#as much as you can all deny that or preach that I should separate the two

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

9th October >> Mass Readings (USA)

Wednesday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time 

or

Saints Denis, Bishop, and his Companions, Martyrs 

or

Saint John Leonardi, Priest.

Wednesday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: B(II))

First Reading Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14 They recognized the grace bestowed upon me.

Brothers and sisters: After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. I went up in accord with a revelation, and I presented to them the Gospel that I preach to the Gentiles– but privately to those of repute– so that I might not be running, or have run, in vain. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter to the circumcised, for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the circumcised worked also in me for the Gentiles, and when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, we were to be mindful of the poor, which is the very thing I was eager to do. And when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong. For, until some people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to draw back and separated himself, because he was afraid of the circumcised. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not on the right road in line with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas in front of all, “If you, though a Jew, are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 117:1bc, 2

R/ Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

Praise the LORD, all you nations, glorify him, all you peoples!

R/ Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.

R/ Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

Gospel Acclamation Romans 8:15bc

Alleluia, alleluia. You have received a spirit of adoption as sons through which we cry: Abba! Father! Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 11:1-4 Lord, teach us to pray.

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Saints Denis, Bishop, and his Companions, Martyrs   

(Liturgical Colour: Red. Year: B(II))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Wednesday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 As dying and behold we live.

Brothers and sisters: In everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, through much endurance, in afflictions, hardships, constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, vigils, fasts; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech, in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left; through glory and dishonor, insult and praise. We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful; as unrecognized and yet acknowledged; as dying and behold we live; as chastised and yet not put to death; as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

R/ Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing.

R/ Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad indeed.

R/ Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the torrents in the southern desert. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

R/ Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, They shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves.

R/ Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Gospel Acclamation John 8:12

Alleluia, alleluia. I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 5:13-16 You are the light of the world.

Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Saint John Leonardi, Priest 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Wednesday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-7 We preach Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.

Brothers and sisters: Since we have this ministry through the mercy shown us, we are not discouraged. Rather, we have renounced shameful, hidden things; not acting deceitfully or falsifying the word of God, but by the open declaration of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus. For God who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ. But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 10

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name!

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Say among the nations: The LORD is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity.

R/ Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Gospel Acclamation Mark 1:17

Alleluia, alleluia. Come after me, says the Lord, and I will make you fishers of men. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 5:1-11 At your command I will lower the nets.

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[the-firebird69]

Judge denies Trump's bid to adjourn hush money case due to pretrial publicity - ABC News

So he's being messed with so much it's ridiculous and Trump hasn't done and he can't figure out the problem my son is saying stop messing with me unrelentingly and it's not really cover I'm in trouble in your messing with me I figured out years ago and he says what does this mean it means that I figured out years ago and the max don't think I did and they're dead meat and they don't know it so he started to fidget me said he's saying he knows about it and you're d****** with him so much to give a s*** about you and he's going to bury you and they started mumbling and babbling he said wow so this sort of got it a little it's a bit hard so they might want to try and pull her into it and stop being so f****** harsh you're going to try and figure out who's doing it and sort of figure some stuff out but you should do is keep silent about my identity but now other people are going to compete stupid. So now they're upset about that they won't forget and the competition is going to beat him up. Like they they are now they're going to beat them up. And yeah that was ridiculous I don't want this donkey show anymore. It's hard enough trying to get them by through the day now things are happening right now and we're going to post a separately from this disaster this says that he's screwed and he is not getting an appeal and he's going to run through it and guilty or not he's going to be some idiot who went to court for a crime and they know he's a criminal and he's getting tainted over and over and over

He probably will be guilty and I'll tell you what there's going to be a huge number of people after him and you figure out what he's really been doing and how he had all those ships and he stayed where he was it's disgusting and he's a pig yeah he goes inside their brains and takes the stuff inside their head case a whole bunch of people other people are preaching by force

Thor Freya

Olympus

Right now there's huge forces of ours there and the max are there and they went topside in their slaughtering the idiot and we're grabbing them both and we're slaughtering both down below mostly because of Trump's actions and him thinking he can grab some of us or at least one and he can't now I'm going after him for what he's saying it's extremely rude to a lot of people does other people that do it but he doesn't a lot and we have creatures that do it all the time and he's out class that he doesn't know it but we have to prove it

Savage opress

And yes leave kg was mine and yours looks a little different and he thanks me

..

Good

Hera

Olympus

[redphlox]

Dabi's fear of feelings and connections

Dabi is a walking contradiction; he says he doesn't care about anyone, but his flames, which are linked to his emotions, demonstrate otherwise when Twice is killed. Dabi brushes off the news that Natsuo could have died because of him but still refers to him affectionately as Natsu-kun. Touya went around calling Endeavor out for neglecting his children but still trained to regain his approval and attention anyway. He lashed out at baby Shouto, admitted Shouto had done nothing wrong, and then attacked him again years later. He cries blood while thinking about his family but doesn't go home to them or change his actions which hurt them even more. Dabi wants to destroy hero society for a better future but it's obvious he doesn't plan to live long enough to see that future.

The gaps between his actions and his words are a result of dissociation and repression. It's not that Dabi is emotionless. Actually, he feels too much and he's afraid of his feelings because they've done nothing but hurt him emotionally and physically. He literally almost burned to death the one time he had a burst of emotion on Sekoto Peak and in order to prevent a repeat of that, he operates under the flawed notion that safety lies in repressing his feelings and pushing people away. He lies to himself and others and therefore cannot reconcile with his true self and can’t trust others.

In this meta I'll discuss how Dabi deals with his unprocessed feelings of betrayal and neglect by denying himself connections with both his inner wounded child and those around him. I'll also address a few misconceptions surrounding Dabi because dismantling them is key to understanding him. Contrary to popular belief, he does not want to kill his father, he never wanted to be a hero for his own sake, and he doesn't hate Shouto or his family. At its core, Touya's hurt stems from discovering that his relationship with his father wasn't based on unconditional love. This realization destroyed his sense of self so much it caused him to start fearing his own feelings and being close to others because of the link between his emotions and his self-destructive quirk.

To understand Dabi we have to understand Touya. In 291 we see through Endeavor's flashback that Touya was eager to train under him and carry his legacy. It's implied by the fact they’re working on ultimate moves that not only is Touya a willing, eager participant but that the two have been training together for quite some time. In 301 we learn that after Touya's quirk started hurting him Endeavor not only abandoned the training regime but also abandoned Touya both emotionally and physically. Instead of using the time he spent training Touya to help Touya find a new hobby or purpose in life, or just hanging out with his kid, Endeavor chooses to remove himself from Touya’s life. When Touya confronts him about the change of routine, Endeavor is seen putting on his jacket and leaving the home, his body turned away from his son.

Maybe Endeavor had errands to run, but my point is that he was in Touya’s life one minute and then gone the next. Touya says so himself: why did Endeavor change his mind all of a sudden? The abrupt change in attitude was jarring for a 4-5 year old to handle. To Touya, training = love, so he felt compelled to keep training and demonstrate his worthiness despite the fact that his quirk was hurting him. To Touya, the pain was worth it if it meant hanging out with his dad again.

But why? Well, Touya was Endeavor's #1 fan, genuinely so. His admiration and fondness for his father was genuine, and he didn't question the triumphant look on Endeavor's face when Touya said he wanted to learn the ultimate move. Before his quirk started burning him, Touya had no idea he was born for his father's ulterior motives. He had no reason to question his father's attention. Touya lived under the impression his bond with his dad was genuine and special, and he probably felt lucky that his father was willing to share something so important to him (heroism). Even after the training stops and Endeavor stops paying attention to Touya, Touya still wears his merch and vies for his attention. Most kids see their parents as larger than life and Touya was no exception. Keigo Takami admired Endeavor the hero, and Touya Todoroki admired his father who just so happened to be the hero Endeavor. Since being a hero was such a big deal for Endeavor, it was a big deal for Touya.

But that's where Touya's story becomes tragic. His father is a flawed, flawed man with many insecurities and fallacies that he pushes onto his family. I’ll get to those in a moment, but as intelligent and observant Touya is to catch on that Endeavor never set out to marry to become a father, he is too young to separate himself from his father’s expectations. Touya realizes he was born for a purpose and Touya will be damned if he doesn't fulfill that purpose even if he knows it's wrong. His father's ‘love’ meant that much to him. For Touya, it's not about becoming a hero for the glory. It was about his relationship with his father because, as I mentioned earlier, Touya was his #1 fan in the sense that he loved Enji just for being his dad. There were no conditions tied to that. “You are my dad, and I love you.”

But that wasn’t a sentiment that Touya felt in return, and that hurt Touya. He internalized he wasn't good enough, that something about him was inherently wrong. But more than that, his world came tumbling down - he felt betrayed and lied to: his father didn't love him like Touya needed him to, and this truth destroyed him. Their relationship was a lie, a farce, and it hurt so much Touya became obsessed with not hurting anymore because he couldn’t get away from it.

Touya’s motivation to become a hero didn't rise from being inspired by All Might like Shouto. Touya’s thought process wasn’t "I want to be a hero to help others or be like All Might" like Deku. No, Touya only wanted to be a hero because he wanted his father to be proud of him for surpassing All Might. Notice that Touya's obsession with beating All Might slowly diminishes from “I can surpass All Might” to “I can surpass All Might like Shouto, too” to just “look at me, Endeavor.” It was never about being a hero per say, but about his relationship with his father. Touya realized that Endeavor isn't his father first, but a hero, and he understands that he has to be a hero too to fit into his father's world. Even upon realizing that his father was using him, Touya still wanted to be part of his life, still wanted that bond. Touya, in his desperation to be loved and accepted again, could look past his father's selfishness as long as he regained that approval. Touya could pretend the relationship was real as long as he stopped feeling so unlovable.

This is unhealthy thinking, of course. Even if Touya somehow managed to regain Endeavor's approval, the relationship would still be one-sided and dissatisfying because he wouldn't be able to ignore the truth. But, this is how he rationalized his insistence to keep training in his 4-5 year old mind and this line of thought stuck with him as he grew up just as those feelings of inadequacy never left him.

This is precisely why Natsuo's drowsy "can't you go talk to our sister?" hurt so much. Touya was already emotionally fragile, and hearing that felt like being rejected all over again when it was actually Natsuo just trying to sleep. Touya was hypersensitive to any words or actions that could be interpreted as dismissive. His trauma wouldn't listen to logic that Natsuo was 8 and too young to understand, that he was tired - no, Touya's brain said, you're being rejected again! This is also why he also stormed away crying from Fuyumi after she expressed her concern for him.

In Touya’s mind, why couldn't anyone just agree with him that he was good enough? He heard "your dad's right and you're not good enough so why try" not "I care about you, your father is wrong, and I don't want you to keep getting hurt" whenever Rei tried to get him to stop training because that's the message he got from his father, too. Nevermind that it infuriated Touya that his mother could stand there and preach to him when, from his perspective, she couldn’t take her own advice. All Endeavor ever did was teach him to turn up the heat, so why should it matter that doing just so hurts him? Touya didn't understand NOT training his quirk because he had been taught that raising his firepower was ideal in all situations. Those two statements didn't make sense to a 4-5 year old, a 13 year old, and it still doesn’t make sense as a 24 year old.

To take Endeavor's lack of self awareness a step further, because it's important to understand Endeavor to fully understand Dabi, Endeavor has yet to realize his own inherent worth. He doesn't have to prove anything to his family, especially his kids. They love him unconditionally, without special reason aside from the fact that he's theirs and he's himself. However, Endeavor is so obsessed with proving himself that he doesn't realize he never had to, and he projects this onto his children. They must prove themselves by winning the genetic lottery, by being useful to his plans, by surpassing All Might.

The irony that to be a great father he doesn't have to be a hero at all is ugly because Endeavor has no identity outside of being a hero. Endeavor has said before he wants to be a good hero and father to make Shouto proud, but he fails to realize he already had this in Touya all those years ago and it still left him unsatisfied. The issue isn’t his role as a hero, it’s his inner self. In 301 Endeavor literally reaches out to Touya to talk him out of training and hurting himself, and Touya allows his father to touch his shoulders because he wants a bond with his father - any bond. Shouto, on the other hand, wouldn't allow Endeavor to touch him in 167 and slaps his hand away because he doesn’t want Endeavor’s approval. Endeavor doesn't realize Natsuo carries deep abandonment and neglect issues because he wanted to be accepted by his father too (light novel #5) but was ignored. Endeavor doesn't realize he was always good enough by default and that by projecting onto his kids and trying to be the top hero he’s doing the opposite of what he wants. He just keeps pushing away his family.

It’s important to point out Endeavor’s illogical thinking because Touya learned some of these same ideas. Touya repeatedly tries to prove himself without realizing that he was always good enough by default. The problem wasn’t his quirk or his body, but his father’s flawed thinking and self-worth issues. Now as an adult, Dabi is selfish because he's Endeavor's son and emobidies his most negative characteristics. Dabi thinks of his flames as Endeavor's, and he thinks of himself as an extension of Endeavor because that's how Endeavor set him up for life. Touya has no identity to fall back on after his father casts him aside. He was supposed to be Endeavor 2.0, but now that title is Shouto’s. Dabi doesn’t hate Shouto as a person, but he has tricked himself into believing Shouto is their father’s puppet. Shouto is a doll being used by their father with no self agency, and Dabi is going to break all of Endeavor’s toys. It’s nothing personal against Shouto, it’s just Shouto’s bad luck that he happens to be Endeavor’s masterpiece. This is why Dabi doesn’t hurt Shouto when they first meet at the training camp, and why Dabi stops attacking Shouto after Endeavor passes out - it’s not about Shouto. It’s about Endeavor, and breaking Endeavor. Touya is still there trying to be part of his father’s world, only this time not as a hero but as a villain who will end his own suffering. He doesn't want Endeavor to die, he just wants him to suffer, to ruin his dreams. Dabi thinks of it as justice.

But because Touya is still there, there is still that goodness in him, too. His connection to Fuyumi and Natsuo is still there, repressed and compartmentalized. It’s why he calls them affectionately as Fuyumi-chan and Natsu-kun. Touya’s pain is so great he has decided he’d rather end it than to carry on and look elsewhere. He's stuck, rightfully so. He recognizes his mother is a flawed person and ultimately doesn’t blame her for being a victim - she could have done more for her son, but he still sees her and his other siblings, even Shouto, as people who fell victim to Endeavor’s abuse who don't challenge their situation. Dabi sees himself as someone who does stand up to the abuse but doesn’t realize he still wants his father’s attention. He's always wanted it. That's why he went around at 13 condemning his father's treatment of his children but still trained to prove himself. This is part of the reason he became a villain.

Not to mention that Dabi literally can't cry. He has no way to release those emotions, so instead of trying to let them out, he pushes them down. But that doesn't work and is detrimental in the long run. In 290-294 we saw Dabi's flames burn so hot during his confrontation with Endeavor and revealing himself as Touya that his burns have spread. Dabi is afraid of his feelings because of their connection to his flames, but he also uses his feelings to his advantage. He wants to go out in an inferno along with Shouto just to hurt Endeavor and put an end to his own suffering and Endeavor's career. This is why Dabi doesn't bother calming himself down or denying that he never forgot how he was treated when he lived at home. Dabi became emotional in that battlefield, smiling maniacally instead of crying because he physically can't cry. In his mind, if his feelings are going to destroy him, he might as well use them to prove a point. After all, he has experience being used. It's why he was born.

I'm not saying any of these actions or thoughts are healthy or correct or condoned, by the way. Trauma responses don't make logical sense and usually aren't healthy. Knowing how the mind responds to trauma, it's understandable that Touya still wanted his father's attention even if it was abusive. In fact, this is how children often respond to abuse. Their caretaker/parent is all they know and they cling to these figures. Often times when authorities try to remove a child from their abusive parents, the child doesn't want to go because this parent is all they know and they do feel like they love their parent/caretaker. I’m not saying the authorities got involved in this case, because obviously they didn’t, but this same mentality of abused children can be applied to Touya. Touya, in his four year old mind, probably convinced himself that if he was good enough everything would go back to how it used to be.

So, to sum up Dabi’s character, of course he doesn't make any sense. He’s still that hurt 4-5 year old who is trying to protect himself from ever getting hurt like that again while still wanting his father’s validation. Of course he doesn’t want to get close to anyone, not even the League. He doesn't want to be vulnerable or let people in or form connections because the last time that happened he was let down, forsaken, and it hurt so much it literally made him lose control of his quirk to the point he almost died. When Twice is killed, Dabi consoles himself by saying he didn't care anyway, all to prevent another emotional fire. Dabi is a master of compartmentalizing and boxing away his feelings - this is probably why, 310 chapters into BNHA, we have yet to have a few chapters in his POV or his backstory. He's disconnected from himself. He knows his plot to get justice will hurt his siblings and mother and to live with himself and move forward he represses those feelings.

Because of his father not showing up on Sekoto peak, Dabi has to live with physical disabilities due to his scars and memories of burning alive. He doesn't want to go through that again so he lies to himself that he doesn't care about anyone or anything. He denies that he's still in pain while simultaneously seeking validation of his pain. He acts like he doesn't care about his family but still calls them affectionate names. He acts like he hates Endeavor and calls him by his name but still wants his attention. He decided long ago that he would die destroying Endeavor's career because that was the thing Endeavor cares about most of all in this life. It's a "you hurt me so I'll hurt you" mentality. He has tricked himself into thinking this is justice, failing to realize this won't make him feel better if he doesn't die by his own hand along the way.

