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#recaptured prisoners
if-you-fan-a-fire · 11 months
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"PRISONER RECAPTURED," Ottawa Citizen. June 27, 1913. Page 1. ---- Several Other Arrests Made Because of the Escape. ---- (Special to The Everring Citizen.) Renfrew, June 27. - Joseph Cleroux, who with his nephew, D. Cleroux, escaped from the jail here yesterday, by cutting a hole in the jail roof and climbing through, was caught this morning by Chief Plant, near his home in Almonte and brought back here. He will be arraigned before the police magistrate tomorrow on a charge of breaking jail.
Narcisse Girard, brother-in-law to Joe Cleroux, was also arrested this morning at Almonte, charged with aiding the two prisoners to escape. Cleroux's wife has also been taken into custody on a charge of being an abettor to the series of thefts and burglaries with which the two men are accused.
The search for young Cleroux is still going on near Almonte, where it is believed he is hiding. Chief Plant has information that he thinks will result in the young man's arrest before many hours.
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wawamouse · 7 months
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came here to post "why is chico not wearing clothes in his mugshot".... leaving with "why is kenmin literally standing in the middle of em city shadow boxing"
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i can't stand this li chen had a dumb as fuck expression on his face the whole time too
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and i was wrong chico did indeed wear that shirt weird shirt prior to s6 (these are form s5e4) .... and why did i never notice that beecher's pod is right next to the one chico has off the staircase? (i think i did make note of it in s6 when they were banging on the pods for cyril but then immediately had no use for the information since it's not like keller was in there with beecher)(hilarity would abound if so) (brink of overcrowding and somehow beecher never has a podmate unless the plot needs him to, meanwhile other pods have 3 ppl or more) (but I guess you get away with less when you're not in a pod by the wall) (then again i don't think the hacks notice anything once they turn off the lights)
(picture me flipping through a scrap book bc that's how i watch background movement in this show)
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guerra demonstrating crowd control & exhibit z of the ugly and strange fake tattoos on this show (they always have the strangest line work/negative space blacked out) (miguel's rose tattoo is another example)
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doggies!!
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babycupart · 2 years
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this character is autistic but idk if y’all are ready to have that conversation
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newsbites · 1 year
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A South African fugitive who faked his own death in a prison break that embarrassed the authorities has been extradited from Tanzania and returned to prison, the government said on Thursday.
Thabo Bester, convicted of rape and murder, escaped from a privately run prison in Bloemfontein in May last year – but South African police only found out last month and launched a manhunt.
Bester was believed to have died after setting himself on fire behind bars, but in late March, police said an autopsy revealed that the person found dead in his cell had died from blunt force trauma to the head before being set ablaze.
A murder investigation has been opened.
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coreytaylr · 2 months
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100% legit totally real facts about the historical stede bonnet
no the title is not a lie these are really REAL bc believe it or not, somehow the show made our stede MORE competent than the real one
sources: Real Pirates podcast (ep1, ep2, ep3, ep4, ep5), Dirty Sexy History podcast (with jeremy moss, bonnet's biographer, who LOVES the show, and said it changed his perspective on bonnet's and blackbeard's relationship PLUS he has the stedesrevenge handle on twt)
the library on the revenge was a real thing. the man really did that.
