#Danny helps lead the support group

[bet-on-me-13]

Danny as a member of Metahumans Anonymous

So, Gotham has a fairly strict No Metas Rule. Not because Batman hates Metas or because the people do, but because it isn’t safe for them to live there with so many Rouges looking for powerful Henchmen. Rogues that will do anything to them or their families to get them to obey.

The few Metas that do live there do so in secret, hiding their powers from everybody else and trying to live a normal life.

Then comes in Danny Fenton. He just recently moved to the City for work, and he just so happens to move in across from one of these hidden Metas. His neighbor accidentally reveals his powers to Danny, and starts to panic because even one person knowing could lead to more people knowing and soon enough he would be stuck in a henchman position being ragdolled by the Batman for the crime of using his Fire Breath to heat up his coffee in front of his neighbor.

Before his neighbor can panic anymore and run away, Danny uses his powers to freeze the doorknob shut. Seeing that Danny is also a Meta, his neighbor calms down a bit.

They start hanging out together, a sort of Metahuman solidarity, and eventually meet another Meta, and another, and another, each time sharing their contact info to keep in touch and make sure everybody else is safe. They eventually meet a couple dozen Metas living on Gotham in secret, creating a group chat to keep in touch and talk.

This eventually culminates into weekly meetings to hang out and discuss their lives, talk about the ways that being Metas affected their lives, explain the various way they unlocked their powers (lab accident, car crash, naturally as kids, etc.), and even play some sports while using their Powers in a hidden warehouse.

It’s a sort of freedom that none of them have experienced since moving to Gotham, a way to let loose and confide in people who understand their lives and struggles. It becomes therapeutic in a way, and it does help that Danny knows a little about Psychology from his sister, so he can help his new friends calm down during a panic attack or talk about tough subjects more easily.

He can also use his Technical Know-How build them some trinkets, as little souvenirs or gifts. But he is also a Ghost, and the love-language of Ghosts is violence, so he makes them little weapons as “Toy Gifts”. He makes a Flamethrower for his Fire Neighbor as a joke, a Blowgun for the guy with Wind Powers, a Water Gun for the guy who makes acid, all that.

They even use the toy weapons in their Games, and it helps that some of their members have healing powers so their don’t have to worry about being hurt too bad.

All in all, it’s a really fun place to hang out with their Meta buddies.

Their Safe Haven.

...

Then one day, Robin sees some people using their powers from a skylight of the Meta Sports Warehouse.

#dp x dc #dpxdc #danny phantom #dc #dcu #Metahumans #metahumans anonymous #support group #mad scientist danny #Danny knows about psychology #Cause Jazz told him #Danny helps lead the support group #Just a Warning: I am going to make this Angst in part 2 #Just so you know

[luxaofhesperides]

Can I please have meet cute/weird with mistaken villain! Danny (but really just a engineer and or chem student) and the one being put on investigation cause Danny is a day villain(not really)! Duke

Technically, Danny Fenton is innocent. Technically. 

Duke wants to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially since he’s having so much trouble finding solid evidence that Danny is stealing from a wide variety of people, but he’s been burned before by trying to see people as better than they were. It doesn’t change the fact that Oracle’s cameras keep spotting Danny right before a building on the street is broken into and something stolen. He’s always just walking down the sidewalk; no one has spotted him entering or exiting a building, but he’s around far too often to be unconnected to these burglaries. 

It doesn’t help that strange, petty crimes have been on the rise since Danny first arrived in Gotham. 

So.

Danny Fenton is technically innocent.

Duke is trying to prove that he’s not. 

Maybe I’m looking too closely, he thinks, going over Danny’s sparse file in the Hatch. Maybe Danny’s only one person in a bigger operation.

He could just be the lookout, the runner, the information gatherer who marks which buildings to hit. He may even be the scapegoat, the sacrificial lamb; Danny has no support in Gotham, no family, no job. There would be no one to help him if he got arrested or injured in a fight. He’s a freshman college student from Illinois who should be unprepared for life in Gotham but is somehow managing to survive like a native. 

There’s a lot about Danny that doesn’t add up. 

Duke has seen plenty of different people since he first went out as the Signal. He’s tried to be kind and give people the benefit of the doubt, but it leads to his loved ones being put in danger. Some people are truly evil, some working on a malicious agenda, some are misguided in their beliefs, and some are desperate people who see no other way to move forward.

He’s not sure yet which on Danny is, but he’s hoping Danny is just desperate and needs a little help to get out of a life of crime.

Which leads to the next problem: Duke has no idea what Danny is steal, or why. He hits both rich and poor folks, civilians and members of the mob, and once, notably, stole something right out of Cobblepot’s office. Allegedly, at least, since no one saw him enter or exit the office, not even the security cameras. 

But added to the whispers going around about a new group in Gotham snatching people up from the streets, and some strange green substances found in warehouses often raided by police for the frequent drug labs that pop up in them… 

It doesn’t look good for Danny. Especially when a few of the items he stole were found where people either vanished or where that green substance has been found.

A week of analysis in the Batcave and they still don’t know what it is. 

Both Damian and Jason suspected Lazarus water, but the composition was completely different. By the look of the molecular structure, it shouldn’t have been in a liquid form at all. 

All these findings lead back to one person who may have answers: Danny Fenton.

According to Tim, who’s already broken into Danny’s dorm room and checked over all the labs he has classes in, Danny has some concerning items in his possession. Various inventions and little metal knick-knacks put together by a practiced hand. He was also the one to find all the information that went into Danny’s file when it was first being made: social media posts, school report cards, news articles about his parents… everything. 

And then he had an emergency mission to take with the Titans that swept him out of Gotham leaving Duke to tackle this investigation on his own. 

He doesn’t have Tim’s natural skill in stalking and invading privacy. He hates breaking into people’s spaces and following them around, but needs must and he has to force himself to work through the discomfort. 

It’s a good thing he did, too. Danny’s leaving his dorm after his last afternoon class, hood up to hide his face and something held in the front pocket of his hoodie. He ducks around people on the sidewalk easily, almost as if he’s gliding through the crowd instead of walking. 

Duke follows from above, bending the light around him to hide him from sight. 

He walks for some time, weaving through alleys and streets as if he’s been in Gotham his whole life, leaving behind the university campus to head towards Otisberg. There’s something strange about the way Danny walks, as if he’s moving around people who aren’t there, guided by something Duke can’t hear. Even using his meta abilities doesn’t do much beyond show him where Danny’s going to be in the next few seconds. 

He continues to follow Danny on the rooftops, walking along the edge to keep him in sight. 

Then Danny stops behind an apartment building and tilts his head back to look up at it. He tilts his head to the side, then nods and looks around the empty alley. Duke crouches down, keeping his eyes on Danny in the hopes of catching him in the act—

Danny disappears.

Duke curses under his breath and jumps down from the roof, putting more strength into his abilities as soon as his feet touch the ground. 

The space where Danny was has a faint outline, oddly enough. He’s never seen that before. From it is a semi-transparent trail, smoke-like and a pale green leading into the building. It goes straight into a wall, as if Danny walked through it.

He can’t go in and search the entire apartment, but he can grapple up and take a look into the hallways to see where Danny’s heading. If he was looking up, then that’s where he should be heading. 

It doesn’t take any effort to scale the building. There are ledges and windowsills and plenty of handholds for him to propel himself off of, and paired with his powers, Duke is able to find the correct floor in just under two minutes. 

The green smoke slowly dances through the air of the ninth floor, on the east side of the building. If he’s been counting the rooms correctly, then the target of tonight’s burglary has to be apartment 924. 

The curtains are drawn on the window he makes his way over to, and his abilities don’t show him anything helpful for the immediate future. He hates going in blind, especially to a civilian’s home, but capturing Danny takes priority. Duke picks the lock and slides the window up slowly, making sure it stays quiet, then slips into an empty bedroom. 

He makes his way out into the hallway on silent feet, keeping a wary eye on the thin smoke strands of green, curling along the walls. The rest of the apartment is empty as well, pale sunlight slanting across the floor through the blinds. 

Everything is still and silent. Danny’s nowhere to be found. 

Did he miss Danny leaving, somehow? Was this a misdirect to get him out of the way while Danny stole from another location? Did he know Duke was following him?

But no, his ears pick up on the faint sound of clothes rustling. 

Cautiously, Duke turns towards the front door, where the door to the coat closet is open. He focuses on what’s going to happen in the next twenty seconds and sees Danny panic, then disappear from sight again, but a transparent outline of his body is visible just enough to show him where he runs to. Best not to spook him; Duke pulls at the light around him and bends it to hide him from sight.

Then he moves along the wall, getting around the open door without bumping into anyone or anything. 

A figure in front of the coats, shoving them to the side roughly, flickers in and out of view, almost like a reflection in water, distorted by ripples on the surface. 

Danny pops back into visibility suddenly, scowling at the coats. “Are you sure it’s in here?” he asks the empty air. 

There is no answer, but Danny acts like there is. He rolls his eyes and says, “It’s a favor. That I’m doing for you. I can literally stop right now and you wouldn’t be able to stop me.” He shoves aside another heavy winter coat, then sighs. “Why don’t you look for it, and then tell me where it is.”

He steps back and bumps into Duke.

Danny whirls around, eyes wide, and blast of green light has Duke crashing back into the wall, trying to blink spots out of his eyes. 

“Wait!” he yells, grabbing for Danny before he can run off. “I just wanna talk!”

“Standing right behind me like a serial killer does not make you look like someone who wants to talk!” Danny yells back, slipping through his hands like mist. 

“I just have a few questions!”

“Well, I have a question: why?!”

“Will you hold still, we’re being too loud!”

Danny escapes to the other side of the apartment, next to a window looking fully prepared to fling himself out of it. But he does stop yelling, so Duke is counting it as a success.

“Why is the Signal coming after me?” Danny asks, glaring at him suspiciously.

“Dude,” Duke says, “You’ve been seen outside of every single building that’s had a burglary since you first arrived in Gotham. All the Bats are after you, they just sent me because I’m the only one active during the day.”

“All the Bats?” Danny repeats, losing what little color he had in his face.

He looks legitimately scared, pale enough to be concerning, and Duke drops his guard and tries to relax the tension in the apartment. “I’m not gonna turn you into the cops or anything. I just had questions and you seem like the most likely person to have answers. That’s it.”

Danny still looks wary, ready to run at a moment’s notice, but he doesn’t leave when Duke approached casually, leaning his weight against the couch. 

“So,” he begins, “What’s the deal with all the thievery? It’s rarely something super rare or expensive.”

There’s a long few minutes where Danny doesn’t answer, looking anywhere but at Duke. Then he twitches a bit and glares off to the side, and says, “I taking items that are contaminated with ectoplasm to help ghosts move through the veil and leave Gotham.”

That tells him nothing! That just gives Duke more questions! But at least it’s an answer, the first one any of them have got.

“I think you’re gonna have to explain a little more.”

“Ghosts are real, alright?”

“Yes.”

Danny stops. Squints at him. “What do you mean, ‘yes’?”

“Ghosts are real,” Duke repeats, “There are a few who help heroes or are heroes themselves, but that’s more on the magic side of things so I’m not super familiar with it.”

