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry mentioned above, giving hamsters mulberry water extract helped decrease levels of both triglycerides and cholesterol.

In addition to mulberries, you should also eat plenty of high-fiber foods and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids to help lower cholesterol levels naturally. 4. Protects Liver Health Your liver plays a central role in your overall health. It is involved in blood clotting, breaking down fats and filtering out toxins.

Some evidence shows that certain compounds found in mulberries could have a beneficial effect on liver health, helping keep this important organ healthy, strong and free of liver disease. Mulberries may be especially effective in the prevention of fatty liver disease. This is a condition in which fat builds up in the liver and impairs its ability to work properly.

Check Also : Benefits Mulberry Juice

A 2013 test-tube study showed that the compounds in mulberries helped block fat formation, prevented fat accumulation and also promoted the clearance of fat out of the liver. (11) Another study from Taiwan confirmed these findings, demonstrating that mulberry extract increased fat breakdown and decreased fatty acid formation. (12)

Of course, the beneficial compounds found in mulberries are just one piece of the puzzle. Following a healthy diet, exercising regularly and limiting alcohol consumption are all crucial components of liver health.

5. Stabilizes Blood Sugar Levels High blood sugar can result in a wide range of symptoms, including increased thirst, frequent urination and blurry vision. Keeping your blood sugar levels under control is key to maintaining better health, especially if you have diabetes.

Mulberries contain fiber, which helps slow the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream to prevent blood sugar spikes. They also contain specific compounds and antioxidants that have been shown to benefit blood sugar levels.

A study in PLoS One found that mulberry extract was able to significantly lower blood sugar levels in diabetic mice. (13) In another study, diabetic rats were given mulberry extract for five weeks, and their blood sugar was measured. Between the first and last day of the study, their blood sugar had dropped from 252 mg/dL all the way down to 155 mg/dL. (14)

Keep in mind that mulberries should be consumed as part of a healthy, carb-controlled diet to help maintain normal blood sugar. Mulberry Nutrition Mulberries are low in calories but can provide plenty of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and iron.

One cup of mulberries contains approximately: (15)

60.2 calories 13.7 grams carbohydrates 2 grams protein 0.5 gram fat 2.4 grams dietary fiber 51 milligrams vitamin C (85 percent DV) 10.9 micrograms vitamin K (14 percent DV) 2.6 milligrams iron (14 percent DV) 272 milligrams potassium (8 percent DV) 0.1 milligram riboflavin (8 percent DV) 1.2 milligrams vitamin E (6 percent DV) 25.2 milligrams magnesium (6 percent DV) 53.2 milligrams phosphorus (5 percent DV) 54.6 milligrams calcium (5 percent DV) In addition to the nutrients listed above, mulberries also contain some copper, niacin, vitamin B6 and thiamine. Where to Find Mulberry If you’ve spotted a mulberry fruit tree in your neighborhood, you can pick the fruit straight from the tree or lay down a blanket and give the branches a good shake to make the ripe berries fall right off. Of course, make sure to wash them before eating.

Unfortunately, mulberries don’t travel well, so you’re unlikely to find them fresh at the grocery store. However, you may still be able to pick up a batch at your local farmer’s market, and dried forms of mulberries are widely available both online or at many stores.

Keep in mind that mulberries don’t last long after they’re picked, so be sure to eat up quickly once they’re picked or freeze them to help extend their shelf life by several months. How to Use Mulberry + Mulberry Recipes Mulberries are juicy, refreshing and tart and can be used in just about any recipe in place of other berry varieties.

You can use either fresh or dried mulberries as a delicious and nutritious addition to many different foods. Sprinkle them over yogurt to add some sweetness, or mix them into smoothies, baked goods and desserts. Mulberries can also be made into jams, ice creams or puddings.

