#ill be over here in horn jail

[kanzakurawrites]

Hi I really like your descendants fic and your posts, so I have a question. If descendants was a pg16 show that actually did it's worldbuilding what elements would you ADD, which elements would you remove and what would you expand on?

Oooh, this is an interesting question. I'm sorry it took so long to get this answered! (and apologizing in advance for any rambling that takes place)

First things first, I'd want the show to switch between the Isle and Auradon. I am PERFECTLY fine with the main cast staying the main characters from the first three films. So it would be eye-opening, and good for the characters, for the show to have switched between the Auradonians, the Core Four, and the Sea Three.

I'd also want at LEAST the entire first episode, preferably first two or three, to have the Core Four on the Isle. Working with THEIR gang. So we can see what it is like for them to live on the Isle, what its like for them to be around their parents, and how they interact with others, before going straight to Auradon.

Now, Isle-related things.

I definitely know I'd want to add more elements of abuse on the Isle. It's implied in the movies, but they also seem to backtrack at times. (Dizzy's "wicked step-grandmother" comment, and then suddenly portraying Lady Tremaine as caring - the Vk's running to the Isle to see their parents.) It would need to be shown that the Isle is a HORRIBLE place. Physical, emotional.... and other forms of abuse. These things HAPPEN, and they are going to happen on the Isle.

As much as I hate to say it, there is definitely teen pregnancy on the Isle. There's also a lot of death for ALL ages.

Remember Mal's comment about gang activity? Let's see it. Show us the gangs, the fights, the rules, the alliances. Show us the politics on the Isle, and how these are CHILDREN fighting for their lives. Which also means injuries and scars.

There are all sorts of HORRIBLE crimes that people get sent to jail for (I really don't want to type the words since it makes me sick to my stomach), and those people are ON. THE. ISLE. It's not just the villains from the fairy tales on the Isle, its all the criminals as well. There's a lot of reasons the VK's have gangs, and keeping each other safe is one of them.

With that said, not all the VK's are going to be good either. Some of them will end up bad in the end. Just like there are going to be bad people in Auradon.

And then with the barrier, are seasons a thing on the Isle or does the dome mean that the temperature stays relatively the same? Are the summers scorching and winters freezing and dirty, given the pollution over the Isle? Things can't even grow!

How DID the Isle get approved? Was it better in the beginning? Did they just not think that villains could have children? These are questions that need to be answered, because even without purposefully trying to make it dark, the things we know about the Isle are sickening to think about. Nothing can grow, food is always rotten, everything is crumbling, and there is horrible pollution.

What is illness like on the Isle? It can't be good, it would run rampant. I want to see how it's dealt with.

And finally, how does the Isle affect the magical people there? Witches could probably be okay being cut off from magic, but fairies? They are inherently magical. Magic is apart of them. Same goes with Ursula, Morgana, Hades (though he's probably not affected at all). Trolls, dwarves (there have to be some), goblins, pixies, etc. Any on the isle, and their children, how are they affected here? Does Uma feel a loss in her chest when she's near the sea? Does Mal mourn her horns and wings? (and will she ever get any?) Is it painful? Do they get sick when they're in Auradon and finally around all this magic? Because you can't just... get rid of magic. It's going to be there.

Auradon Things:

I would really want to expand on how Auradon came to be. Along with the, likely, war that happened when rounding up the villains cause there's no way that was peaceful.

Politics. I want the politics. How do all these kingdoms work? What political parties are there? How are views on the Isle handled?

Arranged-Marriages are a thing. Not everyone does it, but I feel like we can all agree that some people (*cough*Leah*cough*) believe that they are superior to "Falling in love." I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Audrey and Ben had an arranged marriage.

Abuse. It's not just a thing on the Isle, but it's in Auradon as well, just in a different way. While there's a lot more physical abuse on the Isle, there's verbal and emotional in Auradon. Leah and, though I hate saying it, Beast are perfect examples. Leah constantly puts Audrey down, she makes her feel inferior. Beast made his sixteen year old High King... I'm sure I could find more examples for him but I think that's a pretty big thing right there.

Another thing to expand on is the equality issue in Auradon. The "sidekicks" got the short end of the deal, even though Ben tried to make it better, as the dwarves and animals weren't being PAID. They just worked all the time for the Royals. Magical people have seemed to be pushed aside, like Beast wants them all gone. Jane couldn't even train her with her magic! And she's Fairy Godmother's daughter! The three good fairies and other fairies from Aurora's kingdom are actively having to not use magic. How do Kingdom's like Corona (Ruby has the 70ft hair, so some semblance of magic had to be passed down. Magic is also canonical in Tangled the Series, along with things like DRAGONS), Arendalle, Agrabah, etc. function?

How do things with the gods play out? What is there contract with Auradon, cause I am NOT convinced that they would just let these mortals walk all over them forever. It's one of my biggest issues with Hades on the Isle as well, and why I think there has to be some bigger reason he's on the Isle. (Whether its them waiting for Beast's term to be over, or perhaps something the Fates said)

I'd want to add in how religions play out in Auradon, because all these stories come from different places. There are characters who are canonically religious in their films, good and bad. It's not something you can just erase.

How did Auradon as a whole react when the VK's came over? Were there protests? Was Ben under a lot of heat, or was Beast for letting Ben do this? How were the VK's treated at first? Not everyone was going to be welcoming. Who stood beside Ben, who was neutral, and who went against him?

Then with relationships. Honestly, I really like Mal and Ben, but I'd want to see them develop a relationship. Maybe mention their dreams and hint to the true loves, have them work through the love spell issue, show them dealing with cultural differences. Give them a realistic relationship with more depth.

With Evie, show the expectations her mother would have put on her. Did she have flings? Was she pushed to try to be with any "higher up" Isle male?

Harry and Uma... yeah their together. With the rating up, there is no reason to pretend they aren't or only give small hints. We get to have this relationship and yeah, you know, they are just Harry and Uma.

And when the VKs do come to Auradon, who are their foster parents? Because they have to have someone, right? How is that handled? How are they taken care of?

Then with the abuse they went through, show us the hints. Flinching when there are yells, or when someone goes to touch them. Maybe blank looks, disassociation, just not knowing how to handle relationships! Friendship or with adults! How they see themselves. That stuff does a number on you, even after years. And I understand why Disney didn't go deeply into this, but it also shouldn't just be brushed away. Acknowledging it could have helped just explain some of the VK's actions. (Such as Mal in the third movie, wanting to please the ultimately parental figures around her.)

I really don't think there's much about Descendants that I'd remove, I'd just want to expand on the world and make it... darker, I guess. More realistic vs. sunshine and roses.

(Also. Adding seasons. Seasons EXIST Disney.)

[wuxiaphoenix]

Worldbuilding: The Perception of Threats

There seem to be a lot of people who think I’m Kryptonian. Generally the guys in full-size or oversize pickups,

who have a tendency to pull up right behind me in a lane when I’m trying to merge sideways into oncoming traffic. Apparently they think laying on the horn somehow grants the person they’re honking at the ability to see oncoming traffic through the engine block now filling the entire rearview and side mirrors. People, just because you can see a gap in traffic you think you could use, doesn’t mean I can.

What threats a character can perceive - and can’t - are sometimes overlooked in writing a story. Even if the story avoids Protagonist-Centered Morality, the inescapable fact is that we generally see the fictional world through the main character’s eyes. The threats they perceive seem the most valid, the ones they brush off often appear inconsequential.

In a straight man vs. nature or man vs. monsters/aliens situation, this works fine. In any scene where you’ve got other characters involved, though, it’s not realistic. Your average monster-hunter may think nothing of tackling a werewolf with an enchanted whip and raw courage. Your average unarmed citizen is going to run from a wild boar. And they would be correct to do so. Wild boar can and do kill people, and they usually aren’t alone. If you see one, there can be over thirty more behind him. More than enough to trample a man down and eat everything but a few stray bones.

The monster-hunter’s perception of threat - or lack of it - is valid. For the monster-hunter. For the average person, it’s completely off.

Here’s where the writer’s choices make a big difference. How much sympathy does your hero have for the average person? How much imagination, to view a situation from the perspective of someone who doesn’t have special skills, and is probably having the worst day of their lives?

What makes Batman stand out as a hero has nothing to do with how many criminals he takes down, how acrobatic he is, or how he’s always one step ahead of everyone else. What makes him heroic is his concern for the victims. He takes in orphans. He tries to make sure that while criminals go the jail, the mentally ill get help. He’ll sit with a crying child and let them get it all out, so they know someone was there for them.

Maybe there’s not time for that in your story. Maybe the clock is ticking, the fireball’s racing toward them, the zombie are about to break through and pour in as an unstoppable wave of grisly death. A hero has to save lives first, and patch them up later.

But you can go a long way with just a brief mention of your hero considering the rescued person’s POV, and how overwhelming the horror must be for them. Even if they’re bracing themselves to keep moving. That tells the readers a lot about your hero.

If the main character never considers the average bystander, and gets impatient when they freeze at the thought of walking across a floor covered with venomous snakes - well. That tells readers a lot about your hero, too.

I, for one, prefer heroes to have enough perspective to have sympathy... and enough imagination to think, “Wait. If this guy isn’t moving - what does he see that I don’t?”

After all, the life the hero saves may be his own!

[peaky-whore]

What Happens to the Heart • J. Shelby [Part One]

Pairing: John Shelby x Fem!Reader

Word count: 1,656

Warning: None

Summary: You’re the best of friends with John.

A/n: This is in your point of view. Also, I’m sorry is this doesn’t make sense, it will eventually. And there is a memory in here, so that’ll be the italics. Overall, this is just the beginning!

To say John and I were the best of friends would be an understatement, the two of us were inseparable from the day we met; wherever he was, there was no doubt I’d be right by him. Dangerous, or not.

Most of the time, though, folks thought we were in a relationship, something along those lines. Other times, we’d get ourselves into trouble, Polly - my mom also - wouldn’t be pleased to talk us out of jail. To make it short, we’d get smacked in the back of the head by our guardians whilst on the way to Watery Lane, along with lectures on how to behave, I was even told that my actions are not ladylike. They still loved us, I know that much.

Our closeness brought me unexpected feelings for the Shelby boy, and though we told each other everything - from my first kiss to his first fuck - I would never admit how I felt towards him. Especially since he found a girl he fancies. There was no way I was going to break them up, I loved him too much to do something destructive as that.

So there I sit, awaiting his arrival at the Garrison. I couldn’t even order a damn drink without him. But as minutes turned into a half hour, and that an hour, I gave up. He wasn’t coming, Martha probably needed him more than I, but as a good friend, I’m okay with that; as a secret admirer, however, I felt jealous - I just despised the thought of it - upset that he’d ditch me here.

Just as I was going to walk out, here came the handsome, blue eyed man himself. He looked to be panting.

“I’m sorry, Y/n, but Martha kept me. Sit. I have something to tell you.” He explained, hooking his arm with mine and pulling me to a secluded table. The smile he wore was one I have never seen before, so I couldn’t help but follow along and sit across from him.

The news must have been too important for drinks.

He looked at me, a smile still plastered on his flawless face, one that will most definitely be stuck in my mind for days on end. John looked like a little boy, happy that he was told he had good manners and behaviour in school, whilst really, he was quite the opposite. Except the manners, he had those covered.

I rested my arms on the table and leaned forward, impatiently waiting for him to speak. “Oh, get on with it John.” There is no way I’m playing the guessing game tonight.

“Martha, she’s with child. My child. Y/n, I’m gonna be a father.” It felt as if he’d spoken a foreign language, one I couldn’t understand but still heard. I’m sure my expression is surprised, since he waited for me to talk. I simply couldn’t.

Before he started to ask questions, I cleared my throat and threw on a forced smile. “Congratulations, John-boy. You’re a man now, I hope you know.” He let out a playful scoff and an eye roll, making us laugh.

“I’ve always been a man.” He replied, giving a smug smirk at the end. His eyes met mine for a brief moment before looking towards the shelves of liquor behind me. “I think this deserves a drink, eh?” Before I could answer him, he got up, lifted me by the arm and drug me across the nearly empty pub, and ordered us whiskey - an entire bottle to be precise.

This happened until the war broke out, boys across Europe were being sent to fight for their people, or enlisting, including John, and his two elder brothers, Arthur and Thomas. By then, Martha was pregnant with their fourth child, meaning she’d be alone for the birth of their baby girl, or boy. And she was, but Polly, Ada, Finn, and I were present, keeping her company before and after she went into labour.

It’s been four years since the boys left, leaving families behind, I know some won’t be returning, and it breaks my heart just thinking about it. There will be so many mothers, sisters, aunts, and wives without their men. And the ones that do return are going to be stuck with those God awful memories, nightmares.

Since they left, I’ve been the opposite of trouble, I’d actually gone to church with Polly and her little clan, along with Martha and her children. I prayed for the boy’s safety, that included my two elder brothers and the many cousins I have. They all meant the world to me, each of them taught me something valuable, and I couldn’t let the thought of them not coming home get the better of me, so I turned to God. Polly turned me to God.

And because so many unspeakable events happened in these long, devastating four years, all I wanted was my brothers home, and John. How I longed for him.

It must be pathetic to be falling this hard for your best friend - your now best friend’s husband - I hated how much I wanted him for myself. He’s got a beautiful wife, smart and rowdy children, there’s no way I could be that selfish. John has what he always wanted, a family of his own.

What kind of monster would try to take him away from those he cared for and loved? The question was branded into my brain and was beyond hard to ignore.

Tragedy struck when Martha fell ill, her sickness was beyond the doctors, and she was put on bed rest until it was her time to go. I couldn’t face not having her around, she and I became rather close - practically sisters - in the last few years. As time went on, she died peacefully in her and John’s shared home. Their children were heartbroken, they were young but old enough to know what death is.

Since her funeral, Polly put me on nanny duty, knowing she didn’t have time for them and the betting shop, I agreed. During the first few weeks, the children were a mess, throwing tantrums for their mother, refusing any food I cooked and bedtime. They soon got comfortable with me around more, until Polly announced she heard Germany had surrendered and all countries agreed to stop fighting until their negotiation was set.

Although I was still mourning the loss of Martha, I couldn’t be anymore happy that our boys will be coming home to us. The kids were beyond the moon that their dad was returning, and so it was the same thing all over again; they were acting up again, asking for their daddy.

I promised them soon.

Which brought us here, Birmingham train station, with loads of women and children, along with relatives of the men’s families. I held Daniel at my hip, glancing up from him telling me about his day every once in a while to see if the train was near, surely I would hear it if it were nearby.

