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cherriesink · 3 years

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Takeuchi - Murmurs

Murmurs are snippets of character reflection earned by increasing Explore Points during Exploration. They usually include 6-7 monologues about other characters and 3-4 monologues about things important to the specific character.

These lines are taken straight from the English translation of the game, so fair warning of bad grammar.

About Yatsufusa “According to my statistics, older vampires tend to rank above C-Class... Presumably, D-Class and under end up dying.

But it’s a shame with Yatsufusa. Because he is a C-Class that has all the potentials to fight in a battle. Yet, he cannot demonstrate that in a different way than Kurusu can’t.

It seems he occasionally uses the umbrella I gave him... He’ll end up hurting himself if he carelessly swings a sword since he has never trained for it. And he will break it if he uses it with all his strength. I can’t let a civilian hold a sword anyway. So, an umbrella was the best solution.

...Oh! I have an exciting idea that improves his umbrella. Haha, this will help him even if he’s not a good fighter...”

About Kurusu “Kurusu is very intriguing. He is the strongest vampire in Japan! How is he different from other vampires?! Unfortunately, current science does not allow me to analyze blood at a micro-level... In that case, I must invent a machine that can. I’d love to improve Kurusu’s abilities from an A-Class to S-Class and above through my inventions.

If Colonel Maeda who is a human can defeat unranked vampires, then that means dynamic visions can be improved through training. This then leads me to the question- do I use a drug or machinery to improve his speed and muscle strength...

But Kurusu must improve his speed of judgement more than anything. That, I cannot help him no matter how great I am. It probably comes from his kindness. But, oh well. I’ll let Colonel Maeda deal with that.”

About Maeda “Colonel Maeda is certainly an intelligent person. A true rationalist and finds the best course of action in an instant- because how else can someone decide to amputate their right arm after being bitten by a vampire before the poison enters their system? The surgery went well because he was in luck with a series of events. His wound was a clean-cut, he was able to stop the bleeding, and the fact that Code Zero has plenty of blood supplies for us vampires...

I’d say he was still lucky to survive despite having an aftereffect due to hemorrhage of the heart. I must say he is an astounding human being since his combat skills are still the same where he is capable of beating vampires to death with his prosthetic arm.

Ah- that reminds me that he asked me to fix his arm. What next functions should I add next?”

About Yamagami “Yamagami is the best to experiment on. I wonder what will happen... if I can make him strong enough so he can fight with my inventions? Alas, the greatest assassin will be born! We vampires cannot detect ones that rank below us- they appear like an ordinary person to us.

Yamagami on the other hand is capable of detecting every vampire out there since he is unranked. Which makes him the best candidate to become an assassin sneaking up on vampires from behind! I must conduct every experiment on Yamagami then! It will become a revolution for us vampires if the experiment succeeds.

However, there is just one problem... Yamagami’s personality is not ideal to become an assassin...”

About Suwa “We did not have any vampires that specialized in combat at the time when Code Zero was established. That is why we induced Suwa into our team. I knew the moment I heard the rumor about a vampires that hunts other vampires that he will join our unit.

One of the reasons was that I heard he was alive even before the Edo period... He must be clever if he managed to survive hundreds of years since it is not easy for vampires to survive such a long period.

Secondly, we carry the same goal if he enjoys hunting vampires, whatever his reasons may be. Back then, vampires in the Imperial Capital shivered when hearing “Vampire Hunter.” It’s very promising if that “Vampire Hunter” joins Code Zero.

His body was of a child’s, so his arms were too short for Japanese swords. That is why I made him two daggers.”

About Defrott “I wonder if Defrott will allow me to study his blood... We don’t have any blood samples of S-Class vampires nor any data yet. But he’s not the type that goes with “Please” and “Thank you.” After all, I do not want to die either.

...All I want is to conduct my research peacefully. No need to panic or rush. It’ll become available someday. I can get close to the birth of vampires- if I can learn about S-Class vampires. When, why, and how did we derive...? The only thing we know is that the oldest vampires on the recond spoke ancient Greek... Were they the first? Or did vampires exist long before that, but the records got lost...

It is a mystery how humanity began, but it is even a bigger mystery how vampires started. Was it a strain that occurred during the evolution process. Or mutation... Some call it evil or the devil’s doing. However, I do not believe in unscientific things.”

About Tenman-ya “Come to think of it, our relationship with Tenman-ya has been going on for quite a long time. Considering Colonel Maeda’s personality, there is no way he will miss a vampire’s nest like them...

But perhaps they’re untouched because of the amount of information they’ve accumulated about vampires since the Edo period and the fact that they’ve been confining vampires that are in the Imperial Capital.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s a give-and-take relationship since they refer me to wholesales to sell my drugs I invented. The vampires referred through Tenman-ya are all clean and diligent. Some practice Western medicine like me so it helps.

It appears vampires fight all year round when just looking at Code Zero, but the one that avoid battle are the ones that live long. Tenman-ya supports those vampires.”

About the Experiments “There are three ways to kill a vampire. One, have them fight a vampire that outdo them. Very primitive method. Two, make them powerless through science. What we are currently doing. Three, obtain strength that overthrows higher rank vampires through science. This- is our homework.

Creating heavy firearms is easy, but we are dealing with swift subjects... Even unranked vampires may be described as “...at lightning speed” to an ordinary person.

Thus, I am working on a drug that improves our physical ability... I mixed some into Yamagami’s food the other day, and the results were quite surprising. It was as if he got drunk. I thought I developed a drug that makes the world seem slow, but Yamagami said “The world is spinning! You blockhead!”

My work is trial and error. Well, I do have plenty of time.”

About the Past “I never would’ve imagined that I would end up being a serviceman when I was just an ordinary human being working at a pharmaceutical company. It all happened when the military authorities asked me to research a certain blood sample. I accidentally exposed it to sunlight without knowing that it was vampire blood. The flask exploded from the boiling blood...

Luckily, I did not die from the poison and gained a brain that never degenerates. It was pure coincidence, but I was lucky indeed. I can come close to the secrets of this world with an eternally young brain.

I don’t mind not being able to walk under the sun. I was in the lab day and night in the first place. Not feeling time or seasonal changes aren’t important to me. I don’t care much about food either.

Research is my life! I am the happiest vampire on Earth!”

About the Side Job “Code Zero hardly has any budget for R&D... But we aren’t a special unit that simply gathers vampires for combat. Weak, domestic ones can benefit from my drugs and put up a decent fight with the ones ranking above them. I believe- that is the purpose of our unit.

Colonel Maeda couldn’t care less about the name of the unit. So I named it “Zero”- implying “Starting everything from zero.”

Either way, you need money to experiment. That is why I sell my inventions beneficial to humans to department stores and medical institutions made in the process of my vampire studies. The profit I make all goes to my research. Every purchase helps us foster future vampires.”

#mars red #takeuchi

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clean-bands-dirty-stories · 4 years

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Normal ~ A.L.

A/n: Ah yes, this is going to be fun.

Request: “...Alec lightwood x male reader. Maybe the reader is mundane and shows Alec what it’s like being human for a day and then Alec shows him what it’s like being a shadow hunter. And maybe the whole time Alec is like o my word I love this kid...” by anon

Word Count: 5100+ (this is why it took me so long CHRIST I’m sorry)

MASTERLIST

You know, the thing that kept Mundanes seeing into the world of the Shadowhunters was a funny thing. It was supposed to always work, blocking humans from seeing monsters and those that hunted monsters. The problem was, nothing was perfect. Everyone made mistakes. Everything glitched from time to time.

I guess you could call Y/n a glitch.

The thing that kept humans from seeing things they shouldn't? It didn't work for Y/n.

When Y/n had first been seen facing down a vampire, it had seemed a little odd. The woman the vamp was going after seemed miffed that some dude was cutting in on her date, and everyone was confused. When they had killed the thing and Y/n had thanked them afterward, they'd all assumed he might have been like Clary - unaware of his Shadowhunter background somehow. But he had assured them he was human, and had proved it. Thankfully, since the plan had been to use a rune on him and if they had, he would have absolutely died.

Y/n was just immune to the magic that should have kept him far out of the knowing of what was really going on in the shadows of his town. Which left him unable to do anything, other than gather information and share it when he could. Y/n had no magic and no way to fight when he had no training or run protections, but he did have a talent for tricking monsters with their one weakness. He was human, and they were hungry.

Long story short: Y/n was really good at being bait, and he didn't mind it either.

Alec minded it a lot.

The two boys had gotten close pretty quickly. Alec refused to admit it, but Y/n was pretty charming. He had a nice smile and a contagious laugh, and a sort of lightness about him that was incredibly refreshing. It wasn't that he was untouched by darkness, or that he was fresh and innocent and waiting to be destroyed, like they all were before their line of living had ruined them. Y/n had been aware of monsters all his life, and being surrounded by people who could not see what he could see had landed him in either very near death situations, or mental hospitals a few times before he'd learned how to lie. He'd even been medicated really heavily a few times, but when that had done nothing, Y/n had come to terms that there was something going on that other people couldn't see. He had been in this business for a very long. No, Y/n was just the kind of person that refused to lose that inner child. He was soft and strong, and could make anyone smile and any situation bearable.

The way he made life so much more beautiful drew Alec in so aggressively, the Lightwood boy lost his breath every time.

Y/n was good at getting along with everyone else too. He wasn't good at much other than writing, leaving him to connect with Clary because of the similar vibes of their childhood, as well as their mutual passion for art. He and Simon bonded over poetry as well. Izzy enjoyed having someone who could keep up with her flirting, without it meaning anything or leading to something neither of them wanted. Even Jace was enjoying Y/n's presence when he proved that despite his lack of an ability to fight monsters and the such, Y/n WAS well trained in self defense. The two sparred while Y/n cracked jokes and made Jace laugh. Yeah, the blonde and brooding Jace was actually LAUGHING.

Having Y/n around was very refreshing.

So they all missed him a lot when he wasn't around.

Y/n attended college to chase am Arts History degree, and worked two jobs to keep himself afloat. The day Alec got permission to let Y/n move into the Institute was a great day for everyone. Now he was around a lot more- especially because now that he didn't have to pay rent, he could quit one of his jobs. In his free time, Y/n spent cleaning gear and learning how to hone his lame cooking skills. He wasn't great, but he was better than Izzy and was usually the only one with the energy to try it at the end of the day. When Hodge... went rogue, Y/n took charge of keeping up the Garden and learning all he could about how this world worked so he could take care of things and keep everything running smoothly. This left him spending most of his time in the library, reading up on history books.

One day though, Y/n needed Alec's help. Tensions between the two boys had risen almost to over spilling, but every time Y/n thought they were going somewhere, Alec stepped back. Y/n respected the boy's hesitance and never pushed, but the dragging was getting to everyone else. Izzy especially, who wanted the coolest mundane ever to get with her brother.

That wasn't why Y/n was bothering Alec now though. "Hey can I clean the glowing weapons things, or like... will those kill me?"

Alec couldn't help slip a small smile when he heard Y/n's voice. He turned around to see the boy coming in, a huge book in his hand but a confused look on his face. "Please tell me you're not talking about Seraph Blades."

"Those are the ones," Y/n confirmed without hesitation.

Alec shifted, raising an eyebrow. "They're just... fire."

"Well yes," Y/n drawled, rolling his eyes. "But the tubes. I mean, when they deactivate there's still something there, right? Doesn't that get covered in blood and stuff? Won't it getting all icky mess with the magic? And I've never seen any of them dirty. So do you guys have to clean them, or can I?"

That was very confusing to Alec. "Okay hold on. Have you never seen us kill a demon before?"

Y/n got rather sheepish then. "In my defense, I usually get in the way if I help, so I run unless there's someone in immediate danger. The last time, when I tried to help that girl, I almost got her, myself, AND Jace killed.

Alec flinched at the memory. "Jace is an idiot. Him jumping in when he did was his own fault."

"Wouldn't have been necessary if I wasn't provoking a damn vampire," Y/n mumbled.

"That girl probably would have died if you hadn't. We couldn't have attacked him with her there without chancing hurting her, or exposing ourselves. You saved her." Alec was ready to argue this, far too used to Jace's tendency to see the worst in himself despite the fact that he was actively a hero.

Y/n had to relent. "Fine, whatever. So, the blade?"

"Demons don't bleed," Alec explained. "They... well, it depends on the demons actually. Some turn to dust, or explode into fire. Some just kind of fade away. No need to clean blood off our weapons."

Y/n nodded, but obviously had a follow up question, so Alec waited for him to ask it. "Doesn't the dust get on your clothes? Does the fire ever burn you? Perhaps I should pick up some medical skills as well in case you guys come home hurt. Might make me more useful."

Alec rolled his eyes this time. "If you're seriously stuck on the idea of running this place instead of going out there and working in an art museum like you told Clary is your dream job, I won't stop you. That's not my decision to make." Y/n blushed, but Alec pretended not to see it. "However, if you're going to be one of us there are things you have to understand." He hesitated. "I want you to follow us around me around sometime. I can show you what it's like to be a Shadowhunter. You can even come on a mission if you want, but I want you to stay FAR out of danger, do you understand?"

"Yes sir." Y/n was grinning, and between that and what he had said, Alec felt his chest heat up with a weird emotion he refused to address. "When do we start?"

A soft chuckle came from Alec then. "How about tomorrow? I'll wake you up bright and early, so be prepared."

Y/n nodded eagerly, already walking backward - presumably to return the book so he could head to bed. "Great! See you tomorrow, Alec!" He turned around and jogged away then.

Alec couldn't help himself but appreciate the view as Y/n retreated down the hall. He heard someone clear their throat and looked over to see Clary, whose smirk was so wide it wiped the smile off of Alec's face. He turned away from her and moved toward his own room. What had he gotten himself into?

When Alec got to Y/n's room that morning, he was expecting to have to wake the other boy up. Unfortunately for him, when he opened the door, Y/n was already awake. And getting dressed. He wore the long, dark pants a lot of the guys around here wore when they weren't in Mundane clothes. He did not, however, have a shirt on. "Oh, good morning Alec," Y/n greeted brightly.

