#(<- the pacifist’s idiom)

[toytle]

compelled with the vision to draw baby barry in this style

[artbyblastweave]

as a follow up to the superhero 9/11 post, could you explain how they handled 9/11?

Ex Machina- A superhero/political drama about a civil engineer who gains technopathic/tinker-style abilities and embarks on a short-lived career as the world's only powered hero. Widely regarded as an incompetent nuisance-bordering-on-a-public-menace, he becomes universally beloved after he manages to use his abilities redirect and rescue the second plane during 9/11, and parleys this into a successful third-party campaign for Mayor of New York. From there it's like the West Wing if Bartlett was a retired superhero who'd gotten elected entirely due to that. Worm- For the three or four people following me who don't already know this, 9/11 in the Wormverse was either stopped by superheroes or otherwise butterflied away, as casually mentioned by a character from a neighboring universe where it happened as per usual. Of course, superhuman violence results in multiple 9/11-level mass casualty events every year, so it's less than a wash. Life and Times of Savior 28- a Superman/Captain America mash-up has a massive depressive episode after his longtime archenemy and (very elderly) Lois Lane analogue die within a couple of days of each other, gets blackout drunk, and sleeps through 9/11, leading him to a suicidal breakdown followed by an aggressive pacifistic break that puts him at odds with the Bush Administration during the war on terror. His breakdown at having failed to prevent 9/11 is semi-cleverly juxtaposed with the fact that hundreds of people always got hurt or killed in his knock-down drag-out brawls with the aforementioned nemesis, but those deaths occurred in an idiom that he, like the audience, hasn't been conditioned to recognize as uniquely tragic.

The Boys- As mentioned by AFlowerOutofStone, the comics version of the plane hijacking in the first season was that Vought had the Seven attempt to intervene on 9/11 in order to drum up support for Supes in the military. They fuck this up incredibly badly (the Brooklyn Bridge gets wiped out instead of one of the towers, their speedster falls to his death and has to be replaced with A-Train) and evidence of how badly they fucked it up is being held over Vought by the Boys as part of the start-of-series détente between the CIA and the Supes. I think the broad idea of it was executed way, way better in the show- IIRC the comic implementation was borderline slapstick at points, whereas the show really hammers home the horror of the moment- but nonetheless I appreciate the ballsyness of the move. Marvel 9/11 special- Doctor. Doom Cries about 9/11. Kingpin? Kingpin would plausibly cry about 9/11. That I buy. Doctor Doom?! Christ, when Astro City had a 9/11 special they were at least smart enough to have it be about First Responders in a really broadly applicable way.

[sasha199]

Gale/ Rolan Drama Part 14

Read all of me on A03

Mayhem and Madness

Rating: E

Pairings: Rolan & Fem Human Tav, Astarion & Shadowheart & Fem Half-elf Tav

This post is mostly fluff and angst but others are explicit.

Y’all…this game hits different when your Tav is a stand in for yourself.

My sister and I are playing a multiplayer as ourselves, as sisters. I (Sasha) am romancing both Gale and Rolan. Sister (Marlie) is pulling both Astarion and Shadowheart.

"It was out of nowhere, I don't understand." I'm pulling on my Gloves of Power as we sit in the yard of Last Light. "I mean, it didn't even really make sense."

"Sounds to me like you were shit talking his ex-girlfriend and he got upset."

"Sure, but that doesn't mean I was wrong. Does it?" It's been a while since I've worn these gloves, they fit more snuggly than I remember.

"Not the point. Nobody likes being reminded of how awful their partners were, even if it is justified. Shall I list YOUR exes and all their flaws?"

"There's just the one."

"No there's two. But the one was bad enough."

"The second was a re-bound from the first, that doesn't count."

"It does…" Marlie glances at Astarion as he approaches, swaggering up from Dammon's smithy, "especially if you said those three little words to her?"

I think back, flexing my wrists, trying to stretch the leather. "I plead the fifth."

"A fifth of what?" Astarion drawls, "Tea is best served warm, darling."

"The phrase is 'spill the tea,' friend. You're thinking of revenge."

"Always," he smiles sarcastically, "my favorite chilled dish."

"If we're done exchanging incorrect idioms…" Marlie frowns at me, "What's happening here? Are you wearing those gloves or not?"

I stop fidgeting, "Yes, yes. Let's go inside I want to see Lia."

"Planning to shoot her full of thorns?"

"I'd like to shoot somebody, not Lia though."

"Oh." Astarion's eyebrows wiggle appreciatively as we make our way into the foyer of the Inn. I see Shadowheart seated at a table near the bar. "Has our little pacifist gone feral? I do love to see it. We'll make a villain of you yet."

"You're wasting your breath, Astarion." Shadowheart smirks, pushing the chair next to her aside for Marlie. "Sasha is as incorruptible as these pathetic Selunites."

"Say it a little louder." I hiss, as a couple of the nearby Harpers glance over at us.

"I would if I thought it would do any good, but they're depressingly dedicated." Shadowheart tosses her braid, she makes a face like she smells something rotting.

I look around for Lia, she's not at the bar. Jaheira is at her usual post, deep in discussion with Isobel.

So that's what's gotten Shart's braid in a twist. She’s taken to becoming extra finnicky any time the Selunite cleric is present. I’m starting to think her devotion to Shar is all an act with how kind and considerate she's been, particularly towards Marlie.

I'd tried to approach her religion with an open mind upon the reveal that she worshipped the Lady of Loss. How could I not after she'd gone to such lengths to hide her affiliation from me? My background in religion was far from extensive, the Faerun pantheon is huge, but the more I learned about Thorm and what he had done to this land in Shar's name the more I hated it. These Dark Justiciars that she was so adamant about learning from and joining seemed downright horrible to me. Plus, the whole concept of loss, of giving up oneself for the relief of oblivion, touched a nerve that brought me right back to stark white walls and meaningless medical jargon.

My senses are suddenly consumed by a sterile chemical smell and I breath in the goblet of wine Astarion set in front of me to drown it out.

"You sniff your drinks now? I'm glad to see you've learned caution, but I did not spike that particular bottle." Jaheira has come over to us, the druid places a hand on her hip, a crooked smile flashes across her face. She always looks like she's on the verge of laughing, perhaps a habit she picked up after so many dangerous adventures.

"This time." Shadowheart’s words are biting and her eyes throw daggers at Isobel who stands just behind Jaheira, "I'd not let you poison my allies twice."

"What can we do for you Jaheira?" I ask politely, I've grown to respect the Harper, if not exactly like her. I haven't quite found it in me to forgive her either. She gave me quite the fright when she wrapped Marlie in vines and threatened to kill her, to kill us all, until Mol intervened.

Mol. The memory of that one-eyed little girl, the thought of her out there lost in this blasted darkness sets my stomach churning. I realize Jaheira has been speaking, and I drag my mind back to the conversation, force myself to focus on her words.

"We'll let you know." Marlie is saying to her, "When we have answers so will you."

"All our faith goes with you." Isobel says. The cleric always sounds composed, so perfectly unruffled. The only time I’ve seen her surprised was during the attack with Marcus.

Shadowheart snorts. Loudly.

"Thank you," I say hurriedly rising from the table, "we won't let you down." That feels like the right thing to say. I follow Jaheira for a few steps as she and Isobel walk away, "Have you seen Lia?"

"She's upstairs," Isobel's voice is cool but not unfriendly, "she requested a quiet place to think. I offered her my room."

"Thank you," I say quickly, " And we do mean it, we’ll share all the information we find."

Isobel catches my sleeve before I can depart, "Please, be cautious. I did not exaggerate about the dangers. There is urgency, yes, but Ketheric Thorm is not a merciful man. Do not run afoul of him, do what you must to maintain your cover."

I look at the cleric a moment, not sure how to respond. I place my gloved hand on top of the one clutching my sleeve. There's a desperation in her grasp, something her eyes aren't giving away, but I can feel it regardless. "I won't let anything happen to my sister. Or to any of you. I’ll do my best, I promise."

She nods. There is no relief in her tight eyes, words weight as much as wind, but she does release me.

Isobel's room is the only one on the second floor, to give the cleric privacy for her Moonmaiden rituals. I can never find the stair case to get up there so I circle the inn a couple of times. I see Bex and Danis talking, the tiefling children playing a hopscotch game, and two Harpers having an intimate discussion in an office-type area. I enjoy seeing quiet moments between the people who dwell at Last Light, it reminds me of why we do what we do.

Lia is out on the balcony, near the shrine that Isobel has set up for Selune. The moonlight is especially beautiful here, almost completely piercing the darkness. It's the closest I've come to seeing daylight in so long. She turns as my footsteps echo on the hollow wooden planks, pushing her hair behind her left ear. She's polished her horns. I feel a smile stretch across my face as our eyes meet. Every time I see her I feel such relief, to know that she is safe is a weight lifted from my heart. She rushes toward me, enveloping me in a crushing hug. I hold her and rock her, letting the strength of her embrace walk me back a step or two. I'm careful to tilt my head away from her horns.

"I've come to say good-bye," I say as we break apart. "We're going for him."

Her orange irises flick back and forth between my eyes, as if she's searching for something. "You can't mean that."

"I do." I walk with her to the edge of the balcony, taking in the shadowy view. "I'm tired of strategizing, tired of waiting for more news that makes this all seem insurmountable. Its time we let the whole of Moonrise know exactly what they're dealing with. I'm ready." I don't know who's steady and sure voice this is, but it sounds a lot like mine.

"Well," Lia tosses her dark hair out of her face, it swings back to cover her right eye, "then I hope you know that I love you. That I'm grateful you stood by me in the grove. That you didn't abandon me, or Cal. That you haven't given up on us…despite Rolan's best efforts."

It's then that I hear a throat clear loudly. I turn to see Rolan and Cal seated at the makeshift bar behind us.

"We'll be rooting for you." Cal walks over to envelop me in an awkward side hug, "For you all to come back in one piece."

I smile up at him, "Marlie would love to see you," I say snuggling my head playfully on his shoulder. "One last chance to talk shit about older siblings?"

