#3rd base we go outside during the day

[vixstarria]

Are you mine?

So I was initially going to do maybe 500 words worth of them being cute and cuddly, but then this happened. I have no control at this point, I am just the messenger. 

Astarion x F!Reader, Astarion x Tav, Astarion x Bard Tav, soft Astarion, Astarion POV 

Mostly fluff and comfort with a bit of hurt (Astarion’s past recollections), basically just pillow talk, cuddling, banter, non-explicit, no spoilers 

Very late Act 1 / early Act 2 (pre-confession). I’ve already written past this point earlier, but I think it’s such a fun time to return to for anything flirty, with Astarion being in love but being pissed off and / or in denial about it.  

Approximately 2,000 words 

Being able to get by with little sleep was both a blessing and a curse. In no time at all you were ready to take on whatever the day would throw at you. You were rested, alert, ready for battle. The downside? The amount of time you had to spend alone with your thoughts.   

You weren’t fully alone, not exactly. You laid on your side with your nose buried in her neck, one of your arms underneath the pillow, the other wrapped around her, your leg following the bend of hers like you were chasing her warmth, bare skin on bare skin, your bodies filling each other’s nooks so perfectly.  

You could have been up and doing something useful, you supposed, but you didn’t want to waste a precious second of being able to just hold her. 

You winced and sighed, having caught yourself on that thought.  

Pathetic idiot... 

The truth was, you knew you were living on borrowed time.  

Oh you toyed with the idea of amassing more tadpoles for more powers and seeing how long and how far you could take this, but in your heart of hearts you knew this was a lunatic idea. The absolute best-case scenario was that one way or another, the tadpole would be removed from your brain, removing all its benefits alongside it. 

Then, you would spend the rest of your eternal life in the shadows, forever looking over your shoulder in fear of being dragged back to Cazador.  

You would never see the sun again.  

You would probably never see her again.  

Suddenly feeling choked up, despite not really even needing to breathe, you pressed your lips against the small of her neck, pausing then landing a few more small, soft kisses along her shoulder. 

She stirred and rolled over onto her stomach, looking at you with a knowing smile through her mess of hair. 

Shit. 

“Oh... I thought you were asleep,” you said. 

“I know...” she replied, stretching lazily. “You only kiss me like that when you think I’m sleeping.” 

So many implications in that statement. Your mind immediately churned out a dozen ways to respond, deflecting, denying, joking or otherwise brushing it off. But you wanted to see where leaning into it might take you.  

“Do I..? Here, I’ll fix that.” 

You leaned toward her, placing a soft kiss on her lips. Just your lips brushing against hers, petal-soft. She closed her eyes and hummed in pleasure as you trailed your lips further along her skin, leaving featherlight kisses from the corner of her mouth further up the side of her face.  

You were careful to keep the kisses tender rather than sensual. Not something you were accustomed to, at all. She smiled and squirmed a little as your lips dipped below her jawline near her earlobe. 

“That tickles...” she murmured, making you chuckle.  

“My sweet girl,” you whispered, nuzzling her ear. 

Ugh, where in the hells did that come from..? you thought, startled. 

She noticed. Of course she noticed. 

She shifted onto her side, propping herself up with an elbow and resting her head on her hand.  

“Am I? Yours?” There it was again, that knowing, quizzical look.  

“Are you not?” you asked.  

“Hmm... How can I tell?” 

“Isn’t it obvious?” you flashed her a roguish grin, which she ignored. 

“Should it be? Is there something you’ve done to claim me as yours?” 

Her words might have stung, had her tone not been so playful rather than mocking. She was encouraging, not denying you.  

I don’t suppose she’s going to count all the unspeakable things we’ve done to each other. I guess I wouldn’t either. 

“Is that what you want me to do?” you asked, slowly tracing a finger down her arm.  

“That depends... Do you want me to be yours?” 

This conversation was idiotic. Why was it making you increasingly giddy? 

“Come now, we have been doing this for how long? Are we really going to be coy about whether or not we like each other?” you asked, trying to sound assured rather than flustered.  

She leaned forward, as if to reveal a secret for your ears only. 

“That’s not quite what we’re being coy about, now is it?” she whispered, before placing a lingering kiss on your lips.  

You were completely out of your depth in this kind of flirting, if one could call it that. Concentrating on the physical and sexual, dropping innuendos, hinting at promises you had no intention of keeping, teasing, arousing, adding in just the right amount of vulgarity to otherwise honeyed words to make them blush and stammer in trepidation... That you could do all day as an afterthought, all while mulling over something you had read earlier, or otherwise being a thousand leagues away with your thoughts.  

But this... It was like she was playing with and delicately caressing your innermost, rawest feelings, all whilst inviting you to do the same with hers. Sex was barely even a consideration. This was an entirely different dance. And it was exhilarating. 

Before you could think of what to say, she moved on. 

“You know, Lae’zel propositioned me earlier,” she said, briefly burying her face in her hands and shaking her head with a quiet, incredulous laugh.  

“She did what? ...And how did that go?” 

“It was very... Lae’zel. I wasn’t sure whether she was offering to kill me or fuck me at first. I had to politely decline.” 

“And you didn’t tell me?” you frowned. 

“Should I have?” She studied you with a curious look, resting her chin on her hands. “How would it make you feel? If I accepted her offer?”  

Like the whole world was pulled out from beneath my feet. Again. 

“You and Lae’zel? Hmm. Sounds like something I’d pay to watch.” 

“That’s not what I asked.” Her eyes seemed to be piercing straight into your soul. You had to quickly do a double-take on whether your tadpole might have been betraying anything to hers, before rebuking yourself. She wouldn’t pry like that.  

Your eyes roamed around the tent as you tried to assemble some words that weren’t too far from or too close to the truth. 

“Lae’zel is... exotic. Far be it for me to stand between anyone and such an... ‘outlandish’ experience. But I would prefer to have you all to myself, if it’s all the same to you. I don’t devote all that time to making sure that pretty head of yours stays on your shoulders just to have Lae’zel decapitate you in her throes of passion.” 

“That’s still not what I asked, but I’ll let it slide,” she rolled her eyes. “Getting a straight answer from you is like trying to seduce a blushing maiden.” 

“A riveting challenge?” 

“A tiresome one. That’s most likely not worth the effort.” 

How many blushing maidens have you seduced?   

“Alright, fine, I admit I might be a bit jealous. ...On top of being concerned for your wellbeing, darling.” 

“Just a bit jealous?” she teased. 

“Matters of honour would demand that I challenge her to a duel,” you sighed. 

“You have no honour. And she would crush you.” 

“I know. But I would die a hero’s death. Songs about me would live through the ages. ...You might need to write them for me.” 

“Sure, right after I wrote songs about how I conquered a githyanki,” she snorted. “Or perhaps songs about being conquered by one myself? I could spin it either way. Which do you think would stir more loins?” 

“I don’t know and my own loins are taking no part of this. Now are you going to keep talking nonsense, or will you go back to sleep already?” 

“Why, so you can sneak more tender little kisses on me?” she laughed. 

You didn't really want her to fall back asleep. Talking with her kept your darker thoughts at bay. What you did want, was to feel her wrapped around you again. 

“You know what? If you’re not going to sleep, you may as well carry on with your business, and I’ll meditate sitting up for a change.”  

You snatched the blanket from her, making her exclaim a sharp “Hey!” as the cold mountain air touched her bare skin, and wrapped it around yourself, settling in a cross-legged position. Moments later, she was on your lap, facing you with her legs wrapped around your hips. Just as you anticipated. You smirked and accepted her in your blanket cocoon, wrapping an arm around her waist and holding her close as you kissed her. 

“So, my blushing maiden,” she said as she leaned away from you, slightly, stretching her arms around your neck and resting her forearms on your shoulders. “It seems I have you backed up against a wall. I won’t force you – do what you will with your virtue. But you must decide. Will you give in willingly? Or deny me, and spend the rest of your life wondering: what if?” She leaned in to whisper the last two words dramatically. “I will ask you again: do you want me to be yours?” 

You wondered if she had any idea how apt that comparison really was to how you felt. 

Or how eerily similar it was to some of the tactics you yourself employed when luring in your victims. Hells, even the words were almost identical to some of the ones you’ve used. To make them surrender with reckless abandon, throwing all caution to the wind, blinded by your promises. Cattle rushing happily to the slaughter. 

You knew all this. You’d seen it countless times. But just then, you also saw there was no malice in her eyes. Only something like hope that she was trying to mask with mischief.  

