#Only to be tricked by Testament and have to fight Justice | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jaded-tisay · 2 months

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Girl talking about a piece of media: This female character is kinda annoying and stupid, not a big fan of her :/

Guy talking about a side character he likes: No one will ever replicate what Chadren did. He was literally an unstoppable force and immovable object. He was pure, absolute strength. Every technique, every trick and gimmick, every asspull, he was unfazed by. A spirit bomb by SSBKK Goku was easily repelled. Frozen in time? Who cares, he's like, stronger than time. Goku finally asspulls Ultra Instinct, and it does fucking nothing against a barely-even-trying Jiren. Unlocking new power doesn't help, fighting smart doesn't help, he facetanks beams, he beats people up by just looking at them. They unlock new powers, they team up to fight him together, it doesn't fucking matter. Nothing they do can reach his might. No antagonist has ever felt this far above what the protagonists could muster. He was truly a juggernaught.

Something occurred to me as I gazed upon the glorious aesthetics of this CHAD. He is just a ripped as fuck ayy. Nothing more nothing less. Obviously everyone can see that, and it's been criticized many times. What people failed to see however, was that therein lies the value. His simplistic, "boring" design was not an accident. It was a symbol. A symbol for his belief in absolute strength. You see, CHADren is unique among the many antagonists Goku faced in that he is simply strong. Nothing more, nothing less. He doesn't have weird gimmicks, he doesn't have fancy techniques that border on magic, his race doesn't have weird biological gifts, he doesn't have transformations. He's just fucking strong because he worked for it. And with that raw strength he surpasses everything, no gimmick works on him, no transformation helps, even freezing him in time doesn't defeat him.

Jiren the Gray. Amusing how this simple name inspires even TIME ITSELF to tremble in fear and fall to his might. Kachi Katchin, the STRONGEST MATERIAL IN THE KNOWN MULTIVERSE, which even the GRAND PRIEST HIMSELF claimed was indestructible, crumpled like fucking CARDBOARD beneath GODren's power. A technique that only the angels have mastered--a technique that escapes even the GoDs--was mere FODDER against ALMIGHTYren once he unleashed his true power.Why is this, you ask? Because DISCIPLINEDren knows the value of cultivating pure inner strength through intense meditation, studious adherence to the Warrior's Code, and the complete lack of ties and bonds to anything that will do ANYTHING but increase his strength. He's truly a momentous character, a quintessential testament to the overarching theme of Dragon Ball that has been oh so omnipresent since the series' humble beginnings.

I used to be an anti-Jiren like you guys. However, slowly and over time, my perspective of Jiren started to change as I watched him continuously annihilate everyone in the T.O.P. I contemplated for a bit, and started to ask myself what made him so fascinating as a character, a view I still have of him even after his backstory was revealed. Why does a characters backstory have to be convoluted for them to be a likeable anyways? Dragon Ball never had any complex backstories; perhaps one could argue that Jiren’s backstory wasn’t particularly unique amongst the other characters, but Jiren as a whole is more distinctive than the entire main cast combined. Take a good look at Dragon Ball Super, note the constant asspull powerups and gimmick transformations among the main cast and major antagonists; of course, Jiren and the Pride Troopers are the only exemptions. Now, take a good look at Jiren, a man that has achieved his unconquerable strength and wisdom through continuous HARD WORK, MEDITATION and has never once resorted to pathetic gimmicks. I have long accepted that Jiren is the best and that he’s also the STRONGEST character in the entire franchise. When will you accept it?

Consider the nuanced juxtaposition of Jiren's character. He strives for the upholding of justice, yet fears the inadequacy of his own philosophy strongly enough to discard his ideals in order to maintain quiescence with his beliefs, which are his sole motivation due to the trauma of loss. He is staunchly persistent in his personal goals, almost to a point of fault, as they force him to abandon close relationships and interpersonal ties, leading him to be surrounded by like-minded individuals - and yet, completely alone, crushed by the all-encompassing and solitary silence. This runs perpendicular with most modern depictions of heroes of justice, almost all of whom seek to garner rapport and camaraderie with their fellows. Yet Jiren's core beliefs parallel an impressive number of literary paragons. What a fascinating, thought-provoking character we've been graced with. No mortal man could have conceived of such an esoteric and compelling character. Sometimes I even wonder if he created himself through sheer force of will.

I feel like a huge reason people misunderstand Jiren's characterization and subsequently dismiss it as "bland", "boring", and "generic" is that they don't recognize the meticulously-crafted nuances that give him form. This isn't an insult; newcomers--also known as "casuals" to the more uncouth individuals--are unfamiliar with shonen tropes, and only regurgitate what they perceive as ultimate truths as a result of blind hearsay. Again, this is not meant as an insult: ignorance in and of itself is not an imperfection. It is only when that ignorance germinates and blossoms into WILLFUL ignorance that it becomes detrimental to one's continued existence as a worthwhile member of humanity. Jiren the Gray transcends the quintessential tropes of a shonen character who lost someone important to him/her and seeks to atone and rise above this tragedy. He does not cleave to his deceased master's teachings as if they are gospel merely because he was unable to safe him; he instead crafted his own ideals, virtues, and motivations in the way he saw as most advantageous in regards to accomplishing his ultimate goal: to utterly, WITHOUT FAIL, espouse his master's teachings. Jiren is not beholden to Gicchin's viewpoints or personal, individual ideals: he instead recognizes that his fallen master would want him to walk his own path, regardless of the possible and probable contradicting vectors their respective moral codes could cross. This, more than anything else, cements Jiren as his own character--indeed, his own man. He pulled himself up by his bootstraps, using his beloved master's demise not as a crutch, but as a singular motivation to reinforce HIS OWN beliefs, HIS OWN ways of life, while at the same time deftly weaving Gicchin's persona into his own mode of existence. Jiren is more than a character in a legendarily-influential shonen story that will never be surpassed. He is an ideal. A belief. A way of life. He is the summit.

As I sit and pontificate upon esoteric ponderances such as the scope of the universe, the meaning of existence, and the magnificence of Jiren the Gray, I find myself quite often contemplating upon the incongruous audacity of this magnanimous character's detractors. Are they simply envious of us? As intellectual titans of the highest caliber, such a conclusion would not be unfounded. Might it be that they are intimidated? As a studious arbiter of logical thought, I have been privy to--and, in some instances, been the proprietor of--many instances of naysayers' intellectual dismemberment at the hands of the myriad Jirenscholars, so this hypothesis, too, has its merits. It takes a true scholarly mind and unflinching perseverance in the face of adversity and criticism to maintain such an unflinching level of intellectual honesty and peerless perspicacity that has become the hallmark of the Jirenscholars. Perhaps, rather than crush them underfoot as helpless insectoids, utilizing our collective titanic intellect as a proverbial boot, we should show them a modicum of pity and extend to them the enlightened hand of the Gray. Pity and reliance on others, of course, is the bane of the cultivation of true inner strength, but some beings begin life too weak to seek it out on their own. They are simply dealt a poor hand, but they must rise above it instead of fighting blindly against it with childish insults, jejune arguments, and a veritable maelstrom of logical fallacies that they tirelessly pepper us with in a never ending, fruitless onslaught. It is our duty, brethren, to show ALL peoples the way. Even those that seek to turn from it. GLORY AND APPROBATION TO JIREN THE GRAY!

I have to confess something. I was not always a scholar. It is noticeable, as my vernacular fails to be as rich and sharp as that of my peers. However, I live in respect and accordance with the teachings of Jiren and what he represents. Even if my brain, due to its limitations in terms of both biology and a past life lived in ignorance, isn't as potent as my fellow scholars, I strive to set the example that ignorance is a choice. Every genius needs assistants, who, while not on the same intellectual level, are still of a certain mental pedigree, and contribute in the search of knowledge and truth accordingly. This character, Jiren the Gray. The name caught my eye when it was first uttered. Something about it rung deep within myself, the last speck of hope within my spirit struggling within the darkness. Then, I saw it. His design, his actions. It spoke to me in a way I could never have imagined. So filled with awe was I at this character that my very being changed. I understood his message. Almost from night to day, my world changed. I got urges not sin and partake in vice, but to sculpt my mind and body. As soon as I noticed, I was already jacked and on my way to achieving a toned body, and my mind wandered from math to philosophy on my spare time. Women took notice of me, I began making more friends, reconnected with my distant family. I landed a good job at a company, with a promotion on the way already. I have only Jiren to thank. I am proud to be a scholar, now and forever.

#in conclusion stop hating sakura haruno

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layingeggs · 9 months

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Petal Crash is soo hardd!! I need a big sis to come help me play hard games!! Spoilers for unlockable stuff below the read more.

It took me 4 attempts, but I finally worked my way up to beating the medium difficulty arcade without using any continues.

And I am familiar with games that give you something special if you beat the arcade mode on a certain difficulty within a certain time without using continues, so I was expecting a secret boss.

But hoo boy. She's so tough! It's Lilibri. Lilibri goes mad with the sheer joy of the game. She reveals at the end that she conspired to have everyone petal crash until only the strongest was left so that she could petal crash with them. (Again, just like the games of old. Like Testament of Guilty Gear secretly being the one organising the whole tournament to trick you into fighting for Justice.)

I think the difficulty goes down every time you lose? (It goes up every time you win!) And I still couldn't get a dent in her after losing. I cleared the whole arcade mode up to that point only losing one single measly heart against Rosalia. I thought I was doing well! I thought I could at least make Lilibri sweat.

Nope. She beat me with full health. (┬┬﹏┬┬) I wasn't even a challenge for her!

I've tried to avoid spoilers for this game, but there's another petal crash after if you beat her isn't there? I've seen videos online of people playing as characters I don't recognise. I've also seen the credits where those characters show up. I want to try and unlock those characters but I don't know if I'll even have a hope of beating Lilibri.

(If anyone reading this knows about unlockable characters, don't tell me! I want to try to figure out as much as I can. I'll watch videos online of other people doing it once I'm ready.)

I am getting better at making combos honestly. But the better the opponent, the less I can combo against them. I can't combo in a time limit. I just start mashing blocks together one at a time. And I don't think I can recover once the garbag blocks have been dropped on me. If I had the skill to make big combos despite the garbage blocks, then I simply wouldn't get garbaged on in the first place, surely?

And how cute is Lilibri though? I preferred the other characters at first. Rosalia was even one of my first picks. But Rosalia's story having her go through the cast backwards? Until the tutorial character is the final boss? Oooh! That's clever! That's 'wish I'd thought of that' clever!

And Lilibri's name being both a flower pun and a library pun. And the fact that she's a fairy so she's too small to carry her Sacred Blossom so she has to carry around a little case to hold it in? Or is that her books? She's not using the Sacred Blossom as a bookmark is she? I don't know, she's so cute. I love her.

#Currently playing #Petal Crash #video games

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schraubd · 2 years

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What Politics Has Done Politics Can Undo

What Politics Has Done, Politics Can Undo "The majority has overruled Roe and Casey for one and only one reason: because it has always despised them, and now it has the votes to discard them." That's from the joint dissent in Dobbs. It's true. Nothing about the Constitution changed from the start of this week to the end of this week, or indeed (in relevant part) from 1973 to today. What changed was politics. The conservative right spent fifty years in a slow, grinding war of political attrition -- gaining power, entrenching itself in key institutions, pushing forward -- and Dobbs was the payoff. That's a political accomplishment, not a legal one. It is difficult to tell my students that no legal argument that they will learn in my Con Law class will make the slightest difference in terms of potentially seeing Dobbs overturned, just as no legal argument actually played any role in seeing Roe overturned. Nonetheless, it is true. But that just means the relevant arena for fighting is different. What politics did, politics can undo. There is a bruising fight coming. There is no weird trick by which Democrats can win it in a one-punch knockout tomorrow. It will likely take years. Overturning Roe took Republicans nearly fifty years. God willing, reviving Roe will not take that long. Indeed, my fondest dream is that the reversals happen while at least some of the current GOP justices are on the Court. I want them to be there as their work crumbles to dust, I want them to mewl helplessly as their precedents (and I don't just mean Dobbs here) are brushed aside as aberrant malignancies on the constitutional body politic. But it will take a sustained, disciplined political campaign, at all levels of government, that matches or even exceeds what anti-abortion advocates threw at the issue for the past fifty years. And while no, "just vote" is not a sufficient part of that strategy, yes, voting is a necessary and indeed critical and central part of that strategy, and anybody is who is indulging in mocking voting or undermining voting or depressing voting is functionally abetting the anti-abortion cause no matter what else they claim to be doing on the issue. All the other components of fighting for abortions rights in 2022 -- from protests to strikes to mutual aid programs to deleting your period tracking apps -- are at most rear-guard actions without more Democrats in power. It doesn't matter who the Democrat is. Yes, even the supposed "pro-life" Democrats. Why? Because when Democrats, as a party, are in a stronger position, the gravitational pull of politics moves all Democrats in a pro-choice direction. It's no accident that Joe Manchin, who long has presented himself as "pro-life", is now talking about codifying Roe. It's also no accident that Susan Collins, who long has identified as "pro-choice", was a key player in ensuring that the anti-Roe majority was present on the Supreme Court. Republican power alters the center of gravity of politics in an anti-abortion direction even if individual Republicans claim to be pro-choice; Democratic power does the oppose even if individual Democrats claim to be pro-life. It's obviously better to have pro-choice Dems than pro-life Dems, but it's better to have any Dems than any Republicans in office. If nothing else, Susan Collins is testament to the strategy that if keep control of the dice long enough, eventually the party apparatus will win out. I won't claim to be especially impressed with the manner in which the Democratic leadership has responded to Roe's demise -- but then, crushing defeats are rarely pretty for the defeated party. Nonetheless, unless more Democrats are elected, there is no hope of reviving Roe. It's that simple. There's no substitute for having power. via Blogger https://ift.tt/ZvUrDYk June 25, 2022 at 03:39PM

#abortion #Democrats #GOP #reproductive rights #Republicans #Roe v. Wade

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thepilgrimofwar · 4 years

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Finale 2 - Edited Roll20 Log

News of Ethalarian’s death spread through the ranks as they began their final assault on the inner walls of the fortress. Instead of disheartening the men, it seemed to enrage them instead. With Vissehn’s infiltration of the gatehouse, the army made their way into the courtyard under the artillery fire from Beathyn’s guns. Inside, the battle raged on as the trapped soldiers of Westheath had little choice but to fight to the death.

But as their soldiers pinned the remaining forces to the corners of the courtyard, clearing a space for our heroes to enter the Lord Arenias’ hall, Krissen Dawnhollow and a half-company of troops marched out to meet them.

Krissen Dawnhollow makes a resigned laugh. “Here’s our end men, this is it.” Whatever remnants of her forces from the siege had concentrated here. This is where they would make their last stand. “So, you’ve come to take the Old Man’s head? We’d step out of your way but I’m afraid we wouldn’t be able to live with ourselves after. Might as well die here. Defending our Lord. That ought to make him proud.”

She makes no mention of the battle that took place on their eastern flank earlier. Nor the death of Ethalarian Dawnstalker by her hand. There was no glory in killing for her, only glory in death.

Krissen Dawnhollow looks at Lirelle, recognizing her from her service in the Deathseekers. “It ought to make Sederis proud don’t you think? Not the Sederis who came back to rule. The Real Sederis. The one we knew.” A crazed look twists itself onto her features. “Sederis the Deathseeker, -The Pilgrim of War- Not this half-Lord of the Emberglades that he preoccupied himself later. The man I followed to the ends of the world to die for!”

Lirelle cocks her head at the crazed woman. “If you think that’s who Sederis was, then it’s clear you never really knew him.” She did not recognize her. She did not care.

[Initiative]

Mara Blazingdawn:"I have been bidden to bring this farce of a squabble to a quick end. Quel'Thalas will know peace once more. By the Dawn, I will Avenge those slain."

Thanidiel:"If you really had a shred of loyalty in you, you'd have accepted the whole of your leader. Not cling to a convenient image of him."

Vissehn:"I suppose yer not lookin' for a duel, yeah?" He grins as he swings his blades, having traded the rifles for the shortswords. He then immediately closes on Krissen, ready for the fight, swinging at her in a wide sweep.