Alec almost exploded right there. Y/n wasn’t especially muscly, but he was rather lean. Y/n did a lot of walking, running, and casual work outs every once in a while before meeting the Shadowhunters. He knew self defense after all, and liked that the occasional work out filled him with energy after a while, even if it tired him out at first. Since joining the Institute though, Jace had enforced a daily workout. Some days Y/n got even more done when the two boys sparred, or when he had to move things around for research (those books were a lot heavier than they looked) or rearranged his room again because he liked to have a new layout every once in a while. Y/n had become the extra pair of hands everyone was excited to have. He was strong enough to spot for a lot of the other Shadowhunters even, leaving him in that comfortable middle between ripped and soft. He had angles and lines, but plenty of soft edges too. He looked like he could pick Alec up and then cuddle him just as easily. It was a body type that looked very good on the boy, and seeing him shirtless did things to Alec that should not have been being done.

It was then that Alec realized Y/n was talking to him. "I'm sorry, what?"

Y/n laughed, shaking his head in amusement. He put a shirt on, leaving Alec wondering if the boy knew what had left Alec so distracted. "I asked you what was first on the agenda today."

"Have you done your morning workout today yet?" Y/n shook his head. "Then that's where we'll start." And they did. Alec pushed himself further usual, and he knew he was doing it to show off to Y/n, but he also knew a little part of him wanted to outshine Y/n too. The boy kept up pretty well, and Alec didn't want to have a Mundane do better than him. After, they got breakfast, parted to shower, and then rejoined again to head to the sparring ring.

"You guys do a lot of training here," Y/n realized aloud.

Thankfully Alec had caught it, because he was super distracted by the way Y/n's wet hair shone under the lighting of the Institute, and the way it made his eyes look brighter. He didn't need to get caught for staring again. "Yeah. It takes up time, but it also keeps us ready for any surprise attacks, and prepared for nighttime hunts." Y/n nodded but didn't say anything else as they reached the rings. Alec grabbed two long staffs, passing one to Y/n as they stepped up to spar. Y/n knew what to do - he did it often with Jace. Alec was sure he'd claim victory over the Mundane.

Which left him rather speechless when Y/n pinned him. They were both out of breath and Y/n loomed over Alec, his feet planted and knees trapping Alec as the end of Y/n's staff rested threateningly against Alec's throat. "You're dead," Y/n joked.

Alec looked at Y/n with new eyes. What was with this guy? Why did Alec have to try so much harder to end up on top? Mundanes were like Clary and Simon, before they'd been trained. Alec could still remember how long both of them had lost time and time again to even the newest and youngest Shadowhunters. How could Y/n win against Alec? "How are you so good at fighting? I thought your thing was writing stories."

Y/n moved back, letting Alec go. He offered a hand and Alec took it. He was once again knocked breathless when Y/n hauled Alec to his feet without seeming to even struggle. "I'm stronger than I look. And... when I was younger, I didn't have shadowhunters and parabatai to have my back. I had to learn how to defend myself. Whether it was running from monsters, or making sure I didn't get pummeled by bigger kids who called me crazy and laughed at me because of the stories I supposedly made up..." He shrugged.

That didn't settle well in Alec's stomach. "I don't think any of us know what it's like to live like that. Clary doesn't remember, and the rest of us grew up with each other. I... I'm sorry, that's terrible."

There was a second when Alec saw the heaviness that Y/n hid so well in the boy's shoulders. Suddenly Alec was stunned by how someone so burdened by pain and sorrow could still radiate so much light and joy and comfort. How did Alec only now know that Y/n was capable of winning against even a well trained Shadowhunter, if he was really trying? Why was it such a shock that someone who grew up with deformed nightmares roaming around, would be able to kick some ass and defend himself? Alec realized then that Y/n made everyone feel safe. Y/n didn't seem able to hurt anyone, even if he wanted to. It made Y/n even more amazing that he was capable of defending someone if he had to, but chose not to in favor of making people feel safe around him. I dare say it made Alec feel even more safe.

Y/n sighed, and the moment passed. He was smiling again and Alec felt his heart swell with a feeling that terrified the dark haired boy. A feeling that also made him feel... really great too. "So what's next on the agenda, Lightwood?" "Jace will have our goal for tonight. Come on." Alec lead the way as they both headed to where Jace was. Alec explained the situation, and with Y/n's assurance he'd be plenty safe, Jace agreed. Y/n had been around a lot, and Alec was right - if he was up keeping the place, he had to know what being a Shadowhunter was actually like. After that had been settled, the trio headed to track down Izzy and Clary for the mission tonight.

"First thing first, Y/n's joining us tonight. He won't be getting involved, and will only be tagging along for educational purposes so he can know what he's dealing with as he gets more involved with how this place work, as well as the people in it," Jace began. Izzy and Clary both nodded, no arguments to be heard. "Okay, now down to business." Long story short, there were two demons who had teamed up and they had to kill it. Usual stuff.

Since when had demons and murder become Y/n's normal? Yikes.

The kill went rather smoothly, just like it was supposed to. It was a nice change from all the odd things that had been rocking everyone's world since Clary, Simon, and Y/n had joined the team. Very good for teaching as well. Y/n stayed back as promised, taking notes mentally and internalizing it. He thought about his thought earlier on how murder and demonic beings had at some point gone from nightmare to reality. Normal, even. For Shadowhunters, there was no shift. They grew up and lived a life where monsters were more than nightmare and you learned to kill from a young age. Perhaps it was fair, since they were bad guys surviving off of killing humans, but still. Alec knew how to kill Y/n. He probably could, if it was required or just if he wanted to. He could do it and he would get away with it too. Shadowhunters leave no trace and no Nephalim was going to care about Y/n being dead.

As the dark thought started to rise, Y/n pushed it down. As much as he seemed a bundle of effortless happiness and light, even he had his moments. He was just better at keeping them in check.

Everyone came home and got ready for bed as Y/n made food. He finished up before anyone came to eat so he killed time by making everyone's plate and putting them on the counter. When he was still alone, he sat on the counter and let himself get lost in thought. Just as he was, Clary popped into the room. "That smells amazing."

Y/n smiled. "I hope it tastes as good as it smells then." They both chuckled as Clary grabbed her plate and began to leave. "Going so soon?"

She nodded. "I have this... it's sort of um..." she seemed to be struggling. "Drawing. Can I show you later?" It was a habit she'd gotten from Y/n, losing her words when she was excited. She had been a little like that before being a Shadowhunter, when it came to art. Y/n fueled it again and set off her fire. She was more into art than ever and Y/n loved to see it, even if it meant one less person at the dinner table.

Y/n had been trying to have family dinners, but most of the time his efforts dissolved. Rarely did he get everyone. Usually he only managed to wrangle a few, and sometimes he ate alone. When a Clary left, it wasn't long before Simon and Izzy meandered in, lost in conversation about something. Y/n wasn't totally listening, as they were obviously midconversation and Y/n was lost as to what they‘d said up until now. They each grabbed a plate and headed out. Y/n sighed and watched them, but still said nothing.

Jace came next. "What did you think about the fight tonight?"

Y/n jumped and then chuckled. Jace gave a sort of guilty look. The blonde tended to hide his emotions, but when it came to Y/n he was always sorry to disturb the boy. Y/n had just seemed very pensive - nearly sad - and Jace hated the expression on Y/n's face. He was too used to the others who were trained to notice other people in the room even if they were quiet.

Quickly composing himself again, Y/n responded. "It was... cool, I guess. You guys are incredibly talented and there's something aesthetic about watching demons vaporize. It gave me a lot to think about."

"Like what?" Have asked, eyebrow cocked.

For a second Y/n hesitated but then Jace doned a prying look and Y/n was a terrible liar so he gave in. "You guys don't know what it's like to be human." Jace's expression darkened and Y/n flinched. "I mean, you have this angel blood that puts you above everyone else. You slay demons and purify the world and handle the boosting power of runes that any other creature would be destroyed by. You know what it's like to be angel. Except maybe the flying." The joke lifted Jace's mood a little. "But you don't know what it's like to... I mean, you're half human. But I can't imagine any of you getting jobs or going to high school. Being vulnerable without the protection of your runes and the insane immunity they grant you. I mean- like earlier, I realized that Alec could one hundred percent kill me if he wanted to, and he would get away with it. No human would know, and no Nephilim would care so-"

"Clary, Izzy, and I would care." Jace seemed to have not meant to say it out loud. But he had and it stopped Y/n short.

He felt cared for and it made him uncomfortable. Jace could sense that. "Well that's... not the point." He blushed. "But thank you."

Jace nodded, then moved on to spare Y/n. The other boy obviously wasn't used to having people care about him. It made Jace remember that Y/n's life had been really hard. Y/n had spent almost all his life alone. Sometimes it was easy to forget with how kind and loving Y/n was. He was used to taking care of other people but being taken care of? Yikes. "Does it bother you?"

Y/n immediately shook his head. "Not at all. I don't feel in danger, at least. I trust all of you guys and know that none of you want to kill me. It does bother me though that you don't get to experience that normalcy. I mean does anyone here bake just for fun? Or have hobbies outside killing literal demons?" Jace went to speak but Y/n cut him off. "Clary doesn't count, she wasn't raised a Shadowhunter." Jace's mouth closed and Y/n sighed. "I just wish more... safe things for you guys. More fun and laughing and loving and less sneaking around in the shadows and killing. Thinking like that all the time... living a life where you only survive and hide and kill. I can't imagine it does good things for your mental health."

"I'm in perfect health," Jace reassured Y/n.

Y/n rolled his eyes. "No you're-" He stopped, shaking his head. He hesitated, perking up when an idea occurred to him. "What if I incorporated a little humanity into how we run things here? We can have like arts and crafts rooms and encourage people to utilize the library and the garden for things other than just necessities. I can enforce family dinners and we can congregate and have awkward family dinner discussions like normal people."

Jace smiled. "That sounds really nice actually."

That encouraged Y/n a lot. "Perfect, I'll start tomorrow."

"Start what?" Two sets of eyes turned to see Alec coming in the room. His eyes lingered on Jace, who seemed to be light on fire by the eye contact, as he was instantly on his feet, grabbing his plate, and heading out.

"Y/n can explain. He has a really great idea." He paused, smiling wider. "I'll see you at dinner tomorrow." Then he headed out, leaving behind a grinning Y/n. Alec snagged the last two plates, setting one by Y/n and the other on the counter next to him. He then pulled up a chair, turning it backward so the back of the chair was against his chest as he sat down, beginning to eat on the counter rather than the table to keep Y/n company. "What was that?"

Another idea hit Y/n then. "I'm going to bring some goddamn humanity to this Institute. You're all half human and you act like that's a bad thing or something! I'll start with a crafting room, and then using the garden and library for fun stuff instead of just what we need. We'll have a calendar with birthdays and celebrate each one with a proper little get together. AND, we're having family dinners from here on. Spread the word."

The authority in Y/n's tone took Alec off guard. "Will do." He found himself smiling a little. "I show you what it's like to be a Shadowhunter and you took from it that we need to be more human?"

Y/n mulled that over for a second, rather than letting it go as the joke Alec had intended it to be. "I don't want to erase your angel half. I know what you do is important, and that you guys save people and stuff. But even though you do good things for others, none of you do anything for yourselves. Self care isn't just staying in shape and getting food and sleep and healing yourselves when you get hurt. Do you have any hobbies other than fighting, Alec?" The Lightwood boy considered before conceding that Y/n had a point. "You showed me how to be a Shadowhunter. Now let me show you what it's like to be human." Alec's smile grew. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Y/n agreed.

The day started the same, with Y/n respecting that Alec still had a routine and also that said routine was one some people carried as well. The waking up early and doing a morning workout, more than the killing demons and keeping vampires, werewolves, and fairies in check, but still.

Next, Y/n pulled him over to his laptop where he was going to online school. As Y/n worked, he answered questions about high school and even middle school. The more he talked the more Alec's face twisted in a bitter expression, like he'd bit into a lemon. Y/n busted up laughing when he got to math and Alec moved away from the screen as if it had offended him. "Not as glamorous as kicking ass and taking names and saving lives and shit, but it's cool. I guess."

Alec shook his head. "Is this... necessary?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Y/n snorted. "Do you use math like this? Ever?" Alec shook his head no. "And you're far more productive than most people who graduate college- and debt free!"

There was a moment where Alec seemed speechless. When he spoke again, it was slow. "This is kind of nice though. Easier to.. handle." He eyed the math page again. "No, I take that back. This is much scarier."

Y/n laughed at that. "Less deadly though. I get it." Alec smiled at him. It was so small it practically wasn't there, but it was, and it was sweet.

After a while, Y/n put his homework away. "That's not due for a while. Having to balance the human world and the shadow world was difficult at first so one night I pulled an all nighter and got weeks ahead on homework. My teachers were a little miffed since thy hadn't taught me the material yet, but easy ones like English were easy to swallow. Just, read a book and write an essay. You know?" Alec did nod knowingly at that. "My point is, we've had enough of this and don't have to finish it for tonight, so now is a good time for a break." He hummed to himself, thinking. "Do you guys have a TV here?" Alec rose his eyebrows. "That's what I thought. Come on we're going to go to my place."

So they did.

Alec had never been to Y/n's apartment before. Y/n had been clearing it out slowly, but there were still some thing here. Things that he couldn't take with him to the institute. Things like the fridge and the big furniture and, yes, the TV. It wasn't that he couldn't fit his bed and couches in the Institute, it was just that it would make it official if he did, and things still seemed to be up in the air for him.

"It's nice." It was perfectly clean and bright. The curtains were drawn to let the sun in and the walls were painted a light baby blue. The whole place made Alec relax his body. He sat on the very comfy couch and practically melted. There was just a sort of ambiance here that gave Alec the impression nothing bad could ever happen here. Which went against logic and reason and experience and training... but I guess that programming wasn't enough to fight the way the couch dipping with Y/n's weight, next to Alec, felt like... safety personified.

The two watched a few movies Alec had never seen or even heard of. Halfway through the Lion King, Alec felt his body lean into Y/n's. Without missing a beat Y/n shifted his arm so Alec could lean into in more, even rest his head on the other man's chest. Every time Y/n moved or laughed or spoke Alec didn't just hear it. He felt it. It was amazing.

All too soon, the sun was down and it was nighttime. "Do you want to watch another one, or should you be heading to bed soon?"

