#Bc all the people were able to evacuate before the disaster

[literallyjusttoa]

Left this abandoned in the drafts (which is a bit ironic) but it's a spin on this post, where instead of Apollo just being locked in some room on Olympus somewhere, he's bound to the ruins of an abandoned Ancient Greek city. Maybe somewhere near Delphi, maybe Troy, idk.

#trials of apollo #toa apollo #lester papadopoulos #sunny speaks #would this count as another au? idk #apollart #I got this Idea after learning about ancient Thera (which I can't believe I didn't know about before) #It was kind of the Ancient Greek equivalent to Pompeii? Except the volcanic eruption was MUCH more catastrophic #but because the eruption was so big the people on the island had warning signs for like a decade before it happened #So we have ruins that have been perfectly preserved but there are no bodies #Bc all the people were able to evacuate before the disaster #I mean there aren't even animal corpses at these sites they got everyone out #Fun fact this is also considered to be a large reason why Minoan civilization ended up falling apart #ANYWAYS all that aside I heard “abandoned ruins that have been perfectly preserved in ash” and immediately thought “Hmmmm yes ... suffering #Though to be clear I would not put Apollo in the ruins of ancient Thera (Tho the thought of him being the local cryptid of Santorini is fun #But you know what other city was burned to the ground? Heeheehee

[robininthelabyrinth]

So if you want can you write a continuation of that AU where NHS dies and NMJ loses it? Anything concerning that AU Bc on one hand I’m curious af about what would happen when NHS is brought back and how everyone is so happy that he’s back bc know NMJ would maybe calm down a little but on the other I really want to know LXC thoughts about this whole disaster?

part 1 here

Lan Xichen waited outside the Cloud Recesses, Shuoyue placed on his lap.

His home was in an uproar: the stories of what had happened in Lanling had come first, chilling the bone, and while they were still trying to decide if they believed it, news came that the Nie army, now swollen with cultivators desperate to use martial valor to escape destruction, was headed in the direction of Gusu. Lan Xichen had asked his uncle and brother to arrange the evacuation of both people and books, as many as possible – they at least had some practice after what had happened with the Wen sect, and sadly, for all of Lan Wangji’s strenuous effort, there were also fewer books to think of.

As for himself, he went to the small clearing down the mountain where visitors always arrived, especially those from Qinghe, and there he sat and waited.

Lan Xichen’s cultivation was extremely high; he did not flatter himself in thinking that in the cultivation world, the number of people who could rival him could be counted on one hand.

Nie Mingjue was the same.

If Nie Mingjue came – no. Lan Xichen should not cloud his mind with illusions. The Nie sect’s army was on its way; the question was not if Nie Mingjue was coming, it was when – and what would happen once he arrived.

If they would fight, and if they did, who would win, and what would happen next.

Lan Xichen still found the entire thing hard to believe. That Nie Mingjue would do such a terrible thing, that he would kill so many people without warning or declaration, without giving them a fair chance to fight back…it went against everything he knew of the man.

Nie Mingjue was not only his sworn brother, but his friend of many years – for the entire time he had known him, Nie Mingjue had always been well-meaning and well-intentioned, upright and righteous, even sometimes too strict with it, unwilling to give allowances for weakness. He’d always wanted to do the right thing. Even when they’d met as children, brought along to observe the sect leaders’ talks during the Discussion Conferences and bonding over the boredom of it, he had always thought first of what he should do, of what was right. Both for himself, and for his younger brother.

They’d bonded over that, too: Lan Xichen had Wangji, and Nie Mingjue had Huaisang.

He didn’t have Huaisang any longer.

That didn’t seem real, either.

Little Huaisang, with his fans and his laziness, his curving eyes as he smiled and the coquettish way he whined about the burden of having to practice his saber – gone, now. Gone forever.

Lan Xichen might have understood it if he’d died during the war. But to have it happen now, now, when they were meant to be at peace…

He still had the first letter he’d received informing him of the tragedy. It was in Jin Guangyao’s handwriting, each line thick with devastation: an accident, he’d said. Nie Huaisang had gotten lost on a night-hunt, ended up somewhere dangerous, an area that unexpectedly contained fearsome creatures that no one had expected to be there, and with his low cultivation…Jin Guangyao had blamed himself for not keeping a closer watch on him, for having allowed him to come along, for all of it, even though it seemed quite clear from the letter that he could not truly be held accountable.

You must tell me how I can break this news to da-ge, Jin Guangyao had written. You do not know how it pains me to think of what this will do to him. He will blame me, as I blame myself – I would not mind it even if he beat me; it would help assuage the pain I feel at what has come to pass on my watch. But you know that da-ge has always been suspicious of me beyond all reason, and there are those who ascribe malice to all of my actions: how can I convince him that this result was not something I desired?

Lan Xichen’s first instinct had been to volunteer to break the news to Nie Mingjue himself. It would be painful, seeing his friend’s heart break – he’d seen so many hearts break during the war, his own not least of all at hearing of his father’s death; there were widows and widowers, children losing their parents before their time and white-haired parents burying their black-haired children, brothers and sisters all…this would have been the worst of the lot. But surely it would be better coming from him than any other?

Surely he would be able to calm Nie Mingjue and offer comfort to his grief; yes, better it be him than yet another pointless fight between his two sworn brothers.

There was a draft letter on his desk, half-written, that told Jin Guangyao to wait for him, that he would come, that he would stand by his side so that he wouldn’t have to explain it alone –

He’d never had a chance to finish it.

Who knew how he’d found out, but Nie Mingjue had come to Lanling to collect his brother’s body the very next day. He hadn’t said anything, ignoring greetings and condolences alike, disregarding all offers for him to rest or eat something to recover his strength; he merely picked up Nie Huaisang’s corpse from the coffin it had been tentatively laid to rest in and walked right back out again.

One report claimed that he hadn’t said a word the whole time.

Perhaps there had been another letter, half-written just like his own, on Jin Guangyao’s desk: laying out his worry at Nie Mingjue’s unusual silence, expressing concern for Nie Mingjue’s health – especially given his temperament, which had lately been worsening – and asking for advice…

Lan Xichen would never know, now. Jin Guangyao’s desk at Lanling was very likely ashes, along with any letter that it might have contained – Jin Guangyao himself, too, was likely…

There was a disturbance in the air, and Lan Xichen raised his head.