“Magic,” Danny says slowly. “Sure, alright. Um. Yes, ghosts are real. And there are a ton in Gotham who need help moving on, but they’re too weak to get past the veil. Something about Gotham has made the veil super strong, so they need a little boost to get through. Additional ectoplasm bonded helps with that.”

“And that’s why you’re stealing random things?”

“The ghosts I help can kind of sense ectoplasm-infused things, but they need me to grab them since they can’t hold anything without a physical body.”

Duke nods slowly. “Okay, that’s starting to answer some things. We have found those objects in the last places missing people were seen. Any idea what’s going on with that?”

“Yeah, those people were already dead.”

The way Danny says the most concerning answers as if they’re nothing is really throwing Duke off his game. He was expecting to be calm and serious to keep Danny from freaking out too much and look like a legitimate hero. But as soon as Danny started talking, all his nerves fell away and Duke is left grasping for composure. 

“They were…”

“They were ghosts, yeah. And they needed to get through the veil. But they were also able to possess their own bodies and didn’t realize they were dead until I had to break the news to them, which is why it looks like living people just up and disappeared.”

“Okay… What about the green stuff we’ve been finding?”

“Ectoplasm.” Danny holds up a hand and a neon green light surrounds it. Except it looks more solid than light, as if it can be touched, and it moves on its own like fire around Danny’s fingers. “It’s what ghosts are made of.”

Oh. If Danny has ectoplasm, does that mean…

“Are you dead?” Duke asks, heart dropping. 

Instead of looking upset about the question, or even disturbed by it, Danny just shrugs and waves his hand back and forth. “A little.”

“Okay, so let me get this straight,” Duke says, trying to resist the urge to rub his temples. It’s a habit he didn’t mean to pick up from Batman, and it would just look silly with his helmet in the way. “You’re just doing all this to help ghosts?”

“Yeah. Basically. They asked for help man, of course I was going to help them.”

Danny’s a good person. He’s just a good person to ghosts. But this is good news either way, and he can let the others know that Danny isn’t the next Catwoman and is entirely unconnected from any drug production. Everything that made him look like a criminal is just the fault of ghosts. 

“Speaking of,” Danny continues, “Looks like they found what they need, so I’m going to grab that real quick.” He pushes off of the wall and heads for the closet again, moving past Duke without any fear. Duke follows, keeping a few feet of distance between them so Danny doesn’t feel trapped, and watches as he shoves aside the coats again and pulls a shoebox out of the depths of the closet. From it, he takes a single intricate lace headband and holds it up.

It looks normal, if a little old, but when Danny sends ectoplasm through it, the lace lights up and holds the glow. 

He pulls some strange contraption out of his pocket and holds it up to the headband. It makes a few beeps, then Danny mutters, “7.4 millisieverts. That’s enough to get you through the veil.”

Another concern Duke can let go of: Danny’s not creating weapons like his parents have, he’s just measuring ectoplasm through his own inventions. 

Maybe he could talk to Bruce or Tim about getting Danny an internship at the R&D lab in Wayne Enterprises? That way they could keep a closer eye on him while seeing what he can create in some of the best laboratories in the country.

Well, it might take having them meet Danny before they trust him enough for that, but Duke is sure he can make it happen. 

“I better go see this through, then,” Danny says, shoving the contraption back into his hoodie pocket. He gives Duke a small awkward wave, then pops out of visibility. “I’ll see you around, I guess?” he disembodied voice hedges, and Duke smiles.

“I’m sure I’ll be able to find you again.”

“Cool. I gonna go now!” 

He doesn’t see any sign that Danny’s left, but he gets a feeling that he’s alone now, the apartment suddenly emptier than it was before. 

As strange and concerning as Danny and all his bizarre actions were, Duke is glad he was able to finally talk to him and get some answers. Knowing how Gotham pulls people him in, it’s only a matter of time before the other Bats are exposed to Danny’s kind of strange. He’s already looking forward to it. 

For now, though, he has a file to update in the Hatch; POTENTIAL THREAT will be removed and replaced with GHOST HELPER. 

If anyone goes snooping into his files and gets confused, then that’s their problem. Duke’s explained enough. And Danny can take care of the rest, once they go through the effort of tracking him down. Duke's done his part, he's ready for the rest of them to step up to his level.

He can’t wait to see what other kind of trouble Danny can get it into.

#ghostlights #dc x dp #dp x dc #dcxdp #dpxdc #prompt fill #my writing #could not do a meet cute/weird in this prompt so i made it a meet disaster lol #heres danny trying to focus on his education!! and then ghosts start popping up asking for help bc gotham wont let them leave #so danny has to make a few contraptions to be able to help them (mostly ecto tracking/measuring/containing) and it looks SOOO sus #the ghosts also have a weak ecto sense which is how they find him bc hes FULL of ecto #and that means hes robbing houses during the day/late evening bc the night is for homework and stress #duke is just... trying his best lol. #sorry if the last part of this is rushed or confusing i am slightly sick and can Not focus #anyways i hope u enjoy!! #thanks for the prompt!!

[spacedace]

hey in your tags you mentioned a “batfam leverage au” can u explain what that is

Happily! :D

So I'm not sure if you're familiar with the show Leverage, but the quick summary is that it's about a group of "bad guys" (a hacker, a hitter, a grifter, a theif and the mastermind that directs them all) that help people who have been hurt by the rich and powerful by using their skills to pull heists and cons on the bad guy of the episode to ruin them and get back whatever was taken/right whatever was made wrong.

It's an amazing show that I can't recommend enough, very clever, very funny, big found family vibes and an OT3 that's *this close* to being canon (and has been supported by the writers). The heists are amazing and it's all around an AMAZING show.

Anyway, the BatPham Leverage Au is basically just: a collection of DP & BatFam members join together to make a robin hood heist team like in the show Leverage. I have a couple versions of the BatPham Leverage AU rattling around my head, but most fleshed out right now are:

Business of Family - the Uncle Oz AU (Penguin Adopts Jazz & Danny): My plan for this story is for Jazz and Danny to decide to start running heists in Gotham on the people in the city that tend to fly under Batman's radar but who are still very much doing a lot of harm to the city and it's people. The Leverage AU part of this story is going to have Jazz as the Mastermind, Jason as the Hitter, Tim as the Hacker, Danny as the Thief/Maker (basically engineer), and Elle as the Grifter (shapeshifting Elle for the win lol).

Another Leverage AU I've been thinking about for awhile but that I haven't turned into a story yet is one where Team Phantom (Danny, Jazz, Sam, Tucker & Elle) are tasked with finding and returning various Infinite Realm artifacts that have ended up in the mortal world. And for some reason Gotham has just so many Infinite Realm artifacts in it. Like most of the artifacts in the world are in Gotham for some wild reason (it's Gotham there doens't need to be more of a reason).

They're on the run from the GIW/Fentons, so they're trying not to advertise any ghostly/liminal powers if they can help it, so they largely do heists without powers (minus Tucker doing all his hacking and everything from the Ghost Zone and some occasional invisibility/intangibility when it's called for, but they really do try and keep any power use to a minimum).

In this AU, Jazz is the Mastermind (again, because I love that role for her haha), Tucker is the Hacker, but that's when I can't quite decide who should be who.

I love the idea of Sam being a Hitter, but I think she'd be able to play Grifter pretty well knowing the rich as well as she does, Danny would love being a Hitter and being able to fuck some assholes' shit up while being completely feral but he could also still be a good Thief. Elle could go either Grifter again, but I like her as a Theif in this one, maybe running into Damian in the vents while she's trying to get into a vault or something lol. (I think it'd go with Danny: Hitter, Sam: Grifter, Elle: Thief, but I have no idea if that'll stick if/when I ever write this lol)

Whatever the team looks like, because there are so many artifacts in Gotham & because they can't just use their powers willy-nilly to grab them and run, they're going to be in Gotham for a long time, possibly years. Which means they need some kind of side hustle to pay the bills, which leads them to doing more heists, but this time on various rich assholes that deserve to lose a bunch of money.

Eventually they get on the Bats radar, and there'd be some fun cat & mouse back and forth with the BatFam trying to catch the Phantom Crew (Danny shouldn't be allowed to name things, but he already told Red Robin that was their team name before anyone could stop him). Eventually the GIW do show up and things start getting even more complicated (and maybe someone activates an artifact, resulting in a powerful entity being released in Gotham that they all have to team up to fight).

I have no name for this au other than the DP X DC Leverage Au, but I do know that'll have plenty of Anger Management, Brain Dead (or really Brain Dead + Everlasting Trio, don't know what the ship name for that is), Serious Chaos.

It'll also have Batman aggressively trying to adopt them all because he doesn't actually have anything against them stealing from these assholes as long as they don't hurt anyone. They're acting outside of the law yes but they're doing it in order to give justice to those who have been made victims by the system and he's all about that (the real final battle of the story is between Bruce & Selina who both want to adopt the Pham, who would like to know if they get a say in any of this - they don't).

#spaced asks and ace answers #dc x dp #dp x dc #dpxdc #dc x dp prompt #dp x dc leverage au #leverage au #uncle oz au #penguin adopts jazz and danny #danny phantom #batman #danny fenton #jazz fenton #tucker foley #sam manson #danielle fenton #dani fenton #dani phantom #danielle phantom #jason todd #tim drake #damian wayne #anger management #brain dead #everlasting trio #serious chaos #look if I'm in a fandom for longer than five seconds I'm gonna make a leverage au #that's just how it's gonna be #batpham #batfam

[npcemi]

Here's that little quick piece I promised in my last post. Here is the chronological start of my planned multiverse. Though it all really started when My KP fic and how a part of that started event in cigarettes and valentine's.(my life is strange and Dr who crossover) now it's all got away from me and I digress. big thanks to the danny phantom and DC fandoms for giving me a great anchor point. Anyway like I said when I get out of the hospital I'll work on getting everything else updated. Here's the fic:

The long road of how starting a fight with superman over clone parenting eventually lead to Danny Phantom become God:

Danielle “Dani with an I” Phantom, the clone of Amity Park’s local ghost vigilante Danny Phantom, decided to start a clone support group. Dani had experienced firsthand the struggles and challenges that came with being a clone, and she wanted to create a safe space where clones from various backgrounds could come together and share their experiences.

Word spread quickly, and soon, they gathered at one of Danny’s safe houses he loaned to Danielle. She also had help so each member only had to go to a specific room at a nearby community center. Her father’s ghost abilities and Mama Sam’s Magic would take care of the rest to turn the doors into temporary portals that would bring each member to the safe house. Among the members who arrived were Linda Danvers, a clone of Supergirl, Conner Kent, a clone of Superman, and Jarro, a Starro clone.

Danielle welcomed everyone with a warm smile. "Thank you all for being here today. I created this little group so we can share our stories, support each other and just be there for each other. Being a clone can be difficult. I know that as well as anyone. Let's start by introducing ourselves, I'll go first.”

“I’m Danielle Phantom but you can call me Dani, that’s Dani with an I, and I am a clone of Danny Phantom. I was created because some fruit loop wanted Danny as a son and when he couldn’t get that he made me and then tried to get me to kill my original and his parents. Obviously that didn’t work out and now Danny and I are on really good terms!”

Jarro floated gently in the air before psychically speaking "I'm Jarro, a clone of Starro. Being a clone means constantly battling stereotypes and misconceptions. People assume I'm evil because of my origin, but I strive to prove them wrong every day."

