Do you want to be a fashion or outfit designer?
Play Model Debut 3 #nicola [On Steam]
You are an inspired student of Wing Tsun who has ascended to protect the teachings of your temple…
Play Sifu [On Steam] [On Epic]
You are a champion martial artist, representing your fellow humanity in an eternal competition to the death… FIGHT and Finish him!
Play Mortal Kombat 1 [On Steam] [On Epic]
Want to pick your champion and style and then bout against the other greats of martial arts?
Play Shaolin versus Wutang [On Steam]
Play Kings of Kung Fu [On Steam]
Wanna be a Captain or Admiral?
Play World Of Warships [On Steam] [On Epic]
Warning: This episode deals with sensitive topics and is intended for a mature audience. Reader discretion is definitely advised.
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David Suzuki Foundation (Canada/International – Dr. Suzuki has delivered many keynotes at United Nations Environmental Summit events throughout the years)
Through evidence-based research, education and policy analysis, we work to conserve and protect the natural environment, and help create a sustainable Canada. We regularly collaborate with non-profit and community organizations, all levels of government, businesses and individuals.
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The Humane World for Animals protects the health, lives and rights of animals the world over, ensuring that they too have a voice in this world. We are interdependent upon the complex web of life this entire planet over for our mutual survival. This is a world wide charity.
World Duchenne Organization (International)
Muscular Dystrophy Canada (Canada)
The World Duchenne Organization and Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s mission is to enhance the lives of those affected by neuromuscular disorders by continually working to provide ongoing support and resources while relentlessly searching for a cure through well-funded research.
‘There is a compelling need to ensure that wherever they are in the world, everyone diagnosed with Duchenne (and Becker) Muscular Dystrophy can benefit from a standard of care that is informed by the best practice of the best clinicians from all over the world, and is based upon the latest research.’
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Help research that provides cures and support treatment for sick children.
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Creating a world of possibility for kids and youth with disabilities.
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World Veterans Federation (International)
The World Veterans Federation is a humanitarian organisation, a charity and a peace activist movement. The WVF maintains its consultative status with the United Nations since 1951 and was conferred the title of “Peace Messenger” in 1987.
I’d like to point out that it was the incredible Gary Sinese Foundation (United States) that brought the issue of Veteran’s rights to my attention. I’ve always had little respect for those who’d forget the great contribution made by those who’ve risked life and limb to defend those values that so many of us espouse. Perhaps the true measure of one’s principles are by that for which they’d risk their life.
“None can speak more eloquently for peace than those who have fought in war.”
Ralph Bunche, Nobel Peace Prize 1950
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation (United States/Global)
The Reeve Foundation provides programs for research, uniting Scientists and Specialists from many different fields to find treatments for spinal cord injury translating them into therapies and support programs.
The Heart And Stroke Foundation (Canada)
For over 60 years, Heart & Stroke has been dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. Our work has saved thousands of lives and improved the lives of millions of others.
The ALS Society Of BC (Canada, British Columbia)
ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) is a progressive neuromuscular disease in which nerve cells die and leave voluntary muscles paralyzed. The ALS society provides a variety of programs to combat this disease and help those with it to survive.
The Global Foodbanking Network (International)
Ensuring that people the world over have enough food day to day in order to survive and lead healthy lives. In this challenging day and age services like this are becoming more and more essential. This is a world wide charity.
Margaret Atwood (Canadian writer)
Internationally renowned writer who continues to stifle us with her characters, plots and prose.
The Pierre Berton Heritage Centre (Canadian writer)
Visit a modest heritage museum for one of my inspirations as a Canadian writer. Children should read The Secret World of Og.
The Edgar Allan Poe Museum (United States writer)
Because Barris told me to put it here. If I didn’t, he said he’d walk. Geez. Stardom really gets to some people’s heads. Maybe I could kill him and bury his heart beneath the floor boards! Or I could encase him in behind a brick and mortar wall, for shaming my family name of Amantillado!
Wikipedia (Global)
The model for what may become the Encyclopedia Galactica, a complete reference and record of history, events and knowledge of humanity and its journey beyond. It is the encyclopedia of all that we know, what we surmise that we’ve known and will learn in the future. Yes, Wikipedia is a charitable organization of great importance. If you enjoy what I am doing here then please take the time to donate to Wikipedia. Surprisingly only 1% of Wikipedia’s users donate yet the site serves pages to millions every day.
