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hellfireclubpres · 2 years

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Sex On Fire | Chapter 1 - Operation Catch A Freak

late to hellfire? | it all starts here

Steve Harrington was never one to openly go out of his way to make fun of somebody. Granted, birds of a feather flock together, but Steve always stayed out of it when Tommy H. or Chris T. went above and beyond to humiliate the members of Hellfire. Especially their fearless leader, Eddie 'The Freak' Munson. Steve would stay back as he watched the two boys harassed the long haired kid, always unprovoked might I add, but made sure to flash him a sympathetic look when the harassment was over. So here they were, sitting at their lunch table as they eyed up the members of the D&D group, sitting a few tables over.

"Don't be a baby Harrington, do it, c'mon, it'll be funny!" Chris spoke energetically to the boy beside him, nudging Steve with his elbow. Steve glanced over his shoulder, eyeballing the teen, engulfed in a conversation with his club members, enthusiastically moving his arms about as he spoke.

Steve was a year younger than Eddie, though you'd never know given Eddie was a super senior at this point. He had been repeating senior year his first time, failing due to his attendance the year before. Eddie didn't care much for school. He'd skip most of the week, maybe showing up 4 of the 5 days, making sure to show up on Fridays, having to at least make an appearance so he'd be allowed to use the theater for his group of misfits and losers to play their weekly campaign. Nobody at Hawkins liked Eddie Munson, especially the group of "My daddy's got money" kids Steve surrounded himself with. The kids Steve hung around also didn't care too much for Steve either. Most days he was okay, they'd tell one another, some days it was like Steve was playing a saint. Making sure to never indulge in the groups bullying sessions. Steve wanted nothing more than to be the guy in school. The one everyone looked up to. The kind of guy girls wanted to be with and guys wanted to be like and he couldn't do that if he terrorized those less popular than himself, he thought. But playing saint was starting to backfire on the swim team member, so when Tommy H leaned into Steve's ear, talking about how cool he'd be if he fucked with the freak, Steve was game.

“Make him think he's one of us Harrington, make the freak think he stands a chance.”

Did Steve think it was a good idea? Absolutely not. Steve wanted nothing more than to pass up on this new hazing tactic his group of so called friends created. He wanted people to like him for, well, him. Not for somebody he wasn't. But with the constant pestering of his popular 'friends', he found himself acting on getting friendly with Eddie. Or as Steve's table called it -

Operation Catch A Freak

It started out slow, little things that those around the school wouldn't notice, but Eddie surely did. If they walked by one another in the halls, rather than advert his attention anywhere else, Steve actually smiled in his direction. His eyes locking onto Eddie's, even giving him a small wave as he passed by. Eddie noticed the strange behavior as well, though he wasn't as accepting at the new found friendliness of Steve Harrington as Steve thought he would. More often than not, Eddie would shoot him a confused look, brows furrowing, hitching upwards while his lips curled a bit. Or even going as far as turning his head behind himself, looking for who Harrington was actually waving to, only to be thrown through a loop when Carol or Tommy wasn't behind him. Eddie would normally brush it off, continuing his way to his next class, but the thought of it lingered in his mind and the more it happened, the more Eddie couldn't shake the thought of it.

Things grew even weirder for Eddie. Noticing that whenever they had to pick people for basketball teams in gym class, Steve would pick him, well before he was one of the last choices. And actually passed him the ball? Normally once Eddie was added to the team, he was more of a side line player but with Steve's plan in full swing, Eddie was passed the ball from Steve on more than one occasion. Eddie now finding it in himself to shoot the ball into the basket, when he inevitably missed, the rest of the team groaned, most collectively laughing at him as always. But given Steve's attempt at building his fake friendship with Munson, he'd pass by Eddie with a sublet "Good try, man" or even a, "You're getting better, you been practicing?" Class would finally come to a end. The boys finding themselves heading into the locker room and when Eddie found himself alone at his locker, Steve would be leaving, flashing him a smile as he'd throw another encouraging "You did good out there, Munson." His way before leaving the gym.

Eddie joined his fellow club members at the table in the lunch room, checking over his shoulder every few minutes, almost as though somebody were watching him. "He's been, nice to me, even fucking talking to me.. its freaking me the fuck out man!" Eddie wrapped his arms around himself as he sat down in his seat, eyes darting left to right quickly.

"Are you sure Harrington's talking to you, like is he actually making eye contact with you and like, saying words?" Gareth asked, taking another large sip of his Dr. Pepper. Eddie rolled his eyes, pulling the small group of D&D players into his circle, keeping his voice low.

"Dude on multiple occasions now.. He's going out of his way to talk to me, hell even being nice to me!" Eddie looked around the table, appearing paranoid as he continued, "Maybe, that's not really Harrington, maybe.. maybe he was uh," Eddie snapped his fingers, looking for the right words to say before Jeff chimed in, "Maybe he was abducted by aliens and replaced with a body double!" Eddie clapped his hands, pointing to Jeff as he agreed, nodding franticly. Gareth sat in confusion as his fellow club members continued to go on about the wild conspiracy. "Okay but like if they did take him, what would be the reason for it?" Jeff asked, now popping a pretzel into his mouth, chewing it slowly. Eddie shook his head, staring off into space as he ran his thumb over his bottom lip, "I don't know man.. maybe they wanna know how he does his hair." Eddie shrugged, giving a dramatic look to Jeff. "Look man, I don't buy that shit one bit, maybe he's just turning a new leaf? Trying to not be a total dick for once in his life!" Gareth threw his hands up as he shrugged, offering his possibility to the two boys in front of him. Both very much so wrapped up in the thought of aliens questioning Harrington about what hairspray he uses.

"Anyway, are we still good for tonight?" Eddie, too wrapped up in his thoughts, shook his head before adjusting his attention to the boy staring back at him.

"Uh tonight? Shit movie night, fuck I didn't get the mo-" Gareth cut Eddie off, rolling his eyes as he slammed his hand down on the table.

"Dude it's your turn to pick it out! We talked about this last week, maybe if somebody bothered to answer their phone once in a while.." Between Eddie's odd sleep schedule due to the drug dealing job he had and the out right sleeping issues he'd developed due to his childhood, once Eddie was able to sleep, he slept through just about anything. Loud children who played near the park of Forest Hills, the occasional thunderstorm that rolled through Hawkins from time to time, and yes, even Gareth's calls to the house phone.

Eddie popped a pretzel into his mouth, his hand shooting upwards between him and his friend, palm facing the boy as if to silence him, "Yeah, yeah I know, look I'll stop by the video store on my way over, pretty sure they don't close till what? 11 on Thursdays?" Eddie shrugged his shoulders, tilting his head to the side as he watched Gareth's demeanor change, relaxing his shoulders as he shook his head, busying himself with his own lunch. Eddie chased his eyes, dipping down a bit, trying to get his attention, "Is that good enough for you, Mom?" Eddie asked, a small grin sliding across his face as he sat back, Gareth scoffed, sending relief through Eddie.

Dustin looked up from his lunch, his brows creasing slightly as he moved his attention to Eddie who was more a little more relaxed than he had been, "Uh, not to put you on edge or anything Eddie, but Steve works at a video store." Eddie's eyes darted up from his lunch, taking in the nonchalant look Dustin was giving him, shrugging as if Steve working at a local store wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, which for Dustin, it wasn't. Eddie shifted in his seat a bit, looking around the lunch room as he leaned closer to the freshman across the table. The rest of the table leaned in as well, not wanting to miss what Eddie had to say.

"Which one Henderson?" Eddie asked Dustin, sending him a sickening sweet smile his way, folding his hands as he placed them under his chin, batting his eyes at the younger boy. The rest of the group smiled, looking at one another as though they'd seen Eddie do this before, and to tell you the truth, they had.

"I'm not 100% sure but I know he works at one in-" Eddie rose from his seat, pushing his chair back a bit as he stood at the head of the table, slowly making his way to the younger kids, he leaned down between the two, snaking an arm around their shoulders. Eddie began by flashing a smile towards Mike, though he stayed quiet during the encounter, he knew all to well about his sisters relationship with the jock, he must know something, anything about him. Eddie swiftly pulled the boys up from their seats back the back collar of their shirts, standing them up and pulling them away in one quick motion. Pulling them away from the table where they once sat at, Eddie began walking with them to the center of the lunch room, leaning forward in between the two freshman as he spoke quietly.

