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burmaassociatedpress · 2 years

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Week In Review

Junta head visits Moscow

A military delegation led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing returned to Myanmar this week after an unannounced week-long visit to Russia.

Russia’s Embassy in Myanmar called the trip a “private” visit, adding that the general would be opening a Myanmar cultural centre in Moscow.

Military-backed media reported that the general also met with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to exchange views on further promotion of existing friendly relations and military-technological cooperation.

Foreign media reported that Min Aung Hlaing met senior officials from Russia’s defence ministry, pledging deeper ties and cooperation on nuclear energy.

The junta is heavily reliant on Soviet-era aircraft and munitions that it has been using indiscriminately in efforts to counter the resistance to military rule in Myanmar.

While the junta head has made multiple trips to Russia since the coup, he has not been granted an audience with President Vladimir Putin.

Fighting breaks out in Rakhine

Clashes reportedly occurred between junta troops and the Arakan Army (AA) armed ethnic group in Rakhine State, in the western part of Myanmar, on Monday.

Reports indicate that during the fighting in Maungdaw, near the border with Bangladesh, 10 junta troops were killed and 14 border guards were captured. The AA also said it seized arms and ammunition from junta forces and that the attack was in retaliation of a junta air attack on an AA base near the Myanmar-Thai border in the east in Kayin State that killed six AA troops on July 4.

Following the clashes on Monday, the junta is reported to have detained villagers near the site of the fighting in Rakhine as tensions mount. People in the village of Kyein Chaung say three people, including the village administrator, were seized early Wednesday morning and electronic devices were also taken.

Tensions appear to be mounting as the junta is reported to be sending more troops to the area, while intra-city buses have stopped operating in Maungdaw.

Low-key Martyrs’ Day in Yangon

The 75th anniversary of the assassination of Myanmar’s independence hero Bogyoke Aung San passed quietly Tuesday in Yangon.

The national holiday, observed every July 19 since 1947, passed mostly without fanfare in the country’s economic capital. Junta troops were seen patrolling locations connected to the day, such as The Secretariat, where the independence hero died, and also the Martyrs’ Mausoleum near Shwedagon Pagoda.

Troops reportedly told people trying to take pictures near The Secretariat to move along.

Meanwhile, anti-junta demonstrators held small protests in other parts of the country.

Before the coup, Martyrs’ Day normally saw hundreds of people queuing at The Secretariat to pay their respects while senior government officials laid wreaths at the Martyrs’ Mausoleum.

This year, junta number two Soe Win was shown by military-backed media placing a wreath at the mausoleum with only a small number of invitees present. Junta head Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was conspicuous in his absence.

Under normal circumstances the relatives of Bogyoke Aung San would also attend the events, but none were present this year. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was two when her father died, is in solitary confinement in a military-run prison in Naypyitaw.

The resistance People’s Defence Forces around the country marked the day by also holding memorial events for all those killed by the junta since the coup last year.

French oil major confirms exit

Major French oil and gas company TotalEnergies announced on Wednesday that it had definitively withdrawn from Myanmar.

"In accordance with the contractual six-month notice period, this withdrawal becomes effective on 20 July 2022. This withdrawal was made in compliance with the European sanctions put in place in February 2022," the company said in a statement.

The exit will see the company withdraw from the Yadana field and from gas transportation company MGTC in Myanmar.

The company said in light of the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Myanmar and the assessment that it was no longer able to make a sufficiently positive contribution in the country, it was taking the step to meet the expectations of stakeholders who were asking to stop revenues going to the military junta through the state-owned company MOGE.

In other news, Reuters reported Wednesday that Qatar-headquartered telecommunications company Ooredoo is in talks to sell its Myanmar unit.

If successful, the move would mark the exit of the country's last wholly owned foreign telecoms operator following the exit of Norwegian-run operator Telenor earlier this year.

Kyat continues to weaken

Myanmar’s currency hit a low against the US dollar this week, with unofficial market rates reaching K2,500 per dollar.

The Central Bank of Myanmar set the official rate at K1,850 to the US dollar in April. Before the coup in February last year, the kyat had been around K1,350 to the US dollar.

The local currency’s weakness compounds the turbulence the country is experiencing since the military’s seizure of power.

Ordinary people have been saddled with sharply rising prices for food and fuel since the weak kyat makes imports more expensive.

The price of rice, a food staple, has risen at least 45% while cooking oil has tripled since last year.

Meanwhile, the World Bank said in a report that it estimates some 40% of the country’s 55 million people have fallen into poverty in just 18 months since the military seized power.

“The balance of payments situation is a growing concern, with US dollar shortages already limiting the availability of several imported products, including fuel,” the lender said in a press release.

It added that the outlook for the country’s economy remains weak as surging inflation, US dollar shortages and lingering domestic conflict pose challenges to its pandemic recovery.

New ethnic armed group forms

Disagreement over disciplinary action meted out by the Karen National Union (KNU) on a senior officer in the Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO) has led to the formation of a splinter group.

The new group, calling itself the Kawthoolei Army, was announced last Sunday by Brigadier General Saw Nerdah Mya, the ousted leader of the KNDO, an armed group under the KNU.

Saw Nerdah Mya, the son of late KNU leader General Saw Bo Mya, has been part of the Karen struggle most of his adult life.

However, in January, he was removed from his post as head of the KNDO by the KNU’s leadership in the wake of an investigation into the killing of 25 men who were in KNDO custody in Kayin State in May 2021.

The formation of the Kawthoolei Army by Saw Nerdah Mya in response to his removal raises questions about the cohesiveness of the KNU, a group actively opposing the military.

On Wednesday, the KNU released a statement saying that it would not recognise the Kawthoolei Army.

In the incident that led to Saw Nerdah Mya being ousted, the bodies of the 25 men killed with their hands tied behind their backs were found in Myawaddy’s Waw Lay area in Kayin State last June.

The military said the victims were workers from a road building project while the KNDO claimed at the time that they were junta troops in disguise.

Shortage of medicines feared

Fears of shortages of medicines in Myanmar are rising on the back of the kyat’s slide against the US dollar.

Companies involved in the import of medicines and pharmacies say they are facing shortages and also higher prices due to the weakness of the kyat and red tape introduced by the military in attempts to curb the outflow of foreign currency.

Some reports indicate that common medication that used to cost K3,500 before the coup have now risen to K8,000.

Much of the medicine used in Myanmar is imported from India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam,Australia, Bangladesh, and China.

Burma Associated Press

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mads-weasley · 3 years

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Me: I have so many drafts, so I have to work on these before starting any new ones.

Also me: ooh that was a good daydream, I need to write about that right now!

Me 10 minutes later: Why do I even write again? This sentence makes no sense. AND HOW DO I USE A COMMA CORRECTLY???

#a writers struggle #its a daily thing #the general has queued his armies #mads' writing struggles

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gallaxians · 4 years

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closed starter for @oleandercrowns !

“I have a secret.” The oversized pup is laughing under his breath, inside he could feel his wolf wiggling around, overly excited. His smile is so bright, hands pressed to his cheeks as if that would help him calm down some. “The publishers picked up another one of my books. I mean, it’s another children’s book but I’m glad to just get any published you know? I think I need to maybe do more research for my writing, try to build on my own experiences. What do you think?” It’s hard for him to sit still, the cellphone in his hands getting turned over and over as a way to occupy himself. “Okay, sorry-- You’ve been here for all of ten seconds and I’m already planning out my next six months in work. What did you say you came over again for?” His apartment is a mess, much more so than usual. In his whirlwind of bouncing around, he had only ruffled up more stray pieces of paper to float around the room. “Also, hi.”

#* quinn;#! calling upon;#oleandercrowns #! the general has queued his armies

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saberfanged · 5 years

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@kenpxchi liked for a starter

“Shinigami.” Ggio used the term as both an insult and greeting-though he did not know this particular shinigami. A captain, judging by his reiatsu and appearance-but he knew little more than that. The garganta slid closed behind Ggio and he tipped his head to the side. “It’s a bit late isn’t it, for you to be strolling about the world of the living like a vagabond.”

#kenpxchi #ic #starter #[[the general has queued his armies]]

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homogrimoire-archive · 3 years

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Kingfield's Fourth Anniversary - Day 1

Just An Urban Legend

Feng, David, Dwight, and Jake find themselves at the fire together after a trial. Stories from back home are exchanged to pass the time, and some of those stories manage to find their way into the trials.

AO3 Link

This time around, it was Dwight, Jake, David, and Feng around a fire. They all had finished a trial some time ago, Dwight and David were with a different set of survivors, and Feng and Jake from another set as well. Jake was contently resting on the outskirts of the camp, Dwight and David were leaning against each other by the fire to keep even more warm, and Feng was sitting on a log bored out of her mind.

She really didn’t like this place. Its not like she was ever particularly outdoorsy. Sure, she had her smartphone, which miraculously never died, but it was entirely useless. No offline games on it, no music, and the clock was obsolete in a place where time didn’t matter. The flash didn’t stun killers, and throwing it at them just made them angry more than anything.

Still, she held onto it. A piece of home. All of them had something from home they kept on themselves. For Jake, it was a well used Swiss Army Knife, an expensive and genuine one at that. For Dwight, it was his old wristwatch. Apparently, he had it since forever. It looked as old. And for David, it was a roll of sports bandages. It never seemed to run out, despite how much he used it.

“I’m bored. Any of you got any stories?” she eventually asked since she figured the others would like to kill the time too.

“Hmmm… ” Dwight contemplated. Feng noticed that David patiently awaited his boyfriend’s response. How someone could manage to fall in love here was beyond her.

“I saw bigfoot once.”