Humble Bundle (United States/International)
A video gaming storefront benefiting a vast variety of different Charities in the United States and United Kingdom (hopefully soon to be expanded to include other areas of the world?). Their software bundles and video games allow you to choose which Charity your money benefits and how much of your money benefits that Charity. See? Gamers can do their part too and often do.
Multiple Sclerosis Society Of Canada (Canada)
Multiple Sclerosis is a degenerative disease currently affecting an estimated 2.3 million world wide. By donating you are contributing to effective research in finding a cure and tipping the scales of MS research to change lives forever.
If you’re a resident of Ontario then please consider supporting Building Better Schools.
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Shhhh! Digital Media
Brian Joseph Johns
Shhhh! Digital Media Presents:
The Butterfly Dragon – Heroes of our Own: Reimagined
by Brian Joseph Johns
Episode 14: The Trail Leads South
The Bull and the Cow
Six Years Earlier
Harbour Front Centre, Queen’s Quay
Downtown Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
MissGvious stopped as she stepped into the warehouse, apparently put off by the maze of shelves that awaited her. She was wearing her “superhero” tights, though she looked more like a flashy wrestler than anything. She looked at the maze of shelves and then turned to the two man crew that had accompanied her.
“You wait here. Make sure that nobody else gets in here before I’m done with with that ratbag Torman!” she retrieved her mask, which was looped around her belt.
“Look MissieG, you’re tough and all, but you ain’t even close to the stuff these people got now. They’re gonna take you down, take you out, and leave you for the cops when they get here. I know you ain’t up for that. Why not wait and do this another way?” asked SLinKy, who was nicknamed as such because he was tall and wirey, like a toy.
“He’s right! Or at least bring us wit’ you and we’ll deal with this Torman guy together,” Dogbone added, his thick muscular form made even more threatening by his over the top ghetto tattoos.
“My father is gone because of this ratbag, and he’s gonna pay with his head! Ima gonna do it, and that’s that!” MissG responded as she put on her mask and readied herself with her tonfa.
“Stay here!” she ordered them.
It took her the better part of ten minutes to find her way through the maze, and she’d found herself in dead ends numerous times before eventually emerging near a door, that led to the back offices. She opened the door and was met with a flight of stairs. She quickly ran up them and was then greeted with an identical door. She opened it, and once again found another flight of stairs.
She repeated this until she’d estimated that she was on the tenth floor, though the warehouse was only three stories at most.
“What the hell is going on! Is that you playin’ with me Torman!” she yelled before opening the door for the eleventh time.
When she turned the handle and swung the door open, instead of more stairs, she was greeted with an open office area, at the back of the room there was a door marked: the big boss, in comical writing as if family had gifted the sign as a joke.
“We’ll see about that,” MissGvious made her way through the office, shoving desks aside, though not making a very good show of it.
Instead, it only ramped up her agression.
When she opened the door, she was surprised to see him seated behind the big chair in the office. Valerie, his girlfriend had her back to MissGvious, while Torman was smiling.
“I’ve been expecting you…” he said to her, a sly smile on his face.
“You…!” she charged across the room leaping up onto the desk and ready to pummel Torman to death with the tonfa. Instead what happened, seemed to defy all logic.
When she leapt up onto the desk, she found herself suddenly outside of his front door once again.
She grabbed the knob and threw the door open furiously, once again charging at Torman and his desk, this time raising the tonfa above her head and ready to crack his skull with it. When she reached the desk and brought the weapon to bare upon him, is struck a solid fireproof filing cabinet that had not been there before. She looked around, and realized she was once again in the open office, this time facing in a different direction, poised before the enormous fire proof filing cabinet, which did not budge after her slamming the tonfa down upon it. Instead, she shook the tonfa in her hand and found that it was broken in half.
“What kind of crap is this! I’m going to beat you to death with my own hands!” she yelled as she righted herself, aiming herself at the door, once again infuriated by the friendly and comical sign above the door: the big boss.
