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emma-radfemcanu · 2 years

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Ok I know my tennis posts are usually just me rambling to myself lol BUT this is really important and it’s been on my mind all day... just before I start ranting I should say this goes into detail about domestic abuse and suicide

I’ve talked about this before but there’s this German player called Alexander Zverev who was very credibly accused of domestic abuse by his ex girlfriend, a woman called Olya Sharypova. Olya’s story (along with evidence such as photos of bruises, screenshots of text messages, accounts from friends and witnesses) is outlined in two articles by the journalist Ben Rothenberg- Zverev won an injunction to get them blocked in some areas of Europe but if you go on his wikipedia page you can view the archived versions, they’re tough reads but worth it

Anyway the ATP were doing an investigation into her accusations- the main 3 incidents referred to in the articles were the US Open, Shanghai Masters and the Laver Cup (which isn’t technically an ATP event but they’re affiliated), basically these incidents happened at their events so they’re obliged to ‘investigate’ I can’t remember which one it was but at one point Olya was so distressed that she tried to take an overdose and when Zverev found her he got a tournament official before any medical attention... so they can’t act like they had no idea what was going on

The ‘investigation’ took 16 months and today they declared that there is ‘insufficient evidence to substantiate published allegations of abuse’ and obviously the usual suspects are quick to yell that he must be innocent... insufficient evidence doesn’t mean he didn’t do it, it just means it couldn’t be proved. And given that it took 4 months for them to even speak to Olya I can’t say that I have much faith in how thorough it was. I just feel awful for her, she’s been so brave in coming forward and she deserves much better than this half arsed investigation

It was almost a year ago that Zverev was defaulted from a match for trying to hit an umpire, at the time it seemed very telling- if he was willing to do that in front of an entire audience and TV cameras then what is he like in private? Olya has photos of her bruises, her story has been backed up by family friends, she is very credible and people are acting like she’s out to ruin his life. She’s had so much abuse online after coming forward, what exactly does she have to gain if no one really believes her and the ATP don’t care?

Zverev isn’t the first either. Nick Kyrgios is in court next month for common assault of his girlfriend, and Nikoloz Basilashvili was recently found not guilty of domestic violence against his wife... after the judge asked why his wife didn’t say anything sooner and the court staff were all asking for pictures and autographs. Yeah, that screams unbiased and fair trial 🙄 to a certain extent I get why the ATP don’t want to act on claims that haven’t been proved, but given how little effort they put into ‘investigating’ this and how hard they’ve tried to cover it up (blocking people on twitter who mention it, vaguely referring to it as ‘legal trouble’ etc), it really seems like they just don’t care. They spent a long time marketing Zverev as their golden boy so I think that’s a big part of it

I don’t know where I’m going with this, I just feel so angry and deflated about the whole thing. Olya deserves better and it’s so depressing to think how this can happen and people pretend to care but really they don’t. And how women are so quick to be accused of lying even when they have loads of evidence, meanwhile Zverev has literally behaved violently in public and loads of excuses are made for him

#rambling about tennis again #sorry for the essay lol

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stonefreeak · 3 years

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Revenge of the 5th and also I am SO SORRY it takes me so long to update these days. Who knew having a job and living during a pandemic could be so bad for fic updates?

Anakin can't sit still. He finds it hard to think, hard to breathe sometimes.

Palpatine got convicted on corruption charges.

Sure, not as many and not nearly as serious as those Mas Amedda was convicted of. Instead it seems like Amedda was running a lot of corruption in Mr palpatine's favour... But the fact that Palpatine was involved in even just some corruption, the acceptance of bribes and...

It means Anakin was wrong and Obi-Wan was right.

He can't stand it. He can't believe it. It's not fair!

He fought for Palpatine with Obi-Wan. He pushed Obi-Wan away, raged and screamed at him for being distrustful... And it turns out that he was right not to trust Palpatine. That he was right not to trust in Anakin's trust in him.

And it hurts.

Especially since he'd seen it on Padmé's face when the conviction came. She was pleased. She thought it was right.

She must have been hiding something from him, something about Palpatine, and he almost hates her for it. How could she keep things from him when they promised never to lie to each other? Never to keep anything secret from each other considering how much they must keep secret from everyone else.

It feels like a betrayal and he doesn't know how to handle it.

Not for the first time he wishes that Master Hestish hadn't died. That she was still here to help him get a grip over his emotions, help him think things through.

He knows that Obi-Wan or Padmé would do their very best to help him if he only asks, but when they're the object of confusion... They can't help. If he's angry and upset with them, how can they possibly help him sort his feelings out?

Master Hestish and he had a good relationship, Anakin thinks. She was helpful, kind, and she never judged him. She helped him get himself under control sometimes, and because they only met during his sessions with her, because they didn't have a relationship outside of those sessions... She was always an unbiased and completely separate person. She was never entangled in his duties or his relationships or his school work... She was only ever there to be a rock in the sinking sand, helping him climb to safety until the Tatooine winds calmed themselves and the sinking sands could be traversed again.

He knows that if Obi-Wan knew he's feeling like this, he'd tell Anakin to find a new mind healer to talk to. Find someone else who can help him, but... Anakin doesn't want anyone else! He wants Master Hestish! He wants Bharani Hestish... In her white robes and with her so very odd appearance—like nothing Anakin had ever seen before, completely impossible to mistake for anyone else—and her calm acceptance of whatever he told her.

It's not fair that Anakin has to lose everyone! It's not fair that apparently he can't trust anyone he loves, because sooner or later they keep something from him. They lie to him.

Or they die.

He can only hope that Ahsoka hasn't lied to him too. That she isn't keeping secrets and going behind his back. He's not sure he could take it from his Padawan as well. Well... he knows that she didn't talk to him about her concerns that it might be her fault that Obi-Wan got caught in the blast, but... That's not quite the same thing, right?

He doesn't like it though. He doesn't like the fact that Ahsoka will keep something as important as her fears from him. He's her master and it's his duty to help guide her through her journey to becoming a Jedi Knight, and how can he do that if she keeps secrets and won't ask him for help when she needs it?

He should probably talk to her about that... But later. Later. When he's not as upset as he is now. He doesn't want to risk getting angry at her when it's not really where his frustration and anger is targeted right now.

He should...

He doesn't know what he should do.

He can't talk to Obi-Wan. He just can't. After all the things he said, all the accusations and assertions he did... That he was wrong about Palpatine, even just slightly... Of course Palpatine isn't as bad as Obi-Wan seems to think he is, Palpatine is a good man, isn't he? But...

Yes. That's it.

He feels it like a soft caress in his mind. Of course Palpatine is a good man who's made a few mistakes. Even the court didn't think he'd done anything bad enough to warrant prison or anything like that. He just got some fines and a warning to be careful with what sort of contracts he enters and favours he does for others and asks for for himself.

It's... It's not ideal, of course. But Palpatine is still trustworthy.

After all, he had more power than anyone else in the galaxy for years and he wasn't corrupted. He was still on the whole careful with his political power. Just a few mistakes doesn't just somehow make someone a bad person.

Not when there's the likes of Dooku or even just Mas Amedda out there—people who actually hurt others and cause destruction and chaos. Palpatine isn't anything like them.

Anakin lets out a frustrated breath. Even now that he's managed to sort himself out and his thoughts regarding Palpatine, he still feels restless and like he can't sit still.

He wants to talk to Obi-Wan... Wants to apologise for some of the things he said, but... No. He can't.

He should probably talk to Padmé instead, shouldn't he?

After all, Palpatine has been a mentor to her too. It must have been a harsh blow to her even though she thought it was deserved after she heard the evidence. Maybe they can comfort each other and then visit Palpatine together so he knows that they still support him, that they still know that he's a good person despite what has happened.

Nodding to himself, Anakin gets to his feet and rolls his shoulders. He needs to act swiftly, who knows when he'll be sent back into the field again. It's likely not far away considering how much better Obi-Wan is doing... Anakin knows he got extended leave due to that—which was really nice of the Council, really.

But he wants to make sure he's talked to Padmé so they've sorted everything out before he needs to leave Coruscant again.

Obi-Wan... Obi-Wan can wait.

Some distance will probably do them good.

Regardless of how much Anakin wants to apologise and for everything to just go back to the way things were when he was a child, before Obi-Wan got busy—before the saboteur took Obi-Wan from him—it's probably for the best if they have some distance now.

Obi-Wan probably wants some anyway, he's like that isn't he? He thinks that distance and letting your heads cool is always a much better idea than just getting out and aired immediately...

Ugh. Whatever.

Anakin'll go talk to Padmé instead of driving himself crazy with all these thoughts.

He leaves his room and heads out of the Temple. He considers sending Ahsoka a comm message to let her know where he's gone... But it's probably for the best if he doesn't. At least then he'll have some plausible deniability if anyone tries to suggest he went to see Padmé for anything but platonic reasons. They won't even be able to prove that he specifically went out to see her!

He hates that they have to keep their marriage secret, but...

No, he can't think about this now. He pushes the thoughts away, they'll have to wait for later.

Now he just wants to see Padmé.

—

(Supreme Chancellor Obi-Wan Kenobi masterpost)

#Supreme Chancellor Obi Wan Kenobi #star wars #my writing #update #it's been A WHILE #sorry about that

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hatari-translations · 3 years

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can you maybe tell us a bit more about the parties in icelandic politics? that is super interesting for me after reading your last post

Well, sure! Please bear in mind that as you may have gathered I am not unbiased, and I'm by no means the most knowledgeable person about this.

Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn (The Independence Party)

Originally founded in 1929, this party's name originally referred to independence from Denmark (achieved in 1944), but today it's just Iceland's dominant right-wing party. On other countries' scales they're fairly center-right in terms of policies; they want a strong welfare system, they're pro-immigration, they're not against LGBT rights, etc. However, they are very much the party of Iceland's rich elite establishment, and in particular have close ties to Iceland's largest corporations, and every other political scandal involves them being varying degrees of terrible, from "Independence Party minister breaking COVID restrictions" to "Independence Party minister in the Panama Papers" to "Independence Party minister's father signs a letter to 'restore the honor' of a convicted pedophile" (these three were all the same minister, who by the way still leads the party and is still finance minister) to "terrible corrupt fishing company Samherji introduced the Independence Party's health minister as 'our guy in the government' at meetings with the Namibian officials they were bribing".

The Independence Party opposes the new constitution, ostensibly because blah blah stability distractions about how changes to the constitution need to be approved through the appropriate process (yes, we know, we want that process to happen), but we all know it's really because the new constitution would have the fishing companies pay a fair price for their access to Iceland's natural resources, and that would be bad for their bottom line. They are also opposed to joining the EU.

The Independence Party has been the largest party in every single Icelandic election since it was founded except the 2009 one (which was right on the heels of another scandal - believe me, I barely scratched the surface above - as well as the 2008 financial crisis), where they managed to dip below the Social-Democratic Alliance with 23.7% of the vote, their lowest parliamentary election result ever. Historically they'd get upwards of 40% or even more of the vote; these days it's more like 25%, and this election's result of 24.4% is their second lowest ever. Even in polls days right after a huge scandal, the lowest I've ever seen the Independence Party poll at was something like 19%; that's why I've said here that 20% of the country will just vote for them no matter what. This means the Independence Party is always the most powerful party, and them not being in the government coalition is very much the exception.

Framsóknarflokkurinn (The Progressive Party)

Iceland's oldest political party, founded in 1916. Originally it was the farmers' party, and they've historically been most popular in rural areas, where they have longstanding loyalty. They're more or less center to center-right. Historically, they've formed coalitions with both the right and the left, but particularly in the past few decades they have been glued to the Independence Party in particular. They have occasional particular pet issues that they latch onto, but overall it doesn't really feel like they stand for much of anything in particular, other than wanting to maintain the status quo and be in government with (preferably) the Independence Party. They are also against the new constitution and the EU.

Vinstrihreyfingin - grænt framboð (The Left-Green Movement)

Founded in a 1999 split on the left, the Left-Greens are a left-wing party with a focus on equality and the environment, but with enough of a semi-conservative bent to have some common ground with Independence and Progressives on matters like opposing EU membership and being hesitant about the Constitutional Committee's draft constitution. A lot of their voters were very unhappy with them entering into the current coalition with the Independence Party and the Progressive Party (the former in particular); two of their MPs actually left the party after that decision, reducing but not destroying the government's majority.

