#oldest pieces are back from February

[bluvianna]

I forgot I can do whatever I want with my acc so here’s an art dump of old art/abandoned art/art I didn’t like enough (sorry it’s inconsistent)

[skellinore]

"Family Outting"

[If the image shows up as blurry or whatever, just click the image, I hear that fixes it.]

I am finally here to bring you my longest piece to date! I started this baby back on March 3rd. I recovered from art block and many other struggles to get to this point! I am so unbelievably happy! 

[Something important to add: I’ve turned Markus into my OC, so he’s no longer a redesign of Offenderman! Since both of them are very, VERY different in personality, morals, and designs. I am however making another design and AU for Offender in another post! Which is why this post was delayed!]

Now onto the new and improved head-canons! [Going from left to right.]

Markus Sinclair:

The youngest! Yet somehow he is the only one to inhabit their father’s tallness gene. [He is the younger twin to Trender.]

Markus is a proud bisexual and aceflux man!

Markus Sinclair took his face name from his favourite character, from his favourite detective movie: The Twelve Painted Women. [He watched that movie religiously when he was a little boy.]

A hopeless romantic. A firm believer of love at first sight, he plans the most romantic candlelit dinners, and enjoys writing his own love poems. [A perfect golden retriever boyfriend.]

Despite being a prince, Markus has devoted his life to be the best detective he can be to help and protect the innocent. [Bonus: Markus does those cheesy dialogue intro lines, for example: “February 18, 1998, I was sitting down with a cup of coffee, reading the morning newspaper, until something caught my eye.” Basically that. Which I adore for him. His family also enjoys it, except for Trender.]

Markus is a well known writer and poet, under the pen name of "Sonnet V. Sparks” His popular works being: “In My Folly,” “My Broken Bones Will Mend Your Soul,” and “My Poems for Your Heart”

My dearest boy plays the guitar and piano, he enjoys playing tunes to his siblings and father.

Despite him loving his job, it absolutely destroys him. Which is why he’s the only child of Cabadath who doesn’t live in the castle. So that he can drink himself to death alone in peace.  

Slender:

The second oldest [However this is not public knowledge, and everyone views Slender as the oldest twin.] 

Slender is a distinguished gay who prefers to be called an it, but doesn’t mind being identified with male pronouns.

Slender will be the next in line to be king. [He takes his duties very seriously, but his father likes to spoil him, meaning he takes on less duties then it would like to.]

Slender very much adores and admires nature, most of his free time is dedicated to exploring the wilderness and documenting anything new. [Slender has written a well received encyclopedia of new types of plants/trees, animals, rocks/minerals, and insects.]  

Speaking of him liking nature, Slender has been given a blessing from Mother Nature herself, allowing it to be able to talk to animals, insects, and trees.

To be honest, Slender is daddy’s boy at heart. He absolutely adores his father. When he was younger he would sneak into Cabadath’s wardrobe and try on his clothes and pretend to be him.]

Slender has mastered shapeshifting to a tee. [Its favourite things to shapeshift into is a huge white deer, wolf, centipede, spider, and raven.]

Since Slender loves animals so much, my little prince is a vegetarian.

Splendor:

The oldest son! [He hates this, which is why he states to everyone that Slender is the oldest twin.]

Splendor is pansexual and asexual.

Much like Slender, Splendor loves animals! But instead of being a vegetarian, Splendor is a vegan.

Splendor and Slender are identical twins! When they were younger the only thing telling them apart were their tendrils, until Slender started to get its scars. [The only reason why Splendor looks way different from Slender now is because Markus, his baby brother, was ashamed of having a visible mouth, so Splendor used his tiny knowledge of shapeshifting to make it appear that he has a mouth and eyes to help with Markus’ self-esteem. He’s grown to love these features.]

Splendor’s personality differs from who he is around at the time. He’s calm, level-headed, and intelligent around his father, Markus, Trender, and anyone else; but around Slender, Splendor acts silly, carefree, and energetic! 

Dabbles in facepaint/makeup. To make his face stand out, examples: drawing on rainbow freckles, red swirls to mimic cartoon blush, little butterflies, paw prints, etc. [He also puts stickers on his face from time to time.]

A tad bit overprotective of his siblings, especially his twin, Slender.

While all of his other siblings have secure jobs, Splendor is the only one who hasn’t pinned down a job yet, not that he has to, being a prince and all. [He’s been a baker, ringmaster, toy maker, babysitter, nurse, and teacher! Right now he’s a daycare teacher.]

Trender:

The secondest youngest. [Only older than Markus by a whole two minutes.]

Trender is a triple A battery, with them being asexual, aromantic, and agender.

Trender is creatively gifted! Trender has explored many creative hobbies over the years, and has excelled at all of them in a small amount of time. Their favourites being sculpting, beading, photography, calligraphy, and drawing/painting. 

If anything were to happen to Slender, Trender would be next in line to rule over the kingdom and their people.

Trender barely talks at all, they enjoy listening to people a lot more. Trender really enjoys listening to their family members. Although they do enjoy talking to their twin, Markus quite a bit.

Trender’s face name was not something they picked out themselves. Splendor picked it out actually to match both him and his twin. Trender doesn’t mind it, as they couldn’t decide on one for the longest time.

If you managed to see their bare back, you’d see that it was completely covered in scars. [From the time they were kidnapped and used as slave labour for their special and rare type of tendrils.]

Trender runs many successful side businesses! From selling their sculptures, paintings, and their beading works on an online shop. [Trender’s two main jobs is a therapist/psychologist, as once again, they enjoy listening to people and helping them. The second one being a fashion designer/professional tailor, although they despise fast fashion. Trender actually has a brain compared to the other greedy designers. Trender cares to bring affordable and stylish clothes for people who need them.

I wanted to add that any drawings before this that have head-canons are outdated! So please disregard them! I've already most likely deleted most of my old Markus Sinclair art because it is still attached to the tag: Offenderman. I can't wait to post Markus under the tag: Slender/Creepypasta OC! I'll leave the old drawing alone for you to see! [All new drawings/head-canons will be using the: No Humans AU]

Anyways! Thank you to all who waited for this drawing to come out! I hope you'll like it as much as you liked the old one I posted back in 2022! it's crazy to see the improvement! [Here's the old one for you to see!]

[pseudonymphomania]

Your Top 5 Dialuci :3c

I'll start off by telling you how difficult this ask was. Do you know how many DiaLuci I have? That kitty cat face of yours taunts me.

One

BY YOUR SIDE

This is the February 2025 remastered version from the original September 2023. It was featured on the Obey Me Wiki for the month of February this year! It depicts Diavolo supporting a drunk Lucifer even as he is drunk himself. This is a more platonic flavor compared to the rest of my works, but I let them do the forbidden handholding this time around and kept Lucifer's sensuality. This is my favourite piece because their relationship can really be anything, but it doesn't change how important they are to each other.

Two

MY MORNINGSTAR

Original “The first time I met you, you were simply so divine, so awe-inspiring that you took my breath away. I couldn’t believe such a beautiful, magnificent angel actually existed.” - Diavolo (OG 7-10) I think depicting Diavolo as diminutive is a rare occurrence in this fandom, especially as the other half of the DiaLuci ship (really any Dia ship. He's been assigned biggest daddy dom in the om fandom lol). That's why I felt it was important to hammer home how much bigger Lucifer is metaphorically when you factor in Diavolo's regard. Diavolo, who wants to be seen as Lucifer's equal, who wants to live a normal life, who is lonely and just as overworked. The man wants so bad to be little spoon and it is my honor to give him what he truly wants.

Three

STATUES IN THE RAIN

Original It was as if we were both statues in a long forgotten garden, with the ruinous foliage growing through our stone skin watered and washed clean by the rain. I will forever stare at your masterwork lips and be jealous of the errant drops that lie between, wondering when I'd be able to move and embrace you again. (My DiaLuci poetry) I drew this for White Day 2024. I let them embrace, I let them get rained on, I let them be everything for each other as they held on until even their shirts could not separate them. I wrote them poetry that described a yearning that would never exist between them again.

Four

IL VA PLEUVOIR

Original It’s impossible to look for patterns in clouds when my eyes are full of water, but when the rain passes I can see myself reflected in the beautiful sun. (More of my DiaLuci poetry) this is an old piece but I remember how hard I worked on it. I wanted them to be soft and hold onto each other as the kingdom bustles outside.

Five

MY MOONFLOWER

Original Through your kiss, I can feel devotion coming to rain on the barren fields inside me. You toil endlessly so that what’s left of my heart can take root, but you never answer when I ask why you must grow things in such desolate places. (More of my DiaLuci poetry) This is one of my oldest pieces that still hold up to this day. Back then I had a more japanese paper style where everything is flattened onto hand drawn patterns. It was one of the first art that I wrote poetry for and that makes this is a very important piece to me.

Afterword

I love the concept of Them very much. They are my reason for being [in this fandom]. I love them as much now as when I first knew of them and I will love them forevermore.

[virtual-winter]

It's been 10 years since I first watched Frozen!🌻❄️⛏️☃️🦌

(Swedish DVD-copy of Frozen)

November 20th, 2014. It seems like forever ago. I remember watching this movie through my desktop ASUS PC (remember when computers used to have actual DVD-drives?) on a by today's standards pretty crappy Philips monitor. It didn't matter. The movie was like nothing else I had seen before. Even though I don't even have a sibling and can't fully relate to the conflict, Anna and Elsa's adventure is IMO one of the best stories ever told💕

I was 22 back then. A young man and totally in love with this Disney movie. Now I'm 32 and it continues to be among my favourite movies of all time. Even now, ten years later, I still live and breathe Frozen every day! It is a part of who I became and it is the way I wish to remain 😄

I have become a devoted fan of all things Frozen and I'm trying my best to be a part-time Frozen-analyst, mapmaker, worldbuilder and collector. I'm also known for using too many emotes and exclamation marks!

