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August 14th, 2014. Issue 54, Volume 19.

Despite the rain on Saturday, the most recent ceremony to swear in the unlikely heroes brought to America's shores since January of this year went off with great success. While the Mayor was unable to attend, condolences and congratulations were sent on by official representatives. "We appreciate every step they're willing to take with us. It's the cooperation of these people, displaced as they've been, to secure the future of not only our country, but the future that allows all of us to find a better tomorrow." Esteemed professionals in the medical field joined political figures and celebrities at the high-security event, where Swaggy-Swag McSwag took center on the dance floor, inviting the attending imPorts to a friendly, tongue in cheek challenge met and exceeded by several attendees.		A Rose by Any Other Name... Recent evidence brought to light has noted some peculiarities in naming conventions among our imPort heroes. Several heroes have started adapting to the culture shock by taking up names relating to favorite activities at sporting events, or after sports heroes. Bumblebee is a woman who might take her sting right into the arena one day, her touch - and ready smile - as deceptively light as the butterfly one famous boxer modeled himself after. The emotional, free spirited Tailgate may be recognized by anyone arriving early to the stadium events adored across this great nation. What an honor to have the very values of this country taken up as code names for these wonderful defenders standing on our doorstep? We salute you, Heroes! We ask our readers in turn: what would you suggest as monikers for our Heroes to consider taking up for the duration of their stay here in the United States? Send in your suggestions to reader.editorials@grapevine.com.
Rumor Has It We've all heard the rumors, but have we finally spotted another animal given human form upon arrival to our shores? A young, pink haired young woman was seen instructing her humanized marsupial counterpart to stop her food-storing ways, attempting to use pockets in place of the clearly missing pocket of her own. (Marsupial is the best guess by this team, after conferring and agreeing that a lack of attempted cheek stuffing ruled out most known rodents.) Yoklien may have been surprised if he'd been in attendance of Saturday's event, as it seems the very elves he's written about in depth in his masterful works of fantasy have stepped straight off his pages and into our lives! Reports of crass language and minor incidents of violence may have been exaggerated, but those ears are unmistakable to anyone but the most die-hard purist elf fans at the conventions held across the country! Will there be public appearances in the future? We all wait on pins and needles. Rumor of designs on weaponizing the roombas on display at the event have been heard circulating, at odds with claims that enlargening of the roomba was instead at hand. Both are difficult to imagine, but if it is weaponization, this reporter is hoping for the addition of a feather duster to finally attack those pesky, hard to reach cobwebs in the unreachable corners of his office! Summer Romance Rainy nights put many couples in mind of warm fires and snuggling near the hearth, but for the blossoming romances among our Heroes, such things are of a secondary nature. An emotional reunion between a young woman with the most striking shade of pink hair had her throwing her beloved to the floor. The calm acceptance of this act of endearment and affection was quite astonishing to witness. Such youthful exuberance is to be remarked upon, and is to be counted as inspiring to young woman the country over! The ease and comfort of familiarity is a beautiful, wonderful thing to find in any romance, so long as the spark of love doesn't suffocate under stagnation. We wish you and your little spitfire well, Monkey. (Let us hear no, see no, and speak no evil of you in the future!) A rough and scruffy mountain of a man was seen entertaining not only the affections of one remarkably endowed young woman, but also the charming, enthusiastic attention of a young red-haired lass, sweet as the candy she doted upon him. Is this a love triangle about to take form? Watch out! Those sweet, chill glares sent the enterprising surgeon's way speak of steel beneath the velvet glove of our twitterpated young red-head. "Big girls" for a big man may not be enough in this contest of hearts! For those seeking to escape the crowds, quiet moments spent looking out into the pouring rain painted poignant scenes of connection. One soaked man chatted amiably with a sharp dressed man in his leather jacket, remarking upon the relevant state of affairs. There was an intimacy of shared experience and expectation that made the image of these two men poignant, holding a weight and melancholy of their own. Or was it something more? This reporter does speculate. More enterprising young lovers slipped out of the festivities under a shared umbrella, staying close and speaking in hushed tones as they