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ayellowbirds · 6 years

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Fifth night of writing! Up to 8985 words, thanks to a burst of writing when i really should have been already asleep. Four kids with letters for names face consequences.

Be advised that this part focuses on feelings of dysphoria in a young egg!

i’m currently only able to work for 14 hours a week; donations to support this are welcome! Feel free to let me know when you’ve donated, I’ll see about including a tribute of some sort to you in the text of the story:

https://www.paypal.me/ayellowbirds

https://ko-fi.com/ayellowbirds

As always, keep track of the tag for updates!

(logo fonts are Bradley Gratis and Yiddishkeit Bold)

Click the Read More to continue, or click here for the previous part, and here for the first part!

And so it was that they sat in front of Captain Tserac, feeling both physically and emotionally in the pits.

“The four of you,” Tserac intoned, pale, watery eyes looking down at them from a gaunt face tinged slightly blue, “have been very fortunate indeed. Tell me, do you recall how it is that you became trainees here?”

“In recognition of our excellent academic and physical performance in our studies at the Imperial Children’s Home,” intoned J., repeating a line they’d heard many times, the first a mere three years ago when the letters of selection had arrived.

“Just so,” Tserac nodded, taking a sip of for a glass of medicated soda water. The stuff was favored among Icosan citizens, and strictly regulated by laws forbidding its sale or consumption by anyone except full-blooded Icosans* certified by the Imperial Bureau of Statistics. “And do you recall to what purpose you are receiving training?”

* The official reason being that Icosans possessed a natural physiognomy that allowed them to consume the drink without “succumbing to rambunctious and licentious behavior”. The real reason was that the alchemically treated silver solutions in the beverage were the source of the side effects that caused habitual drinkers to develop a bluish-gray skin tone, which had become fashionable amongst the Icarian elite a generation back. It simply wouldn’t do for any Icarian citizens except Icosans to be able to display such hallmarks of good taste and breeding.

“To contribute to the betterment of society and ensure the freedom of all citizens by removing subversive elements and rooting out the evil of anarchism and preventing inchoate sedition,” offered N. this time, again a verbatim repetition.

“And for what reason, hm?” asked Tserac, licking his thin lips as he finished his drink. He looked to B. This was the routine: questions in a series of four, with the expectation that each row being questioned would answer in reverse order. It was typical—but not always the case—that the most challenging question be directed at the leader of the row.

Thus, B. answered: “in order to repay the kindness shown by the Emperor himself in securing a home and an education for us after our discovery as foundlings.”

V. heard a twinge of pain in her voice. Most of the children from the ICF had some measure of sadness about their status as orphans, though a few weathered it well enough that it wasn’t obvious. They didn’t lack for anything, and had seen on educational and holiday trips how rough it could be even for children with families of their own, without the Emperor’s blessing. That said, it seemed like a particularly sore subject with B.

But Tserac seemed satisfied by this. “So you understand. And make no mistake, you are receiving an education here that is the envy of citizens fully twice your age, particularly those in the military academies. Why, I myself was not so fortunate as to have the caliber of training you receive in your physical education.”

As he said this, Tserac made a point of brushing off the medals on his breast. Although his rank was officially ‘Captain’, it was understood by all the trainees and officials alike that Thasgeril Tserac held far higher status. After all, he was considered by the Imperial Army to be the one suitable for overseeing their training. And V. had felt on more than one occasion that the bony old man seemed to be a bit too quick to dodge stray bits from food fights, avoid soapy floors in the midst of being scrubbed, and take notice of trainees hiding where they ought not to be.

“Which is precisely why the four of you need to pay more attention in your lessons,” Tserac continued, now turning his gaze to V. “When I was a cadet myself, I daren’t think I would have been caught doing something so unseemly as raiding a secret stash of candies when I was meant to be studying. Don’t you think so, Mr. V.? I should expect—”

It wasn’t a rhetorical question, and Tserac expected an answer. He was saying more, but all that V. could hear was the sound of blood rushing, heartbeat pumping. It didn’t make much sense that something so simple could be so rattling.

It wasn’t just that Tserac twisted the pronunciation of the letter of V.’s name—being foundlings without any known surname or given name, they had each been assigned a letter† from the Stafroph, the revered Icarian Alphabet established by the Immortal Emperor Earsil himself in his youth—turning what everyone else read as the letter “Uht” or “Vuht” into “Hwot”, insisting on applying his frustratingly Icosan accent to the sound.

† V. was, in point of fact, V.5, the youngest V out of the precisely one hundred orphans at the Imperial Children’s Home, and younger than the rest of Row Four by a solid year.

It wasn’t just the inexplicable way that he emphasized “Mr.”, either. V. couldn’t explain why that title was so upsetting, why it felt the same way that being called “young man” or “boy” or “he” did, while all of those threw everything off stride. After all, V. was born a boy, so that all just made sense as the way to refer to… him, right?

V. managed to blurt out an answer that seemed to satisfy Tserac, who offered a wide, thin smile in response.

“Excellent,” he said, so snappily and formally, so much in that ‘at attention’ voice, that V.’s spine straightened on impulse. The old Icosan pulled out his pocketwatch, not actually looking at its face. “The four of you are to report to the Witching Hall. There is a special review that you are required to attend, and I should expect you will be pleased with the results. Afterwards, we shall find some means of exercising your taste for adventure with additional training and chores—but time is slipping away, and there is a schedule to keep to for the time being. Row Four, dismissed.”

Before V. fully realized what was happening, the four of them were out the door and rushing down the passages to the Witching Hall. Clarity came soon enough to realize that Chief Nurse Eciurtal was passing in the opposite direction, looking very frustrated about something and focusing on Tserac’s door.

“Children,” she greeted them, and all four saluted without stopping.

“I can’t believe that’s all we got away with,” N. gasped, fussing with her hair. The tight blonde coils had gotten out of place at some point, and she was trying to put them back into a bun while keeping up with the others.

“Well, maybe he figures this sick feeling is enough punishment,” V. suggested, but something felt off about that. Sweat dripped down… his brow. V. swept it back, slicking red locks into an upward sweep. Maybe it was just the usual weird discomfort. Something to talk to the nurses about, maybe? It was getting harder to ignore, lately.

“You think so?” B. asked, with the kind of expression that suggested she had some notion what the reason was, or—more likely, in V.’s opinion—wanted them all to think that she did.

“Well, I can’t think of anything aside from that and that he wants us to try harder not to be caught, and was trying to tell us that the whole reason we’re here is to become better at sneaking into places we’re not supposed to be,” guessed J., sounding far away in thought.

They scrambled down the stairs in silence, turning the corner to the walkway that led to the Witching Hall. It was only once they got into the fresh air in sight of the entryway where the other rows were milling about that all but one of them slowed, J. running ahead for a moment before noticing and turning back.

“You think that’s it?” asked N.

V. turned to look out over the edge of the walkway, considering the idea. “I wouldn’t put it past the Captain.”

Far below, the grays and greens of western Dembenklion gave way to the smaller state of Charnozam, all fertile black earth checked with the green of farmlands and the shining slickness of as-yet undrained swamps. The wind whipped around the walkway, and birds flew underneath. Being up in The Mountain afforded quite the view of the world, and the instructors were fond of talking about that in grand metaphorical ways.

Suddenly, V. felt like maybe there were more important things to focus on than a little inexplicable discomfort.

Twenty-six minutes later, V. felt very differently.

THE PRESENT DAY

“I really can’t thank you enough for bringing this particular shipment,” Menax said between mouthfuls of pickle. While it made for a convenient cover, Belaset’s crate of ‘pickles’ was in fact part of one of the other ways she earned a living, making deliveries for a local factory. The cucumbers that had provided camouflage for the true nature of Menax’s delivery were genuinely good.

In spite of that, Belaset cringed. “I don’t know how you can stomach those, considering.”

Menax looked at the pickle, and back at Belaset. “Well, it’s not as though they were touching anything. But if this business is too sour for your tastes, I have something—or rather, a couple somethings, that are a bit sweeter.”

The trio were back up in Menax’s kitchen, where Musick had been enjoying a bit more of the doctor’s cooking. Belaset had found space in a corner—managing to fill it entirely, in spite of having easily found her way downstairs into the comparatively small space of the secret cellar. She had the broadsheet in one hand, and had been practicing reading it. Menax found that he rather enjoyed the sound of her efforts at literacy, a recent pursuit that he strongly encouraged since she had become his regular employee.

He made his way over to a small desk beside his icebox, from which he produced an envelope, waving it at Belaset. “Your payment.”

Belaset smiled, and then grinned even broader at him as Menax reached into his vest pocket and produced another few bills, adding, “plus a bonus for the, ah, exceptional quality of this shipment.”

Outside of the cellar, he never spoke openly of the true nature of their business. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t compensate her fairly. He passed the envelope and additional bills to Belaset, who took them out and counted. The standard twenty-five dollars, plus a bonus of five. Equivalent to a week and a half’s pay at a decent hourly rate in more mundane labor, with the way inflation was at the time.

And then there was the other bonus. He turned back not to the desk, but to the icebox, and opened it in search of a particular treasure within it. He pulled out a large, spiny object from which several stiff leaves projected. Were it not for the leaves, one might have mistaken it for the egg of some great reptile or terrible monstrous bird, but it was something far more special than all of that.

“Either of you ever see one of these?” he asked Belaset and Musick both, as he brought the strange object over to the cutting board, setting it down as he fished around the kitchen drawers in search of a suitable knife. Settling on a long knife with a good point, he set it at just the right level. It had been a few years since he’d done this, though once he had the blade in position, he could already feel the right way to cut. “It’s a fruit from the island, called an ananas, though the Icosans insist for some reason on calling it a ‘pineapple’. I suppose it looks enough like a pinecone at first, but—”

He began chopping off parts, starting with the top and bottom before spearing the whole fruit on the blade and coring it with a twist of his wrist. He gave it a thump, sliding out the core so that it fell neatly into the sink, before spinning the ananas around and cutting off the sides, taking care not to remove his own fingers along with the thorny exterior and leaves. Finally, he set the now vivid yellow fruit on its side, and began cutting it into discs—rings, really—and laying them out in a row across the cutting board. He speared one of the largest ones on the end of the knife, and with another flick of his wrist, threw it across the room to Belaset.

