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richincolor · 5 years

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Vampires & Monsters & Zombies, Oh My!

It's October which means my favorite holiday is almost here - Halloween!! All sorts of spooky celebrations are happening this month which made me think about spooky YA novels with POC leads. Unfortunately, I had to do some serious thinking and some super sleuthing to find a few, and then....to my surprise, I discovered that Renee Ahdieh's vampire novel, The Beautiful, is coming out next week. I don't know why I thought it was next year, but I am so happy! I love vampires and am so happy that they are on the return. So, to celebrate Halloween & the return of vampires, here is a list of books (including some series) that are scary good fun!

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien's guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret. When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface. At once a sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet: The Beautiful.

Dread Nation & Deathless Divide (out in 2020) by Justina Ireland

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations. But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

A Blade So Black & A Dream So Dark (The Nightmare Verse) by L. L. McKinney

The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she's trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew. Life in real-world Atlanta isn't always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.

Five Midnights by Ann Davila Cardinal

Five friends cursed. Five deadly fates. Five nights of retribución. If Lupe Dávila and Javier Utierre can survive each other’s company, together they can solve a series of grisly murders sweeping though Puerto Rico. But the clues lead them out of the real world and into the realm of myths and legends. And if they want to catch the killer, they'll have to step into the shadows to see what's lurking there—murderer, or monster?

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring

Simmering in Patagonian myth, The Tenth Girl is a gothic psychological thriller with a haunting twist. At the very southern tip of South America looms an isolated finishing school. Legend has it that the land will curse those who settle there. But for Mavi—a bold Buenos Aires native fleeing the military regime that took her mother—it offers an escape to a new life as a young teacher to Argentina’s elite girls. Mavi tries to embrace the strangeness of the imposing house—despite warnings not to roam at night, threats from an enigmatic young man, and rumors of mysterious Others. But one of Mavi’s ten students is missing, and when students and teachers alike begin to behave as if possessed, the forces haunting this unholy cliff will no longer be ignored. One of these spirits holds a secret that could unravel Mavi's existence. In order to survive she must solve a cosmic mystery—and then fight for her life.

Shadowshaper Series (Shadowshaper, Shadowhouse Fall, Shadowshaper Legacy) by Daniel Jose Older

Sierra Santiago was looking forward to a fun summer of making art, hanging out with her friends, and skating around Brooklyn. But then a weird zombie guy crashes the first party of the season. Sierra's near-comatose abuelo begins to say "Lo siento" over and over. And when the graffiti murals in Bed-Stuy start to weep.... Well, something stranger than the usual New York mayhem is going on. Sierra soon discovers a supernatural order called the Shadowshapers, who connect with spirits via paintings, music, and stories. Her grandfather once shared the order's secrets with an anthropologist, Dr. Jonathan Wick, who turned the Caribbean magic to his own foul ends. Now Wick wants to become the ultimate Shadowshaper by killing all the others, one by one. With the help of her friends and the hot graffiti artist Robbie, Sierra must dodge Wick's supernatural creations, harness her own Shadowshaping abilities, and save her family's past, present, and future.

#ya horror #WeNeedDiverseBooks #ownvoices

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hurricane-jenn · 7 years

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Bullet Proof- Chapter 3

Hey guys, I’m so so sorry it has taken me this long to post the new chapter. A lot has been going on in my personal life, mostly really good things, but it as kept me super busy. Again thanks to @jordan202 for being my beta and for being the best!

Chapter 1 2

It had been two days and despite Henry, Amelia, and Stephanie working round the clock they had still not found an ID for their Jane Doe. Amelia had determined that the woman had drowned but was then pulled out of the water within a few hours of her death. There had been no evidence of foul play, and Amelia and her team were starting to think it was not murder at all. A drowning with no evidence of foul play would usually be deemed a suicide pretty quickly. What was holding the medical examiner and the SPD detectives back was the fact that someone had pulled her out of the water. Why would someone pull her out only to dump her by the docks? Also generally if someone commits suicide by drowning they jump from a bridge or something else of that height, but there were none near the crime scene, and the waters on the day of the death were too calm for her body to have traveled that distance.

Usually at this point in the investigation Amelia and her team stepped back. They had run all the tests and leaned all they could from the body. It was now up to the detectives to learn the rest of the story. However this time Amelia could not let go. She was invested in this case and needed to see it through. This was not something that went unnoticed by her team.

“Sheps, why are you running those prints again?” Henry asked. “I’ve already checked every database we have access to, she’s not in there.”

“There has to be some record of this woman somewhere,” Amelia sighed.

“This is the United States of America, almost everyone has been finger printed at some point in their life.”

“You’re right about that. You Yankees are crazy,” Henry joked. “Why are you so involved with this case? Does it have to do with a certain red headed detective who keeps calling with updates?”

Despite Amelia having given her report to the detectives, Owen was insistent on keeping her in the loop on the case. Calling daily he filled her in, and often they would bounce ideas off of each other. They were both becoming obviously frustrated with the lack of progress on the case, but the phone calls provided a nice distraction for the two.

“No!” Amelia exclaimed. Realizing how defensive she sounded she attempted to cover. “Something about this case just does not sit right with me. The detectives have run her face through every facial recognition program they have, no hits on there either.”

“It’s almost like she’s a ghost,” Henry concluded.

“Exactly! How is that even possible? It’s like she doesn’t want to be found.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” said a voice from behind Amelia. She spun around to find Owen Hunt standing by the door to her lab.

Amelia’s face flushed. I hope he hasn’t been standing there long!

“Detective Hunt,” she greeted. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well I was thinking about what you said on the phone last night,” Owen began, causing Henry to raise his eyebrows at Amelia.

“Yeah?” she blushed.

“Well you said how weird it is that there no records of this woman, that got me thinking that maybe someone got rid of them for a reason,” Owen explained. “The only reason I could think of for someone to erase the record of someone is…”

“She’s in witness protection!” Amelia exclaimed, finishing his thought for him.

“Exactly!” Owen smiled, he loved how in sync they were. “Anyways I called down to the Department of Justice and asked about our girl. Those DOJ agents were pretty cagey, but I got them to agree to a meeting. I was thinking, since you have pretty much run every test you can, that maybe you would want to come with me. Do you?”

“Oh Owen I’d love to but unfortunately I’m just on my way out to lunch.” As if on cue the door to the lab opened and in walked a tall, handsome, dark haired man.

“Hey Amy! Ready to go?” he asked. He crossed the lab, wrapped his arm around her and gave her a kiss on the head.

