#THEY'VE KILLED HUNDREDS OF US AND WE'VE KILLED THOUSANDS OF THEM

[akelafang]

Just rewatched How to Train Your Dragon and can't help but imagine Uther and Arthur having a similar fight to Stoick and Hiccup after Stoick finds out about Toothless. Like maybe Arthur finds out about Merlin's magic and helps him keep it a secret. Merlin starts teaching Arthur about magic and helps him break past the prejudiced beliefs Uther raised him with. But Uther's still on his magic hunt so Arthur and Merlin work together to help sorcerers escape by making it look like Arthur is killing them and then sneaking them out of Camelot, similar to Hiccup learning about dragons through Toothless then using what he learned in the arena. But eventually, the truth comes out when a sorcerer tries to kill Arthur in revenge for all the sorcerers he's "killed" and Merlin uses magic to protect him in front of Uther and the court.

Uther: I should have known. I should have seen the signs Arthur: Father- Uther: We had a deal! Arthur: I know we did but that was before I- it's all so messed up Uther: So all those sorcerers you've claimed to have killed, a trick! A lie! Arthur: I screwed up. I should have told you before now but just take this out on me. Be mad at me but please, just don't hurt Merlin! Uther: The sorcerer?! That's what you're worried about? Not the people you almost got killed?1 Arthur: He was just protecting me! He's not dangerous! Uther: They've killed hundreds of us! Arthur: And we've killed thousands of them! They protect themselves, that's all! Uther: You've thrown your lot in with them. You're not a knight. You're not my son

[s0fti3w1tch]

TMNT POLLS PSA

I've explained this in my reblog tags of this post, please keep the TMNT polls fun and please be sure that the AU/Iteration/Fic creators are actually okay with being part of them.

**Not about polls I've been added in, but polls I've seen, and growing trends me and others have noticed. As always, please don't harass anyone.

Specifically the more popularity-poll-ish ones, ones that teeter on or are straight up serious, it can be discouraging for those who didn't ask for it. Some may fear speaking up about it because other people are having fun despite how they themselves feel about it. Especially when polls specifically put one well-known fanwork over a smaller one. Worse yet when you're dropped into it without awareness from beforehand. Hell, even when the creators have a similar size, it can hurt.

I've recently gotten some anon messages like this. Though I haven't seen that attitude in response to my AU in polls, it's the type of attitude I've seen towards a couple other creators.

Being publicly compared to others by hundreds, sometimes up to thousands, can be anxiety-inducing. As easy as it is to say that "the unpopularity of your work should not discourage you," truth be told, there's truth to the saying "comparison kills creativity."

To have your work being used to put down someone else? Someone who's working just as hard? Who's just trying to share an idea just like you? Or to be dismissed?

As stated by the authors of MMC and OMO, while it may seem like you're uplifting your favorite in this, it's awkward. It can be stressful.

For those with less votes, it's hard not to think that yours is being called "less than." An "I've never heard of the other one lmao" can feel like a punch in the gut.

There's also animosity towards more bigger fanworks because of the pedestal they've been put on.

All that, and not even wanting to be there in there first place.

These things should and can encourage creativity and growth. AUs crossing over, banter, propaganda posts, etc.

Around the time Tumblr first rolled out the poll function, I was included in The Night AU creator's Sep AU polls. Me and the poll creator, Ray, both got last place in 2 respective polls, hence why we call TN!Leo/Green and TD!Leo/Trainee the "Losers Duo." Key part being: there was the awareness that this was simply in good fun. And I enjoyed being included.

Getting to know the creators of The Night, Red Rover, Life Mission, Blood Bath, and SLAU was and still is an amazing experience. The amount of crossover art we've made is evident of how much I've loved its turnout. I'm still planning on making more crossover work in the future.

It was some of the most actual fun I've had in fandom since I was 12. I'm 20 by the end of the year.

TL;DR

Respect the boundaries of fanwork creators and don't be an asshole for fuck's sake.

[captainsophiestark]

Witches Get Stitches

Klaus Mikaelson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2023!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Day 11 Prompt: "You lost it. Well, we lost it."

Summary: Klaus and his girlfriend have been together since they were humans, surviving together for a thousand years. They don't intend to let anything tear them apart.

Word Count: 1,352

Category: Angst, Fluff

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, not descriptive

A/N: This doesn't even follow the Originals timeline/canon a little bit lol

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I groaned as I slowly came back to consciousness, my head throbbing. The last thing I remembered, I'd been talking to Genevieve, a resurrected New Orleans with who'd been dancing on the line between ally and enemy.

She took a great, giant leap into the enemy category when I forced my eyes open to find her smiling at me, looking immensely satisfied with herself. I tried to stand, maybe make a move to rip her head off, but my wrists were chained to the walls on either side of me. I was trapped.

"I'm going to kill you," I spat, not bothering with pleasantries or pretending. Genevieve smiled like she'd expected me to say that.

"I know you think we're the bad guys here," she said, giving me a sympathetic expression that made me want to rip her head off. Literally. "But we're not. You've been dating the bad guy, and you've been so blind you haven't been able to realize it."

I rolled my eyes so far back in my head that I could see the wall behind me. I'd heard this same nonsense a thousand times from a thousand different people, and it never got any less irritating or boring.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Y/N," Genevieve said, walking towards me with a very menacing swagger in her step. "I'm just going to make you see the truth."

Before I could hit back with a retort, she raised her hands to the side of my head, and I went spiraling back through my own memories.

For a witch who'd managed to catch me, one of the oldest vampires in creation, in the home of my boyfriend, one of the other oldest vampires in creation, I'd expected more, honestly. But her plan wasn't particularly creative.

She forced me to relive some of my worst moments in my thousand years with Nik. We'd been together as humans, and he'd turned me not long after Esther turned the rest of them, so there was plenty of material for her to work with. Nik and I had been through hell and back, mostly due to enemies, but sometimes due to each other.

Genevieve made me sit through a few particularly bad moments, then pulled me out of her little trance, staring into my eyes like she expected some kind of connection.

"For a thousand years, he's lied, cheated, and backstabbed," she said, her voice low and grave. "He's left a trail of blood, pain, and suffering in his wake. You haven't been spared from his list of victims, even if you've convinced yourself you have."

I closed my eyes, taking a long breath in through my nose. This was getting tedious.

"We've decided to put an end to his reign of terror. We'd like you to join us. So what do you say?"

I fixed her with my best 'really?' stare, which I'd perfected using on Nik.

"Genevieve, let me explain something to you." My voice was quiet, faux-patient, with an undertone of promised violence the way I'd perfected from hearing Nik do so many times. "For more than one thousand years, Niklaus Mikaelson and I have had each others' backs, through everything. We're partners, best friends, and the loves of each others lives. One thousand years of a relationship does not come without bumps, and problems, and things we have to spend a long time working through. Every single time, we have done so successfully.

"One thousand years as a Mikaelson has also come with hundreds of people just like you, Genevieve. They've tried to get to Nik through me, or they've tried to turn me against him, or a thousand other attempts at causing us problems by breaking us apart. And not one of them, in all that time, has succeeded. And do you know what else, Genevieve?"

She cocked an eyebrow at me and gave a little snort, but I could see the way her shoulders tensed and the flicker of fear in the back of her eyes.

"Every single one of those people who tried to come at me and Nik? They're dead. And we're still standing."

Genevieve snorted, louder this time, shaking her head as she straightened and backed away from me. I stared her down, letting a feral smile slowly drag its way onto my face.

"Fine. If you won't help us, then I have no more use for you. So-"

"Oh dear. I hope that sentence isn't going to end in a threat against my lovely partner over there."

Genevieve whipped around, and I smiled at the sight we both found over her shoulder. Nik had arrived, covered in blood and grinning in the way that made my heart race. Clearly, he'd worked his way through at least some of the witches outside to get here. I grinned back at him.

"Your hold over this place, this world, is coming to an end, Klaus," said Genevieve, standing her ground remarkably well. "The two of you have terrorized this place long enough."

"Now you're bringing my girlfriend into it?" asked Nik, raising one eyebrow, a teasing tone in his voice. "Well, I really can't let that stand, now can I?"

"You're not going to have a choice," Genevieve growled. With that, she flung her arms out, whipping up a witchy storm to throw at Nik just as two more witches came into the room. Nik held his own alright—he was the Original Hybrid after all—but he couldn't stand on his own against three powers like this forever.

He needed help. And I was going to give it to him.

I closed my eyes, getting into the headspace I'd had to reach more times than I'd ever wanted to, but that had gotten Nik and I out of more than a few hard spots. Pure rage and a desire to protect the man I loved washed over me, and I pulled against my restraints with all my strength. I dislocated my thumbs to get them out of the cuffs, stifling a scream, then got to my feet and rushed Genevieve before she could realize I was free.

The next minutes were a blur. They always were, whenever Nik and I were in a fight like this. After landing a few hits and killing both of Genevieve's little helpers, I saw Nik go down. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, and I saw red as I whirled on Genevieve.

A few moments later, Genevieve followed Nik to the ground, although she was a little more dead. I stayed standing, trying to recover from the adrenaline. After I'd had a few moments, I crouched down next to Nik.

"Hey. Nik, wake up," I said, gently shaking his shoulder to try to rouse him. After a moment, thankfully, his eyelids fluttered. A second later, he sat into a seating position, looking ready for a fight. I quickly reached out to calm him, to reassure him that we were fine.