Samfylkingin (The Social-Democratic Alliance)

Founded in 2000 as a fusion of two parties (hence the 'alliance'), the Social-Democratic Alliance is a center-left social democratic party. They were very popular in the early 2000s, almost rivaling the Independence Party for votes, and formed a coalition government with Independence in 2007, which oversaw the 2008 financial crisis; initially people mostly blamed the Independence Party, allowing the Alliance to become the biggest party in the 2009 election with 29.8% of the vote, but as the following coalition with the Left-Greens had to deal with the fallout of the recession, a lot of anger was directed at the Alliance too, and the party has never managed to recover since, instead hovering between 5-15% of the vote (but still stands strong in some municipal elections and currently leads the Reykjavík city council). They want to join the EU and ratify the new constitution.

Píratar (The Pirate Party of Iceland)

You may have heard of Pirate Parties before, originating with the Pirate Party of Sweden. Iceland is the only country where the Pirate Party has actually managed to get elected to the national parliament, and is an entirely serious political movement. At one point after the revelation of the Panama Papers, the Pirate Party was miraculously polling at 43%; sadly, by the time there was an actual election they'd gone down to 15%. Their primary concerns are transparency, democracy, privacy, human rights and freedoms, and "no bullshit", and among other things they want to establish a universal basic income. A lot of its founders were computer scientists and geeks of various stripes.

They refuse to be classified on the left-right scale, but in practice, their policies are strongly aligned with the leftier parties (one popular website comparing the parties on concrete policy questions for this election classed them as having 90% agreement with the Social-Democratic Alliance, 87% with the Socialists, and 83% with the Left-Greens). They are strongly in favor of ratifying the new constitution.

Miðflokkurinn (The Center Party)

After the 2008 financial crisis, the Progressive Party gained a more populist bent, led by Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, who was prime minister from 2013 until 2016 when he was implicated in the Panama Papers. He was reluctant to resign as prime minister and fully intended to stay as the leader of the party, until the party chose to boot him and replace him with current Progressive leader Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson; Sigmundur Davíð went off to form his own party instead, the Center Party, and took the populist arm of the Progressive Party with him. They're where most of the anti-immigration and anti-LGBTQ vote goes, and along with the People's Party, some of their MPs were implicated in "Klausturgate", a scandal where a disabled woman at a bar overheard and discreetly recorded several MPs (including Sigmundur Davíð) who were drinking together while making a variety of sexist, homophobic and ableist comments about named people including members of their own parties. The Center Party was perfectly happy to keep them on board, which really says all you need to know.

I am unendingly disappointed that the Center Party managed to scrape past the 5% threshold to get parliamentary seats this election; for a glorious moment the early numbers looked like they wouldn't. Last election they managed to get seven MPs, and then the two guys from the People's Party involved in Klausturgate joined up with the Center Party too, giving them nine, so seeing them reduced to almost nothing was still deeply pleasing.

Viðreisn (The Reform Party)

A center-right party that split off from the Independence Party in 2016, largely over the latter's opposition to the EU, while the Reform Party supports EU membership, but also because of the endless scandals, cronyism, etc. The Reform Party instead claim to be proponents of "ethical capitalism" and have so far avoided the major scandals and general douchebaggery of their parent party.

Flokkur fólksins (The People's Party)

A populist party with a primary emphasis on eradicating poverty, especially for the elderly and disabled, letting the nation reap the benefits of our fish instead of the few large fishing companies, funding health care to reduce wait times, and so on. All this is lovely in theory, but unfortunately their rhetoric then goes off into pitting the poor/elderly/disabled against immigrants, Muslims, etc. Chairperson Inga Sæland seems totally well-meaning to me off what I've seen of her (disclaimer: have not actually seen that much), but it also contains less savoury people and sentiments, as seen by two of their MPs being part of the aforementioned Klausturgate. To the party's credit, they did expel those guys, but it's not the only example of the party attracting questionable people.

Sósíalistaflokkur Íslands (The Icelandic Socialist Party)

A hardline democratic socialist party founded in 2017, with this as their first parliamentary election. It looked like they would get MPs in polls, but in the end they didn't. They're led by Gunnar Smári Egilsson, one of the original founders of free newspaper Fréttablaðið, and have a much more radical left rhetoric going on than the other lefty parties, focusing on economic equality, housing, free health care, and a shorter work week. They made some pretty controversial remarks campaigning for this election, such as suggesting replacing all the judges of the Supreme Court if they won't agree to changing the fishing quota system (the argument being that the Independence Party appointed all the judges in an organized bid to maintain the current system), but who knows if that dampened their following or something else. They also want to ratify the new constitution.

#iceland #politics #asks #asks: iceland

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mc-critical · 3 years

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On Hatice’s character, I feel like she more or less was cheated of a better character arc which could’ve made her more likeable or easier to understand (almost everyone I’ve encountered who is into the series has extreme distaste for her character.) Though I don’t necessarily feel any particular form of intensity towards her character I do wish she could have been explored a bit more? I can see why she wasn’t likely due to time constraints/needing to stay consistent with plot lines but it would have been nice to see. I feel like everytime Hatice was on screen, mentioned, or involved in the plot line it was in conjunction to or in relation to Ibrahim. Even after Ibrahim was dead, Hatice’s whole storyline was just..Ibrahim. It was clear that she was emotionally unstable and dealt with attachment issues from the start of the series, likely resulting trauma from her father’s bloody reign. We’re told she was “her parent’s favorite/the spoiled one” according to her siblings, we’re hinted at some sort of past fued between her and Sah but no real context. We rarely got to see her interact with her children. It’s like we only were given tiny bits and pieces of Hatice as her own person and everything else about her just existed to string Ibrahim along. It’s quite sad..what do you think?

Eh, I absolutely adore Hatice as a character and I feel she got a very solid, well-written character arc. I'm pleased with what we got with her in the show and I think that her nuance tends to be massively overlooked.

The center of her character is not really Ibrahim, but rather the line between family and dynasty. And while that seems to be attributed with Ibrahim in the strongest way, it also channels in who Hatice is as a person and her interactions with other characters like her mother, Süleiman and Hürrem.

Hatice has always been the sultana of blood that is closest to the dynasty, but also the one that wants to detach the most from it. As you said, she had lingering trauma from her father's reign /which indeed is only hinted, to be honest, but that's the whole backstory of Selim Yavuz, what we got from his cruelty in the show was basically hints two flashbacks. We were told by Süleiman of his defining deed, we were told by Valide and Hatice that they saw his father in him, but the rest remained pretty much vague, which isn't a problem with Hatice's character. However, it may come off as a problem with SS's character, since more backstory would better explain his paranoia outside of actions of the "suspects" taken out of context, would render Mustafa's death a little more understandable and would highlight even more his character arc, for Selim Yavuz was his "Azraeel", according to him, but that is a post for another day./, but on a more personal note, she has witnessed the death her former husband, which puts her panic and fear over death in another light. Her backstory isn't that focused on, because it's not all that important for her character arc: because while Mahidevran has to get over her past and Şah Sultan tries to consistently set herself for the future, Hatice has to face the events of the present. She's an effective deconstruction of the Princess Classic trope she started up as: an innocent, fragile, kind hearted princess, no sign of trauma whatsoever who strives to create a family of her own, as a bonus. After she meets Ibrahim, she feels like she wants to be in that adventure with him, she not only falls in love with him, but he fills her with hopes and dreams for a better life. Look how when she marries him she wanted to get out of Topkapi as soon as possible and always repeated that she wanted for them to be a family, that she wanted to have piece. Even her love for Ibrahim is much more deep seated than some plain obsession that is only used as a plot device or to prop him up. She's grown with beliefs that have been a part of her life and sometimes she lets them out out of sheer ignorance, no matter how much independence she wants in her personal life. Her whole relationship with Ibrahim is a back and forth conflict between dynasty and family that is only a vector for her arc, not the entirety of it.

It's often ignored how pivotal is Hatice's relationship with Valide. The closeness she has with her, especially compared to her other sisters, shaped up all of Hatice's life long beliefs. Namely Valide is the root of Hatice's love and respect for the dynasty, being next to its female representative her entire life (see also Valide's flashbacks in E58) and witnessing the way she dealt with things, the way she ruled the harem, the way she made decisions. Even Hatice herself considered her as her role model and wanted to be like her. (she told her this in E61) It was as if Valide was a preserver of all the virtues Hatice deemed as worth having. She has a tremendous respect for her and her opinions and this is what brought her to hide her love for Ibrahim more than anything. The respect she has for the ottoman laws and the ottoman dynasty and the ways she got used to them made her to do anything but admitting SS and Valide her true feelings.

Valide is an indirect reason of Hatice's supposedly "inpartial" point of view in the harem that let her judge things more fairly. It's not that Hatice was completely unbiased in her relationships with Mahidevran and Hürrem early on, because oh no, she wasn't, Hatice always was on the dynasty's side in this war, but for her dynasty always advocated fairness and preserving piece and order. She wasn't afraid to call out whoever she thought was wrong at any time and even when her bias had completely (and honestly, rightly in many aspects) impacted her in terms of Hürrem, she wasn't afraid to admit that she was right about Firuze after all. Hatice also has a very reactive personality: she doesn't let anyone provoke her and quickly responds when she's provoked. She's not provoked only about Ibrahim, she's also provoked when it comes to both family and dynasty, overall, seeing Hürrem and Mahidevran quarrel in E11, Fatma and the concubines challenging Hürrem in E47, Mahidevran attempting to kill Hürrem's children in E55, Mihrimah defending Hürrem in E84 etc. Whenever something she cares about is opposed or attacked by someone, she would always spring into action, which is a very consistent trend of her character as a whole.

{There are many reasons why I personally find Hatice sympathetic: she's one of the most ethical characters of the show, acting as a peacekeeper wanting to keep everyone out of their struggle, she's always ready to help, she cherishes love (her wanting to marry Sadıka to Matrakcı), there are so many people she cares about outside of just Ibrahim - Mahidevran, Mustafa, Valide, her sisters and their problems impact her as well, despite of how "self-centered" she may seem at first glance. She, just like MCK Gevherhan, is so humane to everyone she interacts with, trying her very best to empathize with them. (to the point Mahidevran told her in E05 that if she keeps up worrying only about them, she will wither in this palace) Her trauma and circumstance also bring in a lot of empathy for me, because significantly little of it is her own doing, compared to other characters. We see a character that deteoriates both internally and externally often as a consequence of her simply fearing she would lose everyone she loves and that her life would be once again, filled with illnesses and death.}

[Truth be told, I don't get the Hatice hate, like AT. ALL. I don't know about you, but people I've encountered on the Internet couldn't give me a valid reason as to why they hate Hatice so much. They either reduce her to a "whiny", "crying", "spoiled" or "evil" bitch, either say they hate her because she breaks down a lot or because stood up against Hürrem for no reason, which is totally untrue, in my opinion. I genuinely haven't seen one (1) good argument as to why she deserves such ire. They mostly look at a more dimensional version of S03 Hatice and forget everything that set up S03 Hatice, or they hate Hatice exclusively because of S03, which.... eh? I would dare say that there are more reasons to hate Mahidevran than there ever were to hate Hatice (even though the hate directed at Mahidevran is, once again, for all the wrong reasons) and if someone gave me an actually good reason to hate Mahidevran, I would understand, but Hatice? Even her more questionable actions were ultimately provoked by something or someone.]

Her first traumatic experiences in the present is also connected to the kids she's lost. Yeah, giving her more time with her living children and seeing her more as a mother is the one thing I would definetly change in her writing. We didn't get enough of that and it would be a breath of fresh air. But then again, losing so many could've demotivated her and the last time she was pregnant we also had this prevailing, but understandable fear. It also just doesn't play such a big part in her deconstrustion-to-become-flanderization-in-character-development arc.

We gain a gradual, broader perspective into her a bit later in the narrative, and perhaps that eventually broken first impression would cause disappointment - Hatice could be prideful and while she wants to detach from the dynasty for her family, she values her own position and the rights that are offered with it. She could be easily offended by remarks made to startle her. She could be demanding sometimes. But that existed along with her good traits. Hatice was the most reasonable and morally unproblematic character of the main cast overall and by S01/2, that truly showed.