“Hey, yep one sec let me grab my coat.” She glanced at Owen trying to read his expression. He looked hurt. Was he really that upset she couldn’t come with him? Crossing the lab to her office, she left the two men alone.

Owen looked the man up and down. He and Amelia seemed very familiar, this must be the man she’s seeing. Who else would she be having lunch with in the middle of the day.

Extending his hand towards the man he said, “Hi, I’m Owen. I work with Amelia.”

“Hi Owen, nice to meet one of Amy’s colleagues,” the dark haired man replied. “I’m Derek, I’m a medical examiner too.”

“Nice to meet you,” Owen replied. Of course she would be dating another doctor. How could he think someone from her family would be interested in a cop. Admitting defeat he turned towards the door. “Tell Amelia I’ll let her know if this lead pans out.” Derek nodded and Owen exited the lab.

Returning with her jacket Amelia was confused to see Owen had left.

“Your colleague said to tell you he would let you know if this lead pans out,” her brother explained.

“Derek!” Amelia exclaimed. “What did you say to scare him off?”

“Nothing!” Derek defended. “I just introduced myself to him. Why? Do you like him?”

Amelia’s face flushed. She didn’t know how to respond. Did she like him? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that every time he walked into a room something came over her. She just wanted to spend more time with him, learn everything about him. But he wasn’t available, or so she thought. She had been so sure that he was dating Detective Altman, but every time he stopped by her lab or brought her lunch she started to doubt it more.

“You do like him don’t you,” Derek concluded. “Amy, you moved here for a fresh start not to make the same mistakes you always do. You’re a Shepherd, and that name comes with certain responsibilities, we have a legacy to uphold.”

“Oh Derek shut it with the Shepherd legacy crap,” she seethed. “I get enough of that from Nancy and Kathleen, you’re supposed to be the one on my side. Come one let’s just go to lunch.” And with that they left the lab.

Owen had just gotten out of a very long meeting with the DOJ. Despite being from another law enforcement agency, they stonewalled him the entire time refusing to confirm that the SPDs Jane Doe was one of theirs. The whole thing was a huge waste of his time. It was probably best that Amelia hadn’t come, though it would have been better with her there. It was almost five by the time he was done. He couldn’t be bothered to drag himself back to the office, so he just decided to head home. He felt exhausted and defeated. He was dreading going home and throwing together something to eat, since he doubted Teddy had gone shopping like she promised, so he decided to stop by his favourite restaurant, Gio’s, for takeout. It was a cute little Italian place that usually didn’t do takeout, but Owen had helped the owner out a few years back when they got robbed and now they always keep him well fed. The place was pretty full that night, filled with couples out on date night. He loved how romantic the place was, but he never felt comfortable enough to dine in. He wanted to bring a special woman there, but it just never felt right with the women he’d been with over the past few years. One day he’d find the right one.

As he walked in he was greeted by the owner, “Detective Hunt, welcome back. Are you getting the usual?”

“Yes please Nick,” Owen replied. “We better make that two actually.”

“Ah yes, picking something up for the lady of the house as well?” Nick asked.

“She won’t be home till late tonight, but I’ll leave it in the fridge for her.”

“You’re a good man Owen,” Nick replied. “She’s lucky to have you.” With that Nick went to get Owen’s food and Owen took a seat in one of the chairs near the door. He glanced around at all the couples holding hands, talking so closely, so happy and in love. He wished that he could be one of them someday. Across the restaurant he caught sight of a familiar face. It took a moment for him to figure out who it was, but then it came to him, Derek. The man Amelia was seeing. Oh god Amelia was here. Owen could see Derek holding the hand of his date staring at her lovingly, laughing at something she said. It wasn’t until Owen’s eyes properly focused to the lights that he realized the woman was blonde. It couldn’t possibly be Amelia. Owen was furious, the woman he wished he could bring to a place like this was dating a two timing jerk who brought another woman to a romantic restaurant. Angrily he rose from his seat and crossed the restaurant. Not wanting to make a scene in his friend’s restaurant he tried to get his anger in check. As he approached Derek’s table he saw the man look up, a glimmer of recognition coming across his face.

“Derek,” he grunted.

“Owen nice to see you again,” Derek said smiling at the man. “I see my sister hasn’t kept you too busy with work.”

“Sister?” Owen stammered obviously confused by Derek’s comment.

“Amy, well Amelia as she insists I call her now. My sister.”

Suddenly all the pieces clicked together for Owen. He remembered the conversation he and Teddy had the other week. She had to him that Amelia’s whole family was famous in the forensics world. She has mentioned a brother that was the chief medical examiner; Owen was now sure Teddy had said his name was Derek. He was her brother, not a man she was dating.

“It was nice seeing you Owen,” Derek continued. “But as you can see my wife and I are enjoying dinner. It’s so rare we have a night without the kids.”

“Oh right, sorry to interrupt,” Owen stammered, looking down at the blonde with Derek. His wife, wow how could he have gotten this so wrong. Thank god he didn’t come over here guns blazing. “Have a nice night.”

Owen walked back to the entrance feeling like an idiot. Nick was waiting with his food, and he bid his friend goodbye and left the restaurant.

It was a little after seven and Henry was the only one left in the lab. He was still trying to find and ID for their Jane Doe, to no avail.

He looked up as he heard the door open, smiling as he saw Detective Altman enter.

“Detective, to what do I owe the pleasure at this hour?” he asked winking at her.

“Sorry to interrupt your work Henry, but I was wondering if Doctor Shepherd was here.”

“I think she’s watching her brother’s kids tonight,” Henry replied. “Can I help you with something?”

“I was hoping she knew where my partner was,” Teddy replied. “He told me he was coming by to update her around lunch time, but I have not heard him since. His phone keeps going to voicemail, and he’s not at home either.”

“Oh I’m sorry,” Henry said sympathetically. “You must be worried, not knowing where you boyfriend is.”

“Oh Owen isn’t my boyfriend,” Teddy said surprised by Henry’s comment. “We are just partners, and roommates. I mean he’s one of my closest friends, so yes I’m worried about him, but nothing like that.”

“Ah I see,” Henry replied. “Well I’m sorry I can’t help you. He did come in around lunch but he didn’t stay long. I haven’t seen him since then.”

“I’m sure I’m overreacting. I’m sure his phone is just dead,” Teddy tried to reassure herself. “Tell me something to take my mind off of it. Oh hey, how did your proposal go?”

Knowing this would be a long awkward conversation Henry kicked a rolling stool towards Teddy and grabbed a seat himself as well. “Not too great,” he sighed. “She said no.”

