#may is described as Not accessing her heritage potential or something and i was like. hm. ok

[lokh]

ENOUGH. why does his uniform look like a nazi uniform. japan stop using nazi aesthetic challenge

[litnerdwrites]

Did Jack Barlow Know? If so, who else knew and how?

Okay, so hear me out! We know this likely means that either Andarna is linked to this mysterious weapon. We don't know if means she knows where to find it/activate it, if she is the weapon, or if a rider that bonded her species of dragon was what wiped them out. Either way, it's safe to say that it all relates back to her in some way.

We also know that Jack Barlow was a Venin before he crossed the parapet, right? And in Kaori's classes, he was very interested in Tairn. Then, during Threshing, his number one goal was to kill Andarna (which isn't smart given where he was). Also, by the end of Iron Flame, he was somehow controlling Baide. Not, seemingly, dissimilar to how Varrash described influencing a dragon instead of allowing it to influence you.

His interest in Tairn is most likely because he wanted to bond a powerful dragon for the Venin to use, or for him to control. He wanted to influence Tairn the way he did Baide, maybe even syphon power from him, and by proxy, Sgaeyl.

He was also weirdly obsessed with Killing Andarna during Threshing, which, at the time, just could be attributed to arrogance, disrespectfulness and self-centredness, which was on brand for him. But now that we know what he is, and what he was doing all along, it's safe to say there could be other Venin in the wards.

There's so much speculation regarding Violet's potential Venin heritage, from either her mother or father's side. Lilith's rank and position means that she and Violet's dad had been close to the hatching grounds for a while. Violet's father specifically was researching Feathertails, and he died one or two years before the start of the book, when Violet was about 18. What else happened when Violet was 18? Andarna. She hatched when Violet was 18, possibly before her father even died.

Who's to say how many other Venin there are within the Wards. There are likely to even be a couple, like VIolet's dad, that were within a four hour flight radius to said wards. If Volet's dad felt Andarna hatch, then any other near by Venin could have too. Going back to his research for a moment, it's worth mentioning, how would he be able to study Feathertail effectively? The only way for there to be information about them in his research that isn't common knowledge, is either, a) he had access to very restricted texts (like the King's personal collection), which seems unlikely, or b) to have seen a feathertail.

If nothing else, I think Andarna knows something of the research he did. Perhaps he even met her for himself. When Varrish was questioning Violet about it, Tairn confirms that he doesn't know about it, but Andarna? The author makes a point to tell us that she went silent. Not that she wasn't there, or grew uninterested, or even went to sleep. She was there, she was listening, but she didn't respond.

By now, I think it's safe to say that she knows something. Throughout the books, Andarna drops hints to her secrets, without outright saying them, or lying about them. She prefers lying by omission, which, towards the end of the first book, Tairn points out to her, can be just as bad. It still seems to be her preferred method of secret keeping, though. Like how she's not like the other juveniles, or how she'd be the head of her own den, all indicating that she really isn't. She's a whole other species, and already the head of her own den.

I think Andarna knows something about the Venin, and about Violet's dad, in which case, it's possible he also knew, somehow, that Andarna would chose Violet. I'm not sure how likely that would be, and would depend on how much Andarna knows of this research.

However, I'm confident that she's the key to stopping the Venin in one form or the other. I also think that, somehow, the Venin knows this too. Either through Violet's dad, who may or may not have had contact with Andarna, or knew of her, at the very least, or through another Venin in Basgaith.

So, finally, going back to Jack Fucking Barlow, the root of this discussion, did he know about all of this? We know he was sent to destroy the wards, but was hellbent on killing Andarna during Threshing.

Powerful dragons can tell what a hatchlings colour will be, before they mature. Is it possible that powerful Venin can too? If there was a Venin near the wards, powerful enough, would they be able to tell as well? It's possible that a Venin inside the wards reported back to a higher rank, about Andarna's hatching, or that a Sage or General to learn about the dragon hatchlings through other Venin, or people like Violet's dad.

If they did, then they could Know what Andarna is. They'd know how she's different, how she's the key to stopping them, and perhaps even the key to their victory. Could it be that the Venin sent Jack to, not only destroy the wards, but to kill Andarna before she became a threat? If the higher ups amongst Venin didn't know, then did Jack figure it out on his own, and do it to earn The Sage's approval? Based on how desperate they are to capture Violet for The Sage, they seem pretty obsessed with proving themselves. Jack might have wanted to become a strong rider to gain the acknowledgment or promotion from The Sage, and later decided to kill Andarna while he was at it.

It's possible that that's the reason that The Sage wants Violet so badly. If you can't beat them, join them. Or have them join you by turning the love of their life into a monster, and using him to kidnap or manipulate them into joining your cause because they're the biggest threat to you and your kind. Perhaps they want her to manipulate Andarna the way Jack did with Baide or Varrish claimed to do with Solas, since it was Andarna, or her kind, that ended the war 600 years ago.

[theshadowsingersraven]

You know something never mentioned with the whole "evil lightsinger" theory for Gwyn?

Catrin.

You know, her twin sister.

Would Catrin also not be a lightsinger if it's being based on their river nymph heritage? (They are, of course, separate species, but I digress.) So, that would mean that there aren't one but two lightsingers somehow conveniently avoiding detection despite lightsingers being described as killing for sport? As well as both of them living in the same temple with the same access to potential prey?

That's not counting the fact that presumably, Gwyn and Catrin's mother and grandmother are still alive. So, if they are lightsingers with the exact same nefarious description that we were told, then that means at any given point in time within the last 28 years, there may have been four lightsingers outside of the Bog of Oorid, and somehow no one knew about it?

Especially not even Azriel, with his entire spy network? Just because he couldn't leave Velaris while Rhys was UTM doesn't mean that Azriel's spies couldn't. If Azriel could determine that Koschei was whispering words on the wind to Briallyn, then feasibly, he'd be able to figure out that there were now four lightsingers outside of the Bog. Because they're, y'know, dangerous and mentioned as something to avoid in the Bog.

That definitely reads as something that would be a big deal. I mean, think back to how Lucien and Tamlin reacted back in TAR to the Bogge. It wasn't supposed to be in their lands, and Tamlin hunted it immediately because it was dangerous.

Wouldn't someone in the Autumn Court probably either eliminate Gwyn's grandmother, who would be a full-blooded lightsinger, or at least find a way to weaponize her? And again, something Azriel would likely know.

If we assume Gwyn's mother had her and Catrin at the same age as Gwyn, 28, that's 56 years between just the two of them minimum that lightsingers would be out of the Bog. Remember, Gwyn's mother couldn't stay in the forest house of Autumn or in the rivers of Spring, so she was born out of the Bog.

And that's not accounting for how long Gwyn's grandmother would be alive for and how much time she could've spent out of the Bog before finding Gwyn's grandfather.

Now, don't get me wrong, SJM isn't a perfect or incredible writer and does make mistakes.

But three generations of evil, bloodthirsty lightsingers somehow escaping the notice of all of Prythian? Let alone Azriel, who would probably be closely watching Spring and Autumn because of how both those Courts have harmed his family?

As well as somehow not noticing any signs of Gwyn's potential lightsinger nature while he trained her?

It seems like an awful lot to overlook, imo. So, if we want to believe everyone is still relatively good at their jobs and assume SJM has some of her writing shit together...maybe Gwyn isn't a lightsinger?

Maybe by nature of being 3/4 High Fae and 1/4 river nymph, she probably has magic that manifests in a way unique to her mixed heritage? Like how Rhys can magically hide his Illyrian wings?

Or maybe lightsingers just have the worst assumed of them, and it's not fully true. Like how humans assumed all fae were like the Naga and ate humans?

Either way, though, the possibility of Gwyn being evil seems pretty abmysmally low in my humble opinion. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[ivy-arikel]

On the Kiasyd

Originally, "Kiasyd" was a term used to describe “any faerie-blooded vampire, whether they had successfully survived the trauma of the Embrace or otherwise been transformed by the touch of faerie”.

From the definition of what constitutes a Kiasyd, a changeling who was Embraced by a vampire would be considered to be a Kiasyd. However, what about its vampire sire? I would argue that should a changeling be Embraced, the Kiasyd would be a mixture of fae and whatever clan its sire belonged to. The reason Kiasyd are considered Kiasyd and not a Kindred from its sire’s clan is because of the social stigma.

These vampires instinctively knew that they did not belong, and most sires immediately disposed of their "freak accidents".

A Kiasyd is unwelcomed in most Kindred society not just because the strangeness of their fae heritage, but because they are of mixed blood– a half-breed, a mongrel. They belong neither in the world of the Kindred nor the Dreaming, the Elphame, the Elfland or whatever one may call the Land of the Fairies. They are liminal creatures who I headcanoned to be fairy-souled and vampire-blooded. Should their sire be tolerant, the childer can both be Kiasyd and a Kindred from their sire’s clan.

Truth to be told, if one look at folklore around the world, there is often an overlap between fairies and vampires. Take, for example, the Baobhan sith of Scottish folklore. If I understand correctly, sith is a term akin to sidhe or aos sí, referring to the fae. Yet, the Baobhan sith can appear as beautiful women who seduce their victims before attacking them and draining their blood, much like traditional vampires.

Moreover, there are certain beliefs in Scottish folklore that blood can act as a substitute for water to the fae. The quote below is from Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland by John Gregorson Campbell

“The reason assigned for taking water into the house at night was that the Fairies would suck the sleeper's blood if they found no water in to quench their thirst.”

There is a large overlap between what is vampiric and what is fae. Although fae in Changeling: the Dreaming feed upon the “glamour”, the dreams of mankind, the fae in folklore worldwide have been known to eat human, devour them body and soul no different to what the Kindred are capable of.

Hence, if taking account of real life folklore, I see no reason to separate the Kiasyd from other Kindred of other clans. The majority of the stigma surrounds them is born out of prejudice.

If anything, the Kiasyd are just like any other Kindred from their sire’s clan plus some additional abilities. Whether they can access the disciplines of their sire’s clan depends on how much their sire is willing to teach them (or in the more likely case that their sire abandons them, how much they are able to self-study their disciplines). The additional abilities related to the fae and the Otherworld tends to be innate, although if the Kiasyd have earned the disfavor of Queen of the Fairies or any major local fae then it is possible that they may lose their fae-related boons (much like folklore where those who faces the displeasure of the Queen of the Elphame often find themselves stripped of whatever blessings the Queen may have given them).

And what could the Kiasyd do? Their canon clan discipline is the discipline of Mytherceria. Let’s look at some standard and advanced powers.

Fey Sight (2nd and revised): Sense changelings and fae glamours

Folderol (V20): Determine whether a statement was a lie

Darkling Trickery (2nd): create all sorts of effects that are normally associated with faeries

Fae Sight (V20): Sense any form of magic unrelated to ghosts and undead

Goblinism (2nd): Intuitive direction sense underground; summon goblins to help warp and reshape stone

Aura Absorption (V20): Remove the resonance from an object

Chanjelin Ward: Place symbols that confuse and disorient people

Riddle Phantastique: Speak riddles that make people do nothing but sit and ponder it

These aren’t bad but, in my opinion, they’re very generic.

I agree with Fey Sight (especially the one where it’s not just sensing fae glamours but any magic to do with ghosts because in irl folklore, there is a large overlap between what is fae and what is dead). I agree with being able to tell if a statement was a lie, but what about preventing someone from lying? Something akin to the Zone of Truth spell in D&D? Chanjelin Ward makes sense (look up stories of people being piskie led... not fun). Riddle Phantastique feels random, and so does Goblinism and Aura Absorption.

I propose a few more abilities:

1. Blessings

“ In a tale of one of the seventeenth century women poets of the Hebrides, Nic Iain Fhinn’s faery lover was the source of her poetic skill [...] Poetic talent – imbas – was transferred to her through a kiss before they parted. He had promised to give her song, as well, if she would put her tongue in his mouth. Afraid that he would bite it off, she refused, and so she was able to compose poetry, but not to set it to music.”

— Burying the Poet by Erynn Rowan Laurie

A fairy (lover) can bestow blessings through a kiss. In game mechanics, this can be perhaps an extra dice roll but in my fanfic, I mixed this little bit of folklore with another ability fairies are said to be capable of: healing. To heal with a kiss, to kiss the pain away.

2. Healing

There has been various tales of fairies teaching certain lucky individuals, or witches or cunning women, how to heal. This is why tales of fairy doctors exist.

“The fairy doctors are generally females [...] the women were taught all the fairy secrets and the magical mystery that lies in herbs, and the strange power they have over diseases. So by this means the women became all-powerful, and by their charms or spells or potions could kill or save as they chose ”

—  Ancient Charms, Mystic Legends, and Superstitions of Ireland

To harm and to heal, to kill and to save. This is why in my own headcanon, the Salubri loves to Embrace those who are on the way to becoming fairy doctors.

3. Vows and Curses

Those familiar with Celtic folklore may have heard of the geas / geasa. In Liminal Borderlands in Irish Literature and Culture, a gaes has been described as

“an ancient injunction, prohibition or taboo against performing an act, or an obligation to do an act. The breaking of gaesa often results in death."

A rose in the mouth. A thorn in the tongue. Think of the unbreakable curse from Harry Potter. Someone have once described an oath as a self-inflicted curse, and that is what I feel a gaes to be. People may have heard of folklore warning individuals against saying thank you to the Fair Folk (which would lead to us being indebted to them, an unintended obligation) or making a promise with them. A gaes is an oath that can result in death if broken. This fae ability to make promises, sealed with a kiss, plays an important part in my fanfiction.

I have more thoughts I wish to say but this is the gist of it. Fae are awe-inspiring. They are beautiful beyond moral comprehension. They are mercurial, and value their treasures dearly (are you a treasure, my dear?). I find the Kiasyd to be vastly underdeveloped despite the potential they hold.

[af1899]

FEH - "The outside world...! So vast!" (+10 WIP Sophia mini-showcase and appreciation)

So, with the [Feh Pass] subscription, I've been auto battling as much as I could while doing whatever else and gather [Hero Feathers] to get all the [HM] I had yet to get, and it was absolutely worth it, although I've already spent like 300 out of my 900+ something [Stamina Bottles] in the [Forging Bonds] lmao, I have around 660 now.

But with the obtained [Hero Feathers] I merged up Tailtiu to +6 and...

Poggers

I'm happy to have finished merging Sophia at long last which makes of her my eleventh fully merged project soon after New Year Eir, her build is pretty much done but I'd be delighted to give her more premium stuff she can use in the future and make more builds, as well as giving her the remaining [Dragonflowers (I)] but I'm so close to fully boost Sonya and then I have to boost OG and Legendary Julia because of the post-[CYL 2021] update. 🥴

But her current build does wonders already, true, she's not impervious to nearly everything as it is, but I can give her some team support and the like, she's still great on her own.

Now, onto appreciation talk which includes describing her a little and explaining why I like her. I did this in one of my previous posts but it's time to review the info we have about her and expand on it. As always, feel free to read on (long read ahead)...

About Sophia

She's a half-dragon, half-human girl with the power of foresight, she's a priestess residing in Arcadia, a village that houses manaketes that survived one of the most vicious wars from past lore (The Scouring) located in the southwestern desertic region (Nabata) in Elibe, the continent on which the sixth and seventh Fire Emblem games take place in, she's a playable [Shaman] in the former and makes a minor appearance as a NPC near the end of the latter. Her class makes of her one of the two playable dark magic users in Fire Emblem: Sword of Seals (the other is the guy you're most likely to get while pulling on red stones in FEH, a.k.a. Raigh), and she gains access to basic staves after promoting to [Druid].

In her support convo with Niime, it's revealed that Sophia's father was human, meaning that her mother was a dragon, but neither's identity is ever known to the player. But despite this, she never transforms into a dragon, most likely because she never had her own stone to contain those powers. Being half-dragon also allows her to live much longer, but not as purebred manaketes/dragons.

She's fully self-aware of her heritage and doesn't let that bother her, she accepts both halves of herself which make of her a whole person.

She's somewhat important around the half of the game's duration as she helps a gravely injured Cecilia to at least tend to her wounds while waiting for Roy's army to rescue them as they were both thrown into a prison under Bern's control (the kingdom invading the other countries during the events of the game).