Want even more ideas for how to use mulberry fruit? Here are some tasty mulberry recipes that you can try out:

Raw Vegan Bliss Balls Mulberry Curd Spicy Apple and Mulberry Chutney Mulberry & Pistachio Fudge Vegan Superfood Breakfast Bars Mulberry History Even if you’ve never even tried mulberries, there’s a good chance you at least recognize the name from the nursery rhyme “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.” Of course, this is a misleading and inaccurate title considering that mulberries actually grow on trees.

You may have also heard of mulberries from the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. In this story, two next-door neighbors turned lovers are forbidden from getting married because of their parents’ rivalry. They arrange to meet under a mulberry tree to confess their love. However — spoiler alert! — due to a misunderstanding, Pyramus believes Thisbe was killed by a lion and ends up stabbing himself Romeo and Juliet-style with his red blood staining the white mulberries.

Historically, mulberry trees were an essential part of the silk industry, as mulberry tree leaves are the main source of food for silkworms. In fact, in the 17th century, King James I imported 100,000 mulberry trees from all over Europe in hopes of increasing silk production in Great Britain. However, his project failed when he accidentally ordered black mulberries instead of the white mulberries that produce the leaves eaten by silkworms.

Today, some cities in North America have actually banned the growth of mulberry trees because of the large amount of pollen they produce. Interestingly enough, however, the male trees produce pollen while female trees grow flowers that draw pollen and dust from the air.

Check Also : Benefits Of Mulberry Juice

Still, mulberry trees remain widespread and can be found across the country and around the globe, producing their delicious fruits that are full of health benefits.

#mulberry #Constipation #brain weakness #Blood sugar

0 notes

asfeedin · 5 years ago

Text

7 Days in Hell, a rare Test win in Australia and Skydiving from space

4:44 PM IST

ESPN staff

Struggling to cope in a world without any sporting action? Fear not. In our latest series, we put together a list of videos you can watch right now to fill that adrenaline pumping again. This week’s picks features a rare Indian Test win in Australia and skydiving from space.

7 Days in Hell

The Wimbledon 2010 first round match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut is the kind of stuff they make 30 for 30 documentaries about. Until they do, we have 7 Days In Hell.

Comedian Andy Samberg and writer Murray Miller get inspired from the longest tennis match ever and take it into a weird and hilarious direction. Samberg and Kit Harrington play Aaron Williams and Charles Poole, two tennis players locked in a never-ending battle at Wimbledon. The origin stories of the players – which include a reverse Blind Side situation, prison escapes, bad parenting and drug abuse – serve as the perfect set-up leading to the climactic 7-day finale on the Centre Court. Williams is the adopted brother of Serena and Venus Williams, making a comeback, and Poole is a child prodigy who idolises Aaron Williams.

2 Related

The dramatic match features interruptions caused by things like weather delays and streakers, to things like road accidents and a failed magic trick by David Copperfield.

The documentary stars Serena Williams, John McEnroe and Chris Evert playing themselves, and a lot of other comedians, including Lena Dunham, Howie Mandel, and SNL alums Fred Armisen and Will Forte. – Annanya Johari

Watch it on Disney+Hotstar

When Tests were competitive but gentlemanly

In recent times, Jai Galagali has become a popular YouTuber thanks his Time Machine, rare footage of vintage Indian cricket. This is a clip of the final day’s play at Sydney between India and Australia in 1978. Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket had taken off, and Australia were forced to call Bob Simpson back from retirement to lead the team against Bishan Bedi’s Indians.

With Kapil Dev still months away from his debut, Karsan Ghavri and…Mohinder Amarnath shared the new ball. The pace of play is leisurely, but the quality is good. Bowlers applauded batsmen for a good shot, and fielders escorted the ball to the boundary (though substitute Madan Lal didn’t get that memo, around 17:55). It’s a rare Test win in Australia, though, and by all accounts India should have wrapped the series at Adelaide, but fell short of what would have been a record fourth-innings chase. Watch out for the interviews at the end, with Simpson appearing in his Australia blazer. – Debayan Sen

Watch it on Youtube

The ghost F1 lap

The best way to understand what Ayrton Senna meant to race driving worldwide is to see the 2h 43m Asif Kapadia documentary, Senna. A clip on YouTube shows a video of his 1988 Monte Carlo GP race, camera set up on his McLaren, and runs his voice in audio saying he felt like he was “in a different dimension… The circuit for me was a tunnel and I was just going, going more and more and more.” Senna wasn’t talking about the race, he was talking about his qualifying lap in an interview he gave to Canadian journalist Gerald Donaldson.