“No you didn’t.” Jake quickly protested as he shot up from where he slept. “It was probably an emaciated bear, or some guy in a suit, or a trick of the light with some branches or something.” He then promptly went back to lying down.

“Yeesh mate, how long’ve you been holdin’ that one in?” David wondered.

“I just have very strong strong and very right opinions on dumb myths like that.” he rationalized.

“Well it’s true!” Dwight pouted. “I was working as a janitor for this huge park and this kid got lost in the woods so they arranged a search party. I went to help after my shift with a co-worker. We were searching for hours, and it was getting dark, so we decided to head back. Keep it one missing person instead of making it three, you know? So, we were on our way back when we heard this terrifying scream! It was like something I’d expect to hear here, honestly. So me and my co-worker are scared shitless. We’re back to back with our flashlights looking around to see if we can find the thing. And just when we think we’re kinda safe, I turn my light to see two glowing eyes staring right at me and the outline of a huge man.”

“No!” Feng says, almost in disbelief.

“Yes! I scream and cling onto my coworker, and then he sees it and screams, and we trip over ourselves and fumble as we run away, still screaming like little girls!” Dwight laughed. “No joke though, it had to have been at least twice as tall as me.”

“What you heard was probably a cougar, or some other large cat. Or some animals mating. Those things are freaks.” Jake shuddered. He heard animals getting it on more times than he would have ever liked to.

“Well, I know what I saw, or my name’s Aloiscious the Third! And its not.” the honest man proudly stated.

“…Whatever.” Jake sighed.

“Well, I believe you, luv.” David comforted with a kiss to his cheek.

“Thanks David.” Dwight cooed as he leaned back into his boyfriend.

“You know, I saw something’ kinda scary too when I was a kid.” David mentioned. “Not so scary now, but that’s kinda expected.”

“I’m down to hear it. Fire away, champ.”

“It began on a dark night. Me ‘n some blokes were bored and decided to pay a visit to an abandoned church.”

“You know how cliché that sounds, right?” Dwight questioned.

“And wanderin’ to the woods at night ain’t?” David fired back.

“…Touché.”

“Anyhow, we were walkin’ up to the place when we saw the thing. It was a Black Dog. Thing was guardin’ the place of course. Pry thought we were gonna tear it up, so it howled bloody murder and ran straight for us barkin’ like it was rabid!” David laughed at the memory. “Needless t’say, our arses were humbled for a few good days.”

“You saw a feral black dog? I guess that’s kinda scary.” Feng commented. She liked Dwight’s story better.

“Yeah… Could be scarier.” Dwight admitted.

“Wasn't just any ol’ bloody black dog, A Black Dog. Guess you lot might not know what they are. Legend says the first buried at a churchyard had t’guard it ‘gainst the devil. Since no one wanted to be the poor sod stuck doin’ that, people buried a dog first. Then again, could’ve just been a regular ol’ demonic black dog. Lot more of those furry bastards.”

“I could believe that.” Dwight conceded.

“Yeah. If I’m remembering correctly, there are tons of spirits and a ton of different types back home. I never really bothered to learn about it though.” she nonchalantly admitted. It never really interested her. “But, this one gaming cafe I was staying at did have a legend around it. Supposedly, a guy solo queued nonstop and died there. Sounds like a noob if you ask me. Honestly, he wasn’t even Top 500. He wasn’t even Grandmaster!” she laughed, and then saw David and Dwight looking at her in confusion. “Oh wait, you’re all kinda old huh? Guy played alone in a team based video game nonstop, and died. He wasn’t even that good at the game.”

“Ah.”

“That makes a bit more sense.” David said gratefully. Things could get rather confusing when you had friends from a few decades ahead or behind you.

“So anyways, legend has it that if you sat in the chair he died in, his spirit would possess you, and you’d get his skills. But, you’d also game yourself to death like him.”

“Did you ever sit in his chair?” Dwight wondered.

“Pft, and gain the skills of a noob like him and get wrecked? As if! I might as well have went AFK for a week. I had some juicy Prestige to keep up you know.”

Before they could pester Jake for a story, the Fog began to roll in.

“Aw shit, here we go again .” Feng said as she rolled her eyes.

“Ain’t no rest for the wicked, huh? See you guys there.” Dwight said with a wave. With his other hand, he still held onto David despite knowing the Fog would separate them regardless. They had all worked together before, so Dwight didn’t need to explain a plan of action.

“I hope it’s one a them Legion bastards. Love seein’ ‘em lose.” David grinned, sure they would have a successful trial. He gave Dwight a kiss on the cheek in celebration of the impending victory, making the shorter man blush.

“As long as we survive, I don’t care who we're up against.” Jake said as he threw in an offering, hoping it would land them in the forest. “See you all on the other side.” And with a salute, they were whisked away.

The Fog cleared to reveal the Red Forest. Dwight knew that somewhere, Jake was happy. He just hoped the Huntress wasn’t here this time. She was far too efficient on her home turf. Dwight wandered shortly before coming across a generator to work on. Surprisingly, he managed to complete it before something happened. Based on the scream, David was hooked. But thankfully, he wasn’t too far away from him.

Sneakily, Dwight made his way over to the hook, keeping an eye out for this trial’s killer. In a close call, he saw the eldest Legion member passed right by him. Dwight let out a sigh of relief once he was in the clear, and then rushed to David.

“My knight in shining armour’s come t’rescue me, has he?” David chuckled, but instantly regretted it and winced from the pain of the hook.

“You can thank me later. Come on, let’s go!”

“Oh, I will~” David said smugly.

“You’re terrible…” Dwight said in a restrained voice, not wanting to reveal his anticipation and spurn the other man.

Eventually, it came to the last generator, and Dwight ended up being the one to keep the Legionnaire busy.

“Come out come out wherever you are! Don’t worry, I bite!” the young man teased. Dwight tried to keep calm as he hid in the locker. Slowly, the legionnaire passed by the lockers, dragging his knife across the metal doors.

“Gotcha!” he steamed as he yanked open a locker door, revealing it to be empty. “Fucker…” he cursed as he slammed the thing shut. “Now where could he have gone?” he wondered as he idled in front of the locker Dwight was hiding in.

“How about… Here!” he screamed as he opened the locker Dwight was in, causing him to scream in turn. “HA HA HA! Classic!” the Legionnaire rejoiced as he tossed Dwight over his shoulder.

Dwight tried to break free, but was unable too. The closest hook was nearby, leaving him with not enough time.

“Alright, let’s hear you scream again!” the killer announced with eager anticipation. But just before setting Dwight on the vile contraption, there was a roar that seemed to shake the area. “What the fuck was that? What the fuck is that?” he said once he caught a glimpse of the roar’s source. Dwight saw it too, a tall thing with glowing eyes.

“Hmm?” the killer hummed, and brought up his free hand to the side of his face like it was a phone. “… Really? … Alright, alright! I get it! Sheesh… Consider it done, boss.” the killer said and hung up, and threw Dwight to the ground. For a moment, he thought he was about to get mori’d.

Instead, he got a kick to the dick and a boot to the face as the killer ran off laughing joyously. Meanwhile, Dwight curled up into a ball as he clutched his groin. A few moments later, he got up and hobbled away. A terrible experience, but better than being mori’d. When he reached the group, they had just finished the last generator, sounding off to let the killer know as well.

“Shite, wot happ’ned to ya?” David fretted as he immediately went to Dwight’s side, the deep bruise on his face and funny walk evident. “I swear, I’ll find a way to make the bastard pay!”

“Well, a kick to the dick and face. I’ll live. But, something else happened, something odd.” Dwight began. Then, they felt the heartbeat, letting them know the killer was near. Then, something passed then, something neither survivor nor killer.

“Get back here so I can skin you alive! Papa needs a new pimp coat!” the Legionnaire giggled.

“Hey, watch this pro strat!” Feng told the other survivors. “360 no scope!” she announced with a twirl, and tossed her phone. It flew in the direction of the killer, just so happening to land in front of him. He stepped on it, and slid head first into a tree. A crack formed on the mask as he groaned.

“Suck it!” Feng taunted as she brought her hands to her hips as she thrusted outwards. The others celebrated with her. This was the most fun she had in a long time.

“You little bitch! I’ll-” he began, but was cut off with a swift knee to the dick. He let out a long, high pitched squeal as he slowly crumpled to the floor, clutching his family jewels.

The thing had come back to help out. It gave a thumbs up. They all knew what that thing was now that it was in front of them.

“Nice.” David said as he gave it a thumbs up in return before it ran away again. Dwight looked at Jake with a shit-eating grin once it had left, and they were on their way to the exit gate.

“Okay, you know this doesn’t count!”

“Gotta take the L, my guy.” Feng said as she patted Jake on the back.

Back at the campfire, Dwight recounted what happened, to the shared anger and surprise of the others.

"Least that bigfoot bloke seems like a good fellow. Has my respect."

"I hope we see him again. He seemed cool." Feng hoped. It would be something to spice up life in hell.

"And what do you think, Jake?" Dwight smugly asked.

"I refuse to acknowledge that thing." he simply stated. Dwight let out a little laugh that David found cute.

But, to the surprise of everyone, the Fog rolled in. It never rolled on so soon after a completed trial.

"Oh come on! We just finished one, you bastard!" David yelled out.

“It’s probably because of what happened last round.” Dwight sighed. None of them were in terrible condition or overly exhausted, but still. It would have been nice to have a longer break.

“I’m sure we’ll do fine like last time.” Jake assured.

“I just hope it’s not that doctor. He really creeps me out.” Feng said. The others agreed, and were taken by the Fog.

On the other side, they found themselves in a warm climate, a ghost town in the wild west. Dwight and Feng found themselves spawned near each other, and were quick to get working on a generator. As it neared completion, their hearts hastened as they heard the fear-inducing lullaby of The Huntress.

