#born and raised in KY

[haloburns]

things i learned today: i can only be angry in southern. i do not understand how other people can properly express their anger outside the south

WHERE are your prepositions WHERE are you elongation of contractions WHERE are your threats to the lord and their momma??????? how do you convey how angry you are otherwise???????????

#sent a soundbite in the discord in all my appalachian glory #still aint written the piece that needs writin bc i can't undo the southern #this is taking me longer than any smut fic #ecto talks #i'm from ky for the newbies #born and raised eastern gal

[earthtoharlow]

Teach Me Concept: Jayla's Prom! 🥹💕

AN: loved this idea and I could not stop writing so it’s kinda long 🥹🫶

Series Masterlist

“Thank you for doing my makeup, ma” Jayla said as Ariel was finishing up her makeup. Tonight was her senior prom, and it was sure to be a night to remember.

“Anything for my first born.” Ariel said while touching up her lip gloss. Jayla couldn’t help but smile loving how Ariel considered her, her first child despite having the twins.

Jayla’s mind eventually started drifting off, while she was excited for Prom she was nervous. She was going to Prom with the most popular guy in school, Cameron Summers. The two never ran into the same circles at school, but it wasn’t until they were partnered up for their chemistry project that they started talking and became friends.

Their conversation quickly went from chemistry to innocent flirting. At first, Jayla didn’t think much of it until he nervously asked her out to prom, saying he was really starting to like her. Suddenly everything mattered to her and was important. Makeup, outfit, hair etc had to be on point.

She started biting her lip nervously, what if asking her out was some sick joke or bet, like how it plays out in books and movies? What if he really gets to know her, and Cameron decides that he doesn’t find her funny and interesting anymore? What if…

Jayla’s what ifs were cut off by Ariel’s voice. “Okay, what’s going on in that head of yours?”

Jayla raised an eyebrow wondering how she knew she was overthinking.

“Don’t look so shocked, I’ve been part of your life for far too long to not know that you always play with your KY necklace when you’re nervous.”

She immediately dropped the necklace from her hands and placed them in her lap and signed.

“I’m just thinking about Cameron…and this whole night in general.” Jayla said. She just wanted this night to go perfect. “What if Cameron realizes he doesn’t really like me?” Jayla continued.

Putting the makeup down she was holding in her hands on the vanity, Ariel pulled Jayla from her stool and drags her to the mirror in her bedroom.

“First, I just want to say that you look beautiful. Second, I’ve met Cameron when he would come over to work on that project and he had this silly love sick look on his face every time you spoke.”

“Really?” Jayla questioned not sure if she believed her or not

“Yeah, I thought I was going to have to give him a bib just in case he started drooling!” Ariel and Jayla laughed at the thought of that.

“But, seriously you don’t have anything to worry about. You have a pure and kind heart. Cameron would be an idiot to not like you. This is going to be a night to remember, don’t forget to have fun!”

Jayla’s shoulders dropped as she relaxed. Talking to her mom always made her feel better. Turning around she gave Ariel a loving hug, pulling away when she heard the doorbell.

“Ma, please hurry and get the door, you know how dad and Uncle Urb is!” Jayla said wide eyed.

“I got you, I’ll make sure they don’t scare him away!” She said as she quickly left the room.

***

Jack and Urban opened the door and looked at the nervous young teen up and down. Both could definitely tell he was a jock in the school.

“Hello, Mr. Harlow.” The young man squeaked out Jack couldn’t help but smile to himself, happy to know that he intimated the teen.

Cameron stood up straighter and held out his hand for Jack to shake. Jack stood there with his arms crossed, just to make him sweat a bit. Urban did the same, giving the teen a hard stare.

The teen awkwardly put his arm back to his side, and bounced on his toes.

Jack loudly cleared his throat, “What do you like about my daughter?”

“And you better answer correctly.” Urban added

Cameron rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he spoke.”Well, we’ve only been talking for a couple months but Jay…”

He was cut off by Urban, “Her name is Jayla.”

Cameron quickly nodded his head before continuing “Sorry, sir. Jayla is very smart, driven, and passionate. She’s the girl I look forward to talking and hanging out with during lunch and free periods…—“

Jack and Urban looked at each other as Cameron continued to ramble with a spark in his eye. They came with a silent agreement that Cameron was a good kid.

“Hey hey! You can stop with your ramblings. I get it.” Jack said with a playful eye roll and a sigh.”

He reached out his hand for Cameron to shake. He tightened his grip on the teen's hand when he tried to pull away. Cameron winced at the tight grip.

“Just don’t hurt her okay?” Jack said with a big almost evil smile

Just as Cameron was about to reply, Ariel came squeezing past Jack and Urban. “Move it!”

They both stepped back.

“Nice to see you again, Cameron”

“Wait, you’ve met him before?!” Jack said from behind her

“Shut up, Jackman.” Ariel said with a smile, not even bothering to turn around.

She guided Cameron through the house, ignoring the looks from Jack and Urban. “Don’t let them scare you, they’re all bark no bite.”

“HEY!”

“Jayla will be down in just a minute.” Just as she spoke, she saw that sparkle come back to Cameron’s eyes, his mouth wide open this time, she knew Jayla was at the top of the steps.

She looked gorgeous with her curls pinned up, she wore a beautiful teal evening gown that had butterflies all over it. It reminded Jack so much of her butterfly themed birthday party from when she was younger.

Cameron reached his hand out for Jayla to grasp on to as she made it to the bottom of the staircase. “Wow, I don’t know what to say, you look amazing.”

Jayla’s face warmed as he took a step back to take her in. “Thank you, Cam. You look very handsome.” Cameron slid on a matching butterfly corsage on her wrist while Jayla pinned the butterfly boutonnière to his jacket.

They turned back towards the parents when they heard sniffling from behind them. Jack, Ariel and Urban were all cuddled up in a hug watching the teens interact with tears in all their eyes.

Jayla immediately rolled her eyes. “Guys, stop that please.” Before giving Cameron an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, you know I have allergies” Urban spoke first

“Yeah, uh you know I’m always getting something in my bad eye.” Jack added.

Ariel fanned her face to try to get rid of the tears. “C’mon, pose nice for us so we can get some photos.”

Jayla and Cameron smiled as Urban began taking pictures of them together. The photos ended up taking longer because Ariel wanted to take some using her phone. 20 minutes later Jayla was begging them to let her leave.

“Ok, ok I’m done I promise. You two go have fun! Call me if you need anything!” Ariel said as she walked the teens out.

“Cameron, I want her home by 10:30, no later!”

“DAD!”

Ariel hit her husband on the chest. “Ignore him, sweetie! Be home by 1AM!” She said with a wave

“1AM are you crazy?!”

“Shut up, and get in the house Jackman!”

#anon #jack harlow #jack harlow x oc #teach me #teach me concepts #heavyhitterheaux

[the-oc-lass]

*Rings a bell* CROSSHAIR GIRLIES COME GET Y'ALLS FOOD

In light of all that angst we got last week, I decided to do some mental/emotional stability damage control and write a cute little fluff fic featuring Crosshair and a baby.

It is aptly titled Crosshair and a Baby and it's currently on Ao3. The baby and its mom are OCs but that's not important to the story. I'd like to think this takes place in some version of a post-season 3 timeline. Idk, though, because at this point I have no idea how this season ends. We're all in this stress together, my friends.

In case anybody doesn't want to go to Ao3, the full fic will also be here as well. Have at it:

Echo Yothia—or, more commonly and affectionately just called “Ec” so as not to confuse him with the man he was named after—is a bundle of joy and a beacon of hope among the clones. With Ec’s mother playing the role of general to the clone rebellion, the boys are more than happy to help her look after her kid. After all, he’s half clone, and therefore like their collective nephew (or son, technically, since they have the same DNA, but they’d much rather be the fun uncles). Omega, however, happily plays the role of big sister to little Ec, playing with him and keeping him occupied when the others are busy. 

As of right now, she’s holding the baby while standing beside Crosshair, watching as Wrecker lifts Omega’s friend Ky—a Nautolan former-padawan—above his head while Ky giggles. Omega smiles and Ec giggles and squirms slightly, reaching a little hand toward Wrecker. 

“Omega!” The young clone turns her head, and Hunter waves a hand at her. “Come here a second.” Omega nods, then turns toward Crosshair. 

“Here, you hold him while I’m gone,” she says. Crosshair looks between her and the baby, giving her an unamused look. “Come on, Crosshair! I won’t be gone long. All you have to do is not drop him!” Crosshair looks at her for a moment more, then sighs. 

“Fine,” he says, carefully taking the baby. He’d never admit it, but the reluctance is mostly for show. He likes Ec about as much as every other clone, really. Omega smiles at him, then runs off to see Hunter. Crosshair watches her for a moment, then turns his attention down to Ec. The infant stares up at him with big brown eyes, smiling at him and giggling slightly. Crosshair frowns slightly, gently poking at the child’s nose. “What are you looking at, runt?” The little nose boop only serves to make Ec giggle again, and he lifts tiny hands to grasp onto Crosshair’s finger. As soon as his finger is in Ec’s clutches, Crosshair stills. Ec was a “preemie” (according to the nat-borns) born almost a month before he was supposed to, and he’s been small and tubby since then. He’s the type of baby that the Kaminoans would’ve never kept around, a fact that lingers with many of the clones—Crosshair included. In addition to the small child being so, well, small, he’s also being raised in the middle of a rebellion. You can’t blame them for being so protective of little Ec. Say what you will about Crosshair, but he’s not cold and heartless. In fact, he admits that when Ec grabs onto his finger, a warm feeling spreads through his chest, loosening a knot that he’d forgotten was there. Calling the kid “runt” is practically a nickname by now. He’s careful when he extracts his finger from Ec’s grasp, briefly punching a tiny cheek before he shifts the child in his arms. Ec whines a little, but Crosshair shushes him gently. For just a moment, Crosshair turns his gaze back in Omega’s direction, trying to see what she and Hunter are up to. However, Ec whines again, insistently patting at Crosshair’s jaw. The clone sighs and looks down at the infant, watching his eyes sparkle when Crosshair gives him attention again. Crosshair sighs, stroking his hand over the child’s short hair. It’s mostly brown, but there’s a tuft of his mother’s green coming in at the front. He’s going to have weird hair when he grows up. Ec giggles and pats at Crosshair’s jaw again. “Dada!” The entire galaxy stops. Planets stop rotating, stars fall out of motion, and the air is ripped out of Crosshair’s lungs. He knows the significance of that word for nat-borns. Logically, he knows that Ec probably doesn’t know which of the clones is his actual father and because he’s around them all the time, he’d probably call any of them “dada.” But as far as Crosshair is aware, this is the first time Ec has spoken anything coherent. It’s his first word. And he just said that word to Crosshair and called him dada. The clone stares down at the baby with wide eyes and Ec’s face scrunches into something a little sadder. “Dada?” Crosshair finally breaks out of his stupor, lifting his hand to stroke the baby’s cheek. Ec’s look of happiness returns, and Crosshair briefly looks around. It seems like no one else heard what Ec said. As Crosshair looks back at Ec, he decides it’s for the best. It’s a strange sort of honor to be the first one to hear Ec speak, but that honor should go to Ec’s mother, or Echo, or his actual father. Crosshair smiles slightly at Ec. This can be their little secret. He glances around again before planting a quick little kiss on the top of Ec’s head, and the baby giggles. He doesn’t speak again the entire time that Crosshair continues to hold him, and is eventually passed back to Omega to be brought back to his mother. Even when he’s gone, the warm feeling lingers in Crosshair’s chest, and he smiles contently to himself.

