#yes I’m biased because i am southern

[deityofhearts]

I’m gonna say it. more fantasy and supernatural characters should be southern

#deity dialogue #yes I’m biased because i am southern #that wizard? make them southern. make your vampires and werewolves southern too. your witches and ghosts and faeries? also southern #ENOUGH posh sounding fantasy characters. it’s time for southern ones #gimme #give them to me #where are they #fuck it. Romance is southern now

[microstmnt]

Timeskip Turtles Part 2 (Timeskip humans?)

I am insanely proud of how hot Casey looks 😌 but I’m biased bc I like men with long hair. 

Honestly, last three years were kinda chill for Casey (maybe one major plot point that I need to explore but anyways), for April on the other hand? Honey you’re gonna go through it

Casey: as mentioned before some time after the defeat of Shredder (in wich he and April were explicitly excluded from participating, cue both of them feeling slightly offended) he and Leo went on a roadtrip across Latin America to train (Case originally just wanted to go back to Argentina but Leo talked him into extending the trip and countries), honestly in comparison to what the everyone else lived in NYC, the trip went super chill, no major altercation, no threats to no ones life, it was basically a vacation. The mutant problem once tought to be a NYC only problem has now extended to include all the American continent so encountering mutants in their travels is not unheard of, meaning that Leo doesn’t have to hide for half the trip (yay, these two are gonna bond :) ). Coming back to their home they’re gonna find a lot of things have changed and there’s a lot of things that they missed (Casey: I missed a whole alien invasion? Ah man ): ). Notable scars: Minor scars on face from fighting, claw stabs on shoulders from meeting Venus, scrape on the right arm by a Purple Dragon altercation (yes, those bastards are still around), gunshot wound on stomach pre Battle Nexus arc by a Purple Dragon

April: After the defeat of Shredder, April decided to dedicate herself to her study, threats to one’s life are nice and all but I have to take exams guys, in her faculty she’s gonna meet Baxter Stockman, a teen genius whose ego is as big as his brain, unfortunately, the same people responsible for the mutant outbreak might be looking for his smarts so she has to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesnt mix with the wrong people (or get kidnapped...), unfortunately this means that she is now also a target for the people responsible for the mutant outbreak, and this is made clear when one night she is attacked by a mutant turtle that she’s never met before. She goes to the turtles with this information and by this point it’s clear that the men behind all of this has zero qualms in eliminating percieved threats. Things escalate until the ✨ alien invasion ✨ and I’m not gonna lie, I have nothing on the alien invasion, I just know it happens (A+ writing, I know). Notable scars: Slashes on left arm and shoulder by Venus (not seen because of the jacket), claw marks on right leg from Venus (not seen because of pants), stab wound on stomach by a Foot Ninja (pre Battle Nexus)

If it’s not painfully clear by now; I’m an artist, not a writer, shotout to all writers for real, this shit is not easy *sweating bullets trying to connect everything* 

Some more things: by this point in their life characters like Lita, Jennika, Slash and Venus have all appeared (Jennika, Lita and Slash after the defeat of Shredder in that order, and Venus during Leo’s adventures in the Southern Continent), Bishop is even worse than Shredder (I know Shredder is more iconic, but I had zero ideas for him sorry), Karai is just living her life studying veterinary, she sometimes helps the boys but from the main part she’s just on her own (her biggest appearance is when Jennika comes looking for her, but more on that in Jenny’s character sheet), Ooroku Saki is still alive, he’s just in jail (anticlamatic? Maybe, but it’s also sad), Twig is living with Karai. The boys still live with Splinter, and they all have a new Lair because Shredder destroyed their old one (Some things never change), it’s a bunker style place that connects with the Sewers (Think the IDW lair)

And for April and Casey.... I know no one likes a slow burn, but I genuinely think these two are dumbasses who have no idea what to do with themselves if they’re not fighting for their life or protecting people... They’ll figure it out and end up together eventually, probably

#teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #micros tmnt #tmnt april o'neil #tmnt casey jones #tmnt 1987 #tmnt 2012 #tmnt 2003 #rottmnt #tmnt bayverse #tmnt comics #tmnt idw #tmnt 2007 #tmnt mutant mayhem #this whole tagging all iterations im going crazy...

[faustocosgrove]

this is less of an adventure than it is an episode of “please reassure Fausto that he’s not fucking crazy”.

So uh, most of my coworker’s spouses do not show up at the job site. Yesterday, the one girl’s husband shows up and she introduces him to the Boss and me. but the way she introduces me was “this is Fausto, you’d like her, she’s a real good cook.” and the husband didn’t look particularly awake while talking to teh boss but as soon as his wife says “cook” his eyes shot open and he says “oh?” in the strangest tone. i don’t know how to describe it. it was as if i was going to whip a tray of hors d’ourves out from behind my back. like i was suddenly assigned wait staff status and was about to serve him. he then said “i like to cook and eat” in the most “i am a boring white man” voice you can imagine and the concern i had from the way the wife said “you’d like her” was washed away. still think that was a weird way to get introduced. she could have said “this is the one co worker i was telling you about who always packs really tasty looking lunches.” and not have made it sound like she was trying to pawn her husband off on another woman.

then today the same girl announces first thing when she walks in the door is that last night her husband gave her a back rub and it was the first back rub she’s gotten from him in the last 40 years. and then several hours go by and she notices me doing a shorter version of a task that both of us were doing last week that involves crouching down and doing bullshit on the ground. to which she states that i’m going to be the one who needs a back rub tonight.

so there’s the background info, and here’s teh question. is this some southern dialect i'm unfamiliar with that’s coming across wrong or is this lady trying to get me to sleep with her husband or am i just crazy and making connections that aren’t there?

anyway today’s second adventure was me giving the “why we have black history month” lecture to a gaggle of christian conservative mothers/grandmothers. things escalated into police profiling and then the history of the post slavery era. i think i actually made some headway with the one gal when i told her that slavery is still legal for convicts. the rest of them weren’t listening to anything i said and fucking whatever. pretty impressed at how quick the one turned around though. y’all know how there used to be a bunch of really basic anti racism, feminism, anti capitalism posts floating around circa 2014? y’know what those posts were very good at being? refreshers for how to talk to a conservative who finally questions their own biases. like clearly i only had an effect on the one who was wiling to take on new ideas, but i was so out of practice. like today i feel like i know more about white LGBTs’ racism and nazi dog whistles than i do about the kind of racism that affects the people i bump into on a daily basis. like ten years ago i feel i would have been better equipped to shut down the crazy old white lady yammering on and on about most crime being committed by black people. i wasn’t even on my game enough to say “i don’t know if that’s true or not, we should probably google it.”

third adventure: watched the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once. y’all were right, it’s ADHD as a movie and it’s good. and that’s all the review y’all are going to get because i am fucking exhausted send tweet. …wait twitter send tweet… tumblr send tumb. there we go send tumb.

#adventures with fausto #fausto polls #i am tired in my body and in my soul and in a secret third way as well

[my-bated-breath]

On an Immensely Popular Post

Disclaimer: What I’m writing here may not be completely accurate -- like most works of art, literature, and even STEM tend to be -- and as a new fan of ATLA, a few of the metas I publish may be obsolete or unintentionally insensitive. That being said, I like to believe that I can contribute something valuable to this fandom. In all my (real) metas, I wish to be as objective as possible and not rely on my biases, fanon, or common “knowledge” that may just be misconceptions. If anyone reading this finds something to be false or contrived, I am always welcome to constructive criticism. What I am not welcome to is senseless hate or bashing.

My first experiences with the ATLA fandom begun a long, long time ago, but the most recent and powerful revival of my love for ATLA started with me actually watching the show and soon after, with me falling into the endless abyss of ATLA metas on Tumblr. Sifting through the well-written analyses and the emotion-based rants had taught me a lot about critical thinking and the power of influence, so now I’d like to present a meta that critiques an extremely popular post with over 60,000 notes. And since it’s so popular, this is the part where I must make yet another disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I hold nothing against lesbians4sokka (whose name has now been changed to comradekatara). They have the right to share what they want, but since this particular post has become so influential that it’s still being reblogged regularly to this day, I believe it is within my right to criticize it - emphasis on “criticize,” which is different from “hate.”

Now that that’s out of the way, let us begin:

Lesbians4sokka/comradekatara covers 3 main subjects in their post, which I will quote/summarize below:

(1) Ma/iko: “...the entire foundation of mai and zuko’s relationship was built on how miserable they were together, and how they would just sit there and hate the world together— letting their misery fester as they enabled each other’s depression— and I think that’s really unfortunate because they would work so well as friends if they weren’t trying to make their dumpster fire of a relationship work.”

(2) Zutara: “similarly, what makes zuko and katara’s dynamic so compelling is that they share the same flaws, only as opposed to mai’s apathy and misery, it’s katara’s rage and guilt that zuko identifies with. they both share trauma over having lost their mothers, and both in a similar way (sacrificing themselves for them) and they both cope with their grief through rage, often misplaced… katara and zuko have a deep & profound friendship, but if they were to be in a relationship, they would only bring out the absolute worst in each other thru enabling each other’s rage and emotion-driven decision making.”

(3) Z/uk/ka: this pairing makes for a healthy and wholesome relationship because throughout the boiling rock, we see that “sokka and zuko make an excellent team, as they balance each other perfectly. sokka thinks big picture, and plans ahead, but zuko will charge into situations.” They inspire each other, they trust each other unconditionally, they become more open and supportive of each other, they share a lot of common interests and narrative parallels, and in general, just make each other happy (which could work both platonically and romantically).

As for my response: I’m sure many of you are expecting me to start to save the “best for last.” That assumption would be incorrect because I actually have the least to say about point 3.

I agree that Z/uk/ka can be a good relationship. Their dynamic is funny, playful, supportive, etc. etc. (there are so many positive adjectives I could use to describe their dynamic, the list could go on forever). And they could make a great couple.

…

What, did you expect more from me? That’s it, I’m done.

I’m not here to attack Z/uk/ka as a ship, because while I can never actively ship it (I’m a sad, narrow-minded exclusive shipper, always had been and always will be) I can objectively appreciate them as one. It’s points 1 and 2 I’m more concerned about.

Now, since we’ve already begun working backward, I’ll begin my critiques on point 2: I could write extensively about the parallels between Zuko and Katara, including but not limited to shared pain and a few shared flaws - and just a few, because their weaknesses diverge in many important places. However, since I’m trying to write as objectively as possible and since Zuko-Katara parallels have already been discussed to death, my analysis will focus elsewhere.

However, something from comradekatara’s post that I would first like to address is this-

[Zuko and Katara] both cope with their grief through rage, often misplaced. in the southern raiders, they both act deeply insensitively towards sokka by acting as if his grief over his mother’s death is somehow less valid simply because he is a lot quieter in his coping mechanisms and doesn’t project his rage & guilt onto everyone else.

- or rather, the idea that Zuko and Katara’s shared pain causes them to act insensitively towards Sokka (and though the post does not mention it, Aang as well).

(Note: these points have already been covered by countless metas before mine, so you can skip/skim this section to read a newer argument in the next section.)

Even ignoring the fact that the Southern Raiders had many out of character moments, Katara’s insensitivity towards Sokka is first and foremost a reaction against his insensitivity towards her.

_____

Dialogue from Season 3, Episode 16 “The Southern Raiders”:

Aang: Um ... and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?

Katara: [Shakes her head in dismay.] Ugh, I knew you wouldn't understand. [Begins to walk away.]

Aang: Wait! Stop! I do understand. You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?

Zuko: She needs this, Aang. This is about getting closure and justice.

Aang: I don't think so. I think it's about getting revenge.

Katara: [Angrily.] Fine, maybe it is! Maybe that's what I need! Maybe that's what he deserves!

Aang: Katara, you sound like Jet.

Katara: It's not the same! Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a monster.

Sokka: Katara, she was my mother, too, but I think Aang might be right.

Katara: Then you didn't love her the way I did!

Sokka: [Hurt] Katara!

_____

While I believe that Aang’s principles of forgiveness are morally sound, the way he pushes his beliefs onto Katara undermines much of her grief. At first, Aang tries to relate to Katara’s experiences by comparing them to his own, but there is a forceful connotation to his dialogue that suggests that Aang considers himself to be the moral authority compared to Katara. Hence, Aang judges Katara (“I think it’s about getting revenge”) without trying to reach out and understand her, forgoing the empathetic common ground in favor of taking on the moral high ground.

Thus, when Sokka tells Katara, “she was my mother, too, but I think Aang might be right,” Sokka is not only saying that Katara should choose forgiveness, he is implying that Aang is the ultimate moral authority on this matter and that Katara should accept that. Moreover, similarly to Aang, Sokka’s opening line, “she was my mother, too,” had the potential to establish common ground between himself and Katara, but the added “but…” places Sokka on the moral high ground against her instead. Of course, when we remember that just two lines ago Aang equates Katara to Jet, Sokka agreeing with Aang seems even more thoughtless and unsympathetic.

So when Katara lashes out against Sokka, ostensibly “acting as if his grief over his mother’s death is somehow less valid simply because he is a lot quieter in his coping mechanisms and doesn’t project his rage & guilt onto everyone else,” it is important to note that Sokka undermines Katara’s louder, more visible way of grieving as well (though that discounts that for most of the show, Katara only uses her grief over her mother’s death to sympathize with others).

Moreover, Katara’s line, “then you didn't love her the way I did!” is hurtful, yes, but it is not necessarily equivalent to “you didn’t love her as much as I did.” Katara’s love for her mother is different from Sokka’s because her pain over her death is different -- after Kya’s passing, Katara had to carry the emotional burden of becoming a pseudo-mother to Sokka (see Sokka and Toph’s conversation in “The Runaway”), a burden that did not cease after she joined the GAang (see the entirety of “The Desert”). To Katara, Kya was not only her mother, but the representation of the childhood she lost and the sacrifice made to protect her life. Sokka simply does not have that same relationship with Kya.

I do not mean to say that Sokka and Aang unfairly taking on the moral authority in this situation means that this authority instead belongs to Katara (and Zuko) - “The Southern Raiders” is filled with questionable moments from all parties involved. However, TSR is an episode that delves into Katara (and Zuko)’s relationship with a mother’s sacrifice, so how Zuko and Katara respond to this specific trauma from their past does not dictate how they respond to painful circumstances in the present/future. Let’s see how this is true.

Sozin’s Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King

No doubt Zuko and Katara felt some form of frustration upon Aang’s disappearance, so let’s see how they “[enabled] each other’s rage and emotion-driven decision making”:

Here, Katara and Zuko make a decision together that turns out to be calm, rational, and not at all emotionally-driven despite their mutual frustration and worry towards Aang.

Sozin’s Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters

Zuko holds immense pain and self-loathing over betraying Iroh, yet Zuko and Katara’s conversation does not enable/exacerbate negativity from any party involved (since Zuko often translates his grief into anger, and Katara was evidently angry at Zuko’s betrayal). Instead, their conversation is open, encouraging, and constructive.

(Note: this is where the review of points made by previous metas ends.)

Hence, to say that “[Zuko and Katara] would only bring out the absolute worst in each other [through] enabling each other’s rage and emotion-driven decision making” -  when we are given in-canon examples of the opposite being true - would be a sweeping and inaccurate generalization.

But for the sake of argument let’s say that, hypothetically, Zuko and Katara’s relationship would fail because they only bring out the worst in each other. And here’s where the argument falls apart for me - Is the argument here that Zuko and Katara have an incredibly meaningful friendship yet somehow this “friendship” causes them to enable each other, thus encouraging each other’s worst flaws and regressing each other’s growth? Is a healthy friendship - much less a “deep and profound” one - not one where two individuals can learn from each other in positive ways and balance each other’s shortcomings?

Or is it something different we’re saying here? Are we saying that two individuals can have a “deep and profound” friendship and yet the moment their relationship shifts from platonic to romantic, they are terrible for each other?

While many significant platonic bonds are stunted when they become romantic, I still believe it to be common sense that some of the best romantic relationships stem from a platonic foundation. But since much of “common sense” on the internet sees that “sense” is nonsensical and “common” is a nicer way to refer to mob mentality, I have done my research to show how Zuko and Katara could have been an excellent case of a friends-to-lovers relationship.

An excerpt from my meta, “Research Shows that Zutara Would Have Been the Ideal Friends to Lovers Dynamic.” (give it a read if you want to see references to relationship-research and an overanalysis on diction/tone)

The reason why Zutara is framed as a “toxic and unhealthy” relationship is that their romance would be a classic example of the enemies-to-lovers trope, a trope which modern media has not been particularly kind to. However, when executed correctly, enemies-to-lovers can produce a healthy and loving relationship, frequently relying on friendship as an intermediate between the “enemy” and “lover” stages in the most well-executed versions of this trope. Meanwhile, the trope of friends-to-lovers is just as popular as enemies-to-lovers, though the specific dynamic required between two individuals to achieve this transition is not well-known. Recognizing this, Laura K. Guerrero and Paul A. Mongeau, both of whom are involved in relationship-related research as professors at Arizona State University, wrote a research paper on how friendships may transition into romantic relationships…

According to Guerrero and Mongeau, “...scholars have argued that intimacy is located in different types of interactions, ranging from sexual activity and physical contact to warm, cozy interactions that can occur between friends, family members, and lovers…” Guerrero and Mongeau then reference a relationship model where the initial stages (i.e. perceiving similarities, achieving rapport, and inducing self-disclosure) reflect platonic/romantic intimacy through communication while the latter stages (i.e. role-taking, achieving interpersonal role fit, and achieving dyadic crystallization) often see both individuals as achieving a higher level of intimacy that involves more self-awareness.

In the rest of my research-based meta I demonstrate how Zuko and Katara’s platonic interactions in the show fit into the stages of communicative intimacy (i.e. perceiving similarities, achieving rapport, and inducing self-disclosure) that Guerrero and Mongeau describe as being mutual between friendships and romances. As such, crossing the line between friends and more-than-friends most likely would not cause a dramatic shift in the Zutara dynamic since much of Zuko and Katara’s platonic intimacy easily translates into romantic intimacy. I’ll end off with another excerpt from my meta.

Excerpt from “Research Shows that Zutara Would Have Been the Ideal Friends to Lovers Dynamic.”

“...it would be remiss to simply dismiss the Zutara dynamic as one that would instantly become toxic should they pursue a romantic relationship.”

With that little thought in mind, let’s move onto point 3: an exploration of friendship, romance, and why toxicity is not exclusive to the latter.

Let’s start with what I agree with:

“The entire foundation of mai and zuko’s relationship was built on how miserable they were together, and how they would just sit there and hate the world together— letting their misery fester as they enabled each other’s depression...”

I’m not sure how necessary it is for me to elaborate on this point given that it’s already been accepted by comradekatara and perhaps 60,000+ other users on Tumblr (a gross exaggeration but this remains unimportant), but in her essay, “Zuko, Mai, and the Nature of True Intimacy,” Araeph contributes more nuance to the concept of Ma/iko and mutual misery, stating that,

Unfortunately for [Zuko and Mai’s] relationship, Mai is and will always be a pessimist—a character trait, not a character flaw, in her. The key difference lies in how Mai and Zuko use their negative feelings. When Zuko sinks into negativity, he gives up on any actions that will materially change his world for the better; Mai, on the other hand, can remain negative even at the height of her character development, and it does not impede her ability to act.

So while Mai enables Zuko’s depression, Zuko does not necessarily do the same for Mai. Nonetheless, throughout their relationship for the first half of season 3, neither of them communicate constructively or push each other to grow as people.

This may be the third disclaimer I’m making, but I first want to say I have nothing against Mai. However, I do have something against the idea that “[Mai and Zuko] would work so well as friends if they weren’t trying to make their dumpster fire of a relationship work.”

Their relationship is a dumpster fire, yes, but will the flames cease simply if the amount of intimacy in the relationship changes?

comradekatara state themselves that their entire romantic relationship is quite depressing - they are only able to connect through empty physical intimacy and mutual hatred of the world. Without that, there is little left for them to bond over. Once Zuko overcomes his conflicting morality and inaction from the first half of season 3, he becomes someone who is strongly guided by his principles and beliefs. However, for the entirety of the series, Mai is characterized by her moral apathy. To cite from Araeph again,

It is moral intimacy that is the last and worst omission for Mai and Zuko… Zuko’s struggle to find and follow his principles is the most central aspect of his character, yet it is a struggle Mai neither understands nor respects…

Lack of moral intimacy (not sharing the same core beliefs) is something that applies to both platonic and romantic bonds. Thus, just as transitioning from a meaningful friendship to a romance does not inherently create toxicity in a relationship, switching from a romance that exacerbates one (or both, depending on how you interpret it) party’s misery does not necessarily erase the preexisting negativity in a relationship - perhaps some of it may subside, sure, but as long both parties continue to fail at communicating and understanding each other, even their friendship seems bleak at best. In this case, Mai and Zuko may work well as conditional friends, or in other words, friends who are only friends when they have something to mutually be miserable over. And this tiptoes the line of speculation, but they could be a formidable political team. But unless the Ma/iko dynamic shifts drastically in the lovers-to-friends transition, I’m not sure if there’s much potential in a friendship between them.

In conclusion, there is a lot I don’t agree with from comradekatara’s post, but if there’s one takeaway I want to impart onto everyone who’s read this far, it’s this: crossing and uncrossing the line between platonic and romantic bonds is not always a transformative experience for the relationship, and the nature of human relationships is a complex spectrum -- not a light switch that can only be set between healthy and unhealthy.

Thank you all for reading!

#atla #atla meta #my bated breath analyzes #this is more pro-zukka than anti-zukka #but I will include neither in my tags #zutara #anti maiko #once again this is a critique #not a post meant to tear anyone or their views down #my bated breath's posts

[hopelikethemoon]

Partners (Steve POV) {MTMF}

Title: partners Rating: PG (language!) Length: 3000 Warnings: No warnings! Notes: You can find the Maybe Today, Maybe Forever Timeline here. Set in January 1994. This is one of two updates today! Look for the other mid-day.  Summary: Steve and Connie see their old friends again 

Taglist:  @grapemama  @seawhisperer @huliabitch@pedropascalito @rogrsnbarnes@thewallpapergoesorido​ @twomoonstwosuns​ @gooddaykate​@livasaurasrex​ @ham4arrow​ @hiscyarika​ @plexflexico​ @readsalot73​ @hdlynn​@lokiaddicted​ @randomness501​ @fioccodineveautunnale​ @roxypeanut​ @just-add-butter​@snivellusim​ @amarvelousmandalorian​ @lukesrighthand​ @historynerd04​@mrsparknuts​ @synystersilenceinblacknwhite​ @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead​

“And he didn’t say who the ‘we’ was?” Connie questioned as she pulled her sweater on before she got out of the car. 

Steve popped a Tic Tac into his mouth before pocketing the container, “He was pretty fucking cryptic.” He took Connie’s hand, heading up the sandy path that led to the restaurant from the parking lot. 