She was unbothered by the vastly different environment. She sniffed the air, and snapped her head in the direction of the generator. An axe was readied, and thrown in the direction of the generator.

“Run!” Dwight yelled as the generator announced its completion. An axe buried itself in the spot where he was. Feng was faster than him, so Dwight found himself the target of the killer once more. He cursed being fun to chase. He noticed that for some reason, the Huntress particularly liked to hunt him. He didn’t want to dwell on why.

He was eventually axed and downed in a single hit. He screamed when she yanked it out, revealing that its iridescent red color didn’t just come from his blood. She scooped him up in her arms and held him like a baby, resuming her song to try and comfort him. He tried to wiggle free, but it was harder than it looked. Sometimes, he wondered if the Entity even gave her any supernatural strength. He wouldn't be surprised if she didn’t. He was soon on the hook in a basement, crying in pain. She stood there for a moment to admire her work, or something, before leaving.

Dwight knew to wait for someone to unhook him. It was safer, even more so with David around. But basements were a more dangerous place to be when the Huntress was involved. She always seemed to know when someone was there. He figured that another generator or two had to be finished by the time he heard someone approaching. It generated a spark of hope that quickly dissipated as he heard her song.

And down the stairs came Feng, a wound in her shoulder, also in her arms like a baby too. As she screamed on the hook, the Huntress also winced, muttering something unintelligible before leaving.

“Hey Feng…”

“Hey…”

“How- Ack!” he cried as the hook moved a little in him.

“Fine.” she sighed, already knowing his question. “Two more gens. … I hate this place.”

“Yeah…”

They waited for a rescuer in the ambient silence of the basement. With two left, it would be easy to lure the Huntress far from the basement so they could be saved. Their hopes rose and fell, just as before. She came down singing with David slung over her shoulder. One of his arms appeared to be wounded.

“Fockin’ bitch!” he screamed as she tossed him onto the hook and left without a second glance at him. “I swear ’m gonna- Argh!” he yelled as the hook dug into him as we squirmed.

“Okay, let’s just, keep calm. Wait a few moments, and then we’ll try to free ourselves.”

“As you say luv.” David agreed. Feng hummed in agreement as well.

“So, how’s it hangin?” he dared to ask after waiting a little bit.

“Ughhh, you did not just say that.” Feng groaned.

“David, I swear!”

“Sorry…”

“You’re lucky I love you. Alright, on the count of three guys. One… Two… Three!” Dwight yelled as they tried to unhook themselves. Each of them failed, screaming in pain as they fell right back onto the hook, Entity’s claws showing up to induce more fear.

“It’s okay guys. It’s- It’s alright.” Dwight said, trying to sound calm himself even though he was not, panting, sweating, and a few tears breaking free. He didn’t want to feel that emptiness that even love could not stave away. Neither did the others. Then, the last generator sounded completion. A few moments later, Jake came hurrying down the stairs. The Huntress would surely be there soon.

He unhooked David first, who unhooked Dwight with one arm as Jake got Feng. They didn’t even bother to heal, not that it mattered when she could one shot them into dying this trial. But at the top of the steps she awaited. With a hunter’s cry, she threw an axe down the stairs, the survivors narrowly dodging it. Still, she sang her song and grinned a mad smile

Just when she was about to lunge at them, she shifted to block an attack from something. It was a dog. It chomped right through her axe handle. She wasn’t singing anymore. She quickly retaliated with a headbutt, knocking it away. She cast aside her broken axe with a snarl and lunged at the other beast. They wrestled each other to the ground, aiming for each other’s throats. Seeing their chance, the survivors took it and ran.

“I thought you said those things were demons?!” Dwight questioned as David carried him in one arm.

“Most a ‘em! The church ones ain’t the only ones to do protectin’.”

“Who cares! Let’s just hurry up and escape!” Jake yelled as he led the way.

They soon reached an exit gate and hurried to unlock it. About a third of the way through, they heard an animalistic yet human roar. She had won. Around her mouth was black blood. But, she did not come out unscathed. She bore many scratches, a number of them deep and flowing with dark red blood. Even half of her mask was broken, revealing a red iris surrounded by black.

“Come on come on hurry up!” Feng shouted at the switch as she ran towards them, laughing maniacally with an axe in hand. Their hearts were pounding, the knowledge that at least one of them was probably going to die about to set in. Jake took out the flash light to try and stun her, but fumbled and dropped it.

And out of nowhere, she was knocked to the ground by a blur of black. It was the black dog again. It was on top of her, and then in one swift motion, she was on top, and tore out it's throat with her bare hands. She tossed aside the flesh and fur and resumed her true hunt. She was only a few feet away when she fell forward, the dog’s maw mangling her ankle. She let out a scream as she tried to hit it with her axe, but missed. Then the alarm sounded and the gate opened.

“Go, go, go!” Jake ushered.

“Wait!” David shouted, and switched Dwight for Jake’s flashlight. He ran back, and aimed the light at the Huntress as she thrashed about. Once she was blinded, David whistled for the dog and patted his thigh to usher it to come. It did, and ran beside David as they ran through the exit gate to the safety of the campfire.

David and Dwight laughed in celebration, the dog rejoicing with them. Feng breathed a sigh of relief as Jake mended her wound.

“Wanna refuse to acknowledge this one?” David joked as he ruffled the dog’s thick, dark fur. Jake finished patching up Feng, and went to go patch up David while Feng took care of Dwight

“Refuse to acknowledge what?” he asked, playing dumb. “There’s no such thing as a Black Dog, just black dogs.” Just as he was about to apply something to David’s arm, the dog growled at him, causing him to back away. The others lightly laughed.

“Alright, fine! … It’s real.” Jake told the dog. It seemed content with being acknowledged, so it let Jake do his work, proceeding to rest at David’s feet.

“So, what can you tell us about your dog, King?” Feng asked.

“Hmm… their name is Heir, being heir to the King’s throne an’ all. Fights like a King too!” he praised he he ruffled the dog's fur.

“You mean we’re keeping them?” Dwight asked with a bright smile.

“Well, I hope so.” David said as he continued to pet it. “Don’t think Heir’ll be goin’ to trials though. Pry for the best.”

“Aww, so cute! C’mere!” Dwight called. It got up and went to sit before Dwight. He let the dog sniff his hand, and it licked it before ploping back down in front of David. “Oh my god they like me!” Dwight squealed, looking like he was about to cry.

“‘Know I said most were demons. A few are good, like this little bloke ‘ere!” he praised as he scratched behind its ear, which it seemed to like. “Either protect a church, or guide the wayward. Fittin’.”

The Entity seemed to be willing to allow them the repose, since it didn’t quickly call them into a trial. Even after the next trial the dog remained by the fire, awaiting David’s return. If David were out in a trial, Dwight would oft find the dog at his feet, lounging around. The big, dark furball comforted other survivors after dreary trials, even if it too could not dissipate that empty feeling.

And even so, the trials soon became much more lively, as did the times round the fire

#kingfield #dwight fairfield #david king #dead by daylight #feng min #jake park #dbd #the huntress #frank morrison #3.7k words #Kingfield's Fourth Anniversary #like totally forgot to post this yesterday lol

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ct7567329 · 4 years

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King: Rex x Reader

Today was unlike any other day in Villeneuve, the capital city of your planet Dalmorth.

Though it was a fairly large planet with a population in the hundreds of millions and various biomes, involvement in the war between the Separatists and the Republic seemed almost inexistent. In the early days of the clone war, you chose to align Dalmorth with the Republic. They exchanged protection of your people when traveling between planets for a safe resting place when traveling to wild space, since Dalmorth laid in the middle of the outter rim. The only condition was that you wished for these terms to be private.

You stared out your palace window at the wave of droids slowly approaching. The last thing you wanted was the be the Queen of Dalmorth during Separatist invasion, but that's exactly where you found yourself.

Before you knew it, Republic forces were on their way to Dalmorth, upholding their promise to protect your people. You ran your hands though your hair and made your way to the throne room, taking a seat where you mother once sat. Dozens of royal guards protected the room both inside and out, but they were never trained to fight droids. One of your guards informed you of an incoming transmission from the Separatist leader. You nodded at him to accept it.

The hologram showed a tall menacing looking man with a well trimmed beard and a lightsaber on his waist. He introduced himself as Count Dooku, Sith Lord. You swallowed your response of fear and asked bitterly what he wanted with your planet. It was exactly what the Republic had come for about a solar year ago. As the Sith Lord kept rambling along about why he needed your planet, you anxiously awaited the arrival of the Republic. You didn't want war on Dalmorth, but that was almost unavoidable at this point.

You respectfully asked Count Dooku to have his troops retreat while you discuss terms of negotiation with him, and ordered your guards to the outskirts of the palace to escort Dooku to a room where he could be quartered overnight.

"You highness. The Separatist forces have been sent back to the command ship except for a single platoon requested by the Count for his safety. The Republic forces should be arriving soon," you most loyal guard informed you.

You nodded, "Thank y- Wait. A Separatist command ship?"

"I'll alert the Jedi," he quickly responded, hurrying out of the room. You slumped into the throne and dragged your fingers along the intricate design of the woodwork, the thought of war on your planet tearing you apart. Your eyes glanced up at the oil painting of your parents on the wall, the former King and Queen of Dalmorth.

"I wish you were still here," you whispered, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath. The horrific images of the accident flashed before your eyes before you opened them. All you wanted right now was their guidance. Dalmorth hasn't been at war in over three centuries, and that was coming to and end before your eyes.

