#Rational Voices Coalition

[firstoccupier]

The Unlikely War: A Canadian Invasion of the United States and the Rise of Pacific Resistance

In an alternate reality, tensions between the United States and Canada escalated dramatically, leading to an improbable military confrontation: the counterattack invasion of the United States by Canada, with unconventional support from Quebec, bolstered by its Francophone ties to France. They hit us back first. This thrilling scenario unfolds amidst a backdrop of unexpected hospitality, cultural…

[shatterinseconds]

“It’s a simple three step beat; what aren’t you understanding about it, Mullet?” Lance asks, annoyance beginning to leak through his voice. He’s tried to cap his frustration as much as possible throughout the past hour. But this has become ridiculous. If anything, Keith has gotten worse at dancing than when they started the lesson. Brief pain sparks through Lance’s foot and he cracks. “And stepping on my toes isn’t one of them!”

“Some of us didn’t get three years of ballroom dance lessons,” Keith snaps, irritated. 

“Which is why I’m teaching you. But you’re not listening to a single thing I say! You can’t even get close to me.” Lance tries to tug Keith forward but he remains just as stubborn as always, aggravating and infuriating. 

What looms between them is a larger gap than needed, with Keith holding him at an arm’s length as if he’s a poisonous snake ready to bite. A balloon would fall straight through to the floor; Lance’s arms are almost entirely extended. He thought Keith would be a little more willing considering the stake of the mission. 

Keith clenches his jaw. “I’m trying.”

“For someone as coordinated as you on the battlefield, this shouldn’t be this difficult.” Lance scowls, taking a page out of Keith’s book.

“Me not knowing how to dance isn’t going to break the alliance.”

“Were you even listening to Allura?”

“Were you?” Keith bites back, too smirky for Lance’s taste. Yeah, he may have been fiddling with his comm device under the table, trying to play an old earth game Pidge had downloaded onto it. That’s beside the point.

So Lance ignores him. “The Zolxox see dance as a creation of trust and loyalty between two groups of people. If we miss a step, they won’t join the coalition.”

“But why’d it have to be us?” The Zolxox only needed a pair of dancers, not their whole team.  

Lance rolls his eyes. “Because I have three years of dance experience, duh.” But his annoyance quickly fades when Keith doesn’t snap back with their classic banter. In fact, he continues to stand there, his hands not exactly touching Lance anymore but hovering. Keith stares at him with such a blank expression that Lance allows a bit of the truth to spill. “And–And because I work best with you,” he mumbles, ducking his head to avoid any minute reaction from Keith. When he does flick his gaze up, Keith remains impassive. “But you gotta listen to me, Mullet. Why won’t you just follow what I say?”

That’s when Lance loses Keith entirely. He steps back from Lance, arms folded against his chest, not loose at all. Keith can’t seem to look at him anymore either. “It’s awkward… being close to you.”

“Oh.” Lance drops his empty hands, suddenly despondent. He didn’t know Keith felt that way about him. He thought they’d finally become friends, maybe inching toward something more. Maybe Lance should have chosen Allura for this mission like everyone thought he would. His shoulders begin to hunch forward.

“Shit, no, not in that way.” Keith groans as he cards a hand through his hair, frustrated at himself. Strands stick out in multiple directions, silly enough that Lance wants to punch through whatever new wall is between them and fix it for him. But Keith wouldn’t appreciate that. “I just meant, I know the way I feel about you isn’t how you feel about me and I don’t want to make it weird for you.”

“How do you know how I feel about you if you never once asked?”

Keith gives him a look. “Please. You flirt with everyone but me. Even I understand what that means.”

“That’s not—That’s—Oh my god—” Lance suddenly steps forward, waving his arms as he talks, too flustered to be rational. “With everyone else, it’s fun, meaningless, a way to lighten the mood.” His skin heats enough that he must be glowing from embarrassment. “But you—With you, it’s different. I try to spend time together and constantly try to get your atten—wait.” Eyes popping wide, Lance starts to point, jabbing his finger into Keith’s chest. “You just told me you liked me!” His brain finally internalizes what Keith had said, what Keith implied. It immediately derails his train of thought. “You like me!”

Keith startles before his entire expression pinches. He growls. “Uh uh, we’re focusing on you and your terrible flirting techniques.” He steps up to Lance and keeps stepping toward him until he is the only thing Lance can focus on. Those violet eyes bore into Lance, head tilted and brows drawn. “How was I supposed to know I was different?” he asks, low and steady. 

“Goddammit, Keith.” Lance surges forward and kisses Keith square on the mouth. His hands weave through Keith’s hair, musing it further, while Keith’s strong grip lands on his waist, fingers hooking into his belt loops. He pulls Lance in and tugs on his lower lip, his teeth scraping slightly but in a way that buzzes across Lance’s skin. When they part, Lance is breathless with swollen lips and eyes half-lidded. It’s a struggle to speak but he manages to mumble, “Does that clear things up?”

Keith nods. Blush stains his pale cheeks though he holds Lance’s stare, never wavering, and he even starts to smirk the longer they remain in silence. Like he knows that he affected Lance just as much as Lance affected him. 

He’s going to be the death of Lance one day; this man…

“G-Good,” Lance finally says, struggling to regain his composure, if he ever had some to begin with. “We’ll talk about this later. But right now, we dance.”

Kith groans, though less annoyed than before, and for the first time, effortlessly moves all the way into Lance’s space, smiling a small smile. They dance without any issues, except for maybe a few butterflies.

[aceduchessdragoness]

Uploaded on Instagram by harvxrdpsc on April 24, 2024.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[id: photo text

1st:

Harvard joins Columbia, MIT, Emerson, Tufts, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Pittsburgh, University of Maryland, Berkeley, Cuny, The New School, Washington University in Saint Louis, UNC Chapel Hill and more as it establishes Liberated Zone

The bold text makes it look like ‘HARVARD ESTABLISHES LIBERATED ZONE’

2nd:

Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine Coalition: Who We Are.

3rd:

We, the Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine Coalition, are a group of students and student workers at Harvard University committed to Palestinian liberation. We are part of a rich tradition of students who stood up to U.S. imperialism in Vietnam and Iraq, rallied against apartheid in South Africa, fought for Black liberation in the United Staes, and built national living wage campaigns on university campuses. We understand that all of our historic movements for freedom and justice are intertwined. The Palestinian cause if not for Palestinians alone – it is a cause for people of conscience, concerned with humanity, freedom, and justice.

We have established this Liberated Zone to call for an end to Harvard’s moral and material complicity in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.

Over the past seven months, we have witnessed Israel and the United States unleash unimaginable cruelty in Gaza. As we write this, Israel has murdered more than 34,000 Palestinians, including 14,000 children. Every day brings more horrifying images than the last: families facing starvation, people undergoing amputation without anesthesia, newly discovered mass graves, entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.

4th:

These atrocities are not new. Since the original Nakba – Arabic for catastrophe – of 1948, when 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their land, Palestinians have been dispossessed and fragmented by a pernicious apartheid regime, a brutal military occupation, and a suffocating blockade. Zionism, the political project rationalizing this violence, requires the subjugation of Palestinian life and the continued colonialization of Palestinian land. There can be no equivocation: Palestine is occupied from Gaza to the Galilee, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

This oppression is co-signed and co-sponsored by the United States government and its institutions. The U.S. continues to sustain the Zionist colonial regime with billions of dollars in military funding. Since its founding, Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid, receiving approximately $300 billion in economic and military assistance.

5th:

As we walk the halls of Harvard, study in its libraries, and sleep in its dormitories, we are acutely aware that there are no universities remaining in the Gaza Strip. Israel has robbed Palestinians of their rights to education by systematically destroying academic infrastructures and communities. Professors, teachers, students, and academic workers have been targeted and killed along with the rest of Gaza’s population. As students, educators, and graduate workers, we have a duty to fight against this genocide.

Palestine is not only a moral issue. It is an issue that affects our campus, one that fundamentally implicates Harvard University. As of 2019, Harvard had invested at least $200 million in companies with ties to illegal Israeli settlements, a flagrant violation of international human rights law, and at least $86,625 worth of investments in the Israeli military. Today, the Harvard Management Company, which oversees the world’s largest university endowment of $51 billion, discloses no information about the scale of natures of its investments in Israel.

6th

On its campus, we have witnessed the university relentlessly suppress voices in its community speaking out against the actions of the Israeli state and for the rights of the Palestinian people. Time and time again, we have seen Harvard pioneer and affirm the “Palestine exception to free speech,” silencing professors and students when they speak out about Palestine or include Palestinian liberation in their ethic of social justice. The university is also failing to protect its community from violent and racist anti-Palestinian harassment. Just this week, Harvard has unilaterally suspended the Palestine Solidarity Committee after months of administrative persecution and discriminatory measures.

Enough is enough. In the past seven months, our protests against the intensifying genocidal campaign in Gaza have been met with repression, administrative targeting, willfully racist attacks (including from politicians and faculty members), and arbitrary policy changes designed to silence our voices. We will not be deterred. By launching this demonstration, we renew our commitment to protest Harvard’s moral, institutional, and financial complicity in the genocide of Palestinians.

7th:

As student governments in schools across Harvard pass resolutions for divestment, the University must contend with the facts that its students will not tolerate its support for genocide, violence, and apartheid. In doing so, we proudly continue Harvard’s legacy of anti-war, anti-racist student organizing, from the mock “shanty towns” established in Harvard Yard in 1986 to protest apartheid in South Africa, to the 1969 University Hall occupation protesting against the war on Vietnam.