Wherever she was leading you, you wanted to follow.  

“Fine,” you said softly, looking into her eyes. “I do want you to be mine. And no, I don’t want to share you with anyone.” You felt oddly elated as the words left your mouth. “I’d feel compelled to dismember any hand that touched you, so to give me a fair chance at survival, could you stay away from Lae’zel? Please?” 

She grinned and grasped your face in her hands, pressing her lips against yours. 

“Good girl,” she purred, still grinning, earning herself a sharp pinch on her bottom, making her jolt before she continued. “This leads me to my next question: do you want to be mine?” 

There it was. The trap beyond the lure. You saw it clear as day. And still, you wanted to follow her. 

“Darling, after the past 200 years, I’m really not disposed to letting anyone else claim ownership of me”. You watched her smile falter, and you hurriedly continued before it turned to sadness or disappointment, or worse, pity, and spread to her eyes. “But I just might make an exception for you… If the offer is mutual.” You took one of her hands in yours. “So, are you? Mine?” you asked, placing a kiss on her knuckles.  

Who’s backed against a wall now? 

"Of course I am. As if you even needed to ask.” She touched her forehead against yours before placing another kiss on your lips. Did she have to sound so triumphant saying that? “I am yours and no one else’s. Now you say it.”  

Ah, still me. 

Still, you fought hard not to laugh as a feeling of relief spread warmly throughout your body. You hadn’t even noticed how tense you were. 

“Alright, alright...” You cleared your throat and held a dramatic pause before continuing. “You are mine and no one else’s.” 

She let out an exasperated growl and grabbed and twisted one of your nipples. You chortled even as you yelped, grabbing the offending hand and holding it behind her back. She immediately made another attempt with her other hand, which you also successfully intercepted, now holding both her arms behind her. Refusing to give up, she went for your shoulder with her teeth, with a maniacal giggle, as you laughed and tried to fend her off with your chin.  

“Yes, I’m yours, I’m yours, you feral wildcat! I’m yours... Only yours.” you declared hastily into her hair somewhere near her ear, as she calmed down. “I mean it. Now behave! I always ask before I bite, don’t I?” you said, releasing her arms. 

She attempted to glare at you, her eyes narrowed, but couldn’t keep her face straight and broke into a grin again.  

“Well... Look at us...” she drawled, placing her arms back onto your shoulders. “Snatched up onto the nautiloid with nothing but the clothes on our backs, and now we’ve each got a whole other person.” 

She looked so pleased and happy... Why..? This couldn’t last. No matter how much you wanted it to. …Could it..?  

You were falling, deeper and deeper. 