A single figure approached, the familiar shape unmistakable.

Alone.

Lan Xichen’s fingers tightened for a moment, and then released.

Lan Xichen waited until Nie Mingjue had jumped down from his saber, Baxia obediently returning to his back – his back, not his hand, which he supposed was a good sign, just as coming without his army was a good sign. It meant that there was still room to talk.

Nie Mingjue didn’t do anything after that, though: he did not greet Lan Xichen at all, a minor breach of etiquette that Lan Xichen would have been amused by if he hadn’t heard of far worse breaches by Nie Mingjue lately, not merely of etiquette but even of basic morality, of righteousness itself, of the laws of war that Nie Mingjue had once valued so highly…

Eventually, the silence became too much, and so Lan Xichen spoke first. “You took longer to come here than I expected.”

The stories said that anyone who could have had anything to do with Nie Huaisang’s death was being hunted – anyone who benefited, anyone who stood by and did nothing, anyone related in any way at all. Most certainly anyone who was involved in setting it up.

By that standard, Nie Mingjue should have come here much faster.

After all, it had been Lan Xichen who had urged Nie Huaisang to visit Lanling, knowing that Jin Guangyao wanted to see him, knowing, too, that his sworn brother hoped to use his kindness towards the little brother as a means of appeasing the elder; it was he who had convinced Nie Mingjue to allow the visit, he who paved the path that had led to Nie Huaisang’s dead end –

If Nie Huaisang had truly been murdered, and Jin Guangyao in fact the culprit, the way the stories said – the stories that must be wrong – then the very next one to blame would be Lan Xichen himself.

“We were friends,” Nie Mingjue said, and Lan Xichen winced involuntarily at the inclusion of the word that meant that it was something that had been in the past, and was no longer.

Nie Mingjue wasn’t angry in the way Lan Xichen would have found familiar: rage that consumed him, yelling and harsh gestures, even breaking things around him. His voice was heavy as stone and just as indifferent, and looking into his eyes – if Lan Xichen couldn’t sense his friend’s overwhelming yang energy, same as it ever was, he might have thought that it was Nie Mingjue who had died instead of Nie Huaisang.

“How sure are you?” Lan Xichen asked, rather than deal with that – with what that meant. With the suggestion that Nie Mingjue would have preferred to spare him, for their past friendship, but that in the end he had decided that he couldn’t.

With the suggestion that it was, in fact, still Nie Mingjue underneath there: the old familiar one, who argued long and loud that principle should be the most important thing – more than friendship, more than mercy, more than anything, except maybe the overriding principles of filial duty and familial responsibility.

It wasn’t some demon who had grown out of a broken heart, some possession or afflicted temperament; it wasn’t even a qi deviation that twisted a good man’s character into something else.

It was Nie Mingjue, who had once been his friend.

“How sure are you that it was him that caused it?” he asked again. It was pointless to argue in Jin Guangyao’s defense one final time, futile, his friend was dead, as dead as Nie Huaisang was, but perhaps it could help him rescue this friend from his madness – or rescue Lan Xichen and his sect from the man’s blade. Nie Mingjue’s paranoia had been worsening recently, along with his temperament, but Lan Xichen had never dreamed it would end up like this. “That it was – that it was intentional, malicious? They say you never asked for an explanation, so how can you be certain that –”

“I am sure,” Nie Mingjue said. “There can be no doubt. Men lie. Sabers don’t.”

Lan Xichen frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Huaisang had his saber with him when died,” Nie Mingjue said - explaining, patient, the way he was in the best of times. He didn’t seem like the insane killer that had destroyed an entire sect, and it certainly didn’t seem as though he were about to try to stab him with Baxia.

Lan Xichen might have preferred that. He didn’t know what to do with a Nie Mingjue as indifferent as the dead.

“I told you long ago that the Nie sect buries sabers, not people, and I told you why,” Nie Mingjue continued. “I told you about the saber spirits, how they long to destroy evil…Huaisang was a terrible cultivator, but he’s still a Nie, he still has a golden core, and his saber has a spirit, however weak, that is capable of desiring vengeance. Why would I bother asking a nest of snakes to lie to me? His saber knew what his final moments were like.”

Lan Xichen shuddered, realizing what that meant. “You – saw them?”

“I did.”

“You saw Huaisang die,” Lan Xichen repeated, the horror of it afresh: bad enough that Nie Mingjue’s brother had died – the thought of losing Lan Wangji causing an automatic burst of empathetic pain – but to think that Nie Mingjue had watched, had seen it the way he’d seen his father’s final moments…no wonder the man had lost his mind and morals. “And…A-Yao…you saw him…?”

“We three swore an oath not to betray each other, or to give aid to anyone who did,” Nie Mingjue said. “All of us, the three of us – do you remember? Whoever did so would face a thousand accusing fingers, be torn from limb to limb…do you remember?”

“I remember,” Lan Xichen said.

“I am here,” Nie Mingjue said, and his tone was still indifferent, still like stone, “in fulfillment of that oath.”

Lan Xichen’s fingers tightened around Shuoyue. “You blame me.”

Nie Mingjue did not respond, but then, he didn’t need to. It was Lan Xichen who insisted, time and time again, that Jin Guangyao be trusted – it was he who had arranged the entire outing. It had been his idea…at Jin Guangyao’s suggestion, yes, but he had accepted the idea and presented it as his own.

He had done it because he’d known Nie Mingjue would have refused if it had come from Jin Guangyao directly.

Jin Guangyao had known that, too. Had he – on purpose –

No. Surely not. The A-Yao he’d known would never have done that.

But – this wasn’t merely paranoia or dislike, the way he thought it would be based on Jin Guangyao’s fears in his letter. No: Nie Mingjue claimed to have seen it. And whatever he had seen, it had given him the certainty he required to take his saber to the entire Jin sect, man and woman alike, in a night attack of the sort he’d refused to wage even against the Wens, who he hated. A vicious attack, like a dog that had lost all reason.

Lan Xichen didn’t know what to believe.

“I understand your grief,” Lan Xichen said, and he did. If it had been Wangji… “Did you have to kill them all?”