Our movement is one part of the tapestry of liberation movements. Harvard itself is a product of land theft and indigenous erasure: the initial funds to establish this university were used for the ‘education and conversion’ of indigenous people. By creating this Liberated Zone, we hope to begin the work of building the world we want to inhabit: a world free of the shackles of colonialism.

8th:

The Palestinian people, like all oppressed peoples, have a right to resist their annihilation. We hold this to be a precondition for Palestinian liberation, as we do the inalienable right of return, a fundamental value that challenges and denaturalizes the colonial fragmentation of the Palestinian community. Our act of civil disobedience here at Harvard is grounded in Palestinian values of sumoud – Arabic for steadfastness – and love for life.

We are driven by the belief that a better world is possible: a world free of racism, white supremacy, cishetero-patriarchy. Ableism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of hatred. It is for this reason that we are compelled to take action.

9th:

Our demands: Following the lead of our brave comrades on campuses across the country, this Liberated Zone is a demonstration of our love of justice, our hope for a free Palestine, and our dream of a liberated future for all. We see our institution’s complicity as one link among many that must be severed on the path to liberation.

As such, we demand that Harvard University:

1. Disclose any and all investments – both institutional and financial – in Israel, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and the occupation of Palestine.

2. Divest from all such investments, and reinvest resources in Palestinian academic initiatives, communities, and culture.

3. Drop all charges against students for their organizing and activism, and commit to ending the weaponization of disciplinary policy.

The whole world is watching a genocide unfold before its eyes. We raise our voices to join the chorus of millions demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to the occupation, and a free Palestine from the river to the sea. /id]

[sharonisthebettercarter]

Chile anyways, if homelander was so smart that the fans and himself claim him to be, why didn't he just took that opportunity of freedom and ditch it all behind when sent to his first mission?? Also, since the loser learned u.s. history, you'd think he'd learn a thing or two about the slaves who fled from their prisons in the antebellum south and the members of the black panthers party fleeing to Cuba from being prosecuted. Like...there are narcissists in real life who would take that chance at freedom immediately, they want a taste of that too. Also, to learn in a new environment is to learn from the locals.

*sigh of the long suffering*

i wanna be fucking mad at this, i do. i am a little and i won't lie about that because this is FUCKED anon.

but i know (sincerely fucking hope) it comes from a place of genuine ignorance and not truly understanding what it is many abuse victims go through--or, perhaps not realizing that you have been through abuse and have fallen on any one of many many many reasons to not leave, so you rationalize your situation as tolerable (because in your mind there are no other alternatives) or you might have a weird fucked up version of survivor's bias which is pretty typical in this society.

the short answer is this:

and this:

and these also fit the bill:

but to address the question more directly and seriously.

a victim's intelligence and victimhood have nothing to do with one another. someone does not "become" a victim because they are stupid or smart. anyone can be conned. ANYONE. this is a gross oversimplification and assumption that is extremely dismissive to victims of abuse.

because he didn't realize he was a victim? because he didn't know where else to go? because vought promised him things would get better and he could finally be their 'special god boi' and believed that if he could just pull it together that maybe, just maybe vought, his only 'parental' entity and the only thing he had known his entire life to 'take care of him' and 'promise him the world', would be happy and proud of him. *and then things wouldn't have to hurt anymore*

see any of the above attached resources for more information. PLEASE. there are a number of reasons a victim will not leave an abusive situation, and they all amount to: THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THEY HAVE A CHOICE. and. THIS DOES NOT INVALIDATE THE EXPERIENCE OF A VICTIM OR THE SYMPATHY WE SHOULD FEEL FOR THEM.

okay, this bit about u.s. history is just silly to me, cause... just wut??? do you... i mean, do you honestly believe they taught him a wholly accurate take on u.s. history and gave him perfect examples of the oppressed fighting back against abusers or escaping them????? like HONESTLY, *you* think they taught him *THAT*??????????????? a NAZI made company.... teaching *accurate* history?????????????????????????????????????vogelbaum said it himself. "he loved MANIFEST DESTINY". a SUPER FUCKED UP concept that proudly proclaims white america as a "chosen people" that must "conquer the american continents"... really? REALLY??????? just that bit in itself should tell you what and how they were teaching him. take a wild guess how they teach about slavery in the deep south of the states and i can guaranfuckingtee you IT AIN'T ACCURATE.

bear in mind. vought was a company founded with nazi cult origins.

i think that should say enough on it's own but i'll elaborate, homelander was raised in a fucking cult. if you genuinely think escaping one is a 'simple and easy' thing and people INDOCTRINATED IN A CULT can just up and 'RuN aWaY', YOU ARE WRONG. plain and simple.

***ESPECIALLY for the fucking kids raised as the """"MESSIAH""" FOR THE CULT, REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH ABUSE THEY FACE, THAT IS HOW BRAINWASHING WORKS.***

well good for those narcissists i guess?? i'm sure their situations weren't anywhere near half as bad as homelander's and i don't say that to dismiss anything they may have gone through, i say it just from a standing realistic point of view. homelander has LITERALLY been through worse that anything any human could ever go through and also more than a whole lot of comic characters out there have been through. vought was basically granny fucking goodness.

their situations are also... not relevant. AT ALL.

and i need to reiterate this:

being a victim and staying in an abusive situation is not a choice. victims do not choose to be victims.

victims. do not. choose. to be victims.

VICTMS. DO. NOT. CHOOSE. TO. BE. VICTIMS.

saying they do, and i want to be clear in no uncertain terms what so fucking ever:

IS VICTIM BLAMING.

see any of the above resources if you need to understand a bit better about human psyche and why victims do not simply 'rUn AwAy' from abusive situations.

and if it's not clear enough with that, it's because their brain, logic, belief, heart, whatever and every fucking fiber of their being tells them that they

*CAN'T*

the brain has fucked up ways of coping that don't always simply 'work out' in our favor, especially when it comes to extremely stressful environments like the one homelander was in. he was brought up to *believe* in vought. AND ONLY VOUGHT. was pretty much fucked before he was even born. forced to be trauma bonded to his motherfucking jailers.

and then never, nada, zip, zilch, NOT ONCE. has he EVER been presented with a viable alternative. or someone who genuinely cared for him.

this does not invalidate the fact that he is a victim of vought.

if anything? it only makes his whole situation worse because he still does not even realize that he is a victim.

here's to gotdamn HOPING s4 gives us at least some semblance of that understanding peaking through and brutal slaughter of the scientists or other responsible for that bullshit<3 (what i hope that scene of him covered in blood is~!)

the reason people have so much trouble seeing this and understanding it is:

we still live in a culture/society which is heavily veered towards victim blaming, especially imperfect victims. once a victim fights back or even if they choose not to, regardless of what happens actually, they are still somehow at fault for their situation, right? RIGHT? wrong... please see above resources for better understanding.

homelander is STILL stuck in the cult. he's trying lead it even (of course he fucking is, he was the raised 'messiah' and still has a childish mindset that believes in what he was taught), because that is what he was made for, and he is what VOUGHT made him... JUST as much as he a VICTIM of them.

homelander is an adult. at least physically. yes seriously, that is a factor. although i see this as something that makes his whole situation much much WORSE *because* of his stunted growth *because* of VOUGHT, his adult body and general presentation is enough for people to deny his victimhood if not outright blame him for it. (*HINT* STILL NOT HIS FAULT!), people keep calling him an immature 'manchild' which... sure, whatever sometimes i guess. but more *accurately*, we should be calling him a *CHILD* trapped in an *adult body*.

'manchild' implies the dude at least had an honest opportunity to grow the fuck up, and *chose* not to.

homelander had neither of these things. his growth was deliberately stunted so that he could be *controlled*.

and here's where i might differ from certain parts of fandom on homelander.

the show has actually done a relatively good of showing us that homelander is as much a victim to his circumstance as he is an asshole, and the trump/***cult messiah*** comparisons (while obviously satire and a bit on the nose) are actually... mm... not necessarily vital but actually pretty fucking important on providing an accurate representation of what he really is AND understanding how society reacts to it.

it is NOT the show that does a bad job presenting these characters intricately, whether showcasing victimhood, complexity, hypocrisy, critique, etc. they can do BOTH. and that is the point, that none of what's being presented is 'mutually exclusive' in one form or another because *society and people are fucking complex and nothing is black and white*. the point being, they at least make the effort and it is... profoundly ignorant to deny these details when they are presented.

they *present* homelander as a victim AND an asshole. *that* is why ANYONE in fandom is able to see that fact. no, that's not to say everything is hunky dory and perfectly written (because it's still written by ordinary *human* people, not abstract entities of perfection or imperfection)

it is to say that there is a factor fans seem to keep forgetting about this whole ass show built upon and centered entirely 1000% fucking percent on *CHALLENGING TRIBALISM AND HUMAN POLARIZATION WHICH DECENSITIZES US TO ALLEGED OPPOSING SIDES*.

it is the FANS that take what they are given, and *choose sides* from it. NOT THE SHOW.

this is very natural to society in some ways, the winners of wars get to write history, but it's also... not. or i should say, it's extremely fabricated and promoted because it's a means of 'divide and conquer' used against us.

this show gave us an entire segment with one chubby bastard who went down the right wing internet radicalization rabbit hole, and came out shooting an innocent man over his own *fear*.

you wanna know what the show did?

HUMANIZED that motherfucker AS WELL AS HIS VICTIM. very well i might add, i really felt for that bastard. he was a bastard for what he did, but i understand why people go the route of violence and hostility when they are *afraid*, especially of things they don't understand. (as much as i have faced it and as much as it pains me, I UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN THERE.)

you wanna know what the fans did?