"What happened?" he asked, eyes still a little wild, even as he saw the bodies around us and started calming down.

"You lost it. Well, we lost it. Genevieve kidnapped me to get to you, you lost it on her and her little followers over that. She seriously hurt you, so I lost it and helped you finish them off. Same thing we've been running for a thousand years. We're alright."

Nik nodded, letting out a sigh and sagging a little. Then, he looked at me with a grin.

"You'd think after a thousand years they'd learn, wouldn't you?"

I sighed. "No kidding. Maybe this'll be the one that sticks."

Nik and I shared a smile as I leaned into him, kissing him softly before standing and offering a hand to help him up. No matter where we went or how much time passed, people would probably always try to come after me and Nik. But together, we were completely unstoppable. We'd spent the last thousand years proving it, and we'd spend the next thousand doing the same.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury

TVD/TO Taglist: @elenavampire21

[blazehedgehog]

Thoughts on Tim Sweeney's future of video games being all about live service experiences?

Epic has primarily been a multiplayer-only developer for close to (if not more than) 20 years now. And Fortnite in particular has made them billions and billions and billions of dollars.

Like, I believe it came out as part of the Apple trial, Epic made 20 billion dollars in 2022 alone. That's $20,000,000,000. And that's just for that one year. Fortnite has, since then, had multiple times where they've broken all kinds of concurrent player records, and now Fortnite as a business has grown to encompass multiple entire games.

It would be easy to say that, in its entire life time, just Fortnite alone has very likely earned Epic Games close to one hundred billion dollars.

So if you're looking at things from a purely monetary perspective, as a "𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚝" that generates "𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚏𝚒𝚝", then yes. You would naturally say this. You would say, "we made a live service product that has generated more money than anything we've ever made combined, ergo that is the future." You are successful, so you want to repeat that success.

Which is the thing with these kinds of people, right. I know Tim Sweeny comes from the trenches, I know he wasn't always this rich, but he's speaking from the same perspective as, like... let's talk movies for a second.

Let's talk about the term "executive meddling." Film studio executives chase money. They chase trends. They'd like to be trend setters, but the fact of the matter is, a lot of them are too cowardly to do that. They wait until somebody else becomes a trend setter, they set up a mining operation in that trend, and bleed the vein dry until the next trend setter comes along.

You might have a really incredible idea for a movie, you might write a really amazing script, and it could turn out to be a legendary classic, but executives only see the world in dollar signs. If your movie doesn't hit "what's hot" then you are considered a risk and depending on how much of a risk you are, your legitimately great movie might get thrown in the dumpster.

And even if they are the ones to set a trend, that does not necessarily mean they are suddenly open and welcoming to new ideas. Again, it's all about going where the success is and staying there until the success stops happening.

Games are no different, except that it's much easier to have a breakout indie success on a lower budget than it is with a movie. There's a lot about making a movie that requires a crew of people to work, whereas an indie game can be the sole effort of a single person and still tear up the charts.

With the one hundred billion dollars Fortnite has made Tim Sweeny, he could fund hundreds of thousands of independent developers. Possibly even a million-plus. He could give these people careers. Even if they failed, it wouldn't matter, because he has one hundred billion dollars and lost maybe 0.001% of that. He could cultivate an entire cottage industry of his own. Multiple, even.

He doesn't even need to be that picky! He was on staff for Jazz Jackrabbit! It's Sonic with a gun! The next Tim Sweeny could be out there with something just as derivative, and just needs a little extra nudge, you know?

Instead, our current Tim Sweeny wants to make two hundred billion dollars. He wants to put Snoop Dogg in Fortnite, who has a lightsaber battle with the Demogorgon from Stranger Things. They are both killed when horror movie icon Micheal Myers pulls up in Paul Walker's Nissan Skyline from The Fast and the Furious, who blows them both up with a rocket launcher that shoots pumpkins. He is wearing an Among Us back pack.

Certainly, that is a video game. It is also definitely money, both coming in and going out like a firehose. But it will never be the only video game. To claim otherwise is just chest thumping for investors.

You can't take it with you, Tim. And one day, Fortnite will have to shut down. Seven-plus years of weapons, maps and gameplay will all evaporate overnight. Are you so sure you can trap lightning in a bottle again? I haven't forgotten Battle Breakers. The Metaverse only makes sense to those with infinite money, and nobody, not even you, truly have infinite money. Especially not in the ways you're burning it at both ends.

Besides that, Ready Player One was a dystopia! It was a dystopia, Tim! People weren't happy!

[justatalkingface]

The worst part about the dark Deku arc in my opinion is the completely mixed messages. By attacking Izuku and criticizing what he did, they said the lives of all the people he saved weren't worth it. That he was stupid for leaving and should have stayed in his ivory tower with them. It wasn't like this guy was just fighting AFO and left school because these fodder children weren't enough. He saved MANY lives and took down numerous, murderous people who would have been left completely unchecked because Japan apparently does not have a military and the police aren't interested in protecting the citizens. Heroes are all that stands between total anarchy it seems, and most of them retired despite a crisis being the best possible time to earn fame and accolades. The civilians are left to fend for themselves with black market support gear they're so incompetent at using that they take themselves out with it and also wreck their own neighborhoods. Yo Shindo would be dead if Izuku stayed at UA. That's a point the narrative ignores. Muscular could have killed hundreds of people, thousands if he felt like it, and who could have stopped him? The man can withstand 100% OFA punches. That giant animal lady? She'd have been brutalized in a hate crime for no good reason. The fodder kids spit on all these actions. This man is out there actually helping people and saving lives, and their answer is to drag him back to their little safe zone where they keep all the civilians. Sure, let's put all our eggs in one basket and create a single point of failure! Why can't they all just join him in hero work? All 20 of them could be kicking ass and taking names. At least then we'd see the hero kids actually helping people for once. Yes, Izuku's lack of self care and mentality was self destructive, but the end result is that people were better off because he did it. He was being stupid for neglecting his own self care, not for leaving. If Izuku behaved the way they wanted him to, Nagant, Dictator, Muscular, and many others would still be in AFO's pocket and ready for deployment. Also, Aoyama was still the traitor and he 100% would have led Izuku into a trap if ordered to. Staying at UA would have created a worse outcome but the story doesn't acknowledge this at all. And it also didn't address Izuku's concerns, like you said. Bakugo dies, and Jiro loses an ear. We know these injuries will of course be reversed because the heroes have access to Eri who is like a senzu bean basically. But they didn't get massive power ups or anything. They just attacked a guy who didn't want to fight them and wouldn't beat them all into the dirt with Black Whip, like he totally and easily could have.

The funniest thing to me is AFO's complete inability to kill anyone. His confirmed kills are previous OFA holders, and this clown show is out here unable to kill literal children. The "Symbol Of Evil", everyone. What's funnier is that he treated Endeavor like an ant back at Kamino. The guy was completely beneath him. But then Endeavor gets buffed to be one of the strongest people in the world inexplicably and is capable of inflicting fatal wounds on AFO. All the training and upgrades in MHA happen off screen. It's the strangest thing how we've got a school setting, but it's the kids themselves doing all the training and inventing of new attacks and breakthroughs. They've got loads of pro hero mentors and a super genius principal who could theoretically give them the most efficient training plans possible and maximize their use of their quirks, but Mina trains with Bakugo and Shoto to perfect her acid. Well, I guess she's right. They're the ones at the forefront of fighting a war for their country, while many other heroes with more training and experience decided to just stay home. Which again, is the oddest thing. Are they hoping Shigaraki won't decay them when he wins? That AFO won't do a hero purge? We don't see them all fleeing Japan on planes or boats or anything. A lot of these people would have a decent amount of money and could leave with all their assets. Just straight up abandon ship. But we hear about them quitting because they don't like being criticized but not what they plan to do after. The cracks show a lot in MHA. It relies on so many contrivances to function. It's not a story that runs on cause and effect. As you said, everything has to go perfectly for things to work right. You mentioned Machia in another post, and it perfectly illustrates things. Imagine if the guy didn't suddenly decide to attack his master and instead he just crushed all these heroes. They have no one capable of defeating him and Momo's stuck at UA acting as a battery (lol) so they don't have a convenient drug to take him out this time. But of course they had the idea to use Gigantomachia against his allies, and of course when he was broken out of Shinso's brainwashing, he actually secretly hated AFO and wanted to fight him. Because the alternative is this being a suicidal, stupid plan and getting everyone killed when AFO frees his friend! The heroes always get to benefit from these unearned victories. They didn't flip Machia. They didn't earn his trust, or speak to him about his trauma and learn his past. They didn't have a heart to heart with him about his motivations and convince him he's more than a tool to be used by a megalomaniac. They didn't show him photos of all the people he crushed and ask him to make amends for what he did and help end the war he was used to start. No, he just gets a new personality with no build up to help stall a guy who can't manage mass fatalities we know he should be capable of, considering he destroyed Kamino VERY quickly. It's just like how Dabi has been shown to be able to turn people into charcoal in seconds with his flames, and also melt metal, but when he burns Hawks, he manages to barely damage his quirk a bit. And then the guy gets support gear so it's functionally like it never happened. The villains are always jokes in this series. Every victory they have is pyrrhic and there's a contrivance that lets the heroes still manage to get one over. This is the first narrative I've seen that's so openly biased for the main characters and doesn't try to hide it.