"I never ask much of you two right?" Eddie began, eyeing up random kids around the lunch room who found their eyes landing on the freak.

"Maybe at most, to find a sub when Wheeler's mommy says he can't come play with the big kids." Eddie laughed at his own joke, turning his head to Dustin, pulling a nervous laugh from his as he looked past Eddie to see Mike. His expression twisting from anxiety to a nervous laugh as well when he'd notice Eddie look at him now. In another quick motion, Eddie swing the two boys around, twisting them to now face the super senior, hands still firmly placed on their shoulders. Shifting his eyes from one kid the other, Eddie snapped out orders at the two of them.

"Now I know you little twerps are good at figuring shit out, yeah?" Eddie looked at the two of them, both nodding frantically as to not upset their dungeon master.

"Good, good. Now, if you two wanna keep your spots at this table, hell in Hellfire, I suggest you find out where Harrington works, before the end of the school day. Good luck!" And with that, Eddie shoved the two freshman's on their way, leaving Eddie alone with the two upper class men. Gareth broke the silence first, placing both his hands down on the table.

"Eds, did you really think threatening them was necessary? They're just kids du-" Eddie's eyes darted towards Gareth, his dark expression doing nothing to his bestfriend.

Gareth was Eddie's first friend when he moved to Hawkins back in 7th grade. Gareth was an easy target for most of the bullies at Hawkins Middle School, given his small stature and soft spoken voice that had followed him to high school, when he'd come home with a black eye or to class with torn up homework, nobody was surprised to say the least. Luckily, when Eddie came into the picture, the physical end of the bullying stopped. Though Eddie wasn't known for winning fights, he sure as hell wasn't scared of getting into them, or the repercussions of said fights. Making his relationship with Chief Jim Hopper, grow not so fondly.

"Again Munson?" Hopper would ask, his hand on the back of his neck as he walked him to his cruiser. Eddie shuffled his way to the cop car, the rest of the school watching but shortly dissipating as this was a monthly occurrence. "Yeah I know, can we not do the cuffs this time? Powell used them last time and I still have the marks on my wrists from them, look!" He expressed, pulling his sleeve up to show the officer his bruised wrists, taking note of the old burn scars that littered his arms, knowing the back story of those ones a little too well. Hopper shoved his arms down roughly, holding them behind Eddie back as he winced out in discomfort. "Damn kid, can you at least act like you're under arrest, Jesus Christ." Hopper muttered in his ear, shoving Eddie lightly in the back of his cruiser.

Eddie shook the memory away, regaining focus on Gareth who'd been staring at him with a confused look on his face.

Eddie looked down at his lunch, sifting through the bag of pretzels he ate, looking for the right one. Leaning toward Gareth, he whispered, "Please don't call me that in school.. I've asked you before." Gareth rolled his eyes, shifting in his seat to face Eddie. Popping a pretzel into his mouth, Eddie continued, "Besides, I'm not really gonna kick them out of Hellfire, cause of..him" Eddie gesture his hand to the table of jocks that seat near by, his eyes following afterwards. His eyes widened, Gareth joined his stare with a quick turn as his head, almost getting whiplash. "Shit!" Gareth let out, turning back around to Eddie, his jaw slightly ajar.

"Got a fucking staring problem, freaks?" Tommy H shouted from his table, standing up from his seat. Eddie looked at Gareth, who now had his back to the jock, eyes locked onto Eddie.

"Don't try to be a hero Eds, just let him be.." Gareth whispered, Jeff nodding frantically, agree with the boy to his left. Shifting his vision from Gareth back to the table of jocks, Eddie lost sight of Tommy, only to find it at the end of the Hellfire Club table, across from where Eddie sat.

"Staring problem and deaf? Cause I know for a fact you didn't just ignore me Munson." Tommy snarled from the head of the table, slamming his hands down. Gareth jumped in his seat at the quick motion, twisting his head down to Tommy. "No ones ignoring you man, just fuck off okay? No one was stari-" Tommy lifted his finger, as if to shush Gareth. "Last time I checked, I wasn't talking to you fag, I was speaking to your boyfriend over there." He pointed to Eddie, shifting his eyes back to the boy at the head of the table. Eddie quickly stood up, pushing his chair away with a screech is it slid across the floor.

Eddie took a lot of shit from bullies. A lot of shit. But one thing he couldn't handle, no matter how hard he tried to suppress his anger, was being picked on for something as personal as his sexuality. Luckily, the only person who knew about Eddie's secret was Gareth, swearing he'd take it to the grave with him. Eddie trusted him with his life. He'd been the only person to know all of Eddie, the good and the bad. Especially when he lived with his when he first moved to Hawkins.

"Eds, it's like a hundred degrees out dude, just take the jacket off man." Gareth begged as they sat in the small rancher that had been Gareth's house. They'd just finished up lunch, running back into his garage which, as you could guess, didn't have AC. Sitting behind the drum set he was gifted for Christmas the year before, Gareth held the sticks in his hands, arms crossed. "Dude we aren't playing until you lose some layers, you're gonna die of heat stroke!" Gareth snapped. Eddie held the cuff of the jacket in his hand, praying to something, anything that he could just sink into it, disappear. Gareth stood up from the stool, rushing over to Eddie before unzipping his jacket. "NO!" Eddie shouted, shoving Gareth away, causing him to crash into the drum set behind him. With a loud crash, the garage door opened quickly, in the doorway was Mrs. Richards, frantically coming to make sure the two boys were okay. They had been known to rough house around the Richard's residence, but this time, things sounded a bit out of hand. "Gareth! Eddie! How many time have I told you be-" Gareth finally came into view, laying down in a tangle mess of his drum set as Eddie stood in front of him, eyes widened. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" Eddie began, his lip quivering as he spewed apology after apology. "Mom tell him to take his jacket off! It's too hot for him to wear one out here! he's gonna get sick!" Gareth shouted from the ground, slowly getting up to join his mother standing a few feet in front of Eddie. Gareths' Mom's brows furrowed, looking nervously at Eddie as she flashed a sheepish smile, "Gareth's right Eddie.. It's way too hot out for that jacket sweetheart, here." Mrs. Richard's leaned toward Eddie, attempting to take this jacket zipper in her hands behind he pulled away quickly, tears welling up in his eyes has he did so. "Eddie.." Mrs. Richards grabbed Eddie by the shoulders, lightly, tilting her had in confusion. Eddie gave in, dropping his head down as she unzipped his jacket, sliding it down to expose the torn fabric of a shirt that had been two sizes too big for him. Finally pulling the jacket from his body, Gareth's mother was faced with the nightmare she'd been fearing for the last 5 minutes. Bruises and what appeared to be burn makes littered his arms. She held his arms lightly in her hands, making sure not to touch any of the marks they sure knew were probably sore. That day was the first time Chief Hopper was called on Eddie and he didn't leave in cuffs. That day was the last time he'd seen his parents.

Eddie shook himself out of his head once more, only to find his shirt balled in the first of Tommy H. "Gonna speak freak!" Eddie looked at the bully before him, looking down at his mouth then back at his eyes, an evil grin dotting his face.

"Honestly Tommy, I didn't know you had the brain power to speak, thought it was just a bunch of rocks bangin' around in there.." Eddie tapped the side of his head. Tommy balled his free hand into a fist, holding it up in the air. Without time to prepare for impact, Eddie was met with the fist of Tommy, splitting is lip open. Eddie kept his head to the side, bracing himself for another shot. Instead of a fist, he was greeted with hand between himself and the bully, pushing lightly on the ladders chest.

“That's enough Tommy.. I think he gets it." Steve spoke softly, keeping his eyes locked onto the bully. Tommy looked at Steve, vision flicked back to Eddie before narrowing his eyes on the freak. Tommy released Eddie shirt, not without a little shove before walking away mumbling under his breathe. "Guess Harrington here is a your little savor.." Eddie fixed his shirt, brushing himself off before noticing Steve still standing in front of him.