wandered the outside pathways, last seen heading toward the privacy of the gardens and the hidden nooks and crannies that lay beyond. The black of the umbrella, the white of her attire, and the dark colors of his own soaked clothing painted a striking picture; one might imagine the flush of warmth across their faces as they dared brush hands or link fingers, taking comfort in each other when they're both so young and far away from home. There were the beginnings of sparks between the calm, easy going, good natured young, robust blond Hero and newcomer from Japan, a former swimmer going by the name of Rei. Their passionate discussions stood out among the many present, where personal beauty, and the embracing of flaws, seemed to draw close bonds between the young men. One must admire the ways our Heroes connect with each other across worlds and all chances that fate may have in store for them in this tumultuous time of their lives. Missed Connections What would you do if you could speak with someone who could see the future, or travel through time? This is a question more real for our Heroes than it is for us, but the idea is one that captures the imagination. It's perhaps the most pertinent question any imPort has asked, to date: "Will I ever find true love?" Will there ever be a way to unravel such personal mysteries, or point toward the means to settle such global conflicts and tensions that we face in this day and age. Those who remember reports from decades past will recall the lack of clarity and certainty in reading any future, where every choice made alters the end result, or where nothing changes the course of events. What does this mean to use now? We all ask, America. We all wonder. "Will I ever find true love?" We hope you will, imPort. We hope you will.	Fashion Highlights Several of our guests were fashion hits, unsurprising when we look at the guest list from De Chima, and most of the country! A few of the more notable examples of fashion even came from our Heroes themselves. The simple black robes edged in gold made a pale figure cut an even whiter shade, after an astonishing show of dissipation and reassembly of said robes when walking through security. Imagine such fine and total manipulation of molecules! The fashion world quivers at this display of master. However, that wasn't the only, or even most impressive, fashion feat for the duration. Several eye witnesses report the appearance of a mysterious Hero, tall, looming, and startling, who using only his hands, sliced and diced the suits of two of De Chima's finest surgeons to remake them into the most ingenious restrictive top seen yet on market. "It was remarkable," said one man, "Watching it all, I felt how is this, this imPort with these claws, so big they're longer than knives, that's the feeling I had, you know? Um, and he's there, out of nowhere, and he moves so fast, and then: you see it. The end result. And you can't help but be impressed that Edward Scissorhands is real, and he's standing right there in front of you, and he is a fashion god." Vince Haught indicated that if anyone were to have contact information for this "fashion god," he's very interested in exploring a new clothing line for one of the many specialized niche markets he and his current clothing lines target. "We're always looking for new inspiration in this industry," he said in a phone interview this Monday. "There's so much to be explored, it takes a keen mind and sense of functionality, balanced against comfort, that not just anyone has an instinct for." In other speculation, witnessing the use of literal grease in an old fashioned call out to the classic greaser look brings up another question: when is old fashion the new fashion? Heroes are reviving all different eras of styles, Victorian to Puritan, along with introducing completely new concepts as they continue to walk among us. Where will we be going, in this shifting, magical landscape we have set before us? We look forward to learning along with you. Vince Haught can be reached through the main line to his company, at (877) 552 - 9735. Notable Sightings Those who were able to attend this weekend's festivities were rewarded with all kinds of exciting sightings to warm a heart, or ignite an imagination. An honest to goodness pirate, hook included, put many an observer in mind of certain elements out of Pan, the hit 1999 film with actor Jay Billson. No mermaids were reported in the area, and likewise missing were any lost boys, but that's all for the best. A father-son reunion over wine at the bar was heartwarming to witness, the two men spending well over an hour and a half catching up on interrupted lives. This is the cost of families felt by all our Heroes, and what we have to thank them for in their time spent helping us, away from the families and friends that love them back home. Curiously, reports of Barbie came in from multiple sources, including a lengthy issue at the security tables on entrance involving the chore of unloading the contents of her purse. "It was almost like looking into the abyss, and all that was staring back was my daughter's