#( connection. / && jacob stack. )

[skyrim-forever]

What your fav Skyrim Faction says about you!

(This is just for fun!!! It's a joke <3 and this is based off of all joinable factions as listed on the ES wiki)

Thieves Guild: Be gay do crime? No, be bisexual do crime

College of Winterhold: FUCKIN NERD

Bard's College: This is your fav as a meme

Imperial Legion: While you're bringing back the glory of Rome you should also take out that stack of dirty dishes by your computer.

Stormcloaks: You're either the worst type of person or the best

Dark Brotherhood: You use dark humour to cover up the fact you deeply crave connection

The Companions: Team Jacob

Dawnguard: You have a holier than thou attitude

Volkihar Clan: Don't cut yourself on all that edge 😛

Blades: This is no one's favourite

Greybeards: You read once about the existence of professional hermits in the 19th Century and have longed for that life ever since

Coven of Namira: Enjoyers of Cannibal by Ke$ha

Nightingales: You probably think Nocturnal is hot and the armour is sick. You are not wrong

House Telvanni: You are one of the cool nerds 😎

Tribal Orcs: The chillest people you'll ever meet

[aliensupersyn]

I Solved One of the Great Mysteries of the Heian Era

This reads as a sort of storybook. The pages here all describe Sukuna's rise to power as a divine force in jujutsu society, but it's scattered throughout different chapters. Here, I piece it together for your reading pleasure. I made this discovery while writing my Yuji cog analysis.

Sukuna vs. The Fujiwara Clan

Uro recounting her defeat by Sukuna's hand.

Sukuna sees himself as a divine arbiter who bestows judgement on humans, who he deems to be beings below him. As a divine figure, he condemns humans to misery by his hands. Sukuna's title as the "disgraced one/the fallen," and his talent to forgo a barrier for his domain expansion reflect his defiled divinity. Gege describes Sukuna's domain expansion as a truly divine technique, which adds even more grandeur to his role as the strongest sorcerer in history. Sukuna's undefeated reign of terror ultimately defines his status as a divine sovereign of jujutsu sorcery.

Sukuna's rule of might defines strength as a destructive force. Comparing yourself to and relying on others only makes you weak, according to Sukuna.

Sukuna figuratively acts as a curse; he will never stop spreading misery upon humanity for as long as he lives. He sees his destruction as a divine and just cause. His strength acts as proof for his righteousness.

As the symbol of the greatest force in the history of sorcery, Sukuna enforces a schism within jujutsu society. In the Heian era, and now in the modern era, Sukuna spurs the rule of might. By threatening carnage, he forces sorcerers to come and meet him in battle to test their strength and knowledge against his own. To avoid the calamity Sukuna threatens, sorcerers must either kneel to him or hope to defeat him. In the Heian era, most of the sorcerers likely chose the former after failing to succeed at the latter. After armies of sorcerers died against him, jujutsu society was forced to praise him as their divine sovereign.

This panel revealed that Uro led the Sun, Moon, and Stars squad.

Here, Kashimo reflects on Sukuna's slaughter of Uro's squad. It's also suggested that Sukuna has weathered an army of Angels. Imagine them stacking Jacob's Ladders on him. No wonder he was able to tank Yuta's with no effort.

Here, you can see the outcome of the calamitous battle that Kashimo was reflecting over in the above page. After their defeat, sorcerers began worshipping Sukuna as a God and praying to him for good fortune. His strength had earned him a divine status among the most powerful of the golden era of sorcery. You can also see that they thought of Sukuna as a monster, which resembles another member of the current cast.

The Yorozu panel reveals that Uro once led the Sun, Moon, and Stars squad that Sukuna slaughtered. The second and third pages above describe Uro's squad as powerful sorcerers who challenged Sukuna and died. Yorozu also once challenged the Fujiwara clan and they made her one of their nobles*. Uro detested the very same Fujiwara clan who apparently subjugated her.

Even in a new life, it's not Sukuna that bothers Uro, it's the Fujiwara clan for killing her.

After her squad's defeat, presumably, the leader of the Fujiwara clan used Uro as a scapegoat to appease Sukuna. Her execution would signal to Sukuna that she acted against his wishes and on her own. These events would explain why in Yorozu's reflections and flashbacks, the Fujiwara clan still remains as a supreme power. Sukuna likely accepted Uro's execution as penance for them challenging him.

Yorozu was supposed to be preparing for the harvest festival being held in Sukuna's honor. There, they would pray to him as a God; Yorozu effectively fell in love with a monstrous deity figure. Given her insect theme, there's grounds for a connection between Yorozu, Sukuna, Mothra, and Godzilla.

After he annihilated Uro's squads, Sukuna became the supreme divine sovereign of jujutsu society in the Heian era and sorcerers were forced to worship him to avoid his ire. To stress his divinity, sorcerers prayed to him for a good harvest as if he were a God. The Fujiwara clan likely executed Uro, a leader of some of the forces that challenged Sukuna, to appease their new divine sovereign. The fealty that was pledged to him likely made Sukuna extremely bored. He wished to spread misery, but his opponents had all lost the will to challenge him and instead begged and worshipped at his feet.

The choice between challenging Sukuna and worshipping him pervades even the modern era. The Jujutsu High political leaders feared Sukuna and his fingers. Even without a real body, Sukuna's cursed energy alone enforced fear and awe into jujutsu society. All sorcerers understood that his return would mean another schism; they would be required to either join him or foolishly challenge as a powerless upstart. Throughout history, sorcerers made binding vows with Kenjaku in order to one day challenge Sukuna, as Uro's squad once did. Others knew better and instead attempted to create a jujutsu society that worked to contain Sukuna in his cursed object form.

Notes:

The manga isn't very specific about what Yorozu's status was, just that she was some type of noble in the Heian capital.

Yorozu and Sukuna being Gege's Godzilla fanfiction is adorable and makes me like her so much more.

Uro's horror in these two pages suddenly make much more sense. Sukuna slaughtered all of her comrades.

Regarding the Kashimo page: I'm simply taking Kashimo's comments "to have achieved so much!" as some form of reaction to the narrator. It could be a metatextual reaction, or he could have learned about this war somehow.

Short post, but I didn't see anything else outlining this little story, so here it is.

[typicalopposite]

Am I just gonna bring yall all drabbles of the many ideas I have now (because I’m currently writing a fic that is getting way bigger than intended) maybe, yeah.

(I had to do research on how to play five card draw for this and it’s likely still inaccurate 🥴 fic writer life, amirite?)

It’s couples game night now that Buck is no longer a solo. Chimney invites Hen and Karen and Maddie invites Buck and Tommy.

After losing an embarrassing amount of times Buck steps in as honorary dealer, and they start another game.

Tommy (who is to Bucks left, cause… yeah research said so) notices that’s it’s very obvious there is something on Chimney’s mind.

“Alright… spit it out, Han…” Tommy finally says.

“So… back then… were you team Jacob?”

Tommy groans and rolls his eyes. Hen laughs. Maddie and Karen look intrigued. Buck wants to know who tf Jacob is.

The game starts and Tommy looks at his cards. Chimney is clearly more invested in the answer than the game. And Tommy throws a dollar into the middle before simply saying, “No.”

There’s another chuckle from around the table. Everyone matches Tommy’s hand, cards are tossed , and Buck gives out new ones. “So team Edward then,” Chimney says, and Buck tosses the card he was giving Hen so fast it bypasses her hand a hits her in the chest.

“Oh… s-sorry,” he says , although this eyes are still glued to Tommy.

Again he looks at his cards, sighs, tosses another dollar. “No,” he repeats. “Although I was on his side more than Jacob’s.”

Buck is so confused he is about to rip his hair out, and everyone nodding in agreement is only making it worse. Everyone matches Tommy again and Buck gives them new cards.

Chimney opens his mouth and Tommy intercepts with, “not Emmett either.” Chimney snaps his mouth closed.

When Tommy ups the bet to $20 Hen and Karen look at their cards and both fold. “Ahh I know,” Chimney says as he absentmindedly tosses a twenty into the pile, and Maddie tosses her cards, bowing out as well. “Jasper.” Tommy’s face answers for him. “Carlisle?”

“Who are these people?!” Buck snaps, unable to keep himself composed any longer. He isn’t sure if he is more confused or jealous… or maybe it’s an equal amount of both.

Tommy smirks but doesn’t respond. He looks at his cards and seems satisfied with them, so he glances up at Chimney and cocks an eyebrow, waiting for him to make a decision. Buck doesn’t think he has gave Chimney any new cards the whole game, the latter being far too focused on asking Tommy about a bunch of random men than paying attention to his cards.

When Chimney doesn’t even look at his hand Tommy pulls out a hundred dollar bill and gently (sassily) places it in the pile. And Maddie is glaring at Chimney like she dares him to try to match it. “Alright, alright! I’m out.”

Tommy chuckles and sits back in his seat. Everyone is staring at him like they are waiting for an answer to this mystery. “If you must know,” he says with a shrug. “It was always Charlie for me.”

Buck feels the gears turning in his brain and as if the wires finally connect he gasps, “Are you talking about twilight?!”

“Obviously,” Chimney answers. “Wh— Wait. How did you get that from Charlie? He’s not even a main character!”

“Because Maddie had a shirt that said Team Charlie on it. She had like, the biggest crush on him.”

Maddie shrugs, “What can I say, there’s nothing hotter than a guy in uniform,” she says and promptly kisses Chimney on the cheek.

“Ain’t that the truth,” Tommy agrees, flashing that big cheesy grin at Buck. Maddie giggles as she reaches past a thoroughly confused Chimney and Buck to high-five him.

“Well… at least I didn’t fold with an amazing hand,” Chimney says and lays his cards down, with a three of a kind in 8’s.

