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honeymoonjin · 5 years

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Chapter One

Summary: When you hear that your recently deceased grandmother left you her property in her will, at first you think that a dinky old cottage in the middle of nowhere isn’t going to mean much for you. But after spending a night there, you discover something far more valuable than the house itself: a hidden door that leads to another time, the same place but over 200 years in the past. In the late 18th Century, there is a king who will die before his 21st birthday unless you can save him. Will you help him, even if it means leaving your own life behind?

A/N: It’s here! Please enjoy the first chapter of my new fantasy AU, Sovereign! It’s been a joy to write so far and I hope you love it as much as I do!

“Okay, what time was it again?” You adjust your cellphone, clamping it between your ear and your shoulder as you rohjdojwiggle a worn key into the front door.

“Come on, Y/n, we’ve been through this! It doesn’t matter what time you come over as long as it’s before 2, because that’s when I have to get ready for work. Maybe like ten? That should give us a decent block of time to hang out.”

You smile at your boyfriend’s lilting voice and finally get the door to unlock and swing open. “Okay, can do. I just got to my grandma’s old place, so I’ll be spending the night here, and then I’m all good to go this morning.” It’s musty inside, but not actually that messy or dirty. You tug your overnight bag in behind you and close the door, wandering around the cramped cottage aimlessly as you chat on the phone.

“Oh, yeah, what’s the big idea with that? I don’t get why I couldn’t come with and keep you company.”

“Something in the will,” you mumble half-heartedly, “it makes no sense, but she wanted me to come here when I received the rights and spend a night alone. I don’t know, she was a pretty superstitious and sentimental lady. I’m sure she had a reason.” You come to a stop in the poorly-lit hallway, staring at a strange sight on one of the walls. “Anyway, this house is so far away from uni and it’s not exactly prime living. I’ve already called mum to get her to give me the details for our real estate agent. Maybe whatever cash I make off this dump will help put me through my last year of med school.”

Jimin laughs on the other end. “From what I’ve heard, you’d be lucky to get a couple coffees in exam season for the price that place is worth. You’d be better off keeping it, maybe one day you and I can move in together.”

You squat down as he talks and run your hand along the wall. For some reason, embedded no more than two feet off the floor, is a crystal doorknob. You had assumed it was for a cupboard, but there weren’t even any seams in the wooden panels of the wall where the door could be. You try twisting it experimentally, but it doesn’t give.

“Y/n?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, Jiminie, that would be really nice.” You stand up again and continue down the hallway, dismissing the architectural oddity. “How about you come out here tomorrow night and see what you think of it? It would need some serious renovation, but we could make it work.”

You pause as you hear shuffling on the line. “Fuck. Sorry, baby, one of my classmates just text to say our grades for the midterm have been put up, I’m gonna go check.”

You smile softly. “No worries, I’ll see you when I come over tomorrow. Should be there around ten, like you said. I love you.”

“Love you more. Bye, baby.”

When the line goes dead, you put your phone away and decide to not bother with cleaning the place up at all before retiring. It’s nearly midnight, and you came straight here after a day of classes, so you’re ready to go set up the spare room.

You hadn’t really visited this place often in recent years; truthfully, you hadn’t seen your grandmother much since you grew up. You did have faint childhood memories of listening to her rambling for hours about what flowers fairies liked to grow in their gardens and how to listen to the trees whispering. Your parents quickly realized all her stories of magic and fantasy were making you a very dreamy young girl, and from the age of around eleven or twelve they stopped taking you out to the countryside to visit.

But now here you were, full circle. Lying in the narrow guest bed you had frequented as a child, one year away from graduating from medical school, something you had no doubt she would’ve found cold and absurd. She had liked to tell you you’d become a princess or a witch or something wonderful like that. Doctor didn’t sound nearly as exciting.

The exhaustion from the day as well as your reminiscing pulled you quickly into unconsciousness, and you slept well enough until a loud thud awoke you.

You shot up in bed, heart racing. There were no other houses for miles with the cottage being so far from the city, and it was untamed forest rather than farmland, so if the racket was an animal that had somehow gotten in the house, it was probably wild. After waiting a few moments, three similar thuds resonate through the small building. With one hand clutching your phone, torchlight on, and the other rubbing at your sternum in an effort to calm down, you sneak slowly out of your room and into the hallway. Blinking to adjust to the glare of your phone light, you barely pay attention to your surroundings, fully focused on the racket coming from the kitchen.

Upon arriving, you relax with a great sigh when you’re confronted not with a fox or a rat or a burglar, but an overly fluffy black cat sitting delicately on the kitchen bench, licking a paw. Below him is a misshapen pile of candles, another one of your grandmother’s obsessions, that the cat has apparently pushed off the counter.

You click your tongue and hold out your free hand gently. “Here, kitty kitty. Here, kitty kitty. Oh, you’re so cute! Where did you come from, kitty?”

You recoil when what can only be described as a scoff comes out of the creature’s mouth. But, like it could understand you perfectly, it leaps gracefully onto the floor and leads you back the way you came, tail swishing impatiently. You follow dumbly, until the cat comes to a stop in the hallway, in front of an open door.

You frown and stare at the black shadowy square in shock. The doorknob, which before seemed so absurdly placed, was now attached to a door of the same wood paneling as the wall, swung open to reveal an open space behind it. You swear just earlier today, or perhaps at this point it was yesterday, that doorknob wouldn’t move at all, and now a cat was sitting in front of it moodily, licking a paw and whipping its tail against the carpet.

What was odder still was the height. It wasn’t a full doorway like the rest of the house; really, were it not for the apparent depth of the hole, you would’ve called it a cupboard. Nevertheless, the cat blinks up at you with baleful silver eyes and slips into the blackness, completely disappearing from your view.

You patiently wait for a few moments for it to have a look around and come back out, but there’s no sign of it. “Kitty,” you call out awkwardly, “come out of there. Where did you go?”

But silence is your only response, so you just sigh and hunker down on your hands and knees, gingerly sticking your hand into the cupboard, which, judging by the way your arm disappears down to the shoulder with no back end in sight, is perhaps a room more so than a cupboard. You wave your outstretched hand back and forth, but the only thing you come in contact with is roughhewn brick, scratching your knuckles as you pull your hand back.

Whatever it is, it isn’t a room or a cupboard. It’s a hallway of sorts. Your grandma has a secret hallway in her house. “Okay, you got me, I’m coming in now, kitty.”

After no response, you prop your phone up so that the light splays as far into the darkness as possible and begin the crawl. Your shoulders scrape against the sides and your hair keeps catching on the rough edges on the ceiling, but you crawl on.

It must be no more than five or so meters that you travel before your hand knocks against a solid wall instead of more open air. Fuck. You’re at a dead end, with no space to turn around. But just before you can start to panic at your situation, you remember the cat. It must’ve gone somewhere, so you tentatively push against the solid wall, only to feel it give way beneath your fingertips. It’s another door.

A warm light greets you, but it’s such a change from the pitch black of the tiny crawlspace that you squint, pulling yourself free finally. When you do open your eyes again, you look around in confusion. The walls are lined with bookshelves, some filled with incredibly ancient-looking leatherbound books, and others with glass jars containing unidentifiable powders and herbs. Some of them even have objects floating in some strange clear liquid. In the middle of the room is a table covered in papers and rudimentary laboratory equipment, like thick glass beakers and iron crucibles.

You don’t recognize this part of the house, but even if you did, something’s clearly not right. Because to the far right of you, in the corner of this rather large room, is a hearth with a roaring fire blazing inside it. And directly in front of that is a tall man. Your instinct is to scream, but the stranger seems awfully calm for having broken in and started a fire, so you just clear your throat awkwardly.

He turns around, and you’re taken aback by how young he is. You never expected good-looking young people to stoop to thieving, but there’s a first for everything. “May I help you?” he questions pleasantly.

You frown at his patronizing tone. “Uh, yeah. Maybe start with why the fuck you’re in my house.”

He brushes down his hair, a startling silver that glints in the firelight. “This isn’t your house yet, actually.”

You tilt your head in disbelief, finally standing up off the ground to be a little more on level with him. “Are you serious? Yes, it is. The will was signed two days ago. Who are you?”

His eyes soften as he stares off into the middle distance. “The will? So, she’s passed away then.” His gaze flickers back up to you. “I hate to break it to you, Y/n, but you don’t own this house yet. In fact, you won’t own it for another two hundred and seventy years, give or take.”

You feel your blood run cold. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Welcome to seventeen-forty-three, Y/n.”

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#bts x reader #bts fic #bts au #jimin x reader #jungkook x reader #jin #yoongi #namjoon #hoseok #taehyung

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autobot-ratchet · 6 years

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I’ve been wanting to do a character analysis thing on Drift for a long time and now that the comic is over I finally have time to sit down and think about his arc as a whole and how the fandom treats him and I have got some Thoughts and Opinions™

Alright so Drift. let's talk about Drift at his core, who he is and what he's like, which can admittedly be difficult to pinpoint because he spends like 90% of his time throughout the IDW continuity Working On It and figuring out for himself the answer to this question, but whoa hey it was a TRICK QUESTION the answer is ~*~inside him all along~*~*~

No seriously, it actually is. even though Drift goes through a whole lot of changes, including flipping his entire outward personality around like 180°, he doesn't change so much that there's absolutely nothing connecting him to his former self (though he'd probably love for you to think so lmao)

from what I’ve seen, fandom seems to assume that the most important aspects of Drift's character are that he started out as a street rat and that Deadlock was a Big Meanie Murderman and almost all of the fics I’ve read hugely reflect that, a lot of the fandom writes Drift based on their own personal assumptions (mainly assumptions of what they think a homeless drug addict would do and what they think a "Big Bad Decepticon" would do) rather than what Drift as a character would do. When writers don’t consider who Drift was as a person or why he was an addict/Decepticon and acted the way he did, it results in a lot of gross, insulting, boring, and out of character writing

This goes for current Drift too, with regards to his spirituality. Often he's characterized as a "stereotypical hippie", and fandom often doesn’t consider his motivation for being drawn towards it in the first place. Again, assumptions are made about what he is rather than what his actions are and it makes me yearn for death's sweet embrace so let's talk about the most important and consistent things to remember about Drift's character, like overall

There are at least a couple of things we know about him that are true, even through all the personality changes and emotional floundering:

1. When it comes to fight or flight, Drift is a solid fighter, he doesn't just take abuse lying down, he is more than capable of protecting himself.

2. He genuinely believes in justice, both as Drift and Deadlock. He can't stand when people with power abuse people without it.

Let's focus on street rat Drift and Deadlock for now since that's where a lot of people either didn't read or vastly misinterpreted, and also mtmte/lost light Drift is worthy of a section all to himself given how different he is

Point 1: times when Drift defended himself

That time when Gasket got killed and he wrecked the fuck out of the cops that did it in a fit of blind rage (COPS. Meaning he’s not afraid of authority)

That time when one of his Deception comrades told him he'd tattle on him to Turmoil and he shot him in the face (like. in front of everybody, not even trying to be subtle)

That time when Turmoil tried to execute him and he broke free and bailed (again. not afraid to disobey his superiors and get in trouble, cannot stress this enough)

That time when he did it to his own dang self!!! When the heart of darkness was controlling him

so yeah Drift is not one to sit back and let people walk all over him, if someone tries to force him to do something he truly is not okay with doing, he makes them stop and I swear by all that is holy if I see one more fic where he's a poor little ex-prostitute rape victim who just needs to be healed with The Good Dick I'm going to snap you in half like a kit kat bar

lengthways, bitch

point 2: times when Drift elaborated on or demonstrated his true motives (and how that motive is justice and not just rage, the rage is fuel for the justice, y’all)

literally the whole reason Drift became a decepticon was because *King of Town voice* GOVERNMENT AIN'T RIGHT like he was angry about the blatant inequality that led to starvation and death for no reason other than greed on the part of the higher-ups

Deadlock was not super cruel and did not take pleasure in killing autobots like "heehee look how weak they are I love tormenting things weaker than me" he quickly killed as many autobots as he could because he genuinely believed that wiping them all out would win the war and that winning the war would make sure that Cybertron could become a place where no one has to go through what he did in the streets of Rodion

he was never a sadist who enjoyed causing pain and torturing autobots to make himself feel powerful or take out his aggression on them, his goal was to quickly eliminate as many of them as possible and he did a very good job of it and that is why he was an infamous decepticon, because of his absurdly high kill count

now let's get into mtmte Drift and how all this still applies to him even though he's way different now

point 1: still defending himself even though he’s nicer now

yes he liked Rodimus and let Roddy get away with a lot of things he probably would not have put up with as Deadlock but Roddy never crossed that line into "genuinely uncool" and Drift would get real with him even before the exile, like I know Ratchet said Drift "tells him everything he wants to hear" but like. not really lmAO

and of course the whole discourse with the exile, Drift took the blame because he genuinely believed in the quest and his vision and that Rodimus had to be there to see it through, you could honestly argue that it had more to do with his vision than his friendship with Roddy, like yeah they're tight but Drift had his moments where he wasn't totally down with his antics (as shown above) and he really bet everything he had on this quest

Rodimus never abused him or anything like that. Took advantage of him, sure, but like I said, he never crossed that line into “genuinely uncool” and even if he ever tried to, Drift does have his limits and does know how to say no, it’s not an unbalanced relationship, Drift just prioritized the quest above all else and him doing so happened to work in Roddy’s favor (not that Roddy wanted it to since he came clean about everything later but that’s a whole other discussion for another time)

same with Ratchet and his jabs at this religion, Drift’s got his limits and Ratchet has seen them lmao

Drift is also still badass at fighting, let's not forget that

he also still gets angry like he used to, he's not an emotional pushover either

I'd also like to mention that even after his realization of self worth in Empire of Stone where he accepts that he's good for more than just being a weapon to be used by an ideal, he's still holding his own, but less lethally

Usin them hilts instead of the blades, good job honey

point 2: he still cares about justice and doing what’s right even though his mind’s been changed on how to make it happen

during his exile he went around saving mostly organics from decepticon attacks and tyranny, granted yes part of it was probably out of guilt since he no doubt participated in some destruction of organics when Megatron had him convinced it was to help Cybertron but all that's really changed is that now he realizes organics actually aren't detrimental to cybertronian freedom and they deserve to live in peace just as much as he does.

He didn't suddenly go from "whatever, organics aren't even sentient it’s fine to kill them" to "oh shit maybe they are sentient my bad", he went from "Megatron told me organics are trying to impede our freedom much like the autobots are, I have to wipe them out too if we want to win this war and live in peace" to "whoopsie doo it turns out Megatron lied to me and we're treating these organics just like the senate treated us, I have to stop this"

also the Lost Light’s quest! The whole point of the quest was to find the knights of cybertron so they could make the planet suck less, he’s still trying his best to take action to make things better on a large scale like he bought the ship and kickstarted the quest, he’s just lucky Roddy wanted to come with and charmed 200+ people into joining and being their crew for him lmAO he probably would’ve gone by himself anyway if Roddy had refused to help, he really believed in the vision he got that told him to find the knights more than anything

so yeah these two points have way more to do with Drift's character and looking over his whole arc with them in mind makes him much easier to understand, he’s a lot more than just “a helpless victim street rat who turned into a sadist to rival the DJD and then randomly became a hippie” he’s actually a pretty consistent character despite the outward personality shifts and hopefully this helps anyone having trouble characterizing him

#text post #character analysis #happy clappy hippy #I love this boy and he gets done wrong by the fandom a lot lmAO #rape mention

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simon-newman · 5 years

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Ants

So...

In my previous post about my new Praying Mantis Athena I mentioned that I’d love to try keeping a few other Arthropods.

Ants in particular.

I am going to try and do so this year.

There are total of six species in my country that I’d love to keep at some point and I’m going to outline my plans for them in here.

So, here they are:

1. Manica Rubida

Common name - Wścieklica Dorodna (Literally - Greater Fury Ant)

This is my favorite native ant and one I grew up familiar with as I had a nest of those in my backyard.

As a kid I used to feed them regularly as they were the biggest, baddest ants I knew.

Indeed - the workers can be up to 9mm long. Those ants are BIG.

They’re also hated by most people because they will defend their nest and do have a potent sting some compare to the wasp’s.

Personally - I’ve been stung by those ants before and while painful it’s far from being as painful as the wasp’s sting.

Anyway - the species is not recommended for beginners due to the sting and the fact that the queen requires some special care (she requires feeding during the founding stages).

Still. I am familiar with them and willing to try keeping them. They are my choice species and seeing as they have their nuptial flight in May I’ll try to get a hold of the queen or two.

I’ve also managed to confirm that those are still present in my area. So far I’ve discovered two sites with nests of this species.

Another interesting note - while those ants don’t have a proper soldier caste there ARE some noticeable differences between workers.

Some of them do have a sturdier build and larger mandibles. I’ll try to provide some pictures when I get the chance to compare a regular and large worker.

This coupled with the fact that there’s surprisingly little information available about this species makes me want to do some research myself.

Document their behavior, preserve different specimen to compare the large and small workers and finally...

When the colony grows to 200-300 workers I’ll try attaching them to a classic ant-farm unit and observe the architecture of their nest construction.

FYI - this is the only Manica species in Europe. There are four species in the US and one in Japan. I am curious if all of them have similar nest architecture.

However - comparing those would require me to cooperate with someone in those countries...

2. Camponotus Ligniperda

Common Name - Gmachówka Drzewotoczna (Literally - Mansion Treecarrier? Ant)

A carpenter ant.

The largest in my country.

The largest ant in general present in my country.

You’d think Manica Rubida above was big with their 9mm worker.

Camponotus workers are just as big in general.

That is... Regular ones.

This species produces actual soldier ants that can be up to 16mm long!

Those are huge. And the queen could be even bigger than that!

Those ants are just enormous and I’d love to keep them.

They’re also good for beginners and have their nuptial flight in late May and June - I’ll try to get one of those if I fail to get Manica Queen first.

The downside is that those ants take a long time to build their numbers.

They take their time to grow and the famous soldiers don’t appear earlier than on year 3 of the colony.

Still - I am a patient man. I can wait.

I also have an interesting setup in mind already.

You see - those ants like to travel far from their nest while foraging.

I’d just love to set up a tubing pass from one room to another so that I could feed the ants in another room (or the kitchen) and watch them bring the food back to the nest all the way from there.

3. Formica Cinerea

Common Name - Pierwomrówka Żwirowa (Literally - Gravel Feral Ant)

A common species and one I think is very, very common in the area I live in.

I am currently waiting for some equipment to arrive so I can proceed to properly identify the species but there’s AT LEAST 7 colonies of ants that look like this species in the area.

Unlike the above species this one has several similar species living in the same areas.

I still think it’s this one in particular as the ants I’ve observed are a bit grey and not black.

Why would I want an ant this common then?

Well. Because they’re crazy.

Those ants have two modes - stationary and TURBO.

Much like their sister species they’re just constantly running around as if it was an emergency.

So they’re very, very active ants and they don’t even sting!

They prefer to run away when disturbed.

They’re also of comparable size to Manica species - easier to prevent escapes.

This species is not a priority for me but I am 90% sure they are in the area and I WILL NEED THOSE if I ever am to keep the next species which is...

4. Formica Sanguinea

English Common Name - Blood-Red Ant

Polish Common Name - Zbójnica Krwista (Literally - Bloody Bandit Ant)

This is an interesting species of a slave-maker ant that requires some other Formica workers to start it’s own colony.

In nature a young queen would attempt to take over a young nest of another Formica species (Like Formica Cinerea above) and do so by killing their queen.

In captivity you just need to extract some pupae from the other ant colony and provide the queen with soon-to-be workers.

This already means the species is not suitable for beginners but this isn’t all.

The colony can easily reach several thousand in numbers. Possibly over 10,000 ants if they’re kept well.

They are aggressive and can spray Formic Acid so a good ventilation is required so they don’t poison themselves.