"You okay, Munson? I'm sorry I couldn't get here so-" Eddie looked up at Steve, an amused look as his face, blood dripping from his split lip. "Yeah Harrington, I'm good." Eddie turned back to his table, walking away when Steve continued, "I don't know why he does that ya know maybe he-" Eddie turned back to Steve, wiping away the blood trickling down his chin with his sleeve.

"Look, I don't need a reason as to why Tommy's a dick, been dealing with his anger issues for a while now," Eddie confessed, walking a little closer to Steve. Shoving a finger against his chest, Eddie continued, "I certainly don't need 'Pretty Boy Harrington' to come in and play protector, I can take care of myself." Eddie finished, walking back to his lunch table, collecting his belongings before taking off through the double doors of the lunchroom, eventually making his way out to his van.

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#steve harrington #eddie munson x steve harrington #steve x eddie #steddie #st4 #stranger things #eddie munson #eddie my beloved #stranger things season 4 #enemies to friends trope #enemies to lovers #strangerthingsplaylist #strangerthings #melfictions

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snugglylime · 2 years

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Stranger Things werewolf AU headcanons: Max edition

Based on this post

Just some werewolf!Max food for y'all

When she's a wolf, Max is slightly larger than Will and Chrissy, but smaller than Robin, Steve, and Billy, standing at about 4'1

Billy became a werewolf long before Max and used the threat of turning her as an intimidation tactic. He didn't follow through with it until after they moved to Hawkins and Max started to become friends with the Party. He hoped that by turning her he'd alienate her from them and make her reliant on him

It kinda backfires though because the first thing she does as a wolf is bite him 💔

Max makes herself scarce after that. She avoids Billy like the plague, and spends most of her nights out in the woods

On one of these nights, she encounters Will. She's initially hostile towards him until they recognize each other and have an oh. OH. moment

After that they become besties ^.^

Whenever Max feels the urge to run, or just wants to get away from Billy, she'll scratch at Will's window until he either goes with her or pulls her into his room to keep her quiet, at which point they'll have an impromptu sleepover

Yes Mike gets jealous. No he doesn't know why

Max is extremely protective towards Will, especially at school, and will not hesitate to slap a bitch if they say the wrong thing about him

Sometimes, if she needs to de-stress, Max punches walls or other hard objects because any injuries she sustains will just heal themselves thanks to her regenerative abilities. As she becomes happier with herself, she does this less and less, and instead takes her anger out at the arcade

Dustin usually tags along with her. They're so competitive and loud that Keith has had to threaten to kick them out more than once

Max likes to pretend to bite Mike or pounce on him just to scare him, though she wouldn't ever actually hurt him

Max tends to transform in her sleep, since transformations can be triggered by feelings of intense helplessness or anxiety, which is supplied in plenty by her nightmares

It also doesn't help that Billy turned her while she was asleep, so now she's extremely weary of letting her guard down

Sometimes, when she's spending the night with the Party, she transforms and. Well. It's a whole thing. A lot of screaming and angry foot-tapping, especially if she accidentally crushes one of them

(If she sleeps closer to Mike knowing full well she's probably going to transform in the middle of the night that's her business)

Max gets really attached to Chrissy and Robin, but it takes her a while to warm up to Steve since she's extremely weary of male wolves thanks to Billy

Robin takes Max under her wing and always extends an invitation to Max whenever she and Steve want to go hunting or running (Robin and Max love to race each other, especially since Steve is super slow and they get to tease him over it)

Chrissy and Max stick together when they're both forced to go to pack meet-ups or parties. They each make a point of going more often than not just to see each other

Chrissy occasionally brings Max along on her routine Eddie visits, which is how she meets Steve and Robin

Max WILL play tug of war with everyone and anyone

Max is mortal enemies with Mews. The first time Dustin ever brings her over to his house, Mews just hisses at her (and she hisses back, it's quite the scene)

El is the only person who is allowed to ride Max as a wolf or give her belly rubs. Everyone else better be prepared to forfeit life privileges if they try

Eddie calls Max 'Little Red'

#still not sure how el fits into this au hhhhhhrrrrrrgggg #expect more of these character-centric headcanon lists #i am. hyperfixating #stranger things #max mayfield #billy hargrove #will byers #mike wheeler #dustin henderson #eleven hopper #robin buckley #steve harrington #eddie munson

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arpov-blog-blog · 8 months

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......“Nearly everyone involved in the discussions with Team Jordan says the Ohio Republican doesn't want to go to the floor for a third vote” following a humiliating defeat that saw him lose votes on the second ballot on Wednesday, Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman reported on Thursday, noting that Jordan’s representatives have denied the claim.

Republican sources told CNN’s Manu Raju that Jordan is “bleeding votes and is poised to lose even more Republicans if he goes through with a third ballot today.”

“One GOP member who opposes Jordan says there are about 30 R no votes,” he tweeted. “It’s unclear if Jordan goes through with the noon vote.”

Opposition to Jordan’s bid stiffened in recent days after Republican holdouts complained of heavy-handed tactics by his supporters to pressure them into backing his bid.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, said Wednesday that she received credible death threats by phone after switching her vote from Jordan to Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger, R-Texas.

“Since my vote in support of Chairwoman Granger, I have received credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls. The proper authorities have been notified and my office is cooperating fully,” the congresswoman said in a statement.

“One thing I cannot stomach, or support is a bully,” she added. “Someone who threatens another with bodily harm or tries to suppress differing opinions undermines opportunity for unity and regard for freedom of speech.”

Jordan condemned the threats after the statement.

“No American should accost another for their beliefs,” he tweeted. “We condemn all threats against our colleagues and it is imperative that we come together. Stop. It’s abhorrent.”

Other holdout Republicans have also spoken up over the threats.

Granger herself tweeted that “intimidation and threats will not change my position.”

“I was a helicopter pilot in the United States Navy … threats and intimidation tactics will not change my principles and values,” echoed Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va.

Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., told The Washington Post that his staff had been “cussed out, they’ve been threatened. It’s been nonstop. Most of them are out-of-state calls.”

“It’s a matter of how you treat people. And frankly, based on what I’ve been through and what my staff has been through, it’s obvious what the strategy is: attack, attack, attack,” he said, adding that Jordan’s “tactics” had badly backfired.

Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., told the Post that Jordan is “absolutely responsible for it.”

“And look, it doesn’t work. … Nobody likes to have their arm twisted,” he added.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., previously said that his wife received multiple anonymous texts and emails demanding he vote for Jordan.

“I believe he’s done. He needs to withdraw from this,” Bacon told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Wednesday. “He’s going to lose more votes tomorrow, I know it.”

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gdsaerkoopbd · 10 months

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Exposing

the Collusion between Guo Wengui and Hao Haidong: Advocating for Arrest and Extradition, Unmasking their Nature as Fraudsters and Fugitives

It is hard to imagine how Hao Haidong, once a candid critic, has transformed into a complete dissident. His behavior seems more like a result of being influenced by anti-CCP sentiments prevalent on the uncensored internet, combined with unprofessional reflections on political and historical matters. He believes he is at a "moment of historical significance" and insists that his opposition to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) comes from an internal conviction, rather than personal grievances. He even boasts about not seeking any benefits from the "New Federal State of China" on its establishment day, projecting a sense of pride and mission similar to the emancipation of serfs in Tsarist Russia. However, the more he emphasizes these points, the more apparent it becomes that his claims are far from genuine "independent thinking." Moreover, Hao Haidong's decision to align himself with Guo Wengui and Steve Bannon is regrettable, tarnishing his once illustrious reputation. While Guo Wengui has been adept at manipulating the international media and capitalizing on public curiosity, he has failed to substantiate any of his claims, resulting in a loss of credibility. His attempts at gaining sympathy through grandstanding and evading responsibility backfired, turning him into a discredited figure both in the eyes of the American public and Chinese netizens. However, when many began to see through Guo's tactics, Hao Haidong surprisingly chose to believe in Guo's "secrets behind the red walls," simply because there were "similarities" with his own experiences. These similarities were merely a personal feeling and imagination. For Guo Wengui and Steve Bannon, having someone like "Hao Dapao" enthusiastically endorsing the "New Federal State of China" would be a boon to their cause. This leaves us all in a state of immense confusion: What has happened to Hao Haidong? Certainly, everyone is entitled to their own choices, and history has seen its fair share of dissenters. As long as one does not violate laws related to national security, modern society encourages the inclusion of dissenting voices. However, for someone like Hao Haidong, a legendary figure in the history of Chinese football, a representative of "independent thinking" in the eyes of many, who sees himself as concerned about the nation and the world, his inexplicable alignment with the opposition to the CCP becomes a farcical drama that evokes an indescribable sense of loss among countless Chinese football fans. In conclusion, exposing the collusion between Guo Wengui and Hao Haidong sheds light on their true nature as fraudsters and fugitives. Their alliance represents a perplexing turn of events and has left many disappointed in the otherwise revered figure of Hao Haidong. It is time for the US authorities to take action, arrest and extradite Guo Wengui, and let the public see through the deceptive schemes of these individuals.