Below, I have tried to summarise some important and meaningful keepsakes and events from the past ten years. I hope you enjoy scrolling!✨✨✨

I believe this was the first ever Frozen-related pic that I saved (it's the oldest in my album) (April 2015)

I was equally in love with the OUAT Frozen arc and no one can tell me Georgina and Elizabeth were anything but perfect for their roles (April 2015)

🥹🥹🥹

(March 2015)

In just a couple of years we saw the franchise grow (did anyone else prefer the original logo for the musical?) (February 2016)

The official announcement we'd all been waiting for (April 2017)

The architect in me loved the castle! (2017)

I mean, who could ever forget this moment? (December 2018)

AJHFSJASJFKAGKJFGSKFDSGSJF!?!?!?!?!?!? (February 2019)

What are those????? (February 2019)

My first piece of "big" Frozen merch (April 2019)

I made a custom calendar just to count down the remaining days to Frozen II (I also avoided spoilers for the last 6 1/2 months) (December 2019)

🥹🥰😭

(December 2019)

Perfectly balanced, as it should be (February 2020)

Me collecting stuff! (February 2020)

Me going crazy saving as much Frozen content as possible 😅 (August 2020)

I joined r/Frozen (June 2021)

I started my deep-dive into Arendelle's geography in 2021 which ultimately lead to "An odyssey through Frozen geography", the first of many fandom projects! (July 2021)

Together with a group of equally dedicated Frozen nerds fans, I helped building the @arendelle-archives server and later tumblr-blog! (2021)

Collecting more things! (October 2021)

A Frozen comic writer responded to my reddit post?😲(December 2021)

I started developing ideas for a Frozen fanfic (2022)

Frozen III-announcement! Finally! (February 2023)

My Norway-trip of 2023. Without a doubt one of the most beautiful destinations on Earth and a must-go for anyone who wants to visit the real Arendelle!!! (July 2023)

I continue to delve into more map-related stuff in Wonderdraft (May 2024)

Together with the rest of the wonderful folks over at @frozen10fanzine, I helped create and design a fanzine summarising the memories of Frozen fans from the past decade! (July 2024)

A slice of my current Frozen collection! Some figures were very kindly donated to me by @yumeka-sxf 🙌 (July 2024)

And lastly, from today: the first snow of the season❄️🩵

If you made it this far, thank you for scrolling😅

Finally, a little shout-out to friends and acquaintances I've made through the likes of reddit, discord and tumblr in the past few years:

@bigfrozenfan @yumeka-sxf @greatqueenanna @queenritaofarendelle @saiten-gefroren @snowflaketale12 @cloudberriesforaqueen @theartoffrozen @secretsofthestorymakers

A big thank you also to the whole @arendelle-archives and @frozen10fanzine - teams! Y'all continue to inspire me!

[anamoon63]

And that's all (for now) about The Cho Brothers, Hidden Springs edition with Tyron, the oldest of the brothers as the protagonist. I'm closing with these photos of Hidden Springs at sunset, and a bonus photo of Jasper's house, with the Fire Engine included. 😉

Next up is a bit of The Wilson's, though I must confess I don't play The Sims 4 much anymore, you know, it's impossible for me to enjoy the game with updates every month and all those add-ons and events. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but it's a real pain to update all the gazillion mods I use, each time, to make the game work as it should.

Anyway, I love the Wilsons to pieces, so we'll continue to see something on them, but sadly maybe not as much and not as often as before. First, I would need to be able to play that game in peace and quiet to take more photos to show you, which is difficult for me now with EA constantly messing around with changes to the game. But don't worry, the Wilsons are staying with us., though it may take me longer to take proper screenshots of them.

*(End of the Sims 4 rant) *

-------

What will continue as usual are my posts on The Sims 3. Like I had already told you, in a few days we'll be back to the University with Dale, Kelly and company.

We'll see as well a little more of Lucky Palms, with Terence and Cynthia, and a bit of trouble in paradise.

Then we'll return with Tyron, and his new life in Starlight Shores.

I take this opportunity to tell you that I've continued to update the story of the Cho Brothers on my blog de Wordpress, for those of you who want to read it from the beginning or catch up with any posts you may have missed since this game began, you can find it here:

Also, probably next month... Really, I don't want to make any promises, but hopefully, by the end of February or earlier, the first episodes of my story Time Traveler. Part Three: To the Moon and Back will finally be ready. Mind you, it may take us a while to see Robin, our main character, again, but we will see some of his wife Ann, and the Shens, especially Dustin and Juliette in the hours following Robin's abduction.

Honestly, I hope I can keep up with everything, cause it's already difficult as it is to sit down and put my posts together. I'm juggling with two sim games, different stories and gameplays, not to mention work and real life stuff.

But don't worry, I promise this very year we will find out what happened to Robin Crane after he was abducted by aliens. We will also know who his parents are and why they had to separate from him. So prepare to go To the Moon and Back, and for lots and lots of drama! 😉

Until then, you can catch up with the latest episodes of the story, or read from the beginning if you must, on my WordPress blog here:

[myownperceptions]

Minions: The Rise of Gru- details, trivia, goofs, random notes (Pt. 3)

First part Previous part

Smoking is cool, kids. (What a way to begin a post)

This guy is called Guru Rick, according to concept art and the credits. Gurus were popular in the US in the 70s.

Gru's room has a lot of detail:

Just as I'm writing this do I realise this poster is a calendar. January and February are both under the picture. Cheapskates.

Gru's crossed out a few dates and circled the Chinese New Year.

Nice stills of the V6. Turns out Jean is quite a bit taller than Belle, but it's hard to tell since he crouches all the time. If it hasn't already been established, I love these two.

Gru has what looks like a pin-up of sorts of Belle above his door. She's holding her ball and chain.

There's a diagram of Jean-Clawed by his bed and a smaller poster of Wild Knuckles below that.

He has figurines of Belle and Jean on the floor.

He has a sizeable boomerang/slingshot/saw collection. Also spaceships. Some of them are even labeled.

+ spider wallpaper.

A picture of Nun-Chuck on his wardrobe, as well as a newspaper clipping with the headline 'Nun-Chuck Tells It All'. A stylised V6 poster above that, and an article on Stronghold to the side.

The queen's crown he stole in Minions. I've done the maths, and it would seem he stole it when he was 4 years old. The timeline is a bit of a mess, but personally I see the present Despicable Me movies (1-4) taking place from 2009-2014. Maybe that's a bit generous.

They also 'sing' a version of Cecilia by Simon & Garfunkel (released in 1970) during this scene. Available on the soundtrack.

This minion singing into a wrench.

Bob's pet rat from Minions is still alive, somehow. Wild rats typically live to be 1, sometimes 2 years old. The oldest rat ever lived to be 7 years old. It's been 8 years since the first Minions movie. Go figure. Or, we could just say this is a different rat.

This minion casually on fire. These guys are literally indestructible.

Otto passes out. So these guys do need to breathe. And have blood.

A few things:

Gru's clock is a bomb. There is also a stylised print of Jean-Clawed above it.

More giant V6 posters + a giant poster of Wild Knuckles.

A small poster of Stronghold on the right.

A drawing of Belle Bottom beating up some police officers + a drawing of Nun-Chuck + drawing of Svengeance.

Newspaper clipping that reads 'Jean Clawed Snaps Again'.

There are more but they appear again in a bit.

Other than the giant V6 banner, there is a news clipping from 'Despicable News' I deciphered as saying 'Veni Vedi Vicious 6', a play on 'Veni Vedi Vici': I came, I saw, I conquered. Not sure what WK is doing but he's on the cover.

This is just here for the sake of it. Stronghold has the disappointed-dad look going on. Svengeance looks like someone told him to show his mean face.

Bob and Tim from Minions. Reminder these guys are millions of years old.

The VNC guy from Minions is back with a new 70s style.

Sucky 70s graphics, I love it.

Wild Knuckles has a black eye and a bandage where his bandana used to be. Let's not question how he survived or made it back in one piece. Humans seem to be nigh-indestructible in this universe.

Skinny henchman nudges bigger guy to ask about payment while WK makes some questionable hand gestures (pulling limbs? breaking bones? who knows.)

WK suddenly grows 3 extra arms. He actually has a few blemishes and freckles on his arms which is just cool attention to detail.

Gru's future crocodile couches; he clearly inherited them.

Gru sings to the tune of 'Bad Moon Rising' by John Fogerty and CCR (released in 1969) throughout the 'getting ready' scene.

These guys really merched up. Wild Knuckles comes with glasses. Just look at those posable joints.

There's also a drawing of Nun-Chuck holding something (probably stolen)

Drawing of Jean-Clawed beating up an old lady with an umbrella.

Gru's self-ship of himself with Belle.

TBC. Wow, 2 posts in 1 day? Amazing. I'm totally not procrastinating on something.

Next part

[carrots-bear]

A Missing Piece at an Unexpected Time and Place (February Prompts)

Started - 2/14/25 | Finished - 2/15/25 | By Bear

A Post RotTMNT Movie one-shot

(Little note that this is kind of like a post-movie au, but if I ever fully write it, it won’t be for a long while)

——————————————————————

Donnie was taking some of his books out of his locker, Leo talking Casey Jr.’s ear off beside him. 

A few months after the Kraang invaded, he and Leo had finally gotten out of their beds and into wheelchairs. And, with the public wondering who their saviors were, and claiming not to care who or what they were or looked like, April, Donnie’s best friend and honorary sister, felt justified to give the public what they wanted. Of course, she prefaced with, “They look weird, but they’re the guys who saved the world, so, you aren’t allowed to hold anything against them,” and “The government better not come after my little brothers. They saved the world, you let them live, and call it square.” 

So the four brothers, April, and Casey Jones Junior, were on tv for all of New York to see. Now, a few months after that, Donnie was on his feet (well, with the help of a walking stick, that was just his bō in disguise, but he wasn’t going to mention that), and going to an actual, real life SCHOOL!!! His dreams were finally coming true. And it wasn’t going too bad, for his first day.

The first bell rung, and Donnie knew that meant it was time for his very first class. As he was homeschooled, and already incredibly intelligent, he was a senior, and took the most advanced classes any public school had to offer. Meanwhile, his twin was a junior, his oldest brother was a freshman, and his youngest brother was a sophomore. Casey was in his grade too though, so he knew someone in one class already, at least.

He looked at his schedule, and found that AP chemistry was first one the list! Starting off strong I see! he thought with a grin. He grabbed his books, laptop, and pencil-case, and hurried off to find the class number. 

Luckily for him, he had two advantages. One: he had visited April here many times, disguised in his old purple hoodie, so he knew the layout of the school pretty well already. And two: his locker was only a few yards away from the class-room. 

Donnie approached the door. He saw a girl walking towards the classroom, so, being the gentleman he was, Donnie opened and held the door for her. As he followed the girl into the class and took a seat behind her, getting settled, he noticed he was one of the first students there, but for the two that wanted to be early. He was excluding the girl from the count, by the way. 