Luckily this is not such a problem as with Formica Rufa and the colony remains manageable even at the peak of it’s development (F.Rufa can reach few hundred thousand workers and requires A LOT of space so they can’t really be kept in captivity outside of a specialized insectarium or a zoo - not even mentioning they’re a protected species).

Still - I find the ant interesting and absolutely beautiful with their coloration.

They come in varying shapes and shades within the colony itself and can be given other formica pupae to include in their numbers (forming a kind of a mixed colony if one so desires).

I have no “dream setup” in mind for them as of yet and they are not the species I will try to find in the near future. On top of this I have no idea where to find them in my area (they should be present here but I never saw them or maybe mistook them for other forest ants).

5. Lasius Flavus

English Common Name - Yellow Meadow Ant

Polish Common Name - Podziemnica Zwyczajna (Literally - Common Underground Ant)

This is one of the smaller species in my country with the workers reaching the size of 2-4mm only.

The queen is much bigger than her daughters however.

This is both a species easy to handle and not considered “that interesting” due to staying mostly underground all the time.

In nature they don’t forage much and feed on insects and honeydew from root aphids - something which might be difficult to supplement.

I also don’t intend to keep them anytime soon due to the small size - I am quite afraid they’ll find a way out of the setup I make myself for them.

Pros: They don’t need much space as the short foraging range limits the distance you could setup the outworld.

They’re also beautiful with their yellow or even amber colors.

It’s also repeated everywhere that those ants are extremely common despite not being seen often.

Personally i have to admit to destroying a huge nest of those last year when I was rearranging the stones in my garden (I’ve uncovered an absurdly huge colony which moved out within few hours) - I know however those are definitely around.

Maybe one day a small compact setup for those, eh?

And by small I mean... Yes - their numbers can reach tens of thousands...

6. Dolichoderus Quadripunctatus

Common Name - Nadrzewnica czteroplamka (Literally - Four-dot Tree Ant)

This would be the apex of ant-keeping ability for me because this ant is often described as very difficult to keep and known to just die when slightly mishandled.

It’s a tree-dwelling species with characteristic dots on the gaster, it also has a beautiful shine.

TBH some people claim the ant is pretty much impossible to keep in captivity... Easily proven wrong as quick google search reveals people abroad manage to keep them long enough for the colony to grow into a thousand workers.

I blame my countrymen’s inability/unwillingness to do proper research using the Internet that’s not in our language (and I find Polish Internet to be lacking and misleading in a lot of cases).

Still - the species is definitely demanding and not suited for beginners.

They are very sensitive to temperature and humidity, live on trees and tend to simply dump their garbage down + they’re expert climbers that effortlessly pass fluon barriers which makes them the escape artists on top of all the other problems they cause.

Also - did I mention that their Queen requires the same treatment as Manica Rubida above (as in feeding during initial stages)? Because she totally does!

There’s also the detail about the queens being rarely found on the ground and looking almost identical to the workers... Yeah. So many difficulties with just one ant species.

My dream setup is thus a very farfetched project of a vertical formicarium that imitates the tree trunk the ants live in naturally.

The nest could be connected behind the artificial wall shaped in the likeness of a tree - with some small shelves to deposit food on.

I’d also make sure to include a temperature and humidity regulation to make sure they don’t die on me...

Now - I’d love to have the means to build something like this one day... One day...

Picture sources:

http://www.antwiki.org

https://en.wikipedia.org

https://pl.wikipedia.org

https://insektarium.net

https://ru.wikipedia.org/

#Ants #Manica Rubida #Camponotus Ligniperda #Formica Cinerea #Formica Sanguinea #Lasius Flavus #Dolichoderus Quadripunctatus #Yeah - I watched too much AntsCanada for my own good #Am I getting obsessive?

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ayellowbirds · 6 years

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Keshet Rewatches All of Scooby-Doo, Pt. 1: "What a Night for a Knight"

("Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" Season 1, Episode 1)

AKA, "Fred Jones, Amateur Burglar"

The Scoobynatural crossover got an itch started that needed scratching, so I took advantage of a county-wide library system to get the complete Scooby-Doo, Where Are You on DVD. I’m going to try to watch—and blog about—at least the entire run of this series, and maybe more beyond.

The episode opens with the creepy scene of a deliveryman carting a wooden box down a lonesome road on a moonlit night. The box is addressed to "Jameson Hyde White, Professor of Archeology (sic), London, England". The contents are revealed to be a suit of armor... with someone inside, as they open the lid and rear up menacingly.

More terrifying to me, however, is the fact that this package is completely unsecured! That truck doesn’t even have a proper bed with walls and tailgate, never mind the crate being secured in any manner. What the devil was keeping it in place, hope and spit?

Onto the scene arrive our heroes as Shaggy complains that Scooby insisted on staying at the movie theater to watch "Star: Dog Ranger of the North Woods", twice, keeping them out late. A chase after a bullfrog—familiar to any dog owner in areas with plenty of amphibians—leads the duo to discover the truck, now abandoned with the armor left empty at the driver’s seat. The rest of the gang join Shaggy and Scooby to investigate, and Daphne discovers delivery instructions that directed the driver to bring the crate to the County Museum.

"Another" mystery, Fred says, in the very first episode ever, implying that the gang was already well established as mystery-solvers at this point.

Rather than doing something sensible like contacting the police about an abandoned vehicle and signs of missing persons, the four teens and one dog help bring the armor the museum, where it has somehow gotten back into the crate. A curator, one “Mr. Wickles" offers his thanks, and explains that Prof. Hyde White disappeared mysteriously and relates that the “Black Knight” supposedly comes alive on the night of a full moon—just like the night before. He instructs some workers to put it away in the Medieval Room, and as Scooby follows along, he discovers a clue: a pair of unusual eyewear, or as Velma calls them, "some crazy kind of glasses" that nobody can identify.

Fred suggest the "one way to find out". I’ll admit that I’m pleased the gang’s next thought was to go to a library, but... again. Why not just go back to the museum? Fortunately, Velma has the pre-internet research prowess of an analogue Google, and finds an exact duplicate image of the specific kind of glasses in a book. Their origin in England leads Fred to suspect "something fishy", and declare that they’re going to "go fishing".

...i’m sure it sounded badass in his head.

On returning to the museum after dark, they find it locked "tighter than a drum", to Fred’s frustration. He pressures Shaggy into breaking and entering by pointing out that he’s the only one who would fit through a window on an upper level. I thought I knew where this was going, remembering a scene in one episode where Shaggy is revealed to be "the swingingest gymnast at [our] school", but, nope.

Fred pulls a non-folding ladder that is easily longer than the entire van itself out of the back of the Mystery Machine, revealing some other contents as background elements.

Fred.

Frederick "Freddie" Jones, what the hell are you prepping for with all that stuff in the back of the van?

It’s no wonder Mystery, Inc. later characterized him as an obsessive trapmaker with an absurdly large inventory of supplies. This is the kind of stuff that an experienced group of tabletop gamers would say their characters have in their inventory before doing a dungeon crawl or going after Cthulhu cultists, not what a gang of 15-17 year olds would keep in the back of their van. Fred has all the preparatory foresight of dwarves trying to reclaim Erebor.

Wait, did I say he’s prepared?

Turns out that’s bullshit, because the ladder is too short by a good couple meters.

So Fred raises it up with a car jack.

Which still isn’t enough.

So... ah, there it is.

Yes, this looks safe. No reason to worry at all.

That’s a pose that fills me with confidence.

Shaggy leaps inside and produces a catastrophic crashing noise that continues for a full twelve seconds, amidst musical stings and cringes from his friends. Cut to the interior, and Shaggy is amidst a pile of broken and shredded museum displays.

If there wasn’t a crime to be investigated in the first place, the tens of thousands of dollars in irreparable damage that Shaggy has done to priceless artifacts ensured that there’s going to be a murder. Hell, I want to kill the boy.

As the gang investigate the museum, an encounter with the Black Knight leads to Scooby knocking Velma’s glasses off, the first of many (at least, in viewers’ memories) incidents where she fumbles around comically—mistaking the Black Knight for Shaggy.

Now, i have very bad eyesight. Approximately 20/200, which is roughly the visual acuity of a newborn infant. Without my glasses, I can see clearly only far enough to suck boob. But I can still distinguish large objects and shapes based on color.

Velma’s vision must be exceptionally impaired.

She mistakes the Knight’s growling for Shaggy still suffering from a lingering cold, and...

...where exactly was she carrying that bottle? She’s even got a spoon to pour it into. Shaggy arrives on the scene, and Velma shoves the dose down his throat without noticing the villain, but—wait a minute.

Ah yes, there’s those good old-fashioned animation errors. Either that, or Velma paused offscreen to pick up her glasses, re-pour the medicine, and turn to give it to "Shaggy” without actually looking.

Meanwhile, Scooby manages to do so much damage to the museum’s fossil displays that i've become convinced the Black Knight is just trying to get revenge on these kids for what must now be about a million dollars of damage to museum property.

The kids discover a hidden room where paintings are being duplicated, including a very Rembrandt-esque one. Fred and Velma have it figured out, but refuse to explain things to Shaggy and Scooby—or the audience—and instead insist on finally going to the sheriff about this.

So of course, the Black Knight shows up, and the episode’s main chase scene begins. Numerous visual gags and canned laughter later, Shaggy demonstrates another improbable talent, throwing his voice to make it sound like it’s coming from an oversized ceramic pot at the other end of the room.

This fools the Black Knight long enough that Scooby manages to accidentally start the the on-display biplane the duo were hiding in, raising the question of why was a gassed-up biplane on display in a museum? Demonstrating his reality-warping powers as a cartoon character, Scooby pilots the plane through the museum, taking off after the wings are knocked clean off by a doorway. A loop-de-loop later, the plane has been crashed right into the Black Knight, killing him instantly stunning him and revealing his identity as Mr. Wickles.

Wickles’s art theft scheme revealed and Wickles under arrest, Scooby manages to discover Prof. Hyde White hidden underneath a cape and a Pacific Nowrthwest-looking mask, made to look like a museum display piece. The gang identify Hyde White in an instant despite this being the first time they’ve seen him, and the action cuts to the denouement, where Hyde White apparently is suffering no ill effects from having been forced into a standing position, bound and gagged, for at least 24 hours straight.

Oh, and Scooby puts on the Black Knight armor, scaring the gang one last time before revealing himself.

Oh you zany dog, how comical. Naturally this makes up for all the museum property you destroyed after breaking and entering. Nobody needs to be held responsible for that!

( i tried giving this a Read More but it seemed to glitch the text?)

#scooby doo #long post #KRAOSD

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lucalicatteart · 6 years

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Uvra Istill: brief species overview

(lol this is such an older species i don't have any good photos for them except for this random sketchy thing from like 2 years ago but I guess that'll have to do for now) . Sometimes for smaller species/subspecies/groups that aren't very much focused on in my worldbuilding yet, I'll just do these sorts of posts where it's just a small outline of main points about the species, rather than an elaborate multi-part series of informational posts (like how I do with the Avirre'thel, or what I plan to do with certain major groups of Elves or Jhevona, etc.) , so here's a smaller condensed bit of info about them. And if I choose to work more on them in the future, I'll make new posts and elaborations, but for now it's just a brief bit lol (info under read more)

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!! (NOTE: for some bastard reason this ‘read more’ sometimes doesn’t work when viewing the blog in the sidebar and it just shows up as a full long post?? Sorry if it shows up super long for you, I promise there is a ‘read more’ here, and it’s supposed to keep most of the text of the post hidden unless you click on it, but for some reason sometimes it glitches or something and it just shows up on my blog full length. If you’re having this problem just view my blog in a new tab on it’s own or etc. instead of in the sidebar way. Sorry about that, I still have no idea what’s causing this glitch (which only started recently I think) and i don’t know why the read more works on some posts but not others. If you have any info about how to fix it let me know lol hhh) !!

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✵Overview✵

♤ Uvra Istill are a catlike hybrid species that mostly all reside in a closed off area on a collective living property. They aren’t capable of magic but typically do have higher than average physical abilities and are known to excel at strategy, hunting, hand eye coordination, and thinking quickly (though people are unsure whether this is actually an innate inclination or more to do with how strictly they're raised and trained in these skills since childhood).

♤ They may come off to outsiders an uncivilized due to their common imagery of bones, dead animals, and rocks/caves, but they are actually highly "civilized" (in the common use of the word, meaning they utilize/understand most modern science, technology, etc.)

♤ They’re known to be frequently in conflict with neighboring groups, due to a few of their very outspoken members, but overall they keep to themselves by nature. Though they do commonly show up at supernatural realm wide events, and are closely involved in politics and business of outside species, they consider this just meaningless social participation for the sake of being polite.

♤ Lifespan is currently unknown, since none have died of natural causes at this point. But the oldest member has gotten to live to about 1465 years old (with the aid of magic and spells and enchantments they purchased).

♤ They’ve never given themselves a specific name, ‘Uvra Istill’ is simply a nickname given to them by the natives of the land they settled in a few thousand years ago, and the name stuck. It translates to ‘Animals of Death’, which most of the species found amusing and decided to keep using the name sarcastically for the humor of it.

♤ Their culture can be brutal and hostile to it's own members, though they attempt to put on a nice appearance for outsiders. However it's usually not like they're out killing each other and torturing members of their own species, despite bickering a lot, they do all still have a very strong group mentality, very "us VS. them" in terms of wholly supporting themselves and finding the lives and ideas of outsiders usually worthless, etc. So even when angry, they usually consider their own kind to be too sacred to ever harm one of their own too badly. They've designed harsh rules against harming their own kind, just to dissuade anyone who may even think about it. They’re not usually thought of as the most law-abiding group of people, but most can agree not to harm each other, and those few that don't would still follow the rules simply out of fear of these punishments if nothing else. So they're not really harming each other physically or anything, but by 'brutal' I guess I mean in terms of how strict and overly structured they are, and practices that can be mentally harmful (which they culturally don't recognize as a form of harm really lol, like locking someone in a closet for 4 days wouldn't break the "don't harm others" rule, but punching once someone would, so this kind of absurdly narrow definition of harm tends to foster a lot of passive aggressive behavior as everyone just thinks of worse and more indirect ways to harm each other)

♤ There are only about 1500 in existence. Most of them live communally in the same area, but they have been known to leave the tribe and pursue their own interests. About 5% of them do this. But it’s typically preferred to stay. Though they’re not the most peaceful in terms of personal relation, they do all prefer to be around their own kind, and they have a sense of superiority about this. They can at the very least relate to each other culturally, and at the end of the day they will strongly look out for their own. Staying in the community is usually just a more rational decision, since it guarantees a sense of security and shared resources. They own a large section of fenced in property, and have three main mansions that they stay in collectively. (shown below.. which looks pretty tiny when drawn but like.. the whole property is massive in real life, there's so much on it, it's probably equivalent to like the size of a small town, but just if every town person threw their resources into a collective pool to bulldoze the entire place and build a single giant property out of it lol)

♤ Guide to above map :

1 - The main mansion, most of this is reserved for rooms where people live and sleep. About 1,300 Uvra Istill live on this main property (the other 200 have left for varying reasons), and out of those, about 800 of them live in this building. It’s 15 stories tall with elaborate decoration and design, and most of the rooms are very well sized, with personal bathrooms, walk in closets, and usually personal kitchens or extra rooms,, though these areas are often shared between 1 - 3 people (or more in the case of families, like a mother with 4 children or etc. may get a larger personal area to fit everyone in, etc.).

2 - This mansion is mostly empty, reserved for elaborate events and parties that they throw. It’s more of a ‘guest house’ technically. It’s smaller than the residential ones, but is still massive. The upper floors are closed off, and reserved for who knows what. And there’s a large basement that leads to a intricate map of underground caves, but it’s not used often. There are many trap doors and false walls and hidden rooms, since they are a very playful bunch and still like to play lighthearted (or sometimes not so lighthearted) tricks on people who come to visit them.

3 - This is the secondary residential mansion, with the rest of the Uvra Istill having bedrooms here. Typically this is where the community leaders and highly respected individuals will live, it’s smaller, but the individual rooms are larger and more lavish. The bottom floors double as hobby rooms, with a massive library, science labs, athletic rooms, game rooms, lounge rooms, indoor pools and spas, fully stocked communal kitchens, arcades, art rooms, a full history museum dedicated to the species, their own art gallery, a cinema, bowling alley, sewing rooms and a fashion show area, and much much more.

4- The schooling area and large academic building with training courses, classrooms, and tons of rooms dedicated to a massive variety of academic subjects.

5 - A fancy ball sport area (probably the equivalent to humans having a golf course), running track, various sports courts, and an outdoor athletic pool.

6 - Elaborate gardens, including greenhouses, hedge mazes, multiple sitting/picnic areas, actual gardens with crops and trees of fruit and etc. where vegetation type food is produced, and massive flower walls or decorative flower arrangements.

7 - A large lake where people swim, fish, do boat racing, build waterslides, and participate in various water sports that require a space bigger than a pool (bodies are also dumped here sometimes lol).

8 - A large courtyard with a fountain and different arrangements of seats and plants, where outdoor festivities are often held. When they throw parties, the guests will usually stay for about a week, so the parties often start out here and then move inside as the night progresses and people go to their rooms.

9 - A circle of thick dense woods which are nearly impossible to get through. They use this as a second layer of defense, in addition to the huge outside fences, they’ve engineered this treacherous string of miles of woods full of swamps, dangerous plants, extremely dangerous animals, impossible terrain, various traps, security cameras, robotically controlled weapons, and hazardous chemicals. It’s guaranteed to keep people out (or in, possibly).

10 - The main gate, this is the only way in for guests. It’s the only break in the huge 30 foot thick reinforced metal fence that spans the outside of the entire area, and the only safe path through the woods. It takes about 30 minutes of keys and codes and unlocking security systems to get through, so getting in or out is ensured to never be an easy or fast process.

11 - A second gate closure, not visible from the outside and only accessible or known about to the Uvra Istill. This doesn’t take as long to get through, and cuts straight under the woods, so they reserve this as a means of emergency evacuation (in the case that their helicopters or private jets are unable to just carry them out of the area). About 32 feet underwater in the lake, there’s an entrance to an underground cave system, which will take you under the woods and to the hidden gate on the other side. This is thoroughly covered in tricks and traps as well, but an Uvra Istill will already be informed of what areas to avoid.

✵Physical Details✵

(bhbghg this is just a blurry screencap of an old sloppy image that's probably barely readable but, I don't have anything else for them. I plan to redo a lot of this old art and make it more visible and etc. but for now this is all I have to show their anatomy and etc.)

✵Culture✵

♤ They don’t have many traditions or ceremonies, but they do occasionally throw grand elaborate balls and parties once every few years. These events are notoriously controversial, as mishaps often occur (usually at LEAST one death happens, if not more), and most suspect foul play. Despite this, thousands of people still show up at their events when the species has them, since they're pretty good at marketing themselves in a way that makes them seem mysterious and exclusive, thus desirable to people who are elitist or always wanting to get into things that nobody else is invited to or etc.. Lots of like, elven royals or random rich supernatural realm folks who always fall for the flattery of receiving an ~~Exclusive Invitation~~. Additionally, many upper class folks seem to be more invested in thrilling exclusive entertainment than the lives of others, so honestly the fact that people die there may even be a selling point for them rather than a downside. It's interesting and exciting when things turn into a murder mystery party, and they would never be the one to die of course, since they're too rich and important, thus the spectacle of someone else dying may just be a fun experience that they can brag about to their friends in the royalty who didn't get to go, enthused by the potential Drama of it all etc.