playset. From when she was younger, you know, big into the dolls and the house and the lipstick and the feather boas. It was really something else," remarked the security officer in charge of Ms. Barbie's entrance into the event. "Real sweet, though. You could say she was a real d- no, sorry, that's... She's a real lady." Grapevine Poll Muscle was one of the many things not lacking in Saturday's evening, but it brings about a question: when is enough enough? What sorts of musculature are most admired by the people who listen to the Grapevine? □ Lean is where I like it. A runner's build, please! □ Shoulders all the way, and the back, and chest. Give me a swimmer's build! □ Muscle throughout! A football player's build is what I love to see! □ If they're not bulging all over, I'm going home. Give body builders a flex for their money!	Crafting Miracles Our own success story of De Chima medical advancements was on display and seen conversing with the many colleagues and admirers of his surgeon on Saturday, earning the awe, envy, and appreciation of all professionals in attendance. "You take a look at Mr. Dent now, and you see art. An absolute work of art. This is a field where you never stop looking for improvement, because the work we do is to help people find themselves again, after anything. There are those who detract us as shallow perfectionists, but those are the people who've never been working with burn victims, victims of violence or accident, no... survivors of these things." Impassioned older surgeon Dr. Chun Lin, born and raised in De Chima, spoke on behalf of her colleague's work. "These are admirable people. We do good work, while some of us get overzealous. It's that passion, the way we see the world. There's always something we feel we should be doing to give people that chance they may have always wanted, or the best chance they deserve." When asked to comment on the complaints received about invasiveness at Saturday's event, Dr. Lin had little to offer. "It's not ideal that we alienate the people we want to work with. I can't speak for everyone, but I apologize on behalf of myself for anyone's discomfort. People are my canvas. Sometimes I get too caught up in the vision of the painting I see in my mind's eye. The flaws, those things, they're beautiful too. As long as you love the you there is to see, that's good enough, even for a knife jockey like me." She laughed. "We forget it's not always a race to the finish line - we're out there, without any horses!" This reporter still doesn't understand the metaphor, but it certainly felt profound at the time. Striking Abilities While the mystery around specifics over imPort Heroes talents are closely guarded by individuals and government alike, some unique demonstrations were observed over the course of the evening. One attractive blond couple spent time in communion with a marking device, intricate tattooing resulting in an impressive display of headstrong nature that resulted in the most unique spiking of any drink known to recent history. A circle of wooden spikes literally surrounded his beer mug in short order, much to the bemusement of the onlooking bartender. Meanwhile, a young waif brought a tremble to hearts and legs alike when she seemed to activate a low-level earthquake, a new experience for many East-Coast natives, but laughed off by West Coast actress Veronica Stone. "She's so quaint, like our own little Matchstick Girl, only with all this Earth Divinity around her. I'm rather enamored," Ms. Stone was heard saying as she left, following with a statement on her upcoming film, Autumn Lovers, due out in theaters September 18th. Food Service Woes One well dressed imPort found himself championing the cause of Food Inspectors the country over, when confronted by the hygienic nightmare of a feline brought in near the buffet table. Amidst his understandable palpitations, the young, blue owner of the feline in question was unperturbed. Later reports confirmed no cardiologist was necessary to address the spiking stress levels of our food inspector hero, but that after suitable time spent removed from the horror of feline contamination, he was able to regain some of his general composure. American-Canadian Love? An altercation between known celebrity blogger London Marriot and imPort blogger behind the brilliance of Tattlecrime, Freddie Lounds, brought about an unexpected development. A Canadian Mountie arrived on scene, in full red regalia, to take the situation in hand. He suffered a superficial laceration to the face when Ms. Marriot attempted to move through him to get to Ms. Lounds, and was foiled in her attempt to turn a baguette into an impromptu sword. What do they teach Canadian Mounties where this man is from? His complete aplomb at handling bread jousting marks him as a champion of innovation and thinking on his feet, and Ms. Lounds appeared to be grateful to her Knight in Red Mountie Uniform. Both were later spotted sobering up Ms. Lounds, with an endearing show of attentiveness on the Mountie's side. Is this a crush in the making? Young love wasn't the only thing in the air that night!