“Kill the chicken to warn the monkey,” Nie Mingjue said simply. “No sect will ever style themselves as the inheritor of the Wens, whether in power or in willingness to – to sacrifice those they see as unnecessary, as a matter of politics.”

“And my sect? Let us say that I would acknowledge my guilt, and set down my sword – must they share my fate?”

“If I had not trusted in the reputation of the Lan sect, would I have believed you and let my enemy through the gates? Would Huaisang be dead now, if not for the renowned truthfulness of the Lan sect?”

Lan Xichen closed his eyes. “If you will not spare my sect, I cannot set down my sword.”

“I’m sorry, Xichen. You had to learn one day that there are things for which an apology is not enough.”

Nie Mingjue genuinely looked saddened by it all; that was the worst of it. It would hurt him to fight Lan Xichen, to kill him; it would stain his soul to kill his sect, who he’d loved almost like a second home.

Still, it was not a surprise. Lan Xichen knew his friend too well: from the moment Nie Mingjue had decided to cast off his righteousness, to lift his saber in revenge, he would never have spared himself the consequences of that decision – that one of the men he’d have to kill would be his own friend, that he would be the one who burned down the Cloud Recesses this time.

The massacre at the Jin sect was an atrocity, but one that could be understood. The rest of it…even Nie Mingjue would never forgive himself for what he was about to do here. He would do it regardless, because he believed it had to be done, and when the work was done, Nie Huaisang avenged in a world filled with blood, Baxia’s last victim would very likely be Nie Mingjue himself.

Lan Xichen didn’t want to see that.

He didn’t know how to stop it, either.

He exhaled, hard, and stood up, unsheathing Shuoyue. “Then we fight.”

“Yes,” Nie Mingjue said, and Baxia came to his hand; the steel seemed to glow red as if anticipating the blood it would soon draw. Baxia only did that in the presence of evil – it seemed Nie Mingjue’s saber agreed with the man’s assessment of the situation; Lan Xichen had been judged guilty, and sentenced accordingly. “We fight.”

part 3 here

#mdzs #lan xichen #nie mingjue #jin guangyao #nie huaisang #my fic #my fics #yes there will be more of this don't worry #Anonymous #blackened nmj

[lovelylarrie]

my harry miami cancelled show experience:

hello, as y’all may already know, i went to the harry event on friday 01/31/2020 and it was an absolute disaster. hands down one of the worst things recently to happen to me. let me start by saying i have NO hate or anger towards harry, i love him. this was at the fault of the venue and pepsi and everyone coordinating the event.

i arrived in line on wednesday, two days before the event. we slept under a bridge on the streets of miami for two nights. we got there and i was initially number 20 in line (i moved up to 12 because people ended up getting wrist bands and not coming back), a fan organized the line and was really amazing at making sure everything was fair. there was no parking allowed on the island so we had to be dropped off while our friend parked the car in downtown miami.

the first thing that happened that was messed up was on wednesday they released tickets that were significantly cheaper than what we paid. i paid around 300$ (as did everyone else in line) and they dropped the price to 100$ and refused to give us refunds. apparently some people in line were able to get refunds so it was really inconsistent and unfair. i called ticketmaster multiple times and was unable to get my money back.

a few hours before the show they released “rules” which said we could not have portable chargers. it was annoying bc we all had bought them just for the show and they told us literally HOURS before that we couldn’t take them in. also, the venue was JUST BUILT. like we watched them finish building the venue up until the day of the show. there was nowhere for us to call and get information about the show or anything, there wasn’t even a website. so it seemed really unprofessional for them to send out rules and info about the show literally hours before when they should’ve given us more time to prepare.

the day of the show they moved us into an “official” line at like 6pm, the show wasn’t until 8:30 and they didn’t let us in until 8:30.

at 8:30 they let us through and there were like 8-9 security gates. i chose a slow line and the security guy saw i was shaking because all i could see were people that were behind us in line running past me and getting into the pit before me. the security guy literally made me take a deep breath and even more people got ahead of me. i didn’t get barricade but got right behind my friends who were barricade. i was number 12 in line and waited two days and didn’t get barricade lol.

the show took forever to start but finally mark ronson came on and played literally an hour and a half of shitty 2015 songs... he played old town road TWICE. it honestly felt like he was on stage for a decade.

during this people were holding up signs on their phones BEGGING security for water. they took like 10 years to give us water and eventually brought out bottles and we were all sharing and passing around water bottles. security started chucking bottles into the crowd and i was so scared like they almost knocked some people out by hitting them in the head. apparently security was laughing about throwing the water bottles as well. the girl next to me and i started crying bc we didn’t get any water and both felt like we were going to pass out.

after lizzo performed (she was amazing btw) i was about to pass out but they had set up all of harrys stuff and i kept telling myself it’s okay bc he’s gonna be right there i just needed to push through. at midnight we were still waiting for harry but did sing him happy birthday once it hit midnight. at like 12:15 they posted this on the screen:

nobody moved. we thought it was part of harrys set bc we were on an island and haha eroda!!! then a voice came on and said we needed to evacuate bc there was a tropical storm.

finally i decided to leave my place in put and pushed through the crowd and went up to the bar and asked for water bc i was going to pass out. they said they’re not giving out water bc it will “encourage us to stay.” i went into the vip section and scooped up ice and started eating that bc it was my only option and security YELLED AT ME and i snapped and told them i was going to pass out and they snapped back and told me i needed to leave.

the funny thing was, we weren’t allowed to park on the island!!! we had nowhere to go!!! the streets were completely flooded and the venue’s roof was leaking and the front of the venue was starting to flood. and they slowly started barricading us out of the venue. i yelled at security and asked why they were doing this to us and they said it was because it’s “more safe to be outside than inside the venue.” can someone explain to me why they would build a venue that is on an island in MIAMI FLORIDA WHERE IT TROPICAL STORMS WEEKLY and they did not make it safe enough for a storm.

we started walking around outside and realized the uber pick up spot was completely flooded, also uber prices were EXTREMELY HIGH. we walked past an area they had tented off and they were getting all the rich people on busses and bussing them out lol. they were all the famous/rich people who got to stand above the ga section. my friends and i were sobbing walking around the venue trying to find a place to go, we were shivering and people and security were laughing at us for crying.

we eventually got an uber back to our car and on our drive back home we heard about a bus on fire outside the venue?? there was a video so idk what happened but i hope everyone’s okay. we hydroplaned the entire way home and i was genuinely scared for my life.

so yeah that’s my story. fuck the meridian and fuck pepsi for putting everyone in danger and placing us in a venue that could not handle a storm.

i’m okay now. we got refunds but that’s not really the point or what matters. it’s really hard for me to listen to harry because it reminds me of the whole situation. it was genuinely really scary and nobody truly understands how difficult and scary the situation was for everyone involved unless you were there. we have a group chat of everyone there and we’re all supporting eachother through it. i think everyone is okay but still in shock over what happened. being shoved into a storm and flooded streets in miami and not knowing where to go or how to get home or if you were going to get home was so scary. it wasn’t safe to drive but it was our only option.

