#M Blackwell & Associates

[m-blackwell-and-associates]

Follow Up pt 4

This dour mood followed Angelina for the rest of the car ride and doubled when pushed into the morgue to find the medical examiner already there with Peitro’s Proxy.  The Rosselini took one look at her and then her gaze slid to Pietro standing just behind her. Angelina knew she had been dismissed out of hand and the anger seethed.  Such a thing had happened many times before.  When people went to meet the Donna of Grenoble, they expected a woman in her prime, perhaps one aged into wisdom, all demure silk velvet over maternal steel.  When they saw a slight girl frozen forever at 18, round face still carrying the memory of childhood, they discounted what they saw and turned to Pietro as the continuing authority, he having been her voice and direction up until the moment of their first meeting.

Pietro, well schooled and endless amused by this bitter bit of theater, stayed where he was and said nothing, waiting for Diana Rossellini to figure out the silent error she had made.  Angelina did not wait for those brown eyes to widen, or the face go ashen to realize she had dismissed the one that had given permission to be Proxied and that permission could be revoked.

“What did you find?”

The Proxy caught herself, startling to be addressed, but not looking alarmed to be caught out.  “Donna Angelina, a pleasure to - “

“Yes,” Angelina agreed, a great pleasure to meet yet another family member that would have to be taught respect and comportment.  “Your findings?”

Angelina could feel Pietro’s amusement behind her, like a wave of warmth coming off a fire and she made a mental note to address his instigating these awkward introductions at a later time.  One did not humiliate one’s enforcer.  Not if one wanted to keep their good humor and loyalty.

The medical examiner cleared her throat from where she stood on the other side of the table, a skeleton, white and unweathered, laid neatly on a steel topped table.  “I’ve been able to narrow it down to three missing persons.”

“A three way tie?”  Angelina asked, brows raised as if mildly curious about the outcome and the examiner flushed, turning a faintly accusatory stare at Diana.  

“I had just arrived with the dental records, Donna.”  Diana handed them to the examiner, as cool as you please.  The way the other woman snatched them out of the Proxy’s hands suggested that the files had been withheld, either for spite or for testing of the examiner's skill in reading the bones.  It wasn’t that Angelina disapproved of testing the academic might of the people called upon to perform a service, just that at this moment, Angelina wasn’t in the mood for delays.  Or for anyone to decide now was the time for a power play. 

Hurriedly, the woman took out the x-ray images, the shaded transparencies hung up on the light box to be studied.  They waited, Angelina not unaware of the Rosselini’s subtle attempt to size her up, comparing what she saw to what she had imagined.  For her part, she let it go.  There would be time later to put Pietro’s Proxy in her place if necessary.  

“This one, Ms. Giovanni,” the medical examiner said, hurriedly.  Taking down the transparency, she slid it back into its file and handed it to Angelina over the table holding their mysteriously departed.  “I’ll give you a moment.”  Stripping off her gloves, the woman left.  

“Simeon Boucher,” Angelina read aloud before putting the file down on the metal table.  “One parent still living, two siblings living abroad, no spouse, no children.  Cause of death, blunt force trauma.”

“That would be consistent with what we saw when we dumped his body,” Diana confirmed.  “We - “

But Angelina wasn’t interested in the explanations or stories the Rosellini was quick to give.  Ignoring her, she stripped off her own gloves and set the soft black leather aside, concentrating on the well ordered bones before her.

“Simon Boucher,” she murmured under the self-aggrandizing chatter of the Proxy.  “Let’s see if you’re still here.”  Angelina laid both hands on the bones, one hand cradling around the smooth curve of the skull, thumb tracing along the zygomatic arch where a spider web of fractures hinted at the violence of the man’s final moments.  The other hand rested on the cracked and ragged remains of the sternum.

She wasn’t surprised to feel that Simon’s soul still lingered.  A death as sudden as violent as his had been, often made spirits bound to this world.  Ones so bound were unable to let go of their former lives and find whatever peace was beyond the Shadowlands.  Angelina called to the spirit gently, testing to see at what strength the contest of wills between her and the unwilling dead, and while she hadn’t been surprised to know he lingered, she was surprised at the promptness of his response.

Simon’s soul manifested as suddenly as switching on a light, vivid and clean as if drawn on her vision by some bold artist with only a faint transparency to suggest that he wasn’t of this world.  Whatever chatter Diana had been engaging in stopped and Angelina had blessed silence in which to contemplate the spirit.

“You’re like her,” it whispered, voice coming from some other place.

“Like whom, Mr. Boucher?” Angelina asked, hand absently stroking the smooth bone of the skull, as if petting a cat, or soothing a child.

“I assume he’s talking about Elizabeth,” Diana put in unnecessarily.  “I didn’t think little Miss Princess could do the family business.”

Angelina set her jaw, cross that the Rosselini dared to speak, but before she could order her cousin to silence, the sad and despondent shade of the late Simon turned to survey the room.  Once his eyes fell upon the disdainful Diana, it flared, a shadow behind a flame, blown to grotesque proportions and flickering as if caught in a hot and terrible wind.

“You left me to die!” It roared, leaning towards the shocked Rosselini, mouth agape and hands turned to grasping claws.  “YOU KILLED ME!”

Sternly, Angelina bound the enraged wraith of Simon Boucher so it could not attack the stunned woman.  But, with a bit of satisfied spite, she let it slowly drift in her directly, forcing Diana to back up a step.  Aloud, she said, “Perhaps your recounting of your mission wasn’t entirely correct, Ms. Rosselini?”

The look that Diana shot her before looking back at her slowly stalking wraith was murderous.  “No, Donna.  We found him dead and - “  The wraith roared, cursing.  “He was beyond saving!  I could see that just by looking at him!”

Angelina believed Diana when she said that she had seen the man’s fast approaching death.  It was her family curse, after all.  Everything was on the cusp of death to her and everyone that had the Rosselini gift.  She did not, however, believe that Simon had been beyond saving.

“He might have been more useful alive, Ms. Rosselini,” Angelina said, sounding disapproving of Diana's protests and indifferent of her discomfort. 

#amwriting #authors #fiction #flash fiction #m blackwell & associates #vampire #oc #clangiovanni #Clan Giovanni #Angelina Giovanni #Diana Rossellini #No one hates you like family #Professionally Petty #Family Business #wraith #Summon Spirit #Sad bones #Follow UP #chronicles of darkness

[blueiight]

lfg… lighting out for the territories

Reinhard had always hated parties, and this one was no exception. He didn’t mind the stiff white dress uniform he was wearing, nor did he mind the food, or the music. It was simply the concept of being at a party, when he would rather be doing something productive.

“So, you’re the celebrity,” Dominique said. Her voice was low for a woman’s, and somewhat sultry.