Javier had picked one that wasn’t far from where Connie and Steve lived, but hadn’t given much indication as to where he — of they — were staying. He’d always been a bit cagey, but this was new. Hadn’t heard word one from him since he’d left Colombia. 

Steve pressed the Tic Tac between his back molars, cracking down on it as they walked into the restaurant. It wasn’t as garishly decorated as some of the seafood restaurants down by the boardwalk, but they still had a crocodile proudly on display and a series of shark heads racked up on the walls.

“Peña.” He told the waitress, who guided them back towards a booth near the back of the restaurant. 

Steve recognized the back of Javier’s head instantly, but it took him a second to realize who was sitting beside him. Of all the people he expected to be with Javi — he should’ve known it would be her. 

He had his arm draped over her shoulders, a gesture that seemed far too familiar to be a new thing. 

“You son of a bitch.” Steve said lightly as he and Connie stopped beside the table. 

Javier slid out of the booth and hugged him, “Is that how you greet an old friend?” He chastised him, pulling back with a rare grin. Though — maybe it wasn’t rare anymore. 

“Oh my God!” Connie’s voice cut through whatever he’d planned to barb Javier with next. “She’s precious!”

“Almost one.” Javier stated, hands on his hips as he turned back towards the table.

“Her name’s Josie,” She explained, picking up the baby and showing her off to Connie. “Don’t be offended if she doesn’t take to you — Javi’s her favorite person.”

Connie laughed incredulously, “When did this—“

“You had a kid?” Steve stared at Javier, eyes flickering between the family of three. “What the fuck?”

Javier rubbed at the back of his neck before he slid back into the booth, waiting for Steve and Connie to sit before he answered. “The night you left.”

Steve dragged a hand over his face and laughed, “I should’ve fucking known.” He turned towards Connie, “I told you—“

“You did.” She laughed, blowing a kiss at Josie. “She’s gorgeous.”

“I might be biased, but I think she’s the prettiest baby around.” Javier smiled proudly at the little girl as she wrestled out of her mother’s arms and into his lap. She grabbed at a crayon on the table, scribbling all over Javier’s napkin.

“Is she why I didn’t hear anything from either of you?” Steve questioned, looking between the two of you. “Because I thought I’d hear something.” He looked at her then, “You even promised.” 

“A lot happened.” She shrugged, reaching over to brush her fingers through Josie’s curls. “Josie happened.”

“And you’re together?” Connie questioned.

Javier chuckled, “Yeah.” 

Steve let out a huff of laughter, shaking his head. “I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.” 

Josie seemed fed up with her crayon, chucking it across the table at Connie. 

“You can’t throw things, Josie.” Javier warned her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 

Javier fucking Peña had a daughter. 

“So,” Steve started, gesturing between the two of them. “What is this? Are you dating?” 

Javier shrugged, “We don’t really have a label for it.”

“Partners. I guess.” She passed Josie a blue crayon, which promptly went into her mouth. “I know you’re hungry, baby. You’ll get some food soon.” 

Steve gave Connie a sideways look. Trust the pair of them to choose not to define their relationship. “Just partners?”

Javier rolled his eyes, “Are you asking if we…” He cleared his throat, gesturing to Josie. 

“Not in front of the kid.” She warned sternly, before leveling Steve with a look. “Frequently and often.” 

“Alrighty then.” Steve laughed, clicking his tongue against his teeth. “Sounds like we need a round of beers.” He flagged down the waitress, ordering a round for the table. 

“She’ll take another cup of milk and can we order a plate of fries?” She asked the waitress. 

“Ketchup too.” Javier cut in, wrestling the soggy crayon out of her mouth. 

“Is she yours?” The waitress questioned Javier, hands on her hips and doing that thing women always seemed to do around Javi. At least that wasn’t just a Colombian special. The man was still a magnet for attention. 

“She is.” Javier beamed proudly, “Do you have another one of those coloring sheets?” He didn’t even seem aware of the fact that the waitress was practically shoving her tits in his direction. 

Steve shook his head. He never thought he’d live to see the day that Javier wouldn’t notice a woman flirting with him. 

“Baby, do you think we should go ahead and get her the mac and cheese?” Javier questioned, turning towards her with an arched brow. 

She stifled a laugh, looking towards the clearly annoyed waitress. “Get the apple sauce too, she needs to eat something other than just starch.” 

Javier passed the kids menu back to the waitress, “Did you get all of that?”

Despite her annoyance, she flashed him a flirtatious grin that wasn’t reciprocated. “Sure thing.” 

Connie laughed. “Wow.” 

“Happens all the time.” She rolled her eyes, taking Josie from Javier. “Women see a hot guy with a baby and lose their shit.”

“What?” Javier’s brows furrowed and he looked towards Steve. “Am I missing something?”

“I’m glad you’ve found someone to love, Javi.” Steve told him with a nod of his head, before glancing at her. “You could do better.” 

She leaned her head against Javier’s shoulder, in a gesture Steve was very familiar with, when it came to them. “Nah, I lucked out.” 

“I still can’t believe it.” Steve remarked, pressing his tongue to the inside of his cheek. They had always been glued at the hip. From the moment she had joined their team, Javier had taken a liking to her. He just hadn’t expected him to ever cross that line. “Is this why you aren’t with the DEA?”

Javier worked his jaw and sighed. “Yeah, they don’t take kindly to this.” He gestured to Josie and her mother. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” 

Steve watched the way she rested her hand on Javier’s shoulder, squeezing it. “So are you… moving to Miami? Just passing through?”

“We’re renting in the southern end of Coral Gables.”

Connie’s eyes widened, “You’ve already moved in?”

She nodded. “We got in last week. It was nice to celebrate New Year’s in our first place together.” 

Javier tilted his head, “We celebrated at your place last year.” 

“I was pregnant and miserable. You celebrated, you asshole.” She retorted with a roll of her eyes. 

He gestured at Josie. “The kid?” 

“She’s heard me call you an asshole before.” She shot back, before putting on a too-sweet smile as the waitress returned. “Look, Josie… fries!” She plucked one out of the basket and waved them in front of the little girl’s face. 

“If you need anything,” The waitress said pointedly to Javier. “I’ll be right over there.” 

“We’re good.” Javier said shortly, passing the ketchup towards Josie. “I know what you’re going to want.”

Steve looked towards Connie, “Can you believe it?”

“Yes and no.” She laughed, “I’m shocked it didn’t happen sooner.” 

“Me too.” Steve shrugged and sipped at his beer. He looked back towards Javier and her, “So, house warming party?” 

“Sure.” 

Javier made a face. “Is it a must?”

Connie grinned, “It would help you meet some of our friends.”

Javier glanced to his left, before acquiescing. “Fine.” Josie tried to fling herself in Javier’s direction, nearly taking her milk cup out with her. “Easy there princesa.” He scooped her up and cradled her to his chest, bouncing her. “Are you going to settle down and eat when your food gets here?”

“Da-dadd-a.” She blew a raspberry directly into his face. 

“She’s going through a phase.”

“That Javi encouraged.” 

“I bet you Olivia will love having a new friend to play with.” Connie suggested. 

“She needs some friends.” She remarked, “Javier thinks he’s all she needs.”

“Well, it’s true.” 

“So do you both have jobs lined up?”

“I do.” She answered. “I got a nice gig lined up consulting with Miami P.D. and Javier’s gonna do the stay-at-home thing.”

Steve stared at him. “Really?”

He shrugged a shoulder, lips pursed. “Yeah. I missed out on alot when she was little and I don’t want to miss out on anything else.” He picked up his beer, keeping it out of Josie’s reach. “Not looking for anything at the present.” 

“I’ll be damned.” Steve leaned across the table to cheers with Javier. “Never thought you’d be the stay-at-home dad type.” 

“People change.” Javier pressed a kiss to the top of Josie’s head, before looking to his left. “We’ve got a good thing going right now.”

She turned and smiled and Steve could tell just how much they adored one another. It had been a long time coming, but he hadn’t expected either one of them to finally give in. Apparently, all it took was him and Connie saying adios to Colombia. 

“So are we the godparents?” He questioned, nodding towards Josie.

Javier flipped him off. 

#javier pena #javier pena x reader #pedro pascal x reader

[honibee-arts]

Sangcheng atla au in which jc is a water bender and nhs is a kyoshi warrior?

“What the hell are you doing on my island?” 

The last thing Jiang Cheng had expected to wake up to after a long night of listening to his idiotic brother talk the ears off of the two air nomads that had not only offered to teach him airbending, but were also kind enough to allow Jiang Cheng and his siblings to take their flying bison to the Earth Kingdom so Wei Wuxian could get an earthbending master, was to wake up to another weird thing. 

But who could expect any semblance of normalcy when your brother was the fucking avatar. 

Said thing was actually a person, caked in white make up and glaring down at him with red painted golden eyes. The gold silk hanging off their headdress fell into Jiang Cheng’s eyes, the persons crimson painted lips pulled into a frown.

“The fuck...?”

“I said, what are you doing on my island?”

“Shit... Wei Wuxian! Where the hell did we land last night?” He shouted, sitting up and shouting in the direction of his brother.

“Lan Zhan was flying the damn bison, ask him!”

“The bison has a name.” Lan Wangji said coolly, brushing his hands through the sleeping bison’s fur. “Fluffy prefers to be called by his name.”

“Stop petting the damn bison and tell us where we are!” Jiang Cheng snapped back, feeling his migraine begin to grow.

“Assumed it was obvious. You are speaking with the head of the Kyoshi Warriors.”

Kyoshi Warrio- oh shit.

Jiang Cheng stood up and held his arms out in a bow.

“Forgive me, I had no idea. I did not mean to cause offence.”

“Really? You had no clue you were on Kyoshi Island? At all? The statue and my face didn’t give anything away?” The warrior raised an eyebrow.

“Forgive my brother,” A-Jie smiled, stepping forward. “I am Jiang Yanli of the Southern Water Tribe. This is my brother Jiang Cheng. Our brother Wei Wuxian is the avatar. We were headed to the Earth Kingdom to seek out a master for him, and sought help from the air nomads who travelled with us. Their bison, Fluffy, grew tired and Lan Xichen suggested we land here for the night.”

“Lan Xichen, you say?” The warrior asked, opening their fan and flapping it against their face in thought. “Where is he now?”

“I believe he went into the market to restock on supplies.” A-Jie answered.

“That... would make sense. I know the kind of man he is. I’ve known him since I was a child. I really wish da ge would have warned me before you lot showed up though... aiya...” they clicked their tongue and snapped their fan shut. “Come with me, I’ll take you to one of the taverns so you can freshen up and rest. If you need extra weaponry or your tools sharpened, the Warriors of Kyoshi are happy to help.”

“Forgive me,” A-Jie called as the warrior turned on their heel. “May I ask your name?”

“Nie Huaisang.”

“Wait, Nie Huaisang as in... General Nie Mingjue’s younger brother? The one that just... disappeared? The non-bender?” Jiang Cheng blurted in confusion, brow furrowed. “I heard he was dead. Something about being too weak and sickl- yaah!” 

The warrior lunged forward, gripping Jiang Cheng’s wrist and inner elbow, spinning him around until his stomach lurched and pressing a palm to his chest, changing direction before letting go abruptly. Nie Huaisang snatched his belt from his waist and wrapped it around his wrist and ankle, binding them and causing Jiang Cheng to tumble to the ground. With his free arm, Jiang Cheng pushed himself onto his back, only for his Adams apple to bob against the sharp, gold hued metal of Nie Huaisang’s fan.

“Yes. Nie Huaisang. The weak little non-bender brother of the Great General Nie Mingjue, the most powerful earth bender in the four kingdoms. That’s me. Don’t you dare call me that again.” He said sharply.

“I-I won’t.” Jiang Cheng stammered, looking down nervously at the blade pointed at his neck.

“Say ‘Yes sir’.”

“Yes sir.”

“Good! Now, let me show you into the village?” Nie Huaisang said brightly. 

In the end, Nie Huaisang ended up joining them on their journey to the Earth Kingdom. The wind whipped in his long, dark hair, caressing the soft fringe that fell into his eyes under the headband of his gold headdress, causing the olive green robes to billow around him dramatically. 

Jiang Cheng studied his profile nervously. 

Wei Wuxian sat next to Lan Wangji, probably driving the stoic airbender insane with his constant nattering while A-Jie shared recipes and sibling stories with Lan Xichen. This left Jiang Cheng in an awkward silence next to Nie Huaisang.

“Hey... um. Nie Huaisang. I’m sorry, about what I said.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to being underestimated by your kind.” He said calmly, looking ahead at the miles of endless blue sky.

“My kind?”

“Benders. Particularly ones who feel as though they cannot live without their bending.” his golden eyes glanced at Jiang Cheng. “Your kind look down on people like me. Despite our noble history, the Warriors have been looked down on.”

“My sister is a non-bender, how can I look down on her?”

“You feel as though you must protect her, right?”

“I... yes. But thats because my sister-”

“Is capable of protecting herself when necessary.” Nie Huaisang cut in. “Just because she can’t command the oceans, control a typhoon, move a mountain or burn a whole forest does not mean she cannot protect herself. She has proven she can take care of herself.”

Jiang Cheng fell silent.

“You’re protective of her, like my da ge was of me. But have you considered how your protectiveness may make her feel?”

“I just want to make sure she and Wei Wuxian are safe. That’s all I care about. If... If I can protect them. I will.”

“Your heart is in the right place, Jiang Cheng. You just need to reassess your biases.” Nie Huaisang said softly.

Jiang Cheng sighed. This was to be a long journey, but he was glad to have Nie Huaisang with him.

They arrived in the Earth Kingdom without fanfare.

Jiang Cheng sighed in relief. Their time in the Earth Kingdom was appearing to be a peaceful time. For once.

Over their travels, Nie Huaisang had insisted that his older brother would be the perfect teacher for Wei Wuxian. Jiang Cheng was tentative to agree, having heard tales of the generals temper and lack of patience. The Lan brothers were barely managing his shit as it was.

“Xichen, it’s been some time.” The general called as Lan Xichen dismounted the flying bison, the wind carrying him gently to the ground.

“Mingjue, it is good to see you again.” Lan Xichen smiled, taking his hands.

The two smiled at each other earnestly, murmuring things that Jiang Cheng couldn’t quite catch. Confused, he shot a glance at Huaisang, only to find the warrior was no longer there.

“Da ge!” He cried, running up to his brother. Jiang Cheng held in a snicker as he saw the significant size difference between the two brothers. “Da ge why didn’t you warn me Xichen-ge was bringing the avatar to Kyoshi Island?”

“I did, you just don’t check your damn mail.”

“As leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, I am too busy to be checking my mail like a lovelorn maiden pining after her lover who has gone to war, unlike some people.” Huaisang looked between his brother and the older Lan.

“Well if your business on the island was so important, why did you accompany the avatar to see me?”

“I figured he needed a good reference so you would teach him.”

“Xichen can give it.”

“Xichen-ge nice to everyone, da ge.”

“So?”

“Yes let your biased boyfriend give you a biased reference.”

“Wait, I thought air nomads weren’t meant to marry-” Jiang Cheng began.

“We are not.” Said Lan Wangji.

“It’s complicated.” Said Lan Xichen.

“Huaisang, if you’re going to run your mouth like this you can fuck off back to the island.”

“But da geeeeeeeee” he whined.

Jiang Cheng was wrong. This was not going to be peaceful.

#sangcheng #nie huaisang #jiang cheng #jiang wanyin #mdzs #mo dao zhu shi #the untamed #cql #cheng qing ling #ship prompts #my shitty writing

[nevermore-the-kitsune]

Headcanon #007

Katara and Sokka had to give Aang, Toph and Zuko "The Talk" after discovering that they had never received it.

☆

Sokka and Katara: *in perfect unison* HOW HAVE ANY OF YOU NOT HAD "THE TALK!"

Aang, Toph and Zuko:*unsure how to respond to make them stop yelling and also unsure what the big deal is*

Aang: Well... I was raised by monks. 'whenever something about him confused Sokka or Katara, it was best to answer with that. They usually dropped it' -he thought

Sokka: Okay that explains that. What about you two?

Toph: My parents treated me like an innocent, naive doll. They only told me things on a "need to know biases". So they must not have thought I needed this "The Talk."

Katara: They probably just thought you where to young for it. We don't get "The Talk" in The Southern Water Tribe until about we're twelve or so.

Toph: I am twelve.

Katara: SO, Zuko what about you?

Zuko: In the Fire Nation, boys get "The Talk" from our fathers when we turn fourteen. I was banished when I was thirteen.

Toph: What about Uncle?

Zuko: He tried but back then, I was so confident in my ability to capture the Avatar that I turned him down. It felt like something a father should do with his son. Then I grew older and was to embarrassed to ask.

Sokka: Well as team dad I guess I'm going to have to do it.

Aang: Wait, if Katara's team mom than your team uncle.

Toph and Zuko: NO UNCLE IS TEAM UNCLE!

Katara: *tired of this and just wants this to be over so she can get on with her day* Enough! Look I'm team mom, Sokka and Iroh and the uncles, you three are the kids, Appa and Momo are the cousins, and that's the cliff I'll throw you all off of if we dont get this over with!!

All: Yes Ma'am

Katara: Good, now theres this thing called...

~Two Trauma Filled Hours Later~

Aang: *Throwing Up over "the cliff that I'll throw you all over if we dont get this ober with"* Why would anyone do that!!? That's so disgusting!

Zuko: * In a fetal position rocking and muttering softly something sounds like* Uncle wouldn't do that to auntie. Mama, wouldn't do that with father...

Toph: EVERY MONTH ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? *The Temple Shook only slightly with her rage*

Sokka: Um, Katara did we have to tell them so much so quickly. I think we broke Zuko.

Zuko: *Wispering* ...wouldn't do that to antie...

Katara: Probably not, but they have to learn sooner or later. And they should have the knowledge so they dont get taken advantage of. I mean, a few days ago a man tried to pick up Toph, an adult man, while we where getting supplies. I just- I just want them to safe, all of them.

Sokka: You know they can take care of themselves right? I'm sure Toph would have broken that guy's arm if you weren't there.

Katara: Here's the thing though, she didn't seem to know that he was flirting with her, or what his end goal was. She didn't have any knowledge of it. Know that she does, she can definitely defend herself.

Sokka: *sarcastically* Yea, thanks for having us do flirting lessons. Give Toph more fuel to humiliate the rest of us. Great Idea.

Katara: It's not just Toph that worried me. Aang is the Avatar. He's going to get a lot of admiors; he has to know these things. Just look at what happened on Kiyoshi Island. Then there's Zuko, when this is all done he'll be Fire Lord. I'm sure that comes with a lot of suitors. I mean ,Sokka ,you remember how dad got swarmed with them after mom died. They both could be taken advantage of by someone who only wants status. All because they didnt know.

Sokka:*With a feeling of pride*: You really cant turn your back on people who need it, can you?

Katara: Never

Aang: *Done throwing up and now dry heaving*

Toph: *Joined Zuko in the fatal position and is now whispering* Why is this a thing.

Zuko:*Literally has not stopped rocking and muttering to himself. Only now Momo, is trying to comfort him by laying on his head.*

Sokka: Good now help me fix them. We only room for one crazy person on this team and I'm saving it in case one of Azula's team pulls a Zuko.

#headcanon #avatar the last airbender #avatar aang #katara #Sokka #atla toph #toph #zuko #gaang #avatar gaang #atla gaang #growing up #atla katara #atla zuko #atla sokka #atla aang #family #the talk #cinnamoroll #atla funny #atla fic #atla fandom

[pandawritesmanythings]

Loki x Reader (Medieval AU)

Chapter Summary: Your adventure continues! But is the future as clear as it seems?

Warnings: None, I think!

Word Count: 2,2k

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry about not posting last week, I just needed to recharge and finish this chapter in a way that I was satisfied with.  But I’m back. Don’t worry about it! Thanks for being patient!

Masterlist

-

"I do believe that I've never tried this type of food."

There was something that smelled awfully like fish but didn't look like it on a stick in your hand. It had been deep-fried, that was for sure. 

"This is our typical street food, your majesty." Sigyn explained.

"Is it now?" You turned to Wanda who carried on her arms a basket of gifts for many of her friends, her boyfriend, and her brother. "Wanda, how much does it differ from the food of the streets of Europe?" You spoke referring to the territory that she was from.

"Well, our food is definitely more sophisticated. I would compare it more to the food of Southern America or Asia if I had to."

"You've traveled Midgard, m' lady?" Sigyn asked Wanda, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes, when I was younger we would get thrown around, me and my brother. Finally, we found a home in Northern America, where the capital is." She explained. "But I've seen most of our country!"

Sigyn was deeply invested. You could easily read it on her face. "Do you have a preference as to which place is better?"

Wanda seemed to think for a while... "Well, I am biased to say that the state of Europe is wonderful. After all, I spent most of my childhood in different provinces of the state, like Sokovia, Denmark, and Russia." She began, you rolled your eyes since you knew she was about to go off, "However, I must admit that the South is also quite lovely!"

"And what about the capital?" Sigyn asked, luckily, since it was sure that Wanda was about to go on about the South and they would be in town until sunset if that was the case.

She thought about it for a moment, hand on her chin thinking, wracking her brain for an answer. 

"It is just a city. Nothing truly that magnificent."

Sigyn's eyes widened to a comical size, she then turned to look at you quickly, which made you burst into laughter.

"Do not worry my dear! Wanda has the tendency to speak her mind when she feels comfortable." You laughed, hand in your stomach because of Sigyn's bewildered expression.

"Oh.. Heh..." She chuckled and slowly relaxed. "Then, what do you think, your majesty? Do you agree?"

You let your laughter die down and answered with a teasing smile. "I do agree that compared to the luscious jungle of the south and the cold mountains of the north the capital is most underwhelming." You gently shoved Wanda's arm. "However, you sell us short Wanda! The capital is still a wonderful place! Especially during the season's festivals!"

You looked back down at your hand which held the snack you had bought for the afternoon and after taking a deep breath as you bit into it.

Yeah, definitely not ladylike.

However, the taste made up for your lack of manners. "This is fantastic! May I ask what this is?"

"Octopus your majesty."

"I've heard of it, but they only use it in some European provinces that are closer to Asgard." You spoke, the flavors of the meal still dancing in your tongue, making you take another undignified bite.

"Forgive me, I would have thought that you would have a large variety of supplies in the palace."

"Travel distances are too long. Uncooked food would spoil since we are in the center, we always encourage each state to instead give the food among the people. After all, as monarchs we are here to serve them, are we not?"

It was amazing to Sigyn how much you repeated that in the short time you had been together. Did you really believe that, or were you just trying to convince her? Corrupt monarchs were not something new for her. Could she believe the word of another one? Especially of the one who had been selected to separate her and her beloved?

"Princess, look!" Wand suddenly pointed towards a group of girls who were braiding ladies' hair with flowers in exchange for some coins.

"Ah! That looks lovely, shall we try?"

Sigyn looked unsure, but after pulling her along she had no other choice but to follow.

