#pierre cruz

[harveyguillensource]

Harvey serving mariposa realness 🦋 as host of the 34th GLAAD Media Awards in NYC. IYKYK

[rarejerseyshop]

RareJerseyShop is the ultimate destination for sports enthusiasts looking to get their hands on the most coveted soccer and football jerseys. With an extensive collection of authentic jerseys from popular teams and players, the online store provides customers with a seamless and hassle-free shopping experience.

[castlephantom]

An insteresting media from Castlevania that isn't part of canon timeline is the novel Akumajō Dracula: Akuma no Chi Chi no Akumu.

There are some intresting things about characters (most I focus the idea/concept.)

•The main character, Dean Silva, is a bishop.

•His lover, Elizabeth Arye, is vampirised.

•Pierre Baiyan is an alchemist and the one to resurect Dracula (the first alchemist introduced in the fanchise before Rinaldo Gandolfi).

•Simon Belmont in the novel version is a dhampir.

•Claude Runke is Dracula in the novel (he might be the earlier atempt to be Dracula reborn before Malus form CV64 and Soma Cruz)

•Ray Belmont is mentor of Simon Belmont.

•Valvula is Dracula's predecesor (the first atempt of Dracula's predecesor before Walter Bernhard and Joachim Armster)

•Leesa Berenice was loved by Simon and Claude (a love triangle situation)

•Cil Vink and Mary Fraise are the victims of vampirism.

[avatarvyakara]

Might as well work on this one too…

On Age in Carmen Sandiego (2019)

Or, at the very least, in the timeline of Crimson Shades.

First off, Carmen’s mother, Carlotta Valdez (aka “Vera Cruz”), was supposed to have “died” in 1999. Carmen looked around perhaps a year old at that point in time, giving her a possible birth-date in 1996 to 1997. This in turn suggests that the series takes place some time before the actual date of publication—say, 2017/2018 onwards—to maintain Carmen’s rough age.

Rough age ranges of the characters, taking Carmen’s rough birthdate for estimation:

Team Red

Isabela Valdez/Black Sheep/Carmen Sandiego: 16/17 starting at VILE, 18/19 during the Poitiers Caper, 22/23 by the end.

Fairly self-explanatory.

Pierre Bouchard/Player: 12/13 as a White Hat Hacker, 14/15 during the Poitiers Caper, 18/19 by the end.

Not quite old enough for a learner’s permit (Up Here it’s a G1) during the earlier capers.

Ivy Collins: 19 during the Donuts/Poitiers Capers, 23 by the end.

Zack Collins: 18 during the Donuts/Poitiers Capers, 22 by the end.

Zack is supposed to be around a year younger than Ivy.

Nakamura Suhara/Shadowsan: 23 when sent after Dexter Wolfe, 42 during the Poitiers Caper, 46 by the end.

Young but not too young, as it were.

VILE

Eartha McGlynn/Coach Brunt: 39 upon receiving Black Sheep, 58 during the Poitiers Caper, 61 when arrested, 63 by the end.

Gunnar Stromme/Professor Maelstrom: 37 upon receiving Black Sheep, 56 during the Poitiers Caper, 60 when arrested, 62 by the end.

Oluchi Cleopatra Okorie/Countess Cleo: 26 upon receiving Black Sheep, 45 during the Poitiers Caper, 49 when arrested, 51 by the end.

Saira Dhibar/Doctor Bellum: 33 upon receiving Black Sheep, 54 during the Poitiers Caper, 58 when arrested, 60 by the end.

Sir Nigel Braithwaite/Roundabout: 56 when appointed, 57 when arrested, 59 by the end.

Margherita Picasso/Cookie Booker: 54 when first pelted, 62 when the Hard Drive was stolen, 67 by the end.

Vlad Bobinski: 28 upon receiving Black Sheep, 45 upon letting Black Sheep get away, 50 by the end.

Boris Vladinski: 27 upon receiving Black Sheep, 44 while watching Vlad let Black Sheep get away, 49 by the end.

They may be slightly younger or older, but at least Coach Brunt’s age seems to have been confirmed at 60 by the time of the Fourth Season.

Graham Calloway/Gray/Crackle: 18 starting at VILE, 20 during the Poitiers Caper, 24 by the end.

Jean-Paul Marignan/Le Chèvre: 19 starting at VILE, 21 during the Poitiers Caper, 25 by the end.

Antonio Sánchez/El Topo: 18/19 starting at VILE, 20/21 during the Poitiers Caper, 24/25 by the end.

Sheena Landry/Tigress: 18 starting at VILE, 20 during the Poitiers Caper, 23 when arrested, 24 by the end.

Parker Morris/Mime Bomb: 18 starting at VILE, 20 during the Poitiers Caper, 23 when arrested, 25 by the end.

Sawa Jin/Paper Star: 17 starting at VILE, 18 during the Magna Carta Caper, 22 when arrested at the end.

ACME

Tamara Fraser/Chief: 26 when killing Dexter Wolfe, 45 during the Poitiers Caper, 49 when arresting VILE, 51 by the end.

Inspector/Agent Chase Devineaux: 37 during the Poitiers Caper, 38/39 when arresting VILE, 41 by the end.

Agent Julia Argent: 25 during the Poitiers Caper, 27 when arresting VILE, 29 by the end.

This is going to cause some trouble, I just know it. But the average amount of time it takes to get a university degree in the UK is around three years, and Julia has two of them. She also seems to have jumped right to an associate professorship at Oxford in Season 3, the requirements for which are around 4-6 years of study plus a thesis. Thus Julia would have had to have been in school for at least something like seven to nine years before joining Interpol, with whom she had apparently only been for a fortnight before the Poitiers Caper. The number above assumes that she skipped a year and took a year less to complete her second degree. Or took two years less. Or started two years early. You get my point. Basically, Julia has to be a fair bit older than she looks in order to actually have the qualifications she possesses.

Agent Umaira Zari: 38 during the Poitiers Caper, 40 when arresting VILE, 42 by the end.

Some additional ages:

Nakamura Hideo: 17 when his brother Suhara was born, 36 when his brother disappeared, 63 when his brother returned for good, 65 by the end.

Not an unreasonable age given his looks, I thought.

Carlotta Valdez: 27 when she gave birth to Isabela, 47 when Carmen returned home to her, 49 by the end.

Young but not too long, once again.

Any I missed?

[austxnland]

Con respecto de la pregunta sobre la diversidad racial en el foro: hay un montón de tramas interesantes que llevar a cabo al respecto, de manera histórica. Ya de por sí, por ejemplo, en Sanditon lo hizo muy bien la propia Jane Austen, incluyendo a la señorita Lambe (y en la adaptación a serie también se trata el asunto, con una perspectiva contemporánea, pero es genial que se haya representado como en la novela).

Recomendación de una personita que está dedicando esfuerzos a una tesis doctoral en siglo XIX (en el ámbito hispánico, pero igualmente, había un gran problema a nivel global con la esclavitud, sobre todo): busquen información sobre sociedades y periódicos abolicionistas, y la lucha que, desde principios de siglo, tuvieron por los Derechos Humanos. En ese momento, también emergió la Cruz Roja y otras entidades filantrópicas, sobre todo de la mano de las mujeres, más dedicadas a la labor humanitaria, por permitirles un acceso a la vida pública más respetable que por otras vías (al menos, en el caso de las de alta sociedad). ¡La Ley que abolió la esclavitud en 1833, en Inglaterra, permitía el tráfico de esclavos desde la India! Era como tener un vacío legal en la colonia. ¡Tremendo! Y a mediados de siglo se creó la British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, que pretendía abolir la esclavitud en todo el mundo. Pueden tirar mucho de ahí para crear tramas interesantes.

Sí que es verdad que la historia limita mucho a la hora de jugar con determinados PB, pero también puede suponer un desafío y un buen intento por informarse acerca de la historia de la esclavitud y por la lucha de los derechos de las personas afrodescendientes.

Les dejo referentes históricos (algunos estadounidenses) para que puedan tomar ideas:

—Ottobah Cugoano

—Olaudah Equiano

—Philis Wheatley

—Harriet Tubman

—Charles Lenox Remond

—Frederick Douglass

—Mary Ann Shadd Cary

—Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin

—Henry Highland Garnet

—Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Y otros...

¡Qué datazos! ¡y qué usuarios tenemos!

[karlenandgail]

5

The Prince meets THE QUEEN....

