#Stranger Than Paradise Records | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

emanation-aura · 8 months

Text

What if Joker got a Palace in the Third Semester AU: the unhinged explanation.

Goro had looked up Kurusu last night, using old police files he wasn’t technically sure he had access to any more, but he was past giving a shit. The arrest record and documents listing charges against him he’d taken from the chief interrogator— they were still there, but curiously blank, in a way only cognitive distortion could manage. His hometown existed, but an illegal search of Shido’s census database didn’t reveal anybody living in the Kurusu household; not Akira Kurusu, not his parents or literally anyone else. The whole thing was a baffling mystery that had exhausted him to the point of passing out. The violence of clearing Shadows gives his aching mind a bit of clarity, though, and with it, a chilling thought. Akira Kurusu has been erased from reality.

Set from Goro's perspective. Instead of waking up on January 1st to a changed reality, on that day, Akira suddenly disappears. He is not gone from the Phantom Thieves' cognitions, but he is physically missing, and stranger still are his blank arrest records and the existence of the Kurusu household in a government census that Goro has completely transparently and legally obtained, despite the fact that "Akira Kurusu" does not exist.

“If he’s been erased from reality, does that mean Maruki overwrote his… his existence itself?" The low, simmering anger in her voice and the way she drops the honorific for Maruki speaks volumes about how Kurusu’s absence has radicalised Yoshizawa against Maruki’s tempting demands. It doesn’t quite satisfy him, because Kurusu is still missing and Yoshizawa is far too innocent for her own good; but it is enough to give him confidence in her teamwork, at least. “I have my doubts about that,” Goro says. He weighs his words carefully, trying to construct the evidence in a way that makes sense. “If he were truly overwritten from this reality, the Phantom Thieves wouldn’t remember their friend; they do, albeit in a very limited way.”

Yoshizawa hums thoughtfully. “Maruki managed to overwrite the cognitions of all the Phantom Thieves into believing their dead or estranged relationships had returned. He has no trouble writing people into reality; it should follow that he can write someone out of reality, but it seems while an effort was made, it wasn’t complete enough.” “Indeed.” Goro hides the modicum of surprise he feels at Yoshizawa’s brains; she’s no detective, but she’s decided smarter than Goro had given her credit for. “To support your conclusion: the papers on which his arrest record was printed still exist, even if the pages are blank. The census database indicates that the Kurusu household is empty, but also that it exists.” It would be a fascinating conundrum if he wasn’t under imminent threat of this cognitive reality. Either Kurusu has been imprecisely written out of this reality, or… “What if he’s currently residing in another plane of existence?”

In this AU, I basically postpone Kasumi/Sumire's internal crisis until after they have figured out what the fuck happened to Akira. "Kasumi" and Akechi enter the Odaiba Palace as usual despite the lack of Joker, find out it's Maruki, but he doesn't show "Kasumi" the traumatising videos of her past life for reasons untold.

“As you said, it is unlike Maruki to imprecisely remove him from reality. If he were so intent on giving his friends their paradise, he would either allow Kurusu to exist to be their friend, or overwrite his existence completely so the Phantom Thieves fully immerse themselves in the fantasy of their desired lives, which all supposedly took place before they met Kurusu.” Madarame’s pupil, the Nijima sisters and their father, Wakaba Isshiki, Kunikazu Okumura… the only exception is a human Morgana, but Morgana has always been an exception. “Instead Kurusu exists as a memory and artifacts of his existence weren’t properly erased. Perhaps, due to his… unique powers, he was able to separate himself from this version of reality before Maruki got to him.” It’s a stretch, but at the same time, the incongruity of the entire fucking Metaverse continues to burn a hole through his brain, so really, nothing is going to stop him at this point. “Crow-senpai…” Yoshizawa is hesitant, as if she is also grasping how tenuous the connection is. But then her face hardens in an expression he’d thought her incapable of: sheer, raw determination. “The Metaverse is an alternate plane of existence.”

Goro and "Kasumi" figure out that Palaces apart from Maruki's simply cannot exist, because technically, reality itself is Maruki's Palace; he is spreading his cognitive belief (distortion) to the entire world via god powers. With such overwhelming cognitive control, no "real" place exists for cognitive distortion to occur, because "reality" is already just "cognition" by Maruki.

They try Mementos, sure. Mementos is the collective unconscious, and while Persona-users can't have Shadows, if one is being perceived by the collective unconscious, one is also technically part of it: AKA, if the Shadows in Mementos registered Joker as like, a person, proof of his existence still exists in the cognitive world. (Of course said cognitive world is currently fusing with reality but I digress.) They try inputting Joker's name into the Mementos Nav to see if it will register him in the public unconscious, but unfortunately, no dice.

But Joker is special. He is the Wild Card, and unbeknownst to Goro or "Kasumi", he has access to the Velvet Room, a place 'between mind and matter, dream and reality'. Not saying that it's simple enough for him to just escape to the Velvet Room, but he's always been special, and has powers that none of them understand. So strange things always happen to him, and well:

“He can’t be totally gone,” Goro tries to reason, more for himself than Yoshizawa. If he has to try and convince the Phantom Thieves to face reality and defeat Maruki by himself, he is going to scream. “Evidence of his existence is improperly erased, meaning his cognition has not fully disappeared, even if Mementos doesn’t perceive him. If so—” Yoshizawa suddenly goes very, very still. “There is one other possibility,” she murmurs almost disbelievingly. It strikes Goro the way lightning skewers a tree. It would make sense, though. Maruki physically resides in his Palace because his distortion extends to the entire world; ergo, the entire world is technically his Palace. If Kurusu were physically residing anywhere else, it would be a cognitive reality under his control, not one where he'd been erased… “No,” Goro says out of sheer disbelief, the same time Yoshizawa flicks her finger to the ‘Palace’ tab and says in a somehow-perfect voice that doesn’t shake: “Akira Kurusu.” “Candidate found.”

Akira doesn't have a physical location for his distortion to center on; Metaverse Palace access depends on target/location/distortion to find routing, and location has thus far always been physical (Shujin, shack, Shibuya/Tokyo, Futaba's room, Okumura Foods company HQ, courthouse, Diet building). But somehow he's managed to escape Maruki's reality through a Palace of his own.

And, look. I've read a lot of Joker gets a Palace fics. The keywords vary from fic to fic; distortion is commonly masquerade / prison / theatre, or anything reasonable construed to separate facets of the social self. Location also varies, but less; I've seen Leblanc / his room / all of Tokyo / the entire world.

I'm not going to do anything particularly new either. But the keyword for location in this AU is going to be Akira's heart.

It's not a physical location, obviously. But it is also a very fitting metaphor for a Phantom Thief turned Palace owner who knows exactly what distortion is. It also provides a convenient respite from Maruki's reality, because "Akira Kurusu's heart" is not part of Maruki's cognition the same way "courthouse" or "Diet Building" might be. So when transported there by the Metaverse, "Kasumi" probably gets a flood of terrible memories, since she is in a plane of existence where she truly and only exists as Sumire.

As for distortion... I haven't decided yet, but I'm leaning towards prison. (rubs hands) it will slot nicely with the emotional repression angle: a prison with high walls and iron spikes, perched on a stormy island and impenetrable to all. Akira truly deludes himself in believing his heart is an impenetrable fortress where all his feelings must stay locked up... forever. Goro and Sumire are basically fighting to open the doors in his heart and stopping him from repressing his feelings, which is some dramatic irony with Mr. Black Mask doing the infiltration.

No real details yet, but I do want there to be a perfect replica of the interrogation room, including all the abuse and drugs, because poor akiren is probably repressing his trauma over that too :( I wonder how Black Mask Goro would react to seeing the interrogation room in full, bloody detail? Plus having Sumire along for the ride, who didn't know that this happened, making them the two absolute worst people to be witnessing this side of him.

Anyway, Third Semester Palace is more interesting to me than a post-game one because of all the wonky shenanigans around Maruki's control of reality. If reality is Maruki's "Palace", then the Wild Card (who resists by his very nature; see how he and Goro are the only ones sane) defends himself by escaping to another plane of existence. Unfortunately, one option is forming a Palace, which Akira was already on his way to doing because [insert fanon and this guy's trauma over losing Akechi and the interrogation room and the social burden of being an unwanted criminal branded to him for what seems like the rest of his life]. This all could have been avoided if Lavenza, but there would have been no AU for me to brainrot about, so.

(Why doesn't Maruki show "Kasumi" her trauma when Goro and her show up in the Palace? Butterfly effect: not from Joker being gone, but from Akira having a whole-ass Palace. Akira Kurusu, the kid Maruki therapised for nearly a year and formed a deep bond with. The saviour complex in Maruki compels him to focus on dismantling Akira's Palace, which he tries to do by cognitive "brute force" rather than Goro and Sumire's infiltration. So he's too distracted to harass "Kasumi".)

Technically, Maruki and Akira "doing battle" with cognition (Akira retreating from the overwritten reality hastily; Maruki trying to delete the Palace) implies a metaphysical plane where all Palaces/cognitive worlds exist in a same... "place" where they can cohabit, but that just seems like a dangerously close brush with persona 3's Sea of Souls where Door-kun is sealed and I am running out of steam to think more.

I wrote 1,500 words in a frenzy for this AU and had to share some here before I lost all my inspiration.

#persona 5 #goro akechi #persona 5 joker #akira kurusu #takuto maruki #how do you even tag yoshizawa??#third semester p5 #fic writing #i wrote this post at 3am sometimes funny things happen to my words #persona 5 fanfiction

40 notes · View notes

stargazer-sims · 7 months

Text

Postscript (Journal Entry #61)

Journal Entry #60 // STORY INDEX

Yuri

Hello everyone! Guess where we are!

If you guessed Sulani, then you'd be correct. I suppose the golden sand and gorgeous blue ocean behind me were a giveaway, weren't they? I couldn't resist recording my final entry out here on the deck of our rented beach house. It seems fitting somehow to end our journal in the place that inspired the creation of it; beautiful, magical Sulani.

Victor and I talked about whether or not we wanted to continue documenting our lives once we relocated to Willow Creek, and we agreed that it's time to close the curtain on this particular show. Our journal has served us well. It’s allowed us to work through some very difficult thoughts and feelings, and I believe it's helped us grow, or at least helped us to mark our growth. But, we both feel we've moved beyond it now. We want to focus on new and different things.

Still, I had to make one last video, just to tell you about my big reward. Yes, our adventure in this tropical paradise is indeed the thing I hinted about in my previous entry.

Of course you know we were planning to travel here anyway, but Victor came up with the plan that we should go as soon as we could after I completed my sixty consecutive days of being formula-free. He pitched the idea to my parents, who are paying for the trip, and they thought it was brilliant. I successfully made it to my sixtieth day on October first, and we left Willow Creek on the fourth.

The timing turned out to be excellent, as our first wedding anniversary was yesterday, the eighth of October. I couldn't have asked for a more fitting way to celebrate it.

Yesterday morning, Victor woke me up early so we could watch the sunrise together. Then, we packed a picnic breakfast and walked along the beach until we found the perfect spot to enjoy it.

Later in the morning, we went on an ocean sightseeing tour. I'd never been in a boat bigger than a dinghy or canoe before, and I'd never been out on the ocean. At first I was nervous, but it didn't take me long to relax, and I discovered that I quite like boats.

Our tour guide said that we might see merpeople. I wasn't sure if he was joking or not, but Victor seemed convinced. He still swears he met a real merman when he was here last time.

I probably don't need to tell you that we didn't actually see merpeople, but that didn't diminish the tour in any way. In one place, we sailed past an inactive volcano, and in another place the water was so clear that we were able to look over the side of the boat and see a coral garden and dozens of brightly-coloured fish. We saw dolphins too, and they didn't seem afraid of humans. They swam right up to the boat, nearly close enough to touch.

I'll admit I kind of fell in love with them. Last night, Victor got online and found a place where people can swim with dolphins. We're going there tomorrow afternoon, and I can hardly wait.

After our boat tour, we explored some of the little souvenir stands and food stalls along the waterfront in town, where we bought postcards, snacks, and matching t-shirts. Then we boarded a decrepit old bus that took us to our afternoon excursion to a community garden where we could pick fruit.

That was one of the activities I'd really been looking forward to, and I was absolutely delighted that we were able to harvest our own pineapples as well as some other tropical delicacies. Pineapple was the thing I'd most wanted to try, and I wanted my first taste of it to be freshly picked.

If you've never handled a pineapple before, here's a bit of advice. Don't hug them, even if you're excited. They're very thorny.

I let Victor have the honour of cutting up our pineapple when we got back to our rental. He joked that it was a lot like me, prickly and difficult to hug, but bright and sweet on the inside. As much as I wanted to deny it, I couldn't say he was wrong. I'm wary of strangers, and being hugged really isn't my thing unless Victor is the one who's hugging me. When we’d first started living together, I didn't even like letting him do it, but eventually he worked his way past the thorns and got down to the sweet part.