♤ They are still a fairly new species, so they haven’t had much time to evolve and progress as a culture, but they do still have a few characteristics of society and stereotypes they are well known for, despite only having existed in their current state for just around 500 years. (mostly due to their frequent attempts to win the favor of nobles and royalty and more powerful groups than their own, though they may not be well known to any common folk, they are definitely known about in many royal circles (though mostly as 'that weird death cult that throws amazing parties' lol))

♤- How Outsiders View Them : Though not everyone is the same, and of course there is naturally variance between individuals, just by way of cultural influence, they are known to be arrogant, sarcastic, cold , and somewhat argumentative. During political events that they attend, they’ve been known to be outspoken, and this doesn’t much help their relationships with other groups. Though also being known for jokes, they simultaneously seem to take themselves extremely seriously, often refusing to participate in events because they find them ‘silly’ or ‘irrational’, which probably only contributes to their perceived air of superiority and people assuming the Uvra Istill feel they're above everything. Though despite being known mainly for their less desirable traits, they do have great charm, and are skilled at getting people to agree with them. Other species often avoid doing business with Uvra Istill, out of fear that they'll be convinced to agree to an unfair deal that's not helpful to their interests. They may be moderately controversial, but they do have many positive assets and some groups appreciate this. They're currently most closely allied with groups of elves that are in the Elven Alliance, solely because they're currently the dominant political power in the realm so obviously the Uvra Istill want to be liked by them. Though this kind of earned them the disfavor of the Avirre'thel, since the Avirre'thel helped send the species aid back when nobody else would very early on in their history before the Uvra Istill were even established,,, only for them to later suck up to/ally with the same group of elves who have consistently tried to destroy the Avirre'thel for thousands of years. The Uvra Istill tried to maintain relations by explaining how it's not actually a big deal and they didn't mean to seem insulting but they're just being practical or etc. but the Avirre'thel just like... don't care lol... Like, the Uvra Istill don't have any resources or technology or anything that the Avirre'thel really want to serve to gain from being on good terms with them, so they were just kind of like "...uh, okay... well anyway, bye." and kind of cut off political contact with them lol. Though the Uvra Istill try to trade with them or contact them from time to time the Avirre'thel are still just like "dude... we could not care less lmao... we don't need any of your traded goods.. please just let us self-isolate like we've been doing for centuries and stop trying to send letters to our government officials and shit... goodbye" . The Uvra Istill have also been mildly involved with some groups of humans (native to Nanyevimi, not earth humans) in the past, but despite the Uvra Istill literally not having any magic or abilities that would really put them above humans, besides maybe having claws and shit, they still see humans as weaker than them and usually their only contact is in regards to trying to trick a group of humans into giving away all their resources or etc. The Uvra Istill are generally also viewed as tricksters, known for commonly pranking people or joking others for fun. Which of course this reputation mostly stems from what people see of them at their frequent exclusive parties, during which guests are usually toyed with quite a bit. Most of this is simply playful and lighthearted, but it can sometimes come off as more harsh or legitimately conning others, so people often have a complicated relationship with this species, they’re either extremely liked or vehemently hated, with hardly any in between. But they have reasonably sized political and financial influence, so people are forced to do business with them regardless (and most of them are greatly amused by this, they find great humor in the fact that people hate them but are forced to come to them anyways lol). They're also usually seen as a cult, even by people who are positive towards them and welcome alliances with the Uvra Istill. Because of their history as basically an entire species genetically engineered by one individual, with a culture set by basically one individual, all living on one collective property and "ruled" by one individual (or, now that individuals remaining family members since they've died), and also their very strict culture and odd practices and worship of death and etc.,, even from the most positive of outsiders they still tend to be viewed as a cult first and a distinct species second,, though they are genetically distinct and are technically their own species, also like 99% of the members of said species exist in the same area in a very weird cult-like environment so. Though definitely in the past they seemed more like a regular species and had their own cities and differing groups and schools of thought and etc., after ending up on the property they live on today and going through a few cultural changes (everyone being forced to follow strict personal rules set by the leader, etc.) it is a pretty strange atmosphere.

♤ - Everyday life: Many Uvra Istill spend most of their days just hanging out on their property, playing games, reading books, and practicing hobbies or academics. They have elected officials who will go and speak to outside species, but other than those few, most of them don’t leave very often. Though their personalities differ greatly and they all break off into friend-groups and cliques amongst themselves, they do mostly all share traits of being highly self focused and self involved, so there’s not as many community activities as would be expected from people living so communally. They prefer to work on the things that interest them, and honestly couldn’t be bothered about much else. They do work together, but only because they know that by furthering the species, they are also helping themselves. Despite their arrogant and outspoken reputation, many are actually very isolated and reserved, it just happens to be that the elected officials of the species can sometimes misrepresent their group as a whole (i.e., everyone perceiving them as being highly argumentative, just because many of the officials who represent them have been so, though in reality most of them are not, etc). Though some of the stereotypes are true for like 70% of the population (such as being very prideful, pretentious, serious, clever, and being easily amused by their own antics), many stereotypes actually are not, and tend to be exaggerations of misrepresentations. Many do pair off into couples, but it’s common for their relationships to be somewhat volatile. In a culture that nearly breeds people to be controlling and dominant, it can be hard for them to get along with each other without always clashing heads and trying to out-compete or constantly take control of one another. Luckily, they’re also taught to be very rational, so most conflicts will eventually always be worked out and resolved, or sometimes will just go away because they’ll be tired of wasting energy on fighting. They do have a hierarchy, with clearly defined leaders and other societal roles, but they also place importance on the fact that all of their members are provided for, so things are never too horribly imbalanced. They want their numbers to stay up and for people to not leave, so aside from the childhood training and heavy indoctrination, the second biggest way they do this is to have a luxurious environment where every member feels valued and provided for and is better than any other living situation they could access, which is where part of their focus on their property literally being like.. an elaborate mansion paradise comes from. They want to emphasize that members of the species have it better than everyone else, and have the personal freedom to just relax and lounge on golden couches all day, or doing whatever leisure activity they please. This also helps with species pride, how they feel they're better than other groups and more advanced and etc., since every member of their species is living a better life than pretty much a majority of any other group in the surrounding areas, A paradise which they obviously deserve, since as a group they are all superior together.

♤ They’re incredibly rich and live lavish lifestyles, which once again helps them manage to win over so much influence in politics and business. Most of their original income was from crime (particularly anything involving assassinating or hunting people) , black market trades, bounty hunting, and selling corpses/meat. But they invested their money carefully and now own a few large areas full of important trade resources, so make most of their money through that. Though they do still often partake in their old ways of making money as well, it’s not as much of a necessity as it once was, so they usually don’t feel like going through the effort. Those who enjoy the thrill of the hunt/murder or get cheap kicks from high-stakes illegal trading are allowed to stick with it and do as they please, but a majority have walked away from that lifestyle and now prefer to invest their time in hobbies and self-improvement, only occasionally hunting for personal gain when they have the impulse. Usually these trades and resource management and stuff are negotiated by the leader of the group and their other close respected officials, and it's their responsibility/job to keep up with (on top of running everything around the property). These are the only people who actually HAVE to have a job, and must be working at all times, all other member of the species really don't have to do anything if they don't wish. Species members are allowed to have their own jobs (like being assassins, trading on their own, selling their crafts, etc.) outside of the property if they want, but they only get to keep 40% of their income, and the rest is invested back into the collective property, like to buy food for everyone and pay for servants to upkeep the mansions, etc. Nobody really has a problem with this though, since they recognize that being part of this collective is the only way they're able to live as luxuriously, as if they were on their own, even being able to keep 100% of their earnings, they'd still have a pretty measly existence (especially give then area they live in, like the places outside of the property), therefore even if it means giving a little bit up, being part of the collective is the only thing that allows them their otherwise perfect and leisurely lifestyle.

♤ They are still similar to cats in many ways, most notably in their common cultural ideal of bringing dead things to their loved ones to show affection.

♤ - Attire: As a culture, they place a large amount of significance on death, and even glorify it. They enjoy the imagery of death, and much of their clothing and decoration is inspired by this. Their usual dress is a mix of dark but fancy looking clothing, often with elaborate designs and layers and patterns, mixed with more earthy items like bones and rags and rope. Bones are extremely common accessories, especially as a way to honor relatives (like wearing your sister's bones after she dies in an accident), or for those who take pride in their kills and may wear them out of meaning or significance (ex: “This is my mother’s skull, she abused me so I reported her and she was publicly executed. I’m proud of that so I wear it to remind me of my victory over her”, or like “This man killed my best friend so now I’m wearing his ribcage as an accessory.” , etc.) . The tradition of modifying skulls and other bones to wear as masks or body decor has stuck around since the very olden days, when they used to use this as a tactic to intimidate others. As a young species they were still very weak and hadn’t physically bred themselves to a desired strength yet, so they often had to stalk other species and simply go after their leftovers in order to get food. Back in this time when they would follow a larger hunting species around, they commonly adorned themselves in any way to look larger and more threatening, so they wouldn’t be attacked themselves in the process. Though it serves no real purpose anymore, most of them keep doing this because they just find it fashionable, and sometimes humorous. They often adorn modified skulls with decorations and carvings, usually other strings of bones. They also commonly use smaller bones as piercings or buttons on their clothing, and medium sized ones are often strung into ornaments or necklaces. Larger ones may be worn as defensive armor, or just for show, often in more elaborate or culturally significant outfits. The most common colors in their clothing are blacks, reds, grays, gold, and dark purple. They like thick very decorated and rich looking fabrics, with a bit of a tendency towards over-decoration or being almost absurdly showy. They basically just like to wear anything that communicates: "Hey, I’m here, I’m fabulously rich, superior to you, intimidating, and highly skilled, , I could probably purchase your entire family with just the money I have in my pocket, and I also have an intense morbid fascination with death.“

♤ Children are extensively trained in a highly competitive school-like environment. A regular kid will do about 65+ hours of skills training a week, and it’s encouraged to have at least completed a “high-school level” of education by 11 years old. By around 16 years, all mandatory training and education is complete, and the individual is free to pursue whatever they’d like, but up until then, their curriculum is brutal. It’s not uncommon for some children to even resort to trying to kill each other just to take the top spot of their class, even though murder within the species isn't allowed, they put the children in such a hyper-competitive and strictly controlled environment that some are willing to risk punishment to try to harm a classmate sneakily or something. Their schooling usually involves a lot of physical training but also plenty of mental exercises, children are expected to be broadly knowledgeable about the world and proficient in a variety of subjects and skills. Additionally they spend plenty of time on "personality training". Certain personality traits are culturally encouraged, and if an individual fails to possess them by the end of schooling, they are usually killed . When they see “just no hope for an individual”, their life may be voted on. The only type of murder permissible in the group is when a claim is made that a certain person should die, so the entire group gets together to debate the pros and cons, and casts votes at the end. Though it can't be too close, if the votes were like 60% yes, 40% no, the person may let go or the subject would be re-voted on at a later date. But if over 75% of the group (all 1,000+ of them) decide that it would be reasonable to kill a certain person (for crimes they're accused of, or just failing to meet the group's standards and being a 'weak link', etc.) , then they're publicly executed. So it is possible that some children can be put to death simply for not meeting certain standards of personality traits and ability. Though this is extremely rare, since most people who train the children are very determined about it, they would rather push someone to the point that they die from working too hard than just giving up on them and sentencing them to a dishonorable public death. They would see that as a reflection of failure in themselves, which is unacceptable. So most trainers will stop at nothing to make sure the children will succeed, even occasionally resorting to methods that could potentially be considered borderline torture to “bring out the right traits in the individual”. It is common for children to sometimes band together and try to escape, and there is actually a whole group of Uvra Istill who exist outside of the main community and call themselves “ex-members”, as they often proclaim that the entire species of Uvra Istill is just a massive cult (since the entire breeding of the species and creation of culture as a whole seems largely influenced by just one person alone, similar to the leader of a cult), and they hold extreme contempt for their own species. Many “ex-members” wish to reform the species of Uvra Istil, or at least separate into two distinct branches, hopefully eventually evolving into different species entirely, but this is hard when the Uvra Istill name is so prominently associated with the society of the non ‘ex-members’. The typical opinion of those still within the community, is that the “ex-members” are just weak, and are not deserving of sharing blood with them. The main Uvra Istill are actually surprisingly open about their willingness to kill any “ex-members” (especially if they’re caught before escaping), just as many “ex-members” are openly aggressive about their desire to kill those who are still in the community. It’s a largely ignored conflict that many Uvra Istill feel hasn’t been accurately resolved or addressed, but most community leaders think it should just be ignored, which many people question. Some outside groups in the past have distanced themselves from the Uvra Istill over this, as they have heard about some of the mistreatment, but the Uvra Istill are very secretive so most people they trade with don’t know the full extent (if they knew how severely children were sometimes being psychologically abused and manipulated and traumatized to alter their personality (and also like doing stressful training sometimes over 70 hours a week, plus being killed if they don't meet the standard of the group), they would probably stop all trade with the Uvra Istill entirely , but they’re not currently fully aware. (Though some groups like the Fanyiniri elves probably wouldn't give a shit lol) Though it's hard for children, most when growing up actually don't mind anything that happened to them (though this is probably just a result of the indoctrination and propaganda they're taught) , because they kind of see it as a trial to earn their right to their positive existence. Yes, from age 6 - 16 you're going to be experiencing grueling training and be almost regularly traumatized (sometimes quite severely), but after that, you get to live for free, on this amazing beautiful property, with everything you've ever wanted provided for you at no cost, pretty much never having to train or work again if you don't want to (though most do want to), having the absolute freedom to just live a live of leisure free of any worldly concerns. This is how they often frame it and feel it's justified, basically it's like you just have to just work your way up to conforming to the standards of the group and kind of earn your way into the species, but once you've made it past that threshold, you're one of them now, and they'll care for you and protect you at all costs. So it's still, incredibly, incredibly shitty, but many traumatized children find it worth it and justify it in retrospect by how many privileges and benefits they get afterwards.

♤ They have a mostly modern diet now, but still enjoy plenty of raw meat, bones, rocks, and dirt as they’ve eaten in the past. They’re pretty big on alcohol, and enjoy creating new sorts of drinks to unveil every few years at parties.

♤ Despite their sometimes harsh society, many actually report high levels of happiness and feel content with themselves and their lives. The most common issues they have are with managing emotional outbursts, anxiety, and symptoms of depression, but those have almost become so commonly accepted that there’s usually a variety of strategies for dealing with them, and as a group they are surprisingly supportive in helping each other with these. Other than that, people seem typically very fulfilled, and are highly self confident and content, especially since most don’t have the stress of having to handle a job, and are allowed to just explore and improve their own interests, never running out of things to do to keep busy. Though there’s probably many dark things that go on behind the scenes and there are many ideas in their society that face wide criticism, they don’t accept outside criticism in the first place , and don’t care to listen to outside opinions of them, so for now things will continue as they are, which isn’t even bad at all, in their opinion. Regardless of controversy, they are still one of the most prominent newcomer species in the supernatural realm as a whole (so gradually gaining influence and resources), and are an essential part of a few local economies, governments, and societies in the realm.

♤ Cultural beauty standards include: Dark dyed hair and dark lips/eye makeup on everyone despite age or gender, different adornments of bones, dark sick looking eyes, just generally looking dead, short hair, shiny well kept claws and hooves, braiding tail fur, hanging things from the ears, sharp dark slicked down eyebrows, sometimes shaving patterns into the fur is popular. They may use dark colored dyes to stain the tips of their fangs, and more extreme modifications include cutting shapes into the skin for decorative scars, and shaping their ears using surgery. It’s also common that in more elaborate outfits they may take some sort of gold paint or gold sheets, and line their claws, hooves, and parts of the face with gold. There is wide variance in facial features, since they are a largely mixed species with a larger gene pool in the past, so individual preference varies, but culturally they seem to prefer more cat-like faces, and especially admire the beauty of people with large mouths and larger sharper teeth.

♤ They have no religion, but often state that they worship death in a more abstract sense, though there is no set of religious guidelines that they follow.

♤ Many Uvra Istill keep pets and like the idea of sidekicks or small companions. They often walk around with small animals on their shoulders or in their hair. Most popular are owls, snakes, foxes, medium sized cats, lizards, spiders, and sometimes bats. They often hire mages to come in from the outside world and perform spells on their animals, so that they’re able to communicate with them or so that the animals will have some sort of supernatural abilities. Nearly 80% of them have small companion animals, sometimes more than one, it seems to be a widespread cultural thing.

