#republic city hustle part 3

[spamassage43]

Thai Massage Happy Ending Unwind and Indulge in Prague

Thai massage is a traditional healing technique that combines acupressure, stretching, and meditation to promote relaxation, improve flexibility, and alleviate pain. In recent years, Thai massage has gained popularity worldwide, and Prague, the vibrant capital city of the Czech Republic, is no exception. In this article, we'll explore the world of Thai massage in Prague, with a special focus on the elusive "happy ending" experience.

Thai massage is a unique form of bodywork that differs from other massage styles in several ways. Unlike Swedish or deep tissue massage, which primarily involve manipulating the muscles, Thai massage incorporates a range of techniques, including acupressure, joint mobilization, and passive stretching. The therapist uses their hands, knees, feet, and elbows to apply pressure to specific points on the body, known as sen lines, which are believed to be energy channels. The goal is to release tension, improve circulation, and restore balance to the body's vital energy, or prana.

Thai massage is typically performed on a mat on the floor, with the client wearing loose, comfortable clothing. The session begins with a brief consultation to assess the client's health and preferences, followed by a series of stretches and compressions. The therapist may also use aromatherapy oils, such as lavender or peppermint, to enhance the relaxation and therapeutic effects of the massage.

Now, let's talk about the "happy ending" experience. While Thai massage is a deeply relaxing and rejuvenating therapy, some clients may seek an additional service that goes beyond the traditional massage. The term "happy ending" refers to a sexual release, typically provided by the masseuse as a separate service after the massage. This is not a standard part of Thai massage, and it's essential to communicate clearly with the massage parlor or therapist about your expectations and preferences.

In Prague, there are several massage parlors that offer Thai massage with a "happy ending" option. Some of the most popular ones include:

1. Thai Massage Prague:- Located in the heart of the city, this massage parlor offers a wide range of massage services, including Thai massage, oil massage, and foot massage. They also provide a "happy ending" service upon request.

2. Thai Massage Center:- This massage parlor is known for its experienced and skilled therapists, who specialize in traditional Thai massage techniques. They offer a variety of massage packages, including Thai massage with a "happy ending" option.

3. Thai Massage & Spa:- This massage parlor is located in a quiet and peaceful area, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. They offer a range of massage services, including Thai massage, aromatherapy massage, and hot stone massage. They also provide a "happy ending" service upon request.

It's essential to note that the "happy ending" service is not legal in the Czech Republic, and it's subject to strict regulation. The massage parlors that offer this service may operate in a gray area, and it's up to the client to assess the risks and benefits of engaging in this activity. It's also crucial to prioritize safety and hygiene and to communicate openly and honestly with the massage parlor or therapist about your preferences and expectations.

In conclusion, Thai massage is a unique and transformative therapy that combines ancient healing techniques with modern wellness practices. In Prague, several massage parlors offer Thai massage, including some that provide a "happy ending" service upon request. While this service is not legal or widely accepted in the Czech Republic, it's up to the client to make an informed decision based on their values, preferences, and circumstances. Whether you're seeking relaxation, rejuvenation, or a more intimate experience, Thai massage in Prague is a journey that will awaken your senses, soothe your soul, and leave you feeling renewed and refreshed.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:-

Thai Massage Happy Ending Prague

[brave-brokenheart]

So I didn't know this existed until today. Maby some of you didn't either...anyway here is a little Mako and Bolin back story.

#korra #avatar the legend of korra #legend of korra #avatar korra #avatar #mako #bolin #pabu #republic city #republic city hustle #republic city hustle part 1 #republic city hustle part 2 #republic city hustle part 3 #my post

[avatar-state-kate]

Mako and Bolin: Parentification and codependency in identity formation

Most character analysis are of, well, one character. Now usually this is a fine way to look at a character, however as characters (and people) often replicate their family dynamics when interacting with others sometimes it makes more sense to study characters together. For example the narcissistic parenting style of Ozai makes any analysis of Zuko in large part also an analysis of Ozai and Azula as their roles as the scape goat, narcissist parent, and golden child respectively influences their personalities within the family unit and outside of it.

All that being said given the nature of Mako and Bolin’s childhood’s I believe that any complete personality analysis of one brother is dependent on the other.

A quick disclaimer, due to the nature of Mako and Bolin’s childhoods a lot of the traits discussed will be maladaptive or at the very least also explored in their most negative expression- that being said I am not blaming any brother for the effects they had on the other. Ultimately these coping mechanisms and bad traits are the result of situations completely out of either brothers control; the death of their parents and living in acute poverty. Also because that’s how they are/ were in early seasons does not mean they can not/do not develop past it. With that out of the way, let’s get into it.

Yin and yang: fulfilling opposing roles

Within family dynamics every member fulfills a role, while Mako and Bolin are brothers their childhood situation resulted in a parentified child/younger sibling dynamic.

Firstly we all know Mako is a provider/caregiver, he took on the responsibility of making sure himself and Bolin were fed, clothed, and sheltered. As a result Mako is a compulsive caregiver, he cannot not be the caregiver within a relationship. While caring for others is a positive trait, compulsive caregiving is maladaptive, for Mako we often see this manifests in his providing unsolicited advice/help. In season 2 Mako’s attempts at helpfulness are a large contributor to the fights he and Korra have. We also see this in Mako’s need for control, as evidenced in the season 4 rescue of Prince Wu, even though he isn’t being helpful at all Mako cannot not try and direct the rescue. Even though he knows Korra and Asami are completely capable, it’s his job to be in charge and fix things- to be the adult.

On the reverse, Bolin as the younger sibling and object of Mako’s compulsive caregiving has a dependent personality type. Here I believe how dangerous providing Bolin with too much autonomy would have been on the streets paired with Mako’s compulsive caregiving/need for control, resulted in Bolin being unable to form a healthy degree of autonomy. As a result Bolin seeks direction and guidance from others. We can see this in his attraction to controlling personalities, from Mako, to Eska and Varrick in season 2, and Kuvira in season 4. As a result of being managed by Mako, Bolin hasn’t developed any decision making skills, as shown in his general indecisiveness. Bolin doesn’t make decisions so much as attach himself to people who will make decisions for him (see above list).

Mako is introduced into the series as having an avoidant attachment style, he is mistrustful of others and believes he can only rely on himself. This is evidenced in season 1 episode 2 with his immediate distrust of Korra and general standoffishness with her which does not end until she proves herself with Bolin’s rescue. It’s clear that Mako formed this attachment style as a direct result of his childhood- he mistrusts others and relies on himself because on the streets he had to. However, I believe Bolin’s anxious attachment style, which he is often seen as having despite his childhood is just as much directly connected to his childhood. Anxious attachment styles are defined by a fear of losing people and being left alone, a legitimate fear given the death of his parents at a young age- if Mako were to leave Bolin would be alone. For Bolin this largely manifests in his clinginess, he hugs or otherwise touches everyone, and in his constant upbeat attitude. Being upbeat itself is not necessarily part of an anxious attachment style, but for Bolin I believe it is indicative of a need to make others like him, as evidenced by Bolin’s friendliness with Ming-Hua and Ghazan when he and Mako are captured by the Red Lotus. As with Mako’s personality development, Bolin’s is also a survivalist method, as being likeable is a good means of attaining help from others, in Republic City Hustle it is largely Bolin’s likability that inspires Toza to take the brothers in. Bolin’s need to maintain a positive attitude also serves another purpose, as it was the only means Bolin had of providing Mako with emotional support. Due to Mako’s caregiving role and attachment style Mako would not burden Bolin with his problems- his and Bolin’s problems are his responsibility, however Bolin could indirectly support his brother by being easy going and fun. This dynamic is especially apparent again in the Republic City Hustle shorts where Mako is depicted as a fairly stressed and serious kid, with Bolin’s attitude providing him brevity. Finally, Mako’s belief that he has to take on everything himself, and his subsequent taking on everything himself enables Bolin to develop an opposing belief that things will work out in the end. This is seen in Mako’s pessimistic outlook of the need to raise 30,000 yuans for the champion pot in season 1, and Bolin’s optimism that they will raise it. Bolin is naive, but it is a naivety Mako enables.

Throughout the series Mako’s caregiver tendencies often manifest in a need to provide materially, as his main interest in pro-bending is as a source of income, and post season 1 Mako has and maintains a steady job. This is the opposite of Bolin, who’s interest in pro-bending is in the sport itself, and who jumps through a series of careers, from athlete, to Asami’s assistant, to actor, to soldier. We see that Mako has a desire for stability, and this makes sense given how unstable his childhood was. It then seems odd that Bolin, being a part of that childhood would not similarly seek such stability out. Bolin appears to have an inability to be stable. While the material aspect of their childhood plays a role I think this difference is rooted in the emotional stability of their early lives.

Mako is looking to his work to provide emotional stability, when Mako is having issues within his personal relationships he turns to work- picking work over Korra in season 2 and sleeping under his desk at the start of season 3. Bolin however, does not have similar issues with his emotions as he had Mako as a child and is as a result much more emotionally open. Since Bolin does not need an outside structure for emotional management I think instead Bolin is stuck recreating the instability of his childhood into his adult life- he does not know how to be stable so he instead maintains an unstable lifestyle. His stability as a child came from his relationship with Mako so as long as they remain on good terms I believe Bolin will feel secure.

Cast in the same mould: the effects of codependency

While a lot of the brothers personalities developed in response to that of the others the codependent nature of their relationship also resulted in some shared traits, namely conflict avoidance and people pleasing tendencies.

For Mako we mostly see these traits in his relationships with Asami and Korra, as he avoids Asami rather then break up with her in season 1, and in season 2 starts giving the advice he thinks Korra wants to hear as a means to avoid conflict, and the whole amnesia debacle. We also see Mako’s people pleasing tendencies in his inability to say no to Bolin, as Bolin is easily able to convince Mako to join the Krew in the search for air benders and have him act as the escaped fire bender.

Rather then directly running from conflict Bolin’s conflict avoidance manifest in his attempting to neutralize the situation either by playing dumb as a means not to answer, as when Asami asks him if there is something between Korra and Mako in season 1, or by trying to steer the conversation back to a more lighthearted tone. We see the tone switching play out throughout the series particularly with potential arguments between Mako and Bolin, when Mako starts getting heated Bolin neutralizes- and then Mako usually lets Bolin get his way. For example in Republic City Hustle with the argument over Pabu, and post Mako’s rescue of Bolin. Bolin’s people pleasing tendencies also make it difficult for him to initiate break ups as he fails to end things with Eska twice.

Ultimately these are both traits of being in codependent relationships and given Mako and Bolin’s childhoods where they literally only had each other, it is hardly surprising that the pair would form such a bond- and the consequences there of.