OMG DOMINIQUE!!! MY MF GIRLFRIEND!!!

i love econ bro rein wiaw reinhard and stringer bell would get along well (or hate eachother) (bc we all know reinhard is a utilitarian goody-two-shoes despite being a conqueror. no love for the fiends & the pushers, von musel!)

the fact that this description is in the first chapter.. very ambitious.. even so early u see reinhard’s cruel outlook “…while the saving of four hundred Alliance soldiers may mean much to their families, in a war where battles regularly involve the lives and deaths of millions of people, it’s insignificant.” u can juxtapose this to yang’s moral dilemma bc reinhard has none. in fact hes like a lot of ppl will die for a greater cause (while that aspect of war torments yang, it is something a younger reinhard can alr rationalize??? rein canon compliant REDACTED?) wiaw reinhard is so fascinating to me bc hes in a far more disadvantageous position than he ever was at any point of canon tl. not to be oh ur sister aint in the kaiser’s ears skirt admiral~~ but its kinda like that. reinhard my baby im so sorry plz dont kill m-

BISHOP DEGSBY…???!!! also rly love the mention of the mandate … the goldenbaums r like this bizarro mix of prussian aesthetic, franco revanchism& legit hitlerite shit especially back in rudolf’s heyday n the intersection of emperor-god more associated in certain eastern cultures than not like theyre sooo weird the empire is so weird.

Reinhard’s smile was cold. “The Alliance is my home, and I am grateful to it for all that it has given me, but I do not pretend that the reason I fled there as a child was out of some ideological purity. It was out of a simple desire to keep the ones I love safe. To say anything to the contrary would be the height of hypocrisy.”

“And yet you claim to hate the Goldenbaums?”

“Hatred is not ideology, Bishop. It’s personal.”

reinhard von musel playa hater of year u.c. 796 😂

im sorry to put on my evil fujo goggles but i think something clicked here so canon lotgh reinhard had kircheis but distance from his family while in wiaw he has his family but distance from kircheis… ofc his hatred of the goldenbaum come from the same core of them tryna sexually barter his sister but its so fascinating here.

omg is reinhard being an econ bro slash amateur space socmed influencer the equivament of yang’s second rate historian bro-ism in canon tl . except reinhard loves this space military shit & the econ is an accidental hustle. that is the funniest shit ever + is actually more adjacent to my relationship w history… and even this whole blog. health bro shoehorned into amateur historian/anthropologist on yaoi tumblr

INGRIDDDD OMG I FUCKING CALLED IT..!!!

YOOOOOOO THIS SHIT CRAZY CULT COERCION MEETS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?? INGRID BEING THE SAME AGE AS ANNEROSE WHEN SHE MET LUDDY? I did not think she was that young at the wedding what is going awnnn hunny.

blackwell is like struggling to parse if reinhard is a fuckboy while reinhard is like im something of a feminist myself, (he really is my baby god its 2019 again the peak of my reinhard cte)

IS CH2 TITLE A ZORA NEALE HURSTON REF? This is the third wiaw chapter title ref i clocked methinks.

another moment id 100% comm is reinhard in jeans & a light 80s style jacket. reinhard always forgets hes in the top .5% percentile of beauty its hilaryus. pretty girl who just wants to be one of the bros

oh wow we’re actually getting ‘earth church being given cogent beliefs outside of being the space illuminati/blood libelesque as they were in canon’ wow thank u so much for fixing up that disasterclass. authornim’s catholic upbringing is bleeding thru but it makes it more poetic! but catholics dont be dope fiends like this. haha love it

MULLER!!!!! Lmao im already so into this game of telephone theyre playing.

It had been a waste of a day, and Reinhard had returned to his apartment in a bad mood. His mood only got worse when he found that his entire apartment had been ransacked while he was out. His personal computer was missing, and it was clear that the thief had left in a hurry, which meant that they had known Reinhard was returning home, which meant that it was not a thief but probably an imperial agent.

Reinhard stood with his hands on his hips in the middle of his studio, and addressed the room in the imperial language, using his general haughty tone, even though he had just had his apartment broken into, and he was somewhat disheveled from his day of training.

“Lieutenant Commander Muller,” he said. “I’m sure that you know by now that I do not keep anything other than my personal correspondence on my personal computer, and that my personal correspondence is of absolutely zero interest to you. Furthermore, you will notice that, although we share similar responsibilities, I have not, and do not intend to, break into your personal quarters. We may be enemies, but Phezzan would have you believe that we are living for the moment on a civilized planet, and I would hope that we can behave like civilized men.

“In the interest of not causing too great of a disturbance to the detente which exists here on Phezzan, I will not elevate this issue if you would return my property to me. I will be at the park at 54th and Lexard tomorrow evening. I will see you there, Lieutenant Commander Muller.”

IM ACTUALLY CACKLING!!!!!! hes so catty i love her. muller trying to look like a student but failing😂

“Well, I mean, he’s not… He’s not from the Empire.”

“Oh?”

“Like he would have been killed under Rudolph. Or at least sent to do labor.”

adding w/e starzone the galactic empire is in as ‘places to avoid entirely if ur any visible person of color’ MY God the absence of metaphor is striking amc iwtv voice . love how reinhard is like oh if u think u got my tea off a blog name then u rly gone get sum. tell leigh send hugs & kisses to my first love xoxo reinhard von musel

“Sir, my sister is more competent than I am,” Reinhard said, which made Blackwell laugh.

And is!!!

“Tell me.” She was a little more direct without the bishop present, which Reinhard thought was both interesting and an improvement.

LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HER!??? also im Lmbo @ reinhard going ‘well do i look like yo mf mama (earth) ‘ hes such a smartass i adore him. ik authornim oppresses reinhard but they truly Get Him!!!!

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Ingrid said. She looked up at the candle-lit altar. “You may look like a god, but you are only a man.”

Reinhard shook his head, too used to strange remarks about his appearance to be embarrassed. “I’ve never seen a god move anything in the world, so I would much prefer to be a man. Besides, my sister looks better than I do.”

im obsessed w ingrid bodying reinhard in such a manner with religious undertones & reinhard going fuck god. my sister’s cuter than me.

Ingrid’s hand dropped back to clutch the pew. “Part of me lived. Part of me died. A very dear… friend… of mine sacrificed her standing to save me. The Earth Church protected me. I’m very grateful to their patronage.”

DOES SHE FEEL LIKE A DEAD MAN WALKING…. IS THE EARTH CHURCH TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE LOSS OF WHAT WAS HOME FOR HER. MAGGIE😢😢😢HER SON ERWIN💔💔

REINHARD LOCKET…😢👀

As far as the man you encountered at a party, yes, I do believe I know who you’re referring to. I… hope... that you do not have too many reasons to come into contact with him, but if you should see him again, you may let him know that his message was received very happily, and that, quote, “I’m doing what you said to.”

OHMYGOD💔💔💔💔 wait im kinda jtfo at yang pov in this message cuz he prolly thinking to himself aw shit someone could be figuring me out on phezzan meanwhile reinhard & muller is in a quasi one sided homosexual espionage rigmarole

OMG ANNEROSE IS BACK!!!!

Linz had rather kindly made her a sign that read, “If your question is about my personal life, the answer is ‘NO.’ If you have an actual question, please come in.”

⚰️⚰️⚰️

#wiaw read #wiaw

[reference-subject-guide-bvd]

Work Cited

Ansons, Alec M., and Helen Davis. Diagnosis and Management of Ocular Motility Disorders. 4th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2014.