My love... My sweet, sweet love... Where are you taking me? 

~~~~~ 

Next in series - Gentle warding bond

Want more of these two? There’s more. Series master list. 

AO3

[chirpsythismorning]

This is everything the Stranger Things writers have posted publicly about the WGA strike:

TIMELINE

May 3rd:

Stranger Things writer Caitlin Schneiderhan tweets picture from personal Twitter account of sign from the strike that reads 'Pay us or Steve Harrington is toast'

May 6th:

Official Stranger Writers Twitter account makes post on behalf of the Duffers Brothers. They have since pinned this tweet to their profile. "Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then -- over and out. #wgastrong

Bonus:

May 12th:

Stranger Things writer Kate Trefry posts picture from personal Tumblr account of sign that reads, 'Byler won’t write itself'

As far as I know, the two writers that posted on their personal socials are the only writers from ST that even have personal accounts that are public, whereas the rest of the writers do not.

What does make me take a pause though, is that, while yes they did post these pictures from their personal accounts, which is about as official as it gets, they also cryptically did not include themselves in said pictures...

This just got me thinking about how Stranger Things is quite literally Netflix and vise versa. They are practically one in the same, where one without the other just doesn't make sense.

While this conflict of interest might run deep for many writers out there fearing to speak out against their employer, for us, the consumers, the fans, we as a collective have so much more power than we realize.

In contrast to the writers, streamers can't just fire their consumer base sometime down the line, out of spite for speaking out. Without consumers, neither Stranger Things nor Netflix would be what it is today.

We have the affordance of being able to speak up the loudest of anyone. And so why wouldn't we take advantage of that?

There are so many people out there protesting: writers, actors, others in the industry and even outside of it who are also taking a stand, many who need support so that they can continue to fight in the upcoming days, weeks, months, without being deterred by corporations that are making them feel greedy for demanding a contract that at most, asks that they be paid fairly.

And so I want to encourage anyone that is reading this, but fellow fans of Stranger Things especially, who have so much power in this strike when it comes to getting Netflix's attention, to consider taking the time to do whatever you can individually + with the masses as a community in order to best support the strike.

Follow the Strike! If you're active on various social media already, please be sure to follow the official accounts advocating for the strike via Instagram (@writersguildwest/@wgaeast), via Twitter (@WGAWest/@WGAEast). Engage with posts from folks that are out there daily, many with whom you can find by following tags like #WGAStrong, #WGAStrike and #WritersStrike. Although most fans are not able to join in picketing themselves, we can at least recognize all of those out there's individual efforts and do our best to show that we're paying attention and listening!

Spread the word! Show support any way you can by sharing posts and articles about the strike, or even fun memes to inform others in a more engaging way. This is the official site for the WGA strike if you want to learn more about what’s going on before diving in! And make sure to stay up-to-date here as things continue to unfold!

Donate! The Entertainment Community Fund is endorsed by the WGA for anyone that wants to support those affected by the strike financially. And this thread on Twitter is an incredible resourse, as it provides an ‘easy, one-click, stress-free, accessible-to-all-budgets’ ways you can support folks on the front lines.

Also! Consider donating through this link for the Entertainment Community Fund, where the money donated still goes directly to that fund, this is just an organizing page for Stranger Things fans specifically! By allowing fans to see how much of an impact we make as a collective, in real time, this could encourage even more ST fans to want to contribute. In a best case scenario, if this GoFundMe were to reach impressive proportions of donations from fans, that could lead to news outlets reporting on it, which could allow an opportunity for even more eyes on the strike, while also even more importantly being able to provide financial support to those that need it.

Trend! On social media, use #StrangerFansforWGA to trend or even just to reach other fans also looking to come together to support the strike!

While I know this post probably wont reach anywhere outside of Tumblr, I want to make a point to encourage those of you that are on other platforms to inform fans in those spaces about the strike and what they can do to help!

We might not all agree on everything, but I think we can agree on at least one thing... @Netflix & all major streamers and networks out there, who are still refusing to make a fair deal: PAY YOUR WRITERS!

In the mean time, if you're interested in working on different ideas for initiates we can carry out as a fandom, please reach out to me! I might only one person and I might not have all the answers and solutions, but I do know that with more of us working together, our odds of making an impact are much greater!

Over and out!

[havendance]

No Man’s Land Event Timeline

I am of the opinion that more people should write fic set in No Man's Land, but considering it's like, 80 issues long (not counting the lead up) I've made this timeline to make it easier for people who don't have time to spend like a month reading comics. (And also as a reference for myself. So, ever wondered what went down in No Man's Land? This is for you.

(For a timeline of comics that made up the event you can check the other timeline I made here)

(Also available to read on AO3 for your convenience)

Part 1: The Quake

Before we actually get to No Man’s Land Proper, we need to get some facts down about why it happened in the first place. Which means we’re going to be touching on Batman: Cataclysm. (The Batman: Contagion event (where Gotham got hit by a plague known as the Clench) also happened prior to this and contributed to No Man's Land being a thing, but this timeline is already long enough as it is so we won't be going into detail about that.)

In late June/early July, at 7:03pm, a quake 7.6 on the Richter scale hit’s Gotham

While we don’t know the exact date, Batman chronicles #14 reveals that it’s before July fourth.

When the quake hits:

Bruce, Alfred, and Harold are all in the Batcave

Dick is in Bludhaven

Tim is on a plane flying back to Gotham

He’s just resolved to open up to his dad. That doesn’t actually happen.

Helena Bertinelli (a.k.a the Huntress) is in a subway car

Stephanie is at the mall

Catwoman is breaking into a building

Azrael is handing Bane off to the GCPD (Bane gets away)

After the quake dies down:

A number of prisoners escape Blackgate (including Cluemaster)

Lots of people die

Batman, Robin, and Nightwing all run rescue efforts. Huntress and Catwoman are also shown helping out

Alfred and Harold work to repair the manner and clear the batcave 

Batman runs around in a bat-monster truck (Not particularly plot relevant, but it looks cool)

Bruce works tirelessly both as Batman and Bruce Wayne to try and aid rescue efforts, pour in relief funds, and convince business owners to remain in Gotham

Part 2: The Abandonment of Gotham

Bruce goes to DC to speak to congress in hopes of securing federal aid for Gotham

However, giving aid to Gotham is *wildly* unpopular and he fails

An executive order declares Gotham No Man’s Land

The city is given 48 hours to evacuate before they blow up the bridges. People with a criminal record are not allowed out.

Later comics reference Black Monday which means that presumably the government gave Gotham a weekend to evacuate.

In Batman: No Man’s Land Secret File #1, it’s revealed that the bridges were blown at Midnight on New’s Year’s Day

(Personally, I don’t think this date makes sense, largely based off of vibes, but also partially based off of dates given later. It’s the perennial comics retcon at work. Regardless, since it’s a solid date, I’ll be calculating later dates based off of it. I think I’m also going to have to make a timeline that I don’t hate where I just ignore this though)

During this Jim Gordon tries to get a job outside of Gotham before discovering that he’s a laughing stock outside the city and deciding to stay in No Man’s Land instead

Barbara Gordon also decides to remain in Gotham

Part 3: No Man’s Land

We open 93 days after they blew the bridges

While vibe-wise, it feels like late fall/early winter to me, based off of the New Year’s day Black Monday date, it’s April 3rd. (Yeah, I don’t think the date makes any sense, but I like numbers so I’ll keep doing the math.)

The next time check in we’re given is 127 days in. It’s noted that it’s the tail end of the Winter. (Date wise this would be May 7th)

(Look, maybe weather’s just different in New Jersey, but May does not feel like the tail end of winter to me.)

Status Quo:

Batman is who knows where. None of his allies have seen or heard from him.

We later learn that he went on a Bruce Wayne guilt bender and tried to bury his guilt over failing Gotham in partying.

Oracle is based out of the clocktower. She gains intel through a network of informants and food by using her knowledge of the city’s fallout shelters.

Jim Gordon is running what remnants of the GCPD remained in No Man’s Land along with his wife, Sarah Essen. He’s currently angry with Batman for disappearing and will remain so for some time.

Helena Bertinelli is both operating as Huntress and has recently taken up a Bat-themed mantle. She calls herself the Bat, but she is later referred to as Batgirl.

Though not mentioned in the opening salvo, we later learn that Leslie Thomkins remained in No Man’s Land and is operating a medical aid camp clinic place thing.

We also later learn that Alfred Pennyworth spent his time up to this point wandering around Gotham, helping people out, delivering at least one baby, and raising moral through storytelling and performances.

Outside of Gotham:

Nightwing is facing the usual combination of corruption and crime in Blüdhaven.

Robin has moved to Keystone City with his dad.

Stephanie Brown is approximately 7-8 months pregnant and living in the Gotham area outside of the No Man’s Land zone.

Azrael is doing stuff I guess? I think he’s chasing down some villain dude? Look, does anyone really care about Azrael?

(Note from future Havendance: Okay, so No Man’s Land actually made me care some about Azrael)

Catwoman. I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you what Catwoman’s up to either. She’s not in Gotham, I can tell you that much.

100 days into No Man’s Land (April 10th), Batman shows back up. (Alfred Pennyworth is with him). The GCPD take back Old Town (I think? It’s the part of Gotham with the clock tower). Barbara and her father are reunited.

Before the next timeline checkpoint various things happen:

Azrael enters No Man’s Land

Batman begins working with Batgirl