Dabi is full of resentment and spite, both of which take root from feelings of abandonment, betrayal, and the loss of a purpose and the realization that he wasn't born to be loved for who he was but as a tool for his father. The first betrayal he suffered was in the form of realizing his father didn't love him genuinely, and this was identity-breaking for him. He never recovered from it. The second betrayal, the reinforcer, was his father not showing up to Sekoto Peak. Since then, Dabi is reliving his trauma over and over again the more he uses his quirk and the more he faces Endeavor. To be saved, Dabi needs to accept that he is loved unconditionally and needs to be validated that he was right to feel thrown aside and used.

[misssakurapetal28]

#Sabrina Raincomprix Deserves WAY Better...

You know...

I find it SO FUNNY how this fandom preaches about “peace and tolerance” or “let these bullies learn and grow” or “They are are just misunderstood!” when it comes to characters like Chloe and Lila. It doesn’t matter what they did or always do, people have faith in them no matter what. However, when it comes to Sabrina, ANOTHER mistreated and misunderstood girl (in my opinion), just because she’s no “important” or “one-dimensional” or “not developed enough”, no one bats an eye, no one doesn’t care, no one gives a shit, NO ONE SEES HER mistreatment and potential and completely turns their backs on her. Even when a small handful of people DO care, it’s suddenly “not that serious” because she’s not that important, it’s a kids show, or people will try to make it about Chloe in some way.

It makes me mad because...most of us have been bullied and mistreated in school. Some of us been manipulated, intimidated and belittled by people that we once loved, cared about or saw as our friends and I’m sure of it. Some of us, we were kids once and sometimes we did things that we didn’t want to do, but we DID do in fear that we would get bullied or have something be taken from us. Sometimes, we were misunderstood or wronged for things that could of been or should of been at least understandable. Sometimes, we did wrong things to keep toxic things or friendships.

Now, of course you can say that some of this COULD apply to Chloe and Lila too. It VERY likely and possible, but in my opinion this fits Sabrina’s situation a more than Chloe and Lila’s. Also, I would have been a lot more fine with this applying to Chloe and Lila IF Sabrina gotten the same amount of sympathy, empathy and compassion for that too. You see, I bet A LOT of people dealt MORE with people like Chloe and Lila in school. And I know at least 1 person AT LEAST saw people like Sabrina too. 

My point is...when I see all this passion, controversial opinions, constructive criticism and even hate when it comes to Chloe and Lila, people always say that “their children, let them grow and learn” or sayings like that all them time. They want to defend them, no matter what they do because “they had it hard”, “they’re relatable” or “because they’re children”. However, Sabrina??? It’s always the same kind of answers:

“She’s undeveloped” 

“She contributes nothing to the story”

“She knows what she’s doing but doesn’t care”

“She WANTS to do bad things”

“She’s spineless”

“She one-dimensional”

“Chloe is better than her”

“She’ll be terrible with a miraculous”

“She doesn’t feel sorry for what she does”

“She only uses Chloe’s friendship to benefit from being friends with a rich girl”

“She’s not important”

Like, even if ANY of that was true (which I admit it might be to a CERTAIN DEGREE), not only people don’t look at the subtext of the situation, but where are you guys compassion, sympathy and empathy for HER though??? As teens???? AS ADULTS????? Not Chloe, not Lila, SABRINA? Why does Chloe and Lila deserve 78 chances when you can’t even give Sabrina even 1!?!? It means she’s undeveloped, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have potential! She does bad and questionable things sure, but that’s what happens when you have bad influences in your life and no real responsible adults -___-. 

Is Sabrina competely innocent? Of course not! Sabrina is responsible for her own actions and she owes everyone SHE has personally hurt an apology, but I still believe she has a chance to gain confidence, grow a backbone and change for the good. I don’t think Sabrina is a bad kid, just misguided. Maybe she doesn’t deserve a miraculous at this point of time neither, but neither does Chloe. I’m so sick of the double standards when it comes to Sabrina and other bully characters in the show.

And you know what??? 

Even though I do feel sorry for Chloe to a degree, even though I DO stand of Chloe over Hawkmoth/Gabriel/her creator (Thomas) now, even though I DO think Chloe had potential to be great and developed, I really don’t like Chloe as a character. 

Never did. 

I don’t think she deserves a miraculous and I personally don’t think she deserves more attention or better in general than Sabrina. I’m not afraid to say it anymore. If you want to go after me for that, fine, but I don’t care anymore. I like Sabrina, I relate to her and I think she deserves MUCH better than the show and the fans give her. 

Regardless of you like or dislike Chloe, you can’t deny that she has shown time and time again that Sabrina isn’t truly her friend outside of what Sabrina can do for HER or if it boost her ego in someway. Sure, they might have their nice moments every now and then, but come on??? She basically admits to her mom that not only she’s using Sabrina (Queen Wasp), but she also has said that Sabrina would be NOTHING without her (Evillustrator). 

“BUT WAAAA! SHE CAN GROW!!!” 

And OK! I’ll give that to you! She CAN grow, but that does NOT mean that people don’t have the right to say anything about her behavior or be irritated/disappointed/angry when she does something wrong! YES, her actions do have UNDERSTANBLE REASONS, but they aren’t JUSTIFLIEABLE REASONS. It means it’s understandable why she’s this way (mom issues, absent mother, spoiled, her dad is a bad influence, fear of being bullied so she does it first etc), that doesn’t mean she gets to get off scot free and keep doing/acting the way she wants (the show won’t do anything about, so fans do, which is why I sometimes understand the Chloe hate). 

Also, what are the chances of ANYBODY (let alone Chloe) having any development at this point??? 

It really baffles and annoys me how much attention this fandom gives to these girls (Chloe and Lila) because of “redemption/reformation”, “what they’ve went through” or because “it’s much more interesting”, but then gives SO MUCH LESS attention to an very underrated character who can have just as much as a good redemption story as Chloe and Lila can. It’s even you like Chloe over Sabrina or you equality dislike both of them. I NEVER hear more than a handful of people liking Sabrina more than Chloe. 

Also, we barely know anything about Sabrina outside Chloe. How about we try to ask for some development for her? Some development? Some backstory? SOMETHING for Sabrina??? 

So basically the “let the children grow” argument only implies to characters that you like and are interested in apparently and you ignore their “followers/friends”, even though they themselves have potential and understandable reasons to THEIR actions too 🤷‍♀️ People only care about Sabrina when it comes to shipping or if it has anything to do with Chloe’s development, and it’s not fair.

Seriously, you have people still having faith in Chloe and Lila, who HAS arguably done more harm than Sabrina, with or without Hawkmoth’s influence, but then dislike Sabrina MORE for what? Just being someone’s sidekick because they don’t have a spine yet? Because she’s just simply bland or undeveloped? YES, Sabrina has done some messed up stuff too, but she NEVER did that stuff without Chloe specifically telling her to. And if she does seem mean? It’s just to blow smoke up Chloe’s chimney. 

I don’t think she does mean things because she’s a toxic and mean person, she does it for Chloe’s approval. Sabrina just has a twisted mindset on how friendship works. It doesn’t make it anymore right, but can you at least TRY to understand where Sabrina comes from instead of focusing on Chloe and Lila all the time???  God, as much as I do like it when people notice/don’t ignore/callout the bad writting in MLB, this fandom when it comes to Sabrina REALLY pisses me off...

And before you say “why are you so serious about a nothing character from a show for children????”

1). Why are YOU when it comes to Chloe and Lila???

2). If None of you are going to defend Sabrina, who will???

As for Lila, I’ve already said my reasons on why I don’t like her as a character/person neither in the past, but I’ll just make a separate post about her in the future. My point being in this post is that Sabrina really isn’t that bad like people make her out to be. At least not as worse as Chloe. I belive that both girls have the possibly of growing and changing for the better (now Lila is a different story, but I digress), but I just think Sabrina deserves more attention and love. In short:

#SabrinaRaincomprixDeservesBetter

P.S. I am looking forward to see her with the dog miraculous, but I know it’s probably not going to be good...

[ineffablefate]

Today I want to talk about the religion of Christianity.

Those who actually practice what Yeshua (Jesus) taught should have no need to identify as Christian. The fruits of the Spirit of Love in you should be the only testament you need give concerning your faith. If it is not obvious from the way you live without judgment, without worry or fear, with unconditional Love for all, including your enemies, then your need to claim belonging to a particular group should only rightly arouse suspicion and outline your hypocrisy.

The early followers of Yeshua and the teacher himself never referred to themselves as Christians. This term was supplied later on by citizens of Antioch and would not be adopted by the church until much later. Christ constantly stressed that faith was not claiming to believe in him, or saying yes to God, but that it was demonstrated by DOING the will of God.

So many have been turned off from the wisdom of Yeshua (myself included for a time) because of what his so-called followers and believers have demonstrated in terms of hypocrisy. A day is coming when those who actually practice the Word of Truth should abandon the church and go into the fields and into the streets to do the work they have been called to do.

FAR too much of the church's time is wasted "worshipping" and preaching and building massively useless temples so that they can get a dose of the "feels-good-to-be-me" while ignoring the suffering, the separation, and the deeply ingrained fears we are meant to be healing and overcoming.

You think you have salvation because you claim belief in Christ, because you have accepted "Jesus" into your heart, but I tell you this: true faith is TRUST, and those you trust, you follow the advice of. No one who continues to live in judgment and hypocrisy, who withholds Love and joy from any person, has Christ in their heart, but you are aligned with the devil. The very man you claim to worship said as much of you.

The pagans and the "sinners," the gays and the atheists, the liberals and the transgendered, and everyone you judge as unclean or unworthy are entering the Kingdom of Heaven before you do.

Because you were called above all to Love these ones whom you deny salvation to, and in doing so you deny your own forgiveness. Because you were called to give up all possessions and all service to money, and you were told it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the Kingdom, and still you hoarded wealth and thought you could serve two masters, thinking you were blessed by the very things that cursed you to remain in your fallen state.

WOE to you, Christians, who have so entirely failed to uphold the Love and redemption that was offered freely to you. You think you have power to deny others entrance into the Kingdom, and you yourself cannot get in! I tell you truly, many of the Muslims and the Buddhists, the Taoists and the Judaists, the Hindus and the atheists will taste salvation before you do!

For you have failed to understand that the Kingdom of Heaven is a state of total nonjudgment, where Love and forgiveness is freely offered to EVERY person, and the Spirit and soul of humanity is welcomed back into full union, where the Glory of God is realized as the All-in-all. Whatever you say you believe will not save you, whatever words you preach will do nothing to redeem you, but it is by your own false teachings you will stand condemned, and unless you truly learn to forgive and wipe clean the debts of every brother and sister that you hold record of, you will not escape your prison until every last cent is paid.

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for 11th Sunday after Pentecost (Dominican rite)

1 Cor 15:1-10; Mark 7:31-37

What is the essence, the kernel of the Gospel of salvation? What is it that we must believe and act upon if we’re to be saved? The earliest record of this is found in the passage we heard today in the epistle, and it was written around 56 AD, less than thirty years (or one generation) after Christ’s ascension, about a decade before the first Gospel was written. In his letter to the Christians in Corinth, St Paul affirms the astonishing truth that is the core of the Good News of Jesus Christ, namely that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he was raised from the dead, and that this same Risen Lord Jesus was seen by hundred of people, many of whom are still alive and who can thus testify to this earth-shattering truth.

St Paul’s main concern, therefore, is to affirm the truth of the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So, for us to be counted as Christians, we have to believe, first of all, that Jesus really died, that is to say that his human body and soul were separated in death. This might seem obvious, but nevertheless, in the 2nd century AD, a heresy arose that supposed that Jesus, being divine, only appeared to have a human body, and so he only appeared to suffer and die on the Cross. The Docetists, therefore, denied that the God-Man Jesus Christ died on the Cross. One version of Docetism thought that Jesus was a real man who was possessed by a spiritual being called Christ, and that this Christ gave Jesus power to perform miracles, but eventually abandoned Jesus to die on the Cross. Lest we think that Docetism is a long-gone heresy, we should recall that the British author Philip Pullman revived this idea in a novel published in 2010 called ‘The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ’, and, more pertinently, the Quran asserts that “they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the semblance of Isa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man).” Muslims, therefore, if they follow the Quran, do not believe that Jesus truly died on the Cross.

But St Paul affirms this essential Christian truth: Jesus Christ “died for our sins”. For if Christ has not truly died, then humanity remain in a state of unforgiven sin, and we have no remedy for death itself. So, as St Paul put it: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” (1 Cor 15:17)

Hence, at the core of our central Christian act of worship, namely, the Holy Mass, is the making present of Christ’s saving death. Hence St Paul says to the Corinthians: “As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” (1 Cor 11:26) So, it is in the sacrifice of the Mass, and particularly through the separate two-fold consecrations of bread and wine that the death of Christ is signified and made present for our salvation. As St Thomas Aquinas says: “in this sacrament, which is the memorial of our Lord's Passion, the bread is received apart as the sacrament of the body, and the wine as the sacrament of the blood.” Following this teaching of the Angelic Doctor, Pope Pius XII thus said: “by the "transubstantiation" of bread into the body of Christ and of wine into His blood, His body and blood are both really present: now the eucharistic species under which He is present symbolize the actual separation of His body and blood. Thus the commemorative representation of His death, which actually took place on Calvary, is repeated in every sacrifice of the altar, seeing that Jesus Christ is symbolically shown by separate symbols to be in a state of victimhood.” (Mediator Dei, 70)

The second aspect we Christians have to believe, then, is that Christ truly rose bodily from the dead. The Gospel accounts of the risen Lord stress that he is not a ghost, nor an apparition, nor even, as certain heresies claim, a mass hallucination or wish-fulfilling delusion of the apostles. The whole of the Christian Faith, all our hopes of eternal life, all that we stand for as Christians depends on this central truth of Christ’s actual bodily Resurrection. As St Paul says: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Cor 15:14). The Catechism of the Catholic Church therefore states: “The Resurrection above all constitutes the confirmation of all Christ's works and teachings. All truths, even those most inaccessible to human reason, find their justification if Christ by his Resurrection has given the definitive proof of his divine authority, which he had promised.” (CCC 651) Hence St Paul insists that various peoples, both individuals and groups, at different times and places, have truly seen Jesus risen from the dead. And then he says that many of these eye-witnesses are still alive, as a challenge to anyone in the 1st century who might want to interrogate them personally.

But the Scriptures also tell us how we, who live in subsequent centuries and outside of the Holy Land, might encounter the Risen Christ. In St Luke’s Gospel, the two disciples who meet the Risen Lord on Easter Sunday at first do not recognise the Lord, but then, “when he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him”. (Luke 24:30-31) This clearly liturgical action tells us down the ages that the reason we gather for the Holy Mass, and the reason it is the “source and summit” of the Christian life is because it is here that we stand at the foot of Calvary, and more importantly, it is here that we recognise the Risen Christ, alive and active and present among us, in his Mystical Body, the Church. For as St Thomas says, Christ’s resurrection completes the work of our salvation, and so it is in the Mass that the Paschal Mystery of Christ, his passion, death, and resurrection, is re-presented. Hence, from the earliest centuries, the first Christians gathered for worship not on the Sabbath day but on Sunday because, as Pope Innocent I said: “We celebrate Sunday because of the venerable Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we do so not only at Easter but also at each turning of the week.” From the beginning, therefore, whenever the Church gathered for divine worship, they did so on a Sunday in order to stress that in the Mass they were commemorating the Lord’s Resurrection from the dead. The Sunday Mass, therefore, is our communal and Ecclesial act of faith in the Resurrection, and hence, gathered into the unity of the Church’s living Faith, we shall indeed recognise the Risen Lord present and active in the Holy Mass. Thus, every Sunday and holy day, we profess our belief in the words of the Creed, dating to the 4th century, and that contains at its core that which St Paul proclaims to the Corinthians: “Passus et sepúltus est, et resurréxit tértia die, secúndum Scriptúras”; ‘he suffered death and was buried and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.’ Concerning these articles of faith, St Paul says in today’s epistle that through this good news which have we received and in which we stand, we shall be saved if we remain steadfast (cf 1 Cor 15:1-2).

The final point that St Paul makes and that we have to believe, therefore, is that Christ’s death and resurrection is promised to us through the prophets: they happen “in accordance with the scriptures”, that is to say, in accordance with the Jewish sacred writings. Why is this important?

Firstly, it grounds our faith in a community and in public revelation that has been discerned as authentic by the people of God. For throughout the history of the Church, there has been a temptation to seek private revelations and arcane wisdom. The Gnostic heresy, which emphasises personal spiritual knowledge over and above the authority and publicly recognised teachings of the Church, is a heresy against which we must always be vigilant. In the 1st century, Jewish and Christian communities battled Gnostic ideas, and it was resurgent in a new form the 13th-century when the Dominicans were founded by St Dominic to combat Albigensianism, and it is very much present again in our times when people assemble their own spiritualities and religious ideas based on their feelings and fears. Hence St Irenaeus stressed the Ecclesial nature of our Faith, centred once more on the Sacred Liturgy and the Sacraments which are the actions of the totus Christus the whole Church. Thus he said: “It is not necessary to seek truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church.” As such, the Church must clearly and boldly and plainly teach the Truth of the Gospel, just as St Paul did in these few words to the Corinthians.