“Tell Abriella that Gail’s Prince has arrived in New Orleans and is currently having coffee with Armaund and I.” Watching Thenasus’ eyes widen almost had Jean Pierre chuckling.  “If she could please come most expeditiously, we would appreciate it.  He is…touchy…and a bit impatient to see his redhead.”  Jean Pierre smiled.

"I'm sorry did you say…" Thenasus leaned towards Jean Pierre, his eyes narrowing slightly; he was sure he had to have heard wrong.   He hadn't even had a chance to work with Gail to obtain any information on her supposed Prince, and yet he had somehow found Jean Pierre in New Orleans?  

"Oh yes, an actual Prince too, of Uffern no less.  Youngest brother of King Kellen, although I can say that they seem nothing alike, thank the Source." Jean Pierre's smile didn’t reach his eyes and was tight.  Both he and Thenasus had encountered Kellen in the past, neither wished to again.  "I was at one point a tad worried for Armaund's safety.  It seems Prince Karlen is rather touchy and the possible insinuation of her dead, I mean she IS in Hell, just about had him exploding.  Thankfully he does have more composure and restraint than his elder brother."

"Lovely.  I am sure Abriella won't be able to contain her excitement for that kind of response." Thenasus said with so much sarcasm that the air was rife with it.  The tall guard had a feeling that this could explode if handled wrong, on both the Uffernian and Imperium fronts.

"He is at least ready to relinquish title and royal standing so he can come to the realm.  Not even a blink when I mentioned it." Jean Pierre noticed Thenasus was as shocked at this as he'd been.

"I'll tell Abriella.   As soon as she's available, I'm sure she'll be down.  We’ve had an interesting day or so, you’ll have to have Anna fill you in." The guard shook his head.   Had the Fates decided no one got to sleep or peace in the realm for the foreseeable future?  Between the disaster at breakfast with Yael, the arrival of Kaylin and Asher, the expected oncoming conflict with Damien, the idiot spectre who almost got his…wife? killed the night before and now this, he wondered how much more could go wrong.  That had all happened before midnight the previous day.  Now this one was starting with an Uffernian Prince wishing an audience with the Queen.  What next, a proposal from…no, he was going to not even think anything of the sort.  The damn Fates would probably make it happen, at this rate, and trying to contain Cruz if one more thing went upended would be…a headache.

****

“Prince Karlen, I have been informed that you wish an audience with me.”  Abriella gave no notice before she appeared in the antique shop, where Armaund and Jean Pierre were quite sure that they would soon become tea leaves, from how much they were going through waiting for her to show up to handle their guest.  She was dressed in an elegant suit and anyone not in the know might mistake her for a powerful business woman.  Powerful she was, but her business was normally death and warfare, not paperwork and money making.

Karlen, for his part, rose and bowed to the Queen.  He knew she held the key to seeing Sophia, who he had learned went by Gail when awake.  “Queen Abriella, I did.  However, please, I relinquish all title and standing, as I understand that our realms are not, nor have ever been, allies, so I am no longer a Prince.  I come before you as a humble demon, wishing to enter your realm in search of the woman I’ve loved and searched many realms and worlds over for three hundred years for.  I know her as Sophia, but I know in her waking hours that she can go by other names.  If it pleases, your highness, I would just like the chance to finally be with her.”  For the first time in his long life, he was truly nervous.  His voice was sincere, and there was even a slight pleading sound to it at the end.

If she did not believe him or refused him, he did not know what he would do.  If his Sophia was truly friends with Abriella then declaring war on her realm to get to her would be the exact opposite of a good thing.  The Queen was far more beautiful and composed than even the rumors that had reached Uffern had stated.  Possibly his brother, Kellen, could negotiate something if this endeavor failed.  Karlen would not be deterred, he had worked too hard and for too long to just give up.  

“I was informed that you were willing to do so.  Your powers will be partially bound till you have proven yourself trustworthy within my realm.  I have been advised of the previous relations between your family and my grandfather.  While he has made some…changes…in his demeanor, I cannot allow war to break out. No does your brother have a diplomatic relationship with my reign.  I am sure you understand my position.”  Abriella had a soft smile and inclined her head.  Gail had no clue she was there, nor that Karlen had been found.  Truthfully she didn’t trust him, and until it could be confirmed that he WAS her dream Prince, suspicion would reign supreme.  There had been enough upset in Imperium in the last twenty-four hours to last her for a long time.  When she returned she still needed to have her conversation with Leandre about the upcoming visit she was going to make to Damien.

“Your Majesty, I shall agree to any provisions required in order to be with Sophia.  If there are any tests that I must endure, I shall agree to those too.  I have anticipated this day for centuries, I will let nothing stand in my way if I can eliminate it easily.” Karlen’s expressions and voice were resolute, but not confrontational.  While trying not to sound as desperate as he felt, he did want to convey that he was not going to challenge her in any way regarding the requirements to be a guest of Imperium. 

“Orpheus, Andronicus?”  From the shadows stepped two of Abriella’s Royal Guard.  Both dressed in their more regal gear, they were being tasked with “babysitting” the Prince until it had been determined whether he could be trusted.  “These two guards will be with you at all times.  If you try to leave the realm with Gail, it will be considered and act of war, and you will feel the force of all four of the Horsemen upon Uffern.  If you are being honest regarding your intentions, then within time we can make changes to these requirements. We are still chasing the beings that had Gail enthralled and I will not allow her to be endangered because of your obsession with her.”  Abriella’s chin was lifted, but her voice was not confrontational.  At the moment, she was walking the fine line between a friend and the regent of the realm.  It was not a comfortable one for her.  She knew that further separation from Karlen, should he prove to be the one Gail had described, would only cause the sweet woman more pain.  

“You will have no argument from me, Your Majesty.  I will follow whatever rules you lay out to be able to be able to see if what we have experienced over the centuries in dreams can come into the waking world as well.”  Karlen nodded in deference to her, grateful that he wasn’t being chained, literally, in some kind of dungeon or jail.  His brother was not known for his friendly relationships with other realms, so that he was no met with outright hostility was at least a step in the right direction as far as he was concerned.

“We are not going to have you meet Gail directly.  You will have a conversation with your guards and Gail’s guardian within Imperium will bring her by the open doorway.  First we will see if she recognizes your voice, then we will move forward from there.”  Abriella, Cruz, Olly, Arch, and Thenasus  had all discussed how to handle things before she had teleported to the antique shop. They all felt it better not to bring them together directly until they had more indication that he truly was who she had dreamed of.  In this way they could avoid further trauma to her.  “Now, let’s be away.”

[cuttergauthier]

Who I Write For

Hey everyone this is a list of who I write for.

If you have someone else in mind, send me an ask and i’ll let you know if i want to write for him. I’m not picky

Also if anyone would want me to start an AU let me know!