running away from his family to be a pirate
paying a salary to his crew
SHOWING UP IN NASSAU IN FRILLY GENTLEMANLY CLOTHES AND A POWDERED WIG
before bonnet's capture, he ran his ship aground and that's how the english caught up with him BUT the two english ships also ran aground (😭), so they fought each other with their flintlock pistols from behind their ships (until the tides turned and dislodged the english ships first. rip)
adopted an alias when he started pirating so people wouldn't know it was him but he raided ships near Barbados (where he's from), so that didnt turn out well. his solution? burning every ship from Barbados
he only succeeded in his early days bc merchant ships knew they would get off easier if they surrendered
ATTACKED A WARSHIP that whooped his ass so bad he almost died. the remaining crew steered the ship to Nassau where he met blackbeard
blackbeard stole the revenge from him but "allowed" him to stay on BB's ship (either as a guest or as a prisoner, it's not clear, but he def wasn't a crew member bc he didn't have any chores)
he was seen on deck running around in his gowns 😭😭
BB eventually reinstated him as the captain of the revenge and they sailed together for a while
"there is a 4 month period where stede and blackbeard kind of disappeared and no one really knows what they were doing" 👀
BB allowed bonnet to raid on his own which lead to him getting his ass beat by the Protestant Caesar. BB then proceeded to HUNT DOWN THE PROTESTANT CAESAR while flying the RED FLAG (which meant no mercy to anyone on board)
bonnet would raid ships and take what provisions he needed and give the other ship what he didn't need (essentially the library raiding scene lmaoo)
BB betrayed bonnet by raiding his ship and marooning his crew while bonnet was off getting a pardon
SO BONNET SWORE REVENGE AGAINST BB who was at the time, the most feared pirate
this led to him adopting another alias - "he also changes his name, at the time he goes by captain edward's. which is really interesting, I don't know if that's an homage to, you know, edward teach, but.. captain edward's with an "s", that's as if he's.. a possession of captain edward" ONCE AGAIN 👀👀👀👀
HE ESCAPED PRISON BY DRESSING AS A WOMAN
after escaping, he was promised a sloop by some rando. when the rando didnt deliver, bonnet "WROTE HIM A STRONGLY WORDED LETTER REPRIMANDING THE MAN"
that letter led to him being recaptured 😭😭
he was hanged while holding a bouquet of wilted flowers
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ew-selfish-art · 1 year
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Demon Twin AU 
Tim Drake comes across a LOA manuscript detailing the sacrifice of a Demon Heir that’s dated around the time Damian is born and brings it to the cave. There’s no other mention of what went down, but it looks like Damian was a twin and the twin was thrown into the Lazaras Pits- Tim kind of forgets about it but shows it to Damian cause he figures that the guy deserves to know, and leaves it out for Bruce to see (basically the same thing as telling him). It doesn’t really change much but there is an obscured name in the corner so they can presume that the kid’s name would have been something starting with D A N. 
Well here’s the thing: Names carry power. Damian reaches out to John Constantine to ensure that the child is actually dead, because presumably John can do that. John wants to give the kid some closure, so he does what is supposed to be a super chill seance to an infant. He pricks Robin’s finger, chants a little and the air... turns violent.
Uh oh. Dan appears, unshackled from his prison in the Infinite Realms now that John has called upon them by someone with Familial blood. He cackles madly about the fact that it’ll be a good time to bring about the apocalypse again, promising to spare the bird for now, since he would have to get answers later. 
The alarms are blaring, the whole JL is hands on deck to try and stop Dan as he attacks across the globe. They’re saving as many civilian lives as possible but its getting very HAIRY in less than 2 hrs. Robin is out in the chaos, trying to track him down with John and Zatanna trying to recapture him and banish him back to the realms. 
Phantom touches down just as the three of them reach Dan- Danny has some choice words for his older alternate timeline self, including “This is why you have no friends.” and “Seriously, you didn’t even stop to say hi to my timeline’s Jazz this time.” and “Soup time for 1,000 years and then we can talk remediation.” 
After a short but brutal fight, Danny floats over to Damian, John and Z. After making sure they’re all right he’s like “Maybe you can never do that again? Also tell me how and why you did that so I can banish that spell?” And Damian explains that it was meant to ensure that the infant twin he never knew had passed peacefully and clearly that was not the case. Danny blinks a few times, uh, a twin?
Damian goes through the shit, John explains that it was a familial summoning meant to be an advanced seance (hence the lack of safe guards to keep the entity in) and Z confirms that there was nothing special to it beyond that. 
Danny then explains, that uh, “I guess my parents weren’t kidding when they told me I was adopted. Hi? I’m your brother. Uh, I go by Danny though. Dan was me in a different timeline and he’s normally under super strict lockdown.” 
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mlmshipbracket · 2 months
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ROUND 6: POLL #1 - Semifinals
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ROUND 6 POLLS [HERE]
PROPAGANDA BELOW
Siffrin/Isabeau:
I've put mid paragraph spoilers in || brackets || and paragraphs of spoilers make "spoilers ->"
I should mention that them having romantic feelings for each other is a partial spoiler?
What if. A silly little he/they guy. But! He's really messed up emotionally and mentally. Like. Constantly puts others first to his own detriment and calls himself manipulative kind of messed up. Also he's in a time loop. NOT a fun one. But! There's this jock in his party that he can joke with. And they looove making him smile! And! That jock is head over heels for our tiny hero. But! Neither of them can admit their feelings! ||Even if they know the feelings are mutual!!|| AND THE JOCK DOESN'T KNOW HE'S IN A TIME LOOP!!! AND LITTLE GUY WON'T TELL HIM! CAUSE THEY DON'T WANT HIM TO WORRY!!