“Better than mine,” Tommy laughs, and lays down his hand. A two of spades, three of diamonds, five of clubs, seven of hearts and a nine of diamonds. Then he gathers the bills from the middle, ignoring Chimney’s look of disbelief, and sets the stack in front of him. “Put it towards the honeymoon,” he says, pushing back from the table and putting his jacket on. “I insist,” he adds before Maddie can argue.

(I’m going to stop it there because this got way longer and much more actual ficlet-y than I intended! I will likely actually write this… eventually 👀 but now it’s at least mostly out of my system!)

[thegatesofsilverandbone]

Jacob had always been a slender, clean-shaven young man in his mid-twenties, living a busy life in the city. He was a graphic designer by day and a fitness enthusiast by night, spending countless hours in the gym working on his lean physique. However, despite his active lifestyle and youthful energy, Jacob felt something was missing. He often found himself daydreaming about a different kind of life, one filled with more confidence, wisdom, and a rugged charm that seemed just out of reach.

One evening, after an exhausting workout, Jacob wandered into an old bookstore he had never noticed before. The shop was dimly lit, with rows of ancient-looking books stacked high. As he browsed through the shelves, a particular book caught his eye. The cover was simple, adorned only with the title "The Essence of Transformation" in elegant, gold letters. Curious, Jacob picked it up and began to flip through its pages.

The book was filled with stories of people who had undergone incredible transformations, each tale more fantastical than the last. Intrigued, Jacob decided to buy the book and read it at home. That night, he found a comfortable spot on his couch and started to read. As he delved deeper into the stories, he felt a strange connection to them, almost as if the book was speaking directly to him.

One story, in particular, stood out. It was about a burly and confident gay man who was happily married. The story described this man's life in vivid detail—his thick beard, his glasses, his well-defined, hairy chest, and his deep, loving relationship with his husband. As Jacob read about the man's traits and identity, he felt a warm, tingling sensation spread through his body.

He paused, glancing down at his hands, which seemed larger and rougher than before. His heart raced as he continued reading, feeling an inexplicable pull to finish the story. As he read, he could feel his body changing, the transformation described in the book becoming his reality.

His face grew warmer, and he reached up to touch it, feeling a thick beard sprouting from his previously smooth chin. His glasses, which he didn't recall putting on, sat comfortably on his nose, enhancing his vision. He could feel his chest expanding, muscles growing more pronounced, and a layer of hair spreading across it.

Jacob stood up, feeling the weight of his new body. He walked to the mirror, each step more assured than the last. Staring back at him was not the slender, clean-shaven young man he had always known, but the burly, ruggedly handsome man from the story. His muscles were more pronounced, his chest and arms covered in hair, and his demeanor exuded confidence and maturity.

As he continued to read, Jacob found himself absorbing the man's wisdom and experiences. His mind filled with new memories, skills, and a deeper understanding of the world. He became more assured, his previous insecurities melting away. The life described in the book felt like his own, as if he had lived every moment of it.

At a certain point, Jacob noticed a name in the story: "David." It was the name of the man whose life he was reading about. As he read the name, he felt an odd resonance, as if the name belonged to him. The book's narrative began to describe David's life in the first person, and Jacob found himself thinking of the character's experiences as his own. He was no longer Jacob, but David, a burly, confident, happily married man.

David's reality began to shift. He found himself in a warm, comfortable home filled with mementos of a loving relationship. Photos of him and his husband adorned the walls, capturing years of shared happiness and adventures. The transformation wasn't just physical and mental; it extended to his entire existence.

He glanced at a photo on the mantle, recognizing the familiar face of his husband, Peter, who would be home soon. The memories of their life together flooded his mind—how they met, their wedding day, and the countless moments of joy and support they had shared. David realized that he had always been this man, and the life of the young, slender Jacob was now just a distant dream.

As he read the last lines of the story, David felt a sense of completion and fulfillment. He was no longer the young man daydreaming about a different life. He was the burly, confident, and happily married man from the book, living a life filled with love and contentment.

David closed the book, placing it on the coffee table. He heard the front door open and the familiar sound of Peter's voice calling out to him. With a smile, David stood up, ready to greet his husband and enjoy another evening together. He had found his missing piece, and reality had shifted to give him the life he was always meant to have.

[veronicaleighauthor]

Barbara Howard

I’m a huge fan of Abbott Elementary. For those who may not be familiar with it, here’s a brief description:

A workplace comedy centered around a group of dedicated teachers – and an oblivious principal – in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life.

I started watching it not long after the show started, but recently I did a binge watch of it before Season 3 started and fell in love with it. One of the things I really appreciate about the show it’s character, Barbara Howard (portrayed by the brilliant Sheryl Lee Ralph). A veteran kindergarten teacher of over thirty years, you immediately fall in love with her. When we’re introduced to her, she declares she’s a “woman of God.” She’s a Christian and not ashamed of being so. Unlike other portrayals of Christians on comedy shows, even when Barbara says something comical or faith related, we’re never really laughing at her. As opposed to Glenn Sturgis on Superstore, who we laugh at all the time. Now I love Superstore and Glenn Sturgis and I enjoy laughing at him. And it’s perfectly fine for a Christian character to be ditzy, or hypocritical, or the villain; I’ve done it enough in my own stories. But Barbara Howard is one of the few positive portrayals of Christians out there.

The other characters on Abbott Elementary, Janine especially, highly respect Barbara and look to her for guidance since she’s one of the veteran teachers. She’s not perfect, but she’s never hypocritical, or cruel, or vicious. She is very open about her faith, yet she is never abrasive or judgmental. She never attempts to evangelize her coworkers. Others don’t share her beliefs, but they listen and understand her Christian beliefs are part of who she is. Ava, who is her polar opposite in personality and behavior, has referenced church and discussed beliefs and has even given Barbara some much needed advice, which Barbara took. Her closest friend is Melissa Schemmenti, who has some shady connections. Over the years she’s mentored the younger teachers, Janine, Gregory, and Jacob. Her students adore her and more than one has returned to tell her how much of an impact she’s made on their lives.

:: Spoilers from a Recent Episode ::

The recent episode of Abbott Elementary is fantastic. The school’s auditorium is lent out for Barbara’s choir group to sing in. Since Barbara is a talented singer, Ava encourages her to try out for the program. And Barbara does; it’s her wish to sing “Shackles” from MaryMary since in the past it inspired her. We see though that the church ladies don’t really like Barbara. We eventually find out they consider Barbara too “modern” for their tastes. They think she wears too much makeup; that she has too many piercings; that when she goes on cruises, she becomes Sea Barbara who is different from Land Barbara; they also object to her friendships with the more “colorful” teachers of the school.

Barbara isn’t accepted amongst those who are her brothers and sisters in Christ because in their eyes, she is “different.” She may never find acceptance in her church family. However, Abbott Elementary rallies around her and reminds her she will always have a place in their family.

:: Spoilers over ::

Anyway, the whole episode really inspired me because I’ve been struggling with some stuff. And in all honesty, I’ve drifted from God. He’s drawn me back, as He has in the past. But I was able to relate to Barbara and what she was going through – no matter how devout you are in your faith, there will always be another who thinks you aren’t truly living for Him. In the end, we’re only accountable to God and it’s His opinion that matters – not that person in your life giving you the side-eye for you not living up their expectations.

So, if you haven’t already, try Abbott Elementary. You’ll enjoy it, I swear! I can’t wait for tonight’s special episode.

[svnshowers]

[     han  hyun  him ,  cis  man ,  he & him.   ]     ⸻     have you seen cole harris-kim? yes, the twenty - three year old senior that’s usually wandering around campus? they’re currently focused on history, so we’re sure they’ve been super busy with studying. according to rumors, they were michael’s teammate & best friend and he knew they [ got away with taking performance enhancing drugs ]. does it make sense considering they’re known for being tenacious as well as impulsive? either way, the phantom is threatening to bring scary things to light, but let’s hope whatever they’re hiding stays in the dark.

basics

birth name: cole jacob harris-kim nicknames: n/a date of birth: april 5th 2001 - 23 years old. place of birth: milwaukee, wisconsin residence: los angeles, california occupation: student, youth basketball coach sexual orientation: bisexual relationship status: single big three: aries sun, virgo moon, leo rising mbti type: esfj positive traits: tenacious, energetic, ambitious, sociable, organized, generous, bold. negative traits: impulsive, reckless, insensitive, hot headed, easily influenced, moody, provoking nature. aesthetics: early morning runs, daily workout routines, stacks of books scattered around the room, sneakers squeaking on the gym floor, shirtless instagram pictures, interesting documentaries, studying late into the night, protein shakes. theme song(s): new perspective - panic! at the disco, feel it - d4vd

sparknotes

cole was last born to an accountant father & a nurse mother.

from a young age, sports were heavily encouraged by his parents as both of them had dreams of being professional athletes, but those dreams never panned out.

cole had never wanted to be an athlete, he much preferred reading and studying to playing sports.

he was always interested in history, always reading historical fiction or historical non fiction.

he played basketball on his middle school's team, being one of two students to make it onto varsity his freshman year of high school.

his senior year of high school, he got a full athletic scholarship to golden state. he'd never seen his parents so proud.

away from his parents for the first time, cole began to finally let loose. he got back into immersing himself in history, allowing himself more free time than before.

cole quickly realized he had no idea who he was, he'd spent his whole life for his parents. now he was on his own, struggling to find an identity for himself.

he majored in psychology for a semester before switching, finally, to history. and he fell in love with it.

recently, cole's been more open about his interests. he's more comfortable in his own skin than ever before.

headcanons

cole started taking performance enhancing drugs after his coach told him he was good enough to go pro. he has since stopped because he got close to getting caught.

he is biggest history nerd, he rarely shows it but if you give him the chance he'll talk your ear off about weird historical events.

cole is in his fifth year of college, he switched his major so he lacked the proper credits to graduate in four years.

he coaches ten to twelve year olds in basketball, they all think he's just the coolest dude ever.

cole is a huge animal lover, from the tiniest ant to the biggest whale in the ocean, he loves them all so much.

he hides his nerdiness from people at first, but once he gets more comfortable around someone he'll open up more.

wanted connections

his workout buddy! it can be someone on the basketball team as well, but it's not super important.

other athletes he's close to! it also doesn't have to be someone on the basketball team, i'd love to see him bond with people in other sports!!

another nerd, someone to geek out with him over anything and everything, bonus points if they get him into more nerdy things.

mutual crushes! these two r close friends but refuse to acknowledge their feelings out of fear of ruining the friendship.

an ex friend, it could be someone who judged him for taking performance enhancing drugs, but i am also open to it being for a whole separate reason!

