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batboyblog · 4 months

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Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #20

May 24-31 2024

The EPA awards $900 million to school districts across the country to replace diesel fueled school buses with cleaner alternatives. The money will go to 530 school districts across nearly every state, DC, tribal community, and US territory. The funds will help replace 3,400 buses with cleaner alternatives, 92% of the new buses will be 100% green electric. This adds to the $3 billion the Biden administration has already spent to replace 8,500 school buses across 1,000 school districts in the last 2 years.

For the first time the federal government released guidelines for Voluntary Carbon Markets. Voluntary Carbon Markets are a system by which companies off set their carbon emissions by funding project to fight climate change like investing in wind or solar power. Critics have changed that companies are using them just for PR and their funding often goes to projects that would happen any ways thus not offsetting emissions. The new guidelines seek to insure integrity in the Carbon Markets and make sure they make a meaningful impact. It also pushes companies to address emissions first and use offsets only as a last resort.

The IRS announced it'll take its direct file program nationwide in 2025. In 2024 140,000 tax payers in 12 states used the direct file pilot program and the IRS now plans to bring it to all Americans next tax season. Right now the program is only for simple W-2 returns with no side income but the IRS has plans to expand it to more complex filings in the future. This is one of the many projects at the IRS being funded through President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.

The White House announced steps to boost nuclear energy in America. Nuclear power in the single largest green energy source in the country accounting for 19% of America's total energy. Boosting Nuclear energy is a key part of the Biden administration's strategy to reach a carbon free electricity sector by 2035. The administration has invested in bring the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan back on-line, and extending the life of Diablo Canyon in California. In addition the Military will be deploying new small modular nuclear reactors and microreactors to power its installations. The Administration is setting up a task force to help combat the delays and cost overruns that have often derailed new nuclear projects and the Administration is supporting two Gen III+ SMR demonstration projects to highlight the safety and efficiency of the next generation of nuclear power.

The Department of Agriculture announced $824 million in new funding to protect livestock health and combat H5N1. The funding will go toward early detection, vaccine research, and supporting farmers impacted. The USDA is also launching a nation wide Dairy Herd Status Pilot Program, hopefully this program will give us a live look at the health of America's dairy herd and help with early detection. The Biden Administration has reacted quickly and proactively to the early cases of H5N1 to make sure it doesn't spread to the human population and become another pandemic situation.

The White House announced a partnership with 21 states to help supercharge America's aging energy grid. Years of little to no investment in America's Infrastructure has left our energy grid lagging behind the 21st century tech. This partnership aims to squeeze all the energy we can out of our current system while we rush to update and modernize. Last month the administration announced a plan to lay 100,000 miles of new transmission lines over the next five years. The 21 states all with Democratic governors are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The Department of Transportation announced $343 million to update 8 of America's oldest and busiest transportation stations for disability accessibility. These include the MBTA's the Green Line's light-rail B and C branches in Boston, Cleveland's Blue Line, New Orleans' St. Charles Streetcar route, and projects in San Francisco and New York City and other locations

The Department of interior announced two projects for water in Western states. $179 million for drought resilience projects in California and Utah and $242 million for expanding water access in California, Colorado and Washington. The projects should help support drinking water for 6.4 million people every year.

HUD announced $150 million for affordable housing for tribal communities. This adds to the over $1 billion dollars for tribal housing announced earlier in the month. Neil Whitegull of the Ho-Chunk Nation said at the announcement "I know a lot of times as Native Americans we've been here and we've seen people that have said, ‘Oh yeah, we'd like to help Indians.’ And they take a picture and they go away. We never see it, But there's been a commitment here, with the increase in funding, grants, and this administration that is bringing their folks out. And there's a real commitment, I think, to Native American tribes that we've never seen before."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged $135 million to help Moldavia. Since the outbreak of Russia's war against neighboring Ukraine the US has given $774 million in aid to tiny Moldavia. Moldavia has long been dependent on Russian energy but thanks to US investment in the countries energy security Moldavia is breaking away from Russia and moving forward with EU membership.

The US and Guatemala launched the "Youth With Purpose” initiative. The initiative will be run through the Central America Service Corps, launched in 2022 by Vice President Harris the CASC is part of the Biden Administration's efforts to improve life in Central America. The Youth With Purpose program will train 25,000 young Guatemalans and connect with with service projects throughout the country.

Bonus: Today, May 31st 2024, is the last day of the Affordable Connectivity Program. The program helped 23 million Americans connect to the internet while saving them $30 to $75 dollars every month. Despite repeated calls from President Biden Republicans in Congress have refused to act to renew the program. The White House has worked with private companies to get them to agree to extend the savings to the end of 2024. The Biden Administration has invested $90 Billion high-speed internet investments. Such as $42.45 billion for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, $1 billion for the The Middle Mile program laying 12,000 miles of regional fiber networks, and distributed nearly 30,000 connected devices to students and communities, including more than 3,600 through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program

#Thanks Biden #joe biden #us politics #politics #American politics #climate change #climate action #nuclear power #h5n1 #accessibility #tribal communities #Moldavia #Guatemala #water #internet

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fatehbaz · 4 months

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Some updates from the past twelve-ish months:

-- Late 2022: Portland and its mayor (Wheeler) started a major push to ban "street camping". Headlines in major media outlets also described "Portland's first sanctioned mass homeless camp" and how "Portland moves forward with $27 million plan to build mass shelters". In December 2022, Portland-area authorities used the so-called "aggressive landscaping" tactic, installing hundreds of hostile architecture boulders to prevent sitting/sleeping. Also in December, homeless advocates and Disability Rights Washington advocates attempted to halt Spokane's (Washington) clearing of a major camp for hundreds of people, and a federal judge sided with advocates to put a temporary restraining order on the sweep.

-- January 2023: Even in the immediate aftermath of historic cold as far south as Miami and Monterrey, sub-freezing temperatures across the Deep South, and sub-zero-Fahrenheit blizzards sweeping North America for a week or longer around Solstice/Christmas 2022, convenience stores "in Texas, California, New York use classical music to shoo homeless".

-- By March 2023: "Portland Mayor Wheeler unveils first location for city-run homeless camp".

-- April 2023: San Francisco and Mayor Brand announce a major "five-year plan" costing over 600 million dollars "to cut the number of unsheltered homeless in half". (Not a plan to put people in homes or find stable housing, but just to technically put them under the roof of shelter, keeping them out of sight, therefore qualifying them for the strange designation of "the sheltered homeless".) At the same time, San Francisco opened a "long-term homeless shelter on Treasure Island", pushing homeless people onto an isolated island mostly composed of concrete and asphalt.

-- Summer 2023: In May, the city of Phoenix (Arizona) began its project to clear and eliminate its largest homeless camp, known as the Zone, a refuge for hundreds of people. During the record-breaking heat of the summer of 2023, Phoenix cleared the camp systematically, block by block. At the beginning of September 2023, as "Phoenix breaks heat record as city hits 110F [110 degrees Fahrenheit] for the 54th consecutive day", the city cleared the block of the camp where most seniors and the elderly lived.

-- January 2024: About one week ahead of winter holidays (Solstice/Christmas), the City of Edmonton pursued plans to sweep 130 homeless encampments as part of what has been described as a "shocking" eviction plan. In January, the city was clearing camps amidst sustained deadly severe weather, during a polar vortex event with temperatures of negative 50 degrees Fahrenheit and daytime highs of negative 25F. When a court case presented by Coalition for Justice and Human Rights tried to slow the sweeps, a judge sided with them and shut down the evictions.

-- March 2024: Florida's governor signs a new law. NPR describes: "law that seeks to move unhoused people off public property altogether and into government-run encampments".

-- April 2024: The U.S. Supreme Court begins hearing a case from Grants Pass (Oregon) with major implications and potential to incite nationwide "banishment race" and "homelessness crackdown". Lower courts have previously said that city policies (like Grants Pass, Boise, and others) were "cruel and unusual" for fining and/or jailing people for sleeping on public land if no adequate accessible shelter is available. But now?

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ms-demeanor · 7 months

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Hi! My employer's workplace wellness program was recently revamped, and I'm trying to assess whether it's slid into the nonsense side of wellness-world. Specifically, there's a webinar being offered by a guy named Abra Pappa on using an "anti-inflammatory diet" to "battle against chronic diseases… including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and even certain cancers." This sounds… sketchy to me, but I know you have both expertise in nutrition and a strong bullshit detector, so wanted to ask what you make of it.

Okay long story short never trust anyone who got their degree from a university that started off as a school for chiropractors.

Abra Pappa got her MS in Functional Medicine and Human Nutrition after getting a BA in Theater; I checked the requirements for that degree and the school's whole catalogue is throwing red flags but what's throwing the most red flags for me is that if I wanted to get a degree in nutrition from an ACEND accredited program I'd need to take a hell of a lot more than one bio class, one anatomy OR one physiology class, one medical terminology class, one nutrition class, and one biochemistry class in order to get into a master's program.

It's funny because she went from a BA in theater arts to an MS in Functional Nutrition and Human Nutrition and I've been trying to go from a BA in Theater Arts to an MS in nutrition and *aside* from the whole private school costs thing one of the major barriers is that I'd basically need to re-do all of my undergrad to get in a lot of chemistry, some calculus, and MANY nutrition classes before I qualified for a Master's program. But based on the program she took I'm only one medical terminology and one biochemistry class away from a Master's program instead of more like ten to fifteen classes (primarily in nutrition, chemistry, and physiology) away.

Anyway she says she's a Licensed Dietician Nutritionist. There are some states that allow LDN certification, New York is one of those states. *BUT* to be an LDN in New York you have to

Complete a program in dietetics-nutrition that culminates in a bachelor’s degree that qualifies for certification in dietetics-nutrition or has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE).[Note: CADE is now ACEND] The program must include at least 45 semester hours of coursework in dietetics/nutrition and must include at least 20 semester hours of coursework in the area of human biological sciences and social and behavioral sciences

Pappa went to the University of Western States in Oregon, and the only ACEND accredited school in Oregon is at OSU, so if she's an LDN it's from someplace that isn't New York, where she lives and works.