Sophia displays a shy and gentle personality, showing clear astonishmnet yet in a calm way when witnessing what the outside world is like and what it has to offer (beyond the village she's been living for around a century), this is most evidenced in her support dialogues with Igrene. She even feels similarly when wearing a new set of clothes, such as those of Embla in the World of Zenith, anytime after she joins the Order of Heroes.

«As long as I am with you... I can go anywhere...even a new country...»

― Sophia

She also mentions she was raised to avoid outsiders, and in the same aforementioned support convo, it's mentioned why.

«I understand what he's saying... The Dragons' powers could easily destroy entire countries. If the outsiders found out, they would surely fight over it. I've seen many conflicts like that in my life...»

― Igrene

And it's understandable why she feels that way after being raised by the elder of the village to do as told for decades. But in the end, she wants to work towards a world of peace where both dragons and humans live together without a war ever spreading out, and befriend other people, she's appreciative of other's kindness.

So... why do I like her?

Because she's purple-haired and most of her design has purple and I love purple soooooo much, that's all you need to know. :)

...Kidding kidding, that's not actually it, but it's in part true that I find her aesthetic pleasing, partially due to my passion for this color:

(Official artwork from FE6)

Her design is rather simple but so charming, clearly evidencing her shyness (see the way she holds her book and her facial expression), and feeling clean without going overboard on details.

Also, I find long, purple hair a rather rare yet dazzling sight, I always look at it in her artwork and remins me why I love her design.

True, her neck in Zaza's take on Sophia in Fire Emblem Heroes bothered me a little, mostly because her neck is a little long as seen above, but not as slim as long as Zaza has drawn her (it's still a decent artwork and the artist has made some really nice pieces later, look at Emmeryn), the style also felt a little off to me. But her Resplendent upgrade made Sophia look more cute and still being the one we know, doning a brand new attire.

(❶ Original by Zaza. | ❷ Resplendent by Miwabe Sakura)

But for me, it's pointless to be pretty if there's not a likeable personality behind the character in question, and Sophia has been proven to be really interesting, often a mysterious but shy girl, she's capable of kindness and finding comfort with outsiders like Kiran or Roy, when I see her, I always feel that she's so nice, never feeling bitterness towards any of her allies, just being shy due to how she's grown, but with a desire for friendship and peace pushing her forward, even slowly but surely, she's so lovely. 🥰

What's more, some of her quotes show she has a protective side, determined to stand up to help her allies but specially those she's close with, this eventually includes Kiran themselves.

Her voice in Fire Emblem Heroes is also really soothing, Wendee Lee has made such a delightful work giving new life to Sophia through her voice acting, there sure are differences between her work back in 2017 (Sophia is a launch unit, meaning she's been around ever since the game was live) and the work on the Resplendent in 2020, yet both are pretty consistent and equally pleasant to hear. But if I have to vouch for one or another, I give a point to the Resplendent voice acting, her voice can be heard with a little more depth and calmness to it than the original, which feels more natural.

And she's a dark magic practitioner but that doesn't make her evil at all, she's really pure actually. But I actually find dark magic most appealing out of any kind of weapon I have ever seen, the whole concept is cool, being always creepy and nefarious in nature, often portrayed in hues of black and dark purple.

And like, c'mon, this thing is amazing:

I wish that [Apocalypse] was her PRF weapon in Fire Emblem Heroes but neither Raigh nor Bramimond who's its OG owner got it and just got random PRFs instead.

Anyway, in short, I adore Sophia and it always makes me happy to turn a seemingly weak unit into a tough to crack cookie, love for favorites sure can take them far.

"And... as a unit?"

I've been trying her mainly against the foes she has advantage with, but I've been also trying her against red/blue units and sometimes she does a nice job holding them at bay, she has low speed even after all this investment but with buffing it's somewhat usable.

Yet I prefer to focus on her strengths, not weaknesses, and she stands as a fairly good magic tank, with the few extras she enjoys as a launch unit and full demote plus Resplendent skin since around the first weeks of the [Feh Pass].

I actually tried her here some time after posting this because I didn't notice the [Limited Hero Battle] for today requires you use FE6 units, so I went with my faves in the game and it was rather easy. 🙂 But it still took a little thinking.

"Who's the next +10 you have in mind?"

Hmm... actually gonna (at least try to) work on Lilina, another one of my Elibian favorites. I also have her Resplendent upgrade and could revamp her kit. 🤔

But she's currently +3 so her turn might take longer or someone's else may come before, Idk.

And then, hopefully someone I like out of the next potential Resplendent Heroes...!

[ramonaprintmakingtwo]

Assignment 1: A landscape

I approached this assignment with a slightly different way, considering printing technique and style before working through the subject. As I have not done it before I wanted to attempt creating a jigsaw linocut print. Working with water based inks in Printmaking One meant that I had to work very quickly as the ink would begin to dry and change consistency. Having invested in some oil based ink giving me a longer working time, I wanted to utilise the medium use a technique that requires a slower inking time. Using a jigsaw method would allow me to use different colours within one layer of printing. 

I have seen this technique executed beautifully in the work of Lili Arnold, a printmaker in California whom I have followed on Instagram for a few years. By sharing not only her finished work but the printing process itself, we are able to gain greater insight into her methodology.

(Arnold, 2020)

When I’m not entirely sure of the direction I want to take within my work I like to step back and look at artists and images that inspire me. I review what works well, what aspects I enjoy and consider how I can apply these concepts to my own work. 

Mary Blair

One of my favourite artists is Mary Blair best known for her role as a Disney concept artist for both animated films and the ‘Small World’ in Disneyland. 

 (Blair, 1964) (Unknown, 2020)

Blair had an exceptional understanding of colour and form. Particularly within the ‘Small World’ concept art where different shapes and patterns are used together to create a more abstract image, reminiscent of children’s building blocks. Animation art director Fred Cline described her work as;

‘...juxtaposition of neutralised and intense colours. Lots of artists make everything really bright or really mute. She mixed both with a graphic sense without hardness. Her shapes are very organic but graphic. It's different. You know when you're looking at something only Mary Blair did.’ (Cline, 1994).

Charles and Ray Eames

Using the work of Mary Blair as a springboard I looked at the work other mid-century artists and designers. The form of Blair’s ‘Small World’ concept art reminded me of the toy designs of Charles and Ray Eames. 

(Eames Office LLC, 1952)

(Eames Office, LLC, 1951) (Eames Office, LLC, 1952)

Both the house of cards style toy, ‘The Toy’ and ‘The Little Toy’ focused on creativity within play. The individual elements can be arranged in any combination by the person playing with the toy. I wondered if this could be interpreted within a jigsaw linocut. 

Rather than the elements within the composition being fixed could they be arranged in different ways in a more spontaneous way within the printing process? 

Frances Wood

I also looked at the work of contemporary printmaker Frances Wood. Inspired by mid-century design and Scandinavian folk art, Wood creates colourful screen prints using paper-cut shapes when developing her screens. 

I enjoyed Wood’s layering of colour within her prints, having a muted background design with a bold pattern in the foreground. Much like the work of the mid-century artists that I have been looking at, despite using organic subjects of flowers and birds, they layout and composition of Wood’s prints are graphic and geometric in style. 

Mid Century Hues, Mid Century Sunset, Mid Century Birds (Wood, 2020)

Subject

This last year I have spent more time at home than ever before. The local community of our street has become much closer,  supporting each other and sharing food. Holding socially distanced street parties and looking after the more vulnerable residents. We even had a surprise stray kitten birth under my neighbours dining room table. It felt fitting to mark this. 

My print design criteria 

Execute a set of three colour prints, each using a minimum of three colours. Each print must be different but connected in some way.

Use a jigsaw technique using repeated key shapes so that the composition is easily changeable.

Explore alternative colour palettes based on the work of Mary Blair, mixing brights and neutrals.

Use symmetrical graphic designs to represent features and patterns within my neighbourhood. 

Use colour to indicate the time of year.

Working process

I began by walking up and down my street (after pre warning my neighbours!) taking photos of patterns and shapes that occur within the houses.

Rather than sketching I decided to use paper-cut shapes to reduce the photographed elements into simplified forms. By using this technique I have to be more considered in my approach as I am unable to cut details as fine as I would be able to draw. This hands on approach also felt in keeping of the spirit behind the design. 

I then scanned the glued paper to work on rough designs and colour combinations within photoshop. Looking to Mary Blair’s work for possible colour palettes, I identified different schemes that would be indicative of different seasons. 

Alice in Wonderland animation concept painting (Disney, 1951)

It’s a Small World, finale, concept art. (Blair M, 1964) 

Alice in Wonderland concept art (Blair, 1951) 

So Dear to My Heart, Indian summer, concept art. (Blair M, Undated)

Identified potential colour palettes 

Photoshop mock-ups

Within my designs I included a geometric background in two colours which I would intend to print in one layer with a jigsaw cut lino.

Printing

Prints

Birkbeck Winter

Birkbeck Spring

Birkbeck Summer

Final Selection

The prints turned out as I had planned them and I am particularly pleased with the colour combinations inspired by Mary Blair. The process of rearranging the tiles was enjoyable and I like that each print is unique. I am slightly concerned that it may not be in keeping with the assignment brief as it did not say that an abstract representation of a landscape was an option but it felt right to me.

References

Arnold, L., 2020. Passiflora Edulis Aka Passion Fruit II, Process Photos.. [image] Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/liliarnoldstudios/> [Accessed 30 December 2020].

Blair, M., 1951. Alice In Wonderland Concept Art. [image] Available at: <https://pm1.narvii.com/6117/fdcbe2c5a62f88227bd6de6d1f0678a4c3acf51a_hq.jpg> [Accessed 30 December 2020].

Blair, M., 1964. It's A Small World. [Collage].

Canemaker, J., 2003. The Art And Flair Of Mary Blair. Disney Enterprises Ink, pp.vi, 19, 35, 55, 93.

Cline, F., 1994. Questionare. Mademoiselle,.

Eames Office LLC, 1952. Charles And Ray Eames, House Of Cards, Publicity Photo. [image] Available at: <http://eamesoffice.com> [Accessed 30 December 2020].

Eames Office, LLC, 1951. Ray Eames Plays With An Early Prototype Of The Toy Outside The Eames House. [image] Available at: <http://www.eamesoffice.com> [Accessed 30 December 2020].

Eames Office, LLC, 1952. The Smaller Scale Of The Little Toy.. [image] Available at: <http://www.eamesoffice.com> [Accessed 30 December 2020].

Heritage Auctions, 2020. Alice In Wonderland Animation Concept Art. [image] Available at: <https://comics.ha.com/itm/animation-art/production-drawing/mary-blair-alice-in-wonderland-animation-concept-painting-original-art-disney-1951-/a/825-43034.s> [Accessed 30 December 2020].

Unknown, 2020. Photo Of 'It's A Small World' Disneyland. [image] Available at: <http://disneyatplay.com/index.php/2020/03/23/its-a-small-world-around-the-world/> [Accessed 30 December 2020].

Wood, F., 2020. Mid Century Bird, Hand-Pulled Screen-Print. [image] Available at: <https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/769826324/mid-century-modern-print-mid-century?ref=shop_home_active_25> [Accessed 30 December 2020].

Wood, F., 2020. Mid Century Hues, Hand-Pulled Screen-Print. [image] Available at: <https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/722871610/mid-century-modern-print-art-floral?ref=shop_home_active_2> [Accessed 30 December 2020].

[hennyjolzen]

What if we’ve been looking at Irish through the wrong lens all these years? Rather than it being a subject that causes heartache in schools might it actually be a periscope into our psyche and our souls? A path towards an entirely fresh way of seeing reality, transforming existence from a predictable and quantifiable 3-D dimension into a vacillating, multi-dimensional realm with the potential of bleed-throughs from other parallel worlds.

First, there are some truths about the language that need to be acknowledged, though the grammarians and language academics might not agree. 1 Irish derives from a world in which the unseen is as real as the seen; 2 it acknowledges the existence of other dimensions; 3 it is based on an understanding that nature and the land are vibrant, sentient beings; 4 at its most potent can be a language of incantation, meaning that it has (or might have) the potential to summon up wishes, behaviours, people and things.

These are bold claims, I realise, and whether any lofty academic linguist would agree is debatable, but let me explain with some examples of the many Irish words and phrases that can upend your way of seeing reality. Words like sclimpíní, for example, which conveys the effect of lights dancing before one’s eyes – either real light or the supernatural; those glimpses we get through the veil of what lies beyond. A single word like this can shift one’s frame of reference radically, to question all one’s assumptions and offering the potential of a more holistic and limitless way of thinking and being.

Cáithnín is another fine example of how a single word can unlock the hidden richness in our lives and landscape. It means a speck of dust, a husk of corn, a snowflake, a subatomic particle and a miniscule smidge of butter, or anything tiny that gets into the eye and irritates it. But, most evocatively of all, it also means the goosebumps you feel in moments when you contemplate how everything is interrelated and how tiny we are in relation to the whole, like that feeling when you realise, or, maybe, remember, that we are all one – all unified.

In this way, cáithnín, becomes like a koan or mantra – a single word that brings you right around the universe from the infinitesimal to the infinite. It becomes a reminder from our past about how we once related to our environment and community, and how we might do so again.

Another example is scim, which means a thin coating of tiny particles, like limewash on a house or dust on a mantelpiece. These are good practical, pragmatic meanings that any lexicographer would be comfortable with, but there are other more nebulous ones which might prove more challenging for the limited claustrophobic way of thinking that we now ascribe to in this age of empirical reasoning and narrow-mindedness. For example, scim can mean a fairy film that covers the land, or a magical vision, or, best and most alluring of all, succumbing to the supernatural world through sleep.

Just consider that notion for a while and you get a sense of the gateways, wormholes and rabbit warrens that the Irish language allows us access to, should we dare open ourselves to it. Might our world in its current state benefit from a language that allows for fairy films that cover the land, a language that offers the potential of being whisked away to the supernatural world through sleep?

Alternate dimensions

Surely children would be more intrigued if, as well as teaching them that ceantar means region or locality, we also teach them its equal and opposite, altar, which means the other realm, the netherworld. After all, this way of seeing the world is instinctive to the young, who have no problem accepting the potential of the alternate dimensions of Narnia beyond the wardrobe or Hogwarts beyond platform 9 ¾ of Kings Cross Station.

Consider the word crithir: its basic meaning is a particle or a spark of flame or light, or the tiniest portion of something, but it has other meanings that can act as a wedge to prise open perspectives that would otherwise remain hidden. For example, it can refer to the vulnerability and insubstantiality of solid objects; such as a swamp, or the trembling of the land in an earthquake, or the crumbling surface of ploughed land when dry after rain. Crithir means all these things.

This notion that our world is not as rigid or dense as we like to believe, has become more relevant with our growing awareness of quantum physics and how electrons are forever materialising, then dematerialising and reappearing somewhere else. All we really know is that our bodies, fields, mountains and stars are elementary particles, vibrating and fluctuating constantly between existence and non-existence – swarming in space, even when it seems that nothing is there. The fact that any solid, dependable mass that starts to quiver or falter can be referred to as crithir makes it an ideal term for the unpredictable and infinitesimal particles that we have delineated as the building blocks of all life.

These concepts are a bit bamboozling to all of us, but they might be easier to an Irish speaker who is already comfortable with the notion that a word like púicín can mean a supernatural covering that allows otherworldly beings appear unseen in this reality (as well as being a blindfold, a goat muzzle and a tin shade put over a thieving cow’s eyes). As an aside, the Irish for bamboozling is meascán mearaí, which also means going astray into other dimensions.

Now, with regard to this incantatory quality that Irish may possess, the best way of seeing it is through the first words ever composed by an Irishman, The Song of Amergin, which our chief poet and druid, Amergin, is said to have recited upon arriving in Ireland on the 1st April 700BC. He immediately begun uttering an incantation, summoning up the world that we intended to create here through his words. Ancient languages, when spoken by shamans and sorcerers, seemingly had this ability to not only describe an item, but help condense it from a parallel amorphous world of potential into a tangible, crystallised reality.