She caught it, gave it a close look and a sniff, and slid the whole ring into her mouth, chewing tentatively. “Mmm!” was all she could manage.

“Isn’t it?” Menax laughed, cutting several pieces on a plate to bring over to Musick. “I used to get them more often, one of my classmates came from a family in the business of importing fruit.”

“I never heard of it,” his landlady said, licking at the plate first, and then planting her face into it to gobble up the chunks of sweet, juicy fruit.

#yenne velt: dead names #my writing

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letitrainletitsnowbutdontletmego · 6 years

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One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I love you’- 90: You can tell me anything

Hello! Many apologies for being away for so long - I've been a bit ill and low on energy to write, read or post. I had this written before I actually fell ill, so I'm so glad I can post it now. I hope you all enjoy it. It's by far the longest piece I've written so far. Please let me know what you think :)

This was requested by @queseraone. I've kinda set it based on the comment in the season 5 premiere about Jay hitting a fellow cop for harassing Erin (because c'mon; how hot is that?!).

Thank you to my wonderful beta @justkillingtimewhileiwait !

As always - if you have any prompts off this list you’d like me to write, just message me! (That list is also a master post for all the prompts I’ve so far :))

It started innocently, or at least, that was what Erin made herself believe. She had no idea who he was when she met him at the crime scene Hank had called her out to in the middle of the night, dragging her away from her warm bed and even warmer boyfriend. Though all things considered, she couldn't complain when she wasn't the poor woman lying dead in her kitchen surrounded by three friends.

"Gruesome, huh?" Officer Malley, according to the name tag on his vest, commented as he led her through the house. He had looked familiar enough; tall, muscular, blonde, green eyes, but she hadn't been able to place him, and if she really thought about it, she knew she wouldn't. There were too many officers in the Chicago Police Department, and she barely knew the ones who worked out of the 21st let alone the rest of the districts.

"Not the worst I've seen," Erin sighed, taking in the modestly sized room and the multiple pools of blood on the tiled floor.

"Really?" the officer asked in surprise, and she shifted slightly to look at him questioningly when intrigue took over his features. "What's the wors-?"

Erin knew what the question was going to be when Hank cut him off by calling for her, but she merely offered a small, apologetic smile before following her boss' voice. By the time they had returned to the kitchen, Malley was gone, and she hadn't spared him another thought.

…

The case had dragged for over three days until Intelligence had caught the break they needed, apprehending the perpetrator not five miles from the crime scene itself. They had slept the bare minimum, just enough to function, as frustration ate at them all for not closing the case.

It was because of the lack of sleep, Erin reasoned to both herself and Jay when she had asked if he had wanted something from the vending machine downstairs, why she was turning to sugar in the form of Skittles in addition to her usual coffee. Since Jay had moved in, her dependency on candy for a sugar high had pretty much disappeared mostly due to the fact he did the grocery shopping more often than not and candy was never on his list. Even if she had snuck it on at the beginning, and received dried fruit packets instead.

"It's nature's candy," he had told her with a brilliant smile that had her wondering whether asking him to move in really was a great idea. Eight months later and she couldn't deny she was just as addicted to the healthy snack as she once was to her candy.

Though she had to admit, she never felt the same joy as she did when standing in front of a vending machine, deciding which variety of Skittles to get.

"Detective Lindsay," a voice called out from down the hallway just as Erin had selected the sour mix, knowing none of the boys but Antonio would touch it. She could share with Antonio.

Feeding the required dollar into the vending machine, she pursed her lips as her colleague approached. He was familiar and she knew she had met him before, but she simply couldn't place him. "Officer," she drawled slowly, hoping he didn't realise that she had forgotten his name as she roamed his uniform for a hint. Unfortunately, his jacket covered his up his vest and therefore his nametag.

"I heard you caught the person who murdered that poor woman and her friends," he commented with a hint of excitement and a whole lot of familiarity she could not reciprocate.

Malley, she remembered suddenly, mentally returning to the scene where he had met her at the door and guided her through to the kitchen. Though she hadn't recognised him on the night, Erin put it down to the fact that he was probably new to the precinct.

Realising the patrolman was waiting for her response, she put on a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, yeah we did. It was a spiteful old friend."

"I hope she goes away for a while," Malley stated, his words catching her off guard. Never once had she stated the shooter had been female, and Erin knew the news couldn't have spread that quickly. But before she could open her mouth, he was already carrying on with a smile. "You know we never finished that conversation from the crime scene."

"Conversation?" Erin asked, brow furrowing as she failed to recall any meaningful conversation they had shared. She couldn't help the way her muscles tensed in his presence; the way she stood rigid, ready to escape if needed to. There was something about his own overly confident attitude that had her on edge.

"About the worst crime scene you've seen," he reminded her with a shake of the head that she would have called affectionate if they had known each other for longer than approximately five minutes in total.

Erin frowned at his words, taking a carefully administered step back after noticing their close proximity that had only drifted smaller throughout the short exchange and reached for the candy she had yet to retrieve from the machine. "Oh, right! That's not a great conversation, actually," she told him offhandedly, snack now in hand and with every intention of returning back to her desk.

"Maybe a few drinks would make it more interesting? You go to Molly's, right? It's a pub nearby. Most of the first responders around here do," Malley informed her, his smile still in place with hopefulness shining brightly on his features.

"Yeah, no, It's pretty popular. We go there often," she told him with a light laugh, deducing for once and for all that he really was new to the 21st district if he hadn't noticed her at Molly's before, especially if he was asking her out for a drink. Deciding to let him down gently, yet put an obvious end to his attempted flirting, she softened her posture and offered him a quirk of her lips. "Listen, thank you for the offer but I'm in a relationship so I don't think that's really a good idea."

His features fell at her revelation, but before she could try and smooth things over, Malley smiled once again and shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright, well I'll be seeing you around then."

"Sure," she replied flippantly, gripping her candy in her hand and heading back towards the stairs to take her to Intelligence.

The feeling of someone watching her burnt hot against the back of her head as she willed herself to not turn around, and only waiting until she knew she was well out of sight before stopping. Though Erin hadn't immediately recognised him, she knew for certain Malley hadn't been one of the officers working on the case apart from the night of murder itself. They had kept any and all information about the suspect within the small group out so not to scare her off, which was why she found it suspicious that Malley knew it was a woman. Especially when statistics and experience showed that most of the murderers they caught were men.

Shaking her head, Erin pushed her thoughts aside and warned herself about overthinking things when running on fumes, coffee and sugar. If he really was a new cop, then of course he would follow up on one of his first crime scenes. There were plenty of ways of getting the information, even if Intelligence had run it in the dark for as long as they could. The idea he was following her was far too narcissistic.

…

Three weeks later, Erin wasn't sure it had been a narcissistic thought after all. Perhaps she had been jumping the gun back then, but not anymore. Not when she could see the other officer by the perimeter of the building Intelligence had just raided, and found nothing, helping others to seal it off. It was pretty late, the sun having set hours earlier, giving the secluded area they were in a much more eerie feeling even though it was lit up bright with lampposts and police squad cars.

It was because of the light she could see Malley as he occasionally, almost casually, kept looking back over at her. She tried to ignore it, squinting to force her eyes away from any direct light in his direction, but she couldn't help it. Ever since their initial meeting, she had spotted him at almost every single crime scene she had gone to yet never at the 21st again. If he had been, Erin knew Platt would have caught on quicker than the detective. But Malley's Sargent clearly didn't care about his whereabouts, or who he was riding with.

She could see the exact moment he decided to head her way. It was the same moment she turned her back to him and took steady, careful steps back to the Sierra where her partner was currently depositing his gun. Malley had tried talking to her a couple of times whilst at a scene, mostly about what was going on, but she made sure to shut it down once he turned it personal so not to give him any false ideas. Their relationship was professional, if even that.

Joining Jay at the back of their work car, she let out a small sigh when she noticed Malley turn back to securing the scene, yellow tape in hand. She had yet to tell anyone about the officer and his tendencies; at first not wanting to make it into a bigger deal than it was, and now not wanting to have the stigma of her calling out a male officer on harassment without any solid proof. Though she knew her team would believe her without a second thought, she worked for the city and the Chicago Police Department as a whole. Her career meant a lot to her, and being a detective in one of the most elite units in the city was not where she planned on stopping. If she could make it go away without any official paperwork to follow her, then she would do her best to make it happen.

However, at the same time, she knew ignoring him couldn't go on forever. Giving herself a six-week deadline, she had resolved with herself that if he hadn't gotten bored with her lack of interaction or response by then, she would tell Jay. It made her feel better about not opening up to him about it yet, even if she justified it by reminding herself that he would not take it lightly at all and probably mar his own professional career. It was for all their benefits, and her peace of mind, knowing she had Jay in her corner if she needed him no matter what.

As if realising her train of thoughts were currently about him, though it could have been her sigh that drew his attention too, Jay turned to face her after safely replacing his long gun in the back where hers had remained. He rested a hand on the top of the trunk door, keeping them slightly off to the side and away from most of the prying eyes as she stepped up to him and into his personal space.

Lifting her hand, she gently skimmed the pads of her fingers over his name on his vest, feeling each and every stitch of fabric which had meticulously formed Halstead, sitting perfectly over his right pectoral. She couldn't look away, not even as she felt Jay's free hand lay softly on her other arm, caressing her bicep with his thumb and the same tenderness she was giving his name tag.

"You alright?" he questioned, and she knew by his anxious tone if they hadn't just walked out of an empty building where not a single bullet had been fired, he'd have been checking her over for wounds already.

"Yeah," she murmured, dragging her eyes away from his name tag and seeing concern reflect in his own. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"I'm always going to worry, Er," he told her, a frown fixing itself onto his mouth as she tried to offer him a smile.