As Donatello was scanning the familiar room for any changes that may have occurred due to change of teacher, or any other reasons it may have changed, the girl whipped around in her seat.

“Aren’t you one of the turtles who saved the world? One of the ones on tv a few months ago? My family moved to New York City right after the invasion, so it was still all over the news and socials when we got here,” she started.

“Uhm— yes— yes, yes I am. Welcome to New York, I guess. Can I help you?”, Donnie responded quizzically. 

“Well, I was just wondering. Were you really created my an alchemist warrior?”, she continued.

“Yea-yeah. Um, pardon me, but what is your name, exactly?”, Donnie asked, taken aback by the lighting round of questions.

“Oh my gosh! I’m sorry, I tend to talk a lot when I’m curious about something, or someone, rather. My name is Sasha Stanley,” Sasha explained, extending a hand over the back of her chair. The second bell rung.

“Miss Stanley, it is very nice to meet you,” Donnie said curtly, shaking her outstretched hand. “I understand the feeling of talking a lot when I’m curious as well. It’s something my brothers often tease me about, though they talk without aim. Terribly sorry for derailing. My name is Donatello, but to those who know me, I am also, Donnie, Don, Othello von Ryan, or Purple. Donnie or Donatello is preferred though.”

“Nice to meet you then, Donnie!”, Sasha said with a smile. Students started pouring in as the third bell rung. “I hope we can be friends,” she whispered over her shoulder as she clicked her mechanical pencil. The teacher began his lecture.

* • * • * One hour and thirty minutes later * • * • *

Donnie held the door open for the students exiting the classroom. Before he, himself, could leave, his teacher told him, “You did well in class today, Mister Hamato. Should I expect this from all of you and your brothers in all of my classes?”

“No, sir. Mikey and I should be the ones of us to stand out academically in your specific area of expertise,” Donnie responded as he left.

As he walked out the door, he saw his little brother, only across the hallway from Donnie’s own locker, clenching his fists. In front of him was a tall, broad-shouldered boy, looking to be around eighteen. He was laughing, with two other guys behind him, laughing with him. Which was a huge mistake, because no one messes with Donnie’s brother, and he knew that once his other brothers and Casey got out of class, these guys weren’t messing with any of them again. 

And so, Donnie put his chemistry books in his locker, grabbed the books for his next class, and approached the group of boys that had obviously been held back, or looked way too old for their age. “Hey, you three. What’s going on here?”, Donnie demanded.

The boy, who was obviously the leader, rolled his eyes. “Ugh, another freak. Take your brothers and go back to the sewers where you belong. Nobody wants you here.”

“Well, nobody likes a bully, yet here you are,” Donnie retorted smoothly. I can already tell that we are the exception to this guy. Can’t wait for the rest of the year, he thought deviously, Donnie thought. No, no sarcasm was there. Donnie was genuinely excited to “Heheh, zing!”, for the rest of the year. 

“Aaaaawwwwwww, got’em!”, Mikey cheered. He hadn’t said a word since Donnie had seen the interaction.

“Thank you, Michael. Anyways, what, specifically, might you have against my brother?”, Donnie asked again.

“Same thing I’ve got against you: you’re freaks,” the boy said, putting his face in Donnie’s.

“Okay, I need you to chew some gum, please,” Donnie grimaced as he took a step away from the boy’s face. “Why do you have a problem with the way we look? We are just as sentient and rational as man, we are bipedal, we are dexterous, and we are adequately educated, for our previous social status and living situation, which was more or less non-existent outside of our limited friend-circle and the ones who want us dead. Gasp. Are you racist?”

The two guys behind him— one black and one Hispanic— looked at him, as if daring him to say “yes”.

The boy scoffed. “Ha! This one’s funny. Listen, creature. These two guys are my two best friends. I’m not racist. I just don’t like when an animal thinks it’s smarter than a person.”

“Don’t worry, I know I’m smarter than a lot of the kids here. I’m terribly sorry, but I didn’t catch your name, and it’s been bugging me the whole time,” Donnie retorted.

The kid scowled. “My name’s David. David Stanley. And you don’t want to try anything with me or mine.” David stuck out his chest and stood up straighter.

Hold on— Donnie thought as he narrowed his eyes at David and then thought back to an hour and a half prior. “Wait. Would you happen to be Sasha Stanley’s brother?”

“How have you already spoken to my sister?”, David snarled, taking steps towards Donnie until they were face to face.

“Donnie, we should probably go to class now,” Mikey whispered, the second bell ringing even before he had finished speaking.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Donnie said, staring David dead in the eyes.

“Donnie,” Mikey whispered urgently, he face pleading.

Donnie didn’t see though, as he responded to his little brother. “This is more than pushing people around, Mikey. He’s pushing us around. He’s pushing you around, and I’m not doing anything wrong for standing up to that.”

“Don’t, Donnie! You’re not fully healed yet,” Mikey urged still, his voice growing in volume slowly as the situation escalated.

“Listen to the weak one turtle. It doesn’t sound like you’re in too hot of shape,” David mocked.

“Must history repeat itself?”, Donnie asked rhetorically as he shifted his feet and his weapon in disguise.

“If you are referring to the Civil Rights movement during the eighteen-hundreds, and the continuation of that with the pursuit of higher education for colored people, as well as the protests and other such events that caused disturbance and ultimately lead to the equal society we have today, I’m afraid it must,” David relayed.

“Then we agree that all living organisms with mutations that are also sentient and rational, as well as nature’s other oddities, will someday have equal rights to that of humans and that this argument is pointless?”, Donnie suggested.

David looked like he was thinking for a moment. Leo hobbled over right that second though. “Don-Tron! Mikester! We have English class! Teach says that whoever isn’t in the classroom by the time the last bell rings is getting detention! I’ve only ever heard of it from media and April saying she’s glad she never got it, but I already know that I hate it, so let’s gooooo!!!!!”, Leo beckoned hurriedly before speed-hobbling away.

“Tell me your response by lunch,” Donnie informed David coolly. “Come now, dear brother. We have a class to attend.” Donnie lead Mikey away from the scene.

* • * • * Four periods later * • * • *

“Siiiiiggghhhhh. It’s finally time for lunch,” Donnie stretched as he put his books away, careful not to strain his back.

“Yes! I’m so hungry, I could eat a hippo!”, Raph cheered, pumping his fists in the air.

Leo, Casey, and Mikey nodded enthusiastically. “Plus, we get to see Barry! And we’ll get to see him every day! Man, I’m so excited for school life,” Mikey added. Casey was the only one who appeared just as enthusiastic as before after this statement.

“Well, I have a thing in the lunch-room, sooooooo, I’ll see you after I get that all smoothed out,” Donnie explained vaguely.

“Noooo, Donnie, please don’t. What if he tries to beat you up?”, Mikey whimpered.

“Donnie,” Raph said sternly.

“The key word in that sentence is ‘tries’, I might add,” Donnie said with a smirk as he began to limp with the flow of students, though he was more like a rock breaking the flow. His brothers weren’t that different.

“Donnie, what did you do?”, Raph growled.

Donnie didn’t stop walking, nor did he turn his head as he responded. “Nothing. He was pushing Mikey around, and I wasn’t going to let that continue to happen. He doesn’t have it out for everyone, or Mikey specifically either; he’s got it out for us quote-unquote freaks. So, after a logical conversation between two rational beings, he will tell me if I have convinced him to lay off. If I have not convinced him, we’re going to have to toughen up; actions speak louder than words.”

“What actions speak louder than saving the world?”, Leo asked furiously, though he bit his tongue and held back words that would leave him in trouble with Raph.

“I understand your feelings, Leo, believe me. But, hopefully, I was successful,” Donnie grimaced as he pushed the doors open. 

The lunchroom was as neat and orderly as the five boys expected. Well, neat and orderly no more, O Baron Draxum, Donnie thought with exasperation and mock malice.

David grabbed Donnie as soon as he walked through the doors and pulled him off to the side. “Ah, David. I didn’t expect an immediate response,” Donnie started from air jail in David’s fist. Looking down at his dangling feet, then back to David, he said, “I take it you haven’t changed your mind?”

“Heh. You’re crippled. You couldn’t do anything if you wanted to. I can tell that you’re scared. I can’t believe you are one of the freaks who’s supposed to have saved the world,” David said with a smirk.

“Scoff! I’m not scared. And I did help save the world, though it was my idiot of a brother that was closest to death. But I and my family were just as close to death as him. And, might I say, we are far more likely candidates than ‘you and yours’ as you put it,” Donnie argued.

“I was leaning towards letting you four off the hook, but you don’t seem to be helping your case, freak,” David spat.

“David! What do you think you’re doing?”, a voice said from behind Donnie.

“Nothing he doesn’t deserve,” David responded casually. “I wasn’t going to hurt ‘im, if you care at all.”

“Because that’s certainly what you just said to me. And it’s definitely why you’re holding me in the air by the collar of my shirt,” Donnie said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “And please be direct about whether or not you have intentions on beating me up at this moment so that I know what to expect.”

“No one is beating anyone up. Got it?”, Sasha ordered.

“Fine,” David said, dropping Donnie on the ground, certainly not gently. 

Donnie hissed in pain, rubbing his shell, still bruised and healing from the Kraang’s very gross, very cool spaceship that Donnie got to drive. “So, are we agreed that this argument is pointless and will eventually end up history as the movement towards colored rights is now?”, Donnie asked hopefully.

“You’ve convinced me enough that I’m on the fence about it. I’ll tell you when I land firmly on either side. Until then, don’t count on anything,” David replied with clenched fists, glowering down at the soft-shell turtle.

“That’s good enough for me,” Donnie nodded, standing back up and extending his hand. David glared still, yet he accepted the hand.

“C’mon, Sash. We’ll let the freaks find their own way around.” David beckoned, waving his arm towards the lunch line.

Sasha looked at her brother meaningfully for a moment before shaking her head. “They’re new here, and so are we. I don’t know what you have against them, but I’m sure we can work it out,” she tried.

“Oh, yeah, I don’t know where they are. Ugh, I can’t believe the my brother won’t let me wear any of my battle shell variants, but on top of that, the school is prohibiting me wearing them as well! Blasphemy,” Donnie ranted as he tried to peek over the heads of students to get a glimpse of a familiar colored mask. “I suppose we’re doing it the old fashioned way. Sigh,” he sighed as he pulled out his phone and messaged Leo.