“Oh Henry, I am so sorry,” Teddy said reaching for his hand. “She’s a fool to turn you down.”

Henry smiled and then looked down at her hand on his. Teddy looked down as well; she hadn’t even noticed she did that. Embarrassed she pulled her hand back and smiled sheepishly at him.

“It’s okay, I was proposing for all the wrong reasons,” at her confused expression Henry elaborated. “Don’t get me wrong I liked her, but what I liked more was her citizenship.”

“What?” Teddy asked confused buy his explanation.

“I’m Canadian, and my visa is about to expire,” Henry explained. “I needed to get married to stay here.”

“So you proposed just to stay here?” Teddy questioned, not sure what to think of that.

“I know that makes me sound like a terrible person, but-“

“No I get it.” Teddy cut him off. “You did what you thought you had to.”

“Yeah but in the end it did not work,” Henry sighed.

“So what’s the next step?” Teddy asked. “You must have a plan for how to stay.”

“I honestly don’t know,” Henry replied. “I can’t think of another way to stay, but I can’t imagine leaving either. My whole life is here, I can’t go back and start over.”

“Yeah I understand that. When they wanted to send me back to Iraq I felt similar. I’d done my time and I loved it in a way. But I came home safe, and built a new life for myself, and I couldn’t imagine going back.” Suddenly becoming uncomfortable with how real the conversation was getting she stood up. “Well I better get going, I still need to find out what the heck my partner has gotten himself into.”

“Goodnight Detective Altman,” Henry said.

She smiled at him, “Henry how many times do I have to tell you to call me Teddy.”

“Good night Teddy,” he winked at her.

“Good night Henry,” she smiled at him.

Amelia was just tucking her niece into bed, after what was probably her fifth bed time story. She had gotten Bailey down no problem over and hour ago, but Zola refused to go to sleep. Amelia was such a sucker for her niece; those puppy dog eyes could always talk her into one more story. After she was sure Zola was asleep she went downstairs and started tidying up. She heard a key turn in the lock, and she looked up to greet her brother and his wife.

“Hey Amy, how were they tonight?” Derek asked.

“Angels as always,” Amelia said sarcastically. “How was dinner?”

“It was great. Actually we ran into your friend, the detective. He came over to our table. He seemed pretty surprised I was your brother. I think he thought I was your boyfriend or something.”

“What that’s impossible,” Amelia laughed. “Why would he think that?” It might explain why he acted so weird when Derek showed up, and why he left before she came back.

Saying good night to her brother, Amelia grabbed her bag and headed to her car. As she was getting in she heard the ding of her cellphone. Pulling it out she saw a text from Owen: Break in the case. Meet me at my place to discuss, followed by an address. It was very odd to Amelia, what could be so important that he needed her to come over this late at night, and why to his place and not to his office. It seemed odd to her, but she found that she wanted to see him, and didn’t really care about why he’d texted.

Arriving at the address Owen texted her, Amelia was surprised to see the door open. For a cop he seems to not be concerned about security. She gave a light knock on the door as she pushed it open. Stepping into the apartment she noticed that not a single light was on. Warning bells went off in Amelia’s head. Something didn’t seem right here. Out of the blue Owen invites her over to his place, and now he seems not to be home. Something was definitely wrong here.

She stepped further into his apartment glancing around for any sign of him. Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind. She tried to scream but a hand covered her mouth. She thrashed against her assailant trying to get free. She felt a prick in her arm and suddenly everything went black.

#Bullet Proof #Omelia #Owen Hunt #Amelia Shepherd #Omeliafics #omelia fanfiction #grey's anatomy #greys anatomy #Teddy Altman #Henry Burton #Tenry #My fan fics

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whiteambiancethings · 6 years

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Research Paper

This is a Cold Beef Wellington!

Introduction

Like finger prints, each person is abstract in their own form. What happens when a finger print is put under a microscope? What happens when an individual is inspected under that same microscope? Upon observations, anyone would can conclude, the faults and perfects of the finger print, that person. In this instance, that specific finger print, is Gordon Ramsay. Chef Gordon Ramsay is a unique individual. Gordon Ramsay was born November 8, 1966 in Glasgow, Scotland. This research paper will address the opposing views of Gordon Ramsay’s greatness, the articles that’s consider Ramsay to be racist and homophobic. Part of the field research of the paper will include the data received from a poll that was conducted on social media sites. This research will analyze Ramsay’s livelihood to determine if he really lives up to the “greatest chef of all time” title. The information used will derive from a book, two academic journals, two popular websites, a website article; the data from the social media polls will be analyzed along with the context. The book, Roasting in Hell’s Kitchen provides a lot of information about Gordon Ramsay’s childhood, since it is an autobiography, the book was able to provide insight on the kind of person he is since the book is through his perspective. The newspaper article “Award- Winning Chef”, has information about Gordon Ramsay giving back to the community. There was an interview conducted, “About Time You Met: Gordon Ramsay”, illustrated how human and pitiful Gordon Ramsay is. Another article "Celebrated Chef Gordon Ramsay Makes Fiery Announcement of the World's First "HELL'S KITCHEN", provides more insight on Ramsay and his interaction with is fan-base, also, depicts the legacy Ramsay has within the food industry. An opposing article from Grub Street, detailing how foul Ramsay can be. Lastly, a look from INSIDER magazine, also shows the ugly hidden behind the cameras. To receive in depth knowledge about Gordon Ramsay, background and context will be analyzed next.

Background & Context

Gordon Ramsay has endured extreme environments while growing up. Gordon Ramsay endure his father’s abusive behavior. The verbal abuse did not stop with Gordon Ramsay. Being the second child out of four total siblings, their father, Gordon, left no room for mercy. Before Gordon was born, Gordon Sr. would put his hands on Ramsay’s mother; although the physical abuse did not exceed the mother, the children took the grunt of the verbal. Gordon Sr. was constantly cheating on the mother with side flings (Ramsay 10-15). Most of the time this occurred around the times Helen was pregnant. Constantly on the move, Gordon Ramsay used to struggle with homelessness as a child because of the inconsistent of Gordon Sr.’s job. Forwarding years later, Ramsay would spend his next 30 years dealing with his younger brothers’ cocaine and heroin addiction. Within all that bad there was some good. Gordon Ramsay was awarded with the OBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by the Queen of England (Wiki). This is an honorary title given to those who have exceptional interaction with the community, through actions of giving back. The OBE is not an award many individuals receive, which can prove how exceptional Gordon Ramsay is. This information only touches the surface of Gordon Ramsay’s life. There is much more than what meets the eye. Ramsay concludes that is rough childhood and adolescent years is what molded him into who he is today. The information extracted weighs heavily on the positive nature of Gordon Ramsay. Since there is, publicly, little negative information about him, the negative context will be analyzed first to inform those who are unfamiliar with Gordon Ramsay and his presence; also, to further educate Ramsay enthusiast.