Batman makes a deal with the Penguin to establish himself back in Gotham and gain information

Batman makes a deal with a former enemy (Lockup) to get Blackgate prison up and running.

Black Mask is locked inside, taking him off the map.

Barbara Gordon discovers that there is someone else operating as Batgirl

Superman shows up for a day to try and lend a hand.

127 days into No Man’s Land (May 27th). The tail end of winter. A lot of politics/land war stuff goes down.

Pre shuffle map:

(Unfortunately, I don’t believe their’s a post-shuffle map)

The Penguin makes a deal with Two Face to get at Batman. The GCPD makes a deal with Two Face to get at the Penguin’s territory. The end result is that Two Face takes Batman’s territory and the GCPD take half of Penguin’s territory.

Meanwhile, Outside of No Man’s Land:

Stephanie Brown gives birth

The Drakes move back to the Gotham area

Dick Grayson enters the police academy, hoping to root out the corruption on the force from the inside

As a result of all the politics/land war shuffle up:

Two Face hires David Cain to try and kill Jim Gordon. He’s stopped by Batman with the help of Cassandra Cain (currently without a name).

Batman finally admits that he can’t take care of the city on his own and calls in help.

Batman fires Helena Bertinelli from Batgirl for not adhering to his impossibly high standards. He gives the mantle to Cassandra Cain.

Also around this time, Jim Gordon punches Batman in the face. Which isn’t particularly plot relevant, but I thought you should know.

Once everyone’s assembled (Around day 189 (July 7th))

Azrael and Batgirl are sent to take down Nicholas Scratch — a charismatic radio personality who pushed for No Man’s Land to be a thing in the first place, now in the city and causing trouble.

Nightwing is sent to take control of Blackgate back from Lockup. He succeeds but gets beat to hell and has to be nursed back to health by Barbara Gordon.

Batman and Robin investigate Poison Ivy’s hold on Robinson Park. They find that she and the orphans she’d taken under her protection have been imprisoned by Clayface and end up working with her to take him down. The end of this storyline is noted to be the first day of summer.

( Side note here, officially, the first day of summer is on June 21st, which would put the start of No Man’s Land back before the New Year’s date. And honestly, July feels way too late for the first day of summer, but I don’t know why I’m trying to get a consistent timeline out of comics in the first place. *sigh* I’ll just stick a timeline that I think works better at the end of all of this.)

Around this time:

Jim Gordon attempts to break off his deal with Two Face. Two Face does not like that, and as a result he takes Rene Montoya and her family hostage.

Helena Bertinelli, now back to the Huntress mantel, teams up with Petit who broke off from the GCPD for being a little too into shooting people.

Catwoman is recruited by Batman to steal some discs with data on them that he says is vital to restoring Gotham. She succeeds but then proceeds to sell the data to the highest bidder. At this point in time, it’s unclear if Batman ever gets the data.

Side note, but apparently before all this, she managed to get elected the mayor of New York and then had to fake her death by having Catwoman push Selina Kyle off a building. It all sounds wild. Maybe I should be reading the Catwoman comics…

Bane enters Gotham, recruited by a mysterious outside influence (Later revealed to be an agent of Lex Luthor). He’s apparently no longer on venom? Idk, I don’t really care about Bane. This timeline is somewhat biased in case you couldn’t tell.

Robin gets in the middle of a three-way battle in the subway between the Ratcatcher, Mr Freeze, and two guys whose names I don’t remember. He ends up sick due to a nasty combination of rat bites and sewage (excellent sickfic potential, that’s all I’m saying)

Side note: in this story, we learn that apparently a bunch of Tim's old classmates are larping as their DnD characters in the sewers of No Man’s Land which is one of those details I feel compelled to share with you.

Also at this time, Stephanie’s mom learns about her being Spoiler and tells her to stop.

Batman teams up with Lynx to take down a gang in Chinatown that’s enslaving people to generate electric power.

Harley Quinn shows up for the first time, dating the Joker.

Bane blows up Gotham’s Hall of Records.

Meanwhile, the Street Demonz hit up Two Face’s territory, capturing him and nearly executing him via hanging before Batman and Robin save him for… reasons. I’m honestly not sure why. Because Two Face is too popular of a villain to kill I guess.

A later retcon says that Batman actually blew up the hall of records? For reasons that are also unclear? Whatever.

Superman visits Gotham again, this time helping people out in civilian form.

Killer Croc makes a move on the Penguin’s territory. He’s stopped by Robin (still recovering from his illness) and a temporary alliance between the Penguin and the GCPD.

During this story it’s also revealed that it’s been about two weeks since Tim and Dick entered Gotham.

However, this should be taken with a grain of salt since also in this story, Rene Montoya is shown to be back with the GCPD which, as I’ll get to in the next bullet point, implies that months must have passed since he entered.

Tim also calls his dad and lets him know that he’s in No Man’s Land. This leads to his dad calling his senator and the fact that Tim’s in No Man’s Land becomes a national news story.

Note: We’ll be coming back to this.

Two Face kidnaps Jim Gordon and holds a trial for him regarding the deal they previously made. Despite the fact that Two Face is literally the only person running the trial, Gordon is found Not Guilty. As a result of this trial Rene Montoya and her family are freed and Two Face is arrested, taking him off the map.

Look, please just read Batman #572 and Detective Comics #739. A summary does not do this justice.

Timeline wise, the trial reveals that Rene has been held by Two Face for five months. This would be at minimum, three full months and two parts of a month, meaning between 120 and 150 days have passed. This would put us between day 300 and day 330 of No Man’s Land. I’m going to assume day 300 since our next check in is day 312. Going off the New Year’s day zero date, this would put us in Late October.

Following this, Jim Gordon and Batman finally make up.

Catwoman re-enters Gotham and hands off the data to Batman (An event so important that it’s shown in near-identical detail in *three* separate comic issues. I’m not annoyed.)

This retroactively pushes Batman contacting her and her whole heist deal to happen circa day 300 of No Man’s Land.

At an unclear point in the chronology, while Barbara’s nursing Dick back to health, Petit’s faction attempts to kidnap Barbara. Huntress is initially aiding him, before turning against him (temporarily).

Our Next solid date Day 312 of No Man’s Land (November 8th):

Lex Luthor enters Gotham and begins to rebuild as part of a larger plot to gain control over Gotham.

The Joker begins making plans

Huntress is finding herself chafing more in her partnership with Petit

Roughly day 323 of No Man’s Land, an executive order is signed that will No Man’s Land on January 1st (the one year anniversary)

During the last month of No Man’s Land:

Lex Luthor and the government lead various rebuilding efforts

Azrael and Batgirl assist Batman in going up against the Joker a couple of times

Catwoman spends time messing with Lex Luthor

Batman convinces Bane to leave Gotham. We learn that he was apparently promised rule of Santa Prisca by Luthor in exchange for his services.

Christmas Eve (And at some point in the night, Christmas Day) — shit hits the fan.

The Joker makes his move, attacking Petit’s territory. Petit and many of his men are killed by the Joker. Huntress makes a final stand, nearly dying at the Joker's hands before Batman and Nightwing show up and chase the Joker away.

The Joker also kidnaps, like, all the babies in No Man’s Land, and also sets up a bunch of bombs, sending Batman and his allies racing on a search across Gotham

Sarah Essen (Gordon’s Wife) is shot and killed by the Joker

December 31st (and at midnight January 1st)

Sarah’s funeral happens.

Batman thwarts Lex’s plan to own all of Gotham with the help of Lucius Fox

No Man’s Land ends.

(Whew, that was like 2000 words of timeline.)

Appendix 1: Just how long did Tim spend in Gotham?

(Yes this timeline has appendices. I’ve put far too much thought into everything)

But wait! Remember how I said we’d come back to Tim calling his dad? That time is now. At some point in this timeline, pressured by public opinion, the president issues an executive order to extract Tim from No Man’s Land. The thing about this plot point is that I have *no* idea when it happens. It could happen anywhere between three weeks after Tim enters No Man’s land (so about day 210) to December.

If we go solely off the Robin comics, roughly two weeks after Tim enters No Man’s Land, he becomes a major new story and an unspecified amount of time later (though one that feels short) he is extracted. (The grass is green and there are leaves on the trees in the art implying summer or early fall at the latest).

However, in the main bat comics, Tim is shown popping up here and there in supporting roles until literally the end of No Man’s Land. We do know, at minimum, that Tim is out of No Man’s Land in time to spend Christmas Eve with his dad (before somehow sneaking out and into No Man’s Land in time to help out with the whole chasing down the Joker drama). There’s a panel where they sort of vaguely make a reference to the fact that Tim has been sneaking into No Man’s Land to help out Batman, but no indication as to how long that’s been going on.

So, in conclusion. Tim is extracted from No Man’s Land whenever is most convenient for whatever story you want to tell. I think in my personal timeline, I’d put it at roughly day 300 after the Batman and Gordon reconciliation to have it line up with Luthor putting PR pressure on the government, but honestly canon is so contradictory on this point that it could go any way.

Appendix B: My Personal Ideal No Man’s Land Timeline

So, as mentioned above. I will accept the New Year’s Black Monday date for some canon purposes. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. My ideal timeline (a.k.a the one I’m going to use when I end up writing fic) would end up extending No Man’s Land so that it begins earlier and lasts longer:

Late October/Early November: Day zero of No Man’s Land

Batman enters on Day 100 so roughly February

Day 127 of No Man’s Land (The land war, tail end of winter) lands in late March

Day 189 (Bats assemble, First day of summer) is placed in late May (a little early, but we can go more metaphorical here)

This is about where those extra months I added go, during all the vague Bat stuff that goes on before Luthor enters Gotham

Luthor still enters Gotham in November

All the Christmas stuff goes down the same. 

No Man’s Land still ends on New Year’s Day for the symbolism.

[winter2468]

David Haller: 1st base, we kiss with tongue. David: 2nd base, I anxiety vomit in front of you. David: 3rd base, we go outside during the day.

[yridenergyridenergy]