The inside of the pineapple was vibrant yellow, and the aroma coming from it was divine. Once Victor was done cutting it, he put all the pieces in a big blue plastic bowl we found in one of the cabinets, and carried it outside to the deck. I followed him, my mouth watering in anticipation.

I was momentarily startled when I realized the mere thought of eating the tropical fruit we'd picked was making me salivate. It was an utterly foreign sensation, but not unwelcome. Something like that had never happened to me before, and I wondered briefly how I'd managed to live for twenty-six years and never experience firsthand what 'mouth-watering' really meant. Slightly embarrassed, I swallowed several times.

Victor gave me a quizzical look. "You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I said, as I sat across from him at the small patio table. The bowl of pineapple was between us, and I gave it a small nod. "I just... really want to eat that and I was, ah... I was literally drooling over it a little."

Victor laughed. "Is this gonna be like that first strawberry after you got your G-tube?"

"It's going to be better," I said.

"Well then, let's see." He picked up a spear of pineapple and extended his arm toward me. "Here, I'll hold it for you."

"No." I shook my head. "I want to do it myself."

"Okay." Victor pulled his hand back, still grasping the fruit he'd taken from the bowl, but he didn't bite into it. Clearly, he was waiting for me to go first. He smiled encouragingly. "You got this."

I selected a piece that I judged to be as big as the one Victor had chosen. The fruit was sticky with juice and pleasantly warm from the sun shining on it, and if I'd thought the scent was heavenly while the pineapple was still in the bowl, it was positively transcendent up close. I took a deep breath, just savouring it for a moment until my mouth started watering again.

I wasn't shy about my first bite. The old me would've nibbled tentatively, too afraid to get a proper mouthful, but not this version of me. The new, brave Yuri fit as much of the pineapple spear into his mouth as seemed reasonable, and bit with confidence. Pineapple juice ran down my chin, and more trickled over my hand from the piece I was still holding, and I didn't care.

It was as if a thousand tiny explosions of pleasure went off simultaneously inside my mouth. The flavour of the pineapple was both tart and sweet, and the texture was firm but not difficult to chew. It was amazing, the best thing I'd ever tasted, and the peak of sensual gratification was so intense that I think my brain might've switched itself off for a second or two.

I opened my eyes to discover Victor staring at me. He still held his untouched piece of pineapple, and I think he must've been watching me the entire time.

"Wow," was all he said.

I looked around for a napkin or paper towel. Belatedly remembering we hadn't brought any outside with us, I wiped my sticky face with the back of my hand instead. All that accomplished was to make more of a mess, but I resolved not to worry about it. I could always wash up later.

I licked some juice off my thumb. "What?"

"The look on your face… I guess I don't need to ask if it's good."

"It's..." I struggled to find a sufficient word to describe it, but then quickly decided a single word would not be enough. "It tastes like joy. Like dreams come true, and new beginnings, and the promise of wonderful things."

"Wow," Victor said again. "All that from pineapple?"

I smiled. "Have you ever experienced a feeling like you know you're exactly where you're supposed to be in life? That you've got everything you'd ever wanted up to that point?"

"I'm not sure," he confessed. "There are still a few things I want. But if you're asking whether or not I'm happy, don't worry. I am."

"It makes me happy to know you're happy, but that's not quite what I meant," I said. "For the longest time, I didn't even know what being happy would feel like. I didn't let myself have dreams, and I was scared to make plans or set goals because I didn't think I could ever achieve anything and I didn't want to have to cope with the pain when I failed."

"But, you've done loads of awesome stuff this year," Victor said. "You've been totally crushing your goals."

"Because I finally saw that I'd never understand what happiness felt like if I didn't start trying," I said. "Eating that first strawberry after my surgery... taking the first step felt so good. I knew I wanted to keep on feeling like that."

"And now you do?"

"Yes. Now I do."

This has been a year of change for me, a year of learning, and perhaps the most important lesson I've learned is that I'm responsible for my own happiness. I've also discovered that happiness is a journey. The road isn't always smooth, but setbacks and challenges aren't a sign of failure. They're opportunities to try again, several times over if necessary, and now I see that neither my success nor my worth as a person are defined by how many attempts I have to make.

My newfound understanding has been nothing short of empowering for me. It's allowed me to take charge of my life in ways I'd never done before, and to make choices for myself that support my well-being and place less accountability on the people around me. And do you know what? It feels good. Until recently, I never would've imagined that taking on so much responsibility would make me feel so free and strong.

It's fitting for a love story to end with 'they lived happily ever after', and I don't think mine should be an exception. The story I’ve been telling through our journal is my love story after all, not just with my beautiful Victor, but with myself. I'm proud of the person I'm becoming, and I love his courage and resilience and his newly-opened mind that's ready to be filled with amazing possibilities.

Now that I know what happiness feels like, I can say with confidence, I will live happily ever after.

#writing #victorsworldadventures #victor nelson #yuri okamoto #stargazersims

9 notes · View notes

mariacallous · 10 months

Text

Lutyens’ Delhi is one of the most iconic neighborhoods of India’s capital. Home to the country’s parliament, numerous embassies, and a lush, 90-acre Mughal-era park, it’s an architectural paradise, connected by tree-lined streets and roundabouts with mini-gardens. Yet despite being one of the city’s most refined districts, this clean, green neighborhood is home to something sinister. It is a hot spot for a dangerous and overlooked air pollutant: ozone.

India is no stranger to pollution, with many of its cities reporting some of the worst air quality in the world. Every winter, New Delhi gets shrouded in smog for days. But discussions about air pollution and policies to mitigate it mostly focus on particulate matter: PM2.5 and PM10—small particles or droplets that are only a few microns in diameter. However, scientists are increasingly raising the alarm about surface ozone. It’s a secondary pollutant that isn’t released from any source, forming naturally when oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds—such as benzene, which is found in gasoline, or methane—react under high heat and sunlight. This makes ozone a particularly ugly modern threat—a problem that arises where pollution and climate change coincide.

“Even an hour of exposure can give you very poor health outcomes,” says Avikal Somvanshi, a researcher at the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi. While ozone is beneficial in the high atmosphere, where it absorbs ultraviolet radiation, down on Earth’s surface, concentrations of it can be deadly. Data on its impacts is patchy, but a 2022 study estimates that ozone killed more than 400,000 people worldwide in 2019, up 46 percent since 2000. And according to the State of Global Air Report 2020, it is in India where the number of ozone deaths has increased the most over the past decade.

Ozone wreaks havoc in the respiratory tract. The gas can “inflame and damage airways” and “aggravate lung diseases like asthma,” warns the US Environmental Protection Agency. It does this by affecting the cilia, the microscopic hair-like structures that line the airways to help protect them, explains Karthik Balajee, a clinician and community medicine specialist based in Karaikal, India. After exposure “we are more prone to respiratory infections,” he says, adding that inhaling ozone also affects lung capacity. Studies show that long-term exposure is associated with an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe, and increases the risk of dying from other cardiovascular or respiratory conditions. Even short-term exposure can land you in the emergency room. “One or two days following a peak in ozone, there have been increases in hospital admissions due to respiratory problems,” says Balajee.

Delhi and other major Indian cities see spikes in ozone throughout the year, but particularly during summer heat waves, which have become increasingly common due to climate change. The World Health Organization says that exposure to ozone in the air, across an eight-hour period, shouldn’t exceed 50 parts per billion; India’s air quality standard says this WHO limit shouldn’t be broken on more than eight days a year, and not on two consecutive days. But analysis by Somvanshi and his colleagues has found that ozone has already exceeded limits in Delhi and its surrounding areas on 87 days between March and May this year. And they’ve seen similar results over the past three summers. And while the number of monitoring stations recording a breach of the ozone threshold was fewer this year than in previous years, the duration of the exceedance was higher. “We are not even close to compliance with the standard,” says Somvanshi.

Part of what’s driving this problem is ozone’s complicated relationship with other air pollutants. Ozone formation is a cyclic reaction, meaning that after it’s generated by reactions between air pollutants, ozone gets converted back to oxygen when it reacts again with pollutants in the air, such as oxides of nitrogen. But if those pollutants are not present after ozone has formed, it lingers. That’s why ozone levels shot up during India’s Covid-19 lockdown in the summer of 2020, when traffic screeched to a halt—the air pollutants needed to convert it back to oxygen weren’t being produced. It’s also why ozone is often found in green neighborhoods like Lutyens’ Delhi—because their air is cleaner, reactions that get rid of the ozone don’t take place.

Controlling particulate pollution is relatively simple—you just regulate its sources, such as vehicles and crop burning. Reducing ozone levels is harder. “Our prediction of how ozone might respond to pollutant changes or emission changes is complicated by environmental factors,” says Steve Arnold, professor of atmospheric composition at the University of Leeds. When trying to drive levels down, everything depends on the exact mixture of the different precursor pollutants in the air, he says.

Reducing precursor gasses is one way to reduce ozone formation. But bring them down too much and you won’t have any left to neutralize the ozone that’s already present. This is exactly what has happened in China, says Arnold, where stringent policies have reduced PM2.5 pollution in recent decades but the ozone problem has worsened. “There’s a delicate balance that needs to be made,” says Somvanshi.

At present, particulate matter is India’s focus, and rightly so—it’s a bigger problem. According to Arnold’s research, 900,000 deaths in India each year are linked to PM2.5, with 374,000 linked to ozone. But in the future, we should worry more about ozone, Arnold says. He has modeled how ozone pollution in India might look in the coming years. “If you go to 2050, then the health impacts from particulate matter and the health impacts from ozone pollution become much more similar in magnitude,” he says. One reason is that researchers believe pollution control policies in the future will be more successful in mitigating particulate matter than ozone.

Arnold’s study estimated that by 2050, India could see more than a million premature deaths a year linked to ozone exposure if there is no change in emissions. Even under a strict pollution control policy, premature deaths due to ozone were estimated to be 791,000—more than twice as many as in 2015.

While the gas is a problem in other countries, it is India’s poor air quality and increasingly common heat waves that makes ozone a particularly grave threat there. And for Arnold, how the country will evolve is concerning: India will have both a growing and aging population in the coming decades—meaning more people will be exposed to ozone, and in particular, more who are vulnerable.

And it’s not just human health that is damaged. Ozone also threatens food security by causing plant yields to “reduce drastically,” says Madhoolika Agrawal, a professor in the department of botany at Banaras Hindu University. Ozone enters plants through small pores on their leaves, explains Agrawal, and then kills cells by oxidizing them. Leaves then start yellowing and the plant is unable to photosynthesize. India’s wheat crop is particularly vulnerable. The country is a major producer and aspires to be a top exporter—yet studies show it loses millions of tons of wheat and rice annually to ozone. In fact, a 2021 paper shows that ozone affects the yield and seed quality of all major crops in India. Current policies are “insufficient in reducing crop loss to ozone,” its authors write.

At present, Somvanshi says India is “not doing anything” about ozone, and that the way the country’s Central Pollution Control Board monitors the toxic gas is flawed. The CPCB caps ozone pollution measurement at 200 micrograms per cubic meter—above that, the measurement software just records a blank cell in the data sheet. “We don’t really know exactly how severe the problem gets,” says Somvanshi, comparing the situation to checking someone’s fever using a thermometer that can only go up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The CPCB also reports ozone levels after averaging values at all the monitoring stations in a city, which Somvanshi calls a “disaster” because ozone is a hyperlocal pollutant. “Within the city, there is a massive variation and if you average it out, it will always be below the standard,” he says. WIRED reached out to the CPCB for comment but did not receive any response.

And while ozone monitoring infrastructure is robust in the capital region—Delhi and its five satellite cities have nearly 60 stations—more than 200 Indian cities don’t monitor ozone at all. The rest only have one or two ozone monitoring stations, which is basically “useless” says Somvanshi, because of the localized nature of the gas.

A quick way to mitigate the problem would be to issue targeted local ozone alerts, he says. In the US, for example, health advisories during periods of high ozone pollution warn residents to not go to refuel their cars when it is sunny outside, because petrol or diesel can evaporate to form volatile organic compounds that can further increase ozone formation. India could do something similar. Somvanshi suggests that factories could also be directed to operate during the evening or nighttime. That way, any nitrogen oxides they release wouldn’t be converted into ozone because there’s no sunlight. To reduce the precursor gasses, Arnold says the government should encourage “policies that can limit motor vehicle emissions in cities.”

As for addressing the threat to food security, Agrawal says farmers could choose crop varieties that are less susceptible to ozone. Some plants show resilience, she says, and by cross-breeding we could get crops that are less affected by it. Another solution could be to plant crops during seasons when ozone levels are low, like during the monsoon, but that’s not possible for all plants.