#the bad batch #tbb #the bad batch s3 #the bad batch season 3 #tbb season 3 #tbb s3 #tbb crosshair #crosshair tbb #crosshair bad batch #crosshair and omega #omega tbb #omega bad batch #crosshair #crosshair fluff #bad batch fic

[guiltygearconfessions]

hilarious that shit always goes down on ky’s birthday. the crusades end on his 18th, so you technically make the argument that all the war crimes he committed should be pardoned on account of him being a child soldier. ariels revealed herself on his 30th? and he was born. Guilty gear citizens should brace themselves on November 20th

New canon lore: Ky is not catholic because he was raised that way or believes in its messages it's because the universe won't give him a fucking break so he keeps trying to find a higher power to knock that shit off

#confessions #ky kiske #guilty gear

[demilypyro]

Oh love seeing more trans characters! So what’s bridget all about as a character? I know I could look it up but I’d like to see your take if that’s cool.

Bridget was born along with her twin brother into a deeply superstitious village that considered same-sex twins to be a source of bad luck, and was subsequently raised as if female so she wouldn't get exiled or sacrificed. In her early game appearances, she pursued masculine activities to get away from her feminine upbringing, becoming a bounty hunter, while still presenting female. She was at that time very defensive about being male due to the pressure from her village wanting her to be a girl.

By the time of Strive, Bridget has become a successful and wealthy bounty hunter, which has left her without a sense of purpose, as she no longer has to do it simply to make a living. With her new resources, she has the freedom to do whatever she wants, away from her village's influence. Her description for Strive says she is "trying to understand [her] true self."

Her theme song for Strive contains lines like "I can't go home cause I'm afraid something will change", "me without me", "I already have the gifts just can't open the box", "my body is a lie", "I've had the grey haze for a long time, though I never found out what it was" and "it no longer changes me, no matter what changes"

During Strive's arcade mode, Bridget has interactions with Goldlewis and Ky Kiske where she sounds far less sure of herself than she used to, which they pick up on. Bridget says that she's been feeling conflicted, unsure of whether to keep living as a boy but scared of making the wrong the decision. Goldlewis and Ky encourage her to think about who she is and what makes her happy, for the sake of her future self, which gives her pause. She thanks them for their support and proudly proclaims that she's a girl.

[bluehax6]

I have a few things to say about Bridget's story in Guilty Gear.

For those of you who don't know, Bridget's background was originally that she was born the younger of twin boys, in a society that believed twin boys was a bad omen. Her parents didn't want to kill or banish either of their children, so instead they decided they would raise Bridget as a girl in order to avoid the stigma the society had. Once Bridget became old enough, she left her town and became a bounty hunter, openly stating that she was a man, yet still wearing feminine clothing. Her time as a bounty hunter and being revealed that she was male broke her hometown's belief of the danger of twin boys. In Guilty Gear XX, her first appearance, Bridget's stated motivation was to become more masculine, more in line with her male identity at the time, rather than the femenine appearance she had from her childhood.

Then, she came back in Guilty Gear Strive, and her story was redirected, from trying to become more masculine to being a trans woman. This revelation comes after several encounters with Goldlewis Dickinson and Ky Kiske in arcade mode, who encouraged her to be true to herself.

Many people are mad about this direction for her to go in for one simple reason: they are transphobic. They keep trying to come up with simply nonsensical excuses such as "it's a mistranslation of the complex japanese meaning" or "because she was raised as a girl, becoming a girl is actually detransitioning" (paraphrasing). The truth of the matter is that Bridget is trans, and that representation can help a lot of people feel seen. Many people see Bridget is trans, and appreciate that there is an openly and directly stated trans person in media, and that can and has encouraged people to try to join in the game, larger series, and even the fgc as a whole, who probably wouldn't have otherwise. It is definitely part marketing or arcsys's part, but it's also representation that isn't seen in a lot of other places, and representation is just good in general. It helps grow the community and is a step towards inclusion that not many other game studios have taken.

Now, there is another side I want to discuss. I want you to think about what would have happened if they hadn't made Bridget trans. I see three possibilities:

1. Bridget is never added to a future guilty gear game (which is theoretically possible for any character)

2. In line with their character arc, Bridget is turned into a very masculine man, and people lose their beloved femboy

3. Their arc is stalled and incomplete, as they remain a femboy and never make progress towards their goal of becoming masculine

None of these things are very good. As Bridget was highly requested to be put in a future game before Strive, but wasn't, I personally think it's because arcsys didn't really know where to take her character arc back then. So they stalled for time, not putting her in until they knew what the best course of action was for her character. They wouldn't make the unpopular move of making her a buff super masculine man, nor would they give her an stalled and simply bad arc that never made any progress. They made her trans. This is simply the best course of action for her character, as it avoids all those other problems that may arise, as well as filling in holes from previous games.

I want you to think about one more thing: Bridget's story in XX is that she wants to become more masculine, and she has the freedom to do it, now that she is a well renowned bounty hunter. So then, why does she still wear feminine clothing, that is clearly shown to confuse people about her gender identity? I know that you don't need to wear clothing in line with your gender, obviously. However, when her clear and stated motivation is to become more masculine, then it seems odd that she would present femininely. Perhaps it is because, deep down, she always knew she was a girl.

#bridget #brisket #bridget guilty gear #trans #transgender #guilty gear #guilty gear strive #guilty gear xx

[headspace-hotel]

hi. i have an embarrassing confession to make. i was born and raised in kentucky and lived there for the vast majority of my life, but i have no idea what the fuck bluegrass is supposed to be. like is it different in some way to "regular" grass (if there is such a thing)? is the color really blue-r than regular degular sod you'd find in any given lawn? like i'm familiar with the bamboo populations in central ky (there's some in my parents' backyard!) and i love the native wildflowers but bluegrass? it eludes me

Well simply put, there isn't really "regular" grass (there are a dizzying variety of grasses!) but it does elude me why bluegrass is called bluegrass, since it doesn't look blue and the seed heads are purplish-pink. There's no blue at all in it.

[gnostichor]

That Cloud and Its Auxiliaries Are Forever

Heulog-12 drops herself onto the shaded bench, slouched shoulders heavy with inelegant worry. She had just returned from Titan by means of that disorienting portal installed aboard the HELM, and the nausea caused by whatever esoteric technologies that power that thing had yet to wear off. She wearily sets her helmet next to her, and when its clumsy placement sends it clattering to the paving stones she cannot bring herself to reach down and retrieve it. The helmet’s metallic ringing fades, giving way to the familiar silence of this darkened back alley behind the Tower Bazaar where she and Kysurax like to meet.

A nearby wall tears open with a green scream, and from between the bricks emerges the Risen Wizard herself. Gliding closer, she wordlessly picks up the helmet and lowers herself awkwardly on the undersized bench. At first she says nothing, looking down at the helmet in her lap as if it were Heulog herself, then asks, “Is it true?”

The Exo sighs, leaning back until the metal of her head pings against the brick. “It is.”

Kysurax fitfully runs her claws down through the grooves of the helmet’s shell, tracing its history through the etches, marks, and gouges found along its weathered surfaces. “When is it to take place—will it even work?”

“Soon, and I have no idea if it will work. There’s a small angry wound somewhere inside me that hopes that maybe it won’t.”

In response, Kysurax finally looks at Heulog, her eyes green-hot with some inscrutable emotion. “Why wo—”

“BECAUSE SHE HURT ME, KY.” She hadn’t meant to raise her voice, pulling herself from the wall to meet the Wizard’s gaze. She quickly realized that she had never actually said those words aloud before, and they simply had needed to get out. “She led me to believe that she wanted to change, that just maybe she saw ahead of her a possible path born by the fruits of honesty, reparations, and,” she struggles with the word, “...forgiveness. That there was space in the world for the likes of us, and that it was worth searching for.” She turns away, facing forward as the heat of her indignance gutters out. “That she was my friend. And I believed it.” 

After a moment she looks up at Kysurax, all anger given way to sadness. “I used to read to her. Off-duty, I would bring whatever I could from the libraries that week and just…read to her: novels, textbooks, old newspapers, poetry. She told me how happy it made her, how fascinating it was just how much she could learn about me merely by what I chose to bring down with me each time, how nice of a change it was to have a fulfilling relationship with someone after all those countless gray eons. A Cloud withdrew from the Sky. Pre-Golden Age poem. She told me it was her favorite of everything I ever brought to her.”

Heulog sighs, shaking her head. “And then she was Risen. A new start. Memories wiped clean. It broke my heart, finding out that that had been her plan all along: that every moment she spent with me was knowingly going to be tossed away like a shed skin.” Her voice catches in her throat. “But that wasn’t the plan, was it? She left a trail of clues for this desperate, heartbroken and guileless Warlock to follow, and got her memories back—some, but not all. Just the useful ones. Not the time we spent together, or the things she said to me, or all those supposed insights gleaned from my behavior. She just…she did not want it.” Heulog felt the modulation of her voice, the microtremors cascading through the tiny actuators that clicked and whirred beneath the plates of her face, the gentle flickering of the lamps behind her eyes: she was crying. 

“She could have, I don’t know, she could have made something else so she could remember, some—something different, for us, a new, different thing for us, for the altar, to remember with the altar, before she ran away. Before she ran away to die and forget—to forget about me. But she didn’t want it. She didn’t want it and she forgot about me. She didn’t—why didn’t she want me?” Her shoulders heaving with sobs, Heulog throws herself around Kysurax’s midsection as best she can, clumsy and awkward as her metal fingers tangle and catch on the chitinaceous cage of ribs and spines. Kysurax carefully extracts the Exo’s hands and gently lifts her upright into a more comfortable position and wraps her arms around her, pulling her in close while stroking a shimmering cheek with one claw.

“I am sorry. I did not know all of that,” says the Wizard as tenderly as her flayed throat will allow.

“That’s because I’ve never told anyone—I’ve never talked about this with anyone before; I suppose I never felt like I could. I am,” Heulog sniffles with a newfound sense of self-consciousness, “very sorry for throwing all that at your feet, all at once.”

“It was something you clearly needed to do, and it sharpens my bones that you trust me enough to have let it out.”

Heulog turns to look up at Kysurax, ducking under the claw caressing her cheek in order to readjust her positioning to rest her head affectionately in the Wizard’s leathery palm. “But this news clearly weighs upon you too, and it is unfair of me to dominate our conversation with my clearly-biased reactionary nonsense.”

Kysurax’s three eyes flash. “It is NOT nonsense. As the shape of the Sword defines the shape of the cut, so too does the cut in turn redefine the ever-wearing edge of the Sword. What we call a life is a collected series of impressions left upon us by those we touch and those who touch us. Your hurt is as real as the blade that gave it to you: the threat of Savathûn’s return manifests that hurt in ways you have not had to deal with in over a year.”

Kysurax haunts the alley with a soft sigh. “To clarify my own feelings: I also find myself wondering if it would be best if the ritual failed.”

“Really? Why?”

“I am afraid.”

“That she’ll come back and simply return to her pernicious bullshit?”

Kysurax laughs, or makes a sound that Heulog has come to recognize as laughter: gravel being sifted through with a rusty shovel. It’s one of Heulog’s favorite sounds, and she has made it a lifelong goal to hear it as often as she can.

