#'the exact circumstances of her death are unknown''

[longelk]

it never slips my mind that kaycee died young but it took me a bit to register that her manner of death is one of the most unimaginably painful ones to go through. oh well if homegirl was lucky she passed out from the smoke before she could feel her skin peel off 😁🤞

[multifunctionalnitroglycerin]

The Locked Tomb Series Name and Symbolism #3

This one is a beast. Be warned.

And now, onto the original Penumbral Lady, the Mother of the 9th House, the First Keeper of the Tomb, the Lyctor that that never was, Anastasia the First.

Now Anastasia is one of the characters most riddled with symbols and hidden meaning and conspiracy theories, so I'll do my best to add my own tidbit here.

The studious over-researching scion of the Ninth House has ended up being a Symbol herself, in a way that all saints are to those that love and follow them. And the Ninth does love her, or at least, they love what they understand, what they perceive she stood for (The Anastasian monument and the whole "You could not trip in the Ninth House without falling over an Anastas, an Anastasia, or an Anastasius; or, in later years, bumping into their niche.")

But here we'll look into more mundane, if you will, aspects of her symbolism and perhaps come up wit ha theory or two on the way.

First things first, her name itself. Anastasia or Αναστασία is a name of Greek origin that is quite popular in Eastern Europe, and closely associated with Christianity (You'll be surprised at how many Saints of the Orthodox Church have born that name. Okay it's five, but it still seems a lot) It originates from the ancient Greek word ἀνάστασις, meaning Resurrection. The noun itself comes from the compound verb ἀνίστημι, which for our language nerds such as myself out there has two components ἀνά meaning again and ἵστημι meaning stand. So practically, stand again, which is my personal favorite take on the name. Being the one that stands up again, and again, and again. Beautifully stubborn, don't you think? And quite fitting for our Saint here, for research is nothing but failing and falling down time after time only to rise back up wiser than before and face the challenge again. In all honesty, this also reminds me of a few other Ninth House dolts, that redid that trial countless times without any sleep, food whatsoever. For all my experimentalists and researchers out there, do NOT be like Harrow. A few hours of sleep, or a walk down the hallway and a glass of water might help you figure it out, more than tiredly redoing the same thing over a thousand times. Oh, I am off track though, I apologize.

Back to our point, Anastasia = Resurrection. Now whether that resurrection refers to her own coming back from the dead (we see Alecto recognizing her bones huddled in a corner ready to roll the stone back up) or perhaps another Second Resurrection, with John overthrown and things returning to their natural order - more or less, kinda, I mean who knows?- and her or her blood aka Harrowhark playing a significant part, I don't know.

What we also do not know, are the exact circumstances of her existence post ascension attempt, and the manner of her death, both of which are clouded in mystery. Kind of like another Anastasia in history. Yes, that's the one, Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. Countless rumors of her possible escape circulated after her death, fueled by the fact that the location of her burial was unknown until even decades later. And still even after the mass grave was found, the bodies of the young tsarevich and one daughter were missing. (Those were found in 2007 and the body is attributed either to Maria or to Anastasia). Another Anastasia that for decades was clouded in mystery.

But mysteries are kind of a Ninth House thing, aren't they. What with the jawless skull, the only known treatment to a sewn tongue being the house symbol and all. And my gosh, the whole thing with Alecto has my brain spinning. Because why would John ask of Anastasia to guard Alecto in the tomb? Why would he sent his only failed student, the one he betrayed, with the thing that could spell his end? Why lock them up together? Unless the point was not to give Anastasia a role, but to punish her.

According to the eighth as they so graciously inform us, the Ninth shouldn't even exist. Anastasia should have sealed herself with Alecto in the tomb and died there. There was no plan for her having descendants, a bloodline unbroken for ten thousand years (Why, I wonder? What did it service? Why was it so important and so deeply integrated in the Reverend Family that Harrow's parents had to go to the lengths they did to ensure the continuation of Anastasia's bloodline? To ensure, unknowingly that the oath between Anastasia and Alecto still held true?)

Before diving to my own conspiracy theory about these questions I would like to point out a parallel between Anastasia being locked as a punishment in the tomb and one of the most well known tragedies of the ancient Greek world. It could be none other than Sophocles' Antigone. And again the parallel between Antigone and Anastasia is so prominent as the Alecto Αληκτώ one, that having translated the part

Ὦ τύμβος, ὦ νυμφεῖον, ὦ κατασκαφὴς οἴκησις αἰείφρουρος, οἷ πορεύομαι πρὸς τοὺς ἐμαυτῆς, ὧν ἀριθμὸν ἐν νεκροῖς πλεῖστον δέδεκται Φερσέφασσ’ ὀλωλότων· ὧν λοισθία ’γὼ καὶ κάκιστα δὴ μακρῷ κάτειμι, πρίν μοι μοῖραν ἐξήκειν βίου. Ἐλθοῦσα μέντοι κάρτ’ ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω φίλη μὲν ἥξειν πατρί, προσφιλὴς δὲ σοί, μῆτερ, φίλη δὲ σοί, κασίγνητον κάρα·

I don't know how many times, I should be ashamed of myself for not making the connection sooner. Our Greek speakers have probably already figured out the translation, but lets put it here as well... this is the most famous

Ω Τάφε μου, κρεβάτι νυφικό, σπίτι μου στη βαθιά τη γη κι αιώνιο κελί μου, έρχομαι να βρω τους δικούς μου νεκρούς που μέγα πλήθος η Περσεφόνη φίλεψε...

(I am cutting this short, we will need the English version either way. Don't ask why this part is such a big deal. It just is)

Anyhow, for everyone else that didn't grow up around Greek comedic series of the 90s this whole thing translates to

O tomb, my bridal-bed—my house, my prison cut in the hollow rock, my everlasting watch! I'll soon be there, soon embrace my own, the great growing family of our dead Persephone has received among her ghosts. I, the last of them all, the most reviled by far, go down before my destined time's run out. But still I go, cherishing one good hope, my arrival may be dear to father, dear to you, my mother, dear to you, my loving brother...

And while the bridal bed line would make for an interesting interpretation, seeing Harrow's -Anastasia's blood, instant pull to Alecto and seeings as we never figured out the nature of the relationship between Alecto and Anastasia, it is the greater premise of the story that we care about.

In short, Antigone had two brothers, who fought over who could rule over Thebes. So evenly matched they were, that they both perished in the fight, and Antigone's uncle, Creon, takes over. Eteokles (Ετεοκλής) who stood for Thebes was buried with the honors befitting a king. His brother Polyneikis (Πολυνείκης) however was left out of the city borders, exposed to the elements, his body abandoned to be consumed by vultures. Creon ordered that no one was under any circumstances allowed to give Polyneikis any sort of death rites, and going against this order was punishable by death. If you know your way around Greek myths, you know that is the worst thing you could do to someone, and it was considered a heinous crime both by mortals, and most importantly, the gods. Antigone, defies Creon's order to not bury Polyneikis and performs the rites symbolically, applying a thin layer of dirt on her dead brother's body. Creon finds out, and after his son begging him for Antigone's life instead of her being killed by stone throwing, Creon decided to bury her alive in a cave with no food or water, until she died of thirst and hunger. Thus the tomb, and prison Antigone mourns about. The story does go on, and ends up with Antigone being found dead, having taken her own life in the tomb, Creon's son, who was in love with her trying to kill his father, failing, and killing himself, and Creon's wife Euridice, killing herself at the loss of her only son. Creon then exiles himself from Thebes cursing his own αστοχασιά, foolhardiness and imprudence at not following the moral laws and the will of the gods.

Antigone chooses to go against man-written laws, and the power of the mortal king, in order bury her brother, following the divine honor and will of the gods, as well as her love for her brother. In return she is punished by being buried alive where she chooses to end her life and meet her family in the Underworld.

The parallel to Anastasia is rather prominent in this case. Anastasia in attempting perfect Lyctorhood goes against John's will, something however that she didn't know, and John himself didn't realize probably until the oh crap she is going to achieve perfect Lyctorhood, and my mistakes will be obvious for everyone to see. Doubt is going to enter everyone's minds and then I will have lost them all over again.

So he kills Samael - again, I think that something might indeed have gone wrong in the process and Alecto might have been involved with or without John's urging, but that' s a story for another time. And Anastasia is all that remains, brokenhearted and unwhole. He doesn't kill her and she lingers, probably doubtful and distrusting. Then she is tasked with guarding Alecto's tomb until her death. John seals Anastasia in the tomb, much like Creon seals Antigone, because she went against his will. Whether that is because of perfect Lyctorhood or some later transgression - a potential pact/ blooming friendship with Alecto, we don't know.

