#the huntington build´s
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𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑠 𝐴𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡. 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐼 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚, 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑠.💋♥️💋
#the huntington build´s#paris apartment#the huntington#simspiration#simblog#ts4 simblr#ts4 inspo#ts4 interior#the sims interior#the sims4#simblr#ts4#the huntington interior#the sims community#the sims cc#sims community#ts4 cc#sims4 alpha#ts4 mm
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how can i be dead to you when we’re looking at the same moon?
part two to this. the moment of truth between you and hazel holds more than one big reveal.
author’s note/s: 1.1k words. angst, hurt and no comfort for now. i apologize in advance for the ending of this chapter.
Surprisingly, it isn’t very hard to make sure you don’t spend too much time around Hazel until you felt ready to fall back into your old closeness. You were roommates, but your schedules clashed greatly — blessing in disguise? — and the only free times you had together was late afternoon to dinner, which you usually decided to spend anywhere but your room. It was just too weird. She was so ready for a blank slate and you just… weren’t. There was still a mix of guilt and disappointment and bitterness from high school, and immature as it was to not just let it go like Hazel seemed to have done, you didn’t know what to do with it.
You didn’t know what to do with her. It wasn’t fair to her back then and it wasn’t fair to her now, but how could you tell her?
You don’t. You can’t. Not without the bigger possibility of truly ruining everything between the two of you now.
Unlike yourself, however, Hazel was on a mission to get things back to the way they were before that football game. “Oh, hey! I’m so glad I caught you before you left for the library,” she says as she closes the door behind her, smiling at you even though she looked exhausted.
You wanna ask her about how that last class on her schedule was going cause she mentioned that was gonna be a loaded one, but you stop yourself.
“I was just about to leave actually—”
“Do you wanna go get take-out for dinner?”
Both of you just stare at each other for a second after speaking at the same time. Then she shakes her head and chuckles, saying, “I found this amazing Chinese place nearby. Might even say they’re a little better than that old resto we used to go to back home. Their shrimp dumplings are to die for and I know you like those, so…”
“Um,” you start, the ache already building in your chest because you know you're about to see yet another drop in her expression at what you’re about to say. “Maybe another time. I really have to get started on this reviewer for my test. Sorry, Hazel.”
You shoot her an apologetic look as you pick up your bag, but instead of the usual resigned nod and mumbled ‘alright sure, happy studying’ response that you get, you see her hands ball into fists at her sides before hearing a frustrated, “Why do you keep blowing me off?”
She’s angry and rightfully so. “You said that whatever happened back in high school doesn’t matter but it mattered— it matters to me and I don’t even fucking know what it was that made you treat me like… like I did something to make you hate me.”
Her voice cracks as she says ‘hated,’ and you take the smallest step forward but she keeps going. “And obviously it still matters to you too because you’re not acting like it doesn’t. You don’t wanna hang out, you’re barely in our shared room, you send me the most uninterested-sounding replies with every message, I,” she sighs, tilting her head at you. “Could you at least tell me what I did wrong before you go study for that test that may or may not exist?”
Moment of truth. You knew it was gonna come sooner or later and that you would never feel prepared either way. You just hoped that whatever came after wouldn’t totally suck.
“That football game… you know, the one where you guys beat up the Huntington players?”
She nods. You can feel your throat start to close up. “You and PJ kissed,” you tell her plainly with a shrug. Your eyes flit to hers once before looking elsewhere; you can’t look right at her with your next words. “And I… I had this silly little crush on you so I took it personally as some sort of sign that I should finally get over it. Over you.”
To no avail, you add silently in your head. The silence stretches between the two of you for what seems like a whole thirty seconds that you’re almost sure she’s about to either shout at you or walk out.
Then, in a soft voice that catches you by surprise (she was supposed to be mad, wasn’t she?), Hazel says, “I’ve liked you since the day we met in fifth grade, I— it crushed me when you just shut me out halfway through senior year. How could you do that? Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Well, this wasn’t how you were expecting the conversation to go.
Feeling defensive because you could ask her that same second question, you finally look at her, but she cuts you off. “Do you even know of any of the stupid things I did to get your attention after that? Even to just get you to look at me? I tried joining the clubs you joined but of course I wasn’t qualified, I waited in the hall by your locker almost everyday to try and talk to you— god, I even went to some of those stupid baseball games to see you even if I had to watch you cheer for your stupid boyfriend. And that one really hurt to sit through.”
“Hazel—”
“I feel like I turned myself inside out liking you and trying to figure out why we suddenly weren’t in each other’s lives anymore. But all this time it was because you liked me and… and what, you didn’t think I liked you back?”
The room is silent again as you just stare at each other for a moment. There was so much to say. Of course you knew she tried out for your clubs because you had a hand in not letting her in any of them. Of course you noticed her lingering nearby whenever you had to get something from your locker during breaks. Of course you saw her at those games; having to act like you were really into the sport and your boyfriend was hard for you, too.
But all that comes out is, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what else to say except that I’m sorry, Hazel. For all of it.”
Her face crumples and you just can’t be there, so you start walking towards the door. Hazel blocks it just as you reach for the knob.
“Please let me go.”
“I can’t,” she whispers. “I just got you back.”
She’s close, closer than you think she’s ever physically been in all your years of friendship. Close enough that you could close the gap if it was a more appropriate time.
Hazel seems to think it is, because barely a second passes after she eyes your lips that she kisses you.
#hazel callahan imagine#hazel callahan x reader#hazel callahan x you#hazel callahan fanfic#hazel callahan
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Roger's* 2024 Comic Con Schedule
Interested in knowing if Roger is coming to your city or town? Check the listings below. Updated as new info becomes available.
If you've been waiting for the opportunity to meet Roger & The Gang, or you would like to meet him/them again, feel free to bookmark ("Like" 😉) this post if you want to keep up with Roger's Comic Con appearances. I will update and reblog this list as soon as new info becomes available.
Alternatively, you can always keep tabs on Roger's social media for the latest dates.
*This is listing is not limited to just Roger, it will also include any other cast members attending a specific Con.
⭐ UPDATED: April 10, 2024 ⭐
• Added: Fanboy Expo (Jan. 07, 2024)
• Added: FANEXPO Cleveland (Jan. 25, 2024)
• Added: RetroGameCon (Jan. 31. 2024)
• Added: Fanboy Expo Orlando (Mar. 04, 2024)
• Added: Washington Gaming Expo (Mar. 06, 2024)
• Added: Florida Supercon (Apr. 10, 2024)
GalaxyCon Presents: Animate! Raleigh
Dates: January 5-7, 2024
City: Raleigh, North Carolina
Venue:
Raleigh Convention Center
500 S Salisbury St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
Confirmed attendees: Roger, Benjamin, Peter
Cancellations: Rob
Fanboy Anime Toy Gaming Knoxville
Dates: March 9-10, 2024
City: Knoxville, TN
Venue:
The Knoxville Convention Center
701 Henley Street
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902
Confirmed attendees: Roger, Rob
GameOn Expo
Dates: March 15-17, 2024
City: Phoenix, Arizona
Venue:
Phoenix Convention Center - North Building
100 N 3rd St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Confirmed attendees: Roger & Rob
Washington State Gaming Expo
Dates: March 29-31, 2024
City: Puyallup, Washington
Venue:
Washington State Fair and Events Center
110 9th Ave SW
Puyallup, WA 98371-6811
Confirmed attendees: Roger & Rob
FANEXPO Cleveland
Dates: April 12-14, 2024
City: Cleveland, Ohio
Venue:
Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland
300 Lakeside Ave E
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Confirmed attendees: Roger and Rob
🌟 PopCon Indy 🌟
Dates: April 26-28, 2024
City: Indianapolis, Indiana
Venue:
Indiana Convention Center
100 South Capitol Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46225
Confirmed attendees: Roger and Rob
🌟 Stellar Con York 🌟
Dates: June 15, 2024
City: York, Pennsylvania
Venue:
York Fairgrounds
334 Carlisle Ave
York, Pennsylvania 17404
Confirmed attendees: Roger
🌟 Black Hills Redemption 🌟
Dates: June 21st - 23rd, 2024
City: Deadwood, South Dakota
Venue:
The entire town of Deadwood
Panel will be held at: (TBA)
Meet & greet sessions: (TBA)
Confirmed attendees: Rob, Steve, Benjamin, Robert Bogue, Mick, Peter, Jim Santangeli, Howard Pinhasik, Kaili, Meeya, Jim Pirri, Curzon, Roger, Samantha, Jo
🌟 Florida Supercon 🌟
Dates: July 12 - 14, 2024
City: Miami Beach, Florida
Venue:
Miami Beach Convention Center
1901 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Confirmed attendees: Roger and Rob
🌟 Comic Con Wales 🌟
Dates: August 10-11, 2024
City: New Port, South Wales
Venue:
International Convention Centre Wales
Coldra Woods
Newport
South Wales
NP18 1HQ
United Kingdom
Confirmed attendees: Roger and Rob
🌟 Fanboy Expo Orlando 🌟
Dates: September 6-8, 2024
City: Orlando, Florida
Venue:
Orande County Convention Center - West Concourse
9800 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
Confirmed attendees: Benjamin Only
🌟 RetroGameCon 🌟
Dates: October 11-13, 2024
City: Syracuse, New York
Venue:
The Oncenter Convention Center
800 South State Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
Confirmed attendees: Roger and Rob
#roger clark#Arthur Morgan#John Marston#rob wiethoff#benjamin byron davis#rdr2#comic cons#raleigh nc#galaxycon raleigh#scheduled post#deadwood#south dakota#black hills#south wales#cleveland ohio#fanexpo cleveland#RetroGameCon#miami beach#florida supercon
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Skylab 2 (SL-2) Saturn IB (SA-206) inside the Vertical Assembly Building (VAB) before its rollout to LC-39B. The Apollo Spacecraft onboard isn't the SL-2 Command and Service Module (CSM-116) but the Facilities Checkout Vehicle (BP-30/SM-015/SLA-10) to fit-check the milk stool integration with pad facilities.
