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And whatever else may happen, I've agreed to read some of the badfic "Blood Raining Night," possibly with Ix doing the voice of Reicheru, which would be perfect and awesome (no offense, Ix, I do not think you are at all Sueish!). Anyone else wanna read character voices? There's Denmark, a random witch, Inuyasha, Korra, Reicheru's evil dad, her half-sister Yuki... and lots more in later chapters, though there's no way we're doing the whole thing in one go. Let's say... five chapters for sure? Maybe ten, depending on how long it goes? Probably not more than ten.

Here, have a link! (And heed the NSFW warnings on certain chapters if you value what shreds of sanity you may have left.) Feel free to volunteer for anyone I've left out.

Oh, and if anyone wants to study their voice part, here's the fanime. Do not watch this at all if you still have sanity you want to keep, and definitely not in public. You have been warned.

~Neshomeh

I'm with them on environmental issues and certain of their animal rights messages (I cannot in good conscience condone scientific animal testing, because while alternatives are being developed they are nowhere near ready for mass production yet), but less so on their endorsement of homeopathy and other fringe pseudoscientific beliefs. Like, the belief that a statistically insignificant drop of onion juice can cure your ills is very much the tip of the iceberg here.

I think it says:-

"NO SINGING
NO CUDDLING
NO SOILING
NO HORSEPLAY"

Which sounds to me like she's either a landlady with a very strict set of morals (which was common in the US in the 20s) or it's from an orphanage. Given hS's earlier remarks concerning her antipathy to magic perhaps having roots in childhood trauma, maybe she saw a witch/wizard kill her parents and was sent to an orphanage upstate or something. It would certainly account for the explicit religiosity of her message...

The handwritten part on her ID beneath her name says "Federal Wand Permit Officer". Since wand permits are kind of a thing in the US and not over here, this leads me to wonder if she's some sort of border/customs official. Since we know she's going to end up with Newt by the end of the story, is this our in, so to speak, with MACUSA and President Piggles?

Additionally, I think the necklace is related to the sign used for Ilvermorny on the Pottermore website; if so, it suddenly makes a lot more sense. It's basically a subtle marker for any witch or wizard (likely more the former than the latter; men in 1920s America didn't wear jewellery beyond the occasional tie-pin) so that they can see who else went to Ilvermorny at a glance, a la the icthys in the early days of Christianity.

And Mary Lou looks like she's in at least in her forties here. I'd say she was between 10 and 13 during the time the Rebellion happened, so your theory still holds! (Also, can I point out how Sasquatches look like the Wookies?)

As for the rest of your points:

Newt: Yes, I think that's either a protective mask (a'la Plague Doctors), or for newly hatched creatures to feel comfortable around you. There is a Fwooper confirmed to appear, so it may be it.

Tina: The Goldstein sisters are distant relatives to one Anthony Goldstein from Harry's era. And yes, there are Jewish wizards. Also, a MACUSA ID was a part of exhibition in Japan - HERE.

Queenie: Nope, I know nothing about neither her or Tina's necklaces. But the seven books of Chadwick's Charms are used as Ilvermorny textbooks, so I don't think the owl is a Hogwarts connection.

Piggles: Aside from Marvolo Gaunt's Cursed Ring, I don't recall any magical jewelry. Also, we've got a better shot at her wand.

Gnarlak: I was gonna suggest that's Alberto Macellarius, whose wanted poster was featured in the New York Ghost earlier, but I don't know. Ix, any suggestions?

'Cause I know there's at least one on the Board.

Before Phobos I was about ninety percent certain I was completely asexual myself. It was a fellow Boarder (one I don't think is around anymore) who pointed me to AVEN and helped me calm my worries that I was some sort of defective. I'm not, and you're not either. Everything is a bell curve. {= )

~Neshomeh

The liberal candidate I actually wanted says Clinton is the next-best thing. Works for me.