I love them sooo much! They are my favorite he/they x ||trans masc|| couple <3
Siffrin is soooo insecure and I'm 100% sure Isa could fix him if he wanted to. They love telling each other just the worst puns and jokes imaginable.
[SPOILERS] -> Isa was a big nerd before he decided he wanted to be a huge jock and now he wants to design clothes now that he saved his county (along side his other friends)
Siff is just a little guy (literally)(he is short) who loves the stars abs doesn't remember a lot about his past. He constantly worries if he's being enough for the rest of his companions and always tries his best to make sure they're happy. He has soooo much trouble seeing value in himself and prioritizing his own needs and it makes me soooo sad :( he deserves to have someone like Isa.
[SPOILERS] -> Siff knows that Isa wants to confess after thier battle w the bbeg, but siff can't get Ida to say it no matter what they try :(
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Eustass Kid/Killer:
Propaganda by @chronoirrai [HERE]
Friends/lovers since childhood, would kill and die for each other. [SPOILERS for those who have not watched/read the Wano arc yet] Killer ate a defective SMILE fruit to safe Kid, making him unable to swim and show any other emotion than laughing (and gains him nothing), and he also knew exactly where to cut off Hawkins' arm so he wouldn't harm Kid (because he knows his body so well). Kid promises to kill whoever makes fun of his partner, and lets himself be recaptured after escaping prison because Killer had gotten himself captured.
If this ain't love idk what is.
The captain/right-hand man dynamic. They call each other aibou (partner). If your partner doesn't tell you that he will send whoever laughs at you to hell then he is not worth it. Killer hates his own laugh to the point that he stopped laughing out loud and started wearing a mask. But then he was forced to eat a defective devil fruit (because they promised he could see Kidd if he did) so he's been cursed to only laugh no matter what emotion he's trying to express. That's why Kidd said that, it's so full of weight for someone like Killer. And when Kidd was imprisoned and he worked so hard to escape, but as soon as he saw Killer being pulled into the same prison he just broke out from mans did not hesitate for even a second to go right back in.
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whumpshaped · 6 months
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forever thinking about recapture
whumpee getting grabbed on their way home and dragged into a car thats hauntingly familiar
whumpee getting chloroformed again while a familiar voice is telling them to relax
or alternatively "did you really think i'd let you run?"
whumpee realising their home has been broken into and finding a threatening message somewhere. even just a found you scribbled on the wall
whumpee attacked while they're fumbling with the key to get inside, then promptly shoved inside the apartment and being tied up in their own bedroom
whumpee approached in a public setting, frozen in fear and unable to alert anyone because they know whumper has the ability to cause a bloodbath and they don't want to get innocent civilians involved
whumpee approached in a public setting and whumper showing them a photo of a tied up caretaker in a room that has served as whumpee's prison for months. "how about a trade?"
whumpee waking up in a familiar cell, having panic attack after panic attack, sobbing and screaming their throat raw because this can't be happening again
whumpee going docile and quiet as soon as they realise what's happening, their conditioning kicking in to protect them
"i'm so glad you still remember me"
"you haven't forgotten your manners, have you?"