[antimony-medusa]

Hey since you seem familiar with the HurtComfort exchange I thought I'd ask: when you're filling out the 'request' portion of the intake, when you list multiple relationships and tags (e.g. Relationships: Techno&Phil, Techno&Tommy) does it match you to someone who is writing Techno&Phil OR Techno&Tommy or does it necessitate BOTH? Same thing for the 'offer.' If I put in Steve/Bucky and Steve/Natasha (for example), am I only going to be sorted towards people with BOTH tags or just one?

I'm trying to figure out how to understand this but I'm honestly not sure where to ask

No worries, I happen to know this! If you want to ask questions of the mods you can do so by either commenting on their blog at https://hurtcomfortex.dreamwidth.org, or emailing them at hurtcomfortexmod@gmail.com— BUT I happen to know the answer to that one so I can answer!

Hurt/Comfort runs on OR matching. The most direct answer to that is that you can match on Techno&Phil OR Techno&Tommy, you don't need to have all of them present in the match.

However, because it's a freeform exchange, you will only ping on the machine as a valid match if you match on at least once instance of Ship and Freeform both being present in a request. So, for example

Person A requests: >Techno & Tommy: Abandoned by friends/allies, Altered States - character can't distinguish disturbing visions from reality >Techno & Phil, Techno/Phil: caretaking in small but obvious ways , Battle as Comfort Person B Offers: >Techno & Tommy: caretaking in small but obvious ways, character A and B are enemies but character A won’t let anyone else hurt character B  >Quackity & Tubbo: Character A Makes Significant Sacrifice for Character B; B Horrified and Upset When They Find Out, Character drapes their own jacket/coat over hurt/sick character's shoulders And Person C Offers: >Techno & Phil: Abandoned by friends/allies, Battle as Comfort >Karl Jacobs/Quackity: Character A Makes Significant Sacrifice for Character B; B Horrified and Upset When They Find Out, Altered States - character can't distinguish disturbing visions from reality

Obviously neither Person B nor Person A is a perfect match for everything Person A requests, but that's fine, because it's not looking for a complete match of all tags, it's just looking for a good match of one string OR string from the original request. We gotta have at least one instance of the same Ship and the same Freeform present in one request.

Person B has offered both the tags Techno & Tommy and caretaking in small but obvious ways, but that won't ping as a proper match for Person A, because those tags weren't connected together in Person A's request, they were in different requests. The computer keeps looking.

Then when it gets to Person C that WILL read as a correct match, because it can find Techno & Phil, and Battle as Comfort and smack those two together, that is one string where it can find matches present in one request, so it's a correct match.

So you just need to match on one instance of Fandom > Ship > Freeform, no matter how many different freeforms and ships you stack into a request, or how many different requests you put down.

It is 2am and I was like I KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THIS but I am now doubting myself so I really hope that's clear, but possibly that is the 2am talking. If that's not clear come back tomorrow and throw a book at my head and I'll try again.

[amchara]

Herondales Don't Fail Ch. 5 - Downworlder Dish

Ao3 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Kit Herondale, Ty Blackthorn (Kit/Ty), original characters

Wordcount: 5,600 words

Rating: Mature (most of this story features canon-typical violence and sexual content but might occasionally go a bit past it, so... M just to cover all bases)

Summary: It’s been almost five years since an epic line-up of Shadowhunter heroes and their allies closed all the portals to Hell. Now, demons are scarce and the Nephilim are searching for their purpose in this new world. Centurion Ty Blackthorn has been sent to London to investigate a potential new threat, while Kit Herondale has taken up a post helping to rebuild the London Enclave.

Kit was happy to accept the London Institute’s invitation to assist in the rebuilding of the city’s Enclave. But he didn’t count on being blindsided into joining the competition to become its next head - or being hated by most of its inhabitants who assume he’s only there because of his name.

--

Kit bit his nail as he set down the final piece of delicate paper. It was the following day after his and Noura’s eventful patrol and he was finally getting a chance to read the documents Jacob had given him. Which were providing at least some context to Maryam’s accusations. 

Several of them were just copies of invoices - in a spiky scrawl he recognised as Evelyn’s - and attached receipts, as paid ‘tithes’ to the Institute. Receipts for large amounts of gold, jewels and precious artifacts; recompense from Faerie for the damage done during the Dark War. Dated from mid-2007 onwards.

An unwilling ‘tithe’ but not an unknown one - even as a young teen at the L.A. Shadow Market, Kit had heard about the huge costs demanded by the Shadowhunters during the five year Cold Peace. 

Was Maryam referring only to that time period? Surely the tithe must have been stopped in 2012, when Alec had been made Consul? But then… why had Jacob said the documentation was less than he expected? And the text message… sender still unknown and Noura’s uneasiness around Roger. The lack of response from London’s Downworld, when he attempted to reach out. There had to be more to this… right? Or was he looking for connections in places where none existed. 

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, as the questions swirled around in his head. His gut instinct knew they were connected but he needed to talk to others outside the Institute. Yet he had been running into dead ends, from missing Maryam’s night shifts at the hospital, according to Ade and his frustrating ongoing attempts to meet with London’s Downworld leaders. 

 Across the table, Ellie looked up from behind her own stack of thick psychology books. They had taken advantage of the laxer routine while Evelyn and Roger were out, to meet up at a nearby coffee shop close to Charing Cross for a studying slash research session. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked, pushing back strands of mauve hair, her natural dark colour peeking through on her undercut. “You have that look like the fate of the world rests on your shoulders. Which… it doesn’t anymore, remember?” There was a hint of sympathy in her voice.  

Kit hesitated. 

“You don’t have to share if it’s top-secret Shadowhunter shit.” She grabbed her coffee cup and took a sip, unconcerned. “But also.” Her gaze dropped to the papers he had sprawled around. “You’re also really bad at keeping it secret,” she said dryly. “You’ve spread them all over the table and I can read upside down- you’re looking at Faerie visits to the Institute.”   

He resisted the urge to hide his papers. “Maybe.” 

“Kit,” Ellie’s voice was loud, even above the ambient music in the coffee shop. She noticed as well and pitched her next sentence lower.  “You have got to stop walking on eggshells around me and Shadow World stuff. I’m not training for Ascension anymore- but I still have the Sight.”

He had thought about asking her but from previous comments - “Yeah well- you seem like you’ve moved past caring about the Shadow World,” Kit pointed out. “Which is great, you shouldn’t have to be involved in it unless you want to. That’s why I’m being cagey, okay?” 

She picked up a pencil, suddenly very avidly back into her own psychology assignment. “Doesn’t mean I don’t care about the wellbeing of my friends,” she said, mumbling. “Are they bullying you, over at the Institute, about your Fae background?” she asked suddenly, looking back up.

“What? No- if anything they’ve laid out the red carpet,” Kit said. “I mean- there’s more of a deal being made about the Herondale name than the faerie heritage.” 

Ellie rolled her eyes. “Ah yes- sorry, I’ve been out of the Nephilim loop, I forget I’m in the presence of Shadowhunter royalty,” she teased, but under the table, there was a gentle nudge of her foot against his. “So many people wanted me to introduce them to you when I first arrived at the Academy and found out I knew you,” she said, grinning. 

“Though that stopped when the Clave issued the warrant with you an enemy numero uno-” she paused when she saw Kit’s expression. “Anyway, I don’t mean to bring up ancient history. Sometimes I still wonder why you went back into it. After everything.” She lay her hands on her chin, giving him a frank look. 

“The devil you know?” Kit said, trying to inject a light tone into his voice. “And there’s Ty, of course. And Jem and Tessa and Mina, and Jace and you know- my skillset of con-artistry, warrior training and now useless faerie magic isn’t exactly going to be top for job recruiters.”

Ellie smirked. “I don’t know…”

Kit pulled together his papers. “I can’t tell you specifics,” he said, changing the topic. “But there’s something off about the relationship between Shadowhunters and Downworlders in London. So that’s what I’m looking into.” He resisted asking her about the tithe, trying to respect her wishes to stay out of Downworld politics. 

Ellie nodded instantly. “That doesn’t surprise me,” she said. “As I said- I try to avoid it but you can sometimes feel the tension,” she said.  “Have you gone to the Shadow Market yet? Wouldn’t that give you a good barometer of how things are?” 

“Tonight,” he said. “If they allow me in.” 

There was a quick flash of sadness across her face but then Ellie smiled brightly. “Have fun,” she said. She looked down at her phone. “Oh, need to head to class.” She quickly tidied away her things and blew him a kiss as she left. “Don’t forget- we need to schedule that dinner! Despite Ollie’s and Ty’s busy schedules.”

He waved at her and then looked at his own phone to check the time. He contemplated going back to the Institute, maybe he could check the tunnels once again. The quick sweep of them earlier with Noura had revealed dusty footprints, bare reinforced walls (apparently the tunnels also doubled as bomb shelters during the second world war) and stack upon stack of additional seraph blades, sabres, arrows and the usual other weapons. Nothing suspicious at first glance but maybe he could check with one of Ty’s Sensors. Although that didn’t sound immediately appealing, plus he’d run the risk of getting caught up in Noura’s lab work. 