John like a petulant child, locks his broken toys away, where no one but him can find them, where nothing but his blood can free them. Anastasia like Antigone, follows rules larger than her small king, and is entombed with the body she is supposed to protect as a result. She makes peace with her death, does not cling to life, seemingly already having met Samael in the life after (if he is indeed dead)by the time Alecto is freed and tastes her in Harrow's blood. She is naught but a pile of bones ready to roll the stone and seal the tomb once more. John's intentions were never for her to have descendants, for the ninth to become a house. It was to lock the women who he left behind, whose trust he betrayed, for eternity. To keep their doubts, and their secrets and power forever buried.

[mk-nightrider]

A singular success of Shang Tsung's mad fascination with not only crafting perfect warriors, but also testing his genius. A combination of Skarlet's altered Edenian blood and the mysterious half-human blood of Erron Black. Meant to be a peerless assassin capable of decimating enemies at both close and long quarters, the child would be dubbed Patient Z.

Left forgotten in the depths of the Flesh Pits after Shang Tsung's death in MK9, Patient Z would sit suspended in a cold womb of steel and glass. Seemingly frozen in time until Skarlet, herself forgotten on that island by allies and enemies alike, found him. 

Driven by the urge to reclaim something from all the horror Shang Tsung had subjected her to, she pulled Patient Z from what would have become a tomb. Welcoming him into the world as her son, Tomek, with the promise that he would not share her fate as a weapon for cruel despots. 

-------

Tomek Ambrose Campbell He/Him Black Dragon Call-sign: Kounterfeit

Detailed description under Read More.

Exact birth date unknown. Kano selected February 12th when forging his birth certificate. He is three years older than Billie. Standing at 5'11 (181cm), he is of a lean build with lightly tanned skin and a smattering of freckles.

Overall, his face is almost a copy of his biological father, Erron Black. Enough that anyone familiar enough with the gunslinger's appearance might mistake Tomek for him given the right circumstance. There's a softness brought on by Skarlet's side as well as being unmarred by Erron's lifetimes worth of hard living.

His hair is lose wavy curls cut in a shaggy layered style. Before his conversion into a blood mage, the colour was a dark brown, almost black and his eyes were brown like Erron's. Once converted, the under layer of his hair turned red and eyes turned to a vivid burnt sienna.

There is a faint y-shaped spanning his chest, and puncture scars on his hands and feet from the brief time Shang Tsung was able to experiment on him as a baby. There are more puncture scars on his arms as he had an anemic condition in his youth that required regular blood transfusions.

Once given, his Black Dragon tattoo is placed on his left arm. The head of the dragon is on the back of his hand and spirals up the length of his arm with a knife cutting through the design.

An incident between the Black Dragon clan and Special Forces would result in massive damage to his neck. While he was able to heal the bleeding with his abilities, leaving only a thin scar across his throat, he could not heal the deeper damage that rendered him almost completely mute. Kano would have a voice modulator fabricated to replace his damaged vocal chords.

For a child raised by Kano, he is surprisingly prone to worrying about others and following the rules. Generally very caring and quick to tears. While he can be quite snarky to outsiders, it covers a young man that is highly nervous and eager to please. Though he can become a fierce and unforgiving fighter if his family, especially Billie, are ever threatened.

Had bouts on non-speaking as a child, he was taught sign language so he could continue to communicate in these moments. When he did speak, it is usually soft and polite with Skarlet's "Polish" accent influencing his accent to sound more like a New Zealander than an Australian at times.

His typical casual outfit is some kind of light sweater or hoodie, cargo shorts, and hiking shoes.

[dizzyhslightlyvoided]

Oh yeah, more on that "backstory" thing ...

So in Sonic Frontiers, there's an audio log from Eggman where he complains that he never met his cousin Maria, but everyone talked about her like she was special after she was gone, when he was right there

And like ... setting aside for a moment the fact that this was a preface to some of his New Dad Thoughts about Sage, Ego-man is really telling on himself there, because the implication is that 1. while his actual age is canonically listed as "unknown", when Maria died 50 years before SA2 he was at least old enough to be aware of people grieving for her, 2. he had an ego the size of the ARK even then, and 3. after growing up to middle age, he still stands by the opinions of Babby Ivo.

Robotnik's villain origin story is that when he was twelve or whatever, he perceived "people are grieving over a death in the family (his family!) instead of showering him with praise all the time" as a personal slight against him, and he still thinks this is a reasonable opinion half a century later (or more -- see Infinite's quip in Forces about how Eggman had fought Sonic "for decades"). Like this all should tell you everything you need to know about who Eggman is as a person and as a villain.

I guess what I'm getting at is ... in the games, Eggman is not and has never been some kind of Dan Backslide "what kind of evil are we gonna do today, boss?" Cartoon Bad Guy,™ he's never been "pure evil" -- in Sonic Adventure 2's ending, he even takes the time to ruminate with Tails on the planet he just helped save alongside Sonic! The reason Eggman is a villain is because he has the most gigantically self-absorbed ego, he's a ridiculously petty jerk, his ambition knows neither bounds nor conscience, and his default state is the firm belief that nobody in the world ever has any excuse not to worship him 24/7, regardless of other circumstances such as a loved one dying. Why wouldn't he conquer the world? In Eggman's mind, that's the reasonable thing to do.

And if one of his creations is adorable (in his own words), actually competent for a change, and shows him that exact adoration he feels he deserves ... well, why wouldn't he love her as a daughter? There's no contradiction there; that, too, is reasonable in Eggman's mind.

(Of course, the corollary is that you could interpret these practicalities are the only reason he cares about Sage, but ...)

[visibleclosedeyes]

Comfort (F! Chief x Hecate )

Genre: Fluff

AO3

It is rare for the chief to get some downtime for herself these days, and back then she thought not getting some sleep after one day was hell–she did not prepare herself for an almost two-day mission without any chance of her catching some shut eyes in between. Nevertheless, the mission was a success, and even though Nightingale suggested the chief start on her report immediately, she decided of her own volition that it could wait. After all, sleep deprivation does nothing good for her brain. So she called it a day early. 

There is a small bed in a room inside her office, which served its purpose of being an alternative bedroom when the chief couldn't make it to her apartment—which is every day now. It was commissioned by Adjutant Nightingale and approved by MBCC—and while humble, it is functional enough for the chief to not complain. One flaw though, it has no clock in it yet; so she can’t tell time. Like now that the chief suddenly brought back to the land of the wakings by unknown reason, how long she had slept and what time it is now she couldn’t tell, but the light that shine in and bathed the white wall at the foot of her bed was silver and cold—so she guess it is still nighttime.

Maybe she is dehydrated, maybe it’s nature calling.

She sighs and is about to get up from her bed, but then…her leg bumps into something—there is…there is something under her blanket. And then she also realizes just how unusual the ‘shape’ of her blanket is—her legs are flat down, they definitely can’t cause this. The chief pinches the blanket; her heart is racing faster than any Syndicate gang car—well, dying fucking sucks but dying in her bed by assassination sounds rather pathetic. But just before she could decide to do anything, the thing under the blanket speaks

“Chief…” 

The black-haired chief is completely baffled when she hears the voice of a girl she would recognize under any circumstances.

“Hecate??!” Chief’s half yelling and half whispering even though no one, at this god-forsaken hour would hear. 

The older woman is now frozen as the situation in front of her is simply just absurd. Hecate is, technically, on top of her–under her cover in the dead of the night. In a way, Chief is glad that it’s the gloomy pale blue-haired girl and not someone else as she trusts that the girl wouldn’t wish for her death. Still, this is wild.  The girl under the sheet shifts her position a little, the sound of friction between Hecate’s dress and the fabric of the cover is absurdly loud in a small dark room inhabited only by two people. The black-haired chief’s skip beats and breathing becomes hard labor despite not being in any immediate danger. 

Neither of them says anything as Hecate slowly rises from her awkward position—she climbs up from sitting at Chief’s legs to now planting herself on the dark-haired woman’s stomach. Right now, the room is too dark as a thick patch of cloud covering the soft, guiding moonlight—turning both parties temporarily blind in the dark. Still, Chief can see a dark outline that is now looking at her.

“ Are you alright, Hecate? How…did you slip past the guard?”

“ I can always find my way, it’s not like you can guard the vent in your room, don’t you?” Her voice seems shaky but doesn’t sound like she is nervous—maybe she is cold. But then it struck her. Chief just remembered that she…

“Hecate…”

“Yes, Chief?” The shadowy girl crooks her head a little with that question. The moon is still very much blocked by thick clouds—she can’t see the exact expression of Hecate.

“ I…” Chief swallows her saliva out of a defense mechanism again shame before continuing with her sentence.

