#loretta approves

[melsie-sims]

Snow couldn't get just one chicken and call it good, no. She had to get a rooster, a hen, and two hen chicks.

"Oh, hello!" she said, crouching down to pet her new hen. "You're so pretty! I'm gonna call you Loretta!"

The hen chirped happily. She approved of the name, apparently.

[librarycomic]

Brooms written by Jasmine Walls, art by Teo DuVall. Levine Querido, 2023. 9781646142682. 248pp. http://www.powells.com/book/-9781646142682?partnerid=34778&p_bt

1930s, Mississippi. Luella is teaching Emma and Mattie how to use their magic, but they live in fear of being discovered by government agents. If they're caught, they'll be sent to one of the approved magic academies. Though if they have enough money, they can buy an exemption that will allow them to learn their culture's (Chocktaw) type of magic.

To make the money they need they enter the dangerous world of illegal backwoods broom racing. Luella's friends, The Night Storms -- Billie Mae, Loretta, and Cheng Kwan -- agree to train the girls and let them join their team. Magic is illegal for black folks there, and if they're caught using it they'll be stripped of their powers. If they can enter the biggest race around, the Witch's Cackle, they can earn enough money to move to where things are different.

I can't think of another alternate history graphic novel I liked as much as this one. There's a real sense of joy throughout, and the story is naturally inclusive.

And if you haven't read Walls' The Last Session, a graphic novel about a group of friends finishing a long-running D&D campaign before some go their separate ways, it's also wonderful.

[slashingdisneypasta]

Imagine being Tiffany Valentine's or Loretta Krueger's sister and having to deal with Chucky or Freddy as a brother-in-law you don't approve of.

[zee-man-chatter]

Mainstream Media Is Avoiding the Big Story on Jeffrey Epstein and Sealed Court Documents

By Pam Martens and Russ Martens: January 3, 2024 ~

Over the past week, more than a dozen of the biggest mainstream news outlets have published articles about the possibility of scandalous news breaking this week from the unsealing of documents in a federal court case involving the sex trafficker of minors, Jeffrey Epstein.

Typically, responsible news outlets wait for the actual news to break before hyping the possibility of it breaking. At 5:59 a.m. this morning, Newsweek updated the story as follows:

“Some on social media are speculating that the public disclosure of more than 150 names associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been delayed.

“Judge Loretta A. Preska signed an order on December 18 for the public release of the identities of more than 150 people mentioned in court documents from a now-settled 2015 civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre that centered on allegations that Epstein’s associate and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell facilitated her sexual abuse.

“Several prominent figures, including former President Bill Clinton and Britain’s Prince Andrew are expected to be named. The list will also include sex abuse victims and Epstein’s employees.”

Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Donald Trump, and dozens of other prominent men in politics, finance and law have already been named, repeatedly, in the media as people who socialized or had suspect dealings with Epstein. So this is not a new story.

The real story that mainstream media refuses to investigate is why federal judges in New York have been allowed to secret away in sealed documents the puzzle pieces to how Epstein’s network of powerful men were able to run a sex trafficking ring for two decades with the “active participation” of the largest federally-insured bank in the United States, JPMorgan Chase; and right under the nose of its Chairman, CEO and media darling, Jamie Dimon.

This is the Big Story that has been left to wilt on the vine by the likes of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and their peers.

The answers to this Big Story will not be found in the documents slated to be unsealed by Judge Loretta Preska in the Virginia Giuffre case. They have been sealed and locked up tight in Judge Jed Rakoff’s courtroom after he oversaw multiple Epstein-related lawsuits brought against JPMorgan Chase in late 2022 and 2023.

One case, Jane Doe v JPMorgan Chase, was a class action on behalf of Epstein’s sex assault and sex trafficked victims. Judge Rakoff approved its settlement for $290 million despite objections from 17 Attorneys General and the settlement’s unconscionable terms that included releasing claims for “harm, injury, abuse, exploitation, or trafficking by Jeffrey Epstein or by any person who is in any way connected to or otherwise associated with Jeffrey Epstein, as well as any right to recovery on account thereof.” Claimants were also required to sign the release form before they learned if they would get a dime from the settlement.

Attorneys for the victims were not left in any such doubt. The settlement terms provided them with $87 million in legal fees and $2.5 million in expenses.

Releasing claims against “Any person who is in any way connected to or otherwise associated with Jeffrey Epstein” conveniently includes a number of billionaires referred by Epstein to JPMorgan Chase as clients. There are also literally hundreds of high-profile individuals that were listed in Epstein’s little black book that could be considered “connected” to him.

Many of the individuals listed in Epstein’s little black book – a total of 1,571 – have had important banking relationships with JPMorgan Chase. In a court filing on July 26 of last year by the Attorney General of the U.S. Virgin Islands, which has since settled its Epstein-related case against JPMorgan Chase for $75 million, it listed the following individuals as people Epstein referred as clients to the bank: Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates; Google co-founder and billionaire Sergey Brin; the Sultan of Dubai, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem; media and real estate billionaire Mort Zuckerman; and numerous others.