Conclusion

In conclusion Mako and Bolin have largely shaped each other’s personalities as a consequence of the familial roles either brother filled.

I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the brothers both experience the greatest growth in season 4, the season they spend apart. This is not to say that the brothers need to cut ties in order to heal, however I do believe that while together it is all too easy for both of them to revert to previously established behaviour’s; to fulfill their roles of parentified brother/younger sibling. This is evidenced in Turf Wars where we see each brother take a step back, as Bolin joins the force to be under Makos wing, and Mako is back to work despite still being in a sling and unable to bend.

Steps backward are normal, and throughout the series either brother starts a journey towards becoming an individually realized person.

I wrote this post as given the codependent nature of Mako and Bolin’s relationship I believed that a meta exploring the two together was necessary, however at the end of this meta as at the end of the series I believe that the brothers leave it as two individuals rather then one single unit.

#long post sorry #i’ve been thinking about this a lot though #bolin #mako #captain crop top #lok analysis #lok meta #lok #legend of korra meta #legend of korra #meta #analysis #not kate

[ljf613]

Soren from The Dragon Prince for the 10 Headcanons. If you don't watch Dragon Prince then maybe Mako from Korra?

I do watch TDP, although I’ve been so focussed on ATLA lately that I haven’t done much in the way of headcanons or metas for any of the characters, but let’s see what I can do: 

1) Soren’s got a strong inner compass, even if it doesn’t always point perfectly north. He might bend his beliefs, but he won’t ever break them. 

2) The reason Soren chose to stay with Viren, instead of leaving with his mom, has very little to do with which parent he actually preferred, and more to do with that moral code I mentioned. In his juvenile mind, he thought his mom was in the wrong for giving up and leaving-- and Soren never gives up. 

3) He and Callum have actually always been good friends, even if they don’t really get each other. In Soren’s world, a little good-natured teasing is just how he shows affection, and Callum knows that, so he takes it in stride. They very rarely get into any real fights, and neither of them is very good at holding grudges. 

4) Soren wasn’t always the family jokester. When he was younger, he was more stoic, focussing on imitating his role models like his father and the members of the Crown Guard. 

5) After Lissa left, Claudia, who had always been the cheerful, chirpy, inquisitive one, started withdrawing, becoming more and more depressed about everything that had happened. And Soren, who could never stand to see his little sister sad, made it his personal misson to make her laugh again. 

6) Soren loves writing stories. He thinks of it as just a distracting little side hobby, but they’re actually really good. He doesn’t realize this, though, because his image of real storytellers are bards and poets, people who weave long, grand epics.... which are not his forte. His stories are shorter and less grand, humorous yet adventurous tales that would probably be popular with children. 

7) Callum is one of the few people who knows about the notebook Soren keeps with all of his half-baked little plot bunnies, because it accidentally got mixed up with his sketchbook one time. He just flipped through the pages, trying to find a name or some other identifying details, but he became so fascinated he ended up reading the whole thing. Soren was super-embarassed when he found out, and ended up lying and telling Callum it was actually Claudia’s. But Soren, as we all know, is a horrible liar, and Callum wasn’t fooled. He pretended to go along with it, though. 

8) Soren doesn’t actually know what happened to his notebook-- those last few weeks are such a blur, he can’t remember if he packed it in his saddlebag, left it at the palace, or lost it somewhere along the way. 

9) He actually did bring it along, but it got mixed up and left in Claudia’s saddlebag. Claudia doesn’t actually know what it is he used that notebook for, but she knows he used to write in it when he thought nobody was looking. She knows that it was important to him. And, when she found it after the battle (while trying to find ingredients she might be able to use to save Viren), she was so angry that she set it on fire without really thinking about it, and watched it burn to ashes. (She regretted it, afterwards, though she won’t admit it. A part of her wonders if there might have been some answers in there, an explanation for why he betrayed their family.) 

10) One evening, a few days after the battle, Ezran asked Callum if, maybe, he could tell him a bedtime story. Callum thought for a moment, and then turned to Soren and said that he would probably do a better job of it. Soren protested, but eventually allowed himself to be convinced, and ended up entertaining them all with a hilarious tale about a bird who’d lost its nest. 

Bonus headcanons for Mako: 

1) Mako can’t remember his last name. It’s not something he thought much about when he was younger-- last names are mainly used for paperwork and stuff, and most people don’t even have them (they’re primarily an Earth Kingdom thing). It wasn’t until he and Bolin met Toza, and the older man asked them if they had a surname to put on their team registry-- only for Bolin to be like “nah, we don’t have one”-- that he remembered, oh yeah, dad did have an extra name he used for stuff like this-- he just couldn’t recall what it was. He didn’t say anything to Bolin or Toza, though. It was just another thing to add to the list of ways he’d failed his little brother-- he couldn’t even give him a name. 

2) Mako can’t remember a lot of stuff about life Before (that’s how he thinks of it: Before and After). He can’t remember where their house was, or why they were actually out the night his parents died. He can’t remember what his mom’s laugh sounded like, or how the punchline of his dad’s favorite joke went. He’s not even sure he can remember their faces. 

3) His memory of the Incident is perfectly clear, though. He remembers screwing his eyes shut, the feeling of Bolin’s shoulders beneath his arms as he pressed his brother’s face into his chest to shield him from the sight. He remembers the muffled sound of his father’s screams, and the ashy taste that was left in his mouth. It’s the smell that he remembers best--  of smoke and burning flesh, and that horrifying but instinctive thought that it actually smelled..... good, like freshly cooked meat. 

4) Mako couldn’t eat meat for years afterwards. He hid it from Bolin, telling him that he was a growing boy and needed any scraps they could get their hands on more than Mako did. 

5) That first night after they met Toza, though, Bolin took some of the money he’d won from betting on the match (see Republic City Hustle) to treat them both to dinner at a “nice” (for them) restaurant, and ordered dishes that had meat in them. And Mako, who’s never been able to say no to his little brother, ate it with a smile plastered on to his face. It tasted delicious (he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not). 

6) Despite all of that, he’s never had any hang-ups about his firebending. His mom was a firebender, and she’d made sure to drill it into his head that bending was a tool like any other-- some people chose to use it for evil, but that didn’t make it inherently bad, and she wouldn’t have wanted him to stop doing it just for her sake. He remembers that much, at least. 

7) Mako’s always wanted to visit the Fire Nation, to see the place his mom grew up, maybe try and find her side of the family. But there’s just never been the time or money-- and, of course, he’s never admitted this to Bolin, who has never expressed any particular desire to go. He thought about it a lot during the three years Korra was gone, especially after Bolin left with Kuvira, idly wondering if there was a way he could scrape together enough time off to go, but it never seemed to work out. It’s just another thing on the list of dreams he’ll get to.... someday. 

8) He doesn’t know what happened to the firebender who killed his parents. He never saw the man’s face. For all Mako knows, the killer could have been someone working in the Triad with them. He doesn’t know, and he doesn’t care. He doesn’t. 

9) Mako really, really wants to be a dad. He wants to settle down, get married, build a family, and create a loving, supportive home like the one he can barely remember. This is part of the reason he tends to rush headlong into relationships, even if he knows they’re not quite right for him. He’s learnt that this causes more harm than good, though, and has decided that right now, the best thing he can do is take a break from dating and work on his own personal growth. He’s still young, there’s no rush. 

10) Mako can’t remember the last time he actually cried. At the very least, he hasn’t done so since before his parents’ deaths. He’s not sure he remembers how.

#the dragon prince #avatar legend of korra #headcanon #soren #mako #mako x therapy #traumatized older brothers #i've got to do another one of these for sokka later

[tamras-shieldmaiden]

Parts 1 to 3 available here.

Robert Kohr website

#the legend of korra #legend of korra #tlok #lok #mako #bolin #pabu #republic city #pro bending #triads #prequel #nickelodeon #republic city hustle

[five-miles-over]

‘Aftermath’ Part 9: Be Prepared (Commodus x OC)

Summary: With the Senate officially dissolved, new alliances and plans form. The Emperor calls an old advisor, and two military minds come together to save their Republic.

Warning: Mentions of violence

Word Count: 2,203 

Read Part 1: The Impossible Dream here

Read Part 2: Proud of Your Boy here

Read Part 3: Point of No Return here

Read Part 4: Look Down here

Read Part 5: Beneath a Moonless Sky here

Read Part 6: These Palace Walls here

Read Part 7: Wait For It here

Read Part 8: Something There here

“I had hoped you might have learned some humility and respect.”

Petronius scoffed as Gaius led him out of his villa, having spent the night there after a long discussion filled with songs about the Republic and philosophical quotes. The estate was quite modest for a Senator, or rather a former-Senator. Lemon trees that emanated a sublime citrus fragrance lined the front of the sandstone building.

“Forgive me, Senator. A general is one who only knows to fight their enemy whilst looking them in the eye. He knows not of the art of flattery or the strategy of bending words with a slip of his tongue.”

Gaius sighed. Such is the nature of most military men, he thought, save General Quintus. That man had enough intelligence to save his skin when Commodus seized power for the first time. However, like all military men, his allegiance ultimately returned to the Spaniard at the crucial moment of judgment. “You crave for too much, General,” the older man replied. “It does not become a warrior to yearn for bloodshed so strongly.”

“I want him dead, that is all,” Petronius dismissed. “Rome has suffered enough under his wing.”

“And we shall save our motherland,” Gaius finished. “But we must arm ourselves with alliances and unite the forces under our cause. In the meantime, there may be a chance that Mania may take control of our Caesar before any other weapon can.”

As he reached the iron-gates of Gaius’s estate, he snorted. “With all due respect, Senator. If you are waiting for Commodus to lose himself in madness, then it is now that we must strike.”

Petronius continued, “He has no one left, Gaius. Even his own family had begun to fear him - his sister, his nephew…and possibly anyone else who happened to know Commodus as a child. If we killed him now, there would be no one too mourn for him, or defend him.”

“Humor me, then. How would you, a mere general who lives off the Emperor’s bread and salt, kill him?” Gaius smirked condescendingly.

“Bribe the servants to poison him.”

“Suppose the servants decide to tell the emperor,” Gaius countered. “You would be caught, and they would be rewarded.”

“Then we bribe the gladiators to attack Commodus.”

“He pays their entertainers well enough. Why should they complain or succumb to the influence of an outsider?”