COMPLETELY IGNORED THIS VERY EXTREMELY OBVIOUSLY PRESENTED LESSON.

homelander and butcher, comic AND show, are (whether abstractly interpreted or modernized) representees of the dangers of political dichotomy brought to extreme ideologies, to the point of *dehumanizing* the *other* side.

this is clear. the show *presents* the hypocrisy from *both* sides, as well as both being *wrong*, as well as both being *human*. AS WELL AS vought (and other horrendous systems in place) being the TRUE villain. everyone else might as well be pawns on a fucking chess board.

and still, the FANS... are the ones who take what is presented and interpret... pretty much what they want to conform to their own selective bias so that the cognitive dissonance doesn't come bubbling to the surface.

i don't have that ability. i know why people do it because i'm sure and i have seen that it makes things hella easier. never been able to pull the wool over my own eyes myself tho. call it compulsion. it's a real problem because people fucking HATE when you can't just 'go along' with them no matter how you do it.

but the way that i know this?

the genocide apologism... it's almost too fucking perfect given the state of the world right now. genocide under no circumstance is a forgivable or excusable crime.

no circumstance. ever.

doesn't matter what side it is and if you have to justify it with sides, you have completely missed the fucking point.

the show *DOES NOT* present genocide as justifiable in ANY form.

and *still* we have FANS choosing sides, and justifying genocide. whether deliberately ignoring what the story is presenting before them or not fully grasping it.

homelander is a major part of that, even billy to some (if much lesser and also greater) degree. the framing is intentional. homelander is a piece of shit. billy is an EQUAL if not worse, opposing piece of shit.

but the story gives us a *framework* to understand that 'this one side is bad', then *learn* 'oh this other side that we've been following is bad too, actually', and finally 'OH, it's the SYSTEM that's the real problem', and even now this shit is pretty damn clear to me, and i don't think it's necessarily relevant to reading the comic (altho i do feel this helps people see it better)

homelander and billy are both fucking problems, but neither are *the* true problems, they're both victims and symptoms of a greater issue, and we could all do well to remember that

even if society is fucked enough that they want to forget, WE shouldn't and we should keep at fighting back against status quo brain rot bullshit while maintaining empathy for those that suffer because of it.

including the imperfect victims that might still be stuck in the cult.

[ppatpatnews]

The Senate Elections of SimDem: Democracy or a Circus in Disguise?

By ppatpat (u/Ramiorebokhara)

As the good people of SimDem approach another electoral spectacle—a term I use with intentional irony—we must ask ourselves: What exactly is at stake? A rational observer might assume that an election of such magnitude would center on legislative experience, commitment to governance, and, dare I say, competence. Instead, the ballot presents a veritable smorgasbord of ideologies, ranging from the zealously technocratic to the downright revolutionary. Let us then embark on an examination of what passes for statesmanship in this peculiar republic.

The Progressive Reformers: Transparency, Innovation, and Minecraft?

The “Progressive Reformers” parade under banners of economic revival, judicial independence, and, curiously, the integration of Minecraft into governance. Candidates like mypenjustbroke and Real_Lengthiness3049 have built platforms upon transparency and strong labor protections, while AwesomelyOlive touts job creation and accessible legal frameworks. The reformist fervor reaches its apex with BTernaryTau, who pledges an overhaul of the voting system. If the cornerstone of democracy is innovation, then the Progressive Reformers have certainly taken up that mantle—though one wonders whether Minecraft’s integration is truly a silver bullet for bureaucratic inertia.

The Radical Left: Revolution or Rabble-Rousing?

In contrast, the Radical/Revolutionary Left seemingly rejects reform in favor of upheaval. Zhennyzhenzhen calls for abolishing the Senate entirely, proposing a Workers’ Council in its place. Dutch_mapping_empire echoes this sentiment with radical economic policies of collectivization and redistribution. If one believes that the answer to legislative inefficiency is obliterating the legislature itself, then perhaps these candidates are the avant-garde harbingers of an impending proletarian dawn. However, one cannot help but wonder—if elections are mere bourgeois formalities, why participate at all?

The Establishment Bloc: Stability or Stagnation?

The Centrist/Establishment Reformers exude an air of pragmatism. Dovahkiin4e201, an old hand in SimDem’s political circles, leans on extensive governance experience to promise stability. Mangunai (Niko Belic) and FLY_GUY_215_ champion efficiency, fiscal responsibility, and—an ever-favored term—accountability. Their positions may not set hearts ablaze, but perhaps, in an age of populist fervor, this is their greatest virtue. They stand as the last, beleaguered defenders of order, resisting both revolutionary chaos and the creeping trivialization of government into a popularity contest.

The Populist Right: Border Control and ‘Nonsense Legislation’

If the Radical Left wishes to burn the house down, the Populist/Nationalist Conservatives seek to build higher walls around it. Blueguy805 prioritizes border controls and a stricter voting system, while HellriserHellas champions economic conservatism with an emphasis on fiscal discipline. Pt4o lambasts absentee senators and “nonsense legislation”—an amusing turn of phrase, considering the legislative hodgepodge we currently endure. One wonders whether their sharp rhetoric will translate into tangible policies or merely serve as another voice in the cacophony of electoral indignation.

The Undetermined and the Absurd

Then, of course, there are those whose campaigns are so devoid of detail that one suspects their candidacy exists merely as an elaborate prank. Fit-Breadfruit4801’s entire platform can be summed up in the phrase “I’m good.” Cup_Of_Sauceand Panzzrr offer little in the way of policy, leaving the electorate to wonder whether they intend to govern at all or simply collect a paycheck. If elections are meant to serve as a referendum on competency, these candidates test the outermost limits of that principle.

The New Political Shake-Up: The Liberty Coalition Rises

As if the election weren’t already fraught with ideological clashes, a seismic shift in the SimDem political landscape has unfolded. The New People’s Party (NPP), once a cornerstone of the SimDemocracy Progressive Bloc (SDPB), has announced its withdrawal from the coalition. Alongside them, the United Socialist League (USL) is expected to follow suit, both now aligning themselves with the Lemon Party to form the newly christened Liberty Coalition (TLC). This shift in political alliances did not arise in a vacuum. For weeks, the SDPB had been riven by deep internal conflicts over economic policy. While the bloc ostensibly stood for progressive governance, it became increasingly clear that its members had wildly divergent visions for achieving prosperity. The more radical factions, far to the left of the United Socialist League (USL), pushed for extreme and often fantastical economic policies—plans so radical they bordered on economic alchemy. Nationalization schemes that would make even the boldest planners blush, proposals for expansive state control that ignored market realities, and redistribution models that seemed designed more to punish success than foster growth. In contrast, the New People’s Party (NPP) and USL, though still firmly within the progressive sphere, frequently found themselves advocating for more measured and principled economic plans—ones that sought reform rather than revolution. At times, their positions on fiscal responsibility, strategic investment, and sustainable growth placed them closer to the The Centre than their own coalition partners. The fracture was inevitable; it was merely a question of when, not if, ideological irreconcilability would force a break. With the creation of the Liberty Coalition (TLC), that moment has finally arrived.

The Lemon Party Revival

Perhaps the most surprising political resurrection in recent memory is that of the Lemon Party—an entity once synonymous with inaction, stagnation, and a kind of comfortable irrelevance. For the longest time, the Lemons were the subject of derision from the SDPB, seen as the personification of establishment complacency, neither advocating nor obstructing with any real force. To be a Lemon was, for many, to be politically inert—present but uninspiring, active but ineffective.

Yet, through a combination of pragmatic politics and unexpected resolve, the Lemon Party has managed to shed its pariah status and rebrand itself as a voice of measured critique and responsible governance. Their recent tenure in the Senate, while not revolutionary, proved that they were capable of more than just collecting seats—they demonstrated a capacity to govern, to push back against reckless economic experiments, and to challenge radical policy proposals that threatened stability. In doing so, they have carved out a niche for themselves, no longer the ignored elder statesmen of SimDem, but an active force in shaping its future.

Their reemergence as part of The Liberty Coalition (TLC) only cements this transformation. The party that once existed in a political purgatory has now found new allies, a new direction, and, most importantly, new relevance. In a landscape where every party seems to be either tearing itself apart or descending into ideological extremism, the Lemon Party’s return to the political mainstream serves as a case study in the power of reinvention—and a reminder that in SimDemocracy, no political force is ever truly dead.

The Grand Experiment Lives On

So, what does this election tell us about SimDem? It reveals a democracy teetering on the brink of excess—where ambition clashes with anarchy, where policy is oftentimes indistinguishable from satire, and where the electorate must discern whether they are voting for governance or entertainment. Antonin Scalia once said, “A system of government that makes the people subordinate to a committee of nine unelected lawyers does not deserve to be called a democracy.”

But what, then, should we call a system where the electorate is expected to choose between economic dreamers, self-professed revolutionaries, populist firebrands, and candidates whose entire campaign strategy consists of saying, “I’m good”? That, dear reader, is a question for the ages.