I also heard the Libertarian VP candidate basically admitted they can't win and declared he's throwing all his efforts into blocking Trump. I find this significant. Also, while in theory I'd like to vote for the Green Party, the news from their quarter has been pretty weird of late. {= /

Maybe next election, with the Republican party having basically torn itself into shreds, there might be room for third parties.

~Neshomeh

((Let's try that last post again, shall we?)) "I'm Chris. Nice to meet you, sir." He wiped his hand with a napkin before shaking Desdendelle's.

"I'm Ami Seeker," said the pony. She took another forkful of her salad. "Have you been to my 'verse before? You looked sort of uncomfortable during the exorcism, so I'm guessing not."

"We were all uncomfortable in Everfree, Ami," Chris pointed out.

To be precise, a lot of people seem to ask "which is the best candidate?" and then go and protest-vote because the best one doesn't exist.
I think that's the wrong thing to ask; one should ask, "which candidate is the least-bad one?"; that way, you don't waste your vote on some ineffectual bum that has zero chances of being elected, and don't (passively) help the Really Bad Guy™ to get into office.
(Of course, this doesn't work when all of the Not Terrible Options are equally crazy like they are here.)

I think I might have to split this over multiple posts.

Newt

That's definitely the inside of the suitcase. A few items of interest:



Some kind of carnival mask? Could be a hint of personality; alternately, it might be designed to get hatchlings to imprint on you. Pretty strange bird, in that case.



We have 'special feed codes' for three creatures. One looks like it might say 'Beaked [something] Griffin'? The second just says 'Feathered', which sounds like a word cut out for secrecy. I can't read the Niffler sketch.



Newt has samples! He has billywig stings, and something with bismuth in it. We can also see that he purchases from [W]iseacre's Wizarding Equ[ipment].

Porpentina



You highlighted a locket on Queenie's picture? Porpentina has one too.



Her middle name is Esther. The fact that she has a traditionally-Jewish surname and middle name suggests an intriguing possibility - could she/her family actually be religious wizards? The surname could just be a relic of her distant ancestry, but the presence of the middle name suggests intent.

I'm not sure what the other items under her name are - they could be authorising names, or descriptions of her job, but I think the first might say [Felisal???] Wand. The printed text underneath the handwritten seems to start with 'AND IS', so the ID card certifies that Porpentina Esther Goldstein IS [something] [handwritten x2] AND IS [something long]. Hmm.

Credence



Newt and Jacob are wanted for bank robbery. ^^ I guess that bank scene we keep seeing is significant.

<img src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h259/TangledWebs/credenceposters.jpg">

The Salemers meet in Pike Street, and Mary Lou is speaking in person. The other posters seem unrelated, but advertise various things in Coney Island (and one in Brooklyn) in October and November.

Percival

No pictures. I think you're right about the Grindelwald connection - his lines in the trailer ("Who does this protect? Us -- or them?") suggest he shares Gellert's philosophy of wizards ruling over muggles No-Majs. I'm dubious about him leaving America, though, for one reason:

Ilvermorny. We've got a lot of information about the school, but no indication that it's really in the film. I think it's going to be significant in one of the other films of the trilogy, and that means staying in America.

On the other hand, Grindelwald is the only pre-Potter historical event we have any details on. It would take a strong filmmaker not to want to delve into that - particularly when it promises the chance to show young Albus Dumbledore. So I think either one of the other films will spill over to '20s England (or maybe '30s... guess we can't stretch it out to 1945), or Grindelwald and Dumbledore will both end up in America for Reasons.

Queenie



That necklace. Did you imply you know something about it? I agree that it's very deliberately placed, but I don't recognise it.



The picture to her right looks like it just might be a map of Manhattan. I think it's definitely an island surrounded by rivers, though it could also be some sort of animal - a dragon?



To her left is an owl - Hogwarts connection? More interestingly, that looks almost like a wireless underneath it. She has electric lights, too - very technologically progressive for a witch.