After a couple of minutes, her blonde hair had been braided with white and blue forget-me-not's. Wanda had a crown of Marigolds on top of her head. And the girls had made a crown of various flowers for you, including some very beautiful orchids. You completed your transaction and gave the girls a little extra, to which they squealed in joy and continued to call and attend customers.

The three of you continued your way downtown, the mood light from the darling experience. Your hearts felt light, and you spent the rest of the day running around and discovering the rest of the city. 

"Oh my! I almost forgot something." Sigyn said while stopping in front of a small bakery. "Forgive me, your majesty, I must pick up an order here. Would you give me a minute?"

She knew that Kassian, the baker's son, would keep the bread for her family safe, but she really needed to take it back home. And for some reason, she felt like you wouldn't be rude about it.

"Of course! We'll wait out here!" You nodded with a bright smile while Sigyn rushed inside.

"She's very sweet," Wanda spoke as soon as Sigyn was out of earshot.

"Indeed. Quite the worker, and very attentive."

"Do you think it would be a good idea to bring her back to Midgard as part of the help?"

"As much as I'd like that, she must have family and friends here. I wouldn't want to impose anything on her, less on a warring country."

"Makes sense..."

"So, is Vision thinking about the next step?" You nudged her.

"Oh hush! We still haven't even told Pietro."

"I would have thought he knew!" You almost gasped, but it came out more like a laugh.

"Well, he doesn't. And until he does, I know Vis is too much of a gentleman to propose." She laughed, and in her eyes, you could see the wistfulness, the joy...

That feeling...

"Wanda?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Not at all..." She turned to pay full attention to you.

"How does it feel to be in love?"

Her smile dropped... She knew why you were asking. "Oh, my dear friend..." You felt her arms surround you in a hug. "I'm sorry..."

"It's fine. I ask because I wish to at least imagine... Now I know that I'll never truly be in love, so might as well get a picture of it, right?" You shrugged, trying to shake off the sadness that was in your voice.

"I suppose..." She paused, hesitantly, clearly at a loss for words. "Do you know when during a summer night we used to go out and dance with our friends? How our dresses would twirl and it seemed like there was nothing else in the world but our little group?"

"I remember... It felt like a high, a bliss. The warmth of the summer nights helped that effect..."

"I would think that being in love is similar... It is two people who when they are together nothing else matters. Because you two are so comfortable, and trust each other so much, that it seems like the world has frozen around you..." Her mind seemed to turn back to those years, an unspoken yearning palpable. "At least that's how I can best describe it..."

"Thank you, Wanda... That's a beautiful sentiment..."

The door of the small bakery opened and Sigyn came out carrying a basket with some loaves of bread. "Thank you, Kassian!"

"Wait, Lady Sigyn!" A young man handed her something and the blonde placed it on her basket and walked towards you and Wanda.

"Is that the baker?" You asked with curiosity.

"That is the baker's son. Kassian is a fine gentleman." She answered with her passive expression back on.

"Oh, he's fine alright. If you don't mind, what did he give you?" Wanda asked, teasing her.

"I actually don't know," Sigyn answered fetching the container that he had handed to her. She opened it and found pantries inside. Pastries she knew that she would never be able to afford on a weekly, maybe not even monthly basis.

"Oh my! So sweet!" You smiled at the tiny, but delicious-looking gift. 

"Looks like you have an admirer Sigyn!" Wanda squealed playfully.

"Oh no! I already have my heart promised to... Someone else..." She said, her tone slightly embarrassed and hesitant.

"Alright Wanda, leave her alone." You nudged Wanda with a smirk after sensing Sigyn's discomfort. It was obviously a sensitive topic, so you respected her boundaries.

The golden rays of the sun began to lower, bathing everything with an orange glow.

"We should go ladies. Everyone will worry otherwise."

"Agreed." You nodded. "Let's make haste."

The three of you dashed through the crowded pathways all the way into the castle, and like it were providence, you found no one obstructing your way.

When you approached the back door to the kitchens, Sigyn stopped you.

"Yes, what is it dear?"

Although the last bit of your conversation had been sensitive, the look on her face at the moment was different from this morning, way more relaxed, a lot more carefree. "I just wanted to say... I understand why you're here. And I'd be glad to help you..."

"Really?" You wanted her to accept, you just didn't know if she would. "Thank you, dear. Do you already know what you want in return?"

"Not yet." She bit her lip, Sigyn's mind was going a mile minute without your knowledge. If her plan was going to work, she needed to still seem aloof about it. "But as soon as I can I will let you know."

"Remember, anything you ask for I will find a way and help you."

"Thank you..." she said, taking your hands on hers. "I really appreciate it."

The three of you sneaked into the palace, all acting like children who had gotten away with something. Which to be honest, you had.

The palace halls were surprisingly empty, which made sneaking back towards your room that much easier.

On the way, you found Astrid, the palace baker, whose face was relieved as soon as she caught sight of the three of you.

"Your majesty! You're back! And safely, thank heavens!" She whispered excitedly. 

"You kept your mouth shut, right Astrid?" Sigyn asked, with a teasing smile.

"Of course! Well..." She nervously responded.

"Well?" Suddenly a pit began forming on Sigyn's stomach.

"I was beginning to get worried when the sun got so low... I was going to tell prince Loki, but..."

You and Sigyn both perked up at the mention of the man's name. And most worryingly, at the uncertainty of her tone.

"What is it Astrid, dear?" You asked softly, urging her to speak.

She took in a deep breath. "The court has been called to session. Apparently, Jotuns have been sighted near the junction border between Midgard and Alfheim."

It felt like your whole body had been frozen. The Jotuns had managed to sneak unsuspecting through the many provinces and border security? They were genetically taller than all of you were. The tallest man of Midgard only reached their shoulders! How were they able to sneak past undetected?!

"Do you think they'll allow me to be there?" The cogs of your mind were turning. With your brother coming soon, you couldn't spare his security while traveling.

"No. They will consider this an in-land security issue. They won't let a foreigner inside, not even if she is to be the king's daughter-in-law..." Sigyn replied, hand on her chin. Thoughts also swirled on her head, what could she do?

"I need to know what happens at that meeting." You said.

"Well, you could ask Prince Loki..." Sigyn began, "But if you are still unsure about his words being true-"

"I will trust what he says."

"However, just as an extra precaution. I could sneak in with a pretext and hear as much information as I can. After all, these meetings don't stop just because the staff is shuffling around." Sigyn insisted, taking advantage of the deal...

You gave it a moment, thinking in your head about the best course of action. If you asked Loki maybe he would tell you about it. But what if...

"Alright, do what you must, but do not take any unnecessary risks. Understood?"

"Yes, your majesty." She bowed and quickly strutted away towards the court hall.

"Let us go to your room, princess," Wanda suggested, unclasping the hood and taking it from you.

"I must take my leave too, your majesty. Forgive me." Astrid added, and you nodded your approval as she bowed and shuffled away.

The rest of your walk to your room was filled with tense silence. Your brain was working, and Wanda knew better than to disturb you with reassurance. 

Your life had never been easy, and you were aware of that. The roughness of your hands was proof enough.

"Wanda?" You called as she helped you get out of your dress.

"Yes?"

"Do you think I...?" You wanted the words to come out naturally, but they had become stuck to your throat. Your insecurities, your fears, your past... All of it was like boiling water in a teapot. Boiling, hot, bubbling, looking for a way out... But finding none.

You knew that if you let it out too fast it would explode. And even if you trusted Wanda, breaking down in front of her wasn't top of your priorities list.

"Nothing... Nevermind."

-

TAG LIST (OPEN):

@chxrryycola - @midnightmystic   - @deathkat657 - @thatonefangirl111

#loki of asgard #loki odinson #loki #loki fic #loki fanfic #loki x reader #loki x sigyn #steve rogers x reader #medieval!au #medieval au

[kingofthewilderwest]

"#just because you have a bias about certain socioeconomic groups which tend to listen to country doesn't mean" // Yup. I tend to side-eye folks who are like "I like all kinds of music except country and [Insert a genre of music usually associated with Black creators like rap and hip hop]" You're not slick, ppl. I know what you're saying.

^^^^^^^^^ You hit the nail on the head.

It’s racial bias. It’s socioeconomic bias. It’s bias against people groups who have less respect and say in society.

From my tags on this post:

#don’t get me started on a long rant of the progressive side of country music and what’s been progressive FOR DECADES#from times near its BEGINNInGS#through the modern age#just because you have a bias about certain socioeconomic groups which tend to listen to country doesn’t mean#that that’s actually what the genre is or who the artists are#I could go for a LONNNNG time about this#a LONG time#some of the best protest songs I know of today’s current political situation#are country#or have like ya’ll forgotten about the folk revival#of the 1960s#or…#gahghfnfddhgnghfngh#I AM GAY AND I LISTEN TO COUNTRY#NYEH!!!!

Now. I understand disinterest in a genre because it’s not your aesthetic, but when people express their feelings for country, R&B, hip-hop, etc. …the dialogue isn’t casual “It’s not my thing.” The dialogue is a hateful, passionate retaliation.

Other genres aren’t treated like this. It’s normalized and encouraged to hate on country and rap. These genres are systematically treated with less respect and that disrespect culturally arose because these genres are associated with less-respected demographics. 

(Country music is associated with people of low socioeconomic status, for people who aren’t explicitly aware.)

Anecdotally: I’ve caught something interesting about anti-country music sentiment. Many people tell me they can’t stand the “twang.” Half the time, I’ve noticed that their internalized definition of “twang” isn’t the vocal technique; it’s that they can’t stand the presence of a Southern accent. And hooboy does that have TONS of sociocultural bias issues. As a linguist, I’ve read endless sociolinguistic studies about how Southern dialects are treated as “lesser,” and how speakers of the dialect are automatically judged to be less intelligent, etc. It’s not good, folks.

Sometimes, to help friends get out of their anti-country mindset, I’ve “tricked” them into liking country. See, genres like bluegrass grew closely out of Scots-Irish folk music. Often, we’re playing the same tunes on both sides of the Atlantic. So I play a few instrumentals, my friend goes, “Oh! I love Celtic music

The biases against those demographics color how people view the music. There’s endless things that can be said about hip-hop bias, holy shit. I won’t focus on that today because I don’t believe I am qualified to be a spokesman. Someone who understands that genre better, and other genres associated with the African-American community, and is African-American, would be a better human to listen to than me. I defer to their knowledge and experience. It’s hella important to understand what bias has been reflected against those genres.

But there’s just as much bias against country music, against another demographic. And I’ve found it wild how it gets treated on places like tumblr, which wants to stand up for underprivileged groups, but somewhat inaccurately associates country music as “anti-gay conservative evil white person music” rather than music of people historically of lower socioeconomic status.

Yes, some of the demographic that listens to country music or plays country music are bad apples. But like… thinking the music is JUST THAT is a huge disservice to what country actually is and who the music artists actually are.

The history of country music is one giant collaborative melting pot of people from many different cultural backgrounds. Broad West African influence. Mexican influence. Italian influence. German influence. Scots-Irish influence. Cherokee influence. More. Early record labels like OKEH foolishly separated “hillbilly music” (presumably white folk music) from “rhythm and blues” (presumably Black folk music) without understanding the constant racial, demographic, regional, and cultural cross-pollination that occurred between the musicians from country music’s origins. And while there ARE certain issues in country music’s past and present, and we can’t let those issues go forgotten, that’s far from the whole story. We shouldn’t romanticize issues, but we should acknowledge that this music genre has given us major strides too.

Country music is the banjo, brought from Africa, combined with the mandolin, brought from Italy, combined with the fiddle, brought from Ireland, combined with the guitar and the dobro and the accordion and the upright bass and the electric guitar and the electric bass and whatever instruments you want to put in there.

Country music is African-American musicians like DeFord Bailey, the first radio star ever introduced on the Grand Ole Opry (THE most revered country music hub out there), blues harmonica performer, playing to crowds decades before segregation was de-legalized. He toured with white Opry musicians who treated him as one of their own. It’s soul music genre pioneer Ray Charles producing a studio album entirely dedicated to country music hits like “Hey Good Lookin’” from Hank Williams. It’s country star Charley Pride, who despite the racism against him in the 1960s rose to fame and made audiences fall in love with his beautiful voice. It’s the African-American musicians who inspired many commercial country stars, like Arnold Shultz influencing Bill Monroe and the railroad workers inspiring Jimmie Rodgers.

Country music is stars like Johnny Rodriguez and Rick Treviño, singing country music in Spanish, and using obvious Latin flavors in the genre.

Country music is filled with badass women like the ladies who STARTED THE GENRE ROLLING IN THE FIRST PLACE, Sara Carter and Mother Maybelle Carter (whose guitar style is hugely influential to this day) and Maybelle’s daughters Helen, June, and Anita; the first female music manager in the music industry, Louise Scruggs; songwriters like Felice Bryant and Loretta Lynn; the most awarded female artist in Grammy history Alison Krauss; and powerhouses like Dolly Parton who stepped out of an over-controlling entertainer’s shadow to become a badass in all things like supporting the LGBTQ community, contributing to pro-transgender films ahead of their time, and starring in sex worker positive productions like “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”

Country music is filled with activism. Johnny Cash showed a heart for those forgotten by society. He toured many times in prisons. Cash especially was an activist for Native American rights. He toured with Native American songwriters so audiences could hear their own words (I’ve been trying to find names but I’m having difficulties re-finding that information, so my apologies for not giving names of those who deserve to be mentioned). Cash released albums dedicated to exposing past and present injustices against the Native American people. He went on tours specifically to Native American reservations. 

And it’s not just Johnny Cash!

Country music is many stars from the Grand Ole Opry banding together to release AIDS benefit albums - big names like Alison Krauss, Willie Nelson, Marty Stuart, aurgh I’m too lazy to write them all, PEOPLE.

Country music is Earl Scruggs and his sons playing at the Vietnam War Protests.

Country music is tied in with the fucking folk revival of the 1960s, which was deep in left-wing activism and the Civil Rights Movement. Folk singers sang traditional Appalachian and English ballads alongside their own compositions, topical pieces protesting the current political situation. You can call one artist “folk” or “Americana” and another one “country,” but the influences were intermingling, and it’s why we have Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie and Joan Baez and John Denver and Pete Seeger owning a banjo that says, “This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender.”

Dammit, I have a full BOOK that discusses country music and political ties. 

There’s another book out there, which I haven’t read, that discusses the relationship between country music and the queer community, and how bias against country music is NOT as reflective of the listening demographic as we stereotype. I’ll take the word of one reviewer who said:

[Nadine Hubbs] explores country music lyrics, presenting a great deal of evidence suggesting that working class America is not inherently homophobic, but that as middle class cultural taste has changed to include formal acceptance of homosexuality, this process has included pinning homophobic ideas on the working class.

Country music is lyrics like this 1975 controversial song “The Pill”:

You wined me and dined meWhen I was your girlPromised if I’d be your wifeYou’d show me the worldBut all I’ve seen of this old worldIs a bed and a doctor billI’m tearing down your brooder house‘Cause now I’ve got the pillAll these years I’ve stayed at homeWhile you had all your funAnd every year that’s gone byAnother baby’s comeThere’s a-gonna be some changes madeRight here on nursery hillYou’ve set this chicken your last time‘Cause now I’ve got the pill

Country music is lyrics like this 2013 song that feels as relevant than ever:

If crooks are in charge, should we let them pick our pockets?If we don’t want trouble, should we not try to stop it?We could just sink into the quicksand slavery we’re born inBut fighting endless wars for greedy liars is getting pretty boringThey think they got us trained, so we’ll think we’re living freeIf we got time and money for junk food and TVBut it’s plain honest people never stand a chance of winning electionsThey just let us pick which liars take our rights away for our own protectionThe corporate propaganda paralyzes us with fearDestroying our ability to trustFear keeps us fighting with each other over scrapsStarving to death in the dustOrganized religion really helps you submitBut the meek are inheriting the short end of the stickFear surrounds compassion like a layer of moldAnd weakens our defenses so we’re too weak to be boldLife could be heaven, but this corrupted systemTakes away our rights, expects us not to miss themThe middle class is shrinking while the lower class growsIf we don’t wake up soon, we’ll have no class left to lose

Country music is Christians themselves criticizing the hypocritical Evangelical culture in the USA for the bullshit hatefulness stewing inside it:

Every house has got a Bible and a loaded gunWe got preachers and politicians‘Round here it’s kinda hard to tell which oneIs gonna do more talkin’ with a crooked tongue

And as that one post I just reblogged shows, there’s MANY queer country musicians out there producing explicitly pro-LGBTQ+ music.

I’m brushing over so much. I’m sorry for the simplification that goes with me doing such a pass-by overview. I’m sorry I’m focusing more on history than the present (I know more about the 1920s-1960s eras, so I’m talking from my strong suit). I hope the information is at least strong enough to get my point across.

There are definitely listeners and artists in country music who are uber-conservative white hateful Christians. Yes. I know why country music gets associated with that. But.

Country music is not ABOUT this uber-conservative white hateful Christian side. The genre is not “polluted”. It is a thousand voices from a thousand perspectives of people from many backgrounds and beliefs. And many of those thousand voices are old traditional songs that came from Black communities, or were composed by Mexican-Americans, or were performed by folk artists as part of a protest for equal rights. 

(Note: I’m *NOT* saying all Christians are bad or that different political angles don’t have merits. I’m Christian myself! And you don’t know my political party. I’m just trying to get the point across that country music isn’t ENTRENCHED in one questionable demographic.)

You don’t have to like country music. It doesn’t have to be your aesthetic. But if you find it fun to get in on society’s popular country hate roasting… please rethink this. The reason country music has been hated from its roots is because it’s associated with the socioeconomically disadvantaged.

I’m with you 100%, Ashley. When someone says they like all genres “except country music and rap,” I get a little leery. I used to be one of those people when I was younger. I had to learn to grow past those biases. But once I did, I realized there was so much I was hating on that I didn’t understand. Now, I hope I can help people overcome their own biases, such as ones they don’t realize they’ve had - for things like music.

Hi ya’lls. I’m queer and I love country.

P.S. If anyone has anything to add or correct, please feel free to add on! I’m doing my best but I do not know everything and would be happy to learn more, too!

#ashleybenlove #long post #music #non-dragons #that banjo business #analysis #my analysis #music analysis #note that there's a version of this post where it's been reblogged and added on and I chat about Elvis and stuff #but the starting text is from an earlier version of this post #where I had a number of typos #XD I know they're there but I can't change those hahahahaha #I changed them here #reblog whichever version you desire though of course! #but just so you know there's a few minor factual typos in the non-edited version #I was hahaha so excited that I typed fast when I wrote it XD

[theabandonmentissues]

EPISODE ONE TRANSCRIPT

Warning: The following podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Trespassing is not only illegal, but often incredibly dangerous. The hosts do not condone any activities that could put their listeners in harms way, and encourage you to proceed with caution and do your research before exploring the unknown. We cannot be held liable for any accidents, injury, or hauntings that may occur. Listener discretion is advised. 

(full transcript under the cut.)

E:Alright I think this is right.

Z: Is it?

E: Yeah, yeah that's right, okay.

Z: Beautiful.

E: Let me find this tweet. The first thing in my drafts, is (laughs)-

Z: I'm scared.

E: (laughs)...I remember typing this out at like 2 o'clock in the morning when I had to be up for work at five. I put, “I love not learning new pop culture terms. Love being blissfully unaware. I still am not sure what poggers means. I do not care. I am free.”

Z: (laughs)

E: And I was so tired I thought that was profound. Let's see.

Z: (continues laughing)

E & Z: (laugh)

Z: Damn. That's like our declaration of independence.

E: (laughs) I'm going to print that out on the wall.

Z: That's Gen Z's declaration.

E: Let's see, where is it? There's one about Jack Black being sexy.

Z: Yeah, and it's in the drafts, why?

E: (laughs) This one says, this one all it says, no capitalization, no punctuation is, “I want Ellen Ripley to knock me out cold.”

E: (laughs)

Z: (laughs)

E: And I live by that.

Z: That's your truth and you should speak it.

E: Okay, here it is. “Sometimes, facing your fears means letting out that earth-shattering fart in the public restroom, even if there are other occupants. Speak loud, even when your voice shakes, babes.”

Z: (laughs) Shut the fuck up.

E: (laughs)

Z: No!

E: Yeah, that one...uh, that one is in the drafts. Alright, well. You asked about an intro, and I had something that was work shopping.

Z: Oooooo...

E: Do you wanna hear it?

Z: Yes, please. Please, please.

E: Alright. Hello, welcome to The Abandonment Issues, a periodical podcast about the past, the paranormal, and the just plain perplexing. I'm your host, Em.

Z: And I'm Zack.

E: How'd you feel-

Z: The other host. (laughs)

E: How'd you feel about that alliteration?

Z: You know I love alliteration.

E: I do too, I got really excited about it.

Z: (laughs)

E: I was like dead asleep, well, I wasn't dead asleep. I was very close to being though.

Z: Right.

E: And I had that thought, and I was like “Fuck, I gotta wake up and type that.” So...

Z: It was worth it though.

E: Thank you.

Z: I like it.

E: I don't know if that'll stick, but I think-

Z: I don't know, it's a start

E: It's a good start. Yeah.

Z: Yeah. Well..

E: So.

Z: Howdy doody, how ya doing.

E: Oh god, well um, I just whacked my headphones against my mic and I think it's still vibrating. But otherwise, I'm doing great.

Z: (laughs) Well, that's good.

E: How ya been?

Z: I mean, I've been alright.

E: That's good.

Z: We haven't seen each other, I mean, we haven't like recorded-recorded in two weeks?

E: Yeah.

Z: It's been like two weeks, so.

E: Yeah, I think so.

Z: It's been a second, but yeah.

E: Oh?

Z: So.

E: This is our first official, like official recording, the other ones were just tests, so.

Z: So, it's a little different, yeah. Like Em said, we did a couple recordings, so we kind of like, dipped our toes in the water of what it's like to just get behind the mics and stuff, but again this is our first episode, and we kinda just wanted to, lean in and kind of explain why we are here.

E: Yeah.

Z: What we are going to be doing, things we are going to talk about et cetera, et cetera.

E: Yeah.

Z: So. Do you want to-let's start with the-we have a couple ice breaker questions.

E: I'm so excited.

Z: Because, okay, so, you have a college degree.

E: I do.

Z: I have college credits. So we both went to college. (laughs)

E: Yes.

Z: You know, it's fun to do the ice breaker questions when you start a class.

E: Yeah.

Z: Because, even if you don't pay attention to anything that anybody else says-

E: Someone is going to change something that changes your life.

Z: Every single time-

E: Especially, I'm sorry to interrupt.

Z: No, you're good.

E: But, especially if you are playing two truths and a lie. I have found that that is the ice breaker game that I come away changed forever, like I've learned some things about some people playing that game. Are you okay?

Z: There's a burp coming.

E: (laughs)

E: Just let 'er out.

Z: (burps) There it is. (laughs)

E: Wow, that was lovely.