#okay thats my story #sorry its so long #also the format is probs shitty bc im on my phone #mine #my show

[thechampagnecircus]

Fire is a Force

Earth, Air, Fire, Water; all natural elements that are beautiful and essential in their own rights.  But when out of control can wreak havoc on our world.  I am aware that wildfires have a place in the natural cycle, and promote the growth of new forests, but if run amok can destroy all in it’s path.  I feel as though people don’t consider them a normal natural disaster, but they are. Although they can -and are- sometimes started by careless humans, it’s just like a hurricane or tidal wave and we are at it’s mercy.  On this note, it is obvious that our trip to the lake this year was a bit different than the norm.  With the heat wave and drought the summer brought, there was no denying the plethora of wildfires scattered throughout most of British Columbia.  The entire province was a tinderbox and the inevitability of wildfires quickly came to fruition.  

I did not grow up with wildfires as a threat, or annual fixture like those on the West Coast.  There were the obligatory Smokey the Bear signs plastered in every small Maine town.  With a fire risk meter -usually on low- and the famous line “Only YOU can prevent forest fires” shaking it’s finger at you.  I learned from a young age to practice safe camping and summer behavior but I never experienced the fear of an actual fire that was spiralling out of control. Having said that, we were not short of other bullying weather entities. We had the rogue hurricane.  Bob, Irene and Sandy all made appearances throughout the years. Hurricane Matthew crashed my cousin Sara’s wedding a few years ago. The uninvited guest who made quite the splash. I also witnessed a small tornado once in the car with my Mum when I was young.  There were infinite thunderstorms married with hail and torrential downpours.  Power outages caused by massive blizzards, and even the famous ice storm of ‘99 which any Mainer will undoubtedly remember.  I mean, shit, Stephen King wrote a made-for-TV movie about it.  But no fires.  

I always heard crazy stories in California and Western North America, especially within the last ten years.  I am sure there are implications of global warming and climate change that could be made, but I won’t fall down that rabbit hole.  It is one thing to hear of devastating fires; as if they are some distant reality. But another to be in their path. Two years ago my first taste of this reality came to life.  A wall of heavy smoke rolled into Calgary.  It was a Friday and everything turned gray.  But not just gray, it was purplish yellow, thick and blocked the sun with an infamous red glare.  When I stepped outside, I could feel the weight of the air and the faintest smell of char.  However, it passed in time for work on Monday and it was back to business as usual.  

That same year, we had our first trip to the lake booked with friends.  We were so excited to show them the waterfront we rave about every summer.  As the plane landed in Kelowna we quickly realized that our dreams of a weekend filled with boating in the sunshine were not coming to pass.  The air quality was at an all time high.  We arrived in the afternoon but it looked like nighttime as the entire valley was shrouded in smoke.  We stuck it out for our four days, staying inside most of the time, playing games and drinking way too much booze to drown our dashed expectations.  

Fast forward to this year.  As I mentioned before, this summer has been filled with record breaking heat and rainfall decided to take a hiatus.  It was the perfect storm of dry conditions and intense temperatures that set the stage for a flash mob of fires to appear.  As we were driving to the lake ten days ago, we drove through varying degrees of smoke levels.  There were road closures, alerts and so many fires it was hard to keep track.  The Sunday before we left, one fire by White Rock Lake had begun, and that was the one we were most worried about due to its location.  It was still small and about 35 km away so we trudged on.  We knew we wanted to make the most of our trip regardless.  We arrived and within one day the air quality was at a 10++.  The air hardly felt like air anymore, thick with particulates and the deep smell of cinder.  The whole family was tentative and staying inside for the most part.  But after a couple days, we began to spend time outside anyways.  You know, YOLO.  It was our vacation and hell, high water, or smoke wasn’t going to ruin our holiday.  We were weary, and aware but still were able to boat, swim, drink pina coladas on the deck and seize the day.  It’s funny how quickly you can become accustomed to something and your threshold for certain things begins to ascend.  After about a week, the smoke had begun to wane and hope felt a bit restored, despite the fire to the North that was not letting up. We kept our heads up but were watching it like a flock of hawks.  

My uncertainty was building with everyday and every update. I have never been good at waiting for the other shoe to drop.  My anxiety and perhaps need for control cannot handle it.  I like to know.  Once I can make a decision and attack it, I feel comfortable. But limbo is not a place I like to be.  Everyone else seemed to have an easier time going with the flow.  Just relax and enjoy ourselves until we get news that we need to evacuate.  I envy that in others.  I truly do.  I had a hard time fully immersing in the moment the last couple days. We were checking perimeter maps and articles, Twitter posts and updates every couple hours.  Once we were under alert and the winds were unrelenting I knew it was only a matter of time.  I felt it in my gut.  My anxiety would run away with itself every once in a while, visualizing flames coming over the hill and us abandoning all belongings to dramatically escape in the nick of time by speed boat.  But then I would quickly bring myself back with reassurance and remember that the fire department would order our evacuation long before that situation was coming to life.  