She also claims to be a CNS, a Certified Nutrition Specialist, but in order to qualify for THAT you need to have an MS with some pretty rigorous coursework

And this is what the school required for her MS program:

And given that she didn't have a science degree for undergrad it seems pretty likely that she wasn't doing anything close to what an undergrad nutrition program looks like:

For the record, here are the MS requirements for an MS in nutrition with a health and wellness emphasis at that same school:

In order to get accepted to the MS in nutrition program in that school you either need to have a BS in nutrition or a BS in biology or chemistry and take all the undergrad level nutrition requirements ON TOP OF that BS.

I don't think that a theater degree and an MS from a woo-y correspondence school really count, even if you do pay $45k for your diploma.

If you go look at the requirements for any ACEND accredited school and compare them to the MS program from University of Western States it leaves UWS looking pretty shitty in comparison. Like, nowhere in her requirements is there a statistics class! Stats is required even for an associate transfer certificate in nutrition! EVEN AT THE 2-YEAR LEVEL FOR REAL NUTRITION DEGREES YOU HAVE TO DO STATS AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE A SINGLE STATS CLASS FOR HER MS. You will note that the cal poly MS program has one entire MS-Level class on vitamin metabolism and one entire MS-Level class on mineral metabolism for any of the three MS in Nutrition emphasis courses; her school required neither.

This shit makes me want to climb the walls.

I'm just going to start calling myself a nutritionist. California will let anyone call themselves a nutritionist, there are absolutely zero protections on that term and I can get myself a piece of paper for like three hundred dollars from a diploma mill that has some kind of bullshit accreditation.

Here are the programmatic accreditations her school has:

Compare with the Cal Poly programmatic accreditations (I cite cal poly a bunch because it was the program I was hoping to get into eventually so I researched it the most; that's where I got my BA, go broncos):

Note that the website for her school is listed with the department of education as wschiro.com because it was called Western States Chiropractic College until 2010.

Every time i dig into something like this it makes me want to stare into space for hours. No wonder college students are getting fucked on their loans and going to bullshit schools. No wonder everything is a scam these days. People bitch about credentialism but you know what maybe this lady is a CNS; sure, for some people that requires passing board certification tests, getting 1000 hours of clinical supervision, and becoming a Nurse Practitioner with real actual nutrition study from a solid program, but for other people it requires zero understanding of statistics, a theater degree, and three *whole* units of anatomy. Maybe she clears the bar on that one! She doesn't have the qualifications for an LDN in New York, she's not an RDN because she sure as fuck didn't take the classes required for a *VERY SERIOUSLY* protected title, but maybe you can be a CNS with an online diploma from the western states chiropractic college.

I fucking hate everything.

You know the whole reason I wanted to get a degree in nutrition was to yell about shit like this online, but fuck it. Fuck it, I'm a nutrition-isht because i live in california and I can say I am and who's going to check? Who's going to look up whether I took classes in public health or anatomy or the metabolism of micronutrients before they hire me to do corporate seminars on healing your relationship to food? I am legally allowed to do that so I might as well, right? If all I have to do is be charismatic and convincing I'm pretty sure I've got that down, actually, so who's going to check?

Nobody! Nobody is going to check and everything is a scam and I hate everything.

ANYWAY

The relationship between nutrition and inflammation and the relationship between chronic disease and inflammation are two different, complicated things that are difficult to point at and say definitively what the connections are.

I am of the opinion that any time you're getting deep into things like an anti-inflammatory, ketogenic, or PH-Balancing diet without a specific condition that calls for the avoidance of certain foods for very clearly scientifically reported reasons, you're dealing with a woo-woo biohacker who's looking to sell a diet plan.

The thing about nutrition science is that it seems like for most people the "answers" are pretty basic: eat enough food, get enough macro and micronutrients, eat a variety of food, avoid processed meats, try to eat more fruits and vegetables, get enough water, and stay as active as possible NOT for weight loss reasons but for metabolic health and joint/muscle maintenance. It's really, really, hard to sell that though, which is how you get people like Abra Pappa in 2013 writing out this bugfuck "Food and mood" handout with a midday snack that is so bonkers in the way the calories are distributed that I'm sitting down and doing math about it (it looks like about a third of the calories that day are supposed to come from the mid afternoon spinach, mint, cocoa nib, and coconut milk smoothie which is, as I said, bugfuck nuts).

It's hard to sell "please eat more fruits and vegetables, which is difficult because actually most places don't grow enough vegetables for the population's nutrition needs and it's cheaper to eat grains and industrially produced meat than it is to eat five cups of vegetables that you need to prepare daily and also maybe skip the bacon" but it's much easier to sell "five anti-inflammatory superfood milkshakes that will fill your belly and fight cancer" because it's packaging nutrition as a product and not as a massive systemic issue that happens to have very specific requirements for a large number of individuals who *do* happen to have disorders that are based on nutrition and inflammation (celiac disease! I've got one of them! Eating the wrong foods definitely causes inflammation in my body as the result of an autoimmune disorder! but that doesn't mean that the things that are inflammatory for me are inflammatory for everyone!)

Anyway I think like about 97% of workplace wellness programs are largely bullshit based, or at least import bullshit a lot of the time, and nutrition is a science that has, just, so much bullshit in and around it.

So I would take anything they say with a grain of salt, and hopefully less than 255% of your RDV of saturated fat (seriously that meal plan is ludicrous).

Side note: there is a subset of nutrition people who looked at the way that we got fat wrong in the 80s and flipped it and reversed it and went "actually you can have as much fat of any kind that you want as long as it is natural and you will have no issues" and this is how you end up with people on 100% natural clean keto diets who have cholesterol levels over 600. Abra Pappa recommends "clean/natural" eating and has taken continuing education on keto and has a recipe for a single-serving smoothie that calls for 8oz of coconut milk I think she's very much in the "'good' fat truther" camp (or at least she was in 2013 which is maybe why New York has a requirement for people to have some kind of nutrition certification for giving out nutrition advice and maybe she should have done that because she didn't even go to her bullshit "grad school" until 2017).

(We DID get fat wrong in the 80s and total avoidance of all fats is bad for you and there are 'good' fats that you should eat and everybody needs to eat some level of fat for proper nutrient absorption but even if you're only getting fat from nuts and avocados that's not going to prevent your arteries from forming plaques if you're having nearly triple the recommended daily value of saturated fat as part of your afternoon snack)

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legobiwan · 3 months

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More thoughts because I apparently need to draft an entire backstory before I can write a "drabble" (which will definitely not be a drabble), aka, more lore ideas for a show that's already been picked over with a fine-tooth comb a million times, but here we are, years late, Starbucks in hand, as the old meme goes.

At the end of the whole Weirdmaggedon fiasco, Ford makes his hilariously inept proposition for him and Stan to go sailing the Arctic (Ford's heart was in the right place, but this is not how you want to introduce the possibility of fulfilling your childhood dream to your estranged and traumatized brother of 30+ years).

Anyway, Ford's lack of social skills aside, we know the general location of where they're heading from Ford's fancy-pants watch.

Now, they have a few options to get to the Spooky in the Arctic.

Take the Panama Canal

Take the Northwest Passage

Start their trip from the East Coast

Option 1: The Panama Canal, aka, a legitimate, if unlikely idea

While private vessels can cross the canal, it looks like the cost of doing so runs about $2500, maybe not an issue for the Pines twins by the end of the show, but in addition to this, crossing the Canal requires 4 linemen, who Stan and Ford would have to hire. My instinct says they wouldn't be so interested in this, at first. Maybe Ford's fixation on the Arctic was just an excuse, but given his canonical enthusiasm, I doubt he would want to deviate too far from that course. Likely the Stan twins come back later do the Canal, on their way back to Oregon. Maybe.

Option 2: The Northwest Passage, aka Death

A route through the Arctic has been the dream of many an explorer for centuries. In recent times, mostly due to global warming, the Northwest Passage has become a sliver of a option to get from West to East. Territorial and political disputes aside, it's still a wildly unsafe option, and one I imagine Ford would love to give a go at, considering all the lore surrounding the Franklin Expedition. Stan, however, would vote this down immediately. He'd like for him and his brother to live to see sixty. And not resort to cannibalism. At least not immediately.

Option 3: Setting Off From Jersey, aka, You Can Go Home Again (But Not For Too Long)

Our final option is for the Pines twins to set off on their adventure from the good old East Coast. Aside from the narrative symmetry, it's also the most practical option. This leaves us with some tantalizing loose ends. Do Stan and Ford build their boat in Oregon and then haul it cross-country? (And what a trip that would be). Or would they have it shipped and meet it later? (Realistic, but boring). Or maybe they go back East and build/order/buy the boat there. And by there, I do feel like there's no other place they could go through with this idea than Jersey. Now, they can't go from the major ports (the Port Authority Ports of New York and New Jersey, which are mainly located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Newark, and...Bayonne). But! There are a bevy of slips and marinas up and down the Jersey coastline, perfect places to build/buy/refurbish a vessel (and a relationship). A place to leave a lifetime of ill-will behind and start anew.

This makes me think about Stan and Ford, back in Jersey after all that time, probably not too far from where they grew up. It would be a wonderful setting to explore some kind of character piece (especially if they go on some of bonkers road trip to get there) and narratively, it just fits too well.

There's no real thesis to this analysis, aside from the idea that Stan and Ford likely began their journey in the exact place they ended it so long ago. As I said, narrative symmetry and all that jazz.

#hello there #gravity falls #stanley pines #stanford pines #meta that NO ONE asked for #i apologize to anyone from bayonne #i don't get back east very often but bayonne always had a certain reputation back in the day #i'm sure it's lovely now or something resembling same #anyway thoughts i needed to clear out to get a better grasp on this whole stan and ford drabble challenge #as they're the two character i know the least out of everyone i write

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why-animals-do-the-thing · 1 year

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You mentioned that sometimes zoos don’t get the funding they need? Is there anything that we, as visitors, can do to help with that? Donations, contacting representatives, things like that? What can we do to help zoos, zookeepers, and the animals they love and care for?

What a nice question!

So on a “we need funding for this new habitat or major renovation” level, the cost is pretty astronomical compared to what the average person can contribute. For example, the Oregon Zoo’s brand new Polar Passage habitat (started 2016, finished 2021) cost $19 million. The Brookfield Zoo is planning to add on a new indoor/outdoor ape habitat to their Tropics Building and that’s estimated at $9 million. Unless you happen to know folk with very deep pockets, personal donations aren’t going to have an impact on that scale - although that doesn’t mean they don’t help the zoo in other ways!

