#Willie to emphasize his statement

[sergeifyodorov]

plz share the willy xenophobia discussion at your leisure i would love to read about it

Right. So.

Willy was drafted in 2014, a top-ten pick with legacy pedigree, and unlike the other two in Toronto's Big Three, took a little longer to develop -- Marner spent his D+1 in the OHL before coming up, Matthews made the team right away, but Willy spent time in the SHL and about a year and a half in the Marlies before joining at the end of the 15-16 season, after Marner was drafted but before Matthews was. Needless to say, expectations of him weren't quite as high, but he was firmly expected to be part of the Big Rebuild, too.

He's also Swedish. The first Europeans in the NHL were Swedish, and to this day the highest proportion of non-North Americans is Swedish. However, in order to understand the Swedes, we have to talk about the Russians.

The 1972 Summit Series is probably the most important single event in the history of hockey -- eight games, the first true best-on-best in the world, since the NHL and the Olympics have always had a fraught relationship and they weren't allowed to attend. If we really wanted to talk about the Summit Series, we could be here for years, but, the point: on this particular world stage, it was finally understood that Europeans -- Russians, but everyone else, too -- played a different style of hockey, one that emphasized a side-to-side possession-based game instead of the Canadian dump-and-chase style. The Euro style involves far less checking. And less fighting.

North American (largely Canadian, but nonetheless) hockey has always had a culture of hypermasculinity around it, and this relative lack of violence, as well as pre-existing stereotypes of the time, gave the impression that Europeans were "soft."

Back to Willy. Go back to look at draft-era Willy, before he learns how to grow facial hair -- not Mitch's baby face, but not Auston's full-grown jawline. A layer of puppy fat that disguises all but the most defined of his muscles. Silky blond hair and a dopey smile. He dresses expensively, breaks into fits of giggles in interviews, doesn't seem to take anything as seriously as he should. Because this is Toronto, and we feel as if we are about to enter a new golden age, we expect the most out of our prospects -- solemnity, hard work, not a flaxen-haired nepotist idiot. Especially not a soft flaxen-haired nepotist idiot.

Willy Nylander, raised and trained on a different continent, doesn't hit much, preferring to carry his puck in than dump it. He's speedy, patient with a shot, would rather make a dangerous chance than one through three lanes of traffic. He doesn't fight, doesn't get mad, scores less when the team's really going, and he held out to the last possible moment in his RFA negotiations. Every single one of these drives people mad -- people here trailing all after Don Cherry.

If you're not familiar with Don Cherry, imagine the worst Leafs uncle you could possibly realize, give him opinions of similar attitude on the rest of the NHL, and then understand that he had a national platform for decades. Cherry, fervent nationalist that he is, touted the "tough" Canadian forechecking style, adored players who would walk off injuries -- never mind their lives afterwards -- and once expressed his disdain for visors (you know, the thing that... protects your eyes... and a lot of your face...) by saying that only the Europeans and Francophones liked them. (He also got kicked off of Hockey Night in Canada for anti-immigrant statements. Yee haw.)

Cherry hated Nylander the entire time, explicitly citing his Swedishness (and implying a lack of toughness, or winning quality, which he equated) as a reason that the Leafs would never win with him. Here's an article from right around draft day with Cherry's opinion -- he says the Leafs, should they choose to contend, should forgo Europeans and instead take Canadians. He also cites Ritchie's high penalty-minute count as a valuable item. (I don't know about you, but generally I think regularly putting your team on the penalty kill is a detriment, not a strength).

Furthermore, there's a poll at the end of this article asking the reader if they think Cherry was right. Most people think he was. He was hugely popular not only because he was a charismatic figure (I keep talking about him as if he's dead; he's not, just no longer working) but because his ideas were popular. People believed, and still very much do, that Swedishness is softness and that softness is bad. And as -- as a Leaf -- arguably one of the most visible Swedes in the NHL, one of those tasked with shouldering the weight of the most known franchise, Willy bore a lot of it.

I think part of the reason I didn't mention it in the original post was because unlike Mitch, Willy doesn't seem to let it get to him a lot -- he's a blissfully oblivious Barbie-doll idiot -- and, again, because expectations on him weren't quite as high. That being said, it's still important to discuss imho !

#asks #william nylander #btw this isn't 10 million words long don't worry. just a leedle too long to post without the cut #also: willy is still very much white. like he's not north american but he is white which certainly affords him privilege #for ex over a guy like naz who despite being one of those canadian ohl guys don cherry liked so much is visibly Not White.

[qsphyxias]

less adorable than halloween??

if you fetishize mlm/nblm relationships, get the fuck out of here!

synopsis ; peter parker has a halloween debate with u

warnings ; weiner, kissing, m! reader, high heights, unedited, i didn't like the pacing so - bad pacing, funny insults, usage of word sexy but no sexy stuff

note ; tbh ive been missing peter parker, but there's no male reader and i mald. mald every day, guys pls request a little stuff

words ; 0.9k+

⊱ ────── {⋅.ᴘʟᴀᴛᴏɴɪᴄ ᴄᴜᴅᴅʟɪɴɢ - ʙʀᴇᴀᴋᴜᴘ ꜱʜᴏᴇꜱ.⋅} ────── ⊰

"Honestly, Halloween is overrated." You whipped your head around to look at Peter from your position laying down, an expression so offended on your face, that you could feel frown lines creasing atop your features. Rolling over, you tackled him on top of the roof you two were previously resting on, before Peter mentioned that thought of his that never should have seen the light of day.

How dare he?! Halloween is not only a great holiday to show your generosity, but also the best excuse to dress as over-the-top you want!

"How dare you?! Halloween is not only an amazing holiday to give back, but also, the best excuse to dress as extravagantly as you want!" You only repeated what you thought, because of how concrete your statement was.

Your neck, now sore from the immediate swivel, turned red—either from pure offence, or from the pain, it did not matter! What blasphemy!

"Hey, I just think that Halloween is way too hyped up for a holiday where people wear masks and rob people of candy!" He held up his hands in defence, before resting them back on each side of his body. "Do you have any idea how high the crime rate goes as Spider-man?!"

"Don't pull the Spider-man card on me—and also! That's not Halloween's fault, that's just the dumb wieners out there who want insurance money." You sputtered, gesticulating willy-nilly.

Peter couldn't help but giggle, despite how serious you were being. "Wieners?" Of course, he wouldn't tell you this. But he really couldn't take you seriously. His little boyfriend saying wiener in a derogatory sense, had to have been the highlight of his day.

"Yes! And also, the kids are adorable! Have you seen how small their costumes are?" You spoke softly, as if trying to sway him.

Peter frowned, very close to being persuaded that Halloween is, indeed, a supreme holiday. The superhero absentmindedly started playing with the strands of hair shielding your forehead. "But... Okay, but-" He stuttered, racking his brain for arguments.

Whilst he attempted to think of something, you reigned in your temporary victory, shaking his shoulders in glory. "Yes! Fina-"

"Wait, I got it!" He threw his hands up in a fit of realization, a high-pitched scoff erupting from his throat, a scoff so high, that it was higher than the building his friends almost fell off of. "You couldn't have possiblt thought it was over, right?" He scooted up the roof, bringing you up with him, the spandex material of his suit nearly making you slip off his thigh, to your death.

His face suddenly went scientific. You really couldn't describe it, he just made that face he does when he's about to school you with information, most of the time about science, rarely anything else. To emphasize his point, he swung his hands in front of him in a board-like manner, like he was miming a cardboard box, and you were trapped in it.

"Horror movies." Peter looked at you expectantly, as if he was expecting you to burst into flames on how right he is.

"What about them?" You merely crossed your arms, and pointed your chin up, an act of defiance against your boyfriend.

Peter's eyes darted all over the place, from one fire escape to the next, like he was trying to find Freddy Krueger hiding inside a drain pipe. He hated horror movies.

"Come on, s/o, you've got to give me this one! It can't possibly be a coincidence that all those terrifying horror movies are all on Halloween. And, and-" You interrupted clasping his face suddenly, with hands that sent chills to Peter's spine from the October breeze.

"Peter. Look at me." His eyes, stiff, freeze onto you.

You kissed Peter's lips, shocking him momentarily. "You're adorable. The light of my life. The spaghetti to my meatball. But you're a pussy." His eyes, once wide and in love, narrowed into slits. Peter, in a small act of rebelliousness, stood up and brought you up with him, causing you to fall backwards on purpose. With your voice caught in your throat, and your heart pumping a thousand miles a minute, you thought you died and fell off the rooftop. Over a Halloween debate.

Which, in your defence, was totally worth it.

Sadly, you wouldn't be able to go out in glory, Peter isn't that vengeful. He's no Robert Pattinson.

He caught you by the hand as soon as you were one inch away from his playful shove, arms wrapped around your waist, with a smile resting softly on his features. You couldn't read exactly what he was thinking, but you could tell whatever it was, it had to have been special to him.

You sent him a look, head hanging at an angle. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Peter shrugged queerly, "I dunno. I liked the thing you said about how I'm adorable… and handsome… and totally sexy…" You grinned, "Hey, I only said one of those."

He rolled his eyes in such a way that he really might've just twirled his hair, and it would've looked the same. "Well, they're all true, aren't they?" He looked at you, expectant, his hands resting on your back comfortably.

"Well, aside from the fact you're totally trying to distract me from winning this Halloween argument, yes, your self-proclaimed compliments are all true." You traced your fingers on the mechanical spider on his chest, chuckling exasperatedly.

Peter was infatuated by his boyfriend, he looked like he was gone. "And?"

You leaned in, pulling him in by his shoulders, eyes switching over Peter's lips and his eyes.

"And.... They're all true about Halloween too!"

"Damn it, s/o!"

⊱───── ❝ thank you for reading! ❞ ─────⊰

#[ ☁︎.peter parker ] #spider man x you #peter parker x male reader #peter parker #peter parker x y/n #tom holland peter parker #peter parker x reader #marvel mcu #fanfiction #spider man #spiderman x male reader #mcu spiderman #no way home #spider man no way home #spider man: no way home #spider man fanfiction #spiderman #spiderman x reader #spiderman x you #male reader blog #male reader fluff #peter parker x you #spiderman x y/n #spider man x y/n #spider man x reader #marvel #mcu x reader #marvel cinematic universe #avengers #mcu

[urbtnews]

Bruce Willis and Aphasia - Understanding the Impact Veteran actor Bruce Willis, known for his iconic roles in blockbuster films spanning several decades, recently made headlines not for his cinematic achievements, but for a more personal revelation. In March 2022, it was announced that Willis had been diagnosed with aphasia, a neurological condition that affects speech and language abilities. This diagnosis has shed light on the condition and sparked conversations about its effects and implications.  Download the URBT News App from your App store. Apple / Andriod Aphasia is a condition that impairs a person's ability to communicate effectively. It can manifest in various forms, affecting speech, comprehension, reading, and writing skills to varying degrees. It often occurs as a result of damage to the language centers of the brain, typically caused by stroke, traumatic brain injury, or degenerative neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's. For Willis, the diagnosis of aphasia marked a significant turning point in his life and career. The actor, known for his roles in beloved films such as "Die Hard," "Pulp Fiction," and "The Sixth Sense," made the decision to step away from acting as he grappled with the challenges posed by the condition. His family issued a statement expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support and emphasizing the importance of understanding and raising awareness about aphasia. Aphasia can have profound effects on individuals and their loved ones. Communication difficulties can lead to frustration, isolation, and a sense of loss for both the affected individual and those around them. However, with appropriate therapy and support, many people with aphasia can learn to navigate their condition and regain some level of functional communication. Understanding the Effect of Aphasia The news of Willis' diagnosis has sparked a broader conversation about aphasia and the need for increased awareness and resources for those affected by the condition. While Willis' celebrity status has brought attention to the issue, aphasia affects millions of people worldwide, regardless of their fame or occupation. One of the challenges in addressing aphasia is the lack of understanding and awareness in the general public. Many people may not recognize the signs of aphasia or understand how to effectively communicate with someone who has the condition. Education and advocacy efforts are essential in dispelling misconceptions and promoting empathy and support for individuals living with aphasia. Bruce Willis and Aphasia - Grasping the Consequences Additionally, access to speech therapy and rehabilitation services is crucial in helping individuals with aphasia regain and maintain their communication skills. These services can include speech therapy, cognitive-linguistic therapy, and alternative communication strategies tailored to the individual's needs and goals. As we reflect on Bruce Willis' journey with aphasia, it serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy, understanding, and support for those facing similar challenges. By raising awareness, advocating for resources, and fostering a more inclusive society, we can better support individuals living with aphasia and empower them to lead fulfilling lives despite the obstacles they may face. Read the full article

[teachersupdates]