Our plan for the last few days of our trip were to slowly clean, pack up and ease into a Saturday departure.  Truthfully, it took some convincing from my husband as I was feeling antsy to leave as the rumours of evacuation were swirling and the fire was creeping closer and closer by Thursday night.  But ironically Friday morning the smoke that had shadowed almost our whole trip had completely disappeared.  The sun was out, cumulus clouds were floating in stereotypical perfection as if plucked out of a Bob Ross painting.  The wind was blowing and if you breathed deeply for a second you forgot that just a few kilometers away the meanest, most out-of-control fire in BC was tip-toeing closer and closer.  Just as we got settled to soak up our last day of vacation, the evacuation order came in.  We took an hour or so to pack up and we were out by 1 pm yesterday.  Due to road closures, construction, two car accidents and general traffic, it took us about 9 hours to get home to Calgary.  

It felt wonderful to wake up in our own bed this morning, but our minds are still thinking about what is going on the Okanagan.  The whole of Vernon is now on alert. They fear embers from the fire could create new fires by jumping the lake. We saw a video showing parts of Westside road, the road we take to get to our place, ablaze in rampant flames.  Our hearts are sinking a bit in pessimism that it might reach our doorstep.  I can’t help but feel selfish, here worrying about a vacation home.  There are those who are displaced, in an evacuation center, praying their homes don’t burn to the ground.  And I feel for them.  Wholeheartedly.  I can’t imagine the torment and anxiety of such a situation.  But also, the lake house on Beachwood Road is our little slice of paradise.  It harbors countless family memories, photos, the kid’s heights on a hallway ruler, meals cooked over wine and laughter, projects started and finished, a safe haven during quarantine.  Aaron’s dad has put endless blood, sweat and tears into getting the cottage just right for every family visit.  Putting in stone patios, a brilliant deck built from scratch, his peach tree he desperately tries to save from the deer, bedroom renovations to accommodate the entire gaggle of us so everyone has a place to sleep.  Our kids have gone out a number of times to help their Bumpa hammer nails, dig window wells, drywall and install shiplap for their Amma.  I am sad to think all that will be lost and what it means moving forward.  At the end of the day, there is insurance and all materials can be replaced and structures rebuilt.  We are all safe and my fingers are crossed in hopes that the brave people fighting this fire start to get it under control.  May our piece of heaven be spared, but most importantly mother nature run it’s course with forgiveness.

Copyright © 2021 Carly Eddy.

#wildfires #british columbia #white rock lake fire #okanagan #bc strong

[djdsagalagweg123123123]

This is my Overwatch self-insert/oc, zhen!

Full name: Nian-Zhen Qin (秦念真, Qín Niàn Zhèn)

→ her first name means ‘a belief in truthfulness’ and her last name is the same last name as the emperor who ordered the great wall of china to be built. it’s meant to be kinda ironic and foreshadow her future

Nicknames: Zhen, Jen/Zen (English name)

Codename: Milkman (in her own organization), Zhen (Overwatch) → ngl she was tempted to change it bc no one took it seriously at first → Zhen is pronounced using the ‘xi’ sound (like in xion)

Age: 32 (biologically a year younger than genji and a year older than mei)

Zodiac sign: Aries

Gender: Female

Sexual orientation: Pansexual

Ethnicity: Chinese

Languages: several, most notably English and Mandarin Chinese

Species: Human

Place of birth: Beijing, China

●Physical●

Body type: fucking buff. kinda short? ~163cm

Birthmarks/freckles/moles/scars: Freckles along the bridge of her nose from sun exposure. No notable scars.

Tattoos/piercings: She gets her first tattoo in honor of the passing of a friend, the coordinates of their place of death which also eventually becomes the location of a safehouse that contains a Doomsday plan of sorts.

Voice: She has a non-distinct voice with no accent that conveys her emotions rather well. I think I would want Trina Nishimura to voice her, who also does the voices for Kyoka (Boku No Hero) and Mikasa (Attack on Titan).

●Abilities●

Milk: Zhen always has a few bottles of ‘milk.’ While not actually milk, this healing formula is often referred to as such due to its milky white color. It’s a healing potion filled with nutrients and vitamins. Effects vary with potency. Comes in several different flavors: original, almond, soy, strawberry, banana, and chocolate. Contains no lactose.

110% - a condensed formula that is more potent than the original. can heal large amounts, fortify health, and replace normal rations. caffeinated and addictive. reserved for emergencies or extremely long missions. to avoid side effect like mood swings, irritability, anxiety, restlessness, drink at most one pint in a day with water.

100% - the original formula. contains all the nutrients needed for a full day of activity. meant to replace soldier rations. can heal large amounts, promote strength building. usually contains caffeine.

75% - give as rations to rebels and civilians immediately post-disaster. diluted to prevent side-effects in case of overdose. can replace meals completely up to a week or supplement meals for a month. non-addictive.

25% - given to children and immunocompromised. fortified with extra vitamins, antibiotics and minerals. can strengthen immune system. meant to replace mother’s milk for infants, any age can drink. non-addictive.

Milkshake and Malt: When heading into enemy territory, whether it’s rescuing civilians or teammates trapped behind lines, Zhen always goes in equipped with a blaster and a collapsible shield she nicknamed Milkshake and Malt, respectively. She tries to avoid using these. → Yes, everything she does has some weird dairy-related element. No, she doesn’t like milk that much. She will only drink milk with her cereal. She likes ice cream though, but she likes gelato more.

Strength, Speed, and Agility: Zhen is incredibly strong and agile. She’s got super buff arms and legs because she needs to be able to get places fast on foot, while carrying her milk to distribute or others to safety.

First Aid: Zhen is trained in first aid, carries a kit with her, and can patch others up if no field doctor is available. For certain missions, she adjusts her kit based on the mission. On distribution runs, she’ll carry antiseptic ointments and bandages, while on rescue missions into active warzones, she’ll carry a biotic field generator.

Driving: Zhen is a superb driver. She was an official hero, her ult would be running you over with a transportation truck. She skilled in evacuations and figuring out how to squeeze double the people in a normal sized car. (the trick is to get an open air trunk and put someone back there). Zhen can also pilot planes, boats, and semi-trucks.

 ●Bio●

tl;dr ver: Zhen is from a rich family but rebelled and started her own organization. She joins Overwatch in the place of a close friend who passed away before recall. 

Birth and Raising (Birth - 10 years old)

Nian-Zhen Qin was born in Beijing, China as the heiress to QinCorp, the world’s largest shipping and distribution company that also has strongholds in several other industries, like factory production, medicine, and weapons. From a young age, she was groomed to become a powerhouse. She had access to the best education money could provide- private tutors, textbooks, hands-on immersive experiences unavailable to most people. At ten years old, she was considered a genius. But her emotional growth was horribly stunted. Because of this pampering, she was horribly sheltered and superficial.