“ I didn’t have any clothes on…” Dark-haired struggles with her words

“ I know that. Does…that make you uncomfortable? If so, please order me to leave you alone. I surely will oblige your order,” Hecate responds with the similar tone of voice she used everywhere, but…to Chief’s trained ears; she catches the small shake in Hecate’s voice. However, the chief is never that interested in the tone of her voice but only in the things she said. She will leave if I command her to—does that imply that if the Chief doesn't, she will stay? This… has to be against some sort of rules but…

As the thoughts run all over the dark-haired woman’s head, the moon that was previously held hostage by thick clouds has become free and shining its cold but benevolent light, painting the room with glowing light and banishing the dark. Hecate’s face has become clearer although still basking in the shadow made by her as she looks down at Chief while sitting on top of her. Nothing seems to be out of place except a hint of exhaustion that seems to be prevalent in her silver eyes. 

“Hecate…? What’s wrong?” Hesitate but still curious; the dark-haired woman asks the girl on top of her who hasn't yet explained a thing to her.

“Chief…I can’t sleep…”

“ Bad dream?”

“Maybe, maybe not. But now I can’t close my eyes” She keeps her voice low. Hecate lowers her head down, now the gap between the two is only a few inches away. What…should she do in this situation? But before she could respond, the pale blue-haired girl interjects

“When we were outside on our mission, I always had difficulty sleeping. That being said, it all went away when I slept next to you,” Hecate explains, she stops to find words for her thoughts while looking into the eyes of the black-haired woman in front of her. She is looking for a reaction, approval, or vice versa to decide if she should be pressing on. The chief remains silent while her light blue eyes look right into Hecate’s. With icy eyes like that, she should have felt cold running along her spine, yet the gaze of the black-haired woman felt like a gentle sun and summer breeze. 

Hecate averts her eyes for a moment, and her body shifts to the side of the Chief—her mannerisms are unassuming but without a hint of shyness. The bed’s surface next to Chief is slightly deflated as the young woman plants herself right next. The chief’s eyes follow but she doesn’t say anything. Despite the overwhelming silence that envelops the room, both of them don’t feel suffocated under the weight of silence. Hecate situated herself right next to the Chief with her face facing against each other—silver eyes reflecting the moonlight like a mirror leading to the realm of endless dreams. 

“You can stay, but you have to be gone by the morning, understood Hecate?”

“ Is it wrong, Chief?” Hecate’s icy doe eye looks right into the older woman’s soul, seeking answers beyond words and physical matters. Why did she have to ask it that way? 

“ No, it's just…a rule, sinners have to reside in their cells at night.” The Chief answers, but she isn’t sure if she answered what Hecate asked. Suddenly, a hand takes hold of hers—the fingers intertwined with each other, the Chief doesn’t say anything when Hecate takes her hand but her eyes follow them. She is surprised to know that the ashen blue-haired girl’s palm is rough and decorated with old scars. The Chief loses her focus again, feeling the roughness of the young girl’s hand until she squeezes the Chief’s hand with it. Blue and silver eyes lock into each other once again, and at that moment–the moon is at its peak and the light shining upon the sinner’s face amplifies the silver luminescence eyes even further. Glowing eyes seem to be a trait shared by many sinners. There’s something in Hecate’s eyes that makes the Chief’s psyche shift into an unknown state; a weird, confusing turmoil. While the Chief is all over in her own head, Hecate moves herself a little closer to the black-haired woman—bit by bit, until their noses are a few inches apart, and that seems to snap the Chief back to reality. Hecate stops for a moment, looking for any kind of resistance. When she found none, she continues until they share the same breathing air. Their lips are an inch away and–

“Chief,”

“May I?” The soft and monotone voice of Hecate usually stays calm in the most stressful situation is now visibly trembling–whether it’s from anxiety or desire, the chief really has no idea. She doesn't know if this is an appropriate thing for an MBCC chief to indulge in but the warmth that radiates from Hecate makes her heart shudder. Hecate is almost always colder than the environment she exists in—but not this time, or maybe she was always warm, the chief just realizes now. 

“You may," The chief answers, giving in to the need to indulge herself in the mutual comfort of the sinner. Hecate takes immediate initiative in closing the gap between them one last time. The chief feels the lips of the girl in front of her pressing onto hers. She breathes in a scent that weirdly reminds her of a rainy day, a mountain, and flowers; it’s a cold and sweet scent she remembered from the vision of those white flowers she saw the first time she met Hecate… if remembers a scent from a dream of memories is a thing that is. The warmth of Hecate’s lips makes the Chief slightly shudder as it contrasts with the cold temperature in the room. It isn’t a deep kiss, nor is it a shallow one but it’s certainly filled with doubt and anxiety. A moment later, Hecate withdraws her presence a little further away from the black-haired woman but the sweet and cold scent is still there. Hecate looks conflicted, she is in pain and she seems pleased. She looks at peace but is also scared of something. 

“Can I… sleep with you until I get better, Chief?” 

That’s… that’s not really appropriate for someone who is the Chief to do but... 

If it would make Hecate feels better then… 

“Fine, but next time inform me ahead of time if you’re gonna be here, don’t crawl through the air-con pipe again…” the Chief says with a defeated voice. Hecate’s lips slightly form a faded smile. Completely at peace with herself now. 

The Chief owes Hecate, for what she has forced her to go through in BR0004.

This is the least she can do, for the pain, she caused the sinner.

[cherrycat-blossom]

Seichou gakuen

Seichou gakuen ( 成長学園 ) is an academy that provides school and training for people who wants to become ninja, soldier, and warrior/samurai. It was founded by Hisae shimotomi iikai who died under a mysterious circumstances. The current headmaster is Esu Kaida iikai.

About:

The exact time this school existed is unknown as people who is associated with this school's early existence refuse to share any informations or dissapeared, but it is said it's created since a long time ago.

The Academy is located in the Kansai region, with the exact locating kept secret. There is no entrance exam, but there is an exit exam. People can also join as transfer students mid-semester.

This academy is not known in the public and the school pupils is either from families who has associations with the headmaster's families, allies of the school, other ninjutsu schools, pirates or people that is chosen to be a student there ( Harry Potter ref /j )

Students at the Academy are called Choutama (忍たま) For both boys and girls, there are six school years, and each school year is separated into three classes, labelled I (い), Ro (ろ), and Ha (は) following the old kana ordering system. First-years to third-years are categorized as lowerclassmen (下級生), and fourth through sixth-years are categorized as upperclassmen (上級生). Each class ( regardless gender ) is assigned two teachers: one for academic and theory studies, and one for technical skill and training. Girls have their own separate building called the Kunoichi classroom.

The textbooks used in Seichou Academy is called the 'Jinsei no chishiki' ( knowledge of life ) Only Hisae's relatives/family and pupils of the seichou Academy are allowed to have access to the textbook in order to prevent information about the academy from leaking. This textbooks is originally written by Hisae but it got modified by previous headmasters that took Hisae's place after her death. Nobody knows how the textbooks is originally written unless they are the students and staffs during hisae's time of being a headmaster. Though that, they refused to reveal anything. It is said the unmodified version of the books holds many secrets.

The Seichou Academy has a very large school campus, and facilities such as training fields, a storeroom for explosives, a pond, a dining hall, a nurse’s office, etc., which are all shared between boys and girls. It also has separate classroom buildings and dorm rooms for boys and girls. Teachers office is also separated by gender. The campus is encircled by a long wall, and unauthorized entry or exit is prohibited. Visitors are required to sign their names in for entry, and intruders will be hunted down by the students council committee members.

Although the seichou Academy is an educational organization, it acts like a full-scale castle that makes alliances with other castles, factions, academies, and helps them. It also owns a large territory of mountains and forests outside of the campus, which are used as training grounds for the students. This area is prohibited from public entries unless with any staffs or student councils guidance to avoid injuries or possible death as it is equipped with heavy traps for the students trainings.

Outfits:

( ik the colour looks emo stfu, I'm struggling here 😥 )

The Seichou academy uniform is a ninja clothing, a double-sided outfit that can be quickly reversed and worn to shake off pursuers and blend into crowds. Each year has a differently-colored uniform (expanded on in Students), and the staff wear black, the common outfit color of professional ninjas.

Seichou academy also provided permissions for students and staffs to make alterations on the uniforms as long as they still kept the concept of it being a ninja clothing.

Uniforms is provided by the school's mysterious seamstress named Norita, who lives in the Seichou gakuen since who knows when. She never went out of her room unless is needed to repair any clothes.

Infos ( outfits category ):

- upperclassmen kunoichis has two versions of the uniforms and the students can pick whichever suits them the best once they reached 4th years ( the second version looks like the kunotama uniform in the anime )

- original handbands can be chosen by both students and teachers whilst net handbands is teachers specific only

- the uniforms is gender exclusives though the students can have any uniforms they want regardless genders, but most of the time they all just use the original orders.