Principals Wants Grade Nine Transfer to Secondary Schools

Principals Wants Grade Nine Transfer to Secondary Schools Kenyan secondary school principals, represented by the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha), have called upon the government to permit the initial batch of Grade Nine students to transfer to secondary schools rather than remaining in junior schools, which often lack adequate infrastructure. The upcoming year marks a significant transition as the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) will integrate the first Grade Nine class alongside junior secondary students (Grade Seven and Eight) within primary school premises. ALSO READ: NEMIS Portal: Login, Registration, UPI Number, and Requirements, Contacts Expressing concern over the lack of readiness, Kessha emphasizes that the current primary schools designated for hosting these learners are ill-equipped, facing shortages in teachers, classrooms, and other essential facilities. According to Willy Kuria, the national chairman of Kessha and chief principal of Muranga High School, "We feel that there is little learning in junior secondary. The introduction of Grade Nine into secondary school should be explored." Mr. Kuria's appointment as the national chairman of Kessha was officially confirmed during a ceremony held at the Kenya Institute of Special Needs in Nairobi, following the retirement of Mr. Kahi Indimuli. His appointment, devoid of any opposition, signifies a unified vision among Kessha members to elevate the association's stature. During the confirmation event, Kessha members emphasized the need to address overcrowding in the nation's over 23,000 public schools. Additionally, they stressed the importance of upholding the integrity of national examinations, condemning instances of cheating and urging the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) not to tie promotions solely to exam performance. ALSO READ: 31,779 Teachers Transferred - TSC Report The association also called upon the Ministry of Education to promptly release the outstanding capitation grants, expressing concern over the financial strain faced by schools due to delays in disbursement. Regarding the eCitizen fee payment mode for national schools, Kessha criticized its implementation, asserting that it was introduced without adequate consultation with stakeholders. They advocate for its suspension, citing potential financial losses and operational disruptions in schools. Mr. Kuria commended the TSC for its efforts in safeguarding teachers against public criticism concerning KCSE results. Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, in a previous statement, affirmed that Grade Nine students would be accommodated in existing primary schools as part of the gradual transition away from the 8-4-4 system towards the 2-6-3-3-3 system, commonly known as CBC. The implementation of the CBC, which commenced in 2017, marks a significant restructuring in Kenya's education system, with the inaugural Grade Eight cohort entering junior secondary in January 2024, followed by Grade Nine in 2025. ALSO READ: Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University to Refund Staff Housing Levy Deductions Following Court Ruling Principals Wants Grade Nine Transfer to Secondary Schools Read the full article

#Grade9 #Principals #SecondarySchool #teachersupdates

[arpov-blog-blog]

....."Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee determined Tuesday that the bond agreement for Harrison Floyd, a former leader of Black Voices for Trump, must be updated to reflect the “nuances of social media.” However, McAfee said he believed that Floyd did make a “technical violation” of his bond.

“I think the ultimate result of today’s hearing is that it’s very clear to me that this bond needs to be modified,” McAfee said

Floyd was the first defendant threatened with pretrial detention over social media posts that prosecutors say demonstrate attempts at intimidating future witnesses and communicating “directly and indirectly” with co-defendants in the case.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) herself argued the state’s case to put Floyd in jail before trial, the first time she has done so in any hearing since handing up charges against Trump and 18 others. 

Her appearance on Tuesday underscored what already appeared to be a particularly contentious relationship between Willis and Floyd. 

In August, Floyd was the only defendant to surrender without negotiating a bond agreement in advance. He was detained for multiple days and blamed it on Willis. 

In recent days, prosecutors seemed to insinuate that Floyd’s team leaked proffer videos of co-defendants who pleaded guilty being interviewed by prosecutors. Another defendant’s lawyer later admitted to leaking the videos. 

Willis’s attempt to revoke Floyd’s bond was filed hours later, alleging his social media posts violated his conditions of release.

“What we’re really here to decide today is does this order mean something or not,” Willis said, asserting that Floyd “spit on the court” by posting about witnesses and co-defendants online.

Floyd’s attorneys claimed that state prosecutors were seeking to silence Floyd’s lawful political speech.  The Trump co-defendant was present at Tuesday’s hearing, donning a kelly green suit jacket.

“None of these posts amounted to a threat or intimidation,” said Chris Kachouroff, one of Floyd’s attorneys.

His lawyers also argued that tagging people involved in the case on social media was Floyd’s way of “referring” to them, not “communicating” with them. Willis emphasized the clause in Floyd’s pretrial release agreement prohibiting him from “indirectly” communicating with co-defendants or future witnesses, suggesting that tagging witnesses on social media qualifies as such behavior.

Known state witnesses like Fulton County poll worker Ruby Freeman, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Gabe Sterling, chief operating officer of the secretary of state’s office, were mentioned numerous times on Floyd’s account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Look, the truth is that @GaSecofState & @GabrielSterling are the pieces of [shit] you should be mad at,” Floyd tweeted Nov. 7, using a poop emoji to replace the expletive. 

Sterling briefly testified Tuesday afternoon as a state witness, where Willis asked him whether he enjoys being called “a piece of fecal matter.”

“No, ma’am,” Sterling replied. 

Willis also presented a text message from Jenna Ellis — a co-defendant in the case who recently pleaded guilty to lesser charges as part of a plea agreement with the state — where Ellis said Floyd’s posts about her were meant to “both intimidate and harass me and also encourage others to harass me.”

Michael Hill, an investigator in her office who has worked on the case, and Von Dubose, an attorney representing Freeman, also testified during the hearing.

Floyd’s charges stem from his alleged efforts to convince Freeman to make false statements about 2020 election operations, under the guise of offering her help. He has pleaded not guilty. 

In Willis’ motion to revoke Floyd’s bond, she said the Trump co-defendant’s “intimidating communications” have caused Freeman to be subject to “renewed threats of violence” from third parties. 

Dubose testified that Freeman and her daughter — Shaye Moss, another Fulton County poll worker — employ a third party vendor to monitor potential threats against them online. A spike in online activity followed Floyd’s posts about Freeman, causing her counsel to take “precautions” to protect her because spikes are usually followed by threats, Dubose said.

“There are real consequences for allowing defendants to intimidate witnesses,” Willis told the judge. 

Floyd, who was generally posting on X multiple times per day, continued to do so immediately after prosecutors filed their motion to revoke Floyd’s bond last Wednesday, but he has not posted since Friday."

[masterofd1saster]

CJ current events 14sep23

DoJ ignoring Berger -

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The felony convictions of four former Navy officers in one of the worst bribery cases in the maritime branch’s history were vacated Wednesday following allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, the latest setback to the government’s yearslong efforts in going after dozens of military officials tied to a defense contractor nicknamed Fat Leonard. U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino called the misconduct “outrageous” and agreed to allow the four men to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and pay a $100 fine each. Last year after the trial, Sammartino had ruled the lead federal prosecutor committed “flagrant misconduct” by withholding information from defense lawyers but said at the time that it was not enough to dismiss the case.*** Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Ko, who was brought on after the trial last year, admitted to “serious issues” and asked the judge to vacate the officers’ felony convictions. He said his office does not agree with all of the allegations but said errors were made. “There were pretty obviously serious issues that affect our ability to go forward” defending the convictions or seeking a new trial, Ko told the judge, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Andrew Haden, acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern California District, reiterated that in a statement after the hearing. “As stated in court, we do not agree with all the allegations or characterizations in the motions or in court,” Haden said. “We recognize and regret, however, that errors were made, and we have an obligation to ensure fairness and justice. The resolutions of these defendants’ cases reflect that.”*** The officers — former Capts. David Newland, James Dolan and David Lausman and former Cmdr. Mario Herrera — were previously convicted by a federal jury on various counts of accepting bribes from foreign defense contractor Leonard Francis, and his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, or GDMA.*** https://www.pilotonline.com/2023/09/06/felony-convictions-vacated-for-4-former-navy-officers-in-sprawling-fat-leonard-bribery-scandal/

Berger v. United States, 295 U.S. 78, 88 (1935) says

The United States Attorney is the representative not of an ordinary party to a controversy, but of a sovereignty whose obligation to govern impartially is as compelling as its obligation to govern at all; and whose interest, therefore, in a criminal prosecution is not that it shall win a case, but that justice shall be done. As such, he is in a peculiar and very definite sense the servant of the law, the twofold aim of which is that guilt shall not escape or innocence suffer. He may prosecute with earnestness and vigor—indeed, he should do so. But, while he may strike hard blows, he is not at liberty to strike foul ones. It is as much his duty to refrain from improper methods calculated to produce a wrongful conviction as it is to use every legitimate means to bring about a just one.

***

Video of police officer Mark Dial shooting Eddie Irizarry in Philly on 14aug23

DA released body cam video on 8sep. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/philadelphia-da-releases-police-body-camera-footage-of-fatal-shooting-of-eddie-irizarry/ar-AA1gr1mF. Officer Dial has been charged with murder, and he has surrendered to police.

A resident's surveillance captured the shooting, and the resident posted it a couple weeks ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0xjpvDWlmM

Rest in peace, Eddie.

***

Georgia v. Trump

Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro had their trials severed from the other defendants. That means they'll have a separate trial.

[Judge] McAfee did not appear convinced by prosecutors on District Attorney Fani Willis's team that they could hold a joint trial for all 19 defendants in October. “It just seems a bit unrealistic that we can handle all 19 [defendants] in 40-something days,” McAfee said, though Lieb emphasized that the judge has still not made a final decision over a joint trial.***

That 40 day estimate does not include time required for jury selection. Good luck w/ that.

***

Nothing to celebrate

For woke pols, violent crime’s only a problem when it affects them personally: Meet Shivanthi Sathanandan. A bigwig in Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, she vowed in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. “Say it with me. DISMANTLE The Minneapolis Police Department,” she urged: It has “systematically failed the Black Community,” so it’s “time to build a new infrastructure that works for ALL communities.”  But now she’s gotten carjacked in front of her house and left with serious injuries, so she’s singing a new tune.  “These men knew what they were doing. I have NO DOUBT they have done this before. Yet they are still on OUR STREETS. Killing mothers. Giving babies psychological trauma that a lifetime of therapy cannot ease. With no hesitation and no remorse,” she thundered on Facebook.  And: “REMEMBER ME when you are thinking about supporting letting juveniles and young people out of custody to roam our streets instead of HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.”***

***

democracy at work

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio proposed a bill banning federal COVID-19 mask mandates. In order to move it forward, he needed the senators who were present on Thurs to not vote against it. Well, he lost.

The motion was blocked by Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who claimed the legislation would “hamstring public health experts who guided our nation out of the pandemic.” Markey has a history of supporting mask mandates: In December 2020, he called states without mask mandates “dangerous” and promoted his Encouraging Masks For All Act, legislation asking states to implement mask mandates when social distancing is not possible. “All of us have gone through the experiment of mandatory masking,” Vance said Thursday, before Markey blocked the motion. “Today, I want to make sure we do not subject the people to the tyranny for the sake of nothing.”*** https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/09/07/democrats-oppose-jd-vance-bill-banning-mask-mandates/

The point is that at least someone voted somehow on an important issue. It wasn't just some unelected bureaucrat imposing his will on Americans.

+++

in other covid related news

A New York judge said Wednesday that 10 employees fired by the New York City Department of Education for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine must be reinstated with back pay. In a major victory for vaccine mandate opponents, State Supreme Court Judge Ralph J. Porzio held that the city's denials of religious accommodation to certain employees were unlawful, arbitrary and capricious. The case, DiCapua v. City of New York, concerned school principals, teachers and other educators who sued after city officials rejected their claims for a religious exemption to the vaccine mandate.  "This Court sees no rational basis for not allowing unvaccinated classroom teachers in amongst an admitted population of primarily unvaccinated students," Porzio wrote in a 22-page opinion. "As such, the decision to summarily deny the classroom teachers amongst the Panel Petitioners based on an undue hardship, without any further evidence of individualized analysis, is arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable. As such, each classroom teacher amongst the Panel Petitioners is entitled to a religious exemption from the Vaccine Mandate." *** https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nyc-teachers-win-jobs-back-backpay-refusing-covid-19-vaccine

***

good sentence

Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after being convicted of rape. His wife, actor and model Bijou Phillips, was in the courtroom as her husband's sentence was handed down. Court sketches show Masterson blew a kiss to Phillips before being led away. The actor was found guilty on two counts of forcible rape in May. A jury was hung on a third charge during the trial after the seven men and five women deliberated for eight days. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo sentenced Masterson to 15 years to life on each count, and ordered the sentences to be served consecutively. The sentence was the maximum allowed by law. It means Masterson will be eligible for parole after serving 25 1/2 years, but can be held in prison for life.*** Alison Anderson, partner at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, and attorney for Jane Does 2 and 3, said in a statement to Fox News Digital, "Niesha and Chrissie have displayed tremendous strength and bravery, by coming forward to law enforcement and participating directly in two grueling criminal trials. "Despite persistent harassment, obstruction and intimidation, these courageous women helped hold a ruthless sexual predator accountable today, and they are not stopping there. They are eager to soon tell the fuller story of how Scientology and its enablers tried desperately to keep them from coming forward."*** "You are pathetic, disturbed and completely violent," she said. "The world is better off with you in prison." The other woman Masterson was found guilty of raping said he "has not shown an ounce of remorse for the pain he caused." She told the judge, "I knew he belonged behind bars for the safety of all the women he came into contact with. I am so sorry, and I’m so upset. I wish I’d reported him sooner to the police."*** Prosecutors told jurors that Masterson drugged the women’s drinks so he could rape them. They said he used his prominence in the church — where all three women were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for decades. The accusers alleged they were hesitant to file charges due to the church's strict protocols against public involvement with member issues. *** https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/danny-masterson-sentenced-30-years-prison

***

Something more to it? Sounds unfair to deputy...