Barden, Anna. “Binocular Vision and Binocular Vision Dysfunction.” All About Vision, AAV Media, LLC, 1 Nov. 2022, https://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-care/eye-anatomy/what-is-binocular-vision/.

“Binocular Vision Dysfunction.” Vestibular Disorders Association, Vestibular Disorders Association, 24 Aug. 2021, https://vestibular.org/article/diagnosis-treatment/vision-hearing/binocular-vision-correction/.

Coubard, Olivier A. Neurovision: Neural Bases of Binocular Vision and Coordination and Their Implications in Visual Training Programs. Frontiers Media SA, 2015.

“Department of Health.” Types of Vision Problems, New York State, Jan. 2012, https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/conditions/vision_and_eye_health/types_of_vision_problems.htm.

Evans, Bruce J. W. Pickwell's Binocular Vision Anomalies: Investigation and Treatment. 6th ed., Elsevier, 2021.

Hussaindeen, Jameel Rizwana, and Mitchell Scheiman. Keep It Single and Simple Binocular Vision Testing and Treatment Made Easy. Nova Science Publishers, 2021.

McCoun, Jacques, and Lucien Reeves. Binocular Vision: Development, Depth Perception, and Disorders. Nova Science Publishers, 2010.

Scheiman, Mitchell, et al. Clinical Management of Binocular Vision: Heterophoric, Accommodative, and Eye Movement Disorders. 5th ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2020.

Stidwill, David, and Robert Fletcher. Normal Binocular Vision: Theory, Investigation and Practical Aspects. Wiley-Blackwell, 2017.

“Trip Medical Database.” Trip Medical Database, https://www.tripdatabase.com/.

Wray, Shirley H. Eye Movement Disorders in Clinical Practice. Oxford University Press, 2014.

#work cited #binocular vision disorder #BVD

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 39, 2022

Modeling the effects of environmental and perceptual uncertainty using deterministic reinforcement learning dynamics with partial observability. Barfuss, W., & Mann, R. P. (2022). Physical Review E, 105(3), 034409.

Disinhibitory Circuitry Gates Associative Synaptic Plasticity in Olfactory Cortex. Canto-Bustos, M., Friason, F. K., Bassi, C., & Oswald, A.-M. M. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(14), 2942–2950.

Complementary encoding of spatial information in hippocampal astrocytes. Curreli, S., Bonato, J., Romanzi, S., Panzeri, S., & Fellin, T. (2022). PLOS Biology, 20(3), e3001530.

Visual distance perception indoors, outdoors, and in the dark. Dukes, J. M., Norman, J. F., & Shartzer, C. D. (2022). Vision Research, 194, 107992.

Orthogonal representations for robust context-dependent task performance in brains and neural networks. Flesch, T., Juechems, K., Dumbalska, T., Saxe, A., & Summerfield, C. (2022). Neuron, 110(7), 1258-1270.e11.

An incentive circuit for memory dynamics in the mushroom body of Drosophila melanogaster. Gkanias, E., McCurdy, L. Y., Nitabach, M. N., & Webb, B. (2022). eLife, 11, e75611.

First-order visual interneurons distribute distinct contrast and luminance information across ON and OFF pathways to achieve stable behavior. Ketkar, M. D., Gür, B., Molina-Obando, S., Ioannidou, M., Martelli, C., & Silies, M. (2022). eLife, 11, e74937.

Novelty detection in early olfactory processing of the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Lei, H., Haney, S., Jernigan, C. M., Guo, X., Cook, C. N., Bazhenov, M., & Smith, B. H. (2022). PLOS ONE, 17(3), e0265009.

Corticofugal regulation of predictive coding. Lesicko, A. M., Angeloni, C. F., Blackwell, J. M., De Biasi, M., & Geffen, M. N. (2022). eLife, 11, e73289.

Hippocampal Representations of Event Structure and Temporal Context during Episodic Temporal Order Memory. Liu, C., Ye, Z., Chen, C., Axmacher, N., & Xue, G. (2022). Cerebral Cortex, 32(7), 1520–1534.

ProBDNF Dependence of LTD and Fear Extinction Learning in the Amygdala of Adult Mice. Ma, X., Vuyyuru, H., Munsch, T., Endres, T., Lessmann, V., & Meis, S. (2022). Cerebral Cortex, 32(7), 1350–1364.

Suppression weakens unwanted memories via a sustained reduction of neural reactivation. Meyer, A.-K., & Benoit, R. G. (2022). eLife, 11, e71309.

The relationship between mechanisms for curvature and Vernier detections. Morita, M. M., & Sato, T. (2022). Vision Research, 194, 107993.

Visual segmentation of complex naturalistic structures in an infant eye-tracking search task. Schlegelmilch, K., & Wertz, A. E. (2022). PLOS ONE, 17(4), e0266158.

On the cortical mapping function – Visual space, cortical space, and crowding. Strasburger, H. (2022). Vision Research, 194, 107972.

Hummingbirds modify their routes to avoid a poor location. Tello-Ramos, M. C., Hurly, T. A., Barclay, M., & Healy, S. D. (2022). Learning & Behavior, 50(1), 89–98.

A Drosophila Circuit for Habituation Override. Trisal, S., Aranha, M., Chodankar, A., VijayRaghavan, K., & Ramaswami, M. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(14), 2930–2941.

Predictive coding of natural images by V1 firing rates and rhythmic synchronization. Uran, C., Peter, A., Lazar, A., Barnes, W., Klon-Lipok, J., Shapcott, K. A., … Vinck, M. (2022). Neuron, 110(7), 1240-1257.e8.

Strong Gamma Frequency Oscillations in the Adolescent Prefrontal Cortex. Wang, Z., Singh, B., Zhou, X., & Constantinidis, C. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(14), 2917–2929.

Distinct Causal Influences of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Posterior Parietal Cortex in Multiple-Option Decision Making. Woo, T.-F., Law, C.-K., Ting, K.-H., Chan, C. C. H., Kolling, N., Watanabe, K., & Chau, B. K. H. (2022). Cerebral Cortex, 32(7), 1390–1404.

#science #Neuroscience #computational neuroscience #Brain science #research #neurobiology #neurons #cognition #cognitive science #psychophysics #neural networks #neural computation #scientific publications #predictive coding

[rainybasementpaper]

Concept of keywords-  

Keith Haring                             

An idea or concept covered during the semester of contemporary art is the concept of keywords, with reference to New keywords : a revised vocabulary of culture and society (Blackwell Pub, 2005) our lecture covered the importance of keywords within contemporary culture and art.The public's understanding of what culture, society or even terms such as criticism actually mean shape how art is viewed as naturally, modern art reflects the present society it operates in. The definition of terms dynamic, changing through time and generations words transform to have new meanings and context. The meaning of feminism, democracy, pornography, orientalism or gay and lesbian are used differently now in comparison to the first vocabulary of culture by Ray Williams in 1976. We did an exercise of picking a random keyword out of a hat, choosing that to expand on and then repeating this choosing an artist to link to the words. I focused on the terms ‘Aesthetics’ and ‘Generation’ linked to Keith Haring. In my opinion, an understanding of keywords in relation to 2024 and in relation to contemporary art history is needed in order to write about art, curate or critique it.  