[vapehk1]

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) applauds the recent developments in Thailand's approach to e-cigarette regulation, emphasising the importance of harm reduction strategies in public health policy. Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA, commends the Thai Special Committee's commitment to a transparent and inclusive study of e-cigarette laws. "This balanced approach, considering all stakeholders' perspectives, is crucial for developing effective tobacco harm reduction policies," Loucas states. The committee's spokesperson, Mr. Thotsaporn Thongsiri, has indicated that the study will conclude by the end of December, presenting three alternative solutions to the current e-cigarette situation in Thailand. These options range from maintaining the ban with stricter enforcement to regulating both e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. "We're encouraged by Thailand's willingness to explore regulatory options beyond prohibition," says Loucas. "Harm reduction strategies have proven effective in reducing smoking-related harms worldwide. It's time for public health policies to embrace these evidence-based approaches.” CAPHRA emphasises the importance of considering multiple dimensions in policy-making, including health, economic, social, and legal aspects. "A comprehensive approach that doesn't criminalise e-cigarette users is essential for public health success," Loucas adds. The organisation supports the committee's efforts to address concerns about youth e-cigarette use while also recognising the potential benefits for adult smokers seeking less harmful alternatives. "Thailand's move towards a more nuanced e-cigarette policy could set a positive example for other countries in the region," Loucas concludes. "Harm reduction is not just a public health win – it's a victory for rational policymaking and individual choice.” CAPHRA urges policymakers to continue this inclusive approach, ensuring that the voices of all stakeholders, including consumers and harm reduction advocates, are heard in the ongoing policy discussions.   CONTACT: Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates)   Mobile: +64272348643   Email: Nancy@caphraorg.net  Web: https://caphraorg.net/ Read the full article

[influencermagazineuk]

French Centrists Losing Sleep After Macron’s Gamble on Snap Election

France’s Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, looked tense with his arms folded, while another minister covered his face with his hands as President Emmanuel Macron gathered top government figures at the Élysée last Sunday to make the shock announcement: he would dissolve parliament and call a snap legislative election. This decision came in the wake of Marine Le Pen’s party securing a significant win at the polls. The mood, said Attal, was “grave”. Palácio do Planalto from Brasilia, Brasil, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons One senior centrist figure admitted to not having slept properly since the announcement of a campaign that will be the shortest in modern French history at barely three weeks. Some party supporters felt their world had been turned upside down. “We’re going to get out there and do our best,” said a government minister. Macron’s opponents on the left have called the move folly, arguing that it is reckless to call a sudden parliamentary election when support for the far-right, anti-immigration National Rally (RN) is at its peak. Several politicians accused Macron of playing Russian roulette. The Rise of the National Rally Le Pen’s National Rally, founded as the Front National by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, was long viewed as a threat to democracy due to its racist, antisemitic, and anti-Muslim views. However, the recent European elections saw the party garner a record 31.4% of the French votes—double that of Macron’s centrists, who are currently at their lowest ebb. Le Pen’s support is now widespread, with her party topping the vote in over 90% of France's communes. Predicting the next result is complex, but pollsters agree on the broad trend: the far right could make historic gains, potentially increasing their seats from 88 to over 200, which might allow them to enter government. A united front of left-wing parties could come second, while Macron’s centrist group, founded in 2016 to radically reinvent French politics, might lose a significant number of seats and come a distant third. The outcome could leave no absolute parliamentary majority. Macron's Rationale and Public Sentiment Amid bafflement over why an election was called, Macron described himself as an “unshakeable optimist” determined to win. He trusts French voters to distinguish between expressing anger in the European elections and risking an extremist government that could disrupt societal cohesion and the economy. Macron believes many French people do not “recognize themselves in this extremist fever” and will vote to save the center ground. A member of Macron’s team acknowledged the snap election was “brutal” for centrist MPs, many of whom are already campaigning to save their seats. However, it was deemed “necessary” and “rational”. Following a European election defeat and two years without an absolute majority in parliament, Macron felt he had to heed the public’s voice. Macron has proposed forming a new broad centrist coalition government, inviting politicians from the traditional right and social democrat left. However, such a coalition has proved unattainable since his re-election in 2022, when his centrists lost their absolute majority. Public Reaction and Macron’s Strategy Despite Macron’s optimism, his confidence ratings have dropped, and center-left voters abandoned him in the European elections, accusing him of veering right with an immigration law and pushing through a pension age increase. Polling by CSA showed that 57% of people want Macron to resign if his centrists are defeated in the vote, but Macron insists he will not resign. Even if the RN achieves an absolute majority and forms a government, Macron could remain president for three more years, retaining control over defense and foreign policy but losing domestic agenda control. Macron’s campaign ideas this week ranged from calling a national consultation on secularism to banning mobile phones for children under 11. He warned that France faced a choice between his centrists “or the extremes”, labeling Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s leftwing France Unbowed party as extreme and cautioning other left parties against an alliance with them. Such an alliance, however, could outscore Macron’s centrists in the snap election. “It’s going to be very difficult for the centrists,” said Stewart Chau, the director of polling at Vérian Group. He described public opinion viewing Macron’s decision to dissolve parliament and call an election as less an act of courage and more as “an arsonist playing with fire”. Read the full article

[cerezawrites]

16. Jerk

(not a continuation of the past stories; had some stuff come up and missed a few sessions, and wanted to put in something in a different vein)  

Alisaie’s could only stand and watch as it happened.  The Sin Eater’s blade withdrew from the luminous wound in Tesleen’s chest.  Her face contorted in divine pain as the transformation took hold - not a seed like Halric and the rest of her charges, but a full transformation.  The ichor ran down her face from her eyes and mouth, as the light filled the space around her with a cocoon of feathers.  

-

She jerked awake in her bed, a railcar bench in Tertium.  Despite the bitter cold, her forehead was covered in sweat as she peeled off her sleeping bag.  Her heart pounded as her face felt hot with sorrow, and she donned her coat quickly before heading out of the station and into the snow, hoping to put her sorrow behind her.  

The white snow wasn’t as pure or brilliant as the Sin Eater’s light, helping to separate the associations from her mind.  She stood alone, hoping the cold air would help her calm down.  It still smelled vaguely smokey, even this far after the destruction of the city, but it was better than being stuck downstairs with her nightmare.  Even though the memories came less often, they still stung bitterly, and she still needed to escape.  So here she stood, exchanging her nightmare for another’s, and tried to calm down in the timeless hours of the night.  

“Couldn’t sleep?” a familiar voice said, bringing her out of her reverie.  Jullus was there with two steaming cups, offering one to her.  She took it, grateful.  “Let me guess - nightmares.  I’ve seen that look on someone more than a few times. Probably would have seen it more if I had a mirror.”  

Alisaie sipped the hot cocoa and nodded.  The rations were coming steadily from the Coalition, and this particular beverage mix - a brown powder, ground from some sort of bean - had been plentiful in the batch.  A recommendation from the Ishgardians, as she understood.  “Yeah.  Someone I lost… someone dear.”  

Jullus nodded, and didn’t pry.  He knew what she meant.  She knew what he’d seen - and done - to those who were thought lost to the influence of Anima, Zenos’ false god of Garlemald.  Including his own family.  Instead he patted her shoulder, and sipped his own cocoa.  

Eventually she sighed to let out some of her emotions.  “Thank you.  Not everyone would understand - and many who would probably would draw comparisons to their own cases.  Thank you for… not.”  

He smiled.  “I know that feeling too.  Figured I’d let you say anything that needed to be said.  No sense in bringing in anything you didn’t need.  Guessing your brother would be the kind to try to offer words.”  

Alisaie sighed.  “Sadly, yes.  Well-meaning, but all the same.  Most of my friends would.”  Though she knew one who wouldn’t.  “It’s just not something I necessarily… want to talk out.  Not yet.  Maybe not ever.”  

Jullus nodded and finished his cup, and put out a hand to take Alisaie’s empty mug.  “I know.  Hopefully that time comes for you when you’re ready, though, and lets you heal.  

She smiled back, and nodded her gratitude, looking back to the snow covered landscape.  

-

It was two weeks later that she decided to make the call.  It was a matter of moments from when she did before the Hero stood before her, stepping out of thin air in a pop and a flash of light.  

Alisaie smiled, and led the Warrior out into the snow.  Night was descending here, but she knew sleep wouldn’t come.  And she needed to talk to the one other person on this shard who was there - and possibly the one person she knew who could understand this better than even Jullus.  

“It’s never predictable. But it comes up out of nowhere.  The same nightmare.  Every detail burned into my mind.”  She sighs and shakes her head, having finished explaining her situation for several minutes, the Warrior of Light simply nodding stoically. Now, though, she turned to her friend with a hopeful look upon her face.  

The Warrior considered for a few silent moments.  Then she spoke simply.  “It happens to me too.  And many others.  Sometimes, it’s not brought on by a specific thing - sometimes memory just latches on to something inexplicable. No power can fully control dreams, at least on this shard.

“But,” she said, holing up a hand to forestall Alisaie’s next question, “I also know that the pain fades in time.  It’s still raw, still there, but you can work with it.  Tell me - in other dreams, have you ever found yourself… able to change the direction of the dream?”  

Alisaie considered and nodded.  “Sometimes, yes.”  

The Warrior nodded. “Try that.  It may take some time, but try to change something next time.  It won’t undo what happened, but it may help you to overcome some of it.  Try it for me, and see what happens next.

