#and the other not-prohibitively-far store was even worse

[dihalect]

↖️ bicycle owner

[tankgotstuckinthecircusgate]

Crazy but I saw you said Henry used to be your favorite so do you have some headcanons to share with us?

i'm glad you asked, actually! i've been writing a fic about him for 2 months (someday i'll finish it) so i have some thoughts on his character. but i haven't shared them because well, let's just say that mafia 2 is super valuable to me for honestly revealing not the best human traits (and i'm trying to make these mf even worse) and henry is like. fandom's fav boy so i just didn't really want to get burned at the stake like some kind of a witch

anyway  1) about henry’s family i've seen a lot of hc about him being the youngest + spoiled child. but for some reason it seemed to me from the beginning that he was the middle child and clearly not spoiled. and it's not about an abusive childhood full of deprivation, no. i think inside his family was quite cold (maybe not from the beginning, but if you take henry as the middle child - it had time to become so by the time he was raised). i think henry's mom wasn’t exactly tough, but strict (have you ever talked to mothers who raised multiple sons practically alone? i have and they’re some of the strongest and toughest women i know). and I think she took on the main responsibilities of parenting because her husband just didn't have time for it.

and then there's the whole Sicilian conformity thing (this reminds me of a story of an acquaintance of mine whose mother wouldn’t let him go to the store to buy bread as a child until he put on a suit and tie. he was seven or so btw)

especially since henry's mother had to organize the emigration of the family and the Empire Bay settlement all by herself (i.e. i'm sure there was help from clemente, but the point here is to create a home(!) in a new place in a new country. emigration is often a heartbreaking situation in general, and when you flee to another country to survive, it's hard. you also have to stay strong because you’re responsible for an entire family). i based this whole story of coldness within the family on one (1) documentary about mafia families (it’s called mafia women i think??women of mafia??? i dont remember) and my hair just stood on end at how far from normal relations within the families are. i.e. if his family found out he was a rat, they wouldn't come to his funeral, and if he survived, they would consider him dead. it's wild, but interesting. the fact that even in the families slides mafia traditions  back to henry and how his upbringing affected him.

arrogance - memories of how his family was treated in sicily.

coldness - his parents' prohibition of weakness/emotionality. this is where his outbursts of aggression come from - repressed emotions always lead to a breakdown.

critical of others - rare praise from his parents.

wounded pride - he lives in the shadow of his father and perhaps more successful brothers. a sense of competition, to which he reacts not by wanting to grab his rival by the throat, but by trying to hide and run away from it, just so that these feelings don't torment him. an attempt to change his mind and pretend that he is really cool and successful (instead of actually doing something. fake it till u make it only without making it). he's trying to be lana del rey but really he's just an aggressive wounded dog. maybe a flea-bitten one

mistrust of people is probably a consequence of the fact that mafia families are closed and live in a very detached space (?)

 anyway. it's absolutely 100% henry to me:

+ henry in relation to vito and joe (at least at first? can't say i thought much about their relationship to each other)

+ closure because of the trauma of death. because of the deep understanding that in this business it’s useless to have close ties, friends, love, anything. in the end you will lose everything. and for what?

2) henry and religion i've been wanting to write about this for so long, but i thought (still think) i'd get kicked to death for it

anyway, i'm sure henry's religiosity is totally hypocritical and selfish

hypocrisy - "if they wanna kill themselves so badly i'll gladly help them out. especially for twenty grand". excuse me. suicide is considered one of the worst sins in christianity (at least in orthodox christianity). that phrase couldn’t be uttered by a man who truly believes in god. not to mention what he does for a living.

religiosity is his way of asserting himself, his way of standing above others. the way he (not directly?) chides vito and joe for not going to church. it's actually an attempt to humiliate the other person and show that "i'm better than you".

and!!!! it's funny!!!! he believes in superstition!!!!! as far as i remember it's against christianity. booo poser 🙄

it's funny that he tries to appear to be a religious man and yet he's in the most abusive family in the city

nevertheless i think he donates money to the church but it's all some kind of payoff attempt too! not sincere!!!

3) random analysis - to me he is a fatalist! hence the lack of ambition. fate is inexorable and cannot be changed. maybe it's the trauma of emigration and upbringing, reinforced by the fact that he never succeeded. the idea of henry being a fatalist is based on his "it's the 13th contract, it’s a jinx" etc. lack of ambition due to fatalism - you blame external circumstances/fate for your own failure. maybe he broke his bones a lot as a kid and stuff, maybe he's got a reputation for failure? i don't know. not because he's bad, but because all sorts of bad things keep happening to him for some inexplicable reason (maybe if he prays especially hard it will go away?)

- the further he goes, the more he moves towards a crisis and a fractured personality. frustration, big losses that he couldn't deal with and that just weren't worth it (betty's death probably had something to do with criminality; i think almost all of his brothers were criminals and some died). and i have a hc about clemente who was going to make henry a capo after luca died. but then chapter 10 happened and everything was ruined. such a crisis could be a reason to work for the feds, or it could be an attempt to make a big score with objectively very little chance of success (............. or to become a don, which is the plot of my fic). either way, all of these actions to me lie in deep despair and entrapment

 - hypocrite hypocrite hypocrite hypocrite 

 - funny how he positions himself as a professional even though in the game he fails every time (character = actions, not words). i don't know, maybe he was once good, maybe it's wounded pride and he never admits to himself that he's not good at "the one thing he's good at" and considering this dialogue:

the situation is again quite tragic. it's like "im no artist i've wasted my life". i can totally understand that feeling and it's very hard. to me he's a man trapped in a world he can't get out of. he's trapped in a cage of a life he didn't choose (i think that may be one of the reasons he started working for the feds).

4) henry and betty i think they had a lot of genuine love for each other (..... unlike falcone and lauretta who are much more complicated) and for some reason i like to think that he and betty met because they lived next door to each other in neighboring apartments (the first scene with them in my head was betty looking out of the window and seeing henry in the next window taking dried clothes off the ropes that run between the houses. idk i like to think that he was helping with the household). and it does somehow seem very natural and right that betty was more proactive and that their relationship started because of her (he probably pushed her away at first btw?)

 if betty was killed by one of the families, henry never had a vendetta (probably clemente didn't allow it? one of the first reasons henry has a growing disgust for alberto)

5) random hcs - he knows francesca. very fucked up story because to francesca, henry is just a low-key polite christian (which evokes simple human sympathy), but he is actually the person who put her brother in jail. a person who commits the most heinous sins on an almost daily basis. henry doesn't know francesca is vito's sister either - if henry had spent more time with vito and joe: henry projects his traumas onto joe and vito: "you're so fucking naive." but then at some point he gets a brotherly instinct toward them - when eddie came to collect some of the profits from the drug deal he greeted henry with a punch in the face 🙂 personal grudge among other things (and since henry has many addresses, eddie went to each one and only the last one was correct. man was on the verge of a mental breakdown) - vinci and henry really are distant relatives - in the short time that henry and eddie have been working together (i want to believe that they’ve been working together), they have grown attached to each other. they’re opposite personalities, but they share a deep sense of loss and loneliness (in that don henry fic, there's a gunfight scene where henry and eddie are on opposite sides of the conflict and neither of them dares to shoot the other. eddie resigns and bows his head first. in this version, he also realized that he secretly wanted carlo to fail (still canon thing to me), he was incredibly tired of him and carlo's potential death seemed like a release) - one of henry's brothers took up boxing upon arriving in empire bay and was very successful at it. i have a random hc about this random brother having a fight with eddie. one of the reasons henry vaguely remembers eddie - i haven't written about luca and clemente here but my main point is that over time he developed an aversion and the family as a whole. this is the reason henry says he doesn't care about clemente family's destruction

6) vibesssss (there was supposed to be more here, but i forgot what i wanted to add while i was writing the main text) - about emigration. very painful and realistic topic for me. these screenshots aren't mine anyway it makes me think about henry and his attitude to emigration (which in my understanding is most often a tragedy for a person, because it is the destruction of the old familiar world and loss of emotional ties):

henry after betty's death. to me (esp the last one):

sorry henry it's you:

- it's also him. to be completely honest:

7) track list"Sinnerman" by Nina Simone: makes me thing about his death & character as a whole. his main song to me "Oh, sinnerman, where you gonna run to? Sinnerman where you gonna run to? Where you gonna run to? *** So I run to the Lord Please hide me, Lord Don't you see me prayin'? Don't you see me down here prayin'? But the Lord said Go to the Devil, the Lord said Go to the Devil He said go to the Devil All on that day So I ran to the Devil He was waitin', I ran to the Devil He was waitin', all on that day *** So I ran to the Lord I said Lord, hide me Please hide me Please help me, all on that day He said, hide? Where were you? When you oughta have been prayin' I said Lord, Lord Hear me prayin', Lord, Lord Hear me prayin', all on that day Sinnerman, you oughta be prayin' Oughta be prayin', sinnerman"

"Cold Cold Cold" by Cage The Elephant "I've been breathing air, but there's no sign of life Doctor, the problem's in my chest My heart feels cold as ice, but it's anybody's guess *** Well, it's cold, cold, cold, cold inside Darker in the day than the dead of night Cold, cold, cold, cold inside Doctor, can you help me 'cause something don't feel right? *** Counselor, give me some advice Tell me how hard will I fall if I live a double life *** And as the darkness falls, it fills up both my eyes My life before me like a flash in the night With my arms open wide"

"Snakes" by Pixies about the disaster he caused "Snakes Are coming to your town In tunnels underground Some travelling overground A plague for our mistakes They'll be right next to you Snakes up against me too There'll be nothing to do When the rattle shakes"

"Christmas Kids" by Roar about him trapped in a cage of a life he didn't choose "The Christmas kids were nothing but a gift And love is a tower where all of us can live *** I'm going to escape, but you won't know how Or where to find me when I'm gone I'll drink myself to death inside this prison cell This prison cell So get me out of here Get me out of here *** You'll change your name or change your mind And leave this fucked up place behind But I'll know, I'll know"

"Little Green Bag" by George Baker Selection (not really about his character. it's about a drug deal)

i apologize for a lot of text (i could write more tbg but a) i'm too lazy for it b) i need more time for this (which i just don't have) ) all this is probably ooc but idk idk. this is the version of his character that has settled in my head (and i honestly!!!!! rewrote him a lot in october-november because at some point i realized that i was actually giving him falcone's traits. just because falcone is 100% my type of character) anyway i hope you'll have a nice day/night/etc and all this mess will be interesting to read💓

[imreadydollparts]

Speaking of conditioners, I don’t think I’ve made a post with the conditioners I have used all in one place and how they fared.

I do my best to keep my tools and things both inexpensive and easy to get a hold of. This is both because I personally burn through quite a lot of these materials and also so any recommendations I made to other people curious about getting into hair restoration or only needing to fix one or two ponies won’t find it prohibitively priced to give it a try.

Generally I will seek out products available at stores like Walmart or Dollar Tree.

I also try to stick to things that are generally safe for people to come into prolonged contact with. I like to keep things play safe though personally I like to use scented products. Sometimes ponies are musty.

One thing I have found is that the worse it is for natural hair, the better it tends to be for synthetics.

(I screengrabbed most of these pics off Amazon)

Suave Essentials Shine Conditioner works well enough, is inexpensive, and easy to get. There are a few different scents available. Though this conditioner can’t bring vintage doll and pony hair back to a like-new feel, it does notably improve dry, crispy, stiff hair which is the goal.

Not amazing, but adequate 👍.

I’ve only used VO5 Moisture Milks on two ponies so far and can already say that it is not nearly as effective at re-moisturizing nylon fiber as the Suave. It does make some small improvement to the texture and flexibility so is better than nothing, but not my pick. I haven’t tried it on my hair, yet.

Mane ‘n Tail does nothing for synthetics. When applied it feels like it’s magically fixing the texture but once you rinse it you’ll see it was just sitting on the surface. It doesn’t even leave a coating. My S.O.’s hair likes it, though.

At one point I’d received a full-size sample pair of some new-at-the-time Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner and it destroyed my hair so badly that I ended up having to cut it off after attempting some heavy hair masks to recover it which was distressing as I keep my hair rather long.