She also has a matched set of all seven volumes of Chadwick's Charms. Yup, set of seven books, nothing suspicious at all there...

President Piggles



Nothing significant here; I just want to say that I love the design work on this film. Absolutely love it.



Do rings have any magical significance? How about a glowing blue wand?



Hi, Percy! But who are those folks behind you? Well, they're very racially diverse, but more interestingly, their dress implies they might be foreign representatives. That could go either way, though, and it's not like darker skin is uncommon in America. (Is the woman on the right Chinese? She looks like she might be, but I'm not sure.)



Emergency Message
Issued by the MACUSA Surveillance Department
Warning!Warning!Warning!Warning!
Exposure Threat level Has [Reached]
=== Unexplained Activity ===
-- Do Not Let It Reach: Level [?] --
President Seraphina Picquery will address the wizarding [...]
letter. If you require more information please contact [...]
Surveillance Wizarding Resources Department [something] [...]
They will be able to provide support and advise you on how to st[...]
in an emergency. Further advice can also be found in MACUSA: [...]
In The Workplace
[...] Be Vigilant.



Welcome to MACUSA
How to Stay Safe
And Avoid Accidents
[...] read this leaflet carefully to avoid and unwanted accidents
[...] [something] during your stay. Any questions please contact the
[...] A.W.R (Wizarding Resources Department) on Level 1013.

PLEASE DO NOT RUN, FLY, OR [apparate???] [...]
CORRIDORS [...]

Gnarlak



I think it just says 'Joker'.



Newt is wanted for Grade One infraction of the International Statute of Secrecy. Porpentina is up for [something] to a grade one etc - basically, aiding and abetting.

...WAND, MOST MENACING
... EXTREMELY DANGEROUS

[Caution] should be exercised as this witch is
[...] law breaker and will resist arrest.

[...] should be immobilised and apprehended at once.
[...] Aurors must be adviced immediately by owl.

So yeah, they're definitely arguing for American wizards to turn vigilante against criminals.

More interesting, what about that poster at the top? It's for someone 'DANGEROUS' whose name ends with '-mus'. Do we know any of those? HP experts?

Jacob

Yup, that's a bakery. And it's making me so hungry. :(

Mary Lou

Haha I love this poster.



She has an awesome banner of a wand being snapped.



She has a little dolly witch being burned at a little dolly stake.



She has a fantastically period pamphlet. The back cover quotes Jeremiah - "The eyes of the blind shall be opened" - and confirms (if we needed it?) that the Second Salemers are the same people as the New Salem Philanthropic Society.



She has an actual alphabet of sins on her wall. Gluttony, Hatred, Lies, Murder, Necromancy, ???Racism, Stealing, Terrorism, all show up there.



I'm honestly not sure what any of the things banned by this notice are. It looks fascinating.



Buried behind the title is this flyer, which is headed with the words 'Hear his Call'. The lowercase 'his' suggests it's not religious, so... who is 'he'? His call is to 'Join the New Salemers' Army' and 'Defy the [something]'.

Putting that aside - I don't think Mary Lou is evil, guys. What, because she thinks the people who can kill you with a thought and have their own independent (one might say 'secessionist') government buried in the heart of the US are bad news? She's right! She's also apparently anti-racist, which is incredibly for a '20s religious character. Until I get any evidence to the contrary, I'm on her side in all this.

More seriously (because obvs she's a villain, she has a fire theme and dislikes wizards, who are racially superior to everyone else and we should support them in everything), I'm seeing hints of childhood trauma in this poster. The doll and alphabet both point to childhood issues related to wizardry. Hmm... would she have been a kid at the time of the Sasquatch Rebellion?

All in all, I'm actually kinda excited for this film. Probably won't see it in the cinema, but when it's out on DVD... yup.

hS

But... these are your choices as I see them:

-A man who manages to get more offensive every time he says or does something. That's slight hyperbole, but only slight. He's a man who is outright supported by white supremacists, and who has a long history of truly vile (<<< opinion) racist and sexist comments.