The Wizard composes herself, returning to her usual, more serious affect. “No, I am afraid,” she takes a deep breath. “I am afraid that she will not. Afraid that the person you thought she was will finally arrive. Seeking redemption, forgiveness. What sort of future, then, would we have to look forward to? What does such a world look like? Is one even possible? What if she comes back to us seeking change and is denied it, held down and chained by a vengeful cosmos unwilling to move beyond the countless millennia of aggregate harm she has inflicted upon it, irrespective of any alleged motivations she may or may not have had at the time? What kind of world makes allowances for the existence of Savathûn the Witch Queen, Repentant? What are you or I in the face of such uncertain tomorrows? What would become of us? Would you still love me as you do now?”

With each enumerated concern, Kysurax’s words become increasingly pressured and frantic; Heulog has never seen her like this before. She sits up straight and reaches one arm behind the Wizard’s back to cradle her thorax, while carefully slipping her free hand between the ribbed lattice of her bony exoskeleton. She reaches around, searching for the dense nerve bundle deep within and finds it, recognizable by its faint, rhythmic thrumming. She places her palm on its tough surface, and begins to hum a softly-dissonant melody: a lesser invocation calling on the strength of the listener, normally sung to newborn Hive just as they are being administered their worm larvae—a lullaby, once used by Kysurax to calm Heulog after a particularly harrowing encounter down in the depths of the recently-returned Titan.

Heulog holds herself as close as she can and continues to hum. She couldn’t yet form the vocalizations, and maybe would never be able to do so, but she hoped that for now the acrid notes alone would suffice. That through the burgeoning haze of unchecked anxiety Kysurax would be able to recall the invoking words and hear the earnest appeal to her inner strength, the words that define that strength as extant and obligate it to come forth, to inhabit her bones and manifest as the truest form of her will. The words that assert that she, as a single unified force of will and body—in defiance of all existence—shall persist.

Heulog feels the thrumming slow, its rhythmic cadence aligning with her own deep breaths. She gently removes her hand from Kysurax’s torso and feels the Wizard’s arms close around her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

“I am afraid,” Kysurax finally says, calm returned to her voice. “But I temper that fear with the certainty that I will be alright, because you are with me.” She looks down at the Exo in her arms, into the starblue flames that are her eyes, and smiles. “I do not doubt, for I have seen your heart. As you have seen mine. That is the power intrinsic to the Yielding Inquisition: there is no obfuscating act of misdirection, no factor of deceit that can withstand the abrading blade of trust conjured by the ritual. Truly, I have known you, and that secret knowledge is a weapon with which I joyfully flense and cast aside any and all flesh given over to the rot of doubt.”

At the ritual’s mention, a sense memory comes rushing unbidden to Heulog: the sour burn of the soulfire clinging to her lips, the infracitrus sting pooling on her tongue. She nestles close, her face half-buried in chitin; a non-verbal reciprocation of Kysurax’s expressed sentiments. It had been quite some time since that night, and the memory of it was a constant companion in Heulog’s thoughts. Maybe she would finally allow herself to ask Kysurax if she wanted to perform the ritual again. Maybe tonight, Heulog thought to herself as she listened to the rise and fall of the Wizard’s calm breath, watching the clouds over the City recede one by one into the horizon.

#destiny fanfiction #destiny #destiny the game #destiny 2 #lucent hive #hive #destiny hive #season of the deep #savathûn #savathun #exo #destiny exo #heulog 12 #kysurax #lesbian #my writing #my ocs

[manawari]

Man. . . Or a monster?

Sung Jin-woo believed he was cursed.

When he was born, the doctors had freaked out because his cells were different from what they were supposed to be. They said that several of his cells were black. Frightened, Kyung-hye held her son close to her chest and pleaded for the doctors to not take her child away from her if they wished to study him. The doctors respected her wish and hoped that everything would turn out fine, especially for her baby.

. . . But it did not.

As Jin-woo grew, he had these. . . Powers. Black smoke, or aura, always overflowed from his hands and other times his eyes would glow purple in the middle of darkness, but returned to their original color when there was light. Kyung-hye and Ill-hwang even caught his shadow moving by itself when he was immobile. Their son's inhumane condition worried them terribly. Jin-woo had to stay indoors and was forbidden to play with other kids and must stay close to his parents. They had to explain everything to their son to make him understand and little three-year-old Jin-woo nodded, already knowing that it was for his own good.

Countless of supposed childhood moments were torn away from him.

Jin-woo found joy through the stories his father told him after coming back from raiding a dungeon, his own toys, and spent time with his parents to fill the gaps in his heart. Then, he would lean on the window of his room to stare at the clouds, wondering what it could've been if he was 'normal' and his parents wouldn't have to worry about anything.

When his sister was born, Jin-woo was happy. He was no longer alone. He finally got someone to play with and look after. So when Kyung-hye got home from the hospital and hunkered down to her son's height, Jin-woo had the brightest smile on his face as he made his way closer, he reached his hand out to touch Jin-ah's cheek, but then—

She cried.

Jin-woo flinched and instantly took a step back. He looked over to his hand and he saw his shadowy aura flushing out from his palm. He turned back to his sister, who was now being comforted by Kyung-hye. Ill-hwang rubbed his back and reassured him that it was not his fault, though Jin-woo utterly felt like he was responsible for his sister's frightened tears. . . He blamed himself.

He tried not to approach his sister no matter how badly he wanted to. He wanted to hold her the same way his parents did. He wanted to make her laugh just like any big brother would. In the end, it was only up to Jin-ah to go to him and it took every ounce of his willpower to keep his hands to himself, in fear that he might hurt her if he lay even a tip of his finger.

"Here, wear these, son." Ill-hwang handed him a pair of black leather gloves. "I asked a mage I know to make these for you. They are enchanted with a very strong mana to shield your shadows."

Jin-woo took the gloves and tugged them to his wrist. His eyes widened. His hands, which always radiated darkness, were now gone. For the first time in his life, his joy was beyond everything he had ever felt, he no longer had the fear of hurting his sister and that he could now play with her.

"Jin-ah!" Jin-woo called his sister and crouched down on his knees and extended his arms out. "Come here!"

Kyung-hye had an awaiting hand in case her daughter trip on her feet. Jin-ah toddled with her small arms sprawled out as she made her way toward her brother, her mouth was stretched into a broad smile that showed bits of her teeth, but due to her excitement, she had gone off balance.

Jin-woo caught her just in time.

Jin-ah giggled and raised her hands on the boy who was holding her. "Oppa!"

Ill-hwang looked at his wife, whose eyes were glistening with tears. He went over her and pulled her to his chest, allowing her to sniffle while wrapping her arms around him. Kyung-hye kissed his cheek in gratitude for giving such a wonderful gift to their son.

Jin-woo and Jin-ah had become inseparable. They would play around in the house and Jin-woo would be the one to tuck his sister to bed. His days grew happier. Even though he hadn't gotten the kind of childhood most kids would have, Jin-woo was content that he was able to live without being afraid of his powers and act like he didn't have one at all.

He tried to ignore it. He tried to be a normal boy and resisted every affect it did to him for neglecting the overwhelming sensations in his veins.

And that was until something happened.

A piercing scream made Ill-hwang and Kyung-hye burst out their bedroom and frantically opened their son's room. In there, Jin-woo was standing on his bed, panic-stricken written over his face as tears incessantly flushed down from his eyes, and his hands had gone bare. On the other side of his room was an accumulation of shadows moving in a circle. Ominous sounds of wind whispered from the darkness.

Ill-hwang immediately rushed toward his son and gathered him in his arms while Kyung-hye picked up the discarded gloves from the floor to put them back in Jin-woo's hands. The magic of the fabric kicked in and the large shadow disappeared. Ill-hwang sighed, and all that was left was his child's aching cry as he gripped on his shirt.

"I didn't take them off on purpose! My hands were getting itchy and I couldn't sleep!" Jin-woo sobbed. "I'm so sorry, dad!"

"Shhh. . . " Ill-hwang brushed his son's hair with his hand and wiped away the tears streaming on Jin-woo's cheeks. "It's okay, son. Your mother and I forgive you. You just lost control and we will figure it out, okay?"

"We love you, sweetie," Kyung-hye whispered and planted a kiss on his forehead. "So much."

Jin-woo learned two things: his mother said the truth and his father lied.

They didn't figure it out. Jin-woo remained under his roof and had ended up being homeschooled via virtual call with his tutor to keep him safe from the outside world and that he would not be harmed by the obstacles. He was hidden from the true reality and was forced to live in his version of reality. Secluded, succumbed with fear, and endured his powers— no, curse.

Jin-woo was cursed since the day he was born and if he was staying true to himself, not even the affection from his parents or even his sister were enough to reassure him that he was not worthless.

He cried himself to sleep once.

However, he could not help but feel like someone was comforting him in the middle of his darkened room. It was almost as if it was the shadows that were soothing him. Their touch was cold like the breezy air and they were whispering words he could not discern, rather it seemed they were just ghosts, but deep inside of his heart, he understood.

Could he be a child born out of darkness?

Was he truly even a human?

Jin-woo hated his curse so much that he didn't realize he had become one. He was a shadow of the outside world. Time moved in silence for him, like yesterday he was that young boy struggling to grasp on the threads of his children, but now, he grew into his teenage years nary a single memory of being with his peers to cherish.

Jin-ah always entertained the dinner table with her stories that had happened in her school. She rambled on doing various of fun activities with her friends and her upcoming plans with them. Jin-woo could only listen, as he couldn't relate and didn't have stories of his own to share to his family. He maintained a neutral expression and forced a smile to mask his pain at the fact that he never got to have a life as happy as Jin-ah's.

In this world, humans could awaken as hunters to fight in dungeons. They were known as heroes of humanity who protected the innocents from monsters who were lurking behind the gates. So when Jin-woo got his awakening. . . That was how his life took the biggest twist.

"Jin-ah! Did you pack all of your things? Here, give me your uniform. I'll iron them so they'll be good as new tomorrow."

"Okay, mom!"

"Be sure to stay safe out there, okay? If something bad happens on the field trip, run away from it as much as you can and stay with the adults."

"I'm not a baby anymore, mom. I know what I should do or what I should not do."

"I know. But I am your mother, and I will never stop worrying about you—"

*clatter*

Kyung-hye and Jin-ah both whipped their heads and saw pieces of shattered plates and thrown tablespoons across the grown. They gasped. Jin-woo had his knees on the ground and his hands were clutching on his hair, gritting his teeth to conceal his voice, his whole body was quivering while a purple aura surrounded him, and shadows were crumpling beneath him.

"Jin-woo!"

"Oppa!"

The mother and daughter rushed toward him, but Jin-woo held out his gloved hand to stop them. He grunted.

"No. . . D— don't— don't come any closer!" He let out, shutting his eyes in pain. "Please! Get. . . Get out of here!"

"Oppa, what is happening?" Jin-ah clutched on her mother's arm, widening her eyes in panic.

"I'm— I'm alright! Just get out of here and— GAH!" Jin-woo screamed in agony. He slammed his fist on the floor and everything shook.

Kyung-hye began tearing up. "Jin-woo. . . Son, please tell me what is going on. Should I call your father to hurry?"

"I can't take it anymore!"