I can’t remember the exact product it was other than it was yellow and focused on shine.

The conditioner was hell on my hair, but fantastic for dolls and ponies. Suave Essentials was a downgrade when I finally ran out of the Herbal Essences.

THIS stuff is exceedingly good at smoothing and re-moisturizing synthetic hair BUT you can’t just go buy it. It only comes in Garnier hair bleaching kits (I don’t know if it’s included in the dying kits), and I only happened to try it because I had bought a clearance bleaching kit to try out a small amount of 40Vol as a vinyl destainer before committing to buying a big bottle of it.

I save this after color mask for ponies/dolls in dire condition.

Some non-conditioner things I have tried on the worst of the worst dry synthetic hair that wasn’t reacting to conditioner are:

Regular old petroleum jelly.

To use this I rubbed the TINIEST touch of petroleum jelly into my palms, and gently applied the thinnest layer possible to the hair of a styling head (so a tiny-tiny touch of jelly for a LOT of hair) followed by flat ironing. It is not ideal because it’s easy to get too much and then you have to strip it off again, but it did help where other products had failed.

and

Pure, food-grade mineral oil, which can sometimes be more difficult to get a hold of.

I’d bought this to condition my dried out wooden spoons and the like.

Application is about the same. A little oil in my palms and a light touch applying it followed by heat. Same chance of getting too much, also, making both petroleum jelly and pure mineral oil more difficult to use than hair conditioner. It did improve the texture of synthetic hair.

Baby oil is scented mineral oil so you could use that if you want, but I have always hated the way specific baby products smell (baby oil and baby powder) so I won’t even touch baby oil if I can avoid it.

[queenofcandynsoda]

Sol Fertilis History: The First Parliamentary Elections

The Rise of Youth Crime <- The First Parliamentary Elections -> The Assassination of Lillemore and The Rosario Crisis

Election season had started with nine political parties trying to get the majority. They are the liberal-conservative Progressive Natalist Party, the far-right populist Sovereign Defiance Coalition, the center-right Free Conservative Party, the green liberal Global Honesty Party, the progressive-left People's Progress Coalition, the right-wing Christian fundamentalist proselytism Religious Renovation Movement, the center-left Constitutional Civic Party, the pro-temperance First Prohibition Movement, and the communist Industrial Motherland Union.

Before the election, the Free Conservative Party, known as FCP, had a coalition with the Sovereign Defiance Coalition, known as SDC, and the First Prohibition Movement, known as FPM. While the FCP had control within the inner government, the SDC and FPM caused severe damage to the nation. The SDC dismantled several welfare programs that many citizens heavily relied on, such as pensions, child benefits, universal health coverage, workers' compensation, work leave, disability benefits, unemployment benefits, public education, public housing, and infrastructure maintenance. They also removed many labor protections, such as legalizing child labor, removal of OHS regulations, repealing minimum wage laws, and banning labor unions. 

These changes further exacerbated the Great Economic in a misguided belief that this would help the economy. Instead, people were driven into poverty and homelessness as they no longer have a safety net. Workers were suffering illnesses and injuries on a constant basis, leading to less production and slower growth. Education was made worse as teachers did not get paid, schools got fewer resources, and the education from the SDC failed the basics. Older citizens were forced back to work since they lost their pensions, retirement benefits, and elder care. The SDC believes that private funding would resolve this but failed to consider that it would not be enough to cover millions of people.

The FPM did not help much as they enacted policies in certain areas, primarily middle and lower-class areas. First, they completely banned the sale, production, storage, possession, transportation, and consumption of alcohol. Many drinking establishments, breweries, wineries, distilleries, and liquor stores were either forced to shut down or went underground. Many restaurants and stores had to get rid of their alcohol. Also, bartenders, cocktail waitresses, wine stewards, beer sommeliers, and bouncers were suddenly left without work. This led to even further damage to the economy. The court system was overflowed with prohibition arrests, made with the SDC making unnecessary legal challenges.

Because of letting SDC and FPM have control in certain government ministries, the FCP lost their support, and the citizens demanded change. The PNP was already in control of several local governments and managed to create safety nets for their citizens. Other citizens took notice of how the party had created banks, local welfare programs, education opportunities, better healthcare, good family services, and improve labor rights. Most of the PNP members, such as Cezar Rosario, Concetta Angelone, Athaulf Yale, Srečko Horvat, Fiammetta Berardi, Mason Gleeson, Nico Venner, and Joline Pilkvist ran for Parliament under the party’s name. They ran on their economic and social plans, along with agricultural and educational plans. 

Despite FCP, SDC, and FPM’s unpopularity, the PNP still faced heavy competition with the Global Honesty Party (GHP), People's Progress Coalition (PPC), Religious Renovation Movement (RRM), Constitutional Civic Party (CCP), and Industrial Motherland Union (IMU). To curb it, Rosario made a deal with the RRM and the IMU to have a coalition. The two parties agreed and campaigned with the PNP. The SDC launched a massive campaign to discredit their opponents, using conspiracy theories, claiming voter fraud, using voter suppression tactics, etc. This further led to bad press towards themselves and the FCP.

In the end, PNP won about 236 seats out of the 500, with the IMU winning 102 seats and the RRM winning 86. The remaining 76 seats were filled by the other parties with only one seat for the SDC. The three parties celebrated their win as the Alpha PNP members wearing only black and their Omega spouses wearing red. The FCP and FPM agreed to have a peaceful transition of power. However, the SDC heavily resisted this, saying that they will use legal challenges to prevent the PNP from taking office. However, all attempts remained unsuccessful. 

When SDC exhausted all of their attempts and Rosario is about to sit on the “Head Chair”, one man would take it a step further.

[sopaschronicles]

Age

CW: Slight mention of alcohol and mental breakdowns

today at the grocery store, this lady said I look 12.

I'm 18.

It made me upset, not because she thought I was younger, no, for a lot of people that would be a compliment and there's nothing wrong with it, some people are not good at guessing, right? But I know she didn't say that because I look like a 12 yo; she said that because I act like one. I can't stand still, I keep pacing around lost in thought and today specially I was feeling overwhelmed because of some other unrelated minor inconvenience so my mom was talking to me and I was eloquently replying with "hm" "uhum" "mmmhm". She thought I was younger because I act childish — I act... autistic.

This is a problem to me. For too long, my parents ignored all my clearly neurodivergent traits because my grades are good, because I show results and it doesn't matter I can't look people in the eyes, after all she's the gifted child, she's 1st in every exam! Let's just ignore that she can't socialize properly, she'll be capable when she gets older.

Well, I got older. And people think I'm 12. Great.

All of this makes me feel like I need to do things to prove to someone that I'm an adult. I enjoy buying alcoholic candy on a nearby store — it does not taste better, who in the hell would prefer cherry liqueur over passion fruit filling — because every time I have to show my ID card, which is normal for them to ask for, I get to see the attendant go like "oh! You're 18" (that's the drinking age here ok I forgot to mention) and it feels like a confirmation

I know this is ridiculous and sounds much more like teenagers trying to act older by consuming prohibited substances, and I know it can very much evolve into something far worse but- I just- I don't know what to do... will people even take me seriously when I get into college, when I become a professional? I don't want to be underestimated. I used to be scared of growing up, I think everybody is, but now that I'm here I just want to go up and up and it's really frustrating to be treated like a kid.

This whole account ended up sounding like a child's tantrum.

[debriaeddington21]

Police Shootings

Police shootings can be identified as law enforcement officers using a firearm to shoot a person during the course of their duties. Even though everyone in law enforcement is trained the exact way when accepting a job as an officer, everyone in law enforcement handles their job differently, some let the power get to their head by using excessive force when not needed and some become humbled. A badge and gun can change someone’s personality for better or worse. Typically after a police shooting the case goes into investigation luckily with body cameras on all officers and other technology the footage the evidence shows the officer is held accountable of the murder or injuries.

Although, A simple traffic stop can turn into a deadly crime scene with only one survivor, the armed police officer, who might have suspected the victim as armed. Police violence report stated, “ most killings began with police responding to suspected non-violent offenses or where no crime was reported.” Yet, 86 people have died during these traffic stops. Who would’ve thought getting stopped for a car violation or making a quick store run would turn into planning a funeral.

Being a part of the African American community having the feeling Police officers are supposed to protect and serve but instead are being seen as the biggest rivalry toward any race other than white. If everyone is protected and served, why do people need to put their hands up? When being out in public as any other race other than white, having to always be aware of surroundings and every move that’s being made shouldn’t be a nowadays issue. Having to explain to kids and younger loved ones ways to stay out of trouble with police officers just in order to come home in one piece should not be a conversation happening with kids. Or for them not to worry about losing a parent when leaving the home.Giffords's courage to fight gun violence stated “ 1,100 civilians have been fatally shot by law enforcement annually which was a large amount  of the black and brown Americans suffering with mental illnesses.”

Nowadays When listening to the news and hearing someone has been killed an instant thought comes to mind either it was gang affiliated or it was a police officer. Times have come that innocent people have lost their lives to being wrongfully identified. Such as Breonna Taylor the cops were looking for somebody and ended up at the wrong house (breonna’s bf’s house), they barged in the door without announcing themselves, I believe one of the officers let off the first shot, and when breonna’s bf shot back in self-defense the officers emptied the whole clip and ended up hitting breonna in the crossfire. Another innocent victim Jahiem McMillan, a 15-year-old boy wrongfully shot in front of a family dollar by the Mississippi police department, the officers stated McMillan had a firearm but an eyewitness confirmed McMillan did not have a firearm. A more local victim of a police shooting Donnel Rochester was shot and killed by Baltimore police due to accusations of self-defense after being pulled over for warrants found after looking up the license plates, Rochester was shot 1 and later died.

With going through a high-risk healthcare pandemic police shootings still tended to increase a lot throughout 2020 to 2022 with 2023 starting there are 79 deaths so far. Police shootings have become a major problem. It has been brought to Joe Biden's attention he has now had to step in and make a bill banning chokeholds, restraining no-knock warrants, and also prohibiting racial profiling by law enforcement. Although, there is a debate that law enforcement should be able to use excessive force in dangerous situations and others argue excessive force shouldn’t be used due to the fact the consequences could lead to an unnecessary loss of life and violate the civil rights of individuals. There shouldn't be a debate weather what is wrong and right if bring everyone together as one and demand every law enforcement to repeat the live fire course and how to de-escalate situations just for everyone’s safety.We also need to come together, fight the law and get Justice for all the innocent victims who lost their lives to police gun violence, do not riot just a simple protest for Justice. If we don’t stand up and fight, the police will continue to kill innocent people and knock us down. On the other hand, Officers should seek out candidates who are mentally and emotionally stable, with good communication skills and well-being under pressure.

[mikeshardreviews]

The Army & Navy

~~~

Recipe:

2 oz gin

1 oz Lemon juice

1 oz orgeat

Combine ingredients into a cocktail shaker with two large cubes of ice, one cracked and one whole. Shake for 12 to 15 seconds, then strain into a coupe style glass and garnish with a lemon or grapefruit peel of your choice.

Easy Orgeat:

1 cup almond milk (unflavored and unsweetened)

2 cups sugar

1.5 tbsp almond extract

Combine ingredients into a medium saucepan, bring to a simmer, and allow to sit until the sugar has completely dissolved. Transfer to a sanitized glass bottle and store in the fridge.

~~~

The Army & Navy is most likely a prohibition era cocktail with a lot of consistently vague history.

The drink first appears in writing in David Embury’s “The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks” in 1948.

Embury takes no credit for the cocktail and even describes it as “horrible,” favoring a recipe that is (ironically) considerably worse.

Embury does not make mention of who developed the cocktail, but it’s people have surmised that it has some relation to the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C.

The club, despite having the cocktail on their standard menu, does not have more information on the cocktail’s history and doesn’t claim ownership of it themselves.

Others have said the name references a famous (?) football game between the Army and Naval academies, but there are no sources verifying that.

In truth, the cocktail is shrouded in mystery as far as history is concerned.

Despite that, it is a delicious and simple variation on the common gin sour that boasts a smooth mouth feel and a gentle sweetness that brings a smile to the lips.