With every counter-remark given by the old man, Petronius felt his temper dissipate bit by bit. Who was Gaius to lecture about the importance of saving Rome from a dictator when he himself, let alone his friends, could not bring themselves to take action? Even after the loss of their positions within politics, all the men were talking about the night before was the beauty of Gaius’s seemingly splendid mistresses. Certainly the wine may have loosened their usually-sharp tongues, but it was surprising, nay unacceptable, to see the state of Rome’s greatest minds.

Could those men not see that by lying low, they were putting the lives of Roman citizens at risk? That by refusing to rise to their call of duty, that they were only clipping the wings of the eagle that symbolized Rome and its greatness? It would only be a matter of time before the emperor, in a bout of madness, paranoia, and pure malice, would sever the talons of this eagle and leave it as powerless as a common fowl.

The general’s nostrils flared while the veins in his forearms throbbed furiously. “I do not care for your shrewd statements, Senator. I do not wish to contemplate upon your retorts, nor do I wish to indulge your appetite for wordplay. As I have told you, I am a general - I shall fight with my hands and not with my tongue. My hands are bound to serve Rome, and all it stands for.”

“Nevertheless,” he hastily added. “Since I have shared your bread and wine, as well as taken refuge in your home during the night, I shall revere you as any proper guest ought to. Fare thee well, Senator. I hope that you and I shall meet again.”

“Fare thee well, General.” Gaius watched as the young man vanished into the hustle and bustle of the public square. He certainly had a problem with the much-too-transparent ideologies that military men had, but in order for Commodus to receive his duly-deserved demise, the Senators needed the favor of the military. Perhaps he ought to the be the one to vouch for diplomacy in the midst of this clash of ideals.

The city was quiet compared to most days, even for a mid-morning. Possibly due to the games taking place today, the plebeians seemed to be missing from the streets. However, peddlers were still out selling their goods - a man clamored for people to buy his new stock of clams and oysters, freshly caught from the Mediterranean, while another advertised fine silks imported from China. Various hues in various designs, he said. A dark red one with a golden border caught Petronius’s eye, immediately remembering his sister’s favorite color.

Perhaps he could buy a bolt of the silk for her, possibly as an attempt to apologize for being away all night. Ever since his brother-in-law had passed away from the wars against Germania, he had sworn to guard his sister and her two sons with his life. Keeping such a vow felt almost effortless under the reign of Marcus Aurelius, but under his son, it was the contrary. She wept in Petronius’s arms the night that Senator Gracchus died, saying that she was glad that her husband received an honorable death instead of a false treason accusation. At that moment, he shushed her for fear that the other Praetorian guards would hear her, reporting them both to the emperor. However, if he could turn back time, he’d tell her not to worry, for the emperor would not live long enough to turn Rome into ruins. And with a warm hug, he would seal his promise to her.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Boots clicking, Emperor Commodus paced the empty throne room with a strangely serene look on his face. He’d just come from the games, which never failed to amuse him. For those moments in the Colosseum, he felt as powerful as the gods themselves, taking life as needed, while watching lesser beings fight to survive. Sweat beaded his forehead while he walked, and he almost wanted to remove his laurel crown off due to the heat. Nevertheless, an emperor had to look his best at all times.

From an outsider’s standpoint, it seemed that Emperor Commodus took the Senators’ tongues along with their power. Silence was all those dry old men had to give him today as well. He needed to know what they could possibly be thinking of, nay, he needed to know about their plan to end his reign before they could strike. It was time for an old loyalist to join minds with him again.

“Falco, I’ve been expecting you.” The former senator entered cautiously, his leather sandals echoing against the smooth floor of the palace halls. He bowed before the emperor and stood upright. From the events of last night, it was with much skepticism that any of the senators thought that they could ever receive the emperor’s good graces. Perhaps his former loyalty has now manifested into a blessing. “How may I be of service to you, Caesar?”

Commodus gestured for him to be seated. “I take it that you, along with your colleagues, have heard my decision regarding the new…alterations in the governance of Rome. It must certainly displease you and your colleagues, does it not?”

Without flinching, Falco kept his wits near despite the presence of the temperamental Emperor. “Caesar, I cannot speak for those men. With all due respect, they are no longer my colleagues. All I know is that you are my Emperor, and that every decision you take must have been formed with necessary contemplation." Falco knew he was telling lies. To the Senate, Commodus never gave the impression of a man of thought, let alone the impression of a man.

And as for the Emperor, he knew better than to take the former Senator’s words by face value. Nevertheless, he did need an ally and it was only Falco who gave him advice when the rest of the Senate sided with Maximus.

“Thank you, Falco. Out of those men, it seems that you are the only one who genuinely cares for my welfare. Your priorities lie for the Empire, and for none else. That is why I wish to make you my main advisor. With no Empress and no Senate, I need a good man like you by my side…to rule, and to care for the people.”

Pretending to be stunned, brimming with gratitude, Falco rose from his seat. “Highness, your offer is…one of high value.”

“Join me, Falco,” Commodus extended his hand, which was accepted by the former Senator. “Join me, and we shall usher in a new age of Rome.”

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

The Sun was ruthless to the troops of Rome today - many a foot soldier grunted with displeasure as they sparred with each other under the sweltering heat. General Petronius and Centurion Philomenus greeted each other with a familiar look, having seen each other at Gaius’s meeting last night.

“I sense tension in your fingers,” the general pointed towards his peer’s hand.

Philomenus chuckled as he glanced at his knuckles circling the hilt of his sword. “I…I thought about my sister. How she must be waiting for me, and how the heat is making her uncomfortable.”

“I empathize - I have a sister as well. Her husband was a legionnaire - do you remember Felix Cassius? No…well, the army is quite massive.”

The centurion picked up his weapon, twirling it absentmindedly. “Forgive me for not knowing him. I think it would take one eons to count every single life lost during the late emperor’s battles in Germania.”

Petronius gritted his teeth. “I wish the emperor’s son lost his life in Germania instead of the emperor.” Almost immediately, Philomenus tackled him to the ground with a sandy hand over his mouth.

“You monster!” Petronius gasped as he tried to catch his breath. “What in the name of Jupiter was that for?!”

“It was for daring to speak against the Emperor. We both know that punishment would be doled out on both of us - on you for your impudent tongue, and on me for listening to your talk of treason.”

“Men like you make me sick,” the general spat. “Was it not you who quoted the great Marcus Aurelius himself, having memorized his extensive writings? Do you not know that by punishing those who speak out against Commodus, you only encourage his tyrannical, anti-republic ways?!”

“Perhaps, but I do know when to keep my tongue in my cheek,” Philomenus retorted. “Did you not see what happened to the Spaniard who dared to challenge the emperor?”

“The Spaniard was once a general, Philomenus. He used to be one of us. If he could not complete his revenge, it would be our responsibility to finish it for him.”

Shaking his head, he took the general behind a wall while pretending to be very thirsty. “I do believe in the ways of the Republic, and that Rome’s golden age ended when the republic was seized by a pompous man pretending to be a dictator.”

“Commodus is not Julius Caesar, Philomenus - he has no military prowess of his own, aside from formidable swordplay.”

“Please, just know that he will not last long. The grain will run out, and the public who loved him so much will turn their backs on him. But while he’s in power, let him be happy.”

“You sound just like those blasted Senators,” Petronius grunted. “Those old men can afford to live off their ancestral wealth for their remaining years, but you and I are not like them!”

Philomenus yelled back, suddenly triggered by the mention of familial affluence. “I know that! My parents perished when I was thirteen, leaving my sister and I penniless with a pair of newborn twins.”

“I have worked a long way to come where I am,” he continued to fume. “I know what I have read speaks of a Republic, but what can I do?! What can we do, given our state?”

“Then join me,” Petronius coerced the other man. “Help me think of a way to kill Commodus, and together we can bring back the Republic Rome was always meant to be.”

“Here is what we’ll do- we will ambush him from the exit gates of the Colosseum. And when he enters without bodyguards, we will make our presence known and attack him,” Philomenus whispered. “I will keep our weapons under my tunic so as not to arouse suspicion.”

“Anger has certainly brought your intelligence into light. I admire your plan, but what will I do?” Petronius asked with a raised eyebrow.

The centurion smirked, “Stay alive, and keep your goddamn mouth shut for once.”

“Commodus must die….for Maximus and for the Senate.”

“No, he must die for Rome.”

#commodus fic #commodus x oc #gladiator 2000 #gladiator au #gladiator fic

[technogeist1890]

Where They Went Wrong with Hux

(WARNING:  TROS spoilers ahead!)

Okay, here’s what I think should have happened with General Hux.

We can still have him be the spy, but for different reasons.  In the film, Hux says, “I don’t want you to win, I just want Kylo Ren to lose.”  If you read the Age of Resistance comic about him, Hux is shown to be a conniving, intelligent guy.  He wouldn’t do something huge like betraying the First Order just because he didn’t like Kylo Ren.  Rather, I think his line in the film could hint at a bigger motive.

I’ve seen at least a couple fanarts depicting Hux in an imperial position, laurel wreaths and everything.  I think this could be plausible.  So here’s how it would go down:

1. Hux still gets shot in the leg.  After he gets shot in the leg though, he heads back to his quarters and puts on a blastproof vest.  We see in the film that he has his leg bandaged when he goes to talk to General Pryde, so there is at least a little bit of time in between when we see Hux in the loading bay and when he reaches the bridge.  In fact, it might be more time than we think, since he has a cane and is shown to be limping.

2. Pryde still shoots Hux, thinking he’s found his spy.  And he has, but he’ll be wrong in assuming he’s killed him.  Because of the blastproof vest, Hux would still be alive, or perhaps merely unconscious.

3. Stormtroopers would be called in to dispose of Hux’s body, but instead of taking him to the trash compactor or something, a group of Hux’s loyal officers would hustle him off to a transport they had waiting for this purpose.  

4. Once on board the transport, whatever injuries Hux might have sustained would be tended to, and the small group would retreat to an out-of-the-way planet to recuperate and regroup.  

5. We can probably assume that most, if not all, of the First Order soldiers were killed during the Battle of Exegol, though there were likely outposts of First Order troops stationed throughout the galaxy to keep order.  Hux’s group would more than likely send out a signal to these outposts who might not be aware they’ve just lost the war, and would tell them to stay where they are to await new orders. 

6. It would take a little while for Hux to show his hand, as he would likely wait for the tumult of the war to die down and people’s guard to lower before he put his main plans in motion.

7. During this “cooldown period”, Hux would slowly begin exerting his influence over the galaxy, starting with the planets containing leftover First Order outposts.  Of course, everyone thinks Hux is dead by now along with the rest of the FO, so he would use a fake identity, disguising himself much like Palpatine did with Snoke.  Hux isn’t stupid, so he wouldn’t show his face right away until he knew that he had a lot of people truly supporting him.  He’d advertise himself as the only way to truly have peace and order in the galaxy, and it would be mostly true, though his brand of “peace and order” would consist of “do as I say or I blow up your planet”.  There would never be another weapon quite the size and scale of Starkiller Base, though Hux would use the same technology in smaller and more efficient weapons that are more mobile and can reach more areas of the galaxy in less time.