Epstein’s victims charged in their lawsuit that JPMorgan Chase had, for more than a decade, provided Epstein with cozy banking services, which included sluicing to him millions of dollars in hard cash from his accounts, sometimes as much as $40,000 to $80,000 a month. The bank failed to file the Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) that it is legally required to file with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for those payments in cash. Epstein’s alleged quid pro quo with the bank included him referring valuable business deals and clients to JPMorgan Chase. These allegations were substantiated by 22 pages of internal bank emails released in the related case brought against the bank by the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A third Epstein-related case was brought against JPMorgan Chase in Rakoff’s court by two public pension funds that owned shares of JPMorgan Chase. That lawsuit named Dimon as a defendant as well as current and former members of JPMorgan Chase’s Board of Directors. It was brought by a prominent class action law firm on behalf of shareholders of the bank. The lawsuit’s theory of the case was that specific members of the Board of JPMorgan Chase “put their heads in the sand” and ignored that the bank had become a cash conduit for Jeffrey Epstein’s child sex trafficking ring because they were hoping that their own verifiable business ties to Epstein “would go unnoticed.” (We might add an attendant thesis: that Dimon takes very good care of his Board in return for them taking very good care of him.)

Mainstream media ignored the allegations that members of the JPMorgan Chase Board of Directors had business ties with Epstein and Judge Rakoff wasted no time in dismissing the case on technical grounds. (This was not the first time that a major scandal involving JPMorgan Chase received a news blackout by mainstream media.)

The other Big Story is why after 18 years of police and FBI investigations of Epstein and his wide sex trafficking ring, the U.S. Department of Justice has brought criminal charges against only two people: Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

There is also no indication, at present, that the Justice Department is preparing to bring a criminal case against JPMorgan Chase, despite its recidivist history of felony charges (including two felony counts for money laundering) and a former FBI agent’s statement on how the bank “impeded” a criminal investigation of Epstein. (See: New Court Documents Suggest the Justice Department Under Four Presidents Covered Up Jeffrey Epstein’s Money Laundering at JPMorgan Chase.)

Two different stories, draw your own conclusions, the rabbit hole goes pretty deep.

[shutanic-temple-art-gallery]

Posted this a while ago for Bildaddy. Does it meet the qualifications for the gallery? Can send original post when I freaking find it 😅. It’s mainly photo manipulation but that spray tan took ages. It has the distinction of having been censored by xitter but not here. And yes that’s a real fig leaf XD. Xitter censored Michelangelo’s David WITH fig leaf, sometimes you just gotta laugh. - Cheers, Mori

We see no reason for censorship. Otherwise you could hardly walk through a museum of classical art.

This work is Loretta-approved!

[amagnificentobsession]

I believe I’ve found the perfect cups and saucers for @bildaddy-and-mrazfellcos-wedding

The cottage at South Downs 🫖

Albu Crocuses in Va Va Voom

Since these happen to be antiques and no longer allowed commissions, I’m going to need a “miracle” to be sure we have enough for the wedding, if Aziraphale approves.

@bil-daddy @mrazfellco @docdust @loretta-dont-you-oppress-me

[summersnow82]

Just in Case There's a Phantom: Part 6 of That Familiar Feeling

Author's note: Y'all are fabulous. Thanks for sticking with me. See if you can find my Easter Egg.

Fanfiction_TMNT Bayverse/ 2003 crossover

“Sooooooooo,” Mikey drawled, glancing back and forth between Leonardo and Sean. “This is awkward.” Both were glaring at the other, arms crossed over their chests, and Mikey swore he saw Leo flex enough to make his biceps bulge. Sean, to his credit, seemed unmoved.

Splinter sighed deeply. Clearly there wasn’t going to be any conversation tonight. “I’m going to bed,” he announced.

“Yeah, me too,” Mikey agreed. “Raph’ll probably have her out all night anyway.” Two pairs of blue eyes turned on him with blazing intensity, and he shrugged. “He’ll bring her back home safely,” he assured Sean before turning to his older brother. “Be nicer next time, Leo. She’s a nice girl, and I’m not gonna let you scare her off.” He turned towards his bed then stopped to toss in, “Besides, she likes me.”

Leo rolled his eyes, turning back to Sean. The human hadn’t moved. “I’m curious,” Leo began, and Sean arched an eyebrow. “Raph said he’d watched Annabelle for a week before he grabbed her. If you really are her brother why didn’t he see you, too?”

A slow, satisfied smile slid over Sean’s face. “You really think we didn’t know we were being watched?”

Leo’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Sean took a step forward. “I mean,” he said coolly, “I knew how to get past all of your booby traps. Belle knew something was coming. We’ve been doing this for awhile. We’ve been trained by others. We’ve been hunted, and we’ve been stalked. We know when we’re being watched, and your brother was not subtle.”

Leo’s frown deepened as he tried to connect the dots Sean was laying out for him. “The star,” he said softly. “Raph’s ninja star.” Sean nodded, and Leo thought he saw a flicker of approval in the man’s eyes.

Leo had forgotten all about that night, but now the memories can flooding back. They’d heard the laughter from the rooftops above, and the delicious smell of mozzarella, tomato sauce, and garlic lured them closer. He saw her first; hair in a high ponytail, dress swirling around her ankles, and her laughter tinkling like music. He had stared, and Raph had noticed. It didn’t help he’d just lectured Raph for an hour on staying in the shadows, accepting their life apart from the humans, blah blah blah. His hot-headed brother swung down into the alley behind the restaurant, and caused enough commotion for her to investigate.