How to request

I DO NOT WRITE SMUT

New jersey Devils

Jack Hughes

Nathan Bastian

Dawson Mercer

Luke Hughes

Nico Hischier

Timo Meier

Brendan Smith

Vancouver Canucks

Quinn Hughes

Brock Boeser

Elias Pettersson

Cole McWard

Anthony Beauvillier

Dakota Joshua

Toronto Maple Leafs

Mitch Marner

Auston Matthews

William Nylander

Matthew Knies

Morgan Reilly

Buffalo Sabres

Owen Powers

Tyson Jost

Devon Levi

Erik Johnson

Jeff Skinner

Tage Thompson

Dylan Cozens

Casey Mittelstadt

Carolina Hurricanes

Michael Bunting

Andrei Svechnikov

Jack Drury

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pierre-Oliver Joseph

Ryan Graves

Ty Smith

Columbus Blue Jackets

Nick Blankenburg

Kent Johnson

Cole Sillinger

Adam Boqvist

Zach Werenski

Adam Fantilli

Vegas Golden Knights

Brendan Brisson

San Jose Sharks

Thomas Bordeleau

Tristen Robins

William Eklund

Henry Thrun

Luke Kunin

Anaheim Ducks

Trevor Zegras

Mason McTavish

John Gibson

Frank Vatrano

St Louis Blues

Jake Neighbours

Colton Parayko

Ottawa Senators

Josh Norris

Brady Tkachuk

Mathieu Joseph

Jakob Chychrun

Zack MacEwen

Tim Stutzle

Thomas Chabot

Minnesota Wilds

Matt Boldy

Brock Faber

Brandon Duhaime

Los Angeles Kings

Alex Turcotte

Quinn Byfield

Brandt Clarke

Pierre Luc Dubois

Alex Laferriere

Florida Panthers

Matthew Tkachuk

Sam Bennett

Mackie Samoskevich

William Lockwood

Aaron Ekblad

Josh Mahura

Brandon Montour

Colorado Avalanche

Cale Makar

Bowen Byram

Nate Mackinnon

Miles Wood

Detroit Red Wings

J.T. Compher

Dylan Larkin

Joe Veleno

Jake Walman

Boston Bruins

Mason Lohrei

Johnny Beecher

Jeremy Swayman

Jake Debrusk

Charlie Mcavoy

Montreal Canadiens

Cole Caufield

Arber Xhekaj

Kirby Dach

Christian Dvorak

Alex Newhook

New York Islanders

Noah Dobson

Mat Barzal

Philadelphia Flyers

Morgan Frost

Cam York

Jamie Drysdale

Joe Farabee

Tyson Foerster

Noah Cates

New York Rangers

Alexis Lafrenière

Adam Fox

K’Andre Miller

Braden Schneider

Chris Kreider

Zac Jones

Arizona Coyotes

Logan Cooley

Dylan Guenther

Clayton Keller

Nick Schmaltz

Chicago Blackhawks

Lukas Reichel

Seth Jones

Alex Vlasic

Connor Bedard

Tampa Bay Lightnings

Brandon Hagel

Anthony Cirelli

Seattle Kraken

Brandon Tanev

Jamie Oleksiak

Philipp Grubauer

Will Borgen

Dallas Stars

Wyatt Johnston

Jake Oettinger

Rope Hintz

Craig Smith

University of Michigan

Luca Fantili

Rutger McGroarty

Nick Moldenhauer

Phil Lapointe

Jacob Truscott

Tyler Duke

Marshall Warren

Frank Nezar

Ethan Edwards

Michigan State University

Red Savage

Isaac Howard

Maxim Štrbák

Ohio State University

Joe Dunlap

Cam Thiesing

Davis Burnside

Caden Brown

Matt Cassidy

Minnesota University

Luke Mittelstadt

Jimmy Snuggerud

Ryan Chesley

Oliver Moore

Brody Lamb

Boston College

Cutter Gauthier

Will Smith

Ryan Leonard

Gabe Perreault

Drew Fortescue

Jacob Fowler

Will Vote

University of Wisconsin

Cruz Lucius

Charlie Stramel

Zach Schulz

Random Teams

Nick Granowicz

Jay Keranen

Colton Dach

Nathan Gaucher

+ more

AU’s 

Nick Granowicz x Msu Reader

Josh Norris x Tkachuk sister

Trevor Zegras x Hughes sister

Cutter Gauthier x Hughes sister

Matthew Knies x Matthews sister

Jack Hughes x Mercer au

[theimperiumchronicles]

Happy STS! Your characters are decorating. For what? You decide; Christmas, a party, the end of the world, etc. All that matters is they are together and they must decorate. Who claims overseer? Who disappears into the kitchen for snacks and never returns? Who spends two hours untangling lights or streamers?

Hi sweet Tori! I will answer for each WIP separately because it will be different for each one.

@theimperiumchronicles

The Palace is always decked out for Christmas. Lights EVERYWHERE, multiple trees, holly and pine boughs on all the stairwells, wreaths on all the mantels. It is like a winter wonderland. Abriella and Cruz make it snow many nights for the kinds in Imperium to get to play. It is beautiful and magical.

@the-andromeda-effect

Caliban used to have parties for Christmas because it was what was expected but now that Adira is in his life, he is finding that decorating and celebrating is more enjoyable. He is letting her take the lead on putting up the tree, buying decorations that will be "theirs" and even planning the yearly celebratory parties. Their marriage may be "fake" but their budding relationship is most certainly not.

Bayou Witches

Nothing in the LaVeau household is done halfway. There are decorations everywhere celebrating their French and Haitian roots. Mass will be attended on Christmas Eve, and their Catholic beliefs are not forgotten in their decorations either.

Back To The 20's

Candles, strings of pearls, glass ornaments, holly, and trees decorate the elegant Garden District home that Anna and Jasper share. The home of Jean Pierre and Armaund is no less formal. Jazz bands would be arranged, only the highest quality bootlegged liquor provided, and the most delicious creole food prepared.

@devil-in-the-details-ay

As literal Death himself, Astaroth celebrates the death of plants and animals due to the frigid weather. He does not host parties or decorate. Normally his celebrations are with the reapers of all kinds that are in his employ and bring the death of all manners of beings and life. However, this year he has Yara at his side and as they navigate the complexities of their forced marriage, they are also celebrating this together as well. In past years it has been a grand banquet where the mood was respectful of the lives that had ended, and it is expected that it will transpire much the same this year. Things could change with Yara now participating.

@magical-mistakes-vm

Vollrath, Balor, Elmar, and Baldur have never really celebrated. Mahala was always on the run and her mother never had the money to celebrate the holidays. This year, they'll all be spending them together due to the circumstances surrounding Mahala returning to her family's homestead. To try to lighten the mood, they will do light decorating and exchange gifts. How that will go will be interesting to see, given that none of them have ever done this before.

@princess-of-thieves-id

There is no Christmas in the version of Earth that this story is set in. However they do have celebrations for the start of the new year. For that, they will decorate the ship's galley with lights and have a small celebration on the last day of the year.

@tapperhet-em

There is also no Christmas in this version of Earth. I have not decided if there will be any other winter celebrations.

[palaceofimperium]

Meeting Jasper

An old friend of Anna's makes a surprise appearance...

“Well, hello, darling.  Fancy seeing you here.” 

Annabella stopped midstride as the smooth voice echoed down the hall from behind her.  A voice it had been decades since she heard, but she could never forget. A slow smirk formed on her lips as she turned around to face him.  There he was in the flesh:  Jasper Abbasi.  Smug smirk in place, leaning up against a doorframe like he owned the place with his arms crossed over his chest.  He looked relaxed, but Anna knew that the man was never relaxed.

“Well, hello yourself, Jasper.  And what brings a demon like you to a place like this?”  Anna\s blue eyes sparked with tease as she returned the greeting.  She was glad to see her old friend alive and not bound or worse by some witch.  They had hunted many a being together in New Orleans.

“I had heard that the Queen had brought some interesting females to the Palace, and you know me, darling, I can hardly resist an interesting female.”  The corners of his mouth lifted more as he winked.  “I didn’t realize just how interesting they could be till now.  I do hope that you are keeping yourself out of trouble, love.” One eyebrow rose as he kept his eyes trained on only her.  He knew that things had gone a little sideways in New Orleans and he had been worried, but the last time he’d been in the city there had been a difference of opinion with Jean Pierre and he had been reluctant to cross the Grigori again.  

“You know me, handsome, trouble finds me wherever I go.  We have gotten ourselves into a bit of it in our time, now haven’t we.”  Now it was her that was fighting smiling more as a slight chuckle caused her chest to shake lightly.  “Although I do think that you will find my current partner a bit more volatile that the last.”  

“Oh?  Am I going to have to worry about being staked or set on fire?  Worse than Cruz?  I have managed to stay on the good side of the King, you know.”  Now his curiosity was peaked.  Who could be her new partner?  He knew that her last one had been a rank asshole and if Jasper had his way, he’d drag the male to the depths of Caligo.  He still might if he could get royal permission.

“Not if you're a good demon.” There was the teasing smirk that Jasper knew, oh she could be just as much of a devil as he could.  A blond curl falling over one eye had him shaking his head.

“I’m ALWAYS good darling, you know that.”  Jasper grinned and pushed off the doof frame to start to walk over to her, his stut cocky as ever.

“Anna?” Both their heads turned as Adriel stepped into hallway, looking a little confused at the interaction between the two. “Oh, darling!  The Angel of Destruction? How delicious.”  Jasper turned towards Adriel who was looking at him warily.  “I’m Jasper, an old friend of Anna.”  He leaned in, his eyes meeting Adriel’s and goin from a brilliant blue to a deep red rimmed with gold.  “And if you break her heart like the last asshole, I’ll rip your wings off your pretty back and shove them up your ass sideways.  Ask Cruz, I can do it.”  He leaned back, his eyes returning to normal.  “I look forward to working with both of you in the future.  I love a good hunt.”  His eyes widened as he looked between them with a grin before walking over and kissing Anna on the cheek.  “Let me know when you’re ready.”

Both of them watched as he strutted down the hall and disappeared.

[cljordan-imperium]

Alright CL. This one is very self indulgent so feel free not to answer it but I was wondering how your OCs would react to Heaven? Would they get along well?