If we refer only to S03 Hatice, it would make a tiny bit more sense for people to not find her that sympathetic. Because while she underwent a good flanderization arc, it's still flanderization and some traits of hers seem to be more present than others in that season, especially knowing the trajectory of said arc. It may look like there isn't a sympathetic reason to do what she does, as if she's like this all of the sudden. But here's the rub: season 3 wasn't supposed to give this much context to Hatice's actions, it's the pay-off of a build-up, the peak of her arc that leads to a resolution. Season 3 wasn't supposed to repeat stuff that has already been established, all Hatice is doing there, has been set up for an entire season, if not more. We already know what's driving her, we already have the sympathetic reasons. That's why all the attention is given to her actions that bring her to tragedy, not to introspective scenes.

Back to Ibrahim's relation to Hatice's character: A common affirmation I hear is that Hatice's rift with Hürrem was caused thanks to Ibrahim and Ibrahim alone. There's so much more to it than that! While we had the scene that started the build-up and the one that ended it be about a possible/already a fact infidelity of Ibrahim's as a parallel, these are only a part of it, not it in its entirety. Keep in mind that the one thing that fully set the upcoming enmity in motion during S03 is Hürrem taking Valide's chambers. And at first Hatice wasn't about to blame Hürrem for it all when she went to tell it to his majesty (her saying to Gülfem that it doesn't matter who told her about the affair) with her claiming that Hü ruined her life only after their confrontation for Valide's chambers. And here we return to the center of Hatice's character: thing is, whether we liked it or not, Hürrem always was a threat to the dynasty in Hatice's eyes. Şah asked her the infamous question: "The dynasty or Ibrahim?" when she was asked why is Hürrem a threat in E81, but I think both are in conjunction, yet independent of each other here. Hatice values tradition just like her mother and Hürrem breaking them all would cause some kind of disturbance. She got distraught right after she was freed and married, claiming that it had to be stopped before it happened, look also how she told Afife Hatun that Hürrem had to be gotten rid of because she caused unrest in the harem! Not only Ibrahim's death, but Valide's death impacted her so much, she thought someone had to supposedly protect the dynasty for what is to come before everything goes haywire and that's what she attempted to do the entire time. In S03A personal motives clearly ran together with the apparent protection of the dynasty (I sometimes like to parallel Hatice's dynasty with Kösem's state in my head, despite that Kösem's urge to protect the state comes more with her role as a ruler and regent and measures out of necessity, while Hatice's comes from willingness to preserve balance and harmony in a more personal level.) and she considered Hürrem as a threat to everything Hatice believes in. She seems to also take on her mother's footsteps in that regard, in a way, using common for Valide methods like sending a concubine to SS etc. She considers Hürrem a threat for her own stability and well-being and that isn't limited to just Ibrahim.

Her relationship with SS is the one that is probably the most connected to Ibrahim, judging by their first more "nuanced" scene for me (him deciding to marry Ibro and Hati) and fallout (the confrontation for Ibrahim's death), but that could be also connected to what Hatice has previously experienced and genuine respect for him as a brother before all the rocky stuff happened. And interestingly, her deep resentment and then despise of him is targeted at him bringing Hürrem to their lives, not simply just killing Ibrahim, though that was also an intensely strong motivator of hers.

Hatice's bond with Mustafa is also strong even before she fell in love with Ibrahim. She also considered him "the future of the dynasty", played with him in the gardens, comforted him in tough times when she could. They didn't have as many scenes together, but the relationship added a good amount of flavor to her character.

A reason why I think Hatice's relationship with Mahidevran is so precious and criminally underrated, is that this is the relationship least centered on Ibrahim, second only to Hatice's with Valide. Their scenes early on is mostly them being there for each other and being happy with each other's moments of good time. They're very bound to each other and are very good friends that still have a dynamic relationship. The temporary S02B fallout between them has everything to do with Hatice's disappointment and disbelief of Mahidevran's own failings. She also threatened something Hatice cared about and did something she didn't expect of her. And that isn't barely noticeable, Hürrem even remarked that Mahidevran is becoming alone in E58. (oh my, I hate this scene with passion, but anyway.) After that their dynamic then remained basically intact for S03, expect that they could act more like allies than friends. But that's a given, due to the more intense events in the palace and the tonal shift of the show.

I find her dynamic with Şah fascinating due to their contrasting personalities and strained, yet loving relationship. The feud between them had enough context given to us through Beyhan's words to Şah in E83: that Hatice not only was Valide's favorite, but she apparently had the life Şah wanted to have, which explains Şah's ambition and supposed distance and secrecy well enough. More backstory would mean destroying the interesting duality in the relationship and wouldn't make Şah's motivation half as interesting and uniquely presented as it was, to be honest. Which is why I find her dynamic with Hatice way more interesting than her dynamic with Hürrem (which is good, too, but pretty generic), but that's also a post for another day. But Hatice is actually the more open person in this dynamic and the one more revealing her feelings. Şah wanted her to move on from her losses, but Hatice objects so strongly because it all has gotten to a completely personal level, with Şah trying to redecorate her castle, it would look like she's trying to change her from the outset, her as a person, which is something Hatice would never agree with. But then again, it's clearly shown that deep down Şah cares about what Hatice wants and is trying to do the best for her in her own way. And the emphasis is again put on family: they still get along and reconcile, setting their differences aside.

Many of Hatice's introspective scenes were with Gülfem and while they talked about Ibrahim many times, we could still see the amount of powerful support between them. Hatice shared everything with Gülfem, it was as if they knew everything about each other. They were each other's comfort.

She showed moral support to Beyhan, as well. That is another familial relationship that shows both casual and profound interactions. It's not there as much, but that's more because of Beyhan's limited screentime, not because of something to do with Hatice.

Even her arc with Ibrahim isn't all about him, but is also tied to the core of her character. The line between dynasty and family drives their whole fallout and if it wasn't there, the conflict between them wouldn't ever take place. Hatice ultimately forgiving Ibrahim is more about her getting out of her own dynastic outlook, which is a relevant character development of hers that happens along with her flanderization. And that plot-line is as important as the flanderization, even more so, and it pushes it forward. It was a resolution of the conflict with family and dynasty in Hatice, not exactly forgiving Ibrahim just for Ibrahim. (that is also a factor, no doubt, because she loves him and he is a part of her character, but not all her character.)

Overall, for me Hatice is a multi-faceted, amazing character that is actually very fleshed out in the span of three seasons. I don't find much issue with her writing: everything that happened with her is logical and well-explained if you look closely enough and I don't want more for her arc. It was original and outstanding for what it was, both as a character concept and a dynastic sultana of the franchise.

#magnificent century #muhteşem yüzyıl #muhtesem yuzyil #hatice sultan #ask #stuffandthangs

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cowabungacafe · 4 years

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hi! could i request a tmnt matchup please? i'm rather short (1,60cm), chubby, and i look like a mix of 90's grunge and early 2000 emo. i'm anti-authority, and i am a leader, not a follower. if i don't think that a rule makes sense, or is useful, i'm not going to follow it. however, i'm mostly pretty obedient, and i don't cause much trouble. some people see me as a big brother type of person, because i protect and support when needed, and i have a 'caretaker' type persona. i can succeed at everything i *want* to succeed at, the rest doesn't interest me. i present myself as incredibly confident, hella sassy, sarcastic and like i don't have a care in the world, even though i'm really sensitive, introverted, kinda timid and insecure. i cry a lot over small things, and beat myself up relentlessly when i make mistakes. in general, i don't think highly of myself at all, but l would never outright admit that, or speak up. i just really hate having to trust someone with my emotions. i love making people around me laugh, it makes me really happy. i can be a bit petty, and teasing, but only in a joking manner. i actually get flustered really easily, and i never initiate anything, even though i adore physical affection of any kind. what most people are surprised by is my fair and unbiased way of judging. i stand up for anyone who is treated unfairly, even if i have to stand my own against authority (which makes me incredibly nervous). then again, i'm unable to protect myself, and i just quietly take everything that is said to me. i get scared really easily, and i'm afraid of being hit or yelled at. hope this was okay♡

My oh my! I have to admit this was pretty hard. And i thought about this for one whole day and then it hit me who im gonna match u up with. Thank you for requesting, i hope you got who you wanted.

The above gif is the vibe you gave me and also i love this gif

I match you with

Raphael

Why i matched you with your result

You are leaderly and hardly wanna be a follower and an anti-authority, which resonates with raphs rebel vibes. If there's a rule that you think is wrong, you dont follow it no matter what. Just like raph, if raph thinks there some rules that literaly have no meaning he wont follow it and none can make him.

You show as if you are tough and dgaf about the world but deep down you're just a soft plushie baby who needs to be hugged tightly, same as raph, raph shows as if he doesn't care about this world and often talks about leaving his bros and starting his life separately, but the truth is quite opposite. He is very insecure and he thinks he doesn't deserve his bros.He cares and loves his brothers and the world deeeeply and can't think of a live without them. He says those stuff to maintain the "hardcore" persona. He too carries the sarcastic and sassy af vibe.

You will help someone and anyone in need no matter what the circumstances, even if its one man vs the world. Raph too will fight the demons if he have to to save someone he thinks is in need.

Just like you, raph too shows as if he doesn't get shy but thats not true, he is just a soft cinnamon roll in "badboy" skin. So any type of physical touch makes this red bandana mutant a full on tomato. Yes he is that flustered.

Raph is the most sarcastic of the brothers(i just checked that from the tmnt wiki)and will always go around throwing petty snarky comments on his smart-brain brothers(leo and donnie especially lol) so here too you resonate with him.

Raph is a pretty good brother i like to think even more reasonable than leo (as he argued with leo why mikey doesnt get a vote on the secrecy of purple ooze). Maybe thats why mikey is seen around raph more bcus raph too gives those protective big brother who may come off as harsh but will listen to your problems with open ears. (Maybe thts why he became the eldest brother in rottmnt). Here too you match with him.

Raph is reluctant on telling someone about his emotions as he thinks it will hamper his hardcore mode, until you came( read along the random hcs )

Although considered the hothead of the group, raphs sense of judgement isnt that far behind fron leos.

After mikey, raph is probably the second jokester, maybe not on the same level of mikey but pretty snarky and petty jokes lol.

Sometimes he breaks down when he realises that how the decision he took was wrong and how much it has affected not only him but his near and dear ones too. Like in the 2016, the stealing of the purple ooze from the police hqs made their existence known and April and Casey were taken into custody.

Random headcanons of both of you when together

Your first meeting is prolly when he was out on a patrol and saw u trying save an old lady who was getting mugged. He was watching from the rooftop the whole time, of how you advanced and told the robber to leave her alone with apparently no weapon in hand, until he came down when he felt like its showtimee!!

When you find some fault in Leo's plan/strategy you point them out right away and raph cant help but admire you and mouth the word "thats my girl", finally he has someone to back his ass up.

Your leadership qualities are excellent and even sensei confirmed that and raphs chest grew 4 inches wider with a permanent grin on his face and sending snarky looks towards leo, who is just rolling their eyes away.

Though he is usually the tough guy, but with you its a whole different thing. He shows a diff side to you, the side not many has witnessed. He is usually soft and goofy around you, if you're tired he will bring some food over at your place or just take you out for a lil dinner on the rooftops. He will spoil you with things you like.

He knows that you're pretty sensitive and flinch and gets scared of scolding or yelling(he knew it from the first time he had a fight with you and he raised his voice then suddenly he saw your eyes filling up with tears. From then on, he is always careful around you)

Everytime you cry whether be it a sad movie or someone which made you cry, he will cuddle with you and cradle you while brushing your hair and humming some lullaby which sensei used to sing to him.

#tmnt raphxreader #tmnt bayverse #tmnt #tmnt raph #tmnt raph x reader #tmnt raphael #tmnt raphael x reader #tmnt matchup #tmnt mstchups #tmnt ask #tmnt asks #tmnt ask box open #askbox open #tmnt askbox open

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yellraiser · 4 years

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Sweet Love Soiree 2k21: The Piers Interview Originally by @kalosian-writer

“Before we start, I want to make one thing clear: I’m not here for rumor mills or sensationalism. I want my article to be a proper reflection of what’s going on. So please don’t try to feed me rumors as truth, alright?”