Esheyn 's form ignites in Light as she steps up to join the fray, and to bring her weapon down upon her foe in a blaze of holy energy.

Thanidiel strides forth on Vissehn's heels - keeping up with the swiftness of even the former Pathfinder. Sidestepping and allow Esheyn to charge through as well as her left hand is suddenly engulfed in roiling, golden, flame. A vicious punch sailing out as she positions closer to the gate.

Mara Blazingdawn takes her longsword into both hands and leaps to action. Brilliant light blasts from the pommel of he sword as he positions herself to the flank of Krissen Dawnhallow. With purpose the brings down the blade onto her enemy to bring her down.

Krissen Dawnhollow and what remained of the defenders of the fortress tried their best to hold their ground as they were torn apart. Bolts rained down from the walls behind them onto the coalition but it did not seem to slow them. “This is your last testament!” Krissen yells, not at the heroes around her but to her men.

Lirelle pays no mind to Krissen, the darkness at her fingertips coiling and lancing itself out. If she wanted to die so badly, then she was happy to oblige.

Oosaarn charged cracked his neck before charging into the fray towards Duskhollow. Runes along his ace's blade briefly lighting up before it rose and quickly fell in an arc.

Isilos followed along Lirelle's path.They were cut from the same cloth at one time. Focusing his healing energy on Judereth he lashed out with holy light.

[Krissen Dawnhollow is defeated]

"Will those of you on the walls surrender?" Thandiel looks to the ones still remaining on the walls. “If you throw down those crossbows right now, then I won't use them to shove you off one by one."

Mara Blazingdawn felt the rasp of the assault, but she still stands. "Highdawn is right! This battle is over! No further bloodshed is required."

The crossbowmen look at each other, before scattering towards their towers.

Thanidiel stares up at the battlements as the men seem to choose... the wrong answer. Allowing the poeticisms below and aside her to pass without commentary.

Meanwhile

Fighting to the last man, Krissen stumbled forward with her sword. Though she was badly bloodied and could barely stand, she stood defiantly between the heroes and the entrance to Arenias’ hall. Relriah dashes up, with a quickness that seemed impossible to be achieved in a dress, she cuts the Deathseeker down.

Relriah looks down at the woman at her feet, indifferent. If the woman herself did not care if she was alive or dead then neither would she. “My friends spoke true earlier. A Deathseeker was never something Sederis wanted to be. In Death he sought redemption for things that no one had blamed him for.” She knelt down next to the fallen soldier. “He never found the peace he sought as a Pilgrim of War.”

Krissen Dawnhollow looked up at her, eyes glazed over as she grew paler and paler with each passing moment. She laughed. “...Didn’t… He?”

Lirelle:"He didn't find the one that he sought because what he was looking for was a false peace. But he found his own peace, the one meant for him, at the end."

[With the troops from the inner keep defeated, they head inside.]

This was the Lord that had sparked all this of- Who led to hundreds of deaths and threw thousands of lives into disarray. Dressed in armor that was clearly meant for someone younger and more hale than the tired old man before them.

Lord Arenias Ilithia speaks as they bash down his doors. “Mereded stole my sons and sovereignty, Sederis stole my daughter, and Solendis stole my bloodline. All my life, the Emberhearts have taken from me. And when justice was so close at hand -you- had to ruin it all.” He gestures to the heroes that were now beginning to fill his halls. For all his plans and schemes, the one thing he did not account stood before him: Friends.

Friends of Sederis, friends of each other, and friends of those who answered the call. They had something that Arenias and tyrants like him could never understand: Bonds that were stronger than blood, bonds that were worth fighting -and dying- for.

Relriah raises her voice. “I was never property to be stolen, Father.” She stepped forward in front of the party. The girl was unrecognizable to Arenias. Though she still wore a dress, she was much too strong and much too willed to be the Relriah he had raised. “Was it worth it? Trying to kill your own grandson? Your own daughter!?”

Lord Arenias Ilithia sneered. “I lost you the moment you turned into an Emberheart. Stenden is no grandson of mine. He is a product of Mereded’s legacy- a constant reminder of shame that-”

Relriah laughs. “Legacy! Is that what’s so bloody important to you?! More important than your own family?” She gives him a dark look. “Let me show you exactly what I think of your ‘legacy’.”

"Justice doesn't turn the world." Thanidiel pops off like a villain. "Those who are loved do. And it seems like the Lordling is preferred over you."

Vissehn looks at the aging man and shakes his head. He has had a lifes worth of the old bleeding out the young to survive; a bloodline of it, and every generation bled dry. He will be the last, and so will his friend-- no more will those like Arenias and Dasia take their claim in kindred.

Mara Blazingdawn speaks up. "Surely we do not need further bloodshed. We are hardened defenders of Quel'Thalas, tested against the might of the Alliance. This fight is over. Throw down your weapons and you may yet live. If honor demands you hold a sword, why not save your guardsmen and join in single combat?"

Esheyn is all but ready to charge forward, weapon in hand, but... she pauses, to give Mara the chance to speak.

Thanidiel narrows her eyes at the old man. "The offer's there, Arenias. Those of the Dawnspire make no tricks."

Lord Arenias Ilithia listens to this for a moment but grips onto his sword and shield tighter. "Surrender was never an option. Everyone who still remained in my walls knew that." Though he did not say it, it began to make clear why there had been no civilians in the city when it was besieged. The old man may have been spiteful and murderous. But he was still a Lord of his people.

[Combat Starts]

Thanidiel:"It is only because you hold onto the past feebly that this door remains closed to you. You are no Child of the Blood."

Isilos:"Ah yes, diplomacy at its finest."

Lirelle:"Don't waste any more breath on him."

Vissehn:"This is a kinder fate than ye had for a lad in mourning, ye sad bastard."

Mara Blazingdawn frowns at the words. "You will not be a martyr. Your death is an act of stupidity, not gallantry."

Esheyn nods, for it is decided. She takes a moment to regard her comrades, her fel-tainted gaze fixated on each individual for a brief moment. But her attention lingers on Relriah for a beat longer than the rest, before she is once again engulfed in Light. "It is time to end this," she says simply, though her voice reverberates with the energy that radiates from within, and she launches herself forward to strike at Arenias in a single stroke.

Vissehn spares no further words and darts in with all his speed, slashing with his own.

Thanidiel 's blazing light had consumed her left arm all the while as they had marched through stone and wall - transferring to her poleaxe like fire leaping from tree boughs as she follows up on their heels yet again to bring down a strike.

Mara Blazingdawn dashed forward and unleashed a blast of blinding white hot light onto Arenias and her allies, assaulting him and healing the others. [Dawning Glory but only healing Vissehn]

Lirelle takes a step forward, silent as she usually was these days. For a moment she seems to glow in unlight, the claws that pushed themselves out of the bark of her arm seeming to unfurl before they broke off, the shards hurling themselves into Arenias with all the fury and anger at his stupid war.

Oosaarn followed the others forward and crashed into the group before them. Again those rune showed ignited. This time draining the life force off any his axe swung into.

Isilos looked over to the Death Knight again.He was undead but he was a proven alley. "Try not return to a lifeless state." A hint of a tone, perhaps he was changing his mind on the undead.... wouldn't stop him from using holy light to heal them, but it was progress.

[Arenias is defeated.]

As Arenias falls to his knees, his daughter catches him. But not with her arms, but the flat of her blade.

Relriah whispers to him. “I will make sure that not a single soul speaks your name in the glades again. That ever babe born after this time will never utter the name ‘Arenias Ilithia’ in their life. You will be forgotten, scrubbed clean, not even a footnote will be left in the history of the Glades.”

Relriah does not let him speak and slit his throat. She would not let him have the final word. He had spoken enough on her behalf for a lifetime and she made sure sure he would never speak again.

[Three Days Later]

With the death of Arenias, the Civil War finally over. Now began to more difficult task of putting the Emberglades back together. But though a victory parade was planned for the victors and arrangements were being made for various coronation ceremonies- There was one last affair that needed taking care of first. Sederis’ funeral.

Thanidiel:"If we do this one more time, does he come back?"

Invitations were sent out once more and this time, the venue was the Emberheart Mausoleum. Solendis chose an open field rather than the fortress of a family manor as a statement that they had nothing to fear any longer.

Solendis hopes not. Nothing would traumatize him more if Sederis got back up while the funeral pyre was aflame.

Solendis smiles at the guests as they gather up once again. The Steward was happy that the war was finally over and that he was finally getting much needed closure. “Thank you all for coming, again.” He addresses them all. “Now where were we?” Solendis looked amongst the crowd and sends a nod towards Lirelle.

Lirelle:"Sederis is an asshole."

Lirelle steps forward, says her piece, then steps back.

Stenden |Some of those present laughed. But slightly louder than them all, was Stenden. “But he was -our- asshole.” His newly found freedom in his words seemed to be the influence of Vissehn for better or for worse.

Lirelle:“Nope, just an absolute asshole who left us all this for us to clean up.”

Oosaarn released a grunt that wasn't exactly sounding like a disagreement with Lirelle.

Solendis clears his throat, trying to bring things back on track and re-establishing the importance of this moment for him. “When the first round of invitations were sent out, House Shadowsunder was not able to attend. As a gesture of utmost respect we were given a box.”

Thanidiel:"He could have done worse."

Solendis presents a decorative wooden box, laying it beside his brother on the pyre. “It is customary to have it burn with the deceased in Shimmervale. Once fully consumed in flame, the egg within will hatch and will begin a new life of a Phoenix.” He places his hand respectfully over the box from Vulthaien Voidsunder. “I have been informed, that this will be the first Phoenix born since the sacking of Voidheart and I can think of no better honor that can be given to Sederis.”

Solendis makes one final bow to his brother before lighting the funeral pyre. No one speaks as it burns, not until there is a burst of flames and a Phoenix chick rises from the ashes.

Stenden speaks up at last, a more sombre look in his eyes as he tracks the Phoenix. “Our family gained the right to rule by avenging the death of a Phoenix. Today, through blood, fire, and the birthing of a Phoenix. The Emberhearts have earned it once more.” He looks into the fire, at the remains of the man before him. “Thank you Uncle. For your service, for your sacrifices, and your friends.”

And so the time of Tyrants had finally come to an end. For now at least.

[Epilogue]

Judereth Swiftquiver never got used to her title or station as a Lady, always opting to speak with her subjects directly when she had the chance. With her lowborn origins, she quickly became popular amongst her new peasantry who saw her less akin to a new tyrant, but as one of them, and worthy of their trust.

Nelio Goodember continued handling the books of Shalemarch. Though Judereth kept him on a short leash, she was assured that he was at least loyal. Mostly due to the fact that she had relocated him at a cabin at the border where he could easily escape- But for one reason or another, never did. His help turned out to be invaluable in repaying the Emberglades’ debts, justifying to Solendis that Judereth’s gamble was a good one in the end.

[Westheath]

Following the Civil War, Relriah Illithia took control of Westheath and kept her promise to herself, wiping out all mention of her father from the history books. Between being the sole surviving child of Arenias and her popular support during the war, there was little opposition to this.

After having her life steered by the men and women in her life, she finally took control of her own destiny. Choosing to leave Solendis, she set up her own court upon the ruins of her father’s fortress. Ruling with the centuries of her time as a court lady to draw from.

[The Broken Bulwark]

Disowned by her father Zarannis, took on leadership of the Bulwark under the name of House Galewing, in homage to the Kestrels Lodge of her service. With the survivors of the Black Banner, she began rebuilding her holdings and though it may take many years to come before it even resembled itself prior to the wars that ravaged it- It was a start.

In memory of her time with the Hawk Tribe of her youth and receiving support from the Unwelcomed, Lady Galewing offered free passage and rights for them to settle in her lands. Repaying her many debts to the ones she who had kept her safe during the Phoenix Wars.

[The Cloudrend Glades]

As the news of the Civil War’s end, Mediea Wintergale’s health began to take a turn for the worse. It was as if the old man had finally seen fit to let go of power- now that his family was safe and none had come to punish them for what crimes he may have committed in the past. He stepped down for his daughter, and retired to a small cabin by a lakeside.

Succeeded by Illsei Wintergale, together with her sister Zarannis, they ruled their provinces well in the years that followed. And when Mediea finally breathed his last, both of them were welcome to sit by his bedside holding his hands as he passed.

With Mediea Wintergale died the last of Mereded’s generation as well as the grudges and sins that cursed it. But though it was an ending of an era for the Emberglades, it also meant the beginning of another.

[-Fin-]

#epilogue #roll20

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acoolchristianchick · 5 years

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Chick Fila - This is what happens when you BOW DOWN to the world.

(CNN)What do bigots become when they bite their tongues?

Richard Morgan -

It's a trick question: bigotry is not just a matter of word or deed, but also of heart and mind. You can still be a bigot even though you have a black friend -- or even though you are black yourself. You can be a gay bigot, a fat bigot, a bigot with abs, a bigot with breasts, a young one, an old one or an immigrant bigot.Bigotry habla español and every other language. Whoever you are, bigotry is within your grasp. That's the liability of being human. And, in this age when corporations are people, too, the way to know for sure that you are a bigot is to look in the mirror and ask yourself if

Chick-fil-A

is staring back at you.

After drawing backlash in previous years for funding homophobic charities and nonprofit organizations, including the

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

and The Salvation Army, the chicken sandwich spot

announced on Monday that, as part of "a more focused giving approach to provide additional clarity and impact," it will focus on homelessness, hunger and education. That is not the change of heart it seems.This would perhaps be more convincing if Dan Cathy, Chick-fil-A's CEO, acknowledged as wrong, and directly apologized for the comments that he made in 2012 about the company's belief and support of the "the biblical definition of the family unit." Instead, the company released a statement saying that "The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect -- regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender...Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena."Fun fact: there is no "policy debate" about gay marriage. There is settled law. Gay marriage has been enshrined as justice by the Supreme Court since 2015. It's hypocrisy to claim a commitment to "respect" and describe same-sex marriage, affirmed as legal in the Obergefell decision, as a "policy debate" in the same breath. With its new announcement, Chick-fil-A did the corporate charity equivalent of apologizing without ever saying sorry. It is sobriety disguised as therapy or healing. It is silence hoping to pass as reverence. It is tolerance doing its best impression of fellowship.

Chick-fil-A will no longer donate to anti-LGBTQ organizations

It didn't mention any shift in its views on homosexuality, despite Covenant House International, the homeless charity that Chick-fil-A is associated with, having formed a partnership in 2014 with Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund, which fights queer homelessness.Such unspokenness is the same faux diplomacy that allows comedian Kevin Hart to say "

So what?

" -- the queer version of "I don't see color" -- when rapper Lil Nas X told him he was gay during a September episode of HBO's "The Shop: Uninterrupted." Although Hart goes on to say that it's important to understand and acknowledge people's differences, he never says, for example, "I would love my son

if he were gay

." (Hart famously stepped down from hosting the 2019 Oscars after a backlash over homophobic jokes he'd made in the past, for which he -- eventually -- apologized.) This unspokenness is the kind of thing that lets Michael Bloomberg think he can control his own forgiveness with a

simple "I was wrong" apology

for years of defending and promoting racist policing without acknowledging that such an apology means so many fines, arrests, and convictions were also wrong. An apology centered on the apologizer is vain catharsis, not enlightened or humbled redemption.Fitting for a two-faced corporation, Chick-fil-A is biting two tongues at once: the one that refuses to acknowledge the right of anyone to love whomever they please, and the one that proudly mingles what the company

calls in its 2020 Chick-fil-A Foundation priorities

"staying true to its mission of nourishing the potential in every child" with a cowardice about the holiness of those of God's children who are also gay children.