✵History✵

–(There’s like thousands of years of history so obviously I’m just summing it up and not going into much detail because that would take too long. The easiest way is to just frame it through the lens of one of their very influential members. So if it seems very focused on one person, that’s because it is, for the sake of brevity. It’s just like if you were telling the history of an organization there might be extended focus on the founder of said organization, while smaller details about the other people are perhaps ignored)– The Uvra Istill started off as a very regular form of cat-person, usually used for servants or messengers, and not of very much class or value in the supernatural realm. They were usually very mistreated, often living poor and dying early of illness or starvation, not being given much for food other than rotting animals, bones, and dirt. Eventually one of these cat people by the name of Brivgi gathered up about 50 or so of them, and decided that they would move somewhere and start up a society of their own. They stole a boat, and raided the city at night, stealing as many supplies as they could make away with, before setting sail without having any idea where the hell they would be going. Brivgi just decided that she would make the best of wherever they ended up, and that anywhere was as good of a place as where they were. She was a charismatic leader with big ideas who gathered people in a time of hopelessness when many of her kind felt they didn't have any options for living anything other than their current miserable lives, so she didn't really need to have a plan lol. Most were happy to follow her since like, even if they just sank their ship and died in the ocean or something, that's really no worse than their current lives as abused servants living on rotting animal scraps and sleeping bruised on the plain muddy dirt floors of basements. By the time they reached land, 15 of them had died during transit, and 10 more were killed when they were ambushed immediately upon approaching the shore, but luckily Brivgi and a few others had managed to escape. They settled in an area of caves, since that was the only place they could find that wasn’t owned by anyone. There were a few scattered tribes of species here and there, but they were mostly the only inhabitants of this area. Here is where the Uvra Istill bloodline actually went from regular cat-people to a more engineered species of hybrids. Brivgi became obsessed with making her kind into the ultimate species, even bringing in the outside help of sorcerers and demons and whoever she could find, to speed along the evolution process with magic, paying them in whatever she had (sometimes even trading away her own members, and once trading one of her own children). She saw it as urgent that they must immediately start the most advanced and capable society possible, and her dream was to have a whole group of those who were perfectly designed to hunt, kill, outsmart, and ultimately dominate society. Many of her group began to have doubts, feeling that Brivgi was unstable and delusionally obsessed with unrealistic ideals, so occasionally they would sneak away in the middle of the night, but many of them stayed and were utterly devoted to her, since regardless of her intense and sometimes immoral ideas, she was still an incredibly dedicated and charming leader who believed she was doing the best for everyone. They simply stayed in the caves for about 800 years, breeding and evolving and being turned into the vision of what Brivgi desired. They weren’t strong enough to hunt the large animals that were in the area at this time, but they did often follow around larger predator animals and local tribes of humanoid beings, feeding off of whatever they left behind after a kill. They would often cover themselves in bones and rocks and facepaint, anything to make them come off as more intimidating for protection. They mostly lived on small animals and scraps, bones and rocks, and occasionally stuff like tree limbs and sticks, sometimes leaves or fruits, but they really didn't desire that type of thing and had to have meat of some kind. After a while of just surviving and developing, they decided they had enough numbers, strength, and resources to attempt to relocate. There were now about 4,000 in total, so it was going to be a massive task to move them all, but they were growing too large for current lands, so Brivgi and her advisors decided it would be the best course of action. They journeyed for about 5 months, during that time only loosing 800 members, and actually keeping together fairly well. They settled in a new open expanse of land, located in a fairly good spot in between some mountains and a large city. Since they were so close to the city, there were new career options open to the Uvra Istill, and the most appealing of those seemed to be crime. Just given their natural skill set (or I guess, the genetically engineered skill set that Brivgi planned for them), they were very proficient at jobs involving assassinating or hunting people, selling corpses/meat, and bounty hunting, and these were often very quick ways to make a lot of money in a short period of time. They continued on this way for a few hundred years, flourishing and building their own little city, and greatly increasing their numbers. Around this time there were nearly 10, 000 Uvra Istill, older generations and new generations and different evolutions of the species all living together . Brivgi still lead them, often advising their business decisions and holding councils for the community, happy to basically have created her own small civilization, especially content that they were prospering under her guidance and the course she set for the species. By now she had generations of children who served alongside her as advisors and understudies. However, a few hundred years after finally feeling settled in, a natural disaster struck the area, which also lead to a war over resources amongst the Uvra Istill and other species/people in the surrounding cities. They had already lost half of their city in floods (and about 6,000 of their people), so they decided to refuse to give help to neighboring communities, since they saw it as more important to provide for their own. The Uvra Istill had massive reserves of resources though, so the outside cities felt it was ridiculous and unfair for them to keep it all to themselves when the people around them are dying and in need . There was a surprise uprising, their whole city being attacked from all sides by people from all surrounding areas combined, desperate to survive in any way thy could (whether the Uvra Istill agreed to share or not). Resources were stolen, and though the Uvra Istill had superior combat skills and technology, they were still massively outnumbered, and the outside attackers managed to kill about 3,000 of the Uvra Istill during the first two weeks of fighting alone. Around the third week, Brivgi gave up on trying to hold onto the city, gathered as many resources and people as she could, and she fled, evading the outside attackers by using underground evacuation tunnels she had built years ago as a precaution. She knew they would have nowhere to go, and would be found if they resurfaced, so she simply blocked off the other side of the caves and holed up inside of them with her remaining people for a few days, still close enough to hear the sounds of destruction and more of her people dying not too far away above ground. With no other options, she started to call upon all of her vague contacts, reaching out to anyone she had done business with in the past, looking for someone who would help them. They were running out of food in the caves, and though they didn’t hear fighting above ground anymore, Brivgi still feared they’d be hunted and killed if they didn’t have an immediate escape plan upon leaving. She sent out her best most skilled fighters in disguise, to sneak around and act as messengers. After only a day or two, one of the messengers finally received word back from someone, the Avirre'thel agreeing to give them a temporary plot of land and place to stay in interim. They evacuated quickly , finally leaving the underground hideouts, and heading to the place that was agreed they could stay temporarily. Still having managed to sneak away with a little bit of resources, Brivgi made a deal to simply buy the entire plot of land from them, and there laid the foundation for the modern Uvra Istill property. With only around 200 members of the species left (others having died from the fighting, floods, during underground hiding, being left behind, or dying during travel), Brivgi was largely discouraged, but still determined to bring her visions to light and fight for her species (which she saw as like, perfect beings of her creation, she felt intense responsibility for them and dedication to be a good leader, despite the recent upsets to their way of life and loss of a majority of their species and everything they owned and etc.) Though she did start to get a bit weird after this, many of her children had died, and she began to carry their bones around with her, wearing them, keeping them in her bed, in her room, and spiraling into a further obsession with death. Her few children who remained were largely concerned about her, but still did anything to help with her ideas for their society, and they were typically her most loyal of followers. The Uvra Istill were still a largely suffering people, most of them having just been through some of the worst events of their lives, so any leadership was good leadership to them, and the constant ceremonies and imagery of death didn’t bother them, they quite embraced it, they still saw Brivgi as one of the only people who could bring them security and hope, and with all of the loss they had personally suffered as well, the indulgence into death resonated with many of them (side note: Brivgi had been artificially prolonging her life with magic and etc. and some people think that played a role in her getting a bit weird and obsessive, like the constant exposure to enchantments that she, as someone from a non-magical species, wasn't used to, could have started to impact her health and body and mind. Though it also fits totally fine into her personality profile to have just become strange simply due to the loss and upset of her life, since she did take it very personally that something she had been improving for so long (her species) had been destroyed. So it really could be either, or a mix of both lol) . With the resources she still had, Brivgi laid blueprints for three mansions, large facilities, and massive improvements to the property, hoping to provide for her species a safe haven paradise where they could live and have everything they’d ever want, and this time she kept a large focus on extreme security measures. She wrote out curriculums, programs, and rules, all incredibly strict and designed to make the species the best it could ever be (like setting cultural standards and the rules of education and of conduct, laws of the property, etc.), to be ultimately powerful, unable to ever be stopped or harmed no matter who attacks them. The focus became even more about being strong, and also about not trusting outsiders/not being open to trade, after the losses they had just suffered at the hands of other people, which Brivgi mostly blamed on them just not being strong enough, and that they should never have trusted the other cities enough to live near them in the first place. She put all leftover money into savings, businesses, and other investments, hoping it would pay off over time. Before the construction on the property was entirely completed, not long after finishing her 25,000 page manifesto on how the Uvra Istill should be governed and run, Brivgi called a meeting of her people, where she dragged herself into the courtyard (along with the bones of her children she'd been carrying around), curled up into a ball underneath a decorative velvet blanket, and abruptly publicly executed herself in front of all of them, her last words being something along the lines of “I feel that I’ve left everything in very capable hands. If we are to succeed, then I am so very glad. But if we are to fail, I simply do not want to be around to see it.” By this point, she was over 1,000 years old, and clearly had been suffering physically and mentally, so her children quite easily came to terms with her death and quickly picked up where she had left off. Particularly her eldest daughter Vivrinia, who is currently still in a leadership position , ruling over the current Uvra Istill. Though she is considered much more callous than her mother, she still strictly follows the words Brivgi left her, which unfortunately for her, does include being kind to her own species from time to time. She is still always making a constant effort to improve the society, and make sure that they are as influential and capable as they possibly can be, despite her somewhat resenting having such extreme responsibility thrust upon her at a young age. Currently, all construction is completed, the property is gorgeous, there’s extensive training in place for all children, people of the society still have strict standards of embodying the “right traits”, and the political , social, and financial influence of the Uvra Istill is ever growing across the whole realm (so everything is going according to the rules Brivgi outlined). Though it’s been nearly 500 years since Brivgi’s death, and they’ve evolved as a culture on their own since then, it’s still clear to see how much she had impacted the entire society of the Uvra Istill, especially in her later years. Many of her ideals, cultural preferences, traditions, and philosophies are still extensively practiced and embraced by the Uvra Istill of today (like the worship of death and constant use of death imagery). She is widely honored, considered to be the creator and savior of the species, and has multiple statues, rooms, and museum sections dedicated to her on the property.

(here's a n ancient pixelated sloppy sketch of Brivgi I guess lol)

And that's all about the Uvra Istill, for now at least !!

#Uvra Istill #worldbuilding #bones tw

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vorthosjay · 7 years

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Let’s Talk About The Race, Part 1

The end of Ixalan is in sight (on more than one level), and the race for the Immortal Sun is on! Today we’re going to talk about The Race, Part 1, which at last reveals Elenda’s role in Ixalan’s past! Let’s dive in!

Adanto, the First Fort by Svetlin Velinov

The human guards dared not open the door. A vampire in the midst of the Blood Fast was tremendously dangerous. One lost to themselves would not be able to discern between the blood of the faithful and the blood of a sinner. Instead, one of the guards fetched a priest for help.

Good to know the Blood Fast makes the vampires unhinged. I also like the human’s reaction. We don’t really get a glimpse of the Dusk Legion’s non-vampires on the cards.

"Saint Elenda was the first!" Mavren Fein raved. "Her sacrifice is our survival, her selflessness the model of our success! I took the rite two hundred years ago, and under the guidance of Saint Elenda the First, we will find the way to immortality without the need for blood!"

Mavren Fein has been a vampire for roughly 200 years.

"Saint Elenda, the most devoted of the devoted, the First and the Faithful. She was born mortal, a warrior nun charged with her brothers and sisters of faith to guard the Immortal Sun in the mountains of Torrezon. Listen!"

A warrior nun? Woah.

"Pedron the Wicked killed them all. Guilty, greedy, foul betrayer of his own!" Mavren spat. "But she, she survived; she was nine feet tall! Hair like a raven's wings and nails like lightning's edge! She ran outside to fight Pedron, but the Immortal Sun had been stolen from the fiend by a winged beast in the sky!"

I want to know more about Pedron the Wicked, first of all. It’s also interesting to note that he wasn’t an outsider, but a traitor. This is basically the same story we got from the Pirates last week, which is interesting.

"The beast took the Immortal Sun to the west, and Saint Elenda followed it! Staunch piety! Blessed Saint Elenda!"

How did Elenda follow? By ship? Or was she not human?

". . . How did she become the first vampire?" Manuel mumbled from the adjacent cell. He yelped as Mavren Fein slammed his body up against the connecting wall.

"She was a genius! She was a visionary! She turned to dark magic and took on the burden of immortality until the Immortal Sun could be retrieved once again! Blessed wonderful brilliant Saint Elenda, the First and the Faithful. She searched for centuries and returned, yes, she returned to Torrezon, and taught her Rite to the nobles so that we may take up the sacrifice and join her in her search. Genius! Visionary! Blessed by the Night itself!"

Hey! Here’s the missing piece we were looking for. There’s some more timeline information here, so I’ll save the full discussion for later, but for now it’s important to note that the theft of the Immortal Sun was centuries before the Dusk Legion formed.

Also note the line I bolded: Blessed by the Night itself. Aclazotz is the Bat-God of Night.

"I was one of the early ones. I watched as she sailed back into the west and have waited for my day to follow her. Patient patient patient. I'm very good at waiting."

If Mavren watched her sail back into the west, it had to be in the last 200 years.

When Torrezon was finally under the control of the Legion of Dusk, Vona had a difficult time transitioning into a peaceful lifestyle. She had become a noble with her own lands, but the territory was poor and rocky, and it became quickly apparent she was not an able administrator. Her ennui lasted a decade. One night, in a fit of boredom, she decided to break the monotony. It was fun, mundane as a child's game, a quick way to pass the time. She stalked each of her human serfs in their beds and in their fields, and over the course of one happy week killed each of them as part of a pleasant game. Vona rejoiced in the sport of it, and abandoned her humble estate.

That was fifty years ago.

So the war to conquer Torrezon was over sixty years ago? It’s interesting that it ended right around the time of the Mending. When we learned of the Great Aether Boom on Kaladesh, we could figure it was because of the Mending. So I wonder what changed that won the war?

"See that dinghy? We can sail that upriver to the interior of the continent," Vraska said. "I'm going back for the crew. Don't die."

Don’t Die is literally the encouragement I usually give my staff when they’re doing something they’re nervous about.

Vraska stopped him with an outstretched palm. "Wait till I'm finished! Now, whenever we try to planeswalk, something yanks us back, and we aren't allowed to leave. Right? I believe that Orazca doesn't just contain the Immortal Sun. It also contains the enchantment that keeps us here. I was told to perform a spell to contact another plane when we found the Immortal Sun, and after we do that I think we'll be able to leave."

I wonder if Vraska’s right. Maybe the Immortal Sun doesn’t cause Ixalan’s Binding, but Orazca does.

Another thought, if Tezzeret is who she is summoning with that spell (which seems likely), how will Tezzeret react to Jace? It’s pretty clear Bolas didn’t plant Jace here, or at least didn’t let Vraska know if he did.

Jace was absurdly excited to put the pieces together. He locked eyes with Vraska and thought out loud with gusto. "We thought the compass was just pointing to the city, but it points to blooms of powerful magic." He nodded at Vraska's pocket. "Instead of magnetic north, it points to aetheric north, and it also points toward large outliers of similar kinds of magic. That's why it pointed to me when you found me, and that's why it's probably pointing to you now. I tried to tell you on the boat before we crashed."

She pulled out the compass. It was pointing at her, but slowly shifting back as the mark above her head vanished.

"That's . . . incredible," Vraska said, blinking at the thaumatic compass. She smiled, laughed. "The barrier must rely on the same magic we use to planeswalk! That's why the compass points there! You figured it out!"

I mean, we probably already figured this. But it’s still an interesting note. What is the Immortal Sun (or Orazca) that it constantly gives off the same power as a planeswalk?

Jace nodded. "One human, one vampire, a merfolk . . . and a minotaur."

Vraska's brow knotted in confusion. "A minotaur?"

Sir Minotaur-Not-Appearing-In-This-Story

There, lying on the rock overlooking the vast, unending ocean, was an unconscious female merfolk.

It’s neat how they lined up the timelines unevenly. The conclusion of the Shapers, way back a couple stories ago, was actually only a short time ago in-universe.

Huatli chose her words carefully, "I wielded a strange magic, and I saw a golden city."

Tishana gave a deadpan look. "You saw a golden city."

"Yes."

"Not the Golden City?"

Ha ha, Tishana is great.

The merfolk's pupils thinned. "I know only that the surface of our world is impassible from underneath. Some can fall in, but once submerged, cannot leap out."

We already know planeswalkers can’t leave, but I wonder why Tishana knows that.

"I felt a similar tug this morning," she said, "in the direction of the sea. And again, two months before, much further past the horizon. But that energy did not belong to you."

Okay, so first of all, I spent like an hour adding together all the timeline clues to equal two months since Jace arrived and they just give it away for free.

Anyway, here’s the Ixalan Timeline I promised earlier:

1,000+ Years Ago: Pedron the Wicked attempts to steal the Immortal Sun, but a winged beast intervenes and takes it west to Ixalan. Elenda follows.

700-800 Years ago: Elenda returns to Torrezon as a vampire, and creates the Dusk Legion. The Dusk Legion begins conquest of Torrezon.

Less than 200 Years Ago: Elenda returns to Ixalan.

60 years ago: The Dusk Legion’s conquest of Torrezon is complete, according to Vona. Peace Time Begins.

Two years ago: The Dusk Legion mounts their expedition to Ixalan.

Five Months Ago: Vraska arrives seeking the Immortal Sun.

Two Months Ago: Jace arrives as a castaway.

So here are our big outstanding questions, and my proposed answers:

Who stole the Immortal Sun? I’m still going to go with Ugin (read the full evidence here), and now that we know the actual Theft of the Immortal Sun was earlier than 800 years ago, it’s possible the theft did indeed occur before his death. My alternative is Aclazotz.

How did Elenda become a vampire? I’m going to go with Aclazotz, here. If you remember, above, it says she was blessed by Night. Aclazotz is the bat-god of night.

Why did Elenda leave Ixalan? I would imagine because of whatever devastation came to Ixalan? I’m not sure. Perhaps the Three-fold son won its war against Aclazotz, but it was a pyrrhic victory. Elenda fled to build the Dusk Legion with the express purpose of eventually returning.

Why did Elenda return to Ixalan? That’s not entirely clear. Depending on when she left, maybe once the war on Torrezon was over, she commanded a fleet be built or something to one day follow her. IDK.

I’m excited to see if we can learn anything else next week. I’ll have a full theory piece together if next week’s story doesn’t spill the beans.

#archive trap blog #vorthos #mtgxln

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nickandashleyadventures · 7 years

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Saturday, May 27, 2017: Bike in the park

It was an absurdly nice day today in Amsterdam, perfect for a long bike ride. I took this opportunity to finally make it back to Het Twiske. If you don’t remember from a few weeks ago, it’s a giant park about 13 km north of my apartment, with plenty of cycling paths, a festival ground (as I learned), and a lake with lots of beaches around it.

To get north of the city, you’ve got to take a ferry. It being such a nice day, with so many people out and about, the line for the ferry was quite long. I hadn’t been in a crowd that large since I got here, and it took 15 or 20 minutes just to cross - surprising, since a boat comes every 5 minutes or so. It was slow going, to be sure. But the rest of the trip to the park was without incident.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived was that some of the park was cordoned off with bassy dance music blaring from behind the fences. There was an EDM festival going on! Turns out that Het Twiske has quite a few festivals in the warm months, which is lovely, because an outdoor dance party is a pretty wonderful thing.

Unfortunately (for you, I guess), I didn’t bother to take any pictures of the fence. It was a big brown fence. If I stood upright on my pedals, I could just see beyond it. There was a stage, a bunch of food stalls, and a whole lot of people. You know, a music festival.

At this point I decided to bike away from the bassy dance party, and toward nature. In fact, I ended up biking the perimeter of the park. The lake is right smack dab in the middle, and the southern part of the park has a lot of the playgrounds and fields, and the festival grounds. But the eastern and northern parts of the park are pretty empty. Just grass and bushes. See?

This next picture is what was behind me as I took the above picture. Above I’m looking into the northern part of the park, and below I’m looking out of the park, toward what must be some pretty pleasant houses to live in.

After going around the park, I biked back in to check out the lake. It was a very nice day, as I mentioned, so the beaches were all pretty full. I chose not to take any pictures of the beaches, because chances are I’d have ended up getting a picture of someone’s penis. Now, I know they’re a lot more comfortable with nudity here, but it still wouldn’t be right posting some old man’s dong on my blog. But what I did do is park my bike at the cafe (called Paviljoen Twiske) and walk around a bit. Here’s a view into the lake. You can see a few windsurfing boards out there, and in the distance to the right you can see one of the beaches. I’m sure there’s some dong in there, but we don’t live in a future where you can just say “computer: enhance” and have it right there in your face. So I think we’re all safe.

All of the beaches had signs talking about the water quality. Apparently the quality of this water is “poor” for swimming. It isn’t unsafe - the signs said if algal blooms got bad enough they would shut down the beaches. But based on something like 3 years’ worth of data, they rated the quality “poor.” So yeah, I chose not to hop in myself.

I biked around the festival grounds one more time and then started to make my way to the exit. Along the way, I saw this, and figured I had to share.

Pretty, huh?

On my way out of the park I saw a huge line of bikes coming toward the entrance. I wondered if perhaps it was festival goers arriving for the evening program. After that line of bikes ended, and there was a short pause, another long line of bikes started. Then a third, slightly smaller than the first two (in which I counted 46 riders). And then a 4th! All in all, within 5 minutes I saw about 200 people coming into the park. I guess the festival sold well!

I was in no rush back home, so for this part of the ride, I decided I’d try to just follow the street signs, rather than pulling out my phone to look at the map. There are red signs that guide cyclists, but generally if I don’t see one for 500 meters or so I start to worry that I’ve missed something, so take a look at the map. Here, though, I’d just see where the signs took me. Aside from the very last turn I made (where perhaps I missed a sign, or perhaps there wasn’t one), I did great! And that last turn, I actually made the right decision. Which is unheard of for me. I actually sensed that I needed to make a turn, I made a turn, and it was the right one. Go me, go me!

The ferry was not nearly as crowded this time, and I arrived just in time to load up. I actually got home in about 45 minutes, which was surprisingly quick! It means these sorts of trips are certainly feasible for a nice weekend day, and I could even lounge around a bit more when I get there, if I want to bring a blanket and a book or something. So I don’t think this will be my last trip to Het Twiske.