She charged at it shoulder first, as if trying to knock it off of its hinges. When she hit the door, it flew open and she was confronted with the stairwell down. She flew over the edge and rolled down the stairs, hitting the wall at the bottom.
She stumbled to her feet, swaying side to side as she caught her breath, now dizzy from the fall and the impact. When she’d taken a few breaths, she ran up the stairs, screaming like a banshee at the top of her lungs. She continued with her momentum, throwing his door open once again, continuing through the room until she was atop of his desk.
“Tired yet?” he asked her.
She found herself suddenly overtaken by dizziness and she fell backward off of the desk and onto her back, breathing heavily.
“How’d such a skinny runt like you do all of that!” she cursed aloud.
“If you’d just calm down a moment and listen, I might tell you. Or, you can continue trying all you like, but this is just going to keep getting worse and worse for you if you do. The stairs were just the start…” he said to MissGvious, Valerie still seated in front of him. Silent and motionless.
“What’s up with her?” MissGvious got to her feet, spinning Valerie around in her chair and looking at her face.
“She’s just having a little time-out. I thought it would be easier for us to talk this way,” Torman said to her calmly.
“What makes you think that talkin’ is what I had in mind. I was more leanin’ towards you dyin’,” MissGvious responded, leaning over the desk intimidatingly.
“I told you before, and I’ll tell you again. I’m not responsible for your father’s death…” Torman said to her, leaning forward to meet her eye to eye as he did.
“Then who?” MissGvious challenged him.
“We don’t know. He was double-crossed. Made an example of by a third party. Whoever did it though, killed my father…” Torman said to her, a moment of intense ferocity crossing his expression.
“So what are you proposin?” she asked him, stepping back away from the desk and pulling up a chair to sit beside Valerie, who remained motionless.
“I think you’re capable, but you’ve got a lot of limitations. Not only that, but you’re a spoiled brat daughter of a man who tried to give you everything, and in the end gave you nothing as a result,” Torman spoke fearlessly to her.
“Give me a good reason why I shouldn’t just rip your head clean off of your body right now?” MissGvious responded, a tear slowly descending her cheek from her left eye.
“Spoiled little girl. Daddy’s gonna fix it all for you. Make you a DJ star. Buy your entire audience for you. Everyone is going to love you or else… In the end, everyone ended up hating you. Even your best friends, though they were too afraid of your father and you to ever tell you to your face! Me on the other hand, my father made me work for everything I have, and now I’m watching it all get whittled away by an unseen enemy. An enemy that we share… but an enemy that neither of us know for sure…” Torman’s words hit her like a truck.
She didn’t say a thing to him. Instead she sat crying in the chair until she’d finally caught her breath.
“I thought that blonde girl was takin’ you apart?” MissGvious asked him.
“Who? Nuisance Scientist? No. She’s a symptom of the problem. She’s not the cause. Someone long before her had been whittling away at my father’s share. Her showing up is just bad timing, but it also gave us a unique solution to the entire problem… of stopping whoever or whatever it is. Of making whoever did this to your father, and my father, pay for their actions…” Torman’s ferocity disappeared, and was now replaced with a look bordering on optimism. Maybe even hope.
“Allow me to demonstrate. Did you not have enough time this morning to finish anything you’d have preferred to had more time for? Like breakfast for instance?” Torman asked her, and before she could respond, she was suddenly seated at her kitchen table at home.
There was a vast breakfast feast before her. One that had been prepared by her staff. She checked her watch and found that she had more than an hour to eat before she’d have to leave to meet with SLinKy and Dogbone. She ate her share of food, making sure not to over-eat and then proceeded to get ready. Her day continuing along again right up until the moment she was seated before him, having the same conversation.
“How’d you do that…?” she asked him.
“Blondie it appears, had some help. Her unique abilities didn’t just happen out of nowhere you know? She had to earn them per se. So did I. Now how do you think that something like that might help your situation? Help you find your father’s real killer. Find this thing that is a thorn in both of our sides? Do you think you’ve earned that? The ability to be a giant amongst the rest of humanity? Do you?” Torman asked her.
“Why’d you give me something like that. You know I might just pummel you to death for saying what you did,” she responded to him.