[ ooc: feel free to comment among each other and/or action thread for reactions. this is a general blog post forwarded to all registered imports, and blind carbon copied to unsettled imports. it'll have been later forwarded on to the rest of the import population, after someone had the idea to share the link/post around! ]

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Most of-- oh, hey, Annie.

[ He looks up at her, then back at his communicator with a mild frown. He points to it, as if that assists him any in making his point. ]

This Grapevine thing. Most of it's about people I don't know and their love stories. Did you read it?

[Peering down over his shoulder, Annie gives a small shrug of her shoulders. Yes, actually. Light's whole interruption of her morning had to do with this same thing, and it's preoccupation with, actually, the whole idea of unknown love stories. ]

Someone asked me to read it earlier. It's like listening to gossip in the barracks, with fewer names attached.

[ Military barracks are breeding grounds for gossip. It's just not actually published anywhere. Word of mouth is good enough... and it's probably even more accurate, which was almost amusing.

Not enough, apparently, since Annie's lips end up pressed together at the start of a frown. ]

It's kind of more boring that way, huh? The only one I recognized for sure is this one about Rei, I met him there too...

[ Not that he really recognizes himself in that equation just yet -- at least not fully. He looks at it for another moment, still frowning a bit himself, before he looks back over at Annie. ]

What did they ask you to read it for? Don't tell me you're in here.

[ More boring? Annie looks at him slantwise. Sure, to some degree... not that Houka is going to leave parts of it a mystery later on, but for now, that's what it is. This is from someone so far removed outside of the group that the gossip is only useful as a reflection of how far a person will go to manufacture or misinterpret what isn't there. ]

More pointless, too. The average person reading this won't know who anyone is... I don't see how that's entertaining.

[ Names are what makes claims like these compelling; the lack of them is curious, outside of the few who were given out.

With his look back, Annie's almost-frown stays stillborn. She leans forward, indicating to his communicator. Irritation still lurks beneath the surface of her control, but it's less irritation at the article, and more irritation at Light, and herself. Nothing about the article worth hiding. ]

Apparently. Move it up a little?

[ Whenever roughly midway through the summer whatevermances shows, Annie makes a stop motion with her hand. ]

The one with the umbrella in the rain. I don't know if anyone else picked up on it... I would have ignored it myself.

[ He lingers on the part about Rei briefly still, trying to work out some equation in his head -- or perhaps trying to avoid assuming he's the one being written about in addition, he wouldn't want someone like Annie or Bertholdt to read that and take it seriously -- before he scrolls the article for the part Annie refers to.

It surprises him, drawing both his eyebrows upward and his frown into an automatic, derisive semi-smirk. ]

That's you? Who's the--? [ He reels himself in from smart-ass mode. With effort. ] How much of it is true? I won't tell anyone.

[ I won't tell anyone. She levels a flat look down at him, daring him to make that sound sincere. ]

You're an incurable gossip.

[ Just like the rest of the military. Annie shakes her head, ridding herself of the earlier conversation with Light in favor of trying to recollect what the article said. There's not much truth outside of describing a situation, superimposing an emotional structure and intention that had been absent, and would run counter to the content of their conversations. Almost amusingly so.

It's in the same breath as answering that she gives Reiner a name, anyway, weighing the balance of if it's easier to be forthright with this idiocy, or let it slide since it doesn't matter. She'd prefer not to have curiosity leveled at her in a nonspecific way... confined to one person makes it simpler. Her recitation has that air of a factual nature when she speaks, tallying the relevant points of truth. ]

Light Yagami was soaked, I was in white, and we did leave the main building to cool down for a while. Inside was getting... stifling.

[ She'd taken the excuse of a moment to escape, even while she'd called out the polite back and forth bullshit of why he couldn't have just borrowed her umbrella when she'd handed it over and been alone with his thoughts in the rain. Two people being alone together discussing accusations, guilt, and acceptance? No, they'd both been testing something out. Getting a read on something of each other's motivations.

Not precisely on a page anywhere near cold hands, warm hearts as otherwise implied. ]

[ Reiner has the decency to look offended at her accusation, but he doesn't argue the point either. He's entitled to some curiosity when it comes to his friends-slash-roommates, isn't he? Annie would probably say "no," but that's another reason why he says nothing on that matter.