He laughs and excuses himself, Lia kisses my cheek before following him.

I move to go as well, and Rolan clears his throat again.

I purse my lips, pausing mid-step to turn to him. He's not looking at me, instead he's examining the bar in front of him, one hand scratching idly at the splintery surface.

"Yes?"

"Are you not going to bid me farewell?"

"Farewell."

His eyes flash up, brows furrowed in emotion before he schools his features. "Such cheek." His hair is twisted back over his ears, hiding them. Disappointing. "You could die."

"Of course."

"I'd never see you again."

I blink at him. "Such is the finality of death, yes."

His face falls a bit at that response, I try to ignore the guilt blooming in my belly. Of course he knows that, damn it I'm the worst. "If that does happen, Isobel will need you, Rolan. I hope I can count on you to persevere."

He walks over to me, fiddling with a bracer on his left wrist. "It seems that's all I do these days. Persevere. Endure. Wait." After a moment, his mouth quirks into an odd contemplative smirk, "Perhaps, if death were to be your fate, I could come after you."

I'm confused, "Like you'd follow me?"

"Only to drag you back into the land of the living, mind. I have heard the Fugue Plane is an awful place for mortal souls this time of year."

I glance around, "Worse than this?"

"Avernus was worse." His tone is serious at those words, but his voice takes on a more jovial cadence as he continues. "I'm sure even I could handle the dreary assembly lines and bureaucracies of the plane of 'in-betweens'. Might be interesting to watch you play the damsel for once. Though I'm sure you would be terrible at it."

I want to laugh, I really do. But what he's saying touches me, even if it is just a joke. It's a nice thought that someone would care, would think about me and make an effort to rescue me for a change if all of this went to the hells in a handbasket.  

"Rolan..."

His expression is expectant, when his eyes meet mine...I'm suddenly overwhelmed. I'm afraid my words won't be enough, and I can feel my face reflecting that.

"I wish-" I attempt to swallow the lump in my throat, "- I could do more for you."

I wish I could be more for you.

"For you all. I'm trying…" I take a breath, or two. It might actually be a frog in my throat. "I just want you to know that if I fail…if we fail…please, know I tried."

He smiles. It starts from the corner of his mouth, slow and warm. And like a rouge in the dark, it sneaks up over his whole face. Before I know it, I've crossed the space between us. He reaches for me, cups my chin with a clawed hand. Heat is radiating from him in waves. His face is so close I can count the freckles that dance across his nose. I get to twelve before I lose track of them.

Is he going to kiss me? I hope he doesn't and yet…rose water. I breathe deep, hating myself for it.

"You will not fail. It's the damnedest thing...your dependability."

"Maddening."

"Some would say that, yes," he's looking at my mouth.

I nod, his nail grazes my chin. I frown hard to keep my bottom lip from trembling. He closes his eyes and I tense slightly, braced to pull away if he tries to kiss me. But when his soft lips close over my right eye, I find myself…melting. It feels soothing, like a hot compress…I hear a sound and realize it's coming from me, from somewhere deep in my throat.

I take in breath to say something, but as his lips move to kiss my left eye, my words falter…the pounding of my heart drums out all thought.

"Come back…" I feel captured by that gaze, as if a bottomless pool of molten gold has swallowed me whole. "I'll…be here."

"Good," I say, finally finding my voice. It sounds an octave too high. "And, I'll have you know, I'd make an excellent damsel...I can faint and everything."

He huffs a laugh and lets me go.

I walk slowly off the balcony, my knees wobbling. I feel silly, why did I say that?

I don't look back, but as I blink I can still feel the gentle pressure of his lips on my eyelids.

[random-brushstrokes]

Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach - Thou Shalt Not Kill (1902)

Mocked by his contemporaries as a “turnip apostle” – and all but forgotten by posterity – Diefenbach was an avowed pacifist, nudist and vegetarian. Barefoot and wrapped in a monk’s habit, he denounced “animal murder” in front of the Munich Hofbräuhaus: “Rather die than renounce my ideals.” An artist with an affinity to turn-of-the-century Symbolism, he developed an independent and surprisingly modern pictorial idiom which left its mark on pupils such as František Kupka. ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’ is considered one of Diefenbach’s major works. (source)

[henryrodhamkissinger]

Darby Crash (with Exene Cervenka of X.) The savant and enfant terrible of punk, surprisingly sharp and introspective lyricist given how insecure and awkward and bad at talking he was, for one of the greatest rock and roll bands ever. It is a shame ofc that early punk fashion involved swastikas and iron crosses. It’s hard for us to imagine that social world now, but it had absolutely nothing to do with any kind of beliefs. It was a symbol of the grotesque, a signifier that “I am not like you, fuck off, you should fear me” for a 19 year old kid who was ruthlessly tormented his whole life for his speech impediment and supposed learning disability and appearance, and many punks adopted this. The most extreme symbol of shock and immediate visceral revulsion. Your heroes weren’t exceptions (Siouxsie Sioux, early on, wore a Nazi arm band sometimes.) I’m not defending it—obviously. It was rather quickly abandoned, as punks grew up a bit, literally and figuratively. Today being Punk is one of the things you can be, one of the Fashion styles, one of the genres you can adopt and work a regular job and be basically a normie. In the mid to late 1970s-early 80s it was a group of people who came together on the basis of their mutual ostracism from the world, and felt liberated in simply owning it, with power in small numbers. You were a vile freak to most of humanity if you looked different, if you dressed “punk,” now a Look, now Mary-Kate Olsen wears a Minor Threat t-shirt as Fashion. (Aside on that: imo, it was Fugazi, the anodyne NPR late night music hour friendly world-music-appreciating vegan pacifist pussies, who started to make punk something palatable.)

The Germs were a direct musical (and sometimes outright amusical) expression of Darby Crash. Darby, in turn, the consummate sputum-target of old drunks and yuppie young husbands alike, the most ferocious embodiment of that early punk spirit before punks figured out how to be actually subversive against power, hell, before they were old enough to know the Vietnam war from their own assholes. That later subversive transgression (from Dead Kennedys to Crass and Discharge to Gang of Four and the Slits) was bought by the complicated, sometimes ugly embittered embodied aggressiveness of someone like Darby, whose musical style if it sounds familiar is only because the Germs had the vision and the guts to invent it. Germs were the first band to play punk music that wasn’t basically sped-up, slightly gnarlier power pop. Who in that period of norms in the music idiom and in that social climate would invent such a blisteringly sonically-hostile ramshackle dirge? Everyone in that audience was Rejected by the society, everyone who came out to see Germs play their noise-striped hazardous materials while Darby, again this was a Kid, guzzled whiskey and downers and benzedrine in desperation (not as a rock-star gesture.) Suicide, Stooges, and the Velvet Underground had done abrasive and minimalist music before, but it was self consciously Art, rarefied music for cool people, decked out in Fashion. The Germs, and a bit later the Middle Class, Black Flag, Void, No Trend, The Dicks, Negative Approach, Dead Kennedys, and all those other bracing visionaries of a subculture of total refusal were by contrast losers and social pariahs. They turned repellant into menacing, and menacing into subversive and subversive into truly radical, forging a home for the castaway all the while. Radical esp with UK entrants like the incomparable avant-garde grating noise poets Crass; Rudimentary Peni with their fearsome dirge courtesy of bipolar self taught inimitable visual artist and poet of paranoia and death Nick Blinko; Discharge, violently heavy sludge-thrash whose ascetically stripped down formula of minor-key panic attack extremity has never been matched or successfully grokked; more consciously but no less effectively anarchist/anti-capitalist greats like Zounds and Subhumans.

Darby had a suicide pact with a friend, who opted against following through with it ultimately. The world was too intolerable for Darby, though, who took his life before it had hardly started, at 22.

Anyway, “what’s in an image,” I guess the whole early history of hardcore punk. I don’t need to have a thesis or conclusion do I? Listen to Germs, listen to No Trend, listen to Reagan Youth and Crass. Punk made me everything I am, once a punk always a punk.

[2063april5]

It's so ironic that Leonard Nimoy's Spock is the blueprint for the behavior, customs, culture, etc of ALL vulcans.

He decided to make vulcans greet each other with the ta'al 🖖🏽 because it was a jewish blessing, he decided that his characters would raise his eyebrow a lot, the writers decided that Spock wouldn't understand certain idioms and that he would be a pacifist... and all these things were choices they made SPECIFICALLY for Spock that then would be reproduced/imitated/referenced by every actor to ever play a vulcan.

Which is ironic because Spock is only half vulcan and he has been rejected and bullied for this within vulcan society.

So Vulcans as we know them are shaped in Spock's image, but Spock will never live up to the expectation of what a True Vulcan should be.

[alderaani]

more than gold

summary:  A lost Jedi Temple, a riddle, some literature, and feelings that Cody isn't ready to speak out loud. | AO3

note: written for @codywanweek and the alt day 5 prompt Sith/Jedi Artefact Shenanigans! sliding in on the last day with one more thing written than expected, so i’m happy with that! i’m pretty ill today so i hope it actually makes some coherent sense 😂 also if the riddle was super obvious, soz, never written one before and turns out it’s really hard.

-

“You know, I could have sworn I told you not to touch that,” Cody says conversationally, from where he’s splayed out on his back.

“Really? I’m sure I didn’t hear you,” Obi-Wan says, cheerful despite being crumpled in a heap. His elbow is in Cody’s gut. Cody glares at him.

The room they’re lying in is circular, stone, carved out of some Forced-damned mountain and according to Obi-wan, practically thrumming with power. The ceiling is high and vaulted, letting in slivers of light where intricate mirror systems catch the sunlight of double suns and project it deep underground. It takes on a slightly blue cast, reflecting off the huge pool of water they were lucky to not fall into. Four walkways at each cardinal point lead to a central platform, and interspersed between them are four waterfalls.

It should be serene. Except now the waterfalls are travelling backwards, and all the doors, including the one they came in by, are blocked. Cody scrambles up onto his elbows, dislodging Obi-Wan with a grunt.

“What did you do?”