"i heard you went to therapy, hm? i hope they haven't stuffed your head full of too many lies"
whumper bringing out their most common torture instrument. "for old times' sake"
caretaker realising that whumpee didn't send them their daily text, the one they agreed on specifically so they'd know whumpee was okay
whumpee not picking up the phone for the third time
whumper picking up whumpee's phone. "oh, thank goodness whumpee, i thought-" "i'm awfully sorry, they're a bit preoccupied at the moment." caretaker can hear whumpee's muffled cries and screams in the background
caretaker arriving home and finding the apartment ransacked and empty
caretaker finding a letter from whumper. "thanks for watching them while i was dealing with the police <3"
caretaker finding a stack of photos of whumpee being subdued in their own apartment
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workingclasshistory · 10 months
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On this day, 23 July 1944, 19-year-old French communist resistance fighter Madeleine Riffaud saw a German military officer taking a walk over a bridge on the river Seine in Paris and got off her bicycle. As he looked at the Louvre, she took out her gun and shot him twice in the head, killing him. As she cycled away, she was pursued and knocked off her bike by French collaborators in a car. Riffaud tried to shoot herself to avoid torture but was captured and handed over to the Nazi SS. She was beaten repeatedly, escaped but was recaptured and deported to a concentration camp. There, she was released in a prisoner swap, and took part in the armed uprising which liberated the city in August. She later recounted to Agence France-Presse in an interview, “It was joyous… People were falling in love and kissing each other without knowing each other. After years of having to do everything in secret, we could fight in the open.” Riffaud survived the war and later became a journalist, supporting and reporting on anti-colonial rebellions in Algeria and Vietnam. If you value our work researching and promoting people's history like this, please consider supporting our work, and accessing exclusive content and benefits, at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=666345558871996&set=a.602588028581083&type=3
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mikeepoo · 1 year
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Judy, a purebred pointer, was the mascot of several ships in the Pacific, and was captured by the Japanese in 1942 and taken to a prison camp. There she met Aircraftsman Frank Williams, who shared his small portion of rice with her. Judy raised morale in the POW camp, and also barked when poisonous snakes, crocodiles or even tigers approached the prisoners. When the prisoners were shipped back to Singapore, she was smuggled out in a rice sack, never whimpering or betraying her presence to the guards. The next day, that ship was torpedoed. Williams pushed Judy out of a porthole in an attempt to save her life, even though there was a 15-foot drop to the sea. He made his own escape from the ship, but was then recaptured and sent to a new POW camp. He didn't know if Judy had survived, but soon he began hearing stories about a dog helping drowning men reach pieces of debris after the shipwreck. And when Williams arrived at the new camp, he said: "I couldn’t believe my eyes! As I walked through the gate, a scraggly dog hit me square between the shoulders and knocked me over. I’d never been so glad to see the old girl!" They spent a year together at that camp in Sumatra. "Judy saved my life in so many ways," said Williams. "But the greatest of all was giving me a reason to live. All I had to do was look into those weary, bloodshot eyes and ask myself: 'What would happen to her if I died?' I had to keep going." Once hostilities ceased, Judy was then smuggled aboard a troopship heading back to Liverpool. In England, she was awarded the Dickin Medal (the "Victoria Cross" for animals) in May 1946. Her citation reads: "For magnificent courage and endurance in Japanese prison camps, which helped to maintain morale among her fellow prisoners, and also for saving many lives through her intelligence and watchfulness". At the same time, Frank Williams was awarded the PDSA's White Cross of St. Giles for his devotion to Judy. Frank and Judy spent a year after the war visiting the relatives of English POWs who had not survived, and Frank said that Judy "always provided a comforting presence to the families." When Judy finally died at the age of 13, Frank spent two months building a granite and marble memorial in her memory, which included a plaque describing her life story.
Purloined in it’s entirety from GH85Carrera
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if-you-fan-a-fire · 7 months
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"FIVE YEARS IN "PEN" FOR FOUR GUELPH FUGITIVES," Toronto Star. October 29, 1943. Page 3. ---- CAPTURED IN A MARSH near Freelton, after two days freedom from Guelph reformatory, Lyle Banks and Lawrence Johnstone are "frisked" by prison guards. With the other two fugitives, shown at right, they were captured by provincial police at gun point
SENTENCES OF FIVE years in Kingston penitentiary were passed on the four youths today by Magistrate Frederick Watt, Guelph. The men slugged a guard, John Nevin, to escape. Here George Whitefoot and Norman Pringle are examined.
- Photos by Fred McClements. copyright 1943, The Toronto Star
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daze4all · 7 months
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Witness! Reader x Yandere Neuvillette x Yandere Wriothesley: For They Were Justice
What if we had Witness!reader instead of Prisoner!reader? Still has sorta the same ending…
A Witness Protection Program Gone Wrong Series: For They Were Justice
Warnings: T Rating, Dark Themes, Tied Up at Court and silenced. Kidnapping past and present? Implied Amnesiac! Reader. Yanderes.
Series Synopsis: A key witness & victim of treasure hoarder human trafficking is saved by Wriothesley and sheltered by the chief justice, Neuvillette under a witness protection program.
Witness! Reader is recovering memories from experimentations to stand trial. However, what happens when you remember you have a home, but they won’t let you go?