The YouTube clip off the documentary certainly looks like it belongs to that out of body experience, but it doesn’t. There is, in fact, no recording of that surreal qualifying lap where Senna dropped two seconds off his McLaren teammate Alain Prost, racing in an identically set-up car. The mystic lap remains part of the Senna allure but McLaren did produce an astonishing simulation complete with commentary. It was put together by Codemasters, the makers of F1 video games and commentator Murray Walker’s enthusiastic voiceover. It’s not the real deal, but you could be fooled. To get a taste of Senna on the charge, there’s the emotional six-odd minutes of Lap of Life – beautiful, powerful. – Sharda Ugra

Watch it on YouTube

Falling faster than the speed of sound

Felix Baumgartner once jumped out of an aeroplane, wearing a wingsuit, and beat the plane in a race. He has jumped into the world’s second biggest cave. He has jumped off two of the world’s tallest buildings (illegally). He has flown across the English Channel on a wingsuit (no jet pack, no engine, he glided across 34 kms at ~350kmph). They all sound impossible, and look even better. And yet, they don’t even come close to his greatest stunt.

That’s because, in 2012, Baumgartner went up into space, stepped out, looked at Earth as we have seen only from satellite pictures, and thought, ‘heck, let’s jump.’ – Anirudh Menon

Watch it on Youtube

The truth behind doping in sport

In Icarus, an amateur cyclist and playwright, Bryan Fogel pedals through the rickety cycling testing system in the wake of Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal. To uncover its facilitators, Fogel, the director of this documentary, takes performance-enhancing drugs himself and tries to dodge detection in preparation for an amateur cycle race. It’s only the starting point for graver, more morbid truths. He’s led to Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the head of Moscow’s anti-doping center, who is shown to display extraordinary commitment to furthering the cause of tainted sport. Rodchenkov goes even as far as confessing on camera that Russia’s medals at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games were ill-gotten, a product of its athletes using drugs to fudge performances. In that edition of the Games, Russia topped the medals tally with 29 medals, 11 of them gold. Rodchenkov is only a small part of a grand design. The documentary uses George Orwell’s 1984 as a narrative tool and what slowly creeps up on us is the workings of a state-backed doping program with links to the highest levels of the Russian government. – Susan Ninan

Watch it on Netflix

Source link

Tags: 7, 7 days in hell, Australia, classic matches, coronavirus shutdown, covid 19 isolation, days, hell, lockdown watchlist, Rare, Skydiving, space, Test, weekend watchlist, what to watch, Win

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3au2nTU via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress #Asfeed.in #asfeed #asfeedin #asfeed blog

0 notes

nchyinotes · 7 years ago

Text

War, Journalism and Whistleblowers: 15 years after Katharine Gun's truth telling on the verge of the Iraq War

March 2 2018

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/war-journalism-and-whistleblowers-15-years-after-katharine-guns-truth-telling-on-the-verge-of-the-tickets-42350362073#

“15 years ago, as a GCHQ employee, Katharine Gun leaked a memo revealing US spying operations on UN security council members. This simple act of bravery helped to galvanise the mass movement of opposition to the Iraq War. It also served as a telling reminder of the essential role played by the press in speaking truth to power and upholding the fabric of democratic life. A generation on, the legacy of that leak is writ large in a resurgent politics of resistance to the warfare and surveillance state on both sides of the Atlantic. This unique event brings together a panel, including Katharine herself, to discuss the lessons of that leak, and ask: What can and should we be doing - journalists, scholars, activists, citizens, policymakers - to do justice to the immeasurable public service performed by whistleblowers?