Hi sorry it may sound stupid but I just got an exclusive ticket to their live concert on 3rd June in Nagoya and this is my first time to visit them! (and alone lol so I'm bit nervous right now)Wondering what preparation should I do? like how early should i arrive at the venue and can I use english when i buy merchandise etc.

thank u!

Hello! It is not a stupid question at all. I don't kow if you ever went to see Dir en grey outside of Japan even, but there are definitely differences to know about.

Chronologically, if you are interested in merchandise, be prepared to dedicate almost your entire day for that. People usually line up from 8-9AM until the venue staff distributes numbers. When the merchandise table actually opens, usually around 3PM (but 2PM in the case of the June 3rd show), then you come back and you will have the priority based on your position in the morning's line. However that's IF the venue does distribute number papers. I have gone to a Zepp Nagoya show where we were forced to line up right until 3PM without ever being given numbers, which was very problematic because we weren't prepared for that and had no food, and I think it started raining at some point.

Eventually, not sure if only around 3PM or some time after noon or something else, the day's panel will be set up and you can take pictures of it. Technically, it will be there until after the show too, but it can be nice to capture it in photographs while the light/shadow contrast is not too high.

When 2PM comes around and the merchandise begins selling, unfortunately don't expect the staff to speak English. However, the table will usually have plastified sheets listing all the goods with pictures, so you can probably understand each other by pointing to what you want and gesturing how many you would like. In Japan, when ordering something, most places/people will double-check with you what your final order is before charging you. Just don't appear rude despite the language barrier, and make sure to finish with a kind "Arigatou gozaimasu" of course! If you're worried about the impression you leave, you could probably start the conversation with "Sumimasen" too.

From what I remember, they accept credit cards, not just cash.

The only thing left after that is the actual start of the show. Seeing as the June 3rd concert will take place in a venue with seats, then you literally don't have to show up before 6PM. By then, most of the fans will have already entered the venue, so you will avoid the rush. Also, Dir en grey almost never starts their shows on time, but it can be fun to be there ahead of time and get impregnated with the playlist they decided for the music playing before the concert starts. This tour's playlist has some really 'intimidating' songs. I would really recommend going early (the doors open 45 minutes before 6PM) to experience it, because it gets you in a certain mood for the show!

Unlike numbered tickets, seat-assigned concerts probably just have people enter based on first-come, first-served basis, in a disciplined line (or two). No need to rush, nobody will take your seat. By the way, try to look at the venue's seat map ahead of time to know where you are seated, in case it is a bit confusing in person. For example, I think it was the Yokosuka hall this month that had AA and BB rows in front of A, B, C, etc.

Inside the venue, keep in mind that food is usually prohibited, but you can bring (non-alcoholic?) beverages in bottles. Seeing as you will have a seat, you don't need to worry about being lightweight like in general admission venues. Any bag you bring and the exclusive goods bag that you will receive can be placed in your seat while you stand up during the show.

In the last two seated shows, for some reason the venue staff checked everyone's bag to make sure that there was no filming equipment. Not sure if something oot leaked throughout the first half of May, as they did not do that in Yokosuka. Those checks usually don't occur for general admission standing venues.

Last thing I can think of: the exclusive goods bag is usually at a table inside the venue. You can technically get yours before or after the show, as they should have enough for all exclusive or VIP ticket holders, but it might be good to get that taken care of before the show starts, to be at peace of mind and not forget. There should be a sign up somewhere mentioning the exclusive goods, but if you don't read Japanese, try to look around not too far from either the venue's or the concert room's doors for a table that has many rectangular bags lined up. Once you locate it, you will need to present the paper ticket that you were handed when you entered the venue, as the staff member will stamp the back of it. That prevents people from frauding and trying to get more than one bag per ticket.

Perhaps half of this was totally unnecessary and is obvious, but I prefered to list everything that came to my mind. Have an awesome show and let loose vocally and spatially! Nyaaagoooyaaaaaaa!

[kitweewoos]

Life After Pat

Time forgot Patrick Halstead and what he did, but his sons didn't. The families of his victims didn't. On November 3rd, 2001, Patrick Halstead was arrested for the murder of Alice Newman, a college student from University of Illinois who went missing a week prior to his arrest. Her body was found in the freezer kept inside the shed outside of the Halstead family home, and was reported to the police by Patrick's youngest son, Jay at the age of 14. He was suspected of murdering as many as seven young women from 1989 to 2001 when he was apprehended, however due to a lack of evidence, Patrick was only charged for the murder of three of the seven, Alice Newman, Cassidy Clarke, and Sarah Williams, all college students. The body of alleged murder victim Sandra O'Connell was never located, but it is believed that Halstead was responsible for her disappearance and ultimately her death. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences to be served at the Cook County Jail.

It's been years, and the news cycle moved on from Patrick Halstead. The nightmares, though, followed Will and Jay Halstead throughout their lives into adulthood. The nightmares, the sleepless nights, the anxiety, the constant hyper-vigilance and the paranoia, all of it following them when they try and move past this trauma. Will sought professional help after nearly a month without a full night's rest and scraping by during his senior year of college, and while working through his traumatic past, discovered something he didn't want to remember.

Will was eight years old when he'd walked into the garage, his tummy upset and needing his dad to get the medicine down from the top shelf. What he got instead was witnessing his father strangling a bloodied and beaten girl with hair just like his mom's before she died. Will had tried to back out, pretend he hadn't seen anything, but Patrick caught him, and forced him to assist in getting the girl into the family truck, and drove them out into a small wooded area. He was handed a shovel and told to start digging straight down at the base of a big pine tree. Will was tired, and small, but he worked because his dad had always scared him, especially since his mom had died. The girl was whimpering still, her breathing ragged, when Patrick put her in the hole and pushed dirt on top of her. Will sat in the bed of the truck, hands covered in dirt and blisters, and he wanted to throw up, but he was too afraid. When Patrick was done, he grabbed Will hard by the wrist and told him to keep this between them. Will nodded, but couldn't say anything. He was afraid if he opened his mouth, he was going to puke all over his dad, and his dad would put him in that hole too.

He's twenty eight when he remembers where the body is buried, and turns the information over to the police. He's sitting next to Jay in the interview room of the 21st district, his head buried in his hair as he remembers the sounds she made, that she was still alive when he'd helped bury her.

"I killed her," Will whispers. "No, you didn't," Jay assures him. "Dad did that. Dad was at fault here." "She was alive, Jay, when we got to the woods. She was alive when I buried her." "You were eight. What did you expect to do, Will? Overpower him? Cell phones didn't exist for us back then so you couldn't have called the police. You were a child afraid for your life, and he was the adult who knew better." "Am I going to be charged with accessory or something?" "No," Voight says, and Will looks up at him. "Your brother is right. You were eight. You were doing what you had to in order to survive. The district attorney won't be filing any kind of charges against you for that. And what you're doing right now will bring peace to a family who hasn't had answers in twenty years. You did good, kid."

They still have nightmares, about bodies in the freezer, about their father standing over a grave they were laying in as he shoveled dirt on top of them, but every day, they continued to live. They learned how to breathe easier with their father's convictions on their backs. Will testifies against his father in court when he's charged with Sandra O'Connell's murder, and Jay stands next to him throughout it all, a united front against their father. Life isn't easier. The sun feels wrong. His happiness feels unearned. But each day gets easier for Jay and Will Halstead, and Patrick Halstead stays in prison where he belongs until the day he passes away, alone and cold in his cell.

[destinyc1020]

I’m new so forgive me if this is a duh! question, but is there a timeline on tumblr that includes the people that T and Z were with when they were apart (with dates & links hopefully). I’ve only seen one that doesn’t include other people besides T and Z. I enjoy trying to put the whole together and apart times in one big picture.

Idk if anyone has made an actual timeline of that but if you go to older Tomdaya blogs you might be able to find some tea on them dating other people.

Maybe check out @spidermaninlove blog?

Idk why it even matters at this point, since the time they spent dating other ppl didn't even last a year lol 😅🤣

But in case you're just interested, here's just a LOOSE timeline right off the top of my head.... (keep in mind, these dates aren't fool-proof).

Tom and Zendaya break up during some point btwn May/June 2019 (loosely based on the Audrey tea and how they behaved during the press tour)

July 14th, 2019 - Tom is spotted at a festival with Olivia (pics came out July 17th)

Late August 2019 - JE attends Z's paint might birthday party, and Z is spotted for the first time with JE on a birthday trip to Greece with Law and other members of her family

That summer, Tom spends time with Olivia

By September 2019, Tom has basically cut things off with Olivia, and went to Cleveland to go film "Cherry"

Euphoria S2 filming is delayed, so Z is spotted spending time with JE, visiting him on set, vacationing in Australia, etc.

Late Jan/early Feb 2020 - Z attends an award ceremony with JE in NYC and presents some aspiring new actor award to him and they spend a couple of weeks vacationing in NYC over the Valentine's day holiday.

Feb 3rd 2020 - Z and JE are photographed kissing outside by paps (pictures came out Feb 4th)

March 2020 - Covid hits... Everything SHUTS DOWN. JE flies to Australia to be with his family.

