#(which is IMMEDIATELY followed by leading a school program and three bird walks)

[starbuck]

i cannot express how excited i am for a theoretical future in which i am doing LESS THINGS!!!!!!!!

[reds-burrow]

Sorting The Mandalorian

This is an attempt to sort the main characters of The Mandalorian according to the Sorting Hat Chats system. For anyone unfamiliar with the system, I suggest reading about it in this lovely summary by @wisteria-lodge.

Din Djarin (The Mandalorian/Mando): Badger/Lion

Incredibly loyal to the community that saved him as a child, he's driven by his sense of duty, yet he can't bear to walk away from people in need, even those who can't pay him. And if you mention the reputation of the Mandalorians, he immediately folds. Can't bring shame to the community after all! Not the best business model for a bounty hunter, but as a Badger primary, he couldn't live with himself otherwise. He also shows signs of dehumanizing droids for most of season one, not using pronouns for them, doubting their skills, refusing to trust them on sight. Given his first community was attacked by droids, it's not surprising. But once IG-11 proves himself to Din, Din not only stops dehumanizing droids but has difficulty not humanizing IG-11. The droid has to remind Din, twice, that he is not a living thing before Din will allow him to save Din's life or later sacrifice himself.

What happened in season two then? Did Din develop a Snake primary model for Grogu, overriding his Badger primary? While I think that's a valid reading of the story so far, I personally read season two as the story of a Badger changing their community. Having an External primary means that a Badgers can have very different value systems and rules they follow depending on who they consider their community to be. The Children of the Watch grew up in a cult-like community ("This is the Way."). When Din finally meets other Mandalorians who don't adhere to the strict code he's been taught, he begins to understand he can still be a Mandalorian without keeping his helmet on every standard minute of the day. Season three is set up to confront this more directly, forcing Din to decide what type of Mandalorian he wants to be.

As for his secondary, he's a Lion. Despite always covering his face, there is no question of who Din is. He's forthright, outright asking his bounty if they want to be brought in warm or cold. If we're to believe Xi'an, Din did more obvious charging when he was younger. Now, while he's still reactionary, even grabbing thermal detonators and literally charging into blaster-fire, he does so with a tired sigh.

Greef Karga: Snake/Badger

Greef Karga is only out for himself in the first season. A clear Snake primary, he initially tries to capture Din and Grogu because they're ruining his business. However, after Grogu saves him, Greef takes Grogu and Din into his circle, betraying his deal with the Imps to save them in turn.

As for his secondary, he operates as an agent of the Bounty Hunters' Guild, not by going out into the field, but by being the connection between hunters and clients, a Badger secondary way of doing things. Din essentially broke down everything Greef's secondary had built when he broke the code, including the trusted reputation of the guild. No wonder Greef was determined to have them captured or killed. Then, when the Imperial Remnants leave Nevarro, we get to see what a natural leader Greef is as he helps transform his town into a respectable one by investing in fundamental services like a school, a true Inspirational Badger.

Kuiil: Badger/Badger

Kuiil has had his life defined by hard work. A slave for the Empire, he earned his freedom with his Badger secondary, and while many characters would develop a Badger model to survive in such conditions, Kuiil's Badger appears to be his innate secondary. His chosen profession once he is free is labor-intensive moisture farming.

As for his primary, he's a peace-seeking Badger, always helping, and negotiating, trying to find a fair compromise for all, even if the other party is a bunch of thieving Jawas. He also revived IG-11 and taught the droid to be as respectful to all creatures as he is.

Cara Dune: Lion/Lion

Cara Dune is proud to have been a rebel for the Alliance, but she's left adrift after the fall of the Empire. With no cause to fight for, her Lion primary refuses to settle for a role as a peacekeeper, leading her to become a mercenary. A Lion without a cause tends to look like a Snake primary, and that's the state we find Cara in, initially only making moves to keep herself safe and paid. Later, when she finally agrees to become a marshal for the New Republic, she has a new purpose but is perfectly willing to break the Republic's rules to follow what she feels is right, from helping Din and Grogu to letting Mayfeld go.

Her Lion secondary shows in her fighting style. She used to be dropped over enemy lines to wreak as much havoc as possible and watching her aggressive style it's clear why. She's quick on her feet, improvising in that direct manner Lions like to do as seen in the battle against the AT-ST when their initial plan hits a snag.

IG-11: Bird/Lion

His Bird primary first displays as a strict adherence to rules ("Manufacturers Protocol dictates I cannot be captured. I must self-destruct."). The first time we see him, he walks straight into the middle of a bunch of mercenaries and spouts out the Bondsman Guild Protocol as if once they understand the rules, they'll fall in line. This also is a great example of his Lion secondary. As Taika Waititi described him, "[IG-11] is very innocent and direct and doesn't know about sarcasm and doesn't know how to lie. It's like a child with a gun." Later, Kuiil effectively imparts his Badger primary system to IG-11 when he saves and reprograms the droid. To paraphrase Kuiil, droids are a reflection of those who programmed them which has amusing implications for Ani and Threepio. It's a bizarre example of a Bird learning a new system, but that is still what it is at its essence. IG-11 is still all about fulfilling his protocols and base function; his base function simply changed from "kill or capture" to "nurse and protect."

Moff Gideon: Badger/Bird

A mastermind strategist, the first time we see him his Bird secondary is obvious. He uses his knowledge to intimidate, revealing his enemies names and pasts that they hadn't even shared amongst themselves. As Gideon says, "A friendly piece of advice: assume that I know everything."

As for his primary, he is an Authoritarian Badger, loyal to the order the Empire brought to the galaxy and likely to blast anything he sees in the way of it. To paraphrase Giancarlo Esposito, Gideon firmly believes himself to be a warden for the galaxy whose duty is to oversee people and prevent them from overrunning each other. He genuinely believes he is protecting people from themselves by pushing his strong sense of order onto them.

Grogu (The Child/The Bounty/Baby Yoda): ...um.

How young is too young to sort a character? It's unclear how much he understands about morals. With what little information we do have, he looks like a young Snake primary, only thinking about his stomach, his own survival, or protecting Din. But then, you think a young Snake would have more reluctant about the end of season two. I suppose we'll have to wait and see if his attachment to Din affects his training. Anyway, he's either too young to be capable of much foresight, or he's an Improvisational secondary, testing his limits as toddlers are wont to do. He's such a little gremlin, stealing snacks, sneaking eggs. I'm tempted to call him a Double Snake just for that!

[huihuiheart]

Hongjoong’s Angels - Hongjoong w/ f! Yeosang + f! San

-req by @pirate-hongjoong

Pairing: Platonic Hongjoong (Speaking in italics) + f! Yeosang + f! San + Female Reader (ft. the rest of Ateez)

Summary: The angels are about as elite as they come, but all of them are at risk now. For a mission that they would have assigned a dozen angels to, it comes down to just three. Would that be enough to prevent their whole world from falling apart though?

Warnings: Spies, violent themes, espionage, guns, suggestive themes, seduction, kidnapping, breaking and entering, fight scenes, tasers, explosions, lies, missiles, betrayal, some member x member themes (the couple is a secret to prevent spoilers), death.

Word Count: 8,086

Note: I still have not watched the most recent movie and this is an original piece, so please don’t give me backlash for it. I was very excited to do this though, because the original Charlie’s Angels movies were my childhood, so this seemed very fun. 

“Once upon a time there were three very different little girls....”

“I’m sorry the only spot we have open is for a mascot.” The head cheerleader mocked, but Yeosang simply smiled, her braces on full display.

“Oh my god, that’s great though! It’ll be so much fun! And I still get to dance!” Yeosang practically bounded out of the hall, tripping over her own feet at the entrance and falling flat on the ground.

---

“Ladies and Gentleman, that does it. Your winning rider is Choi San on her prized horse Blue Ballad. The youngest yet to win this competition.” The announcer called over the sound system. Choi San standing proudly on the podium for photos with her horse standing behind her, taking in the applause.

---

“Y/L/N Y/N! You get in here right now young lady!” The principle called from her office, you smirking as you walked in and plopped down opposite her, “ Would you explain to me why we have you on camera spray painting the school wall?”

You snickered as she showed you the film they had, “Oh look that’s my favorite part.” You muse as you watch the clip of you giving the camera the bird before spray painting over it.

---

“Who grew up to be three very different women...”

Yeosang held the little hairless kitten in her arms, giggling at it as people gave her strange looks in passing.

“Maybe you should put that one down Yeosang, no one’s gonna adopt...it....”

“Awe, but there’s nothing wrong with her. Besides she’s so cute...and she doesn’t do that...”Yeosang counters gesturing to one of the hairballs from the other cats in the shop.

---

“Prep OR3 and tell them I’m on my way. We have to move people, this is life or death! Now scrub me in!” San huffs, washing her hands, as one of the assistants puts the gloves and scrubs on for her. San opening the door to the operating room with her back to not contaminate anything.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

---

“Hi, welcome to Good Burger. What can I get for you today?” Y/N droned over the drive-thru headset in the same monotone voice you did everyday, with a huff. 

The car pulling up moments later, a rambunctious group of young men in the car, “Hey sweetheart, why don’t you give us a show with that meal?”

You gave them a deadpan look, before holding up the paper bag with their order in it and shaking it, throwing it into the window of their car before closing your drive-thru window with a fake smile and walking away.

“What they have in common is that they’re brilliant, they’re beautiful, and they work for me. My name is Hongjoong.”

“Good morning, angels.”

“Good morning Hongjoong!” You three replied in unison, sitting on the couch across from the little speaker. The device is your only connection to the mystery man that was your boss.

“So Hongjoong, what do you have for us today?” San questions, hugging your arm slightly as she sits to your right, eager to get a new assignment.

“Well, angels, we’ve recently been hired by Jeong Yunho, CEO of Jeong Technologies. They’re currently the largest private technology and information firm around. Their lead engineer Song Mingi was kidnapped, there’s footage of three assailants taking him from the front of Jeong Technologies science building the other night and there has been no sign of him since.”

 “There any leads so far? Anyone who wants to see Jeong Technologies fall?” You ask, looking over the tape on the screen one last time, watching the poor engineer get shoved into the van by some masked men.

“Bosley hasn’t given you the files yet, has he?” Hongjoong chuckles over the speaker, “Where has my good friend gone off to now?”

“Bosley? I thought you told me your name was Wooyoung?” Yunho’s brows furrow as he walks in with the man in question.

“It is my name is Wooyoung. I’m simply in the Bosley family....it’s a term of endearment at this point.” Wooyoung shrugs, gesturing for Yunho to sit on the couch opposite of you, “I was just greeting our guest Hongjoong, no need to rush anyone.”

“Well, angels, it looks like you’re in capable hands. If you need anything, Wooyoung will provide you with it. I’ll be in touch.” With that, the speaker was off, and Wooyoung was handing you each of your respective files on the case. Almost identical, but each with slightly unique details based on your unique skill sets.

“So, you’re Jeong Yunho then?” Yeosang looks at him while offering her hand, each of you following suit and flustering the young, shy CEO who shakes your hands.

“I-I am. I-I just want to say that whatever you girls need to get him back, I’m happy to help. Mingi is more than an employee, he’s also a friend.” Yunho is flustered at first, but slowly it changes to concern for his missing friend.

“If you don’t mind me asking then, is that why he is so special? I mean, a kidnapping is usually handled by the police, so what about this makes it a better fit for us?” San inquires, barely looking up from the file finding bits of information that might prove useful.

 “Not exactly. You see, we’re a private firm, but we recently landed a government project, and that’s what Mingi was working on. The intelligence involved in this project cannot get out, but Mingi’s the only one who currently knows how to access it or lock it down. Which is why we need to get him back before they can get it out of him.” Yunho explains, catching the attention of all the angels.

“What kind of information are we talking about here?” You finally dare to ask, not sure you’d like any answer that he would give you. 

“Potentially limitless information. The program is designed to screen through all sources public and private without interfering with people’s privacy. What I mean is no person is scouring through people’s information. It uses facial recognition and voice recognition software to track people internationally based on the specs you give it. That person’s trail. With hopes of finding the most wanted criminals who have fallen off the face of the earth. When it pings with that, all the computer saves is the clip with their voice or face. Then it shares that with those who need to find that person. Without sharing private information about the person whose device it was with said investigators. Like an anonymous tip phone call of sorts, but it also provides a location. However, in theory, those safeties can be removed and you could potentially access any information on anyone from anywhere in the world.” Yunho worries his lip between his teeth as he explains the purpose of their latest program.

“And Mingi is the only one who knows the system well enough to do anything with it? To allow or prevent that from happening?” Yeosang sucks in a breath at the sorrowful nod that Yunho answers her with.

“Who would have the most to gain from kidnapping Mingi? People who knew of this program? Of its potential? Or, just have something to gain by taking him?” You look for the page you know you saw when skimming the file, the one that listed off Yunho and Mingi’s enemies.

“Honestly, we kept a tight lid on the information flow only those working on the project and myself knew. Everyone was very adamant about not discussing it outside of the work area for safety reasons, so unless someone got that information elsewhere, I don’t know. However, there is one person I have in mind...Park Seonghwa. My leading competitor, he’s been known to send spies into our staff to steal ideas and information. I wouldn’t put it past him to kidnap our lead engineer in hopes of getting ideas to put out before us.” Yunho shakes his head, “That man never gives up, I’m telling you.”

The angels nod in unison, turning to Wooyoung and handing back the files.

“Yunho we’re going to need access to your building. We’re gonna see if they left anything behind where they took Wooyoung.” San explains, to which Yunho immediately agrees.

“Also, we’ll need to check your systems to see if anyone did get in and access confidential information,” Yeosang added before the two looked at you.

“Then we’ll check Park Industries too, just in case. Though before that, we should probably make sure your home is secure, for all we know they could be after you too.” You try not to worry Yunho too much while still telling him the reality of the situation.

“Alright, angels, let’s move.” Yeosang jumps up, catching the keys that Wooyoung tosses to her so that the four of you can head out to Jeong Technologies to start unraveling this mystery.

“Find anything in here?” Yeosang asks, joining you and San from checking out the scene where Mingi was finally grabbed.

“Good luck, angels! I’ll be checking in!” Wooyoung calls after you before sighing as he sits down again, left all alone now.

“I’m not seeing any immediate signs of someone snooping around, but not that we’re in. I'll have the computer at the base run a more thorough analysis and let us know,” San responds, looking to you and Yunho.