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For They Were Justice - Tied Up At Court
‘Who really is the prisoner in this court case?’ you wondered as the dog of Meropide saw it fit to detain you in cuffs & chains and the judge presided over you in the witness box as if you were the criminal and not the witness.
They had caught you trying to escape Fontaine via the pipe system after finding out the truth that they were detaining you via every legal method possible.
  Now more questionable methods were in play as normal one’s weren’t enough to keep you safe it seemed….
The moon shone down like judgement in the empty Opera Epiclese the muted blues making it look like an aquarium. Three figures of which two were standing and you sitting in the witness chair.
Wriothesley his knuckles still bloody from the treasure hunters he had beaten back in the pipe system who had been waiting to recapture you. Meanwhile nueve stood his outfit was spotless but guilty of the same crime when he had blasted the treasure hunters into pieces with his water beam.
The statuesque terrified faces of the frozen treasure who failed to take back their test subject was haunting your mind.
“I get that you saved me but that isn’t an excuse for keeping me here and pushing back the court trial dates to keep me here” you protested as you struggled in the chair you were chained too.
“Silence in court” Pronounced Neuvillette as the gag a silky red tie softer on your mouth than any used before but just as effective was tied tight around your mouth.
“You cannot leave Fontaine as you are integral witness to this court case” stated Neuvillette hands folded over his cane as he stood in front of you moonlight streaming in his silver hair and making his serpentine eyes glow in the darkness.  
His hand firmly pushed you back in the witness chair box. Which was unnecessary as your hands had been cuffed to the chair courtesy of Wriothesley, who had hunted you down after your escape attempt.
“Don’t worry we will keep you safe” Wriothesley promised but with an edge to his voice and eyes like a wild dog barely holding back himself. He seated himself too close to you on the armrest of the witness seat.
You had an urge to shrink into the seat and to pull away, but your chin was caught in gloved hand of the chief judge who pulled you closer.
“As long as you behave, you have nothing to fear in the court of Fontaine.” Smoothly said Neuvillette his words lined with a subtle threat as he tilted your chin to meet his serpentine eyes.
“So just entrust your well-being to us we’ll have you be all right again” soothed Wriothesley with a pat to your head as you sat too scared to move as he played with strand of your hair.
All right? more like molding you into whatever they wanted you to be.
But what was it they wanted?
Their helpless captive who needed them to save her?
But from what now that the danger was gone?
Certainly not them, right? Afterall, they were justice.
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Ironically, this was the end of a drabble series I was writing, so I guess I’ll be going backwards lol cuz forward….well I don’t really know how to write smut. Yet.
Reason why reader is gagged: Originally reader said nothing & I needed an excuse and “silence in court” seemed a good idea to the crazy yandere brain and a fun pun.
 But probably bumped up the rating and warnings….and I realize only now I sort of wrote a bondage kink fic….omg…
Upcoming Maybe: For They Were Justice series a witness protection program gone wrong series
Freedom is a Pipe Dream:  Prequel the altercation where Reader was caught escaping by Neuvillette & Wriothesly.
Tied Up In Court: This is the drabble written which is what happened after reader was captured…sort of skipped to this.
Tea is the Best Medicine: Sequel on how they keep reader compliant……do I don’t I? will I? won’t I?….write this. and why are they so spicy and um illegal. >_<”
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zukkaart · 16 days
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A fic where Zuko straight up just levels with Aang at the SWT and is like “here’s the deal” and Aang being the naive fresh-out-the-iceberg boy he is is like “okay!!! I’ll come with you to make your dad happy!!! And I can see some of my Fire Nation friends!”
And Zuko is like “wtf is this kid actually talking about but okay whatever a win is a win” And Sokka and Katara are like WTFDOweDoThisIsABadIdeaButWeAlsoDontReallyKnowThisKidYet
And eventually they decide to follow him but not to “recapture” Aang (bc he’s not really a prisoner but to be there when his good intentions inevitably go haywire or when Zuko reveals an ulterior motive (he doesn’t have one, but they don’t know that)
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scotianostra · 5 months
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On December 25th in the year 1319 a two year truce between Scotland and England began.
This little known peace treaty is often overlooked, probably due to the Bruce’s government issuing the Declaration of Arbroath the following year.
