#olst

[bloodlyst]

[maureen2musings]

Forest path

vanginkelraymond

[only-lonely-stars]

Mild cold: acquired.

Birthday in the family: today.

Writing: while I can.

0/500 words written!

[a-wanderin-whirlybird]

Invader Zim has once again over taken my brain. Bringing back some old ocs for a series of Random fun facts/Headcannons! Going by category with Headcanons about Irk/Irkens, then Hives, then Characters. If they are AU specific I'll mention which AU (Mainly the 18 Years Later Au by @messinwitheddie ).

Irk/Irken HC: (these are general HCs I have about Irk and Irkens not Au specific)

Irk is the third closest planet to a Massive blue star.

Most Fauna is nocturnal and requires a Massive amount of nutrients to survive.

The atmosphere is very dense and the storm clouds are Nitrogen

Infact Nitrogen is the basis of the planet much like how earth is Oxygen based

As such the seas are Liquid Nitrogen

Irkens are a subterranean species that adapted to the surface

Despite this Modern Irkens still retain hyper sensitivity to light in general

Irkens are built to thrive in specific roles and their species often develops mutations to fill these roles

Irkens are much Like ants or Bees in that they have Hive structures.

Before the first civilization on Irk most Hives were a Queen and her Drones/mates and Smeets.

Females were even rarer before the first True Hive occured.

The pheromones that assigned early Irkens roles are still dormant in modern Irkens.

It is almost unheard of for these pheromones to reactivate and release save a few cases since the rise of Civilization

Irken reproduction is incredibly dangerous and often fatal for female Irkens

Irkens have Massive swarm with the average size being between 80 and 100 smeets

Birthing a swarm over 250 is high risk and often fatal

Few Irken women ever have more than 2 swarms. The third is fatal except in a few incredibly rare circumstances

Specific Hives:

Hive Traktor: 18 Years Later AU

The birth place of Cyder and Irk's various alcoholic drinks

Tallest Flapjack was the world's first Gourmond and often liked to travel to Hives across the globe to taste their delicacies. In return he created the World's first International and Trans Trans Continental trade Route. He had a mutation that gave him 8 eyes and a hyper sensitive palate.

The most common mutations in Hive Traktor are not visible traits. One makes the Irken's bones incredibly durable and allows more Muscular growth than usual. Another is an actual sense of smell, touch and sight that allows them to pick up the slightest change in atmospheric pressure and accurately predict weather patterns.

Hive Traktor is the reason the 5 Star Alliance fell to ruin. Tallest Olst was a power mad dictator that drove his own Hive to ruin. But not before he slaughtered Tallest Aria of Hive Octave and collapsed ever possible entrance and exit to Hive Geo.

Tallest Olst singlehandedly destroyed 3 Hives. He is at the Tallest Table in the afterlife and will never leave. Forever trapped at the table unable to enjoy any of the food and power he had in life. The entirety of Hive Traktor despises him

Hive Geo:

Some irkens born to Hive Geo never see Moonlight as they never leave the Caves and Mines of their Hive.

I changed the main mutations of this Hive. The main mutations present are Albinism, Gem like Eyes, and Echolocation. Most Mining drone have a mutation where they have no eyes and see with radar. This allows them to find veins of ore and gems in the walls.

The last Tallest of Hive Geo was Tallest Vista. He was a Chimera who absorbed his entire swarm. He had patches of every different skin color possible in an irken. He was Nicknamed the Irken Rainbow by Tallest Uthril of Hive Sol. Vista was incredibly kind and caring towards his Fellow Irkens and his Hive flourished under him. But his kindness killed him.

Tallest Vista caught Miner's Rattle. A Splooch Infection from exposure to various trapped gasses in the Mines. He was unable to do anything as Olst collapsed the Enterances and exits to Hive Geo. Vista quickly realized that if Hive Geo was trapped so was Hive Octave. Vista sent all his Miner's towards the Tunnels heading for Hive Traktor. Hoping they could dig his Hive out while he took a significantly smaller force to Try and get a single tunnel to Hive Octave.

Vista Failed. The small team found another pocket of Noxious gasses. This one combusted and collapsed the tunnels behind then.

This triggered a complete collapse of Hive Geo. Killing everyone inside and cutting off Hive Octave from any assistance.

Characters:

Tallest Aria: 18 Years Later Au

Final Tallest of Hive Octave.

Aria had a Partner, a short Drummer named Pitch. The two had a swarm with a surrogate.

Aria used to be a selfish and moody Irken. She often snapped and intimidated to get her way. In her pursuit of Pitch, Aria changed for the better. But her biggest turning point was when she nearly lost Pitch during birth.

They lost 73 out of 99 smeets and Pitch nearly bled to death. Aria spent 3 days desperately trying to save as many smeets as she could while trying to keep her Love alive. It gave her some perspective on how her own actions affected others especially those under her.