“I haven’t found any bugs or signs of forced entry if there was something here, it would have to be moving in and out on an employee. I say we check them out, just to be safe.” Your suggestion is met with nods from the other two, “What about out front?”

“Ah, I found a few things...our van had some specialty tires on it based on the treads it left behind. We could look for suppliers and cross-reference based on that to find who’s van it is. Also, there was some debris left I’m assuming when the kidnappers jumped out of the van. We’ll see if these little plants can tell us anything about where they were before being here.” Yeosang proudly beams, holding up her prize.

“Okay, why don’t you two get those back to the base and Wooyoung. I’ll go check out Yunho’s house and make sure it’s safe for him there.” You insist, causing the two to roll their eyes slightly at you.

“Please, you just want to go with him because you think he’s hot,” Yeosang mumbles, making San chuckle while you fluster and throw a glare at her.

“Not my fault, the yummy CEO hired us! Now get out of here.” You hiss quietly at the two before shooing them as they laugh. Before turning to Yunho, who was flustered and blushing after watching that exchange.

“C-Come on, I’ll drive us.” He offers leading the way out of the building and to his car so that he can drive you to his home. Of course, solely for professional reasons. Pulling up to a large modern home after not too long, it somewhat secluded in the woods. Yunho welcomes you in and helps you with your jacket, offering you something to drink while you immediately set to work and stumbling across an interesting photo.

“Isn’t this Park Seonghwa with you?” You question holding the photo up to Yunho, who nods in response, only further intriguing you, “I thought you two were rivals?”

“We are now, but things weren’t always that way. In fact, I’d prefer if they still weren’t.” Yunho sighs softly, holding out a glass to you, “We went to school together growing up, even picked the same university to attend. Honestly, he was more like a brother to me than anything. Until he tried to steal my final during our last year...he was found out and kicked out of the school, but money spared him most of the consequences. He blamed me for what happened, though, and now it seems he wants to get me back in any way at all.”

You nod, placing the picture back down, feeling worse for the Yunho now, “So you lost one close friend already, and now the other is missing...that must be tough.” When Yunho nods, you reach out to gently squeeze his arm in reassurance, “Don’t worry, we’ll get Mingi back, and we won’t let anything happen to you. The house is clean, and I’m leaving you this panic button. If anything is wrong, you just press it, and the closest one of us will come right away.”

“So if I pressed it right now, that would mean you would come, right?” Yunho asks, stepping closer as you start to step away, flustering you some.

“Well, yes, but I just checked the whole house Yunho and nothing wrong.” You chuckle despite being shy, thanks to him.

“Yes, there is.” Yunho blurts, a little too quickly, making you raise a brow in question, “W-What if I don’t feel safe being here all alone? I-I think you should stay for a bit...y-you know just in case.”

He was so impossibly close right now, standing right before you. Not even letting you respond, though, before the two of you were kissing. Your coat slipping out of your arms again as you slipped them around his neck, not letting him go again.

Yunho pouts, hearing your phone ring, and you chuckle, answering it.

“Y/N, we need you back here, we’re going to regroup and talk to Hongjoong. How far out are you?” San asks over the phone, and she and Yeosang finish up in the lab, looking over their results again.

“Not too far, I’m just at Yunho’s.” You answer before cursing internally at giving that away, while the CEO besides you blushes.

“Still? Why? Was something wrong?” San’s voice is teasing, but you know she genuinely wanted to know in case there was an issue, and you just hadn’t gotten the chance to ask for their help yet.

“N-No, nothing’s wrong...I-I’m heading over now.” You quickly hang up before she can question you anymore, giving Yunho an apologetic look, “Well, duty calls. If anything happens, though, hit the panic button, alright?” 

Yunho nods, slipping his arm around your waist and pulling you in for another kiss, “ Be careful out there, okay? If you have to leave me, then at least come back in one piece.”

“I will.” You give him one last kiss before slipping out of his grasp to leave, knowing there was still plenty to do before Yunho would be safe and have his friend back. 

San and Yeosang, smirking at you as you walked back into the base, their looks suggestive, now armed with the knowledge that you had spent the night at Yunho’s place. You sighed with a soft blush and brushed them off, taking your seat with them for yet another morning. Wooyoung, laughing, and accepting the incoming call.

“Good morning, angels.”

“Good morning, Hongjoong!”

“Do you girls have an update on the situation?” 

“We looked into the tires, and it leads back to Park Industries. They have an arrangement with one of the shops they like this specific brand on all their trucks and vans. They also have vans matching the make and model of the van that was used in the kidnapping.” San closes her file on the track report, having nailed Park Seonghwa or at least his company to taking Mingi the question now was just where.

“The plant material was interesting, it allowed me to narrow down to a fifty-mile area where they had been before, the only problem was that any way we cross-referenced things, in that area we found no connection to Park Industries at all, whether directly or otherwise.” Yeosang added with a shrug, “Unless they’ve managed to keep that hidden very well from us.”

“The computer didn’t come up with anything either. It looks as though Park Industries never got into Jeong Technologies computer.” Wooyoung continues before looking at you, now that they had pretty much covered all the leads before speaking up for you, “Oh, and Yunho’s house has been cleared.”

“It seems like whoever is hiding those details from us is doing a very good job of it. Get into Park Industries and see if you can find the last few things that you need to find Mingi, we might not have a lot of time left before they get that information.”

“We’re on it, Hongjoong!”

“So what’s the play then, angels?” Wooyoung inquires, leaning across the desk and smiling at you, “And what do you need for it?”

“You know...we could actually use your help on this one, Wooyoung.” You smiled at him, “How would you like to play a young, up and coming CEO? Willing to give Park Industries exclusive access to specialty supplies?”

“I’ll be your assistant, there to help you if anything happens and seduce Seonghwa enough to get the key for San to get in with.” You reassured Wooyoung as you three pull up the building specs.

“I’ll distract the others around, so San will just have to worry about security making their rounds and cameras on the outside. Once inside the room, though, there is a laser grid, moving, very high end. The code to disable them changes every five minutes. so it’s not likely we’ll be able to get that unless Y/N can manage it in Seonghwa’s office somehow.” Yeosang added before looking to San.

“I’ll be in and out with what we need before you even know it.” San nods looking at Wooyoung, “So what do you say Woo, you in?”

“Well...whatever the angels need, the angels get.��� Wooyoung shrugs before chuckling softly, “I’m in.”

Sitting in your van outside of Park Industries and doing final preparations, San spotted something watching the building for any last-minute security changes. She couldn’t be sure, though, until she pulled up a still from the kidnapping video.

“Guys, I just realized something we’ve been missing.” San turns to the rest of you, showing the clip where a snake tattoo is visible on the kidnapper’s ankle, “We should have run with this from the start.”

“Well, what good does that do us now? We can’t call this mission off.” Yeosang frowns softly and San tsks, shaking her head.

“We won’t, we just would have gotten here sooner.” San zooms in on the building security guard from the camera hidden in the side of the van, “Considering this is the tattooed man.”

You look at the screen before initiating the facial recognition software and grabbing molar mics for you and Wooyoung, “When you figure it out, let me know. I’m meeting Wooyoung now.” 

You slipped out of the side of the van that faced away from the building, sneaking a few blocks away to where Wooyoung was waiting in the driver’s seat of a black Lamborgini Huracan. Smoothing over your dress one last time, you get into the passenger seat, handing him his mic and earpiece before putting on your own.

“Ready, Mr. Jung?” You smirked softly at Wooyoung, who chuckles in response, starting up the car.

“Honestly, if it means getting to do stuff like this and driving nice cars all the time, I might just have to tag along more.” He drives off to head towards the main entrance of Park Industries, you two needed to be the first to go in. 

“Y/N, we got a match over facial recognition. His name is Choi Jongho, he hasn’t been working for Seonghwa long, but they have a history. We better keep an eye on him though, he has a pretty remarkable rep. Numerous fighting styles mastered, history in dealing with arms. Keep an eye on him, don’t let him catch you off guard.” You hear San over the mic, knowing Wooyoung does too as you notice him tense while driving.

“Relax Wooyoung, just act natural, and nothing will go wrong. Besides, even if it did, you have the three of us there to protect you.” You assured him, leading him to take a breath and relax slightly, as he pulled up. Parking the car and the both of you got out. Showing Jongho your identification in passing, him eyeing you both up for a moment before opening the door to let you through.

“We’re in, work your magic girls.” You whisper, before taking over at the front desk, “Hello, we’re here for the meeting with Mr. Park. His 2 o’clock.”

The lady raised a brow at you, clearly not impressed until Wooyoung spoke up, “Is there a problem here? I’m a busy man, but I made the time to meet with CEO Park out of professional courtesy, I’d appreciate it if you made it happen, doll.”

She flusters, stuttering a bit behind her desk, “O-Of course CEO Jung, my apologies. It won’t happen again.” 

“Good work Wooyoung!” Yeosang cheered over the mic as the lady led the way for you both through the building. That being her cue as she slipped out of the van next. Heading up to the building with a blinding smile as she stopped in front of Jongho.

“Hi, I think I’m supposed to go in here, yes?” Yeosang fumbles through her bag for show, before finding her company id for him, “It’s my first day, so I’m just a little lost.”

Her helpless giggle and clueless innocent nature must have done the trick, Jongho scanning her id and even giving a small smile back before getting the door for her. San drove the van around to the back, preparing to make her entrance. 

“Let me know when we’re good, Yeosang.” She says, grabbing her ‘delivery’ and going in through the service entrance, before slipping into a bathroom to change into professional clothes, hiding her face from cameras the entire time.

“Give me five minutes,” Yeosang responds, stumbling into the room where the various cubicles were by the mainframe, blushing and giggling as people start to stare. Yeosang works her charms, pouting softly and twirling her hair, “I’m new, and I think I managed to get lost. Do any of you think you could help me?” 

Yeosang played further into the act as they scrambled over each other to get to her, and show her the various areas of the building. More than eager to be around a beautiful woman after being cooped up at their desk for hours without end. Giving her verbal cue to San who slipped out after the group had passed and headed in the opposite direction as them, just waiting for the key to be dropped off.

“You make a very appealing deal, Jung Wooyoung. Draw it up and send it to me, I’m more than interested in it.” Seonghwa smiles from his spot across from Wooyoung.

“That won’t be necessary, my assistance already drew it up. I hope it meets your liking?” Wooyoung gestures you forward. You round the desk and lean forward to place and open the drawn up papers on the desk, letting Seonghwa see your form in the process. It is a good distraction as your free hand slipped the key card off his desk, before taking your spot besides Wooyoung again. Slipping the card into his hand as Seonghwa reads and signs the document, Wooyoung signs afterward before collecting up the document, as his phone rings.

“If you’ll excuse me, I forgot I have another appointment. However, my assistant can stay to discuss anything else about the contract with you.” Wooyoung shakes Seonghwa’s hand before answering the fake call and stepping out of the room to hand the card off to San and get out of the building. The exchange, going successfully.

“Just keep him occupied for me Y/N.” San moves towards the room, hiding her face from view as she slips in to look for access. The easy part passed now just came the harder part of slipping through the lasers.

You trailed your fingertips over Seonghwa’s desk as you moved back to the same side as him, “Is there anything I can help you with, anything at all?”

Your hands, moving to massage his shoulders, noticing something sitting proudly on his desk that you hadn’t the first time. The same picture you had seen at Yunho’s house, of the two of them together.

“Oh, angel, as enticing as that sounds coming from such a beauty, I’ll have to pass. After all, I’ve got so much to do you know...with kidnapping people and all.” Seonghwa grabs your wrist-twisting you around and pinning your front to the desk beneath him. The others heard what happened clear as day.

“I’ll get Wooyoung out, you just finish up getting what we came for San and then help Y/N if necessary.” Yeosang is already in the ladies' room, slipping up and into a vent to make her way out without being swarmed again, dropping out and finding Wooyoung, but too late as Jongho pulls him through a door and shoves him into a van, while a man blocks Yeosang. 

“Jongho got Wooyoung.” She announces, flipping a switch in all the angels. None of them were happy that their Wooyoung had been taken.

“San get that stuff back to base, we’ll clean up here.” You say before twisting enough to elbow him in the face. Still, missing something, though, as Seonghwa tased you in the side. The world, going black and leaving the mission up to the other two for the time being.

Slowly you come too, eyes shifting around for any sign of Wooyoung or Mingi as you do. Instead, you hear someone tsking, followed by footsteps, drawing your attention forward and away from the dirtied surroundings. Yunho before you, as he leans down towards your face, pinching your jaw between his thumb and forefinger to make you look at him instead of at Seonghwa behind him. 

“I may have underestimated you, girls...I thought it would be easier to snatch all of you at once. The others got away, though, with something that belongs to us, and you’re going to help us get it back, angel.” Yunho’s glare only hardens further when you smirk at him, feeling the molar mic still in your mouth, even if they took your earpiece, knowing it’d help Yeosang and San even more.

“See that was your problem, you underestimated us. Besides, there are more than just three angels, a lot more.” You shrug, leaning back in your chair, knowing it was only a matter of time before help showed. Not that you couldn’t break out of the chair if you wanted to, but it was more fun letting them think they’d won and spilling everything to you while you learned everything about their security from the inside.

Seonghwa stepped over and joined Yunho, slipping his arms around Yunho’s waist and resting his chin on Yunho’s shoulder, “Oh, we know Y/N. After all, once an angel always an angel, right? And there are quite a few from what we can tell.” 

Seonghwa tilts Yunho’s body away from you, letting you see the monitors working on trying to break into Hongjoong and the angel’s database, not able to get much more than the number of angels at this point. You knew security was the best there was.

“If only there were a way to get access to their personal information, though? You know...so anyone who wishes could get revenge on the angels...oh wait, we have this.” Seonghwa tauntingly waves Wooyoung’s phone in front of your face, “Almost like when Hongjoong calls, we can use his voice to gain access to the system or something of the sort.”

Your heart races, knowing that was the one way to gain access to everything there, even to information on angels who retired, “Why would you want to do that to the angels? Just money? There’s plenty of easier to access information you could sell than this.”

Yunho scoffs, rolling his eyes, “No angel, this one is personal. Seonghwa’s sister was an angel, on a team much like yours...only her team didn’t bring her home. So we’re gonna teach the rest of you a lesson.”

“Once I find the two that left my sister, though...I’ll handle them myself.” Seonghwa hisses before letting Yunho go, gripping on your chair as his gaze darkens, “Now let me guess, they took what they got from me back to your little base and are going to try and find us?”