A Denver sheriff’s deputy will be suspended for at least 10 days for punching an inmate in the face during an altercation at the Downtown Detention Center in November 2022. Deputy Diego Villalpando-Hernandez is receiving a lesser penalty for using inappropriate force because he expressed remorse and learned from the experience, according to a decision letter issued by the Denver Department of Public Safety in August. Villalpando-Hernandez was attempting to lock down an inmate, referred to in the decision letter as JS, on Nov. 9, 2022, when the inmate began acting aggressively toward him and adopting a “fighting stance,” according to witness statements. Villalpando-Hernandez then also took a fighting stance and hit JS once in the face before they went to the ground and the inmate was detained by Villalpando-Hernandez and other deputies.*** https://www.denverpost.com/2023/09/08/denver-deputy-diego-villalpando-hernandez-punch-inmate/

***

Unintended consequences? What's that?

SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday issued an emergency order suspending the right to carry firearms in public across Albuquerque and the surrounding county for at least 30 days in response to a spate of gun violence. The Democratic governor said she expects legal challenges but was compelled to act because of recent shootings, including the death of an 11-year-old boy outside a minor league baseball stadium this week. Lujan Grisham said state police would be responsible for enforcing what amount to civil violations. Albuquerque police Chief Harold Medina said he won’t enforce it, and Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said he’s uneasy about it because it raises too many questions about constitutional rights.*** https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2023/09/08/albuquerque-guns-governor-concealed-carry

***

keep Seattle spun?

SEATTLE - The University of Washington ran a study to see if drug smoke from fentanyl and methamphetamine is affecting transit operators and passengers. "We consistently put [detectors] by the operator on their seat and that's to be representative of their exposures," said Marissa Baker, a UW assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences who co-led the assessment.  Researchers additionally hid the battery-powered monitoring devices behind signs and panels. Same with trains. The study analyzed 28 evenings between March and June of this year. Researchers collected samples from 11 buses and 19 train cars.*** Out of the 78 air samples, researchers found fentanyl in a quarter of them. 100% of those air samples had methamphetamine. Out of the 102 surface samples, almost half had detectable fentanyl. 98% of those air samples had methamphetamine.*** This year alone, almost 500 people have died this year from methamphetamine overdose in King County. More than 700 people have died from a fentanyl overdose. That's more than this point last year.*** https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/uw-study-finds-meth-fentanyl-in-air-and-on-surfaces-of-public-transit

***

Just close it

Nike is reportedly permanently closing its store in northeast Portland , Oregon , citing safety and security issues for vacating the retail space.*** The Nike community store on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the city is the latest business to leave as crime and homelessness wash over the city. A report from last month showed that Portland lost $1 billion between 2020 and 2021 as residents left the city amid crime and rampant homelessness.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/fairness-justice/nike-store-portland-shuts-doors-crime-safety-concerns

***

Oh, you want to hurt my mother?

PHOENIX (KPHO/Gray News) - Police in Arizona say a teenage boy shot a man who was allegedly trying to break into his house. Officers responded to a Phoenix neighborhood around 10 p.m. Friday, where they found 35-year-old Juan Saavedra, who had been shot. He was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, KPHO reports. Detectives investigating the shooting learned Saavedra allegedly tried to break into a home in the area. He doesn’t live there or have any other connection to the home. A mother and her teenage son, who live in the home, confronted Saavedra as he was allegedly breaking a window and hitting the door. The teen reportedly shot the suspect.*** https://www.wsaz.com/2023/09/10/teen-shoots-man-allegedly-breaking-into-his-home-police-say/

***

Danelo Cavalcante escape & manhunt timeline

I've heard he now has a rifle.

***

Not all enemies of free speech are American

***efforts to censor and control speech about authoritarian governments in the United States continue unabated, online and off. The Chinese government has been especially prolific in this effort. In recent months, U.S. federal agencies have charged dozens of people with crimes related to their work spying on and harassing dissidents on behalf of the People’s Republic of China. The alleged acts included the creation of floods of fake social media accounts intended to threaten Chinese government critics and surveillance operations conducted out of a secret “police station” working in New York City.*** Some student activists’ messages in support of China’s protesters were defaced and even set on fire , and isolated acts of violence were committed against demonstrators. Weeks before the protests took off, Xiaolei Wu, a student at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, intimidated a fellow student for posting pro-democracy flyers on campus, threatening to “chop [her] bastard hands off” and report her to China’s state security agency. Wu has since been charged with stalking. Though they spiked last year, acts of censorship and threats of violence on U.S. campuses have long predated the most recent round of widespread protests in China. At Cornell University, a student from Hong Kong was assaulted last summer after posting flyers, which were frequently torn down, supporting victims of human rights abuses in China. Peers of a Purdue University student who spoke openly about the Tiananmen Square massacre threatened to report him to authorities back home in China. Ministry of State Security officials visited the student’s parents, who warned him to stay silent. At campuses including the University of Chicago , Johns Hopkins University , and Brandeis University , students have attempted to cancel or disrupt events featuring critics of the Chinese government. At times, administrators have even pitched in to aid the censors, such as when George Washington University’s president temporarily threatened to unmask student critics of the CCP ahead of the Beijing Olympics, and a Harvard Law vice dean interfered with an event about human rights in China to protect the university’s relationship with the country.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/faith-freedom-self-reliance/how-china-is-suppressing-free-speech-on-us-college-campuses

***

after tues

Remember RetractionWatch.com?

Florida State University criminology professor Eric *** Stewart was a widely-cited scholar, with north of 8,500 citations by other researchers, according to Google Scholar — a measure of his clout as an academic. He was vice president and fellow at the American Society of Criminology, who honored him as one of four highly distinguished criminologists in 2017. He was also a W.E.B. DuBois fellow at the National Institute of Justice. The professor received north of $3.5 million in grant support from major organizations and taxpayer-funded entities, according to his resume. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, the National Science Foundation, which is an arm of the federal government, and the National Institute of Justice, which is run by the Department of Justice, have all funneled money into research Stewart presided over. The National Institute of Mental Health, a branch of the NIH, poured $3.2 million into research on how African Americans transition into adulthood. Stewart presided over that initiative as co-principal investigator from 2007 to 2012. Meanwhile, he reportedly raked in a $190,000 annual salary at FSU, a public university.*** He even passed judgment on students accused of cheating and academic dishonesty themselves, as a member of FSU’s Academic Honor Policy Hearing Committee.***

Either faked his data or gathered/reported it so negligently that it was unreliable. Studies retracted.

***

DoJ wants a round in the chamber in case the state verdict disappoints

Five police officers already charged in the murder of Tyre Nichols, a young African American who died after being beaten, now face federal indictment, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. Videos showed the officers, who are all Black, repeatedly kicking and punching Nichols during a traffic stop close to his home in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 7, three days before he died in hospital. “The country watched in horror as Tyre Nichols was kicked, punched, tased and pepper sprayed,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a brief video statement posted online.*** https://www.breitbart.com/news/federal-charges-for-five-police-over-beating-death-of-african-american/

***

Land of Enchantment news

Democratic New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez announced he will not defend the state in pending lawsuits against the governor's public health emergency order suspending open and concealed carry of firearms in Albuquerque and surrounding counties. In a letter to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) regarding four impending lawsuit cases, Torrez shared the same sentiments from Democratic and Republican lawmakers and law enforcement, saying the ban violates the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. “Though I recognize my statutory obligation as New Mexico’s chief legal officer to defend state officials when they are sued in their official capacity, my duty to uphold and defend the constitutional rights of every citizen takes precedence,” Torrez wrote. “Simply put, I do not believe that the Emergency Order will have any meaningful impact on public safety but, more importantly, I do not believe it passes constitutional muster.” While recognizing his duties as chief legal officer to defend New Mexico officials who are sued, he cast doubt on whether the order would reduce gun violence in the community.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/courts/new-mexico-ag-refuses-defend-grisham-gun-carry-lawsuits

***

Really cold case

After the commencement of a grand jury earlier this week, Keith Emmanuel Smith, 86, was arrested Thursday in a 55-year-old cold case involving a baby in Florence. The charge stems from the 1967 murder of Roxanne Archuletta, who was 14 months old at the time. According to the indictment, Smith was arrested on one amended count of second-degree murder, a Class 2 felony, and is being held on a $10,000 cash or surety bond. According to cemetery records, the remains of Roxanne Marie Archuletta were disinterred on March 2, 2022, at Union Highland Cemetery. Her cause of death was listed as “unknown.” She was born in 1966 and died Nov. 3, 1967, the cemetery records state. The indictment states that on or between Nov. 1 and 2, 1967, Smith broke the baby’s spine, thereby causing her death. Florence Police Department Detectives Jeff Worley and Alex Wold began re-investigating the case in 2021. District Attorney Linda Stanley said this is the first grand jury impaneled in the 11th Judicial District.*** https://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/2023/09/07/breaking-news-man-arrested-in-55-year-old-cold-case-involving-a-14-month-old-baby-in-florence/

***

12 bombs?

A Washington man was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court in Seattle to 40 months in prison for his role in a plot to burn the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) building in downtown Seattle in September 2020. According to court documents, Justin Christopher Moore, 35, of Renton, made and carried a box of 12 Molotov cocktails in a protest march to the Seattle Police Officers Guild building on Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2020. Ultimately, the marchers were moved away from the building in downtown Seattle.*** https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/washington-man-sentenced-bringing-box-molotov-cocktails-protest-march-summer-2020

***

Hook 'em up w/ LWOP

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Two 20-year-old men were convicted in Norfolk following an armed robbery and rape during a home invasion. On Oct. 2, 2021, Dameron Wright and Deandre Ward robbed a male and his friend in Virginia Beach before forcing them into a vehicle at gunpoint, and demanded they drive to the mother’s house, of one of the victims, in Norfolk, according to a news release from the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. After arriving at the house in Norfolk, the defendants entered the house following the son of the woman and his friend before ordering the three victims to the ground and demanding thousands of dollars. Despite the woman handing them $800 in cash, Wright and Ward demanded more money, the release states. They proceeded to direct the three victims into a bedroom before tying their hands. While Wright searched the house for more money, Ward forced the mother to perform oral sex at gunpoint, and then raped her in front of her son saying, “Look what I’m doing to your mom.”

Actually got worse.

On Wednesday, Oct. 13, Wright pleaded guilty to rape, forcible sodomy, abduction with intent to defile, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and three counts of the use of a firearm in the commission of those felonies. Ward pleaded guilty to the same charges with an additional count each of rape and forcible sodomy. There is no agreement on either defendant’s sentence, according to the release. Judge Tasha D. Scott accepted both pleas, and both defendants are docketed for sentencing on Dec. 15. https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk/two-men-convicted-after-rape-armed-robbery-during-home-invasion/

***

You're a wonderful human being, Mike.

Mike Farley has been a pr0nhub employee for about a decade. 12 min hidden camera video shows him admitting that the pr0nhub business model includes female victims of rape and sex trafficking with their faces blurred to evade laws requiring proof of identity and age verification.

[ausetkmt]

A Georgia grand jury indicted 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump and several allies Monday on conspiracy charges of trying to steal Georgia's electoral votes from President Joe Biden after the 2020 election.

The indictment, bringing 41 charges against 19 defendants, accuses Trump and confederates of a coordinated plan to have state officials essentially spike Biden's victory and award the state to Trump. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis launched her investigation of Trump in February 2021. The indictment had been expected since a special grand jury recommended unspecified charges in February 2023. 

Here is what we know about the Georgia case: 

Trump and the others named in the 98-page indictment have until noon on Friday, Aug. 25, to voluntarily surrender.

The legal case revolves mostly around the state's RICO statute, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which penalizes activities of individuals engaging in organized crime.

Others indicted included former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

Willis said she would seek a trial "in the next six weeks" but scheduling is up to the appointed judge.

Much of the indictment focused on behind-the-scenes pressure campaign on state election workers and the overt harassment that resulted from Trump's naming of Ruby Freeman, a poll worker he falsely accused of fraud.

Willis said Trump had opportunities to legally challenge the election's results, but chose instead to pursue a criminal scheme that was counter to Georgia's process she called, "essential to the functioning of our Democracy."

The Trump campaign condemned the charges as politically motivated. "Call it election interference or election manipulation," said a campaign statement.

Willis wants a Trump trial date 'within six months'

Willis told reporters she would like a trial date for the Trump case "within the next six months," emphasizing RICO defendants get prison — not probation.

"It is not a probated sentence," she said during a brief news conference in which she outlined the charges in the indictment.

The Atlanta DA also said she would like to try all 19 defendants together.

Willis said Trump and the other defendants have until Friday, Aug. 25, to surrender or face arrest; she did not comment on the details of a Trump arraignment.

The indictment outlines a "criminal conspiracy" to overturn the results of the 2020 election, she. She read the names of the defendants, outlined the allegations, and said the defendants are innocent until proven guilty.