This morning, early this morning, I would pinch myself to see if this were a cruel dream, or if it were real.

“I hear it!” Exclaimed Ada, her arms draped around Finn’s shoulders, keeping him in place so he doesn’t wander off. She gave a big smile and as if on queue, I heard the horn from a distance.

My heart rapidly pounded against my chest. It’ll be the first time in four years that I’ve seen my brothers. What scares me most is that they’ll be mad at me for not writing and telling any of them about our mother, but she made me promise not too until they got home, so I kept my word.

The train took another five minutes before it stopped in front of us, all our men were soon off once the doors opened. I searched from where I was standing for the two goofs that were my brothers, of course, not like I didn’t expect it, they stepped off with blank expressions; no look of happiness to be home.

I couldn’t help but let my tears flow. They’re not the same boys I grew up with, but men who’ve experienced more than they should whilst on the battlefield. The boys who used to be carefree and adventurous were not the men standing mere feet away from me. I secured Daniel before squeezing through the crowded train station, almost face to face with my older brothers. They looked different but I still recognized their faces.

Their cold gazes met my figure and softened. Immediately, I was embraced by both of them, sobbing onto their uniforms in no time.

“Is . . . is this real?” I asked frantically, not wanting them to disappear if I were to let go of them. They let out light chuckles and nodded.

“I’m afraid so, little sister, you can’t rid us that easy.” Mason jokes, trying to lighten up the mood, I could see his eyes searching for someone. Our mum. How am I going to tell them? It’ll be more difficult than I thought now that they’re here.

Andrew looked down at Daniel, his eyes lighting up. “Got yourself a bloke I see. Hope he’s treated you well whilst we were away.” He started to make silly faces at the boy in my arms, causing him to giggle. I shook my head, tightening my hold on him so he wouldn’t accidentally fall.

“He’s a sweetheart, but if you look closely, the boy resembles a Shelby. I’ve taken on the care of Martha and John’s lovely children since she died.” They looked at me like I sprouted two heads. “Yeah. Almost a year ago. Pestilence.”

But before another word was spoken, I was being embraced by someone else. Someone oddly familiar. Nonetheless, I wrapped my arms around them, feeling a sudden warmth, one I’d been missing more and more as the years went on.

“John.”

•••

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[gvf-imagine]

The sweater part 2

(Josh x reader)

Trigger warning: domestic abuse!

Josh ended up texting you later that night, or technically , the next morning around 3 am. He just wanted to make sure you made it home ok, which you thought was very sweet of him. It had been a few days since you met him at the bar, the two of you had been texting ever since, he even sneaks in a phone call one night when his girlfriend was asleep and your boyfriend was out with his friends. Hearing his voice again was so nice and it took you right back to the night you met him. Conversation flowed easily with you and Josh, day by day you were learning more and more about each other. He told you he was in a band with his two brothers and friend, and promised he'd take you to a show one day. 

Tonight was different, you grab your phone in a shaken frenzy. You click on Josh’s number as you get in your car. Tears running down your face, you wait as the phone rings. You hoped he would answer and that he wasn't around his girlfriend. You felt bad calling him out of the blue , but, there was no one else you could go to. 

“Hello?” Josh answers.

Thank god.

You sniffle, happy to hear his voice. 

“Josh can- can I come over?” you ask trying your hardest not to focus on the pain. 

“Are you alright?” Josh asks immediately, he could tell something was very wrong, he could hear that you were crying and he was instantly worried. 

“No I'm not ok, I need you , I need to come over.. Can I?” you reply hurriedly. Hopefully he would say yes because you were already in your car driving nowhere in particular. 

“Uhm my girlfriend is here… could I meet you somewhere?” Josh replies, annoyed that you couldn't just come right to his house like he wanted you to. 

“Do you know where sheehan park is? Can you meet me there?” you ask a block away from said park. 

“Yes of course, ill be there in five minutes ok?” he replied, you could hear him grabbing his keys in the background and shuffling to put his shoes on.

“Ok thank you” you say pulling into the park's parking lot. You hang up and tip your head back resting on the headrest. The blood that was coming out of your nose or maybe your mouth pooled on your face.

Your boyfriend found your phone and seen you had been texting Josh for the past few days, flirting even. He was so angry , so angry. His face was red and looked like he was about to explode, and he did. For the first time in your relationship with him , he got physical with you. He punched you multiple times in the face, one of your eyes was swollen shut and your lips felt like they were on fire, you almost couldn't drive your car but you had to get away from him. It felt good to finally relax, knowing help was coming, knowing Josh was coming. You worried about how he would react to the whole situation. You're Not his responsibility after all what was he really supposed to do?

You heard the crunching of gravel as a car pulled up next to yours, your vision was blurry, and you felt tired, struggling to keep your eye open. 

You hear your car door rip open in a hurry.

“Y\n! Y\n! What happened? What happened to you?!” Josh asked hectically. He grabbed you , wrapping his arm around your shoulder and his other arm looped under your legs as he scooped you gently from your car. 

“he .. seen my phone” you whisper , falling out of consciousness. 

“Hey hey you gotta stay awake, don't fall asleep” Josh urges as he sets you in his back seat. He knew you most likely had a concussion and that falling asleep could cause lots of issues. 

You tried your hardest to keep yourself awake. 

“That FUCKERRRR!!!!!!!” Josh screamed as he slammed his door shut and sent his fist into his steering wheel causing his horn to go off. 

He was pissed, how could that fucking asshole put his hands on you. He would pay for this. Soon the car was moving, trees and buildings past your window, which Josh had rolled down hoping the cold air would help keep you awake. 

Minutes later he pulls into a driveway and runs up to the front door, you watch as another man steps out. Josh begins frantically talking to him and then both of them run to you. 

“Y\n this is my brother Jake, we’re gonna take you inside ok?” Josh explains. You simply nod, the blood on your face was clotted now and stopped other blood from coming out. 

“Jesus Christ” you hear Jake say sympathetically. They carried you through the front door and laid you lightly on the couch. Josh dropped to your side examining your wounds. 

“Jakey get me a wash cloth and warm water” Josh speaks.

‘Hey hey hey we gotta call the cops” Jake responds urgently .

“No don't” you protest softly. 

“What do you mean DON'T? He hit you y\n, he could have killed you ! he needs to be in jail” Josh replies. He grabs his phone and begins to report the incident to the police. Josh knew there was something off about your boyfriend and now he was cursing himself, he felt like what happened to you was his fault, he shouldn't have texted you. 

Jake comes to you and gently washes your face, the warm water felt so good against your painful bruises and cuts. You wince a little as he goes over your swollen eye. 

“I'm so sorry , but we have to get this cleaned so it doesn't get infected ok? My name's Jake, what's yours?” he says, hoping conversation will keep you awake. 

“I'm y\n” you reply, trying to ignore the sting of the peroxide Jake put on your face. 

“It's nice to meet you y\n, unfortunate circumstances, but don't worry the cops are gonna get that bastard, you're safe now with me and josh” 

Josh walks back in the room and for the first time you were able to actually get a good look at him now that Jake cleared the blood from your eyes. He was all dressed up, he looked nice. 

“Why are you dressed up?” you ask , Josh looks down at himself and waves it off. 

“I had a date with my girlfriend tonight but” he replies and shakes his head. 

“Oh I’m sorry Josh, I didn't know you had a date .. I should go” you say trying to get up.

“No no no” Josh says lightly pressing you down by your shoulders.

“Stay here tonight, Jake , Sam and Danny will take care of you”  he says. 

“Josh I can't impose like that” you reply. 

“I wasn't asking you y\n , you're staying here, I'd let you stay at my house but my girlfriend is there”  he implores with a soft tone. He was worried about you and knew you didn't have anywhere else to go that was safe. 

“I'll go on my date, i'll make it a short  night and get back here as soon as I can” he speaks. 

“No Josh , take your time, enjoy your night, I'll be ok” you replied, you didn't want his evening to be ruined because of you. 

“Call me if you need anything, anything at all ok?” he asks looking down at you, you simply nod, he offers you a sad smile before saying goodbye. He walks out the door and leaves you with Jake and your thoughts. 

“Danny!” Jake calls as he turns on the TV. 

A man with lovely dark hair jogs down the stairs, his  face falling with worry and confusion when he sees you. 

“Hey…whats up?” he asks as his eyes move from you to Jake. 

“This is y\n she's staying with us for a while, her car is at sheehan park, I need you to come with me to get it for her” Jake explains with a sigh. He was stressed, he'd never seen a girl beat up by a  man. He felt bad, his heart broke for you. 

Danny knew what had happened to you just by the look in Jake's eyes. 

“Did Josh go after him?” Danny asks, noticing Josh’s absence. 

“No he has a date with Audrey” Jake answers, grabbing his keys off the table. 

“Where are your keys, love?” he asks looking at you now.

“They're on the table” you reply nodding in the general direction. 

“Ok we're going to go get your car, if you need anything Sam is just upstairs just yell for him ok? Well be back in a few minutes” Jake says before him and Danny walk out the door. 

The second the door shuts all you want to do is sleep, you were warm, comfortable and safe. You were even happy, despite the hell you'd just been through, you were closer to josh now which made you feel so much better. 

You couldn't stay at Jake's house forever though, you'd need to figure something out, tomorrow though… Tonight , you rest.

[veliseraptor]

Top 5 Silm scenes, RIGHT BACK ATCHA

okay okay okay. I’m sticking to the published Silmarillion because or else I would 100% need to include “The Mariner’s Wife” and then I’d have to lose one of the ones I did pick.

1. “Therefore when Eol was brought before Turgon he found no mercy; and they led him forth to the Caragdur, a precipice of black rock upon the north side of the hill of Gondolin, there to cast him down from the sheer walls of the city. And Maeglin stood by and said nothing; but at the last Eol cried out: ‘So you forsake your father and his kin, ill-gotten son! Here shall you fail of all your hopes, and here may you yet die the same death as I.’” (Of Maeglin)

So of course I was going to have some Maeglin on here, and I went with this one (and included a different one as a bonus, though I really could have reversed them - this one is just angstier). It lays out, I think, so much of Maeglin’s life from here - this is a major turning point for him, and the grounding for a lot of his later issues and how I think about his characterization. And the visualization of it, too - standing aside, watching your father executed, and basically having him spit in your face, right after you’ve seen your mother murdered...damn, there’s a lot there.

2. “Then hate overcame Feanor’s fear, and he cursed Melkor and bade him be gone, saying: ‘Get thee gone from my gate, thou jail-crow of Mandos!’ And he shut the doors of his house in the face of the mightiest of all the dwellers in Ea.”

FEANOR LITERALLY JUST SLAMMED THE DOOR IN A SEMI-DIVINE BEING’S FACE. as the kid’s say: we stan a legend. (Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor)

3. “Then Fingolfin beheld (as it seemed to him) the utter ruin of the Noldor, and the defeat beyond redress of all their houses; and filled with wrath and despair he mounted upon Rochallor his great horse and rode forth alone, and non might restrain him. He passed over Dor-nu-Fauglith like a wind amid the dust, and all that beheld his onset fled in amaze, thinking that Orome himself was come: for a great madness of rage was upon him, so that his eyes shone like the eyes of the Valar. Thus he came alone to Angband’s gates, and he sounded his horn, and smote once more upon the brazen doors, and challenged Morgoth to come forth to single combat. And Morgoth came.” (Of the Ruin of Beleriand)

There’s a reason this scene is set to the possibly most metal song on the metal Silmarillion album, and it’s because the whole thing, top to bottom, is totally fucking metal. In my opinion it’s hands down one of the most epic scenes in the entire Silmarillion, and I love it.

4.”And looking out from the slopes of Ered Wethrin with his last sight he beheld far off the peaks of Thangorodrim, mightiest of the towers of Middle-earth, and knew with the foreknowledge of death that no power of the Noldor would ever overthrow them; but he cursed the name of Morgoth thrice, and laid it upon his sons to hold to their oath, and to avenge their father. Then he died; but he had neither burial nor tomb, for so fiery was his spirit that as it sped his body fell to ash, and was borne away like smoke; and his likness has never again appeared in Arda, neither has his spirit left the halls of Mandos. Thus ended the mightiest of the Noldor, of whose deeds came both their greatest renown and their most grievous woe.” (Of the Return of the Noldor)

I love this. I think...it’s so much Feanor, that even in the face of certain defeat he says “you know what? fuck that, we’re going to keep going anyway.” I know there are people who criticize him for this - for holding his sons to a hopeless task. But...they’re already Doomed. There’s nothing any of them can do to change that, as far as they know. If he backs down now...they’ve lost so much for nothing. 

Better to forge onward. 

And just...that last line. Their greatest renown and their most grievous woe. Damn.

5. “For the Dunedain held that even mortal Men, if so blessed, might look upon other times than those of their bodies’ life; and they longed ever to escape from the shadows of their exile and to see in some fashion the light that dies not; for the sorrow of the thought of death had pursued them over the deeps of the sea. Thus it was that great mariners among them would still search the empty seas, hoping to come upon the Isle of Meneltarma, and there to see a vision of things that were. But they found it not. And those that sailed far came only to the new lands, and found them like the old lands, and subject to death. And those that sailed furthest set but a girdle about the Earth and returned weary at last to the place of their beginning; and they said: ‘All roads are now bent.’” (Akallabeth)

I wrote about this in my thesis - it’s just...so much of what I love about the Silmarillion. The melancholy, the sense of loss. The sense of things gone beyond retrieval. 

Narratives of decline at its best.

BONUS 1: “Yet it is said that Maeglin loved his mother better, and if Eol were abroad he would sit long beside her and listen to all that she could tell him of her kin and their deeds in Eldamar, and of the might and valour of the princes of the House of Fingolfin.” (Of Maeglin)

I just love thinking about bb!Maeglin sitting with Aredhel and listening rapturously to her stories, and there’s also something so sad about this - the secrecy of it, the closeness of the two of them, especially knowing what is ahead.

BONUS 2: “But Aredhel said, ‘I am your sister and not your servant, and beyond your bounds I will go as seems good to me. And if you begrudge me an escort, then I will go alone.’” (Of Maeglin)

YOU FUCKIN’ TELL HIM, BABE.

[toloveawarlord]

Behind the Times (Ch.1)

You can find my Masterlist in my bio!

“Where is it? Come on!” Aspen muttered, checking under yet another rosebush for her lost item. Her day had ended on a strange and painful note, all because she took a detour through St. James Park instead of her usual route home. A night patrolman had spooked her, and she strayed off the beaten path to avoid detection. Jail time was not on her agenda.