Above all, Arnold says, the Indian government should “take the time to understand the potential consequences of emission reductions” and learn from what happened in China. Use “modeling to try and predict the response you might get to emission control policies,” he advises. Ozone pollution, he says, cannot be ignored anymore.

13 notes · View notes

gacmediadaily · 4 months

Text

EXCLUSIVE: After setting the stage with its robust line-up of holiday programming, Great American Family is ready to get into the scripted series business.

The channel is launching County Rescue, an action-adventure medical drama starring Julia Reilly (Stranger Things) as an EMT in training who is vying for one of three openings on the team. It also stars Stacey Patino (Keeping Up With the Joneses), Percy Bell (Devotion), Tim Perez-Ross (The Vampire Diaries), Riley Hough (The Resident), Keller Fornes (The Secrets She Keeps), Angel Luis (Law & Order), Kristin Wollett (Random Tropical Paradise), and Brett Varvel (American Underdog).

The five-episode first season will premiere on Great American Pure Flix beginning February 16 and on Great American Family beginning February 17. Great American Pure Flix is the company’s streaming service that was rebranded in September 2023.

Great American Family is also planning a Q1 launch of mystery franchises — original movies centered on the lighter side of mysteries and whodunnits and starring fan favorites from the network’s family of talent. The first installment in the mystery wheel will be announced later this week.

“We are continuing to build on the phenomenal growth of our media brand and are excited to now fully capitalize on the synergies now available with Sony and Great American Pure Flix. Our portfolio of content is a trusted source of family friendly and faith-based entertainment, and our 2023 results greatly exceeded our expectations,” said Bill Abbott, President & CEO, Great American Media. “We are looking forward to having a positive impact on viewers and the entertainment business by creating quality content that can be enjoyed by the entire family.”

New original series set to premiere on Great American Pure Flix include Destination Heaven and Shadrach, as well as the season two return of Going Home, which premiered January 5.

Great American Media also announced it will produce a record number of original movies across the company’s services in 2024. This follows the company’s record in 2023, when it produced 21 original holiday movies for Great American Christmas while launching the franchise’s continuous Christmas programming earlier than any other network. It continued through New Year’s Day with the exclusive cable television broadcast of the 135th Tournament of Roses Parade.

The company will continue to develop and produce specials that promote emotional connections, such as Great American Rescue Bowl with its mission to save pet lives through adoption, premiering Super Bowl Sunday, February 11.

#county rescue #great american family

4 notes · View notes

melis-writes · 1 year

Note

So what about this for a request…

Back then they didn’t have tracing of cash and money or online banking to track it all so everything was cash in hand

So Sonny and Victoria decide to sneak away for a sexy smutty weekend in a tropical paradise or something

Sonny says he’s away sorting something out for business and Victoria says she’s away for some legal thing or whatever their excuses are

Nobody suspects a thing though and nobody even thinks they are having a passionate sordid loving affair

They meet up at the airport or go different ways but meet in their chosen rendezvous in whatever city or country they’re having a steamy sexy smutty weekend away where they can ravish each other in bed nonstop without disruption or interruption and can act like a couple as well as nobody knows them where they’ve went

I’ve received a loooot of prompts for Victoria and Sonny to sneak away somewhere nice and tropical as well as private, acting like a married couple together with nothing to worry about. 🥵 I’m barely scratching the surface here! 😅

If Michael ever came to ask himself or anyone else where you or Sonny were, he’d never ask the question with both of your names in it.

“Business” calls and Michael isn’t the only investor and businessman of the house. He may be the Don, he may make all the rules, but it’s never stopped you nor Sonny from breaking them time and time again.

After all, Sonny is the underboss—just one rank underneath Michael as the Don.

With no affairs or actual business to keep him back at Lake Tahoe, Sonny simply goes wherever he pleases how he pleases; Sonny’s never had an issue finding a separate route to get to where you’re going.

“I’m out sortin’ something for the family business. Someone’s gotta do it.”

For all Michael knows, you’re with your family in California—a worthwhile excuse since the Ferrari family’s dealings stretches over to many states in the country.

“I’ll be back at the end of this long weekend. I haven’t seen all my little nieces and nephews in forever!”

The same way Sonny’s always gotten away to bachelor parties and weekend getaways with Fredo and friends in Las Vegas, nobody can possibly suspect the two of you have snuck off to the Bahamas for the upcoming long weekend.

Planned and timed perfectly, you only landed an hour later than Sonny did only to see him waiting for you at the airport since his own arrival.

“Said you always wanted to go to a tropical paradise of some sort, eh?” Sonny smirked at you, keeping one hand in the pocket of his trousers.

“Something like that,” you returned the playful look and rolled your luggage behind you before you approached Sonny and surprised him with a sweet kiss over his lips. “What would anyone else know?”

“Nothin’ at all, should they ask…” Sonny murmured and wrapped an arm around your waist to pull you in closer to return a hungry kiss.

It took weeks of planning to get the two of you to the Bahamas for the perfect getaway with one another alone; all the privacy one could ask for, living the fantasy of a lifetime.

“And should anyone ask…” You kept one arm wrapped around Sonny’s shoulder as you spoke against his lips, “I’m Mrs. Santino Corleone.”

“My wife.” Sonny confirmed with a grin before he gave your ass a playful smack. “After all this time, I finally get to call you what you should be.”

“Don’t be a tease.” You whispered back before breaking out into a giggle—embracing your new husband. “You’ll have plenty of time to do that once we get to our hotel.”

Rolling your luggage for you, Sonny’s hand is intertwined with yours as he leads you through the airport and towards the exit where his rented vehicle awaits to take you to the hotel.

Out of the country and on vacation without a trace or whisper of your names in the wind, nothing’s traceable back to you and Sonny’s affair in the Bahamas.

Everything from arranged transportation to the luxury, presidential suite is paid in full with cash beforehand without record.

For all any stranger or guest at the hotel can guess and think is that you and Sonny are an ordinary couple—husband and wife excited to be on vacation with each other, getting away from it all.

The names Victoria Ferrari Corleone and Santino Corleone mean nothing and are known to nobody here—a perfect way to blend in without worry of being seen, suspected, or caught.

Endless luxury room service with the top floor all to yourselves, it only took Sonny one mere glance around the massive suite to think of just how he was going to tease, please and fuck you into a moaning mess in every corner of the place within these next five days.

With two hours until dinner service at the banquet hall which is followed by the rest of the evening’s shows, festivities and entertainment, Sonny can be found sprawled out over the king sized bed as you were just about done unpacking.

With half of the buttons on his loose, wrinkling dress shirt undone and his shoes kicked off, Sonny took a sip of his Mai Tai—laying on his side. “Gonna need a change of clothes more than you think this time around.”

“Oh, please.” Your cheeks flared up with blush as you patted your folded skirts and blouses into your luggage. “You know I only brought a change of clothes for these next five days, sooo…”

“Soooo?” Sonny chuckled and tilted his head back, taking another sip of his drink. “You know I don’t mind. It was you making such a mess last time if I remember correctly, wasn’t it?”

Sonny wasn’t referring to a mess around your bedroom through disorganization, but rather how he made it practically a competition to see how many times he could make you cum and catch it in his mouth at the same time.

“Done teasing me yet?” You shut your luggage and turned to face Sonny. “Or are you gonna put that mouth to good use?”

“For the next two hours?” Sonny set his drink aside on the night table next to him. “That’s just warm up for me, baby.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at Sonny’s seductive, teasing antics as you approached him, feeling that tingly sense of shyness hit you again with each step.

“Gonna give me the vacation treatment then?” You placed your hand over the ribbon on the side of your dress—the only thing keeping your summer dress wrapped around you.

Sonny’s hand immediately moved to unbuckle his belt, but he didn’t take his eyes off of you. “Vacation treatment? I’m gonna give you a baby.”

That wasn’t an offer you’d refuse, even on vacation.

The moment you kneeled up over the bed, Sonny was quick to snatch you into his arms. With no reason to keep quiet or to be inconspicuous, there was simply no reason for Sonny not to taste and ravish every bit of you endlessly for the next five days.

Clothes thrown to a messy pile over the floor and hot skin over skin, both of your bodies collided over one another on the bed over a deep, needy kiss.

Tongues intertwined with each other, fighting for dominance as your hands roamed up and down Sonny’s chest—feeling his broad shoulders and firm muscles.

Sonny’s grasp over your hips and ass was tight enough to leave a red mark, smacking and teasing as his mouth roamed all over you with no intention to stop.

You moaned quietly and tugged on Sonny’s curls as you gazed down at him—straddling his cock with Sonny’s shaft teasingly pressed up against your pussy.

Sonny’s gaze back to you only shows how insistent he is to please. One of his hands is cupped over your breast with the other in his mouth, licking and slobbering over your hardened nipples.

“Show me,” you whispered down to him, beginning to push your hips down to take Sonny’s cock inside of you. “Show me just how much of me you’ve wanted after all this time—what you would do to me, your wife.”

#GODFATHER AU #VICTONNY #SONNY CORLEONE #SANTINO CORLEONE #SONNY CORLEONE X READER #SONNY CORLEONE X READER SMUT #MOTH TO FLAME FIC #MOTH TO FLAME FANFIC #SMUT PROMPTS #MOTH TO FLAME AU #GODFATHER X READER #NOT CANON

29 notes · View notes

convenientalias · 2 months

Text

Which is my favorite Kdrama network?

When I'm bored I like to list and categorize things. Today I've decided to discover, statistically, which Korean drama network is my favorite based on shows I've watched.

Including both shows I've completed and shows I've dropped bc in this case, the shows I don't like are relevant.

Using my ratings from MyDramaList :) which means however I felt the first time I finished watching a show, basically. Not including networks where I've only watched one show (e.g., Disney+, Wavve, Channel A).

JTBC:

Agency--Dropped

Beyond Evil--6

Itaewon Class--Dropped

My Country the New Age--10

Private Lives--Dropped

Reflection of You--Dropped

Sisyphus: The Myth--Dropped

I can't believe this network produced My Country the New Age when everything else I've watched by them has been a flop for me. Beyond Evil came the closest to breaking the curse but even then. Itaewon Class is one of my least favorite shows I've ever tried to watch; I've forgotten most of the details now but a bad taste lingers.

KBS:

White Christmas--10

Mad Dog--8

The King's Affection--10

River Where the Moon Rises--Dropped

Should I have given River Where the Moon Rises more of a chance? Bc apparently this network only makes bangers.

MBC:

Extraordinary You--7

Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung--9

The Veil--7

Idk what to say about this one. RHGH is pretty damn good but I think I would probs like it less watching it now than I did in 2019, newish to kdramas and ready to love anything. But it's a fave regardless, and Extraordinary You and The Veil are both fairly watchable. A serviceable network.

MBN:

Perfect Marriage Revenge--Dropped

Sponsor--Dropped

A network to watch a few episodes with the desire to see dogblood plots, and then leave.

Netflix:

Bloodhounds--8

My Holo Love--Dropped

Gyeongseong Creature--Dropped

Song of Bandits--8

The Silent Sea--7

It's Netflix. I don't know that they're ever going to make a real favorite for me but they're fairly competent.

OCN:

Save Me--8

Duel--Dropped

A Superior Day--Dropped

Apparently it takes Seo Ye-ji and Woo Do-hwan's powers combined to make me finish a show by this network. You'd think it would be easier bc they seem to enjoy angst and whump, but I think they pour it on a little too thick.

SBS:

Doctor Stranger--Dropped

Lovers of the Red Sky--8

Revenant--9

The King: Eternal Monarch--7

The Killing Vote--Dropped

Remember: War of the Son--Dropped

Honestly I might come back to at least one of these dropped shows. Their track record on plots is okay, but their actors are really good.

TVN:

100 Days My Prince--Dropped

Alchemy of Souls--9

Bad and Crazy--Dropped

Circle: Two Worlds Connected--9

Confession--6

Devil Judge--9

Eve--8

Flower of Evil--10

Hotel del Luna--Dropped

It's Okay to Not Be Okay--8

Mine--8

Mr. Sunshine--8

Our Blooming Youth--Dropped

Pandora: Beneath the Paradise--Dropped

Psychopath Diary--9

Tale of the Nine-Tailed--Dropped

Clearly I just start the most show by them. Do they make the most shows? I don't know. Good concepts and good cinematic quality on most of these shows, with just a few exceptions. Pretty solid network.

Viki:

Color Rush--8

I Picked Up a Star On the Road--6

Where Your Eyes Linger--8

You Make Me Dance--6

Mixed bag.