"We do want to move this case along, and so we will be asking for a proposed order that occurs a trial date within the next six months."

Harassment of election worker Ruby Freeman a focus in the indictment

The indictment alleges that Trump and his allies falsely accused Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman of committing election fraud and repeated these allegations to Georgia legislators and officials.

“In furtherance of this scheme, members of the enterprise traveled from out of state to harass Freeman, intimidate her, and solicit her to falsely confess to election crimes that she did not commit,” the indictment says. 

Freeman had previously testified before the U.S. House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack along with her daughter Shaye Moss that they both faced harassment after being falsely accused of election fraud.

They were cleared by Georgia authorities of wrongdoing earlier this year.

- Sudiksha Kochi

House GOP leadership: Fulton County DA ‘weaponizing their office’

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., posted on X following the unsealed indictment Monday pointing fingers at President Joe Biden writing that the current president has weaponized government against Trump to interfere in the 2024 election.

“Now a radical DA in Georgia is following Biden’s lead by attacking President Trump and using it to fundraise her political career,” he posted.

Among GOP leadership, Republican Conference Chair New York Rep. Elise Stefanik also took to X to defend Trump writing that he had “every legal right” to challenge the results of the election and that Willis displayed “political bias” toward Trump.

“This is another rogue Far Left radical District Attorney weaponizing their office to target Joe Biden’s top political opponent President Trump,” she wrote.

- Rachel Looker 

The indictment by the numbers: 98 pages, 41 charges, 19 defendants

It's a big document, with large bottom lines: 98 pages with at least 41 charges and 19 defendants, including attorneys and so-called "fake electors" as well as Trump himself.

The legal case revolves mostly around the state's RICO statute, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which penalizes activities of individuals engaging in organized crime. Trump himself faces 13 felony charges in this indictment, bringing to 91 the total charges against him across four separate indictments.

The Atlanta indictment accuses Trump and more than a dozen confederates of engaging in a criminal conspiracy to wipe out Biden's victory in Georgia and award the state to the then-president; the scheme allegedly involved improper pressure of state election officials and the use of so-called "fake electors."

− David Jackson

Rudy Giuliani, who pioneered the use of RICO, indicted on RICO charges

President Richard Nixon signed the federal RICO provisions into law in 1970, part of an effort to give authorities the power to go after the heads of Mafia families who managed to insulate themselves from prosecution.

Before he became a personal attorney to Trump and was caught up in the investigations swirling around the former president, it was Giuliani who put a national spotlight on RICO statutes. The former U.S. attorney wielded that law to prosecute the leaders of several mob families in New York in the late 1980s.

Last year, Giuliani's attorneys acknowledged that he was a target of the Georgia probe. According to the indictment, Giuliani repeatedly made false statements about the outcome of the election as he attempted to convince state lawmakers in several states to appoint electors who would support Trump.

− John Fritze

What are fake electors?

Legal experts say the election fraud charges represent the most serious case against him because of allegations he tried to steal the election and prevent the peaceful transfer of power to President Joe Biden. 

Within days of election, Trump’s legal advisers ginned up the strategy that one of the architects called "somewhat dicey" in Georgia. The plan called for then-Vice President Mike Pence, in his role as Senate president, to reject Electoral College votes from states that supported Biden and to flip them to Trump when Congress tallied the votes Jan. 6, 2021. 

Electors met nationwide on Dec. 14, 2020, including Georgia's Republican alternates, who allegedly signed documents falsely claiming they were duly elected, according to the House committee that investigated the U.S. Capitol attack. 

Witnesses told investigators an organizer of the Georgia alternates had trouble setting up a new printer to create the certificates. Participants described the meetings as keeping Trump's legal options open in case he won his legal challenges. 

Why did Trump call Raffensperger? 

Trump tried to call Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger 18 times and finally reached him on Jan. 2, 2021. 

"All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump said. 

Trump also insisted that “the ballots are corrupt” and someone was “shredding” them. He told Raffensperger “it is more illegal for you than it is for them because you know what they did and you’re not reporting it.” 

Raffensperger told House investigators he considered Trump's comment a threat. But he said officials found no widespread election fraud. He had recertified the results Dec. 7, 2020, and the state Supreme Court rejected one election challenge Dec. 12, although others loomed. 

"Well, Mr. President, the challenge that you have is the data you have is wrong,” Raffensperger said of a false allegation that unregistered voters cast ballots. 

What are Trump's other cases?

Trump faces several civil and criminal cases as he campaigns for president in 2024: 

Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith notified Trump he’s a target in the investigation of election fraud in the 2020 election. Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team July 24 and an indictment could come any day. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James has a $250 million civil trial scheduled to start Oct. 2 against Trump’s namesake company on allegations of fraud for lying for a decade about the value of properties. 

E. Jean Carroll won a $5 million defamation case against Trump, which he is appealing. She has another trial scheduled to begin in New York on Jan. 15 – the day of Iowa Republican presidential caucuses. 

New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg has a criminal trial scheduled to start March 25 on 34 charges of falsifying business records to pay hush money before the 2016 election to a woman who claimed to have had sex with him. 

Smith has a federal trial tentatively scheduled to start May 20 in Florida on charges related to classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate a year and a half after leaving the White House. Trump faces 40 charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice, retaining national defense records and concealing the records from authorities. 

− Bart Jansen

A President Trump probably couldn't do much about a Georgia prosecution

Even if Donald Trump is elected president again, there wouldn't be much he could do about a case against him in Georgia.

It would be a state case and the federal government has no authority over state prosecutions. That is also the situation with the hush money case out of New York.

The two other cases against the former president are federal: one involving classified information and the other an attempt to overturn the 2020 election. If elected, Trump could theoretically pardon himself, or otherwise make those cases go away.

− David Jackson

Indictments follow chaotic day

The indictments came at the end of a chaotic day at the Fulton County courthouse.

Reuters reported Monday that a court document listed charges against him appeared briefly on the court’s website before disappearing. But the Fulton County District Attorney’s office said no indictment had yet been returned.

Witnesses such as former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan were seen entering and exiting the courthouse, despite the custom of keeping grand jury deliberations secret.

Reporters waited anxiously in the courtroom until the indictments were handed to the judge in early evening.

− Bart Jansen

Trump can still run in 2024 despite his previous charges

Though Trump has been indicted in other federal and state investigations, he can still run for president in the 2024 election.

Barbara McQuade, a criminal law expert at the University of Michigan, previously told USA TODAY that even if Trump were charged, convicted and sentenced to prison, he would still be able to run for president.

The three exclusive requirements to run for president are to be a natural-born citizen, to be at least 35 years old and to have been a resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years, according to the U.S. Constitution.

Trump told reporters in March that he “won’t even think about leaving” the 2024 race, despite his legal troubles.− Sudiksha Kochi

Pro-Trump Republicans attack local prosecutors; other GOP members put blame on Trump 

As the political world waited for the unsealing of Atlanta indictments, Republicans paired off into two groups. Trump allies said they would attack the prosecution, while others said the party should consider another standard-bearer.

"Are we going to let county prosecutors start prosecuting the President of the United States?" said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Fox News. "The former President of the United States. To my Democratic friends, be careful what you wish for."

Others said the issue is Trump himself.

Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican congressman from New York state who faces a tough re-election battle, told CNN that "I think Donald Trump's conduct post-election was wrong ... I want the party to move in a different direction."

Lawler also said that, if Trump is convicted, "he should not be running for public office."

− David Jackson

Trump campaign blasts Georgia prosecutor as ‘rabid partisan’

Trump’s presidential campaign issued a statement Monday evening blasting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as a “rabid partisan” and accusing her of interfering with the 2024 presidential campaign.

The campaign predicted Willis’ investigation would fail along with the charges filed against Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, federal charges filed by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith and a civil lawsuit against his company by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“These activities by Democrat leaders constitute a grave threat to American democracy and are direct attempts to deprive the American people of their rightful choice to cast their vote for President,” the statement said. “It is un-American and wrong.”

– Bart Jansen

Donald Trump Jr. protests the still-sealed indictment

Donald Trump's allies aren't waiting for indictments to be unsealed. They're already on the attack.

“Prosecutorial misconduct like this is what a RIGGED SYSTEM looks like,” said Donald Trump, Jr., on the social media website X, formerly known as Twitter.

In the angry missive re-posted by a number of supporters, the younger Trump added: “How is the AG of Georgia not stepping in to stop this travesty of justice, after the Fulton County DA violated my father's Constitutional Rights and tainted the Grand Jury? Going full Banana Republic!!!”

− David Jackson

What is an indictment? 

An indictment is a formal document that contains allegations that someone committed a crime. It includes the charges laid out against a person and is filed before a case can move forward in court, David Weinstein, a former federal and state prosecutor, previously told USA TODAY. 

Weinstein said that an indictment means a grand jury decided that there’s “more likely than not” enough evidence – based on testimony – to move forward with charging a person. At least twelve jurors must be in agreement that a defendant allegedly committed a crime to issue an indictment. 

After a person is indicted, they must go to trial where a jury will reach an unanimous decision on whether to pursue conviction. 

− USA TODAY staff

Republican witness in Georgia: Party needs to 'pivot' from Trump

One of last grand jury witnesses, former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, did not provide reporters a legal analysis of the case after his testimony, but did offer political reaction: His party needs to turn away from Donald Trump.

“Donald Trump was the worst candidate ever in the history of the party, even worse than Herschel Walker, and now we’re going to have to pivot from there," Duncan told reporters after his testimony and before the indictment was announced; Walker is the Republican candidate who lost last year's Senate race in Georgia.

Duncan added: "We want to win an election in 2024, it’s going to have to be somebody other than Donald Trump if we do it. As long as we make this about the three-ring circus called Donald Trump, we’re going to lose every time. And you don’t have to go any further than Georgia to see that play out.”

Other Republicans said Duncan is kidding himself, and that Trump owns a big part of the GOP that will simply rally around him, just as they did after the first three indicted cases.

− David Jackson

#TRUMP #trump lies revealed #trump indicted in fulton county ga #Fani Willis DA #Brad Raffensperger #gop #gop lies #vote theft schemes #trump lies #Georgia

[zanywizardstranger]

Nancy Pelosi’s Napa: Wealthy Friends and a Husband’s Porsche Crash

Speaker Nancy Pelosi had just urged Brown University graduates to stay resilient and summon their “better angels” on Memorial Day weekend when she was forced to turn her attention to a less uplifting situation: her husband’s arrest in California.

The details emerging from the incident were not especially flattering.

The night before, May 28, Paul Pelosi, 82, had been in Oakville, among the country’s most exclusive enclaves, leaving a small dinner at the hedgerow-lined estate of Alexander Mehran, a longtime friend and Democratic donor.

Mr. Pelosi got behind the wheel of his black 2021 Porsche 911 to drive the six miles to the Pelosis’ Napa Valley country house. It was around 10 p.m., according to a police report and eyewitnesses.

He went a little more than half a mile and was trying to cross State Route 29 and make a left. But a Jeep was coming down the highway and hit Mr. Pelosi’s car as he made the turn.

The police who responded arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and suspicion of driving with a .08 blood alcohol content or higher. He is due back in court on Aug. 3. If criminal charges are filed, he will be arraigned then. (The driver of the Jeep was not arrested.)

It may not have been only alcohol that hindered Mr. Pelosi’s driving. Two people who have spoken with the Pelosis since the crash said that Mr. Pelosi had had cataract surgery in the days preceding the dinner. (Doctors are somewhat divided about when it is acceptable to drive, with estimates that range from 24 hours to two weeks.)

The speaker swung into crisis mode. By Sunday afternoon, Larry Kamer, a crisis manager who has a home in Napa and has worked for high-profile clients including Harvard University and Nike, was retained. The family also consulted with John Keker, one of San Francisco’s most prominent defense lawyers, and Lee Houskeeper, a longtime public relations executive for San Francisco political types, including former Mayor Willie Brown.

The newly assembled team had to deal with a few unwelcome certainties: The accident would refocus attention on Mr. Pelosi’s troubled driving record, including a crash when he was a teenager that left his brother dead. It would also send reporters — from TMZ to The Napa Valley Register — scrambling after every detail.

And it would shine a spotlight on the Pelosis’ California life, where the couple inhabit two homes, including a 16.55-acre gated estate and mingle with other rich residents, at a time when economic hardship is straining many people of lesser means.

Ultimately, a representative for Ms. Pelosi gave a terse statement emphasizing Ms. Pelosi’s distance from the accident.

“The speaker will not be commenting on this private matter, which occurred while she was on the East Coast,”

[clarissalance]

Wolves

Pairing: Kaeya x fem!Reader, Diluc, Crepus

Warning: minor swearing, cheesy flirt, dry humour

Summary: All men are wolves.

A/N: Muahaha I have came back and brought you the blatant cheesy flirt. Welcome to the first lesson of flirting with Kaeya. Lol, guess who is coming next? 

Also, I’m planning to write a wind-trace fic because the game is so fun. (p/s: I waste 3 hours playing it) Guess who is in it? 