Contacting your representatives and expressing your support for your local facilities is absolutely something you can do that helps. Especially so if the facility is funded by the city or the county, but even if they’re not, it’s really good for reps to know that their constituents value the facility and want to see it supported. You can always write them whenever, but it’s most useful if there’s stuff happening that’s directly related (funding allocation, new rules being proposed, etc).

I’m going to take this opportunity to plug another way you can help zoos, though, that’s a bit different. Your question is really timely because there’s actually an ongoing need for support at the moment (date stamp: 6/11/23). There’s an organization I volunteer with, called Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue, and Recovery (ZDR3) and they do, well, what it says on the tin. When zoological facilities, sanctuaries, and other facilities with exotic animals experience disasters - think getting flattened by a hurricane - ZDR3 coordinates a network of 130+ facilities who can show up and help. This is everything from sending food and needed supplies that are limited because of supply lines, deploying staff to physically assist an impacted facility with recovery, and even helping evacuate animals and house them until it’s safe for them to return. And it’s really important that it’s other zoos doing this work: if you’ve got to go chainsaw fallen trees out of an alligator habitat, you need people who know how to work safely around alligators! It’s a type of response work that other major disaster organizations don’t really do, because they don’t have the expertise with the animals or the needs of the industry.

ZDR3 can always use support, but, right now, they’re in the middle of a response in Guam where financial support is more necessary than normal. Guam got hit by the Super Typhoon Mawar on May 25th, and it absolutely ravaged the zoo there. It’s a small facility, with mostly geriatric, disabled, and unreleasable animals living there. A USDA representative asked ZDR3 if they’d be able to assist. The director flew out to assess the site and help as much as she could, but the thing is, because Guam is an island, they can’t ask teams from other facilities to deploy there the way the can with facilities in the continental United States. Instead the zoo is having to purchase all the supplies they need for recovery - and could really use assistance. There’s an Amazon wishlist set up with the tools and supplies they need, as well as a DonorBox link for direct donations (which go directly to the zoo, not ZDR3). If you want a tangible way to contribute to the immediate welfare of zoo animals and function of a facility, this a fantastic way to do it.

#zoo animal welfare #donations request #support request #zdr3 #disaster response #zoos #one of the things I really like about ZDR3 is that they don’t play politics #it doesn’t matter who you are or if you’re accredited they’ll help you out all the same

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copperbadge · 7 months

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Radio Free Monday

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Radio Free Monday!

Ways to Give:

cluegirl linked to a fundraiser for deliriumcrow, who lost nearly everything in a house fire two years ago, and was then robbed by the contractor hired to repair the house. They are currently paying a mortgage on a home that is facing condemnation if they can't raise the money for a new contractor; you can read more and reblog here or support the fundraiser here.

savrenim is the sole breadwinner for their disabled partner and two friends living with them; they have had to deal with several financial setbacks including loss of owed back pay, moving and home repair costs, and vet bills; they are fundraising to cover moving costs and to be prepared for when payments come due on a loan they had to take to cover expenses. You can read more and reblog here or give via ko-fi here.

Nik is raising funds for a cross-country move from Oregon to West Virginia, in hopes they can find a home to thrive in after escaping an abusive upbringing; you can read more and support the fundraiser here.

Recurring Needs:

Anon linked to a fundraiser for a friend whose family has not had a working furnace since November; they've been using space heaters to keep warm but January in Chicago has been brutal and the space heaters aren't sufficient. With vulnerable family members including elderly relatives and children in the home, they need to raise $6K to get the furnace replaced. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

Anon linked to karla-hoshi or Hoshi on TikTok, who is raising funds for cancer treatment for her cat Naku; they caught the cancer early and hope that he can survive it, but can't continue treatment without funding. You can read more and support the fundraiser here, as well as find links to her updates on tiktok.

chingaderita's partner's family house recently caught fire and completely burned, killing his grandmother and causing extensive property loss; he has also recently lost his job due to the fire, and a number of family members have since become ill. They're raising funds to keep food on the table, to try and get a supply of water to keep clean and do laundry, and for various bills until a job opportunity in March comes available. You can read more, reblog, and support the fundraiser here.

And this has been Radio Free Monday! Thank you for your time. You can post items for my attention at the Radio Free Monday submissions form. If you're new to fundraising, you may want to check out my guide to fundraising here.

#radio free monday #charity #philanthropy #fannish community

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hometoursandotherstuff · 10 months

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I'm going to call this 1999 castle house in Eugene, Oregon a fixer-upper. It hasn't been well-maintained and needs a good cleaning, among other things. 3bds, 2ba. They were asking $1M, but have recently reduced it to $950K. What do you think?

In the spacious living room there's a terrazzo floor that's in good shape, but notice the splotches on the walls and ceiling. What is that?

In the family room I'm seeing a worn floor and is that mold where the floor meets the wall, in the arches, and niches? If it is, it's starting to come thru the walls, too.

The dining table is set up in front of sliding glass doors and windows in the living room. Off to the side is a baby grand piano, so it's quite a large space.

The door to the large powder room is nice, but why did they put that window in it? On the right is chipped plaster and what looks like mold on the floor. Opposite on the left, there's some staining that could be moisture and more mold developing.

The sink counter needs refinishing or replacement, and are the stains in the wall mold?

Large semi-circular kitchen cabinetry on a terrazzo floor. The description says nothing about mold remediation, but look at the stains on the ceiling.

There's so much staining that if it's mold, the walls will have to come down, and if it's water, it's still a big problem. Even if it just needs paint and crack repair, it's going to cost a lot.

Cute little office/library.

Hall to the bedrooms and bath.

A chunk of plaster is off the beam. This bath really needs an update, and there's a water stain in the upper corner of the shower.

There are supposed to be 3 bedrooms, but it looks like there're 4.

Bedroom #2. Maybe it's a guestroom or den.

I thought that they were making repairs in this room, but it's just a ladder going up to a loft. It's a nice room, though.

The primary bedroom is huge and opens to a patio and yard.

The primary has a very large en-suite bath with a nice claw foot tub.

Outdoors there's a beautiful pond with a waterfall.

Home is on 6.84 acres of land.

#castle house #fixer upper #houses #house tours #home tour #unusual houses #unique homes

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cherrylng · 2 months

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My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade final US tour live report [ROCKIN'ON (July 2008)]

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

The Black Parade's ‘final’ US tour. 3 West Coast shows & finale in New York follow-up report!

Text & text photo : Yukiko Amida

13th Feb. A newsletter arrived informing us that My Chemical Romance would be touring the US from the end of March. "Before trying to make a new album, we decided to take another turn", it said, "When we started this band, we could feel you guys right in front of us. It's time to give that another go. See you soon," they wrote. I knew they would probably play one last show in the US to close it out, but I was surprised to find out that they would be travelling around the country for over a month. They had started touring the world just before the album release, starting with Summer Sonic in 2006, and had been touring without a break, with a schedule that would leave you breathless just by watching them. In the meantime, they've grown into an arena-class band thanks to the huge success of their album, and now they've dared to choose a smaller venue for the real ‘end’ of The Black Parade….. I want to see this at all costs! I want to see it too much!!! So I decided to fly to the West Coast. I decided to go to the West Coast at the beginning of April because Eddie Vedder had announced that he was going on his first solo tour around the same time, limited to 10 shows. I made the strongest dream travel plan in my history: to see Eddie twice in Vancouver, then see My Chemical Romance in San Francisco, stay at a friend's house in Bend, Oregon for a few days, see My Chemical Romance twice in Portland and return to Japan. Remembering that the Philadelphia show I was supposed to go to last May was cancelled due to food poisoning among the members, I was praying that they wouldn't eat chicken…

4th Apr. From Vancouver to San Francisco after Eddie's dense stage performance, where I had to check several times to make sure my nose wasn't bleeding. I was at the airport early in the morning at 5.30am, eating a lot of Burger King to prepare for My Chemical Romance, which was 15 hours away. I arrived at the hotel around noon and went to the front of the venue to see fans who had slept in the night before (this was the second day in San Francisco) wrapped in blankets and about 30 people already lined up. I had a reserved seat ticket that day, so I went back to the hotel and took a nap, and when I came back at the opening time, there was a long queue that surrounded the venue for one block. Every time I go to a My Chemical Romance show, especially overseas, I always think that the fans are young. And I feel they are getting younger and younger every year. While we were shivering with body warmers on, most of them were enjoying themselves in short sleeves, saying things like "Oh no, it's a bit cold…". There were a lot of kids with their parents, and I thought I must be the oldest fan who wasn't with a child, so I finally entered the venue, stood in another long queue, bought a bunch of T-shirts and took my seat. The Warfield is a historic venue where the Grateful Dead played their 15th anniversary show in 1980, and has a large theatre-like balcony with reserved seating above the standing floor. Even at the top, the steep incline gives a good view of the stage, and for a capacity of 2,000 people, it feels quite intimate. The first support act, Drive By, is already well known amongst My Chemical Romance fans (vocalist & guitarist Todd [Price]* filled in for Frank on the Japan tour last January when he had to return home to the US after a sudden illness!), and the floor was hot from early on. Billy Talent, who followed, had interrupted work on his new album to rush in and gave a performance that made you feel he was at the top of his game, with his creativity on the rise. The girls in the back were screaming so loudly that even using torn toilet paper as ear plugs hardly helped, and the double punch of Benjamin's super high-pitched vocals was already crushing my ears…….. But the next time the lights went down, I had taken out my earplugs, and when My Chemical Romance appeared on stage, the volume increased by a factor of 100 and I was surrounded by screams, but then the intro and start of ‘Thank You For The Venom’ and the huge sing-along from the start blew it all away, and I forgot about my ears.

Considering that Mikey was not present at last year's Budokan concert, I was first of all moved just by the fact that all the members were there, and furthermore, they were now brimming with energy generated by the sense of accomplishment and liberation they felt after having performed The Black Parade as their second ego and shedding that, they looked dazzlingly bright. The aggressive ‘This is How I Disappear’ was like a shower of super-high water pressure, with every single note coming down from the stage with such force that it shook the entire venue with laughable catharsis, and ‘Dead!’ was the third song to bring the crowd to a climax, and I nearly fell off the balcony when I heard the guitars that started next. Hey, this is ‘Hang 'Em High'!! This song, which continues to be the most played song on my now antique iPod mini, was finally available to me live!! It's impossible, it's even cooler than the album, the guitar is so far forward and the vocals aren't muffled at all, I want to listen to it at home with this much volume… I kept thinking about it, almost letting myself go and then rushing back to consciousness, and as I kept repeating it, I realised that it was only 2 minutes and 45 seconds long to begin with. It's a short song, so it was over in no time at all.