Why the Popeyes chicken sandwich tastes like 2020

However self-purported Christians act interpersonally, and however corporations act financially, every formally stated effort of selflessness, kindness, patience, gentleness, self-control --

all fruits of the Holy Spirit

-- are rendered rancid and hollow when personal tenderness is superseded by structural toxicity.On Monday, Chick-fil-A said that the reason for this change was that its previous charitable commitments -- which the company neglected to note were rooted in homophobia -- wrapped up in 2018. The new announcement was for 2020's commitments. But what about them? What about 2019? Where does Chick-fil-A stand on LGBTQ rights?Maybe Chick-fil-A was so serious with its soul-searching that it took 11 impassioned months to do this better thing. Or maybe it had something to do with a Chick-fil-A in Reading, England -- Britain's first location! -- which opened on October 10 and

closed eight days later

, unable to fulfill even its six-month pilot amid local scrutiny and protest for its bigotry. God only knows."Watch your words and hold your tongue," warns the Old Testament's

Book of Proverbs

. "You'll save yourself a lot of grief."But Chick-fil-A has always been far more about the New Testament. In that tome -- in the

Gospel of John

-- Jesus is tested by being presented a woman accused of adultery and asked if she should be stoned in accordance with ancient biblical law. This is where Jesus said his famous line that only those without sin should cast stones.

But before that, instead of confronting the woman or her vigilantes, instead of being direct or candidly compassionate, Jesus turned away and drew in the sand. What he drew is lost to time, but the action had the effect of distracting the mob.Get our free weekly newsletter

Join us on Twitter and Facebook

Such a lesson has not been lost on Chick-fil-A: distractions work. Can they get an amen?

(MY COMMENT ON THIS. This is the reason why Christians SHOULD stay Grounded on the word. This company BOWED down to the pressure and what happened? This article shows that the company is now looking like a hypocrite. What is the message to the world? That they are BIGOTS. To me they did more harm than good. The people that they are catering too don’t believe them and the people that liked their company because of their values are now seeing that they are hypocrites and WEAK.

The love of MONEY.. The LGBTQ community still doesn’t like them because they don’t believe them and making this gesture to them means nothing.So yes, the company looks as if they did something wrong, are bigots and trying to make amends for it. It is amazing how 8-10% of the population has so much power to make 90% of the population fall to their knees. smh)..

#LGBTQ #Chickfila #Hyprocrites #Whataretheydoing?#Jesus #Christianposts #christianwarriors

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broken-clover · 6 years

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Dust Strikers Story Mode 1/4

I haven’t seen too many resources available when it comes to Guilty Gear: Dust Strikers, a DS-only sidegame released in 2006. While I will agree that the gameplay and story did leave a bit to be desired, I still get a decent bit of fun out of it as the only GG game I own that I can play at college. I wound up going through all 20 story modes for the purpose of jotting down all the game dialogue, in case anybody needed it for reference for whatever reason and didn’t have a copy of the game. I’m gonna upload this in chunks for the sake of space.

Part 1 (Sol, Ky, May, Millia, Axl), Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Dialogue for some scenes is repeated. I tried my best to keep this more or less lifted right from the game, though I did make a few edits just for grammar’s sake because this game isn’t very well edited. I did not try to change any conversations just for the sake of it.

Sol:...Whew... Jam: How rude. What's your problem? Faust: Is there something wrong? Sol: A doctor and a chef? This is a big joke. Quit following me wherever I go. Go back to your real jobs, man! Faust: This is what it takes to master the tricks of the trade. It's necessary to learn to see things from the patient's perspective. Jame: The art of cooking is also a quest. You're not gonna find anything new just by sitting around. Venom: Then I should get to know a wider variety of opponents. Let's roll! Sol: Move it. Just go to bed!

Bridget: Whoah, everybody looks tough Chipp: Hey! what's a kid doing here? Eddie: A child. Attractive in terms of her youthfulness but too immature to become my host Bridget: You're not taking me seriously? Then let me show you my moves Sol:...back off. Don't be wasting my time Eddie: Interesting. I shall keep a record of the battle results for future reference Bridget: Don't be surprised! Here I come! Sol: What am I, a babysitter? I can't deal with this...

Slayer: This is quite an unusual combination Sol: I'm starting to get tired of your face Testament: Different being. What do you want? Slayer: Nope. Nothing in particular. Just happened to pass by. Testament: Then please go away Dizzy: Oh, you're Mr. Slayer, aren't you? Please excuse Testament's words. He doesn't mean any harm. Slayer: I'm not bothered by it. Don't worry. But this is quite interesting. Sol: So what the hell is your point? Slayer: Those who have veered off the path. I guess the same must be said of me. Testament: What are you insinuating? You better have a good explanation Slayer: My apologies if I offended you. I'm just genuinely interested in your powers Sol: You using us to kill your boredom? I think it's time you hung em up.

Anji: Finally found you. Sol:...It's you again. Anji: Let me ask you straight out. Do you have any idea where 'he' is? Sol: So what if I know? Anji: Can you tell me where he is? Of course I'm willing to work for it. You and I have a bout, and if I win, you tell me. Sounds fair? Baiken: Wait! Let me in on the festivities Sol: Sorry, not interested. You guys enjoy each other's company Anji: Even Justice feared my powers...Still not interested? Sol:...! Baiken: Shut your trap! You're starting to get on my nerves. I'll kick all of your butts right now! Axl: Whoa!...Damn it...is this a bad time? Baiken: Eavesdropping, are we? I'm not impressed! Axl: I just wanted to ask chief something Sol: And even you. Why does everyone want to stick their noses in other people's business! Axl: No worries, chief! Just a quick bout, no hard feelings! Sol: I'm not responsible for what happens.

I-no: You're late. You shouldn't make ladies wait like that. Sol: shut up. What are you wandering around for? Johnny: Hey, what a coincidence. Didn't expect to run into you here....guess yu're busy with a woman Sol: You stay out of it I-no: Ooh, another cute guy Ky: All of you! Freeze right there! I-no: and now a cute boy, too. Ky: Sol..! And Johnny the pirate, and you're..! I-no: I'd stay out of it if I were you. Why don't you just go home to mommy? Sol: That's enough chit chatting. Let's let the fists do the talking! Ky: ...Sol! I-no: The violent guy as always. Sure, why not...I'll cut you all up into pieces! Ky: I guess there's no alternative. Holy Knight combat was initially meant for handling multiple enemies. I'll show you what it's all about!

Sol: Finally we meet... Gig: Grrr... Sol: I'm here to figure you out. Gig: Grrrgh! Sol:...Too late, I guess. Then die.

Gig: Grr...grr... Sol: Don't bother. It's over Gig: Grr.... Sol:...I'll make sure we get even for your sake. I guarantee you we'll find the dirt bag...

Jam: Ayah! Who's this cute guy? Ky: You must be...that chef, Ms. Jam Kuradoberi. Jam: That's right! You remembered me! I'm so happy! Ky: I'm glad to see you're doing well. May: Wahts...oops! Oh no! Ky: You must be May, the pirate May: Are you going after Johnny? You'll have to get by me first. Ky: Please, put your guard down. I'm not after pirates right now. Testament: So you're out bounty-hunting then. Probably after me then, aren't you? Jam: Ooh, you're quite the hottie too. Wanna work at my restaurant? Testament: Stop talking nonsense... May: It's two hot guys...but Johnny's way hotter than both of you!

Zappa: Hey! Miss! Millia:...Yes? Zappa: If it's possible, can you be my wi... Millia:... Zappa: Actually, never mind... Axl: Dude, let me show you how it's done. Hey, you in the beautiful blond hair! Let me buy you a cup of coffee so I can see which glows brighter, your hair or your eyes. Millia:...Um, I'm in a hurry. Ky: You're Millia, the former assassin. If you're not with the guild anymore, leave the rest to the police force. No need to put yourself in danger. Millia: I'll take care of him. It's none of your business. Ky: But no, we have to... Zappa: What's all this talk about? Even the police are here. Maybe I should get outta...NO!...Happiness. Hatred! Hatred! Millia: Why don't I ever have luck with men?

Faust: Traveling lady with the scent of blood. Where are you headed? Baiken: Get lost, you lame doc. It's none of your business. I can kill whoever I want. Chipp: Woman enduring countless bloodshed. So you're that Japanese beauty? Ky: There's nothing but anger inside you. As a protector of public safety, I can't let such hateful words pass Baiken: Kid, if you don't wanna get hurt, you should just keep your mouth shut Ky: I have confidence in my sword. Not exactly my favorite option, but in this case I have no choice Faust: What you need is some time off in total peaceful serenity. As a physician, it is my obligation to make sure that you are cured.

Anji: You must be Ky Kiske, former leader of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights Ky: Yes, that would be me. And who are you? Anji: Last name is Mito, first name is Anji. I'm just a journeyman Ky: So what can I help you with? Anji: I'd like to challenge you to a match. I wanted to see firsthand the skills of a top-class warrior like yourself. Ky: I can tell from your presence that you're not an ordinary foe. Asian martial arts? Interesting. I accept your challenge. Slayer: In that case, count me in too. Fighting for the sake of fighting. To me fighting is life's best form of entertainment. Don't you think? Potemkin: I myself haven’t had any worthy opponents recently. Sure, I'll take you on. Ky: This is getting interesting. It's been a while for me too. Bring it on!

I-no: You're late. You shouldn't make ladies wait like that. Sol: shut up. What are you wandering around for? Johnny: Hey, what a coincidence. Didn't expect to run into you here....guess you're busy with a woman. Sol: You stay out of it. I-no: Ooh, another cute guy. Ky: All of you! Freeze right there! I-no: and now a cute boy, too. Ky: Sol..! And Johnny the pirate, and you're..! I-no: I'd stay out of it if I were you. Why don't you just go home to mommy? Sol: That's enough chit chatting. Let's let the fists do the talking! Ky: ...Sol! I-no: The violent guy as always. Sure, why not...I'll cut you all up into pieces! Ky: I guess there's no alternative. Holy Knight combat was initially meant for handling multiple enemies. I'll show you what it's all about!

Ky: What overpowering energy! Gig: Grr... Ky: You telling me this used to be a man? Gig: Grrrgh! Ky: Damn! I have no other choice...

Gig: Grr...grr... Ky: Barely managed to hang on... Gig: Ghhh... Ky: It looks like his losing control of reason has maximized his powers to infinite levels... Gig: Grr.... Ky: ...Pease, rest in peace I-no: Good job for a young boy like you. Ky:! I-no: I can probably kill you easily now...but that wouldn't be fun. So I'll let you go. Ky: You tell the man who created Gears, that he will pay for his crimes! I-no: You don't stand a chance! Why don't you look at yourself in the mirror before you speak? But I'll let him know anyway. Seeya! Ky: ...hate to admit it, but I'm not strong enough yet...but I will eventually rise over the true Gear powers.

May

May: I've got the chills. Faust: Perhaps you have a cold. Here, let me take a look. May: Don't come near me! Faust: What's the problem? May: These vibes...I'm positive! You're...you're bald, aren't you! Venom: You must be Faust, the Dark Doctor. Or should I call you doctor- Faust: Stop it. I don't use that name anymore. Venom:...Excuse me for being disrespectful. Doctor, I'd like you to accompany me. Faust: I'm sorry, my job is to save lives. I don't know if I can be of much help to you and your comrades. May: Look at all that hair...I guess it's not as bad as being bald...doesn't it get in the way? Venom: Let's put your limitations into perspective, then. You'll realize there are only so many lives you can save! May: Who, me? Zappa: KILL! KILL! Let me kill! May: What's with all these weirdos? I'm fighting for real, then!

Chipp: Please, I'm begging you! Baiken: Geez, what is your problem? Chipp: Make me Japanese! Even samurai give mercy, don't they? Baiken: No samurai here. Not a chance, buddy. Be a big boy and get over it, willya? Anji: Hey, what are you doing here? Chipp: You'll do! Please, tell me how to become Japanese! Anji: There's no way in hell, man. Be content being the 'president' Chipp: NO! I wanna become the president, become a Japanese, surpass master's ninjutsu abilities and take revenge! May: You guys arguing over something? Chipp: Damn...what are you doing here? Anji: Yup. A 'Japanese' May: Japa...what? Why're you crying sir? Something wrong? Did I do something wrong? Chipp: I will reach the top! You watch me, master! May: Wow, you scared me! You know I'm tough when I'm mad!

Jam: Ayah! Who's this cute guy? Ky: You must be...that chef, Ms. Jam Kuradoberi. Jam: That's right! You remembered me! I'm so happy! Ky: I'm glad to see you're doing well. May: Whats...oops! Oh no! Ky: You must be May, the pirate May: Are you going after Johnny? You'll have to get by me first. Ky: Please, put your guard down. I'm not after pirates right now. Testament: So you're out bounty-hunting then. Probably after me then, aren't you? Jam: Ooh, you're quite the hottie too. Wanna work at my restaurant? Testament: Stop talking nonsense... May: It's two hot guys...but Johnny's way hotter than both of you!

May: Wow! Look how big you are! Potemkin: And so are you. May: Hey! That's not very nice! Potemkin: No, I just thought you grew a little compared to the last time I saw you May: Well thanks fr the compliment. Think I'm good enough for Johnny now? Eddie: Having a host in her growth spurt...might not be a bad idea. Johnny: Out of the way, May! Potemkin: Humph! May:...Thanks Johnny: Thanks. I owe you one. Eddie: How dare you... May: Now it's my turn! I'll prove it to you that a girl in love is unbeatable!

Millia: Long time no see...Honey, you look very different. Dizzy: It's all thanks to May, and all of my great friends. May: Hee hee. Stop, you're embarrassing me Dizzy...everyone loves you only because you're a good person, that's all. Bridget: Yes, I think so too. To think that there used to be a bounty on her is weird when you think about it now. Millia: Treasure that happiness you have. And don't turn out like me. May: Why don't you join Jellyfish too? I'm sure Johnny will welcome you. Not to mention you're beautiful. I'm a bit jealous...don'f forget though, Johnny is mine! Millia:...thanks. But I think I'll take a pass. I have some unfinished business. Plus...actually, never mind. I think I better go now. Okay, let me through.

May: Phew. Finally here. Gig: Grr.... May: Wow!...No worries. I'm not freaked out. Johnny always tells me I should lend a helping hand to those in need. Come with me, my friend. Gig: Grrrgh! May: What! Whoa!

Gig: Grr...grr... May:...Why? I didn't want to do this to you. Gig: Grr... May: I'm so sorry...

Dizzy: May! May: Dizzy...I couldn't do it...Couldn't help him like Johnny would. I just wish we could've been friends. Dizzy:...I think you did the right thing... May: Whatdya mean? Dizzy: Look at that peaceful face. Thanks to you, he's finally free from long suffering. May:... Dizzy: Let's go back. Everyone's waiting. May:...uh, all right (...rest in peace, my friend...and good night)

Millia

I-no: What do we have here, the desperate bachelorettes council? Baiken: What kind of greeting is that? That's not a very nice thing to say Jam: That's right! You're rude! And what about you? I-no: Oh dear, don't be so uptight. It's just a joke, honey. Or were you offended 'cause I was right on the mark? Millia: You're a joke. Why don't you get outta here. I-no: Oh no. I'm scared. I guess this is how women become as they get older. Baiken: You crazy! I'll cut you up into pieces! Jam: I'm not showing you any mercy either! Millia: If you're not gonna get outta here, we'll have to get rid of you. It's as simple as that. I-no: You're such sweethearts. Very well, I make you cry lots. We'll find out how loud you can cry.

Testament:...Long time no see. Millia: That's a first. You coming up to me to say hi. Things have changed, haven't they? Testament: You're still caught up in the past and changing the thorny path. Millia:...it's none of your business. Move out of the way, will you? Testament: I don't have a problem, but... Millia:... Testament: You seem hesitant. With such mixed feelings, it may cost you your life. Millia:!!! I must have lost my edge, to be getting advice from you. Potemkin: What he's saying is on the money. Those with swaying motivation never fight to their full potential. Please excuse my eavesdropping. Anji: Just happened to pass by. Millia: Then I guess I'll have to eliminate all doubts before I get to him. I'll need your cooperation for that.