Finally, St Paul stresses that Christ’s actual bodily death and resurrection are a fulfilment of prophecies because it is vital that we believe that God’s word is dependable, that his truth endures for ever, and that his providence guides human history and provides for our needs, but always according to God’s wisdom and his good time. St Paul thus reminds us that, even for one so sinful as himself, God’s grace provided for his conversion and his mission: “his grace toward me was not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:10) Or as we hear in the Gospel today: “He has done all things well” (Mk 7:37). Indeed, God does all things well, in the fullness of time, and the Death and Resurrection of Christ demonstrates this perfectly. So as we profess our faith in the Gospel, we’re called to believe and act as people who have truly received this good news, truths that change how we view our human living and even our dying.

[thetimelordbatgirl]

Timeline of VK Day Hate

I’m just making this cause I kinda find it funny that VK Day just....keeps getting worser with the movie and each bit of side merch for the movie that basically makes it clear Auradon/the core four and Ben are just fucking clowns:

*Good To Be Bad- when this song was dropped, it was also our intro to VK Day, with how the teaser for it literally had VKs having to pick their favorite VKs while praying to posters of the VKs to be picked, mainly a girl pleading for Mal to pick her, confirming the four have basically become a little big headed with even streets named after them and kids having to be chosen by them, meaning the kids are basically applying for something only four will be chosen for and being hyped up for nothing almost. Plus the song was trash but that’’s a whole other problem lmao.

*Escape From The Isle Of The Lost- I have not read the book, but my friend, @disneyfan50​ , has, and according to her, Doug at least suggests something about how the VKs wont be so scared to apply if they know they’ll be welcomed, hence the four coming up with....VK Day, no explanation in the book for WHY applications, but they came up with VK Day due to no one but Dizzy wanting to apply for Auradon due to either the kids being afraid or giving up on being good as its got them nowhere on the Isle. It should also be noted Celia gets to be in the first wave due to Mal making a deal with Dr. Facilier that if he gets the VKs to apply, Celia will be in the first wave of VKs to leave- still doesn’t excuse how Mal treated her, but that’s the books explanation while in movie....yeah, its just iffy writing with Celia being the only one who apparently needs goodness class when she does nothing bad.

*The Movie Itself- basically amps up what was wrong with Good To Be Bad teaser, as it shows the VKs basically chose Dizzy even though she was invited back in D2, Celia cause of either book reasons or I dunno and the twins....cause apparently they are willing to separate twins if the four aren’t feeling generous to not do that- and then of course, VKs coming over becomes about Bal engagement and yeah, you know the drill with how shit Mal took the VKs idea. 

*The VKs Guidebook- the nail in the coffin in my opinion, since it confirms so much WTF shit as follows:   -Evie had only made a short list at the end of D2 cause she didn’t know what kids they’d be able to take off the Isle and how many.   -The applications literally is just to see how many want to leave the Isle and which ones to pick....cause again like I said, the core four and Ben are fucking clowns in D3.    -Dizzy WAS invited.....but apparently, Ben came up with the idea that Dizzy had to apply with the others so it was fair....yeah, that’s a load of bullshit for both Dizzy and other VKs.    -They had to write ESSAYS just to prove their worth/explain why they want to go to Auradon, cause in the VKs own words: they didn’t want to pick kids who wanted to continue their wicked ways, only good kids- why yes, the core four are hypocrites who preached good to be bad but never meant it while being former wicked VKs themselves, what else is new in D3 writing?    -They still had to pick a favorite VK which ironically, Celia chose Jay, not Mal so lmao- but the favorite VK thing is such bullshit, cause its the four literally getting their egos made larger and kids have to appeal to them to just be picked.    -The treatment of Celia VS the other three showed truly, as despite writing a good essay and being pretty good and wanting to be with her friends, Mal....somehow acted like Celia was being difficult and needed a how to be good guide?    -The twins application was bullshit confirmed as they applied TOGETHER on the SAME application, meaning they in film printed that one twice as an excuse to fill up the four VKs quota.    -This was in the welcome part of the book but I left this till last for a reason: they confirmed the VKs had to get parents permission to leave the Isle....meaning if they didn’t, they’d likely be denied. So ANY VKs that have shitty families, that have parents who don’t wanna lose their pawns and are basically abusive....don’t get to come cause their parents didn’t sign the permission or hell, don’t get to come cause they don’t have a parent to sign it. And in the same book, Celia put this in her area of the book: 

Which basically confirms that anyone who DID go, would be seen as traitors and be hated likely by the villains on the Isle but....for some reason, parents permission was added to the applications. 

It should also be noted, Goodness Class is a class that according to the guidebook, all VKs will have to attend so like.....the exclusion of VKs with wicked ways is more bullshit then ever if the VKs still have to attend Goodness Class anyway. You also can get expelled for skipping it apparently, but we aint surprised given its FG....

So in short....by this point, VK Day literally was what Good To Be Bad showed it to be: just a day to celebrate the core four as heroes for taking more VKs from the Isle while being hypocrites with who they picked and how they treated the VKs if they won’t perfect VK standards for Auradon.

[weaselbeaselpants]

That Krispy Cat: A Warning, part 3

The last of the images cause I don’t want this bitch on my computer anymore. 

Knowing tumblr I kept the images hidden JUUUUST in case no one reads the fine print and can’t tell I’m being critical of this and gets me in trouble.

VVV ((Just in case you thought the JewishGriffon piece assured everyone that Crispy couldn’t POSSIBLY hate people of color, some of her earliest Nazi art had her character Klaus beating up Amigo Bear. She also made Amigo into a liberal strawman. )) VVV

((Dialogue to one of her TROLLARIOUS pictures that featured Amigo:

Amigo Bear: *muttering* "Your leader was a !@#$% little #@%^!@$^*!, you fascist feather duster..." General Klaus: "Fräulein, Ich vant you to cover your ears und shut your eyes as tight as you can." Crispy: "How come, General?" General Klaus: "Klaus ist about to say und do very bad sings zhat he does not vant his little Edelweiß to see or hear." Crispy: "Alrighty!" General Klaus: "WHO SAID ZHAT ABOUT DER FÜHRER? WER DIE FICK GESAGT? WHO'S ZUH SCHLEIMIG LITTLE COMMUNIST-SCHEISS SCHWANZLUTSCHER DOWN ZHERE, WHO JUST SIGNED HIS OWN DEATH VARRANT? NIEMAND?! GOTTVERDAMMT STALIN SAID IT! HERVORRAGEND! VHICH VUN OF YOU VANTS TO BE ZUH FIRST TO FIND OUT ZUH HARD VAY VHY MEIN FEINDE CALLED MIR DER BUTCHER BIRD?" ))

^^^ ((BUTOPHERARTISGOODSOYOUCAN’TCOMPLAIN

also the disc. for this pic before it was deleted had a ‘joke’ about cooking Jews in ovens. Oh and yes, that IS Hitler she’s giving that ugly ass cupcake too.))

^^^ (( - Thanks dA I never would have known I had a notifications unless eclipse blah -

This is one of her rants about how #Triggered she is that Starlight be compared to the Nazis when she runs a communist cult. Because A) that’s the real problem here and B) I too get upset when people say my OC is based on Jeffrey Dahmer when he’s so CLEARLY based on Ed Gein, Bwwwaaaah D> D> D> !)) ^^^

VVV ((Ugly art of her friend’s awful OCs.)) ^^^

VVV ((Crispy showing off why no one wants to be a patriot in our country.)) VVV

((FYI, Crisp, that attitude will make the Hamilton fans stronger so just keep that SJW-flinging coming you little SJW.

WHAT?! Social Justice is a broad term and as Crispy’s plainly demonstrated, you can circle it around and make a majority-class sound like the real underprivledged if you have enough fancy frou frou know-how and furries. Also, if a Social Justice Warrior constitutes someone who takes their cause soooo seriously that they’re annoying/petting/cruel/stupid about it....idk I think Crispy qualified.))

^^^ ((Crispy and her friend muse about what other races occupy the world of MLP in her headcanon. This, more than any other dA disc. and picture shows you her brand of “Segregationist-Nationalism is OKAY” thinking, cuz the art of these different races isn’t super offensive or cruel and neither are the characters. BUT if you scratch under the surface you’ll find that Crispy really likes these different people staying in their place and not in “someone else’s” country.

THEN, this same kind of thinking is used to convince you any mix of cultures is just cultural appropriation, again acting like she and her Nazi-stans are the only ones standing up to actual bigotry.)) VVV

^^^ ((Crispy makes the world a worse place by bringing up actual decent points; like how Americans dress Thanksgiving up as progressive and for the natives when we all know that’s not true...all to better her worldview.

fyi, GET OUT whenever you see a selfproclaimed Nazi fawn over Native Americans, because: Nazi Germany had a deep fascination with American Indians and used their struggles about their land being taken away from them to justify their eugenic genocide.)) ^^^

^^^ (( Crispy laughing it up on Furaffinity how she couldn’t be banned from her Furaffinity and then mysteriously never using her site there wowie.)) ^^^

^^^ (( Crispy complaining about SOPA cause her freedom of speech and blahblahblah.

Freedom of Speech is important. Unfortunately what people like Crispy don’t understand or care for is there’s no freedom of consequence. )) vvv

VVV ((LOL Joseph Mengele was such a stinkah let’s tell blithe jokes about him. At least WE AREN’T LIKE HIM!!!)) VVVV

VVV ((Early onset eugenic BS from her Spyro stuff that would be easy to miss if you didn’t know what this woman was talking about)) VVV

((Crispy admitting she thinks gays are pointless cuz they don’t reproduce but apparently loves them anyway. Also big shock Crispy’s seen Hetalia.)) VVV

VVV ((Crispy probably wanting Weeaboos to attack her cuz aren’t Japan’s animations so laaaaaaazy?!!?!? GUUdd think’ I’m a naziaboo! Germany’s never made any shitty animation evah. You know what, I lied. She doesn’t deserve Hetalia. She just doesn’t.)) VVVV

VVV ((Crispy dragging Brazil down with her as the apparent “Best South American Country”. Yikes.)) VVV

VVV ((More “it’s trolling ergo it’s not harmful” shit. Bulgarians probably do deserve their own Care Bears, but they certainly don’t want yours Crispy.)) VVV

VVV ((Disc. for her Richard Spencer bear art)) VVV

------

I know, I know...this isn’t what you wanted to read today, guys. I know it’s offensive and I’m sorry if it made you ill. I also know I’m putting my own blog under fire by showing these images here but I think that should say something about dA’s bad policies that this art gets a filter slapped on it and nothing more when the artist is blatantly pro-fascist.

Crispy resonates with me so much - and no it’s not cause I DARED to be “triggered”.

It’s because, for one, she was talented. I MEAN I HAVE EYES! That’s some nicely drawn digital stuff I’m not gonna deny. She had some cool rewrites and sequel ideas that, had it come from someone else I would have eaten up and faved to hell and back onceupona2012. But I didn’t, where a ton of MLP and furry fans did because they undervalued their own talents and would say “well it’s pretty who cares about the message?” 

Unlike so many commercial+published artists, it’s REALLY hard to separate the art from the artist here because the artist is so connected and a part of her art and storytelling. If you fav her art, even if you didn’t like her, that was telling Crispy she’d won. It’s so defeating to have other artists say their gonna ignore their gut for the sake of prettypretty-Don-Bluth style art. And yes, that stigma DOES affect my view on 2D purists btw.

Crispy was so holier than thou’, and that attitude also was appealing to dA folks, not to mention her knowledge of art history by the time she dropped off the radar. Crispy was the kind of person who’d make long, detailed, justified rants against the design and color choices in Hazbin Hotel and then a bunch of antis would eat her redesigns up only to learn the awful truth later and embarrass themselves cuz they were so taken up by the craft they didn’t know they were reblogging a fucking Nazi.

Not to underplay Viv’s wrongdoings of course, but I’m sorry; the two aren’t comparable on the problematic artist meter. THAT’S HOW BAD CRISPY WAS.

If this somehow was just a faze and she’s come to her senses or doesn’t really think this shite she preaches...I don’t care. She said some vile shit and fuck no I’m not forgiving her. It’s like KenDraw or Shadman. You’ve changed your life around and realized you’ve done/drawn nasty shit that’s done real harm? Cool....I’m still not talking or ever promoting you, ya dingbat. You ain’t no Roman Polanski or Doug Tennaple. You’re a singular internet artist and any support of the project has to go to you - and you suck!

ThisCrispyKat was a wakeup call that showed me these people not only still exist but will be allowed to get away with it. I was very touchy bout this kind of thing back in the day. Fuck, I STILL AM TOUCHY. The rabbit holes I found thanks to Crispy opened up to reveal communities where people think my hair color’s going extinct. People would detail how much they wanted to rape me - a natural blonde - and kill my friends and family for not looking like me. That they want to jerk off in my naturally curly hair and see me in glowy German princess gowns preparing them dinner.

Crispy and other Nazistans would look at me; a blond-haired blue eyed Polish/German American woman and think I need to be “fixed” because I DARE to repeat propaganda that the Nazis were bad. They’d call me a traitor for thinking that celebrating the Nazi party ISN’T German pride.

HOW DARE YOU TELL ME THAT’S GERMAN PRIDE! I’LL SHOW YOU GERMAN PRIDE YOU EGOSTROKING-LIMPDICKED ATTENTION WHORES.

People like Crispy make it 1000x harder to actually show interest in German things. Because I AM interested in German shit btw.

Like for real: it’s a country I’d love to visit one day (at least the black forest, which is where my mom’s fam comes from). I love German art and German fairytales slap. I really do want to explore my heritage through art and stuff.

But guess what? Much as Crispy would argue to the contrary I DO know my WWII history and beyond and FUCK YOU if you honestly think jerking it to cuddly Nazi-furs is empowering or just “showing your interest in history”. Take your own advice and read a god-damn book.

TL;DR: I DO NOT have to be proud of Nazis to enjoy German culture and if you think otherwise, FUCK YOU. It’s a slap in the face to everyone even if you are ‘just trolling’ and it in no way values actual German’s feeling on the matter. It’s annoying how people undervalue real people just for the sake of fan art.

The Nazis were evil. They were racist, eugenic-genocidal idiots who killed over six million Jewish people, Romani, Slavs, Jehovahs Witnesses, disabled people, Poles, homosexuals and prisoners of war. They would have killed my dad’s side of the family if they were in Poland at the time. They made bullshit tanks that killed the people making them and didn’t work on the battlefield. Their leader was a fat, farting one-testicaled bastard who preferred animals to people.

They ruined everything for everyone and then took the easy way out, leaving the Germans that were left in the hands of the also-genocidal Soviets and Americans. Germany is still paying their war debts and now, 70-80 years later everyone else wants to laugh off this dark period of history with memes and forget what they did, and as such, are forgetting the victims of the genocide.

I have 0 tolerance for Nazi things for the sake of HUMANITY, let alone the individual groups they target. I don’t have to have German ancestry or know a single Jewish person to tell you any of this. It’s fucking history.

Eat shit.

[itsafanficthing]

My Sassenach - Chapter Two

Because why not.

If A03 is more your thing: here

Chapter One: Here

---

“The date went well.”

That was putting it mildly. Claire didn’t actually know how to describe her first date with Jamie. Mind blowing. Extraordinary. Overwhelming. Satisfying. There were too many ways for her to describe it.

Easy. It had been easy; once they were past the awkwardness and pressure of a first date. One evening to determine if the person sitting across from you, or next to you at the bar as Jamie had sat, was worth entertaining the thought of a second.

“Well?” Geillis repeated somewhat skeptically. “That does’na sound promising.”

Claire hummed, trying for nonchalance and failing miserably. Her cheeks gave her away first as they flamed bright red as she thought about Jamie lying in her bed and the steps that had led him there. Next to go was her mouth, as it became devoid of any moisture as she thought about Jamie’s touch on her skin and her reluctance to let him leave the following morning. Not meeting Geillis’ eyes as she tried to shrug was the nail in the coffin.

“Claire Beauchamp. What aren’t ye tellin’ me?” Gellis demanded as her eyes widened at her friend.

Claire cleared her throat before responding, “It went very well.”

“Verra well, is it?” Gellis crossed her arms, eyeing Claire up and down.

Claire nodded quickly, avoiding looking directly at Geillis, knowing that once she did, it would be useless and Gellis would soon drag every last scandalous detail out of her.

“Spit it out. What aren’t ye tellin’ me?”

“Nothing,” Claire replied too quickly and too loudly. Geillis was like a bloodhound on the hunt. She slapped her hand down on the table, making Claire jump.

“Is he married? Divorced? Multitude of bairns runnin’ about the countryside with 12 different women? He’s a criminal? Smuggler? His cock is bent?” Gellis continued a litany of guesses before Claire interrupted her.