“I don’t think so. Valerie here could easily tear us both to shreds, especially you without any unique abilities at all. But as long as I’m holding onto steering wheel of direction of the flow of time, there’s nothing any of you could do if I decided that your time’s up. I’m going to take a gamble with you, and you’re going to help us find out who is taking us down. Now when I resume her time, she’s going to decide to walk out of here for good. I’ve been here with her before you arrived, trying to convince her against it for nearly a month now, but only a few minutes has passed for everyone else. I want you to stop her, and find out what she knows about our little problem…” Torman opened the drawer and pulled forth one of the vials labeled Y-series.
“After I take that concoction of yours…?” she confirmed with him.
“After…” he nodded affirmatively to her, measuring out a dose into a needle.
“What’s it going to do to me?” MissGvious asked him.
“I don’t know. I do know however that there’s one way to find out…” Torman stood with the needle and approached her.
The Bull and the Bear
Six Years Earlier
Harbour Front Centre, Queen’s Quay
Downtown Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Valerie checked her purse for her phone, realizing that if she couldn’t find a way out of the building before the Police stormed it, that she would either have to confront them, or surrender to them.
She dialed a number that she’d only called one other time recently, and that was during the process of arranging the professional and business aspects of her marriage to Torman. She then plugged in her earphone and ventured into the maze of shelves.
“Valerie? Haven’t heard from you for a while. Is everything alright with your marriage license. Did you need something specific?” asked her attorney.
“Keith, we’re canceling the marriage. We’re not going through with any plans, but that’s not why I’m calling you,” Valerie explained to Keith as she strode through the maze, seemingly not remembering how she’d gotten through the correct path when she’d arrived with Torman.
“How can I help you?” Keith responded in a friendly and concerned voice.
“I believe that Torman is going to be facing some legal battles soon, and given the fact that my life and finances were tied up in his for the last few years, I’m looking to secure your help in the situation?” Valerie explained to him.
“Have you been approached by Police or any investigators yet?” he asked her.
“No, but things certainly seem to be headed that way, and I’d like to land on my feet. Honestly and professionally,” Valerie replied to him.
“I think that’s the kind of thing we’ll need to discuss in person. Would you like to setup a meeting? This is pretty important so I’m going to put aside the coming Monday for you. How’s 11:30? We could do brunch, my treat?” Keith asked her.
“That sounds fine. Look, I’m going to bring all my paperwork, including the pre-nups and my contract with Tynan. I just want to make sure that if there are any legal issues that arise from this situation, that I’m protected. I was a good partner and trusted him, and if he’s going to face anything for his dealings, I want to make sure that I’m not held liable,” Valerie asserted herself carefully, fighting back the emotional pain of suddenly having to speak on the matter, especially given the events of the last few days.
“If anything happens and you’re taken into custody, call me the second it happens and I’ll post bail for you and clear up your living arrangements for the near future until we get all of this sorted out. Just take it easy and don’t stress. Take a little time for yourself. I know how hard these situations can be,” Keith offered her consolingly before he bid her farewell for the day.
She sniffled and wiped her eyes, and continued through the maze, suddenly confused about where she was.
“Are you lost, little girl?” an unfamiliar woman’s voice confronted her.
It was harsh and rigid. Bestial even.
“Are you one of the administrators here? Could help me out of this maze?” Valerie asked, believing that she was hearing the voice of a worker from the warehouse.
“An Administrator? No. I’m the keeper of this maze, which is quite fitting. You see, we’re doing some weeding around here…” the voice responded.
“Look, could you just help me get out of here. I’m not in the mood for any nonsense, and I’ll be out of your hair after that…” Valerie became frustrated but managed to keep her own temper at bay.
…
“I’m hearing voices…” SLinKy said to Dogbone.
“You’re always hearing stuff. Its just MissieG in there and she’s probably teachin’ Torman the lesson of his life,” Dogbone responded.
“‘Scuse me? Are you two the tour guides?” both SLinKy and Dogbone turned around suddenly, and were confronted by a blonde haired woman in a mask.
“Oh sh#t! Its her!” SLinKy fell backwards onto the cold warehouse floor as Dogbone attacked, throwing a quick punch at Alicia, who leapt over him and was now standing behind him facing his back.