"SA-206 was originally manufactured in 1966, delivered to KSC in December 1966, and erected on LC-37B on January 23, 1967 for AS-206 mission (this was before the Apollo missions were re-numbered) with LM-1. It was destacked after Apollo 1/AS-204 fire, which killed three Astronauts when a spark ignited the oxygen inside the capsule during a dress rehearsal.
LM-1 mission was reassigned to Apollo 5, which used the Saturn IB (SA-204) intended for Apollo 1. SA-206 was returned to Michoud (S-1B-6), Huntington Beach (S-IVB-6) and Huntsville (S-IU-6) during March/April 1967 for storage. The stages were refurbished and tested in 1971-72. Then delivered back to the Kennedy Space Center by August 1972."
SL-2 was launched on May 25, 1973.
Date: January 1973
NASA ID: 108-KSC-72C-3982
#Skylab II#Skylab 2#SL-2#SLM-1#Saturn IB#SA-206#Rocket#NASA#Apollo Program#Apollo Applications Program#Apollo Boilerplate#Boilerplate#BP-30#SM-015#SLA-10#Facilities Checkout Vehicle#Vertical Assembly Building#VAB#Kennedy Space Center#KSC#Florida#January#1973#my post
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Leah Hickman had her whole life ahead of her during December 2007. The then-21-year-old lived in Huntington, West Virginia, and was a student at Marshall University. Leah was pursuing a degree in journalism and was looking forward to her future. Unfortunately, that future was cut short when Leah vanished on December 14th, 2007. Her body was found a week later.
Before her untimely death, Leah shared an apartment with her half-sister, Jessica Vickers, on 8th Avenue in Huntington. On the day of her disappearance, Leah accessed her Myspace page from a computer at the apartment. She later spoke to a friend on the phone and said she was going to go to McDonald's for some food.
A receipt later found in the apartment seemingly confirms that Leah did, in fact, go to McDonald's. What happened after that remains a mystery to this day. Leah's sister Jessica stated that when she returned to their apartment the following day, Leah was nowhere to be found. However, her car, purse, and cell phone were all left behind.
Leah's family was later notified that she did not show up to a scheduled work shift at Dress Barn. This immediately worried her loved ones, who subsequently attempted to search for her themselves to no avail. Her family then reported her missing to police on December 16th, 2007.
On December 21st, 2007, a team of investigators found Leah's body in a crawl space in her apartment building. She had been strangled to death and her body was wrapped in plastic. It appears that her killer(s) placed her in the crawl space in attempt to hide her body.
Several years have passed, and Leah's murder remains unsolved. Investigators have never publicly announced any suspects of persons of interest in case. However, there has been a lot of both local and online speculation about who might be responsible for Leah's death.
[continue reading]
#leah hickman#west virginia#2007#unsolved murder#unsolved mystery#true crime#true crime research#tcoriginal
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personally, i believe the characters would be great in the horror genre. something that builds tension and holds it and with just the right amount of comic relief. a sequel with a murderer and a final girl. i already know who’s gonna die first and i know who’s the final girl(s)
someone from huntington high school is angry about the death of their football players (maybe a family member or an unhinged girlfriend) and vows for revenge on rockbridge falls high school’s weird female fight club that’s been talked about on the news.
members of the club start dropping like flies and pj is all like “holy fuck someone is hunting us DOWN.” and josie is like “pj, don’t be stupid, the charges were dropped. we didn’t do shit.” and hazel is like “wait, no, pj might be right…”
it’s gonna be a lot like the movie, but the stakes are higher because main characters are being killed and the humor is balanced by moral ambiguity.
and thus begins a survival/murder mystery lead by the leads of the bottoms movie, where hazel is too smart for her own good, pj talks too damn much, and josie just wanted to have a good time with her girlfriend, but now all her friends are being killed and she has to make sure her best friends don’t die in their pursuit to solve the mystery.
#IM GONNA GET TOO CARRIED WITH THIS.#I REALLY WANNA WRITE IT#bottoms movie#bottoms 2023#hazel callahan#pj#josie#*text
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If you’re up to more bitching about the broadway revival, what are your feelings on Jennyanydots’s number? Personally I was surprised with how much I didn’t mind the new stuff at the end (though I wouldn’t say I PREFER it) but I thought the choreo during the verses was… it irritated me. I don’t remember which boot(s) I watched but it felt like Jenny did a lot more sitting, less moving than I remember her doing in the ‘98 and in the older boots I’ve seen. In general I thought the new choreo took her out of her own number a bit, which is a real shame. Just interested to know what you think, would be happy to disagree haha.
hohohoh you're in for it now, anon. I could talk about revival!Jenny for a long, long time...
AND I WILL!
I hate it.
I don't love a lot of the revival changes, but with each song generally there's something I can be positive about? Yeah they removed the horndog parts of Tugger's song, but there's cute tuggoff and platoria dances. Yeah they made all those little changes to Macavity's song but at least they're small. Yeah they changed Misto's choreo, but at least it is admittedly exciting.
Jenny's song? Idk even the spots that aren't bad, I don't think I can point at any element of her new song and say that it isn't a downgrade.
I rewatched it just now, and I'd like to list the parts I do actually like for the sake of being fair:
Andy Huntington Jones? a very cute Munk
That bit with Misto & the little light on the floor which leads to him opening the boot
The Gumbie trio interacting with the 'mice' kittens
you're right, the end is pretty cool
That's it.
Like... let's go over what the '''original''' Jenny song does. Gumbie Cat, like a considerable number of songs in Cats, doesn't really contribute to the plot at all. Some songs do, like Misto's, but many don't. They only thing Jenny's song really 'does', arguably, is tell the audience what Munkustrap's idea of a Jellicle Choice looks like (given his lyrics at the beginning of the song).
So otherwise, all this song does is characterize Jenny.
Which the classic version does very efficiently, I think! The poem gives us an idea of her personality: she's lazy during the day and active during the night. She teaches the local varmints how to be 'upstanding' members of society. It's specifically mentioned she started a 'Beetle's Tattoo' (A tattoo is a military performance of stuff like marching bands, dancing, drill team, etc) so she has this association with a military-esque discipline. The song also talks about her and crocheting and knitting and baking, so she also has this homestead motherly vibe to her as well.
Her nature is two-fold: she's lazy but also hard-working. She's motherly but also militant. The song capitalizes on this dynamic: it starts out with a slow lullaby, and then transitions to an upbeat tune, and then goes back and forth between those two vibes until the Tattoo (aka the tap section) starts. The feeling of the music matches her personality. So does her costume change: at first she has a big floppy coat, then she switches into a flapper-like bodysuit.
The style of the Tattoo is tap, (as we all know lmao). Most songs in Cats build upon ballet, but Jenny uses tap, probably because it's a more ''''aggressive'''' (obv I use that word lightly) style of dance, unlike the flowing and effortless impression ballet tends to give. It matches the military vibe, it seems like something that might actually be in a real Tattoo, and it gives the actress the opportunity to characterize Jenny further by having her act like a little drill sergeant.
(And sometimes the tap battle is included here, which is also nice characterization. It's usually either Misto or a kitten who challenges Jenny, and I think it's hilarious that either A) Misto feels the need to clown on an old lady's tapping skills or B) Jenny rises to the occasion when a literal child tries to clown on her tapping skills. Either way, funny and defining.)
Despite ping-ponging back and forth, the song is well contained. Most of the props are made of garbage: the cockroaches are made from garbage bags, the mice masks are piping bags, the cockroaches hold spoons and forks, etc. The song also builds well: it goes as such.
Munk, alone, introduces Jenny
the Gumbie trio join in, we start ping-ponging
Jenny comes on stage
Jenny stumbles around stage a little as she wakes up
Music builds
Costume change from day Jenny to night Jenny, tone immediately changes.
Cockroaches start coming out
Cockroaches + Jenny dance together
(maybe insert tap battle here)
Music builds up, the Gumbie trio and Munk join in, big happy finale
Tugger interrupts
The revival... sort of follows this pattern. The way the Revival Gumbie was choreographed makes me think of this Blankenbuehler quote that annoyed me.
'mm yes in this play about a tribe theres a lot of tribal energy. in this play about Cats Dancing Together there's a lot of dancing in unison. lets get rid of some of that'
The Revival Gumbie takes forever to get everyone dancing together, and instead of growing momentum-- where characters keep joining the dance and it gets bigger and bigger (starting with just Munk, ending with everyone)-- it feels like a bunch of disjointed nonsense.
The beginning is mostly the same, except you're right, Jenny does do a lot of sitting there. (Also the Gumbie trio has that same thing that the Macavity song has, where they fiddled with their choreo and the changes don't do anything but also aren't that important either)
But the Revival starts to divert after that first section-- instead of the (nearly) full cast wearing cockroach costumes, three (3) characters are given 'beetle' costumes. (Which yeah, the poem mentions beetles, and yeah, the beetle costumes are made of hubcaps so it matches the garbage theme. But they look so unwieldy that the dancers can barely move, and honestly I didn't even realize they were supposed to be beetles until I saw someone on here mention it.)
But yeah, Jenny and the beetles dance together for like 3 seconds, [I just went back to check how long it is exactly? 10 fuckin seconds.] and Jenny changes costumes. It's actually a pretty smooth costume change, because I'm always so busy looking at the hubcap beetles and being annoyed by them I forget to look at Jenny, but honestly classic Cats never really sought to hide/distract from the costume change here, and tbh I feel like that showy deliberate change is relevant to her dual nature? Whatever. Not a big deal.
But anyways so Jenny and the beetles start tapping. Oh, are we going to build on this momentum? Is someone else going to join in? No. That bigass broom prop comes flying in, the beetles go off stage (and probably rip off those huge costumes), and Jenny stops dancing. Then we spend like an honest thirty seconds playing with the broom and then playing with those basketball/soccerball props while pretty much 0 dancing happens on stage at all. Jenny mostly just wanders around during this section (& you're right, she definitely does less in this version).
Then there's the 'tick tock tap' section where that big clock prop in the background makes a bunch of tick-tock noises and Jenny dances to it. While everyone just kind of watches. Which is fine I guess.