Millia: So...we meet again...Zato. Eddie: So you still haven't gotten over him? Millia: Shut up, you damn beast...I'm talking to him, not you! Eddie: What do you want to talk to ME about? Millia: I'm taking you down. I'm sick and tired of looking at your pathetic, bony remains. Venom: Not so fast...! Master Zato is regarded as the crown-jewel of the guild. You'll have to hand him over to me...! Slayer: I've told you the Guild is no more. No raison d'etre and no purpose. Continued existence will only bring further regret and despair. Venom: Oldtimers can keep their mouth shut. The guild no longer belongs to you. Millia: It has nothing to do with me anymore, I don't care what happens to it. I just want to take care of this guy with my very own hands. Eddie: Do you think it will be that easy? What do "I" think?"...Not so easy, "I" say. Venom: I sense you...Master Zato. I am going to free you, Master, from the evil spell of death! Eddie: Ha ha...this is great! Lowly humans who cannot accept death. That's the right evil spirit to have! Slayer: I'm the one who started all of this. I must atone for my past deeds. Fine, let us put an end to it all.

Millia: You look very much like him. Gig: Grr... Millia:You resemble him...and you resemble me. Gig: Grrrgh! Millia:...All right. I'll let you rest.

Gig: Grr...grr... Millia:...good night. It's all over now. For you, and for me. Gig: Grr... Millia:...may your soul rest in peace

Millia: (Have I been watching my own future? Is this what you wanted to tell me? Zato...)

Axl

Axl: Hey, what's that you're holding? I didn't know you had those toys, even in this day and age. Bridget: This is not a toy! It's a tool of my trade! Axl: Ouch! I'm sorry! What have we here? Playing pool at a place like this? Venom: How dare you insult my combat style. I say you deserve a beating. Axl: Hang on a sec! Something wrong with this era. Every toy's being used as a weapon. So what do people actually play with? Johnny: The best for of entertainment, I'd say is the thrill and romance of playing with fireworks at night. I'm pretty sure that's the consensus. Axl: You know what you're talking about! I'm actually great with fire myself...here we go!

Chipp: Hey! I have a question. Axl: Hi there, you look very hot. I-no: You talking about me? Axl: Of course! Who else would it be? Great body, silky smooth hair, you're electrifying! I-no: You're very good with words. Let me ask you then. Who's hotter? That woman or me? Chipp: Hey, listen up! Millia:...don't bother me. Chipp: !...you used to be in the guild! Millia: Yes, but that was a long while ago. Now I'm in the same boat as you. Axl: Ah man, this is a tough one. They're both really hot. Chipp: I'm taking down the guild! You women stay out of it! Millia: That I cannot do. Just like you, I can't pull out. Axl: This is a tough decision... Millia: And...quit staring at me with that perverted look on your face! Axl: Oops, I think I got her mad at me.

Potemkin: You youngster there. I see you have some talent. How about testing some of that talent on my fists? Axl: Man, you've got a nice build. But what do you have to gain? Plus, are you sure you can handle me? Potemkin: I wouldn't underestimate me. My drive for freedom locked inside my heart is my greatest weapon. Axl: Cool. I love peace and freedom too. But you might get out of breath when you're so stiff all the time. Ky: So you're fighting in the name of peace and freedom. Perhaps I might come up with answers for myself too. Excuse me, I'd like in as well. Jam: Just drive won't take you anywhere. There's no victory for those who can't face reality. I'll prove it to you right now!

Faust: This is an interesting symptom. I see, it's a cause and effect cycle. Axl: You, I never asked you to check up on me! Even though it's true that I've been through a lot, I've never had any doubts about my body. Faust: Oh, is that right? If there aren't any cures, that may very well be the best treatment. Axl: I'm more concerned about your body. Looks a little mysterious. Faust: Not to worry. It's all functional Slayer: Irregulars with an added spice that changes the world of men. Axl: You talking about us? Slayer: It's because of people like you that makes humans interesting. Even though you're blessed with great powers, it's normal to you. Very typical of how humans behave. Axl: It'll stress you out if you think so deeply. Zappa: Hahahahaha! Slayer: Look. Yet another fellow favored by the goddess of fortune. Axl: I do like women but I'm not sure about the goddess. Slayer: It must be the uncertainty factor that led you into running into me Axl: C'mon, let's just have fun...I thought this was supposed to be a party!

Axl: Huh? You can still speak? Gig: Grr... Axl: Man, what am I gonna do? Gig: Grrgh! Axl: Sorry dude, it's not my time yet.

Gig: Grr....grr... Axl: Phew! Hey, man. Haven't you had enough? Gig: Grr... Axl: I think that should be enough....what? This sensation!!! That Man: It is not yet the time for you to find out the truth. When the time comes you will find out. Whether you like it or not! Axl: Who are you? That Man: We shall part for a short time. Time traveler. Axl:...Ahhhgh!

Axl: What period is this? Looks like a messy period in time. Oh well, things will work out. Since getting rattled isn't my style!

#guilty gear #Guilty Gear Dust Strikers #resources #dialogue #sol badguy #ky kiske #guilty gear may #millia rage #Axl Low

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patriotsnet · 3 years

Text

Are Republicans Allowed In The Impeachment Inquiry

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/are-republicans-allowed-in-the-impeachment-inquiry/

Are Republicans Allowed In The Impeachment Inquiry

What Does The Constitution Say About Impeachment

Under pressure to defend Trump, GOP lawmakers decry House impeachment inquiry

Not a lot. There are four sections of;the Constitution;that chiefly address impeachment:

Article I, Section 2: The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

Article I, Section 3: The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

Article I, Section 5: Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings.

Article II, Section 4: The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Opinionheres The Fastest Easiest Way To Keep Trump From Ever Holding Office Again

Wednesdays opening argument exposed a president who gleefully ratcheted up his acid rhetoric to the point of violent insurrection, and a Republican Party mostly unwilling to face the terrible cost of their attempts to undermine the integrity of our recent election. The GOPs blindness isnt merely symbolic: When footage was played of rioters reading Trumps tweets through a megaphone, multiple Republicans turned away rather than accept what their party enabled. The impeachment prosecution means GOP senators can no longer feign ignorance.

Dont Miss: States Voted Trump

Opinionthe Unfortunate Reason Republicans Like Rand Paul Are Already Attacking Biden

The callousness of lawmakers like Hawley is now a distressing image that stands beside the shouts of rioters calling for the lynching of then-Vice President Mike Pence as testaments to how far the GOP has fallen.

Republicans like Hawley may flee to the gallery when our nation needs leadership, but they wont be able to outrun their complicity in supporting the far-right radicals who raided their workplace. If they arent held accountable by voters at the ballot box, the impeachment trial will forever serve as a testament to their dark role in American history.

Also Check: Are Democrats Richer Than Republicans

Don’t Miss: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans

The Current House Impeachment Inquiry Began Without A Vote By The Entire House Is That Illegal

No. There is no law or rule requiring a vote to commence an impeachment investigation.

In addition, there is no court precedent to require a vote. In fact, on October 25, 2019, in an order compelling the Department of Justice to turn over grand jury materials relative to the Mueller investigation to Congress as part of its impeachment inquiry, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell;flatly rejected;the administrations assertion that the House impeachment investigation is not legitimate without an authorizing resolution.

Why Republicans Are Complaining About The Impeachment Process

And why their complaints are finding an audience

About the author: David A. Graham is a staff writer at The Atlantic.

Theres a reason Republicans have been making a great fuss about the process of the impeachment inquiry over the past few days. Unwilling, or more likely unable, to mount any substantive defenses of President Donald Trumps behavior with regard to Ukraine, members have instead assailed the way Democrats are conducting the inquiry.

You may doubt the sincerity of these complaintsmore on that in a momentbut they have grabbed attention because they are intuitively persuasive. Thus far, the inquiry has taken place behind closed doors, with only opening statements and secondhand accounts of interviews reaching the public. It would be both a miscarriage of justice and political malpractice for Democrats to vote to impeach without public proceedings. The trick is that Democrats have said all along that they intend to have a public process.

On Wednesday, GOP House members staged an odd maneuver in which they occupied the roomthe Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, in acronym-obsessed D.C. jargon where Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper was to be interviewed under subpoena as part of the inquiry, delaying her testimony. On Thursday, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a steadfast Trump shield, announced that he would introduce a statement criticizing the House Democratic process.

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Heres How Little Republicans Were Allowed To Participate In The Closed

When a group of Republican legislators barged into a secure facility on Capitol Hill last month to register their opposition to impeachment inquiry depositions taking place behind closed doors, we couldnt help but register an unusual aspect of the stunt.

Of the 197 Republicans in the House, 48 had authorization to attend the hearings, either by virtue of their positions or their membership on relevant committees. Of the 41 who signed on to the protest, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, nearly a third could have just gone in and observed the hearing itself.

Part of the point of the camera-friendly effort was to raise broader questions about the extent to which Republicans were given a role in the deposition hearings. The impeachment inquiry was a function of Democrats holding a majority in the House, and Republicans argued that they were not being given a chance to interview witnesses or generally guide the outcome.

Fox Newss Sean Hannity summarized the line of argument on his Oct. 29 show.

Another day of secret meetings, secret hearings, secret transcripts, a secret whistleblower, non-whistleblower, hearsay whistleblower, all because of a phone call between President Trump and the president of Ukraine, he said. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff was calling in witness after witness but only behind closed doors, without real Republican due process at all to speculate on the presidents intentions.

The result looked like this.

Republican Lawmakers Disrupt Democratic

By Richard Cowan, , Patricia Zengerle

6 Min Read

WASHINGTON – Republican lawmakers, encouraged by President Donald Trump to get tougher in fighting Democrats attempts to impeach him, on Wednesday disrupted the U.S. House of Representatives impeachment inquiry and prevented a Pentagon official from testifying.

The Republicans stormed into a hearing room where Laura Cooper, the U.S. defense official who oversees Ukraine and Russia matters, was due to testify behind closed doors and began yelling, lawmakers and aides said.

The impeachment inquiry focuses on Trumps request for Ukraine to investigate a domestic rival – Democrat Joe Biden – for his personal political benefit.

In a dramatic confrontation during an escalating probe that threatens Trumps presidency even as he seeks re-election next year, Capitol police were called in to clear the room and bring order, a Republican congressional aide said.

A witness inside the room said the Republicans brought cellphones into the high-security facility where electronic devices are forbidden.

Theyre freaked out. Theyre trying to stop this investigation, Democratic Representative Ted Lieu said. They dont want to hear from witness Cooper today. They know more facts are going to be delivered which are absolutely damning to the president of the United States.

Related Coverage

See more stories

NEVER ENDS

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Deadline: Jerry Nadler Gives Republicans One Week To Participate In Impeachment Inquiry

Rep. Jerry Nadler has given Republicans and President Donald Trump a deadline of December 6th to participate in the House impeachment inquiry or the inquiry will move into an impeachment vote without them even though Republicans submitted a list of witnesses and requested time for questioning but were denied.

The Daily Caller reports that Nadler has sent a letter ot House Republicans demanding they comply with the House impeachment inquiry and pressuring the White House to decide one way or the other whether President Donald Trump will testify either in person or answering interrogatories under oath.

BREAKING: House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler sends letter to Pres. Trump, reminding him he and his lawyers have a right to attend the hearing.

ABC News

The Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee, which is due to begin weighing possible articles of impeachment against Trump next week, sent a two-page letter to the president setting a deadline of 5 p.m. EDT on Dec. 6 for the presidents counsel to specify intended actions under the committees impeachment procedures, the Caller reported the letter as saying.

The first House Judiciary Committee hearings are set to take place December 4th, though the House Intelligence Committee has yet to officially conclude their own investigation. They claim a report will be circulated Monday, but on Friday, Rep. Schiff was telling staffers that he plans on calling more witnesses.

South Carolina Rep Tom Rice

Trump impeachment inquiry enters new phase l ABC News

Rices vote for impeachment stunned those familiar with the South Carolina lawmakers record as a staunch Trump defender, especially during his first impeachment.;

I have backed this President through thick and thin for four years. I campaigned for him and voted for him twice, Rice;said in a statement;Wednesday evening. But, this utter failure is inexcusable.

Rice voted for motions to object to certifying Bidens Electoral College victories in Arizona and Pennsylvania last week, votes that came after security teams cleared the building of rioters and members returned from a secure location. Rice told local media he waited until the last minute to cast those votes because he was extremely disappointed in the president after the riots and that Trump needed to concede the election. He also said last week that he did not support impeaching the president or invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.;

Rice, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, has supported the Trump administrations position 94 percent of the time over the past four years. He represents a solidly Republican district in the Myrtle Beach area that Trump carried by 19 points in November. Rice, who has had little difficulty holding his seat since his first 2012 victory, won his race by 24 points in November.;

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Can Senators Ask Questions During The Impeachment Trial

Under the 1986 impeachment rules, senators do not directly question witnesses. Instead, witnesses are examined by representatives of the prosecution and defense . If senators wish to ask a question, they are instructed to put it in writing and submit it to the presiding officer. Before a witness answers a senators questions, the prosecution and defense have the opportunity to raise objections, which are ruled on by the presiding officer or by a vote of the full Senate.

Opinionwe Want To Hear What You Think Please Submit A Letter To The Editor

This band of Republicans who stormed the hearings this week seemed to be demanding that the testimony of these witnesses be made public but that is the last thing that they should want, which is probably why their efforts did more to disrupt the process than show why they should be allowed to participate. These witnesses have reportedly already presented damning evidence that President Donald Trump engaged in an effort to withhold congressionally authorized military aid to Ukraine unless the president of Ukraine publicly announced an investigation of Trumps political rival, Joe Biden.

The public testimony theyre nominally demanding will happen, though. And when these witnesses testify in televised public hearings, support for impeachment will soar.

Michael Conway was counsel for the House Judiciary Committee in the impeachment inquiry of President Richard Nixon in 1974. In that role, he assisted in drafting the committee’s final report to the House in support of the three articles of impeachment adopted by the committee. Conway is a graduate of Yale Law School, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a retired partner of Foley & Lardner LLP in Chicago.

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Led By Cheney 10 House Republicans Back Trump Impeachment

WASHINGTON Ten Republicans including Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House GOP leader voted to impeach President Donald Trump Wednesday over the deadly insurrection at the Capitol. The GOP votes were in sharp contrast to the unanimous support for Trump among House Republicans when he was impeached by Democrats in December 2019.

Cheney, whose decision to buck Trump sparked an immediate backlash within the GOP, was the only member of her partys leadership to support impeachment, which was opposed by 197 Republicans.

There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution, said Cheney, whose father, Dick Cheney, served as vice president under George W. Bush. The younger Cheney has been more critical of Trump than other GOP leaders, but her announcement hours before Wednesdays vote nonetheless shook Congress.

Katko, a former federal prosecutor who represents the Syracuse area, said allowing Trump to incite this attack without consequence would be a direct threat to the future of our democracy.

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House Manager Uses The Words Of Republicans Against Trump

The House impeachment managers presented senators with videos of their colleagues fleeing a pro-Trump mob, which breached the US Capitol shouting stop the steal. They showed the rioters searching for then-Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and rummaging through the senators desks on the chamber floor.

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What Happens If The President Is Convicted

If the Senate votes by a two-thirds majority to convict the president, he is removed from office. But a conviction and removal from office do not automatically mean he can never again hold public officeincluding as president. Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution also provides that the Senate may vote to disqualify the impeached individual from serving in federal office in the future. Since the Constitution does not specify a vote requirement for disqualification, a simple majority vote has been used to disqualify individuals, but only on three occasions.

Heres What The Gop Believes

Cynicism comes easy in an era of maximal polarization. Different parties embrace different ideologies, agendas, and sometimes even entirely distinct constellations of facts and truths. From inside either closed world, the other one appears shot through with delusion with its leaders blamed for actively encouraging deception for the sake of political gain.

Thats what Ive accused Republicans of doing in a pair of recent columns. Ive called them cynics who manipulate voters by intentionally deceiving them with lies and sometimes even by eliding the distinction between truth and falsehood altogether for the sake of winning political advantage. But there is something more than a little cynical about this very accusation itself. Some, like President Trump and his most loyal minions in Congress , may well be comfortable spreading a miasma of epistemological confusion out of political expediency. But thats not all thats going on on the Republican side of the debate about impeachment.

There is at least one story that Republicans are telling themselves about impeachment that rises above cynicism. I find it largely unconvincing, but it is not reducible to a clamoring for power at all costs or an indifference to the distinction between truth and lies. Many on the right actually believe it to be true and defensible. And its worth making an effort to understand it from the inside, so that we can better understand our fellow citizens.