And just like that, everything changed. His eyes lost their color and was replaced with blackness and his pupils lit in purple. The shadow underneath him scattered throughout the house and the lights began to flicker in disruption. Kyung-hye held her daughter to her chest as they watched the chaos unfold. Part of Kyung-hye wanted to run, but she couldn't bear to leave her eldest child alone.

A large part of the ceiling collapsed next to them. Jin-ah shrieked. Kyung-hye took a few steps back and heard the door burst open. It was her husband. She stared at Ill-hwang with tearful eyes and the hunter rushed to his family's side, only to witness that the situation had gotten worse.

Jin-woo had got his awakening earlier, which was something that must not be ignored, so Ill-hwang had had taken another hour to come home just to prepare some things for his son if he had to become a hunter. But he did not anticipated that this would be the scene he would come home to. Ill-hwang made his way closer to his son and reached out his hand.

"Son—"

Something grabbed his neck. Kyung-hye and Jin-ah shrieked together. Jin-woo got up and turned around, eyes glowing amidst the darkness exuding from his body, utterly losing control of himself and his curse taking over ever inch of him. He— was no longer himself. No speck of emotion was traced in his eyes, only darkness that took in a form of a human, stealing his soul to posses the body itself.

"Jin-woo, stop!"

"Let go of our dad, please!"

"Dear!"

Ill-hwang croaked, facing his son, who had a tight grip on his neck from his shadows. He couldn't stand a chance against him. His strength as a hunter were not enough to escape from the powerful forces that had been engraved on his son since the beginning.

"I'm very sorry, my son. . . " His voice strangled as his lungs slowly stopped producing oxygen. "My Jin-woo."

Was Jin-woo still able to hear his father? Well. . .

No, he wasn't.

Jin-woo felt like he was floating in a sea of black. He couldn't see a single thing. But all he knew was that he had never felt so much power in his veins, it was the strong urge that he had the world in his hands — to crush, to destroy, to swallow in darkness.

However, he couldn't move his body. It was like he was frozen in abyss. He could not tell if he was floating or sinking deeper, and deeper, to an endless hole that he had fallen into after collapsing on his knees. He remembered his mother and younger sister staring at him in shock, holding each other close, and him screaming for them to—

Mom! Jin-ah! His eyes snap wide.

Jin-woo forced his body to move, but everything stayed immobile, so it took all of his willpower to break the invincible barrier and he squeezed his eyes shut to let out a scream.

Finally, he regained his control over his body.

However, the next time he opened his eyes, he saw the entire house had crumbled. Smoke wafted from the debris of his home. Jin-woo looked down and saw the body of his father, laying on the ground in front of him, his eyes widened and his heart raced before he cupped his hands around Ill-hwang's head, trying to shake him awake.

"D— dad!" He screamed.

Jin-woo pressed two fingers on a certain spot on his father's neck. There was no pulse. His breath hyperventilated and placed his ear on where the heart was located — there was no heartbeat. Tears quickly beaded on his eyes. Jin-woo looked up and caught two bodies underneath of a thick rubble, he gently lowered his father down then rushed toward them.

No. . .

His mother had his sister wrapped in her embrace and her chin on top of Jin-ah's head. There were dried tears staining his sister's cheek. The hand that was supposed to reach out for them began to shake at the sight. Just like his family, Jin-woo felt like he couldn't breathe, his world was shrinking and spinning, his weight brought him on the ground.

His father. His mother. His little sister. . .

They were dead.

It's all my fault. . . Jin-woo gritted his teeth as more tears came out at the crushing pain that was about to burst his heart into pieces, like a stone shattering all glass walls at once. He screamed so loud that he had grown deaf of his own voice.

Look, oppa! I made you a drawing!

You have my genes, son, therefore you aren't weak.

You make me proud every day, Jin-woo.

I have the best brother ever! Just don't tell him that I said that—

Cursed or not, your mother and I will never stop loving you, Jin-woo.

I can't ask for a better son. . .

The most important people in his life had been ripped away in one night.

Sirens soon arrived in the scene and people rushed out of their vehicles to inspect the situation. Jin-woo sat immobile on his knees as lights flashed around the damaged area, grazing over every rubble, but he didn't bat an eye. He had his eyes glued on the ground next to the lifeless bodies of his family.

"Sir? Can I ask you a question?"

"Just take me," he said, surrendering himself in a heartbeat. "Lock me up."

The officer said nothing.

Jin-woo knew he deserved to pay for his actions. Not only did he destroyed the home that protected him, he also killed the people he loved with all his heart.

He must pay for the cost of his sins and let himself rot in sorrow.

So, he was cuffed around his wrists and got sent to prison. He was the only person in the scene, therefore it was obvious who was behind everything, and he even admitted that he killed his family after awakening. He was a murderer. A monster. His family died because of him.

And happiness had died along with them.

News spread fast and stretched throughout the world. News of a new hunter who killed his own family in cold blood and wrecked his whole house. People gasped in horror. The deceased members were a highschool student, a formidable hunter, and a sweet woman, and their killer was their eldest son.

Jin-woo spent two years in prison. Two years of loneliness because all the other criminals had become terrified and didn't wish to share a cell with him. And in those two years, he missed a lot of important holidays, but he didn't think there was any use of celebrating them. He had no reason to smile or appreciate anything in his life, not when he ruined everything.

Several more months passed, someone came to visit him for the first time since he had been locked behind the bars. The guards brought him to the visiting area where a man was waiting for him in one of the available desks; Jin-woo flashed a puzzled look and had to be nudged to take a seat in front of the visitor.

"Hello, Mr. Sung. I am Woo Jin-chul of the Korean Hunters Association." The man introduced himself. "Your father spoke a lot about you when he said that you've received your awakening."

"My father's dead. There is nothing I can do for you." Jin-woo answered bluntly.

"Is that how you treat your visitor after two years of not speaking to anyone?"

"They are all afraid of me," said Jin-woo. "Get out."

"I am here to get you out. Although, I was supposed to meet you two years back, but I thought you might need some time to grieve." Jin-chul explained. He continued talking when Jin-woo growled at him. "Your father told me that you had potential of becoming a great hunter, and since that was the last words he had spoken to me, I decided to honor him by allowing you to live your life."

"Don't make me laugh!" Jin-woo glared. "Live my life? I stopped living my life and had no desires to keep on going!"

Jin-chul sighed and remove his sunglasses. "Mr. Sung, are you going to stay like this because you've lost everything?"

"Why should I? I'm a—"

"Murderer, I know. I can tell that Hunter Ill-hwang loved his son so much, and I don't quite understand why you had done such a thing, but call it as a second chance." Jin-chul said. "I've already prepared a guild for you to work with, so just wait for your release in some day of this week."

Jin-woo was silent.

Not once he imagined seeing the outside world because he had long accepted that he would spend the rest of his life in prison until his last breath. He was no worthy being to keep on existing under the sun. But here he was, someone who knew his father decided to emancipate him to honor the deceased hunter.

But what else could he do? He had no options to refuse.

Three days later, a police officer came and announced that he was being released. Jin-woo was escorted outside of the establishment and was given a duffle bag with a note on top — it was an address to an apartment and some important contact numbers listed in. He sighed and went to his new accomodation.

Jin-woo wore a black mask on his face and a cap to conceal his identity from the public. Fortunately, the apartment the association had prepared for him didn't include many residents, so entering felt like he was walking inside of an old building. But that was better than to have people look at him like a murderer he was.

When he got settled and set his new clothes on the cabinet, Jin-woo found something on the bottom of the duffle bag. It was a dagger. Another note was attached on it on the back that said it was a weapon Ill-hwang had asked for the blacksmith just for him. Something pinched his heart. His chest ached upon what he just discovered.

"I'm sorry. . . " Jin-woo sobbed and tucked the dagger close to his chest. "I'm so sorry, dad—"

Mom, Jin-ah. . . His heart throbbed.

He was alone. He had nobody.

The following day came and he was standing in the vicinity of a gate the association had sent him to, and it was also where he would meet his guild master. The Hunters Guild. He knew it was one of the most famous hunting guilds in the country. Jin-woo didn't know if the association had chosen that guild out of pity for him or that no other parties would accept him.

Someone cleared his throat from behind. Jin-woo turned around and saw a hunter.

"Are you perhaps Sung Jin-woo?" He asked.

Jin-woo pulled off his mask and cap. "Yes."

"Good. I am Choi Jong-in, the guild master of the Hunters Guild." The hunter said. "Do you have a weapon?"

Jin-woo nodded and brought his backpack to his front and pulled the zipper open to grab his dagger, wrapped in a thick covering, and presented it to his guild master. Jong-in nodded.

"I hope you know how to use it. If you are not sure, just stay in the back. And one more thing— masks and hats are not allowed in the gate." Jong-in walked past him and made his way to the portal. "Good luck, Mr. Sung."

Jin-woo knew how to fight with a bladed weapon. He had watched tutorials and read books from the ancient times that featured fearsome warriors wielding their sharp weapons at their enemies. But to hold an actual weapon itself felt strange and anew — it did put a quite a weight on his hand, yet seemed easy to swing.

So, he headed inside of the gate and was greeted by the sight of hunters clashing against the vicious wolves. There were mages, healers, tanks, and hunters with different weapons. He could see Jong-in through the crowd, whirling his flames at the larger canines, burning them into ashes.

Then, something appeared from the corner of his eye. A wolf was about to pounce on him when the next thing he knew, his hand had whipped the dagger against the monster, thus spilling its blood on the ground and he thrusted his blade forward to finish its life. Yes, he knew that the neck had vital parts for a quick death, he learned that from one of the books he read.

Another one lunged forward, but Jin-woo immediately stabbed his dagger through its skull. His heart pounded in the adrenaline rush. He was really a hunter now. . . How it could've been if his family was still alive to this day?

But then, he had been engrossed to fighting that he had somewhat forgotten there were people who knew him.

"Is that the man who once appeared in the TV?"

"Who? You mean the awakened hunter who killed his whole family?"

"Wait— did Guild Master Choi really recruited him?"

"I heard that his father was a good hunter. How can he kill such a man?"

"I can't believe a murderer is working with us. . . "

Their words had punctured holes into Jin-woo's soul. So much that his focus had dwindled away and didn't notice a monster was charging at him, only then to latch its razor fangs on his arm before he could even realize.

"Ack!" Jin-woo yelped in pain and still managed to plunge his dagger into the wolf to kill it in retaliation.

He got through the whole fight with a bleeding arm. Not a single healer had dared to come to his aid. Regardless, he kept on fighting and stabbing his dagger against the creatures attacking him. He still had the enchanted gloves on his hands to conceal his cursed powers, he had never taken them off even when he was alone.

He kept going.

Being a hunter meant fighting for his life.

It was never the easiest job.

Afterward, the dungeon was finally cleared. When Jong-in found the blood oozing from his arm, he immediately called for a healer to tend it, making a remark that the newbie hadn't been too careful in his first day. The healer that was assigned to him looked quite wary as she placed her hands over the wound to stop the blood from flushing out of his skin, but Jin-woo just didn't flash her a glance, putting on a void expression as he stared across the vicinity.

"He managed to kill his whole family, but he doesn't know how to be careful. Such an idiot." He heard one of the hunters say while they were passing by.

Jin-woo scratched his nails against his lap. Seemed like there were people who condemned him so much. No, he should not be affected by it, they were not wrong and he deserved those words to hear anyway.

When the healer was done, she practically scrambled away from him. Jin-woo got up and reached to his backpack to pull out the thick wrap to cover his dagger after wiping the blood off with the fabric. He saw his reflection on the steel edge, the lifeless trace of the person he used to be and now had become someone so foreign to him.