Okay, so there are going to be multiple characters answering because...well, they are excited for this. They are from 3 different storylines - @theimperiumchronicles (obviously), @bombsbodyguardsbroken (multiple), and @magical-mistakes-vm. So...here we go!!

I'm going to break this down by storyline, and then by character

@theimperiumchronicles

Abriella -

Brie would love her! She's fierce, she's protective, she loves Arthur scars and all. Brie would be like, YES SISTER, come on in, bring the human and I'll boost whatever magic you need. Need me to bring back some ancestors from the dead, I'm a necromancer bitch!

Cassandra -

ANOTHER WITCH!! OMG!! Do you do naked moon dances? How do you scry? Do you do blood magic or crystal magic? I'm mated to Lucifer, YES...THE LUCIFER?! Need help?? You have a direct line, babes!! Let's have tea and dish!

Arch -

He would observe and be cautious. He is not into dark arts, but is a mage, so he mixes potions, crystals, poultices, and mystical powers. He is very protective of Cruz and Abriella. As long as she is not a threat to them, he might engage her in discussions regarding her magic, if she needs protective amulets for Arthur and herself, any charms or potions/poultices and the like.

Arioch -

Arioch, the demon of revenge is going to see her like a little sister. He'll be protective and assist her in keeping Arthur safe, maybe even doing her dirty work for her, keeping her hands clean. Being able to do the work from the other side of the veil, there will be no trace of how it was done or who did it. He's a demon after all, so it's not like the blame can be left on the human side. They'll get along wonderfully.

Lucifer -

He'll sit back and wait for Cass and Heaven to need something. Imagine him sitting back on a chair, legs outstretched, smirk on his face, arms crossed over his chest, and just shaking his head. That's Luc. He's just amused his woman is excited as hell.

Jasper -

*sigh* Jasper is probably the first one to get stabbed. He's...he's Jasper and he'd be himself. He likes to test limits. Once he'd been an ass enough, he'd love the fuck out of her and take her under his wing like Arioch. He'd help her take care of Arthur and since he plays in the world of the Blinders with Anna and her friendship with Rose & Alfie, he can help run interference without her having to kill Alfie. Doesn't want to upset Anna now.

Anna -

Anna would want to help Arthur because she always wants to fix the broken, so she'd rope in Jean Pierre and Armaund (so we'll just thrown them in with Anna). In that way, they'd just bring Heaven into the fold like a broken person too. She's been damaged and hurt in the past and they'd just love her and try to protect her too. She might be the one that stabs Jasper, it wouldn't be the first time.

Kellen -

Kellen would be curious. Cautious, but curious. He'd want to know where her powers came from and why she is so quick to use them offensively. He'd want her and Arthur to come to the Uffernian Palace so he could study her. Safety for both of them would be promised so he could learn more about her history and magic. The only reason curiosity hasn't killed this panther is he's a very powerful demon.

Grae -

Unlike his boss, Grae would be on guard. He would keep Ada far away from her or Arthur. He's already protective of her, but if he thought she'd be in any danger from a woman who's ready to kill if she thinks Arthur is in any danger, not a chance. He's still trying to figure out Ada's powers so he would not risk it. He'd be careful around her too. Grae knows what he means to Ada, which means he would not risk angering the witch.

Dartan -

If he managed not to get killed, again, I think they'd get along. He was a powerful warlock in his first life so they would have much to discuss. However he has the personality of rough grit sandpaper against raw skin.

Amaya -

Amaya at first would be a little trepidatious, I mean the last spell she did DID end her up in literal hell and married to Dartan..ish. So, she'd be friendly but kind of skittish and shy. Once she felt a little more comfortable, I think they'd be great friends. If Dartan can keep from being, well, the current Dartan, then I think they could be a great foursome, like two couple friend group. Hell would have no fury like the four of them in Small Heath. Dartan is going to help Amaya with her magic eventually so if they were to meet after that, they'd be crazy deadly, like they could take all the Sabinis out in one swoop kind of deadly.

Mithos -

Mithos is another vengeance demon AND he is Co-Captain of the Queen's Royal Guard. The vengeance demon part of him is going to adore her and her style. The guardian side of him is going to totally understand her protection of Arthur. If you have read the scene I posted the other day where Brie almost went into Stasis you know how far he'll go for those he cares about. He will kill and he will die for Abriella, any day any time. So he would understand, and he would help her. He honors those who have love and loyalty.

Seren -

Seren is the Princess Royal and daughter of an ex of Korben that went on to marry one of his good friends and now is a "gift" to him that was originally to be his ward. Yeah...complicated. She's also been sent to study at the Mage Consortium in Uffern. (I have a spreadsheet to keep it all straight when my brain stops working...seriously) ANYWAY...she would find Heaven absolutely fascinating. First, the magic. Seren holds innate magic she's been using her whole life, so she'd want to talk to her about her skills, and how she got them. The whole history. She'd find the treatment of Heaven's family horrific. Then would come her protection of Arthur. This would be a foreign concept to Seren. She's always been a tool. Her mother was a tool, an object, a means to an end. She would adore Heaven, but not understand her love and protection of Arthur.

*****

@bombsbodyguardsbroken

Melania -

The daughter of Marie LaVeau magic is no secret to her, she's seen the darkest of the dark. She's called upon the ancestors herself. She understands protecting those she loves and would want to help Haven if she could. Make it so that she feels safe and that Arthur is safe. She also knows what it's like to not be able to trust family. Mel was killed the first time by the woman who she thought was her mother, requiring Marie to resurrect her, which is when she learned who her true family was. In the current story she will end up being forced to kill one brother and try to kill her true father. So, loyalty is paramount to her.

Dontanion -

A powerful Voodoo Priest, he is the most powerful of the family. He would be interested in Heaven's abilities. He would even offer to show her some protections she might not be aware of and ways to invoke the ancestors and beings from the other side of the veil. And wait till Heaven meets Fluffy!

Francois -

While not as powerful as his brother, his energy is darker and he is more intimidating. Both brothers had to stand by as Melania grew up, unable to tell her who they truly were and also unable to intercede in many things that happened that hurt her. Now the truth is out, they too protect her the way that Heaven wants to protect Arthur. He too would want to help her and develop/strengthen her magic in ways to help her protect him. Also in ways to help her heal the trauma of his past so the demons are held at bay longer.

Mama Marie -

Marie LaVeau herself, the most powerful Voodoo Priestess that has ever existed, and ever will. The Queen of the Bayou. She would accept Heaven as a child of hers, no matter who birthed Heaven or what she had done in the past. She is a soul who need love and practices the craft, that is all Marie needs to know. She adopts lost souls and gives them a home and a mom to come to when they need. She would try to gently guide Heaven where she could, and support her. Give Heaven the family that she had stolen in the past, the love and support a mother can, and welcome Arthur in as well.

@magical-mistakes-vm

Vollrath -

As a Master Warlock, Vollrath would see it as his duty to ensure that Heaven had everything she needed but also that she was not going too far, which might cause conflict. He can be...abrupt/abrasive/an asshole. He comes from a good place but his people skills suck ass. Mahala is going to work on that, but...I think it would go badly, but yeah... However, anyone coming after Heaven would die, and die very ugly. He would not ask questions, he would not give second chances. You come after a witch in his territory and your life is forfeit, whether he and the witch are on good terms is not a variable in the equation.