“Uh… I’m your conscience telling you that was a bad idea…” Alicia said to Dogbone from behind.
When he turned in attempt to confront her, she quickly swept his legs out from under him and threw him into the shelving behind him.
When SLinKy tried to grab her, he felt another pair of hands quickly clasp his arm. The hand twisted his around behind his back, and held him in place.
“Alright, its time for follow the leader and you’re the leader,” Helayne said to him from behind, her wings folded up into back and disappeared from sight.
“I’ve never been in this maze before,” he responded to her, the sound of fear in his voice.
“That’s exactly what most rats say when you drop them into a maze, but they always seem to have a knack for finding their way out. Lead on,” Helayne advised him, tightening her grip of his arm behind his back.
He winced and then proceeded forward.
“Watch and learn,” Helayne said to Alicia.
“I’m just trying to keep up with you. Apparently its rank before seniority in your case,” Alicia replied.
…
Valerie turned the corner and nearly tripped over something that had fallen through one of the shelves. When she checked closer, she nearly screamed for it was a man, and a muscular one at that. Someone had thrown him clean through four shelving units, sending various hardware supplies from the shelves to the floor of the warehouse.
“At least he’s breathing. I can smell his breath from here,” Valerie muttered under her own.
When she turned the corner into another row of shelves, she paused, for there at the other end was the silhouette of a significantly muscular woman. She appeared to be wearing a hat with two large horns protruding from the top.
“Is that supposed to be scary? Look, I’ve had a bad morning already, and I really don’t want to have to take you apart, so if you could either lead me out, or step aside, we can just take it from there,” Valerie had clearly had enough, and clenched her fists as she recalled her battle with Alicia earlier.
The lady at the end of the row, instead of responding, began charging at Valerie, lowering her head as if readying herself to use the two horns to gore her. MissGvious slammed into Valerie, sending her flying throw the row of shelves behind her. She slid along the floor and came to a stop when she hit the wall.
“It came from that way!” Alicia said to Helayne, who then discarded her guide, pushing him behind her.
“Go back the way you came and turn yourself in…” Helayne suggested to SLinKy.
“Good idea…” he responded without hesitating, turning and running back the way they’d come.
“There’s someone else in here with us…” Helayne said to Alicia.
“Like, I know! I like already played baseball with her this morning. I was the ball, and the credenza she picked up and hit me with was the bat…” Alicia responded.
“We’ll take her together,” Helayne replied when something slammed into her, sending her flying across the maze and through all of the shelving units between where they were, and the wall. She hit it with a thud and slid down to the floor, finding Valerie getting up and dusting herself off.
“How did that feel?” Valerie said to Helayne.
“I think a visit to my chiropractor might be in order…” Helayne said as she got to her feet, dizzy from the impact force.
“Wait… you’re not the one with the horns?” Valerie said to Helayne suddenly, recalling her from their battle on the Gardiner Expressway earlier.
“Horns? No. I’m the one with the butterfly wings… Maybe you’re thinking of my antennas?” Helayne joked as she gained her balance.
“If you’re not… then where’s…?” Valerie had barely finished her sentence when someone or something slammed into her.
MissGvious slammed into Valerie sending her to the other side of the warehouse where she like Helayne had moments earlier, slamming into a wall, causing the bricks to bulge on the exterior as the Police Tactical Operations Unit rounded the sides of the warehouse.
“Hold! Tell the Lieutenant there’s a frickin’ war going on in there!” one of the officers signaled back to his peers, the dust falling from the walls beside them.
Back inside of the warehouse, Alicia had climbed the few shelving units that remained standing, trying to get at whatever was taking them down.
“They’re making their entry into the building as we speak… They’re halfway along the outside wall and nearing the front entrance…” Aikiko said over her headset.
“That’s if they even use the doors. They might just come in through the wall…” Myung added from beside Aikiko just inside of the warehouse front doors.
“That’s not a bad idea…” Helayne responded, realizing they could use a little light on the situation.
Her butterfly wings opened up and she flew at the top corner of the roof, folding her wings around her as she impacted the wall. Far above the Tactical Operations Unit, the bricks and debris fell just narrowly missing them. Helayne returned to the warehouse floor, the entire warehouse now bathed in the bright afternoon sun.