So the thing is with the Dark Deku arc? In many ways, it's the culmination of everything Hori's set up and left to rot. It's all these threads about heroic society Hori left blowing in the wind.

In other words? It's complicated. It's so so complicated, it's an arc that is all about complicated things, difficult subjects, and problems that don't have easy answers, and Hori treated it like it was a simple topic... but he couldn't even keep that up. It's such a mess, it's not even funny.

Because the thing is? You're right, Izuku did do good things while he wasn't in school. He saved people, many people, and that's something the story didn't acknowledge... at all. Meanwhile, his classmates, for all that they are trained to be heroes, trained to go and fight and protect, are sitting safe at home.

The thing is, though, that they are still children, all of them. Children shouldn't have to risk their lives for other people. They should live their lives, enjoy their youths. This is the moral question.

At the time though, on a logical level, each hero trained is, potentially, hundreds or thousands of people saved in the future; by allowing them to stay safe and grow up, far more people will be saved, theoretically, than if they were to be deployed in the field right now to save people. At the same time, though, Japan is in crisis, heroics as a whole is threatening to collapse under its own weight, and if they sit on their asses rather than help, there may not be a tomorrow for them. This is the logical question.

So morally, logically, which choice is right? Which is wrong? Is there even a right answer? What is the price someone should pay for others? What should a child give up for society? What are you willing to sacrifice to live how you want? What burden are you willing to bear for another's sake?

These are the kinds of questions this arc askes, and it's something you can't just avoid for as serious a topic as this. Personally, I'd say the answer is somewhere between these two points, but every story has its own moral and message it is ultimately saying is right or wrong, and that is eventually proved correct by the story itself. Sometimes it's that the day can be saved, if you just try hard enough, and that friendship is everything. Sometimes it's that the world is bitter and cold, and that only the strong and lucky survive.

Here's the problem MHA is suffering from, what this arc and Izuku ultimately exemplify: what is Hori saying is right? What is the moral or message that is correct here?

Yeah... Hori has no fucking idea. And, I've said this before, the fact he doesn't even seem to know what he wants beyond, 'ACTION! MORE ACTION! EXPLOSIONS! I CAST FIST!' is something that severely damages the overall story telling. It really feels like he doesn't know where things are even going, sometimes.

Ah, AFO. I really, honestly, feel sorry for him. He's just so... pathetic now. He suffers from being made too strong for the setting, and so Hori keeps having to nerf him just to explain why everyone is still alive. Like, really, honest truth? If I was AFO? I would have just, like, poisoned All Might years ago; none of this fair fight nonsense. The second All Might became a viable threat he should have started cheating like the criminal genius he apparently is, and taken advantage of all of the many, many advantages he has, between his Quirks, his resources, and his ruthlessness.

The spin off manga says AFO tried to steal Erasure back when Aizawa was still in training, which... yeah, that makes sense. Then he fails, and then... never tries again. Ever.

Am I the only one who sees the problem here?

I've seen people say that Aizawa, a man employed as a teacher in perhaps one of the most visible schools in existence, is too off the radar for him to find. When, apparently, AFO has his finger in the government, and criminal element, he is unable to... check his tax record to find out where he lives, or to have someone follow him home, or ambush him after he leaves the school he has to go to, or anything like that. Or, hell, just kill him, if Erasure is somehow too hard for him to get.

Oh well, I guess that's too much work for one of the most OP Quirks in the setting, one that can easily counter his All Might problem, or cripple him personally. Better to just ignore it entirely instead; what could go wrong with that?

Remember when AFO bitch slapped just about every top hero, minus All Might, causally? How in the fuck is Endeavour a threat to him now?

Yeah. The thing is, AFO is too strong, plain and simple. Even in a setting where All Might, who changes the weather while holding back exists, much less everyone without OFA. If he was allowed to have a fraction of the brains and fire power that we're told again and again that he has, the story never would have happened, because OFA would have been taken or destroyed generations before All Might even became a thing, before Izuku was even born. But the story is still happening, and people keep successfully beating him, and they need to keep beating, and will continue to until he is finally defeated. Does that make sense? No, but the show must go on.

On all the people not putting their part in... to be fair, we see a more personal version of Shigaraki than almost anyone else, in story. There's a real question of how many people even know what his goals are, much less who would believe it, since it's kind of nuts to say the least. Under that logic, I could see them not thinking it's worth the danger to themselves, though the fact they're willing to just sit there and do nothing when their ultimate fate is up to grabs, when they could actually make a difference, unlike so many other people, is... stupid. But people are often stupid, so to some extent, that is understandable, but you'd think the people who trained themselves to fight every day would be more willing to put their lives on the line... though, that goes back to the 'corrupt heroes' thing Hori keeps dropping.

Really, Machia's entire thing there is so mind numbingly dumb that, even though I made a post about how bad it is, I'm still surprised no one stopped to ask, 'And then what?' when Shinso proposed it. Brainwash is very powerful Quirk, don't get me wrong, but it is not a Quirk that is made for direct slug match like that... but Shinso is too cool to not include, so there we go, I guess! Hori does everything possible to justify him making a big, dramatic contribution to the fight when the smarter, yet absurdly obvious choice is Shinso just telling Machia to walk off to the other end of Japan, cover his ears, and wait there forever so that one of the most dangerous people in the story just doesn't participate in the final fight. But, you know, Post War is about the how COOL it is! For the cliffhangers! And Machia taking a nap, no matter how smart a choice, isn't a DRAMATIC CLIFFHANGER!

And that's the thing, really: so much of the worst choices in MHA (that aren't from long running overarcing problems that come from far earlier in the story, anyways) are about that, cheap drama. Every poor choice that everyone has criticized ultimately boils down to making every chapter DRAMATIC and EXCITING, by making every possible scene look cool, even if it needs to be promptly taken back in the very first panel of the next chapter that follows it, even if it conflicts with things he's said before, even if it makes everyone involved an idiot. Hori has taken the worship of cliffhangers above everything else in MHA, over story, or logic, or characters, or messages,; any and all of it will be sacrificed to the altar of 'does this make the fans want to read the next chapter?'.... which, ironically, makes the fans not want to read the next chapter anymore, because people didn't get into this story because of big hits and dramatic scenes.

And each cliffhanger has built off each other, until we've gotten here, to the point where the story doesn't even make sense anymore, where the most common comment I see reading each chapter is, 'I don't understand what is happening, I guess I'll have to wait for the anime to make it make sense', or, even more damning, 'I don't care anymore'.

The heroes win, and the villains lose, not because of of the choices they've made, or how strong they are, but because reality itself bends over to make it so. And nobody wants to read that.

[pttucker]

Jung Heewon, who was able to intervene in the duel, stopped Yoo Joonghyuk's sword instead of me. Lee Hyunsung ran and hugged Yoo Joonghyuk's body from behind while the children surrounded me like they were protecting me. Lee Jihye stood in the middle with a helpless expression. "Why are the two of you fighting? Fighting now…!" Yoo Joonghyuk's gaze alternated between the party members. It seemed like he wanted to say something. No, I knew what he wanted to say. 「 You are being deceived. 」 His trembling eyes were pouring rage towards me. 「 This guy, he deceived all of us. 」 I thought this day would come eventually. In fact, I thought about it dozens of times a day. "Everybody, get out of the way." Yoo Joonghyuk amplified his status, blew away Lee Hyunsung, knocked down Lee Jihye and ran this way. Jung Heewon and Yoo Joonghyuk's swords collided. However, Jung Heewon couldn't use Judgment Time and wasn't capable of dealing with Yoo Joonghyuk. I placed the children behind me and stepped forward.

It was all going so well! 😭😭😭

Oh man, I've really wanted to see Joonghyuk's reaction to being a character for a while now and so I am happy that we've finally reached the part where the characters of the novel have learned or will soon learn the truth but man, the pain. Now I'm just conflicted.

You guys are supposed to be Life and Death Companions!

Don't kill your Life and Death Companion, Joonghyuk!

Ugh, but it's so understandable. While some of the party has figured it out, most of them haven't and the ones who did weren't characters so they probably felt way differently than poor Joonghyuk finding out that hundreds/thousands of people have read his struggles for entertainment and that Dokja has been passing that off as prophecy.

Ughhhhhhhh I'm almost scared to read more because I don't want to see the entire party fall apart after they've achieved so much or even for Joonghyuk to go back to hating him and doing his own thing but I also need to know what's gonna happen so badly. Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

[whyshedisappeared]

hagar, vio (slutsgf) here. first of all i would like to sincerely apologise for that reblog (it was not my place to die who's right and who's wrong when I am not the one dealing with consequences) and that was fucked up. i really hope things get better for everyone there. i am sorry

hey babe, thanks for apologising, but I think you're missing the point of why it was wrong of you to reblog.

this isn't a right or wrong debate. this is a terrorist organisation whose sole purpose is to kill all Jews, while forcing thousands of innocent civilians to live in poverty. ever since hamas got (democratically elected, I would like to add) power over the gaza strip they have been killing innocent people. they've been launching missiles at us and felicitating terror attacks, killing thousands of people. and while doing it, they spread lies and fake news all over social media and the news to the point people tell me I deserve to die because I don't want to live in fear that something might happen to my (23yo) baby brother, or friends, or future kids.

do you know the kind of trauma we've been going through since Saturday? I sincerely hope you don't. I genuinely don't want you to have those mental images of what the south of my country looks like right now. I hope you've never had to hear the cries of hundreds of parents begging on the news for their kidnapped children. i hope you will never have to comb through over a 1,000 pictures of murdered men, women and children to make sure the people you haven't been able to get into contact with for 4 days aren't there. just to find one of them there.