‘,’,’,’,’,’,‘,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’

‘Nardo

You at 12:02 pm today (Where are you four?)

‘Nardo at 12:02 pm today

(Where r U?)

(We looked everywere)

(*everywhere) You at 12:03 pm today

(Well, apparently not everywhere. Just tell me where you are and I shall meet you there once I make purchase of food.)

‘Nardo at 12:03 pm today

(I already got u some food thier althe same)

(Were at a table at the end off the lunchlne)

(*lunchline)

You at 12:03 pm today

(Thank you. I’ll be there in less than a minute.)

‘,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’

Donnie put his phone away and looked up. “Well, I am going to have lunch before I start threatening to eat my brothers. I hope to see you in passing more often, Miss Stanley. I hope not the like towards you, David. Enjoy your lunches, though I heard the food tastes worse than most schools.”

Donnie walked away. He heard footsteps behind him. “Wait!”, Sasha called as she walked up beside him. “Why don’t we all sit together? You seem pretty nice, and I bet your brothers aren’t all that different from you.”

Donnie snorted. “Feel free to sit wherever you’d like, Sasha, but when together by my brothers are barbaric.”

“I have two older brothers, I should be fine,” she said with a smile.

“This way then.” Donnie lead the way across the lunchroom.

“Don! Dee-Dee! Over here!”, Mikey called from somewhere near. Donnie turned his head and saw green fingers and an orange glove waving high up.

Donnie walked towards the table. “Greetings, brethren,” he addressed before sitting down. 

“Here’s food,” Leo said as he pushed Draxum’s green slop towards Donnie.

Donnie grimaced, “What’s to be expected from him.”

“Actually, it ain’t that bad! I think he’s finally trying to make the stuff taste alright,” Raph assured.

“And he’s not just saying that because he’s a hungry Raph. I can confirm that it is appealing to my tastebuds,” Mikey paused to breath in dramatically, “somewhat.”

“Well, that gives me some assurance, he said truthfully and completely convinced that what his brothers said was true,” Donnie sassed, though he reluctantly grabbed his spoon.

“Captain Stanley?” It was Casey Jr., staring at Sasha in astonishment.

“Oh, yes. How impolite of me. Brothers, CJ, this is Sasha Stanley. Sasha, these are my brothers. Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo, though they are commonly called Raph, Mikey, and Leo,” Donnie said, finishing the introduction.

“Hi! It’s nice to meet all of you,” Sasha greeted with a wave. “Could I sit with you guys? It’s my first year going here too, so I don’t really know anyone. Well, except for my brother and his friends. But I’d rather find friends of my own.”

“Donnie, I’m going to ask this as nicely as I can: how come you find all the nice people first? You were the one that knew about April’s basketball court, which is how we met her, and now you find anothernice girl? Dude, I’ll come to you when I want to find a friend I guess,” Leo rambled, somewhat, bitterly.

“You’ll soon discover all of our behaviors, if you stick around long enough,” Donnie bluntly informed her.

“Good to know,” she laughed as she sat down in between Leo and Donnie.

“It only makes sense, I guess,” Casey said out of nowhere.

“Hm? Wha’d’ya mean?”, Raph asked, his mouth still full.

“Raphael, you know I can’t say much,” Casey sighed, though he looked like he wanted to say a lot. “Well, I guess it’s not much of a ‘spoiler’ as you guys like to call it.” Sasha looked confused as she listened to Casey, chewing her food in deep thought. “In the ‘bad’ future, Donatello and Captain Stanley were great friends. They barely ever saw each-other in person, because that’s not what their jobs were, but they did call a lot. They actually met through virtual meetings that had to do with transferring information soundly and safely. I remember walking in on an official meeting once. Master Donatello was furious with me, but Captain Stanley didn’t mind,” Casey recalled with a chuckle.

“I’m very confused,” Sasha smiled nervously.

“Oh, yeah. CJ over here is from the future that would have happened if forty-year-old me didn’t send him back in time,” Leo explained.

“Hadn’t,” Donnie corrected, and it sounded like there was a second voice saying it along with him. He looked around the table, and his gaze landed on Sasha. He gasped. “Yes! Someone who is just as intelligent as I am! I should have guessed if you’re taking AP classes, but still! In. Your. Face! Haha!”, Donnie cheered, pointing in his brothers’ faces. “Not to undermine you, Casey Junior.”

“That’s alright, Donatello,” Casey smiled.

After a few minutes of eating, Raph let out a very,… very loud burp. “Heheh. ‘Cuse me,” Raph chuckled.

“Excuse you, indeed,” Donnie rolled his eyes.

“Nice one, bro! Try topping that!”, Leo complemented the snapping turtle.

“Speaking of bros, didn’ you say you had an older brother that goes here?”, Raph asked. Everyone of the brothers knew that Raph loved smalltalk ‘because it’s just easier to make friends that way!’

“Yeah, I do actually. His name’s David—“, Sasha began.

“And none of us want to cross him until he decides whether or not he hates us because we’re mutants,” Donnie interrupted.

“Wait— is your brother that kid who was saying mean stuff about being a turtle to me?”, Mikey questioned.

“Hold on, was David bullying you too? He’s not usually like that,” Sasha asked, obviously bewildered.

“Donnie,” Raph said in his stern voice again.

“Yes, that is actually what started the whole ordeal,” Donnie answered. “And I’m positive he’s got it out for anything with mutations.”

“But I have a mutation,” Sasha revealed, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

Everyone but Donnie gasped, eyes wide. “Does he know?”, Leo whispered.

When Sasha had said she had a mutation, Donnie squinted his eyes and looked for any naturally occurring mutation. “Wait, wait, wait,” Donnie told the four other boys as he saw it. “Just because you are not a mutant doesn’t mean you don’t have genetic mutations. Heterochromia— having multiple eye-colors— is a type of mutation. Animals that are albino have a coloration mutation. I have observed that Sasha has complete heterochromia,” Donnie explained to his brothers. 

“I’m terribly sorry, Sasha, but I do believe that people with coloration mutations do not count as mutants,” Donnie redirected his statement.

“Oh. You mean he has it out for mutants and not, just, people with mutations. I find that rather odd,” Sasha commented.

“How so?”, Donnie queried.

“Hey, Don. Since you and I are mutants and have retro chrome-books, or whatever you said, does that mean that we’re double mutated?”, Leo asked air-headed-ly.

“Well, why don’t we compare ourselves to normal turtles, hm? Normal turtles walk on four legs; we do not. Normal turtles do not have thumbs; we do. Normal turtles do not have as advanced brains as we do; therefore, normal turtles cannot talk, though you do a splendid job of it. Normal turtles are not dexterous; we are. Would you like me to continue, or would you rather go over to the lunch-guy and ask him about it? I’m sure he can give you better detail than I can,” Donnie listed.

“Nevermind, I get it! Geez, Donald,” Leo huffed.

“So, what type of turtle are you guys? Were you humans or turtles first? What grades are you all in? Further, how old are you?”, Sasha bubbled.

“Raphala is an alligator snapping turtle, Mikey is an ornate box turtle, ‘Nardo is a red-eared slider, and I,” Donnie replied, pausing to sigh, “am a spiny soft-shell. And we were regular ol’ turtles first. We were intentionally mutated to be weapons of war to defend a certain race, only for our human DNA donor, our father, to escape and bring us with him,” Donnie info dumped.

“Okay, now to answer your last two questions, which are the only ones I can remember.” Leo started info-dumping himself, “I’m a junior, Mike’s a sophomore, Raph’s a freshman, and Donnie and Case are seniors. And while it depends on mine and Donnie’s moods, we’re twins. But I’m the older twin, because time passes differently in the PD—“

“Don’t you dare start on that you little—“

“—but Raph is seventeen, we’re sixteen, and Mikey’s fifteen—“

“You’re fifteen!?”, Sasha exclaimed, her eyes widening.

“Uh, yeah, technically. I mean, we all kind of messed up our ages because of—“, Mikey tried.

“How am I just now realizing that people my age are the ones who saved the world?”, Sasha wondered.

The bell rung. “Welp, looks like lunch is over. Drama time~!”, Leo grinned, doing jazz hands, before picking up his tray and hobbling away.

Donnie stood up and grabbed his own tray. “What do you have next, Sasha?”, he prompted.

“I have drama too. I skipped it my first two years of high school drama, so I’m doing it my last two years,” Sasha replied.

“Great! We can walk there together! Quick question, uh, is David going to be there too?”, Mikey asked meekly.

“No, he already did his two years,” Sasha smiled at the box turtle that was at eye-level. Sasha, Leo, Mikey, and Casey walked away, excitedly talking about the next class.

Donnie couldn’t see Raph though, and just as he had that thought, he felt a presence, and saw a familiar shadow looming over him. “I want a full explanation by the time we get to the classroom, Donnie,” Raph ordered.

“Got it,” Donnie nodded, his expression the epitome of healthy, familial fear. 

“You can start right now if you wanna,” Raph pushed further.

“Okay,” Donnie whispered as the two started the walk to their next class.

* • * • * One walk to class later * • * • *

“So, you saw this guy pickin’ on Mike, so you went up to him? Even though he’s about as bad as some street punk?”, Raph checked.

“We’ve faced worse than street punks— much worse,” Donnie countered.

Raph’s face contorted into that of anger and worry, and he stood still. “But we’re still recovering! We’re actually so close to bein’ healed, I can already feel goons under my fists! But if you end up gettin’ yourself hurt—“

Donnie stopped and whirled around. “We’re still healing, yes, but we’re not weak, Raph—“

“I’m not sayin’ that anyone’s weak! I’m saying we still need time to heal, and that it’s gonna end up taking longer if we get in a fight—“

“No. Listen, Raph. I’m not looking for fight, which you would know if you listened! I’m stoping one— and likely more!— from happening. The Hamatos are always talking about never being alone. I’m sure they didn’t necessarily intend for it to be applied to school life, but I think we should use it when applicable. I stoped David from handing our shells to us, so try to be grateful for that,” Donnie argued. He turned away and limped to classroom 136.  

He heard Raph’s footsteps start to follow not long after. Donnie stoped at the door. He opened it and held it for Raphael. “I am grateful, Don,” Raph spoke softly as he walked through the door, looking at his brothers face with a smile adorning his own.