In the light of day, Noura hadn’t been forthcoming about her other feelings about Roger, instead telling Kit she needed to run more timed experiments on the portal door before shooing him up the stairs. 

And Ty was holed up in a Centurion meeting, followed by a patrol with Anush. Kit wistfully remembered his expectations that he’d see Ty more now that they lived together… 

With a strong itch of restlessness underneath his skin, Kit delved back into his research to prepare for his visit to the Market. He’d asked Sabina and others he found wandering the Institute’s halls about visiting the Shadow Market, but hadn’t found out much, other than it wasn’t done very often. It wasn’t Shadowhunter territory but mainly for the Downworld and that was respected by all parties. Which, Kit could respect but also- he needed to visit it.  

--

As he lightly ran down the stairs at the far end of London Bridge, a wave of uneasy nostalgia hit Kit, as he remembered his first time visiting the London Shadow Market. He had been with Ty and Livvy - where they had learned about Annabel Blackthorn’s fate and he had come up close and personal with his own ancestor’s cruelty. A visit where Livvy had been hurt, Magnus had rescued them, and in the aftermath, his first time holding Ty, comforting him. 

He shoved his hands into his denim jacket pockets as he approached London's Shadow Market but just as he had once told Julian… somehow, they always knew. 

“No Nephilim without invitation or assigned Downworlder.” The nixie looked bored and was playing some type of candy crush-type game on her phone, her hair a deep forest green with hints of azure. Beyond her, Kit could see the brightly coloured Market stalls, a steady hum of voices and intriguing food smells just beyond. His blood was singing with eagerness to enter. 

Kit gave her his friendliest smile and tried his best to gain entry. 

Half an hour later, he stalked away from the entrance, feeling oddly humiliated. The nixie had been polite but firm in her refusals. He had texted a couple contacts at the New York Shadow Market to vouch for him… but that got him nowhere. He had phoned Mark to see if he could get the Downworld-Shadowhunter Alliance to act in his favour, but even Mark had run into a wall with it. 

At the end, he resorted desperately to using his name, wondering if would open the figurative door. “My name’s Kit Herondale… as in the former First Heir. Maybe… you’ve heard of me?” he asked, feeling his cheeks flush as he heard himself. He was just glad that no one else was there to hear him make a fool of himself. The nixie looked at him closer, her hair lightening to a seafoam green. “Oh yeah- thought you looked familiar but then I thought no, can’t be. Also I thought you were dead,” she said, curiosity spiking in her voice. 

“Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” Kit told her. He gestured. “So can I go in?”

“What? Oh still no,” the nixie said. “You’re Nephilim so I can’t let you in. Boss’s orders.” She looked him up and down. “Also, given you were responsible for helping almost destroy my homeland… that’s a double no. Er… my liege?” she said, bobbing nervously in the attempt of a bow, clearly trying to cover all her bases. 

He sighed; he had an early morning meeting with her boss who could definitely pull the strings he needed, so he gave it up as a bad job. 

As he left the gloomy railway vaults, impulsively, he turned his palm upwards and concentrated, as he had that night with Ash in Blackthorn Hall. 

Nothing happened, no spark, no hint of magic present. 

He turned his hand over, looking down at his Voyance tattoo and for the first time in a while, Kit wished he could scrub it from his skin.  

He re-entered the mundane area, the crowd immediately pressing up against him. Kit briefly considered stopping to get a drink, or at least texting Ellie or Ade to see if they were interested in meeting up. Then a drunk man stumbled into him, patting his cheek with an alcoholic apology as he moved away and in his other ear, he was nearly deafened by the screeches of a hen party moving five abreast in front of him, wobbling on their high heels. He dismissed the idea as he slipped through the raucous well-lit bar area, deciding he wanted to be alone with this odd mood.

As he left the loud nightlife crowd behind, Kit felt the prickling sensation of being watched. He spun around several times, aware of how it looked to anyone watching him. Each time, there was no indication he was being followed. But he kept a close hand on his silver Herondale knife all the way home, just in case. 

A couple hours later he received a text: heard about your jaunt to the market this evening. tsk, such impatience! fyi need to move our meeting to later this week - HV and he nearly threw his phone against the wall in frustration. 

--

Several days later

Kit gave her credit. The well-practiced customer service smile only faltered slightly as she turned and realised who was next in the pharmacy line. 

He tried to give his best ‘harmless Shadowhunter’ smile. Even as her friendly smile remained, the look in her eyes grew colder. 

“Adnan? Is the consultation room free?” Maryam called, not taking her gaze off of him. “I have a customer who needs to talk about a headache.”

She led him to a small, windowless room, cramped with a plastic chair and an old computer whose screen blinked on and off in a bright blue NHS screensaver. Maryam gestured him inside first and then pulled the door closed, standing in front of it.

“A headache I’m sure I’m giving you,” Kit began. He was dressed again in his regular clothes, most of his runes covered. He took a seat, ensuring his hands were out of his pockets and in sight.   

“Not the first one I’ve had to deal with tonight,” she said brusquely, crossing her arms. “Where’s the other one?” she asked.  

“Ty? He’s not here - we thought it might be less intimidating if it was just me this time.”

She shook her head. “Let’s get one thing straight,” she said evenly, giving him a flat stare. “I am not intimidated. I just don’t like you.” 

Kit wanted to protest that she didn’t even know him. But he knew that wouldn’t be the right approach. 

“Yep and in your position, I’d feel the same,” he said, trying to project sincerity. He leaned forward. “I came in, worried about my friend getting trapped in the Shadow World… but while rushing to help, ticked every Shadowhunter stereotype that I hate. So I wanted to come here and apologise to you.”  

“Hmm,” she said, shooting him an uncertain look with her heavily kohled-eyes. She was extremely pretty, Kit thought, her black hair pulled up into a half ponytail and her dark skin flawless with the sheen of undead beauty. Unlike most New York vampires, she wasn’t stick and bones, her body filling out an otherwise unremarkable standard pharmacist uniform. With Ty and Divya’s tweaked rune applied on him, Kit could see her vampire glamour hanging heavily over, in a strange grey-tinted aura. She wasn’t trying to encanto him though, just holding it as if as a protective cloak. 

“He put you up to this? Ade?” 

Kit let a rueful smile shine through. “He did- and gave me hell for it. But if I’m honest, even before that our meeting wasn’t sitting well with me,” he said. “I am sorry. According to my contacts at Hotel DuMort, I’m usually one of the better behaved Nephilim.”   

A flash of amusement crossed her face. “Did you really just pull the ‘some of my friends are vampires’?”

Kit thought back to the whatsapp chat he was in with Lily and her sarcastic but useful advice she had given him about dealing with vampires in London. He pulled a face. “Maybe? Does it help?” 

“Well- I’ve never had a Shadowhunter apologise to me before,” Maryam answered with a hint of incredulity. “So I guess you have that in your favour.” 

He cleared his throat as the silence stretched out. “Anyway…” he said awkwardly. “That’s the main reason I came to see you.” 

“Okay,” Maryam went to open the door. 

“But I did have one other question…”

She gave him an unimpressed look. “Nephilim always do.”

“Last time we spoke, you mentioned a tithe,” Kit said quickly. “Is that still a thing that happens today for Faeries in London? Even after the end of the Cold Peace?”

“Your accent and reference to Hotel DuMort indicates you’ve not been in London long?” There was a slight raise of eyebrow at the question.

“That’s right,” he answered. “I’m originally from Los Angeles and have spent time in New York.” And Faerie, and Devon and a number of other places. 

A dissatisfied look crossed her face. “Right,” she said shortly. “Then you should take a bit longer to figure out how things actually work in this city.” 

“Okay but-”

She held up a hand. “Let’s get one thing straight. We might share a friend but we are not friends. And I have to get back to my actual job.” She pushed the door open. 

“Sure, that’s fine,” Kit stood, trying to keep the frustration from his voice. He knew when he was pushing his luck.

As he exited, he looked back at her. Short in stature, she held herself back carefully, almost if she were frightened of touching him. He wondered about her previous interactions with Shadowhunters. Kit tried to take her measure and realised he still had an instinct he could trust her. “Look out for him, if you can-” he said. “Ade. He’s smart and I think he’ll be okay but it doesn’t hurt to have someone in your corner…” he let his voice trail off. He handed her a small slip of paper, where he had written his phone number. “If you need to get a hold of me.”  

She took it reluctantly but gave him a small nod. “On that, we agree- I’ll look out for him,” she said. 

-- 

There were dark shadows under Ty’s eyes as he emerged from the bus stop where he was waiting for Kit. As they walked away from the hospital, heading towards the Limehouse Basin, Kit could see him trying to hold in a yawn. 

“I can handle the Hypatia interview myself, if you want to head home,” he said. “I’ll fill you in on everything I learn.”

Ty looked over at him, a confused tilt to his head. “Why shouldn’t I come with you? I’m already here, post-patrol.” 

“Because you’re coming off three nights in a row?” Kit pointed out. “And I know you’re working on a deficit. I saw you in the study yesterday afternoon, when you were supposed to be sleeping.” 

There was a small frown on Ty’s face before he replied, a slight shake of the head. “It’s important we dedicate all waking hours to this case- these creatures aren’t like anything we’ve seen before. The wraiths seem to melt away anytime we get close. Like you saw in your patrol. Or-” and Ty’s grey eyes closed briefly. “I thought they did. But in the last couple of times, I’ve seen them regroup- and it seems as if they’re watching us. Waiting for something.” 

Kit felt goosebumps rise on his skin, despite the bright early morning daylight and busy East London streets they were striding down. “Waiting to harm you?” 