Z: Not to derail, real quick, but-

E: Go for it.

Z: Have you ever used Bumble?

E: Very briefly.

Z: One of my favorite things about Bumble, is that you can do like questions or whatever-

E: And that's one of 'em.

Z: That's one of them! It really, it's really telling. And I love, cause one of my truths is always so bizarre. You know which one I am talking about, but no one ever goes for it.

E: I honestly can't-

Z: The car. *laughs*

E: Oh! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that one is pretty unbelievable. But-

Z: Yeah, we'll save that for another time.

E: I've seen that one, uh, I've seen the repercussions of that one in real time.

Z: Anyway.

Z: (laugh)

E: Alright, well...

Z: Episode one, we are going to expose my entire past.

E: Yeah.

Z: Okay, so. When we first kind of, started talking about the idea for this podcast, which really was just bred, I think just kind of like a joke text that I sent. Or that you sent.

E: I honestly don't even remember.

Z: It was, I mean just the, the very cliché, “We should start a podcast!” and then it just kind of went from there. Just I mean, 2020.

E: Yeah.

Z: It's nothing but boredom. When when we first started talking about, what we wanted to do with our podcast. It really just stemmed from, for me anyway, just really wanting to bring light to the history that exists here in the south.

E: Yeah we didn't really say that, we-

Z: No. (laughs)

E:...we are in the south, we are some good 'ol southern boys.

Z: Just a couple of southern boys.

E: Yea!

Z: We grew up very close to each other, as far as, location.

E: Yeah.

Z: And you know, our high schools probably taught around the same genre and path of like history.

E: Yeah.

Z: It's all white washed and gross. Bleh. But-

E: It's only getting worse, did you hear that Tennessee is like, passing laws to, how did they put it, it's so, it's such bullshit. Basically erasing any history of slavery or discrimination. I think that call it something like Radical Race Theory.

Z: Well, that's great. Welcome to our podcast where we are gonna nip all that in the butt.

E: Yeah.

Z: Because truly, like Em just stated, it's only getting worse, apparently. Jesus Christ, I hate Tennessee.

E: Yeah, I found out like a week ago.

E: Hi guys this is Em, I'm doing the editing, and I just wanted to clarify something really quick. When we were recording this episode, I misspoke and I said that this concept was called Radical Race Theory, but that is incorrect. The correct term is Critical Race Theory. So, I am sorry for that error. If you don't know what a ban like this would mean, the short version is basically, is that American lawmakers are trying to dictate and restrict what can and can't be taught in public schools about the history of systemic racism and slavery in the United States. I'm going to include some links in our resources for the episode where you can learn more about this and we really encourage you to check those out and do your research, because this is obviously an important part of American history for everyone. To erase these topics from lesson plans, really presents a biased and skewed version of events. Anyway, I'm sorry for that error and I hope you enjoy the rest of the episode .

Z: There's just so much history and just stories that are just passed down even by even just word of mouth-

E: Mmhmm

Z:...down here in the south. That literally no one knows about.

E: Yeah.

Z: I think that's, that really is what piqued our interest. When we were throwing around the idea of this podcast to begin with, it really was just like, “We're gonna find an abandoned building, we're going to dig into the research of it, and we're going to talk about this abandoned place.” And from what we are now, it's really expanded to literally just like a history lesson.

E: History, I think it's important to not only to cover the actual facts, but also, I think, not necessarily, like fiction and urban legends and that kind of thing. I think that sort of thing has a lot to do with like story telling, and the culture of the area like-

Z: Right.

E:..like there are, you know, you have things from like, the stories that your grandmother would tell you to keep you from being a little shit when you were a kid.

Z: (laughs)

E: Or, you know, why if there's like an anecdote for why is the sky blue, how did this mountain range be formed. Y'know I think stuff like that is really interesting. When you're driving along some random ass back road and you see an old house, and you think, “Huh, I wanna know the history of that place.” That is the kind of, the kind of thing, that I think really inspires me, is like. Seeing something, not knowing anything about it, wanting to learn about it.

Z: Exactly. And-

E: (laughs)

Z:...we had created like a little baby list of questions that we wanted to ask. When we first started kind of throwing around the idea of what we wanted to do. We kind of already covered a couple of them. But I guess I'll just kind of go down the list again.

E: Okay, sure.

Z: Just to kind of like, ya know, put the nail in the coffin, so to speak.

E: Yeah.

Z: So, the first question that we have, is who or what are our inspirations?

E: Okay.

Z: So I would say, for me personally, like I said, just growing up, and like I can't think of anything off the top of my head. But like growing up and learning that an event happened. Or someone did this thing and, you come to realize later on in life that what you were taught, wasn't necessarily the truth. The whole truth, anyway.

E: Yeah.

Z: So for me, I guess, it's not so much a who, as so much as a what. For me it's just really like uncovering what is real.

E: Okay, yeah.

Z: So.

E: I think, I think that's a good way to put it. And I feel like, y'know, disclaimer, we are not perfect, we are probably not always going to do perfect research. You know, we're not exposing all the facts, in their, 100% true form, 'cause you know. We're just taking the information that we can find and putting that to use. But I agree, I think that that's a big part of it for me is like. I can remember several times when I was younger, like having a teacher, do a lesson and be like, “Oh well this thing happened,” and then being like well, “Okay I want to know more about that but I don't know how.” And now, you know, I'm an adult, and I have better research skills, so.

Z: Right.

E: I think it's a far more entertaining use of my time, that what I was doing previously. Which was just, laying on the floor and looking at TikTok.

Z: Right. (laughs)

E: (laughs)

Z: TikTok truly, worms in my brain.

E: Yeah.

Z: But, it truly, this is just, even, I mean, we've been batting around the idea of this podcast for a couple months.

E: Mmhmm.

Z: And just getting started, and doing the research and like looking into these stories, has been so much fun.

E: Oh yeah.

Z: And, I know the story that you're going to cover today has been one.

E: Yes.

Z: And I know that I've heard bits and pieces throughout our friendship, pretty much.

E: Mmhmm.

Z: And we've known each other for awhile.

E: Mmhmm.

Z: So I'm excited to get, like the full, like get in there.

E: Yeah, I'm excited about yours too, because like,it-it's, I mean, I think, I feel like maybe comparatively I might know just a tiny bit more about yours than you might know about mine.

Z: Right.

E: Just because I've been to this location.

Z: Right.

E: And I've like snooped around there.

Z: Everyone has in this area.

E: Yeah.

Z: Well, goals for the podcast. Do you have any goals in mind?

E: I want a Lamborghini.

Z: I want to be Mr. Beast.

E: I thought you were *laughs* I thought you were gonna say Mr. Bean.

E&Z: *laugh*

E: Oh my god, which actually-

Z: That too.

E:...derailed, for a second, but this is relevant considering what I just said, um, did you know-do you listen...I know you like Gracie Helbig and Mamrie Hart.

Z: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

E: Do you listen to their podcast?

Z: Oh yeah.

E: Have you heard the one where they talk about how Mr. Bean has wrecked two McLarens?

Z: YES!

E: Apparently the man has like a 170 IQ and a passion, a deep burning passion for sports cars. And he has-I don't know if he has if he has wrecked two different ones or if it's the same one that he's wrecked twice. But he is currently trying to sell it for like 12 million dollars. And that, I have thought about that fact all fucking week. All week. They were talking about cars at work yesterday and I had to just like clench my fists and hold in the fact that I wanted to yell across the expo station, “MR. BEAN HAS WRECKED TWO MCLARENS!” Anyway.

Z: Truly it's a-

E: So sorry, but I had to get that off my chest

Z: Oh my god.

E: Rowan Atkincenter, what is his name? Ronan? Rowan Atkinson?

Z: Mr. Bean?

E: Yeah.

Z: I don't know his-the only thing I know about Mr. Bean is that he has wrecked two McLarens.

E&Z: *laughs*

E: Oh my god..

Z: Um, jesus. Goals for the podcast for me um. Yeah, a Lamborghini would be nice.

E: It would be nice, wouldn't it?

Z: No, truthfully, and I feel like I've said this like 50 times already. It's just getting the information out there. Letting people be in the know about what's going on in the south. Because I feel like *clears throat* excuse me. There's like this weird stigma against the south.

E: For sure.

Z: And it's just poor and dirty...

E: And ignorant.

Z: And ignorant. And like, there's so much that goes on down here that no one really knows about because it is so outside of “normal society?”

E: Yeah.

Z: I guess in other people's eyes? And that's even just like in the United States, even outside of the United States I'm sure that...The south is just like a cesspool of jokes.

E: Yeah.

Z: But-

E: Well I agree with that. I think that it's very much, uh there's a disconnect between like, people who actually live here and people that have never been here. And just like how it's, you know portrayed in the media. There's so. I think there's something like, I don't know the exact statistics, but I'm pretty sure that if you actually look at the numbers there is so much more diversity than in a good deal of the United States. Like, um I was reading something the other day that said that the south, like the American south is one of the most diverse places in terms of like LGBT folks and I'm not sure if that's true. But honestly, I would believe it. But yeah, I think that that's very much, getting the information out there, but also, it's a desire, personally, it's you know, a desire for more information in general.

Z: True.

E: Because-

Z: Yeah.

E: You know, I've lived here my whole life and I feel like I know a lot of cool little bits and pieces about stuff but you can always learn more.

Z: Oh yeah.

E: That is my motto.

Z: 100%.

E: You can always, always find something else out. Even if it's something that you think that you know everything about it, you can always dig deeper and find out more. So.

Z: 100%.

E: For sure, for sure.

Z: This next question is past exploration stories. I'm about to tell one of mine.

E: Okay.

Z: That's my whole story. So, do you have any that you would like to share?

E: Hm...

Z: I mean, I've done like geocaching, that sort of thing, but like.

E: Yeah,

Z: Other than that, like.

E: Yeah. I have been geocaching, I actually, I have been to the location you're going to cover today. And I thought I was going to get in big trouble, because the owner pulled up in his pickup truck and I was so afraid. I was there with my sister and, Vivian, I don't know if you'll hear this. But um, my friend Vivian, and we were walking around. We climbed the steps. We like went-I was too chicken shit to go all the way up to the top because it's a very tall structure and the stairs are very old. And I was like “nope, Imma go halfway but this step is broken, I'm not going any farther.” And then we came back down and this guy pulled up and I was like “Oh god, he's gonna get so mad at us.” He pulled up and we had Vivian's puppy with us and he rolled the window of his truck down, and he was like, “Can I give the dog a biscuit?!” And we were like, “Yes sir you can!” And he just stood there and talked to us for a little while, it was very cool.

Z: Yeah.

E: But yeah, I can't think of anything other than that, not offhand. I would like to make some more.

Z: Yeah. Same.

E: I have not been in an old building in a cool minute. Um, actually, I'm sorry, I did think of one.

Z: No, you're good.

E: Uh, we were walking around, I don't want to triangulate our location. *laughs*

Z: Right.

E: But we were, a couple of my friends and I, were walking around in this, kind of like, like uh small back road I guess you would say near one of their houses. And there was this old kind of a house? I don't know if it was actually a house at one point or if it was just like a shed. But we uh, hiked back a little off the road and went in there, and there was just like all these old bottles. Like, from the '50s all over the floor and that's something that I collect, and I was like “Oh shit, this is private property, I know we're probably trespassing. Imma take some of these bottles.” And I had a coat on with big pockets. So I put a couple of them in my pocket.

Z: *laughs*

E: And we hiked back out, and my mom called me, and I was probably like, I don't know sixteen, seventeen maybe?

Z: Sure.

E: She was like, “Hey where are you?” And I was like “We went for a walk, we're walking back to so and so's house.” and she was like “ Okay well, we'll meet you up there, I have something to give you,” and I was like “okay.” And when she pulled up I was like, “I have something to give YOU.” And she was like “What?” and I pulled out this crusty ass bottle of like vanilla extract from the 1960s, and was like, “Here ya go!” And my mom of course, I get that fascination from her, she also collects that stuff. So she was like, “Wow! This is so cool, where did you get it?” And I was like, “Well...-

Z: *laughs* That spooky building! As the thunder claps.

E:...we went in that spooky house.” And she was like, “Oh my god that's dangerous!!” And I was like, “Well, we already did it.”

Z: Yeah.

E: So yeah, that was fun. I love doing shit like that.

Z: God, me too. Is this trespassing? I love trespassing.

E: (laughs) I do, I do.

Z: Oh my god.

E: Yeah.

Z: Any topics that you wanna cover, discuss, why?

E: I think we both have a list of stuff that we would like to cover in the future.

Z: Right.

E: I will say, I don't want this to be like specifically true crime. Like I don't want to have all my stories be in one genre. I will say that some of them are paranormal related, some of them are true crime related, some of them are just general history.

Z: Same yeah.

E: I am always, I have very much a morbid curiosity.

Z: Same.

E: I will do my best to treat those with respect and there is one in particular that I am very interested to cover, because I have never heard of it, and it happened, like, in the town that I grew up in, which is very small.

Z: Right.

E: Not a whole lot of reported murders, but his name is Joe Shepherd and he was a killer in that area in the 70s I believe? And I was having a conversation with a friend of mine one day, when we were, like, first work shopping this. I don't think we'd even bought our mics yet-

Z: I don't think so either

E:...and we were talking about it, and she was just like, “Oh you know about Joe Shepherd right?” And I said, “No?” And she was like, “ Yeah, he murdered somebody and put her in the wood pile.” And I was like, “EXCUSE ME, how have I never heard this?!” So I uh, I have to, have to know more about that. I gotta know whats going on.

Z: Right. For me it's kind of in the same vein of, I mean my stories are kind of gonna be everywhere, but I'm really excited for my story for the next podcast that we're gonna do. Because it was right around the time where we started really figuring out what we wanted to do for sure with this podcast. And we went to just like a couple of used bookstores just to look for some, just some paper sources. And I found a book that was super cool, very interesting. Loved it, I've read it like twice already.

E: Oh really the whole thing?

Z: It's not very long, but I've read it like twice already, just reading through. The first story in that book is truly whacko-

E: Yeah?

Z:..so I'm going to cover that the next time we record

E: That's exciting.

Z: And I'm really excited for it. It's a missing persons. We won't say true crime, but I'll say it's a missing persons.

E: Yeah, 'cause we're not really sure if a crime was committed. Like I don't really know the whole story obviously but you've told me bits and pieces, and you know, there's several theories right? Of what actually happened?

Z: Oh yeah, I've got a couple theories that I have that I wanna, but we'll get to that.

E: We'll get to that next time.

Z: Alright, so full disclosure, this whole operation, it's just us, it's me and Em and Em and me. We do have an assistant.

E: Vanessa.

Z: Her name is Linda and we love her.

E: We love Tracy with all our hearts

Z: Veronica, she really gets it done. We asked our lovely assistant, Carly, to get some normal ice breaker questions outside of the podcast because it's really, like we said before it's really telling of someone's character to have these questions answered and we just told. We told Carol to go nuts, so.

E: I'm excited for this, because you've had a little bit of a look at these, I don't know anything.

Z: I've read like the first two, and was like okay, I can see the direction that Sharon's going. Okay, so you haven't looked at these, I've read a couple so I'm just gonna go for it.

E: Let's go.

Z: The first one is if you could be on any reality/game show what would you choose?

E: Wheel of Fortune.

Z: Wheel of Fortune?

E: I always loved Wheel of Fortune. Or Jeopardy. I'm not smart enough to be on Jeopardy, but I love Jeopardy. I miss Alex Trebek, rest in peace.

Z: Rest in peace.

E: That man, god fucking bless.

Z: God bless. For me, and you'll know this, here lately, I've been really into discord, like, essentially role play survivor games. They're so much fun. I've applied to play my first one, but they're so much fun to watch. So I would say maybe that, or if it had to be a game show, I'm going to go with either Press Your Luck-

E: Okay.

Z: Or Shop Till You Drop.

E: I don't know what either of those are

Z: Really? Press your-

E: What is press your luck?

Z: Press your luck is the no whammies, no whammies, that one?

E: I don't know what that is.

Z: You don't know that one? I will show you a clip of.

E: I feel like I've heard someone say that.

Z: So well, here's the tea, my grandma would wake up in the mornings and she would watch us before we went to school. She would wake up in the morning, she would make my grandpa food. She would sit her butt in her recliner and turn on game show network, until her husband came home from work, and then she would make him dinner and then she would watch more game shows until she went to bed. That's all this woman did.

E: I love that.

Z: So, this brain-

E: It's in your brain forever.

Z:..is a rolodex of game show trivia, but that one's a fun one. Shop Till You Drop was essentially, I don't know which one came first, but Supermarket Sweep.

E: Okay.

Z: Have you ever seen that?

E: Like guys grocery game?

Z: Kind of, but they don't like cook, so they'll have like a list, like you'll get carrots on aisle five, and tuna on aisle six, and baby formula on aisle 12, and they just, they go for it. And the first to do it wins or whatever.

E: That sounds like a lot of fun. I do love to grocery shop. I think that would be a fun one too.

Z: So number 2, if you could eliminate one food, so that no one ever ate it again, what would you pick to destroy?

E: My gut instinct says tomatoes, because I hate tomatoes.

Z: *whispers* Same.

E: But I do, it's only, like. I like tomato based sauces and I like tomato soup, so I feel like I would regret that choice.

Z: Ketchup.

E: I don't know if you're for or against ketchup.

Z: I like ketchup but I hate tomatoes. I was adding to tomatoes' cause.

E: Yeah. That's a tough one.

Z: I'm gonna go with green beans.

E: I don't think I can agree with you on that one, I'm sorry.

Z: That's fine, you're entitled to your opinion, but I'm destroying green beans.

E: Okay, okay, um, god, that's really hard. I don't, I don't like tomatoes at all. I hate touching them, I hate dealing with them. I work in food service. I could also say mushrooms 'cause I really hate mushrooms.

Z: I love mushrooms.

E: That is something I find so interesting about you.

Z: That I like mushrooms?

E: Yeah, you know. You're kind of a-I don't know much about. I don't know, you're-in my eyes you're kind of a picky eater. Cause you don't like, like lettuce.

Z: I don't like lettuce.

E: What about like a good arugula? Do you like arugula?

Z: What's arugula?

E: Okay, we're gonna get you some arugula. It's a leafy green. You'll probably like, well no okay. I should-I take that back. You like Spinach.

Z: I do like Spinach.

E: Okay.

Z: Baby kale.

E: Do you like kale?

Z: I like baby kale.

E: Oh, okay.

Z: I don't like that-

E: I don't know that I've ever had the baby-

Z: It's just like spinach.

E: I mean it's-okay. Yeah that's fair.

Z: But.

E: Yeah, I'm gonna hard answer, I'm gonna say mushrooms 'cause I really fucking hate mushrooms.

Z: Valid.

E: Alright question 3.

Z: What is your favorite restaurant? In parenthesis, Zack, you cannot say McDonald's.

E&Z: *laugh*

E: Oh.

Z: Well.

E: Oh, Clarice. She's roasting ya.

Z: She really is. Shoot. I'm just going to go with fast food because-

E: Okay.

Z: Restaurants can mean any-

E: Fast food/fast casual, I think that's good.

Z: Sure. Dang, I really like. Well fast casual, I'm going to say Chili's.

E: Ooh yes.

Z: That street corn, honey chipotle tenders.

E: Those honey chipotle tenders, if I ever get married, that's what I want at my wedding.

Z: Catered?

E: Yeah, catered.

Z: Remember when I went to a-if you're hearing this Morgan, I'm sorry, remember when I went to a wedding that was catered by Cracker Barrel?

E: Yes!

Z: Morgan, I love you but, a choice was made. Okay, favorite restaurant?

E: The first thing that popped into my head was Olive Garden.

Z: *gasps*

E: I unironically, unashamedly, unabashedly. I love Olive Garden. I am-

Z: I'm white.

E: Very. Yeah, I am-I think like I don't wanna go all 23 & me, given that I haven't even taken one of those fucking tests. As far ass my family has told me I am like an 8th or a 16th Sicilian or something, so that Italian blood, it makes be crave Olive Garden like nobody's business.

Z: The breadsticks.

E: I see like the sign in the sky and it's like a werewolf to a full moon. And I go crazy.

Z: *laughs* I love Olive Garden.

E: The tiramisu? The chicken gnocchi soup with breadsticks?

Z: Gnocchi!

E: The Tour of Italy? Ah.

Z: The five dollar, to go entrees? You have lunch tomorrow.

E: That is a brilliant business plan.

Z: True.

E: You know what I want? What I desperately desperately want one. The unlimited pasta pass. I have wanted one of those since the day. Justin McElroy did an unboxxing and he got one.

Z: Olive Garden.

E: I really wanted one ever since.

Z: *whispers* Same.

E: Olive Garden sponsor us?

Z: Please god, I know this is our first episode but please.

E: I had an idea for another sponsor. Oh, Subway! Subway should sponsor us.

Z: Truly.

E: I can't believe that neither of us said Subway, actually. We-fun little BTS, behind the scenes, not the K-Pop group, sorry.

Z: Why did my brain go there first?

E: We know why.

Z: Not today. That's a song.

E: LITERALLY every time we've gotten together to brainstorm, put together anything for this show, with the exception of maybe once or twice, that I can't even recall, it's subway every single time, so.

Z: We gotta eat fresh.

E: Somebody, at Subway headquarters, say, “Hey, sponsor The Abandonment Issues-”

Z: Sponsor these people.

E: Plead our case, please.

Z: Please, please, we'll send you merch if we ever

get any.

E: I'll figure it out. I'll use my art degree. Alright. Question four!

Z: If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

E: Hm.

Z: Forks, Washington.

E: Oh my god.

Z: Final answer.

E: Oh my god. That's a good one, shit.

Z: (laughs) 'Cause genuinely, I don't know 'cause there's so many places to go.

E: Yeah, yeah it's very hard. I always did-okay, well on the topic of my Italian heritage.

Z: Oh Jesus.

E: I was supposed to go to Italy my junior year of college and, the trip got canceled because we didn't have enough people to go. And I was very excited for it, and I would still really enjoy it. I would love to go make that trip, because we were going to stay at a farm in Tuscany that's been there for like, I don't even know. Since like 700 A.D. Or some shit.

Z: That is crazy.

E: It's called Spannocchia if you want to look it up. There's this incredible little-they have this website with like a video that you can check it out. You get to eat like all the food that they give you and all the wine that they have is like made on site. We were going-they have like the original wood kiln-

Z: Wow.

E:...on site, and you could make things in their ceramics studio and you fire it in the kiln at the end of the trip. But they also do like chefs and like butchers internships there where you can go over there and learn how to do things the way they do them and I think that's fascinating.

Z: That's really cool.

E: One day I would love to go there.

Z: Oh yeah, 100%.

Z: Get the swear jar ready.

E: Oh god.

Z: What game or movie universe would you most like to live in? Kingdom Hearts.

E: *Did you bring a roll of quarters?

Z: I'm just gonna leave it at that. Kingdom hearts.

E: I know you said game or movie-

Z: Book?