Surprise overtook Alec when he realized what time it was. His body was completely undone and his heart rate had evened out. He'd never been this calm in his life. "I'm surprised Jace hasn't come hunting me down."

That made Y/n smile. "I told him the plan for today. Told him that I was commandeering you and if he showed up to steal you tonight I'd kick his ass personally. I may be a Mundane but that won't stop me from finding a way to knock the blonde out of his hair." A jerking laugh bubbled from Alec then at the mental image of Y/n doing such a thing. "Yeah," Y/n agreed, chuckling along. "Took some convincing to get them to all take the night off. Jace argued, but as much as saving people is important, taking care of yourselves is just as important. And after you showed me what you guys do every single day... Holy shit."

Weird feelings began to twist in Alec's stomach. He could lie very well, about a lot of things. He could lie so convincingly that Jace would back off, and Izzy would let it go. He could lie to his mother to meet her ever demanding expectations. Unfortunately, he could only lie to himself for so long until his realist side kicked in and demanded him to accept what was.

He was in love with Y/n.

Well, shit.

"What are you thinking about over there?"

Alec felt his stomach flip. Double shit.

"Just... uh." He flinched at his sudden awkwardness. Y/n frowned, noticing it since they were so close. "I just want to thank you. The way you've thrown yourself into our lives and way of living and have done your best to keep everything going and then improve upon it? It's amazing. You work really hard to make life better for us."

Y/n swallowed, his face relaxed but his eyes intense. There was something in those eyes that was begging to be seen and known, but Alec was too scared to acknowledge it. What if Y/n could see through him and wanted to just be friends? What if Y/n was trying to be polite? But if that was the case, wouldn't he have pushed Alec away? Why was he pulling him closer?

Then they were kissing and it was all because of Y/n and Alec didn't have any doubts anymore.

When they parted again, Alec's mind was racing and Y/n's voice was soft. "I'll always be here Alec. All I want to do is make your life better and easier and more pleasant. You deserve it."

This time Alec kissed Y/n, and it lasted much longer and was much more intense. When they parted for the second time, Alec whispered, "Will you move in for real? I want you around all the time. I want you close and safe and I don't want you to go anywhere else. I don't want you to have to."

Y/n smiled. "Anything for you."

Male reader tags: @sheepfather

#alec lightwood #male reader #shadown hunters #x reader #imagine #alec lightwood x reader #alec lightwood imagine #shadow hunters x reader #shadow hunters imagine

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mariajosesalume · 3 years

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Trading Human Health For Profit

Through time we have settled quite comfortably on Earth and taken its resources for our own use and necessity. For some people, now and in the future, this is not even an option. Why? Because corporations and institutions like governments prefer to have a good economic standing for themselves rather than take care of human health. Minorities have always been discriminated against in every aspect, and one devastating way this takes place is through environmental racism. A few of the ways African American and Hispanic communities have been affected are through: lead poisoning in children, air pollution, contaminated fish consumption, location of municipal landfills and incinerators, and toxic waste dumps (11). These minority communities are disproportionately affected by these factors and are victims of redlining and gentrification. Large companies purposefully build dangerous sites near these communities as if their health was inferior in some way. In the areas with the most polluted air in the United States 71% are African American, 50% Latino, and 34% White (7). This is not incidental. In the late 20th century legislation to fight environmental racism came into action, but it has not been enough since minorities are still the most affected by these hazardous situations. Large corporations take advantage of their political and economical vulnerability and limit their mobility, reduce neighbourhood options, diminish job opportunities, and decrease choices for millions of Americans (7). This is a clear example of the system “trading human health for profit” (6). This calls for environmental justice for people now and in the foreseeable future.

Environmental justice ranges from the past, present, and future generations. This “set of obligations the members of one generation may owe to people of other generations” is called intergenerational justice (518). Prioritizing profit over human health comes into play here once again. The current capitalist society exhausts earth’s resources for immediate consumption and commodity, but does not envision how this might affect future generations and their accessibility to such resources. As research has shown, they will not have the same opportunities and lifestyle as the one we know today because of this. Philosophers have debated if people that do not yet exist are even worth defending. Other skeptics have argued if ecosystems and species even have rights since they do not possess conscious interests (520). In the reading an example that does a good explaining why intergenerational justice and environmental justice is logical and essential is that one does not push a boulder down a mountain because of the potential people that might be below. Even though these people might not be there or do not exist currently, it is logical that one does not do this because of the risk of hurting someone (521). This example ties together intergenerational justice and why it does make sense. Andrew Dobson proposes a way to encourage and persuade people into treating the environment right with his idea of “ecological citizenship.” This term emphasizes that this is a global matter that transcends national borders (324). His proposal focuses on asymmetrical globalization. This means the disproportionate damage ‘developed’ countries have made to the environment (325). It is important to prioritize the wellbeing of the environment over profit as a whole since we are all interconnected.

So how should we treat the land? Through established land ethic. Land ethic is resources’ right to continued existence in a natural state (204). There has to be “love, respect, and admiration for the land” in order for this to actually happen (223). To create this sense of appreciation towards the land, ecosystems, and species, natural deficit has to stop (Louv). Exposure to nature has numerous natural benefits for human health, so to see profit as superior brings even more detrimental effects. There have been studies in landscape planning and recovery tracking that point to psychological, emotional, and health benefits to humans. Patients in hospitals with windows that face nature have had less needs for medication and faster recoveries than those who are facing brick walls (110). According to Edward O. Wilson this comes from an “innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms,” or biophilia (109). Coming from our past as hunter-gatherers and our usual contact with nature, it has proven to be beneficial to human health.

All of these issues pose a threat to human health at any point in time. Urbanization, business as usual, and the capitalist system threatens, not only nature in itself, but human health. This anthropocentric view is a powerful view as many tend to react more intensely when our future is compromised. It brings out the need and emphasis of intergenerational environmental justice. Only because these humans do not exist yet it does not mean we should not fight for their quality of life. There are many ways to start change, and more importantly, cultural change. David Orr writes a powerful article about what education should be for. He describes six myths that have made us ignorant and arrogant to things we have yet to learn. The way education is formatted has limited the knowledge we are able to achieve if we keep working for it. Orr mentions how successful people are no longer needed, but instead it “needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane” (Orr). I agree with him that this is the most effective way to spread the message and create cultural change for a better future. We need to understand that we never stop learning and use what we learn for the benefit of everyone.

Question: Does Aldo Leopold’s mention of women as property, albeit referring to past perspectives, diminish his credibility and appeal? Was it a good idea to mention this in his piece?

Word count: 954

Bibliography

Bullard, Robert D. “Environmental Justice in the 21st Century?” Environmental Justice Resource Center, November 15, 2008. http://www.ejrc.cau.edu/ejinthe21century.htm

Leopold, Aldo. “A Land Ethic” In A Sand County Almanac. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987.

Orr, David. “What is Education for?” Context Institute, 1991. https://www.context.org/iclib/ic27/orr/

Wolf, Clark. “Intergenerational Justice” In ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY, edited by J. Baird Callicott, Robert Frodeman, 518-25. Macmillan Reference USA/Gale Cengage Learning, 2008.

https://brookfieldinstitute.ca/capitalism-in-question-future_of-work-in-canada-covid19/

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cicadahaze · 5 years

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TMA au where Jon wakes up with amnesia. He doesn’t know who he is besides that his name is Jon Sims. He knows some people came to visit him, but their names and vague discriptions alone aren’t enough to track them down. He does his best to create a life for himself, practically start over besides what he can puzzle out from his possessions in his miraculously still his apartment. When he asks the landlord, the landlord says that some weirdo has been coming and paying his rent every month. No idea who the man is, had quite the odd feel to him, though.

Jon tries his best to find a new job. He manages to get something low-wage, as he has only vague ideas of his credentials. He manages to get access to his bank account- lucky guess. Very lucky guess, he supposes.

He likes talking to people, in his customer service job. His coworkers always seem tired and annoyed by the customers, and he understands why, but they seem to have a weird affinity for him. He’s good at getting them talking, at getting to the heart of the issue and getting the truth. He’s good at seeing when something else is bothering them, whether it be stress, or drugs, or… well, they like to tell him about it, and the stories are always strange. Unsettling. But after they spill their mind to him, he always has a new energy. It’s easier to get through the day with something intriguing on your mind.

Jon knows he is not being watched, just as he knows that the man in aisle four is not trying to recover from alcohol addiction. He has not seen that woman with the short cut hair and the strangely smooth skin grinning at him, he has not seen mannequins turn their heads ever so slightly, and he has not seen the woman-who-is-no-longer-a-detective out of the corner of his eye all to often as he goes through his day.

Jon does not sleep well. When he dreams, he dreams of the strange stories the customers tell him on occasion. He dreams of a woman being dragged further beneath the arm by a corpse holding her ankle. He dreams of a man who wanders through an endless warehouse. He dreams of stories he has not been told. He dreams of a woman falling into a grave for her by a church that does not exist. He dreams of a ruined hospital and the spirit inside that years to devour the ghost hunters within. He dreams of a woman being pushed into a coffin and he’s not able to look away.

Jon stops asking customers about anything besides business. Jon stops sleeping. Jon starts feeling a soul-deep hunger. Jon sleeps. Jon tips a story out of a poor old man and feels whole for the first time in weeks.

The Magnus Institute. Jon doesn’t remember where he’s heard of it before- maybe from a tormented customer, maybe in gossip from co-workers. But he knows that it’s where he should go. It’s where people are supposed go to tell their unbelievable stories, where the people who talked to him should have gone. So he does. When he approaches, he’s at once beckoned and repelled. Something heavy fills his lungs and tells him that he’s not welcome as he climbs the steps, but when he opens the doors, it’s impossible to turn back.

The researchers look at him strangely when he asks after the archives and the statement-takers, but they answer promptly, and he continues before he can ask anything else. He descends the steps, and something in him revels at the echoes of the stairs under his feet. Working in a place like this seems so much better than his customer service job, even if the pay is likely somehow worse. A strange place of the supernatural seems like much more natural a habitat for a medical mystery of a man, practically a John Doe, found in a blown up wax museum.

It takes a moment to find someone. The place seems quiet, hollow, like the frame of a puzzle without the center pieces. When he finally does find an archivist, the man looks shocked. The man’s eyes roam Jon’s face, and Jon does not want to know he’s seen this man before, passing through the store too often and slowing down ever so slightly by his station.

“Hello,” he says politely. “I’m here to make a statement?”

The please-familiar man drops the tape recorder he was holding.

#tma #the magnus archives #uuuuuhhhh this got out of hand #it was supposed to be a concept post #just au concept #this is definitely too rough ajd chunky but uuuhhh here you go?

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dunmouth-chars · 3 years

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Modern Backgrounds

Academic

As an academic, you have spent significant time employed within educational systems. You may have been employed to teach a particular subject, or you may be researching independently. Academics include librarians, archaeologists, scholars, professors, teachers, and other education professionals.

Athlete

Athletes include amateur athletes of Olympic quality and professional athletes of all types, including gymnasts, weight trainers, wrestlers, boxers, martial artists, swimmers, skaters, and those who engage in any type of competitive sport.

Adventurer

You live for thrills and exploration, and spend your time in search for your next big adventure. Many adventurer's have been living this way for most of their lives, although some do turn to the wild life after years of mundanity. Adventurers include relic hunters, explorers, field scientists, and others called to roam the world for a variety of reasons.

Blue Collar

Blue Collar workers are often referred to as the hands of a nation, and in your case this couldn't be more true. You have spent your career doing largely manual labour. Blue collar occupations include factory work, food service jobs, construction, service industry jobs, taxi drivers, postal workers, and other jobs that are usually not considered to be desk jobs.

Celebrity

A celebrity is anyone who has been thrust into the spotlight of the public eye. It's said everyone eventually gains their 15 minutes of fame. The typical celebrity stretches that time into a career. You may have inherited fame, stumbled into it accidentally, or sought it out yourself. Actors, entertainers of all types, newscasters, radio and television personalities, and more fall under this background.

Creative

The creative background covers artists of all types who fan their creative spark into a career. A creative may make various forms of art, or they may be a performer particularly dedicated to the spirit of their act. Illustrators, copywriters, cartoonists, graphic artists, novelists, magazine columnists, actors, sculptors, game designers, musicians, screenwriters, photographers, actors and web designers all fall under this background.

Criminal

Criminals cover all types who have habitually found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Often, people are born into this life and know nothing else, but more rarely people turn to this life with a far-fetched grand plan for vast personal gain. Criminal covers a huge range of backgrounds, including con artists, burglars, thieves, crime family soldiers, gang members, bank robbers, professional hackers, and any other types of career criminals.

Dilletante

Dilettantes usually get their wealth from family holdings and trust funds. The typical dilettante has no job, few responsibilities, and at least one driving passion that occupies their day. That passion might be a charity or philanthropic foundation, an ideal or cause worth fighting for, or a lust for living a fun and carefree existence.

Doctor

The doctor background covers all forms of medical professionals or anyone that uses anatomical and biological knowledge to treat others. A doctor can be a physician (including general practitioners and specialists), a nurse, a surgeon, or a psychiatrist. Optionally, you could include rural healers using their knowledge of natural resources to treat ailments and injuries.

Emergency Services

Emergency Services covers all forms of quick response personnel called in to deal with dangerous or urgent situations. Rescue workers, firefighters, paramedics, hazardous material handlers, and emergency medical technicians fall under this category.

Entrepeneur

Entrepreneurs have an obsession about being their own boss. They believe in themselves, have an abundance of confidence, and the ability to acquire the funds necessary to bankroll their newest moneymaking venture. These small to large business owners have a knack for putting together business plans, gathering resources, and getting a new venture off the ground. They rarely want to stick around after the launch, however, as they prefer to put their energies into the next big thing.

Investigative

The Investigative background covers all sorts of people who make your business their business. There are a number of jobs that fit within this background, including investigative reporters, photojournalists, private investigators, police detectives, criminologists, criminal profilers, espionage agents, and others who use their skills to gather evidence and analyze clues.

Law Enforcement

Law enforcement personnel include uniformed police, state troopers, federal police, federal agents, SWAT team members, and military police.

Politician

You are particularly involved in the politics of your chosen region, whether local or national. You may be working towards a significant change, or merely trying to keep the peace. Politicians, campaigners, councilmen, and members of pressure groups and activists all fall within this category.