[wellthebardsdead]

Doing some brainstorming for the 1920’s S/O x yakuza Mob boss Hanzo so enjoy, thinking of calling this au Prohibition Princess ~Bambi

———

S/O: *quietly standing behind the makeup counter looking forlorn, confused, tired, whole body and mind still in shock after last night with the handsome detective covering her fiancés case and the terrifying and striking yakuza who so kindly informed her she was her fiancés collateral after he failed to deliver on his promises* …

???: madam? Madam are you alright?

S/O: *snaps out of their daze and immediately registers the young woman across the counter from her, long black hair in a sleek ponytail beneath a beautiful veiled hat, dressed in French couture and a dazzling fur coat to compliment it* Oh! I-I’m so sorry darling I was off with the fairies! It’s been such a busy morning I’m afraid I made the most of a quiet moment. How can I assist you today?

???: *giggles and smiles* It is alright Ma petite chérie, I am in search of some new product as well, things are so different in stores here compared to Paris. I was hoping for some recommendation? Perhaps some favourites of yours?

S/O: oh of course! We’ve got plenty in stock I think you’d enjoy, I know I for sure love them at least. Would you like me to take your furs for you?

???: Oui. *smiles and hands her her coat*

S/O: *takes it so carefully and hangs it up, clearly showing admiration for the expensive attire but not lingering on it* There we go, why don’t we start with foundation first?

*A few hours later*

???: *walks out of the store holding a bag of several items, some for herself, but others for her ‘friend’ with a skin tone eerily similar to s/o’s. Quietly sits down across from a man at a table at a cafe not far down the road* She has an appreciation for the finer things. *slides the receipt across the table to him* You owe me for this, Hanzo.

Hanzo: *lowers his news paper and picks up the receipt* are you sure she wasn’t merely doing her job and trying to get you to spend as much as she could?

???: shes too honest a person. Too hard working and kind to scheme like that. She openly admitted to me that she and the other counter girls sometimes sneak the sampler products to do their makeup because their salaries aren’t enough. *pulls out her notepad and a pen and scribbles down a list of things she noted* She mentioned her favourite flowers when showing me the perfumes, and I noticed she really admired my coat.

Hanzo: *pulls out his wallet and hands her a massive wad of cash* For the makeup, can you pick out a coat you’d think she’d like?

???: Oui, you’d better not make sending me on errands a habit though. I had plans today.

Hanzo: *snickers* I won’t… Thank you Amélie…

*That evening*

S/O: *barely keeping herself awake, staggering up stairs to her now empty apartment* please don’t let today be any worse god… *steps up the last step and pauses seeing her door, and several beautiful decorated boxes and bags next to a bouquet of her favourite flowers* … *drops her bag in shock* …oh no…

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Stop saying "it's not censorship if it's not the government"

If you think "It's not censorship unless the government does it," I want to change your mind.

It's absolutely true that the First Amendment only prohibits government action to suppress speech based on its content, but the First Amendment is not the last word on censorship.

Here are some kinds of private speech-suppression that I think most of us can agree are censorship: when the John Birch Society burned mountains of rock records and novels - or when Tipper Gore's PMRC pressured record stores to drop punk, metal and rap albums.

Or the Comics Code Authority, which signed up all comics publishers and retailers to block comics if they contained anything unfit for small children, which stunted American comics for generations while their European counterparts created entire sophisticated genres.

Or MPAA ratings, in which a secret group of censors (falsely described as frequently rotated, randomly selected parents - really they're long-serving studio insiders) decides whether movies get NC-17 ratings and thus be blocked from nearly every screen in the country.

(You can learn more about this from Kirby Dick's unmissable doc, "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," which documents both how the MPAA misleads the public about ratings, and uses them to block LGBTQ content)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Film_Is_Not_Yet_Rated

Do those feel like censorship to you? They do to me. They share a common thread, too: monopoly. In each case, the number of retailers, producers, distributors, etc is small enough that if they collude to block something, it effectively vanishes.

Or the Inquisitions - which were not government censorship. The Inquisitions undertaken by Church officials, who were not part of any government - instead, they represented an unaccountable, transnational authority that governments were largely powerless against.

Does that sound familiar? Our media, speech forums, and distribution systems are all run by cartels and monopolists whom governments can't even tax - forget regulating them.

The most consequential regulation of these industries is negative regulation - a failure to block anticompetitive mergers and market-cornering vertical monopolies.

When governments fail to block the monopolization of speech forums, they're enabling censorship, just not in a way that violates the First Amendment, so we have no recourse and no transparency and no right of action when it happens.

https://locusmag.com/2020/01/cory-doctorow-inaction-is-a-form-of-action/

If we only call something "censorship" when it involves state action, then there's basically no such thing as internet censorship - not because speech is never suppressed, but because under that theory the First Amendment simply does not apply to the internet.

Social media is a duopoly. If neither will admit you, you can't use it. So you start your own site! Cloud computing is also clustered into a handful of companies (with AWS, a major military-intelligence contractor, running >50% of that business).

If they block you, you'll need to host your own server. The majority of data centers are also concentrated into a few hands, too. Oh, so are the domain registrars. And the payment processors. Also the anti-DDoS companies and CDNs. Search is run by one company.

How many companies need to collude to make it impossible for you to have a detectable internet presence? It's less than 50. And really, since losing any part of this stack can be a definitive blocker, it can be as few as two companies (mobile apps), or even one (search).

You won't be completely unlocatable - the Inquisitons didn't seek to snuff out every copy of banned works (indeed, they preserved many of them in their private libraries!) and the PMRC, Comics Authority and MPAA ratings board don't totally eliminate their targeted media.

But your speech will be marginalized and buried in ways that would be totally illegal if this were the result of state action. Only this speech is sidelined due to government *inaction*.

Ironically, the only corner of the networked world where the First Amendment gets a look in is city-run broadband services - the same services that conservatives who have newfound concerns about online censorship deplore as "government intervention in the market."

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/17/turner-diaries-fanfic/#1a-fiber

40 years of antitrust malpractice created a situation in which censorship is up, speech is perilous, and the First Amendment doesn't apply in either case.

The answer is *not* to impose speech duties on private platforms.

"Fairness doctrines" are why the BBC spent years airing anti-vaxxers and climate deniers every time they had a story about why you should get vaccinated and vote for decarbonization.

Facebook and Twitter have demonstrated far worse editorial judgment than Auntie.

The problem with the tech giants isn't just their bad judgment, it's how consequential their mistakes are. Trying to improve the judgment of the tech companies is a fool's errand, a project without precedent. No one's ever convinced a monopolist to turn benevolent dictator.

If we can't stop the tech giants from making mistakes, at least we can reduce the consequences of their errors by making them smaller. Block mergers. Unwind mergers undertaken on false premises (like FB/IG/WA and Google/YT/Ad/Doubleclick).

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/dont-believe-proven-liars-absolute-minimum-standard-prudence-merger-scrutiny

Force interoperability upon them as the EU's Digital Services Act and the US ACCESS Act contemplate, then take away their right to block other forms of interoperability:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

And for god's sake, stop talking about CDA 230 as an answer to any of this. "You must moderate all your users" is a death sentence to anyone who *doesn't* have an army of moderators - anyone who might challenge FB and Twitter.

For Big Tech, a legal moderation duty is just an excuse to remove any speech that anyone anywhere might complain about: "Sorry we removed your anti-pipeline protest announcement, but we were worried we'd be sued if we didn't."

When the government censors, it's "unconstitutional censorship," but there are other forms of censorship that have always been with us and that we should all be concerned about.

When it comes to communications tech, competition policy is speech policy.

[handeaux]

Anything But Harmless: Ordinary Kites Proved Fatal For Many Cincinnati Boys

It is amazing your great-grandparents survived to adulthood. As if rampant disease, non-existent sanitation and a complete disregard for occupational safety wasn’t enough, Cincinnati children had to dodge the fatal side-effects of their toys.

Take, for example, kites. Comprised of tissue paper, light wood, string and a rag or two, how harmful could a kite possibly be? Well . . .

The Cincinnati Commercial Tribune announced [19 March 1858] that Hubert Murphy “the unfortunate lad who fell through the skylight of Morrison & Co.’s store, day before yesterday, while flying a kite” had died at the Commercial Hospital of his injuries. He was an orphan.

An unnamed kite-flyer was bullied in 1859 by an older boy, who cut the young lad’s kite string and began choking him. The little boy pulled out a penknife and stabbed his assailant.

In 1861, Amos Delsew was in the street flying a kite when he was run over by a milk truck, breaking one of his arms. The reckless milkman sped off and remained unidentified.

A young lad of the Gordon family fell while flying a kite on Eighth Street in 1870 “striking his mouth against a curbstone and knocking out a large percentage of teeth.”

Oscar Jones, 11 years old, fell in 1874 from the roof of Matthew Smith’s livery stable at the corner of Race and Longworth while flying a kite. Although he fell more than 30 feet, he was expected to survive.

Frank Eckland’s boy was flying a kite in 1877 when he stepped into an open cistern and was drowned.

Willie Harris, aged 9, while flying a kite in 1888, fell into an open unused cistern in Madisonville. He remained trapped for several hours until his cries for help attracted a neighbor, who gathered several men to pull Willie from the “living grave.” He was not expected to live.

Flying a kite from a Central Avenue roof in 1895, 9-year-old David Katz took a step too far back and fell 40 feet to the ground. According to the newspapers, nearly every bone in his body was broken and he survived just half an hour.

John Erhardt, 14, was flying a kite on the roof of his Dayton Street home when he fell 50 feet to the pavement below. According to the Cincinnati Post [1 November 1897]: “His left leg was broken at the hip and he was internally hurt. He will probably die.”

Frank Gers, 8 years old, fell down an embankment near his Covington home in 1911 while flying a kite. He landed in a pond and was drowned.

It wasn’t only the kite flyers themselves who were a risk. The Cincinnati Enquirer [2 April 1850] reported:

“A horse attached to a buggy, in which were a lady and gentleman, became frightened by the flying of a kite on the corner of Third and Plum streets yesterday. The horse reared up and the lady attempted to jump out, but was pulled back by her companion. Luckily a drayman passing along caught the horse by the head and soon quieted him. In a few moments he moved off as kindly as ever. Flying kites in the city should be stopped.”

For some time, kite flying was, in fact, illegal in Cincinnati – at least on Sunday. An 1824 ordinance prohibited marbles, pitch quoits, or any other game or sport on the Sabbath. According to Charles Greves’ “Centennial History of Cincinnati” [1904]:

“The second section was even more comprehensive. It provided that it should be unlawful to fly any kite in the city or to kick any football, roll any hoop, play at the game commonly called shinny or engage in any other play or sport. Fortunately the boys of the day did not have to go very far to get outside the town limits.”

Still, according to the Cincinnati Daily Star [27 March 1880] there were worse things than death by kite, like vandalism:

“Boys, confine yourselves to top-spinning, kite-flying and other harmless amusements, and quit throwing stones and using rubber slung-shots, as you are doing a great deal of damage to property – breaking window-glass, &c., to say nothing of the danger you are continually subjecting pedestrians to.”

Although risky for children, Cincinnati adults had a fondness for kite flying. In 1911, 300 members of the Business Men’s Club enjoyed an excursion to Laughrey Island in the Ohio River where, in addition to baseball games and a fried chicken dinner, the financial titans of the city engaged in a kite-flying contest.

John Puthoff, 35, won the Mount Auburn kite-flying contest in 1928. The Cincinnati Post [26 March 1928] opined that athletes usually fade after age 30, but Mr. Puthoff “flew his kite like a stripling.” Mr. Puthoff explained his continuing prowess:

“I owe it all to right living, constant training and the confidence of a good wife and four children.”

The contest, on the summit of Goat Hill, required 17 participants to spool out 550 yards of string, then reel their kite safely back in. Mr. Puthoff had a vociferous cheering section among his offspring as well as solid motivation in that Mrs. Puthoff wanted a new hat.

The Mount Auburn contest grew out of some trash talk at Anthony Seiter’s grocery store at 1735 Highland Avenue. As Chat Nickum and Frank Myers raised their voices, Judge Chester R. Shook, resident sage, suggested the competition and arbitrated the rules. No man with a beard longer than one foot was allowed, due to fears that fatal consequences would result if the kite string got tangled in his whiskers.