Obi-Wan follows his gaze and gasps, delighted. “Now, will you look at that?”

Cody is looking. Frankly, he doesn’t trust this place enough to not keep his eye on it at all times. Obi-Wan keeps saying that this temple was built long ago, by ancient, peaceful Jedi as a place of learning, and that it won’t hurt them. After they got cut off from the rest of their men at the entrance, however, Cody thinks he could be forgiven for having his doubts.

As Obi-Wan himself proves, peace-keeping hardly rules out danger.

“Amazing,” Obi-Wan breathes, hoisting himself to his feet without a second glance, to walk back up to the plinth and stalk round it, examining the incomprehensible runes engraved there.

Cody is left to peel himself off the floor, and instead goes to prod at the barriers now sealing the exits with the end of his blaster. He tries not to look too much at Obi-Wan, at the soft sweep of his hair and the span of his shoulders. Being on their own like this is something he’s avoided, of late - not because he doesn’t enjoy it, but because he’s starting to enjoy it all too much.

He doesn’t trust the way his heart leaps when Obi-Wan smiles, when he asks him to call him ‘Obi-Wan’, when the cycle draws on and they’re up late again, companionably finishing reports and debating strategy. Or, as they had been doing until Cody got cold feet and started finding excuses, debating novels, which Obi-Wan checked out of the Temple archives and read aloud, one chapter at a time, before they turned in for the night.

He doesn’t trust himself not to ruin this by overstepping. There’s something about his general that makes him lose all control of his tongue, and puts him in danger of voicing thoughts that really he should not be having at all.

It’s agony. It’s bliss. It’s stretching him to breaking point, and this is possibly the worst situation they could have ended up in, really.

“These are made out of water,” he says over his shoulder, grunting as he tries to push his blaster through. He is, of course, unsuccessful.

“Ingenious,” Obi-Wan says. “How did they manage that, I wonder?”

Cody cuts a glance back at him, and grins, despite his exasperation.

“You’re not more worried about how we’re going to get out?”

Obi-Wan waves a hand. “I’m sure the path will reveal itself, in time. Oh, look - Cody, I think this is a puzzle!”

Cody bites back a groan. They do not have time for this. They never really had time for it, but Obi-Wan promised it would be a brief detour on their way to the capital for hyperspace lane access negotiations. He’d looked so excited by recon reports of a lost temple that Cody just hadn’t been able to say no. He’s never able to say no to Obi-Wan, even when he isn’t following orders. It’s probably his fatal flaw.

“I don’t suppose there’s an off switch? A back button?” He asks hopelessly. The Force, at least the Jedi sort, very rarely seems to work that way. Obi-Wan is always talking about moving through problems, about seeking balance and adapting to what’s around you, rather than manipulating it. It’s not Cody’s favoured approach; he was trained to leverage his environment to its maximum advantage, and finds he has little patience for anything else.

Obi-Wan snorts. “This is a defensive mechanism, I’m afraid. Judging by the architecture this was built at the height of the Sith Wars. This artefact is designed to trap us here until we understand the mechanism and progress, or until, back when the temple was occupied, someone would come and deal with the intruder.”

“That doesn’t sound very peaceful,” Cody says.

Obi-Wan shoots him an amused look, the warm, soft kind that makes heat rise from the pit of Cody’s belly right up to his ears.

“Even a pacifist may defend himself,” he says, then leans over the pedestal. “Now, how about you stop grousing and come help me with this?”

Cody rolls his eyes, but goes, slinging his blaster across his back and crossing his arms.

“And stop looming,” Obi-Wan laughs, catching one of Cody’s gloved hands and pulling it down to rest at his side. The simple touch makes Cody’s cheeks burn.

“Don’t see what help I can give you, Sir,” he says, frowning down at the characters surrounding the bright blue artefact. “I was never any good at Ithorian.”

Obi-Wan pauses, then tilts his head up. “Ah. Is that what it is?”

“I - I think so?” Cody was never any good at his language flashtraining; he never had the proper patience for it, but he can usually figure out the basics.

“No, no,” Obi-Wan muses, stroking at his beard with his free hand. “You’re quite right. Goodness me, it's been a long time since I last saw this dialect. Let’s see now…”

Cody steps back and waits, keeping his attention firmly split between their blocked exit points while Obi-Wan ponders. The slow upward movement of the waterfalls is eerie - it still makes noise, but none of it is right. Instead of the gentle patter he expects of water joining a larger pool, there’s a faint gurgling as they move further into each grate, travelling somewhere he cannot see.

Obi-Wan finishes his fifth circle round the platform, and the hand at his chin goes still. Cody stands at attention, expectant.

“It’s a riddle,” Obi-Wan says, and if possible, his delight grows. “Yes - the language is coming back to me now. Do you know, I haven’t looked at Ithorian in maybe 12 years?”

“Sir?” Cody says, tilting his head to look at the characters more closely. He doesn’t have even a passing proficiency at modern Ithorian, and presumably it’s changed a bit over the millennia. His training was focused on the basics, and only the useful bits, at that. He thinks he can make out the words for ‘ water ’, and ‘ enemy’ , both of which are either unhelpfully descriptive or frankly discouraging, but that’s about the extent of it.

“My old master - he loved prophecies. When I was a teenager I could never see the point of it, but it meant I spent a lot of time learning the old Ithorian dialects. They’re known as the most peaceful species, did you know?” Obi-Wan shakes his head. “They’ll exile anyone violent, it’s quite remarkable, really. I suppose in some sort of idealistic emulation, a lot of the early Jedi texts are written in their dialect.”

His blue eyes are keen, his laser sharp focus firmly on the podium. It gives Cody a moment to observe his clever fingers, the long line of his neck, the open delight with which he tackles this new problem. It’s a rare thing, to see him so relaxed, and Cody can’t help the fond smile that creeps up on him despite the circumstances. This almost makes it worth it, and on reflection, he’d rather an ancient temple than the last thing that had made Obi-Wan so happy; a wretched, bioluminescent fungus, which had infected half the battalion and given them hives. Their general had studied it for weeks.

Obi-Wan’s lips quirk up. Cody barely trusts himself to speak.

“I didn’t know, Sir,” Cody croaks, then pauses, fishing for something normal to say. “Didn’t we have to defend the governor’s daughter from an Ithorian bounty hunter on Ganaris-IV?”

“Well,” Obi-Wan grins. “Those exiles have to go somewhere, don’t they?”

Cody huffs a laugh and reaches up to scratch his neck at the seam of his bucket.

“Let’s just hope they didn’t all come here. What’s this riddle, then?”

Obi-Wan shifts to the side, then points at a spot on the podium. “As I said, it’s been a long time, but I think it starts here, and goes something like:

A thing to be forged, where water is thicker,

Worth more than gold, unless it’s pyrite that glitters.

An enemy of my enemy, or in hard times, in need,

Sometimes fair-weather, or in high places indeed.

What are you, traveller? ”

All of Cody’s hopes that it would be something nice and obvious, like “lightsaber” or, given what’s going on around them, “gravity”, escape from him like smoke. Jedi and their metaphors. It’s not just a quirk of Obi-Wan’s, clearly.

“Does that mean anything to you, Sir?” he asks, turning the words over in his head once, twice, then frowning when nothing comes immediately.

Obi-Wan’s brow is also furrowed, but in a leisurely, meditative manner.

“...I have some ideas, I think,” he says. “How about you, my friend?”

What does he think? He thinks that there are other sorts of puzzles he is much better suited to. Word play and idioms...what does a clone have to offer that?

Still, Obi-Wan is watching him, expectant and gentle, and he sifts back through the lines, a little more seriously this time.

“Ice, maybe?”

Obi-Wan nods, slowly. “Perhaps. Walk me through it.”

Cody swallows. “Ice is something that can be made, right? It’s not exactly forged, but…”

He trails off in uncertainty.

“Go on,” Obi-Wan says with another one of those soft, devastating smiles. It fractures all the thoughts in Cody’s head, and he has to stop, clear his throat and gather up all the pieces.

“I suppose...it’s just thicker water, isn’t it? On warm planets it’s a valuable commodity, it’s found in high places, and I suppose if you wanted snow, a freeze would be fair weather.”

Obi-Wan is rubbing his beard again, and he’s still smiling. “Fascinating. I would never have thought of that...only, I don’t think it’s quite there. That mention of pyrite is troublesome, and the ‘enemy of my enemy’, where does that fit in?”

Cody shrugs his shoulders, frustrated, and feels a hot flush creep up his neck. “Don’t know why you’re asking me, to be honest, Sir. Kamino hardly covered poetry.”

There’s a slight pause, then Obi-Wan’s hand is on his again, tugging it slowly down from where he’s crossed his arms.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” he says, soft.

“Do what?” Cody’s voice is gruff.

“Dismiss yourself. You do it sometimes when we’re reading together. There is often no right and wrong answer to these things, no secret. There is only perspective, and you see things I never would, if only you would trust yourself.”

Cody looks down and away, back towards the waterfalls and their slow, glacial climb. He isn’t sure that’s true. He enjoys what Obi-Wan shares with him, what other lives he gets to touch in their books, but more than anything they convince him that, beyond war, he knows very little of anything at all. He would like to, someday.

His eyes land on Obi-Wan’s lips briefly, before he tears them away. Particular experiences he would like to know more than others.

There was one book that Obi-Wan had read early on, back when this infatuation was just setting its first tendrils into him, about a forbidden romance at the heart of the old Mandalorian court. Two heirs of rival clans battling to be together against the good approval of their noble relatives. It had been torrid, ridiculous and entirely unexpected when Obi-Wan had suggested they break up their reports with some literature.

But what it had done was give him the words to express the crawling heat in his stomach, the urge he has to reach out, to touch, to soothe, to care for. He’d known what he wanted before that, of course, in a more rudimentary manner, but it had gifted him the language of yearning.

Suddenly, a particular passage springs into his mind and he straightens.

“You don’t think it could mean ally, do you? In Beneath the Armour, Mata threatens Clan Riza by saying he has ‘allies in high places’.”