Military

Military covers any of the branches of the armed forces, including army, navy, air force, and marines, as well as the various elite training units such as Seals, Rangers, and Special Forces.(edited)

Clergy

Ordained clergy of all persuasions, as well as theological scholars and experts on religious studies fall within the scope of this starting occupation.

Rural

Farm workers, hunters, and others who make a living in rural communities fall under this category.

Student

A student can be in high school, college, or graduate school. They could be in a seminary, a military school, or a private institution. A college-age student could also pick a major field of study.

#backgrounds

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pricechecktranslations · 4 years

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OSS: Crime; Chapter 2-Project “Ma” -Eve-

Original Sin Story: Crime infomine under the cut

Scene 1

It’s said that the witch of the forest uses a spoon instead of a magic wand.

Eve makes her living selling fruits and mushrooms from the forest. She is the eldest daughter of Nemu’s village chief, but she likes the work—she doesn’t have to stay cooped up in the village all the time, and the Mogura (mogura means mole? Don’t know if it should be left as is or translated) are always looking to buy her wares.

The “Mogura” refers to the people who are excavating Second Period artifacts to the forest’s east, presumably because they have filled what was once an empty plain with holes. The people of Nemu hold little ill will towards them over this, as the money that they spend has made the village prosperous.

Eve bought an “automatic carriage” with this money and is currently driving it, using it to carry her stock. Note—this is not actually a car. It is a horseless carriage that makes the wheels turn through special gears that are powered by magic (Eve’s magic, in this case). If I’m reading correctly, it is controlled by a power crystal ball. This is something the “Mogura” discovered. Her father’s connections allowed her to buy it relatively cheaply, but it was still pretty expensive.

Her father is apparently houseridden, after having injured his lower back/hips/etc two years before (sounds like they give him chronic pain?), so Eve has been doing merchant work in his stead. Eve’s mother is also noted as being deceased.

Eve pulls up to her destination, and the men at work all gather around as it’s close to lunchtime. The most popular item she sells is pfifferling (I believe this is German for “golden chanterelle mushroom”), which the Mogura put in dishes with venison that they buy from hunters. The next most popular is trauben (note that Nemu sells wine made with it too).

Once they’re done with their purchases, almost emptying the cart, the Mogura make soup with it and start to eat. One of them brings Eve a bowl. He goes to get a spoon for her, having forgotten one, and she airheadedly almost admits that she has a spoon of her own (the blue magic spoon that she’s not supposed to show people she has).

While eating, the Mogura talk about the “witch of the forest” using her lightning magic to drive out the “White Army” (白軍) that has been terrorizing the region. They come from the east, all have white hair, and use fire magic. Her father told her they were once nomads, but after some fight with the people of the forest long before, they slowly became a savage tribe. They’ve killed hundreds of people in the forest already, and have also been attacking the excavation site.

Just as Eve is thinking about heading back to the forest, they hear screams coming from the north. They see the “White Army” fighting with a fleeing automated carriage much larger than the kind that Eve is driving. Seeing this, Eve leaps into action, driving her carriage in the direction of the fighting.

Scene 2

There are three carriages being attacked. All of them have the crest of Levianta on their side. One has stopped, smoking. The other two have soldiers firing at the attackers with guns. Unnoticed, Eve goes to check on the downed carriage, and just narrowly avoids getting stabbed by the occupant inside (Adam), who after a moment quickly realizes she’s not one of the White Army.

Seth is also in the carriage, with a minor head wound. Adam helps him get into Eve’s carriage. She introduces herself as Eve Zvezda, which he notes with some surprise. He introduces himself to her, and bids her leave with haste (when she asks about the soldiers—Gammon among them--he shrugs it off as their job, and Seth notes they’re fairly capable).

Some of the White Army are headed their way, so Eve starts up the carriage to take them to Nemu.

Scene 3

Eve is able to outpace their pursuers, and takes them to her house (Nemu has no doctors, and so her father, who has medical knowledge, is their village doctor in addition to being village chief).

Her father quickly goes about tending to Seth’s wound, and then brings up that he’s an old friend of Horus (horusu), the former head of the research facility (based on context then this is Adam’s “father”). Adam has to share the bad news that he died two years ago (chief Zvezda hasn’t been to the 12 capitals much lately) and that Adam has taken his position now.

He notices that Seth is blind in his left eye, and notes offhand that Horus’ left eye was blind too.

After they’re done, Eve and Chief Zvezda encourage them to stay, noting the White Army won’t attack here (this is a village full of sorcerers—evidently this is not common knowledge).

Zvezda asks what they’re there for (no scientist has visited the excavation site itself until now).

As a note, his full name is “Raiou Zvezda”, and he is a sorcerer too (note—the only reference I could find is to a Yu-Gi-Oh card “Thunder King Rai-Oh”. “Rai ou” literally means “thunder king” with certain kanji, as well).

Adam reveals that they came to this forest to meet with Eve. This puts everyone on edge (especially given they were originally accompanied by soldiers). Seth pipes in then, trying to calm things down (though his efforts don’t feel genuine to me, personally), alluding to not wanting things to be like the time of “the Witch of Merrigod” (which leads to Raiou accusing them of being on a witch hunt).

Seth says that Raiou suspected them from the beginning—that he must have also known Horus was dead (which Raiou confirms—he hasn’t been to the capitals, sure, but mages have their own information network using green onions).

Against Adam’s protestations that it should be him telling them, Seth explains what they’re doing there, introducing himself as Horus’ greatest apprentice (Adam says he just calls himself that on his own).

The explanation is as follows (note—this sounds a bit like a PR spiel, so take it with some salt): Despite being called a kingdom, Levianta is little more than people assembled to follow the will of their gods (given that the very nation was founded around worshipping them and what they left behind). Thus, the leader must be someone who can hear the gods speak, a virgin maiden with high magical power.

Levianta is ruled by a queen, and they have several mechanisms from which to pick them; a special orphanage run by the Loop Octopus family, the Lighwatch temple run by the Asayev family, the research institute run by the Vaju family, etc. Whichever institution the next queen comes from, that family’s senate member becomes head of the senate. The current queen Alice is from the orphanage (hence why Miroku is the only one able to interact with her, because he’s head of the senate—also, on that subject, it seems Loop Octopus is the family’s full last name. So, Miroku Loop Octopus).

The research institute is looking into ways to artificially create a new Queen/woman with extreme magical power (and thus guarantee Vaju as next senate head)—this is the “Next Queen Project”, which has involved women from all over participating to be this new queen’s mother (Seth insists these women participated voluntarily and were not kidnapped, despite rumors to the contrary).

So…I suppose based on context (not entirely sure if I’m reading it clearly), the “Witch hunts” aren’t hunting witches to kill, but hunting witches to kidnap (which has happened recently). Seth explains that circumstances dictate they don’t have time to wait for volunteers—not on the Next Queen Project (as Alice is still in her 40s and not close to death), but on the new project. Project “Ma”.

Raiou dismisses “Ma” as just an old legend (the legend says that when disaster approaches the world, the two-headed dragon LeviaBehemo will be reborn as the “Twins of God”, and the woman who births them is the holy mother Mem Aleph, or “Ma”), despite Seth insisting that it’s all actually happening.

So, not only will the person who becomes Ma become queen, but whoever produces Ma will become head of the senate. Raiou asks why Miroku would give the research institute as many permissions as he has (command of their security, information, etc), knowing that if they succeed he’ll lose his seat to Vaju; Seth speculates that he must acknowledge that it’ll be hard to find “Ma” through his orphanage, and so figures that by collaborating with the research institute he’ll still be able to leverage some political influence after stepping down.

They came here searching for the “witch of the forest” rumored to appear in “The Forest of Held” to the south of this village. Supposedly, she does battle against the White Army attacking everyone here by using lightning and a blue spoon, and has green hair. They had the soldiers with them for protection (Eve wonders if they’re alright, but Adam assures her that while they can’t use magic, they’re all very skilled with swords and guns).

Eve already seems to have a crush on Adam.

Raiou tells them that they’re mistaken—that this witch is not Eve. All the people in the village have magical power, and there are a lot of girls with green hair. While the people in the village are immigrants from elsewhere, Eve is actually his adopted daughter. His wife found her in a river, and they raised her as their own. He says that they should head to Held’s Forest for their search.

Seth then brings out a two-pronged iron rod—a Second Period device that can read someone’s magical potential…but he left the data output device in the other carriage. Adam requests usage of their carriage to head back over there and get it (note, Adam has magic too—enough to make the carriage run, at least).

Just then, Gammon arrives. He reports on what happened—they handled the situation quickly enough (it just took a while due to the higher numbers of attackers). He had his people go to the capital for reinforcements to go on the offensive against the White Army. Meanwhile, he’ll be doing the bodyguarding duties for Adam and Seth by himself. He has also brought over what they forgot in the carriage (meaning Seth can test Eve’s magic now).

The rod is connected to a box that beeps when he passes it before Eve, and also provides the readings numbers. Her “M” level is 72. Just a little stronger magically than the average person (not candidate levels). He tests it on Gammon, showing his level is 0. Raiou’s level is 200, and Adam’s is over 300.

Eve is a little disappointed that she’s missed her chance to be a candidate, but then she knows her father (who hates politics and only became chieftain because someone had to do it) would never let her join. She loves her father, but doesn’t mean there aren’t things she’s dissatisfied with about that.

Scene 4

Seth heads to get treatment at a hospital in the 12 capitals just to be safe, while Gammon and Adam stay in Nemu for a while to look for the Witch of the Forest, with Eve acting as their guide and transportation to Held’s forest (they are paying her a lot to do it). She takes them to some of the villages in the forest that she knows, and they also go around places where the witch is rumored to be. No luck.

One day they’re heading along when the weather turns cloudy, and seems likely to rain (so Adam suggests they turn in early).

According to his information, the witch appears to help people attacked by the White Army. Those saved forget what she looks like afterwards, though, save for the green hair, that she’s a woman, and she uses a spoon to fire lightning. Adam speculates that this witch can manipulate people’s minds (Eve brushes it off jokingly, saying if she had that power she’d use it to make herself queen).

Eve is a little over 20 at this point (and Adam appears close in age to her).

Adam doesn’t know much of magic—he only recently learned of his high potential. Also note: while they are chatting, Gammon is just looking at their surroundings quietly. Eve’s internal monologue notes how much easier Adam is to get along with (and that he doesn’t look down on her like some 12 capital people do).

Adam used to live in a place west of the capitals, by the coast, in an orphanage. It was there that Horus Solntse showed up one day and adopted Adam. He says his only mother figure was a whale (a little confused here but I think basically a whale has been watching over him since before he was old enough to remember things). Eve speculates that this was an incarnation of a forest spirit.

Eve recounts a time when the loneliness of not knowing her true parents led to her running out into the forest at night. She got lost, and came to a stop crying. Then, a fearsome bear appeared (note that it starts raining on them now). Eve pulls up her skirt to show Adam a scar on her thigh (which flusters him initially because why wouldn’t it). The bear, probably hungry, attacked her. Just then, all the forest animals attacked the bear at once, driving it off. Since then she hasn’t seen a bear in the forest. She figures the forest spirits are protecting her now. This is something she’s hardly ever told anyone else.

Adam’s about to say something, but they suddenly hear an explosion from the direction of Nemu. And they see smoke rising from it. The White Army comes out from the trees, circling the carriage and trapping them. They are led by a woman. She is the “White Fiend of Jakoku”, Raisa Netsuma. Raisa says this is a test (vague though on what it’s a test for).

Raisa urges her men to be careful, as Gammon is a skilled fighter and they are with the “Witch of the Forest”, meaning Eve. Eve denies this—Raisa doesn’t believe her, and charges with a long and narrow weapon wreathed in pale flame.

Eve coldly takes out her spoon (which she got from her dad). She recites the “Medvedi ubit” spell, which sends lightning at Raisa and all her underlings (leaving the forest and its animals, as well as Adam and Gammon, untouched). Raisa is the only one who survives. Gammon goes to catch her before she can escape.

The village is still burning. Eve starts the carriage to go save them, but Adam thinks it’s too dangerous (as their main forces will be there). Gammon tosses Adam the sword that Raisa was using to defend himself with, as he has to stay with Raisa.

The people of Nemu were once a famous group of sorcerers, so it’s unlikely they’re being killed so easily. Still, they head there as fast as they can.

Scene 5

Eve is the Witch of the Forest after all. She isn’t too burnt up over Adam finding out, given that he’s clearly trustworthy and doesn’t mean her harm. And being queen doesn’t sound like a bad thing (albeit she’d need her father’s permission, and she’s not the kind to go against his wishes).

Nemu is burning, under attack by men in red outfits. Adam realizes, to his horror, that these are the “Witch of Merrigod”’s forces, the “Red Devotees” (might be a better way to translate that, 赤の信徒たち) She was once an “Ma” candidate, but the senate and the institute deemed her too evil to be made queen.

The men circle the carriage as it arrives. Eve demands to know where the villagers are, but they all stare at her blankly. She prepares to strike, but the men part to let a red-garbed woman walk through—the Witch of Merrigod, Meta Salmhofer (she hasn’t been introduced as Meta yet but it’s obviously her). She has a very adult air to her, but in terms of actual age she looks younger than Eve. Meta makes an offhand comment that Raisa (and all of the White Army, I think) is an inheritor of Salem.

She claims she’s not attacking this place because of the White Army, but rather (among other reasons that she doesn’t elaborate) to get revenge on the institute (and Adam) for “making a fool of her” (it’s a little vague on exactly what went down during her “Ma” candidacy at the time).

Eve asks where everyone is, and Meta points to Eve’s house, telling her to go look. Eve heads that way with Adam. They find her father in the garden, naked, covered in wounds, and crucified on a big cross that was erected there, already dead. He’s surrounded by the other men of the village, who are standing lifeless just like the red devotees.

Eve is horrified and confused as to how this happened, given her father’s power. Adam explains that Meta is an inheritor of Gilles, and as such has the power to control men—she probably used the village men to attack Raiou, and he, not wanting to hurt them, couldn’t properly defend himself.