Mahala -

In contrast Mahala would be in awe. She would have a gazillion questions and just want to know everything. Heaven would be instantly accepted just as she was. Arthur would be loved as like a big brother. Mahala would offer them a family like bond, and want to learn from Heaven to help protect Arthur too, and even to protect Heaven from anyone who came after her. She'd see anyone coming after Heaven as the hunters that Vollrath has mentioned. And, Vollrath said they have to die...so.... *CRINGE*

SOOO...that is how my OC's would see her. At least the ones that immediately went ME ME ME ME ME ME...If any more of them pop up my brain might just turn to pudding. LMAO

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.22 (before 1900)

838 – Battle of Anzen: The Byzantine emperor Theophilos suffers a heavy defeat by the Abbasids. 1099 – First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Jerusalem. 1209 – Massacre at Béziers: The first major military action of the Albigensian Crusade. 1298 – Wars of Scottish Independence: Battle of Falkirk: King Edward I of England and his longbowmen defeat William Wallace and his Scottish schiltrons outside the town of Falkirk. 1342 – St. Mary Magdalene's flood is the worst such event on record for central Europe. 1443 – Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl in the Old Zürich War. 1456 – Ottoman wars in Europe: Siege of Belgrade: John Hunyadi, Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary, defeats Mehmet II of the Ottoman Empire. 1484 – Battle of Lochmaben Fair: A 500-man raiding party led by Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany and James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas are defeated by Scots forces loyal to Albany's brother James III of Scotland; Douglas is captured. 1499 – Battle of Dornach: The Swiss decisively defeat the army of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. 1587 – Roanoke Colony: A second group of English settlers arrives on Roanoke Island off North Carolina to re-establish the deserted colony. 1594 – The Dutch city of Groningen defended by the Spanish and besieged by a Dutch and English army under Maurice of Orange, capitulates. 1598 – William Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice, is entered on the Stationers' Register. By decree of Queen Elizabeth, the Stationers' Register licensed printed works, giving the Crown tight control over all published material. 1686 – Albany, New York is formally chartered as a municipality by Governor Thomas Dongan. 1706 – The Acts of Union 1707 are agreed upon by commissioners from the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, which, when passed by each country's Parliament, leads to the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain. 1793 – Alexander Mackenzie reaches the Pacific Ocean becoming the first recorded human to complete a transcontinental crossing of North America. 1796 – Surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company name an area in Ohio "Cleveland" after Gen. Moses Cleaveland, the superintendent of the surveying party. 1797 – Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Battle between Spanish and British naval forces during the French Revolutionary Wars. During the Battle, Rear-Admiral Nelson is wounded in the arm and the arm had to be partially amputated. 1802 – Emperor Gia Long conquers Hanoi and unified Viet Nam, which had experienced centuries of feudal warfare. 1805 – Napoleonic Wars: War of the Third Coalition: Battle of Cape Finisterre: An inconclusive naval action is fought between a combined French and Spanish fleet under Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve of France and a British fleet under Admiral Robert Calder. 1812 – Napoleonic Wars: Peninsular War: Battle of Salamanca: British forces led by Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) defeat French troops near Salamanca, Spain. 1833 – The Slavery Abolition Act passes in the British House of Commons, initiating the gradual abolition of slavery in most parts of the British Empire. 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Atlanta: Outside Atlanta, Confederate General John Bell Hood leads an unsuccessful attack on Union troops under General William T. Sherman on Bald Hill. 1893 – Katharine Lee Bates writes "America the Beautiful" after admiring the view from the top of Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs, Colorado. 1894 – The first ever motor race is held in France between the cities of Paris and Rouen. The fastest finisher was the Comte Jules-Albert de Dion, but the "official" victory was awarded to Albert Lemaître driving his three-horsepower petrol engined Peugeot.

[alejandromanas]

El Museu d’Art Contemporani Vicente Aguilera Cerni de Vilafamés, en colaboración con la Galería Espai Nivi y comisariada por el profesor de la Universitat Politècnica de València Alejandro Mañas García, presenta la exposición «Diálogo de dos Colecciones. Espai Nivi · MACVAC».

Esta unión estratégica entre dos instituciones apasionadas por el arte contemporáneo no solo destaca el valor de ambas colecciones, sino que también resalta la vitalidad de la cultura ejercida desde

fuera de los espacios centrales. La exposición «Diálogo de dos Colecciones» celebra los quince años de Espai Nivi, una galería cuya valiosa contribución ha trascendido lo local para alcanzar proyección nacional e internacional. Su colección, cuidadosamente curada y en constante crecimiento, reúne obras de renombrados artistas de diversos estilos y medios, capturando la esencia misma del arte contemporáneo y ofreciendo una visión única de su evolución.

Esta exposición conjunta presenta una selección de obras de pequeño formato de la colección Mariano Poyatos y Filomena Lorenzo en diálogo con piezas del Museo de Vilafamés. Este encuentro entre las obras estratégicamente dispuestas a lo largo del recorrido del museo, genera un diálogo fascinante.

Los diálogos están formados por los siguientes artistas: Jaume Rocamora · Myriam Jiménez // Ouka Leele · Javier Mariscal // Amelia Peláez · Ramón Roig // Nadezhda Udaltsova · Katarina Balunova // José María Cruz Novillo · Alexandra Knie // Cullén (Carmen Pérez-Seoane) · Alejandro Mañas García // Antoni Tàpies · Natha Piña // Teresa Gancedo · Xesco Mercé // Alfredo Alcaín · Art al Quadrat // Joan Moreno Alarcó · Din Matamoro // Luis Ferrer Jorge · Mónica Jover // Ose/Huz · Mar Vicente // Joan Castejón · Carmen Puchol // Man Ray · Laura Silleras // Manuel Castañón · Pepe Beas // Cartier-Bresson · Inma Liñana // Angiola Bonnani · Marip Guiennot // Ángel Duarte · Juan Ortí // Jean-Pierre Nicolini · Mariano Poyatos // Pilar Bañuelos · Rafael Galindo // Joan Tosca Cuquerella · Ismael Teira // Karim Rashid · Ángel Garraza // Fernando Sánchez Buenache · Manuel Gamonal // Ismael Smith · Concha Ros.

[bughead-in-the-comics]

Riverdale Characters: Townsfolk

Terry “Pop” Tate - owner of the chock’lit shoppe

Hubert Smithers - butler of the Lodge family

Lydia Wyndham - author of Blooming Blossoms; Betty’s neighbor

Pierre Gaston - chef of the Lodge family

Scott Pansky - owner of the costume shop

Dr. Sara Bellum - psychiatrist of Jughead

Chef Segarini - owner of Segarini’s Pizzeria; Pop Tate’s rival

Cromwell - the Lodge family chauffeur

Mindy Munowitz - Jughead’s crush who works as a dental assistant

Dexter Howard - WPBJ TV cameraman who dated Betty

Steve Moleback - Betty’s crush who works at a father’s plant nursery

DeDe Cruz - temporary PEP Comics employee who likes Jughead

Unca Paulo - owner of a pizzeria; Archie’s boss

Mayor Fodsnik - mayor of Riverdale

Barbara Bentley - new neighbor of Veronica

Eaton Grubb - famous food critic who loves Pop Tate’s burgers

Al the Caterer - owner of Al’s Catering; Jughead and Archie’s boss

Brenda Lin - reporter at WRIV TV 

Mr. Elm - owner of the flower shop

Mr. Davis - manager of the Tea Room; Betty’s boss

Fifi - personal maid of Veronica Lodge

Mr. Spif - trainer of aspiring models

Dr. Jester - pediatric dentist who likes to dress up as a clown

Ms. Molar - receptionist at Dr. Acherman’s dental clinic

Mr. Plyer - contractor who usually works for the Lodge Family

Mr. Milkweed - steadiest customer of Pop’s chock’lit shoppe

Madam Velda - the self-proclaimed best psychic in town

Godfrey Ghecko - real estate impresario who hates history

H.M. Bugg - business tycoon who hates Christmas

Miss Brissy - expert in compulsive shopping therapy

Tony Weatherbee - owner of Weatherbee’s Wheels; Waldo’s brother

Bruno Beazley - owner of Beazley’s Better Bodies; Bernice’s husband

Seta Upenbeg - dog whisperer who tries to “train” Hot Dog

Mozart Myers - rhythm doctor hired to teach The Archies about harmony

Mr. Moleback - owner of the plant nursery; Steve’s father

Mrs. Turner - mother of the Turner twins; Betty’s babysitting client

The Riverdale Chief of Police with his twin boys

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson with their daughter Emily - Betty’s clients

Pat and Tim Kennedy - Betty’s regular babysitting clients

Eddie and Freddie Turner - Betty’s regular babysitting clients

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

April 26, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

Well, the Republicans did it. After middle-of-the-night negotiations to include more of the far right’s wish list, House Republicans passed a bill agreeing to a short-term raising of the debt ceiling, so long as it is accompanied by massive spending cuts and a rollback of Biden’s major accomplishments. The bill squeaked through by a vote of 217 to 215, mostly along party lines. Four extremist Republicans voted no because they believed the measure didn’t go far enough to slash spending.

The administration reiterated that it would not negotiate over paying the nation’s bills. “In our history, we have never defaulted on our debt or failed to pay our bills,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “Congressional Republicans must act immediately and without conditions to avoid default and ensure that the full faith and credit of the United States is not put at risk. That is their job. Economists have warned that default could spark a dangerous financial crisis, lead to a recession costing millions of Americans their jobs, endanger hard-working Americans’ retirement savings, and increase long-term federal borrowing costs, adding to deficits and debt. We are not a deadbeat nation.”