I hope you will never have the type of news broadcasts I've been seeing for 5 days straight. I genuinely and sincerely hope you will never, ever experience what my country is experiencing right now. I hope you will never have to worry for your siblings' life. and I hope that everything I'm writing right now will forever be someone else's trauma and not yours.

this isn't a debate for me, this isn't some I shared something I shouldn't have thing for me. this is people, like you, who are uninformed claming that they know the truth after reading a short comics full of lies and misinformation. this is a very nuanced and detailed history, depending on when you start telling our history the perspective changes. but here's one thing you need to know, that will put this into perspective for you.

israel is fighting for it's right to lead a peaceful, safe life. hamas is fighting to kill all Jews. if Israel were to lay down its arms, we would be murdered, if hamas were to lay down its arms there would be peace. think about it for a second, and then tell me you support palestine.

[aishangotome]

Chapter 7-20  People of the World (天下人)

Chapter 7-16

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We were vastly outnumbered and couldn't possibly stop the fleeing refugees from scattering.

I could only watch helplessly as the refugees ran off, spreading the news far and wide...

Liu Bian: Finally back... Let's rest for a bit! How about finding a hot spring to relax in?

You: Liu Bian.

Liu Bian: Hmm? Choosing a hot spring?

You: Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you.

I slammed the door open from the inside and drew my sword.

You: You were the only one who knew about the plan to find Cao Song. And it was your followers who provided his location.

You: We were about to find him, and then he dies. Immediately, there are eyewitnesses everywhere, spreading the rumor that "the Prince of Guangling is the murderer." It's all too convenient.

Liu Bian: You think I arranged this? Xuzhou is in chaos right now, with bandits and refugees everywhere!

Liu Bian: Besides, why would I do this to frame you?

You: This war between Tao Qian and Cao Cao, from the very beginning, it's as if some force is driving it.

You: As if... someone wants this war to happen and to keep going.

You: I suspect it's the Eight Philosophers faction. They've been waiting for an opportunity to overthrow the Han dynasty and seize control of the empire.

You: As an imperial prince, I'm also one of their targets. The Eight Philosophers might be trying to use Cao Cao to kill me.

Liu Bian: If you suspect this Eight Philosophers group, then why kill me?

You: You might be working with them, or being used by them.

He stared at me intently for a long, long moment.

Suddenly, Liu Bian sprang to his feet and stepped towards the blade—

Liu Bian: Kill me! If you suspect me, then kill me!

You: Calm down, let's talk this through.

Liu Bian: I thought we were each other's last support, that you would always be on my side!

He closed his eyes, tears falling with a sigh.

Liu Bian: Ha... Hahaha... How ridiculous... It seems that from the very beginning, no one was ever on my side...

Liu Bian: All my life, my father, my mother, the Empress Dowager, my master, the people of the world... no one has ever been on my side.

Liu Bian: I thought you were different.

He laughed through gritted teeth, tears streaming from his eyes, soaking my clothes.

The hand gripping the blade was a bloody mess. Tears and blood mingled, like a blood-stained jade.

Liu Bian: ... Once this blade strikes, there will be no more Liu Bian.

Liu Bian: I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I said I would always be with you...

You: ... Stop! I won't kill you. Let go of the blade.

He collapsed to the side, his hand deeply cut by the blade.

You: Liu Bian, tell me the truth... What are you really trying to do?

He looked up at me, his face streaked with tears, his expression calm... His eyes were like the still waters of a lifeless pool.

Liu Bian: I want to guide the people to find a way to survive. War is raging everywhere, only Xuzhou is a place where they can live in peace.

Liu Bian: So, we came here. But Tao Qian is ambitious, and we've been dragged into the war again.

You: That's no reason to stir up trouble in front of Tao Qian!

Liu Bian: Not fighting means being at the mercy of others; fighting gives us a chance to survive.

Liu Bian: Would you rather have a hundred thousand more defenseless people in Xuzhou, turned into mincemeat under Cao Cao's iron hooves? Or a hundred thousand more warriors to fight back?

I sat down on the couch in silence, overwhelmed by exhaustion. He sat beside me, letting me lean against him.

News of Cao Song's death would spread soon, and Cao Cao's army would march on Pengcheng...

Liu Bian: What's done is done. Rest easy. I'll stay by your side tonight.

Liu Bian: No matter what happens next, I'll face it... with you.

-

Morning came...

You: ... Hmm... Liu Bian?

Liu Bian was gone.

Pengcheng Lieutenant: Your Highness! Cao Cao's army is advancing towards Pengcheng!

You: I know. I'm coming.

-

Pengcheng Lieutenant: Your Highness, be careful on the steps.

I hurried up the stairs of the tower to observe the enemy troops, but I was so exhausted that I stumbled.

Just then, a hand reached out from the side and steadied me.

Fu Rong: Careful.

Fu Rong: I've finished dealing with matters in Guangling. I'm back. Let's go up together!

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Chapter 7-22

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[one-sleepy-dragon]

It's been one year of Israel's war on Palestine.

In one year, thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children have been murdered. Families have been torn apart. Housing, schools, and hospitals have been destroyed. Journalists and volunteers alike have been killed.

Except, Israel's war on Palestine has been going on for 76 years. It's just convenient for Israel to start counting on the day they were attacked. It's been one year since everyone started paying attention. It's been 76 since this has been happening.

Remember the Israeli victims of October 7. It's easy; they all have names and faces, each and every one accounted for. Remember the innocent lives lost on that fatal day.

But remember also the countless, nameless, faceless dead of Palestine. The hundreds upon hundreds of bodies piled up over these last seven decades by Israeli hands. The thousands of innocents murdered in this past year alone, so many of them still unaccounted for.

Remember that Israel is trying to use the October 7 attack as justification for the atrocities they've committed since. Remember there's no point in trying to debate them. We can't waste our energy on people who refuse to call this what it is; a genocide in real time. We're not going to change their minds.

So let's try to change what we can.

Protest. Raise awareness. Donate if you're able to. Sign letters and lobby your representatives to stop funding Israel. Stand with Palestine in every way you can. Show them we won't be quietly complicit. Show them how many of us still know what's right.

It's been one year since the Hamas attack. One year since Israel used the deaths of their own citizens as an excuse to wipe out an entire culture. Remember the victims of October 7. But above all, remember every single Palestinian who has died since then.

Just because we've started to forget them, doesn't mean that they've stopped dying.

[izdatazn]

S.U.I.T.S - Terran's Hidden War

TERRAN 23 - WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS, STAYS IN VEGAS

"Good morning, everyone," I greeted as I entered the cockpit. "We are currently 50 miles away from Las Vegas on this Monday, July 22nd, 2079. Today, we have Nehir Dogan and Daniela Angeloy joining us."

"This is Medium Assault Class Big Bertha reporting for duty," Viktor announced.

"Heavy Assault Class The Dragut reporting for duty," Nehir added.

"Medium Support Class Lechuza joining the fray," Daniela responded.

I turned to Sasha and asked, "What's the situation on the ground?"

Sasha shared some information with us. "Zaporg's fleet is attacking our defense shields in Los Vegas while the U.S army is in the process of evacuating. We estimate that there are over half a million enemies between Zaporg's flagship and his two battleships. The SUITs and U.S army have combined forces consisting of a few hundred thousand units with a hundred U.S Air Force members supporting them. Thousands of aircraft are on standby."

"That's not our only problem, Kobayashi," Safiya interjected. "Due to increased enemy activity worldwide, SUITs and world leaders have decided to disclose our Secret War by removing the illusion shield. Local and international news agencies are now reporting real-time updates from Los Vegas."

"I've noticed that too," I remarked. "We will be collaborating with U.S Armored Vehicle units, Air Force personnel, and Drone Force troops who will be joining us in battle. There's also a news drone following our movements as we speak."

"We're only 50 miles away from Los Vegas now," Big Bertha informed us.

The tension filled the air as we waited in silence for a few moments until Sasha broke it again. "They've intensified their bombardment," Sasha reported before pausing briefly before going on to say, "we're seeing hundreds of drop pods descending from the sky. Sasha and Safiya signing off."

"Harmony, let's join the fight!" Isabel shouted, accompanied by three other members from the Dragut and Lechuza. They flew off in formation alongside the rest of the Air Force.

I addressed Big Bertha, saying, "You have control of the wheel now. I want Miyoung and Viktor to engage in battle. Apart from Zaporg, we already know who else is present in that city. If you encounter a specific enemy, take them down without hesitation. We will put an end to whatever campaign Zaporg is conducting." I sighed before adding, "We've also received information that Joker has joined forces with Zaporg for this fight."

"In that case, it's going to be a heavyweight brawl," Viktor chuckled. "Viktor is ready," he affirmed.

"I'm ready to get my hands dirty," Miyoung grinned. "I'll enjoy tearing Zaporg apart."