No one died that day. Mr. Puthoff finished his flight five minutes ahead of his nearest competitor, pocketed – briefly – the $14 prize and Mrs. Puthoff got her new hat.

[thiswasinevitableid]

For the meet ugly prompts, 15 and/or 21 for ot4?

Here you go! I went with 15: I step out of the bathroom and right into the middle of a bar fight and you punch me accidentally so I punch back on instinct. There's no sex scene, but quite a bit of talk about sex.

Duck’s taken a few hits in his life. He’s not expecting one when he steps from the bathroom of Tarkensian’s General Store and Lunch Counter, but that’s what he gets, sharp and hard in the eye.

“Fuck” He yelps, swinging his fist out to keep whoever the fuck is pissed at him from doing it again. He misses, catching sight of a tall government suit as his momentum spins him into the wall.

At the gunshots, he drops to the floor.

“Goddamn it.” His attacker sprints towards the front of the store. Another shot, squealing tires, banging doors. By the time he’s made a cautious journey to the cash register to make sure Leo is okay, the man who punched him is arguing with another suit in front of a Dusenberg with bullet holes in the right front tire.

“I told you to never discharge your weapon unless absolutely necessary.” All six feet of mr quick fists is staring down at his partner.

“They were getting away!”

“Necessary means life or death, Agent Roberts; if we tracked them once, we can track them again, and stopping them today is not worth the life of the civilians in that store. Or anywhere else.”

“Who gives a damn if some hill-billys take a hit, this is government business-”

“That’s enough.” The taller man’s voice sharpens, “Protecting the people down here is why we’re doing this in the first place. If you can’t get that through your skull, you’re asking for a one way ticket back to the tiny police force they pulled you from.”

The shorter man rips his badge from his pocket, bouncing it off the other’s chest, “Save yourself the fucking trouble, I fucking quit.” With that he stomps down the dusty road towards the only hotel in town.

Duck and Leo, who’ve been watching the exchange like it’s a picture show, pivot to setting knocked cans and scattered boxes right as the remaining agent steps through the door. He stands, waiting for them to look his way and clearing his throat to speed them along.

“I, um, I apologize, Mr. Tarkesian. I only meant to question those two men in a friendly way, but the moment they saw my badge one threw a haymaker. Which leads me to assume they are bootleggers, a conclusion I was deferring until I could speak to them. That’s neither here nor there. Are you alright? Are your customers?”

“All in one piece, sir. Your partner ended a sack of flour, but nothin’ else.” Leo tilts his head at the pile of white dust, “though you gave Duck here a hell of a shiner.”

“Oh my lord.” The man puts a hand over his mouth when he sees Duck’s face, “I’m sorry. You stepped out of the washroom right when I tried to stop the younger brother.”

“S’okay. Not, uh, not the worst thing to ever happen to me at dinner time.” Duck would rather not get involved in whatever the hell is going on here.

“No, it’s not.” The man runs a hand over his slick-backed black hair, “will you let me buy you dinner as an apology? Or at least some ice for your eye?” The chagrin is unusual from a government man in this part of the country, and Duck can think of worse evenings than letting a handsome face pay for his meal.

“You buy me dinner” he tilts his head at the lunch counter, “I won’t be sore about bein’ sore.”

The man smiles, “That seems fair. Mr. Tarkesian, if you’re able to write up a bill for the damaged goods I’ll...well, I’ll do my best to get you paid back for it. Have someone drop it off at Amnesty Lodge for Agent Stern.”

“Will do.” Leo nods, then adds, “Duck, ask Pigeon for some ice on the house for that eye.”

Once their orders are in and Duck’s eye is chilling, the agent sets a thoughtful hand on his hat where it’s resting on the counter.

“I really am sorry.”

“Not the first time someone’s slugged me. Definitely the hardest, though. So, uh, guess that’s somethin.”

“If it’s any consolation, my hand sympathizes with your eye.” He holds up his right hand, bruises blooming on the knuckles. Duck holds out the ice but the agent shakes his head, “it’s my own fault for not opting for a more efficient way of apprehending those men.”

“Take it you’re here tryin to bust some moonshiners?”

“Yes. As you might imagine, it hasn’t led to the best reception.” He tilts his head towards the quartet of men scowling at them from down the counter.

“Doubt your partner helped with that any.”

“You don’t know the half of it. One of those men who wants the respect for his badge but doesn’t give a damn about earning it.” He sighs as Pigeon sets their sandwiches in front of them, “Nevermind. I shouldn’t complain about a fellow agent. Um. What do you do here in Kepler?”

“Arborist for every town in the county. The bigwigs at city hall realized any money they saved lettin me go when things got bad wouldn’t make up for what would happen if trees took out houses or the brush got too high and made it easy for the whole damn town square to burn to the ground.”

“Sounds like they’re lucky to have you.”

“Yep.”

They eat in silence, evening sun searing their backs through the windows.

“I’m, um, well I was going to say I’m usually better at conversation than this. But it’s been so long since I did any talking that wasn’t part of an investigation or government business I’ve forgotten how to be charming. Or even interesting.”

“Buyin a fella dinner is pretty charming.”

“No, it’s just the decent thing to do.”

“Take the compliment city boy.”

The agent raises an eyebrow and Duck prepares to be hit again for disrespect. Then Stern laughs, soft and tired, before sending a Clark Gable caliber smile his way, “It’s nice to be talked to like a person instead of a suit.”

Duck shifts on the stool to more easily enjoy the way blue eyes glint when he says, “Even easier if you told me your name.”

------------------------------------------------------

“Well, Joe, this is me.” Duck gestures to the house that’s been in the Newton family since it was built. He’s the last one left in town, so the faded paint and sturdy foundation are all his.

The agent regards the house with the same cool curiosity he’s applied to everything else they’ve encountered tonight. It’s only when his gaze lands on Duck that it takes on a new dimension, friendly and almost innocent in it’s hope.

“You, uh, feel like joinin’ me for some coffee? Wouldn’t wanna interfere with government business by keepin you.” He teases.

Joe is already joining him on the porch, “Roberts probably reported on our earlier altercation. I’ll have better luck keeping Agent Hayes from shouting my ear off if I give him until tomorrow to cool off.”

Duck gets the lights on as Joe hangs his hat and jacket by the door. He opens the cabinet, searching for clean glasses and mugs, spotting the bottle of bourbon that was there long before prohibition started right when the taller man steps behind him.

“Uh, any chance I can convince you that’s a bottle of vinegar or somethin’?”

“No. It doesn’t matter, though.” Since Duck’s hands are full, Joe closes the cabinet, “I don’t give a damn if people drink. I don’t care if someone wants to brew up moonshine in their yard or run a bar. What I care about is how this whole mess has made it easier for mobs to flourish, for normal people to get caught in the crossfire of a corrupt police force and ruthless criminals.” The sofa creaks as he sits down, “I’m not in Kepler because I think it’s some cesspool; I’m here because I know a major bootlegging ring has a leg here, and that the people who benefit from it won’t be the people who get arrested in my investigation casts to small a net.”

Duck keeps his mouth shut; he could tell Joe just how much Kepler’s changed since a certain family got their hands on it. But he’s not sure what else he’d reveal without even meaning to.

Even exhausted, Joe manages to look handsome when he adds, “All that’s to say, I wouldn’t mind a drop of that bottle in my coffee.”

The longer he sits on the couch with his coffee cup, the more relaxed Joe turns. He also doesn’t move when Duck scoots closer, and soon their legs and hands keep bumping each other.

“Do you know Amnesty Lodge?”

“Yep. Few of my friends work there, it’s full of good folks.”

“I agree. I, um, the only other person in town who’ll talk to me like I’m a human works there. Barclay’s one of the few people who doesn’t seem scared of me. Or, he did at the beginning. Now, well, some days I’m almost convinced he’s happy to see me.” A secretive blush dusts his cheeks, “I’m sorry, I get rambly after ten p.m. It’s just nice to have someone to talk to about him.”

Duck happens to be privy to what a man in love with Barclay Cobb looks like. So he keeps some gentleness in his tone when he teases, “City boy likes his men a little country?”

“Barclay is from San Francisco.” Joe looks up from his nails, bringing them almost nose to nose.

“That don’t answer the question.”

“Maybe this will.” Joe drops backwards onto the cushions, taking Duck with him courtesy of a kiss and not letting him up until dawn.

-------------------------------------------------

Practically everyone in Kepler has a job on the side, some legal and others not. Duck considers himself lucky that his is all pleasure with a chaser of business.

He let’s himself into what could generously be called a shack, the ragged exterior giving way to walls of beautiful drawings and a floor that’s more paper than wood. Seated in the far corner at a three-legged desk is a tall, skinny man with pale hair and red spectacles. Kepler’s Van Gogh of Vice, Indrid Cold.

At Duck’s footsteps he turns, angular cheeks and sharp nose a bit sunburnt but smile putting that star (and any other) to shame.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite model.” He stands, undershirt and denim pants hanging off him as he gathers Duck into a kiss. Then he pulls back, concerned, “goodness, what happened to your eye?”

“Hey, sugar.” Duck kisses his chin, “Got caught up in some trouble at Leo’s. Nothin to worry about. What am I today?”

“A brush salesman. Go put on that jacket, the rest of your clothing will do just fine.”

It’s the same routine every time; Indrid sketches Duck in some poor replica of a costume (a policeman, a boxer, a salesman), then instructs him to strip down to some level of undress. If it’s a weekend, Indrid will ask if he can sketch Duck for more complex drawings, some nude and some not, rather than the Tijuana Bibles that help line his threadbare pockets.

He always pays Duck for his time, even though Duck points out that, as his boyfriend, he can see him naked and hard any time for free.

They talk about birds and work, about going to the city sometime soon for a real night out, until Indrid instructs him to remove his shirt.

“My, my, what did you get up to last night?” Indrid traces a finger around the hickey on Duck’s lower belly.

Duck tells him, letting Indrid scoldingly nibble his collarbone as punishment for not inviting him to join.

“I’ve given Agent Stern a wide berth, so it is reassuring to know he’s a decent sort. Though someone really ought to inform him that Barclay shares his feelings.”

“Yeah. Barclay.” Duck chuckles, “they’re two grown men, if they can’t figure out they wanna fuck, I ain’t gonna hold their hands and drag ‘em into bed. Uh, wait, fuck-”

“I got both your intended meaning and the double one. Now kindly remove your trousers and lay on the bed.”

“Any specific pose?”

“Whichever one allows me to be in you the quickest.”

“You’re the boss, sugar.”

-----------------------------------------------------

“He did what?” Barclay thunks the last crate into the back of Indrid’s car.

“Dearest, I know you’re attached to Joseph, but Duck did nothing wrong by sleeping with him-”

“That’s not what I meant.” The cook sets the bags atop the clinking crates, “Duck can’t lie. Him fucking around with Joseph could end really badly.”

“Duck doesn’t know about this” Indrid closes the car, fidgets with the key.

“Yeah, which means he doesn’t know what things to hide. Joseph is smart, Duck could say something totally innocent and give him a clue.”

Indrid rubs his forehead, “We can discuss it further when I get back from this run.”

Barclay mumbles, “okay.” Then Indrid is being lovingly crushed in a hug as his boyfriend speaks into his shoulder, “Sorry I snapped. I get so fucking nervous when you do this.”

“That makes two of us. But I didn’t come by my nickname for nothing. I slip by as quietly as a moth in the dark.”

“But what if the cops lay a trap? Or some other family wants in on Leeshon’s territory and decides to hijack you? Or-”

“Leave the what-ifs to me, dearest. I’ll be back in two days. I promise.”

When Indrid is no more than a shadow on the backroad, Barclay trudges back to the Lodge. He hates this, hates the men who put him in this position, hates the feds who sniff around like dogs waiting to bite, hates how one of the two men who can stop his heart with his smile is also one who could throw him in jail.

The instant he sees Joseph in his usual corner seat, that all evaporates. He knows the agent originally used the Lodge restaurant as a place to eavesdrop. When he’s here these days, it’s solely for Barclay’s cooking and attention. Barclay will give him as much of both as he desires, feed him full of it in hopes of delaying the inevitable. So when the chairs are up and it’s only Joseph leaning on the counter asking if Barclay will join him for a slice of pie, the cook sits on the stool beside him, leaning in as close as he dares, and tries not to think of the future.