Language of unity

Amergin’s first stanza “Am gaeth i m-muir, Am tond trethan, Am fuaim mara”, (I am wind on sea, I am ocean-wave, I am roar of sea) clarified the interrelation between this world and all other planes of existence – physical and spiritual. It was a declaration of the unity of all things and it’s what, more or less, everything in our lives has been based upon ever since. We’re all here because of Amergin – his incantation summoned us into existence, or at least propelled us forward. And ever since we’ve been here – farming, fighting, mating and, eh, baking.

Yes, baking. As a way of delving deeper into these issues I’ve created a show called Arán agus Im, in which I summon the powers of wild yeasts and invisible bacteria to perform alchemy on milled grain and water, transforming them into bubbly universes of sourdough bread. In the show, which the Abbey Theatre is touring to Limerick, Cork, Galway and Dublin this summer, I’ll be baking bread and delving deep into language issues, while the audience get to perform their own alchemy, creating butter from cream to spread on my fresh bread made of grains grown in Ireland.

The Abbey will also be touring my show Gaeilge Tamagotchi in which I bestow rare and endangered words upon members of the public who agree to nurture and nourish them, words like lóipín, the cloth fixed on a hen’s claws to stop it scratching the earth or the pieces of jute put on a donkey’s hooves to keep them from slipping on frost. Or seithreach, the wistful voice of a mare calling for her foal, or the sound horses make when they meet after an absence.

The truth is that Irish is an ideal tool to help reorientate us back to what we have forgotten about our connection with the world around us. Its arcane structures and lack of clear rules can make it feel chaotic and uncontrollable, but therein lies its power. If we dare to dive in and escape the grips of its more pedantic gate-keepers and spirit-crushed naysayers, there are worlds of new perspectives and experiences awaiting.

[transracialqueer]

Five Potential Side Effects of Transracial Adoption

by Sunny J Reed

A trans- anything nowadays is controversial, but one trans- we don’t hear enough about are transracial adoptees. This small but vocal population got their title from being adopted by families of a different race than theirs — usually whites. But adoption, the so-called #BraveLove, comes with a steep price; often, transracial adoptees grow up with significant challenges, partly due to the fact that their appearance breaks the racially-homogenous nuclear family mold.

I am transracially adopted. My work is an outgrowth of my experience, research, and conversations with other members of the adoption triad; that is, adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents. This piece is a response to the misunderstandings and assumptions surrounding transracial adoption, and I hope it brings awareness to some rarely-discussed side-effects of the practice. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, by any means, these are just a few of the struggles that many transracial adoptees grapple with on a daily basis.

1. Racial Identity Crises, or “You Mean I’m Not White?”

Racial identity crises are common among transracial adoptees: what’s in the mirror may not reflect which box you want to check. I grew up in a predominantly white town that barely saw an Asian before — let alone an Asian with white parents. Growing up, I’d forget about my Korean-ness until I’d pass a mirror or someone slanted their eyes down at me, reminding me that oh yeah, I’m not white.

There’s a simple explanation for this confusion: “As members of families that are generally identified as white,” writes Kim Park Nelson, “Korean adoptees are often assimilated into the family as white and subsequently assimilated into racial and cultural identities of whiteness.”

Being raised in an ethnically-diverse area with access to culturally-aware individuals would help keep external reactions in check, but still belies the race-based role you’re expected to play in public. Twila L. Perry relates an anecdote illustrating the complexities of being black but raised in a white family:

“A young man in his personal statement identified himself as having been adopted and reared by white parents, with white siblings and mostly all white friends. He described himself as a Black man in a white middle-class world, reared in it and by it, yet not truly a part of it. His skin told those whom he encountered that he was Black at first glance, before his personality-shaped by his upbringing and experiences-came into play.”

Positive racial identity formation might be transracial adoption’s greatest challenge since much of the dialogue related to race and color begins at home. Multiracial and interracial families sometimes have difficulties finding the language to discuss this problem, so it’s an uphill climb for transracial parents (Same Family, Different Colors is a great study on this).

Parents can begin by talking openly about their child’s race. Acknowledging differences is not racist, nor does it draw negative attention to your child’s unique status in your family. Instead, being honest about it places your child on the path to self-acceptance.

2. Forced Cultural Appreciation (à la “Culture Camps”)

Picture culture camp like band camp (no, not quite the band camp talked about in American Pie). The big difference is that, unlike band camp, culture camp expects you to learn heritage appreciation in the span of just one week instead of how to better tune your trumpet. Sometimes adoption agencies sponsor such programs, designed to immerse an adoptee in an intense week or two of things like ethnic food, adoptee bonding, and talks with real people of your race, as opposed to you, the poseur.

These camps often get the side-eye — and rightfully so. Critics argue that “fostering cultural awareness or ethnic pride does not teach a child how to deal with episodes of racial bias.”

Much like part-time church-going does little in the way of earning your way to the Pearly Gates, once-yearly visits with people that look like you won’t make you a real whatever-you-are. I know culture camps aren’t going away, so a better solution would be using these events as supplements to whatever you’re doing at home with your child, not as the sole source of heritage awareness. And yes, racial self-appreciation should be a lifelong project.

3. Mistaken Identities -aka — “I’m Not the Hired Help”

Transracial adoptees’ obvious racial differences provoke brazen inquiries regarding interfamilial relationships. Having “How much did she cost?” and “Is she really your daughter?” asked over your head while being mistaken for your brother’s girlfriend does not contribute to positive self-image. It publically questions your place in the only family you’ve ever known, setting the stage for insecure attachments and self-doubt.

Mistaken identities aren’t just awkward, they’re insulting. Sara Docan-Morganinterviewed several Korean adoptees regarding what she describes as “intrusive interactions,” and found that “participants reported being mistaken for foreign exchange students, refugees, newly arrived Korean immigrants, and housecleaners. [One adoptee] recalled going to a Christmas party where someone approached her and said, ‘Welcome to America!’”

Obvious racism aside, transracial adoptees often find themselves having to validate their existence, which is something biological children are unlikely to face. Docan-Morgan suggests that parents’ responses to such interactions can either reinforce family bonds or weaken them, so expecting the public’s scrutiny and preparing for it should be a crucial piece in transracial adoptive parent education.

4. Well-Meaning, Yet Unprepared Parents

Sure, they’ll be issued a handy guide (here’s one from the 1980s) on raising a non-white you, but beyond a few educational activities and get-togethers with other transracial families, they’re on their own (unless online forums count as legitimate resources).

Some parents may good-heartedly acknowledge your heritage by providing dolls and books and eating your culture’s food. Others may mistakenly adopt a colorblind attitude, believing they don’t see color; they just see people. But, as Gina Miranda Samuels says, “Having a certain heritage, being given books or dolls that reflect that heritage, or even using a particular racial label to self-identify are alone insufficient for developing a social identity.”

Regarding colorblindness, Samuels explains that it risks “shaming children by signaling that there is something very visible and unchangeable about them (their skin, hair, bodies) that others (including their own parents) must overlook and ignore in order for the child to be accepted, belong, or considered as equal.”

As mentioned in point #1 above, talking about color while acknowledging your child’s race in a genuine, proactive way can counteract these problems. This means white parents must acknowledge their inability to provide the necessary skills for surviving in a racialized world; sure, it might mean admitting a parenting limitation, but working through it together might help your child feel empowered instead of isolated. Talking to transracial adoptees — not just those with rosy perspectives — will be an invaluable investment for your child.

I’d also suggest that white parents admit their privilege. White privilege in transracial adoption is beautifully covered by Marika Lindholm, herself a mother of transracially adopted children. Listening to these stories, despite their rawness, will help you become a better parent. By acknowledging that you may take for granted that being part of a societal majority can come with dominant-culture benefits, you open your mind to the fact that your transracial child may not experience life in the same way as you. It doesn’t mean you love your adopted child any less — but as a parent, you owe it to your child to prepare yourself.

5. Supply and Demand

During the early decades of transracial adoption (1940–1980), racial tensions in the United States were so high that few people considered adopting black babies. People clamored for white babies, leaving many healthy black children aging in the system. (Sadly, this still happens today.) And since adoption criteria limited potential parents to affluent white Christians, blacks encountered near insurmountable adoption roadblocks.

Korea offered an easy solution. “Compared to the controversy over adopting black and Native American children,” says Arissa H. Oh, author of To Save the Children of Korea, “Korean children appeared free of cultural and political baggage…Korean children were also seen as free in another important sense: abandoned or relinquished by faraway birth parents who would not return for their child.”

After the Korean War, adopting Korean babies became a form of parental patriotism — kind of like a bastardized version of rebuilding from within. During this time, intercountry adoption fulfilled a political need as well as a familial one. Eleana H. Kim makes this connection as well: “Christian Americanism, anti-Communism, and adoption were closely tied in the 1950s, a period that witnessed a proliferation of the word “adoption” in appeals for sponsorship and long-distance fostering of Korean waifs and orphans.”

Although we’ve seen marked declines in South Korean adoptions, intercountry and transracial adoptions continue today, retaining some of their politically-motivated roots and humanitarian efforts. We need to keep this history in mind since knee-jerk emotional adoptions — despite the time it takes to process them — have serious repercussions for the children involved.

But we can make it better

None of this implies that transracial adoption is evil. Not at all. Consider this missive as more of a PSA for those considering adoption and a support piece for those who are transracially adopted. I’m aware that I’ll receive a lot of pushback on my work, and that’s okay. I’m writing from the perspective of what I call the “original transracial adoption boom,” and I consider myself part of one the earliest generations of transracial adoptees. Advancements in the field, many spurred by adoptees like myself, have contributed to many positive changes. However, we still have work to do if we’re going to fix an imperfect system based on emotional needs and oftentimes, one-sided decision making.

(source in the notes)

[newcolorworld]

What Are Some Adoption Resources And Records--

ADOPTION AGENCIES

A significant benefit of working with an adoption service will be they are doing everyone the"hunting" for you personally. They'll perform the job of obtaining and fitting an individual for your requirements personally, dependent on criteria that are specified. Support selections will also be typically accessible by means of adoption bureaus, notably ones. These providers include counseling, warnings, and also pre-and - post-adoption instruction. The drawback to everyone this will be, of course, price tag. It's projected an adoption may charge from $5,000 to 40,000.

Still another component to think about isn't any particular attention that you want the service to choose. Many bureaus, as an instance, concentrate exclusively on setting bi racial kiddies, but some focus exclusively on kids who have special demands. Make certain to enquire about such an emphasis before picking a company.

That stated, enquire about expenses upfront. There might be described as a sliding scale, also there are tools which you can get defray the expenses of this adoption procedure.

Of course, before you may start doing most with this, you ought to find a service within your region. Adoption.com asserts an online directory of adoption bureaus to the Other Side of the U.S., in addition to Canada and the Uk. The following you may navigate the sitemap map, or research by condition, type and service name. There is, in addition, the choice of choosing a nation to embrace globally. The listing is currently accessible online at http://directory.adoption.com.

When wanting to embrace, you confront the determination of whether or not to employ a company. This isn't an easy choice, because bureaus deliver many service solutions to alleviate the course of action, however, they are also able to be high priced. As well as, it increases a lot more issues: Where do I locate a service? How can I know whether the bureau is dependable? Can I select a private or public service? This report intends to remedy a number of those inquiries, or aide in locating the replies.

To begin with, you can find two sorts of adoption bureaus -- both private and public. A general service will be conducted by our government (possibly regional or state ) and encouraged by people's currencies. These bureaus generally help in the adoption of foster care in childhood. Personal adoptions bureaus, on the opposite hand, would be conducted with a personal thing. They're accredited by their country in that they run but are financed privately. These bureaus can facilitate every kind of adoption.

That, of course, only replies to some of the plethora questions which folks deal with when determining to embrace. Potential adoptive parents have been invited to complete the maximum amount of exploration and have because many concerns as you possibly can before start the adoption procedure. This is described as a medium of tape, in the end, it's well worth the battle, and also knowing exactly the length of the wrestle ahead could make it much simpler.

Adoption prices cash, but there is little doubt concerning this. However, after commencing the adoption procedure, you can strike specified costs that will grow a warning flag. For example, watch out for any bureau that necessitates the cost of penalties instantly after software. There'll ordinarily be considered a little fee at the start, however, proceed with care. Usually, do not cope at any service which feels has been noted to be more disreputable.

ADOPTION RECORDS

You ought to, of course, find advice around the family inside the adoption data. As soon as a family group was chosen to get a young child they really do an eye to your spouse and children to make certain the house is going to soon be appropriate for that baby being embraced. The info they accumulate is somewhat easy. Once they perform your home study to your family they comprise such matters being a legal background test, plus in addition, they consult using the neighborhood child abuse registry. They are going to even have the adoptive parents' bodily wellness, psychological maturity, finances, plus loved ones and societal heritage.

Prerequisites for collecting advice for adoption data are somewhat very different in each and every state. Advice regarding the little one being embraced or your spouse and children putting up the child for adoption in place with the adoption service or even the neighborhood Division of Social Companies. A housing study is made to gatherer facts regarding the family members and also the mother and father of their kid being set up for adoption.

As soon as the paperwork to your adoption documents is ultimate and also the estimate has signed up it, according to what sort of adoption they've completed the adoption report is closed and entirely confidential or will be abandoned available to everybody to watch. In case the adoption listing is closed it appears remains this manner prior to the adopted child will come naturally.

The adoption recordings also have advice regarding the birth parents and also the arrival of their little one being set up for adoption. The info has been accumulated within a residence investigation too plus it has details like the clinical and medical record of their household, both the family members and social history, and also a mental wellness heritage of their household, also a spiritual history, along with the degree of training accomplished from the moms and dads. Some countries require additionally the physiological look, hobbies, gifts, and discipline of job, plus a list of some medications that the arrival mommy took throughout her pregnancy with the little one. You'll find some countries that should accessible, may even offer the adoptive mother and father with all the titles, addresses and also every identifying details regarding the birth. All these nations include Colorado, New York, and Western Samoa.

Montana generally seems to function as the toughest nation to embrace out of, they request Employment heritage, the background of medication and alcohol misuse, racial-cultural heritage, plus a heritage of violence. Montana is not the sole condition that requests for them, they're the just person who inquires for several them.

Info gathered the kid currently being embraced for its adoption information are ostensibly the exact same in the majority of states, it comprises: clinical and medical heritage, family member and societal track record, emotional wellness record, spiritual qualifications, cultural and socioeconomic heritage, and instruction degree realized. There are a number of countries that want extra info such as for example dental heritage, immunization documents and developmental heritage, and also of course faculty documents. Some adoption documents additionally carry advice about whether the little one being set up for adoption is still qualified to receive practically any condition of national adoption help.

RESOURCES FOR ADOPTED INDIVIDUALS

It's been shown that mature previous adoptees go through with many of issues, for example, conflicts with individuality, very low self-esteem, along with emotions of jealousy. These inherent issues may possibly result in help fights such as booze abuse and marital issues and melancholy. Many mature adoptees can additionally find advice in their very own genetic histories, so investing years seeking to discover dinosaurs, mothers, and fathers or every further biological relative. The upshot of those problems is they truly are not anything brand new. They've been really so usually struck they are understood concerning and also there exist mechanics that greatly help they deal.

Adoption can be really a life-changing affair for everybody concerned, by the arrival parents that make the courageous choice to provide up their child, into the adoptive mothers and fathers that make the equally courageous choice to cheer this child because their very own. Yet 1 set that might go overlooked is the embraced kids. There really are a lot of topics that may arise for both all these men and women.

In the event the youngster was adopted at quite a young age, they might perhaps not even understand that they certainly were embraced prior to adolescence, and on occasion maybe after. A potential battle in identity can lead since these kiddies have put in much time at an individuality that they may possibly perceive without more be legal. Kids that were embraced late in life to become mindful of this procedure can get their very own dilemmas, too, most likely asking yourself their parents did not maintain them with problems accepting their adoptive parent's mom and dad as valid. Kiddies embraced by parents instead of a cultural, racial, or ethnic category aside from their often confront an exceptional battle since they make an effort to get back together both identities.