Literature Review

Those who oppose of Ramsay’s humanitarianism, feel that the cameras do not reveal how foul nature Gordon Ramsay really is. Many people look up to Ramsay, but this specific individual can state otherwise. Marcus Samuelsson has not been the only victim of Gordon Ramsay’s flawed choice of actions (Grub Street). There was a lot of discussion regarding this racial incident. This incident was one of the many public moments that created a divide in Gordon Ramsay’s fan-base. Questioning, is Gordon Ramsay racist, or did he say those words out of spit? Critics respond with the reasoning of no. Words and actions that are fueled by anger, reveal the true intent of that person. Meaning, the actions of individual during a fit of rage, really does feel that way that was portrayed. Putting bias feelings aside, and looking at the data reports, aside from this major incident there has not been another racial incident pertaining to Gordon Ramsay. Tash Pericic gives onlookers the inside scoop on what it is like working for Gordon Ramsay (Insider). Gordon Ramsay believes that women should not be in the kitchen (Grub Street). The underlying question would be, how did Tash survive in an atmosphere were the boss has that kind of mentally? Point is, Tash did not tolerate that kind of atmosphere for long. Trying to cover the negative in front of Gordon by stating “The work just became too demanding” (Insider). Later revealing, the work and constant verbal, sometimes physical, abuse Tash would witness brought her to the breaking point. Another moment to analyze, Gordon Ramsay verbally attacked a reporter (Grub Street), referring to “women do not belong in the kitchen” statement, this was a separate happening of sexism.

These two sources question if Gordon Ramsay is a high and might chef and person. Only providing two opposing sources, there is still much that has not been stated about Gordon Ramsay’s behavior. Food critics rate Gordon Ramsay as the first-rate chef but as a second-rate human being. With a personal interview with Gordon Ramsay, Alicia Grimshaw can disprove Gordon Ramsay’s defective behavior. Gordon Ramsay’s article about healthy eating, and self-published autobiography also, debunk the faulty actions Gordon Ramsay has done. Next discussion will be the analyzing and examination of the data received from field research.

Field Research Methods & Results

During my research, I conducted a poll on two of my social media platforms. I did a poll on Twitter, dating 10 April 2018. The question posed: “Who would win in a cook off: Guy Fieri or Gordon Ramsay? I gave the choice of four possible answers to respond with. 1) Gordon Ramsay, 2) Guy Fieri, 3) Neither, or 4) Who are these people. Out of 31 respondents, 30 voted with answer choice 1. The remaining 1 voted with answer choice 2. Concluding 99% believes Gordon Ramsay can out perform Guy Fieri in a cookout, while 1% believes Guy Fieri can out perform Gordon Ramsay in a cookout.

The second social media platform used was Facebook. I did Facebook’s version of polling. I had the respondents respond with, a LIKE for Gordon Ramsay and a COMMENT for Guy Fieri. Dating 12 April 2018, I asked the Facebook community: Who has the better taste in food (who can actually take us to Flavor Town)? Unfortunately, I did not receive any response from this posting. Concluding, Twitter’s poll to be more conclusive than Facebook’s poll.

Only being able to base my data off Twitter’s information made the analyst more challenging, respectfully. I can conclude people do favor Gordon Ramsay over Fieri; although, the people who responded to the poll knew more on Guy Fieri, they still decided on Gordon Ramsay being the winner.

Discussion

Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants were introduced in this research paper by supporting Ramsay’s food legacy, Ramsay’s empire. Gordon Ramsay has 33 global restaurants. 14 of those restaurants are in Chelsea, London. Leaving 19 restaurants spread throughout the world. One of Ramsay’s restaurant is in our own backyard, fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. Gordon’s restaurants have given him 16 Michelin Stars. These stars are equivalent to a Grammy or Oscar, but for chefs. Ranking Gordon Ramsay as the highest chef in the world. Gordon Ramsay has grown up in a challenging environment. The world is not painted in black and white. In my personal opinion, the world is a large gray-scale. There are some white spots, some black spots, and some gray blotches. Gordon Ramsay’s case is different. Gordon Ramsay’s world is full of color. Gordon Ramsay’s choice of words are always colorful, especially when directed towards adults. Surprisingly, Gordon Ramsay is extremely patient and very kind towards children. The interactions Gordon Ramsay has with children portrays the kind of person he is. Instead of using racial and homophobic words, Gordon Ramsay uses gentle and kind words. Gordon Ramsay does not stop there, Ramsay continues to give to the youth through foundations and chef opportunities and healthy food alternatives. Many investigators cannot understand why Gordon Ramsay can do a complete 360 when around children. No one has come forth with any negative allegations about his parenting habits. Yes, adults do not like commenting on other people’s parenting styles, but if there is an issue, it would be known. There are no known cases of negativity of Gordon Ramsay towards children. One magazine, theorized that Gordon Ramsay is stricter on adults is due to his childhood upbringing. Having a traumatizing childhood will and cane effect the growth of an individual. There is so much information on Gordon Ramsay, yet, not enough information about him. Gordon Ramsay’s actions is the missing information people need to conclude and pass judgement on Gordon Ramsay. Many individuals cannot understand why Gordon Ramsay is the way he is, thus, being unable to understand why he acts in certain way.

Pending Questions

After conducting and then concluding the research, I noticed that there is still a void of information. There should have been more forms of data to support the claim. For example, when there was polls conducted on social media platforms, there should have been either another set of questions or polls used from other sources as secondary data. There could have been more information within the questions being asked, or even more questions than just one. There needs to be more research about Gordon Ramsay in his early adolescent years. There is so little information provided on what Gordon Ramsay was doing during his early adult years. There is only information on his childhood and late adulthood, as if he disappeared for a while then resurfaced. To cease possible misconception, there is information during his young years, the information is either vague or irrelevant. Then the next issue would be, how would you make that past information more dated? Personally, there needs to be more public interviews with Gordon Ramsay. Slowly, Gordon Ramsay has been releasing more autobiographies about his life, which might give more elaborate insight on who he really is and why he is that way. Or there needs to be psychological files released to dig into Gordon Ramsay’s brain to be able to fully understand him.