"I know," she breathed, glancing off to the side quickly to see Malley was still in the nearby vicinity and the reason why she could feel her head start to ache. Turning back to her partner, she pushed herself onto her toes and lightly brushed her lips against his. It was quick and daring, but she needed it to ground herself.

"Erin," Jay began when she fell back onto her feet and took a step back. His brow was furrowed and confusion was etched so clearly onto his features at her out-of-character show of affection whilst at work, there was no need for words to ask what had happened. At her shake of the head, he swallowed and pursed his lips momentarily. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I know," she repeated, assuring him with a smile that stretched much more naturally across her lips and pressing her hand flat against his chest in a thankful gesture.

"Whenever you're ready, I'm here," he promised her, and Erin could only offer him a nod in response lest she spilt her secret there and then at his loving words.

Dropping her hand from his body, she peered away from the gathering crowds and back towards the building they had come to raid. Their night was far from over, but the sooner they got back to the district, the sooner they could all go home. "We should get going. I don't think there's anything left to do here."

Jay nodded and closed the trunk door, peering over the roof of their car towards where their Sargent was standing, beckoning over whoever he can see of his team. "Let's go see what Voight wants first, though."

"Relax," Erin laughed when they started to make their way over, Jay making it more than obvious he was keeping a fair bit of distance between them. She had no doubt it was because of the kiss and her partner's fear of their boss seeing whilst on the clock, but she had to admit that it did push away all of her anxiety and worries at the sight of it. "He didn't see."

"Yeah, well, if he did," he began, pausing as they passed under the tape to approach their team. "I'll be the one to hear about it later, I'm sure."

"Aw, poor baby," she teased, bumping her shoulder into his as she purposely kept close to him. "I'll make it up to you."

Her remark earned her a smirk and a raised brow. "Don't you always?" Jay retorted with no need of a suggestive tone for them both to know what he meant.

Allowing a smile to play on Erin's lips, she took a small step away from him as they approached the rest of the team gathered around their boss and his car. She hadn't meant to but somehow, even with her consciously willing herself not to, she looked over casually towards where Malley had last been standing.

Something that felt like relief washed over her immediately when she failed to find it, but it was short-lived. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him closer than he had gotten since their conversation at the precinct, talking to another detective helping them on the case. He managed to keep looking at her, brow creased with his mouth pulled downwards into a frown. There was no doubt he had seen her kiss Jay, or them joking around a moment earlier. She had hoped it would send a message about how serious she was about being with someone, but something told her it wasn't going to be enough to deter him.

Trying her best to push those thoughts away before someone caught on to her turmoil, Erin willed herself to pay attention to Hank and his instructions, though it was rather hard to do when she could feel eyes continuously bore into the side of her head.

...

They closed the case two days later following another raid, this time successful. Unfortunately, it had resulted in the deaths of several members of the gang they were after, with both Jay and Antonio firing the fatal shots. Which meant the two of them were stuck with the paperwork that the Ivory Tower demanded to secure an ironclad case, leaving the rest of the team to not-so-guiltily retreat for a drink.

In Erin's defence, she had given Jay a half-hearted offer of a helping hand. He had thankfully seen through it and sent her to Molly's with the rest of the team, commenting it would only take him another hour or so and would grab a ride with Antonio to the pub. She hadn't offered twice, instead squeezing his shoulder and telling him she would see him soon before following Ruzak, Atwater and Burgess down the stairs.

Of course, she had beaten them all their destination. Deciding against waiting for them, she made her way towards the familiar pub, knowing there would be at least one person inside she knew to keep her company for the time being.

She had barely made it to the street corner when she regretted her decision. "Hello, Detective," the bane of her existence greeted her as he stepped in front of her and effectively blocking her way to the entrance of Molly's.

"Officer Malley," Erin replied dryly, tucking her hands into her jacket pockets though the late summer evening was still warm. "Can I get inside, please?"

"Let me buy you that drink we talked about," he insisted with a winning smile that probably would have worked plenty of other women but did nothing to convince her.

"I'm good, thanks," she replied, staring him down to watch as his smile faltered and his brow pinched together.

"Erin-," he began, but she shook her head and cut him off before she heard his attempt at striking up a conversation once again.

"Don't," Erin simply said, making sure her tone was authoritative and keeping her words simple so they couldn't be misconstrued. "Don't talk to me, don't pretend you know me. I'm here with my friends, so let's leave it at that and go our separate ways."

"I only want to talk. You never talk to me," Malley stated softly in a way that almost sounded like a whine when she was taken aback with hurt lacing his words.

Shaking her head, she refused to feel sympathy for the man who had been practically stalking her for the past three-odd weeks and stood her ground instead. "I don't know you, and I don't want to either. I don't want to be friends, we don't work together and I already have a boyfriend."

"Wait-," he tried again as she started to walk past him after she had said her part, grabbing her by the arm as she did so and turning her back to face him.

"Don't touch me," Erin warned him, dropping her arms by her sides after forcefully shaking off his hold. It had taken her a second to get over the shock of his sudden movement, having initially assumed he wasn't a physical threat to her. Now, she was no longer sure and was more than keen to head inside away from him.

Malley reached out once again, gripping onto her wrist with a tighter hold than earlier. "Let's just talk, okay?"

"No. Now let go of my wrist and walk away," she gritted out between her teeth, in both anger and frustration at his perseverance. "I said, let go!"

"You alright, Linds?" Malley finally retracted his hand and took a small step back a second before Erin had heard Ruzak's voice, knowing the other cop had seen him approach. Erin twisted slightly to look at her friend, watching as he took in the patrolman with discriminating eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

When Malley refused to answer, she sighed and shook her head. "He's no-one. Let's go inside," she told Ruzak, happy for the company that now allowed her to walk peacefully into Molly's.

She refused to look back at Malley or to see whether he followed, heading straight to the bar instead knowing her colleague was not a step behind her with a thousand questions. Though she wasn't sure exactly what Ruzak had seen, it was clear he had caught the tail end of the confrontation.

"What was that about?" he eventually asked when they approached the bar, leaning against it to face her.

Erin peered up at him, taking in his worried eyes and the frown playing on his features. Sighing, she shrugged as lightly as she could. "Nothing. How far are Atwater and Burgess?"

"Kev said they're around the corner," Ruzak replied before bringing the subject back to what they had been talking about. "Who was that guy?"

"No-one, Adam. Should we get some food?" she deflected, turning towards where she could see Otis at the other end of the bar serving some people from Med. When she failed to gain the firefighter's attention, or garner a response from her friend, Erin let out a deep breath and shifted so she was able to talk to Ruzak without facing him head-on. Lowering her voice, she pursed her lips every so slightly, "Just drop it, alright?"

"No, not alright. That guy was harassing you, and I'm pretty sure I've seen him around before," he rebuked, his voice matching her own with a sharp edge to his words. Erin noticed him peer over his shoulder towards the main door, scanning the distance in between too, for the other cop. Fortunately for her, he was nowhere to be seen.

"He's a cop. You've probably seen him at work," she offered just as she spotted Atwater and Burgess walk in. Laying a hand on Ruzak's arm, she offered him a small smile before telling him tersely, "Everything's fine, so you can leave it alone. Let's just enjoy our very rare evening off."

Ruzak nodded absentmindedly at her suggestion, and if she had bought him a couple of extra drinks to thank him for being a good friend without saying the words, no one commented on it. Especially not when he ended up being the first one drunk, before even Jay and Antonio had joined them, and giving them all something to laugh about after a hard few days.

…

Jay couldn't help but keep glancing over at his partner every few minutes as they worked the crime scene of the new case Intelligence had just caught. A triple murder in a shady underground nightclub which doubled as a gambling ring, and who knew what else. There weren't many witnesses, and the few that were still there being interviewed by Antonio, Burgess and a couple patrolmen were mostly useless due to their inebriated state.

Even as Erin carefully took in the scene, pointing out certain facts whilst asking questions or answering others', he couldn't help but notice her tense body. The way she meticulously carried out her job whilst shooting him a curious glance when he noticed her doing everything she could to avoid looking in the direction towards the bar where two patrolmen from another district stood waiting for further orders from Voight. Especially when he saw her falter slightly when canvassing the room, going out of her way to avoid the corridor that led to the backroom area where the officers stood.

If there was one thing Jay knew about his partner, it was that it took a lot to make her falter. Mix that with her recent constant exhaustion, which he had accepted her excuse of being overworked, and what Ruzek had recently told him about the confrontation he had seen at Molly's two nights previously, Jay could feel the familiar red-hot anger boil inside him as he put it all together.

Casually peeling off his black latex gloves, he approached Ruzak and made sure to angle his body away from the rest of the team. "Is that him?" he asked in a low tone, nodding towards the lone patrolman who was watching the rest of the scene with more intent than his partner.

"Yeah," Ruzek replied, though Jay had barely waited for his confirmation to unholster his gun and press it into his teammate's unexpecting hands, making sure he was unarmed as he approached the officer who had apparently been harassing his partner, his girlfriend. "No, wait. J-!" he could hear Ruzak call from behind him, as well as feel the rest of the team watch as he finally called out to their female teammate. "Erin!"

Any other day in any other situation, he knew he would probably have stopped when Erin asked him to. It was why Ruzak had directed her attention towards him. "Jay, don't," she pleaded, but her voice was far back behind him though he could still hear the tiredness in her voice that almost made the words sound half-hearted. It only drew to encourage him further.

Grabbing the officer by his shoulder to turn him away from where he was still staring out towards Erin, Jay made sure his entire attention was on him, the dark green eyes that stared back into his at equal height could see him fully, before giving him a rough shove that made him waver back a step. There was no way he was going to do this without the other man knowing exactly who he was dealing with. Without everyone knowing exactly who they would have to deal with for messing with Erin.