Personal counseling is an alternative. Some therapists and advisers concentrate on mature adoptees. Several of those aces are mature adoptees by themselves. The curative intervention may take care of quite a few characteristics of both their adult adoptee encounter. Therapy might assist the patient inside their social connections, aid them cure against blatant emotions of jealousy, and also help in the quest for birthparents (which is a cathartic remedy by itself ). This form of counseling might be high priced, however, a few advisers provide set periods, which may possibly unite a number of the benefits of service classes and specific counseling.

For your embraced man, adoption can be a lifelong adventure. It can not conclude if the adoption is completed, nor at the beginning of maturity. This is something which adoptees continue in their own lives so that consequently it has to be dealt with and addressed. Luckily, you will find tools for all these men and women. For individuals fighting with problems such as those described previously, a great starting point is www.adopting.org, an internet site with tools targeted to most men and women touched by adoption, for example, mature adoptees.

One particular alternative is always to discover a service team. The mere act of linking having a set of those that experienced similar life adventures and coped with very similar problems might be useful within itself. The cliché is the fact that misery loves company, also within this situation it really is authentic. Seeing others will be moving right through the exact matters is reassuring. Support classes offer a forum at which previous adoptees could share their adventures and acknowledge their issues. National aid classes like ALMA as well as the Adoption Congress are very good funds for adult adoptees.

[shachaai]

[Fic] Whistle Past the Graveyard 2/?

EngPort modern day werewolf/vampire AU.

Part 1

Chapter summary: Everyone suffers the fallout from a magical exploding corpse.

Warnings for this chapter: SFW, but mentions of blood, and set in a hospital environment with appropriate machines and medicines. Injuries, though they’re all bandaged up, and one instance of deliberate aggravation of another’s injury. Contemplations of mortality and semi-immortality.

Gabriel is Portugal, and Rodrigo is Macau.

Terminology and Fact File: Witch: a human with any kind of magical power. Unless aided or otherwise affected by magic, a witch will live an average human life in respects to their health and longevity, with the same potential for abilities, disease and disability as a human without magical powers. Witches who use malevolent magic tend to suffer from issues relating to their health and lifespan, as do witches who consistently overuse their powers, as, when the magic runs dry, many witches are able to draw at their own vitality instead. There are a few cases of witches dying from magical overuse because of this. Magical powers tend to run in human bloodlines, and powers can survive death, inhabiting the vestiges of a witch’s corpse and, occasionally, their spirit: for this reason, many witches prefer to be cremated after death, to avoid their corpses becoming susceptible to necromancy and being brought back as a zombie, ghoul, or ghost. No witch’s powers have, as yet, survived transformation into another living being - i.e, becoming a vampire or werewolf. Pack witch: technically speaking, this refers to any witch attached to a werewolf pack. The term is, however, predominantly used by werewolves to refer to the principle witch of a pack: the ‘head’ witch that is consulted by the alpha/alpha pair of the pack for advice and assistance. In - the not uncommon - cases where there is more than one witch attached to a pack, it is not always the most powerful witch that is considered the pack witch.

   Arthur wakes feeling a little cold and vaguely annoyed. The cold is fairly self-explanatory, since when he slowly blinks his eyes open he can see - and feel - that his arms and upper body are bare, the hairs prickling in a long shiver across his skin, but his thoughts are sleepy, muddled, and it takes some time for him to slowly parse through them to realise why he feels so disgruntled.

Something nearby is beeping at him.

Arthur squints blearily, trying to work out what could be beeping so rhythmically at him when he has half his face buried in a pillow and can’t see much more than a grey plastic chair, bedside cabinet and wall in front of him. It doesn’t sound like his alarm clock - he hasn’t used an alarm clock since he left his brother’s house anyway -, but its strident repetitive tones are definitely something mechanical, cutting through his skull and nagging a sore point in his belly with a clock’s persistent precision. Gabriel can’t have gotten an alarm clock either (if he has, Arthur is going to throw it at his thick head); Gabriel hates waking up more than Arthur does.

But then - Arthur isn’t in his bedroom. Not the one he shares with Gabriel, and not even his old childhood bedroom in the Kirkland home. Even if he had somehow managed to sleep through someone sneaking into his room and replacing all the furniture whilst he was out, the room is too bright for either, white, sharpness that swims in fragments between the protective shutter of Arthur’s eyelashes, and the room smells…

Well. The room smells familiar enough Arthur’s hackles don’t rise by instinct, but it’s not familiar enough to be comfortable. The floor smells of lemon-scented bleach. Everything else - including the mattress under Arthur’s body and the pillow under Arthur’s cheek - smells clinical.

He’s in a hospital then. Or, much more likely, in one of the little private medical rooms kept in the basement of Gabriel’s home, because the faint scent Arthur is getting in the air, over all the bleach and sterilisation, is that of vampires, and vampires he knows quite well at that. (Even vampires occasionally require medical attention. Even if it’s just to grab some pain relief until their wounds fade and a missing limb grows back.) Since the medical stores and private wards are just along from the house’s morgue, it would explain why Arthur feels so damn cold as well.

“Good morning,” says a voice. The vampire smell is stronger.

Arthur knows that voice. Frustratingly, he can’t immediately put a name or face to it, though he knows he knows both; the thoughts keep slipping away from his grasp, too quick for his still-sluggish thinking.

“Something is beeping,” he growls thickly as a response, squinting again in search of his companion, and is somewhat horrified because his voice is more gravelly cracks than actual words.

“Your heart monitor,” says the voice, calm as you’d please, and obliges Arthur by walking into his line of vision, a skinny creature made up of nothing but grey jeans and a black turtleneck until he sits down on the even greyer plastic chair. “Please don’t try to move; you will aggravate your injuries.”

Arthur hadn’t even realised he was trying to lift his face and upper body from the bed. His back stings, a needling heat that doesn’t warm him sliding down his spine between his shoulderblades. “...Rodrigo?”

Rodrigo, still calm, motions for Arthur to lie still again. Can’t stop the heart monitor from beeping, no; it’d mean Arthur’s dead.

Arthur lies stills, allowing his body to settle back into the unfamiliar plasticy-sounding mattress underneath it again. His face, however, is not so buried in the pillow. He can see the vampire sitting beside his bed much better now - although, admittedly, he is both reassured and rather unhappy about Rodrigo even being there, because Rodrigo’s presence means that Arthur’s injuries are likely serious.

Despite being one of the oldest vampires in Gabriel’s House, Turned as a child by Gabriel sometime in the late sixteenth century, Rodrigo barely looks like he’s twenty. Arthur has heard the vampire’s brothers and sisters try and tease him for it before, but the words roll off of Rodrigo like water off a duck’s back. The Chinese part of Rodrigo’s mixed heritage has left him smooth black hair, a slender frame and a now eternally youthful face, his smile a secret thing behind the long sleeves he prefers to wear and his slanted eyes a rich, tawny shade of brown behind the tinted lenses of his glasses.

A few of the House call him Rui. Even more, teasingly, call him doctor, because Rodrigo is one of the only vampires in the House with any serious medical knowledge: he had wanted, Gabriel had explained once, when Arthur had asked why Rodrigo knew how to patch Feliciano up after an incident involving a knife in the kitchen, to go to school. And then to university. And then on to further medical studies. Had argued for it more passionately than Gabriel had seen his Rui argue for almost anything in five centuries, and what real reason had Gabriel had to try and stop him? It was - and very much still is - useful to have someone with medical training around, and Rodrigo had stopped having serious problems with walking around in the daylight by his second century, quite able to attend his classes.

Arthur’s back stings very badly, and something is throbbing dully in his stomach. His head hurts - and yet all of it still feels very distant to him, his brain registering all the pain but not quite allowing it to sink into his body, something thick and pillowy between hurt and consequence.

...His sister, Caitlyn, had described a similar feeling once. When she’d been in hospital, after being hit by a car in her wolf form. Running in the woods. There’d been bodily trauma even when she’d shifted back to her human skin (saying nothing of the state of the state of the car), blood on the road and rusting in her auburn hair, so in the hospital they’d given her their heavy-duty drugs. For the pain.

“...You’ve given me opiates,” Arthur surmises, his voice still aching. It’s why his thoughts are so hard to put in order, to keep hold of. Why the pain is there but not quite there, a splintered glass wall between the two places, and why he’s being so distracted by the little things like brightness and chairs and Rodrigo. There’s something -

“Yes, among other things. If you had lost any more blood than you did we might have had to consider a transfusion, but I think, with your werewolf healing abilities, we should be fine with just fluids and medication.” Rodrigo offers Arthur a glass from the bedside cabinet, half-full with clear liquid and a purple straw. Lowers it, so the straw butts up against Arthur’s mouth. “I had to call your brother for access to your medical records.”

“‘Brother,’” says Arthur, garbled around the straw. He closes his eyes again, trying to focus on anything but beeping . The liquid - water - in the glass is lukewarm, but a wet relief to his rasping throat. “Iain?”

Rodrigo’s brow creases in something vaguely like sympathy. “The alpha.”

“Should’ve spoken to my sister-in-law if you wanted to get yelled at by an alpha,” Arthur slurs, and pushes the straw back out of his mouth with his tongue. That’s enough water for now; there’s something he’s supposed to be thinking about. “Says more with pursed lips than Iain does lecturing for an hour.”

Rodrigo laughs - almost -, a little sound in the back of his throat. Arthur smiles drowsily, pleased to get a reaction out of him. “I’m afraid to say that I handed the phone to Antonio as soon as I could, so I may have missed the full experience for either. Patients take priority.”

Patients…

Arthur’s eyes snap open and his back stiffens, sharp and sudden enough a jolt of pain lances straight to his head. “Gabriel -”

The rotting body on the lawn. Gabriel crouched beside him, idiotic and unknowing. The old magic, the raw magic, that smell, and then the explosion -

Rodrigo has his hand on Arthur’s arm, back, trying to push him down as Arthur tries to struggle up from the bed. It hurts, it hurts a lot - Arthur pushes back instinctively, feels hurt shriek through his chest and abdomen and sing sharply in his bones to the tune of wild, frantic beeping, something tugging at the hand he’d been turned away from, his legs tangled in starched sheets. His back and arm and shoulders and hips are on fire, but Gabriel -

Gabriel isn’t there; the spell had been meant for Gabriel and Arthur hadn’t -

“The lord is fine!” Rodrigo has his voice raised, struggling to try and cover Arthur with his body to push down because Arthur is taking every spare bit of air he can see as an opportunity to try and escape the bed, the tugging on his hands and tangle around his legs, to escape Rodrigo because he can beat the vampire in a fight, possibly, if necessary, and it’s very necessary to Arthur to find Gabriel right now and check the idiotic vampire lord isn’t slowly bleeding out alone somewhere because a malicious spell probably sent by the ghosts of vengeful fashion police tried to blast his fat fanged head off. “Arthur, I swear to you that he’s fine!”

“Alive?” Arthur demands.

“Alive!” Rodrigo answers. “You took most of the injuries for him -”

“Uninjured?”

Rodrigo’s mouth closes.

Arthur begins struggling again. His hand - he has a thing on his thumb attached to the annoying beeping machine and a cannula in the back of his hand, connected by a tube to a half-full drip-bag and infusion pump. It’s why moving his hand is so awkward, the infusion pump joining the heart monitor in beeping angrily at him for disturbing the flow of liquids entering his bloodstream by daring to bend his wrist.

“The injuries aren’t serious,” says Rodrigo, and sounds perhaps the most desperate Arthur has ever heard him. “Yours are much worse - please lay down calmly? If you injure yourself further trying to get up it’s me he’ll get angry with.”

Arthur looks at the vampire dubiously, compromising by stilling somewhere on his hands and knees and pretending that his arms aren’t shaking trying to hold his strangely heavy upper body weight. (Drugs.) “I have never seen him angry with you.”

The statement is a distraction. Something very small and lost and childishly petulant is crying close to a whine in Arthur’s throat: if Gabriel is relatively uninjured, why is he not there?

“With all due respect, you did not see my childhood.” With Arthur a little calmer, woeful around the edges, Rodrigo takes a chance to take his hand from Arthur’s shoulder and push up his glasses where they are sliding helplessly down his nose. “You really need to move as little as possible, or you may end up doing permanent damage to your back. I’m not too sure how injuries match up when you change between humanoid and wolf form, but if the tissue on your back doesn’t heal correctly, you may have problems running as a wolf. And definite stiffness as a human.”

On all fours, Arthur can feel exactly what Rodrigo means. The skin between his shoulderblades is pulling tight and angry against the movement of his arms, a deep, hot throbbing that burns and spreads through his ribcage, joining the sharp ache already emanating from his belly. “Get Gabriel and I’ll lie down.”

“Lay down and promise to stay down while I am gone,” Rodrigo counters, “and I will go get him.”

“Now?” Arthur asks. There are tears prickling at the corner of his eyes and he isn’t sure why.

“Now,” Rodrigo promises him.

Arthur lays down, trying not to sigh too obviously when his head touches the pillow again and some of the tension eases from his body. Even more of it leaves him when he sees Rodrigo leave the room on his errand, comforted at the thought of being able to check Gabriel’s injuries for himself. For a werewolf, seeing - and smelling - is really believing.

Even with the pain and beeping, Arthur dozes. He isn’t sure for how long, or even the precise point he drifts off, but he goes from hazy, nervy formless dreams to suddenly blinking awake again, the seat beside his bed once more occupied.

Gabriel smiles at him, small and soft and clearly tired, but still sincere enough that it crinkles the skin around the corner of his eyes. “Good afternoon.”

Stupidly, silently, Arthur stares back at him. At Gabriel’s hand atop his hand on the bed, his gaze slowly following the line of the vampire lord’s arm up to the strange white choker wrapped around Gabriel’s neck. It’s a lot thicker and uglier than Arthur’s collar, and Arthur dislikes it immediately.

Even more so when it eventually clicks that he’s looking at bandages around his lover’s neck, not a choker, and there are even more bandages around Gabriel’s other arm - something Gabriel is probably trying to hide from him, since he shifts his wrapped arm away from Arthur’s sight when he leans in closer to the bed, moving his touch from Arthur’s hand to tenderly cup his cheek instead.

“Rodrigo said you were upset.”

Arthur will give Gabriel upset. When he breathes in, lips pulling back from his teeth in an irritated warning, he can smell Gabriel, Gabriel and, he realises rather dully, another familiar vampire, Antonio, who must be hovering elsewhere in the little room, and Gabriel smells of his own blood and medicines that burn the air rather than his usual more mellow musk. Both vampires smell of bitter anger and sour fear-sweat, and Antonio in particular still carries the stink of malevolent magic on his clothes, as well as the rotten flesh of the corpse that has caused them so much trouble.

“Why are you still injured?” Arthur’s voice is still rough, but he forces it out anyway. Doesn’t bother to look for Antonio, though he can hear the vampire shifting his weight from foot to foot on the squeaky floor. “Your healing rate is much faster than mine.”

Caught, Gabriel winces, and the pads of his fingers rasp over Arthur’s cheek, catching on rough skin and dried wetness from the corners of Arthur’s eyes. Francis’ sodding lilies might inconvenience Arthur’s werewolf nose, but not opiates. “Ah, it seems the projectiles stuffed inside the body were chosen for maximum effect against vampires. Hawthorn and wild rose spikes, and they and the metal were coated in bad blood. With such a little dose though, it just makes for slow healing, annoyingly.”

Annoyingly. Arthur’s lips pull back further, a soundless snarl. “It could’ve killed you!”

Antonio makes a low, bitter sound at that - Arthur chooses to take it as angry agreement -, but Gabriel speaks over them both, his gaze still focused fierce and close on Arthur despite the teeth. “It did not, because of you. I-”

Something closes hard in Gabriel’s throat. Arthur watches it stonily, hurt and angry, a weighty swallow that moves Gabriel’s Adam’s apple in a bob and still sits thickly on Gabriel’s tongue when he can prise out words once more:

“Arthur, don’t ever do that again - it could have killed you. What if there had been silver in the blast? Wolfsbane?” Gabriel has to feel the almost-vibration of Arthur’s snarl at him, the rising indignation at the vampire lord’s hypocrisy. “You’re so badly hurt and it was clearly not even meant to hurt you - if there had been something in there specifically aimed at werewolves you’d be dead. You’re mortal, and I-”

The sour fear-sweat smell is stronger now, Gabriel’s, and the bubbling pit of confusion that is Arthur’s emotions at that moment cannot take the addition on top of everything else, cannot take these feelings from Gabriel on top of everything else -

“You’re mortal,” Gabriel says again, and it’s like he’s already standing over Arthur’s grave.