Conclusion

This research project has been, overall, interesting. Reflecting on the project, there were some parts of the project that I cannot decide if I liked or not. The presentation was fun and held this energetic atmosphere, encouraging me to continue my research. The order of the project is what confused me. The presentation should have been the final piece to the research. During the presentation, I felt that I did not nearly as much as I do know after conducting the research paper. During the presentation, I could have used information from my field research and literary review. Transitioning back to the research paper, the indented audience were already informed food enthusiast, or critics. I wanted to appeal to the ignorant audience as well. Applying these two groups to the audience spectrum, they would be ambivalent and ignorant. I informed the ignorant and provided more information for those who are already aware of Gordon Ramsay’s presence. Reaching further, maybe antagonists. I say antagonistic because there are many people who do not like Gordon Ramsay and after reading some of the findings, their perspective might have shifted. Although, when I was presenting to my fellow classmates, I was prepared to orotate to an ignorant group. To my findings, the class was well informed on Gordon Ramsay. I was dealing with people who appreciated Gordon Ramsay as much as I did and people who could careless about the man. My job was to sway the group who did not care, to make them care. I believe I executed that to the best of my ability. Previously stated, there is not much information on Gordon Ramsay, most of the information is redundant or false. The only information that has proven to be false has come from Gordon Ramsay from himself. There are not many autobiographies about him. Ironically, Gordon Ramsay has produced hundreds of food articles, even editorial articles on food. There are some great articles, the only downfall to these articles is the content. If the content helped unveil Gordon Ramsay, then there would be more information about the man. Being optimistic, if there was more information, possibly more people would like him because they would understand him as a human being. Gordon Ramsay is unique. There is so much, yet so little about him, that makes his food great, his restaurants flourish.

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touristguidebuzz · 7 years

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The 6 Big Trends That Are Reshaping Luxury Travel

African safaris are becoming more mainstream for luxury travelers seeking meaningful, simple, transformative moments. AndBeyond Matetsi River Lodge

Skift Take: In the luxury travel space, at a macro level, demand is growing for the accumulation of travel memories drawn from transformative moments that resonate deeply with the individual traveler’s ideal of personal fulfillment, and his or her best aspirational version of themselves.

— Greg Oates

During Virtuoso Travel Week — a luxury travel trade show held this month at Bellagio Las Vegas — two overused cliches kept inflecting every conversation.

One, luxury travel has shifted from expensive things to exclusive experiences. Can we stick a fork in that? The luxury consumer industry has been saying the exact same thing for the last decade, at least. Two, in this era of constant disruption and muddying generational proclivities, the definition of luxury now means many different things to many different people. We’ve been repeating that for the last five years, since the end of the recession’s darkest days.

So how can the luxury travel sector evolve?

Many of the trends today in the luxury market are pointing toward one overarching theme: personalized fulfillment. At a macro level, demand is growing for the accumulation of travel memories drawn from transformative moments that resonate deeply with the individual traveler’s ideal of personal fulfillment, and his or her best aspirational version of themselves.

Time, then, is not the ultimate luxury. That’s too vague and overused, and it was overused at Virtuoso with abandon. Same with the concepts of success, satisfaction, happiness, and contentment. Fulfillment, though, speaks to our innermost motivations, and our awareness and alignment of our inner and exterior contexts. It speaks to who we are, or more accurately, who we want to be.

As an analogy, the luxury needle is moving from Maslow’s second hierarchical need, “Esteem,” where consumer luxury has traditionally lived, to the top spot: “Self-determination,” based on realizing one’s full potential. Also, the commoditization of experiential luxury travel, and the fatigue that engenders when everything is an experience these days, is driving more nuanced discussion around what luxury travelers really want, as individuals.

Delivering on that is easier said than done.

“What I see most is the changing nature of the bucket list, focusing more on personal goals and immersive experiences that people really want, instead of a specific destination,” says Jack Ezon, president of Ovation Vacations in New York. “So, within the travel advisor trade community, we need desperately to work on our service and the way we provide personalization. Uber-personalized experiences are what we’re trading on, and we’re not always doing that great of a job at it.”

Ezon is adamant that technology will never replace travel advisors in the luxury space. Last year, 84 percent of his business transactions over $2,000 were closed offline. High-net-worth travelers will always want high-touch service.

However, he says travel advisors would benefit from an industry-wide consumer relationship management (CRM) platform enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI) to help match clients better with the explosive growth of upscale travel experiences in the marketplace.

“We need to work in collaboration with our hotel partners, and we need some technology that’s going to be able to translate our clients’ unique needs into functional bytes of information. So that we can action on it, and our partners wherever they might be, can action on it,” Ezon suggests.

“The next layer of that should be an AI piece that can add on all my specials, and all of the deals, promotions, and offers in the marketplace, to provide the best value to my customers,” he continues. “When someone calls me and asks for a place that’s cool, fun, and has great weather, I might have four specific ideas for that particular client, but this artificial intelligence component might come up with ten.”

Moving forward, in an attempt to provide somewhat of a benchmark for the luxury industry, here are six macro trends reshaping luxury travel that all align with the rising demand for personalized fulfillment.

#1: Luxury Relativism: Redefining the Rich and Richer

As previously stated, everyone knows the luxury travel segment is much more bifurcated today due to the increasing diversity of consumer psychographics entering the luxury market. However, in an effort to sell to a moving target, travel companies and advisors are getting better at segmenting the luxury customer into three overarching profiles, which can then be further delineated considerably by personal travel interest, behavior, and motivation. Those three are: Ultra high-net worth luxury travelers seeking the best of everything; high-net worth travelers who don’t necessarily always want to travel exclusively in a luxury bubble; and aspirational upscale travelers splurging for special occasions.

The last two profiles are driving the rise of “lean luxury,” or the so-called “high/low” trend in upscale travel, where creativity and innovation on any level are as enticing as luxury experiences and environments. There’s a clear desire among these high spenders to mix traditional luxury delivery with artisanal, craft, DIY, and singularly local experiences that deliver a strong sense of place and uncontrived engagement with residents. One example is Michelin recognizing Singaporean food stalls to provide members with a wider breadth of immersive, destination-specific experiences. The $5 braised chicken at the Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle hawker stand in Singapore would have been sniffed at by the culinary elite a decade ago.