The music BUILDS UP, EVERYONE COMES ON STAGE, OH BOY ARE WE FINALLY BUILDING SOME MOMENTUM?
No. Everyone dances for five seconds and then stands there and watches Jenny dance. Some cats are ? scrubbing the floor with brushes like cinderella ?
THE MUSIC BUILDS UP AGAIN EVERYONE IS GETTING IN A LINE OOH NOW THEY'RE SPREADING OUT ARE WE FINALLY GOING TO HAVE OUR BIG FINALE?
Nope pretty much everyone just stops dancing again to watch Jenny. Also Jerrie is breakdancing for some reason.
OKAY NOW EVERYONE IS DANCING TOGETHER! HOORAY! YAHOO!
Then like 15 seconds of dancing later the clock goes off, interrupting the finale, and the song ends.
Yay.
Where classic Gumbie builds up by adding more and more dancers over time, this one just kind of slaps everyone in there and then takes everyone out, a chunk of kittens will join, then leave, a prop will come in and then out, and the Tattoo element that the song was mostly made of is pretty much gone entirely. Instead of one unified piece of choreo, it feels like getting random crap shoved in your face over and over. 'Isn't this cool? Isn't THIS cool? How about this? Or this????'
Then you have the props: only a couple cats wear bug costumes and they don't translate well and look unwieldy. The clock, balls, (tooth?)brushes, and the broom are a disjointed assembly of props. Everything in the classic song characterizes Jenny. These items have nothing to do with her-- they're not even really things you'd find in a Junkyard. What does a clock have to do with Jenny's duality between her militant and motherly nature? What about the balls? With the cleaning stuff, you can at least say she makes the mice and bugs clean, but the poem doesn't mention her making them clean, it mentions 'music, crocheting and tatting', mentions turning them into boyscouts, mentions the Beetles' Tattoo, mentions baking for them, etc.
If the stuff like the balls and the broom were cool enough that I could forgive them being just slapped in there, that'd be one thing. But I got sick of the balls like 5 seconds after they came in, and the broom didn't really do anything for me. The clock wasn't that bad, but I don't know why they took out the Tattoo and instead added these elements. The Tattoo had to do with Jenny's nature, this shit doesn't.
I get why a lot of the tapping was removed, because they added a lot of hip hop and stuff in there and you can't really cast for people who can act, sing, dance ballet, dance tap, and dance hip hop, but regardless of how much tap they decided to use (which is a creative choice, I get it) it just doesn't feel good. It builds to nothing, most of the props say and do nothing interesting, there's big chunks of the song where no dancing happens at all, and there's even bigger chunks where Jenny is the only one dancing and everyone just watches her.
Right after that quote I mentioned earlier, Andy adds, "It’s like that circus in the second grade. It’s completely labor-intensive. You’re choreographing 20 numbers instead of one number."
And like. Yeah, Andy. You're right. This does kind of feel like a circus.
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🎃 Unwanted Attention
Date: 221031
Warnings: It's not terror on your-street, more mysterious. And I put a little somethin', somethin' in there, so when you get to that part: 🔞!
Pairing: Baekhyun x F. Reader
WC: 6,4k
NOTE: It's Victorian era-ish, so mid-late 1800's.
Masterlist
¤¤
"Blasted…"
The knock on the door jolts you in such a way the quill in your hand draws a long, black stroke of ink across your paper. Sighing, you leave it as is and go to see who would be visiting at such an hour. Opening the door you see a boy scarcely past his eighth year, out of breath and seemingly relieved to get an answer.
"Good evening, Miss. Would you be Miss Y/N..?"
"I would. And who might you be? It's a bit late for a lad your age to be roaming around…"
"I'm Anthony, Miss. I've just come from the constabulary with orders to call on you."
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean. Is it really me you're looking for?"
The boy, Anthony, pulls a scrap of paper from his pocket and reads the content of it out loud:
"Miss Y/N, 506 Huntington Pasture?"
It's you he's meaning to see alright, but the why is still unclear.
"Constable Braithwaite sent me. He has a man in the clink - he's in a pretty bad state, drunk you see, Miss, and the constable would rather you took care of him."
Letting the door stay open you put your coat and hat on, then quickly check what's in your bag.
"He must be quite ill if I'm being called on… But why not take him to the hospital?"
"No, Miss… Officer Braithwaite sent for you as his contact person."
Stopping in your tracks, perplexed, you search your mind to think who it could possibly be, knowing it couldn't be anyone. A man in a drunken stupor claiming acquaintance?
"Well, who is it?"
"That's just it, Miss. We don't know. But the constable instructed me to bring you, so that's what I'm doing", Anthony says, quite proud of succeeding with his mission.
"I'm sure this is a great mistake, but very well. Lead the way, Anthony."
°
"Wait here, I won't be long", you tell the driver before getting out of the carriage, the boy right behind you.
The air is heavy with the cold mist creeping in from the forest and, save for a couple of men walking on the other side of the road, the streets are empty. Your skirt rustles against the cobblestones as you make your way towards the building of the constabulary, wondering what on earth you'll find inside. It's a small place, so not much; two, three desks and an aisle presumably leading to jail cells - and of course the constable working the night shift.
"Miss Y/N?", he asks, giving the boy a coin for his duty done.
"Yes. I'm sure this is a mistake, a mix-up. Where is..?"
"Right this way", he says and escorts you down the aisle. Stopping by the third door, he opens a hatch in the wooden door. "Him there."
Standing on your toes you look, squint, stare, but can't make out any distinguishing features of the man crouched against the wall.
"I can't see his face, can't you get some light in there?"
Braithwaite frowns a bit, but obliges; grabs an oil lamp and opens the door. He doesn't seem wary of the man, afraid he'll pounce on him, so neither are you as you - still keeping a distance - follow the constable inside. As relayed by Anthony the man is indeed in poor condition, mumbling to himself through laboured breaths, but you shake your head, not at all recognising him. "Wait…"
When the light comes closer, clearly showing part of his face you do - but where from?
"How did you get my name did you say?", you ask Braithwaite.
"From this", he replies, pulling your card from his pocket. "Only name he had on him."
Your business card. It hits you.
"Heavens, this is professor Byun..!"
Now not afraid at all you hurry to his side and kneel, trying to get his attention, but he's in such a state it's impossible. You pause. Sniff.
"How do you know he's been drinking?"
"Just look at him, Miss…"
And you do. He's covered in a thin film of sweat, has a rapid pulse and, lifting his eyelids, you find he doesn't react. You detect an odour - vomit - but not the slightest smell of spirits on him.
"Help me get him into my carriage, officer. He needs to go to the hospital."
"I…but he's under arrest. What's the matter?"
"He's not drunk, he's been poisoned. He needs medical assistance this instant."
"Dear me! Are you certain?"
"He's showing symptoms of henbane poisoning. Let's not wait to find out when he's dead. Help me get him up."
•
Looking out across the vast fields it reminds you more of an estate, someplace the rich live and hobnob with their peers rather than the home of a bookish professor, but the house itself is more in keeping with the status of the occupant. At least you think and hope it is; seeing as how there was no answer at the door you've come round back to see if there is any sign of him.
The stone paving of the backyard is covered in yellow and browning leaves just as the trees against the overcast sky which paint an evocative picture with the conservatory as its focal point. Luckily the glass makes it easy to spot him right away where he sits by his counter; his shirt isn't buttoned all the way and his suspenders hang loosely about his legs while he stares intently, adjusting the microscope to his liking. Even though the glass door is slightly ajar the proper thing to do is knock, so you do. He looks up, forward, then notices you off to the side.
"Oh. Miss Y/N", he says warmly, putting his circular spectacles on. "Please do come in."
"Good day, Professor-"
"Baekhyun."
"Beg your pardon?"
He laughs and wipes a smudge from his glasses before putting them back on.
"I'm Baekhyun. My name is."
"Oh…"
"It only seems fitting to skip the titles in light of you saving my life."
He's peculiar. Maybe not peculiar, but…different.
"You give me too much credit. I'm quite sure it was the hospital personnel saving you, I merely pointed out the issue."
"Come, sit. Tea?"
"Please don't make a fuss on my behalf, I was only stopping by to see how you were doing. And to say thank you for the plant, even though I must confess I haven't the slightest what it is."
"Passiflora incarnata, passion flower."
Passion. It's not an everyday word between a man and a woman, so it's just at the cusp of being risqué, but the context allows its use.
"It's native to the Americas. A great plant to alleviate stress and nervousness."
And there is your perfect in.
"Interesting… Is that something you struggle with?"
"I'm a professor, Miss…"
"Yes. Yes, of course. What I meant was…"
Having a hard time finding the best words to ask him directly, you trail off, leaving Baekhyun confounded, gently tilting his head.
"Henbane. It's not something a learned man like yourself would typically ingest accidentally."
"Miss Y/N… Are you asking me if I purposely tried to end my own life? The one and only life awarded to me?"
"My conscience compels me to do so, professor."
"You're a good woman for doing it, but I assure you that the ingestion was wholly accidental - on my part." Pausing, he looks here and there, bites his lip, then leans closer. "What is your view on the paranormal?"
"Ghosts?"
"Among other things. Hm, I can see you're quite surprised by my question-"
"A pinch."
"But there are things beyond what you and I can see, I'm sure of it. If there is religion, there must be, don't you agree..?"
"Forgive my naivete, but are you trying to put forward that a ghost poisoned you?"
"I know it for sure. Strange things started happening some weeks back; a door opening, lights being snuffed out. Small things, so I thought nothing of it at first, but as of late I've been losing things, seeing…Do you sometimes think you see someone in the corner of your eye but when you look there's nothing?"
"Yes, but it doesn't mean-"
"I know what you're thinking, but I keep all hazardous material safely locked up..." Baekhyun ponders on how to explain what he means in simple ways, then lights up. "Ah! For instance: have you ever had to fight a doctor over a patient? He says one thing, but - without scientific backing even - you know he's wrong, that something else is the matter? Gut feeling, instinct."