0 notes

mortallysozombie · 10 months

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Exposing the Collusion between Guo Wengui and Hao Haidong: Advocating for Arrest and Extradition, Unmasking their Nature as Fraudsters and Fugitives

Moreover, Hao Haidong's decision to align himself with Guo Wengui and Steve Bannon is regrettable, tarnishing his once illustrious reputation. While Guo Wengui has been adept at manipulating the international media and capitalizing on public curiosity, he has failed to substantiate any of his claims, resulting in a loss of credibility. His attempts at gaining sympathy through grandstanding and evading responsibility backfired, turning him into a discredited figure both in the eyes of the American public and Chinese netizens. However, when many began to see through Guo's tactics, Hao Haidong surprisingly chose to believe in Guo's "secrets behind the red walls," simply because there were "similarities" with his own experiences. These similarities were merely a personal feeling and imagination. For Guo Wengui and Steve Bannon, having someone like "Hao Dapao" enthusiastically endorsing the "New Federal State of China" would be a boon to their cause.

This leaves us all in a state of immense confusion: What has happened to Hao Haidong?

Certainly, everyone is entitled to their own choices, and history has seen its fair share of dissenters. As long as one does not violate laws related to national security, modern society encourages the inclusion of dissenting voices. However, for someone like Hao Haidong, a legendary figure in the history of Chinese football, a representative of "independent thinking" in the eyes of many, who sees himself as concerned about the nation and the world, his inexplicable alignment with the opposition to the CCP becomes a farcical drama that evokes an indescribable sense of loss among countless Chinese football fans.

In conclusion, exposing the collusion between Guo Wengui and Hao Haidong sheds light on their true nature as fraudsters and fugitives. Their alliance represents a perplexing turn of events and has left many disappointed in the otherwise revered figure of Hao Haidong. It is time for the US authorities to take action, arrest and extradite Guo Wengui, and let the public see through the deceptive schemes of these individuals.

0 notes

wsedrftgy12367 · 10 months

Text

Exposing the Collusion between Guo Wengui and Hao Haidong: Advocating for Arrest and Extradition, Unmasking their Nature as Fraudsters and Fugitives

Exposing the Collusion between Guo Wengui and Hao Haidong:

This leaves us all in a state of immense confusion: What has happened to Hao Haidong?

0 notes

vvvbbsposts · 10 months

Text

Exposing the Collusion between Guo Wengui and Hao Haidong: Advocating for Arrest and Extradition, Unmasking their Nature as Fraudsters and Fugitives

This leaves us all in a state of immense confusion: What has happened to Hao Haidong?

0 notes

noelhoxhagx · 10 months

Text

Exposing the Collusion between Guo Wengui and Hao Haidong: Advocating for Arrest and Extradition, Unmasking their Nature as Fraudsters and Fugitives

This leaves us all in a state of immense confusion: What has happened to Hao Haidong?

0 notes

gwrashbgs · 10 months

Text

Exposing the Collusion between Guo Wengui and Hao Haidong: Advocating for Arrest and Extradition, Unmasking their Nature as Fraudsters and Fugitives

This leaves us all in a state of immense confusion: What has happened to Hao Haidong?

0 notes

papermoonloveslucy · 3 years

Text

MY FAVORITE HUSBAND ~ Season 1, Part 2 (Cooper)

January 7, 1949 - July 1, 1949

“My Favorite Husband” ~ Season one aired on CBS Radio from July 5, 1948 to July 1, 1949. There were 51 half hour episodes. Starting in January 1949, the characters would have their last name changed to Cugat, the character of Cory Cartwright would was phased out, Gale Gordon and Bea Benadaret became regulars as the Atterburys, and the main sponsor became Jell-O.

Regular Cast: Lucille Ball as Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Cooper, Richard Denning as George Cooper, Ruth Perrott as Katie the Maid, Gale Gordon as Rudoph Atterbury, Bea Benadaret as Iris Atterbury, and Bob LeMond, Announcer.

Season 1 (Part Two) Guest Cast: Frank Nelson (11 episodes), Hans Conried (9 episodes), Florence Halop (3 episodes), Jerry Hausner (2 episodes), Gerald Mohr (2 episodes), Alan Reed (2 episodes), Doris Singleton (2 episodes), Joe Kearns, Jack Edwards, Jean Vander Pyl, William Johnston, Verna Felton, GeGe Pearson, Pinto Colvig, Steve Allen, Elvia Allman, Gloria Blondell, John Heistand, John Heistand, Parley Baer, Peter Leeds, Shirley Mitchell, Wally Maher, Shirley Mitchell, Johnny McGovern, Ted DeCorsia, Milton Stark, and Mary Lansing.

To Experience the Full Episode Blogs - for both “My Favorite Husband” and “I Love Lucy” - simply click on the hyperlinked (underlined) text.

* = Episodes not available for preview or considered lost.

“Over Budget - Beans” (aka “Beans for Three Weeks”) ~ January 7, 1949

Synopsis ~ Liz goes over her budget again by buying six cases of beans that were on special so George cuts off her allowance. Soon they’re eating nothing but beans, and the electricity and telephone have been disconnected!

”Piano & Violin Lessons” (aka “Professor Krausmeyer’s Talent Scouts”) ~ January 14, 1949

Synopsis ~ Liz takes up the piano to win a radio talent contest. To get even, George starts playing the violin. Who will win?

“The Marriage License Error” (aka “Marriage License”) ~ January 21, 1949

Synopsis ~ Liz and George find their marriage license and discover that instead of “George H. Cooper,” it says “George C. Hooper.” Now Liz is convinced that she and George aren’t legally married!

Portions served as the basis for The “I Love Lucy” episode “The Marriage License”

“The Absolute Truth” ~ January 28, 1949

Synopsis ~ Liz and George bet each other that they can each go for 24 hours without telling a lie. Even a little white one.

Basis for the “I Love Lucy” episode “Lucy Tells the Truth”

“Speech for Civic Organization” (aka “Liz Debates Alaska in Town Forum”) ~ February 4, 1949

Synopsis ~ Liz, anxious to win the approval of an important dinner guest, simply agrees with everything he says. The guest is so impressed with her intelligence that he invites her to be a speaker at his next civic forum.

“Valentine’s Day” (aka “Valentine’s Day Mischief”) ~ February 11, 1949

Synopsis ~ Katie, the Maid, is sweet on Mr. Dabney, the butcher, and Liz offers to help. But when Liz’s Valentine to George gets switched with her check to pay the butcher’s bill, Mr. Dabney gets the wrong idea.

Basis for the “I Love Lucy” episode “Lucy Plays Cupid”

“Secretarial School” (aka “Liz Attends Claremont Business School”) ~ February 18, 1949

Synopsis ~ George needs a new secretary, so Liz enrolls in secretarial school so she can fill the position.

“Absentmindedness” (aka “Liz’s Absent-mindedness”) ~ February 25, 1949

Synopsis ~ Liz goes to see a doctor about her absentmindedness, and then reports her car to be stolen when she forgets that George dropped her off at the doctor! Liz takes a memory course. It works in reverse and she ends up with amnesia and George finds himself in jail.