After Bannockburn King Edward II of England never forgot his humiliation, and he threatened war against Scotland. The Bruce got there first, raiding south as far as York in a bid to capture prisoners to be held for ransom. Edward also had his troubles at home with a trebellion.
The King was also talking to some of the great Northern lords and it looked as if they would do a separate deal with the Bruce to stop him destroying their land. Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, was one of the rebel barons but paid for it with his life after the Battle of Boroughbridge was won by forces loyal to Edward.
Encouraged by ending the civil war in England, Edward came north with a great army, but Bruce deployed the same tactics he had used prior to Bannockburn, destroying anything that could be of use to the English, who were forced to retreat when famine and disease broke out.
In September 1319 The Bruce won a decisive battle at Myton in Yorkshire
Earlier that year Edward II had moved an army North and laid siege to Berwick in an attempt to recapture it from the Scots. In response the army of several thousand Scots, commanded by the Earl of Moray and the Good Sir James Douglas, bypassed the Northern town and marched through the north of England torching all in their path. Their secret objective lay in Edward’s court at York; where they hoped to abduct Edward II’s wife, the 21 year old Queen, Isabella. On September 20th 1319 they neared York and The Battle of Myton ensued.
The outcome of this unequal contest was never in doubt. Formed up according to their custom in a single division, the Scots uttered together a tremendous shout to terrify the English, the Highland charge began racing towards the men from York, who straightaway began to take to their heels at the sound.
The York contingent was an odd mixture of men thrown together to meet the emergency, including priests and monks losses were reported of 3,000, among them Nicholas Flemyng the city mayor.
For Edward II, already at odds with many English nobles, it was another disaster. Meanwhile the victorious Scottish army retreated back across the border into Scotland carrying their ill-gotten gains and prisoners.
Afterwards Edward was forced to raise the siege of Berwick and ultimately agreed to a two year truce.
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sunonyoreface · 1 year
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He Knows - Simon “Ghost” Riley Pt. 11
An: Change of pace, enjoy some fluff!
Hi there, this is a series about Simon Riley from COD. This series does not follow any of the established plots or timelines from the games. While I use the names of some characters, they are different from the ones in COD.
Summary: You’re held captive by 141 for reasons unknown.
Word count: 1700
Pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x Reader
Warnings: angst, military setting, explicit language, graphic depictions of violence, use of guns.
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Ghost’s deep breaths and the crackling fire are the only audible sounds in the entire cabin. Over the last while, I became accustomed to all the different sounds of the task members at night. Snoring mostly, but there was always at least some noise. At home, I lived in a place across from a bar and was used to the sounds of sirens and cars and drunk people wandering the streets at night as they shouted at each other. Here it’s the complete opposite. There’s nothing to drown out my thoughts and I don’t know how to feel about it.
Ghost was in contact with Price who said they survived the raid, but lost several men. He wouldn’t tell me how many. Soap’s team and one other returning from a mission caught the tail end of the Ultranationalists as they were retreating with their recaptured members. 141 cut off the last Ultranationalists, but almost every prisoner escaped. Overall it was a loss, but they’re lucky nearly all of them survived. My mind drifts off to the man who was shot in the hanger. I wonder if he made it.
Part of me wanted to sleep on the floor instead of sharing a bed, but the floor’s cold and I already struggle with that enough as is. Ghost didn’t bring up the topic of who sleeps where, so neither did I. After our fight, he’s barely spoken.
Unfolded, the futon is the size of a double bed. It’s hard despite an old mattress topper being placed under the sheets and far from big enough for Ghost. He sleeps on his side and has to bend his knees just to stop his legs from hanging off the end. Several pillows and musty blankets were stashed away in one of the cabinets and currently wrap around me. Ghost said he didn’t want any, so I took his because you can never have too many blankets.
A soft orange glow escapes a small window in the wood stove. It’s just bright enough to see the outlines of everything in the cabin. I’ve always liked warm light like this. Maybe it’s an innate thing passed down from my ancestors all those years ago who slept beside fires every night. Maybe its because the light confirms that the most dangerous thing in the room lies next to me in bed and not creeping in the shadows.
I’ve had to pee for at least an hour but don’t want to go outside to the outhouse. There’s no indoor plumbing, but there is a double-seater with a moon carved into the door. I glance at the sleeping man beside me. The feeling’s only going to get worse. I’ll be quiet. He won’t notice.