“The rest of the office seems to think they are but… it’s hard to ascribe malevolence when they haven’t done much.” Ty simply looked weary. 

“Right,” Kit answered. He reached over to sympathetically tug on the sleeve of Ty’s oversized hoodie, which he had thrown overtop of his gear. He caught Ty’s hand for a moment. “But also, I need you to sleep so I don’t worry about you on patrol, okay?” 

Ty turned to him and smiled. “You don’t have to worry about me,” he said, with his characteristic understated confidence. Then he scrunched his eyes up, in remembrance. “Also, I need to come because the last time we spoke to Hypatia in-person, she tried to kill you,” Ty reminded him. “You need back up until we determine she’s not going to do that again.” 

Kit had considered that fact but… all the other Downworld contacts he had been given had rebuffed his meeting requests or had given him dates far in the future... “At this point, I think it’s harder to find a warlock who hasn’t tried to kill me at some point, given the whole First Heir thing. Plus, she saved Tessa’s life with her magic-sharing at that last battle, so I’m willing to risk it.” 

Ty looked like he wanted to start naming more friendly warlocks but he made a small noise and shook his head. They continued walking. “How did your chat with Maryam go?” Ty asked, a few minutes later, as they neared the turn off to Gill Street and Hypatia Vex’s magic shop.

Kit shrugged. “Apology accepted- I think. But she wasn’t keen to chat further about the tithe or anything else. She’s very wary of Shadowhunters. Even more than typical, which- might be a pattern in London?” 

Ty nodded. “I went back through the Centurion meeting notes records. Less than half the Downworlders invited showed up for that meeting at the Institute’s sanctuary.” 

“Yeah, have my work cut out for me,” Kit said, sighing. “Need to get them talking to me like- yesterday.”

Ty gave him a quick flash-in-a-pan smile, just before they pushed open the door of the dingy shop. “You’re persuasive,” he said simply. “You’ll get them on board.” 

--

“Ah, the First Heir, the doom of faerie, ender of worlds, and his necromancer boyfriend. You return to my humble shop,” Hypatia Vex’s starry eyes were shining despite the dim light of the shop. She leaned back against the high, mahogany shelves, which so closely matched her hair tone that Kit thought for a minute she was rocking the bald look. Which she could pull off, he thought. 

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ty go dead still, his face shuttering down at her greeting. “Hypatia,” Kit said, smiling with his teeth. Okay, maybe he still held a bit of a grudge. “It’s been a while,” he said. “But I’m not the First Heir anymore, you’re no longer trying to save your sister’s descendants from Sammael’s wrath so… can we call it bygones?”

“I accepted your meeting invite, did I not?” Hypatia waved a hand lazily, and with a small flash of amber light, a takeaway cup appeared in her hand, and then with another small poof of smoke, two further branded coffee cups emerged on the counter in front of them. “It’s early, let’s chat in my client room,” she said, gesturing towards the back.  

Kit looked at the coffee in disbelief. “You’ve got to be joking,” he said. “After last time?”

“I’ll take it,” Ty said, pushing forward. He grabbed the coffee cups, and defiantly took a drink, looking straight at Hypatia. Her amused look held as she led them through a hidden door in one of her cupboards. They emerged into a well-lit, white-washed room, which had the look of a high end minimalist hotel, all brass coverings and exposed lights, a stark comparison to the Edwardian fustiness of the main shop floor.

“I don’t suppose you’ll accept a drink from my hand again but… our other dealings had been fruitful in the past, and you’ve not annoyed me to all end, unlike most Nephilim. So tell me, what brings you here?” Hypatia asked. She watched him carefully, leaning back in a white leather chair, her long legs clad in a tight black denim and purple three inch heels on her feet. 

“To London specifically. Last I had heard, the former First Heir was based in New York. Or L.A. The rumours were not specific but you’ve been seen at both Shadow Markets. And now apparently returning to your Nephilim roots. A mistake, if you ask me.” 

“After not bringing about the end of the world, I’ve had to consider new career opportunities,” Kit said, a touch sharply. Then he took a deep breath. He had seen Hypatia at the Sanctuary meeting, and also previously from a distance at the L.A. Shadow Market - as the co-owner she was there infrequently - but she hadn’t made overtures and he had been wary about interactions. But she apparently gate-kept the London Shadow Market more closely. 

He suddenly remembered a snippet of a conversation he had overheard from Magnus to Tessa about a mutual acquaintance. If you wait to be forgiven as an immortal, you’ll die waiting, Magnus had counselled. Better to keep tally and be on guard but not close off the opportunity . 

This was a test, he suspected. He opened his mouth- 

“We’re both based here for the next while,” Ty cut in, his voice frosty. “There are several matters that require our attention in London.” 

She turned to him. “Yes, I had heard. Centurion Blackthorn,” she said, inclining her head. “And a Herondale in the running to be the next Head of Institute. I must admit, for a moment I forgot what century I was in.” 

She took a sip of her coffee, and then set it down. Snapping her fingers, a ledger book and gold-tipped pen appeared in hand; she focused on Ty in a business-like fashion. “I assume you’re here about the wraith update? Tell Marcus he can bill it to my usual account.”  

Ty watched her for a moment through slightly narrowed eyes, then he nodded and produced his own notebook. They spoke for several minutes about Hypatia’s contacts’ news and ears on the ground about wraith sightings. 

Kit tried to listen but his own late nights and early mornings caught up with him, and he found himself drifting in and out as they spoke. Noticing himself doing it, he zoned back in. 

“I’ll come up with a proposal for a capture-trial,” Ty said. His hands were moving along his gear trousers in a subtle stim and his face was alight in a keen interest, despite his drawn, tired features. 

“Call me when you do,” Hypatia told him. “I have some ideas about elucidation spells that should give further indications about their origin.”

“You haven’t tried those already?” Kit asked. “Or,” he noticed Hypatia’s tight smile. “Would you tell us if you had?”

“That sounds like the start of the conversation you and I need to have,” she said, switching her attention to him. “I assume you’re here to talk about Downworld-Shadowhunter relations.”

“You’re right - I’ve been asked to be the Institute’s Downworld liaison,” Kit said. “I’ve only just started but in the couple of weeks we’ve been here, the vibes I’ve been getting are drastically different than I’ve seen in other cities between Downworlders and Shadowhunters.” He looked directly into Hypatia’s celestial eyes. “What’s going on?”

Hypatia settled back into her leather chair. “Not quite the right question…” she said, but looking at Kit’s frustrated expression, she amended it. 

“London’s Downworld and London’s Nephilim have been in a fine balance for centuries; there have been times of great collaboration and times when it’s not been far off open bloodshed.” Hypatia mused, her eyes dark with some kind of memory. 

She cleared her throat. “But the current issue has ties to events within your lifetime. After Sebastian Morgenstern’s defeat, Shadowhunters darkened the doors of any fae they could find… something about how they had to pay for the Seelie Queen’s sins - and they taxed heavily. And weren’t particularly discerning about who they caught up in their net while forcing them to pay the blood price they thought they were owed. If you had conducted business with Faerie, you were enemy by proxy, also due to pay.” 

“A tithe,” Ty said, in a quiet voice. He had also read Jacob’s papers that Kit had shared with him. 

Kit winced; now he understood Maryam’s protests. “Yeah, not going to try to justify it,” he said. “The Cold Peace was horrendous and led to worse outcomes for the whole Downworld.”

“But surely- none of that was legally enforceable,” Ty said carefully, his face a study as he took in Hypatia’s words. “Making other Downworlders pay the same restitutions as Faerie. And the Cold Peace ended almost seven years ago. Are you telling us Downworlders are still paying this… tax, to the London Institute?” 

Hypatia surveyed them.  

“I suspect we’re about to get ‘oh you sweet summer child’,” he said, unsure if Hypatia would catch it but knowing Ty would understand the reference, given their recent Game of Thrones binge. 

“It officially ended then, yes- but it still exists in some form. Over the years, it has become the modus operandi for the Institute,” she said. Her tone was gentle but the look in her eyes was mocking. 

“And in some ways, it’s not an unfamiliar position for us Downworlders to find ourselves in. Centuries ago- you paid off the Nephilim, they tended to not bother you. Or if you had need of a Shadowhunter for dirty work, paying the tithe ensured you got priority access. It means the Institute’s coffers have been refilled and as a beneficiary to their largesse whenever they need a warlock, I have no complaints.” 

“Or I should say, had no complaints. But it no longer makes business sense, dividing us all while facing a common threat,” Hypatia said, nodding at Ty’s wraith notebook. “And with a potential Head of Institute regime change coming up…” She switched her gaze back to Kit, a challenging smile on her face.     

“So… Kit Herondale, no longer First Heir and currently play-acting as Nephilim- what will you do to fix this situation?”

Kit felt something in his stomach twist. Another test indeed, he thought grimly.

-- 

Ty was silent as they left Hypatia’s shop but Kit could see him worrying his lip, his eyebrows drawn. “It’s against the rules. It’s against the laws and it’s against what we should be doing as Shadowhunters,” Ty said, in a low voice. He looked over at Kit. “And it’s not your place to fix it,” he said stubbornly. 

Kit felt lost but then Ty clarified. “We’re going to fix it together,” he said. “I know Hypatia said the Centurion office is separate but I’ll still check to make sure they’re also not benefiting from it,” he said, his hands starting to flutter by his side, as they normally did when he got upset. 

Kit drew close to Ty, ready in case of comfort but was mildly surprised when Ty grabbed his hands, and pulled them around him, settling them against the small of his back. And then Kit realised, as he leaned into the embrace, that actually yeah- this was what he needed. 

“I just-” Kit blew out a big sigh, as he leaned into Ty’s shoulder. “I thought most of this was shut down, when the Cohort was defeated.” 