“Of course, of course. No rumours or anythin’ like that here.”

“Tell me a bit about yourself, mon ami. Is this your first competition, or if it’s not, how long have you been participating, either competing or spectating? Have you participated, specifically, in a Trainer Showcase before?”

“This’ll be my first time, funny enough. Back in Galar, we don’t really ‘ave anything like this, so it’s all new fer me.”

“What sort of background do you come from-are you a trainer, a breeder, a coordinator, or perhaps something else? Do you see this giving you any advantage in the competition/do you think you’ll enjoy the performances more?”

“I mean... I’m a trainer, of sorts. Used t’be a Gym Leader, even, but that was never my preference. I’m more of a performer, an’ I’m hoping that’s gonna give me SOME way of evenin’ the odds, but if it doesn’t, then that’s fine.”

“What are your thoughts on the competition here today? It looks like we have quite a diverse cast of Pokémon fans present. Anyone you know? Rivals, perhaps?”

“Well, I recognize Leon, that’s fer sure. He an’ I go back a ways. But the one that worries me th’ most is Wallace. I figured this’d be a good entry-level bout to try something new, somethin’ fun fer the team, but the instant I saw that THE Wallace was involved... Yeeeeaah, there goes any chance o’ me winning.”

“How are you feeling about this showcase in general? Are you nervous at all?”

“Oh, of course, I’m nervous. I’m gonna go up on stage and make a gorgeous fool of m’self and my Pokemon. But whenever y’get the pre-show jitters, the only way to get rid of them is to just get on with it... And then maybe stay the night in someone else’s hotel room afterwards until the regret stops.”

“Were you here for the last Sweet Love Soiree, or did you tune into that? If so, has that affected any of your choices going into this event?”

“I can say with one hundred percent certainty that I have no [BEEP]ing clue what happened in the last one.”

“Which have you decided to pour more energy into: your Theme or your Freestyle? Why? Which do you feel more confident about?”

“I’m going with... Uh... I think it was Theme? The one about love. Feel like that’s more in m’wheelhouse than doing something about forgiveness.”

“Can you give us any hints about either of your performances? Without spoiling it, what do you think will make your entries stand out?”

“Prolly the aesthetic of it. It’s gonna be perfect.”

“How did you chose the Pokémon partners you’ll be using in this competition? Are you trying to pick Pokémon to stick with the themes, or going with Pokémon that have experience competing?”

“Y’could say mine’ve got experience, yeah. Jobber’s been with me since day one, an’ Serj is a member of his own band, back in Galar. Only odd one out’s Insky, but I figured if I need t’make a spectacle, who better t’bring than a Malamar?”

“Speaking of themes, what are your thoughts on them? They’re obviously tied too very strong feelings. If you care to share, are you going to play directly to either of them, or diverge?”

“I’m absolutely going t’play to the theme of love. I sing songs fer a living, love is one of the easiest things to do anything with, an’ I fully intend to play t’that because it’s the safest possible option here. Wallace is involved, so I’ve already lost, might as well lose with as much grace as possible.”

“Are you concerned about the scoring? With the three judges prioritizing different elements, it seems like it might be hard to appeal to all three. Do you worry about any drama erupting, or do you believe the talents of you and your Pokémon will shine through and make things go smoothly?”

“Look. We’re gonna go out there, we’re gonna do our best, we’re gonna be beaten by someone who held the title of Champion somewhere in the world, and then we’re gonna go home. This song may be new, but our dance to it remains the same, drama or nah.”

“To say there’s been drama in the past, both with All Hallow’s and the Sweet Love Soiree, would be a terrible understatement. How do you think things will differ this time around, given the circumstances? Do you think they’ll change at all? Are there any other changes you think should have been made for the sake of transparency or fairness?”

“Only change I c’n think of is that there’ll be an Obstagoon-lookin’ cadaver of an ex-Gym Leader wonderin’ what the hell’s happenin’ as it all comes collapsing down around ‘em. History may repeat itself, who knows, but this time I guueeessss I’ll be ‘round to see it?”

“What are your thoughts on the judges in general? Do you think we have a good, well-rounded group this time around? Do you think more judges will lead to more accurate, unbiased scores? Or are you worried about anyone playing favorites or holding grudges?”

“I don’t know the judges, but I bet they’ll hold grudges... Wait, hang on, can I change my answer there, that came out as a rhyme... I mean that they’ll likely be playin’ faves, everyone does. It’s just how humans are. Can certainly say that at least two of ‘em look the sort that I’d try t’play to, though.”

“’Forgiveness’ and ‘change’ are major themes surrounding this event at large, and for good reason. On a personal level, how strongly do you believe in these themes?”

“I’d rather not comment on this. Do come down t’Spikemuth sometime, though!”

“Similarly, what are your thoughts on the change of venue for this event? Do you think this will have any effect on what plays out? Why or why not?”

“I don’t think so. Why, was it somewhere else before?”

“Do you think, given the quality of assistance she’s had, Ursula is capable of change and growth as she wants us to see? Or do you think that faith is misguided? If you think she hasn’t changed, do you think Zoey, Tobias, and Ezra can keep her in line for the event?”

“I don’t really know this Ursula, but from what I’ve heard, an’ speaking from experience, I wouldn’t trust her to tell me the time of day. Good luck reelin’ that piece of work in, judges.”

“How would you describe the current atmosphere here, in light of these changes? Hopeful? Uncertain?”

“I dunno, just... An atmosphere? I’m not really here to read the room, I’m more just here t’compete and see how I do. Might even try this more regularly, depending on how it goes...”

“Is there anything else you’d like to say about this competition? I’m admittedly going to leave soon to get this article going, but I hope everything goes smoothly for you!”

“Not really? But thank you fer the luck, and your time. And look forward to seein’ me possibly bin it out on a major stage.”

“Do you have any other thoughts about this event, or any suspicions? I’m not going to publish them since, like I said, I’m not one for rumors. But I personally want to know what I might want to be keeping an eye on in case things do happen. Have you seen or heard anything suspicious?”

“There is... One guy I’ve seen around, with this green-ish hair... Isn’t he the guy from Team Plasma?? He kinda looks like how I remember seein’ him, but that was forever ago...”

#ilwd2k21interviews #kalosian-writer #B-Side | OOC #ilwd2k21

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javajunkieao3 · 5 years

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Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers Reunion Series

Peggy joins the PTA.

During her thirty or so years, Peggy had encountered her fair number of foes. Red Skull. Dottie Underwood. Whitney Frost. She crossed paths with unparalleled evil, or at least she thought it was unparalleled, until she sat in the basement of the Willowbrook preschool, listening as blatant opportunist, Barbara Pickens, dictated the plans for the annual holiday revue.

Each year the students performed in a holiday show for the parents, taking part in small musical numbers that ended up being entertaining more for whose child wondered off stage than musical prowess. There was an unspoken hierarchy with the musical numbers, and Peggy stewed silently as she saw her daughter, Sarah, was put in a meager chorus midway through the second act. Barbara Pickens’ daughter was in no less than three numbers, her mother feigning surprise when Peggy highlighted that fact.

“We needed to even out the numbers,” Barbara said, voice sweet while her eyes warned against any challenge. Peggy was never one to back down from a challenge, but she didn’t want to make a scene at her daughter’s school, so she waited until after the meeting in her kitchen.

“That insufferable arse goes ahead and puts her daughter in three numbers and Sarah is only in one,” Peggy vented loudly, pacing in her kitchen. “It is complete and utter codswallop - “

Steve smirked at the British slang. Peggy always tended to go a bit native when she was angry.

“I’m telling you, ever since I joined that ridiculous board she has had it in for me,” Peggy said. “And I can take the looks. The backhanded comments about my work. But, when it impacts my daughter, that’s where it ends.”

Steve had doubts as to whether any of this actually impacted their daughter - she seemed to care very little about the show - but he knew better than to interfere when his wife was on a mission, whether professional or personal.

“What are you planning on doing?” Steve asked.

Peggy lifted her chin defiantly and said, “What I do best. Get to work.”

Like any other mission, Peggy diligently assessed the strengths and weaknesses of her adversary. Barbara Pickens was well connected in the community and had the type of sway that kept people quiet out of fear of becoming ostracized. Peggy lacked such concerns - she spent most of her twenties being ostracized one way or another in the SSR - but she deduced that a head on attack was not the way to win this war. She needed leverage.

One evening after putting Sarah to bed, Peggy sat at the kitchen table poring over old financial records for the school. Steve walked into the kitchen for a glass of milk and Peggy said, “Listen to this, Willowbrook hasn’t had new costumes for the revue in the last five years. Maybe I can call Howard and see if he’ll donate some.”

Steve looked over from the refrigerator and said, “You’re going to bribe the woman into giving Sarah more numbers?”

“Bribe is such a strong word.”

“And an accurate one,” Steve said, pouring himself a glass of milk and then sitting across from his wife. He picked up one of the financial records and asked, “Where did you even get these?”

“They’re public record,” she said airily.

“I don’t understand why you’re fighting this so much,” he said. “Sarah couldn’t care less about this show.”

“She’s too young to see what is happening,” Peggy said. “That’s why she has us. To protect her.”

“I don't disagree with you,” Steve said carefully. “If she was being bullied or was in danger, yes, it is absolutely our job to protect her. But here, I don’t see the harm.”

“Well, I do, and it is my job to protect her. No, it is my duty as her mother to protect her from things like this. I can’t just sit by and watch it happen.”

Steve sensed something behind her words and he gently asked, “Peg, what’s going on here?”

“It’s exactly what I told you,” Peggy repeated. “This is unfair to her.”

Steve remembered what Peggy said earlier about this woman judging her for working, and he said, “You don’t need to fight every battle to be a good mother.”

“I know that.”

“And you are a good mother. The best, if you ask me.”

He saw tears well in her eyes, and she murmured, “You’re not exactly an unbiased opinion, dear.”

He grasped her hand in his. “I am grateful that our daughter will grow up with such a loving and strong mother. Everything you are, everything you do, is part of that."

Peggy nodded, wiping at her eyes. She looked down at the papers in front of her and let out a sharp exhale before she said, “Dear God, I was going to bribe the woman.”

Steve laughed and leaned forward, rubbing her back. “It wasn’t your best moment of judgment.”

“These weren’t public record,” she said in a small voice.

“Yes, I had a feeling they weren’t,” Steve said, standing up. “Come on, let’s get to bed and we can shred them in the morning.”

She stood and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his chest. She took in his familiar smell - a mix of lemon and oak - and murmured, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “But we probably should get you off the PTA.”

#steggy #Peggy carter x steve rogers #Peggy Carter #Steve Rogers #steggy domestic au #40s!steve #40s!steggy #endgame

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raeynbowboi · 5 years

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Grading the Ships of MHA

So, I’ve talked about my opinions of ships, but something people don’t really talk about is the actual quality of the ships as actual relationships. Under completely clinical statistics and unbiased facts, which ships are the strongest and healthiest. That is to say, examining the building blocks that relationships are built upon and quantifying the strength and value of that relationship.

So the qualities all of the ships will be judged on is:

Propinquity: A quantifier of two people’s closeness, propinquity measures how close and familiar two people are with one another. The more time they spend together and the more two characters talk to and engage with one another, the higher their propinquity score. Since they’re all classmates who see each other every day and live together in the same dorm room, seeing each other out of class too, there will be an unnaturally high propinquity rate among these characters.

Compatibility: In this category, I weigh their outlooks, personalities, shared experiences, beliefs, and opinions to determine how compatible the two are with one another. How well can they get along, how much do they enjoy each other’s company, and how likely they are to agree on something.

Sustainability: In this category, I evaluate their ability to maintain a long-lasting relationship. How good are they as a support system for one another? Do they have compatible desires and end goals for life? Someone who wants lots of kids isn’t very sustainable with someone who hates children. How much do they help each other grow and improve as people? Is this relationship rewarding and beneficial to all parties? Are they better for having known each other? How likely are they to get into fights? How rocky or stable would a long term relationship between them be?