Aesthetics is the focus on the appearance of things, and the idea of beautification in relation to art. The importance of how something looks above meaning or other factors. It could be linked to different movements with an ‘Abstract aesthetic’ for example. In terms of Haring’s art, I focused on his piece Safe Sex! Which is very visually bold, grabbing a viewer's attention with sexual imagery, using the aesthetics of pop art and street style. Haring's links to graffiti are evident through free art, as Haring began his career by drawing figures in chalk on the subway, the 1980’s artists were starting the blur the differentiations of high and low art as street art gained attention as a political movement, which is still a large association of graffiti today.  The piece is purposefully not beautified in order to fulfil the intentions of spreading awareness for using protection, but the animated penis is humorous despite the dark subject matter. Currently, Haring’s art style is largely advertised and commercialized, therefore would be recognised as his own aesthetic as his art style is linear and graphic, the bold colours and lines are distinctly Keith Haring. The artist made his work highly accessible to the masses as through his shop ‘the Pop Shop’ in 1986 he subverted elitist art ideals of exclusion, allowing his art to be worn and displayed cheaply while advocating for social change. This came with much criticism, as while his art took strong political stances against the Apartheid, Reagan and oppression of LGBT people, Haring eagerly took to consumerism selling jackets for $350 most of his audience would not be able to afford. His aesthetic today is apparent through the Kieth Haring Foundation, which collaborates with converses, H&M, Addidas etc., making $10 in revenue from morally questionable companies. The Haring art that is most shown is often un-political, making it more digestible despite his aims of strong sexual and clear imagery, such as Silence Equals Death (1989)depicting the pink triangle and people in pain, the badge homosexuals were made to wear in Nazi concentration camps.  

The key term generation evokes everyone living in a specific period, for example ‘baby boomers’ born in around 1946-1964 are a group stereotyped to be obsessed with working and holding traditional/conservative beliefs, with generational differences compared to younger people such as Millennials or Gen Z. These groups are viewed as more accepting of sexuality, race and gender in addition to prioritising mental health which can be seen through art across the decades as it can be argued each younger generation is more open and progressive. Keith Haring uses art to speak on the aids crisis as Safe Sex! (1987) was made in 1987 referencing the epidemic lasting from 1981 to the early 90’s. The emphasis put on safe sex to stop the spread of HIV was largely affecting the community of gay men killing around 40 million people from then to 2023, it almost wiped out the entirety of gen x. The epidemic not only almost killed an entire generation, but caused worldwide outspreads of homophobia, as people labelled it the ‘gay plague’ or ‘cancer’ the gay community was ignored and blamed, Reagan’s government refusing to respond, and rumors AIDS is transferred through touch, many of the men died with no one to hold their hand.  As Keith Haring himself was queer this was a key motif throughout, creating hundreds of pieces to promote safe sex and AIDS education, with one of his most famous pieces igorance=fear (1989) Haring died of AIDS in 1990 at just 31,however he began a foundation to provide funding for AIDS organisations and uses his art as imagery.  

[tthieu2808]

Week 7: Digital Citizenship and Health Education: Body Modification on Visual Social Media

With the development of technology and communication, people today have many opportunities to access new knowledge and gain new experiences in an easier and more positive way. Those changes come not only from thinking, perception or lifestyle but also from appearance. The rapid development of media and society also creates more favorable conditions for people with high needs for beauty to enhance their beauty through body modification and body image building.

According to Bradley University, we tend to think of the human body as simply a product of nature. However, our bodies are also products of culture. This shows that what we show on our appearance not only shows our personality and personality, but also shows the cultural features we live in or have experienced. Building body image also helps us not only express our personality or opinions and ideas about something, but also build a cultural community like us. In today's times, cosmetic surgery has become familiar to everyone as the need for beauty is growing and the economy is growing to meet those needs. Cosmetic surgery is the use of human technology and techniques on one's body to transform and change them as desired. Although cosmetic surgery is an inevitable result of the development and growing beauty needs of many people, it is also a topic that is always discussed today.

While some say it can improve self-esteem and combat negative body image. Others see surgical intervention as a sad indictment of a culture with rigid and narrow notions of beauty - a culture that values youth, sexuality and physical appearance over is experience, character and nature (Jeffreys 2000). Critics also note the potential risks associated with cosmetic surgery. In addition to the risk of post-operative infection and other surgical complications, a recent study revealed a correlation between cosmetic surgery, substance abuse, and suicide (Lipworth, 2007). The rapid development of social networking platforms also makes building self-image more important than ever. Building a good image on anfy platforms also creates many influencers related to many topics such as sports, beauty and even sex work. The rise of digital platforms has blurred the lines between consumers and workers, creating a phenomenon known as “prosumption.” (Büscher & Igoe 2013; Ritzer & Jurgenson 2010 cited in Drenten et al. 2020). The development of the sex industry gives many people the opportunity to approach more sensitive issues, which can help people pay more attention to issues such as sex education or sexual safety. But there needs to be selection and control. With social networking platforms becoming increasingly popular and without age restrictions, harmful information can have a negative impact on underage users or children when using social platforms. Therefore, these digital platforms need to demonstrate their ability to play a role in controlling sensitive information and content as well as having policies for users and sensitive content. feelings related to sex, violence, ... The actions of anfy platforms not only help ensure user safety, but also help classify the content and topics necessary to build more active and independent communities.

References:

Drenten, J, Gurrieri, L & Tyler, M 2020, “Sexualized labour in digital culture: Instagram influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention,” Gender, work, and organization, vol. 27, no. 1, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford, pp. 41–66.

Bradley University, Body Modification & Body Image.

https://www.bradley.edu/sites/bodyproject/disability/modification/

#mda20009 #digital communities #swinburne

[vudinhlam]

Week 7: Digital Citizenship and Health Education: Body Modification on Visual Social Media

 Recently social media started to grow more and more, creating lots of platforms to serve as a dynamic space for self-expression, creating a connection between users and sharing tons of information. Thanks to the emergence of social media and digital technology has been associated with a shift in the nature of labor, as well as the popularization of pornography and the "porn chic" look (Drenten, 2020). In addition, body modification also started to rise up among influencers and celebrities to improve their appearance on social media, gain more view and popularity. Furthermore, according to the 2017 data provided by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 42% of surgeons said that their patients are pursuing aesthetic surgery to enhance their image on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other networks (Dorfman, 2018). Beside that, body modification and pornography by sexualizing self-looking is a way marketing utilize to promote product. Celebrity and influencers apply the body modification and expose themselves to their social media to gain more following and potentially attract some advertisement. Influencer labor based on affiliation aims to attract and retain the interest of an external business by engaging in fun and sexually provocative interactions with followers on social media who are activated by increasingly subtle digital affordances (Drenten, 2020). In addition, with body modification, change their appearance and look to create an image that boosts more popularity to the influencer and brand advertise. However, by over doing plastic surgery, modification to the body can create some long-term harmful effects to health and therefore it’s a risky beauty treatment to gain popularity. As social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook continue to rise more, influencers and celebrities from around the will continue to pornified and show their body modification to gain attention and attract advertisers. It is important to remind people to educate themselves more about what is the long-term impact of body modification to avoid any unfortunate.