---------------------------------------------------

“Mr. Cold?”

“I’m on the back porch.” Indrid calls, cleaning up his paints as Joseph rounds the house, his pristine shirt, shoes, and hair making Indrid feel a rare bust of self-consciousness at his dishevelment. He stands, brushing off his pants, “how can I assist you?”

“By letting me take a look inside your home. I’ve heard rumors that you deal in items that are only bought in back rooms and I need to see if they’re true. I don’t have a warrant, and I’ll get one if I have to, but then I’ll have to bring other kinds of law enforcement with me who might, um, might....look, you’re important to Duck; I don’t want this to escalate any more than it has to.”

Indrid grins, waving him inside, “Say no more. I do believe there’s been a misunderstanding. Your mind, on account of your profession, went straight to bootlegging. I deal in something a bit different” He flips open a briefcase and gets the pleasure of watching Joseph Sten blush.

“It’s not the kind of art I’d sell if I had my choice, but I have a talent for rendering all manner of lewd acts on paper. Owners of bowling alleys and hunting clubs pay decently enough for them.”

“I, um, I see.” Joseph picks up one booklet, flipping through it, “I must admit these are more realistic than the ones I've encountered in the past.”

“I use models whenever possible in both these and my other work” he gestures to the non-explicit paintings on the wall, “in fact, you know two of my preferred muses.”

“Duck” Joseph’s thumb runs tenderly over the illustration.

“Indeed. And this one…” he holds up a second book, “is based on Barclay.”

“Good lord.”

“That’s the general consensus on that part of his body.” Indrid places both booklets safely in their spots, “does that satisfy your curiosity?”

“Yes.” Joseph runs a hand over his hair, “very much. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Cold.”

“Of course. And by all means, call me Indrid. Should you ever be interested in modeling...” he let's Stern feel the full force of his appreciative gaze, "do let me know."

The agent leaves in more of a hurry than he arrived. Indrid closes the door, slumps against and says to the dust specks, “that was too close.”

He reiterates this point to Barclay in the evening, who agrees with him that, as much as Joseph means to him and Duck, when Indrid returns from this run they’ll talk with Mama about how to get the agent out of the Lodge and, ideally, the town. They finish their conversation right as three members of the Leeshon family arrive, electing to travel north along with their goods for some “official business.” Apparently, word of the The Moth as a skilled driver is spreading, the implications of which are keeping Indrid up at night.

He stoops and smiles for the men with menacing shapes under their coats, blows a final kiss to Barclay, and speeds off into the night.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

“Is everything alright?” Joseph hovers over Duck’s shoulder, his eyes locked onto Barclay.

“‘Drid does these trips to sell his stuff, and he ain’t back yet. Ain’t called either of us, which is mighty strange. Usually he lets us know when he’s headin home.”

“And I tried the motel where he usually stays on his last night back down. They haven’t seen him.” Barclay wipes the same spot of table for the fiftieth time, “Duck’s truck is busted and Mama’s got the one we use for Lodge business, so we can’t go look for him ourselves.”

“We could take my car.” Joseph offers without hesitation, “if you know his usual route, we can at least rule out a wreck.”

Barclay shudders; he doesn’t want to think about Indrid, caged and lifeless in twisted metal. He wants to think about it so little that he does the most foolish thing possible; he decides to give a federal agent a guided tour of their bootlegging route.

Soon, they’re creeping along the winding backroad, Barclay navigating from the front seat while Duck bounces his leg in the back. The longer they drive, the more somber the expression from the man beside him.

“Indrid’s the Moth, isn’t he?” Joseph murmurs.

“Hate to say it Joe, but you’re so outta bounds you ain’t even in...the...game” he catches Barclay’s eyes in the mirror, “oh you gotta be fuckin kiddin me.”

“Wish I was” Barclay locks his hands in his lap, “Started about six months ago. Leeshon and his mob decided Kepler was a good spot to stage some of their smuggling. They went to the lodge first; Mama told ‘em hell no, told ‘em to get gone, and they threatened to shoot her then and there to burn the whole place and everyone in it. I stepped in, offered to do it. I was so fucking bad at the driving I almost got caught. Indrid offered to help to keep me safe and keep them from going after the Lodge.” He glances at Joseph, “we’re just trying to protect our family.”

“I don’t doubt it. But you haven’t exactly put me in an easy position. I had a hunch after I was in Indrid’s house; the faint smell of alcohol on certain bags, the regular trips along the exact same route. I just...I was hoping I was wrong.”

“You know damn well ‘Drid ain’t a threat to anyone.”

“He’s aiding the mob”

“To protect us--ohfuck” Barclay’s door is open before Joseph even stops the car. At the crossroads before them are two cars, each riddled with bullet holes. The one on the right, back half full of shattered bottles, is Indrid’s.

“No!” Barclay dodges the other bodies, Duck right behind him, and wrenches the driver-side door open. There’s bullets in the seat, but no body.

“Rival family, I can tell by the rings. They must have ambushed them.” Joseph stares down at one of the bodies by the second car.

“We gotta find him, he might still be, there-” Duck grabs Barclay’s arm, pointing towards the brush, “someone dragged themself that way.”

Duck leads the scramble through the foliage, following signs Barclay can’t see until they reach scuffed shoes on long legs.

“‘Drid, fuck, fuck, c’mon sugar talk to me.” Duck is on his knees, guiding the unconscious man into his arms.

“He’s breathing.” Barclay runs his hands over Indrid’s body, looking for broken bones. Finds one on his left leg, making his boyfriend groan in pain.

“You’re gonna be okay, we’ll get you home.” There’s a clanking noise from the direction they came, “I like Joe an awful lot, but if we gotta steal his car I will.”

Indrid manages to smile with dry lips, “I tried so hard to get back. Hard to crawl on a broken leg after playing dead for as long as it took everyone who’d been shot to finish dying. I just...can we...I want to go home.”

“You clear a path, I’ll carry him.” Barclay scoops Indrid up, follows Duck back towards the car as he snaps and pushes at brush.

“Thank the lord.” Joseph opens the back door of the car, “here, he can lay down. We’ll take him to the doctor right away.”

Duck stays in the back, Indrid’s head in his lap, petting his hair and whispering to him as Joseph turns the car towards town.

“You realize I have to report the shoot out.”

Barclay never takes his eyes off Indrid, “Do what you have to. Just don’t expect a warm welcome back.”

----------------------------------------------------

“....no, Agent Hayes, there were no survivors of the shoot-out.”

“Any records on the cars?”

“Only one. The other didn’t have plates.” Joseph keeps his breathing even as his boss mulls over his report.

“Alright. I won’t send a second man down, but if this escalates I expect you to alert me at once.”

“Understood, sir.” He hangs up, relieved, and steps into the hall of the Lodge. There’s not much spring in his step, since he doesn’t dare show his face in the restaurant.

Then there’s a lot of spring as he’s yanked through a door. Before he can raise a fist, calloused hands cup his cheeks and a beard prickles his skin as Barclay pins him to the wall in a kiss.

“Did, did you hear the callmmpph” He holds tight to Barclays shoulders as the cook manhandles him towards bed.

“Yep, had Aubrey eavesdrop on you.” Duck grins from his spot on Indrid’s comfy sickbed, “you gonna tell us why you covered our asses?”

“Barclay may have to release him for that.” Indrid pats the space next to Duck and the cook let’s Joseph drop into it.

“Arresting Indrid would have put the whole Lodge in danger and done nothing to stop the mobs vying for power on this bootlegging route. It’s the better call to let people think you’re dead for a time and see if I can catch Leeshon as he’s sniffing around for a new driver. And, um, I, I couldn’t hurt you. Any of you. You’ve made me happier than I’ve been in years and I, I just want to help you protect the town.”

“Aww, knew you were soft deep-down, city boy.” Duck kisses his cheek.

“I never did get to thank you for your role in saving my life. Come here.” Indrid crooks his finger and Joseph leans in, expecting a kiss on the cheek. He gets one full on the lips, Indrid humming when he brushes their tongues together. He purrs when they part, “after all, if you’re staying in town, I intend to join my boyfriends in their admiration of you.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

“Wonderful. Iin that case, perhaps you’ll model for me.”

“Only if you buy me dinner.”

“Hey, I had to get punched to get dinner.” Duck teases.

“Let me go get it started.” Barclay winks, “don’t get into too much trouble until I get back.”

[loudlytransparenttrash]

The Equality Act

I’ve been posting about it for years. Using gender and sex interchangeably will help radical lawmakers capitalize on the lack of distinction and introduce laws that do away with scientific, biological reality. The Democrat-controlled House just recently passed the Equality Act, which they say despite federal anti-discrimination laws already existing, is just new legislation designed to protect LGBT people from discrimination, but of course there’s much more to it, and seems to only care about the “T”.

“Sex,” the bill says, is now defined by “gender identity,” which the legislation then describes so broadly it is limited only by a person’s imagination. “Gender identity” means “the gender-related identity, stereotype, appearance, mannerisms, or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, regardless of the individual's’ designated sex at birth.” The Equality Act then treats an individual’s self-determined “gender identity” as the individual’s sex under the law, and requires Americans to do the same in virtually every aspect of civil society, including public accommodations, public facilities, public education, all federally assisted programs and employment.

“An individual shall not be denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room, and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual’s gender identity.” Under the law, any biological man or boy claiming a female gender identity could access women’s and girl’s store dressing rooms, recreational centers locker rooms, or school bathrooms and there would be nothing a state, city, school board or private business could do about it. 

The Equality Act then describes that where sex is a bona fide occupational qualification, such as in cases involving intimate care of clients and customers, personal caregivers including in nursing homes and hospitals, women’s waxing and esthetician work, or chaperones, counselors or coaches, that employers must consider only the applicant’s gender identity, not their sex, as it now would mean the same thing. This means an adult man who claims a female gender identity can obtain a job involving sensitive, personal and intimate matters involving girls and women, which would normally be provided by other women, and clients will either have to shut up and accept it or face federal discrimination charges. If you don’t feel comfortable with a man who says they identify as a woman waxing you, or providing intimate, invasive care to your unwell mom or grandmother, or sharing bathrooms with you, it's very close to becoming a federal crime to object.

The bill doesn’t even require the individual to have clinically diagnosed gender dysphoria, or undertaking surgical or hormonal transition, making it that self-declared “gender identity” would be the only requirement to determine our sex under law and everyone else must play along. Anyone, at any time, could declare a change of gender identity and must instantly be recognized as such. A male athlete can declare his identity as “female” at any time, without any medical corroboration, and he instantly qualifies to compete against girls and afterwards join them in the changing rooms. The Equality Act states sports competitions and scholarship programs designated for girls and women to admit males if they proclaim a female gender identity. Studies have shown that “female identifying” athletes still hold an “intolerable advantage” over females even when they have undergone hormone treatments, yet this bill doesn’t require the male to do anything to compete against women, except say they identify as female. 

All previous single-sex facilities including shared hospital rooms or wards, jails, prisons or juvenile detention facilities, homeless shelters, overnight drug rehabilitation centers and domestic violence or rape crisis shelters would also be forced by law to welcome men who say they are female. Furthermore, the Equality Act would trump religious freedom. Remember my posts about baker Jack Phillips? In 2017, after years of fighting off attacks and lawsuits from anti-Christian activists, the Colorado Christian baker won a Supreme Court battle establishing his right to choose not to bake same-sex wedding, “gender transition” and satanist cakes? Four years later, he is still embroiled in an unending stream of lawsuits and complaints brought by radical activists who demand he does what they say. The Equality Act would take the treatment the baker has received, all because he has different views on marriage and gender, and nationalize it, forcing every religious business owner to go against their beliefs - and everyone else to go against science - and do as they’re told. 

It doesn’t end there. The Equality Act also means changes in school curricula, such as classes and text that affirm and promote gender theory viewpoints. These mandated school programs would override states that have prohibited such ideological curricula and also parents who don’t want their kids learning it. Even worse, according to the Equality Act, religious nurses, doctors, and hospitals unwilling to perform sex-change surgery on children would also be legally discriminating. Parents who don’t allow their kid to undergo puberty blockers, hormone therapy and sex changes would also be violating the law, have their parental rights removed and lose custody of their child, even though that’s already happening all over the country. 