IZUCHAKO

First up, Propinquity. These two do spend a lot of time together. They’re both part of the same friend group, and hang out both during and after school. As such, they see a lot of each other and are comfortable around each other. They regularly talk to each other and although I don’t think we’ve ever seen them text or call one another (my memory is not perfect) I wouldn’t be surprised if they have each other’s numbers. However, they haven’t really worked their way up to hanging out alone with just each other, which tells me they haven’t gotten fully comfortable with each other yet. So for their propinquity, I'll give them an A-.

When it comes to compatibility, these two get along pretty well. They seem to have complimentary character traits that work well off each other. There appears to be a pretty solid understanding between them. However, I do have to detract a few points from their score due to Uraraka. Because we don’t know much of her interests, hobbies, fears, flaws, or character traits, it’s hard to get a solid grasp on just how well they balance each other out. But this doesn’t really seem to be in the way of how well they get along, so I’d be willing to leave them with a B. Good, but it’ll be better when Uraraka has more traits to work off of.

In terms of sustainability, these two could co-exist for a long time. Now granted, Uraraka doesn’t have much in the way of flaws or personality yet, so it’s hard to say for sure what she’s like in an argument, or how she handles stress. The biggest weakness for these two might just be that they’re too similar, and that they might share the same weaknesses, which means that rather than necessarily making each other stronger, they just share the same flaws. Now, these two have changed each other, at least a little bit. Just not by much. Uraraka called the nickname ‘Deku’ cute, leading Midorya to reclaim the word as a hero identity, and Uraraka is inspired by Midoriya in literally the same way the entire rest of the class is. So nothing too mind blowing, and nothing that’s really a big part of either of their characters. Still, they’d be able to get along pretty well, and I’m willing to give them an A in all around sustainability.

KACCHAKO

When it comes to propinquity, these two are abysmal. Sure, they see each other a lot in class and at the dorms, but these two rarely interact with each other. To be fair, Bakugo doesn’t really talk to any of the girls in his class, and he probably talks to Uraraka the most aside from Ashido and Jiro who are actually in his friend group. Even then, it’s only in rare instances that he even acknowledges her. She’s not much better. She’s talked about Bakugo a bit, mostly to Midoriya, but when it comes to actually holding a conversation, they both fall short. And just seeing someone a lot doesn’t automatically mean a good propinquity score. I have to give them a D for only meeting the bare bones requirements of knowing each other.

These two have nothing in common. Aside from both wanting to be heroes, these two have no shared interests to bond over, no real rhyme or reason to trust each other, and they don’t really seem to care much for each other’s company. Bakugo makes no or at least very few attempts at communication, and Uraraka doesn’t particularly like Bakugou’s general personality. Where as Kirishima started off finding Bakugo horrible and warmed up to him, Uraraka doesn’t really seem to have that much better of an opinion of Bakugo now than she did when she first met him. I have to give them an F for completely failing to have any common grounds between them.

While it might appear that these two can at least coexist peacefully in a house together, that’s not a very solid reason for them to be in a committed relationship. A lack of trust, respect, and communication is going to quickly dissolve this relationship. The only reason they don’t get an F in sustainability is because Bakugo and Uraraka live together at the dorms without being at each other’s throats constantly, so they can at the very least coexist. So, I’ll give them a D.

BAKUDEKU

Judging Bakudeku’s propinquity is a bit difficult. On one hand, they’ve known each other since Kindergarten, and thus know each other better than most other people. As such, they should have a pretty high propinquity. On the other hand, most of those years, Bakugo actively looked down on, bullied, and harassed Deku, which would severely decrease their propinquity. Ultimately, I would have to say that at the start of the series,their propinquity was at about a D-. They knew each other pretty well, but their relationship was heavily strained and antagonistic. However, they have slowly been getting better. I don’t think I would necessarily call them friends yet. More like students who are forced to be around each other. They don’t hang out together, they don’t call or text each other, there’s no after school meetups or training together or anything like that in their near future. As such, I would give them a current score of a D+. They’re improving, but they have a long way to go.

Bakugo and Midoriya do have a lot in common. They come from the same background, and have a lot of shared experiences that are unique to the two of them. However, all these similarities are held back by Bakugo’s constant aggression toward Midoriya. This dynamic is not a peaceful one. Even with living in the same dorm building, I would come closer to calling their living together an ability to act civil around each other, rather than an actual coexistence. So because this compatibility is a bit in the middle of the road, but still needs a bit of work, I’m going to give them a grade of C-.

Yeah, as of right now, these two would not last long as a couple. Bakugo is too hostile and demanding, and while Midoriya is improving on the matter, Midoriya tends to just collapse and give in to whatever Kacchan’s angry about without putting up a fight. In a real relationship, this is a gross imbalance of power, giving Bakugo an unfair amount of control over the two of them. Not to mention that any time the two of them had a fight, Midoriya would either fold as soon as Bakugo started yelling, or it would escalate to a fist fight. These two are not yet in a healthy enough place with each other to live together long-term as romantic partners. They also get in the way of each other’s dreams, since they both want to be the #1 hero, which puts them in competition with each other. Which means if either of them achieves their dream, it will sour the other person’s feelings, and jeopardize the relationship. I give their sustainability a D.

KIRIBAKU

For propinquity, these two are pretty golden. The two of them are nearly inseparable. It’s pretty rare to see one of them without the other one being nearby. They’re part of the same friend circle, hang out alone together, study together, and when Bakugo was invited to I Island, he chose to bring Kirishima as his plus one where we learned they’re comfortable sharing a room and a bed since Bakugo didn’t voice any complaint about it. Although I don’t think we’ve ever gotten confirmation that they have each other’s phone numbers, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. So for this very close bond, I think they’re deserving of an A on their propinquity score.

Kirishima and Bakugo are very compatible. Bakugo’s anger and aggression, which is off-putting to most, is little more than a nuisance to Kirishima, and because of his hardening quirk, Kirishima is one of the few people who is not afraid of Bakugo’s temper. Kirishima is also the only person Bakugo ever refers to by name, which is Bakugo’s way of showing respect and trust. Even some of Kirishima’s more annoying traits which might normally infuriate Bakugo are still things Bakugo is willing to tolerate and put up with. For instance, Bakugo normally hates it when anyone walks ahead of him or beside him, but he lets Kirishima get away with it. All things considered, they deserve an A on their compatibility.

When it comes to maintaining a sustainable relationship, Kiribaku is looking good. While Bakugo desires to be the #1 hero, Kirishima just wants to be a good hero, thus they aren’t brought into direct confrontation with one another to achieve their ambitions. We have already had it spelled out for us that Bakugo is less of a dickbutt than he used to be, and that it’s directly Kirishima’s influence that caused this change. Likewise, when Kirishima has been left feeling bad about himself, it was thinking of Bakugo and his words that have helped Kirishima deal with his own insecurities. There’s also not a lot of judgment between the two of them. Sure there’s a bit of teasing, but they’re not really vicious when they point out each other’s shortcomings. So, both men are already canonically better off and stronger for having known each other. They’ve helped each other grow and break past their limits. We haven’t really seen them get in a fight yet, but we have seen that Kirishima knows how to handle Bakugo’s temper. Where Midoriya folds in on himself and yields in the face of Bakugo’s anger, Kirishima just tells him to knock it off and to stop being such an ass. While Kirishima admires Bakugo, he never lets it blind him to Bakugo’s flaws, which he has no problem pointing out to him. Thus, I’d give these guys an A for their sustainability.

So in summation: Kiribaku is very well structured. They work well off each other, and there’s a strong enough bond of trust and respect to sustain a long-lasting and healthy relationship. Izuchako is very solid and is only held back by Uraraka’s lacking character development. Hopefully she’ll get her own backstory chapters like Kirishima did, and the couple will be more solid in the future. Bakudeku have some history, which helped increase their all around score, but they still have a lot to work through before they’re anywhere near ready to be in a relationship together. They’re still working toward being friends. But as their dynamic improves, hopefully their score will increase. And at the bottom of the barrel, Kacchako did way worse than I was expecting. They have nothing in common, no chemistry, barely interact, and don’t really see eye-to-eye on much. There’s not really any substance to this relationship. It’s pretty much a crack ship. There’s nothing for this relationship to fuel itself with, so it would just burn up into nothing but smoke and dust before it implodes in on itself.

So, this has been a purely clinical analysis of these ships. And before you go shouting bias, I actually like Kacchako more than Bakudeku. But the facts are that at least Bakugo and Midoriya have history, which is more than Kacchako can say. I’m merely rating and contrasting as I see fit to what works and what doesn’t based on how real life relationships are valued.

#mha ships #bnha ships #kiribaku #kacchako #bakudeku #izuchako #mha #bnha #ships #shipping

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bitofthisandthat · 5 years

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hoopsheartthrob said: ♛ ♧ ☞ glad!

MY MUSE’S PHILOSOPHY MEME!

♛ : If your muse were a ruler, how would they use their power?

Immediately start delegating. Or Abdicate. Yeah, he’s not going to give a single damn about any of that governing crap, he thinks anyone involved in it is crazy and flawed. And he’s never one to get his hands dirty for anything he doesn’t want to do. Nor does he want to DO that much work, and ruling anything is nothing but endless work and stress. His Luck would nix out too because he’s not supposed to exert any effort in anything he doesn’t want to do, as part of the cosmic agreement. And he’s unapologetically selfish. And unapologetically neutral about life with or without his Luck. His personal opinion on people as a whole, is that you can’t please everyone and if you try you end up compromising your own beliefs and flow, and so why give a damn? People suck. It’s best to only love, care, exert yourself for the people in your life that matter, and no one else’s opinions or wants should impact that. Because everyone has a different idea for their utopia, and they’re all not cohesive or helpful to everyone else. So, just care about your family and loved ones, and “fuck the world,” essentially. He’s a “happy” nihilist in a way. Ehhh...Hedonist is a better word. But then he also believes in the afterlife and everyone’s cultures being valid, so it’s hard to say where he 100% stands.

He just knows, he would NEVER want to be in charge of anyone, any place, anybody. He’s seen both sides of the aisle, and he just laughs. Because if you truly are neutral like him, you’d understand no change will ever work, people are people, they’re gonna be assholes no matter what YOU believe. So why care???

♧ : Is fate something your muse believes in?

Yes. He’s living it. Doesn’t mean he’s 100% okay with it, he knows there’s trade-offs that come with a cosmic contract. Love/approval from certain family members being one, and the fact he’s kinda doomed to never have True Love™. My thoughts on that is that REAL partnership-love requires work, to not be so superficial about everything, to be honest/open at all times and accept not everything is going to be “perfect” all the time. And he’s always struggling with those concepts. But another key reason he believes in fate is due to his mother’s influence; even as a toddler he recalls her gentle words about it. ANNND the big fact the Duck/McDuck/Gander/Coot family is entangled in SO MUCH fate-driven tales and lore, that it’s part of the family philosophy. Yes, they also believe “you’re the master of your own destiny,” but a fair chunk of their line has been influenced by the supernatural and other unexplainable ties.

☞ : Would your muse call out someone who does something bad on a busy street?

Nope. Sorta. Ordinarily, he won’t care. He’ll only step in if it’s someone in his family or a loved one is getting the victim end of it. Anyone else? Eh. Not his problem. He really doesn’t get involved in anyone’s drama. He may even think: “Maybe they asked for it. Who am I to judge what’s happening...what’s the WHOLE story?” Or if it’s a clear cut victim/attacker-type deal, he may text the police, but then trot off, and not stick around to see the aftermath. He’s eerily calm and unbiased about a LOT of negativity in the world. It goes in line with his fate/karma beliefs.

If it’s family or a loved one, he’s gonna be a dick and say something cutting and devastating to the offender, because he has a VERY cruel mean-streak under all that charm. If the person hurting/offending his loved one is bad enough, he’ll utilize his Good Luck to make them pay. Horribly. Because the angrier the goose is at the offender in his life? The worse off their life is gonna get.