“None of those things. It was a perfectly lovely date.”

“Will ye see him again?” Geillis pushed, clearly unsatisfied.

“Yes, I believe so,” Claire replied demurely, eyes focused on her nails, rather than the burning glare of her best friend.

“Ye… ye believe so,” Geillis repeated in exasperation. “Christ, it’s like pulling teeth.”

Claire grinned in response as her phone vibrated in her pocket.

“Did I, or did I no’ call ye the second my date with Dougal ended? Did I,” Gellis continued holding up her hand to stop Claire’s interruption, “call ye the morning after we’d finally done the deed to describe to ye in exquisite detail, our night together?”

“Yes, but I didn’t ask you for any of that. Especially the “exquisite detail” of your night of debauchery,” Claire counted as Gellis scoffed in disbelief.

“Ye did’na have to ask. Such the friend that I am, I willingly shared the intimate details of my night with ye. And ye will’na even tell me about yer date, beyond “it went well”.”

Claire snorted in laughter as Geillis continued.

“Far be it from me to be interested in my best friends life. To be interested in the men that are interested in her. And need I remind ye, that wi’out me, ye woulda have even had yer “lovely” date.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Was it not I that suggested ye go as yerself and not some other numpty?” Geillis’s green eyes zeroed in on Claire.

“Well yes but–” Claire started before Geillis interrupted her.

“And was it not I that asked yer Wee Fox out for a date when ye’d been speaking with the lad all night and somehow never managed to get that bit done?”

“Well yes, I suppose–” Claire tried to interject but there was no stopping Geillis once she’d started.

“So do ye not owe me the kindness of tellin’ me about what happened on the date that I had an 80% hand in setting up?”

“80%?” Claire questioned.

“Fine. 75%,” Geillis conceded. “Now tell me about yer date.”

“Have you thought about being a lawyer? Wasted talent in my opinion,” Claire mumbled as she shuffled on her seat uncomfortably.

“Yes, I’m brilliant. Get on wi’ it.” Geillis waved her hand impatiently, brushing away Claire’s comment.

“Maybe a priest. You can certainly preach well enough."

"Aye, but we all ken I'm no' getting' inta the holy land. Now get on wi' it."

Fine,” Claire groaned as she rolled her eyes at her friend. “Well you saw what I wore, I sent you that picture.”

Geillis nodded excitedly, clearly thrilled that Claire was finally giving up the details.

“I arrived at the bar early–”

“Course ye did,” Geillis chuckled under breath.

“And he wasn’t there so I had a glass of wine.”

“Christ, ye were’na shitfaced when he arrived, were ye?”

“Goodness no!” Claire laughed. “What do you take me for?”

Geillis fixed her with a look.

“Don’t answer that,” Claire said quickly, stopping whatever her friend had been about to say. “I was contemplating ordering a second before he arrived and then… he was there... Tapping me on the shoulder.”

Claire paused, wondering how she was ever going to get to the part of Jamie’s virginity, or for that matter– if she would even tell Geillis that part.

“And?” Geillis prompted when Claire’s silence had apparently gone on long enough.

“And,” Claire exaggerated, “I was awkward and babbling. I knocked my wine glass over, it was empty, thank goodness... and it was a first date,” she finished somewhat lamely.

“Tha’s it? That’s all yer going to tell me?” Geillis asked skeptically.

“Well, once the awkwardness settled and we were a few more wines in, we chatted, and then he took me out for a bite to eat.”

“What did ye have?” Geillis interrupted.

“If you must know… a burger.”

Geillis almost shouted with laughter. “If ye two get married, ye can thank me for that. I’ll put it in my bridesmaid’s speech; about how if it was’na for yer wisest oldest… best looking friend, ye wouldn’t have gone on that date as yerself and ye wouldn’t be married wi’ sixteen children.”

“I thought this was your bridesmaid’s speech? Why do I have sixteen children? And who said you were my best looking friend? You are entirely discounting Joe,” Claire argued as Geillis continued to grin at her.

“I’m jus’ sayin’, I should be the first one ye thank when yer givin’ yer wedding toast.”

“It’s only been one date. I hardly think wedding bells are ringing.” Claire shook her head, smiling at her friend. It really was thanks to Geillis that she went on her date with Jamie, and she really did owe her… not that she would ever admit that out loud. The gloating from Geillis would be too much to bear.

“So then what happened when ye were stuffing yer gob?” Geillis prompted, earning a disapproving look from Claire.

“I did not “stuff my gob”. I still have some decorum.”

“Aye, sure,” Geillis rolled her eyes, “I’ve seen ye after a few wines. I ken what ye look like when yer hungry.”

“So, after the burgers we… erm… we went home.” Claire looked away, unable to meet Geillis’ eyes and that was ultimately her downfall. For a moment Geillis was silent, and then the barrage started.

“Ye… ye went home… separately. No, of course not. Why would ye not be able to look at me when ye said that? And ye would have said something like “and then we called it a night, made plans to catch up again, he text me when he got home saying what a nice time he had”–”

“He did do that actually. When he got home,” Claire interrupted, trying to derail Geillis current train of thought.

“Aye, but when did he get home?” Geillis asked raising an eyebrow at Claire. “Ye said, we went home. WE, Claire. WE. Ye went home with him. Or he went home with you. Either way, ye went home together.”

When Claire didn’t respond, Geillis actually hooted. Claire had never heard Geillis hoot before. It wasn’t quite a squeal, nor a scream, but closer to a yell. It was certainly an exclamation and several other patrons at the coffee shop turned to look at the two women sitting by the window.

“I knew it!” Geillie announced in victory. “I knew it when ye walked in. I said to myself, “there’s something different about Claire”. I thought that the date just must have gone well, but no, this is different. Claire Beauchamp, you’ve been well and truly fucked.”

“Keep your voice down!” Claire hissed at her friend, trying to hide from the glares of other customers behind her unruly mass of curls.

“Ye are’na denying it though,” Geillis continued victoriously. “Oh. My. God. Tell me everything!”

“I’m not telling you anything if you’re going to act like a horny teenager at the slight implication that we went home together. We might have gone home and played jenga for all you know,” Claire replied indignantly.

“Aye, but ye did’na, did ye? And it was’na a slight implication, ye did go home together, didn’t ye?”

The expression “shit-eating-grin” came to Claire’s mind as she looked at her best friend, who was smiling back at her triumphantly.

Claire pursed her lips and tried to look menacingly at Geillis, whose smile only widened. It had never worked before, she didn’t know what made her think that a stern look would stop her now.

“Fine, yes, we went home together, and yes I’ve been well and truly fucked,” Claire hissed the words and Geillis sat back in her chair proudly as Claire buried her burning face in her hands.

“On a first date. Tsk, tsk,” Geillis tutted as Claire tried to bury herself further into her hands. “Ye said ye had some decorum.” Geillis snorted again as Claire audibly groaned. “How was he then? Ye look… satisfied, I’ll give ye that.”

“It was… it was very good,” Claire mumbled as Geillis grinned.

“‘Very good’, she says. Yer face is saying a bit more than verra good, let me tell ye.” Geillis laughed at Claire’s expression.

“So ye have plans on seeing the lad again then?” she asked demurely, seemingly she had gotten what she wanted, which was Claire’s embarrassment.

“Yes,” Claire groaned looking up again at her friend. She was never going to hear the end of this. “Tomorrow actually. He’s taking me on a whisky tour.”

“A whisky tour? Ye dinna even drink the stuff. I bought ye a bottle, a verra good bottle might I add, a few years ago and I’ve not seen hide nor hair of it since I gave it to ye.” Geillis frowned at Claire. “Did ye even talk to him about what ye like? Or did he just not listen?”

“Well, no… that bottle… when we got home… I cracked it open and we had a sampling.”

“Christ!” Geillis exclaimed. “Must have been some date to open that.”

“Well I didn’t know it was a good bottle. How should I know that you bought me a bottle of very expensive scottish whisky?”

“Because I’m yer best friend and I do nice things for ye?” Geillis replied in confusion making Claire laugh.

“You are my best friend,” Claire agreed, “but I don’t know about the nice things part. In any case,” Claire spoke louder over the top of whatever Geillis’ rebuttal was going to be, “he knows that I don’t know whisky so it was his suggestion that we go for a tour and I can learn.”

“Perfectly good waste of a fine bottle of whisky, on yer first date if ye ask me. Bet ye hardly even drank any of the stuff a’fore ye were tearing each others clothes off,” Geillis continued to grumble.

“The bottle’s open now. Feel free to come over and drink as much as you like.” Claire smiled as Geillis rolled her eyes.

“Ye ken I’m taking ye up on that,” Geillis said before tossing back the remainder of her coffee.

“Wouldn’t doubt it,” Claire laughed as she picked up her bag and her phone vibrated in her pocket again.

--

Standing in front of her mirror Claire fiddled with her cardigan, fussed over her hair and checked her makeup. This was the second date. She’d already slept with the man, how badly could this date go? She considered straightening her hair, but she knew what Geillis would say if she found out that she did, and Claire decided that it wouldn’t be worth the beratement from her friend.

How was one supposed to dress for a second date anyway? Or at least a whisky tour? She’d settled on jeans and a simple t-shirt. It wasn’t over the top and at least she was comfortable. But she should be putting in more effort? Was her make up alright? She wasn’t wearing that much, so maybe she should put in a little more effort.

Geillis’ voice chastised her in her head. “Go as yerself and not some other numpty.”

Claire shook her head and looked herself over once more in her mirror. This was as good as it was going to get, and if Jamie couldn’t see that, then that was on him. Besides… he had seen her first thing in the morning, no make up with mussed up “sex hair” so surely what she was wearing right now couldn’t be that bad. He had wanted another go another round after eating the toast and having some coffee the next morning, so really, she clearly couldn't look completely horrendous when she put in at least a little bit of effort.

Why was she overthinking this? Why was she so nervous? Claire knew the answer to that; it was because she actually liked Jamie. It had only been one date, but she did quite like him and if the second date didn’t go well… she wouldn’t be heartbroken, it was far too early for thoughts like that, but she would be disappointed. She supposed, there were still other “fish in the sea” but Jamie seemed like quite a catch.

She wasn’t quite ready to delete the dating app from her phone, and there was still Frank that she could message back if she wanted to. Why was she thinking about another man- one that she hadn’t even spoken to- before her date with Jamie?

Nerves. She was nervous. And she was trying to protect herself. If things with Jamie didn’t work out, even after their excellent first date, if today, their second didn’t go well… well at least she’d tried. At least she had back up. At least she would be ok.

Huffing and shaking her head, Claire picked up her bag and locked her apartment. Ready or not, she was going on a second date.

—

They agreed to meet at the whisky distillery rather than carpool. Claire was nervous and couldn’t maintain conversation with her Uber driver. Only managing a few “uh-huh’s” and “mmm sure’s” in response to whatever he had been asking. Soon he gave up trying to engage her in conversation and they continued the journey in silence.

2pm. That’s what Jamie has said. 2pm at the Scotch Whisky Experience. Claire’s knees were bouncing in the car and then shaking upon her exit. 1:38pm. Of course she was bloody early. She was always bloody early.

Claire looked around to see Edinburgh Castle looming beside her. She hadn’t walked through the castle in goodness knows how long. It was very touristy and as much as Claire was very decidedly not from Edinburgh, she did feel like she was more of a local nowadays. Geillis had a big hand in that, opening her home, and her city to Claire when she had first arrived. Would there ever be a part in Claire’s life where Geillis was not somehow involved?

20 minutes to kill. What was she going to do for 20 minutes? Claire huffed in frustration. She was too anxious about being late so she arrived stupidly early. Maybe she should have stayed in the Uber and made the driver go around the city for a few loops.

Spying a free bench under a tree that was providing absolutely no protection from the sun at all, Claire decisively made her way over and was about to take a seat when a voice interrupted her.

“Claire.”

Christ. It had been 48 hours and his voice still did things to her insides. Claire turned back slowly toward the sun to see the outline of Jamie standing in front of her. She blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the glare from her eyes. Was she always going to be perpetually awkward and dumb when it came to Jamie?

“Jamie, Hi,” she smiled at him. What was the protocol here? Was she meant to hug him? Kiss him? Shake hands? They’d slept together and then parted ways. There was no rule book for this. Were they dating? Was this exclusive? Was this far too soon to be thinking about any of that? Yes was the definitive answer to that particular question and Claire shook her head looking down at her feet. Good lord, she was embarrassing. Thankfully Jamie couldn’t read her mind or else he’d be running for the hills from the idiot, love sick puppy standing in front of him.

Jamie’s fingers were tapping against his thighs in an uneasy drumbeat.

“Good to see ye again,” he said ducking forward to her.

Unfortunately at the exact same moment Claire said “you’re looking well,” and moved forward to give him a hug. A hug was, after all, a friendly gesture.

Claire’s chin collided with Jamie’s shoulder and she jolted forward in pain. Jamie’s hand was somehow in between their bodies and as Claire lurched forward his fist collided with her stomach, somewhat winding her.

“Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ,” Claire gasped one hand flying to her chin, the other to her stomach.

Jamie jumped about a foot in the air at the exclamation and his hands fluttered around her helplessly.

“Dhia, I’m sorry Sassenach. Are ye alright?” He sounded panicked and Claire snorted with laughter which turned into a gasp for air as her stomach muscles recoiled.

“Give me a second. Just winded me is all.” Claire held up a finger as she doubled over and tried to take some deep breaths.

“I’m so sorry.” Jamie was shuffling from foot to foot as Claire tried to catch her breath.

“What’s your shoulder made of? Cement? Nearly shattered my jaw,” Claire said as she slowly stood up straight and rubbed her bruised chin.

“Just bone as far as I’m aware,” Jamie answered nervously running his hands through his hair with nerves. “Are ye alright? Jesus. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m fine,” Claire tried to smile. The pain was already subsiding but goodness it had hurt.

“Great start to our date, aye,” Jamie said sheepishly.

“You certainly took my breath away,” Claire joked and Jamie let out a breath of relief.

“Aye, I’ve been told I have that effect on women,” Jamie replied lightly.

“Well, with a right hook like that, I’m not surprised.”

“Truly Claire. I am so sorry. Are ye alright?” Jamie asked in concern again as Claire nodded in response. “Ye still want to go on a date with me?”

“I suppose so. I’m already here, and we did already buy the tickets. Seems like it would be a shame to waste them,” Claire grinned at him and watched as his face relaxed in relief. “Maybe just warn me before you make any sudden moves so I have at least a chance to prepare myself.”

“Aye, will do.” Jamie grinned as his cheeks darkened slightly and a smattering of red flush appeared on his throat. “Just one more thing…”

“What’s that?” Claire asked curiously before Jamie, with slow, exaggerated and deliberate movements linked their hands together.

“Ye look lovely, Sassenach,” Jamie said before ducking down and placing a swift kiss on her cheek, making her blush.

—-

Whisky tasting, as it turned out, was quite a lot of fun, especially with a private expert who whispered facts while sampling the smokey alcohol.

Jamie laughed as Claire’s nose scrunched up upon tasting a very old, very rare whisky that Jamie insisted was like honey. Claire thought it tasted more like eating a mouthful of ash, but she wasn’t about to say that to Jamie or their host.

Claire watched in fascination as Jamie chatted with their guide, asking poignant questions about their ageing process and the barrels they were using. Anyone would think that Jamie owned his own distillery with the way that he spoke to the guide. Claire soon stopped listening to the questions Jamie was asking in favour of simply watching him talk about something that he clearly loved.

He spoke a lot with his hands when he was particularly passionate about something. He moved fluidly as he tried to articulate with his hands what he couldn’t with his words. When he laughed at something the guide said, the rumble started somewhere deep in his chest before exploding from his mouth and Claire could help but smile and chuckle along as well, even if she had no idea what she was laughing at.

When he was listening intently to something the guide was saying (for the life of her, Claire had no idea what it was) there was a crease that appeared between Jamie’s eyebrows as he lost himself deep in thought. He nodded in understanding, a slow and measured move before he asked his next question.

His fingers tapped impatiently against the bar as the guide turned and spoke to some other patrons and Jamie waited to monopolise his time again, a fresh barrage of questions in his arsenal, ready to fire.

The guide himself seemed thrilled that someone like Jamie was in his audience and would more than likely have spent all his time indulging Jamie’s questions, if not for the other guests that had also paid for his services.

“Are ye enjoying yerself?” Jamie asked snapping Claire out of her study of him.

Claire thought about the amount of time she had spent watching Jamie in comparison to actually listening to the distillery owner talk about the whisky creation process, or for that matter, actually sampling the whisky.

“I am,” she replied with a smile. He didn’t need to know what the smile meant, or that is was specifically from the joy of watching and learning about him. “You certainly seem to know your stuff.”

“Ach,” Jamie grunted and waved away her comment with his hand. “My father and my uncle worked in a distillery when they were younger, passed the love of good whisky down the line, I s'pose.”

“You take a lot of your dates on whisky tours then? Impress them with your knowledge?” Claire asked slyly, turning on the stool she was sitting on to face him properly.

“No’ really no,” Jamie answered seriously. “I usually have much better taste in women, who already ken their way around the drink.”

Claire scoffed in response, playfully whacking him on his arm. “Date a lot of alcoholics, do you?”

