#buy the toys children. buy the toys or perish

[mo-ok]

this was all i could think about the whole episode

[caramel-covered-apples]

politics vs. genocide

this is what they want us to believe when we think of the palestinian genocide. they want us to believe that this is a debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power. they want us to believe that this is a governmental activity.

no. this is not a conflict, not a war, not a debate, not something to keep quiet on because it’s “too political.” this is not political. this is the ethnic cleansing of millions of people. this is the slaughtering of women, men, children, elderly, pets, loved ones, friends, family.

this is not a conflict. why? because it has escalated. a conflict is defined as such:

this is not a serious disagreement or argument. this is not a simple argument that can be resolved with an easy solution. this is not something to be stuffed into a singular word with only two definitions when people’s lives are at stake every single day, every hour, every minute, every second.

a child in gaza dies every 10 minutes.

put that into perspective. most households have 3-9 people, depending on where you live, and 2-5 of those people are kids.

say you’re doing the laundry. 10 minutes pass, and then one of those kids dies.

20 minutes pass. the neighbor’s kid dies.

30 minutes pass. the kid you saw at the store the other day who wouldn’t stop crying dies.

everyday people with everyday lives and dreams that you won’t remember, and I’m not blaming you. they’re just background noise, and why would you wanna remember the kid that wouldn’t stop screaming about his toy that fell on the ground?

but they are children, regardless. they could’ve had the chance to live, to grow, to learn, no matter how forgettable they are, and they didn’t.

there are 1,440 minutes in a day.

divide that by ten.

144 children in gaza, some just turning one, some barely out of the womb, some nearing adulthood, some just breaking into their teenage years.

144 children in gaza, who perish at the hands of israel.

this is not a war, either. why? because a war means both sides are fighting against each other. palestine is not fighting back in the sense that they are fighting with an army, because that has been revoked. (this is not to say palestine isn't fighting back, it's just that their means of defense has been stripped away)

this is a war. armed conflict. palestine is not armed. palestine is helpless while bombs are being dropped on innocent people.

do you see palestine on the front lines? no, you don't, because everything has been taken from them - electricity, water, medical aid, a military, their land - while israel has bombs and fundings from the usa and other countries. israel has an army. israel has hospitals that aren't reduced to rubble because of airstrikes. israel has clean water that people can drink from freely. israel has warm places to stay and safe places to sleep.

palestine doesn't.

this is not a debate.

a debate is defined as such:

this is not formal. this is not something to be discussed. it is facts.

palestine is under attack.

palestine is currently having bombs dropped on them.

we cannot debate this simply because there is nothing to debate about. zionists can pull the antisemitic card all they'd like and word the narrative differently so it's in their favor, but facts are facts. no matter how hard the damn pill is to swallow, you've got to take it or else you fall into sickness.

if you don't swallow the "speak-now-for-palestine" pill or the "genocide-isn't-political-it's-slaughter" pill, you fall into the sickness of complicity.

you comply with what they want. they want you to be silent. it gives them more support. they don't want you to speak. they want you to be obedient. they want you to live your consumeristic lives and wonder about whether you should buy an apple or a samsung instead of donating to families who need it more than you. they want you to remain focused on your first-world problems. they don't want you to look outward.

speak up for palestine, or you risk being on the wrong side of history. of things that will be in your children's textbooks and of their children and of their children.

[magical-mage-dude]

Message to Southern California, West coast residents.

This is in regards to Hurricane Hilary. I understand that many of you may have never experienced a hurricane before. It may be a catagory one, but you should still be prepared.

Make sure you are stocked on your prescriptions, medications, non perishable food, water, go bag of clothes/pajamas, toiletries, flashlights and batteries, battery packs for phones, pet food, pet carrier, gasoline for generator and car

If you have children consider having a coloring book/ non phone entertainment toy/ plush with go bag so you can keep them calm/distracted

Keep your important documents (ids, passports, medical info, birth certificates, SS cards, taxes, insurance car, house, renters) away from water in a high safe place.

Keep valued Paper stuff up high away from water(scrap books, journals, photos, books, ect)

Try not to drink water from the tap, as flooding can contaminate the water supply. If you can’t buy bottled, you can boil the water or treat water with bleach (a little under 1/4 Teaspoon! For 1 gallon of water)

Fill up the bathtub so you will have water to flush the toilet.

KEEP GENERATOR 20 ft FROM YOUR HOUSE

YOU WILL DIE OF CARBON MONOXIDE IF YOU DONT

Don’t refill/ preform maintenance on generator while it is on.

If your house starts flooding, be aware everything that gets wet HAS to go. That water has god knows what in it.

If you live in an area where flooding is a concern, keep all of your cloth items/cloths in garbage bags in high places so you can keep them safe.

If you have tres in your yard and you are able to, try and remove unstable/dead branches so you don’t have a hole punched in your roof.

If you have damage, DOCUMENT IT for insurance

V Resource for flooding victims. V

Please feel free to add additional information.

[softlyapocalytpic]

So like, @pchberrytea tagged me forever ago now, but I actually got some writing done today SO I THOUGHT I'D SHARE. IT'S TID BIT TUESDAY/WIP WEDNESDAY.

Does anyone want me to tag them? Please give me people tag. I hath no one! Let me give you an excuse to spotlight your writing. I'll so happily read everything and give it love. Let me love you, random stranger.

Anyway, here's Deacon being my excuse to ramble on for two pages about Leo's clinic. Characterization through how someone effects their setting. My buddy nicknamed me tolkien on discord for this.

Most people thought that you had to meet a person to get to know them, but Deacon had learned long ago that there was a lot you could tell about someone from the place they lived.

On the corner of Nowhere Avenue & Shank Alley, tucked away from the hubbub of Goodneighbor’s street market, was a small two-story clinic that stood out from the rest of the anarchist settlement. Sure, it was built with the same New England brickwork as the rest of the neighborhood sporting the same centuries-old weathering, a small neon sign hanging daintily in the window that said Open in big red letters, and a radio tuned lovingly to one of the two preferred stations of Goodneighbor residents that could be heard nostalgically muffled through the walls, but that was where the similarities ended. 

You could tell at first glance that someone had put in the elbow grease to restore large parts of the building both inside and out. Where there used to be crumbling brick were children’s murals painted over the patchwork cement, and every window had been blessed with a proper pane of glass. The storefront itself was painted, trim and all, in a rich blue that had only just begun to chip in the places that people touched and leaned in against it. Painted on a wooden sign that fitted into the front door was a message that made its owner’s intent very clear: “All are welcome, free of charge.”

A peak in the window revealed a waiting room with walls painted a cheery yellow. Hanging on them were posters from movies, tourist destinations, and even the rare cute animal by the corner with children’s toys and a rug. Lining the walls were the best-scavenged chairs one could buy and a desk with a pen and paper to put your name on a waiting list. 

From experience, he’d come to know the backroom where the good doctor met with each patient and served as a surgery room if necessary. It was tiled with mismatching sets made to create a new pattern out of the scraps and properly grouted to boot. It was also clean. The stainless steel was scratched but shiny and the room always smelled like antiseptic and abraxo. The whole place would smell like it if it wasn’t for the fact that the doctor had flowers and candles (when he could find them) out in the waiting room. Most of Goodneighbor didn’t have the noses to smell it, but it certainly added to the ambiance. 

From his peaking around when the doctor was out Deacon had learned that the upstairs was where the doctor lived. The bedroom, kitchen, dining, and workshop were all stuffed together in the same cozy room with only the bathroom being closed behind a door. 

There was always a bag packed with non-perishable foods, a set of clean clothes, a tarp, rope, and a handful of other survival essentials. In a framed picture by the bedside was a family of three; a father, an older sister, and a younger brother with a melted candle beside it.

[realtorjamier]

25 Ways to Tackle Home Organization through a Home Edit!

Decluttering is essential to prepare for the sale of your home, but there are other reasons to tidy up.

Retail therapy. We’ve all done it: shopping for fun, celebrating by buying, rewarding ourselves with a purchase… Or two. Or five. 

Shopping can be a quick fix for elevating mood. But after a while, our houses become the repository for all our accumulated “stuff” which then becomes clutter which then can make our moods plummet. It’s a vicious cycle. Research shows that clutter leads to stress and anxiety as our minds associate jumbled disorder with an untackled “to-do list.”

If your home is overflowing with a hodgepodge of purchases, maybe it’s time for a home edit.

What’s a home edit?

Editing when associated with writing is the process of conveying a message in the best way possible, being succinct — using precise expression without wasted words.

Your home also conveys messages. Your color and pattern choices, furniture and accessories all reveal who you are and what you want to present to the world. Are you playful? Sophisticated? Traditional? Modern? Relaxed? Formal? 

But who knows if you can’t see past all the extraneous items? Clutter conceals the character of your home. 

It’s time to clear the clutter and showcase the beauty of your home!

How do I become a home editor?

Our method of home editing uses three categories:

Evaluate

Reduce

Organize

You’ll be starting at the macro level, working your way down to the micro level. Proceeding this way enables you to strategize wisely and see progress immediately, motivating you to continue trimming down all that “stuff.”

Evaluate

A picture is worth a thousand words. But do you really want that? Let’s edit that picture down to a handful of powerful messages.

Take a photo of each room with your iPhone. Review each image as if you were a magazine editor. Print the photos out and mark them up, crossing out what you want to eliminate, taking notes on how to better organize each room.

It can be overwhelming to physically stand in the middle of the room and look around wondering where to begin, but looking at a picture of the room as if you’re looking at a page in a magazine allows you to be more objective and less inundated by the chaos. Turn your notes into a room-by-room strategy.

Next, make a list of your local charities and what types of donations they need. If you have children, include them in this process to instill a sense of generosity and civic responsibility. Always call or visit a charity’s website before donating to make sure your items will be welcome, but here are some ideas:

Animal shelters/wildlife rehab facilities – clean bath towels, heating pads, newspaper

Homeless shelters – unopened travel-size toiletries, clean but gently-used linens and clothing, toys and games 

Food pantries – non-perishable food items that have not expired

Charitable thrift shops – furniture, home decor, housewares, collectibles, clothes (Some places will pick up larger pieces of furniture.)

Schools – unopened school supplies, gently used backpacks

Libraries – books (Check for the dates of their book drives.)

Reduce

We recommend tackling one room at a time, one day at a time for this stage — creating systematic, achievable goals. 

Use a three-box method, labeling your boxes “TRASH,” “DONATIONS,” and “STORAGE.” While donating big-ticket items might give you tax benefits, don’t worry about the everyday, smaller items. Refraining from attaching a monetary value to possessions will simplify your decision-making when determining what to get rid of.

Make frequent trips to donate (or dump) your items. Out of sight, out of mind — no second guessing! Eliminating items frequently helps you see progress quickly and feel a sense of accomplishment daily, motivating you to continue.

Limit the knick knacks used for decorating. You don’t have to show every pretty item you have. Rotate your favorite items in and out of storage. The outcome is two-fold: you’re spotlighting each item by not allowing it to get lost among many others and you’re clearing space, making surfaces easier to clean.

Organize

Now that each room has been cleared of extraneous items, you have achieved the macro level and have entered into the micro.

There are many experts with advice on organizing. Marie Kondo’s philosophy (Tidying Up) encourages you to ask yourself “Does it spark joy?” for each item you are considering. Clea and Joanna (The Home Edit) merge organization with design and interior styling adding their signature stylized aesthetic.

There are also professional home organizers in your area — do an internet search and you’ll find them. However, if you’re ready to take on the challenge solo (or with the help of your family), we have culled our favorites. Here are our top 25, organizing our own list by room by room.