"You stay away from my partner, you hear me?" Jay warned the officer fiercely, finally getting out all of the rage, concern and need to simply act he had built up since finding out about someone harassing Erin. When the other cop had the nerve to simply raise an eyebrow at his words, Jay considered it to be justifiable provocation as he swung at him without a second though. The punch landed perfectly on the side of his face, causing him to stumble back in shock. Two strong hands gripped Jay's upper arms, holding him back from attacking again. "Otherwise, I swear, next time-"

"Alright, back up, bro," Antonio cut him off with a sharp tug back and turning him away from the patrolman now sporting a reddening shiner. Jay would have smirked at his good throw if he hadn't had his friend reminding him in his ear, "Don't go making threats in public; you know how that'll end."

Managing to shake off Antonio's hold just as Voight joined them, Jay inadvertently caught Erin's eyes from the middle of the crime scene and couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty for airing her obvious secret. But when her pursed lips melted into the smallest, resigned quirk, he knew that wasn't the first thought on her mind. Especially as she simultaneously sighed in what seemed like relief, the tension in her posture leaving her body with one single breath to seem more relaxed than he had seen her for a while.

"What's going on here?" Voight's gruff voice brought Jay back to the small gathering of three men now around him. Voight looked towards him when he failed to answer. "Halstead?"

"Nothing, Sarge," Jay answered, words sharp but delivered with a fake sense of calm. He knew Voight didn't believe him, nor did he care as he turned to the other cop involved.

"Nothing, sir," the patrolman agreed, not speaking up even as he began to bruise up before their very eyes. No-one wanted to be on the other end of Voight's infamous glare, especially not when they were trying to create trouble with his detectives. As much as Jay hated it at times, the fact they were protected to a certain extent by Voight's reputation definitely paid off.

There were a few seconds where Voight stood in silence and even Jay worried his boss might decide to take action on the words he had threatened the other man with before hitting him. Erin was, for all intent and purpose, his daughter. Eventually, however, he nodded and dismissed them all, though not without a pat on Jay's shoulder which felt obscenely a lot like pride.

…

Erin found him in the locker room straddling a wooden bench with a first aid kit in front of him. They had returned to the district separately after Voight had insisted Jay chased up a lead with the head of security for the club whilst she remained at the scene until forensics were done with it. They hadn't exchanged another word nor look after he had disappeared into the back of the club with Antonio so she hadn't seen what his hand looked like after punching Officer Malley. If she were to guess based on the reddening of the patrolman's face and the power Jay possessed, it was most likely bruised.

"You shouldn't have done that," she commented, eying the way Jay tried to bandage up his hand as she leant against a locker.

He glanced up at her briefly and shook his head. "You're my partner. I have your back, no matter what," he stated rather too matter-of-factly for her liking.

Sighing, Erin approached the bench to sit opposite him, taking the bandage he was struggling with out of his hands and grasping his injured hand in her own to give it the once over. "Who told you?" she asked quietly, allowing his hand more attention than was needed as she avoided his gaze.

"Ruzak. Said some guy was harassing you at Molly's the other night," Jay informed her with a nonchalant shrug she knew he would be faking, and she wasn't sure right then if she was madder at his calmness or at Ruzek selling her out.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Erin asked, catching his eyes for the first time since she had entered.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he retorted, arching a brow. His eyes told her that he wasn't upset or hurt, but rather confused and she hated seeing the doubts that mixed with it. Not wanting to see it any longer, she focused once again on his hand instead, retrieving the ice pack from the first aid kit and putting all of her efforts into activating it. "You should have told me."

Erin crushed the ice pack between her hands numerous times until she felt it was cold enough to help numb his knuckles. Picking up his right hand, she held it flat before pressing the pack to the minor injury.

"I didn't know how to. Not without making it into a big deal and I really didn't want to make it into a big deal," she finally answered truthfully, offering him a rueful smile when she peered back up at him in hopes of placating him with a simple explanation of what her reasonings really had been.

She knew it hadn't worked the moment he frowned; lips turning down at the corners as his brow creased when he drew them together as he riled himself up once again. "It is a big deal, Erin! He was harassing you," Jay reiterated, and she could feel him tense up just by his hand in her own. If they were still at the scene, there was no doubt he would be splitting open a knuckle with another punch as his own words worked him up.

"I could handle it," she tried to assure him but he shook his head before she could even get the words out.

"You shouldn't have to. He was out of line and you shouldn't have had to deal with it, not alone at least," he said, tone softening out towards the end as his free hand came to rest upon her thigh and squeezed almost apologetically.

Erin blew out a breath and nodded in concession to show she understood what he was saying. Sitting in silence for a moment, she mulled over her thoughts before realising that it was Jay sat in front of her. She had never needed to plan what she was going to say to him before, and that was something that she hoped would never change. Instead of trying to think through with how to tell him everything that had gone through her mind ever since she had met Officer Malley, she decided to simply talk. He had never had an issue with keeping up with her before; it was what made them such great partners after all.

"I know I didn't have to but I wanted to. I needed to. I needed to show him that I was stronger than what he was doing. I didn't want to be another one of those female cops who loses their jobs or career prospects because of some bastard who can't handle being rejected. You know how it goes, Jay, regardless of who is in the wrong. So I hoped it would just kind of disappear. I thought if I didn't show any reaction, he'd get bored and leave me alone," she explained, hoping she was articulating her entire thought process from over the past month in a way so he could see it from her point of view. Watching as he swallowed thickly, she tightened her hold on his hand and shuffled a bit closer so she could pull their grasped hands in towards her stomach where the sharp cold of the ice pack contrasted dramatically with the heat of her body. Her knees pressed against his legs and she could feel every breath he took, hoping he could feel the meaning of her words too. "And I didn't want you jeopardizing your job over it, either. I knew how you'd react."

"I don't care about my job, Erin. I care about you. You come first, always. It's my job to protect you, both on and off the clock, and yes," Jay told her, cutting her off with a sharp word and a teasing smile when she tried to interrupt, proving once again how well he knew her when he continued, "I know you can look after yourself. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop. Ever."

"I know, and I love you so much for it," she replied, matching his smile with an adoring one. Leaning in, she met his lips with her own. She kept it sweet and simple, applying the minimal pressure to turn it into something more than a fleeting kiss but nothing more that could be confused for being completely inappropriate for work.

Jay pressed one final kiss to her lips before sitting back with a small sigh. Temporarily removing his grip off her leg, he rubbed his temple with the pads of his fingers in an action Erin knew was his tell for when he was trying to keep his emotions in check. "Okay, I understand where you're coming from. I'm so sorry that you went through this alone for over a month and I didn't even notice."

Erin shrugged again; accepting and dismissing his apology instantly. "I kept it quiet. Everything is so good with us right now so I focused on that. It made it easier to forget," she explained honestly, knowing that without the man in front of her, she would have gone a bit stir crazy and probably even acted out herself due to Malley's actions.

He squeezed her leg to capture her full attention, making sure he held her eyes so she could see the earnest in them. "You can tell me anything, sweetheart. No matter what you think I'll do, it's important that you know you don't have to go through life alone. I'm sorry I made you feel like you couldn't come to me,"

"It's not on you, Jay. I was- I guess I was scared. Telling you would have made it so much more real," Erin admitted, shaking her head. Moving his injured hand away from her, she took off the ice pack to inspect the cold-reddened knuckles, happy to find there was no swelling. "Maybe if I had said something earlier, we could have avoided all this."

"I doubt it. Beating up guys who harass you is kinda my thing. I plan on doing it for a very long time," he lightly teased, eliciting a smile out of her even as became serious. "For the rest of our lives actually, if you'd let me."

Erin frowned in confusion at his elusive words, growing into fully blown uncertainty when he jumped up and headed towards his locker. Though she knew his right hand must have been aching, he didn't show it as he dug straight into the go bag she knew he kept in there and rifled through for a few seconds.

"Jay, what are you doing?" she eventually asked, scoffing in exasperation when he held up a finger to give him a minute. He returned back to the bench not a few seconds later with a small black box in hand, and she couldn't hold back the quiet gasp when she realised it was perfect to contain a ring.

"I've been wanting to do this for a while now, Erin. I love you and I always want to be the one you can turn to, who can protect you and beat up people for you. I'm a very possessive person, in case you haven't noticed," Jay said wryly as she nodded in agreement, her eyes torn between his own and the beautiful ring he revealed by opening the box. "Mostly, I just want to be with you, and I want to be able to call you my wife. Will you marry me?"

"You chose here, now?" Erin whispered with a watery laugh, causing him to shoot her his typical boyish grin.

"It felt right," he stated nonchalantly.

Shaking her head, she reached out to skim over the soft top of the ring box before gently laying it on his hand. "You have a bruised hand. I thought you'd be mad at me for not telling you. Not-" she faltered momentarily as she took in the ring and the man in front of her, still trying to wrap her head around the reality of the moment. "Not asking me to marry you."

"And I thought you'd mad at me for making a scene," Jay countered coolly.

Shrugging, she blew out a breath and smiled softly at him. "I can't be mad when you're proposing."

"Can you give me an answer then?"

"Yes, Jay. I want to be with you, too," Erin answered without another second's hesitation, and by the grin that curved on his lips at her words, she knew she would never have doubts about it either. "And have you call me your wife the next time you beat someone up for me."

#Linstead #linstead fanfiction #Chicago PD #jay halstead #erin lindsay #100 ways #100WTSILY #100ways #cpd #number 90

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ncfan-1 · 6 years

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Star Wars: Street Food on Lothal and Mandalore

Alright, so after seeing a post about street food on Dromund Kaas, I got it into my head to do a head canon post about street food in Sundari (Mandalore’s capital city) and Capital City on Lothal. I’m always wanting to know more about food culture in fictional settings like this, so this gives me a way to flesh out the Star Wars-verse for my own fic writing. These two lists are by no means exhaustive; they’re just ideas that I had.

Sundari:

Since warfare has left it so that Mandalore no longer has any arable farmland and the ecosystem has been completely destroyed, Mandalore has to import all of its food, either from other worlds in Mandalorian space or from outside of Mandalorian space altogether. Some people consider it unpatriotic to use foodstuffs that weren’t grown on a Mandalorian world, but at the same time, there are plenty of people who find it easier to be pragmatic about it.