MissGvious was no longer hidden, and stood almost in the middle where she’d hit Valerie as Alicia dove from the top of the shelves and grabbed hold of her horns, clinging to them as she pressed herself against MissGvious’ back.
MissGvious ran furiously at the walls nearest Valerie, who was just getting to her feet.
“The Police! They’re outside of that wall!” Helayne yelled at Alicia.
Valerie stood and caught one of MissGivous’ arms as Alicia pried her head sideways in an attempt to steer her away from the wall.
Valerie managed to keep her place as the she held MissGvious arm, and redirected her along the length of the wall rather than perpendicular to it. MissGvious and Alicia both slammed into the corner of the building, the wall in that section collapsing and leaving them in the open and outside, where the Tactical Operations Unit leveled their weapons at them on the ground.
MissGvious was on her feet first, and she sneered at Alicia.
“I think I’ve had just about enough bullsh#t for today…” Alicia said as she leapt to her feet.
A cannister grenade hit the pavement beside them, rolling to a stop as it hit the debris. Gas began pouring out of the grenade, causing MissGvious to begin sneezing uncontrollably as the Tactical Operations Unit closed in around the women.
There was a sudden bright flash, as a concussion grenade hit the ground near them. Alicia covered her eyes, and tried to find a way out of the situation as Valerie ducked back into the warehouse.
Helayne flew over to Alicia and grabbed her up, continuing her momentum back into the warehouse after Valerie who was no running in the direction of the back office once again.
Torman suddenly appeared as if from nowhere, and was about to deliver them a speech, when Alicia dove at him as Helayne released her, and managed to grab something from one of his pockets without realizing it.
“…MissGvious! We’re leaving! We’ll meet again!” both Torman and MissGvious disappeared, leaving Valerie, Alicia, Helayne, Myung and Aikiko exposed in the sunlight within the warehouse as the Police Tactical Operations Unit stormed the building trying to contain the situation.
“Now what?” Monique appeared from beneath some of the rubble where she’d been trying to hide.
“We leave. Hang on!” Helayne’s wings stretched, giving each of them a surface to grab where she could carry them as she took to the air, all five of them. Six if you counted the Butterfly Dragon herself.
Before the chopper could take off from the site the Police had setup to contain their super-powered battle, the Butterfly Dragon had disappeared into the sky, no longer visible to any of them.
Helayne flew over the top of her condominium building, all five of the women clinging to her then letting go and falling to the rooftop gently as she landed beside them.
Alicia rubbed her back and twisted a bit, as did Helayne, stretching to make sure she hadn’t twisted her spine before their heightened healing kicked in, and a few moments later they felt better.
“So where does this leave us?” asked Valerie of Helayne and Alicia.
“Torman’s still out there, and he’s still got the formula, and there’s no doubt that he’s going to capitalize on that,” Alicia responded.
“Then we still need to stop him, but we have no way of knowing where he’s going now…” Helayne added.
“Don’t we…?” Alicia held up something in her hand.
“What’s that?” asked Monique, quickly grabbing it from her, already knowing it was a wallet.
She opened it, thumbing through the cash inside, pulling a pair of two hundred dollar bills from within and then handing it back to Alicia.
“What was that for?” asked Alicia.
“The down time he’s caused so far in delaying my getting started as a supermodel,” Monique responded, looking to Helayne.
“She’s got a point,” Helayne replied as Valerie grabbed the wallet.
“I don’t think she was talking about the money. I think blondie…” Valerie began.
“Alicia… I’m Alicia,” Alicia removed her mask, and formally and for the first time, introduced herself to Valerie.
“I’m Valerie. Valerie Aspen,” Valerie’s gait remained firm and then she smiled at Alicia, and then Helayne.
“Maybe you guys should use codenames? You know, like hackers?” Aikiko suggested.
“What’s the NS stand for?” asked Valerie.
“New Scientist!” Alicia quickly responded excitedly with her chosen name, and then quickly withdrew her submission thereof.
“I know. It sucks. But its sooo accurate. I wanted it to be cool…” Alicia added as she thought about it.