"Uh, hi there?" A feminine voice approached him.

Jin-woo turned over and saw a woman, clad in a red armor and short blonde hair. Her sword clung on the side of her hip by a holster. He just blinked at her.

"You're the new hunter, right?" She said and offered her hand. "I'm Cha Hae-in! The vice master of this guild."

Jin-woo looked away and threw his backpack over his shoulder, holding it by the handle loop. He began to walk away from the hunter.

"Eh? I'm just trying to welcome you!" Hae-in called out.

"Ignore him, Ms. Cha. Don't you know who he is? He won't talk to people unless he's going to kill them."

Damn right, I am. Jin-woo thought and briefly shut his eyes, penting up his anger. I'm a murderer.

He didn't care if the hunter was being genuine. He didn't have time to make new connections because of who he was. His sister was the closest person he had to a friend. But she was gone now. . . Thanks to him. Jin-ah could've been in college, finishing her teen years happy and entering the world of being a young adult full of hope.

If Jin-woo would've just learned how to control of his curse. . . The present would've been different.

But how? There hadn't been a single existing hunter who had skills of darkness like his. Jin-woo had to spend his whole life hidden behind the walls where he was protected and so did the rest of the people who were not ready to face the power of shadows from a mere child.

Jin-woo kept a single lampshade on to light up his whole apartment as he made himself coffee from the small amount of products he had purchased as his first salary as a hunter. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough for him to get through the day until he received his next paycheck. He leaned on the window and stared at the starless sky, empty of everything he usually see back then, only dark blue and vague misty clouds that floated softly above.

"I miss you," he said in an airy whisper that was like an echo from his mind, "and I'm sorry."

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Is everyone ready?"

"Yes, guild master!"

"Good then," Jong-in nodded his head. "Let's— oh, there is the newbie!"

Everyone turned their eyes to him.

"I apologize for being late, Mr. Choi," said Jin-woo and set his bag on a safe place before bringing up his dagger.

Jong-in sighed and nudged his glasses up. "Just don't do it again. The next time this happens, I'll decrease your paycheck by ten percent."

"Will do."

Jin-woo walked behind the group of hunters, keeping a meager distance between them because they knew they would get uncomfortable and he would hear another round of mutters directed to him.

"Hey!"

Well maybe except for this one.

Jin-woo turned his head and met Hae-in, who was heading to his side. Just like yesterday, he ignored her.

"How have you been?"

"Focus on the hunt, with all due respect, Ms. Cha. There is no time for chatting." Jin-woo said to her.

"Are you always this cold? I'm just trying to set some good connections in the guild." Hae-in replied. "I was quite surprised when Jong-in said that the association will recommend us to recruit you."

"Surprised to work with a murderer?"

She widened her eyes. "What? That's not—"

"The monsters are coming. The tanks might be needing you to be on their side, Ms. Cha." Jin-woo reminded her and walked to the other side of the dungeon near the darkest spot, checking if there might be monsters lurking. But another thing as to why he moved positions, to avoid the vice master.

Cha Hae-in was rather. . . Too bright for him.

One thing Jin-woo knew was that she was a formidable hunter. She knew her sword like it was part of herself. Her aura would glow yellow once she summoned her powers. He'd seen some hunters in awe of her as they fought monsters, and besides Jong-in, Hae-in was confident in her strength that she was able to take down larger beasts on her own.

And another thing he knew about her was how constant she kept approaching him and trying to make a conversation, which he immensely avoided her whenever he saw her heading toward him. Hae-in was friendly, kind, and cared for her fellow hunters. But he refused to let her be close to him. If anything, he found her annoying as she never stopped saying a word to him.

"Hey, Jin-woo!"

"No."

"Are you hurt? Want me to call a healer for you?"

"Nevermind."

"You've been fighting well. Do you want to fight behind the tanks this time?"

"I'm already good with my position."

"Are you heading home? Some of the hunters are having dinner together. You should come with them!"

Every. Single. Day.

Jin-woo didn't come to raid a dungeon because he needed a 'friend'. He just needed something to live now that he was out of prison. He didn't care if Hae-in was being genuine or just acting out of pity for him, the heart he had had been buried alongside his family, forever shattered and enveloped with darkness.

He was unworthy to be loved.

As soon as the raid was over, Jin-woo shoved his dagger into his backpack and sling it over his shoulders. He didn't flash anyone in his guild a glance as he quickly walked away from the area, trying to get far as he could to get back to his apartment or else—

"Hunter Sung! You—"

"Which part of 'leave me alone' do you not understand?!" Jin-woo yelled as he whirled around to face her. "Whatever you are about to say, I don't care, so just shut up!"

Hae-in fell silent. Then, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pressed tightly before shoving something to his chest, enough to cause him to abruptly step back. It was his jacket.

"You left it because you were in such a hurry," she glared. "Sorry, I didn't know that friendliness is annoying for you, Jin-woo. I understand that you are being like that because you've been behind the bars for two years, but that doesn't mean you can be a jerk around people who try to say hi to you. If that's the case, I won't bother you next time."

With that, she stalked away.

Jin-woo was left astounded on the spot. But then, he sighed and turned around to continue walking.

True to her word, Hae-in didn't dare to step close to him. Whenever Jin-woo arrived, she would treat him as if he was a mere ghost and walked past him without a word, only an empty expression which was a stark contrast to the face he was used to seeing. Part of him started to feel bad. But could he do? Jin-woo got what he wanted and that was being left alone.

Until one time, he had some food with him on his way to work. He had forgotten to restock his cupboards since he had headed straight to bed after coming home. He took a sip on his coffee while he held a pork gimbap on his free hand, the other hunters were gearing for conquering the blue gate in the construction site they had been called upon, then he spotted a sword propped against the empty bench. He knew who was exactly it belonged to.

He left the gimbap next to it.

Hopefully, she would accept his indirect apology even though she had no idea to whom it was from.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Brother!"

He turned around and saw Jin-ah, waving her hand at him. She wore the widest smile on her face. Jin-woo felt his mouth stretch into a smile of its own and rushed across the place to crash her into a hug, her laughter sang on his ears.

"Jin-ah. . . " He murmured. "You're still bere."

"Of course! I'm always here." Jin-ah said. "Always haunting you for the rest of your life."

Jin-woo widened his eyes. "W— what?"

Suddenly, everything turned into black. Jin-woo turned his head to both sides and looked back to his sister, who had also changed. Instead of the joyful girl he knew and cared for, blood was streaming down from Jin-ah's head, streaking past the scars in her cheeks, and her whole body was covered in ashes. Her eyes became dark.

"Monster!" She yelled. "How could you do this, Jin-woo?! I was supposed to have a field trip! Why did you take my life?!"

"J— Jin-ah. . . " He fell speechless.

"Son. . . " A new voice appeared. It was his mother, looking pained and had the same situation as his sister. "Where did I go wrong? I raised you well, took care of you, and protected you. Why did you have to kill your own mother?"

"M— mom. . . I— I didn't mean—"

"MONSTER!"

"I should've just given you up!"

"You've destroyed my future!"

"What kind of son are you?!"

Jin-woo backed away, but Kyung-hye and Jin-ah kept nearing him. His heart raced rapidly. He couldn't turn his body around, as if he had been blocked by an invincible barrier that forced him to only face his mother and sister.

Then, he bumped against something.

"Son?" It was his father. Jin-woo managed to turn around and was met with the kind smile on Ill-hwang's face. "Are you okay?"

For once, he felt relieved. "Dad! I—"

*kieuk!*

Jin-woo was suddenly brought on the ground on his knees. An inky black hand grasped on his neck tightly, preventing him from uttering another word, then he parted his mouth in a silent strangled plea.

Ill-hwang stared viciously at him and watched him suffer under his hand. "Do you feel it? That was how you killed me when I was trying to help you. You are useless. Why do you even have powers when you can't even control it by yourself?"

Jin-woo let out a single tear from his eye.

"Die, Jin-woo. You are supposed to be the one who died. Not us."

"I wish I shouldn't have been born so I won't have you as a brother!"

"Ungrateful demon!"

"You are not my child!"

"JUST DIE!"

"NOBODY WILL LOVE YOU BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU ARE!"

"NO!" Jin-woo bolted up straight from his bed. His hand latched up to his chest, grasping on his shirt, and could almost hear his heart beating into echoes. He looked over to his lamp, which had been kept on all night. His whole face was drenched with sweat.

He rushed to the bathroom to rinse his face with the cold and running water on the sink. He scrubbed his palms against his face and splattered some more water before turning up to the mirror. His eyes were slightly stained in red and he could make out the remnants of his nightmare; the faces of his dead family, their agony, and the words that were ten times sharper than swords.

It took a single sob from him to break down once again. He relied his weight on the sink as he wept.

It was the worst nightmare he ever had. When he was incarcerated, he had seen his family's dead bodies in front of him and how he must've killed them. But now. . . It was them, yelling and blaming him for murdering them in cold blood.

He was a monster.

His mother had given birth to a good-for-nothing.

They would never forgive him. . .

Jin-woo found himself in the convenience store, scrolling through the fridge in search of a drink that might soothe him. He still had his mask and cap on. It had been an instinct of his to secure his facial identity when heading outside. People still talked about him in the streets. And as for the hunters, they avoided him like a plague and whispered nasty words about him amongst themselves.

Sometimes, he wondered. . . What was even the use of living for him anyway?

He reached his hand inside to grab a can of beer from the shelf, he could never get drunk anyway, and closed the shelf to make his journey to the cashier, but only then to face someone who was very familiar.

"Hae-in?" He spoke.

The hunter blinked. "Jin-woo?"

" . . . "

A few moments later, they sat on an empty bench. Jin-woo sipped on his beer while Hae-in had her iced coffee. He almost couldn't remember what he said to her after hearing his name from her mouth, all he knew was that he offered to buy her drink and Hae-in hadn't left his side as he looked for somewhere to sit.

"I'm sorry," he began. "I shouldn't have been so rude to you when all you did was to be kind to me unlike everyone else."

"It's okay. There's no use if I hold it as a grudge against you." Hae-in said.

"But. . . Aren't you afraid?"

"Of what?"

"That I'm a murderer. The man who ruthlessly killed his own family." Jin-woo said. "Haven't you thought of anything that I might hurt you?"

"Well. . . Can you?"

Jin-woo didn't answer. He looked down on his drink. "I. . . I don't know. To be honest— I didn't mean to kill my family. I've lost control and the next thing I knew, all of them were dead and I was the only one standing. My mom, dad, and my little sister. . . I didn't mean to kill them." A teardrop touched his lap.

"Jin-woo. . . " Hae-in frowned. She reached her hand out to his shoulder, but hesitated. "If you didn't mean to kill them, then why did you admit to the police that you murdered your family ruthlessly?"

"I said it to atone for what I have done. And even if I lived my days in prison for two years, and some more if the association hadn't come for me, it wouldn't be enough." Jin-woo wiped his tears with his sleeve. "Am I that damaged of a person?"

Hae-in's bottom lip quivered. "I don't believe you are damaged. You just need to be healed, Jin-woo."

"How? Every night in my dreams, I see their faces. Looking at them made me feel like I won't die from a beast or old age, but regrets."

"Hearing your words, I know you didn't mean to kill them. You loved your family so much. And I'm sure they forgive you." She told him.