“Try?” It’s your turn to scoff now, “Don’t tell me you’re already underestimating us again, they won’t try...they will find us. And then breaking into the database would be the easiest challenge you’d have to overcome today.”

Yunho clicks his tongue, pulling a gun out of the back of his pants before putting it up to your temple, the click of the safety echoing in the room, “Just answer the question, or we won’t let you see any more of what we have planned. Which would be a real shame considering things are just now starting to get interesting.” 

You sigh softly, gaze shifting to Yunho for a moment, before back at Seonghwa, “Yeah, that’s what they would do.” 

Seonghwa smirking as he leans back, “See angel, that wasn’t so hard now, was it?” His eyes flick over to Yunho now, “Come on, babe, put the gun away. The little angel is cooperating now, and we want her to see just what’s happening, don’t we love?”

Yunho rolls his eyes, putting the gun away again, pulling out the duck tape and toying with it some, “ I hope you know, you won’t be able to depend on Yeosang and San much longer...they’ve got their own problems to deal with.”

He nods to Seonghwa, who pulls up the coordinates of your base, turning to you again, “I’ll give you a moment to look and say goodbye, they’re about to get quite the bang.” 

“Wha-” Your statement is cut off by Yunho putting the duck tape over your mouth and putting a finger over where your lips would be, shushing you.

“Shh, isn’t that much better?” Yunho chuckles as Seonghwa clicks enter on the keyboard, launching a missile straight at the coordinates of your home base. Leaving, you to hope that Yeosang and San heard enough to know to get out by now, but not quite sure if they did.

“We gotta move fast San, who knows what that could mean,” Yeosang calls, snatching one of the bags of supplies from the base and slinging it over her shoulder so they could have something while they rushed out.

“I know, I’m shutting this down now. I’ll be right behind you.” San responds, finishing up, before grabbing her bag and rushing out behind Yeosang. The two almost at the car by the time the missile hits the base, the force of the blast throwing them tumbling to the ground. Thankfully, though, with little more to worry about than a few scratches.

“Yep, they definitely want us dead.” Yeosang grunts, picking herself up off the ground with a groan and dusting off.

“Well, unlucky for them, I know where they are now...Seonghwa didn’t have any buildings in that radius, but Yunho does...that’s where we’re going.” San pulls herself off the ground too, before getting in the car and putting the location in. Letting Yeosang drive as they head towards the location, and parking a safe distance away from where they wouldn’t be seen.

“Security looks pretty tight, we won’t be able to just storm our way in without help...”Yeosang sighs, shaking her head as she lowers the binoculars she was using to get a better view of the front entrance.

“So, we’ll just have to make our own way in then.” San shrugs, “Come on, I have an idea.”

Seonghwa spotted the tear that rolled down your face before you could spot it and chuckled, “Aw, who knew angels could cry~”

He mocked you before having Jongho bring Mingi in and shove him into the chair in front of the monitors before going back to guard Wooyoung until he was needed, “It’s almost time, Mingi. I’m going to need you to get us set up. Or there’s gonna be consequences.” 

Yunho smirks playfully, brushing a finger over your cheek and collecting the tear, “You know you were rather pretty that night...but I think I prefer you this kind of broken.”

You glared at him, pulling away from his touch, which only made him chuckle. Until Jongho brought Wooyoung in. Seonghwa handed him the phone that was hardwired to the headset he handed Yunho, and the computer.

“You’re going to call Hongjoong for us.” Yunho demands of Wooyoung, pointing the gun at him. Wooyoung looks at you, with big frightened eyes. You nodded as you spotted a flash of Yeosang’s blonde hair in the security camera for the attic of the building. Seonghwa noticed the same thing and sent Jongho to deal with it. Wooyoung dials Hongjoong’s number, but when there’s no answer his hands shake, going to call again until Seonghwa stops him.

“Let Hongjoong call back, it’ll work better for our plan.” Seonghwa insists watching and waiting until the phone rings again, gesturing for Yunho to answer and Wooyoung to keep his mouth shut.

“H-Hello? This is Yunho.” He puts the front on again, despite grinning wickedly at you, “Wooyoung can’t come to the phone this second.”

“Oh, hi Yunho, this is Hongjoong. Are you with the angels again?” 

“Yeah, they had a lead, and since they weren’t sure where it was secure, they just had me go back to the base and hang out with Wooyoung. I think he went to the kitchen or something though, he shouldn’t take too long, hopefully, that’s okay.” Yunho watches Seonghwa and Mingi for the signal saying they got enough to use, to get into the system.

“That’s perfectly fine, Yunho. I’m glad you can be someplace safe right now. I don’t mind waiting for a few moments. Have the angels been doing alright?”

“Oh, the angels are perfect. Thank you so much for all the help, I honestly don’t know what I would do without you guys.” Yunho answers, and you here Hongjoong give an intrigued hum.

“Wonderful...you said you were at the base with Wooyoung, right?” 

“That’s right, I think I hear him coming back right now if you want to wait. Or I can take a message for you?” Yunho licks his lips as Mingi tells Seonghwa that they need just a little bit more.

“That’s interesting cause I thought I heard that the base just blew up.”

Your eyes widen, Wooyoung prepares to yell for Hongjoong to get help, but not quick enough as Yunho hangs up, “You’re gonna have to make that work Mingi, and fast. I don’t think we have a lot of time.”

“I-I don’t know if I can...”Mingi’s hands shake with fear as he works at the computer, Yunho huffing, impatiently as he puts the gun to Mingi’s head now.

“I don’t believe that was a question, Mingi. Now do it.” Yunho insists, taking over and making Seonghwa chuckle with a smirk.

“You’re so hot when you’re pissed.” Seonghwa winks at the other man, the pair cocky until Yeosang drops down from the roof, behind Seonghwa, cocking a gun at his head.

“Put it down, Yunho.” She glares at him, Yunho grumbling, but doing as she asks, only because it’s for Seonghwa, “Now kick it over to Wooyoung...Wooyoung I want you to take the bullets out.”

Wooyoung is obviously scared out of his mind. He does as he’s told, though, knowing that right now Yeosang has the upper hand. The girl chuckling afterward, the three of you from the agency, knowing something that the others didn’t...angels don’t use guns. Wooyoung quickly moved to undo your ties before they had a chance to get the upper hand again, so at least the odds would be a bit more even.

“How did you get past Jongho, though?” Yunho asked, only further infuriated by the current situation. Yeosang’s brows furrowing at the question.

“What do you mean, I never saw...”Her words fade out, glancing at the security cameras to see Jongho making it up to where Yeosang had come in. Her eyes, widening knowing that San was up there right now. Seonghwa, taking the opportunity to grab her wrist that held the gun and twisting it around until she dropped it, picking it up and pointing it at Yeosang.

“That was a mistake. You should have just run away, little angel.” Seonghwa hisses before pulling the trigger, thrown off by the click sound that it gave instead of going off. 

“Wow, for having a sister as an angel, you don’t know much hm?....angels don’t use guns.” You smirk, expecting a fight, but you don’t get one. Seonghwa simply snatched the drive with the locations from the angel’s database on it and clicked enter again.

“That one’s special......that one’s Hongjoong’s.” He growls before running off, with Yunho rushing behind him.

“Wooyoung, get Mingi out of here and call Hongjoong to try and warn him in time. Y/N and I are going after them since San is trying to get to the angels and warn them if she can...plus she has her hands full with the henchman.” Yeosang tells him before you and Yeosang are racing after the two men who hold the key to all the angels’ past and present, confidential information.

San was linked into the satellite they had been using to access the angels’ database, not there in time to stop them, but able to copy and document everything they had gotten. That way, they could get to or warn the angels at risk before the information got out if they weren’t able to stop Yunho and Seonghwa. Seemingly clueless to the fact that Jongho was coming up behind her. Only noticing something when he pulls out a knife, the metal reflecting sunlight flooding in from the window in front of her, sending a glare over her laptop screen. 

San noticed and spun to sweep Jongho’s leg, knocking him over in surprise and dropping the knife over the edge of the floor, dropping floors below. She’s quick to close the laptop and secure it in the case, slipping the strap around her form, where it could safely sit on her back. Jongho flips back onto his feet, to find her tying a knot into a rope hanging from one of the beams in the roof. Stopping her from going anywhere, by grabbing her hair and pulling her back so harshly she stumbles back and out of his hold with a yelp. It is a miracle she didn’t crush the laptop, but obvious that Jongho wasn’t going to let her get away without a fight.

San slipping on her gloves, getting an idea. When Jongho surges forward to get her again, she slips between his legs, sliding across the ground and grabbing the rope. It was supposed to be her way down, as the other end was secured to a sandbag. If Jongho didn’t want to let her slip away so easily, though, maybe he’d rather take that trip instead. 

“You really can’t stay still, can you? You’re a real pain.” Jongho frowns, that turning to agitation when San smirks at him.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be so slow.” She taunts back, hoping to get the response she wants of him. Knowing she’d need an opening to be able to get the rope in place. Jongho gives her just that when he turns and kicks, aiming for her face. Only San ducks, the hand with the rope slipping around his foot, before pulling the knot tight as she rolls out of his way. Moving quickly to get on her feet again, jumping up and grabbing onto one of the beams before swinging and kicking full force at Jongho’s chest with both legs. 

Jongho spills over the edge, plummeting stories down. San, bouncing off the edge after him and grabbing the bag as it reaches the top, now having to use Jongho as a counterweight. 

Wooyoung and Mingi, stopping abruptly and shrieking when Jongho is suddenly hanging upside down in front of them before suddenly heading back up where he came from, soon replaced by San. The pair have paled in shock and fear, trembling as they look at San with shaky eyes.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to join you, girls, on missions anymore.” Wooyoung’s voice is soft as he blinks at San. The whole experience, proving to be far more than he was used to or expecting.

San giggles and kisses his cheek, handing him the laptop bag, “You’re doing amazing, Woo. Take this and warn the other angels, I’m going to help Y/N and Yeosang. I’ll see you soon.”

With that, she runs off, leaving Wooyoung and Mingi to take the laptop and bolt for one of the cars while security was preoccupied with helping Yunho and Seonghwa out. Easily snatching one of their cars, Wooyoung hands Mingi the laptop bag.

“Hold on to that! We have some angels to save.”

Wooyoung pulls up to the carnage remaining at Hongjoong’s house, the whole place gone. He chews on his lip, uncertain where to go now. Until he gets a phone call, answering with furrowed brows.

“I’m sending you an address Wooyoung, meet me there...we’ll have everything we need to help our girls.”

Seonghwa and Yunho closed a door behind them and secured it so that Yeosang and Y/N couldn’t get through. Even as they tried to bust it down, the pair cursed as they can’t get it open, even together.

“Hold on! I’m coming.” San yells, watching the struggle from where she races to meet them, the trio trying again together now. It finally being enough to breach the barrier. The guards, turning along with Yunho and Seonghwa.

Yunho pushed Seonghwa towards the car that had been started right before the angels got through, “I’ll take care of them, just go get your revenge.”

“Yunho’s mine.” You tell the girls, eager to finally be able to pay back the man for the way he’d played you since the beginning of this entire involvement. 

“I’ve got the guards, Yeo you go get Seonghwa,” San tells the other, who quickly snatches a motorcycle from one of the guards, slipping on a helmet and chasing after Seonghwa before anyone can stop her from doing so. Leaving San to handle roughly five guards unless you could finish Yunho quickly and get there to help her.

“Awe, is the little angel angry? That’s too bad.” Yunho jabs, evidently not at all fearful of you or the threat you pose to him, “After I kill you, I’m going to join Seonghwa in taking out each and every angel...painfully.”

“Show me your worst then, tough guy, cause I’m not going down without a fight.” You taunt right back, waiting for him to come closer. Though thrown off as his foot tosses a board up, kicking it in your direction, instead of coming straight for you. It's something you can easily deflect, but it hides Yunho’s form long enough that you aren’t prepared for him to be at you, metal chain in hand, and quickly wrapped around your throat. Leaving you gasping and squirming, barely able to turn around before he presses you against the wall, your hands gripping the metal tightly, trying to pull it off your neck enough to get a breath. 

You’re lucky to get a foot on the wall, using the leverage and walking up the wall to flip over Yunho. The chains now in your hand instead of around your throat. You twist, pulling the chain, and Yunho along with and onto the ground. Hovering over him before landing a hard punch to knock him out, while he was still stunned.

“You okay, San?” You question hearing the sounds stop from the other group, the girl huffing as she flips her hair out of her face with a soft chuckle, before approaching footsteps.

“Yeah, just a normal day on the job. You good too?” She asks, watching you secure Yunho with the chains with a nod. Doing it on the off chance, he regained consciousness before someone came to get him. She laughs at his state, “Was it really necessary to leave a mark like that?”

“Yeah...it was.” You shrug, backing away from him to head towards another motorcycle sitting there and grabbing a helmet, “Come on, let’s go help, Yeo.”

Seonghwa spotted Yeosang in his rearview mirror as he drove away, the latter quickly working to close the gap between the two of them. Seonghwa moving to take a more public road now, weaving in and out of cars hoping Yeosang wouldn't spot one before it could hit her. It didn't matter, though, as she reached his Jeep, jumping off the bike, to grab onto the back of it. Yeosang holds on tightly as Seonghwa made a sudden turn trying to throw her off. Yeosang hanging on long enough to be able to pull herself up and into the back, though. 

Just because Yeosang no longer had to worry about the risk of being flung off the car immediately, didn't mean she had time to catch her breath. She was quick to climb up, punching Seonghwa and trying to gain control over the wheel, though he was not thrown off for long, before shoving her back off him. Yeosang slamming back into the car door on the opposite side. It popped open just as she grabbed the frame of the car to pull herself back in. Shutting the door behind herself, but getting an idea from what had happened. 

Yeosang grabbed the frame of the car, kicking across the center console to throw Seonghwa against the door on his side. It popped open like the other one had his grip on the wheel the only thing keeping him inside until she did it again at least. Seonghwa rolled out of the car as Yeosang hopped into the driver's seat and safely pulled it over and to a stop. You and San, reaching them as Seonghwa pulled himself back up.

"Hongjoong is gone and your base is gone. What can the three of you do to stop me at this point? You're alone and don't have anything." Seonghwa continues to refuse the fact that he didn't stand a chance. Rejecting defeat until the very end. 

The three of you standing, side-by-side in front of him, in the signature angels ass-kicking pose. You shake your head, "You're wrong, Seonghwa. You're the only one here who's alone." 

"Besides, once an angel, always an angel." A voice calls from behind Seonghwa. More angels, currently, and returned surrounding him down, "You picked the wrong fight." 