March 2020 - Tom leaves Germany right when Uncharted was about to start filming

Nadia has already started living in Tom's house around March.

Tom and Nadia are living together in the frat house from around March/April 2020 - July 2029.

Late July 2020 - Nadia goes to visit Tom in Berlin where Uncharted filming has resumed again.

Tom posts Nadia for the first time on July 27th.

August 9th 2020 - Tom posts Nadia a second time.

August 15th 2020 - Nadia's mom unfollows Tom. (We assume they've definitely spilt up by then)

So yea, nobody has really made an official timeline probably because none of their other rlshps even lasted a year. 👀 With Tom, his lasted a mere 3 or 4 months if that. Olivia was even quicker.

I hope that helps? 🤷🏾‍♀️

[thecreaturecodex]

Shug Monkey

Image © Traci Shepherd, accessed at Arcane Beasts and Creatures here

[The third leg of our World Tour takes us to Europe, the smallest continent by landmass but probably the largest in terms of recorded folkloric monsters. That has as much with or more to do with the global prominence of various European peoples and languages on a political and academic scale than it does with any real propensity. Take for example black dogs. If we were dealing with outside anthropologists looking into Britain, all of the various black dogs would likely be lumped together, the same way that lots of indigenous American beliefs are all collected under the English language “thunderbirds”. But since British people were the ones writing it down, all of the different black dogs have been distinguished. And basically every county in Britain has its own version. The Shug Monkey, for example, is Cambridgeshire’s resident black dog.]

Shug Monkey CR 2 CN Magical Beast This creature resembles a hybrid of a dog and monkey, with a canine body and simian face. Its fingers are long and nimble, and its eyes glow.

Shug monkeys are widespread and adaptable semi-intelligent creatures, combining features of dogs and monkeys. They are gregarious, often combining forces into troops, or finding a larger, more powerful monster to be a sycophant for. They may surround other canine horrors such as galleytrots or barghests like pilot fish, both sniffing out prey for them and scavenging on whatever scraps are left over.

Shug monkeys are omnivorous, and are not necessarily out to hurt or kill humanoids, particularly if outnumbered. Their eerie gaze causes mild fear and renders its victims more likely to succumb to other fear effects. While people are so distracted, a shug monkey may attempt to rob them of food or shiny objects, lure them into an ambush, or simply run away. They can go invisible, but only for brief periods of time.

Shug monkeys like to have caves or hollow trees to hide in during the day, but can be found in a wide variety of habitats. They are found in the largest numbers underground, where they may gather in dark folk colonies. The caligni regard shug monkeys as freelance pets, garbage disposals and occasional dietary supplements during lean times, the way that feral dogs or pigs may be treated in aboveground settlements.

A shug monkey is about three feet long. They are most comfortable on all fours, but rise to their hind legs in order to scratch at enemies or rifle through trash.

Shug Monkey    CR 2 XP 600 CN Small magical beast Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +1, scent Defense AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +2 natural) hp 19 (3d10+3) Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +2 Immune fear; Weakness light sensitivity Offense Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft. Melee bite +5 (1d4), 2 claws +4 (1d3) Special Attacks spooky gaze Spell-like Abilities CL 3rd, concentration +4 3/day—vanish Statistics Str 11, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 12 Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD 14 (18 vs. trip) Feats Dazzling Display, Weapon Focus (bite) Skills Acrobatics +6 (+10 when jumping), Climb +10, Intimidate +6, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +9; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Intimidate, +4 Sleight of Hand; uses Dex to Climb Languages Dark Folk (cannot speak) Ecology Environment temperate land and underground Organization solitary, pair or troop (3-12) Treasure standard Special Abilities Spooky Gaze (Su) Range 30 ft.; save Will DC 13; effect -2 penalty to saves against fear and Perception checks, +1 bonus to initiative; duration 1 minute. Multiple failed saves do not cause the penalties to increase, but do add to the duration. This is a mind-influencing fear effect, and the save DC is Charisma based.

[a-tale-never-told]

One Ride in the Sunset.

September 3rd, 2012, 4:15pm, 14th Avenue Drive, Kyoto, South Japan.

(Okay, that checks another thing off the list of chores they gave me this morning. Never expected that I'd have this much work on my hands though, considering that the paper info was really short .)

(Still, I've got a long way to go before finishing everything, so I should probably get to the post office to drop off the check now. In the meantime though, let's see what on's the radio for today, just to keep myself entertained for now)

*"After putting the paper down, Hajime reaches for the radio and begins to switch channels for anything, be it music or news*"

Brzzt!- Coming in from Toyoko, where a raccoon started to eat, what I presume is a chili dog-Brzzt!- Today on Sunday night live, we have-Brzzt!

(Hey... This actually isn't that bad of a song. It's catchy, so there is that at least, right? And it's decent for a sundown.)

*"After changing the Radio, Hajime lays back and turns to the left lane, heading for the postal area, as the song begins to play whilst the sun sets*"

(Well Haji, you've made it through the first week, and still, we haven't known anything about Natsumi, or any of the Kuzuryus. We also don't even know the reason why Honami has issues with the Kuzuryus... it's like we almost accomplished nothing last week)

( But then again, I cannot say that with certainty, as we did manage to get some stuff done, like going to the library to get some books to help me investigate the situation. As well as the fact that I managed to spend some quality hangout time with the girls outside of work)

(Speaking of that, I think that conversation really did help me calm down a bit yesterday. I honestly am glad to have people who truly care about me and my well-being, aside from my parents of course.)

(Mikan... the nurse who seems so timid and shy, yet is always caring and thoughtful of others, always willing to help the sick, old or young. She may look meek at first glance, but she's really much a sweetheart to almost everyone she comes across and I'm blessed to work with her, especially since she's so dedicated to her position as a nurse.)

( Ibuki... the girl that likes to party on and is pretty much hyperactive almost 80% of the time, but she surprisingly has a wise, contemplative mind for someone of her age. Still, I did really enjoy the wisdom she tried to give. I honestly never knew she was actually capable of doing that, especially since she seems so hyper and upbeat every single day. Still, she's pretty nice, to be honest.)

(And Chiaki... *sighs* God, where would I be without her? She's pretty much the first friend I've ever made in life, and we'd only grown stronger ever since. She's kind, considerate of others, inspiring, and just an absolutely nice person to be around. Even during the times when either I'm not in the best mood or she isn't, we both try to improve our relationship as friends, one step at a time. She pretty much tried to comfort me about my lack of talent and I greatly appreciate that.)

(I honestly don't deserve those three. They're far too sweet and compassionate for this world, which has now become a place where you have to be judged by society based on your racial color and talent. And through all of the darkness in this world, they're pretty much shining beacons of hope, to overcome the despair of feeling hopeless in life.)

( So I'll try. I'll try to take their advice seriously from now on, as this is advice to give me a healthy mindset going forward. I think the point of what they wanted to say is to be yourself and not lose your sense of self and individuality, to work for that talent while also not losing sight of the ones you love and cherish the most in life. And just... have hope for yourself and for the future. Because isn't that what life's all abo-)

BEEP! BEEP!BEEEEP!!

Wh-

CRASH!!! SHATTER!!!

KRGH!!!

"*Upon hearing those beeps, Hajime turns his head to the front to see a car coming straight at him. Seeing the vehicle right in front of him, Hinata tried to swerve out of the way, but it was too late, as the front of the car collided with the other car's front, sending shards of glass flying across the interior as both cars came to an absolute stop. One of the shards nearly hit Hinata right in the head, though he managed to get out of the way in time. Still, the impact is enough to make him fall onto the floor of the car, making him lose consciousness...*"

[kaythefloppa]

What was a, "you had to be there" moment, or moments for WK? (Whether show, fandom, or other). I'll go first (this one's a fucking DOOZY)

The existence of the flash content on the WK website, as well as the games' takedown (additionally, the existence of Habitat Rescue, that shit slapped, you had to be there)

That one scene from the hummingbird episode

The whole of the pilot episode.

The Back in Creature Time special + when the Time Trampoline became an arc (which, as of a month ago, has been dragged on for 8 years)

Aviva and Koki activating creature powers in the first half of the show and getting their own creature power suits.

The Jimmy CPS tease in Sea Otter Swim.

When Lemur Legs premiered and everyone expected Zooboomafoo to make a guest-star appearance.

When the Kratts appeared on Odd Squad.

Toodles (it took me too long to learn about Salutations but Toodles registered in my mind for sooo long)

Back in the early days of the show when people were shipping the Kratt Brothers with MLP:FiM characters (firstly, WHY, secondly, I solely believe the only reason that died out was because the brony fandom sky-rocketed and left the WK fandom in the dust because PBS wasn't generally a popular network)

When Paisley Paver met the villains (only to be screwed over by the show's refusal to give her any more post-S5 appearances outside of cameos/group-appearances with the other villains)

Several fanfics released during the show's 2nd & 3rd season which hit a cult following (do fanworks have cult followings?). To name a few: The Power of Nature by Taismo's-89: The Elemental Charge fanfic (which was based off of Power of Nature) ShorinRyuKarateKobudo's take on S3, including Brandon Tran, A.K.A. Agent Ninja.

The false episode articles on the Wild Kratts wiki, including the Back in Creature Time sequel titled, Jurassic Kratts, & the infamous Caviva wedding episode.

The Wild Pony Power Suit's existence

Tardigrade Xtreme (mainly it was because it was the closest the show ever did to killing off the Kratts, but also, there was a brief discourse on the wiki about whether or not it was the series finale).

The announcement of The Movie.