Students:

- 1-6 years male and female

Staffs:

- male and female teachers - school's seamstress - canteen lady - translators - student councils - researchers / recruiters

Trivias:

- all of the students council is aging around 16-18 which making them considered as staffs and not students

- this school also kidnap take in foreigner students mainly from the same continents and nearest countries to Japan such as Korea and china

- committees is mixed both male and female

- death.. Does happens, in this school, several students has died in the past due to some technical issues or accidents during events/trainings

- some students that is chosen to attend the school is not even from Shinobi or any warrior related role family, they are simply choose because in the eyes of the recruiters they fit for it

- tons of students here spoke in heavy Kansai accent

Committees:

- Etiquette committee - pyschical education committee - accounting committee - library committe - health committee - tools committee - biology committee - explosives committee - class president committee - kunoichi class president committee - student council committee - performance committee - hunting committee - weapons and crafting committee - cooking committee - mixed martial arts committee - sailing committee - gardening committee

A/N: augh this is finally done, I did copy and paste from the nintama wiki and edit it like how @kunoimochi did, so credits to you pookie 🫂 ( and inspos, hope you don't mind (⁠｡⁠ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠) )

[truecrimecrystals]

Jerome Ezell vanished under suspicious circumstances on November 7th, 2017. The then-27-year-old man was last seen alive in Lansing, Michigan. Over a year later, on December 12th, 2018, Jerome's remains were found in a wooded area in Van Buren County off of I-94. His death was labeled a homicide.

The day of Jerome's disappearance seemingly began as a regular day. He dropped off his girlfriend, Jasmine Hill, at her job in Lansing. Jerome was driving a vehicle the couple shared, a white 2017 Chevy Equinox. He planned to later pick Jasmine up from work, but he never showed up as planned. 

After Jasmine's calls to Jerome went unanswered, she contacted OnStar to try and locate their car. OnStar subsequently led to police finding the vehicle on N. Fairview Avenue in Lansing. Jerome's five-month-old son was found in the car, unharmed and strapped into his car seat, but Jerome himself was nowhere to be found. Police subsequently began to investigate Jerome's disappearance. 

A year after Jerome went missing, a local news report stated that police did not consider his disappearance to be a cold case, but it was "at a standstill." A little over a month later, human remains were found in a wooded area in Van Buren County. Days later, the remains were confirmed to be that of Jerome Ezell. 

It's worth noting that Jerome's body was found approximately 100 miles away from where his car was found. It's unknown if he was killed in that location or if his body was hidden there after the fact. There is otherwise very little information available about the investigation into Jerome's murder. Police were quick to label Jerome's manner of death as a homicide, but his exact cause of death has not been publicly revealed. 

Both the Michigan State Police and the FBI are involved in the search for Jerome's killer(s). The FBI is offering a monetary reward for "information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible" for Jerome's murder. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please submit a tip. 

[vanaglcria]

Far from in-depth, but a rough progression of events for Carmilla, from arriving in Hell to where she sits now :

Upon her arrival in Hell, Carmilla is horrified to discover that her daughters ( for reasons yet unknown ) are there with her. Clara and Odette did not remember the exact circumstances surrounding their death, believing the wreck to be an accident. The three find housing in a less-than-ideal apartment complex, and search for employment. Clara and Odette have more fortune in this regard, as Carmilla struggles to adjust to the bodily changes she's undergone.

Within the first handful of months she is Hell, Carmilla witnesses an Extermination up-close. Surviving by hiding and making herself as small as possible, she vows to never allow herself to be as weak in death as she was in life.

Following the Extermination, Carmilla notices how many weapons are left where the dead have fallen, include angelic weapons not retrieved by those who had wielded them. Seeing an easy way to turn a profit, she starts collecting the abandoned weaponry to sell. This starts as a small, quick turnaround run out of her apartment, selling all that she had collected within the span of about six weeks — save for one angelic spear that she keeps for herself.

Over the following year, she learns. Studying Sinners and what makes them tick, observes the social hierarchy of Hell, learns who and what to avoid. She also learns more about the Extermination, the angels, and the relevance of the weapons they kill with : that a weapon forged of angelic steel is capable of killing a Sinner, and perhaps even Hellborn demons.

Over the next four-to-five years, Carmilla gathers the fallen weapons of angels and demons during and after the Extermination.  During this span, she studies metallurgy and forging, and begins experimenting, testing the melting points and durability of angelic steel when it has been reforged. Using the money made from selling weaponry, she reinvests, until she's able to rent a small space to turn into a metal shop.

Out of this shop space, Carmilla sells primarily blades made from recycled metal. Her eye for craftsmanship makes her products well-received in Pride, and soon she is turning a good profit, enough that she is able to have Clara and Odette quit their jobs to help her. During this time, she crafts her first repurposed angelic steel piece, and is able to move herself and her daughters into better housing. It's around this point that Carmilla learns of soul contracts and what they entail.

As business improves over the following years, Carmilla continues to put money back into her work : keeping as low a profile as one can in Pride, not wasting her money on extravagant displays. Over these early years, she begins hiring more employees, creating a larger space for her work, and continuing her experimentations for new weaponry. The majority of her workforce are women or battered spouses, given a second chance and an escape.

Years pass, the business grows, and Carmilla begins to collect souls : it begins as a way to keep track of her employees, those who sign over their souls with no hesitation, and then as a method of payment for those who don't have the money to hand over for her weaponry. These numbers add up quickly, perhaps more quickly than would have been expected. Then, comes the acquisition of other arms dealers and the souls under their control, competition that is swiftly crushed beneath her heel.

It's at this point that she gains the title of Overlord, a title she is determined to hold onto. A power she will not lose, determined to never feel so helpless every again.

[blueiskewl]

The Wreck of Historic Royal Ship 'The Gloucester' Discovered

The wreck of one of the most famous ships of the 17th century – which sank 340 years ago while carrying the future King of England James Stuart – has been discovered off the coast of Norfolk in the UK, it can be revealed.

Since running aground on a sandbank on May 6, 1682, the wreck of the warship the Gloucester has lain half-buried on the seabed, its exact whereabouts unknown until brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell, with their friend James Little, found it after a four-year search.

Due to the age and prestige of the ship, the condition of the wreck, the finds already rescued, and the accident’s political context, the discovery is described by maritime history expert Prof Claire Jowitt, of the University of East Anglia (UEA), as the most important maritime discovery since the Mary Rose.

The Gloucester represents an important ‘almost’ moment in British political history: a royal shipwreck causing the very near-death of the Catholic heir to the Protestant throne at a time of great political and religious tension.

Now a major exhibition is planned for Spring 2023, the result of a partnership between the Barnwell brothers, Norfolk Museums Service, and academic partner UEA. Running from February to July at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, the exhibition will display finds from the wreck – including the bell that confirmed the ship’s identity – and share ongoing historical, scientific and archaeological research.

Prof Jowitt, a world-leading authority on maritime cultural history, is a co-curator of the exhibition. “Because of the circumstances of its sinking, this can be claimed as the single most significant historic maritime discovery since the raising of the Mary Rose in 1982,” she said. “The discovery promises to fundamentally change understanding of 17th-century social, maritime and political history.

“It is an outstanding example of underwater cultural heritage of national and international importance. A tragedy of considerable proportions in terms of loss of life, both privileged and ordinary, the full story of the Gloucester’s last voyage and the impact of its aftermath needs re-telling, including its cultural and political importance, and legacy. We will also try to establish who else died and tell their stories, as the identities of a fraction of the victims are currently known.”

The Barnwell brothers are Aylsham-based printers and live in Wroxham. They are licensed divers and Honorary Fellows in the School of History at UEA. Lincoln said he was partly inspired to search for the wreck after watching the lifting of the Mary Rose on television as a child.

It was our fourth dive season looking for Gloucester,” he said. “We were starting to believe that we were not going to find her, we’d dived so much and just found sand. On my descent to the seabed the first thing I spotted were large cannon laying on white sand, it was awe- inspiring and really beautiful.

“It instantly felt like a privilege to be there, it was so exciting. We were the only people in the world at that moment in time who knew where the wreck lay. That was special and I’ll never forget it. Our next job was to identify the site as the Gloucester.”

Julian added: “When we decided to search for the Gloucester we had no idea how significant she was in history. We had read that the Duke of York was onboard but that was it. We were confident it was the Gloucester, but there are other wreck sites out there with cannons, so it still needed to be confirmed.

“There is still a huge amount of knowledge to be gained from the wreck, which will benefit Norfolk and the nation. We hope this discovery and the stories that are uncovered will inform and inspire future generations.”

Lord Dannatt, Norfolk Deputy Lieutenant and longstanding resident of the county, is lending his skills and support to the historic rescue project. As former head of the British Army, he works with charities and organisations that have links to the armed services.