8.  Contrary to what most people who favor the Resistance and the Republic might think, Hux wouldn’t be a “bad” ruler.  He wouldn’t be the tyrannical despot that Palpatine was.  Sure, he would punish insubordination by blowing up planets or even just singular countries/cities, but he would be for the most part a fair ruler.  I feel like the way they portrayed Hux in the last two movies, as a deranged mass murderer with a fanatic loyalty to the First Order, isn’t quite accurate.  Above all, he’s a military genius who just happened to have a childhood where he was underestimated and abused.  Sure, this could cause some trauma, but not to that scale.

In conclusion, I feel that Hux was horribly under-used in the sequel trilogy, and he could have become the galaxy’s greatest villain, rather than shoehorning in a guy with a scrotum face who was killed in the original movies.  The writers were just going for nostalgia here:  “Oh, hey, we brought in a bunch of good guys from the original trilogy, but don’t you want more?  Here, have Palpatine back, you like Palpatine, right?”

No.

We don’t.

It doesn’t make sense to bring Palpatine back if everyone assumed he was dead.  It’s just a money grab.

Sure, we could have had Kylo stay bad and break the pattern:  light to dark, dark to light, but having him be redeemed at the end makes more sense for the story.  Having Hux take over as the new villain works because we don’t know him.  We as an audience will be more invested if we don’t know what he’s going to do.

#tros spoilers #general hux #Armitage hux

[laurapaq]

Roman Farming

Overview: 

Nowadays, we mostly remember Rome for her republic declining into an empire, or her military prowess. However, Romans thought of themselves as peace-loving, and even violent figures such as Sulla or Pompey the Great retired (temporarily, in Pompey’s case) from public life to their farm, as did the idealized Cincinnatus. Festivals celebrated farming holidays, art depicts farming tools, and noble gentlemen wrote farming manuals. Perhaps this was because the Romans rarely had a hard time providing food for themselves, their own land was fertile, and as the empire expanded they were fed by north African farms, or perhaps it was because the city of Rome was started as a little military outpost to protect Italian farmers from their northern Etruscan neighbors.

Because farming was so idealized, it’s a difficult subject to cover extensively, I’m going to highlight some practices, inventions, and produce that could add realism to historical fiction or fantasy as well as distinguish it from the typical fantasy landscape, then go into some of the cultural implications (besides people having better things to do than starve to death). 

Specifics:

Even if farming was an appropriate side hustle for patrician nobility, farming itself was difficult, and it yielded far less than it does now. Nearly half of the crop had to be used as seeds. Even still, Romans farmed so well that their farming methods were picked up by Britains and Gauls, which is appropriate since Romans built off efforts by the Greeks and people of the Near East. Additionally, despite the difficulties of the ancient world, the period between 500 BC and 500 AD had peak farming conditions in Europe (as opposed to the mini Ice Age that followed). Italy had other farming advantages; although rainfall can be spotty at times, it’s normally abundant, there are plenty of rivers and streams, and the soil is rich from volcanic ash.

The Romans grew wheat, spelt, barley, legumes like peans, peas, chickpeas, alfalfa, turnips, radishes, and fruit like figs. Wild fruits and nuts could be collected at will. Grapes and olive oil were popular and sold abundantly—both grow naturally in Italy—and with grain were the most important plants, sometimes called the “Mediterranean triad” (2). Though olive and grapes could be grown with little effort, grain—around 75% of a normal person’s calories—required extensive effort. Moreover, early Roman holdings were often as small as 1.25 acres or half a hectares. Normally, 1 acre will feed one person. 

Because there’s a large difference in the temperature and rainfall in north and south Italy, there’s a good bit of variance in farming method. However, we can get the idea in broad strokes. Roman tools were bronze or iron, hand tools like hoes and mattocks, plows (with a forecarriage—an apparatus at the front that makes it steadier), carts, harrow, manure hampers and baskets, spades, shovels, rakes, scythes, axes, wedges, an olive-crushing mill and oil press.

The plow was used first to turn soil over, as it is now, and could invert soil if turned sideways; some plows had metal ‘ears’ on the bottom that improved them. In light soil it could be pulled by a donkey, otherwise, it might require a few oxen. That was followed with a mattock (which looks like a cross between a pick-axe and a wood-axe), which broke up large lumps of dirt so that the seeds could fall into the proper rows the plow had turned up. Fields were plowed at least twice to conserve moisture (called cry-farming, still a staple around the Mediterranean), and manure was laid down after the second plowing, which came from a compost pit with animal excrement and rotting leaves, weeds, or leftovers. Seeds were either thrown out (which is quicker), or placed by hand. They were then raked over with a harrow, which could be a tool with iron teeth like nails raking the ground, or a convenient thorn bush.

Harvesting was done with a sickle (curvy knife on a stick that looks like a bad guy’s weapon), which has changed little since then, and was then brought to the threshing floor. Threshing was done by animals stomping on the grain on a hard floor, or by being crushed by a tribulum, or wooden frame with metal on its belly which was pulled across the floor. Winnowing was done by tossing the threshed grain and letting the light chaff blow away while the heavier grain well back down. Grain was then usually ground with rocks, although there were some working water mills at the end of the empire.

On rainy days when not much farming could get done, Cato (one of the politicians writing farm manuals) says to make sure to remind the overseer of work that could be done “scrubbing and pitching wine vats, cleaning the farmstead, shifting grain, hauling out manure, making a manure pit, cleaning seed, mending old harness and making new; and that the hands ought to have mended their smocks and hoods. Remind him, also, that on feast days old ditches might have been cleaned, road work done, brambles cut, the garden spaded, a meadow cleared, faggots bundled, thorns rooted out, spelt ground, and general cleaning done.” (4)

Although vineyards and olive groves remained unchanging, the Romans realized that they couldn’t grow the same crop the same place forever as it depletes the soil, so they divided their fields and rotated crops between them. They also identified which soil was best for which plant, and paid attention to that as they were cordoning off sections; for instance, olives were to be planted in thinner soil and exposed to the sun, at intervals of twenty five feet. Forage crops were also planted, such as alfalfa, which also aided the farm animal’s fertility. Vegetables were also grown to supplement human and beast, though farmers would also forage for acorns or other foodstuff to feed their animals through winter. 

To offset the dangers of a poor year, in the good year, farmers stored as much as they could—not just food, but animals and jewelry that could be sold. People also used each other as resources; when one person helped another, the person helped incurred an obligation to return the favor. 

Certain plants were also grown for medicinal purposes: Pliny reports that garlic had 61 medicinal uses, radish 43, and lettuce 42. Parsnip relaxed the stomach and relieved swelling when used as a bandage, the onion’s juice was used to relieve pain from snake bites, the wild cucumber’s juice was used for tooth aches and to heal eyes, beets were boiled and eaten with raw garlic to cure tapeworm.

Farming evolved as Rome did. Initially, it was a family thing, with that small acre and change farm earlier described. However, as Rome grew and the need for soldiers increased, Rome turned to conscription. Young men were pressed into military service, and while they were gone those rich off of conquests bought up land that couldn’t be maintained without the citizen farmer, and used captured slaves as free labor. These slave run estates were so common, there was even a name for them, the latifundia. These latifundia undercut the family farm and forced the rural people to the city, where they struggled to find work and depended on the empire’s bread and circuses. However, this theory has come under fire recently from new archeology evidence which doesn’t seem to support a decrease in small farms, yet even if it wasn’t true, it was the narrative the poor Romans told themselves. Regardless, it is verifiably true that as the empire expanded, it depended more and more on fertile North Africa, such as Egypt, Tunisia (where Carthage was), and Algeria, as well as their own islands Sicily and Sardinia.

Why It Matters:

We can see a tension between Rome as it was originally, a farming outpost, and the military empire it became in Cato, who has nothing but praise for farmers, but still draws them from their farm claiming that they make the sturdiest soldiers. More subtly, in the Aeneid, Aeneas’ father Anchises tells him it’s the Roman legacy to conquer, and yet the author Virgil spends more time on the domestic scene, in romance and familiar love, than battle. Seeing as no culture can live up to its ideals (unless they have lame ideals like flaying people *cough* Assyrians), a good fantasy culture will have both what it wants to be, and what it is. Sometimes those two are even in conflict with each other, or ideas mutate without the (sophisticated, fancy smancy part of) culture realizing or noticing the difference. Moreover, even if you want to cast a nation as ‘the bad guys’ they’ve got good motivations; Roman expansion was initially defensive, or honoring treaties with allies.  

We can also see that cultures love their origins. Rome seemed to be more proud of their agrarian roots, than of their military prowess, which they actually seemed almost ashamed of early in their history (the ‘victory arch’ began as a sort of atonement ceremony where soldiers had to purify themselves before entering the city). Which is why we see houses in the city decorating their houses with natural scenes rather than scenes of battle, so that they can pretend they were proper Roman farmers. 

As always, the technical details can help with realism. 

1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/agriculture/Improvements-in-agriculture-in-the-West-200-bce-to-1600-ce 

2. https://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~wstevens/history331texts/farming.html 

3. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah20007 

4. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cato/De_Agricultura/A*.html  (Cato’s On Agriculture) 

5. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Plin.+Nat.+toc&redirect=true (Pliny’s Natural Histories)

6. http://factsanddetails.com/world/cat56/sub408/item2049.html 

#writingfantasy #worldbuilding #writingtips #ancientworld

[avatarrewatch]

Sunday, July 28, 2019

PerishingShards here! We’re watching the following tonight! Same time and place! 

Republic City Hustle Part 1-3 [6:00pm PDT (GMT-7) / 9:00pm EDT (GMT-4)]

Avatar The Last Airbender Chibi Shorts  [6:15pm PDT  (GMT-7) / 9:15pm EDT (GMT-4)]

Project Voicebend 1-11 [6:30pm PDT  (GMT-7) / 9:30pm EDT (GMT-4)]

~~

Discord: https://discord.gg/EZPvtwj

Avatar Rewatch Calendar: http://bit.ly/2VhALdQ

(These beautiful title cards were done by the magnificent @ahhhsami and MasterKiddoJinora !)