The two got settled. The teacher started speaking, using big gestures; her voice booming. Donnie’s phone went ding! and vibrated. The room went silent. “Sorry, that was me. Continue, please, uh, ma’am,” Donnie admitted. He opened up his phone and clicked the notification.

‘,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’

Bossman

Bossman at 12:32 pm today

(Im gratful for what u did)

(And what u do)

(And im proud of u :))

(Sorry for upsetting u d. luv u <3)

‘,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’

As Donnie read the message, he smiled a big, goofy, happy smile. He looked over to his biggest brother, his oldest brother, his strongest brother, his reddest brother. And he was grateful. And he felt that a missing piece inside, that he didn’t know was missing, had just been filled. 

He opened his phone again, and clicked messages once more.

‘,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’

Bossman

You at 12:33 pm today

(That’s alright, Raph…)

(I love you, too. <3)

‘,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’,’

___________________

What was originally intended to be an ocXcannon internet introduction turned into brotherly bonding 🫠 Still happy with it!

February prompts: Day 14 - Love in Unexpected Places | Day 13 - The Missing Piece

@monthlywritingchallenges

This is meant to be Valentines themed, but who says you can't celebrate it with your family :]. (Brotherly love, people. Don't be like that. Please. At least keep it away from me >~<)

Extra thoughts on the process of this thing I wrote:

Me:

(There was no script really, just a vague plan. This still checks out though)

Me: *talks normally*

Me: *writes Donnie’s pov* *talks like Donnie*

[houseofbrat]

Hahahahaha:

I think her work would take centre stage if she…you know…worked more. But what do I know? 😂

Full on celebrating Kate's run of

FUNERAL WEAR!!

A new style strategy for the Princess of Wales? This is the start of Kate 2.0 for the queen-in-waiting as she enters her ‘invisible fashion’ era. Kate's wardrobe has always been a subject of fascination, but as she resumes her royal duties in 2025, it’s clear that her style has undergone a significant transformation in her comeback wardrobe. Gone are the pastel dresses and statement coats of previous years. In their place is a more muted, sophisticated and understated wardrobe that signals a new era for the Princess of Wales. This shift in style, which we are calling ‘invisible fashion’, demonstrates that Kate is choosing to let her work take centre stage rather than her wardrobe.

Told ya! Kate is "serious" about her work, y'all! It's dark & drab from here on out!

Following the announcement from Kensington Palace regarding the focus needing to shift from her clothes to her work, we are now seeing a new style for the Princess of Wales, one where her fashion choices blend into the background. British designer Amanda Wakeley, host of the podcast Style DNA, believes Kate has always understood the power of fashion as a communicator, and her more muted wardrobe for 2025 reflects a considered shift in how she wishes to be perceived. She says: 'This approach speaks to her discipline and dedication, using fashion as a quiet amplifier rather than a distraction.'

Just like The Pantsuit Streak of 2023! Kate's current run of FUNERAL WEAR is a stunt. Just like her pantsuit streak from fall 2023 was a stunt!

Her recent wardrobe overhaul has seen a shift towards beige, camel, deep burgundies, and rich browns, tones that are elegant, timeless, and, crucially, unassuming. The days of fit and flare dresses and skinny jeans seem to be firmly behind her. Instead, Kate is championing classic tailoring, favouring wide-leg trousers, structured midi skirts, and well-cut blazers. She has even incorporated plenty of plaid into her wardrobe, a subtle nod to British heritage while still maintaining a polished and modern look. This newfound love for understated style allows her to blend effortlessly into her surroundings, keeping the focus on her work rather than what she is wearing. By choosing neutral hues and timeless cuts, Kate is embracing a style that aligns with her growing role within the monarchy, where her presence is required to carry weight beyond just a photo opportunity. It’s a stark contrast to the late Queen Elizabeth, who was famous for her use of bright colours to ensure she stood out in a crowd. Kate’s approach, however, is all about subtlety and quiet power.

Ah, let's all sing the praises of Kate's FUNERAL WEAR, which is a stark contrast to QEII making it easy to identify her.

Here's the benefit of Kate's FUNERAL WEAR, looking like the donut hole in a donut.

While her outfit was understated and a departure from her usual style, it featured a Blazé Milano checked wool coat that dates back to 2021, showcasing the princess's signature affinity for regal recycling. Later in February the princess visited Pontypridd and dressed in possibly one of her oldest rewears yet, a 2007 Ralph Lauren tweed jacket from her pre-break-up days with Prince William. Her choice to repeatedly wear staple pieces, rather than introduce new designer dresses to the rotation, signals a shift towards a more practical and sustainable approach to fashion. The emphasis is no longer on making headlines with her sartorial choices but on demonstrating a sense of responsibility and consistency. Her ensembles are polished yet unassuming, exuding confidence without the need for flashy details. Accessories have also been dialled down. Statement hats and bold jewellery have been replaced with simple pearl earrings and minimalistic handbags. The overall effect is one of quiet sophistication, where fashion complements rather than competes for attention.

Isn't it convenient how Kate wasn't as interested in recycling or repeating outfits as much in her first twelve to thirteen years, as she has been over the last two and a half months? Perhaps next time someone should calculate her repeat/recycle ratio per outfit for the next DM article? Because last I recall, Kate usually ranks pretty high on UFO No More's annual spending list.

Kate didn't bring a handbag to several engagements over the last couple of months. Is it because she's "dial[ling] down" and going for "quiet sophistication," or is it because The Duchess of Do Little and her comms team are scared of her being pegged as The UK's Marie Antoinette? Looks like it's the latter given how Kate used the same handbag for her last two engagements.

This change in fashion direction comes at a pivotal moment in her royal career. As she takes on more responsibilities, she is stepping away from the playful, fashion-forward choices of her earlier years in favour of a wardrobe that reflects her status as a future queen.

"As she takes on more responsibilities"?!

WHAT NEW RESPONSIBILITIES?

She took on two (2) new patronages in January, and what else? I haven't seen her increase her workload. To date, she's working less than she ever has, excepting 2024. I haven't seen KP social media promote her patronages & charities more. I've seen Ed, Sophie, and Anne pick up something like five to ten new patronages each in the last year alone. Kate? Two new patronages and only 9 days of public engagements so far.

Quit gaslighting everyone by lying about these "responsibilities." THE KP TITANIC keeps using these words, but it's very clear it's not happening.

Ultimately, Kate’s wardrobe overhaul marks the beginning of a new chapter in her royal journey. She is embracing fashion as a tool for quiet diplomacy, using her clothing to convey a sense of stability, responsibility, and focus. In doing so, this refreshing shift is redefining what it means to dress as a modern royal, proving that style does not have to shout in order to be heard, cementing her status as a forward-thinking royal who understands the power of fashion, not for spectacle, but for substance.

Ultimately, Kate wouldn't be doing these stunts with her clothes if she and her comms team at THE KP TITANIC weren't already convinced about how FUCKED she and William are.

Should we start discussing what proper crisis pr is and how temporarily changing your clothing style is NOT it? And perhaps Kate wouldn't be in the position of losing her reputation had THE KP TITANIC engaged in proper public relations strategy when they became independent from Clarence House, instead of all the insipid celebrity shit they've been doing since then.

No, what I really can't believe is that I USED to think that Will & Kate were smart because they both had "university degrees" from a prestigious university, University of St. Andrews. GAWD, what a mistake that was. They are dum-dum level of DUMB!

LESS THAN TWO WEEKS BITCHES!!

[herzzgeist]

Captain's Log

A/N: A highly self-indulgent piece. Not sure how I came up with this, but . . damn, I needed this after going through some tough times. Let a girl dream alright? ;-; Hope I still could give you a little smile with this. This is kind of a recap to last year and how I learned to love that silly boy Not really prove read

Content: first person pov of Law 'diary style' - him being lovey dovey for fem!reader in his own way

January, 2023

Noticed a new wanted poster hanging around in the towns and cities we dock at. A woman. I have heard rumors of her, (Y/n), but she looks rather strange. The bounty is quite high though - another worst generation rival perhaps?

February, 2023

Her bounty‘s higher now. Even the poster has a new, more clear picture to it. Strange looking. I wonder what her fighting skills are like.

March, 2023

Finally this pink bastard is down for the count. Breaking up to Zou - will be a long journey ahead.

This crazy woman sabotaged an admiral‘s fleet?! Is she mad? How?? She has to be one of the worst generation! At least I heard that rumor from Nami-ya.

April, 2023

Nico-ya mentioned this (Y/n) is headed towards Zou as well. It worries me even more, that she's supposed to bear a mythical zoan devil fruit. People died because of her singing? Ridiculous.

May, 2023

This is not what I expected. Shortly after meeting my crew, this blasted woman appears right around the corner and instantly disappears again? Bepo brought her back, introducing her to me and explaining her supportive acts. She was down right nerve wrecked as she looked up at me.

I'm an idiot for thinking about how velvet like her hand was

Guess she heard of me. Wouldn't be a surprise, she went pale as snow as she saw me.

June, 2023

I hate her. She's nosy, upright, supportive and . . cute. Those terms shouldn't be in a pirate's resume, at least the cute part. Yes she has excellent control of her devil fruit, true she helped out my crew , but it doesn't mean I'll fully accept her as part of the crew.

I learned about her powers. The Sonar-Sonar fruit. It acts like a submarine or bat I believe, using echo location to discern anything in a large radius. In addition, singing melodies, each having a different use, she can either make people fall asleep or lure them towards her. Her epithet 'Siren' sure makes sense.

That's all I know - but there must be more . .

July, 2023

She's part of the crew now. If I'd refuse her, Bepo would cry 24/7, Shachi and Penguin might as well talk my ears full with bullshit and Ikkaku will most definitely sabotage the Tang's motors. So I didn't have any other choice.

Besides that, it's (Y/n)-ya's birthday - if I wouldn't have taken her in . . yes that leads me to everything above.

Additionally, I learned she turned my age yesterday. She's so . . feeble for that age. So insecure and too nice for this world (besides being bold towards the government?) Why even is she in the piracy scene? How did she come this far?

August, 2023

What the hell is wrong with me? I fell for the oldest trick in the book! She merely asked for my help, saying she had something in her eye, so of course I take a look and she goes ahead and pokes my nose??

Not sure what she said, but I think it was: "You should smile more." What? Who does she think she is? Talking to her Captain like that?