Trying not to fall asleep on the throne, awaiting the Jedi's arrival was nearly impossible. In an effort to pass time, you scrolled through the holochannels until a game of bolo ball caught your attention. Before the match ended, you were alerted of the Jedi's arrival.

"Finally", you mumbled under your breath, turning the match off and straightening your posture upon the throne.

"Your highness," the one Jedi announced, pulling down his hood, "My name is General Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this here is General Anakin Skywalker. We are here to insure the safety of your people during this separatist invasion."

"Will my planet remain beautiful as it currently is?" You asked, the landscape of Dalmorth being your favorite part of the planet.

The Jedi glacned at each other with discomfort in their eyes. They knew keeping minimal damage could always be a struggle when fighting the droids. "We will try our hardest," Kenobi nodded.

"Thank you," you grinned, bowing your head slightly, "and also, generals, one of the leaders of the Separatist army is currently being quartered in the palace. He said he wanted to negotiate terms of aligning with the Separatists. I do not condone this and I fear we will no longer be faking neutrality."

The generals' faces dropped, "Who is this leader?"

"He called himself Count Dooku," you shrugged, not knowing of the grave mistake you've made.

"Your highness, you have a safety bunker, correct?" General Skywalker asked, moving his forearm to his face.

"Yes, my guards can take me there if you need-"

The General shook his head, "I'm going to send one of my best men to protect you." He turned his comlink on, "Rex, I need you or Fives to report to the palace immediately. Obi Wan will meet you outside."

"Do you really believe all of this is necessary?" you asked, trying to remain composed in hopes of having your world remain unscathed by the war.

"Unfortunately, yes. We have fought in countless battles against the Separatist Army. Whenever Dooku is present, it's a sign violence will soon follow," Anakin sighed, "we just want to insure your safety.

Obi Wan reentered the palace, this time with a Republic soldier next to him. "Your highness, this is Clone Captain Rex of the Grand Army of the Republic. He is one of our finest men and will certainly keep you safe in the event of an emergency."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he bowed, his voice muffled under the static of the helmet. "I was informed of a safety bunker. We best be headed there soon."

Everything was changing so fast. Just hours before this, not a single outsider was on Dalmorth. Everything was in harmony.

"You hold the lives of my people in your hands. We will side with the Republic. If the Separatists are as dangerous as you claim, please do everything you can to remove them with the least amount of violence possible. I'll allow the Senate to make decisions while I must be hidden from the exchange of fire," you frowned your final words to the Jedi Generals while the clone captain escorted you to your safety bunker.

The next few moments were a whirlwind. You were capable of leading the way to your bunker though if you had to put what was going through your mind into words, you'd be at a loss. The captain followed you into the secret concealed door that led to a stairway that went several stories below ground. He followed you into the blast doors of the bunker and locked them immediately, sighing in relief.

For a moment you were silent, still taking in everything that was happening. You watched Rex take a seat on the futon and look around. Even though he helmet was on, you could tell he was in awe of how luxurious of a safety bunker you had.

"It's like you have a mini palace down here," the captain joked, his helmet still muffling the sound of his voice.

You sighed and sat down on the edge of the only bed in the bunker, "I thought I'd never have to use it."

Rex took off his helmet and placed it on the ground. You gasped softly, in pure admiration of what you saw. Prior to this, you've never seen a Republic soldier. You didn't expect them to be as handsome as Rex was. As he was scrolling through a holopad, presumably trying to get some information on the pending battle, you admired every square inch of him. You notice the faint scars that are scattered over his face, wondering if his whole body is like that. The made you frown.

"Are you okay, your highness?" he asked, noticing your frown.

Quick, you snap out of your trance and look away from the handsome captain, "I'm fine, sir. How long do you think we'll be down here?"

"Not sure," he hummed, "Depends how quickly we can get the Seppies to retreat. General Skywalker is incredible at what he does. I'm sure it should be too long. Maybe two days."

"We're stuck down here for two days?!" you gasped, beginning to panic. As your breaths began to become shallower and more rapid, Rex rushed to you and kneeled down in front of you, placing his hands on your shoulders.

"It's going to be okay your highness," he confidently smiled, "I promise."

"Call me (Y/N)," you whispered, sinking your head into your chest.

"Well, (Y/N). I promise, everything is going to be okay. Would it made you feel better if you laid down and I put something on the holovision for you?"

You quickly nodded and smiled, queuing Rex to go put the holovision on.