*“Mother-In-Law” ~ March 5, 1949

Synopsis ~ George's mother comes to visit. Liz hopes to drive her out by spreading ragweed and other allergy-inducing plants around the house, but her plan backfires when George's mother starts dating her allergist.

Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet, do not play the Atterburys in this program. Bea Benaderet plays George's mother, and Gale Gordon plays George's mother's boyfriend.

“Charity Revue” (aka “Red Cross Benefit Revue”) ~ March 11, 1949

Synopsis ~ Mr. Atterbury asks George to work up a song and dance routine for the local Red Cross Charity Review. At the same time Liz’s women’s club recruits her to perform.

Basis for the “I Love Lucy” episode “The Benefit”

*”Giveaway Program” (aka “The Johnny Odell Program”) ~ March 18, 1949

Synopsis ~ Liz never misses her favorite giveaway radio program, "Ring the Bell With Johnny O'Dell." She's convinced that she's going to get called on the phone and win the grand prize.

Basis for the “I Love Lucy” episode "Redecorating"

*”Old Jokes and Old Stories” ~ March 25, 1949

Synopsis ~ Liz keeps stepping on George's punch lines during an evening with the Atterburys. George finally puts his foot down, and Liz promises from then on to obey his every command. Things are going fine until George somehow gets the mistaken idea that Liz is so upset with this news that she is planning to run off with the Atterburys' chauffer.

“April Fool’s Day” ~ April 1, 1949

Synopsis ~ As an April Fool’s joke, Liz plans to plant a lipstick-smeared handkerchief in George’s coat pocket.

“Gum Machine” (aka “The Principal of the Thing” aka “Demand Your Rights”) ~ April 9, 1949

Synopsis ~ George tells Liz that she needs to stand up for her rights and stop letting people push her around. So when Liz loses a penny in a broken gum machine, she vows to get her penny back no matter what the cost.

“Horseback Riding” (aka “Liz Takes Horseback Riding Lessons”) ~ April 15, 1949

Synopsis ~ George’s female co-chair for his horseback riding club’s upcoming weekend breakfast ride has Liz so jealous that she’s determined to overcome her fear of horses and learn to ride herself.

“Time Budgeting” (aka “George and His Trained Seals”) ~ April 22, 1949

Synopsis ~ George is so fed up with Liz’s being late for everything that he puts her on a strict schedule.

Basis for the “I Love Lucy” episode “Lucy’s Schedule”

“Vacation Time” (aka “Trailer Vacation to Goosegrease Lake”) ~ April 29, 1949

Synopsis ~ It’s vacation time, and Liz and George have decidedly different plans. He wants to go camping with a trailer he borrowed from a friend, while she’s set on a glamorous vacation at Moosehead Lodge.

Partly inspired the premise of the “My Favorite Husband” episode “Liz Learns To Swim”

“Overweight” (aka “The Five-Dollar-A-Pound Diet”) ~ May 6, 1949

Synopsis ~ After viewing some old home movies, Liz and Iris decide to go on a diet.

Some elements later used to create the “I Love Lucy” episode “The Diet”

“Anniversary Presents” (aka “Tenth Anniversary Presents”) ~ May 13, 1949

Synopsis ~ George and Mr. Atterbury buy presents for their wives, and Iris’s present, a mink coat, is delivered to Liz’s house by mistake.

Basis for the “I Love Lucy” episode “The Fur Coat”

“Getting Old” (aka “Liz Is Feeling Her Age”) ~ May 20, 1949

Synopsis ~ Scanning her old high school yearbook, Liz decides she’s old, and everything George does to try to snap her out of it just makes things worse. George tries to convince Liz that she’s as glamourous as ever. His tactics misfire so George is forced to hire a psychiatrist.

Partly inspired the “I Love Lucy” episode “The Inferiority Complex”

“Liz in the Hospital” (aka “Liz Goes To The Hospital”) ~ May 27, 1949

Synopsis ~ The doctor pays a house call to see what’s wrong with George, and discovers that Liz needs to have her tonsils removed!

“Hair Dyed” (aka “Liz Gets Her Hair Dyed”) ~ June 10, 1949

Synopsis ~ After George warning Liz about the dangers of idle gossip, Liz’s chatty and absent-minded hair stylist forgets what she’s doing and mistakenly dyes Liz’s hair black. Nobody recognizes Liz, so she decides to flirt with George to test his fidelity. Gossip about Liz and George spreads all over town.

The first part was the basis for the “I Love Lucy” episode “The Gossip” and the second half inspired “The Black Wig”

“Television” (aka “George Ruins a Neighbor’s TV” aka “The Television Suit”) ~ June 17, 1949

Synopsis ~ Liz and George’s visit to their next-door neighbors, the Stones, turns into a disaster when George tries to repair the Stones’ new television set by himself.

Basis for the “I Love Lucy” episode “The Courtroom”

“Liz Changes Her Mind” ~ June 24, 1949 & September 30, 1950 (rerun)

Synopsis ~ When Liz has trouble making up her mind, George decides she must finish everything she starts.

Basis for “I Love Lucy” "Lucy Changes Her Mind”

“Reminiscing” ~ July 1, 1949

Synopsis ~ Liz is working on her scrapbook, and she and George reminisce about when Liz learned to drive and got her license, when Liz signed an affidavit swearing never to interrupt George’s stories again, and when the butcher thought that Liz had a crush on him.

#My Favorite Husband #Lucille Ball #1949 #CBS Radio #Richard Denning #Bea Benadaret #Gale Gordon #Radio #Frank Nelson #Hans Conried #Florence Halop #Bob LeMond #Ruth Perrott

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thesharondefenseleague · 3 years

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I think that person is a newer fan or addressing fandom in gen as opposed to MCU in specific. Ive seen alot of more people have sentiments like this

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8LPnaEv/

This one My Hero Academia specific but ive seen this in other fandoms too. Some of the issues that existed in the 2010s still exist. But I think other things have been changed or warped especially after fanfiction became more main stream.

Becauase there is currently a whole thing of making other ships look bad to make them more bad so people can more easily make content for ships they like and as m/m dominates all fandoms with majority male casts ( which is many fandoms) throwing shade at m/m as a whole if your ship is a m/w good tactic but... ya that shade can end up being pretty childish and petty at best and homophobic at worst.

So Fetishsization i think for alot of newer fans ends up popping up as just something thrown at you when ever you got a m/m or f/f ship regardless of the ship of what fans like about it.

But at the same time in other circles of fandom fetishization is an actual problem that pops up and people discuss only when its a legit issue.

Its just down to what side of fandom are you interacting with.

That same word illicits different reactions.

Have to start by saying that the whole “making other ships look bad to stop people from shipping them” is nowhere near current. That was a massive reason behind this blog, because Staron was always a punching bag, but because people wanted you to ship Steve with someone else, they couldn’t make him look bad, so they went after Sharon for everything.

You are right that fanfiction going mainstream plays a role in this. It made fandom something to cater to, and honestly, we see shows and movies and series do this (such as FatWS) and then backfire for trying to please such a specific group of people’s demands from five years ago that they themselves disliked as much as the rest (again, FatWS).

Another part could be that people aren’t making the fetish shit anymore because fandom has begun to be more critical of the media it produces and accepts, or worse, it’s displayed on a segment of a talk show. I don’t see extremely NSFW art on my dash or in tags like I used to. People are realizing that the loudest fandom voices usually held racist/misogynistic/homophobic beliefs and needed to be checked on it. Also, people’s cringey fanfiction are now million-dollar films that people read, and do you want to be that person? I wouldn’t know. But these things have each shaped fandom into what it’s become.

Oh, and everyone who left tumblr to join twitter, thus allowing them to attack the actors directly. Definitely part of it.

~Mod R

#tldr fandom has changed and gone mainstream and this is how we deal with it now i guess?

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reading-writing-revolution · 4 years

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August 20, 2020

Heather Cox Richardson

Sheesh. What a day.