Okay, the first fic for my lover boy. Please give Kaeya a lot of love!! (*￣3￣)╭ 

Another beautiful day, another day of wasting the lovely weather to stay inside the study room, bury your head into the pile of books next to you. You let your eyes wander to the window again, gazing rays of light fleeting through the window, golden hues on the wooden floor. Tiny specks of dust accumulate overnight, fluttering around the curtain. Outside, the chirping birds bathing under the sun, casually chilling on the window. Oh, how you wish you would be able to relax like those carefree animals.  

“You might burn the birds crips the longer you stare at it.” Startled by the quiet voice, your head snaps toward the blue-haired teenage direction, and you can’t help but scowl at his statement. You can’t be the only person in the room who wants to go out and play. Knowing Kaeya, he’s definitely trying to find an excuse to end the class early. 

The only person who is diligent, hard-working, and does not have thought about leaving this room is the young master Diluc. The young man is sitting opposite you, eyes burning holes on the thick textbook. 

Archon, how can a 16 years old overly enthusiastic person like him enjoy the excitement of reading Descartes philosophy? Maybe he is the only child in Mondstadt, no, maybe in the whole Teyvat who enjoys something torturous like that. Shivering at your own thought, you shift your chair closer to Kaeya, giving Diluc a terror gaze.      

“Aren’t you going to finish the essay?” Pointing at the half-full parchment on the table, you ask. “ Diluc and I already finish it.” 

“ Oh, how do I know? How am I suppose to understand Kant and Descartes theories, and then link them to deductive and inductive reasoning?"  Kaeya lets his finger running through the silky blue hair and pulls them out of frustration. On the other side, Diluc shoots him a glare, annoyed by his brother complaint. 

 “How did you guys do it?” Kaeya asks boredly, his finger pokes the quill. 

You put your hand under your chin, beaming him charmingly.  “ You know Kaeya, it is something I call improvisation. Words just flow out of my tip.” Under your lashes, you can see his cheek dusting pink. Cute! 

“ Just read the books, and you will get it.” Diluc unhelpful adds. 

Both of you stare at red-head incredulously. Is he being serious? 

Like always, Kaeya knows he can not take your advice to heart. One is a genius, and the other is just pure luck.  

Suddenly, the door is burst open, and you quickly shove your feet into the shoes, eyes darting to see the intruder. Internally, you hope that person is not lady Elizabeth, your etiquette teacher. Your blood runs cold at the thought. You can already imagine her sharp tones commenting how horrendous and un-ladylike your act is. 

“How is your study going?” A deep, strong voice booming from the back, and finally, you get let out a breath. Diluc looks up from his book, beams brightly at the man. 

“ We are done with homework, father. These are just extra reading.” Well, for the record, these are his extra readings, not yours. And Kaeya hasn’t finished his 2 feet scrolls of essay yet. 

Master Crepus nods in satisfaction. “ If that is finished, you kids can take a break. The young lady from the Gunnhildr family is here with her father. Maybe you can give her some accompanies.”  The middle-aged man directs the words at you, maybe feeling guilty for leaving a young lady like you in his two sons care. 

Your parents left you in the Ragnvindr care every Summer because of their hectic schedules and frequent business trips at this time of the year. In addition, your mother says it is essential for you to have good relationships with the heir of Ragnvindr and his brother. “Maybe you will need their help someday.” She left it vaguely. 

“ Are you guys going to drink again?” Kaeya suspiciously questions, his eyes glinting with playfulness. 

“ Hey, what’s wrong with men having a drink together?” Crepus defensively retorts, notices how Diluc gives him a disproving gaze.

“ When you guys grow up, you would enjoy it too.” The three let out opposing noises, clearly not having the same idea as him. The man waves dismissively return back the topic. 

“ Let’s come down to greet the head of Gunnhildr first.” He heads toward the door, down the hallway.   

“And be nice to the young lady, boys.” The master emphasizes the phrase, his eyes pinning at the guilty-looking Kaeya and the absent-minded Diluc. Finally, he exits the room, not forgetting to close the door. 

“ Father says as if we don’t treat people nicely.” Kaeya pouts, right after Crepus footstep drifting away from the study. “ The workers never complain anything about our behaviours, right Luc?” 

Sitting next to him, you can't help but let out a snort. He dares to say that? Kaeya raises eyebrows at you, annoyed by your shaking shoulder. The boy in red has a blank face, maybe not interested. 

“ First, you guys ignore me for 2 weeks when I just came here.” You burst out in laughter, recalling back at the very first memory when you just arrived here.

“When I tried to approach, you both avoided me like the plague.” Your whole body is shaking vigorously, tears forming at the corners of your eyes. This is too hilarious! Somewhere in between, you can spot Diluc burning cheek. 

“ Haha, and haha-later,” You can hardly breath, laughter bubbling up. “Adeline told me your reason is ‘It's b-because she doesn’t have a willie.' ” Dramatically air-quoting, you even imitate their stuttering childish voices. This earns you a pointed glare from Diluc and a smack in the arm from Kaeya, but a good laugh is always worth it. 

Both of them freeze on their tracks, faces puff red as tomatoes, steaming almost coming off their ears. If the young heir is to wear a red suit, you are sure he can blend in well with the mansion roof. 

Diluc shifts stiffly in his chair and abruptly stands up, heading toward the exit. Maybe he is too embarrassed at the mention of his dark childhood. 

“Where-haha, are you going, Luc?” You are still in the middle of your giggling, noticing how Diluc is dashing to the door. Letting out a coughing fit, he quietly mumbles. 

 “ I'm going down to greet the Gunnhildr family.” His figure vanishes right behind the door, not letting you tease him further. Outside, the painful sound of Diluc tripping on his own feet make you almost fall off your chair. You have too many good laughs today. 

“Right, I-I should get going too.” Next to you, the blazing Kaeya remembers to dig a hole and hide. His hand slams hard on the table and the youthful teenager stands up, gracefully heading toward the door. Maybe he wants to avoid becoming another joke.  

" Ah, wait-" You follow instantly, but the moment you stand up, something slips, and the next thing you know, the ground is shaking, and you see the ceiling is getting further. 

Your first instinct is to grab the closest object, and then close your eyes, waiting for the painful impact with your head. Clench your jaw tightly, and you hold your breath, hoping it will hurt less if you tense your body. 

Right after tensing up, you feel someone just grab you by your shoulder, and your feet step on something bumpy. And then, your head makes an impact with something hard. A grunting is followed. 

Heart hammering in your chest, you cautiously peek, expecting yourself to see the ceiling, but instead, greet with an unusual sight. A pair of dark colour trouser paired with leather shoes. On top of it is your feet, loosely wore low heel is stepping on that leather shoes. Shit, you stepped on Kaeya. In a panic, you rush down from his painful sore feet, but your head jams in his ribs. He just let out another woeful sound.   

This time, you carefully keep your position in place, slowly remove each foot one by one, moving away from him. Craning your neck upward, you finally meet his gaze, his eyes are full of concern and uneasiness, spooked out by your sudden incident.

 “Did you hit your head hard?” Kaeya asks you nervously, his voice laced with anxiety. He must have been terrified when you slip. You shake your head, hands grabbing his shirt.

" I should be asking you that. Are you okay?" You give him a worrying gaze, your fingers running along his ribs, checking if your stone head broke anything. " I didn't break anything, right?" Hesitantly, you look into his deep blue eyes, noticing the diamond shape. Has he always has this in his eyes? 

Kaeya snorts inelegantly, shakes his head. " Your head is hard as a rock, but that much can't break my ribs yet." This earns him a hit on his arm. 

"Hey! I'm trying to be considerate, and this is how you treat me?" You jab him, hand purposely smack his chest, but he doesn't budge an inch. How strong is this guy? This time, you put all the force on your arm, slapping hard on his chest again. The young man in the blues shoot you a shit-eating grin, clearly not faze.  

 "How is my chest feeling?" He pokes, his palm engulfing yours. 

" Too hard for my liking." You give him a complex look, trying to escape from his tight grip but fail miserably. You wiggle your hand again, shaking off his iron clad. Why is he so strong? 

While you are attempting to flee from his firm grasp, the young man leans down, face an inch away from you. Flushing at the sudden closure, like usual,  you avoid his burning gaze. You hold your breath when your noses almost touch. What is this rascal doing again? 

" You shouldn't be touching men like that." Kaeya opens his mouth, saying something completely out of nowhere. You tilt your head in confusion, while your eyes travel down, you notice your hands still on his chest. O-oh, so he is saying about this. 

" I  don't normally touch random people." You mumble defensively, your eyes lower. " I was checking for your injury."

"They will misunderstand." Kaeya cuts in right after, not accepting the excuse. But why would they misunderstand? You are just being nice, right? 

Like he can understand what is going inside your mind, Kaeya reminds you.

"All men are wolves, you should be more be careful with them."   

You give him a confusing look. 

Kaeya is not one of them, right? 

Eventually, he let out a soft sigh and moves back, allowing you to savour your personal space. Just right after your throbbing heart finally calms down, he brings your tight-griped hand in his to his face. Your meet with his alluring look in his eyes. It is pulling you in, telling you to give in the temptation. Plump lips brush your knuckle teasingly, he blows a warm breath on the back of your hand. He gives you a saccharine smile.

" And if not be careful." His husky voice ringing in your ears, the numbing spark runs along your spine. "They might devour you." 

#kaeya x reader #kaeya alberich #genshin impact #genshin x reader #all men are wolves #fluff #romance #implication #bad chilhood memory #willies #clarissalance #diluc ragnvindr #crepus ragnvindr #kaeya ragnvindr

[septembercfawkes]

Writing Callbacks

I finally found the correct term for a writing technique that has been in my head a few years! I was at a panel at FanX, when author Dan Willis (not to be confused with Dan Wells) started talking about "callbacks"--I wanted to stop him right then and there and thank him for finally giving me the word (but since we were on a panel, I didn't think that would be a good idea!).

Of course, it comes from the screenwriting world 🙄 Seriously guys, I've never had much of a desire to get into screenwriting, but there are some great ideas (and terminology) in that branch of creative writing (particularly with story structures). So if you want more resources for writing good stories, look into some screenwriting books.

Anyway!

Naturally, I want to now talk about callbacks, since I have the official term (maybe I'm late to the game, and you guys already knew the correct term 😅) But, I'm also going to expand the idea, afterwards.

Callbacks Explained

By definition, a callback is a dialogue technique. It's when you bring back an old line from earlier in the story.

The Order of the Phoenix film has one of my favorite callbacks in it.

After Harry gets detention, he has to write lines with Umbridge that say "I must not tell lies."

Later in the film, this happens:

That is a callback.

And audiences love it.

Often callbacks are used in comedy, where the punchline of a joke is pulled back in later for another laugh.

Callbacks can happen in a lot of different places and have a lot of different tones.

However, most of the time, to be effective, the callback must be different than the original line in some way.

This often means changing the context and/or the line itself (by my definition).

So in the Order of the Phoenix example, the line stays the exact same: "I must not tell lies." But the context is radically different. Originally, Umbridge had the upper hand and was torturing Harry. In the callback, Harry has control. Because we all hate Umbridge and what she did to him so much, it's really satisfying when he calmly throws it in her face.

But the context can change in a bunch of other different ways too. In Galaxy Quest, Alexander loathes delivering the line "By Grabthar's hammer . . ." throughout the film, which is comedic to the audience, but near the climax, the line is flipped on its head when he uses it to comfort a man dying in his arms.

Sometimes you can use the line to illustrate an arc. At the beginning of the story it meant one thing, but by the end, it has a new, more significant meaning. This can be great to emphasize character growth and thematic statements. Mockingjay (the book) does this well in all its references to the "Hanging Tree" lyrics.

Some stories tweak the line. Pirates of the Caribbean uses this comedically throughout the series, when characters make references to the rum being gone.

In Spider-verse, the writers played around with Spider-man's tag line: with great power, comes great responsibility, and flipped it around so that we have Miles's dad saying incorrectly "With great ability, comes great accountability" or even having Spider-man himself imply how sick he is of hearing the line. (This is a smart move on the writers' part, since they are working with a story that has been rebooted four times in 16 years 🤪 Like Peter, we may be tired of the tagline ourselves.)

Often people's favorite lines to quote are callbacks. Have you noticed?

When writing callbacks, the most important thing to remember is to not be annoying.

If you overuse this technique, it can become annoying.

If you overuse a line in the same context over and over again, it can be annoying.

It's like telling the same joke over and over and expecting it to be just as effective. It's not. It gets irritating.

(Unless the joke is that you tell it over and over again.)

You could say the Inigo Montoya's line is overdone, but it's intentional and part of the point.

Physical Callbacks

By definition, "callback" relates to dialogue, but I say, why stop there? Why can't objects or actions work as callbacks too? Well, they can, and actually, they do.

Let's go back to Spider-verse. The climax is loaded with all sorts of callbacks. But perhaps the most memorable is when Miles defeats Kingpin with the "shoulder touch" he learned earlier in the story. Sure, it does have the same dialogue from earlier ("Heeeeey!"), but really, it's the action that's the focal point. That's the real callback.

What about in Lord of the Rings, when we get that shot of Frodo stroking the ring in the exact same way as Smeagol? Isn't that an action that conveys a significant arc of character? And it's an action we've seen before.