Zhen travelled the world in style and became a young social media figure, with millions of followers swooning over her lavish life. Movie premiers, fashion shows, award ceremonies - she’s been attending those since she was just a young child. She starred in movies as the precocious child or cute little sister. She had her own children’s fashion line and modeled it when it first came out. All of her baby pictures are online somewhere.

The Shimadas (12-18 years old)

Zhen’s mother asked her to meet her in Hanamura - there was some people she wanted her to meet. Zhen assumed it would be another one of her important business partners. By now, she had met all sorts of important people, so she assumed this would be the same thing. She will shake his hand, act well-spoken, go to dinner, and be on her best behavior. And afterwards, someone will comment on how well-behaved she was. It was the same routine every time. Young Zhen was surprised when she was introduced to Hanzo and Genji Shimada.

This was the first time Zhen spent time with anyone near her own age. Hanzo and Genji were the first true friends she had. Zhen continued to visit Genji and Hanzo, solidifying their relationship.

Meeting Genji and Hanzo was the start of a rebellious portion of her life. She decided to spent the rest of her adolescence living in Japan to spend more time with the two, but was allowed only under the condition that she give up her other creative endeavors and focused on her studies. Zhen disappeared from the public’s eye when she was 13.

Genji, Hanzo, and Zhen had an odd relationship that became strained as they grew up. As Hanzo took on more responsibilities, he spent less time with them. As Zhen’s studies intensified, however, she would always make time for Genji. And Genji the Playboy, busy at clubs and girls, would always make Zhen his number one priority.

Genji and Zhen both ran away at first when the responsibilities that come with their lavish lifestyles appeared on the horizon. Topics like marriage, succession, and training came up. Genji would continue to avoid them, throwing himself in his playboy lifestyle, but Zhen accepted it. She was very well aware that their time together would end soon, since she would eventually begin seriously studying to become the next head of her family business. When Zhen became attending meetings as her mother’s successor to QinCorp, she lost contact with Genji.

Re-meeting Genji (Age 23)

The next few years of her life were fast yet unmemorable. Unable to contact the person who had become her closest friend, Zhen found herself in a sort of depression, unable to find happiness in the things she previously enjoyed. And so she threw herself into her work. Zhen was making business deals, growing company stock, pleasing investors, and all of the sort. She focused on proving herself time and time again that she would be a suitable successor.

All that mattered to her was upkeeping her family legacy. Zhen knew her place in the world, her place in QinCorp. A gala was thrown to celebrate her 23rd birthday and to officially welcome into the company’s board of directors. At the end of the night, she received a message that someone wanted to see her on the balcony - it was urgent.

--> “Seeing that shock of green hair shook her to her core. It was a quiet encounter; their eyes meeting for the first time in five years. Genji looked as youthful as ever. Zhen felt she aged twice as quickly compared to him. Same hair, same mischievous look in his eyes, same goddamn smirk that showed up whenever he picked up that dumb girl at the club. Ugh, what did he see in her? Why does he go after every big set of boobs? And never mine? They spent the rest of the night together. I missed you. I missed you too. I miss being with you. So did I. Such words went unspoken that night. They didn’t need to be said out loud. Genji wanted to spend the morning after with her. Zhen couldn’t - she had meetings all throughout the day. Family responsibility comes first after all. By the time, she returned, he was gone. Zhen would have agreed to spend every morning with him if he just asked. “

Regular correspondence between the two began, but a month later, Genji passed away. Zhen dropped everything to fly out to attend his funeral. Finding out Hanzo was the one who killed him surprised her, to say the least. Hanzo was missing and Zhen, distraught, didn’t bother to seek him out.

Realizing how corrupt the system is and leaving (Age 23-24)

She was angry, she was sad, she didn’t know what to do. She dealt with her feelings the only way she knew how - by ignoring them and going to work.

Zhen entered as the Vice-President of the Board of Directors. She, by choice, remained in the shadow’s of the company, working from behind the scenes and justified it to the directors by saying she had outgrown her love for the camera. It was because she didn’t care for it anymore.

A year into her term, there was a workers’ strike at one of QinCorp’s newest factories. Apparently, the factory head couldn’t negotiate terms with the head of the striker and Zhen decided to take action herself. She flew to the factory only to find that the factory head didn’t actually attempt a discussion. They fired the protesting workers and hired a new set from the town over.

This discrepancy wasn’t the only thing that shocked Zhen. One of the reasons the workers were protesting was because of the factory’s effects on the environment. The factory had only been operating for about six months, but the river was completely murky and the sky was hidden in smog.

When Zhen brought these issues to the board, she immediately put forth a new policy that would shut down all their factories and move all funds to research and development of cleaner methods of manufacture until newer technology could be implemented. The board threatened to boot her from the company because of her extreme views.

Word of what Zhen was trying to do spread. Every QinCorp worker went on strike to support her. Before, they were forced to suffer quietly because they needed that job to feed themselves and their families. But, now they knew that someone high up was on their side. It was a worldwide revolution, and Zhen was the symbol.

Everyday, the directors grew more and more anxious. Everyday, more money was lost, more people were joining the revolution, and more pressure was put on them to follow Zhen’s command. Every day the factories are shut down, the stock markets takes a blow and several countries fall into recession. Markets and governments were being destabilized. International trade was halted.

Blackwatch was called in to remove the de facto icon, and Genji was sent to eliminate her.

But he couldn’t bring himself do it. He infiltrated her home and warned of the plot against her. He told her he agreed with what she was doing to protect the people and that he would help her escape if she swore to never return to her home or to her company. Zhen agreed. She knew her disappearance from the world would not be the end of the revolution she had ignited. She asked who he was and if they would ever meet again. Genji told her that who he was was unimportant, and that they might meet again when the time is right.

So with nothing but the clothes on her back and a handful of bills, she left her father’s house, his company, and his legacy, never to return. The next day’s headlines spoke of a fire in the Qin mansion. Nian-Zhen Qin, former actress, model, and revolutionary company director, passed away that night. A body was never recovered and a funeral was held later that week.