Eve wants to go attack Meta, but Adam points out she’ll use the villagers to get in the way (as human shields, basically). They’re about to head to regroup with Gammon when they hear reinforcements from the capital arrive.

They came to meet up with Gammon, but as they were already there they fought against the red devotees. Meta and her forces withdrew (including, unfortunately, the men of the village). When the fires have been put out, they find the corpses of all the village’s women piled up in a cattle pen.

Eve goes with Adam to the capital. She has nowhere else to go.

Scene 6

Asmouse is one of the 12 cities that makes up the capital (based on this phrasing I’m now more thinking that it’s less “12 distinct royal capitals” and more “12 cities that are collectively the royal capital”). It’s run by senator Ceci (Seshi) Vaju, and it has the strongest historical backdrop to it. Vaju is himself a descendant of those who first started discovering the Second Period stuff. He founded the research institute using permissions from the previous queen. Horus, who became the head, was a friend of his.

In addition to all the technological advancements of researching Second Period technology (and I should probably say this at least once—I am saying Second Period for clarity’s sake. But they don’t say Second Period. They say “legacy”. Legacy items), they are also researching how to create people with magical power—that is to say, the “Next Queen Project”. But Horus died of illness before it could be realized. Hence Adam taking over. Etc.

Eve doesn’t care about any of that. The only thing that matters is that she’s an “Ma” candidate.

Adam gives her some coffee (which isn’t common outside the capital) to try and calm her down—Eve (imo) seems restless and uncomfortable. She’s wearing bands on her arms and legs connected to a big box (the chair she’s sitting in is also part of the machine, I think) that will help them properly quantify her magical ability (like a larger version of the device they used in Nemu). It turns out that her spoon can both seal and amplify a user’s magical ability (apparently it was originally her mother’s), so that’s why the earlier reading was inaccurate.

Adam runs the machine (Eve notes that it makes her feel queasy at first). It takes roughly an hour to run properly—they don’t have to run it nonstop but she can’t leave the chair until it’s over. She decides to pass the time by asking Adam about Meta.

Adam explains that Meta is from Merrigod (far further east than Nemu), which is used as a citadel for the dangerous organization “Apocalypse”, of which the “red devotees” and “the white army” are simply different units of their forces. Some say they’re looking to overthrow the nation, while others say they’re just criminals. They are led by Pale Noel, and Meta is his girlfriend. They know almost nothing about Pale—even him being a man isn’t set in stone.

Adam, Seth, and some other researchers headed to Merrigod, backed by Gammon and his security unit. But things went wrong, and it turned into a battlefield. The researchers hadn’t wanted that, but Apocalypse and the security force (ie, Gammon) did. The battle failed—Meta used her powers to control the security force, and there was infighting. Adam and Seth were the only researchers who survived, which is why even now the institute is short-staffed (Adam doesn’t say how long ago this was).

Eve asks what an inheritor is. Adam says it’s someone with supernatural powers, different from magic. Like Raisa and her clan (they had originally thought that it was magic, but even those in the White Army who had no magical ability can use fire). They don’t know the source of inheritor abilities though (research into it is being undertaken by the Lighwatch temple run by Yegor Asayev). Adam doesn’t know much more than that, other than that they’re divided up into classifications like “Gilles” and “Salem”, named after the god’s kin.

Adam may be getting Eve hooked on coffee, I think. She finds it too bitter but can’t stop drinking it.

Eve asks what the senate will do about Apocalypse—he says that (according to what Gammon told him), they won’t do anything. They view it as little more than a fringe organization (as it hasn’t attacked the capital much), and not worth the manpower it would take to get rid of them. Eve understands why her dad hated politics so much.

Adam says that’s why she should become ruler, going to write something down. The machine is still processing, but already her score is higher than her father’s was. She seems unsure, noting that she’s just a simple girl from a village, but he reassures her. This leads to a sweet moment between them (confirming they don’t dislike each other, etc—I feel this is probably a point where he’s faking his affection to make her easier to manipulate, however as this chapter is from Eve’s perspective there’s no way to tell).

Note, Adam knows enough swordplay to defend himself.

They still have Raisa’s oddly shaped (probably eastern) sword (she is in jail right now). Adam speculates that even if she fully recovers from Eve’s attack, she’ll likely be executed. Eve reflects for a moment on how much evil there is in the world despite her work as Witch of the Forest, and what she’ll need to defeat it.

Several days later, Raisa escapes from prison, likely with the help of a collaborator. Meanwhile, Eve’s M number exceeds 350, which is more than enough for her to be an “Ma” candidate.

Scene 7

Eve has to take a “Queen Test” (probably a better way to word that, phrase is 女王の試練)—basically a formality, a ritual to get her accepted by the current queen as a successor. She and Adam are discussing this as they walk through Asmouse. Only the queen knows what this entails.

Having high magical power, in this country, signifies that one is closely related to the gods. The position of Queen used to be hereditary, but then the fifth queen couldn’t have children. So she declared that all in this land were the children of the gods, and that having strong magic was a sign of the gods’ favor. Conversely, those who don’t have magic were said to be unloved by the gods (there’s no actual persecution for that, but advancement for such people became harder). As such, those with magic became able to vie for the throne. Adam learned all this in school after he was adopted.

There was no school in Nemu, and Eve had no need for an education there (outside of which berries were poisonous and how to use magic and so on), so this is all new information to her. Adam says he’ll tutor her on all this stuff.

He takes her to a red-walled building—it turns out to be a shop for dining utensils for her to use. She notices a red glass, and is told what glass is by the old man running the shop (same as with us, but it can only be made by a legacy piece in Asmouse, and colored glass in particular is a rarity). It’s expensive—Adam says she won’t need it, as it’s a wine glass and she doesn’t drink wine. She says she’ll drink coffee out of it, and so he buys it for her. They buy some other things and then leave.

Eve needs clothes, too—she needs a lot of new things. Adam’s not hurting for money (as the head of the institute), so he buys them for her, saying she can pay him back when she’s queen (very certain she’ll succeed). He says that since the moment they first met, he felt like they already knew each other. She does too.

Scene 8

Not even a month has passed, and they’ve fallen in love. Just because they’re similar in age, get along, and are living together. Adam’s the first attractive (both intellectually and otherwise) guy that Eve’s actually been around. Of course, this gets her worried, because one of the conditions of being queen is to be a virgin maiden.

Adam reassures her that while it might be hard for them to be together publicly, he’ll always be by her side. She wonders how, given only the head of the senate can see her—he stumbles for a moment before saying he’ll maneuver things so Gammon becomes head of the senate, and he’ll be able to change that law to make things easier on them (I feel like he’s bullshitting just to get her to go along with him at this point).

Adam has her drink more coffee (which, when she drinks it, makes all her worries go away—she’s basically addicted to the coffee, yes), and then promises that they’ll get married in secret when this is all over. Eve suggests Held’s forest—as soon as they’ve gotten rid of all the “evil” that’s made it dangerous right now.

Scene 9

A week later, Eve is called to the round hall in Alicegrad. She is greeted by Miroku—they’re about to set up the trial. They are then greeted by a woman in flimsy white clothes, accompanied by a short middle aged man (who is Hugen/fugen Asayev, Yegor’s older brother). She is another candidate for queen (which shocks Eve, which Fugen mocks her for)—her name is Zelarana Chirclatia (zerarana), a priestess of Lighwatch temple.

Miroku and Hugen bicker a little bit. As a note, Yegor apparently went missing very suddenly before this, abandoning his post and leaving Hugen in charge. Zelarana questions Eve on being from Held’s forest, noting an “evil god” lives there. The people of Nemu saw it (Held) as an evil god, but the people of the forest saw it as a guardian deity. Eve isn’t sure which is true. The area with Held in it is inside the border of another country, and Leviantan citizens aren’t allowed to cross the border without permission, so she’s never seen the giant tree Held resides in herself.

Zelarana is a bit pompous, boasting about the training she’s received as a priestess and that Lighwatch priestesses are able to remove the wickedness from someone’s heart. Eve almost brings up that she has brainwashing powers (I mean, it doesn’t say that outright but it’s strongly implied), but thinks better of it, as she knows it’s a power that frightens people more than the lightning and hasn’t even told Adam of it yet.

Miroku reminds them all that this is serious business and a holy ritual, and they back down.

Scene 10

Eve goes first, heading to the Temple of LeviaBehemo where the queen lives. When she passes through the large door on the “First Wall” that only the senate are allowed to pass through, she sees a field of flowers—a garden in the center of Alicegrad. There’s a white building in the center of that—the temple. It’s small, about the size of the house she lived in in Nemu, which disappoints her. Inside is a dim space with four plain white walls. She walks forward and smacks her forehead into a glass wall.

This is a maze, made of glass walls (we later learn it’s called the “Hall of Glass”). Eve makes her way through carefully, growing more disoriented as she does. She calls out, but there’s no reply—though as she goes deeper inside, she sees a humanoid figure in a white dress sitting in a wheelchair. But the air feels like it’s getting thinner. By the time she reaches the queen, she collapses before she can get a good look at her face.

Scene 11

The first scene is a snapshot of her and Adam as twin Irregulars after the end of the world, looking out over all the souls on the world’s ruined surface from inside the Clocktower.

In the scene, when he tells her the world is ruined, she asks if they can return everything to how it was—he says all they can do is do everything over again, putting his hand in his chest. Everything becomes white and disappears.

The next scene is Eve’s showdown with Elluka at the end of the sloth novel. As Elluka starts the body swap thing, Eve realizes that Elluka is the one who destroyed the world. As the light spreads, Elluka transforms into a large monster—one that appears both like a dragon and like a bear. Somehow.

The next scene is Eve in the cabin with Adam, noting he looks like the boy in the first vision but also someone else. They’re making food. The door opens and a cute boy and girl, her precious children, come home. Before she can greet them, everything goes dark.

Personal opinion: It isn’t clear if these are memories, hallucinations, or future vision (given that prophetic dreams are a thing). It does seem to be indicating that, if it’s not referring to this being a loop (one in which Eve retains some faint memories of the previous iterations), that Eve has some way to perceive the future here, albeit in a fragmented fashion. It’s a little too trippy to interpret at the moment.

Scene 12

Eve wakes up in the middle of a conversation with Miroku in the round hall, with no idea what the heck she was talking about. Miroku confirms that she is indeed the next queen, as she was able to meet with the current one and hear the voice of god—or see, more like. It seems she had related to him her vision (or at least part of it), which he took to be future events.

Hugen is heading back to Lighwatch, with Zelarana’s corpse in tow. Miroku speculates that Eve’s lack of memory is a side-effect from receiving a revelation for the first time. After Eve went, Zelarana also entered the Hall of Glass—then she was found running out of the “First Wall”’s door, screaming like a madwoman. She fell unconscious and then died, evidently unable to handle the ritual. Unworthy candidates face “Divine Punishment”, apparently. Everyone knows this. …Except Eve.

Anyway, now it’s back to the institute to be impregnated with the divine seed. Eve has a ton of questions but she’s too exhausted to ask them. She’s also a little cheesed at Adam for not telling her that the ritual was so dangerous.

Scene 13

Eve is lying on a table in the institute. Adam tells her she has nothing to worry about, but she knows now that he lies sometimes (though she hasn’t pressed him on the ritual business). Still, after some conflict she convinces herself that he wouldn’t have sent her into danger if he’d known how bad it was. She’s afraid that their relationship will be over if she stops believing in him. She knows it’s stupid but she loves him.

Adam explains that the ark Sin is underneath the temple. It’s called the Dark Legacy because supposedly the Sin has the power to both save the world and destroy it—and the gods are trying to descend to the world through Project Ma in order to stop their power from running wild and doing just that.

Adam pulls up a cylinder with a cloudy liquid inside—he says this is the “Divine Seed”, which is taken from Sin, and is part of the gods’ body. He’s going to implant it into her to get her pregnant. Eve is nervous, but excited too—she thinks that the twins that she saw in her vision are the ones she’ll give birth to, and is eager to meet them.

She starts to conk out from the anesthesia. He tells her when she wakes up, she’ll be pregnant, and to “Sleep well, sleep princess/sleeping beauty” (nemurihime). It references the song with the whole “after this is over let’s get married at Held’s forest” bit. End chapter.

#lot to unpack here #getting fallen hero vibes from eve #or falling hero as it were #ec activity feed

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multiverseforger · 3 years

Text

Spider-Woman was born Jessica Miriam Drew, daughter of Jonathan Drew and Merriam Drew, in London, England. At a young age, her family moves to a lab built by her father and Herbert Wyndham near Mount Wundagore in Transia, where she becomes gravely ill from months of uranium exposure. To save her life, her father injects her with an experimental serum based on irradiated spiders' blood. Because the serum requires a month's incubation, Wyndham places her in a genetic accelerator. Shortly after, her mother dies and her father leaves for the United States, leaving Wyndham to care of her.[25] While in the accelerator, she ages at a decelerated rate. When she is finally released, decades later, Drew is only 17 years old.