I slip my legs out of the blankets and onto the hardwood floor. My back hurts from the mattress already. Just as I’m about to stand up, something latches on to my wrist with an unnatural strength.
“Where’re you going?” Ghost’s voice is deeper than normal. He props himself up with his other arm. And I thought I was a light sleeper. But maybe he was awake this whole time.
“Washroom,” I whisper trying to stay quiet even though there’s no one to wake up.
“You have to tell me,” he grumbles. I roll my eyes at his remark. I don’t know if he thinks I’m stupid enough to run away or that maybe I have other intentions.
“I don’t need a babysitter,” he catches the irritation in my tone.
“You don’t know what’s out there,”
“I doubt anyone’s followed us here,” I say, but I don’t really know. Neither does he.
“Don’t be a fool,” his hand remains on my arm. “Besides there’s wildlife out there. Wolves. Coyotes.”
“How about you watch from the window,” I say. “I don’t think you need to hear me use the toilet,” I tack on at the end to discourage him.
“Fine,” He mumbles. I bite my lip to hide my smile. It worked. “Take my jacket,” he releases his grasp to reach the jacket hanging on the arm of the futon. When I shrug it over my shoulders, it swallows me whole. The inside is lined with a soft, welcoming fleece. A scent of gunpowder and something decidedly more earthy engulfs me as I pull the zipper up to my nose.
“Thanks,”
I never imagined myself peeing outside before, but here we are. The toilet seat is so cold against my legs the need almost completely disappears. Not to mention how dark it is in here with no electricity. I want to leave the door open to get some moonlight in here, but then I risk Ghost seeing in. I can suck it up for two minutes.
Outside, the night sky is otherworldly. There’s no light pollution or clouds blocking the stars and I can’t stop staring. There’s just a thin layer of compact snow on the ground, so I take the opportunity to lie down and look up at the sky. It’s cold, but nothing worse than the winters at home. There’s no harsh wind blowing against my skin, so it’s finally tolerable.
“What’re you doing?” heavy footsteps crunch against the snow. I smile to myself because this is the one place he can’t be quiet.
“Stargazing,” I whisper, “Shh, you’ll wake the wolves,” From the corner of my eye, I see Ghost look up at the stars and pause for a moment. I wonder if he cares about mundane things like this? Is he capable of seeing beauty after all the horrors he’s witnessed? In another breath, he disappears back into the cabin. Guess not.
After our fight, it felt like a storm passed over us. The tension eased just a bit as the wind died down. The waters returned to normal and then almost into glass. There’s no fighting against whitecaps as we try to make it to land. I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s smooth sailing. But things aren’t nearly as rocky as they were before. For now, we have an understanding.    
The crunching sound of footsteps approaches again and then Ghost does something out of character. He hands me his helmet with the night vision googles attached. I hesitate before grabbing it, what’s the catch? I look into his eyes for an answer, there’s a glint,  but they hold no malice. The helmet is heavy in my hands. I can’t believe he wears this all day. His neck must constantly ache.
“Flip the lenses down and look at the stars with them,” he says. I sit up to put the helmet on. It’s an unnatural feeling: like there’s a brick of cement sitting on my head. Ghost crouches down and reaches for the strap to tighten it. “Stay still,” his hands brush against the sensitive skin on the underside of my chin as he fixes the strap so the helmet won’t slide off my head. He switched out the bloody skull mask for a plain, black balaclava before bed. It humanizes him, seeing him wear something else. He’s less hidden with this one. Although his face is still covered with black paint, it’s easier to read his expressions. The balaclava highlights the outline of his strong cheek bones and jaw. His eyes almost look kind under the moonlight.
My heart skips a beat when Ghost flips down the night vision lens. It’s like looking at a whole new world. I look around at the trees first and notice how far I can see. Everything looks like it has a green filter.
“Look up,” his voice is eager. So, I do. And what I see is almost indescribable. I feel like I can see every star in the universe. It’s breathtaking. Hypnotizing. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“It’s…” I can’t find the words I’m looking for and for a moment I don’t know if they exist. The men who created our language weren’t alive to witness a sight such as this. And so, the dictionaries remain empty. “Incredible,” will have to do.
“The goggles are the best part about night missions,” he says as he lays down beside me on the cold ground. Ghost crosses his arms across his chest to keep his hands warm. His shoulder brushes against my arm and I notice he isn’t watching the stars.