"I'll be right here if you need anything," he smiled, sitting back down on the futon as you laid down in the bed.

~~~

You woke up from your nap and let out a soft groan, stretching out your shoulders.

"Sleep well?" Rex asked, still on the futon. As you looked across the room to reply to him, you noticed he took his upper armor off. Instead of answering his question, you began to stare at his tight under armor suit against his toned body.

"(Y/N)?" he asked again, bringing you back.

"Slept great, you?" you laughed, nervously shifting you attention to the chips in your nail polish.

Rex shook his head, "I didn't sleep. I'm supposed to be protecting you, remember."

A small smile formed in the corner of his mouth as he glanced up at you.

"You have a nice smile," you hummed, getting off the bed and making your way to the futon next to him.

"Excuse me?"

"I said," you sat next to him, "you have a nice smile."

He huffed, "That makes me and about a million others."

"Oh please," you let the syllables roll off your tongue, "I don't know much about cloning but I'm sure you all smile a bit different. Emotions can't be engineered."

Rex opened his mouth, then closed it, seeming to not know how to respond.

"A smile is created over time. Everyone's looks different," you grinned.

"I never thought of it that way," he commented, squinting slightly, "what makes you say that."

You rolled your eyes, "You say that like I'm the first person to tell you that. Not a single girl in this galaxy has told you that you have a nice smile? I wouldn't believe that for a second."

"For a queen, you are being especially kind to someone so much lesser than you."

His tone was firm. It took you back for a second. He was being serious.

"Your social status shouldn't determine who gives you compliments. Praise is given where praise is deserved. Or, at least, that's how I try to make it on Dalmorth," you shrugged.

Rex bit his lower lip, thinking about what you said, "Well, if this war ever ends, maybe I'll consider coming here to live. Tell me more about it here."

Even though he'd been on many different protection missions before, and asked the question, "tell me about it here," many times, this time, he actually cared about the response. He was not only taking your mind off the horrors happening outside the palace, but he was seeing your words from your perspective. Which for once, actually meant something to him.

"We have so many vast landscapes here. We have tropical regions, tundra regions, and everything in-between. That's one of my favorite things here. Sometimes, I'll go outside and lay down in the grasslands outside the palace, listen to the nature around me. All of the people on this planet are so compassionate. We are raised on values of charity and love. Though I am the queen, I like to think of myself as just as important as everyone else on Dalmorth. After my parents passed in an accident, I was showered with so much support. Why can't every citizen be held to that high of a regard. Anyway, it's been lonely here being the only royalty in the palace, but there is still no where else I'd rather be. My king will some, someday."

Rex smiled as he listened to you talk. Your happiness was radiating onto him, an effect no one has ever had on him. "The people here are lucky to have you as their leader. If I wasn't in the army I'd want to explore the town myself."

You perked up, "I'd love to offer you a tour!"

"That sounds lovely, but that can't happen," he sighed, moving his body slightly away from yours.

"Why's that?"

Rex moved his hand to the back of his neck and softly scratched, "That's not a luxury a trooper gets."

"You're not allowed to walk around a Republic aligned town?" you asked confused. The true treatment of Republic troops was still blissfully unaware to you.

"Well. It's a lot. But to make a long story short, yes," he muttered, reaching for his holopad, trying to end the conversation without being rude.

You placed your hands on your thighs and stood up from the futon, grabbing a snack from the food supply, "If we're going to be down here for two days, I'd be willing to hear the long story, not the short one." He slowly looked up at you in awe. He felt like he was dreaming. "Snack?"

Rex nodded and you tossed him a cereal bar.

"So, tell me the long story."

"Are you sure? No one has asked me-"

You stopped him in the middle of his sentence but placing your index finger on his lips, "I want to know more about you."

And that is exactly where it began. In that moment, Rex's eyes met yours, where he saw everything. For the first time in his life, he truly felt as if someone cared.

"Your highness," he whispered, "I've never done this before, so I apologize in advance."

As soon as you were about to ask what he meant, he parted his lips and pressed them into yours. His lips were rough, chapped from the war, but them seemed to lay perfectly on yours. It was almost hard to believe he has never kissed someone before; his movements felt so natural, so perfect.

He slowly pulled his face away from yours. The second eye contact was made, he quickly looked away, in a shame like manner. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I don't know why I did that."

You smiled, "There's got to be a reason why you did that. Not like I'm complaining or anything. I mean, I did it back because I think you're ridiculously handsome."

"Oh, no no no no no," he sighed, standing up and pacing around the room, "I'm a clone. I'm not allowed to have emotional attachment. I just made this next few days awkward. I'm sorry."

"You're not allowed to have basic human emotions?"

"(Y/N). I just broke one of the most important rules of the Grand Army of the Republic. I-"

You interrupted his ramble, "Rex come with me."

"Come with you where?"

"I mean," you stumbled over your words, "stay here on Dalmorth with me. I rarely abuse my power but I think I can make a circumstance for this. Please."

"(Y/N), I have a duty to the Republic."

You smirked, "And I have one of the oldest locks in the galaxy."

He looked at you baffled and you approached him and grabbed his left hand, placing a golden band on the second finger. "What is this?" he asked as the band seemed to magically size to the size of his finger.

With his hand still in yours, you smiled, "It's the Dalmorth lock band. The band is given to the Queen after the King passes. The ring is to remain on the King's finger from the moment the Queen places it on him, until the moment he dies."

Rex stared at you with a blank face, "So I'm the-"

"King," you both say simultaneously.

"But why?" he asked, breathing heavily.

You laughed, "Something in my heart told me to. And Rex means king in the native language of my people. But mostly that first point."

It's been two years since Dalmorth was invaded by the Separatist army. Two years since your beautiful planet was almost torn apart by the demons of war.

It's been one year since the war ended. You leaned against the balcony that was attached to your bedroom, starring out at the rolling fields that made up the backyard of your palace. Daylight was just beginning to break, and you were still in your sleepwear. Slowly, you began to untie your loose braids to let the cool morning air run through your hair.

"It still amazes me that you wear such stunning outfits even to bed," Rex smildd behind you, slowly pacing towards you. He surrounded you with his arms and placed his head on your shoulder, giving you a soft kiss on the neck.

You looked down at your nightgown. It was a mix of lavender and grey lace, with silver embellishments here and there. Rex, on the other hand, wasn't wearing much. Just a pair in sleep pants and a robe, which he only put on when he joined you on the balcony.

"If you told me a year and a half ago, I'd be where I am now, I'd call you crazy," he mumbled against your shoulder.

With a small smile, you turned your head into his, kissing his temple, "If you told me two years ago Dalmorth would be a battle ground and I'd meet the future King of Dalmorth all in a few hour time span, I'd call you even crazier."

"If you told me back when I was a cadet on Kamino that I would marry a gorgeous queen, I'd call you the craziest."

You laughed, "are we just going to do this all day?"

The moment was interrupted by the morning bells that rang from the palace every morning, reminding the citizen that it's a brand new day, full of opportunity.

"Who would have thought a clone like me would end up here?"

"I did," you smiled, standing up on your toes to give him a gentle kiss.

And just like that, Rex got the one thing he's always craved; love. JOIN MY TAGLIST

@soclonely @raf-loves-everything @peacelandbread @persaloodles @smellssharpies @obiorbenkenobi @jedi-dreea @hannahjessica113 @gryffindorqueensworld @ganondorf-has-greasy-balls @lightning-wolffe @roadworkahead-404 @000ayfh @coffeeandtodd @weragarsia @sarel-lavellan @ahsoka-padme @clone-lover501-212-104 @Stucky2k3

this may have sucked oops

#captain rex x reader #rex x reader #clone x reader #tcw #clone wars #Star Wars the clone wars #Star Wars fanfiction #ct7567329writes

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little-murmaider · 3 years

Note

You know I gotta ask you about your rascally goofball Skwisgaar. Give us the deets (and/or if someone's already asked for him, then maybe your Nategaar thoughts?)

Went right for the heart of my very being I like it I respect it. SKWISGAAR So I have this habit of latching to Beautiful Stupid But Also Sometimes Smart Ambitious Self Obsessed Kinda Mean But With a Hidden Heart of Gold Blond(e)s for reasons we don’t need to examine or unpack or even think about at all! But Skwisgaar is very important to me. I think he’s a very misunderstood character, and is often portrayed as being too aloof or too cocky (I don’t think he’s cocky; I think he’s arrogant. There’s a difference.) or just that he goes out of his way to be mean to his bandmates in a way that I don’t think is supported by canon! He CAN be mean, but I don’t think a lot of it is intentional, he just doesn’t have a filter and says things that he thinks are helpful but are actually devastating. He’s awkward, he’s dorky, he’s desperate to be a part of a group which is why he immediately caves when the band shouts him down about something even though he’s in the right. He’s very polite and can be very sweet. I just think he’s this big dweeb who has been banking on his hotness and his talent and his quietness and his natural stature to seem a lot cooler than he actually is. Also! @cthene has explored this so beautifully in her fics but I think he genuinely does not know how special he is, talent-wise. He thinks his ability is completely due to his diligence and practice, and is not at all informed by him being a one-in-a-generation musical savant. There’s this bit in one of my favorite shows, Happy Endings, a show I will keep yelling about forever, where two characters, Penny and Dave, have stolen a baby (don’t worry about it) and need to make that baby cry (it’s fine don’t worry about it). Dave suggests Penny start crying to upset the baby and Penny is able to do so IMMEDIATELY, and when Dave asks her how she was able to do that she says, “It’s all kinda queued up, you just have to press play.” And that’s how I feel about Skwisgaar and his emotions. It’s not that he has no feelings, it’s that he has All Of the Feelings, and they’re just under the surface and even a SLIGHT BREEZE will make him break so it’s a constant struggle to keep his Big Emotions in check and most of the time that reads as indifference. But he cares A Lot. He cares So Much. As far as specific stuff I write for him: He fidgets constantly because of anxiety and undiagnosed ADHD. He’s extremely unathletic but is surprisingly great at climbing because of a youth spent sneaking in and out of second-floor bedrooms. He loves dogs. He loves kettle cooked jalapeno chips. He doesn’t like to smile with his teeth because of a lingering self-consciousness about his teeth from when he was a kid. From certain angles he’s the most beautiful creature on earth and from other angles he's a skeletal specter the depths of hell. I’ve gone long on this but I love him a lot, I think he’s a lot nicer than he gets credit for, he’s a rascally goofball and I love him so much!!!! NATEGAAR I’ve word vomited a lot about Nategaar In This Space lately and here is some more! I’m surprised by how this pairing snuck up on me. I always liked it but it’s only in the past couple of years that it’s really wedged its way into my heart and army-crawled its way to OTP status. Nathan and Skwisgaar are both reserved perfectionists, who have difficulty connecting with others and articulating their feelings verbally, and feel they can best express themselves through music. There are certain relationships that when you meet it’s an instant “!!!” because you just mesh right away and you know on a molecular level this person is going to be an important part of your life. They understand each other in a way no one else in the band does. And the idea that they have this endless well of what turns out to be love for one another that fills and fills for YEARS and they never say it but they Know they Just Know UGH let me melt into a metallic puddle Alex Mack style real quick I can’t get too deep into my feelings about these two without becoming a blubbering mess sorry I’m SORRY I love them A LOT.

Fic/art/comics character ask meme

#asks #skwisgaar skwigelf #nategaar #thank you sorry for rambling hope this makes sense

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newstfionline · 3 years

Text