The three of you looking at each other and smirking, before knocking Seonghwa out while he was distracted. Wooyoung and Mingi driving up, the former immediately jumping out, still frantic.

 "I see you girls got reinforcements. Did I do alright? You're all fine, right?" Wooyoung questions looking over you girls, making you chuckle and nod, to which he breathes a soft sigh of relief.

"What about Hongjoong, is he okay?" Yeosang asks, voicing your worries. Wooyoung smiles, pulling out his phone and clicking the button. 

"Hello, angels. Good work on another successful mission. I think you girls have earned yourselves a vacation... don't get too comfortable though, it's only until you get a new base."

 "Thank you, Hongjoong! We're glad you're okay." 

Wooyoung hangs up, turning back to the car as Mingi flusters and opens the door shyly for Yeosang. His cheeks tinted a bright pink, smiling softly at her as his eyes sparkle.

 "T-Thank you for saving me." Mingi looks her right in the eyes, "M-Maybe I could make it up to you...o-over dinner sometime? U-Unless you're seeing someone?" 

"Yeah." Yeosang smiles, before seeing his face fall and realizing how that sounded, "I-I mean, yeah, I'd love to do dinner or something... I-I'm not seeing anyone."

You and San roll your eyes, laughing softly. Before you finally speak up, "Come on you two, get in the car."

"Yeah, Hongjoong's giving us a vacation, and I want to soak in as much beach time as I can get before we're off again," San adds, Wooyoung rolling his eyes at your antics and getting in the driver's seat once more to drive the whole group of you off. 

The vacation on Hongjoong this time, it being the least he could do to take care of his angels.

[sylleboi]

𝕮𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖗𝖔𝖙𝖔𝖘𝖈𝖔𝖕𝖎𝖓𝖌 | 23/10/19

During the morning we went to the photography department of the school where we would start the day off there by filming our own footage to rotoscope later on. There were no restrictions as to what we were allowed to do in front of the camera and green screen, but we had to move from one side of the screen to the other. I decided to go for a gun man or James Bond type of vibe. I didn’t want to just do a simple walk or run cycle, but instead I wanted to challenge myself a little. I did this by sneaking into frame, holding my hands up as if I was holding a gun (this added a prop that I would have to draw form scratch during the process of rotoscoping) then doing a turn and running back out the frame. When recording the clips in the green screen room, I also decided to turn around and then turn back while moving to add to the difficulty of animating everything together. This is how both of them turned out:

I decided to go with the first of the two clips for my rotoscope. I did this simply because of the turn being slower and therefore making it more challenging to animate the gun to follow the movement in such a way that it won't look “out of place”.

I didn’t find the time during college hours to actually do the rotoscope for this, so I did it at home using my own program (Krita) and my drawing tablet.

The process was relatively simple; I took the video and took a screenshot of each frame as I went, dragging the screen grab onto the canvas and began tracing my figure. As I went, I also drew in the gun for each frame, lining it up with the position with my hands.

To keep the appearance of the gun consistent I copied most of the frames, up until I came to the part where I had to change the perspective of which the gun is seen from (during the turn).

Once I had finished the whole rotoscope this is what I was left with:

The finished amount of frames came to 66. Quite a high number for such a short animation, but I didn’t want to take away from the fluidity and smoothness. Now I could have just left it here, but I wanted to do some more experimenting. I tried out filling in the clothes with some texture to create a more interesting looking sequence, but half way through I decided to go back to the original linework since I just wasn’t happy with how it was turning out, but here was that in motion:

Instead I did a bit of brainstorming, thinking about what I could do to improve what I had already made. Here’s the mindmap of the brainstorm that I did:

So as you can see, I ended up wanting to experiment with depth, leading me to be doing something to the background. Most of the mind map is based off visual language. I found using this as the root for my brainstorm really useful due to the way you can interpret each term differently to whatever the context is. I will definitely be doing this again and experiment with it further in the future.

I had also settled on wanting to keep it monochrome (misspelling in mind map) and more specifically drawing towards the style of the classic black & white manga comic book style. Based on this, what immediately popped into my mind was this program I recall trying out years and years ago called Medi Bang Paint Pro, or as I think it was used to called; Medi Bang. I was probably around 12 or 13 when I first downloaded it, but I didn't know what I was doing what so ever, so I quickly gave up. For a long time it wasn’t compatible with Mac up until recently; so I decided to take a shot and download it again. The program is free; but that wasn’t the main reason to why I wanted to try out this program again in particular. It has a lot of great tools for drawing and building comic pages, and I thought “What would it look like if I made a background inspired by traditional manga?”- so that’s what I did.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to pull it off at first, so I did a little test run beforehand and I really liked the result:

So the way that I did this was by taking a picture (that I unfortunately have lost now) and then proceeding by changing the levels of the picture, playing around with it until it’s primarily just blacks and whites. With a brush tool I began cleaning everything up a little by either erasing unwanted bits or adding additional linework just to emphasise on the subject and shapes within the drawing. I added leaves and other vegetation with some pre-made brushes that came with the program. The last step was to add a screentone of a clouded sky to add a bit of texture, shading and general interest to the whole piece, and voila! Done. This technique is super quick and efficient for creating backgrounds for comics of this style, though I still prefer when everything is painted by hand. The screentone has a very recognisable style to it and is quite often used in manga’s. One of the ones that come to mind for me is Berserk. I have always loved the artwork of that comic series; it’s the kind of art that you could stare at for hours on end and not get bored with. When looking at the artwork from the series, you can clearly see the technique of screentones are being used to create a lot of additional detail to each panel.

Here are some examples of some screentones:

In this example, it has been used for the background. A screentone with blobs lightly shaded has been added to almost create some sort of mist, changing the whole mood and feel of the panel very effectively.

Like mentioned before, in Berserk, the screentones are mostly used as an extra bit of atmospheric detail, rather than being used for any of the shading which is all hand drawn. In this example, it has been used for the lettering/type and again for the background. It creates a gritty and sort of dirty effect, emphasising how he is in a battlefield with monsters around him; definitely not a place you could call “clean”.

In this example, different kinds of sceentones have been used in each panel. In the panel to the left, the opaque stripes are a type of screentone very often used to indicate either speed, focal point or action of some kind. Not only that, but at the bottom of the panel a softer pattern of screentone has been used to create the look of dirt or sand, again with a gritty texture to emphasise on the fact that the character, Guts, is inferior at this moment.

In this super epic and intense illustration, you can again see the great use of screentones, most notably used for the background yet again. It really helps to create a strong feel to each illustration. The use of tone is especially important in manga or comics, since it so often is done in just black & white, so you have no use of colour; this is where screentones come in as a great tool to use for just this.

So, with all of this brainstorming and researching done, and by using the same technique as I did when doing the “test”, I began drawing. I used this picture which I recall taking somewhere on the border to Germany as the base image:

I chose this because it has that “street” vibe to it, which I thought could be cool with the whole theme of “gun man”. Very edgy, very edgy indeed.

This gif above shows loosely the process of the piece from start to finish. It was mostly just me playing around and figuring out all the tools of the program, but it was quite fun to put together.

With the background now complete, I put it into my rotoscope, went over each frame and painted the shape of myself in the animation white and was finally finished with the final rotoscope; being the third version or option that I did.

I am very happy with how it turned out in the end, and I have definitely learnt masses with this exercise of rotoscoping something that that I have filmed myself. I think if I were to further improve on this, I’d definitely consider animating the background itself (birds flying or leaves rustling), or maybe even try shading the subject somehow, taking inspiration from manga’s such as Berserk or any of Junji Ito’s work.

I decided to try out asking a few of my peers in the class what their opinion was on the final rotoscope. The feedback that I received was purely positive; the people I asked said they couldn't think of any particular way of improving the finished product. They said it both looked great as well as it answered what the task was questioning and challenging us to do.

To me, this really shows and proves that the work I have done here is successful work that I can be proud of and take what I have learnt through doing this task with me for the future, without doubting if what I have learnt is of quality.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

As a little extra note, here are the same frames (frame 23) in the three different versions:

[tatsuki-machida]

When Kumiko Hamada, editor of the Japanese publication World Figure Skating, asked me to share my thoughts and experiences about working with Tatsuki Machida for their special tribute edition, I was honored.  Over the three seasons that Tatsuki and I collaborated we developed an incredible connection – one like I have never felt before with any of the great figure skaters I’ve worked with over the past 30 years.  I am so grateful to World Figure Skating Magazine for its continued support of Tatsuki and appreciate the Japanese Figure Skating Federation for their support during our artistic journey together.

I always felt Tatsuki’s biggest asset was the combination of his mindset of a ballet dancer and his intensity as a great athlete.  Having come from the ballet world as a principal dancer for 13 years, I was intrigued to finally have a top skater I could train using the same process I implemented as a ballet dancer.  This journey filled my artistic cup with great contentment.  I was able to develop a different side and clarity to Tatauki’s already beautiful foundation that he had from his amazing Japanese training over the years.

The following are questions posed to me about our work together over the years:

What was your first impression of Tatsuki Machida?

I clearly remember the first time I saw Tatsuki at the Ice Castle International Training Center in Lake Arrowhead, California.  He came for summer training and I was struck with intrigue at how this young man seemed so serious about his skating.  Even as I watched him walk into the rink for the first time, I was impressed by his posture and carriage as he strode to take a spot at the benches to prepare for his session. I felt like he would be a quiet warrior.

What did you think of Tatsuki before you met each other?

When he was introduced to me by Anthony Liu, Tatsuki was so gracious and respectful. I don’t think either of us realized that before too long we would begin to work together.

You call Tatsuki your muse.  When and how did you come to realize that?

The first piece I choreographed for Tatsuki was the Firebird.  I was very excited as I had danced this many times as Prince Ivan and also Kastchei over the years.  I immediately thought that developing this program would produce a whole new perspective to the ballet.  The Firebird is a heroine and I was excited to see Tatsuki as the hero of figure skating. We immediately both knew this was going to be a very natural collaboration.

The second season Tatsuki wanted to skate to East of Eden and I asked him why.  He told me he loved and revered Michelle Kwan.  I decided that Tatsuki Machida’s East of Eden would be a tribute to Michelle Kwan, who was also previously one of my students. It was during the third season, when we choreographed the Fantasy from the Ladies in Lavender and Symphony #9 by Beethoven, that I realized I had found my muse.

Can you please comment about Tatsuki’s musicality?

I believe musicality is something you can enhance however the artist either has it or they don’t.  The music was everything to Tatsuki and he would pay very close attention to the nuance and dynamic I was looking for when creating the choreography with him.  I remember when I started Symphony #9 in California I wanted to start by having Tatsuki stand in his starting position for the 15 seconds with his eyes closed.  The inspiration was to have him fully surrender to the music during this quiet stance at the beginning.  When your eyes are closed you must use your other senses; this is why I did this.

How do you go about working together to make the Firebird program?

The process always begins with the music.  Tatsuki told me the tracks he liked from the ballet. But in this instance I reworked everything so the ballet would be developed in the natural order to optimize the choreographic result.  I began with him just standing by the mirror on the ice at Ice Castle and started with his port de bra (carriage of the arms).  Just as I did with Ashley Wagner in the Black Swan program, it was paramount that Tatsuki look like a ballet dancer and not like a skater trying to skate to a ballet. I told him to watch birds outside paying attention to how they moved their heads; this would transcend into pure honest movement that replicated the ballet.

My choreographic style is very organic and I create on the spot for each skater individually. Ekaterina Gordeeva, Olympic medalist, commented that while I choreographed two programs for her for a television special, she always knew exactly what I wanted based on this organic process. I use this same method for singles, pairs, or ice dance.

Do you think Tatsuki would have become a dancer if he had not become a figure skater?

This is an interesting question because I feel Tatsuki is the only male figure skater I ever worked with that was a ballet dancer. I felt the same way about working with Sasha Cohen, she was the only female figure skater I have ever worked with that was a true ballet dancer.  For any choreographer from a classical background to have the opportunity to come across two skaters like this in a career is a privilege.

Have you seen any of Tatsuki’s performances after became a professional skater?

Yes, I have seen Tatsuki as a professional skater and I am not surprised that his programs are constructed with a balletic flair. I love that he uses the entire space around him and not just that which is under his feet.  The pure classical beauty of his Don Quixote Gala could have easily been seen on a stage with a full corps de ballet behind him and an orchestra in the pit below.  His costumes and make up were right on point and the choreography was exciting and perfectly balanced like they would be in any ballet company around the world.

Maurice Bejart is a famous 20th century ballet choreographer who created Bolero with a male lead, Jorge Dunn, and also with a female lead, Suzanne Farrell. I knew that Tatsuki would be a strong male Bolero lead. I love the way he started his Bolero program with school figures, like we did years ago, because this shows the haunting repetitive excellence that the lean of the edge and the specificity of a circle demands.  The lighting and costuming were perfect for this piece. Tatsuki’s extensive training and education enhanced the sophisticated choreography he created.

Tatsuki, I am so proud and happy for all you have brought to the world, not only in figure skating, but as a human being of the highest character.  Our time together as student and teacher will be something I will cherish always.

The session is over and the Zamboni is coming out.

Auf Wiedersehen

[papermoonloveslucy]

ABSENTMINDEDNESS

February 25, 1949

“Absentmindedness” (aka “Liz’s Absent-mindedness”) is episode #32 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on February 25, 1949 on the CBS radio network.

Synopsis ~ Liz goes to see a doctor about her absentmindedness, and then reports her car to be stolen when she forgets that George dropped her off at the doctor! Liz takes a memory course. It works in reverse and she ends up with amnesia and George finds himself in jail.

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benadaret was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

REGULAR CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born as Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his  roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.”  From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz (above right), a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96.

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

Gale Gordon and Bea Benadaret had not yet joined the cast in the roles of Rudolph and Iris Atterbury.

GUEST CAST

Hans Conried (Doctor Millmoss / Doctor Grimly) first co-starred with Lucille Ball in The Big Street (1942). He then appeared on “I Love Lucy” as used furniture man Dan Jenkins in “Redecorating” (ILL S2;E8) and later that same season as Percy Livermore in “Lucy Hires an English Tutor” (ILL S2;E13) – both in 1952. The following year he began an association with Disney by voicing Captain Hook in Peter Pan. On “The Lucy Show” he played Professor Gitterman in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (TLS S1;E19) and in “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (TLS S2;E1). He was probably best known as Uncle Tonoose on “Make Room for Daddy” starring Danny Thomas, which was filmed on the Desilu lot. He joined Thomas on a season 6 episode of “Here’s Lucy” in 1973. He died in 1982 at age 64.