Jin-woo hung his head low. This time, he felt her touch on his shoulder. He resisted every urge to sob as he continued talking. "I never stopped imagining what it could've been if they were still alive. I— I couldn't remember what was it like to see my mother's smile, or hear my sister's laugh, and the face of my own father."

"It's okay, Jin-woo. . . " Hae-in murmured and scooted closer. "It takes time, but I hope you won't be afraid to let new people in. I'm sure your family wouldn't like it to see you alone."

"Nobody likes to have a monster in their life, Hae-in."

"I don't think you are a monster. You may be cold, but you are not a monster." She said. "You're just broken and had stayed like that for a long time, and I can see there is still that speck of hope in you, Jin-woo. Don't be afraid to smile and be happy."

Jin-woo glanced at her. "You think so? But everyone—"

"No, I don't care," Hae-in shook her head and looked at him in determination. "I don't care of what people think about you and that will not affect me either. They don't know how you truly feel. You need someone by your side — someone who will be there for you and not let you suffer alone."

"Will you?" Jin-woo spoke without a thought. But, he did not regret it. His heart wanted her to be that 'someone'.

The corners of Hae-in's mouth tugged into a soft smile. "Of course."

And since that moment, the gradual change in Jin-woo's life began.

Back then, Jin-woo thought she was an annoying who liked to pester him. But now, Jin-woo was starting to see her in a new light.

Once he arrived in his guild, he would catch her glance across the hunters. Hae-in waved at him with that bright smile of hers. Jin-woo paused, it took a few seconds for him to let out a smile, and once he did, he was actually smiling. Hae-in chuckled and went back to reading the papers in her hand. Meanwhile, Jin-woo took a moment to register what he had done. . . For the first time since forever, he smiled and it felt different when he practiced it in front of the mirror.

Perhaps he was just forcing himself to smile, but upon seeing Hae-in, he let his smile come naturally.

Hae-in would approach him and strike a conversation, and this time, Jin-woo would respond to her kindly and answered her questions instead of driving her away. They shared a small talk before heading inside of the gate and after conquering the dungeon, they would take a moment to converse with each other.

Other hunters gave them side-glances and whispered something to the rest. Why was the vice master with the murderer? Why was the monster smiling? Why were they talking to each other as if they were friends?

Why?

Jin-woo hadn't met anyone outside of his family, let alone having a friend for himself. He had built so many walls around him and Hae-in managed to break each of them down slowly. She would text him when he was in his apartment, and those messages taking the rest of the night until one of them fell asleep, and other times, she'd buy him a drink if they were meeting up.

He found himself being fond of her smile.

Her sweet laugh. Her flustered expressions. The way her eyes glisten whenever she saw something she liked. Jin-woo was fond of it all.

Having Hae-in around had been the best thing ever to occur in his life. His nightmares slowly stopped, thus leaving him with empty swevens, and that was enough for him. He would close his eyes and the next thing he woke up to was the sunshine from his window. He wondered if this was what it felt being alive for real, not sinking into melancholy; although there were times he still got haunted, he had something to hold on to.

Cha Hae-in.

The strongest hunter he had ever met, the kindest heart he had ever known, he pondered if it was normal to wish for someone to stay forever.

With her, he had forgotten about his curse. And with her, he could be a normal human who was not tainted by his past and demons.

"I've never realized how big the moon is now. It's beautiful." Hae-in mused, staring at the heavenly sphere across thousands of miles away from the ground.

Jin-woo hadn't seen anything like it. The night was indeed alive and full of wonders. Everything was at peace. He was in the park, sitting on the same bench as Hae-in, and was staring at the sky, glimpsing at the countless of stars that glimmered the night's serene beauty. Since nobody else was around, due to the time being close to midnight, Jin-woo thought he should remove his disguise and let the light wind caress his face.

"I used to see these things in images when I was a kid. It felt surreal to see them for real." Jin-woo said.

Hae-in raised an insiqutive eyebrow. "Why so?"

"Let's just say that I had to be kept indoors to keep myself safe. I wasn't allowed to meet my own peers and spent my education through online. I haven't seen the sun all the time, let alone the moon itself." Jin-woo let out a sigh. "It. . . It has something to do with the incident too."

"I still won't judge you for it, you know?" Hae-in reminded him.

He nodded. "I know. It's just that I'm not ready to tell you everything. Sorry."

"I understand. Take all the time you need and when you do, I'll listen with all ears and heart." Hae-in smiled. "Opening up isn't the easiest task, especially for you, so it takes patience."

He smiled back. "Thank you, Hae-in." So much.

They fell in silence after that. Jin-woo realized how big the world was, and that he was just a tiny human in the eyes of the stars. His mother once told him that the stars were also the human souls who had passed away and that they would appear in the night to watch over their loved ones, he wondered if his family was among the stars right now, watching him over even though he felt he did not deserve to.

He never stopped apologizing to them.

Their answers were the words he would never get, so he had no clue if he was forgive for his actions. Ill-hwang, Kyung-hye, and Jin-ah — the names he would always remember.

He was snapped out of his daze when he felt a weight on his shoulder. It was Hae-in, who had leaned her head on him, and she had her eyes on their hands, she raised hers and lightly traced his gloved hand with her fingertips.

"Can I hold your hand, Jin-woo?" She asked.

"Okay," he flipped his hand and welcomed her touch. He intertwined their fingers together. He noticed how slender her hand was compared to him, it made him become afraid of hurting her even more.

"Sometimes, I wonder what it feels like to truly hold your hands," spoke Hae-in. "Are they warm? Are they rough? Or are they smooth? Do you hide scars beneath your gloves? I wish to feel them."

One day, Hae-in. He promised to her. I will tell you everything.

In the middle of his chaos, in the middle of his black and white of a world, there was Hae-in. To be willing to open his heart out to her and reveal his true soul without contemplating if she would accept him for who he was or not, Jin-woo wondered what kind of deity to send her to a monster such as him.

Cursed. Miserable. Lonely.

He did not deserve her.

What was that feeling? Love? The kind of one he saw in his parents, how he would catch them embracing each other, those exchanged smiles, the laughter, and the way his father planted his kisses on his mother's forehead. . . He would like to experience it too.

To love, to cherish, and to hold. He was a broken man wanting to love.

Fate had never been in his favor, but would it give him a chance? Just this once, he'd ask for something and never again, let him heal and mend himself to be the person who had lost all hope, but now found anew and he would not waste it.

. . . Fate said no.

If Jin-woo had the worst mistake in his life, it wasn't killing his family, rather— it was underestimating his curse.

He had relied on his gloves for too long and too much that his powers would soon beg for release and since he wasn't giving it, the most horrible moment in his life had repeated.

He lost control.

The upper section of the apartment exploded vastly. There was no need to call for the association to send help when the whole city had felt the ominous wave and the slight earthquake. Hunters of all guilds had rushed to the location and rescuers had attended for the residents who had managed to get out safely.

Large clouds clustered into one. Darkness spread throughout them and the sky had turned dim. Hunters raced inside and creatures pounced at them, but these were not the usual ones they saw in dungeon, the creatures were dark and shone in purple and red tones. There were knights and even large ants. They managed to slaughter the shadow-like beasts, but some seemed to regenerate after a few minutes.

In the top of the damaged building, a hunter was possessed by his own powers. His eyes were glowing purple than ever. Due to such a long time of confinement and resisting, the shadows were endlessly storming out of his body as if he was a container they had been kept for too long.

Was he still aware of what was going on? Would he be able to snap out of being possessed?

Then, someone finally came.

It was Hae-in, who had made her way through all the shadow monsters that were attacking in the stairs and floors. Her sword was right on her grip. But her eyes, which were in aghast to what she was seeing in front of her.

"Jin-woo!" She called for his name. It was futile. But, she must save him from the abyss that was shrouding his whole body.

Unfortunately, something came out and Hae-in managed to catch it and drew her sword just before the weapon could touch her. The knight, whose sword was bigger than hers and hoarded a power that was superior to her own, deepened its weight on the weapon to try to push her down. But Hae-in was not giving up. She dragged her sword aside to bring along with it and was about to lunge another attack when a lightning strike of pain flamed out a strong agony.

Hae-in yelped at the pain in her shoulder, who was bleeding down her arm. She stared at the knight and glared. There was no way that she would back down, not when she needed to save someone before it was too late.

"Stop!" Jin-woo finally burst a yell. He continued to force himself to move his body to regain control over his consciousness.

He must not let the same thing happen twice. His family died because of him, and he wouldn't allow himself take another person's life. Not Hae-in.

After fighting against the powerful force, Jin-woo finally broke out and felt the shadows were in his hands for control. He looked up and saw the shadow knight, who was still fighting the hunter. He reached his hand out and the knight's sword paused in the air.

"Don't. Touch. HER!" He seethed and curled his hand into a tight fist.

The shadow knight disappeared.

Jin-woo got down and rushed toward Hae-in. Even if he could control his body once again, the curse was still raging. However, he chose to check on the most important person in his life, so he pulled her into his arms and buried his face on her neck while his hand cradled the back of her head.

"I'm so sorry, Hae-in, I'm so sorry!" He practically begged.

Hae-in wrapped her arms around him, evading her wound. "It's okay, Jin-woo. I forgive you."

"I'm sorry you had to find everything out like this. . . "

"We'll talk about this later, okay? We must focus on putting an end to this first." Hae-in said and looked at the thick cloud. "You know how to do it, right?"

Jin-woo turned over his shoulder to the cloud his powers had created upon. Now that he has gained control, he felt a plethora of sensations throughout his veins, and he exactly knew what each meant. The shadow monsters were still infesting the whole building, he could sense all of them being alive, clashing with the hunters.

If he did not make a move in any moment, everything would turn into ruins. Hundreds of people would die in his hand. During his incarceration, he asked himself— am I a human or a monster?

The answer was that he had a soul for a monster and a heart for a human.

It had taken him so long to gain control. . .

"I. . . I think I know." Jin-woo said. He looked behind and saw Hae-in's hopeful face. His heart ached at the decision that he was about to make. "But I won't make it to another day."

Hae-in's face fell and she looked at him in shock. "Don't tell me. . . "

"I'm not going to die. I just think that this is something I must do, and if I stay longer, I will just keep destroying everything." The Earth's mana would not be able to hold his. Jin-woo realized what he needed to know just now. He was too powerful to be in a place like Earth, considering how unable he was. "My family died because of me, the darkness inside of me since the day I was born, and I was too weak. And I still am. At least, this is something I can do to atone for the mess I've caused."

If he could not erase the conflict, then he must disappear with the conflict.

Tears began to glimmer in Hae-in's eyes. She stepped closer to him. As always, she was not afraid, even after finding out who he truly was. Jin-woo let her hand move to his neck, a vague memory of a nightmare appeared in the back of his mind, but her touch was tender.

"What are you going to do, Jin-woo?" She asked him.

"Go to some place I should've gone to a long time ago, just like in my dreams. All this time, I treated these things as a curse, not knowing how capable I would be if I paid attention rather than be an ignorant. I wasn't cursed, I was born with powers." Jin-woo said. He looked down on his hands, seeing how torn his gloves had become, so he removed them to let them drop on the ground and offered them to her. "Give me your hands."

Hae-in did what she was told. Her hands met his bare ones. Her skin felt even softer.

"How do you feel? Are my hands warm? Are they rough? Or are they smooth?" He smiled at her.