Family/Living Room

1. Define the purpose of this space and take out anything that is not relevant.

2. Segment the room to make it more functional. Children’s toys could be limited to one cabinet; child-size furniture stays in that part of the room. Television and lounge chairs could go in another area. Books in another.

3. Keep decorative throw pillows to a minimum and place blankets in a pretty basket or bin.

4. Minimize what’s on the floor.

5. Use trays to corral remote controls and magazines — and only keep current magazines.

Kitchen/Pantry

6. Put your most-used items front and center and store the things that are not used daily. This reduces countertop clutter and makes cleaning easier. Similarly, keep frequently-used dishware on lower cabinet shelves and place special occasion items higher up.

7. Invest in clear bins or wire baskets for your refrigerator and pantry. This way you won’t so easily forget what you have and overbuy items. It’s also disappointing to open a refrigerated container and find it full of mold! 

8. Install a whiteboard on the inside of your pantry door. When you take the last of an item out, make a note and add this item to your grocery list. Train your family to do the same!

9. Install a wall-mounted mail organizer inside another cabinet to keep paper clutter at a minimum. Pockets could be labeled “Receipts,” “Bills,” “To Be Filed,” “Take-Out Menus.”

10. Use multi-level lazy Susans for easy retrieval of smaller items like spices. 

Bedroom

11. Use the space under your bed for storage of extra blankets, sheets, out-of-season clothes, etc. Store these items in clear containers. Purchase bed risers if you need more space.

12. Categorize the clothes in your closet by type and arrange them accordingly: pants, skirts, dresses, shirts. Color coding is another option. Rehang each item backwards on the rod. As you wear an item, you can hang it back up the standard way. This helps you recognize which clothes you haven’t worn in a long time. Donate the ones you never wear.

13. Use a nightstand with drawers to eliminate visual clutter. A bedside pocket organizer is also helpful for storing a laptop, reading glasses, phone, etc.

14. Drawer dividers aren’t only for the kitchen. You can use them in your dresser to categorize, socks, undies, scarves, jewelry, etc.

15. Use a two-compartment hamper in your closet to separate lights from darks as you undress. 

Bathroom

16. Keep cleaning supplies in a portable caddy. 

17. Use clear, labeled containers, jars and wire baskets to categorize bathroom items in the linen closet.

18. Purchase a wall-mounted hair dryer holder and attach it near the outlet for easy use and convenient storage.

19. Assign each vanity drawer to one person. Use drawer dividers to reduce drawer disorder.

20. Only keep items that you use daily in your medicine cabinet. 

Garage

21. Gather balls and sporting equipment into a mesh laundry bag.

22. Store car wash products in a bucket.

23. Keep a garbage can next to your car so you can easily toss trash from your travels.

24. Change out lawn equipment seasonally. Snow shovels should be easily accessible in the winter, rakes in the fall, etc.

25. Look up! Use your garage walls and ceilings for extra storage. There are so many creative organizational options.

Picture perfect!

OK — so maybe it’s not perfect, but streamlining your surroundings creates a calmer, more peaceful home.

Just one more step: Go back and take pictures of each purged and organized room. Before/After pictures may inspire you to maintain order. 

Congratulate yourself on a job well-done! And resist the urge to reward yourself with a shopping trip! 

[leah-halliwell92]

Not Much of a Slave

Summary: @xbreezymeadowsx​ requested some Lady D love. We can all agree she needs all the love. (WARNING: Mentions of rape 18+ only please.)

Brianne fidgeted with her apron for what seemed like the thousandth time that morning. The lady and her daughters would be calling on her soon, she needed to be prepared for any eventuality. She knew that they could kill her in a heart beat her blood being of no use for her ladyship’s wine. She shivered as she remembered Anton’s alcohol laced breath on her face as she cried for help that never came. 

She could still see the look of betrayal on her father’s face when she arrived home. Her mother knew that the occurrence wasn’t one done willingly from taking one look at her ripped dress and reddening cheek. Her father however saw it as a slight and believed it to be staged in order for her to get out of punishment for laying with men while out of wedlock. Her mother’s gasp of outrage rang through their home at his blatant disbelief of their youngest child, your elder sister having married as soon as she was able. 

//flashback//

“She’s of no use now,” he said hatefully. 

“She was raped Jonathan!” Her mother yelled angrily, “How many a young girl has been hurt in such a way by Anton? You know more than well that he’d do such a thing when he is heavy in his drink.”

“You’d believe her sob story woman,” he said spitefully, “Don’t you see she’s playing you?”

Her mother scoffed, “Yes because one can rip their own dress in such a way and hit themselves hard enough to bruise.”

His glare did not waver and said, “She’ll be sold tomorrow to the highest bidder.”

Her mother gave a shrill cry as she slapped him hard across the face.

Brianne looked on in shock and despair as her father made his decision known. She is to be sold like an animal then. Anton would probably buy her after his actions earlier that day. And should that be the case then her death was as sure as the sky is blue.

“Have it be known Johnathan Smith,” her mother began passionately, “That on this day, for your choice to disregard your youngest child and Mother forbid sell her, you have lost your wife.”

Your father scoffed an attempted to approach your mother.

“Do not presume I’ll give in,” she said eyes hard, “You’ve already made the choice and there is nothing I can do to stop it. You’ve taken the last of my children from me and I have nothing else to give. Stay away from me John.”

She guided Brianne into her room where her mother proceeded to clean her up as best she could. 

“Let the shock run its course,” she said tenderly as she bathed you and changed you into your best clothes, “Better for it to make you hyperaware than in a complete haze.”

Brianne felt herself nod and let her mother fuss over her for the last time. 

Once dressed, she sat with you through the night neither of you feeling well enough to sleep until dawn broke. She saw her father at the breakfast table and opted to sit as far from him as their small house allowed. 

Breakfast was made for her and her mother, the latter letting father fend for himself, before they set off to the Duke’s. Her mother had said that if she couldn’t save you from being sold then she’d sell you to the one person that had the ability to set you free.

Little did the two of you know that freedom would come at a cost.

“We better make haste for–” Her mother cut Johnathan off.

“We’ll be at the Duke’s,” your mother said, “Whatever lei I get I will keep myself and use as transport, may life treat you as fairly as you treated us.”

Brianne looked at her mother eyes wide not expecting her to just make the choice to leave.

Her father remained quiet at this eyes wide as all seemed to hit him all at once, “You couldn’t...I forbid it!”

Her mother scoffed at this and said, “I remember forbidding you from doing anything rash against any of my children when we married. And yet you did, you made the choice to sell our youngest for something she had no control over.”

//time skip - 3 years//

You’d been in the care of the Duke for nearly a year when business took him to Castle Dimitrescu where her ladyship for some unknown reason took pity on you and bought you from the Duke’s service. The fat man seemed saddened by this and for the first time, possibly ever, haggled a for your price. 

“90k,” the lady had said, “And that is my final offer.”

The Duke mulled over the offer and was ready to deny the lady again when he saw you shake your head. It was a nice chunk of change you knew, you are after all just part of the business. 

//end flashback//

“Brianne!” Bela called giving the young woman a ‘playful’ shove, “Mother’s called for you.”

“Wouldn’t want to keep her waiting,” Cassandra said poking at Brianne with the but of her dagger.

“Don’t slice at her Cassandra,” Bela said with a laugh, “You know how cheese gets everywhere.”

“I do, which is why I play with her,” Cassandra replied with a cackle, “Her blood spilled will paint the hallway oh so prettily.”

The flies swarmed about Brianne as she made haste in going to her mistress’ side. She let out a fearful scream as the flies engulfed her and carried her through the hallway the sound of triplet cackles in her ears and around her as they went. 

She yelped as she was practically dumped into the Lady Dimitrescu’s personal room. Brianne tried, and failed, to keep her wince and gasp of pain at bay as flies flew out from beneath her skin. The flies re-materialized as the three sisters, cackling as crowded her taunting her like wounded prey.

“What is the meaning of this!?” Lady Dimitrescu said loudly, standing to her full height. 

Alcina Dimitrescu looked down to find Brianne heaving on the floor.

“And why is my personal servant on the floor?” She asked cocking a brow as she glared at her daughters in displeasure. 

The sisters looked at each other in worry and curiosity. They’d always played with their mother’s toy, as they should since her blood is useless anyway they would take what they could get from her. After all, why should their mother care more for prey than her own daughters?

“She was being slow mother,” Bela said with a careless shrug.

“She is after all prey,” Daniella said backing up her sister.

“Should we not eat our prey mother?” Cassandra asked kicking Brianne’s arm as she was starting to stand.

“Enough!” Alcina said at Brianne’s pain filled gasp, “She is my personal servant. As my daughters you should know by now that while I share as it is ours to feast, when one is mine for my own use I expect that to be respected.”

The three girls cowered as their mother nailed them with a glare.

“Meaning that no one is to injure my personal pet,” she glared at them one last time before waving a dismissive hand at them, “Get out of my sight. You girls have disappointed me for the last time over my use of my pet and I’ve grown tired of it.”

The sisters glared at Brianne and Bela dared to take a swing at her in front of their mother.

Brianne cried out in pain as Bela’s hit sent her to the farthest wall.

Cassandra and Daniella dragged their sister out of the room before their mother could do anything the two in shock that their sister would go so far.

Her daughter’s gone, Alcina went to tend to their only living charge. She’d promised the Duke that the girl would remain unharmed despite her having paid a good sum of lei. Alcina has to admit that for some reason this girl pulled at her long dead heartstrings. 

She picked up Brianne tenderly being careful of where she’s been hurt. 

Brianne winced and said, “Their jealous you know.”

Alcina hummed as she ran a salve soaked cloth on her little pet’s cheek, “They will have to learn that a mother has needs.”

“They don’t understand why it is you are so caring over prey,” Brianne said honestly.

“You are not prey,” Alcina hissed, “You are mine.”

Brianne gave Alcina a tender grin and gave an experimental stretch.

“Better?” Alcina asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Brianne replied automatically. 

Alcina gave a her pet a grin and bent to her level. She ran her nose over the young maid’s neck breathing in her scent and blood.

“Good girl,” she said huskily, “I want you to come to me should my daughters get out of hand again. It is not their place to use you as they please.”

Brianne nodded at this but let it slide. While she’d do her best to let Alcina know there isn’t a guarantee that the sisters would leave her walking should a repeat performance occur. 

“Good,” Alcina said, “Now we must go to the church, Mother Miranda has ordered a family meeting.” “Do you think she’ll show up to this one?” Brianne asked as she followed behind Alcina out of the castle.

“Not sure,” Alcina said and waited the appropriate time as Brianne helped her into the old car, “But for all these meetings she made clear that she’s been favoring Heisenberg lately.”

“Which is good,” Brianne said carefully. 

“I suppose so,” Alcina said with a sigh, “After all the more attention is off me the more we can plan our escape. Donna’s been itching for company and Karl has promised that he will give me a signal when the time is right.”

“And the girls?” Brianne asked carefully.

“They shall either follow their mother or perish,” Alcina said pain in her voice and perfect features, “Mother Miranda’s goals do not include any of us Pet. And it took a human maid to tell me so.”

Brianne looked down submissively only to have Alcina raise her head up.

“Do not be ashamed my pet, you have done more for me than most have no matter how long or short their stay has been,” Alcina said with a gentle grin.

Brianne gave a silent prayer of the souls of her fellow friends and former neighbors.

In the church, Brianne kept her head down as she stood besides the bench Alcina sat in. Donna and Karl were already there and she was sure that Moreau was not too far behind. 

“Good evening sisters,” Heisenberg said with a respectful nod.

Donna nodded and Alcina gave him a small grin and nod.