Arthur cracks and shoves Gabriel’s hand off of him, pushing himself up off of the mattress again in a less-than-sinuous twist of limbs and tubing. “You think you’re so much more invincible than I am?!”

“That is not - ”

“If you think for one bloody minute -”

“Please, lie down -”

“Then listen to me!” Arthur snaps, and, pain or not, pushes at the hands Gabriel is trying to settle on his shoulders to get him to lie flat on the bed again. The sight of the white bandages wrapped around the vampire’s hand and forearm just makes Arthur more annoyed. “I might just be some lowly mortal werewolf -”

“Arthur, that is not -”

Arthur grabs at Gabriel’s wrist - the injured one, his thumb pressing hard against bone and the beat of Gabriel’s pulse beneath the bandages. It must hurt, for Gabriel rears back instinctively and almost drags Arthur straight off the bed and onto his own lap, his words dying in a pained hiss and flash of his own fangs. “I’m still talking.”

Silence falls then, save the beeping: silence enough for Arthur to try and untangle his own limbs and not faceplant straight into Gabriel’s chest, for Gabriel’s mouth to snap closed as his lips thin - and for Arthur to remember Antonio is still in the room, his steps slightly too-casual as he approaches from the other side of the room to finally walk into Arthur’s view, taking up a solid unimpressed position behind his brother. He still reeks, overpowering the lemon bleach smell of the room.

Carefully, but currently without regret, Arthur releases his grip on Gabriel’s wrist. Sitting like this makes his chest hurt in such a way it’s hard to draw a full breath into his lungs. “Even I,” he says a lot more quietly, subdued by the atmosphere as well as the pain streaking down his back, “know that vampiric immortality comes with rules attached. Vampires die when they are killed, when they are too seriously injured all at once to repair themselves, and they stay dead.”

Arthur curls in on himself a little, instinctively trying to ease the tight pressure across his back, the hot ache throbbing in his middle. To his own vague dismay, the hand he’d laid on Gabriel has now risen to splay itself rather protectively around the base of his own throat, which is currently missing the reassuring weight of his collar. It’s not a submissive gesture among werewolves - or vampires -, nor a penitent one, but too obviously defensive for Arthur’s comfort. If the collar were there… Well, it’d still be bad if the collar were there.

Arthur has no idea where his collar is.

“I smelled it, you know?” he says. “The… spell-bomb. Magic. Hex. For just a moment. It smelled just a little bit like you, and I’ve known witches long enough to know that that meant it was most likely a spell focused on you.” His gaze flicks up rather aggressively at the two vampires in front of him again, not prepared to take another bout of hypocrisy. “I don’t regret what I did.”

Antonio, his face still far more serious than Arthur is used to seeing it, just nods at him. He and Arthur now get along much better than they used to: Antonio has stopped both protesting Arthur’s presence in his brother’s life, House and bed, and complaining about a werewolf’s influence over the ‘young impressionable vampires’ in the House, and Arthur has stopped deliberately shedding wolf fur all over Antonio’s belongings and/or burying them in hard-to-reach places in the garden. Their relationship now is one of fairly friendly, mostly grumbling, exasperated fondness - and unspoken, absolute agreement that they’d throw the other one under the proverbial bus if it meant putting Gabriel’s life first. Arthur has done nothing that he knows Antonio wouldn’t have done, and the both of them know it.

Gabriel has missed that memo. He reaches out for Arthur again, touch-starved by increments, and settles his palm wide and warm over the muscle of Arthur’s thigh. “Please don’t do it again.”

“Don’t make me have to,” Arthur says, but lets the last of the fight drain out of him. He feels tired. Heavy. He should probably lie down again. “...What did you do to piss off a witch?”

Soothingly, Gabriel rubs at his leg. “Nothing, to my knowledge.” Both Arthur and Antonio give him disbelieving looks and Gabriel has the gall to look (emotionally) wounded. “I mean it! Arthur, when you say the spell smelled like me…”

“Just a bit.” Arthur’s shoulders sink a little bit more, and he casts his gaze around to see if Rodrigo has left him any water. He’d never need to explain this to werewolves. “Mostly magic smells like its age and power and intent, and each witch has a particular scent to their magic that is pretty unique to them and them alone. The bit of you in it smelled like blood.”

“Blood,” says Gabriel, with the strangest tone Arthur has ever heard him use on that word.

“Your blood?” Arthur clarifies, a little lost at the need to explain blood to a vampire. “Blood can be used as a spell component, quite often to focus a spell on a particular target. Blood magic is vicious. Mostly used for curses, I think.” An exploding corpse probably counts as a curse, not that Arthur has had much experience with either before this instance.

Lip curled and sharp fangs displayed, Antonio’s displeasure is showing. “No-one should have access to his blood, let alone a witch.”

Distracted by that information, Arthur stops looking for water and focuses on the vampires with him, Gabriel tipping his head back over his seat to look at his brother. “Toniho -”

“No, hermano,” Antonio cuts him short, “things need to be asked.” Antonio frowns at Arthur, for once every inch the authoritative second-in-command of the House that he rarely seems to be. “How would a witch get his blood? How much blood would be needed for that blast?”

Arthur blinks at him. “You’re asking me?”

“It’s werewolves that witches like, not vampires.”

Arthur stares incredulously. “...You’re blaming me?!”

Antonio’s arms unfold, a restless movement and too-quick movements of his fingers. “We have a few witches living in our territory, but there have been no real incidents with any of them in years. Nothing big enough for attempted murder of a vampire lord. But you -”

“What about me?” Arthur had thought he was done with being angry, but. Apparently not. It’s exhausting, and his voice is close to cracking again, rough from too much talking. And yelling. “You don’t think your stupid brother is capable of making people want to kill him without my help?!”

Gabriel pouts. “Oi -”

Arthur ignores him, lifting his hand from his throat so he can slam his palms down aggressively on the bed. “I had nothing to do with this. Fuck you.”

Gabriel tries to take his hand again. This time, Arthur lets him, though he is not at all mollified by the thumb sweeping gently across the backs of his knuckles. “Antonio was not blaming you, lobinho. His choice of words was so poor because he is worried; you know how he is. Usually we know why someone is mad at us.”

Arthur shifts and bares his teeth at him again half-heartedly, more as a show of grumbling than actual aggression. Arthur is owed so much pampering after this, not to mention the dinner that Gabriel had promised him out on the lawn. And he’s going to bury Antonio’s pillows in the compost beside the vegetable patch.

Gabriel just keeps stroking his hand, being unreasonably reasonable. “As a werewolf, you do have better knowledge of witches than us; it’s well-known they often attach themselves to werewolf packs.”

“I know a few,” Arthur concedes, “yes.” He likes witches. For the most part, witches make useful friends, and are wonderful casual company. One of his old girlfriends had been a witch, and her magic had come in useful when Arthur had gone through what his siblings had called ‘his phase’ and dyed his hair several particularly violent shades of the rainbow.

God, defending a few witches had been what had brought Arthur to Gabriel’s attention in the first place - that, handing one of Gabriel’s vampires their arse in a fight, and the good solid kick he’d gotten in to the vampire lord’s balls right before Gabriel had threatened, flirted with and then subsequently flattened him.

“There was a stone,” says Antonio, abruptly enough Arthur wearily bristles at him. “We picked it up from amidst the wreckage on the lawn.” Which might explain why Antonio still smells like bad magic and rotting flesh, lovely. Had he been poking around whatever bits must be left scattered on their lawn? “It looks like something a witch would make. It has markings on it, and it is stained with blood.”

“This idiot’s?” asks Arthur, head tipped ever more sleepily towards Gabriel (who just makes a face back at him). It would be more helpful if Antonio would actually bring out this stone for Arthur to look at, but Antonio does not appear to be forthcoming. Irritably, Antonio shrugs back at him - everything today has, for obvious reasons, put him in a terrible mood. “Probably this idiot’s.”

On any other day, Arthur would be charmed by how quickly Gabriel adapts to being consistently called an idiot. Today, focusing on the vampire lord’s words are a hard enough task.

“We will need to talk to someone discreet. Can you recommend anyone?”

Arthur gives in to the inevitable, and starts shifting again so he can lie down, noisy plastic mattress under the bedsheets or not. Let the tributaries come to Rome, not Rome to the tributaries. Or something. There’s a quote like that, isn’t there? “...You want a fairly powerful witch with good connections for this. And definitely not one associated with any particular community?”

Gabriel helpfully lifts the tubing so it didn’t get tangled around Arthur’s arm, death-glaring the infusion pump when it lets out a single angry beep at being jostled. Arthur loves this idiot. “I think you can appreciate why it might be in our best interests to avoid telling everyone that a vampire lord was attacked in his own home.”

“Technically,” says Antonio, ever helpful, “it was in his own garden.”

Arthur ignores him just as much as Gabriel does, the vampire lord of debate still shuffling around with the tubing as Arthur tries to get comfortable without pulling at the cannula in his hand. “If you don’t want to go to the Kirkland pack witch, I know three witch siblings that could help. They’re very good, but they do charge to match their skills.”

“Money is not an issue.” Gabriel speaks with all the assurance of one who has built up interest on their investments over centuries. Arthur hates him for it, just a little bit. Werewolves are expected to get careers. “Their address?”

Tired, Arthur shakes his head - although the effect is ruined by his face-down position, ending up doing little more than nuzzle into his medicinal-smelling pillow. “That won’t work. They hate vampires, and they live in werewolf territory. I’d have to introduce and vouch for you.”

Gabriel finishes fiddling with the tubing at last, easing some of the pinch in Arthur’s veins. “You are not allowed to leave this bed for at least a week.”

“Then you’ll have to wait. Or consider another witch.”

Two vampires sigh overhead, but Arthur is zoning out too much to care about it. He’s annoyed, yes, truly, but nobody he gives a shit about is currently in immediate danger and he hurts, so he feels fully entitled to drift off.

“...Tell me,” says Gabriel at last, taking up his seat at Arthur’s bedside again. “In your opinion, are these witch siblings worth waiting for for this?”

“...They’re the best I know,” says Arthur, which is the truth. The Kirkland pack has some good connections, and it isn’t considered shameless for any member - or former member, provided they had not been expelled from the pack in disgrace - of the pack to draw on them at will. That is what pack is about. “And they’re old friends,” loosely speaking in the case of one of the siblings, but that’s just splitting hairs, “so I can swear to you that they’ll keep this business a secret.”

Antonio and Gabriel speak so more, quietly, a background murmur like a television set in another room, and it lulls Arthur into enough of a doze he doesn’t notice when Antonio leaves the room, or even how long Antonio has been gone. When his eyes slide muzzily apart again the room only actively smells of lemons, Arthur, and Gabriel, the scents of Antonio and Rodrigo muted beneath the two still present.

Gabriel is reading the terrible trash romance novel that had been cluttering up his bedside cabinet for a week now, his bandaged hand a little awkward around the spine. The book’s lurid cover looks particularly weird in the middle of a cool white hospital room, too bright against the starkness of its surroundings - and too bright against Gabriel’s complexion.

Even discounting the bandages, Gabriel looks tired.

“...Are you really alright?” Arthur’s voice cracks in the middle, his throat dry.

Gabriel startles like it’s the crack of a whip, the book sliding through his hands and landing on the floor with a clack-thump. He brightens when he sees Arthur looking at him, leaving the book on the floor to fetch - God be praised - water, another glass with another straw in it held up to Arthur’s lips. Arthur is developing an appreciation for straws.

“I will be healed much earlier than you,” Gabriel says as Arthur drinks eagerly, Arthur smiling crookedly around the straw in his mouth when his lover attempts to look reproachful. “Meu amor, at least look a little sorry for getting hurt. Do you know what you do to my heart?”

Arthur breathes, licking his lips to wet them and not at all sorry. When he is impulsive, it is wholehearted, and, for all his injuries, he cannot think he would have picked another course than the one he did. “You know what you do to mine?” He’s slurring.

Gabriel sighs at him, and takes away the glass when Arthur shakes his head at it being offered to him again, too busy snuggling back down into his pillow. “Remind you that you have one, I think.” He replaces the glass with himself - smelling more like himself again, to Arthur’s quiet satisfaction, amber and vanilla under the stress of the day -, a kiss laid on Arthur’s forehead that Arthur drowsily wants to drown in, the warmth and familiarity of it as much a comfort as rolling around naked in their bed-linen upstairs. “Thank you. But please never make me stand in the shower and wash off so much of your blood ever again. I don’t know how to lose things.”

Arthur smiles at him, aware that it a loose, somewhat sloppy expression as his eyes slide shut again, a rumble of happiness in his throat at the touch of Gabriel’s warm hand on his nape. Not quite as good as his collar, but good. Very good. Christ, Arthur’s tired. “You underestimate my stubbornness.”

“As you like to remind me,” Gabriel sighs at him - again -, and his thumb runs back and forth, sure and steady, over the pulse in Arthur’s neck until Arthur, once more, falls asleep.

[123designsrq]

FURNITURE DESIGN COLLECTION MAKES BEST IMPRESSION IN YOUR HOME

Here are a few of our favorite winners from the Furniture Design collection class at final year’s A’ Design Award and Competition. Now the purpose of this roundup is twofold. If you’re a fan of furniture layout (either as a layout lover, or as a furniture fashion designer your self), go in advance and bookmark this web page for thought, or upload these pics for your Pinterest by means of clicking the Pin button at the pinnacle left of any image. The second cause is to spark your imagination and get those innovative juices flowing so that one day, you could layout something worthy of a layout award.

Now if you DO have a layout that’s rather new or gathering dirt to your portfolio, leveraging its innovative enchantment to win a design award can truly do wonders for your profession. You’re just in time to send your work over to the A’ Design Awards. The multidisciplinary design award software spans an entire form of categories, starting from the traditional layout disciplines like furniture design collection, interiors, architecture, lighting, customer tech, to more niche areas like social design, differently-abled design, education design, or even jewelry design. The international award software is hosted every year, with a grand interdisciplinary jury of 209 specialists from extraordinary fields. The awards application is currently on the last leg of its 2019-2020 run, and the cut-off date for submitting your paintings is much less than two weeks away! So in case you’ve got your self a super design with a number of potential, go in advance and permit it increase your career and brand! If not, don’t worry! This showcase should provide sufficient innovative fodder to motivate and encourage you! Register to participate inside the A’ Design Awards now! Hurry, that is your final chance to win an A’ Design Award in 2020! Deadline: February 28th, 2020.

01. Lollipop Armchair via Natalia Komarova I couldn’t agree greater with Natalia Komarova’s declaration that thought can actually come from anywhere. The idea for the Lollipop Armchair came to her while she was journeying the Sweet Museum. The chupa-chups furniture design collection shape forms the basis of the armrests and the lower back and seat are made in the shape of conventional candies. The purpose of the chair is to add a splash of playfulness and shade to indoors spaces, and from the looks of the way inviting (and delicious) it seems, I’d say it does a remarkably top job!

02. Lunule Chair by Arsalan Ghadimi In South-Eastern countries, it's far extra commonplace for human beings to take a seat cross-legged on the ground than to take a seat on chairs. Not best is this an integral a part of their culture, however it is supposed to be quite true for the posture too! Drawing thought from the lifestyle of his country, Iranian designer Arsalan Ghadimi created the Lunule Chair. Featuring a wood body with leather-covered cushions, the chair contains the culture of sitting cross-legged. Its circular form gives the right structure to area the decrease half of of our bodies onto, with enough area for our knees and legs as well! The doughnut-like seat flippantly distributes the pressure exerted upon our frame whilst we sit, permitting us to maintain a stable posture. A backrest with a tender foam cushion may be connected to the Lunule Chair, paired up with the already ergonomic shape of the chair, this provides further support to our caudal vertebrae and waist.

03. Symphony Number 7 Art Chair through Ting-Hsian Chen Similar in spirit to the Butterfly Chair with the aid of Eduardo Garcia Campos, the Symphony 7 Chair is inspired via the softness and sweetness of the seventh Symphony by way of Beethoven. The furniture design collection rocking chair is crafted from a pipe frame, and comes with leather-based cushioning, combining comfort, strength, and an incredibly organic skeletal design that makes for a extraordinary silhouette. The chair appears even stunning while paired collectively with every other of its kind, growing a lovely symmetry!