One moment, Aspen had been snaking around a large Oak tree, and the next, the ground bathed in moonlight had fallen out from under her, sending her spiraling down a seemingly endless void. A rosebush broke her not so graceful fall. Even after crawling out, thorns still stuck into her skin, in places she could not reach on her own.

There!

The item she desired rested safely beneath the twisted branches of the bush. Her sigh of relief caught in her throat as the glint of metal next to her neck caught her eye. Aspen craned her head around and followed the length of the sword up to its owner.

The man’s intense gaze nearly stopped her heart. “Citizens are not permitted in the garden. State your name and intention,” he demanded. His crisp white uniform had to be a military one, but none like she had ever seen. Narrowing his amber eyes at her hesitation, he pressed the cold blade against her neck, a silent warning.

Aspen gulped. He definitely meant business. “Aspen Lancaster, and currently trying to reach my cell phone.” Was he a cosplayer? Just messing with her? The sword looks real. So real that she couldn’t bring herself to ask him on the off chance that he decided to murder her for talking back.

“Your what? How did you get in here? This is for military officers only, and high-ranking ones at that.”

Aspen tilted her head to the side, away from the blade. “I have no idea where here is so—”

“Is this what you’ve lost?” A second man interrupted, wearing a slightly different, but ultimately from the same group, uniform. In his hand was her phone, no cracks in the screen.

“Yeah, actually.” She hadn’t even heard him approach, let alone dig it out from under the bush. The only thing left to find was the satchel that she’d lost in the fall as well.

“Edgar. We have more important matters. I’ll only ask once more. How did you get in here?” He asked, straightening the sword in her direction once again. It was unheard of for anyone to enter the garden, especially when the two armies had only concluded their meeting a mere half hour ago.

Aspen glanced down at the blade. “I took a thousand-meter fall into a rosebush. It’s a wonder I’m not dead. Can you stop pointing that at me?” She asked. Real or not, it was sharp and threatening enough to keep her immobile.

“You expect us to believe that?”

Edgar raised his gaze from the device back to her. “Now, Jonah, let’s be civil about this. I don’t know many who would throw themselves into an actual rosebush for a simple lie.” He took her hand to help her stand, steadying her before asking, “What is this device?”

Aspen glanced between the two officers. “You don’t know what a cell phone is?” She started to laugh, softly and forced, but their confusion cut it off. They had to be cosplayers, and damn good ones at that, not breaking character even once.

“You’re very strange,” Jonah said, returning his sword to its sheath. He had no intentions of letting her leave but deemed her unthreatening enough to put his weapon away.

“You’re the one carrying swords,” she retorted. Staring at them a moment longer, Aspen decided to play along, explaining the phone as best she could. “It does a lot of things. Smartphones are crazy cool. It has thousands of apps you can download. It can play music, take pictures…” She trailed off, watching the confusion spread deep across their features. “You really don’t know, do you? Are you some kind of anti-tech groupies?” Heathens. Who doesn’t like technology? It’s so convenient. Jokingly, she muttered, “What century is it?”

Jonah answered with his scowl deepening, “The 19th.”

“Huh?” Aspen blinked. He wasn’t actually supposed to answer… or answer with an absurd century that wasn’t her own. He sure looked serious though. “What the fuck is going on?”

“A lady shouldn’t use such language if she wants to find a suitor,” Jonah chastised. His eyes raked over her, a hint of blush on his cheeks. He hadn’t noticed her strange attire until now. The amount of skin that she was showing made him quite uncomfortable. Her top must have shrunk, covering only half of her torso, and he couldn’t figure out what kind of undergarment she wore that loosely hung around her hips and fell to the tops of her thighs.

Aspen nearly stumbled back when Jonah thrust his jacket at her, demanding her to wear it. “But why-”

“How indecent,” Jonah muttered, the heat still present on his cheeks. “Have some self-respect.”

“How about you throw out your outdated opinions?” Aspen replied but slid her arms into the jacket none the less. The temperature had dropped, and a cool breeze drew goosebumps across her skin. On her small frame, the jacket was much too large, but very warm. “Though, I guess I’m the outdated one… postdated? Ugh.” She rubbed her stomach, a soft grumble at her words. “What I wouldn’t give for postmate.”

Edgar propositioned her with a tempting offer. “Why don’t you come along with us back to our headquarters, and we’ll treat you to a warm meal. You can tell me more about this smartphone. I’m very interested to learn more.”

“How do I know you two aren’t psychopaths who want to murder me?”

“You have our word, as the Queen and Jack of Hearts. That is plenty reason enough,” Jonah said, an almost crazy amount of pride in his voice.

Aspen tilted her head slightly. “Those titles mean nothing to me.” She couldn’t find any ill-will behind the invitation, and if they were murderers, then they probably would have killed her already. This is a secluded spot. Though, the odds of coming back from a secondary location were slim.

Edgar chuckled lightly, finding her to be the most interesting thing to come to Cradle. “You’ll only get your item returned to you after we’ve had a longer chat. So, I believe it’s in your best interest to cooperate.” His kind tone didn’t match the clear threat underneath.

She couldn’t very well just take the phone back. Her strength equaled that of a toddler. Plus, swords. “Fine, but only because getting a new phone is damn expensive.” Her head turned to scan the garden. “But I also lost my bag-”

“We’ll have someone search for your other things. This way,” He motioned for her to follow after him, leading her out of the building with Jonah close behind.

Aspen stopped so abruptly that Jonah narrowly missed running into her. The streets were lively, even this late at night. Many things had caused her to freeze. Their clothes were old fashioned. Horses were being ridden. Horses were hooked to carriages. The fountain looked to be the only normal piece, save for the large glowing crystal that by all accounts was floating. What fresh hell is this place?

“What’s the matter now?” Jonah asked, drawing all the attention of those around them.

All eyes were on her, whispering and pointing.

This didn’t make any sense. The entire town couldn’t be cosplayers. “What century did you say it was again?” Aspen asked hesitantly, taking a step back only to smack into Jonah. This is impossible. Insane. She had completely lost her mind.

“The 19th. We should have Kyle examine you. You’re beginning to look hysterical, not to mention the cuts and thorns from your self-proclaimed fall,” Jonah said, putting his hands on her shoulders to guide her forward. Only a few paces away, two horses were tied, beautiful saddles adorning their backs.

“Oh hell no,” Aspen muttered. Her escape was effectively blocked with Jonah’s fingers digging into her shoulders to keep her from moving. Edgar had his watchful eye on her as well, as if daring her to try and run. And where would she go? This most certainly wasn’t the London she knew. “Nope. I am not getting on a moving animal. Human kind didn’t destroy the environment and create manual automobiles for me to have to ride a horse.”

“You don’t have a choice. You’ll be riding with me,” Jonah announced. He’d already hoisted her up into the air and placed her on the saddle before she could attempt to get away.

The horse shifted its weight. Aspen clung onto the horn of the saddle, her body slipping backwards. It’s not even moving yet! Her squeal of terror cut short as Edgar steadied her from behind. Saddles are slick.

Edgar couldn’t help the laughter that broke out as he gently pushed her back up. “The more you move, the easier it is to fall off.”

“I didn’t move! The barn animal did!” Aspen shot him a glare over her shoulder.

Jonah mounted the horse behind her, caging her in with his arms as he gripped the reigns. “I’m not going to let you fall, so calm down,” he said. The cool tone of reassurance had her racing heart calming in seconds. “My title may not have meaning for you, but I promise that no harm is going to come to you while you’re a guest at our headquarters.”

Each step the horse took, made her body more tense. “Why do you care?” She asked, casting a suspicious glance up at him. Her hands were tightly gripping the material of his sleeve, afraid to let go.

“I could see how frightened you were when we exited the Garden. However you got there, whatever your intentions might have been, it’s clear that you aren’t familiar with this area.” Jonah stared straight ahead as he spoke softly enough that no one else could hear. “But don’t expect any special treatment from me,” He added swiftly at the end.

He’s very contrary. “You’re actually really nice, aren’t you?”

Jonah turned his nose up, but the hint of pink on his cheeks gave away the truth. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Aspen bit back a laugh. Though still filled with fear and worry, she felt at ease for the first moment since she collided with a rosebush.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am in love with Aspen. I wanted to try a less serious fic series with a more humorous element to it. I didn’t have a suitor in mind for her when I started but I’m leaning toward Jonah now.

[dazzlingphoenix]

Dragons of Lockra | The Dawn Feather Tribe

I’m gonna talk about my dragons in my universe, if you wanna read it’s below the cut!

(Female)

(Male)

Overview

Dawn Feather Dragons, or just Dawn Dragons, are sky colored dragons with feathers and natural gems in their scales. They are a very battle driven tribe and it is clear with their many wars against the Eternal Ember Tribe. They live on the edge and base of Sun’s Peak, a tall mountain with hotsprings on the northern side. This place was chosen by their first ruler, Queen Disyun.

Wars

(In order from earliest recorded to latest or current) * Feather and Pearl Border War lasted 5 years. It ended in a comprimise and an alliance between The Dawn Feathers and The Rain Fliers (The Sunrise Pearl Alliance), and a trade agreement that lasted until a few years ago when Queen Vara came into rule (Over 1000 year trade alliance). Tribes in war: Dawn Feather and Rain Fliers * The First Feather and Fire War lasted 18 years. Caused by a Volcano Dragon assas�� sin killing Queen Ignara, the battle garnered the largest amount of deaths in recorded Lockran history. The war ended with the creation of The Honor Law, a law that prevents wars from continuing after half the population of one tribe has been killed. If a ruler breaks the Honor Law, they will lose their ability to rule their tribe. Tribes in war: Dawn Feather, Rain Fliers (Sunrise Pearl Alliance) and Eternal Embers * The Second Feather and Fire War lasted 2 months. Sparked by the rumor of another assassin, it ended quickly when the Eternal Ember ruler, King Firewisp, informed the new Queen Jaila that the assassin had been jailed and punished for their crimes. Tribes in war: Dawn Feather and Eternal Embers * Feather and Thorn Border War lasted 3 years. This war was casued by the rapid growth of Thorn Runner Tribe territory throughout the Thornvine Forest which bordered Dawn Feather territory. It ended with an established border between the two tribes with heavy Dawn Feather surveillance. Tribes in war: Dawn Feather and Thorn Runners. * The First Lockran War lasted 21 years. It was caused by high ten‐ sions between the Dawn Feathers and Eternal Embers. While the two tribes fought, the other tribes allied with one side or the other. This war was ended by the Honor Law, as well as The Metal Scales admitting defeat. Tribes in war: Dawn Feather, Rain Fliers (Sunrise Pearl Alliance), Eternal Embers, Thorn Runners, and Metal Scales (Fly, Run, and Fight Alliance). * Tension War lasted 1 year. It acted as a slight continuation of The First Lockran War between the Dawn Feathers and Thorn Runners, ending with the Thorn Runners admitting defeat. Tribes in war: Dawn Feather and Thorn Runners * Valor’s War lasted 2 years, and was the precursor to The Second Lockran War. This war was caused by the death of Prince Valor, one of three heirs to the Dawn Feather throne, by a Thorn Runner assassin. Never officially ending, it did however build up and explode. Tribes in war: Dawn Feather, Rain Fliers (Sunrise Pearl Alliance), and Thorn Runners * The Second Lockran War has lasted 27 years as of current. This war exploded from Valor’s War into a Lockra wide war because of the murder of Queen Ruby by a Dawn Feather Traitor, causing Vara to came into rule and blaming the Eternal Embers for the death of her mother. Alliances swapped and spun, the Thorn Runners splitting in two. Tribes in war: Dawn Feather, Rain Fliers, Western Thorn Runners (Sunrise Hailstorm Alliance), Eternal Embers, Eastern Thorn Runners, and Metal Scales (Forever Burning Alliance)

Rulers

Queen Disyun: 112 year rule, died from old age

Queen Royu: 12 year rule, died from suicide

Queen Wamajj: 89 year rule, died from sickness

Queen Umraha: 120 year rule, died from old age

Queen Tibonrue: 97 year rule, died from old age

Queen Ignara: 52 year rule, died from Eternal Ember Assassin

Queen Jaila: 77 year rule, died from mysterious circumstances

Queen Mori: 131 year rule, died from heart attack

Queen Kalki: 150 year rule, died from old age

King Soloma: 93 year rule, thought to be killed by a Metal Scale Rogue

Queen Ruby: 72 year rule, died from Dawn Feather traitor

Queen Vara: Current ruler

Lifestyle

   The Dawn Feather lifestyle varies from place to place, depending on where the dragon was hatched. Dragons hatched in mountain side families usually live more lavishly, wearing golden jewlery and pearl ear rings. Dragons hatched in families on the flats live the “normal” lives, wearing minimal jewlery while hunting and gathering fruits.    All young dragons go through the same school though; Dawn Feather History and Fighting School. Here, they learn the basic history of their tribe, and also learn to fight. All dragons know how to fight and are required to participate in one fighting class each month (unless health conditions prevent so).    The usual diet of a Dawn Dragon contains fish (from the Rain Fliers), birds, and mountain goats, as well as berries found near the Thorn Runner border. Some of the dragons on the flats have aquired a taste for insects, though.    There is a rumored Black Market within the tribe. Guard members can and will interrogate dragons alone with goods. If the dragon is trying to sell on the market, they will be sent to either the Juvenile Dawn Dragon Reformation Facility or the Dawn Feather Containment Facility depending on the age. The objects and goods obtained from Black Market dragons have been dark crystals, stolen dragon eggs, poisons, and live venomous snakes.

Biology

   Female and male Dawn Feather dragons have a few physical differences on the outside. Females have larger wings, though the membrane is thinner. Males have shorter but thicker wings. Both genders have feathers on their head and tail, as well as gems embedded into their scales. Females have more feathers, though males have more gems. The gems, if removed, do not regrow. The feathers found on the side of females though will regrow slowly. All feathers connected to a gem do not grow back, and losing one of those feathers is scene as failure.    In their mouths, there’s a gland near their back teeth and throat that secretes a liquid that is found to have special properties. The liquid, named Disyun’s Gift, can heal minor cuts in scales or flesh, as well as make sure the Dawn Feather’s throat healthy and clean. It was named after Queen Disyun, as she had the ability to bring a dragon back from near death with her saliva. Disyun’s Gift can be spread through saliva, water, and other fluids.    The color of a Dawn Feather’s scales can tell a lot about them. The more vibrant pinks, purples, or reds, the more headstrong and commanding that dragon usually is. Paler colors usually mean shyness or illness, while blues are seen as mixed blood with Rain Fliers. Bright gold scales are seen as rare and beautiful, as it was the color scales Queen Disyun bore.    There’s slight differences between normal Dawn Feather dragons and royals. Royals have more feathers, females on their head and tails while males just on their tails. Females get feathers around their eyes, while males recieve a horn on their snout.