“Raph!” Leo hissed in his brother’s direction, but the red clad turtle ignored him. He was watching the brunette peer around the corner of the building.

“Leave it, Belle,” Sean cautioned, shifting his tray of dirty dishes to the closest outside table. “Loretta left us dinner. Let’s finish up out here and close up. I’m starved.” She’d waved him off, taking a cautious step towards the darkness and away from the light. “Belle!” Another step. “Annabelle, c’mon!”

“Hello?” She’d called out. Raph smirked up at Leo before expertly tossing a ninja star out of the shadows. It landed where he’d intended – inches from her feet. Leo didn’t know what Raph was expecting, but curiosity wasn’t it. She narrowed her eyes, crouching down to pluck the star from the spot it was currently embedded. She fingered the weapon carefully, examining it slowly, before her eyes flickered up to the darkness.

…and precisely to where Raph was currently crouched on top of a dumpster.

“Leo?” She whispered. Another step forward. “Leo?” She said a bit louder this time. Raph hissed in a breath, and shot Leo a withering glare. She opened her mouth to say more, but another star flew out in her direction, this one much more aggressively. She cried out, jumping back as it stabbed the street where she’d been previously standing.

“Time to go,” Sean had told her, grabbing her arm and jerking her towards the restaurant’s back door.

“Wait,” she’d cried, thrusting an arm out towards the shadows.

“Nope.”

“Wait!” Sean wrapped an arm around her waist, scooping her up, and slamming the door behind them. Leo had performed a similar exit with his own brother, but his was less… thoughtful.

Leo rubbed his brow as the memory faded into angry accusations and name calling from his brother, and he looked up to see Sean watching him. “She knew.”

“She hoped,” he said. “She’s been trying to get back to them for a very long time.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Donnie said, piping in. “And if you’re up for it I would love to pick your brain about a few of my theories on time and inter-dimensional travel.” He paused. “And I definitely want to know how you got past all my defenses.”

Sean blinked, his eyes shifting from Leo to Donnie. “That was you?” Donatello nodded. Sean’s face split into a huge grin. “Those were amazing! I was really impressed by the engineering.”

Donnie grinned, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. “I mean, it’s no time machine.”

“Hey, don’t do that, man,” Sean said, walking over to him and patting him on the shell like they were old friends. “Those were some really ingenious works of art out there. The only reason I knew how to avoid them was….” Leo tuned them out as the two men went into a lengthy spiel full of technical terms and jargon no one in their family could comprehend. Donnie didn’t have many people who could understand him on an intellectual level, and it was clear he was loving every moment of this conversation.

Sean’s demeanor had shifted, as well. The blonde visibly perked up as Donatello spoke, his eyes brightened, and soon he was grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. It was obvious he understood everything Donnie was saying, and even more so, he was delighted by this unexpected meeting of the minds. Leo admittedly didn’t understand Sean’s reply, but it was hard to continue hating the man who was currently engaging in brainy geek speak with his genius brother. Leo watched as Donnie waved Sean over to his work station to continue the conversation with visual aids, the two men forgetting about the turtle in blue.

Leo cast his eyes to the exit Annabelle and Raphael had used not too long ago. It wasn’t too late; he could still follow them, and keep a watchful eye from a safe distance. But no. Leo was many things, but desperate wasn’t one of them. He was logical, and logic told him Raph would keep her safe, and bring her home to them. Logic also told him Mikey was right – he’d been acting like a jerk. To her, to Raph, to everyone. Yesterday he had no idea who this woman was, and now suddenly he was acting like a possessive boyfriend because some other turtle had passed on his own emotions and memories? To what end? What was the point of these turtles calling out to him and his brothers? Leo frowned, and tried to think about it logically.

Safety. They wanted to keep her safe. Endearing her to others would certainly do just that.

Home. They wanted her back, and she didn’t seem able to get back to them on her own. Donnie was a genius. Perhaps they were counting on his genius to be a staple in other dimensions, as well. If anyone could get her back to them it would be Donnie.

Leo thought those were excellent reasons on their own, but there was something else tickling the back of his brain. He’d felt the same earlier this evening, and it was gnawing at him. There was something else...something so close he could taste it.

Leo was many things, and proactive was one of them. The itching grew stronger as his resolution grew. He wasn’t going to wait on this other Leonardo to come to him this time. This time he was going to reach out and mind-dominate this turtle until he had all the answers he wanted.

……………….

“He really mentioned my singing?” Annabelle asked as Raph led the way deeper into the sewers. “I wouldn’t have expected that from him.”

“Here we are.” Raph stopped in front of her, and shifted out of the way so she could see their final destination. The sewer tunnel opened up in a dome-like shape with golden orbs clustered together in the middle of the ceiling. The masonry surrounding the globes was far more sophisticated than anything Annabelle had seen on their walk so far with depictions of curling vines, detailed feathers, and stone busts that looked more angelic than gargoyle.