The takeaways:

I should probably watch more KBS. On my to-watch list, that translates to Youth of May, the Bridal Mask, Hwarang, the Bloody Heart, and Orange Marmalade. So mostly historical dramas, which is a pity bc apparently I also like their thrillers.

Really, though, my to-watch list at this point has a ton of SBS and MBC on it for some reason, at least with shows that have already come out. According to my stats so far, my odds are pretty mixed on liking them or not.

Somehow, one feels, I will actually end up watching more TVN instead... but that has yet to materialize. (except the one kdrama I'm currently watching is a TVN drama. so.)

Did I really learn anything? No. and on that note, good night.

5 notes · View notes

mydisenchantedeulogy · 1 year

Text

Zombies in the Sun [Chapter One] Treacherous Sunset [Vaas Montenegro]

A/n: I’m back again with another Vaas story. Woot! I was going to wait to post the first chapter to this, but I’m far too excited to do so. This one is going to be a zombie soulmate AU because I’ve been stuck on this idea for a while. Please pay attention to the warnings and enjoy. Also, I used the same MC from ‘Where the Tainted Kiss’. I’m attached to her.

Summary: Olivia McKenna is on vacation with her close friend, Liza Snow and a group of strangers. As a treat, she agrees to go skydiving over the Rook Islands, but when they land Liv, and her new friends are cast into a nightmare filled with pirates and the walking dead. How will they survive? And what will Liv do when she catches the attention of the pirate lord Vaas Montenegro after involuntarily saving his life?

Warning(s): Zombies (humans and animals), soulmates, tattoos, relationship issues, alternate universe, blood and gore, death.

No Minors Allowed!!

The beat of the music reverberated in her ears as Die Antwoord played across the speakers in a nightclub somewhere in Thailand – the name she could not remember or pronounce. Liv sat at the bar and waited for her bitch drink, as Riley called it; a Sex on the Beach; one of her favorites. Her attention remained on the strange compass tattoo on her inner wrist illuminated by hues of dark lilac and magenta from the ambient light dancing across the floor. It was doing something that she had never seen before. It lost its way; the needle spun wildly.

Seeing it move was not something uncommon. A lot of people had compass tattoos that changed directions. It was a mark of sorts; a brand that signified out there somewhere was someone whose compass was leading back. The coined term was 'soulmate', but some theorists called it the Era of Fate, a rare phenomenon that had been around as early as the 15th century. There was no record of how it started, only that around a person's 16th birthday a compass would appear and point the way to the person who they were ideally suited for.

Liv never really sought out her soulmate or had an interest in them; her career meant more to her than some strange person she may or may not even like. Frankly, she didn't know much about it other than what she heard or read about online. It all sounded ridiculous to her. And thus, she ignored her compass for going on 10 years. Until tonight.

Rubbing her finger over the tattoo in hopes to smug it away, she groaned as the needle continued to spin. What did this mean? Was hers broken?

What does it matter? You never cared before.

Yet the more she watched it, the more drawn to it she was. She never realized how hypnotizing the tattoo was, turning and turning like a pinwheel; it strangely made her crave to be home, yet the warmness of her city apartment didn't appeal to her at the moment.

Perhaps she should look up the meaning. Curiosity got the better of her. Liv took out her phone and unlocked it, but a hand on her shoulder made her avert her attention and lurch in fear. She glanced over her arm and sighed as she recognized the brown-haired woman who had grabbed her.

"You scared me," she stated.

Liza leaned in, pointing at her ear to show that she could not hear her over the sound of the music.

"I said you scared me," Liv repeated.

"Sorry about that," she stated with a laugh. Her alcohol-scented breath fanned out across the woman's cheek. "I honestly tried to call your name, but it looks like you're nose-deep in your phone. I hope it's not business."

Liv snorted.

"I was just looking at something, but it's not too important."

She was lying of course. Putting away her phone she watched Liza turn her green eyes to the dance floor in annoyance. Liv raised a curious brow. Something was wrong with her; she worked with the aspiring actress long enough to know what was an act and what wasn't.

"Are you OK?" She asked as she leaned in.

Liza took an uneasy breath.

"Trouble in paradise."

"Because of the unnecessary fight Jason was in earlier?" Liv asked. Though to be honest, she assumed there were other reasons besides this, but was not her place to ask.

The brown-haired woman snorted in annoyance.

He was the reason the group of nine moved to the nightclub from the previous bar, or rather fled, though it wasn't just him. Keith, an investment banker, and Jason's youngest brother, Riley were just as responsible. For some reason they instigated a fight with a group of Thai patrons; most likely because they were drunk – typical frat boy behavior.

It was understandable to Liv as to why Liza was pissed solely at Jason however; the two were soulmates; had met in college before she and the actress met.

"It's more than that. He's... immature. All he does is party and he has no real goal in mind. Not to–– No. I shouldn't unload this on you, or Daisy. I'm sorry," Liza mentioned.

Liv frowned and reached up to touch her arm in reassurance.

"I don't mind. We're friends, no?"

"Why couldn't we be soulmates?" Liza asked with a smile. "We're perfect for one another. I complain and you listen. Not to mention we have goals that we're both working toward."

Liv snorted.

"I'm on the market."

"I couldn't leave Jason even if I wanted to. We're tethered... and you wouldn't believe how amazing the sex is," Liza mentioned, grinning at the last part.

So Liv heard. She leaned her elbow against the bar and stared at her friend for a moment. The woman was doomed.

Those who find their soulmates are said to be forever tethered to them by some unseen emotional bond. They feel what the other does and they can't escape if the relationship goes sour; it was a nightmare wrapped in candy-colored paper. A tattoo, much like the compass appears on their person when they first meet, bonding them forever.

"I can have great sex without being tethered to someone," Liv mentioned.

A tap on her arm brought her attention to the bar where the bartender was standing with her drink. She smiled at her and took the glass. The sweet and sour taste of orange juice and vodka assaulted her tastebuds bringing goosebumps to her arms. Perfect.

"Not to be a nag, but I heard Vincent has eyes for you," Liza brought up, nudging the dark-haired woman's arm. Her drink sloshed out onto her hand and Liza grimaced in response.

Liv snorted and licked the mixture from her salty skin.

"I've noticed."

He was a nice guy; a year younger than her, and according to Jason, he was studying engineering at Cal Tech. But Liv wasn't looking for a relationship at the moment; her last one ended on bad terms and she wanted to enjoy her vacation away from the hassle of the material world for a few days. Besides, she'd feel like a shit friend if she took one of Jason's friends to her room when this week was about Riley and his accomplishments.

"I see what you're doing," Liza mentioned.

Liv raised a brow.

"What am I doing? Pray tell."

"You're holding out in hopes to find your soulmate. But Liv, you're never gonna find them if you don't attempt to look for them," she argued.

Liv turned up her eyes. She knew, but she wasn't holding back or looking for her soulmate. Honestly, she could go her entire life never meeting them and be happy. Her career was important to her.

"You got me all figured out, huh?"

"If I'm wrong, then there is no reason you can't make nice with Vincent," Liza stated.

She was a persistent one.

Eyeing the beanie-wearing mechanic in the crowd, Liv watched him in amusement as he attempted to dance with Daisy Lee, the pretty blonde that Jason's older brother Grant was dating – was Grant the jealous type?

"I'll leave it at a maybe," she told her friend.

Liza grinned, pleased to hear this.

At least she wasn't going to nag her more about it, or so Liv had hoped. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Jason standing at the side of the dancefloor talking to a man with brown hair; a man she had never seen before.

"Who is that with Jason?"

Liza turned her attention and hummed.

"That's Doug the DJ. Jason heard there was a great place around here to skydive and he wanted to surprise Riley."

Skydive? Liv shivered at the idea.

Sipping at her drink, she watched the two converse until Jason was seemingly through. He shook his head, then turned his eyes towards the bar at Liza and walked toward her with a hopeful smile. Leaning forward, he gave her a brief kiss on the cheek, but Liza didn't seem too forgiving. Liv didn't blame her.

Don't take any shit.

"Doug says there is an island nearby where we can do anything; party with the natives, explore the temples; you name it! He can take us there tomorrow and we can celebrate without anyone bothering us."

"That fight was on you, Jason! When are you gonna grow up?" Liza asked. Her tone was laced with annoyance.

Liv averted her eyes to the dance floor, ignoring them, but the silver and blue lights could only keep her attention so much considering the fact both were shouting over Lady Gaga. She could hear their entire conversation.

"I wasn't–– Look, I'm sorry, but this can be good for us! We can take a four-wheeler out and picnic away from the others!" Jason shouted.

"We need to talk about us! We can't keep ignoring it!" Liza stated.

An air of awkwardness enveloped the 3rd wheel.

Being single might be lonely but sometimes it's better.

"We will! I promise!" Jason retorted.

Liza agreed with a sigh and accepted another kiss from him, watching him walk away to rejoin the others. Cries of excitement rang out as Jason told them the news.

"I guess we're going skydiving tomorrow!"

"I heard! Is it too late to say that I'm not a fan of heights?" Liv asked, turning her eyes to the woman; the latter grinned in response and shook her head.

It was as she feared; it was far too late.

The whoosh of the wind tousled her short black hair and snapped in her ears like a whip as she stared at the island below. It was beautiful at this height. Liv craved to snap a picture but her Olympus was in her backpack and honestly, she was too scared to move. What the fuck was she doing? Did she want to die today?

"It's our turn," Vincent pointed out. His warm breath fanned out across her cold cheek as he spoke. "Are you ready?"

Liv shook her head in disagreement, but the mechanic laughed and pressed his body against hers, forcing them both from the side of the plane as it soared over Rook Island. Why did she have to be strapped to him for this? No, she had never gone skydiving before but if she was going to be forced to do it, she wanted to go at her own pace. This was too much. Her heart pounded in her chest as they fell quickly from the cloud-covered sky down to the ground below.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! This was so stupid. Fuck Jason. I'll haunt his skinny ass if I die.

The others were having the time of their lives with no care how dangerous this was, even Vincent was laughing and whooping in her ear. As they passed the brown-haired douche who was filming the entire experience, Liv flipped him the bird, then clutched onto the straps of her harness; her one-piece suit flapped in the wind, the only noise besides her constant thoughts that she heard.

Further down, she heard the sound of the parachute release. The sudden jerk sent her heart to her stomach as the momentum lessened and they began to float toward the ground. Liv was still uneasy; she wouldn't feel safe until they stood with their feet in the sand.

"See, not so bad," Vincent stated in her ear.

"Every damn one of you is insane," she protested.

This earned her a laugh.

Liv was relieved when her shoes touched the sand. The parachute descended behind them, but she paid it no mind as she struggled to unclasp the safety harnesses. She wanted to be away from the damn thing as soon as possible.

"I got you," Vincent stated, releasing her.

"Never again," Liv mentioned.

She pressed her unruly hair down into place and sat down on the white sand. It was a miracle none of them had died. People were not meant to freefall from the fucking sky.

One by one the others landed. Riley immediately undid his harness and rushed further down the beach, disappearing around a corner where the dense jungle met the sand. Liza approached Liv and leaned down beside her, grinning.

"Any regrets?"

"Too many," Liv stated. "But the biggest was not having my camera out. That sight was picture worthy."

Liza snorted in response. She stood up and unclasped her harnesses, then took off her suit. A tattoo of a turtle dove peeked out from beneath the band of her jeans on her hip as she did.

"Did you at least have fun though?" She asked.

"Not at all. But the island is beautiful, so I'm pleased to be here," Liv retorted in honesty. "Thank you for inviting me, Liza."

The said woman grinned and helped her to stand.

"We're friends, no? And besides, we both needed a vacation."

That was true. Liv was worn out from her previous freelance job. She was hired by a small town company to help with a local commercial. It wasn't much, but it gave her enough to pay rent and for her trip. She was looking into setting up a contract for her next gig when she got back, something she was eager to do.

Removing the harness from her body, she unzipped her suit and took it off. She wore a red cold shoulder top and jeans with a white one-piece swimsuit beneath, in case she decided to get in the water. A beach table and chairs caught her attention and she walked over to it, setting her gear into one of the chairs. Did Doug set this up? Perhaps he had someone do this for them. Liv didn't question it.

"Do you smell that?" Oliver asked as he sat his backpack down. His eyes were bloodshot and red from the joint he smoked before the plane ride.

She raised a brow and smelled the air. It had a peculiar scent, almost like someone was grilling meat. Her stomach clenched up in hunger.

"There might be other tourists here. I'm sure we aren't the only ones Doug the DJ told about this place."

Oliver agreed and took a bottle with clear liquid from the back.

"Who wants a shot?!"

Liv grimaced. Her stomach was still in knots. She turned her attention to her backpack and dug out her camera, humming in contentment as she tinkered with it.

"Come on Liv. Take a shot with us," Keith ordered. "It'll put hair on your balls."