@hoopsheartthrob

#hoopsheartthrob #asks #MY MUSE’S PHILOSOPHY MEME!#🍀GLADSTONE GANDER 🍀#HEADCANON || GLADSTONE

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ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes · 6 years

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Happier Part 9

Summary: After another fight with his girlfriend of five years, Sebastian needs to make a tough decision. But after the breakup, things get even messier

Chapter Summary: Sebastian and Tegan lay it all down in therapy. Sort of a boring chapter but there it is

Warnings: Just emotions

Note: I’m doing 25 Days of Sebmas so make sure to check it out!

“Tegan, it’s very nice to meet you.”

The actress felt she was under a huge amount of pressure. Not even shooting a scene in a movie could compare. She sat a huge bundle of stress on the firm couch by herself. A decorative pillow supported her lower back as she rested a hand on her abdomen for a sense of comfort. The clock on the wall ticked quietly and a white noise machine by the door drowned out the sound from the waiting room outside.

The middle-aged therapist sat across from her. Her legs crossed, a notebook resting on her lap and a kind smile on her face. She wasn’t intimidating, the situation was.

But Tegan knew that in order to heal she had to be a little uncomfortable. At least, that’s what Victoria told her at their coffee date before Sebastian picked her up for the appointment.

Sebastian remained in the waiting room. The therapist, Liz, wanted to talk to Tegan alone first.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Sebastian’s said a lot of good things about you,” Tegan replied politely.

“He’s said some wonderful things about you as well.”

“Really?” Tegan raised an eyebrow.

“That surprises you?”

Oh good, they were already getting into it. Tegan swallowed and wove her fingers together across her growing stomach. “I mean we’ve had our ups and downs. I can’t say I’ve always been pleasant towards him.” She admitted.

“We’ll talk about it with him but I wanted to get your side of everything. It’s my job to be an unbiased onlooker to your relationship. Think of me as the referee.” She explained in a soothing voice. “You two can say whatever you want to each other here but I’m going to make sure that things don’t get out of hand like they have in the past. I’ll call for a break if we need one and I’ll help you both take a step back and think about what you’re saying and what the other is saying too. It’s a two-way street.”

“Okay.” Tegan actually liked the sound of that. She couldn’t gain insight when they were alone so maybe this was a good way to get that feedback from someone who wasn’t knee deep in the relationship. Even people like her mother or Victoria were too involved to be fair.

“Tell me what you think the main issue in your relationship with Sebastian has been.”

Tegan took a moment to think. “I guess our relationship has never been conventional. We met on a movie set and sort of became…infatuated with each other. I wanted everything all at once with him. I wanted to move in together, get married, and have kids. I never really stopped to think about setting up a foundation. I love him and I always have. I feel like I know him well but we never formed a steady relationship we just jumped headfirst into it without looking back. So when my father died and we weren’t on the same page…I guess it just fell apart because we hadn’t learned how to support each other.”

“That’s good, you have great awareness of the situation,” Liz replied as she jotted down a few things. “Is there anything else you want to add before we bring Sebastian in?”

She shook her head. “No, I think I’m ready.”

“Alright, and if you need a break at any time don’t be afraid to ask.” Liz stood up to call Sebastian into the office.

He walked in with a nervous smile and sat down beside Tegan on the couch.

“Tegan was just sharing her thoughts on the relationship. I wanted to open up the conversation for you to if you want, express your thoughts on the subject. If you want to talk about how you feel, what your expectations are, and maybe what you hope for moving forward.” Liz suggested as she resumed her position in front of them. “Just want to remind you both that it’s probably better not to point fingers but instead be upfront about how you personally feel.”

There was a moment of silence, Tegan averted her eyes to the floor and looked at her shoe near Sebastian’s. They were in the same boat. Someone had to start steering.

“I was telling Liz that my impression of the relationship is that maybe we moved too fast in the beginning. I feel like we didn’t take the time to really form our relationship on a steady foundation.” Tegan said. Her words not coming out as confident as she would have liked them to.

“Yeah, I felt the same way. I think we didn’t expect something like your father’s death and just assumed everything would be perfect the whole relationship.”

“Right.” She nodded. “I don’t think either of us knew how to handle it and we weren’t sure how to break the cycle of fighting.”

“Tegan, I’m interested to know what you thought about how your relationship was after you found out you were pregnant.” Liz wondered.

“Well…” She shifted in discomfort. She wasn’t sure how much Sebastian had delved into their actions behind closed doors. “It definitely wasn’t great. I think we tried to work things out, but really didn’t know how to do it.”

“So your intentions were good?”

“Yeah…Sebastian really wanted to be a part of the baby’s life and I respected that. I’m assuming we just had a lot of unresolved stuff that got in the way.”

“You think you needed to refocus?” Liz suggested.

“Yeah definitely.”

Sebastian nodded. “I think so too.”

“His apology really helped. It resolved a lot of hurt that I felt.” Tegan added.

He smiled slightly and touched her hand. “I’m just sorry I didn’t do it sooner.”

Tegan felt more comfortable sitting there and interlaced her fingers with his.

“Tegan, Sebastian mentioned that you two might have used intimacy to try and mend your relationship or express emotions. What do you think about that?”

The actress let out a nervous giggle and her cheeks went red. “Yeah we for sure tried to solve things that way but it obviously didn’t work.”

“Have you been intimate since Sebastian’s apology?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Sebastian and Tegan looked at each other as they instantly contradicted each other.

“No?” She raised an eyebrow at him. Sebastian just shrugged and shook his head.

“So there’s a different opinion on that.” The therapist tapped the end of her pen on the notebook. “Do you both want to clarify?”

“Well, we…I mean last night…” Tegan’s neck heated up and she had to shrug off her sweater to get more comfortable.

“This is a totally safe space, I won’t judge you,” Liz assured her.

“Last night we took a bath together.” She rushed out the words to get it over with.

“Yeah but we didn’t…” Sebastian cleared his throat. “We didn’t do anything.”

“Wouldn’t you consider it intimate though?” She asked.

“You two do seem to have different definitions of what intimacy is.” Liz agreed. “Tegan, why don’t you let us know what you define it as.”

“Uh…” Her free hand rubbed over her stomach slowly. “I just think intimacy means like…stuff you wouldn’t do with other people. It’s stuff you would just do with your partner.” She struggled to find the words. “Like I wouldn’t take a bath with my friend.”

“I just thought it meant more sexual things but I see your point. Yes, I would consider it intimate.” Sebastian ceded.

It was amazing to have a disagreement like that and not have it explode into an argument. Maybe therapy did work.

“Okay, good, so we’ve solved that. What do you think about being intimate now that you’re working out some issues.”

Tegan relaxed a little the more they discussed it. “Sebastian and I talked about being lonely. I guess that’s what led to it. I’m not sure I would be ready to have sex. I don’t think we’re there yet.”

“Sebastian, what do you think about that?”

“Yeah, whatever she needs.” He nodded and rubbed circles over the top of her hand with his thumb almost to comfort himself.

“What do you need?” Tegan looked over at him. “This isn’t just about me. You’ve done so much work and I want to be accommodating to you too.”

He smiled back at her. “Right now I just need you, to be honest with me and to take care of our son.”

“Okay, yeah I can do that.” Tegan’s eyes stung as they filled up with tears. “I can do that.”

===================

After the hour was up, Sebastian and Tegan walked out of the building still hand in hand. The world seemed different and the atmosphere between them had changed too. Things felt calmer and more stable.

“Hungry?” Sebastian wondered.

“Yeah, starving.”

“Want to stop by somewhere or order out?”

Tegan remembered a time when they wanted to go to different restaurants and it led to a blow out argument on the sidewalk that ended up in the tabloids the next day. It made Tegan feel so ashamed but things didn’t change.

Things were changed now.

“It’s up to you.” She said.

“You’re the pregnant one, you get to choose.”

“Oh, so being pregnant gives me food choices?” She laughed.

“Well, you’re supposed to have cravings, right?” His face looked noticeably less stressed. It made Tegan remember how gorgeous she thought he was when they first met. She couldn’t keep her eyes off him. Now, like before, she couldn’t look away from his alluring eyes.

“Italian?” She offered.

“Italian it is.”

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Permanent tag: @what-the-buckybarnes

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tysonrunningfox · 6 years

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Open Flames Part 8.5

I needed to understand Fuse’s brain and I still Don’t, because she’s Beyond me and I am just the sentient, tortured presence behind Eret’s weird little self, but then I realized that I clearly needed to share this.

Masterpost

Only Eret can make Fuse so simultaneously proud and fiercely jealous at the same time. And then she feels guilty for being jealous, even though it won't help anything, and it wastes time and energy she could put into helping him. And it's starting to seem more and more like he doesn't need her help, even if he's so sincere about reminding her that he wants it, and she's trying so hard not to hear pity where there is none. Eret says so many things at once, there are so many layers to the careful, coddling hands on her shoulders and face and the gentle words and the apologies she doesn't need for things she shouldn't be upset about that she can barely think straight around him sometimes.

The truth is she's not sure why she cried this morning, it came out of nowhere and compounded with every bit of selfless comfort that Eret offered when he shouldn't have to.

Fuse fidgets with her vest after leaving Hotgut outside, shoving the reinforced front door of her house open with a shoulder and pausing when she sees her parents and Darren eating at the table. Her mom gives her a sympathetic look.

"Eret gone again, honey?"

"No, he stayed." The guilt, again, confused and victorious in her stomach where nausea only recently made room for other, far more unpleasant feelings. Eret stayed because of her and as happy as she is that he cares so much, it just reminds her of his mom at the pier with a bag she packed, helping without him having to ask her to.

"Shouldn't you be happy about that?" Her dad asks around a mouthful of bread, "you two aren't even married yet, it's way too early to stop liking each other."

"Shut up, Tuff," her mom throws a chunk of cheese at her dad and it bounces off of his head onto the floor, where Chicken VII starts pecking at it, excited. "There's food on the hearth if you're hungry."

Fuse starts to brush her mom off but her stomach growls like it personally heard the offer and it's hard to avoid rubbing the strange new shape of it. It feels like concrete data she hasn't had time or space to think about, and the way Eret looked at her when he touched it only adds on to the pile of things she has to solve. It's a bigger pile than ever, taking up space in her brain and shed and room in a way she's not used to at all, triggering the stupid, useless guilt like a pressure plate every time she remembers it. Eret is dealing with so much more. Eret's list is a mile long and he still has time to help her, even if he loses sleep over it. She shouldn't need so much help, but lately, every problem she solves seems to spawn two new ones in its place.

She scoops up the rest of a loaf of bread and a block of cheese and starts heading to her room, only to be interrupted by Darren's most irritating sing-song voice.

"Are you sure you're that hungry? I think your butt's getting bigger--"

"Shut up," Fuse cuts him off with a glare, adjusting her vest again. It's true, she knows it is, but she doesn't necessarily like Darren pointing it out, especially when she knows he's just trying to get under her skin.

Especially because it works, like her skin is way thinner than it used to be.

"I'm just trying to help you, you might want to watch your butt if you want Eret to keep watching your butt."

Fuse tucks the loaf under her arm and takes a handful of powder out of her lower vest pocket to smash it onto Darren's chest with a puff of blue-gray dust. It's expired after hanging on a hook for the better part of a year, but it should still itch like poison oak if Darren gets his clothes wet.

"Not inside," her mom cautions her, glaring at Darren, "as much as your brother deserved that."

"He deserves more than that," Fuse glares at him, "and it's not flammable here."

"Here?" Darren squeaks, "what do you mean by here?"

"You'll see. Maybe." Fuse wrinkles her nose at the smell of him. She expected that to go away with the nausea but it didn't, if anything, it's worse now that feeling sick is less constant and more triggered by random, sudden things.

"What does that mean?" Darren looks between their parents and Fuse is relieved to see that they're both unsympathetic.

"Don't comment on a lady's weight, son, especially if she's armed." Their dad says with a shrug.

"It's Fuse, not a lady." Darren's grumble picks at Fuse's open emotional wound again, because it's true. She's not a lady, not even in the Viking sense where a bit more spitting and cursing is allowed, but there's still not room to strike without checking in first.

"Even more dangerous," her dad sighs, brushing some of the dust off of Chicken VII's feathers with gentle fingers. Fuse takes that as her cue to walk away and she manages to shut herself in her room before anyone says anything else.