And then, before I could even think about it, I heard the keyboards for ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ and suddenly my head was clear. Seeing Gerard, who had mic'd the audience several times since the start of the show, listening intently to everyone's singing, I felt I understood why My Chemical Romance had decided to do this tour one last time. They are making sure. The band has grown through the experience of making this album and living through their own fears and what "The Black Parade" was for them, for their fans, and the fans who have taken in their image and message have also grown to the point where they can sing in their own voices, "We'll carry on"—I felt that they were confirming this with their own eyes and ears. This feeling was reinforced towards the end of ‘Famous Last Words’, which Gerard began by saying, "It's still the hardest song I've ever sung". Gerard seemed relieved to hear the audience singing in a firm voice, "I am not afraid to keep on living / I am not afraid to walk this world alone", as he had stated publicly that "I'll be taking a break for the next two years, so this will be my last tour for now". Another emotional moment of the day was when Gerard returned to the dark stage after the end of ‘Cancer’ and a quiet keyboard solo, and sang (just a little bit) a slow version of their first song, 'Vampires Will Never Hurt You'. From there, the band rolled into ‘Give 'Em Hell, Kid’, followed by a vertical cover of Bob Dylan's 'Desolation Row', and closed with the classic 'Helena'. The band must have been pushing forward almost non-stop for nearly seven years since they started, but the band's uncanny energy, with not the slightest hint of fatigue or weariness, left me in awe.

8th April. We took a bus from Bend to Portland early in the morning, but to our surprise, it was completely covered in snow from late at night. But we arrived not too late, about three and a half hours, and there was no snow in Portland, but a light rain. I heard that Gerard was signing copies of “The Umbrella Academy”, a comic book he wrote himself, so I stood in line at the comic book store in the occasional sleet shower. After three freezing hours, I finally made it to Mr Way's** table and was about to have him sign my copy of the March issue of Rockin'On, which featured an interview with Mikey, when he seemed to take a liking to a full-page shot of his brother and a photo of him at the Budokan in Japan. He asked me repeatedly if he could have it, so I reluctantly, but with great pleasure, gave it to him. While I was still excited, I hit it off with a girl I met on the bus back downtown (I later discovered we were close in age and felt even closer to her……), and we decided to go to the show together. The Crystal Ballroom, the venue for the show, also has a long history, and is a popular venue for its dance floor that sways as if it were floating, and the beautiful and funky interior designed by McMenamins, which operates microbrew pubs all over Oregon and beyond. The front of the stage was packed, but the side partitioned bar area, which is only open to over-20s, was relatively empty and cosy. The day started with the dramatic ‘Sleep’, which took the audience by surprise. I had no idea that this song, which is so painful on the album, could sound so powerful in their current hands. The amazing power of the band grew with each song, with Ray's dynamic guitar playing, with his afro and physique looking even stronger, Bob's acrobatic drumming, which I have never seen before, with his hair longer and (for some reason) wearing a red flannel shirt, and Mikey, also with longer hair and more beautiful features, moving around and unleashing the bass. Frank's guitar seemed not to be in good shape that day, but his passion for playing was as strong as anyone else's. Confidence could be felt from every faint note of each sound. And speaking of confidence, Gerard, who had been persistently wearing long sleeves, was proudly showing off his upper arms as he wore sleeveless for the first time in a long time (since the hot Warped Tour, I think). The confidence that they had overcome something so huge, as if they were trying to repel the demons that had possessed them, made them look one or two sizes bigger than they were on stage. The last song of the second album, ‘I Never Told You What I Do For a Living’, was a joy to hear on this day! James, now an indispensable keyboard player, sang the Motley Crue classic ‘Home Sweet Home’ and the flow to ‘Cancer’ also made me cry.

9th Apr. Day 2 in Portland is Gerard's birthday! The mood was even more festive than usual, with a cake-shaped balloon raised by a fan at the edge of the stage. After the second song, ‘Dead!’, Gerard himself led the rendition of Happy Birthday, and even after the song, ‘This is How I Disappear’, the audience got excited with a huge chorus of “I want to listen to it one more time!” In the past two days, I've heard all three songs from "Live and Rare" that are not on the album. I was especially happy to hear ‘Kill All Your Friends’, which I had always wanted to hear live. This song was supposed to be the sixth song on The Black Parade, but was cut from the final version and released as the B-side of ‘Famous Last Words’, and when I first heard it, I thought it sounded simpler than the other songs, and I was convinced that the reason was to avoid making the album too long, but later I could see what Gerard meant when he said later, "I wish we had put it on the album". Behind the disturbing title of the song, ‘Kill All Your Friends’, there is the reality that ‘I’ am stuck in the town where I grew up, and the only time I can see ‘you’, my classmate who has left my hometown, is at someone's funeral. With the disappointment and fear that "you will leave again, and I will die here", I decided that, "I should kill my friend, because then I will see you again". It is an ironic expression of twisted feelings. And when they sing the part where they repeat "You'll never take me alive / Do what it takes to survive, 'cause I'm still here" in a live setting, they are giving each and every one of us who feels the same way the courage to stand up for ourselves. So the flow of this song and ‘I'm Not Okay’ is the strongest, and it is burned into my mind as an explosive climax that releases all the kids who are about to be torn apart by their pent-up feelings at once. I'm really glad I came to see it, thank you! I desperately suppressed the urge to get on a plane to Salt Lake City, the next venue, instead of Tokyo the next day.

Then 8th May. I was unsure about the last New York show when it was announced after I got my West Coast tickets, but after seeing this tour I became more and more determined not to miss this finale, so I flew to New York as well. Luckily, the Honda Civic Tour, headlined by Panic at the Disco, had just arrived in New York and I was able to catch the second day of the show. The stage was cute, with flower-decorated microphones and a papier-mâché set that looked like a school play, and they played their new album "Pretty. Odd." The new album's dreamy world was recreated, and it was a pleasant surprise to see the old and new songs complementing each other better than expected at the show. Can't wait to see them again at Summer Sonic!

Finally, 9th May. It has rained heavily since this morning. Passing by the entrance to the standing area of Madison Square Garden, plastic sheets, raincoats, chairs, and bags of snacks were strewn about, a testament to the large number of people queuing in the rain. In addition to being the finale of the tour, there was another reason why this show was so special, as Mikey wrote in his 25th February newsletter. 'About a year ago now, my brother brought me here to see Smashing Pumpkins. So I looked at my brother's face and said, "This is what I want to be…… We have to do this…… Someday we're going to be on that stage." We both felt exactly the same thing. And now we can announce the realisation of that dream performance.' After warming up with Drive By and Taking Back Sunday, which Adam [Lazzara] happily said was his dad's birthday, the bass line begins as if to give Mikey the leading role. When the dream performance started with 'Give 'Em Hell, Kid,' my heart was so hot that I was almost overcome with emotion. Surrounded by fans in the arena and in the stands next to the stage, the five of them looked more nervous than ever before, but this was soon swept away by the joy of having made their dream come true, and the air was filled with a sense of celebration and thanksgiving. Midway through the show, when Gerard wanted to sit everyone [the band] down to watch the Wave, Ray apparently whispered to him that they could do it standing up, but Gerard just laughed and shook his head and said, "No, we'll make it more dramatic!" and they ended up sitting down, and it was amazing to see a really dramatic huge wave of excitement rise up and flow throughout the stands. I'll never forget the smiling faces of the audience raising their hands and the members just smiling and looking on in disbelief.

Before the final song, ‘Famous Last Words’, Gerard told us an anecdote about seeing Smashing Pumpkins at this venue, and he said that Mikey brought him there. During the interlude, Gerard picked up Mikey from behind (he was still playing the bass!) and looked so happy. The song, played with such brotherly love, was filled with more joy and hope than I could ever have imagined. Countless mobile phone lights flashed during ‘Desert Song’, and a huge chorus echoed through the last song, ‘Helena’, as if they were regretting every second that passed. The final "goodbye, goodnight" turned into a scream, and amidst truly head-splitting applause and cheers, Gerard said. "Even if we never do another show, we'll keep on living—" These last words have caused a stir, with some people thinking it means the end of the band, but when I heard them there, and now that I've written them down, I can't help but feel a little more pleased to have made it this far, and less anxious about it. It was The Black Parade that opened with the song ‘The End’ and showed me that the end is the beginning. And the end of the tour, when we see where it has led us, shows us that the place is so beautiful and that we are so much stronger for going there. When My Chemical Romance comes back to us again, we want to be able to make them proud. As one of the fans from all over the world who has been given more strength than I can take, that's all I can wish for now.

Getting pumped up at Burger King in the morning

The Warfield before the storm

From Portland to Bend by prop plane

Return trip by bus through snowy landscape

A stylish sign at the Crystal Ballroom

Bought a T-shirt without thinking

A flyer for Frank's Skeleton Crew / advertisement for the Portland show

A poster for a book signing with cartoonist Way-sensei (pics by Mycki)

A very personal New York specialty pancake that was treated to our correspondent Akemi Nakamura.

The brilliant stage of PATD decorated with flowers

The poster of the fateful Smashing Pumpkins concert was found at the venue!

Translator’s Note: Sooooo I bet some of you didn't see me coming in with this translation of a MCR live report, eh? 👀

Fun fact: In Japan, My Chemical Romance’s short name isn’t called ‘MCR’, but rather shortened down as “マイケミ / Mykemi”. Just like in the western world, it’s not unusual that Japanese fans will shorten band names to make it easier to pronounce, but in this case, it was shortened based on their writing system. You can see this with Red Hot Chili Peppers / Redochiri and Smashing Pumpkins / Sumapan, for example.

*I’ve checked on who Todd Price of Drive By is and, uhhhh, yeah… other than the frankly brief Wikipedia article about the band, it turns out he had just passed away earlier this year in March. Didn’t expect that when I Googled for more information, but here we are.