Before anyone could say anything Moreau walked in and not too long after Mother Miranda walked in. Brianne knelt behind Alcina’s bench keeping as low a profile as she could whilst the meeting was in session. 

The meeting was swift, almost too swift for something to held face to face but she has no place to say anything. Least of all to the woman that can kill all of them with snap of her fingers should she want it. After Miranda left and Moreau not long after, Brianne took this time to stand and get the feeling back on her legs.

“Poor human can’t seem to find her sea legs,” Angie said with a squeal-y giggle.

Brianne sighed and held onto the back of the bench as the pins and needles thankfully subsided. 

Angie kept poking and prodding cackling as she went.

“Oh is the human getting angry?” The doll asked before laughing again.

With a sigh Brianne looked to Donna and said, “I truly am sorry for this. Should my lady allow it, I’d gladly join you for tea and keep you company.”

Donna cocked her head at this confused by Brianne’s words. 

“Whatcha gonna do about...hey what are you doing?” Angie asked when she saw the look in Brianne’s face.

“Fuck you crazy ass doll!” Brianne said frustratedly as she hiked up her skirt.

She gave a grunt as she gave Angie her best kick effectively sending the unsuspecting doll to the other side fo the church much to Donna’s dismay and Heisenberg and Alcina’s delight.

“About damn time someone shut that doll up,” Heisenberg said, “I have to say Alcina your girl does have some spunk.”

“I love you Donna,” Brianne said honestly, “But Angie has been grating at my nerves for months now. And this includes the errands I’ve run for my Lady.”

Donna nodded in understanding and quietly said, “Forgiven.”

Alcina had to grin at her pet, such spunk is truly a breath of fresh air. Luckily her human knew when to push and whom to push. 

Brianne heard the sound of heavy boots and knew Heisenberg was close.

Brianne turned to face him and though he is a handsome man, her interests lay else where as she is certain he can see from the fading bite marks on her neck.

“Must be nice to have a warm body to feast from Alcina,” Karl said teasingly.

Alcina was going to say something when Brianne said, “Better warm body than a cold shower...that is if you know what that even is.”

Alcina and Donna laughed at the dig.

Heisenberg reddened under the beard before chuckling, “Well played buttercup.”

“You my dear have earned yourself a treat when we return home,” Alcina said standing bidding Donna farewell and a “glare” at Heisenberg, “What do you say to a present tonight?”

Brianne’s face brightened at this causing Heisenberg to scoff but grin before nodding at them and leaving to his own home.

“Yes ma’am,” she said teasingly.

Alcina grinned at her, “Good girl.”

[mia-japanese-korean]

Urashima Returns Home from the Dragon Palace, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, January 1886, Minneapolis Institute of Art: Japanese and Korean Art

two separate sheets; man riding through waves on the back of a sea turtle; man wears brown tunic and blue pants, with straw leg coverings, and holds a thin bamboo staff in his PR hand; man looks over his shoulder at a man with a small dragon on his head and a woman, accompanied by two other women with decorative objects on poles, in URQ This diptych illustrates a scene from a popular Japanese fairy tale. One day, the main character, Urashima Tarō, observes children toying with a turtle on the beach. Pitying the turtle, he buys it and releases it in the ocean. A few days later, the grateful turtle returns to take him to the underwater Dragon Palace, where Princess Otohime thanks him personally for his kindness. Days pass in her company, and he decides to return to the surface to tend to his elderly parents, much to the disappointment of the princess, who gives him a mysterious box he must never open. Returning home, he realizes that he has been gone many years, and his parents have perished, along with everyone else he knew. Not recalling the princess’s words, he opens the box and turns into a white-haired old man. Size: 14 5/8 × 9 7/8 in. (37.15 × 25.08 cm) (sheet, each, approx., vertical ōban diptych) Medium: Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper

https://collections.artsmia.org/art/127912/

[living-dead-parker]

Grocery Store Antics - Dad!Tony

Summary: Tony takes his kids to the grocery store

Warnings: cussing, probs ooc, nebula was adopted by Tony idc idc idc, tony in a dad outfit just picture it plz, not super funny but i tried 

Part of a new collection I plan on starting called Tony Stark and his kids.

Word Count: 1.8k

"We need some hot links, hot dog buns, some chicken, drinks, and some desert," Pepper says out loud before turning to look at May who is making the list. May gives her a thumbs up, completing the shopping list. Among it includes bug spray, pool noodles, and tons of ice cream. All of it completely necessary.

The heat is returning once again, and while not super hot, it's warm enough for a barbeque and swimming in the lake. Tony insisted on grilling and making a day out of it. He has his dad outfit on; a pair of khaki cargo shorts, random SI shirt, and his dad sandals. He has on a bucket hat, of all accessories, and some sunglasses with the lanyard strap on it. Peter insisted Tony wears the ensemble, making him look like the ultimate dad. You're not sure how Peter convinced him to do it, but maybe he's finally accepting that he's becoming an old man. Either way, you're shocked because you remember being 14 and hearing your dad claim that you'd never catch him dead in a pair of cargo shorts and a bucket hat.

"Someone go with me to the store!" Tony exclaims, hearing feet running down the hall. In seconds, all the kids come tumbling in. Morgan up front, Peter next to her. You stand behind Peter and Nebula behind Morgan. Tony rubs at his temple before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Dad move!" you yell, causing Peter to giggle. Tony looks up, beginning to regret any of this. Now his children are gonna bully him? It's like the Avengers all over again.

"What store are we going to?" Peter asks, walking over to May and grabbing the list from her.

"Not sure, but let's get going while May and Pep set up. Rhodey should be here in a bit, so we should get going."

With that, you lead the way out, followed by Morgan, Nebula, then Peter. Tony walks behind everyone, closing behind him. You sit in the passenger seat of the Audi SUV, connecting your phone once the car is on. Peter sits behind you, Morgan in the middle in her car seat, and Nebula behind dad. Tony pulls out of the driveway, heading off towards the city. Taking over the music, you start by playing some RHCP, to which both you and Tony sing to.

The drive wasn't too long, but it wasn't super quick either, having to drive a good twenty minutes to reach the nearest grocery store. You played some classics, singing along as loud as you could with your father. Every once in a while, the two of you would glance over at each other, smiles as wide as rivers and oceans. Tony would take in the sight of his first born, the pride and joy he's felt overpowering anything. Getting you back was probably the biggest event in his life. You, on the other hand, seeing the old man makes you feel nostalgic. He's been through so much and you owe it all to him. He's always been so selfless with you, even if things were bumpy at times. Cheesy as it may sound, he's your soul mate and you're his soulmate.

"Alright," Tony says once the car comes to a stop in the parking lot of the grocery store. "No lollygagging, in and out. Hear me?"

"You got it, sir."

Peter runs off and grabs a cart from the parking lot collector things. He returns to you all, moving over to your side. Tony picks up Morgan and puts her in the small seat on the top basket. He turns and sees Nebula eyeing the cart, never having done it before. It's quite adorable, actually. She's been getting used to more human things. Shopping malls, movie theaters, parks, and watching TV. For now, Tony and Pepper are letting her be a kid, seeing that she didn't get much of that. They're letting her experience the good stuff in life. All the ice cream, the fun parties, and bounce houses, cool music, and television. All of it.

So Tony chuckles as he nods his head to the bigger basket. "Get in, ya big dope," he jokes. A full belly laugh comes out when Nebula gets in excitedly, squealing as she sits down in the cart. You giggles, taking a quick picture of her in the cart. Having a blue alien sister is cool, except for when it's not. The only times it's not is when you see people staring at her like some kind of monster. It tends to happen a lot in public, much like at this very moment. There's a couple staring harshly while their kids ask about the 'cool blue lady'.

"What are you looking at?" you call out, causing Tony and Peter to pause in their steps. Your group all look over at the people on the other side, meanwhile Nebula looks down shamefully. Sometimes, she refuses to go out for that reason. People tend to ruin the moment. "She's cool and helped save the world, so a thank you is in order instead of staring at her like she's a monster."

The couple turns away and walks faster, almost running away. You flip them the bird when they look over their shoulders, but ultimately they speed walk away all the way. Tony chuckles, lightly clapping your shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. They're not worth the stress," Tony says looking at you and then at Nebula.

"Let's just go inside and get what we need," you mutter softly, calming down from the moment.

Upon entering the store, things went downhill. Morgan was beginning to get antsy, so Tony put her down so she could walk. The first thing you all got was the dry food items. From there, you went to other non-perishable items or things that did not need to be refrigerated just yet. Before getting the meat and cake, you all happened to walk into the aisle with toys and pool supplies.

"Dad!" you exclaim, grabbing an already inflated whale floatie with black handles on it. "We need him!"

Tony sighs, pointing at the basket nonetheless. You giggle villainously and throw the floatie into the pool. Peter grabs a couple of pool noodles, Morgan grabbing three boxes of donut floaties, three mattress floaties. Behind Tony's back, you and Peter sneak in two boxes into the cart while Tony answers his phone. When he turns around, he has five super soakers in his hands.

"So, change of plans. Steve, Nat, Sam, and Bucky are going to be joining us for some food and a swim."

"So we ambush them with water guns?" Nebula asks. Her voice sounds almost menacing. It's awesome.

"Morgan, you take Nat. She won't attack. Peter, Y/N, Neb," Tony continues, looking at the three of you. "You take Sam and Bucky. I'll get Steve. That sound good?"

"Sounds better than good," you respond excitedly. Tony chucks the soakers into the cart, grabbing the handle and pushing it. There are still so many more things to buy, and the first cart is already running out of space. Even without Nebula in it. So Tony sends you and Peter to get a new cart.

The two of you do just that, grabbing a new cart and racing back inside. However, when he hears the distant sound of singing, he knows it's you. As the words to My Heart Will Go On fill Tony's ears, he sighs. Not a minute later, you're rounding the corner into the aisle that Tony is in, revealing Peter kneeling at the end of the cart with his arms spread as if he was in the king of the world scene in Titanic. Tony sighs, assuming his signature Tired Dad™ stance; head down, temple rub, pinching bridge of nose.

"Onward, trustee sea captain!" Peter exclaims. Tony flips the kid off, pushing the cart out of the aisle and into a new one.

"Dad," Morgan says excitedly as the group approaches the produce section. Tony turns to see his little girl with an orange in her hand. "Orange you glad I'm the normal one?"

Tony chuckles, shaking his head but approving of the joke nonetheless. However, you approach with your hands behind your back. You look at the little girl before squatting down to her level. You pull one hand forward, revealing an avocado.

"Avocadon't go there," you start. You proceed to reveal a squash in your other hand. "Before I squash you," you continue, pulling out your phone and showing your screen to reveal a google image search of baby goats. "Kid."

The beginning probably wouldn't have been funny, but Tony finds himself busting a guy at the preparedness and the commitment to the joke. How you had that ready, he'll never know, but he doesn't want to. He likes the mystery.

"Tony," Peter comes up, holding his hand out to reveal an orange in his hand. "Orange you gla-"

"Morgan beat you to it," you say, looking around a grabbing a bag off one of the nearest stands. It seemed to be all so conveniently placed. Tony's impressed. A bag of peas. "Pea-ter."

Peter is stunned into a silence. First Morgan steals his pun but now he gets punned right back. Not even by Morgan. He feels bamboozled. Peter looks around and grabs a small bag of beans just a few feet away from the group.

"I feel so bean-boozled."

"How do I do it with all of you kids?" Tony asks as he begins pushing one of the carts away.

"Should have kept your legs closed," Nebula cuts in, causing you to burst into laughter.

"She got you, dad."

"It doesn't even work like that-" Tony cuts himself off with a playful sigh. "Plus two of you aren't my creation, so," Tony mutters, not sure what to say next.