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kayostesting · 8 years

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test

The Ace: She's a pro gamer, an expert mech pilot, a pretty good shot with her energy pistol (managing to impress even McCree with her shooting), and if the posters in the Hollywood stage are anything to go by, a successful actress as well. Action Bomb: Her MEKA has a self-destruct ability that does 1000 damage to anything in direct radius of its Area of Effect. Before a patch adjusted it, it could also harm D.Va herself. Always Someone Better: Amusingly, despite being one of the most mechanically-skilled players in existence, one of her pre-battle lines is "솔직히, 스타로 아빠는 못 이기겠더라" translating to "Honestly, I can't beat dad at Starcraft." Animal Motifs: The rabbit. Her gameplay icon consists of a white bunny, she has a bunny decal sticker on her chest, and her gun even has a pink rabbit keychain. Even her Mini-Mecha somewhat looks like a bipedal rabbit with machine guns for hands. One of her skins from the beta is even titled "White Rabbit". As the icing on the cake, her Facial Markings resemble rabbit whiskers. Her "B.Va" skin has a bee theme, complete with yellow-black color scheme and stylized insect wings and carapace, in addition to being a shout-out to the Transformers character, Bumblebee. The "Junebug" skin, its recolor, is alternatively based on June bugs. Artistic License – Military: Given how much of a tactical and security risk it would be, it's unlikely that someone like D.Va would be allowed to stream her combat operations...let alone expressly displaying real, dangerous battles for entertainment purposes. Ascended Meme: Though she doesn't transform into a nastier diminutive version of herself, one of D.Va's new emotes of August 2016 has her chowing down on D.Vas and soda while playing video games like her infamous "Gremlin" counterpart. The Halloween 2016 update turned Cardboard Meka D.Va into an official spray tag. Attention Whore: She's a very visible celebrity, appearing in live streams, movies, and other forms of mass media. Some of her dialogue gives the impression that she's more interested in putting on a good show and getting cheers than whatever the mission is about. Attack Its Weak Point: While every character receives critical damage when shot in the head, D.Va's weak point in her mech is her cockpit, which is comparatively easy to hit because it's in the center and very large. This is to offset her MEKA's high HP pool of 600, the fact that it can be hit only from the front and her ability to completely shield it with Defense Matrix. Awesome, but Impractical: When reloading her pistol, she does a little Gun Twirling before slapping in the next magazine. If she didn't, she'd presumably reload much faster, but it wouldn't look nearly as cool. The Baby of the Bunch: Though technically an adult, she's by far the youngest human member of the cast (Orisa is even younger at one month, but being an Omnic, her case is more ambiguous), and some of the older members will brush her off as Just a Kid. Badass Adorable: She's a 19-year old girl who is a professional gamer that can keep up with seasoned combatants. Badass Armfold: Her default pose in the game's menus. Balance Buff: Pre-patch, D.Va's Defense Matrix was rather lackluster: it only lasted for a few seconds, had a monstrous cooldown, and would shut off immediately if she fired her main weapon. Since said main weapon only does good damage at point-blank, this made D.Va a non-issue at a distance and (thanks to her unforgiving headshot hitbox) laughably easy to kill in close quarters, which is pretty bad for a Tank class. Post-patch, Defense Matrix's cooldown was instead replaced with a charge meter a la Reinhardt's shield or Pharah's jetpack, giving the player more control over it and making it much easier for D.Va to do her job. Bare Your Midriff: Her "Junker" and "Scavenger" skins replace her jumpsuit with a cropped top and a pair of pants. Becoming the Costume: Her B.Va and Junebug skins give her a few bug-related lines, including "All systems buzzing!" or "Did that sting?" Her Junker and Scavenger skins adds "Hear me baby? Just hold it together," as one of her respawn quotes. Bilingual Bonus: Her name means "one" in Korean, and one of her voice lines translates to "I'm number 1!" in Korean. Bland-Name Product: No, those aren't Doritos she's chowing down on in her Game On emote. Those are "D.Vas◊". Blue Is Heroic: Her suit is predominately blue-violet. She's also one of the playable characters, and all her ego problems aside, she's still genuinely committed to the defense of South Korea when the Omnic struck there. Body Armor as Hit Points: Or rather mech's armor. If she loses all armor points, her mech is destroyed and she has to fight on foot, and if she sets her mech to self-destruction, she loses all armor points. Bottomless Magazines: She can fire her mech's fusion cannons all day long, no reloading needed. The catch? Her movement speed drops to a crawl. Bubblegum Popping: Does this during on of her intros and victory poses. Bunny-Ears Lawyer: While most heroes have this to some degree, D.Va is notable in that she talks and acts like combat is simply one big video game to her. Yet she's a hero to South Korea who was deployed on the front lines. Justified, in that the government was scrambling to find new recruits and decided that drafting professional gamers was the best answer. Car Fu: Her Boosters give her mech enough momentum to damage and knock enemies down. Chicken Walker: Her mecha has this design, with back-bent legs and very claw-like toes. Close Range Combatant: Her Mech's Fusion cannons deal well above-average DPS at point blank range, but at a distance deals some of the worst. She can also use her boosters to ram an opponent and follow up with a quick melee. This starkly contrasts her Mechless form, which is a Long-Range Fighter. Comically Missing the Point: D.Va is fully aware of the fact that Sombra is a hacker, but the reason the latter has earned the gamer's ire is the fact that D.Va thinks Sombra uses her skills to cheat at video games, making it easier for less skilled gamers to believe that the skill of professional gamers are not genuine. Sombra is rather baffled at this accusation. Competition Freak: From her dialogue, this seems to be her reason for fighting at her best. She seems to treat battle like a game, but one she "play[s] to win". In the Hanamura arcade, she boasts, "No one's beating my high scores!" Concealment Equals Cover: In regards to her mech's ultimate, as long as you get out of its line-of-sight, it won't even scratch you. Theoretically, someone could stand behind a wall a foot away from the explosion and not be harmed in the slightest. Or, alternatively, one could survive her ultimate at ground zero of the explosion by standing behind a pole about an inch wide. It won't kill, but it will hurt like hell. Conscription: She, along with other top Korean gamers, was drafted into service. The Cutie: Youngest human character in the game, in her late teens, has a highly competitive streak, and has a rather petite body in a form-fitting plug suit? Yes, she absolutely qualifies. Damage Reduction: Armor in general allows a significant portion of damage-per-bullet to be reduced and (prior to the Year of the Rooster patch, D.Va (in her mech) had the highest quantity of armor in the game). However, the effect is negated by other factors in her design—particularly, the wide hitbox of the mech, as well as the absurdly large critical hitbox directly in the center of it. Also, armor is not very effective against weapons with high damage bursts (such as Pharah's rockets, Junkrat's grenades, or Zarya's fully-charged Particle Cannon — all of which, again, are easy to hit her with thanks to her bulk). Thus, she takes so much damage and so easily that many players don't even realize she even has Damage Reduction. The aforementioned patch brought her down to 200 armor, which is the same amount of armor as Reinhardt. Death from Above: Since the self destruct took time before it actually explodes, a common tactic that is used by D.Va players when they use her ultimate is to boost her mech upwards right before they activates the ultimate, taking advantage that the boosters would remain active even after D.Va activates her ultimate. When her mech drops to the ground, the enemy team are potentially being caught off-guard and would have less time to avoid the area covered by the self destruct explosion. Disintegrator Ray: Defense Matrix completely atomizes any projectiles in range, hence why explosives don't even detonate. Drop Pod: It's never specified, but her Call Mech ability looks like an orbital deployment via teleportation. And it can be used to flatten people. Early-Bird Cameo: She was initially revealed on Blizzard's Battle.Net page as a Starcraft II player who had to retire to defend her nation. Also, in the Hollywood Attack stage, she appears in a poster of a movie, apparently her pro-gaming sensation turned her into a celebrity/actress as well. Eject...Eject...Eject...: When her mech is about to be destroyed, she gets a warning about imminent ejection; a bright red message will flash on her HUD, reading 비상탈출 (pronounced as bisangtalchul), or "Emergency Escape". Ejection Seat: Well, not an actual seat, because D.Va lies in the cockpit instead of sitting, but her mech is equipped with ejection system. Explosive Stupidity: Averted in the current patch, but back when D.Va was subject to the same "Your own explosives hurt you" rule as every other character, she was notorious for dying to her own Self-Destruct Ultimate. The devs mercifully removed this weakness later on, partly due to Self-Destruct's countdown being made shorter. Facial Markings: Pink "whiskers" on her cheeks. Fighting Your Friend: If she kills a character she's friends with, she'll lovingly quip, "I still love you!" Frickin' Laser Beams: Her Defense Matrix fires very small lasers that shoot down incoming projectiles and other hazards. Frothy Mugs of Water: She can be seen on advertisements for Nano Cola, which looks exactly like Soju. This ad can also be unlocked as a spray. Future Spandex: She wears high tech skin-tight jumpsuit.h Fun with Acronyms: Looking closely on her default skin, will reveal that MEKA stands for: Mechanical Exo-force of the Korean Army. Gamer Chick: She's a professional gamer. It seeps into her actual combat speech; when using her Defense Matrix, she calls it raising her APMnote and when she activates her MEKA's Self-Destruct Mechanism, she boasts "Nerf this!" Additionally, her MEKA makes distinct low-bit sounds that one would expect from an older video game, and her sidearm is called the Light Gun, even going as far as to resemble a controller from a light gun game rather than having realistic ammunition and firearm colors. Gatling Good: Her mech is armed with twin rotary fusion cannons. Genki Girl: She's rarely ever not cheerful, and she treats the action around her like a game rather than an actual combat zone. Glass Cannon: In her mech-less state, D.Va can do heavy amounts of damage with just her pistol, but she can die to one or two high damage attacks and has no means of escape or defense. Goomba Stomp: It's difficult, but very possible, to crush someone with D.Va's mech when calling it in. Gun Twirling: Part of her reloading animation. Hell-Bent for Leather: Her "Junker" and "Scavenger" skins give her leather chaps, bracers and a cropped vest. Hidden Depths: A conversation with Mei reveals that D.Va has an adventurous side. She loves reading the former's journal, and wishes she could visit all the different places the climatologist explores. A quote on Eichenwalde also shows a quieter, more pensive side to her. I Know Mortal Kombat: Her mastery of video games, including Starcraft II gave her the reflexes and instincts necessary to pilot the mech. McCree: D.Va, just tell me one thing. Where'd you learn to shoot like that? D.Va: 16-Bit Hero! Improbable Age: She's only 19, in a game where almost all the other characters are at least in their mid-20s, if not 30s and up. Doesn't stop her from kicking ass alongside and against fighters with far more experience. Irony: In her MEKA, she has the most durability of any Hero in the game, at 600, a good fraction of which is armor (Roadhog also has 600 HP but it's all health that offers no damage reduction or self-regeneration).However... Outside of her MEKA, she ties with Tracer for the least HP of any Hero in the game, at 150. In-Vehicle Invulnerability: Nothing can hurt D.Va personally until her mech is destroyed and she gets out, though Sniping the Cockpit does do more damage to the mech for some reason. In the Back: D.Va's design makes flanking or attacking enemies from the rear the best way to use her offensively. Going head-to-head with anyone is a bad idea because they can "headshot" her much more easily than she can do the same. For the most part, D.Va's job in a head-on fight is to cover the rest of her team with Defense Matrix until the other team falls apart and scatters. Jack-of-All-Trades: In terms of a tank, she has the basic tools to achieve whatever the team needs (she has decent mid-to-close-range DPS, mobility and flanking options with Boosters, and her on-foot form system gives her slightly more survivability and long-range options). She excels in primarily two areas. One, her Defense Matrix destroys any projectile that comes near it, allowing her counter most forms of burst damage. Two, her ultimate itself has the highest burst damage of any attack in the game, making it instant death if the enemy is stunned or has nothing to get behind. Jerk with a Heart of Gold: D.Va's a bit bratty and arrogant and absolutely relishes the spotlight, but she takes her mission seriously and her interractions show her to be pretty chummy with other heroes, accepting without a second thought to sign autographs for Reinhardt and Lucio and complimenting Mei on her travel journal. Its also shown with some of her voice lines that she is legitimately saddened by what the Omnic Crisis has done to her country and hopes to restore it back to normal. Jet Pack: Her Boosters ability. The Juggernaut: While she activates her Boosters, few things can stop her. She can push enemies away with it, and yes, that includes punting them down into Bottomless Pit. Kid-Appeal Character: The closest Overwatch has to one, being the youngest human hero and clearly made to appeal to the young gamers. Kid Hero: Slightly older than the usual example, but is otherwise the closest example of one in Overwatch being that she's 19 in a game where the majority of the cast are above 30. The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Is a fan of Lúcio's music. When Lúcio asks her for an autograph, she will ask for his as well. Knockback: Her Boosters can push enemies out of the way, disrupting their positions at the least and potentially sending them into a nearby Bottomless Pit. Call Mech will push back any enemies in proximity of the incoming mech, meaning that someone who tries to go against a mech-less D.Va may suddenly find themselves falling off a cliff to their deaths, not helped by her Ultimate gauge charging very quickly while in this mode. Leaning on the Fourth Wall: An interaction with Soldier: 76 displays this but it isn't certain if D.Va has fourth wall awareness or she just thinks this as a philosophy or if it's just a reply to his statement. Soldier: 76: War isn't a game. D.Va: Are you sure life isn't a game, Soldier: 76? Lethal Joke Character: Mechless D.Va might seem like an easy kill, but her Light Gun shouldn't be underestimated: it has a fairly fast fire rate, doesn't suffer the harsh damage falloff of her MEKA's Fusion Cannons, and is capable of headshotting. If the player's aim is good, it's entirely possible for them to take an enemy from full HP to zero with one clip. She also gains a lot of Ultimate charge on each hit, meaning that a good on-foot D.Va can get a new MEKA within seconds, essentially negating what would be death for any other character. Lightning Bruiser: In her MEKA, she's one of the most mobile characters, has a ton of health, deals good damage, and can block incoming fire as well. Outside of her MEKA, she becomes a Long-Range Fighter. Long-Range Fighter: Outside of her MEKA, D.Va has access to an extremely accurate automatic pistol with no damage drop-off at range. Provided that she can land all of her shots (preferably headshots), she can kill most average-health characters in seconds. However, in that form, she has no mobility, no offensive or defensive abilities, and low health, so most characters able to close the distance can kill her easily. Magic Skirt: Averted with her Palanquin skin, her short skirt behaves much like a real skirt would in a fight, luckily she wears some Modesty Shorts. Meaningful Name: Her first name, Hana, means "one" in Korean. She was a world champion professional gamer who was enlisted in a special mecha division of the Korean army before joining Overwatch. Mechanically Unusual Fighter: She has two different states (in mech and on foot), and a different Limit Break for each (manual self-destruct, and summoning a new mech respectively). She also changes to a Fragile Speedster when outside her mech, and she can stay alive after her mech is destroyed if she can survive long enough to summon a new one. Military Superhero: Even though she's supposed to be a gamer, decal MEKA logo stickers on her suit and mecha indicate she's a member of MEKA - "Mobile Exo-Force of the Korean Army". Mini-Mecha: Rides around in her MEKA, which is a relatively small mech shaped like a rabbit. She calls it a "suit" when summoning it, but it's not actually Powered Armor, since it uses a cockpit and its limbs are controlled via joysticks. Modesty Shorts: When wearing her Palanquin skin, she has a pair of white biker shorts under her skirt, which is a good thing considering how often the skirt rides up when she is taken out on foot. Ms. Fanservice: She isn't the most curvaceous female member in the cast, but that bodysuit is pretty form-fitting. Additionally, D.Va also fulfills the non-looks fanservice, being a Gamer Chick that drops in a lot of gaming lingo and references, thus she's also won the hearts of male players in the 18-21 age range. Mundane Utility: Apparently her MEKA Defensive Matrix can also be used for dancing lights and playing a top-down shooter. No Sell: Her shield has a very small effective zone compared to Reinhardt or Winston, but their shields will break under fire. As long as hers is up, she will stop every projectile that meets the shield. She can negate an entire Roadhog ultimate, completely nullify Pharah's ultimate, and prevent Hanzo's, Mei's, and Zarya's ults from happening at all with her shield. Pink Means Feminine: She decorates her entire arsenal as well as parts of her costume with the color pink. Post-Apunkalyptic Armor: Her "Junker" and "Scavenger" skins wouldn't be out of place in Fallout or Mad Max. Power Fist: Her mech can punch enemies with its fusion cannons. Product Placement: Referenced and parodied In-Universe with her own brand of chips◊ named D.Vas◊, in the Game On emote, and played straight in the real world with Blizzard Entertainment's logo can be seen on her right leg of her out-of-mech suit. Pre-Explosion Buildup: Precedes her mech's self-destruction, complete with Pre-Explosion Glow and Sucking-In Lines. Product Displacement: It isn't clear just what type of soda Hana drinks during her Game On emote. The white label over the can completely obscures whatever it could be. Punch-Packing Pistol: At range, her laser pistol is more deadly than her mech's Fusion Cannons...and more accurate, too. Ranged Emergency Weapon: Her laser pistol has no damage dropoff from range, and has no accuracy spread. If you can line up every shot at a distance, you can deal massive damage in one clip. Self-Destruct Mechanism: Her ultimate has her eject from her mech while it self destructs dealing a wide area damage. She Cleans Up Nicely: While she was never unattractive to begin with, her "Palanquin" skin has her wear a traditional hanbok and a braided haircut, and she looks gorgeous. She's Got Legs: Her "Palanquin" skin has her in a hanbok with a very short skirt that accentuates her slim, feminine legs. Shoot the Bullet: Her Defensive Matrix ability is actually two laser arrays plus incredibly fast reflexes. Sore Loser: When she's killed and revives, she says, "I'm not a good loser!" That seems fitting, considering that she was a professional gamer. Stance System: Using D.Va in her mech and outside of it means essentially learning to play as two separate characters: one, a Lightning Bruiser mixed with an Action Bomb, and the other a Long-Range Fighter Glass Cannon. Super Reflexes: The reason she was drafted. It also shows up when she uses her Defense Matrix, where her Mech deploys holographic distance markers and lets her individually shoot down every projectile that comes into it. Fans have done the math, and it turns out her APM is frankly superhuman: An individual Tracer's Pulse Pistols fire 40 rounds per second. If 6 Tracers were to simultaneously fire into D.Va's Defense Matrix, D.Va can shoot down 240 rounds per second without fail, meaning she's fully capable of 14400 actions-per-minute. To put this into perspective, the highest real-life APM ever recorded was Park Sung-joon's 818. She can also fully withstand Roadhog's ultimate, which according to this post fires approximately 145 projectiles per second. If she were to face against 10 Roadhog ultimates (5 enemy Roadhogs and 5 on her team deflected by an enemy Genji), in a best-case scenario, her maximum APM would be 87500 APM. Damn. Throw-Away Guns: Taken to an extreme whenever D.Va's mech is destroyed or she triggers its Self-Destruct Mechanism. Given a little time she'll just summon a new one without incident. [Verb] This!: The enemy team hears this when she uses her Ultimate. D.Va: Nerf this! Victory by Endurance: A D.Va vs D.Va fight is this by default. Since D.Va can't fire while using Defense Matrix, one D.Va blocking the other is a complete wash. Also, trying to charge at another D.Va only results in taking the full damage of her Fusion Cannons. Thus, the vast majority of D.Va mirror fights are decided by who attacked first and who had the most health. V Sign: Does this during one of her intros and victory poses. We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties: Not unlike Gazlowe in Heroes of the Storm, if D.Va is hit by Ana's Sleep Dart, she will move the joysticks desperately to try and get her MEKA back online. Wearing a Flag on Your Head: Her Summer Games skin changes her bodysuit and mech's colors to those of the South Korean flag. What a Piece of Junk: Unlike her shiny, high-tech regular mechs, her "Junker" and "Scavenger" ones look like they were made from whatever parts were scavenged from the nearest scrapheap.

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raitchparker · 8 years

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Monday, January 23, 2017

History will address the tidal wave of anxiety that the country grappled with in the last couple of weeks far better than I can here. It happened on Friday. President Tangerine Baggy Eyes was sworn in and we, for the most part, watched. Historically few of us attended in person, which was a small relief, but it was also cold comfort. It felt as much a psychic blow as traumatizing as 9/11, to me at any rate. We are all seated, like anxious jackrabbits, waiting for the backhand of his horrid decisions now.

On Saturday, though, we took it to the streets. I joined about 20,000 people in St. Louis, not three miles from my house, in front of our old Union Station. I went alone. I spoke to many, and befriended a lovely (black) woman from Belleville, IL. I would take her to be about my age (she has a grown daughter and grandchildren and a baby face that defies her age). It was, she said, her first protest. She joined a conversation I was having with two women, and we stuck together for most of the march.

She was far from the first protester I saw there that day. In the 90s and in the anti-war marches I participated in during the Iraq War, there were moments where I felt like I was part of a mostly-silenced clique of lefties. You’d see many of the same faces. Anarchists would battle with Greens. The movement in the 90s fractured because, let’s face it, there was a lot that needed tending to.

I stopped going towards the middle of the first decade of the 00s because, well, the news did, too. I continued to do what I could (albeit, not nearly enough) with money, with letters, with phone calls. I started to feel like showing up in person had become the stuff of a South Park joke. My friend Steve who lives in L.A. said that he got rid of his weekend apartment in Malibu because, in his words, he wasn’t really getting out of town. “It was the same assholes,” he said, preferring instead to hide away in calmer, far less 1% Palm Springs.