“Aye, must be why it has‘na worked out for me. I always loose them somewhere between the fourth and nineteenth drink.”

“Have you considered that they were drinking to forget your awful company?” Claire teased as Jamie shuffled his stool closer to her.

“Why, Sassenach! How dare ye! And here I was thinking that we were having a lovely time!” Jamie replied in mock outrage.

“You did greet me by almost dislocating my jaw and socking me in the stomach,” Claire pointed out with a grin, which widened as Jamie’s cheeks flushed with colour. “Not to mention the fact that you’ve spent most of our date with our tour guide.”

“Well he’s a very fetching man, Sassenach.”

Claire looked over to the barrel chested 50-something man, who had clearly enjoyed a life of whisky if his reddened cheeks and prominent belly were anything to go by.

“What a monumental disappointment I must be, if that’s your type,” Claire snorted as she looked back at Jamie. He was looking at her intently and she felt herself blush slightly under the intensity of his gaze.

“Aye, ye’ll do,” Jamie hummed before the guide approached them with a new sample and Jamie was lost once more in the experience.

—

Their date was coming to a close and now there was one question on both of their lips. Owing to how their first date had ended, how could they think of anything else? Your place, mine, or neither? Claire had a good time with Jamie. He made her laugh and blush profusely when he complimented her, but they had rushed things when they’d slept together on the first date. Claire didn’t regret it, of course, but she knew that it had been too soon, especially as she planned to see Jamie for many... many more dates.

And so where did that leave her now? Was it an expectation that she would take him immediately home and ravage him (not that the thought was far from her mind, of course). Something about this date was different though. They had moved passed the awkwardness of the first date. The awkwardness of knowing that an app on a phone was responsible for bringing two people together.

And what an odd thought it was. The algorithm that simply located two people within a certain radius, a certain age group, with a certain preference and that were both willing to date; to bring two people together that were meant to be what? Soulmates? No that was perhaps too strong of a word. But two people that were meant to find, what was it? Satisfaction? With one another? What an odd thought that was to entertain.

Claire, however, was still left with the conundrum of what were she and Jamie supposed to do now? It was too early for dinner, too late for lunch. While not completely inebriated from the tour, Claire was decidedly tipsy. She wasn’t sure how Jamie was faring after the alcohol consumption but he seemed to be standing quite solidly next to her.

Though, Claire had decided, they had moved passed the awkwardness of the first date and getting to know each other, here she was feeling very, very awkward about what was supposed to be her next steps.

Was she supposed to invite Jamie back to her place… again? Were they supposed to just part ways and wait for the next date? Surely there would be no harm in kissing him goodbye. She’d remembered how he kissed her and what it did to her insides and she involuntarily shivered at the memory.

“Are ye cold?” Jamie asked snapping her out of her inner monologue. It was the middle of summer and no doubt it must have been at least 28 degrees (which was wildly warm for Scotland, even at the peak of summer, but global warming was a myth right?).

“No, no, I’m fine,” Claire replied, slightly embarrassed that Jamie could see her physical reaction to him. Although, she couldn’t really avoid it with Jamie standing as close to her as he was.

“Well, I … ahh,” Jamie began and Claire realised he was as lost as she was when it came to their next steps.

“I had a nice time. Very informative.” Claire swallowed the lump in her throat. Should she just invite him back to her place? It didn’t seem like that kind of a date.

“I’ll make a Scot of ye yet,” Jamie smiled at her as she snorted in response.

“Is that what you’re trying to do? After only two dates? I think you’ve got your work cut out for you, good sir.”

“Oh aye?” Jamie replied, his eyes alight with mischief. “Why’s that?”

“I’m an English woman. Born and raised,” Claire retorted. Which was not technically true. While she was born in England, Oxfordshire to be exact, Claire had grown up all over the world, only spending the latter of her teenage years back in her homeland. “The blue blood of royalty runs in these veins. You can take the girl from the motherland, but you can’t take the motherland from the girl.”

Jamie grunted in response, a sound that sounded so distinctly Scottish and so distinctly Jamie that Claire scoffed with laughter.

“Truly are a Sassenach, then aren’t ye?”

“It would appear so,” Claire readily agreed. The name didn’t sound so bad coming from Jamie. It was, dare she think it, somewhat sexy when he said it.

“Canna say I did’na try then,” Jamie admitted with a shrug.

“Canna indeed.”

Jamie grinned at Claire’s (atrocious) replication of his accent, shaking his head at her, she was sure she heard him mutter “terrible” under his breath before he looked back up at her.

“Well. I suppose we should call it a day then,” Jamie said nervously. His hand rubbed the back of his neck; a habit, Claire had noted, he did when he was nervous or uncomfortable.

“Yes, I suppose we should. Unless there are any more whisky facts that you insist that I should know.” Claire looked up at him hopefully, not quite wanting their date to end.

Jamie thought for a moment, before looking back at her, his eyes bright with an inside joke that Claire wasn’t quite a part of yet.

“Tasting whisky. It’s similar to somethin’ that ye’ve said to me,” he said confidently.

“Oh?”

Jamie nodded seriously, but Claire could somehow see the humour in his eyes.

“Aye. When ye taste whisky,” Jamie paused for dramatic effect and Claire nodded eager for him to continue, “go slow, and pay attention.”

—

Claire left Jamie feeling giddy. They had parted ways but not before Jamie had kissed her, with an intense kind of passion that was sure to stay with her for several days. They made plans to see each other again, but with Claire’s night rotation coming up, things were made quite difficult.

Eight days. Eight days before she would be able to see Jamie again. She could still text him of course, but it wasn’t quite the same as seeing him, sitting with him, watching him, listening to him… kissing him.

She was somewhat glad they hadn’t gone back to either of their places after their date. Their first had been so rushed, it was nice to start slowing down with each other and giving themselves the space to start growing a relationship.

A relationship. After two dates. Is that how quickly it always worked? You clicked with someone and that was it? Exclusivity? After two dates… they hadn’t discussed it of course. It was much too soon for that. Or was it? Claire wasn’t the type to see several people at once. Especially since she had connected with Jamie more than she had connected with any other man. But the thought of seeing other people didn’t interest her and she was embarrassed to admit that the thought of Jamie seeing someone else made her stomach turn.

She would need to ask Geillis about how quickly she fell for Dougal and what the protocol was for being exclusive. Although, perhaps that was a can of worms she was not prepared to open.

Eight days. It seemed like such a long time but at least she would be occupied with work. At least that would take her mind off Jamie and over analyzing every detail of their two dates; trying to find what went right, wrong and anything in between.

Eight days. That was when she planned on seeing Jamie again. Sunday night. They were going to have dinner. They hadn’t decided where yet, maybe a restaurant or maybe one of their places. Jamie had boasted about his ability to cook, and while Claire was not completely redundant in the kitchen, she was by no means the chef that Jamie had made himself out to be.

Eight days. That’s when she was expecting to see Jamie again, and so it was a complete surprise her she saw him walking down the street, arm in arm with a shorter dark haired woman, stopping outside a cafe, throwing his head back in laughter at something she said, then swooping down to kiss her on the cheek.

Claire felt her stomach drop to somewhere around her ankles and struggled to pick it back up. They hadn’t discussed exclusivity. Claire had just assumed, and perhaps she shouldn’t have. It only “made and ass of you and me” as her uncle used to say. Well, Jamie was certainly a very specific type of ass, maybe an arse was more accurate and Claire very much felt like an ass for thinking that what they had was something deeper.

She shook her head trying to clear it, she’d just come off a night shift and maybe she was seeing things. She could just stroll past the coffee shop and take a peek inside. Perhaps it was nothing.

Gathering her courage Claire slowly passed by the coffee shop, walking slowly in the pretext of looking for something in her bag, while slyly trying to look through the window. There was no mistaking Jamie, as large as he was with red hair on show- it was definitely him. Claire felt her heart squeeze in adoration as somehow his large frame was squeezed into a small and delicate coffee table and chair. But there was also no mistaking the way that he was holding the other woman’s hand across the table, looking at her with soft eyes as he nodded at her. He squeezed her hand before he jumped up, pulled the woman with him and grabbed her in a bone crushing hug.

Claire couldn’t watch anymore. It was embarrassing and a wave of shame and regret passed through her body like lava, slow and burning from the top of her head through to her toes. As she turned away from the window trying to regulate her breathing, it was like a bucket of ice was thrown over her and her body struggled to regulate its temperature. Shame. Embarrassment.

Claire felt tears spring to her eyes. She was being ridiculous. She was just tired. Well, if Jamie was going to see other people, then so was she. They hadn’t discussed exclusivity after all. Perhaps this was her own fault for moving too quickly too soon. She’d “popped his cherry” as it were and now he was looking to roll his oats...sow his oats- whatever the saying was; Claire couldn’t think properly. She was still standing stupidly in front of the window and she heard her name being called, muffled from behind the glass of the cafe. She needed to get out of there.

She quickly turned on her heel, pulling headphones from her bag and stuffing them into her ears. She walked quickly in the hope that Jamie wouldn’t follow her. It’s not like he would abandon his date to go chasing down after her. That would be ridiculous. She heard her name being called again and she kept her head down. It wasn’t muffled now, he was clearly outside of the cafe. He called again and she crossed the road. She hadn’t even turned on music to drown out the sound. She heard him call once more before she turned the corner out of his sight, and fell against the wall of a building, breathing heavily.

Opening up the dating app on her phone, she scrolled quickly to find the message that Frank Randall had sent her and without giving it a second thought, she replied.

They hadn’t said anything about exclusivity, after all.

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

I’m Billy Graham’s granddaughter. Evangelical support for Donald Trump insults his legacy.

American evangelist Billy Graham preaches to over half a million South Koreans at a plaza on Yoido Island in Seoul on June 3, 1973.

By supporting Donald Trump, evangelical leaders are failing us and failing the Gospel. Christian women must step up where our church leaders won't.

Jerushah Duford, Opinion contributor

USA TODAY Opinion • August 27, 2020

As a proud granddaughter of the man largely credited for beginning the evangelical movement, the late Billy Graham, the past few years have led me to reflect on how much has changed within that movement in America.

I have spent my entire life in the church, with every big decision guided by my faith. But now I feel homeless. Like so many others, I feel disoriented as I watch the church I have always served turn its eyes away from everything it teaches. I hear from Christian women on a daily basis who all describe the same thing: a tug at their spirit.

Most of these women walked into a voting booth in 2016 believing they were choosing between two difficult options. They held their breath, closed their eyes and cast a vote for Donald Trump, whom many of us then believed to be “the lesser of two evils,” all the while feeling that tug.

Jerushah Duford and grandfather Billy Graham in Montreat, North Carolina, in 2016.

I feel it every time our president talks about government housing having no place in America’s suburbs. Jesus said repeatedly to defend the poor and show kindness and compassion to those in need. Our president continues to perpetuate an us-versus-them narrative, yet almost all of our church leaders say nothing.

I feel this tug every time our president or his followers speak about the wall, designed to keep out the very people Scripture tells us to welcome. In Trump’s America, refugees are not treated as “native born,” as Scripture encourages. Instead, families are separated, held in inconceivable conditions and cast aside as less than.

The church honors Trump before God

Trump has gone so far as to brag about his plans, accomplishments and unholy actions toward the marginalized communities I saw my grandfather love and serve. I now see, through the silence of church leaders, that these communities are no longer valued by individuals claiming to uphold the values my grandfather taught.

The gentle tug became an aggressive yank, for me, earlier this year, when our country experienced division in the form of riots, incited in great part by this president’s divisive rhetoric. I watched our president walk through Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., after the tear gassing of peaceful protesters for a photo op.

He held a Bible, something so sacred to all of us, yet he treated that Bible with a callousness that would offend anyone intimately familiar with the words inside it. He believed that action would honor him and only him. However, the church, designed to honor God, said nothing.

It seems that the only evangelical leaders to speak up praised the president, with no mention of his behavior that is antithetical to the Jesus we serve. The entire world has watched the term “evangelical” become synonymous with hypocrisy and disingenuousness.

My faith and my church have become a laughing stock, and any attempt by its members to defend the actions of Trump at this time sound hollow and insincere.

One of my grandfather’s favorite verses was Micah 6:8, in which we are told that the Lord requires of his people to do justly, to love kindness and mercy, and to walk humbly. These are the attributes of our faith we should present to the world. We can no longer allow our church leaders to represent our faith so erroneously.

Women of faith know better

I have given myself permission to lean into that tug at my spirit and speak out. I may be against the tide, but I am firm in my faith that this step is most consistent with my church and its teachings.

At a recent large family event, I was pulled aside by many female family members thanking me for speaking out against an administration with which they, too, had been uncomfortable. With tears in their eyes, they used a hushed tone, out of fear that they were alone or at risk of undeserved retribution.

How did we get here? How did we, as God-fearing women, find ourselves ignoring the disrespect and misogyny being shown from our president? Why do we feel we must express our discomfort in hushed whispers in quiet corners? Are we not allowed to stand up when it feels everyone else around us is sitting down?

The God we serve empowers us as women to represent Him before our churches. We represent God before we represented any political party or leader. When we fail to remember this, we are minimizing the role He created for us to fill. Jesus loved women; He served women; He valued women. We need to give ourselves permission to stand up to do the same.

If a plane gets even slightly off course, it will never reach its destination without a course correction. Perhaps this journey for us women looks similar. Perhaps you cringe at the president suggesting that America’s “suburban housewife” cares more about her status than those in need, but try to dismiss comments on women’s appearance as fake news.

When we look at our daughters, our nieces, our female students, and even ourselves, we feel the need to lean into that tug on our spirit. You might not have felt it four years ago; we do the best with what we know at the time. However, if we continue to ignore the tug we now feel, how will we ever be able to identify what is truly important to us?

I chose to listen to my spirit to speak out. Not because doing so feels comfortable, but because it feels like the right way to leverage the voice God has empowered me with. Now I am asking all of you who feel as I do, to embrace your inner tug, and allow it to lead you to use the power of your God-given voice and not allow Trump to lead this country for another four years.

Jerushah Duford is an evangelical author, speaker and member of Lincoln Women, a coalition of women in the Lincoln Project.

_______________________________________

A false gospel: Trump and the 'prosperity gospel' sell false promises to credulous evangelical Christians

_______________________________________

The forgotten figure who explains how Trump got almost 74 million votes

Why do so many evangelicals continue to deny that Biden won the election?

Six Surprising Ways Jesus Changed The World

Jesus ‘Bows to Moon’

The Korean background of the FFWPU

The FFWPU / Unification Church and Shamanism

The FFWPU is unequivocally not Christian

Sun Myung Moon – Emperor, and God

The Moons’ God is not the God of Judeo-Christianity

Hak Ja Han is ‘Female Jesus, the only begotten daughter of God, the LSA’ (October 24, 2015)

God, Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han achieved unity inside the womb…. Hak Ja Han was lifted up to God’s wife position.

[ftpthemovement]

You are loved beyond your wildest dreams. The sacrifice that Christ made on the cross was to set you free from a life of guilt, shame, condemnation, and judgment. He came so that you would live a life of abundance, free from fear and the ways of wicked men. He came to set the example of the life you should live that is pleasing and honorable to God.

Men make the choice daily, second by second, of who they choose and what they represent. Every-time we open our mouth we are wielding one of the most powerful weapons we have accessible to us. Our words have the ability to shape the world as we know it. They can control masses of people, countries, armies, animals, etc. It is such a powerful force, it can sway the hearts of even the most resentful men.

Scripture says that men desire unfailing love. That means at our root core, every one of us long to be loved free from judgment, free from guilt, and free from the condemnation of sin and the fear of death. Christ came and set the example of what that looks like by laying his life down for us. In doing so, he gave the commandment to love one another, that the world would know his followers by how they loved one another.

If our words and our actions are seasoned with grace and focused on love, we produce a harvest that leads to righteousness. When we allow ourselves to operate outside of those key disciplines set by Christ, we are operating in the realm of the flesh. The flesh is not pleasing to God, because it is rebellious to his will. He came so that we would live operating in the spirit, and put to death the deeds of the flesh.

Once the spirit of God is in you, the flesh and the spirit are at war with one another. The spirit is the deposit guarantee that you have eternal life, and an inheritance set aside for you in the life to come. The flesh however is a constant reminder of death. It is always trying to get you to trade your hope in the victory to come, for the short term temporary satisfaction that the world has to offer.

Another major struggle you will find when denying yourself daily and picking up your cross is the shortcomings you experience in your own hometown, and among your own family. Scripture says, that a prophet won’t receive a prophet's reward in his own hometown, or in his own family. For many, this is where they drop the ball. They like to apply all that scripture has to offer in accordance with their faith, but here’s where most decide to stay, trading away the hard scripture for an easy excuse.

But not me, I’m going to address these hard scriptures. Because unlike most who shy away from the truth and try to sell you a watered-down version of scripture that fits their comfort zone, I’m gonna give you the real.

The Bible says “everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19:30

Where in scripture have you heard of a return on your investment like that other than the tithe? Ever wonder why the reward is so great? I believe it’s because he knows that’s where all of the excuses start to flood in. Men always use the ways of the world that seem right to a man but ultimately lead to death. They say they can’t because of their family, wives, children’s, jobs, circumstances. Forgetting that Christ says, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life--such a person cannot be my disciple.