“This is going to be Norfolk’s Mary Rose,” said Lord Dannatt. “Julian and Lincoln have touched history, history that could have changed the course of this nation. It’s such an amazing story to tell. Our aim is to bring that story to life and to share it with as many people as possible.”

The Gloucester was commissioned in 1652, built at Limehouse in London, and launched in 1654. In 1682 it was selected to carry James Stuart, Duke of York, to Edinburgh to collect his heavily pregnant wife and their households. The aim was to bring them back to King Charles II’s court in London in time, it was hoped, for the birth of a legitimate male heir.

The ship had set sail from Portsmouth with the Duke and his entourage joining it off Margate, having travelled by yacht from London. At 5.30am on May 6, the Gloucester ran aground some 45km off Great Yarmouth following a dispute about navigating the treacherous Norfolk sandbanks. The Duke, a former Lord High Admiral, had argued with the pilot for control over the ship’s course.

Within an hour the vessel sank with the loss of hundreds of the crew and passengers. The Duke barely survived, having delayed abandoning ship until the last minute.

As well as the Duke of York, the Gloucester carried a number of prominent English and Scottish courtiers including John Churchill, later the 1st Duke of Marlborough.

Diarist and naval administrator Samuel Pepys, who witnessed events from another ship in the fleet, wrote his own account – describing the harrowing experience for victims and survivors, with some picked up “half dead” from the water.

Together with their late father Michael, and two friends including James Little, a former Royal Navy submariner and diver, the Barnwell brothers found the wreck site in 2007, with the Gloucester split down the keel and remains of the hull submerged in sand.

The ship’s bell, manufactured in 1681, was later recovered, and in 2012 it was used by the Receiver of Wreck and Ministry of Defence to decisively identify the vessel.

Due to the time taken to confirm the identity of the ship and the need to protect an ‘at risk’ site, which lies in international waters, it is only now that its discovery can be made public. As well as the Receiver of Wreck and Ministry of Defence, the wreck has been declared to Historic England.

Following the discovery, the brothers completed an underwater archaeology course with the Nautical Archaeology Society.

Artefacts rescued and conserved include clothes and shoes, navigational and other professional naval equipment, personal possessions, and many wine bottles.

One of the bottles bears a glass seal with the crest of the Legge family – ancestors of George Washington, the first US President. The crest was a forerunner to the Stars and Stripes flag. Uniquely, in addition there were also some unopened bottles, with wine still inside -¬ offering exciting opportunities for future research.

The accompanying historical research project, funded by the Leverhulme Trust and led by Prof Jowitt, will explore not only the failures of command at sea before the Gloucester sank, but conspiracy theories about the tragedy’s causes and its political consequences.

It is also hoped that UEA’s scientific expertise and facilities will be used to analyse some of the finds from the wreck.

The Ministry of Defence’s position is that all artefacts remain the property of the Ministry of Defence; however, where items are positively identified as personal property, ownership will then default to the Crown.

Partners already involved in the landmark project alongside the Barnwells, UEA and Norfolk Museums Service include the Ministry of Defence, the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth, York Archaeology, the Leverhulme Trust and Maritime Archaeology Trust. The exhibition is being generously supported by Alan Boswell Group and Birketts LLP.

[tokiro07]

Ch. 134 and 135 thoughts

[What Are You Selling? I Don’t Want It] and [Someone’s Taking a Train to Sleepy Time Junction]

134

Truly love Nico’s introduction to the new Loop starting with “I’m an atheist.” The sheer irony of that statement can only be surpassed by Edward “I became an atheist AFTER meeting God’ Elric

Also, extremely funny that Nico has a portrait of Nicola Tesla hanging in his apartment. It also occurs to me that his name is almost definitely an explicit reference to Nicola Tesla, guess the author just wanted to make sure people knew that

So Nico behaves the way that Fuuko expects of him based on the Nico that she knew, which I think more or less confirms that the worlds of each Loop are only really influenced by the Union and the actions that they take. All things being equal, this is literally a timeloop and will play out the same way every time if not influenced by an outside force. There’s also the fact that people killed by Regulators (or at least Unruin) don’t come back between Loops, which tells me that the soul of the individual actually remains completely intact; being killed by a Regulator destroys the soul, preventing reincarnation. Fuuko’s soul getting eaten by Ghost would likely have had the same effect, hence why Ruin wanted Ghost to make sure to do so before Ragnarok (idiot that he was for letting Ghost save her for later)

This is likely also the same principle that Remember works under; memories are stored in the soul, not just in the brain, so while their bodies have been destroyed and reformed, the soul is exactly the same one, just refreshed

I saw someone suggest that Fuuko preventing everyone’s tragedies would keep their abilities from manifesting, to which I replied that I believed Akira was an exception because of the exact circumstances of receiving Unknown. Fuuko confirms that this was the case, and that everyone else will certainly receive their abilities regardless. Given that every Negator had an ironic twist of fate related to their Rules, I think that they all did initially receive their powers because of the circumstances, but that was only in Loop 1. In all subsequent Loops, it was likely that they had already been chosen and the ability is now associated with their soul

This calls into question the idea that a Rule is reassigned randomly upon a Negator’s death, or rather, confirms my suspicion that it never was. We’ve only actually witnessed two abilities pass between Negators; Shen’s Untruth going to Mui and Isshin receiving Unbreakable from her grandfather. We know for a fact that Unchange transferred to someone, but we don’t know who, and we can assume that Unrepair and Unpredictable (name pending) transferred upon Rip and Latla’s deaths, as well as Ichico’s Unsleep, but for all intents and purposes, our sample size for ability transferal is only two. And what do those two have in common? They went to someone the deceased knew. Now, most likely, they were the closest person at the time of death and it transfers by proximity, but consider this: what if Shen were to die in this Loop while Mui were not around? Would Untruth go to someone else just because they’re closer, or would it go to Mui, a previous vessel for Untruth in older Loops? I think the latter is much more likely. Just like Shen has already been selected as Untruth, when Shen died in the 100th Loop (presumably for the first time aside from previous Ragnaroks) Mui was then selected as Untruth’s successor and now will always be the second Untruth

Speaking of manifesting abilities, Gina’s tragedy being the deaths of 40,000 people is absolutely insane. Not only is it wildly disproportionate to everyone else’s situations, it also just seems kind of improbable given the scope of her ability. She freezes any non-living thing she touches, so...what’d she touch, the entire atmosphere of her town? Maybe she had the thought “I wish my town would never change” and Unchange interpreted her thought as “I’m in the town and want to keep it from changing, so the air in the whole town can be considered one object to be kept the same”? Maybe? Either way, no wonder she wanted to die, I think I’d be suicidal too if I killed everyone in my hometown simultaneously including my friends and family presumably. My main problem with it is that it’s a little harder to relate to that large of a scale of deaths when everyone else killed someone they personally knew plus collateral, but I’m sure we’ll learn of the personal loss next week

135

As for this week’s chapter, we start with Nico learning about the various devices he made across the previous Loop, the funniest reaction easily being that he could see himself making an Anti-God Laser. After that he questions the ethics of certain devices, most notably the memory altering satellite, despite admitting that again, it’s absolutely something he would do

After that he insists he doesn’t have the funds, equipment or manpower to make any of those devices in this Loop, to which Fuuko responds by nonchalantly writing a check for TWENTY-FIVE BILLION DOLLARS and explains that she struck it rich investing in land that she knew would have natural resources such as oil, so...yeah, I guess Fuuko (and most likely Juiz in previous Loops) is a robber baron? I’m sure Tozuka’s intention is for Fuuko to have NOT exploited anyone, but like...for 25 billion to be a negligible sum, girl probably had to step on some toes here and there...but it’s a fantasy, so we’re just going to ignore the realistic implications

We then cut to Ichico collapsing from exhaustion in front of a train in London due to Unsleep. I guess Unsleep only negates the act of sleep and the feeling and drowsiness, not the effects of lack of sleep, which...just really sucks as a power honestly, and should mean that she died by day eleven of having her power (11 days being the record a human has gone without sleep without dying). I wonder if there’s more to the mechanics of Unsleep or if she used technology to stave off some of the side-effects, but as it stands, it’s really just a bad power (though it probably helped Ichico finish her report for whatever class she was taking)

We cut back to Nico, reunited with his team, trying to figure out his own designs from previous Loops. He’s particularly stumped by the inclusion of hihi’irokane, which is actually a real material in Japanese historical legend, comparable to either damascus steel or orichalcum (metal alloys that supposedly existed but either lost their production methods or have no known modern equivalent). If you play RPGs, you may have heard the term Scarletite at some point, which is one way translators have chosen to translate hihi’irokane (literally meaning flame-colored metal). Supposedly hihi’irokane is so conductive that it can be used to conduct souls or emotions, which presumably is why Nico incorporated it into his designs (i.e., transmitting his thoughts into his Pods and possibly conducting souls for the pseudo-clones)