#avatar rewatch #avatarrewatch #avatar rewatch 2019 #avatarrewatch2019 #the legend of korra #tlok #lok #republic city hustle #avatar: the last airbender chibi shorts #project voicebend #bolin #mako #asami sato #korra #avatar korra #avatar aang #aang #sokka #toph #katara

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

Traditional Canadian complacency, the open society, and a feeling generated by its geography that “it cannot happen here,” help to create the troubled waters in which the revolutionary fish can swim and propagate.—British Institute for the Study of Conflict, September, 1978.

Swallows scatter down across the October quilt of the Petawawa plain and on toward the river and Quebec, where the far hills ghost into rain cloud. In air as close as cobwebs the soldiers of the Canadian Special Service Force in the reanimated Armed Forces wait for the beginning of what they call “erection time”—a solid, stunning minute that turns the land punch-drunk with explosion. When it is over a major’s voice rises eagerly from the loudspeaker, quieter but no less disturbing: “Would you be dead? Would you be critically injured? Would you have the guts to stand up and fight like a man as our infantry came over to kill you?” Only then is there silence, as the questions rise and are lost in the bruised clouds.

This sky will clear in the days to come, but a cloud of suspicion continues to linger over the 3,500-member Special Service Force. Its duties may be as simple as a girl guide’s—Be Prepared— but the calling remains somewhat more sinister than hustling cookies. Formed last year by combining a number of crack Petawawa units with the elite Canadian Airborne Regiment, which was transferred under much controversy from Edmonton, the SSF’s lack of any specific task has led to continuing rumors concerning the military and the possible separation of Quebec. Though the force was planned for more than a decade, its inopportune announcement-just two weeks after the 1976 Parti Québécois victory—and opportune location directly across the river from Quebec have given rise to questions that are also without answers. And it is this lack of a “defined role” more than anything else that has Defence Minister Barney Danson announcing a specific SSF task this week, which insiders hint may be a detailed NATO commitment to the defence of Norway.

But that will hardly stop the rumors. There will still be those who wonder why the force has 2,500 pairs of handcuffs and 17,800 gas masks despite the fact that no Canadian soldier has come under gas attack since 1918. And further questions will arise next month when the first of some 50 special armored vehicles arrives on the Petawawa base—vehicles that are nearly identical to those used by the West German police and others for riot control. Such items are dismissed as basic equipment by the defence department, but Conservative defence critic Allan McKinnon has said they “fit better into the needs of unstable banana republics” than those of Canada. It would have been worse had the previous chief of defence staff, General Jacques Dextraze, had his way and located the 250 French-speaking SSF commandos in Ottawa. Fortunately, Danson fought that decision and won —“I don’t want to turn the place into an armed camp,” he says—otherwise the capital city, which still discourages military uniforms on Friday, shopping day, would have been shackled with camouflaged jungle jackets, calf-high jumping boots and maroon berets—the trademark of the toughest soldiers in the Armed Forces.

The most startling SSF story, however, has remained a secret since the early hours of July 5, 1978, when a plane loaded with British commandos—estimates vary widely between 30 and 190 stole out of Petawawa. Fully two months earlier, also in the dead of night, the same commandos had come into the country. And their secret presence here might never have become known but for the one part of the soldiers’ equipment that was out of action over those eight weeks. On July 3, the commandos took over a cottage on Petawawa Point where they invited several women they had met at the isolated Hotel Pontiac. Alcohol and high hopes naturally led to bragging, and the soldiers thoughtlessly let it slip that they were members of the mysterious British SAS—a fact confirmed to Maclean's last week by the department of national defence.

There are a number of small similarities between the British Special Air Service and the Canadian SSF: their undefined roles, jaunty berets, symbol (a winged dagger) and even motto—the Canadian “Let us dare” and the British “Who Dares, Wins.” But the Canadians are, as one officer put it, merely “lethal boy scouts” when compared to the cream of the British army. So secretive is the SAS that it is not even known how many members there are, though estimates average out to around 700. Photographing them is forbidden even for the official military magazines and the British ministry of defence attitude toward them is simply, “We don’t mention them—ever.”

However, the SAS is known to operate extensively in Northern Ireland where they parachute in at night in small groups and work undercover to disrupt the Irish Republican Army. How they actually operate is guesswork—one exSAS told Maclean's London bureau that being a member is “automatically a licence to kill”—but their effectiveness is evident. Since their arrival in Ulster deaths and bombings are down from 170 in the first six months of 1976 to 49 in the first six months of 1978.

Obviously, this clear tie with civil war adds further intrigue to the SAS visit to Canada. The only comparable force to the SAS, the United States Rangers, was also quietly here this year in January when some 175 of them trained with the Special Service Force, and more Rangers apparently are due back next January and February.

For those who feed off such information, there is a virtual banquet of paranoia around. The September report from London’s Institute for the Study of Conflict was prepared by Major-General Rowland Mans, who happened to spend three years with the National Defence College in Kingston, Ontario, and it warns with utter clarity of the risks inherent in a disunited Canada. “Just how long the United States would be prepared to stand idly by if the situation worsened would be a matter of nice judgment,” Mans says. Closer to home, the former director-general of the RCMP Security Service, John Starnes, wrote in a 1977 issue of the British magazine, Survival, that “Canada’s internal situation is such that, for the first time since NATO was formed, there is now a potential threat to the security of the North American heartland.” There have also been two puzzling federal appointments this fall: Marcel Cadieux, the former Canadian ambassador to the United States, to advise the RCMP on domestic and international security; and Eldon Black, who has spent the past three years seconded to the department of national defence, to the newly created post of deputy undersecretary of state for security and intelligence in the department of external affairs, which some claim is the beginnings of a new supra-RCMP security force.

Such concern with the internal workings of the country may pre-date both the Parti Québécois victory and the 1970 October Crisis. Ten years ago this week, in response to a Queen’s University student’s question on NATO, newly elected Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau said: “I happen to believe that in a very real sense civilization and culture in North America are more menaced ... by internal disorders than by external pressure.” Trudeau emphasized he did not believe the turmoil would be caused by separatists, but he did envisage a North America with “large rebellions and large disturbances of civil order.”

No one has dared suggest the military has actual plans for the invasion of Quebec, but what has been questioned is the real purpose of the Special Service Force, which hardly sets up and breaks down a full, transportable command post on manoeuvres an average of once a day because flies get inside their tents. Defence Minister Danson argues that placing the SSF next door to Quebec “was not a consideration—but I know people are going to read things into it.” The commander of the SSF, burly Brigadier-General Andrew Christie, is even more adamant. ‘Tm a simple, honorable soldier,” Christie says. “And I haven’t got any ulterior motive. We are not SAS. People think something nefarious is going on and we’re involved in clandestine operations. We haven’t got any cards under the table.”

But there is still the issue of secrecy. Christie, who used his influence to kill a Pembroke Observer story on British troops being seen on the nearby base, says no mention was made of the SAS simply because the British requested nothing be said. Barney Danson far more candidly says: “In Canada, where response time is so important, you don’t want to start tipping your hand. We don’t broadcast things.” Retorts Tory McKinnon: “Our government seems suspicious of its own people. It’s as if they can’t be trusted to know what’s going on.” Concerning the actual activities of the British SAS in Canada, Brigadier-General Christie says, “We had very little to do with them.” One senior officer who was there, however, argues that relationships were “very friendly indeed. We were training with them and training them, too.” Very little concrete information is offered concerning the SAS stay here—and numerous Maclean’s calls to a specific SAS soldier, who left his number with a Pembroke woman, failed—but it is believed the British commandos were testing a Bombardier manufactured cross-country motorcycle, climbing in Alberta, underwater testing near Point Pelee in Southwestern Ontario and parachuting in both Edmonton and in an isolated area of Ontario. Bill Beacham, who leases the out-of-the-way, 652-acre Bonnechère Airport near Killaloe from the federal ministry of transport, received a call this spring that the military would be making some use of his facilities. “We never saw them,” says Beacham, who was seldom around the airport for the most part, but an officer in the Canadian SSF claims the SAS were involved in free-fall jumping.

Though the Canadian SSF is described as an “airportable, airdroppable” force, it is wrong to say the Canadian SSF was modelled on the British SAS. When General Dextraze created the Special Service Force in Petawawa—virtually his final act as chief of defence staff—he was reviving a memory that went back to the last World War when the first Special Service Force, a joint U.S.-Canadian force known as The Devil’s Brigade, performed so well in Europe. There was never any stated intention that the force would concern itself with internal security, but there were clear hints in the government’s 1971 white paper, Defence in the '70s, that Canada was becoming less concerned with NATO and far more introspective. The white paper spoke of “the threat to society posed by violent revolutionaries” and “the necessity of being able to cope effectively with any future resort to disruption, intimidation and violence as weapons of political action.”

The key to the force, Dextraze believed, would be in moving the Canadian Airborne Regiment from Edmonton to Petawawa, and then adding a third commando unit to the Airborne by bringing the Third Mechanized Commando back from Europe. Defence headquarters was able, amid great protest, to pull the Airborne out of Edmonton but it was unable, thanks to Danson, to put an armed commando in Ottawa. As for the Third Mechanized Commando, it did leave Europe but it has never arrived, having been quietly absorbed into other regiments that needed men. It was this loss of a full commando, sources claim, that bothered Colonel Jacques Painchaud, commander of the Airborne, the most. His outburst in July that Danson should resign for suggesting there was no room for elite troops in the forces was merely the last straw.

The removal of Painchaud which followed was merely one more black mark against the Airborne. Not only was it impossible for the huge Hercules aircraft, which generally carry troops such as the Airborne, to land at Petawawa, but the regiment found there were no jump facilities at the base. When they did parachute, they had to travel by bus to Trenton (three hours away), and then later had to send their parachutes all the way back to Edmonton for repacking. Dextraze himself later admitted the Airborne, as a proper airborne, would be “less effective” in Petawawa. There were also a number of more localized problems: fights in Pembroke; a soldier dead from wood alcohol poisoning; a frozen lake dynamited, now under investigation by provincial authorities.

Today, all that has settled down. With Painchaud gone to headquarters in Ottawa, a minor point of controversy concerns his successor, Colonel Kent Foster, who—as commander of the officially bilingual unit in the Special Service Force—is not classified as bilingual. Brigadier-General Christie, who is bilingual, dismisses this by saying, “He can communicate with his soldiers and they can with him—that’s bilingualism.” Still, the francophone half of the volunteer Airborne is some 90 men short of its full complement of 250. And though Christie has worked hard to attract more French-speaking soldiers to Petawawa—including spending $120,000 a year on a French school — they are slow in coming.