Conried played Professor Millmoss in “Be Your Husband’s Best Friend” (December 4, 1948). 

Frank Nelson (Sergeant Nelson) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”. This is one of his 11 performances on “My Favorite Husband.”  On “I Love Lucy” he holds the distinction of being the only actor to play two recurring roles: Freddie Fillmore and Ralph Ramsey, as well as six one-off characters, including the frazzled train conductor in “The Great Train Robbery” (ILL S5;E5), a character he repeated on “The Lucy Show.”  Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs.  

Frank Nelson previously played Sergeant Nelson in “Liz Learns To Drive” (November 13, 1948) and would play Sergeant Nelson on TV in “Ricky and Fred Are TV Fans” (ILL S2;E30). 

Officer Joe is played by an uncredited and unidentified actor.  

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers it’s about ten o’clock at night and Liz and George are just coming home. They’ve put the car in the garage and are walking around the house to the front door.” 

George and Liz are upset that they drove to the Ricky’s and they weren’t even home. Liz realizes that she got the night wrong and they aren’t due there till tomorrow night.  George says that Liz’s absentmindedness is getting out of control.  She can’t find her front door key - the fifth one she’s lost this month.  They ring the bell and Katie the Maid lets them in.  

When Liz explains why they are home so early, Katie says that she’s not surprised - the Ricky’s were there for dinner!  Liz invited them for dinner and forgot. 

GEORGE (dramatically): “This is getting serious. Who knows where it could lead?  First you forget little things; your keys, social engagements. Pretty soon you forget your friends, your family. You forget who you are. They find you wandering in the streets. They take you to a sanitarium. Give you shock treatments. But nothing does any good. And there you are; a nameless nobody!”  LIZ (sarcastically): “Thank you, Olivia de Havilland.”

Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020) was a British-American actress whose cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time.  In November 1948, she appeared in The Snake Pit, a detailed chronicle of a woman during her stay in a mental institution. It earned her an Oscar nomination. She had been previously nominated for Gone With The Wind (1939) and Hold Back The Dawn (1941) and won for To Each His Own in 1946. She would win a second Oscar for The Heiress (1949). All were highly dramatic roles. 

George says that a co-worker took a course in memory training, but Liz doesn’t think she needs that drastic a step. Katie wonders which dress Liz wore to the Rickys. Liz insists she wore the blue one, but Katie says its still hanging in her bedroom. Liz checks under her coat and immediately decides to enroll in the course!  

George drives Liz to Doctor Millmoss’s Memory School.  He drops her off and takes the car to work.  The Doctor interviews Liz and guarantees she can improve her memory.  He tells her memory is based on association of idea.  To remember her name he associates COO with birds and PER with the purring of cats. 

DR. MILLMOSS: “I can never forget that your name is Birdie Katz!”

He tests her on her car license plate number, which is written on her driver’s license:  37MW66. 37 reminds her of George’s age. MW reminds her of Mae West. 66 is the number of the Lincoln Highway.  

In reality, Richard Denning (George) was 34 years old when this episode aired.He turned 35 a month later. 

Mae West (1893-1980) was a stage and screen performer who capitalized on her sex appeal and was well-known for her scandalous sexual innuendo. Liz did an imitation of West in a 1948 episode “You Matrons League Tryouts”. In a 1977 episode of “Donny & Marie” (above) Lucille Ball did her Mae West impersonation yet again this time in full costume and make-up.     

Route 66 was not the same as the Lincoln Highway - except for three blocks - briefly! The Lincoln Highway was the first paved, transcontinental highway, ultimately stretching 3,400 miles, from New York to San Francisco. Route 66, however, is a different, but no less storied highway. It originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles The two historic highways cross paths only in the town of Plainfield, Illinois. They were one roadway briefly, when the postwar Route 66 Bypass alignment (aka Route 59) met the Lincoln Highway and merged together for three blocks.  Could this be the model for fictional Sheridan Falls?

Doctor Millmoss ends the first lesson because he has a house call to make on Bundy Drive. Liz says that since she lives on Bundy drive, she’ll drive him.  If she can only find her car keys - and then her car!  After a ten-minute search, she decides to call the police from the cigar shop pay phone. 

Sergeant Nelson (Frank Nelson) answers the phone and asks Liz to describe the car. She replies that it is a green Nash, which doesn’t clash with her hair. He asks her if she knows her license plate number.

LIZ: “My husband is on the Lincoln Highway and why don’t you come up and see me sometime?” 

The quote is Mae West’s signature line, which she first spoke as the character Lady Lou in the 1933 film She Done Him Wrong. What eventually became, “Come up and see me sometime,” began its life as, “Why don’t you come up some time and see me...” Nash Motors was founded in 1916 by former General Motors president Charles W. Nash. It continued to make vehicles even after it was acquired by AMC, who finally dissolved the make in 1957. 

Despite the tantalizing offer, Sergeant Nelson agrees to put out an APB for the missing car.  

Later, at the Sheridan Falls Police Station, Officer Joe hauls George Cooper in to be booked by Sergeant Nelson. They don’t believe him when he claims to be the car’s owner and vice president of the Second National Bank. 

NELSON: “Oh, sure you are. And I’m President Truman. And this is Margaret.” JOE (falsetto voice): “Charmed, I’m sure!”  

Officer Joe sings randomly as he locks up George for auto theft!

Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) was the 33rd president of the United States from 1945 to 1953, succeeding Franklin D. Roosevelt after his death. His daughter Margaret (1924-2008) was the only child of Harry and Bess Truman. As such, he was a doting father, who was very protective of his daughter, who fancied herself a classical singer. 

Later, Liz arrives at the police station to press charges against the thief. She thinks he should get the ‘hot seat’ (electric chair). Officer Joe brings in George and Liz gasps!  

The police are convinced of George’s identity, but to cover up her memory loss, Liz pretends to have complete amnesia!  Sergeant Nelson says he knows all about ‘magnesia’ because he reads the medical page of Time Magazine. 

Lucy Ricardo pretends to have amnesia in “Lucy Fakes Illness” (ILL S1;E16). “Lucy Gets Amnesia” (TLS S3;E4) on “The Lucy Show” too, but isn’t faking.  

Sergeant Nelson and George try to remind her of who she is. George tries kissing her, but to no avail.  George promises to forgive her anything she’s ever done. Liz comes to her senses - until George’s tone turns threatening - then back to amnesia. The psychiatrist Dr. Grimly (Hans Conried) arrives and wants to know who “snapped her twig”.  Before the doctor can give her a sedative, Liz runs out the door.  

Catching up with Liz on the sidewalk, she is distraught that he may not love her anymore. A big smooch fixes everything.  Except that now George can’t find where he parked the car! They assume it is stolen and agree that one of them will have report it to Sergeant Nelson. Liz volunteers to be the one since they already think she’s crazy.   

During this Liz / George dialogue, Richard Denning stumbles over his lines a bit, but gets back on track. 

In “Ricky and Fred Are TV Fans” (ILL S2;E30) Sergeant Nelson (Frank Nelson) accuses Lucy and Ethel of being Sticky Fingers Sal and Pickpocket Pearl.

Before they get there, Sergeant Nelson and Joe are wondering if the Coopers may in fact have been Red Top Rosie and Willie The Weasel, who were also car thieves.  Just then, Liz walks in and Officer Joe draws his gun. Nelson accuses them of being Red Top and Willie.  She facetiously claims to be Lizzy the Louse and Cooper the Snooper. Dr. Grimly enters. 

LIZ: “Uh, oh. Snake Pit is back again.”

The Snake Pit (1948) was hinted at earlier in the episode with the mention of Olivia de Havilland in the context of sanitariums. 

Instead of a needle, Dr. Grimly intends to hypnotize her. It backfires and Sergeant Nelson goes under instead! Grimly snaps him out of it, but Liz teases him and says he did a naughty striptease while under hypnosis. Dr. Grimly takes another tact: word association. But after a rapid-fire exchange, Officer Joe reveals that the real Red Top Rosie has been in jail for years. Liz is free to go.

On the street she tells George why it took so long. They suddenly see their car and decide to drive it right home - but it is out of gas. The police race up and want to know where they are going in a stolen car!  

SERGEANT NELSON: “Well, what do you have to say this time?” LIZ AND GEORGE: “Where am I?” 

End of Episode

Bob LeMond reminds listeners that Lucille Ball will soon be seen in Sorrowful Jones. 

[beatricedickson]

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[kentuckyrocket]

“Nice try, but Ah'm pretty much invulnerable when Ah'm blastin '. You fellas wouldn't happen ta be invulnerable, too, would'ja? Say if I dropped you from five thousand feet?"

OOC INFO

name / alias: Ally

timezone: CST

age: 35

preferred pronouns: they / them

IN CHARACTER

BASIC INFO

full name: Samuel “Sam” Zachery Guthrie

face claim: Oliver Stark

age (include physical age, if different): 28

gender & preferred pronouns: cis man & he / him

MBTI Type: ENFJ

occupation: flight instructor

aliases (if any): Cannonball

affiliations (if any): X-Men

QUESTIONS

Is your character human, mutant, metahuman, alien, inhuman, or other? If other, please elaborate: Mutant, possible external

What are your characters powers/special abilities, if any?: Thermo-chemical Propulsion, Temporary Invulnerability, possible External (see POWERS for further explanation)

Please provide three headcanons for your character: (1) Was against the ban and worried for his family. (2) Was legitimately a member of SHIELD after the ban started, thinking he could help people. (3) Has yet to meet Izzy Kane and still has feelings for Lila Cheney. (see HISTORY for further explanation) 

List four personality traits (two positive and two negative) and explain how they influence your character: +Receptive, +Principled, -Self-Doubting, -Brooding, (see PERSONALITY for further explanation)

Provide three potential plots you’d like to explore. The admins will do our best to accommodate your plot ideas, but we can’t guarantee all requests. (1) The Guthrie Farm is attacked. (2) Sam is “killed” again. (3) Sam leads or co-leads a team. (see FUTURE PLOTS for further explanation)

PERSONALITY

A mild-mannered Southern man, Sam has overcome most (but not all) of the naivety that plagued him when his abilities first manifested. He is friendly and strictly down-to-earth, while also being one to follow the law of the land, no matter what. He is also a natural leader and rarely loses his temper, though if provoked he’ll walk away rather than start a fight.

Prone to serious bouts of depression and anxiety, Sam is always questioning himself and what role he has in the world, if he is doing the right thing or if the right thing is what he really wants. Sam is fiercely loyal, sometimes to a fault, and always wants to help people and he’s willing to go out of his way to do so.

POWERS

thermo-chemical propulsion: Sam’s body secretes a type of rocket fuel that can ignite on its own and propel him like a cannonball through the air. Over the years, he’s gotten better at controlling this ability and is able to change direction in the air and land without crashing into the earth. He can also use the propulsion on different parts of his body (say, to throw a punch) for an added boost to his hits.

temporary invulnerability: When using his main ability, Sam’s body and anyone he is touch or carrying are protected by a “blast field” that forms on his body and protects him from nasty landings and allows him to absorb the energy of certain blows from opponents.

possible External: More than once in his life, Sam has received mortal wounds and come back to life after a period of time. For this reason, his mentor Cable believes he is part of the subspecies of mutants known as Externals who are seemingly immortal.

HISTORY

Samuel Zachery Guthrie or Sam is the eldest of ten children from a dirt poor family from the coal mining country in Cumberland, Kentucky. When Sam was a young teenager, his father was killed in a mining accident. Sam was forced to drop out of school and go to work in those same mines. He was then nearly killed himself in a when a mine caved in but his abilities manifested and he was able to save himself and fellow workers. To his town, it is said that his abilities are God’s work and he was meant to be this young man with abilities.

After the mining accident, Sam’s little bit of renown reached the Hellfire Club to which he was unwittingly recruited to work for villains. It was while he was on a mission for the club that he ran into the X-Men and Charles Xavier and realized he was on the wrong side. Professor Xavier gave Sam a second chance and put him in a newly formed faction known as the New Mutants.

Over the years, Sam has been in many different factions. He has been with the New Mutants, X-Force, X-Men, S.H.I.E.L.D., and even the Avengers. Prior to the hero-ban, he had returned to the X-Force in Cable’s absence to co-lead the team with Domino.

When he was relocated to Star City, Sam immediately sought out his old post in S.H.I.E.L.D. thinking it was the best way to use his abilities and clout to help people. He was against the hero ban, but found it inevitable and has been trying to work through the repercussions of his choices since.

For several months, Sam was the leader of a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who were tasked with hunting down and trapping mutant and hero “agitators” as the government saw fit. Sam was not proud of his job and when the moment came to get out of S.H.I.E.L.D. he took it and (literally) blasted out of the building. He fought his way through the city to make it to the school and he was just in time for the District X walls to rise into place.

Sam is thriving in District X as a flight instructor at the school, but also as a member of the X-Men under the moniker of “Cannonball.” Outside the walls, he is a fugitive wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D. for his crimes, including attacking agents to help mutants make it to District X. Sam worries about his family every day and hopes they never come to this city, especially if it’s to save him.

FUTURE PLOTS

the guthrie farm is attacked: Unbeknownst to Sam, agents have been watching the family farm back in Kentucky. Since eight of Sam’s brothers and sisters are mutants, they are ultimately attacked and most (if not all) of them are captured for relocation to Star City. Sam learns of it through the news and pleads with Scott (or whoever is in-charge) to lead a team to save his family.

sam is “killed”: During some future battle, Sam is involved in a scenario in which he is, for all purposes, killed by NOVA agents rather than be captured for his crimes. His body is taken by NOVA to be disposed of but he is remarkably alive and easily kept in captivity because of his condition. There is a debate between his copatriots if he is really alive or dead while in NOVA’s hands. Eventually, Sam returns very much alive but not himself for several months afterward due to having been killed, again, much like he was with being impaled by Sauron.

sam as a team leader: Due to having over a decade under his belt as both a team member and leading, Sam is made a leader or co-leader of a team in the X-Men or other adjacent group. He excels at this job, but it’s not without people questioning his loyalties and his capabilities.

WRITING SAMPLE

What was your character’s greatest regret?