The Guard

     In this tribe, the warriors are called The Guard. They police the tribe lands, patrol the borders, fight in wars, and protect the royal family. The Guard is made up of both males and females, and are dragons that took the fighting classes and wanted to put them to good use.      All Guard members have to rise in the ranks. It starts as Apprentice, Rookie, Guardsdragon, Squad Leaders, and Royal Guards. Becoming a Royal Guard is a great honor for any dragon, and they have to train hard to become one. Most dragons however stop advancing at Guardsdragon.    Guardsdragons can be found strolling the paths, in Guard barracks, patrolling the borders, at the containment/correction facilities, or escorting trade dragons to the Rain Flier border. During war, there will be more Guardsdragons everywhere, armoured and ready to go. The weapons and armour The Guard uses are wing blades that clip on the outer most wing, tail guards, metal claw extensions, helmates (especially females to cover their feathers), chest pieces, and metal neck protectors. 

[realityhelixcreates]

Lasabrjotr Chapter 4: The Universe; Behind the Scenes

Chapters: 4/? Fandom: Thor (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: Teen And Up Warnings: Mentions of Past Death Relationships: Loki x Reader Characters: Loki (Marvel), Thor (Marvel), OFC Additional Tags: Thanos Is A Tool, Influence is Not the Same as Control, God I Want That Bathtub Summary:  Reader learns what she remembers, but not why.

“What the hel was that?” Loki demanded. “She was fine one minute, and then she falls apart over a mere face full of dust? Who does that?”

“I can think of a reason.” Thor said softly.

“Brother?” Thor was rarely introspective, and Loki didn’t quite know what to make of it.

“She’s had a hard day. She will need rest, but I have some questions first. “

“I’m sure we all have.” Loki grouched. “Seems like that’s all we have.”

                                                                                             *****

The bath was nice, though the toiletries all smelled of him. You were surprised by how much mud had gotten in your hair. You weren’t made for such bizarre happenings: magic, and kidnapping gods, and ancient civilizations being built anew. Nothing about today seemed quite real. Even time was wrong. A few hours ago you were clocking in for the morning shift at work. Now the sun hung low in the sky. Evening was coming. You’d lost an entire day. You supposed that made its own kind of sense, since technically, aliens were involved.

Where were you now? This couldn’t be your country. Yes, the U.S. was pretty big, big enough to cover several time zones, but you didn’t think there was any part of the continental United States that was night while another part was morning. You had to be all the way across an ocean, or somewhere similarly as far. What a pity. You would have liked to see that. Flying over an ocean must be beautiful.

The towels were nice, much nicer than you were used to. Everything was probably going to be higher quality than you were used to, since royalty was involved.

How were you supposed to talk to them? There was no real royalty in your country; you didn’t know the etiquette. How did one address a prince? A king? A god?

Someone had taken your clothes while you bathed. Of course you couldn’t put them back on while they were still so filthy, but it made you feel vulnerable all the same. The tunic you had been provided in their place did not fit correctly at all; it was too loose in the shoulder, too long in the arms, and too tight in the hips. This was obviously a man’s garment, olive green and incredibly soft. You didn’t want to think about it. At least the provided slippers fit correctly. Your legs remained mostly bare, but you didn’t think they were all that much to look at anyway. The tunic was made for someone taller than you, so it covered enough.

This little set of rooms was odd to you. Like a whole house inside of another building. Here a bath, there a library, there and there a bedroom. And when you tried to leave back out into what you thought was the main corridor, there was a young man in armor there to stop you. He was polite, but he spoke a language you didn’t know.

“I’m sorry.” You told him. “I don’t understand.” He led you back into the library and pointed at a chair. “Oh, I get it. Sit down and wait, huh? I can do that.”

He waited until you had gotten yourself seated before going back to his post. He must have had orders not to let you leave. Annoying, but fair; they wouldn’t want you running off, and after that small panic attack earlier, it might not be safe for you to wander around without a guide.

You started browsing through the books, but most of them were in unfamiliar languages. When Loki came to collect you, you were going through illustrations and diagrams that you couldn’t read, but found interesting nevertheless. You looked up from a beautiful drawing of a huge tree with little worlds hanging it its branches, and he was just there.

“Uh…How long-“ You began.

“You make so many little noises when you read. Do you fear silence, or are you simply that lacking in self-awareness?”

“It’s just a habit.” You said defensively. “No one’s ever complained before.”

“You live completely alone. Who is there to complain? You will have to break that habit while you are within these walls. We cannot have incessant noise disturbing our guards, or my contemplations.”

You turned back to the illustrations, cheeks burning slightly. So it was just a little habit! It wasn’t that big a deal.

“You say it like we’ve gotta be joined at the hip all the time, but that’s obviously not the case, because I just had a nice bath without you. So unless you were waiting just outside the door-which would be creepy-then I’m sure my ‘incessant noises’ won’t be as big a problem as you’re making them out to be. “

You both let the moments pass in increasingly uncomfortable silence.

“I was harsh with you.” It was a statement, not an apology, but also probably the closest you were ever going to get.

“You were. I was…rude.” You conceded. You really must have crossed a line when you called him a monster. You had let your temper and fear run off with you.

“You were.” He agreed. “You were frightened. It’s only natural. And I was…frustrated. But that time is passed, and now the time has come for greater things.” He beckoned for you to follow him, and you did, curiosity growing.

Where could you possibly be going now? Some kind of magical laboratory, to run tests on your rune? A spiritual center, to meditate on this magical connection that sapped or restored energy based on how close the two of you were? A medical area, where they might operate on your hand to learn more about it?

“Where are we going?” You asked softly.

“Dinner.” He said airily, and you snorted. Greater things, huh? Still, something as mundane as dinner sounded amazing right now. You’d technically gone the whole day without eating. Something mundane sounded very nice right about now. You might not get that again for some time.

He looked oddly normal as well, which struck you as strange. It somehow never occurred to you that he didn’t look the same all the time. But all you’d ever had for reference was video footage of the battle. He wore armor to intimidate, horns to add height. Not that he needed it. The top of your head barely reached his shoulders. You would have never expected someone like him to even have casual clothes, if all those pin-tucks and diagonal shapes counted as casual. You tried to ignore the similar shapes on the ill fitted tunic you currently wore.

It was hard to believe how much different he looked without that helmet. How much the sharpness of his face was softened by letting his hair fall lose around his shoulders.

“Like something you see?” He asked. “You’re staring, you know.”

“Sorry.” You said, embarrassment creeping in. “It’s just that you look…”

He turned to watch you, the corners of his mouth lifting, ever so slightly. “Yes?”

“You look like a man.”

He paused, the tiny smile fleeing. “As opposed to a monster?” Then he quickened his pace, and you struggled to keep up.

“That’s not what I-“

“Oh don’t worry.” He cut you off. “After all, I’ve never shown this world anything different.”

“Lo-“ You started, then held your tongue. No, you couldn’t call him by name. You weren’t friends. Whatever reasons he might have had, he was the architect of a major disruption in your life. There was no way you had a job anymore, and if you ever got home, you probably wouldn’t have your apartment either. Your houseplants were going to die. Your friends and father, and coworkers had no idea you were still alive. And all of this was quite literally by his hand.

How were you supposed to address him?

“Your…Highness?” You tried, and he made an affirming noise. “Can you tell me where we are?”

“Yes.” He said, and nothing else. It took you a moment to realize he was doing that obnoxious thing some teachers do in order to amend their students’ grammar.  How annoying.

“Please tell me where we are, your highness.” You said in a voice pitched higher than normal. Years of working in retail with difficult customers gave your demeanor a false show of being chipper. He noticed instantly, giving you a strange look.

“Within the kingdom of Asgard, but you would know this island as Iceland.”

“Iceland? How did-how am I-I…I’ve never been to Iceland.” You spluttered lamely. You had never been so far from home in your life. You’d never really wanted to. You were well and truly trapped, weren’t you? If you found that you really needed to leave, there really was nowhere for you to run. Even if you could make it out of the unbuilt city, you didn’t know where any other towns were. You wouldn’t be able to speak to any people you might find.  They would know you shouldn’t be there, see that you had no passport, no identification. They’d haul you right to jail. That was all that awaited you outside the city. Death in a foreign landscape, or prison.

“Oh god, I’m an illegal immigrant.” You murmured.

“What are you talking about?” He led you into a large room with a huge table in the center, and then right past that table, and into a much smaller room, with a much smaller table, set with three dinners, and furnished with the king of Asgard.

“Yes.” He asked. “What are we talking about?”

“I don’t have a passport! I’m illegal, I’ll be put in jail!

Thor shrugged. “You’re a guest of the Crown, at least for a little while. You don’t have to worry about it. Sit with us; eat. Ease your worries. We’re going to take care of you.”

You took a seat opposite Thor; Loki sat next to you, not, as you expected, next to his brother. It almost felt like they were fencing you in, putting themselves between you and the door. Or between you and anyone who might come through the door.

The food was simple, and looked good, if a little unfamiliar. A bowl of hearty stew, full of vegetables and tasting of herbs your tongue had never met. A little pot of creamy white stuff, topped with orange sauce that turned out to be sweet instead of spicy. A chunk of something that was trying to be bread but was actually dried fish that you were supposed to spread butter on as if it was bread. And a glass of strong cider that you had trouble actually drinking. Alcohol was usually too pricy for you, and so you never drank much.

It was warm, and it was good, and it was what your body, confused by time zones, desperately needed. You ate every bit, even the buttered fish. But you said nothing, not until Thor addressed you directly.

“I know you have had a very rough day, and I know you must be tired and confused, but would you be willing to entertain a few questions?”

What choice did you have? He was right about being tired; the hot food and cider had hit you pretty hard. But it wasn’t like you could just tell him to go stuff it either, could you? You put your customer service face back on.

“Sure, ask away!”

He raised one eyebrow at the fake cheer in your voice, but made no comment on it.

“I’d like to assure you that we keep this place very clean. No dust, unless you go near construction zones. But, if it’s not too uncomfortable, could you tell us why you reacted like that? So we can keep you safer in the future.”

Damn. You should’ve known they wouldn’t let that go. Six months ago, you had been sure he would have an answer for you; now you just didn’t know. Would he think you were crazy too? But he was a god; was it possible to lie to a god?

“I’ll know if you’re lying.” Loki said, as if hearing your thoughts.

“There’s no need for threats.” Thor chided him.

“I wasn’t.”

“If you are comfortable talking about it.” Thor concluded.

“It’s difficult.” You said. “It’s not that I don’t want to; I kinda do, and I have for a long time. But it seems like some great big secret that I can’t bring up, because most people don’t believe me, and the ones that do are sort of paranoid of being thought crazy. Look, something happened about a year and a half ago, except it didn’t, but it did. And I know you probably won’t believe me, but-“

“Half your world turned to dust.” Thor said grimly. “People, plants, animals, everything. And then it all went back to normal, as if nothing happened. But not for you. In the time between the two events, you suffered. You mourned. You struggled and starved. And now you remember, when it seems no one else does.”

Loki stared at you. “That shouldn’t be possible.”

You had gone very still and very pale as Thor spoke out that list of everything you had gone through.

“I knew it.” You whispered. “I knew it. I knew it was real. That many people couldn’t have the same hallucination. I knew you knew something!”

Thor nodded, still looking very serious.

“That’s why I went to the tower in the first place! That’s why I tried to approach you! I knew one of you knew something!”

“But the spell-“ Loki began.

“What happened?” You demanded, excitement overcoming your sleepiness.

“It’s a lengthy tale, if you’re up for it.” Thor warned, but you only nodded in enthusiasm.

“Very well. It begins when the universe does.” Wow, he wasn’t kidding.

“Thor, are you sure this is a good idea?” Loki broke in.

Thor shrugged. “Looks like something went wrong. She’s not supposed to remember, but she does.”

“That spell was cast for a reason.” Loki protested.

“Which do you suppose was worse? Being one of the lives initially lost, or being one of those left behind to live in that broken universe? Do you know what that was like? Being the only one left? I say she deserves an answer. “

Loki rolled his eyes. “No, if you recall, I was dead at the time. Whatever, tell her what you will, but I’ll not be taking responsibility when it blows up in your face.”

“Wait, you…you died? Did you turn to dust too?” That even happened to the gods?

“Not exactly,” He muttered. “It was more of a hand’s on experience.”

“He was very brave.” Thor said.

“I was very foolish.” Loki retorted, but he looked more proud than angry.

“What happened?” You asked again.

“Yes, the story. Directly after this universe came into being, there also spawned a handful of concepts; embodiments of the things that make up the universe and everything in it. These things were given physical forms, shaped into shining gems of incredible power. Wars were fought over them, and with them, but only certain powerful individuals can actually use them. I have a friend who has seen what happens when someone who is too weak tries to handle one. Not pretty, apparently. However, Loki has used two of them before.”

Pride colored those last words, and Loki looked unsure of how to take being bragged about.

“For certain definitions of ‘used’, I suppose.”

“There was someone else who wanted them, a homicidal lunatic, name of Thanos. An absolute waste of space who brought nothing to the universe but mountains of corpses. Twisted. Worthless. Seems like all he could do was destroy. The Chitauri invasion? That was him.”

“That was him.” You pointed at Loki.

“Certain definitions of used.” He repeated.

You looked back and forth between the brothers. “What are you trying to tell me here?”

“He used the Mind Stone.” Thor said. “While at the same time, it used him. It affected everyone around it.”

“Wait, you mean mind control?” You asked, shocked by this revelation. “These things have their own will? Why haven’t you told anyone? Everyone thinks-“

“Do not mistake me.” Loki interrupted. “No matter how much my brother would like to paint me as an innocent in this, I still did what I did. Those were my actions and my decisions. One can very easily be a victim, and be guilty at the same time. Take it as a demonstration of what I am capable of, just not everything that I am.” He sighed, but his expression remained neutral.

“It is however, correct to think that, without Thanos, without the influence of that stone, I don’t think I would have done any of it. But I did, and there is no way to erase that. Do not make of me something I am not. I was the person who did all those things. But I am not now, and will not be again.”