The rest of the grocery trip was spent making dumb puns, mispronouncing any and everything. It also involved bugging Tony as much as possible. There's one thing all four of you enjoy doing, and it's bugging Tony. Who doesn't enjoy bugging their dad?

"Morgan, say cupcakes are for basic bitches," you encourage the girl. Tony turns to look at you two as Peter and Nebula continue looking for some kind of desert to feed everyone. You suggested cake, but dad keeps saying no.

"Morgan if you say it I will tell mommy-"

"I'll have Peter make you a web swing!" you bargain.

Morgan nods, watching as you pull your phone out. You open your camera and begin recording.

"Daddy," Morgan begins, smirking as Tony begins shaking his head. "Cupcakes are for basic bitches,"

Suddenly, Peter and Nebula burst into laughter at the young girl's words. At that point, Tony calls it a day. They've been at the store for about an hour, things are running behind. So Tony heads to check out, pay for everything. Damn near has a heart attack at the price, despite the fact that he's a literal billionaire.

"500 dollars? How?"

He looks over the receipt and sighs when he sees what cost him almost three hundred dollars and something that cost him 70.

"A raft lounge for almost 300 and an inflatable pool seesaw for 70? Wow. Bamboozled by my own kids."

[silent-again-art-archives]

The Doll

Name: Doll-Face

Gender: Female

Ethnicity: None

Realm: The Toy Factory

Power: A Child’s Wail

Weapon: Claws

Speed: 115% | 4.6m/s

Alt Speed: 92% | 3.68m/s (Carrying)

Terror Radius: 20m

Height: Short (150cm)

Perks:

Child’s Play

Lost and Found

Fire’s Curse

Background:

There once was a toy maker in a small town. She was popular among the children for making all sorts of toys and doodads for them. However, she was infamous for her ability to make realistic dolls. Her craft was unparalleled. These dolls were akin to her children and she cherished and cared for them as any good mother would do.

However, as the times changed and large factories emerged to keep up the demand for goods, tycoon businessmen sought out to buy the land of that small town - the woman’s toy store included. No matter the sums of money she was offered, the lone woman refused to relinquish the last sanctuary for the delight of children. One fateful night changed it all…

The sounds of shattered glass and thuds of objects thrown woken the toy maker from her slumber. As she walked down the steps to her shop with candle in hand to investigate. She was greeted with a horrifying sight. Hired men came in the darkness of the night bearing weapons to tear the building asunder. The toys were reduced to splinters and her precious dolls were shattered and unrecognizable. As the woman confronted the perpetrators, they burned her little shop. She ran in to save what was left of it, but perished in the fire.

But before she did pass, she cursed the land that death would befall anyone who ventures there.

Doll-Face was born from this curse, put together from the broken and charred doll parts. With her mother pulling the strings.

[dcvilsoul-blog]

THE DUCHESS - CÉLINE DE POLASTRON

- Born into the French aristocracy, Céline de Polastron was accustomed to an exciting life filled with decadence and debauchery. The Polastron family was among the highest nobility, but their financial prospects had seen better days - although they masked their woes remarkably well.  The finest flowers were pushed into golden ringlets, a bodice of ruffles and bows affixed to slender bone, and their very own marionette walked among them. For a time her tastes were simpler, but that changed when she went to court. 

- Not long after her marriage to Jules de Polignac, she joined her sister in Versailles. It was there that she was introduced to the young queen, Marie Antoinette. They quickly forged a friendship and Celine became a confidante and close companion. As a result, her station was elevated and she was given gilded rooms within the palace. She and the queen encouraged one another, and a host of parties ensued at the palace, the finest cream cakes were on offer as they swathed themselves in diamonds and gabled on high stakes tables.

- Despite having four children, the wild nature of Céline de Polastron could not be staunched. As she sipped champagne, she carelessly flirted with other members of the aristocracy and foreign visitors who did not care that a ring encircled her finger. It was in that circle of sin and escapism that she met a Russian noble by the name of Andrei Rostov who was devilishly charming. He swept her off her feet, and she paid little attention to her weak-minded husband. So high on life, she did not appear alarmed when he fed on her neck and offered his wrist.

- After the storming of Bastille, the queen begged her to flee court. When she arrived at her chateau after a farewell evening with her Russian vaympire, she encountered a group of men pillaging her home. Powerless to stop them, she was slain by their hand. When she awoke almost a day later they were dining at her table, and that was when she took her first bite out of them. Despite trying the finest French pastries that wealth could buy, there was nothing as delicious or addictive as the feel of sinking teeth into flesh and tasting the sweet blood. 

-The first years were the hardest when she longed for the mortality which had been snatched away from her. Her home in France had changed so much, the glamour and decadence that she relished washed away with the disgruntled opinions of the common folk who called for revolution. Her most beloved friends were slain, pushed from their lavish houses and marched to the guillotine, while she sat idly by, grief-struck and powerless. When she awoke hungry with bloodthirst, she drank from a band of men who stormed her chateau, prized paintings and priceless ornaments strewn across the floor as they rummaged and ruined everything in their path. After gorging on their blood, she burned down her home, and the people presumed that she’d perished in the flames. 

- After the fall of the French monarchy, Céline followed Andrei to Russia. He thought he had her on the end of a string, this charming woman who had the face of an angel and the mind of the devil. That was the first betrayal, she fled from her maker and watched as the villagers came for him, all the while grinning to herself. Through him, she earned many powerful connections, and so her life of deception began. She had so very little to lose, she had already left her family and friends. But she was ageless, beautiful and most importantly, powerful. 

-Enchanting, that’s how most described her. She swathed herself in white and pale grey, her rosebud lips rouged with the softest pink as she smiled with a twinkle in her eye.  Céline discovered that the best way to make a long life interesting was to make a game out of it, to twist people around her finger as though they were a wind-up toy. Her mother always told her not to play with her food, but the old hag wasn’t around to scold her any longer. Throughout the years she took on many names, one evening she might be Katherine and another she could be a Cosette. 

- When she became an angel of death and her true form was revealed in the sharpness of her teeth and the protruding veins around her eyes, she would laugh as though she were the only one in on the joke. Celine lived for her own pleasure, doing all that she could to make her life more comfortable. She conned rich men and then she drank from them slowly, stole jewels from the cold bodies of debutantes  It was as though she had a compulsion to sin, in her mortal life she had desired sex and cream cakes, in death, she coveted power and blood.

[slipteeha]

Official Happy Slothgiving Thanksgiving Monkey T shirt - dottietee

Official Happy Slothgiving Thanksgiving Monkey T shirt

What’s most important and quintessential; is that every handshake of yours is altruistically compassionate; brings you more closer and closer with the spirit of immortally unassailable Official Happy Slothgiving Thanksgiving Monkey T shirt. It really doesn’t matter even an inconspicuous trifle; whether you converse in your rustically bohemian native language or use Internationally aristocratic English; to convey your uninhibited flurry of thoughts. What’s most important and quintessential; is that every word that you seamlessly utter; forever mollifies indiscriminately prejudiced war; and mélanges the entire Universe with the ocean of invincibly unfettered peace.

(Official Happy Slothgiving Thanksgiving Monkey T shirt)

The people of the Outer Hebrides are proud of their Official Happy Slothgiving Thanksgiving Monkey T shirt , legends and lore. The Blue Men of Minch are viewed as helpful, if treated w/ care and to be given their due. Legend tells of ale being poured into the water as a gift to persuade the Blue Men to leave seaweed on the beach as fertiliser. Encouraging the benevolent side of the Blue Men’s nature is also undertaken by the tradition of the locals lighting of a candle by the sea on the night of the Celtic festival of Samhain (Halloween). However, it is also said that the Blue Men of Minch are a personification of the often treacherous waters that they inhabit. Like the seas their mood can change quickly and they can cause ships to founder and their crew and passengers to perish.

Official Happy Slothgiving Thanksgiving Monkey T shirt, Hoodie, Sweater, Vneck, Unisex and T-shirt

Best Official Happy Slothgiving Thanksgiving Monkey T shirt

Ask yourself this: Prior to the 80s, what were children’s films like, and how much were they based on Official Happy Slothgiving Thanksgiving Monkey T shirt and merchandise that accompanied the film releases? Disney films were almost the only higher-quality production children’s fare, and the ones that had some merchandising built into it. It wasn’t until the modern era of blockbuster filmmaking and the realization at studios that kids out of school for summer were a major target demographic for films, that they had brainstorm of using the summer blockbusters as advertising to sell toys and lunch boxes to those same kids.

(Official Happy Slothgiving Thanksgiving Monkey T shirt)

Buy it now: Official Happy Slothgiving Thanksgiving Monkey T shirt - dottietee

Official All I Want For Christmas President Santa Foxtrot Juliet T Shirt - dottietee

Official All I Want For Christmas President Santa Foxtrot Juliet T Shirt - dottietee

Official All I Want For Christmas President Santa Foxtrot Juliet T Shirt - dottietee

tag: donald trump, christmas sweater, ugly holiday, christmas sweaters, ugly republican, christmas, sweater design, GOP christmas, sweater,Speedsolving, Erno Rubik, Speedcubing, Rubik’s Cube, Geek, X-Mas, Speedcuber, Nerd, Merch, 3D Combination, Puzzle, Magic Cube, 80s Game, Merchandise, #officialbrands Ugly, Christmas Sweater, ugly christmas, sweater, reindeer, red and green, pattern, christmas,

Hompage: Teejeep Cataloge

[mystic-messenger-writing]

how would RFA+V+Saeran react if they lost their 5 year old kid in a public place, like a mall or on a busy crosswalk or something? he/she wandered off while they were distracted, or they got separated somehow. whether or not they find them in the end is up to you :^) cute or angsty I know this'll end up killing me either way lmaooo

I’ve been looking forward to writing this request because I love it anonny! As you can tell by the length of these, I really had a lot of fun writing these. I mixed them up so some of them are fluff and some are angsty! So thank you for the request and I hope that you enjoy!! ^^

Yoosung

Yoosung was taking his son for a doctor’s visit, much to his son’s displeasure

His son was telling his father how nervous he was the entire ride there but Yoosung kept encouraging him that he’d be fine

When the two entered the hospital, his son looked around in awe at just how big it was

Yoosung finished signing in and turned to wait with his son except his son was no where to be seen

Panic filled within Yoosung, losing his child was bad enough but inside a busy hospital with all kind of sick patients and sharp utensils made Yoosung almost have a panic attack

He frantically started calling for his son, asking if anyone had seen him until he saw his son talking to another little girl

The little girl was crying because she was so worried about visiting the doctor but Yoosung’s son reassured her that she’d be fine because Yoosung said so

Yoosung rushed to his son’s side and swept him up into a hug, lightly scolding him for running off on his own but praising him for helping the other child

While Yoosung’s son wished he would have stayed lost since he had to get two shots, Yoosung made it up to him afterwards with some ice cream and a new toy for being a brave boy, promising never to leave him alone again

Zen

Zen was having a meet and greet with his fans and since you were out on a business trip, he had to take his son with him

His son had always been on the shy side so Zen had his manager watch over his little boy while he met his fans

When Zen was meeting his final fans, his manager came over to tell him about his next project

But Zen looked around and couldn’t find his son anywhere, demanding to know where his boy was

His manager just shrugged and tried to talk to Zen again but he pushed passed his manager and frantically searched for his son

Zen finally found his son but he saw some older woman trying to touch him and take photos of him, it was like looking into the past for Zen

His son looked like he was about to cry from all of the attention, so Zen quickly swooped in and lifted his son in his arms as he burst into tears

The manager came over to both of them and Zen promptly fired her for being incompetent