“What… what is this place?” She asked, stepping further into the room, and turning around slowly to take in her surroundings.

“Honestly, we’re not a hundred percent sure. Donnie has some theories about bootleggers.” He paused. “Or vampires,” he said, shrugging. Annabelle shot him a glance, and realized yes, the vampire comment was serious. Then again, if there were mutant ninja turtles and time travelers in these sewers were vampires really that hard to swallow?

“Vampires, huh?” She spun again, slower this time. “Maybe the sewers have a Phantom instead?” She shot him a smirk over her shoulder.

“Freakin’ love that show,” Raph muttered, moving to the far left wall. He leaned back, crossed his arms over his broad chest, and tilted his head back a touch. “Think this will do for an impromptu concert?”

Annabelle cocked her head to the side. “You were serious?” He arched a brow, and she shrugged. “M’kay. I don’t really get it, but why not?” She pursed her lips for a moment, and then nodded as if she’d made a decision. “Just in case there is a Phantom… .” She shot him a grin, closed her eyes, and began to sing.

“Think of me, think of me fondly when we've said goodbye. Remember me, once in a while, please promise me you'll try. When you find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free, if you ever find a moment spare a thought for me.

“We never said our love was evergreen or as unchanging as the sea, but if you can still remember stop and think of me. Think of all the things we've shared and seen. Don't think about the way things might have been.

“Think of me, think of me waking silent and resigned. Imagine me trying too hard to put you from my mind. Recall those days, look back on all those times, think of the things we'll never do. There will never be a day when I won't think of you.”

Raph had been right – this was the perfect place to sing. The acoustics were phenomenal, and any nerves Annabelle might’ve had in the beginning disappeared as she marveled in the way her voice carried.

“I think you should do it.”

“Do what?”

“Sing professionally. I know you’d make a great doctor, but it’s obvious this is what you’re passionate about.”

Leo’s words of encouragement floated to the forefront of her mind as she finished the song. How many times had she caught him silently listening to her play the piano late at night when she couldn’t sleep or singing to herself to calm her anxiety? He’d made her feel so safe, so secure, and so confident with just a nod of his head or a simple smile. It seemed inevitable she would develop feelings for him, even if she didn’t quite know how to define them. Her chest hurt and her throat ached. Why had she chosen that song? The emotional baggage it dredged up was painful to relive.

Raphael’s slow clap jolted her from her thoughts. “Holy shit.” Her eyes flashed open to see Raph staring at her. “He wasn’t kidding. You really do have a set of pipes on you.” An almost feral smile split over his face as he began to walk towards her. “Do you have any idea what this means?”

“Ummmm.” Her nerves skyrocketed as the behemoth in red strode towards her. “No?”

“It means,” he declared once he stood in front of her, “that I am finally gonna beat Donnie and Leo at karaoke night!”

…………..

Master Splinter stressed meditation. It helped calm the warrior spirit, cleared the mind, and provided clarity and reflection. In hindsight, Leo wished his father had done more mental exercises instead of physical ones. Finding the right Leonardo and combing through his memories were proving to be harder than he anticipated.

Pizza, pizza, pizza, Shredder, robot Foot ninjas… wait… no. Wrong Leo.

Rain forests, stone statues brought to life… whoa! Big monster. Wrong Leo.

Leonardo sighed in frustration. Just how many alternate versions of himself were there? He could probably ask Donnie, but he didn’t want the explanation that would definitely follow. He closed his eyes again, took a deep breath, and tried a different approach.

Annabelle. Annabelle. Dark eyes, darker hair, pale skin. Feisty, sassy, thoughtful. Scared, angry, traumatized. Hopeful, gentle, caring. He focused on her image, cleared his mind of all other thoughts, and pushed.

[letterstothefutureme]

FDA approves first ever OTC Birth Control pill.

[riality-check]

So no pressure at all intended, but am I allowed to ask for Appalachian!Eddie headcanons? Or Steddie headcanons with a ✨️ sprinkle ✨️ of Appalachian!Eddie? Or Appalachian Munson Family headcanons! You've awoken a beast in me that craves this version of Eddie. 🥰

Yes, of course!! I'm physically incapable of shutting up about this, so you giving me an excuse to talk about it is wonderful. I'm going to take this in a slightly different direction and talk about all the Munson Family Lore (TM) that I couldn't necessarily fit into the first chapter of the big ass Eddie backstory, but it is all canon in my brain and my little universe.

(I promise I'm working on getting chapter 2 up!)

Anyway, in no particular order, have some of My Thoughts (started out as family lore and devolved into Steddie. I'm all over the place, it seems!):

Both of Eddie's parents are originally from West Virginia.

They had Eddie at 16 and dropped out of high school.

They had a quick courthouse wedding when they were 17. Wayne was one of the witnesses, and Eddie's mom's sister was the other one. They jokingly asked the judge if Eddie, six months old and dressed in a tiny suit-patterned onesie, could be one of the witnesses when Wayne was running late.

Eddie's dad's side of the family is Baptist, and his mom's side is Jewish. Neither one of them are particularly observant, so Eddie grows up with holidays as more cultural/family traditions, rather than religious ones.