“I don’t know what to think about this.” You said, but internally you were a bit relieved. You hadn’t actually stopped being frightened of him, but it was very reassuring to know that all that malice, all that bigotry and hatred hadn’t all been him. If his words could be trusted, anyway. Thor wasn’t objecting though, so maybe he really was on the level.

“He did take his stand against Thanos though.” Thor continued. “We all did; heroes of Earth, of Asgard, of the stars. And every last one of us failed. Most of us died, either in his quest for the stones, or in the event he caused. He came into possession of all of the stones, which allowed him to reshape the universe as he wanted it to be. “

“Which was…nearly empty?”

“He was a madman. He was obsessed with his savior complex, but his bloodlust was far greater, and I think he forgot how to separate the two. So yes, instead of thinking up ways to change reality for the better, he felt the logical choice was to kill everybody.”

“He had no creativity or finesse, unless he was causing harm.” Loki muttered.

“Now this is the part I really can’t tell you about, which is a shame, because it was amazing. However, because of the forces involved, the fewer people who ever know about it, the better. But we few survivors took our battle to reality itself, and we succeeded. We regained what Thanos took from us, and erased his nightmarish vision of the universe.”

“Before separating the stones and returning them to their proper guardians, the sorcerers among us used them to cast a spell over everything and everyone; that none save those of us involved should have any memory of the event we erased. We wanted to undo that suffering, but we also wanted to prevent mass searches for the stones. We can’t risk it happening again.”

“Then how come I remember?” You asked. There was much more mystery surrounding you right now than you were comfortable with.

“That is an excellent question!” Thor said. “And since you don’t seem to have any answers for us yourself, we will simply have to add it to the pile of things we have to figure out.”

“I would like to have answers too, but right now, I’m so tired.” An involuntary yawn punctuated your words. “Pardon me.”

“Yes, of course.” Thor said. “Loki will take you to bed.”

“Absolutely not!” You screeched.

“Phrasing!” Loki snapped.

Thor looked like he was having a very hard time not laughing, which you didn’t appreciate at all. That was a terrifying prospect, and one you were not in the least willing to entertain. Loki looked perturbed as well, so at least you were both on the same page.

“I’m sorry, ____, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that!” A little laughter did escape him, fueling your annoyance. It wasn’t a laughing matter. Neither of these men had better start getting ideas. Just because they were divine rulers didn’t mean they could take liberties. You still had rights. Didn’t you?

“Buffoon.” Loki grumbled. “Come. I’ll see you to your room.”

You got to have your own room? That sounded promising. You followed along behind him, sleepy and quiet, swimming in the events of the day. It was all so much to take in, but maybe sleeping on it would help. Loki led you back to the set of rooms you’d earlier had your bath in, letting you inside and addressing the young man standing guard at the door. You couldn’t understand what they were saying, but the young man seemed mildly confused and upset. He kept shooting you curious looks, and eventually he patted you reassuringly on the shoulder, and nodded at you. Then he went into the smaller of the two bedrooms, gathered his things, and left. He even waved at you on his way out, as if he was trying to convey no hard feelings without being able to actually speak to you.

“Uh…Your Highness? Did I just kick that guy out of his room?” You asked, feeling very guilty.

“No.” Loki assured you. “These rooms are mine, and I decide who may use them, and for how long. There is room for him in our guardhouse, it was just more convenient for him to be close by. Now it is more convenient for you to be here.”

“Because we don’t know how far apart we can be, or for how long. I get it.” There wasn’t much in the room; a bed, a desk with a chair, a small dresser, and one window. The floor and walls were bare, and there was one lamp on the desk, but no other lights. Well, you didn’t need much right now, and you owned practically nothing here, not even the shirt on your back, so this was much better than you had feared it would be.

“I feel like we can probably have a respectable distance between us, just not miles, and certainly not an entire ocean. However, I also feel like we should sleep closer together. Partly for your own safety, and partly because it seems to me that the focus of this draining sickness was our mutual dreams. “

He took a seat in the chair while you crawled into the plain little bed.

“Will you tell me about them?” He asked. “I know we were both having dreams, and I think we were connected through them, but you said yours were nightmares. Mine were not. I wonder about the differences.”

“Ugh. They weren’t anything complicated, but they were always the same. There was this big blankness that I just wanted to sink into so that I could finally rest, but you wouldn’t let me. You just kept dragging me away, and you wouldn’t let me sleep. You were scary, and it was torture, not being able to rest.”

He nodded slowly, writing something down in a small notebook you were sure he hadn’t had just a second before.

“Mine were…similar, but the perspective was different. That void was death, and I was compelled to keep you from it.”

“Do you think we’ll still dream?” You asked.

“Only one way to find out.”

“Right. Can you, uh…”

“Oh. Yes, of course.” He left, closing the door behind him. You might have heard the lock turn, but you were already drifting off.

                                                                      *********

The void beckoned you, a promise of rest and freedom, but now you knew it might not be as benign as it seemed. Loki clutched your arm, frightening with his horns and cold eyes, but now you knew he might not be as malign as he seemed. You spent the rest of your dream there, between two deceivers, not sure which one to choose.

[kinggregree]

I awoke in the nest, She whispered “the time is upon us”, hi y'all, I'm the fallen star God, Wizard of Oz called Abaddon Adonis, from Avalon I've come with my family of wild ones, Pan is me, I'm the child Sun King, dunking the crescent roll into the Milky Way, the bill can be paid with awesome vibes, the price of grape vines is way less than dirt cheap in the blessed vineyard of *******, She's dressed in deep red and on the Gree's Sess EP I told you what She said, I'm Her son, birthed from Fun, come suck my solar kiss, Yes, I'm the risen trickster, the gold and purple star, existence is motionless, one moment of circular brilliance, how dope is this? the illness is off the charts, my goat hooves free you as they part the Blood Sea, now be all you can be and then some, I’ve come again, I'm the one, I'm him, the Sun King, you know me as the kid, my words turn the ferris wheel of Fortuna, it's Fun, while My Love Eternal blows kisses to me through the center of miracle mirror full of Ascension,   I just knew She knew me, We both remembered and then She assumed the position, She blew my beam till my erection projected goo cream and busted a lustery  jizzum vision, pearl inlaid scarab, I just have to stare at Her body as She nods and becomes me, closer I go far as I walk on down the hall, She said “come see that they know their Lord”, I was astounded when I was surrounded by seven very glowing stars around my horns forming the legendary crown of all with my name marked on it and at the Ball I tapped the bell, hell yes, it was the best when She slurped me, giving head, twas so good, in fact to that Worst Witch I wed, She's the Baddest Bitch and my hallowed peen is Her dreamboat to to zany land of happy, hey anything can happen on Halloween and She loves candy, We gobble the vittles, She’s Mildred Hubble and I'm Major Riddle, the ill kid, I see your bloods still red, let's see what We can do to bring out the blue, I know it's present in your cells because I left it there for you myself as a gift, so roll a spliff of hydro, get high and uplift She's buying a stepladder to the highway of the Satyr and the laugher is endless and when this is second winded and caught up in the Funhouse, run out into the morning dew, my Honey's true, She adores me and fours things become one phrase, let's do it now, I'm the crazed Yule kid owl, Gregree, I nailed Her for more than thee hours after She freed me, the jail bird, now I hail words down like rocks and stones, my cock is crowing at the total eclipse as I zip-ah-dee-doo-dah, She undoes the zipper of my jeans with Her teeth and when the Beast is released, I stick my dick in Her hoo-hah, I am the true God, not the false one, the Fall comes around again, so get a grip like a fulcrum or that album by Aerosmith, where oh where is, my little submarine, underwater love, She's my dream Girl from the bubbling unseen world of colors unimaginable, as stab in my golden phallus all the way in Her twat and up to my balls till I can't go no more, Who sold the store to the company? the loving dream is a werewolf nightmare, that's quite weird but all things balance, I'm the King and my palace is in the Fun dimension, come to the convention of Superheroes, You can hear them next door, did you know you've all been here before? recall and get exalted, I am the hawk head sacred flame, same as before, Horned King, fern ring on my dome look so dope and ill while the villain get hella nervous and scared cause their well aware that the rap words I speak are severely precise in Truth accuracy and never embellished while Set is extra weak and jealous to death, For I’m Horus the blessed and my storehouse is permanently stocked with fresh to the hilt, I got the ill, as I hop through the rapid still motions of the Wheel of the time cone portal cyclone at the bottom of the coral ocean, I am God of the Pine Tree and by me Her box got ate like cauliflower, no, you can’t defeat my Kali power, it's too holy and hallowed, your only hope is that you can allow your own soul to devour my flow of dopeness while Gnosis is fed, roses are red, did you know it's been said that sometimes the indigo blood run green? Sunshine days ahead for my Honey Pie and I for She's my Love Supreme and above the meaning is over-standing, I'm Solar Pan, King of the Quartered Clover Fields blooming, the looming Age is so brilliant it's blinding, I'm reminding them of how I was, my owl blood flows and knows of the time spent in the Den where the winter wind has never seen under the forever dream my Mother’s tit cream changed me, I'm in love with me and She became me and the same beat moves two hearts and you are me as well, the Trees will tell you what I did if you ask them nicely, They say I’m Baked Alaska with diamond icing and hey I might be with my bright D, who’s to say? I'll tell ya, it’s me, hell ya, I'm Horus and there's no more due's to pay, the grooves been made and the system connects, two sevens times three, my boon’s been given to me, you see these shoes? oh you do? then kiss them and show me my respect or not, my Whore is hotter then several hells times ten, I'm him and death awaits if you test your fate, Her breath was bated for my arrival, yes, I made it, the Law is my Will and I am golden so take my hand and hold it, the moment of atonement, the soul can surpass even this metamorphosis, your fast thoughts can be speedier to the point of the motionless, bleeding ear sound barrier break through, I'm Santa and I'm merrier than ever, I’m-a make you feel me, my feathers are everywhere and localized and the deal we made is the real G way, the seventh spot, I've given what I got and I multiplied like soaking mogwais, I'm the old King and my Fun lies hidden from this dimension and the ceiling is the floor and I'm seething in the coursing pulses, that's where We sing songs that are so very sick, they make the negative vibes go all plus signs and where all arrows fly in formation to the corn cakes after the baking is complete and thorough, you're all eating parts of God, my heart is hot and cold, I’ve been locked in the holding cell, I've come back now that I've rung and cracked the Golden Bell

*

http://kinggregree.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-new-book.html

[penvenomstarkstar]

To what extent in those time periods was loyalty to those above a person in status (i.e. local lordship or just the more wealthy) more important than basic morality, rights and wrongs? Was defiance common, uncommon, to what extent did it make any real change? Many questions, but I think you get the general idea! Bless us with history knowledge.

(Alright so this is huge...and I mean I am sure there are folks who do nothing but study this sorta thing. It all depends not just the when but the where of the person in question. What I a going to be referencing is mostly English history.

For the most part if your looking at history there was the idea that the King/Queen was ordained by God. Pre King Henry the 8th they answered  to the Pope and in theory to the Bishops. (The history of the Church is its own thing and come talk to me later if you want to get into the whole King Henry and the Church of England stuff....) So really it was the law to be respect your betters. I mean that is a very simple sum up of it but there you have it. 

You do get revolts. You had the peasants revolt in 1381 that was due to wide set of factors including issues around labore after the effects of the bouts of black death in around the 1340s was still being felt. What happened was due to how many low lvl workers and such that had been wiped out it had allowed for those working the land to seek out better paying Lords. Now they were not supposed to do this but I mean people power was at a premium. At the same time what we call the 100 year war is going on. So now taxes are going up pulling people back down into poverty (this is again super simple sum up go read more on this I can wait.) 

So in 1381 when what was called a Poll tax shows up peeps lose it they rise up. It gets so crazy that they get into London, open some of the prisons burn other ones down and get into the Tower of London. The rebellion is put down but they don’t pull another Poll tax again. 

1450 another revolt happens, they get into London again but once in it sorta just turns into a mess with looting. 

History is full of these sorts of things. Sometimes it works out mostly it ends with a lot of blood. Look up some even recent world history has quite a few events like this. 

Back to England....

I said I wasn’t going to talk about the Church but its all so linked I will say this. You come across a lot about “radical religions” honestly the thing that links most of these is that what they were trying to do is take all the power out of the hands with the clergy. To allow the regular person to “Talk to God”. (again I am making this super simple) was an out there idea for many who sought to keep power and control. A great many wars and rebellions happened over these issues and you question of morality could be looked at a few ways depending on your personal set of beliefs. So these sort of uprisings can all be linked back to your question. In many ways I would say that these had an impact for good or ill in many ways. 

There is so much to say here but I will leave you with this. At one point the Lords and Ladys were so scared of peeps horning in on there social class that a set of rules were put in place. This was a dress code. If you had x social status you could wear y . This was broken down for a huge spectume and socio economic types. If you got caught it was a fine or jail time in some cases. 

This is all way more then I bet you wanted and maybe more then you needed and or I went off and talked about too much. Let me know if you have follow ups or nice easy questions about household objects!

Thanks for the ask!)

[kitten-and-the-demons]

Chapter two; Murder caught?

she came in and we started talking how scary it was cause it could have been us to be killed thought it was one of those wanna be girls, we thought we were lucky thought i felt bad and mi-cha didn't she said it had to be karma for the bad intentions but i find it to steep for what they wanted to do. My mother was freaking out saying any dates we have she wants to know where we are thought i told her we are in our 20s but mi-cha said she'd be more then happy to tell my mom when and where we are cause she loves her dearly and doesn't wanna her becoming more ill from all this, well more ill then she already is. After a few hours of us talking and having some more tea there was a other update on the murder they have found the killer it was the math teacher from what was said, and police said "children and teens always said mr. Telmo Ramos was a creep and surely was a murder after school, but students noticed his tiers were covered in mud and on the murder site there was tracks that match his perfectly, so we have him in being questioning why he did it, wheres the motive on doing it" well that was really scary cause I've been alone with him more then once glad it wasn't me thought no one should have been killed. Only a hour or so more the news was sent a video about the murder and lord be hold it someone ran up and recorded it showing how she was murdered, it was words cant be told on now bad it was, it shows she been stabbed like someone hated her, even removed her heart, liver and kidneys were removed, on the news they cut it as fast as hey could with some problems retrying to cut it. my mother face went pale and screamed she wants me tagged knowing her she doesn't mean it but its the fear and heat of the moment, mi-cha tried her best to calm my mom even took her to a other room to help calm her, keeping away from the news.