While I wouldn’t call any leftie an asshole, that is how I grew to feel about the progressive protests I mostly went to. The same people, the same faces, the same chants, preaching to each other in the absence of an effective, engaged media who gave us no attention. We were nothing more than large swaths of the converted.

That was not the case on Saturday. I walked, for a while, next to a woman in her 80s who had also come on her own, on public transportation. Her granddaughter was in DC, and so, she said, she had her daughter look up information for her on the Internet (something this woman joked about not understanding how to use) and there she was. A young man, either just north or south of 30, admitted it was his first protest.

“Not your last, I hope,” I said. He nodded. How could it be.

Hope lives in small, dark corners always. I would argue that Occupy lit a spark that for a time, gave way to a steady blaze. I’ve felt those embers, still there, ever hot, since. Those embers gave way to Bernie, to Black Lives Matter, to the Women’s March. You can blow out a flame, Peter Gabriel sings, but you can’t blow out a fire.

Of course it’s not so simple as that and we all have to accept that we are going to lose things. We don’t know what yet but, at very least, we’ve probably already lost much of our nation’s dignity (precarious as that was). I’m doing what I can not to look too far into the inky black midnight of the future. There is no point of speculation. There will be enough daily horrors to occupy all of us.

My favorite sign from Saturday’s protest in St. Louis.

Herbert and I are existing on the fumes of the exhilaration of owning a new home. As I type this, a lovely man from the Container Store is performing a grass roots revolution in our closet that will add some dozens of square feet of shelving and racks. These are small things, and we are privileged to have them. Cass and I ferreted out a reasonably priced sectional sofa at Macy’s which I plan on ordering this week.

The movers lost a few things. The shelves to our insanely heavy steel Sapien-ripoff bookcases are gone. There are pianos that weigh less than those shelves. My heart goes out to the household where those carefully wrapped, bubble rapped, multi-hundred pound bundles ended up. I’m also down an absurdly expensive Italian designed stepladder for which I had a dumb amount of affection. I’d bought it right after I moved into my loft in L.A. Flush with cash and short on storage room (I had none) everything had to do double duty as art and function. I hope whoever is now in possession of my (I won’t say how much because it’s just too white of me) ladder appreciates that it is a glorious piece of design. You know. For a step stool.

The family has been in and out helping us when and where they can. Deb and Curt Parker disinfected the kitchen the day we moved in. There are surgical theaters that have more germs than our kitchen cabinets did after that afternoon. Deb cheerfully cut shelf liner, eviscerated the contents of any box labeled “kitchen,” and within 3 hours, the place was newly inhabitable.

Cass was here the moment I realized the shelves were gone. I don’t like those bookcases that much anymore. They were ideal for the skinny hallway in which they used to sit and, frankly, they looked silly here. However, the moment I realized that we couldn’t unpack our boxes of books, I let out a long, and sorrowful, “fuck,” and stood defiantly in our unpacked basement.

Cass was there, arm around my shoulders. “Smoke a bowl,” she said. “It’s all going to be okay.” The empty and now useless spines of the bookcases are standing as a signal of utter Western greed and futility in our basement now, a reminder that I should have followed my instincts and sold them or given them away when we were still in L.A.

So, we need new shelves. Herbert and I made the obligatory IKEA run yesterday which resulted in our taking home the things that always somehow vanish or need to be replaced in a house move: lampshades (hey, can we work on a design that maybe doesn’t guarantee utter disintegration of a lampshade in less than a decade?), bathroom rugs, dish towels, oven mitts, hooks, “Do we need a spice rack? What did we do with our spices in L.A.? Were they in a drawer? Why did we have the fucking spices in a drawer?”, and a new garbage can for the kitchen and, yes, an idea for the shelves which we plan on buying soon.

He was scarfing down the rest of the air in his nearly empty tank by the end. They should have marriage counselors staffed throughout IKEA stores. I mean, we made it through okay, by the skin of our teeth, mostly because our needs there were simple. I overheard so many “Well, I’m just answering your question” arguments about shower curtains and bed frames. IKEA is where fractured relationships go to die.

We are in love with our new castle. It’s lovelier than anything I deserve. Our neighborhood is quiet and, outside from the NRA sticker festooned Jeep Cherokee that keeps taking its half out of the middle in our narrow parking garage (I had to leave a note; I hate leaving notes, especially in Trump’s America), our neighbors also seem quiet and lovely.

Then, there’s this: Herbert is going to start taking a new drug soon. The paperwork is long and demanding, and the saintly nurses at Barnes are taking care of that. This medication without insurance copays would cost us $96,000 a year. With copays: $3,000 per quarter, or about $12k annually. There is a copay program for which Herbert thinks he will qualify. In other countries, this medication, at most, costs between $100-$200 per month.

The Senate had a moment last week where Americans could have started to purchase drugs from Canadian pharmacies. It was good, hardworking Sanders who put it up. These are the Democrats who voted it down:

Bennet (D-CO) Booker (D-NJ) Cantwell (D-WA) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Coons (D-DE) Donnelly (D-IN) Heinrich (D-NM) Heitkamp (D-ND) Menendez (D-NJ) Murray (D-WA) Tester (D-MT) Warner (D-VA)

Even with insurance (our plan, in terms of copays, is excellent) if we were making more income, say if Herbert was working, I’d be spending over 10 grand a year on a medicine for which there is no generic. If we weren’t down to a single income, I have no idea what we’d do. If we don’t get approved for the copay, I still have no idea what we will do. I suppose, at that point, my only recourse is to be grateful for America’s Bankruptcy laws?

I’ve been back to writing for money, which has taken a clear hit on my writing for sanity. Moving and Trump have been disruptive, but, like I did when we got a little settled at my dad’s house, I feel like some calm could be returning to our lives. The calm will calm, despite Herbert’s health, provided that I don’t have to sell the car to buy his drugs.

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ciathyzareposts · 5 years

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Mystery Mansion: Capitulation.

Alas, I am giving up on Mystery Mansion. I’m sure I could persevere with it, and eventually get a 999 point game, but to be honest I just want to move on. It stings a little, especially coming off of MUD1 which I also gave up on, but I need to keep moving. Persisting with games I’m not enjoying will be a sure-fire way to kill the blog dead.

When I left off last time, I had accomplished most of what I was capable of in the game. Now my goal was to put it all together into a single run. Doing that took some planning, as there are certain tasks that need to be done before others. Below I’ve outlined the order that I tackled things.

Gathering Items: The first essential item is the lantern, which hangs from the mansion’s front gate where the game begins. Second is the compass; dealing with relative directions is a real pain so I like to get this early. The third item I go for is the gauntlet to increase my carrying capacity, and then the door keys.

Killing the Vampire: Before going to release the Vampire, it’s important to grab the cross from the chapel for protection. After opening the Vampire’s coffin, it’s a simple matter to lure him upstairs and open a curtain to let in the sunlight. I also tried killing him with a wooden wedge, but the game told me “you have not figured out how to do that yet”.

Solving the Murder: To do this, you need to find and carry the murder weapon, then lure the murderer to the location of the dead body. I like to do this fairly early, because once the sun has set you can’t access the garden, and if anything you need is in there you’ll never solve the murder. The first thing I do here is listen to the radio in the Game Room; a news bulletin plays that tells you that the police are looking for the murderer, which reveals the murderer’s identity. If I know where the corpse is, the next thing I do is examine it, which can give clues to the murder weapon. In my last game, the body was doubled over as though clutching its stomach, which indicates that the poison was the murder weapon. If I don’t know the corpse’s location, I’ll just question people until they tell me. It doesn’t usually take too long to get all three requirements in the same location, unless one of them happens to be in the garden (which I only go into as a last resort).

Once the murder has been solved, you just have to call the police using the phone in the Entrance Hall. They show up immediately and arrest the murderer.

The Mole Maze: Before you can hit up the Treasure Trek maze, you need the amulet from the Mole Maze. As mentioned in a previous post the mole changes the maze occasionally, but ever since I switched to Bob Sorem’s port I’ve had no trouble navigating it using the map found here. Perhaps the changes aren’t implemented properly in Sorem’s port, or perhaps I’ve just been able to get through before the mole starts digging new tunnels.

Getting the Transmitter: If you enter the Bathroom and drop everything – including your clothes – you can go up into a secret lab where you’ll find a matter transmitter and receiver. These are very handy for navigating the mansion, and as far as I can tell essential to escaping the Treasure Trek maze. While leaving the lab through the Large Bedroom, you can fix a crooked mirror, where some jewelry is hidden.

The Treasure Trek Maze: To get through this maze you need the compass, gauntlet, keys, and transmitter. First you have to unlock the door and get through before being crushed by a moving wall. After heading down to the Treasure Room, you need to quickly move through the maze to the two Troll Traps and the Den of Death. Doing this run nets you some pearls, an emerald, some pirate treasure, a ruby necklace, some diamonds and a silver goblet. With that done, it’s a simple task to BEAM UP to the lab, then BEAM DOWN to wherever you stashed the matter receiver.

Finishing Up: With those tasks done, I collected the Vampire’s Ring then went to the Front Entrance to phone for a taxi. As far as I can tell you can’t do this until after 10pm. The mansion explodes at midnight, so I waited out front with my treasures. While I was waiting I killed the Warrior, because he’s an irritating NPC who will attack you on a whim. After the mansion blew up, I simply headed south and got the following “victory” screen:

All through this you need to monitor your lantern power, and head to the twisty maze to get some batteries when it starts to wear off. I spent a good portion of the game with my lantern turned off, and it was still running out of power near the end.

There are also the various noises that happen once every hour, for which you need to type SCORE POINTS in order to get the full 999. I tried to remember them when they came up, but I’m sure I missed a good number.

In the end, I got 781, which I’m going to have to consider good enough. I scored 90 points for the items I was carrying, most of which were treasures. My inventory was full, so I don’t think I could have earned much more here. Perhaps killing the werewolf would have done it; I can see in some walkthroughs that there is one, but I never did find it aside from getting killed in the dark by it one time. You can also kill the wolf in the garden, which I just figured out, by distracting it with food and shooting it. If those two don’t account for the 200+ points I missed, I’m stumped. Perhaps there’s something to do in the attic, which I accessed by standing on a chair in the closet and climbing through a door in the ceiling. I got up there and got down via the fire escape (which has to be oiled to use safely) but there didn’t seem to be any point to doing so.

I also confirmed that you can sleep with the male characters, which gives you the same message as the female ones (so the game isn’t assuming your gender or sexuality). You can’t do it with the Vampire though, because you have to drop everything, and without the cross he drains your blood real quick. The Elf can’t be lured inside, so he’s not an option either.

And so, on 781 points, I bid farewell to Mystery Mansion. I could keep trying, but with such an obtuse game as this one I might end up banging my head against it for months with no progress to show for it. It’s even worse with games of this vintage, because walkthroughs can be harder to come by. I found some, but none of them gave away everything.

Mostly though, my capitulation is the result of the fact that I just wasn’t enjoying the game very much. I was intrigued by it at first, but after solving the mystery portion of it I just couldn’t make any more progress. As I’ve said before, I just think the game is too obtuse for its own good. It’s also very disjointed, with a mystery plot grafted onto a treasure hunt. Not that you’d know it, because Mystery Mansion does very little to let you know that the game even has treasures to collect. With just a little more guidance it could have been enjoyable.

Before I do a Final Rating, I present to you the Wall of Shame. These are all of the puzzles for which I sought outside help:

THE WALL OF SHAME

Navigating the Mole Maze

Finding the gauntlet

Opening the Treasure Trek Maze with the amulet

Finding the pearls

Getting into the Laboratory

Calling the taxi on the phone

FINAL RATING: Story & Setting: The setting of a mysterious old mansion is a classic one, but this game doesn’t do anything new with it, and doesn’t do anything to tie any of its disparate tropes together. Why is there a matter transporter upstairs? Why is Dracula in the basement? I don’t know, and Mystery Mansion isn’t about to tell me. As for the story it’s one part murder mystery and one part Adventure-style treasure hunt. The mystery part, at least, is novel, so I’ll mark it up slightly for that. Rating: 2 out of 7. Characters: There are a lot of characters roaming around in this game, all of whom can be interacted with. You can question them, you can shoot them dead, and you can even have sex with some of them. Unfortunately, most of these characters are interchangeable, and their main purpose is mostly to act as murder suspects. It’s a step up from most of the adventure games of the era, though, where most of the characters are simply obstacles. Rating: 2 out of 7. Aesthetics: It’s a text adventure with pretty simple writing. The Bob Sorem port has some sound effects that play through the PC speaker occasionally, but those are more startling than pleasant. Rating: 1 out of 7. Mechanics: For all the frustrations I had with this game, it does things reasonably well. The parser is simple, but I didn’t find myself searching for the right verb too often. The relative directions when inside are annoying, but I was impressed that the room descriptions change depending on which way you’re facing. Rating: 4 out of 7. Challenge: For the mystery portion of the game, I think the difficulty was pitched pretty well. It took me a little while to figure out, but with various hints and clues I was able to solve it within a reasonable time. The treasure hunt is absurdly hard though. There are so many actions that could only be figured out through trial and error, or very lucky guesses, and the game gives you no help. And then there’s the changing mole maze, which is just cruel. Rating: 2 out of 7. Innovation and Influence: I don’t believe that this game was particularly influential; I’ve never heard of it, or seen it brought up by early game developers. But as possibly the first ever murder mystery adventure game I have to give it some props. Rating: 5 out of 7. Fun: I briefly enjoyed this game during the mystery portion, and the mapping phase, but after that it very quickly lost its shine. I think the Mole Maze drained my enthusiasm, and it never came back. Rating: 2 out of 7. Obviously, no bonus point for this game because I really don’t want to play it again. The above scores total 18, which doubles for a Final Rating of 36. That places it 13th out of 27 games overall, and 8th out of 17 adventure games. That seems a little high, but it does earn some extra points for doing some things that I’ve yet to see before during the course of this blog. It has more ambition than most of the games below it, which has to count for something.

NEXT: My next game is Devil’s Dungeon, a text-based Apple II RPG that promises an infinitely deep dungeon. Whoopee, just what I was asking for!

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/mystery-mansion-capitulation/

#retro games #dos games #retro #crpg #adventure #amiga #oldcomputers #8bit #16bit #blog #repost

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magicmenageriestuff · 6 years

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Top Cat – Hoyt Curtin

“The indisputable leader of the gang”

*Warning : Cat Porn*

Yes, that Top Cat. The wise guy cartoon alleycat from New York City with his gang always trying to get one over on Officer Dibble. It was a staple of my childhood in the 1960s and certainly contributed to my impression of the city where I now live. As did the music. Like many of Hanna Barbara’s cartoons – Huckleberry Hound, The Flintstones, The Jetsons – the music was composed and recorded by Hoyt Curtin, a Californian specialist in the punchy joyful bright slices of cartoon sound. Top Cat the Theme Music is only 42 seconds long and is thus the shortest piece of music in My Pop Life to date.

From the funky horn fanfare to the stuttering trumpet intro to the glamorous celebratory vocal refrain (which reminds me somehow of Isaac Hayes’ Shaft (see My Pop Life #60)) and the crisp xylophone punctuation, this mini cartoon symphony is a marvel of crushed sound & misheard lyrics.

Top Cat ! whose intellectual close friends get to call him T.C.

Strode right in, it’s whipping to see…Top Cat !

Hmmm. Well that is what I’ve always sung, from the age of five. Nonsense. Wait. OK according to the lyrics bible Genius.com (which is highly recommended by the way…) it is :

Top Cat ! whose intellectual close friends get to call him T.C.

Providing it’s with dignity…Top Cat !

I genuinely just found that out. Prefer my five year old version somehow. Anyway. The music always made me feel that it had been played on a single that jumped – we had some of these – a scratched record – where a groove was missed and the tune would jump forward 15 seconds. Somehow Top Cat does this in its second 20 seconds. Check it out – it is completely wild, and probably quite hard to play. It is a masterpiece theme tune to a masterpiece cartoon that ran from 1961 for only 30 episodes. Which were endlessly repeated.

Top Cat, Benny the Ball, Fancy Fancy, Choo Choo, Brain & Spook

The format was as follows – a street gang of cats living in dustbins by a fence eating fish-heads, and thrown-away fast food. Led by smart status symbol Top Cat – T.C. – Benny the Ball, Choo Choo, Brain, Fancy Fancy and Spook were all expertly delineated characters in bright colours and working-class NYC accents. Their enemy was Officer Dibble who was a human, constantly trying to foil their get-rich-quick schemes. I suppose there was a strong symbolic element here – a representation of the poor underclass, finding ways legal or usually otherwise to make ends meet. The voices were all superb. Arnold Stang was T.C.

Mimi, Roxy and Boy in Brighton : a very rare picture of them together

Back there in Sussex we always had cats – indeed apart from a brief spell at the LSE and a handful of years in Los Angeles, I have always had a cat, or two, or three. I believe them to be superior to dogs. They clean themselves. They bury their toilet. They give themselves their own status. They are spirit animals who give your home life and soul. When they die, I am bereft for a long long time.

My first cat was called Caesar, a big male tabby given to me when I was one year old. I remember burying him in the garden of our house in Selmeston when Dad was still at home, so I would’ve been seven or eight, and so would Caesar. Then we got white tortoiseshell Sheba and black & white Kitty Little. We also had dogs during this period of my youth – Corgis Raq and Bessie, and then Welsh Sheepdog Brutus who used to chase cars. When we became homeless in 1970 (see My Pop Life #84 ) I don’t know what happened to the animals. After nine months the family were re-united in Hailsham and I think Sheba and Kitty Little were still with us but this may be a feline hallucination. I’ll ask Mum. I have a memory of finding Sheba dead under the kitchen tap one school morning in Hailsham because she had eaten string and was trying to drink water to lubricate herself. Pets give you these horrific moments and even if they live long, they will inevitably die before you do. Certainly by the time Rebecca was born we had grey/white Lucy who lived a very long life and eventually died as Becky turned 18. Once I moved to London for university in 1976 there were no pets allowed in Halls of Residence beneath the Post Office Tower, however when I lived in Finsbury Park with Mumtaz in the early 80s we had Monty, another tabby, and when I left, in 1985, he stayed. Or did he? I think maybe he moved in with me for a bit, then went back to Mumtaz…

London 1990 – Honey, Hardy & me

In the mid-80s I got a flat in in Archway Road N6 and when Jenny moved in we got two beautiful Siamese kittens, Hardy and Honey.

Hardy and Honey, about six months old

Such beautiful animals, they both talked a great deal and were sweet companions. One night when we came in from a theatre show they were missing – then a small miaow led us to the top of the wardrobe where they were nervously looking down. Then a movement under the bed – a Ginger Tom ran out through the cat door into the back garden. He had bullied them. Eaten their food. Ginger Toms do that in my experience. Anyway a few weeks later the same thing happened. There Hardy and Honey were again, on top of the wardrobe. We had discussed what we would do if it happened again. Plan A. Jenny walked down to the cat door and locked it. Then the Ginger Tom (for it was he!) ran back there and got trapped in the bathroom (which was the back room due to the weird Housing Association conversion we were in). I ran a tap and filled a jug. Ginger Tom was hissing and growling and Honey had come down for a ringside seat and got trapped in the room. I tipped water onto the Ginger Tom’s head until he submitted, then finally opened the catflap and out he went. We never saw him again. Nor did Honey or Hardy.

Hardy in Highgate, 1992

When we went to Scotland on holiday once a year – a 12-hour drive up to the West Coast & the islands – we would take the Siamese with us. They would be locked in the cottage when we went for walks. I remember Hardy growling at the sheep one morning. When we were in Los Angeles Jenny’s school friend darling Betty would stay in our flat and look after them. We would go back and forth. Then when we returned from Los Angeles in 1995 we knew we wanted to move out of Highgate.