Fresh meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables are all extremely expensive on Mandalore. Cargo containers for food do have stasis fields to help keep these foods fresh, but they’re still incredibly expensive to haul across the galaxy. Cargo containers with stasis seals tend to be larger and take up more space in the cargo hold of a freighter, and they have to be carefully maintained in order to keep the seals from being compromised. You’re most likely to find fresh meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables in upscale restaurants and grocery stores, the homes of the elite, and Imperial facilities. These foodstuffs are prohibitively expensive to everyone who isn’t a member of Sundari’s elite; it’s literally less expensive to buy the parts needed to construct a bomb from the black market than it is to buy a dozen meilooruns from the grocery store.

Meat isn’t commonly served in food stalls and dives. When it is, it’s almost invariably been preserved in some way, often jerkied.

Grain is somewhat less expensive than other foods, so a lot of the street foods served involve grain products somehow, often in the form of sweet or savory buns. They can be served plain, or with honey, or with fillings, such as dried fruits or vegetables, or bean paste. Yot and denta beans, jogan fruit and chando peppers are especially popular fillings. Jam made from Mandalorian oranges (though at this point ‘Mandalorian’ is a bit of a misnomer, as the trees, along with every other plant life originally native to the planet, no longer grow on Mandalore; the oranges are imported from nearby Concordia) is another popular filling/topping.

It’s not uncommon to look into the back of a food stall and see a multitude of jars of fruits, vegetables, and sometimes eggs suspended in brightly-colored pickling solutions, syrups, or honey, along with jars of dried beans and (rarely) dry pasta. In fact, the display rack of jars is considered almost as important to the stall’s status as the food prepared itself.

There’s a healthy underground trade in unsanctioned mushrooms and other edible fungi in Sundari, since mushrooms and fungi are among the few edible products that can be grown on Mandalore, albeit under heavily controlled conditions. Psychedelic and non-psychedelic mushrooms are both grown, and both are considered restricted substances by the Empire and the Imperial Supercommandos. Someone from the ISC catching you growing mushrooms in your basement can land you with a stiff fine, or even a prison sentence if the mushrooms happen to be of the psychedelic variety.

Despite the legal risks inherent in growing and consuming mushrooms, they are still popular street fare, especially among those less than enamored of the powers that be. Of the non-psychedelic varieties, three are especially prized: Kalevalan cave fungus (delicate and slightly bitter in taste), little red tree (bright, almost peppery in flavor), and above all, Chandrilan Morel, known for its full, nutty taste. Kalevalan cave fungus is often stir-fried; little red tree is eaten both raw and sautéed; Chandrilan Morel is often either sautéed or used as stuffing for buns and cakes. Oftentimes the non-psychedelic mushrooms are considered even more valuable than the psychedelic variety.

Though they are often eaten whole and raw, psychedelic mushrooms can also be found chopped up and baked into dense grain-based cakes. There is no official name for these cakes, but I believe the most popular colloquial term for them is “Fuck the ISC.”

Tea is the most commonly-consumed caffeinated drink on Mandalore, far outstripping caf and the like. Tea shops are more upscale and associated with the elite, whereas tea stalls and certain dives cater to the lower classes. Tea made from powder is looked down upon; instead, tea is often made with loose leaves or flower petals, and additionally flavored with dried fruit. Tea made from the florets of the Cassius tree is popular but rather expensive. Ithorian rose, Star-mist, and Sun-dew flowers are often used for teas, as are Mandalorian oranges, cloudberries, starberries, and Ithorian jewel-fruit.

It’s semi-common in tea stalls for small, sweet buns to be served floating in tea, occasionally with candied orange rind.

Few people in Sundari outside of the upper class can afford to keep pets, but those that do, if they let their pets roam outside (and sometimes even if they don’t) run the risk of coming home one day to find their pet missing. It’s generally better not to ask what happened to it.

Capital City on Lothal:

According to Wookieepedia, Lothal underwent a severe drought during the Clone Wars, as well as a plague that wiped out a large portion of its livestock. These two things did a number on the population of both tame and wild large herbivores on Lothal, to the point that in the age of the Empire, meat from large herbivores is often extremely expensive, and hunting is heavily restricted.

By order of the Empire, no food stall vendor can do business without a license. That wouldn’t be a problem, except that licenses are expensive and can be otherwise difficult to obtain, especially if you have at any point offended the Empire in any way. This just leads those who can’t get licenses to get clever about it. A popular tactic is to serve food straight out of your kitchen, and invite ‘guests’ in to eat (And pay for what they eat).

Lothrat is sometimes served deep-fried in food stalls, but it’s not the most popular choice, and is consumed largely by the desperate and the destitute (Ezra’s eaten lothrat more than once. He doesn’t care for it.).

Large insects are often served whole, fried or sautéed or steamed. It’s also common to mash the insects into paste and serve them as a topping or as a filling inside of a roti cake.

Scorpions are also consumed; they are typically lightly-fried and served on a stick, their stinger removed before hand.

Since Capital City is located by the seaside, seafood is for a long time an indelible part of Capital City’s street food. Shrimp, mussels and small fish are the most popular (seeing as they are also the least expensive) and can be found steamed; lightly-fried or deep-fried; chopped up and baked into small pies; steamed, then chilled, then served suspended in a thin fruit juice (typically a tart juice); or served in soup.

Speaking of soup, soup’s pretty popular on Lothal. In addition to seafood-based soups, there are sweet soups whose bases are seasonal fruits, and more savory soups whose bases are seasonal vegetables. The seafood- and vegetable-based soups typically include fleshy tubers and beans; the fruit-based soups typically include dumplings. All three are commonly thickened with cream and flour, and fruit soups are sometimes served with a dollop of sour cream.

A popular cold dessert soup often prepared in summer has blue milk as a base and is made with pureed jogan, sliced shuura, and sometimes includes chopped nuts as a garnish. Whether the nuts are included depends on their availability, and the exact type depends on what the vendor can get their hands on.

Shaved ice flavored with fruit syrups is another popular summer treat.

Jogan cakes are another popular treat.

Fruits and vegetables are commonly sold by farmers and food stall vendors alike. These fruits and vegetables are sometimes sold whole and raw, but more often they have been prepared in some way. You can find them sliced and deep-fried in a crisp, slightly sweet batter. Fruits might be coated in caramelized sugar after being deep-fried. They might be chopped and mixed into batter for griddle cakes, or into a patty with ground beans, egg batter, spices, and sometimes shellfish

Deep-fried bean cakes stuffed with shrimp puree are often sold by unlicensed vendors.

After the Empire kicks things into high gear and Lothal becomes the ecologically-ravaged hellhole we see in Season 4, there are some changes. The vast majority of people’s food is the rations served by Imperial facilities. All fruits and vegetables are off the menu.

It’s common for stolen Imperial ration packs to be cut into slices and deep-fried in batter made from whatever someone can get their hands on. The batter doesn’t lend a great deal of flavor to the ration packs, but it does lend a little flavor.

Backroom, unlicensed food shops feature communal bowls of stew with meat of indeterminate origin floating in a thin broth. It is considered unwise to ask exactly what type of meat it is.

The lothcat, which was previously regarded widely as a potential pet and a hunter of pests, becomes viewed more as a viable food source. It becomes more common for lothcats to be killed for their meat, and it’s easier than usual to catch them, because the few wild lothcats in the area that survived the burning of the plains have moved to the city, scavenging people’s trash for food, and have grown weak enough to be killed fairly easily.

Few people have pets anymore, and it’s common for those pets to go missing.

One night, a group of teenagers, destitute and desperate for a meal, decide to try to catch one of the loth-bats that have been driven to Capital City to try to scavenge food. It takes some doing, but they catch and kill one. One of the teens goes to slice the loth-bat’s stomach open, only for several pounds of garbage to come spilling out. One of the teens throws up. Another starts crying. They all agree this was a horrible idea and head to one of the backroom food shops to get a bowl of the terrible, terrifying mystery meat stew.

#Star Wars #Star Wars: Rebels #Meta #Head canon #World-building #Food #Street food #Gets a bit dark but you shouldn't have expected anything else #Lothal #Mandalore

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freenewstoday · 3 years

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New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2020/12/04/best-performances-of-2020/

Best Performances of 2020

Jessica Frances Dukes and Marylouise Burke, Season 3 of “Ozark”

“Ozark” is the end of a Shakespearean tragedy with the preceding acts lopped off: Don’t get attached to anybody; they probably won’t last. The show’s about a nice married duo that ascends the ranks of a drug cartel. Dukes is the pregnant fed investigating their finances. Burke is their couples therapist. Both are divine. Dukes opts for a genial skepticism, like she’s been dispatched from Fargo P.D. Everybody’s lying to her and the thrill of her performance comes from the poise she maintains amid the flagrant insults to her intelligence. She must have a dozen ways of doing, “How dumb do you think I am?” Burke, meanwhile, is a bag of Sour Patch Kids — glamorously wizened, blithe in both her wisdom and corruptibility. They make that candy with acid and sugar. They’re addictive and, when there’s none left, it’s awful. (Streaming on Netflix.)

Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”

Seyfried’s version of the 1930s movie star and mistress Marion Davies, in David Fincher’s film loosely about the writing of “Citizen Kane,” takes what Seyfried does best to reimagine the best of Davies. What results is a kind of world-weary effervescence. An actress who’s always had a nifty pop about her graduates, at last, from soda to champagne. (Streaming on Netflix starting Dec. 4.)

Maxwell Jacob Friedman doing “Me and My Shadow” on All Elite Wrestling

Some weeks the athleticism at this professional wrestling start-up is more exciting than anything happening in Vince McMahon’s empire. And no one in the WWE has this kid’s combination of diction (Juilliard by way of Long Island), intensity or cheesiness, either. Even when Friedman’s lost his cool (his nom de ring is MJF), he still has astounding control. The character is part heel, part tool (hair gel, loafers, Burberry bling — tacky, tacky, tacky) and part goodfella wannabe; his mouth does more running than he does. For reasons only the producers of this show can explain, a long segment in October between MJF and the veteran Chris Jericho culminated in a version of “Me and My Shadow” complete with dancing women and live singing. It was less than spectacular, though not for anything Friedman did. He wasn’t embarrassed at all. He was smooth in a way that should worry Ric Flair. This kid makes you wanna say, “Woo!”