04. Intermodality Desk via Attila Stromajer Inspired by the distinguished position and place of grand pianos in homes, the Intermodality table is just as grand. With a layout that follows the cues of the massive instrument, the desk comes with a similar shape, size, or even features a massive lid that opens sideways, like in a grand piano. Standing on 3 legs, like the musical instrument, the Intermodality desk is crafted from antiqued plywood, and features copper trimmings close to the handles and at the base of the legs, adding a hint of finesse to the desk’s grand layout.

05. Mountain Bench by way of Yi Feng Crafted from character mahogany slats, the Mountain Bench not simplest offers seating, but also provides an detail of artwork to its area. Inspired via the excessive mountains of Chinese paintings, the bench’s undulating backrest certainly does appear like a mountain range. Individual layers of wood deliver the bench intensity too, lending volume to the design while also giving it a tranquil, meditative spirit.

06. Oceania Couch by using Simon Haeser Designed to be what I’d describe as a present day-day take on the Eames Lounge Chair, the Oceania sofa comes with a layout presenting a molded plywood backrest and base, with cushions to offer comfort. Oceania’s smooth strains and flowing curves are designed to embrace and comfort. The visible language of furniture design collection ON the couch attempts to seize the designer’s interpretation of fluidity, stimulated by way of Australia’s beaches.

07. Beel Seat Ware by using Selami Gündüzeri The Beel Chair’s particular biodynamic aesthetic actually takes concept from the part of your frame that rests against it… the spine! Mimicking the form of vertebral bones, connected together via a spinal column, the Beel chair offers cushty sitting and healthy posture, while being flexible, thanks to the backrest’s layout. Designed with the aid of Selami Gündüzeri, the Beel is paying homage to the design aesthetic championed through past due German layout stalwart Luigi Colani.

08. Koron Sofa by means of Reza Salianeh & Hamid Packseresht The Koron Sofa isn’t one to pull away from its proud Persian heritage. Inspired with the aid of the Iranian instrument Taar, the Koron comes with a voluminous design that replicates the Taar’s hollow, bulbous body. The sofa uses a mixture of steel and leather-based to present it its awesome look that makes it appearance visually heavy, however additionally snug, making it a exquisite addition to the very center of present day houses, retail spaces, and places of work with semi-Persian styling.

09. Eget Desk by Adrian Soldado Cid & Paula Terra Bosch Eget’s cutting-edge interpretation of the desk in reality makes it award-worthy. The desk is extra than a mere elevated surface on legs, and Eget’s ability to tie the desk to its user’s behavior lets in it to sincerely be remarkable. The Eget comes with a minimum styling, sticking to easy surfaces and the use of timber, white, and grey. The desk’s ply wraps across the sides to offer storage area within, enough for books, stationery, and even chargers galore. On the pinnacle, the Eget has its own adjustable drafting desk that helps you to set your writing/drawing surface at an angle. Behind it is a panel of felt that acts as a visible partition that still dampens noise and helps you to pin notes to it. Slots at the side of the desk can help you keep more notes, pads, sheets, and pens for brief access, and here’s my favourite part. The table even has its personal committed wireless charging place built in, so you can juice your phone whilst you’re being productive!

10. Shell Sofa through Natalia Komarova With a voluminous but hole frame, the Shell couch is visible, yet visually light. It is, in a strictly physical sense, minimalist (because it’s mainly hole), however visually, the Shell sofa is sort of pillowy, spacious, and a deal with to look at. The sofa is a frame that curves from the left to the again and to the right, with area in between for cushions, or even facet tables if you eliminate the cushions at the extreme ends. It’s visually imposing, however still manages to look mild and airy, thanks to its wickerwork of metallic rods. The interwoven rods additionally create this moire effect that creates a dynamic optical illusion, making the Shell couch’s body incredibly thrilling to appearance at… and whilst we’re on the difficulty of interesting, the couch comes with two small openings at the start and cease of its structure, making it possibly the most pleasing play place for a home cat. Good success getting it out although as soon as it is going inside! Register to take part in the A’ Design Awards now! Hurry, this is your final hazard to win an A’ Design Award in 2020! Deadline: February 28th, 2020. furniture design table furniture design images furniture design sofa furniture design bed furniture design course furniture design for bedroom furniture design online furniture design book Read the full article

[womens-studies-degree-blog]

Transpositions: Complicating Western Feminism

November 2006

           My oral presentation summarized and drew from three course readings: Laura Busheikin’s “Is Sisterhood Really Global? Western Feminism in Eastern Europe,” Chandra Talpade Mohanty’s “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses,” and Ann Russo’s “We Cannot Live Without Our Lives: White Women, Antiracism, and Feminism.” The three readings explore ideas relating to a concept I initially termed ‘A Holistic Feminism,’ that is a global feminism that is all-encompassing in terms of culture, ideology and phenomenology. A holistic feminism would also be unbiased and fully representative. Drawing from Busheikin, Mohanty and Russo’s ideas, I asked: is a holistic feminism possible? And, if so, how can we achieve it?

           Laura Busheikin’s ideas about global sisterhood would suggest that a holistic feminism may or may not be possible; its plausibility would be contingent upon what she terms the push-me-pull-me of ideological development. In her article, Busheikin examines the difficult relationship between Eastern European women and Western feminists collaborating academically, a relationship “fraught with tension” (12). In order to truly understand this relationship, Busheikin proposes that we “look past the myths” (12) and “name the power dynamics” (13) at play.

           Busheikin first debunks a myth she calls “The International Feminist Brigade,” described as “the dominant mythology [of] the messianic Western feminist trying to brainwash hapless Eastern European women into our wicked feminist ways” (13). This stereotype is largely discredited by the overwhelming amount of media ridicule of Western feminism. Furthermore, Busheikin argues, Western feminists must constantly defend themselves against accusations of cultural imperialism. Thus, the simplistic offense/defense binary characteristic of this myth is complicated and therefore questionable.

           Busheikin then discredits the myth of “Our Backward Eastern Sisters,” that is, the image of an Eastern European victim of Western indoctrination. Because Eastern European writers constantly challenge and adapt Western frameworks and terminology, this myth is in fact absurd.

           The reality of the power dynamics in this relationship is that “often both partners feel and behave offensively and defensively all at once” (Busheikin, 14). Busheikin observes “territorial behavior” (15), “mutual fear” (15), and “power [being] contested” (15) on both sides. However, these elements begin to shape a relationship useful for ideological development. Busheikin acknowledges the power and many privileges that Western partners have, the most notable being the very feminist tradition and framework we employ in discussion with Eastern European partners. This framework threatens Eastern European self-esteem and identity, and blocks intellectual development towards something like a holistic feminism in its reductionism.

On the other hand, Eastern European partners possess the power of their otherness; they can challenge even Western feminist basics. For example, the socialist ideals common to feminist theory are easily attacked by women who have experienced the negative effects of a communist regime.

Busheikin believes that these interesting power dynamics create a “push-me-pull-me” effect whereby ideological development moves neither forward nor backward, but changes shape due to the tensions of an experimental push and pull. According to Busheikin, “we Westerners are ‘importing feminism,’ but it only works when we let this feminism be transformed by the journey” (18). Thus, we must carefully work through the push/pull because “the total reevaluation and reconfiguration of terms, ideas, values, and practices, which the relationship demands, have the power to incite a transformation for both individuals and, perhaps, for feminism itself as a movement/belief/approach” (Busheikin, 19). This transformation could then be potentially towards a “holistic” feminism.

Chandra Talpade Mohanty’s article suggests that something like a holistic feminism cannot be possible until we rid ourselves of the Western notion of a homogenous Third World woman—essentially, an oversimplification. Mohanty addresses the “production of the ‘Third World woman’ as a singular, monolithic subject” (17) through the analysis of various Western feminist texts. Assuming the standpoint of colonial discourses, Mohanty argues that:

The feminist writings…discursively colonize the material and historical heterogeneities of the lives of women in the Third World, thereby producing/representing a composite, singular “Third World woman”—an image that appears arbitrarily constructed but nevertheless carries with it the authorizing signature of Western humanist discourse (19).

Through a discussion of the analytic presupposition present in many feminist texts that is “women as categories of analysis,” Mohanty argues that much Western feminist discourse surrounding the Third World lumps women together as a universal group and ignores class, ethnicity and other important distinctions. Not only does this “reinforce binary divisions between men and women” (Mohanty, 31), but it also creates a problematic us vs. them mentality. This in turn severely inhibits any ideological movement towards a more holistic feminism.

           Ann Russo’s article about radical change would suggest that a holistic feminism is possible. As white women, Russo feels that we “must analyze our relationship to race, ethnicity, class and sexuality” (299). She argues that we must acknowledge our privilege and the concept of white supremacy. In doing so, race can be regarded as a white problem and issue. Because race affects everybody’s experiences and phenomenology, we must make race and racism integral to feminist discussion rather than regard these issues as special cases of “otherness.”

           According to Russo, the only way of instigating significant change is at a radical level: “at the level of leadership and access to resources” (307). She proposes that white women relinquish their power at various levels—cultural and political, among others—with the intention of achieving equality and the radical improvement of society. The clincher, however, becomes the phenomenological transformation. Russo addresses this problem by suggesting that we “acknowledge our own pain and suffering, so that our connection with women of color is one of mutual desire and need, not pity or arrogance” (307). Finally, Russo proposes that we seek a common ground and feel outraged about racism, rather than guilty.

           Thus, through admitting and accepting both personal and societal racism, we can incorporate it and the subjective experience of victims of racism into our ideology and phenomenology. Consequently, a shift in power structures can occur which will result in a new understanding that serves as a great stepping stone towards a more holistic feminism.    

In examining these three author’s ideas, I concluded that some dialogue exists between their theories in relation to my concept of a holistic feminism. Laura Busheikin compares her push-me-pull-me description of ideological development at an international level to race and class distinctions within Western feminism; the inclusive understanding of these distinctions has improved greatly since the first wave of feminism. Thus the evolution of Western feminism serves as a model for what the disassembling of political assumptions can do for the progression of feminism.

Busheikin also questions the very concept of sisterhood, suggesting that we “accept that ‘men oppressing women’ is perhaps too simple a formula, that we have to give up celebrating sisterhood and begin celebrating differences, and that it’s necessary to move beyond a binary us-and-them mentality” (19). I would argue that Chandra Talpade Mohanty would very much agree, as this is precisely how Third World women are often simplified. Similarly, I would argue that Busheikin would agree with Mohanty when she states that “sisterhood cannot be assumed on the basis of gender; it must be forged in concrete historical and political practice and analysis” (24). This careful examination of history and politics can lead to a more holistic ideology; however, the process presents the problem of how to reevaluate discourses without ‘othering,’ pity or guilt. Ann Russo’s theory proposing radical change offers an interesting solution best described by Bettina Aptheker:

If we were…to assent to a relational equality with women of color…we would begin to understand that their collective knowledge and experience form a serious, vital center from which to view the world, and the place of women within it. This, in combination with our own experiences, heritages, struggles, and intimate knowledge of the oppressor, would make a formidable alliance indeed.  (Russo, 307)

This phenomenological change is so integral to successful moves towards holism because cultural identity ultimately underlies ideology.

           Thus I concluded my presentation by stating that although we are far from a materialized holistic feminism, or even from understanding what it entails, it is possible through extensive deconstructions and reconstructions of existing frameworks by formulating more truly all-encompassing ideologies.

           The title of the lecture based on these readings is “Transpositions: Complicating Western Feminism,” as I came to discover the day of my presentation. The notes refer to the “urgent, political necessity of forming strategic coalitions across class, race, and national boundaries,” and to the transits that must be mentally taken. This concept is essentially equivalent to what I had termed a “holistic feminism;” however, the term “transpositions” is more useful than “holism” because whilst “holism” implies a simplistic unity that blurs the differences, “transpositions” incorporate and employ those differences towards a new, greater understanding. Thus, I now adopt the term “transpositions” to describe the global feminism described in my presentation.

           Following my presentation, I asked the class if they think a holistic feminism is possible, and, if so, how they think it can be achieved. Ann Russo’s writing inspired the most prominent response that initiated discussion. The student felt that we, as feminists, must engage in active dialogue with one another. For example, white feminists must ask black feminists what they need from white women, and how we can work together. In other words, Busheikin’s push-me-pull-me must operate at every level of feminist discourse. We must abolish existing binaries and incorporate subjective experiences into our understanding of sisterhood, and in doing so we can begin to transform feminism into something all the more useful, revelatory and empowering.  

 Works Cited

Busheikin, Laura. 1997. “Is Sisterhood Really Global? Western Feminism.” Pp. 12-21 in

Ana’s Land: Sisterhood in Eastern Europe.

Mohanty, Chandra Talpade. 1991. “Under Western Eyes.” Pp. 17-33 in Third World

Women and the Politics of Feminism.

Russo, Ann. 1991. “We Cannot Live Without Our Lives.” Pp. 297-313 in Third World

Women and the Politics of Feminism.

[internetbasic9]

Business Trump Galvanized a Movement of Women. Kavanaugh Is Testing It.

Business Trump Galvanized a Movement of Women. Kavanaugh Is Testing It. Business Trump Galvanized a Movement of Women. Kavanaugh Is Testing It. https://ift.tt/2QSbrt9