You can't argue with him on the very real feeling of gut feeling. Baekhyun is no fool - and you are a bit intrigued, so you relax and keep an open mind.
"I gather you don't have any scientific evidence?"
"None."
"Then…will you tell a curious woman what you do have?"
He blinks, almost in slow-motion, then quickens with a smile.
"Yes..! I would greatly value your opinion, Miss. Let me collect my notes."
•
Despite the fact that Baekhyun didn't have any concrete evidence of being haunted, the events he described did make a compelling - at the very least curious - case. And even though some of the events could be explained by science or a trick of the mind and shadows, some circumstances were simply too strange to waft away as nothing. If it hadn't on its own deserved a second look, then Baekhyun seeming to be of sound mind convinced you to do what research you could to help out.
A quick look through your medical books here turned into trips to the library there, ending up being something occupying your mind everywhere, putting forward ideas to him when he dropped by your shop or sending letters with your findings.
Growing increasingly wary of the situation, one of these stops Baekhyun made was to place an order for nitroglycerin - or rather, to ask that you did. Knowing the potentially devastating effects of it you were a bit on the fence, not helped much by him seeming a bit…off-kilter that day and being so secretive about what it was for, but trusting that he would - like he said - let you know upon delivery, coupled with his chemical know-how, you went ahead with the order, presuming his manner was the whole ordeal taking its toll.
¤
After having the same experience as the first time - knocking on the front door without an answer - you go round back again. Baekhyun looks the epitome of a relentless scientist, writing notes of some kind with only one flame, creating a warm globe of light not strong enough to chase away the shadows in the corners.
This time he sees you before you knock and though you're glad to not give him a scare so late in the evening, his expression makes you feel uncertain.
"The professor's nitroglycerin", you announce, carefully holding up the parcel of explosive material. "Now, dare I ask again what it's…for…"
You trail off into almost complete silence when you see him widening his eyes.
"Steady, Miss", he says seriously, holding his hands up. "That's highly explosive if not handled with care…"
"I know. That's why I wanted to know what it was for before I placed the order for you…"
"What order?"
Is he having you on, or maybe still out of sorts from the incident the other day?
"Why, two days ago. Do you really not recall? Coming into the apothecary?"
"Two days ago? I've been out of town until this morning. I assure you I did not place such an-"
He stops mid-sentence then walks up to you.
"Give it here."
After doing what he asks you stand dumbstruck, watching as he disappears into the small patch of trees adjacent to the house. When he reappears it's with empty hands, signing for you to follow him to his desk.
"What is going on? Are you feeling alright? Maybe it's not such a good idea to be working very hard after-"
He cuts you short by placing his calendar in your hands and sure enough it states an engagement out of town the previous days. But you know it was him you saw. It was him you saw. You look over the notes made on the days in question and they seem authentic enough. You can't make sense of it.
"But we spoke for-"
A terrible blast rings in your ears and before you can comprehend what's happening Baekhyun instinctively pulls you in, putting himself in harm's way as splinters of wood hit, but don't break, the glass panes of his conservatory.
When you peek up from his embrace you're staring him straight in the eye. There, behind the windows to his living quarters he stands staring back at you, just as he looked in the shop. Noticing the painful vice you have around his arm, Baekhyun follows your gaze and sees him too.
"Hey!", he calls out and takes off, shouting for you to stay put.
But of course you can't.
"I told you to stay!", he complains when he feels you're at his heels.
Whoever that other person is he's fast like lightning as he traverses the grand flight of stairs, refusing to be caught. If it weren't for the moon being generous with silver light you wouldn't be able to see a thing in this dark and would - much like Baekhyun - trip on one of the steps.
Presuming he's not seriously injured, you careen past him, continuing the chase not sure if you even want to catch the person.
○
"It's locked..!"
"What, it can't be."
Trying again, turning the doorknob to and fro, you push and pull, but your conclusion stands:
"No, it is."
Baekhyun frowns and grabs the knob, also trying; maybe thinking it's only jammed - maybe thinking this is a problem for a man's hand. He looks around and up into the ceiling, as if expecting to see a passage he for some inexplicable reason hadn't known about until now, then puts his arm out for you to stand back.
With two violent pushes the door finally opens and he tumbles down on the floor inside.
"Be careful!", you whisper, as if whatever that was doesn't already know you're after it. "Let me get a lamp."
Well inside and well lit it's obvious only two people are in that room. Two people and shelve upon shelve filled with books and papers; boxes on the floor, some half open showing items of another generation, some half covered with white cloth. Baekhyun brushes the dust off of his trousers and goes to the window to inspect:
"Locked…" After taking a moment to take it all in he gets a serious look on his face. "I think you had better leave, it's not safe here."
"What about you?"
"I'll… I'll be fine. Maybe the answer to what's going on is in here-"
"Then I'll help you search."
"No."
"Yes."
"Out of the question! I won't see you get hurt."
"Exactly, you won't! I'm the one who saved you, remember? Either both go or both stay."
The terrified part of you hope he'll decide to go, but the other is itching to solve the mystery and wants to search.
"First sign of anything, even a draft through the floorboards and we leave, okay?"
"I won't need convincing if it does, Baekhyun. Where do we start..?"
°
A whole lot of nothing (nothing as to say nothing pertinent to your conundrum) is found as you flip through books and notes - and it's followed by a new set of nothing when you go through the boxes.
"Have you ever been in here before?"
"Not to my rec- no, wait. I think my grandmother had this as her quiet place when she lived here. Yes, there was an armchair over there", he says, pointing beside the window, sort of lingering while drawing the memory back. "But it wasn't anything special. She'd just read or do stitch work, nothing that calls for a haunting."
"Did she pass in here?"
"No. And she would not poison me."
"How many generations have-"
That draft Baekhyun had warned about caresses your hand.
"Hm? How many generations have what?", he asks, wondering about your abrupt silence.
"-have lived here…", you continue distractedly while you get up to look at the shelf where the cold seems to have emanated from.
"Many. One hundred and fifty years, give or take. What is it, have you noticed something..?"
Avoiding telling him why, you scan the shelf before reaching up to take out an album; the instant you do, the whole shelf - including the one above - comes loose, dropping everything on and around you.
"Watch out..!", Baekhyun shouts, shooting from the floor to assist you.
An honourable thing, but by the time he's by your side it's over and no harm done other than a few knocks on your arm and back.
"That's it. We're leaving", he says firmly, pulling you along. "Wait… What's this…"
His attention is focused on the very same album you were reaching for; or rather at the piece of paper sticking out from one of the pages. When he opens it, it's revealed to be a news item from an old journal.
"Building constructions reveal unmarked grave at Byun estate.", he reads aloud. "Look..! It's believed to be the missing son of the estates first owner Byun Hanmin - that's my great grandfather - who mysteriously vanished after months of caustic run-ins."
"Baekhyun, look at the date."
"That's almost a hundred years before all this started happening to me. To the day..!"
Despite his previous insisting on you leaving, Baekhyun becomes immersed in what little information there is in the album and when you see the person in a photo it's no wonder you thought it had been Baekhyun visiting you at the shop - they look exactly alike.
Realising the severity of the problem, should this indeed be the haunting of a ghost disturbed, he reckons it's time to get someone with better know-how involved.
"I think we had better talk to a friend of mine, Mr. Zhang."
°
It isn't long after the knock a figure pops up in the window. He's back-lit but it's indeed the Zhang you know from the occasional stop at the store.
"Byun….Miss Y/N..? I didn't know you were socially acquainted."
"Can we come in?"
Zhang steps out of the way, surveying you with a curious look while you sit down.
"What can you tell us about ghosts?"
"Ghosts..? Why? What's the matter?"
"Well I… You believe in such things, don't you?"
"Correct…"
"Good. Because I, we, have reason to believe my house is being haunted - and just now we were attacked."
"How do you mean?"
"By some trick it had her believing I had a need for dangerous materials, and so she delivered them on my doorstep. It blew up not fifty yards from us..! We saw the ghost with our own eyes and it even further attacked Miss Y/N, bringing down a bookcase on her.
Zhang's eyes quicken. He gets up and has a rummage around in one of his many drawers; when he comes back it's with a stone attached to a pendant.
"Wear this."
"What for?"
"Spirits love playing tricks on humans. This is carnelian, it protects against evil jokes such as falling objects."
"Shouldn't I have one too?", Baekhyun asks worriedly.
"No, my friend. You…you get these. Onyx, to protect you while investigating the paranormal. Wear it close to your heart. And black tourmaline to protect the home. Do you live together?"
"Us? No, Miss… If she were my wife I would've introduced her as such, would I not?"
"I'm not gossiping, Professor." Zhang looks serious, looks at the both of you. "If you're not sharing a bed it would be wisest to take some precautionary measures for your home as well is what I'm getting at."
"But if the place is the reason for the haunting, how could the spirit leave?"
"I don't know this one, some have been documented doding so."
You clasp your hands tightly, feeling a sense of regret for having invited evil into your life just for being considerate.
"On Wednesday I saw Professor Byun- thought I did."
"But I was out of town on business then, so it wasn't me. It must have been this…thing, correct? In that case she's not safe out of my house? How is that possible? How do we get rid of it, call a priest? She should leave- you have to leave town until-"
"Quiet!", Zhang bursts out, not waiting for Baekhyun to dig himself deeper into his hole of desperation. "One question at a time. One answer. Tell me everything, from the beginning. Are those documents about the spirit?"
°
After a long debriefing, where it was settled that the spirit haunting Baekhyun was most likely that of his ancestor, an ever longer plan to rid him - and you - of it started to take shape. Zhang, a master of alchemy in his own right, knew it would be a herculean task to combat such an entity and therefore felt it was best he had the matter reviewed by his own teacher, and took it upon himself to travel to the continent to discuss it with him, at the same time stocking up on much needed supplies.
Frightening days simmered down to worrisome ones, until the weeks made wearing your necklace, keeping stones, checking and double checking that items within your home and shop hadn't moved, commonplace in a bizarre sort of way.