In the silence of the woods, I feel the safest I’ve felt in weeks. The world feels like it’s asleep. We’re the only people around for miles. There are no other task members are walking around with oversized guns, or angry prisoners, or the looming threat of an Ultranationalist raid. There’s just Ghost. And right now, he doesn’t feel like much of a threat.
“Can you see the stars at home?” I ask.
“No.”
“Me either.”
I let the silence hang in the air for a while longer. The frosty night air caresses my face. Our breath is visible in tiny puffs of clouds.
“Do you want them back?” I turn my head to look at him. His black balaclava takes on a whitish glow under the lens.
“Keep ‘em for now,” his voice is quiet but awake. Any drowsiness from before has disappeared. I have a feeling most of his nights are spent awake.
I don’t know how long we’re out there, maybe an hour or so. Ghost points out the different constellations in the sky. I thought it might be a personal interest, but then he says they’re used for navigation when they don’t have access to GPS or maps. If you know important reference points or certain constellations, you’ll never be lost. He speaks quietly to preserve the stillness around us and guides my vision with his hands as he points out each constellation. The man beside me is a completely different one than a few hours ago. This one, I like. I could listen to his soothing voice talk about the stars all night. In the back of my mind, I think about how often our arms brush each time he points out a new star, how I shifted closer to feel his shoulder press harder against mine.      
It’s only when the cold starts to seep into my bones that I suggest we head back in. This whole time Ghost was out here in just his Henley and jeans. Yet he didn’t complain once. I wonder if he ever complains. Or if he just pushes every emotion to the back of his mind until it’s ready to burst.
“They’re beautiful,” I say once again as I hand Ghost back his helmet.
He searches my eyes for quite some time before agreeing.
“They are.”
PT 12:
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readyforevolution · 1 year
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IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THIS YESTERDAY THEN TODAY WOULD BE A GOOD DAY TO LEARN THIS.... "All stories don't have a happy ending"
In 1866, one year after the 13 Amendment was ratified (the amendment that ended slavery), Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina began to lease out convicts for labor (peonage). This made the business of arresting Blacks very lucrative, which is why hundreds of White men were hired by these states as police officers. Their primary responsibility was to search out and arrest Blacks who were in violation of Black Codes. Once arrested, these men, women and children would be leased to plantations where they would harvest cotton, tobacco, sugar cane. Or they would be leased to work at coal mines, or railroad companies. The owners of these businesses would pay the state for every prisoner who worked for them; prison labor.
It is believed that after the passing of the 13th Amendment, more than 800,000 Blacks were part of the system of peonage, or re-enslavement through the prison system. Peonage didn’t end until after World War II began, around 1940.
This is how it happened.
The 13th Amendment declared that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." (Ratified in 1865)
Did you catch that? It says, “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude could occur except as a punishment for a crime". Lawmakers used this phrase to make petty offenses crimes. When Blacks were found guilty of committing these crimes, they were imprisoned and then leased out to the same businesses that lost slaves after the passing of the 13th Amendment. This system of convict labor is called peonage.
The majority of White Southern farmers and business owners hated the 13th Amendment because it took away slave labor. As a way to appease them, the federal government turned a blind eye when southern states used this clause in the 13th Amendment to establish laws called Black Codes. Here are some examples of Black Codes:
In Louisiana, it was illegal for a Black man to preach to Black congregations without special permission in writing from the president of the police. If caught, he could be arrested and fined. If he could not pay the fines, which were unbelievably high, he would be forced to work for an individual, or go to jail or prison where he would work until his debt was paid off.
If a Black person did not have a job, he or she could be arrested and imprisoned on the charge of vagrancy or loitering.
This next Black Code will make you cringe. In South Carolina, if the parent of a Black child was considered vagrant, the judicial system allowed the police and/or other government agencies to “apprentice” the child to an "employer". Males could be held until the age of 21, and females could be held until they were 18. Their owner had the legal right to inflict punishment on the child for disobedience, and to recapture them if they ran away.
This (peonage) is an example of systemic racism - Racism established and perpetuated by government systems. Slavery was made legal by the U.S. Government. Segregation, Black Codes, Jim Crow and peonage were all made legal by the government, and upheld by the judicial system. These acts of racism were built into the system, which is where the term “Systemic Racism” is derived.
This is the part of "Black History" that most of us were never told about.
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