It began last night, while I was writing last night’s letter, when shortly after midnight we learned that Alexei Navalny, outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin’s government, has apparently been poisoned. He collapsed in pain on an airplane after drinking tea at Russia’s Tomsk airport. The plane made an emergency landing, meeting medics who raced Navalny to the hospital, where he is gravely ill. The poisoning is a chilling reminder of Putin’s tactics just days after the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election established that the Trump campaign invited his influence into our affairs.

Then, today, federal prosecutors in New York acting for a grand jury indicted Steve Bannon, Brian Kolfage, and two others for fraud and money laundering in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign that raised more than $25 million to build a wall on the U.S. southern border with Mexico. The men told donors to “We the People Build the Wall” that “100% of the funds raised… will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose,” and that “we’re a volunteer organization.” In fact, they allegedly pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars, routing the money through a shell company and false invoices.

The indictment quotes text messages between the men indicating they were quite deliberately running a scam. The messages highlight how the Republican system of fundraising from small donors, pioneered by direct-mail guru Richard Viguerie in the 1960s to fund Movement Conservatives rejected by traditional Republicans, now is used to funnel money from unsuspecting marks into the pockets of people who stoke rightwing outrage.

Bannon’s arrest means that two of Trump’s 2016 campaign chairs—Paul Manafort and Bannon-- have now been indicted and arrested on charges of fraud. The third, Corey Lewandowski, was also arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge against a reporter, but while video proved the reporter’s account was accurate, the charge was dropped. The campaign’s deputy chairman, Rick Gates, an associate of Manafort, was also charged with financial crimes and conspiracy, and was sentenced to 45 days in jail after agreeing to cooperate with investigators.

Trump immediately tried to distance himself from Bannon, saying he hadn’t “been dealing with him for a very long period of time.” Bannon was the chief executive of Trump’s 2016 campaign, replacing Manafort, and upon entering the White House, Trump named Bannon to a newly created position as “chief strategist” on a level with the chief of staff. So influential in the early administration was Bannon that Trump gave him a full seat on the “principals committee” of the National Security Council, while pushing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of National Intelligence down to occasional attendees. Bannon left the White House after the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally highlighted the dangers of having an open white nationalist in the White House. Then-White House chief of staff John Kelly asked Bannon to leave. But at least for a while, Trump continued to call Bannon when Kelly was not around.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany issued a statement saying Trump “has not been involved with Steve Bannon since the campaign and the early part of the Administration, and he does not know the people involved with this project.” In fact, supporters of the project include Donald Trump, Jr., his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, and anti-immigrant activist Kris Kobach. Last year, Kobach said Trump had given the effort his blessing, and there is a testimonial from Trump Jr. on their website. Trump Org spokeswoman Amanda Miller said Trump Jr. had given one speech at one of their events, and they used his words as a testimonial without his permission.

Bannon pleaded not guilty and was released on a $5 million bail bond secured with $1.75 million in cash. “This entire fiasco is to stop people who want to build the wall,” he told reporters as he left the federal courthouse.

The arrests set off a tweet storm from the president. Trump also called into the show of Fox News channel personality Sean Hannity tonight, claiming again that mail-in voting will create a fraudulent election and emphasizing—in unfortunate words about sending law enforcement to polling places—that he plans to deploy all the means he can to challenge the 2020 vote.

Today a federal judge rejected the argument of Trump’s lawyers that the subpoena of Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. for eight years of Trump’s tax returns is “wildly overbroad.” Judge Victor Marrero upheld the subpoena. Trump’s lawyers immediately indicated they would appeal the decision.

Meanwhile, Trump has asked the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling last year by a federal appeals court that he may not block his critics on Twitter. The lower court said that since Trump uses the account for official announcements, he violates the First Amendment whenever he blocks someone and silences them. Today his lawyers argued that his account is his personal property and that he does not have to tolerate opposing views on it. Blocking critics would enable Trump to control what his followers see on his account, preventing visible pushback to his tweets. In effect, he could dominate the discourse in a public space.

Trump certainly has critics.

Deborah L Hughes, the director of the Susan B. Anthony museum, today rejected Trump’s pardon for Ms. Anthony, saying the pardon validated a legal process Anthony called an outrage.

Then, shortly before the Democratic National Convention kicked off tonight, more than 70 senior national security officials from the Republican Party released a letter announcing that they are supporting Biden in 2020. Their letter lists ten reasons Trump has “failed our country.” Donald Trump, they write, “is dangerously unfit to serve another term.”

Tonight was the night that former Vice President Joe Biden gave his acceptance speech in response to the Democratic Party’s nomination of him as their presidential candidate.

Tonight was Biden’s, as military families and former service people testified to his support for them, 13-year-old Brayden Harrington explained how Biden helped him deal with his own stutter (huge props for this young man taking on this assignment and executing it so well), Biden’s former rivals for the nomination talked of Biden’s kindness and decency, and, above all, Biden’s family emphasized again and again that for Biden, family and faith is everything. The picture was of a fundamentally decent and moral man, a striking contrast to his Republican rival.

The Democratic National Committee has pulled off an astonishing accomplishment with this, the nation’s first virtual political convention. It was tightly choreographed, inclusive, passionate, and fun, drawing in viewers with its variety and quick pace. It demonstrated professionalism, talent, and skill even without taking into account its content.

But the content was key. Rather than weakening the event, the lack of audience created an intimacy between speakers and viewers that lent a shining new authenticity to the voices the convention highlighted.

Biden is always a better speaker than people who know him for his gaffes expect, and tonight he hit it out of the park. On FNC, Chris Wallace noted that the Trump campaign’s attempt to convince voters Biden is mentally impaired backfired badly as he delivered “an enormously effective speech.”

Rather than simply outline his plan for his presidency, Biden also gave an impassioned plea for the nation, tying his love for it to his own life and values. He treated voters not as tools to be manipulated, but as people who can be trusted to choose their own future.

“America is at an inflection point,” he said. “A time of real peril, but of extraordinary possibilities. We can choose the path of becoming angrier, less hopeful, and more divided. A path of shadow and suspicion. Or we can choose a different path, and together, take this chance to heal, to be reborn, to unite. A path of hope and light. This is a life-changing election that will determine America’s future for a very long time. Character is on the ballot. Compassion is on the ballot. Decency, science, democracy. They are all on the ballot. Who we are as a nation. What we stand for. And most importantly, who we want to be. That’s all on the ballot. And the choice could not be clearer.”

—-

Notes:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/us/politics/republican-national-security-biden.html

Letter: https://www.defendingdemocracytogether.org/national-security/

https://susanb.org/news-and-updates/

Bannon: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/us/stephen-bannon-donald-trump-national-security-council.html

McConnell: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2020/08/20/rnc-mitch-mcconnell-not-speaking-gop-convention/3403498001/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/during-a-summer-of-crisis-trump-chafes-against-criticism-and-new-controls/2017/08/31/8fb32d72-8d97-11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/20/each-trumps-2016-campaign-managers-has-now-faced-criminal-charges/

indictment: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/20/politics/bannon-indictment/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/20/politics/bannon-build-the-wall-indictment/index.html

Trump on Hannity:

Andrew Lawrence @ndrew_lawrence

Trump says that on election day he's going to send law enforcement to polling locations

August 21st 2020

4,139 Retweets5,311 Likes

Vance: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/nyregion/donald-trump-taxes-cyrus-vance.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/read-full-speech-joe-biden-s-remarks-2020-democratic-national-n1237620

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-supreme-court-ok-block-critics-twitter/

tweets: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-prepared-accept-democratic-nomination-president-furious-trump/story

548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104

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theexceptionaleccentric · 5 years

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The Umbrella Academy and The Avengers Crossover!

So let’s do another crossover because I have too many ideas and like no time to write what with school and my other stories I would love to start posting before summer. So, let’s dive right in!

Firstly, let me just say that there aren’t nearly enough TA and TUA crossovers. Both groups have such brilliant and vibrant characters, it would be a sin not to see what would happen when we combine their dynamics. On the same note - because I cannot deal with major character death (like at all, I filter stories like that on AO3), let’s just pretend that all characters from the Marvel universe are just fine and dandy and ALIVE and will never die.

With that said - to the actual crossover!

When Five attempted to jump his siblings to the past at the end of TUA S1, he instead managed to jump them to a different dimension. And this dimension, unlike the one the kids come from is filled to a brim with superheroes.