-A career politician, with all that that entails. From what I can tell, she has been cleared of significant wrongdoing in the 'scandals'/'controversies' being attributed to her. (Oh, and according to some supporters of the first candidate, she shouldn't be president because she has a nagging voice/has wrinkles/her husband cheated on her/other stuff that translates to 'she's female and we don't like the idea of a woman in power'.)

-A bunch of third parties who can't win. Not 'it's unlikely', but they literally can't in the current system. Which means that casting a vote for a third party is identical to not voting, as far as the result is concerned. Unless you literally have no preference at all between the two real candidates, you should vote for one of them.

I realise that last sounds harsh; that's because it is. In the UK, we just had a referendum where - apparently - enough people chose to protest-vote that they actually swung the outcome. Now we're leaving the EU, despite the majority of the country not wanting to.

2016 has been a truly awful year. Please don't let the US presidential election be the capstone to that.

If you disagree with my characterisation of either candidate, or of the viability of third parties, I'm interested to learn more.

hS

I still didn't come out as bit, but... maybe one day.

Happy Coming Out Day, indeed.

For what it's worth: *ahem* In case any of you forgot, I'm pansexual.

If anyone needs to talk to someone about any kind of gender or sexuality issues, my email is clickable and you can DM me on Discord. ANY KIND. Seriously. No matter how weird you think you are, I promise you I've already done a metric crap-ton of research on your specific issue and will be supportive.

--Key

'It's not time to get a watch again, is it?'

'No, Bingle. Not that time.'

'Thank Heavens. I have so many watches, Finch.'

'We have contenders.'

'The watches are everywhere, Finch.'

'Contenders, Bingle!

'I have a whole cabinet dedicated to them.'

'Edging in on our territory!'

'Sometimes they fall out when I shake my clothes. It's terrible, Finch.'

'This town isn-t bloody big enough for three Eye of Argon sporkers!'

'Sometimes I have dreams, Finch. And all I see are watches. All the way to the sky, Finch.'

'They-re just, bloody, they-re just imposers, though, right, Bingle?'

'I think I need help, Finch.'

'Yeah, bloody well right! They-re nothing on us!'

I'm very, very glad I could be there for Ix, and I'm even more glad Coming Out Day exists. I'm almost as glad as I am angry that human beings have made the necessary through their seemingly endless cruelty toward one another. But that's for another time.

For now, I'm happy to have a day to offer my wholehearted support and encouragement to the LBGTQ+ community- and especially to those who feel, as Ix said, that you have to hide.

I'd like you to know that even if everyone may not be bright enough to accept you for who you are, there are those of us who will.

Please, never let anyone make you ashamed of who you are.

And happy Coming Out Day!

*flappy hands* Thanks for this, Ix!

I can't believe I almost forgot to post this on the actual day. So, er, belated Happy Coming Out Day?

It is now five years since I came out to my parents as bi, and three months since coming out as nonbinary. And I want to give a bit of a shoutout to them and to Aegis for being so very loving, supportive, and understanding of me. I want to extend that same hand to my fellow LGBTQ+ people who need that support; the short of it is that, no matter your sexual orientation or gender identity, please don't feel like you have to hide.

Here's a bit of information about the day. Let those pride flags fly!

Ravenous for the chance to perform, I will read whatever sorry pretender to literature you drop in front of me. Very dramatically.

And if the time doesn't work for me, I will bend spacetime, see if I don't.

--Key

Because we're all reasonable people who don't flame (and if we come close, we apologize), so it's a way to actually learn about the other sides' points of view while still seeing them as decent people.

I would vote for Hillary Clinton if I were old enough to vote and would definitely like to hear from other sides of the issue. Email is clickable if you don't want it to be a public discussion.

--Key

Sorry for not doing that earlier! You can email me at ppctesla@gmail.com but make sure to let me know it's you!