He just taps his chin, leaning his head back against the back of the bench and thinking back to place a face to the name: Light. He knows Light. Light had spoken to them after their confession, but Reiner had also spoken to him at the party itself, hadn't he? He doesn't know him well, but so far Light's made a decent enough impression on Reiner for someone who was mildly condemning of their actions. But really... weren't most people? And could that really be faulted? Of course not. ]

I'm just wondering, Annie, relax. What you do with guys is your business... [ He wouldn't have much of a leg to stand on in giving her too hard a time on that front... tempting though it still is. Annie is so frequently -- in his experience -- distancing herself from others that those times that create misunderstandings seem worth making the most of. ] And he's not so bad, anyway. I wouldn't even blame you for wanting to leave, it was too crowded in there.

[ She refrains from pointing out there is no doing, and of course it's her business - anyone's personal life is their business, until it starts impinging on someone else. Annie wouldn't have been so forthright with Reiner on the subject of Bertholdt if he hadn't in turn come around and demanded she go on a date with him, for the sake of two people Reiner hadn't bothered talking with in the first place.

That she'd done much the same doesn't escape her, but she'd left it as the implication, "Here, have a good time," that happened to line up with Reiner's birthday. Completely on accident. She's not even sure that counted as lucky, but it might. ]

"Not so bad?"

[ What is he even trying to say? ]

Crowded and overbearing. There wasn't enough room to sit back and observe. The walls were crawling in people who all wanted something out of each other.

"Not so bad" like... he seems like a good guy. What's hard to understand?

[ Gosh, Annie. He's trying to express moderate approval here -- just in terms of people who seem decent enough to be friends with, at the very least. Light doesn't strike him as weird or, even worse, annoying. ]

Most of them just wanted something out of us. I got bothered plenty, but at least I could help out some of the other people who couldn't stand up for themselves. I talked to that Light guy again there, too, but he didn't mention you.

[ So Reiner wouldn't have known without further context there was anything "about" the two of them to know. ]

[ She doesn't say anything in response - the question feels rhetorical, and Annie knows enough to realize she's on the defensive this morning, and it's ironically because of the same idiot they're talking about.

Go figure. She probably wouldn't have found a mirror for her and Light in the commentary of the magazine without his realizing, but... she also wouldn't have read it until she had time to spare on non-essentials.

She breathes out, not quite a sigh. ]

There wouldn't have been reason. He probably only ran into me after he'd been talking to you. Everyone had a quitting point for dealing with the bullshit being thrown in our faces there. His involved trying to walk it off in the rain... and getting his umbrella turned inside out.

[ Really, glancing up toward the sky, framed by trees as it is here in the park, the sounds of the street a hum in the background, she can appreciate the element of the ridiculous in all of this. ]

Gossip is much more useful when you're not a part of it.

That's less interesting, you have to admit. But I'm not surprised, either.

[ Considering it's Annie. No sense in jumping to "boyfriend" conclusions when Reiner is more inclined to assume she barely even has friends in the first place.

(That's not an accurate impression, but one that's hard to shake after years of their relationship being what it's been.) ]

No one's going to care about it in a week anyway.

No, they won't. Whatever's more interesting will come along and people will be focused on that, instead, until the next thing, and so on. Which is what I'd tell anyone showing concern over any of this, and what I assumed Light would know, without deciding to apologize to me for inadvertently doing whatever.

[ Like leading her on, apparently, possibly, somehow, in some convoluted sense that maybe made sense in his... world, but he also hadn't been wrong to tell her off for getting irritated by it. #life

Nonetheless, she pushes back away from the bench, stretching her arms up over her head. ]

I'm heading back in. Catch you later.

[ Reiner nods slowly, deciding not to push at the point any longer. There's no sense in it, and Annie won't answer any related questions anyway. Not directly.

So he just raises one hand in a wave. ]

All right -- see you, Annie. I should be at home in a little while, I'll probably be running for a bit longer.

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blog post forwarded to all registered imports | later forwarded to the rest

A Rose by Any Other Name...

Rumor Has It

Summer Romance

Missed Connections

Fashion Highlights

Notable Sightings

Grapevine Poll

Crafting Miracles

Striking Abilities

Food Service Woes

American-Canadian Love?

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