Obi-Wan pauses, and then a brilliant smile spreads over his face. “Yes, that’s it! Pyrite - Fool’s Gold; a false friend! Brilliant Cody, whatever made you think of that?”

Cody grins, even though Obi-Wan can’t see it, and doesn’t answer.

“Is that really it?”

“I think you’re very close,” Obi-Wan says. “The characters engraved into the platform...yes! Stand close to me, Commander.”

Cody does, watching curiously as Obi-Wan lifts his hands, shuts his eyes, frowns, and pushes . Six blocks that make up the platform lift, the characters on each glowing bright, lurid blue. Under their feet, something scrapes, shifts and clunks, before the platform lurches upwards, spinning gently.

There’s a thunderous gurgling sound, before all of the pool beneath drains away.

“The answer,” Obi-Wan says, slightly breathless, his hair a little out of place. “Was friend.”

“The doorways are still blocked,” Cody notes drily. The plinth with the blue orb that started this whole mess has also risen, and underneath it are a set of very wet, slimy looking steps. “I don’t suppose it’s as simple as just walking down these and getting in?”

“Likely not,” Obi-Wan agrees, then inexplicably shifts a little closer, so that they are sharing space. Cody’s heart skips a beat. “But it’s like I told you, Cody. You are far greater than what you have been given.”

Cody coughs and looks at his feet, at their boots almost toe to toe, pleasure at the praise singing low through his body.

“Now,” Obi-Wan says, too close and not close enough. “How do you feel about another puzzle?”

Cody groans, laughing, and after a moment, follows his General into the dark.

[kontextmaschine]

Oh just had occasion to realize this wasn't common Amhist knowledge – there were three distinct foundings of the Ku Klux Klan with no actual continuity between them

The first one was in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, measures were aimed at them by Reconstruction troops but it was really later, broader (less upper-class) groups like the White League and rifle clubs that overturned it and restored local white control

The second one in the 1910s was the one that really mattered, this important early movie "Birth of a Nation" retold a myth of the first one, added voguish Scottish historical romance elements (the movie invented those white hood costumes and cross-burning), and it was a huge cultural event.

Then someone built like, a mail-order fanclub (then a cutting edge thing!) around it, and then that got used as a critical element of a huge reactionary repressive wave that was so successful people don't believe that like, utopian pacifist socialist internationalist feminism had been a big thing before WWI. Anyway the second KKK effectively controlled many cities and even states.

The third one, inspired by the first two, the second having firmly set itself in mind as the idiom of the volk, was founded to resist the Civil Rights Movement but was cargo-culty and incompetent, not realizing what the second had done to succeed (articulate with other power centers, co-opt government) or even that the first failed. Modern groups are considered to come from the third founding.

[brandstifter-sys]

Under Pressure

Chapter 20: Curiosity            (Ao3)

Word Count: 1147

Characters: All

Rating: T

Warnings: Implied suicide mention (no one gets hurt), gore, intrusive thoughts, villain!Logan

----

"So you thought doubling your influence would make Thomas listen? And it backfired before you realized what was happening," Janus questioned. 

"And you used Portal 2 and Undertale to teach it to problem solve," Virgil commented, "Did you even get it through the pacifist route?" 

"I believe it finished the game. I was not aware that there were multiple endings." 

"You raided my video game library, made separate save files for an AI, and you didn't teach it empathy when you picked one of the single most empathy driven games available?" he scoffed incredulously, "Does your robot even know it's meant to be a human's logic?" 

"Log base a of n was not supposed to be in a position to completely usurp anyone, I miscalculated its development. I wanted to see what would happen in a trial run to find bugs that need to be fixed." 

"It seems to know it's lacking—it wants to upload me—Me!" Remus laughed, "Can it even do that?” 

"Yes. It's a guided learning algorithm, it needs to have a base. The microchip that was attached to my neck copied and transferred electrical signals from my brain to the program. It would be possible to replicate it and use it to induce a stasis in the host." 

"And it chose Remus for that?" Roman gawked, "Out of all of us?" 

"Which one of us smoked all its tests and then some? Which one of us got things going? I'm just surprised it didn't factor in my intrusive thoughts!" 

Remus' entire body crisscrossed with wires, cables filling his veins and throat, exiting through his wounds. Dead eyes. TV static.

"They're mine now," Virgil shuddered, "try again." 

"How do we stop it?" Patton spoke up, "The bastard bot is ruining Thomas' friendships and social skills and we're just sitting here!" 

"Take a few deep breaths and count to ten, Patton. The AI had likely put its shutdown protocol behind several layers of encryption by now. If we can transfer the program to a far simpler device it would be possible to reset the mindscape." 

"Simpler device?" Janus scoffed, "You'll have to be more specific."

"Potato," Virgil said, getting everyone's attention. Janus and Roman wore matching scowls, Logan was confounded, and Patton was wracking his mind for some sort of context clue. Only Remus grinned. 

"A potato battery!" he cheered, "Because it's basically GLaDOS!! It's perfect!" Remus dragged Virgil down into his lap and hugged him tighter than he probably should have. Virgil didn't fight him and let it happen. Remus was always good for hugs and he stopped bleeding. 

"I have a potato!" Patton said and pulled it from his pocket, "We can make a battery with this! There's enough stuff here to do it!" 

"A battery wouldn't be enough. A program such as the one in control requires a CPU to host it. If I may—" 

"Why should we trust you?" Roman cut him off, "You were the one to create this beast and set it on the mindscape." 

"I had no intention of taking over the mindscape. I was curious to see what the program was capable of, curious and incautious. I cannot fix this mess alone. I am not creative or empathetic, and I am not a fighter. Regrettably, I need help to clean up my mess, or I will be trapped in a claustrophobic cube and sedated." 

"Do you have any intention of killing cats?" Virgil grumbled. Patton's face fell in horror. Logan took the potato and paused. 

"Is that a literal question or are you facetiously referring to the idiom in reference to my current state? 

"Take a guess." 

"Literally? No, I have no intention of killing cats, their anatomy is well documented and I have no need for hands-on feline research. Idiomatically, I seem to have reverted to my secondary role as Curiosity. I do intend to figure out what caused this change, after I build the potato rig." 

"It's called stress. You already knew that," Janus hummed, "You were feeling the pressure and cracked under it. Now that that question is answered, enlighten us. How do we get the program to transfer? It won't become a potato willingly." 

Logan paused and scratched his chin. It was an essential question, and there were so many variables. 

"Perhaps if we treated it as a virus, I could program an anti-malware software—but it would take time and Log base a of n might adapt to it quickly, so it would require another learning algorithm," Logan mused and paced over his former prison. 

"Why not upload one of us?" Roman asked, "If it was planning on adding Remus to its system, it's possible." 

Remus grinned and nodded. 

"There's two chips, right? We could upload two of us for extra security!" Patton gasped. 

"But who?" Virgil asked tiredly. 

"Well, duh!" Remus laughed, "The two sides who are built to protect! You and Janus!" 

"I'm literally the embodiment of self-sabotage right now." 

"And I—" Janus started.

"Nope! Don't even try it Jay! I know those rust scales are fake!" Remus cut him off, "And I know just how to get Virgil out of this funk!" 

"You do?" 

"Yeah! It's simple! I just have to surrender to the AI, spread my ass and let it fuck me over until I lose all my humanity!" Remus said with a bright smile.

"What?!" Virgil yelped and jolted away from him.

"Yeah! You said you're not up to the task, so we have to give up! Thomas can still live like this, it might suck and he'll be miserable but he won't die! Unless—”

"NO!" Virgil boomed, "DON'T EVEN SUGGEST THAT!!" 

"I think you'll be fine with that upload," Remus said with a wry smirk, "But that won't be enough. We need to keep it distracted while you clean house." 

"You are an expert at distraction, Remus," Logan commented, "You and Roman." 

"What about me? If You two are gonna be digitized, and you're gonna do computer stuff, and you two are gonna be a distraction, what can I do?" Patton asked, "I'm not sitting by when Thomas needs me!" 

"You? You're coming with me!" Remus said in his worst Scottish accent and giggled. 

"Patton has no combat training," Logan frowned, he would be a liability in that position." 

"He's more unpredictable than me right now, a strong slimy curveball!" 

"My face still hurts," Virgil mumbled and rubbed his cheek where Patton punched him before, "He could just mosh the robot to pieces if he's pissed off enough." 

"He's a loose cannon, I refuse to send him out alone," Roman huffed, "So it's settled. Remus, Patton and I will distract, Virgil and Janus will destroy it from the inside, and Logan will monitor them." 

"Are we in agreement?" Janus asked, growing tired of the discussion. Each side nodded solemnly. 

"Then make the potato computer and let's move along." 

----

(Master Post)

[fyeahhozier]

The Irishman is deeper and darker than he's maybe been given credit for... but the geniality and swoon factor remain high.

Variety: Hozier Proves He’s a Career Artist in Gratifying Greek Show

At Hozier’s sold-out show at L.A.’s Greek Friday night, one of the first things you couldn’t help noticing on stage —because it’s still an anomaly — was that his eight-piece lineup was half-male, half-female. Knowing his penchant for socially conscious songs, his decrial of “the anthems of rape culture” in his lyrics, and a general female-friendliness to his appeal, it’s easy to figure this gender parity is a conscious one and think: That is soooo Hozier. Which it is … and so effective, too, like just about every choice he’s made so far in his short, charmed career. On the most practical level, if you can bring in that much female harmony while also getting ace players in the bargain, why wouldn’t you? But it also makes for a good visual emblem of some of the other dual energies Hozier is playing with in his music: darkness and enlightenment; romantic hero and cad; raw blues dude and slick pop hero. He’s got a lot more going on than just being an earnest do-gooder. (Although he does do good, earnestly.)