Business ImagePresident Trump with Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, and the judge’s wife and two daughters just before he was announced as a Supreme Court nominee in July.CreditCreditDoug Mills/The New York TimesIn his first appearance before the nation, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh positioned himself as an ally of social change for women in America. Standing beside President Trump at the White House, Judge Kavanaugh spoke of being a father of daughters and a coach to a girls’ basketball team. He hailed his mother’s legal career. He boasted that most of his clerks had been women.Coming in the era of #MeToo and the Women’s March, of greater attention to wage inequality for women and campus sexual assaults, Judge Kavanaugh was trying to reassure the many women around the country who may have been assessing him, and the president beside him, warily. He was, after all, a 53-year-old jurist and ambitious veteran of Republican politics who would be a potentially decisive vote on litigation over women’s rights — including the right to terminate a pregnancy.But if Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination was freighted with import for women, the battle over his confirmation has swelled into an event of titanic consequence in the country’s evolution on matters of gender and women’s equality. A judge who could well overturn Roe v. Wade — handpicked by a president who has faced allegations of sexual misconduct — now faces an accusation of sexual assault that has plunged the Senate into chaos less than seven weeks before an election. Judge Kavanaugh has denied the allegation.The fate of his nomination and the Senate’s treatment of his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, who said Saturday she was willing to testify in the coming week, have the makings of a pivot point in American politics — the crest of a wave building since Mr. Trump’s election. Women have marched and voted in powerful numbers. They have run for office with record-breaking success. And women of all political stripes have come forward with new confidence to identify and challenge men who have exploited them. Dr. Blasey, a 51-year-old California professor, was 15 at the time of the alleged assault.The likely public testimony by Dr. Blasey and Judge Kavanaugh would be a wrenching apex in the decades-long struggle over the legal and social status of American women, unfolding in the shadow of a presidency that has profoundly alienated many women.Dawn Laguens, the executive vice president of Planned Parenthood, which opposes Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, described the confirmation struggle and the Senate’s handling of Dr. Blasey’s allegation as a clarifying moment and a test for the country.“This is a distillation of the entire two years’ trajectory for women in this country,” Ms. Laguens said. “Are we respected? Are we believed? Are we equal?”Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women’s Law Center, said the Senate’s reaction to Dr. Blasey’s account had already exposed an enormous gulf between the country’s political institutions and the outlook of many American women. Ms. Graves warned that attacks on Dr. Blasey would leave a deep mark on the country.“It’s not just a message about Dr. Blasey Ford, it’s about survivors and about women,” Ms. Graves said. “And if they ignore that, I do not see how that is something that goes away fast. It will be a stain that they carry for a very long time.”[Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping the 2018 elections with our new politics newsletter.]With Dr. Blasey saying she wants to testify before the Senate, her appearance would represent a moment of extreme peril for Republicans who control the Judiciary Committee — an all-male panel, on the Republican side, where most members have answered Dr. Blasey’s allegation with suspicion or resentment.Underscoring the potential for backlash from women, a Republican staff member for the committee, Garrett Ventry, resigned on Saturday after NBC News inquired about allegations of sexual harassment involving him.Yet Republicans — including conservative women — have been deeply resistant to reconsidering Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination.Their determination to confirm him may put Republicans at odds with the clear tide in American politics since Mr. Trump’s election. The victory of a man captured on tape boasting about groping women, over a candidate who would have been the first female president, touched off an anguished backlash among women that has fueled mass marches and huge turnout among female voters as well as the record number of female candidates.But if the cultural mood of the country has appeared to turn strongly in favor of a progressive women’s rights agenda, Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination is also the pinnacle of a different social movement: the 45-year quest by activists on the right to overturn Roe v. Wade, the court decision that made abortion legal nationwide. For decades, tens of thousands of people have marched in the annual March for Life, and two in five women believe abortion should be illegal in most or all cases, according to the Pew Research Center.And allies of Judge Kavanaugh say they are unwilling to back down over a single accusation they distrust, and one that comes after a contentious and highly partisan nomination hearing, calling the stakes far too high.“The left wants this to be about the veracity of #MeToo, but it’s not,” said Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America, a group that led a “Women for Kavanaugh” bus tour this summer. “The election was about the direction of the country. This was a reckoning of what was promised. There’s been millions of dollars spent, thousands of volunteer hours spent on behalf of this nominee, it’s finally coming to the vote.”ImageThousands of people participated in the Women’s March in Washington and similar rallies around the country on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after President Trump’s inauguration.CreditHilary Swift for The New York TimesAt stake for conservatives are not only future court decisions to restrict abortion rights, but also to advance religious liberty laws and define the rights of gay and transgender Americans.Rebecca Hagelin, a conservative columnist backing Judge Kavanaugh, cast the allegation and the way it has been handled as a last-ditch effort to derail the court’s pivotal fifth conservative voice. If the issue at stake was primarily women’s rights, she says, Senator Dianne Feinstein would have raised Dr. Blasey’s allegation earlier in the summer for better due process.“They further discredit the entire #MeToo movement if they take down an innocent man,” said Ms. Hagelin, a former vice president of the Heritage Foundation. “If the nomination goes through, it will be a victory for anybody who has ever been falsely charged with some sexual abuse accusation.”Critics of Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, who overwhelmingly believe Dr. Blasey’s claims, say her allegation has brought the significance of his nomination into sharper focus, after months of efforts by Kavanaugh allies to downplay its potential impact on women. A poll published Friday by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal found more Americans now oppose Judge Kavanaugh than support him.Among women, just 28 percent supported Judge Kavanaugh while 42 percent were opposed, including half of college-educated women.That Judge Kavanaugh would become such a contentious figure is in some ways a bitter irony for his supporters. The president selected him over several contenders including Amy Coney Barrett, an appellate judge who is seen as a ferocious opponent of abortion. Hewing to the practice of other recent Supreme Court nominees, Judge Kavanaugh declined throughout his confirmation hearings to address his views on Roe v. Wade.Yet Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination was entangled with the politics of sex and gender: He was scrutinized over memos he wrote, as an investigator examining Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky, that recommended graphic, even anatomical lines of questioning.Judge Kavanaugh faced questions about his relationship with Alex Kozinski, a mentor of his who abruptly retired as a judge last year amid extensive allegations that he harassed female clerks. Judge Kavanaugh said he had no knowledge of that behavior.In a highly contentious case last year, Judge Kavanaugh ruled against an teenager who, as an illegal immigrant, was seeking to obtain an abortion while in government custody. Judge Kavanaugh reversed a lower court’s ruling — which was later reinstated — that would have allowed the woman to get an abortion immediately, instead permitting the government to take more time seeking a sponsor to facilitate the procedure.Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the American Civil Liberty Union’s Reproductive Freedom Project, who litigated the case on behalf of the minor, said it had revealed how Judge Kavanaugh or another nominee could “eliminate access to abortion.”“All of these decisions about women’s ability to make decisions about their bodies, to protect their bodies, are connected,” Ms. Amiri said, alluding to Dr. Blasey’s account.But it is the rhetoric around sexual assault, and Senate Republicans’ questionable openness to considering Dr. Blasey’s story, that appears most likely to make the ordinarily dry process of confirming a judge a source of lasting division and even trauma.Several important Republican leaders, led by Mr. Trump, have spoken with open contempt about Dr. Blasey, who said in a Washington Post interview that Judge Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand and sought to remove her clothes by force during a party in high school.Mr. Trump — who has consistently expressed skepticism or hostility toward women who accuse men, including him, of sexual misconduct — has been dismissive of Dr. Blasey. The president wrote on Twitter Friday that she surely would have filed charges decades ago if the assault “was as bad as she says.”In North Dakota, where an important Senate race is unfolding and opposition to abortion runs strong, Representative Kevin Cramer, a Republican challenging Senator Heidi Heitkamp, waved aside Dr. Blasey’s claims in a radio interview on Friday. “They were drunk,” Mr. Cramer said. “Nothing evidently happened in it all, even by her own accusation.”And Republicans in the Senate, including Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, have largely vowed to confirm Judge Kavanaugh even as they offer Dr. Blasey a limited window to testify.Tarana Burke, who created the #MeToo movement for survivors of sexual assault, said the response to Dr. Blasey from congressional Republicans represented a painful contrast with a larger cultural moment in which women have gained new confidence to confront harassment and abuse by men.Invoking the last Supreme Court nomination to turn on allegations of sexual misconduct, Ms. Burke said the current process might be more wrenching than the 1991 hearings involving Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill.“It feels almost worse, because we have social media this time around to see vocal pushback from the people around the country,” Ms. Burke said, “and we still have an unresponsive set of politicians.”A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Nominee’s Fate Is Pivotal Point In U.S. Politics. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe Read More | https://ift.tt/2DnFYfU |

Business Trump Galvanized a Movement of Women. Kavanaugh Is Testing It., in 2018-09-22 21:42:20

[blogparadiseisland]

Business Trump Galvanized a Movement of Women. Kavanaugh Is Testing It.

Business Trump Galvanized a Movement of Women. Kavanaugh Is Testing It. Business Trump Galvanized a Movement of Women. Kavanaugh Is Testing It. http://www.nature-business.com/business-trump-galvanized-a-movement-of-women-kavanaugh-is-testing-it/

Business ImagePresident Trump with Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, and the judge’s wife and two daughters just before he was announced as a Supreme Court nominee in July.CreditCreditDoug Mills/The New York TimesIn his first appearance before the nation, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh positioned himself as an ally of social change for women in America. Standing beside President Trump at the White House, Judge Kavanaugh spoke of being a father of daughters and a coach to a girls’ basketball team. He hailed his mother’s legal career. He boasted that most of his clerks had been women.Coming in the era of #MeToo and the Women’s March, of greater attention to wage inequality for women and campus sexual assaults, Judge Kavanaugh was trying to reassure the many women around the country who may have been assessing him, and the president beside him, warily. He was, after all, a 53-year-old jurist and ambitious veteran of Republican politics who would be a potentially decisive vote on litigation over women’s rights — including the right to terminate a pregnancy.But if Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination was freighted with import for women, the battle over his confirmation has swelled into an event of titanic consequence in the country’s evolution on matters of gender and women’s equality. A judge who could well overturn Roe v. Wade — handpicked by a president who has faced allegations of sexual misconduct — now faces an accusation of sexual assault that has plunged the Senate into chaos less than seven weeks before an election. Judge Kavanaugh has denied the allegation.The fate of his nomination and the Senate’s treatment of his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, who said Saturday she was willing to testify in the coming week, have the makings of a pivot point in American politics — the crest of a wave building since Mr. Trump’s election. Women have marched and voted in powerful numbers. They have run for office with record-breaking success. And women of all political stripes have come forward with new confidence to identify and challenge men who have exploited them. Dr. Blasey, a 51-year-old California professor, was 15 at the time of the alleged assault.The likely public testimony by Dr. Blasey and Judge Kavanaugh would be a wrenching apex in the decades-long struggle over the legal and social status of American women, unfolding in the shadow of a presidency that has profoundly alienated many women.Dawn Laguens, the executive vice president of Planned Parenthood, which opposes Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, described the confirmation struggle and the Senate’s handling of Dr. Blasey’s allegation as a clarifying moment and a test for the country.“This is a distillation of the entire two years’ trajectory for women in this country,” Ms. Laguens said. “Are we respected? Are we believed? Are we equal?”Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women’s Law Center, said the Senate’s reaction to Dr. Blasey’s account had already exposed an enormous gulf between the country’s political institutions and the outlook of many American women. Ms. Graves warned that attacks on Dr. Blasey would leave a deep mark on the country.“It’s not just a message about Dr. Blasey Ford, it’s about survivors and about women,” Ms. Graves said. “And if they ignore that, I do not see how that is something that goes away fast. It will be a stain that they carry for a very long time.”[Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping the 2018 elections with our new politics newsletter.]With Dr. Blasey saying she wants to testify before the Senate, her appearance would represent a moment of extreme peril for Republicans who control the Judiciary Committee — an all-male panel, on the Republican side, where most members have answered Dr. Blasey’s allegation with suspicion or resentment.Underscoring the potential for backlash from women, a Republican staff member for the committee, Garrett Ventry, resigned on Saturday after NBC News inquired about allegations of sexual harassment involving him.Yet Republicans — including conservative women — have been deeply resistant to reconsidering Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination.Their determination to confirm him may put Republicans at odds with the clear tide in American politics since Mr. Trump’s election. The victory of a man captured on tape boasting about groping women, over a candidate who would have been the first female president, touched off an anguished backlash among women that has fueled mass marches and huge turnout among female voters as well as the record number of female candidates.But if the cultural mood of the country has appeared to turn strongly in favor of a progressive women’s rights agenda, Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination is also the pinnacle of a different social movement: the 45-year quest by activists on the right to overturn Roe v. Wade, the court decision that made abortion legal nationwide. For decades, tens of thousands of people have marched in the annual March for Life, and two in five women believe abortion should be illegal in most or all cases, according to the Pew Research Center.And allies of Judge Kavanaugh say they are unwilling to back down over a single accusation they distrust, and one that comes after a contentious and highly partisan nomination hearing, calling the stakes far too high.“The left wants this to be about the veracity of #MeToo, but it’s not,” said Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America, a group that led a “Women for Kavanaugh” bus tour this summer. “The election was about the direction of the country. This was a reckoning of what was promised. There’s been millions of dollars spent, thousands of volunteer hours spent on behalf of this nominee, it’s finally coming to the vote.”ImageThousands of people participated in the Women’s March in Washington and similar rallies around the country on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after President Trump’s inauguration.CreditHilary Swift for The New York TimesAt stake for conservatives are not only future court decisions to restrict abortion rights, but also to advance religious liberty laws and define the rights of gay and transgender Americans.Rebecca Hagelin, a conservative columnist backing Judge Kavanaugh, cast the allegation and the way it has been handled as a last-ditch effort to derail the court’s pivotal fifth conservative voice. If the issue at stake was primarily women’s rights, she says, Senator Dianne Feinstein would have raised Dr. Blasey’s allegation earlier in the summer for better due process.“They further discredit the entire #MeToo movement if they take down an innocent man,” said Ms. Hagelin, a former vice president of the Heritage Foundation. “If the nomination goes through, it will be a victory for anybody who has ever been falsely charged with some sexual abuse accusation.”Critics of Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, who overwhelmingly believe Dr. Blasey’s claims, say her allegation has brought the significance of his nomination into sharper focus, after months of efforts by Kavanaugh allies to downplay its potential impact on women. A poll published Friday by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal found more Americans now oppose Judge Kavanaugh than support him.Among women, just 28 percent supported Judge Kavanaugh while 42 percent were opposed, including half of college-educated women.That Judge Kavanaugh would become such a contentious figure is in some ways a bitter irony for his supporters. The president selected him over several contenders including Amy Coney Barrett, an appellate judge who is seen as a ferocious opponent of abortion. Hewing to the practice of other recent Supreme Court nominees, Judge Kavanaugh declined throughout his confirmation hearings to address his views on Roe v. Wade.Yet Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination was entangled with the politics of sex and gender: He was scrutinized over memos he wrote, as an investigator examining Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky, that recommended graphic, even anatomical lines of questioning.Judge Kavanaugh faced questions about his relationship with Alex Kozinski, a mentor of his who abruptly retired as a judge last year amid extensive allegations that he harassed female clerks. Judge Kavanaugh said he had no knowledge of that behavior.In a highly contentious case last year, Judge Kavanaugh ruled against an teenager who, as an illegal immigrant, was seeking to obtain an abortion while in government custody. Judge Kavanaugh reversed a lower court’s ruling — which was later reinstated — that would have allowed the woman to get an abortion immediately, instead permitting the government to take more time seeking a sponsor to facilitate the procedure.Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the American Civil Liberty Union’s Reproductive Freedom Project, who litigated the case on behalf of the minor, said it had revealed how Judge Kavanaugh or another nominee could “eliminate access to abortion.”“All of these decisions about women’s ability to make decisions about their bodies, to protect their bodies, are connected,” Ms. Amiri said, alluding to Dr. Blasey’s account.But it is the rhetoric around sexual assault, and Senate Republicans’ questionable openness to considering Dr. Blasey’s story, that appears most likely to make the ordinarily dry process of confirming a judge a source of lasting division and even trauma.Several important Republican leaders, led by Mr. Trump, have spoken with open contempt about Dr. Blasey, who said in a Washington Post interview that Judge Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand and sought to remove her clothes by force during a party in high school.Mr. Trump — who has consistently expressed skepticism or hostility toward women who accuse men, including him, of sexual misconduct — has been dismissive of Dr. Blasey. The president wrote on Twitter Friday that she surely would have filed charges decades ago if the assault “was as bad as she says.”In North Dakota, where an important Senate race is unfolding and opposition to abortion runs strong, Representative Kevin Cramer, a Republican challenging Senator Heidi Heitkamp, waved aside Dr. Blasey’s claims in a radio interview on Friday. “They were drunk,” Mr. Cramer said. “Nothing evidently happened in it all, even by her own accusation.”And Republicans in the Senate, including Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, have largely vowed to confirm Judge Kavanaugh even as they offer Dr. Blasey a limited window to testify.Tarana Burke, who created the #MeToo movement for survivors of sexual assault, said the response to Dr. Blasey from congressional Republicans represented a painful contrast with a larger cultural moment in which women have gained new confidence to confront harassment and abuse by men.Invoking the last Supreme Court nomination to turn on allegations of sexual misconduct, Ms. Burke said the current process might be more wrenching than the 1991 hearings involving Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill.“It feels almost worse, because we have social media this time around to see vocal pushback from the people around the country,” Ms. Burke said, “and we still have an unresponsive set of politicians.”A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Nominee’s Fate Is Pivotal Point In U.S. Politics. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe Read More | https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/22/us/politics/kavanaugh-blasey-ford-women-trump.html |

Business Trump Galvanized a Movement of Women. Kavanaugh Is Testing It., in 2018-09-22 21:42:20

[bbqs-paintbrush]

OC lineup Part 3:

I figured if I wanted to tell people about my OCs more they needed to know who they all are and a bit of basic info about them.

Part 1: https://vixinman.tumblr.com/post/160966431326/oc-lineup-part-1

Part 2: https://vixinman.tumblr.com/post/160972815436/oc-lineup-part-2-aka-zephyr

Eleazar:  Xylonian, 55 Terran years.

Occupation: King, father

Personality: Amiable, easygoing, paternal, sweet. His family and friends describe him as “only being angry twice in his life and apologizing for it once.” Most that know him cannot think of him as anything other than kind and inviting. Though highly intelligent and an excellent strategist, he prefers the simple joys in life such as a warm spring day and a cup of his favorite tea. His only wish at this point in his life is to spend more time with his children.

History: Having inherited his role as ruler of the land in a time of war and crisis, Eleazar kept a level head and kept an emphasis on the people who were caught in the crossfires of the war. His marriage to his wife was arranged since they were young, and he was faithful to her all the days of his life. He wished that his children weren’t born royalty so they could experience a more normal upbringing, but even with his oldest child being groomed for the crown, another in training his abilities with his mother, and most of the rest just trying to be themselves Eleazar took care to find time with each of his sons as much as possible.