"Gross man," Vincent uttered.

Liv snorted and placed the camera strap around her neck. She'd most likely regret it later, but she might as well. Walking over to the group, she took a tiki shot glass from Oliver. It was rather cute.

"Raise your glasses," Grant – a stout army-trained stud – ordered.

The group did so.

"Uh, to my brother Riley for getting his pilot's license! Where the hell is that motherfucker?" Grant asked.

That was a good question. Today was meant to be about him. The last Liv saw of him, he was running down the beach in child-like excitement. Oh well. She tossed back her shot and nearly choked on the foul-tasting alcohol.

"God, I haven't done sambuca since I was twenty years old," Grant mentioned with a grunt.

No wonder. It was intense. The taste of licorice lingered on her tongue even after Liv spat the taste from her mouth. She turned down another shot and turned on her camera, taking pictures of the group as they carried on in laughter, drinking, and shouting.

"I want copies after we get home," Liza mentioned to her.

"And me. Please," Daisy Lee piped in.

Liv agreed with a nod and continued to snap some pictures. She sauntered away from the group for a few minutes to take some of the clear water and the jungle when she heard a voice shout out. From around the arch, Riley came, rushing toward the table.

"There he is! Take a––"

"We need to get the fuck out of here!" Riley shouted, interrupting Oliver.

Liv raised a brow in question. He seemed frightened by something.

"We just got here, man. What's up with you?" Vincent asked in concern.

Riley took a deep and uneasy breath.

"I can't fucking explain it. There are... people tied to fucking poles down the beach. Someone burned them alive.

Was he drunk?

"Dude that's not funny," Keith mentioned.

"I'm not trying to be funny," Riley argued. He groaned in annoyance and waved his hand. "Look for yourself."

Jason snorted and sat down his shot glass, following his younger brother; Grant went too. And as much as she didn't want to, Liv walked around the bend with them. She was surprised that Liza decided to come, grasping her arm as the small party walked down the beach. The scent from earlier permeated the air, much stronger than before; it almost smelled putrid.

Just around the corner, Liv saw what Riley was trying to warn them about. Her eyes widened in horror. Three long poles stuck out of the sand and bound to them each was a person. Their bodies had been badly burned; the probable cause of their death, though at least one of them had a knife wedged in their chest. She couldn't even tell what they used to look like, only that they were human. Her stomach churned and her mouth filled with saliva as she nearly vomited. What the fuck was going on?

"Jason," Liza called in fear.

The said man turned to her with wide eyes.

"Go back to the others. You two don't need to see this."

"You need to call that guy and have him come pick us the fuck up!" Riley shouted.

He was right. Liv wanted to be off this island as soon as possible.

"He said he'd be back for us later, that we needed to stay on the beach," Jason mentioned. "I don't have a way to contact him."

"We can't just ignore this," Liza pointed out motioning toward the poles.

Riley snorted in disbelief.

"And do what exactly? We are on a fucking island!"

"Calm down," Grant ordered. He was more together than the others. "She's right though. We need to let someone know what happened here, but we also need to return to the others and wait until Doug picks us up. We can't do much until then."

Liv was already hating this idea. She knew he was right, but fuck.

"T-take some pictures of this," Riley ordered, turning his attention to her.

For fuck's sake.

Raising her camera, Liv took a quick shot of the three bodies, not caring whether the image was good or not. She just wanted to hurry and leave the area. As she raised the camera a final time she heard a noise from the jungle; it sounded like rushed footsteps.

"Do you guys––"

Before she could finish the question, a snarling man ran from the foliage and slammed into her, knocking her onto the ground. Liv lost her breath for a moment as his weight pressed against her chest. He smelled putrid like rotten meat and feces.

What the--

The question was lost to her as she stared into his cloudy lifeless eyes. Her own widened in horror as she noticed that his mouth from the cheekbones down was ripped into bloody uneven pieces, enough so that his lips were completely gone exposing his raw gums and stained teeth. A mix of blood and saliva leaked from his open mouth onto her cheek as he hovered over her. Liv was chilled to the bone.

Then with a scream, one that sounded shrill and inhuman, he bared his teeth and lunged at her. Grant came between them before he sank his teeth into her, wrapping his arm around the feral man's neck, but in the process, he was bitten. He shouted in pain and yanked him to his feet.

"Jason, h-help him," Liza ordered.

The said man rushed to his brother's aid and grabbed the man, pulling him away. However, a large bloody chunk of Grant's arm was removed in the process. Jason recoiled in disgust and watched him chew on the torn flesh. Seizing the moment, Grant yanked the knife from the pole and shoved the blade into the man's head with a wet 'slit'. He fell motionless in the sand.

"What the fuck is that!?" Riley asked in a panic.

Liza rushed to Liv and leaned down beside her.

"Are you OK?"

"I... I don't know. He tried to bite me," Liv retorted in shock.

What sort of fucked up Romero shit was going on? Her eyes widened in horror as she remembered that Grant had been bitten. The said man was clutching his bleeding arm in pain.

"We need to get back to the others," he mentioned.

"Are you gonna be OK?" Jason asked.

His brother shook his head in agreement, but he didn't look too sure. Turning, he led the group back down the beach and around the bend. Daisy Lee noticed them first and covered her mouth in shock, rushing to Grant's side.

"What the fuck happened? Keith asked.

Liv shook her head and sat down at the table, wrapping her arms around herself. She just wanted to go home. This entire day was one big nightmare.

"Guys, come on. What is––"

The sound of a siren interrupted Oliver, echoing around the beach. It sounded close, but Liv wasn't certain. Then from the corner of her eye, she noticed something emerge from the jungle down the beach from them. It was an animal; a large dog. But something was not right about the canine. Its dark fur was missing in patches like it was sick and its face was gruesomely decomposed; bloody muscle and bone were showing. Liv stood up from the chair and almost backed into Keith.

This can't be happening. I'm dreaming; I have to be.

But the fear was real. The adrenalin coursing through her body and the voice in her head telling her to get the hell out of dodge; it was all real too.

"W-we need to run," she mentioned lowly.

Keith raised a brow and turned his blue eyes toward the dog.

"What the fuck is wrong with it?"

With a guttural bark, it suddenly sprinted at them, quickly closing the distance.

"Fuck! Run!" Someone shouted, probably Riley; Liv didn't stand around to find out.

She clutched her bag in her hands and dashed into the jungle, aware that the others were close behind. She could hear their labored breaths and the guttural growl of the dog as it chased after them. Tears poured down her face as she tried to navigate the bush, but she had no idea where she was going. Her only beacon of hope was the siren.

But why does it sound like it's moving away from us?

Running from the tree line out on a dirt road, she saw two large vehicles driving toward her. Raising her arms, Liv shouted over the siren in hopes to catch the driver's attention, but to her horror, both drove past her.

"No, no, no. PLEASE STOP!"

She knew she'd never catch them, but Liv chased after them regardless, pleading with them to come back. She knew that at any second the dog was going to run her down and maul her to pieces; her friends were sadly the last thing on her mind. She just wanted to survive. On the last vehicle, she noticed a turret mounted on the top. Someone peeked out toward her, and to her relief, the vehicle came to a stop; the other soon followed suit.

"Get down!" A man wearing a red bandana shouted.

Liv raised a brow. Why did––

Suddenly the man started shooting the turret toward her. Liv screamed in protest but someone knocked her to the ground and covered her. She felt her hands burn as the road tore into her; the sound of screams echoed in her ears, so loud she almost didn't hear the gunfire cease. The person on top of her got up and Liv took a peek, seeing Vincent next to her. Did he save her? No. The man with the bandana wasn't shooting at them, or else she and Vincent would have been dead. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed that the others were alive too. The rabid dog however was in pieces, lying mere inches away from Oliver. Bullet holes riddled its diseased carcass.

They saved us.

"Fuck, that was close," Vincent mentioned.

Liv wasn't sure if he meant the dog or the turret. She sat up and groaned as her raw hands burned.

"Liv," Vincent called gaining her attention. He motioned towards the vehicles where a stout dark-skinned man approached them.

"Americanos (Americans)?" He asked.

Liv shook her head in agreement.

The man grinned.

"You are afortunado (fortunate) we came by. Or else you'd be almuerzo (lunch)."

What was he trying to say?

"Thank you for stopping," Liv mentioned.

"Don't think me yet," the man retorted.

He turned his eyes toward the others and counted them, then yanked a walkie from his belt.

"Jefe (boss), we found them. Nine little americanos (Americans)."

The line cracked for a moment, then a voice answered.

"Well? You waiting for an invitation motherfucker? Bring them here."

An air of uncertainly consumed Liv. Did he admit that he was looking for them? Perhaps they knew Doug. So many factors didn't add up. She glanced over at Vincent for answers, but he was seeing to Oliver who had scraped his leg somehow.

"Four of you come with me," the man ordered. "And the rest of you get in the other vehicle."

"Where are you taking us?" Jason asked.

Liv was curious too, but she was more concerned about the monsters that attacked them. She refused to call them anything else; there was no telling what they were.

"¡Apurarse (hurry)! Or do you want to wind up someone's lunch?" The man asked, motioning them on.

There were more of them?

Liv had so many questions, but she put her trust in the unnamed man and followed him to the vehicle. How bad could a man who just saved their life be?

If only she knew.

#vaas montenegro #far cry 3 #vaas x oc #far cry 3 fanfiction #far cry fanfiction #zombie au #soulmate au

17 notes · View notes

crossroads-history-and-science · 8 months

Text

Full Stop

Sorry for the long absence, raising a kid is a full time job apparently. Let's mark my return with a discussion of the mysterious multiversal planet, Full Stop!

Back in the early days, there were legends of a mythical world, a paradise that orbited around the center of the multiverse. It's believed it was created at the same time as crossroads by the Mother of Gods herself. However, in those early days it was merely a legend, something the Early freeholders would tell tall tales about. Some would say it's full of mountains of gold. Others would speak endlessly about the treasure trove of rare ingredients and spices. No matter how many vouch for its existence, none would deliver any actual proof.

That was until a famous interdimensional explorer named Captain Calid Caenidis came along. He spent 37 years of his life searching for the fabled world, until one day he stumbled across it during one one of his sweeps. He confirmed it was the legendary planet as its orbital path was consistent with the stories.

Upon setting foot on the world, he discovered a lush garden planet filled with thousands upon thousands of different kinds of flora from all over the multiverse. Not just many kinds of trees, but many kinds of vegetation, about 30% edible. According to his records, he and his crew were easily able to gather enough to feed all of them from foraging around.

One plant that would become famous are the solar flowers. Because the world didn't orbit around a sun, they would serve as the world's sole source of light. During the day they would ascend high into the atmosphere, lighting and warming up the world. Conversely at night they'd dim and fall to the ground.

While the world would have many names up to the point, it would get the name "Full Stop" from the Captain himself. While he was overjoyed by his accomplishment at first, he would eventually grow disillusioned at his life's goal being over and done with. He would decide to stay on the world, tasking his first mate to tell the multiverse about his discovery.

He would famously say: "Stories don't end with a happily ever after. No, they end with a full stop."

His extensive records and photographic evidence would be enough to convince people in the Crossroads of the existence of Full Stop, and many expeditions would be sent over the eons. Some were more successful than others.

Scientists were able to get a mana sample from the planet and determine that it truly was created by the Mother of Gods. Its purpose is still unknown.

Something to note, when Caenis first showed up to Full Stop, he did a full scan of the world and found there was one person already on it. He initially panicked thinking someone beat him to the discovery, however he would never encounter the stranger. Many expeditions that actually reach the world would pick up the individual in their scans, but all attempts to reach them have been for naught. They must be immortal, as it's the same magical signature over thousands of years of expeditions. Besides that, the person that lives on Full Stop remains a mystery to this day.

#teaching crossroads #phase1

3 notes · View notes

nicklloydnow · 9 months

Text

“BLVR: I asked because the press materials for the album came with a very long list of things that you like and dislike, including things like insects and animals and oscillation.

JJ: Yeah, we just tried to put together a list of things rather than just do the traditional Jim and Carter met while creating music for a film, blah, blah, blah. Of course, in the end, I think they gave you something like that too. We just wanted something a little less formulaic for people to read. Some sort of random thoughts about our inspirations in general. We’re not really interested in explaining things. We don’t really analyze ourselves. I have that a lot with my films too. People ask me what things mean, and I have no idea! When you make a film, it’s like two years later that people are asking you about it, and you’re not even the same person. It’s sort of the same with a record. It’s hard for me, in particular, to talk about things I created, because I’m not analytical. I need to protect a kind of mystery for myself.

(…)

BLVR: I read an interview where you said it was hard for you to appreciate your own films because of the process of creating them and the time lag before they’re released. Do you feel the same way about your music?