The House already passed the Equality Act in May 2019 for the first time, but the Republican-led Senate kept the bill from going any further. The bill has again passed the House, and Biden has promised to sign it into law, leaving the Senate again as the last hurdle. With Democrats now controlling the Senate, the bill is sure to at least see the floor for debate. The question then becomes whether Democrats can get enough votes to make it federal law, and given that Democrats have so far succeeded in framing the Equality Act as a civil rights law necessary to protect all LGBTQ people (plus, who would ever vote against the EQUALITY act, you don’t believe in equality!? You enjoy discrimination!?”) the passage seems increasingly likely. If it is passed, it’s difficult to imagine how destroying our rights of conscience, reality, religious freedom, businesses, schools, privacy and sports was worth conforming to the feelings of 0.6 percent of the population. 

[tinyshe]

What Will Segregated Society Look Like for the Unvaxxed? 

August 09, 2021

Story at-a-glance 

High-profile restaurant chains like Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality will require staff and indoor diners in New York City and Washington D.C. to show proof of COVID “vaccination,” starting September 7, 2021

Vaccinated-only bars and restaurants have also popped up in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Boulder, St. Louis and New Orleans

A growing number of private companies are also requiring workers to participate in human medical experimentation or forfeit their job. High profile examples include Facebook, Google, Twitter, Lyft, Uber, Saks Fifth Avenue, The Washington Post, BlackRock, Ascension Health, Netflix, Walmart, the Walt Disney Corporation and Morgan Stanley

PayPal is vowing to block transactions and cancel accounts held by “extremists” and anyone endangering “at-risk communities,” which could include just about anything, including anti-vaccine rhetoric

CNN anchor Don Lemon has suggested unvaccinated people ought to be barred from buying food in grocery stores and have their driver’s license taken away

In 2020, the proposition that COVID-19 countermeasures would come to include forced vaccination and vaccine passports, resulting in a segregated society where only those participating in the COVID injection experiment have human rights, was labeled a wild conspiracy theory unworthy of discussion.

Fast-forward to August 2, 2021, and Forbes announces, “No Vax, No Service: Here’s Where Bars and Restaurants Across U.S. Are Requiring Proof of Vaccination.”1

No Jab, No Dining

According to Forbes,2 high-profile restaurant chains like Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality are leading the way, requiring all staff and indoor diners in New York City and Washington D.C. to prove they’ve received the required doses of COVID-19 injections, starting September 7, 2021.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio hailed the decision, saying others will follow — and indeed, they did, with de Blasio himself announcing August 3, 2021, that proof of vaccination will be mandatory for all indoor dining, visiting gyms and going to movie theaters in the city:3

“This is a miraculous place literally full of wonders,” Mr. de Blasio said. “If you’re vaccinated, all that’s going to open up to you. But if you’re unvaccinated, unfortunately you will not be able to participate in many things.”

Several New York City eateries were already checking vaccination status, and during the last week of July 2021, the San Francisco Bar Owners Alliance urged its 300 members to require proof of COVID-19 injection or a negative COVID test for patrons wanting to have a drink indoors.

Several Los Angeles restaurants, bars and comedy clubs are also following suit, as are more than 60 establishments in Seattle. Vaccinated-only restaurants have also popped up in Oakland, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Boulder, St. Louis and New Orleans.

Since COVID countermeasures are a global lockstep operation,4 the same segregation trend is emerging in other countries as well. On the other hand, in Florida, where I live, businesses are prohibited by law5,6 from requiring customers to show proof of participation in the COVID jab experiment.

No Jab, No Job

A growing number of private companies are also requiring workers to participate in human medical experimentation or forfeit their job. As reported by Axios,7 this includes Facebook, Google, Twitter, Lyft, Uber, Saks Fifth Avenue, The Washington Post, BlackRock, Ascension Health, Netflix, Walmart, the Walt Disney Corporation and Morgan Stanley.

As mentioned, Florida prohibits businesses from requiring customers to provide proof of COVID “vaccination,” but it does not bar companies from mandating vaccination for its employees.

For now, Disney’s jab mandate only pertains to salaried and nonunion hourly employees, but according to Yahoo! News,8 Disney is in negotiations with union officials who represent theme park employees and members of its movie and TV production crews. The goal is to extend the vaccine mandate to union employees as well.

In May 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission decreed that it is legal for companies to require employees to get the COVID shots.9 This despite the fact that the four available COVID injections are only authorized for emergency use and are as yet unlicensed.10 Testing is not expected to conclude for another two years.

No Jab, No Business

Private companies also have the right to not mandate COVID shots, of course, but standing up for workers’ right to choose could hamper their ability to conduct business at all, as PayPal is now vowing to block transactions and cancel accounts held by “extremists” and anyone endangering “at-risk communities,”11 which could include just about anything at this point.

Seeing how the White House is promoting the idea that people who question the safety and effectiveness of COVID shots are “killing people” and the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) labels anti-vaccine rhetoric as a form of hate speech, is it a stretch to suspect PayPal will start taking down the accounts of so-called “anti-vaxxers”?

Business owners and self-employed entrepreneurs who speak out against other official narratives probably face the same risk. Venture capitalist David Sacks recently commented on the situation:12

“When I helped create PayPal in 1999, it was in furtherance of a revolutionary idea. No longer would ordinary people be dependent on large financial institutions to start a business …

But now PayPal is turning its back on its original mission. It is now leading the charge to restrict participation by those it deems unworthy … [W]e are talking about … shutting down people and organizations that express views that are entirely lawful …

If history is any guide, other fintech companies will soon follow suit … When … your name lands on a No-Buy List created by a consortium of private fintech companies, to whom can you appeal?

As for the notion of building your own PayPal or Facebook: because of their gigantic network effects and economies of scale, there is no viable alternative when the whole industry works together to deny you access.

Kicking people off social media deprives them of the right to speak in our increasingly online world. Locking them out of the financial economy is worse: It deprives them of the right to make a living.

We have seen how cancel culture can obliterate one’s ability to earn an income, but now the cancelled may find themselves without a way to pay for goods and services.

Previously, cancelled employees who would never again have the opportunity to work for a Fortune 500 company at least had the option to go into business for themselves. But if they cannot purchase equipment, pay employees, or receive payment from clients and customers, that door closes on them, too.”

If this trend continues, which it probably will, might people who question COVID shots and/or refuse to participate in human experimentation be barred from having a credit card or a bank account?

No Jab, No Food

Some are promoting even more severe punishment for the unvaccinated. Yet, it’s not enough for some thought leaders that unvaccinated individuals can’t enter a bar or restaurant, and might lose their ability to send or receive money for goods and services using PayPal (and potentially other digital transaction services).

For example, CNN anchor Don Lemon recently suggested unvaccinated people ought to be barred from buying food and have their driver’s license taken away.13,14

Why is fascism so commonly associated with genocide …? It is because it needs a unifying force powerful enough to sweep aside all resistance. ~ Charles Eisenstein

I’d like you to conduct a thought experiment, and think this through from start to finish. What would your life be like if you were:

Barred from driving

Barred from working and earning a paycheck

Barred from sending or receiving money online

Barred from having a bank account and credit card

Barred from eating food at a restaurant (assuming you somehow got the cash to pay for it)

Barred from buying food in a grocery store (again, assuming you somehow got the cash to pay for it)

Are Lemon and countless others actually saying it is acceptable to make half the U.S. population homeless and starve them to death in order to, theoretically, prevent the spread of an infection that, so far, has had a 99.74% survival rate?15

Mob Morality

To understand what’s really happening and what Lemon’s rhetoric is accomplishing, I highly recommend reading Charles Eisenstein’s article “Mob Morality and the Unvaxxed.” It’s an excellent and thought-provoking piece. Here’s a few chosen excerpts:16

“We would like to think that modern societies like ours have outgrown barbaric customs like human sacrifice … we don’t actually kill people in hopes of placating the gods and restoring order. Or do we? …

Not just any victim will do as an object of human sacrifice. Victims must be, as [legal scholar Roberta] Harding puts it, ‘in, but not of, the society.’ That is why, during the Black Death, mobs roamed about murdering Jews for ‘poisoning the wells.’

The entire Jewish population of Basel was burned alive, a scene repeated throughout Western Europe. Yet this was not mainly the result of preexisting virulent hatred of Jews waiting for an excuse to erupt; it was that victims were needed to release social tension, and hatred, an instrument of that release, coalesced opportunistically on the Jews ...

‘Combatting hatred’ is combatting a symptom. Scapegoats needn’t be guilty, but they must be marginal, outcasts, heretics, taboo-breakers, or infidels of one kind or another … If they are not already marginal, they must be made so …

[D]efying left-right categorization is a promising new scapegoat class, the heretics of our time: the anti-vaxxers. As a readily identifiable subpopulation, they are ideal candidates for scapegoating. It matters little whether any of these pose a real threat to society … their guilt is irrelevant to the project of restoring order through blood sacrifice …

All that is necessary is that the dehumanized class arouse the blind indignation and rage necessary to incite a paroxysm of unifying violence. More relevant to current times, this primal mob energy can be harnessed toward fascistic political ends …

Sacrificial subjects carry an association of pollution or contagion; their removal thus cleanses society. I know people in the alternative health field who are considered so unclean that if I so much as mention their names in a Tweet or Facebook post, the post may be deleted …

The public’s ready acceptance of such blatant censorship cannot be explained solely in terms of its believing the pretext of ‘controlling misinformation.’ Unconsciously, the public recognizes and conforms to the age-old program of investing a pariah subclass with the symbology of pollution …

This program is well underway toward the Covid-unvaxxed, who are being portrayed as walking cesspools of germs who might contaminate the Sanctified Brethren (the vaccinated).

My wife perused an acupuncture Facebook page today … where someone asked, ‘What is the word that comes to mind to describe unvaccinated people?’ The responses were things like ‘filth,’ ‘assholes,’ and ‘death-eaters.’ This is precisely the dehumanization necessary to prepare a class of people for cleansing …

To prepare someone for removal as the repository of all that is evil, it helps to heap upon them every imaginable calumny. Thus we hear in mainstream publications that anti-vaxxers not only are killing people, but are raging narcissists … and tantamount to domestic terrorists.”

Dangerous Territory Ahead

If deep down in your gut you sense that we’re speeding into dangerous territory, you’re probably right. The “vaccinated” public are actively encouraged and manipulated both by media and government officials into literally despising and wishing death upon the unvaccinated, and this is indeed a very dangerous thing. It breeds mob mentality devoid of reason and logic, which can have tragic consequences.

“Why is fascism so commonly associated with genocide, when as a political philosophy it is about unity, nationalism, and the merger of corporate and state power?” Eisenstein asks.17

“It is because it needs a unifying force powerful enough to sweep aside all resistance. The us of fascism requires a them. The civic-minded moral majority participates willingly, assured that it is for the greater good. Something must be done. The doubters go along too, for their own safety.

No wonder today’s authoritarian institutions know, as if instinctively, to whip up hysteria toward the … unvaccinated. Fascism taps into, exploits, and institutionalizes a deeper instinct.

The practice of creating dehumanized classes of people and then murdering them is older than history … The campaign against the unvaccinated, garbed in the white lab coat of Science, munitioned with biased data, and waving the pennant of altruism, channels a brutal, ancient impulse.”

The Constitution still offers some measure of protection in the United States, but it may be naïve to assume it will be adhered to in the long term unless we the people demand it. In Australia, military are now roaming the streets of Sydney to make sure no one strays beyond their front door, as the country has implemented one of its strictest lockdowns yet.18

Fanning the flames of anger and hatred, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stated that vaccinated Australians might be able to regain some of their mobility once the vaccination rate reaches 70%, and broad lockdowns may be avoidable altogether if the vaccination rate hits 80%.

"If you get vaccinated, there will be special rules that apply to you,” Morrison told reporters. “Why? Because if you're vaccinated, you present less of a public health risk.”