While Nico has trouble reconciling with the mistakes of his future-past, Fuuko introduces him to Ichico and despairs that they immediately seem to be at each other’s throats, not realizing that they’re literally recreating the circumstances and conversation of their first meeting (reinforcing my idea that things that happen in one Loop are fated to happen in another)

As Nico finishes up crafting his Psycho Pods, he says he hasn’t forgotten the image he had for them for even a single moment over the course of the last three months, which makes me wonder if he’s already received Unforgettable or if he’s just unintentionally foreshadowing his own unfortunate fate

We then jump straight to Russia to save the people of Irkutsk from Unchange, and we learn that Gina’s last name is Chamber, a decidedly NOT Russian last name to my knowledge. Possibly an appropriate last name since she can create barriers, but you know who else is Russian and could have that as a fitting ironic name? TATIANA! Her ability LITERALLY has her trapped in a small chamber! Missed opportunity

Anyway, I have...no idea how Nico and Ichico are supposed to prevent Unchange from working since all they have are the Psycho Pods and Unsleep, but we know that Nico’s lasers can get past Unchange’s barriers, so...maybe they’ll force her to move from the spot she’s standing in, thus forcing her to deactivate Unchange? Or cover her in the goop that the pseudo-clones were made of so she can’t make contact with the air? I’m very unclear, and I definitely don’t see how Ichico plays into it, but hey, these are three Negators that we got to see very little from in the previous Loop, so this is honestly a perfectly welcome match-up

Sadly, Undead Unluck was in the very back of the magazine this week, which tells me that people weren’t impressed with last week’s chapter, which...I kind of get, since it took me a week to muster enough to say about it to warrant a full post, but like....c’mon, it’s the start of a new arc, things are usually a bit slower around now. But hey, we’re getting a color-page next week AND some voice cast announcements! I'm kind of hoping for Kana Ueda and Junichi Suwabe as Fuuko and Andy, but that’s probably because I’m on a Neuro kick right now and want to hear Yako again, and from there just realized that she’s also Rin from Fate and would pair well with Suwabe as another white-haired tough guy

Aside from that, I’m actually trying not to think of voices too much so as not to set myself up for disappointment, but let me know if you have any voices you’re hoping to see in the cast!

[editionetoile]

“Although it is challenging to determine the exact figures of malnutrition worldwide, according to the United Nations in 2022, approximately 9% of the world's population, or around 690 million people, experienced chronic hunger. Shockingly, this dire situation leads to approximately 25,000 people dying of hunger-related causes every day, with over 10,000 of these deaths affecting children.

When we analyze the yearly impact of these daily deaths, it results in a staggering figure of around 9.13 million people succumbing to hunger annually. Over a decade, the cumulative toll reaches a heartbreaking total of approximately 91.3 million lives lost. These numbers underscore the urgent need for global efforts to address food insecurity, poverty, and malnutrition, as hunger remains a devastating challenge that affects millions of lives worldwide.”

(The photograph was taken by South African photojournalist Kevin Carter in Sudan in March 1993. The photo depicts a emaciated girl crouching, while a vulture lurks in the background. This poignant image is often associated with the famine that was prevalent in the region at the time.

The starving and weakened girl appears to be in a desperate situation, while the vulture symbolizes the imminent threat of death. This photograph elicited emotional reactions and drew global attention to the severity of the famine affecting parts of Africa.

Carter won the Pulitzer Prize for this photo, but controversy surrounding the ethics of photojournalism also emerged. Some criticized Carter for not immediately helping the girl, although the exact circumstances of the shot are not clear. Shortly after winning the Pulitzer Prize, Carter tragically took his own life in 1994.

This photograph remains a powerful symbol of the realities of famine, poverty, and the challenges many people face in different parts of the world. It also highlights the moral dilemmas that photojournalists may encounter when documenting extreme situations.

The fate of the little girl captured in Kevin Carter's photograph in Sudan remains unknown. In the midst of severe famine, her story after that moment is unrecorded. She may have tragically succumbed to the harsh conditions, or perhaps she found a way to survive.)

Picture by Kevin Carter

Illustration by Laurent Guidali

Www.Etoile.App

[free-for-all-fics]

Clue inspired Max Phillips/Tim Rockford/The Thief Crossover Prompt! Pls tag me if you’re inspired by any of these ideas and I’d love to read it! 🕵️‍♂️🩸💎

When you were a child, your mother or father died under strange and unusual circumstances. The exact cause of death is still unknown. At the crime scene all they found was scissors and a glass of wine with lipstick on it. But no blood was found around the crime scene or in your mother’s/father’s body. She/He was completely drained. An anonymous individual tipped off police about the body.

Now an adult, you enlist the help of Detective Tim Rockford to solve the cold case. His investigation leads him to The Nowhere House - a centuries old yet opulent mansion rumored to be haunted. It’s said to be as mesmerizingly beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside, if not more so. It’s rumored to have a labyrinthine interior similar to the Winchester Mystery House that disorients anyone who dares to enter so that they can never find the front door ever again. It won't let you out but inexplicably offers whatever you need. There’s endless hallways lined with doors, each leading to different rooms such as bedrooms, ballrooms, libraries, etc.

There’s conflicting stories of the mansion’s history: Some say it was built by a wealthy man as a wedding gift for his new bride but she died under mysterious circumstances before it was finished. When the house was finally completed, her widower held her corpse in his arms as he entombed himself alive within the walls so they’d always be together in the house meant for them. Some speculate she was murdered, etc., etc. The stories are always contradictory and told differently. Nobody knows what’s truth or what’s legend.

You’re conflicted because you want your mother/father’s death solved, but you don’t want Tim to go anywhere near that dreadful place. “Detective, not to disrespect your job or anything, but I’d highly recommend against going near that mansion. The people who live there can…do things. Unnatural things. We’ve learned to leave it be; I suggest you do the same.” But a lead is a lead, and Tim must follow it, no matter how dangerous. It’s his job. He goes undercover to infiltrate a masquerade ball being held there. You’re stubborn and refuse to let him go alone, so you force him to take you with as his “date.” You and Tim mingle with the other guests and blend in. You play your roles and engage in eating and drinking, chatting, or even dancing if you must. You and Tim eventually split up to cover more ground.

While you’re snooping around and searching for clues, you open a door only to find the room empty. You suddenly get the feeling that you’re not alone as your hair stands up on your neck. You turn around and run into Max Phillips, one of the hosts for this evening. Even underneath his mask, you can tell he’s devilishly handsome. He’s charismatic and seductive when he smiles at you, his pearly white teeth glinting in the candlelight. He plays the part of a gentleman as he chats you up while drinking a glass of red wine. He corners you and won’t let you get away so easily despite your excuses to leave, so you indulge him in his flirtations.

Maybe if you keep him talking and distract him long enough, you’ll buy Tim enough time to find evidence. And It wouldn’t be such a terrible fate if you ended up in a closet or bedroom with this handsome man for a few hours either. You’ll do what you gotta do. He shows you around and eventually leads you to a special door. He tells you that this room has been locked up tight ever since the original owner’s funeral - the key has since gone missing. Over the centuries, subsequent owners and inhabitants of the mansion have always been warned that they’re not, under any circumstances, allowed inside this very room. Many have tried to break in, but all have failed. Some even went so far as to commit grave robbery. They dug up the original owner’s corpse and searched for the key, but contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t buried with him.

You’re attached to Max’s hip and all is well at the party - until the lights go out and there’s a murder. Problem is, the one murdered is Detective Tim Rockford. Once Tim’s body is discovered, the mansion’s sophisticated security system activates. All the doors and windows are locked and shuttered, all escape routes are cut off. No party guests are allowed to leave until the culprit is found. You scream in horror as you find yourself in the middle of another murder mystery, but this time the detective is the victim. Now what’re you gonna do?

Unbeknownst to everyone, A thief broke in just before the commotion caused the luxurious mansion to go into lockdown. He was hiding himself amongst the guests and stealing their valuables right from under their noses, but now he’s trapped inside with all of you. Dammit. This heist is suddenly not going so well for him. The Thief’s plan quickly switches from "steal" to "survive". Unbeknownst to any of you, your host, Max Phillips, is a vampire. He may or may not have murdered your mother/father. He may or may not be Tim’s murderer. He could be guilty of one crime but not the other. He could be guilty of both crimes. There may be no crime at all. Later in the evening, you notice the key sitting in the lock of the forbidden room. What happens next? It’s all up to you.

(Maybe not everything is as it seems. Maybe there’s a much bigger, more convoluted scheme at play here. What if Tim isn’t actually dead and it’s all just an elaborate hoax? What if you, Max, and/or The Thief are all in on it as well and co-conspirators? If it’s all a hoax, why are any of you doing this? What’s your true motive? It’s all up to you to decide.)