[queer-clippings]

Southern voice, September 13, 1990, Andrea K. Brown

[Image description: An article from a magazine written by Andrea K. Brown and titled "SODOMY STARTS TO HEAT UP AGAIN", above the title reads "FEATURE" and below "The Georgia Privacy Coalition wants the 'S' word off the Georgia law books." In the center of the article, breaking the page, is an illustration of a torn dictionary definition of the word Sodomy, torn in such a way where the word, it's pronunciation, and "the homosexual proclivities of t-" "1: copulation with a member-" ":noncommittal and esp. anal or oral-" -posit sex" are the only words visible. the main text of the article reads

"Remember sodomy? It was the hot issue in SoVo's pages earlier this year, largely as a result of a controversial sodomy law repeal demonstration and lobbying campaign on the first day of the legislative session. ACT UP staged the demonstration—complete with inflatable, anatomically complete dolls arranged in different "sodomitic" positions —outside the Georgia Statehouse. No doubt you also remember that the repeal effort fizzled when legislation that would have amended the sodomy law to legalize private consensual sexual acts between adults regardless of sexual orientation was defeated 6444. An amended version that excluded gays and lesbians from protection was trounced 87-22 as supporters of the gay inclusive version withdrew their votes. Some blame ACT UP's high-visibility techniques for losing the reform bill's more conservative supporters. But others feel that disapproval of graphic demonstrations is just a rationalization for homophobia, and that the law had no chance of passage this year, regardless of what anyone did or did not do. For most, the issue has cooled. But in the minds and hearts—and other parts—of activists, it still sizzles. "Sodomy" as a criminal term is used to intimidate and harass gays and lesbians, and as a weapon that may be wielded in divorce and custody cases, in criminal trials, and in military and other forms of discrimination. In Georgia, sodomy laws prohibit anal and oral sex regardless of partner gender—but private consensual sodomy is not commonly prosecuted Nevertheless, Georgia has one of the harshest laws in the country: first-time "offenders," committing consensual sodomy may be imprisoned for up to 20 years. Forcible sodomy is punishable with lifetime imprisonment. The good news is that there are places in this country that have made significant progress on legalizing the way we make love. This summer, in both Michigan and Kentucky, Circuit Court judges struck down sodomy laws, using state constitutional privacy protections as grounds for their rulings. These are the first decisions applying to homosexual sodomy since the U.S. Supreme Court's infamous 1986 Bowers v Hardwick case. In Fayette County, Kentucky, the state law— which criminalizes same sex sodomy only—was declared unconstitutional. The decision presently applies to the Lexington area only, but, since the state Attorney General is appealing, it could soon apply to the whole state. A Wayne County, Michigan judge ruled that state laws against sodomy (defined in Michigan as anal sex between partners of any gender) and gross indecency (oral sex and mutual masturbation, also without regard to sexual orientation) violate privacy rights, in the case of non-public consensual sex between adults. The case may or may not be appealed. In Hardwick, the Supreme Court's majority proclaimed that "homosexuals do not have a fundamental right to engage in acts of consensual sodomy" under the due process clause of the 14th amendment, on which activists had challenged the punitive Georgia law. The high court cited "millennia of moral teaching" as grounds for its decision. The existence of sodomy laws in 26 states (and D.C.) makes clear the government position that engaging in sodomy is a heinous and abominable "crime against nature." In some states, the statute is actually titled with those words, or with a variety of equally offensive terms. Generally speaking, there are laws on the books which prohibit anal and often, mutual masturbation —whether they all fall under each state's definition of sodomy or not. Seven states prohibit only same sex sodomy. All around the country, advocates of sodomy repeal and/or reform are organizing to make changes at the state level. There is some visible movement in Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland and Minnesota. Attempts at repeal have been and/or are being made in Mssouri, Texas, Tennessee and the District of Columbia. In Tennessee, the law has been reformed—reducing sodomy from a felony with a possible 15 years in the clink to a misdemeanor with a $25 fine. Some consider reform of this sort a victory —a step in the right direction. But others feel that reform will only make repeal more difficult. Members of the Georgia Privacy Coalition (GPC) are among those for whom the issue of sodomy remains hot. The GPC was formed in April of this year to lobby for and create awareness about the upcoming repeal effort. The strategy in '91 is, first and foremi to get the word "sodomy" off Georgia's law books. Aggravated sodomy and solicitation of sodomy are to be covered elsewhere: the first, under a new "aggravated sexual battery" statute being introduced alongside the repeal bill—Georgia's rape law does not presently cover forcible sodomy; the latter by the amending the solicitation for prostitution statute to include a description of the deed(s). In an effort to activate interest in repeal of Georgia's sodomy statute the National Lesbian & Gay Law Association and the Lesbian/Gay Rights chapter of ACLU Georgia will sponsor a Sodomy Track Day, October 8, as part of the Lavender Law Conference, to be held in Atlanta. Workshops, organized by Sue Hyde, Director of the Privacy Project of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, will include information on post-Hardwick state court challenges and legal strategies, penal code revision and recodification, and legislative repeal/reform. Registration info for the Conference is contained in an ad on page 3 of this issue. The Georgia Privacy Coalition meets the fourth Wednesday of every month. Networking is essential to eventual sodomy repeal; contacts outside of Atlanta are particularly needed. Call the GPC at 286-2358 /end id]

[maaarine]

Tech nerds are smart. But they can't seem to get their heads around politics. (David Roberts, Vox, Aug 27 2015)

“There are two broad narratives about politics that can be glimpsed between the lines here. Both are, in the argot of the day, problematic.

The first, which is extremely common in the nerd community, is a distaste for government and politics. 

Sometimes this shades over into ideological libertarianism (see: Peter Thiel, who wants to build a floating libertarian city), but often it's just a sense that government is big, bloated, slow-moving, and inefficient, that politicians are dimwits and panderers, and that real progress comes from private innovation, not government mandates. 

None of which is facially unreasonable.

The second is the conception of politics as a contest of two mirror-image political philosophies, with mirror-image extremes and a common center, which is where sensible, independent-minded people congregate ("both parties have good points; both also have a bunch of dumb people saying dumb things"). (…)

I think that these two narratives — disdain toward politics, and the parties as mirror images with rational thinking in the center — are connected. 

That vision of the political spectrum implies that one is partisan precisely in proportion to one's distance from rational thinking. 

It defines partisanship as irrationality, as blind, lemming-like behavior, the opposite of approaching things "from a standpoint of rationality and what I think makes sense." 

The independent thinker takes a bit from this party, a bit from that one, as rational thinking dictates.

Since the loudest voices in politics are partisans, people who have chosen a side, seeing the political spectrum this way is inevitably going to lead to an irritation and disdain toward politics, a desire to wash one's hands of it and proclaim, as Urban does, that "I am not political." 

But that just won't do. (…)

People who know little about the landscape of politics or the mechanisms of policy will tend to support positions outside the mainstream, often positions that more experienced political observers will find ludicrous (for good or ill). 

A voter with deeply informed, mildly center-left positions will code as "more partisan" than a moderate who has ill-informed positions that are all over the map, but that doesn't mean the moderate is more centrist or more rational.

Third, in practical coalitional politics, the "center" will tend to be shaped not by rational thinking but by money and power. 

If there is any space left for bipartisanship in US politics, it is around measures that benefit corporate elites.

The right-wing base has a coherent position on climate change: It's a hoax, so we shouldn't do anything about it. 

The left-wing base has a coherent position: It's happening, so we should do something about it. 

The "centrist" position, shared by conservative Democrats and the few remaining moderate Republicans, is that it's happening but we shouldn't do anything about it. 

That's not centrist in any meaningful ideological sense; instead, like most areas of overlap between the parties, it is corporatist.”

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Rationalize Anything

( Don’t forget to come see my on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord )

    What had started as a series of border disputes seventeen years earlier had rapidly escalated into what was now know as the Golden Rim War between the Coalition of Free Systems and the Jem Dynasty.

The coalition comprised of some twenty three different species with individual territories spanning a single system to galaxy spanning domains depending on the individual members. Framed as united for various trade agreements, the coalition's intent was actually a mutual defense pact to stave off aggressors eager to consume smaller territories into their own. One such aggressor was the Jem Dynasty.

The Jem Dynasty was largely similar to ancient Chinese ruling systems with power largely resting with a single emperor like figure along with their court and family. This dynasty spanned some fifty systems with the core systems being heavily populated in planet wide mega cities.   Seventeen long years of conflict had whittled down both sides and despite the Jem having an overwhelming numbers advantage with ships and soldiers they had been fought to a standstill. Untold millions had died and with both populations now clamoring for peace each faction agreeing to come to the table. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

High above the planet Zeffer V the fleets of the Coalition of Free Systems and the Jem Dynasty met.

Coalition ships were a menagerie of different shapes and sizes, each pulled from a different member species with their own unique design. The Jem ships by contrast were a uniformed collection of vessels, each size determining their function in the fleet. Jem built their ships more like floating temples, the sides engraved and laid with gold etchings depicting their emperor.

Both fleets remained several hundred kilometers from each other above the planet; each eyeing the other just waiting for the fighting to resume.

Aboard the human capital ship "Reaper's bounty" several delegates of the coalition waited anxiously on the bridge, their eyes glued to the viewing monitors showing the Jem fleet.

"Have the negotiators contacted  us?" the Hobulan delegate asked. Captain Pérez looked at his communication officer whose shaking head was all the answer he needed. Several negotiators and delegates from the coalition had gone over to the Jem flagship to begin the peace talks but ever since their ship entered the enemies hangar there had been no word from them.

The Hobulan was about to ask another question when the monitors lit up. "Receiving incoming transmission." the coms officer reported.

"On screen."

Pérez leaned back in his command chair and watched as the monitors went from blinking red switch over to a strange sight.

The picture came into focus to reveal a large stone room lit by several dozen blue fire torches with a large black stone pyramid at the center of the room. At the base of the pyramid Pérez saw the coalition delegates on their knees with their hands bound behind their backs, surrounded by a dozen Jem guards. The negotiators looked as if they had been beaten badly and one appeared to be missing several eyes and teeth as a small trail of blood dripped from their mouth.

The delegates on the bridge gasped at the sight of such brutality when a deep voice cut in.

"If you wish to deal with me, you must show the proper respect."

Looking up Pérez tracked the voice on the screen and saw that atop the pyramid was a marble like throne of emerald green with a lone figure sitting upon it.

"This is Captain Pérez of the Reaper's Bounty; identify yourself."

The figure's expression twisted in disgust and lifted one of their fingers. A guard at the base of the pyramid approached a captive and drove what appeared to be a metallic stake through one of their legs.