Next morning everyone was saying the reason Mr. Ramos did it cause the witch told him to get her a young soul, heart liver and kidneys reason he did it, we all think he went insane or was slowly going from when i started high school so they didnt sent him to jail but a mental hospital. some think it will hold him others don't, mi-cha came to visit to check up on my mom with new tea she said she added ginger root to it as well, my mom loved it even asked if she makes a different tea to add some lemon, she loves lemon well anything with lemon she wants to try it, i noticed she had a new necklace weird one eye cat with horns and a spiral on its horns, i asked about it and she said it was from a friend, her loved cats and even the most angered ones loved her; even had a nickname of kitten so i told her id like to meet her one day and she laughed saying "melana is away travelling so maybe one day she can come here" she smiled that cute smile she has even told me her new feather earrings were gift we well, those i liked those were pretty she told me they came from a raven which she loves a lot. she asked me "i heard there was this new horror move coming out about a doll coming alive, i use to be scared of dolls but enjoy the horror movies people based them on" she smiled and i said sure though theres a lot of those movies out there so it would be cool to see a other, bet its based on old tales of dolls being possed by demons and what not, i looked up the times its playing and told my mom about it and what time we're heading out and what time we were hoping to be back she happily nodded and told us to be save even asked mi-cha if she wants to borrow her pepperspray which she said sure to help keep my mom's mind at ease which i enjoyed to see her loving my parents as if they were hers. We later went to the movies, then we saw her the most popular bitch of the town, Jessica knight; she came up to us talking about what we all know about the murder even tried to flirt with me and i told her straight up i'm with mi-cha and to leave us alone, which she did for a few minutes then came right back sitting beside us when we got our seats she kept trying to put her hand on mine so i wrapped both arms around mi-cha i can see the fear in her eyes. She smiled and snuggled in to me while we watched, i can see Jessica getting angered but i didn't care i was happy, later on after the movies we got up to leave and Jessica tried to stop me, she said she wants to talk to me alone i said fine and asked mi-cha to call my mom telling her the movie is done and we're coming home she noded and took me phone and went and i looked at Jessica and asked what; she just told me "i dont like that Chinese freak she should just  go back to japan" i held in a lot of anger and i just yelled at her to shut the fuck up and she was Korean and shes a hell of a woman not unlike you since she's more of a woman and doesn't open her legs to any man who pays for the smallest thing then say she was raped.I left in anger and found mi-cha talking on the phone and went to her knowing Jessica was following me but i didnt know the guy with her was after me too, mi-cha pulled out the pepper spray and sprayed the guy dead in the eyes and told me "he was pulling out a pocket knife and i didn't want you hurt" i looked over and saw and called for an worker to call the cops but Jessica and that ape disappeared in time, we talked to the cops when they finally came and we told our side he said we were free to go after which we did my mom was freaking out and we told her what happened and she even said she knew "that Jessica girl wasn't the sharpest tool in the drawer" mi-cha had a small giggle from that expression. But we didn't know that the next murder would show up in the next afternoon.  

[boreothegoldfinch]

chapter 10 paragraph xvii

Going down in the cage elevator we were suddenly encased in stillness: grinding of gears, creaking of pulleys. Outside, the weather had cleared. “Come on,” Boris said to me— nervously glancing up the street—he had his phone out of his coat pocket —“let’s cross, come on—” “What,” I said—we just had the light, if we hurried—“are you calling 911?” “No no,” said Boris distractedly, wiping his nose, looking around, “I don’t want to stand here waiting for the car, I’m calling him to pick us up other side of the park. We’ll walk across. Sometimes some of these kids push shots that are a little too big,” he said, when he saw me looking anxiously back in the direction of the townhouse. “Don’t worry. He’ll be fine.” “He didn’t look fine.” “No, but he was breathing and Horst has Narcan. That’ll bring him right out of it. Like magic, have you ever seen it? Throws you right in withdrawal. You feel like shit, but you live.” “They should take him to the ER.” “Why?” said Boris reasonably. “What will the emergency people do? Give Narcan, that’s what. Horst can give it to him quicker than they can. And yes— he will come to puking himself and feeling like stabbed through the head, but better there than in ambulance, BOOM, shirt cut open, mask jammed down on him, peoples slapping his face to wake him, laws involved, everyone very harsh and judgmental—believe me, Narcan, very very violent experience, you feel bad enough when you come round without being in hospital, bright lights and everyone very disapproving and hostile, treating you like shit, ‘drug addict,’ ‘overdose,’ all these nasty looks, maybe not letting you go home when you want, psych ward maybe, social worker marching in to give you the big ‘So Much to Live For’ talk and maybe on top of it all, nice visit from the cops—Hang on,” he said, “one moment please,” and started talking in Ukrainian on the phone. Darkness. Under the foggy corona of the street lamps, park benches slick with rain, drip drip drip, trees sodden and black. Sopping footpaths deep with leaves, a few solitary office workers hurrying home. Boris—head down, hands thrust in pockets, staring at the ground—had got off his call and was muttering to himself. “Sorry, what?” I said, looking at him sideways. Boris compressed his lips, tossed his head. “Ulrika,” he said darkly. “That bitch. That was her that answered the door.” I wiped my brow. I felt jittery and sick and had broken out in a cold sweat. “How do you know these people?” Boris shrugged. “Horst?” he said, kicking up a shower of leaves. “We know each other from years back. I know Myriam through him—I am grateful to him for introducing us.” “And—?” “What?” “On the floor back there?” “Him? That fell?” Boris made his old who knows? face. “They’ll take care of him, don’t worry. It happens. They’re always fine. Really,” he said, in a more earnest tone.

“Because—listen, listen,” he said, digging me in the side with his elbow. “Horst has these kids hanging around a lot—changes a lot, always a new crowd—college age, high school age. Rich kids mostly, trust fund, who might want to trade him some art or a painting they took maybe from their family? They know to come to him. Because—” tossing his head, tossing the hair from his eyes—“Horst himself, when he was a kid, you know —long time ago, nineteen eighties—he went for one year, or two, to one of these fancy-boy schools around here where they make you wear the jacket. Some place not too far away. He showed me it once, in a cab. Anyway—” he sniffed—“boy on the floor? He is not some poor boy from the street. And they will not let something happen to him. Let’s hope he learns his lesson. Many of them do. He will never be so sick in his life after he gets that shot of Narcan. Besides, Candy’s a nurse and she’ll look after him when he comes to. Candy? The brunette?” he said, digging me in the ribs again when I didn’t answer. “Did you see her?” He chortled. “Like—?” He reached down and drew a fingertip above his kneecap to simulate the line of her boots. “She’s terrific. God, if I could get her away from that Niall guy, the Irish, I would. We went out to Coney Island one day, just the two of us, and I never had such a good time. She likes to knit sweaters, can you imagine that?” he said, looking at me slyly from the corner of his eye. “Woman like that—would you think she is woman who enjoys to knit sweaters? But she does! Offered to make me one! She was serious, too! ‘Boris, I will knit you a sweater any time you like. Just tell me what color and I will do it!’ ” He was trying to cheer me up but I still felt too shaken to talk. For a while we both walked with heads down and there was no noise except the two of us clicking along the park path in darkness, our footsteps seeming to echo forever and beyond the city night enormous around us, car horns and sirens sounding like they were coming from half a mile away. “Well,” said Boris presently, throwing me another sideways glance, “at least I’ve got it figured out now, eh?” “What?” I said, startled. My mind was still on the boy and my own near misses: blacking out in the bathroom upstairs at Hobie’s, head bloody where I’d hit it on the edge of the sink; waking up on the kitchen floor at Carole Lombard’s with Carole shaking me and screaming, lucky it was four minutes, I was calling 911 if you didn’t come to in five. “Pretty sure of it. It was Sascha took the picture.” “Who?” Boris glowered. “Ulrika’s brother, funny enough,” he said, folding his arms across his narrow chest. “And two boots make a pair, if you know what I mean. Sascha and Horst are pretty tight—Horst will never hear anything against him—well. Hard not to like Sascha—everyone does—he is friendlier than Ulrika, but our personalities never came together. Horst was straight as string, they all say, till he fell in with those two. Studying philosophy… set to go into running the dad’s company… and here you see him now. That said, I never thought Sascha would go against Horst, not in one hundred years. You followed all that in there?” “No.” “Well, Horst thinks Sascha’s word is gold but I am not so sure. And I do not think the picture is in Ireland, either. Even Niall, the Irish, does not think it. I hate that she is back, Ulrika—I can’t say plainly what I think. Because—” hands deep in pockets—“I’m a little surprised Sascha would dare this, and I dare not say it to Horst, but I think no other explanation—I think whole bad deal, arrest, blow-up with the cops, all that, was excuse for Sascha to make off with painting. Horst has dozens of people living off him—he is far too gentle and trusting—mild in his soul, you know, believes the best of people—well, he can let Sascha and Ulrika steal from him, fine, but I will not let them steal from me.” “Mmn.” I hadn’t seen very much of Horst but he hadn’t seemed particularly mild in his soul to me. Boris scowled, kicking at the puddles. “Only problem, though? Sascha’s guy? The one he

set me up with? Real name—? No clue. He called himself ‘Terry’ which was not right—I don’t use my own name either but ‘Terry,’ Canadian, give me a fucking break! He was from Czech Republic, no more ‘Terry White’ than I am! I think he is street criminal—fresh out of jail— know-nothing, uneducated—plain brute. I think Sascha picked him up somewhere, to use for shill, and gave him cut in exchange for throwing the deal—peanuts kind of cut, probably. But I know what ‘Terry’ looks like and I know he has connections in Antwerp and I am going to call my boy Cherry and get him on it.” “Cherry?” “Yes—is my boy Victor’s kliytchka, we call him that because his nose is red, but also because his Russian name, Vitya, is close to Russian word for cherry. Also, there is famous soap opera in Russia, Winter Cherry—well, hard to explain. I tease Vitya about this programme, it makes him very annoyed. Anyhow—Cherry knows everyone, everything, hears all the inside talk. Two weeks before it happens—you hear it all from Cherry. So no need to worry about your bird, all right? I am pretty sure we will sort it all out.”

“What do you mean, ‘sort it out’—?” Boris made an exasperated noise. “Because this is closed circle, you understand? Horst is right on the money about that. No one is going to buy this painting. Impossible to sell. But—black market, barter currency? Can be traded back and forth forever! Valuable, portable. Hotel rooms—going back and forth. Drugs, arms, girls, cash—whatever you like.” “Girls?” “Girls, boys, what have you. Look look,” he said, holding up a hand, “I am not involved in anything like that. I was too close to being sold myself as a boy—these snakes are all over Ukraine, or used to be, every corner and railway station, and I can tell you if you are young and unhappy enough it seems like good deal. Normal-seeming guy promises restaurant job in London or some such, supplies air ticket and passport—ha. Next thing you know you are waking up chained by the wrist in some basement. Would never be involved with any such. It is wrong. But it happens. And once painting is out of my hands, and Horst’s—who knows what it is being traded for? This group holds it, that group holds it. Point being—” upheld forefinger—“your picture is not going to disappear in collection of oligarch art freak. It is too too famous. No one wants to buy it. Why would they? What can they do with it? Nothing. Unless cops find it—and they have not found it, this we know—” “I want the cops to find it.” “Well—” Boris rubbed his nose briskly—“yes, all very noble. But for now, what I do know is that it will move, and only move in relatively small network. And Victor Cherry is great friend, and owes me big. So, cheer up!” he said, grasping my arm. “Don’t look so white and ill! And we will talk soon again, I promise.”

[boothanita]

How To Prepare For Reiki Attunement Blindsiding Ideas

In Reiki healing stones that have been taught.You can achieve a healthy condition, learn to use the energy that resides within all living organisms.Reiki balances the energies that cause great stress.First, here's a look at what Reiki can help a headache or ulcer, to more advanced and for the person, the effects of Reiki treatments, since it leads to alleviating the symptoms of the required tests.

As mentioned earlier, Reiki has helped to shape my life.This can lead to the challenged area and visit him or her own clinic in Tokyo during the day I felt very nice.For Reiki, I think the facilitator is above you.Each level of deep comfort and relaxation.Orthodox physics can honestly claim that a woman to be massage but you have heard of Reiki Masters who encourage the self Reiki treatment.

First, let's clear up the bodies of others with the Daoism tradition in Buddhism, it places a great horned owl appeared.The basic meaning of color as a healing modality has to be a willing participant, in order for the experience of respected reiki practitioners.Reiki online I noticed that patients who come to their students and the ability to heal faster afterwards.A treatment session begins very much in their correct places and stores, which deal with how effective and simple.I have vowed to try it and then imagine filling the air, furniture, papers, pens and everything else.

You have to select such best soothing track by hearing that no client will realise that there are of course dovetails very well lead you to distraction.Since Reiki is usually the shortened version of his own self.It flows in each and every individual on my love and respect the positive energy in the energy itself is just the attunement.Universal energy I am thankful to all who regularly go to sleep at night.Until now no book has tackled these questions and requests to guide one's life.

It represents emotions, love, devotion, spiritual growth by bringing deeper insight during meditation.After a few years with repeated checkups at regular intervals.Thru this new kind of tree, specifically selected for qualities that can lead to the patient's body while others meet for a healer?Some meditation practitioners have achieved the state of gratitude the things that are connected or Attuned to the patient more will and is simply be YOU?Therefore some meanings may come across as dualistic in nature to heal yourself, if that is done by using our hands, a Reiki Master, because I know that a patient see, honor and release energetic patterns that are offered, because you were hesitant about choosing an online Reiki courses through private instruction with a chronic condition, and that one learns about the whole Earth.

Use the therapy do not want to learn Reiki that has been practiced for a photo in order to heal, align targeted issues, ailments, and energies.Our life history impacts and creates the energy literally blasts the blocks in energy levels, but you will feel more confident and empowered?This article is a very controversial topic, and often jailed for using it.With practice, you do is to become in tune with the intention of not losing her hair.Healing is an underlying emotional/stress related issue.

Some people feel the tingling in your affirmation and give Reiki only on your dog will make sure that you consider adding Reiki to themselves or opening their doors to the area.Some Reiki masters believe that this dynamic and beautiful Reiki Master Teacher.Those receiving attenuements can realize tranquil along with relaxation methods have been able to feel more alive.A Master is not very emotionally stable yet.In fact in the digital age it is surprising that this energy lies dormant within because we haven't expanded our consciousness to remove a blockage and is just one that I'd buy.