Having left the public eye when she was 14 made it easy for Zhen to blend in. She left Beijing and travelled to Guangzhou where several underground groups against QinCorp were taking hold. Zhen had caught wind of one of QinCorp’s lab entering testphase with a miracle drug and seeked out help to break in and steal the formula. She knew that QinCorp was going to sell the drug to whatever organization or government could pay the most money for it. Rumor has it was that the starting bid was going to be 400 billion Chinese yuan (60 billion USD). Zhen wanted to steal the formula, produce it with her own means, and distribute it for free worldwide.

Building MODhome (26-31)

Zhen spent two years integrating herself into her new community. She went by Zhen Lee to avoid recognition. From the shadows of the underground, she watch news of the riots and strikes disappear from international news, but knew that in reality, they were still very much alive. Normally, Overwatch would step it to mediate such discussion, but with the ratification of the Petras Act, that was no longer possible. Although factories opened up again, dialogue on how to increase workers’ rights and protections began. At least that was what the QinCorp reported to the public. Zhen knew better than to believe whatever lies that company spewed.

With the miracle finishing testing phase, Zhen and a team consisting of herself, a former Overwatch agent that lent themself to the cause, and a number of rebels, broke in. It was a quiet in and out operation. No alarms were set off, no evidence of their activity was left behind.

Within the year, they secured a production and distribution operation that sent bottles upon bottles of a modified version of the stole drug to rebel forces all over the world. The drug had several names that varied with region - Renegade’s water, Rebel’s Calpico, Yakult but not really...some were catchier than others. Zhen referred to it as Milk.

Over the next five years, Zhen expanded their activities by providing support to not only rebels against QinCorp, but also to areas affected by war, natural disaster, and climate change. It was during this time in her life when she gained most of her current practical skill set: driving, self-defense, and first aid. It was also a period of exponential personal growth. She has formed real connections with people and felt like what she was doing was important. She enjoyed going on field missions, making personal deliveries and find meaning in the connections she made.

This organization was eventually named MODop, short for mitigation of disaster operations. Many refer to it as simply MOD.

Recall (31)

Zhen became extremely close to the group of people that helped her steal the formula - particularly the former Overwatch agent - and would frequently go on missions together. One day, the pair was sent on a rescue mission. The objective was to lead a group of agents to retrieve citizens from a small town’s bomb shelter. It was supposed to take place during a four hour window that was predicted to have no bomb activity - no planes were supposed to fly in, nothing was planted on the ground, it would ideally take less time than the window allowed.

Her ally was outside when the bombs that weren’t supposed to be dropped were dropped. Zhen was in the shelter, organizing people to get them in transportation trucks when she saw a bright flash and felt the earth shaking. She knew immediately what had happened and realized that they couldn’t be more vulnerable. The planes aimed for the trucks of civilians outside. She did her best to hurriedly usher everyone not on a truck back inside, but she couldn’t do anything to help her partner and the rest of her team.

The mission failed. Zhen was the only agent that survived. The organization mourned the loss of civilian lives, several agents, and a founding member. She mourned the loss of her team and her closest friend and ally. She’s failed missions before, but there was always a bright side and something to learn. But what could she learn from this failure? What could have she done differently to prevent the death of her friend? She took a temporary leave from missions.

Zhen inherited her fallen comrades’ items. She still wonders why it was her name in the will and not anyone else’s, Why her and not family or older friends? It wasn’t much, just a box of their old clothes, some books, and a communicator from their Overwatch days. She kept them in a corner of her room, refusing to go through them and accept her partner’s death.

When word of the Recall reached via her fallen comrade’s communicator, she decided she would seek out and join Overwatch in their place. It was the least she could do after all they did for her.

●Notable Relationships●

Genji: Childhood friend, past lover

Hanzo: Childhood friend, but drifted apart

Mercy: Met in a refugee camp, worked together to transport victims of war. Close friends and allies

Unnamed former overwatch agent: Ally, co-founded MOD

Mei: Zhen met Mei when she was lecturing at a university Zhen was visiting. It was girl crush at first sight for Zhen. Mei at the time was seven years older than her, so Zhen didn’t do much to pursue it. They talked a lot about papers, science, and tv shows! They were good friends despite the age gap! The last time Zhen saw Mei was at the airport, saying goodbye to Mei as she left for Watchpoint: Antarctica. 

●Notes●

Pokemon AU: Miltank, Bisharp, Chansey

Myth AU: Witch/Seelie

Zhen’s father was a scientist who married Zhen’s mother because he actually loved her. He emphasized how important a good education is Zhen during the years of her life when he was present. He divorced Zhen’s mother when Zhen was 8 and didn’t try to get custody of Zhen because he knew she would be happier with her mother who could reliably provide.

Zhen has two bachelors degrees (environmental science, business).

#mine #photo #overwatch oc #self insert

[esprit-de-corps-magazine]

DISASTER RELIEF: The Way Ahead

(Volume 24-7)

By Eva Cohen

In this second of a two-part feature on disaster relief, author Eva Cohen discusses the urgent need for second responders in dealing with civil protection and disasters. In preparing for the worst, Canada’s emergency preparedness system should provide communities with a more efficient way of responding to and recovering from calamity.

 Assistance in domestic disasters is one of the tasks of the Canadian Armed Forces. But as the military’s main focus is on warfare, its equipment and expertise in disaster relief operations cannot be nearly as effective as a civil protection organization that specializes in all-hazards technical disaster relief, such as Germany’s Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW).

Germany, like Canada, is a federation where the German states and cities — like our provinces and municipalities — have jurisdiction in emergency management. Yet, through the THW, a federal operational agency, Germany ensures that states and communities all over the country are supported with local capacity, logistics, coordination, structure and oversight before an emergency situation escalates into a disaster or catastrophe. In Canada, this structure would also help to ensure other volunteer groups like our Canadian Red Cross, the Canadian Ski Patrol, St. John Ambulance, Ground Search and Rescue, etc., could be used to their full potential and be more effectively integrated into the overall relief effort.

As much as we need to focus on mitigating the effects of disasters, we also need to acknowledge that we cannot prevent disasters or catastrophes from happening. We need to be able to adequately respond to and recover, and as Canadians we all need to have a role in this!