His mom's family did not approve of the marriage. They thought his dad was up to no good. His mom doesn't really talk to her family after that.

There is a Reason(TM) why Wayne and Eddie's dad don't talk. Yes, it's a spoiler.

Wayne is about ten years older than Eddie's dad. He enlisted in the Army as soon as he turned 18 and was shipped off to Korea. When he came back, years after he got plopped back in the States, because he had to piece himself back together, he sees that his little brother dropped out of high school and has a wife (not legally, not yet) and a baby on the way.

Wayne and Eddie's dad's father was a coal miner. He also just sucked as a person, and he died when Wayne was around 17, so he didn't feel as guilty for leaving.

Wayne was a truck driver for years before he settled in Hawkins. He starts off doing construction there before he starts working at the plant.

Both of Eddie's parents are addicts. They tried their best, but they absolutely were not equipped to handle a kid.

All hail Dolly Parton. That's it, that's the thought. Eddie's parents (and Wayne) love Dolly. And a bunch of other old school country artists, like Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson. They just sort of get it.

Eddie's got an accent, but from state-hopping so much as a kid, it sounds more pan-Appalachian than anything else. His parents keep their vernacular from West Virginia, but they'll change it up for wherever they're staying. Anything to not draw attention to the fact that they're new in town, anything to keep a low profile.

Eddie likes reading Twain books. They're not written in his dialect, but he thinks it's cool that they're written in dialect at all. They're really fun to read out loud.

Eddie can't, for the life of him, say "tobacco." And I wrote a fic about it.

Eddie's mom called him all sorts of pet names growing up, but the one she used most often was "sugar." Eddie's dad was the only person who called him "Ed."

Neither one of Eddie's parents could carry a tune in a bucket, but that never stopped them from singing to him growing up. Wayne can't sing, either, but he doesn't try.

Steve thinks Eddie's accent is cool and also hot.

Eddie thinks it's a little bit funny when Steve can't understand conversations between him and Wayne. They talk so fast and the vowels and vocab are different and he is lost. Eddie will fill him in after, though.

Eddie's accent automatically kicks in when he sings lullabies.

Eddie's dad's name is John, and his mom's name is Rebecca.

"Edward" was the only first name the two of them could agree on, though they never call Eddie that, and his middle name is his father's name.

That's all I have off the top of my head! Everything else is kind of a spoiler, so I'm avoiding talking about it, at least until I get more chapters of the big ass Eddie backstory out. Thank you so much for asking, this was so much fun for me!!

[blaiddfailcam]

Okay fine here are some "brief" headcanons about Blaidd and his upbringing among the Carians. Totally not telling on myself how much I overthink these games but:

As far as "headcanons" go, these are more so my rationalizations of Blaidd's relationships, and why he's so uninformed regarding his nature as a bringer of bale. I do feel the game offers some complex emotional drama that's fun to dissect. In essence, this is how the chronology of their dynamics "make sense" to me.

I'm not one for entirely cozy-cute interpretations, nor anything too edgy, but the latter story ruminations might paint the characters as somewhat cold and melancholy. To me, there is a good deal of sadness behind Blaidd's hardened persona, which always had me wondering how lonely he must have felt, searching for insurmountable years for an elusive key to unlocking Ranni's dream and his own demise.

But I'll start with the nicer stuff, lol.

Childhood

Blaidd wasn't "born," but created by the Two Fingers from Ranni's violet left eye to be her animus—not unlike Eve from Adam's rib.

Upon creation, he appeared as a wolf-headed human child with grayish skin and scant fur, with pink palms and soles. He was repulsive to the Carian servants, reminiscent of a demi-human.

In-game, Blaidd never blinks. As such, I like to think he literally never closes his eyes, nor does he rest.

Ranni was quickly drawn to him. Her first word upon seeing his lupine head was, "Blaidd!"—Wolf. Thus, the name stuck: Blaidd the Half-Wolf.

Rennala was not immediately approving of him, as she appreciated the danger he posed to her Empyrean daughter. As such, he was kept separate from her and raised under Iji's watchful eye in Kingsrealm.

Ranni would regularly secret herself out of the manor to play with her new friend by the cover of night. When Iji discovered this, he gently allowed them to continue. To him, they were almost as his adoptive children, or so he dared to pretend.

Blaidd was tutored in combat, assisted Iji with his smithing, and partook in hunting and fishing on behalf of the gate town. Naturally, this latter activity was his preferred pastime, which culminated in his talent for tracking traitors to the royal family.

Neither Radagon, Radahn, nor Rykard ever met Blaidd. To him, the Carian males were as distant as the stars.

Knighthood

Blaidd was trained in mock combat by Loretta. Loretta criticized his ineptitude for sorcery, fostering a mutual resentment when he soundly defeated her with his brutish strength.

Understanding Blaidd's unwitting role as Ranni's shadow, Iji was unnerved by his speed and aggression with ordinary weaponry. As such, he fashioned a colossal sword not unlike the trolls' royal greatswords to serve as a suitable weapon, as well as an inhibitor in the tragic event he ever turned on Ranni.

Blaidd's earliest armor was somewhat lowly, not so dissimilar from the Bloodhound knights', sans a cape.