During Friday’s hour-and-three-quarters set, Hozier focused largely on material from this year’s sophomore album, “Wasteland, Baby!,” which sounded good enough on record but almost uniformly improved in the live experience. Sometimes the upgrade came from making full use of the multi-instrumentalists on hand. The first album’s “Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene” now had Hozier on guitar facing off against violinist Emily Kohavi, trading solos — and if it’s hard to hear an electric guitar/fiddle duel without automatically thinking “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” it was one of many welcome moments making use of the MVP skills of Kohavi, the newest addition to the band. Other times, the improvements on the album versions just had to do with Hozier allowing himself louder and gutsier guitar tones. He’s a bit like Prince, in that way — someone you’d happily listen to playing a very nasty-sounding six-string all night, although he has so many other stylistic fish to fry, which in this case means a still slightly greater emphasis on acoustic finger-picking.

For somebody who made his name on as forlorn but powerful an anthem as his 2014 breakout smash “Take Me to Church,” and who can milk that melodrama for all it’s worth, Hozier has a lot of other modes he can default to. He treads very lightly into the area of soul with songs like “Almost (Sweet Music),” the lyrics of which consist of either name-checking or alluding to some of the great jazz vocal classics of the 20th century, in an idiom that’s not so much jazzy itself as folk-R&B. You could almost cite it as the subtle kind of Memphis-swing thing Justin Timberlake should aspire to, if the tricky polyrhythm and oddly chopped up meters Hozier adds as wrinkles weren’t so un-replicable. Bringing up Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City” as the night’s sole cover also established that early ‘70s era and sound as an influences he’d like to make perfectly clear. At the other extreme, this son of a blues musician can hard back to those roots so well, in noisy numbers like “Moment’s Silence (Common Tongue)” and the brand new “Jack Boot Jump,” that he could give the Black Keys a run for their money.

“Jack Boot Jump,” which is scheduled to go on an EP of completely fresh material that Hozier said he plans to put out before Christmas, was possibly the highlight of the night, even though — or because — it stripped his excellent band down to just him and longtime drummer Rory Doyle. Having earlier played the current album’s “Nina Cried Power,” which is maybe more of a tribute to other historic protest songs than one of its own, Hozier gave a lengthy introduction to “Jack Boot” indicating that he’s aware of the traps that come with the territory. “I do have some reservations about the words ‘protest song’ and ‘protest music,’” he admitted. “But if you’re familiar with an artist called Woody Guthrie, he wrote the evergreen anthem ‘Tear the Fascists’ down. I was kind of looking into songs in that sort of tradition, that singing out, and I was worried that this is 2019; it’s a very unsubtle way to approach songwriting.” But, he added, “it was a funny few weeks, with 70 people shot in Hong Kong and arrests obviously in Moscow; Chile now at the moment also. And I was thinking, forget about subtle art — what is not subtle is this murder of protesters, and what is not subtle is the jack boot coming down in Orwell’s picture of the future: ‘If you want to imagine the future, imagine a jack boot stomping on a human face forever,’ that chilling quote from ‘1984.’ Anyway, I was just thinking, yeah, f— it, it’s not subtle, but let’s do it.” His electric guitar proceeded to be a machine that kills fascists, and also just slayed as maybe the most rock ‘n’ roll thing he’s written. (Evidence of the new song on the web is scant, or should be, anyway, since he begged the audience “in good faith” not to film it.)

If there’s a knock people have on Hozier, it tends to be the sincerity thing. He’s a nice guy who’s finishing first, which doesn’t necessarily help him become an indie-rock darling or Pitchfork favorite. (Predictably, “Wasteland, Baby!” got a 4.8 rating there — that’s out of 10, not 5.) At the Greek, there was an almost wholesome feeling that would’ve been an immediate turnoff to anyone who insists on having their rock rough, starting with his graciousness in repeatedly naming the band members and repeatedly thanking his opening act (Madison Ryann Ward, a fetchingly husky-voiced Oklahoman filling in on this part of the tour for a laryngitis-stricken Freya Ridings). That extended to a sense of uplift in many of the songs that doesn’t always match the themes of the material. But then, there was the impossible good cheer and attractiveness of the young players, to match Hozier’s own; this is a group where everyone looks as if they could be in Taylor Swift’s band or actually looks like Taylor Swift. The swoon factor in Hozier’s appeal is undeniably high, and it’s safe to say no one left Griffith Park less smitten.

But ladies (and gentlemen), do be aware that Hozier has some dark-side moments that can almost make Leonard Cohen look like Stephen Bishop. The only time he really overtly accentuated that in concert was in introducing and playing the new album’s “No Plan,” a love song that is also an amiable statement of atheism in which Hozier reminds his beloved that the universe is going to collapse upon itself someday. This may be rather like the gambit in which the ‘50s boy gets the girl to make out with him in a fallout shelter, but in any case, Hozier didn’t stint on the end-of-all-things aspect of it, even putting up on screen behind the band a statement from astrophysicist Dr. Katie Mack pointing out humankind’s and the galaxy’s ultimate fate. (“Honestly I never really imagined I’d end up being name-checked in a song for talking about how the universe is eventually going to fade out and die so this is all very exciting for me,” Mack tweeted in replay earlier in the year.) Suffice it to say that with that soulful a vintage ‘70s groove and that fuzz-tastic a guitar line, many babies will be conceived to the tune of “No Plan,” whether it foresees generational lines ending in a godless black hole or not.

Other Hozier songs reveal darker gets more estimable the more you dig into it. With its bird talk, “Shrike” sounds sweet enough, till you realize that a shrike is a kind of bird that impales its prey on thorns, which does add a rather bloody metaphoric undertone to what sounds like a reasonably pacifist breakup song. “Dinner & Diatribes,” meanwhile, is just deeply horny, not thorny. The most brooding song of the set, “Talk,” has verses where Hozier sings in lofty, literary terms about the romantic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, only to reveal in the chorus that he’s talking to this woman in such high-minded terms because he just wants to charm her into the sack. As a piece of writing, it’s hilarious, establishing a devilish side of Hozier it’s good to hear. As a piece of performance, it’s just sexy.

But as enriching as it is to realize Hozier has a healthy sense of humor in his writing, bad-boy wit is never going to be what you’re going to come away from a Hozier album or show with. The main part of Friday’s concert ended, as expected, with “Take Me to Church,” his outraged take on abuse and homophobia in the scandalized Catholic church — which just happens to be easily taken as a lusty hymn to sexuality. Following that, the large band returned to a stage that had now been decked out in some kind of ivy, as Hozier talked about his love for the late Irish poet Seamus Heaney (whose last words he has tattooed on his arm) and, “since I’ve come this far,” went ahead and recited his poem “Mint,” sharing his hero’s affection for the plant and its “tenacity for life.”

Tenacity is likely to be a buzzword, too, for Hozier, given his leaps and gains as a writer-performer and seeming level head atop his tree-top shoulders. Taller still of voice, musical dexterity and good will — and still just 29 —  he’s somebody the swooners and even some cynics should feel good about settling in with for a very long Irish ride.

[anachronic-cobra]

Imagine: Humans accidentally insulting aliens using common idioms that don't make sense when you don't know they're figures of speech

---

Human: Penny for your thoughts?

Alien: You taught me about currency, have I forgotten the value of "penny"? Do you really think my thougts are worth so little? I thought you liked conversing with me!

Human: Wait, hold on

---

Human: We can kill two birds with one stone if we-

Alien: I've told you time and again my people are primarily pacifists, and herbivorous regardless. Why would you suggest such an activity?

Human: No, wait, it was just a-

Alien: I will have no part of it, and this nonsequitor is irrelevant to our conversation. Please strike birds on your own time.

---

Human: So is there a method to your madness here?

Alien: *offended* Are you questioning my sanity?

Human: I was just-

Alien: Because that's difficult to take from a being with the IQ of a gleesnork.

Human: I don't know what that is but fuck you too

---

Human 1: *talking to someone about alien, sees alien approaching* Ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear!

Alien: *hurt* I thought... you liked my company?

Human 2: ...what?

Human 1: *realizing* OH WAIT NO I'M SORRY

---

Human: See you later, alligator!

Reptilian alien: How fucking dare you

[implotting]

If words are weapons

Then I am armed to the teeth,

With idioms that hurt,

Like a blade to the gut,

Similes and metaphors that kill,

As a bullet might through your heart,

And euphemisms that threaten,

Like a knife to the throat.

If words are weapons,

I am a soldier,

In a room filled with pacifists.

If words are weapons,

I write in blades at this moment.

It is what I do with those weapons,

That determines who I am,

And I do not wish to kill.

But it is difficult to believe,

The only one in the room holding a gun.

[thenightling]

Superman PSA:  Clark Kent does NOT worship Rao

I’ve seen too many fanarts and fan fictions lately making Clark Kent / Kal-El / Superman following Kryptonian religions.   I think the confusion comes from the CW TV series Supergirl where some new fans may have learned that Kara worships the God Rao from Kryptonian religion.  

What some fans seem to have forgotten is Clark Kent was raised as a Christian in Kansas.  He even celebrates Christmas.  He has no memory of life on Krypton or of Kryptonian religion.  He did not learn about Rao until he was an adult.  He never worshipped Rao or used Rao’s name as a swear word.   Kara was twelve-years-old (in the Supergirl TV series) when she left Krypton.  Of course she says things that reflect her beliefs.  Clark never had those beliefs or language idioms where Rao’s name might be said.

I don’t know why people have suddenly forgotten this.  I’ve seen articles describing Clark’s religious views and there are always people commenting now with “Excuse me, he worships Rao.”  No.  No, he doesn’t.   He didn’t even know the name Rao until he was an adult.

Raoism was an ancient religion on Krypton that had fallen out of favor and was was later used to try to destabilize a pacifist movement on Krypton.

Also I should let you know, Rao is an actual character and a bit of an idiot.  Here he is in Sandman: Endless Nights talking to Despair incarnate, who wants him to sustain life just to cause suffering.

Yeah… Superman doesn’t worship this guy or say things like “Oh, my Rao.”  He …knows better…

[gned1201group7-blog]

A Child of Our Time - Sir Michael Tippett (Brandon Hobbs)

Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) was a pogrom that occurred within Germany and Austria. The event occurred as a result of a 17 year-old Polish-Jew assassinating a Nazi German diplomat. As a result, Sa Soldier and Hitler youth smashed the windows of Jewish stores and businesses. Jewish homes, hospitals and schools were ransacked as attackers destroyed buildings. Around 267 synagogues were destroyed and over 7,000 Jewish businesses were demolished. There has been an estimate of over 91 Jews that have died due to the ramifications of the incident.