Taking Zhang's advice - not needing insisting - Baekhyun had found himself temporary accommodation at an inn; it was closer to town, so easier to meet up, but when he noticed idle talk starting to form among the guests he suggested it might not be a good idea for a woman looking to keep her reputation to - unchaperoned - frequent a man so often. "I think it's safe to say my reputation was lost as soon as I moved here. An unmarried woman, owning a business. And not even actively looking to get married..!" But you'd agreed and decided to meet each other at your home. You got the feeling he liked seeing you at home, maybe he got a sense that if he saw you were alright then it would be fine. And you liked it better as well, getting him out of the inn for a homemade meal whether it was by your cooks or your hand, taking care of him… Having him around, that's what you liked - and liked more as the days and nights waiting for Zhang allowed you to see another side of him. He wasn't always studious - or worried about safety; he was smart, but simple, had stories to tell and loved listening to yours. His greeting when you opened the door gradually turned more relaxed, yet in a way more shy. Composed by his utmost gentlemanly nature, but smiling in such a sweet way.
¤
"...and with counsel and judges who judge feminine conduct from the male point of view", is what he said, Ibsen, Baekhyun relays. "He's an interesting thinker."
"And you..?", you ask in jest, as you get up and start collecting the cleared dinner plates. "How do you judge me?"
"Would I dare? The spectrum would be to vast to-"
"Aow..." Frowning, you put the plates back down and reach back. "My hair is caught in the necklace…"
"Oh. Here, let me help you."
Being helped brings an odd feeling of embarrassment, likely due to the ridiculousness of being incapacitated by such a small thing as a few strands of hair in the first place. For having such delicate hands, Baekhyun's tinkering touch isn't all that refined, but you refrain from uttering any sounds of discomfort to save him from a gentleman's guilty conscience.
Nonetheless, the sporadic brushing of his fingers against your neck tickles in a delightful way - in a way making you unusually aware of your demeanour.
"There, you're free", he sighs and puts the chain down.
His hands stay half closed against your shoulders. Suddenly the air is filled with unspoken intention.
His thumb cautiously feathers up and down on your neck. You barely dare breathe, let alone say a word.
"I…seem to have developed an affection for you, Miss Y/N", he declares softly.
"Oh…" When reason and poise escape you, foolish manners take the stage. "You have?"
You feel the gust of his laughter on your neck, then he turns you around. A warm gaze, light stroke on your cheek, a nod while he cups your face.
"It's quite acute."
His eyes squint tenderly when he bends forward. A hint of fruit from the inch of sherry he's had is on his tongue.
He steps back, waiting for a reaction, perhaps unable to read you, but how do you ask someone to stay? You don't.
You take the kerosene lamp and go to your sleeping quarters, hoping the absence of being bid farewell will be enough for him to understand. And as you pull the curtains together you hear a creek from just outside the room.
In silence layers and layers of fabric - dress, corset, drawers, camisole - are loosened by his hands until there's only skin left for him to touch. He softly cups your breasts, gently feeling them in his hands while kissing your neck. When he strokes across your nipples it sends ripples through your body down between your legs, so you take his hand and- with nerves - guide him to the bed. He takes his own clothes off while you shove the covers to the side, then joins you, carefully laying on top with a smile of anticipation and puts the covers across his lower body. Despite his length already being fully erect he takes his time. His lips are warm and honest against yours as he continuously puts them to your mouth, sometimes pausing to brush the side of your face or simply look at you.
Mid-kissing his hand goes between your legs and it's not long until you feel him entering you, pushing his hips forward a little, then back. A minor groan from you has him looking up, making sure he's not being hasty.
"Are you…comfortable?"
"Yes." You smile, kiss him again, then put your hands on his lower back.
It's a tight fit in which he glides back and forth with ease and obvious satisfaction, somewhat holding his breath as he gets to know you.
Oh, the sensation when he starts softly pounding the root against your entrance; full, continuous flares of arousing tickles, reaching inside as well.
It's dead quiet save for breaths, lips, claps and moans. His legs are spread almost as wide as yours are as he rolls them, in a way refusing to let pleasure let up; cupping one of your breasts, resting his head against yours. Despite the cool night his body is warm in your grip and his breath is the same as he puffs against your cheek, both masculine and vulnerable.
"Ahh…..ahh…."
The sateen embroidery on the covers gleam in the light as it billows with Baekhyun's search for an orgasm and his shoulder blades push out of his back with the weight of holding himself up.
"A-h-h…"
His hand closes tightly on your shoulder, his vigorous thrusting presses his balls to your skin. You hear the scratch of his nails on your sheets, then he gasps, grinding energetically while he climaxes in several loud groans, in spite of his efforts to control them.
When he settles, slowly gliding once or twice, you feel the extra slip as a result of his orgasm, delight in it, even. When he slides out he doesn't move away but stays hovering above your face, tracing your features with an utterly tired breathing but full of contentment. You're almost taken aback when he envelops your lips with his; plush but tight and filled with passion.
He chuckles and nods.
"This affection is quite acute indeed…"
°
A soft trail of kisses along your shoulder wakes you up. It's still dark save for a sliver of natural light by the window so you can't have slept many hours. You take in the tender touch of his lips, the hand caressing your arm, not worrying much about taking immediate action; a simple stir of the head lets him know you're awake. Letting the sound of his lips against your skin take a bigger stage, he also moves his hand to your thigh, patiently stroking it before his eagerness gets the better of him; searching, his clasped fingers brushes against your bum, then the firm head of his length feels between your legs until he finds your entrance. You hug tightly around him while he presses further in, letting a muted groan slip through his lips.
A creaking from your rocking chair in the corner, and there it is. You haven't even screamed before Baekhyun leaps over you, but after grabbing hold of nothing but a crocheted blanket hanging on the chair he throws it on the floor, shouting in frustration.
"Show yourself!"
A crash of glass downstairs has him hurrying out of the room, not listening to your frightful plea for him to stay.
After the hard thuds of his feet against the steps stop everything goes quiet. With eyes burning with tears and spasmodic hands you strike a match; after breaking two in half you finally manage to light the lamp and see properly. Clutching the covers until your knuckles turn white, you press your back into the wall, expecting the unwelcome guest to appear in the room any moment - isn't the shadow by your wardrobe uncommonly dark..? You desperately want to call out for Baekhyun but it's a mammoth task in the face of your fear, so you stay silent as warm droplets start running down your cheeks.
When footsteps come booming up the stairs again you breathe a sigh of relief. You can tell it's him, but nonetheless get a good look at him to make sure his eyes aren't sunken in or his cheek manducated by maggots. He's unharmed, but understandably agitated as he goes straight to your pile of clothes to find the carnelian Zhang gave you.
He puts it over your head, giving you a kiss on the forehead before finding his own to put on.
"What happened?"
"Nothing…", he sighs, a mix of vexation and fright directed at the whole ordeal when he comes back to bed. Like you, he doesn't lie down, but stays sitting upright and draws you to his chest. "... There was a shattered glass on the floor, nothing more. I'll stay awake. Don't be frightened, I won't let him hurt you."
His words are brave, but lying against his chest there's no hiding the truth of his racing heart. Any day now, Zhang will return from the continent. Any day now…
•
Baekhyun's light touch on your shoulder brings you back from a thousand miles away filled with nothing. You try to look brave, following his movements as he kneels next to you but when he hugs your hand you falter.
"Do we have to? Can't we find someplace else to live, somewhere…?"
"I would see you safe before we start that life", he replies softly, kissing your hand. "You heard Zhang's conclusion, we must rid the spirit from our lives or it is likely to come along. You don't have to go with me if you are too frightened. Stay here."
"No..! I'm not frightened. I…well, are you not?"
"Petrified. But would I live the rest of my days in fear or take care to live this one life in joy and love?"
His words strike a chord in you and drum up courage, resolve; of course you will go ahead, not let this visitor from the other side dictate your happiness. Why should you? You bang your fist on the table - a stamp of sorts - and hug his tighter.
"You're right. Let us be rid of it for good and ever."
°
In accordance with Zhang's instructions you've brought your usual tourmaline, carnelian and onyx, but on the seat next to you in the carriage is also a satchel filled with sage, bistort, fennel and bay leaves for the various protective measures needed to be taken. Your body seems to be charged with electricity - tiny threads buzzing throughout - and by the time you see Zhang waiting by the gate you're raring to spring out of the carriage and fight whatever needs to be fought; ready to be freed.
Every meeting with him has been wrapped in graveness, but tonight is at a peak as this is the moment everything has to be right. Prevail or fail.
"Like I said before, the stronger its reaction is the closer it means we are to banishing it. Remember, we, humans, are the ones who belong here. You, Byun, own this land." Stopping to look you in the eye, he has some last words of courage. "Let us face our mission with unwavering conviction, my friends."
Even though you're closer to the source of your fear, Zhang's words invoke determination. Baekhyun puts his arms around you and whispers:
"The sun will rise on a beautiful morning."
Replies are redundant, so you merely nod and follow along when he starts towards the entryway.
The air is heavier inside.
Even with three lamps the darkness cannot be chased away entirely and it feels as if evil is lurking in every nook and cranny on your way to the conservatory.
"Protection, healing, strength in spiritual battle", Zhang says, taking out black, white and red candles from his bag. "You see to lighting these, Byun. And you, Miss, light the sage so smoke cleanses the room. The other plants go in this cauldron."
While you and Baekhyun each take care of your tasks Zhang sprinkles black salt in a wide circle and puts stones and crystals of various colours and sizes about the room, mumbling spells for each one as he goes.
You wonder what Zhang is thinking when he signs to you to take a deep breath in and exhale as thoroughly before stepping into the candle-lined circle; is he as calm as he seems or does he, similar to you, have a tight throat?
His tone is not at all loud and booming like you had expected, but stern in a calm manner.
"I demand the attention of the spirit known by his earthen name Byun Bohyun."
The subsequent silence is terrifying. You know he's here, but nothing.
When Zhang continues, striking a match and putting it in the cauldron, Baekhyun takes out one of the photos of living Bohyun and holds it firmly in his hands. He quivers slightly when he speaks, but nonetheless manages to do it with assertion:
"I, Byun Baekhyun, demand you, Byun Bohyun, leave my house and land and leave my relations in peace."