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What Have Presidents Been Impeached For

Two presidentsAndrew Johnson and Bill Clintonhave been impeached in the House, but no president has ever been removed from office.Fifteen federal judges and one cabinet official;have been impeached.

The House impeached;Andrew Johnson;in 1868 for removing the secretary of war in violation of a federal statute that prohibited the president from firing a cabinet official without the consent of Congress.

In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment for;Richard Nixon;for obstructing the investigation of the Watergate burglary inquiry, misusing law enforcement and intelligence services for political purposes, and refusing to comply with the Judiciary Committees subpoenas.

In 1998, the House impeached;Bill Clinton;for providing perjured testimony to a grand jury investigation and for obstruction of justice.

Whistleblowers And Their Lawyers

WATCH: After Kupperman defies House subpoena, Republicans call impeachment inquiry charade

Andrew P. Bakaj, the lead attorney representing the whistleblowers, sent a joint letter to Maguire on September 28, made public on September 29, in which they raised concerns about the language used by Trump, amongst other things. In the letter, the lawyers state “The events of the past week have heightened our concerns that our client’s identity will be disclosed publicly and that, as a result, our client will be put in harm’s way.” The letter also mentioned the $50,000 “bounty” that two conservative Trump supporters have offered as a reward for information about the whistleblower.

, co-counsel for the whistleblower, said in a statement in September 2019 that whistleblowers’ identities are protected by law and cited testimony by Maguire which drew upon the Whistleblower Protection Act. The statement was released after Trump questioned on Twitter the validity of the whistleblower’s statements. Bakaj took to Twitter to issue a warning on September 30 that the whistleblower is entitled to anonymity, is protected by laws and policies, and is not to be retaliated against; to do so would violate federal law. Bakaj argued in an October 25 Washington Post op-ed that the identity of his client is no longer pertinent after further events corroborated his client’s account of the matter.

For impeachment inquiry

Against impeachment inquiry

Senator Lindsey Graham criticized the whistleblower, calling the complaint hearsay and a sham.

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dfroza · 4 years

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the heart is sacred ground.

and it needs to be guarded, to protect spiritual truth as True illumination held within its inner room as a treasured space. because all things start with the heart. our words. our actions.

A point that is seen in Today’s reading of the Scriptures from chapter 11 in the book of Luke:

While he was saying these things, some woman lifted her voice above the murmur of the crowd: “Blessed the womb that carried you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”

Jesus commented, “Even more blessed are those who hear God’s Word and guard it with their lives!”

(verses 27 and 28 in The Message)

with the whole chapter in The Voice:

Another time Jesus was praying, and when He finished, one of His disciples approached Him.

Disciple: Teacher, would You teach us Your way of prayer? John taught his disciples his way of prayer, and we’re hoping You’ll do the same.

Jesus: Here’s how to pray:

Father [in heaven], may Your name be revered.

May Your kingdom come.

[May Your will be accomplished on earth

as it is in heaven.]

Give us the food we need for tomorrow,

And forgive us for our wrongs,

for we forgive those who wrong us.

And lead us away from temptation.

[And save us from the evil one.]

Imagine that one of your friends comes over at midnight. He bangs on the door and shouts, “Friend, will you lend me three loaves of bread? A friend of mine just showed up unexpectedly from a journey, and I don’t have anything to feed him.” Would you shout out from your bed, “I’m already in bed, and so are the kids. I already locked the door. I can’t be bothered”? You know this as well as I do: even if you didn’t care that this fellow was your friend, if he keeps knocking long enough, you’ll get up and give him whatever he needs simply because of his brash persistence!

So listen: Keep on asking, and you will receive. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you. All who keep asking will receive, all who keep seeking will find, and doors will open to those who keep knocking.

Some of you are fathers, so ask yourselves this: if your son comes up to you and asks for a fish for dinner, will you give him a snake instead? If your boy wants an egg to eat, will you give him a scorpion? Look, all of you are flawed in so many ways, yet in spite of all your faults, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to all who ask!

Picture this:

Jesus is exorcising a demon that has long kept a man from speaking. When the demon is expelled, the man starts talking and the people are amazed. But then controversy erupts.

Some People: Do you know why He can cast out demons? It’s because He’s in league with the demon prince, Beelzebul.

Other people want to see more, so they challenge Jesus to give them another miraculous sign. Jesus knows what they’re thinking.

Jesus: People, be logical. If a kingdom is divided against itself, it will collapse. If a ruling family is divided against itself, it will fall apart.

So if Satan’s kingdom is divided against itself, won’t his whole enterprise collapse? Does it make any sense to say I’m casting out demons by Beelzebul? Besides, if you’re saying it takes satanic power to cast out Satan, by whose power do your own exorcists work? If you condemn Me for an exorcism, you’ll have to condemn them. But if I by the power of God cast out demonic spirits, then face this fact: the kingdom of God is here, just as I’ve been saying.

When a man of power with his full array of weapons guards his own palace, everything inside is secure. But when a new man who is stronger and better armed attacks the palace, the old ruler will be overcome, his weapons and trusted defenses will be removed, and his treasures will be plundered. Can you see that I’m asking you to choose whose side you’re on—working with Me or fighting against Me?

When a demonic spirit is expelled from someone, he wanders through waterless wastelands seeking rest. But there is no rest for him anywhere, so he says, “I’m going back to my old house.” He returns and finds the old house has been swept clean and fixed up again. So he goes and finds seven other spirits even worse than he is, and they make themselves at home in the man’s life so that he’s worse off now than he was before.

As He is speaking, a woman shouts out from the crowd and interrupts Him.

Woman: How blessed is Your mother’s womb for bearing You! How blessed are her breasts for nursing You!

Jesus: No, how blessed are those who hear God’s voice and make God’s message their way of life.

Jesus was becoming more and more popular, and the crowds swelled wherever He went. He wasn’t impressed.

Jesus: This generation is evil. These people are seeking signs and spectacles, but I’m not going to play their game. The only sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

The queen of Ethiopia will stand to condemn the people of this generation on the day of judgment. She, an outsider, came from so far away to hear the wisdom given to Solomon, but now, something greater than Solomon is here: how are the people of this generation responding?

Similarly, the people of Nineveh will stand to condemn the people of this generation on the day of judgment. They, outsiders, responded and changed because of the preaching of Jonah, but now, something greater than Jonah is here: how are the people of this generation responding?

You need a light to see. Only an idiot would light a lamp and then put it beneath the floor or under a bucket. No, any intelligent person would put the lamp on a table so everyone who comes in the house can see. Listen, your eye, your outlook, the way you see is your lamp. If your way of seeing is functioning well, then your whole life will be enlightened. But if your way of seeing is darkened, then your life will be a dark, dark place. So be careful, people, because your light may be malfunctioning. If your outlook is good, then your whole life will be bright, with no shadowy corners, as when a radiant lamp brightens your home.

A Pharisee interrupted His speech with an invitation to dinner. Jesus accepted the invitation and took His place at his table. The Pharisee was offended that Jesus didn’t perform the ceremonial handwashing before eating—something Pharisees were fastidious about doing.

Jesus: You Pharisees are a walking contradiction. You are so concerned about external things—like someone who washes the outside of a cup and bowl but never cleans the inside, which is what counts! Beneath your fastidious exterior is a mess of extortion and filth.

You guys don’t get it. Did the potter make the outside but not the inside too? If you were full of goodness within, you could overflow with generosity from within, and if you did that, everything would be clean for you.

Woe to you, Pharisees! Judgment will come on you! You are fastidious about tithing—keeping account of every little leaf of mint and herb—but you neglect what really matters: justice and the love of God! If you’d get straight on what really matters, then your fastidiousness about little things would be worth something.

Woe to you, Pharisees! Judgment will come on you! What you really love is having people fawn over you when you take the seat of honor in the synagogue or when you are greeted in the public market.

Wake up! See what you’ve become! Woe to you; you’re like a field full of unmarked graves. People walk on the field and have no idea of the corruption that’s a few inches beneath their feet.

Scholar (sitting at Jesus’ table): Rabbi, if You insult the Pharisees, then You insult us too.

Jesus: Well, now that you mention it, watch out, all you religious scholars! Judgment will come on you too! You load other people down with unbearable burdens of rules and regulations, but you don’t lift a finger to help others. Woe to you; you don’t fool anybody! You seem very religious—honoring the prophets by building them elaborate memorial tombs. Come to think of it, that’s very fitting, since you’re so much like the people who killed the prophets! They killed the prophets; you build their tombs—you’re all in the same family business!

This is why the Wisdom of God said, “I will send these people My prophets and emissaries, and these people will kill and persecute many of them.” As a result, this generation will be held accountable for the blood of all the prophets shed from the very beginning of time, from Abel’s blood to Zechariah’s blood, who was killed in the temple itself between the altar and the holy place. I’m serious: this generation will be held accountable.

So, religious scholars, judgment will come on you! You’re supposed to be teachers, unlocking the door of knowledge and guiding people through it. But the fact is, you’ve never even passed through the doorway yourselves. You’ve taken the key, left the door locked tight, and stood in the way of everyone who sought entry.

After that dinner, things were never the same. The religious scholars and Pharisees put constant pressure on Jesus, trying to trap Him and trick Him into saying things they could use to bring Him down.

The Book of Luke, Chapter 11 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 8th chapter of Joshua that describes another battle fought by the Israelites as they progressed into the land promised to them. and once again, a brutal reality of the times just as earth has seen in so many of its wars in History.

[Joshua 8]

Eternal One (to Joshua): Don’t be afraid or discouraged. Take all of your fighters up to Ai. Watch; I will hand over the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land to you. You will do to Ai exactly as you did to Jericho and its king, except you may keep only the cattle and spoil for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.

So Joshua and all his fighting force got ready to depart for Ai, and he chose 30,000 of them and sent them out by night with instructions.

Joshua: I want you all to lie in wait behind the city in ambush. Stay close, and stay alert. I will bring the others up to the front of the city; and when they come out to fight us, we will run from them. Their forces will all come out of the city to chase us because they will think everything is happening the way it did the first time. But when we have lured them all out and away from the city, I want you to move in and take it, for the Eternal One, your God will give it to us. When you have taken the city, burn it. This is the word of the Eternal and my command.

The ambush force made its way into the hills and took a position between Bethel and Ai, while Joshua and the remaining fighters spent the night in the camp. In the morning, Joshua rose early and roused the people, and he and the elders went on to Ai in front of the people. All the fighting men with him went up and moved in close to the city and set up camp in front and north of Ai, with a ravine between the camp and Ai. The other force, numbering about 5,000, remained hidden west of the city between Bethel and Ai. With his forces situated with men to the north and west of the city, Joshua camped in the valley that night.

When the king of Ai arose the next morning and saw the Israelites lined up against him, he gathered his forces on the plain to bring the battle to Israel, not knowing that an ambush squad was hidden behind the city. When the battle was joined, Joshua and the Israelites pretended they were defeated and once again were fleeing toward the wilderness. All of the men of Ai came out to pursue them and were drawn farther and farther away from the city. At last, not one man was left in Ai or Bethel, since all had gone out to pursue Israel, leaving the city open and defenseless.

Eternal One (to Joshua): Raise your javelin toward Ai, for now I will give it into your hands.

Joshua raised his javelin toward the city; and as he did so, the forces he had hidden in ambush rushed into the city, seizing it and setting it on fire.

The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke rising from their city into the sky; and when Joshua saw that his ambush had been successful, he turned the fleeing Israelites around to crush the disheartened men of Ai. There was nowhere for the men of the city to retreat. Before them, the Israelites turned to attack; behind them, the ambush force came out against them from the burning city. So they were surrounded on all sides by their attackers, who killed all of them, except for Ai’s king, who was captured alive and carried to Joshua.

When the last of Ai’s men in the field and wilderness had been killed by the sword, the Israelites returned to Ai and killed everyone inside the city. Twelve thousand fell that day—men and women, all of the people of Ai, for Joshua did not lower his javelin until the destruction was complete. The people of Israel then took the livestock and the goods of the city for themselves, as the Eternal One had instructed Joshua to do. So Joshua burned Ai and made it a city of ruins, as it is to this day, and he executed the king of Ai by hanging. At sunset Joshua had them take down his body for burial, as the law commands, put it where once the city gate had stood, and heap over his body a grave of stones that still stands to this day.

Then Joshua built an altar to the Eternal God of Israel on Mount Ebal. He had it built just as Moses, the Lord’s servant, had commanded the Israelites and is recorded in the book of the law, an altar of stones that had not been cut with iron tools. They offered sacrifices to the Eternal there—burnt offerings and peace offerings—and with the Israelites gathered, Joshua had the law of Moses engraved on the stones. Israel, the elders, the officers, and the judges gathered around the covenant chest of the Eternal, which was carried by the Levite priests, a gathering Moses had commanded, including Israelites and sojourners. They lined the valley, half in front of Mount Ebal and half in front of Mount Gerizim, as Moses, servant of the Eternal One, had commanded before he died, so that the people could be blessed. Joshua read out all the words of the law, blessings and curses alike. Every word written, every word that Moses had commanded, Joshua read to the men, women, and children of Israel, and to the sojourners residing among them.

The Book of Joshua, Chapter 8 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Sunday, August 9 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

Today’s message by the Institute for Creation Research about the genesis mandate that people have destroyed. and God has promised to restore earth to be a peaceful place, someday making it our eternal “Home”

August 9, 2020

Humanity's First Job

“God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)

This verse is often called the dominion mandate and is repeated and amplified in Genesis 9:1-7. The purpose is clear: accept the responsibility to bring into subjection all of Earth’s systems and creatures, effectively managing its resources, growing and expanding until the earth is filled with the fruits of that labor.

Humanity’s first job description: When God made the garden “eastward in Eden” (Genesis 2:8) and placed Adam there, Adam was to “dress [serve] and keep [guard]” that special and lavishly designed estate (Genesis 2:8-15) in the unique role as initial occupant but more broadly as God’s steward for Earth. There were no instructions on how to serve and guard, only the general “orders” from the Owner to the steward.

Humanity’s implied responsibility: Since there were no instructions about the functioning systems of Earth, Adam had to first learn about the earth’s systems and processes (science), and then organize and utilize the discoveries in productive ways to help others and honor the Creator (technology).

The information about those practical inventions and products of technology had to then be accurately disseminated to everyone through business, education, communication, transportation, etc.

And finally, both the information and inventions had to be received so that the divine evaluation (“very good”) was detailed in works of music, art, and literature, glorifying and praising God for all He had done in creating and making all things.

The ongoing responsibility is still in effect in us “as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). HMM III

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voodoochili · 5 years

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My Favorite Songs of 2019

2019 was a fantastic year for music, but then again every year is. We as listeners have been blessed with abundance, and tasked with the delightful work of sifting through freshwater to find gold. This year, the most reliably golden genres were West African pop and West Coast Rap. Go figure.

The following represents my favorite 100 songs of the year. My only rules: 1) one song per lead artist (a lucky few earned multiple placements through the “featured artist” loophole).

Below are the write-ups (everyone’s favorite part) and stay tuned for my albums list, coming next week. Don’t forget to scroll all the way down for a Spotify playlist of the full list!

25. Desperate Journalist - “Satellite” - A sweeping, emotional rock song by a veteran rock band that can uncork one of these in their sleep. What makes this one special? The dynamic changes in the pre-chorus, the soaring guitar solo, and the passionate performance from lead singer Jo Bevan.

24. Jacques Greene - “Stars” - A brilliant bit of ambient techno that evokes the seminal electronic classic “Little Fluffy Clouds,” by The Orb. Instead of desert clouds, the anonymous female narrator describes a pastoral dream about the night skies of her youth. A transporting piece of music that should’ve been twice as long--five minutes is a cruelly short lifespan for this kind of bliss.

23. Rosalía - “Con Altura” ft. J Balvin - After the brilliant and singular El Mal Querer demonstrated Rosalía’s singular talent, “Con Altura” announced her intentions for worldwide domination. Created with frequent Rosalía collaborator El Guincho and chameleonic superstar J Balvin, “Con Altura” contains two of the year’s most insidious hooks--the soft-spoken call-and-response chorus, and Rosalía’s snake-charming bridge, the strongest indication yet that global stardom won’t stop the Catalonian chanteuse from pushing music forward.