Sam’s greatest regret in a life of regrets is that he joined S.H.I.E.L.D. upon relocation to Star City. In Sam’s mind, joining his old teammates and cohorts he’d made in S.H.I.E.L.D. would be for the best because he believed in his government. Though he was against the ban, he was naive when it came to how the Superhero Relation Program would work. He was under the impression that giving himself and people like him a place to live and thrive was a good thing. Then, Sam came to the crushing realization that his idealism was for the birds and that the Superhero Relocation Program was not going to be in the best interest of those he held dear. In actuality, he found himself pitted against them as he tried to maintain N.O.V.A.’s curfews and ban of power use. A chance encounter with an old mentor was the moment that made him realize how big of a mistake he’d made. That very night, Sam chose to become a double agent and work against the government. The problem was, no one on his side of the team knew of his plans to double-cross S.H.I.E.L.D. and N.O.V.A. It would continue to be that way until everyone was ordered to undergo gene testing and Sam destroyed a testing center to get away and go on the run, of all things, from S.H.I.E.L.D. and N.O.V.A. As reparations for what he’d done, Sam spent most of his time outside of the walls of District X trying to save those that he could and get them to the safety of the neighborhoods. Be they mutant or metahuman, Sam has done anything he can to help. He still beats himself up over what he did when he was a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and it is unlikely that he will ever forgive himself for making that regretful decision, and he knows that many of the people around him will never forgive him either.

[brianmarshalltampa-blog]

Brian Marshall’s St Petersburg Historic Hotels of Ghosts, Love, and Money

From St Pete Beaches to Downtown Streets, the History of 3 Landmark Hotels

St Petersburg is just across the bridge from Tampa, but some people who live on this side of the Bay think it’s an ordeal to cross it for pretty much anything besides work.

I, on the other hand, love St Pete and don’t mind driving over for something other than a job, like a great restaurant, a cool bar, or the beach…and St Petersburg seems to have all three.

One of the many upsides to living in Tampa Bay is that you can have a staycation at a great hotel near the beach with a short drive. That’s what I enjoy doing with the family when we all have a chance.

For me, three hotels that standout not only for their charm but for their…you guessed it… history, are the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club, The Don CeSar, and The Cordova Inn. I’m going to take you down the road of each for a lesson in St Pete historic hotels with spook, splendor, and saga.

Vinoy With a View

According to hotel lore (there are different variations of this story), the Vinoy Park Hotel, aka Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club, became a reality all because of a bet between Pennsylvania businessman Aymer Vinoy Laughner and the era’s golf champion Walter Hagen. You see, Laughner had a house on Beach Drive, near this beautiful piece of land. Laughner bet Hagen he couldn’t hit golf balls off the top of his watch without breaking the crystal. Hagen proved him wrong. When Laughner and another guest went to collect the balls Hagen hit from a neighbor’s lawn, the guest told him what a nice site the waterfront home would be for a hotel. The rest, as they say, is hotel history.

So in 1923 Laughner purchased the property on Tampa Bay, hired architect Henry Taylor to design a hotel, and after two years and $3.5 million, the Vinoy Park Hotel opened for business on New Year's Eve 1925. At the time, the Vinoy was the largest construction project in Florida history and the largest and most luxurious of St. Petersburg’s boom-era hotels.

St Pete Native

The Mediterranean Revival style, salmon-colored hotel charged $20 per night (wish it still costs that much) and celebrities, athletes and dignitaries such as Babe Ruth, Marilyn Monroe, Herbert Hoover, Calvin Coolidge and James Stewart flocked to the St Pete hotel.

Then the party was over and the US Army converted it into a training school during World War II and later as an R&R facility for the U.S. Maritime Commission. Following the war, the 347-room hotel changed hands again, this time

In 1945, Laughner sold the Vinoy to Charles Alberding, who owned a Chicago-based hotel chain, Alsonett Hotels.

Although Alberding brought back the Vinoy to its glory, it eventually lost steam and in 1972 a 20-year-old offered to buy the hotel. Bob Reynolds was a St. Petersburg native who loved the hotel ever since he was a kiddo. Because Reynolds didn't have the money to buy it, Alberding agreed to lease the hotel with the option to buy for $5 million. Even though Reynolds got some partners to organize a company, commissioned then St Pete mayor Randy Wedding who happened to be an architect to restore it, he wasn't able to raise the funds and in '74, the hotel closed. The hotel reopened a year later, only to reclose again the same year. In '78, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places which gave investors tax breaks. The Vinoy sold most of its contents at auction and remained empty. Its lease changed hands several times and the downtown St Pete area went through growing pains.

The Rennaissance of Vinoy

Then a fine group of men formed the Vinoy Development Corporation, found an equity partner, and Stouffer Hotels and Resorts begun a $93 million restoration in 1990. Two years later, it reopened as the Stouffer Renaissance Vinoy Resort. Four years later (yeah, that’s the hotel biz), another hotel group bought the Stouffer hotel chain and renamed it the Renaissance Hotel Group. Just a year later, Marriott International bought the Renaissance brand name and in 2005, then bought by FelCor Lodging Trust of Dallas, but is still managed by Marriott.

But enough about who owned it…let’s get to the good stuff. Ghosts.

The Baseball Effect

For some reason, visiting major league baseball teams have most frequently reported seeing ghosts. Perhaps they’re trying to scare-off visiting teams? Take Miami Marlins relief pitcher, Scott Ryan Williamson who in 2003 when alone in his room, rolled on his stomach and felt an immediate pressure on his back and couldn’t breathe. When he turned over, the pressure was released, so he rolled back on his stomach again and felt the same pressure. When he turned back over, he noticed a man standing near the curtains wearing a coat.

Freaky? Oh, yeah.

Other guests have said they’ve seen a well-dressed man in a formal suit walking the halls, thinking he’s a concierge at the Vinoy. When they look back to ask him something, they notice he’s disappeared into thin air.

Pink Lady

Another member of the Historic Hotels of America also built in the heyday of the jazz era is The Don CeSar.

A year after the Vinoy was purchased, real estate developer, Thomas Rowe, purchased the property on which The Don CeSar sits and hired architect, Henry H. Dupont to design it.

The story of this hotel and its owner isn’t much about the building, selling, and renovating of the Don CeSar. It’s more about a love story that some say still roams the halls of this historic hotel.

80-year-old St Pete Don CeSar aka The Pink Palace, aka the Pink Lady, aka Loews Resort on St. Pete Beach, aka 'the Don' story starts in 1872 with Rowe while in London attended the performance of Vincent Wallace's light opera 'Maritana'. The leading lady was a stunning Spanish young woman named Lucinda. It was love at first sight for Rowe, so following the performance, he went backstage to meet her.  The feeling was mutual, and so their romance began. But not everyone was thrilled about it, such as Lucinda's parents who were members of the Spanish aristocracy. They didn't want their daughter having anything to do with a poor boy from Massachusetts, so they forbad her to see him.

That didn't stop her and Rowe from continuing to see each other in secret. One of their favorite spots to meet was at night in a closed courtyard with a beautiful fountain. It seemed their budding love mimicked the opera as Lucinda became 'Maritana' and Thomas Rowe 'Don CeSar', another character. On the night of the last performance, they made plans to meet at their beloved fountain and run away together to America.

Love letters between the young couple went back and forth until servents intercepted the last one from Lucinda, discussing their plans. As soon as her parents found out, they immediately took her back to Spain.  

In the meantime, young Rowe was oblivious to this and waited by the fountain, as planned, until sunrise, but Lucinda never appeared.

Heartbroken, he continued writing to her without a response. Rowe finished his studies, went back to the States and then he received a letter addressed to 'My beloved Don CeSar.' There was a clipping of her death in the envelope along with a letter begging Rowe to forgive her parents for taking her away from him and saying, 'We found each other before, and we shall do so again. This life is intermediate. I leave it without regret and travel to a place where the swing of the pendulum does not bring pain. Time is infinite. I will wait for you by our fountain... to share our timeless love, our destiny is time. Forever, Maritana.'

Romantic? Oh, yeah.  

Birth of 'The Don'

In mourning, Rowe fell ill and his doctors recommended a warmer climate to get him away from the dreaded winters. So in 1925, he visited St. Petersburg, Florida found land on the beach, and began to develop one of the most pristine properties in honor of his beloved Lucinda aka 'Maritana'. The Don CeSar was actually styled after the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

With guests such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Lou Gehrig, and Al Capone, it would be thee place where people would stay when they wanted to get away from bleak winter weather during peak seasons, January - March.

Rowe never got over the love of his life, Lucinda, and eventually married a companion.

In the lobby of the St. Pete hotel the courtyard and fountain where the two love-birds once met, was replicated. He was known to spend countless hours at this spot wearing a white Panama hat and white tropical suit, most likely reminiscing about his time with Lucinda.

The Great Depression hit, but Rowe had a brilliant idea to keep the Don in business during hard times. He called the Ruperts in New York and they created the first Florida baseball spring training program. The New York Yankees came to Florida for training, stayed at the Don, and began a tradition to this day.

St Pete History Buffs to the Rescue

Rowe died in 1940 leaving the Pink Lady to his wife. She knew nothing about the hospitality industry, made poor decisions, and eventually, the hotel went out of business.

Just like the Vinoy, the U.S. Army purchased the Pink Palace in '42 and it became a convalescent hospital for aviators and pilots of the Second World War. When it became no longer needed by the army and government, it was boarded-up, barricaded, and downright creepy. Soon rumors of bats and ghosts of the dilapidated hotel ran rampant in St Petersburg for years until '72 when a group of history buffs rescued it from being demolished.

The glory of the Don was resurrected and more ways than one.

St Petersburg Ghost Stories

Time passed and the staff began noticing weird things happening at the Pink Palace.

Such as a front desk clerk taking a stroll as sunset with her husband on the beach noticed a man wearing a tropical white suit and Panama hat walking with a can. Does that description sound familiar?

Then there was another hotel staff member who walked through the old kitchen at midnight and turned to see a 1940s nurse dressed in full army medical corps uniform watching him.

And can't forget the time when a new late-night dishwasher took a break from the mounds of dishes. When he returned, all of the dirty dishes were cleaned and stacked neatly in the middle of the kitchen floor. That's really nice of whichever ghost washed them, but the dishwasher did like most of us would...he immediately left and never came back.

Yet another story of a housekeeper while cleaning the 5th floor where Rowe once lived, heard repeated knocking on the door of the room she was cleaning. Becoming annoyed, she opened the door, but no one was there. She left the room, went downstairs thinking it may be another housekeeper knocking, but found everyone was already gone for the day. Needless to say, from that day on, she refused to clean any room on the 5th floor.

Goosebumps? Oh, yeah.

There are more stories to tell of the paranormal activity at the St Petersburg Don CeSar, but you get the picture.  

Love After Life

Following the Don's becoming part of the National Trust for Historic Hotels in America, new stories emerged of a young couple strolling the hotel grounds, as well as the 5th floor, hand in hand at sunset. The man wearing...you guessed it...a tropical white suit and Panama hat and the beautiful young lady with long dark locks wearing a Spanish-style peasant dress.

Were Lucinda and Rowe's forbidden love finally brought together through the Pink Lady in the afterlife?

I'll let your mind wander for a min...

St Pete Local Lore

Another one of my favorite St Pete hotels with a haunted past is The Cordova Inn. Although not as famed as the Don and Vinoy with the same long, rich history, this boutique hotel boasts its own resident ghost.

The Cordova family from Michigan built the hotel 1921, downtown St Peterburg.

The story goes, when the family built the hotel, they sent their personal butler to manage it. This butler ruled the property with an iron fist. He was known to always dress in full uniform and maintained a white-glove reputation for impeccable accommodations, attention to guests, and Euro-style service.

After 20 years, he passed away in the hotel and became somewhat of a legend. It would be nice to put a name to the ghost, but apparently, no one remembers it.

The Cordova family sold the hotel in the 50s and for 50 years, the property changed hands several times, but the name remained the same.

In the early 80s and 90s, St Pete became a less than desirable city to visit and The Cordova closed its doors. While waiting for its fate, schoolboys would break into the hotel after dark and later tell stories of hearing unhappy howling...rumor has it, it was the butler (it's always the butler).

St Pete Sundial

Back when the Sundial was known as BayWalk, new life begun to blossom into downtown St Pete and a local investor saw the potential of The Cordova and purchased it. The hotel was completely renovated...even the water basins in the hall where servants apparently cleaned-up before serving their wealthy employers.

The St Pete Butler

In 2001 the St Petersburg hotel reopened as The Pier Hotel and finally as The Cordova Inn.

Although they say after 2001 no one heard or seen the infamous butler, there are guests to this day who've experienced fans turning off and on by themselves, rooms becoming suddenly freezing cold, hearing heavy footsteps in the halls, and smells of rotting flesh.

Rather tame events compared to the Don and Vinoy, but nevertheless, spooky.

No matter what hotel you stay in St Petersburg, FL, make sure you take note of the history, the charm, the character and of course, the ghosts. ~ Brian Marshall

[deniscollins]

Navy SEALs Were Warned Against Reporting Their Chief for War Crimes

Navy SEALs are regarded as the most elite commando force in the American military. What would you do if you were a platoon member and your highly decorated platoon chief awarded for bravery commits shocking violent acts in Iraq, stabbing a defenseless teenage captive to death, picking off a school-age girl and an old man from a sniper’s roost, and indiscriminately spraying neighborhoods with rockets and machine-gun fire: (1) nothing, he is a decorated chief and you are in a war situation, (2) inform the platoon chief’s commander, (3) meet with other members and together inform the platoon chief’s commander, (4) something else, if so, what? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

Stabbing a defenseless teenage captive to death. Picking off a school-age girl and an old man from a sniper’s roost. Indiscriminately spraying neighborhoods with rockets and machine-gun fire.

Navy SEAL commandos from Team 7’s Alpha Platoon said they had seen their highly decorated platoon chief commit shocking acts in Iraq. And they had spoken up, repeatedly. But their frustration grew as months passed and they saw no sign of official action.

Tired of being brushed off, seven members of the platoon called a private meeting with their troop commander in March 2018 at Naval Base Coronado near San Diego. According to a confidential Navy criminal investigation report obtained by The New York Times, they gave him the bloody details and asked for a formal investigation.

But instead of launching an investigation that day, the troop commander and his senior enlisted aide — both longtime comrades of the accused platoon leader, Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher — warned the seven platoon members that speaking out could cost them and others their careers, according to the report.

The clear message, one of the seven told investigators, was “Stop talking about it.”

The platoon members eventually forced the referral of their concerns to authorities outside the SEALs, and Chief Gallagher now faces a court-martial, with his trial set to begin May 28.