Linda Danvers raised her hand and spoke next. "I'm Linda, a clone of Supergirl. Being her clone makes me feel as if I’m constantly living in the shadow of my original. People expect me to live up to her legacy, but I'm still figuring out who I am as an individual." Linda received many nods as they could truly empathize with her on living in the shadow of their original.

Linda Danvers took a deep breath, her eyes softened to reflect her vulnerability. "Being a clone of Supergirl has been a constant struggle for me,"

She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "The truth is…I'm still trying to figure out who I am. I have my own dreams, desires, and flaws. It's hard to escape the comparisons and the feeling that I'm somehow a mere shadow of my original"

Linda glanced around the room, meeting the compassionate gazes of her fellow clones. "I often find myself wondering if I'm destined to live in her shadow forever. But being here with all of you, hearing your stories and struggles, gives me hope."

She continued, "I don't want to be defined solely by being a clone. I want to be Linda Danvers.."

Conner Kent could definitely understand how Linda felt. Conner’s stomach turned as Linda’s words hammered in the truth of his own relationship with the man of steel.

Danielle reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Linda's shoulder. "Linda, you're not alone. It can be a lot to remind ourselves and the world that our worth isn't determined by the circumstances of our creation. But that’s why we’re here, so we can support each other.”

“Thanks,” Linda smiled at Danielle’s reassurances.

Conner took a deep breath, his voice tinged with a mixture of sadness and anger. "I... I'm Conner Kent, a clone of Superman," he began, his gaze fixed on the ground. "But my relationship with Superman has been anything but what I expected. Instead of acceptance and guidance, I've faced rejection."

He looked up, meeting the eyes of his fellow clones. "Superman has never treated me as an equal. He sees me as a flawed imitation, a violation against his bodily autonomy. He constantly compares me to himself, highlighting how I will never be him. I’m not him, I’m me. My own person. I just wish he could understand that, it’s not like I asked to be created.” Conner’s voice rose with rage until he slumped back down, his voice damping in his own personal defeat.

A surge of anger coursed through the room. Danielle Phantom's expression hardened. "No one deserves to be treated that way," she said firmly.

"Conner, you are more than just a replica. You have your own strengths, your own worth. You don't need Superman's validation to prove that."

Linda Danvers spoke up "Conner, your value isn't determined by Superman's actions or opinions. Honestly it sounds like he is being a dick about the whole thing,"

Jarro joined in. "No one has the right to treat you as less than who you are. Conner, you should be treated with respect and dignity as any person would expect"

Conner’s eyes glistened with gratitude. "Thank you all. Your words and support mean more to me than you can imagine," he said, Danielle looked at Conner, "if you want me to do something about it, I can try to talk to my dad," she offered.

Conner looked at Danielle, confusion in his eyes. "You can do something? Like what?" he asked,

Danielle smiled mischievously, knowing exactly what she meant but choosing her words carefully. "Let's just say my dad has his ways of dealing with situations," she replied,

Linda, sensing the unspoken desire, arched an eyebrow and leaned closer. "Danielle, what are you thinking?" she whispered.

Danielle chuckled softly before responding, her voice barely above a whisper. "Let me talk to my dad, he might have a unique perspective on this situation."

Jarro floated closer, his curiosity piqued. "What are you saying…," he started, only to be interrupted by Danielle's raised hand “I have a feeling that my dad might be able to provide some guidance or at least offer a... different perspective."

“After all my dad, Danny Phantom has experience being the one cloned and he doesn’t like it when clones are treated badly, no not at all.” Dani shook her head silently laughing at what her father’s ‘talk’ with Superman would most likely entail.

As Danielle revealed her secret, a collective gasp filled the room, followed by a mix of surprise and awe on the faces of Linda, Conner, and Jarro. Linda was the first to find her voice. "Wait, you mean to say that Danny Phantom actually adopted you as his daughter?" Danielle nodded, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Yes, he did. After finding out about me, he took me in and treated me as his own. Danny has been an amazing dad to me. He provides love, and support, just like any other parent.”

Conner's eyes widened with astonishment. "That's incredible."

Danielle's smile turned somewhat sheepish. "It honestly is incredible. Sometimes, though, he can be a little overprotective.”

Jarro floated closer, intrigued by this newfound information. "A protective father, huh? I guess I know how that feels. My adoptive father is like that as well."

Conner gave a soft smile. "Your bond with your dad is inspiring. It gives me hope that not all clones have to face rejection and mistreatment.” The “like me” at the end of Conner's sentence, went unspoken.

“Exactly, and I’m sure my dad can talk some sense into Superman.” Dani grinned.

#fanfiction #danny phantom #dani phantom #kon el kent #dpxdc au #dpxdc

[drawnfamiliarfaces]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but is there a specific leader in the heroes of Millennium or the leader depends on what mission/situation it is? Or is it like no leader and it’s just a group that works together

Not a dumb question at all dude! An interesting one, actually.

I mean, it kind of never occured in my mind to 'assign' a leader tbh, because in my mind the group is not really officially a 'team' (in other words they do not present/call themselves as 'official team', but they are more of a friends who work in different fields/interests but often help each other out and team up on occassion. Heroes of Millennium is just a pretentious name for the AU and not for their 'team', thank god lol.) So if situation requires a group effort then they are more of a 'work together' type with occasional 'specialized person taking point'. I mean, obviously if a situation has to do with ghosts for example, Danny would be the one guiding and others being more of a support role or if it's magic Jun & Jake would kinda share leadership since they have the most knowledge and experience.

All of them had enough life experience to know when to lead or back off and trust others, though it is inevitable that occasionally there can be arguments on how to handle situations (considering that all of them are very much 'leader' type of personalities and those can clash between each other), in that case others try to mediate between opposing parties. If it comes to a swaying decision, more often than not Kim plays the role of a final caller. It is partially because Kim is the resident 'rounded' level-headed specialist and partially because others respect her so much, so her voice is always heard and her opinion is taken into serious consideration.

#que? #hom au #hom au q&a #sorry for the late answer and thanks for the question! i was chewing on this for awhile lol

[thepro-lifemovement]

Can you give me some arguments about abortion and eugenics with black Americans in mind? My older sister is pregnant with her second child and everyone (our mom, her child’s father, our aunts and grandma) are pushing for her to have an abortion. She’s a great mom but she’s young and we’re poor. My moms also delivering ultimatums like she’s not helping her like with her son. I can tell she doesn’t want to but she feels a lot of pressure. I just want to help her feel supported and there’s another way.

Hello! I'm sorry your sister is being pressured into an abortion. That's horrible and completely unfair to her. Keep offering her emotional and moral support. I will link other resources to help support her and her children.

Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood's founder, was a known eugenicist who wanted to supply birth control and abortions to the black community because she believed their children would be burdens to the nation.

But Sanger's preferences went beyond race. In her 1922 book "Pivot of Civilization" she unabashedly called for the extirpation of "weeds . . . overrunning the human garden"; for the segregation of "morons, misfits, and the maladjusted"; and for the sterilization of "genetically inferior races." 

Sanger's own racist views were scarcely less opprobrious. In 1939 she and Clarence Gamble made an infamous proposal called "Birth Control and the Negro," which asserted that "the poorer areas, particularly in the South . . . are producing alarmingly more than their share of future generations." Her "religion of birth control" would, she wrote, "ease the financial load of caring for with public funds . . . children destined to become a burden to themselves, to their family, and ultimately to the nation."

Following Sanger's death in 1966, Planned Parenthood felt so confident that it had safely buried her past that it began boasting about "the legacy of Margaret Sanger." And it began handing out cutely named Maggie Awards to innocents who often had no inkling of her real views. The first recipient was Martin Luther King--who clearly had no idea that Sanger had inaugurated a project to set his people free from their progeny. "We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population and the Minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members," Sanger wrote to Gamble. Had Dr. King known why he may have been chosen to receive the award, he would have recoiled in horror.

She also referred to people as "human weeds":

In promoting birth control, she advanced a controversial "Negro Project," wrote in her autobiography about speaking to a Ku Klux Klan group and advocated for a eugenics approach to breeding for “the gradual suppression, elimination and eventual extinction, of defective stocks — those human weeds which threaten the blooming of the finest flowers of American civilization.”

Here is more on how Planned Parenthood would target the black community.

Here is an article on Abortion’s Devastating Impact Upon Black Americans.

Planned Parenthood puts 86% of its abortion facilities in minority neighborhoods.

In the Black community in particular, abortion rates have become so high that abortion is a public health crisis. As Live Action News’ Danny David reported in 2016, “Relying on statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Guttmacher Institute, the team of researchers concluded that abortion is responsible for… 61.1% of black American deaths, and a shocking 64% of Hispanic/Latino deaths – making abortion by far the leading cause of death for blacks and Hispanics/Latinos.”

One of my favorite pro-life activists is Dr. Mildred Jefferson, the first black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical school.

She also argued that the abortion industry was targeting the Black community. “Blacks suffer more from abortion because what looks like help is actually striking against them,” she said in 1977. “Blacks are fewer. They will disappear sooner.” This prediction has been sadly prescient, as Black women get a disproportionate number of abortions, the highest rate among all women, and in some cities, like New York, more Black children have been aborted in recent years than were born.

I'd recommend you read that article about her. She's an inspiration in the movement.

Here are some black pro-life organizations:

I would urge you to call 211 to figure out what resources are available to your sister in your local county.

You can see if your local Catholic church has a St Vincent de Paul which will give your family free food upon request and help pay a bill if needed. I know Baptist churches also offer financial assistance, if needed. You can save money on bills by getting food for free from food banks, as well. Visit or call your local crisis pregnancy center about what services they can offer to your sister. I know many pro-life centers will give her free baby items and baby clothes, and I know some offer mother support groups.

Here is a master list of available pregnancy resources:

Make sure she knows she's not alone and there are people out there willing to help support her. Keep offering her support! You're doing great! I'm sorry your sister is dealing with pressure from family to abort her baby.

Let me know if you need any other information! Hoping you are able to find helpful resources to help her choose life.

-Sarah

#abortion is racist #resources #pregnancy resources #thanks for the ask #ask #asks #sorry for responding late

[tanglepelt]

What caused the grave?

Ao3

An explosion in the lab leads to the Fenton blaming Phantom for their son's death while they grieve.

This is what actually happened to lead to that point.

***

Just yesterday there was one less grave in the ground. One less tombstone. No new mourners no new grief in town.

 Now the cemetery was full. Students from the school. Those who remained for the summer. Dash standing in the back lost in thought.

 Two parents were lost in grief.

 An Older sister is not yet back from her summer quarter.

 Two friends who hadn’t even shown up.

 The tombstone reading: Here lies Daniel Fenton

  At the front of the grave Jack and Maddie Fenton grieving for their son. Blaming Phantom on anyone who would listen.

**

Danny’s worst fear was coming true.

 Starting a week ago when the guys in white showed up at his house. They weren’t after him, he could handle escaping them again. No, they were here for his parents.

 The GIW and his parents working together.

 Launching one missile wasn’t enough. He stopped that one in the nick of time. Teaming up with his rogues. Managing to stop the missile from the ghost zone.

 He just had to stop this one from launching, just like before.

 This time it was happening in his own home. The very lab his accident happened. Where he had already died once. Jazz wasn’t home to help, long gone at college. She left in the fall and stayed. Fully attending to finish early, attending through the summer. Tucker and Sam are both away from town Sam to some rich people's event and Tucker to a tech camp.