Sir Michael Tippett was born in 1905 in Eastcote, United Kingdom and was one of the leading English composers of the 20th century, rising to fame primarily during and after the second world war. Tippett studied at the Royal College of Music from 1923-1928, as well as studied privately with English composer and teacher R.O. Morris. Tippett also became a radio and television speaker for BBC, as well as an orchestral conductor. He was also knighted in 1966 and served as the director of the Bath Music Festival.

Tippett developed slowly as a composer. His early work was considered more conservative, but later, he developed a more personal, modernistic idiom marked by emotional lyrics, intricate combinations of melodic lines, and uplifting polyphonic rhythms. His first significant composition was A Child of Our Time, which made him famous upon its performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1944. Tippett passed away on January 8, 1998 at the age of 93 after suffering from a stroke. 

Tippett contrived the oratorio after learning about Kristallnacht. Although he was a committed pacifist, he wanted to communicate a universal message of tolerance without any reference to the events at the time. He drew inspiration from baroque-era composers such as Bach by constructing the oratorio into three parts much like Bach's Messiah. He also drew inspiration from African American Spirituals and placed them in the spot of traditional chorales to emphasize the oratorio's texts. The piece was named after a contemporary protest novel by anti-Nazi writer Ödön von Horváth, titled Ein Kind unserer Zeit. There have been several recorded iterations of the oratorio, three from composer Colin Davis, as well as Tippett himself at the age of 86. Today, A Child of Our Time continues to have a major impact on the world and continues to be performed around the globe.

References:

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (n.d.). A child of our time. Retrieved November 27, 2019, from https://www.ushmm.org/collections/the-museums-collections/collections-highlights/music-of-the-holocaust-highlights-from-the-collection/music-of-the-holocaust/a-child-of-our-time

M. Harran. (2014). Kristallnacht, November 9 – 10, 1938: A night of silence and fear. Retrieved November 27, 2019, from https://blogs.chapman.edu/holocaust-education/2014/11/03/night-of-silence-and-fear/

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2019). Sir Michael Tippett. Retrieved November 27, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Tippett

[writerspink]

SAT Long List (Suppl)