But the account of the March 2018 meeting and myriad other details in the 439-page report paint a disturbing picture of a subculture within the SEALs that prized aggression, even when it crossed the line, and that protected wrongdoers.

According to the investigation report, the troop commander, Lt. Cmdr. Robert Breisch, said in the meeting that while the SEALs were free to report the killings, the Navy might not look kindly on rank-and-file team members making allegations against a chief. Their careers could be sidetracked, he said, and their elite status revoked; referring to the eagle-and-trident badges worn by SEALs, he said the Navy “will pull your birds.”

The enlisted aide, Master Chief Petty Officer Brian Alazzawi, warned them that the “frag radius” — the area damaged by an explosion — from a war-crime investigation of Chief Gallagher could be wide enough to take down a lot of other SEALs as well, the report said.

Navy SEALs are regarded as the most elite commando force in the American military. But that reputation has been blotted repeatedly in recent years by investigations of illegal beatings, killings and theft, and reports of drug use in the ranks. In January, the top commander of the SEALs, Rear Adm. Collin Green, ordered a 90-day review of the force’s culture and training; the results have not yet been made public.

As Chief Gallagher’s men were sounding an alarm about killings in Iraq, his superiors were lavishing praise on him. An evaluation quoted in the investigation report called Chief Gallagher the best chief of the 12 in the team, and said, “This is the man I want leading SEALs in combat.”

A few days after the March 2018 meeting, the chief was awarded a Bronze Star for valor under fire in Iraq.

A month later, the seven platoon members finally succeeded in spurring their commanders to formally report the killings of the three Iraqis to the Navy Criminal Investigation Service, by threatening to go directly to top Navy brass and to the news media.

Chief Gallagher was arrested in September on more than a dozen charges, including premeditated murder and attempted murder. If convicted, he could face life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty and denies all the charges.

The chief’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said the Navy investigation report, which was first reported by Navy Times, does not offer an accurate account of what happened in Iraq. He said that hundreds of additional pages of evidence, sealed by the court, included interviews with platoon members who said the chief never murdered anyone.

At the same time, some conservatives have rallied to Chief Gallagher’s defense, raising money and pressing publicly for his release.

Chief Gallagher, through Mr. Parlatore, declined to be interviewed for this article.

The Navy has charged Chief Gallagher’s immediate superior, Lt. Jacob Portier, with failing to report the chief’s possibly criminal actions and with destroying evidence. Lieutenant Portier has pleaded not guilty. Through his lawyer, he, too, declined to be interviewed.

The investigation report indicates that a number of other high-ranking SEALs also knew of the allegations against the chief, and did not report them. But no one else has been charged in the case.

Chief Gallagher learned of the March 2018 meeting soon after it happened, the report indicates, and he began working to turn other SEALs against the accusers.

“I just got word these guys went crying to the wrong person,” Chief Gallagher wrote to a fellow chief in one of hundreds of text messages included in the report. To another, he wrote: “The only thing we can do as good team guys is pass the word on those traitors. They are not brothers at all.”

Citing his texts, the Navy kept the chief in the brig to await trial, saying it believed he had been trying to intimidate witnesses and undermine the investigation. He denies that accusation as well.

The chief’s wife, Andrea Gallagher, and his brother, Sean Gallagher, have appeared repeatedly on Fox News and other news outlets, calling the chief a hero and demanding his release. They say the allegations against Chief Gallagher were concocted by disgruntled subordinates who could not meet his demanding standards and wanted to get rid of him.

A website soliciting donations for his defense says it has raised $375,000, and a prominent veterans’ apparel maker is selling “Free Eddie” T-shirts.

Spurred by the Gallagher family, 40 Republican members of Congress signed a letter in March calling for the Navy to free the chief pending trial, and soon after, President Trump said on Twitter that he would be moved to “less restrictive confinement.” Chief Gallagher was released from the brig and is now restricted to the Navy Medical Center in San Diego, according to a Navy spokeswoman.

Ms. Gallagher did not respond to requests for comment.

Chief Gallagher, who is 39 and goes by the nickname Blade, is known as a standout even among the elite SEALs. Over the course of five deployments with the SEALs, he was repeatedly recognized for valor and coolheaded leadership under fire. He is qualified as a medic, a sniper and an explosives expert, and has been an instructor at BUDS, the force’s grueling training program. To hundreds of sailors he trained, he was a battle-tested veteran who fed them war stories while pushing them through punishing workouts in the surf.

Investigators’ interviews with more than a dozen members of Alpha Platoon, included in the Navy’s criminal investigation report, as well as other interviews with SEALs, offer a more troubling portrait of the chief.

When Chief Gallagher took over leadership of the platoon in 2015, SEALs said, he already had a reputation as a “pirate” — an operator more interested in fighting terrorists than in adhering to the rules and making rank.

A number of platoon members told investigators that at first they were excited to be led by a battle-hardened “legend,” but their opinion quickly shifted after they were deployed to Iraq in February 2017 to help retake Mosul from Islamic State fighters.

The SEALs in the platoon did not respond to requests for interviews for this article. Their names and those of others who have not been identified publicly in court have been withheld from this article at the request of the Navy, because of the covert nature of their work.

A spokeswoman for Naval Special Warfare, Cmdr. Tamara Lawrence, said that while they are commandos, SEALs are still expected to follow the same laws as all other troops, adding, “It’s called special operations, not different operations.”

The investigation report said several members of the platoon told investigators that Chief Gallagher showed little regard for the safety of team members or the lives of civilians. Their mission was to advise Iraqi forces and provide assistance with snipers and drones, but they said the chief wanted instead to clear houses and start firefights.

He would order them to take what seemed to be needless risks, and to fire rockets at houses for no apparent reason, they said. He routinely parked an armored truck on a Tigris River bridge and emptied the truck’s heavy machine gun into neighborhoods on the other side with no discernible targets, according to one senior SEAL.

Chief Gallagher’s job was to plan and oversee missions for the platoon, but platoon members said he spent much of his time in a hidden perch with a sniper rifle, firing three or four times as often as other platoon snipers. They said he boasted about the number of people he had killed, including women.

Photos from the deployment that were stored on a hard drive seized by the Navy show the chief aiming sniper rifles and rocket launchers from rooftops in the city.

Two SEAL snipers told investigators that one day, from his sniper nest, Chief Gallagher shot a girl in a flower-print hijab who was walking with other girls on the riverbank. One of those snipers said he watched through his scope as she dropped, clutching her stomach, and the other girls dragged her away.

Another day, two other snipers said, the chief shot an unarmed man in a white robe with a wispy white beard. They said the man fell, a red blotch spreading on his back.

Before the 2017 deployment, Chief Gallagher ordered a hatchet and a hunting knife, both handmade by a SEAL veteran named Andrew Arrabito with whom he had served, text messages show. Hatchets have become an unofficial SEAL symbol, and some operators carry and use them on deployments. Chief Gallagher told Mr. Arrabito in a text message shortly after arriving in Iraq, “I’ll try and dig that knife or hatchet on someone’s skull!”

On the morning of May 4, 2017, Iraqi troops brought in an Islamic State fighter who had been wounded in the leg in battle, SEALs told investigators, and Chief Gallagher responded over the radio with words to the effect of “he’s mine.” The SEALs estimated that the captive was about 15 years old. A video clip shows the youth struggling to speak, but SEAL medics told investigators that his wounds had not appeared life-threatening.

A medic was treating the youth on the ground when Chief Gallagher walked up without a word and stabbed the wounded teenager several times in the neck and once in the chest with his hunting knife, killing him, two SEAL witnesses said.

Iraqi officers who were at the scene told Navy investigators that they did not see the captive die, but disputed the stabbing account, saying it seemed out of character for the chief.

Minutes after the death, Chief Gallagher and his commanding officer, Lieutenant Portier, gathered some nearby SEALs for a re-enlistment ceremony, snapping photos of the platoon standing over the body.

In recent years, photos of re-enlistment ceremonies in unusual circumstances — while scuba diving or skydiving, for instance — have gone viral on social media. The chief’s variation would have reinforced his image as a hard-charging pirate, one SEAL said.

A week later, records show, Chief Gallagher texted a picture of the dead captive to a fellow SEAL in California, saying, “Good story behind this, got him with my hunting knife.”

But his platoon did not see it as a good story, according to the investigation report: The SEALs called a platoon meeting and discussed how to keep the chief away from anyone he could harm.

When senior platoon members confronted Chief Gallagher about the captive’s death, they said, he told them, “Stop worrying about it, they do a lot worse to us.”

The SEALs told investigators they reported the killing to Lieutenant Portier that night and at other times during the deployment, but the lieutenant took no action. They said the lieutenant had trained under Chief Gallagher at BUDS and “idolized” him.

Members of the platoon hoped the chief would be reprimanded when they returned home from Iraq in August 2017, according to the report. It didn’t happen. The report said they spoke repeatedly to the lieutenant’s superior, Commander Breisch, and to Chief Alazzawi and another Team 7 master chief, but were told to “decompress” and “let it go.”

Commander Breisch and Chief Alazzawi disputed that account. They told investigators that they had no knowledge of the alleged war crimes until the March 2018 meeting, and that they had encouraged anyone in the platoon who had witnessed anything criminal to report it to Navy investigators.

The Navy declined to make Commander Breisch or Chief Alazzawi available for interviews, citing the continuing investigation.

Each member of the SEAL team had a duty to report wrongdoing as soon as possible, said Lawrence Brennan, a retired Navy captain and military lawyer who now teaches law at Fordham University. But he added, “The willingness of an institution to turn a blind eye is common.”

“It’s especially true in warfare communities,” he said. “And in the SEALs, you don’t just keep it in the family, you keep it in the immediate family.”

Chief Gallagher had been accused of serious misconduct before. According to the investigation report, Army Special Forces troops serving with him in Afghanistan in 2010 reported that, as a sniper, he had shot through an Afghan girl to hit the man who was carrying her, killing them both. Commander Breisch told investigators in 2018 that the 2010 report had been investigated and no wrongdoing had been found.

In 2014, the report says, Mr. Gallagher was detained at a traffic stop, where he allegedly tried to run over a Navy police officer; he was released to his commander, and there is no record of punishment in the report. Soon after, he was promoted to chief.

Among the text messages included in the investigation report are some between Chief Gallagher and another SEAL chief, David Swarts, who is being prosecuted for the beating of detainees in a separate casedating from 2012.

Chief Gallagher told Chief Swarts about his looming investigation and said he felt he could not trust anyone any more. When Chief Swarts responded that he never thought SEALs would report one another, Chief Gallagher replied, “Me either, those days are gone.”

[topbeautifulwomens]

#Scottie #Pippen #Biography #Photos #Wallpapers #awesome #black #contours #eyelashes #fashiondesigner #mac #magazine #pled #sexymodels #vegas

Considered one of the top basketball players of all time, point forward Scottie Pippen made news both on and off the court throughout his decades-long career as a professional athlete. Beginning in 1987 with the Chicago Bulls, Pippen has gone on to demonstrate his multiple talents in shooting, passing, blocking, and rebounding, as well as in defense strategy, and has become known even among non-basketball fans for his performance as part of the U.S. basketball “Dream Team” that took the gold at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Contributing to his reputation as one of the greatest forwards in professional basketball was Pippen’s talent for complementing Bulls teammate Michael Jordan while Jordan rose to superstardom during the 1990s. Over-shadowed by Jordan throughout his tenure with the Bulls, Pippen also exhibited a sometimes erratic performance, moodiness, and a trouble-tinged personal life, all of which made his role as a top player somewhat controversial. His career was characterized by some as a balancing act between moments of athletic genius and spats of uncooperativeness and immaturity. However, in the broad view the balance falls on the plus side, at least in the opinion of the National Basketball Association (NBA) which voted the 6’8″, 228-pound Pippen among the fifty top basketball players of all time in 1996.

Born in 1965 in Hamburg, Arkansas, Pippen was one of twelve children born to Preston and Ethel Pippen. Growing up in a rural hometown, the six Pippen brothers spent much of their time playing basketball, their family dogged by poverty after Preston, a paper mill worker suffered a debilitating stroke the year Pippen entered high school. Although he enjoyed basketball, Pippen’s unremarkable stature—he did not attain his entire height of 6’8″ until he reached college—did little to hint at his future career. As a student, math was his favorite subject due to its practicality; basketball was simply recreation until his sophomore year, when he joined the school team and doubled as the football team equipment manager. As a high school senior the 6’1″, 150-pound Pippen played starting point guard, but was unable to attract the attention of college scouts or scholarship monies. Convinced that basketball would provide the young man perhaps his only chance at furthering his education, Pippen’s high school coach located a work-study arrangement at the University of Central Arkansas whereby Pippen could continue to play point guard and be team manager. Pippen enrolled at Central Arkansas in 1983, intending to major in industrial education and find a job as a factory manager.

Fortunately, Pippen began to gain some height following high school graduation, and by September he was 6’3″. During his sophomore year he started a weight-training program, gained another two inches, and watched his game noticeably improve. Impressed, his coach had Pippen play not only forward but other positions as well. Viewed as the team’s best all-around player during his last year at Central Arkansas, Pippen now averaged 23.6 points, 10 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. While his impressive performance at Central Arkansas registered slightly with Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause, Pippen’s equally impressive performance at a college all-star event in Portsmouth, Virginia transfixed Krause, who made a deal whereby Pippen was the number-five draft choice of the Seattle SuperSonics in late 1986 and immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls with a six-year contract worth over $5 million.

During the 1987-88 season the Bulls were led by coach Doug Collins and player Michael Jordan, who dominated Collins’s starting lineup. As backup point forward Pippen averaged 7.9 points per game before becoming sidelined by a herniated disk that essential back surgery. Missing the 1988-89 preseason as well as the first eight games that followed, he advanced to the starting lineup in late December by averaging 14.4 points per game. During the Eastern Conference playoffs Chicago downed their first two rivals before facing the Detroit Pistons. Suffering a concussion at the start of game six against Detroit, Pippen was forced from play and could only watch as the Bulls were downed in a hard-fought match.