When he puts the photo to the flames a crack of glass makes you jump. One-by-one the flasks and bottles on Baekhyun's table explode into smithereens with violently piercing sounds.
Remembering Zhang's words about the spirit's reaction, you press Baekhyun's hand, urging him to continue.
"Your tantrums do not frighten me."
"You have come with great distress but now it is time to leave in peace", Zhang insists, also giving a signal for the chant.
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust", you say together, creating a monotonous harmony. "May the wind blow you, wandering ghost-..."
What had started as a light creaking in from the roof above suddenly turns to a loud squeak, like wood being twisted and bent.
"...-and clear the world of the living. Turn you to where you belong-..."
The windows clatter, supporting beams crack with wood dust falling to the floor.
"...-and may you disappear without a trace."
Just as you finish, Baekhyun's great crystal chandelier comes loose and smashes with a deafening sound.
"Like my ancestor before me cast you out, so will I too cast you out", Baekhyun declares and drops a handful of soil in the cauldron.
Is that is? Is it finished? It feels like you stay, hands joined, bated breath, for eons but it is only for a minute or two. When Zhang's fingers start unlocking themselves you follow along; still wary of speaking you exchange careful smiles with one another. The conservatory is in disarray but the important thing is that you made it. Daybreak is yet far off - very far off by the looks of the rolling dark clouds.
"What now..?", Baekhyun asks Zhang. "Is there anything else to do?"
Rolling clouds… But the trees weren't moving..! It's already too late when you look again; outside the landscape is black, the closest trees being swallowed by the oncoming darkness.
"Baekhyu-!"
The force shatters the glass panes and hurls you against the wall. The violent impact knocks the wind out of you, then you crash onto the floor, landing with your face on the cold stone. Gasping for air you notice Zhang sprawled out not far away from where you lay and force yourself to your knees.
"Zha-!"
Your voice fails you. Smacking his cheek doesn't wake him up, but he's breathing, so you turn to search for Baekhyun. The room is exactly as before save for the candles being snuffed out, but the night sky is enough for you to make out objects. You don't see him. Getting to your feet you go behind his desk but again, he's not there.
"Baekhyun!", you hiss, dreading the return of the spirit.
Understanding he's not inside you hurry over the broken glass to the patio, but when you don't find him there either your heart tightens. You shout for him, then wait, try to make out even the slightest sound of him.
Where is he…
Where is he..!?
Without a thought you run into the patch of trees, trying to see or hear anything while calling his name, stumbling and being scratched by branches.
When you reach the end and come out onto the meadow your head is spinning, your heart racing with the strain of running after the impact and fear of what's happened.
"Baekhyun!"
The flat land stretches for miles, a silent blue-green sea under the moon. No one is here. Your throat is thick, you can't think what to do. There is no one here.
"Baekhyun..!"
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Convention Artist Alley Review: SacAnime (Summer)
Convention: Sacanime (Summer)
Location: Sacramento, CA
Date: September 2-4
Table cost: $200
Table size: 8’
Application: Juried/Lottery
Fandom/audience: Anime
Items for sale: 11x17" posters (fanart and original), zines (fanart and original), comics, pins (original), resin coasters and jewelry (including primogems), leather keychains (by my sister)
Mask policy: Not required
Previously attended? Yes, several times
Pros: Visiting friends in California, inexpensive badge cost for attendees, big-name guests, AIR CONDITIONING! (It was 110 that weekend!)
Cons: Have to fly, huge vendor hall/artist alley
Most popular item(s): Posters (111); resin jewelry (53!)
Least popular item(s): Commissions (0)
Once again I flew “light,” reducing my stock to meet Southwest’s weight limits. I was apprehensive about the show since I had done so poorly at CRX, wondering if my work was only popular in the midwest.
I hadn’t been to Sacanime since before I left CA, and it was weird being in a building that was half what I remembered but half not (they had remodeled recently and torn down some parts of the building). The vendor hall/artist alley is huge, spanning all of the available ground floor hall space, but it was also PACKED all weekend - we were lucky to be near a restroom so we didn’t have to push through the crowd, though the one time I did get up and browse I was stuck walking at a crawl the whole time. Between the inexpensive attendance cost, family-friendly atmosphere, and heat wave outside, I think a lot of people were desperate for something inside to do, which really worked in our favor.
I was definitely glad I had help as the sales were almost constant. I wish I had more time to get around and see other artists (as many I had never seen before and wanted to buy things from) but really I can’t complain about just how amazing the show was. Even in the far corner we had tons of traffic flow!
Gross sales: ~$4000
Recommend/will attend again? *throws application at SAC* PICK ME PICK ME!
Other 2022 convention reviews:
Matsuricon
Crunchyroll Expo
Otakon
Gem City
Dokidokon
Anime Midwest
Anime Ohio
Huntington Toy & Comic Con
Momocon
SPACE
Causeacon
Indiana Comic Con
Ohayocon
Anime Zap (featuring 2021 review links)
These reviews take a lot of time and effort, but I think they are something the artist alley community needs! If you would like to support me so I can keep doing these, please consider donating or buying from my shops!
Help support Heidi Black by donating or sharing with your friends.
Storenvy
Etsy
#sacanime#sacramento#anime convention#anime con#anime#artist alley#convention#convention review#artist alley review#review#artist life#artist
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Huntington Beach Garage Door Codes and Regulations
Familiarizing yourself with local building codes is key before undertaking any construction, remodeling, or garage door repair project in Huntington Beach, as these codes outline specific requirements and regulations that must be adhered to during the process. Understanding applicable codes allows you to ensure that your project meets safety standards, zoning regulations, and structural integrity requirements mandated by local authorities.
#garage door repair#garage doors#garage door service#garage door installation#california#champion garage door repair#garage door replacement#garage door springs#huntington beach garage doors#huntington beach#califronia
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𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐼 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑠 𝐴𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡. 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚, 𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑎 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡. 𝑁𝑜𝑤 𝐼 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑦 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝐴𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡.🥂💋
#the huntington#the huntington interior#shermine huntington#new Paris Apartment#ts4#the sims community#simblog#simspiration#the huntington build´s#ts4 simblr#simblr#sims 4 interior#ts4 interior#sims4#sims community#the sims4#ts4 cc#ts4cc#ts4 alpha#ts4 mm#sims4 maxis match#sims4 build
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Presidential Candidate Joseph Collins Jr. Endorses Sharifah Hardie for CA State Senate District 33
Presidential Candidate Joseph Collins Jr. Endorses Sharifah Hardie for CA State Senate District 33. In a surprising turn of events, presidential candidate Joseph Collins Jr. has announced his endorsement of Sharifah Hardie for CA State Senate District 33 which includes 15 cities from Long Beach to Huntington Park. Joseph Collins Jr., a Libertarian, who is running for the highest office in the nation, believes that America needs leaders who will work together to restore the nation and build confidence around the world. Collins recognizes these traits in himself and Hardie, ready to collaborate across party lines for a Republican catalyst in California.
Collins Jr., a successful entrepreneur and community leader, has been gaining momentum in his presidential campaign with his message of unity and progress. He believes that Hardie, a business consultant and radio host, shares his vision for a better America and has the skills and experience to make it a reality. Together, they will work towards finding solutions to the issues facing the nation and build a brighter future for all Americans.
Joseph Collins Jr. states, "I like folks that want to reach across the aisle for America."
In his endorsement, Joseph Collins Jr. stated, "I am proud to endorse Sharifah Hardie for California State Senate District 33. She is a strong, capable leader who will reach across the aisle to find common ground for a better America. Her dedication to her community and her passion for positive impact make her the perfect candidate for this position. I am confident that together, we can bring real change to District 33, to California and the rest of the nation."
With this endorsement, Hardie gains a powerful ally. Joseph Collins Jr.'s endorsement draws attention and credibility to her campaign. Demonstrating the backing of a leader dedicated to improving America is what's needed now. The American Thinker (https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2024/01/patriots_who_are_doing_something_what_are_you_doing.html) also recently acknowledged Hardie as a Patriot actively involved in efforts to save our country.
Presidential Candidate Joseph Collins Jr. Endorses Sharifah Hardie for CA State Senate District 33
Collins Jr. and Hardie also would both be the first African-American selected to their respective positions if elected. Joseph Collins Jr. would be the first African-American Libertarian nominee, Sharifah Hardie the first African-American senator for District 33. Approaching the election, Collins Jr. and Hardie remain resolute in fostering positive change, inspiring others to join their cause.
For voter registration information visit: https://RegisterToVote.Ca.gov
For donations or details about Sharifah Hardie's CA State Senate District 33 campaign, visit www.SharifahHardieForSenate.com. To make your donation and learn more about Joseph Collins Jr. and his presidential campaign, visit www.JosephCollinsJr.com. Together, they are ready to lead America towards a brighter future.
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About Tad
Archetype — The Joker
Birthday — January 31st, 2004
Zodiac Sign — Aquarius
MBTI — ENFP
Enneagram — 9
Temperament —
Hogwarts House — Ravenclaw Primary, Slytherin Secondary
Moral Alignment — Neutral Good
Primary Vice — Oblivious
Primary Virtue — Kind
Element — Water
Overview:
Mother — Eunji Fiske
Father — Bill Fiske
Mother’s Occupation — Astronomer
Father’s Occupation — Astronomer
Family Finances — middle class
Birth Order — Oldest
Brothers — none
Sisters — Galadriel Fiske
Other Close Family — Uncle Kevin
Best Friend — Sheldon
Other Friends — Swynlake people
Enemies — none that he knows of
Pets — Frodo the Guinea Pig, and a pet rock
Home Life During Childhood — It was a pretty good home life. His parents worked a lot but were home plenty too. They were stoners so the house did have a certain fragrance of weed almost constantly, but he was pretty content. They didn’t pay as much attention to their kids needs as they should have, but Tad figured this taught him how to vibe on his own.
Town or City Name(s) — lived in Huntington Beach, California, and then in Swynlake.