Most like to leave that part out of their daily remembrance. Through some do understand the accuracy of the translation to mean, “love less than,” they still choose to avoid the truth by setting up excuses using scripture such as

“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:8

They cling to this verse for the safety of the security found in their excuse. But what does scripture say about the work that God requires?

“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.””‭‭John‬ ‭6:27-29‬ ‭

So if the work God requires is to believe in the one he sent, then we are to believe in Jesus Christ and his finished works. Yet scripture says, “whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:6) So how did Christ live?

We can see in scripture that John The Baptist clearly knew what to expect from how the messiah would live. So he sent his servants to question Jesus, so Christ told them to report to him this, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”

If we are to live how he lived, Is this the work you are doing in your life? Is this the job you are dedicated to? Let’s look a little further into the scriptures to see the work Jesus has called us to do:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt 28:19-20

“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name, they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”” Mark‬ ‭16:15-18‬ ‭

Is this the work you are dedicated to on a daily basis and do these signs accompany you in your daily walk with Christ? I know it’s easy to avoid the tough truths of scripture. It’s even easier to want to go do what you want to do and trade the truth for a lie. But, in the end, these are the words of God, the very same God that told us to calculate the cost of what it meant to follow him.

Yet, you still have so many who refuse to answer the call, especially those who use providing for their family as a scapegoat. Even though there is more than enough scripture provided above to convict them to repent, maybe it’s best to include this one as well.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:26-34‬ ‭

Isn’t it wild what happens when you read scripture in proper context, and not through a filter of comfort!? I’ve found that scripture without a doubt, never leaves room for an excuse. Why? Because God predestined you to be adopted into sonship to complete the works he had prepared for you before he laid the foundation of the earth. So when we choose him, we operate in his will, but when we choose the flesh, we operate in the will of the enemy. God doesn’t leave room for excuses, he gave his son so you wouldn’t have any. Instead, that you would come to the understanding that a life of discipline and obedience through the Holy Spirit, leads to a fulfilling life of love, grace, mercy, and peace for eternity.

Sin ultimately created the separation between us and God, but Jesus bridged the gap so that we have access to the father for all of eternity. He didn’t lay his life down so that we would eventually go to heaven. No, he laid his life down to free us from the power of sin and death, to walk as his living representatives here on earth. He commissioned us through the power of the Holy Spirit to finish the mission most call “The Great Commission.” To walk as living representatives of love through action and truth. Spreading the good news of the gospel to all creation, baptizing them in the name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Are you willing to face the hard truths of scripture? Are you willing to walk like him and not just talk like you know him? What are you willing to give up to complete the mission? Are you willing to deny yourself daily and pick up your cross, or are you going to keep saying you have faith, but your actions don’t follow the way of truth?

Selfish or selfless? Pick up your cross and deny yourself daily, or say you believe and not walk as he walks? Trade the hard scriptures for a bubble gum gospel that fulfills your carnal desires, or stand in front of God and hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant?” -ES

[princeleyjeans]

Hannigram headcanon: The conclusion.

Even if season 4 never comes, we have our minds (And broken souls) to keep us company and well sated with possible endings as to how Hannibal truly wraps itself up. Even if we never come to know EXACTLY how it ends, we can guess, and hopefully, we imagine something so off peak that the creator has to confirm/deny our ideas because his heart can’t take it.  Here is my script:  Cliff fall, jagged rocks, bumpy thrashing against the ocean floor until a miracle sees two bodies wash up on a nearby shoreline, not so much a beach, more a spot for pathetic loners to vibe our their eternal rejection.  One man sputters for breath, despite his being having multiple stab wounds in all the worst places, he’s alive, moving, looking around frantically for help while the second remains still, chest faintly bopping for air rather than it’s usual, healthy, rise and slow fall, the other is barely hanging on as their forms are get bathed in a contour of dulled reds and blues as undercover police cars line the area and several familiar faces come to the rescue,  regardless of the previous violence occurring minutes ago, everyone rushes to their former colleague and fight to get him into a separate ambulance, he argues, demands to follow his partner in some vague sense of “If he dies, I need to see it for myself, to prove he is really dead”, and perhaps their boss views his request with some ounce of grief fueled mercy, or maybe he just can’t be asked to preach reason in the midst of what is a crime scene he will later have to deal with.  Will Graham follows Hannibal Lecter in their shared ride to the hospital, faking simple interest in the possible, likely death of the man who drove him insane to mask a viable concern, that of a lover, that of someone dedicated to another beyond the realms of what others consider normal, healthy, and upon arrival Will makes it evident to medical staff the extent of Hannibal’s injuries, in the moment forgetting he is no longer part of the agency and what he is listing is bringing all sorts of questions, from the nurses and Jack’s crew.  Once the situation is manageable, Will is patched up, deemed stable (Regardless of a few broken ribs, concussion and dislocated hip) and kept on surveillance while Hannibal deteriorates enough to warrant resuscitation, emergency surgery and soon after, time in the ICU on numerous machines to take the stress off of his body, the fight with the Red Dragon and near fatal journey to dry land taking it’s toll beyond anyone’s comprehension.  For the first time, Hannibal’s life is in gods hands, his reckoning is neigh and the lord has come to collect.  Days pass, questions are made, agents flutter around the hospital like bees to a dying queen and those days become weeks and Jack is battling some brothers in mourning urges while Alana and Margo offer up their home to a now discharged Will who has somehow avoided being instantly taken into custody, again...miracle, and had every file on him and Dr Lecter thrown onto a judges lap.  Despite the circumstances, it is a sad time, and against everyone’s better judgement, they cannot help but offer solace, early condolences and heartfelt gifts of food, advice and lame comfort to the broken Will Graham, speaking false hope of regaining his job on the force or at the university, of a book deal detailing all the events leading to this moment, to clarity and rising from the depth of being dominated, controlled, gas-lighted, misguided and framed by the infamous Chesapeake ripper! obscuring his true identity behind the veil of a psychologist working under the FBI.  Whether or not Will should be feeling betrayed, hurt, generally confused by the elements contributing to this change, his transformation has reached its peak and there is no turning back as he struggles to explore his new life beneath the microscope, behind those his holds dear and without causing anymore suffering to Alana, Margo or Jack.  As you can guess, tensions, indifference and lack of love cause Will’s relationship with his wife to break down, she sees him as a danger to the family and so, takes everything, including the dogs (THAT MONSTER), his wife doesn’t blame him, but she doesn’t see the man who stood by her and her son, who loved animals and a glass of scotch before bed, whose dry humor raised enough eyebrows in their social circle to bring worried friends to her door, only for Mrs Graham to giggle them away with the flick of a wrist.  Will used to be hers, now he belongs to another and Molly’s only hope is that they understand what it is they’re taking on with her ex husband.  In a flurry of past, present and future coming at them from all angles in a Montague that would puts most 80′s movies to shame, Will and his friends are thrown around like rag dolls as he is tormented by romantic feelings, platonic intrigue and dreams of an echoing phone call from the hospital, there is no longer rationality in their world, only shadows, mystery and unspoken truths which send everyone scrambling for normalcy.  After months in a hospital bed, Hannibal awakes and has to start his life over again, Will as his guide, his protector, the hand of god with the capability to give or take, and in such a weakened state...Hannibal wonders if all he will receive...is take.  Their newfound identities are plagued by Jack’s presence in every aspect, no more than two days go by before he is there, pretending to come on behalf of the bureau who’ve offered them both a get out of jail card if they draw out other serial killers, allow routine check ins and not leave the state without permission or multiple logs of where they plan to go, the deal is not a perfect one, or something they feel they should have to agree with but with Hannibal a former shell of his previously glorious self and Will learning the ropes of double agent, no better can be asked for, especially if they want to stay on the other side of the bars.  their relationship dynamic has manifested into one of codependency, of love, worship, respect and slight distrust but if Hannibal wanted to be killed by anyone, it would be his Will. always his Will.  ---- I might continue this later or leave it just because my butt is too lazy to write most ways. Enjoy and if anyone wants to fight me...lemme have my coke first

[blackkudos]

Bernice King

Bernice Albertine King (born March 28, 1963) is an American minister and the youngest child of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. She was five years old when her father was assassinated. In her adolescence, King chose to work towards becoming a minister after having a breakdown from watching a documentary about her father. King was 17 when she was invited to speak at the United Nations. Twenty years after her father was assassinated, she preached her trial sermon. Inspired by her parents' activism, she was arrested multiple times during her early adulthood.

Her mother suffered a stroke in 2005 and, after she died the following year, King delivered the eulogy at her funeral. A turning point in her life, King experienced conflict within her family when her sister Yolanda and brother Dexter supported the sale of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change. After her sister died in 2007, she delivered the eulogy for her as well. She supported the presidential campaign of Barack Obama in 2008 and called his nomination as part of her father's dream.

King was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 2009. Her elder brother Martin III and her father had previously held the position. She was the first woman elected to the presidency in the organization's history, amidst the SCLC holding two separate conventions. King became upset with the actions of the SCLC, amid feeling that the organization was ignoring her suggestions and declined the presidency in January 2010.

King became CEO of the King Center only months afterward. King's primary focus as CEO of The King Center and in life is to ensure that her father's nonviolent philosophy and methodology (which The King Center calls Nonviolence 365) is integrated in various sects of society, including education, government, business, media, arts and entertainment and sports. King believes that Nonviolence 365 is the answer to society's problems and promotes it being embraced as a way of life. King is also the CEO of First Kingdom Management, a Christian consulting firm based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Early life

Early childhood and tragedies

Bernice Albertine King was born on March 28, 1963, in Atlanta, Georgia. The day after she was born, her father had to leave for Birmingham, Alabama, but he rushed back when it was time for Bernice and her mother, Coretta, to leave the hospital. He drove them home himself but, in what was all too typical with the work he was doing, had to leave them again within hours. Following her birth, Harry Belafonte realized the toll the Civil Rights Movement was taking on her mother's time and energy and offered to pay for a nurse to help Coretta with the Kings' four children. They accepted and hired a person that would help with the children for the next five or six years. Her father died a week after Bernice's fifth birthday.

Once, she and her sister Yolanda thought it would be funny to pour water into their father's ear while he was sleeping. Their father, though, was furious. It was the first and only time he would ever spank them.

Later on, Coretta told Bernice that her father had celebrated her fifth birthday, knowledge that has been special to her since. King said she has only two strong memories of her father, one of him at home with their family and the other of him lying in the casket at his funeral. "I don't let people know this, but I think of my father constantly," King said at age 19. "Even though I knew him so little, he left me so much." When her father was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, Bernice was asleep. When she woke up, her mother told her that the next time she saw her father would be at his funeral. In the April 1998 issue of BET Entertainment Weekly, King reflected, "I was five when my father was assassinated, so I had no concept of who my father really was. I have been told, but imagine trying to really understand or put it in its proper perspective at that age. When it finally became clear to me around fifteen or sixteen, I was angry at him because he left me. So I didn't want to have anything to do with my father."

After her husband's death, Coretta Scott King took on the role of raising four children as a single mother. Family friends recall that she spent considerable time with Bernice, who feels that being raised by a single parent has given her special insight into single-parent homes. “I didn’t have a father to deal with about boyfriends. I didn’t have a father to show me how a man and woman relate in a family setting. Therefore I have given over my life to mentoring young people. I’m adamant about young people who have been denied a father/daughter relationship.”

Other tragedies followed. King's uncle, Alfred Daniel Williams King, drowned in a swimming pool when Bernice was six on July 21, 1969. Five years later, a mentally ill man shot her grandmother Alberta Williams King to death during a service at the Ebenezer Baptist Church on June 30, 1974. King recalled of her grandmother's death, "I remember that day because I had recovered from having my tonsils removed, and I was really looking forward to getting back to Ebenezer, which was pastored by my grandfather on my dad's side of the family." Just two years later in 1976, her 20-year-old cousin Darlene King died of a heart attack. Her grandfather Martin Luther King Sr. also died of a heart attack on November 11, 1984. Also her other cousin Alfred King the second in 1986.

Finding strength through these childhood tragedies, King jokingly said, required "A lot of prayer. Some crying. Some screaming." Through all of her struggles, she has looked for someone to relate to in "moments" because "nobody fits the bill." Her sister, Yolanda, nearly eight years older, lived through parts of the Civil Rights Movement that she never did. On the other hand, she has written that she believes her brothers have had a life significantly different from hers because "Guys process things differently."

Call to ministry

Bernice has said that the deaths of her grandmother and uncle caused her to have anger issues since she was 16 years old. At that age, she saw Montgomery to Memphis, a documentary film on her father's life from the time of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 to his assassination in 1968, and "went through almost two hours of crying" and questioning. She had seen the film many times growing up, but the particular viewing "triggered an emotional explosion that later would thrust her into the arms of a loving God." King reflected: "When I saw the funeral scene, I just broke down. I ran out of the cabin into the woods, and for nearly 2-1/2 hours, I just cried." She credited the viewing with influencing her to become a minister like her father, who served as a minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church.

She was with her church youth group in Georgia mountains. King aspired to become the first female President of the United States at the time of seeing the documentary. Timothy McDonald brought the tape of the documentary and comforted her when she started crying. According to McDonald, he explained to her that it was good that she let out how she felt and called coming to terms with her father's death "a stepping stone upon which you will build the rest of your life”.King attended Douglass High School in Atlanta. Her brother Dexter Scott King attended the school as well and graduated when she was a sophomore. At 17, she was invited to speak at the United Nations in the absence of her mother. According to King, she also received a call to ministry that year.

Adult life

At the age of 19, she made her first major speech in Chicago, and stated that "We've come a long way. But we have a long way to go." In early 1983, King gave a speech at St. Sabina Church in Chicago. Many members of the audience said that she reminded them of her father. King attended Grinnell College in Iowa, and graduated from Spelman College, a historically black college in Atlanta, with a degree in psychology. King says she had thoughts of suicide before "God intervened."

King was arrested with her mother Coretta and her brother Martin Luther King III on June 26, 1985 with the offense of demonstrating in front of an embassy. They were participating in anti-apartheid demonstration in front of the South African Embassy. The three stayed in jail overnight. The youngest daughter of Martin Luther King, his widow and his eldest son were charged with a misdemeanor, demonstrating within 500 feet of an embassy.On January 7, 1986, King was arrested with her sister Yolanda and her brother Martin Luther King III for "disorderly conduct." Bernice and her siblings were arrested by officers deployed to the Winn Dixie supermarket. The supermarket had been subject to protest since September 1985, which was when the Southern Christian Leadership Conference began boycotts of South African canned fruit. It was the first time Bernice and her siblings had been arrested together at a protest. On January 15, 1987, what would have been her father's 58th birthday, King spoke in Chicago and told denizens to stay away from drugs.

On May 14, 1990, King became the second woman to be ordained at Ebenezer Baptist Church. She said that it was "the most humbling moment for me in my life." King insisted that she was "not worthy of this high calling. No blood, no sweat, no tears could earn me this high calling."On January 18, 1992, President George H. W. Bush visited the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. King spoke during his visit of the problems of racism, poverty and violence remained in America since her father was alive, but did not directly align any of the issues with President Bush.

In January 1994, King voiced her opposition to New Hampshire's refusal to recognize Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, calling the decision "racist and separatist." On May 21, 1994, she attended the African-American Women's Conference where she said that parents should not let their children listen to "gangster rap" because of messages in the lyrics.In 1996, King published a collection of her sermons and speeches called Hard Questions, Heart Answers. In 2000, she narrated a performance of Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. In January of that year, King joined Fred Shuttlesworth in headlining a two-week campus celebration of her father's life at Stanford University.

King said her mother heard Obama's speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and contacted her the following day over the senator's address, expressing her belief in Obama's political future. In June 2006, King told a teenage audience that she intended to do more to carry on the legacy of nonviolence espoused by her parents during the 20th annual 100 Black Men of America conference in Atlanta. "My desire is not to be a hypocrite," King said. "I want to make sure my life is not a contradiction when I take a platform."On January 30, 2007, one year after the death of her mother Coretta, King founded the Be A King Scholarship at Spelman College, her alma mater, in honor of her mother's legacy. On June 10, 2007, King acted as a presenter at the 2007 Atlanta H.U.F. Awards. Afeni Shakur said she was happy to have King and the other presenters "participating" that year.

She was an elder at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, but resigned in May 2011. King joined the church in 2002 and came to regard Bishop Eddie Long as her mentor and spiritual father. The church was the setting for her mother's funeral. Despite her leaving of the church coinciding with Bishop Eddie Long's settlement agreement in sexual misconduct lawsuits he had fought since September 2010, King said that she had planned to leave New Birth Missionary Baptist Church for weeks. "It has nothing to do with anything that's going on with Bishop Long," King said on May 25, 2011. "I always knew I would not be at New Birth forever. This is the time for me to leave." On May 25, 2011, King told an interviewer that her last time serving as a member of the church was the past Sunday. She has said her decision to leave was because of her desire to continue the legacy of her parents, which had grown stronger since the death of her mother. At the time that she chose to leave the church, she planned on starting her own ministry.