Drew is ostracized by the other residents of Mount Wundagore, the High Evolutionary's New Men, since she was originally human while they were animals. Because of this, she eventually leaves to seek human civilization. She is captured by a HYDRA reserve unit under Count Otto Vermis's leadership who erases her memories, brainwashes her, and recruits her as a HYDRA agent under the codename Arachne.[25] One of HYDRA's top agents, Jared, is assigned to train her in combat and espionage and to seduce her. Once Jessica has become his lover, he allows himself to be captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. so that she can be goaded into assassinating S.H.I.E.L.D. commander Nick Fury.[26]

While battling Fury, Jessica accidentally kills Jared and learns HYDRA's true nature. She quits HYDRA and assaults the unit's base, sending Count Vermis into a fatal crash, but not before he unlocks memory implants that she was actually an evolved spider and had killed a man before her association with HYDRA.[26] Despondent from these revelations, she wanders the woods where Vermis crashed until being recaptured and hypnotized by HYDRA.[27]

Spider-Woman: OriginEdit

Origin does away with the spider-blood serum and genetic accelerator elements of the character's previous origin story. Instead, Jessica's powers derive from her mother's womb being hit by a laser beam containing the DNA traits of several different species of spiders while she was carrying Jessica (the Drews were trying to splice and harness spiders' environmental adaptive capabilities to graft them into the human genome).[28][29]

After Jessica's parents disappear under mysterious circumstances, Jessica is recruited into HYDRA (under false pretenses), where she is made into a formidable fighter and assassin. She is trained and mentored by Taskmaster, who trains her in many martial disciplines and more than seven different fighting styles out of his own "arsenal".[30]

In this re-telling, Otto Vermis, originally recruiting her into HYDRA, is rather an old, retired HYDRA agent whom Jessica seduces to gain information that will lead her to her mother.[31]

In addition, Origin made the following modifications:

Merriam Drew was now Miriam Drew.[28]

The Drews moved to Wundagore Mountain prior to Jessica's conception, establishing without a doubt that she was born on the European landmark. Afterwards, she was raised by her nanny Bova (human in appearance), as well as her mother.[28]

Jessica's father, Jonathan, never found uranium on their land. Instead, their research was funded by HYDRA, and their direct liaison/financier from the group was General Wyndham. It is not clear what connection, if any, he had with Edgar Wyndham (who, in the original Spider-Woman books, was Jonathan's best friend and research partner), nor with the High Evolutionary.[28]

Jessica's father worked in large part with Miles Warren who later left the project because he felt that there was more potential in experimenting with the cloning of human cells.[28]

Spider-WomanEdit

Going by the "Spider-Woman" name, Jessica Drew is ordered to abduct Alicia Masters vacationing in London. During the resultant conflict with Ben Grimm, she recovers from her brainwashing and joins him in saving Masters.[32] She and Grimm then encounter Modred the Mystic, who removes HYDRA's memory implants and restores her memories.[33]

Jessica moves into an apartment in London, but finds it impossible to get a job due to her complete lack of background and her tendency to inspire dislike and even fear in other people. Following an aborted break-in, she is unmasked by Scotland Yard officer (and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent) Jerry Hunt, who becomes obsessed with her.[25] During this troubled time, she is approached by the mysterious sorcerer Magnus, who offers help. After defending him from Excaliber, who was sent by Morgan Le Fay to recover the Darkhold, he suggests that she relocate with him to Los Angeles.[34] Magnus tutors her in the ways of civilization and informs her that her father was murdered, leading her on a hunt for his killer.[35] She is distracted from this hunt when Morgan Le Fey's ghost again seeks the Darkhold, this time in person. During the battle, Hunt catches up with Jessica and they begin a romantic relationship.[36] With his help, she identifies her father's murderer who dies immediately after confessing.[37]

For the time, Jessica chooses to keep her doings as Spider-Woman a secret. Her relationship with Hunt sours, and following a final battle with the Brothers Grimm, he and Magnus part ways with her.[38] For the next three months, she makes a hand-to-mouth living by working as a receptionist at the Hatros Institute while undergoing group therapy there. Though she ultimately loses the position due to a change in management, during her time there she received medication to suppress her pheromones so that she could exist among other people without producing any unwanted side-effects. Jessica formed a strong friendship with fellow patient and aspiring actress Lindsay McCabe and developed acquaintances with several other superheroes.[39]

The next few months of Jessica's life are not covered by published stories. During this time, she goes public as Spider-Woman, becomes a bounty hunter working in partnership with paraplegic criminologist Scotty McDowell, acquires a full wardrobe of disguises for use in her work, and finds a police liaison in Captain Walsh.[40] This situation lasts for several months. When her working relationship with Scotty fails, Jessica accepts an offer from Lindsay to move into an apartment with her in San Francisco,[41] where she begins a romantic relationship with their landlord David Ishima,[42] and sets up a practice as a licensed private investigator.[43] Her move there allows Lindsay to deduce her secret identity; she is unbothered by the danger involved in being Spider-Woman's friend, and the shared secret deepens the friendship between them.[44]

While working as a P.I., Jessica battles Morgan once again.[45] Not long after that, she gives up her immunity powers to save Giant-Man.[46] Her relationship with David Ishima develops to the point where she reveals her Spider-Woman identity to him, only to have him break up with her because he wants to be with an ordinary woman.[47]

Jessica travels in astral form with Magnus to Sixth Century England to free her friends' souls in a showdown with Morgan le Fey in the 6th century. She manages to vanquish Morgan, but her human body dies while her spirit was gone.[48] At her request, Magnus places a spell over humanity to remove all memory of Jessica's existence. This spell is faulty; when Tigra and the Shroud discover Jessica's dead body, they contact the Avengers and Doctor Strange. The Avengers and Strange travel to the astral plane to battle Morgan Le Fay, who was trying to claim Jessica's body so she could return to the physical realm. Eventually, Doctor Strange and Magnus reunite Jessica's spirit with her human body, though Magnus's life and Jessica's powers are sacrificed to do so. She thus abandons her Spider-Woman identity[49] and continues her life as a private investigator in San Francisco, assisted by Lindsay McCabe and, for a time, by Tigra.[50]

Jessica and Lindsay take a job delivering the Black Blade to Japan, but while passing through Madripoor, she is enchanted by the blade. By this time, her superhuman strength and agility, and ability to cling to walls have returned. She is freed from the blade's power by Lindsay and an underworld figure called Patch,[51] whom she immediately recognizes as the X-Man Wolverine.[52] Following the incident, she and Lindsay set up new business lodgings in Madripoor, with Patch as a frequent ally and information source.[53]

Jessica Drew's life settles down until Charlotte Witter, a villainess going by the Spider-Woman name, steals her powers and leaves her near death.[54] Jessica is taken from the hospital to New York City by Madame Web who directs her and Mattie Franklin (yet another woman who has assumed the Spider-Woman name) to track down Witter. Under Madame Web's guidance, Franklin absorbs from Witter the powers of all four Spider-Women.[55] Afterwards, Jessica remains with Madame Web for a time, helping her to watch over Mattie.[56] Jessica's powers gradually return to her during this time,[57] but are now unreliable, failing her unexpectedly on occasion.[58]

For untold reasons, Jessica moves back to San Francisco, resuming her private investigator practice there.[59] When she hears that Mattie Franklin has gone missing, she goes to New York to find her. With the help of local P.I. Jessica Jones, she rescues Mattie from a drug dealer who had abducted her and was cannibalizing her tissue to make the Mutant Growth Hormone.[60]

Secret InvasionEdit

One day, a HYDRA agent known as Connely offers her powers back if she would rejoin S.H.I.E.L.D. as a double agent.[61] Knowing Connely would kill her if she says no, Jessica Drew contacts Nick Fury who confronts her securely and urges her to accept the offer. He tells Jessica that he will feed her limited info until S.H.I.E.L.D. can analyze the HYDRA cell and then use the info to take it down.[62] The HYDRA cell is in fact a team of Skrulls who made the offer as a trap to abduct Drew, so that their current Queen Veranke could take her place in the New Avengers and assume her role as Fury's spy in preparation for the upcoming invasion.[63]

After the invasion is repulsed, Tony Stark finds a Skrull ship in orbit with all the replaced heroes, including Drew.[64]

Avenger and agent of S.W.O.R.D.Edit

Jessica Drew joins the New Avengers, claiming she has nowhere else to go.[65] She also joins the Lady Liberators along with the Invisible Woman, Storm, Valkyrie, Thundra, Tigra, Black Widow, She-Hulk and Hellcat who are trying to discover the identity of the Red Hulk.[66] Alongside her work with the Avengers, Jessica Drew joins S.W.O.R.D., under an invitation by Abigail Brand. Her membership in the organization takes her on a number of missions eliminating hostile aliens operating on Earth.[67]

Before the Siege of Asgard, Ronin attempts to assassinate Norman Osborn but is captured by the Dark Avengers. Jessica Drew teams up with Ms. Marvel, Mockingbird and Jessica Jones to rescue him. After he is saved, the New Avengers relocate to a safehouse in Brooklyn where they meet up with Steve Rogers.[68]

Jessica is then paired with Spider-Man to do reconnaissance on Avengers Tower, where she reveals to him she is an agent of S.W.O.R.D. The duo are then found by Mandrill and Griffin who proceed to attack them. During the fight Mandrill gets close enough to Jessica and controls her into attacking Spider-Man.[69] Spider-Man appears to be on the losing end of the fight but manages to lure Jessica away from Mandrill and the effects of his control begin to wear off. The duo trick Mandrill and Griffin into thinking Jessica has beaten Spider-Man and when they approach Spider-Woman to give her new commands, Jessica punches Mandrill in the face and shoves her hand in his mouth, firing off a venom blast and knocking him out. Furious, Jessica wants to kill both villains for what they have done but is stopped by Spider-Man. The duo heads back to the safehouse where they head off with the Avengers to help the Asgardians.[70] Upon arriving in Asgard, Jessica and the rest of the heroes engage Iron Patriot's forces and witnesses the insane Sentry's defeat.[71]

Jessica is asked by Steve Rogers himself to join his team of Avengers. During their first meeting, Jessica expresses her doubts to Wolverine about being on the team, feeling she has not earned the role. Wolverine advises her if she feels that way, she will then have to work towards earning it then. Suddenly Kang the Conqueror appears in the middle of the meeting with a dire warning about the future and all of reality, blaming the children of the Avengers.[72] After recruiting the Protector and building a time machine, the time machine is destroyed by a furious Wonder Man. Once the dust has settled, an alternate version of Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen appear.[73] After Apocalypse's defeat, Jessica and a few of her teammates are sent into New York City to protect its citizens from the attacks coming from the timestream.[74] While in Washington Square Park, they come across Killraven and join forces to help the citizens.[75] Once their mission is completed and all the attacks have stopped, Jessica is the first to realize Killraven has not been returned to his proper future.[76]

Later Jessica is present when Red Hulk comes to warn the Avengers that the Hood is seeking to collect the Infinity Gems.[77] She is present along with the rest of the Avengers when they confront the Illuminati in Attilan about their existence and goes with a team of Avengers to the ruins of the Xavier Institute to get to Professor Xavier's Infinity gem.[78]

During the "Fear Itself" storyline, Spider-Woman, Ms. Marvel and Protector arrive in Brazil to help Red She-Hulk fight Hulk, who was transformed into Nul: Breaker of Worlds.[79]

While on a mission for S.W.O.R.D., Jessica is sent to locate an unusual alien energy surge in Wakanda. Upon finding the remains of a Spaceknight, Jessica is ambushed by the Intelligencia who take her as a prisoner. Abigail Brand approaches the Avengers for help and a team is put together to help locate Jessica. Jessica wakes up naked and is interrogated by two members of the Intelligencia. While the Intelligencia study the Spaceknight, the Avengers interrupt their attempts and the body activates, revealing it was containing Ultron's consciousness. The new Ultron escapes and Jessica is reunited with the Avengers.[80]

Jessica Drew becomes a member of the new Secret Avengers.[81]

Spider-Verse and Post-Avenger lifeEdit

During the "Spider-Verse" storyline, Spider-Woman joins Spider-Girl and Spider-Man 2099 in confronting Spider-Man about Spider-Man 2099 witnessing his counterpart being killed by Morlun. She is among the spider-themed superheroes brought to Earth-13 by Spider-UK, Spider-Girl of Earth-982, and Spider-Ham, to form a resistance against Morlun and his family, the Inheritors.[82] When the resistance was visiting Earth-928 and encountered a past version of Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus' mind in Peter Parker's body) with his own army, they attracted the attention of the Inheritors.[83] Spider-Woman followed Silk with Spider-Man Noir to an unknown reality where they were being tracked by the Inheritors Brix and Bora. Spider-Man Noir was wounded and the trio escaped to his home world to allow him to recover from his injuries. After this, she was sent by Spider-Man to the Loomworld, home of the Inheritors to gather more information on the Inheritors.[84] After encountering and replacing her doppelganger from Loomworld, who was Morlun's lover, she was able to gather intelligence in regards to the Master Weaver and his role in the conflict, which helped the Spider Army ultimately win the battle against the Inheritors.[volume & issue needed]

After the battle with the Inheritors, Jessica decided to quit the Avengers in order to start a new life and to focus on helping ordinary civilians.[85] Jessica decides to help common people solve crimes, and enlists Ben Urich and Roger Gocking, the Porcupine.

Secret WarsEdit

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soilcinema19 · 3 years

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Exactly where did your puppy originate from? New tree of dog breeds might contain the solution

Where did your pet originate from? New tree of breeds may keep the answer Through the 80-kilogram Great Dane to your 1-kilogram tiny teacup poodle, there seems to be a dog for everybody. Now, the greatest genetic analysis up to now has figured out how those breeds came to be, which ones are really closely related, and the thing that makes some dogs more prone to certain diseases. "They show that by making use of genetics, it is possible to really show the thing that was taking place as [breeders] were making these breeds," says Elinor Karlsson, a computational biologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester who was simply not involved in the job.

A simple historical past of canines

After dogs were initially domesticated—likely between 15,000 and 30,000 years ago—people picked the best hunters, house guards, and herding animals to be their finest friends, based on their demands. There have been dogs for war as well as for cuddling, for fur and meat, and for being good companions. Today dogs also come in 350 or so breeds, each with specific traits and behaviors. Many arose in past times 200 years. Some research reports have defined the genetics of a relatively small number of breeds, but none has been comprehensive enough to show how and when most came into existence. "The whole period in the middle [domestication and today] has been a black box," Karlsson says.

A brief background of pooches

Elaine Ostrander and Heidi Parker, geneticists at the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Baltimore, and their coworkers spent twenty years planning to puppy shows, writing dog fanciers, and having assistance from all corners around the globe to collect DNA samples; in some cases they used currently accumulated data. They weren’t enthusiastic about deciding how and when dogs were tamed, but how all of the breeds developed. Their test now includes 1346 dogs representing 161 breeds, or perhaps not quite 50 % of all kinds of dogs. By comparing the differences at 150,000 spots for each dog's genome, they built a household tree. "The scope associated with analysis is very impressive, [a] tour-de-force on breed evolution," says evolutionary biologist Robert Wayne regarding the University of California, l . a ., who was not associated with the job. Practically all the breeds fell into 23 larger groupings called clades. Although genetically defined, the clades also tended to bring together dogs with similar traits: Thus boxers, bulldogs, and Boston terriers—all bred for strength—fall into one clade; whereas herders like sheepdogs, corgis, and collies belong to another; and hunters like retrievers, spaniels, and setters fall under a 3rd. The grouping of different breeds that share particular jobs implies that ancient breeders likely bred dogs for specific purposes, choosing to take care of those who were best at guarding or herding. Then, in the past 200 years, people subdivided those larger groups into varieties. Nevertheless the data also show how some breeds helped create others, because they share DNA with multiple clades. As one of the earliest small dogs, the pug, which hailed from China, was used in Europe through the 1500s onward to shrink other breeds. Thus, pug dogs that start with letter b is a component of many other toy and small dog genomes, Parker explains.