“She’s Alicia Westin aka Night Style and I’m Helayne Ying: the Butterfly Dragon,” Helayne introduced them.
“I’m Aikiko Tanaka aka Domin8rix,” Aikiko introduced herself.
“I’m Myung Chung-Ae. Just Myung is fine,” Myung brushed her long hair from her eyes and smiled.
“Monique Defleur. I don’t have a codename, but I have like two hundred extra bucks now…” she smiled.
“And we have a pair of airline tickets. The ones he kept in his wallet. The ones that tell us where he’s going next…” Valerie opened the wallet and pulled forth the airline tickets, showing them to Alicia and Helayne.
“And I managed to get one of the three vials of formula from him…” Alicia showed them the vial labeled Y-series.
To be continued on Tuesday August 4, 2026 – from 12:30 EST
Credits and attribution
Special Thanks To Rocket Fuel Lakeshore Blvd West, perhaps the best place in history to get a coffee, circa 2001-2004. Miss you all very much. Its great to see that special place still inspires so many.
Special thanks to Udemy, whose courses I have relied upon for the last few years to allow me to grow my skills at my own pace, even finding time between my frantic work pace here at Shhhh! Digital Media.
Special thanks to Perplexity AI and their Comet browser, who have recently become a part of my software toolkit. Their AI powered helpers accelerate your research, reference at every step of the way, not to mention built in tools for content generation, though Shhhh! Digital Media does not rely on text generation for any of its stories, though I do work with AI for suggestions, and scientific accuracy of concepts in Butterfly Dragon, and for delving into the more esoteric traditions of mysticism that are aligned with the story and background of Era of the Spellbound.
Artwork: Amy Wong, Wendy Pusey, Ghastly, Birdman, Brian Joseph Johns, Daz3D, Unreal Engine…
Tools: Daz3D, Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop, Lightwave 3D, Blender, InstantID, Sadtalker, Google Colaboratory, Microsoft Copilot (Windows 11), Hitfilm, PhotoPea (a great web based Photoshop stand-in if you’re on a low budget or in a pinch), Borderline Obsession…
DeepSeek AI for suggestions on exercises to improve aspects of describing scene and settings with a more sensory focused grammar.
InstantID by: Wang, Qixun and Bai, Xu and Wang, Haofan and Qin, Zekui and Chen, Anthony.
Research Paper Title: InstantID – Zero-shot Identity-Preserving Generation in Seconds.
Sadtalker by: Zhang, Wenxuan and Cun, Xiaodong and Wang, Xuan and Zhang, Yong and Shen, Xi and Guo, Yu and Shan, Ying and Wang, Fei.
Research Paper Title: SadTalker: Learning Realistic 3D Motion Coefficients for Stylized Audio-Driven Single Image Talking Face Animation.
Two Minute Papers: A YouTube channel dedicated to computer science geared towards the end of the advancement of computer graphics technology.
Gratitude: Our Mentors, Senseis, Sifus, Sebomnims, lifetime inspirations, family, friends, the Nomads (ask Stanton about that one), the Music, the Movies, the Theatre, the Arts, ASMR, (both YouTube and Bilibili and the many other creators on those platforms), the Gaming and Developer communities and of course, the audience.
Martial Arts (in the words of real experts and at least one comedian)
- https://brucelee.com (home of the real Dragon and an entire family of inspirations)
- http://iwco.online International Wing Chun Organization (International presence of a very scalable intensity martial art, protected and developed by Shaolin Nun Ng Mui) and the alma mater of Jinn Hua’s own specialized variation thereof,
- https://iogkf.com International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karatedo Federation (even Hanshi had his teachers),
- https://itftkd.sport International Taekwondo Federation (Here there be Tigers),
- https://tangsoodoworld.com Tang Soo Do World (the path of Grandmaster Chuck Norris),
- https://www.aikido-international.org International Aikido Federation (how else would Navy Chef Steven Seagal liberate a
Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier from a team of hijackers?), - https://www.stqitoronto.com Shaolin Temple Quanfa Institute (The City Of Toronto’s own Shaolin Temple),
- https://www.enterthedojoshow.com Master Ken’s Ameri-Te-Do presence (If we can’t laugh at ourselves, then we can at least laugh the loudest at others, and other Zen)
Thank you to the Divine Miss M and to Ms. Hirose of our Own for the inspiration for the character Aikiko Tanaka. May they always embody the empowerment of women and their self determination, despite the direction that some of the stories on Shhhh! Digital Media might take.