Honey got out the front door on the day we packed up the van to move temporarily to Kilburn and sometime that night got run over on that busy road. Heartbreaking doesn’t begin to describe it. I had to scrape her body off the road with a shovel and bury her in the back garden. I felt sick. Later we got another strange Siamese called Tia who never quite fitted in, never liked Jenny but used to swoon at me. Hardy and Tia came to Brighton with us but we were away so much during that period – in LA and elsewhere that we eventually gave them away to a lovely old lady who had just lost her two Siamese and needed some grown ones because she couldn’t bear raising another kitten. She would write to us about them every now and again which was lovely. They died there in the Sussex countryside about ten years ago.

Marvin aged 20 weeks

At some point in 2004 we visited Stockholm with Amanda Ooms and met her sister Sara who had helped Andy Baybutt and I with The Murmuration (see My Pop Life #87) and met her new kitten Otis. What a great animal! He was a Devon Rex breed, with only one type of fur (most cats have three : down, fur & guard fur) and he was super-intelligent and friendly. Bless Otis he passed away last week (Feb 2019) aged 15. Anyway we were ready to re-cat ourselves and decided to get a Devon Rex, then found Marvin from a breeder. Such a beautiful little boy he was, who would climb up from the ground up my legs, my body up to my shoulder and sit there. He lasted a mere 9 weeks before cutting his mouth on a wicker basket and getting very weak. We took him to the vet who did a blood test and told us he had a factor 8 deficiency which meant his blood couldn’t clot and a transfusion wouldn’t work he would never live a long life. That was simply awful. I held Marvin’s little body to my chest through the night listening as his breathing got shallower and shallower, stroking him and whispering love into his absurdly large ears until he gave a big sigh, a final tiny rattle and passed over. Jeez that was sad.

Chester

Eventually in April 2008 we decided to brave another Devon Rex and Chester arrived. What a cat he was. Like an old chinese man. Very communicative. Very funny. He would crawl under the duvet every night. After a year we decided to find him a mate. By then we’d found a breeder that we liked, Michelle on the outskirts of Sheffield, whom we’d dropped in on one day while visiting my dad who lives in West Yorkshire. Her house was full to the brim with cats, all friendly and smiling, purring and relaxed, draped over the furniture, window ledges, feeding kittens, greeting us. She had all the queens inside – about twenty five females, and all the males outside in the yard and a back shed.

Michelle’s queen Orientals

Devon Rex mum and smigel kittens at Michelle’s

Mimi’s mum, and, possibly, a very young Mimi

It is an extraordinary house. We saw the new brood upstairs of tiny little pieces of Russian Blue Cornish Rex fur and said we’d be back in 10 weeks for a girl. Mimi came back with us in the Jeep on the 200 mile journey and Chester fell in lust as soon as he laid eyes on her. We had to separate them for a few nights, then it was obvious (from the howling) that we would have to spey dear Chester. After that they got on famously….most of the time….

Chester, me, Mimi – late 2008

Mimi kitten with Chester aged 15 months

Despite this clear blow to the head, Chester was not very good at fighting

A very special animal, Chester also had a congenital problem, this time with arrhythmia – an uneven heartbeat. He died aged four while I was filming in Nashville and Jenny and I weren’t getting on. I flew back and we buried him in the back garden in floods of tears, his early death re-uniting us as a kind of awful sacrifice.

Mimi we felt was lonely then. We worried about her. Michelle heard about Chester dying young and offered us another Cornish Rex so I drove up to Sheffield again and came back with the most affectionate cat I’ve ever met – Roxy, a bonkers tortoiseshell female. Mimi hated her.

Roxy is a one-off weirdo. I would actually say she has special needs. In the nicest possible way of course. She loves to sit on a shoulder. Feels safe up there. Then she will purr and push her face into my beard, squirming with joy.

She would get out of the garden and wander down the road shouting at the top of her voice as if she was lost. People would pick her up and say hi where do you live? I could hear them over the garden trellis. We put a collar on her with the address and my mobile phone number engraved on it. One day, sitting in the Peace Statue cafe in Hove with Andy my phone went.

“Hello, do you have a cat called Roxy?”

“Yes I do”

“She’s in the hospital”

“OK thanks I’ll come and get her”.

Luckily I was on my bike and when I got home there was a nurse on my doorstep with Roxy and her winking eye, like butter wouldn’t melt. After three months, Mimi still hated her. Roxy tried to make friends but no. What to do?

Boy’s first night in Brighton – oh god, there’s two other cats here…

Get another cat! This time it was to Basingstoke and the last of a litter, a beautiful black Oriental. I met his father who was a Siamese and his mother who was a mushroom Oriental softie. Roxy swooned for the Boy as soon as she saw him. She licked him, chased him and bit his throat which was rather alarming. But that is what cats do when they play. She was teaching him how to fight.

She has taught him everything since. They sleep together, wash each other, play and fight together. Mimi kept her disdainful character intact, and when it was that we came to move to New York City, we brought Roxy & Boy with us and left Mimi in Brighton. Mimi is an outside cat, she was the queen of that hill in Kemp Town.

Mimi & Delilah-Rose, Brighton 2008

So we found her a home in Norfolk and later received some lovely photos of her looking very pleased with herself as a nine-year old girl’s pet and the only cat in the house (her one true desire).

Roxy we wouldn’t allow outside because she got lost every time, and Boy could take it or leave it – and he liked to bring back worms and slow worms (legless lizards) from outside and leave them – alive – in the kitchen. But we’d already decided not to let the cats out in Brooklyn because of

TOP CAT!

THE MOST EFFECTUAL TOP CAT !

The local alley cats here have thick fur because they sleep outside in all weather. They slouch and have scars and behave like tough guys. They are huge. They are contemptuous. They probably have leukemia. We imagined them meeting Roxy & Boy and speaking in Brooklynese :

“Yo. What’s your name – puss-in-boots? What you doin’ down here? Welcome to the hood. You is European?! Don’t make me fuck you up kitty kitty.“

Scarcely anyone in New York speaks like this anymore, they’ve all moved out to Long Island or Westchester, or Jersey. I mean it’s noticeable when you hear that Top Cat twang on the streets, like an endangered species. But I think the cats still talk like that even if the people don’t. The cats haven’t been gentrified yet (although there are gangs of “cat lovers” who go out and spey them and give them injections for leukemia). So Roxy and Boy stay in. They have space, pretend trees to climb, food, beds, water, toys, windows to look out of with sunshine coming in. Now and again Boy demands go out out onto the stairs so he can scratch the stair carpet. Actually he is very dog-like. He plays fetch and guards the perimeters. They are content. I love them with all my heart as I have loved all my cats, but maybe a little bit more. They are, of course, our little kids.

Mimi & Chester in Brighton

Boy & Roxy in Brooklyn

These are the two opening sequences I remember :

youtube

A sample of one episode ‘the maharajah of pookajee”

youtube

My Pop Life #215 : Top Cat – Hoyt Curtin Top Cat - Hoyt Curtin "The indisputable leader of the gang" *Warning : Cat Porn* *

#cats #Cornish Rex #Devon Rex #Hanna-Barbara #Siamese

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yourrainycollectorhologram-blog · 6 years

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Is there any good but cheap health insurance in new york state not based on income?

Can I take out a life insurance policy on someone else?

My sister and I would like to take out some sort of life insurance for my mom since my mom does not have any savings/401k nor does she have any life insurance. We just want to be prepared for when she dies so that there won't be such a financial burden on the family. So, can we take out a life insurance policy on her? And do we have to have her consent to get her covered because she is very resistant to talking about dying and such?""

Help! I need auto insurance fast?

Who has the best home insurance in georgia?

I am about to buy a house and I got to have Ins. I just need to get the best deal. Whats your opinion?

Auto and House Insurance...what to ask!?

I'm a first time auto and house insurance buyer....yipee (NOT!) As I shop around for prices, I find each of the policies vary so much. What are some key questions I should be asking? What are the things I should be inquring about which will greatly affect the future with this insurance? In other words, to those of you who have had experience with insurance policies, what do you find most important in having on your policy? How do I make sure I'm well covered?? Thanks!!!""

Health Insurance?

This may be silly, but I saw a commercial the other day on tv that was advertising for health insurance for a little over &5.00 a day. I am currently in the hunt for health insurance so i wanted to go online and get some info. As luck may have it by the time i was able to get on the internet i forgot what the website was. I know the company starts with an e and its right at the tip of my brain, but i cant remember. Like i said this is a bit silly, but if anyone knows what im talking about please let me know! I havent seen a commercial for it sense.... I live in dutchess county, NY. Thanks!""

Does the smart roadster have cheap insurance for teenagers/young drivers?

Is it under 3000 Because I might get one next year I'm 16

""Saving to buy a car, what do i need to know about insurance?""

so i just turned 21 and have been saving up for a car. i'm looking to purchase through the owner, not a dealer. this will be my first car purchase and i'm wondering how insurance works. do i just research different insurance companies and then call and talk to them to set things up? do i need to have purchased the car first or can it be handled beforehand without the title? just trying to get an idea before i dive in!""

Is motorcycle insurance cheaper than car insuracne?

for an 18 year old in mississauga ontario, canada would bike insuracne be cheaper than car insureacne on for(part-time car driver)?""

""I am moving from NJ to FL, what steps do i take to get florida plates, insurance, and registration?

I have a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. Which do i do first? What are the fees for each?

Insurance company wants to total my car/not insure it.?

So my dad rear ended someone really softly, but it was a truck that he rear ended with a hitch or something that damaged the grill and the bumper. Problem is, I put a total of $2700 to have transmission replaced and the engine repaired after the timing belt broke and caused damage over the last 2-3 months. It is a 2004 dodge neon and the body to these things are flimsy to begin with. I'm taking it in Monday to get it looked at better, but they said from what they could see it might be a total loss. Which means its only gonna be worth $2000. they said they have to replace the hood, the grill, and the bumper and other stuff which is **** because I know people who could fix these problems for less than $500. they aren't even visibly bad, a few dents in the places i mentioned but when i took it in they reacted like i had been in a head on collision going 50 mph. It runs perfectly, we wouldn't have even reported it except we were worried the guy might claim injury after the fact (which he did). What can I do? This is my only car, and I am already in debt from student loans. $2000 isn't gonna buy me a new car. How can I convince them not to total it when I take it in?""

""If i just got my permit, can i drive my moms car without insurance?

I just got my permit and want to drive my moms car. Do i have to be on her insurance if i only have a permit?

Best Apartment insurance?

Hey I need apartment insurance. What are the top five best apartment insurance places? Thank you!!

Cheapest Car Insurance - Canada?

Need a cheap car insurance... Don't spout off answers if you have no idea... I've researched: TD, RBC, CAA, AllState and Statefarm Living in Ontario!""

2007 Cadillac Escalade Insurance Quote?

What would the Auto Insurance Price be on A 2007 Cadillac Escalade in 2013. A 17 Year old would be driving it? Liberty Mutual

How much will it cost me for insurance and plates etc..?

im buying a 94 supra twin turbo for $18,500. im getting a loan from the bank for the car but what else do i need after i buy it? how much do i need? should $600 be enough for all that stuff?""

Can insurance change term suddenly without tell me?

Can health insurance stop cover my medicine suddenly? I have used this medicine for 6 months and now I refill it,( I have 12 months refill) my phymesist told me that the health insurance changed code and stoped cover it. Can insurance do that suddenly? What can i do to fight with them? thanks.""

I need help choosing insurance for my car?

im 16 and i just got my license. I live in southern california and need help choosing a car insurance company that is reliable and easy to afford. i have a 3.5 gpa but dont know what company will give me a discount. Please help

Any ideas about how much insurance would be for this car?

I'm thinking about buying a Mitsubishi Eclipse soon. My bro has one and i drove it a few times and loved it. My current insurance company charges me $30 per month on a Loaded 2003 Ford Taurus SES. Any idea what they would charge for a sports car like an 02 5 speed manual Eclipse or Eclipse GT? And yes, i realize i could just call my company and ask them, but they dont have 24/7 calling and i don't wanna wait til tomorrow Lol Thanks in advance!""

""Young married couple, low cost health insurance with Rx?""

I'm going to get married soon (not RLY soon but i have to start thinking about some things in advance) and I have to get health insurance. I'm really confused by it but I've been doing some reading about it and some figures about the kind of finances we are going to have and all I really know at this point is that we can't afford more than 200 dollars per month and that has to include prescriptions and everything. My soon to be husband is really healthy, only real issue is near-sightedness. I'm a little more sickly, I have asthma and allergies and the same eye problems. I keep them all pretty much under control but I need my meds. What plan would be best for us so that we can keep costs low and still get me my Rx?""

Can someone please explain health insurance to me?

I'm looking for individual health insurance and it is very confusing. Can someone explain what things like deductible, copay, and coinsurance mean? Also, what's the difference between a PPO, Network, Indemnity, and a HSA-qualified plan? Lastly, how do I know exactly what is covered before I apply? People have sent me things in the mail and I'm looking online and I was given a list of things covered, but then it says that this isn't everything and once I sent in my payment I will get a full list of my policy and coverages. That seems shady, and these are top companies like Aetna and Health America, so I don't think they would rip me off. Plus, how come these companies aren't offering a bundle plan, where I can get health insurance, vision, and dental all in one plan with one monthly payment?""

How much does an accidet impact your car insurance?

If you had a slight bump with another car down a one track country lane. And you both claimed on insurance and the damage was about 200. When you next go and insure yourself how much more would it be approx. If you were 18

Classic car insurance for new drivers?

Hello. Can you get classic car insurance for a new just test passed driver. If the car is say a 1.1 escort or similar and the driver is over 30 years old? or is it verboten until at least 2 years have passed driving with normal insurance? Thankyou.

What jobs in the UK offer car insurance as an extra?

I'm 17 and have just passed my driving test but because of the extreme insurance prices for young drivers nowadays I can't afford to run a car. My brother once working at a tyre fitting company and he was insured to drive any car/van worth up to 80,000. I was just wondering if any jobs would offer car insurance as an extra to a young driver?""

Does anyone know any really cheap car insurance companies for old cars?

I have an R Reg Corsa 1 Litre, and 6 years no claims, but it seems to be the age of the car that's bumping up my insurance policy? HELP!""

No health insurance? need prenatal care and sonograms?

i don't have any health insurance and have become pregnant, what do i need to do until my health insurance can kick in or until i can have the baby then get affordable health ...show more""

Why are Americans so opposed to universal health insurance?

Virtually every Western industrialized nation has it, even Canada, and they are not more bankrupted than the US because of it. It seems like getting in the way of progress for the local population, really. So, what are the arguments of the people opposed to this reform? Thank You.""

Can I purchase life insurance for our family without a physical exam?

We have a new baby and we both need to be insured. Is it possible to purchase affordable life insurance without a physical exam?

Help! I need auto insurance fast?

First car/insurance question?

http://westpalmbeach.craigslist.org/car/676277707.html im looking to buy this car for my first car, i currently have more than enough for it, plus i really have wanted a lancer. is that a good car? 2nd. do you need to pay insurance on a car that you dont use? im an avid driver, but i havent got my license yet, *2months exactly left*. if i get it, will i pay insurance for 2 months...without use? in the hypothetical scenario, where i wont even use my drivers permit with it with a parent of course.""

Affordable student health insurance?

I am a college student in Maryland and I need affordable health insurance. I don't qualify for the one through my job because I only work a few days and I go to school full time. I applied for state insurance and I was denied that.I ve looked online and everything seems pricey for me. PLEASE ADVISE!

What qualifies you for Medicaid in California?

Im 19years old. im in school but didnt get enough classes to stay on my parents insurance. now i dont have any and i only make like 600 dollars a month. i also dont get any financial aid for school. IM not pregnant or anything, i just need insurance. How much would it cost me per month to have Medicaid? Do i even Qualify? What does it cover if i do? How long would it take to get on it? PLease help im stressing so much about this.""

What is the best car insurance company for drivers over 50 age?

in Toronto

Got a ticket for no car insurance because i didnt have my insurance card?

I just signed up with the general for car insurance earlier today so i dont have proof. About 1 hour ago a car slammed there breaks in traffic and i was one of the unlcky ones behind her. The cop said his systems were down so he couldnt run a check to see if i had insurance. Becuase i didnt have my card, he gave me a ticket for driving without insurance and told me to bring my insurance card to court on that date. Im worried the judge will think i went home and bought car insurance immediately after the accident. My question is, am i screwed?""

Car insurance help needed?

For reasons I do not want to discuss here, my car has not had auto insurance on it for about a year, it has not been driven only set in my garage. I am trying to get insurance on it again so I can drive it again, but because I put I have not had insurance for a year the monthly payment is not manageable, if I put that my last policy ended a week ago and get a policy online will I need to show proof of this or is there another way to get insurance and not have to pay such high premiums?""

How much is car insurance for a bugatti veyron?

Higher insurance premiums for celebrities ?

Is is usual? http://www.insurance-assurance.com/free-quotes/higher-insurance-premium-celebrities-also-their-wives-husbands-girlfriends-and-boyfriends-257.html

What is the cheapest auto insurance i can get?

i got a v8 mustang, the insurance per year is 2,300 im 17 male""

Why would insurance cost me 500 quid for a 50cc bike?

Im wanting to purchase a 50cc bike, derbi gpr 50 racing, 2009. it would be kept in a garage, and im only looking for third party cover. the bike costs 1650, and i have passed my cbt and have a provisional license. do i even need insurance?""

""AA car insurance, do they send the papers by Email or post?

need to know when register with AA car insurance is there an option for everything to be send by Email ONLY as I have some really bad people I am sharing house with :(

How can I buy life insurance policy on people?

I have a friend at work that was telling me that here in Texas it is legal to buy a life insurance policy on anyone you want. He says when the person you have insurance on dies you get a lot of money. I was just wondering if anyone on here knows how this works? Do I need the persons permission or what information do I need from them? I was thinking of getting insurance on old people that live in a retirement home a block from where I live and get rich out of it. I know some of you will think I am sick but I wouldn't mind if someone had insurance on me when I am older. So how can I go about doing this and what information do I need on the person?

Is ehealth insurance good?

i just bought insurance there. then checked out scams im freaking out a little but my mom says in no big deal. its just other broker trying to compete. I called ehealth and asked if i was to buy from the medical place myself would it cost me less? They said no, they charge no brokers fee. so Im a little confused. Help anyone? thank you!""

Do you add your kids under your car insurance ?

Will my insurance skyrocket after this ticket?

I got my first speeding ticket the other day.. 70 in a 50. I'm 20 and only a few months away from turning 21 (when rates go down a little). I know there are other things that factor in to this but how much can I expect my insurance rates to go up? Should I pay the court fines and just request supervision to keep it off of my record?

How much is liability insurance?

I am going to be a new driver soon and I will be driving a 4x4 dodge single cab truck and I live in missouri and was wondering how much liabillity insurance would cost per month? Thanks!

""CHEAPER for car insurance, a Acura rsx 2006 or a Honda Civic coupe 2010?

im just trying to save up the extra money

English c european car insurance???

I am with tesco which doesnt offer euro car insurance so I'm wondering if theres a company that you can just buy cover for like a month or something without buying the full year?

How do insurance companies determine fault?

I was in an accident. My insurance company told me I was 0% at fault and the other driver 100% at fault. The other insurance company said i was 50% at fault and the other driver was 50% at fault. what happens next? who suppose to agree with who?

What happens if you get in an accident and your insurance relapsed?!?

We got into a small fender bender and our insurance was expired. What will happen to us?! We renewed that same day RIGHT after the accident.

Repayment of my health insurance premiums?

I received a letter in the mail a week ago, and can't locate it now. It was explaining as to how there is a government program in place to reinburse for health insurance premiums paid if someone in your household gets NC Medicaid? Anyone know about this as for the life of me I can't put my hands on the letter. Any insight would be helpful. Thanks.""