Reference:

  Drenten, J, Gurrieri, L & Tyler, M 2020, “Sexualized labour in digital culture: Instagram influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention,” Gender, work, and organization, vol. 27, no. 1, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford, pp. 41–66.

 Robert G Dorfman, Elbert E Vaca, Eitezaz Mahmood, Neil A Fine and Clark F Schierle, ‘Plastic Surgery-Related Hashtag Utilization on Instagram: Implications for Education and Marketing’, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Volume 38, Issue 3, March 2018, pp 332–338

#mda20009

[issafmpflorablog]

B o t a n y

A n d

F e m i n i s m

The association between women and plants can be traced all the way back to the role of female healers in medieval and early-modern communities. The study and classification of plants was just part of the fabric of nature as a whole, which women were intimately familiar with.

“During the later 18th century, women had more culturally sanctioned access to botany than any other science: they collected plants, drew them, studied them, named them, taught their children about plants, and wrote popularizing books on botany. Botany came to be widely associated with women and was widely gender coded as feminine,” writes historian Ann B. Shteir in a 1997 journal published by the University of Chicago Press.

several popular books were published during this time, written and illustrated by women. Elizabeth Blackwell melded the herbal tradition with artistic skill in A Curious Herbal (1737 to 1739), which featured 500 etched, engraved, and hand-coloured illustrations of plants with descriptions and names in several languages, along with information about medical uses.

Reagan, R. (2023b) 'Are flowers feminist? The surprisingly Radical History of Women and Botany - BUST,' BUST, 22 August. https://bust.com/feminist-history-of-botany/.

[my-efl-blog]

Image Descriptions in Alt Text

For The Class That I Made This Blog For, we had to present on a Professional Organization in the field of TESOL. So, I present: TESOL International Association.

Still haven't joined. Definitely should. At some point. Because I'm a responsible EFL educator.

Sources (In APA 7th ed style, which in retrospect was a bad choice for this kind of presentation)

Crandall, J. A. & Finn Miller, S. (2014). Effective professional development for English as a second/foreign language teachers. In M. Celce-Murcia, D. M. Brinton,  & M. A. Snow (Eds.) Teaching English as a second or foreign language. 4th ed. (pp. 630-648). Boston: National Geographic Learning/Cengage Learning.

Reynolds, K. M., Dikilitaş, K., & Close, S. (2022). Introduction to TESOL: Becoming a language teaching professional. Wiley Blackwell.

TESOL International Association. (n.d.a). About. https://www.tesol.org/about/. Accessed August 30, 2023.

TESOL International Association. (n.d.b). Education and events: Accelerate your career. https://www.tesol.org/professional-development/education-and-events/on-demand-facilitated/. Accessed August 30, 2023.

TESOL International Association. (n.d.c). Education and events: Sharpen your teaching and leadership skills. https://www.tesol.org/professional-development/education-and-events/live-online/. Accessed August 30, 2023.

TESOL International Association. (n.d.d). Events and Education: Learn About Events – Worldwide. https://www.tesol.org/professional-development/education-and-events/calendar-of-events/. Accessed August 30, 2023.

TESOL International Association. (n.d.e). Membership Options. https://sites.tesol.org/MemberPortal/Membership/Membership_Landing_Page.aspx?LoginRedirect=true&returnurl=%2f. Accessed August 30, 2023.

TESOL International Association. (n.d.f). Member Benefits. https://www.tesol.org/join-tesol/member-benefits/. Accessed August 30, 2023.

TESOL International Association. (n.d.g). Publications and research: Access the Latest in English Language Teaching and Best Practices. https://www.tesol.org/professional-development/publications-and-research/. Accessed August 30, 2023.

TESOL International Association. (n.d.h). TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo. https://www.tesol.org/professional-development/education-and-events/in-person/tesol-convention/. Accessed August 30, 2023.

TESOL International Association. (n.d.i). TESOL global community: Be Part of the Affiliate Network. https://www.tesol.org/tesol-global-community/affiliates/. Accessed August 30, 2023.

TESOL International Association. (n.d.j). TESOL global community: Get Involved in TESOL Communities of Practice. https://www.tesol.org/tesol-global-community/communities-of-practice/. Accessed August 30, 2023.

#portfolio #TESOL #SLA #Linguistics

[kyuuzeroichi]

Visa Need Not Apply

A digital citizenship revolves around the idea that users of the internet are required to forego a set assessments before conducting themselves online. Topic include cyberbullying, internet “trolls”, hate speech and leaving a digital footprint. This issue been lingering around since the birth of the internet, but has only gained attention in recent history with Covid-19. “…many researchers, educators, policy makers, and partitioners are interested in theorizing and applying the concept of digital citizenship to alleviate the many problems associated with fragmented networked society supported up by the burgeoning use of the Internet and social media” (Castells, 1996)

Social media, for the most part, has not been overseen by any bodies of authority, until the recent events of Covid-19. Any piece of news, information or the mere mention of said virus were flagged and attached was link to an a related site disclosing information about the virus, that was created by the government of the country of the viewers. However, due to the nature of people and their freedom to use the internet as they please, the spread of misinformation was inevitable. Stating that certain medications were the key to the cure, to point the finger at certain things like 5G signals and packages from China that were increasing the spread of Covid. (Australia Government ND) The required acquisition of a digital citizenship seems like a tedious and long process to be implemented, with backlash to follow, but is a step in the right direction to educating the masses in volatile space. “…find and distributing information (e.g., Google) and taking free online courses, the best way to use the Internet/ social media promoting digital citizenship education is not as neutral technology for just disseminating and seeking formation but the potential subject allows for exploring, comparing, collaborating, exchanging, expressing and augmenting ideas, and actualizing democracy for marginalized and oppressed citizens.”

Australian Government, No Date, “Covid-19 Mythbusting”, australia.gov.au/covid-19-mythbusting

Choi, M, Dean, C, 2021, “Digital citizenship with intersectionality lens: Towards participatory democracy driven digital citizenship education”, Theory into Practice, Pg 361-370.

Castells, M, 1996, “The rise of the network society: The information age: Economy, society and culture” (Vol. 1), Blackwell Publishers.

#mda20009

[deenoss]

Dreamcatcher Chptr. 65

Within a matter of seconds, there was a white flash and Max Caulfield found herself reliving what would've been one of the few worst moments in her life. As she stood around the corner of the end bathroom stall, Max tore the photograph up and stuffed the pieces in her satchel. Tears began to well up in her eyes, knowing that what was about to happen was something she could not interfere with for the sake of the hundreds of lives in Arcadia.

Max listened closely to Nathan Prescott mumble comfort to himself in preparation for the confrontation that was about to unfold. Then, the door opened.

"What do you want?" Nathan asked grouchily.