Her room is covered and filled with hints of Eret. There's gifts he's given her and the vest he made her all resting on shelves that he installed himself after the fire. Fuse doesn't understand how he leaves his mark so thoroughly on things, why his intent hovers around them like mist every time she looks at them. She used to think the only way to really make a permanent mark was a crater, but even then, the dust settles eventually and no one remembers when it was anything but a hole.

Fuse decided to bomb the princess, it's everything that came after it that she didn't plan on.

First, it was bad enough coming back to Eret so distressed, like his biggest worry was upsetting her instead of being married off by the chief to someone he didn't know or love. It was the thrill of success as much as the need to remind him that she had his back, entirely and always, that had her pushing him into her shed. She didn't think he'd be disappointed in her though, and even though he never admitted it, she saw it in his grim expression and heard it in the way he talked to the chief, promising to fix other people's messes.

It was just the first time the mess was hers.

She didn't decide for him to leave, especially so much and for so long, and for the first time without her. She didn't decide to hit dragon hunters, if she had, she would have done a better job and he wouldn't still be dealing with the problem. She definitely didn't decide to get pregnant, she didn't decide to impose this time limit on them. She didn't decide for Eret's eyes to light up when she told him, for him to practically glow with the news like only rare explosives are supposed to.

She didn't decide to change things, the change all just spawned out of the crater of her decision, like Snaptrapper heads peeking out of a nest one by one.

Bitterness, like guilt, is another useless emotion, but Fuse can't help but feel bitter that she knew Eret was important before anyone else did and now she has to share him with everyone who doubted him. She's proud to hear him giving orders, sounding like the chief she knows he's going to be, but it makes him feel distant, like he belongs to something else. To someone else.

It makes him sound like his mother's son and that's who he has to be as chief.

Fuse was never particularly troubled by the fact that Astrid didn't like her, so she didn't expect to be so instantly frustrated when Astrid decided she was alright after all. It was like she was being judged when she didn't even know it and suddenly, she became useful in a way Astrid would tolerate. She's never needed approval, but that didn't prepare her for the abrasive itch of unwanted acceptance, like a wild dragon rubbing up on her leg. And now that she's pregnant, there's no ignoring it, Astrid is going to be in her life, approving or not but always judging, forever.

And it's worse than that because Eret said it himself, his mom handles the chief's wife part perfectly. It makes Fuse jealous of things she doesn't think she cares about and that's worse than wishing she were different or better, because she doesn't wish that. She kind of wishes that Eret didn't have to be chief, and that's awful, because he wants it so much and he'll be so great at it. But in the moment, she kind of resents the pressure it puts on her, especially since she'll be competing against the person who's always thought her least capable of the job of supporting him.

Which might be kind of fair, considering the last decision she made ended up making Eret's life so much harder.

The bread is good, but dry, and Fuse wishes she'd grabbed some water before shutting herself in here. She could go out and get some, of course, maybe even spill it on Darren to be sure he itches the way he deserves, but she feels exposed because he noticed something was different. It was different when only Eret noticed, because she told him, and because he's dealing with the difference too, on top of everything else. Even then though, as much as his careful, awkward joy makes her think of a future where this works out, she doesn't want things between them to change.

She likes not being married to him. She likes how it makes her feel unbiased, like she's following him because he's right and not because she has to. She likes being a Thorston, a step away from the Haddock-Hofferson alliance that holds so much sway and spends all of its time in everyone's private business. Of course, she wishes she could see Eret more, but it was never a problem until now because she could go with him, and just like many of his other problems, all of it started with the chief pushing marriage on him one way or another.

But Fuse couldn't control the chief, she could only react.

That's true now too, of course, all she can do is react, but it's Eret and he keeps startling her. He's never wanted to get married and all she heard when he proposed going through with it for a house, all she could think of was that things were already different. Are already different. Her vest doesn't fit and he's gone all the time and he wants to live with her, even if it involves marrying her.

She wasn't lying when she said she was happy about the pregnancy. Well, not so much the pregnancy, but the idea of a family with him. That's something she wants, of course it is. She confronted the possibility years ago, because despite the disorder of the last few months, Fuse still feels like someone who plans ahead and for multiple scenarios.

But this morning when he suggested marriage, she felt the weight of that Haddock label for the first time, heavy in her mind and on their future child. How is she supposed to raise an heir if she can't reconcile herself with being the chief's wife and maintaining all that goes with it? Especially when the position is already dutifully filled by the person Eret probably respects most. It's not like Astrid is going to step aside and let Fuse be the one to pack Eret's bag, if Fuse even thought of things like that reliably enough to volunteer.

Fuse has spent most of the last five years involved at least peripherally in the complicated web of Eret's parents and siblings and the thing that still overwhelms her the most is the number of perspectives Eret has to integrate into his decisions because he's so scared of disappointing someone. He tries to explain it to her, the contrasting fears and opinions and motivations that he either hates or believes or some twisted combination that makes her almost wary of the chaos he must hold in his head. There are three or four people in every decision or event meant for two and Fuse rests her hand on her stomach, nibbling on the block of cheese, afraid that she's just adding another one to the burden and confusion that Eret has to navigate everyday.

She lets that fear sink in, irrational and unavoidable and unproductive as worrying about it is. Getting through this is impossible, of course, because it'll never stop. The pressure, the diplomacy, the problems cascading onto him one by one will be constant and there's no way to cut off flow or dam it up. All she can do is support him the way she knows how, she can listen and talk him down. She can give him tools and hold him to the truth, even when he blows it so easily out of proportion. She's vaporized enough bedrock to know how to mimic it, the bigger question is if Eret knows how to stand on it.

Fuse snorts to herself and lays back on her bed, staring at the ceiling with her hand tapping rhythmically on her stomach.

Maybe the biggest question is if his mom will let him.

And suddenly, she finds herself understanding Eret in a way she never quite has before. She understand that urge to prove himself, to make people think that she's more than they did initially. She doesn't just want to support Eret, she wants to prove that all of Astrid's judgements about her were wrong, because if she wins that impossible approval, she'll understand her own path forward. She's going to make this easier on Eret, and she's going to do it first.

#open flames #eret iii #festerverse #feret #fuse thorston #fuse's pov is too powerful for a mere mortal to wield #also i love it because fuse is the only one on the planet who loves eret as much as i do

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warofshadowstheorder · 4 years

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Chapter 24

Bledsoe woke up around the same time as Natasha the next morning. Natasha took Bledsoe to a gym inside the Monastery and the two of them enjoyed a morning workout together, Bledsoe wearing a tank top and shorts leant to her by Natasha, and afterward went to the baths.

As they approached one of the baths, Bledsoe saw Sara already inside and was about to move to a different one when Natasha struck up a conversation with the bath’s occupant.

“Good morning Sara,” Natasha said happily, “how is water?”

“I prepared it myself,” Sara replied, “come on in and try for yourself, I’m curious to hear your critique.”

Without giving it a second thought, Natasha disrobed right in front of an increasingly taken back Bledsoe and entered the water. She relaxed into the bath for a few moments before turning to look at Bledsoe.

“You can come in Alexis,” Natasha said kindly, “do not be shy.”

After a few moments of hesitation, mainly due to the fact that Natasha and Sara would see her scars and other souvenirs from times she’d been forced to subdue very dangerous people, Bledsoe followed suit and shed what she was wearing.

She entered the water and found it just as welcoming as the bath Chloe had prepared for her the previous day. She settled into the water and took a few minutes to become acclimated to the wonderful sensations spreading through her body. After seeing that she’d recovered sufficiently, Sara decided to break the ice.

“We haven’t been properly introduced,” Sara said in a friendly tone as she moved close enough to exchange a handshake with Bledsoe, “Sara Van Praag.”

“Alexis Bledsoe,” Bledsoe answered accepting the handshake, “I imagine you’re also a Gifted One.”

“You imagine right,” Sara said with a smile as she moved back to where she’d been sitting, “and I remember you from the Room of Recovery. It’s great to see you up and about.”

“Thanks,” Bledsoe answered with sincerity, “for everything.”

“Hey,” Sara answered with a smile, “that’s what we do here.”

“I know,” Bledsoe answered, “between Natasha and Mrs., I mean Gifted, Murphy I think I know everything I need to about the Gifted Ones.”

“Well,” Natasha interjected, “judging from the way you have been around me when I drop my clothes, another thing you should know about us is that we are not as self-conscious as some of you on outside.”

“I’ve been picking up on that,” Bledsoe said, “why is that exactly?”

“I mentioned that our abilities usually manifest themselves around puberty,” Natasha answered, “a lot of us grew up here together since then. We spend a lot of time together and grow up seeing each other naked when we bathe or change. By the time we reach adulthood, it is commonplace.”

“If I may…” Sara interjected, “you shouldn’t feel ashamed of your body Alexis. Natasha and I have seen far worse scars than what you have. And personally, I would kill for those abs.”

The three of them shared a laugh, and Bledsoe couldn’t help but feel very relaxed and comfortable. She hadn’t had any girlfriends since college, and her current situation made her realize how much she’d missed friendly relationships. The conversation shifted between various topics, among them Bledsoe sharing her secret for gaining and maintaining her physique.

“Natasha told me how she came to be here,” Bledsoe said after recommending hitting a punching bag for strength and cardio training, “but how did you find out you were a Gifted One?”

“Well,” Sara replied, “my story isn’t nearly as dramatic as Natasha’s. Dad’s a leatherworker here. He met my mother when he took a holiday to Amsterdam. About three hours after I got my first period they had me examined by an experienced Gifted One. Next thing I knew I had the gown on and was in training.”

“You were right about your story not being as dramatic,” Bledsoe answered, “just out of curiosity, is you or Natasha’s kind of experience more common?”

“It’s hard to say,” Sara answered after mulling it over for a moment, “most Gifted Ones on the outside are only discovered after some kind of major event where their abilities manifest themselves, like what happened with Natasha. But a lot of Gifted Ones will be children raised in the Monastery. Every female child here gets examined when they reach puberty, and several are found to be Gifted.

“That makes sense,” Bledsoe said. “If God’s in charge here and Gifted Ones are meant to do this, then I can see why most of you would be born into it.”

“That’s a very good observation,” Sara remarked, “it’s not hard for me to believe you’re smart enough for Yale. How much longer will you be here?”

“My boss told me to stay here until I’m told I can go back,” Bledsoe answered, “but I know I’ll at least be here for the rest of the day. I’m really interested to see this tournament tonight.”

“You and the entire Monastery,” Sara replied matter-of-factly, “it’s like your Super Bowl out here.”

“That goes for women as well as for men,” Natasha interjected, “there is nothing quite like watching two well-trained men giving their all to prove who is better.”

“I just hope it’s not as bad as last year,” Sara said, “that aap Dieter broke and bloodied up those poor wretches to the point where I wasn’t sure we could heal them.”

“Who’s Dieter?” Bledsoe asked.

“Sara’s boyfriend,” Natasha teased earning an eye-roll and significant splash from Sara.

“He’s the biggest lunkhead and egomaniac on this island,” Sara said in a resentful tone, “he is an overgrown, egotistical, flirtatious ezel.”

Bledsoe looked to Natasha, hoping for a better and unbiased explanation. Natasha, hoping to avoid some kind of contentious situation, assured Bledsoe that she’d know everything she needed to about Dieter and all the other fighters in the tournament that evening.

“Do you know how to get to the venue for the tournament?” Sara asked Bledsoe after a few minutes of fairly awkward silence.

“Not personally,” Bledsoe answered, “but a Knight named Tadeas offered to escort me there tonight, so I should be fine.”

“Oh,” Sara answered wryly, “be sure to be careful around him. If you don’t keep your mind straight, he’ll charm the socks off you.”

“What do you mean by that?” Bledsoe asked genuinely interested.

“I don’t know if he realizes it or if it’s just his nature,” Sara answered getting a slightly far off look in her eyes, “but he has a natural kind of charisma and charm about him that makes him practically irresistible to any woman. He could probably convert Lesbians on the outside if he was to meet any.”

“He probably has,” Natasha interjected.

Sara and Natasha shared a laugh immediately after this, but Bledsoe was slightly concerned that her initial impression of Tadeas was erroneous in some regards…she worried she had been mistaken about him completely.

“If he’s as great as you say,” Bledsoe asked, “then why aren’t you with him? Is he with somebody else?”