Aria gave her Hive a public apology for her previous behavior and restarted her regime from the ground up. She made major changes to many of the laws in her Hive to ensure her people were better cared for and heard.

Her downfall began when she suggested ending a tradition in the 5 Star Alliance. Specifically the use of 2 separate fertility festivals to separate "desirable Irkens" and "Defective Irkens". She suggested simply eliminating the second festival and letting everyone participate in 1 big festival.

Tallest Olst of Hive Traktor saw this as both a personal offense and a possible way to grab power. He tried to rally the other Hives against this suggestion only to discover that he was entirely unsupported. Hives Sol, Opal, and Geo agreed with Aria.

Olst would later Poison Aria under the guise of an apology. Using Aria's love of noodles to kill her painfully. Pitch would then fly into a rage and brutalized Olst with her own bare hands as the drone from Hive Octave slaughtered the tall members of Olst's party and retreated. Pitch died not moments after Olst, impaled by one of Olst's loyal generals.

Olst survived only a few days after. Just long enough to trap Hive Octave and Hive Geo in their Hives.

Hive Octave had lost all their Tall drones to Olst's generals as well. Leaving them leaderless. Even after 3 fertility festivals no new Tallest entered the world.

Aria's Neice, Flit, Became The Almighty Smallest when no Tall Smeets remained after 4 years.

In Death Aria haunts Irk, Finding any Irken related to her Hive, and very specifically her Love Pitch. She gladly assists any of Pitch's descendants when she finds then.

The best example of this being @messinwitheddie Tallest Dava.

Flit, The Almighty Smallest: 18 Years Later Au

The last Ruler of Hive Octave. While Aria was the final Tallest is was her dear neice Flit who ruled until none but herself remained.

Flit was born without legs a few years after Aria's own Swarm reached Aprentice age. Flit's mother, Aria's only surviving swarmmate, died giving birth and only Flit survived.

Aria and Pitch raised Flit. Aria even made Flits first pair of Prostetics.

Flit had a deep connection to the Strings the Weaver wove. Hearing them in songs all around her. Flit was a Talented Oracle because of this and tried desperately to turn her abilities to help her Hive.

Aria was stiff with Flit. Always seeing her dead sister in her niece. Aria always regretted the distance she created between them.

Flit has an uneasy relationship with Aria. Neither know what to say to the other as both feel guilty for failing the other. But Flit Loves her Coddle Drone a lot and always respected her.

Flit was the last irken left Alive in Hive Octave. A combination of Disease, famine and declined birth rates killed the Hive in a matter of decades. No new Tallest was ever born and Flit remained alone in the Shell of her Hive until she perished on New Years.

Flit did not pass to the Tallest Table immediately after death. Instead Flit was pulled into a horrible vision of Irk's Future. She saw the Control Brains and Smeetries. The pain inflicted to other species. The complete loss of Irken culture and Diversity, the smog that blanketed the moons and sun from the sky, and the loss of all life upon the Irken surface. She saw the statue of the Colossus being pulled to her knees by an unholy beast of metal and flesh. And as the Colossus fell, a spike through her head, Cyder pouring forth, the ground beneath them split and the sun burned through the smog, engulfing the battlefield whole

Flit arrived to the warm greetings of her dead Hive with a mission. She had a spot reserved at the Tallest Table, but she gave it to her Drones instead.

Flit spends her eternity trying to reach the mind of a living Irken in the modern Era. Desperate to halt the destruction of Irk and Irkens as a whole.

[a-topaz-cat]

He’s so mean but I kinda like him ❤️‍🩹

[ollierachnid]

... do I finally cave and change up my blog theme

[aestheticallypleasinganimeboys]

Karim Olsted Arya - Visual Novel: Temirana Koku no Tsuiteru Hime to Tsuitenai Kishi Dan

[dreaming-of-texel]

Kasteel De Haere, Olst, Overijssel, The Netherlands

[twiceasfrustrating]

Hello I hope it's okay by you but could you write something with Helvetica and his S/O who used to not care about their looks at all, but once they got with him they started being anxious and obsessed with always looking their best?

Rating: Teen and Up Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: GN/M Fandom: Bustafellows Relationships: Helvetica Olsted/MC Characters: Helvetica Olsted, MC/Reader Additional Tags: Kind of angst with some fluff, the ending just sort of happens and isn’t really satisfying though. MC is femme coded in their appearance but they aren’t called a man or women, plastic surgery mentioned A/N: Helvetica! My love! Love when the rare Bustafellows fan pops up and let’s me write for him~ Did this take me waaaaay too long to get to? Yes. Yes it did. I never claimed to be an efficient writer. Word Count: 1,072

Concealer. Lipstick. Blush. Mascara. Stockings. 