"I want to know where Chloe is." Clark ordered firmly.

"Your punk-ass bitch sister? Who gives a fuck? I'm actually glad she's gone."

"Don't you ever talk about her like that! Now answer the question, you spoiled brat! Where's Chloe?!"

Max pressed her back against the outer bathroom stall wall and slid down until she was sitting on the floor. She pulled her legs close to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees and dropped her head on her arms and began to cry.

No matter what she did, in the end, she failed to save her best friend.

"... and left your stupid ass behind, just like Rachel did. What kind of people are they?"

"You don't know who the fuck I am or who you're messing with! Don't ever tell me what to do! I'm so sick of people trying to control me! I ain't telling you shit about your stupid sister! I'm glad she's gone! In fact, I hope she's dead! And if you don't back the fuck off, you're going to see her again!"

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!"

BANG!

Max jumped at the sound of the gunshot.

A body fell over and hit the ground, followed by the sounds of Nathan Prescott whimpering and breathing shakily, uttering his disapproval of how things turned out.

He just shot a person.

He shot a friend's friend.

He shot Clark Price in cold blood.

But for one slight altercation in the fabric of that timeline, a miracle happened.

Pained moans were heard when the door to the bathroom was kicked opened by force. Rustling sounds made Max curious as to what was going on when she dared to peek her head around the corner to see David Madsen arresting Nathan while a paralysed Clark Price laid on the floor, clutching his gunshot wound in his abdomen.

Max made the decision to not expose herself just yet, rather to wait until everybody was out of the room before she made her escape.

While Nathan was apprehended and taken out of the room, Max stared at Clark struggling on the floor, unsupported and slowly dying. Unable to fight her urge any longer, Max sprung out from around the corner and grabbed a handful of paper towels. She proceeded to sit on the floor, cradling Clark's head on her thigh as she shoved the scrunched up paper towels on Clark's gunshot wound to applied pressure.

"M-M-M-Max...?" Clark mumbled shakily.

"Don't worry, Clark. I'm here now. I'm here... Breath with me." Max smiled nervously.

Doing all that she could to suppress the blood loss, Max began to breathe much faster at a steady pace Clark could follow until the paramedics arrived.

Several minutes later and paramedics stormed into the bathroom with a wheeler stretcher. Max was reluctantly backed away to give the two medics space to treat Clark and suppress the blood for the time being before he was carefully lifted up by his arms and legs onto the stretcher.

While Clark was transported to the ambulance parked outside the front of Blackwell Academy, many of the school's students formed the crowd that surrounded the grass patches on either side of the stone footpath leading towards the ambulance. The back door was opened by one paramedic while the other waited for his associate to assist lifting Clark inside the back whilst still on the stretcher.

Max watched Clark disappear from sight as she stood like a statue, shaken by the sudden turn of events which had left her friend gravely injured and with blood staining her hands.

People noticed Max's paralysed state but said nothing about it. Nobody except Kate Marsh.

The dirty-haired blonde girl approached Max and brushed her fingers down Max's bicep. Max jumped out of her skin at the physical contact, but was quick to feel calm and relaxed when she realised that it was Kate who'd come to her aid.

At first glance, Max was absolutely shocked and relieved to see Kate alive and well. She quickly remembered how she was officially back in time and Kate was indeed alive, along with the rest of Arcadia. Max felt the urge to throw her arms around Kate and squeeze the life out of her, but she refrained from doing such a thing and maintained composure in spite of the fact that her heart was racing.

"H-Hi, Kate." Max spoke almost in a whisper.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Kate voiced her concern.

Max's blue orbs darted down to Kate's candy red lipstick then back up to her hazel eyes, which were surrounded by red and bags under her eyes from the crying shed been doing after she discovered a video of her was released without her consent.

Max nodded her head timidly. "Y-Yeah. I'll be alright."

"What in the name of the good Lord above happened back there? Is Clark going to be alright? Gosh... I hope he's alright."

"I hope so too..."

The brunette locked her gaze on the security guard who'd arrested Nathan Prescott and drew out her phone and sent an anonymous message to him, hoping that he would act on her message to put Mark Jefferson in prison forever.

She was snapped out of her focus at the touch of Kate's hand gently rubbing her back for comfort.

The ambulance siren's volume was switched back on and the ambulance sped off to deliver Clark to the hospital for immediate treatment. Meanwhile, the crowd dispersed to resume doing their own thing for the afternoon.

Since Max was back in the present, she had to experience everything slowly and wait patiently to see what events would follow up afterwards.

For this instance, Max believed that she made the right decision contacting David Madsen about Jefferson and his Dark Room. It would not take long for him to uncover its location with the authorities to back him up - should he act in haste to uncover this tale.

"Do you want to go grab some tea?" Kate offered. She was always considerate for Max and always willing to spent any amount of time with the girl whom she fancied, but was still deeply and heavily insecure about her sexuality.

Max beamed with gladness at the dirty-haired blonde and accepted her offer, knowing that having a tea date - as they would call it - would do the trick in distracting them from Clark getting shot and Nathan getting arrested.

The two girls were last to leave by making their way to the girl's dormitory and straight to Kate's room where nobody could bother them.

#life is strange #max caulfield #nathan prescott #shooting #bathroom #miracle #time travel #a second chance

[m-blackwell-and-associates]

Following Up pt 2

Nicky’s people had cleaned the grave well enough, now that the original mission, both true and false, was over.  Nicky had the manners to police his own.  Now it was left to her to gather what dust had fallen out of her cousin’s reach and how she could make it pay.  It would be more satisfying to have someone else pay the costs now resting in her ledger.  

“Any reason you chose…”  Angelina turned back a page to see the list of operatives that Nicky had sent. “Diana Rosselini, alias Anna Betancourt?”  

“I felt she was the best of the four.”

“What made her stand out?”  At first glance, all four seemed to be of similar quality.  Military training of one flavor or another.  Specific skills earned in vague unnamed places.  Confirmed kill lists.  All from distant branches of breeder families, probably only accidentally aware of the family business, if aware of it at all.  No one with any strong ties to any Kindred family that she could recall at this moment.  Perfect operatives for those hopefuls with nothing left to lose and willing to work for a family pariah.

Family pariahs.  

Angelina frowned slightly, perturbed at the unnecessary self-reminder, tucking that thought away for later contemplation.  Now was not the time for meditating on old injustices. 

“I feel that a Rosselini was more suitable,” Pietro gave an easy shrug, as if such an important choice was merely an afterthought.  Normally a temperate guide, she found his lack of care or worry to be irritating this evening. 

“More suitable than what, Pietro?  Do not dissemble.”

He capitulated immediately.  “The Rosselini was the only choice, donna.  I wouldn’t dare Proxy Jara without approval of the Pisnob.  I didn’t feel that you’d want the della Passaglia here, all things considered, so Durant was also not an option.”

“Your consideration of my feelings is commendable, but if he was the better candidate, I would have accepted him.  Chances are he wasn’t involved with the…current politics.”  Angelina clicked her teeth shut on the words, biting them where she couldn’t bite those that had risen against her.