Magic (performance, illusion and perhaps the real thing)
- Magic Week Archive Videos from the history of the performance magic masters.
- Doctor Angela’s Symposium Learn about the truth and history of magic from a scholarly Phd. A great informed resource of both knowledge and speculation.
- Da’at Darling A student of the esoteric mysteries ✶ Thelemite & Pagan YouTuber • Podcaster • Author of Planetary Theurgy (2026) Creative Director of Katharsios Press. She’s a real busy Wytch.
- Real Witchcraft in Romania An insightful video whose central subjects are all witches in the country which originated the Dracula and Undead mythos that still pervades modern society to this day.
Special thanks
- Aitrepreneur
- Mickmumpitz
- PixelArtistry
- Hugging Face
- YouTube educational content producers
- AI content production pipeline
- AlphaSignal
Martial Arts Education, Courseware And Artisanship
- Jade Xu
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the lady who will choreograph and perform all of the Butterfly Dragon’s martial arts performance sequences if ever there is a live action version. Regardless, Jade Xu is an inspiring Wushu martial arts performer, along with her cast of co-stars, they really bring performance encounters into next level experiences for all to enjoy. - Aikido Shinburenseijuku
Experience the spirited tradition and execution of waza (technique) through the expertise and guidance of Shirakawa Ryuji, each of his videos exploring intriguing and applicable aspects of this circular and angular focused martial art, but most of all, step away from the claustrophobic perspective of many martial artists with regard to this branch of jujitsu, and learn to understand the true dynamics and application at play here from a renowned master. - Martial Club
These fellows are the living embodiment of performance martial arts, producing absolutely vivid and incredible action stories, taking martial arts to the next level. They’re literally doing what I’d always hoped I could do with Butterfly Dragon, but with their own well written and performed live action stories and stunts, after gruelling rehearsals and training to achieve their ambitions. In their own humble words: promoting the virtues and ethics of traditional martial arts in the modern world. - Shi Heng Yi Shaolin Training For Self Mastery
A reknowned Sifu under whose tutelage you can study the theory and practical applications of the Shaolin Arts for health, physical and mental wellbeing in every day life. His online and self-study courses offer students the chance to train in the comfort of their own choosing, and at their own pace under Shi Heng Yi’s informed guidance. - Jesse Enkamp: Karate Nerd
Jesse, a reknowned Sensei who runs his own dojo, explores the world of Martial Arts, traveling around the world to many exotic locations to meet practitioners of a variety of different arts. Truly an adventurer into the world of martial arts, delving into new territory with every video.
Jesse’s Kobudo Mastery at kobudomastery.com
Jesse’s Karate Flexibility & Mobility Training
Jesse’s Strength Training for Karate - Rokas Sensei: Martial Arts Journey
A reknowned Sensei of Aikido who in seeking to understand the roots of Aikido and its applications, seeks to stress test its effectiveness in a number of real world situations while studying its history.
Rokas Sensei has also developed an incredible seasonal series called the Ultimate Self Defence Challenge that introduces select martial artists from the world over to face challenges that test their rank and mettle against other competitors. An absolutely amazing series with top notch production. - Seamus O’Dowd
An extensive and growing archive Katas, Techniques and Waza (mostly Shotokan), focusing on form, precision and technique. - Iaido: Train For Katana Mastery Like Samurai
The original weapons focused curriculum under which Samurai became masters of their art. - Tapp Brothers Exercise For Better Motion
Extensive courses for calisthenics and body strength, stamina and flexibility. They offer course that are geared directly for the improvement of flexibility, athletics and overall performance.
Special thanks to Captain Shayne and his wonderful butterfly sister!
Special thanks to Bandcamp for giving indie music artists a home under one roof.
Written and published by Brian Joseph Johns, Shhhh! Digital Media.
Copyright © 2026 Brian Joseph Johns.