72nd Primetime Emmy Awards Power Rankings

Aunjanue Ellis in Episode 7 of “Lovecraft Country”

The show is a gory zoo of half-finished ideas. But right there in the middle of all the mess were about 30 uninterrupted minutes built around Ellis, as a housewife named Hippolyta. Until that point, she was a minor player amid all the monsters, magic and racist history. Suddenly, poof! She’s gone screaming through a wormhole into another dimension and then another — dancing with Josephine Baker, commanding a troop of Amazons, doing interplanetary field work in costumes that would blow Sun Ra’s mind. Ellis has been at this for a long time and for those of us who’ve been waiting for a part that would let her turn fear into joy, and joy into rage and rage into wonder, the wait was beyond worth it. More, please. (Streaming on HBO Max.)

Marielle Heller, “The Queen’s Gambit”

Officially, it’s about a chess champion (see below) but for a couple of episodes, it’s also about her drab adoptive mother, whom Heller eventually plays in a state of subdued surprise. The perks of the chess-chaperone lifestyle are beyond the character’s wildest dreams. But rather than milk this boozy matron part for campiness, Heller leans on the unexpected warmth of 11th-hour momliness. (Streaming on Netflix.)

Moses Ingram, “The Queen’s Gambit”

I don’t know what Kentucky orphanage in the 1950s was this integrated, but I almost didn’t care because Ingram is so good. In fact, she’s so good that I even put up with her triple-stereotype part (pickaninny; Black best friend; Morgan Freeman at the end of “The Shawshank Redemption”). Her galactic charisma and physical incandescence turned a stock role into a three-course dinner.

Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit”

It’s a testament to Taylor-Joy that Ingram is only in about two-and-a-half of this show’s seven episodes and I didn’t miss her as sorely as I thought I would. That’s how transfixing Taylor-Joy is, despite how much, from some angles, she looks like Emma Stone as reimagined by Tim Burton — long face and big eyes, like an insect trapped in a boozy pill-popper’s body. I imagine this wasn’t an easy performance to make work: cunning, stupors and stratagems — how do you act all of those? I suppose, like you’ve just landed here from outer space and have no intention of going home.

Pete Buttigieg hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on March 12

Buttigieg had suspended his presidential campaign less than two weeks before, and in the early minutes, his decision to fill in for Kimmel struck me as ambition’s nadir, this cynical bottoming out of political aspiration right at the start of a moment when we’d need it most. But Buttigieg’s joke delivery was almost from an awkward school of comedy (who me? funny?). His timing was its own clockwork. In a sketch that had him taking a job handing out pretzel samples on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he was superbly humbled. And his interview with Patrick Stewart was serene and only mildly fawning. Here’s someone who’d spent almost a year running for president yet was most human (and hilarious) doing not retail politics but just plain-old retail.

Ann Harada, Austin Ku, Kelvin Moon Loh and Thom Sesma, doing “Someone in a Tree” during Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday tribute

Pure magic. Magic that didn’t have to be this magical for what’s ultimately a Google Hangout. It came in the middle of an all-star party (well, almost all) thrown for one of the country’s great magicians. The song is from Sondheim’s underrated “Pacific Overtures,” and belongs in his Top 10. It’s too ornate to explain, but Sondheim sets it in the present and the past. The video opens with Harada and Sesma in their respective boxes. Then it cuts to Sesma on his own and then to Ku — as Sesma’s younger self — looking down, as if from a tree, and Sesma turns his head up to Ku. Then, suddenly, there Loh arrives down in a fourth box. He’s on his back at first, but shot so that his head still matches the face-to-space ratio of the other three. I’m giving you geometry. These four gave me awe. Part of the magic is how they’re connected to one another. Onstage, it’s time that’s collapsed. Here, it’s also distance. Technically, I don’t know how they and the technicians pulled it off. But boy has it stuck with me — as a fittingly ambitious and witty acknowledgment of Sondheim’s audacity and as a metaphor for the teamwork necessary to achieve anything meaningfully, enduringly decent this year.

Weruche Opia, “I May Destroy You”

If the superb Michaela Coel is the wounded psyche of this HBO series, then Opia is its reality check. Playing Coel’s best friend, Terry, her skill here is both verbal and physical. (Her body language alone could fill a dictionary.) But it’s the patience in her acting that floored me, the compassionate watching of — and watching out for — Coel. Opia is the Ethel to her Lucy, the Pam to her Gina: another dictionary definition — for “support.” (Streaming on HBO Max.)

Jake Lacy, “High Fidelity”

Everybody on this cruelly canceled Hulu remake of the movie was fantastic, including Zoë Kravitz. But Lacy is worth singling out because few actors do more complex work with good-sport second bananas. He’s built like a baseball player but performs with reserves of kindness that complement the daffiness of Jenny Slate, the depredations of Lena Dunham or the diffidence of Kravitz. There’s no award for that, just my unceasing admiration. (Streaming on Hulu.)

Joshua Caleb Johnson and Hubert Point-Du Jour, “The Good Lord Bird”

There isn’t a person on this Showtime series who doesn’t exist in the shadow of Ethan Hawke’s tornadic rendition of John Brown. But these two, playing enslaved men caught up in Brown’s fervid warmongering, manage something special: neither of them wilts. Johnson is the young eyes and voice of the series, and what a sly comedian he is. His face can express a hundred kinds of surprise and equal amounts of fear, doubt and relief. Meanwhile, where’d Point-Du Jour come from? His line readings are crisp and hilarious. These two inspired most of my laughter. Their arched eyebrows always seemed to match mine. (Streaming on Showtime.)

Dionne Warwick, Twitter

Apparently, Warwick joined Twitter eight years ago, but this was the year her account became a thing — wry, wise, as elegantly spectral as churlish is likely to get, generous. Warwick tweets the way she sings, smoothly, martini-dry. One tweet that caught thousands of eyes warns Spotifiers that artists can look at our playlists. She used the “I see you” eye emoji where a period would go. Another specifically asked that nobody tell her what “hot girl summer” is even though by that point it was a “was.” The appeal is that the tweets sound like her — that smoky timbre, the showbiz diction. They’re a snack. I’ve finished reading some of her posts and have actually tried to wipe the salt off my hands.

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ketoguideforweightloss-blog · 5 years

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Quick keto fact for burning fat

Ketosis is a completely normal metabolic function. Essentially, when your body doesn’t have enough glucose for energy, it will burn stored fat instead. Glucose is created when carbohydrates are broken down inside your body. Cutting carbs from your diet means less glucose for your body to burn up.

Replacing carbs with fats will cause acids called ketones to build up in your body. The goal is to force the body to derive its fuel from fat, rather than carbs.

While your body is in ketosis, it becomes extremely efficient at burning fat. Ketogenic diets can trigger major reductions in your blood sugar and insulin levels, which has additional health benefits. in ketosis but not losing weight http://www.weightlossandketodiet.com/i-am-in-ketosis-but-not-losing-weight-a-look-on-whats-keeping-you-off-the-weight-loss-track/

Keto for Weight Loss

Ketogenic diets are effective for losing weight and lowering risk factors for certain diseases. While low-fat diets are traditionally recommended for those looking to shed pounds, research shows that keto is, in fact, a superior approach to weight loss.

Unlike many diets, keto will not leave you feeling hungry after eating a pre-set number of calories for the day. Keto is a satisfying and filling method of dieting. In fact, you can lose weight without tracking calories—something that deters many people from adhering to other diets.

There are several reasons why keto is more efficient than a low-fat diet, including increased protein intake. Higher protein intake is advantageous for weight reduction and metabolic health.

Quick Keto Facts

• Ketosis occurs when the body is denied access to glucose, its main fuel source. • In ketosis, stored fat is broken down for energy, producing ketones. • Some people use a ketogenic diet to lose weight by forcing their body to burn surplus fat stores. • The ketogenic diet was originally developed in the 1920’s to treat epilepsy but was inadvertently discovered to offer many other health benefits. • There are multiple variations of the ketogenic diet. Types of Ketogenic Diets • Classic Keto: The strictest form of keto, classic keto requires a 4:1 ratio of fats to carbs or protein. This is a structured, individualized plan in which your diet will consist of 90% fat. Foods are usually weighed when following this regimen. • Modified Keto: The modified version of the diet is intended to be less restrictive. It might be a good place to start if you’re new to keto, or if you’ve done classic keto for a long time and you’re trying to taper down to a more sustainable, long-term eating regimen. • MCT: This version allows for a higher protein and carb intake than classic keto. MCT is short for Medium Chain Triglycerides, or highly ketogenic man-made fats. • Modified Atkins: Carbs are limited in modified Atkins, while fat is encouraged. Protein is not limited at all. When you do consume carbs on this diet, fats should accompany them. • Intermittent Fasting: This dietary intervention launches the body into ketosis by shortening the window of time that you eat during the day. For instance, you may only eat during an 8-hour window of the day, and fast for the other 16 hours. This forces the body to burn energy from fat. Only the classic and high-protein ketogenic diets have been researched and studied extensively by professionals. Other, more advanced, versions of keto are primarily used by bodybuilders and elite athletes. Since the classic method is the most researched, it is often the most recommended. so tired on ketogenic diet http://www.weightlossandketodiet.com/why-am-i-so-tired-on-ketogenic-diet/

Other Health Benefits of Keto

The ketogenic diet was originally created to treat neurological diseases like epilepsy. Over the last century, countless studies have been performed to examine the other health benefits of ketogenic diets. Keto has been shown to offer benefits for a myriad of health conditions: • Heart disease: The ketogenic diet can improve cholesterol levels and reduce body fat and blood sugar—all risk factors for heart disease. • Cancer: Keto is currently being used to treat cancers and slow the growth of tumors. • Alzheimer’s disease: Keto may reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or slow its advancement. Research is ongoing. • Epilepsy: Research has indicated that the ketogenic diet can cause a sizeable reduction in the number of seizures experienced by epileptic children. • Parkinson’s disease: One study produced evidence that the diet helped improve Parkinson’s disease symptoms, though more research is needed. • Polycystic ovary syndrome: Keto can lower insulin levels, which may play a role in treating polycystic ovary syndrome. • Brain injuries: One study conducted on animals found that keto can aid in concussion recovery and post-brain injury recovery. • Acne: Eating less sugar and processed foods (lower insulin levels) helps improve acne and reduce the frequency of breakouts. • Diabetes: Keto can increase insulin sensitivity and fat loss, which are significant benefits for people with type 2 diabetes (or prediabetes). keto and intermittent fasting success http://www.weightlossandketodiet.com/keto-and-intermittent-fasting-success-stories-that-change-lives/

Research in several of these areas is not conclusive, and more evidence is needed to support keto’s other health benefits. It is quite intriguing, though, that a diet originally developed to treat neurological disorders has been adapted for weight loss, and could potentially be further developed to treat a large number of human ailments.