"They. . . " Hae-in dipped her head and let out a sob. She pressed herself to his chest, clutching on his shirt as she drenched the fabric with her tears.

Jin-woo wrapped his arms around her. He caught the wound in her arm that was still bleeding, so he placed his hand over it and shone over the wound to heal it. Hae-in was vulnerable in his embrace, crying that made his heart shatter.

"Please tell me this isn't goodbye," she murmured.

His throat clogged. Jin-woo had to swallow to keep his voice intact. "We'll meet again. I promise you that. You mean so much to me that it makes it hard for me to let you go — you are the only one I ever have."

Hae-in pulled away, facing him with eyes stained with tears. Jin-woo cupped his hands around her face, smiling amidst his crushing heart.

"I wish I should've been a normal person so I can love you the way you deserve," he said, wiping her tears with his thumb.

Hae-in sniffled. "Normal or not, I still accept you regardless, Jin-woo."

"Thank you," his eyes could no longer hold his tears as they began to pour down, "for being with me, no matter how damaged I am, and being the one who showed me that it's not too late for me to smile. You are my speck of hope, Hae-in."

"I love you," Hae-in sobbed as Jin-woo inched his face closer, bumping their noses.

"You are the closest thing I have to home," he murmured and raised his head to press his lips on her forehead. "I hope to return the love you've given me one day."

He wanted to tell her he loved her. He wanted to say those three words as well. But he knew it was not the right time to reciprocate.

Jin-woo pulled away and took a few steps back, stretching his arms a little, then summoned all the shadows back to him. The ground rumbled. His eyes glowed in its purple color and soon, he was lifted in the air in his powers, heading toward the giant cloud of darkness.

His dark pupils appeared, eyeing Hae-in, who never left her spot as tears continued to streak her eyes. His lips curled into a small smile. No matter how much he wanted to remain and allow himself to love her completely, he didn't think he was enough to do such a thing. She found him when he was in his colorless world, she gave him a new light to hold on and proved that he could be better, so that was what he about to do.

Learn to control his powers, get stronger, and most of all, heal from the mistakes he had done — for Hae-in, his father, his mother, and his sister.

I promise, Hae-in. He promised. I will become a better person once we meet again.

Sung Jin-woo disappeared from the surface of the earth without a single trace.

#poor jin-woo:'( #i am feeling angsty and evil today #solo leveling #sung jin woo #cha hae in #jinhae #sl fics by rei

[solradguy]

we talk about how bad a dad ky was but let’s be honest sol wasn’t better. saw a post that had tags that went ky traumatized sin by not being in his life while sol traumatized sin by being in his life. both of them are such faildads.

Yeah they both suck tbh but, if we're being real, Sol was probably worse for Sin than Ky ever was.

Ky couldn't raise Sin himself because he was born while the general population still hated Gears and because Dizzy had to live in secret. People finding out that one of the kings of Illyria had a kid with a Gear could've gotten all three of them killed, as well as whoever Ky took down with him trying to protect Dizzy and Sin until the end.

I think Sol did genuinely care for Sin when Ky first gave Sin to him to raise but was in too bad of a place mentally to be taking care of a kid. He'd gone >170 years with his only emotional connection with anyone being violence-related while also simmering on hate towards what Asuka did (as well as his own mistakes) and the Flame of Corruption gnawing at the back of his brain on top of it all. Still, none of that excuses how he raised Sin. He beat him, was emotionally distant, just barely kept Sin nutritionally healthy, and did a very poor job teaching him basic things like how to read or do simple math.

Ky was a bad father because of poor circumstances. Sol's circumstances were bad too, but no one forced him to punch a kid. Ky traumatizing Sin by not being in his life with Sol traumatizing Sin by being in his life is a really good way to put it haha

I hope future Strive story stuff has Sol talking things out with Dizzy but also with Sin too. Sol has a thing about hiding from emotionally painful situations but he really needs to have a heart to heart with his kids about it lol

#asks

[broken-clover]

kinda random thought but hear me out: i know its fucked that Kliff treated both of his kids like they were soldiers straight away....but a thought just occurred to me. For Kliff, the crusades were his ENTIRE LIFE. He was born, raised, and died all within the crusades. War was all he ever knew, it was all he could ever teach. Kliff taught his kids how to live in a war and ONLY how to live in a war because he could never conceive of anything else. for all his faults i can't help but feel sorry for this old man, you know?

That is also a totally fair point. Kliff probably feels less sympathetic because we don't get to see him from the beginning of his career like we did with Testament and Ky.

From this side of the story the main 'antagonist' is the cycles of violence that comes from widescale conflict and how they persist even down to the individual level. It continues to chew people up and spit them out until someone chooses to halt that cycle and not reinflict it on the next victim. Despite the Crusades not being a major narrative focus for several games its effects are still clear on several characters in different ways and it's compelling to look at, even if it's also very depressing

#ask #guilty gear #kliff undersn

[appalachiananarchist]

Hello, I've been following you for awhile and am really curious where in the Appalachian region you might practice (particularly after the KY article you shared). No need to share if it makes you uncomfortable. Simply wondering bc I'm currently in med school in Appalachian KY. I'm not native to this region so it's been an adjustment since starting school. This message really doesn't have a purpose, I'm just sharing my curiosity I guess. Hope you're able to get some sleep soon!

Born and raised in KY and still here. I'm sure it is an adjustment, but you will have the opportunity to learn how to manage a lot of serious illness if you stick around the area for the duration of your schooling and training. Best of luck with med school!

And I did get some sleep and feel MUCH better.

[wilsons-journey]

Story Summary

As promised, there is the Summary. ♥ Please behold of minor SotO Spoilers!

Notable mentions:

Baal After the Events of “End of Dragon”, he returns at Eframs side and helps him to rebuild the Flame Legion. Sometimes he even joints Wilson on her journey - or stays in close contact with her with letters.

He also stays in close contact with his half brother Deus, who like him, also works on rebuilding the Legions.

Bahalt She stays at Phrikes side until his death. After his passing she seeks out the gift he had promised her - his son. Phrike always knew she wanted to be a mother, but was never able to bear children on her own. She will take care of this young boy. Sometimes call Phrike out of the mist to share these moments. Later she will join Vale and Deus in their efforts to protect Tyria - becoming a Member of the Dragons Watch. It’s her way of making up with the damage, her friend has caused.

Later she will move to the Black Citadel and becoming a Primus.

Some time after Vale and Desmonds departing, she will also leave the Black Citadel and join them. There she volunteers as a warrior and protect the village from danger - so that Vale doesn't have to do this and keep her peace.

She keeps having an open relationship with Desmond

Desmond After the Events of EoD, he returns to the wild and continues his life as before. But he occasionally visits his friends.

After Vales breakdown he moves to the Village in which Vale was once born, and stays at her side as friend. He helps her raising Orez, Phrike Jr. and Elden (his Daughter).

With Bahalt also joining them, he keeps having an open relationship with her.

#gw2 #guildwars2 #guild wars 2 #summary #valefor #kying #vale #deus #wilson #fuma #mishra #baal #israfil #desmond #bahalt #phrike #valefor-kying-journey

[reddancer1]

Heather Cox Richardson

February 25, 2024 (Sunday)

The last several days have seen a Republican stampede to distance the party from the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision of a week ago, when it ruled that embryos frozen for in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be considered children and that their injury can be treated like injury to a child. That decision has led major healthcare providers in Alabama to stop IVF procedures out of fear of prosecution.

IVF is very popular—about 2% of babies born in the U.S. are the product of IVF—and Republicans recognize that endangering the procedure has the potential to be a dealbreaker in the upcoming election.

The fury at the Alabama decision of those who have spent years and tens of thousands of dollars in their quest to be parents was articulated yesterday in a conversation between Abbey Crain and Stephanie McNeal of Glamour, in which Crain recounted her five-year IVF journey and noted that the Alabama justice who wrote the decision, Jay Mitchell, “who,” as she said, “lives five miles down the road from me, goes to a church that people in my circle go to, and has children in schools in my community, has more of a say in whether and when I get to be a mom than me.”

The Alabama decision is a direct result of the June 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, decided thanks to the three religious extremists former president Trump nominated to the Supreme Court. That decision referred to fetuses as “unborn human being[s]” when it overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision recognizing the constitutional right to abortion. The Alabama decision cited the Dobbs case 15 times, relying on it to establish that “the unborn” are “living persons with rights and interests.”

Republicans are now denying they intended to halt IVF with their antiabortion stance and their appointment of religious extremists to the courts. But that position doesn’t square with the fact that since the Dobbs decision, they have pressed for so-called personhood laws, laws that give the full rights of a person to an embryo from the time of conception. Since Dobbs, sixteen state legislatures have introduced personhood laws, and four Republican-dominated states—Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, and Arizona, although Arizona’s has been blocked—have passed them.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans introduced a national personhood bill as soon as they took control in January 2023. The bill, titled “Life at Conception Act,” currently has 124 co-sponsors, including House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). On Friday, Johnson claimed to support IVF, raising the question of what exactly that support for IVF means, considering the process requires discarding certain embryos.

In the U.S. Senate, Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a “Life at Conception Act” on January 28, 2021. It currently has 18 co-sponsors, including Steve Daines (R-MT), who is the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the official campaign organization to elect Republican senators. On Friday the NRSC distributed a memo to candidates telling them to “align with the public’s overwhelming support for IVF and fertility treatments.”

While it is the IVF story that has garnered the most attention this weekend—likely because it has obvious implications for the 2024 election and Republicans have tried to rush away from it—it is simply a different facet of a larger story: the leaders of the Republican Party are working to overthrow democracy.

On February 15, news broke that Alexander Smirnov, the informant who had provided the “evidence” that then–vice president Joe Biden and his son had each taken a $5 million bribe from the Ukrainian oil and gas company Burisma, had been indicted by a federal grand jury for lying and “creating a false and fictitious record.” On February 20, Trump-appointed Special Counsel David Weiss of the Justice Department filed a document concluding that Smirnov has “extensive and extremely recent” ties with “Russian intelligence agencies.”

The use of Russian disinformation to destabilize democracy in the U.S. looks much like the information warfare Russia has used to establish Ukrainian leaders that worked for the Kremlin. It was the ouster of one of those leaders, Viktor Yanukovych, in the 2014 Maidan Revolution ten years ago that prompted Russian president Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine later that year. Yanukovych won office with the help of American political consultant Paul Manafort, who advised and, briefly, chaired the Trump campaign in 2016, when it weakened the Republican party’s platform plank that supported arming Ukraine against Putin after his 2014 invasion.

Seeding lies about corruption that came from Russian-linked Ukrainians was central to Trump’s 2019 impeachment: his phone call to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky demanding Zelensky announce an investigation into Burisma and Joe Biden’s son Hunter was part of an attempt to create dirt on the Bidens. That call happened after Trump’s advisor Rudy Giuliani went to Ukraine, where he talked to “an active Russian agent,” according to the FBI. FBI agents warned Giuliani that he was a target of Russian disinformation.

That poison has now spread from Trump’s rogue team in the White House to the Republican Party itself, which has apparently been carrying water for Putin at the very center of our government.