He drew back, briefly catching the sorrowful look in Ty’s eyes, the same colour as the storm clouds gathering ahead. 

They resumed their walk down the small winding road towards the river, low-rise estates around them and the yells of small children playing in a nearby playground. They both were quiet, alone with their thoughts.

Ty was walking with his head up, gaze up towards the sky. “Last time we walked this road, Livvy was with us,” he mentioned, almost off-handedly. “We visited Hypatia’s shop and then the Riders intercepted us, as we walked back to the Institute.” 

Kit almost stumbled in surprise. It had been something in the back of his mind - tracing some of their first adventures but he hadn’t wanted to mention it out loud, in case it was upsetting. “I remember,” he said. “Pretty sure Livvy gave me the shovel talk during that walk, before I knew that’s what it was,” he said and a small smile blossomed on Ty’s face. 

Kit hesitated, then asked: “Is it hard, being back here - with the memories?”

“Sometimes. But mostly it’s fine,” Ty said. The look on his face was hard to read but Kit knew from experience that he had to take Ty at his word, when it came to his grief for his twin.

“I miss her too,” Kit said simply, and Ty nodded in acknowledgement as they reached the river’s edge.  

“History doesn’t repeat but it does have patterns,” Ty said thoughtfully, a few minutes later, as they waited in line for the ferry back into Central London. “Julian’s office is still working to extract Cohort ideology out of other Institutes. And if there’s one thing I learned about Shadowhunter history at the Scholomance is we tend to have to go through the same issues a lot before we learn.”

“You know, you could always just open a mundane textbook,” Kit complained. But the further away he was getting from Hypatia’s shop, the more he could feel sparks of determination and anger starting to flow through him. After all, they had dealt with the potential end of the world- what was one more task of dragging an Institute into the 21st century? And he could prove Hypatia and Maryam and others wrong about Shadowhunters. 

“Right- well, regardless if Shadowhunters are slow learners here, we’ll have to probably find proof to bring to Julian’s office,” he said. “Hypatia seemed to think it’s been kept low-key, and I agree- I’m not sure how many of the others know at the Institute.” He and Ty looked at each other. “Files- they’re probably locked in Evelyn or Roger’s office,” Kit said. “I’ll take a look there- though I’ll have to hurry, as they’re returning today. And maybe check those tunnels Noura mentioned again, see if there’s any evidence related to the tithe is being kept there.” 

Ty nodded. “You can borrow one of my Sensors,” he said. 

“Already there, Holmes,” Kit said, a fizz of excitement starting to course through him. Finally they were getting somewhere in the case. 

-- 

But when Kit returned to the Institute, he found it in war mode. 

On the steps outside there were several dark red splashes smeared as if someone had been dragged in injured. He quickened his pace - it wasn’t unusual for there to be casualties after patrols but this looked like a serious one. 

He hurried up the steps alone - Ty having already headed back to the townhouse to get much needed rest. 

Several grim-faced Centurions standing in the entranceway, talking with Sabina. Beyond the foyer, he could see members of the Enclave gathering together in clumps. “What happened?” he asked the nearest one. 

Michael Greentree, on his travel year from Auckland, answered. “It’s the wraiths,” he said. “They’ve killed two Shadowhunters.” 

--

Taglist: @dontmindmyshadowhunting @sandersgrey @of-same-steel-and-temper @thomastaircompassrose @thechangeling @mferraz @kestrafagnor @gabtapia @alldagayships @blindbandit1515 @silvermagnolias @chaotic-halfblood-kit @fighting-god-69 @lifeofbrybooks @all-this-panic-still-no-disco @heloisacosta23 @kitheronthorn @idk-i-just-really-like-tsc @t0wergirl @immortal-enemies @ahumanbeingtryingherbest @chewriting @bookishjules

[spacenutspod]

Crews moved the cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapter out of NASA Marshall’s Building 4708 to the agency’s Pegasus barge on August 21. The barge will ferry the adapter first to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, where it will pick up additional SLS hardware for future Artemis missions, and then travel to NASA Kennedy. In Florida, teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems will prepare the adapter for stacking and launch.NASA/Samuel Lott NASA rolled out a key piece of space flight hardware for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis campaign from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on Wednesday, Aug. 21 for shipment to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapter connects the rocket’s core stage to the upper stage and helps protect the upper stage’s engine that will help propel the Artemis II test flight around the Moon, slated for 2025. “The launch vehicle stage adapter is the largest SLS component for Artemis II that is made at the center,” said Chris Calfee, SLS Spacecraft Payload Integration and Evolution element manager. “Both the adapters for the SLS rocket that will power the Artemis II and Artemis III missions are fully produced at NASA Marshall. Alabama plays a key role in returning astronauts to the Moon.” Crews moved the adapter out of NASA Marshall’s Building 4708 to the agency’s Pegasus barge Aug. 21. The barge will ferry the adapter first to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where crews will pick up additional SLS hardware for future Artemis missions, before traveling to NASA Kennedy. Once in Florida, the adapter will join the recently delivered core stage. There, teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems will prepare the adapter for stacking and launch. Engineering teams at NASA Marshall are in the final phase of integration work on the launch vehicle stage adapter for Artemis III. The stage adapter is manufactured by prime contractor Teledyne Brown Engineering and the Jacobs Space Exploration Group’s ESSCA (Engineering Services and Science Capability Augmentation) contract using NASA Marshall’s self-reacting friction-stir robotic and vertical weld tools. Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon. The rocket is part of NASA’s deep space exploration plans, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. NASA’s SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch. For more on SLS, visit:  https://www.nasa.gov/sls News Media Contact Jonathan DealMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034  jonathan.e.deal@nasa.gov

[bcofl0ve]

I'd like to preface this by saying that I don't dislike Kaia Gerber, nor do I have a problem with her having a career or fans. I also don't mean this to sound like I'm coming at you, because I'm definitely not trying to! That said, I think it's okay for people to have nuanced discussions about privilege as it relates to her, and to talk about her in the wider context of Hollywood nepotism. I don't think people who have those conversations about her are necessarily 'whining and stomping their feet', just pointing out that she benefits from a system that's unfairly stacked against those who don't have the resources that she does. I also think it's valid to be frustrated that she has been given more opportunities and more chances to improve than any other aspiring actress realistically would be. I think too that it's OK to look critically at whether she acknowledges the opportunities she's been given, or whether she uses her resources to help others. Of course, she doesn't HAVE to do any of that, and it's true that a lot of people would do the same things she's done if they had her wealth and connections. But I think it's fair to ask those questions. I don't mean this is a critique of you specifically, because I know you're a fan of hers. But being critical of her role in the Hollywood system and how she uses her privilege doesn't necessarily translate to hate, and I do think there's a place for that discussion as long as it stays respectful. I'll end this by saying that I'm pretty neutral about her and I do find her likable, but as someone in a creative industry, I also think it's really important to talk about nepotism and access to opportunities, especially in non-traditional spaces like entertainment.

i mean- i dont fully disagree. when i say things about ppl whining and stomping their feet i mean the people who are not interested in an actual discussion about the topic. ppl are just interested in whining about *her* because they don't like *her* as a human being/are anti her bc theyre a part of the austin fans that dislike her bc she's dating him and they think it's PR. i blocked sooo many anons since she was on fallon/the other new casting news came out bc i was getting brigaded with people calling her ugly, calling her a whore, saying she sleeps with people to get roles, saying austin should be embarrassed of her, and a whole variety of other mean hearted shit. i get the brunt of people who don't want a conversation/just want to have a tantrum bc being able to be anon makes ppl a little more impulsive and mean lol.

and i stand by thinking its goofy to suggest austin has given her a leg up, bc she has the gerber parentage and plenty of connections no matter who her boyfriend is. she's a nepo baby, not a nepo gf! she doesn't need him to get around the business anymore than she needed jacob or pete.

there was a time, before i decided to go to law school- and before i fell out of love w/ theatre that i was gen considering chasing the playwright thing full time. and theatre is sooo connections/who you know based too which was terrifying when i thought that's what i was going to pursue bc i had my own connections here and there not but not nearly as many as a lot of people. and tbh- law is similar. in a different way than entertainment bc it's such a diff sector, but there's absolutely nepotism abound which is frustrating.

i think my larger opinion on all of this is something i say on here a lot which is we don't know what we don't know. i'm not gonna sit here and say i know she's used her resources for good for xyz bc hey, i don't. but we also can't say she *doesn't* because we don't know that either. and i think thats tricky in itself too bc when a celeb makes something good they do public they get accused of only doing it for attention, but if they don't then people think they don't do anything. idk if you were on here when her and austin did the childrens hospital visit last march (of which the whole point of publicizing it was celebs raising publicity for the fundraising campaign for the hospital!) but people got so irate about how it was selfish showboating and austin was only there to counterbalance her evil selfishness that i had to disable my anons.

like- i don't disagree that the larger conversation about the topic as a whole is important! it very much is! just like- maybe not on this blog specifically lololol. perhaps a blog where both the anons aren't such hot heads and the admin isn't so burned out from said hot heads lololol. thank you for the anon though- you articulated this well and i appreciate people like you (:

[theopulenthq]

i'm online, working on my replies, and hanging out for the day!! our first event is in full swing, and we are loving the interactions we are seeing. that said, we have TONS of wanted connections left that we'd love to see taken, and some lonely countries in need of more characters (especially persia, japan, egypt, and turkey!) with tons of very wanted faceclaims available like arsema thomas, elle fanning, rami malek, ni han jin, maddison jaizani, melisa alsi pamuk, jacob anderson, and sean teale - there is something open for anyone. come join our investigative story into the secrets of 1770 royal life as nations come together to stack their power, build alliances, and discover the mystery of the century... but can you ensure you don't spill the beans in the process? come say hello and maybe give us an app!