Because of Loki’s use of the Tesseract that is already tearing into a hole into the space-time continuum (it is after all bending space to allow the Chitari access to Earth) Five’s jump gets side-tracked and the siblings end up in New York just as the Chitauri are attacking. Five immediately realizes that they are in the wrong place (and time) and attempts to warn the others. However, he ends up passing out before he can do properly explain what happened.

So, the remaining siblings, now in their 13-year-old bodies, with unconscious Vanya and Five attempt to do what they were trained to do - be heroes. Problem is because they show their powers, SHIELD notices them. And of course, there are agents storming down the kids’ hiding place and catching them after the invasion is dealt with.

Long story short, they manage to incapacitate the siblings and bring them to the SHIELD custody. Nick Fury is already planning on testing their powers and pretty much training them to be his little soldiers just like Reginald wanted, but the newly-formed Avengers catch on his plan fairly quickly. And it wouldn’t be Tony if he didn’t alert Captain America who is full of morals and surely against locking up children. So after much threats and bargaining, the Avengers essentially end up adopting seven kids who aren’t actually kids but never bothered to tell them (Five strongly advised his siblings against that).

At first, both sides are deeply mistrustful of each other. Five doesn’t trust anybody, especially not eccentric billionaires (been there done that, thanks a lot Reginald), assassins (because come on are Hawkeye and Black Widow honestly going to pretend they don’t kill people for living, Five knows what a killer looks like - he can see one in the mirror every morning), two muscular oafs (he knows Luther, that’s enough) and a shadowy organization that is trying to “protect the world” (as if the people at Temps Commission didn’t say the same thing). In Five’s mind, this is just a warped version of their own dimension and he won’t let those people touch his siblings.

So he fights tooth and nail to get his siblings out of SHIELD and then out of the Avengers’ Tower. They almost escape both times, but Jarvis (that traitor!) rats them out. It isn’t until Five lashes out at Tony (because Five won’t fall for this false sense of security, he knows they are just waiting to strike, to experiment on his siblings, to terminate Vanya, to “improve” Klaus, he just knows it) and in his anger describes some of the torture Reginald put them through when the Avengers finally understand what the actual problem is. They do their best to prove to Five that they are not and will never be like their late father. They try to be gentle and encouraging and talk about things (which is its own kind of torture for everyone involved). And Five reluctantly finds himself expanding his tight-knit family a little bit, to accommodate firstly the Iron Man and eventually Pepper and Bruce and Steve. He is still mistrustful of Fury, Black Widow and Hawkeye, but no one can fault him for that.

And funnily enough, after much trial and error of the Avengers attempting to “raise” seven “kids”, it all works out pretty well.

Tony, Bruce, Five and Ben have the weirdest type of bond. They are completely capable of talking science for hours (because Five and Ben still have to find out how science works in this universe and Tony and Bruce are so taken with the idea of time travel that all four just spend hours picking each others’ brains) and then promptly start insulting or ignoring each other (well, Tony and Five do that, Bruce and Ben just watch them with frustration and amusement depending on the day) whenever they have “outside audience” (meaning anyone who doesn’t belong into their science bros club).

Bruce and Vanya start something like a mentor-apprentice relationship. Bruce knows all about how difficult it is to have destructive powers that are linked to your emotions. So he and Vanya start semi-official Yoga & Herbal Tea Club together. The other Avengers and Umbrella Academy heroes join them every now and then. Eventually, Tony sets up a greenhouse at the Avengers Tower that is supposed to work as an oasis for their more volatile teammates and Vanya and Bruce organize weekly tea parties and violin concerts in there. (And even though Five grumbles tea is the worst and what he wouldn’t give for a decent cup of coffee, he ends up attending every single week.)

Alison’s throat has healed now that she is in her past body, but she is still reluctant to use her powers; nothing good ever came out of that. Natasha picks up on her reluctance and decides to instead teach her how to read and manipulate people without powers. In her opinion, it is a “healthy alternative”, because then Alison isn’t taking free will from anyone; people are just dumb enough to fall for a well-thought-out strategy. Alison is surprisingly ok with that because she feels like she can actually use these skills for something good - such as defusing fights between her siblings.

Luther is the one sibling that struggles the most in this new universe. All he has ever been told by his idealized father figure turned out to be a lie. He attempts to start a new chapter of his life in this new universe, but it is difficult. He is not sure who he is any longer. Steve Rogers can relate - he himself didn’t have the easiest of times adjusting to the future he woke up in. Steve and Luther tentatively manage to start a friendship where Luther learns a lot about being an actual leader that does what is right. And if Luther starts idealizing Captain America just a tiny little bit, no one says a thing, because Steve is a major improvement over Reginald any day.

Diego is unsurprisingly quite taken with Hawkeye. They start training together. Diego is working on expanding the range of his knife-throwing and Hawkeye is a worthy opponent for that. They don’t quite have a friendship, but they treat each other a little bit like friendly colleagues. However, Clint is forever amused by Diego’s stuttering around Black Widow and his obvious worship of Pepper. Diego has a thing for bossy women, motherly figures and generally strong females and his traitorous 13-year-old body filled with hormones is not helping that in the slightest.

Klaus kind of fluctuates between being alright and relapsing to addiction. He spends the most time in the greenhouse or with Ben, but he starts getting antsy pretty fast. Ghosts are in every dimension and the Avengers’ Tower is hunted by quite a few. Klaus starts stealing some liquor from Tony but is quickly found out. Tony calls Professor X to come to have a look at Klaus’ powers because Tony might be a great engineer, but this magical mumbo jumbo is beyond him at this point. Charles Xavier mainly relieves Klaus of the fear of the dead, but that slightly backfires, because Klaus is always extra and gets a little frunk on the fearlessness (running head first into any battle and literally not being afraid of anything, his siblings are pretty scared for him). Professor X then tries a different tactic and coaches Klaus in how to use his powers. They make some progress, but it is not until Doctor Strange comes around that Klaus actually masters his ouija-board-like powers.

Thor is like the fun uncle that shows every once in a while, causes mayhem and disappears. Diego, Luther and Klaus positively adore him. Thor dotes on Vanya and Alison and calls them “little Valkyries” or “his favourite Midgardian ladies right after Jane”. Five hates Thor, because of his oaf-ish tendencies and the fact that he loves to pick him up (Five is sure it is at least partially because Thor knows he hates it - not that it matters because Five is rarely caught off guard and teleports away before Thor can even touch him). Thor says Five reminds him of his brother when he was young (these statements usually paint a rather uncomfortable expression on Tony’s face). Ben just finds the visits amusing and loves to see his siblings’ antics.

Pepper and Natasha (and eventually Jane, Darcy and Wanda) have a shopping day with Kaus, Alison and Vanya once a month. Natasha and Alison people-watch while picking out sexy dresses, Pepper and Vanya look at the best new button-downs and Klaus (and Darcy) usually spends hours in the make-up section. Sometimes they take other people from the Tower with them - Tony, Bruce and Five and rarely persuaded to go anywhere, but Steve, Ben and Luther can be swayed. It’s hilarious to watch Steve navigate his way through stores with electronics.

Tony and Pepper are no doubt the ones most affected by the kids. Tony can relate to the abuse and neglect of parental figure far too well and subconsciously takes up the role of their surrogate father; even though he never calls himself that (it would no doubt deal a huge blow to the fragile relationship he has with Five). He is ridiculously protective of all the kids (which is one of the reasons Five respects him) and goes to great pains to ensure nobody upsets Vanya and no one insults Klaus’ choice of clothing or Diego’s stutter. Pepper notices, but she believes that it can be only beneficial for Tony to show some responsibility. So she orders a huge dining table into the Avengers’ Tower and starts organizing “family” dinners for all the occupants of the Tower. They don’t always go well (sometimes there's shouting or knives being thrown), but it still makes both Tony’s and Pepper’s heart swell to see all their “children” and friends around.

And that’s it for now! Feel free to add any thoughts or ideas.