Still, if morale is down in that one area, it is significantly up in the Armed Forces as a whole, thanks to the current $4-billion spending spree. As Admiral Robert Falls, the new chief of defence staff, has put it, the forces cannot attract recruits with “broomsticks instead of rifles,” and the department of national defence—presumably under pressure from the European Economic Community, who will buy Canadian goods in exchange for a larger Canadian commitment to NATO—is making sure the broomsticks are replaced.

A revivified military in such troubled times, however, presents worry to a number of people. In a defence committee meeting on March 10, 1977, General Dextraze—the man who created the SSF—was being quizzed by Edmonton Member of Parliament Steve Paproski on the Airborne’s move to Petawawa. “Does the general include the possibility of a separatist Quebec as one of the challenges to our sovereignty?” Paproski asked. General Dextraze, somewhat miffed at the question, somewhat obtusely replied: “Inasmuch as the military is concerned ... one should not ask any questions as to their loyalty at all...I have their loyalty . ..”

There was a moment during the SSF’s recent two-day Exercise Mobile Warrior that was every bit as stunning as the mad minute of “erection time.” At lunch on the first day, one of the visiting officers, Brigadier-General Christopher (Killer) Kirby from the Royal Military College in Kingston, was handed a machete, and a live chicken was produced from a cook’s pot. Then, to the cheers of 230 Canadian military college students, Kirby lopped off the head with a single swipe, leaving the body to stagger pathetically in the spray of its own blood until it fell. The kill was traditional, supposedly to remind the officers that they must be prepared to find their own food during extensive manoeuvres, but the “entertainment” aspect of the act—meat and potatoes were cooking barely 20 yards away—was as unnecessary this year as it had been the year before, when a woman killed a rabbit. Chilling incidents that easily excite the apprehension of the non-military mind.

- Roy MacGregor, “Fighting Back: The Canadian Forces reborn - in from the cold,” Maclean’s. November 6, 1978.

#canadian forces #petawawa #canadian forces base petawawa #riot control #counterinsurgency #counter-revolutionary forces #crowd control #canadian state #aid to the civil power #martial law #special service force #canadian airborne regiment #military reform #canadian politics #october crisis #quebec independence #leopard tank #airborne

[slave2writing]

World in Flames (3/?)

Part One

Full Chapters posted at Fanfiction.net and ArchiveofOurOwn

The sun began to set behind the bridge, casting the ocean in a brilliant hue of gold, the color spilling across shadows of skyscrapers looming above the city.

In preparation for the festival, police officers were being dispatched on the corner of every city block where the parade would soon be passing through. The floats were primed and ready, resting in Avatar Korra Park. Banners were strung up and held suspended above the concrete streets, some featuring the Fire Nation insignia, others depicting the solemn faces of popular Fire Lords or grinning Avatars. Families were camped out on rooftops, warming their hands around fire pits, roasting meat and laughing over stories, droplets of alcohol spraying over the sides of residential buildings.

Asami shoved her fists inside her coat pockets, skin prickling in discomfort as she kept bumping into people while trying to make her way back to the apartment, the city streets thickening with activity and tense anticipation.

While Fire Nation immigrants and descendants had never been explicitly forbidden from celebrating their ethnic heritage, their cultural center had previously always passed on the opportunity to publicly celebrate the beloved Fire Days Festival out of fear that any show of pride would come across as insensitive in the wake of the Hundred Year War.

It was a bit disconcerting for some pedestrians traversing the downtown area to see it taken over by street performers juggling fireballs, a chorus of school children being led in a traditional Fire Nation hymn, boisterous athletes racing around with spirit masks, grown men howling in pain while their friends and families keeled over laughing at the sight of them attempting to win a flaming fire flakes contest.

Ducking a bobbing lantern, the beginnings of a parade march about to take place, Asami neared her apartment building and raised her hand in greeting towards the doorman whose eyes always crinkled up when he smiled.

“Hey, Miss Sato!” He seemed excited about something, straightening his uniform with two quick tugs on the ends of his jacket.

“Bao.” She greeted him politely, passing through the door he quickly pushed open for her, taking out her mailbox key and reached in for the stacks of magazines she subscribed to. It was a healthy mix of scientific breakthroughs and revolutionary fashion. Gathering them up in her arms, she was mildly surprised when the doorman abandoned his post to follow her inside, beaming as he got the elevator for her, dragging the gate open and making to step inside with her.

Asami granted him a confused smile. “Ah…?”

“Oh,” Bao paused mid-step, still brimming with some excitement. “I thought you might need someone to help you into your apartment. Open the door?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” Asami arched a dark brow and waited for the doorman to sheepishly step back, closing the gate and the door to the elevator. She shook her head in bemusement, unsure if that was his weird and out of the blue attempt to hit on her, and punched in the penthouse button.

When the elevator rose to the tenth floor of the skyscraper, the light flooded through the windows carved into the box, the top half of the building providing Asami with a view as she continued to rise. Though she still had the mansion on the outskirts of the city, she found the massive estate far too quiet. She preferred her solitude to be accompanied by the hustle and bustle of the sleepless metropolis. She pressed her forehead against the small oval window, the light of a dying sun combing through her raven hair, she could almost feel the heat seeping across her scalp.

The elevator came to a halt, its passenger gently swaying before her body steadied. Balancing the stack of magazines in one arm, Asami drew open the gate and pushed open the elevator door which opened immediately into the penthouse foyer. Her low heels clicked on the small marble steps, and the main door creaked open, more of the dying sunlight spilling into the open suite than the young woman’s eyes could briefly handle. There were spots of shadow though, where her gaze jumped to for relief; the tall bonsai trees placed in almost every corner of the apartment, a human figure partially hidden beneath the shade of a large leaf.

Asami didn’t think to scream, or run away, or even contemplate fear. There was a spark of indignation, and then a full blown avalanche of rage propelling her forward, the stack of magazines slipping from her arms, each page slapping the floor.

The figure turned, startled by the war cry, and Asami barely had time to register the familiar shade of bright blue eyes before a gust of wind was skirting around her body, and she was lurching forward into nothing but solid wall, the bump of her nose brushing against it when suddenly there was a rock hard arm wrapped around her waistline, and heated breath on the nape of her neck.

“Sami, it’s me.”

Her body went to war; muscles loosening, going lax in the Avatar’s arms, while her heart pounded violently against her chest, breath quickening. When the Avatar seemed to trust she wasn’t about to attack, the arms around her waist relented, and Asami turned around.

“Korra.”

A blindingly white grin shone on the heiress’ glittering black gaze, like moonlight scraping the night sky. “Hey.”

There was a brief pause, the air between them still. And then they were both colliding in a hug, the shorter Avatar burrowing her face in jasmine scented tresses, inhaling her best friend’s comforting fragrance. Asami’s arms tightened around Korra’s broad shoulders, heart rate accelerating, thudding between her ears and at the base of her throat, she could not imagine Korra would be unable to hear it.

“You’re a lot softer than your statue…” Asami mumbled into her friend’s neck, cheeks immediately tinting pink when her brain registered the admission.

“Huh?”

“Nothing!” Asami pulled away, clearing her throat and plastering on a rather watery smile. “It’s so good to see you, I thought we were meeting at Narook’s though.”

Korra followed the young CEO into the kitchen, smiling when Asami gently stepped out of her heels and began to fix them both cups of tea, the height difference between them no longer quite as stark. “Bolin tried to reach you and then asked me to just fly over here, we’re postponing until tomorrow.”

Occupying herself with the kettle, Asami worked to find legitimate excuses around the kitchen to avoid her friend’s eyes. “How disappointing. There’s nothing wrong, I hope.”

“Just official duties got in the way.” Korra waved her hand. “Nothing to worry about.”

“Official like… royal?”

Korra hesitated, leaning against the kitchen archway, watching the tall brunette ruminate on which tea bags they ought to indulge. “Yes.”

The confirmation was deafening. For a moment, Asami was horrified to feel there were tears on her cheeks… only to exhale in relief when she realized it was just steam from the boiling water. “Well,” She said. “That makes sense. I certainly can’t blame you for wanting to spend the festival with a princess of all things.”

Korra released a breath tinged with laughter. “Sami, you’re one of the richest people in the world, and I’m the freakin’ Avatar. Royal titles don’t impress me much.”

“A pretty face does.” Asami muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing.” The kettle shook, carved into the shape of a dragon, steam shooting out through the nostrils. Asami bent down and blew out the flames.

They relocated deeper into the apartment, where the large windows looked out onto the darkening skyline of Republic City. Each room in the suite was separated by fusuma, the wooden doors sliding open to allow the air to flow. Asami and Korra sat opposite one another on the floor pillows, their side profiles illuminated by the dying sun bleeding into the room.

They fell quiet for a few moments, save for the gentle drill of Asami’s nails against the side of her teacup. She watched the Avatar sip from her own, always averting her gaze when Korra looked up over the rim.

An exaggerated mmmmm-hmmmmm finally broke the silence, Korra draining her tea much too quickly, cheeks puffing out as she filled her face with it. A decidedly unladylike snort exited Asami’s nostrils.

“Whuh?” Korra’s voice was a little muffled, literally trying to talk around the liquid sloshing around her tongue. “S’good!”

“I see that.” Asami hadn’t realized her shoulders were raised so high, until they were relaxing, slumping down to a natural level.

“You make really good tea. I’ve always thought so.”

“I don’t think anyone else appreciates my brew quite as much as you. Consequently, no one is in as much danger of choking.”

“I am not going to choke.” Korra stubbornly took a larger gulp of the slightly bitter concoction.

“What will the gossip rags say when they hear the Avatar found comatose in my apartment, brought down by a lungful of tea. Oh, come here.” Asami set her cup down and crawled forward, green eyes the same shade as the tea leaf clinging to the bottom of her friend’s pouty bottom lip.

Korra’s bright blue eyes caught her own just as Asami’s thumb brushed against the parted mouth, gently wiping the leaf from her friend’s sweet stained lip. “The headlines would read Miss Sato is a hero.”

A tiny shiver ran down Asami’s back at the use of her surname. She’d never been quite sure if Korra understood what hearing that did to her. She thought she hid her reactions quite well. “For having you collapse on my floor?”

“For bringing me back.” Korra’s eye contact was steadfast, like the roll of an ocean wave steadily crawling towards the beach. “You do know how to resuscitate, don’t you?”

It felt like the room was collectively holding its breath. Asami’s lashes fluttered as the Avatar leaned in closer, their noses gently bumping against one another. In the distance, musicians hired for the festival were starting their preliminary notes. Plucked strings and trilling songstresses stretching syllables that haunted the air, lingering in the dying light. It felt like a spell had been cast. Webbed traps binding the city in magic; silk chains wrapped them in music. It spilled into the apartment suite, it splashed against their dark hair and burning bright eyes.