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Biden’s Infrastructure Push Spurs a Flurry of Lobbying in Congress (NYT) Members of Congress have begun a frenzy of lobbying to ensure that their pet projects and policy priorities are included in President Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure and jobs plan, eager to shape what could be one of the most substantial public works investments in a generation. Officials across the country are dusting off lists of construction projects and social programs, hoping to secure their piece of a plan aimed at addressing what the administration estimates is at least $1 trillion worth of backlogged infrastructure improvements, as well as economic and racial inequities that have existed for decades. “My phone is blowing up,” Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, said in an interview. Nearly every lawmaker “can point to a road or a bridge or an airport” in his or her district that is in dire need of repair.

Truck seized over ‘munitions of war,’ 5 forgotten bullets (AP) Gerardo Serrano ticked off the border crossing agents by taking some photos on his phone. So they took his pickup truck and held onto it for more than two years. Only after Serrano filed a federal lawsuit did he get back his Ford F-250. Now he wants the Supreme Court to step in and require a prompt court hearing as a matter of constitutional fairness whenever federal officials take someone’s property under civil forfeiture law. The justices could consider his case when they meet privately on Friday. It’s a corner of the larger forfeiture issue, when federal, state or local officials take someone’s property, without ever having to prove that it has been used for illicit purposes. Since 2000, governments have acquired at least $68.8 billion in forfeited property, according to the Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest law firm that represents Serrano and tracks seizures. The group says the number “drastically underestimates forfeiture’s true scope” because not all states provide data. Serrano’s troubles stemmed from some pictures he took along the way of a long trip from his home in Tyner, Kentucky, to visit relatives, including a dying aunt, in Zaragosa, Mexico. The photo-taking attracted the attention of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Eagle Pass, Texas. When Serrano refused to hand over the password to his phone, the agents went through the 2014 silver pickup truck in great detail. They justified its seizure by saying they found “munitions of war” inside—five forgotten bullets, though no gun. Told to park the truck, he said, he complained a bit before one agent reached into the pickup, opened the door, unfastened Serrano’s seat belt and yanked him out of the vehicle. “I got rights, I got constitutional rights and he snaps back at me, ‘You don’t have no rights here. I’m sick and tired of hearing about your rights.’ That took me aback,” Serrano said.

Should the U.S. boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in China? (Washington Post) As if there aren’t enough sources of Sino-U.S. friction already, an emerging new irritant may soon outpace the rest: the growing calls for a boycott of Beijing’s 2022 Winter Olympics. The games are still 10 months away. But it’s not too early for the event to turn into a flash point. Critics of China’s ruling Communist Party—including a coalition of more than 180 human rights organizations—argue that the regime’s record of human rights abuses and geopolitical malfeasance ought to deprive it of the right to burnish its image with a spectacle like the Olympics. “Beijing won the right to host the 2022 Olympics in 2015, the same year it cracked down on lawyers and activists across China,” Chinese human rights lawyer Teng Biao wrote earlier this year. “Since then, it has detained journalists; harassed and attacked activists and dissidents even outside China’s borders; shut down nongovernmental organizations; demolished Christian churches, Tibetan temples and Muslim mosques; persecuted, sometimes to death, believers in Falun Gong; and sharply increased its control of media, the Internet, universities and publishers.” An Olympic boycott has become a popular cause among Republicans. Major sporting events—and especially international spectacles like the Olympics—always bear a political dimension.

‘Huge’ explosion rocks St. Vincent as volcano keeps erupting (AP) La Soufriere volcano fired an enormous amount of ash and hot gas early Monday in the biggest explosive eruption yet since volcanic activity began on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent late last week, with officials worried about the lives of those who have refused to evacuate. Experts called it a “huge explosion” that generated pyroclastic flows down the volcano’s south and southwest flanks. “It’s destroying everything in its path,” Erouscilla Joseph, director of the University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Center, told The Associated Press. “Anybody who would have not heeded the evacuation, they need to get out immediately.” The ongoing volcanic activity has threatened water and food supplies, with the government forced to drill for fresh water and distribute it via trucks. “We cannot put tarpaulin over a river,” said Garth Saunders, minister of the island’s water and sewer authority, referring to the impossibility of trying to protect current water sources from ongoing falling ash.

Colombia’s cartels target Europe (The Guardian) At 5 am on a chilly Tuesday morning last month, 1,600 police officers and balaclava-wearing special forces, bristling with arms and battering rams, were ordered into action around the Belgian port city of Antwerp. More than 200 addresses were raided in what was the largest police operation ever conducted in the country and potentially one of the most significant moves yet against the increasingly powerful narco-gangs of western Europe. An incredible 27 tonnes of cocaine have been seized on Antwerp’s quays, in container ships and safe houses, with an estimated value of €1.4bn (£1.2bn), and many arrests have been made. It has been hailed as a mighty blow against what Belgian federal prosecutor Frédéric Van Leeuw calls “a world where morality has totally disappeared”, but Operation Sky has also highlighted a chilling development. Europe has eclipsed the US as the Colombian cartels’ favoured market, because of higher prices and much lower risks posed by European governments in terms of interdiction, extradition and seizure of assets. Jeremy McDermott, a former British army officer who is now executive director of the thinktank InSight Crime, said a kilogram of cocaine in the US is worth up to $28,000 wholesale but that rises to $40,000 on average in Europe, and nearly $80,000 in some parts of Europe. “It is more money for less risk. I see a deliberate decision by some of the top-level Colombian traffickers, based on sources who sat in a series of meetings in 2005-6, where the business decisions were made,” McDermott said. “It is a business no-brainer.”

Conservative Ex-Banker Headed to Victory in Presidential Election in Ecuador (NYT) Guillermo Lasso, a 66-year-old conservative former banker, was set to win Ecuador’s presidential election and beat out Andrés Arauz, a 36-year-old leftist handpicked by former President Rafael Correa. With more than 94 percent of the votes counted after 10 p.m., Mr. Lasso had 52 percent compared with Mr. Arauz’s 47.32 percent, according to the Electoral Council official counting system in Ecuador. Mr. Arauz conceded defeat. The vote signaled a desire, at least among some, to shift right following years in which Mr. Correa has held sway over the country.

England reopens with pints pulled, shopping sprees and hair cuts (Reuters) People queued up outside retailers across England on Monday to release their pent-up shopping fever and some grabbed a midnight pint or even an early haircut as England’s shops, pubs, gyms and hairdressers reopened after three months of lockdown. After imposing the most onerous restrictions in Britain’s peacetime history, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the reopening was a “major step” towards freedom but urged people to behave responsibly as the coronavirus was still a threat. Getting people spending again is crucial for Britain’s recovery after official data showed that 2020 was the worst year for its economy in more than three centuries with a 9.8% decline in gross domestic product.

Tropical Cyclone Seroja flattens Australian town (Washington Post) A tropical cyclone battered Australia’s west coast Sunday night and into Monday, destroying homes and leaving thousands without electricity. Severe wind gusts of up to 105 miles per hour tore houses apart and sent debris flying all over Kalbarri, a coastal tourist town of 1,350 people in Western Australia. Authorities estimated some 70 percent of the town’s buildings were damaged. Drone footage from the scene showed dozens of homes with their roofs ripped off. Power lines were down and roads were littered with shards of metal and other debris. Cyclone Seroja made landfall as a category three storm at about 8 p.m. local time on Sunday between the towns of Kalbarri and Gregory. Cyclones of such intensity rarely travel this far south in Australia, and towns outside the cyclone belt are not usually built to withstand the devastating conditions.

Muslims navigate restrictions in the second pandemic Ramadan (AP) For Ramadan this year, Magdy Hafez has been longing to reclaim a cherished ritual: performing the nighttime group prayers called taraweeh at the mosque once again. Last year, the coronavirus upended the 68-year-old Egyptian’s routine of going to the mosque to perform those prayers, traditional during Islam’s holiest month. The pandemic had disrupted Islamic worship the world over, including in Egypt where mosques were closed to worshippers last Ramadan. Ramadan, which begins this week, comes as much of the world has been hit by an intense new coronavirus wave. For many Muslims navigating restrictions, that means hopes of a better Ramadan than last year have been dashed with the surge in infection rates though regulations vary in different countries. A time for fasting, worship and charity, Ramadan is also when people typically congregate for prayers, gather around festive meals to break their daylong fast, throng cafes and exchange visits. Once again, some countries are imposing new restrictions.

Iran blames Israel for sabotage at Natanz nuclear site (AP) Iran on Monday blamed Israel for a sabotage attack on its underground Natanz nuclear facility that damaged the centrifuges it uses to enrich uranium there, warning that it would take revenge for the assault. The comments by Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh represent the first official accusation leveled against Israel for the incident Sunday that cut power across the facility. Israel has not directly claimed responsibility for the attack. However, suspicion fell immediately on it as Israeli media widely reported that a devastating cyberattack orchestrated by Israel caused the blackout. If Israel was responsible, it would further heighten tensions between the two nations, already engaged in a shadow conflict across the wider Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met Sunday with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, has vowed to do everything in his power to stop the nuclear deal. According to US intelligence officials, it could take more than nine months to resume enrichment in the nuclear facility.

Abductions and Torture Rattle Uganda (NYT) Armed men in white minivans without license plates picked up people off the streets or from their homes. Those snatched were taken to prisons, police stations and military barracks where they say they were hooded, drugged and beaten—some left to stand in cellars filled with water up to their chests. The fear is still so palpable in the capital, Kampala, that many others have gone into hiding or left the country. Three months after Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, won a sixth five-year term in office in the most fiercely contested election in years, his government appears to be intent on breaking the back of the political opposition. His principal challenger, Bobi Wine, a magnetic musician-turned-lawmaker who galvanized youthful crowds of supporters, is now largely confined to his house in Kampala. Mr. Wine’s party said on Friday that 623 members, supporters and elected officials have been seized from the streets and arrested in recent weeks, many of them tortured.

Prince Philip’s mourners in the South Pacific (Foreign Policy) The death of Prince Philip, the husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, triggered mourning rituals across the country over the weekend. The mourning is not only reserved for the United Kingdom—on one of Vanuatu’s islands, Tanna, hundreds of members of a local tribe have long venerated Prince Philip as akin to a god, and are preparing to mourn his passing. Although it’s unclear how the Prince Philip Movement began, it is believed to have taken root in the 1970s—given life by the royal couple’s visit in 1974. Key to the movement is the belief that Prince Philip is one with the tribe, and fulfilled a prophecy of a tribesman who had found a powerful wife overseas and “would return some day, either in person or in spiritual form,” Kirk Huffman, an anthropologist, told the BBC.

#headlines #news

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neverendingstories00 · 1 year

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i wish k’andre miller would spit on me😔