E:...but can I fudge it a little bit and say podcast?

Z: Sure!

E: I would love to be a citizen of the town of Nightvale. I know you don't know anything about Welcome to Nightvale, but boy lemme tell ya. I would live there in a heartbeat. I love it. It's so weird. I know that that's maybe not some people want because it's kind of fucked up. Bad things happen to people there all the time.

Z: Right.

E: But it's that cosmic horror, but in a fun lighthearted way.

Z: Right.

E: That's the best way I can explain it. I just love it so much. Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Kramer.

Z: God bless.

E: God bless you. You two really do some amazing work. I'm literally looking at a signed photograph of Symphony Sanders and Cecil Baldwin right now. They watch over our podcast. But yeah, I would love that. I think that the aesthetic is immaculate. There's deserts, there's glowing lights in the sky above the Arby's.

Z: There's an Arby's in this Universe?

E: Yes bitch! They're just regular people like you and me. There's literally, I wanna say in episode one, there's this beautiful passage where Cecil is like “Lights, blinking in the sky above the Arby's. Not the glowing sign of the Arby's, but something higher.

Z: Did I write this? Did I ghost write this?

E: You could have. I have all the books behind me, I'm very much a fan.

Z: If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be?

E: Hypogriff.

Z: That was a fast but good answer. I would probably be a gnome.

E: (laughs) Oh fuck! Yeah.

Z: I spend my entire life-

E: Yeah.

Z:..being 6 foot tall, I just wanna live a little down there.

E: That's a good one.

Z: Yeah. What small, insignificant thing gives you joy?

E: Thrift store knick knacks.

Z: Sure.

E: That's pretty much the biggest one. I go into Amvets like once a week. And I'll get-I don't have my Keith Urban mug in here. But I get so many tiny dingy things and they always bring me such joy. That tiny little frog that I got at the antique store the last time you and I went, that thing? I'm still riding the high.

Z: For me, I would say it's like when you, complete a book series, and you get that final one and you put it up on the shelf, and you see it on the shelf together. That's my-and it doesn't have to be like, for me it's like books, video games, manga, whatever.

E: Yeah.

Z: Just seeing it complete on the shelf just does it for me.

E: I love that. That's a very good feeling.

E: Yeah.

Z: What is the dumbest purchase you have ever made?

E: Oh Zack, oh Zack, this is a hard question, cause I really-

Z: I don't know! Because I make a lot of dumb purchases.

E: I know exactly what mine is, I'm afraid to say.

Z: Can you say it? What is it?

E: You know what it pertains to.

Z: Do I? Why are you blinking? You don't have to say it if you don't want to.

E: No, I'm gonna say it.

Z: Thank god.

E: So, what was the year? I wanna say 2011/2013.

Z: Uh-oh. I know where we're going!

E: God, I made you promise not to mention this, to not drag me about any of this but i'm going to go ahead and out myself in episode one.

Z: Oh no.

E: I was a backer of the-

Z: Ahaaahaahaaaaa!!!!

E: Stop screaming and just let me get the words out. I was a higher tier backer of the Homestuck Hiveswap Kickstarter in 2013. And that haunts me to this day. To this day I will never-I will never recover from the amount of money that I spent on that when I was god-I was not a legal adult. I spoke to my mother, and I said, “Listen, I need to get this money out of my savings and I need it now.” And she was like, “Are you sure you wanna do that?” and I said, “Yes please.” and then she let me do it. And I respect that she gave me that freedom but I wish that she had just told me no.

Z: That's fair.

E: It was not worth it, and the worst part. It's been like a long time. I still have not played that game.

Z: That's just how the cookie crumbles.

E: Yeah.

Z: Dumbest purchase, my mind just scrambled. Because me and Em just shared a very panicked glance at one another before this story was told and it just jumbled everything I had lined up. I make very-

E: I'm like sweaty.

Z: (laughs)

E: That really stressed me out that I had to admit that. Feel my hand.

Z: Oh, you're clammy!

E: I am disgusting right now.

Z: You're a whole seafood buffet with them clammy hands.

E: I am.

Z: Oh my god. What was the question? Dumbest purchase. I don't know man. I make a lot of dumb purchases. I'm probably, most recently, I'm going to say my book drug dealer.

E: Oh yeah.

Z: Robert. I feel, like I feel obligated at this point to meet up with this man to buy antique books and some of them aren't really the best.

E: But still it's a cool hook-up.

Z: Yeah, I buy them anyway. So, the last time I saw this man, I bought this falling apart copy of Orwell or something.

E: That's pretty dope though.

Z: I mean it's cool, it's got a bunch of his novels and shit. It was pretty cool, but it not in the condition that he said it was in.

E: Aw, that sad.

Z: It's fine. Sorry Robert if you are listening. I'm just going to say that because literally my coworkers put me on a Facebook Marketplace timeout, and I wasn't allowed to buy from Facebook Marketplace.

E: I didn't know about that, oh my god.

Z: They were like, you have to take off two weeks. And I was like, “Fine, that's fine, we get paid in two weeks it's fine.” So, I'm just gonna say that. (laughs)

E: Oh wow.

Z: Question number 9 is what is the longest you have gone without sleep and why? I know mine.

E: Oh man.

Z: I know mine.

E: I mean, the why really for me is-it's one of two answers. College or the pandemic. And I'm leaning more towards the pandemic because I was basically only sleeping like once every other night. Over when I got furloughed from my job last spring. I remember a couple of times I was like, “I'm gonna start a craft project!” and was just cracked out on Monster Energy at 6:00 in the morning, ironing patches onto a denim jacket and shaking my ass to Glass Animals. But yeah, I wanna say the longest amount of time was like three days, but I know you got me beat, I think.

Z: You know mine.

E: Do I?

Z: You know mine. When I was in high school and I watched Men in Black.

E: Yeahhhh.

Z: So I didn't watch Men in Black when I was a child. Probably watched the first one when I was in high school and then I watched the second one, and then there's that whole subplot that there's a universe wrapped around a cat's collar or whatever.

E: It's in his little tag.

Z: It sent me down a rabbit hole. I did not sleep for four days because I was deep in infinite space theory because I just drove myself crazy. Because I was like, “If a cat collar can hold a universe, what if we're the universe inside the cat collar? Which I feel like was the entire point. But it drove me up the walls. I couldn't sleep, I just stayed up for four days straight in front of my computer just googling infinite space theory, and learning more and digging into it, and then I crashed, obviously after four days, and I woke up and was like, “Never again.”

E: Well.

Z: So.

E: I bought a book not long ago, it's called Time Warps. And I opened it and the first two pages this guy starts talking about time travel and the secrets of the universe and everything and reincarnation and physics are all connected and that really reminded me of that. So, maybe I'll read you a little passage of that after this and see if it-

Z: I can't wait.

E:..jogs anything in your brain.

Z: I'll see ya next week and I will still be awake.

E: (laughs) Oh my god.

Z: Last question, who is the most intelligent

person you know?

E: Brownie.

Z: Where is he?

E: He just walked right behind you.

Z: Oh.

E: He's not a person. He's very smart.

Z: That's a tough question.

E: Yeah, that is a really tough question.

Z: I'm gonna say it's our assistant Becky.

E: Yeah, yeah. Trisha, she really, she's probably. What even is her IQ it's gotta be in the 170s?

Z: It's probably at least a thousand.

E: The smartest person that I know of is Mr. Bean. I genuinely can't believe he has an IQ that high. Not anything against that man, I don't know him personally, but the fact that that is the kind of movie that he makes.

Z: Oh my god, and apparently there's only like 12 episodes of that show.

E: 13 I think.

Z: Yeah, so he really stretched it out.

E: Yeah.

Z: I don't know. Welp.

E: Well yeah.

Z: Thank you to Veronica for all those icebreaker questions. Really eye opening.

E: It was great. You really did the damn thing.

Z: Well. I guess that now everyone knows our deepest darkest secrets since we exposed them in episode one, I guess we can kind of get into our topics a little bit?

E: Yeah.

Z: So I feel as if you're gonna go hard.

E: Perhaps, perhaps.

Z: So if you don't mind I'm gonna go first.

E: Okay.

Z: I'm not gonna go as hard as I could. With mine, mostly just because I wanna leave it open for a return, if I want to cover it again maybe later on. My first topic is going to be about the Roundhouse that exists in Tellico Plains, TN.

E: Nice.

Z: Fairly local, kind of close to us for the most part. Here's the issue with this, is that it was a silo for a local mining company and dating back to even before the civil war, this thing was operational. So there's a lot of stuff that has gone on-

E:Okay.

Z:...in this big old building. Another problem is that there's not a plot of information online.

E: Yeah, that was a problem I ran into mine too actually.

Z: Unfortunately, the person who posted this, the beginning of this is going to be a lot from Reddit.

E: Oh, okay.

Z: The person who posted this is a local urban explorer. I've seen some of their stuff, all of their stuff is really cool, their photographs are amazing. They do posts on Facebook and stuff here and there. All of their stuff is really well researched and really good, but I don't want to set a trend of making Reddit a, you know.

E: For sure, it's not like a primary source. So do you want to-did you make note of who that person was though.

Z: Yeah, the post that was made thearcherofred on Reddit. That is their username. When we post all of our sources I will give a link to this specific person I am talking about.

E: Excellant.

Z: Yeah, that's the problem I ran into and I guess that's probably why I didn't get as into it. Mostly because I wanted to leave it open so I could share a little bit about my own experience when I went.

E: Cool, okay.

Z: I am going to give a little bit of a backstory about the area, the place, what all happened. Like I said this was a post made by thearcherofred on Reddit, all one word. About 30 years after the Civil War, Southern Slate Works purchased the land where the Roundhouse exists now. This land before used the be part of the Tellico Iron Works Company. The Iron Works Company basically mined iron and other ores during the Civil War. It was demolished during the war, and really from what I can tell, nothing really happened in this area where the Roundhouse exists now up until it was purchased on December 7th of 1893.

E: Okay.

Z: In June of 1920, J.B. Preston bought 300 acres of land from another citizen of Tellico named Cyril Herford with the intent to mine the area. It is unknown if this was part of the Southern Slate Company or a solo kind of gig. Preston had plans of making a fully working mine complete with machinery, houses for the mine workers, storage facilities, and other stuff you'd need to run a mine. He also was-he was also given permission to construct a railroad system to the mine and the quarry was set to open on January 1st 1921. He then leased this area out to Tennessee Rocks Products Company and it was operational from 1921-1928. In '22 Cyril then sued the rock company because some of the debris had gotten into the creek that ran through his property and it polluted the water. There was another lawsuit that same year against the rock company. This lawsuit came from a local farmer named Henry Fritts. He was suing for very similar reasons as Herford, because the dust coming from the mines and quarry had killed crops and vegetation. That lawsuit was settled for 600-I'm assuming there's no information about the 1st lawsuit, because there was no information on this post about it. From what I can tell, nothing really happened after that, company shut down until 1928-er shut down in 1928, that is until the mid to late 50s.

E: Okay, that's kind of a long time.

Z: Yeah, it's a minute. At this point, a man named Dr. William Alfred Rogers purchased the property in the 50s, and he was a local practicing doctor. A little bit about Mr. Rogers, he was born in Violet, NC. During the late 50s he was one of 6 doctors that lived in the Tellico Plains area during that time. He had a small stone house, that stood in downtown but eventually he built a large three story home on Unicoi Mountain.

E: Oh, okay.

Z: He thought that the high altitude would help his more chronic patients, so that's why he wanted his house to be so far up in the mountains. Rodgers and his wife ran the practice out of their home for about six years before the couple had the idea of turning the silo into a hotel/Air BnB. Not Air BnB. Sorry, that's the Gen Z in me speaking. Just a B&B. Just a normal B&B.

E: A 1950s Air BnB.

Z: Beautiful, ahead of their time, truly.

E: You get a telegraph after and they're like, “How was your stay? Please rate us.”

Z: God. So he essentially divided the space inside the silo into multiple floors and created small apartment like rooms on each story. Supposedly, right when it was set to open, a fire marshal came to inspect it and it was deemed unsafe as there needed to be two clear exits from each room, but there was only one considering that it's a large tall vertical-

E: It's just a tube.

Z: It's literally, quite literally a tube. I will. I will post some pictures and some links to some pictures so you can kind of see. But truly, it's an old silo, it's a big stone, round silo. Cylinder, and on the outside there's a staircase that leads into the first floor but there's essentially just a round staircase that-

E: It's like a fire escape.

Z: It just wraps around the outside of it and that's how you would go up there and get into your little hotel room or whatever. The fire marshal said it was no good so they couldn't really open it as a hotel.

E: So did it ever have guests like that? Or did he just kind of kill that immediately?

Z: It's hard to really pin down what really happened after that. Some sites claim that Mr. Rogers and his moved into the Roundhouse after this and they continued the practice there. Other sites claim that they went back to the house at Unicoi and ran the practice out of it. I also read somewhere, and I couldn't really pin it down again, now that I started doing the research on it again but there were some rumors about someone running a restaurant out of it.

E: I think I've heard that one actually.

Z: And it was just on the first floor, it wasn't on any of the other floors, I think there's 5 stories in that thing. I couldn't really find that again, so I don't really have any information on it. The doctor passed away 10 years after this ordeal in '67, and it has just kinda sat dormant since then, aside from the possible restaurant owner being in there, but there's not really a whole lot to go off of on that route. Unfortunately as of now, the inside of the roundhouse has been completely destroyed by vandals. The walls are covered in graffiti and there was a house that was right next to it, and again, I can't really pinpoint what that was really for. I would assume that it was probably just another house that was-

E: Yeah, I heard from somewhere that that was something to do with the hotel aspect of it.

Z: Sure, I mean. I wouldn't doubt it, but that house is all but rotted to the ground. I've been inside, and the floor is rotted to the ground. There's no foundation, there was also a large fire that happened inside the roundhouse. Can't really pinpoint a date or time. Because it sat, it was just out in the middle of nowhere.

E: Not necessarily keeping track or reporting that to-

Z: Right.

E:...anyone.

Z: It basically made everything from the bottom floor to the top floor inaccessible. I've been on the top floor. Probably wasn't that smart of a move.

E: Prolly not.

Z: I was like 17, and you're invincible at 17, nothing matters. We went up there and just kind of hung around, and I'll talk about that in a second. But that basically made all the other floors inbetween inaccessible. That's really, literally all I could find online about it. I definitely have tried to join the local library to get some book sources or something about it, but I'm currently fighting with our local library. It's so shrouded in mystery that no one really knows what's going on in there. We've got a couple reports about the lawsuits and the early 20s. Nothing until the 50s, and then this random guy wants to build a hotel there, and someone says no and it just sits there again.

E: Do you know-I know when we first started doing the research, we were talking about how it was for sale. Do you know if it still is or did it get bought?

Z: I looked at it yesterday before I was putting the finishing touches on everything. It is currently off the market, it was not sold, but it is off the market. It was going for upwards of like $500,000.

E: I would love to buy it.

Z: Same I would also-Subway?!

E: Subway sponsor us!!

Z: Please.

E: Subway just buy us The Roundhouse.

Z: We will put a Subway in the bottom floor.

E: (laughs) Like the food court in a mall.

Z: Truly. That's all the information that I have on it.

E: Well tell us your story.

Z: Well, when I was like 17/18, I worked at a local grocery store and one of my cashiers, the current at the time, the caretaker now is a new guy, but at the time she was friends with-the caretaker was a family friend. And she basically reached out to him and was like, “Hey we wanna explore after work one night. Do you think it would be cool if we went up there?” And he was like, “Yeah, sure no problem, let me know and I'll leave the gate unlocked for you guys.”

E: Cool.

Z: We went up there after work and it was probably like 10/11 o'clock and we were just gonna check it out and then leave, but I was just very curious and very fascinated so we went into the first floor and I will try to dig up photos because I took photos. The test of time has not been kind to them-

E: Absolutely not.

Z:...with phones and just everything, I think they're on my twitter somewhere so I have to really dig and find them, but like I said, the first floor there was a fire. You can look up and see the damage has been done to this place. It's covered in graffiti. We kind of poked around a little bit, there's not really much to see. There's old appliances, wood here and there, debris, vandalism, that sort of thing. We found the beginning of the staircase that leads up around the side of the Roundhouse and we climbed up to inspect it, about halfway up, it's broken-

E: Yeah that was-

Z: Very teetery.

E: Yeah.

Z: Once you get over that step it's solid again, bolted into the side of that wall or whatever, and you just keep on trucking. We went up to the top and we sat down on the floor up there, we pulled out a Ouija board.

E: Oh my god Zack.

Z: (laughs) Not my finest moment.

E: (laughs)

Z: It wasn't even a good Ouija board, it was obviously, very much produced by Hasbro, and it had the glow in the dark light in it, to where if you pushed down on the planchette it would glow.

E: Oh my god.

Z: Obviously, we got nothing because nothing happened in that building.

E: I can't believe it.

Z: Then we went back down the stairs and then we went into the house that's next to it. Like I said, there was very few places where I was comfortable standing. Floors rotted, walls punched in, knocked in, burned. We were able to go up-there's an attic.

E: Oh really?

Z: Yeah, there's an attic in there. I wasn't able to go-I didn't go up in it because I didn't really trust it. I stood at the top of the staircase and peered in a took a picture or two.

E: Cool, I never knew that.

Z: Then, we discovered a basement.

E: Oh god! Under that same house?

Z: Yeah. Here's the deal. You didn't know this did you? About the basement?

E:About the basement, no.

Z: So there's a basement, and the stairs have rotted off, so you kinda had to hop in that hole and-

E: Love it.

Z: We got down there, and it was trash.

E: Yeah.

Z: Broken glass, beer bottles, cans, old screen doors, anything that you could think of, old appliances everything, underneath that house. Then I saw a little filter of light off in the distance, so I was like, I'm gonna go in that direction. There was a tunnel.

E: I know you were going to say a tunnel and I was so afraid.

Z: A tunnel that lead directly underneath the roundhouse.

E: Bro!

Z: It's crazy.

E: That's really cool. Very scary.

Z: Very scary. I was like, “This is some-,” have you every seen House of Wax?

E: No but I think I know what you're talking about.

Z: Very House of Wax. Secret-

E: Like trap doors and stuff.

Z: Was not a fan. So then after that we kinda booked it outta there. 'Cause I was like, “Who's idea was it, to build a tunnel-,” I don't even want to know. I'm sure there was a reason.

E: I wonder if was with the intent of it being a hotel, if it was a service hallway or something like that?

Z: I mean, has to be. Has to be. Otherwise-

E: It's the only non-creepy answer.

Z: It's what's gonna let me sleep at night.

E: Oof.

Z: After that we kinda hightailed it out. I have since reached out to that cashier, and obviously neither of us work there anymore. I've since reached out, and asked if she knew who the current caretaker was and unfortunately that caretaker had passed away. There's currently a new one.

E: I wonder if that was the guy I met that gave us a dog biscuit.

Z: Might've been if he was nice.

E: He was just a nice old man.

Z: I never met him, but I'm assuming if he let a group of teenagers go wild out at the Roundhouse he probably didn't care and was a nice guy.

E: That's sad.

Z: Like I said a minute ago, it's not on the market, but when it does come on the market, I will be very eager to see if it sells this time. Hopefully, to me.

E: Maybe by then we'll get some sponsorship cash.

Z: Olive Garden please.

E: Can I trade an unlimited pasta pass for this house?

Z: Truly.

E: It's worth it's weight in gold.

Z: Truly, 'cause you think about it. We go to Olive Garden three times a day, lunch, dinner, second dinner. We don't eat breakfast anymore.

E: Oh my god, well I don't eat breakfast to begin with. Who has time for that nonsense?

Z: I do, but only because I'm at work.

E: Eating a banana. You're being very healthy.

Z: I'm eating a banana, having a monster.

E: Alright, well.

Z: Well, that's it for the Roundhouse. Like I said, thearcherofred on Reddit, thank you so much for that post. They're a couple more that they have made about the Roundhouse. I've only used the one, so feel free to look into it yourself. I'll be posting a couple links to some pictures, and hopefully I will be able to find the pictures that I took when I went. We'll post all those.

E: Thank you very much for that story. Today-

Z: Please, go off.

E:...I'm very excited about this story, because this is a story that has fascinated me literally since my childhood. I remember my teacher telling me about it when I was in, I wanna say 5th grade. Then, it turned out that there was a book about this guy, and I had the book because it was my dad's copy, and that's actually the copy that I used today for all my research. I am about to tell you the story of Mason Kershaw Evans-

Z: Yeeesss!

E:...the Hermit of Chilhowee Mountain.

Z: Yes.

E: Basically, my sources-I did have a couple, just for a little bit of fleshing out about the area and a couple facts about the specific region, but everything about Mason himself came from the book. As I discovered, the man doesn't even have a Wikipedia page.

Z: Right.

E: Which isn't really that surprising to me. 'Cause the area that he was from was a very tiny place, it was in the early 19th century. There wasn't a whole lot.

Z: Right.

E: So, let's get into it! Our story takes place in the area surrounding Chilhowee Mountain, which is more commonly known today as Star Mountain, but it was named that because of a plantation owner named Caleb Star, who back in the day, he basically owned the entire mountain. Chilhowee Mountain is located partly in the southwest corner of Monroe County, TN and in Polk County. It is in the Cherokee National Forest. The flat, plateau like mountain is about halfway between Tellico Plains and Etowah and it's elevation ranges from 750 to 2,290 ft. This mountain was a favorite hunting ground for deer. So that's actually how it got it's name, because Chilhowee means cold deer in Cherokee. During the 19th century, this area was the home to Mason Evans. As I said before, it's kind of hard to find anything about him on the internet, he doesn't have a Wikipedia page, so everything I know about him I pulled from this book, Torment in the Knobs by R. Frank. McKinney. To quote the book, “This book was written give it's readers the highlights of the main events from the early advent of the early white settlers in the area during the early 20s, during the Hiwassee purchase of 1817, the removal of the Indians in 1838, the great American Conflict, The Civil War of the 60s, the building and operation the fabulous White Springs Hotel atop Star Mountain, the coming of the railroads into McMinn County, and many other events of that century. So it's not just about Mason's life, it kind of encapsulates basically everything that was going on in this area at the time. Because there was a lot of stuff going on, there was a lot of conflict, it was the time of the Civil War. It was a lot. It is a very interesting read, it's one of the more detailed accounts of this area, however, it's not without it's flaws. It was published in 1976. R. Frank McKinney was an old white man living in a very rural area of the south. He had some prejudices. I'm not really going to talk about that a whole lot, but if you do decide to-if this story does interest you and you do decide to get a copy of this book and read it, just go into it knowing that. There is also a lot of dramatization and speculation. That is explained by, another quote from the book that said, “Torment in the Knobs is a historical novel but throughout the author was at many times forced to draw his own conclusions to what was said in the conversations or dialogues between the people. This he believed was actually said, but not verified. The pages of the book are mostly written in the newspaper reporting style, but not all in together for into the phraseology of fiction writers. In many places, it combines the two. There would have been no need to write this book, Torment in the Knobs had there been a printed history of the east side of McMinn County and the lower regions of Monroe during the 19th century. What little had been printed in the newspapers and periodicals was wildly scattered and never compiled into a comprehensive history of the area. This book is not intended to be a history of either McMinn or Monroe counties, although the events mentioned took place in one or the other. The book was inspired by this pamphlet and was written in 1890 by W. F. McCarron, who was the founder and editor of The Athenian newspaper. The pamphlet was called-this is a hell of a title. I thought The Abandoment Issues was kind of a long name. This pamphlet was titled The Wild Man of Chilhowee: the True Story of Mason Evans the Hermit, 40 Years in the Wilderness, the Most Wonderful Creature of Modern Times Lives in a Cave in this County, Subsists on Raw Meats and Stolen Food. That's the whole ass title of a pamphlet.