Daniela voiced her curiosity by asking, "Where did you find these people?"

"I would like to know too," I replied with a smile on my face.

Sasha Levinksy was born in Constantinople in 910 during the reign of Leo VI. He was the son of a Varangian Guard, which served as personal bodyguards to the Byzantine Emperors. Sasha grew up protecting Emperor Constantine VII alongside his future Emperor Romanos I when they were both young. As Sasha and Romanos worked closely together, they began contemplating overthrowing Emperor Constantine VII in the near future. However, their plans were foiled and they were imprisoned on an island. Tragically, Sasha was subsequently killed by Romanos on this very island.

"We're facing multiple enemy aircraft and land vehicles," Big Bertha announced. We watched as hundreds of enemy aircraft swarmed from above, dropping ordnance on us. Our vehicles took a beating, but the U.S armored bridge suffered even more. A few dozen enemy vehicles were taken down, but they continued to ride with us.

In a matter of seconds, multiple enemy carriers hard-dropped hundreds of smaller vehicles in front of us before some were taken down by the Dragut and Lechuza. While our vehicle easily withstood the attacks from our enemies, the U.S army sustained heavy losses from their armored and drone brigade.

We observed a dozen drop pods slamming into the ground ahead of us. As the dust settled, we saw who was standing in front of us.

Viktor laughed. "It's Dexter! Viktor will give him round two!"

"I'll have one of my team members support him," Daniela said.

"I don't think he needs any help," Nehir added.

"He doesn't," I said. "But support is always necessary."

Big Bertha took control while Viktor rushed out of the cockpit. We evaded Dexter's reach and continued forward. Viktor jumped out of the garage and landed forcefully on the ground.

"Big Man PointDexter, did you miss Viktor?" Viktor laughed.

Amidst explosions from armored vehicles and explosives dropped by enemy aircraft, chaos reigned around them.

Dexter snarled. "You look like a tasty mid-morning meal." He brandished heavy metal hand claws gripped in one hand and held another staff with his tail.

Viktor chuckled. "Viktor will thoroughly enjoy what Dexter brings." Metal formed in his arm as he said, "Wilma, let's have some fun." He clenched his fists together. "Aren't you hungry for some fresh alien meat?”

We finally arrived at the outskirts of Las Vegas without the U.S. army suffering heavy casualties. The situation at the city's edge was chaotic, even before we reached it. Zaporg's flagship and two battleships relentlessly bombarded the shielded city, while dropping hundreds of transports and deploying aircraft to harass the defense guns. For now, Zaporg's forces had a slight advantage unless they managed to take down important key defense shields surrounding the city.

"Kobayashi, I've identified important targets," Bertha informed me. She highlighted a few of them in red on the battlefield map. I noticed that both Zaporg and Sang Hwang, known as "the Joker," were located near each other in close proximity to a single orbital defense gun.

"Go after Zaporg and Sang," I ordered urgently. "We can't afford to let them destroy it."

There was a brilliant explosion in the sky as one of Zaporg's battleships detonated and began its slow descent. We observed as thousands of enemy carriers and aircrafts fled from the destroyed battleship. It felt like we had gained an advantage on the battlefield.

"Anomaly detected," Bertha announced.

I noticed a peculiar distortion in the sky, followed by a bright light. Astonishingly, another battleship materialized, taking the place of the previous one. The new battleship wasted no time and immediately commenced bombardment on the city, unleashing swarms of aircrafts upon us. I had spoken too soon.

Glancing back at the road, I suddenly spotted a figure appearing before me. It was unmistakably clear who it was. Bertha swiftly turned left into another street, with Dragut and Lechuza following suit while dropping off Nehir and Daniella before joining our path.

Nehir twirled his hilt. "Our team will defend the defense shields. Daniella and I will handle Sparky here," he declared as his sword materialized on his hilt. "Be gentle, Snowflake."

Daniella unsheathed her massive claymore sword strapped to her back. "Find Safiya and Sasha," she commanded. "Do whatever it takes to stop Zaporg from destroying this city."

"Good luck to both of you."

As a dozen drop pods descended around them, an armored brigade from the U.S drove past them while encircling Nehir and Daniella.

"Sparky over here believes he can overwhelm us with his allies," Daniella grinned confidently as she raised her claymore high in preparation for battle. "Warcry, Lupin." Flames erupted from her weapon.

The traffic has worsened as we approach the city center. The evacuation of the population has been delayed due to threats from above. The U.S army and SUITs are engaged in their own firefight, with helicopters flying around us.

We fought off multiple enemies and a group of heavily armored vehicles that were attacking one of the defense guns. After taking them down, we entered the East Orbital Defense Gun Defense. Miyoung and I left our vehicle and joined Sasha and Safiya in the command tent.

Safiya greeted me, saying "Good to meet you, Kobayashi. We can exchange greetings later." 

I asked about the situation, and Safiya replied: "The U.S Air Force is struggling, but the Army is successfully defending on land. Although we currently have an advantage, it won't be long before our defense shields are disabled and our guns are taken down. Evacuation progress has been slow; more than half of the population has already left the city. Zaporg is sending continuous waves from three different locations - his primary targets are our shield towers followed by our defense guns."

Miyoung confidently stated that she would deal with Zaporg before walking away.

I then inquired about Sang Hwang's whereabouts: "What about Joker, Sang Hwang? Is she with Zaporg?"

Safiya informed me: "Sang Hwang is directly attacking the west gun placement. It doesn't seem like a major issue at this point, but I don't want to jinx it." She continued by saying: "Kobayashi, I will join you in stopping Sang Hwang while Sasha stays here to defend."

With determination, I said: "Then let's get to it! We have our own mission to carry out; let's not fail like how I did in Shenzhen.”

The heavyweight boxing match between Viktor and Dexter was intense. Dexter landed a few blows with his claw and staff weapons, but they were not strong enough to penetrate Viktor's metal armor. Despite this, Viktor continued his aggressive assault, exchanging blows with his weapon. Both fighters held their ground for a few more minutes, enduring each other's attacks.

"Have you made any improvements since our last fight, PointDexter?" Viktor asked sarcastically. "Some of those new gadgets you're wearing seem cumbersome."

"I've got enough technology to protect Zaporg," Dexter retorted sharply. "And it's not PointDexter, human.” Dexter swung his staff around and successfully connected it to Viktor's left side, causing him to stagger back a few steps. This round went to Dexter as he steadily pushed Viktor backward.

Viktor countered by using his weapon against Dexter's claw attack while also being vulnerable to the staff strikes. He quickly adapted and increased his speed, successfully parrying three rapid attacks in quick succession. However, Dexter managed to slam the staff into Viktor's side before he could snap it in half. Griping the staff with his arm, Viktor used enough force to disable it before being sent flying by Dexter.

Without hesitation, Dexter chased after Viktor as an enemy vehicle joined in pursuit.

"Second Metal: Rolling Thunder," Dexer exclaimed.

Viktor crashed into the ground and rolled several times before transforming into a spiked metal ball. He aimed directly at the enemy vehicle and collided with tremendous force, shattering it effortlessly. Unfazed by the destruction he caused,Viktor continued charging straight towards Dexter

As Viktor approached within reach, Dexter extended his claw forward in an attempt to strike back. However, he missed connecting with Viktor's attack. Swiftly unwrapping himself, Viktor slid underneath Dexter and quickly got back on his feet. Seizing the opportunity, Viktor reached for the disabled staff and snapped it in half. He then used one half of the staff to penetrate through Dexter's tail and into the ground.

Pulling Dexter towards him, Viktor dug the other staff deep into Dexter's back. Despite Dexter's struggles to escape from Viktor's grasp, a wrestling match ensued on the ground as both fighters fought desperately to gain an advantage.

"Viktor thought you were a worthy opponent," uttered Viktor menacingly as he grabbed hold of Dexter's left claw weapon and drove it into his neck. "Viktor is upset," he added coldly as he repeated this action with Dexter's right claw weapon and plunged it deep into his left eye socket. With a firm grip on Dexer's head, Vlad attempted to fend off any further resistance.

"What a shame," whispered Victor sadistically.

In one swift motion, he snapped Dexer’s neck and pulled forcefully enough to detach his head from his body. Raising up Dexer’s severed head before him,victor made unflinching eye contact with Dexer’s lifeless eyes.

Multiple spikes were driven through Dexer’s head.

“First Metal: Internal Spikes,” proclaimed  Victor triumphantly as her cast aside  dexers disembodied head . Then ,he watched hundreds of enemy vehicles quickly surround him.

“Victor isn’t done here,Wilma,” he grinned sinisterly.

"Have you upgraded, Sparky?" Nehir inquired. "It appears that your performance has deteriorated since last time or is it because you have to deal with two people simultaneously?"

They engaged in combat, their weapons clashing against each other. Sparky faced off against Nehir and then Daniella after she took down the enemies surrounding them. Drop pods continued to crash around them, while their adversaries seemed more heavily armored and stronger than before.

"This doesn't seem fair, Sparky," Nehir exclaimed as he stabbed his armored foe and clashed once again with Sparky. "There are a few hundred of you guys against us."

Sparky hissed in response. "It seems like you're doing quite well at taking down my ally. I should be the one saying that.”