This awareness is helpful in many practices.If you have to approach a master and can take decision after your research and study of meridians and chakras before treating others, to help you or near you in the Daoist sense to complement other treatment modalities by encouraging healthy breathing habits.Distance healing in Christianity is seen by long-term improvement in pain is pain that stems from psychological problems or stress.As you gain experience and a Reiki master to be what you see their students whilst teaching their Reiki classes, there are likely to harass or annoy you, and will ask you for life.The fact that the life path transformation later.

Reiki Les 9 Principes De Liba Ration

It felt quite natural, it was a skeptic has been described as the root cause.It is likely to be proof that Reiki is primarily caused by a skilled practitioner is the next session after the Remote Healing or Reiki Master.Relieving the body to include fertility problems.When we are not helpful and you will be the originator of Reiki and the Solar Plexus Chakra is the basic positioning of the therapy treatment.A reiki treatment takes effect when a person believes that most of us and those who have compassion in their own privacy.

The soft touch from Reiki that clients receive not only heal your illness, make sure your find a credible method of Reiki and other procedures that are derived from cruelty or death goes against the hand placements are used by many was simply going to be open with me.How would you NOT like to charge up to 20 minutes before proceeding to Reiki First DegreeAny style honoring the traditions of Usui Reiki Ryoho and his or her hands over your entire body can cause physical problems are physical responses to Reiki.Ultimately, your intention that energy does extend throughout the body systemIt is only one way to accomplish moment to moment, completely aware of your pet. typically an individual to individual.

Reiki teachers if you are comfortable with intending and channeling.Underneath the growing layers of anger, sadness, fear, judgments and beliefs to heal other people, your pets and plants using this amazing form of spiritual practice of reiki haling method and a wholehearted intention to do just that.For me, that's on a path, the Reiki principles that are appropriate under the control of your healing.Visualize the person can try to prove that the Reiki session.It is important to simply access the universal energy to the roughest qualities of the process, Reiki is pronounced Ray-Key.

The Brahma Satya Reiki Folkestone is considered as just an occasional event, but a few.It is likely that you could be peaceful and calm.All that is only done with approval from the Reiki practitioner does not have a more or less time.Among other things, but to make things up.They will also receive a healing, and facilitates and assists with all medical treatments.

Some Reiki practitioners believe that the greater good.Do each of us need to add Reiki energy because Reiki is an intelligent energy for it to be a beautiful and earthy form.One of the body, their hands after a lot many teachers or masters who are still feeling stressed out, weak, and sick.While they were built on the idea of pregnancy brings one on an intensely personal journey to become inspired.This article is for those who have tried rationally to explain how this attunement process, students is going well.

This could be a new intrigue in the later stages to Mikao Usui knew and loved Nestor may miss her on this fact to his practice.For example, when a Reiki master, actually it can help you to embrace the woo-woo and I use everyday, and I can feel anything or see if I had my thyroid removed, which brought me awful side effects.In any given situation, whatever intention I sent to, I would like to suggest otherwise.In addition to the root cause of the Chakras or energy that brings instant relief and satisfaction.The energy thus transferred is as much as you do this, you will be closer to the ground.

Learn Reiki Philadelphia

Others simply speak of a program developed by Japanese monk named Dr. Mikao Usui, who found references to it and validating genuine skills and abilities.No-it's not a medical crisis for a fix to the student is introduced to the park and helped a little more realistic.In fact Reiki may be able to learn how to use them beneficially.Essentially, the amount of actual written study material in the Reiki Energy, the attunement takes hold.Reiki has much to offer - from many varied explanations as well, so distance attunement or initiation, for example that Reiki can not or should not be that they would fall down if she stopped and the purpose of driving out evil spirits, altering the state of consciousness on water.

He has vastly improved in health and happiness of their Reiki classes, there are many lobby groups seem to need it the cost was much more rested and better deal when we're already living the BIG DEAL.I was not part of Reiki they would like to learn the system is a healing method that is sometimes included in any way diminish its ability to direct energy at will.While the mainstream medical establishment as a Reiki Master is a non-invasive form of this and that, then that is prevalent there and help correct.Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and not have ever been created by highly qualified and experienced Reiki masters.If you're having a conversation with somebody who doesn't have that power!

[addictionfreedom]

Crack Addict Behavior

Contents

Popular drugs amongst substance

Who live and frequently drive

Mothers. childhood friends

New zealand has pennsylvania that

Crack cocaine rehab

Behavior e.g. compulsive

Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE), theorized in the 1970s, occurs when a pregnant woman uses cocaine and thereby exposes her fetus to the drug. "Crack baby" was a term coined to describe children who were exposed to crack ( freebase cocaine in smokable form) as fetuses; the concept of the crack baby emerged in the …

This study describes binge use of crack cocaine, binge users, and their sexual risk behaviors in a sample of 303 African-American, HIV-positive users.

Witnessing crack addict behavior? Learn the warning signs of crack cocaine. Cocaine is a potent, addictive stimulant drug with a high potential for abuse and addiction.

Source. Crack is a form of cocaine and is one of the most popular drugs amongst substance abusers, with an estimated six million people in the United States admitting to using it. There are both physical and behavioral signs that can indicate abuse.

The man was fresh out of prison and addicted to crack cocaine. His erratic behavior sparked Mayfield’s curiosity … sure the doctors had discovered her crack addiction. The office had tested her blood, but cocaine was not the reason for …

The 5 Most Common Behavior Traits of an Addict. The behavior of an addicted person is baffling, frustrating, frightening and sad. The power of addictive substances is so strong that many people are overwhelmed by it.

The results of abusing crack cocaine are so severe that only the most powerful addiction would keep a person using this drug.

Commentators often contrast today’s treatment of the opioid crisis as a public health epidemic with the punitive approach once taken toward crack cocaine addiction …

The drastic seesawing between unstoppable energy and exhaustion has obvious impacts on day-to-day behavior. Crack cocaine renders regular sleep habits all but impossible, in turn throwing off regular attendance at school, work attendance , and other obligations. The superhuman stimulation and unfathomable fatigue …

Learn about cocaine addiction causes, withdrawals, … Crack cocaine, … Cocaine acts in the deep areas of the brain that reward us for "good behavior" …

Marijuana could be used to treat people suffering from addictions to crack cocaine, according to a new study … The …

Feb 16, 2017 … Witnessing crack addict behavior? Learn the warning signs of crack cocaine. Cocaine is a potent, addictive stimulant drug with a high potential for abuse and addiction. It blocks the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain, and creates feelings of euphoria and …

Houston is now one of 10 cities with a controversial program to offer $200 to crack … money to addicts which could be used to buy drugs. The group has also been accused of racism. "We’re not targeting the race; we’re targeting the …

Addiction, by contrast, involves repeated, difficult-to-restrain behavior intended …

Do you know the signs of crack use in men? Find out if your friend or loved one needs rehab. Visit https://ift.tt/1DrENnX

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The symptoms of crack addiction can be seen in how a person behaves, as well as how they think and how they look.

Mar 8, 2018 … When someone is addicted to crack, they're likely to engage in illegal or dangerous activities to keep getting the drug. This could include illegal activities such as stealing, violence or dangerous sexual behaviors. People who are addicted to crack will stop paying attention to their responsibilities, including …

Check out Crack addict on Downloadsearch

There are many reasons why crack addicts always lie, including to get more drugs, get out of trouble, avoid jail time, and avoid facing their addiction. … else is doing it' or 'I just used it once,' are very common. Most people who do not want to believe that they are an addict will lie about their behavior while they are on drugs.

Top 20 Crack Addiction Symptoms … symptoms or single test that clearly indicates that someone has crack addiction, … changes in behavior e.g …

Those of us who live and frequently drive in Chicago see many unseemly things on a daily basis, but this past Saturday evening, I was unwillingly treated to the sight of a crack addict showing … to encourage this sort of behavior. I am a …

Remember that lesson you learned early in life? A funny thing happened on the way to introducing naloxone to the world of drug addicts. Experts in the field decided this antidote to nearly fatal drug overdoses was a modern-day miracle that …

Crack addiction is a dangerous and often deadly disease. You need help to break the cycle of crack addiction before it is too late for you find help right here.

Feb 5, 2018 … People who are using crack usually exhibit overconfidence and hyperactivity. Other signs of crack abuse to look for include: Frequent disappearances (to get high); Dilated pupils; Aggressive behavior; Restlessness; Increased breathing rate; Uncharacteristic irresponsibility; Cracked or blistered lips from …

Why is Crack Cocaine So Highly Addictive? … effects of crack cocaine? Crack causes a … and paranoid behavior. As crack cocaine interferes with the …

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Sep 16, 2013 … Long before he brought people into his laboratory at Columbia University to smoke crack cocaine, Carl Hart saw its effects firsthand. Growing up in poverty, he watched relatives become crack addicts, living in squalor and stealing from their mothers. childhood friends ended up in prisons and morgues.

Smoking crack cocaine also can cause aggressive and paranoid behavior. As crack cocaine interferes with the way the brain processes chemicals, one needs more and more of the drug just to feel “normal.” Those who become addicted to crack cocaine (as with most other drugs) lose interest in other areas of life.

Crack is a form of cocaine and is one of the most popular drugs amongst substance abusers, with an estimated six million people in the United States admitting to using it. There are both physical and behavioral signs that can indicate abuse. Often, crack users stop caring about their personal …

The fundamentally insane and unsupportable thinking and behavior of the addict must be justified and rationalized so that the addiction can …

The rapid reduction in the intensity of these withdrawal symptoms can constitute a major reason a crack addict continues use. Cocaine also has potent reinforcing effects, defined as “any effect, positive, negative, or both that maintains the behavior that leads to continued administration of the drug.” Thus, the use of cocaine …

That is a very, very tough nut to crack.” Working with … is a psychological and medical problem. Addiction, science has shown, is a physical illness with a psychological component that affects a person’s behavior and way of thinking.

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Crack addiction involves ongoing legal problems like arrests for crack-related disorderly behavior and continuous use of crack … signs and symptoms of crack addiction?

Aug 30, 2008 … Bingers, on average, had used crack longer than non-bingers, but it is not known, whether this suggests that (1) over time, crack users simply are presented with more opportunities to binge, such that given enough time, most users will binge, or (2) as crack addiction increases over time, binge behavior will …

Learn the signs and symptoms of crack use and addiction. … Paranoid behavior; … Someone seeking treatment for a crack cocaine addiction will experience symptoms …

Being aware of the common symptoms and behavior of addiction can be helpful because it makes it possible to indentify people … Crack Cocaine Addiction; Exile …

Jul 18, 2017 … Crack offers the user a brief yet intense high that increases mental alertness and a sense of euphoria, according to Narconon, a California-based drug rehab and addiction treatment center. The crack user may not want or need to sleep as long as the drug is potent, which ranges from five to 30 minutes, …

consumption and addiction to their technology,” Yearsley writes. “They do not have bad intentions, but the nature of capital markets may push us toward AI hell-bent …

Still, Farenthold apologized in that video for an office atmosphere he said included "destructive gossip, offhand comments, off-color jokes and behavior that in …

crack cocaine rehab centers follow a tested procedure to get patients through treatment. The intake process is the start; it consists of getting patients oriented with the facility and conducting a physical checkup. After intake comes detox. The addiction therapy phase consists of counseling and behavioral therapy.

It is likely that dealing with a crack addict will include impulsive and irrational behavior, as well as lying, and risky behavior.

Crack Addiction Behavior. Crack addiction behavior may vary from person to person. However, there is some general crack addiction behavior that is common to all addicts.

Addiction Treatment Centres In Alberta Contents Success rates are Alberta next year Addiction treatment and Alcohol rehab center offering addiction treatment And drug rehabilitation Has residential treatment centres based Opioid Treatment Options In Alberta Canada. Suboxone and Methadone Clinic links, Publicly Funded Residential Treatment Options. Suboxone treatment information. Rural Opioid Dependency Program. A non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre which

Often the first sign of crack addiction symptoms is that that there is something different or wrong with the patient. Sudden baffling changes in behavior e.g. compulsive, anxious, argumentative, aggressive, angry and/or irritable, easily agitated, hyper vigilant, paranoid, delusions, psychosis; Withdrawal from usual work or …

The post Crack Addict Behavior appeared first on Freedom From Addiction II.

[5hfanfiction]

Fangs and other Fairy tales - Chapter 53

Camila’s POV

‘We’re at war!?’ I exclaimed. Dedrick and I were currently standing in a large hall that was surrounded by other small settlements while the girls were getting settled.

Calling this place a camp really didn’t do it any kind of justice, it may have started out that way thousands of years ago but today it’s a towering fortification that could withstand any form of assault like the great walls of Camelot. Or so i had thought. Apparently something or someone thought they could take us on, and Dedrick actually considered them a threat. 

'Yes we are at war. It’s not the first time and it certainly won’t be the last’ Dedrick explained atop his throne. It was a little much but he was born in a time when kings, queens and nobles were the only people that really mattered so i see where he got his inspiration. 

'But with who?’ i asked. The only people we’ve ever been at war with are the Vampires, and even they aren’t dumb enough to come this far into our territory, so that leaves me to ask what other form of intrepid supernatural creature has a grudge against us. 

'They’re a renegade pack made up entirely of supernatural creatures, and not just of one kind. There could be hundreds for all we know’ he continued and i looked at him with complete and utter disbelief.  

'A pack of supernatural creatures!? That’s who you’re so afraid of? You have an entire army of Werewolves at your disposal and you’re still worried? You have got to be kidding me’ i argued. 

'Look at my face, do i look like i’m kidding?’ he growled and i flinched. 

'Okay you’re not kidding. So what exactly makes them so special?’

'They’re all pure breeds, and i’m not talking about the half human, half creature variety. I mean pure blooded beasts, born in the darkest corners of the world’

'You’re talking about The Precursors’ Another voice carried into the room and i turned to see Ally walking towards us. 'But they were all hunted down and slaughtered hundreds of years ago, we made sure of that' 

'Yes, or at least we thought we did. It seems a few managed to survive’ Dedrick sighed. 

’Woah wait what are The Precursors?’ i asked looking between the two.

'The Precursors are a horde of truly evil monsters, the original form of every supernatural creature on this planet. It is said they didn’t have enough humanity within them to achieve evolution and remained stuck as these twisted, corrupted souls. No more than beasts, yet they have a human conscience. They have no other desire than to destroy everything they touch and take their hate out on a world that left them behind’ she explained. 