Speakers include: Katharine Gun (former GCHQ linguist and analyst responsible for the 2003 leak); Thomas Drake (former senior executive of the US National Security Agency); Duncan Campbell (award winning journalist, author and TV producer); Matthew Hoh (former US Marine and State Department official serving in Afghanistan and Iraq); Jesselyn Radack (national security and human rights attorney representing Ed Snowden among other whistleblowers); Silkie Carlo (Director of Big Brother Watch and leading voice in the campaign against the UK's repressive surveillance and official secrecy laws). We will also be airing an exclusive video message from Dan Ellsberg who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971.”

Thoughts: This was easily the best event I’ve been to on this gap year so far (and i’ve been to A LOT). I had actually come in with no expectations and not much knowledge of whistleblowers or any of the speaker's, and I had decided to come based on curiosity and proximity of location. So I definitely didn’t expect to be so overwhelmed by how emotional and intense this night was. Hearing everyone’s stories (for the first time) was inspiring, and left a deep impression on me. And it was amazing to be in the company of the supportive community that was gathered there - people respect and believe in human rights and equality, and people who are dedicating their lives to putting forth the truth, who truly care and are fighting for a better world and future. The audience engagement was actually what made this night so emotional. When the third question was asked by a young woman, who was an Iraqi journalist, she began to cry when asking what she could do as a journalist to stop the destruction in her country. Katharine started crying as well, and said that she had failed. She cried several more times throughout. There was also an audience member at the end who about how he tried to blow the whistle at the UN, who has been chronically unemployed for 24 years since. Listening to the people talk about the consequences whistleblowing had for them, and the injustices they faced (Jesselyn had a miscarriage, chronic unemployment despite extremely qualified), there is also what they said about what we can all do, and it all felt very pessimistic, and I felt slightly overcome with a feeling of dread and despair. It was hard not to feel utterly depressed at the world / what I was hearing. But I think events like these are so important because they’re inspiring, and they lend support and renewed motivation and validation hopefully, for people who have blown the whistle and who may need the courage in the future. The solidarity between the panel members was palpable. And it was hard for me not to feel like tearing up when Tom Drake said that he wouldn’t be here with Jesselyn. Before this, I think I had taken for granted all the major whistleblowers I had heard about and what they had given for the public interest - Snowden, Wikileaks, Panama Papers, #metoo, NHS. I never thought much about the individuals themselves, and the toll this would take on them or the emotional resilience required. Really eye opening, and I hope to educate myself further about whistleblowers protections (which was barely touched on in my employment law module!), and to look for volunteering options where I can help.

NOTES

Act of truth telling by people (not apps or systems)

People willing to risk their lives and jobs to speak truth to power (telling secret stories of surveillance)

Free press + whistleblowing under threat

Duncan

Katherine: Difficulties in the way journalists interpreted/presented her material

Dnotices (?) - used to terrify journalists until reforms of 1980s, penalty for journalists to receive info (as heavy as source)

1960s - gave us daniel ellsberg (vietnam war) - from the post!!

British official secrets act

Tom kiok - appalling agreements between blair & bush after afghanistan invasion??, never published, both sides were jailed (journalist + source)

Reality winner - compromised by magazine set up by snowden ??

Newspapers: NYT published disinformation supporting iraq war and didn’t publish stories brought to them around tom

Espionage act, the daily telegraph ?

Katharine

Why didn’t 100s of other people who received the email at GCHQ do the same thing?

Memory has important part in people’s decision making processes

Remembered horrific scenes of retreating iraqi soldiers waving white flags in surrender and being blitzed by US aircraft (turkey shoot?) - when she was 13

Despair at the lack of humanity

Iraq suffered 10 years of sanctions

Poor people of iraq had suffered 10 years of war, then 10 years of sanctions = terrible sanctions

When bush/blair suddenly focused on iraq, everyone was just like what, why? What does it have to do with 9/11 stuff?