Concealer to hide the miscellaneous blemishes and scars that ruined your complexion. Lipstick to fill out and plump up your lips. Blush to give your cheeks a youthful glow. Eyeliner to subtly draw attention to the focus of your face. Mascara to define your eyelashes and make them look elegant and long. Stockings to shape your legs in a way to show them off while also hiding them from view. A long knit sweater that was cute, flattering, and just baggy enough to hide the curves of your body that you didn’t like.

That was your ensemble of choice today and you ensured that everything about it  – and you – was perfect. After all, Helvetica himself had been the one to teach you what it meant to present your best self in front of others, and he never advocated for anything less than the absolute best.

That's also why, when he suggested which shoes you could wear to elevate your score even more, you hadn't hesitated to put them on. It was his distinguishing eye that knew you better than even yourself, and you wanted to be everything he made of you. Even if standing became painful and blisters formed on the back of your heel, that was a sign that you were beautiful. After all, beauty was pain.

It was a casual get together for him, but he had invited you along. That's why you had to be better than even your best self. Because you were not only representing yourself but him as well.

That’s why you stood back and nursed your glass of champagne while listening to them converse.

"Sounds like your business is booming!" An older gentleman dressed in a polo and khakis laughed as he slapped his knee.

They were friendly, but not friends. A relationship of convenience and happenstance, as Helvetica had told you. However, that did not make it any less of an important relationship.  It was, apparently, a sound business decision to work on maintaining it.

"Demand is on the rise, but I am not seeing any more patients than I was previously." Helvetica held his ice-filled drink on his knees as he spoke, letting the condensation roll smoothly down the side and create faint wet patches in the fabric of his pants. "Increasing my caseload would mean reducing the quality of my work and the care of my patients."

"Said like the doctor everyone loves."

"Retaining a good report with my clientele and maintaining their trust is as important as my precision. A lack of trust and understanding means they're more likely to neglect their post surgery care, which negates my work and is detrimental to their health."

"Like I said, they love you for it."

You sat and listened to the conversation passively rather than attempting to contribute to a topic you only understood on some approximate level from hearing Helvetica talk about it previously.

The man sitting with Helvetica looked at you but clearly wasn’t speaking to you. “So how long until this one goes under the knife?” He pointed at you with a jovial laugh, like he’d just said something funny. “They’re cute, but they could use your touch in a few places.”

Your shoulders slumped slightly before you pushed them back again.

It was distressing to hear that all the effort you’d put into looking presentable had been for naught. You wondered if it was your cheeks? Or maybe your chin? You supposed your nose was a little off. Or maybe he could see the exact lumps and curves you’d been trying to hide beneath your sweater.

Your eyes darted over to Helvetica, whose eyes were now on you as well. 

You didn’t expect to be a topic of conversation between them. You were supposed to be an accessory; falling into the background of their conversation and simply looking appealing. But… he clearly didn’t think that about you.

You smiled modestly without showing your teeth for fear they weren’t white enough. “I’ve considered it, but Helvetica hasn’t agreed to-”

“And I won’t,” Helvetica said as he sipped at his own glass.

“Come now, Helvetica.” He laughed again and it felt like his voice was scraping at your eardrums. “Isn’t it cruel to deny your partner?”

“It’s bad practice to mix business and pleasure. Once you are on decent terms with someone, you can no longer be their doctor in good conscience.”

The man seemed to be looking through you somehow. “Too bad for you. You managed to land the best guy around, but he won’t help touch you up. If you want, I might know a few other doctors who would love to show him up and bring you to his level.”

You nodded politely. “Thank you. I will consider it.”

Helvetica looked across the room, focusing on nothing in particular before grabbing your hand. “Excuse me, but I believe I see someone else I should really say hello to.”

He began to pull you away before getting a proper response.

With his hand wrapped around yours, it was clear just how much more perfect he was compared to you. His skin was smooth, his finger long and slender, and there wasn’t a scar or blemish in sight.

When you were both far enough away from the man, Helvetica finally spoke to you. “If you want surgery, I’ll introduce you to someone trustworthy. It would be best to find a reputable doctor to make sure you like your results.”

He was, after all, a believer in the philosophy that people should be allowed to choose the body they lived in. He would never dissuade you from doing that for yourself. However, he also wouldn’t support the decision if it was a result of someone else’s decision. After all, that person wouldn’t be the one living with your new face, so their opinion was irrelevant. All of his suggestions and advice were temporary. If you decided you didn’t like how it looked, you could wash it away or take it off.

You squeezed his hand. “I’m not sure.”

It wasn’t a yes or a no.

“Then I won’t inform my contacts yet. Let me know when you make a decision.”

For now, though, you just wanted to look the best you could in your current skin. “I think I need to touch up…”

He paused for a moment before changing directions. “The restrooms are over here.”