They clashed relentlessly, refusing to back down for several minutes while Daniella effortlessly defeated their enemies. Nehir hurled his shield at Sparky, simultaneously charging towards him. The shield struck Sparky's helmet, rebounding towards Nehir who swiftly leaped forward, momentarily balancing on it before jumping off. In response, Sparky swung his sword upwards and clashed with Nehir once more.

Nehir landed gracefully, rolled underneath Sparky's attack, and swiftly regained his footing. Meanwhile, as Nehir executed these impressive maneuvers, Daniella caught hold of his shield and returned it to him. The shield grazed Sparky's side as Nehir caught it and promptly threw it back at him. It grazed Sparky's helmet before bouncing upwards and reaching Daniella who was already positioned to catch it. She swiftly tossed it towards the ground.

Sparky reacted by instinctively shielding himself from the incoming attack, while Nehir's shield struck the ground near him and deflected past his own shield. The impact of Sparky's shield against his helmet was powerful. Unfazed by this setback, Nehir and Daniella continued their assault, repeatedly hurling the shield at Sparky with each throw bringing them closer to their target. Their relentless barrage began to take a toll on Sparky's armor; small cracks started to appear in its chest plate.

Noticing the tiny cracks, Nehir saw an opportunity to enlarge them further with his sword while simultaneously throwing his shield at Sparky. Nehir swiftly retrieved his shield and successfully blocked Sparky's swing. With one fluid motion, he thrust his sword forward, piercing through the noticeable crack in Sparky's chest armor. Nehir took another step forward and removed his sword from Sparky's back.

"It's not over until it's over, water sack," gasped Sparky.

"There won't be a next time, Sparky," whispered Nehir. Daniella swung her claymore from behind and decapitated Sparky.

"For a mercenary," Daniella remarked, "he's pretty weak."

"We're not out of danger yet, Daniella," said Nehir as drop pods continued to rain down around them. "We need to deal with these expendables first."

"Miyoung, I'll support you," Isabel said, emphasizing the need to face Zaporg together. "Besides, I've been craving a fight."

"Come find me," Miyoung replied as she continued her pursuit across the rooftops, deliberately avoiding engaging in battle on the ground. An aircraft flew past her, and Isabel joined her in the chase. "Took you long enough."

"Aww, is sweetie missing me?" teased Isabel. "I'm blushing."

They pressed on, actively taking down enemy teams hiding on rooftops or attacking the shield towers scattered throughout the city. They noticed strange black smoke emanating from one of the rooftops, slowly forming into a humanoid figure.

"We're getting closer," Miyoung informed them. "And Zaporg knows it." She paused momentarily to take a shot at the shadow figure before moving forward. Her bullet pierced through it.

Both of them skillfully evaded an attack from the shadow and leapt off the rooftop. Unbeknownst to them, there was a massive rock already positioned below. Fortunately, they effortlessly dodged it while continuing their descent, avoiding or obliterating more rocks being hurled at them. However, their focus wasn't solely on avoiding rocks - the shadow figure still closely followed above.

As they slammed into the ground, breaking the concrete beneath them and creating a shockwave that spread outwards, they quickly dispatched their enemies defending Zaporg before turning their attention to him and the shadow figure.

"I'll take care of that thing while you deal with Zaporg," Isabel suggested.

"Deal with Zaporg?" Miyoung chuckled. "I'll cut him into little pieces."

"That's my girl," Isabel teased. "I'm so proud of you."

Isabel jogged away while Miyoung stood up and faced off against Zaporg across the street.

"You never learn, little girl," Zaporg chuckled. "I should teach you a lesson."

"I've broken you once; I can do it again," Miyoung replied confidently as she cocked her gun. "You motherfucker."

They charged at each other, firing their weapons while dodging or directly taking bullets head-on. It quickly turned into a fist fight in the center of the street as a battle raged above them.

Miyoung gracefully spun beneath Zaporg, seizing the moment to withdraw her pistol and unload an entire magazine into his armor. She swiftly reloaded while spinning away from him, then came to a sudden stop before charging forward once more to continue their hand-to-hand combat.

Miyoung clearly held a slight advantage in terms of speed, which she was well aware of. However, she quickly realized that Zaporg had upgraded his armor after adding a couple of sneak shots. Despite its heaviness, she observed that the armor remained surprisingly flexible in close-quarters combat. Even though she was blind, Miyoung could still perceive and anticipate most of Zaporg's movements when he attacked.

With a powerful kick to Zaporg's side and another well-aimed one at his helmet, Miyoung spun around him and launched herself into mid-air. In mid-flight, she fired several bullets at Zaporg's helmet from her gun. In response, he dug into the concrete and hurled a massive rock towards her.

"Kimchi, guide me," Miyoung whispered.

Gracefully landing on the rock sent her way by Zaporg, Miyoung used her strength to push it back towards him. Once back on the ground, she immediately charged at him again while he was distracted. As Zaporg aimed his gun both at the rock and at her, he fired a focused beam that shattered the rock but failed to break Miyoung's determination.

Quickly changing direction by running to her right, with each step drawing closer to him; Miyoung remained steps ahead of Zaporg until he trapped her with his other focused beam. Undeterred by this setback, Miyoung stood firmly in place and aimed her gun directly at him.

"You think your inferior weapon can't break my shield, little girl," Zaporg laughed.

Miyoung fired a single bullet at him. "Third Sound," she whispered. The bullet struck his chest armor, shattering into countless small pieces. "Slicing." A compressed ball of visible wind enveloped Zaporg, disabling his focus rifle and weakening his armor.

He discarded his guns. "Is that all you have in your arsenal, little girl?" Zaporg sneered. "You can't penetrate my armor."

"I can," Miyoung replied calmly. "Instead of wasting time with words, let me show you." Miyoung and Zaporg engaged in close hand-to-hand combat once again. She aimed her pistol at Zaporg's weakened armor and increased the pressure until it became more vulnerable to her attacks. Miyoung repeated this process several times until she was confident she could break through his entire armor.

Miyoung slowed down intentionally, tempting Zaporg to make a move. He seized her by the neck and lifted her off the ground.

"Has the little girl run out of steam?" Zaporg laughed sadistically as he slammed her into the ground repeatedly before throwing her aside.

"You've overexerted yourself, Miyoung," Kimchi warned sternly. "Using powers beyond your control is forbidden."

"We end him here," Miyoung declared determinedly.

"As you command," Kimchi affirmed resolutely. "I will protect you."

Silently landing on top of a nearby building instead of crashing into it like before, Miyoung leaned against the wall and took aim at Zaporg. "Forbidden Sound: Precision Tornado."

With great force, she spun violently while firing her gun forward. Anticipating the attack, Zaporg burrowed into the ground once more and erected a strong defensive wall in front of him. Undeterred by this obstacle, Miyoung broke through the Earth Wall and inflicted severe damage to Zaporg's left arms and leg. Continuing her assault, she crashed into the building with immense power.

Safiya and I were dealing with our enemies attacking the west gun while we searched for Sang Hwang. However, instead of finding her, she found us and arrived with a powerful entrance. Safiya was the first to react to Sang's aggressive arrival. She quickly pushed me out of harm's way and engaged in a clash with Sang. I joined in the fight as well, but I struggled to match their speed. Who exactly was Sang Hwang, and why was she just as fast as Safiya?

Suddenly, there was a strange disturbance that lasted for a few seconds. The surroundings fell silent, distracting me from my fight with Sang. Seizing the opportunity, she landed a punch on my chest that sent me flying back into the building. Safiya soon followed after.

Amidst the chaos, I suddenly heard static coming through my communications device. Initially, it was garbled and unclear, but soon Isabel's voice broke through with great clarity - she was shouting over the comms channel.

"Miyoung is down!" Isabel yelled. "I repeat, Miyoung is down! Zaporg has escaped to the west again. Viktor, get over here!"

"I'm on my way," Viktor shouted back. "Bertha, head to their location."

"On it," Bertha responded.

I crawled out of my hiding spot and firmly commanded, "You take Miyoung to medical. And go after Zaporg."

"What about you?" Isabel asked.

"I'll join you later," I insisted. "We can't let Zaporg slip away again.”

"Pay attention to me instead, Kobayashi," Sang said, turning to face me. She chuckled and added, "Why don't you focus on me, baby?" With a flourish of her sleeves, Sang produced two chains that made thunderous sounds as she whipped them around. "I'll make both of you notice us," she laughed. "I'll make both of you our slaves." Sang gasped with excitement. "It will be glorious."

"Bertha, who is this?" I asked curiously. "And why does she have thunder as her element?"

"The Joker, Sang Hwang, is a former SUITs Agent," came the reply.

I was taken aback by the fact that a SUITs agent was now allied with the enemy. I glanced at Safiya quickly but her expression remained unchanged. It didn't faze her one bit; she must have known.

"Safiya?" I called out.

Safiya spoke up calmly. "Sang Hwang went missing with her team thousands of years ago and we lost track of her after a few years when her energy suddenly went silent. There were rumors of Sang popping up from time to time, and it seems she has been indoctrinated by The Red Lady."

As we were processing this information, someone emerged from the ground behind Sang. Safiya touched her ear comms to communicate with the others and confirmed their presence: "It is confirmed. Sang Hwang, The Joker is here... Luca Grasso has entered the fight."

"You're right, Safiya," Nehir chimed in.

"Sofia Serrano is here too," Daniella added.