What about Seamus Finnigan's magic constantly blowing up in flames through the Harry Potter series--isn't that like a callback? Finally in the last movie, he's asked to blow something up intentionally.

And then let's not forget Napoleon Dynamite and his dancing.

And why can't this be objects too? Like the changing context of a Mockingjay pin? Or Dobby and his love of socks?

Sure, these all might be a little trickier to pull off in a novel, but not impossible. For actions, just make sure to use the same or similar descriptions and keywords, so you reinforce and emphasize an association. Objects might be a little easier, and they may even take on symbolism, but you make sure they stand out.

I could go on and talk about how callbacks can even extend beyond the text to other texts. Like how Spider-verse calls back to the original Spider-man trilogy a lot in the opening (like with Peter's dance moves). But I think I'll call it good for today.

In the end, remember this: Callbacks are effective because they resonate with what the audience saw before.

#writing tips #writing tip #writing tips and tricks #writeblr #fanfic #pirates of the caribbean #spider-verse #Harry Potter #princess bride #writing help #writing reference #dialogue #writing lesson #writing advice

[meangirlsx]

I LOVE THE HUFFLEPUFF!CARRIE HC SO MUCH what do you thing the other characters’ houses would be ?? 🤔 i’m a strong believer in hufflepuff alex and reggie, griffyndor julie, and slytherin luke

AHHH THANK YOU! I like the responses I was seeing that suggested she could be a Slytherpuff because ambition is also definitely a big thing to her. I’d have to think more on her, but I fully believe Hufflepuff is at least part of her.

I’m honored you want to know my thoughts on the main characters. Strap in.

One of my favorite things I’ve ever seen was this post about how Hogwarts houses can be based on how someone would perceive, view, and use magic. It’s about what you value and what you choose. So I’ll be using that as part of my analysis of each character. Like with people, I think you could probably make an argument that every character exhibits at least one trait one time of every house, but since the point is to focus on their primary values, that’s what I’ll be doing.

Julie: Gryffindor. Bravery is at Julie’s core. The kind of strength she exhibits in losing the most important person to her and coming out swinging is unmatched. It takes an immense amount of bravery to face her grief and not only return to the thing she shared with her mom but let it be a rebirth for her. She finds both her mom and herself as she finds music again. She focuses on being kind, warm, empathetic, understanding. She knows what it’s like to live with unimaginable pain and she commits to helping others through the same thing. I believe she would use magic the same way she uses music. So I believe Julie would see magic as a tool and responsibility she had been entrusted with. She writes songs with Luke about coming into yourself, and her speech at the Orpheum tells listeners that she’s there for them if they’re going through a hard time like she did and that they deserve to see the glory that they are, that they can be brave and strong in the face of anything. She would use magic to channel her strength and bravery and help others just like she does with her music.

Luke: Gryfferin. I’ve seen a lot of good arguments for both Slytherin and Gryffindor for Luke, and I believe he’s both with a Gryffindor primary. We focus a lot on his ambition, and he does have that in abundance. But I think he also exhibits bravery as a strong value of his. As Meg Cabot taught us, “courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear.” Luke decides that his drive for music, his ambition, is more important than his fear of leaving home. It’s also a reckless pursuit of glory, which is very Gryffindor. Then he regrets it and decides that his need to express his feelings through the very thing that caused him to leave home is more important than his fear of being wrong or addressing his pain and guilt. Similarly, when Caleb shows up in the studio, Luke is the one to approach him and stand up to him. He’s just as terrified as Alex and Reggie are, but his friends, Julie, and their second chance at music all matter more to him than his fear of Caleb. We see Slytherin ambition in Luke’s desire for the band to become famous. I would also argue that a drive for fame and glory is very much a Gryffindor trait. We also learn that what he wants is to connect with people through music. He writes songs, sometimes with Julie, about fighting to find yourself and to find home in the people you love. In a sense, by becoming ghosts, the guys are given a bit of magic, and we see Luke consider their second chance as something special to be protected, a Slytherin view, but also that when they believe their chance is being ripped away, he chooses to give it up, to be strong and show courage in favor of what matters most to him – his friends, Julie, and their musical integrity.

Alex: Huffleclaw. Alex focuses on relationships, so I’d say he’s primarily a Hufflepuff. We see him checking in on the people he cares about. After the guys leave Julie hanging at the dance and Alex and Reggie take her to see Luke visiting his parents, Alex emphasizes that the group knows what it’s like to be let down by someone you trusted and cared for. We know that’s true for all of them, and we see the toll in Alex’s eyes. Between that and Luke’s statement that Alex’s parents were never cool again after he came out, we get the sense that he was once close with his parents. He watched their relationship dissolve, and he learns to recognize the same pain in others and do what he can to make it better. As a ghost, he uses magic to form relationships. He takes special moments to connect with Julie. He meets Willie and jumps in headfirst. Willie teaches him how to interact with things as a ghost, and then Alex practices for himself. He likes exploring the boundaries of being a ghost, as we see when he picks up the picture of Julie’s mom and when the guys prank Trevor. I think picking up the picture also once again shows his focus on relationships. He values connecting with people and making them feel better, and he uses magic to explore his curiosity and the new world they’ve been given.

Reggie: Hufflepuff. I’ve seen, and fully support, the theories that Reggie isn’t dumb – he’s intuitive and aware, and he learned how to use his humor as a power. He learned how to use his humor to diffuse situations with his parents and he does the same at different points during the show. He breaks tension and lightens moods and hearts. As a fandom, we’ve agreed that This Band is Back was a song the guys came up with when they were alive to cheer Reggie up when he was down. A song about their friendship brings him back to himself. When Reggie arrives at the Orpheum, his eyes fall to Julie and he doesn’t look away until Luke starts flickering. He’s not focused on the crowd or the venue they’ve been waiting to play for 25 years, the thing they believe is their unfinished business. He’s focused on the girl who helped change their afterlives and became family. As a ghost, Reggie uses his magic to help Carlos prove the existence of ghosts because he wants to defend every kid like him who has never been believed by adults. He chooses to share his magic to defend people who feel overlooked.

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #Julie Molina #Luke Patterson #Alex JATP #Reggie JATP #Carrie Wilson #should I format this so it’s not just blocks of text #I also have a few other half formed thoughts #I could make a case for a lot of variation for each of them #Julie’s also got a lot of Puff in her

[aegor-bamfsteel]

What does “beneath the gold, the bitter steel” mean?

This is a great question because while other writers have analyzed the content of this phrase and its various symbolic interpretations, there isn’t enough analysis on how it is used: “Beneath the gold, the bitter steel” is the battle cry, and not the motto of the Golden Company (which, much less known, is “Our word is as good as gold”). It is absolutely necessary that we define a battle cry versus a motto/house words in the ASOIAF universe before we can interpret this phrase in its intended context.

Catelyn Stark defines what mottoes/house words mean in AGOT: “family words are mottoes, “touchstones, prayers of sorts, they boasted of honor and glory, promised loyalty and truth, swore faith and courage.” They are official words of the house (usually placed on the coat of arms with the sigil in real life, though that doesn’t seem to be the case in Westeros) that for the most part proudly boast of their honor, strength, or of their legendary traditions: the Tully words take this most literally (As “Family. Duty. Honor” is nothing but a simple statement of their good character), the Arryn words (”As high as honor”) are similar though only honor is emphasized, the Baratheon (”Ours is the Fury”) and Lannister (”Hear me Roar”) and Tyrell words (”Growing Strong”) boast of their strength, the Greyjoy (”we do not sow”) and Martell words (”Unbowed. Unbent. Unbroken.”) are reminders of the unique traditions both houses have held since before the Conquest: that of the Old Way of reaving and that of resistance to being ruled (this dates to before the Targaryen Conquest as Meria explains; and likely in reference to the constant fighting between the small Dornish kingdoms). 

The official words of the Golden Company bear the most similarity to those of the Tullys and Arryns, as it is a pledge of loyalty and honesty, but unlike theirs there is a condition: those who are not loyal in return (in other words, those cities that cannot pay the gold they promised) will not receive it. These words are perhaps more important to understanding the character of Aegor Rivers than the better known war cry, as a motto is more official and it’s more likely he chose it personally around 212, as opposed to the battle cry that probably developed among the troops he led; he believed keeping one’s oaths were of utmost importance, but that reciprocity was equally so. This is sensible characterization for someone who made a 40-year oath to place the Blackfyre family on the throne, and apparently swore a blood pact with Lord Torwyn Greyjoy, but also hints to his refusal to support those who would not support him in turn (consider that the Golden Company was founded very shortly after the disastrous Second Blackfyre Rebellion Aegor refused to play a part in). The fact they alone seem to have words at all whereas most of the other companies (Stormcrows, Windblown) just have banners speaks to their refusal to consider themselves Free Company sellswords and instead a free brotherhood with the trappings of a Westerosi noble house.

A war/battle cry is used very differently from a motto in the series. Here are some examples:

Rodrik Cassel shouts “Winterfell!” and Ser Willis Wode shouts “Harrenhal!” before fighting Tyrion’s men, the names of the castles of their liege-lords. (agot)

During the Battle of the Green Fork, the northern men shout “Lord Eddard!” and “Winterfell!” after their injured/imprisoned Lord’s name and castle. The mountain clans of the Vale in Turn shout “Halfman!” after their patron (agot)

Alyn Ambrose shouts his betrothed’s name “Elinor!” as a battle cry during the Battle of the Blackwater, which her cousins think is very romantic. (asos) Tyrion himself shouts “King’s Landing!” after the city; he notes to the clans it’s not Joffrey’s name (the king/lord of KL, who he hates) or Casterly Rock (his birthplace), because that’s the city Stannis is trying to sack (acok)

Asha Greyjoy calls the howling of the mountain clan attackers of Deepwood Motte “the war cry of the North,” referencing their overlord Stark’s sigil. (adwd)

The Golden Company shouts the ancient battle cry of House Connington “A griffin!” to confuse the defenders during the invasion of Griffin’s Roost; of course, the griffin is the sigil of House Connington and makes up part of the name of their castle. (adwd)

I think these instances are sufficient to define a war/battle cry as 1-2 word phrases meant to identify oneself on the battlefield and give oneself courage; they are reminders of what the shouter is fighting for: their liege lord, sometimes identified through his castle or sigil. The Golden Company’s war cry is far longer than these examples and is nearly as long as its official words. While it’s possible that some might shout the entire phrase as a sign of battle prowess (they’re able to keep talking long enough/with enough breath despite fighting), I believe in practice the true battle cry is “Bitter Steel!” (as battle/war cries are invariably unique nouns).

Notice that many battle cries are the name of a liege-lord’s castle. Despite being knights sworn to the Golden Company, the Company itself does not have a castle the way House Whent or House Connington or House Stark or House Lannister do, but is an assembly of skilled warriors constantly travelling in Essos, living in battlefield tents with no permanent home. The idea of the Golden Company being homeless is made clear in the nickname “Homeless Harry Strickland”, but extends to its other members such as Laswell Peake or Young John Mudd wanting to return to Westeros after 100 years or calling themselves Westerosi despite clearly being mostly Essosi in ethnicity. So until the Golden Company reaches Westeros and establishes a base there, it will not have a proper battle cry as those knights sworn to castles do.

The Golden Company has no castle, and it has no sigil device as a Westerosi house does (sigil device by which I mean objects like the Tyrell rose or the Stark wolf; the GC has banners of plain gold like the Night’s Watch has banners of plain black or the Kingsguard’s plain white; all three are non-hereditary military-like organizations that require oaths to join), but what it does have is a founder/liege-lord/(captain-general). As Half-man is the somewhat affectionate nickname the mountain clans use as a cry to show their allegiance to Tyrion, Bitter-steel is the Westerosi nickname of Aegor Rivers, the closest approximation to a house founder the Golden Company has that it can use as a war cry. The difference is that Tyrion is the clans’ current employer (as Lord Eddard was still the Northern Lord Paramount at the time of the Green Fork Battle), while Bittersteel has been dead since 241; calling out for him makes it seem as if he is still leading the Golden Company long after his death, symbolizing his/its immortal goal of returning triumphant to Westeros.

tl;dr “Beneath the gold, the bitter steel” is a full war cry that embodies the unusual position of the Golden Company: not just another Essosi sellsword company, but despite its banners and motto and knights certainly not a Westerosi noble house or oath-bound organization; they roam Essos with no permanent home until the time they can fulfill their old dream of going back to Westeros, a dream that keeps alive the memory of their unconquerable founder: Bittersteel.