Zen soothingly hushed his son’s crying, he sang a song for him and promsied that he would never leave his precious little boy alone again

Jaehee

Jaehee wanted to spend more time with her daughter so she decided to take her grocery shopping with her

She knew it wasn’t the most exciting trip but anytime together with her little girl Jaehee enjoyed

Her daughter held onto the list as Jaehee browsed the aisles but stopped to admire the coffee section

Jaehee wasn’t sure how long she spent there but after picking out nine different types of coffee, she noticed that her daughter was missing

She mentally cursed herself for being so careless and frantically searched for her daughter

Just when she was about to call for security to help her, Jaehee found her little girl admiring the candy section

Jaehee crouched down into her daughter’s level and squeezed her tightly with a hug, telling her how worried she was and not to leave by herself again

Her daughter hugged her mother back saying that she wanted to be like her so she chose her favorite thing to admire just like her mother

Jaehee couldn’t help but laugh at her daughter’s adoration of her, she let her buy whatever candy she wanted for being so adorable

Jumin

Jumin decided to take the day off so that he could spend some time with his daughter

So he took her to the mall to buy her some new clothes, without any security guards to make her feel like the two of them were spending more quality time together

He held onto her hand tightly, he hadn’t been at the shopping mall for a while and forgot how busy it could be

Jumin received a phone call for work so he had his daughter sit down on a bench while he stood a few feet away where it was quiter to take the call

He quickly got off the phone only to find his precious little girl missing from the bench

Jumin was in full on panic mode, he started shouting her name as he ran around the mall, dialing for his security guards to come in the process

Just when Jumin thought he was going to have to have the entire mall closed so he could find his daughter, he saw a familiar little girl looking at a display

Jumin rushed over and gathered his daughter in his arms, holding onto her tightly as he lightly scolded her for leaving

She said that he was taking too long on the phone and saw some kittens at the pet store that she thought looked cute

Jumin couldn’t stay mad at his daughter for fawning over the kittens, he would do the same, but from now on Jumin would always make sure to keep an eye on her

Seven

Seven would do anything for his son, and that included taking him to the amusement park whenever he asked

He adored spending time with his little boy and was eager to take him on his first trip to the amusement park

His son looked around in awe as he held onto his father’s hand, pointing at all of the different rides he wanted to go on

Seven chuckled at his son’s amazement, telling him that he was feeling hungry so after he got the ride tickets, they would eat and then ride

When Seven got to the ticket seller, they commented on how odd Seven’s glasses were

So he had a dicussion with the seller about how his glasses gave him magical powers, snickering when he grabbed the tickets and turned to his son expecting to hear his laughter from his story

Except Seven didn’t hear his little boy’s laughter because his son was missing

Seven immediatly dropped the silliness and diligently searched for his son, worried that someone may have taken him

But Seven suddenly heard his son’s voice calling to him, when he turned around he saw his boy holding two sticks of cotton candy

He scooped his son into his arms and nuzzled his cheek against his son’s telling him not to wander around alone

Seven’s son apologized, saying that he wanted to surprise Seven with some cotton candy because he said that he was hungry, of course Seven couldn’t possibly stay mad at his son for being such a considerate little boy

V

V usually had a tough time keeping his twin son and daughter in check because they were little balls of energy

So he decided one day to take them to the park while you were away for the weekend

V loved watching his little boy and girl run around the playground, thankfully releasing some of their seemingly never ending energy

While watching them, a few pedestrians noticed V sitting on the bench and started asking him about his lastest artwork

He tried to politely answer them when he felt a tug on his sleeve but brushed it off

V finally excused himself from the crowd to find his children and go home except he couldn’t find his twins anywhere

This man is already fragile enough so when his precious twins were missing he almost broke

He scoured around the park, calling both of his kid’s names as he felt guilt well up inside of him

Just as V was about to call the police, he saw two little heads with pastel blue hair hiding behind a tree

V ran over to find his son and daughter smiling and giggling while he embraced them in a hug, asking them why they left

They explained that they wanted to play hide and seek with him but he wouldn’t listen, even after trying to get his attention away from the crowd

V sighed in relief as he took both of their hands into his own, from that day on he promised to always put his family first, plus he also commented on how good his son and daughter were at hide and seek

Unknown

Saeran was nervous about becoming a father but five years later he became the best dad imaginable for his son

He always made sure to give him the proper love and attention that he deserved and most of the times that meant ice cream outings together

Saeran was proud that his son inherited his sweet tooth and would always smile when he saw his son happily eat his cold treat

One day Saeran and his son were returning home from another trip to the ice cream shop

It was especially busy with people on the walk home so Saeran made sure to keep his son close to him

When the two of them were waiting to cross the street, the mass of people became bigger especially when someone ran by knocking Saeran away from his son

Saeran got his bearings back and when he noticed his son was missing, he went ballistic

He pushed and shoved bystanders and frantically called his son’s name, then he noticed a familiar looking figure guiding his little boy

Saeran recognized the man as a former Mint Eye follower as he tried to lead Saeran’s unwilling son away from the crowd

The man couldn’t even blink before Saeran wrecked the man, breathing out with fury that if anyone ever touched his son again they would perish

Saeran picked up his shaking son and held him tightly to his chest, both boys crying as Saeran vowed to never let anyone hurt his little boy again

[spmuthu2]

EGO

When a child is born, it has no thoughts in its mind, no prejudice, No experiences of this world. It is just like a blank laptop. No windows-10, no apps, no internet connections. The child starts to feel hungry and starts crying. Then mother gives milk, and the hunger goes away. No uneasiness or pain in the stomach. The child stops crying. Maybe it is happy. This “happiness program” is there within the child when it is just born. When it opens its eyes, it will see its mother coming and feeding the milk. So whenever it sees the mother’s face, it will relax that its hunger will go because of this figure. The child will keep another face, that is smile…A different one from the face when it cries. Slowly it gets attachment with the mother. So, if mother does not come next time when it is hungry, it will be longing for the figure it is looking for.  When the mother takes the child on her shoulder, it feels the warmth.

The child believes everything is its mother. It gets attachment with mother. If the mother is not seen for long time, it feels unsafe, uncertain. As it grows daily, one day if the mother feel any pain and shows symptoms like crying or dropping tears, then it feels the loved one is in pain and feels that pain too in mind, not physically and starts crying as its mind feels the pain.

Same thing happens, but little differently with a toy in the hands of a child, for example. The child is given a toy. It will try to taste it and it likes the color and sound it gives. The toy gives happiness. If the toy is not seen for some time, it will look for the thing that gave joy to it. It will try to reach it to take and play. If some one snatches the toy from the child and does not give it back, the child feels the joy is gone. And it feels the toy belongs to the child. The belonging feeling comes to it in the mind. That we call It possessiveness of the child. In the child’s mind, it feels the toy belongs to it and no body can take away that.

If you closely watch, When the child gets life at the time, when the mother conceived the child in her womb, the life has entered its body or we can say body is  merged with the spirit or soul , or athma, the part of the GOD, by which it starts functioning as an independent identity with a brain as part of the body. At this juncture, a new thing is born between the body and the soul, that resides with this new identity till the body and the soul is separated from each other at the time of death. That is called MIND.  All memories are residing in this mind. That makes the human being to function differently and different from each other. This human being gets new individualistic character with what resides in its mind and decides any thing in the course of its life according to what memories , ideas , opinions residues in the mind..

So, what has happened to the child? It is getting possessiveness slowly on everything it feels that it belongs to the child. Every time mother comes and looks at the child, she talks to the child, she recognizes the child, the child finds, that it is recognized by the mother always,  and then a new expectation develops in its mind. The child wants that it is recognized and more importantly the child alone, is to be recognized. Not any body else. Not anything else. The child feels that it gets the identity only then. It gets satisfied that it gets an identity, only when the child is recognized. If the mother shows affection with some one else, it is disturbed. We call it that the child is jealous now. Why the child is disturbed because it feels it is losing its identity now.

The child has now possessiveness and longing for recognition or Identification of it.  These two feelings grow excessively big in its mind as it grows bigger and older. As a human being, it wants to possess more and more and feels that it is recognized well, if it possesses more. Identification like Name, fame, more possession, just like a king wants to possess more lands and govern more people and wants to have more power, all that he needs to have more fame. And he wants to be called biggest strongest and richer.

 NOW YOU LOOK AROUND DEEPLY AND SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING. EVERY THING WILL BE THESE TWO FEELINGS OR CALL IT BY ONE WORD EGO.

 Eckhart Tolle in his book “The new earth” he starts writing

“the main aspects of the ego and how they operate in the individual as well as in the collective. This is important for two related reasons: The first is that unless you know the basic mechanics behind the workings of the ego, you won’t recognize it, and it will trick you into identifying with it again and again. This means it takes you over, an impostor pretending to be you. The second reason is that the act of recognition itself is one of the ways in which awakening happens. When you recognize the unconsciousness in you, that which makes the recognition possible is the arising consciousness, is awakening. You cannot fight against the ego and win, just as you cannot fight against darkness. The light of consciousness is all that is necessary.”

 What is that you possess and be happy about it. For example, someone possesses lot of property accumulated over a period of his lifetime. He is happy that he possess so much wealth and it is more than some x,y ,z people known to him and is proud of it. But when life comes to an end and soul leaves his body, body perishes, and the soul goes some where; not everyone has the same opinion where it goes. According to their faith, they have some notion or wrong presumptions, on the destination. Then the accumulated wealth does not bring any happiness to his body or the soul.  So all the effort he puts in accumulating the wealth will have no meaning and was not useful even during his life time. It was just a piece of paper on the registrar’s records. So if it is just a piece of paper, if someone writes Taj Mahal or Parliament building in Delhi or Temple in Madurai that,  it belongs to that person and even if the registrar puts his stamp, how it is different. But people will call him insane or Mad person.

 Man possess or thinks it belongs to him may be the following. 1) Lands cars and like other properties 2) Factories manufacture something that bring money, cash to him 3)Bank balance 4) Gold and other jewelry 5) company shares 6) Buildings 7) His close relatives like Mother, Father, wife, children and close friends etc.

Man’s identities are like, Good name, fame, Power of ruling other human beings and animals.

All the above are in his thought process. This man says I have a good name. I have maximum power and the things are mine. My properties. The thought process surrounds the word “I”, “My”, “Mine”.  Who is this I. Is the “I”, the perishable body, and its soul in it which is temporary in the body. If it is so, why all these materialistic things, he says that belongs to him, (him means his body and soul). All materialistic things are part of this planet… The man says “I” from his thoughts of mind which has seen the buying process of these properties. When he says “I”, that explicitly is making it clear that sounds egoistic. The mind, wants to possess some thing and there by it wants to have an identity. Then mind is happy. That is the characteristics of that MIND.

 The character of Ego is not stable. It Is never stable. Once it achieves some thing it will ask for more and some more and keeps expanding and leads towards destruction like cancer cells. Cancer cells multiply and expands further and further without knowing it is going to destroy the very place of organism on which it hangs.

So how to recognize this ego. What are the characteristics of Ego? How to get salvation or enlightenment??

It is a very delicate subject, let us go to gurus like Eckhart tolly and his book “The new Earth”. Read all the chapters, if not once, many more times.  You will get enlightened, hopefully.

[anangelicday-mrwolf]

Wolfsbane : Noblesse Fanfic (post-ending)

(previous chapter)

Chapter 20 – Mistakes

Plastic chimes resonated in midst of miniscule beads of various colors, as a slender hand picked out from them a sphere that looked like a coil of Moebius strip, along with tiny plastic stars.

Yuigi promptly slipped them through a fishing line accompanied in the kit case, and she flung the completed bracelet upon a pile of at least 10 distinctly colored and composed bracelets and other ornaments.