Z: A pam-that's the whole pamphlet!

E: Yeah, literally. The book also says the great many people thought was a legend was unfolded as fact as 90 years later when a house in east Etowah was being raised to the ground. An 1890 issue of The Athenian was found in a chimney and brought to me, the author R. Frank Mckinney, who was then the editor of The Etowah Enterprise. Mickinney also did extensive research and interviews with local folks who's parents and grandparents has either met Mason, or had seen them visit their homesteads. Okay, so, there's this hermit..

Z: (laughs) I was waiting for it! Oh my god.

E: So there's this hermit..R. Frank Mckinney is the king of the fucking run-on sentence. This man could ramble. I think he's dead now? Probably. He had a lot to say, and not a whole lot of punctuation to put in it.

Z: He had a lot to say and no comma, period, comma splice was gonna get in his way.

E: Lots of question marks though. That is evidenced by his introduction to the story of what happened to Mason Evans. He said, “What happens to a man when his sweetheart suddenly jilts him? Does he take it in stride, or does his brain snap and he resort to unearthly things? What really did happen that day in 1848 in that little school house in Monroe County, TN, that caused a brilliant teacher to suddenly walk out of the school room, head to the mountains, never to say another intelligent word? And live there on snakes, rabbits, or other raw meat and whatever he could forage from mountaineers' chicken houses or gardens, and for forty years? Let's find out.

Z: Let's. Find. Out.

E: Mason was born May 10, 1824 in a log cabin at the base of the Chilhowee Mountain. At the time, the Chilhowee Mountain region was occupied primarily by the Cherokee Trible of the Native Americans. The capital of their nation, Chota, was only a few miles from the Evans's home. Mason's parents were names Robert, I'm sorry if I pronounce this wrong, I believe it's Hebrew. Her name is Karen-Happuch. That is K A R E N – H A P P U C H. I think Karen-Happuch.

Z: Okay.

E: I'm not sure though. They immigrated to Greene county in 1820, but they moved to Monroe after the Hiwassee purchase of 1817. The Evans' family was of Quaker faith, and their family consisted of Robert and Karen-Happuch, and their four boys and five girls: Moses, Robert, Mason, Samuel, Abigail, Sophia, Demaris, Caroline, and Octavia. Don't you just love that name? I love an Octavia.

Z: It's so out of left field though.

E: It is. I wonder-is that like a biblical name?

Z: I don't think so.

E: I've never thought of it as such but maybe it is.

Z: I don't think so, but go off, Imma google.

E: Mason was said to be the most talented of those children. I don't know how I'd feel about that as a Sophia or an Octavia in that family. Mason-that's kinda not fair, you don't get to be the best. Anyway, art seemed to come naturally to him. His penmanship was the talk of the settlement. Men in the region would commonly come to him to solve medical problems. In his youth, Mason was good friends with many of the Cherokee children of his age. He was 14 when the Native American Removal began, and it impacted him for the rest of his life. I mentioned Caleb Starr before, he's the one that lived on this mountain and basically gave it its current name. I had never heard anyone call it Chilhowee, fun fact, until recently. One of his son's named James was very active in Cherokee politics and he actually worked to negotiate the treaty that would result in the Trail of Tears.

Z: Ah.

E: Because of his native ancestry, eventually forced him and his own family to leave home and move westward, and he was accused-rightfully fucking so-of selling out the Natives to the white man. Eventually he was killed because of this. James, come the fuck on, what did you expect?

Z: Truly. Hello? Okay.

E: I don't want to make light of that obviously, because it was this horrible thing. At one point I had the numbers written down here, but I must have moved them. Thousands and thousands of people lost their lives on the Trail of Tears and this man basically was just-

Z: Didn't help!

E: Yeah, I don't know what he was-what he thought was going to happen. His whole family had to leave and give up their land. Hundreds of other families had to, too. Caleb Starr, as I said was a slave plantation owner and he had many 100 slaves. This is another really grim part of the story, because the way it is written, it kind of makes it sounds very praisy? They basically kind of put him on a pedestal a little bit, and they talk about about how-they talk about how much the people Caleb Starr literally bought and sold adored him and how much pride they took in their work they took for him. It is said when he left on the Trail of Tears some grieved themselves to death and were buried alongside the waters of Conasauga Creek. And that may have been true, they were grief stricken but it really grossed me out that a book written in like the 20th century was like, “Yes, this man was great, he owned 100s of people.”

Z: Yeah.

E: Anyways, but that's just-I only included that to highlight the way that it is kind of a biased telling of the story, but again it was pretty much the only source I had. Within a year the treaty was signed and the removal began in 1838. What at one time had been 50,000 square miles of native territory were reduced to only a few hundred. Until he saw them driven from their homes to an unwanted territory in the west, Mason Evans pleaded the case of the white settlers. After 1838, he formed a different opinion but kept it to himself, is what the book says.

Z: Okay.

E: I would imagine that was a pretty traumatic experience. Having all these friends and then seeing them be forced to move away.

Z: Right, yeah.

E: Anyways, so Mason went on to become a captain of a militia commissioned as such by the governor in 1841. He was 17 years old. Then, in his adulthood, instead of-I think he was supposed to go on to be a general or something. Initially thought he would have a career with the military, but he was so smart we would really rather you be a teacher, so he accepted a job as a teacher at a local school. Now we get into 'The Heartbreak' is what I have titled this chapter.

Z: Yay.

E: Essentially, the cause that is attributed to Mason deciding to go off into the wilderness forever is that he had his heart broken by his sweetheart. No one knows her true identity. What is known about her, is that she was the daughter of a prominent doctor in the area. “She was the apple of his eye, an only child whom he love more than life.No one would say, nor was it in print who the prominent doctor was, or what was his daughter's name. Was it because people wanted to protect the girl? Or was it because the doctor was so influential in Monroe County, that no one would even think to breathe a scandal such as the Mason Kershaw Evans affair.” It's all written very dramatically.

Z: Right.

E: Like a tabloid, but she was a co-teacher with Mason at the same school. They spent a lot of time together in the schoolhouse, but they would also go out together and roam around in the forest. They would ride their horses together. Mason would paint pictures for her, and draw for her. They just had a great time together. When he proposed to her, and she accepted. Mason didn't really wanna tell anybody, but she insisted that she had to tell her daughter, and he was like, “Okay, well, you tell your father, and I'll tell my mother and that'll be the only people that we tell.” Earlier, before we got started this was one of those where you could tell I was getting tired of their bullshit and just tired in general. Despite her anonymity, the author of the book gave her a name, that I quite honestly to be fucking hilarious. Dawn O'Day, and I put here, “Like bitch what is she, a leprechaun?”

E&Z: (laughs)

E: The whole that there was, there's this very dramatic story of her birth because Mason's mom a midwife, and though her father was a doctor, he decided it was bad luck to deliver your own baby, so he called for Mason's mother because she was an experienced midwife, and she was actually pregnant with Mason at the time. He and Dawn are only a few months apart in age, so she was born at the brink of day, and so the author was like, her name is Dawn O'Day.

Z: Oh-

E: Yeah

Z:...my god. What's his name again? The author?

E: R. Frank McKinney.

Z: R. Frankly, I don't like it.

E: (laughs) As I said, Mason's mother was the midwife who delivered his eventual sweetheart. What?

Z: Another thing.

E: What?

Z: I wouldn't care about bad luck. Well, I guess this was a different time period. But-

E: Yeah.

Z:...just, it's free. Just have the baby, you ain't gotta worry about it.

E: That's free real estate.

Z: That's free real estate, truly, but I mean, as soon as I said it, I was like “They didn't really have hospital bills.” But!

E: Well here's the thing that bothers me too about this whole debacle in the-I had a lot more of this whole birth scene when I initially was doing my notes because it was just. It's so hard to tell what of this was actually true, and what of it was speculation because everything seems like it was speculation the way that it was written.

Z: Right.

E: Basically there's this whole scene Dawn's mother is obviously in distress, she's in labor, she's in pain, and he just fucking backhands her and tells her to quiet down, and then she dies. Yeah, she fucking dies. She dies in childbirth. Okay first of all, he smacked the hell out of her, she falls back quote, “whimpering onto the pillow,” he drugs her to keep her calmer, and when she does deliver the baby, she dies. And he's like “Oh my god, my wife died, and I slapped her.” Like no shit. First, you shouldn't be slapping your wife in the first place, what the hell? That really-I'm sorry I just got real loud.

Z: No you're fine, speechless.

E: Oh, it frustrated the hell out of me. I could really go on about this book. He slaps the mother of his child, until she literally falls back on the bed, she dies, and that is part of why he was so protective of his daughter. Ironically, in turn, when Mason was born the doctor was the one that they called on to deliver him. This family structure, this community, they're all very tight nit, it's a very small place, they all know each other. As they got older, Dawn was very drawn to Mason because of his skills in the arts. She quickly became friends with him. She was allowed to spend some of her free time hanging out with Mason, but her father said, “Mason Evans is a bright chap, but I just don't have any use for soldiers.” It was speculated that he felt this way because he maybe had something in his past that made him kind of resent the military. A lot of people in this story in particular were draft dodgers for the Revolutionary War, which is a really weird thing to think about.

Z: 100%

E: I don't know why, I never really thought about the Revoutionary War having been-having had a draft. I guess that makes sense?

Z: Yeah.

E: It's possible that that's why he felt that way. He in general was very possessive and protective of his daughter. So she never really brought up the topic of her having any sort of affection for Mason until he proposed to her, and she said, “Well, I have to tell my dad.” She went home, and when she told him that she had intended to marry Mason, they had this massive argument and he forbade her to marry him. As incentive for her to not marry him, he promised her the farm and $1,000.00 in gold if she would turn Mason down. Now, I didn't google how much $1000.00 would have been in 1820 whatever, actually no that was later. I think this is like 1840. This is also one, in your story you had said there aren't a lot of really exact dates. There are very few exact dates in this too. Basically, I have his birth date and his death date and anything pertaining to the Civil War that was recorded by the government, but nothing specific in between. So, he promised her the farm and $1000.00 in gold, and he said, “Compare that to tending babies, scrubbing floors, tilling the ground, never having money of your own, your own husband being gone from home, soldiering, leaving you with all the chores to do. If you're in your right mind, you'll never do it.” And I have here, which, this guy was a raging shithead, but he did make some valid points. I would take that money.

Z: (whispers) Same. And a farm?!

E: A farm?! Yes.

Z: Cottagecore!

E: Yes, exactly.

Z: I don't mean to scream.

E: It's fine. That's how you feel about cottagecore.

Z: I love it, I love it.

E: Dawn didn't go to school the following morning. Mason received a note from her father's gardener, informing him that she would not be in school that day, and her students were to be sent home and return the day following. Mason accepted that, but he was acting very strangely after that. He was very anxious, and his students were taking notice. “At times he would lose his train of thought, stop his teaching, stare into space, and after a moment of silence, would again gain his pupils attention by frequently running his fingers through his hair, laughing foolishly, and whispering to himself.” Students feared that he had been bewitched because they had seen him act similarly at religious camp meetings, writhing, wringing his hands and crying. There's another quote here, “This was the first time anything had happened to him since the time he fell sick at his brother's home in Mississippi several years back.” He had gotten really ill. I don't think they ever said exactly what he had, but he had a very high fever. This is kind of where they think things started to really effect him, because he was kind of-It was a a high enough fever to where it was starting to effect his brain function, and they think that that may have permanently damaged his brain. His brother had actually said he had congestion of the brain, but Mason said, “But I wasn't crazy.” This is another-basically, any quote that I'm gonna say is certainly written by R. Frank McKinney, not by the actual people that said them. It says, “But I wasn't crazy, it was the high fever that caused me to go out of my mind,” he rationalized with himself. Mason had studied enough medicine to know something about fever. If he hadn't became a teacher, he would certainly have became a doctor, as he had said many times before. He wrote all of this behavior off of his anxiety and he told himself that he would see Dawn after class. The gardener came back, and brought him another note, telling him not to leave until Dawn showed up. Which I think is kind of funny, because why send this poor man to the schoolhouse, when you could have just said “She ain't coming to school today, also Mason, hang out for a little bit after.”

Z: Yeah.

E: Put it in the same note!

Z: Yeah.

E: I digress. So Dawn comes up, and they have this fight, she breaks it off with him. She basically does that whole thing of, even though she didn't actually hate him, she played it up like she really hated him, just to make it a cleaner break, which I get, I guess.

Z: Been there.

E: Yeah, it happens. Doesn't make it hurt any less, but that's what happened. He was devastated, and he got on his horse and he rode away into the forest to be alone. After that, he eventually went home, but Mason didn't come inside to get his food like he always did. His mom looked outside and she saw him run into the barn, grab a coat of a hook, and run back into the woods, leaving his horse behind. She said to his brother Milton, “Mason's gone off without his supper, wonder where he's headed for?” Milton replied, “To Panther Cave, I guess.” That's where he's gone a lot lately to write poetry and compose songs for that female school teacher. He said that Panther Cave is the quietest place in the Knobbs for when you wanna meditate.” Now what we'll learn here is that Mason is a douche. Oh, not Mason, sorry, Milton. Milton very much hated this girl. He, the whole time is portrayed as just thinking she has the worst of intentions. He literally calls her a witch at one point. That's another thing about this, all the exaggeration I've talked about before, instead of portraying as what I believe it to be, and what I think most people that would read this in modern times to believe, is that Mason was sick, he had some underlying illness and his behaviors after this point were possibly inflamed by trauma. To me it all reads as very much this man had undiagnosed mental illness in the 1840s. However, they demonize the shit out of Ms. Dawn O'Day.

Z: Great.

E: Constantly talking about Mason is wandering around in the woods just thinking about how he misses her, thinking about how she destroyed his life. Milton is constantly quoted as saying she ruined everything for him, and destroyed his future. It's fucked. Literally, all she did was break up with him.

Z: Right.

E: That really is another beef I have with this book. Panther Cave. Panther Cave is this cave on the western side of Chilhowee Mountain that was as the name implies known for being a hiding place for panthers and it became Mason's primary hide out in the years following this event. His family went looking for him there after he ran away, but they didn't find him because he had already left, and he was on his way back to the house. That evening, they heard someone in the barn and they thought that someone had broken in. When his father went in to investigate, he found Mason sitting on the floor in his horse's stall hugging his legs. Which, they say, this is a great horse, but I would not wanna be down there.

Z: No.

E: A horse could kill you straight up with one kick.

Z: Oh yeah.

E: Not the point.

Z: Mason's crying, he's sitting on the floor hugging his horses legs. He keeps repeating to his family, “I had to see my horse, I had to see my horse, he's the only one that would understand me.” And same, Mason I get it. Listen I understand you. I was a horse kid, okay? My mom still has horses. They're good animals. You still coulda got kicked in the head. His family convinced him to stay and have a meal with them. His mother told him to sit down at the table but he wouldn't. “Instead he began pacing the floor with bodily agitations and jerks. He ran his hands through his hair, jerking his head back and forth, then letting his body fall on the floor, writhing as if in extreme pain. Robert and Milton tried to get him off the floor but he fought them off. Finally, Mason righted himself, began to sing in words never heard before, singing most melodiously, not from the mouth or nose, but but entirely from the breast. I don't-that still boggles my mind, I have no idea. He would run from one end of the kitchen to the other and back again, often barking and grunting with each stroke of his head. His family basically thought what was happening to him was “a spell,” similar to behavior that they had seen people exhibit at Methodist camp meetings. Such as like speaking in tongues, that kinda thing. Mason was obviously in distress and they didn't know what to do. One of his parents said, “Mason's just like the man in the Bible that was possessed by demons, full of unclean spirits, until Jesus sent them into a heard of swine. But what could have caused such a thing? That was another point in which Milton was like, “It's all that woman's fault.” called her a witch. Like I said, they didn't have any idea what was happening because they had no understanding of mental illness or any kind of brain injury, knowledge or anything like that.

Z: Right.

E: So they just tried to make him comfortable and placate him. They finally fed him, and it said, “Mason ate his meal ravenously, with his hands rather than any other utensils. He ate everything they put in front of him and downed two quarts of coffee.” Which sounds like a great day. I would love for that to be me.

Z: Same.

E: I wanna do that.

Z: Same.

E: They tried to convince him to explain what had happened, but he jumped up from the table, grabbed a knapsack from a hook on the wall, and ran back into the woods. His brother Milton was a medical student and he insisted that one day he would become a doctor and he would fix Mason's problems. We're gonna time skip a little bit.

Z: Sure.

E: In July of 1850, there was a 10 day stretch of near constant rain. It brought widespread flooding to the region. Many people were forced out of their homes, and dead animals, human waste, and debris were washing up in massive quantities on the farmland. I feel like I should specify, in this area where this is all taking place. It's a lot of flood planes between mountains, so when it rains, even now, it's really easily flooded. Ten straight days of rain is bad. It was very bad. Mason, at this point, had been living in the wilderness about two years. His father had sold off his horse because Mason wasn't around to care for him. He gave him the money from the sale, he was paid $100.00, and he told Mason that he needed to take it and use it, but Mason didn't want it. He put it in his backpack, and just let this $100 bill get shredded up in his backpack.

Z: Mason.

E: Yeah. He didn't have any use for money, he was out in the woods-

Z: Fair.

E:...and at this point he had become an expert at chicken snatching, taking food from gardens in the middle of the night, anything that he could find, he could eat. He was an expert forager, he knew all the berries and roots and stuff he could eat. He did eat all his meat raw, but he didn't really have anything to cook with in a cave.

Z: You gotta do whatcha gotta do.

E: Yeah, although it's not like he didn't know how to light a fire, it's just he apparently didn't cook his food. That didn't kill him, so I guess it's okay. Disclaimer, if you're listening to this, and you're considering the Mason Evans Diet, don't.

Z: Don't.

E: Don't. Cook your chicken thoroughly. At this point, he'd lived out there for two years. Dogs would bark and chase him up trees and hunters had to come and call them off to rescue him, because they would tree him like a bear. Overall, he was adapting to his new life. He was learning how to function out in the wilderness, but things were about to take a turn because the Evans family was victim to a lot of the flooding damage. They lived right on the banks of the creek and they had to clean up a lot after the storms. By this point, all of Mason's siblings had grown up and moved away and gotten married, so his parents were all alone to deal with this. This is topical, unfortunately, the flooding brought with it something much worse than just property damage, it brought illness. There was an epidemic of typhoid fever, and people just started dropping like flies. Entire families were dead in days. Milton had gone to Knoxville to go to medical school. He was called home, not because they were enlisting all the doctors in the region to care for people, but because both of his parents died like (snaps fingers) immediately.

Z: Jesus.

E: It was horrible. He said, “I wonder how many people thought to boil the water before drinking it.” 'Cause they wouldn't have known.

Z: Right.

E: That was a lot of what was killing people was they were drinking unclean drinking water. The Evans family all came together to make arrangements for their parents, and the question came up, “What do we do about Mason?” Milton, always the spokesman of the group, decided he was going to track his brother down, but when he did find him, he decided to just yell at him. He told him that he was disgusting and that he looked like a wild animal, that he didn't look like a person at all anymore. He told him, “If you'll come and get cleaned up you can go with me, but not before. You can't see Ma and Pa looking like that.” He was just now finding out that his parents had died, he's already traumatized by a number of other things. Mason of course, didn't want to hear it and he ran off into the woods again. He didn't do what Milton told him to do, however he did attend their funeral. He followed the procession of, there was like a wagon with matching white horses that carried their caskets. It's described in this very beautiful and flowery way that honestly, genuinely very sad, and his parents were buried at Hickory Grove Cemetery, while Mason watched from the woods. After that, this is where things are getting up into the Civil War, because we are coming up on the 1860s. At this time, the construction was finishing up on the White Cliff Springs Hotel. It is a very important location in Mason's life, in his history. The owner, Harvey McGill, and instructed Jonas and Betsy Jefferson, the couple that ran the hotel kitchen, to attend to all of Mason's needs. They would feed him, and often, Mr. McGill would come to the kitchen while Mason was there and he would talk to him and kind of give him the scoop on what was going on. I also feel like I should mention at this point, Mason basically went non-verbal. He didn't really speak very much, if at all. At lot of time in the book they describe him as kind of communicating in grunts and hand gestures, but it wasn't that he didn't understand things that people were saying to him. A lot of things in the book kind of-at the same time they're like, “yes, he was brilliant,” there was kind of this air of, “well he didn't talk anymore so he was stupid.” I just want to say, that's not how it works.

Z: Right.

E: You can be nonverbal and understand things, you know.

Z: Yeah.

E: Anyway, that's a whole other spiel for another time. So he would come in, and he would get the hot goss, and he would find out what was going on. He basically learned, at the White Cliffs Hotel, that the war was coming. He learned all about states seceding from the Union and that sort of thing. He was like, “Well, I am of the age of the draft,” he would be draft-able, so he was like, “I gotta hide.” He hunkered down Panther Cave for a little while, a long time, several months I guess? While he was still in hiding there was an accident. He decided that he was afraid of being caught by the authorities, he wasn't even gonna go to the hotel, he was just kinda gonna stockpile supplies, stay in his cave. One night while he was out foraging, he sees this light in the sky. He followed it, and the hotel was on fire. Burning to the ground. He shows up, and the fire marshal is there, and they're like, “Well, there's your fire bug,” and they basically threatened to arrest him. He is very upset, he ends up-they describe him as kind of having a fit. He started convulsing, he was very upset, he didn't know how to communicate that he hadn't been the one to do it because people were basically just accusing him already.

Z: Right.

E: Fortunately, at the same time that this was happening, this woman came forward, and was like, “My daughter knocked a candle over into a laundry basket, and that's what happened.” He was exonerated and he got up and ran away. The hotel burned to the ground. Mason went back to Panther Cave. This is another one of those points in the story where the author speculates that Mason spent much of his time lost in the memory of his ill-fated love affair.

Z: I don't think so.