"STOP!" one of the delegates aboard the bridge shouted as the captive screamed at the top of their lungs in pain. The guard twisted the metal stake further before removing it causing a pool of blue blood to burst from the wound.

"You speak to Emperor Zhau Feng Jem," said the figure from atop his pyramid,  "and as such you will only speak when spoken to."

The delegation went silent as they watched on in horror while Captain Pérez motioned for one of his officers to come over.

"The terms offered by your negotiators are an insult to me." Zhau began. "You dare assume you can make me admit this war was my doing?"

"You were the one who invaded Julv Sigma!" the Proten delegate blurted out. Zhau lifted another finger and the same guard drove the metal stake through the previous captives head, killing them instantly.

"Your insolence continues to cost lives; so I suggest you choose your next words more carefully should you-"

The monitors went dead mid sentence leaving the delegates confused.

"What just happened?" "Did they terminate the signal?"

"Don't just stand there, we need to get it back and get our people back safely!"

One after another the delegates voiced their concerns to the human crew and the coms officer merely looked to his captain for support.

Pérez flicked several switches on his command chair and the monitors switched once more to the view of the Jem fleet. What the delegates saw left them speechless.

The Jem flagship was burning and slowly being sucked into Zeffer V's orbit.

Dozens of human ships in the coalition fleet were firing on it with every weapon they had in a frenzied barrage of death and destruction. Laser batteries tore through their shields like paper, rail guns left craters the size of football fields in the hull, and a variety of missile volleys picked off the enemy flagships engines one by one ensuring it would not be able to stabilize orbit again.

Several of the Jem ships were moving in to cover the flagship as human shields yet the rate of fire was so intense that these vessels were ripped asunder as well.

Without knowing the full context of the situation the rest of the coalition forces began opening fire as well on the Jem fleet who were now caught wrong footed as they continued to shield their emperors vessel. Their electro whips lashed out and a dozen of the smaller coalition ships were snapped in two but it was too little too late to alter the course of the engagement.

"Who gave the order to fire on the Jem?!" the Hobulan delegate demanded.

"I did." The delegates turned to see captain Pérez holding his hand up casually. Incensed by the casual demeanor the Hobulan became enraged.

"Do you have any idea what you have just done!?" they roared as the captain continued issuing a series of crisp orders to his bridge crew directing fire at enemy ships. "Not only have you shattered these peace talks but you have just no doubt killed our own people who were being held captive!"

The captain nodded as if accepting the criticism. "The options were weighed and the outcome was deemed worth the price."

"Have you taken leave of your senses?!" the Proten delegate spoke this time. "Some of your own people were there!"

"And?"

Pérez's remark took the Proten aback for a moment as the captain fixed him with a cold gaze

"And what?" Pérez continued.

"You just killed our own people!" "Their sacrifice was worth the cost to kill Zhau." Pérez continued as he handed off another series of orders for the fleet.  

"Your actions have forever stained your hands with the blood of innocents captain." The Hobulan did not mince words as they laid into the captain for his seeming madness. It was at this the captain stopped issuing orders and rounded on the Hobulan, nearly knocking over his command throne as he stood up and walked over to the delegates.

"WAKE UP!" he shouted as he grabbed the Hobulan by the scruff of their collar and lifted them a few inches into the air. "There are no innocents here! Not in this war, not in this fleet, not even in this room!"

"All of us have our hands dipped in the blood of those we could have saved but lacked the will to do what needed to be done!"

Pérez let go of the delegate and they bounced back to the floor. They straightened themselves and returned the captains gaze unwavering.

"You've ensured there will be no peace to this war; how many more millions have you just put to the torch?"

Pérez scoffed in disgust. "By killing their emperor the remaining family and court will be at each others throats to become the new emperor." He said as he turned around and went back to his command chair. "Those millions more dead will be Jem corpses as they break down into endless civil war."

"But our negotiators-" one of them began.

"Were a necessary sacrifice to draw out the emperor and kill him." Finished Pérez. "If a single life would bring about the death of our enemies then by god I will be the one to pull the trigger myself."

The delegates took a step back at the horror of the human captains predictions. It seemed they had never truly understood the mindset of humanity when they were invited to join the coalition. They had never thought possible the lengths they would go to to achieve their victories even at the expense of their own people; nor had they imagined that such actions could be so easily made rational for a human that when given the opportunity they would act on them without a moment's hesitation.

Though the Jem fleets were now burning all around them, the delegates could not help but wonder if their next greatest enemy was not already among them.

[askvectorprime]

Has there been a warlord Ratchet among an alternate universe of the aligned continuity?

Dear Ratchet Requester,

When he lied to Orion Pax, Megatron was more accurate than he thought—for in one universe, a very similar series of events to those he described did in fact come to pass. In the reality you know, the High Council passed over Megatron when the pair argued their case in front of the Senate, and his anger at this rejection sparked the first shots of the Great War when he murdered several Senators.

In this reality, however, the opposite occurred; the High Council instead decided that Megatron’s convictions would allow him to change the system from within, and granted him the rank of Prime—a surprise decision that shocked even Sentinel Prime. Nevertheless, the officiating Prime was a creature of law and procedure; he duly surrendered his badge of office to the Decepticon orator and went into retirement, secluding himself in a distant region of the planet. For his part, Orion accepted their decision with a minimum of protest, but it soon became clear that Megatron had little use for the former archivist now that he had achieved his primary goals. Before long, Orion had become little more than a mouthpiece for Megatron, eventually vanishing from history entirely.

Within days of taking power, Megatron drafted the Megatron Edict, which announced the immediate dissolution of the rigid caste system that had previously governed every aspect of Cybertronian life. His intentions were high-minded and rooted in his idea of egalitarianism, but on a Cybertron stretched to the limit—an impoverished world where energon was strictly rationed and survived only due to a corrupt system of “haves” and “have-nots”—the sudden strain on Cybertron’s ailing infrastructure threatened to send the entire planet into a death spiral. Numerous high-class ‘bots voiced their displeasure at having to share their precious rations with “undesirables”; in response, Megatron simply rounded up members of the elite castes and purged them in public executions for all of Cybertron to see.

When the dust had settled, Megatron turned his attention to the stars again; the only way to save their world would be to take what they needed from other planets by restarting the ancient colonization program. Megatron’s followers Breakdown and Bulkhead oversaw a massive operation to refit civilian vessels, cargo tugs, and mothballed military vessels into a fleet capable of taking whatever they wanted from other worlds.

Into this turbulent landscape came a weary medic named Ratchet. As wise as he was cynical, Ratchet had already lived through the end of the Golden Age and witnessed the societal horrors wrought by the Age of Rust. He saw Megatron for what he truly was, and sought to find a way to subvert his rule from within. He had neither the military acumen nor the manpower to fight the regime directly, but gathered allies from disparate walks of Cybertronian life—he found a worthy ally in the deposed scientist Starscream, who brought with him a number of intellectuals and politicians in hiding to his cause: Anomaly, Perceptor, Triage, and Elita-1.

Ratchet’s practicality proved a boon in the early days of their civil resistance: they siphoned fuel, sabotaged infrastructure, and even carried out a number of targeted assassinations against high-ranking members of the Decepticon government. They soon made themselves known, however, and Megatron dispatched Grimlock and the other members of the Lightning Strike Coalition to track down these rebels. Pushed deeper and deeper underground, the group eventually found themselves taking refuge in the very core of Cybertron—and the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix saw the noble Spark that pulsed within Ratchet’s unprepossessing frame, and although he was not the prophesied Thirteenth Prime who should have rightfully claimed the artifact, the Matrix understood that it was a time of great need.

Ratchet took the Matrix into his body and became Modulus Prime, a potent amalgamation of the Thirteenth Prime’s lofty ideals combined with Ratchet’s own hard-bitten cynicism and practicality. Thus empowered, Modulus led his rebels back to the surface and fought their way into the High Council itself to end Megatron’s threat—it was a close-fought battle, but Modulus ultimately triumphed. However, Modulus spared Megatron’s life; he understood what had pushed Megatron to such extremes, but understood that they could not conquer other worlds. Modulus put forth an offer—they needed to rule together, and by combining Modulus’s wisdom with Megatron’s charisma they could change the galaxy.

I am happy to note that, in this reality, the two rulers brought peace to Cybertron. When Megatron’s fleet eventually reached worlds like Nebulos and Earth, they came not as conquerors, but benefactors, seeking to open channels of fair and prosperous trade by exchanging Cybertronian technology for energon. It is in this way that the Council of Worlds evolved to become one of the dominant galactic superpowers, a tightly-knit alliance of planets and their inhabitants, justly ruled by Megatron and Modulus.

[unanswerable-hetalia-questions]

In the newest episode (no. 5) of Hetalia: World Stars, the intro starts off with the narrator stating that “...it was the eighteenth century,” and then going on to show England’s beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the era itself lasting from “the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840” (Wikipedia). Later in the episode, France is shown looking scruffy and beat-up. When asked if he was alright, he responded in the positive, just that he “was in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars,” implying that said events happened recently. The French Revolution occurred from 1789 to 1799, and the last Napoleonic War, the War of the Seventh Coalition, happened in 1815. I say last because we cannot go too far back here on account of another character who comes into the episode later, and who this post is about: Germany.

Germany, shown later, did not exist at this point. At this point in time, he would have existed not as “Germany,” nor even the German Empire, but as the German Coalition. The German Coalition was founded in 1815. This episode, and I am assuming time has moved forward here as this could not have taken place with Germany if it were set still in the 1700s, cannot be set farther than the late 1830s. Germany would, by all rational accounts, even if the nations’ physical ageing is very weird and not on a set scale (which is proven to be true), be a toddler At Best. However, when shown, he has the physique and especially voice of an older teenager. Somehow. Even if he as an entity were to exist before the founding of the German Coalition, it likely wouldn’t be until after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire (1806). Which leaves me more than a bit confused. He could not have lived for more than 40 years at this point. Why is he (physically) in his late teens? Even Sealand has lived longer than that at this point, and clearly he isn’t as mature.