“I am here because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he said it didn’t happen,” E. Jean Carroll said in court today for the former president’s civil trial for rape. “He lied and shattered my reputation, and I am here to try to get my life back.” Carroll offered a detailed account of what she says was Trump’s attack nearly 30 years ago, an attack that warped her life.

While she testified, Trump attacked Carroll on social media. The judge overseeing the case, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, warned Trump’s lawyer that his client’s statement was “entirely inappropriate,” saying he was trying to influence the jury. Any more commentary might open up “a new source of potential liability,” Kaplan said. The lawyer said he would do the best he could to silence Trump, but later in the day, Trump posted another attack and his son Eric Trump followed suit.

“I wanted to address my senators, Cruz and Cornyn,” Amanda Zurawski told the Senate Committee on the Judiciary today at a hearing on reproductive rights in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision. Zurawski’s water broke 18 weeks into her pregnancy, making it impossible for her fetus to survive. Because of the vague and extreme antiabortion bill Texas lawmakers had passed, her health care providers refused to treat her so long as the fetus had a heartbeat, denying her an abortion. Zurawski developed deadly sepsis and, after giving birth to a stillborn daughter, spent three days in intensive care as doctors worked to save her life.

Zurawski said she wanted the two Texas Republican senators to know “that what happened to me I think most people in this room would agree was horrific. But it’s a direct result of the policies they support. I nearly died on their watch, and…I may have been robbed of the opportunity to have children in the future. And it’s because of the policies that they support.”

Neither Cruz nor Cornyn showed up to hear her. Cornyn later said Zurawski should consider suing her doctors for misinterpreting the law. Zurawski responded: “[M]y physician and my team of health care professionals that I saw over the course of three days, while I was repeatedly turned away from health care access, made the decision to not provide an abortion because that’s what they felt they had to do under Texas’ law…. And that will continue to happen and it is continuing to happen, and it’s not a result of misinterpretation. It’s the result of confusion, and the confusion is because [of] the way the law is written.”

Today, the Walt Disney Company sued Florida governor Ron DeSantis over his “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” and attack free speech. Disney’s former chief executive officer last year spoke out against the governor’s law prohibiting teachers from mentioning sexual orientation or gender identity. The lawsuit says that DeSantis’s attack “now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights.”

“For more than half a century,” the lawsuit reads,” Disney has made an immeasurable impact on Florida and its economy, establishing Central Florida as a top global tourist destination and attracting tens of millions of visitors to the State each year. People and families from every corner of the globe have traveled to Walt Disney World,” but that relationship is now in jeopardy, the lawsuit warns. “A targeted campaign of government retaliation—orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech—now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights.”

Meanwhile, DeSantis is overseas on what has been billed as a trade mission.

Tonight, the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals denied Trump’s last-ditch attempt to prevent former vice president Mike Pence from testifying before the grand jury investigating Trump’s attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election. The grand jury has issued a subpoena for Pence; Trump tried to argue that Pence’s testimony was barred because of executive privilege. The court of appeals disagreed.

Today, two associates of former Trump ally Steve Bannon were sentenced to four years and three years in prison for soliciting donations for their “We Build the Wall” charity and then pocketing the money. Bannon was also charged in the case, but Trump pardoned him for his involvement in it before he left office.

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., today, President Joe Biden and President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea reaffirmed what Biden called the “ironclad” alliance between the two countries. They announced a new agreement, the so-called Washington Declaration, to increase cooperation in order to strengthen the message of nuclear deterrence conveyed to North Korea. This deterrence will include military training and exercises, the establishment of a joint nuclear consultative group, and the visit of a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea. “We’re not going to be stationing nuclear weapons on the peninsula, but we will have visits to ports, visits of nuclear submarines and things like that,” Biden said.

“A nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of whatever regime were to take such an action,” he added, a public reassurance Yoon was hoping to receive when he arrived in Washington. Nervous about North Korean development of nuclear weapons, a majority of South Koreans want to develop their own nuclear weapons, a stance the U.S. strongly opposes.

This official state visit, the second of the Biden presidency, reinforced the changing political landscape in the Indo-Pacific, where the United States seeks to support Japan and South Korea to counter the growing power of China. Since 2021, Korean businesses have invested more than $100 billion in the U.S., an investment that the White House says will create more than 40,000 new jobs here, while the U.S., in turn, is investing in South Korea. The presidents vowed to continue to work together to secure supply chains, develop clean energy, and cooperate on cybersecurity and emerging technologies.

Biden and Yoon have met four times before, and the mood at the White House after the announcement was friendly and celebratory. At tonight’s dinner in President Yoon’s honor, the attendees gave the South Korean leader a standing ovation when he sang the first verse of Don McLean’s 1971 rock ballad “American Pie.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[alexisgeorge24]

16 novembre :00h00 c'est une bonne heure pour débuter une journée si on a l'intention de profiter du lever de soleil au sommet d'un volcan. 2 heures de 4x4 pour se rapprocher au maximum du Parinacota à la frontière du Chili à 5100m. On est 4 en comptant notre guide. On passe rapidement de 0 à -10° en quelques 100aines de mètre d+. J'ai les mains congelée mais c'est le seul problème technique. Le cardio et le morale sont au top, et en 4h30 on atteind le sommet qui est à 6300m (!!!). Les derniers 300m étant particulièrement éprouvants puisqu'on avait l'impression que le sommet tout proche était inatteignable. Arrivé en haut évidement la vue est à couper le souffle, surtout à 06h30 aux aurores et avec le volcan jumeau du Paniracota juste en face, le Pomerape. On redescend en 1h30 puis s'enchaînent:

Retour à l'hébergement, taxi jusqu'à la frontière, bus jusqu'à Patacamaya, bus jusqu'à Oruro, pizza et visite express de la ville, bus de nuit jusqu'à Sucre.

Bilan: 7km, 1200m d+

En parallèle, Jessica fait mieux que moi avec une ascension à 9000m en 30min depuis l'aéroport CDG. Arrivée à Zurich escale de 6h avant de prendre le vol de nuit vers Sao Paulo et être sur le même continent que moi.

17 novembre : Arrivé de bonne heure dans le logement qu'on s'est réservé avec Jessica, j'en profite pour faire une lessive et prendre 5 douches. 4000km à l'est, Jessica termine un vol pénible car "peu d'espace pour mes jambes, à côté d'une personne un peu imposante et derrière une personne qui s'est littéralement allongée sur moi. Je retiendrai un mauvais souvenir de ce vol. Puis escale de 3h à Sao Paulo avant d'embarquer vers Santa Cruz. Arrivée en Bolivie, je passe la police aux frontières puis en voulant me diriger vers les couloirs de correspondance, j'aperçois mon sac de rando par terre avec d'autres bagages. Heureusement que je l'ai aperçu car j'ai du de nouveau m'enregistrer pour le dernier vol vers Sucre. Ensuite j'atteins enfin la ville pour retrouver mon Alexis qui est venu me chercher à l'aéroport vendredi vers 17h30".

Arrivés à la chambre, sieste méritée pour Jessica puis bar où elle découvre, à sa bonne surprise, les prix des cocktails en Bolivie.

18 novembre: Journée dediée à la visite de Sucre. Pour briller en société, il s'agit de la capitale constitutionnelle du pays, qu'est-ce que cela veut dire ? Que dans la constitution il est indiqué que la capitale c'est Sucre, voilà. La capitale de facto c'est La Paz (où siègent le gouvernement et autres institutions gouvernementales) et la capitale économique Santa Cruz. Bref, la ville est à 2800m, je suis donc au club med mais Jessica sent les montés. On commence la journée en prenant des churros AU DULCE DE LECHE. Ensuite on se dirige vers le museo del Tresoro où sont exposés des bijoux et pierres précieuses qu'on peut trouver dans le pays comme l'Ametrine Bolivienne (j'espère pouvoir caler cette information un jour lors dun diner). A défaut de trouver toutes les églises et cathédrales ouvertes au public, nous faisons un tour au marché ou je me pète le bide aux salades de fruits. On termine la visite par la Ricoleta, qui pour le plus grand plaisir de Jessica est à 100m d+. Belle vue sur la ville, visite d'un couvent et des musées sur les techniques de tissages indigènes. Bières/cocktails au même bar que la veille puis direction la gare routière pour notre bus de nuit vers Uyuni.