#ask #asoiaf #asoiaf meta #aegor rivers #the golden company #golden company #bittersteel #valyrianscrolls #feudalism

[urbtnews]

Bruce Willis and Aphasia - Understanding the Impact Veteran actor Bruce Willis, known for his iconic roles in blockbuster films spanning several decades, recently made headlines not for his cinematic achievements, but for a more personal revelation. In March 2022, it was announced that Willis had been diagnosed with aphasia, a neurological condition that affects speech and language abilities. This diagnosis has shed light on the condition and sparked conversations about its effects and implications.  Download the URBT News App from your App store. Apple / Andriod Aphasia is a condition that impairs a person's ability to communicate effectively. It can manifest in various forms, affecting speech, comprehension, reading, and writing skills to varying degrees. It often occurs as a result of damage to the language centers of the brain, typically caused by stroke, traumatic brain injury, or degenerative neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's. For Willis, the diagnosis of aphasia marked a significant turning point in his life and career. The actor, known for his roles in beloved films such as "Die Hard," "Pulp Fiction," and "The Sixth Sense," made the decision to step away from acting as he grappled with the challenges posed by the condition. His family issued a statement expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support and emphasizing the importance of understanding and raising awareness about aphasia. Aphasia can have profound effects on individuals and their loved ones. Communication difficulties can lead to frustration, isolation, and a sense of loss for both the affected individual and those around them. However, with appropriate therapy and support, many people with aphasia can learn to navigate their condition and regain some level of functional communication. Understanding the Effect of Aphasia The news of Willis' diagnosis has sparked a broader conversation about aphasia and the need for increased awareness and resources for those affected by the condition. While Willis' celebrity status has brought attention to the issue, aphasia affects millions of people worldwide, regardless of their fame or occupation. One of the challenges in addressing aphasia is the lack of understanding and awareness in the general public. Many people may not recognize the signs of aphasia or understand how to effectively communicate with someone who has the condition. Education and advocacy efforts are essential in dispelling misconceptions and promoting empathy and support for individuals living with aphasia. Bruce Willis and Aphasia - Grasping the Consequences Additionally, access to speech therapy and rehabilitation services is crucial in helping individuals with aphasia regain and maintain their communication skills. These services can include speech therapy, cognitive-linguistic therapy, and alternative communication strategies tailored to the individual's needs and goals. As we reflect on Bruce Willis' journey with aphasia, it serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy, understanding, and support for those facing similar challenges. By raising awareness, advocating for resources, and fostering a more inclusive society, we can better support individuals living with aphasia and empower them to lead fulfilling lives despite the obstacles they may face. Read the full article

[sharkodude]

Wasn’t really happy with how Ga’ran turned out in Spirit of Justice, especially her blatantly evil design, so I made some rough sketches for a redesign.

I always felt that her outfit was way too garish for a prosecutor and clashed the Khura’in aesthetic, so I made a more reasonable dress while owing to some of her key design parts. Instead of paying with a spider motif, I took inspiration from Mahākāla, a Buddhist Dharmapala, for certain features such as the six-tailed hair representing his six arms, hair bangs meant to resemble a crown, earrings, and overall flame motif hinting at her involvement in the Khura’in fire.

I even took some influences from Nahyuta and Amara’s design, especially in regards to her toned-down shoulder pads and more modern look, implying the Queen’s influence over the former. In addition, I added glasses to her design to go with her new personality and make her look wise. Alternatively, I drew another more chaste design evocative of the typical Khura’in aesthetic.

Unlike the actual game’s cartoonishly petty and malicious demeanor, I gave Queen Ga’ran a calm yet imposing personality, similar to her initial facade before the trials. I also included a pragmatic and knowledgeable edge to her character in order to make her stand out. In some ways, she is similar to the movie’s version of Manfred Von Karma. I would also expand upon upon her relationship with Dhurke and Amara, which was only briefly touched upon in the game. Maybe explore how Dhurke felt about having to fight an old friend and how Ga’ran felt about him, even staggering when he mentions their sibling-like past. Or show how much compassion she had towards Amara to the point of even expressing an inkling of guilt over the fire and (somewhat) genuine despair to her sister getting shot.

These character traits even extend to her actions in court, never cackling like a madman, insulting the defense, or constantly belittling her “daughter” Rayfa, both out of mutual respect and preserving her benevolent yet strict image. Moreso, she would definitely not rewrite the law willy-nilly to be a dick, rather out of desperation with all sides in mind and sparingly, which she can use to her advantage.

In order to compliment this drastic overhaul, I made storyboards for some courtroom animations. Many of these emphasize her scholarly and flame motifs to add some extra personality in comparison to other prosecutors. I also imagine the Queen would use her book more often to either present evidence, point out a contradiction, or back up a point of hers using her vast knowledge of Khurainese history and such, befitting of someone like her. This could come into play by having her bring up certain laws or events from the past to poke holes into the defense’s statements. (Fun fact: Ga’ran’s cofident pose is directly modeled after Prosecutor Ducky from @jelloapocalypse ‘s So This Is Basically Ace Attorney video!)

As the trials continues, it would slowly be revealed of how much of a ruthless dictator she actually and that’s she’s a fraud, however she isn’t Inga’s killer this time (if Inga is actually dead in this version.) It would also be revealed what role she had in the Khura’in royal residence fire which can go two ways: she tried to kill Amara but didn’t kill Jove Justice, or she didn’t try to kill Amara but did kill Jove Justice. Any of these could be accidental or planned but both ultimately lead to the same penultimate conclusion: the breakdown. In the end, the real Queen Ga’ran will be revealed to either be: a well-intentioned but dysfunctional ruler, solemnly confessing to her crimes while also congratulating Apollo, or a power-hungry sociopathic narcissist, seething with rage and demanding the defense to be executed, not knowing that her already souring image had just been tarnished in court with this revelation.

Anyways, these are just my ramblings so let me know what you think?

#phoenix wright ace attorney spirit of justice #phoenix wright ace attorney #phoenix wright #pw aa soj #pw aa #pw #ace attorney spirit of justice #ace attorney #aa soj #aa #spirit of justice #soj #queen ga’ran #ga’ran sigatar khura’in #ga’ran #garan #apollo justice #design #redesign #concept art #traditional art #fan art #my art #artists on tumblr

[transhawks]

Birds & Bottles - a theory on Hawks and his past

This is a fairly weird theory and group of headcanons and comes from too much ruminating and googling. I want to lend some cultural context and proof to the fandom interpretation of Hawks’s childhood featuring some sort of alcohol abuse and/or addiction via his parents.

I. Textual Evidence

This is the one solid picture of Hawks’s childhood home we have. The thing about manga and graphic novels as a medium is that space matters. Exposition via flashbacks or lengthy explanations are to be used sparingly and often can make manga or comics unreadable if over-used. 

The picture being worth a thousand words is extremely crucial to character development, especially to a secondary/tertiary character like Hawks who needs to be developed in a small amount of time, in this case a single panel to explain Hawks’s home life (besides other textual hints that confirm Hawks was poor until he was scouted). 

That means there’s absolutely no doubt that Horikoshi including trash in that picture means something. Horikoshi is more likely to forget to add things (like Kaminari’s black ‘spark’, Hawks’s stubble) than add things in willy-nilly.

Lying around Hawks is trash; including cans and bottles that are probably alcohol. Beer, Sake, and Shochu (a harder liquor than sake, made of rice and barley, and referred to as ‘Kyushu’s Spirit’) are sold in cans and bottles, sometimes through vending machines. This is clearly discarded alcohol.

The trash matters too, but I’ll get to it in my ‘cultural context’ section.

The other textual evidence we have is a clear statement about what Hawks ‘wants’: 

The cold one line is a very interesting line; the actual line in Japanese is 管を巻いて.* I’ll make a link add-on for sources on a reblog of this post, but it’s a slang term to unwind (drink) and relax. Literally involves winding/rolling like a tube - so basically being drunk enough to roll around. JB’s scanlation infamously mistranslated this to make it seem like Hawks smokes weed (it was the ‘rolling a tube’ line obviously, even if Japan does not exactly have a weed culture), but the effect is the same - relaxing through intoxication. 

This is important to note because it establishes that Hawks as an adult does indeed consume alcohol and imagines it to be relaxing for him; and given his sole dream is for Heroes to be able to relax, alcohol features prominently in his vision of a good future for himself. 

II. Cultural Context Evidence

On Cleanliness

Going off the floor in Hawks’s childhood, we can tell that whoever is raising him is not cleanly enough to pick up trash, much less glass bottles and aluminium cans around a child that can very much harm themselves with such items. Obviously, that sort of welfare for Hawks isn’t on his parental figure(s) mind. 

The other trash is meaningful too; cleanliness is prized in his culture, with the Japanese concept of wa. Both Shinto and Buddhist beliefs emphasize a personal and communal doctrine of cleanliness. 

Horikoshi has shown us dirty rooms before, Jin’s apartment, also filled with beer bottles and trash, and Shigaraki’s trashbag-filled room. These aren’t at all like the rooms we see of the teens when we see them. The VIZ translator even has a few notes about these are meant to be seen as rooms outside of acceptable society.* Also, notice Twice’s flat has quite of alcohol lying around.

This means Horikoshi has used unclean, messy rooms to signify something about characters before - whether it is a bad mental state or moral character (I lean towards the former here), these two happen to be in a space ‘unaccepted’ by society as well - whether for villainy or mental illness.

That could very much be an explanation to why Horikoshi drew Hawks’s childhood home like this. He isn’t meant to be from good circumstances and this aligns him somewhat with the villains he’s meant to be infiltrating; much like them, he knows of being ‘outside’ of society, since he was born there. 

But there’s also one more piece of cultural context that explains why I’m absolutely certain Hawks comes from a family with an alcoholic parent, and what that means for him.

Enter the 九州男児 - or ‘Kyushu Danji’, the Boy from Kyushu.

Hawks has always as a character shown extremely strong location identifiers - from his arc taking place in Fukuoka, which he introduces us to, to being named in a shout out to his hometown’s baseball team (the Softbank Hawks), to briefly using his native dialect (Hakata-ben), to even his backstory as Fukuoka prefecture has a very long history with poverty/working-class backgrounds. As a character he is very much supposed to embody Fukuoka (and Kyushu since we have very few characters from the island) as much as himself.

The Kyushu Danji is somewhere between a stereotype, stock character, and a regional preference for how ‘men from Kyushu’ behave themselves. In very broad terms, historically these men were far more prized than the rest of Japan due to their ‘masculinity’. The Kyushu Danji is not retiring, or polite. He’s aggressive, bold, domineering (in his relationship to women/housework) but is absolutely the provider and patriarch of the house. He’s the heavy drinker; in fact, his drinking seems to be a trademark. He’s a man’s man, with unabashed masculinity, and conservative in regards to gender roles, a conservative mindset that seems to be very commonplace in Northern Kyushu in general.* He’s ‘energetic’ and frank, and brave. Also seemingly ‘simple-minded’

Barring a few things (the frankness, the bravery, and dynamic personality), and his admitted like of drinking and wanting to do it more, this doesn’t sound too much like Hawks, but as with most stereotypes, it tells you more about the culture than it does about an individual person.

If this is the ideal male in his culture, then certainly Hawks would be aware of such an image. He’s not extremely traditionally masculine, but certainly has an admiration of someone who very much is - and suddenly the comment about not having a back broad enough that Hawks gave seems far more poignant and targeted about Hawks not exactly meeting the cultural ideals of masculinity he would have grown up with. 

III. Putting It All Together

So, we do know that Hawks has an impoverished parent or parents that drink, neglect the cleanliness and safety of their house and child(ren), in a way that’s also Horikoshi’s shorthand for showing that a character is either mentally ‘unstable’, or outside society, or both (and it’s very likely one of the parents or both are also heteromorphs, who do face marginalization). Alcohol clearly plays a role in showing us this. 

We also know Hawks is from a region with rather conservative gender roles where the paternal figure is expected to provide (doesn’t seem to be happening) for his family while the maternal figure is supposed to take care of the home (not happening), and there’s an acceptance of heavy drinking with the paternal figure. 

Either way, have some headcanons:

Hawks grew up with an alcoholic, neglectful parent. Assuming it’s a heterosexual family, if it’s the father, the mother might be out of the picture (hence the lack of care for the home in a region where that’s delegated to the woman of the house). Or vice-versa, or both parents are alcoholics. 

Hawks also probably grew up with a paternal figure that didn’t measure up to what men are supposed to be in a cultural context for him; there was no financial stability as ‘Kyushu men’ are supposed to bring. 

His ideal of what heroes should be - reliable, shouldering things on their own, bringing stability and reassurance stems from the lack of this in his own family and it’s why the ‘image’ of what he thinks Endeavor is so appealing to him. Conversely, Hawks doesn’t feel like he measures up to this image - despite reaching for it.

And, finally, it’s very likely that if we were to see a ‘downward’ spiral for our winged-hero Hawks, it would involve depictions of drinking.

#hawks #bnha hawks #hawks bnha #meta #bnha meta #my meta #alcohol tw #endeavor tw #long post #bnha #mha #alcohol abuse tw #child neglect tw

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

pillows and thunderstorms

Summary: A horrible thunderstorm is a perfect opportunity for another date, but Clementine had expected candlelight, or maybe some soft music, but this... is neither of those things. She’s definitely not complaining, though. 

I had a really bad day so here’s a short little clouis thing that I wrote on my lunch break to calm myself down.

Read on AO3 

---

The inky sky lit in a quick flash, breaking the blanket of darkness thrown over the school and surrounding woods mere moments before a mutter of thunder vibrates through the earth. The wind carries with it heavy, cold droplets and torn leaves from the trees, all beating down over the roof and echoing through the halls.