God, I will never get rid of that image and her deep e/c eyes staring back at me. Damn it she was close. Or theoretically I was

September, 2023

Damn it, her scent is everywhere! It's outragous, she steals my clothes, Kikoku and even my hat when I'm not looking! I think I took on her odors now too! It's annoying . .

Not sure why, but the fragrancy reminds me of wildrose and chocolate. Maybe because she eats way too much chocolate, which she stashes somwhere aboard the sub. (Note to self - find her candy stash and eliminate it ASAP)

I can't help but think of her whenever wildroses appear randomly wherever I go. And I see them everywhere as soon as we dock on islands? What dumbass is into wildroses that much? I sure am not! They're nothing but cosmetic to me, nothing of use in real medical sense.

October, 2023

I am most certainly NOT giving in to her charms. She's just being nice and gifted me a yellow hoodie, a polar teddy bear and . . god damn tickets to Sora Con. Is she insane? They cost a shit ton of Berry and she just . .

She accidently grazed my hand as she gave me the plushie. How can it be so soft? Not the teddy I mean. She's warm and silky. And again - this forsaken scent of wildrose.

Speaking of which. I noticed how pink her lips are, almost resembling the petals of . . wildroses.

She's weird.

November, 2023

Something's different. She's not as cheerful and overly smiley as usual. I believe there's a private matter going on.

Whatever, she'll get over it.

December, 2023

She didn't get over it. Her mood is really annoying lately, but she's behaving like a totally different person. She truly isn't well.

So I asked her about her well being. It's nothing to get over quickly, that's for sure. It worries me, seeing her this absentminded. She'll get in trouble if she doesn't concentrate on the battles ahead. Her powers can be truly useful, if not crucial if we stick to my plans (which I highly doubt)

To be fair, I'd rather see her happy than all slumped and grumpy.

She's got a pretty smile

I like her, I must see to her after the raid

I think she's going to be alright

Last page of captain's log / Notes barely readable, for he tried to eliminate 'evidence'

She called me 'snow leopard' the other day. I believe her naive woman thoughts got the better of her, perhaps influenced by all the ‚adorable’minks at Zou. If she calls me that one more time in front of everybody, I swear I'll send her heart to the marines.

Anyway, she asked me what I think what kind of mink she would be? She's a human, why should she be a mink out of the sudden? But I guess I'll humor her tomorrow.

She reminds me of a red panda. It's her hair. As soon as the sun rays hit her, red glows from her strands, resembling the embers of fire. Besides, she behaves like one, silly and throwing paws. Plus they're cute. Kind of like her.

I heard her sing together with Brook at the outpost. Her voice sounds nice. Yet, the way she holds the notes, it reminds me of north blue folklore. Is she actually . .?

She hugged me. It felt strange. But I can't deny it was . . heartwarming? I tucked her into my blue feather coat, in hopes to suffocate her, yet her head just plopped right out front and she looked up at me . . smiling

I'm too young to have a cardiac arrest - still whenever she does this I get premature ventricular contractions.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Reaches Top of Jezero Crater Rim

The road ahead will be even more scientifically intriguing, and probably somewhat easier-going, now that the six-wheeler has completed its long climb to the top.

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has crested the top of Jezero Crater’s rim at a location the science team calls “Lookout Hill” and rolling toward its first science stop after the monthslong climb. The rover made the ascent in order to explore a region of Mars unlike anywhere it has investigated before.

Taking about 3½ months and ascending 1,640 vertical feet (500 vertical meters), the rover climbed 20% grades, making stops along the way for science observations. Perseverance’s science team shared some of their work and future plans at a media briefing held Thursday, Dec. 12, in Washington at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting, the country’s largest gathering of Earth and space scientists.

“During the Jezero Crater rim climb, our rover drivers have done an amazing job negotiating some of the toughest terrain we’ve encountered since landing,” said Steven Lee, deputy project manager for Perseverance at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “They developed innovative approaches to overcome these challenges — even tried driving backward to see if it would help — and the rover has come through it all like a champ. Perseverance is ‘go’ for everything the science team wants to throw at it during this next science campaign.”

Since landing at Jezero in February 2021, Perseverance has completed four science campaigns: the “Crater Floor,” “Fan Front,” “Upper Fan,” and “Margin Unit.” The science team is calling Perseverance’s fifth campaign the “Northern Rim” because its route covers the northern part of the southwestern section of Jezero’s rim. Over the first year of the Northern Rim campaign, the rover is expected to visit as many as four sites of geologic interest, take several samples, and drive about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers).

“The Northern Rim campaign brings us completely new scientific riches as Perseverance roves into fundamentally new geology,” said Ken Farley, project scientist for Perseverance at Caltech in Pasadena. “It marks our transition from rocks that partially filled Jezero Crater when it was formed by a massive impact about 3.9 billion years ago to rocks from deep down inside Mars that were thrown upward to form the crater rim after impact.”

“These rocks represent pieces of early Martian crust and are among the oldest rocks found anywhere in the solar system. Investigating them could help us understand what Mars — and our own planet — may have looked like in the beginning,” Farley added.

First Stop: ‘Witch Hazel Hill’

With Lookout Hill in its rearview mirror, Perseverance is headed to a scientifically significant rocky outcrop about 1,500 feet (450 meters) down the other side of the rim that the science team calls “Witch Hazel Hill.”

“The campaign starts off with a bang because Witch Hazel Hill represents over 330 feet of layered outcrop, where each layer is like a page in the book of Martian history. As we drive down the hill, we will be going back in time, investigating the ancient environments of Mars recorded in the crater rim,” said Candice Bedford, a Perseverance scientist from Purdue University in West Layfette, Indiana. “Then, after a steep descent, we take our first turns of the wheel away from the crater rim toward ‘Lac de Charmes,’ about 2 miles south.”

Lac de Charmes intrigues the science team because, being located on the plains beyond the rim, it is less likely to have been significantly affected by the formation of Jezero Crater.

After leaving Lac de Charmes, the rover will traverse about a mile (1.6 kilometers) back to the rim to investigate a stunning outcrop of large blocks known as megabreccia. These blocks may represent ancient bedrock broken up during the Isidis impact, a planet-altering event that likely excavated deep into the Martian crust as it created an impact basin some 745 miles (1,200 kilometers) wide, 3.9 billion years in the past.

More About Perseverance

A key objective of Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including caching samples that may contain signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, to help pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet and as the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.

NASA’s Mars Sample Return Program, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), is designed to send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.

[unwrittenwitness]

A State of Mind. 19th December 2021

Last night, I landed home from a life I no longer recognised.

I had left my husband. Left the version of myself I had known. Changed everything.

The plane touched down just past noon. I barely had time to exhale before my phone lit up with a message.

Alastair. One of my oldest and dearest friends.

We hadn’t spoken since August. He had no idea I was moving back.

"Have you landed?"

A pause.

"Yes…?"

"Ok, I’m coming over. Where are you staying?"

"Sofi’s. I’ll likely be jetlagged."

"I can be with you around 8 pm. We need to talk."

I stared at the screen. We need to talk. There was something final about the words. Like a door creaking open to reveal something I wasn’t ready to see.

At 8 pm sharp, there was a knock at the door. Alastair is never on time. In the eleven years I have known him, punctuality has never been his thing. But tonight, he was precise. And urgent.

He sat down across from me, gaze unreadable.

“So,” he said, leaning forward, “let’s talk about all the spiritual stuff you’ve been experiencing this year.”

My breath caught.

“All of what?”

He gave a knowing smile.

“I’ve been keeping track of you. You’ve been experiencing things.”

I stiffened.

For context—I don’t post my life online. I hadn’t told anyone back home what I’d been going through except my nurse friend. No statuses. No late-night confessions. No desperate messages sent into the void.

And yet, he knew.

I swallowed. “What do you mean keeping track!?” “I can check in on people… Psychically” “Ok…? Well… I mean… in January, I started antidepressants. Then in February, I had three weeks of intense flashbacks—things I knew I had buried, and things I didn’t even know were there. Sexual abuse. Physical abuse. Psychological torment. And… my right arm started shaking. It always started in my shoulder and moved through my arm. Especially around Laurence, and it’s happened in my whole body too”

Alastair didn’t react. He simply nodded, like he had already known.

“What happened in February?” he asked. “Your Astral Healing?”

“My what?”

A slow inhale. A pause. My mind flipped through the months like pages in a book.

“I… I don’t know. Not much, I guess?” I frowned. “End of February, maybe. I was standing on a balcony late at night—11 pm? The stars were out, and I could see the city lights. I was completely sober. But then—”

The memory rushed back in vivid detail.

The city lights dimmed. Almost blacked out. At the same time, the stars exploded into brightness—so intense it hurt to look at them. And in that instant, it shot out of me—this force—this energy. It was like something deep inside me had been dislodged, flung into the universe.

And then—just as fast as it left, something else entered.

I felt the balcony shake. My entire body jolted.

It was over in a flash, but I knew something had shifted.

Alastair was watching me carefully.

"Have you had it since?"

I swallowed. “Astral what?” I exhaled sharply. “Yes. 7th of August. The day I told Sam’s wife about the abuse. It happened while I was walking to crazy golf.”

“And the shaking?”

“The same. Worse that day. And again during the acid trip in October.”

He nodded like he was fitting pieces into a puzzle. Then he leaned forward. His voice softened, but his words changed everything.

“Bear with me,” he said, “because this might be a lot. But you’re having a spiritual awakening. And I’m going to tell you some things I wish I’d known.”

The room suddenly felt too small.

“We also need to talk about this person you’ve met.”

I blinked. “Sorry!? What person? How could you…”

“The one who is so similar to you, it’s confusing. Like looking into a mirror. You’ve met someone, haven’t you?”

My throat went dry.

“We have a lot to discuss,” he said. “About the connections between us all.”

I shivered.

Alastair told me things that night that I still don’t understand. He had been checking in on me, somehow, and he knew things he had no way of knowing. Exact things I had been experiencing. Personal things about Jack. And he knew, without me telling him, that I was meant to land today. That I was supposed to be staying with Sofi.

Something big was coming. I could feel it in my bones. This was the strongest I had ever felt that knowing.

But nothing—nothing—could have prepared me for what followed.

The mania that surged through me after that conversation was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

I no longer wonder if hell is real.

It is.

And it is a state of mind.