[tobivos]

my toxic european trait really tested me today bc the train home from zwolle wouldnt go further than olst (which is one stop from deventer) and the bus home would be a 45 minute wait and i looked up how long itd take to just. walk home from olst. and its 2.5 hours. and i really went "oh thats doable :)".

except i was carrying 2 heavy bags and i barely walked past the bus stop before i had to grab myself by the shoulders and go "please for the love of god wait for the bus or you WILL regret it."

[bloodlyst]

[reneleijen]

Radicale soevereinen "wilden burgemeester doden"

De aanklacht tegen de verdachten die behoorden tot de soevereinenbeweging, is uitgebreid met terrorisme. Twee van hen (25 en 27, uit Olst-Wijhe) werden april jl. opgepakt toen ze wapens probeerden te verkopen aan een groep radicale soevereinen. Ze mogen het proces – de volgende zitting is in december – in vrijheid afwachten. De groep die volgens het OM een ‘totale opstand’ wilde, had onder meer…

[only-lonely-stars]

Reminiscence

Oneshot – (FFN) (AO3)

Summary:

Skylor never really talked much about her childhood. It just wasn't important. Who wants to hear about that? However, a day off with Kai was probably the right time to tell him about the history she's been carrying around… right?

Phone in hand, Skylor walked out of her noodle shop through the back door, latching it behind her. She finally had a day off, and not too soon at all; she hadn't seen Kai in ages. She pulled up her messaging app with a smile.

FROM: Copycat (10:03 AM) TO: Hair Gel Hey, are you free? I managed to have a day off

FROM: Hair Gel (10:05 AM) TO: Copycat yeah, greenie gave us the day off yesterday he worked us until 7 wanna go do something ?

FROM: Copycat (10:06 AM) TO: Hair Gel You want to meat up at the park? *meet The weather's great today

FROM: Hair Gel (10:06 AM) TO: Copycat definitely! I'll see you in a few minutes?

FROM: Copycat (10:07 AM) TO: Hair Gel Copy that.

Skylor put away her phone with a smile. It would be a nice change to see him again; despite being engaged, they had spent little time together recently (of course, it was the noodle shop's fault, having several employees on holiday, but no matter). She rolled her shoulders back and set off on a quick jog, only taking a few minutes to reach the park. As she got to the entrance gate, she spotted a figure in a red hoodie waving to her from across the park. She smiled, waved back, and jogged up to meet him, giving him a big hug in greeting. "Hi, Kai."

"Hey, Sky!" Kai replied, warmly enveloping her in his arms. He kissed her temple, then let her go and smiled. "Long time no see."

"No kidding," Skylor laughed. "Sorry I've been so busy."

"Lots of business?"

"Oh yeah. We've had a lot of people on holiday recently. Plus, those new apartment buildings had a lot of Serpentine moving in." Skylor shrugged. "We had a lot of busy days."

"Makes sense." Kai took her hand. "Are you okay, being around so many Serpentine? I know you haven't exactly had a good experience with them." He gestured to a nearby bench, and they sat. "They've been starting to really come back to Ninjago this past few months."

Skylor sighed. "It's been weird, but I haven't had to deal with too many of them. How's training been for you?"

"Brutal. Lloyd keeps making up weirder and weirder exercises. Who comes up with one-handed burpees while wearing weights?" Kai laughed briefly. "It's working pretty well, though."

"Oh yeah? Your spinjitzu must be getting better." Skylor nudged his shoulder. "It would be nice to be able to do that; just in case any old cultists show up, you know."

"That would be great! It's an amazing skill. But… aren't all those guys in Kryptarium Prison or the Cursed Realm?" Kai's face fell.

Skylor's eyes fell. "There are still some stragglers. They're not really that nice to see– some of them are still really attached to the island." She sighed deeply. "Once, a gang of them tried to take me back. That wasn't fun."

"What? When was that?" Kai exclaimed.

Skylor shrugged. "I think it was last Friday? I'd just closed up the shop for the night."

"And you didn't tell any of us, because…"

"It wasn't an issue! I handled it. There wasn't a reason to bother you about it." She gave him a weak smile.

"Sky, almost being kidnapped and dragged back to the island isn't a bother," Kai responded, giving her an uncharacteristically soft look. A shiver ran up Skylor's spine. Since when was he good with this sort of thing?

"Exactly! It's just– whatever, you know? It wasn't even the first time." Skylor shook her head, combined with another shrug. "I just thought spinjitzu might help me next time." Was it just her, or did the wind feel colder?

"Skylor…" Kai breathed, taking her hand in his. Skylor felt the warmth of his hands, radiating up her body. "You can tell us about this kind of thing. You can trust us– you can trust me."

"I do trust you! I just thought it wasn't important. It's not like someone tried to burglarize the shop or anything."