**In the original text, in this particular sentence, the journalist actually referred to Gerard as ‘Way-sensei’, an honorific term of respect towards him. But this sentence was the only instance that the word ‘sensei’ was conferred onto him, so most likely this was used while he’s Gerard Way the comic book artist, not as Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance. I used ‘Mr Way’ in that sentence instead as it still conveyed a form of respect towards him.

#Gerard Way #Ray Toro #Frank Iero #Mikey Way #Bob Bryar #My Chemical Romance #The Black Parade era #my scan #translation #live report #ROCKIN'ON #ROCKIN'ON July 2008

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rjzimmerman · 2 months

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Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

Northwest Oregon had never seen anything like it. Over the course of three days in June 2021, Multnomah County—the Emerald State’s most populous county, which rests in the swayback along Oregon’s northern border—recorded highs of 108, 112 and 116 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperatures were so hot that the metal on cable cars melted and the asphalt on roadways buckled. Nearly half the homes in the county lacked cooling systems because of Oregon’s typically gentle summers, where average highs top out at 81 degrees. Sixty-nine people perished from heat stroke, most of them in their homes.

When scientific studies showed that the extreme temperatures were caused by heat domes, which experts say are influenced by climate change, county officials didn’t just chalk it up to a random weather occurrence. They started researching the large fossil fuel companies whose emissions are driving the climate crisis—including ExxonMobil, Shell and Chevron—and sued them.

“This catastrophe was not caused by an act of God,” said Jeffrey B. Simon, a lawyer for the county, “but rather by several of the world’s largest energy companies playing God with the lives of innocent and vulnerable people by selling as much oil and gas as they could.”

Now, 11 months after the suit was filed, Multnomah County is preparing to move forward with the case in Oregon state court after a federal judge in June settled a months-long debate over where the suit should be heard.

About three dozen lawsuits have been filed by states, counties and cities seeking damages from oil and gas companies for harms caused by climate change. Legal experts said the Oregon case is one of the first focused on public health costs related to high temperatures during a specific occurrence of the “heat dome effect.” Most of the other lawsuits seek damages more generally from such ongoing climate-related impacts as sea level rise, increased precipitation, intensifying extreme weather events and flooding.

Pat Parenteau, professor of law emeritus at Vermont Law and Graduate School, said that zeroing in on the heat and the heat dome effect are elements that might make the Multnomah case easier to prove.

“When it comes to the extreme heat events that affected Portland, the scientists concluded, in looking at that event and then looking at historical records of heat waves in the Pacific Northwest, it would not have happened, but for human-caused climate change,” Parenteau said.

“That’s actually the first time I’ve ever seen climate scientists state a conclusion like that in such absolute terms,” he added.

#Multnomah County Oregon #fossil fuel industry #extreme temperatures #climate litigation

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deramin2 · 2 years

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All Clothes Are Handmade

As a sewist with access to a lot of fancy commercial-grade equipment, I think about this a lot. People have this idea that there's a lot of automation in making clothes, that robots do most of the work. They do not. Very low-wage humans do.

The machines can make fancy stitches, but they can't guide them. Cloth takes fine dexterity and constant adjustments to work with. Any sewist who's tried to sew a straight line but had their thoughts stray know how fast it goes tits up. The 2+ pieces need to be carefully pinned together (expert sewists can use very few pins, but still need some), and then carefully guided and managed so they stay exactly together as the same tension without wrinkles. And if there's any kind of curve, it takes great skill to do all of that while turning at precisely the right angle at the right time while keeping everything together. And then a human has to detect the end and change the stitch appropriately to secure the ends.

And then there's fabric management. A the front the fabric bunches in your lap and tries to fall down at weird angles. At the back in bunches up and tries to pull at weird angles. So you're constantly having to manage where all that fabric is going that you aren't currently sewing. And if you're sewing in the round (like putting on a sleeve), you have to manage bringing the back around to the front. All of this twists the entire garment, which has to be managed even when most of it is sitting next to you. In home sewing this is sometimes a 2-person job.

A machine cannot do any of that that. Automating clothing manufacturing is a holy grail people have been working on for a couple hundred years and are nowhere close to achieving. It takes the kind of very precise and constant adjustment with a sharp mind and keen eye that humans are very good at and machines are very bad at. Machines only sew in straight lines.

But people look at fast fashion prices and assume robots must be making their clothes. But they aren't. Highly skilled human beings in horrific work conditions at breakneck speed and brutal hours are being paid pennies to make even the cheapest and most low-quality garment. The entire commercial and consumer chain has simply dehumanized them into "must be robots."

This red swimsuit is selling for $10.99 from Walmart. It probably cost $2-$3 to produce.

This striped swimsuit is selling for Beefcake Swimwear for $99. This is the fair price for a swimsuit made with ethical labor.

Beefcake is a small Portland, Oregon company that uses local labor, local materials, and doesn't have a high markup. They cost $49 to manufacture (maybe more now with inflation). (With business expenses, trust me that margin is really slim.) Beefcake talks about "The real cost of American-made swimwear." Half the cost to produce is labor costs. I'd wager half the cost of the fabric is also labor costs. This is why clothing isn't typically made in the US, except using prison labor that's pretty literally slavery.

This is the true cost of a product that attempts to not exploit its workers. It's a luxury most people can't afford because the entire labor market exploits workers to the point of being unable to afford anything but exploitative goods and services. Fast fashion has convinced people they greatly benefit from supporting the worst of that exploitation.

These swimsuits were made on similar machines with similar materials by people with similar skill. The same degree of automation went into both of them. But the Walmart manufacturer sewists got paid less than a dollar to make that one and live in abject poverty, and the Beefcake sewists got paid $22, which is livable.

But robots didn't make either of these. human hands did. Human hands made every single piece of clothing in your closet. Think of how to cherish and care for their work.

#fashion #ethical fashion #fast fashion #sewing #Beefcake Swimwear #labor rights #my posts

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thegigilwriter · 4 months

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03 | “Danger & Star, Rooster & Angel” — Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Female Mitchell OC

Summary: 26-year-old Lucy Asa Mitchell did not know what was in store for her when she first bumped into Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw. After an instant mutual connection followed by a sweet whirlwind romance that swept both their feet, Lucy found herself being immersed deeper into Bradley’s world of the Navy, F-14s, and deployments. What she didn’t expect was finding was the answer to an elusive part of her past — the identity of her long-lost father.

Masterlist

Keywords/Warnings: Romance, Fluff

03 | A Hike and a Dance 🦋

Sunday June 4, 2023

“You good?ˮ

“You should worry a bit more about yourself Lieutenant, Iʼm fun-sized remember?ˮ

Bradley chuckled.

Lucy easily moved against the contours of limestone walls of the canyon. The sun was in its golden hour, and everything around them was basked in its glorious light. There was something in rocks that seemed to scintillate, like someone had mistakenly scattered some glitter dust. Somewhere in north San- Diego, off of the I-5, was Annieʼs Canyon, one of the first hikes that Bradley had overcome and was now the location of their second official date.

“Come here, I wanna show you something.ˮ

Bradley reached out his hand to her. Lucy smiled shyly before pressing her palm against his. He pulled her to him as they slotted themselves against the crevices of what appeared to be a limestone dome that was a little way off the path.

“This is pretty cool,ˮ Lucy remarked, taking a sip from her jug. “Does it have a name?ˮ

“The Mushroom Cave,ˮ Bradley replied. “Look over your left.ˮ

There, over Lucyʼs shoulder, was a graffiti carved into the stone. She grazed her fingers against its fading inscriptions.

“Nick and Carole,ˮ Lucy read.

“Those were my parents — look under it.ˮ

“Bradley,ˮ Lucy read again.

“My dad carved that in a few months before his last deployment,ˮ Bradley chuckled. “I havenʼt been in here for more than a decade — glad to see the old thingʼs still up in here.ˮ

“Your mom and dad — they liked to hike?ˮ

“They loved the outdoors in general,ˮ Bradley grinned. “They loved this place too, there are people in San Diego that have lived their entire lives here but never know of this gem — glad to see that theyʼre taking care of it.ˮ

Bradley helped Lucy off of the ledge and returned to the path. They ascended a metal ladder lodged set against the stones and they arrived at a viewing deck. They grasped the wooden fence overlooking the view. Lucy admired how the sun was nearly kissing the horizon of the Pacific Ocean and all the iridescent waterways against the backdrop of robust greenery.

“I know this place isnʼt very remarkable,ˮ Bradley scratched the nape of his neck nervously. “If you want we can go somewhere a little more uptown and—“

“Bradley stop,ˮ Lucy uttered and his eyes were immediately on hers. She placed her hand on top of his and squeezed his fingers tenderly. “Thank you,ˮ she whispered.

“For what?ˮ

“You took me to a very special place to you,ˮ Lucy smiled. “And that costs so much more in spades than in whatever fancy place with white tablecloths and overpriced appetizers for dinner. I havenʼt had the chance to hike like this since Oregon, so… I really appreciate it. Thank you.ˮ

Bradley just gazed wordlessly in her direction. Lucy Mitchell looked so good in sunsets and he wondered if he would ever see her at sunrises— in his sheets and in his clothes with a sleepy yawn and bed hair.

“I was thinking...ˮ Lucy finally broke the silence. “Since you took me somewhere Iʼve never been before, how about I do the same for you?ˮ

“What do you have in mind, Angel?ˮ Bradley finally found his voice,

Sunday June 11, 2023

When Bradley picked up Lucy at noon from her apartment, he couldnʼt stop staring at her marigold-colored sundress with a corseted bust and a floral lace hem that hung just right above her knees. His eyes grazed the expanse of her smooth and unblemished chest, as well as the winding straps of her sandals enclosing the length of her legs.

“Iʼm starting to think I should have worn something else,ˮ Lucy laughed.

“Wouldnʼt work,ˮ Bradley replied with a wink. “You look good in anything, Angel.ˮ

Lucy blushed.

��And I should say the same for you,ˮ she said quietly as Bradley grinned.

“I always love to look good for my girl,ˮ He said to her, locking eyes.

If Bradley wasnʼt good-looking enough, his hair was slick back with some stubborn brown curls framing his forehead; he had a black tank top on with complementing signature Hawaiian print shirt; dark jeans, and leather dress shoes.