 Danny’s phone and all communication devices were confiscated. A security risk. Neither the GIW nor his Parents trusted him not to tattle. He could still do this.

 He only had to convince one group.

 Getting his parents away from the lab was difficult. Never stopping from their work, he never could get a word in. The GIW would never listen. Danny didn’t even bother with them. Quantum physics meant nothing to them. Those in white would just doom both dimensions. That left his parents.

 The ones who spent their whole lives hunting ghosts.

 Hinting them for sport, those who created weapons to kill them.

 All he could do was hope they listened for once.

 If they didn’t, he would have to act. Potentially out himself to both groups. No matter the cost both dimensions would remain standing. Frostbite, Pandora, Sam, Tucker, Jazz and so many others would be counting on this. Counting on him to solve this problem.

 With the portal shut in preparations, no one could get here. Only those who could create portals. Wulf and such a select few. No way to know the danger coming their way. No reason to suspect the ill intent

from the earthly realm.

 Clockwork would know.

 He doesn’t tend to meddle.

 Managing to rip his parents away from the GIW. Claiming he fell down the stairs. He knows they love him; Danny knows they care. He can use that to his advantage to get their attention. Just because they care doesn’t mean they listen. Jazz and he could explain until they're blue in the face ghost aren’t unfeeling.

 They have tried. They always countered.  Using their “research” and science to disagree. Aways ignored the true evidence.

 Danny would have to play on humanity. All the humans are in danger. Make them think they could be some saviors to humanity. Maybe that could work.

 Of course, it didn’t.

 Every point he made got thrown to the side just as normal. This whole science thing was far above his head. The ghost zone wasn’t even its own dimension, no it was just a little tiny pocket. Nothing would happen. Danny had asked them to send in a probe to see the vast size.

 All the so-called evidence came from fishing poles. The two never bothered to explore it themselves.

 Never mapped it.

 Never even gauged its size.

 NO.

 Nothing.

 For scientists, they were too lost in bias. Refusing to look at the other side. Only taking evidence that supported their cause.

 A look around the lab a countdown was visible. Agents swarming around,  blackboards and whiteboards filled with calculations. A drawing of an explosion, that had to be his dad’s contribution, in the middle of the board.

 Two hours before launch. He didn’t have much time left.

 To make a bad situation even worse he got sent to his room.

 His parents claimed it was for his safety, that his worrying could get him, and others hurt. It was just to keep him out. No doubt they didn’t want to continue listening to him arguing. He was using evidence and scientific theories. They weren’t.

 Why would they allow themselves to be outsmarted?

 Especially by a C student.

 Wasting an hour, trying to get some means of contact out. To get a line to someone. Even trying to go out the window. All with no luck.

 Thankfully No one was guarding the door. He should have checked that first, rather than waste an hour. Perhaps simple sabotage would work. Go to the lab try to apologize and break something. It would just be Fenton's luck at that point.

 The Fenton’s were quite good at breaking stuff after all.

 Danny never made it to the lab. Being brought up. An agent is now stationed outside of his room. His mother only chided him for putting himself at risk. No, yelling to begging as he was brought back upstairs was listened to. Back to square one.

 He only had 30 minutes until the planned launch. That time may not even be accurate. That was just the end goal. He wasn’t in the lab, he didn’t know.

 With no other option left. The room flashed white.

 Turning invisible and flying through the walls, he got to the lab in record time. The floor was flooded with white suits. Agent K and O talking with his parents, the missile is pointed right at the portal door. The countdown already commencing.

 Five minutes.

In five minutes, the portal would open.

In five minutes both dimensions could be destroyed.

Every universe and every dimension could be destroyed if he didn’t stop them.

 Danny could only think of one solution. Jazz always said their parents would accept him. Once they realized he was part ghost they would change their minds. That everything the two had been saying would finally click for them.

 All it got was him being held back. Screams about him overshadowing their son, him using the body as a disguise. Their eyes full of hatred. The GIW restraining him. He got nowhere. The situation only got worse.

 The countdown still going down.

Second, by second, getting closer to their deaths.

 They hadn’t managed to get a power restraint on him. Danny’s struggle made it difficult. Countdown still going. The portal opens the room turning green.

 Only two minutes left.

 Danny managed to cover the portal in ice before the cuff clicked. His ice stood firm. It would stay until he willed it away. The missile was still in position. Still aimed at the portal.

 Breaking free from the hold, he raced to the missile. Getting by anyone in his way. Pushing the button that would launch it. A 30-second countdown began. Screams to abort, but nothing happens. It wasn’t designed to be stopped.

 Danny couldn’t stop them on his own. He could destroy them. Even if it was designed to destroy ectoplasm it was still a projectile. It would still collide with the ice wall. It would destroy the lab, the portal, and all the work in the lab. Everything they had worked on; all his parent’s work would be gone.

 They didn’t believe in the cloud. Only physical storage, all in the lab.

 Danny got pushed to the side as everyone began to evacuate. He wouldn’t get out. Both worlds would survive. It would be worth it.

 The plan worked better than attended. The missile breaking up hit other inventions. Other hazards, fires explosions it all went up. The entire building went up. As the smoke cleared up FentonWorks was gone. Only the few who managed to get out of the building survived. The lab, the portal it was all gone.

 The only thing left was for the grieving parents to bury an empty casket.

 No one noticed the black hair, a blue-eyed child leaving town. The one with a medallion around his neck. He would never be seen again. A total of four amity parkers that day were never seen in town again.

#Danny Phantom #dannymay2023 #day 18 #its late #oh well #fanfic #phanfic #Jazz fenton #jack fenton #maddie fenton #bad parents jack and maddie

[thesoulspulse]

I've been getting this idea in my head I wanted to explore about a group of special ghosts known as Mistwalkers. They are the holy messengers of Evermore, in other words the final paradise only worthy souls are allowed to enter. Like Necromancers they served the will of the Angel of Death by helping bear witness to the judgement of souls who have either finally found their peace or have been exiled until such a time as they find redemption or seal their own damnation.

Story: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14297213/1/Vestige

Warning! There are story spoilers for "Vestige" written down below so read the rest at your own peril. Truth be told I mostly just wanted to sort of make a ghost that looked a little more like the classic bed-sheet ghost but with a bit more ethereal elegance. Also, this design is also partially inspired by my oc Luna who I sadly ended up removing from Owen's story and more or less replaced her with Eris as his main supporter/friend. She was just an ice ghost/witch though so there wasn't much of a connection to Death himself apart from maybe the 'deathly chill' someone might feel sort of like Danny's ghost sense.

No one has seen one of these divine spirits since Death sacrificed himself to give ghosts and the other spirits who resided within the Veil a fighting chance against Lilith by reshaping it into the Ghost Zone. Yet in the coming days this will change as the threat of a door opening once more between the Earth and the Ghost Zone that leads to an evil realm of pure darkness even ghosts know to fear draws closer. A realm where Lilith and her legions of Wraiths and other demonic monstrosities reside without an ounce of humanity or mercy to be found in their black hearts.

Death and these divine messengers are the reason why white hair is seen as a symbol of being close in nature to them. Owen might have been born with his partial albinism to symbolize this because he has the soul of the first Necromancer Death granted his power to but Vlad and Danny were 'touched by Death' as and chosen to help restore the lost balance between worlds. Unfortunately Vlad succumbed to his selfish desires and then his ghost form changed to reflect that growing darkness in his heart. But if his heart changes enough he might just be able to reclaim this unknown gift bestowed upon him that's remained buried this whole time. Danny on the other hand embraced his role as a protector and this is why his powers only keep growing stronger, it's a blessing because of his courageous heart as well as the bravery of his ghost hunting ancestors who once helped fight off many evil spirits.

#danny phantom #danny phantom fanfiction #vestige #danny phantom oc #story concept #character concept #mistwalker #angel of death #the souls pulse #the soul's pulse #thesoulspulse #thesoul'spulse #divine spirit #spirit guide #divine messenger

[soundcrusher]

Laserdrill/Danny

I have been thinking about redesigning Danny for a while and, honestly him being a KRAN just makes sense to me. Also, I like how he turned out. (Even if I messed up a little)

The KRAN frametype and lore was made by @cuppajj

More info under the cut

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Got his name “Laserdrill” from his laser focus when working in the mines. 

He often would shut out everything else while working. Something that would worry some, because Lazerdrill would even forget to refuel, if he wasn’t reminded. 

After the initiative was shut down, Laserdrill hopped from planet to planet. Getting a slight frame change, while taking his time to explore the world outside the mines. 

During his travels, he met a flier named Strawberry, who he became friends with. (They started to travel together afterwards.)

As the war broke out, Laserdrill joined the Autobots, mostly because his friend did. Even though he didn't fully support them, he still tried to do his best. 

Somehow, Laserdrill ended up on earth together with Strawberry, where the two got separated during an ambush. And as he tried to run away, Laserdrill was shot in the head. A group of miners found him afterwards, and instead of reporting him to the authorities, they carted him off to an empty mine, where they then tried to repair him. 

It did work and Laserdrill came back online, although with no memory of who or what he was. 

Hearing this, the oldest of the miners decided to take Laserdrill under his wing. Making sure to visit the mech whenever he could and keeping others away from the mine as best as he could. He also gave Laserdrill the name “Danny”, because that was the only name the confused mech would answer to.

With time, and after hearing how the miners were struggling with digging tunnels, Danny started helping them out. Which quickly earned him a spot on the team.

This proved to be a blessing and a curse. A blessing to the miners, because their productivity skyrocketed, but a curse to Danny, because he was now struggling with processor aches whenever he did something that reminded him of his past life. Sometimes, he would even get flashbacks of his fellow KRAN’s, which would then lead to him calling his human friends by their names, without even realizing it. The humans often played along when something like that happened.

During his work, Danny stumbled upon some Energon and started harvesting it. And with him not knowing how to process it, he started eating it raw. Which took some time getting used to, but now Danny couldn’t imagen consuming Energon any other way. 

Danny, despite his processor aches, loved his life as a miner on earth. He didn’t mind having his movement restricted and only being allowed to live in the mines. Not as long as he had his friends to work with him. But after years of working with the miners, they suddenly stopped coming. Danny only found out years after that the mining project was stopped. 

So, with nothing else to do, Danny decided that it was finally time to leave the mines and look for something new. Maybe he could even find a way to recover his lost memories and figure out who he was before his amnesia. And, maybe, he would also finally find out who the faceless bots, whose names he keeps on calling, were. 

Somewhere along the way, Danny was picked up by a grumpy Toymaker and his Apprentice. Living with them onboard their toyshop and mostly helping them with carrying around their heavier boxes.

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Bonus sketch:

#transformers oc #KRAN oc #laserdrill/danny #KRAN frametype and lore by cuppajj #I gotta say; danny looks way better like this #but boy does he look like a boy scout #also; the things on his cheek and nose are bandages #one of the human miners put them on there and danny refused to put them down again #side note: I like to think that danny became a small legend in the hometown of the miners #mostly because the families would pass down stories about the 'titan' living in the mines #doesn't help that some miners have pictures with danny

[heykoonsy]

Word Count: 3.3k +

Pairing: OC x Danny, OC x Jake

Summary: The world was overtaken by vampires nearly a century ago, leaving the displaced humans of the world at their mercy. We follow Charlotte on her journey to the Sanctuary after her family is killed on the mountain she called home. However, finding a rumored safe haven proves nearly impossible for her…until she strikes up a deal with four powerful vampires.