Now, of course, the nations’ ageing processes are very odd and not set at a fixed rate, or based on anything logical that I have found. But, even if Germany’s physical growth may have been helped by, among other things, his emotional maturity and the incredible expansion of technology during his creation, I still find it hard to believe that he would become a teenager in under 40 years. Which brings me to the conclusion/speculation: Was Germany representing something else before he was Germany? You know where I’m going at this point.

Many other Hetalia fans have theorised this before myself, and I’m sure I’m not the only person to be confused at this new episode. However, one can’t help but wonder if the physical similarities and the closeness in time between the ‘death’ and ‘birth’ of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire might mean something. What exactly its significance is will be known if it pleases Himaruya, but otherwise, fans like myself will be left to speculate.

Thank you sincerely for reading this obscenely long post.

[graunblida]

@aigonakru​  clarke do you wanna build a snowman? 

       “ you’ve never seen snow? ” there’s a hint of surprise in the commander’s voice, though the rational part of her insists it only makes sense. after all, clarke and her people have lived for GENERATIONS away from the earth and have not experienced all the natural phenomenon yet. “ it is quite beautiful. ” growing up near the border of trikru and azgeda, leksa witnessed her share of flurries and snowfall -- though nothing could compare to the most northern parts of the coalition. there, blankets of pristine, white, stretch as far as the eye can see. “ perhaps i could show you sometime. ” with the weather turning colder, it’s only a matter of time before the ground will be peppered with little, icy flakes. but if patience is proving difficult, the warrior knows of where they might travel to witness the scenery sooner. 

[travllingbunny]

The 100 rewatch: 5x04 Pandora’s Box

Another excellent episode, maybe a little less action-packed than Sleeping Giants but still fast, full of tension, new information, and many warm reunions and nice character moments - which are important to see before all these characters start having conflicts and many of these relationships get strained to the point of almost breaking later in the season. 

This one picks up immediately after the last scenes of both 5x02 (the bunker - cliffhanger with Kane as one of the fighters in the pit) and 5x03 (Eden with Bellamy, Clarke and the prisoners after Bellamy has negotiated with Diyoza, Raven and Murphy on Eligius 4), brings everyone together*, as the prisoners open the bunker and Wonkru finally gets out - and ends with the conflict that means that war between Wonkru and the Eligius prisoners is imminent. The Pandora’s Box has been opened, to use another one of Bellamy’s Greek mythology references. (Oddly enough, he makes that reference in the next episode, not in this one.)

(*Well, not everyone - Monty, Harper, Emori, Echo and Madi are MIA this episode. hiding somewhere in Eden, before they also reunite with the rest of Spacekru plus Clarke plus Wonkru in the next episode.)

If I hadn’t seen season 5 before, I’d be thinking “Will this be the best season of the show?” It is by far the season with the strongest beginning - before the plot starts to drag, building conflicts within both camps. so that war would not happen until the two-part finale. Strong beginning, strong ending, poor middle part.

After the epic Bellarke scene at the end of 5x03, this episode delivers their actual reunion, with another one of those incredibly intimate and intense hugs that Bellamy and Clarke are known for. They tend to grow in intensity, and I’ll just say this: when Tumblr flagged gifs of this hug as “explicit”, well - for once I could see why poor Tumblr bots were getting confused:

A reunion after 6 years, during which Bellamy believed Clarke to be dead, while Clarke didn’t know if Bellamy was alive but still called him on the radio and talked to him every day for 2199 days, has to be pretty epic, and this scene delivers. It seems almost like Clarke - who had been badly tortured - wasn’t entirely sure if that was really Bellamy who emerged out of the darkness to save her, of if she was imagining it, with the way she says “You are really here!”, while crying out of happiness. The intimacy in the body language and the way they look at each other is also reflected in Clarke telling him “And now you’re home!” This goes way beyond how platonic partners and non-romantic best friends interact with each other. The scene is not just acted but directed and shot in such a way that anyone who would see it without knowing Clarke and Bellamy’s actual relationship status, would get the wrong (?) idea. For a moment, they even look like people who have been caught making out, like they don’t want these strangers to witness such an intimate moment.

Even if she did not see this scene in particular, it’s no surprise that Diyoza assumed Clarke and Bellamy were a couple (“the hostage taker and his girlfriend”) after what she saw of their interactions. Really, who wouldn’t?

Bellamy quickly updates Clarke on how everyone is - Madi, Spacekru, acknowledges that Clarke has saved them all (something multiple people do in this early part of the season) and that all of the people who went to space are safe. (”Murphy, Monty, Raven?” “Echo and Emori”. - But why the Harper erasure? This is one of the very few lines in this episode that feel wrong. She’ one of the Delinquents both of them have known since they landed on Earth and Clarke would logically care about her more than Echo, who, she barely knew and who was her enemy 90% of the time. )

Another beautiful reunion happens by radio - Murphy and Raven learn that Clarke is alive. Murphy smiles the moment he hears her voice, and Raven, teary-eyed, thanks Clarke for saving their lives. The Spacekru have been criticized a lot in the fandom for not appreciating Clarke’s sacrifice, but it has to be said that, right after they learned she was alive, they all acknowledged it and expressed gratitude. (Some of them were just later angry at her and not so ready to try to understand her perspective after living isolated for 6 years.) This is one of the very few moments of happiness in season 5 (whenever I see that screenshot of Clarke and Bellamy’s big smiles, I mistake it for a moment for a BTS photo. That’s how rare it is to see characters looking happy on the actual show.)

…………………….

Meanwhile, over in the bunker, no one is happy. and everything is dark, sad and disturbing. Octavia is full Blodreina and acting like a Roman Emperor, deciding if gladiators get to earn their freedom or not. because even being “the last” doesn’t necessarily earn you freedom now - it all comes down to the Queen’s whim. Kane is forced to fight in the pit again tomorrow. I suppose they already have the next batch of fighters ready - it would be a bit weird if she expected a bunch of new “crimes” tomorrow. But things must have gotten progressively worse if they’re now having death matches every day. If they had been condemning people to the pits at that pace throughout those 6 years, even more than 1/3 of the Wonkru would be dead. 

One thing I had not noticed before - there is a singer, singing an anthem or ceremonial song before the fights start, and it is the same woman who sang the Coalition anthem in 3x03. This somewhat changes my views of the way Grounder clans chose 100 people to survive the bunker. At least one of the clans was smart enough to include a musician, rather than a bunch of warriors. There should have been even more musicians and other entertainers (you’d expect a culture like Grounders to have some sort of epic poetry!), as that would’ve helped the life in the bunker much more than warriors (and there could have been entertainment that does not include killing). But this was probably an exception, because this person probably had a high status as a ceremonial singer.

Our first look at Abby after the time jump - and she is obviously in a bad state and pill-addicted, and both she and Kane look tired and worn down. He is protecting her and taking the guilt for her crime - stealing pills, since Abby is obviously in no state to fight - and on her part, Abby wants to confess and spare him. But Indra - who has been helping them and is clearly unhappy with the way Blodreina is ruling - is more rational and knows Kane winning is the only way to save them both. Kane, however, is choosing to take a stand and refuse to fight.

Kane and Abby got a lot of flak from the fandom and were accused of hypocrisy for their attitude to Octavia later in the season - with the argument that Abby was the one who persuaded Octavia to go through with cannibalism and killing people for refusing to ear, and that Kane knew Abby’s role in it but blamed Octavia. All these arguments presume that they were blaming Octavia for the cannibalism and everything else that happened the Dark Year. But in fact, there’s zero indication that this is what they blamed her for, and it’s pretty clear that the reason why they - and others - have issues with Blodreina is that she’s been ruling by fear and throwing people into fighting pits for all sorts of reasons, and generally being a scary tyrant/leader of a cult of death and violence. Yes, as we learn later, Abby was a crucial part of how Octavia turned into that person, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is that person now, that she has absolute power in the bunker, and people have been living in fear of her. 

Kane tries to plead with Octavia when she comes to tell him he has to fight, and at this point, he seems to still believe she could change and start making better decisions. What feels a bit off to me is that he says he’s been silent for too long - this can’t be the first time he’s tried to change her mind? He would have probably had a lot more chance to succeed if he tried much earlier.  We get the first mention of the infamous “Dark Year” (this is also the episode where we first hear “All of me for all of us”) and see Octavia getting upset at its very mention (a reveal will be dragged out for 6 more episodes). It’s interesting that Jaha and Kane both mentioned Aurora Blake’s fate in their speeches to Octavia, but they used it to say completely different things. Jaha was saying that this is what you have to do, execute everyone who is the “enemy” because they endanger your survival in any way, even if it’s having one more child. Kane was saying that’s what they shouldn’t be doing anymore, she shouldn’t be doing what they did on the Ark, but do better. Octavia ended up taking Jaha’s advice, which shaped her as leader, for better or worse. (Mostly worse, IMO.) She could have maybe taken Kane’s advice years ago, but now it’s clearly too late. 

If anything, Kane’s refusal to fight makes her more determined than ever to break him - she doesn’t want to condemn him to death, she wants to break his resistance and his stubborn insistence on morality. I don’t approve of all of Kane’s later actions in season 5, but it’s really not hard to see why, after these experiences and everything in the bunker, he thought Blodreina’s rule was the worst thing that could happen.