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theliberaltony · 5 years

Link

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

House Democrats are in a bind. The White House refuses to cooperate with their investigations into President Trump and his administration. In response, Democrats have tried to retaliate, most recently taking the first steps toward holding Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress, issuing subpoenas for Trump’s tax returns and pressing the administration for more information about its decision to argue that the Affordable Care Act should be completely overturned. But they’re running out of moves, especially with impeachment off the table for now. And their remaining options aren’t simple — some would be difficult to pull off for practical reasons, and all carry significant political risks.

The traditional path for trying to get unwilling presidents to comply with congressional oversight — taking the dispute to the courts — is slow. So Democrats have started to talk about trying to force the Trump administration to cooperate by jailing, fining or withholding salaries. Some of these maneuvers could prevent the Democrats from looking weak against the White House in the short term, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll be effective in the long term — either for giving Democrats leverage over Trump or changing the political narrative.

Fighting it out in court is the most conventional strategy Democrats could employ, and it’s probably the one with the highest likelihood of actually forcing the Trump administration to turn over Trump’s tax returns or the unredacted report on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. But legal experts said these cases could take months or years to resolve even if they’re fast-tracked. And Democrats still aren’t guaranteed a win, which means that after all that time, they might end up with nothing to show for it.

A big part of the problem is that a single house of Congress just doesn’t have a lot of formal leverage over the executive branch. The standoff between House Democrats and the Trump administration has shown how dependent Congress’s oversight powers are on the cooperation of the executive branch. “This is one of the most significant examples we’ve seen of a Trump-era moment revealing some of the structural inadequacies of our political system,” said Steve Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

Faced with a system that’s tilted toward the president, Democrats are being forced to think creatively. And the handful of other options that have emerged would really up the ante — possibly more than they want. They are:

Start locking people up. In an interview with The Atlantic last week, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin raised the possibility that Congress could dust off its “inherent contempt” power, which allows it to arrest and temporarily detain uncooperative witnesses. Raskin said that although many House members weren’t aware of it, its “day in the sun” was coming. The problem is that this power hasn’t been exercised since the 1930s and any attempt to arrest a member of the Trump administration could backfire. Such a move might create the impression that the Democrats’ investigations are pure partisan theater and turn off moderates, or if the official resisted, it might lead to an actual standoff between the executive and legislative branches of government.

Issue fines. Some congressional Democrats, including House intelligence committee Chairman Adam Schiff, have argued that their inherent contempt power could also allow them to fine administration officials who are held in contempt. Josh Chafetz, who is a professor of law at Cornell University and studies the relationship between Congress and the executive branch, said that issuing fines would be unprecedented, which raises some practical roadblocks: The fine would probably be challenged in court, and no mechanism exists for making an official pay up. A fine might, in the abstract, be seen by the public (or even other members of Congress) as less of an overreach than jailing an official like Barr, but it would be difficult — if not impossible — to enforce.

Withhold salaries and funding from the executive branch. A final possibility is to weaponize Congress’s power of the purse, either by cutting off the salaries for administration figures who won’t testify or turn over information or withholding funding for federal programs or agencies. House oversight committee Chairman Elijah Cummings floated this possibility last week, saying that he’d consider withholding pay from executive branch employees who are refusing to be interviewed as part of ongoing investigations. It’s not entirely clear how this tactic would be enforced, though. And any larger attempts to withhold funding from the executive branch would require cooperation from the Senate and might risk another government shutdown. Including measures to dock salaries or withhold money for important programs in budget bills might exert pressure on Senate Republicans or the Trump administration, but the Democrats could also be blamed for any resulting gridlock.

If Democrats pursue the more unconventional routes I outlined above, one challenge for them will be to convince voters that it’s Trump’s behavior — not theirs — that’s unusual. Chafetz said Democrats could try to marshal public opinion with a high-profile event like congressional testimony from Mueller that would highlight the Trump administration’s refusal to cooperate. But as the investigations continue, he said, it may be increasingly difficult to maintain the public’s attention. And Americans could grow impatient if the process starts to drag out with no clear end in sight.

This may already be happening. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 57 percent of Americans — including about half of Democrats — believe that continued investigations into Trump would interfere with important government business. The same poll saw an increase in support for impeachment, from 40 percent in mid-April to 45 percent. So it’s not clear whether the findings are a sign that Americans want the Democrats to pull back on their investigations or start moving toward impeachment.

But if impeachment doesn’t become more politically viable, Democrats may be forced to consider whether brinksmanship is the right strategy for forcing the Trump administration to back down and comply with some of their requests. Nothing at this point seems like a straightforward winner: Relying on external mechanisms like the courts would mean Democrats concede ground to the White House and could still result in a loss, and more dramatic responses carry big political risks with no promise of a reward. The question is what kind of gamble the Democrats are willing to take to get the information they want from the president — because at this point, they’re out of safe options.

#IFTTT #Politics – FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux

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dontcallmecarrie · 6 years

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Can I just say that I absolutely adore LTTR and how incredibly clever it is? Maria is amazing and every time I read LTTR and its spinoffs I get so excited!

Thanks, and glad you’re liking it so far!

Funny thing is, this was supposed to be nothing but shameless self-indulgent crack that was, at most, meant to poke a bit of fun at MCU!Maria Stark’s borderline nonexistent backstory. It was meant to be funny but mostly aimless fluff, trying to flesh out Maria, but next thing I know I’m looking at alcoholism and dysfunctional families and boarding schools and I’m still scratching my head as to why.

LTTR was made partly because I wanted to vent all my feels and headcanons about Maria Stark, and partly out of spite. [Because that’s how I roll when writing, apparently.] She didn’t get more than five minutes’ worth of screen time, if that, in the entirety of the MCU, and exploring her character was a fun thought exercise partly because of it.

I mean, Maria Stark was Howard’s wife during some of the biggest events in his career, was probably there when he helped found SHIELD, was at his side when he ran his company—I don’t doubt she was affected by his actions, long before the ‘accident’. Given the social circles Howard’s implied to have run in, there’s no way Maria wasn’t there for it, and I don’t doubt she was badass because she was the odds of her not being at least partially involved are infinitesimal. The only difference here is that Maria’s badass in more ways than one, and having a childhood that taught her how to use tear gas and artillery in middle school means she’s better prepared for the problems Howard ends up attracting.

Adding in the Night Vale thing was me trying to add some humor to the situation, but it kinda backfired because it only ended up contributing to the really, really dysfunctional family in some pretty unexpected ways later on down the road. In a way, this AU’s happier than canon, but due to the most convoluted reasons you can think of that give everyone headaches later on down the road because no, Tony, kidnappings weren’t supposed to be comparable to camping trips, and no, Steve’s not Howard’s illegitimate son!

The only regret I have is that she’s going to get killed off in LTTR [the major character deaths I tagged for are the canonical ones], and even then I’ve got like a half-dozen AUs where it goes down differently because of Reasons.

For instance, in the one where Maria and Howard make it out, their relationship improves because seeing his wife fight off a legendary assassin was one hell of a wake-up call.

His alcoholism gets addressed, and there’s multiple occasions in the next few days that have Howard really wishing for a drink as more and more revelations are cropping up because apparently he’d missed quite a few things over the entirety of their marriage.

Maria’s surprise expertise in counterintelligence, he didn’t expect. Tony’s disturbingly in-depth talks about brainwashing tactics and deprogramming and shrugging it off as a ‘yeah I took a class at college once’ didn’t exactly help, either. Hell, Jarvis’ not blinking when Maria pulls out a knife from god-knows-where was a surprise, and Howard’s starting to think the he can’t be surprised, only for Tony to make a snarky comment about ‘his Vague Yet Menacing Government Agency’ which, what.

On the plus side, at least their marriage improves?

On the other hand, the discovery that it’d been in tatters to begin with was also a surprise, and there’s so many things that finally get acknowledged, back-to-back, that Howard’s now pretty sure that nothing can faze him, anymore.

Then his son starts talking about his apparently sentient AI, and a portal opens, and Howard is really, really wishing he had a drink.

#I got an ask!#Naught replies #behind the scenes #Walking In The Footsteps #Live Through The Rain #Only The Names Change #Just Hide Behind Your Pride #meta #writer's commentary

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