Breaking News Version 2.0

Quaxo9
Posts: 1117
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Breaking News Version 2.0

Post by Quaxo9 »

Monkey Kitty

For those not familiar with the original Breaking News thread, this is a repository of in-character reports that are written as if they are from the media (TV, internet, radio, blogs, etc.) or social media, which are relevant to the setting and events of the Underworld storyline, offered to give a broader perspective to the RP and give you a sense of what your character may have read or listened to. Anyone is welcome to contribute items that relate to their characters and plots/subplots. Just as a reminder, because these items are written in-character, they should not be considered a reliable source of factual information about the storyline. They will often reveal the biases and limited perspectives of their IC authors. As always, objective information can be clarified in the OOC thread. Enjoy! :)
Quaxo9
Posts: 1117
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Breaking News Version 2.0

Post by Quaxo9 »

Monkey Kitty

Fae: Credible Threat or Urban Legend? From the Blog "Arcana Among Us" Posted under the username xfaeconspiracy_

Do Fae really pose the threat the government would have us believe? Are Fae even real? There's plenty of tangible proof of the existence of Vampires and Lycans. Fae reports, however, are far more rare and far less credible when they do turn up. Have you ever seen evidence of the presence of a Fae? Seen it with your own eyes? Have you seen credible proof that Fae even exist at all? No one even claims to know how many types of Fae there are, or offers a consistent way to identify them (other than their alleged weakness to cold iron,) or can tell us exactly what the Fae might want. The party line is that we don't know much about Fae because they're "magical," because they're "closer to nature" and can just disappear into the wilderness, or because they're good at hiding in plain sight. Does this seem credible to you? A growing number of people are starting to doubt that Fae exist at all. Question everything, comrades. Do we really think fairies are coming to carry us all away? Seriously? In this modern day and age, do we really believe those old wives' tales and urban legends? Yeah, didn't think so...
Quaxo9
Posts: 1117
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Breaking News Version 2.0

Post by Quaxo9 »

Monkey Kitty

Admin Post from "Folk Music Europe" Facebook Group

Great news for fans of trad/folk music! Acoustic band Standing Stone has just announced fourteen tour dates across Northern and Eastern Europe. Described as spiritual successors to groups like The Chieftains, The Irish Rovers, Gaelic Storm, and Great Big Sea - Standing Stone combines traditional music, original compositions, and the occasional cover to provide a rollicking good time to music lovers of all kinds. The talented trio consists of Patrick Heaney, Declan McDermott, and Gretchen Thrace, performing on a variety of instruments from guitar and bouzouki to bodhran to woodwinds and more. It's their first time scheduling tour stops in continental Europe, so let's give them a warm welcome!
Quaxo9
Posts: 1117
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Breaking News Version 2.0

Post by Quaxo9 »

Monkey Kitty

Admin Post from "Folk Music Europe" Facebook Group

Unfortunately, we have just received word that tonight's Standing Stone performance in Leipzig has been postponed. Co-lead singer Declan McDermott was involved in a bicycle accident this afternoon and is not well enough to go on stage. The band offers their apologies for the unforeseen delay, but reports that McDermott is on the mend and the show is being rescheduled for Friday evening. All tickets for tonight will be honored on Friday, or ticket holders may contact the box office for a full refund. We here at Folk Music Europe wish Mr. McDermott a speedy recovery!
Quaxo9
Posts: 1117
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Breaking News Version 2.0

Post by Quaxo9 »

Quaxo9

Television news report - English subtitles

The camera zooms in on what's left of a car, a relatively undamaged cement bridge, surrounded by a swarm of policemen

<<A vehicle has struck the bridge on the Rennbahnweg, going westbound. The three occupants of the car were killed on impact, according to police. No names have been released, but it is known that the men were foreigners. Police advise taking another route if this bridge is on your commute. More on this story on the news at 6.>>
Quaxo9
Posts: 1117
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Breaking News Version 2.0

Post by Quaxo9 »

Monkey Kitty

Changeling Chaos: Emerging Threat or Convenient Scapegoat? Part of the Griffin News Agency Investigates series

Child welfare authorities have been observing an unsettling new trend: parents reporting that their minor children may in fact be Fae changelings. In the first few years after the discovery of immortals living among us, only a handful of such cases were reported, but the problem appears to be ballooning as more and more parents take to internet chat groups and discussion forums to seek support, and potentially confirmation of their worst fears.