[newsgola]

MPs implored federal government to bring former Afghan politician to Canada before she was killed

Canadian politicians were working to bring Mursal Nabizada, a woman who used to serve as a Member of Parliament in Afghanistan before the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, to this country before she was killed this weekend.  The exact circumstances of Nabizada’s death are unclear, but police in Kabul said she and her bodyguard were killed by unknown gunmen, and her brother injured, all in an…

[donareply]

3 Things you didn't know about Gigi Bryant autopsy report

Introduction

This autopsy report is an official document concerning the death of Gigi Byant, which occurred on April 11, 2021. The autopsy was performed by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office and its findings are detailed herein. The report includes a physical examination of Gigi Bryant autopsy report, toxicology results and a summary of the results. This report is intended to provide information to aid in the investigation and understanding of the circumstances surrounding the death of Gigi Byant.

Gigi Bryant's Autopsy Results: What the Medical Examiner Found

The medical examiner’s report on the autopsy of Gigi Byant reveals several key findings. The cause of death was determined to be anoxic encephalopathy due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome secondary to septic shock. The examination of the body revealed evidence of severe systemic inflammation, with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome present. The most significant findings were acute pulmonary edema and acute renal failure. Additionally, there were signs of sepsis and multiple organ failure, including congestive heart failure, liver failure, and acute pancreatitis. The autopsy also revealed evidence of a pulmonary embolism, likely due to a deep vein thrombosis in the lower extremities. The deep vein thrombosis was likely the result of a prolonged period of immobility and lack of activity prior to death. Additionally, the medical examiner found evidence of pulmonary edema, pleural effusions, and evidence of a septic embolism in the left lung. There was also evidence of pulmonary hypertension, which may have contributed to the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) seen in the patient. The medical examiner’s report concluded that the patient had died from anoxic encephalopathy due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome secondary to septic shock. This finding was corroborated by the laboratory findings, which showed elevated levels of circulating inflammatory markers and evidence of multiple organ failure.

An In-Depth Look at the Cause of Death in the Gigi Bryant Autopsy

The death of Gigi Bryant, the daughter of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, was a tragedy that shook the world. As such, an in-depth look at the cause of death in her autopsy is of the utmost importance. Gigi Bryant’s autopsy was conducted by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office on January 26th, 2020. The official cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, neck, and torso. The injuries were caused by the helicopter crash that took her life and the lives of seven others. The autopsy report detailed the extent of the injuries sustained by Gigi Bryant. The findings noted that she suffered multiple rib fractures, a cervical spine fracture, a lacerated liver, and a fractured left thigh bone. She also had multiple contusions on her head and torso. The autopsy report also noted that the cause of death was due to the “mechanism of injury,” which refers to the forces applied to the body in an accident or crash. The coroner stated that the “forceful impact of the crash” was responsible for the fatal injuries. The autopsy further revealed that the cause of death could have been avoided if the pilot had taken the necessary safety precautions, such as avoiding mountainous terrain in low-visibility conditions. The coroner noted that the pilot’s decision to fly into such hazardous conditions was a contributing factor to the tragedy.

Examining the Legal Implications of the Gigi Byant Autopsy Report

The autopsy report of Gigi Bryant, the daughter of the late Kobe and Vanessa Bryant, has recently been released to the public. The report reveals the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head and chest, with a helicopter crash being the most likely cause. While the report does not provide any definitive conclusions, it does raise a number of legal implications. First, the report brings up the possibility of negligence and wrongful death. While the exact cause of the helicopter crash is still unknown, the report does provide evidence of negligence on the part of the pilot and/or the aircraft operator. This could potentially lead to criminal charges or civil lawsuits. Additionally, the report mentions that the helicopter was not equipped with a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS), which could have provided additional warning of the terrain and allowed the pilot to avoid the crash. This could also lead to negligence claims. Second, the report raises the issue of liability. The report mentions that the aircraft was owned by Island Express Helicopters, Inc., and that the pilot, Ara Zobayan, was employed by the same company. This suggests that the company may be liable for any damages caused by the crash. Additionally, any other companies or individuals who contributed to the crash, such as the manufacturer of the aircraft, may also be liable for damages.

Conclusion

The autopsy report of Gigi Byant concluded that she died from a combination of factors, including blunt force trauma, drowning, and the effects of prolonged exposure to extreme cold temperatures. The autopsy further revealed that the cause of her death was ruled to be accidental. The autopsy report also noted that there was no evidence of foul play in Gigi's death. This tragic accident serves as a reminder of the importance of safety precautions and the potential risks of extreme weather conditions. Read the full article

[mariacallous]

In late September 2022, Russia held a sham “referendum” in Ukraine’s Kherson region as a precursor to claiming ownership over the territory. Soon after the annexation, it was reported that Russian troops had shot Yury Kerpatenko, the principal conductor of the Kherson Regional Philharmonic. The murder was reported both on the Ukrainian Culture Ministry’s social media and in the independent press. The exact circumstances surrounding Kerpatenko's disappearance, however, and even the date when it happened, are unknown. Meduza lays out what we know about the Ukrainian conductor and his disappearance.

The initial reports

On September 9, 2022, Yury Kerpatenko, the chief conductor of the Kherson Regional Philharmonic, would have turned 46. And it’s possible that he did; his friends and colleagues don’t know for sure. The last post Kerpatenko made on his Facebook profile was on May 29. All of the birthday wishes from his friends and colleagues sit on the page unanswered.

“There are a lot of Internet and cell service outages [in occupied Kherson]. [Plus,] a lot of people have abstained from getting Russian SIM cards simply out of principle, and Russian SIM cards are the only way to get in touch with someone,” said Tamara Lazareva (name changed), a member of the Kherson Philharmonic. Lazareva stayed in the city of Kherson until the end of the summer, when she was able to evacuate to the unoccupied part of the Kherson region.

On the evening of October 12, clarinet player Terenty Shevchenko said in a Facebook post that Kerpatenko had likely been killed by Russian troops. Shevchenko and Kerpatenko had previously worked together for 10 years at Kherson’s Mykola Kulish Music and Drama Theater. The day after Shevchenko's post, Kherson-based journalist Yelena Vanina shared the news on her own Facebook page.

Vanina told Meduza the following:

On October 13, one of Yury’s colleagues wrote to me and asked me to publish this message: “Today, it was revealed that the conductor of the Kherson Philharmonic was shot by the occupiers. He refused to work with them, and they said that they would come [for him]. They went to his home and shot him right there. It’s difficult to find more details than that, because everyone in Kherson is afraid [of the Russian soldiers], but the information is 100 percent true. I would like all of Ukraine to know about this. He was a very talented conductor, especially his arrangement skills.

[According to his colleagues,] nobody has heard from Yury since September. [His] friends started to learn what had happened, learned about this awful murder. But in the occupied territory, people are very scared and have asked not to be quoted.

Tamara Lazareva and Terenty Shevchenko said they both learned about Yury Kerpatenko’s death in the same way: on the same day, they received messages from multiple colleagues who still live in Kherson and who asked not to be named.

Who was Yury Kerpatenko?

All of Yury Kerpatenko’s colleagues mentioned his musical talent. In addition to conducting, he wrote film scores and did arrangements and orchestrations for clients throughout Ukraine and beyond. Four people Meduza spoke to called Kerpatenko both “multi-talented” and “in high demand.”

Terenty Shevchenko, who worked with Yury Kerpatenko for 10 years and witnessed his rise to the directorship of the Mykola Kulish Theater, described him as extremely ambitious. According to Shevchenko, Kerpatenko transformed the theater from a forgotten institution whose musicians did little more than accompany “old shows” to what was effectively a “philharmonic orchestra” capable of playing “big, dramatic, serious” pieces.

Tamara Lazareva, who played in both of Kerpatenko’s orchestras (the Philharmonic and the Mykola Kulish Theater orchestra), stressed that the conductor wasn’t motivated by fame or recognition: 

Yury was modest, decent, and proud. He worked so hard in the theater — and did so much for it! Other theater employees were named People’s Artists, but Yury didn’t win any titles or anything like that.

Kerpatenko, she said, wasn’t one to defend his own interests. “[The theater] would use him. He would work quickly and for free — the kind of work they pay good money for abroad.”

According to Shevchenko, Kerpatenko’s compliant nature was inseparable from his integrity. In 2016, when an internal conflict among employees at the Mykola Kulish Theater started heating up, Yury decided to remove himself from the situation. “We [the other employees] were all turning on each other. Yury [eventually] got tired of it and resigned.”

The motive

Kherson journalist Yelena Vanina has her own theory for why Russian soldiers allegedly killed Yury Kerpatenko. She told Meduza that the conductor refused to assemble the orchestra for a concert to celebrate International Music Day on October 1 — something the Russian-backed authorities saw as an important part of “creating a picture of peaceful life" in the occupied city.