"Of course it's important! You're important!"

"So? It doesn't matter. I can take care of myself, Kai."

"I know you can," Kai conceded, rubbing her hand comfortingly, "but you don't have to any more. Your safety matters, Skylor."

Skylor looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "I know, and I appreciate that, really. It's just… hard to believe that sometimes, you know? I still feel like I need to escape sometimes, just to be free. I didn't have that for a long time."

Kai nodded. "I get that." He paused, looking unsure. "Do you want to talk about it? Not that you have to."

Skylor chuckled and met his eyes again, managing to smile. "Are you really in the mood to hear about my issues?"

Kai laughed. "I live with Lloyd Garmadon. Not to mention the fact that all the rest of us have our own. It's not so unusual."

"Heh, fair enough. There's a lot to tell, though." She shifted on the bench, inching closer to him.

"That's fine. Do you feel safe? We could go back to your place, if that helps," Kai offered.

Skylor smiled, squeezing his hand. "Even if I felt like I was in danger, it wouldn't be a problem. After all, I have Ninjago's strongest ninja here to protect me." She winked at him, enjoying how he perked up at her comment. "Besides, it's about time I told you." She shifted in her seat.

-----

"My childhood was pretty weird, honestly. Being a kid on the island wasn't exactly terrible, but it wasn't fun either. Lots of adults, not many kids, and near-total isolation from the outside world tend not to be good elements when it comes to mental health." She shook her head. "One of the worst things was how much everyone believed in my father. It was like they thought he was their savior, you know? They hated how much attention I got in public– not that I got much in private, but they didn't know that."

Kai frowned. "They shouldn't have treated you like that. Especially your dad."

Skylor's eyes fell, a tiny smile on her face. "I know, but it's okay. At least he told me some stories about when I was pretty young. He liked to talk about my mother. He always said she believed in me."

-----

Skylor, only a baby, cried very loudly. It wasn't just because she had needs; she announced her presence. As she grasped at the air with her tiny hands, her father smiled uneasily down at her.

"I'm not so sure about this, dear. It's a bit… loud, isn't it?" Chen muttered, trying to soothe her.

"Chen, Skylor's not an it. She's our daughter. You can't just turn off her crying," Skylor's mother said with a smile. She toyed with Skylor's hair, tiredly drinking in the image of her husband and newborn daughter.

"Yes, right, darling. She's very pretty," Chen backtracked, gently rocking Skylor.

"She's not just pretty," Skylor's mother said with a smile. "I have a feeling she will be someone extraordinary."

"I'm afraid I'm going to drop her. What will happen if I drop her? Will that break her?"

"Just be gentle," his wife reprimanded, amused.

Skylor cooed, grasping at Chen's beard. "Ahh, I think she got her lack of hair from me! She wants my beard," Chen laughed. "Dearest, please let go!"

Skylor laughed and let go, happily laying her arms back down and yawning, while conveniently covering her mother's quietly labored breathing. "Be careful with your father, Skylor…" her mother commented.

Chen's face fell. "Are you all right dear? Do you need me to call the doctor?" He knelt by his wife's bedside.

"No, I'm fine. Really," his wife placated, waving her hand. "I'm just tired."

"If you say so," Chen relented, before smiling at Skylor again. "Our daughter will want for nothing. She's a daddy's girl, don't you think?"

"Yes, she is," her mother replied, smiling as her daughter fell asleep in Chen's arms. "I think she's going to be someone very special."

"Yes, she'll be special," Chen repeated. "She will be powerful..."

-----

"Of course, it's not like that lasted. My mother wasn't healthy, and my father knew it. He always said he wished he'd known she was dying earlier..." Skylor laughed quietly.

"That's… dark," Kai commented.

"Yeah, but it's just how it was." She shrugged. "It's not a long story; life on the island got repetitive pretty fast."

-----

Now four years old, Skylor lived a life of happiness, shielded from the bitter truths she would later know. She ran through the hallways of Chen's castle, laughing and playing with a makeshift sword made from two sticks and some rope as she fought off invisible ninja enemies. Panting from her exercise, she ran into her mother's room. "Mommy! Did you see me! I defeated the ninja!"

"Yes you did, darling," her mother said with a smile, before devolving into a coughing fit.

Skylor's grin fell off her face, fear taking root in her eyes. "Are you okay, Mommy?"

"I'm fine, dear," her mother got out between coughs. "Can you go get your father to come here, please?"

Skylor nodded, all thoughts of games gone. "Yes, Mommy…" She ran out of the room, almost ramming into Clouse on the way.

"Be careful where you're going," Clouse sneered.

"I'm sorry Mr. Clouse," Skylor said hastily. "Do you know where my daddy is?"

Clouse sniffed. "Master Chen is currently in a business meeting with an important man from the mainland. He does not have time to be disturbed by children."

