The Tenth Daughter of Memory - FEAR IN SHATTERED COLOR

My first conscious thought was the cold wind blowing past my face. I shivered, and blinked my eyes open. I was in... an unfamiliar room... A bedroom... in a large bed. The girl, Ravynwings, had disappeared, but the Joker was sitting in an armchair, his deep brown eyes observing my every move, every shift in my limbs, every twitch of my fingers, every search of my eyes. I shivered again, involuntarily, and he drew himself out of the chair.

Crossing over to the window, which I had now noticed was wide open, he shut the window and clicked the locks, all while keeping his eyes on me. His eyes were not evil, not menacing, but kindly, though I knew he was evil, and he was menacing. He sighed, and shifted to my bedside. I propped myself up, and cringed away from him, fear blurring my eyes, making all the colors shatter and run together. My fear in shattered color made my tremble as I tried to regain control of myself.

A slight chuckle from the painted face above my head, a slight smile of the red lips, a slight rustle of the dyed hair, as he watched me gain control of my motions. I took a deep breath, and looked up to meet his eyes. He smiled widely at me, and began to speak, the scars of his face creasing as he spoke.

"Well, your seeming better." He motioned to my torso, which had the shirt ripped off and a wide bandage along my chest. I raised my hand a touched it gently, and flinched. The wound, though stitched, was still painful, and I placed my hand back beside me.

He startled me by speaking again. "I'm afraid Ravynwings had to leave... She won't be back." Something in the tone of his voice made me feel like she couldn't come back. The colors around me began to piece themselves together and shatter simultaneously. He watched me, all too observant, so I did not allow any emotion to break onto my face. I kept my face a serene masquerade as he spoke once more.

"What an... amazing coincidence I would run into you. Here, of all places!" He spun around and held out his arms as he spoke. He stood near the window and addressed me. "The snow is so beautiful... the colors shattering off the white sparkles of winter... Makes you feel like you have... nothing to fear..." he trailed off. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood. I moved over to the door when he turned. I sat myself quickly in the chair beside me, and he chuckled.

"It's no use trying to leave, and you have a reason to stay!!" he whispered excitedly. "You can join me!! Since your... precious Batman is dead," he paused when I cringed, "Your available. I need someone like you, someone sacrificing, someone willing to do... anything." He grinned widely at me, his scars twisting as his sick smile decorated his face. His brown eyes searched mine as I crossed over to him beside the window and looked outside.

"Well," I murmured, "that's certainly an option..." I turned to him, knowing exactly what to do. I drew a breath, and...

No, Canada, Don't Do It!

*thanks to Cal*

I do not think I have ever been more afraid of Canadians.

Trust me...this is the LAST thing you want to see. Not since the Vikings will a people come storming out of the frozen tundra to bring their terrible vengeance to the world. That is the Niquil talking or is it? I love the way they use the term 'fiesty'. Its like a more polite way to express our desire to kick some ass. Its SO Canadian a term.I think they really don't mean what they think they mean with this poster.

"A significant majority of Canadians are willing to risk friction with other nations in pursuit of this country's interests, according to a new survey that suggests Canada has "grown feistier" about its role in the world during this decade. The poll of 1,600 Canadians, commissioned by the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies, found 67 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement: "Canada should follow its own interests even if it leads to conflict with other nations. "This contrasts with 49 per cent in 2003 who agreed with this view," notes the study of Canadian attitudes towards the country's place on the global stage, prepared by ACS executive director Jack Jedwab. The findings indicate Canadians have "grown feistier when it comes to defending their interests on the international front," the study states. The survey also showed 58 per cent of respondents believe Canada has gained more sway in international affairs in recent years. "In this decade, Canadians refused the invitation of the U.S. to send troops to Iraq," the study notes. "More recently they have warned Russia not to push their claims on Arctic sovereignty. The majority of Canadians think that their influence in world affairs has grown over the past few years." At the same time, nearly half of those surveyed — 47 per cent — expressed concern that international organizations "take too much power from Canada" on the world stage. According to a 2003 survey cited in the ACS study, only 27 per cent of Canadians felt that way six years ago. The latest survey, conducted in March by Leger Marketing, has a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Jedwab says evidence that Canadians believe the country's "prestige has grown" is emerging just as Canada approaches an optimistic new era in its relationship with the U.S. under President Barack Obama, who is due to announce a new ambassador to Ottawa. "This could be a very long honeymoon period," Jedwab said in an interview. "A lot of what Obama says rings very nicely with Canadian views on a whole set of issues." But pointing to a recent Gallup poll in the U.S., Jedwab notes that while Canada is widely seen as that country's best friend, it actually trails Britain as the U.S.'s "most valuable ally" in the minds of many Americans. The late February poll of 1,023 U.S. residents found 36 per cent of respondents named Britain as best ally, compared with 29 per cent for Canada. Japan (12 per cent), Israel (10 per cent) and Germany (five per cent) garnered a significant number of responses, as well. The Gallup poll also illuminated differences of opinions between Republicans and Democrats in terms of which country is the U.S.'s best ally. While 35 per cent of Democrats ranked Canada ahead of Britain (32 per cent), Republicans strongly preferred Britain (41 per cent) over Canada (26 per cent). And while Britain was named top ally in the eastern, western and southern regions of the U.S., 39 per cent of respondents in the Midwest chose Canada over Britain (31 per cent). "Going forward, we're in a feel-good mood with the United States," said Jedwab. "We still feel pretty good about ourselves internationally. But that may change, depending on where Obama sees U.S. interests heading, and who he thinks its most valuable allies are."