They arrived at the Liberty Public Market some minutes later. Lucy was so excited that she was opening the door before they were fully parked and Bradley had to reach over to grab her arm just in case she fell over. They were laughing heartily in the middle of the parking lot and strangers cast their strange glances in their direction. When they had composed themselves to an acceptable standard (save for the giggles and the childish banter), they finally entered the market area.

“Welcome to one of my most favorite places,ˮ Lucy smiled up at him. “I hope youʼre hungry, ‘cause weʼre in one of Californiaʼs food hotspots.ˮ

Lucy led Bradley to the Maine Lobster. She ordered two of their popular Maine Lobster Roll, one of their signature favorites with some cokes, crispy fries, and pineapple slaw.

“Mmmhh,ˮ Bradley sighed, his mouth stuffed with the roll. “This is... just mmhhh.ˮ

“Itʼs perfect isnʼt it?ˮ Lucy sighed. “I had one of these in New England one time, and I was so upset that I couldnʼt find anything as good in San Diego — until now. Try putting some of the slaw in the roll. The acidity and richness of the mayo and butter together is amazing!ˮ

“What are you… doing?ˮ Lucy laughed as Bradley began side-stepping jauntily with a little wave in his upper body.

“Itʼs good!ˮ He grinned as Lucy held her stomach to support the peals of laughter tumbling from it.

“If youʼre gonna bust out a move every time you have something this good, then youʼre really in for it now,ˮ she smirked.

True to her word, Lucy led Bradley towards the Artisan Kebab where she ordered a plate of beef shawarma, grilled vegetables, hummus and pita bread for the both of them. The beef was tender, hearty, and flavorful. The vegetables were sweet, seasoned generously, and had a delicious roasted char. The pita bread and hummus were great pairings to such a rich meal. They walked around the market for some time, their fingers touching whenever they picked at their shared meal or when they walked a little too closely towards one another.

Their last food stop was at Lola’s Crepes. Lucy ordered two A La Folies with a scoop of ice cream in each one. Nutella, banana, and strawberry all in one delicious and delicate crepe.

“I gotta use the Johnʼs, wait for me at the patio?ˮ

“Sure,ˮ she replied.

As Bradley emerged from the restroom moments later, he came upon a small little shop in one corner of the vicinity. The vendor was a sweet-looking high school girl with freckles for days and light-colored hair in two braids. There were vivid and stylish clothes on hangers, hats of racks, shawls and scarves on hooks, and a table of glimmering jewelry of all sorts.

“See anything ya like?ˮ The young girl squeaked nervously.

Bradley was drawn towards a necklace bejeweled with a single butterfly charm. It sparkled in the afternoon light, casting sun spots all over the table. It came in several metallic tints: silver, gold, rose, and copper.

“This is one of our original pieces and it’s completely waterproof,ˮ the vendor spoke again. “I-Is it for the girl you came with?ˮ

“Yeah,ˮ Bradley smiled.

“Sheʼs very pretty and the copper-tinted butterfly would suit her complexion wonderfully.ˮ

Bradley nodded, staring at the copper butterfly.

“You donʼt have any birds?ˮ Bradley asked her. “I call her Angel.ˮ

The young vendor smiled.

“Thatʼs very sweet of you,ˮ The young vendor replied. “But who says angels canʼt look like butterflies?ˮ

Lucy popped an ice-cream coated strawberry in her mouth. She had seated herself in one of the patio tables facing near the front of a local band. She watched as little children ran around the grass patches and as people began to dance — couples and girl friends having a splendid time. It was officially golden hour, and everything was steeped in a warm haze. Just then, Lucy felt a familiar hand cover eyes and heard a familiar rasp near her ear.

“Keep ‘em closed Angel.ˮ

Lucy obliged and she felt Bradley lift her locks and place what felt to be a chilly string around her neck. When Lucy had opened her eyes, a necklace with a beautiful and iridescent butterfly charm was lying against the bare skin of her chest.

“Lieutenant you shouldnʼt have,ˮ Lucy gasped.

“I wanted to,ˮ Bradley insisted.

“No—“

“Lucy Mitchell,ˮ Bradley said firmly. “This is a sincere gesture from me to you. I insist.ˮ

“Alright,ˮ Lucy resigned, smiling as she touched the charm fondly. “Thank you, Lieutenant.ˮ

They were quiet for a while, enjoying each otherʼs company and the sweet crepes. “Hey Angel?ˮ Bradley said to her.

Lucy hummed.

“Come dance with me.ˮ

“Iʼm afraid I canʼt Lieutenant. I have a concerning medical condition...ˮ

“What?ˮ Bradley furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you okay?ˮ

“Oh itʼs very serious,ˮ Lucy whispered leaning closer. “... I have two left feet.ˮ

Bradley stared at her dumfounded as Lucy threw her head back laughing.

“Y-Your f-f-face!ˮ Lucy howled, clutching her midsection. “Youʼre so hilar—“

Bradley chuckled, drawing Lucy by the waist towards him in a sudden motion, instantly silencing her.

“Serious, you say?ˮ Bradley smirked at her flustered expression. “I think I can remedy that.”

He lead her from the patio towards the open area and into the crowd of swaying couples, affectionately pressing their cheeks together and sidestepping to the beat.

“Here,ˮ Bradley whispered. “Let me.ˮ

Lucy surrendered her senses to him as he placed one of her hands up his broad shoulder and another one in his palm. He placed his hand slightly beneath her shoulder blades.

“The trick is,ˮ he spoke. “Is that weʼre not perfectly aligned. Your right foot is between my legs and mine is in the space between yours. That way...ˮ

They moved in unison.

“Your left feet never have to touch mine,ˮ he chuckled.

“Youʼre a brave man, Lieutenant,ˮ Lucy joked. “My diagnosis entails dire complications. Embarrassment and falling over are the least of them.ˮ

“For you? Iʼll take my chances Angel,ˮ he said quietly.

“Oh maybe I came on too strong, Maybe I waited too long,”

“Maybe I played my cards wrong Ohhhh, just a little bit of wrong Oh baby I-I-I apologize for it.ˮ

“Eyes on me,ˮ Bradley whispered to her as Lucy began to falter in her steps. Lucy breathed shakily, for fear of whatever catastrophe her dancing would bring, and attuned herself to the music. She began to mutter the lyrics and picked up where Ed Sheeran had left off.

“I could fall, or I could fly

Here in your aeroplane

And I could live, I could die

Hanging on the words you say

And Iʼve been known to give my all

And jumping in harder than—

Ten. Thousand. Rocks. On. The. Lake So donʼt call me babbbbyyyy—“

“You got it!ˮ Bradley smiled. They were box stepping now and Lucy, as best she can, was clumsily filling in the steps Bradley had drawn out for her. He spun her gently and Lucy giggled as he tugged her back towards his chest.

“Unless you mean it,ˮ Lucy sang with a little more certainty in her step. “Donʼt tell me you need me, if you donʼt believe it. So let me know the truth—“

“Before I dive right in to you,ˮ they sang together.

As the interlude played, Lucy placed her head against Bradleyʼs chest and closed her eyes. This was the source of Bradleyʼs pride and gentleness— and love. It felt safe. It felt like home. In the haze of the afternoon, Lucy let herself imagine lying like this every Sunday in the warm sun on her purple couch. She looked up at him, and felt nothing and everything at the same time. Her heart was calm, and her mind was peaceful. Even as the dance had ended, Bradley and Lucy kept their fingers intertwined as they exited the market, in the Bronco on the way to her apartment, and at the front gate. The threshold of their meetings.

“A penny for your thoughts, Lieutenant?ˮ She whispered, hands still locked.

“Angel?ˮ

“Hmm?ˮ

“How about I take you to one of those fancy places with white tablecloths, and overpriced appetizers for dinner?ˮ

Looks like the Angel and Lieutenant are in it for another date! Things are progressing fast, the atmosphere between them is changing, but there is still so much to be known! Check out 04 | White Tablecloths and A Lovely Night!

#rooster top gun #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #top gun #top gun maverick #top gun 1986 #top gun fanfiction #top gun imagine #top gun fandom #top gun movie #top gun fic

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monsterrae1 · 1 year

Text

WIP 🚧 WEDNESDAY

Tagged by @satashiiwrites @disasterbuckdiaz @giddyupbuck @bekkachaos @wildlife4life @exhuastedpigeon

I started this last night and who tf knows where it’s going, I present to you 🪵lumberjack buck 🪵:

Eddie Diaz often hated his past self for not having taken the job in L.A. that was offered to him after he finished the fire academy and instead moved to Salem, Oregon.

There was nothing really wrong with Salem at all, the weather was nice, the cost of living was less than L.A. and after selling the house in Texas he was able to buy a nice property there, big enough for himself and Chris; the city was big enough to keep the fire department busy, and it had a enough arts and science extra curricular programs to keep Chris happy and entertained. It was really the perfect city for them, except for one thing: Evan Buckley, also known as Buck, their lumberjack next door neighbor.

Buck was by any means one of the nicest men he had met in town, aside from a little bit of rivalry happening at the very beginning of their relationship, they had soon fallen friends and now their lives were pretty much intertwined in every aspect, all except for their jobs. And even if Buck spend his days chopping wood out in the open, he would always chop his own wood in his backyard, and it was a little bit of torture for Eddie.

He might also be harboring the biggest crush on his best friend known to man.

Tagging if they wanna do this @brokenribsdiaz @loveyourownsmiilee @cowboy-buddie @loserdiaz @buddierights @prettyboybuckley @alyxmastershipper @rogerzsteven @heartshapedvows @honestlydarkprincess @bigfootsmom @jesuisici33 @folk-fae @spotsandsocks @hippolotamus @shortsighted-owl @elvensorceress @mysteriouslyyounggalaxy @housewifebuck @911onabc @spaceprincessem @leewithme and whoever else wants to do this

#wip wednesday #buddie #buddie wip #wip morning wood #(not the actual title but it’s funny)#I feel like I’m forgetting to tag someone but I can’t remember who

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lily-drake · 8 months

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The Demon's Queen

Chapter 17

First <> Previous

Mari is 18 Damian is 19

“Okay, let's start the trimonthly meeting,” Superman announced from the head of the table. The Watchtower was filled with the founding members of the Justice League to go over everything that had happened in the last three months, which was a lot.

“Well let’s begin with the most major events,” Batman grumbled, “There were four mass scale alien invasions that involved the whole League plus Young Justice.”