#ain’t no penalty there!#k’andre miller #new york rangers #hockey #the general has queued his armies

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attackfish · 4 years

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Hi! I love your writing and ideas! If you have time, do you think you could give your thoughts on Zuko and the Gaang meeting members of the 41st (the division Zuko spoke up for) who survived? Maybe at the boiling rock or something? (Or, alternatively, the 41st when they realize what they’re being expected to do, perhaps?) Up to you, obviously. If you don’t have time/don’t want to, that’s totally fine, of course! Thanks either way! Have a good day! :)

So I made a post asking Nonny to get in contact with me so I could ask if they were okay with me putting this in the half feral firebender verse: [Link], along with "Brave Soldier Boy": [Link], but they never contacted me, so I'm going to take that as permission. EDIT: Nonny did eventually get in touch with me and okay it, after I had already written and queued it.

1. Out of a thousand soldiers, maybe sixty survived from the 41st, one of them Zuko. And the massacre happened so soon after he had arrived that he had no chance to get to know any of the survivors before they became survivors. So when he calls them to the palace, he does so as a stranger.

2. The three years since the massacre has taken a tremendous toll on the survivors. Suicide, whether directly or as a result of so-called recklessness on the front lines, alcoholism and drug use has whittled down the number of survivors to only thirty-one, including Zuko himself. He calls them before him, apologizes, and tells them what most of them already suspected, that they were never intended to survive, that they and their dead comrades were seen as a necessary and small sacrifice. He gives them each a pension, and sends personal letters of apology to the families of the dead, and while looking through military letters, he finds that the tactic was used several times, all during Ozai's reign, through never on the scale of the slaughter of the 41st. He makes his personal apologies to those survivors and families as well.

3. Zuko understands well the survivor guilt that has driven so many of the 41st to despair. He bears the guilt both of having spoken up and seeing it do nothing, and the guilt of having been the son of the man who sent all of these people to their deaths. he ended the war, and acknowledged the Fire Nation's crimes, both to its own citizens and to the people that it sought to conquer. He knows many in the army see him as betraying the Fire Nation, by saying the war was wrong, that by doing so, he is spitting on the sacrifices of the soldiers who died. And all he can say is that they died because of a lie, and the best they can do to honor the dead is to be honest about it.

4. And he is open to about how his father sent him to die, about how the Firelord not only intended and knew that the 41st would be slaughtered, but that he intended to use the massacre to kill his own son, a thirteen year old child for daring to call it wrong. He has lived a lie for three long years, and he will not live it anymore.

5. He knows that the friends he made in the Fire Nation military after he survived the massacre of the 41st don't all agree with his policies as firelord, with making peace and ending the war. He knows this because he has brought them to talk with him. He knows that the hatred and fear that three generations of Firelords have engendered, will take a long time to dissipate. He knows that the hardest thing in the world is to reach out and to try to understand the people who tried to kill you. he knows this because he does it every day, with the Earth Kingdom, with his own family, and with the nobles and courtiers that went along with it when his father sent him away to die and pretended that he had never existed.

#Avatar the Last Airbender #Zuko #posts i created #half feral firebender verse #do you want to ask a question it doesn't have to be a question #five headcanons #Zuko is a dweeby little turtleduck

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hellishvu · 5 years

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Imagine BTS (maknae line): when they are inexperienced with luv

— this SHIT IS SO CUTE, TELL ME WHY IM CRYING but while i have a massive breakdown i also wanted to kinda experiment with texts/media in my imagines because they are rlly rlly fun to make!! also there is one sex joke in this, obviously it’s not meant to be taken serious just for a giggle.

Park Jimin: ˚✧₊⁎

Jimin had a mission, he bought the empty scrapbook and the obnoxious amount of crafting paper full of floral prints and poke a dots. The amount of glue on his hands when you two had a first, it was... uh annoying but the final product was always worth it.

Like that one time you two went on a date, for the first time. He pulled out his old dusty Polaroid camera that he bought on instinct. You squeezed his hand walking down the streets of his hometown. Pointing out things you’ve never knew were there, while Jimin took photos of you pointing them out seeing your bright smile. That page was filled of purple themes and the receipts of the snacks you two bought together.

Or like that one time when you kissed him on the side of the beach that you drove hours just to get to. Jimin dropped his camera when you pulled him close to you pressing your lips against his, slowly closing his eyes before wrapping his arms around you letting just one tear spill from his eyes. The page was filled of sea shells he got from the beach, the photos of the ocean waves and you posing with him as you took the photo.

There was a time when you made him a playlist of songs that reminded you of him, and dear god he cherished that playlist like it was the only playlist that existed in the world. The small giggles and the flustered Jimin as he heard lyrics. Since there wasn’t room on the page to fit in all the songs, he picked his favorite songs and the lyric that made his stomach fill with butterflies.

This scrapbook was a one time thing, he simply can’t imagine doing it for anyone else. You were his first and maybe this was creepy he thought. Just recording all of the memories together, maybe you thought he couldn’t live in the moment that he always had to record but that ended quickly when you sent him a video edit of you recording him. Jimin tears up when he recognized the song instantly, the one being on the playlist.

The videos were filled of kisses, whining from Jimin, him kissing your cheek, full of mukbang moments of him shoving his mouth before blushing when he saw you recording, and when you caught Jimin looking around vulnerable was the word to describe what he looked like. It was almost a month since you two started dating but there was already so many first’s.

Of course there were first’s that were a bit scary, like going to his concert for the first time. Holy shit the amount of people and you got special tickets to the front of the stage. Seeing so many people cheer on your boyfriend and the members, I mean he told you he was famous but not worldwide! The adventure of just buying a lightstick that Jimin said was important to get, so waiting in line for 3 hours to get a lightstick was just the beginning.

Of course Jimin said he would pay for everything you just needed to say the special word to the cashier and they will bill it to him. Of course you bought... all the available Jimin merch possible just to show your support to him.

After the concert you waited till you got escorted to the back of the stage seeing Jimin sweating, you gave him your water bottle seeing he needed it way more than you did. You pulled him into a hug being the most proud boyfriend in the entire universe. All of the members could see just by the little interactions that you two were made for each other.

“Scrap booking will have to wait for tomorrow or the next few days till I can feel my legs again.” Jimin chuckled seeing your little Jimin fan and Jimin poster peeking out of your clear bag. Jimin widen his eyes seeing the legendary scrapbook in your bag, disguising it with a blanket.

“Thought you might want to take this with you while on tour.” You smiled giving it to him seeing him frown already missing you even though he hasn’t left.

Kim Taehyung: ˚✧₊⁎

Taehyung got the courage from many of his members to ask you out. He pulled you away for a second while you were on a break at work. You questioned what he was doing here because he hadn’t talked to you since forever.

The reason for the distance was because one night while you two were out, drinks were being shared and intoxication was a main part of the event. Next thing Taehyung knows he woke up next to you in shock. Taehyung did like you like... a lot but this wasn’t the way he wanted to confess to you while he vomited his guts out on the toilet seat. So he left and he thought you two ever being a couple was history now. Distancing himself even though all of his members told him to just talk to you but he ignored their advice till he saw you with another guy. In reality you two were just friends but Taehyung’s head was like a ping pong machines with the possibility of you and that guy.

“Taehyung what are you doing here?” You asked still having your cheesy work uniform. You could see the nervousness on his entire face and body posture. “Here we can go in the back if you want.” You pulling him behind your workplace to get some privacy. Taehyung paced around you making you dizzy trying to keep up with him.

“Okay, uh- You’re gorgeous. No. Wait I mean you are but that’s not what i’m trying to say.” Taehyung sighs covering his eyes feeling the heat rise up.

“I like you! I want to do all those couple things, I want to kiss you, I want to hug you all the time, and I want you to be my boyfriend.” Taehyung quickly releases all his built up feelings.

“Yeah I want that too.”

“And I know that like I left you on seen in life when we hooked u- Wait you feel the same?” Taehyung jumped up his poor heart bouncing all around.

“Yes, I’ve liked you since you brought me to your concert. I want to be your boyfriend.” Taehyung gasps out, remembering how long ago that was. You two were like jumping through hurdles, trying to see who would confess first.

“I can get someone to cover my shift if you want to go out and get some ramen.” You smiled. Taehyung nodding, you left to tell your boss while Taehyung was spamming the group chat of how he has a boyfriend finally.

“Well I got an okay! Let’s go even though I smell like smoothies and organic fruits.” You chuckled queuing for Taehyung to walk with you to your car.

You two walked in but before that you had to adjust your outfit and your hair wanting to look nicer for Taehyung since this is the first date. You and Taehyung sat a booth looking at each other. To strangers you two already looked like a couple for years rather than minutes. The waiter came around snapping both of you two out of luv world.

“Yes, I would like to order pho and for my boyfriend he would like ramen.” Taehyung said eyeing you, seeing your massive grin. You could get used to being showed off, maybe Taehyung already was the one, it felt like it in your soul.

Jeon Jungkook: ˚✧₊⁎

Jungkook finally got time in his schedule to have a sleepover at your house, Jungkook would love if you could meet the members but he felt that it was too early for you to meet them. He didn’t want to overwhelm you with meeting so many important people in his life. You were excited to have your very first sleepover with him, to be able to see him in a more vulnerable state was all you could think about.

The way you thought about him sleeping next to you, feeling his heartbeat when you pull him closer just so you can feel his body next to yours. You were his first boyfriend, just asking him out was an adventure itself because Jungkook spent much of his time conflicting with himself when he said yes then no... then back to yes. It was scary for Jungkook as dating anyone in general of gender he always questioned what would happen? I think he thought his sweaty hands, stuttering sentences, and blushing moments were just because he thought he wasn’t comfortable with you but that theory was shut down quickly because he knew he that was wrong.

Jungkook knocked on the door but you knew that someday Jungkook would just enter as he pleases being completely comfortable with you. You walked to the peephole to see Jungkook with his pajamas already on, but he hide himself with a black hoodie that was probably two size larger than regular. Seeing a massive army bag behind him that was the size of him.

You unlocked the door opening it to see Jungkook looking around before he noticed that you opened the door. Jungkook smiles widely walking in, giving you a hug. You had trouble hugging him back due to his bag that looked like he filled it with his entire house.

“What do you have in there Kook?” You asked making Jungkook look at the bag before setting it down on the ground, sitting on one of your armchairs basically opening the pandora’s box which would be his backpack.

“So I brought many things such as movies, clothes, snacks, and board games.” Jungkook pulling out each item showing it off before setting it down on the coffee table.

You had netflix but you didn’t tell him since he brought such a wide collection of anime love movies to horror movies. You smiled seeing the many changes of clothes wondering if he was going to spend more than one night with you.

“Wait board games?”