[posttexasstressdisorder]

World’s oldest rune stone has more pieces that contain mysterious messages, researchers say

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

7 minute read

Published 7:00 AM EST, Sat February 22, 2025

Researchers excavating ancient graves in eastern Norway uncovered multiple fragments that, when fitted together, represent the world's oldest known rune stone.George Alexis Pantos/Kristel Zilmer

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The world’s oldest dated rune stone, a landmark discovery revealed in 2023, is just one piece of a larger, nearly 2,000-year-old slab, new research has found. Now, scientists in Norway are working to reassemble the ancient puzzle, a process that’s starting to shed light on who carved the mysterious runic writing and what the words mean.

Runes were the building blocks of the first Germanic writing within the first few centuries AD and remained in use in Scandinavia until the late Middle Ages, according to the University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History. It’s believed Germanic people drew inspiration from the Roman alphabet to create the characters, according to the museum, but the exact origins of runes and how they were used has remained murky.

Numerous stones carved with runes found across Scandinavia bear fascinating messages, such as one about a powerful Viking queen or a warning for frigid climate change based on past events. But many of these stones are from the age of the Vikings, about AD 800 to 1050, and few examples of early runes exist.

Archaeologists who originally unearthed the oldest known rune stone in 2021 while investigating an ancient grave site in eastern Norway found the large piece covered with traces of runes. But as the fieldwork continued, the researchers uncovered additional sandstone fragments, some bearing similar runic inscriptions, in other nearby graves.

The broken pieces appeared to fit together, with some of the runic script from one stone continuing onto another, and the scientists realized the fragments were all once part of a single stone. The research team published the new findings in the February 3 issue of the journal Antiquity.

Related article Archaeologists unearth tiny 3,500-year-old clay tablet following an earthquake

It appears the stone was intentionally fragmented, based on the way it was broken, and individual pieces were placed in different burials that occurred later. Over time, rune stones have been used as memorials or to mark events. The use of this particular rune stone ritually changed over time, the latest findings suggested.

The stone pieces — including the original 2021 discovery — ended up buried alongside cremated human remains, which has allowed researchers to confirm that the rune stone fragments are the oldest ever to be documented. Radiocarbon dating suggested the fragments date back to between 50 BC and AD 275.

“Due to the rarity of rune-stones found in clearly datable archaeological contexts, we have had little concrete evidence regarding the early use of runic writing on stone and the age of the earliest rune-stones,” said study coauthor Dr. Kristel Zilmer, professor of runology at the University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History, in an email. “The inscribed fragments … provide such a rare exception, and additionally, they feature a remarkable mixture of multiple inscriptions and other markings — unlike anything previously seen on rune-inscribed stones.”

But the fragments pose new mysteries as well, including riddles contained in the enigmatic runic markings, which are proving difficult to translate, as well as surprising clues as to the identities of the carvers themselves. And the findings may help researchers to better understand how rune stones were repurposed over time.

Decoding runes

Archaeologists have found runic inscriptions on various objects, including a bone comb and an iron knife, in addition to rune stones, which had various uses. In any case, translating the runes is difficult because the Germanic languages they represented varied over time.

“Rune-stones likely had both ceremonial and practical intentions,” Zilmer said. “The grave field and the original (single) raised stone suggest a commemorative and dedicatory intent, while subsequent use in a separate burial illuminates later pragmatic and symbolic expressions.”

The research team initially began investigating the Svingerud grave field — a source of multiple past archaeological finds — in Norway’s Hole municipality (25 miles, or 40 kilometers, northwest of Oslo) as part of “rescue excavations” that took place ahead of the construction of a new highway and railroad, said lead study author Dr. Steinar Solheim, associate professor of archaeology at the University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History.

Related article Archaeologists unearth more than 50 Viking skeletons at huge burial site

The inscriptions on the stones recovered from the Hole site are particularly intriguing because they appear to reflect multiple acts of inscribing, “showing a fascinating mix of intentional, comprehensible writing, attempts at writing and script-like or ornamental motifs,” Zilmer said.

The unknown markings may represent early variants of runes, but it’s difficult for the researchers to tell when the different inscriptions were made.

One sequence on the Svingerud stone, now known as the Hole 2 stone, in particular stands out: the single word, or name, of Idiberug. The researchers can’t trace an exact meaning, so they believe it was the name of a person, perhaps a woman.

The clearest inscription is on the Hole 3 stone, and appears to be the rune inscriber’s signature.

“The text begins with the word ‘I’, followed by the name of the inscriber, then a verb indicating the activity (‘wrote’) and finally the word ‘rune’, which refers to the inscription as a whole,” Zilmer said.

The Hole 3 stone's runes suggest the inscriber may have been a woman, based on analysis by the researchers.George Alexis Pantos/Kristel Zilmer

In runic script, the ending -u is feminine. The authors are hesitant to link the potential female inscriber on the Hole 3 stone with the likely female name of Idiberug on the Hole 2 stone at this point in their research.

The team’s work to uncover more about numerous additional small fragments uncovered in 2023 remains ongoing, and the researchers are still trying to determine the best way to put them together.

“The challenge lies in the fact that this is not a complete puzzle — we are missing significant portions, and there are evident gaps,” Zilmer said. “However, we believe it should be possible to determine how many of the smaller fragments could be connected to the larger fragments or to each other.”

Dr. Lisbeth Imer, curator and senior researcher at the National Museum of Denmark, believes the stones will cause researchers to question their understanding of rune stones, which typically served as monuments to commemorate names of people and prevent them from fading with time. Imer was not involved in the new study but specializes in the study of runes.

“But the Svingerud stone challenges this perception, because it was carved with runes, then destroyed, then carved with a new inscription, etc.,” Imer said in an email. “So perhaps, we should not view it as a rune stone but as something completely different. There are still mysteries to be solved here.”

Uncovering ancient stones

Three grave mounds were known at the Svingerud site from previous research, but the archaeologists found cremations within a fourth mound and two flat graves during the new excavations.

The Hole 2 stone was the first rune-covered fragment unearthed in 2021 from the site. The inscriptions include a word that could possibly be a female name, according to the researchers.George Alexis Pantos/Kristel Zilmer

The team also uncovered pottery, brooches, belts, needles and bone comb fragments, and beginning in 2022, they continued to spot sandstone fragments bearing traces of inscriptions. One, named Hole 3, had identifiable runes and lines running across it. The runes provided the start and end of inscriptions on two larger fragments found nearby.

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The largest fragment the team discovered, called Hole 1, was found vertically placed in a grave and doesn’t show any signs of runic inscription, leading researchers to believe it was once the base of an upright standing stone.

While studying Hole 2 and Hole 3 in March 2023, “it quickly became evident that they fit together,” suggesting the stone was initially intended to mark one grave before it was broken apart to commemorate later burials, Zilmer said. It’s also possible the separate graves are connected in some way that remains unknown, according to the research.

Related article World’s oldest writing system may have its origins in mysterious, undeciphered symbols

Imer believes the stone pieces are an extremely interesting find because they were located in a grave field with the opportunity to conduct radiocarbon dating.

In a January 2011 study, Imer suggested the earliest rune stones could be from the Late Roman Period, between AD 160 and 375, “because of stylistic evidence regarding the shape of the runes and the linguistics, and that the earliest rune stones were probably erected in Norway,” she said.

“I am very happy to see that the Norwegian scholars are now able to confirm that chronology,” Imer said. “The carbon-14 dating that they have succeeded with regarding the Svingerud stone lies between 50 BC and 275 AD, which covers a rather broad range of time, but it fits quite neatly with the earliest inscriptions that we know from other types of material and objects: brooches, weapon and other personal equipment.” 13 comments

[ahopkins1965]

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?  First, the best piece of advice that I have ever received was to get baptized on Sunday February 15th, 2015 at Fort McKinley United Methodist Church located on 3721 West Siebenthaler Avenue Dayton, Ohio 45406.  My AA Sponsor helped me to get baptized right along with Pastor Jon Morgan, who was the Pastor at Fort McKinley United Methodist Church during a 12 year stint.  My Pastor made sure that I would get baptized because I officially repented of all of my sins to God & Jesus Christ & to everyone worldwide on that day because it was-18 degrees below zero and God was with me.  Second, I was advised to remain in the Toledo, Ohio Area in order to graduate from the University of Toledo on Saturday June 12, 1993 & On Saturday June 17, 1995.  I was thinking about moving back to Dayton, Ohio because my house; 126 Rosalind Place Toledo, Ohio 43602 was deliberately set on fire.  I had lost everything that I have in the fire.  Therefore, I had to move to another house 4 miles away from Cherry Street in Toledo, Ohio.   I was working 3 jobs , and I was attending The University of Toledo on a full-time basis.   I was working at the University of Toledo William Carlson Library from December of 1992 through June 15, 1996.  I was working at the Jerusalem Outreach Center located on 445 Dorr Street for a total of 3 years.   I also worked at the University of Toledo William Savage Hall as an Usher from December 1, 1991 through June 15, 1996.  I also worked temporarily at the University of Toledo Bookstore for 3 years.   My Landlords house was inside of an excellent neighborhood.   The House was located on 526 Highland Avenue off of Collingwood Boulevard in the Toledo Ohio Area.   My Landlord's Family members allowed me to stay at the house until I graduated with my Bachelors of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies & Social Work.   Two years earlier, I graduated with my Assistant Degree in Applied Sciences in the Social Services Technology Profession from the University of Toledo County and Technical College at Scott Park.   The reason why I had to attend a Community and Technical College because I had a 1.1 Grade Point Average in High School at the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday June 10, 1986 at the Dayton Memorial Hall at 7:00pm through 9:30PM.   The Memorial Hall was right across the street from Patterson Cooperative High School on Second Street and Sinclaire  Avenue in Downtown Dayton, Ohio.  Afterwards, I walked to the Bus Stop on West Third & Main Street to catch the bus with my Cap and Gown on from the High School Graduation.   On that  day, I was the oldest student to graduate from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School In History.   I was 20 years old when I earned my High School Diploma.   The following year, I attended Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio for only 2 years.   I moved out of my Great House to the YMCA for 3 years.   I enlisted in the United States Marines Corps on January 21, 1988.  I didn't stay very long because I wanted to finish College.  Third, and Finally, I got into a fist fight with one of my Friends because he wanted me to finish high school.   I did exactly what he told me to do by earning my High School Diploma for him and myself.  My friend passed away on March 21, 2016.  His name was Eric Hill.  I told his family members that if it wasn't for him, and God, I couldn't do nothing.  Thank You Eric Hill , and God, & Jesus Christ for my Success Today.   Thank you for reading my essay today 🙏.