While at GCHQ, conference in san diego - invited to board US aircraft carrier, was told by extremely young naval officers that they would deploy this in 3 days to iraq

Started some personal investigation into realities of what was going on in iraq

Saw target iraq + war plan iraq books in local bookshop

Clearly there was no case whatsoever

Duplicitous nature - lots of fudging on the issue

Jan 31 2003 - memo from NSA, asked for all domestic and diplomatic nations on UN council, for all gambit of knowledge that would be favourable to US goals (“not GBR of course, haha”)

Assumption that of course GCHQ would do it, this is what we want you to do. Not even an ask.

Thought about it over the weekend, but already made up her mind because felt like an impending train of disaster and she had to stop the wheels from turning.

Printed it off next monday in office

Creedence to journalists that took a punt on the email, because they were very concerned about reality of it (she did it anonymously) - brave step in publishing

Govt held her on ?? without bail / charge

Liberty found out who she was and gave her lots of support/advice

Lost all her friends immediately

Couldn’t go to work

Did deliberately to make life miserable for her

Charged in nov 2003 - plead guilty or not guilty?

Didn’t feel guilty, felt justified in what she’d done → pleaded not guilty

Only defence: public interest/necessity

Asked AG for all his legal advice

Dropped charges in 3 weeks, claimed they had no evidence (but she had confessed?)

Wasn’t willing to have legality of war discussed in war room.

15 years on, don’t feel any safer - what has the war on terror achieved? Even more concerned, raising a child in this world.

We need to support whistleblowers bc they’re really under attack, journalists who are doing their job, investigatory powers act (challenged in court) - prevent them from grabbing more power because they’ve taken so much already

Norman

Daniel ellsberg - pentagon papers

Someone unknown made it possible for observer newspaper to illuminate truth about manipulations, deceptions, extent to which US/GB are willing to go to drive the war train to get the dogs to war (poodle??) in iraq

Became a huge admirer of katharine gun before we knew what her name was

Daniel ellsberg speaking about katharine gun

First person prosecuted in US (espionage act), don’t have an act like UK (official secrets act)

1) Clearly higher than top secret classification document

Someone very high in GCHQ was clearly dissenting progress toward an illegal war

Cable from NSA asking GCHQ to help in intercepting of communications of every member of security council of UN

Rely on british to commit criminal acts for them (bc they were explicitly not allowed to)

2) This was not history, this was a current cable, and before the iraq war had actually started

Intimidation, blackmail, knowing private wants - intention was to coerce UN security council vote, with material tapped

She only actually had accidental access, wasn’t that high ranking

She acted almost immediately on pursuit of illegal war on illegal means

Dan regrets not putting out the documents available to him in 1964, years before he actually gave them - of bombing, war

Didn’t have precedent to instruct him on that

Could have been much more constructive in preventing that war if acted immediately

If US had gotten wind of it before, would have probably gotten an injunction. Was hardly covered in the US, whereas lots of

US had to give up plan of getting supporting vote in UN

Blair and govt went against earlier promise to not go ahead with war unless it was supported by the council, without legitimating precedent

One of the only few whistleblowers who didn’t wait, and wasn’t dealing with historical material. Judgment that what she was being asked to do was wrong, revealing what she knew was wrong.

“Information that bears on deception or illegality in pursuing wrongful policies or an aggressive war. Consider acting in a timely way to whatever cost to yourself.“

Tom drake

9/11 was a seminal event for many people (probably up on this panel)

Shadowy beast - had joined this system (the NSA)

9/11 triggered a whole host of secret decisions at highest levels of government, and he happened to be there.

Chosen to go there due to NSA outside stakeholders saying you need new blood - is generally quite inbred??