When the show returned after a 9 month hiatus for the S6 finale.

Aviva's rollerblades in Cats & Dogs.

When the show went on hiatus again for what will be another year... after we just got out of a 9 month hiatus with only 1-2 episodes.

I'm only 16, yet I have this many memories about the show + fandom that make me feel like a boomer.

[mysteriesofmarcy]

Mystery Monday #18: Before the Beast

Today I've decided to go into detail about select aspects of life before Anne opened the Calamity Box. In this post, I will use red to make theories.

First, some history. Before Andrias became king, Newtopia (and probably all of Amphibia) was more advanced in technology than earth is today, likely from conquering all the other worlds in the multiverse.

This was roughly 1000 years ago (on the Amphibian calendar). BUT my previous estimate that the Amphibian year lasts only half of an earth year moves this up to 500 years ago on earth. AND my other estimate in the same post that 3 time units in Amphibia is equal to 2 of the same time units on earth moves it up even further to about 333 earth years ago. So using the date we were given of the early 2000s, this places earth somewhere in the late 1600s at the time of Aldrich's attempted invasion.

At this time, the Pilgrims had already been living in what is now America for decades. On the other side of the Atlantic, Isaac Newton was studying the Bible, mathematics, physics, and other branches of science. France, England and Holland were at war with each other, and the Muslim Ottoman Empire was at war with Poland and Russia. And Japan had a "no foreigners in the country except a few select Dutch traders on the threat of death" policy in place.

Here's where I try to explain how the Calamity Box ended up on earth, but Leif's descendants ended up on Amphibia.

I have two alternate theories for this:

EITHER Leif took the Calamity Box to earth right away to hide it from Andrias, then used its power to open a portal back to Amphibia (but left the box behind), and had children later,

OR she kept the Calamity Box with her on Amphibia until she figured out what to do with it. She had children during that time, and eventually took the box to earth where she lived out the rest of her days.

Given what Terri said about the box being able to go to different worlds using musical notes functioning as coordinates, I say that Aldrich had already set the box to earth when Leif stole it, and that's why she went to earth instead of any other world. (This also explains why Andrias used it throughout season 3 and always managed to get to earth instead of anywhere else.)

Continuing:

Sometime during Andrias's reign, Amphibia's (stolen) technology wore out and gradually stopped working.

Due to Leif's "treason" (and Barrel's failure to stop her), Andrias set up a species-based caste system with newts like himself on top, toads like Barrel in the middle, and frogs like Leif at the bottom.

Amphibia eventually devolves to the point where even old folks have no clue about the glory days when the land was technologically advanced, with Andrias being the only one who actually does remember.

In Wartwood, the Plantar family has lived in the same house since Leif built it in the 2nd or 3rd century, and has grown vegetables for generations. They are known around town as the most honest folks in the vegetable business, as well as the worst cooks in town.

In Frog Valley, Grime leads an army of toads whose job is to rule over the frogs, in a way reminiscent of Hopper and the grasshoppers in "A Bug's Life". Just outside the Valley, the Hasselback Gang rules over Bittyburg in the same way.

In Newtopia, Andrias rules the city (and by extension the whole land), acting as a benevolent and jovial ruler but secretly hoping to one day see the Calamity Box again.

Over on earth, Anne, Sasha and Marcy have become best friends and hang out together a lot. They often stay overnight at each other's houses. Marcy sometimes tries to teach her interests to Anne and Sasha, with less-than-stellar results.

Because Anne is intimidated by Sasha and Marcy is just desperate for companionship, the three of them usually end up doing whatever Sasha wants to do. This tends to have an unfortunate side effect of getting them into trouble. Sasha likely is the way she is because she is starved for attention from her divorced parents and/or uses troublemaking as a distraction from her home life. Marcy has trouble making new friends, so she is very attached to the ones she already has. And Anne is a pushover who follows Sasha mainly because it's easy, even when she feels uncomfortable about it.

So this week you get three theories and some history mysteries. See you next week, for a look forward to what life is like After Anne, right here on Mystery Monday!

[theleafpile]

tw body image, venting

my step mom has been dealing with some serious health issues and all her life has had difficulty gaining or keeping on weight. if you didn't know her you would think she has ed, she's maybe 5'6 and 110 lbs, very thin. it causes her a lot of distress, especially lately, as she desperately wants to gain weight to look good for her sons upcoming wedding, and I listen and commiserate with her struggles and yearning for a time when she was 120-135lbs.

the difficulty for me comes when I don't even remember being 135lbs. and I know our body types are different, we have different makeup, I get it.

but when I was trying to get into the military, I tried desperately (working out multiple times a day, restrictive eating) to get below 140lbs, and still clocked in at MEPS at 142lbs. I was so disappointed and disgusted with myself.

The only time a boyfriend told me I looked good, like I lost weight (a moment burned into my memory) was when I was severely depressed, without enough money to eat, living with my parents while in grad school, and I was 138lbs.

When I was rejected by the military, I started to gain weight, having no reason to restrict myself to thoroughly and exercise as vigorously. At the job I had for almost three years, during and after that time, I wore a uniform. I reached 168lbs, and at that point the uniform would get tight, so I restricted and dropped and worked out more to stay at about 165lbs. and yes, it made a difference.

I still hated myself though. hated that I could be 20lbs heavier than I was at my best.

then I got engaged. for months before the wedding I worked out almost daily and restricted, and yet nothing budged. not one number on the scale. I got married at 168lbs after months of trying to lose a single pound.

I started to lose weight after the wedding, just a few pounds, but I was over the moon. I wasn't keep track as well then, but I think my lowest got to be about 161, 160. I felt and looked so good compared to what I'd been that the fact I was still in the 160s didn't bother me.

then covid hit.

and overnight, I couldn't go to the gym anymore.

I tried working out at home, taking walks outside, but living on the 3rd floor in a one bedroom apartment limited me in a way I hadn't been limited before.

within a year, my highest weight reached 192lbs.

there were times I had to laugh. I had literally never seen the scale that high. but I was confident that once covid ended I could go back to the gym and lose it all.

then covid never ended.

two years later, I'm at a steady 186lbs. steady as in for a year I've been this exact weight, fluctuating naturally by 2 lbs in either direction. that's as much as I gain or lose naturally, without diet or exercise, just based on what I was doing or eating.

and I hate it.

I hate being my husband's fat wife. I hate only being able to wear a few of my shirts. I hate my double chin. I hate my arms, my thighs, my stomach. I hate my jeans that I've worn holes through because my legs rub together.

When I first reached this weight, I told my step mom how frustrating it was. I cried at her kitchen table.

she told me it's easy to lose weight.

she told me to try harder.

to keep track of nutrients, everything in, everything out. keep track of my activities, how much sleep I'm getting, my daily weight.

and I have. for two years exactly, next month.

haven't lost a pound.

she tells me again. it's easy. just try. just do better. just work out more. just eat less. God, she wishes she had my problems!

this morning I woke up and said, okay. how long does it actually take to lose weight? my husband bought an elliptical machine. we have a punching bag and free weights and a room dedicated solely to exercise. I used it for a week straight, pushing myself every day, and saw zero budge on the scale. zero progress in how I looked or how my clothes fit. so I said, what's the data?

turns out, burning 3500 calories would make you lose one pound.

I would have to do the daily, punishing exercises I was doing 5x a week to burn 500 calories. 500 calories a week.

so in 7 weeks, I might have lost 1 lbs.

7 weeks. a month and a half. for 1 pound.

when I would ideally lose 20. get back to the weight I hated before I knew how much worse it could get.

to lose 6 lbs, to get under 180, would take me 37 weeks. that would put me in June.

June, for 6 pounds.

yes, I know my health could only benefit. yes, I know it shouldn't be about the scale. yes, I know as the ball gets rolling I'll likely be doing more workouts and burn more calories per session. I know I know I know.

that doesn't make it any easier.

it doesn't make working so hard and seeing no changes any easier.

it doesn't fix two years of not working out. it doesn't take away that it took me months to gain 20lbs the moment I stepped away from a gym.

yes, my thyroid is managed. yes, I know what I'm doing. yes, I'm very lucky not to work outside of the home and not have to worry as much about finances and don't you know that people have real stress to worry about, kiddo? don't you know that real people have kids and jobs and you're so lucky and I wish I had your problem and just do it it's so easy JUST DO IT ITS SO EASY WHY ARE YOU STILL FAT ARE YOU EVEN TRYING WHY ARE YOU SO LAZY DONT YOU KNOW PEOPLE HAVE REAL PROBLEMS AND REAL STRESSORS AND YOU HAVE IT SO EASY JUST DO IT

[dalkyeom]

Jack Skellington say's trick or treat

Ooooh! Jack my boy, my seasonal fave. Nonnie, you have taste 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 also I hope your halloween went splendidly well!

Thank you for ringing my doorbell, anon! I’ll give you a random irl ghost story.

Hmm was a bit stumped on how I could answer this based on your costume, so how about I tell you a small ghost story (that actually happened to me 💀 lol) gather round the campfire 🔥 bc I have some stories to share!

So it’s a small collection of little things as my old high school had some… permanent visitors. I remember them quite well bc people talk and these are stories passed down to every class and I experienced some unexplainable things.

This happened during our class stage production era for english class.

To set the scene, our entire class was preparing for the end of the term productions so we were all staying after hours later than usual (i know some people went home at around 8 pm— which is quite late if you’re not part of the varsity team.) my section was wrapping up for the day so while I was waiting for my sister to pick me up, we were doing our usual clean up routine before locking the classroom.