impermeable scurrilous implement caulk immutable skirmish facilitate precocious doctrinaire punitive opulence ductile aptitude disheveled halting eon filch incense glacial ghastly minutia genesis encomium cryptic skeptic martyr compelling recapitulate precipitate evasive eminent plight unwieldy extant derivative crest devise illusion cataclysm feign impale transition heckler pitfall secrete ambivalence rudimentary informal hermetic qualm credibility propellant entity gawk vignette discomposure arraign subdued loll swathe fell crabbed portent sophisticated entreat consolidation mandate chisel substantiate congenial vantage morose tumult abstruse dissimulate prune bauble inclined witticism generality slacken ignominy surly curtail peripheral tract rejoinder feasible lofty esoteric assurance gratis recalcitrant inadvertently hackneyed rubble avocation elixir mediate squander ephemeral incontinent stupefy exculpate dispassionate hoard diverse clangor peregrination careen taut canter subpoena cumbersome outstrip noncommittal toxic abhor subsequent hypothetical extent queasy xenophobia polemical malaise transparent candor primordial surreptitious renege abet vendetta malign insurrection inured scourge matriarch phenomenon condescend compromise mores implausible unwarranted sinuous baroque remission preclude sustain imperative scad terse excerpt cameo negligence attenuate tarry abstract emulate tremor retentive charlatan oscillate jovial tenuous contrite viable gist proletarian augment demolition unobtrusive bate acquittal champion anthology disgruntle validate mercenary intimacy introvert superficial deviate ambulatory aloft protrude enamored despot frugality cater antiseptic sheer sibling rigorous forum turbulence imperceptible eclectic terminology monochromatic rhetoric acerbity neologism bloat assent trigger amiable saturnine lassitude assimilate wanton humility distinction corroborate malodorous prevail expatriate heresy exorcise extrapolation pomposity odium hurtle muted disinter seethe quiver upbraid fickle buffet cornucopia imponderable grandiloquent irony languid precinct reaper arrogance alloy nip cleft plumage caldron amend drone eschew figurative cant impetus pulchritude egotistical fatalism curmudgeon bait tether emancipate assessment abase monolithic graft hazy autopsy contest dishearten creed devoid berserk paradox pummel consort infidel proliferation emanate arable glut subtlety denouement nonplus esteem acclimate impecunious benefactor foolhardy defray adversary accede veracity evanescent inception potion consecrate oblivion compunction psyche impel deleterious exhilarating cohesion subsistence asinine figment protocol canine discourse rapacious intangible piquant allege fulcrum opportunist punctilious paraphrase acclaim disburse amorous bequeath berate prone comeuppance nomenclature presumptuous uncanny dabble impart proximity snicker irascible dissection amphitheater deflect ramification inert sect tautological epilogue debacle indulgent catholic ineffectual innuendo abolish beset ingratiate ratiocination repast resolution raze cabal necromancy erroneous latent contagion forbearance suppress credulity membrane mimicry reiterate patina practitioner renounce complicity turgid attrition extrinsic catastrophe patent feral galvanize scuffle incredulous delude trepidation unearth crypt digression foible insularity determination hierarchy bard sartorial reciprocate aerie deft bluff outlandish ventriloquist accommodate deprecate ambiguous jostle fleck domicile orgy table furtive listless attribute mirth misrepresent preeminent decimate aesthetic rout nebulous fractious jollity compact iridescent belated dutiful predecessor subjective intelligentsia overbearing descry stealth pall asperity arcane accessory balk musky dote pied betray verity illicit presentiment monumental sinecure cacophonous ironic artifice enunciate resilient tangential instigate jubilation antidote glib barrage ardent astral epicure felon engage offhand drudgery cosmic objective convoke docile testy intimidate denizen invalidate exclaim zephyr venerate perverse repute sheathe promulgate diabolical facet obsessive confluence lachrymose neophyte lunge mannered peremptory chronic renown bereavement retroactive tycoon temper fecundity blandishment frail founder alienate complement sedentary toter disparage preternatural satiate swarm wax predetermine paean outskirts wake construe singular fervor dolt bent mottled chastise insuperable turmoil tacit apprehension liberator pertinent dismember livid discerning dumbfound sensual anonymous miscellany declivity quandary ensemble trenchant muster rent maverick pliable insolence paucity banal explicate recuperate promiscuous rationale celibate enumerate haggard panache mentor malingerer studied montage exasperate epistolary penitent frivolous bandy quintessence provident veer roil dismantle militant heed lewd compute eulogy fundamental exacting despoil exhume thematic convention remedial prosperity archaeology vertigo machination sap maudlin stifle inebriated dogmatic captivate monosyllabic abundant reciprocal parallelism hoodwink satirical execute caliber disperse obliterate balmy flaccid panoramic categorical rapt crass materialism unassuming nemesis antediluvian cynosure academic quaff jaded headstrong provisional evenhanded reverie lummox truncate salient decoy miserly stratum convoluted eccentric withdrawn dilute incorporeal disjointed betroth concession bestow attest painstaking indefatigable barren amputate tome gory optional generic annex aplomb scoff infusion stigma cohere reprieve churlish doleful misapprehension delve euphonious pungent sagacious indeterminate ramble thwart pessimism trajectory immobility chicanery divest jaunt laconic ebullient anemia mawkish antecedent reputable choleric warrant exploit unravel succumb predilection vituperative impeccable philistine adverse acrophobia extrovert oracular charisma hibernal savory venerable chameleon diagnosis inverse peerless mite anthropoid repugnant humdrum propitious clique cosmopolitan disband obdurate sporadic anthropologist aggrandize enduring unique contention lithe embark pacifist apprise inopportune dichotomy malefactor bustle adjacent archives pragmatist perspicacious pastiche mock consonance pellucid fervent fraudulent germinal resolve ignite transgression supercilious appease encroachment pigment profound diffidence threadbare misanthrope diligence auditory justification dissident impede pithy wither blatant quip disinterested cipher atrocity besmirch forgo morbid concoct pernicious reproach circuitous cozen pugnacity solicit primp spurious liquidate luster variegated adhere allay lumber forensic azure import surfeit embellish camouflage mnemonic decry entitlement differentiate coalition cursive lull disabuse advocate distill countenance scenario arbitrary gorge witless dislodge impervious maul salubrious antithesis callous degradation plutocracy blithe chivalrous intellect empathy indigent prologue vilify preposterous impostor espouse indicative dais biennial unfettered dint enclave theoretical conflagration checkered commemorate conversant chaotic truism grouse satellite dossier tout coiffure insubstantial resign coup avert blanch gamut odious inanimate laggard talisman epic enmity frolicsome supplant extraneous vindictive endorse sanguine subliminal discredit aboriginal besiege solvent retain discernible headlong wastrel edict salvo jargon dilemma raiment bevy nautical staid wizardly vicissitude consign irreproachable palliate savor advocacy dawdle casualty avalanche granulate strut riddle omnipotent ruddy aria default recession mammoth lucid rescind modicum plumb defunct flourish vaporize sportive levy console multifaceted insipid sustenance steep convert copious antipathy unbridled voluble despise flounder desultory exposure sacrosanct retrograde vigor faculty tempestuous relevant refraction imbibe gruesome expiate luminary biased descant brittle extradition rectify traverse agent idiom ethereal codify satire ordeal replete bereft swerve incisive aseptic stoke analogy missive harbinger dearth assumption inevitable missile substantive scrupulous riveting avow expenditure rant anchor bucolic indiscriminate cavalcade rigid thermal distant herbivorous prod odyssey grudging crescendo plaintive cede bemused cull behemoth context entourage indissoluble grotesque imminent ultimate impinge dwarf voyeur recrimination omnivorous recipient demur caption obsequious sluggard tantamount gaudy amnesty ascendancy yore camaraderie onus anomalous outspoken indentation fleece appropriate cessation diurnal equitable impotent yield inalienable regime append stoic benign lexicon valedictory foresight nostalgia epitome altruistic capitulate fawning cordial ellipsis irreconcilable subsidy mollify list angular woe recourse beatific doldrums abate commiserate haggle meager affix pact embroil forthright chagrin carnivorous unimpeachable abortive cloister longevity rhapsodize stolid anachronistic loquacious culminate precipitous appellation juncture enormity discrete rebuttal anguish bane harangue zenith capacious interminable pulverize atypical nascent insinuate detached sedition suffragist component virtuoso limber stint stipend aristocracy inimitable blasphemy expansive implication inequity garish buxom immaculate stratify constituent ruffian virulent desolate cordon supersede askew ogle foment waive beleaguer lampoon cloying injurious tortuous duration insurgent doctrine flabbergasted grovel surrogate heinous fugitive fruition leaven ballast shrewd bedraggle decrepit inquisitor explicit erotic elusive franchise lustrous motif conciliatory assay kernel ancestry interim anarchist replicate countermand exhaustive predicament raucous wean retort relent disclose infiltrate friction incantation caricature mortify expunge dauntless epoch jaundiced arrest arsenal fanaticism receptive brevity bumptious marked acclivity aversion unequivocal subterfuge illuminate erratic zealot inflated demoniac sectarian propriety disputatious virus knotty merger forebear nefarious episodic dispel retribution predator staccato incontrovertible squat seedy redolent cerebral plausible reconcile recurrent multifarious accessible relegate address catapult discombobulated stereotype dulcet fracas exceptionable delete prerogative doggerel calamity incidence correlation corporeal susceptible proxy slight embryonic provincial conservatory indisputable implore induce archaic panacea porous legacy impudence wan transcribe typhoon apotheosis disengage sultry flamboyant quack accomplice espionage filament cognitive endemic sarcasm monetary collage misconstrue narrative recumbent articulate unrequited seep clairvoyant impugn surveillance depreciate insidious liability plentitude conscientious gibberish amplify undulate magnate timorous paramount parity fissure bicameral passport douse bravado appraise defame don methodical thrive reserve liaison luscious automaton gullible scurvy frenetic decollete solitude inconsequential pastoral downcast torpor languor gaffe corrode malignant garnish gainsay beseech secular equable dialectical unscathed badger gruel distort obstinate alias bellicose anathema fathom fictitious nurture uproarious lax portend gustatory adamant mellifluous warble amicable swarthy sardonic firebrand promote check invulnerable quizzical apex sever incursion raconteur summation credence aberrant genealogy gruff precursor fortitude simplistic chaste retrench ecologist regal incorporate saturate impassive insalubrious horticultural gall waylay cogitate inundate abstain milieu dissertation grill gentry graphic minuscule obtrude laud orthodox licentious repertoire pliant defiance advent compliant barricade acuity initiate nuance invoke connotation stalemate vitriolic emissary atone supplicate vortex ramify destitute stipulate humane icon corrugated obstreperous iconoclastic transmute entail insensible gambol unerringly legerdemain solemnity propagate commodious abscond irretrievable billowing innovation eerie saunter skimp anomaly fodder galaxy tyranny hostility abstemious spurn distend coin erode deference craven libel diminution disconsolate complaisant fray chronicle grapple effervescence inefficacious bestial enfranchise withstand pugilist mural acquiesce venom impunity pander furor microcosm misdemeanor couple incipient elegy adulation lilliputian pensive contempt forswear sage analogous hallowed spontaneity revert neutral bask fluke concentric zeal converge incriminate pittance wry commensurate menagerie tremulous yoke encumber embed pathetic probe provocative potential noxious bulwark inchoate circumspect maniacal condense resumption amiss invective solicitous abysmal alcove mendicant disembark index hedonist gusto verve contemporary swagger irate obfuscate obsolete beguile knave conglomeration placate fraught fortuitous maxim confidant vouchsafe culpable plethora sycophant temporize meditation authoritarian resonant mandatory delineate sequester annals sleeper grisly economy escapade urbane puny reprise wily vanguard paraphernalia graduated odorous profusion compensated marsupial unaccountable exemplify predispose disarray degenerate maelstrom writhe martinet remonstrance yen cliche travesty frigid wrench synthesis monarchy felicitous dank mediocre didactic invasive ferret dissolution minute slander monotony garner pedagogy flagrant epithet aghast ideology slither indolent petty intricate brazen extol idiosyncrasy servitude matrix voracious petrify verisimilitude definitive ceremonious rebuke diverge perpetuate abash cardinal imperturbable multilingual murky culinary muggy debunk pandemic evince purveyor carnage integrate wince confine procrastinate solecism deadlock fatuous faction redoubtable quarantine canny abbreviate facade excoriate entice persevere finale crestfallen succinct wheedle flick importunate collate august pragmatic persona transport latitude sacrilegious inveterate heterodox atlas exodus domineer translucent prolific watershed valid entrance nomadic obituary concerted collusion combustible reconnaissance viper erudite practical arbitrator allusion surmise brochure opiate sully molten invocation clasp exult vernacular extrude undermine unseemly pretext infamous rummage actuarial uniformity piety perennial abduction deluge supple forestall propensity turbid axiom array gavel contraband volition cadaver ostentatious phylum callow mesmerize dupe inimical swindler buffoonery alimony unassailable cower mire facsimile confrontation quorum precise annotate curator pseudonym precis document elated dissonance foreshadow coquette intractable myriad dilatory inclement momentum disaffected beeline certitude quell atheistic metaphysical whet censure respiration matriculate deducible hone artifact ominous dehydrate shoddy jettison dynamic sear conventional irrepressible conceit inordinate labyrinth dirge ornithology pecuniary covenant intermittent debauch officious bicker abdicate brunt tawdry decapitate equivocate masochist puerile polyglot scintillate scamp finesse intuition impromptu sordid impassable coterie arrears paltry querulous wallow nihilist narcissist eloquence remnant philanthropist incarnation relinquish toady engender oblivious ordain deadpan incandescent pique effusive effrontery burly fabricate exalt purchase insolvent integral relic genteel equivocal astronomical doodle unanimity