She thoughtlessly shifted her shoulder, and right after the stiff muscles produced a groan from her. Yuigi straightened her back as she stretched. Then she realized she could not remember the last time she ever stretched.

She had been classified as at-least-S-ranked modified human, an entitlement that came with loads of perks that one could not dare deny.

So she could not remember the last time she ever suffered from stiffness or ache that came as an aftermath of an absurdly ordinary pastime.

Nowadays, contrary to her past, she would let the ache in her muscles or joints conquer her once every few hours. She has merely recovered enough to walk and talk with no strain at all; she has not managed to recover even 10% of her original strength.

‘Maybe I should have studied some medicine when I could,’ thought Yuigi, as she stared at the medical equipment in the safehouse, nothing better than a toy medical kit to her for the time being. ‘And Takio said he doesn’t know how to handle the thing either, though I’m not sure if I should buy what he said.’

Unbeknownst to her, although Takio had gained a tip or two from Frankenstein, professional work with medicine and affiliated technology is but a mystery to him.

And the medical equipment in the safehouse requires more than meticulous, professional maneuver; a voice print of a pre-registered user is a must in order to activate it. Takio, of course, did not provide her with a voice print, and Yuigi could not even fathom when she will complete her recovery – or if she will complete her recovery, with whatever that Yuri did to her still remaining inside her.

These days she could so very well relate to a nameless stack of weed growing under endless drought, somehow miraculously alive.

And whenever Takio is away, he would make sure the door is fastened outside, unable to be unlocked from within.

So Yuigi has been sustaining a life in quarantine, terribly bland compared to her days as Cerberus. Yet she had no time to be bored, thanks to all sorts of entertainment amenities that Takio would bring her from time to time, including a variety of books. Puzzles. Coloring books. And many others.

Among those, she had taken a liking to a set of beads kit to make body ornamentations with – the kind made for children’s play.

Ever since she first received the kit, she had been emptying them with a series of bracelets and necklaces, only to unchain each of them so that she can start creating new accessories.

Takio did tell her that she is free to ask for anything she needs, but she knew they would have to break the ice much more before she could make a request for more kits.

Besides, she had no problem downing and filling the kit over and over again. The beads came in a myriad of colors, shapes, and sizes, so she had more than thousands of options based on which to make bracelets, necklaces, or rings.

After all, this was not her first time doing the job; in fact, it has been years since she had ever focused on the task.

‘I should be grateful I don’t have to go outside to grab the ingredients. Back then I had to wade through the beach every single day to find appropriately shaped and sized seashells and conches.’

Then Yuigi fell in a nostalgic muse, as she stared down at a handful of beads shaped like cones.

Look, look! Is this good enough?

Mine is better!

I want a necklace today!

Your necklace is the best!

Yuigi was grinning without notice, which started to fade away soon enough.

Please don’t get hurt. Okay?

We’re okay. But promise that you’ll read us fairy tales next time you come home!

How long do we have to wait to see you again?

Eyes shut tight, Yuigi pressed her forehead with a hand she just grabbed the beads with, fisted into a dead-tight ball.

She thought she had put the past behind her, but she had not. Her fist was captured in violent quake, the rough plastic pieces nearly boring into her skin.

‘Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe I shouldn’t have volunteered to be Union’s test subject. Because here I am, helpless and powerless and homeless, despite all those years spent in labs and training. If I did not tag along the agents that visited me on the fateful day, maybe I could at least stay with them before they......’

She started at her own thought before she muttered, “Hailey... Arthur...”

Drowned in bitter reminiscence, Yuigi missed the sound of the door lock finally being removed.

“Is there something that ails you?”

She flinched upon the voice now familiar ringing by her ears. Takio, whom she had not seen for a while, was looking down at her with concern bright in his face.

“...Took you long enough to return.”

“Today I found enough time to drop by my residence. By the way, is there some...”

“Nothing.”

It’s obvious there is something, Takio wanted to retort. But he gave up on it once Yuigi uncurled her back, wearing that stern face that will accept no question whatsoever.

“I brought you dinner. And new kits.”

Takio placed the shopping bag on the table, which Yuigi did not touch. The only thing she could find plenty in this place was time; she felt no need to check out the contents on the spot.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“No.”

Yuigi flipped her hand at him, meaning no foul at all. And her gesture was meant to be harmless, meaningless. Nevertheless, Takio apparently took her wave otherwise.

“Do you despise me?”

Yuigi shifted her gaze from the beads that were once again cascading onto the fishing line. And she gaped at him as if he just suggested they could use the fishing line she was holding as an addition to chicken noodle soup he will make for her.

“Allow me to rephrase that – don’t you despise me?”

“And why would you ask that?”

Takio did not say anything more. He has never revealed to her that he is deleting Union from the world.

But Yuigi was one of Cerberus; he expected her to be experienced enough to realize what he would be doing now that the Union has crumbled. True to his expectation, she asked for no further details and yet issued a reply that was by no means stranded from the topic.

“What’s the point? The Union is no more. And it’s not like I can stop you.”

Yuigi shrugged nonchalantly and redirected her eyes to the beads, only to re-redirect them to her speaker.

“Honestly, I don’t get it. By now – no, you should have already tortured me to find out more about Union’s essential institutions or key personnel.”

“...Are you saying you are willing to dispense the intel if I ask?”

“...Why not?”

“Why is that?”

“You’ve been giving me food, a place to stay... And freedom, most importantly. I’d hate to be a lab rat that can’t even flicker whiskers without help. As a matter of fact, it’s always welcome for me to see Crombell’s forces dwindling every second.”

Yuigi snickered briefly, as if she was truly enjoying the thought.

Takio, however, did not believe in her. This could be her scheme to make him trust her and seek chances to go back to Union to plan retaliation, he told himself.

On the other hand, Takio could feel suspicion and wonder clustering within him.

Just because an empire has fallen does not mean its citizens will perish immediately. But she did not seem interested in her fellow citizens at all, seemingly implying that nothing matters now.

In addition, she was waiting for him to pry out intel on Union from her.

‘It didn’t sound like she was very loyal to Union. And Cerberus, I believe, was the most trusted guardians that 12th Elder had. I don’t understand.’

Takio, but of course, did not voice his suspicion. Their relationship was not informal or sturdy enough for him to do that.

That did not mean his curiosity will scatter to naught; it was there, steadfast and strong.

Which is why he failed to realize that he picked up on his way something he should not have.

*****

“I’m home.”

“You’re late. That’s a first.”

Tao peeked from kitchen ringing with clacking dishes, as Takio slipped his feet into a pair of pink slippers.

“I could say the same thing, Tao, seeing you home at this hour.”

“I’ll say. I don’t think I’ve seen either you or M-21 home at this time of the day.”

“Is it safe to assume your patrol covered bigger range than before?”

M-21 turned his head halfway towards his back, still concentrating on washing dishes.

“I had no choice. It’s been a while since we started shutting down Union facilities. I wouldn’t want Union minions detecting what’s happening to their facilities and finding Korea.”

Takio very leisurely gave a lie, which was not a total lie.

“Too bad. We could have enjoyed dinner together for once, but we had to leave you out.”

“I’m sure we’ll find chances again. Don’t mind me.”

“Aww, but it’s a shame! More importantly, I couldn’t find what I want!”

“I don’t see how a menu from a convenience store would be nutritiously superior to homemade meal.”

“How can you say that, M-21? Some people would find it much superior! It’s basically a feast for me!”

Oh, sure.

M-21 sighed halfheartedly. He knew if he were to refute that, Tao’s tongue will start its indefensible dance again, to utterly annihilate his eardrums by the time the dance is over.

Alas, it was too late for him.

“You do realize these days convenience stores do take care with nutrition in their menu, don’t you? Plus, this is Korean convenience store we’re talking about! It’s not your first day in this country. I thought you’d understand. And the menu I’ve been cherishing for this day was gone without a trace! Don’t you see how miserable the situation is?!”

Convenience store menu?

That was when Takio’s heart hit that nerve-wrecking code of thump in his chest, finally realizing what he has done. He remembered that one of the food he took for Yuigi that day included a lunchbox made at convenience stores, one of many stacks in the fridge.

It was obvious that it belonged to Tao, a curious lover of convenience store lunchboxes. And there was no guarantee that he would not get to the bottom of this to find out who was to blame for.

Which is why Takio opted to falsely allege his crime.

“You mean lunchbox including spicy bulgogi. Sorry. I ate it before going out for patrol.”

Tao instantaneously glared at his comrade in betrayal.

“You are willing to pay me back later, aren’t you?”

“Sure. Sorry about that.”

Tao luckily gave him an okay, and Takio disappeared to get shower.

“Didn’t expect that. He’s always found spicy bulgogi from convenience stores too much for him to handle.”

“I guess he was on hurry to start his patrol.”

M-21 continued washing dishes and was about to tell Tao that he might want to finish the lunchboxes in the fridge before the expiration date, when he noted something was not quite right.

Tao had stockpiled his lunchboxes at a spot that will make them instantly visible as soon as they open the fridge, and thus M-21 has unwillingly come to memorize the menu and numbers of each menu for the tower of plastic cases.

And according to his memories, spicy bulgogi lunchbox was stationed in the middle of the said tower.

So there was no legitimate reason he could think of for Takio to grab a menu in the middle instead of on the very top, not to mention for the menu that he does not prefer.

His hands slowed down for a breath, before M-21 returned to his chore. His mind, however, was no longer with his hands.

And nobody knew what kind of effect Takio’s mistake would whip up for them in the future.

(next chapter)

For this chapter, I took the spotlight back to Frankenstein’s family in Seoul. I completed the script for this chapter a long time ago, and right now the time draws near for me to write about Yuigi’s past. And when I do, the reason why Yuigi sounded rather nonchalant about her current standing as well as Union’s standing and whether she is an ally or foe will be made clear. Personally I can’t wait until I reach that part. XD

[vsplusonline]

View: Face masks have become the indispensable accessories of the modern age

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/view-face-masks-have-become-the-indispensable-accessories-of-the-modern-age/

View: Face masks have become the indispensable accessories of the modern age

In November 1937, the Times of India (ToI) carried a curiously chilling report from the UK. With fears of war rising, and memories of the poison gas attacks of the previous war still vivid, “trials to see whether small children could wear gas masks in the event of an air raid were carried out…” The report explained how officials visited a children’s home called Babies Castle where 70 children, from babies to five years, were selected “by reason of their varying sizes of head” and given black rubber masks to play with. Nurses asked, “Who would like to wear one of these funny faces?” to get them to put them on.

This exercise proved the obvious points that children needed smaller masks and could be induced to wear them (though “babies cannot wear masks”). It was also an early sign of how face masks would become indispensable accessories of the modern age, whether worn for protection or fun or, as with those children, both reasons.

Face masks are omnipresent these days, most obviously because of coronavirus fears. Across the world face masks are being sold out, hoarded or sold at a premium. The Indian government briefly banned exports of masks. The Japanese government is giving subsidies for face mask manufacturers, while one leading company, Kawamoto, has seen its share price zoom by 479 per cent in one month.

One of the many ironies of this current epidemic is that China, which is the source of it, is also the source of most of the world’s face masks. This might seem a good fit of problem and solution, but as the virus spreads rapidly across the world it has made countries uncomfortably aware of their dependence on China for medical supplies. This epidemic is bound to lead to calls for better control over face mask supply and distribution. Meanwhile in China car companies are switching production from motors to masks.