JJ: In a way, but a bit less for several reasons. One, I’m very involved in the music and in its creation, but I’m collaborating on a little more of a basic level with other people. In a film, I’m collaborating with a lot of people to realize it, but I’m sort of the captain of the ship, because I wrote it, I cast it, I will be in the editing room. But I can never see it again for the first time. That’s impossible because of how it’s created. The beauty of films is they are like a dream that you enter, and unless you’ve seen it before, you don’t know where it’s taking you. Music is similar, although music is less dependent on an image or a narrative, so it’s even more abstract and beautiful in a way. But it doesn’t take as long to create. That’s a difference. I’m sorry; I’m not being very articulate. There’s a difference and a similarity and I’m not making them very clear. They’re not very clear to me, I guess.

(…)

BLVR: Do you ever find you’re on an airplane, thinking, You know, I haven’t caught up on all the Twilight films? Do you watch mass-market movies, or do you tend to only watch obscure Indian dramas?

JJ: No, I’m not hierarchical. I have my preferences, but because I really, deeply love the craft of filmmaking, I, of course, like masterful filmmakers’ work. But I watch all kinds of stuff. On a plane recently I watched Cruella. I love the Naked Gun movies because they’re so stupid. I’m sort of amazed by the John Wick movies, just by how many people he can kill. I haven’t seen the Twilight movies. And I have particular things I will never see. I will never see any Star Wars films, because I resent that I know so much about them and the characters. Why is all that in my head when I’ve never actually seen one, you know? Why do I know about R2-D2 and Darth Vader and all these things when I’ve never even seen any Star Wars film? I’ve never seen Gone with the Wind and I never will, just because I feel like it’s forced on me and it’s some kind of corny thing.

But these are very subjective, just kind of stubborn things on my part. I don’t like mass things being shoved on me, but I will go see them. Like The Terminator is a masterpiece of cinema. It’s a big action movie, essentially. So I don’t really differentiate. But I have to tell you one thing I hate—and you can just do a little test yourself: watch any recent action-oriented movie and look for any shot that’s more than three seconds long. I find that really insulting and shit filmmaking: like they have to keep it moving every three seconds. And that’s the longest they’ll leave a shot on! And then cut. One second, cut! Two seconds, cut! Three seconds, cut! Man, I get a headache. I just turn it off. I’m like, Come on, man, go to film school! Watch something! Go read a book! Look at a painting! Look at something. This is nonsense. I can’t stand that.

(…)

JJ: I believe in this kind of aesthetic synesthesia, where certain things suggest something else to your senses. Rothko’s a great example because his work is meditative. You can go into another place under the influence of a visual thing like that. And of course, there’s the beautiful piece of music “Rothko Chapel” that Morton Feldman created, inspired by the paintings or the feeling of them or that kind of meditative place you could go. So we put that in there because we love when certain things suggest another form like that. Or you smell something and you think of a color. It really speaks to me when the work of painters or musicians suggests another form. I don’t know how to explain it any more than the openness of that kind of synesthesia.

BLVR: In addition to filmmaking and music, you make collages. Are there more creative outlets that you have?

JJ: Yeah, I write poems. For a long time, I studied with Kenneth Koch. The New York School of Poets are kind of my godfathers throughout everything I make—movies as well. That’s why I’m so happy we have these John Ashbery poems on Silver Haze. I’m preparing a new series of collages. I have one book of collages that I put out and I’m working on a new little book. It’s not quite ready. I am going to have a show in Paris, and then I’m going to have a show of my collages next year in LA. They’re all very small and sort of unassuming and very minimal. So yeah: films, music, collages. I write poems; I write essays, sort of; and sort-of prose poems. I do a lot of writing as well. Not like elaborate fiction projects. I’m not writing a novel or anything like that. But I love poems, too, because like in music, the spaces in between sort of accumulate into the overall thing. And my collages are very minimal. And they’re about reappropriating images and reduction, and removing things and substituting things—very minor ways of altering your perception of the visual image. I like a lot of things. Not just art. I’m an amateur mycologist: I’ve been trying to learn mushroom identification for twenty years now. I observe birds and animals and try to learn about different types of moss, of which there are so many varieties. For a while I just was obsessed with the history of motorcycle design, especially European and Japanese. I get sucked into tangents because I’m really a kind of dilettante. I don’t consider that a negative thing. There’re so many things that are interesting to me that I can’t imagine not being kind of scatterbrained, in a way.

(…)

BLVR: Wow, that’s great. Personally, I just rewatched all the Twilight movies and did a lot of emotional eating. Not to keep throwing your words back in your face, but your press materials said that SQÜRL sometimes likes “the score better than the film.” I was thinking of Judgment Night, but were you thinking of anything in particular?

JJ: No, not really. This is not really answering that. But I get very annoyed by how music and film seem to be all, I don’t know, cut from the same ream of cloth. The world has so much diversity of music, so why do these commercial films all sound the fucking same, you know? But that’s sort of the opposite of what you’re asking. I love the fact that some scores of recent films have come not from John Williams or other traditional Hollywood kinds of shit. People like Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have made some beautiful scores for films. Trent Reznor and Atticus what’s-his-name [Ross] made some beautiful scores. I’ve watched a few films only because Nick and Warren scored them. Otherwise, I might not even have been attracted to them. The scores are very important and also sometimes extremely annoying. I don’t like it when the score is designed to tell you how to feel about everything, which is often the case. I find it sort of condescending and insulting. As someone who loves how films are made, why does the music have to tell you how to feel? It seems kind of lame.

BLVR: How do you fight against that?

JJ: First of all, whoever’s making the music, whether it’s me or it’s the RZA or Tom Waits, I don’t give them specific places to score. I don’t say, Here are the cues, I want to score here, I want melancholy music here. I don’t do that. I talk about the atmosphere of the film and encourage them—or encourage myself, if I am doing it—to make music that is derived from the feeling of the film. Then we’ll take it and play with it in the editing room and see where the film likes it. That alleviates a lot of that idea of trying to tell the audience what’s going on or how they should feel. Instead, it’s adding another landscape like painting in the sky. That, to me, makes the most beautiful music because it becomes part of the fabric of the film.

(…)

BLVR: You once said, “Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration.” Hollywood really likes to reboot things. So if people started rebooting your movies, would you be OK with that?

JJ: What does that mean, “reboot”?

BLVR: Where they basically redo your entire film but update it with a new cast or some other twist. Like if they redid Stranger Than Paradise with the High School Musical cast.

JJ: Oh yeah, I think that’d be very amusing. I have to clarify what I mean by “stealing.” I don’t condone, like, if my neighbor wrote a script and I read it and then I took his script and made a film out of it before he could. However, in my case, that’s not really a problem. If someone stole my script, they wouldn’t make the same thing I would make, you know? At the same time, it’s not cool to take something someone hasn’t realized. But if anything in the world has been realized already, I don’t see why it can’t be sampled or imitated. I don’t understand why that should be prevented. If you steal a riff from somebody and then make that the opening of “Stairway to Heaven,” which Led Zeppelin did. Led Zeppelin is a great band, but they just blatantly stole blues songs and then said they wrote them. That’s just kind of bullshit. You should credit the things you steal from. You should rejoice in them! You should say, I was inspired by this. You shouldn’t say, No, that came from me. I did that all myself. Right? That’s kind of bullshit. But I think all human expression is like waves in the ocean. And if you sample something in a hip-hop song, you’re taking it somewhere else; you’re using it as an element in something you’re making now. Nothing’s really original. There are only a small number of stories you can tell. There’s just an infinite number of ways to tell that story. So it’s not cool to take something someone else did verbatim and say you did it. That’s just lame, but anything should be free to be inspiration.

BLVR: So no copyrighting a groove?

JJ: I don’t know about copyrighting; it’s all very complicated. I’m really interested in reappropriation, meaning you take something from somewhere else and make it something else. That’s the basis of all art. Bach taught us that by his Variations. He just started varying things. And then it’s like unfolding a beautiful Fibonacci code of everything. It’s something ingrained in expression. John Lennon said something really cool. I don’t have the exact quote. But he said something like: originality comes from not quite being able to imitate your greatest inspirations. I think that’s a beautiful way of saying what I was trying to say. Like when Quentin Tarantino made his first film, Reservoir Dogs, he lifted the plot from a Hong Kong movie by director Ringo Lam called City on Fire. So I saw the film back then and I was like, Wow, he lifted that whole cloth and made it his own. That’s really cool, but is he going to tell us that? And he did… eventually. And Quentin is all about inspiration from other places. So I’m all for that. Is that stealing? No: he reappropriated something and made it into something else by using very basic elements of somebody else’s idea. That’s the basis for all kinds of creation. How many paintings in the Renaissance are there of the Madonna and Child? Does that mean somebody stole the image? Also, for me, variation and repetition are really the most beautiful things in art history, and the creation of things. Look at Rothko’s paintings: they’re variations of themselves in a way. He is like Bach to me. He can continue making these variations, and each one resonates in its own way. “

#jarmusch #jim jarmusch #art #music #film

2 notes · View notes

pandoraimperatrix · 2 years

Text

DickKory | Core Four Centric | Cannon Divergence | Longfic

Summary:

Dick Grayson is dead. His life taken by his own brother. The Abel to Jason’s Cain. Consumed by grief, Rachel gives in to despair, losing control, a portal opens, but from it no destroyer of words come through. Instead a man who looks just like him, how can he be?

---------------

*90's infomencial voice* Tired of Dick Grayson getting no character growth every season? Can stand the lack of development? The fact that we barely got any DickKory content since season one? I have just what you need! *normal voice* Okay, so in this fic Dick died, and Rachel pulled an alternative version of him from a dying universe, a version of him that will not take his family, Kory and his life for granted, he's not perfect, but he's doing his best.

————————————–

Chapter Fifteen – They shine

Dick held his breath in as much as he could stand, trying to keep Koriand’r’s perfume inside his lungs until they burned, desperate for air. Desperate for change just as the whole world – worlds? – thrived for.

It was only natural, going forward. He was the only fool wishing he could stop time and don’t progress over the moment she was so close and both of them could pretend it was their right to have each other. Her hand in his hand, her body against his body, the way she just trusted him and let him lead her across the dance floor. The way she gasped as the song took a faster tempo and he swirled her, her dress flaring like a blooming flower only for her to return to him, bringing that smile that took her entire face.

Or even, rewind time further behind. To the instant when he had the comforting warmth of her thigh brushing against his back, her soft voice generously offering factoids about her life in Tamaran, sadness almost successfully hidden, accenting the sweet of the moment. Her fingers danced in his hair and scalp while she braided and Dick found himself between the urge to restrain the bodily answer to something that shouldn’t feel as sensual as it felt or just melt like butter between her fingers. And if only he turned around, he would be able to hold her. Would she let him? Should she?

READ ON AO3

He had barely noticed that her golden glow was real instead of part of the illusion of paradise. Not when everything else about her was already heavenly.

“Are you alright?”

Dick finally let new air in, massaging his chest, the last glint of Koriand’r’s golden glow was gone as she disappeared with Selina to somewhere outside.

“I’m fine.”

And when Dick finally managed to turn his eyes away from the doorway to Bruce, the old man had an uncharacteristic soft expression.

Dick let him wordlessly lead both of them to a secluded room, an office. Community Centre was of course, how Bruce was choosing to call what was a reformed manor his family had in Metropolis since before Bruce’s parents had been even born. Dick remembered coming there when he was a child once, but the place was old and uncomfortable. In the few times Bruce had taken him for a trip they had chosen to use a smaller apartment in the new part of the city instead of going through the trouble of staying at a house not currently being inhabited just to keep an illusion of grandeur. His memories of those trips were free from Gargoyles and rain and full of walks on the cobblestone sidewalks and indulging in ice-cream.

“I remember you have preference for flower based liqueur, but, I think, all I have to offer you is scotch,” said Bruce putting one glass on Dick’s hand after pouring two drinks from the bottle over the desk table.

Dick frowned, wondering what Bruce was referring to, and it took him a little long to realize that looking through old memories wouldn’t have the desired results, since the man in front of him, was little more than a stranger. And then... Oh. Flower liqueur... The Bitter Truth.

Oh...

“No need to make that face,” Bruce smirked. “I, for once, can say I didn’t see anything. Selina deleted all the recordings. You can thank her later.”

And with just that, instead of a stranger misplaced in wonderland, Dick was 16 years old again, being caught kissing Babs behind one of the awful medieval armours decorating Wayne Manor, one that squeaked every time they brushed against it.

“How are things with Miss Anders?”

Dick almost laughed bitterly at the question. It was that breakfast with Selina all over again. Maybe they had been total opposites once upon a time, right now, they seemed united in their complete disregard for tact and consistency.

“After telling me you didn’t want to see my face, you brought me all across the country to ask about that?”