Being a part of the war his whole life he put off passing the crown to his eldest son Baldwin until after the war was over. His reasoning was that if it was possible he wanted his son’s name to be associated with the rebuilding and putting together of the aftermath rather than being associated with the ending of a war. Ultimately, after the cease-fire, this goal was achieved.

Relations: Wife -Vashti (deceased); Children- Baldwin, Jethro, Mercutio, Zephyr, and Sylvester; Daughters-in-law - Zita, Parvati, Deborah (deceased); Others - Hlao, Glenda, misc. other individuals.

Vashti:  Xylonian, 33 Terran years.  (deceased)

Occupation: Queen, public ambassador

Personality: Calculating, strict, driven, deliberate, insightful, ambitious. Well loved by the public and her closest friends. Even her few critics said, “she shows the kind of concern that comes from a genuine place, but her curiosity to getting to the root of the problem is perhaps too strong for her own good.” Close relations have hinted that she may have had the occasional difficult time being neutral on a subject or with certain individuals.

History: Vashti grew up in a noble family and was engaged to her husband Eleazar at a young age, but her family was well-ridden with scandal. Her father engaged in an extramarital affair which gave rise to her step-brother, though he was never officially claimed as nobility, circumstances could give him legal access to the throne should Eleazar and his wife suddenly pass. It also did not help matters that her brother was an extremist with ties to terrorist organizations.

Through her early life she gave birth to each of her sons and cared for them as they grew. As she considered the arranged engagement for her oldest son, she learned of her step-brother’s daughter who was estranged from him after her mother had learned of his treacherous ideologies. In an effort to tie inheritance of the throne back into her own branch of the family and out of her brother’s, she adopted her niece Parvati into her home as her maidservant and lady in waiting as she trained her for becoming the next queen. This caused outrage from her step-brother, which in turn lead to a series of rash attacks that ultimately lead to his demise.

Over the next several years, she continued to train Parvati and took her next-to-youngest son Zephyr under her wing. Each of her children were slowly growing up and going in their own directions - two more eventually became engaged, and one of the two, Jethro, married and separated himself from the duties of the royal family, which reportedly caused tensions. Vashti’s humanitarian efforts continued through the kingdom, but in the last few years of her life sources noted that she had less and less time for her duties and seemed to always be considerably more distant and sometimes impossible to find or reach - further contributing to strains in the family, particularly with Jethro, and concerning trusted friends.

The day of her death, servants noted her agitation and sudden paranoia around friends she seemed to otherwise trust only a few days prior. Some noted “She seemed to be preparing for something, as if she wasn’t coming back - which I could never figure out until we lost her.” After the attack that took her life, she was given a memorial, and her ashes were buried in the royal cemetery beneath the Mother Tree.

Relations:  Husband- Eleazar; Brother- deceased; Children- Baldwin, Jethro, Mercutio, Zephyr, and Sylvester; Daughters-in-law - Zita, Parvati (also niece), Deborah (deceased); Others - misc. other individuals.

Baldwin:  Xylonian, 28 Terran years.

Occupation: Crown Prince/King

Personality: Passive, complacent, neurotic, hardworking. Few acquaintances have anything negative to say about Baldwin, save for an underlying pity that stems from his rigidly scheduled life. Sources say, “he’s got a will and mind of his own that’s perfectly fine if the counsel would only let him use them.” There are concerns among servants, especially, that he may suffer from depression from the overbearing structure of his life.

History:  From a young age, Baldwin was always in classes and lessons with private tutors on everything from manners to history; and this often isolated him from his brothers. Though he took his responsibility of future king very seriously, he often regretted not having “normal kid experiences” growing up. At age thirteen he was engaged to his wife Parvati. On his way to meet her for the first time, he bumped into her not realizing who she was. He expressed his nervousness about her and claimed that one of his biggest fears was potentially not being able to give her any of his time so they could grow together as a couple so if love was never present at least a solid friendship would be.

When he arrived in the meeting room later that day, he realized who he had been talking to earlier and recalls, “I’m glad I didn’t say something stupid like, ‘I hope she’s not ugly’.”

Since then his closest relationships have been with his wife and father, though he regrets not having as strong a bond with his brothers.

Relations:  Wife- Parvati; Father- Eleazar; Mother -Vashti (deceased); Brothers- Jethro, Mercutio, Zephyr, and Sylvester; Sisters-in-law - Zita, Deborah (deceased); Others - Hlao, Glenda, misc. other individuals.

Parvati:  Xylonian, 28 Terran years.

Occupation: Princess/Queen

Personality: Considerate, kind, affectionate, analytical. Parvati seeks to attain a level of respect and trust from the people comparable to her predecessor, Vashti. Focusing her efforts in humanitarian relief and making public appearances often next to her husband and by herself. This dedication often leaves her in a state of study whenever she is not in a meeting or on an outing.

History: Though she was given a good foundation through Vashti, Parvati noted that the multiple directions her predecessor was pulled in ultimately strained her training schedule, leaving her to pursue it largely on her own. This, combined with her common upbringing with her mother and questionable heritage through her father did not make her popular among the royal counsel, and several times Vashti, Eleazar or Baldwin would have to come to her defense when wild disapproval and suspicions were thrown her way.

Being next in line for the thrown and being expected to have children to continue the line, she became concerned that either something might happen to her, her husband, or any children they may have, as well as the fact that circumstances would put the next heirs in the family in the hands of Zephyr and Sylvester due to circumstances that Jethro and Mercutio would never be able to have children that could serve as an heir. This prompted her to seek out her own maidservant to train as she had been before. Eventually, she found and adopted the young Hlao into the royal family and continues to train her as a proper noblewoman.

Relations:  Husband- Baldwin; Mother- (deceased); Parents-in-law; Eleazar, Vashti (also aunt); Brothers-in-law - Jethro, Mercutio, Zephyr, and Sylvester; Sisters-in-law - Zita, Deborah (deceased); Others - Hlao, Glenda, misc. other individuals.

Hloa:  Xylonian, 14 Terran years.

Occupation: Handmaiden/Lady in waiting

Personality: Timid, meek, bright, observant. Hailing from a difficult upbringing, Hlao has come a long way in defending her own personality and interests. Though her education was delayed, she shows a high aptitude for logical thinking and problem-solving. Sources describe her as being sweet, unobtrusive, gentle, and considerate though firm in her own opinions and interests.

History: Hlao comes from a tiny, remote village on the main continent. When Parvati began her search for a handmaiden she had to look for one with ties to the royal family in order for her to be considered for the throne in a worst-case scenario which lead her to Hlao’s village. When Parvati discovered the village she was horrified at the lawlessness of it as it had gone unchecked by local authorities for years. After calling the authorities to arrest the village leaders, she discovered Hlao working as a scullery maid under horrific conditions along with several other small children. Hlao had not only acted as a parental figure for those children, but had consistently taken blame for their mistakes to protect them. 

After escorting them back to the capitol and emotions evened, Parvati approached Hlao with the proposition to train her as a potential future queen, intended as a wife for the youngest son, Sylvester, after they had both matured into adults. Hlao accepted and was introduced to the family, though the nature of her and Sylvester’s intended relationship was not revealed. As the Hlao and Sylvester continued to interact, Parvati saw a genuine love and affection between the two, though it was clearly platonic as siblings. Cursing herself for coercing such a young girl into an arranged marriage she recanted the engagement and swore to continue to teach her until adulthood when she would be free to pursue her own life and interests as she saw fit. Since, she has been serving faithfully at her lady’s side and the two are nearly inseparable.

Relations:  Guardian- Parvati; Family- Eleazar, Baldwin, Jethro, Mercutio, Zephyr, Sylvester, Zita, Others - Glenda, misc. other individuals.

[stopkingobama]

Alleged Surveillance of Trump Team Fuels Debate Over Government Spying

The chairman of the House intelligence committee said Wednesday that he has evidence suggesting intelligence agencies may have misused and spread information legally obtained through surveillance of President Donald Trump or those close to him as they communicated with foreigners after the election.

The disclosure fed a debate over the government’s surveillance powers and Americans’ privacy that had been renewed by Trump’s claim that his predecessor “wiretapped” him toward the end of the election campaign.

Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said he had no evidence to support Trump’s claim that he was the illegal target of wiretapping last fall ordered by President Barack Obama. The directors of the FBI and the National Security Agency had dismissed those allegations two days earlier.

Nunes, R-Calif., said communications of Trump or transition team officials may have been swept up by the government as part of “incidental collection”—meaning somebody else was the target.

“What I have read bothers me,” Nunes said, “and I think it should bother the president himself and his team, because I think some of it seems to be inappropriate.”

Such collection of information is permitted by eavesdropping rules that civil liberty advocates long have viewed as overly expansive.

“The most interesting question from a surveillance standpoint is what legal authorities may have been used to obtain communications involving Trump or his aides, and how were those authorities used,” said Elizabeth Goitein, who co-directs the Brennan Center for Justice’s liberty and national security program.

“The statutes are written so broadly and so permissively that there is a lot of room there for mischief,” Goitein told The Daily Signal in an interview. “I have no reason to think anything inappropriate happened in this case, but because the potential for abuse has been built into the statute, it’s certainly a question that comes to my mind.”

‘Raising Awareness’

Indeed, under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, intelligence agencies frequently monitor the conversations of foreigners—including officials with allied or hostile countries—in what supporters view as one of the key government tools to keep the country safe.

Congress approved the provision in 2007. To use this authority, the government must target foreigners. But the surveillance inevitably sometimes captures communications linked to Americans who may be participating in the conversation or being spoken about. This is what’s called “incidental collection.”

Section 702, which expires Dec. 31 along with other portions of the law, is routinely reauthorized. But Republicans in Congress say the questions surrounding Trump and possible surveillance of his team’s communications may prompt them to pursue reforms.

“The publicity associated with what’s going on with Donald Trump is a good thing because it’s raising public awareness of potential abuses of this statute,” said Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas.

Farenthold is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, which recently held a hearing on Section 702.

“When surveillance is too broad, and too many people have access to the data, the chances of abuse skyrocket, whether it’s something politically motivated, as potentially could be the case with the Trump material that’s come out, or some employee in an alphabet soup agency checking up on his or her girlfriend or boyfriend,” Farenthold said in an interview with The Daily Signal.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, in a statement to The Daily Signal, suggested he is open to reforming the law.

“FISA Section 702 is an important national security tool used to disrupt terrorist attacks and protect the American people,” Goodlatte, R-Va., said. “Recent illegal leaks of classified information warrant further congressional oversight of our intelligence agencies and the tools they use in order to determine what additional safeguards may be needed and to secure the trust of the American people.”

Handling Privacy of Americans

To address concerns over Americans’ privacy, the law as currently written requires the government to use “minimization rules” that mask the identity of Americans—but there are exceptions. Government officials may request names to be revealed to help them understand the reports.

The intelligence agencies decide whether to grant the requests.

National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers, in testimony before Nunes’ committee Monday, said 20 people at NSA have this authority. FBI Director James Comey, in the same hearing, would not say how many people in his agency have that power. Comey did say the number is “surely” more than at NSA because FBI agents “come into contact” with U.S. citizens more often.

In a press conference describing his findings about communications potentially involving Trump, Nunes expressed frustration about this aspect of the law. The California Republican questioned the judgment of government officials in requesting identities to be unmasked, and how the intelligence agencies decide to reveal names.

Nunes also complained that he too easily could determine the identities of Trump associates—even if their names were masked—from reading reports of intercepted communications.

“I don’t want to get too much into the details, but these were intelligence reports, and it brings up a lot of concern about whether things were properly minimized or not,” said Nunes, who was on Trump’s transition team and is a close ally.

Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the intelligence committee, dismissed Nunes’ concerns in a briefing with reporters Wednesday. Schiff questioned the chairman’s allegiances at a time when the committee is investigating Russia’s interference in the presidential campaign.

“The chairman informed me that most of the names in the intercepted communications were in fact masked, but that he could still figure out the probable identity of the parties,” Schiff said. “This does not indicate that there was any flaw in the procedures followed by the intelligence agencies. Moreover, the unmasking of a U.S. person’s name is fully appropriate when it is necessary to understand the context of collected foreign intelligence information.”

‘Need More Facts’

Adam Klein, a senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security, said the legal threshold for culling the identity of a U.S. citizen from collected data is relatively low. Klein said it’s impossible to say whether the government properly followed procedures without knowing more about the conversations that Trump or his transition team may have engaged in.

To unmask an American, the law does not require any particular suspicion that the person who is the subject of the request to unmask is engaged in any wrongdoing himself.

“Whether there’s a problem depends on the circumstances of each case—was unmasking based on a need to understand foreign intelligence information, or wasn’t it?” Klein told The Daily Signal. “To make that judgment you’d need more facts, which are classified.”

David Shedd, an acting director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under Obama who also served in the George W. Bush administration, said he had the authority to ask for Americans’ names to be unmasked when he held positions on the National Security Council.

Shedd said government officials like himself rarely asked for such names to be revealed, and that it’s usually easy to make out the identity of a person based on the context of a conversation.

“In more than four years, I might have asked for a U.S. person to be unmasked a half a dozen times,” Shedd, now a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, said in an interview with The Daily Signal. “Generally a report does not reach you that has U.S. persons in it. So the numbers are few that you get. Secondly, there wasn’t a need for me to know the U.S. person to understand the gist of the report.”

As an example, Shedd said it would be “legitimate” for the government to be interested in unmasking the name of Michael Flynn within the government after he discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador weeks before becoming Trump’s national security adviser—as leaks to media outlets have showed occurred.

Because the ambassador, Sergey I. Kislyak, is based in the U.S., his conversations are not covered by Section 702 but another provision of FISA.

“That’s a scenario where I would ask for the U.S. person to be unmasked,” Shedd said of the Flynn case, adding:

Here, at the very same time the Obama administration is trying to decide what U.S. sanctions against Russia should look like, there is someone talking to the Russian ambassador and they are talking about sanctions. I would want to know everything I could.

‘So Much Noise’

Shedd is a fierce defender of Section 702.

He cites a 2014 report from the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board—a bipartisan executive branch panel—that determined more than one-quarter of NSA reports on international terrorism include information that is based in whole or in part on data collected under the Section 702 program.

That same oversight board report found the government virtually never intentionally misuses the collection authorities when it involves Americans. This means the board has seen little evidence of so-called “reverse targeting,” an illegal activity where the government’s real interest is to collect the communications of an American, regardless of location.

But Shedd said change may be coming to the law as the political winds around the issue have shifted.

“There is so much noise in the system that those of us collectively who are pro-renewal of 702—unchanged—have our work cut out for us,” Shedd said.

Supporters of reform say one thing they’d like to see is for the government to be mandated to report to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the so-called FISA court, anytime it incidentally collects information about Americans. The court then would have the authority to issue a judgment on whether the government could retain the information.

Opponents of Section 702 say the government should have to obtain probable cause and a warrant before the FISA court to take any further action on an intercepted report that involves an American.

Under current law, the government does need to establish probable cause to be able to undertake additional surveillance coverage of domestic suspects—beyond what was incidentally collected.

“We should not guess or wonder—the law should explicitly say the government can’t listen to calls, or read emails, without getting a warrant,” said Goitein, the Brennan Center leader. “If we know that, we could all relax a bit.”

Goitein and others propose additional changes to the law. One would narrow the pool of foreigners that the government may legally target for surveillance—thereby limiting Americans who could be caught in the web—to include only those who may pose a threat to U.S. interests.

Congress also could require the circle of officials who can authorize unmasking to be smaller, and tighten the constraints on doing so.

As lawmakers decide how to proceed, longtime opponents of Section 702 are celebrating the newfound public awareness.

“I feel completely vindicated,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in an interview with The Daily Signal.

Massie has proposed for three years in a row an amendment to Section 702 to prohibit warrantless searches of government databases for information on U.S. citizens.

“It’s always been harder to get Republican votes on this issue, but maybe those come easier now,” Massie said.

Originally published by Josh Siegel at The Daily Signal