BCCL – Non Copyright

Protest mask

PROTEST MASKS Hong Kong is debating free distribution of face masks, which is particularly ironic since just a few months it tried banning the use of them in public. This is another side of the face mask boom – their use in political protests, as a way to avoid individual identification and punishment, and also to show solidarity with a larger cause. This has become so common that different types of protest masks can be identified, like Black Bloc, a simple black face covering, like a bandanna, or the stylised smiling Guy Fawkes masks of Anonymous.

The growth of surveillance and facial recognition technology, particularly in China, has made use of protests masks even more imperative. In October last year, Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive invoked a British era law to pass the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation, which criminalises wearing a mask at even lawful protests with a year in jail and a HK$25,000 fine. The law was widely disobeyed, has been challenged in court and seems unlikely to be used when much of Hong Kong is wearing masks for medical reasons.

Hong Kong’s law is far from being an anomaly. There are many such laws across the world, and not just in authoritarian states. Western democracies like Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Italy and Germany all have laws banning facial coverings during protests. The reasons may vary, from Islamophobia to reactions to the violent student protests of the 1960s, and the laws may only rarely be enforced, but there is a clear sense that concealing one’s face is potentially threatening behaviour.

It is also true, of course, that face masks have always been used by criminals. A spate of rural robberies in 18th century Britain lead to what was called the Black Act in 1723, because the perpetrators blacked or concealed their faces. The law mandated the death penalty for doing this and while it was repealed in 1823, the thinking seems to have survived in the Hong Kong law. In India facial concealment during crimes is common – last year robbers looted 30 kg of jewellery from a Tiruchirapalli store while wearing cat and dog masks.

If masks have not featured much in current protests in India it might be because, in an interesting inversion, it is the governing party that has used mask most effectively. The Narendra Modi mask that was created by Manish Bharadia, was a subtle rebuke to the earlier Congress charge of Atal Bihari Vajpayee being the acceptable ‘mukhota’ of the much more radical Sangh, and it also helped make the politician into a brand.

Some of the most intense debates over face masks have taken place in Canada. When student protests’ against hikes in college fees rocked Quebec in 2012, the government passed a law banning face masks during protests, arguing that their use separated legitimate protestors from general miscreants. Montreal’s mayor, Gerald Tremblay summed it up: “When your cause is just and your intentions are good, why hide your face?”

In fact, as Jennifer B.Spiegel notes in her paper ‘Masked Protest in the Age of Austerity” such neat divisions didn’t work. The authorities clearly intended to find ways to fine and discourage individuals, and split the movement – but this required them to identify individuals first. The protestors responded with a carnival like explosion of face masks in all colours and forms. Some came only in face masks – but otherwise nearly nude. One protestor wore a full panda outfit, much like the costumed mascots that are part of sports events.

BCCL – Non Copyright

Rituals masks

ENTERTAINMENT & RITUALS This nearly linked politics to the third reason for the popularity of face masks – their use in entertainment and the chance to have anonymous, liberating fun. This has always been a reason to use masks, particularly as part of the anarchic rulebending time of Carnival. During that period a poor person with a mask could pretend to enjoy the life – generally, meaning sex – of the rich, while the rich could get the thrill of slumming for a while.

The use of masks for ritual purposes is ancient. One of the oldest known specimens is a stone mask from over 7000 years back, probably from Palestine, and looking eerily like the smiley face emoji, except for its empty eyes. But masks were very likely known from far earlier, but haven’t survived because they were made with perishable materials. They would have helped priests perform the role of gods or demons in rituals.

Masks also came to be used for protective purposes, to protect the face from the cut and slash of swords. Death masks left in tombs were ways to remember those who had died, and perhaps ensure that their image lasted when the physical flesh of their faces had rotted away. During plagues masks were used from the belief that miasmas, or bad smells spread diseases, and these would at least have stopped airborne infections like today.

Some of these uses started diminishing with time – most formal religions dropped masks and guns made face masks for combat irrelevant (they survive in the sport of fencing). But as Michael Foley notes in his book Isn’t This Fun? Investigating the Serious Business of Enjoying Ourselves, this is lead to a new form of fun: “the masquerade, or masked ball, is an attempt by the rich and sophisticated to combine the hieratic power of the ritual mask with the transgressive carnival energy of the lower orders.”

Venice was particularly associated with Carnival masks – tourists still buy them by the thousands – and the idea of a Venetian masked ball was taken up by Western culture, and then across the world. Masked parties were a very popular entertainment during the British Raj in India, and in the USA they transmuted into the costumed chaos of Halloween. More recently, events like Burning Man, where participants descend in outrageous, carefully planned costumes, has reinvented the idea for the new millennium.

Artists and the entertainment industry have always been drawn to the many meanings of masked revelry. Verdi’s opera Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) combines the idea with a plot to assassinate a king that was so controversial that the work in its original form was banned. The several Mask of Zorro films involve the idea of a masked hero battling an oppressive regime. Masked comic heros like Batman and Phantom reinvented the idea for a new art form.

Alexandre Dumas’ The Man in the Iron Mask drew on a historical legend of a masked prisoner linked to a king, and also to a tradition of keeping prisoners masked as a way to emphasise their vulnerability. But the power of masks means that this tends to work the other, with the example of the masked Hannibal Lector showing how masks work powerfully with horror films. The masked protagonist of the Phantom of the Opera shows another medical use of masks, to hide the horrors of facial disfigurement.

It was, perhaps, not a surprise that the advent of photography also saw a renewed interest in masks. When one’s face could be easily captured, the desire to avoid this grew. Similarly, the huge growth of social media in recent years, with all its incessant selfies and personal sharing, has created a desire for masked concealment. Phone filters now allow digital masks to be imposed easily. A whole genre of masked musicians has emerged, like Deadmau5 and Slipknot, that use the paradoxical power of masks both to conceal their identities and enhance their brands and masked mystique.

All these meanings of masks gained particular power from two events that concluded a 100 years back. The First World War resulted in a new demand for masks. Medical advances meant that many who would have died in the past survived, but badly disfigured, and masks were created to help them (plastic surgery would only develop during the Second World War). The eerie images of these masks, and the suffering that lay behind them, seem to have influenced many artists in the era between the wars.

BCCL – Non Copyright

Protective masks

PROTECTIVE MASKS The use of poison gas had also required a new kind of protective mask. One of the first was developed by JS Haldane, the father of JBS Haldane, the scientist who came to India towards the end of his life and helped develop scientific institutions here. In Samanth Subramanian’s excellent new biography of the younger Haldane, A Dominant Character, he writes of how the father used the (very willing) son as a guinea pig, almost suffocating him from exposure to vapours as he perfected a practical gas mask that could absorb them.

These lead to a whole new type of protective masks, against bioweapons and radiation, all the terrible new creations of warfare. But it was the second event from 1918-1920 that links most closely to our virus driven demand. This was the great global influenza epidemic that is estimated to have killed far more people than died in the first World War – 17 million just in India, which was five per cent of our population at that time.

There had been global pandemics before, but this one was made worse by new transport systems, fuelled by the demands of war, and also by the fact that it was caused by a virus, a poorly understood entity at that time. Doctors wasted time looking for a bacterium, as in bubonic plague. By the time the airborne nature of the disease spreading was understood, millions had died.

In Pale Rider, Laura Spinney’s history of the epidemic she notes that by 1918 “the wearing of a layered gauze mask over the mouth was recommended – and in Japan this probably marked the beginning of the practice of mask-wearing to protect others from one’s own germs – but health officials disagreed as to whether the masks actually reduced transmission.”

It was only by 1920, when American cities implemented preventive measures that included mask wearing that their value was established. A hundred years on from then we are learning the value, and many meanings, of face masks all over again.

if(geolocation && geolocation != 5 && (typeof skip == 'undefined' || typeof skip.fbevents == 'undefined')) !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '338698809636220'); fbq('track', 'PageView');

Source link

[oneandahalfwolf]

Benkai'l.

Ben to some. Kai to few. Mutt, mongrel, half-breed and other slurs to many more.  Loyal pet and favourtie toy to an evil woman. Platonic soulmate to a small half-elf mage. Brother to a devilish tiefling rogue. Just a grumpy puppy who really wants to be loved but doesn’t feel like they deserve it.

Ben is a tall and skinny bean pole who’s skin is pale as snow. Their eyes are a pale grey, like the moon’s light - unless that light causes them to glow a bright yellow, a sign of the other wolf that lives inside them. Their hair is black as night, the same black that covers the fur on the wolf ears atop their head and the tail at the bottom of their spine.

They identify as nonbinary, mismatched by birth and genetics, but fool you if you ask what’s in their breeches. Also fool you if you try to flirt with the aroace pupper, for if they don’t set you alight you’ll have a rather angry array of people on you when their pack gets wind of it.

Being wolf-kin meant Ben always had heightened senses, better strength and endurance, and a greater healing factor than most humans. Their species was always evident what with their wolf ears and tail, and the fact they could naturally shift their form into a wolf; slightly larger than an average one with black fur and their normal grey eyes.

However once bitten by a werewolf they had another Wolf inside to contend with. One who wanted to rip and tear and kill. In moments of anger their eyes would change from grey to yellow, already sharper than average teeth growing into fangs as their canines lengthened, and their nails extended into hard and sharp claws.  Their senses grew even sharper. Strength and stamina increasing still. Their healing improved with wounds that would take humans days and them formally hours, could now be instantaneously mended.

Under the sway of the full moon their bones would crack and break, their clothes would rip and tear, as a new and monstrous wolf broke free; taller than even their human form with long limbs and large paws, but the same black fur and skinny frame, though their eyes were now bright yellow, pupils showing whether they had control over their form - small pin pricks that were barely there meant their mind belonged to the other Wolf.

Their early transformations were agonising and long. Skin hot and feverish as their senses became hypersensitive. Shoulder blades moving as their spine cracked and rib cage snapped out of place in order to grow, night air filled with their screams that grew into howls. They would loose time to the black outs of the transformations, waking naked and sometimes covered in blood.

They slowly gained control over the Wolf, their natural half-beast nature being a boon as it allowed the two to merge much easier, which in turn allowed them to control their shift at will as well as mean they could retain their mind during the forced full moon ones. The transformations also became less painful and wouldn’t last as long. Their sense of loyalty and connection with nature only grew, though the added werewolf attributes could exacerbate some of their wolfish tendencies for the worse, such as their rage and impulse to fight and hunt and run.

Originally abandoned by their pack due to superstitious elders, they were found as a sickly newborn in the forest outside of a village by the local blacksmith and his wife, the owner of the general store. The couple took the baby puppy home and nursed them back to health before deciding to raise them as their own.

However the townsfolk didn’t take too kindly to a wolf-kin in their midst, but couldn’t exactly say much since they were reliant on the forge and the shop to sustain their town. So Ben grew up with loving adoptive parents while still being ostracised by the town. On the one hand they were taught how to swim, how to build and tinker, how to use weapons of many kinds and other normal childhood things. While on the other hand they were bullied by the children in the village, had sharp rocks and cruel words thrown at them, all while the adults ignored them or belittled them too.

Their mother would tell them to ignore the hate of those who didn’t want to understand them and their nature, their father telling them to be strong and rise above it, but as they grew it became harder. When they hit puberty at 11 their emotions changed along with their body, inner wolf developing along with them. They were now quicker to anger than they used to be, picking fights with the other kids that taunted them, coming home with scrapes and bruises much to their mother’s dismay. She would always patch them up and soothe them with a lullaby, despite her worry over them.

Their actions caused even more strain between their family and the rest of the village, the adults calling for the runt to be exiled. Their parents fought the townsfolk, reminding them of their value to the village, but eventually tensions bubbled over.