How much would it cost on insurance average for a 17 year old owning a street bike?

im looking at 2012 ninja 250r kawasaki street bike and wondering the average insurance monthly and im 17 years old

""Why do i pay $400 a month for car insurance, is it cause its my first car?""

Why do i pay $400 a month for car insurance, is it cause its my first car?""

HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST IF A PERSON GOT A TICKET FOR DRIVING UNDER SUSPENSION AND NO INSURANCE?

I HAVE BOTH OF THESR AND WANNA KNOW WHATS THE MAXIMUM FEE

Can She Still Get Health Insurance?

My girlfriend and I are moving out to South Dakota in a few months and I was wondering if she would still be covered under her mom's insurance. She is a full-time student and lives with her mother in Wyoming goes to school in Nebraska. She will however be living with me in South Dakota but still a full-time student. Is she still covered under her mothers insurance even though she will not be living under her mother's roof? Thanks!

Help! I need auto insurance fast?

Do I need to mention car insurance claims when going for motorbike insurance?

Title says it all really! I have a car insurance claim against me which I want to know if I have to declare when applying for motorbike insurance. Hopefully not, because motorcycling is quite different to car driving..?! Thanks!""

How much approx. to insure 1100cc for 7 days?

Any help on this question will be appreciated. I'm only looking for an approximation as I've no idea what the general insurance rates are for short term car insurance. Insurance would only need be 3rd part fire and theft. Would it cost me 10, 50 a 100 pounds, I've no idea. Again any help appreciated. Thanks.""

I live in adams wisconsin just got my licence and just got a car wondering what insurance i should get?

I would like to know the cheapest insurance........otherwise i will just go on my dad's insurance

Can I stay on my parents health insurance if I move out?

I am 23 years old and I go to school full time in California. I have a job at a restaurant that does not offer health insurance and my parents would not be contributing financially. If I move out to an apartment, can I stay on my parents health insurance?""

Looking for good company to buy term life insurance?

My husband and I recently purchased a home and have a baby on the way. We are desperately searching for a solid insurance company to purchase a 20yr level term life policy. I have gotten a quote from an independent insurance agent that suggested for Primerica at $95/mo (for both of us with a disability waiver rider) (note: agent is family member), one from SelectQuote for Banner Life (never heard of them) at $64.97/mo for same coverage and waiver, and one from another insurance finder for ING at $72.70. ING has had a good rating but I think they have just been demoted slightly from AM Best and S&P. Any info I find online for customer reviews are all negative for every company I look at (not a single positive review for any). I'm not quite sure how these rates vary so widely. I would rather spend a couple extra dollars a month for peace of mind but I am truly at a loss of what to do. Can anyone make any suggestions or recommendations for a company to go with or look into? Thanks.""

What's the Best Car Insurance?

What's the best car insurance that gives good coverage, good service, and will be cheapest if one has had a minor moving violation in the past 6 months?""

2010 Ford Fusion vs 2011 Hyundai Sonata?

I recently went in resolved to buy a 2011 Sonata at $26, 000 but then I saw at a Ford dealer that the Fusion was $16, 500 on sale from $19,000. I'm conflicted because paying $10,000 more for a Hyundai means I get more features like leather, seat heating, sun roof, more sleek sporty style, etc. But then I can't completely negate the fact that the Ford is so cheap. Which would you pick and why?""

How much will car insurance cost?

I am 19 and got taken off my parents policy because I had to at fault accidents. I am a female college freshman who would be driving a 1996 Honda Accord. About how much Should I expect to pay for auto insurance? I just want basic coverage. Also I have had my license for about 2 and a half years.

A question on fully comprehensive car insurance cover?

im 17 years old and am insured with quinn direct. I was just wondering if i would be able to drive other cars not insured under my name on third party? thanks for the help :)

Would i be to pay for car insurance?

oki so i am on a low wage 447 a month i can get a cheap car i.e ford focus etc etc and wanted to know would about 220 a month cover a monthly cost of car insurance once i have done my test and what not i am also 21 and i could potentially get a black box but would rather avoid one due to the area i live in (other drivers acting like **** and braking hard)

Do you need full coverage on a vehicle thats 4500 thaht you put a 1500 down payment on?!?!?

Because it doesn't make sense for the insurance to be more than the cost of the car

After a motorcycle wreck how much will my insurance go up?

After a motorcycle wreck how much will my insurance go up? I'm 21 and just got the bike a few months ago.

How much does it cost to replace an in-dash navigation system and does insurance cover it?

So here's the story. I was driving in my 2012 Honda Civic today and got angry and punched my navigation system (I know. It was unbelievably stupid. I know.) Anyway, the screen is shattered now, but the system still works. I called up a Honda dealer who said it would cost $3600 not including parts and labor. When I search online, the navigation systems seems to cost between $250 and $700. So what I want to know is, how much should I expect to pay to get this fixed. How long does it take? Will my insurance cover it? If my insurance covers it, will my rates change? Is the dealer the best way to get it fixed? I'm also under my warranty still, is there any way this is covered in my warranty?""

What insurance company is best for self employment health insurance?

I am thinking about becoming self employed. What company offers the best insurance policy for self employed people?

Can I claim my car insurance back? It was cancelled after my car was written off & I couldn't afford another.?

My car insurance company cancelled my insurance because I did not buy another car. I could not get another as I'm still waiting for my excess to be paid out. I had paid 4 months of my annual car insurance so had to pay the remaining balance when they cancelled it. The accident was not my fault. I understand that I have to pay a full year's car insurance but wondered if I could claim for the months which I have not been able to benefit from due to the accident rendering me car-less!

Were is the best place to get cheap car insurance- new driver!?

please dont say money supermarket! The cheapest i found is 900, third party fire and theft. I'm a 24 year old femaile just passed my test!""

Why is my car insurance so expensive?

hi, i tryd luking for car insurance but all of them are expensive, the minimum is 4000 and max in over 10,000. im 19 years old, live in london and i passed my test last week. i knw aome people who are 19 and passed recently and there insurance is only 1000. btw the car has a 1.4 engine and is a 1997 model. also can someone explain to me what no claim bonus means? thanks a lot""

Can my car insurance company raise my rates if my CA Drivers License was put on hold?

I'm just curious. Can they do that? I was pulled over in 2010 for driving without car insurance or registration and I was given a ticket. I never paid it (I didn't have the money at the time but I just paid it off as of Jan 2013) and I got a notice from the DMV saying my DL was going to be placed on hold (basically suspended) until I paid it then it would be released. At the time I found this out I was trying to insure my new car, and the company told me because of that my rates go up. I've seen my DMV record, it does state that my DL was placed on hold, but it didn't cost me any points. So I still have 0 points on my driving record. Can the charge me more for that? Also no judgement please, I dont want to go into a long story. The ticket from 2010 is a long story and partially caused by a controlling abusive ex. He is now gone, and I am almost finished cleaning up the wreckage he caused, the ticket being one of them.""

Help need car insurance I am 21 and dont want the black box :( help please?

anyone knows where i can get cheap car insurance from like 150 to 200 a month let me know am desperate please.......

My car stolen and insurance company is delaying claim?

My car was stolen at my school, after calling the police and everything. I was asking people at school for a ride home one girl told me she was busy and asked her friend to drive me he agreed. When I notified my insurance, he asked for a recorded statement which I gave. Then he wanted the name and contact numbers of the two people I asked for a ride a home. Which took a while to get yet i still got them a gave them to the guy. After they contact the adjuster, I called to try to see whats going on with this claim because its been over 30 days and I am trying to replace my stolen car. He says there are some difference in the three statements he recieved and he has to file some notes and contact me later. I later called the other two people and asked what did they say and to me it seemed the same just in different person view and they also told me they did not remember alot...Can these people cost me my claim? I cooperated and did everything..How long can this take? What else does he need""

Riding a 125 motorbike on fully comp car insurance?

hi does anyone know, if you can ride a 125 motorbike with l pates and cbt on a fully comp car insurance, i know i can drive other vehciles on fully comp insurance but it turns into third party only , can it be done with my motorbike , thanks .""

What insurance companies are available for a 62 person with Diabetes?

62 year old needs health insurance in California. She has type 2 diabetes which has been under control for several years. However, she is ready to retire because no company will hire her. How can she find health insurance?""

My car got hit in the middle of the night. I don't have insurance but the person at fault does.?

I woke up yesterday to find my car hit and another car, with temp tags, abandoned up the road (it had a lot of damage to the front of it, so it was obviously the one that hit mine.) Today the officer who came yesterday called and had found the person at fault and gave me all of their information. I don't have insurance currently, and my car will cost a few $100 to repair, so what can I do with this info?""

How much for mobile home insurance in California.?

I'm looking into buying a mobile home in California. I was wondering how much the average annual premium would be. The value of the home will be around 40-70k, the coverage isn't all that important for this is only temporary, but I would like a little bit over the basic. I know it is hard to give an estimate off of the top of your head but anything helps. Thanks!""

Insurance?

isnt an insurance company suppose to cover your car regradless the person driving it? well my boyfriend was driving my car-just bought-brand new car- and got into an accident. Now my insurance company denied my claim cause they say he wasnt under the insurance. but should my car be cover regradless if the person driving wasnt? I mean I pay monthly payments and then they are just gonna deny me after an accident. could anyone help me? any advice?

Help! I need auto insurance fast?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/esure-bike-insurance-quote-hailey-mccormick/"

0 notes

americanfrolic · 7 years

Photo

We woke early at Blackhawk recreation area and started making our way towards House On The Rocks. Granted it was only 9 miles away it took is a little longer just cause I had Stef walk around in this flower field so I can take some photos of her. When we got to House On The Rocks I really didn't know what to expect, Stef had been there before and tried to explain it to me but I wasn't really getting it.. And after walking through the place {that took 4 hours} I still really don't know if I can truly explain how amazing this place is... So, I will steal some words from their website and try and show you through my photos so you can get an idea what this place is actually like.I would highly recommend going there though, you will not be disappointed.

" The "house" itself is atop Deer Shelter Rock, a column of rock approximately 60 feet (18 m), 70 feet (21 m) by 200 feet (61 m) on the top, which stands in a forest nearby.Additions were made to the original structure and other buildings added over the course of several decades. The complex now features "The Streets of Yesterday", a re-creation of an early twentieth century American town; "The Heritage of the Sea", featuring nautical exhibits and a 200-foot model (61 m) of a fanciful whale-like sea creature; "The Music of Yesterday", a huge collection of automatic music machines; and what the management bills as "the world's largest indoor carousel", among other attractions. During the winter, the attraction features a Christmas theme, with decorations and a large collection of Santa Claus figures. Many of the bathrooms are decorated with strange objects, including mannequins, flowers, and preserved animals.

The earlier structures, namely the House on the Rock itself, the Gate House, and the Mill House, are reminiscent of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, though much less coherently designed than is characteristic of Wright, given its patchwork of external structures and interior spaces. The building actually began partly to spite the master architect, who ran his Taliesin communal school near Spring Green. These early structures feature exposed stone, low ceilings, dark woodwork, and antiques on display.

Jordan sold the house in 1988 to a friend who continued building on the site, adding to the collections of knick-knacks and exhibits featuring authentic pieces, reproductions, and specially-made examples of everything. The most recent addition is the "Spirit of Aviation", a collection of large model airplanes in a themed room. Another exhibit, the "Transportation Building", is under construction, but visitors can walk through and view the work in progress.

Jane Smiley wrote this about the complex in 1993:

Though most people outside of the Midwest have never heard of it, the House on the Rock is said to draw more visitors every year than any other spot in Wisconsin. Also in the Wyoming Valley, but on top of a huge monolith, the House on the Rock reveals the spirit of its builder, Alex Jordan Jr., to be as single-minded and eccentric as Wright's, but in substance almost absurdly opposed.

... And it is hard not to be overwhelmed by the House on the Rock. The sheer abundance of objects is impressive, and the warmth most of the objects exude, the way that the toys ask to be played with, for example, makes the displays inherently inviting. But almost from the beginning, it is too much. The house itself is dusty. Windowpanes are cracked. Books are water damaged. The collections seem disordered, not curated. In fact, there is no effort to explore the objects as cultural artifacts, or to use them to educate the passing hordes. If there were informative cards, it would be impossible to read them in the dark. Everything is simply massed together, and Alex Jordan comes to seem like the manifestation of pure American acquisitiveness, and acquisitiveness of a strangely boyish kind, as if he had finalized all his desires in childhood and never grown into any others."

https://www.thehouseontherock.com/

0 notes

newstfionline · 7 years

Text

The Attack on “Fake News” is Really an Attack on Alternative Media

By Dave Lindorff, ICH, November 08, 2017

These are tough days to be a serious journalist. Report a story now, with your facts all lined up nicely, and you’re still likely to have it labeled “fake news” by anyone whose ox you’ve gored--and even by friends who don’t share your political perspective. For good measure, they’ll say you’ve based it on “alternative facts.”

Historians say the term “fake news” dates from the late 19th-century era of “yellow journalism,” but the term really took off in 2016, a little over a year ago, during Donald Trump’s run for the presidency. It described several different things, from fact-free, pro-Trump online media to sensationalistic and largely untrue stories whose only goal was eyeballs and dollars. During the primary season, Trump himself began labeling all mainstream media stories about him as “fake news.” The idea that there could be different truths, while dating at least back to the administration of President George W. Bush, when his consigliere Karl Rove claimed that the administration “made its own” reality, gained currency when Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, caught making stuff up in a TV interview, claimed that she was relying on “alternative facts.”

That dodge would be fine, on its own. Most people are primed to believe that politicians lie--whatever party or persuasion they represent--so their attempts to deny it when called a conjurer of falsehoods posing tend to be recognized as such.

The corporate media--The New York Times, The Washington Post, the network news programs and even National Public Radio--have all responded to being called liars and “fake news” fabricators by promoting themselves as “the reality-based community” (NPR), or claiming they are fighting the good fight against ignorance, as demonstrated by the Post’s new masthead slogan “Democracy dies in darkness.” The Times has stuck with its hoary “All the news that’s fit to print” slogan, but has added a page-three daily feature listing “noteworthy facts from today’s paper” and has taken to calling out Trump administration whoppers as “lies.”

Last December Congress passed a new law, promptly signed by then-President Barack Obama, that enacted an Orwellian amendment to the Defense Authorization Act of 2017. Called the Countering Disinformation and Propaganda Act, this measure tasks the State Department, in consultation with the Department of Defense, the director of national intelligence and an obscure government propaganda organization called the Broadcasting Board of Governors, to establish a “Center for Information Analysis and Response.” The job of this new center, funded by a $160 million, two-year budget allocation, would be to collect information on “foreign propaganda and disinformation efforts” and “proactively advance fact-based narratives that support United States allies and interests.”

What is “fake news”? The target keeps moving. This might all seem laughable, but as a journalist who has worked in this field for 45 years, in both mainstream newspapers and television and in the alternative media, and as a long-time freelancer who has written for publications as widely varied as Business Week, the Nation, the Village Voice and a collectively run news site called ThisCantBeHappening.net, I have watched as this obsession with “fake news” has turned into an attack on alternative news and alternative news organizations.

Last Nov. 24, The Washington Post published a McCarthyite-style front-page article declaring that some 200 news sites on the web were actually witting or unwitting “purveyors of pro-Russian propaganda.” The article, by Post National Security Reporter Craig Timberg, was based on the work of a shady outfit called PropOrNot, whose owner-organizers were kept anonymous by Timberg and whose source of funding was left unexplained. PropOrNot, Timberg wrote, had developed a list of sites which it had determined to be peddling “pro-Russia propaganda.”

For one of the sites on the list, the prominent left-wing journal Counterpunch, founded decades ago by former Village Voice and Nation columnist Alexander Cockburn, PropOrNot offered up two articles as justification for its designation. One of those articles was by me. It was a piece I’d actually written for ThisCantBeHappening, which had been republished with credit by Counterpunch. The reviewer, a retired military intelligence officer named Joel Harding (who I discovered is linked to Fort Belvoir outside Washington, home to the U.S. Army’s Information Operations Command, or INSCOM), labeled my article “absurdly pro-Russian propaganda.”

In fact, the article was a pretty straightforward report on the Sept. 29, 2016 findings by the joint Dutch-Australian investigation into the July 2014 shoot-down of a Malaysian jumbo passenger jet over Ukraine, which concluded that Russia was the culprit. I noted in the article that this investigation was not legitimate, because two nations--Russia and Ukraine--were known to possess the Buk missiles and launchers that had brought down the plane, but only one of them, Ukraine, was permitted to offer evidence. Russian offers of evidence in the case were repeatedly rebuffed. The report also failed to mention that the Ukrainian government had received veto power over any conclusions reached by the investigators.

Was my report “fake news” or propaganda? Not at all.

The fake news in this case has been what has been written and aired by virtually all of the U.S. media, including the Times, the Post and all the major networks, about that horrific tragedy. They all continue to state as fact that a Russian Buk missile downed that plane, though no honest investigation has been conducted. (Technically it is true that the Buk missiles are all “Russian,” in that they were all manufactured in Russia. Left unsaid is that Ukraine’s military had Buk launchers since their nation was part of the Soviet Union and continued to purchase them after independence.)

“Labeling news reports that you don’t like as ‘fake news’ is the laziest form of media criticism,” says Jim Naureckas, editor of Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting, a New York-based journalism review. “It’s like putting your fingers in your ears and going ‘la la la’ really loudly. Both the government and the corporate media have reasons for not wanting the public to hear points of view that are threats to their power.”

While Kellyanne Conway claimed her right to offer “alternative facts” as a way to justify getting caught in a lie, there are also alternative facts which are real but don’t get reported in the corporate media. A classic example was in the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, when the entire corporate media reported as fact that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and was attempting to develop a nuclear bomb.

There were plenty of alternative news organizations who quoted UN inspectors saying that none of that was true and there were no WMDs or WMD programs in Iraq, but they were simply blacked out by the corporate media like the Times, the Post and the major news networks.

These days another dubious story is that the Russians “hacked” the server of the Democratic National Committee. It may have happened that way, but in fact, the vast intelligence system the U.S. has constructed to monitor all domestic and foreign telecommunications has offered up no hard evidence of such a hack. National Security Agency whistleblower William Binney and retired CIA analyst Ray McGovern have suggested that some evidence indicates a DNC insider must have been involved.

There is certainly fake news all over the internet, and baseless conspiracies run rampant on both the left and the right. But all too often, articles like mine cited by PropOrNot (a genuine purveyor of fake news!) are being labeled as propaganda in what Naureckas says is simply “the use of irony as a defense mechanism” by news organizations that themselves are actually guilty of publishing really fake news, as the Post did with its PropOrNot blacklist “scoop.”

“What the government and the corporate media are trying to do, with the help of the big internet corporations,” argues Mickey Huff, director of the Project Censored organization in California, “is basically to shut down alternative news sites that question the media consensus position on issues.”

Already, Huff charges, there are reports that Facebook is slowing down certain sites that have links on its platform, in a misguided response to charges that it sold ad space to Russian government-linked organizations accused of trying to influence last November’s presidential election.

An end to internet neutrality, the equal access to high-speed internet for surfing and downloading that has been guaranteed to all users--but that is now under attack by the Trump administration, its Federal Communications Commission and a Republican-led Congress--would make it that much easier for such a shutdown of alternative media to happen.

The real answer, of course, is for readers and viewers of all media, mainstream or alternative, to become critical consumers of news. This means not just looking at articles critically, including this one, but going to multiple sources for information on important issues. Relying on just the Times or the Post, or on Fox News or NPR, will leave you informationally malnourished--not just uninformed but misinformed. Even if you were to read both those papers and watch both those networks, you’d often be left with an incomplete version of the truth.

To get to the truth, we need to also check out alternative news sources, whether of the left, right or center--and we need to maintain the critical distinction between unpopular or unorthodox points of view and blatant lies or propaganda. Without such a distinction, and the freedom to make such decisions for ourselves, maintaining democracy will be impossible.

#news #fake news #alternative news #mainstream media

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