Content Warnings: 18+ for graphic depictions of a corpse

You can read the previous chapters here.

Chapter 5: The Hunger

Sam was keeping pace with Charlotte, leaving Josh and Danny to support Jake. She looked back again, giving him a quick glance to assess if he needed another break. They’d been scaling this mountain for nearly a half-hour already and they had to stop twice. The rocks and fallen trees were giving him some trouble, she realized. She ducked her head closer to Sam, who bent down so that she could speak without being heard by the group.

“Is he getting any better?”

Sam looked back, trying not to make it obvious. “Yeah, he’s not leaning on Josh as much.”

Charlotte looked back again. That might have been true, but that didn’t mean that he still wasn’t struggling to keep up with them all. His hand had been clutched to his wounds nearly the whole time they ascended the mountain. She couldn’t help but wonder if there was something they weren’t telling her. 

“Charlotte,” she heard Danny say. “We might need to stop again.”

“No, let’s keep moving,” Jake bit out. His forehead was drenched in sweat, clearly he was not to be trusted. 

“Set him down over there,” Charlotte pointed to a rock that was jutting out of the side of the mountain. It looked large and flat enough for all of them to sit on. 

Jake grumbled, but he let Josh lead him over to the boulder. 

Meanwhile, Charlotte was already slicing open her arm. She saw Jake’s head turn at the scent, his attention immediately brought to the blood dripping from her. She fetched the jar she always used and let a few ounces drop into the glass. She felt something different in the air, a prickling sensation that wasn’t there before when she looked over at Jake. She looked around, at the boys, and they were picking up on the same feeling she got. 

“What?” Charlotte asked. When no one replied right away she shrugged and walked over to Jake. 

Sam grabbed her before she could take a step closer, and Josh was already in front of her to collect the jar. 

“I’ve got it, don’t you worry,” Josh said with a tight smile. Probably the first one he'd given her since they met.

Charlotte looked at him curiously, but she was quickly distracted by Sam grabbing her arm. He cleaned the wound quickly, and he then pulled Charlotte off towards the side with some lame excuse about wanting her to sit down. 

“It wasn’t much blood, I should be fine.”

But Sam wasn’t taking no for an answer and led her farther up the mountain anyway to rest. She saw him give a look to the others as he walked her up the trail. 

Josh stepped in front of Jake, shielding Charlotte from his view. “You good, man?” He asked, concern for Jake flooding his voice. 

Jake shook his head, “Yeah, I’m good.”

Josh handed over the jar and Jake took it. He tilted it back and let the cooling liquid hit his tongue. He drank it all in one gulp, feeling it coat his throat and pool in his stomach. He sighed with relief. He hung the jar over his mouth, waiting for the last few drops in the jar to hit his tongue. When they did, Josh took the jar back. 

“Take it easy, she said the house was close,” Danny reminded him. “Once we get you somewhere you can rest, you’ll feel much better.”

Jake put his head in his hands, wiping his hair away from his face. He sighed. “It’s getting harder to ignore,” he commented before taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

Charlotte opened the door as Jake and Josh filed in with Sammy in tow. Danny followed after, taking the door from her as she walked inside after them. 

“The bedroom is upstairs, end of the hall.”

Sam led the two of them through the kitchen and up the stairs. When they all disappeared, Charlotte looked at Danny. 

“He looks worse than he did on the way here,” she said. “What are you guys not telling me?”

Danny shook his head. “He’s going to get worse before he gets better. This is normal.”

She studied his face. It wasn’t like Danny to lie–and he had been truthful this entire time. She let the topic drop and she decided to follow them upstairs. Danny grabbed her wrist, trying to keep her in place. She looked over her shoulder at him, an eyebrow raising. 

“Did you see any game trails on the way up here? We could look for some food while we have the time,” he said fast. “Meat would help a lot right now.”

Charlotte looked at him. “Can you hunt?”

Danny shot her a look, “Of course I can.”

Charlotte looked at him for a moment. “Okay,” she said. She went over to the stairs. “Guys, Danny and I are gonna look for some food. Be back soon.”

Sam responded quickly, almost too excited to hear that they were leaving. 

Danny followed after her as she stepped off the porch and walked behind the house into a more wooded area. She led the way as Danny walked quietly behind her. They were a few minutes into the forest when Charlotte stopped abruptly. 

“Here we go,” she said as she picked up a large heavy rock. She handed it to Danny to hold. 

“What’s this for?” Danny asked as Charlotte got down on her knees in front of him. 

“Do you see all the discarded nuts on the ground? The nests in the trees?” Charlotte pulled a few things out of her bag.

Danny looked up, seeing the nests, and when he looked down, he realized that he was stepping right on a discarded acorn. “Squirrels?”

“Squirrels, chipmunks, birds,” she said. “All of them make a great meal.”

Danny didn’t say anything, but he did wait until whatever she was doing made sense. She beckoned him to come closer. He moved in front of her, getting on his knees as well. 

“Lean the rock on its side for me?” She asked, waiting for Danny.

He did as he was told. 

Charlotte got to work, holding the rock up with a small, thick stick. “That’s your base stick, it’s going to hold up the rock.” She held up another thick stick, but this one was longer. “This is the hinge stick.” She noted that the hinge stick was already tied to the lock stick with a piece of yarn. “Once we wrap the lock around the base stick,” she demonstrated, “we can set the trap.”

Danny watched as Charlotte made quick work of putting the hinge stick atop the base stick. She waited for him to put the rock against the hinge stick. When it was firmly in place, she wrapped the lock around the base stick. She pulled out a thin piece of wood next. 

“This is the trigger,” she said as she wedged it between the rock and the lock. When it didn’t fit exactly, she trimmed off the excess with her utility knife. When it fit snugly between the lock and rock, she dug into her pack again. 

Charlotte grabbed some berries and laid them down underneath the rock. “Now when a hungry chipmunk comes by in the morning, he’ll trigger the trap and the rock will fall on him.”

“So barbaric,” Danny said.

“It would be a lot easier if I had my dad’s bow, but we had to pack light.”

“Were you run from your home?”

Charlotte stood up, “I guess you could say that.”

Danny stood as well, “So what do we do now?” 

Charlotte held up her nearly empty water jar. “We could look for a stream?”

Danny nodded and walked beside her away from the trap. They walked at least a half hour before Charlotte heard the familiar sound of running water. She ran towards the sound and Danny followed behind her. She descended the mountain a little, and saw a small stream running along a crevice in the rocks. Charlotte stopped at the bank, looking at the sparkling clean water. She took a handful from the stream and drank. She dumped out the water she had in her jar and filled it once more. She looked over at Danny, who had stopped behind her. 

“There’s nothing better than mountain water,” she said happily, offering the jar.

Danny took it and drank slowly, acknowledging the fresh flavor with an audible hum. Charlotte took back the jar and drank from it. They sat at the stream’s edge for a little, listening to the calming sound of the rushing water. Charlotte sat with her legs tucked against her chest, and her arms wrapped around her knees. Danny sat with his back to the stream, resting his hands behind him. His eyes were trained on Charlotte.

“Did you hunt often?” Danny asked. 

“All the time, all of us took turns going out with dad,” she said. “He was a great teacher.”

“You too,” Danny said. “I feel like I could build that trap right now from memory.”

Charlotte scoffed, searching his face for deception. “I didn’t even show you the notches you have to cut into the sticks.”

“Oh, there were notches?” Danny made a face. “That’s too complicated, nevermind.”

Charlotte let out a small laugh. “That’s what I always said! Paisley was so much better at it. That’s her trap.”

Danny smiled. “Younger sister?”

“Yeah, she was annoying, but I miss her.” Charlotte looked at the stream.

“Tell me some stories?”

“Only if you tell me some of your own.”

“Deal.”

“Well, there was this one time when–

Danny watched her face closely as she lost herself in the memory, she smiled more genuinely when talking about them. He imagined what they all looked like, their smiles–none of which came close to Charlotte’s. And then, like he’d somehow forgotten why she was out here all alone, the fact that they were dead crushed him similar to a small animal caught in a deadfall trap. 

She laughed, “I’ve never tasted something so terrible in my life. My dad had to lie and say he ate it all.”

Danny looked at her, at how much she’d lost and couldn’t comprehend why she was still fighting. 

“Your turn,” Charlotte said. 

Danny smiled, but he knew she couldn’t see too much of it. “Wanna hear about the time Sam wrestled a wolf and lost?”

“An entire wolf?” 

“Fangs and all,” Danny said. 

Charlotte and Danny were on their way back to the house. Both of them had lost track of time and the sky was getting a little too bright for comfort. They were rushing through the woods jogging past the trees and hopping over the fallen sticks and rocks. 

“Wait, the trap is down,” Danny said pointing ahead. 

Charlotte followed his finger and watched as he ran ahead. He lifted up the rock and gasped. 

“What did we get?” Charlotte asked, stopping just in front of him. 

“A rat,” Danny said happily. He lifted it up and showed it off. 

“Sweet, we can cook that up for Jake,” she smiled. 

They made their way back to the house quickly, skipping over the stair that was broken with a jump. Danny opened the door up for Charlotte and she walked inside with the rat. They saw Josh and Sam sitting on the couches. 

“You guys took forever,” Sam pouted.

Charlotte showed him the rat. “Want to cook this up for your brother?”

Sam smiled and was happy to rummage around the kitchen for any tools he could use. 

Josh raised himself from the couch as well, “I already got the fireplace ready.”

Danny passed her to help the two of them. Charlotte slipped past them, none of them the wiser as to where she was going. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were hiding something from her when it came to Jake. For whatever reason, he was still weak after feeding and there were no signs that he was getting better. She knew that if the boys weren’t going to give her a straight answer, she could at least go to someone who would tell her the truth–no matter how bad. 

Charlotte climbed the stairs quietly so as to not alert the boys in the living room below. She passed the first bedroom and made her way to the one at the end of the hall. She knocked on the door quietly, and spoke softly. 

“Jake? I’m coming in, ”Charlotte said and then pushed open the door. 

Charlotte saw that they had lit a candle for Jake and it bathed the room in an orange glow. After closing the door, she looked at the bed, where Jake was lying on top of the duvet. She stepped closer, reaching her hand out to touch him gently on the leg. 

“Hey, Danny and I trapped a rat, they're downstairs cooking it up now,” she said as she sat down on the bed next to him. 

Jake furrowed his brow at the disturbance, and opened his eyes to slits. He looked over towards Charlotte, but when he met her eyes, she could tell something was different about him. 

“You’re acting weird,” Charlotte said. “Danny won’t tell me what’s up, he's hiding something.”

Jake didn’t respond. “You need to leave,” he rubbed his temples.

“Why?” She asked.

Jake didn’t answer, he just gestured towards the door.

Charlotte got up off the bed, shrugging off the fact that she didn’t get an answer. Then, she felt that same prickling sensation from before coming rushing back to her. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She turned around, looking at Jake as he turned away abruptly. 

“Hey, what’s happening?” She said, concern welling up in her voice. 

Jake put his hand out, “Get out of here Charcoal, go get Danny.”