When they were 14 there was an explosion in the forge which lead to a fire that trapped Ben and both their parents. Ben was able to escape through a small hole in the rubble by shifting to their wolf form at their father’s insistence, suffering only mild smoke inhalation and minor burns. Their parent’s weren’t so lucky, perishing in the fire. To this day Ben doesn’t know whether it was an accident or sabotage by the townspeople.

They weren’t able to take the time to mourn as the village descended on them even as the fire still burned behind them. The inhabitants blamed them for the fire and used it as their excuse to finally drive them out of town. With no parents left to defend them Ben was forced to run. They had enough time to sprint home and fill a small pack with some provisions and clothes, grabbing a waterskin and their important items; the dual swords they made with their father, the lucky gold coin their mother gave them, and the grey fur half shawl that had been with them as a baby - the only thing connecting them to their biological family. With all that collected they left the house without even bothering to lock the door and ran.

They lived off the land, hunting in the forests and bathing in the rivers. Every so often they would venture into towns in an attempt to get hot food and a warm bath but would often be chased out or beaten due to their species, repeatedly on the receiving end of racist triads and slurs. Eventually they resorted to stealing and pickpocketing at every opportunity, taking coins from passers-by and wares from stalls. They also used their hood to hide their ears and tucked their tail away to try and get into taverns, enough gold usually buying suspecting owners silence. However with both these gambits they ran the risk of getting caught, regularly being left bruised and bloodied on the town’s outskirts.

At 17 they, almost literally, ran into a young mage fleeing the Circle Tower she had been forced to call home. After a brief bit of banter the two were forced to face the small pack of werewolves that had been chasing Ben. The brutish male alpha grinned as he approached the growling pup as they tried to stand in front of the stranger they just met. He thought it was cute how they tried to be a ‘real wolf’ when all they were was a mongrel, his cocky cronies laughing. When Ben shot back that they were more wolf than him he snarled and decided to teach them a lesson.

Ben tried to fight them off, tried to protect the stranger, but despite their valiant attempt the leader of the pack ultimately bit them. In the end the young mage was the one to scare off the pack, using her magic to force a retreat. She tended to Ben's injuries, apologising for her subpar healing magic, and finally introduced herself as Ileyra, a half-elf with a kind smile and sweet laugh that seemed familiar and comforting. She stayed with them through the fever of the change as they travelled, refusing to leave their side and helped them overcome the pains and trials of becoming a Werewolf, as well as aiding them during their first full moon, using her magic to make sure they couldn't hurt anyone, especially themself.

Iley still didn't leave after all this and the two ended up adventuring together. Their first year or so was quite eventful. They stumbled upon Ben's biological pack where they managed to reconcile with their estranged family with a nudge from Iley. Circle mages caught up with the pair and took Iley while poisoning Ben magically with silver, forcing the werewolf to go on a rescue while slowly dying, a fate which was avoided by their mage friend having to literally remove their heart from their chest to slow the poison enough to get them an antidote; a feat neither would wish to repeat, and marked Ben with a dent in their sternum. They crossed paths with a disturbing Queen and her dolt husband, reluctantly taking in their hospitality after saving them - during which time Ben was forced to pretend to be a familiar with a collar and all - eventually escaping once her actions became even more uncomfortable, despite her attempts to get them to stay or at least have Iley sell Ben to her, the pair robbing the castle and fleeing during a full moon. Ben also lost their right arm below mid bicep in a vicious ogre attack, Iley managing to save the severed limb with a stasis spell before the two went on a mission to reattach it, if a little sloppily, before going on a second to create a haphazard gauntlet for their forearm so the limb will work again and cause them less pain – along with a few enhancements including the limb adapting to their changing forms.

About a year and a half into their adventuring the two ‘bumped into’ the same Queen from before, her husband now dead by mysterious circumstances and she now sole ruler of her land. Her infatuation with Ben had only grown worse over time and the two continued to be creeped out, vowing to leave town at dawn. However she ambushed them in their tavern room that night, and after a brief altercation where she overpowered the pair, she stole Ben’s heart right out of their chest – having done her research and knowing with that in her possession she could have complete control over the puppy, making them her ‘willing’ pet. Iley lost all fight and the two were dragged back to her castle, the half-elf shoved into a bedroom and trapped behind a magical barrier while the Queen figured out how to take her heart too, as well as spending time playing with her new toy.

Ileyra barely slept as she worked tirelessly to break out and free her best friend, delving deeper than she ever had before into blood magic in her attempt to escape. She used a coup of the kingdom’s people and castle servants to her advantage, bargaining with a half-kin trying to save his sister that in exchange for removing the barrier, she would kill the Queen. On her release from her imprisonment she made her way straight to the Queen’s bedchamber finding her and Ben - the wolf-kin collared, half-naked, and looking extremely worse for wear. After barbs were thrown and the Queen tried to have Ben kill Iley, the mage retrieved the werewolf’s heart and threw the evil ruler out of the window.

Not sparing the woman a second thought Iley rushed to Ben’s side and returned their heart, though the damage was done as the time spent without their heart permanently dropped their skin temperature to constantly freezing and tinged their lips blue. Iley was quick to remove the collar and drag Ben away from that awful place, helping them through their internal trauma even as the physical marks healed. She dealt with their inability to speak unless it came to screaming from nightmares, as well as the sudden bouts of shifting to their normal wolf form when being human was too difficult.

Ben was just starting to get better when the two were approached in a new land by the area’s King. Despite their reservations they went with him to his castle, thinking they could at least rob him if nothing else. However they should have listened to their instincts as the man had ulterior motives. He had plans to drug Iley and marry her so he could siphon her powerful magic to keep himself young and powerful. Ben discovered this when they stumbled upon a hidden dungeon full of skeletons of drained mages, but were locked inside by the Captain of the King’s Guard, unable to tell Iley what they discovered.

The wolf-kin tried to escape by many means before resorting to changing to their natural wolf form to tunnel out of the dungeon. Once free they sneaked through the castle to retrieve all of their’s and their best friend’s things, hiding them at a small camp they’d made, before returning in werewolf form. They exploded through the castle wall into the throne room with a roar, interrupting the wedding much to the King’s anger. Iley struggled through the spells and potions clouding her mind but eventually, after a stand-off involving a gun at the end of which the werewolf slashed at the cruel tyrant, recognised Ben and allowed them to rescue her, riding on their back to their far away camp.

After this the two tried to stick to the forests and mountains for a while before finally venturing into a town when they felt confident they were far away from the monarchs who used them as they were in great need of a drink. However half-breeds in this kingdom must be court approved. They were approached by guards and told they needed to see the kingdom’s Queen. Given their intense distrust of royals now the two refused and ended up getting into a bar brawl before being carted off to the castle anyway. Things took a surprising turn when it transpired this Queen was Iley’s true mother, the woman recognising her child as soon as she laid eyes on her. Ben convinced Iley to give her mother a chance, must like she did for them and their pack, and the two remained at the castle, getting to know the family and getting some help over their traumatic events.

Soon enough however the two decided to get back on the road, heading to see Ben’s pack again since it had been a while and they were feeling family nostalgia. The two promised to write on their way but the letters stopped abruptly when the pair were ensnared by the Queen and King, the rulers having survived and teamed up to claim their respective prizes, using the fact that the siphoning of Iley’s magic had weakened the protective spells around the pair’s hearts to their advantage. The two were separated and taken by their individual captor.

Ben was taken back to the Queen’s new castle where she first removed their arm – ripping the tubes that provided the magic that made it work before pulling out each stitch and staple holding the limb on, relishing in their cries of pain – and then removed their heart. Their Mistress enjoyed torturing her pet, using her control over them to warp their mind and make them question their very existence. She took great pleasure in returning their heart, often at the worst possible times, and witnessing their distressed suffering that was just as delicious as their blank obedience. Ben started to skate the line of sanity as they were forced - either literally since she had their heart, or with coercion, manipulation, false promises and ‘rewards’ or punishment and pain – to do and take part in horrible and unspeakable things; including killing people and unwanted sex as the Queen used them as her own personal weapon and toy.

Eventually after many long months Ben was rescued by Iley’s family and their pack, the families having teamed up to save their children. The Queen forced Ben to fight – a brutal battle despite the pup missing an arm - before trying to crush their heart when the tide of battle changed out of her favour, stating that if she couldn’t have them no one could. The group stopped her from following through, their pack tearing her apart, but not before Ben had fallen into a coma. They were taken back to the family’s castle whereupon an already rescued Iley, who demanded to see them as soon as she knew they had been brought in, was able to return their heart to its rightful place.

They didn’t wake up until the next full moon, Iley remaining resolutely by their side as they lay still on the bed the whole time. When they did wake they were distraught and confused, tumbling out of bed as they freaked out over their missing arm and wondering why they had their heart back, dreading the implications. Iley tried to talk them down from their heightened state even as they begged and pleaded a phantom Mistress, disbelieving their freedom and searching for their missing collar, only finding heavily scarred skin. It wasn’t until they were forced to change that Ben finally calmed down, their nose and ears unable to deny their best friend’s, their sibling’s, scent and voice.

The two remained at the castle to recover, barely leaving each other’s side day or night as they both attempted to return to normal and put their imprisonment, torture, manipulation, and rape at the hands of those monsters behind them. They helped each other through the nightmares, flashbacks and other symptoms as they always had; quick to reassure each other that things were okay. They slowly eased into a routine and despite the numerous physical and mental scars, they felt somewhat better as time went on.

During this time Ben designed and created a new arm for themself with the help of necromancy, alchemy, enchantments, runes and other magics along with their own forging and building skills. The limb was much sleeker and tidier than what had essentially been the prototype since they hadn’t had the time nor money to create a more perfect model – that not being a problem now since Iley’s mother and step-father bank rolled the new one – but it looked mostly the same and kept a lot of the original features such as a foldable shield, the ability to shoot fire, and shifting with them as they changed form. Soon enough the pair decided to go adventuring again as they were becoming stir crazy in the castle, heading off into the sunset.

However their adventuring together couldn’t last forever, no matter how much they wished it to. Iley had to return to her family as she wanted to further her magical teachings and knowledge, as well as get to know her extended family and learn about her deceased biological father. Ben was happy for her and encouraged her to follow her heart, while they remained on the road. Their internalised trauma reared heavily without their sibling around, her presence having helped chase away their demons for a time. Their nightmares and such returned with a vengeance all while they descended into dangerous and reckless behavior.

Before they could do irreversible damage to themselves they were luckily discovered by a tiefling rogue named Orianna, a woman they had happened to meet in a bar some months back while adventuring and stumbled into again. She recognised and perceived their internal suffering; immediately greatly concerned with their seemingly suicidal attitude, unhealthy coping strategies and serious trauma symptoms, as well as their frail and skinny frame hiding under werewolf strength - looking more malnourished and skeletal than even the last time she saw them only a short time ago in the grand scheme. She decided to stick around them and help, whether they wanted her to or not; eventually becoming something of a sister to them and another trusted pack member, part of their inner circle even - which had only ever consisted of Iley before.

Benkai’l’s story does not end there however. Fate had already conspired to join them and Iley together, their lives and destinies tied together by an invisible red string. The pair would find themselves reborn in many lives together of varying realities and worlds and realms, however with no memory of their previous ones. Ben could take many forms during these lives – human, lab experiment, hellhound, superhero, werewolf – though still looked mostly the same. Pale and cold skin, tall, grey eyes and black hair. These lives would often hit the same beats as their main life - though some would not be as long or as harsh while others would be worse - with their strong connection to Ileyra always being present and consistent.

For no matter what life they would lead, she would always be there. Their platonic soulmate bound by red string.

[if you managed to read all of this and make it here to the end, then i hope you enjoyed my baby’s backstory and you deserve a medal, a cookie and a hug from the mun, perhaps a rare one from the muse too.]