“You can’t blame me for the way I reacted that day,” Dick just snorted at that, Bruce sighed and leaned behind, resting his weight on the desk. He looked older and frail, but in a healthy kind of way that Dick have never believed he was capable of reaching. Bruce’s face and figure were softer, like they belonged to a man that was getting enough sleep and being fed way more than coffee and protein shakes in the past few months. Another thing he’d have to thank Selina for.

“What you want from me, Bruce?” Dick finally asked.

“I want to tell a story,” and his voice sounded so soft and earnest that instead of snapping back something spicy, Dick just took a sip of the whiskey letting the burning sensation ground him.

“A few years ago, when my son left home, and I believe it was the same time you left too, our worlds apparently diverged after that... Well, there were a crisis, an universal one. You won’t remember, most people’s memories were erased, mine remained. But I want you understand that things were not going well. It was a helpless situation, really... And much of it was my fault. So, when you said that your universe unravelled because of actions parallel me partook in... Well,” Bruce stopped for a moment, his face forming micro-expressions as if he was adding internally to his point. Then, he sighed and drank his whiskey until the cup was dry.

“The reason I’m telling you that is because you are not the first traveller of parallel worlds that I’ve met.”

That really surprised Dick. He knew that since the league started, Bruce’s life had grown way larger than he had planned when he decided to pick the cape and the cowl. Growing up in that environment made Dick himself sort of insensible to the craziness of it all. Living in Post-Trigon hell did that too.

“Superman from what we call now Earth two visited me then,” Bruce continued. He picked the bottle up, and stared at it, considering, then put it back on the table and screwed the cap shut. “He told me that, in his world, I was married to Selina, we both took you in and we never severed our bond. I never wronged you so badly you felt the need to run away from me...”

“Bruce...” Dick tried, but Bruce rose a hand up.

“Life was not perfect in that world, but it was good. You even had a little sister,” he added with a sad smile. “When Earth 2’s Superman asked me if I wanted to claim that life for my own and save his timeline, forsaking my doomed one I asked him one thing, just one thing... I... I asked him if the man he called Dick Grayson, not you, not the man buried next to my parents, but this other version, if he was in any way superior to the one I raised and loved.”

He paused there, as if expecting Dick to say something. But what could Dick say?

“He said no, that Superman, and that was my answer.”

Dick swallowed, pushing the bitter taste in his mouth down.

Why kick him when he was already down? Bruce, even in his worst, murderous self, was never cruel. He did awful things that in his mind were necessary, but he didn’t relinquish in blood, in hurting others just to see them in pain. Dick wanted to leave, that office, that house, that city, god he couldn’t stand there one more second, where the hell was Koriand’r?!

“Why did you even tell me that?” He spat, body restless with wretchedness.

“Because I want you to understand,” Bruce’s repeated, his voice was very soft now, as if he was trying to blow the wound he had just opened. “There’s no replacing. Not really.” Dick locked his jaw, the scream barely contained by the prison of his gritted teeth. “But I’ve been carrying the death of that Dick Grayson I never really met all this time. My son, not better nor worse... I carry his life too. I’m not carrying yours.”

Dick started pacing, desperate to leave, desperate to escape.

“I... I can’t.”

Then, Bruce said something that made Dick’s thoughts stop spiralling even though his head continued pounding.

“And I realized that there is no version of you that I would not want to protect, even if you don’t want to have anything to do with me. You are my son.”

Even the muffled sounds of the music and party outside disappeared, and the ringing of the blood rushing through his body was everything Dick could hear as he stood there, trying to breath under the weight of Bruce’s expectant gaze.

“You don’t need to say anything now,” Bruce finally said after what felt like forever. He walked past Dick, patting his shoulder in his way, his hand lingering just for a moment, hopeful. “But I needed to tell you.”

And when the hand finally lifted, Dick found himself turning around, seeking, for what?

“Why Metropolis?” The words slipped out of Dick’s lips before he could register.

Bruce stopped, one hand already on the doorknob.

“Uh?”

“The Community Center? Why build it here and not in Gotham?”

Bruce turned, hands in his pockets, and his expression softened.

“I don’t think you’d take it well if I chose San Francisco, where you, both of you, went to run away from me. And I don’t think you would come if I chose Gotham. You and I, we didn’t have any memories together in Metropolis. The ones I had with the Dick Grayson I reared, and that I believe you share, were the rare ones untainted by the job. In Metropolis we were just father and son.”

“What about Jason?”

Because Dick just remembered that in this reality, Jason had won over Death herself.

“He’ll never be alone again.”

They held each other’s gaze in understanding and then the door shook open.

It was Selina, Koriand’r was not with her, fear bit Dick’s stomach.

“Are the two of you done? Kitten, I think it’s better if you and Kory leave.”

“What happened? Where is she?”

“She’s fine, just… We were not able to make her stop glowing and I’m worried people might start noticing.”

“Where-?”

“She’s in the garden.”

“Thank you, Selina.”

“You’re welcome, baby, come here, give me a kiss” she rubbed the stain her red lipstick made on his cheek, “don’t be a stranger, call us.”

“I will,” and Dick caught himself believing his own promise before he nodded to Bruce and headed out to the gardens.

“Koriand’r!”

She was not in the garden, and although it didn’t take long for him to find her, the few moments of her disappearance was enough to create a billion of awful sceneries and the fact that she was beside what looked like to be the start of dumpster fire, didn’t exactly settle his heavy breath and racing heart.

Koriand’r turned to look at him, and her soft glow flared, making Dick squint, when his eyes adjusted, she was just beside him, that blind smile taking all her face.

If she were hardly unnoticeable before, she’d stick out like a bright golden thumb now.

“You won’t believe it, Grayson,” she laughed throwing her arms around his neck, her glee intoxicating. “My powers are back!”

------------

Next time we have horny Kory causing trouble.

Thank you everyone for comments, kudos, likes and all the incentive, they help A LOT

And if you want to see me suffer through my reading of New Teen Titans follow me on my main blog @selinascatnip

I’m in the middle of the Karras arc and I don’t think it’s coincidence that I found my first white hair 😭

#DickKory #Dick Grayson #Koriand'r #Nightwing #Starfire #Kory Anders #Richard Grayson #BatCat #Brucelina #Bruce Wayne #Selina Kyle #Catwoman #Batman #WW #Wandering Worlds #my fic

37 notes · View notes

galacticnova3 · 1 year

Text

Instead of continuing the theme of granting glimpses into the unsettling realities faced by hypothetical sapient spaceships, I’m gonna post about perspectives and expectations versus reality! Aka the headcanons I have about the legends and mythology surrounding Lor based on what little was known about her by people in the past, and then how the expectations those created set up those in-the-know-but-not-quite about Halcandran history for some good ol’ whiplash. And since this isn’t discussing The Horrors I’m also putting it in main tags. As a treat. This is totally not part of my agenda to spread boat mom propaganda to more people.

Most of the legends around Lor stem from the simple fact that they’re the ideas people get about her based on observations without context and a lack of concrete information. For example, it was years after she was buried beneath the Haldera Volcano that it became common knowledge that there were multiple Starcutters that all have the same appearance; her name was just learned first, and with all the warping and appearing wherever in the sky going on people just assumed it was one ship named Lor doing everything. Everything included sailing majestically through the sky with what seemed like twinkling starlight in her wake, regularly cutting holes in spacetime like it was nothing, and overall being mysterious and seemingly ethereal. As one of several exploratory research vessel, she also had ties to the discovery of new planets and territories and such for the Halcandran empire to take advantage of, places that supposedly held the potential to become paradises if properly developed.

This combination of things, and the fact that such beliefs were not corrected for a very long time, led to Lor essentially becoming mythologized into an arcane, divine vessel with a heart and soul of its own that either served as the ferry to Paradise or could lead people there. And as many myths tend to do, things spun out from there, with some also deciding she must be able to don dark and royal colors and rain down divine punishment on the wicked, others saying she is the physical form taken by an angel or spirit of sorts, and a handful believing she is not merely the way to Paradise but actually holds it within. Many believed some combination of these ideas, even if they didn’t actually witness any of the things that inspired them. While at first in a sense they were drawing all the wrong conclusions, in a twist of fate spending a lot of time(as in almost 30,000 years) underground above the heart of Halcandra’s natural magic and below what may have been the most concentrated collection of soul magic ever… Well, it did have some impacts on her magic after a while that perhaps give some of those concepts more merit than they once had.

Of course that doesn’t change the fact that she is not actually some heavenly being of Paradise with godly powers beyond mortal comprehension. She’s a magical spaceship that was stuck in a rock for the vast majority of her existence and nearly forgotten about, who got taken for some teen’s takeover plan fated to go very wrong, crashed and broke, got fixed, crashed again twice being attacked by dragons under different circumstances, and woke up right as shit was hitting the fan. After all that confusion and the joy of saving herself and a bunch of strangers from the void like 3 minutes after awaking from what was possibly the record longest boat coma, she had to come to terms with everyone she ever knew being long dead and gone, the only place she really knew being entirely different and unsafe to return to, and the fact that she didn’t have anyone to go through this with. That was until some fuckin teenage catboy Minecraft spawned in the living room on the brink of death, apparently knew her for whatever reason, and was probably her best bet of finding out what the hap had fuckened while she was away. The medical part of that got figured out but afterwards the two took a while to get everything straight.

See, Magolor thought she just wasn’t talking to him the whole time on purpose; he had no idea her AI wasn’t activated so the person aspect of her literally wasn’t present. Lor in turn had absolutely no context for what she’d been involved in and was super confused how this Small Child(aka short teenager) knew anything about her because last time she was awake was thousands of years ago. The reveal that he’d pretty much taken her unconscious body for a joyride was… Interesting, for the both of them, as was the period of sorting out other miscellaneous but important things. For example, how to interact with someone who is also a something that you hyperfixated on for a long time without seeming weird, or how to gently explain to someone that at least a third of what they thought they knew about you wasn’t true. There were also more introspective things that needed to be thought out, like their respective flavors of coming to terms with everything you ever knew having been taken away and changed. In the same vein, Magolor had to find out how to cope with no longer having his family to live with, while Lor was left figuring out what she was going to do with no purpose to serve or duties to perform for someone else.

Of course they thankfully kinda solved each others’ “fuck what now” problems because the egg came to understand the hype behind found family while the boat decided to spend her new life looking after her new son. The two must’ve had that kind of connection to one another for a reason, right? Magolor really needed someone else with an ounce of responsibility to help him stay on the right path, and also make sure he doesn’t have an accident related to adhd and homemade bombs. Lor needed someone she could look after to have that sense of purpose for her existence again, and to a degree she also wanted someone to be there who could help her adjust to an era entirely foreign to her. Some might say she’s become a guardian angel for him, but she personally prefers the title of adoptive mom. Both because it’s more accurate to their relationship and because she wants him to experience consequences and learn from them rather than simply shielding him from everything the world tosses his way. Oh and because they are prone to mutual fucking around and finding out, impulsive decisions, and getting on Meta Knight’s nerves.

Speaking of which, he was probably even more surprised by Lor than Magolor, if only because he had mostly read things depicting her as mysterious, unbelievably powerful, and willing to do what needed to be done to bring reckoning to evildoers. In other words his expectations were decidedly not for her to turn out to be this curious and somewhat lighthearted computer lady who will happily harbor a traitor and spend time becoming well-versed in modern internet culture. Already not the most respectable combination of traits, in his eyes, and that was before their clashing views of authority became obvious. They got on better terms after Lor found out what exactly went down that led to the circumstances of her waking up, but saying they see totally eye to eye now would be wrong for more reasons than just their height difference and the fact that ships don’t have eyes. Also he’s mad that he doesn’t have the fastest and most advanced airship in Dreamland anymore but he just doesn’t say it. He doesn’t say a lot of things he feels towards her and Magolor, really. It’s for the better.

Anyways the moral of the story is that how history is written doesn’t always reflect the truth! For example someone capable of rending spacetime with ease is not necessarily a godlike entity. They might even like giving people head pats. Or making their voice sound like Moonbase Alpha or Hatsune Miku. Or gaming

#rambling #lor starcutter #magolor #my headcanons #kirby return to dreamland #alright let’s hope I regretn’t this #I am like a cat tapping at a new thing to see if it is safe with main tags #soon I’ll give myself the go ahead to start talking about my thoughts on (tagged) spoilers #but until then here’s me just repeating myself for the nth time but this time strangers might see it #as always regardless of who reads any of this #look how hard I can focus on a fictional space boat FFFFWSFSHSGWSFHHHH

5 notes · View notes

ultraericthered · 1 year

Text

Anime Update V2 45

Wolf’s Rain - It was the series faux-nale this week and while yes, I greatly enjoyed these as episodes, the story really didn’t come to anything even close to resembling a satisfying ending. A lot of plot points did have to come to their ending points, though, and that’s where you start to notice how much was getting rushed here. The whole thing with Hige apparently being some sort of villainous traitor to his own kind who just got amnesia had me confused. After all the tense build-up, Jagaura’s false Paradise fell apart ridiculously quickly and easily. And the show had to juggle Kiba saving Cheza, Hige reuniting with Toboe and Tsume, Blue reuniting with Quent and telling him the truth of what befell his home and family (surprisingly the one part that had me tearing up!), Cher reuniting with Hubb (which was the very last minute thing here), and not only Jaguara’s demise, but even the return of Lord Darcia and the reveal of Jaguara as the late Harmona’s envious, entitled incel of an older twin sister. It was all done well for the most part, but I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed. Fortunately, the story doesn’t end here. The true Paradise still awaits!