“Yeah! Like Jenga, Twister, and Life! I also brought pillows, blankets, and condoms-” You choked on the glass of water that you were drinking when Jungkook had mentioned the last part. Jungkook looked up in concern seeing you in a coughing fit.

“Condoms- Jungkook we- We’ve been dating for 2 weeks-” You said in between the coughs. Jungkook looking up wondering if this a thing couples do. Maybe you were his first romantic interest ever. I mean he told you, you are his first boyfriend but you never thought his first first romantic relationship.

“Yeah but I didn’t know when that comes to play.” Jungkook explained pulling out more boxes of condoms making your face heat up, trying to cover them. You felt exposed even though no one was in the room besides you two.

“Okay Kook, we aren’t going to do that tonight. You will know when the time is right, but just because we both are guys doesn’t mean we are going to go at like rabbits every second.” You explained to him holding his hand, you saw that he also heated up realizing that maybe he was jumping the gun with that. I mean he wasn’t forcing the intimate moment onto you he was just purely confused and you could tell just by his face. Jungkook learned that he was fine with kissing and holding hands, that is all he needed in his life.

“Also why is there 6 boxes of them?!”

#bts #bts x male reader #kpop x male reader #bts jimin #bts taehyung #bts jungkook #bts v #fluff

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stevecoleridge-posts · 4 years

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Day 6 ..Friday Struggling .. which is why i did nt see the news or spend time on Social Media yesterday.. I thought it would be a breeze and after a little concentration id have it down .. but no , even the first part…known as lumpedy lump was proving tough , because of the triplet walk up from the V to the 1.. and i think thats the part Jimmy Reed himself is playing… If you ve read previous episodes you will know i refer to Honest I Do….the song. Im learning it on a You Tube lesson , now a lot of people who think of themselves as pros , seem to think there s some sort of stigma ro learning stuff on You Tube, but i know a French guy , of Spanish descent , who is a really hot Flamenco guitarist who has mastered nearly all the Palos , and all on You Tube They are right, if you dedicate yourself to different songs at the same time, but it s like working form home…you need time and discipline ..and take the lessons very slowly and don’t move on till you can play it 20 times with your eyes shut..preferably standing up .. then move on up. Yesterday was the first time i managed to do this. There is a different tone on Social media today .. angrier , more prone to blame others, more censorious…and on one group forum i saw they were going to ban Humour..well , i don’t personally know the Group leader.. but it does nt take much imagination to know she s not someone you d want to be quarantined with. The only thing to fear is fear itself.. well i certainly don’t think that applies in this situation, quite the reverse, the more frightened we are the less we will venture forth on errands that are not strictly necessary..i was on my way out the door , literally, when my mobile rang…it was the charming woman from the bank.. she d got my message .. id gone way over my limit.. which was why i could nt withdraw funds…She , and i won’t name her, is working from Home and sorted it all out on her laptop..no need for me to go to town.. Is nt that great?..well , I thought it was..and a good thing too,as she has not been provided with any masks..and we are talking about a Bank..if they cant get basic stuff like that no wonder the Government are nt testing people .. they don’t have the wherewithal…it is nt as though this has nt been on the News everyday since December the something. .I remember listening to Radio Four as i was driving through Slough, in December,… don’t ask … the M4 was closed..and i was listening to a woman in Wuhan describing how her parents were dying in the Street.. that really got my attention. It did nt seem to get the attention of the people in charge here however, as when the inevitable arrived nearly three months later , they had done nothing to prepare for it. The Spanish Disease is politics, it creeps into every corner of life and spreads its poison , a bit like you know what,..and in the past when people got fed up with their venal politicians there was a Military Coup , and then they realised maybe life was better before with democracy … and the cycle starts again. This model has been exported successfully to Latin America.. with the possible exception of Mexico. and Costa Rica Its all very well for us stodgy Northerners with our bad weather , to criticise, but Sun affects people,and when things are good they seem so much better in the Sunshine..but something about Sunny weather produces Volatility, and an @ i won’t fix the roof as its not raining @ World View… and Italys colossal death rate is the price to be paid .. not that it is nt sunny in China..or South Korea..but they do a lot more than just fix the roof..and to put it down to Confucianism .. well maybe best not to start on that. Australia will be interesting, they have lots of sun , but its a pretty organised place ..and i don’t see them making this sort of Balls up.. also they have the experience of natural disasters,,and pulling together, and will not let Politics interfere…any country that had leaders with names like Abbott and Costello doesn’t waste too energy on petty politics. The Current Classic example of petty minded, spiteful, pointless, negative ,oppurtunism , is the attempt on social media and what sup groups to denigrate the Royal Family organising people to rattle saucepans at a given time, because apparently the current King s father had a rather large amount of money in a Swiss Account..well, it was Saudi Money , not money stolen from the Spanish taxpayer, unlike the billions stolen by the previous administration , the PP .The idea for this stupidity was inspired by the Custom of applauding the Medical profession every night at eight o clock.. an excellent morale boosting , bringing everyone together kind of gesture..well everything has its opposite and this is an excellent way to breed more discontent and fracture an all ready pretty fractured society.. it beggars belief and you really have to have lived here to see these Barca Madrid idiocies at first hand. Barca Madrid is a term used to describe the divide and conquer ,us and them , attitudes that have stopped Spains progress since the collapse of their Empire, culminating in the most vicious Civil War in recent European History, and one would have hoped that after 40 plus years of Democracy it would have disappeared , but sadly, like in the USA and a lot of other democracies , it seems to be on the increase.The anger on Social Media which results from the claustrophobic frustration of a lockdown will hopefully not boil over into something with unpleasant political consequences, which would be very sad , as after Francos death and the adoption of constitution that is the envy of many countries, Spain was a beacon of hope in the last quarter of the 20 th century… how the mighty are fallen .. one hopes not.. SPANISH LOCKDOWN DAY 7 Slept really well , but then I remember reading that people on Death row sleep 16 hours a day so possibly not a good sign. Last Night i watched the Spanish news ,on the main channel and things are looking up , relatively speaking, in the sense that testing has arrived ..someone, or some country, has sent several thousand, or may be half a million test kits.. which is obviously excellent news , and testing in Galicia is going full steam ahead. There was the obligatory item about a vaccine..which I think one can take with a pinch of salt. .Military erecting field hospitals next to various main hospitals…the eight o clock applause of medical staff…all in all well put together not too desperately pessimistic, and generally not as disheartening as Facebook.. afterwards i felt like some light relief so we watched eleven episodes of 2 and half men, in Spanish ,to cheer ourselves up before going to bed. .. Today i decided to live a normal day .. if such a thing were possible , so , after taking Tina for a walk i got the Old TV and DVD working and put on Marty Schwarz s Intermediate Blues Guitar Course part one…and it started raining .. so that was encouraging as it took away any temptation to venture outside.. except for firewood that is. I worked through the course without rushing , but also without too much pausing , as i d done those lessons before, and all that repetition of Honest I do is paying off.. On going outside for firewood i could not ignore the noise of the generator that kicked in yesterday evening, as we ve had not Sun for several days, so i decided to fill it up with diesel, and see how much 15 hours constant running had used,only half the 20 litre can to fill up the tank…but was it full to begin with?..anyway it s very rare to have 4 days without sun , so even if it did use 13 euros of diesel Im not going to freak out as that was expensive diesel.. and I’m entitled to use the cheaper stuff .Of cause i spilled Diesel over my hands , and shoes , and when i spent a good 5 minutes trying to wash the smell out i realised this was the ultimate anti virus test.. so i will leave a bowl of Diesel outside every time i go to town and use that as first part of the disinfection process , yet another excuse not to go to town. My neighbour M. rang and suggested i look at his scheme on Facebook to institute Food Deliveries , so one does nt have to go to the Supermarket in person and infect and be infected… a good idea of course , but like so many , i don’t see it happening…I pointed out several objections , lack of drivers, expense, one would need a sort of Uber program which will probably not be ready for a year .. etc..and the Supermarkets are making so much money i doubt they need this sort of input.I promised to look at it later , which I will , as Lunch was ready. We ve run out of Bread ,Oranges and Chocolate, Aurora has broken a nail and the nail bars are closed till further notice…but otherwise we can probably get through till Monday without suffering too much ..on the other hand Monday is probably the worst day to go shopping..Im toying with the idea of going to the small Supermarket, at 8 am Sunday morning, and hopefully having it to myself , as i cant face the idea of a queue. I know English people are supposed to love queueing but i must be an exception, and queuing nowadays is a High Risk Activity. The Sun is out and i did one of the jobs from a month old to do list… pumping the water out the flooded pump room , it all went very well , and i felt very worthy , and now , with the Sunshine it s time for a walk , with Tina , of course. I return , feeling optimistic .. and the phone rings, i assume it s my neighbour asking if I’ve read his article.it isn’t , it s C another near neighbour, with some very bad news . The police are in Quarantine…and the Army will soon be here. No Tobacco..as they will close the Tobacconist. A completely different ball game I rang M, and gave him the news…I f he d had a kalashnikov he d have been checking the magazine I rang another neighbour F, whose office is next to the Police Station , to warn him. .When the Rumour , comes to your Town , It Grows and Grows, Where it Started No-one Knows…*Robbie Robertson I rang my source in the Town Hall G…no , it s only one cop , and he has nt got the results yet.. I rang M again…he had spoken to his friend who is a Guardia Civil .no , it was nt a Cop it was a Guardia Civil..he also told me the Cuban woman who cleans houses had been stopped, by the Police and they checked the receipt for her shopping I rang the first neighbour and corrected the original story I opened Facebook .. and there was the original story , which had started a firestorm of comments along the likes of whats your source? etc as though we were in the Watergate hearings, not only that, the people reading the story imagined it referred to Mojacar , not Carboneras , and were all frantically ringing the Police Staion , The Town Hall and each other to see if it were true. The tones of the respective comments went from shrill outrage that anyone should suggest such a story without due documentation , to fear , to I knew this would happen, all these irresponsible idiots .. blah blah It began to increasingly resemble an episode of Dads Army with a false alarm about a German Landing.., which Facebook does anyway There is the Captain Mainwaring..@While i was out today making sure everyone was behaving themselves i saw these irresponsible panic shoppers, and these people walking around without a good reason @ The Fraser .. We Re Doomed The Air raid Warden…Its all the fault of the Ruling Class, and rules are rules etc Jones ..Dont Panic... in a tone of complete hysteria Pikes mother…Be sure to wear your gloves , motorcycle helmet , hazchem suit, mask..galoshes, .Do you have your hand sanitiser , all clothes must be burnt on reentry etc By this time Auroras original alarm had been replaced by hilarity, as she was sitting by the fire hearing one side of these conversations.. I went out for some more wood and we relaxed by watching a Documentary about the Boeing 737 MAX..complete with simulation in the Pilots cockpit The best part was the CEO of Boeing trying to justify his 30 million Dollar salary at a Congressional hearing..…i wondered what the Shareholders thought about that , i know what the victims families thought , as they were being interviewed and did nt sound too impressed

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