“Thankfully we were able to solve two of them with civil treaty talk,” Wonder Woman chimed in, a gentle smile on her lips as she reminisced on the events.

“The other two had to be captured which resulted in the mass destruction of New York, New Jersey, Missouri, California, and Oregon,” Black Carny listed, “from there we had to help pay for reconstruction. Batman, how much did we have to pay?”

Batman gave the whole League his normal flat look, seemingly unimpressed with the group. “$1.6 billion,” he growled, scowling at the rest of the members, most of which didn’t meet his gaze.

“Right!” Superman exclaimed. “We’ll go over the cost of everything at the end. Next on the agenda is reconnaissance missions and what we’ve learned.”

“The Young Justice team has gone on nearly fifteen missions in the past three months, most of which were successful. From their hard work we were able to prevent five Kobra-Venom shipments,” Flash began to quickly list off, “having skimmed the reports, the few that went off the rails were quickly resolved and handled by other members of the JLA. Going along those lines it was also discovered tha-”

A loud ringing went off and everyone looked back at Superman with a blank stare. “Sorry everyone, it’s one of my emergency lines that I give to citizens, let me juuust-oh.” After Superman had removed the small device his face fell from his usual cheery demeanor into something more tired and solemn. “It’s Mrs. Dupain-Cheng again.”

There were a few frustrated sighs from around the room, others simply shaking their heads in exasperation. As of today it had been one full year since one Marinette Dupain-Cheng had officially gone missing. She and her husband had been calling them every few weeks demanding updates, but the truth was that they hadn’t found anything. Even when Tim had thought he had gotten a lead, it ended up falling flat as there was nothing they could deduce purely from black clothes.

Not only that, but ever since her disappearance, there hasn’t been a single magical attack, which has made looking for her a lower priority. It wasn’t that they wanted her to stay missing or for a lack of scouting, but the matter of fact was that they were dealing with bigger active threats on a day-to-day basis, and there were simply no clues as to where she could be. They let the message go to voicemail and continued on the meeting with a more sober tone.

__________

Ladybug and Chat Noir Were the Villains All Along–An Informative Article About the Truth Behind Akuma Attacks and the “Heroes” Who “Protected” Paris.

16:24 Written by: J. Jona Jámesón (previously hosted on Wild Safari) & Raine Coffee Chaos

It has now been officially one year since Paris’ so-called “heroes” have vanished, along with the emotional terrorist known as Hawkmoth. The last sighting of the heroes was during the last battle with the Akumatized victim known as The Reaper, a twelve-year-old boy that has chosen to remain anonymous.

In that last battle, the video was captured of the Akuma, The Reaper, having the ability to take the lives of any person or being that came near their scythe or made direct eye contact. Other videos taken by popular blogger, Alya Césaire, showed that both of our heroes greatly struggled with this Akuma, where Chat Noir once more fell victim to it, and once more Ladybug barely succeeded on her own. Since the end of that battle both our heroes have simply disappeared along with the villain that brought them to light in the first place; which begs the question: were they ever heroes to begin with?

*video of final akuma attack from “The Ladyblog” filmed by Alya Césaire*

Take that masked menace the Flash, for example. He presents himself as a protector of the masses with his super speed, but has a suspiciously cordial relationship with his ‘Rogues gallery’. These villains are known to have a moral code, avoiding unnecessary harm to innocents and children while committing their various nefarious crimes. It’s more than likely that they’re in cahoots with Flash; pulling off their various stunts with him acting as the “hero”. Making it so that the police cannot properly do their jobs. He is wrongly adored by the unsuspecting masses in Central City, even having a museum! Perhaps he cooperates with the Rogues in a desire for attention and infamy!

However, just as people worship the Flash, the people of Paris worship Ladybug and Chat Noir. And now that Parisians are no longer afraid to talk about the atrocities inflicted on them, it has been widely speculated the heroes that Parisians so heavily relied on were mere children ! If we study the very first video taken of Ladybug and Chat Noir five years ago compared to the most current video of them, it is obvious that the both of them had grown and matured at the same rate as an average teenager. A set of teenagers could never accomplish what Ladybug and Chat Noir have done on their own! There must have been someone behind the scenes.

*Photo of Ladybug and Chat Noir side-by-side during Stone Heart right next to an image of Ladybug and Chat Noir side-by-side during The Reaper *

Who’s to say that, in the end, these kids were not in fact working with Hawkmoth the entire time? Their job: to create mass fear and panic among the citizens of Paris so that everyone would fear for the safety of themselves and the children, who were most at risk if you look at the Akuma, Gigantitan, who was only 5 months when first akumatized, and was targeted nearly 18x after through the years for minuscule, child-like frustrations.

From this prolonged fear-epidemic, studies have shown a mass decrease in mental health and an extreme increase in the unhealthy coping skill of suppressing emotions so as not to be a target. This in turn has led to a massive increase of people searching for and spending on therapists, where there is a shortage of them in Paris. Commonly referred to as the ‘Captive Hearts Epidemic’. And with the government being unwilling to bring in more from outside the city, and France as a whole unwilling to bring more in from out of the country, it is not hard to believe that this was a ruse for people to spend more money to big Healthcare Companies. We have already seen time and time again that Mayor Bourgeois is a corrupt politician only interested in putting more euros in his own private account. It is not hard to believe that he paid off these children and mysterious entities to terrorize the city into buying higher and more expensive health plans, especially since any damage done by these so-called heroes–rather conveniently–just magically disappears; so he never has to worry about paying for any reconstruction.

This war has gone on for over five years without end. The very sudden disappearance of Paris’ heroes and villains without so much as a warning is far too suspicious. It makes no sense as Ladybug and Chat Noir have had no trouble making public appearances and taking interviews. It’s obvious they care about how they are portrayed through the media, so why disappear without telling anyone unless they were caught and forced to give it up? Are we truly in the clear, or are we just coming home to a peaceful disaster?

17:07 RenaRougeOfficial:

How dare you make up such blatant lies and falsehoods! Ladybug and Chat have defended and rescued our people every day, putting aside everything in their lives for us.

Instead of trying to vilify them, why not think of the actual reason they disappeared. Perhaps they defeated Hawkmoth and decided to leave the scene to live in peace. Or maybe they got injured when defeating Hawkmoth and didn’t want anyone to know. Or perhaps it’s because

“Ohhh, that’s a good one Alya, here add this,” Adrien jumped in, startling Alya from her rant filled with righteous fury. She was forcefully pushed aside as Adrien began to type on the keyboard, adding to her rant.

you are just lacking in brain cells. Ladybug and Chat Noir risked their lives every single day so that this city, this world even, could continue on. They put the world on their shoulders knowing that if they failed then the universe itself could have been destroyed. Stop trying to destroy the heroes' reputations simply because you want clicks and views.

“And, send!” Alya announced, slamming her finger on the button. “Now, onto the next one,” she declared while opening a new tab.

“Okay, that’s enough you two,” Nino called out.

“Oh come on Nino! Just one more,” his girlfriend begged.

“You said that five articles ago. I’ve only tolerated you two doing this for so long because of the day. But if you keep going we’re gonna be late,” Nino barged in, powering off the computer before either could do much as protest.

Adrien and Alya looked away from Nino, a deep sadness penetrating their hearts, the same sadness they had been trying to ignore all day, all year really.

Nino watched as Adrien rubbed at his finger, twisting a ring that was no longer there. He had been an absolute wreck the day it had gone missing, saying that it was a parting gift from his mother. Nino could tell he was lying, but didn’t pry as, at the time, it looked like he had just watched someone die. And then with the news of a mysterious attacker stabbing both his father and Nathalie had both been stabbed in their own home and had nearly died of blood loss. Even though he was a terrible dad, Nino didn’t think he deserved that . And Marinette was still missing. It felt as if everything was falling apart at the seams.

"Let's head over to the bakery. Tom and Sabine are waiting for us," he whispered, turning away from his two friends so they wouldn't have to see his pain.

@The_Official_Ladyblog

The Truth of Paris’ Heroes: A Response to the Forgetful

22:34 Written by: Alya Cesaire

It has, unfortunately, come to my attention that there have been some doubts about the sincerity of our heroes and their intentions in fighting for our city. While my beliefs have personally never been shaken, I know that I was able to get to know the heroes on a much more personal level than most. The heroes were, as has been speculated, children. They never confirmed this to me, but I genuinely believe it to be true.

I believe that our heroes were in the same age range as myself, and as such, they were more comfortable opening up to me about the struggles they faced while they were saving our lives.

Ladybug used to cry to me, about how she had to lie to her family about who she was. About how she felt she was a bad friend for having to run away to fight a battle she never wanted to be a part of.

Chat Noir shared how isolated he felt. How he felt free in the suit compared to his life at home. How he had little to no support group to help share the burden of his secret.

They were indeed children, fighting in a war they had no reason to be fighting. They put their lives on the line every time there was an attack. They showed up for us without fail each and every time we needed them, and this is how we repay them?

This is how we thank them?

We come at them, with accusations and cruel assumptions in response to their sacrifices. They gave their very lives for Paris over and over again, and yet here they stand; accused of participating in the crimes they fought so desperately against. How is this fair to them?

How could we treat them this way?

I personally, would like to apologize. Not to Ladybug, the symbol of hope for Paris. Not to Chat Noir, the very definition of Loyalty. But to the people behind the mask. To the children behind the masks.

I’m sorry for how we have treated you, for the suspicion that has been cast upon you. For the doubts we have held as you held the very world on your shoulders. Thank you for always giving your life, for continuously fighting despite your own doubts, and for saving us every day without fail. I know better than anyone, that we did not deserve you.

I hope you find your peace, in the aftermath of Hawkmoth.

__________ Ever since her mission, things had changed in the base. No longer were the other assassins skirting around her, giving her side glances, and weirdly enough, they were no longer ignoring her. When she had first come back, Tomoe had kept her in the medical wing for three days, where during that time The Boy had come in to check on her wounds, before leaving without a word. She had brushed it off as him wanting to make sure his prized possession was still capable of doing his dirty work, but there was something in his eyes she simply couldn’t place.

Then when she had left she could feel the eyes on her. One of the members even gave her a bow of greeting.