“Not that I know of,” Sara answered, “like I said, I don’t know if he realizes how alluring he really is. I don’t know why he’s still single, but I can say that whoever wins him over will have gotten a great catch.”

After a little while longer, Sara said she was getting wrinkled and needed to be leaving. After she dried off and dressed in a robe, she made her way back to her dormitory.

“Out of curiosity,” Bledsoe said after Sara had left, “is there anything going on between Sara and Dieter? Or is that none of my business?”

“Sara is my best friend here,” Natasha replied, “and we respect each other’s privacy. All I can really say is that Dieter seems to be fond of her. All he’s really done so far though is flirt occasionally.”

“Fair enough,” Bledsoe said, “but the way Sara talks about him I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s harboring some kind of feelings for him. Otherwise she’d either ignore him completely, or just brush him off. But the way she seems to loathe him with a passion; something’s gotta give.”

“Only time will tell,” Natasha shrugged, “you mentioned that you spent most of your free time in library at Yale University, correct?”

“Yes,” Bledsoe answered, “why do you ask?”

“We should go now,” Natasha answered, “there is something I would like to show you that I think you will very much appreciate and enjoy.”

#novel #action-adventure #fantasy #historical fiction

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angstphilosophy · 8 years

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Another of my favorite WK episode

Would have to be Baby Tooth and Kid Musky. I REALLY love bro feels, don’t get me wrong. I live for them, but this episodes just holds a special place in my heart. And, you want to know why Chris Kratt is my favorite brother? (Spoilers)

This episode tackles the complexity of the predator-prey relationship of nature. Here, the episode starts off by having the two brothers feud over seeing their own favorite arctic animals: the musk ox for Martin while Chris favors the arctic wolf. In fact, their feud spills onto the team, and now, they’re all divided on which creature disk Aviva should make first. Heureusement for Chris, the DNA of an arctic wolf is similar enough to their relatives, the North American grey wolf, that Aviva can hastily complete one for his usage. However, he regrets it when...

...he ran into Martin with a stray kid Musky. At that moment, both he and Martin realized that they’re on the different ends of the predator-prey relationship, and that made things awkward and dangerous for everyone. Chris then came to the realization that there’s no winnesr in nature. Survival in nature means that you either kill for food, or you defend to keep yourself from being food. But right now, he had to aid Martin because Kid Musky accidentally followed him from the tribe.

And you know? Another testament to Chris’ character is that he was willing to switch right from the Arctic Wolf, his favorite tundra creature, to the Musk Ox right at the tip of a hat in order to help his brother. That’s just it. Chris is fair. He’s unbiased. He may have favorite animals like the rest of us, but he has such a deep insight of nature that in the end, everyone and every component has its own beauty and flaws, and he accepts that they all come together to form a beautiful, complex system- nature. There’s a STRONG reason why Chris is so adamant about preserving the balance of nature. if you leave nature alone enough without human intervention, then chances are, even with something unexpected like volcanic eruption or an earthquake, nature will take care of itself in due time. That also includes the predator-prey relation. If you have too many predators, then they’ll over hunt and die from starvation eventually. If you have too many preys/consumers, then they’ll over-reproduce, and soon, they’ll eat up all of the resources as well, leading to a domino effect of disasters. This balance is only preserved with the proper function of the predator-prey relationship. You see Chris’ way of thinking here?

But back to the situation with the arctic wolves and Kid Musky. He fought against the pack that he wanted to bond with because he wanted to correct a mistake and prevent his brother from getting hurt, but he also knows well that the wolves needed to do this. In fact, every creatures have their own young to take care of. You could see the guilt on Chris’ face- it’s because he has an experience with the wolves that he could sympathize with them in this situation.

This wolf is lucky that this is all they’re getting: any injury more severe, and they would not be able to hunt for their pack. This predator business is dangerous, too! Preys usually have brilliant but deadly defense mechanisms of their own!

Chris feels bad- you can see it. He’s thinking of Baby Tooth to this moment.

And here, the whole gist of it is explained. Remorse and guilt drips from every word he speaks, but Chris is laying down the lesson. Chris claims that humans can’t ever understand the struggles and hardships of being a prey and predator. Think of back when we were younger. We were in awe of tigers and sharks and lions because they were “SO COOL!”, but when it comes to a fight between one of them predators and prey, the more sensible of us chose to side with the prey because we felt bad and the predators were killing just for the sake of killing. We were dearly wrong. Animals don’t do whatever they want in nature just for the sake of doing it. There’s ALWAYS a reason- and survival seems to be a pretty darn good incentive for killing. We kill and butcher animals too for meals, just saying. That kinda would make us hypocrites if we judge the animal kingdom, and no matter how much we want to make Zootopia a reality, it will never happen short of a miraculous genetic mutation where our bodies can live off of grass and celery like rabbits. I won’t go deeper into it, but I bet Chris would in that area (he’s a professional biologist).

Ah but back to what Chris was explaining earlier. We won’t be able to deeply connect with nature because supposedly, humans have higher knowledge and intelligence that allows us to be truly conscious of the implications of our actions. We can’t fully understand the primal instincts of these guys, and that’s what Chris is saying. If anything, Chris understands the cycle of life and hardships of it more than we do.

Nonetheless, it seems like Baby Tooth forgives you, Chris :).

So that’s nature, but how does that apply to us directly? Think of it as a metaphor. In an argument, there’s going to be two (maybe more) sides to it. Instead of being insensitive and thoughtless, as well as inflexible, try to understand where they’re coming from. Try to empathize and sympathize with them! It may be hard because you carry a different opinion than them, and anyone that has a different opinion than I do must be wrong! On a more serious note, NOTHING is wholly right and wrong. There’s always another side to things. You may not know the full story of the other side, and if you just block your ears with failure to understand that means you won’t be doing anyone a favor. You won’t win anyone over. Heck, don’t take everything I’ve said in this essay-formatted post as 100% correct or flawless. I say these things because I like to share my thoughts, and I’m aware that my thoughts are never truly 100% correct. I try to invoke DISCUSSION with these kinds of things; I would love nothing more than to have one of these with you guys.

So to wrap it up, Chris is a philosopher. He understands hardships and the struggles of animals: he never discriminates between preys and predators, or anything, really. He has clear thinking for everything, and now, you understand how his mind works- why he tried to train the Tasmanian tigers to adapt instead of taking them back like Martin wanted to. He and Martin truly have morals.

And that’s the reason why Chris pulls .0000000000000000000000001mm ahead compared to Martin for me. Honestly, Chris may be my favorite, but both brothers have their own strengths and characteristics that makes them no better than each other, but equal.

#AP's long ramblings #Wild Kratts #Chris Kratt #Martin Kratt #Baby Tooth and Kid Musky #It just comes to my beliefs and values #I value Chris' insight

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riederstravis · 6 years

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JURY SELECTION-JUDGE’S PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT-MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

Trigg v. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, 2018 Pa. Super. LEXIS 499 (May 14, 2018), Kunselman, J.

Mendy Trigg (Jillian Trigg’s mother) and Smithfield Trust, Inc. filed this appeal following a jury verdict in favor of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. The Triggs claim that Allegheny County Civil Division’s jury selection process deprived them of their right to a fair trial. The Hospital insists that the palpable-error deference standard announced in McHugh v. P&G Paper Prods. Co., 2001 PA Super 130, 776 A.2d 266 (Pa. Super. 2001), requires us to affirm. However, for the reasons that follow, we cannot extend the McHugh deference standard to trial judges who fail to observe voir dire in person. After reviewing the Triggs’ challenge to Prospective Juror 29 de novo, we reverse and remand for a new trial.

The Triggs submitted three questions on appeal, all of which challenge the jury selection process in this case:

1. Did the trial court err in denying the [Triggs’] Motions to Strike for Cause potential jurors who exhibited such bias and prejudice that they could not have been fair and should have been stricken from the panel, which required the [Triggs] to use 3 of [their] 4 [peremptory] strikes to remove these potential jurors causing obvious prejudice to the [Triggs].

2. Did the trial court err specifically when it denied the [Triggs’] request to ask voir dire questions of the venire about (1) the [Hospital] and its relationship in the community, especially in light of [the Hospital’s] opening statement when these issues were placed before the jury without any voir dire examination, (2) unintentional harm, since many jurors do not understand the burden of proof and hold the plaintiff to a higher burden than is required in civil cases; and (3) generally in imposing a restriction on additional voir dire questions that they may not include any facts or law of the case.

3. Did the trial court err:

(1) in failing to observe the demeanor and tenor of prospective jurors or; if observation by the Court wasn’t being offered, in failing to assume that the demeanor and tenor of the prospective jurors exhibited extreme bias;

(2) in instructing and having the county clerk engage in rehabilitation [*3] following an expression of bias, rather than explore the bias; and

(3) in limiting [the Triggs’] Counsel’s follow-up after an expression of bias by a potential juror.

The Triggs dispute the results of this system because the judge, lacking any firsthand perception of the jurors’ demeanor during the voir dire, ruled that all three of the jurors that the Triggs challenged were unbiased and impartial. The Triggs were then forced to exhaust three of four peremptory strikes to remove the challenged jurors. This left them with only one peremptory strike for the rest of the jury panel, which they used. On appeal, the Triggs attack the trial court’s voir dire process on various grounds. First and foremost, they argue that the judge erred by not striking for cause the three “potential jurors who exhibited such bias and prejudice that they could not have been fair[.]”

Here, however, the trial judge personally observed nothing; therefore, we see no reason to extend the McHugh deference standard in this situation, where only the attorneys and the clerk witnessed the physical and verbal cues that the challenged jurors exhibited. The trial judge acquired none of the wisdom or insight that he could have from noting a jurors’ furtive glance, a tremor of voice, a delayed reply, a change in posture, or myriads of other body language.

We, therefore, review de novo the Triggs’ challenge to Prospective Juror 29. The Triggs challenged this juror for cause on the grounds that she admitted she would favor medical practitioners. Her sister and brother-in-law were both doctors. When asked if “in a close call” she “would tend to favor the medical profession,” Juror 29 replied, “Probably, yes.” Her further explanation demonstrated empathy for medical professionals and indicated a bias in favor of the Hospital. She stated:

I see what they go through and I know how much they care about their patients and I know they would never do anything wrong. Obviously I realize there are people out there who aren’t my siblings. So obviously they might not be as fair and clear in judgment.

This answer shows her implicit trust for medical professionals. Juror 29 clearly viewed the patient/doctor relationship through the rose-colored glasses of familial love and admiration, and assumed the medical professionals sued in this case would do no harm. We, therefore, must disagree with the trial court’s conclusion that having a sister and brother-in-law who were physicians was simply a life experience that this juror brought to the case. By her own admission, her predisposition would have influenced her deliberations to some degree. This influence was a justifiable cause to exclude her from serving as juror in this case, where the Triggs have accused a healthcare provider of malpractice. Even “the slightest ground of prejudice is sufficient” to disqualify a potential juror. Shinal, 162 A.3d at 439, (quoting Commonwealth v. Lesher, 17 Serg. & Rawle 155, 1827 WL 2776 at 2 (Pa. 1828)). Our judicial system abhors even the appearance of partiality. “One of the most essential elements of a successful jury trial is an impartial jury.” Id. at 438 (citations omitted).

Having found error, we must next consider whether it was harmless. As noted above, the trial court’s ruling as to Juror 29 forced the Triggs to exhaust all of their peremptory challenges. In this situation, reversible error has occurred. See Commonwealth v. Penn, 2016 PA Super 19, 132 A.3d 498, 505 (Pa. Super. 2017) (citing Commonwealth v. Johnson, 299 Pa. Super. 172, 445 A.2d 509, 514 (Pa. Super. 1982) (holding “[w]here, as here, a defendant is forced to use one of his peremptory challenges to excuse a prospective juror who should have been excused for cause, and then exhausts his [peremptory strikes] before the jury is seated, a new trial will be granted.”)

Accordingly, we reverse the order denying a new trial and vacate the judgment entered upon the verdict. Based on our decision with respect to Juror 29, we need not address the remaining issues raised by the Triggs in this appeal. This matter is remanded for a new jury selection and trial.

Judgment vacated. Case remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion. Jurisdiction relinquished.

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