Became the justification for public consumption (esp by dick cheney)

“never let a crisis go to waste”

C change occurred in secret

Very first priority after 9/11 was this was the excuse to invade iraq

He began to inquire as to what was the intelligence, as plans for war were basically set

Part of job is to understand what was going on

Crypto Linguist background - asked arab linguist what we have on iraq, bc intelligence is supposed to be non political, not manipulated or framed, or made up lol

NSA itself had blanket surveillance of basically any electronic signal in iraq at this time

Kept coming back to him that there was no intelligence (threats) on iraq

Culminated in someone who shared with him later that the intelligence between invasion of iraq was a lie ??

Culminating meeting? Before formal decision was made, clearly a pretence, where general colmon powell made trip to UN and proceed with what US knew was slam dunk intelligence

Made clear that despite doubts of powell, intelligence regarding weapons of mass description was absolute/etc/slam dunk

Those on the outside to give expertise stayed silent

Crucial to get passage of second resolution as ultimate cover for US led coalition in invading iraq

Jesselyn

Representing hacktivists, journalists, whistleblowers

Was a whistleblower herself, same era as Katharine, on info that had been suppressed on war on terror, and prosecution of first so called american taliban

Justice department attorney in ethics office

Placed under investigation but no reason why, placed under bar’s no fly list

Miscarriage, 100k money she didn’t have

Prosecuting tom drake for espionage - one of the most serious charges against an american, 4th time someone who wasn’t a spy had been prosecuted for it (3rd was dan ellsberg)

Over a dozen people under obama ended up being pursued under this act

Trump has renewed this with vigour, going after reality winter (25) to make an example of her

Tries to keep these cases very secret, that’s why espionage act is being used to keep behind

Matthew

She tried to save the lives of millions of people, many of whom were his friends

Wars in syria, libya, yemen

Thanked her parents in the audience - Strength, integrity

Whistleblowing is continuous, you don’t need state secrets on your computer screen to

VFP carrying banner of “never again”

Aligned against a media that takes part in glorification of war, honours militarism

Deification that occurs - has to stand up and get clapped at all sports games

It’s standing up and speaking the truth about the greeds of war + who’s profiting from them

By choosing to come here and tweet out a picture of katharine is participating in standing up for the truth

Back end - if you don’t act on your conscious or do what is right, moral injury/guilt of it is devastating, and it’s seen in US veterans community (iraq/afghanistan 6x likelier for suicide) - need to do something rectify your mind and soul (for participating in an unjust/wrong organised killing)

PTSD is the lowest rate of suicide, it’s by combat related guilt, v well documented

Silkie

Prev. on legal team for liberty

Campaigner

Met & was inspired by tom + jess 5 years ago in holland, was just starting out as a journalist, couple months after snowden

Change from public & govt since snowden - to reinstate same abuses of power

Necessary for a free society, whistleblowers as last resort to protect those values. We don’t have a democracy otherwise.

Official Secrets Act - v punitive legislation that protects power for sake of power (no accountability), no balancing of whether state secrets need to be protected for national security

We need accountability for good governance

Reaction in UK to snowden has been the worst

Law commission suggested new legislation to punish/deter whistleblowers, sentences increased, journalists punished too

Investigatory powers act - new surveillance legislation, most authoritarian surveillance regime of any in history, almost limitless power

To collect data, intercept communications, hack devices on a bulk basis (potentially population wide)

BBW has ongoing legal action against mass interception, mostly passive

Optic nerve program 2008, GCHQ - to train facial recognition program

Hard to envision more enabling program for state to commit abuses of power

State surveillance framework is one of easiest ways for govt to grow & expand its power, its one of the symbols of power in digital age - information is power

Bulk surveillance regime after 9/11 isn’t really effective / doesn’t really work - there was actionable intelligence recorded before the plot, but it wasn’t seen or picked up (probably because of millions of info being processed all the time)

If we protect, maintain, uphold democratic values within us

Changing political futures

Court of public opinion is what always wins, despite government

Panel

Journalists that do justice in the stories that whistleblowers have to tell, esp. In UK, are few and far between