Again that nonchalant shrug and easy grin, tacitly ignoring the tempest she held under thin glass  “I would not risk it and besides, the Rosselini was equally qualified and the fourth did not survive the mission.”

“Karl Koeing, alias of Gerhart Auer,” Angelina mused, putting the papers back in order and finding the small work of neatness to be soothing.  There would be very little this evening that would be considered soothing.  “Nicky removed him from the operation himself?”

“Compromised,” Pietro agreed.  “At least that was what my Rosselini has told me, though I find it all a little extreme.  The Butcher didn’t like the fact he was passing information.  I understand his reasoning, but it wasn’t as if the Koeing was speaking out of house.”

A flash of annoyance cut through her precarious calm, jaw tightening against what she wished to say.  Vincenzo. They had been contemporaries once, equal in status as one of the North American padroni.  Their cousin’s unexpected murder had given him the job and she found the timing of it suspect, as well as Vincenzo’s lack of proper familial mourning.   “And Ms. Rosselini was the one that made sure the grave was clean?”

#amwriting #authors #fiction #flash fiction #m blackwell & associates #vampire #oc #clangiovanni #Clan Giovanni #Nicky Giovanni #Angelina Giovanni #Vincenzo Giovanni #The Proxy #No one hates you like family #follow up #breeder family #Rossellini #Pietro Giovanni #cleaning the grave #chronicles of darkness

[ebouks]

Diseases of Poultry 14th edition

Diseases of Poultry 14th edition

Diseases of Poultry 14th edition Editor-in-Chief David E. Swayne Associate Editors Martine Boulianne Catherine M. Logue Larry R. McDougald Venugopal Nair David L. Suarez Categories: Biology Volume: 1-2 Year: 2020 Edition: 14th Publisher: Wiley blackwell Language: english Pages: 1472 ISBN 10: 1119371155 ISBN 13: 9781119371151 File: 60.97 MB

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[m-blackwell-and-associates]

A bastard's bastard. pt 2

Lillian looked at the hair in her hands. Four days after the incident and her body had stopped withering. Not quite a walking corpse, but certainly nothing that would walk in public and not cause notice. Her hair, her beautiful dark auburn hair, had continued to wither away until it became brittle and thin. Now it was the hair of an old woman standing on the edge of her grave. The nuns at school had alternately praised her for her luck and admonished her not to give into the vanity that was the sin of all women. If they could see her now, holding handfuls of faded dried up weeds.  

A knock at the door made her cry out in alarm, "No! Don't come in!" She didn't want to see anyone until she could come to terms with what she was. But someone entered anyway.

"Mother," Lillia whispered, suddenly wishing to cry. Instead, she covered her drawn and sunken face behind knobby hands. "Don't look at me!"

Catherine Rosselini came to her daughter with soothing sounds of comfort. "Oh sweetheart, don't hide from me. You're as beautiful now as you were when you were born."

Lillian choked on her mother’s good humor and obvious lie. "Newborns are ugly."

"Not to their mothers." Catherine laughed, not hesitating to put her arms around her daughter, holding the cold and stiff body tight. Desperately needing the comfort, Lillian returned the embrace still feeling tears that wouldn't fall.  Could she still cry in this state, or would she always feel stuck not being able to purge what was in her heart?

"What do I do now?" she whispered into her mother’s shoulder, only just now realizing she was dressed for a formal evening. Count Rossellini was hosting his own descendants tonight at the family gathering, an invitation that Catherine had coveted more than anything, finally getting to mingle with the greatest of her relations.  Lillian backed away hastily, less her changed countenance somehow stain the dress.  She felt filthy in this condition, still smelling the canal water that had flooded that pit and wondered if, like her missing tears, if she’d ever feel clean again.

"You put on the dress I brought you and you hold your head up high and you remind everyone that you have been triply blessed this year. And when that poor excuse of a father of yours hosts the Milliners at the end of the week as the youngest family, you'll attend that one too and remind every one of those ignorant Yankees exactly what you bring to the table."

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do what, honey?"

"Sleep with dad if you hate him so much?"

Catherine looked thoughtful, smoothing back the thin scant wisps of hair that still graced Lillian’s head. "Because it was the price of my independence, darling. And besides, it brought me you and your little brothers and I didn't have to chain myself to some fat lugard of a man for the rest of my life. You," she kissed Lillian's cheek. "Were entirely worth putting up with that dithering ass. And this," she kissed Lillian's other cheek. "Has made every insult worth it. My precious daughter given the Kiss just hours after the Milliners were formally included in the family. By one of the elders no less. It is very possible you are closer in blood to Uncle Ambrogino than you are to your father!"

The way her mother laughed, it was clearly the crow of triumph.  It was apparently a mark of status to have a close family be….whatever she was now.  Whatever status Catherine had gained by having Old Man Milliner’s bastards had somehow increased by her literal falling in with Mathias. 

"How...how did you know to send me there? To the well? How did you know there'd be family there?"  Lillian tried to forget the screams of the people they pushed in - Frances’ wife and all his descendants, by blood or by marriage, that had refused to bend a knee to the horror that was the Giovanni.  It was Frances’ proof of loyalty, that everyone walking would be bound, one way or another, to the family business.  She had already heard the servants gossiping on the haggling being done over the newly widowed and who would take them of Frances’ hands.

Again that thoughtful look as if Catherine was considering the events and if the story could be told. "My uncle married outside of the family. She was an only child, an heiress to use the old fashion term, so it was permitted.  There wouldn't be anyone to challenge the inheritance or any of her own family she could run to if she....discovered any of the family business. It was eventually discovered she had been having an affair. He couldn't divorce her and risk losing any of the estate, or her taking the one child he knew for sure was his, so he demanded that Count Rossellini do something. And so he did. My uncle's wife, her lover, and their children were all pushed into the well. We were all brought to watch as a reminder that one doesn't betray the family."

It was said so casually that Lillian felt colder than she had been, staring at her mother in something akin to shock.  “And…and no one thought her death suspicious?”

“It's easy to fake a drowning death in Venice, my dear.  What was left of the bodies showed up in the lagoon eventually.  A boat accident was to blame.”

"Did you...expect this to happen to me?"  Lillian pressed withered hands to her sunken cheeks.

"Absolutely not! Nothing from that pit has ever created a childe, not by any family story I've ever heard. I sent you to follow our cousins because I wanted you to know that there were resources here that you could make use of. If you needed them."

#amwriting #authors #fiction #flash fiction #m blackwell & associates #vampire #clangiovanni #familia #Premascine #Lillian Milliner #oc #Piccoli Fratellini #Venice #the Kiss #v:tm #Milliner #vampire: the masquerade #A bastard's bastard

[m-blackwell-and-associates]

The Meeting pt. 3

“So what do the Giovanni have to do with it? Were they the ones to wack her?” While not on the friendliest terms, Madaline had managed cordial relations with the local Brujah leadership. If nothing else, her stand off with the Ventrue had earned her some grudging respect. But there had been nothing on the ledger that would have led to a murder of convenience. Nothing that required cutting losses quite so severely. Nicky could not think of anything that would have led to the current levels of hostility. “If that’s Jon’s grudge, I’d need some proof before taking it to the family.”