E: I have here, “Like come on bro, it wasn't that serious.” After that he visited his sister Demaris and her husband Horner Coltharp, and to his surprise, he learned that his brother, Milton, had become a doctor, like he said he would. Instead of doing anything to help Mason, he filed paperwork with the court system in Monroe County to declare Mason a lunatic and subject to the confinement of a lunatic asylum. Milton also sold the land that was willed to Mason, without his consent, and basically was like, “Okay cops, go get him. Lock him up.” Very helpful. So-

Z: I don't like Milton.

E:...yeah, Milton is a shithead!

Z: Truly.

E: Demaris and Horner explained to Mason that Milton had moved away, but he had alerted local authorities to be on the lookout for him. Demaris requested that her husband build a shelter for him, where he could be supervised and he could be safe. Horner Coltharp did what he was asked. He constructed an 8x10 shanty for him, supplied him with food. They implored him not to wander off. He did, of course, try to leave to go back to the forest, and he was captured and chained to the floor. Which was great, because when people heard about this, people would come and just stare at him like he was a fucking zoo animal.

Z: Great.

E: Yeah, but there is a silver lining to this because this group of women heard what was happening to him. They were sympathetic so they came to see him and they brought him some supplies. They asked him if he could make use of a file, and he was like, “Yes, fuck yes, I can use a file. I can get out of here if I have a file.” So they baked him a loaf of bread with a file hidden in it.

Z: (gasps)

E: He was able to eat the bread, get the file out, and escape. How cool is that?

Z: I love that.

E: I know! These vigilante southern mamas are just like, “Nah this is not okay, you can't be doing this. This is a grown man, let him live his life. Let him out, here's a file, go be free!” I have so much respect for that. That's probably my favorite part of this whole story.

Z: I love that.

E: Yeah, so he escaped and he basically-he vowed never to return to his sister's property again because even though they had tried to help him, he didn't wanna get captured again. He continued to wander. He did go back occasionally and visit the White Cliff Hotel because they were constructing a second one, or rebuilding it. But he felt really uncomfortable being around there. He set up a number of outposts throughout the knobs with supplies and shelters where he could hide, should the authorities come to hunt him down again. A lot of people had complained about him raiding their gardens, and stealing their animals. The police never really caught him. Four years passed from the night of the fire and Mason showed up and he was very surprised to find that there was another hermit living there. Well, he wasn't living there, but he was a visitor, and they were treating him the way they were treating Mason, where they would feed him and give him whatever he wanted. His name is Gabriel North, and he'd had a very hard life. He had been fending for himself since childhood due to a strained relationship with his family. The book also implied that he had some mental illness as well and that that might have been effecting the way that his family treated him, so he was on his own. He did, however, have two dogs and Mason did not like dogs. When Harvey McGill was like, “I don't want you two at my hotel at the same time, I think you both should leave, go show him Panther Cave.” Mason was like “Cool, let's go,” Gabriel was like, “Okay well here's my dogs, and the dogs immediately attacked him. Immediately attacked Mason. They get into a fight, he hits the dog, because the dog is trying to attack him, and Gabriel was like “If you ever hit my dog again, you'll regret it Mason.” He kind of explained, “I have a checkered past with dogs, they do not like me,” and Gabriel basically was like, “Okay, cool that's fine. Just don't do it again,” and they became friends. But, another epidemic of illness hit the region. Yellow fever this time, and Gabriel was like, “I don't wanna be around for that. I'm afraid, I don't wanna get sick, I'm leaving.” So he left, and Mason was left alone again. That was in 1878. At this point, the book talks about what Mason had done for companionship previously. Allegedly, he had a couple of different animals for companionship. He had a rooster that he stole from a farm, like a prize rooster. This rooster and him were like BFFs. He kept it in a hollow oak tree that he called his rooster house. It road in his pocket until the action of squeezing in and out of his pocket caused it to loose all it's feathers. So he had a naked chicken that-

Z: (laughs)

E:..that was his best friend.

Z: (still laughing) I love that.

E: I know!

Z: Oh my god!

E: He also befriended a very large yellow tomcat, which followed him around for a long period of time. Now, here's the thing that's kind of icky. The rooster eventually died, and Mason ate it. Which, yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and say, I get it because he, you know. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive, and he was already catching and killing chickens before that.

Z: Sure.

E: The thing that bothers me about this, is that people were very into the speculation that he ate the cat too.

Z: I was afraid you were gonna say that.

E: I don't know that that happened. That's another thing that is in there just for shock value I think.

Z: I think so too. I feel like he was smart enough to know not to eat the cat.

E: I don't know, and honestly who the hell am I to judge him if he did.

Z: I've never had cat, who knows maybe it's good.

E: Living in a cave in the woods, you forage for all your food. Honor every part of them right.

Z: Yeah...

E: I know that's kind of fucked up to say about a cat but yeah. I just thought that that was-it was just randomly tossed in there between, “Here's a story of the Civil War,” “Mason Evans may have eaten his cat.” Like what??

Z: (laughs)

E: What are you talking about??

Z: Written. Like. A. Tabloid.

E: It must have been a slow news day.

Z: Truly.

E: Anyway, we're finally winding down. In the 1880s, a lot of things began to change. Lumber became a big industry in the Monroe County area, therefore, railroad started moving in. It was also at this time, that The Athenian, the newspaper that printed the pamphlet that I mentioned in the beginning, began it's operation. The publisher was a man named Wilbur F. McCarron. McCarron had promised the people of McMinn County “a newspaper of prestige, one whose literary content would be the best in the nation. There, the people who subscribed to the newspaper could be assured of many interesting features about McMinn, Meigs, and Monroe Counties.” The funny thing about this, is that people were not about this happening because they were like, “We wanna know about politics, we don't give a shit about whatever literature you're trying to bring us.” They also didn't like him because this was in the time period where Democrats and Republicans were flipped values wise-

Z: Right.

E:...and he was a Republican, and I thought it was really funny because they were like, “We don't like republicans around here.” And I was like “Boy you better fast forward 200 years.

Z: You better buckle up!

E: That's all we got. Within a month of the publication's beginning, McCarron came to visit the White Cliff Hotel and he told Mr. McGill that he wanted to know about Mason and eventually write a piece about him. Mr. McGill basically told him that the best person to talk to would be Horner Colthrop, his brother-in-law. When he returned to Athens, McCarron immediately published a series of articles in his paper about quote, “The Wild Man of the Chilhowee.” He recounted the stories of the people who had encountered him through direct interviews. The article stirred up a lot of controversy, and on January 9, 1886, ,the sheriff captured Mason and brought him to the Athens County Jail, and yet again, his capture drew in a lot of spectators. A lot of people came to watch them, arrest him basically and put him in prison. They took his photo on the steps of the courthouse, gave him a change of clothes and sentenced him to an insane asylum in Nashville. Very, for context, Monroe County is like the bottom eastern corner of Tennessee. Nashville is 4 hours away?

Z: Yeah, like three of four.

E: Three or four hours away, so that's very far from anything he's every known. In The Athenian, Mr. McCarron wrote, “Till a short time ago, Mason Evans kept with regularity the date of his birth, the day of the week, the month, and the year, and when urged to do so, would write a few sentences and solve problems with as much exactness as the days of yore. But age is creeping upon him. His eyesight is failing, and the little spark of passion and the reason that should have never left him is gradually being extinguished. It was only by the exercise of strategy and urgent persuasion he was induced without using force to come down from his mountain home and get into a wagon waiting to convey him into town, a distance of some 15-20 miles.” Mason did not want-whether they forced him or not, he did not want what they took him to do. He attempted to escape several times. So far as to get the start of his guards, several 100s of yards going at full speed toward the mountains. Mostly reports said that he was harmless, but a few people had said that in his older age he would get confused, he would lash out a little bit. What it actually said was, “attacks of raving lunacy.” Which, yikes. A few weeks later, McCarron wrote that Mason was taken the McMinn County Poorhouse. Once he arrived there, he very quickly made his escape. He walked a distance of around 20 miles back to his brother-in-law's house. Horner Colthrop provided him a shelter to stay in at night and he was free to roam during the day. Which is kind of what the situation was before, but this time there wasn't really much of an issue with it. He actually used the shelter he was given, the cops didn't try to come take him away, they all kind of came to an agreement. At this point, things were really, finally starting to calm down for him. During the winter of 1891-1892, Mason stayed in the cabin intermittently. He continued to visit the White Cliff kitchens and he was very grateful for the services that they gave him, because he was 68 years old, and his health was beginning to decline. Any food that they could give him, any warmth, he was grateful for. Unfortunately, on the morning of January 11, 1892, Mason's body was found frozen sitting under a tree. His brother-in-law claimed his remains, and Mason was buried in a simple wooden casket near his parents at Hickory Grove Cemetery. For 40 years, he had lived alone in the wilderness, kept himself alive. I think that that is fucking crazy.

Z: Truly.

E: Obviously, if you threw me out there now, given that I am of the-I'm on the millenial/gen z cusp. I've basically always had a cell phone in my hand. I would not last a day.

Z: I can't even poop in the woods.

E: Exactly! Thank you! I know it was a different time but wow. 40 years, completely alone.

Z: Yeah.

E: Didn't have a house, lived in a cave. Finally I have a quote here from Harvey McGill, the owner of the White Cliff Hotel who said, “Mason Evans is much better off dead than alive and Hickory Grove is a much better place than the shack he lived in. The final resting place of his soul is with God, I am sure.” That is-

Z: That's sweet.

E:...the story of Mason Evans.

Z: Oh my god. I am still shook about those women.

E: I know.

Z: The loaf of bread.

E: It's so cool. It's so cool.

Z: Oh my god.

E: That just goes to show you. That's the definition of southern hospitality.

Z: Truly.

E: Truly.

Z: Well, thank god I finally know all about Mason.

E: I'm sorry that was so long-

Z: Nah.

E:...for our first run, but I really just needed to

get that one off my chest. Fortunately, it had given me kind of a branching off of some other topics that I want to cover too. I definitely want to talk more about the White Cliff Hotel and I am actually planning on doing an episode on sinkholes.

Z:OOooo.

E: Caves and sinkholes are all kind of connected. So that's that. Thank you for listening.

Z: Of course.

E: What's your issue this week?

Z: My issue this week, and-okay there is a side of TikTok-

E: I'm afraid now.

Z:...currently, and again, brain worms. My issue this week is cleantok. Cleaning TikTok.

E: Ooo, that sounds nice.

Z: I'm gonna do a little bit of a trigger warning here-

E: Oh, okay.

Z:...for child abuse.

E: Okay...

Z: Because skip ahead like 2 minutes, if you don't want to hear about this, but-

E: I was not expecting this.

Z:...have you ever read the book A Child Called It?

E: No, but I know about it. I know like the general plot.

Z: There's a scene where household chemicals are mixed and it's supposed to be-

E: Oh.

Z: Okay.

E: Like the mustard gas?

Z: Yeah, pretty much.

E: I think I know where this is going.

Z: There's this side of TikTok now where people are like, “We're on cleantok, we're gonna clean.” and they'll dump half a container of AJAX, Clorox, Dawn, literally everything under the-

E: Ammonia.

Z: Ammonia, everything and that's just where my brain goes is mixing chemicals together and making deadly toxic gases and I'm just waiting, because there's livestreams of people that'll just go live and dump-

E: Yeah, I've seen a couple of those videos where people are just throwing in 4 different kinds of powder and dumping multiple liquids on top of it.

Z: Yeah!

E: How are you not dead? Someone's gonna get hurt.

Z: Truly, and that's where my brain went. I was like, someone is going to not realize it. 'Cause it's science, they're chemicals. You're mixing shit together, you don't know what you're mixing. Somethings going to happen, someone is going to get hurt, because these people on TikTok are like “Oh I'm going to make a rainbow in my toilet today.”

E: Can I say, I feel like a lot of that we don't have home-ec in schools anymore.

Z: Yeah.

E: Because I learned, my mom was the one that told me, don't mix ammonia and bleach cause you'll make mustard gas, but I don't know if that's actually true. I know that it makes something that is very dangerous, but that is kind of where you would learn about these household things. Schools are so underfunded that you don't have that anymore.

Z: Yep.

E: That's just sad.

Z: Well, that was my issue. Sorry to get a little dark there for a second but truly I saw just one video, and you know how TikTok is, they'll be one here or there, and it really made me mad.

E: Well, hey, PSA don't do that. Don't mix things.

Z: Please.

E: Do your research if you're going to use multiple chemicals because, because holy shit you could literally gas yourself to death.

Z: Here's the tea. One is enough.

E: Yeah, most of the time.

Z: Scrubbing bubbles? Fine.

E: Yeah.

Z: Dawn Dishwashing Liquid? Fine. Don't start mixing shit. You don't need to. That's what they're there for.

E: Yes, yes. Please be safe. Please don't get hurt.

Z: What's your issue now that I'm all worked up?

E: My issue, maybe this is dark, my issue is honestly that I had to take Brownie to the emergency vet.

Z: Yeah.

E: 'Cause that was a nightmare.

Z: Yeah.

E: I had to take my sweet little boy to the vet because I came home from work and he had poopied blood and I was terrified and I thought he was gonna die. It turns out that he just had a mild infection, and he's had his antibiotics. He's good to go now. We did his follow up, and the vet said he looked fine. His issue this week is probably the fact that they shaved that funky chunk out of the side of his neck, because they had to give him fluids, so he has this wonky ass-it looks like the state of South Carolina.

Z: Have you ever seen that episode of Bob's Burgers where he gets the stitch in his finger-

E: Yes!

Z:...and he's like, “Why did you shave my arm?”

E: That is exactly it, yeah. God that's such-I love Bob's Burgers.

Z: Same.

E: But yeah, that's my issue. He's fine. I'm still-I don't think I'm ever gonna recover from that. That was so stressful. He's okay and he's standing here staring at me because it's been two hours, and he probably needs to poop.

Z: He probably needs to poop.

(dog shaking his head noises)

E: Yeah.

Z: We'll take that as a yes.

E: Alright, well, thanks for listening.

Z: Of course, thanks for listening to me ramble, thanks for listening to Em ramble.

E: Thanks for really listening to me ramble.

E&Z: (laughs)

Z: Well we'll hopefully see you next time, hopefully we'll see you next time, I'm really excited for my topic next week.

Z: Hi guys.

E: Hey.

Z: How's it going? So when we initially recorded this episode, we didn't have all of our social media set up completely. There were a couple that had different usernames or whatever, just rookie mistakes that we had made, but we just wanted to rerecord the ending here. Kinda touch base with you, so you know exactly where to find us so there's no confusion, and we're all on the same page. So Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @issues-podcast. Our Tumblr is @theabandonmentissues. Or you can simply go to our LinkTree whick is linktr.ee/issues_podcast. And all of this will be linked in the description below. But that's got all of our relevant links including our cited sourced, social media, and our Patreon can be found there as well.

E: We also have an email for listener story submissions now. So if you have any places nearby you that you think are relevant to the topics that we cover, we would like to hear from you. You can send those to us at [email protected], and we might read it out on the air.

Z: You never know what could happen.

E: You never know. You can also send whatever you want to that email. Anything you want us to know. Anything relevant.

Z: Send us memes. We'll print them out, and we'll hand them to Gertrude.

E: Exactly. Yeah.

Z: No problem.

E: That should pretty much cover everything, contact wise.

Z: We appreciate you guys understanding that we're fools.

E&Z: (laughs)

E: We're just some fresh faced youngsters.

Z: Listen, we're little rookies, we gotta figure it out as we go, and unfortunately this is one of them.

E: If you need anything from us, that's were you can find us.

Z: Please, send me memes.

E: (laughs) Please. It's what keeps him going.

Z: It's all I got left in this world.

E: Yeah.

#podcast #podcast transcription #accessibility #podcast accessibility #transcription #the abandonment issues transcripts #the abandonment issues #episode one #mason evans #the round house #urban exploration #appalachia #tennessee #history #long post #transcripts

[cerinamroths]

Nirvana in Fire 2 Thoughts

The strongest quality of NIF2 is the emotional resonance it gives to the audience as it focuses more on the characters/family and less about the intricacies of the schemes and politics. Whereas I didn’t feel as much in NIF until its ending, I felt and cried so much throughout NIF2. Also “The Wind Blows in Changlin”?? More like a fucking tornado storms through Changlin!!!

Let’s start with how the one sentence google summary of NIF2 is a terrible spoiler! The description basically summarizes eps. 1-37! It states “Xiao Pingjing finally succumbs to the grief caused by the death of his brother and his father, and he leaves the capital to return to Langya Pavilion.” 

This kind of ruined it for me, bc I expected their deaths from the first few episodes & then I just waited for them to die... and then every happy scene of them just made me sadder knowing what’s to come... It’s like reading about Game of Thrones with a description “The remaining Stark family learns to play the game as the oldest son & father perishes...” LIKE WHAT EVEN

The OST is beautifully heartwrenching! My favorite one so far - I’ve been listening to it between watching and driving to/from work.

The OTP of this series IS Pingzhang and Qianxue. Sure, Lin Xi & Pingjing are fated and cute, but we didn’t get enough moments between them. You see PZ & QX teasing each other, supporting each other, respectively doing their duties, going to battle together, being intimate as much as one can be in a cdrama, etc. I’m sad they had to end but at least she did have a son and we got a happy ending through Lin Xi & Pingjing.

Speaking of that ending, I am so happy for Pingjing. When it comes to responsibilities, especially in that time period, one cannot be so lucky... but to have those military achievements and honor of defending His Majesty and then being free of responsibilities & duties to go live out the rest of your life with your love is the best gift one could ask for. It kind of makes you thankful that Minister Xun succeeded in dismantling the Changlin army...

In asian culture where one has to be successful, especially if there is a family legacy, I really admired Tingsheng for imparting that final advice to Pingjing - saying he doesn’t need to continue with Changlin or to be what PZ and TS was in the past... but to live his own life. 

Maybe it makes for a better story, but I was utterly pissed off at Minister Xun & The Empress! I rather have someone with committed evil intentions (like Marquis Xie & Yuanqui) than someone with misguided intentions. The only reason why they dismantled the Changlin family was to thwart them from possible evil future crimes!!! URGH. I do understand though, and the show makes sure to highlight it throughout, especially at the end in the last conversation between General Yue and Pingjing.

I really hated Puyang Ying... but that just shows how much of a threat he was! If he had grander plans than just taking revenge for the plague, he could have been as calculating as Mei Changsu. I really feel bad for his disciples not knowing he stole his king’s seal & tricking everyone to commit evil actions. And Yuanqi... I clearly see why he did what he did, but those moments in the earlier episodes when you see Yuanqi contemplate his morals... URGH he could have been so good! Poor fucking Anru! ): I’m surprised Marquis Mozi didn’t make appear at the end but that’s most definitely a future problem.

I can’t believe they used the actress for Xia Dong in NIF to be Madam Qi from Donghai in NIF2!!! Also holy fucking shit when Yuanqi burned her alive!!!

Pingzhang was the best male character of the series - he was the embodiment of a powerful warrior, intelligent mind, responsible-but-can-have-fun personality... the love for his family especially finding out he was adopted & saving his brother’s life was just so amazing!!!! 

Feizhan was the second best male character. He has such an unbreakable moral foundation. Now that is an example you can pit against Yuanqi... he will still make the right choices even if his family is in the wrong. Poor him for being in love with Qianxue! Bc in that life and in any other reincarnated life, it’s going to be PZ & QX buddy... unless AU OT3?! But anyways, how can you not admire his steadfast and resolute moral outlook!?

Pingjing grew on me throughout the drama. I understand that main characters must have flaws to overcome in a story, but he was really annoying in the beginning. Smart, but stupid with Lin Xi! He was so impulsive with court matters, that I wanted to facepalm & cringe so hard. But when he really had to grow up... man the change! ): 

My favorite moment is when the disbanded Changlin army reunites and is ready to go to battle for Pingjing to save His Majesty.

The battle at the Northern Border with the solar eclipse was also epic!!! I haven’t watched many Chinese Movies/Dramas, but it felt semi-reminiscent of Red Cliff and it made me yearn for more battle scenes.

From ep. 38 and on, I really like the plot they give to the side characters of Pei-er, General Yue, and his subordinate Tan Heng.

Little Emperor - ngl, my favorite moment was when he ordered to kill Yuanqi! Like YES, DIE YUANQI. But also I really enjoyed his relationship with Pingjing. That ending quote though took my heart:

“Older brother Pingjing, no matter where you will be from now on, do not forget your old friend here in Jinling. You must frequently write him back." 

I love the callbacks to NIF and those scenes made me so emotional especially when Tingsheng reminisced about Mei Changsu & his father Jingyan! Also wtf happened to Fei Liu! I’m annoyed that Commander Meng didn’t spend as much time teaching Qianxue & focused on the boys instead... especially when fucking Princess Nihuang led the entire Mu army and protected the southern border. It was nice to have Pingjing & His Majesty escape through the tunnel between Changlin Manor (aka Prince Jing’s Manor) and Sir Su’s residence!!!

There are barely any fics for NIF2!!! I really with for a time travel fic where maybe the NIF2 characters meet NIF1... or NIF1 characters come to the future and help Changlin Manor and let the world know what’s up (imagine Mei Changsu scoffing at Minister Xun & The Empress). Or even PJ going back to the start of the drama, showing how much he’s grown to his father and elder brother. Some fluff between PZ & QX and PJ & LX. 

Also with both NIF & NIF2, thank goodness Langya Court isn’t evil lol... because they are certainly biased!

Ending with a shot of Ce’er waving goodbye (so cute!). Hoping to start The Legend of Fuyao or The Rise of Phoenixes next. 

#nif2 #nirvana in fire 2 #nirvana in fire #xiao pingjing #xiao pingzhang #meng qianxue #xun feizhan #xiao tingsheng #omg legend of fuyao is 66 episodes #rise of phoenixes is 70 episodes #lol i'm going to die #this covid time period of my life will be known as aileen finally starts her first cdrama and keeps binging as much cdramas as she can #text post #as with any other show i finish watching and love #you best believe i'm spamming this for a few days

[theworldbrewery]

Remmy Highcliffe, at your service ~

Testimonials: 

“Are you exercising empathy right now?” - Gadao

“Yeah, he’s a bastard. There’s something sort of nice about it, though.” -Alice

“I’m a one-trick pony, this is what I got.” -Remmy (in a Southern accent)

Remington “Remmy” Highcliffe, aka Jamie Clearwater | Aasimar Cleric

am i biased because this is my partner’s character? yes. absolutely. I’m always biased about Remmy Highcliffe. But look at him! My one regret is I forgot to give him heart-shaped sunglasses, as per his day-to-day Look.

#dnd #d&d #dungeons and dragons #rpgs #characters

[dweemeister]

The Little Colonel (1935)

Whenever I watch older films with black actors in subservient roles, I have a habit of pausing the film, and scrolling through their filmography. For the African-American actors and actresses that worked at Hollywood’s major studios before the emergence of Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, and Dorothy Dandridge in the 1950s, they toiled in stereotypical roles that read repetitively – servant, maid, busboy, slave, villager, savage, African chief. Like many black moviegoers in the early twentieth century, I am glad these mostly-unknown actors found work, but am sick to see the buffoonish, stereotype-adhering characters they play on screen (this raises questions about whether no representation or bad representation is better, but that is for another day).