And then - like a Deus ex machina, the bunker door opens and Bellamy is literally coming down from above, into the darkness of Octavia’s underground realm, as the savior, bathed in light, It’s the second episode in a row where he comes as a Big Damn Hero in almost dreamlike scene, from a POV of a woman in his life, this time his sister. For a moment, Blodreina is Octavia again and hugs her brother. Clarke comes down a moment later (but she is not bathed in light - she looks at the Blake siblings from the shadows.)

Instead of hugging, Clarke and Octavia greet each other with a forearm handshake - which is quite an interesting choice, particularly since (thanks @jeanie205) this is apparently a type of greeting associated with Roman generals greeting each other. (But only in Hollywood movies, It wasn’t a thing in actual Roman history.)

In addition to all the reunions, some characters meet for the first time - such as Octavia and Diyoza, who are about to become rival leaders on two sides of the war. Who could have known what their relationship would turn into in season 6 and season 7?

I love the way that everyone - Bellamy, Clarke, Diyoza and the rest of the prisoners - have the “WTF is this” look when they see the fighting pit (which is all covered in blood - apparently, they don’t wash it. It’s an aesthetic, I guess.) Bellamy soon asks Octavia what the heck she’s doing (and guesses exactly what inspired her: “Someone must have read Ovid one too many times). It’s an experience she hasn’t had in years - to have her decisions questioned by someone who’s not one of her subjects and not afraid of her.

More reunions follow: Clarke and Abby, Bellamy and Miller (another relationship that will turn sour in the rest of the season), Clarke and Kane. 

Meanwhile, on Eligius 4, Raven finds more info about Diyoza backstory - Colonel Diyoza was "something called Navy SEAL" (it makes sense that Arkers wouldn’t know about such things), decorated for valor three times, before turning into a rebel/terrorist, and leader of a movement called United Liberation Army. As we see in these articles, civilians died in these attacks, which is something Diyoza regrets in season 7 - even if her cause was right, her means were wrong.

Raven and Murphy have some fun playing soccer, but they’re also worried about the fact they may need to murder 283 people. Raven finds it hard, so Murphy offers to do it to spare her. It’s typical for their relationship that Murphy tends to see Raven as someone better and more moral than himself (in spite of the fact that she once tried to sacrifice him instead of Fin), while Raven often says disparaging things about him, even though she is fond of him.

One thing I found a bit odd that Murphy at one point says: “Why do you have to always be the one to sacrifice?” - even though this was just the second time Raven has decided to sacrifice herself, and he wasn’t even around for the first time - trying to blow the bridge in 1x10. But Murphy seems to have a somewhat idealized view of Raven, driven by his guilt over crippling her and his self-loathing. Or maybe he meant the others in the group in general. as he sees himself as the selfish cockroach as opposed to them. (Note: I initially wrote this in my 5x03 review, before I realized it was actually said in this episode. That’s what happens when you finalize posts after having seen two episodes ahead.)

Raven and her future love interest Shaw try to outsmart each other in hacking (Raven even kind of flips a bird at Shaw at one point - it’s like they are having a digital meet cute without having even met.) 

But when Diyoza finds a way to outsmart Spacekru by suffocating Raven and Murphy - Raven tells Murphy to pull the lever (usually Clarke’s job) and kill the prisoners; and when he hesitates, she goes into her fierce/ruthless mode and goes “Fine, I’ll do it”, before Murphy comes up with the smart solution that prioritizes survival and also doesn’t include mass murder - a win-win, except it also takes away Bellamy’s leverage. 

I wonder where the standoff between Wonkru and the Eligius prisoners would have led after Diyoza took Abby and Kane with her and announced her people were taking over Eden? Would war still have been inevitable? I can’t see Octavia giving up on Eden so easily. In any case, the war here was started by an idiot who shot an incredibly destructive weapon at Octavia just because her arrogant Blodreina grin pissed her off. (This guy, called Szybunka, is a part of McCreary’s faction, and here we first learn that they are preparing a rebellion against Diyoza, though McCreary thinks it’s still not time for it.)

A lot more deaths were prevented by Shaw, Major props for him in this episode both for that, and because he is the first person to finally make the point that there are so few people left of the human race and that it is incredibly stupid to kill more of them

Octavia immediately blames Bellamy for everything - even though he was the reason why she and Wonkru got out of the bunker instead of being stuck there forever/  And this time, I’m sure this was 100% meant to highlight that she has a habit of unfairly placing blame on Bellamy whenever something goes wrong in her life. 

Body count: I haven’t been doing these for a while, but now I’m doing the body count for the entire season 5 so far:

Wonkru - we learn in this episode that, out of the 1200 people in the bunker, there are 814 remaining. So, 386 - almost a third - died during those 6 years. That includes 3 people who died in the fighting pit. An additional Wonkru member is killed by the idiot Szybunka while protecting Octavia, leaving 813.

Eligius prisoners - two of the party on Earth were killed by Madi and Clarke in 5x01, Four more were killed in 5x03 - one shot by Clarke, another one mercy killed by Diyoza after getting into one of Clarke’s traps, two more shot by Madi to save Bellamy, Monty, Harper, Emori and Echo. On the ship, Kodiak, the big guy Diyoza activated as a weapon (”activate Kodiak!”) was killed in self-defense by Bellamy with help from Echo and Raven. And in 5x04, Szybunka is killed by McCreary for his stupidity. This leaves 282 prisoners on the ship and an unknown smaller number on Earth. 

Rating: 8/10

[honeyed-maple]

BNHA x Reader! Soulmate Au!

Characters are aged up, they're all pros in this au! This will have multiple parts! Feel free to request a character, this is the prologue after all! Ask to be tagged in the next part! -edited-

Almost everyone had a timer on their right or left wrist, with exceptions to those who didn't have wrist, those appeared else where on the body. They had appeared way before quirks had, a much older, larger mystery than the mutation of powers. Everyone's would timer stopped at 00:00 as the indication you had met your soulmate, along with a tingling sensation through your body as another symptom.

That being said after 19 years of waiting yours was supposed to stop today. Which was young for some to meet their soulmate but long to other, most would say a nice in between tho. Exciting news for most people, however you'd been nervous with anticipation all week, epically this morning.

Sighing you started to head to work. Regretting not requesting the day off for your soulmate meeting. Having gotten ready for work way earlier then needed, or usual thanks to the gnawing anxiety of meeting your soulmate today. A fear you might be late and miss them, which wasn't possible, but anxiety hardly is rational. Glancing down at your phone you realized you had some time to spare to stop at the cafe you passed everyday, which you'd always pause for a second and stare longingly in hopes one day you weren't to busy to visit.

Sitting down after you made your way into the quaint cafe, you ordered and waited patiently. You were glad to have some coffee/tea/cocoa before work for once at the cafe you'd always wanted to visit. While you were always a bit early to work you were always too anxious to stop by before had, always assuming time moved much faster than it did. You were finally starting to calm down, the rare treat soothing some of your anxieties and grounding yourself. When your drink finally arrived you took a few sips. It helped your nerves calm due to the warm sensation that spread through your body. A moment of clarity hit and you felt peaceful before you began to think more on your meeting with your soulmate. 'Hopefully, my soulmate is as excited as I am, or at least just as nervous, at least just not disgusted, is hate to be rejected by the one person destined to love me,,,' you mused.

Noticing your phone vibrating you picked it up, pausing to look at the caller ID. 'Hmm, I wonder why Inuko is calling?' You answered the call, "Is something wrong?" You asked your friend, confused why she was calling since you'd seen her around an hour ago. You assumed she just needed to know where something was or if you'd met you soulmate yet. She was lucky you hadn't made it to work yet, you hated getting calls at work.

"Y/n! I'm glad you answered! I was worried! Have made it to work yet?" She inquired with a sense of urgency and a concerned tone. Confused and anxious by the sudden questions and the urgency in her voice, taking a sip of your drink in an attempt to soothe yourself you responded. "Uhm no? I stopped by that cafe, why do you ask?" Still trying to still your bouncing knee. "On the news, it said, a villain was seen fleeing to that area just now! So please hurry out! Officials have put out a warning didn't you get it?" She panicked. Sitting up you turned towards the cafe's t.v and sure enough, she was right. Checking your phone it had an emergency notification you hadn't realized you received. Slamming some cash down onto the table you watched the other patrons run out of the cafe. How had you not heard the coalition you wondered and you scurried out of your chair and towards the door with the other fleeing customers. "Inuko, im supposed to meet my soulmate, what if I die first? What if I leave them with a stuck timer never to reach zero. Will I never get to experience couple life?" You asked shakily, tears threatening to spill out as you rushed out. It was crowded, pros trying to coral the crowd. You were hyperventilating, getting claustrophobic you ran the opposite direction in hope to flee, not hearing a hero shout for you to stay put.

"Don't say that! I know you'll meet them for sure! Just keep running, I still have to meet and judge them you hear!" You shot down a backdoor marketplace, "Youre right! I have to meet them, I can't die yet! That's way too selfish!" You yelled as Inuko tried to comfort you, your voice cracking with determination. At some point you'd hidden in an alleyway, hoping that this would all be over soon and you could just go home, but no you turned around and made eye contact with the villain. Your grip loosened until you dropped your phone. You could faintly hear your friend's midfield shouting. "Aaahh, guess your times up." The criminal stated blandly seeming like he was bored, till he decided to look a bit above and behind you. "Shit!" He cursed, immediately looking for an exit. Swivelling around to see what he saw you made eye contact with yet another stranger. But this time you felt a tingling through your whole body, robotically looking down you realized your timer had finally reached the much anticipated 00:00. Looking back up you stared at the culprit in shock.