A rational person might question whether Morrison would actually hold true to his word. A person blinded by anger probably won’t, but will instead direct their frustration onto the holdouts that prevent the vaccination rate from reaching that magical threshold where they believe freedom will be restored.

[xther-mxses]

Ally's bio :: for mobile

FC: Ksenia Solo.

Fandom: None - she lives in a world of my own. ( But can be put practically anywhere! )

༻ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ༺

Basic Information.

Name: Aelazia Dianae Nevermoore

Pronunciation: (EE-LAY-ZYAH) (DEE-AH-NAY)

Nickname(s): Ally, Zia, Dee-Dee.

Age: 242 ( She looks 19-21 )

Pen Name: “Layla D.”

Race: Supernatural.

Specific species: Hybrid - Vampire/Succubus (demon).

Heritage: Largely vampire or succubi/incubi, but there are other things mixed in with it.

Relationship status: Single.

Preference? - Males. { She is quite shy and unsure of herself, as well as fearing her second half, so she often doesn’t actively seek out relationships. }

Job: She writes stories under a pen name, but hasn’t told anyone about it because she’s self-conscious about it.

Likes: Learning, exploring on her own in the calmest parts of night, fruits ( in cakes, salads, jelly, pretty much anything), the way celery crunches when she bites into it, baked potatoes, jewelry that shines in the light and is fun to play with, the dolls and her dollhouse that she grew up with.

Dislikes: Messing up when she is trying to perfect a skill ( She is quite anxious, so it only makes that worse ), the fact that she has to wear a bracelet just to keep her forms in check and to hide what she is effectively, rotten fruits or vegetables, being cornered.

OTHER FORMS

Vampire Bat

In this form, she is much like her sister. Dark, but with a bit of a red shine to her fur when in the light. She is about the same size as Aizalea is in her bat form, and just as fluffy ( if not more. )

Notes

She enjoys plasma fruits even more than her sister does. So much, that she refuses blood entirely and will starve herself ( in any form ) rather than have it.

She will not attack anyone. Aelazia almost always chooses ‘flight’ out of her ‘fight-or-flight’ instincts.

Aelazia can communicate with other bats.

She feels comfortable in this form, and enjoys ‘bathing’ in bowls, sitting under a hairdryer ( on medium heat ) and just mostly behaving like a pet of sorts.

Aelazia will definitely let people dress her up.

Oftentimes, she can be seen carrying flowers around, simply because she likes them so much.

IMP / IN - BETWEEN

Her Imp form is more of an in-between of her Succubus form and her bat form. It is small, visibly of a dark nature, but quite dainty like she is in any other form.

- She enjoys eating fruits ( no matter how much bigger than her they are ) and playing in flowers.

- Aelazia is not immune from pranks in this form, but is far less dangerous or annoying than most imps are.

- She has been known to have little ‘hide-away’ places with things she likes in them. ( Usually, a wide variety of shiny or pretty objects. )

- In this form, Aelazia can emit a high-pitched sound that can immobilize most in a relatively short time. ( However, it hurts her throat and leaves it sore - in any form - for a time. )

SUCCUBUS

In this form, she does her very best not to harm anyone. Her eyes switch from being their normal light pink, to a deep black. ( Black irises, black sclera, etc. ) Her skin takes on a bit of a different shade, her teeth grow sharper, and she cannot hide her extra features.

- Because of the stigma on hybrids of certain types, she has had trouble - resulting in scars on her wings, and on her tail, where a group of problematic supernaturals once tried to cut them off.

- Aelazia is very subconscious about this form; she does everything that she can to hide it and keep it from showing up.

- In order to keep it in check, she takes supplements. They come from a special store meant for supernaturals who need help or who choose to ‘deviate’ from their genetic code; she hides them and takes them religiously because she is terrified of hurting someone.

- If she is not properly on her supplement, she has a potential to be very dangerous.

༻ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ༺

Backstory.

Aizalea and Aelazia were born to their mother, Lady Eboneth Thorngrave; a woman of high respect and class, who had more than one secret lover after her husband’s disappearance. Believing him to be dead or to no longer love her, Eboneth did her best to move on.

While the majority of her loves were within her own species, she ( as many of her ancestors had before her ) strayed more than once, crossing the lines between other species and her own. Forbidden unions, as with many, do not often end well. Aizalea’s father, a werewolf who Eboneth had fallen in love with, turned up missing as her first husband had. Leaving her pregnant and in need of solace, a night with a friend who offered her comfort ended with her pregnancy becoming that of not only one child, but two. Two girls, with different fathers.

As the genes of most ‘fantasy’ or ‘myth’ races are widely misunderstood and quite strange to humans, explaining how it is that Eboneth birthed two girls who looked the same - but had different genes - is no easy task. Chalking it up to her own family’s history of mixed genes, Eboneth has done her best to take care of her children ( of which, she has many ) to the best of her ability. Since the loss of not one love, but two, to mysterious circumstances - Eboneth has become quite tight-lipped about her romantic encounters. She has shielded herself from the idea of finding someone and remarrying, but has had more than a few children since the twins.

“Twins run in her family,” is her excuse often given, if ever asked about Aizalea or her sister Aelazia. Her reasoning as to why she named them as she did, varies from time to time. Often, she asks the person in return, if they do not think her daughters’ names are beautiful - given her powerful and intimidating presence, this usually ends the discussion if she doesn’t feel like going into it. The truth being in part that Eboneth was under much duress during her pregnancy, she could not think very clearly when trying to come up with names for her children. She is embarrassed by this, but does think their names are pretty - as she did come up with them and their spellings on her own. ( Aside from some help from her sister. )

Growing up.

As the two girls grew up, they learned what it meant to be different. While their siblings loved them and did not care that they weren’t of ‘pure’ blood, there were those who posed a danger to them both. In the world of Supernaturals, hybridizations of certain beings is strictly prohibited. Such hybridizations as what Aizalea - called ‘Izzy’ by her family, and later, her friends - is, is one of the ones most severely sought out and destroyed. So much so, that she is one of very few that remains alive - even after the turning of the centuries.

Aelazia - called ‘Ally’ by her family - is one of the ones most often not spoken about. It is a hybridization of species so rarely occurring, that most Supernaturals do not address it. Those who do, find it an uneasy topic. Some, however, simply enjoy the hunt and the thrill gained by killing anything that isn’t seen as pure - thus putting her in danger as well.

~

Over time, Izzy showed an aptitude for singing. She spent a lot of her time doing so, when not learning from her mother or her aunt. Izzy loved to sit and make up songs out of nowhere, off the top of her head; Ally, however, liked to dance. She could sing too - but didn’t think she was very good at it, so she and Izzy played off one another - helping one another get better at either skill.

Both smarter than one would have expected, they eventually developed their own separate personalities from the other: Ally was not so apt to stand up for herself; Izzy, on the other hand, was. Soft and caring, and fierce and loyal. Izzy and Ally were inseparable for the longest time. If they weren’t learning from their mother or their aunt, they were having fun running around the mansion with their siblings. They kept each other entertained for as long as any of their ( rather huge ) immediate family could remember.

However, a free spirit like Izzy’s couldn’t be tamed for forever.

Young adults.

After pleading with her mother to let her go, Izzy moved out of her family’s old mansion and headed to the city. From there, she traveled around trying to get noticed.

This caused both good, and bad, results.

Not having thought about the possible ill consequences of being open about who she was, Izzy ended up meeting her two best friends ( and later, bandmates ) after they came in and helped her get away from rude purebloods. Since then, Izzy has stuck with them - and learned, over time, who she could trust and who she couldn’t.

Ally has stuck at home for the most part; she is far more timid and less sure of herself than her sister is, and has spent a lot of time at home learning new skills. She has given up what she used to do with Izzy when they were growing up, and doesn’t mention it often. There is a lot of times when she wishes that she had been able to leave with her sister and regrets that she didn’t.

What she wants most, is to unite with her twin again. But she’s afraid… What will happen if she leaves?

This is what she asked herself many, many times - before she too, finally left home in search of her sister.

[annabethsgodcomplex]

Hunters of Artemis Adventures: Two Hunters, An Empousa and a McDonald’s Happy Meal

(So I decided to go ahead with the Hunters of Artemis stories thing I was going to do. I present to you my first one. Hope you guys like it)

‘McDonald’s’ Bella said, while pulling her hair back into a braid.

‘Isy, that’s an incredibly random way to start a conversation.’ her friend Maria replied. ‘Would you mind elaborating?’

‘I was thinking that we should go to McDonald’s.’

‘Why?’

‘Normal, non-death related purposes?’

Maria sighed. ‘Like those deer bones we were going to leave behind and you tried to hide from me?’

‘No idea what you’re talking about’, the daughter of Hades grinned cheekily. ‘But the McDonald’s may be for death related purposes. Just a little bit…’

‘Do continue.’

‘You know how we visited Camp Half-Blood the other day and I was talking to my brother Nico?’

‘Half-brother.’

‘Same thing. Anyway, he was telling me how to summon the dead with Happy Meals.’

‘Let me guess, you want to try it. And you want me to help.’

‘Correct. If you help you can choose who I summon.’

‘How could I say no to such a tempting offer?’

‘Is that a yes?’

‘Of course.’

‘I’ll just grab my weapons and some mortal money and we can head off.’

‘Sounds good.’

Bella darted off to her tent and picked up her bow, her hunting knife and an axe she found in one of the trees and decided to keep. ‘I’m back!’ she called out to her friend.

‘What’s with the armoury?’ Maria giggled. ‘You planning a fight?’

‘Nah. Just wanna be prepared.’

‘Fair enough.’ Maria fiddled with the chopsticks she wore in her hair. They had been a present from her older brother in Italy before she’d joined the hunt in the renaissance period. They were all she had left of her brother other than memories. Bella slung her bow over her back and stashed her hunting knife in her belt. She struggled to find a place for the axe. Maria giggled watching her friend try to stuff it in various places before turning it into a silver brooch with a symbol of Hades on it.

‘Nice trick, how did you do that?’

‘Like my sister Hazel, I have control over precious metals. I prefer my death related powers but the metals thing always helps in a pinch. Let’s Naruto run to McDonald’s!’

‘Naruto… run?’

‘Right sorry. I keep forgetting you’re not from this century. It’s an anime thing. Watch me.’

‘Ok.’ Maria said, confusion etched on her features. Bella ran, leaning forward with her arms straight out behind her torso. ‘Now you try Mari!’ Hesitantly, Maria mimicked her friend’s actions as the ran through the woods. They ran to the edge of the woods and stopped. ‘So was that supposed to achieve something?’ Maria asked.

‘Other than fun? Not really. It’s just more fun than normal running.’

‘It’s certainly… interesting. I guess.’

‘You loved it.’

‘I didn’t hate it.’

‘Good enough.’ A cheeky grin took over her features, a glint of danger in her eye. As much as her friend liked to feign a cheeky sort of cheerfulness, Maria knew there was a certain darkness within. Bella had once confessed that she felt a constant pull to do something terrible. She scared even herself. She had been bullied relentlessly by a pack of boys in the mortal world and she joined the Hunt to get away from them and what she’d done. She’d found a new family in the Hunters of Artemis but Maria worried her friend’s darkness might come back if she could no longer control it. Maria pushed the thought out of her mind. She trusted her friend could control herself. Maria grinned back.

They headed into the shop. It wasn’t too busy, they had beat the lunch time rush but the few people in there didn’t seem like much to worry about. An elderly couple ate at a table in the far corner, some teen troublemakers who must have been ditching school hung around together casting glances in their directions before Bella pulled out her hunting knife and glared at them. ‘Bella!’ she hissed. ‘Put that thing away. We don’t need the police getting involved. We’re already sneaking away from camp. Imagine what would happen if we had to be escorted back in handcuffs!’

‘Ok, ok. But did you see the way they looked at us? Men. Ugh.’

��True’ Maria giggled. ‘But they’ll have got the picture now thanks to you and your knives.’

‘You say the word ‘knives’ like it’s a bad thing.’

‘Well consider bringing knives out in public is considered a threat, it probably is a bad thing.’

‘Touché’

Maria rolled her eyes and went up to the counter to order. ‘Stay here and don’t cause trouble’ she told her friend.