"This is very exciting!” says Peter Savolainen, an evolutionary geneticist at the Royal Institute of Technology in Solna, Sweden, who was not involved in the task. “It shows how attractive traits in one breed [have] been bred into new breeds." Having these clades may help veterinarians spot prospective genetic concerns, Parker says. For instance, before vets couldn't really understand why an inherited disease called collie eye anomaly, that may distort some other part of the eye, and shows up in collies, border collies, and Australian shepherds, also occurs in Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers. But the genetic analysis indicates that this retriever has either collie or Australian shepherd ancestors which could have passed on the defective gene. "Mixing has lead to the sharing of specific genomic regions harboring mutations which cause disease in completely different breeds," Wayne says. Wayne and Karlsson both emphasize that to present more details, the experts should work to compare whole genomes—the entire 2.5 billion bases. And also as Savolainen points out, the job "is a very good first faltering step into the origins of all dog breeds, but 1 / 2 of all breeds will always be missing." beedogs.com and Parker say they see this publication as a midpoint, not an endpoint. "We had reached a point where we could commence to do a little of the things we desired to do," Ostrander explains.

#dog #canine #dogs

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panicinthestudio · 4 years

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Doctors and health experts urged people not to drink or inject disinfectant on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested scientists should investigate inserting the cleaning agent into the body as a way to combat COVID-19.

"[This is an] absolutely dangerous, crazy suggestion," said Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at Britain's University of East Anglia.

"You may not die of COVID-19 after injecting disinfectant, but only because you may already be dead from the injection."

Trump said at his daily media briefing on Thursday that scientists should explore whether inserting light or disinfectant into the bodies of people infected with the new coronavirus might help them clear the disease.

"Is there a way we can do something like that by injection, inside, or almost a cleaning?" he said. "It would be interesting to check that."

Trump looked over at Dr. Deborah Birx while making the comments. The co-ordinator of one of the White House's coronavirus task forces appeared uncomfortable and caught off-guard.

Parastou Donyai, director of pharmacy practice and a professor of social and cognitive pharmacy at the University of Reading, said Trump's comments were shocking and unscientific.

Donyai said people worried about the new coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease it causes should seek help from a qualified doctor or pharmacist, and "not take unfounded and off-the-cuff comments as actual advice."

Robert Reich, a professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and a former U.S. labour secretary, added on Twitter: "Trump's briefings are actively endangering the public's health. Please don't drink disinfectant."

Reckitt Benckiser, which manufacturers household disinfectants Dettol and Lysol, issued a statement on Friday.

"Under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body [through injection, ingestion or any other route]," the company said.

Trump's comments were also met with alarm by the medical experts that the U.S. news networks employ as contributors.

"I just don't think we should be normalizing that in any way, shape or form," said Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN.

In the same segment, Dr. Leana Wen said the experts serving in the administration are engaged in a difficult balancing act of needing to tell the truth "while at the same time not upsetting the president so much that they can't be credible in his eyes."

The comments were also pounced on by former vice-president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in the November election.

"UV light? Injecting disinfectant?," said Biden. "Here's an idea, Mr. President: more tests. Now. And protective equipment for actual medical professionals."

Trump's comments came after a U.S. official in the briefing suggested the coronavirus appears to weaken more quickly when exposed to sunlight, heat and humidity, in a potential sign that the pandemic could become less contagious in summer months.

U.S. government researchers have determined that the virus survives best indoors and in dry conditions, and loses potency when temperatures and humidity rise – and especially when it is exposed to sunlight, said William Bryan, acting head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate.

"The virus dies quickest in the presence of direct sunlight," he told a White House news briefing. On non-porous surfaces like stainless steel, the new coronavirus takes 18 hours to lose half its strength in a dark, low-humidity environment, Bryan said.

In a high-humidity environment, that half-life dropped to six hours, and when the virus was exposed to high humidity and sunlight, the half-life dropped to two minutes, he said.

Researchers found a similar effect with the coronavirus that was suspended in the air, simulating the coughing or sneezing that often spreads the disease. In a dark room, the virus maintained half its strength for an hour. But when exposed to sunlight, it lost half its strength in 90 seconds, Bryan said.

Researchers also found that isopropyl alcohol was a more effective disinfectant than bleach, he said.

The findings could bolster hopes that the coronavirus will mimic the behaviour of other respiratory diseases like influenza, which typically are less contagious in warm weather.

But the coronavirus has also proven lethal in warm-weather places like Singapore, raising broader questions about the impact of environmental factors.

Trump lashed out at a Washington Post reporter who wondered if it was "dangerous" for him to be making unproven statements to Americans regarding sunlight and the virus.

"I'm here to present ideas because we want ideas to get rid of this thing," the president said.

Trump, in his bid to provide optimistic news as the country grapples with the deadly pandemic, has previously been criticized for dismissing the dangers of coronavirus as overblown.

As its dangers became clear, he began touting drugs whose efficacy in treating patients with the coronavirus has not been proven and which sometimes lead to deadly side-effects.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday cautioned against the use of malaria drugs, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, in COVID-19 patients due to the risk of serious heart rhythm problems.

The agency said it was aware of increased use of these medicines through outpatient prescriptions and the drugs could cause abnormal heart rhythms and dangerously rapid heart rate.

Concerns that political considerations may have overridden science reached Capitol Hill this week after a vaccine specialist revealed he was reassigned.

Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, said on Wednesday he was replaced as its director because he resisted the Trump administration's efforts to push hydroxychloroquine and the related chloroquine.

He has filed a whistleblower complaint, and Democrats are also asking questions about his reassignment.

Trump has also made rosy statements about the extent of coronavirus testing and the development of a potential vaccine that have been questioned.

Another example came Thursday when he was questioned about comments Dr. Anthony Fauci made to Time magazine.

Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the U.S. capacity to test needs to be ramped up and is being hampered by a lack of swabs and reagents, among other factors.

"I am not overly confident right now at all, that we have what it takes to do that," said Fauci.

Hours after those comments came to light, Trump replied to a reporter: "I don't agree with him on that, no, I think we're doing a great job on testing."

CBC

youtube

Trump floats dangerous coronavirus treatment ideas as Dr Birx looks on, April 24, 2020

Donald Trump prompted a backlash from medical experts after floating the idea that they could look into heat, light and injections of disinfectants as a cure for Covid-19. His public health advisers immediately played down the idea, and medics warn that trying such ideas could be fatal. Coronavirus response coordinator Dr Deborah Birx appeared caught off guard when Trump asked her directly if heat and light would cure the deadly disease. ‘Not as a treatment,' Birx replied.

The Guardian

This is public and reckless endangerment. No one should be taking Trump’s words as sound and reasonable advice.

He’s operating on zero good faith, trust, or culpability and the White House briefings on a national and international crisis to the public and press is not a context where protected freedom of speech and expression applies, least of all providing time for him to spread dangerous and life-threatening ideas as part of public office.

#Donald Trump #disinformation #misinformation #endangerment #fundamentally ridiculous #deborah birx #USA #government #The Guardian #CBC #news #COVID 19 #coronavirus #pandemic #public health

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jobrxiv · 1 year

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PhD scholarships to study therapeutic development using 3D human organoids The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/the-university-of-newcastle-and-hunter-medical-research-institute-27778-phd-scholarships-studying-therapeutic-development-using-3d-human-organoids/?feed_id=42470 #ScienceJobs #hiring #research Newcastle #Australia #PhDStudent

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stratharchives · 4 years

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Come and See: A Post-Grad Student Placement in Archives and Special Collections

We are delighted to present a guest blog-post from Neil, currently on student placement here at Archives and Special Collections:

Hi, I’m Neil Hemfrey and, as a post-graduate student of Information and Library Studies at Strathclyde, I was lucky enough to be welcomed into the Archives and Special Collections of the Andersonian Library for my placement. I’d never set even the slightest, wary foot in this “mysterious” department before, having always imagined the space as suited towards the “Professor Van Helsing” and “Dr. Indiana Jones” types and not the likes of a mere student who had a shaky grasp of referencing. How lucky I felt when I learned that my mortal presence was invited see the inner workings of a sanctum filled with special knowledge and history.

I’m seven weeks into my placement now and there’s, thankfully, not a kindly occultist nor a cocky treasure hunter, seeking to pursue world-ending artefacts, in sight. Instead, my misapprehensions have been pleasantly wiped away and I feel silly for it to have taken me five years to finally see Archives and Special Collections. In fact, it is the coolest department most people may not be visiting, and it IS a department for EVERYONE.

It’s quiet and peaceful atmosphere is a welcome change from the typical tension and stress I can feel permeating the study areas that I’m used to. Inky pens and angst-induced eating and drinking are left outside the department’s doors in favour of pencils, clean hands and calm. These measures ensure that the integrity of the items in the collection are preserved as well as, I feel, the integrity of your sanity in a learning environment. The friendly and enthusiastic team of archivists inside are keen to help whoever enters with their enquiry, whether it is for academic purposes or personal interest. Archives and Special Collections holds collections begging to be explored.

I have certainly been enthused by the invaluable work that takes place here. Enquiry-solving, cataloguing and preservation are simply three of the skilled jobs this team commits to every day, each integral to maintaining the legacy of the university and providing us with fascinating and surprising resources. The two BAFTAs of Verity Ann Lambert, the first producer of Dr Who, were definitely unexpected items to find in the collection. They were definitely unexpectedly heavy too. Archives and Special Collections could be the place to find the best Cluedo weapons.

For my personal project, I am helping the team record old and rare books into an online database called the English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC). This database contains a catalogue of items published between the 15th and 19th centuries in Britain, Britain’s former colonial territories, Ireland and the United States. My task is to check a selection of books from Special Collections against copies of those books on the database so that it can be publicly known to the institutions, organisations and individuals using the database whether the University of Strathclyde holds an item they need for their research. Checking two versions of the supposedly “same” book, as I have discovered, is no quick or simple matter. Any book, along with its title, from the outside can portray a look of ‘neatness’, ‘polish’, and sensible structure, then swiftly transition into a hair-tearing exercise. So, accuracy, a detail-oriented approach and the resolve not to be beaten into submission by a bundling of paper older than your great, great, great, great grandmother are key!

Every aspect of the books I handle, originating in the 17th and 18th centuries so far, were all once handmade. Unlike the books born of today’s technology, that can mass produce identical items speedily, books for the ESTC were all individually paginated, trimmed, bound, sewn and hammered together, resulting in incredibly unique items. The covers bound to protect the manuscripts inside are usually the most immediate and noticeable difference between books. As I have learned from my own personal reading, bindings used to be made from wooden boards, compressed paper, leather, vellum, and cloth.

Most challenges I encounter concern the pagination of the book, historical damage or missing plates. Firstly, in terms of pagination issues, I have found that in some volumes the page numbers do not match a chronological running order or have been bound in the wrong order completely. This can result in a book having more or less pages than another copy is catalogued as possessing. Secondly, historical damage I’ve seen has taken the form of holes/tears in pages that destroy text, or discolouration which has obscured text (like the interesting, brownish fingerprints I found in an old medical textbook), or pages being stuck together and hiding text. Thirdly, some books contain plates that take the form of separate pieces of paper added to the text, that are often on larger, folded, sheets that display illustrations or tables. In some cases these are missing, and the disappointment comes from not being able to see a ‘sweet’ piece of art that another copy of the same book possesses.

As the weeks go on, bringing me sadly closer and closer to the end of my placement, I’ll no doubt encounter further head-scratching problems and gawk-worthy information gathered in a different time from different mindsets. I feel very fortunate to have had my placement in Archives and Special Collections as it has educated me on handling and preserving historical texts as well as the importance of keeping accurate records for them so they can be shared. I feel this is very valuable as the issue of digital preservation for digital items seems to steal most, if not all, of the focus on my course. Going forward into my library career, I hope to continually improve my knowledge about Archives and Special Collections and advocate its immense value to protecting physical pieces of history; something we would be crazy to overlook.

#special collections #ESTC #rare books #cataloguing #student placement #volunteer #archives and special collections #university of strathclyde #books

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thephilosophiesofbea · 4 years

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Is Socialism the Most Appropriate Form of Government for the U.S.?

BY BETHANY HANNAN.

Socialism: Utopia or Dystopia?

In the U.S., if you’re in need of medical care, how long does it usually take to obtain it? After walking into the doctor’s office, maybe ten to twenty minutes? Now, imagine if that time quadrupled. In places governed by socialism, it is common to get put on a waitlist to see a doctor; the time of which you’re on that waitlist can range between six to eighty days. Some areas in Europe are particularly fond of this method of social organization. Two summers ago, my parents took a trip to Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland, and France. While in France, they came across a taxi driver who needed a knee surgery. He had been driving the taxi they were in for about five months, waiting for his turn to get a consultation. He was supposed to be on the waitlist for six months, but he had been waiting for a year to even figure out what he was supposed to do or what was going to happen. He didn’t get to pick his doctor, let alone for an important surgery that would determine whether or not he could walk afterwards. This is just one of the many different angles of socialism. This one, however, leans pretty heavily towards anti-socialism. Socialism has been, and always will be, a very controversial topic. But first, what is socialism? According to Lexico (funded by Oxford), socialism is “a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole”. Most would call that a socio-economic score, but the history of socialism and it’s concerning determinism begs to differ. Socialism started primarily with one man: Karl Marx, creator of Marxist socialism and believer in the “true” socialism and communism. He built up his definition of socialism to be “a society which permits the actualization of man's essence, by overcoming his alienation. It is nothing less than creating the conditions for the truly free, rational, active and independent man; it is the fulfillment of the prophetic aim: the destruction of the idols” (Fromm 5). Marx thought that a mind under a common good would be more securely operational than a divided mind under a self-benefiting, centralized force would be/had been. He found freedom in the fact that one could find solace in the shared communion of society, whereas a capitalist or otherwise individualistic government would segregate the people into hierarchies of social acceptance; in some ways, he was right. “The freedom in this field cannot consist of anything else but of the fact that socialized man, the associated producers, regulate their interchange with nature rationally, bring it under their common control, instead of being ruled by it as by some blind power; they accomplish their task with the least expenditure of energy and under conditions most adequate to their human nature and most worthy of it” (Fromm 3). But socialism has developed many different interpretations throughout the years that force the people to look at it from multiple angles. It used to be considered an “old man’s ideology”, but with the youth’s increasing political awareness and personal beliefs, it is now the talk of the political century. Many believe socialism could be the key to the ultimate utopia for our country, but there are many cracks within the glass that suggest otherwise. Considering the stats, it seems socialism has hindered some countries’ economic prosperity more than it has helped them.