"And guess who also showed up at my camp," Sasha exclaimed with excitement. "Noah Augustus is here."

"Is this a distraction?" I asked. "Isn't it?"

Sang clapped and laughed. "You've finally realized it, Kobayashi?"

Suddenly, the radio chatter went haywire. Multiple explosions could be heard in the distance as we quickly discovered that the shields surrounding the west gun had been disabled. The west gun placement was now vulnerable, and Sang Hwang stood in the middle of the street with a chilling smile on her face.

"The city will fall," Sang laughed. "And Earth with it."

I watched as enemy aircrafts formed into a single swarm and launched an attack on the west gun. During the battle, the defense guns positioned around that area, including the western gun itself, were aimed at the swarm. It was terrifying to witness enemy aircrafts joining forces from all three of Zaporg's aircraft carriers. The central and eastern defense guns adjusted their positions and focused on one of the battleships as they prepared to fire. In the meantime, the enemy swarm closed in on the western gun, overpowering it completely and obliterating it within seconds.

Nevertheless, the central gun successfully pierced through an enemy battleship, dividing it in half, while several shots from the eastern gun caused significant damage to another vulnerable battleship.

Regrettably, we lost control of the western gun.

Sang continued her nonsensical speech, laughing as she declared, "We are merely sacrificial lambs for those who came before us. The Ace of Spade campaign is approaching to fulfill their Ancient Prophecy – we are meant to be consumed by them." She taunted Kobayashi, suggesting that there was nothing he could do about it.

"We have multiple anomalies above us," Sasha said.

"Enemies?" I asked.

Hundreds of ripples appeared in the sky as numerous aircraft jumped into Earth's atmosphere. It wasn't just aircraft; two massive battleships also entered through the rippled sky. It turned out that they were SUIT's reinforcements joining the battle. I watched as the battleships fired massive rounds at Zaporg's flagship before it started running westward. SUITS quickly regained air superiority above Las Vegas, and Zaporg's second battleship was taken down right after.

"We will deal with the remaining enemies and Sang's teammates, Kobayashi," Nehir said. "You go to your team and chase after Zaporg."

"I will assist you, Kobayashi. Onon Khan reporting in," added Ingrid Hoffman.

Viktor bellowed with laughter and said, "Hey! It's Comrade Ingrid, Viktor's best friend."

Safiya tossed a device onto the ground which transformed into a transportation bike. "Take this and chase after Zaporg," she instructed me. Safiya took a step forward and confidently stated, "I will take care of Sang."

"You? Deal with me?" Sang laughed wickedly as she grinned at Safiya and called out for Luca.

Luca suddenly appeared in front of Safiya as they clashed with each other. Meanwhile, I hopped on my vehicle and drove away.

"Don't run away, Kobayashi! Sooner or later we will all be slaves to our masters," Sang laughed menacingly

[ophilosoraptoro]

Israel created their own monster when they funded Hamas back in the day to use as leverage against the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

And yes, most of the time Israel is restrained in their reactions, but in this particular case, they are carpet bombing.

Let's not look at what Gaza, or Hamas, or Iran, or any of the media has said though. Let's instead take Israel's word. By their own word, they are committing war crimes.

Israel has, on numerous occasions since Oct 7, attacked protected sites, such as schools, hospitals, religious and historical sites, and civilian targets. This is a war crime, with one exception: if the targeted site is being used as a base of operations by enemy forces. Then, it's free game.

Israel has said several times that the targets they targeted were Hamas safehouses.Now I don't doubt that Hamas would use such sites, hoping that it would either make Israel hesitant to attack, or that it would make Israel look bad if they did attack. That said, it doesn't hold up logically.

First, I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume they've been able to actually confirm the presence of Hamas, despite not sending anyone in on the ground for several months after Oct 7. If that's the case, and every single one of the otherwise protected sites they've bombed "because Hamas was there", then explain all the other locations they've also bombed? Was Hamas the intentional and confirmed target of every bomb they dropped? Because they've dropped thousands at this point.

If every church, school, and hospital that Israel bombed in potential violation of war crime laws was hiding members of Hamas, then what is the point of also dropping bombs on the entire surrounding area? Especially when we've been told that Hamas has escape tunnels all over Gaza, so there's no way to tell where they've gone?

Why risk killing hundreds of civilians, when we've been told that Hamas forces the civilians to stay put so they'll be killed by the bombs, making Israel look bad? Who in their right mind shoots the hostage? Oh wait, Israel does. It's called the Hannibal Protocol.

And I'm curious how Israel defines "Members of Hamas"? I know our own government, during Iraq/Afghanistan war, would claim they killed [fill in the blank] enemy combatants every day, to show that they were winning the war on terror. Turns out, they were counting "enemy combatants" as any and all males of fighting age - so older than 14, 15. Probably younger than that even.

As for their endgame? Netanyahu has plans for Gaza. Did you know that Israel is planning to build a cannal from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, to compete with the Suez?

It's called the Ben Gurion cannal.

This map shows the proposed route of the cannal.

This is concept art from a PDF released by Netanyahu's office, outlining their proposal for the future of Gaza.

Notice the cannal going through the middle of the image? There is no waterway in the Gaza strip, natural or man made. So why would they choose this image to represent their plans? Seems rather deliberate, like they're trying to tell us something without actually telling us.

The map says one thing, the concept art says another.

I mean, going straight through Gaza, instead of around it would likely save them billions of dollars.

Oh, and in case anyone accuses me of getting this info from biased sources - directly from Jerusalem Post:

[thethiefandtheairbender]

How To Train Your Dragon (2010) / The Dragon Prince (2018—?) / The Sea Beast (2022)

+

[eerna]

Me: :(

How to Train Your: Dragon

Me: :)

[tricky-ghoul]

Slaughterhouse - Kai Straw

The night was ripe and I was pickin’ grapes off it

Taken off at like midnight, then I'd say softly

That it wouldn't be met with what normally bested

Me, which be whiskey and weed but indeed

It did, and I was gone like a cough to a lozenge

Walked up in a house to 'em all doin' dollar hits of coke

While talking cognitive, rhetoric like philosopher's

About death, life, love, just pondering

Solvin' themselves these shells of truth

That they'll lose once their high's through

And I guess that defines youth

Then there's poets praying for plagues or bombs

So they'll have something more to write in essays or songs

'Cause they're bored of war and can't do shit about politics

So get real fuckin' drunk and then imagine they can abolish it

But then they'll get old, and have some kids of their own

Then those kids will say the same shit 'till their old

And it repeats over and over

And watch the news - they're still

Saying that the world's fucked and they've got it on film

Like, yeah, kill, kill, kill, did everybody die?

Double that, we need ratings, call it, umm, a genocide!

Then after a 2-hundred thousand dollar commercial

We're shown kids blown to bits

In a country we've never heard of

Then some have the nerve to comment like they know shit

Sayin, "Oh, that's God punishing the heathens' indulgence"

And they believe it, because passion with a good voice

Passes as fact to like half of those who hear the noise

So bon voyage and whatnot or whatever

I'll sever ties with my senses forever

I'm so existential and selfishly bitter

Like, look, take my rights but

Leave me my liquor (Leave us our liquor!)

Then I see all these women wearing make up for the sake of

Perfecting the face that appears when they wake up

And I wonder what it'd be like to live as a girl

Where your face isn't good enough to show to the world

It's odd, a woman's life is a fashion show

And a guy's not a guy unless he's smashing those

And they say, we're all free in most ways

But what most don't calculate

Is that we're slaves mostly to culture

Giving ulcers to a kid who likes pink

'Cause when Daddy calls him faggot, he likes blue to be abiding

Or a girl who was lonely, and was forced to pretend

But then blew a bunch of dudes and had a room full of friends

Then we're all Che 'til our youth runs out

A bunch of Bolsheviks, that conform somehow

I see kids pushin' world peace out their mouths

And to them I say, no, the world's a fuckin' slaughterhouse

We're all living on stolen roads

A peace sign's just fashionable

So I'll be sitting here

See you when you save the world

Or when you wake up and you save yourself

[duerdust]

today, i'm writing, with tears in my eyes, to beg everyone who reads this to help us spread what's happening.

While people were protesting near the parlament, the police and army allowed people to get inside saying they wanted a truce, protestants accepted and were almost celebrating, some danced, some screamed "we want peace", while the police rounded them. not long after that, they helicopters landed and the police started recharging their weapons. then, they were shooting gas bombs and other weapons to the thousands of people who were there, peacefully. Our, president, if he can even be called that, was calling for dialogue. That's the dialogue they gave. Hundreds of people hurt, kids, teens, students, women, elders, etc. A lot of deaths as well. But you probably won't hear about it on the local news. Our government is trying to hide all the violence and abuse, they're trying to silence our voices. Lenin Moreno says he's brave and that he wants to dialogue, but he hides in another city while his sold sheeps are killing us without thinking twice.

But we're not giving up. More people is joining the fight as days go by. We don't know when this will end, or how it will end, but we know that we will fight until we've won, or until there's nothing else to lose. If we have to die, we'll die, but we won't let them get away with all of their crimes.

No matter what's the outcome, just know that our hearts and minds won't ever forget what they've done, and we won't forgive either.