She stepped closer to him, putting her right knee on the bed and touching his shoulder. “I will, just tell me what you need.”

When Jake felt her hand touch him, he turned to face her. He grabbed her hand and threw her down onto the bed. Within seconds, he was holding her down with his full body weight. She looked at him–in his frenzied eyes and at his fangs as they poked through his lips. She gasped. 

“Jake?” She asked, voice full of panic. 

Jake lowered his head to her neck, breathing deeply at her scent. He exhaled against her skin, pressing his mouth to her flesh. He hesitated for a few beats but then she felt his hot tongue against her neck. 

Charlotte tried to move against his hold. 

“Don’t fight, please don’t fight.” He begged. “It’ll trigger my instincts and I won’t be able to stop.” Jake said, breath ragged in her ear. 

“What do I do?” Charlotte asked breathlessly.

Jake swallowed hard, “Just stay still.” 

Charlotte did as she was told and let the strength leave her body. She felt Jake ease up on her wrists but she could still feel him lapping at her neck.

“Can you tell me what’s wrong?” Charlotte asked, heart beat thundering in her chest. 

Jake pulled his head away, “Healing takes a lot out of our kind.” 

Charlotte looked into his eyes. “Is my blood not enough?” She asked quietly, watching his eyes as they fell onto her forearm. 

“It’s not,” Jake said, “But it has to be.”

“I can give you more,” Charlotte said. 

Jake growled, deep in his throat and the sound sent chills down her spine. Her heart was banging in her chest, sending her brain into its flight or flight response. But Charlotte refused to move so she grounded herself by breathing slowly. 

“Don’t say that,” Jake said. “Not right now.”

“Is this what the boys were trying to prevent?” She asked.

Jake nodded, he found her forearm again with his eyes. He released both of her arms so that he could grab the arm she’d cut open earlier. He pulled the sleeve down slowly, exposing the red line that had scabbed over already. He breathed deeply, taking in the smell of her blood. 

“I’m using so much energy to heal that I’m starving.” He said slowly. “And you’ve started to look so delicious.”

Charlotte watched as he licked at her skin, and each time she saw his fangs, she choked on the scream she felt in her throat. 

“Jake,” she said breathlessly. “I need you to come out of this.”

Jake closed his eyes. He cleared his throat, clearly trying to compose himself. 

“Can you try and let my arm go?”

He shook his head, keeping his eyes glued shut. 

“Okay, that’s fine. Just breathe. What about your legs?”

She felt him move them slightly from where they were laced between each of hers. She felt as he moved them to her right, feeling the heat leave her as he inched farther away. Finally, he rested on his side next to her–keeping his hand wrapped around her wrist. 

“Good, good,” she said. “You’re doing great.” They took a moment to breathe. “Can you reach for my hand, next?”

Jake struggled, but he slipped his hand up her forearm and found her hand. 

“Good,” she said. “Do you think I can move yet?”

Jake didn’t answer for a little bit, but after a few deep breaths she heard a soft yes fall from his lips. 

Charlotte started to slowly rise from the bed, Jake’s hand tightening its grip the entire time. 

“Okay, I’m sitting up. Do you think you could let me go now?”

Jake shook his head.

“Okay, that’s alright. You’ll just have to walk me to the door,” she said. “Can you do that for me?”

Jake swallowed hard, but nodded. He opened his eyes, and they fell on Charlotte immediately. 

“Keep them closed for me Jake,” Charlotte said calmly.

Jake shut his eyes and raised himself from the bed. Charlotte waited for him to tug her along before she began moving. Each step they took towards the door made her heartbeat quicken. She sincerely hoped that one of the boys noticed that she was missing by now. Maybe they were already walking up the stairs? Jake stopped abruptly, halfway to the door. 

“All I can smell is you,” Jake said softly. “And all I want is you.”

“You can’t have me Jake,” Charlotte said sternly. 

Jake opened his eyes and looked back at her, his hand still gripping hers. 

“Do you want to see me die, Jake?”

He stopped in his tracks.

“Do you want me to beg you to stop as you devour me? All covered in my blood?”

Jake clamped his eyes shut and shook his head feverishly. Charlotte tightened her grip on his hand. 

“Are you going to step over me when you’re done? Like I was nothing more than a meal?”

“Stop,” Jake begged. 

“That’s what that pack did to the girl in the brush, Jake.” Charlotte said, emotionless. “You saw right, since you were following me? They left her all alone–

Jake turned around and ripped open the bedroom door. He shoved Charlotte out the door and yelled through through it for her to go. Charlotte wasted no time, running down the stairs. She ran past the boys in the living room and out the front door. She jumped from the porch and ran to the woods. 

“Charlotte,” Danny called after her. 

Charlotte looked back, and in that split second, she collided with a tree. She hit the ground, gasping for air from the impact. She watched as Danny ran over to her. He picked her up from the ground, putting her against his chest. 

“Just breathe, breathe.”

It took a moment for her to catch her breath, but Danny stayed with her the whole time, softly stroking her hair. He looked down at her, repeating the same words until they didn’t sound right anymore. She looked up at him, her vision swimming slightly. She had been so scared before–worried that she would be torn to pieces. But she wasn’t–and she was taking comfort in a vampire’s arms. This was wrong–but Charlotte sighed into his chest, worried about nothing more now that she was safely tucked away in Danny’s arms. 

#A Home for Charlie #greta van fleet fanfiction #jake kiszka #Vampire!AU #Horror/Dystopia #gvf #greta van fleet #danny wagner #I would like to apologize in advance

[renee-writer]

Out of Time Chapter One Hundred and Thirty -eight

AO3

Jamie, Murtagh, and Jenny, all weep at entering their land. Juliaellen clings to her mam’s leg, watching her daddy with wide eyes. Claire cradles Mackenzie in her arms while beside her, Ian holds tight to Maggie’s hand.

 

“Why mam and Uncle Jamie, cry?”

 

“It is alright. They are happy. Sometimes people cry when they are happy.”

 

Murtagh and Jenny invite Mary and Danny up. They hold Naomi and Daniel. Alex toddles after his mama and Murtagh lifts him up.

 

“This is your home, son. Here, you will grow up free and safe.” They look over the overgrown ivy that crawls up Lallybroch proper. There is some work to do, but they have the hands for it.

 

Mary takes it all in, from the old manor house to the fields full of a harvest left to rot. She sees not just what is there but the possibilities of so much more. Stepping up, she rests against him. Yes, this man and his land can and shall be her home.

 

The others look over the land. It will support them all and their growing families.

 

Charlie and William stand in the back. She is over the worst of her early pregnancy symptoms. Now, the concern is that she is carrying so big. Jamie hasn’t said anything directly to her but, she overheard him speaking to Heather. The word twins was mentioned. This is news she has yet to share with William.

 

Asherah nurses as her parents exam the land. Simon can see himself helping to farm, his daughter by his side.

 

Asha feels out of place. A city girl before all this, she is unsure of her role in what is to come. Her and Danny are a couple, something no one else yet knows. They aren’t sure how Jenny will take it. Yes, Daniel wasn’t  conceived the usual way but, they are still a kind of family.

 

The group moves farther in. Fergus and Ian in the lead. Ian is telling the other lad, all he recalls from his time there. They both feel bad that William isn’t free to join them. His place was by Charlie, who is starting to show.

 

“Wee Ian!” the voice stops him dead. It was the voice of a ghost, after all, the voice of his dad.

 

“Dad?” They are far enough ahead that none of the others can hear them. ‘Dad?’ Fergus mouths.

 

Oh sweet Mother! There he is! Shock freezes him for a moment then he is running, laughing as he heads into the open running hands of his daddy.

 

His strong warm arms envelope him. The smell of his dad, of hay and a hint of whisky, fill his nose as tears start to fill his eyes.

 

Jenny sees her son running towards… she starts off at a sprint, Daniel tight in her arms. Ian sees her coming.

 

Somehow, he manages to get his son and wife in his embrace. It takes a moment before he notices the baby. Maggie joins them.

 

“Mama who this?”

 

By this time, Jamie, Murtagh and the others join them. Jamie and Murtagh stare, in shock, at the person they never expected to see again.

 

“This is your daddy.” She says through her tears.

 

“Wow!” Claire whispers.

 

“Daddy in heaven.” She insists.

 

“Obviously not. Like Faith came back, your daddy has.”

 

Now he notices the baby, then all the others, including Claire and her children.

 

“It seems we’ve a lot to discuss, to catch up on.” He comments.

 

“So, when Murtagh came back and all had changed, we knew Lallybroch was were we needed to go.” Jamie finishes. It is several hours later and the group fills the once great room. They sit on various pieces of furniture, the floor, a few stand along the walls.

 

“We never expected to see you, though with Faith…” The child, in question, sits on Asha’s lap, thumb in mouth, looking around. Murtagh sits with Mary by his side, their children on their laps.

 

Jamie holds Claire with one arm and cradles Mackenzie with the other. Juliaellen plays at his feet.

 

“To see you, have my family , plus back, it is a miracle.” Jenny and the children hadn’t  left his side. Maggie is firmly in his lap, Wee Ian sits to his left, holding his hand. Jenny is at his right holding fast to his side.

 

“You needn’t worry. There was never anything between us except the need to repopulate.” Danny says. He now hold Daniel, who is unfazed by all the excitement.

 

“I understand. You have created a community here, an extended family. Sweet Daniel will be a part of my family and the one you and Asha create.”

 

All adult eyes turn to her, sitting  beside but a respectable distance away from Danny. “How did you know?”

 

He grins. “You look at each other the way Jenny and I do, Jamie and Claire do.”

 

“It makes sense.” Claire muses.

 

“This day turned out much better then we expected.” Jamie states the obvious, “we shall plan, in the morning, how to start restoration on the estate and land. Now, I suggest we all get some sleep.”

#my writing #outlander fanfic #out of time #chapter one hundred and thirty eight #jamie and claire #cannon divergence #outlander fandom #modern au

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[technovirtual]

Unleashing the Power of Womanhood

Adversity often elicits abilities that would be dormant in more prosperous circumstances. This is demonstrated by the learners in Miles Corwin's novel Yet We Rise. Making investments in women's economic development leads to healthier and productive families, growing businesses plus stronger and more stable economies. This is why the WE RISE project supports this by encouraging supplier diversity and gender-responsive purchasing (SD-GRP). Learn more about WE RISES here. What are WE RISE's goals? We Rise is an online platform that allows the sharing of stories that showcase women's leadership, perseverance and strength. It also functions as a platform for advocacy and an educational instrument to help in the implementation in gender sensitive procurement (GRP) throughout the Mekong region. Real-life stories of the process of building up movement each episode highlights real breakdowns, detours, and setbacks. WE RISE illustrates how a single moment will affect the rest a person's life. The poem begins with the premise that women are standing up and speaking out. Women are providing visibility and a louder volume to people who are left out or unnoticed by society. Women must keep this momentum going and join other women in their own. This is why women are so powerful. This message is repeated throughout the fifty-eight lines in this empowering piece. A strong calling to action the poem is inspiring and motivational. It's a must-read and should not be missed. Who is WE RISE? The ability of women and girls to increase their opportunities in the economy results in healthy households as well as growing businesses as well as stronger and more stable communities. In the context of emergency or fragile conditions it is crucial. In the world women are the biggest group excluded from economic opportunities. However, they could bring immense benefits to the world economy, if governments firms and development finance institutions shift policies and practices to enable them to participate.