#2: Guest Centricity: Personalized Journeys Are the New Loyalty Programs

Personalized connectivity with luxury consumers before, during, and after the consumer luxury product experience drives loyalty. Ezon says loyalty points are primarily for business travelers these days. Therefore, luxury travel and hospitality companies are re-imagining their brands to fine-tune their value proposition, in relation to their competitive set, and laser in on a more defined customer culture. They’re also developing better online content platforms designed to engage the individual traveler throughout the entire customer journey, and throughout the entire year. That is supplemented with end-to-end messaging based on sophisticated data capture methodologies, including mobile tracking in-market.

According to Havard Business Review: “Companies are designing and refining journeys to attract shoppers and keep them, creating customized experiences so finely tuned that once consumers get on the path, they are irresistibly and permanently engaged. Unlike the coercive strategies that companies once used to lock in customers, cutting-edge journeys succeed because they create new value for customers. Customers stay because they benefit from the journey itself.”

#3 Access Is The New Authentic: The NExt Generation of Social Status:

Closely related to the above, the growing sophistication of omni-channel brand engagement, designed to increase lifetime customer value, also answers the demand among luxury consumers for heightened social equity. Today, social media is influencing travel decision-making across all budget and generational segments, and luxury travel brands are exceedingly better at cross-channel connectivity than just a few years ago.

Today, access is the new authentic. You are who your friends are. You are what you share. Next-generation luxury travelers are seeking access to people and places that elevate their social status among their online networks. The goal is to experience something that few people can, and equally important, be able to capture it and share it digitally. That’s a big opportunity for hospitality and tourism companies that can leverage user-generated content at any kind of scale.

Agile brands are also developing new partnerships with a wider range of independent contractors to provide customers with more travel customization options for more customized social sharing. The more that luxury brands can align their products with the temporal and shifting whims of their customers — and provide a platform for sharing those whims — the more opportunity they have to drive growth and loyalty in the luxury marketplace. The fashion and retail sectors are way ahead of the travel industry in this regard, using machine learning and virtual/augmented reality to help customers personalize their entire purchase process.

#4 Meta Luxury: Aligning Brand Essence and Excellence

“Meta luxury” refers to the highest tiers of consumer luxury, or “luxury beyond luxury.” In the fashion world, according to Harper’s Bazzar: “[M]eta-luxury brands grow through uncompromising commitment to excellence and limitation. They make decisions around extension and expansion based on the long-term protection of the brand and health of the business. This is in sharp contrast to many brands that have fallen foul by chasing the immediate gratification of fast profits at the expense of sustainable growth initiatives.”

Many of the traditional luxury hospitality companies have ramped up their development pipelines in recent years to capture the globally expanding luxury travel market, but at what long-term cost? If scarcity puts a premium on the luxury experience, then it’s the ultra-uncompromising brands with long legacies and slow growth that will drive the highest revenue increases based on the demand for exclusivity.

In fact, for the first time last year, Ezon received more booking requests for independent properties than global luxury hotel brands.

#5 The Luxury Reset: What’s Meaningful in the Era of Permanxiety?

There has been an exponential surge of interest in wellness and multi-generational travel in the luxury space during the last two decades, but those are micro trends. The macro trend driving them is fear. Anxiety of permanent global disruption — from a convergence of social, political, and economic perspectives — is shifting traveler priorities toward long-term health and family/social connectivity. That kicked into high-gear following 9/11 and through the recession, and the only real evolution there from a trends standpoint, of late, is the growing demand for mental wellness programming.

Skift research, prepared for the International Luxury Travel Market this year, showed that the number one growing priority for luxury travelers is: “Experiences that show me a new perspective of the world.” In the same report, our top three luxury travel trends for 2017, from the perspective of shifting luxury consumer expectations, are: meaningfulness, simplicity, and transformation. In light of world events, such as the rise of terrorism and neo-nationalism, there’s a growing demand among luxury travelers for more meaningful experiences, simple user experience, and opportunities for personal growth.

Brand culture, then, is becoming the new brand differentiator. Modern luxury travel is about intangibles, and there’s a clear and present shift among high-end travelers’ priorities from “what you can do to who you can be” when exploring new destinations. At the same time, travel brands are elevating their messaging to embrace a bigger contextual message revolving around themes such as humanity, family, community, connectivity, perspective, diversity, and personal achievement.

The whole transformative travel trend is tricky though because there will be no shortage of brands that abuse the theme.

“My hesitation or trepidation is the overuse of the word ‘transformative,’ and how it’s going to be used and interpreted, and what will result with the dilution of the concept,” says Ezon. “Watch it happen. It’s going to happen. Everybody wants to use transformation — it’s the word of the year.”

#6 The Airbnb Luxury Effect: The Rise and Rise of Room Sharing

Airbnb sold more than 79 million bookings in 2016, up from 40 million in 2015. Value, local immersion, a smart seamless user interface, and customization are driving engagement, and now, room-sharing in general is gaining traction in the luxury market.

The real value of Airbnb and other room-sharing companies is their platform architecture that offers mass personalization at scale. Furthermore, as of August 2017, Airbnb topped four million listings. That includes 15,000 new boutique hotels added since November 2016, and another 4,000 villas following the company’s acquisition of Luxury Retreats in February, fueling speculation of a new Airbnb Lux category.

Nothing gets under the skin of many old-guard luxury hoteliers like Airbnb, while others understand the futility of endlessly lamenting room-sharing’s incursion into the luxury arena. Airbnb still has a lot of work to do to win over many luxury travelers, although a new Airbnb Lux platform would likely include more intensive vetting, onsite personnel, and in-destination support services.

In response to that, we could see a growth of consortia like Luxury Lodges of Australia that cross-promote their “privilege of place” and one-off luxury delivery at each property.

Although, Ezon thinks that the new Airbnb Trips platform, providing personalized, locally-operated tours and activities, poses a potentially bigger challenge for the luxury travel advisor community.

“Airbnb is going to have, continue to have, a significant impact on my business, especially if they upgrade to Lux,” he says. “What concerns me even more than Airbnb Lux is Airbnb Trips. That, to me, is a complete game changer that can really engage my territory with unique insider experiences. It’s crazy. Sometimes their Trips are cheaper and better than my providers around the world.”

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rollinbrigittenv8 · 7 years

Text

The 6 Big Trends That Are Reshaping Luxury Travel

African safaris are becoming more mainstream for luxury travelers seeking meaningful, simple, transformative moments. AndBeyond Matetsi River Lodge

— Greg Oates

During Virtuoso Travel Week — a luxury travel trade show held this month at Bellagio Las Vegas — two overused cliches kept inflecting every conversation.

So how can the luxury travel sector evolve?

Delivering on that is easier said than done.