Skylor pouted. "Mommy said she needs to see him. She was coughing again."

Clouse rolled his eyes. "He is in his study." Upon seeing her beaming face, he turned and walked away, while Skylor ran towards the study.

Skylor knocked loudly on the door. "Daddy!"

"Is that my Skylor I hear?" Chen called from behind it, opening the door.

"Daddy, there you are!" Skylor ran in, hugging his legs tightly. "Mommy wants to see you."

Chen smiled, picking her up. "Well, let's go see her then!" He turned to the man in his study– a dark, tall man with a curly brown beard, dressed in clothing decorated with feathers and leaves. "If you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. Enjoy your trip home! I'm sure your son is anxious to see you again– what was his name, Bolobo?" He grinned widely, giggling quietly. "It would be a shame to keep you from him any longer."

The man nodded and left the room, seemingly frightened. Skylor hugged her father tightly. "Daddy? Mommy was coughing again. Is she going to be okay?" She looked up at him, uncertainty clear on her face.

Chen's smile faltered, no longer reaching his eyes. "Yes, darling, she will be okay. Now, where is she?" He walked out of the office, looking around. "I just can't find the way around this place like you can, Skylor!"

Skylor laughed, pointing down the hallway. "She's there, Daddy! You remember!"

"Ah, yes, there she is! You're quite the wayfinder," he said to his daughter, smiling again. "It's not so easy for an old, old, old man like me." He pushed open the door to his wife's room. "Hello, dear. How are you feeling?"

His wife smiled weakly. "As well as I can." She coughed weakly into her sleeve. "It's getting harder to breathe."

Chen's face fell, mirroring his little daughter's. "I'm calling the doctor again. There must be something we can do."

His wife smiled, shaking her head. "Darling, we've tried everything. Not even mainland doctors would be able to help me. It's almost time for me to go– I can't keep the spirits waiting. The next generation has to have the world and make it theirs."

Skylor sniffed, tearing up. "What do you mean, Mommy? Where are you going?" Chen frowned as she climbed out of Chen's arms and curled up into the crook of her mother's elbow. "We need you."

Her mother sighed, smiling sadly as she cuddled her daughter close to her. "The First Spinjitzu Master needs me too. I have to go meet him. When I do, I promise I'll watch over you. You'll never be alone– I'll love you forever." She kissed the top of Skylor's head, before turning away to cough into her arm. "I love you so much."

Skylor nodded, now fully crying into her side as her father watched, her mother slowly slipping away.

-----

Kai entwined his hand with hers. "Sky… I don't know what to say. I'm sorry– not that that really helps…"

Skylor squeezed his hand, smiling a little. "It's okay. We're kind of the same that way, huh? You found your parents again, though."

"I guess. Do you miss her?"

"...I can't really tell." She shrugged, leaning against Kai. "After she was gone, my father sank into a deep depression, so Clouse took over running the island. That also meant helping train me to be the perfect pawn, all the while taking my father's attention for himself and away from me. Most of all, he wanted a title. All the while, my father started just… going nuts."

"Like how he was when we were there?" Kai asked.

"Yeah. At first it was his war meetings, and then his business with the noodle company. Eventually, even just me snagging some fortune cookies without permission was enough to make him ballistic."

-----

Fifteen-year-old Skylor panted heavily, drenched in sweat as she tossed away a blunt training sword. She pushed her bangs back, hoping to alleviate the heat. "Stupid snakes…"

Above her, Clouse sneered at her from an observation deck. "Sloppy form as always. Name-calling is hardly professional, miss Skylor. If I were anyone else, I might think you didn't care what your father thought of you."

Skylor scoffed. "That was my fastest time yet! He'd be proud of me, unlike you." She shook her head, muttering to herself. "Who does he think he is?"

Clouse crossed his arms. "I am your father's most trusted advisor, and more unbiased than him. It is my duty to make sure his daughter does not make him out to be a fool."

Skylor sighed heavily. "Of course. Can I be done? Michael said he wanted to show me something cool he got during his trip to the mainland." She wiped her forehead again. "It's hotter than a crucible out here..."

Clouse rolled his eyes. "Fine, go on. Don't do anything dishonorable; it would be a shame if you were found doing something… compromising."

Skylor shuddered. "Yeah, okay." She ran out of the training ground, only to stop short as she saw her father, waiting in the hallway. She hastily stopped and bowed. "Father!"

Chen smiled. "Oh, Skylor! There you are. I've been hearing about your training sessions from Clouse."

Skylor's eyes widened. "Yes, Father? I've been working hard, I promise–"

"This can't keep happening," Chen said, cutting her off. "You need to concentrate! From what I've been told, your form and technique have been abysmal lately."

"But Father, I defeated three of your lieutenants today! Isn't that proof that I'm doing well?"