deposition reverent converse acquire amity sate munificent killjoy sumptuous causal reprisal gargantuan palatable accoutre exhort attentive bristle surmount amorphous recast germane vacuous unkempt conspicuous formidable ascribe partisan chimerical guise repository polarize zany trespass progeny humid restitution polygamist underlying unsightly legend expedient balm reparation rote disinclination concur malevolent avenge spry thespian derelict prude brusque crux magnanimous amorality eclipse ramshackle loath blare impiety impertinent bilious renovate ample lope cynical incoherence underscore grate rally controvert mortician precarious adapt coincidence impasse gusty frustrate euphemism politic aggressor disparity antagonism acute debonair bizarre nullify delusion realm opportune gape abjure intrude irrefutable worldly gnarled consistency saccharine apposite extort trappings indelible prehensile propulsive dissipate marred ameliorate resplendent illusory novice random decipher proselytize effete choreography anticlimax calorific titular illimitable chafe detrimental reek sentinel discursive reprehensible imbalance temperament consummate mushroom hover expedite potable babble incubate catechism willful replica celestial mutinous deterrent gingerly assert dispirited animosity extenuate meek drivel acrimonious turpitude traumatic florid orator vivacious girth incentive parody impregnable quiescent clip geniality despondent proclivity orientation glower trivial ensconce brandish betoken intrinsic imply archetype adorn intransigence sluggish contingent manifesto bureaucracy anthem beneficial beneficiary horde Draconian static infraction ingrate slothful voluptuous gratuitous impeach roster stratagem hamper inaugurate patrician agnostic embezzlement host rampant divulge remorse detergent judicious winnow appall contaminate proscribe misnomer aggregate cadence discrepancy baffle rehabilitate conspiracy pejorative connubial tendentious metropolis assuage drab shun averse penchant superfluous quench pandemonium corrosive mischance bawdy carping sodden confiscate delectable agility formality rationalize impenitent motley moodiness treatise flit schematic forsake seasoned disingenuous mirage burlesque fallible vestige virtual ratify quarry solace paradigm inept facetious indignation stalwart faze estranged posthumous touchstone snivel cache covetous harass slapdash gouge efface whimsical breach revile irrevocable prototype denigrate fret scapegoat addle tractable efficacy shroud dilapidated medley titter hypochondriac impartial debilitate apropos topography stellar jabber tirade reparable demure refractory mettle palpitate cursory cow lateral luxuriant enterprising laborious improvident manifest sinewy defer ebb mitigate adherent denounce jocose propinquity conundrum kinetic conjure anoint propitiate daub expletive circumlocution petulant somber martial notoriety artless accelerate cerebration gait posterity arousal chasm affront lugubrious prolong contravene abject disseminate torrid capacity exertion throng elliptical fallacious succor flippant abyss venial philanderer cajole novelty assail prodigious residue ferment goad celerity recluse taint knit rife wane circumscribe utopia viscous impair perforate rend perimeter reprimand canvass progenitor defuse absorb enigma regale ruminate fervid sonorous indignity discretion migratory ingenious ashen alliteration expurgate gibe jeopardize credo discomfit substantial malapropism heyday rue contiguous ingrained maternal ambidextrous ruthless lackluster universal defection exacerbate intrepid quietude dexterous disquiet fluctuate energize adversity apocryphal seminary pontifical abridge germinate partial bland implicit quagmire hyperbole benediction lionize browse inhibit authenticate innovative concede ravenous truculence hilarity quadruple palette metallurgical abusive gauche dapper ulterior gnome subjugate limpid hazardous thrifty devotee buccaneer unfathomable derogatory fluency projectile duplicity infallible deploy consensus requite depredation repercussion platitude enthrall vent personable tenacity muse navigable purse retract impoverished tensile absolve irrational calumny stringent apparition temerity conception multiplicity succulent mundane decorum diva amenities prosaic cataract compound rigor haphazard indifferent approbation sadistic daunt calligraphy windfall introspective limerick deify reticence gratify conveyance rejuvenate ubiquitous fitful invincible incorrigible apolitical pan muddle cleave notable hue burgeon severity placebo exude presage devout congenital adage hoary scuttle shackle cumulative diffuse endearment artisan negate alleviate demise capricious stem panegyric restive sophistry saboteur ejaculation inane tribute marshal clench compile perpetrate vociferous allocate optimum unctuous astute feint simile premise pantomime apparatus acumen protege annul servile insubordination encipher stamina resurge profligate potent beatitude lecherous arcade strew exonerate prudent implicate expropriate ecstasy ludicrous dispatch castigate astringent ordinance inviolable stagnant accord evocative prescience empirical amalgamate savant kleptomaniac potentate therapeutic divergent emend trek temperate pauper trifling concurrent censorious opalescent precept terrestrial enrapture annihilate vicarious paragon consequential diversion acetic concomitant bastion negligible barb ordination discount awe lethargic parameter defile indomitable deplete synoptic myopic farce miasma incapacitate rapport corollary relish regeneration submissive indigenous menial molecule peruse incline execrable begrudge mammal recount equinox dictum incarcerate stigmatize expository revoke aspirant tender cavalier fluster seamy prodigal climactic arduous serendipity amenable waggish overt counterpart skinflint catharsis dappled rile recant excise conjecture parasite tenacious disapprobation ruse egregious arbiter remediable affluence sublime overwrought plaudit permeable hybrid vacillate impending nauseate repulsion abrasive carnal scale tautology idolatry rectitude comparable conviction malcontent sophomore linguistic paranoia exegesis tenet symbiosis retiring pious blunder gentility invigorate verbiage incongruous slovenly pedestrian vapid comatose convene tactile touchy denotation lexicographer withhold affliction sedate fauna voluminous untenable whiff chasten stymie glutton retaliation allegiance courier coagulate inexorable patriarch shambles respite dingy obscure harrowing discordant paroxysm detraction perceptive attain mystify levity memento litigation coercion hindrance concord prolixity immune cession stilted fiasco devious aspersion incite ovation obese theocracy infantile perfidious apprehend flora auxiliary accentuate aromatic surpass coalesce ingenuous portly impropriety ostensible abnegation gamely depose apathy innocuous grimace obviate depravity kindle affidavit hulking momentous dormant fastidious glossary usurp exotic autocratic oust embroider catalyst tyro prostrate oblique dissemble titanic nutrient palpable nepotism intimate application stodgy decadence leniency melancholy rotundity atavism egoism pervasive dissolute clamor atrophy continence velocity ethos gambit pallid adjunct unprepossessing cupidity canto irksome repellent finicky purport ornate broach elucidate abominable buttress laceration outwit seemly fidelity furlough tempo salvage permeate shirk embargo sojourn summit nonchalance dilate fop indoctrinate obtuse browbeat salacious scruple lap sententious query orient garrulous rustic placid debase agenda optimist amass discord soluble asylum bilk ethnic unmitigated enervate rousing pertinacious squabble circumvent concise subservient effectual filial jingoist gale epitaph asunder inconsistency sanction belabor problematic vital lineage liniment aloof meticulous uncouth prevalent homage alacrity vex disdain simper chaff perturb prey collaborate affable unintimidated raid infernal aver civil improvise subordinate beget fanfare tantalize fledgling putrid covert caustic irrelevant celebrated termination moratorium ire debutante bigotry conformity hydrophobia buoyant acoustics prattle transitory authoritative responsiveness refurbish gravity visionary perfunctory convex shimmer etymology multiform uninhibited befuddle dwindle magnitude amnesia demean onset implacable forte sham mote dubious rave cite rarefied mosaic distraught dowdy stanza parable flux craftiness hodgepodge rancid coddle prevaricate inveigle venal noisome rabid malicious replenish nominal rhetorical statute onerous engaging torrent natty guile wispy lethal salutary madrigal hallucination prelate affected connivance acknowledge soporific blurt quixotic pacify patronize pariah alchemy autonomous winsome ribald omnipresent insulate title perpetual remiss dissuade unconscionable indubitable chauvinist desiccate integrity demeanor prelude elaboration lurk serenity haughtiness symmetry glimmer clamber perquisite linger acrid gloss over forlorn scavenge premeditate percussion reminiscence audit junta reactionary incessant weather fusion imputation itinerant plasticity quirk iniquitous homogeneous aphorism fraternize swelter sobriety travail ennui composure conjugal virtue decomposition meddlesome restraint chide parsimony cringe luminous amphibian coy oaf jocular nondescript depict taciturn propound trite cantankerous supposition vindicate opus avarice burnish sanctimonious mode comprise phoenix jurisprudence regiment hibernate rankle festive fester metamorphosis refute disparate iota desecrate preamble peccadillo aquiline hermitage pretentious invidious ravel vagrant bantering larceny sybarite slough partiality migrant anecdote impalpable blighted agitate superimpose treacly centripetal bleak lackadaisical slipshod tedious mincing tepid smolder subversive awry irresolute inclusive languish elicit seismic apprenticeship infer glaring complementary requisite impenetrable repel congeal confirm inherent offensive piecemeal trough collateral commandeer gaunt beam unprecedented imperious stupor manipulate compatible contend infuriate musty diversity protuberance anthropocentric moribund linchpin visceral inscrutable derange infinitesimal pristine disfigure subside congruent lavish largess arid heterogenous proponent imperial itinerary vulnerable incompatible edify foreboding prophetic inkling timidity sinister perdition flaunt stricture adroit oligarchy contract exempt shyster earthy calculated complacency redundant meander fetter bungle apologist ambience altercation vigilance transcendent adept scurry indenture appreciate condole marital outmoded venturesome vagabond deplore cherubic prate incur skulk maim dire serpentine physiological maladroit quibble caucus guileless incidental naivete brawn premonition exuberance nonentity dismay retinue compress leery deliberate flair duress bludgeon ossify verbose vie cognizance soliloquy vertex diatribe affirmation ungainly shear wistful olfactory convivial rebuff reprobate nirvana clemency frantic scrutinize nettle mendacious simulate egress inculcate ascertain seclusion glaze askance steadfast pillage aftermath nadir preen waft anonymity unstinting absolute irreverence material hardy abrade enhance refrain scanty foil podium suavity dilettante misconception retrieve gadfly precedent fetid indict redress hoax infirmity incumbent omniscient kindred innate sanctuary fallow shard insightful hypercritical loathe somnolent pathological imprudent saga postulate insatiable resentment prurient crotchety gesticulation foster ramp waffle flag indiscretion irreparable render retrospective purge comprehensive ascetic falter blase demented repress irremediable colossal corpulent protract diaphanous asymmetric disconcert accolade harbor encompass equanimity qualified reprove interloper obnoxious unwitting valor allude preempt sedulous repudiate belittle embrace din amble antecede malfeasance genre prim malleable grandiose fulsome squalor quail verbalize apostate tonic epigram strident pinnacle wary pedantic futile interrogate subsidiary loiter emendation remunerative parched disavowal prodigy tangible passive barterer divine dissent garbled warranty comely generate mishap grandeur glossy pert tantrum conducive demystify constraint grueling belie cuisine nicety rift repeal upshot allure increment stanch belligerent anesthetic protean defeatist flout alimentary privation baleful condemn monastic pathos disgorge ape debris loom deciduous aquatic plagiarize auspicious lout impediment animus traduce secession addiction quaint mutability malediction coronation welter facile communal audacious exemplary ecclesiastic slake equilibrium fancy clientele rig embody metaphor veneer plummet picaresque prompt kudos flinch discriminating clandestine clump criterion allegory robust poignancy husband contentious versatile aspire grievance conclusive reimburse vehement felicity industrious escapism acidulous chary volatile disclaim prank pore deface acme condiment obligatory dismiss pine revulsion prowess ostracize poseur wrath schism slur gourmet heedless importune tutelage disenfranchise droll entrepreneur jaunty assiduous influx bemoan filibuster pundit tenure badinage antiquated adulterate intemperate pivotal parry extricate precipice lament vogue eccentricity cogent benevolent misgiving deign pusillanimous hovel insurmountable turncoat histrionic dross verbatim virile ponderous nocturnal mobile frenzied cognate lucrative contrived gregarious stultify penury renegade colloquial deride censor prognosis connoisseur revelry exigency rendition delirium euphoria parochial prestige crop hypocritical emaciated rancor admonition clout confound ignoble apocalyptic hiatus tranquility partition opaque invert exorbitant throes suborn tentative clime nuptial lurid temporal waif dogged malady dregs breadth animated raspy cubicle ineffable transient avid austere ingenue contortion abut accost smirk phobia phlegmatic sunder intervene affinity mercurial compliance tightwad unruly demagogue impetuous recidivism engross cavil gloat modulate inarticulate sleight verge perjury practicable profane

SAT Long List (Suppl) was originally published on PinkWrite

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Pathetic Idioms

My hands have no barriers,

They punch through chests;

Hot knife in butter.

No hesitation.

It’s because of those damn eyes

Stop looking at me.  Me.

Wide open oceans,

Ice water bath for my

Hot skin.

Bath me with your gaze,

Baptize my damned soul.

Take away the sins of the girl

The lonely girl who’d lose it all

for a boy. Five seconds with a boy.

That boy.

Your voice distracts

From consequences.

Can’t help myself

Help myself

Help me

I think you hear me,

Crying in the dawn

Her blood on my hands.

Lady Macbeth.

What a whore.

Out, out damned heart

Have no use for you here.

I took fives seconds,

Five self seconds for myself.

Just to see if I was right.

I’m never right.

About these things.

Good people things.

These stupid feeling things.

Pacifists have a tendency

To make the biggest impact

with self actions.

Don’t see it coming

Hurt her to feel you.

There’s a fee to feel.

Such a fucking resounding

redundancy.

Dunce of hearts.

Queen of stupidity.

Maybe it was meant to be this way

Born to fall south.

Love makes the worst kind of hate

In me.

God forgive me.

She’s dead, your gone.

I am a fallacy.