Founded by Danny Mendoza after learning that his cousin was living in her vehicle due to DCFS policies, Together We Rise has been working with local residents as well as foster agencies, foundations and individuals to make a difference in life of kids living in foster care. They also empower families and communities to act as advocates for them. They offer resources, foster family training, and provide children with permanent homes. They also promote economic growth in long-disinvested communities in Chicago which could benefit the entire region. WE RISE partners with local businesses, artists and leaders to improve the well-being of communities. Why is WE RISE important? Across the world Women are particularly affected by family illnesses and disasters which has more frequent and severe impacts to their households than men. This makes it difficult to get a job or go to school. In addition, the lack of income prevents them from achieving their full potential, and also from supporting their communities. States must legally mandate safe and supportive homes in areas of conflict to help women be able to escape violence and create better lives. Additionally, they should deal with the root causes of violence that are causing the violence, such as land tenure system that exclude women from property ownership and education systems that leave them behind. When we talk about equality, we need to keep in mind that equality isn't a right for all; it's a responsibility for everyone. This is why WE RISE is so important. It's a means to share the stories of those who are working to change the world - and to gain knowledge from their experiences, download tools and resources to help you strengthen your own builder of movement. The resources are organized in cycles, and is based on important decisions that builders of movement make throughout their journeys. What can WE RISE do to help? Every year, WE RISE events bring community members together to share stories, make connections and grow. These community-based events help local artists, organizations and leaders to build the wellbeing of communities. Every day, more than 1,200 children are taken from their homes and put into the United States foster care system through no reason of their own. Without proper support, these youngsters are often homeless, leave high school, and not complete their college education. Danny Mendoza and his team at Together We Rise are working to change this. They are mobilizing funds and developing programs like Sweet Cases (duffle bags) as well as Build Bikes, birthday Boxes, Framing Forever (free photo cards for families adopting from foster homes) superhero Boxes (a kit packed with a cape, mask, handcuffs, pillowcase, registration card and the superhero bag) and reunification events. WE RISE is assisting efforts across the country to advance a democratic society which empowers everyone to take on leadership. To accomplish this it will require funding strategies tailored to areas and communities that aren't considered by other democracy funders. It is the Cycles of Movement Building are an outline to help experienced and new activists learn how to plan strategically for the demands of the moment. Go to the video

#Women Empoerment #Nari Shaktri #Woman Power

[theculturedmarxist]

The neo-conservatives want to blame Iran for the current war in Palestine/Gaza.

They have for years tried to instigate war against it. Now they again see a chance. But its not a big one - yet.

Yossi Melman is a very well connected Israeli author:

Yossi Melman @yossi_melman - 5:33 UTC · Oct 9, 2023 IDF spokeperson Brig-General Danny Hagari said that there is no indication of an Iranian involvement in the war in Gaza.

---

Biden administration scrambles to deter wider Mideast conflict - Washington Post - Oct 8 2023

Asked whether Hamas may have acted in partnership with Iran to disrupt the effort to broker a Saudi deal, Blinken said “that could have been part of the motivation. Look, who opposes normalization? Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran.” But, he said, “we have not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack.”

---

Fear not, say the neocons, we still have the Wall Street Journal to carry water for us:

Iran Helped Plot Attack on Israel Over Several Weeks (archived) - Wall Street Journal - Oct 8 2023

DUBAI—Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas’s Saturday surprise attack on Israel and gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut last Monday, according to senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militant group. Officers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had worked with Hamas since August to devise the air, land and sea incursions—the most significant breach of Israel’s borders since the 1973 Yom Kippur War—those people said. Details of the operation were refined during several meetings in Beirut attended by IRGC officers and representatives of four Iran-backed militant groups, including Hamas, which holds power in Gaza, and Hezbollah, a Shiite militant group and political faction in Lebanon, they said.

WSJ authors in Dubai(!) have access to "senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah"?

Both groups are notorious for their secrecy and their senior leadership is usually hidden away. Those facts alone are enough to debunk the report as nonsense. But the WSJ authors continue:

“We don’t have any information at this time to corroborate this account,” said a U.S. official of the meetings. A European official and an adviser to the Syrian government, however, gave the same account of Iran’s involvement in the lead-up to the attack as the senior Hamas and Hezbollah members. Asked about the meetings, Mahmoud Mirdawi, a senior Hamas official, said the group planned the attacks on its own. “This is a Palestinian and Hamas decision,” he said. A spokesman for Iran’s mission to the United Nations said the Islamic Republic stood in support of Gaza’s actions but didn’t direct them. “The decisions made by the Palestinian resistance are fiercely autonomous and unwaveringly aligned with the legitimate interests of the Palestinian people,” the spokesman said. “We are not involved in Palestine’s response, as it is taken solely by Palestine itself.”

Three direct rejections by official sources of the WSJ claims get countered with an anonymous 'European official' and a likewise anonymous 'adviser to the Syrian government'.

It is like the authors don't even try to sound believable:

A direct Iranian role would take Tehran’s long-running conflict with Israel out of the shadows, raising the risk of broader conflict in the Middle East. Senior Israeli security officials have pledged to strike at Iran’s leadership if Tehran is found responsible for killing Israelis. The IRGC’s broader plan is to create a multi-front threat that can strangle Israel from all sides—Hezbollah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the north and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank, according to the senior Hamas and Hezbollah members and an Iranian official. ... Israel has blamed Iran, saying it is behind the attacks, if indirectly. ​​ “We know that there were meetings in Syria and in Lebanon with other leaders of the terror armies that surround Israel so obviously it’s easy to understand that they tried to coordinate. The proxies of Iran in our region, they tried to be coordinated as much as possible with Iran,” Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said Sunday.

There is however little evidence for the Israeli assertion:

Leading the effort to wrangle Iran’s foreign proxies under a unified command has been Ismail Qaani, the leader of the IRGC’s international military arm, the Quds Force. Qaani launched coordination among several militias surrounding Israel in April during a meeting in Lebanon, The Wall Street Journal has reported, where Hamas began working more closely with other groups such as Hezbollah for the first time.

Hamas and Hezbollah have cooperated for decades. During the war on Syria some Hamas members took the side of the 'moderate rebels'. They taught them how to dig large tunnels, a technique they themselves had once learned from Hizbullah:

Abu Musaab, a leader in Ahrar al-Sham, told the pro-uprising satellite television station Orient News that the Syrian militant group received tutorial videos from Gazans showing them how to repair collapsing tunnels. "The ground here became damp and began to fall on us…and some of our youth were trapped inside. So we spoke to those with expertise, our brothers in Gaza, may God reward their good deeds," Abu Musaab was quoted as saying. "We consulted them regarding the problem and they advised us to bring in wood (plates), sending us video segment showing us how they do it and we replicated that," Abu Musaab added. ... And in June 2013, the pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper reported that "sources close to Hezbollah and the Syrian regime claim that Hamas had a role to play in the battles of Qusayr, [where tunnels] … had been dug using small Iranian devices that Hezbollah had transferred to Hamas." "Some of the explosives, they added, were found to contain electronic chips that Hamas had acquired from Iran and Hezbollah," the Lebanese paper said.

After the war in Syria was decided in the governments favor, Hamas slowly found its way back into the resistance camp. Consultations between Hezbullah and Hamas have been constant since. Back to the WSJ:

Representatives of these groups have met with Quds Force leaders at least biweekly in Lebanon since August to discuss this weekend’s attack on Israel and what happens next, they said. Qaani has attended some of those meetings along with Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, Islamic Jihad leader al-Nakhalah, and Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas’s military chief, the militant-group members said. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian attended at least two of the meetings, they said.

This, however, is clearly no believable. Amir-Abdollahian is a professional diplomat, not a security official. While he has been deeply involved in political issues regarding Palestine he is unlikely to have been involved in any top-secret operational planning.

Also biweekly meetings between Qaani, Nasrallah and other high ranking resistance leaders are unlikely to have ever happened. Each such meeting would be a security nightmare.

The planning for the recent Hamas operation must have taken years not just the few month since August. While the WSJ lets it seem that there is operational coordination between the various resistance groups their real cooperation is on a way more strategic level.

Each group in the resistance axis has its own plans and goals. That does not exclude strategic cooperation, but not on the detail level of fighting:

Egypt, which is trying to mediate in the conflict, has warned Israeli officials that a ground invasion into Gaza would trigger a military response from Hezbollah, opening up a second battlefront, people familiar with the matter said. Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire briefly on Sunday. ... The Iranian official said that if Iran were attacked, it would respond with missile strikes on Israel from Lebanon, Yemen and Iran, and send Iranian fighters into Israel from Syria to attack cities in the north and east of Israel.

While there is no denying that Iran, Hezbullah, Hamas and others consult with each other on a high level, any deeper cooperation, training or assistance is unlikely to still exist. It is each on their own, but with a common big goal in mind.

Update - 14:40 UTC

Of interest:

Andrew MacGregor Marshall @zenjournalist - 11:54 UTC · Oct 9, 2023 The main reporter on this story, @summer_said, has a history of dishonesty and inventing stories. I fired her from Reuters in 2008 for this reason. I’m surprised that the @WSJ has hired her and is publishing her stories that are clearly bogus.

Posted by b on October 9, 2023 at 11:20 UTC | Permalink

#iran #us imperialism #israel palestine conflict #moon of alabama #wall street journal #us propaganda

[the-crowbar-was-my-kryptonite]

Inktober Day 4: Dodge

TW: Bullying

If you would have told 8-year-old Jeannie that learning to dodge snowballs would lead to her future career, she would’ve laughed in their faces. Although, she probably would have believed that she was destined to work with Santa, so there was that. Jeannie had been the Queen of dodgeball by the time she was 10. Not this ever helped her fit in at school. The other kids always found something to tease her about. But it had all worked out in the end, she supposed.

Jeannie, now Betty Blade, walked around the ring, waving as the audience erupted in applause. Giving her best bow, she joined hands with her partner, Danny Dagger, before twirling away. Silence fell under the big top as Danny reached for his knives, showing them to the audience. She heard the ring of metal as Danny struck two knives together. 

That was the cue, it was showtime.

Betty Blade began to dance, a modest show of acrobatics and ballet. All around her knives whipped past. She felt the breeze as they passed her, and heard them sink into the wooden wall behind her. Then she heard the roar of the crowd. Good. The audience needed to be entertained.

Danny walked Betty back to the centre of the ring, showing her off one more time while two circus hands rolled in their final act - the spinning wheel of death. Jeannie hated Danny. He always grabbed her too tight with his sweaty hands. When they practiced he always complained when Jeannie showed up in sweats instead of full costume. But Jeannie put up with him because he was the best at what he did, and their circus demanded the best.

As Danny strapped Betty’s ankles and wrists to the contraption, Betty frowned. She put on a worried façade and asked the audience for their support. She wanted the audience to believe that she was the one being held captive, restrained and the ankles and wrists -- spun upside down with knives being hurled at her. But she, and a select few of the other circus performers, knew the truth. The audience was the one being held-up. Captivated by her act, the clowns, dressed in plain clothes, picked every single pocket under the tent.