"Top form, Skylor. Top form! You need to work harder!" Chen snapped.

Skylor sighed, hanging her head. "...yes, Father."

"Good, good," Chen replied. "There's also the matter of some rumors I've been hearing. Is it true that you are able to use the power of our guest from a few days ago?"

Skylor blinked. "You mean that man from the mainland?"

"Who else would I mean?" Chen snapped. "Is it true or not?"

Skylor nodded quickly. "Yes, Father. Can I show you?"

"Yes, yes, please do!" Chen responded, clapping his hands with glee. "I'm eager to see if you can do what your mother could, Skylor."

Skylor smiled, scrunching her face in concentration. After a moment, she opened her eyes to see a flower, having sprung to life in her hand. "...I can grow flowers so far."

Chen's smile widened. "Oh, this is lovely! Just like your mother." His smile briefly fell, before he resumed his dramatic gesturing. "It would appear you are an elemental master, Skylor. We can use this!" He plucked the flower from Skylor's hand. "Daughter, I will tell Clouse to start going a bit easier on you, but only if you promise to work very hand and not slack off. You must learn how to use these powers."

Skylor nodded, beaming. "Of course, I promise! I'll work harder than ever."

"Good, good. That's what I like to hear!" Chen sniffed the flower, then dropped it on the floor and walked off. "Make sure to keep your word, daughter!"

-----

Skylor shook her head. "I wish things had been different."

Kai nudged her gently. "Did something happen?"

She nodded. "Lots of things. Over the years, life on the island got worse and worse. I should have realized something was wrong. I should have said something, but I was too afraid to do anything." She shook her head, squeezing Kai's hand and making her free hand into a fist. "Nothing I did was good enough. If I made a mistake, he cheered me on one minute, while threatening me the next. It got to the point where I couldn't meet his astronomical standards."

Skylor growled quietly. "No matter what, I was wrong, and it was always my fault."

-----

Several years later, Skylor panted heavily as she stood at the end of a rigourous obstacle course. She glared at it, shaded her eyes, and looked up a hill at Clouse and Chen. "How was that? Good enough?"

Chen shook his head. "Try again, Skylor. You barely beat your record! You must be the best of the best. Remember the creed of the Anacondrai?"

Skylor groaned quietly. "Only one can remain…"

Chen nodded. "That's right, Skylor. Now, try it again! And Clouse, have someone bring me some noodles! I'm starving up here!"

Skylor scoffed quietly. "Yes, Father." She trudged to the start of the course and launched herself into it again, only to stumble on a ledge and cry out in pain.

Skylor winced as interference rang out through a megaphone. "Skylor, if you will not do this the right way, I won't allow you to participate in the tournament! Try again, or I won't see you for the rest of the day," Chen ordered.

Skylor nodded, blinking away tears, but stumbled as she walked back to the start. Chen shook his head as he saw her bend over in pain. "Skylor, get out of my sight. You're too tired to continue today. We have two weeks left before the tournament begins– I hope you will be able to continue before then." He waved her away, and she nodded meekly before limping away. As she walked away, Clouse met her in a hallway.

"Well, it seems you now realize exactly how disappointed he is. Do you know how much he has bet on your success?" He sneered at her. "Of course, I'm not all that surprised. You've never seemed to amount to much."

Skylor glared at him, putting her foot down fully and wincing at the pain. "You say that, yet he still loves me. You're just a henchman– you don't even have a title of lordship! He'll always choose me first."

"Ah, but that's where you go wrong. I worked my way to this position. All you had to do was be born. Would Master Chen really choose a sniveling little girl over his most proven, most loyal advisor?" He paused for a moment. "I think not."

Skylor laughed briefly before coughing from her heavy breathing. "As if he'd betray his own daughter. If there's anyone he's ever loved, it's me and my mother– not you."

-----

Skylor smiled, pushing the memories to the back of her mind as she refocused on the present. "Seeing you on that ferry was the best and worst thing to ever happen to me, Kai."

Kai blushed. "Uh, what exactly do you mean by 'worst?'"

Skylor laughed faintly. "You turned my world upside down! I had all these new feelings and didn't even understand them– not to mention that you were my enemy. I was supposed to steal your powers and become a snake so I could help take over Ninjago, not help take down my father and defend an entire country." Her smile fell. "When my father suspected I had feelings for you, he was furious at first. And once he calmed down, he told me I needed to use you to win the tournament. He made me spy on the Alliance, with you as my in."

Kai smirked and nudged her. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. It all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

Skylor nodded. "Yeah. It's okay now, I think. I don't always feel good about it now, but it's at least better." She let go of Kai's hand and crossed her arms. "Besides, it's not like I hate him, even though my life was horrible. He's dead. It doesn't matter." She glared at the ground.