Seluvis attempted to tutor Blaidd in the ways of Carian sorcery, but Blaidd had neither patience nor interest. Instead, he preferred to play childish pranks. Feeling sympathetic for the caged cuckoo birds, Blaidd once released a number of them, and Seluvis was convinced he had devoured them. From then on, he rejected him as his pupil.

Her distrust of the Two Fingers mounting into adulthood, Ranni became detached from Blaidd, to his distress.

One day, she disappeared. Blaidd tracked her to the frigid north alone, fashioning his makeshift cape from the hide of a greatwolf. When he found her, she was half-frozen. Enveloping her in his cape, he carried her to shelter.

When she came to, she apologized—but even still, she achingly refused to reveal her intentions. She was terrified of how her treachery would hurt Blaidd, but her resolve was as iron.

After their return, Rennala spoke to Blaidd in private. To his surprise, she apologized to him for her distrust. She declared that he and Ranni must become close as kin, inducting him officially into the Carian royal family as Ranni's honorary stepbrother.

As such, Rennala commissioned Iji to fashion a proper suit of armor for Blaidd, and a sword befitting a Carian knight, inlaid with many-colored glintstones.

The Dire Plot

After Radagon's departure and Rennala's descent into madness, Ranni maintained the Carian estate with Blaidd as her dutiful knight, defending from the battle-ready Cuckoo.

Blaidd was not included in Ranni and Rykard's plot to steal the Rune of Death, nor the Night of the Black Knives. Seeing as this trespass would fly in the face of the Greater Will, Ranni was careful to distance herself from him, should he enact his role as her executioner.

When the time came, Ranni diverted Blaidd to Raya Lucaria using Seluvis as a diversion. Unaware of her plot, he swiftly made his way to the academy, but upon arrival was swiftly imprisoned. (Ya know, sealing spells and all that.)

Breaking free the next morning, Blaidd stormed back to Caria Manor. But in Ranni's place, he found only a doll—until she spoke, and a chill ran down his spine. She confessed to her treacherous crime, expressing her utmost determination to rid herself of her curse.

Although he was shaken, Blaidd swore an oath that her secret would remain kept, and that he would serve no master but her. From then on, he dutifully commenced his age-long search for the Eternal City of Nokron.

The Shattering

In his distance from Ranni, Blaidd became himself more cold and skeptical. He observed the Shattering Wars from a distance, indifferent to the bloody corpse mounds littering eastern Liurnia, and unperturbed by the blight of Deathroot that plagued the Lands Between following Ranni's plot.

During a skirmish en route to Caelid, Blaidd ambushed Malenia, not with the intention of killing or impeding her, but out of curiosity as to her resemblance to Ranni's Empyrean flesh. He challenged the valkyrie, but in a single precise motion, she pierced his chest below his sword arm—a lethal blow to most, but only enough to temporarily subdue a shadow.

Afterward, he never involved himself in the war beyond protecting the manor.

Until present

Ever since Ranni's betrayal, Blaidd would irregularly drift into unconsciousness. Unbeknownst to him, these fainting spells marked the conjuring of Baleful Shadows, fashioned in his image.

For as desperate he was to fulfill Ranni's ambition, Blaidd was consistently delayed by an insidious traitor. Old Iji, still greatly attached to his dear children despite their unraveling tale, dangled fabricated allegations with which to occupy the merciless hunter.

Even so, his good nature remained relatively intact, only teased by a select few friends met in his encounters. One such character, of course, was Kalé. When Seluvis discovered someone had made off with the eyepiece of his priceless telescope, Blaidd began a lethargic hunt for the culprit. Discovering Kalé south of Stormveil, he questioned the telescope he spied in the merchant's possession. Kalé insisted it was sold to him in his travels. Blaidd fully believed him, but gave up the search out of boredom.

Blaidd fosters a respect for wildlife. He is, after all, reviled by most for his half-wolven visage. Perhaps he feels some penitence for his zealous hunting in his youth, or maybe it's born of defiance for Seluvis's vulgar accusations in the disappearance of his cuckoos.

Blaidd totally witnessed Kenneth Haight getting his shit rocked at Fort Haight and did nothing. He found it funny.

◇◇◇

In general, I think Ranni and Blaidd do care for each other deeply, but I find it interesting how Ranni manages to distance herself from her emotions in retaliation against the Two Fingers. Blaidd was conceived to suppress her through their mutual admiration. Aknowledging such, Ranni takes on a distant air in equal parts for their protection from each other, and in full understanding that her treachery would inevitably destroy him.

To be clear, I'm not saying Ranni is a bad character. I think it's awesome to have such a determined character who actually makes you question the morality of her revolt. Do her means truly justify the end? Likewise, Blaidd strikes me as someone who tries his best to be good, but in his determination to betray even his own emotions for Ranni's sake, he steeps into a depraved thirst for vengeance. He's not exactly a critical thinker.

When Blaidd eventually is corrupted, I question whether it was entirely the control of the Two Fingers, or if he felt a relentless rage toward Ranni. He spent years working to fulfill her destiny, after all. He had loved her with all his being. Even still, she foresook him. Despite this, he rooted himself where he knelt, refusing to let his fury bring her harm.