22. Faye Webster - “Room Temperature” – 2019’s answer to “Swingin’ Party,” the Replacements’ great anthem for introverts, the introductory track on Webster’s Atlanta Millionaire’s Club album drifts along with Hawaiian-flavored pedal steel and a palpable sense of regret, as the 21-year-old singer longs to escape her perfectly comfortable surroundings. 21. Yhung T.O. - “Lately” ft. Lil Sheik - Easy, breezy, beautiful Bay Area rap, carried by T.O.’s dulcet tones and Sheik’s unrepentant dirtbaggery. The beat by Armani Depaul is one of my favorite retro-facing rap beats in a while, complete with smooth digital strings and security-pad synths. 20. The New Pornographers - “You’ll Need a New Backseat Driver” - Every five years or so, A.C. Newman writes a melody so strong that it requires Neko Case’s ultra-powerful alto to properly do it justice. This year, that song is “You’ll Need a New Backseat Driver,” which strives for, and nearly approaches, the heights of previous Pornos stunners like “The Laws Have Changed” and “Champions of Red Wine.”

19. Floating Points - “LesAlpx” - Surrounded by outré synth experiments and beatless soundscapes on Crush, the first Floating Points album since 2015, “LesAlpx” is Sam Shepherd’s gift to club-goers everywhere. It’s a lean and mean house track, foregrounding propulsive percussion and rubbery bass, but it’s also deeply cerebral, creating a sense of foreboding urgency with detuned synths and ambient sine waves. 18. Daphni - “Sizzling” ft. Paradise - Built around a sample of Paradise’s seminal single “Sizzlin’ Hot,” Dan Snaith’s “Sizzling” extends the best moments of the classic post-disco smash to create five minutes of pure euphoria. The song starts in media res, with the groove in full form, and peaks at the end, when Snaith finally allows Paradise’s June Ventzos to finish her thought atop jubilant trumpets. 17. J Hus - “Must Be” - The latest genre-blending collaboration between J Hus and genius producer JAE5 proves that no man is safe from Hus’s dazzling logic, as he stacks syllogism after syllogism over an irresistible, afropop-flavored groove: “If it walk like an opp/Talk like an opp/Smell like an opp/Then it must be.” 16. Vampire Weekend - “Jerusalem, New York, Berlin” - Ever indulging his literary ambitions, Ezra Koenig uses the final track on Father Of The Bride to examine his Jewish identity, and to reckon with a world that hasn’t made sense since World War I. The prettiest melody on an album dripping with pretty melodies, “Jerusalem, New York, Berlin” packs enough symbolism into three minutes to inspire a seminar at Koenig’s Ivy League alma mater. Supported by yearning, spritely piano, Koenig ends the song with a poignant plea for peace, within reason: “So let them win the battle/But don't let them restart/That genocidal feeling/That beats in every heart.” 15. Great Grandpa - “Bloom” - The highlight from Great Grandpa’s outstanding Four Of Arrows album, “Bloom” is two songs in one. Part one brings punchy acoustic guitar that recalls ‘90s adult alternative (think Matchbox 20) and prime-era Saddle Creek (think Rilo Kiley) in equal measure. The second par tcompletes the song’s emotional arc, slowing down for a hypnotic wordless chorus, backed by weeping violins,. The key line here: “Please say I’m young enough to change.” 14. Spellling - “Real Fun” – Gleefully dramatic and overflowing with evil-sounding synths, “Real Fun” synthesizes Neneh Cherry, Bauhaus, and Cabaret into something that sounds like a villain’s theme in an animated musical that hasn’t been written yet. 13. Earthgang - “Proud Of U” ft. Young Thug – There’s no straight man to ground this ATL trio, as all three emcees lean into their vocal eccentricities while expressing their thanks to the women in their lives atop a mutating, guitar-driven beat. 12. Stella Donnelly - “Tricks” – In which the young heroine attempts to rid herself of a particularly toxic ex, who isn’t just misogynist, but a potential white supremacist sympathizer (her subject’s “Southern Cross Tattoo” is like an Aussie version of the MAGA hat). Heavy stuff, but Donnelly delivers everything with a grin, as if she’s wondering in real time why the hell she ever bothered with this jamoke. 11. Jenny Lewis - “On The Line” - The title track and emotional climax of Jenny Lewis’ latest album, “On The Line” boasts one of the finest vocal performances in her long career, sweetly assassinating her cheating ex-lover with a lilting melody and wry smile.

10. Lucinda Chua - “Whatever It Takes” – Lucinda Chua makes languid art pop in the tradition of fka twigs, but I prefer her understated longing to twigs herself. Her main instrument is the cello, but this track foregoes that sound almost entirely, opting instead for resonant Wurlitzer keys and multi-layered vocal harmonies, and shunting traditional song structure aside in favor of one enigmatic verse, repeating at odd intervals throughout: “Wait/The demons I carry are fake/I will fight our fire, too late.” 9. ShooterGang Kony - “Charlie” – The year’s most cold-blooded mob banger starts with the line “fuck the police and your mama if you ask me” and only escalates from there. Rhyming without affect over hiccuping bass, Kony mercilessly ethers cops, R&B singers, and women named Ashley before threatening to shoot you with a gun that sounds like Fozzy Bear. 8. KEY! - “Miami Too Much” – My favorite Atlanta rap song of the year gets its power from its hilariously specific central conceit, with KEY’s impassioned vocal selling the bit: “If you seen that ass, you'd make a song too.” How often must someone visit Dade County before it becomes an irreconcilable difference in an otherwise healthy relationship? 7. Raphael Saadiq - “Something Keeps Calling” ft. Rob Bacon - Named after his older brother, Raphael Saddiq’s towering Jimmy Lee album examines the personal cost of the crack epidemic, and the outsized role addiction plays in the lives of the destitute. “Something Keeps Calling” is the album’s crushing centerpiece, painting substances as at once a seductive lover and a heavy burden, one that overrides all common sense and decency: “My friends say I can never pull it together/Well they might be right, at least tonight/My kids say I'll never come home again/And I know they're right, at least tonight.” The song climaxes with Rob Bacon’s wailing guitar solo, which tries in vain to reach out to those beyond hope. 6. Bad Bunny & J Balvin - “La Canción” - Nestled in the middle of Balvin and Bunny’s summer smash OASIS, “La Canción” takes a break from the party to dwell on the inherent emptiness of their hedonistic lifestyle, as a mournful trumpet echoes the Reggaetoneros’ longing for meaningful connection amidst their chaotic lives. 5. Polo G - “Pop Out” ft. Lil TJay – Only Polo G would interrupt his own robbery to examine the sociological causes of his behavior: “We come from poverty, man, we ain't have a thing.” But on the rest of “Pop Out,” Polo leans into the dark side of his persona, before 2019’s most unlikely guest verse assassin Lil TJay brings the pathos: “If I showed you all my charges, you won't look at me the same.” In contrast to how effortless the two rappers sound atop the dramatic piano loop, listening to Lil Baby and Gunna wheeze through the remix hammers home the high degree of difficulty of such nimble melodics. It’s a testament to how fast rap music moves these days that Polo and TJay can make last year’s It Duo sound like geezers. 4. Octo Octa - “I Need You” – It starts as an intoxicatingly minimal expression of dancefloor lust, but halfway through, “I Need You” morphs into a sincere and moving tribute to everybody who helped Octo Octa become the woman she is today. It’s a moving moment tucked within an epic club track that works equally well as build-up or comedown.

3. Purple Mountains - “All My Happiness Is Gone” - It’s hard to find the words for this one, a matter-of-fact documentation of a man slowly losing his will to live--which became heartbreakingly clear when David Berman committed suicide in August. But because it’s Berman, “All My Happiness Is Gone” is packed with genius-level wordplay and devastating observations, and enough gallows humor to truly emphasize the gravity of his situation: “Friends are warmer than gold when you're old/And keeping them is harder than you might suppose//Lately, I tend to make strangers wherever I go/Some of them were once people I was happy to know.” I’ll keep going: “Ten thousand afternoons ago/All my happiness just overflowed/That was life at first and goal to go.” And one more: “Where nothing's wrong and no one's asking/But the fear's so strong it leaves you gasping/No way to last out here like this for long.”

2. Big Thief - “Not” - A torrid, slow-burning rocker, “Not” showcases lead singer-songwriter Adrienne Lenker’s skill with oblique imagery and wild-eyed intensity. Lenker rattles off a long list of poetic observations, trying to get to the heart of something (everything?) without ever finding a satisfactory answer, as the music morphs from a controlled simmer to a cacophonous freakout. “Not” climaxes with a riotous guitar solo from Lenker herself, one that reaches towards the cosmos and echoes her frayed vocal. As always with Big Thief, though, the song soars in the smallest moments, like when guitarist Buck Meek enters with plainspoken backing vocals, and at the beginning of the second verse when the guitars drop out and Lenker’s voice stands alone.

1. Burna Boy - “Anybody” - Sometimes the best song of the year is the one that makes you feel the best, and no song this year made me feel better than “Anybody.” “Anybody” is both inviting and aloof, urgent and relaxing. Riding an irresistible groove defined by syncopated keys, driving percussion, and an eager-to-please saxophone, Burna Boy slides between Pidgin English and Yoruba chasing a feeling that resonates beyond the capabilities of language. It’s a song about demanding and receiving respect, dripping with the contagious confidence of an African Giant. And for three minutes, you’ll feel like a giant too.

THE REST: 26. DaBaby - “Intro” 27. Perfume Genius - “Eye On The Wall” 28. Yves Jarvis - “To Say That Is Easy” 29. Doja Cat - “Cyber Sex” 30. Mannequin Pussy - “Drunk II” 31. Better Oblivion Community Center - “Dylan Thomas” 32. Shoreline Mafia - “Wings” 33. Kehlani - “Footsteps” ft. Musiq Soulchild 34. Obangjayar - “Frens” 35. Ariana Grande - “NASA” 36. Mustard ft. Roddy Ricch - “Ballin” 37. Baby Keem - “ORANGE SODA” 38. Jessie Ware - “Adore You” 39. 03 Greedo x Kenny Beats - “Disco Shit” ft. Freddie Gibbs 40. Martha - “Love Keeps Kicking” 41. Lucki - “More Than Ever” 42. Park Hye-Jin - “Call Me” 43. DaVido - “Disturbance” ft. Peruzzi 44. The Japanese House - “Worms” 45. Spencer Radcliffe - “Here Comes The Snow” 46. Dawn Richard - “Dreams And Converse” 47. ALLBLACK & Offset Jim - “Fees” ft. Capolow 48. David Kilgour - “Smoke You Right Out Of Here” 49. Sandro Perri - “Wrong About The Rain” 50. Nilüfer Yanya - “In Your Head” 51. Julia Jacklin - “Don’t Know How To Keep Loving You” 52. Miraa May - “Angles” ft. JME 53. (Sandy) Alex G - “Gretel” 54. Kelsey Lu - “Due West” 55. glass beach - “classic j dies and goes to hell, pt. 1” 56. Peggy Gou - “Starry Night” 57. Cate Le Bon - “Home To You” 58. Busy Signal - “Balloon” 59. NLE Choppa - “Shotta Flow” 60. Dee Watkins - “Hell Raiser” 61. Ari Lennox - “I Been” 62. The National - “Not In Kansas” 63. Shordie Shordie - “Both Sides” ft. Shoreline Mafia 64. Alex Lahey - “Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself” 65. Angel Olsen - “New Love Cassette” 66. Young Dolph - “Tric Or Treat” 67. Koffee - “Throne” 68. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - “Half Manne, Half Cocaine” 69. Noname - “Song 32” 70. Anthony Naples - “A.I.R.” 71. Samthing Soweto - “Omama Bomthandazo (feat Makhafula Vilakazi)” 72. KAYTRANADA - “10%” ft. Kali Uchis 73. Moodymann - “Got Me Coming Back Right Now” 74. Drakeo The Ruler - “Let’s Go” ft. 03 Greedo 75. Teejayx6 - “Dark Web” 76. Cass McCombs - “I Followed The River South to What” 77. Gunna - “Idk Why” 78. Sharon Van Etten - “You Shadow” 79. Tresor - “Sondela” ft. Msaki 80. E-40 - “Chase The Money” ft. Quavo, Roddy Ricch, ScHoolboy Q & A$AP Ferg 81. Spielbergs - “Running All The Way Home” 82. 24kGoldn - “Valentino” 83. Quelle Chris - “Box of Wheaties” 84. Emily King - “Go Back” 85. AzChike - “Yadda Mean” ft. Keak Da Sneak 86. Club Night - “Path” 87. Zeelooperz - “Easter Sunday” ft. Earl Sweatshirt 88. Kim Gordon - “Murdered Out” 89. YS - “Bompton” (Remix) ft. 1TakeJay & OhGeesy 90. Future - “Never Stop” 91. Lowly - “baglaens” 92. SAULT - “Masterpiece” 93. Earl Sweatshirt - “TISK TISK/COOKIES” 94. Fireboy DML - “Energy” 95. Rio Da Young OG & Lil E - “Buy The Block” 96. Sacred Paws - “Write This Down” 97. Wilco - “Everyone Hides” 98. Black Belt Eagle Scout - “Real Lovin” 99. Sleepy Hallow - “Breakin Bad (Okay)” ft. Sheff G 100. Aimee Leigh & Baby Billy - “Misbehavin’ (1989)”

Here’s a Spotify playlist of the full list:

#burna boy #big thief #purple mountains #octo octa #polo g #bad bunny #j balvin #raphael saadiq #jenny lewis #shootergang kony #key!#lucinda chua #stella donnelly #earthgang

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lostissarahsophiacaruana · 5 years

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Clockwork Orange

Synopsis:

“ The story takes place in London in a dystopian future. "Our humble narrator" Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) and his droogs, Georgie (James Marcus), Dim (Warren Clarke), and Pete (Michael Tarn), are seated in the Korova Milk Bar stoned on milk laced with narcotics. Shortly, the gang leaves the Korova for a night of ultra-violence. They encounter a wino (Paul Farrell) in an underpass, and beat him with their truncheons. Later, they arrive at a derelict theater. On the stage, another gang, led by a rival named Billy Boy, prepare to rape a voluptuous girl. Instead, the two gangs battle it out-- Alex and his two droogs are victorious. The trio next head out into the dark countryside looking for action. Alex pilots their stolen Durango 95 sports car. After playing "hogs of the road," wherein they drive on the wrong side of the road and run a number of other motorists off into ditches and over embankments, Alex suggests making a "surprise visit." They stop at a lonely country house that displays a backlighted sign that simply reads "Home." Alex tricks his way into the house by claiming to be the victim of a car accident. They beat the homeowner, a writer named Frank Alexander (Patrick Magee), and gang rape his wife (Adrienne Corri) while Alex croons "Singin' in the Rain." When they've finished having fun, the gang returns to the Korova. An opera singer seated at an adjacent table sings the chorus from Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Listening to the woman, Alex is ecstatic -- "I felt all the malenky little hairs on my plott standing endwise"-- but Dim ruins the mood when he makes a farting noise. Alex hits him in the crotch with his truncheon. Henceforth, Dim is resentful but Alex dismisses him. Alex arrives at his apartment just before dawn. Climbing into bed, he fantasizes scenes of violence while listening to Beethoven's 9th Symphony. In the morning, Alex's mother (Sheila Raynor) tries to wake Alex for school, but he feigns illness. At the breakfast table she discusses the situation with his father (Philip Stone). Alex's parents seem foolish and impotent. When Alex later awakens and wanders about the apartment in his underwear he encounters his probation officer, Mr. Deltoid (Aubrey Morris), in his parent's bedroom. The officer lectures Alex about his school truancy and threatens him with jail. After Deltoid leaves, Alex begins another busy day. He picks up two girls at a local shopping mall record store and brings them home. In a sped-up sequence backed by the "William Tell Overture," he has sex with both of them. Later that day, he encounters his droogs in his apartment house lobby. They ominously tell him that they've been "talking." They feel that Alex has been bullying them, especially Dim, and they suggest that Alex has been taking more than his fair share of the spoils from their robberies. Georgie proposes an idea to make lots more money. He wants to rob a rich lady who owns a health farm in the country. Alex perceives Georgie's independent thinking as a threat, but wanting to appear democratic, he goes along with it. As the three droogs walk along a river bank outside the apartment block, Alex attacks. He throws first Georgie and then Dim into the fountain. When Alex offers to help pull Dim out of the water, he slashes the back of Dim's outstretched hand with a hidden dagger. They all retire to the Duke of York, a restaurant. Having re-established his dominance of the group, Alex reconsiders Georgie's idea. Arriving at the health farm that evening, the droogs try the same trick they'd used at Alexander's house previously: pretending that one of them has been injured in a traffic accident. However, the proprietress (Miriam Karlin) is suspicious and calls the police, telling them that she'd heard the news reports about the writer and his wife being victimized in the same manner. When the boys aren't let into the house, Alex climbs up a drainpipe, enters a second floor window, and confronts the homeowner. They fight, the woman defending herself with a bust of Beethoven, until Alex bludgeons her with a huge plastic phallus sculpture. As police sirens are heard in the distance, Alex runs out the front door. It is there and then that his droogs take their revenge. Dim smashes Alex in the face with a milk bottle and the droogs flee. As Alex writhes and screams on the ground, the police arrive. Alex is arrested. At the police station, an uncooperative and belligerent Alex is questioned by several constables. When an overzealous beat constable presses his thumb against Alex's broken nose, Alex kicks the officer in the groin. The other officers then beat Alex until Deltoid shows up. Deltoid tells Alex that unfortunately for him, the proprietress of the health farm has died, making Alex a murderer. He spits in Alex's face and tells him how disappointed he is. Alex laughs it off, but is soon headed for prison. Prison Alex gets sentenced to fourteen years in prison. He deposits his possessions with Chief Officer Barnes (Michael Bates), undresses, and undergoes a cavity search. After answering several questions about his health and personal well-being, Alex is given prison garb. He's now prisoner number 655321. Two years later, Alex is shown scheming to get favors by feigning piety. He helps the prison chaplain (Godfrey Quigley) with his service and he studies the Bible. But rather than reflecting on the redemptive power of the Lord, Alex visualizes himself torturing Jesus at the crucifixion, killing people in battle, and laying about with concubines in an Old Testament setting. Alex tells the chaplain that he's heard of a new treatment, the so-called "Ludovico Technique," that helps criminals get out of prison. The chaplain says that it's experimental and that he's not sure it's right for Alex. But Alex, eager to finagle a short-cut to freedom, vies to be selected for the experiment. When the government's Interior Minister (Anthony Sharp) visits the prison, Alex makes a show of himself. The minister picks Alex as a perfect Ludovico subject. Alex is taken before the prison governor (Michael Gover) who tells the boy that, although he'd rather punish him, the political party currently in power have "new, ridiculous ideas" about criminal reform, so Alex will shortly be released. The Ludovico Technique Chief Officer Barnes then transports Alex to the Ludovico Centre. Alex is given a room and is interviewed by Dr. Branom (Madge Ryan). She promises him that he'll be fine, then gives him an injection. In his first day of treatment Alex appears in an auditorium in a straight jacket. His head is strapped to the back of a restraining chair so that he can neither turn his head nor look away. An eye doctor installs clamps on his eyelids that forcibly keep Alex's eyes open. Then, while the doctor constantly drops eye wash into Alex's grotesquely clamped eyes, Alex is subjected to two violent films. The first shows explicit scenes of a severe beating, the second, a gang rape. Halfway through the first film Alex begins to feel sick. By the end of the second, Alex is shouting for something into which to vomit. At the rear of the auditorium, Dr. Brodsky (Carl Duering) explains to observers that the drug administered to Alex causes a form of paralysis with deep feelings of terror and helplessness. Following the screening, Dr. Branom assures Alex that his feeling of sickness is a sign that he's getting better. On the following day Alex is back in the auditorium, this time for two shows: morning and afternoon. While viewing scenes of Nazis during World War II, Alex begins screaming in earnest. The background music is none other than Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Alex screams that he shouldn't be made to feel sick while listening to such beautiful music. Brodsky loudly apologizes, saying that it can't be helped while quietly he speculates to nearby staff that perhaps this is the "punishment element." Two weeks later, presumably after twelve more treatments, Alex is paraded before a group of dignitaries by the Interior Minister. Alex is there for demonstration purposes. He is first confronted by an angry Irishman (John Clive) who throws him to the ground and forces Alex to lick his boot. Next he's approached by a statuesque platinum blonde (Virginia Wetherell) clad only in panties. Alex collapses in a fit of nausea when he tries to touch her breasts. The Interior Minister proclaims a new era in law enforcement and social justice, but the prison chaplain exclaims that the procedure has debased Alex's human nature by taking away his ability to choose good over evil. The Interior Minister counter claims that the only thing that matters is results. Welcome Home Alex returns home to find his parents plus a stranger (Clive Francis) sitting in the living room reading newspaper accounts of his release. Alex tries to make awkward small talk. When he hints about moving back home, his father tells him that Joe, their new lodger, has already paid the next month's rent. Alex is upset but Joe, who has ingratiated himself with Alex's parents, pushes the situation by castigating Alex for the things he did before going to prison and for breaking his parents' hearts. Before Alex can hit Joe, his psychological conditioning kicks in, leaving him dry heaving, to the dismay and disgust of Joe and Alex's parents. When he has recovered, Alex storms out. Alex later stares at the Thames river below a bridge, presumably contemplating suicide. He's approached by a bum seeking spare change. Alex fishes some cash from his pocket and hands it over. Taking a closer look, the bum recognizes Alex as the same malchick who beat him under the bridge two years earlier. Alex looks at the bum in horror and tries to escape, but is trapped in the very same underpass by the bum and his elderly compatriots. They hit and kick Alex as he cowers on the ground, disabled by his conditioning. Two constables show up to break up the fight. To Alex's further horror, his rescuers turn out to be Dim and Georgie, his former droogs, who are now constables. Demonstrating that police training hasn't altered their basic violent natures, they handcuff Alex, drive him out of town, march him into a wood, push his head into a cattle trough filled with filthy water, and beat him with their batons. They then remove the cuffs and leave him battered and gasping. With thoughts of home echoing in his head, Alex staggers to the first house he can find. It displays a welcoming, backlighted sign that reads "Home." At home, Frank Alexander sits at his typewriter, now in the wheelchair that he's used ever since he was severely beaten two years earlier. Julian (David Prowse), his muscular attendant, answers the doorbell. As Julian opens the door, Alex collapses into the entryway. Julian carries him into the house. When confronted by a concerned Mr. Alexander, Alex realizes he's at the very same residence in which, two years earlier, he and his former partners in crime gang-raped Alexander's wife. He relaxes, however, when he realizes that Mr. Alexander couldn't possibly recognize him due to the fact that Alex and his droogies wore masks back in those days. Mr. Alexander, who knows Alex only as the subject of the Ludovico treatment, invites the lad to have a bath and some supper. As Alex soaks in the bath, Mr. Alexander calls a friend with whom he discusses the political repercussions of Alex's Ludovico conditioning. He believes that the government has a totalitarian agenda, as exemplified by its willingness to rob its citizens of their free will. As he finishes the conversation, Alexander arranges a visit with the person on the other end, stating, "He'll be here," before he hangs up the phone. Mr. Alexander sits in his wheelchair relishing a fantasy of using Alex as a political pawn when he becomes aware of singing coming from the bathroom. In his bath, Alex has struck up a bright rendition of "Singin' in the Rain." Mr. Alexander's face twists in agony and rage as he thinks back to the night of the home invasion that left him crippled and realizes just who Alex is. Later, at the dinner table, an obviously distraught Mr. Alexander encourages Alex to eat and drink. Flanked by the apoplectic Mr. Alexander and the burly Julian, Alex eats a plate of spaghetti while Mr. Alexander plies Alex with red wine. As he eats, Alex grows increasingly fearful, wondering if the hostile-looking old man knows his real identity. Suddenly Mr. Alexander brings up the subject of his wife's rape and subsequent death. He believes that, though she officially died of pneumonia, it was her broken spirit that killed her. She was, according to Mr. Alexander, a victim of the modern age, just as Alex is a victim of the modern age. He tells Alex that two friends are expected and that they will help the boy. A minute later, man named Dolin (John Savident) and a woman (Margaret Tyzack) enter. They question Alex about the Ludovico treatment and whether it is true that, in addition to conditioning him against sex and violence, it has also made him incapable of listening to music. Alex replies that he only feels a foreboding sense of extreme depression when he hears Beethoven's Ninth Symphony specifically-- at which point he passes out, face down, into the plate of spaghetti. He has been drugged by the wine. Dolin congratulates Mr. Alexander who then asks Julian to bring the car around to the front. The conspirators have plans for Alex that will embarrass the government. Alex awakens the next morning in a small, second floor bedroom in an unknown country house. The room is flooded with the strains of Beethoven's 9th Symphony blasted from a stereo in the room below. As Mr. Alexander beams with satisfaction, Alex is driven to suicide. He leaps from the second floor window to the stone patio below. Cured Some time later, Alex wakes up in a hospital in a full-body cast. Newspaper clippings reveal that the government is being vilified for inhuman experimentation. The Interior Minister is being subjected to especially fierce attack. Alex's parents visit, apologizing for not taking him back and promising him his old room when he is released from the hospital. Next, Doctor Taylor (Pauline Taylor), a psychiatrist, shows Alex a series of cartoons having sexual or violent connotations. Alex is to supply the captions. He pleases Dr. Taylor by indicating through his descriptions of the cartoons that sex and violence are the foremost interests on his mind. Once the Ludovico Treatment has been successfully reversed, the Interior Minister visits Alex. As the aristocratic Minister spoon-feeds dinner to the juvenile thug, he assures Alex that he wants to be his friend. With oily smoothness the Minister apologizes for what his government has done. He promises Alex a good job on a good salary, provided that Alex helps the government. He assures the lad that the subversive writer, Frank Alexander, who had threatened him, has been put away. Alex milks the meeting for all it's worth. As a symbol of their understanding, the Minister calls for his assistants. They sweep in with flowers and a massive stereo system blasting Beethoven's 9th Symphony, followed by a troop of reporters and photographers. Alex poses with his new friend, the Interior Minister, aka "Fred," as cameras flash and Beethoven's 9th Symphony reaches its choral climax. Alex's eyes roll back into his head as he fantasizes about an orgy in the snow with a gorgeous blonde, to the applause of Victorian ladies and gentlemen”

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kaiju-claws · 8 years

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Kaiju Alignment Series: Godzilla (Neutral)

Our first entry in the Alignment series concerns perhaps the greatest of all kaiju, the head of the Toho pantheon, Godzilla. It also brings us to one of the most controversial alignments in all of Pathfinder/Dungeons & Dragons: Neutral.

First we'll take a look at the description for the Neutral alignment and use a dash of film evidence to support the conclusion that Godzilla is a force of neutrality. From there, we'll seek to answer the most pertinent question for the roleplaying gamer: how does a worshiper, cleric, or paladin live in alignment with the King of the Monsters himself!

What is Neutral Alignment?

Paizo, publisher of the Pathfinder RPG, describes a Neutral alignment as follows:

Neutral

Our whims and desires are irrelevant, compared to the turning wheel of the world. I am who I am. Trust no one but your friends and family. The wheel turns in spite of us. Systems come and go. All empires fade. Time is a healer. The seasons never change. The sun does not care what it rises over.

Core Concepts: Balance, cycles, equality, harmony, impartiality, inevitability, nature, seasons

A neutral character is unusual in that she may have one of two distinct philosophies: she may be a person who is neutral because of distrust or apathy toward others, or one who wishes to have a truly neutral stance in the world and rejects extremism.

A neutral character could seem selfish or disinterested. She might be driven primarily by an acceptance of fate, and the most extreme followers of this alignment become hermits, hiding from the zealots of the world. Some neutral characters, however, strive openly for neutrality, and shun any act that veers too extremely toward any alignment. This type of neutral character prides herself on navigating her way between law and chaos, evil and good. She may have a fatalistic view in the face of nature and the fundamental power of night and day.

Notice the words “could seem”, “might be”, and “may have” when used to describe neutral behaviors. As with the other alignments, there is no “correct” way to be neutral, but many ways to interpret it. You'll see some of the words used to describe Godzilla (both by his creators and within the films) in the core concept heading: balance, cycles (ie - rebirth), impartiality, and nature. These are traits that Godzilla holds at his core, from the original film to 2014's Godzilla and last year's Shin-Godzilla. The movies may change his motives, from vengeful spirit to super hero and back again, but the core concept of a power greater than our own, indifferent to what we do unless provoked is unchanging. From his wrath at the use of atomic weapons to the unending cycle which sees him return to the sea only to rise once more, Godzilla spares no one in his path. Like a tsunami or tornado, he is disinterested in the plight of humanity. He is selfish and stubborn, most obviously caring for his own survival above all others. What other alignment could better fit him than neutral?

We've seen Godzilla save the world in Invasion of the Astro Monster, and we've seen him fight against the exceeding grasp of humanity in Godzilla x Megaguirus. We've seen him fight for the balance of nature in Godzilla (2014) while also asserting his dominance over other kaiju. There are so many conflicting examples to use for the monster king that only neutrality can give any real indication of just what he does.

As a dungeon master, this is a blessing! If your story calls for a villainous Godzilla, you can use him as such without batting an eye. If instead, you need a lawful good Godzilla, that is also fine (he is “The Monster of Justice” after all). This is a strength, and speaks to both the complexity and malleability of the character even if all you want to do is have him be an obstacle for your players.

But what does he mean to your players?

Playing a Neutral Character

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Toho D20 setting is that it allows players to interact with the kaiju they've come to love, and the evidence is right there in the movies to back it up. Within the films, Godzilla has proven to be capable of not only noticing individual people (Godzilla (2014), Ebirah, Horror of the Deep) but also remembering them! On seeing Shindo in Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, we see him give pause and remember this man! He closes his eyes and seems to reflect, remembering his pain and helplessness, and the man who had been there with him! It's a powerful scene, and we see in it the true nature of Godzilla on display as he cannot be stopped from doing what he is meant to do. So what does this mean for our players/characters?

You can interact with Godzilla without battle. A dangerous prospect, but to gain the King of the Monster's blessing, you may have to do just that. And the best way to get his attention and survive is by following his lead: become a neutral character.

As you have already read, there are many different ways for you to be neutral. You can be fatalistic, you can accept your fate is predetermined/random, you can abstain from extremism, or even something else of your own design. The trick here (for both players and Dungeon Masters) is not getting caught in the alignment balance trap.

In my time as a player and a Dungeon Master, I have known people on both sides of the screen to stop themselves from doing something fun because their character is X alignment. To that, I would remind you all that alignment isn't a straight jacket, but a guiding hand. It is meant to inform, not to shackle. Alignment is a journey; in real life, the people we look to who are ideally lawful good (police, religious authorities, etc) face the same struggles that we do. They have bad days, they snap at their significant others when they get short tempered, they speed. That does not mean that their alignment changes! So long as you are trying to live up to your chosen standard (Lawful Good, True Neutral, etc), you are walking the path. There is room for error, and err you will. You may even fall, going from Neutral to another alignment, but don't sweat the small stuff! Godzilla has inadvertently saved the world from the MUTO's in Legendary's film and stopped humanity from becoming subservient to Spacegodzilla in 1994. Just because those are good outcomes doesn't make Godzilla any less neutral than he was before. Intentions count here, and so long as you hold true to your beliefs and to Godzilla's example you will be fine.

Godzilla Worship

Godzilla embodies the strength of nature over society. Druidic pursuits will come naturally to his followers, in some cases to the point of extremism. Societal expansion promotes waste, pollution, and destruction, threatening the territory of Godzilla and his fellow kaiju. To make your way into Godzilla's good graces, fight against it. Keep the villages of the world from turning into smoke spewing cities. Stop the frivolous waste of natural resources and the dangerous advances of science. Make sure that no one forgets the consequences of unbalancing the scales of the world. In the words of The Church of the Splintered Atom, “Nature has an Order.”