‘No promises’. As Maria went to order, Bella noticed a young girl, around the age of 5 or 6, staring at them intently. She had a Monster High-Style fanged lipstick accessory in her hair. The girl’s gaze was piercing and sent shivers up her spine. There was something off about her and she didn’t want to stick around long enough to find out what it was. When their food was ready, Bella said to Maria, ‘There is a creepy girl staring at me and I don’t like it.’

‘You’ll live.’

‘Look at her! She’s creeping me out. I think she might be a monster.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course I’m sure.’

‘Then let’s get out of here before we get confirmation of that. Lady Artemis will be worried if she finds out that we’re missing and it’ll be worse if we come back dead. You know how she is.’

‘Yeah. I don’t want to get a lecture.’

They left the store and the girl followed. They quickly realized they weren’t going to get out of there without a fight. ‘Maria. Get your weapons ready. We’ll most likely need to fight our way out of here.’ Maria nodded. ‘Need a weapon Mari?’ her friend asked. ‘I brought 3.’

‘No. I’m good milady.’ She pulled the chopsticks out of her hair and pretended to rearrange her dark curls into a neater updo.

‘Excuse me. I’ve lost my mummy and I need help.’ A child’s voice called out. They turned around and saw the little girl. Instead of looking lost or worried, she was smirking and a sadistic light flared in her brown eyes. The smirk turned into a fanged grin. Her voice changed from child-like to demonic. Maria held her chopsticks in and ‘x’ position and they morphed into long swords. Bella on the other hand was having a crisis. ‘Mari which weapon should I use. It’s so hard to pick!’

‘Use your bow, it will give you a better range.’

‘Good idea.’ Bella unslung her bow and loaded it with an arrow. ‘Bring it on Empousa! Fight me like a woman! Or are you scared enough to fight like a man?’

‘Good one.’

‘Thanks milady’ she replied with a mock bow.

Unbeknownst to the girls and the Empousa, Artemis had appeared at a safe distance. She was prohibited from intervening unless necessary by the ancient laws.

‘Well, well, well.’ The Empousa snarled. ‘Let’s see how your so-called immortality holds up against me. I heard you can still die in battle. I’ve always wanted to hear the screams of a dying huntress being ripped to shreds by my talons.’

‘Oh bring it on! I haven’t had a good workout in centuries!’ Maria called out. ‘This is your last chance to turn back.’

‘You talk a big game huntresses. You amuse me.’

‘We’re used to big game. It’s what we do’

‘Your bark seems worse than your bite, Empousa.’ Bella chimed in. ‘Oh wait. That’s for dogs! You’re like what? One quarter donkey?’

‘And 50% chicken it seems.’ Maria smirked, preparing to strike.

‘Okay Maria. On three. You take one side, I’ll take the other.’

Maria nodded. ‘One…two…three!’

‘I normally go for men’, the Empousa growled, growing impatient with the smack talk. ‘But I must say ladies, you’ve earned your deaths as much as them’

A dangerous glint in her eye, Bella snarled. ‘We’re nothing like men!’

‘You just won a free trip to Tartarus Resort!’ Maria taunted. She advanced with her swords, slashing savagely at the Empousa. ‘Nice one Maria!’ Bella called encouragingly, firing arrows at the weakest points on the monster and avoiding its bronze leg. ‘How’s it looking? You got her other side covered Mari? I’m almost out of arrows and she’s still breathing.’ Maria slashes at the Empousa’s donkey leg, crippling it. ‘I’m ok!’ Maria called back, dodging the monster’s attacks and slashing her in several places. She chops the monster’s hand off and calls to her friend ‘Isy. End her! Now!’

Bella stashed away her bow and brought out her hunting knife. She lunged at the monster’s heart, landing a fatal blow that causes the monster to disintegrate into dust. Maria’s swords turn back into her signature chopsticks as she places them in her hair. ‘Good job kiddo.’ She smiles. Panting, Bella turns around. ‘You too milady. You were quite impressive out there. We should get back to camp before anyone notices we’re missing and starts to worry.’

‘We’ve only been gone for a little over an hour.’ Maria pointed out.

‘That may be so, but I’m incredibly noisy and it won’t take long for them to figure out why the Camp is awfully quiet.’ She retorted, flashing her friend a cheeky grin.’

‘Very true.’ Maria laughed. They turn to head back to camp after picking up their bag of food and spot Artemis. ‘Oh. Hello milady.’ She said with a curtsey.

‘Hi milady,’ Bella said awkwardly, attempting to look innocent. ‘How’s the… weather?’

Maria laughed at her friend’s attempt at innocence.

‘Where have you two been?’ Artemis fretted. ‘I was worried sick when I couldn’t find you!’

Maria attempted to explain the situation. ‘My apologies milady. We were just…’

‘Just what?’ Artemis countered. ‘No note. Bows gone! You could have died at the hands of that Empousa! Or worse men could have kidnapped you!’ They all shuddered at the word men.

‘In our defence milady. That wouldn’t have been likely for us but you’re right I suppose.’ Maria admitted.

‘Regardless of if it could have happened or not, I had no idea where the two of you were!’ They started off back to camp, Artemis chastising them.

‘So,’ Bella piped up. ‘Do we get a punishment or is this a first offence sorta thing?’

Maria facepalmed at her friend’s bluntness. Artemis cracked a smile. ‘No my dears. No punishment except for making me worried out of my mind.’

‘Milady.’ Bella said softly. ‘You worry too much. We’re very capable and you have trained us well.’

‘I know my dears. I just worry for you. You and the other Hunters are the daughters I will never be able to have.’

‘I understand milady.’ Maria replied. ‘But we know how to take care of ourselves. You saw that.’

‘I guess you’re right but I don’t have to like it.’ Artemis allowed. ‘Now I’ve changed my mind about not giving you a punishment. You are so cleaning up after the campfire tonight. But if you’re lucky, Thalia might pitch in to help the both of you.’ They all shared a laugh as they made their way back to camp, the sun starting to set behind them.  

[keeperofhounds]

Minority Report (Quirkless)

Hello, I am a college student studying abroad in Japan. I would like to share the similarities and differences between the United States and Japan. This is to expand and teach others about how Japan is like to people from the outside.

This story was inspired by @aconstantstateofbladerunner who wanted a story that expanded on the world of My Hero Academia. Note this story takes from modern day Japan, but as an American it might not be entirely accurate. 

Recently I bore witness to an event that shook me to the core, there was a student. Normally this wouldn’t matter if I were to describe him, I would go so far as to say that he looked like he had a bad attitude. You could see it with the way he carried himself and glared at everything as if it all personally offended him. Yet, I don’t want to focus on him, that student will be mentioned later. What I want to focus on is another student who was at that event on the same day.

At first glance you can tell the other student is nothing special. In fact he’s very plain with nothing special about him. I would even say that he might be shy with how he held himself, trembling, looking at the floor when the heroes were talking to him. Not that I blamed him those talks were actually scolding.

You see dear reader, this boy did something crazy, he went running towards a villain, and from what I heard that same boy was quirkless. Let me give you some context on what was happening before this kid came running into the scene, throwing his backpack and clawing desperately to give a victim breathing air.

Earlier in the day at around 3:30 pm (roughly the time when schools let out) a villain with a sludge like quirk robbed a store. Luckily the occupants at the time were not seriously injured after the villain left, in a stroke of luck All Might, the symbol of peace happened to be in the area and gave chase. At some point All Might lost the villain in the sewer system which can be described as long winded and confusing, which allowed the villain to find a hostage.

After some research after the story broke the hostage's name is Bakugo Katsuki, he is a middle schooler with a quirk that allows explosions to be set off from his hands. When he was caught, the student tried to get away as any reasonable would try to do in this situation, this in turn caused complications. The heroes were unable to find a way to extract with the sludge villains clutches.

I’m not going to focus on them, what I want to focus is on the other boy. Despite all my investigation I could not find the name of the boy in any publications about the incident. There was one thing that stood out however and it was the boys status. He was quirkless.

At first I was surprised, but then I was impressed, not unlike a blind person learning to play the piano, or a deaf person learning to sing. Although these might be poor comparisons given the situation it did answer some questions I had in mind, but also bring some more questions. I finally knew why the heroes were scolding him, but I also noticed they were praising the other boy.

Not to rub salt on a wound or blame the victim, but the boy made things worse not only himself, but the people around him. Not to mention the heroes stood frozen as a child ran into the fray doing only enough to give another time to breathe. It’s a small thing, but it mattered the most.

Knowing this, I would have expected people in the area to talk about what happened. News stations talking about how this kid brought enough time for All Might to swoop in and save the day, but nothing. They talked about the victim, they talked about All Might, they talked about the villain, but they never talked about the other boy. 

What happened? In the United States the local news stations are always about bringing up local heroes, even if it’s as simple as inviting a stranger into their home for thanksgiving after a mistaken phone call (the stranger accepted), but nothing in Japan. It was as if the other boy was erased from the narrative all together.

I was simple to figure out what happened, the people involved were embarrassed. I couldn’t fathom about what made this kid different until I really thought about it. While in Japan I noticed an unusual tell when it came to people introducing themselves, they always said their names, and the types of quirks they had. This was especially true with children when my co-worker brought them to work.

It really started to make me wonder, but I didn’t want to make any assumptions. I knew that Japan had some issues when it came to how they did things. I know the United States still has issues when it comes to descrimination and racism, but when you really look around there is something clearly wrong. In Japan not once have I ever seen or heard of any people without a quirk.

I asked a few of my co-workers in the college what was up with that, and they told me that they didn’t think that quirkless was still even a thing in this country. Which made me wonder even more, I didn’t like how flippant the dismissal was from my friend. Another stated that the hate speech on the internet they have found in chat rooms has increased.

According to NGO reports, incidents of hate speech against minorities and their defenders, in particular, on the internet, grew. The national law on hate speech applies only to discriminatory speech and behavior directed at those who are not of Japanese heritage and is limited to educating and raising public awareness among the general public against hate speech; it does not carry penalties.

Further research shows that “Quirklessness” is a disability in Japan, with similar protections to any other disability by law. The Basic Act for Persons with Disabilities prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, intellectual, mental, or other disabilities affecting body and mind and bars infringement of their rights and interests on the grounds of disability in the public and private sectors. The law requires the public sector to provide reasonable accommodations and the private sector to make best efforts in employment, education, access to health care, or the provision of other services. The laws do not stipulate remedies for persons with disabilities who experience discriminatory acts nor do they establish penalties for noncompliance. Other law mandates that the government and private companies hire minimum proportions (2 percent) of persons with disabilities (including mental disabilities) or be fined. Disability rights advocates claimed that some companies preferred to pay the fine rather than hire persons with disabilities

Nonetheless, persons with disabilities faced limited access to some public-sector services. Abuse of persons with disabilities was a serious concern. Persons with disabilities around the country experienced abuse by family members, care-facility employees, or employers. Private surveys indicated discrimination against and sexual abuse of, women with disabilities. While some schools provided inclusive education, children with disabilities generally attended specialized schools.

Mental health professionals criticized as insufficient the government’s efforts to reduce the stigma of mental illness and inform the public that depression and other mental illnesses are treatable and biologically based.

As I write this article, I am appalled at the complete lack of protections and descrimination faced by the minority. It’s as if they don’t exist in the eyes of the public and the government. There this one article written by a reporter, who covered a murder, but some how they spun it to make it sound like it was the victims fault. The victim was an elderly man who was attacked while on his way home with some groceries. Apparently there were many witnesses, but no one was willing to come forward.

Interviews stated that people assumed that someone else would help, that a hero would come to save the day. Others just didn’t care, assuming that the injuries weren’t as bad they looked. The perpetrators were never found and this murder became a cold case. To me this is clearly a hate crime, but to them it’s nothing, but another statistic in a growing trend.

I feel pity for that boy who ran, but at the same time maybe it’s better if people don’t know he’s quirkless. I bet life is difficult, I just hope that someone else see’s a good kid and sees what he has other than what he doesn’t. We need more people like him, because some people are too busy being full of themselves. 

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Sections of the text is not my own but taken from https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/japan/ (This in regards to italic passages)

If anyone has ideas on what should be brought up next, please leave a message. Not to mention any other reliable sources of information about Japan.