There are two ways to get to my classroom, taking the main stairs at the other side of the building or taking the stairs right next to it. we were on the third floor and while it’s not a lot (tho tbh carrying a bag full of books and a filecase was an entire workout on its own) the catch is that it’s really dark unless you have the hallway lights on. To add to the creepiness factor, that staircase from the ground floor up to the top is in front of the old restrooms. They look pretty run down, so they’re kinda eerie.

Unfortunately on that night, the lights were all off save for the streetlights outside the building (it’s an open space? so it’s not like american high schools where it’s an enclosed space) but basically she got there just as we were locking up and traveling to the exit as a group.

Then before we can bicker which stairs to use, my sis was like “were you using incense?” and we were like !!! bc the only candle we lit was this small candle. idk about you guys but we use incense at mass and you know how we call the priest sometimes to bless the space so there’s no unwanted guests :)) incense also has a very particular smell that’s different from a burning candle.

so we told her no, we weren’t burning anything. And slowly she was like, hmm… strange. I smelled incense while climbing the stairs (next to your classroom).

Chills, mate, I swear I almost died when she said that. Apparently it was really strong on the first set of stairs from the 2nd floor going to the 3rd. 😭 suffice to say, we didn’t use those stairs until the following morning!

At that time there were a few other unexplained incidents that happened so if you like to know more you can always send an ask about it. we did experience one as an entire section (like genuinely we were scared) but i’ll save that for another day.

Trick o’ Treat 2022 mini event [closed.]

[cashappreviewus]

Why is my cash app direct deposit late?

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Frequently asked questions:-

What time does cash app direct deposit hit?

Cash App direct deposit typically hits accounts between 3 AM and 5 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Thursday. When do cash app direct deposits hit? Cash app direct deposits can take between 1–5 business days to arrive in your Cash App from the scheduled arrival date.

Why didn’t I get paid up to two days early with my direct deposit?

Early access to your direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to two days earlier than the scheduled payment date. 

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If you're new to recurring direct deposit, your deposit can take up to two pay cycles to be switched over to your Cash App Checking Account. 

If you already use direct deposit, your deposit could be late in some instances because:-

Your deposit was processed at a later time during the day. There was a change in the deposit amount that you received from this employer. Your payer didn’t send us the deposit details early enough. Your payer has a payroll system issue.

If your deposit is late, we recommend that you contact your employer or benefits provider to ensure that the name on the deposit matches the name on your Cash App Checking Account and that your routing and account numbers are correct. You can find these in your Cash App by going to Settings and tapping Account Information.

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Note: If a scheduled payment date falls on a weekend or public holiday, benefits are paid the business day before your due date.

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Cash App observes all U.S. federal and bank holidays. During these days, banks are unable to process deposits, so your direct deposit may not post until the next business day. 

What time does Cash App direct deposit hit Eastern time?

Typically, you will receive your direct timeframes for deposits between 9:00 am and 12:00 am EST based on the employer's policies and the bank that is sending you your deposit.

[moontheoretist]

Fandom: Tony would definitely develop frostbite if he was left there for more than several hours! Me: You DO know that people LIVE in Siberia, yes?

It looks like I fell off my hype for Post-Civil War fics, because I found that nowadays, every time I see a fanfic that tries to give Tony fatal injuries from the cold, it makes me angry. I liked it before, but now that I know that Siberia is not what people think it is, that it’s not a frozen wasteland with subzero climate all around, it just makes me furious that nobody even wants to do the research about the place, and instead they rely solely on what movies fed them (just like I used to). Contrary to popular belief: people do actually live in Siberia. And climate there depends truly on the place where you live. The average temperatures are not as bad as I thought. The coldest regions are obviously in the North, the warmest deep into the continent in the South where Siberia borders with Kazakhstan, India and China. And funnily, there are people living in the “coldest towns on Earth” like Oymyakon, Yakutsk. And there is far more greenery than you would all think possible, lol. Snow is in fact not snowing the whole year, and the earth is not a frozen glacier. It’s a challenging climate, yes, but not impossible to live in. There are people there. Cities, farms etc.

“Vegetation in Siberia mostly consists of taiga, with a tundra belt on the northern fringe, and a temperate forest zone in the south”.

Anyway, frostbite is definitely something to be watchful off, but Tony was a lucky bastard that the bunker they were in was actually a silo that was deep underground. Ground is a very good insulator against cold, and it’s usually warmer underground than it’s on the surface.

The danger and time for frostbite to develop would then basically rely on the fact of where exactly the bunker was in Siberia, and during which season exactly they were there. MCU Wiki seems to put CW between 3rd and 23rd of May, which means not much snow at the time, even in Iceland where the scene was filmed. They must have been filming the background (as the entrance is a studio built setup) during a different season when there was more snow for aesthetic.

Seasons of the Year: Siberia [check the link]

“Production supplied Cinesite with many aerial plates of Iceland for the Siberian Environments which we were able to stitch together or take sections from to construct our Hydra missile base,” states Simon Stanley-Clamp. “For the rock-covered entrance to the base, we completely remodelled the rockwork, replacing everything from the set piece to create a more organic appearance and really buried/bonded it to the mountaintop.” Snow effects needed to be produced. “I’d just come off another movie featuring light flurries to more heavier down pours of snow – so I had a pretty good understanding of what was needed and used those setups from Houdini as a starting point. From our first passes, Dan gave further direction for us to edit.” So, either this scene doesn’t happen in May as Wiki claims, or Hollywood once again relied on their narrow ideas that Siberia is a frozen snowy wasteland 24/7 365 days per year.

Still, leaving him there was definitely “leaving for death”.

Iron Man armor was busted, and who knew if there were any supplies in the abandoned bunker like this? Silos like this are usually built to not keep any people on site, as the rockets could be launched remotely from afar (I checked). There was probably no need for food supplies, but considering Hydra kept it as its base and kept their soldiers and supersoldiers there for a time, maybe they had some left. Still not enough to survive on, though. If any at all. And going outside without any equipment to survive the cold, not knowing where, how far and in which direction is the closest city, which in Siberia would mean miles and miles without any human settlement, could be literally suicidal.

[dknuth]

Amman Jordan

My free day in Amman didn't go as originally planned. I neglected to check the calendar and it was Eid, the last day of Ramadan. It's a big holiday, so most things were closed, including the Jordan Museum. The town was very quiet in the morning but in the evening it was very busy. On the last day of fasting, at sundown, the restaurants and cafes were crowded.

The Roman and Arab Citadel is located directly above my hotel. It was open, so I headed up there. There are stairways up the hill, but some only go to private houses and Google Maps didn't seem to understand them, so my route up took a long way, mostly up the streets, except for a promising stair that took me part of the way up.

Jordan is one of the oldest cities in the world, with artifacts dating from 8,000 BC. The Citadel, at the high point, has been occupied for most of that time. During the iron age it was the capital of the Ammonite kingdom and was known as Rabat Aman. In the 3rd Century BC, it was conquered by Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Pharaoh of Egypt. He renamed it Philadelphia, although it's not the famous Philadelphia, that one is in Turkey. During Roman rule, it was one of the 10 cities of the Decapolis. In the 7th Century the Arabs conquered it from the Byzantines and restored the name Amman. Starting in the Middle Ages the city varied from prosperous to almost abandoned. From the 1500s to 1878 it was only a small village. At that time the Ottoman Empire made it a local capital and it grew swiftly from a population of a few thousand to over 4 million.

Before heading up I stopped off at the Roman Theater across the street. It's built into the valley wall and it is in good enough shape that it is still used.

Next to it is a small Roman theater. It probably originally had a roof and have may have been used as a parliament.

Then it was up the hill. The Citadel has a 360 view of the surrounding part of Amman. This is just halfway around!

The Theater was directly below and my hotel is on the left edge of the photo.

There are the typical Roman temples, but nothing from earlier periods. The Romans clearly cleaned off the hilltop and started fresh on their construction.

This is believed to be a temple to Hercules based on the parts of a huge statue nearby.

While the new museum in the valley was closed the smaller one in the site was open and had the most interesting things, some of the oldest human statues in the world from 8,000 BC.

The Arabs also built here, including a large palace. Only the entry hall remains standing, but it is an impressive foyer.

There are a huge number of stray cats in Amman. As the lady a the front desk of the hotel said, they are pretty quiet until February then they are very noisy and then there are new kittens in the spring. These two were just outside the door of the hotel and looked healthier than most.

In the markets, I saw a lot of these fruits that I didn't recognize.

Here they are called azkadenya, but we know them as loquats. They are very sweet, similar to a very ripe pear. They are also as tender as a very ripe pear, so wouldn't travel well. I won't look for them in Madison any time soon.

Today I'm checking out of my hotel and transferring to the hotel for the first night of the group tour. Tomorrow we head right out to the Dana Biosphere Reserve, where the hiking begins.