Korra leaned forward, crossed legs unfurling, and made to close that last inch of distance between them. But the weight of small hands gave her pause, Asami pressing against her shoulders and leaning away from her in the space of a silent note.

“What would your princess think?” The heiress cracked a smile, trying to appear playful, but the words were as slightly bitter as the taste of her tea.

Korra fell back on her bottom, the spell broken. “She’s not my - ”

“The festival is almost starting. You ought not be late.” Asami rose from the floor, cheeks tinted pink, like the blush of a rose. “She doesn’t seem like a girl that likes to be kept waiting.”

The Avatar rose with her, raising a hand to try and touch the taller woman’s shoulder. “Asami, she and I - ”

“Korra, it’s fine!” There was a whip of lengthy, ink black locks as the inventor strode towards the balcony, inhaling the air, scented now with the fried delicacies wafting up from the food carts rolling through the darkening streets. Floating lanterns had been set loose throughout the districts, and were bobbing in the air. One of them was rising the length of her apartment building, slowly gliding towards the sky, its amber luminescence catching them in the act.

Asami turned its back to it, biting her lip as she looked upon her friend, blue eyes stricken with a mixture of emotions she couldn’t unpack. “You don’t owe me an explanation.”

Pausing, Korra deliberated on that as she entered the balcony as well, chewing on her own lip. “You’re right,” Her agreement was slow, chin pointing upwards. “You’re the one who ended things, after all.”

“Yes, I did.” Asami’s hands curled around the balcony edge behind her.

Korra sucked in her breath, chest puffing up beneath her tribal garments. “Is that why you’re so bothered? Can’t believe a princess would want to slum around with the likes of me?”

“You know I don’t think that.” She watched Korra grab for her staff which was leaning against the wall.

“Whatever, I have to go.” With a snap of her wrist, the blue wings of her gliding staff were erect. Korra hopped up onto the ledge. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Korra, wait - ” Asami’s fingers brushed against the heavy skin of the tribal trousers, but the Avatar was already diving off the balcony, the elements sweeping her up and pushing her forward. A deep, long dive into the darkness and narrow gaps of the glittering metropolis. A dark silhouette illuminated by flashes of amber lighting, the bobbing lanterns catching her in mid-flight, the roar of the crowd merging into the streets rising and falling depending on where they caught sight of the soaring guardian.

Asami was left alone on the balcony, her fingers still warm from where she’d made contact.

#world in flames #korrasami #legend of korra #fanfic #fanfiction #archive of our own #Korra #Asami

[sweatybeargalaxy]

Best Places To Spend New Years In The USA

Spending your New year's Eve inside the US isn't something you will afford to miss. America has abundant areas to make your New year's celebration a fabulous one. Moreover, here are  the Best Places To Spend New Years In The USA.

1. New York City, New York: For The Astounding Countdown Celebration 

New year in America might be very energizing and nothing beats the charging New Year celebration of NY town. Each corner of the city seems to hypnotize with adorned roads, noisy music at the different bars and golf hardware, and the greatest notable part is the commencement festivity. The many year-vintage lifestyles of the town of failing in obscurity with commencement at the occasions rectangular are the thing that makes individuals loopy and constrains them to New Year from restrictive pieces of the area. Live streaming if the entire show moreover happens which a huge number of people watch during the area. Other than this, there are various settings as pleasantly in NY in which exceptional firecrackers are ready for the best new year celebration in the USA.

Activities: Watch the ball drop now and again rectangular at the long stretches of dimness, wonder on the excellent firecrackers, experience an energizing New Year celebration at different bars.

Ideal for: Friends and Family. 

Read More: American Airlines

2. Las Vegas, Nevada: For the eye-getting Fireworks 

The posting of the great quality areas to spend New Year in the U.S. Would-be inadequate without the point out of Las Vegas in Nevada. The city is celebrated wherever on the planet for its outstanding firecrackers that take place on New year's Eve. New year in Las Vegas' LV Strip will amuse you in each sense as on this day, vehicles of any sort are kept out and about and just people on foot are permitted to walk through it observing New year. You may likewise appreciate delightful perspectives while raising the toast for a shiny new year at the inordinate roller, the area's tallest wheel. That is furthermore the best spot to catch the dazzling firecrackers for which Las Vegas is notable wherever in the world. 

Activities: Watch the amazing firecrackers, walk around the LV Strip, improve the toast at the field's tallest wheel, the hotshot 

Ideal for: Couples, family members.

Read More: Alaska Airlines 

3. Miami, Florida: For the love Of shoreline parties 

New year in the U.S. May is made extraordinary from numerous points of view and considered one of them is the flashy seashores of Miami and revelling inside the elating occasions. Loopy ocean side gatherings watch for you in Miami wherein you could help the toast while partaking in the perfect perspectives and refreshing climate. South beach is the last New Year shoreline celebration place to get away wherein there might be not so much as an unmarried dull second as the fresh out of the plastic new year celebration are sky-over the top. The staggering firecracker show starts in the middle of the evening and might be decent considering the sea power and fifteenth street. Witness flawless firecrackers and commencement celebrations on the Bayfront Park or experience a generous supper via saving a supper voyage at Biscayne Bay to make the limit of your new year’s Eve, U.S.A. 

Activities: Attend a charming seashore celebration at South seashore, digital book a supper journey at Biscayne Bay, enjoy a commencement celebration at Bayfront Park 

Ideal for: Friends, couples 

4. San Francisco, California: For the paranormal Festivities 

If stay melody, DJ evening time, mysterious firecrackers and endless merriments are the thing that energizes you for pristine year celebration in the USA, at that point San Francisco is the best spot to be at as the town offers unlimited encounters to every individual to make their New year's Eve vital. A portion of the great quality areas to regard the firecrackers in San Francisco is the Golden Gate Bridge, double Peaks and Embarcadero waterfront. Boat suppers likewise are set up through different hotels for those who like to make some great memories in a close setting with their friends and family. San Francisco is one of the five-star areas to go to inside the U.S. For an extreme New year celebration. 

Activities: Hold onto the firecrackers at Golden Gate Bridge or Embarcadero waterfront, appreciate occasions at assorted clubs 

Ideal for: Families 

5. La, California: For the warmth Of food 

On the off chance that you are a foodie by coronary heart then the fine areas for fresh out of the box new a year in the U.S.A. For you would be truly la. Some sufficient cafés and bars have various New year occasions with good dinners to glut on. The Varnish, Broadway Bar, dwelling After evening The Slipper grab hold of, Decadence Masquerade Ball-Clifton's Republic and Yapa are a couple of extravagant golf gear and bars put in Log Angeles that guarantee a varied New year celebration. Suppers vans and live tunes might be seen all through the town and the best one might be talented at Grand Park in Los Angeles. Toward the south of Downtown, an exciting celebration is coordinated on the protracted shoreline which is one of the acceptable spots for a pristine year birthday celebration inside America. 

Activities: Experience the soothing music, gorge at the food from the food vehicles, go to vivacious occasions at the different clubs 

Best for: Families 

6. Honolulu, Hawaii: For A Serene New Year Celebrations 

One of the wonderful areas to move for the new year in the US is Honolulu which will give you a hint of both the city and the tropical festivals. The city has assorted occasions and the extraordinary one might be seen at the Waikiki shoreline. To regard the acceptable of firecrackers inside the city, head to Dolphin VIP or superstar of Honolulu that has a flawless firecracker journey and Cocktail Cruise. New year's Eve commencement birthday celebration is likewise done at Hawaiin focus which is delighted and complete of ways of life. Different eating spots and hotels in Honolulu toss terrific occasions on New year's Eve in the US of America where individuals can appreciate a five-star eating, revel in, drink or dance while tallying down for new year. 

Activities: Appreciate a journey at Dolphin VIP or star of Honolulu, enjoy New Year's commencement party at Hawaiin focus, participate in seashore celebration at Waikiki shoreline 

Ideal for: Couples, companions 

Read more: Alaska Airlines

7. New Orleans, Louisiana: For The place New 12 months events

One of the pleasant locations to spend New year in the USA. Is undoubtedly New Orleans which is known for its going on New 12 months parties. You may revel in a completely colourful parade that takes place on new year’s Eve at Decatur street. Some other spot to rejoice New year in New Orleans is without a doubt Jackson square in which you'll have a good time the losing of fleur-de-lys at sharp 11:59 pm with the live track that's witnessed with the aid of many humans such as the stars. The Mississippi River looks spellbinding with incredible fireworks that take over it on new year’s Eve. Mississippi River Boat Cruise may be booked to witness the fireworks extra surely far from the hustle and bustle of crowds. Bourbon road is full of golf equipment and pubs where events till early morning take place for the exceptional New year in the celebrations of the United State.

Activities: Witness the dropping of fleur-de-lys at Jackson street, enjoy Mississippi River Boat Cruise, attend New year parties at exclusive golf equipment in Bourbon road

Ideal for: buddies, own family

8. Chicago, Illinois: birthday celebration in the Chills

One of the nice places to rejoice in the New Year in a chilly climate in Chicago. Chicago can be bloodless in winters and this is what complements the brand new 12 months celebrations right here. In case you are seeking to have a fun New year with the circle of relatives, then head to the military Pier that is brimmed with numerous desirable eating places and bars that throw excellent events on the new 12 months’ Eve. Exquisite fireworks take vicinity over Lake Michigan which you will witness from Nany Pier. Dinner cruises are organized at Lake Michigan to ring within the New Year with ecstatic perspectives of the lit skyline, fireworks, fancy dinner and poo. For a children-friendly New Year party inside the u.S., head to Lincoln Park Zoo which is embellished within the prettiest manner with a live DJ, carousel rides, ice skating and games.

Activities: Enjoy a dinner cruise at Lake Michigan, bask in the different celebration at the military Pier, head to Lincoln Park Zoo for youngsters’ friendly New 12 months celebrations

Ideal for: households.

Read More: American Airlines

9. Cape Cod, Massachusetts: For The maximum Romantic New year Celebrations

Cape Cod, a peninsula in Massachusetts state of the USA, isn't very widely known to people and that is what makes it one of the high-quality locations to go for new 12 months in America in case you are looking for a romantic New 12 months birthday celebration. Without a loud party and those, that is a fantastic vacation spot to rejoice the arrival of recent Year along with your associate amid a serene setting. Diverse occasions additionally take region like First night time Chatham wherein you can witness one-of-a-kind fireworks, delectable meals and diverse performances. Cape Cod is home to some lovely seashores wherein a romantic candle mild dinner may be loved soaking the enchanting perspectives of the surrounding panorama. Except Chatham, Sandwich and Provincetown are two different places in Cape Cod to ring within the New Year.