They kinda freaks. Love me some freaks.

Anyway pls don't let this make you think I'm any less cool or well-adjusted

[orvizs]

Quick winter Holdsworth and Bonny AU headcanons

Holdsworth blasts holiday-themed music for the whole Moorland to hear. Loretta doesn't approve. Justin, who teached the old lady how to do that, does.

Bonnibel took part in a gingerbread house contest. Of course she won, that woman is a genius when it comes to making stuff. Poor Madison, who spent hours on making one for the contest, just for Nightdust to eat it.

Farah bought Bonnibel a 'paint by numbers' painting as a present. It was a great bonding moment between the two.

I need to do a full relationship list for this AU

OTHER POSTS ABOUT THIS AU BELOW

1ST HEADCWNONS

THE WHOLE AU IDEA

[bildaddyanduziraphale-aremarried]

Wedding Planning Team & Officiant

@amagnificentobsession (planner) @docdust (planner) @loretta-dont-you-oppress-me (assistant planner)

@ineffablemossy (officiant and main organiser for wedding album)

@bil-daddy (groom and approval for planning decisions)

[goxinsane]

➹ kadee strickland

SEND ME A FC AND I’LL MAKE UP A CHARACTER ON THE SPOT.

{ @mythunderlegion }

Annette Kinsey, 47-50, heterosexual, pronouns: she/her. Currently resides in Braselton Georgia, USA. Song association: Landslide cover by the Dixie Chicks, and Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under by Shania Twain!

Right before studying at the local University to become the neurosurgeon she is now, Annette was forced to have a shotgun wedding. The only way her parents approved of the relationship between her much older boyfriend and having this baby, was to commit to one another. Dedicated to her dream, Malcolm and Annette decided to let his sister-in-law and own mother babysit their daughter Wynonna when both weren’t available (like during long-periods of time, like around exam time). Somehow, they made it work although they rarely saw one another. Three years later, they were still together, and Wynonna had a younger sister, Loretta. And another three years after that, Annette and Malcolm had their last child together, Reba. And yes, they’re all named after ‘country’ artists. 

Malcolm dropped out of school and took over his father’s horse ranch and farm, in which Wynonna enjoyed from the ripe age of six. A lot of the time, Annette missed out on the fun as she registered at the hospital in Braselton and continued her practice. The three sisters never got along, and eventually Wynonna moved away to pursue her 'dream' of becoming a real-estate agent, with an attempt to cut off contact. She felt the most pressured from the other side of the family, and ignored by Annette. Reba has since taken over the ranch with her father and Loretta has become a local, country artist. For years, Annette has considered her marriage to be over, so, behind his back, she often will steal ‘your husband’ for one night, just for the thrill. Little does she know, he’s doing the same with other wives.

Muse association? Yes, mother to Wynonna Kinsey, currently on request.

[opedguy]

More Classified Docs Found for Biden

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), Jan. 12, 2023.--Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland, 70, announced today that he was appointing Special Counsel Robert Hur, a Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney in Maryland, to investigate 80-year-old President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents after leaving as Vice President Jan. 20, 2017.  Biden called 76-year-old former President Donald Trump “irresponsible” for housing classified docs at his Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago estate, piling on with the rest of the U.S. press against the former president.  Biden applauded Atty. Gen. Merrick Garlands decision to have the FBI raid Trump’s estate to remove any classified docs, returning them under the Presidential Records Act to the National Archives.  Garland’s decision to appoint another Special Counsel was a response to cover the Department of Justice from potential GOP investigations into corruption and partisan treatment in vaunted government agencies.

When you look at the big picture, Democrats and the press looked for anything to end Trump’s political career, hoping, beyond anything else, to prevent him from running for president in 2024.  Finding classified docs at Mar-a-Lago, Democrats and the press thought they had an open-and-shut case to charge Trump with violating any number of U.S. laws related to handling classified information, including the Presidential Records Act and Espionage Act. All of a sudden, Biden’s lawyers have uncovered sensitive docs found and Biden’s former Univ. of Pennsylvania offices but, more recently, in the garage of his Wilmington, DE. home and personal library.  Where else Biden’s attorneys find more classified documents is anyone’s guess.  Biden denies knowing anything about the whereabouts of classified documents from his time serving as former President Barack Obama’s Vice President.

Instead of wasting more DOJ time on complete nonsense, Garland should not appoint a new Special Counsel to investigate old inconsequential classified docs collecting dust in Biden’s garage of anywhere else. Garland should withdraw Jack Smith as Legal Counsel looking into Trump’s classified docs found at Mar-a-Lago and end the complete waste of DOJ time and energy.  No one cares about the small number of useless classified docs found in Trump or Biden’s archives.  When it came to Trump, Garland must deal with the “deep state” political operatives in the DOJ that would used a respected government agency for political purposes, like harassing Trump.  Garland’s No. 2 Deputy Atty. Gen. Lisa Monaco has a personal vendetta with Trump and pushed the Attorney General to appoint Jack Smith as Special Counsel.  Garland should immediately remove Jack Smith.