Right now, our system reduces the role of the federal government largely to costly after-the-fact damage repair with little improvement for future crises. In Germany, taxpayers’ money is invested in sustainable capacity, guaranteeing preparedness for all kinds of scenarios that the average person would rather not think about. For example, the majority of people imagine an earthquake to be a terrible rumbling and shaking, but believe that many of the newest buildings will withstand tremors due to better building codes. What we don’t think about is that, even though a lot of buildings might not collapse, they could still be considered unsafe for months or even years. In addition, many roads and bridges could be destroyed or rendered unsafe and power could be cut off; and there could be food shortages, no drinking water, no sewage disposal, and thousands of people needing shelter for a long period of time. And the situation would be incomparably worse in the middle of a harsh Canadian winter.

A potential cyber attack also seems a bit abstract for most people, yet the consequences of an attack on our critical infrastructure could quickly translate into a devastating large-scale catastrophe. For some of us, these thoughts seem so terrifying — or intangible — that ignoring them is often the easiest solution.

Governments though cannot afford this complacency. Above all, the safety, protection, survival and recovery of Canadians facing major disasters is their paramount responsibility. Yet, expensive long-term projects to strengthen safety and security are not always politically attractive.

In Germany’s case, federal, state and municipal governments do have an operational capability at hand 24/7 to meet worst-case scenarios. Large-scale disasters fortunately do not happen on a regular basis, but the THW still conducts tens of thousands of domestic operations annually, assisting with all kinds of damage to infrastructure or other hazardous situations. Some recent examples are:

In June, over 700 THW volunteers from 25 detachments assisted the Berlin fire department in providing illumination, building sandbag walls, pumping out basements and providing electricity to mitigate flooding in the German capital caused by heavy rains.

Some 60 THW volunteers helped to clean up a beach in Hamburg after masses of unidentified, possibly toxic, white particles appeared on the shore.

After a terrible bus crash that resulted in 18 deaths, 20 THW members diverted traffic and salvaged the wreckage of the burnt-out vehicle.

About 100 THW volunteers assisted in the July 1 funeral procession for former Chancellor Helmut Kohl by directing the crowds, erecting a media platform and a temporary dock for the ship that carried Mr. Kohl’s casket.

In June, some 1,200 THW volunteers secured this year’s German section of the Tour de France, directing spectators and ensuring emergency routes for paramedics were planned, prepared and kept open.

These activities could of course be done by others, but they demonstrate one reason why the THW concept has been so successful for over half a century. Preparedness means to be ready when the call comes. THW volunteers routinely practise their technical skills — all needed in worst-case scenarios — to prevent or fight flooding, provide power supply, deal with hazardous material, carry out debris clearance, control traffic, provide logistics in large crowd situations, and even deal with dead bodies.

Rather than merely relying on the Canadian Armed Forces as our only technical backup for first responders, we need to give communities the means to help themselves. Civil protection cannot just be a government responsibility. But governments must play a key role in initiating, funding, organizing and setting standards to achieve this capability. A national operational federal agency for civil protection would give citizens the choice of becoming trained and certified expert volunteer members of their local detachment, to help raise funds to support them, or as business owners, to donate money and resources and/or to allow employees time off for training courses and volunteering at operations in support of first responders.

Canadian “seasons” are spring-flooding, summer-storms and wildfires, fall-flash floods and winter-ice storms. That our reactive system is outdated and no longer adequate is very obvious when we observe how we currently deal with emergency situations. The federal government assures us that they are “monitoring” the situation, like with the current wildfires in BC, and days after thousands of people are evacuated, the situation is out of control and a state of emergency is declared, we start to “quickly” deploy the CAF, our asset of last resort.

In Canada, it would be much easier than we might think to establish a proactive civil protection agency. On the national level, we need to discuss the structure and tasks of such a second response capability. To be able to quickly draw resources together in large-scale emergencies, we need to agree on standards for training curricula and equipment. Provincial offices would determine location and number of local detachments, and ensure regional and provincial coordination. As the agency is based on unpaid volunteers, funding is not spent on wages but on a lasting and sustainable infrastructure that could be used for generations to come.

At the local detachment level, it would be a family-friendly organization offering an attractive range of skills in the field of technical disaster relief. On weekends or in the evenings, the basic training curriculum would prepare volunteers on how to operate in a hazardous environment and, once certified, to focus on one or more of a wide variety of specialized skills. Among them: logistic support, communication, debris clearance, water purification, power supply, high capacity pumping, bridge repair, and many more. Very often, volunteers bring knowledge and skills from their work life into the organization and naturally fill positions they are already experienced in. The key to success, however, is for these volunteers to consistently train their skills in an operational setting and in joint exercises with other available assets, like first responders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

This also helps to identify local vulnerabilities and creates close personal and professional relationships. Larger exercises, at the regional and provincial levels, would further strengthen cooperation and ensure common standards are maintained.

An important part of the organization would be its youth element. Like the highly successful THW youth component, it would be a vehicle for recruiting, fostering a family spirit and building long-term commitment in the next generation of skilled second responders. For the youth groups, these regional or provincial gatherings are organized as competitions, where the different local groups test and strengthen their hands-on skills in an entertaining camp setting. International exchange programs add exciting and unforgettable experience within the network of civil protection.

A Canadian civil protection agency could also have an active international role. Armed forces are not always welcome in disaster-stricken countries. Experience has shown that very often a civilian agency is more agile, certainly less expensive and, most importantly, can stay longer and transform disaster assistance into efficient humanitarian aid. It also allows government to keep control over how its aid is used and delivered. As many countries have their own local urban search and rescue capacity, the most valuable international assistance is infrastructure repair and assisting in the recovery phase of disasters.

Experience gained and lessons learned in active international operations, as well as in joint international exercises, would also be of tremendous value for operations in Canada.

We have not yet recovered from this year’s spring flooding in Quebec and Ontario, and now we’re battling wildfires in B.C. But we can’t allow these ongoing crises to distract us from the pressing need to transform our inadequate reactive system into a state of proactive preparedness.

Canada urgently needs to fill the dangerous gap between our first responders and the agents of last resort, the Canadian Armed Forces. A Canadian civil protection agency is the way forward. And as others have shown, it is clearly achievable!