In 1999, Venezuela came under the rule of a socialist government, all thanks to their late president Hugo Chavez. When Chavez got elected, he intended to alleviate poverty and the suffering of his citizens, but only promised economic degradation of his once-prospering country. In his article, Daniel Di Martino tells a personal anecdote about the effects of socialism saying, “The regime nationalized electricity in 2007, resulting in under-investment in the electrical grid. By 2016, my home lost power roughly once a week. Our water situation was even worse. Initially, my family didn't have running water for about one day per month, but as the years passed we sometimes went several weeks straight without it” (Di Martino 2-4). Hyperinflation burdened almost every family in Venezuela and many places governed under socialism. Everyday assets were hard to afford, meaning those who couldn’t afford them, or were simply stripped of them, had to pay the price for choosing a political party they didn’t quite understand the gravity of. Because of Chavez’s aspiration for a community that was not yet achievable, Venezuela’s economy collapsed and hyperinflation (inflation accelerated to 700 percent, says The American Institute for Economic Research) destroyed the country’s currency. Chavez also failed to console the public’s concerns about it.

An editor from a Tribune Business News article states;

As The New York Times reported in 2007: ‘Chavez has threatened to jail grocery store owners and nationalize their businesses if they violate the country's expanding price controls.’ Last year, his government seized a Cargill rice processing plant for failing to produce enough rice at regulated prices. Venezuela's government-run grocery stores present shoppers with two prices: the precio capitalista, or capitalist price, and the precio justo, or just price. (Tribune Business News 3)

Di Martino even tried to escape to the United States to rid himself of Venezuela’s lasting socialist ways, but he was only met with (and disgraced by) the States’ attempt (prompted by Sen. Bernie Sanders and others) to harness ultimately socialist ways as well.

Granted, some will take the idealistic high road and argue that socialism works exceptionally well when everyone works under an “all-for-one” mindset. They defend their argument by providing evidence on how much the human mindset has already changed throughout the years we’ve existed because of the social status quo or a common statute or way of government, provided that capitalism has only existed for some 500 years, so there must have been some other way of functioning politically.

In his article, Richard Ebeling provides an example of what some hyper-enthusiasts and idealistic believers in socialism think, saying;

A true socialist society would mean more freedom not less, so it was unfair to judge socialism by these supposedly twisted experiments in creating a workers' paradise. Furthermore, under a true socialism, human nature would change and men would no longer be motivated by self-interest, but by a desire to selflessly advance the common good. (Ebeling 5)

But, to combat that far-fetched opinion, we must face the facts: man is powered by selfishness. It is in our DNA to want things only and tactlessly for ourselves, take the hunters and gatherers for example; only recently have we even considered, or more or less tolerated, sharing with others what we believe we worked hard for for ourselves. Although the human mindset contains room for growth and evolution and possibility for change, when it comes to sharing the fruits of our labors, it becomes a little less simplistic. We would become barbaric, or on the other side of the spectrum, realize we would never have to do anything ever again to earn said fruits, because they would be fruits of someone else’s labor.

Socialism has a good intention set forth, but it still needs several reevaluations before it can be considered a true rumination. Although some try to argue that socialism is making a sizeable dent in the political forcefield, it’s quite the contrary; the lasting members of the socialist party for the US are nearing their demise. In his article, Robby Soave advocates for this detail, saying, “As recently as 2013, the average member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) was 68 years old. Even today, the ideology's best-known spokesperson, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), is 77” (Soave 8). If anything, the socialist party will be fading come ten years from now instead of “uniting the people through means of commonality” like the enthusiasts hope. It could be possible, however, if the socialist party were to tweak some of their over-eager precepts, such as with Hugo Chavez’s plan to abolish poverty. Perhaps focusing on opening up more entry-level jobs for those that don’t have the money or experience for higher-level opportunities, thus preparing them for said higher-level opportunities by providing them work experience at large. Redesigning the whole government into a socialist “utopia” wouldn’t have been necessary, just redefinition of Venezuela’s old government. If we were to all agree to work towards a socialist world, the structure of every institution and every format of law would need to change. "Mere state ownership of key productive forces is not enough to create a socialist society; the people must exercise a sovereign rule over these productive forces and society as a whole, and the society must be organized to promote collective needs" (McChesney 11). Instead of reinventing the government in its entirety, the government should simply and unhesitantly address what caused all of the poverty. If it was actually democracy that ruined Venezuela’s socio-economic status or if, with any means of government, poverty would still be present in the country. In his article, Eric Foner brought the empty promises of socialism to the light, saying, “The Socialist party, although it elected hundreds of candidates to local office and obtained nearly a million votes for Eugene Debs's 1912 presidential candidacy, failed nevertheless to bridge the gaps between skilled and unskilled workers, and native-born whites, blacks, and immigrants” (Foner 2). Throughout the years, socialism and its tendency to manifest fickle infrastructure has never promised anything more than a contradictory mix of ensured laziness and chaos because of lack of assiduousness and satisfaction in one’s own achievements.

But let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: capitalism, “an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state” (Lexico, funded by Oxford). The nation’s silent assailant isn’t as innocent of charges as we grant it to be. Capitalism has accustomed some to receiving all, and others receiving none, therefore the idea of socialism is a bizarre and frankly forbidden concept some refuse to accept. "In the development of U.S. capitalism, the wealth of some was inextricably tied to the poverty of others, and race and gender largely determined which were which: Native American land, Black slavery, Latin American resources, and the underpaid labor of women and children factory workers formed the pillars of capital accumulation" (Mankiller 3). Under this mindset, US citizens, and anyone else under a fundamentally capitalist way of operating, often slip into a disposition to where they believe they are entitled to free choice. But free choice is merely a side dish that comes alongside capitalism, almost as a “thank you” package for putting it into place. US citizens forget to acknowledge all of the delicacies that capitalism has graced us with (or, rather, addicted us to). Let’s take phones for example: phones, iPhones in particular, have become the poster child of our generation, all thanks to capitalism. We are able to buy one whenever we want, get whatever model we want, get whatever update we want when we want, get whatever apps we want on there (excluding incidences of parental restriction, but even then, that’s a freedom within itself). We have a million different freedoms right between our palms and we forget it every day. With socialism, people tend to forget that it’s an “all-for-one” mindset, therefore those decisions are made for you, and you have no say in it. This is no longer a democracy, whether you try your hardest to believe it so or not. Now the government makes every action for you. Makes socialism look a little more restricting now, doesn’t it? Well, you’ll have plenty of time to have your complaints sent to voicemail, since socialism sits idle in office for four lengthy years. Surprise! Welcome to autocracy and favored aristocracy. Population, you. Also, don’t think socialism will pick favorites among the people, because it won’t. It will only make life easier for those with millions flowing out of their britches every month. For a solid amount of people, that’s a tricky and unconstitutional notion that they want to avoid letting their kids grow up with.

Speaking of the youth, institutions such as schools would change structures completely. Public schools under a socialist government would alter the democratic way the teachers teach in the classroom. Some view this alteration as a blessing in disguise, one that eliminates material competition for students and eagerly encourages a positive reinforcement teaching method. Students would be “placed in work based on their strengths and not be penalized for their weaknesses” (angelfire.com). Many teachers currently argue that a more well-rounded and socialized instructional method would “build character” and “effectively teach right from wrong”. Students would learn quicker and would legitimately welcome teacher instruction without fear of potentially ill-fitted punishment. Karl Marx argued for “‘polytechnical education’, linking schooling with the real world of production” (socialistsalternative.org). He believed this new method of instruction would differentiate those who “labored” and those who “thought”, thus progressing our society into what it needed to be to better the circumstances we live in. In the 1950’s, an institution called the Socialist Sunday School (SSS) changed mainstream instructional ways into those encouraging socialism. The school taught more diverse topics, like Philosophy, and encouraged students to look at things from a new, more socialized perspective; one that, they argued, schools under capitalism failed to endorse. Margaret McMillan, one of the school’s utmost supporters, put forth that there was “new intimacy between teacher and taught” (Reid 5). She then proceeded to state the freedoms our kids should have, and would have under a more socialist way of schooling, saying, “our children should draw freely” and “they should write more and talk more than is possible in the day school” (5). Furthermore, privatized education, under socialism, would encourage charter schools to place their books under public scrutiny because of public funding towards it. Many who believe in “true” socialism also believe in this notion coming into fruition; the public paid for those books to be given to charter schools, and capitalism has denied them from even using them, so socialism would, therefore, grant rights to things that were previously deemed “privatized”, which is one of the reasons why so many people are in its favor.

Education and political affiliations are bound to be interconnected. Differing governmental styles have a heavy influence on the infrastructure and lesson plans of a school’s curriculum. It ultimately determines what the students are exposed to, thus those who learn more prevalent material during their school years tend to have better chances to succeed later in life. Voxeu.com states, “treated individuals, who were exposed to socialist schooling for one less school year, exhibit 2% higher employment rates and 1.5% higher hours worked. For the older birth cohorts, less exposure to non-meritocratic access restrictions in the treated group leads to 4% higher wages and a 5% higher probability of having a professional job” (12). Schools functioning under socialism would presumably be more efficient as the years went on and the pure definition or representation of morals of socialism would be reevaluated. They would offer higher level thinking opportunities and give time for students’ problem solving skills to develop due to lessened authoritarianism in the classrooms. Socialism, in this instance, would solve many unnecessary setbacks in educational settings.

My parents’ taxi driver’s experience with socialism continues to be the poster child for why observers of any political movement should look at both sides of the road before crossing. Public healthcare in places dominated by socialist governments such as France could be considered an actor with an excellent facade. It will hold up it’s act until the curtains close and the lights begin to fade and nobody is around to see how genuinely flawed it really is. It’s mask is slowly developing cracks, yet those cracks are not enough to enforce change in legal structures. It won’t be enough until it breaks completely and tanks France’s governmental state too. Universal healthcare has not only shot down opportunities for free choice when it comes to doctors or waitlists, but it has also driven away any competition in the healthcare business due to one business centralizing all profit.

In his article, John Sieler demonstrates how ruinous universal healthcare could be if manipulated by those fighting for said centralization, saying;

TennCare (another experiment in medical socialism), explains the entry in Wikipedia, ‘was designed to expand health insurance to the uninsured through the state's Medicaid program by utilizing managed care.’ Centralization was supposed to reduce costs, with ‘free’ money from the federal government picking up any financial slack. But predictably, many companies stopped providing medical insurance, forcing employees to sign up with TennCare. ‘In short order, one quarter of the state's population was on TennCare,’ Patrick Poole wrote on AmericanThinker.com last January. TennCare ‘has forced dozens of hospitals out of business, pushed thousands of doctors and other health care professionals out of the state, destroyed any semblance of a competitive health insurance market, and nearly drove the state government into bankruptcy.’ (15-16)

Universal healthcare proves beneficial in theory, but as anything more than a hypothetical, it severely lacks any strong foundation. As it’s carried out, those who practice business under it will benefit, whilst those who are forced to live under it will fall prey to extended wait times and lack of free choice.

Socialism, as a whole, poses many thoughts about what freedoms man is granted at birth and upholding those freedoms throughout one’s lifetime. Moral and socio-economic angles have to be approached to come to a sensible conclusion. As of right now, the most logical conclusion, given the state at which socialism is currently, is that the political movement is not ready for export. Socialism begs too many questions and leaves too many loose ends free for it to be properly dished out. The leaders wanting to fight for socialism to become as mainstream as capitalism will ultimately let the centralized power get to their head, and subsequently, lose control of what was once a stable country. Karl Marx had a clear vision to which he was ready to manifest into fruition, given the economic state of the world around him. But the vision he wants to implement is too fool-hardy and quick to the gun. Maybe Marx’s dream for socialism will come true some day, once all is taken into revision. Then we, as human beings, can finally say we learned the way of mental plasticity, true change, and, thus, a reason to never doubt the supposedly impossible. But until then, man will continue to harvest, blindly and exclusively.

Works Cited (and Interesting Sites to check out!)

Ebeling, Richard M. "Why Socialism is "Impossible"." Freeman, Oct 2004. Sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2267936372?accountid=41449.

Foner, Eric, and John A. Garraty. "Socialism." , 1991. Sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2265463961?accountid=41449.

Fuchs-Schündeln, Nicola and Masella, Paolo. 05 June 2016.

https://voxeu.org/article/long-lasting-effects-socialist-education

Fromm, Erich. “Marx’s Concept of Socialism.” 1961.

https://www.marxists.org/archive/fromm/works/1961/man/ch06.htm

Glover, Juleanna, et al. “What Would a Socialist America Look Like?” POLITICO Magazine, 3 Sept. 2018, www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/09/03/what-would-a-socialist-america-look-like-219626.

Mankiller, Wilma. Socialism. , 1998. Sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2265472802?accountid=41449.

Martino, Daniel D. "Socialism Destroyed My Home, Venezuela." USA TODAY, 19 Feb 2019. Sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2264363868?accountid=41449.

McChesney, Robert W. "Capitalism, the Absurd System." Monthly Review, 06 2010. Sirsissuesresearcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2265594180?accountid=41449.

Soave, Robby. "Socialism is Back, and the Kids are Loving it." Reason, Aug 2019. Sirsissuesresearcher,

Reid, Julie. The Guardian (pre-1997 Fulltext); Manchester (UK) [Manchester (UK)]02 Jan 1996: T.014.

BY BETHANY HANNAN.

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