King donated $100,000 of her personal funds, while $75,000 was donated from Home Depot and $15,000 from New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. The scholarship will be awarded to two rising seniors at Spelman College who are majoring in music, education or psychology. On May 4, 2013, a rose was planted for King's mother, Coretta, at the Alabama Capitol. Bernice said that while her mother loved roses, she did not have much time to tend to them because she was continuing her husband Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy.

On April 29, 2014, King and her brother Martin Luther King III joined Governor of Georgia Nathan Deal while he signed legislation to provide a statue of their father. “We all know that monuments and statues are that, they’re things we put in place for people to remember and it's not always for our generation,” Bernice King said. “It’s really about the next generation.” On May 31, 2014, King accepted a $50,000 grant from Microsoft during the opening of its store at Perimeter Mall in Atlanta. Also in attendance to the ceremony were Mary Carol Alexander, Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler and Representative Tom Taylor. On June 24, 2014, King's parents were posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Bernice King stated in a statement released after the award was announced that the King family was "deeply honored" by her parents "being given this award in recognition of their tireless and sacrificial leadership to advance freedom and justice through nonviolence in our nation". King was the keynote speaker at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission 50th anniversary gala, held on August 14, 2014.

First sermon

At the age of 24, Bernice decided to become a minister, and she earned a Master's degree in Divinity and a juris doctor from Emory University. King is also a member of the State Bar of Georgia. During her college years, King considered a career as a television anchor. In May 1988, King was among the students of Emory charging that the college should hire more African-Americans as teachers and teach the works of African-American theologians in its courses. She said, "Black students on predominately White campuses have been ignored, humiliated, intimidated...and in many instances, eliminated." She said the students and people in general had excused the "insensitivity" of the administration and faculty "for too long." Bernice served as a student chaplain at the Georgia Retardation Center and Georgia Baptist Hospital as part of the requirements for her theology class and interned at the Atlanta City Attorney's office. She is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, as was her mother.

On March 27, 1988, nearly 20 years after her father's assassination, King delivered her first sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The sermon's theme was "You've Got To Rise Above The Crowd." King said her decision to deliver the sermon as "affirming a call I received at 17." She also said, "At some point in our lives, comes the moment of decision. For me, that moment is now. I submit myself totally to the will of God." Andrew Young, who attended the sermon, compared her style to her father's and noted their similarities while calling listening to her speak "a very emotional occasion for me."

Young also said that King becoming a minister "almost makes you believe preaching is hereditary," after her service. By delivering an "acceptable sermon," King was given her license to preach by Joseph Roberts, pastor of Ebenezer who stated, "We rejoice with God, the angels and the archangels that another warrior, a peaceful warrior, is fighting under the spirit of her father, grandfather and uncle." Veteran members of the church said her style was similar to her father's.

King's mother said at the time that she was satisfied with her daughter's decision to become a minister and stated that they had become closer than ever in the months leading up to the sermon. She also said listening to her daughter delivering a sermon with the same fervor and intensity her father had "was a joyous occasion; a real thanksgiving." Also in attendance where all three of her elder siblings, Yolanda, Martin Luther King III and Dexter. King's maternal grandparents were reported by her mother to have also been moved by the speech. Her sermon was delivered the day before her twenty-fifth birthday.

King Center

In 2008, King and her brother, Martin Luther King III, filed suit over the alleged mismanagement of funds from the King Center against their brother Dexter Scott King, who then filed a countersuit against them. Dexter King articulated his distress over Bernice's conservative religious views as departing from their father's legacy. In October 2009 the lawsuits were settled out of court.

In January 2012, King was named CEO of the King Center. On May 19, 2012, King met with Aïssata Issoufou Mahamadou, First Lady of Niger and wife of Mahamadou Issoufou. Mahamadou's visit to the King Center was a priority during her trip to the United States, having been an ardent admirer of King's father and mother. King accepted a plaque bearing crucifix symbols from Mahamadou.

On September 26, 2013, Evelyn G. Lowery died at her home. The King Center released a statement from Bernice King in response to her death, with her saying "I am deeply saddened by the death of Mrs. Evelyn Gibson Lowery, and my heart goes out to her husband, Dr. Joseph E. Lowery and their three daughters, Yvonne Kennedy, Karen Lowery and Cheryl Lowery-Osborne. We are never prepared to say 'goodbye' to a loved one."When Vice President Joe Biden aligned with her in celebrating a "naturalization ceremony" for an estimated hundred immigrants on November 16, 2013, she displayed distaste for the terms "illegal aliens" and "illegals".

On March 28, 2014, in honor of King's 51st birthday, the King Center hosted a girl and women's empowerment event. The organization held a special screening of the documentary "Girls Rising." King herself said the experience was "designed to educate, empower and inspire young women to confront and overcome the obstacles they face in their struggles to fulfill their dreams and impact the global community.”

On August 13, 2014, King addressed the shooting death of Michael Brown and demonstrators reacting in response. She called on demonstrators to channel their responses into constructive nonviolent action, and mentioned witnesses giving conflicting accounts of the shooting. On August 19, King expressed her belief that the community of Ferguson, Missouri was crying out for help after years of neglect. It was reported that a small delegation from the King Center would travel to Ferguson and planned to meet with "every element" of the community.The following day, August 20, King released a statement on Michael Brown's death, sympathizing with his parents. On August 26, King addressed students at the Riverview Gardens High School. King told the students her father's legacy was "on the line" and if “this doesn’t turn out the right way, it could begin to have people question what happened years ago.”

Public speaking

King was the keynote speaker at the Seminole County Prayer Breakfast in February 1998. Geoff Koach, spokesman for Strang Communications, said prior to the breakfast that there was an expectation to see "a lot more people of color there" and another reason for her being chosen to speak was to quell racial tensions in the county. He added: "We felt she could help unify citizens, the various organizations, government and church officials."In June 2006, five months after her mother's death, King made it known to a number of teenagers during the panel discussion at the 20th annual 100 Black Men of America conference in Atlanta that she intended to continue the legacy of nonviolence that had been attributed to her parents. That same year, King and her brother Martin Luther King III expressed interest in creating a civil rights museum near Ebenezer Baptist Church and the King Center, where both of their parents are buried.

On January 20, 2009, she joined her brother Martin Luther King III on CNN's The Situation Room to discuss the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.

On April 17, 2009, King delivered an address at Liberty University. LU Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. said that the university had been looking forward to King speaking all year. He said King helped "to bridge the divide that was created between different groups of students during the 2008 election season. For example, she gave a strong Gospel message today. African American Christians and white Christians have been separated into different political camps in the last generation or so but they share many of the same core values, especially when it comes to social issues like abortion, marriage and school vouchers." King said the university was a place for "kings-in-training." She told Liberty University students they were "very blessed and highly favored to be at an institution such as this." She called for students to accept “your identity. You’re a king. Don’t ever see yourself as a subject."

On July 7, 2009, King spoke alongside her brother Martin at the Staples Center in Los Angeles at a ceremony commemorating the life of Michael Jackson.

On October 16, 2011, King mentioned at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial opening that the memorial had been in the making for a lengthy amount of time and a "priority" for her mother. She and her brother Martin supported Occupy Wall Street protests. On January 13, 2012, King was the keynote speaker at the 24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner. On March 29, 2012, a month after the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin, King released a statement through the King Center. In her remarks, she referred back to the deaths of her father and paternal grandmother, who like Trayvon Martin, were killed by firearms. She concluded her statement by saying we "are still on the journey to the Mountaintop. Join me on the journey as we pray for Trayvon's family, the community of Sanford and all who are in danger of being victims of violence."

She made a public statement with regard to the State of Florida v. George Zimmerman verdict on July 15, 2013 via a CNN appearance with Wolf Blitzer. She clarified a tweet she had posted on Twitter, and explained that the handling of the verdict would "determine how much progress we've made". She spoke at a town hall meeting dedicated to Trayvon Martin and has admitted to having been "heartbroken" by the verdict. She said Trayvon Martin's death and Zimmerman's acquittal were a wake-up call for Americans.

On August 28, 2013, the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington, in which her father took part, King spoke and related that the denizens of the United States were "still bound by a cycle of civil unrest and inherit social biases, in our nation and the world, that often times degenerates into violence and destruction". Despite this, she admitted to being pleased to see many young people and women at the event, noting that was not the case during the March on Washington itself. King alluded to the death of teenager Trayvon Martin in February 2012 and said "If freedom stops ringing, then the sound will disappear and the atmosphere will be charged with something else. Fifty years later, we come once again to this special landing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to reflect, to renew and to rejuvenate for the continued struggle of freedom and justice."

She spoke at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida fundraiser on October 29, 2013, where she encouraged involvement in the lives of children. King addressed the death of Nelson Mandela on December 5, 2013. On January 20, 2014, the year's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, King spoke at Ebenezer Baptist Church. King said there was "much work that we must do" and asked if we are "afraid, or are we truly committed to the work that must be done?"

On March 19, 2014, King gave a speech at Seminole State College of Florida as part of the school's Speaker Series. It focused on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. After her address, King was presented with a key to the city by Sanford Vice Mayor Velma Williams. King spoke at Fontbonne University on September 17, 2014. She was joined by members of the King Center staff, who aided her in urging the community to not act out with violence.

March against same-sex marriage

On December 11, 2004, King participated in a march against same-sex marriage in Atlanta. This action was in contrast to the advocacy of her mother, Coretta, and her older sister Yolanda, both longtime, outspoken supporters of gay rights. She was joined by senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Eddie Long, who said in a written statement that the march was not "to protest same-sex marriage, but to present a unified version of righteousness and justice." At the time of the march, King said she had become a "spiritual daughter" of Eddie Long and the issue of same-sex marriage legalization had left many divided. "The question is, how do you overcome that pain?" she said. "It may be the wedge that stays with us for a long time. We have to get to a place where it does not become the most defining issue of our time."

She incorporated the King Center and the eternal flame at her father's tomb into the march. The King Center denied her permission to begin the march at her father's tomb and accused her of doing so to "provide support for her own personal cause" and "to enhance her personal standing in New Birth." The event was also criticized by gay rights organizations, which stated it betrayed the legacy of her father. Chuck Bowen, a spokesman for Georgia Equality, stated that he was surprised to learn of the march. "I think it's very sad," Bowen said. "I think she's abusing the good name of Dr. King and the work he did creating equality for all Americans."

Deaths of mother and sister and King Center sale

King's mother, Coretta Scott King, had a stroke in August 2005. She died on January 30, 2006. King delivered the eulogy at her funeral. King called her mother's death a "major turning point." She felt that her mother's death was a "rebirth" for her, "in terms of understanding that I come from roots of greatness and I am called to greatness and there's nothing I can do but try to be my best self." On October 24, 2005, Rosa Parks died of natural causes. Her funeral took place on November 2, 2005. Bernice King attended the funeral and delivered remarks on behalf of her mother. Bernice was the only one of the four King children to be with Coretta Scott King when she died and learned that her mother's remains could not be transported back to Georgia, since Mexican authorities required an autopsy first.

In the months between her stroke and death, Bernice and her brother Martin Luther King III vowed to fight the sale of the King Center to the National Park Service. The siblings were put against their brother Dexter and sister Yolanda, who supported and voted in favor of the sale in early December 2005. On December 30, 2005, King and her brother Martin stated that their priority was to preserve their "father's legacy and their mother's dream." Bernice stated of her mother's opinion on the sale that "She felt at some point that it may, in fact, end up with the government, but she never envisioned that in her lifetime." Andrew Young said transferring power would allow the family to focus more on Martin Luther King's message of nonviolence and less on maintaining the grounds. Bernice King said government ownership, which would befall the King Center if it were sold to the National Park Service, would result in "a loss of ideological independence." Martin Luther King III stated that Bernice had been removed as secretary and that he had been replaced as chairman by their brother Dexter.

16 months later, on May 15, 2007, King's sister Yolanda King died after collapsing and was unable to be revived. King delivered the eulogy at her sister's memorial on May 24, 2007. During Yolanda King's eulogy, King admitted that her death was even more difficult than her mother's and said her sister often addressed her as her "one and only sister." She added, "It's very difficult standing here blessed as her one and only sister. Yolanda, from your one and only, I thank you for being a sister and for being a friend." She joined her brothers in lighting candles in their sister's memory.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

With her brother Martin Luther King III, she has played an active part in reforming the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) once led by her father. When she was elected President and CEO of SCLC on October 30, 2009, a position previously held by both her father and brother, she became the first woman to lead the group, but discord in the organization has prevented her taking that position. King's election was won by a 23-to-15 vote, allowing her to defeat Arkansas judge, Wendell Griffen. Specialists said King would need to move beyond her family history when she took the position the following year. Andra Gillespie, a professor at Emory University in Atlanta, said King could hark back to her father's legacy, but that she was going to have to "redefine" it. Gillespie also stated that King would have to "figure out a way to push that legacy forward so we don't perpetuate a stagnant, chauvinistic civil rights agenda."

Despite her excitement being "high", King noticed the SCLC's board of directors had started "ignoring" suggestions she made to "revitalize" the organization. King said that she had made suggestions to the SCLC about how the presidency might operate in October 2010, but was not contacted formally until January, three months later. She stated that she felt "disrespect" by the three months in between her suggestions to the organization and their response. Despite this, she said that she would continue to "pray for them to move in a positive direction". On October 1, 2010, she led a prayer to an audience of around 200 people that had come to pray for healing and reconciliation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Through prayer, King said, they would "seek to destroy the work of the enemy." King called the SCLC preparing to hold two separate conventions "an unfortunate turn of events." In January 2011, three months after making the plea, she declined to be SCLC's president. While in Birmingham, Alabama on August 11, 2014 for the national convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, King endorsed having the 2016 Democratic National Convention be held in Birmingham, reasoning the "golden anniversary of civil rights events throughout the south and Birmingham in particular offers added significance" to it being held there.

Legal issues

King and her brother Martin Luther King III accused their brother Dexter of having disengaged them from decisions and shareholder meetings. They alleged that their brother had done this since 2004. On October 12, 2009, the dispute was settled out of court. The King siblings spent the entire day of October 12 locked away. The purpose of the lockdown was for the three to settle on a deal. Following the completing of their meeting, Bernice and her brother Martin said outside the Fulton County Courthouse that the results of the settlement seemed positive.

Book deal

Bernice King and Martin also opposed the giving up of photographs, personal letters and papers of their mother to a biographer. Their brother Dexter asked a judge to force them to comply. The biographer, Ms. Reynolds, met Coretta Scott King in 1972 and said that the widow had asked for her to write a follow up to her 1969 memoir. King and her brother's lawyer stated that their mother had changed her mind about the biography citing Mrs. King's apparent disapproval of Reynolds's writing style. A judge ordered the Kings to appear in court on October 14, 2008. David J. Garrow, biographer of King's father, said that it was "sad and pathetic to see the three of them behaving in this self-destructive way.”

By September 2009, the book deal was defunct and a judge ordered the three siblings to have a meeting. On September 14, King and her brother Martin sat through court motions, testimony and proceedings for more than 13 hours. In a separate hearing, Dexter Scott King's attorney Lin Wood argued that Bernice King willingly ignored a court order. He reasoned this because Bernice did not reveal the contents of the safe deposit box.

Wood also said King's brother Martin and one of Bernice's lawyers, who was no longer on the case, was aware of the letters and refused to reveal them. Bernice's attorney Charles Mathis said she "did not conceal anything" and said "She thought she was doing what she was supposed to do when she told her first lawyer. There was not an intentional failure to disclose."

The next day, Dexter Scott King's lawyers contended that Bernice was legally compelled to turn the letters over to Dexter, but ignored the order. Dexter's attorney Wood said "Regardless of what your last name is, if you have willfully withheld then you must suffer the consequences." Wood noted that Bernice denied the existence of the safety deposit box several times while under oath, which she said she found after the death of her sister Yolanda, who once owned it.

Mishandling of memorabilia

On August 28, 2013, the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington, the King estate filed a lawsuit against the King Center alleging that it had been careless with its handling of Martin Luther King, Jr. memorabilia. The lawsuit also claimed that attempts to resolve the issue with King Center CEO Bernice King have failed and that there had been a "total breakdown in communication and transparency." The King estate sent a 30-day notice to the Center in August 10, 2013. It notified the center that the licensing agreement for the King memorabilia was being terminated and that the center could avoid this by placing Bernice King on administrative leave and pulling Andrew Young and Alveda King from the board. According to the estate, Alveda King tried to "impede" the audit.The estate sought a court order barring the center from using the memorabilia after the license expired.

Bernice King announced in a statement on January 22, 2015 that the estate of her father, run by her brothers, had voluntarily dropped the lawsuit. She said the King Center's positions on its legal rights were vindicated by the estate's dropping of the lawsuit and that the action was a sign that the siblings' feud was on the road to reconciliation.