The conductor’s colleagues say he was very principled and emotional; he could very well have told the [occupiers] to follow the Russian warship in plain language. But unfortunately, we [journalists, Ukrainian prosecutors, and Kerpatenko’s friends] don’t know the details of the murder. The prosecutor’s office is working remotely. It’s very difficult to confirm anything. After the [Ukrainian] victory, there will be a complete investigation.

According to Shevchenko, the occupation authorities were incapable of organizing the concert they envisioned without Kerpatenko’s help: Kerpatenko had always compiled the repertoire and done the arrangements himself for the orchestra’s performances. Shevchenko said there were only a handful of people in Kherson capable of doing that kind of work at the philharmonic level.

In the end, the show did go on — but judging from video footage of the event, it only included five musicians and no conductor.

Kerpatenko, Lazareva told Meduza, was a “patriot of Ukraine.” Writing and speaking primarily in Russian, like many Kherson residents, the conductor openly expressed his pro-Ukrainian views on his Facebook page. On May 6, 2021, for example, Kerpatenko wrote the following to a Russian user named Nikita:

Joke all you want, but your President has pulled a gun on our country; he took Crimea and part of the Donbas. He wants to be seen as a great leader by you, Nikita, but that means that I, a Russian-speaking resident of Kherson, have to suffer. You can’t save me from myself by threatening me.

Yury Kerpatenko’s patriotism went beyond words. Terenty Shevchenko recalled a time shortly after the Revolution of Dignity (also known as the Maidan Revolution) when Kerpatenko refused to conduct a comedy show at the Mykola Kulish Theater. “Maybe you’ve heard about the Heavenly Hundred,” said Shevchenko. “People were in mourning. Yury refused to conduct. That story is probably a good example of his views.”

Still, the conductor’s colleagues said, Kerpatenko was never prone to extremes. According to Tamara Lazareva, he maintained a separation between art and politics. “At our concerts, we often played [the music of various] Ukrainian composers or Ukrainian folk music, and he loved it.” At the same time, he regularly had the orchestra play music by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, and other Russian composers.

Disappearance

On October 16, Russian propagandist and media manager Alexander Malkevich, who was recently installed as the head of Kherson State University’s journalism department, made a Telegram post denying the reports that Kerpatenko had been murdered. The allegations, he said, were “fake news” being spread by the BBC. In the days after Malkevich’s post, Russian propaganda outlets started actively repeating the same claims.

Malkevich reproached the BBC’s Russian Service and the Ukrainian Culture Ministry for doing too little fact checking, writing, “BBC is spreading a vicious rumor, citing the Ukrainian Culture Ministry, which is incapable of knowing anything about what’s happening in Kherson.” Malkevich then proceeded to make baseless claims of his own: “In all honesty, he [Yury Kerpatenko] simply drank a lot. And was fired from his job for being an alcoholic,” he wrote.

According to Kerpatenko’s colleagues, Malkevich's version of events doesn't make any sense. “If the philharmonic’s leadership decided to collaborate, and we know from reliable sources that it did, then he [Kerpatenko] could have quit because he didn’t want to cooperate [with the occupation authorities],” said Daria Golubeva (name changed), who used to work with Kerpatenko at the Mykola Kulish Theater. “If he were a drunkard, he couldn't be such a workaholic and get so much done,” she added.

When asked whether anyone has seen Yury Kerpatenko’s body or attended his funeral, Tamara Lazareva chuckles: “You have no idea what life in Kherson is like. [...] People there are kidnapped and murdered in large numbers, and there are no funerals. When you see branches [used to cover up bodies] being transported in cars, and Russian soldiers are guarding the vehicles on three sides, it’s obvious what they’re actually transporting. I’ve seen it all myself.”

Terenty Shevchenko gave a similar account of life in the occupied city. “In Kherson, people disappear; they’ve abducted people in front of my very eyes. So this [Kerpatenko’s death] isn’t anything incredible, it’s not something that’s difficult to believe. They came up to my home [in Kherson one time]. Three [Russian] cars came up, broke the gate, and dragged [someone off from the neighboring courtyard]. Just like that. And I watched it happen from the window of my apartment building, my knees shaking. I don’t know if they brought him back home or not. And that story’s not unique.”

* * *

Meduza tried to find relatives of Yury Kerpatenko but was unable. It’s unclear whether they’re lying low to protect their own security or whether Kerpatenko simply had no remaining family.

The conductor’s colleagues know little about his personal life; according to them, he preferred not to talk about it. “He was an orphan; he was raised by his grandmother,” said Darya Golubeva. “His first wife was a violinist from our orchestra [at the theater]. They lived together for several years, then she got cancer and died in 2012. He really took care of her — he stayed with her until the very end. He was committed. And that tragedy hit him hard; it was very traumatic for him. They didn’t have any kids.”

According to Tamara Lazarova, Kerpatenko had since begun living with a woman, but nobody who spoke to Meduza knew anything about her, including her name.

As long as Kherson remains under Russian occupation, there’s little Kerpatenko’s friends and colleagues can do to find out more about what happened. For example, nobody is sure why he didn’t leave the city earlier. Lazareva believes it may have been a question of money: “Leaving Kherson would have cost at least 5,000 hryvnias (about $134), and not everybody has that. Plus, everybody who leaves does it at their own risk; [after all, since the start of the occupation,] there hasn’t been a single humanitarian corridor.”

It’s also unclear exactly why Russian soldiers would want to kill a philharmonic conductor in the first place. “Maybe it annoyed them that he was a Russian speaker but still refused to work for them? [Apparently] they couldn’t wrap their heads around it: how is it possible that someone would [speak Russian but] not want to collaborate? A Russian-speaking Banderite?” speculated Darya Golubeva.

“We’re all hoping he’s still alive, and that they just took him away somewhere. We’re hoping for a miracle. As soon as I learned that [Russian troops had allegedly killed a musician who] refused to work [with the Russians], I immediately knew it was Yury,” said Tamara Lazareva.

In connection with Yury Kerpatenko’s alleged murder, the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal case for both violating the laws and customs of war and premeditated murder.

Meduza has reached out to the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office and the Kherson Philharmonic for comment.

[neechees]

Historical Indigenous Women & Figures [4]:

Yukie Chiri: talented transcriber and translator of Yukar (Ainu epic tales). Growing up bilingual and speaking both Ainu and Japanese, Chiri would later catch the attention of a Linguist, who helped her to transcribe, preserve, and publish multiple Ainu epic tales.

Krotoa: Niece of Chief Autshumato, and Khoisan translator for the officials of the Dutch East India Company in South Africa during the founding of the Cape Colony. Though the exact circumstances of how are unknown, Krotoa came to work in the household of Jan Van Riebeeck and became known as “Eva”, and gained a higher position within the Dutch hierarchy as she additionally served as a trading agent, ambassador for a high ranking chief and peace negotiator in time of war. She exemplified the dependency the Dutch had on the Khoisan in her homeland.

Bartolina Sisa: Woman known for being a leader against Spanish colonialism in Peru, she often took up arms in uprisings alongside other Aymara and Quecha. She was the commander of the siege of La Paz, though she was eventually captured and killed. International Indigenous Women’s day is celebrated on the day of her death in her honor.

Anacaona: Also known as “Golden Flower”, she was a Poet among the Taino, who also served as her brother’s advisor as Chief. She took multiple efforts to try make peace with the Spanish in Haiti, including the arranging of marriages. She was eventually killed by the Spanish, but is remembered today as an intelligent and kind leader.

Matoaka: More famously known as “Pocahontas”, Matoaka was the favorite daughter of Wahunsenacah, Chief of the Powhatan confederacy. Though the story of her saving of John Smith is myth and fabricated by Smith, she did indeed partake in multiple efforts to attempt peace with the English. According to Powhatan oral history, She married the warrior Kocoum & had a child with him before being kidnapped and taken to England.

Jennie Thlunaut: Prolific Tlingit artist and weaver, who is credited with being a major factor in keeping Tlingit Chilkat weaving alive. Her works and artistry have been celebrated by many, including the Smithsonian Institution and Harvard Museum of Natural History.

Elsa Laula Renberg: Saami activist, who wrote and published a 30-page pamphlet in Swedish that spoke about Saami struggles and oppression, making her the first Saami woman to have her works published. She later founded  the South Sámi Fatmomakka Association, which was the first Sámi activist organisation.

Toypurina: Famous for her opposition of Spanish missionaries & their forced assimilation of the Tongva in California, she was a medicine woman who participated in the planned 1785 rebellion against the Mission San Gabriel, where she recruited six of the eight villages which participated in the attack.

part [1], [2], [3]. Transphobes need not reblog and are not welcome on my posts.