Appointing Robert Hur to investigate Biden’s mishandling of classified docs accomplishes nothing other than giving the DOJ political cover before House Republicans investigate egregious political abuses at the DOJ, FBI, CIA and National Security Agency [NSA] during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and his four years in office. Can you imagine,  62-year-old former FBI Director James Comey launched, with fomer Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch’s approval, a counterintelligence investigation into a Republican presidential nominee?  If Lynch approved the FBI investigation of Trump, it reasonable to think that former President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden approved the investigation as well.  So when Garland appoints a Special Counsel for Bidenl, it only for the purpose of proving how even-handed he’s administering U.S. justice at the DOJ.

Wasting DOJ resources is not how to deal with investigations of Trump’s handling of classified docs.  Now that it’s known that Biden also mishandled classified docs, Garland should not waste more DOJ time appointing Robert Hur as Special Counsel to look into Biden’s mishandling of classified docs.  He should appoint a Special Counsel to look into corruption at the DOJ.  No one other than political hacks looking to retaliate against Trump and Biden cares about improper handling of classified docs.  Garland needs to have the professionalism to recognize that egregious abuses have taken place at the DOJ, FBI, CIA and NSA, abusing the agencies by political operatives.  Appointing Hur Speical Counsel accomplishes nothing to deal with past abuses of power.  Biden says he’s “cooperating fully and completely” with the DOJ, but that doesn’t rectify current or past abuses at the agency.

Garland isn’t facing undeniable current and past abuses at the DOJ, FBI, CIA and NSA.  When Garland decided to order the FBI to raid Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, he must be held accountable for letting Deputy Atty. Gen. Lisa Monaco, an Obama deep state operative, to call the shots.  Whatever Garland thought he could do to advance a Democrat agenda to prevent Trump from running in 2024, he must acknowledge the Mar-a-Lago raid was inappropriate, politically motivated and a product of extreme partisanship in the DOJ.  Appointing as Special Counsel to look into current and past DOJ corruption would be a start in the right direction. Garland has done nothing for equal justice under the law, only obscuring systemic corruption at the Department of Justice.  Political operatives like Lisa Monaco must be removed their positions, not continue the charade of investigating Biden’s classified docs.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

[amagnificentobsession]

I found the dress for @bildaddy-and-mrazfellcos-wedding (if they approve).

It’s been packed away in my closet for years now. (I truly had forgotten I had it) I’d like to still wear the Doc’s with it. I think it makes the outfit.

If it’s all too distracting, I do have many a fine suit as well.

@bil-daddy @mrazfellco @docdust @loretta-dont-you-oppress-me

[brasskingfisher]

Queer M*A*S*H

So, inspired by @writtenbyalanalda I've been thinking about the queer identies presented on M*A*S*H and so here's my own random musings as to where characters feature in the LGBTQIA+ community:

Hawkeye: Aromantic allosexual. I know some people read him as a closeted gay man (and I see where they're coming from), but given his fear of commitment and the way he recoils from approaches by women I feel it's more that he's interested exclusively in sex and doesn't want/ know how to respond to any kind of deeper connection. Add into that the obvious importance he places on his relationship with Trapper and then BJ.

BJ Hunnicut: Definitely bicurious of not fully bisexual. Again I can appreciate the arguments that he's gay, but he seems WAY too devoted to Peg and Erin for it to be just him playing it straight in a lavender marriage (especially with the way he struggles with the temptation to cheat). Obviously he reciprocate some of Hawkeye's feelings without being able to fully express them but I can't see him leaving his wife and child to persue a same sex relationship.

Charles E Winchester III: Heteroromantic Asexual. He never really shows any kind of interest in anyone else, and from what we see of his limited romantic/sexual relationships he's far more concerned with bloodlines and continuing the family name/tradition than anything else, to the point he rejects potential partners because his parents/ family wouldn't approve of them. I personally get the feeling he's looking to get married due to the pressure of family/society for the 'heir and spare'.

Margret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan: Definitely bisexual. Although she's depicted as a maneater, a lot of her more personal storylines and character development (and what Loretta Swift highlighted in interviews) relate to her personal relationships. Particularly her unwillingness to be vulnerable and or open up (particularly to other the women in camp). Now this is in stark contrast to the closeness it's revealed she had with her friends as a student nurse/teenager and is in keeping with her background as an army brat and trying to live up to her father's expectations. Also, whilst it's never explicitly started, it's implied that she's an only child and her father (as a career officer) would have prefered/expected a son.

Fathr J P Mulchacey: Clearly Aroace. Without wishing to cast aspersions onto members of the Catholic church, he's clearly not interested in the idea of sex and is noticably uncomfortable with physical contact to the point where he's noticeably uncomfortable about being hugged by a woman and doesn't know how to respond. Even leaving aside his religious views whilst he's comfortable taking about other people's sex/romantic lives the idea of doing it himself seems anathema to him.

Cpl Walter 'Radar' O'Reily: Aspec/Demisexual. His sexuality and inexperience is often treated as a joke (to the point where he gets openly asked of he's a virgin) which is understandable given he's a young man from a small town in the mid West. But he shows a willingness to try and flirt with the nurses and obviously feels some form of attraction to various women he meets. However, he seems reluctant to try and persue them (even when they approach him) and feels a social pressure to try and consumate his relationships.