The appointment of Phil Jackson to the Bulls’ head coach spot at the start of the 1989-90 season was a boon for Pippen. Jackson’s three-point offensive strategy allowed him greater freedom on the court. Scoring an average of 16.5 points per game, Pippen located himself on the NBA All-Star team for the first time. “He handles the ball well enough to be virtually a third guard,” explained Sports Illustrated contributor Leigh Montville of Pippen, “dribbling up the floor in the Bulls offense. He is a point forward, … the modern all-purpose basketball part…. Guard him high, and he will take youlow. Guard him low, and he will take you high. Don’t guard him for a moment? He is gone, rising over the basket and depositing the ball with a house-call efficiency that makes you remember Dr. Julius Erving himself.” Eerily echoing the previous year’s playoffs, the Bulls again faced Detroit, and fans again saw Pippen play poorly before being pulled from Game 7, this time due to migraine headaches. Chicago’s 74-93 loss was put squarely on Pippen’s shoulders by many fans, many of whom did not realize that the point forward was also mourning the recent death of his father, who had passed away during the playoffs.

Pippen returned for the Bulls’ 1990-91 season a more focused player. After a heated contract dispute he ended the season with a guaranteed annual salary of $3.5 million through 1997-98. Pippen’s efforts on the court justified the increase as he led the Bulls to a sweep of the conference championship series against the Pistons by scoring 17.8 points per game, 595 rebounds, 511 assists, and 193 steals. The Bulls went on to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the world championship.

Pippen’s stats during the 1991-92 season earned him a spot on both the 1992 All-Star game and the U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” alongside Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. He also continued to lead his team in assists. Ironically, considering these honors, in a playoff game against the New York Knicks his sprained ankle and injured wrist cost the team points and sparked renewed grumblings among Bulls fans. This time, however, the Bulls were victorious, and Pippen entered the final games of the playoffs in top form, then traveled to Barcelona, Spain to help the Dream Team take the 1992 gold medal.

The 1992-93 season found Pippen at the top of his game; he spearheaded a drive to the top of the Eastern Conference by beating the Knicks in the playoffs 4-0 and helped the Bulls become the first team to win three consecutive league titles since 1966. At the close of the season teammate Jordan announced that he was retiring to begin a second career in baseball, and Pippen filled the void by taking on a more active role on the court.

During the 1993-94 season an ankle injury kept Pippen out of the first ten games before he returned to improve the Bulls’ standings with an average of 22 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. He bagged NBA Most Valuable Player honors in the All-Star game by posting 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 steals before his now-characteristic fall from grace during the May, 1994 playoffs. During the final, crucial 1.8 seconds of the Bulls’ third game against the Knicks, Pippen refused to return to the game after a time-out. Angered that teammate Toni Kukoc had been awarded both a lucrative contract and the final shot of the game, Pippen stubbornly sat out the final seconds, during which Kukoc’s shot saved the game for the Bulls. Despite his subsequent apologies, Pippen found this action would haunt him as fans blamed him for the Bulls’ ultimate loss of the series to New York.

Pippen’s dissatisfaction with his team flooded over into his private life, and his name began to seem on more than just the sports pages during the 1993-94 season. In January 1994 he was arrested for possession of a firearm, although the charges were later dropped after the basketball star intimated allegations of racism on the part of the arresting officers. Subsequent reports revealed a domestic abuse charge by then-fiancee Yvette Deleone and a paternity suit by model Sonya Roby that cited Pippen as the father of her daughter, a surviving twin, and cost the athlete $10,000 despite his denial of the charge.

Although Pippen illustrated his continuing frustration with the 1994-95 season by throwing a chair onto the court in response to a call by officials during a game in January 1995, he finally gave Bulls fans something to cheer about the following February when he joined a returning Jordan and the recently acquired former Piston Dennis Rodman to propel the team to fifty wins in their first fifty-six games. Pippen managed to keep his legal problems off the court during the remainder of the 1995-96 season and averaged over nineteen points per game. Named to the All-NBA First Team for the third year in a row, he also walked away with a gold medal for his role in the 1996 U.S. basketball Olympic team. Bulls teammates Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman also became the first trio of teammates in thirteen years to make the NBA’s All-Defensive Team.

The 1996-97 season, marking the end of Pippen’s contract with the Bulls, was highlighted by his inclusion as one of the NBA’s fifty greatest players. Taking gain of his on- and off-court fame, the savvy athlete supplemented his annual salary of $2.25 million with $7 million from product endorsements and appearances on television programs such as ER and Chicago Sons. Pippen’s biggest endorsement, with shoe manufacturer Nike, earned him between $2.5 to $3.5 million. The athlete’s name recognition only improved when he led the Bulls to their fifth world championship, averaging 19.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in nineteen playoff games despite being hobbled with an injury to his left foot.

At the start of Pippen’s tenth pro season, 1997-98, the thirty-two year old was sidelined for three months while recovering from foot surgery while rumors of his planned departure from the Bulls began to circulate. Undergoing more back surgery in July to repair two herniated disks, Pippen then accepted a deal whereby he was traded to the Houston Rockets after signing a five-year contract with the Bulls worth $67.2 million. Pippen ended his Bulls career with per-game averages of 18 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.

During his first season with the Rockets, Pippen clearly welcomed the change in team affiliation. Joining fellow player Charles Barkley on the starting lineup, he adopted the new defensive system of Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich, and led his new team in assists. However, by the following spring Pippen openly expressed frustration over the shortcomings of his team-mates—particularly Barkley—and his own inability to be cast in scoring positions, telling a Jet interviewer, “Playing the minutes I’m playing [without scoring] … makes the game not any fun anymore. My next step is to find out why this organization need to haveed me.” As before, off-court troubles followed on-court troubles, and in May 1999 Pippen was arrested for driving while intoxicated, although the charges were later dropped

Because of his growing dissatisfaction with Houston, Pippen requested that he be traded, and in October of 1999 he found himself signed with the middle-ranked Portland Trailblazers. Although he helped Portland into the Western Conference finals in both 2000 and 2001, Pippen averaged only 11.3 points during the 2000-01 season. Exhibiting a playing flavor characterized by Chicago Tribune reporter Sam Smith as “toned down” and “quieter,” the now-veteran Pippen’s performance was praised by fellow teammate Steve Kerr as that of a player who “knows how to find you where you want the ball.” Despite his fall from the national spotlight, Pippen expressed his satisfaction at playing on a team noted for its camaraderie and love of the game.

Although his accomplishments have been somewhat overshadowed by ups and downs in his personal life, Pippen designed into one of the greatest forwards in professional basketball, his success inspired in no small part by the straightened circumstances of his childhood. His pairing with superstar Jordan proved to be a double-edged sword: while he fueled Jordan’s rise to stardom and helped make the Chicago Bulls a force to be reckoned with during most of the 1990s, his own abilities were often overshadowed. Determined to achieve a modest fortune in addition to professional success, Pippen has remained wise to the vagaries of professional sports, lending his name to a variety of products and appearing on several television programs while his name held value for commercial sponsors. Joining the Portland Trailblazers as a mature player, Pippen has continued to distinguish himself, his confidence and authority among younger, considerably less experienced athletes bolstered by his multiple NBA records, Olympic wins, and countless other accolades.

Name Scottie Pippen Height 6' 8 Naionality American Date of Birth September 25, 1965 Place of Birth Hamburg, Arkansas, USA Famous for

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When I was 11, my family got its first computer: an AST "Advantage!", which sported a 66 MHz 486 processor, 4 MB ram and 32 MB of hard drive space. It wasn't the greatest computer, even for the time, but it did have QBasic on it, and having always wanted to make games, I immediately dove into coding.

I stuck with QBasic for the following decade or so simply because I was comfortable with it. I made a bunch of shooters, platformers, and actually a lot of weird games. I made one called "Kill the Innocent" (download it here, but you'll need DosBox to make it work), which featured stick figures walking along a bridge, and you aim a gun at them and just kill them. I remember coding a detailed system for how the man's top-hat would float gently to the ground, and a very simple physics system that would allow you to juggle the man's head in mid-air with shotgun blasts. (I guess I was subtly picking up on the ugliness of violence in videogames even back then, although I certainly wasn't conscious of it, being that my AST Advantage was running Doom so often.)

Kill the Innocent

The thing was, though, that in all that time, I really wasn't learning much about programming. I was kinda just re-using the same ten or so programming keywords - everything was hard-coded, nothing was remotely "modular". In other words, I wasn't really learning to program. I had no idea how to "import a spritesheet" or build something that would run on Windows, let alone an iPhone. I just wasn't a programmer, really.

My Difficulties with Learning to Code

I tried over, and over, and over again in my teens and twenties to branch out and learn to code in something a bit more modern. I can't tell you how many "Learn [Insert Language Here]" books I bought, got through the first three chapters of, and then gave up.

The short answer to why I gave up? Basically, it just seemed really hard for me. More specifically, it was a kind of hard that's particularly difficult for me to apply effort towards. I now understand that programming takes a very particular kind of perseverance, and an almost faith-like belief that "I can and will find the answer".

It's possible that part of the reason was that I was an "art person". I wasn't into math or science in school, but I excelled in music, visual arts, and writing. I think I sort of identified myself as a "creative type", and so when some compile error reared its head, and wouldn't go away after the first two, three, four, five times I tried to fix it, it was easy to feel like "well, I'm not a programmer, after all - I'll need a programmer to fix this."

Ultimately, like anything else, you just have to believe that you can do it, and you will do it. But believing that isn't trivial.

The Non-Programming Designer

For the first decade or so of my career as a professional game developer, I've taken a significant or leading role in the following disciplines: visual art, music composition, sound production, graphic design, web design, writing, game design, marketing, and probably a handful of other skills. Basically: literally every single thing required to make a moderately high production value game *EXCEPT* programming, I did.

My thinking was, well, if I'm doing all of that other stuff, it's reasonable to get help from another person to take the programming role, right? That was always my opinion. I actually even kinda resented the idea that not only do I have to be the guy to do the other dozen things for a game, but I also have to program it? I should be able to find someone to fill in that gap.

And actually, I'd argue that that is reasonable, and it's doable. I've gotten several games out the door doing exactly that. To be clear: you can operate as a non-programming designer. I found teams or individuals who were looking for game designers, artists, composers, and filled those roles.

My argument is that while you can do this, to the extent that you're a game designer, you shouldn't.

Game designers - real game designers, anyway, are people who are actually experimenting with systems and trying to do something with rulesets. Technically, someone who designs a generic puzzle platformer or tower defense game is, of course, a game designer, but I'm not talking about those people. If you're "designing" a Flappy Bird clone, it's probably fine if you're not the person programming it.

For people like myself who are experimenting with new systems of interactivity, the "get a programmer" plan just really isn't practical, because unlike a Flappy Bird clone, serious game design is hard to get right the first time. Or the tenth. Or the hundredth. You need the flexibility to implement an idea when it comes to you at two in the morning like a lightning bolt. Writing an email or a to-do for someone else who might not get to it for a day or two is just too slow.

You need to be personally in the loop of playtesting, iterating and re-iterating yourself. Tweaking variables, changing how things are arranged - you need to be in there doing that. Otherwise, you have a "play by email" sort of problem where even small things can take a long time to do.

Keep in mind that there is some finite amount of time that you will end up working on your game, so you want to use it as best as you can. As the designer, being the - or a - programmer on the project, you can massively increase the number of "iteration loops" that fit into the development timeline (no matter how long or short that timeline is!)

Finally, I find that I have to balance "making the right design calls" with "making a person feel like I maybe don't respect their time" when working with a programmer. Most of the time, if I ask a programmer to code something, later on we're gonna find out that that thing I asked him to do is going to get thrown in the garbage. It's one thing to warn people up front that this will be the case, but it's another thing to be in the moment, telling a person "yeah, about that thing I made you code last week... we're ditching it". I don't want to be in a position where I might be even a little bit inclined to hesitate to make the right call just because it could piss someone off.

What About Board Games?

Board games are a good place to learn game design, and some designers, depending on their philosophy and goals, may be able to just operate making board games for their whole careers. Here's the thing though: despite the fact that there are way more well-designed board games than there are well-designed videogames, board games, as a medium, have some problems. Lots of people think that for bad reasons, like they hate that they're turn based, or they hate that they have to learn rules, or maybe they just hate that board games don't have Rapid CGI-Beheading Quicktime DLC. Those are not the real reasons. Here are the real reasons that board games are problematic:

Working with physical components causes some problems. It's difficult to have much precision in setting a good information horizon.

Lower "practical information density" - based on the practical limitations of what we could reasonably expect players to fiddle with in terms of rule upkeep, the information density - information per game element - must be oppressively low. For more detail on this and the above point, listen to this episode of my Clockwork Game Design podcast.

Rapid feedback. Make a thing, slam it up on the web, and get feedback from lots of people, strangers even, within hours. Meanwhile getting feedback on a boardgame requires scheduling and a lot of other real-life annoyances.

Commercially not really viable - I assume a lot of designers would like to make a career out of their craft, and, some exceptions aside, it's much harder to do that with paper and cardboard than it is with computer applications.

Ultimately, as I said, I do think board games are a great place for designers to learn a lot about the craft, and I do think it's possible to make some very good games out of just about anything. I just think it's a lot harder to make a great board game than it is to make a great videogame, and I think that making a great videogame is already near-impossibly hard.

Becoming a Programmer

The development of Auro: A Monster-Bumping Adventure took us five years (and counting). A big reason for that was, it was an original strategy game and I wanted to get it right. We could have launched a sorta generic, boring Rogue-like back in 2011 if I didn't care about creating something special. So we iterated, and iterated, and iterated.

But eventually, our first programmer had to move onto other things, and so we got another. And another, and another. Eventually, by about late 2013, we had run out of a lot of programmer-steam, and there were times when Auro kind of seemed like it was dead in the water. So being in that position, I sort of just had no choice - I had to learn to program now, or else all this work would have been for nothing.

Being in that position - and also, maybe, just being a bit older and having more of an attention span - helped me to really dive in and get comfortable with the codebase. Ultimately, I ended up coding a huge chunk of Auro's final code!

More recently, I've been taking an online Unity course through Udemy, as well as reading a few books on programming patterns and things like that. Obviously, I still have a long way to go, but I have gotten to the point where I can at least prototype stuff and iterate on my own, and it's extremely freeing for me as a game designer.

I still do think in an ideal world, a designer would have a "lead programmer" who specializes in that, and can set things up in a way that's not horrible, and help maintain some semblance of order in a codebase - especially for a larger, more complex game.

But what I do know is that game designers like myself, who care about producing new, interesting, deep systems of interactivity, just really need to learn to code. You can't be relying on others, and you can't really be relying on paper and cardboard. Do what it takes - pay a tutor, take a class, or just lock yourself in a hotel room with a book. I'm absolutely not saying you need to become a John Carmack and learn to build new engines with assembly language or anything like that - you just need to be able to use stuff like Game Maker or Unity to get a game from idea to prototype.

If you're a "creative type", videogames need you!

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