Lillian Barker, head of the Child Welfare Professional Institute, explains that "These stories are old - probably literally as old as the human race. Clearly our ancestors were onto something. There are Fae among us, concealing their spawn in our families to try to subvert our human social structure from the inside out. Finding a humane solution to this problem will be the biggest child welfare crisis of our time."

Barker described in detail how in many cultures with an oral tradition of Fae stories, there are narratives about human children replaced with Fae dopplegangers. These interlopers are commonly known as changelings. According to Barker, there may be thousands or even millions of changelings already imbedded in human families.

Not all experts are in agreement, however. According to Dr. LaToya Bryant, Professor of Psychology at McGill University, "Frankly, there's nothing supernatural going on here. Parents who are exhausted and out of their depth are latching onto this explanation for their struggles, but there's no merit to it. Parenting is hard sometimes. Instead of trying to point to the children as unnatural entities, we should be providing support and resources to parents who are floundering and need help."

Bryant points out that the vast majority of alleged "changeling" cases involve children adopted internationally, usually at ages older than infancy. "You rarely see this phenomenon with biological children," Bryant states. "It's more difficult for parents to see children who share their genes as alien or 'other.' Ultimately, this reveals our inherent biases against people who are different from us, and the fears of these parents are largely inspired by the fact that children do not adapt instantly to a new culture, language, or set of house rules. They're looking for an explanation for their unmet expectations, but the bottom line may be that those expectations were never realistic in the first place."

Reports of Fae changelings have left government officials in a quandary. Unlike virus-based afflictions like vampirism or lycanthropy, there are no known objective tests to determine if a subject is Fae. The matter is open to interpretation, and authorities are hesitant to take harsh action against suspected Fae without definitive proof, particularly when the individual in question is a minor child. There is no official policy in any country on how to handle suspected changeling cases.

Some parents who can afford to do so have taken to sending their suspected children off to boarding school - but according to parent Melanie Kirkbride, this is a temporary solution at best. "Sure, it gets them out of the house for now, but I can't just keep my kids in boarding school indefinitely," Kirkbride said. "It's expensive, for one thing, and eventually they'll be too old. What happens then?"

That is a question that child welfare workers, law enforcement officials, and frightened parents all seem to be asking themselves.
Quaxo9
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Breaking News Version 2.0

Post by Quaxo9 »

Monkey Kitty

Changeling Chaos, Part Two Part of the Griffin News Agency Investigates series

In part two of this Griffin News Agency Investigates story, our reporter Abdul Damji sits down with Melanie Kirkbride, a parent who reports that her twin adopted daughters are in fact Fae changelings. Because the children in question are minors, their given names have been replaced with pseudonyms in this interview transcript.

AB: Thank you for joining us, Mrs. Kirkbride. Can you give us a brief summary of how you became involved with the two girls you now believe may be changelings?

MK: Oh, they're definitely changelings! There is no doubt in my mind!

AB: Alright, but can you give our readers some background?

MK: Okay. Me and my husband always wanted a big family, but getting pregnant wasn't working out. We decided to give some kids from another country a better life by adopting them. We looked into a bunch of options and finally decided on international adoption from Ukraine. We were looking at the photolistings for available children and just fell in love with these beautiful twin girls. They had these glowing smiles and seemed so full of life. We knew they'd just love our home and be so grateful that we rescued them.

AB: How old were these girls?

MK: Seven, at the time. They're twelve now, almost thirteen.

AB: Seven is pretty young. Gratitude at that age seems like a pretty heavy expectation...

MK: Well, they were living in an orphanage. We were sure they would realize how much better their lives were.

AB: When did the problems start?

MK: The first few weeks were great. They seemed to be adjusting really well. We named them Jane* and Jennifer.* [*As mentioned above, these are pseudonyms.]

AB: You renamed seven-year-olds?

MK: We wanted them to fit in. But it didn't work so well. They absolutely refused to speak English. Jane mostly followed the rules, but Jennifer was constantly testing the boundaries and being rude and disrespectful.

AB: Your adoption agency didn't prepare you for the fact that the children might be defiant or have behavioral problems?

MK: I mean, nothing like this! We're a conservative family and we believe in strict rules. The girls just weren't having it! Then things took a turn for the worse.