Another way to grow the faith of Godzilla is to battle on his behalf. As many worship Godzilla, so do others worship his enemies. King Ghidorah, Destoroyah, Spacegodzilla. These misguided individuals will be just as pious as you, seeking to spread the will of their masters to the utmost ends of the world. Fight back against them! Godzilla revels in battle, as do his followers. Use your strength and crush their plots before the can come to fruition, if only to spite them. Godzilla respects strength and bravery, and you will need both to follow him.

In times of peace, when you are not battling or fighting against the abuse of nature, seek out the natural places of the world that embody your deity. Volcanoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, each of these hint at the power of the King of the Monsters. Go to disaster zones, the sites of kaiju battles and find the weary, the wounded, and the disenchanted. Tell them of the might of Godzilla and show them the error of their former lives in clinging to society. Help them to see that their survival is a testament to their own strength, a strength given form within the monster king.

And should your faith grow strong enough to attract the attention of Godzilla himself? Always stand firm, and be ready for anything. The Splintered Atom denies entry into the top echelons of their order to those who have not lived through an encounter with the King of the Monsters himself. Survive, and he will grant you access to his domains, to the boundless power that flows through him. Pray to him, and he will answer you not in a worldly language, but through the approval of your actions. You will find strength that you did not know you had and be able to withstand the rigors of your life more readily. Displease him and you will find hardship piled upon you in the form of landslides, earthquakes, and perhaps a closer look at one of his destructive rampages than you had ever wanted.

#Godzilla #True Neutral #D20 #Pathfinder #Toho #Toho Kingdom #Kaiju #Dungeons and Dragons #tabletop roleplaying #DM Musings #alignment #Roleplaying #Lore #DM Advice #Player Character Advice

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kilieit · 8 years

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lore book transcription: dark knight

for a poster on the RPC

Specialised Disciplines - Soul Crystals [ref: 217]

Ever since the height of the Allagan Empire in the Third Astral Era, the practice of using crystals to store and impart knowledge has been prevalent in Eorzea. An adornment known as a “soul crystal” is worn close to the skin, where the uncommonly clear facets of the carefully cut shard catch and transcribe the ebb and flow of a soul’s aetherial composition - effectively capturing an imperfect echo of the wearer’s memories. This arcane tool engraved with the myriad deeds of heroes from eras past was employed by many of the disciples of yesteryear to preserve and pass on the skills of successive generations of masters.

The wisdom contained in a soul crystal, however, is not so easily drawn forth - an untrained neophyte cannot simply pick up one of these gems and expect his mind to be flooded with the knowledge of advanced spellcraft or combat techniques. Without first attaining sufficient proficiency and tempering one’s soul to mirror the maturity of the crystal’s contributors, a prospective student will be denied even the slightest glimpse of enlightenment. Thus, as is the case with the more contemporary disciplines, the key to mastering the secrets of a soul crystal lies in diligent study and training.

Specialised Disciplines - Crystals [ref: 217]

Job: Dark Knight Region: Ishgard Era: Year 968, Sixth Astral Era

Dark Knight [ref: 238]

The pious Ishgardian clergy guide the flock, and the devout knights protect the weak. Yet even the holiest of men succumb to the darkest of temptations. None dare to administer justice to these sacrosanct elite residing outside the reach of the law. Who, then, defends the feeble from the transgressions of those meant to guide and protect them? A valiant few take up arms to defend the downtrodden, and not even the holy priests and knights can escape their judgement. Pariahs in their own land, they are known by many as “dark knights”.

Dark Knight - History [ref: 238]

In the year 960 of the Sixth Astral Era, a commoner by the name of Tryphaniel the Unshod was granted knighthood for acts of valour upon the battlefield. A young man with an unwavering sense of justice, Tyrphaniel’s desire to champion the cause of the lowborn was undiluted by his entrance into the privileged world of the nobility. It was this same moral fortitude that bid him trail after clergyman after witnessing the robed figure drag a squirming child from the alleys of the Brume. The knight’s suspicions were confirmed when he entered the secluded domicile of the priest only to find him committing unspeakable acts upon th ebody of the abducted waif. Noticing his unexpected visitor, the clergyman attempted to explain away his vile actions as a form of “exorcism”, but the incensed Tryphaniel drew his sword without hesitation, and answered the babbled excuses with a single, fatal blow.

Rather than praise his heroism, however, the knight’s peers condemned him for slaying a holy member of the church. He was forced to defend his life in a trial by combat, but though he survived, it was decreed that he would be stripped of his knighthood. Unflinching in the face of accusations that he had fallen to darkness, Tryphaniel roared that he would gladly surrender a title that required him to turn a blind eye to a child’s suffering. He cast aside his crested shield - the symbol of his station - and continued his crusade for the commonfolk with no thought or fear for what others held taboo. His righteous deeds inspired some courageous few to embrace the path of the forbidden, and thus the legacy of the dark knight was born.

Dark Knight - Equipment [ref: 238]

Chaos Armour

Passed down through generations of dark knights, this antique set of armour was forged of Ishgardian steel and appears sheathed in a faint nimbus of shadow. While the plates may once have shone like well-polished iron, years of blood spatter have dulled the metal’s natural gleam.

Deathbringer

Some two centuries ago, a troubled smith crafted this weapon as the price for a dark knight to punish a terrible injustice. The knight accepted the payment, and found a fitting name for the greatsword after baptising its blade in the lifeblood of the guilty.

Kumokirimaru

This great katana was forged by a Doman artisan at the behest of Rowena’s House of Splendors. Said to resemble a weapon described in Far Eastern legend - the divine sword that cut down the monstrous spider-spirit “tsuchigumo” - the blade becomes thicker as it nears the tip, giving the weapon a top-heavy balance. In the hands of a master swordsman, however, this awkward weight can be exploited to generate swings powerful enough to cleave through a giant’s thigh. According to the weaponsmith Seika, certain improvements could further enhance the quality of this already devastating weapon.

Dainslaif

Crafted in the Churning Mists at a time when peace prevailed between Dravanian and man, this greatsword and the dragon-like design of its crossguard is representative of that harmonious age. Dainslaif’s creation predates the appearance of dark knights by some centuries, and was originally commissioned for an orthodox knight of high standing. Intended for the purpose of monster slaying, the weapon’s blade was forged with sufficient resilience to endure repeated blows against thick bones and dense hide.

Dark Knight - Tricks of the Trade [ref: 239]

Dark Force

By infusing a vast well of aether with her own inner darkness, the dark knight forms arcane barriers of impregnable midnight. The sight of liquid shadow pouring from a sky torn open by this otherwise benevolent technique is commonly described as “unsettling”.

Hard Slash

A sweeping slash, followed by a punishing upward slice. The most fundamental attack in a dark knight’s repertoire, this technique originated from a now-antiquated style of knightly combat.

Unleash

Releasing his pain and rage upon nearby foes, the dark knight manifests an inky black circle of spikes on the ground around him. All those caught in its thorns are struck by unreasoning terror, and an irresistible need to claw away at its source.

Living Dead

This dark art allows the practitioner to continue fighting through the most heinous of injuries, and exhibit an immunity to pain usually attributed to the shambling undead. Though undeniably effective, abandoning one’s corporeal form to negative energy in this manner, however briefly, is an act fraught with mortal peril.

Dark Knight - Profile - Fray Myste [ref: 239]

Race (Clan): Hyur (Midlander) Gender: Male Age: 25 Epithet: Fray of the Onyx Shade

An orphan of the Brume, a young Fray was set on the dark knight’s path when his future master found him plotting revenge over the body of a friend unjustly executed by Holy See officials. Proving an apt and inquisitive student, Fray approached both the book-bound and physical aspects of his training with equal eagerness. But it was the desire to adi his master and the fiery Sidurgu in their duties that truly drove the youth to excel. Alongside his volatile fellow disciple, Fray later succeeded in rescuing the maiden Rielle from an undeserved fate, but would himself fall afoul of her pursuers. Dragged before the Tribunal for trial by combat, the dark knight fought with skill and righteous rage only to fall to the dancing blade of the court’s champion. It is a testament to Fray’s devotion to life and those he left behind that his soul crystal would burn with such undying intensity...

Dark Knight - Profile - Sidurgu Orl [ref: 239]

Race (Clan): Au Ra (Xaela) Gender: Male Age: 26 Epithet: Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart

As a child, Sidurgu lived with his family in a frontier town of Othard, until their settlement fell under the subjugation of the invading Garlean Empire. Unable to endure the stifling regime of their conquerors, his parents bundled him into a cart along with their meagre possessions, and fled into the wilderness soon after his sixth nameday. For five years they wandered, seeking a place to belong, before their journeys eventually brought them to Eorzea’s shores. Like many of their race, they found themselves drawn to the plains of Coerthas, where they hoped to adopt the nomadic ways of their ancestors... but neither fate nor the Ishgardians were kind to the Au Ra.

Molded by a life of tragedy, the displaced Xaela found himself well suited to the mantle of a dark knight. Now bereft of family, master, and fellow apprentice, Sidurgu wears his stern demeanour like a suit of armour, impenetrable to all perhaps but his young charge, Rielle.

Dark Knight - Darkness [ref: 239]

Arising from the fear and wrath within the dark knight’s own soul, this shadowy flame feeds greedily on her body’s aether, its sygian fires coursing through her blade and fuelling her eldritch arts. But as ever, such power comes with a price: should the dark knight lose control over this darkness, she will be consumed in a backlash of entropic energies.

Dark Knight - Dark Arts [ref: 239]

Fuelled by the darkness from within ,the dark knight employs these techniques to lend an arcane edge to the blows of her greatsword. Though known for their disdain for shields, the fighting style of the earliest dark knights was nevertheless built upon mundane swordplay, and it was not until several centuries later that one of their order first unlocked the secrets of the dark arts.

#lore book #best of

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ilianquisition · 5 years

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examine! isabel

an rpg, but if everything was written by curran

(Wife) She’s still asleep, curled up in a sleeping bag and joyfully oblivious to the early morning sunlight that was only now beginning to peek over the treeline.

> Wake Up > Let Be

You may make mistakes from time to time, but you do know better than to stand in the way of an unstoppable force. If you try to wake her up she’ll probably fall back asleep before you can blink. Once you tried to trick her into thinking a snake had crawled into her sleeping bag–it worked, but she pushed you in a creek later as payback. You’ve since learned not to try that again.

> Keep Looking

Even asleep, you can see the boisterous energy she always carries with her, the faint ghost of a smile on her lips, the freckles that dot her face; even asleep, you find her energy infectious. It’s hard not to smile when you look at her. In a few hours, the two of you will have to pack up and move on with your mission, dispelling justice in the name of the Goddess and what have you. She has your back and you have hers, a partnership you truly never expected. A true testament to the Goddess’ benevolence, you like to think–however grim the world may be, the two of you are together. Fighting to make it a little less dark.

…You should start breakfast. The day isn’t getting any younger, and you have plenty of work to get done by the end of it. Knowing Isa, she’ll be up at the first scent of food anyway.

#Anonymous #take me to church || ic.

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duaneodavila · 6 years

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A Death And An Impossible Story Regurgitated

The headline alone was either the clickiest of clickbait or a testament to the failure of journalism.

Woman shot herself through mouth while handcuffed during traffic-stop suicide, officials say

Next up, Bigfoot attacks cub scout troop? But the story isn’t a joke, and there is a dead human being who can’t be forgotten in the midst of this absurd headline.

A 19-year-old woman whose hands were cuffed behind her back when she committed suicide during a traffic stop in Chesapeake died of a gunshot wound through the mouth, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The woman had a name, Sarah Wilson. And the sheriff told a story about how Sarah Wilson purportedly died.

She was the passenger of a 1996 Lexus driven by her boyfriend, 27-year-old Holden Medlin. The couple were under the surveillance of two CPD officers — one assigned to uniform patrol, and the other to vice narcotics — when they were stopped around 4:24 p.m.

During the stop, the officers approached Wilson and Medlin separately. While one officer handcuffed Wilson with her hands behind her back, the other tried to detain Medlin, CPD Officer Leo Kosinski told WAVY in August.

So far, an uneventful story. That changes fast.

Kosinski said in August that Wilson was handcuffed with her arms behind her back when she got the gun out of the Lexus, “contorted” her body and shot herself in the head.

Not just the head. Oh no.

On Thursday, the OCME of Tidewater confirmed to WAVY that Wilson did commit suicide, and that she died from an “intra-oral gunshot wound.”

For anyone unfamiliar with the lingo, “intra-oral” is the official way of saying she shot herself through her mouth. Go ahead, give it a try. Contort yourself all you want, hands cuffed behind, even assuming she could get a gun from somewhere, and then defy human anatomy to manage to shoot herself through the mouth.

Why she would commit suicide is another mystery, this being a relatively pedestrian bust, and her mother saying that she was hardly despondent or suicidal.

Dawn Wilson said she’s struggling to understand her daughter’s death. She described her daughter as “a ray of sunshine” who loved her two sisters and had their names tattooed on her body.

“She never would have left them. Never,” Wilson said.

Of course, family members are often the last to realize, so it’s not outsides the realm of possibility that her mother is wrong. But the laws of physics can’t be so easily ignored.

“We clearly ruled that it was a suicide,” Kosinski said.

Wilson’s hands were initially cuffed behind her body, which is standard procedure, he said. Officers typically search people when they’re detained, but Kosinski said he didn’t know if Wilson was patted down before she was handcuffed.

Note the word “initially,” suggesting that maybe that changed. Except there is no assertion that it did, but for the word “initially,” nor any reason why it would, having cuffed her from behind and then immediately gone to assist the fellow officer. While one report states that the gun was retrieved from the car, this suggests she might have hidden a gun on her person and the officer found her sufficiently threatening to cuff but not so much as to pat down.

Well, certainly the body cam will reveal how this magic happened.

One officer was wearing a body camera, but it was “knocked offline” while Medlin was fighting the officer, Kosinski said. If the camera hadn’t gone offline, it still wouldn’t have recorded the shooting, Kosinski said, because the officer was struggling with Medlin.

How terribly unfortunate that apparently only one cop wore a body cam and it was “knocked offline.” It seems as if that would be a problem in itself, since the efficacy of a body cam would be a problem if it fails at exactly the point where it’s most needed. But not this time, as the officer was busy elsewhere while the magical contortion occurred. And a young woman died.

Having been highly critical of “advocacy journalism” designed to omit or twist facts in order to make certain that us dumb consumers of news are lead to the correct conclusion of the “news,” one might suspect that it would be hypocritical to argue that this reportage, the verbatim fantastical story proffered by Officer Kosinski as to this “clearly ruled” suicide. But then, the alternative isn’t mindless regurgitation of the cop’s tale.

When a reporter is confronted with a story that defies facts and reason, not to mention human physiology, he is not a mouthpiece of the state, to blindly repeat it without raising the possibility that the cops are putting out a tale that’s so ridiculous, so impossible, that it defies possibility. And adding the camera malfunction is icing on the cake.

There are three stories here. The first is of the death of a 19-year-old woman while in the custody of police. The second is of how it’s conceivably possible that a woman, with no indication of suicidal ideation, cuffed behind her back, could manage to not only get her hands on a gun, itself a difficult trick, but then commit suicide by shooting herself in the mouth.

The third story is how putative journalists could repeat this outrageous tripe with a straight face.

Reporters have a symbiotic relationship with the police. The cops feed them stories so they can fill up blank pages, and they report the stories fed them by cops so the public knows what a great job the police are doing to save them from whatever fears the police are promoting at the moment. Sadly, it’s understandable why reporters prefer to maintain a friendly relationship, as they might otherwise be denied these stories and forced to go out on their own and find news, gather facts, commit journalism. So much work.

But when the story they’re told is so absurd, so fantastical, as this, the reporting of the death of poor Sarah Wilson as the cops would have it is where the constitutional right to freedom of the press devolves to organ of the state. Perhaps there is some magical way this actually happened, in defiance of all reason and the usual understanding of how the human body works, but how this could be reported without even the recognition of it being a little bit unlikely is an outrageous failure of journalism. Then again, it must have pleased the cops to no end.

A Death And An Impossible Story Regurgitated republished via Simple Justice

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