Kai put an arm around her back. "Sky, it's okay to not think he's a good person. He manipulated you, he… Zane told me once that victims of abuse don't always know what's going on when it's happening. I don't want to label it or anything– I don't know anything about this stuff– but could it have been that?"

Skylor shook her head. "Yeah, it could've. It was abuse, or something like it; no use trying to deny it. He made me a pawn and said he loved me, promising that my mother would have wanted it or that it could get us to the mainland. He dangled that freedom over my head for years; it was all I ever wanted." She growled in frustration. "In hindsight, it seems like it couldn't have been that bad, but it was! And I just can't get over it. Shouldn't I be over it?"

Kai shook his head, murmuring to her. "You don't need to 'get over it,' Sky. It's not going to go away completely, but that's okay. It'll stop hurting eventually, I promise."

"And if it doesn't?" Skylor murmured, pressing up against him.

"It will." Kai pulled her close. "Lloyd always says he feels better after talking about stuff like this. If you need to talk about this again, just call me, okay?"

Skylor nodded, smiling faintly. "Okay. Thanks for listening."

"Anytime, Sky." Kai kissed her hair.

Skylor took a deep breath, stabilizing herself. "Do you want to go back to my apartment? I really don't feel like being out in the city today. We could watch a movie…?"

Kai smiled. "I'd like that. Come on." He helped her up from the bench, and together they walked back to Skylor's apartment hand-in-hand under the midday sun, with lighter yet wearier hearts.

-----

FROM: Copycat (9:47 PM) TO: Hair Gel Hey Thanks for listening to me today. it really helped.

FROM: Hair Gel (9:51 PM) TO: Copycat anytime, Sky goodnight xx

FROM: Copycat (9:51 PM) TO: Hair Gel Good night. X

[kikotapasando]

Radicale soevereinen ook vervolgd voor terrorisme

Radicale soevereinen ook vervolgd voor terrorisme Nieuwsbericht | 18-09-2024 | 17:51 Het OM heeft woensdag de aanklacht tegen vier verdachten, die deel uit maken van een radicale minderheid binnen de soevereinenbeweging, uitgebreid met terrorisme. Dat gebeurde op een pro-formazitting bij de rechtbank Rotterdam. Twee andere mannen uit Olst-Wijhe staan terecht vanwege  de levering van vuurwapens…

[regioonlineofficial]

Een gele ambulance op de Jaarmarkt. Op 21 september tijdens het Olsterfeest zal deze tussen de vele tientallen kraampjes rond het oude gemeentehuis komen te staan, als een heel ander soort blikvanger. Het is namelijk deze ambulance waarvoor stichting Music for Ukraine druk aan het sparen is, zodat zij die net als 4 eerdere ambulances met medische apparatuur naar Oekraïne kan brengen. Daarvoor organiseren Olstenaren op 20 oktober een gratis benefietconcert in de kerk, waarvoor iedereen naar draagkracht kan doneren. Maar het publiek kan ook tijdens de jaarmarkt al kennismaken met het initiatief, en bijdragen met contant geld of digitaal via een QR-code. Ambulance als tijdelijke bioscoop De hulpgoederen voorzien in een directe behoefte, omdat er nog steeds gevochten wordt, en de wegen heel slecht begaanbaar zijn. In de ambulance zullen filmpjes draaien van het Oekraïense journaal, dat laat zien hoe de stichting te werk gaat. Elk weekend verzorgt zij wel concerten en andere culturele optredens, zoals met bekende schrijvers. Oleg Lysenko De stichting is het werk van Oleg Lysenko, die als Oekraïner zo’n 25 jaar terug naar Nederland kwam, en met zijn familie in Voorst woont. Toen Rusland ruim 930 dagen geleden Oekraïne met veel geweld binnenviel, raakte dat hem natuurlijk ook volop. Als professioneel musicus, die verschillende types accordeon bespeelt, begon hij meteen met het geven van benefietconcerten om geld voor hulpgoederen in te zamelen. Orkest van stichting Music for Ukrain - Foto: Oleksandr Osipov Helaas duurt de bezetting nog alsmaar voort; in de tussentijd is zijn benefietwerk steeds beter georganiseerd aan het raken. Via een leerling van hem in Olst ontstond ook hier het idee om een bijdrage te leveren, en daar haakten al gauw anderen bij aan, zodat het een breed gedragen initiatief is geworden. In Olst zal Oleg optreden met zijn jonge zoons, met leerlingen en een organiste, en daarna is er muziek van het Klein Spijkerboskoor uit Boskamp, en van een trio met Oekraïners. Het concert begint om 15 uur; vooraf vertelt Oleg iets over het werk van de stichting, en na afloop is er een nazit met Oekraïense hapjes in de Bastiaan. Meer informatie: www.musicforukraine.com

[dikkebrommer]

Bij Olst de IJssel over!