[thesinglesjukebox]

SAY NOW - "NOT A LOT LEFT TO SAY"

And with this pick from William John, we *also* have not a lot left to say. This is our final post of our Amnesty 2k23 special.

[7.57]

William John: We're at the end of 2023, and while the Origibabes are finally back again, they've now got upstarts to contend with. Say Now, known by the dubious moniker "needanamebro" for most of this year, are three young singers who combine imperiousness and beatific harmony; the more things change, the more they stay the same. "Not A Lot Left To Say" goes by in a blink, but perhaps that's by design, given that it's documenting the painful moment of a relationship that sits somewhere between Erykah Badu's "Next Lifetime" and a kind of detached apathy -- to say anything more than nothing seems fruitless. The song's spacious production reminds me of "Everything is Embarrassing," Dev Hynes' classic traipse through the gloom with Sky Ferreira. It was Hynes who guided Mutya, Keisha and Siobhan back from the figurative dead ten years ago, and while they're hardly in danger of being replaced just yet, I'm excited by the prospect of Ysabelle, Amelia and Maddie continuing their legacy. [9]

Nortey Dowuona: Ysabelle starts the song off on a tough but wistful tone, feeling a bit let down by how it all collapsed and ended, but slowly accepting the outcome. Amelia is completely over it all, wanting badly to move on and put it all behind her. Maddie is still not over it, still longing for those close days. But Amelia, allowed the only direct riff on the bridge, soars, her unspoken hurt lingering in those notes, then she returns to the alcove of the group, all of them united in putting this relationship to bed, but quietly wiping a few tears away, hurt yet resolute. [8]

Ian Mathers: Breakup songs that also acknowledge "don't wanna be your friend, don't wanna be your ex" are too few and far between, and this one has a commendable sense of swing, vocal performances, and brevity to match. Like the relationship, it ends just when it needs to. [9]

Michael Hong: Soft girl group harmonies and fluttering club kicks. Where those disappear, the song feels scant, yet the words feel stickier. For the amicable break-up song that "Not a Lot Left to Say" is, are you supposed to only come out thinking about the words "bet I'm still the one?" [7]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Densely packed pop product -- every line genuinely makes impact, every hook connects with none of the excesses that aspirational pop groups sometimes burden themselves with. This is competent and poised but never stiff; the three of them balance the clear effort they're putting into this attempt with the joy of having the chance to try it. [8]

Will Adams: Formerly known as needanamebro, now known as Say Now. Both names are so bad I assumed this was a Xenomania project. They're not, but the bland UK pop polish of "Not a Lot Left to Say" could have convinced me on its own. [5]

Crystal Leww: One of the most wonderful things about UK pop music is how it's continued the tradition of the girl group in Western pop, which has largely ceded ground to Asia. Say Now follows in a long lineage, which recently just made FLO the Sound of 2023, and "Not A Lot Left To Say" is just stacked and layered harmonies on top of each other. I feel like this is like the **~~Just Girl Things~** version of when the dude at the party busts out the acoustic guitar -- just three girls riffing and seeing how they can jam together and make a little tiny shitting on their ex. Cute! [7]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

[vivicnjacobs]

*✶   about  vivian  jacobs

name:  vivian  jacobs 

age: twenty3

sexuality: pansexual

relationship  status  :  single

tw you’ll find in this bio  :  addiction  tw,  neglection  tw ...

vivian  was  born  to  a  young  mother  who  struggled  with  addiction  and  was  unable to  care  for  her.  she  was  placed in  the  foster care  system  at  a  young  age  and  experienced  a  difficult  childhood. despite  the  challenges, vivian  had  an  innate  charisma and  charm  that  drew  people to  her.  she  learned  to  adapt  to  new  environments quickly  and  used  her  natural charm  to  win  over  the  hearts  of  her  foster parents.

at  the  age  of  eight, vivian  was  adopted by  a  wealthy couple,  the  jacobs. they  were  kind  and  loving, but  vivian  had  a  hard  time  adjusting to  her  new  life.  she  was  used  to  a  certain  level  of  chaos  and  unpredictability,  and  the  structured environment  of  her  new  home  felt  suffocating. however,  vivian  quickly realized  the  benefits of  living  with  the  jacobs. they  provided  her  with  stability, security,  and  access to  resources  she  never  had  before.

as  vivian  grew  older,  she  began  to  embrace  her  queen  bee  energy.  she  was  confident, assertive,  and  unapologetic in  her  pursuits. her  charisma  drew  people  to  her,  and  she  quickly became  the  center of  attention  wherever she  went.  she  learned  to  use  her  charm  to  get  what  she  wanted, whether  it  was  securing  a  photography  gig  or  making new  friends.

vivian's  love  for  photography  began  at  a  young  age.  she  was  always  fascinated by  the  way  a  single photograph  could  capture a  moment  in  time  and  evoke  emotions. when  she  was  twelve,  her  adoptive  parents gifted  her  a  camera,  and  she  began  taking  photos of  everything  she  saw.  she  would  spend  hours  wandering the  streets,  capturing the  beauty  and  chaos  of  the  world  through  her  lens.

as  vivian  approached adulthood,  she  decided to  pursue  her  passion  for  photography  professionally.  she  saved  up  money  from  part-time  jobs  and  invested in  a  professional camera  and  equipment. vivian  quickly  established herself  as  a  successful  photographer, known  for  her  ability  to  capture  the  raw  emotion and  essence  of  her  subjects.

despite  her  success, vivian  still  struggled with  her  identity. she  was  grateful for  the  love  and  opportunities her  adoptive  parents had  given  her,  but  she  couldn't  shake  the  feeling of  not  belonging. she  felt  like  an  imposter, trying  to  fit  into  a  world  that  wasn't  meant  for  her.

it  wasn't  until  she  began  to  explore her  past  that  she  began  to  find  peace  with  her  identity. she  connected  with  her  biological mother,  who  had  since  gotten sober  and  turned her  life  around. through  their  conversations,  vivian learned  more  about  her  biological family  and  the  struggles  they  had  faced. she  realized  that  her  past  had  shaped her  into  the  resilient,  confident, and  charismatic  person she  was  today.

today,  vivian  continues to  pursue  her  photography  career, using  her  art  to  inspire and  empower  others. she  has  learned to  embrace  her  queen  bee  energy,  channeling it  into  her  work  and  her  personal life.  through  her  lens,  she  captures  the  beauty  and  complexity  of  the  world, always  striving  to  tell  stories that  resonate  with  her  audience. vivian's  journey  from  foster  care  to  becoming a  successful  photographer showcases  her  resilience, strength,  and  ability to  thrive  despite the  odds  stacked against  her.

[opheliayuen]

{ ic; Gemma Chan, 37, she/her, female. } yo! have you heard about [ OPHELIA YUEN ]? i couldn’t help but notice them blasting [ THE CHAIN - FLEETWOOD MAC ] when they pulled up.  i saw them moving into [ DIAMOND HEIGHTS ] which makes sense because they remind me of [ CUPS OF TEA ABANDONDED NEXT TO STACKS OF NOTES, A QUIET LUXURY WOVEN IN EVERY FIBER OF HER CLOSET BUT NOT HER BEING ]. word on the street is that they’re [ ARGUMENTATIVE & PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE  ] but i also heard they can be [ HELPFUL & GENTLE ]. i could be wrong but something tells me that they work over at [ THE URBZVILLE TRIBUNE ] but i guess we’ll find out soon enough. { ooc; hannah,est, she/her, 22.}

Hey!!!! I’m back with another lil lady!! Feast your eyes on Ophelia  Yuen!!!

tw: death, pregnancy ( unrelated to the death tw), 

Basics

full name: Ophelia Xiu Yuen

nicknames: none

age: 37

pronouns: she/her

sexuality: heterosexual

sun sign: Capricorn

occupation: editor

workplace: The Urbzville Tribune

residence: diamond heights

History

Ophelia was born in new york city to a very loving and kind couple, Peter and Charlotte Yuen, the owners of a massive international trade company.  Luckily for the newborn she was not to inherit the business itself that would go to her older brother Jacob Yuen.

The family lived in the lap of a silent luxury, they lived in a large townhouse on Carnegie Hill, NY and truly taught the children manners and how to appreciate what they had been given.

Ophelia was always dressed in beautiful dresses and spent much of her free time interested in writing and reading, most mornings she would be found on either her mother or father’s lap reading along to the newspaper

When she reached school age, just like her brother, she was given the best of the best! She was sent to private schools but was never allowed to go to a boarding school, her parents too afraid to send their little girl away.

Throughout school she joined debate teams and school newspapers. Even during the summer her parents would allow her to take private tutoring in creative writing, and journalism.

Though her parents wanted her to have a quiet life, probably as some senator’s housewife they couldn’t deny their daughter’s abilities and interest, they had never done that to her brother and Peter was set on the two being treated equally.

Jacob and Ophelia were constantly surrounded by friends, usually peers from school including one Xavier Wong, he was Jacobs age and Ophelia was smitten, of course the girl didn’t have time to have a crush during school so she would just day dream about what it would be like to be noticed by him. It would soon fizzle out after Jacob and Xavier graduated to university

Once she got to university it became obvious to both of her parents that Ophelia was not just their gentle and sweet little daughter but a girl filled with her own passions and dreams, even an ivy league school didn’t make her want to settle down. Instead she took a job offer ( mainly through Peter’s connections) as a international reporter for a massive paper in England

Later she would become a war correspondent, this would be the first time her mother actually disapproved of her choice but either way she went

There she would run into  Master Sergeant Xavier Wong, and almost instantly all the feelings came back, even the ones he had harbored himself, they would end up dating, they put the effort in and made time for each other and they were both happy. Two years in he asked her to marry him and for once Charlotte was thankful for Ophelia’s career.