19 novembre: Arrivé à 5h30, ça nous donne le temps de prendre un petit déjeuner, trouver une agence pour un tour de 3 jours et organiser la suite de notre voyage au Chili. A 10h30 on charge le 4x4 et on commence par un "cimetière" de trains et locomotives. Nous n'avons aucune explication de notre "guide" Alex qui s'avérera tout aussi inutile que les locomotives. J'imagine qu'il s'agit d'anciens moyens de transports pour les mines du coins. En tout cas dommage pour le manque totale de conservation mais ça reste divertissant de grimper sur et dans les loco toute rouillées. Après ça, direction le Salar d'Uyuni, un désert de sel à perte de vue tout blanc avec un ciel bleu magnifique et quelques volcans au loin. Le desert est tellement impressionnant que de loin on voit le reflet des montagnes sur le sol. Il n'y a pas de mots pour décrire ce que l'on voit c'est sublime. Puis on s'enfonce un peu plus dans le désert, on déjeune dans un batiment en sel, puis de nouveau dans le désert mais cette fois éloigné des autres touristes pour pouvoir faire des photos. Ensuite on s'arrête sur une "île" de cactus géants. Jessica commence à en chier avec l'altitude (3600m). On termine la journée en admirant le coucher de soleil sur les montagnes en plein milieu du désert, spectacle incroyable. Nuitée dans un hôtel familiale de San Juan sans eau chaude. De toute façon les douches c'est pour les fragiles. Jessica n'est pas étonnée des vacances que je lui ai préparées.

20 novembre : On quitte le Salar pour s'enfoncer dans un désert qui me rappel le parc de Sajama. On roule au pied du Volcán Ollagüe que je capture avec mon drone à bord du 4x4, on s'arrête à des lagunes où habitent des flamands rose, on se promène dans une "forêt" de rochers, observe ves vigognes sauvages et des lapins andins. Le mal de tête de Jessica s'accentue lorsque qu'on remarque qu'on est à 4400m. On termine la journée avec la laguna colorada dans un paysage dessiné par Van Gogh puis par une région avec des fumerolles qui doivent se transformer en geysers tôt le matin (quand il fait très froid). A l'auberge, après le dîner, je laisse comater Jessica pour aller me baigner dans des thermes d'eau chaude sous un ciel chargé d'étoiles. Je traîne pas trop et je rentre tenir compagnie à Jessica qui passera l'une des pires nuits de sa vie.

21 novembre : Jessica se réveil avec du plomb dans la tête et c'est partie pour continuer notre visite, youhou. On ne visitera qu'un lac puis direction la frontière chilienne. On frôle la prison à cause de Jessica qui avait oublié dans sa poche un citron vert au moment de passer la douane. Je nous esquive un interrogatoire musclé en le balançant dans la poubelle en prétextant vouloir aller aux WC. Une fois sortie de mon personnage d'agent 007 je m'aperçoit qu'on pouvait le déclarer en 2 min sans être embêté. La douane passée, au plus grand plaisir de Jessica nous passons de 4700m à 2400m en arrivant à San Pedro. Le mal d'altitude disparaît progressivement et elle peut à nouveau se considérer en vacances. Puis s'ensuit une séquence d'événements peu intéressante mais agréable par son efficacité : check-in, douches, bus de 1h pour Calama, déjeuner, achat carte SD (oui Jessica s'est ramenée avec l'appareil photo sans vérifier s'il y en avait une dedans), location de voiture, route jusqu'à San Pedro, contemplation couché de soleil sur la valle de la luna, apero/dîner. On découvre alors que ce village touristique est très charmant et offre plusieurs choix de restos et bars, ce qui n'est PAS DU TOUT la norme depuis le début de mon séjour dans les Andes.

22 novembre : 2h de route pour atteindre Piedras Rojas, une énorme lagune peu profonde donnant à l'eau une couleur turquoise, entourée de sable blanc (ou de sel ou les 2) et ponctuée de roche volcanique rouge. 2e étape sur le chemin du retour aux lagunes Miscanti et Miñiques plus haute en altitudes (= Jessica pas bien). Magnifique avec quelques vicuñas qui s'y baladent mais on est un peu saoulés par les règles bizarres imposées. Il faut préciser que contrairement à tous les autres pays d'Amérique latine, le Chili capitaliste ne croit pas aux biens publiques et tout terrain est privé (ou communale), à savoir donc les endroits touristiques, ne serait-ce qu'une flaque d'eau (je ne déconne même pas, on a du payer pour en voir une) et est soumis à un droit payant à la communauté du coin. On en fera constamment l'expérience frustrante, comme avec ce canyon où lon decide de se poser pour déjeuner mais qui ne paye aucune mine et qu'on devra payer. Après ce petit pique nique on se dirige vers le Salar de Atacama au bord de la Laguna Chaxa remplie de flamands roses qui tapent la pose devant les objectifs. Le Salar n'a rien à voir avec celui de Uyuni, le sel étant mélangé à de la boue, mais les paysages sont tout de même beaux dans ce milieu à perte de vue et chaotique. Le soir on admirera le coucher de soleil depuis un point de vue qui donne sur San Pedro et la chaîne de volcans de la frontière Bolivienne. Dans ce désert, voir les couleurs virer du jaune à l'orange puis au rouge nous fait oublier qu'on est sur Terre.

23 novembre : On continue la visite du désert avec la Laguna Tebenquiche; à travers le sentier qui le longe nous avons différents points de vue sur la chaînes de volcans qui se reflète sur l'eau de la lagune qui est un miroir parfais grâce à l'eau qui n'est que superficielle. Puis direction la star du coin, la Valle de la Luna. En voiture et à pied nous nous promenons dans ces formations de terre, de roche et de sable et on a l'impression que Kubrik va crier "action" à tout moment (oui je fais de mon mieux pour varier les références à des paysages extra-terrestres). C'est tellement beau que je n'hésite pas à braver le sentier pour prendre une photo panoramique. Plus tard une touriste me fera remarquer qu'elle "apprécierait si je restais sur le sentier". Contrairement à ce que l'on pourrait croire, creuser une tombe dans le sable n'est pas chose facile. Le soir on se couche à 00h00 car:

24 novembre : Réveil à 3h30 pour profiter des températures glaciales qui provoquent des geysers au site de El Tatio, à 2h de route de San Pedro. Sur le chemin on fera des haltes pour admirer la voie lactée. Ce n'est pas pour rien que plusieurs observatoires se situent dans ce désert. Arrivés à El Tatio aux aurores, nous faisons le tour du site en admirant une 20aine de geysers plus ou moins importants. Avec le soleil qui se lève derrière les montagnes, le spectacle évolue constamment avec la lumière et les fumerolles comme protagonistes principaux. De retour à San Pedro, on check-out et direction Calama pour prendre notre bus pour la Bolivie le lendemain. Sur le chemin on s'arrête à la Rainbow Valley (valle Arcoiris) qui porte bien son nom. La aussi de la roche volcanique en plein milieu du désert chargée de différents minéraux et métaux qui donnent cet aspect d'arc-en-ciel. Dernière étape avant notre hébergement, le village de Chiu Chiu et son église entièrement à la chaux sortie tout droit d'un western.

25 novembre : Journée dédiée au transfert à Tupiza en Bolivie avec escale à Uyuni après le passage de la frontière. Arrivés à destination on fait le seul bar de la ville qui est une "vinoteca". Je dois visiblement revoir mon espagnol parce que je pensais que "vino" signifiait "vin" et non "vinaigre". On a préféré la pizza.

26 novembre : Le rythme du voyage ralentit mais ce n'est pas plus mal. Visite à pied de la quebrada (vallée) Palala ou nous regrettons presque les entrées payantes du Chili mais qui sont propres... on rentre à l'hôtel pour éviter la pluie puis nous ressortons pour admirer le coucher de soleil depuis le Cerro Cruz.

27 novembre : Visite des environs en tour privé en 4x4. Au programme:

Cañon del Inca, Cañon del Duende, El Silar avec une pause déjeuner à Toroyo en dégustant des tamales prévus par notre chauffeur. Des paysages aux couleurs balayant plusieurs nuances du rouge au marrons. Au cañon del Inca le passage devient de plus en plus étroit et on s'enfonce à pied jusqu'à ne plus pouvoir avancer. Nous sommes tout seul et je peux enfin sortir mon drone sans déranger personne. De retour à Tupiza nous enchaînons direct avec un "rapidito" (taxi, sensé être plus rapide qu'un bus) pour Tarija. L'attente et longue pour trouver un 3e passager pour partager la course, mais ça me donne l'occasion de me couper les cheveux et rendre un peu plus heureuse Jessica. Apres 3h de belle route à travers la montagne pendant la "golden hour" (coucher de soleil), nous arrivons à notre hébergement. Fast food et dodo.