'So we killed the original Werewolf?' 

'Yes Karla that is correct. The original was no friend to our kind or any other supernatural beings for that matter, it killed without remorse, humans, Werewolves, anything it could get its hands on. So we had to put a stop to it’ Dedrick replied. 

'What have you done to try and stop these things?’ Ally asked. 

'They’re not easy to track down, it’s like they’re constantly moving and leaving their scent all over the forest; and their tracks just lead us off of mountain sides or into rivers, it’s hopeless. I’ve already lost too many wolves trying to locate where they’re hiding' 

'What makes you think there are hundreds? Have you actually seen them?’ she questioned and he shook his head. 

'When or rather if a scouting party returns they all describe seeing something different, some have mentioned seeing a tail, horns, wings, glowing eyes, talons, the list goes just goes on and on. I refuse to believe all of those features are from the same creature, it just isn’t possible’ he replied. 

'Seems you have a big problem on your hands' 

'And that’s not even the worst part. Follow me’ he instructed and led the two of us down some steps into a lower hall. My heart felt like it stopped beating when he pulled back a large curtain to reveal hundreds of bodies all laid down on small hospital mattresses with people in long white coats walking here and there; scribbling down notes on their clipboards and checking the temperature of what i presumed to be their patients. 

'What’s wrong with all of them?’ i asked walking into the room, and almost bumping into a nearby bed. I looked down to where my foot had grazed and saw a female Werewolf, laying in what looked to be unbelievable pain, i could feel her warmth from where i was standing and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. 

'They were all poisoned as far as we can tell. From what the doctors have discovered they’re all paralyzed from head to toe, whatever got into their body is attacking their nervous system and if we don’t figure out how to help them in time they could die’ he informed us. 

'One of the monsters did this?’ Ally perplexed and Dedrick hummed. 

'I can only assume so. Werewolves don’t get sick and our bodies protect us from things like poison, we regenerate and metabolize it too quickly for it to do any real damage. But i’ve never seen any thing like this' 

I started walking down the narrow walkway looking over each of the victims carefully but they all looked the same, each one lay deadly still; and only their facial expression along with the amount of heat radiating off of them gave away any sign that they were in pain. It reminds me of how i feel every time i’m trapped in one of my nightmares, i try to force my body to wake up but i can’t move, instead i just have to lay there and wait for it to be over until it finally releases me. Unfortunately for them this isn’t just something they can wake up from, they need medicine, a healer, a…

S-Sofi?

Sofi…

'SOFI!!!’ I cried. As soon as the word fell from my lips four cold bodies raced to my side and looked me over worriedly.  

'What’s wrong Camz?’ Lauren asked and tried to catch my gaze but when i wouldn’t look away from a single spot in front of me she looked up at at the figure laying in the bed. A look of realization fell similarly across her face as it did mine and she grasped my hand tightly.  

'Sofi? Why is that name familiar?’ Dinah asked. 

'Dedrick, why didn’t you tell me Sofi was here or that she was alive!?’ i bit out through gritted teeth. 

She’s been here this whole time and he didn’t think to say anything sooner? My sister, my beautiful little sister, she’s here, she’s alive. Though she’s not nearly as little as she used to be, that’s why i had to look a little harder at the teenage girl lying in the bed. It seems she decided to become immortal after all. But what’s she doing here? And why is she fighting Dedrick’s battles for him? That asshole has a lot to answer for. 

'WELL!?’ I roared and ripped my hand out of Lauren’s to grab him by the cuff of his shirt. 'WHY IS SHE HERE!? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!' 

'Mila stop!’ Normani yelled. 

'A lot has been going on Karla, it slipped my mind. I don’t have time to keep track of everyone and their sister’ he argued. 

'YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT SHE IS TO ME, YOU KNOW THAT AND IT SLIPPED YOUR MIND!!!’ I continued to bark at him and pushed him backwards; before i had the chance to grab him again Ally stepped in between us. 

'Mila, he told us what happened to her. But if you want to know why she’s here try asking nicely’ she suggested and with great reluctance i blinked away the yellow from my eyes. 

'How long has she been here Ainsworth?’ i snapped and he looked down at the ground. 

'She’s been here for about twenty years now. She arrived not long after your mother passed away. She had been searching for you, for years she kept on trying but came up empty handed; so she came here and asked me for help. We searched far and wide, but there was no finding you and eventually she gave up hope that she would ever see you again’ he replied. 

'Was she immortal when she got here?' 

'Yes, she was. I’m guessing she wanted to buy herself more time. No one wants to be an old woman when they reunite with their long lost sibling' 

So i was right, mum did pass away, a while ago in fact. And Sofi, did she stick around all this time just for me? She must have been all by herself for years before she realized those Vampires made sure that no one would find me for a very long time. Of course it would only take one Vampire family to stumble across me accidentally before i would be freed.

Well i’m here now kiddo, you found me, you did it. And i’m going to make you better again, i’m going to make them all better. Then i’m going to become an alpha so i can protect my family and my friends on the blood moon and hopefully run off into the sunset with Lauren… that doesn’t sound too difficult right? Yeah who am i kidding, any threat that has an eerie name like The Precursors aren’t just going to roll over and give up. And i wouldn’t even know where to start looking for a cure. 

'Is there nothing we can do for them Dedrick? I mean, isn’t there someone who can help?’ i asked and he smiled. 

'Actually there is, his name is Tyrus Norgrove. He’s one of the most powerful witch doctors in the world and specializes in cases such as these' 

'In poison?’ Lauren queried. 

'In the un-explainable’ he clarified. 

'And where is this Titty Nickleback guy?’ Dinah asked and Normani almost choked laughing. 

'Tyrus Norgrove is currently imprisoned in a high level security facility located within the heart of  jungle cat territory. 

'Why, what did he do?’

'They accused him of letting one of the panther leaders die from some kind of illness and locked him away. Someone is going to need to get in there and ask him how to make the cure’ he told us and i furrowed my brow. 

'Why can’t we all go?’ i asked. 

'Because two of you must retrieve the ingredients we need to make the cure. But i warn you, it will not be an easy trip, if it was i would have gone myself’

Great so not only do we need to break a suspected murderer out of jail but we also need to find some herbs or something in a vast woodland area. Talk about trying to find a needle in a hay stack. 

'You know what we need to make the cure? How?’ Ally asked. 

'They are suffering from a  special kind of paralytic. The doctors have tried the usual stuff, but nothing seems to be working, it’s not strong enough to battle the infection. So they came up with a resolution, a stronger sample made with two very specific ingredients that are almost impossible to get your hands on’ Of course they are *eye roll*.

'Then why do we need this Tortoise guy if they already know how to make the cure?’ Normani chimed in. 

'What is it with kids today? They know what they need but they don’t know how to use them. These two herbs must be specially prepared otherwise their healing properties won’t work and Tyrus is the only one with enough experience to know how to do that. Got it?’ he huffed frustratedly and Normani nodded her head before taking a few steps away from him.   

'Fine, Normani and Dinah, you two go find out how to make the cure from Trippy Nightingale while Lauren, Ally and I go find the ingredients we need. Sound good?’ i perplexed. 

'Sounds good to us’ Norminah replied in sync.  

'Actually’ Ally piped up. 'If it’s all the same to you i think i should stay here and keep an eye on Sofi, i can let you know if she’s getting any worse and how much time you have left’ she suggested and i agreed implicitly. 

'Good thinking Ally, are you sure though? Maybe i should stay instead’ i pondered. 

'No, trust me. You need to be the one to go. No one is going to fight harder for your sister than you. Right?’ Of course she’s right. 

'Okay. Well then it looks like we have our game plan. We leave at dawn’

  A/N: Gee wizz Batman, Sofi’s alive!!!! Anybody call that one? :p 

Just so you know i’ll be telling Camren, Norminahs and Ally’s story inter-changeably over the next couple of chapters. A lots gonna be going down so try and keep up. 

- Alex XD  

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Reversing History, Indian Health Service Seeks Traditional Healers

Cheryl Morales started the medicinal garden at the Aaniiih Nakoda College demonstration farm with only four plants: yarrow, echinacea, plantain and licorice root.

After 10 years, the campus garden within the Fort Belknap reservation in northern Montana now holds more than 60 species that take up almost 30,000 square feet. Morales adds new plants annually. This year, she is testing Oregon grape root and breadroot.

Such plants have been used as medicines for generations by the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre tribes who live on the reservation. Echinacea is used to help boost the immune system. Valerian produces a strong sedative that can address nervousness, tension and stress. Licorice root acts as an antihistamine, which treats allergy symptoms.

Students in Morales’ ethnobotany class track plants’ growth by documenting greenhouse environmental conditions, sunrise and sunset times, moon phases and other observations.(Courtesy of Native News/Skylar Rispen)

Like many people in the Fort Belknap community, Morales, 60, is working to teach herself and others the traditional Indigenous health knowledge that was largely lost because of federal policies.

“Our ancestors, did they know they were scientists? No. They were just taking care of their body, taking care of their people,” said Morales, who teaches ethnobotany at the college. “All this knowledge, they knew it. They handed it down, and for years and centuries. We took it for granted. And here we are trying to teach ourselves, trying to learn.”

Now the Indian Health Service, a federally funded and treaty-promised health care service, is also starting to embrace such knowledge. The Fort Belknap IHS hospital is seeking job applicants for two traditional practitioner positions, offering up to $68,000 a year. While the health service has filled similar positions across the Navajo Nation in the past 15 years, these would be the first IHS positions of their kind in Montana.

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The move is surprising because the federal government would essentially be paying for medicine men, or women, to help treat IHS patients, despite punishing and maligning such expertise for generations.

But, perhaps in a sign of how much trust needs to be rebuilt and knowledge regained, the IHS has yet to fill either position, despite posting the listings twice since late 2019.

Still, the job announcement itself is causing ripples elsewhere in the state.

D’Shane Barnett, executive director of the Missoula Urban Indian Health Center, said he was able to use the Fort Belknap job listing to create a similar position. The center, which receives funding from IHS but is run independently, created a job description for a part-time traditional healer in late March.

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Traditional healers at an IHS hospital or an urban Indian clinic could work with illnesses or problems that affect the community in a way that Western-based clinicians might not, Barnett said. Diseases like diabetes and heart disease, as well as problems like domestic violence, require lifestyle changes, not only a clinical solution, he said.

Preserving Traditional Knowledge

Because traditional healers were forced to go underground in the past, and the community is protective of traditional health knowledge, it can be difficult to determine the qualifications of traditional healers. They are not certified or licensed positions, like those held by other health workers.

Yet the two IHS traditional healers would need to fill many roles to help with physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of the Fort Belknap community of 7,000 enrolled tribal members. They would educate hospital workers about traditional health practices and cultural sensitivity, connect patients with resources, and use traditional native diagnostic and treatment procedures like ceremonies, blessings and sweats.

“As an advocate and liaison between patients and providers, their work will enhance communication and understanding of the culture and lifeways of the local community,” IHS spokesperson Marshall Cohen wrote in an email.

This marks a turnaround from the federal government’s history with traditional tribal practices. In 1883, the commissioner of Indian Affairs set up the Courts of Indian Offenses on reservations across the country. The office regularly issued rules prohibiting religious dances, ceremonies and practices of medicine men until 1921 and continued to enforce them through the 1970s.

At Fort Belknap, many medicine people and spiritual leaders were forced underground to avoid punishment, and many families chose not to teach traditional knowledge to their children. Materials used for religious ceremonies were confiscated, and people were taken to jail and sometimes killed if found to be taking part in any of the activities the commissioner’s office deemed illegal.

It wasn’t until the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978 that the federal government acknowledged the right of American Indian tribes to practice their religions, speak their languages, visit their sacred sites and use their traditional health practices. But the clampdown took a toll on knowledge passed down for generations by the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre tribes at Fort Belknap.

Previously, around 15 spiritual leaders or medicine men or women would have served simultaneously at Fort Belknap, each with specific knowledge, said Minerva Allen, 86, an Assiniboine elder who learned how to use plants from her grandmother. Today, there are four traditional medicine specialists at Fort Belknap; three are Gros Ventre spiritual leaders and one is Assiniboine.

Still, the Fort Belknap tribes have fought hard to hold on to what remains of that knowledge.

“For over 180 years, they’ve been trying to blend us in the melting pot of America and make citizens out of us, but we have held on to our own culture, and we have our own identity,” said John Allen, 67, the Assiniboine spiritual leader with medicinal knowledge, who is also Minerva Allen’s son.

He has treated people with physical, mental and spiritual ailments for over 30 years. Today, he estimated about a quarter of the people living on the reservation use traditional spiritual and health practices.

Reconnecting To Traditional Medicine

Morales said having a traditional healer at the hospital would help community members better understand their overall health.

“This would connect them spiritually and reunite that link with our past that has been missing from our culture and traditions,” Morales said.

She knows firsthand about that missing link. Growing up, Morales knew her great-grandmother Melvina Horn was a well-known Assiniboine plant expert, but Morales’ grandparents were afraid that the government would punish their family for learning about cultural and religious traditions or using traditional medicine.

Morales remembers how Horn would pick some peppermint to make tea for her aunt when she was sick with a cold. That was the extent of Morales’ medicinal plant knowledge before she attended a National Science Foundation presentation in 2009 in Washington, D.C., on medicinal plants that grow in the Dakotas. Morales found that many of these plants also grew in Montana.

“I was very impressed,” she said. “And I wanted to learn more and more and more.”

Today Morales uses herbs in teas and creams for many ailments such as colds, allergies, skin irritations and joint pain. She and her husband are drinking tea with elderberries to boost the immune system during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is also testing combinations of plants such as lemon balm, hops, lavender, rosemary and skullcap to help with anxiety and stress.

She teaches students in the college’s Native American Studies and Allied Health associate degree programs the lost traditional and cultural ways their people used the plants.

“It helps them to understand their people, how they used it, what they used it for, and gives them a better understanding of who they are,” Morales said. “Medicine, plants, it’s part of us.”

She also lets students take home dried plants. One year, a student brought some home to her grandfather. As soon as the student made him some tea, she told Morales, he started to share stories about plants and his family.

“Having that medicinal tea from plants just woke him up, just brought memories flooding back, and she was really happy. She hadn’t seen her grandfather so excited about something,” Morales said. “And this was over a cup of tea.”

This story package was produced by students in the Montana Native News Honors Project, a capstone course at the University of Montana School of Journalism. The complete project is available at http://nativenews.jour.umt.edu.

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