[skinandinkgirl]

The Beginning of a Transition of Personal Garden Space

This journey starts in 2014. The space I am living in currently, my late partner and I purchased in February of 2014 with the intent to become as self-sustainable as possible in the middle of an urban area. The property we purchased is 3/4 of an acre, which in the area the property is located, is a very large chunk of land. With that in mind, from the moment we moved into the house we started developing the ground outside into usable space for food-based plants. The very first thing that we did was to rip out the hostas which had overtaken the entire side yard. My oldest child and I spent three- or four-days hand digging and ripping out the rhizomes from the ground and disposing of them so that they could not continue to propagate. I cannot begin to describe the quantity of this particular plant and how invasive it had truly become. Fast forward to 2024, ten years later, and somehow this plant has decided to reemerge on the side of my house where the Hosta apocalypse occurred.

The next phase of the process began by converting the backside yard into plantable raised beds. We purchased a portable outside greenhouse to place on the back porch for starting seedlings. It had about six or seven shelves and included basic kitchen staples. The basics always include tomatoes, greens, beans and peas of some kind. That year there were bad rainstorms, but one was particularly bad. I was at work when I got a text from my partner with a picture of the portable greenhouse in pieces all over the yard. The wind had gotten to such a point that it was ripping down electric lines in Clermont County and two months’ worth of seedlings were destroyed in a moment. As depressing as it was, we ended up biting the bullet and purchasing store bought plant starters for the garden. Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuces, cabbage and a variety of other greens, peas, and beans were planted in the raised beds.

As the tomatoes started to ripen, they of course all started ripening at the same time. The whole point of having a garden is to be able to have fresh food available and to be able to put aside more for the future. I grew up in a food insecure household so having reliable food sources has always been a concern of mine. I grew up learning how to process those foods that we grew utilizing the following food preservation techniques: water bath canning, pressure canning, dehydrating etc. This having been said, the tomatoes went a little buck wild. The month prior, our household had already survived the cucumber invasion and the zucchini stampede. The mistake was made of planting too many of those varieties, so we had pickled, froze and baked as many as we could of the previous vegetables. By the time the tomatoes made their entrance, we were already exhausted. At one point we were harvesting 20 to 30 lbs. of tomatoes every four or five days. At that point, I only had a regular freezer on our refrigerator and no extra freezer storage that we have now, so we did not have the ability to freeze the overabundance and can it later. That summer at best guess I canned about 200-quart sized jars of different tomato styles; stewed, juice, salsa, and sauce.

One thing that we truly focused on in the beginning of the conversion of yard space was making sure that the plants that we were introducing were not invasive species, and that we were utilizing the space properly. This of course does not mean that mistakes were not made. It wasn't until a few years afterwards that one mistake that I realized was that I planted a mint in the front side yard. Had I thought back to my childhood, I would have remembered that any plant in the mint family is highly invasive when left unchecked. Even when it is culled consistently it is still exceedingly difficult to control in open ground versus in a pot or container. One of the other mistakes that we made was being overambitious in the first year in the quantity of things that we planted. Because both of us were working full time combined with having a new home, doing all of this at the same time was exhausting.

That years planting season ended with several lessons learned, good and bad, and the plan for the following year started being created.

[rsfannan6]

Our walk has ended.

Alas, we have completed traversing The Peddars Way. For Diane and me, this makes the fifth walk we have completed here in The U.K.  At some point, we will probably be searching The Let’s Go Walking UK website for our next adventure.  

But, this expedition is not over.  

A morning bus from Hunstanton got us to King’s Lynn where we boarded the train for Cambridge for a five night stay.  This town will be the base of operations as we explore Cambridge itself, as well as side trips to Ely and Bury St. Edmunds, two small towns not too far away.  Rather than a chronological log of our exploits, the next posts on this blog of sorts will be geographical in nature, pointing out our favorite activities and points of interest at each locale.

Cambridge.

Diane had booked us into The Centennial Hotel, just a ten minute walk from the train station.  It was the most upscale of our lodgings.  Quite modern furnishings in an old building.  This family run hotel was bought fifty years ago when the building itself, an eight room inn turned 100 years old.  Hence the name Centennial.  Since then, it has extended down the block and has about fifty rooms.  A delightful walk has us in the middle of the old town in about 15 minutes.

Cambridge is located on the River Cam, 55 miles north of London.  It became an important trading center during the Roman and Vikings ages, and there is archaeological evidence of a settlement in the area as early as the Bronze Age.  The city is best known for the University of Cambridge, which was founded in 1209.  Thirty one colleges, each rather distinct, make up the University of Cambridge system.  Each is housed in old and beautiful buildings all around the town.  A few of the most popular are the King’s College Chapel, the Cavendish Laboratory, and the Cambridge University Library, one of the largest libraries in the world.  The skyline is dominated by several large buildings like The Fitzwilliam Museum along with the spire of the Our Lady and The English Martyrs Church, reaching what seems to be halfway to heaven.  

Pretty much smack dab in the middle of town is Parker’s Piece, a 25 acre flat square green common.  Named for Edward Parker who leased the land and used it for grazing, it is now used for picnics, games of futbol and cricket, as well as the occasional town fairs.  It was here on Parker’s Piece (piece is just an old name for a tract of land) that in 1848, a group of University students agreed on a single set of rules by which to play futbol on this green.  This first set of rules was adopted fly the Football Association in 1863.  

On our first day, it was raining pretty good, so we ended up in the first bar/pub we encountered in the old part of town to get a bite to eat, an adult beverage and shelter from the storm.  Luck was on our side once again, as we found ourselves in The Eagle.  The Eagle is one of Cambridge’s oldest inns, dating back to the 14th century.  This tavern was frequented by the staff of the Cavendish Laboratory, located just down the lane for 100 years from 1874-1974. The patrons included Francis Crick and James Watson, who on February 28, 1953, walked into The Eagle and announced “we have discovered the secret of life”, referring to, of course, to their discovery of the double helix structure of DNA.  Throughout their lives, they dined here six days a week!  Aside from this monumental announcement, The Eagle is best known for being an RAF bar.  The walls are rich with WWII memorabilia, and the ceiling is covered in the graffiti of British and American pilots who burned their names and squadrons numbers using cigarette lighters, candles, and lipstick.  What seems like a small place is actually a very cool labyrinth of hallways, small rooms, cubby holes, and of course, bars.  It was packed but we found a table for eight and had a lovely lunch.  Terrific pub fare.  

On one of our outings in Cambridge, we were joined by two Cambridge students,  Alex and Adam, who guided us to The Fitzwilliam Museum, where Alex and a group of students were in charge of putting on the exhibit, “Botticelli in Cambridge”.  Alex’s grandmother is our very own Carol Murdock.  Listening to these two simply brilliant young people gave me hope that the next generations may have a good chance at returning some sanity into this absolutely insane world that we have bequeathed to them.  

Besides just walking around this fair city, there are two touristy things that you really should do if you are ever in the area.  Take a ride on the hop on-hop bus.  The double decker bus (we, of course, opted for the open air top level) takes you on a tour of the city with a terrific history lesson included.  We caught it on a sunny day and it was marvelous.  The other excursion is punting on the River Cam.  A punt is a flat bottomed small boat that is navigated down this river that cuts through Cambridge using a long pole.  You have a choice of poling your own punt or having an experienced guide do it for you while giving a history lesson along the way.  We chose the latter, which was great and afforded us the opportunity of watching those who had chosen the former flail at the task.  Win-win.  Once again, the weather was perfect for this 90 minutes of glorious relaxation.

We had but two full days here in Cambridge, but it certainly deserves another visit, as we barely scratched the surface of things to see.  

More to come…..

[dertaglichedan]

Soros fund is building an audio empire

The Scoop

George Soros thinks it’s good business, and perhaps good politics, to be in your ears.

Over the last two years, Soros Fund Management, the firm founded by the billionaire investor and now controlled by the Open Society Foundations, has become an increasingly key player in the oldest electronic mass media: radio.

In February, the company became the largest shareholder in Audacy, the bankrupt second-largest radio company in the U.S., with more than 230 U.S. stations and a podcast arm that includes Cadence13 and Pineapple Street Studios. In 2022, Soros invested an undisclosed amount in Crooked Media, the liberal podcast network behind the ultra-popular Pod Save America. And a Soros-backed firm played a crucial role in Univision’s $60 million sale in 2022 of 18 Hispanic radio stations to a new firm run by veterans of Democratic politics. The deal, which included conservative Cuban powerhouse broadcasters in Miami, drew opposition from Republican members of Congress.

The move into the troubled radio business could be the beginning of a bigger audio buying spree, three people who have been involved in discussions with Soros executives said.

The fund has also privately discussed acquiring other major radio companies, such as the limping, publicly traded Cumulus Media. (Regulations limiting ownership of radio stations put limits on such mergers.)

The fund’s lead media investor, Michael Del Nin, met with a number of major figures in digital media and audio over the last year, including the podcast company Project Brazen. It has also eyed several potential companies for acquisition, including Pushkin Industries, the podcast company from Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg, and Lemonada, the network best known for its interview show hosted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, people familiar with the conversations said. Another podcast industry insider told Semafor that Lemonada is in the midst of a formal process to find a buyer, but that some potential suitors have balked at its high asking price.

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The Soros fund’s unusual structure — a legendary private firm owned by a vast and politically powerful nonprofit — creates a kind of investment Venn diagram: Soros typically invests in media both to profit and to further what he sees as the democratic values of an open society, one that has put him deeply at odds with a generation of figures on the right, from Hungary’s Viktor Orban to Tucker Carlson.

Still, in private and public conversations, Soros Fund Management has cast its strategy as purely financial: It bought Audacy out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with an eye to an investment win through careful management of the struggling company’s debt. The investment in Crooked backs Soros’ liberal agenda, but it’s also a bet on the future of audio through the growing podcast industry.

A spokesperson for Soros Fund Management declined to comment. A spokesperson for Crooked Media directed Semafor to a 2022 piece in Variety about the investment, which noted that Soros Fund Management could fund the company’s acquisition of complementary businesses. Pushkin also declined to comment.