#1: Luxury Relativism: Redefining the Rich and Richer

#2: Guest Centricity: Personalized Journeys Are the New Loyalty Programs

#3 Access Is The New Authentic: The NExt Generation of Social Status:

#4 Meta Luxury: Aligning Brand Essence and Excellence

In fact, for the first time last year, Ezon received more booking requests for independent properties than global luxury hotel brands.

#5 The Luxury Reset: What’s Meaningful in the Era of Permanxiety?

The whole transformative travel trend is tricky though because there will be no shortage of brands that abuse the theme.

#6 The Airbnb Luxury Effect: The Rise and Rise of Room Sharing

In response to that, we could see a growth of consortia like Luxury Lodges of Australia that cross-promote their “privilege of place” and one-off luxury delivery at each property.

Although, Ezon thinks that the new Airbnb Trips platform, providing personalized, locally-operated tours and activities, poses a potentially bigger challenge for the luxury travel advisor community.

0 notes

beeswritinghive · 7 years

Text

Blood may be life, Though living is conflict, Does that then make blood a blade?

The ground thundered with the paced marching of feet, and hooves, and iron clad toes. No two pairs of armor were alike, no two crests were the same, no colours matched and no eyes strayed from the path. They were warriors, each, no matter the weapon or the plate they wore. Elves marched astride Orcs, marched astride Gnomes, marched astride Trolls. Anywhere else, maybe it would have seemed out of place, a queer sight. The Broken Isles had lost the luxury of uniformity and faction, all that was left was the necessary struggle for survival against insurmountable forces. The forested outskirts of Suramar might, at one point, have been picturesque, leaves occasionally trailing on soft breezes. But this was tainted by the drifting reminder of sulfur, and the distant glow of foul magics beyond the horizon in most directions.

It was the perfect grounds for a stubborn old bear seeking a warrior’s death.

The front and it’s overseeing companies however demanded cooperation, so even rough and tumble adventurers were made to respect rank and file, forced into small parties to commit to small operations to shake up the buckled in Nightborne of the besieged city. Suyo of the Blade, with her hair carefully bound and dutifully brushed, armor gleaming in the dull light and hanging just so off her bulky form, was placed to fill the open space left between an Orc and a Draenei whom apparently were quite familiar with each other.

“What are the flowers for?” The Orc barked with more humour than derision in his tone, sweeping a hand across to gesture at the thick vase the Pandaren had carried the march in whole. “Come offering peace to our enemies?”

The Draenei merely chuckled, leaning aside with a gesture inward before blocking in mock whisper. “Urog is upset because he worries there will be no flowers offered to him.” Though it was brief, even Suyo snickered at that, mostly visible only in the faint pulling back at the corners of her lips. The Orc, Urog, was very swift to bark some dismissive retort.

“Pah, I need no girly tokens. Especially not from strangers.” Urog scoffed.

The Draenei merely grinned as he eased back to proper marching posture. “Girly tokens hmm? So you insult our new comrade?”

The Orc blanched a moment, caught with his tongue in his throat as the Pandaren leveled a rather blank, yet somehow threatening stare into their equal eyes. “Of course not… I meant… They’re merely courtship offerings in weak, human traditions. Usually tokens for girls. Not for warriors, which clearly we all are here… And if I -were- to receive any such offerings, it would be a great honor to receive flowers of such quality as the Pandaren possesses.” Urog nodded as he struggled to regain his posture and grandeur, arms crossing and pinning the graying tuft of his thick, single braided beard to his iron chestplate. Suyo’s chin canted up in response, eyes narrow as she peered at the Orc in prolonged evaluation. She was distracted as the Draenei shifted again and she found his thick digits hovering in offer. Her free hand came up and clamped firmly, easily matching the pressure she felt in return as they shook once and parted.

“And I am Aalmos. It is good to have a shrewd and sensible woman as yourself at our sides Miss?”

“Suyo, of the Blade.” Her retort was right back into the usual cold and formal tone.

Aalmos did not seem particularly perturbed, he droned on all the same with that slight chime to his speech as if there was some hidden humour in every statement. “I suppose I could have guessed.” His arm shifted, tapping knuckles of his free hand against the massive, shifting plates of the crystalline shield over his left arm. “You could call me a bulwark of sorts, Urog is very fond of his axes. He’s had that one for almost five years now.”

“-Six- years, and if I can get a strong kill streak this siege, I may just be able to take it home under the satisfying call of ‘Elfcleave’.” The Orc hefted his arms up in some sort of flex, the weathered plate’s banding giving a soft groan under the pressure. Aalmos, in turn, merely groaned in clear displeasure.

“ 'Elfcleave’? You’re still pushing that? Terrible name. Why not… 'Shadow of the Sal'dorei’ or even 'Mana-Blood Thirster’?” The Draenei waved his free hand up as he listed off alternatives, neck tendrils mimicking the motion to the gentle clinking of the golden bands that lined each thick tentacle. Urog however merely scoffed, barking off an Orcish denial. “Elfcleave. It’s a strong name! Would have taken it for a surname if those bloody women hadn’t pinned me to a tree. Can’t let -that- be my legacy. You, Pandaren, what about your blade? Clearly you revere it.”

“Ruan Feng. It has been in my family, and it’s namesake, for over ten thousand years, since before the mists parted our kind from the rest of the world. And later, our kind from the turtle my ancestors migrated to.”

Aalmos quirked a brow at that, but Urog merely barked a laugh, waving a hand aside to clap the Pandaren’s shoulder in some good natured roughness. “A ten thousand year old sword? Pah! You nearly had me going. I imagine the name is something Pandaren?”

“A dialect of, from the ancient tongue, yes. It means 'Soft Gale’. And your disbelief is irrelevant. The blade has survived more combat than I will see in my lifetime. Even with these… Back to back world sundering wars.” The Pandaren scoffed at that, lips peeling back into a rather tight frown with just a hint of fang poking through. Something in her gaze must have offered legitimacy to her claim, though Aalmos hadn’t seemed any less than his vaguely jovial self, Urog went quiet for once and tapped fingers up and down the stressed plates over his bulging biceps. “The flowers…” Suyo added, catching the eyes of both males with sudden curiosity. “… Are for a very particular set of armor I need made. A death dress. I plan to be buried in it but… I have no coin, and work no metal myself.” For all of a very brief moment, the Blademistress’ posture slumped. just a touch. Then she hefted the vase under her arm and returned to the straight backed march across the long road to the city.