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was the highest-paid black entertainer of the 1930s: a masterful tap dancer (tap dancing is an innovation from the minstrel show, where Robinson’s career began) idolized by Fred Astaire, the Nicholas Brothers, and Gene Kelly. His birthday, May 25, is National Tap Dance Day. Robinson’s vaudeville and Broadway career had long made him a national celebrity, and Hollywood studios looked to procure his services for bit and supporting roles. While in Hollywood, he quickly learned that he could not escape the restrictions Hollywood executives had set for non-white actors – casting directors, whether by a lack of imagination or naked racism or somewhere in between, could not envision black actors beyond certain roles.

Another American cultural fixture in the 1930s was an adorable, curly-haired girl named Shirley Temple. Months before its merger with Twentieth Century Pictures, Fox Film Corporation cast Robinson in a Shirley Temple picture, The Little Colonel. Shirley Temple movies often relegated A-list actors to supporting roles – disgruntling those actors to some extent, but mollifying their frustration with the dependable profits made at the box office. Seen today, The Little Colonel is problematic in its depiction of race relations and portrayal of its black characters. And yet, it is also groundbreaking. The film features the first interracial dance couple in American film history, and spawned a close intergenerational friendship between Temple and Robinson that lasted until the latter’s death.

It is the early 1870s in Kentucky, and life has changed little since the American Civil War ended. White landowners retain their plantations and black subordinates. Those subordinates are no longer slaves, but racially-coded relations remain. Though Kentucky remained in the Union, there are numerous veterans and supporters of the defeated Confederacy within its borders, including Colonel Lloyd (Lionel Barrymore). The colonel has learned that his daughter, Elizabeth Lloyd (Evelyn Venable), has married a Yankee, Jack Sherman (John Lodge). Furious, the Colonel disowns Elizabeth – forcing her and Jack, an American soldier, to accept a posting in the West. There, they raise a girl, Lloyd Sherman (Temple), before moving back to Kentucky six years later. Before leaving the fort with her parents, Lloyd, the outfit’s darling, is made an honorary colonel of the United States Army. Elizabeth, Jack, little Lloyd, and housekeeper Becky “Mom Beck” Porter (Hattie McDaniel) settle in a household near Colonel Lloyd’s plantation without his knowledge. Colonel Lloyd eventually learns that the happy-go-lucky rapscallion bothering him and his head servant Walker (Robinson) is his granddaughter, and continues to exile Elizabeth and Jack from his life.

The Little Colonel, shown in black-and-white, ends with a brief two-strip Technicolor scene (Walt Disney’s monopoly on three-strip Technicolor would end later that year) – a “pink party” that marked the only time Shirley Temple wore makeup in a Fox film.

Adapted from Annie Fellows Johnston’s novel of the same name by screenwriter William M. Conselman (several Shirley Temple films, including 1934’s Bright Eyes and 1936’s Stowaway) and journeyman director David Butler (another Shirley Temple regular, 1942’s Road to Morocco), The Little Colonel sees Temple play a hallmark of her characters: a precocious troublemaker whose very charm melts hearts and inspires others to do what is just, despite their personal prejudices and historical biases. Only if the real world could be like that, audiences must have thought – packing movie theaters to see escapist fare like this, to forget momentarily the Great Depression. Like any Shirley Temple picture, the film is at its best when it concentrates on its young star. Most of the G-rated humor on display is gentle, ribbing others’ sense of self-importance and their absurd, absolutist behavior (especially Barrymore’s Colonel Lloyd, who looks as if he is about to sell me fast food served in a red-and-white tub). Not even little Lloyd is spared:

LLOYD SHERMAN: Aren’t papas supposed to love their little girls? MOM BECK: Yes, honey, they should. LLOYD SHERMAN: It seems might funny to me. MOM BECK: It’s ‘cause all the Lloyds are stubborn. The old colonel is, your mama is, and you is. LLOYD SHERMAN: I’m not stubborn! Don’t you call me that! MOM BECK: Don’t you stomp your foot at me. That don’t change it, that just proves it!

Elsewhere, too much of The Little Colonel’s humor is premised in racial stereotyping. That Lloyd Sherman befriends two black children in May Lily (Avonne Jackson) and Henry Clay (Nyanza Potts) might be enough to spark outrage among millions of American moviegoers in the 1930s. As much as this decision should be commended, that commendation is tempered by their appearance – inspired by minstrel shows – and by the fact they are eating watermelon in several scenes. Barrymore’s Colonel Lloyd is not only a misanthrope, but a racist misanthrope. Where little Lloyd sees an old man who needs to be taken down many notches, few others who see this film would probably be as disarming towards him. Colonel Lloyd refers to May Lily and Henry Clay as “pickaninnies”, threatens physical punishment towards Walker and Mom Beck at the slightest mistake, and indulges in Lost Cause rhetoric that glorifies the Confederacy as righteous. He is the sort of person that many Americans on tumblr would rather not speak to over Thanksgiving dinner. For Mom Beck and Walker, the two black servants in this film are understandably undereducated. But though the film paints them as self-aware and quick-witted, it mocks their lack of education during a scene where their poor spelling and grammar is apparent.

The Little Colonel is less of a musical than other Shirley Temple films, but it is obviously not devoid of musical moments. Its one notable musical scene is without lyrics and is best known for its fancy footwork. The staircase dance between Bill Robinson and Shirley Temple is transcendent cinema. This sequence is set to an original rhyme before transitioning into “My Old Kentucky Home” (Robinson mimics a trumpet to provide the melody) and follows a late-night confrontation between little Lloyd and Colonel Lloyd. Lloyd Sherman, who has been sent away from home because her father must be quarantined due to illness, wants to see her parents – ironically, this is for the good of the film, as Lodge and Venable’s performances are indifferent. She has never been away from her parents this long, and finds herself unsettled by living with her cantankerous grandfather. But there is Bill Robinson, as Walker, to provide comfort and solace.

In this complicated, potentially dangerous dancing scene, they showcase their agility and technical ability together. Robinson was Temple’s sole tap dancing teacher; she was a quick study, soon learning how to feel the beat rather vocalize or visualize it. Without hyperbole, Robinson would later claim Temple to be one of the best dancing partners he ever had. Depression-era audiences of all races witnessed their mastery on-screen. The scene celebrates and implies that blacks and whites can address and overcome hardship together. Robinson holding Temple’s hand proved incendiary to many Southern theater owners, as many requested prints that edited out the hand-holding.

During the years after The Little Colonel’s release, Robinson – fifty years Temple’s senior – became her most frequent co-star and a dear friend (best described as a close uncle-niece relationship). Nevertheless, unlike his white co-stars, he could never embrace or kiss Temple on-screen. Robinson also stayed in and used different facilities – giving the young Shirley Temple an early, though, understanding of the racism blacks faced in America. She recalled how, on the set of The Little Colonel, Robinson was the only person in the cast or crew to treat her as an equal, never patronizing her. The two sent telegrams when apart, encouraging and motivating the other to do and be their best. This meeting of two cultural giants, their careers constrained in their respective ways, continues to provide the inspiration and joy that audiences in the Depression sorely needed – even if the films themselves reflect the most unsavory aspects of American attitudes towards race.

My rating: 7/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

#The Little Colonel #David Butler #Shirley Temple #Bill Robinson #Lionel Barrymore #Evelyn Venable #John Lodge #Hattie McDaniel #William M. Conselman #Cyril J. Mockridge #TCM #My Movie Odyssey

[drinkingdeadpeopletea]

Prime numbers for the ask game!

THANK you ryn and yes i did have to look up a list of prime numbers to do this. funny story, 1 is not prime! and there’s lots of them so under the cut:

2. Who in the party would your character trust the most with their life?

Bird trusts Faeln, our cleric. Pretty sure every single person in the party would give the same answer. 

3. What are your character’s core moral beliefs?

Elodie believes first that people should help each other, and second that all tyrants should be dead. 

5. Does your character have any biases for or against certain races?

Bird really does not! She was raised in the very diverse Many Hosts of Igrathad in southern Xhorhas. She does have a particular fondness for orcs because the woman who (mostly) raised her is an orc. 

7. Describe your character’s current appearance: clothes, armor, scars they’ve picked up along the journey, etc.

Elodie’s got a cute yellow and brown dress that has her mithril armor under it, Frodo Baggins style. She’s wearing boots, leggings, her lute slung across her back and her holy symbol on a bracelet around her wrist. 

11. Describe your character’s current relationship with the player character sitting to your right.

We’ve been playing over zoom so I don’t have a “to the right” so I rolled a d4 to pick. Bird has a deep respect for our paladin, Tanvir--she felt a kinship with him ever since they both got knocked out right next to each other in the very first battle. He’s a little standoffish and clearly dealing with some shit, but when Bird lost control of her werewolf form, it was Tanvir who was holding her and making sure she was okay when she woke up, so at this point she’d pretty much die for him. (And Bird doesn’t know this yet, but I, Hannah, know that Tanvir is the only other person in the party who has been carefully tracking moon cycles.....the full moon is in two days and i am SO excited to see what Happens Next)

13. Does your character ever want to “settle down” with a spouse, children, house, etc.?

Sure, Elodie will gladly settle down! Once King Bertrand Dwendal is dead and Wildemount is free! 

17. What is your character’s favorite season?

Bird likes spring. The whole world waking up again :) Plus there’s big thunderstorms, which she loves. 

19. Where in the world does your character most want to visit?

Elodie would love to go to Tal’Dorei, she knows the Golden Grin is more connected and respected there and she would love to be in that environment.

23. If your character could go back in time and change one thing about their life, what would it be?

Bird would not get bit by the werewolf. But she’d still run in to try to help the man they were attacking, she’d just be...more careful about it. 

29. What are your character’s hobbies and interests outside of their class?

Elodie genuinely loves music, even beyond being a way to contact her secret society. She also is a very good cook and loves to make food for people.

31. what stereotypical group role does your character play in the party? (The Mom, the Mess, the Comic Relief, etc. Optionally: What role would your character play in the “Five Man Band” structure?)

Lately Bird has really been the Mess of the group because we’re dealing with her backstory shit first, apparently. In the five man band she’d probably be the Smart Guy, although it’s wisdom rather than intelligence. no high-int characters here!! 

37. What stereotypical role would your character play in a high school AU/if they attended a normal high school? (Nerd, jock, bully, goth, etc.)

Elodie would be the sweet but innocent religious girl with the secret wild side. (is that a common trope? or did I just know a whole bunch of them in real life?)

41. Does your character care about how they’re perceived by others? How do they change themselves to fit in with other people?

Bird really needs people to percieve her as “useful,” as pulling her own weight. And she needs to feel like she actually is doing that, as well. But she doesn’t really care if they like her--9 charisma at work, baby. 

43. What is your character’s scent? (Bonus points for a description that sounds like it could be from a bad [or awesome] fanfic.)

Elodie smells like vanilla and wide open spaces on warm summer days. :)

47. How did your character spend their childhood? Where did they grow up/who were their childhood friends?

Bird was a foundling, and raised communally, so she had many people protecting and caring for her, but she also always felt slightly on the outside, as the culture of her village isn’t big on overt expressions of love. But she has many good memories of running through forests and fields with the other kids around her age. 

53. What is your character’s favorite spell? If they don’t use spells: what is their favorite personal weapon/combat maneuver/skill/etc.?

Elodie’s been prepping Calm Emotions pretty much every day. She tries not to use it on people without their consent, but she loves being able to make people (herself included) feel better when they’re panicking or upset, and she likes the idea of being able to diffuse situations before they ever turn into combat, although that situation hasn’t arisen yet. 

59. Does your character value their own best interest more than the party’s?

For Bird, before the werewolf incident, yes. Now, she values her party members, although she doesn’t value their purpose of “elite Xhorhasian mission squad” like, at all. She doesn’t give a shit about the Dynasty, but she does give a shit about these people. 

61. How does your character imagine the way they will die?

Oh, boy. Elodie imagines it too often. Some sort of self-sacrifice--casting Warding Bond or using her Unity Domain Channel Divinity to take way too much damage. Alternatively, facing down a group of Righteous Brand in a hopeless situation and shouting “death to tyrants” in their faces. (god. i love this character.) 

67. What is your character the most envious about, regarding anyone in the party?

if my as-a-player theory that Tanvir is also a lycanthrope but has WAY more control over his condition than Bird does, that will immediately shoot to the top, but right now, she just envies Tatyan’s sense of direction and purpose. 

71. Describe how your character feels about the party’s current situation/objective/etc.

I’m not even going to TOUCH Everything That Happened Last Session because we still have no clue where we are, but before that, Elodie feels very good about reuniting Skala with their brother because she can see how important it is to Skala and she thinks Skala deserves a win, and she feels SO good about getting to Port Damali and connecting with the other Grinners to take down the Myriad. 

73. If your character knew that they were going to die in a month, how would they spend the rest of their life?

Bird would like....climb a mountain. Like, she would ditch everyone in her life and just go be in nature. It’s lonely and a little sad, but she’d be at peace. 

79.  What unusual talents does your character possess?

Elodie can play a handful of songs VERY well, and she can lie a lot better than people expect of her. 

83. How far is your character willing to go to pursue the “greater good”? Do they believe in a greater good at all?

Bird is much more neutral and less driven by goodness than most of my characters, but she does believe protecting and helping people is very important, and she’d go very far for that, even for strangers. Not big on Big Ideals, though.

89. What is your character’s relationship with magic? Are they scared of it, wish to know more about it, indifferent to it?

Elodie loves magic, but believes if you have access to power, you have a responsibility to be using it to help people rather than to suit your own gains or consolidate power.

97. What is most important to your character: health, wealth, or happiness?

For Bird, it’s health, which she connects with being powerful, being capable, being in-control. 

#WOW that was a lot #but THANK YOU #if people want to send more feel free but i'll get to them tomorrow :) #wildemount campaign #ask game #dnd #musicallynerdy #long post

[wrathofthestag]

What about 'I'm only here to establish an alibi' + zimbits? I adore your writing btw!

This is for @mavis-bluemoon,  @cyn2k and raerae104 who all asked for #42:  “I’m only here to establish an alibi.”  Here’s a funny little future Zimbits ficlet.  Oh, Bitty!

---------------------------

“It’s not that I think the food is bad, per se,” Bitty said as he pulled down his cap a little lower, “it’s just not up to my usual snuff.”

Jack smirked as he settled into the booth and took a sip of his beer.  He picked up an onion ring from the basket on the table and swung it around his index finger.

“It’s okay to say you like it,” he said.

“My mama would tan my hide if she knew I was here.”

“So you like their wings. It’s not a big deal,” Jack chuckled.

“Jack, I’m at Hooters,” Bitty said as he took another wing and began gnawing on it.

“Yeah, so am I,” Jack laughed.  

“But people would expect it from you,” Bitty said, a small smear of sauce adorned his cheek.  “Meanwhile, it would be weird for me to be here.”

“Oh, so it’s okay for me to be here, but not you.  You're being very… something,” Jack said and reached across to wipe the sauce from Bitty’s face.  

Bitty looked at Jack through lowered lashes. “Something?”

“Yeah, heteronormative? Biased? Something? I don’t know. Shitty would know the right word.”  

Jack took his saucy finger up to his mouth and slowly licked it off locking eyes with Bitty.

“Stop trying to be sexy with me, you so-and-so.”

“So if someone recognizes you, then you’ll say we’re only here because of me?  The stereotypical jock bro?”

Bitty shrugged.  “I can’t have a southern BBQ cookbook coming out next month and be seen chowing on Hooters wings. My agent and publicist would have a fit.”

“So, I’m only here to establish an alibi.”

“Yes,” Bitty said with a quick nod.

“Bittle, we’re married.  People know I’m not here for the half-naked servers—or the food.”

Bitty took a long pull from his beer bottle.

“I mean, stranger things have happened," he said.

“Wow.  You are hilarious,” Jack said and leaned in to kiss Bitty.

Bitty laughed.  “Stop! You have BBQ sauce on your face.”

“Yeah?” 

"Yeah."

Jack kissed Bitty again.

#zimbits #future zimbits #jack x bitty #jack zimmermann #eric bittle #inbox asks #prompts #oh bitty!

[diannelamerc]

Yes, the Civil War Was Fought Over “States’ Rights”-- And the Most Important of Those Was Slavery

I am seeing more and more late night hosts, news commentators, and people I generally respect apparently holding the truth to be self-evident that anyone who thinks "states’ rights" were at all involved in the secession of the Confederate states, or thinks that anything except "slavery" was a fighting point in the Civil War, is abhorrently, callously ignorant.

Mind you: Not people trying to somehow say it "wasn't about slavery”; just anyone saying it was "about slavery and states’ rights (and drastically shifting economic trends and other complicated matters)".

Somehow as if saying that Hitler's agenda encompassed anything more than just the demolition of the Jewish people somehow makes you a Holocaust denier.

I was taught that states rights were a major issue in the war, with a key one of those states’ rights at issue being the issue of slavery. 

When I was in grade school, Lincoln was the Great Emancipator (and a distant cousin of mine! Cool!) who started a war to free all the slaves. That's a very simplified introduction to the history that's appropriate for conveying the basics to a grade-schooler.

In high school and college, I was old enough to learn what it meant to say, as a professor once did, that "History is the process of turning complicated truths into simple lies".

People and their societies and their interactions are hugely complex. Saying "Hitler started a terrible war and tried to kill all the Jews" is not false, but it is a “lie” in its simplification of the situation. I'm not talking about mitigating forces or excuses, I'm acknowledging that different levels of detail are appropriate for different groups. A "true" sense of what happened is very different to a grade-schooler than it is to a scholar specializing in World War II. No one in the history of humanity could possibly know specialized-scholar-level detail about all of recorded history. Thus there are different levels of "true"--hopefully none of them actually false--in the knowledge of any historical event, levels that differ greatly in their balances of detail and summary.

Thus I was taught, as I grew older, in a liberal part of Los Angeles in the 1980s and 90s, in a very liberal family, that saying "the Civil War was all about slavery" was a glib, dismissive, low-level summary of a historically critical series of events that an adult should understand to be a more complex and detailed situation than the quick summary that was given to kids.

It was actually a hard sell: No one wants to have to realize that their heroes have flaws and mixed motives. But there was pretty damning evidence: Lincoln's written statement that:

My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.*

Then there's the fact that the Emancipation Proclamation specifically did not free all of the slaves. It only freed the slaves in states that had refused to rejoin the union by a specific deadline—Lincoln used it as a club to try to force the Southern states back into compliance. It didn't work, and the result was the irony that any slaves in loyal Union states or territories--and there were many--remained legally enslaved, whereas slaves in Confederate states, as those  states surrendered, became legally free.

To all my knowledge, Lincoln was personally an abolitionist, and must have been happy to have been able to free people. But as a President, he explicitly prioritized re-unification of the country ahead of abolishing slavery. People in a conflict always have slightly differing motivations: On Lincoln’s part it was a fight for the continuation of the country, complicated by the looming and volatile issue of continued economic and social dependence on slavery in the South. On the Confederate side, it was officially a fight about the right of the states to leave the union in order to protect their own rights: front and center being the critical issue of Southern dependence on slavery.

So, when I say the causes of the Civil War include “states’ rights”, I’m not in any way denying that slavery was an absolutely key issue all around. It was primarily what the South wanted those rights to protect, and specifically the leverage Lincoln used to try to force them back. Many--maybe most--people on the ground saw it as “slavery is wrong” vs “we need to continue slavery, or our society as we know it will collapse” (which it ultimately did).

The war was not a simple dispute over the humanitarian, egalitarian rights of all Black people everywhere. It was complicated by the fact that the southern economy and culture as it was and had been simply could not survive without slavery. One side said that slavery was too high a price to pay for maintaining anyone’s society; the other side--the society actually in question--disagreed. Vehemently.  

Saying that the Civil War was solely about slavery--to say that The Great Emancipator started a war in order to restore and defend the rights of enslaved Black people everywhere--is simplistic to the point of inaccuracy.

The Civil War was a complicated conflict between leaders over power at the state and federal level, focused largely on the competing moral and economic impact of slavery in different areas of the country. The idea that slavery was wrong and should be abolished was not new. The Union did not free all of the slaves. The South had such a dependence on slavery that its abolishment would destroy their economy and society. No one’s motives were simple.

That the recent protest movement is about more than just George Floyd himself, does not make his death any less important or more forgivable. That the protests have shifted to focus on bigotry in policing in the United States does not mean that they’re not also about deeper, more tangled webs of racial and economic injustice running throughout our country’s history.

To see this momentous event as being rooted in complexities far beyond simply “Lincoln knew all slavery and prejudice is wrong and fought for freedom” vs “the South inexplicably hated Black people so much they would fight to the death to keep them from ever being free” is not an excuse, avoidance, or deflection of the issue of slavery. It is a stance that extends the simple answer into something more, not less.

---------

And The Study of History Marches On:

In the process of verifying Lincoln’s quote above, I found more. Wikipedia makes a point that many current historians (in works from 2006 and 2014, specifically) believe that the letter this quote is taken from was a very clever and effective strategy by Lincoln in order to sway the specific man he was writing to. That, in fact:

“It was one of Lincoln's most skillful public relations efforts, even if it has cast longstanding doubt on his sincerity as a liberator." Historian Richard Striner argues that "for years" Lincoln's letter has been misread as "Lincoln only wanted to save the Union.”*

And so we learn yet more nuance. They way you constantly do with history.

I, personally, love the thought that Lincoln was deliberately downplaying his concerns about slavery as a president, while “intend[ing] no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free.”[2]

But that just leaves us with different issues. Lincoln still did not free Union slaves, apparently because of concern about his legal right to actually do that in states that remained loyal vs states who could be forced into concessions in order to rejoin the union. The key worry was that the entire proclamation would be overturned in later legal dispute about Lincoln over-reaching his authority toward Union states.

So my childhood hero gets bumped back up a step higher in my heart. But my point remains the same: These things are never simple, even with 150 years of study and hindsight.

I strongly suspect that the average fighter in this conflicts was not either a Southern soldier who consciously believed “all Black people must be slaves”, nor is it a police officer who consciously believes “we should beat Black people every chance we get”. But seeing the removal of slavery as a danger to your way of life meant that you thought the institution of slavery needed to remain intact. Likewise seeing minorities as generally an inherent threat to law and order that must be controlled at all times means you think the institution of racially biased military-style policing needs to remain.

The Civil War was very much about slavery. It was also intertwined with many complexities over strategic, economic, and legal issues--such as states’ rights--that weren’t that clear cut, even with states in open rebellion. So, again, can we stop reflexively forcing the simplification of history by vilifying people for adding a more complex viewpoint?

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All citations: June 12, 2020, 6pm UTC, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln_and_slavery#Emancipation_Proclamation

#US Civil War #slavery #states' rights #history is important #history is complex #no one's denying slavery was a key issue #that doesn't mean it was the only issue