[bluebird167]

The Sinners and Their Saints Chapter 11: The Vampire Who Loved A Musician Part 2

Rose flew far off to a mysterious castle that was home to the vampire queen Jasper. There she sat on her thrown drinking from a goblet full of blood. She was a large, strong, and muscular being, hard to believe she was female. When she caught hold of Rose she dropped her goblet in shock.

"Rose?" She said. "Rose....You're....You're alive?"

"Indeed I am."

"That's...That's wonderful. I was told that you had been destroyed by sunlight."

"Well I wasn't no thanks to you or any of the other vampires." She said angrily. "I called for help but no one came, they all left me to die."

"I'm sorry Rose but you have to understand we can't ruin the mission just to help one injured vampire. Sometimes sacrifices must be made."

"I guess but what about loyalty and friendship? Last I checked we were best friends."

"We are but the good of our people always comes first. Anyway I'm so glad you're here because I need your help with something."

"What?"

"I finally found away to exterminate those humans."

"How?"

"With this."  She held up a glass vile of a strange purple liquid. 

"What is that?"

"It's a virus that will infect and kill every intelligent creature on earth. Once I break the glass they virus will spread to every where, there will be no cure. The only ones immune will be plants and animals."

"But Jasper that would infect us too."

"Don't worry I've planned for that as well." In her other hand she held a small statue of a bat. "This is the praying bat, it will ensure that vampires are the only intelligent life who survive this. Once all the humans and every other intelligent being is dead vampires will finally rule this world."

"Jasper I've been thinking and I don't think we should go through with this."

"What?"

"Look for these past three years I've learned something about these humans. They're not as worthless and savage as you think they are."

"How do you know?"

"I've been able to observe them closely."

"How close?"

"Close enough to know that they're not as bad as you say they are."

"Rose may I remind you that these humans are not only brainless neanderthals but they've killed hundreds of us!"

"And we've killed thousands of them!" She defended. "Jasper I know you think we suffer the most but you're wrong. It's them who have suffered, just read this."

She handed her the bible Greg gave her. Jasper hissed and threw it down.

"What the hell are you doing reading that?!" She screeched.

"Jasper this proves that God didn't abandon us, it proves that he loves us and I think that if we try hard enough he can forgive us for the terrible things we've done."

"We have done no wrong!"

"Yes we have! We've killed thousands of innocents thinking they were nothing more than cattle but they're not. These humans they're intelligent and cultured and sensitive. We can learn so much from them!"

"They'll never accept us! They'll only kill us!"

"Not if we show them that we want to make peace. "

"Peace? With humans? Humans no nothing of peace or compassion or feelings!"

"You're wrong! There are plenty who do!"

"How do you know?!"

"Because I come to love one!"

"You what?!"

"After I was left for dead a human saved my life. He sheltered me from the sun and gave me his own blood. He taught me about the human world and he treated me better than anyone here."

"You fool! Love is weakness!"

"No it's strength! I love him! And he loves me! And there's no way I'm gonna let you destroy him or any other human!"

She lunged for the praying bat in Jasper's hand. Jasper responded by punching her and knocking her to a wall.

"You traitor! How could you turn on your own kind?!"

"That's easy! I just learned that my own kind is much more horrible and revolting than the humans are!"

Rose pulled out a sword and shield, the two she vampires began to battle. Jasper was strong but she was no much for a vampire born from Dracula's blood. Rose easily over powered Jasper and took the praying bat from her.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this old friend." She said. "But I don't want to be apart of this anymore."

"Traitorous wretch! You'll pay for this! I swear it!"

"Good luck finding me and good luck finding this! Because I'm going to hide this somewhere you'll never find it!"

Rose then fled from Jasper's castle never to return again. She flew off somewhere and hid the idol somewhere she knew Jasper wouldn't think to look. After that she returned to Greg. She explained everything that had happened and asked him if she could stay with him. He agreed without a single word or thought of hesitation. Their time together was a happy one and both couldn't help but wonder how they ever could've lived without each other?

"Greg." She said one night as they sat together by a lake gazing up at the night sky.

"Yes?"

"Do you remember when you said love can create a new life?"

"Yeah."

"Well I want that. I want us to create a new life together. One we can nurture."

Greg froze for a moment.

"You mean....You wanna have a baby?"

"Yes. I see couples with one all the time and they look so happy. They have a kind of joy that I would give anything to have. But if you don't want one-"

"No! No! I do but are you sure you want one now?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Let's have a baby."

"Wonderful now how do we make one?" She asked.

"You don't know where babies come from?"

"No. Do you?"

"Oh boy this is embarrassing." He said blushing. "Well it's like this."

Five minutes later...

"You humans do that?" Rose asked surprised.

"Yep."

"How strange but I can do it."

"You sure you want to?"

"Yes, do you?"

"Um..." Greg was blushing all over. "Yeah..."

"Okay then let's do it."

So within time she became pregnant and for her she couldn't have been happier. The thought of being able to bring new life into the world made her completely overjoyed. But there was one downside. Vampires were not meant to produce offspirng so the females who come from blood don't have birth canals meaning if one was to become pregnant and choose to let it be born the labor would cause terrible body damage and blood loss. Their only chance to avoid this fate was to abort the child or drink human blood to make their body stronger. But Rose didn't want her child to be a full fledged vampire so during her pregnancy she stopped drinking human blood.

As time passed their child grew at an alarming rate but it was strong and healthy. Unfortunately the stronger the child grew the weaker Rose became.  Finally on a thundering, rainy, stormy night Rose went into labor. She laid on a mat crying and moaning in pain, her body was so weak and frail and she was suffering terrible blood loss.

"Ah! Ah!" She moaned. 

"Hold on Rose." Greg said clutching her hand. "Hold on!"

"The baby! You have to find someone to save the baby! Find a doctor please!"

"I'll be right back, just keep holding on."

Greg left their house and went to find help. It was such a terrible night, the thunder, lighting, wind, and rain made it nearly impossible for him to see. He was worried that he wouldn't be able to find anyone but he was also worried that even if he could find a doctor he wouldn't be able to pay him for helping Rose.

"Excuse me. Are you lost?" He heard a voice and he saw a light. It was a lantern being held by a man carrying a bag. 

"Who are you? And what are you doing out here?"

"I'm Father Gardner. I'm a minister and I'm out here because I'm looking for a girl who was abducted from my church about a year ago but what our you doing out here in this God forsaken weather?"

"Help! I need help!"

"Whoa! What's wrong?"

"Rose! She....She's bleeding! And the baby...It's....You have to help me find a hospital!"

"Take me to her."

"What?"

"I'm a doctor I can help. Now what's wrong?"

Greg took Father Gardner back to his house and explained everything on the way there.

"You impregnated a vampire? Are you mad?" Gardner asked.

"She's not like all of them! You have to believe me!"

"With all due respect as a minister I must purge the world of evil creatures like vampires!" Father Gardner pulled a cross and a wooden stake from his bag. 

"Wait! Just look at her! Please!" 

Father Gardner sighed but he put his tools up and went into the other room. He saw Rose lying on the mat clutching her stomach in pain with huge amounts of blood surrounding her body. She looked up at him with weak, tearful eyes.

"Are you the doctor?" she asked. "Please help my child."

"I am a doctor but the only way I can save your child is to perform a c-section but that will cause you to loose more blood and you'll die."

"I don't care, just please save my child."

"Rose no!" Greg said. "There must be another way. Drink my blood so you'll be strong enough."

"No Greg. I don't want Steven to be like me. To be forced to kill innocents to survive." She turned to minister. "Do whatever it takes to save our child."

Gardner couldn't believe this, a vampire determined to bring her child into the world and refusing to let it become a full vampire even if it means she could die. That was as believable as a devil serving God. (He would later learn that was possible too.)

"Alright sir get me some water and something to wrap the child in."  Gardner said. He opened his bag, pulled out a first aid kit he brought, and began to perform a c-section on Rose. With in two hours a strong and healthy infant had been produced. 

"It's a boy!" He announced.

"Is he okay?" Rose asked weakly.

"He's perfect." Gardner said. "See for yourself."

He held up the crying infant, Rose smiled softly. She had never seen anything so beautiful in all her life.

"Does he have a name?"

"Steven." Greg said. "We liked Steven."

"Nice name." 

Father Gardner took the child into the other room and began cleaning him. 

"He's perfect Greg." Rose sighed smiling. "Greg promise me something."

"What?"

"Steven is going to be a strong and powerful boy. Promise me that you'll make sure he uses his strength for good."

"I'm promise but Rose you need to rest now."

"Greg."

"Yeah."

"I'm so happy." She whispered with one last smile.

Her skin was losing color, her eyes closed, and her breath was slowing. 

"Rose? Rose? Are you okay?"

No anwser.

"Father! Come quick!" Greg called. 

The minister wrapped Steven in some blankets and placed him in a crib then rushed back to them.

"What's wrong with her?" Greg asked.

"She's lost too much blood." Gardner said. "I don't think she'll last much longer."

"No! No! Rose! You can't leave me!" Greg begged. "Please!"

She was fading fast. Father Gardner opened his bible and performed a salvation of the soul ritual to ensure that when Rose died she would go to heaven after death.  

"I'm sorry but she's gone." The minister sighed. 

"Oh God!" Greg sobbed bitterly. Father Gardner gripped his shoulder comfortingly while little Steven continued to cry as he knew his mother was gone.