Aalmos collected his neck tendrils into a single, twisting mass, catching it between a thumb and finger as her rolled in some thoughtful motion. “Well… As Battlebrothers, I am sure if you help get us out of this alive, we could offer our services.” The hulking specimen of pale blue flesh flexed his shield arm, the strange interlocking plates briefly flashing as their detailed joints caught the light, crystalline shoulder accents twinkling with mystical awe. Urog on the far side slammed a fist to his meaty palm, grunting. “What did I say of throwing around my services?” The Orc barked in contest. “Just because she walks a warrior, and talks a warrior, doesn’t mean we’ve -seen- that she’s a warrior. Only the worthy, and the honorable. We agreed on this the -last- time you had me bent over that forge smelting down molten truesteel for two weeks!”

“Oh come now, it was two days. And it was a child on his way to the first fight, it was only fair to equip him with the best.” “The bloody dragon ripped him, and some of our best work, to shreds in seconds.” “And he would have been dead -instantly- without it.”

Suyo scraped her free hand up and down over her face before sharply clearing her throat. “Gentlemen, please. We will fight, I will watch your backs, you will watch mine. We will punch through the defenses, collect our sum, and go home. Whether or not you accept that coin for service afterwards, we can discuss afterwards.”

For the first time, it was their turn to look rather pensive. Even jovial Aalmos offered the faintest turn to his lips, brows furrowing beneath the thick crest over his skull. Suyo arched a brow at that. She assumed her mediation had been fair. Stout Urog just shook his head, spitting off the road as they marched in their own bubble of silence. The rest of the fresh adventurers and heroes in their lines and parties were wrapped in their own mumbling or contemplation, only once or twice did those ahead bother glancing back as did those behind pay any focus to the bodies forward. The Pandaren found this acceptable, she was hardly inclined to make friends as was. Urog though only simmered in the nuisance of her words, twice his eyes flicked right to the larger Draenei and twice did the Draenei staunchly shake his head, a small gesture with great implication. Urog though was not one to listen to logic, he listened to his gut. “Have you no honor?” He growled beneath his breath.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough. Suyo’s ear flicked, heat rose beneath her fur and she could feel the tension in her jaw as she fought to prevent a snarl of her own. “Care to test me?” Her chin canted upwards, posture sharp and leaning toward hostile. “I have exactly as much honor as the battle demands. And likely a more than you carry, if so sore you’re to be about it.”

“Sellsword calls herself honorable. Tch.” The Orc spit to the ground, trampling it under a heavy boot as they marched.

“What he means.” The Draenei picked up on. “Is that it seems very… Questionable. The world sits on the precipice of destruction and you fight for… Coin? Prestige?”

“Death.” The Pandaren’s answer rang with a hollow chill. The two others glanced between themselves and only frowned further.

“And the coin?” Aalmos inquired.

“Upkeep.” The Pandaren tapped a fist to her chest. “Metal does not mend itself. Food does not come down as rain. I provide a service to those who can not do it themselves. The service I do because it is what I am good at. If I am expected to continue doing so, I expect to be attended. As it would be unfair to make slaves of everyone I kill for, coin is universal and as such, acceptable in place.”

“So you feel no need to fight in their stead. You simply do because it is what you are?” The Draenei only frowned further, though there was not bitterness in his voice. Urog on the other hand merely barked. “And how do you see honor in this?”

“Simply. I show my enemies respect. So long as they reciprocate. I show my allies respect. So long as they reciprocate. Then I fight. And I fight. And will keep fighting. Until I have died, honorably, or my enemy has.” Suyo idly hefted her vase amidst the walk. “Why do you two fight? For glory? For necessity? Duty? What hill do you plant your flag that you look down on me?”

“Compassion.” Spoke the Draenei. “Blood.” Grunted the Orc. “And above all. Hope.” The pair rattled off in practiced timing. It was accompanied by a long pause, Suyo briefly lost to contemplation before the two of them suddenly started shaking. Then the sounds bubbled up out of their throats, and they chuckled in goodhearted amusement.

“Why is this… Amusing?” The Pandaren inquired.

“Because we screwed up the phrasing, yet again.” Aalmos muttered between hearty breaths. “It starts with hope, and ends with compassion.” Urog filled in. “The point is that we’re an old pair of wandering souls. We’ve seen enough war in our time. Real war. The bloody, the dirty, the wicked. It’s not about fighting for honor, or coin, or anything more than victory.” “It’s about fighting for our kin. Our people. Our world. That this home, our home, be safe. If not for us, then the generations that follow. Our blood, our blood’s blood, even sellswords and arrogant Elves.” The Draenei spoke in a gradually more reverent tone. “The fight is had and won because we’ve seen enough war that no one else ought to. It’s about keeping the young and the weak out of the field. Every field. Our world is a volatile mixture, but it is now our world. It’s not about killing the biggest demon, winning the biggest fight, or taking home the most gold.” “It’s about survival. It’s about peace.” Urog rumbled at the world in a particularly strange tone. Was it inflection? Retrospect? Suyo couldn’t fully be sure.

The argument and discussion, however, was an old one. It did little to dissuade her stance. She fought, as always she would fight, until there was no fight left. As all warriors ought. As all warriors do. So she merely bowed her head, and mumbled some pittance of agreement. She agreed, of course, that it was all well and noble. That the weak and the soft should stay home where they belonged. There was no lie uttered as their discussion gradally drifted back toward inquiries of her nature. Who do you fight for, they would ask. She answered truthfully of course, for herself and the acquaintances she knew had no place in times of bloody conflict. Have you thought of settling, what were her plans beyond the battlefield? So she told them exactly those, about the ceremonial gear she planned to die in, about her acceptance for a bloody grave buried back on the Isle at best. They discussed materials for her gear, they bandied more quips.

Eventually they reached the front, and an Elven commander started splitting the groups and gesturing to maps and shouting orders like a machine. Suyo only briefly glanced at the map. There were crosses over choke points, circles over potential side passages, targets and names littered the field. Some were crossed out, others not. The trio before them were directed to the walls, taking the wide route to dismantle their upper defenses. Suyo and her Battlebrothers drew the short stick it seemed. There was a gate held quite shut on the southeastern end that needed battering. That would be their task, no clear start or end point past that. That much was fine, as far as Suyo was concerned. A bloody death made a pincushion of arrows and battered with magics would be acceptable, she decided.

The vase was hefted as Aalmos and Urog tightened their armor’s banding and stretched their limbs. It was only a brief respite given the march across Suramar, but it was all the respite war allowed. Break own the gate, kill whatever stood in their way, then Suyo could return home with funds for her project. Easy enough. Weapons readied they waded through the barricades and set through the burning city streets.

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