They knew this storm would come. The tempestuous clouds daunting above them at dinner time, the sudden increase of the whistling wind, and that distinct scent of cool, metallic earth were more than enough signs to get them moving; closing the windows, moving the tables under shelter, covering the woodpile, securing the gates.

This storm, so booming and chaotic, left a damper on the morale among the group that evening, each dispersing throughout the school.

Clementine, staring out the front windows at the thick, gray curtain of rain with a somber frown, breathes out a low, heavy sigh. Her breath fogs over the glass where she absently draws a little smiley face.

Thunderstorm or not, the day itself hadn’t been great.

In fact, she’d dare say it’d been shitty.

Real shitty.

“Hey.”

Louis’ warm hands grip her upper arms as he leans to peer over her shoulder. She presses back into him, letting out another sigh at the comfort his presence always provided.

“Hey.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

Clementine can feel his stare but keeps her eyes peered forward, forcing interest in the patterns and crossed paths of the droplets slipping over the glass.

“Yeah.”

Louis reaches over and adds a tongue to the smiley face she previously traced, saying, “AJ’s having a sleepover with Tenn and Willy tonight.”

She turns to glance up at him, brows raised.

Ever since they first came to Ericson’s, she and AJ always slept in the same room no matter what, especially in the beginning and right after they took down the delta. Some nights he’d go out on patrol, but AJ still came back to flop down on his bed to sleep.  

The thought of him wanting to sleep somewhere else never occurred to her.

“Really?”

“Yeah, he, uh-” Louis frowns, “-Tenn doesn’t do too good with storms that’re bad like this. AJ thought he and Willy could help distract him from it, y’know?”

Clementine’s expression softens into a small grin.

Louis lets her go, moving to lean himself against the window pane with a mischievous grin adorning his full lips. She eyes him, brow perked curiously at the way he tugs on the flaps of his jacket and cocks his head at her.

“What?”

“Since the child’s out for the night, I planned a little surprise for you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep! Think of it like-” his smirk softens, becoming almost timid, “-a date, if you will.”

“A date, huh?” she smiles. “Haven’t had one of those in a while.”

“I think we’re due.”

She nods, reaching out to grab his hand, running her thumb over a scab on his knuckles, a small injury he acquired from hunting.

“A date does sound really nice.”

“I’ll see you up there, then?”

“Of course. I’ll be up in a minute.”

---

She had expected romantic candlelight, or perhaps ever a slow song from the gramophone to play for them to dance to.

But, this… is neither of those things.

Off-white sheets spread across from on bunk bed to the other, draping over the high stacks of pillows and covering more than half of the room. A soft glow repressed through the sheets reveals Louis’ silhouette within the extravagant pillow fort.

His fingers slip through the opening of the sheets as he peeks out at her with a grin.  

“What have you done to our room?”

“Proving that we can, in fact, keep my entire collection in here.”

She laughs at that, approaching the pillow fort with crossed arms. “Is that right? Not very practical.”

“Maybe so, but you’ll change your mind once you’re inside.” He pushes the sheet open further, letting the yellow of the flashlight bleed out onto the wooden floors. “Won’t you join me?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“I have pretzels,” he offers in a tempting, sing-song voice, reaching behind to shake the wrinkly bag.

“Are they stale?”

“Oh, yeah. They taste like chunks of cardboard.”

Clementine smirks, shrugging off her jacket and taking off her hat, tossing them by the closet doors to join his coat. 

“Just how I like ‘em.”

The pillows are soft and clean, and for a split second, she wonders where he found the time to bring all those pillowcases to the river to wash. They get comfortable, sitting close enough for their knees to touch with the flashlight pointing up between them.

A particularly hard roar of thunder vibrates through the earth, but instead of bringing any feeling of dread, it’s almost like a lull within the safety of the sheets and stacks of pillows.

“Pretty nice, huh?”

“Alright, I admit it,” Clementine reaches over to lace their fingers together, “this is cozy.”

“Cozy enough to keep it like this?”

“Let’s not get crazy.”

“Why not?” he asks. “It’s good to be a little crazy every once and a while! You can think of it as waking up every morning in your own little pillow castle.” Then, he nudges her, emphasizing, “Queen Clem.”

She rolls her eyes, giggling at the silly nickname. “Only if you’ll be my court jester, Belouga.”

Louis winks, saying, “Anything for the queen.”

They’re both laughing now as Clementine leans into him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. He shifts, the laughter slowing as he leans back, bringing her to lie down beside him. She allows herself to relax against the fluffy materials beneath them, sighing contently at the soothing thunderstorm still shaking the earth outside.

Louis pulls a blanket over them, careful to avoid knocking over the flashlight. The warmth envelops them.

They’re comfortably quiet, blinking up at the ceiling of the pillow fort and enjoying each other’s company. The exhaustion of the day hits her, and just as her eyes begin to droop, weariness beginning to take over.

“What a shitty day,” she murmurs with a sigh.

Louis’ hand squeezes hers, bringing them up to rest against his chest.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s not your fault.”

She doesn’t say anything, turning herself completely onto her side to snuggle closer into his shoulder.

“Violet’ll come around.”

She shakes her head. “So you say.”

“She will,” he insists. “Eventually.”

“I should’ve just stayed out of it.”

“You were worried about her. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Worried was a little of an understatement.

When Violet walked back through the gates with Aasim by her side and a bloodied arm, Clementine was the first one there with panic in her wide eyes.

Thankfully, it hadn’t been a bite. One of the traps malfunctioned and sliced Violet’s arm. When Clementine asked her if she was alright, all she got in return was a harsh glare. Then, when Clementine reached out- her first mistake- Violet took her good arm and shoved her to the ground.

“Get the fuck away from me!”

“Violet!”

Louis stepped in between them, turning a fuming Violet around and guiding her towards Ruby. Aasim helped her up as he explained what happened, but Clementine’s focus was solely on Violet as Ruby hurried her inside before Mitch came out to see what happened.

The fall hadn’t hurt nearly as much as the sting those harsh, furious words or the contempt still lingering in those eyes.

Damn near a year later, and still… Violet still looked at her like that.

“How’s her arm?” she asks.

“Ruby said it wasn’t deep enough to need stitches, so an easy fix. I’ll go check on her in the morning and-” he pauses, squeezing her hand again, ”I could try talking to her-”

“No,” she cuts him off. “Not after what happened last time.”

“That was different. More time has passed now. She might listen to me.”

“You can’t force her to be friends with me again, Lou.”

“...I know,” he sighs. “I just hate seeing you both like that. I... I know how much you miss her.”

She doesn’t respond.

The silence falls over them again, only interrupted with the frequent rumbling from outside. She tries to push those thoughts of Violet out of her mind, rather wanting to focus on the comfort of the boy beside her, on this fingers absently running along her back. She pulls the blanket up closer, allowing her eyes to drift shut. When it feels as though sleep might take her, Louis’ voice brings her back. 

“Clementine?”

The use of her full name, the way it rolls off his tongue so smooth and natural, so soft, spreads a strange shot of warmth through her stomach.

Louis turns on his side, chin resting in his palm as he gazes down at her, chewing on his lip with hesitation in his eyes. Almost as if contemplating.

“I've decided something,” he finally says slowly.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“What have you decided?”

He tilts his head, studying her thoughtfully. His eyes fall to her lips.

“I’m going to kiss you.”

She blinks up at him, fully awake now, eyes widening at such a blunt statement. The pulse beating in her neck quickens with the fluttering of her belly and spreading heat through her face and down her neck. 

She waits, expecting him to lean over, grip the back of her head and bring their lips together. 

However, he does nothing. 

She breathes out, “Well?”

“Oh, not right now,” he smiles. “But I will before our date’s over, so don’t fall asleep on me, yeah?”

She could smack him. She truly could. All she’d need to do is grab one of the many pillows surrounding them and give him a good wack for making her heart flutter like that.

When Louis begins to chuckle at her expression, her slightly agitated pout, Clementine moves to try and kiss him herself. However, even though the idea went smoothly in her head, the execution didn’t work so well. While trying to crawl over him, her leg knocks into the flashlight when it becomes tangled with another blanket, causing the fort to fall dark.

“Shit-”

“Ow!”

Clementine sits up, patting around for the fallen light within the blankets.

“Where’d it go?”

“Um, that’s my foot!”

“Are you sure?”

“Clem, I’m pretty sure I know the difference between a flashlight and my own foot, thank you.”

Louis moves beside her, helping in the search of the fallen light while chuckling lightly to himself.

She jerks the blanket up, hearing the light crash down against the bare wooden floors. The glow stutters, flashing twice before being covered again when a stack of pillows knocks over, caving in part of the fort.

“Oops.”

“Clementine, are you destroying my- hey hey hey!”

The sheets fall on top of them, bringing down the rest of the fort to crash around them in a fairly silent avalanche of pillows. They’re both stuck in a tangled mess of sheets, pillows, and blankets, trying to find an opening of escape. 

Louis pulls the sheet off of her, exposing her to the fresh air of the room where they both burst out laughing. He managed to find the flashlight, beating it against his palm before it shines again, uncovering the disaster they sit in. 

“What a mess.”

“I blame you.”

Clementine laughs, carefully bringing herself to her feet and offering him a hand. “C’mon, we gotta pick this up.”

“Says who? I say we leave it, sleep among the destruction, and rebuild tomorrow.”

“Nope,” she shakes her head. “Queen’s orders. These all go back to the jester’s quarters.”

“You’re a strict ruler, your majesty. Very commanding. I like that.”

She smiles.

With the light set on AJ’s desk to help illuminate the room, Clementine begins folding up the sheets into nice, smooth squares, setting them on the bed. She glances back at Louis’ reluctant frown at the mess.

“Can’t say this is where I thought our date would go. Any idea where the pretzels went- Oh-” there’s crunching beneath his foot, “-nevermind.”

She moves over to their bed with a grin still pulling at her lips as she reaches down to grab the blanket.

Something hits her shoulders and back.

Though it didn’t hurt, the suddenness of it causes an embarrassing noise to escape her throat as she whips around. A pillow rests at her feet, the obvious culprit for what struck her.

Her narrow gaze darts up at Louis, whose back is to her. Cheerfully humming to himself, he stacks his pillows into a neat pile oh so innocently.

“Did you just throw that at me?”

“Hm?”

Louis peers over his shoulder, brow raised with a small, knowing smirk pressing to his mouth.

“Louis.”

“What?”

“You hit me!”

“What?” he repeats, pressing a hand over his chest and producing a faux innocence in his expression. “Clem, I would never.”

She kicks the pillow at him. “Then, what’s this?”

“...A pillow from the pillow fort you elegantly destroyed?”

Her head leans back as she rolls her eyes. She turns, but before she can finish bending down to grab the blanket she dropped, Clementine’s hit again, this time against her bottom.

“Louis!”

He laughs, throwing the pillow at her, this time harder as he admits, “Okay, I lied.”

Clementine catches it against her chest, pausing to playfully glare at his challenging expression before darting forward. Louis blocks her attack, shielding himself with his arms as he grabs more pillows, swinging them at her.

Pillows fly everywhere, being thrown and swung around as the two continue to laugh and fight for several minutes, the room buzzing with delightful laughter and soft thuds knocking around.

Clementine manages to knock him down against the cushioned ground where he lays sprawled, chuckling breathlessly as his chest heaves. 

Triumphant with hands on her hips, she towers over him, saying, “I win.”

“Oh, no,” he huffs, pointing up at her, “you don’t.”

Louis weakly throws another pillow at her, which she catches and tosses back at him. He lets it fall over his face, muffling his laughter. Maneuvering herself onto the floor to crawl above him, she yanks the pillow off and secures both his wrists beside his head with a victorious smirk.

He barely struggles, allowing her to overpower him with a slight pout on his lips.

“Say ‘Uncle!’”

“No!”

“Say it!”

“Never!”

Clementine’s in a fit of giggles, barely able to get out, “You’ve already lost, so just give up!”

“Oh-ho!” Louis gives a challenging grin. “But, my darling, I’ve got one last trick up my sleeve.”

“And what-”

He’s quick, forcing himself up to break his wrists free of her grasp, hands moving behind her head to bring her into a firm liplock. A soft noise vibrates in her throat at the sudden contact, but the shock is fleeting. Eyes flutter shut as her hands run over his shoulders and to his neck. She kisses him back, moving her lips with his in the soft, ardent way they always do. 

Too focused on him, his lips and his hands, that she barely notices when her back presses against the comfortable mess of pillows. He tries to pull away, to end the kiss, but she brings him back to her lips. He grins, giving in and kissing her again. 

Clementine lets him move away this time, both lightly panting and gazing at each other through loving, lidded eyes. 

Louis smiles down at her.

“I win.”

#twdg #twdg fanfic #twdg louis #twdg clementine #twdg clouis #clouis #twdg louisentine #louisentine #twdg aj #twdg violet #twdg aasim #twdg ruby #twdg mitch #twdg willy #twdg tenn #louis twdg #clouis twdg #clementine twdg #haven't posted a oneshot in a while #so... here? #just some nonsense fluff i guess