Guardian editorial published today against Leveson inquiry - serious questions about so called free press

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/01/the-guardian-view-on-leveson-part-two-look-ahead-not-behind

Julian assange never mentioned

Iraqi journalist - she was only 13 when iraq war happened, what she can do to prevent further destruction in her country as a journalist

Refuse to accept continuous lies churned out by so called humanitarian about protecting ME from despotic leaders - if that was such a concern, why not in Yemen or saudi arabia

Katharine feels like she’s failed

Appalled at people anti iraq that are pro syria

Destruction isn’t being reported the way war policy is now - subjugation + punishment for people in ME (who will not be subjected to american control)

Implications of military men with no political responsibility, risen in ranks of organised murder - now in civilian posts (of government)

Organise + demand an end to it

Anyone voting for Clinton or Trump was voting for war, they were both war parties

Continue to resist on the ME people behalf

Observer failed as well - only published memo 1.5 months after it was given to them?

This is an ongoing story - katharine was not called by any inquiry, we don’t know who authorised the memo or the GCHQ operation, why the case was dropped, who made those decisions + on what basis

Funding model for whistleblowing organisations

Work way below what a normal lawyer/advocate’s salary would be

Desperately need the funding

Liberty - legal representation to whistleblowers

Public funding + support

Immediate danger of safety, employment opportunities after?

Tried to blow the whistle on UN, and hasn’t had paid employment for 24 years

Often bankrupted, blacklisted, broken - chronic unemployment despite degrees, resumes, experience in govt. People best serving the government are the whistleblowers.

Hard to get through airport security

If you have the opportunity to employ a whistleblower, please do so

After you going through the government ringer of being called a traitor, terrorist sympathiser

Tom drake works full time at Apple, had total support from them

Trying to find professorship

Business he started failed bc no one willing to partner

People have tried to help him - as an engineer, consulting in silicon valley

In severe debt, 2nd mortgage, was a senior exec

Tom would not be here today without jesselyn.

Life goes on

You can choose your conscience > career, freedom

We are all in this together

I hear the bells of history in my years each and everyday

Power does tend to corrupt, absolute power corrupts. You want to keep, expand power. It’s a pathology.

At risk from these power structures

Many people who profit from power - literally and figuratively

Those who are expendable, doesn’t matter that they’re human, they deserve what they get. Collateral damage. Form of organised genocide.

UK-US, deep transnational state relationship [1946, secret signal intelligence relationship], work in tandem and have for years

Permanent war and conflict society/economy

Nurses & care workers on abuse of elderly, office workers on accounting fraud, bank staff on banking things - don’t get publicity that we give them. We need more publicity to be given at every level, show that this is the right thing they do, support them at whatever low level. We assume whistleblowing has to be at highest hierarchy.

Doomsday book - nuclear war leaks dan ellsberg never got to dump?

US proposed complete annihilation of china even if they had nothing to do with war ??

Hire a firm to discredit you

Rawest, emotionally charged meeting - duncan

I did what i could, and you can be proud of that

People who tried to tell the truth about palestine has been silenced in the most systematic way (labour party) - has to do with military us policy. Mortecai monunu??? Whistleblower

Ted (theodore) hall

Manhattan project, scientists

Katharine: Depriving them of their moral authority

Save the world club

Intellectual struggle when choosing to whistleblow/reveal things

Jesselyn - when she whistleblew was the first time she slept soundly. How to do it, who to go to - how to do it most successfully, safely, loudly.

Most whistleblowers don’t have internal debates about what to do, have known in their gut what they should do.

Moral responsibility of journalist or editor? Haven’t even trained journalist to look at that.

Support & looking at long term consequences of putting everything on the line - who are your personal support networks, what would life actually look like?

USA has destroyed 3 generations of iraqi lives

When your own country has become an empire and engages in the utter destruction/insanity

After 9/11, USA declared the whole world a battlefield

Media democracy festival

#whistleblowing #law #activism #london #2018 #journalism #event

0 notes