“Samiet 'anak dhahabt fi muhimat mae abn awa li'iinqadh baed al'atfali. eamil jid,” one of the others grunted. It took her a moment, but she was able to mentally translate it to, Heard you went on a mission with the Jackals to rescue some kids. Good work. It made something in her feel warm. Valued even. The feeling lasted her the whole day. But there was always a dark feeling in the back of her mind. The reminder of what she was forced to do to free those kids haunting her day and night.

Her thoughts often wondered to the kids. She had blacked out before she could even know what happened to them, but nobody knew, nobody except one person and she wasn’t going to go searching him out. Granted she didn’t have to as he came to her.

Marinette had been reading the book Talia had given her–it was in Arabic so it took her a long time to translate making it a very slow read–but she had been reading it for so long that her head was starting to hurt. Laying down on the small cot she stared at the beige ceiling, imaging the night sky. As of her mission she had been less restricted, allowed to move more freely around the base. Maybe she could use that to her advantage. Setting the tome back on her small dresser. The idea came with some risk, but at this point she was willing to take it.

Carefully sliding the dagger she was now allowed to keep into its sheath at her hip she exited her room, stalking through the halls on light feet. Making sure that nobody noticed or followed her as she made her way to the stairs that lead to one of the towers that overlooked the base. Slowly she went through the small trap door before closing it behind her. There above her was the starry sky in all of its glory. It was a warm night that carried a gentle breeze strong enough to brush her hair aside every so often. The stars glowed brightly as the full moon shone down its ethereal light upon the whole mountain top.

From her perch she watched as the tall grass and wild flowers danced and bowed with the wind, listened to the sound of the night life playing around her, the feeling of being a mere spectator in this moment, the-

“What are you doing up here?”

Marinette nearly jumped out of her skin as she spun while pulling out her dagger in one swift move only to come face-to-face with The Boy. She felt her grip tighten on the hilt of the blade, but didn’t move.

“I asked you a question,” he demanded blankly.

Her eyes narrowed, but slowly she stood from her stance while sheathing the dagger. “I just wanted to see the stars. Am I not allowed even after completing your mission?”

He didn’t respond, just stared her down, his green eyes almost glowing in the moonlight. They stayed like that for a few minutes, staring into the others eyes before he broke the silence asking, “How are you faring?”

The question took her by surprise. How was she supposed to respond to that ? “What do you mean?” She questioned, crossing her arms in front of her.

She watched as he slowly walked past her toward the wall, staring out at the base. “I know that the first kill can be…onerous.”

Marinette stared at him like he had grown a second head, none of this made sense. “Did you think I was going to kill myself?”

“No, however it is best to not dwell on those thoughts alone.”

“Well I was trying not to think about it right now, but as you so generously brought it up I guess I must spill my soul to you,” she replied sardonically.

“Tt.”

Marinette took a few steps away from him, watching him as she leaned against the stone railing. His face never changed, always stoic, as if it were carved from stone. His forest green eyes moved from side to side, scanning the area around him. His hair was kept short, though the tips of his bangs brushed against his forehead as the wind continued to blow. His shoulders tense, as if ready for a strike.

They stayed silent, minutes passing between them as they stared out the distance. “Why me?”

She heard him sigh tiredly, not even looking at her as he spoke, “I already told you that. I don’t like repeating myself.”

“No. There is no way that you looked at me as Ladybug and me as Marinette and thought that I could ever be qualified to run this,” she stated, swinging her arm out at the end as if showcasing the base.

“You still doubt yourself,” he grunted, shaking his head disappointedly before turning to face her, looking her directly in her eyes.

“I will not repeat myself again, so listen closely, Marinette. As Ladybug I saw your tenacity, bravery, strategic prowess, and dedication you held. Even as Marinette you still held those exact traits, because even though you might have believed that you and Ladybug were two different people, the truth is that is simply not possible and you know it. Even if you feel less confident you lead your class of fools with strength. You never put yourself above your duty. Even with the knowledge that you were killing yourself, you still took on the responsibility of ensuring the safety of your home. I admire those traits, they are what make you a competent leader, and I believe that you would be an excellent asset in the League’s legacy.”

Marinette stared at him in disbelief, brows furrowing as she replayed his words in her mind. “I’m not just some asset you can use for your games! Have you forgotten that I’m a person too?”

“Of course you are, I have never stated that you are not,” he huffed, a brow lifting as he spoke.

“Yes you did! You have since the day I met you! You only think of me as some sort of weapon, just another tool you can use. Well I’m not a tool! I only saved those kids because it was the right thing to do! But you don’t even care, do you? If you did, then those kids would be somewhere safe!”

“They are safe! Each of them were returned to their families,” he stated firmly, stopping Marinette in her rant. It was the first time she had heard him show any emotion in his voice. “And those without a family were given the choice to either join the League and learn to fight for themselves or be sent to safe foster homes where they would be protected from being put in such a situation ever again.”

Marinette stared at him in awe, she hadn’t expected that. She had truly thought that he would have forced all of the kids to join like he had her, or he would have hid them away somewhere else to keep them quiet.

“Then why didn’t I get a choice?!” She yelled, tears of frustration pricking at her eyes, “Why has everyone here gotten a choice but me?”

Here he finally hesitated, turning his head away with furrowed brows. They stood there for many moments, Marinette trying to catch her breath as her shoulders remained tense.

“It’s late…”

“Is that all you have to say?! You can’t even answer this one, simple question?”

“You should go back to bed.” And with those final words he retreated back down into the base leaving a simmering Marinette atop the parapet.

“HA! That was real smooth, Lover Boy,” Plagg goaded as Damian walked briskly through the halls.

“What are you going on about?” Damian demanded angrily as he snatched the pocket sized god out of his hair. How the infernal beast was able to hide there so often without his notice he still could not discover.

Plagg gave him a large Cheshire grin as he stared up at the boy, “I’ve seen a lot of fighting in my life, but nothing compares to these.”

Damian rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh. Sure he admired Marinette and her tenacity, but she was just so infuriating! She was obstinate, brash, an idealist, and argumentative. There was always a blazing fire behind her sapphire eyes, always alight with the need to prove herself. It was as aggravating as it was endearing.

Shoving the small, laughing god into one of his hidden pockets he entered his rooms and tried to push away the question he could not answer that echoed in his mind.

“Can you believe him, TIkki?! First he demands I answer his question then he refuses to answer mine, and not only that but he runs away! Can you believe that Tikki?!” Marinette turned to her right looking up in the air expecting to see her small red and black friend, but was met with nothing. Marinette clenched her teeth in frustration, it’d been over a year now and she still believed her kwamii was still with her. It’d been over a year, but it’d been nearly five years before they had ever been truly separated in such a way. Marinette didn’t know if she’d ever get used to the emptiness of the air, the knowledge that she was truly alone.

Marinette stared out over the base once more, watching the flicker of the sconces that lined every wall. She couldn't help but think back to his face, the way he finally showed her some emotion. The storm in his dark emerald green eyes before he looked away from her, the way the moon cast shadows over his carmel skin and his sharp, stunned features. The way the wind blew his bangs across his forehead without his notice. In the end, she couldn’t help but loathe him.

She hated his pride, his stubbornness, his stoicness, his skill, his ambition. But if she wanted to escape from here, she would need to become as good as- No. She would need to become better than him. Because even if she escaped without that skill, he would just come back for her and she wouldn’t stand a chance.

Her mind wandered back to the last conversation she had with Talia before Talia left on her own mission.

“Have you been studying the text,” Talia asked her calmly.

“I have. It’s in Arabic though, so it’s been difficult at times to get through.”

Talia gave her a warm smile, “Very good, Marinette. You’re doing well.” Her words warmed her chest, and Marinette couldn’t stop a smile of her own at the praise. “Have you been able to practice what you’ve learned thus far?”

Marinette’s smile fell, “No, I haven’t even figured out how to activate that sort of power, I don’t even think I can.”

“Tch. That sort of thinking is the reason you have not advanced,” she paused for a moment before bending slightly to be eye level with her and placed her hands atop Marinette's shoulders. “I have to leave for a few months, but when I return I hope to train you more in this power, however, you will have to seek me out. I can not help you unless you want to be helped, so I leave this choice to you.”

Marinette couldn’t stop the tears that welled in her eyes. A choice, she finally had a choice! She hadn’t had one of those in so long. She didn’t get a choice to be Ladybug, didn’t get a choice when it came to Chat’s flirtations, didn’t get a choice to become the guardian, didn’t get a choice when it came to helping her class, she never really got to choose anything; until now. She finally had a choice .

“Thank you, My Lady,” she said softly, bowing her head in respect.

“But of course child,” Talia whispered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Marinette’s ear, “Be strong.” And with those parting words, Talia disappeared into the shadows.

Talia had been back on the base for a few weeks now, but Marinette hadn’t approached her for the offered lessons. She hadn’t pressured her, in fact she hadn’t even brought it up since even during their sparse training sessions.

If she wanted to escape The League of Assassins, she would need an advantage. She would need to know or have something that would make it so that if Damian did come after her, he wouldn't be able to touch her. With that thought in mind, she finally made up her mind. Tomorrow she would approach Talia and accept the lessons.

Thank you @the-coffee-fandom, Sage, and Worried_Safari on the maribat discord for helping me out with this!

Taglist:

@aespades @adrestar @astrynyx @doll246 @queenz-z @toodaloo-kangaroo @crazylittlemunchkin @seraphichana @miraculous-ninja @dorkus-minimus @mysticsoulgirl @ritacrow-blog @snow-leopard-777 @fidget-eep @sometandomstuff333 @lady-phoenix-of-tardis @shreeing @achaoticmess1 @liquid-luck-00 @buginetye @stainedglassm @prettylittlebutterflie @laurcad123 @iloontjeboontje @heartsong18 @raeuberprinzessin @when-no-wings-do-broomsticks @jennifer-rose123 @moon5608 @corporeal-terrestrial @skitarii-alpha-c6-555 @saltysugarysembei @phantom120 @kking13 @depressed-bitchy-demon @a-slytherinish-gryffindor @iamablinkmarvelarmy @fleursroses @buginetye @humanoid606 @ev-cupcake @blackroserelina @rainbowbunny0159 @the-ace-reader @humanoid606 @taewinterbear95 @blueberrygeniejam @alex-rebecca-pearce @neulosfantacyworld @devilbunny612 @boredteen19 @agentxx92 @animegirlweeb @geminis93 @thatquirkydancer

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