28 novembre : La "capitale" Bolivienne du vin se situe à 1900m et je retrouve enfin un climat méditerranéen après 1 mois dans les Andes arides, ça fait plaisir. Nous visitons la ville avec la jolie place principale, la "casa dorada" qui était la maison d'un noble commerçant bien entretenu et le Mirador de la Loma de San Juan. Nous sommes un peu déçus de la ville car aucune église ne se visite. On apprendra plus tard que c'est commun en Bolivie à cause de vols qui ont eu lieu; les églises n'ouvrent que pour la messe. On arrive tout de même à passer une bonne soirée dans l'un des rares bars de la ville.

29 novembre : tour organisé emblématique de la ville: la visite des bodegas avec dégustations de vin. On commence par une maison qui est sensé faire du vin de haute gamme, et c'est franchement pas bon. On continue avec une autre Bodega qui nous sert du vin mais clairement sa sent la triche tellement ça a un goût de Kir. Les 2 prochaines nous servent des vins passables et à la dernière c'est la fête, on nous sert des vins sans aucune explications. On aura chacun dans les 10 verres au total, la quantité compensant largement la qualité. En plus on passe pour des experts juste parce qu'on est français et les vignerons espèrent nous satisfaire. On dit poliment que c'est pas mauvais. Un des vignerons (le haut de gamme) veut nous impressionner et nous sort et de ses "grand" vin juste pour nous. En effet c'est mieux mais pas extraordinaire non plus. Par contre les dégustations se font au bord des vignes et les paysages rappellent la France du Sud, c'est donc beau. J'aurai aussi gouté un singani (pisco bolivien, eau de vie de vin) excellent, ça ils savent faire. Le soir on prend un bus de nuit pour Potosí.

30 novembre : Arrivés à notre hôtel à 07h00, on prend sûrement ce qui est notre meilleur petit déjeuner tout hôtel, tout pays, confondu ! Une oasis dans ce désert culinaire. Après avoir visité la très jolie cathédrale, on visite la casa de la moneda qui fabriquait et frappait toute la monnaie de l'empire espagnole. Il faut rappeler que la mine d'argent de Potosí est la plus grande jamais exploitée et est toujours en activité. Bizarrement aujourd'hui les pièces viennent du Canada et les billets de France. La raison donnée par le guide c'est le prix de l'électricité (mwe...). Le bâtiment coloniale est en tout cas très joli et on y aperçoit plusieurs engins de frappe du XVIe aux XXe siècle. On embarque ensuite vers un tour organisé pour visiter la mine, ou l'on n'exploite plus l'argent mais d'autres minéraux (zinc, fer, plomb, je ne sais plus). On aprehende un peu car on ne veut pas tomber dans du voyeurisme de misère comme indiqué par certains avis lus en ligne. Finalement on trouve la visite très intéressante; on se ballade avec notre guide (UNE ex mineur, fait rare) dans les galléries du cerro Rico (la roche volcanique permet aucun support de structure pour que ça tienne), on observe sans déranger les mineurs extraire la roches, notre guide les connaît et nous laisse leur donner des boissons et feuilles de coca achetés préalablement au marché (apparemment c'est mal vu de rien apporter). Ils sont tous en train de mâcher des feuilles de coca, ce qui leur donne une grosse boule au niveau de la joue. On monte sur une gallérie supérieure à l'aide d'échelle à travers des trous assez étroits et Jessica n'est pas très à l'aise. On ne visitera pas les galléries inférieures chargées en "j'ai oublié quel gaz issue du volcan" qui provoque systématiquement la mort des mineurs après 15 ans d'activité s'ils ne prennent pas leur retraite. Selon la guide c'est un bon travail, payé largement au dessus du salaire moyen bolivien, mais dont on reconnaît les conditions de travail difficile. Avant de sortir on passe donner des offrandes (cigarettes, coca) à Tio, la divinité de la mine. On le retrouve dans toutes les mines des Andes et c'est un mixe de Dieu, Satan, Pachamama (j'ai pas bien compris), mais qui ressemble surtout à Satan avec un gros zizi.

1 décembre : On n'attendait que ça depuis la veille: le petit déjeuner. Puis fin de visite de cette très jolie ville, qui fut dit-on à un moment la plus grande au monde (mwe, en vérifiant il s'agit du "nouveau monde". A l'apogée de Potosí, Pékin faisait 10 fois sa taille). Avant de partir pour Sucre, nous visitons le très joli Convento de Santa Teresa. A Sucre je découvre une mini brasserie artisanale et enfin, après 2 mois, je déguste une bonne bière. Même Jessica boit 2 pintes.

2 décembre : Dernière journée avec Jessica, on sent la fin approcher et on est un peu tristes. On finit tout de même la visite de la ville entamée il y a 2 semaines avec la casa de la libertad où la déclaration d'indépendance de la Bolivie a été signée (Haut Pérou à l'époque), le Couvant de Santa Clara où notre "guide" nous présente les tableaux en lisant leur pancarte (titre, peintre, date) et la Iglesia de San Felipe Neri où l'on peut monter sur le toit en forme de terasse pour y admirer la ville. Mention spéciale pour les rellenas et empanadas de la pause déjeuner tout aussi bons que pas chères. Le soir on laisse une dernière chance à la cuisine bolivienne dans un restaurant bien critiqué pour ses plats locaux, c'est sans surprise un échec, mais les cocktails sont vraiment pas chers. On n'en profite pas trop car on n'est pas d'humeur à faire la fête, snif.

[notrechemin]

Samedi 26 Août 2023 Rabinal del Camino - El Acebo, 17km.

Nouveau réveil a 4:30 pour un départ à 5:00.

Il fait frais ce matin - froid même: 13 degrés.

L’étape du jour nous réserve la traversée des Montes de Léon - ascension jusqu’à la Cruz de Hierro, puis descente vers El Acebo où nous passerons la nuit - au total, un peu moins de 500m de dénivelé positif.

Nous quittons rapidement le village, puis le Camino devient chemin à travers champs où nous traversons quelques fermes. La pente est douce, puis devient plus raide après 2 km. Progresser ensemble avec une seule frontale devient difficile - les torches de nos mobiles nous sont d’un grand secours.

En montagne, le dénivelé est roi… il sera donc difficile d’estimer notre progression (habituellement un peu moins d’un quart d’heure par km) simplement en regardant la montre.

En effet, nous arrivons à 6:30 à Foncebadón, à 5.6 km de notre point de départ. Là, en raison de l’altitude, il fait franchement froid: 10 degrés.

Nous n’avions pas prévu de faire une pause, mais nous nous réfugions neanmoins au bar Monte Irago où nous prenons des boissons chaudes, puis une seconde tournée.

Nous y croisons un français, qui est pour la quinzième fois sur le chemin - quel exploit!

Nous resterons finalement au chaud 1 heure et ne sortirons qu’au moment du lever de soleil. Celui ci est magnifique, et la lumière que nous aurons en ce début de journée le sera tout autant.

Les paysages que nous traversons sont en total contraste avec ceux de la Meseta: les monts de Leòn nous entourent et ont remplacé l’unique et ennuyante ligne horizontale de la portion Burgos León.

A mi-parcours avant le début de la descente, nous apercevons la

Cruz de Hierro, célèbre pour accueillir les intentions des pèlerins que ces derniers laisse ts sous forme de petit mot, de photo, etc…

Cette croix est d’habitude assaillie de pèlerins et randonneurs - à cette heure matinale, elle est à nous seuls.

La montée à été difficile, la descente l’est encore d’avantage: les pierres qui jonchent le chemin sont autant de pièges qui nous invitent à une chute qui ne manquerait pas d’être douloureuse.

Les jambes tendues, nous arrivons enfin à El Acebo, long village qui semble totalement dédié à l’accueil des pèlerins / randonneurs.

Nous dormons ce soir à la Casa del Peregrino, que nous avons choisi parce qu’elle disposait d’une piscine.

Nous sommes ravis de vous ce panneau presque au début du village - faux espoir: nous logeons sur l’autre site, en fin de village.

Quant à la piscine, la température fraîche ainsi que le vent nous dissuaderons de l’utiliser.

Nous nous contenterons donc d’une sieste l’après midi, avant d’aller prendre le dîner des pèlerins à 19:00.

Avec 19 degrés seulement attendus demain à Ponferrada, nul besoin de se lever aux aurores: nous déjeunerons à 6:30 et partirons dans la foulée, pour une étape qui devrait être simple.