What Did His or Her Bedroom Look Like — Surfing posters, a lot of blue, and some nerdy lord of the rings memorabilia of Samwise Gamgee that his parents insisted they had to put up in there to inspire him.
Any Sports or Clubs — Surfing, Skateboarding, Snowboarding, clubs related to those but especially surfing.
Favorite Toy or Game — Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2
Schooling — He was never a good student
Favorite Subject — Lunch
Popular or Loner — Popular in his own way
Important Experiences or Events — Moving to Swynlake for the first time
Nationality — American
Culture — American
Religion and beliefs — Agnostic
Physical Appearance
Face Claim — Hansol Vernon Chwe
Complexion — tan
Hair Colour — brown
Eye Colour — brown
Height — 5’10”
Build — thin
Tattoos — one on his shoulder of a wave with the day he started his sobriety
Piercings — yes, his ears
Common Hairstyle — just a normal guy’s hairstyle
Clothing Style — pretty terrible. Combines colors on whimsy
Mannerisms — chill, like he’s not really going anywhere fast. Vibing.
Usual Expression — Smiling
Health
Overall (do they get sick easily)? — nah he eats dirt too much for that to be true. He’s pretty healthy
Physical Ailments — currently a broken arm but otherwise none
Neurological Conditions — recovering drug addict
Allergies — Lactose Intolerant
Grooming Habits — he sorta brushes his hair and goes. He’s not super focused. He does shave.
Sleeping Habits — sleeps pretty good,
Eating Habits — eats most things except for things with lactose in it
Exercise Habits — pretty regular. Skateboarding around town or swimming laps when he can
Emotional Stability — he’s usually got pretty chill vibes
Body Temperature — normal
Sociability — Very Social
Addictions — Drugs, but he is freshly sober
Drug Use — none anymore, used to be mostly weed but he did try some more intense stuff like Feys
Alcohol Use — somewhat, mostly at parties
Your Character’s Character:
Bad Habits — acting without thinking
Good Habits — giving people the benefit of the doubt
Best Characteristic — Friendly
Worst Characteristic — Stupid tbh
Worst Memory — Getting dumped by his ex, followed by nearly dying from drug abuse and going to rehab
Best Memory — getting accepted to uni!
Proud of — his sport skills
Embarrassed by — his sister sometimes, and his intelligence sometimes
Driving Style — he doesn’t drive
Strong Points — He’s funny and cheerful and tends to stay pretty even keeled
Temperament — Cheerful
Attitude — Positive
Weakness — Acts before thinking and tends to get in trouble that way
Fears — he might relapse and get in trouble again
Phobias — afraid of being alone probably
Secrets — he still kind of wishes he and Pip could be together again
Regrets — getting so lost in his substance abuse
Feels Vulnerable When — someone points out something he said is dumb
Pet Peeves — when someone harshes the vibes for no reason
Conflicts — apparently one with Milo. He doesn’t really know what’s up
Motivation — to learn something new and make more friends in town
Short Term Goals and Hopes — to pass some classes and reconnect with friends
Long Term Goals and Hopes — to figure out what he wants to do with his life
Sexuality — honestly think he’s into anyone if they have the right vibe. pansexual?
Exercise Routine — does yoga in the mornings
Day or Night Person — both
Introvert or Extrovert — extrovert
Optimist or Pessimist — optimist
Greatest Want — to fix things with Pip
Greatest Need — to get his shit together
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Tuesday, September 5, 2023
For Politicians, Vacations Can Be a Lot of Work
(NYT) Labor Day weekend, once the official kickoff of campaign season, now comes almost a year after most candidates have hit the trail and after the first primary debate. The occasion lays out a basic fact of modern presidential campaigns: Politicians need vacations, too. But while taking a break can create an opportunity for campaigns to show that their candidates are just like the rest of us, it also carries potential peril. The “right” vacation can give a candidate time to rest and recharge, to reconnect with family after weeks on the road, and a chance to look presidential while doing it. A tone-deaf vacation—too elite, too disconnected, too much beach bod—is tabloid catnip and can alienate voters. And the wrong vacation can upend a campaign faster than a wave topples a windsurfer. So it’s no surprise that the presidential candidates this year, by and large, are lying low. While most of the 2024 candidates have chosen to emphasize that they are at work rather than at play, vacations were once seen as an opportunity to burnish a politician’s image. Ronald Reagan chopped wood and rode horses at his California ranch. George W. Bush cleared brush in Texas. John F. Kennedy, perhaps the embodiment of the artful presidential vacation, sailed. Stories of vacations restoring the candidate but tanking the campaign are many. When Michael S. Dukakis, the Democratic nominee for president, went on vacation in late August 1988, he was seen by some as checking out of the race as George H.W. Bush gathered momentum from the Republican convention. Mr. Dukakis was also once pilloried for reading a book called “Swedish Land Use Planning” on the beach.
Home insurers cut natural disasters from policies as climate risks grow
(Washington Post) In the aftermath of extreme weather events, major insurers are increasingly no longer offering coverage that homeowners in areas vulnerable to those disasters need most. At least five large U.S. property insurers—including Allstate, American Family, Nationwide, Erie Insurance Group and Berkshire Hathaway—have told regulators that extreme weather patterns caused by climate change have led them to stop writing coverages in some regions, exclude protections from various weather events and raise monthly premiums and deductibles. Major insurers say they will cut out damage caused by hurricanes, wind and hail from policies underwriting property along coastlines and in wildfire country, according to a voluntary survey conducted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, a group of state officials who regulate rates and policy forms. Insurance providers are also more willing to drop existing policies in some locales as they become more vulnerable to natural disasters.
Faced With Evolving Threats, U.S. Navy Struggles to Change
(NYT) A symphony of sorts echoed through the sprawling shipyard on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi — banging, hissing, beeping, horns, bells and whistles—as more than 7,000 workers hustled to fill orders fueled by the largest shipbuilding budget in the Navy’s history. The surge in spending, $32 billion for this year alone, has allowed the Huntington Ingalls shipyard to hire thousands of additional people to assemble guided missile destroyers and amphibious transport ships. But the focus from Washington on producing a stream of new warships is also creating a fleet that some inside the Pentagon think is too wedded to outdated military strategies and that the Navy might not be able to afford to keep running in decades to come. Half a world away, at a U.S. Navy outpost in Bahrain, a much smaller team was testing out a very different approach to the service’s 21st-century warfighting needs.
Bobbing in a small bay off the Persian Gulf was a collection of tiny unmanned vessels, prototypes for the kind of cheaper, easier-to-build and more mobile force. Operating on a budget that was less than the cost of fuel for one of the Navy’s big ships, Navy personnel and contractors had pieced together drone boats, unmanned submersible vessels and aerial vehicles capable of monitoring and intercepting threats over hundreds of miles of the Persian Gulf, like Iranian fast boats looking to hijack oil tankers. Now they are pleading for more money to help build on what they have learned. The Navy’s top brass talks frequently about the need to innovate to address the threat presented by China. The Defense Department’s own war games show that the Navy’s big-ship platforms are increasingly vulnerable to attack. But the Navy, analysts and current and former officials say, remains lashed to political and economic forces that have produced jobs-driven procurement policies that yield powerful but cumbersome warships that may not be ideally suited for the mission it is facing.
Security in Ecuador has come undone as drug cartels exploit the banana industry to ship cocaine
(AP) Men walk through a lush plantation between Ecuador ‘s balmy Pacific coast and its majestic Andes, lopping hundreds of bunches of green bananas from groaning plants twice their height. Workers haul the bunches to an assembly line, where the bananas are washed, weighed and plastered with stickers for European buyers. Owner Franklin Torres is monitoring all activity on a recent morning to make sure the fruit meets international beauty standards—and ever more important, is packed for shipment free of cocaine. Torres is hypervigilant because Ecuador is increasingly at the confluence of two global trades: bananas and cocaine. The South American country is the world’s largest exporter of bananas, shipping about 6.5 million metric tons (7.2 tons) a year by sea. It is also wedged between the world’s largest cocaine producers, Peru and Colombia, and drug traffickers find containers filled with bananas the perfect vehicle to smuggle their product. Drug traffickers’ infiltration of the industry that is responsible for about 30% of the world’s bananas has contributed to unprecedented violence across this once-peaceful nation.
Subway, train lines, roads closed in Madrid, central Spain after heavy rain
(Reuters) A few subway lines in Madrid and high-speed train connections with southern cities were closed on Monday morning and two men were missing after torrential rain hit central Spain. Emergency services were involved in almost 1,200 incidents in the region overnight. Several roads in the Madrid region were closed as half a dozen bridges were torn down by water overflowing the riverbanks. The sudden torrential rain that hit the country transformed streets into rivers in Madrid, Castile, Catalonia and Valencia regions.
Albanian exodus
(Les Echos/France) Since the fall of communism in 1991, the small Balkan state has been slowly but inexorably emptying itself, at the pace of incessant waves of emigration. With an aging and declining population and a birth rate in free fall, it is facing all kinds of challenges. One constant, however: every year, some 50,000 people, most of them between 18 and 40 years old, leave in search of a better life. Albania is paying a high price for this exodus, particularly in terms of economic development. “One of my developers left for Facebook in Ireland, another for Worldplay. It took me months to replace them. We’re offering them salaries 10 times higher," says Bora Ferri, who founded a small payment company, Mpay, ten years ago, and is also head of the France-Albania Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Zelensky fires his defence minister
(BBC) Even as there are suggestions Ukraine's painstaking counter-offensive might be poised to gather pace, its defence minister has been sacked, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying it was time for "new approaches" in the ministry. Oleksii Reznikov was credited with convincing Western powers to supply arms but his department was hit by corruption scandals. It's unlikely to lead to a change in battlefield strategy, with generals claiming they have breached Russia's formidable first line of defences in the south. The push has focused on the tiny village of Robotyne, 56km (35 miles) south-east of the city of Zaporizhzhia, where forces are trying to widen the gap so larger units can pass through without coming under fire.