AB: Did anything prompt this change?

MK: We moved from Fog Island to Ontario. We thought that Toronto would offer more opportunities.

AB: Anything else?

[There is a significant pause.]

MK: Well, I finally got pregnant. A

B: And the twins didn't react well to the arrival of a biological child?

MK: To put it mildly. I was afraid for my baby's safety.

AB: Why was that?

[Another pause.]

MK: Well, they threatened him.

AB: Threatened him how?

MK: Threatened to kill him. That was when I knew I had to get them out of the house. But where was I supposed to send them? I called social services but they said they have no policy on changelings. They said we'd be charged with abandonment if we sent the twins to foster care. I'm not kidding! They were going to charge us for getting rid of the Fae changeling monsters who wanted to kill my baby!

AB: So what did you do?

MK: Well, my husband and I scraped together the money to send Jennifer to boarding school. We thought we could deal with Jane by herself. But her behavior got worse after her sister left and we ended up sending her to the same school.

AB: Do you and your husband visit your daughters?

MK: They aren't my daughters.

AB: Do you visit the twins, then?

MK: No. Their school is in another country, so we couldn't get there easily. And frankly, we wouldn't want to. We want nothing more to do with them.

AB: How did you decide on boarding school?

MK: Well, on the internet. I'm part of a couple of online support groups. It's what the other parents suggested. None of us know what to do.

AB: So in your mind, is the problem solved?

MK: No! Not at all! These kids are still dangerous, and we're still legally responsible for them. We shouldn't have to pay boarding school tuition month after month to keep these inhuman beasts out of our home. The government needs to do something.

AB: Like what?

MK: Something permanent.

AB: You surely don't mean kill them?

MK: Well... I mean... maybe not that. But jail or something. So we'd all be safe.

AB: Thank you for taking the time to share your insights, Mrs. Kirkbride. To all our readers, thank you for continuing to follow this series as we explore the implications of changeling accusations and the child welfare system.
Quaxo9
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Breaking News Version 2.0

Post by Quaxo9 »

Monkey Kitty

Posted in response to the Reddit thread "So how do you know their fae?" by user IronMan2381

MARIA YEATS IS ONE OF THEM

Image
Quaxo9
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Re: Breaking News Version 2.0

Post by Quaxo9 »

Monkey Kitty

Posted on the Hollywell Public Library Facebook page

James O'Brien: Hey #HollywellPublicLibrary, how come one of the pages in the book Women of the Third Reich is defaced?

Isaac Fishblatt, Library Director: I honestly don't know? You're the first person to report the issue. I'll go take a look at it.

Sue McDermott, Librarian: Oops! That was my fault! I spilled my whiteout on one of the pages. Sorry!

Isaac Fishblatt, Library Director: That's okay!

James O'Brien: Are you going to replace the book?

Sue McDermott, Librarian: I just put in a large book order. I don't think we have money in the budget to replace more books.

Isaac Fishblatt, Library Director: Maybe next fiscal year. Sorry!

James O'Brien: It's ok. Never mind.
Quaxo9
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:33 pm

Re: Breaking News Version 2.0

Post by Quaxo9 »

Monkey Kitty

Posted a year ago on History Buffs Online, in the World War II forum section, as part of a thread titled "Nazi Doctors"

jameso Anybody know anything about Doctor Hermann Kraus?

pumpkin87 Yeah, he was a Nazi doctor. Did some pretty sick stuff at his hospital and in one of the camps. What did you want to know about him?

jameso What happened to him? I can't find any record of him after '43 or thereabouts.

pumpkin87 He disappeared. There's a lot of speculation about what happened to him. The main theories boil down to either he was killed, or he deserted.

butterfingers_tn He was totally killed, man. He was totally devoted to the cause. I bet he was meddling with something that got him in trouble.

jameso Like what?

butterfingers_tn Immortals.

pumpkin87 No way. No one knew about immortals back then. If the Nazis had the virus, they would've won the war for sure.

butterfingers_tn Unless someone got to him first.

jameso Where could I find out more about him?

pumpkin87 He's mentioned in some books, and his Wikipedia page is pretty good.

butterfingers_tn You could also look up his mistress. Her name was Gilda Engel. She disappeared too, and there's not a lot about her early history, but there's some info about her during the war.

jameso Thanks guys. This has been helpful.
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