Hunter x Hunter - Not only did Genthru continue to showcase how scheming and scary he is, but we got hit with a lot of unexpected throwbacks and return appearances. Killua temporarily leaves Greed Island to go redeem his previous Hunter’s Exam failure by acing it at record speed, with familiar faces like Ponzu and Tonpa present when he does. Then we find out that the name of Chrollo Lucilfer has been entered into Greed Island as a player, leading to a call to Kurapika where we even see how Neon and her father are holding up (not very well in the latter’s case, as he fucking deserves!) And then the Spiders are met by the actual player using Chrollo’s name and info...HISOKA!? Methinks things are now getting way more interesting!

Fruits Basket - A far more engaging affair than last week since the focus was back on Yuki, and we got to know his Student Council buddies more as we watched him at work with them. Aside from the ones we met before, we’re also introduced to an Ami Kawashima-esque fake airhead voiced by Cherami Leigh and a less militant, more brunette Ayato Naoi voiced by Micah Solusod. And I gotta say, I really, really felt for poor Yuki here. The episode so nailed the feeling of what having to socialize with, collaborate with, and just put up with such irritating people like these is like, and then it took a sudden turn for serious drama in the final minutes as Yuki and Kakeru came to blows. It may bring him more agony, but at least Yuki’s learning and growing, and getting to better understand himself and others.

Date A Live S4 - And just like that, the Mukuro arc is over. I’d said before that I didn’t care much for Mukuro, but now after this I really, REALLY don’t care much for Mukuro. The backstory she got painted her in a light that makes her ridiculously unsympathetic compared to the backstories of other Spirits, and I might’ve at least gotten her better if the significance of her hair-styling by her sister and the following interaction with the sister’s friends had been adapted, but it wasn’t, so we instead just see Mukuro being uncomfortable, lonely and introverted among strangers before making the jump straight to clingy Spirit who wipes memories of friends and family. As such, the compassion and friendship she gets from Shido feels a bit unearned. You HAD a family, Mukuro, and YOU became the problem, not them.

Fate Zero - OK, I’d wanted to get this series finished at around this time, but then I reached Iskandr’s Last Ride. And I was gutted. How the fuck do I go on after seeing that? Waver and Rider were two of the best characters with one of the best relationships on the show, and this episode was EVERYTHING their story had been building to, embodying all that makes them so endearing and pure. Seeing the apotheosis of Waver and Rider’s friendship was enough on its own, but coupled with Waver’s talk with his not-grandpa and the sincerity of cordial respect and admiration between Rider and Gilgamesh of all people really fucking got to me too! Yes, Irisveil was essentially killed by Kirei, and Saber is engaged in battle with Kariya and Berserker (revealed to be none other than Sir Lancelot), and the Holy Grail is being forged, but for right now, none of that matters to me. The passing of the King of Conquerors requires silence and reflection.

Re:ZERO - So while continuing to work with Beatrice in trying to counter the mysterious evil shaman’s curse, Subaru works with extra effort to befried Ram & Rem and keep himself productive so that all of Roswaal’s Manor can think highly of him and he can distract himself from the anguish he’s been feeling. But the episode comes to its powerfully moving climax when Emilia is able to give comfort to Subaru and coax him into a sense of ease where he can at last get rest from all the overwork and mental derangement he’d been forcing himself through...leading to Subaru breaking down bawling and letting all of his emotions out, all of his fear and vulnerability over what he’s been through in several lives. It was a beautiful moment.

Symphogear G - Shit’s getting real now. Maria struggles with the truth that she’s not Fine’s reincarnation and might have to drop the facade soon, while Kirika questions the new power that’s awakened within her, and Hibiki just can’t bring herself to rest and retire from fighting evil now that she knows it could ultimately result in her end. Then during a meeting between Nastassja and Maria with some asshole American businessmen, Dr. Ver summons hordes upon hordes of Noise with his cane, and this goes down where Hibiki and Miku are as well. We get some heroics from Maria on her end while on Hibiki’s, she, like the fool she is, goes back into her Symphogear mode in mid-free fall...and then Miku gets blown up. What? MIKU!!!

MAR - First up for the current round was Snow VS some ugly bitch who I guess is supposed to represent Hansel and Gretel AND the witch from that fairy tale and who for some reason deems Snow to be ugly rather than herself. Yeah. Was not a fan of this whole affair, but I do appreciate Snow getting another win, and the way she did so.

Gintama - The one where the Odd Jobs Gin trio, Otae, and the Shinsengumi all work together to catch an old perverted panty thief. A very trite and ridiculous set-up that this series made legit hilarious. The running gag with the land mines going off slayed me every time!

Code Geass R2 - At long last, I got to re-watching this premiere episode of this trainwreck. It was honestly as bad as I remember, if not worse. The opening minutes were painful - Lelouch is just suddenly back attending Asford Academy and is now the Student Council VP who acts very different from how he’d ever been before, Viletta is there for some reason, Rolo now replaces Nunnally as Lelouch’s younger sibling, and we’re hit over the head with this “Things are all swell in these character’s world! Ain’t that Lelouch such a rascal? Oooh and giant mechs and soldiers and terrorists and explosions, so cool!” tone that just took me out of it. And following this lame set-up with Kallen as an undercover bunny girl at a casino where Lelouch plays chess with some Britannian asshole and there’s cringeworthy dialogue (”You filthy lying adult!”), even Lelouch getting his full memory restored ends up feeling anticlimactic and saddled with hamfisted dialogue, and the scene at the end re-introducing Suzaku as a villainous agent of the Emperor is as maddening as it is rushed. The only parts that worked were the re-introduction of C.C and the exact moment where the real Lelouch reawakens and proceeds to be his bastardly self. Everything else just gave me the overall impression that this is going to suck. Which...yeah, I know.

AND

The Tale of Princess Kaguya - Not many words can convey this film accurately. Only feelings and a mind haunted by the experience. And also some childhood trauma memories about a Sesame Street special that featured this same folktale this film’s based on. For reals.

#Anime Update V2 #Anime Update

3 notes · View notes

the-way-to-the-dawn · 1 month

Text

After careful consideration I decided not to include the mobile games and I had to be picky about which ones I added due to the limited number of options i could put lol so I'm sorry if you wanted to vote for Before Crisis/Ever Crisis or like Theatrhythm or Record Keeper or Brave Exvius. I also have the main numerical games in other posts below.

1-9:

10-16:

#final fantasy #docff7 #ccff7 #ff10-2 #ffl #ffa #sopffo #ff4ay #fft #ffcc #chocobo racing #ff7 rebirth #ff7 remake #dissidia Final fantasy

1 note · View note

isaiahwarren · 2 months

Text

OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN OF DESPAIR, A STONE OF HOPE.

Name: Isaiah Warren

Nickname: Zey

Gender & Pronouns: Cis male & he/him

Age: 34

Occupation: owner of Paradise Point Resort & Spa

Origins: Briar Ridge, South Carolina

Neighborhood: Briar Ridge Hills

Relationship status: Single

SUMMARY: Born and raised in Briar Ridge, Isaiah Warren was thrust into the fight for equality at a young age. First through an introduction from his father and then through his own experiences growing up in the south. He wants badly to just live a quiet life on his own, maybe have a family some day, but can't let go of the things that happened to him and continue to happen to others around the country. Like some members of his own family tree Isaiah can't help but dip his toes into the waters of politics and civil rights. After graduating with a business degree from Harvard and family money in his pockets he bought the Paradise Point Resort & Spa and makes a point of giving underprivileged teens and young adults opportunities.

Welcome to Briar Ridge … [ ISAIAH WARREN ]! Who is known as [ ZEY ] and was recently seen leaving their home in [ BRIAR RIDGE HILLS ]. he is currently [ 34 ] years old. he resembles [ KENDRICK SAMPSON ] and is the [ OWNER ] at [ PARADISE POINT RESORT & SPA ]. They’re best known for [ paying it forward by giving troubled youth opportunities ] and also, [ being active in political movements that would create social change ]. What is really important to know about them is [ the reluctant warrior, instances in his life have pushed him to take more proactive stances when he'd rather live a quieter life ].

tw: racism & racial hate crime

In the year of 1999, the then nine year old sat next to his father in a courtroom down in Texas to witness the trials and convictions of capital hate crimes that three white supremacist men committed against a black man. His father wanted him to see it. A part of him cheered internally when two of the three men were sentenced to death and the third sentenced to a life behind bars; the other part of Isaiah Warren believed it was only the beginning.

Sitting in the courtroom in 1999 during that trial was something that felt extremely personal to Isaiah. As a young black man that grew up in the deep south he was no stranger to racism and the violence that it breeds. Sitting there, sometimes fuming and sometimes emotional, as he listened to testimonies of what had happened on that night of June seventh in 1998, it tore him up with the memories of the stories his own family members had shared of the past that seemed to be colliding with the then present day hate crime that was so brutal it had clearly shaken the prosecutor. Who had later said it was the worst he had seen in his twenty year career.

Isaiah had been jumped a few times in his life by white boys his own age or sometimes a little older. He spent a youth heckled by others because of the color of his skin, and was pushed around and put down more times than he could have ever kept track of. The harassment only lessened when his talent in sports drove the teams he was on to winning records and championship games.

The only thing worse than being black and not white was that neither side fully accepted him as either. To his black community that he grew up in and identified with, Isaiah often wasn't black enough. His skin was too light. His green eyes were wrong. They were reflective of his white mother, who always meant the world to him, but he was also too dark to really be apart of her world too.

It still wasn’t enough to stop the night of terror that ended up leaving him with a beaten cousin dying in his arms and he, himself, needing to spend several days in the hospital to recover from his own injuries. His cousin had gone out on a date with a girl he had thought to be single, and a date between two sixteen year olds, something harmless and fun, resulted in being beat to death by the girl’s ex boyfriend and his friends. Isaiah and his cousin were attacked from behind and the worst of all of it had been directed to his cousin, his own injuries were mostly heavily sustained in trying to protect his family, whom he was forced to watch meet his end simply because of the color of his skin.

The trauma of that night was something the then fifteen year old took years to move past, though it became a strong driving force in his life. Not only did he testify against the attackers, he had to sit in the courtroom and listen to the defense attorneys tear the case apart to nothing. He sat there crying over the injustice served the day the attackers and murderers were let off with misdemeanors and from then on decided to be the change and fight against what had happened that day in court.

Ever since he was old enough to understand his surroundings as a child, Isaiah was aware of the differences of his skin color versus that of others. As a black person there was never any escape to it. As a boy in grade school he learned of his father and his connection to the great Dr Martin Luther King Jr, when the curriculum in school focused on the civil rights movement. He went home and shared the things he learned in class with his father, and his old man pulled out an old box of photos to show himself as a boy close to Colin’s age standing with Dr King and holding his hand. Grandfather was in the background of the picture and they were in the middle of a march. It was in Isaiah's roots to fight for equality, and he still keeps that photo with him and like his father always did, he lights a candle on the anniversary of King’s death. It was those things, his own brutal experience and his family history that motivated him so strongly to ace his way through Harvard and to continue onto business.

The thing is, Isaiah knows he's fortunate and spends each day grateful for the fights and sacrifices his father, and family before him had made. His great grandfather was involved in politics and business which set the family up for generations to come due to real estate savvy. That fortune gave Isaiah opportunities many young people of color never get, so with his degree from Harvard he bought the resort in Briar Ridge and made it his mission to offer and awarded as many opportunities as he can.

With the social climate around the country at a tipping point, he reluctantly re-entered the fray. The memories of his rough past come to surface and he knows there's no way he couldn't be apart of the fight for equality.

Isaiah strongly believes that every single human being deserves, in the least, the basic human and civil rights and ever since he was fifteen years old it has been his fight in the world. As one day he would like children of his own, or dreams of it and hasn’t been able to bring a child into the world with the state it’s in.

#& | introduction.#& | biography.#& | pinned post.

0 notes