Upward of 20,000 Ukrainian amputees face trauma on a scale unseen since WWI
(AP) The small band of soldiers gather outside to share cigarettes and war stories, sometimes casually and sometimes with a degree of testiness over recollections made unreliable by their last day fighting, the day the war took away their limbs. Some clearly remember the moment they were hit by anti-tank mines, aerial bombs, a missile, a shell. For others, the gaps in their memories loom large. Ukraine is facing a future with upward of 20,000 amputees, many of them soldiers who are also suffering psychological trauma from their time at the front. Europe has experienced nothing like it since World War I, and the United States not since the Civil War.
The Never-Ending Nightmare of Ukraine’s Dam Disaster
(NYT) Sunset along the Kakhovka Reservoir in central Ukraine, especially in summer, used to be gorgeous: kids played in the shallow water near the shore, men fished and young couples walked under the pine trees as the last traces of sunlight reflected off the water. But after the destruction of a major dam just downriver, that shimmering lake, one of Europe’s biggest, simply disappeared. Now all that remains is a 150-mile-long meadow. For 60-plus years, the Bezhan family ran a fishing business on these shores. They bought boats, nets, freezers and enormous rumbling ice-making machines, and generation after generation made a living off the fish. But now there are no fish. Scientific evidence indicates that the dam was blown up from the inside. In one stroke, they unleashed epic floods on Ukraine and an ensuing drought that, taken together, brought a stunning level of destruction to the environment, the economy and the lives of civilians already enduring the hardships of war.
China to Its People: Spies Are Everywhere, Help Us Catch Them
(NYT) Beijing sees forces bent on weakening it everywhere: embedded in multinational companies, infiltrating social media, circling naïve students. And it wants its people to see them, too. Chinese universities require faculty to take courses on protecting state secrets, even in departments like veterinary medicine. A kindergarten in the eastern city of Tianjin organized a meeting to teach staffers how to “understand and use” China’s anti-espionage law. China’s Ministry of State Security, a usually covert department that oversees the secret police and intelligence services, has even opened its first social media account, as part of what official news media described as an effort at increasing public engagement. Its first post: a call for a “whole of society mobilization” against espionage. “The participation of the masses,” the post said, should be “normalized.” China’s ruling Communist Party is enlisting ordinary people to guard against perceived threats to the country, in a campaign that blurs the line between vigilance and paranoia. The country’s economy is facing its worst slowdown in years, but China’s authoritarian leader, Xi Jinping, appears more fixated on national security and preventing threats to the party’s control.
In China’s shadow, U.S. rushes back to neglected Indian Ocean island
(Washington Post) At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. Air Force tracking station that monitored Soviet satellites from this island’s soaring tropical forests was a focus of Seychelles life. The American servicemen and technicians living nearby hosted barbecues and bar nights to which all Seychellois were invited, distributed cookies and milk to local children and taught them basketball. Then, the Cold War ended, the Soviet Union collapsed and in 1996 the Americans left, dismantling the tracking station and shutting down their embassy—citing budgetary reasons for abandoning what had seemingly become an irrelevant corner of the world. Today, the compound where Americans and Seychellois partied is home to the Seychelles Tourism Academy, where young islanders training to be tour guides, hoteliers and masseuses take classes, among other subjects, in Chinese—just one small manifestation of a new geopolitical rivalry that has now lured the Americans back. In June, Seychelles became the latest in a string of small nations around the world in which the United States has established, restored or is planning to open an embassy as part of a broad pushback against the influence China has acquired during more than two decades of neglect or disinterest on the part of the United States.
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Why I Read...
For those of you who don't know me IRL, I am an avid reader. Like anything in my life, I do it nonstop for a period of time and then give it up for a period of time. Not sure if that's balance, but this is how my mind works.
I was talking to a gentleman friend and he asked me about the last book I read. I believe he asked me what I was reading at the moment and I informed him that I wasn't reading anything. He asked me why
Here's part of the point of the post. I truly have to thank him because he's the reason behind the inspiration.
I said: You know when you're binge watching a show and it ends? Either the season or the series? Sometimes you need to wrap your mind around the ending. Let it sink it or simmer into the recesses of your mind and heart and soul.
Ok, I didn't say all of that. But the sentiment is there.
He said: Yeah I can get that. You're letting the finishing of the book leave your system (or something to that affect).
EXACTLY!
I read and when I finish a book, sometimes it takes days or months for me to stop thinking of the book. It needs to leave my mental portfolio before I can start on a new journey.
Then he said this: You know they say reading sometimes is better than watching it on TV or a movie.
Me: Yes, because of your imagination
There you have it folks. My imagination (or yours) is what propels what is being read forward. If a writer is good, you're able to imagine where and how and why. If a writer is better, you're able to feel and taste and smell.
I've probably said it before but for those of you who don't know, I have an active imagination. I may not be able to do all the things I imagine, but I am able to imagine myself and picture things so vividly. It's why I write, honestly and I write the most mundane things. Regular ol' day to day stuff. I don't have a lot going on in my life, but I have a lot of stuff going on. Things that I may share. Things that aren't mine to share, yet.
However, its the imagination of the mundane that gets me through another day, another week, another month. Even if my real life doesn't turn out the way my imagination sees it, I'm ok with that. My life is pretty great. I wouldn't trade that boredom for all the chaos in the world. Luckily, I don't have to.
You may want to know what book I was reading that prompted the exchange above (or not). It was Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover. As a matter of fact, I'll just give you a little list at the end of this little rant and you do with it as you want. I promise, I'll only write the ones that affected me in some way.
At present, meaning TODAY, I am reading Darling Venom by Parker S. Huntington. It's the first time I'm reading something by this author. I'm loving the book. I'm almost done with it.
I have this weight on my chest because I saw a review of the book and the lady was bawling. Although the book has made me tear up a couple of times, I feel the steam building up and I'm afraid I'm going to blow. I hope this book scars me...in a good way. It's what I'm anticipating. Parker, don't let me down :)
Well guys, let me try to finish this book in the hour before I have to log in to work. Below is a list of reading material that I like/love. Again, do with it what you will.
Until next time family.
XOXO
Thanks for reading
______________________________________________________________
Reading List/Suggestions/Books I Love (In no particular order):
Reminders of Him - Colleen Hoover
Where We Belong - Emily Giffin
Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin
The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
Something Blue - Emily Giffin
The Rescue - Nicholas Sparks
Me Before You - Jojo Moyes
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent - Julia Alvarez
The Divinci Code - Dan Brown
Small Great Things - Jodi Picoult
A Spark of Light - Jodi Picoult
The Left Behind Series - Tim LaHaye
The Wedding - Nicholas Sparks
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V. E. Schwab
Sundays' at Tiffany's - James Patterson
The Book of Two Ways - Jodi Picoult
The Lottery - Shirley Jackson
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
It Ends with Us - Colleen Hoover
The Last Letter from your Lover - Jojo Moyes
The Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
The Maze Runner Trilogy - James Dashner
The Game Series - Terry Schott
Divergent Series - Veronica Roth
Everything Everything - Nicola Yoon
I found a list in my Notes on my Phone. These don't have the authors names (some may be repeated above):
The Alchemist
Fahrenheit 451
The Game Series
The Left Behind Series
The Giver
The Receiver
1984
Call Me by Your Name
Small Great Things
A Spark of Light
Sapiens & Homo Deus
How to Win Friends & Influence People
11/22/63
The True Blood Series
Paradise Lost
Paradise Found
Sloppy Seconds: The Tucker Max Leftovers
The Gift of the Magi
The Lottery
The Divine Comedy
The Scarlet Letter
Anything by Edgar Allan Poe
The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao
How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents
The Book Thief
The Kite Flier
If I Stay
Where She Went
Anything by John Green
Inferno
Digital Fortress
Angels & Demons
The Lost Symbol
Origin
Deception Point
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Visiting LA girly again. I do have a car! Staying in Irvine. Whenever I go somewhere I love to visit museums, book stores, and eat ALLLLLL the good stuff (though I’m not a huge fan of seafood but anything else I’m down for) I know I want to go to the Getty so I think I’m going to do that today. I love old Hollywood, music, comedy, and visiting gardens to see plants indigenous to the area. Also fun bars! Themes, speakeasies, interesting decor, it’s all about a good sip sip and some atmosphere! My friend and I are thinking of going to TomTom for drinks when seems really fun! Thanks for being willing to make some suggestions!!
Oh, man, you're here now?! For how long? I better answer this before I go to work, exciting! Okay, so yeah, the Getty (either one) is a great call, as is TomTom (are you watching VPR? please say yes, and if you are in the true TomTom mood, check out Schwartz & Sandy's for me). Let's see, LA is truly huge, so you'll want to group where you can. If you do the Getty off the 405 vs. Malibu, you can probably swing TomTom/S&S same day, sort of both west side-ish. I just checked the Peppermint Club, and that is a GREAT music venue nearby, but not sure if you want to see what's on? Bands in Town helps, too! It's a full day, but I would say if you're into gardens, the Huntington is a must see (but yeah, huge). For Hollywood things, I would highly recommend you venture into the tourist zone for two must-sees: the Hollywood Museum and Musso & Franks. But one of my fave things to recommend is a downtown loop: you can see the Broad and Disney concert hall (and MOCA) up top, then walk down (or take Angel's Flight) to Grand Central Market for food, then to the Last Bookstore for books (in between those two, the Bradbury Building is a fun looksy). For drinks down there, you can't beat the tiki bar at the top of Clifton's Cafeteria or Perch, but honestly, so many great spots! Another downtown angle is to go Wurstkuche in the arts district, then just wander around to look at shops, murals, art spaces, etc... from there, you could walk to Olvera Street and Union Station, which, yeah, ver touristy, but also still has a lot of the historic, old H'wood vibes. I'd also rec K'town, a full body scrub at a k-spa or just taking in a big mall, the original Farmer's Market area is near-ish to there, too, but all of that would really depend on how much time you have!
#i think it's supposed to rain tomorrow???#but yeah i would group where i could if I were you or you'll spend all day in a car#sorry i don't have more food recs--i tend to sort of explore that in the moment#but you can't go wrong no matter where you are!#tell me what you end up doing!
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