“Your cousins put out a bounty for any of her belongings. Needed something near and dear to ol’ Dana’s heart. Extra if they could provide Dana’s ashes. Rumor had it they wanted to call up her soul. Bring her back from the dead.”

“Mother already told me that my cousins were taking witness statements from beyond the grave. If that’s all you got for me….”

“Oh you don’t understand, Nicky. It weren’t to talk to her and find out her killer. When has your lot ever been interested in justice?”

“Hey. I’m sitting right here.”

“Vengeance, mebe.” Monster grinned, warming to his tale. “But then vengeance ain’t nothing more than justice with interest, ain’t that right?”

“That’s fancy philosophy for a Gangrel,” Nicky was getting impatient for the meat of the matter. “What’d my family want with Dana Stone’s soul?”

“They wanted to bring Dana back from the dead. Not to talk, to bring her back.” Monster slapped the ground in front of him, emphasizing one what side of the Shroud he was talking about. “They found a nice new body and put Dana’s soul into it. Shipped her off all wrapped up in ribbons to her Justicar. Wanted to sweet talk that ice queen into some sort of alliance. Like he was going a-courtin’.”

Nicky stared at Monster, sure that he was lying. Or exaggerating for purposes of his story. “That’s not possible.”

The lie came easily. It could be done, Nicky knew, because he had done it. But the Giovanni were in the business of collecting souls, not returning them. The cost to do such a thing was astronomical, with the chances of success to be so minimal as to not be worth the attempt. On top of that, the family had forbidden it. It would have to be a valuable soul to pay the cost of return and to risk eternal torment at the hands of the Giovanni.

Dana Stone nor the favor of her Justicar was worth that kind of risk.

“Who’s idea was that?” Nicky demanded. He had seen first hand the carnage that came from the Brujah Justicar and her idea of proper punishment for the smallest sin. There was no forgiveness for anything. To actively seek her attention? To flaunt family power in her face? Nicky was under the opinion that the Giovanni were very lucky to still be in this city at all. Little wonder the city was burning through dons faster than the family could replace them.

“That tall cocky one, the one that took over when the old don burned.”

Nicky thought of all the missed opportunities to eat Vincenzo’s fucking soul and how that could have saved all of them from having to deal with this latest fiasco. “I don’t know why that’d piss off the Brujah. They had Dana Stone back. You could almost say new and improved. Certainly that’d be worth something.”

“Oh, but that’s the best part of the story, Nicky,” Monster purred, creeping forward to share his delighted secret. “Something went wrong. The body rotted. Your cousin sent the soul of the Midwest’s most influential Brujah to her Justicar as a walking corpse. Rumor has it that her frosty bitchness had to decide to let Dana slowly rot away or put her down.”

Nicky hid his face in his hands for a moment. One didn’t trash talk family in front of outsiders. Even family you disliked to outsiders that were tolerable. This fuck up was now bigger than Vinnie failing his way upwards. Whatever his cousin had been attempting had backfired. Backfired so badly as to risk the enmity of an entire clan. Possibly the Camarilla, depending on how the Brujah pressed their cause. Nicky considered leaving Chicago within the hour. “How accurate is this information?”

“I’m not pen pals with her Fury, if that’s what you’re asking.” Monster shrugged, his interest fading now that the story was told. “But we had a wanderer come through a year ago, claims to have attended a gathering where this story was told. Was the explanation of why your clan is being uninvited from Switzerland. Prince Guillimere don’t allow no violence and easier to evict some bankers than his Justicar if you’re looking to avoid a fight.”

Nicky got up to pace, rubbing his hands together to keep them occupied. His mind raced trying to find ways around this crisis. “This…incident. How widely known?”

“Not much if you didn’t know,” Monster observed and also rose, looking more man than animal now that he was upright. “But maybe your kin didn’t see fit to tell you. Common enough among the Brujah I think, the way they’re closing ranks. Not as many Anarchs these days. A newfound willingness to take the Queen’s shilling, as it were.”

Nicky’s jaw clenched until the teeth creaked in their sockets, the pain cutting through the rage flooding through him. The enormity of Vincenzo’s blunder began to settle on him. On an average day, a room full of Brujah couldn’t agree on the color of their black leather jackets. Vincenzo had just given them a cause big enough for them to unify under. “I appreciate you talking to me, Monster.”

“Always willing to work with you, Nicky. I know you’re good for it.”

“I’d also appreciate it if you keep this incident on the same level I heard it.” Nicky could hear the expectation in Monster’s voice. It was clear they had gotten to the wheeling and dealing part of the show. “What can I do for you?”

Monster sighed explosively, looking around at the wildness of parkland gone to see, fists on his hips as if considering his options. “The fucking Torys want to make the island pretty again. Turn it back into some Japanese pleasure garden the way it was during the fair. Would appreciate you shutting that down so we can keep it how we likes it.” The Gangrel’s tone turned sly, arching one red brow. “Hear you have an affinity for roses.”

“What can I say? They love sharp pricks,” Nicky said with a self-deprecating shrug, sending the Gangrel into howls of laughter. With an amiable clap on the shoulder, Monster turned and still chuckling, disappeared into the wilds of the Wooded Island.

#amwriting #authors #fiction #flash fiction #m blackwell & associates #vampire #owbn #clangiovanni #oc #gangrel #chicago by night #the meeting #wheeling and dealing #cannon character #world of darkness #v:tm #vampire the masquerade #necromancy

[m-blackwell-and-associates]

Where you start. pt. 3

Sunday nights were not the normal time for a baptism, but Vincenzo was a busy man. They all knew that business kept him from dawn to dusk. He always agreed to be a godfather when asked and always saw them well provided for, given a helping hand through the doors he opened for them. It was a small matter to accommodate his schedule in exchange for that generosity. Family took care of each other this way.

Vincenzo's mortal cousin shifted again along side of him, the baby fussing in her arms. He tried to remember what her name was, something ridiculous. Bethany? That might be it. He patted her upper back slightly, in a gesture of support, whispering in her ear, "You're doing fine, babies always cry at baptisms."

Her cheeks flushed a bit in pleasure and she relaxed a bit. This was clearly her first time at standing as godmother. Vincenzo couldn't remember if she was married - you lost track of the heartbeats so quickly after a few generations, but if she wasn't, he'd have to introduce her to Joey. Nana Catena's ghost wouldn't fucking shut up about getting little Joey decently married and giving her some great-great grandchildren finally. Oh, Joey had done exactly that, many times over. Joey couldn't keep it in his pants if they were stapled to him. He wasn't careful, he was going to be known as Quick Draw Joey. But Nana Catena wanted legitimate grandchildren. She was old fashioned like that and Vincenzo made a mental note to explain that Joey could still play guns with whatever tramp he wanted to, he'd just have to make sure he played family man at home. 

#amwriting #authors #clan giovanni #familia #fiction #flash fiction #m blackwell & associates #no one hates you like family #owbn #vampire #Vincenzo Giovanni #where you start #the ties that bind #OC #v:tm