Two months before his second tour they discovered Ophelia was pregnant, they had their entire future ahead and this was going to be his last tour for a bit, he had promised her..

Exactly 7 weeks and 4 days after she waved goodbye to him, a man came to her door, telling her that Xavier died, the rest was a blur even now if you were to ask her she wouldn’t be able to accurately recount his death

Luckily, her family, though disapproving of her career choice, feared the idea of a young essentially widowed mother being on her own. They helped her plan the funeral and moved her into their old vacation home in Diamond Heights.  Her brother found a loophole and put his younger sister on the payroll.

She would end up giving birth to a healthy baby boy named Henry Yuen-Wong, and she became obsessed with the baby laying in her arms, determined not to be a weak role model she wanted to work again

Joining the Urbzville tribune, she became the editor and somehow has been able to juggle both a toddler and a fulltime job since.

Personality

Ophelia has always been one to be mannered and polite in every scenario, even as a child her governess and mother were set on making sure both Yuen children always acted as perfect as possible in public, allowing for freedom in the home. She still carries that with her, even if she doesn’t want to pass it down to henry.  But due to these teachings, the only way she could make her point (negatively) in public was to be passive aggressive and she was and still is. Ophelia hates a full on confrontation she’s never really been that good at it anyways.  Ophelia has also been involved with charity her entire life, it doesn’t change when she leaves the new York socialite scene, you can see her often down at rec centers and churches donating old clothes or any extra baby things she can find.  She also makes it a point to be helpful and charitable in her day to day life, often doing favors for friends and neighbors.  Ophelia is none for her gentle demeanor, unless provoked she’s always seems to be a gentle woman, never too loud or rude, never someone to make a point of showing any rough edge to her personality

Random Facts

She calls Henry ‘bear’

she has written some award winning pieces but has left the awards in New York

she still wears her engagement ring and would probably flip shit if she lost it

speaks a couple of languages ( french, german, mandarin and english)

she also always where’s some pearl earrings from her mother

she doesn’t plan to stay in diamond heights forever but if Henry ever says no she might fold

her cursive is amazing but printed is not it

used to have extremely long hair but cut it just past her shoulders after Henry was about 7 months old cause he started pulling

already has two photo albums of henry

used to be a smoker but quit after her dad found out

she still talks to her brother weekly if not daily

the house she’s in is mainly a townhouse with a good backyard, her dad and brother have stated they want to build henry a treehouse once he’s old enough

has a picture framed of her old friend group in her office at work and her study at home

often works at her desk with henry in her lap, or sleeping in a playcot near by

if you read this far like it so we can plot bb

[nasa]

The Big Build: Artemis I Stacks Up

Our Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is coming together at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida this summer. Our mighty SLS rocket is set to power the Artemis I mission to send our Orion spacecraft around the Moon. But, before it heads to the Moon, NASA puts it together right here on Earth.

Read on for more on how our Moon rocket for Artemis I will come together this summer:

Get the Base

How do crews assemble a rocket and spacecraft as tall as a skyscraper? The process all starts inside the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy with the mobile launcher. Recognized as a Florida Space Coast landmark, the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, houses special cranes, lifts, and equipment to move and connect the spaceflight hardware together. Orion and all five of the major parts of the Artemis I rocket are already at Kennedy in preparation for launch. Inside the VAB, teams carefully stack and connect the elements to the mobile launcher, which serves as a platform for assembly and, later, for fueling and launching the rocket.

Start with the boosters

Because they carry the entire weight of the rocket and spacecraft, the twin solid rocket boosters for our SLS rocket are the first elements to be stacked on the mobile launcher inside the VAB. Crews with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs team completed stacking the boosters in March. Each taller than the Statue of Liberty and adorned with the iconic NASA “worm” logo, the five-segment boosters flank either side of the rocket’s core stage and upper stage. At launch, each booster produces more than 3.6 million pounds of thrust in just two minutes to quickly lift the rocket and spacecraft off the pad and to space.

Bring in the core stage

In between the twin solid rocket boosters is the core stage. The stage has two huge liquid propellant tanks, computers that control the rocket’s flight, and four RS-25 engines. Weighing more than 188,000 pounds without fuel and standing 212 feet, the core stage is the largest element of the SLS rocket. To place the core stage in between the two boosters, teams will use a heavy-lift crane to raise and lower the stage into place on the mobile launcher.

On launch day, the core stage’s RS-25 engines produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust and ignite just before the boosters. Together, the boosters and engines produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send the SLS and Orion into orbit.

Add the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter

Once the boosters and core stage are secured, teams add the launch vehicle stage adapter, or LVSA, to the stack. The LVSA is a cone-shaped element that connects the rocket’s core stage and Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), or upper stage. The roughly 30-foot LVSA houses and protects the RL10 engine that powers the ICPS. Once teams bolt the LVSA into place on top of the rocket, the diameter of SLS will officially change from a wide base to a more narrow point — much like a change in the shape of a pencil from eraser to point.

Lower the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage into place

Next in the stacking line-up is the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage or ICPS. Like the LVSA, crews will lift and bolt the ICPS into place. To help power our deep space missions and goals, our SLS rocket delivers propulsion in phases. At liftoff, the core stage and solid rocket boosters will propel Artemis I off the launch pad. Once in orbit, the ICPS and its single RL10 engine will provide nearly 25,000 pounds of thrust to send our Orion spacecraft on a precise trajectory to the Moon.

Nearly there with the Orion stage adapter

When the Orion stage adapter crowns the top of the ICPS, you’ll know we’re nearly complete with stacking SLS rocket for Artemis I. The Orion Stage Adapter is more than just a connection point. At five feet in height, the Orion stage adapter may be small, but it holds and carries several small satellites called CubeSats. After Orion separates from the SLS rocket and heads to the Moon, these shoebox-sized payloads are released into space for their own missions to conduct science and technology research vital to deep space exploration. Compared to the rest of the rocket and spacecraft, the Orion stage adapter is the smallest SLS component that’s stacked for Artemis I.

Top it off

Finally, our Orion spacecraft will be placed on top of our Moon rocket inside the VAB. The final piece will be easy to spot as teams recently added the bright red NASA “worm” logotype to the outside of the spacecraft. The Orion spacecraft is much more than just a capsule built to carry crew. It has a launch abort system, which will carry the crew to safety in case of an emergency, and a service module developed by the European Space Agency that will power and propel the spacecraft during its three-week mission. On the uncrewed Artemis I mission, Orion will check out the spacecraft’s critical systems, including navigation, communications systems, and the heat shield needed to support astronauts who will fly on Artemis II and beyond.

Ready for launch!

The path to the pad requires many steps and check lists. Before Artemis I rolls to the launch pad, teams will finalize outfitting and other important assembly work inside the VAB. Once assembled, the integrated SLS rocket and Orion will undergo several final tests and checkouts in the VAB and on the launch pad before it’s readied for launch.

The Artemis I mission is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will pave the way for landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. The Space Launch System is the only rocket that can send NASA astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[crutchie-with-a-y]

Like A Dream

“I still think this is a terrible idea,” Sarah Jacobs said from inside Katherine Pulitzer’s closet. Or at least that’s what Katherine called it. This “closet” was almost the same size as Jacobs’ entire apartment and probably cost twice as much to build. There were several wooden wardrobes full of dresses lining one wall, as well as a huge shoe rack with each compartment occupied by a different pair for each occasion a person could name, and several long shelves stacked with hat boxes. A shining pinewood floor stretched across to the other wall, which was covered in ginormous floor length mirrors with thick golden frames. And, standing in the middle of it all, with a glittering chandelier hanging from the high ceiling above her head and Katherine’s handmaid Dina holding a dress against her, was Sarah, perched on top of a little pink stool. 

“It’s going to go wonderfully,” Katherine reassured her from where she stood outside the closet, her back resting against the closed double doors. “By attending the annual World Gala, the Newsies are taking an important step towards finally being treated like the rest of the employees of the paper.”

“That being so-,” Sarah said, just as Dina finished sliding in the last pin and stepped back so Sarah could see herself in the mirror. She gasped, “Oh my goodness!” Katherine took that as her que to throw open the closet door and take a look at the finished product. 

The dress was hung on Sarah’s shoulders by two short sleeves that connected to a scooped neckline that showed off her graceful neck and pronounced collar bone. The dress was a deep, brilliant blue, and cascaded down Sarah like a silky waterfall, narrowing at her waist and flowing back out around her hips and down to the light ruffles lined with white that strung out across the bottom of the skirt, hitting the floor like white caps against smooth rocks. 

Needless to say, the dress was stunning. 

“See!” Katherine dashed up to her friend and grabbed her hands. “I told you it’d be perfect! Look at you!” Sarah breathed out a happy chuckle, still very much in shock. 

“She’s right,” Dina said from across the room in her light Irish accent. “It fits ya like a glove, M’dear.” 

“And speaking of gloves,” Katherine scurried over to one of the wardrobes and opened it, and reaching to a shelf above the hanging dresses, pulled down a long purple box and walked back over to Sarah. She removed the lid and held the box out towards her friend. Sarah’s eyes widened even more. A pair of beautiful blue gloves to match the dress rested on top of some folded tissue paper. She looked at Katherine, who nodded to her, and delicately pulled them out of the box and slid them up to her elbow. She rolled her wrists around and turned her palms over. The gloves were so soft and so pretty. She turned to look back at herself in the mirror and gently slid her covered hands down the fabric of the dress. That couldn’t possibly be me, she thought. Her, skinny little Sarah Jacobs, in that very fancy blue dress with matching gloves, with a handmaiden standing next to her and the Katherine Pulitzer smiling at her, in a room that’s sole purpose was to house even more expensive dresses with matching gloves. It just couldn’t be real. 

“Oh, Katherine! How can I possibly thank you! It’s-it’s…it’s like a dream!”