Jeannie had joined the circus at 18, as soon as she finished high school. She had performed for over a year before Jefferson -- the strong man of the group -- had let her in on their little scheme. Danny had been brought on a year ago, for his ability to remotely steal credit card information. Since Danny joined their small team, they had stolen and transferred over $1,250,000 to an off-shores account in the Cayman Islands. Their goal was to hit $5,000,000 and disappear.

Jeannie heard a scream before she felt the first knife hit the wheel. She wasn’t worried, she knew that Danny wouldn’t hit her. As she spun ‘round, all she thought about was what she’d do with a million dollars. She’d have to disappear, she knew, but before then, she planned to make a final visit to her hometown. Just to see what the kids who used to tease her were doing now. Maybe she’d see how well they could dodge.

All art by @cool_beans_jw on insta. Writing by her weird sister.

#inktober #dodge #inktober day four #inktober day 4 #sketch #drawing #oc #oc art #spooky season #spooky szn #short story #halloween #drawing prompt #drawing practice #writing prompt #writing practice #heist #circus #performance #revenge #original art #clowns #knife throwing

[freakingoutthesquares]

Venini Reviews, Summer 1999

Venini played gigs throughout the summer of 1999, ending with a support slot for the ever brilliant Sparks (Shepherds Bush, London.) I have taken the liberty of heavily editing all the reviews available to me at this time, just so you get the gist of each one.

NME live review, 29 May 1999 Venini, London Soho Wag Club Piers Martin

Is this for real? Presumably it is. We have to ask because Venini, in the most peculiar sense, are unbelievable. Let us count the ways. The guitarist. It's Russell Senior, formerly of Pulp and currently under the impression he's Phil Spector. He's wearing sunglasses, a suit, a neat mod fringe and a permanent frown. At his feet, for some reason, lie eight effects pedals.

And the music? Dangerous, sexy and brimful of attitude, right? Well, no, not really. It's conservative neo-Britpop with glam affectations, actually, or, on debut single and opener 'Mon Camion', the whipsmart melodic suss of Blondie. Nothing new, in other words, which is a little disappointing not least because Senior's role in this particular group of misfits is effectively the same as it was in Pulp, only less enjoyable.

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Flipside review, 29 May 1999 Venini, Wag Club, London Robert Heller

Venini, the new musical venture from Pulp's Russell Senior, look cool. Seriously cool. Lead singer Debbie Lime (the name alone begs major stardom) is well on the way to perfecting the ultimate, studiedly lazy, disdainful pop sneer, peering out from under her banana-highlighted fringe with the attitude of a Debbie Harry-to-be. Her instrument-strumming companions share her vision of style, even if they can't quite decide which particular fashion to plump for.

There's black suits and skinny ties as well as leather jackets and expensively messied jet-black hair, all bound up by the most naturalistic punk pop posing since the Manic's first pillow trashing gigs. Best of all, the music fits; sparky, spiky, instantly memorable pop that swaggers between Elastica's punk wet dreams, The Pet Shop Boys and Giorgio Moroder. They will go far.

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Saturday 26 June 1999 New Bands Tent, Glastonbury Festival, Mark Sturdy

Venini's music is no less thrilling. Opening with the irresistible skewed glam stomp of Mon Camion, they take us through a set that recalls, at various points, Stereolab, Kenickie and T-Rex, but without ever losing sight of their own colourful, simultaneously sophisticated and brash identity.

Longtime Russell-watchers will be able to tell with their eyes closed who's playing guitar - that stiff, jerky trademark sound is still there, alternating between insistent, tinny, spidery one-string riffs and crunchy, wah-wah enhanced washes. Less expected was the sudden appearance of an acoustic guitar for several songs, but there it was - hell, there was even a ballad.

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NME 'On' Night, 28 July 1999 Venini, Camden Falcon Sarah Wilson Russell was still Russell. Irrepressible stare and mod suit. Looked a bit emaciated if you asked me. Also couldn't help noticing he had lines under his eyes. Never realized that his hands were small.

Debbie Lime is possibly the scariest woman in indie music. Dressed in a leather mini-skirt and matching jacket and plastered in make-up, she has the looks of a genetic half breed of Debbie Harry and Siouxsie Siou as she saunters onstage and wiggles her hips to the baying audience (where have we seen that before?).

Danny Hunt. Poor bloke is squeezed into the tiniest portion of the stage and clouded by smoke but played well. Nick Eastwood, the bassist, looks like Boy George and plays like a muthafucker. The drummer Robert Barton was good too.

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Music OHM, 28 July 1999 Venini @ Barfly, London Michael Hubbard

Senior’s fret talent has clearly only improved with time and he is still one of the best all-round guitarists on the indie circuit just now, his quasi-psychotic stare and mod suit being hangovers from his Pulp days. The rest of the band were as far removed as could be from the heady summer of ’95, Common People and all that.

Amongst the chattering classes in attendance on this fine evening in Camden was one Jarvis Cocker. What did he make of it? I found him chatting to Danny the synth player, telling him that he had no stage presence and (is this possible??) laughing in a Yorkshire accent. “It was odd being a spectator,” said Pulp’s front man, but he didn’t fancy being pinned down to specifics about Venini, despite my best efforts.

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Melody Maker live review, 14 August 1999 Venini, The Falcon, London Ben Clancy

There's no originality here, just piss-stale art-school rock that's lumpy and hideously ugly. Supporters might claim they're 'experimental', but that's a synonym for trying really hard to be different and just being shit. There are refugees from the Pulp fan club present, but the two who are dancing stop bopping about after the first song, having failed to convince themselves that Venini are any good.

This band has no charisma, no presence and no fucking songs. Look, I go to 150-200 gigs a year. Most are either quite good or quite bad. It takes a hell of a lot to be brilliant and something really outstanding to be as shit as Venini are tonight. If there is a worse gig this year, I don't want to see it.

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NME live review, 14 August 1999 Venini, The Falcon, London Stevie Chick

But the kids are here for Venini. And Venini ain't music for dancing to, they are music to wear second-hand polyester shirts to. Famously, they are Russell from Pulp's newest venture. And they misfire on almost every count. Vampish singer Debbie Lime sneers, "Dress me up in Gucci" (stop sniggering), before lurching stiffly into some clumsily-choreographed 'dirty dancing'. Like their stultified, grisly indie-rock, like their tragically inept lyrics, it's no doubt meant to be sophisticated, sexy. In reality, it's shabby, seedy and not a little sad. Maybe it'll sell in Camden.

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Music365, 28 August 1999 Carling Premier Stage, Reading Festival, Anthony Gibbons

So, Russell Senior dives overboard from the good ship Pulp and defects to new band Venini. He still sports the same air of disdain and still hides those piercing and peculiar 'I'm-still-having-trouble-with-these-contact-lenses' eyes behind blacker than black shades.

Venini are fronted by a shapely songstress with looks that kill but a voice that couldn't even bruise, a grey monotone that couldn't hope to reach out and grab you. The clothes are black and crumpled and the hair tousled from one too many late nights spent downtown in strip joints and backroom bars. Or at least, that's what they'd like us to believe.

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24 September 1999 Brighton Beach, The Cockpit, Leeds, Mark Sturdy

Encouraging signs pre-gig: milling around in the bar amongst the expected legion of Russell clones (you know the score: ten blokes in black demob suits, horizontal fringes and square sidies telling you you're the violinist) was no small number of Debbie clones: sculpted hair, vampishly black clothing, eyeliner, possibly even the occasional elbow-length glove. Could we have the beginnings of a cult here? I hope so.

What strikes me about Venini, though, is their professionalism - there's no between-song rambling, no five-minute pauses to tune up or argue with the sound mixer. They come on, bash the songs out one after another, get off, bish bosh. Venini are glamourous. They rock. They are glam rock. And I like that.

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Blow-Up, 2 October 1999 Soho Wag Club, London, Alex Shelley

Seemed like fewer than a dozen people came specifically for Venini and not the pre and post show retro deejay. And out of the Venini-attentive everyone was solely focused on Russell.

Venini played a tight, fun set. Nick Eastwood’s stumbling into the wall technique has not been so perfected since the likes of Sid Vicious. Very entertaining, really. Debbie Lime, lead singer, is just too cute for words.

Since all the songs were new to most, no one song stood out. A big event midway through the show was Russell shedding his trademark shades.

I believe Venini achieved their aim (my opinion of their aim, rather). They played stylish pop music and looked really cool while playing it. What Russell said about his last project Baby Birkin probably applies to Venini as well - "it’s not important music". But that’s alright by me.

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Music OHM, 28 August 1999 Venini @ Reading Festival, Reading by Michael Hubbard

When the tallest girlie indie singer in the UK finally emerged, it was to front a gig far superior to their Falcon exhibition of a month previous. It was a display of theatre as much as music, the band gelling and clearly enjoying the warm daytime atmosphere. There was, I shall admit, something of a silly thrill in photographing Debbie as she photographed the audience with her kitsch red camera during a song called Photograph, and I’ve no idea why, but with Venini it would be anally retentive to analyse why they are fun to see. When fun appears, why shoot it down in flames?

There were, at Reading, many more famous band names, many of which I managed to see, from Blur to Catatonia, from The Divine Comedy to The All Seeing I, and they were mostly well worth seeing, but Venini have something just that bit different about them – a wonderful mix of a funfair, the make-up department in Selfridges, a talent contest and… well, Roxy Music. Interesting, anyway.

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2 October 1999 Venini @ Wag Club, London by Michael Hubbard One minute we’re all Northern Soul and the next we’re looking at a bloke with sunglasses and a guitar, facing one hundred and eighty degrees away from another bloke, this time with a bass and sans eyewear. Very haute, or something. Then comes the entrance that threatens to become a trade mark… on saunters Debbie Lime, complete with eyeliner and face paint from a silent movie, ready to corrupt the kids once again, and we’re away in St Tropez, and did you know that there were lots of discos in the South of France?

Shock! Horror! Off comes the guitarist’s eyewear to reveal what at least six people in the room knew to be true – underneath was indeed the trade mark psycho-stare of Russell Senior!

Without encore off they went, Russell to put his real eyes back in, Debbie to take her mask off and Nick to be mistaken for Boy George once again. They’ll be back, they get better every time and, as if that weren’t enough, there are very few bands currently touring who can lay claim to a better guitarist than Mr Senior or a better bassist than Mr Eastwood, and there is NO other band quite so visually arresting as Venini.

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27 November 1999 Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, Mark Sturdy

Sensational. I know I always say nice things about Venini in these reviews (that's my job), but there aren't very many other ways of describing the way they were tonight. Opening for deliciously warped ex-glam perrenials Sparks (surely one of the more inspired double bills of our time), the band well and truly delivered on the promise they've been showing over the past few months.

The inscrutible Charlie Collins was back, squeezing those ever-welcome peculiar noises out of his clarinet and sax (especially notable was an amazing introduction to Exotic Night that recalls nothing more than Roxy Music circa Ladytron), and Ash was much more to the fore, applying liberal amounts of synth to everything. Russell, meanwhile, continues to refine his razor-sharp guitar action towards the pure, ultra-saucy da-dang-da-dang understanding of The Troggs' Wild Thing (but with more effects, obv). Scoff if you like, but I honestly believe that there is no better musical unit in Britain today than Venini.

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Sources

OMH: venini-wag-club-london

OMH: venini-the-reading-festival

OMH: venini-the-bar-fly

Everything else via Mark Sturdy

#russell senior #venini #gig review #90s