Things to do: Experience a romantic candlelight dinner at the scenic beaches, attend the high-quality New 12 months birthday party in Cape Cod in Chatham

Ideal for: couples

10. Nashville, Tennessee: For The high-quality stay tune

Nashville is famed for its live music events all around the united states of America and those who're crazy fortune have to sincerely deliver this vicinity an attempt for the satisfactory New Year celebrations inside America. Tune metropolis midnight is the right area in Nashville for a nice track party with sector-renowned artists and musicians. Numerous bars and clubs in Nashville also host numerous New year events for the grand welcome of the new year. A few special events which are possible to take region in Nashville for brand spanking new 12 months 2021 are Ward Davis at third & Lindsley, A night time to recollect & A Year to overlook at Tin Roof on Demonbreun, Lucinda Williams at song city Wine garden and New year's Eve at  the high-quality music party at track town middle of the night, attend New Year's Eve @ Nashville Underground

Ideal for: friends

11. Orlando, Florida: relish The satisfactory Hospitality on the Eve of latest Year

Orlando, Florida: get pleasure from The great Hospitality on the Eve of recent year

Questioning where to rejoice in New Year 2021 in the USA? Nicely, if Disney is the solution that comes to your thoughts when you think of Orlando, you are not wrong. At the same time as Disney gives the pleasant, viable New Year's Eve's enjoy, the parade and fireworks are a primary spotlight. A surprising night is assured when you attend the themed parties, and delight in the pleasant delicacies from a unique menu. In truth, the listing is going on as site visitors get to enjoy multiple events at eating places, an interactive DJ, a live band, and so much more. Disney World is the region to be for the kids as they get to photo op with their preferred characters.

Things to do: See fireworks at Legoland’s kids’ New 12 months’ Eve birthday celebration, Indulge yourself in SeaWorld’s Christmas birthday party, Welcome the brand new 12 months as your villa, Spend time at Icon Park

Ideal for: Family, pals, couples

12. Phoenix, Arizona: Welcome the brand new year With a journey

One of the pleasant locations to rejoice in the new 12 months in America, Phoenix is another nice place wherein travellers would like to visit. From the satisfaction of recent year events, picnic spots, camping revel in, trekking and a lot greater, that is an area where you can welcome 2021 with fashion. Arizona boasts of a few sincerely picturesque perspectives within the USA. So, why not go to the region and ring inside the New Year amidst the beauty of nature.

Things to do: Take a tour of the Sonoran desolate tract, trekking, Spring schooling

Perfect for: Buddies, couples

New 12 months in the USA is like a dream for many of us. The United States boast of diverse events and occasions and welcomes the arrival of recent Year with first-rate pomp and show. There are so many pleasant locations to go for the brand new year in America which guarantees a grand New 12 months birthday celebration. From scintillating membership events, beach events, activities to the ball drop at the times square in the big apple, there are such a lot of going on events that take place within the United States. So, in case you fancy celebrating New 12 months’ Eve amid a grand party, you ought to book your United States of America flight tickets now, the proper way to participate in the grandest New 12 months celebrations.

[politicalmamaduck]

The Winter Lights of Chandrila

Written for the @hanleiasecretsanta for @graciecatfamilyband! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, I hope you will like this gift. <3 Many thanks to @lariren-shadow for betaing!

Read it on ao3 here.

The lights of Chandrila shimmered around Leia Organa as she stood on her balcony. It was a quiet night, despite the hustle and bustle of the reborn and emerging New Republic.

The year prior, the Rebel family she had built had celebrated the Alderaanian winter solstice and Wookiee Life Day on the run from the Empire, formulating their plan to break Han out of Jabba’s palace and recovering from wounds both spiritual and physical. Luke had been adjusting to his new hand, Chewie was mourning the loss of his best friend and co-pilot, and Lando had been reconciling his moral and ethical compasses after his betrayal.

Leia’s family was altogether healthier and happier now, although some wounds would never heal. She still had trouble entering smoky cantinas, not that she went into many of those; if she lingered too long, the smoke seemed to filter through an orange haze, mechanized breathing taking over her hearing, and the temperature dropping precipitously.

Each holiday or celebration that passed, she mourned her parents and her planet. At least this year she would be able to make Alderaanian sweetbread for everyone’s birthdays and the solstice. Her mother would have been proud, she knew, but those little reminders still stung her heart.

Luke was quiet, always thinking and planning. He had told her what he knew of the Force, but there was still so much they didn’t know, about the Force, each other, and their family.

Han was off to Kashyyyk to pick up Chewie for the solstice and Life Day celebrations on Chandrila, which Leia had helped plan as a show of New Republic strength and unity. They were due to arrive shortly, as was Lando and Wedge Antilles. The old gang would be together again, and they would share Leia’s sweetbread and hot chocolate and exchange gifts. Chewie promised to share traditional Wookiee legends as per Life Day tradition, and Leia was looking forward to having a few days off to share with her loved ones.

Hanna City seemed to shimmer in the darkness before her, much like Aldera always had at this time of year.

It was beautiful, and peaceful, and Leia couldn’t quite believe it. Thinking about where she was, and where she had started, it seemed like a miracle that she was alive to see it at all.

Somehow, the solstice had always managed to make her feel a bit maudlin, even as a small girl running about the palace.

Everyone will be here soon, she thought, and she tried to reassure herself that everything would be fine.

There was nothing quite like the sensation of being enfolded in a Wookiee hug to cure the winter blues, it seemed to Leia. Her small apartment was soon filled with the sounds of Shyriiwook, laughter, and clinking mugs, and it warmed her soul while the added bodies warmed the space. Lando and Wedge brought bottles of Corellian whiskey that tasted especially good with their hot chocolate and sweetbread, and Luke shared his aunt’s blue milk cheesy bread recipe.

It was sharing a moment alone with her husband that Leia treasured the most, however. His kiss upon arriving home was even better than Chewie’s big hug.

“Everything okay, Your Worship?” he asked her, later that night as she stood on the balcony looking out at the winter lights throughout the city once more.

“Everything’s fine,” she replied, tucking her head into his chest as he put his arm around her.

“I’m glad you’re all here with me. It’s just this time of year. I always used to get the solstice blues, my mother called it. I don’t want it to get any of you down as well.”

“I know who I married,” Han said, turning her chin up to look at him and gently stroking her cheek. “We’ve been through a lot together, and you’re still running the Rebellion, just more officially now. We haven’t had time to ourselves since Endor. If you need some time, we can skip everything tomorrow.”

Leia softly chuckled at that last line.

“You’re just saying that because you don’t want to be part of the parade tomorrow. I know who I married, too.”

“What can I say? You like nice men.”

“I like nice men,” she replied, smiling and pulling him down for a kiss.

Chandrila’s climate might have been too mild for snow, but otherwise, Leia’s first winter solstice at home since Alderaan’s destruction was absolutely perfect.

A few short days later, the New Republic held a ceremony in honor of Life Day in which Chewbacca placed a medal and plaque honoring all the Rebellion’s valiant warriors on the largest tree in Hanna City.

Among the top names on the plaque were Bail and Breha Organa. Leia held Han’s hand as she traced each name, smiling through tears.

“Life doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints,” he said, kissing her hand. “Let’s go get some of Chewie’s famous Life Day brew.”

She pulled him down for a proper kiss, then they headed off into the crowds to find their family.

#hanleiasecretsanta #han x leia #leia organa #han solo #fan fiction #my writing #winter solstice #wookiee life day

[bolinity]

(ABOUT HOUSING — Not Spoiler Free for Turf Wars

We know that in Republic City Hustle, with the boys at 13 and 15 years old, they move into the Pro-Bending Arena in an apartment above the gym, where we see them living in Book 1. For a brief stint they also lived at the Asato estate after the attack on the Arena then on Air Temple Island after the whole Hiroshi thing.

By Book 2, we do see their apartment by s2e05 and more glimpses of its main room — some sort of living room-kitchen combo — throughout the season [some pictures under the cut].

However, it just hit me when writing that ask about what Bolin’s thoughts on Tenzin were that we technically don’t ever see Mako & Bolin’s apartment again after Book 2. 

At the start of Book 3 Bolin mentions that he takes up residence at Air Temple Island again after the apartment is infested with Spirit Vines as a result of Harmonic Convergence [while Mako decides to sleep under his desk at the police station]. 

Then of course by Book 4 he’s traveling around the Earth Kingdom/Empire with Kuvira as part of her army [as a sidenote, his rank is Corporal by the time we see him], to which I’m assuming he’s living on that fancy train for the most part.

In TLoK: An Avatar’s Chronicle, which happens within the realm of Turf Wars [as Bolin references that he’s Mako’s partner on the police force], he does mention that he has a bunch of Nuktuk merch left over so he had to keep his merchandise somewhere, possibly at Air Temple Island or even the Asato estate since his family moved in during Book 3 and is seen still living there in Book 4 when Mako sends Prince Wu there for safety.

At the end of Turf Wars, when Bolin is being Dramatique™ and is telling Mako his goodbyes due to choosing to “go their separate ways” after he quits the police force, Mako states he’s going to see him “at home in, like, two hours” meaning that they were able to get acquire another place together — which I think is really nice that they do so.

Looking at their first apartment [Book 2 era; they’re 17 and 19 at this point], it’s pretty small -- like it looks like probably a 1 br/1 ba place; it has two doors [not including the entrance], one which I assume is the bedroom [the door behind Mako] and inside is a bathroom. 

[Also fun fact, that bookshelf gets filled with more books as the season goes on. It’s very bare when we first see it in s2e05l, seen above. Mako’s a big nerd.]

The other door near the entrance [door to the right in the foreground] is probably like a little closet since window placements give a sense that their apartment unit is at the corner of the building, so a room to the right would not be possible.

From another angle, from the kitchen toward the entrance. The little closet is more visible for size.

— And Bo somehow managed to fit a giant tub in there somehow. [note this screenshot is from s2e06, the first two are from s2e09. I have no idea where he put the couch, which is seen in in earlier shots of the apartment; where the heck did they put all his Nuktuk purchases after this scene? Who knows lmfao.]

I’m hoping in their new apartment [where Bo and Mako are 20 and 22] as of post Book 4 they found a place where they have their own respective rooms after almost two decades of sharing “bedrooms” [obviously I say this lightly since who knows how they slept from ages 6 & 8 to 13 & 15].

Sidenote: Have a cute picture from An Avatar’s Chronicle of the Trio + Pabu in the apartment.)

#bo headcanons with al #oh it's 3/4 am again and al is posting nonsense instead of drafts wheeze