Foods to Avoid in Keto

Any food that is high in carbohydrates should be limited or removed while attempting to achieve ketosis. Some of these foods include: • Sugary foods: Cake, ice cream, candy, soda, fruit juice • Grains or starches: Cereal, pasta, rice, wheat-based foods • Fruit: All fruit should be eliminated, with the exception of small portions of berries. • Beans: Peas, kidney beans, legumes, chickpeas, lentils • Root vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes • Low-fat packaged products: These “diet” products are highly processed and usually pack a lot of carbs. • Condiments and sauces: Many condiments and sauces contain sugar or unhealthy fats. Check the labels! • Unhealthy fats: Limit things like vegetable oil and mayonnaise. • Alcohol: Alcoholic beverages are high in carbs, which can take your body out of ketosis. • Sugar-free diet foods: These products can be high in sugar alcohols, which affect ketone levels. They’re highly processed, too. lazy keto for beginners http://www.weightlossandketodiet.com/lazy-keto-meal-plan-a-quick-guide-for-beginners/

Keto-Friendly Foods

You should base most of your meals on these types of foods: • Meat: Steak, ham, chicken, sausage, bacon, turkey • Fatty fish: Trout, tuna, mackerel, salmon • Eggs: Pastured and omega-3 whole eggs • Butter and cream: Products of grass-fed animals, if possible. • Cheese: Unprocessed cheddar, cream, goat, blue or mozzarella • Nuts and seeds: Almonds, flax seeds, walnuts, chia and pumpkin seeds • Healthy oils: Mainly extra virgin olive oil, but coconut and avocado oil are ok, too. • Avocados: Whole avocado or fresh guacamole • Low-carb veggies: Greens, tomatoes, peppers, onions • Condiments: Salt, pepper, healthy herbs In keto and most healthy diets, it’s best to base your meals on whole, one-ingredient foods. To learn more about keto-friendly, low-carb foods, check out this list: Ketogenic diet foods – what to eat. Always try to rotate your vegetables and meats to reduce boredom and maximize your nutritional intake. You can eat a variety of delicious and nutritious meals when following a ketogenic diet plan. Keto Snacks to Enjoy!

As with any dietary plan, you might get hungry between meals. When those snack cravings hit, make sure you reach for something that is keto-friendly, so as to maintain the state of ketosis achieved through your regular meals.

Here are some healthy and keto-friendly snack ideas: • Fatty meat • Fatty fish • Unprocessed cheeses (optionally, add olives) • A small handful of seeds or nuts • One or two hard-boiled eggs • Dark chocolate (90%) • A low-carb milkshake (add almond milk, nut butter, and cocoa powder) • Full-fat yogurt with nut butter or cocoa powder • Strawberries with cream from grass-fed animal sources • Celery dipped in salsa or guacamole • Small portions of leftover dinners When dining out, it’s usually pretty easy to make most restaurant meals keto-friendly. Most restaurants feature meat or fish-based dishes. Order one of these plates and substitute any high-carb side dishes for vegetables. Egg-based meals, such as omelets or eggs and bacon, are also a great choice. They’re not just good for breakfast—they can be dinner, too! Another keto favorite is the bun-less burger. Try swapping a side of fries for vegetables and adding avocado, bacon, or extra cheese to the burger. At Mexican restaurants, you can eat any type of meat on the menu. You can also add extra cheeses, salsa, guacamole, or sour cream. For dessert, try a mixed cheese place or berries and cream. Why the Ketogenic Diet Impacts Fat Burn

Keto can help you lose weight and make some positive changes to your life. The high-fat, low-carb diet has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, creating an entire community of keto-praising eaters. Unlike with calorie restriction, keto helps you lose weight by putting your body into ketosis. When you eat minimal carbohydrates, your body produces ketones for energy. Ketones are made in your liver from fatty acids found in food or your own body fat. Therefore, your liver actually burns fat to make ketones. Ketones are used for energy in lieu of carbs. keto smoothie for constipation recipes http://www.weightlossandketodiet.com/keto-smoothie-for-constipation-do-they-work/

As your body steadily burns fat as a fuel source, you will start to lose weight. You may be wondering if keto can target specific problem areas, such as belly fat. Burning belly fat is high on the priority list for many people. The fat in your belly is visceral fat, which is a dangerous type of fat that lives deep inside the abdomen, encasing your internal organs. Visceral fat is linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Technically, you can’t spot-target fat areas for reduction. Your body decides where weight loss will occur. However, keto may be useful for eliminating stubborn belly fat.

Belly fat, or visceral fat, comes from a combination of genes and a diet high in refined carbs and sugar. Visceral fat can easily become inflamed, making it incredibly stubborn to lose and dangerous to surrounding blood vessels. A well-formulated keto regimen has strong anti-inflammatory effects, making it easier to drop stubborn belly fat. Keto alone likely will not be enough to lose a large amount of fat. Keto works well in combination with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercises. Always consult with your doctor before beginning any new diet or exercise plan.

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essentialvegetarian · 6 years

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Lemon Zest

Somewhere along the line it turned into a hybrid between the bitter orange (sour orange) and citron, which is your basic granddaddy of the citrus family, with its thick bumpy rind and sour flavor.

The fruit has come a long way since then, which makes it among the world’s favorite citrus. Arab traders brought lemons to the Middle East and Africa sometime afterwards as it made its way to southern Italy around 200 B.C. and has been cultivated in Egypt. Citron paved the way for all citrus as it came in the Mediterranean around the late first century BC. Nowadays, the citron, which contains very little juice or pulp, is usually candied and baked into fruitcakes.

Slow to catch on, for more than a century citron and lemon were the only citrus fruits known from the Mediterranean basin. Lemons, though commonplace and abundant today, were actually rare in ancient Rome, prized by the elite, and represented high social status. (So if someone called you a lemon back then, it was probably a compliment.)

At first, lemons weren’t widely grown for food or seasoning but largely an ornamental plant, such as tomatoes, until about the 10th century. The Arabs introduced the lemon into Spain in the 11th century, and by then they had become a frequent crop in the Mediterranean area. The lemon has been introduced to Western Europe somewhere between the years 1000 and 1200 BC. And traveled with the Crusades throughout their journeys, making its way to England in the early 16th century. The Italian word limone dates back to the Arabic and Persian word limun.

Thanks to Christopher Columbus, who brought them to Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic) in 1493, these new trees that produced odd yellow sour fruit, spread across the New World but were used mainly as an ornamental and medicinal plant because of their very sour taste. (Apparently no one had figured out how to make lemon meringue pie yet).

While foodie president Thomas Jefferson boasted over one thousand fruit trees in his orchards, there is absolutely no record he ever experimented with citrus, although he must have encountered them in his travels to France, but the Virginia climate simply did not lend itself to citrus. However, lemons were being grown in California from the mid-1700s, and in tropical Florida from the 1800s, when they became a hit in flavoring and cooking.

Although lemon flavored puddings and custards are appreciated for centuries, our preferred lemon meringue pie as we know it now is a 19th-century product. The earliest recorded recipe has been attributed to a Swiss baker named Alexander Frehse. There’s also speculation that a British botanist could have chased it around 1875, but whoever dreamed it up sure did us a favor.

Over 200 or so varieties of the lemon have evolved over the last three centuries. Unlike regular lemons, Meyer lemons aren’t picked green and cured after harvesting but are picked when fully ripe. They bear fruit year-round, are generally less sour and their pulp is orange-colored.

A lot of us learned in grammar school that lemons and limes averted a disease called scurvy, which Scottish surgeon James Lind discovered in 1747, urging the British Royal Navy to execute to be able to save countless sailors. (thus the nickname”limey” to get a Brit, which sounded better than”lemony”). This opened the door to the value of Vitamin C and its significance in nutrition.

It’s tough to imagine life without the lemon. But you enjoy them, their bright yellow color, tangy taste and fragrant odor improve our lives in many various ways, and if you are fortunate enough to reside in a place where they grow, you can indulge for virtually pennies.

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#Vegetarian Lifestyle #Essential Vegetarian

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thecoroutfitters · 7 years

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Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: In the “spirit” of the holiday, with tongue firmly in cheek, here is an article from the writers at Company Essaylab, with just a few tweaks from TPJ. Blame it on the sugar-spike from all the candy being left about like clues in a scavenger hunt!The Prepper Journal will return to serious matters tomorrow, on the Dia De Los Muertos.

As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly receive a $25 cash award, as well as being entered into the Prepper Writing Contest AND have a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies, then enter today!

THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE

Don’t delay. Prepare now for the zombie apocalypse. Your life and the lives of your loved ones depends on it! Don’t think it is possible? Have you NOT seen what colleges now call graduates?!?!?!?!

The Apocalypse

Here It Comes… Are you ready?

The Zombie Apocalypse is a phrase used to describe the inevitable breakdown of society as we know it due to a zombie infestation.