Meanwhile, under pressure from Trump loyalists in the House, Speaker Johnson is refusing to take up a measure to aid Ukraine in its resistance to Russia’s 2022 invasion. Such a measure is popular in the U.S., both among the population in general and among lawmakers. While other countries can provide funds, only the U.S. has enough of the required war matériel Ukraine so desperately needs. Already, Russia has managed to retake the key city of Avdiivka because Ukraine’s troops don’t have enough ammunition, and today Jimmy Rushton, a Kyiv-based foreign policy analyst, quoted a Ukrainian officer’s report that they can’t “medivac our guys from the contact line anymore because we don’t have any artillery ammunition to suppress the Russians. We have to leave them to die.”

The reluctance of House Republicans to support Ukraine has global implications. Putin is trying to tear up the rules-based international order that has protected international boundaries since World War II, while Trump has threatened to destroy the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that holds back Russian aggression. In the Wall Street Journal on Friday, chief foreign affairs correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov noted that European countries are worried that the U.S. will not defend its allies, while Putin has made “a de facto military alliance with the rogue regimes of North Korea and Iran while growing closer and closer to authoritarian China.”

European nations have expanded their own military production and support for Ukraine; Poland and the Baltic states have invested far more in their militaries than NATO’s threshold of 2% of a nation’s gross domestic product. In the Washington Post, Michael Birnbaum reported Friday that some of the nations that border Russia are looking again at land mines, concertina wire, and trenches—the technology of last century’s wars—to protect themselves from a Russian invasion.

Putin and allies like Viktor Orbán of Hungary have been clear they believe democracy is obsolete. Far-right extremists in the United States agree, insisting that democracy’s demand for equal rights before the law undermines society as immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s rights challenge “traditional” values. That ideological justification has led many white evangelical Christians to flock to Trump’s strongman persona.

How religion and authoritarianism have come together in modern America was on display Thursday, when right-wing activist Jack Posobiec opened this weekend’s conference of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington, D.C., with the words: “Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely. We didn’t get all the way there on January 6, but we will endeavor to get rid of it and replace it with this right here.” He held up a cross necklace and continued: “After we burn that swamp to the ground, we will establish the new American republic on its ashes, and our first order of business will be righteous retribution for those who betrayed America.”

But Saturday’s South Carolina Republican primary suggested that the drive to lay waste to American democracy is not popular. Trump won the state, as expected, by about 60%—lower than predicted. Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley won 40% of the vote. This means that Trump will have to continue spending money he doesn’t currently have on his campaign.

More important than that, even, is that it shows that even in a strongly Republican state, 40% of primary voters—the party’s most loyal voters—prefer someone else. As Mike Allen of Axios wrote today: “If America were dominated by old, white, election-denying Christians who didn’t go to college, former President Trump would win the general election in…a landslide.” But, Allen added, “It’s not.”

Which may be precisely why Trump loyalists intend to overthrow democracy.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

women's march for equality 1971

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

February 25, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

The last several days have seen a Republican stampede to distance the party from the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision of a week ago, when it ruled that embryos frozen for in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be considered children and that their injury can be treated like injury to a child. That decision has led major healthcare providers in Alabama to stop IVF procedures out of fear of prosecution. 

IVF is very popular—about 2% of babies born in the U.S. are the product of IVF—and Republicans recognize that endangering the procedure has the potential to be a dealbreaker in the upcoming election.

The fury at the Alabama decision of those who have spent years and tens of thousands of dollars in their quest to be parents was articulated yesterday in a conversation between Abbey Crain and Stephanie McNeal of Glamour, in which Crain recounted her five-year IVF journey and noted that the Alabama justice who wrote the decision, Jay Mitchell, “who,” as she said, “lives five miles down the road from me, goes to a church that people in my circle go to, and has children in schools in my community, has more of a say in whether and when I get to be a mom than me.” 

The Alabama decision is a direct result of the June 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, decided thanks to the three religious extremists former president Trump nominated to the Supreme Court. That decision referred to fetuses as “unborn human being[s]” when it overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision recognizing the constitutional right to abortion. The Alabama decision cited the Dobbs case 15 times, relying on it to establish that “the unborn” are “living persons with rights and interests.”

Republicans are now denying they intended to halt IVF with their antiabortion stance and their appointment of religious extremists to the courts. But that position doesn’t square with the fact that since the Dobbs decision, they have pressed for so-called personhood laws, laws that give the full rights of a person to an embryo from the time of conception. Since Dobbs, sixteen state legislatures have introduced personhood laws, and four Republican-dominated states—Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, and Arizona, although Arizona’s has been blocked—have passed them. 

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans introduced a national personhood bill as soon as they took control in January 2023. The bill, titled “Life at Conception Act,” currently has 124 co-sponsors, including House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). On Friday, Johnson claimed to support IVF, raising the question of what exactly that support for IVF means, considering the process requires discarding certain embryos.

In the U.S. Senate, Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a “Life at Conception Act” on January 28, 2021. It currently has 18 co-sponsors, including Steve Daines (R-MT), who is the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the official campaign organization to elect Republican senators. On Friday the NRSC distributed a memo to candidates telling them to “align with the public’s overwhelming support for IVF and fertility treatments.” 

While it is the IVF story that has garnered the most attention this weekend—likely because it has obvious implications for the 2024 election and Republicans have tried to rush away from it—it is simply a different facet of a larger story: the leaders of the Republican Party are working to overthrow democracy.

On February 15, news broke that Alexander Smirnov, the informant who had provided the “evidence” that then–vice president Joe Biden and his son had each taken a $5 million bribe from the Ukrainian oil and gas company Burisma, had been indicted by a federal grand jury for lying and “creating a false and fictitious record.” On February 20, Trump-appointed Special Counsel David Weiss of the Justice Department filed a document concluding that Smirnov has “extensive and extremely recent” ties with “Russian intelligence agencies.” 

The use of Russian disinformation to destabilize democracy in the U.S. looks much like the information warfare Russia has used to establish Ukrainian leaders that worked for the Kremlin. It was the ouster of one of those leaders, Viktor Yanukovych, in the 2014 Maidan Revolution ten years ago that prompted Russian president Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine later that year. Yanukovych won office with the help of American political consultant Paul Manafort, who advised and, briefly, chaired the Trump campaign in 2016, when it weakened the Republican party’s platform plank that supported arming Ukraine against Putin after his 2014 invasion.

Seeding lies about corruption that came from Russian-linked Ukrainians was central to Trump’s 2019 impeachment: his phone call to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky demanding Zelensky announce an investigation into Burisma and Joe Biden’s son Hunter was part of an attempt to create dirt on the Bidens. That call happened after Trump’s advisor Rudy Giuliani went to Ukraine, where he talked to “an active Russian agent,” according to the FBI. FBI agents warned Giuliani that he was a target of Russian disinformation.  

That poison has now spread from Trump’s rogue team in the White House to the Republican Party itself, which has apparently been carrying water for Putin at the very center of our government. 

Meanwhile, under pressure from Trump loyalists in the House, Speaker Johnson is refusing to take up a measure to aid Ukraine in its resistance to Russia’s 2022 invasion. Such a measure is popular in the U.S., both among the population in general and among lawmakers. While other countries can provide funds, only the U.S. has enough of the required war matériel Ukraine so desperately needs. Already, Russia has managed to retake the key city of Avdiivka because Ukraine’s troops don’t have enough ammunition, and today Jimmy Rushton, a Kyiv-based foreign policy analyst, quoted a Ukrainian officer’s report that they can’t “medivac our guys from the contact line anymore because we don’t have any artillery ammunition to suppress the Russians. We have to leave them to die.”

The reluctance of House Republicans to support Ukraine has global implications. Putin is trying to tear up the rules-based international order that has protected international boundaries since World War II, while Trump has threatened to destroy the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that holds back Russian aggression. In the Wall Street Journal on Friday, chief foreign affairs correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov noted that European countries are worried that the U.S. will not defend its allies, while Putin has made “a de facto military alliance with the rogue regimes of North Korea and Iran while growing closer and closer to authoritarian China.”

European nations have expanded their own military production and support for Ukraine; Poland and the Baltic states have invested far more in their militaries than NATO’s threshold of 2% of a nation’s gross domestic product. In the Washington Post, Michael Birnbaum reported Friday that some of the nations that border Russia are looking again at land mines, concertina wire, and trenches—the technology of last century’s wars—to protect themselves from a Russian invasion. 

Putin and allies like Viktor Orbán of Hungary have been clear they believe democracy is obsolete. Far-right extremists in the United States agree, insisting that democracy’s demand for equal rights before the law undermines society as immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s rights challenge “traditional” values. That ideological justification has led many white evangelical Christians to flock to Trump’s strongman persona.

How religion and authoritarianism have come together in modern America was on display Thursday, when right-wing activist Jack Posobiec opened this weekend’s conference of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington, D.C., with the words: “Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely. We didn’t get all the way there on January 6, but we will endeavor to get rid of it and replace it with this right here.” He held up a cross necklace and continued: “After we burn that swamp to the ground, we will establish the new American republic on its ashes, and our first order of business will be righteous retribution for those who betrayed America.”

But Saturday’s South Carolina Republican primary suggested that the drive to lay waste to American democracy is not popular. Trump won the state, as expected, by about 60%—lower  than predicted. Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley won 40% of the vote. This means that Trump will have to continue spending money he doesn’t currently have on his campaign.   

More important than that, even, is that it shows that even in a strongly Republican state, 40% of primary voters—the party’s most loyal voters—prefer someone else. As Mike Allen of Axios wrote today: “If America were dominated by old, white, election-denying Christians who didn’t go to college, former President Trump would win the general election in…a landslide.” But, Allen added, “It’s not.”  

Which may be precisely why Trump loyalists intend to overthrow democracy. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Russian disinformation #Letters From An American #Heather Cox Richardson #history #South Carolina Primary #women's rights #human rights #reproductive rights #IVF #religious fundamentalism

[kicksaddictny]

Jack Harlow, New Balance Ambassador, Takes Center Stage in NB 550 Campaign, Available Only at Foot Locker

New Balance and Foot Locker, Inc. are teaming up to launch the new colorways of the iconic New Balance 550. This collaboration brings together the worlds of sport and culture, featuring New Balance ambassador and multi-talented artist, Jack Harlow.

The campaign spotlights Harlow's hometown of Louisville, KY, showcasing the 550 as a universally wearable staple and global style favorite for Foot Locker consumers worldwide.

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Harlow has quickly risen to global superstar status with hits like "WHATS POPPIN," "First Class," and "Industry Baby" with Lil Nas X. His latest single, "Lovin On Me," has topped the Billboard Hot 100 for multiple consecutive weeks. With three critically acclaimed studio albums and sold-out arenas and festivals around the world, Harlow has made a significant impact on the music and entertainment industries.

The original New Balance 550 debuted in 1989 and became a staple on basketball courts across the country. After a brief hiatus, the 550 returned in late 2020 with limited-edition releases and has since become a fan favorite. The shoe's low-top, streamlined silhouette offers a modern take on the heavy-duty designs of the late '80s, while the durable leather, synthetic, and mesh upper construction remains a classic look.

The new colorways of the New Balance 550 will be available exclusively at Foot Locker, Inc. stores and online, including the Sea Salt, Reflection, Olivine & Dark Olivine, and Reflection, Sea Salt & Grey Matter options. Additionally, two special make-ups (SMUs) will be available only at Foot Locker: the BB550FCB and BB550FO.

Retro-styled campaign assets will be complemented by interactive in-store elements and activations, providing an engaging experience for Foot Locker's New Balance 550 consumers.

#jackharlow #kicksaddict #footlocker #newbalance