Precise details of when and where the zombie outbreak will originate and what will cause it are largely unknown at the present time, but we do know that it is coming sometime soon and will affect the entire planet. Traces of evidence appear hourly, if not more often on social media, and in the “Media”. Mindless drones are now a thing…..not the ones that fly but the ones that the media always seems to interview at rallies.

Regardless of its exact nature, the zombie apocalypse is expected to follow these predetermined steps:

Outbreak The first zombie (or zombies) are brought into existence. Causes include magic, a virus, extraterrestrial interference, sun spots, climate change, an overdose of FaceBook, just one more cable-news channel, and Russians, always Russians

Ensuing chaos, death and destruction – like Chicago on a weekend The pioneer zombies forge an assault on the uninfected human population, resulting in more zombies and less humans due to either infection or the recently killed rising as undead, like the Rolling Stones doing “one more tour!”

Fall of the authorities Despite their best efforts, local law enforcement and the military are unable to contain or combat the zombie threat and quickly become overwhelmed by the walking dead. The city of Berkeley has already documented this phenomenon.

Formation of isolated groups Small groups of individuals band together for survival. Disputes and conflicts will often break out among the living despite the increasing zombie threat, a trend first noted in the Republican Party

Group mergers These isolated groups will increase in number as straggling survivors join them and groups merge into larger communities, the birth to the repeat of history that brought us to the apocalypse in the first place

Rebuilding of society Large dense populations of humans will reform as they formulate plans to combat the zombie infestation and rebuild society. The rise of the feudal “City state” furthers the case for history being repeated.

Zombies

Know the enemy… before he recognizes you as it’s prey

If you want to survive the forthcoming zombie apocalypse, you will need to learn about zombies. Whether you plan to fight, flee or hide, an intimate knowledge of the zombie’s body and mind will increase your chances of staying alive.

Because the zombie outbreak has not yet happened, the exact nature of the zombie is still an unknown quantity, though social media warriors provide valuable insight. Fortunately the greatest minds of science and Hollywood have combined to give us an idea of what to expect from our eventual undead foes.

The ‘classic’ zombie (pictured here) will be your most likely threat post-apocalypse. “Acting like teenagers” will be your first clue that they are now devoid of all previous human traits.

Their brains are only able to provide the body with the very basic motor functions. These include:

A slow lumbering walk

The ability to reach out with their arms (although their hands have almost zero dexterity)

A primeval bite or scratch

Eating human flesh

Voting for Democrats since their death

Texting while driving, paying $7 for a cup of coffee and never looking up from their phones…

If the cause of the zombie outbreak is an infection of some kind, it may only take a small scratch or bite from one of these guys to pass on the contagion. This is not to say that the launch of the latest iPhone, a Star Trek Convention, a ComiCon, or a Justin Timberlake concert can not produce the same behavior temporarily.

Due to their lack of speed, they can easily be outran but their strength lies in their numbers and it is almost impossible to get away from a hoard of these zombies without the aid of massive firepower or a vehicle that won’t start until the very last second.

Despite the lack of cognitive ability in the Classic Zombie, they have a blood-lust for human flesh and this is their main driving force, along with getting an autograph from Ariana Grande. It may be the case that their insatiable desire to eat humans hones their senses to much higher levels than when they were alive as they may be able to smell living human flesh over long distances.

If they have a pain threshold, it is astonishingly high and they will continue to gravitate towards their living sustenance even if they are suffering from wounds that would immobilize a living human. Even with severed limbs, they will still attempt to locate, approach and eat the living, as well as get to the next map/mission in Call of Duty.

The single wound that they cannot recover from and which will ultimately kill them once and for all is severe brain trauma. Your greatest chance of stopping a zombie in its tracks is by concentrating your firepower at its head.

BUT, the worse is yet to come as you must also learn how to deal with so-called ‘special’ zombies. Special zombies have particular skills or abilities, which make them deadlier opponents. The root of these will be politicians, Hollywood elites, and the already brain-dead who fawn over them currently. Their knowledge of makeup, dress, style and gab may facilitate them penetrating your defenses. Be vigilant in your assessments of these undead.

Humans

There’s No ‘I’ in Team

Taking on hordes of zombies is not a one-man or woman (or any of the other 53 genders) job – you will need to assemble a team of crack zombie killers, preferably not on crack. Once the panic and destruction of the initial zombie outbreak has died down, those that survive will be cut off from one another, maybe alone.

Whatever you decide to do next, whether it’s search for a loved one or go on a zombie killing spree, or look for companions, your best chance of survival is to find other like-minded individuals – and if like-minded individuals are sparse, living individuals may be the next best thing, though they are always the most dangerous on TV and in the movies.

Safety in numbers may be the key here. Whether you like them or not is unimportant (and when you’re making group decisions, disputes will inevitably break out). Your most important task right now is to have people watching your back, as you watch theirs.

Your ability to locate and befriend other survivors will be paramount to your survival, so make no small task of working on your social skills pre-apocalypse. Develop the ability to text and sight-in simultaneously, to drive a vehicle, play a game on your smart phone, and find a Red Bull at the same time. Knowing how to cook a meal over a campfire while cleaning your weapons and stitching up a wounded comrade will be a life-skill that others will seek.

Training

Your Body is a Temple

To survive in a post-apocalyptic zombie-ridden world takes training and hard work. Yes, you may be able to learn “on the job” without any prior preparation but your chances of preservation will be increased if you have trained your body and mind beforehand.

Not only should you keep your body in tip-top condition, but you will also need to learn a plethora of skills to ensure your longevity. Remember that natural selection favors those that are best equipped to survive in their environment. Darwin.

Weapons

Tool Up! Choose your darlings…

To be a successful zombie apocalypse survivor, you need to familiarize yourself with a wide variety of weapons. The rule of thumb at first should be “anything I can get my hands on”, followed by a better approach, time permitting.

As we stated above the only way to effectively kill a zombie is via brain trauma. This can take many forms including shooting, decapitation, bludgeoning, stabbing, burning, freezing and exploding. The important thing is to always aim for the head. While methods of forcing them to watch marathons of “The View”, “Good Morning America” or “Full Frontal” will eventually turn their brains to mush, as it has already done to your fellow citizens, it is not fast enough to save you from them, and their attention spans are shorter than the people on those shows.

That said the weapons below are a good “starter kit”:

Close-Combat Weapons

Baseball Bat

Cricket Bat

Golf Club

Wooden Stick

Metal Pipe

Guitar

Sword

Knife/Dagger

Hammer

Fire Extinguisher

Chains

Axe

Chainsaw

Power Drill

Ice Pick

Chop Sticks

Silverware, excluding the spoon unless your are a full on “ANIMAL WARRIOR!”

Ranged Weapons

Sling

Pistol

Shotgun

Bow

Crossbow

Minigun

Machine Gun

Paint ball gun shooting KFC chicken (?) nuggets

Long-Ranged Weapons

Rifle

Sniper Rifle

Mounted Machine Gun

C-Span blaring on speakers

Explosives

Molotov Cocktail

Grenade

Dynamite

Landmine

Sour mash still

Kit

Be Prepared!

To stay alive after the zombie apocalypse in a world where the mod-cons of modern society no longer exist requires supplies and equipment that will be essential to preserving yourself and your team in the post-apocalyptic world.

Ideally, you will want to prepare your survival kit prior to the zombie uprising and store it somewhere safe and easily accessible. If you have teenagers hide it where you keep household cleaning supplies. If you have in-laws staying with you NEVER hide it where you keep the liquor!

There is no reason for you to not start building your zombie survival kit today. Although some of the items on the list below may be impractical to obtain pre-apocalypse, like a rifle if you live in Europe, or Canada, or Cuba, or Mexico, or, well, you get the picture. On the other hand many of the items can be gathered quickly and inexpensively once the SHTF, like a rifle in France.

In addition, items that may seem difficult to acquire today will be easier to procure after society has broken down, when looting will become widespread, because, you know, everyone needs a 60″ flat screen for their bunker.

A typical zombie survival kit should consist of:

Essentials

Water – 1 Gallon per person per day – assumes hygiene is toast

Non-perishable or canned food (enough to last a week) – yummy

Can opener – really? Can’t make it without a can opener? You get “point” on patrols

A stockpile of any prescription medicines required by your family – and drugs family members are addicted to…

A first-aid kit, and knowing what it is and is not for

A knife

A clockwork or battery-powered radio

Duct tape (can fix anything)

A change of clothes – just one, same comment as water above

Blankets

Highly Desirable

Hammer and nails (for fortifications)

A hatchet

Matches/lighter

Weaponry (see previous chapter)

Flashlight/torch

Local maps

Desirable

Wet wipes, bin bags & toilet paper – the last one so needs to be on the first list!

Surgical mask/dust mask

Fire extinguisher

Bleach

Binoculars

Compass

Let’s Get Outta Here!

Transport

Medium to long distance travel following the zombie uprising will, at some point be a necessity so acquiring, controlling and maintaining vehicles will be fundamental to your survival.

There is a single criteria in play here – works, has keys, has gas. Move on!

Bases

Let’s Hold Out Here For a Few Days

Following the zombie outbreak, you will want to secure a base of operations, where you can eat, sleep and plan your missions in relative safety.

If you are in your home when the dead begin to rise, this will be your most likely first base. However, as time goes by you will almost certainly decide to move your base to a more appropriate location that has better facilities for the long-term.

Typical bases as used in movies include:

Others Homes

Indoor Malls with crappy shops

Gun stores with working bathrooms, good luck

Farmsteads – only if you are NOT from a city as you will be lost

Caves

Hotels

Warehouses

Prisons, hmmmm…

Castles

Airports

Police Stations

Islands, especially on fresh water lakes

Okay, all that is left now is to Have a Happy Halloween. Be safe. Let kids be kids even though it is a school night! And keep the sugar intake down….isn’t the day after Halloween called “assault your co-workers with the junk candy day?” It should be.

The post Well, It is Halloween After All! appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

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#SHTF #TEOTWAWKI #MARTIALLAW #BUGOUT #PREPPERBAG #USAF #USSOCOM #ARMY #NAVY #SurvivalFirestarter #Sur

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