Belafonte documents

Harry Belafonte filed a lawsuit in October 2013, where he asked to be declared the owner of three documents given to him by the Kings and for their daughter Bernice King to be barred permanently from trying to claim ownership. The documents are Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Casualties of the War in Vietnam", which Belafonte stated he had been in possession of since 1967, the undelivered "Memphis Speech" found in Martin Luther King's pocket after his assassination and a letter of condolence sent by President Lyndon B. Johnson to the then-newly widowed Coretta Scott King. The King estate and Bernice King disputed Belafonte's ownership of the documents when in 2008, he took the items to Sotheby's auction house in New York to be appraised and put up for sale. On April 11, 2014, Belafonte and the King estate said in a joint statement that a confidential compromise "resulted in Mr. Belafonte retaining possession of the documents."

Bible and Nobel Peace Prize family dispute

King's brothers Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King are interested in selling their father's Nobel Peace Prize and his Bible, which was later used by Barack Obama during his second presidential inauguration in 2013. Her brothers filed a lawsuit against her, complaining that she had "secreted and sequestered" the two items of interest in violation of a 1995 agreement that gives the brothers sole control of all of their father's property. King said in her defense, "I take this strong position for my father because Daddy is not here to say himself my Bible and medals are never to be sold."

Martin Luther King III was reported to have sent her, on January 20, 2014, the year's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a letter requesting a meeting to "discuss and vote on whether to offer for purchase at a private sale the Nobel Peace Prize and the King Bible.” On January 22, 2014, Dexter Scott and Martin Luther King III voted as board members of the King estate to pursue the sale of their father's award and Bible. The items had been in Bernice's care since the death of their mother, Coretta Scott King, in 2006. Bernice's position had support by members of the civil rights community, including C. T. Vivian, Andrew Young, and Joseph Lowery. King's cousin, Alveda King, was also supportive of Bernice. She said, "I am standing with her because I do believe we can't have a sale to the highest bidder with those family heirlooms."

On February 4, 2014, Bernice King stated that she would protest the sale of her father's Bible and Nobel Peace Prize and as a result, oppose her brothers. She said profiting from the Nobel Peace Prize's sale would be "spiritually violent" and "outright morally reprehensible." On February 6, 2014, King asked in a press conference in Ebenezer Baptist Church for the media to “refrain from grouping me with my brothers.” On February 19, 2014, a judge ordered her to give up the items, and had them kept temporarily in a safe deposit box under the name of the King estate. The judge will remain in possession of the key until the matter is settled.

The judge compared King's stance against the sale of her father's Bible and Nobel Peace Prize to Coca-Cola not wanting to sell its recipe, and later noted that he was not trying to trivialize the value of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s possessions by making the comparison. While King said that people had urged her to retain the Bible and Nobel Peace Prize and go to prison instead, she complied with the judge's order. On March 6, 2014, she asked her brothers to hold another vote and said she hoped one of them would change his mind. Despite facing an estrangement from her brothers, she hoped that she would be able to reconcile with them on the matter and said she is open to an out-of-court settlement. She appealed to anyone who would consider purchasing the bible and Nobel Peace Prize should they be put on sale to take the moral high road by leaving the "sacred in its sacred state." While she was given a deadline of turning them over by March 3, it was extended another five days, according to one of Bernice's lawyers.

King said that she would never support her brothers in selling the Nobel Peace Prize and Bible. She said that if her father was alive, he would say, "my Bible and my medal are never to be sold, not to an institution or even a person.” On March 10, 2014, King turned over the Nobel Peace Prize and Bible to Martin Luther King III for placement in a safety deposit box in a meeting that lasted five minutes. A lawyer involved in the dispute said few words were exchanged while Bernice surrendered the items. Eric Barnum, an attorney of Bernice King, said that his client "complied with the court order."

On March 14, 2014, Ron Gaither, one of Bernice King's lawyers, argued that William Hill, lawyer of Martin Luther King III and Dexter King, should not have any role in the case because of his involvement in the 2008 dispute between the King children. A judge appointed Hill as Special Master in 2008. Lawyers of Bernice King in a court hearing said that "Hill played a vital and substantial role in adjudicating a multitude of disputes that arose between the parties." The lawyers argued that this gave Hill an advantage while putting Bernice at a disadvantage. Hill's defense of himself was that he only had access to documents related to Coretta Scott King's estate and that Bernice King's lawyers were using a stalling tactic by trying to disqualify him. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney stated that he would soon issue a ruling on whether Hill would be disqualified.

McBurney granted Bernice King's lawyers request and disqualified Hill. A full hearing is scheduled to take place in late September.

Honors and awards

On December 14, 2007, at the State Bar of Georgia Headquarters, King was honored by the Georgia Alliance of African American Attorneys with the "Commitment to Community" award for her work as an attorney and community leader.

On October 7, 2009, King received an award for her "lifetime of service to women and other causes" at the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Convention.

On November 7, 2013, as part of the "Celebrating the Dream”, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the I Have a Dream speech done by her father, King received the Legend Award as a tribute to his legacy and after she delivered a speech.

Ebony magazine named her one of their Ten of Tomorrow future leaders of the black community.

Views

Gay rights

In 2005, she led a march to her father's gravesite and at the same time called out for a constitutional ban on gay marriage. She once said to LGBT supporters that her father did not take a bullet for same-sex marriage.

During Atlanta's 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Day rally, King included LGBT people among the various groups who needed to come together to "fulfill her father’s legacy." When speaking at Brown University in 2013, King made statements regarding her beliefs about the origins of marriage: "I believe that the family was created and ordained first and foremost by God, that he instituted the marriage, and that's a law that he instituted and not... that we instituted" and about the origins of same-sex attraction: "I also don't believe everybody's born that way. I know some people have been violated. I know some people have unfortunately delved into it as an experiment". King has publicly stated that her father would have been against gay marriage.

However, by 2015, it appeared she had changed, as she issued a press release as CEO of the King Center supporting the Supreme Court's Same-Sex Marriage ruling.

Abortion

King is opposed to abortion. She believes that life begins and should be protected by law at conception. On August 22, 2013, King expressed her belief that "life begins in a woman’s womb.”

[whitetigerdemoness]

Taking a break from Marc and Nathaniel to see how the Agrestes are holding up. They'll be back next chapter!

The more massive a star, the shorter its lifespan. A very massive star may live only tens of millions of years, while a cool dwarf will shine on for billions of years. At an age of about 4.5 billion years, our Sun is considered middle-aged

Master Post

Ladybug mentally groaned as she swung around the corner to see the press outside of the Agreste mansion gates. While this was to be expected, it would be nice if they could give the family more than an hour or so to grieve before swarming. Landing on the pillars supporting the front gates she surveyed the crowd, who became excited at her appearance, thinking she should go ahead and get this out of the way before Adrien or Emile had to deal with them. Standing at the head of the crowd preaching to the cameras was...sigh.

“Mr. Berger. Shouldn’t you be in post processing still from your court verdict?” Ladybug asked from her perch on the gate. No way she was going down to their level to get clawed at.

“Ladybug.” Sneered Berger. “Back from setting up your next plot? Or were you just paying off your latest actors?” The Office of Akuma Affairs (OAA for short) stubbornly claimed that all akuma attacks were done by paid actors, paid for by the city’s heroes as publicity stunts. They also ardently ignored the fact that their own leader had been akumatized at one point, something Berger himself denied ever happening.

“Mr. Berger, please. The Agreste family would like some peace to grieve before you start throwing conspiracy theories at them again.” Behind the man, the crowded had gone silent, cameras and reporters eagerly watching the exchange.

“Conspiracy theories? I think you mean exposing the truth. After all, are we supposed to believe that little stunt earlier was real? That some woman just, what, walked into a maximum security prison with an elaborate costume on and killed two prisoners without anyone noticing?” Berger folded his arms smugly, looking condescending.

Turning to the cameras, Ladybug addressed the press “We’re still uncertain to the extent of what happened at the prison today. Any information will go through the police before it reaches my team.”

“Ladybug!” A reporter cut in “What do you have to say about this new Hawkmoth?”

Berger opened his mouth to giver his own two cents but Ladybug cut him off “The appearance of this new Hawkmoth is as shocking to us as it is to you. I know that her more….aggressive approach has frightened many of you but I promise that my team and I will-”

“Aggressive?!” Berger interjected. “She beheaded two people on public television! Think of how many children were watching, now permanently traumatized by what they saw! When are you people going to take real responsibility for these attacks and how they affect the public?” The man screamed, waving his hands theatrically. Ladybug squared her shoulders to fire back at him, when the doors of the mansion swung open.

Emile Agreste, Dusuu zipping around her head in concern, stepped onto the walk and made her way to the gate. She looked pale and drawn, grim. Samson followed a step behind her, looking just as grim but more intimidating. Ladybug jumped down from the gate to meet her.

“Mrs. Agreste-” Emile held up a hand for silence as she continued to approach the gate.

“You ask when we will take responsibility for how Hawkmoth has affected this city? Mr. Berger, I have tried to do nothing but ever since my revival. I thought that as Paon, I could give back to the city where my husband has taken so much. And in thanks, that city has taken my husband from me. From my son.”

“This city hasn’t done anything to you-” Emile cut the man off.

“This city.” She said firmly “Has done nothing but hound and harass my family for MONTHS.  We are only two weeks into this month and already I have had to call the police to deal with armed trespassers on my property twelve times. Twelve Mr. Berger. Last month it was more than sixty times. You and your group especially have hounded me, my son, and anyone even vaguely connected to us for months . I fear for his safety Mr. Berger. I may be a superhero but I am a mother first. Ladybug,” She said grimly, turning to face the heroine, “My public connection to you and the miraculous has brought nothing but ruin to my family. I thank you for all your support, but I am here and now resigning from my role as the holder of the Peacock Miraculous.” Emile unpinned the brooch from her shirt and placed it into the hands of a stunned Ladybug.

“I think it would be better if me or my son were never seen with you again, Ladybug .” Emile stressed. With that she turned her back on the now calmoring reporters and returned to her home. The muffled ‘thud’ of the doors closing echoed in Ladybug’s head as she stared at the miraculous in her hand.

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

Ladybug might have been banned from the Agreste mansion, but Marinette hoped she had read Emilie’s tone correctly that her civilian self was still welcome. Swinging a few blocks away, she had found an out of the way sewer entrance and detransformed. Emilie had thought it wise to keep the subterranean room she had been held in secret from the public, as it provided another entrance into the house that was easy to exploit. When superhero fans and hate groups alike had promptly proceeded to spend nearly every waking (and some they should have been sleeping) hour harassing the Agrestes after Gabriel’s arrest and Emilie coming out to the public as Paon, that turned out to be a wise decision. The secret entrance was an easy way for those in the know to drop by without being harassed by fans or the media. People like Adrien’s girlfriend. Or his boyfriend.

Approaching the secure door that led into the Agreste property, Marinette spotted Luka pacing nervously in front of it.

“Luka!” She said, jogging the last few steps.

“Marinette. Hey.” He said, looking uncertain. Warning flags immediately went off. Luka was almost never indecisive.

“What’s wrong?” Marinette asked, taking his hands.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” He chuckled slightly. “Or at least if you’re okay. I saw...well, I think all of Paris did.”

“So you rushed over to see Adrien?”

“Without a thought. Now I’m having second ones. What if he wants to be alone right now? I mean, his father just died and I saw that circus outside the gates. He probably just wants some quiet right now.” Luka stroked the back of Marinette’s hand with his thumb, thinking.

“We left him with Chloe, he’s probably not getting much quiet right now anyway.” Tiki giggled slightly, flying out of Marinette’s purse where she had been consoling a dejected Dusu. The blue kwami trailed after her, his usual zip subdued.

“Hey Tiki...and Dusu? What’s he doing with you, Marinette?” Luke questioned.

“You said you saw the media outside. Guessing you didn’t stay around long enough to hear me, Ladybug, address them.” Luka shook his head, looking worried. Marinette continued on with a sigh. “That idiot Berger was there stirring the pot, and I guess the broadcast was live because near the end Emilie came out and gave him a piece of her mind. Then she publicly resigned as Paon.” She laid her head against Luka’s chest as he hugged her, feeling some of her stress melt away. Some of it.

“Hey. You, me, Adrien. Spa day.” Luka murmured into her hair, stroking her back. Marinette laughed dryly.

“I think we’ll have to invite Marc and Nathaniel this time. They’ve got a bigger headache to deal with than me for once. Though he’s kind of my headache too…” Luka gave her a quizzical look. “Penknight is back. In the akuma battle Paon tried to make a Sentimonster ally and got him instead.”  When Luka’s face scrunched up in distaste, Marinette had to laugh.

“Oh come on. He’s not that bad.” She giggled, feeling even more stress flow away. Luka was good at that.

“Penknight is that bad. If he’s the same as he was last time, someone needs to put him over their knee and spank him, and not in a sexy way.” Luka grumbled. Marinette held her stomach, trying to fight the giggles at that mental image.

“He is a bit of a brat, isn’t he?” She said, trying to control her breathing.

“Say that after you have to babysit him for twelve hours straight. His devotion to Marc was adorable, but he treated everyone else like un-favored playmates that kept trying to steal his favorite toy. Speaking of babysitting, please tell me someone is watching him right now?” Luka said, looking like he hoped that person wouldn’t end up being him.

“Marc, and technically Nathaniel, are keeping an eye on him. We had some...words, to put it lightly that made me think. Marc has his amok and can wrangle him if he gets unruly. Hopefully. Why did I leave him alone again?” Marinette groaned into her hands.

“Because Adrien and Emilie need you right now.” Tiki gently reminded her. “They’ll be happy to see you both, I’m sure.”

“I don’t want to see her.” Marinette almost didn’t hear Dusu, he spoke so low.

“Dusu?” She asked.

“Things got hard and she just abandoned me. I don’t want to see her. I don’t want to see anyone.” Dusu sniffled as Tiki lay a comforting paw on him. “My wielders all either end up dead or wishing they were, and I’m so tired of losing people. I just want to rest.” He cried, full out bawling by the end. Marinette gathered him up in her hands and hugged him to her chest as best she could. Luka layed a comforting hand over hers as the little kwami cried.

“You don’t have to see her if you don’t want to Dusu. I can leave your miraculous downstairs if you like, and when we get home I’ll put you straight in the miracle box so you can see the other kwami.” Marinette soothed.

“I think I’d like that. We’ve all been separated for so long, and I just want to rest.” Dusu sniffled.

“Well...the sooner we go in, the sooner you can go home.” Luka inhaled, keying in the code to open the door. Marinette followed him inside, leaving her purse with the peacock miraculous and Dusu hanging near the elevator. Tiki decided to stay with him and watch the miraculous. Bracing for more tears, Marinette and Luka headed upstairs.

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

Chloe thought she was being remarkably patient, for her, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t relieved to see Marinette and dumpster boy when they came up. At Emilie’s urging, they were all in the sitting room. Emilie and Marinette exchanged a tense stare, before the older woman nodded subtly and the younger woman flew at Adrien with a hug. Luka followed at a more sedate pace. Emilie had turned off the TV after she had come back inside, and Chloe thought that was for the best. Her heart ached for Adrien and his mother, Emilie had honestly been more of a mother to her than her own over the years, but Chloe had always been bad at the touchy feely part. She tended to react to people being upset by putting her back up and lashing out, and she knew that isn’t what either of them needed right now. She had done her very best to be silent up until now, but that time was over.

“So what’s the plan?” Chloe asked, interjecting over the whispered conversation between the trio.

“Plan?” Marinette asked, looking stupid as usual. Chloe still had trouble believing she was actually Ladybug.

“Yes, plan! That new Hawkmoth- Hawk bitch just declared war. You cannot let that go unanswered. Miraculous holders are NOT to be messed with, and the new kid on the block needs to learn that.” Chloe said firmly.

She had spent years watching her father handle political rivals and no matter what people thought, she HAD learned a thing or two. If someone made a threat and you rolled over, you were as good as done for. She stared firmly at the trio across from her so her eyes didn’t stray to Emilie. The younger blond absolutely thought the elder was making a huge mistake giving up her miraculous, especially when Chloe herself had had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way just to hold hers for more than a moment. She hoped that once Emilie had had some time to think, she would realize what a mistake she had made in giving away her power. If this new Hawkmoth was dead set on attacking them, someone without a miraculous would be as good as defenseless against her.

“Chloe, there’s nothing we can do at this point. All we can do is wait for her next akuma and go from there. Not that that matters. We won't defeat her for several years, if ever.” Adrien said glumly.

“What do you mean?” Emilie asked, zeroing in on how certain he sounded.

“A hero from the future visited us once. Bunnix. Hawkmoth was still active in her time, and that was at least three years from now. I thought maybe history had changed somehow when we...defeated Father, but of course it can’t be that easy.” Adrien delivered in a monotone, resting his head on Luka’s chest while Marinette stroked his hair.

“Who knows, kid? The future isn’t as set in stone as people like to believe. If you’ve ever heard Fluff go off an a tangent, which I do NOT recommend by the way, you’d hear about how something as tiny as deciding to wear a green sock instead of a blue sock can spawn hundreds of different alternate realities that can be so alike you wouldn’t notice if you accidentally fell into one, or so different the world has ended or something. Just because of socks!” Plagg cried buzzing around in distress. “Cheese is so much more simple than time!”

“Plagg is right. I told you about the future Bunnix took me to with Chat Blanc. The only thing I changed here to prevent that was not signing my name on your present.” Marinette chimed in. “We haven’t heard from Bunnix in quite some time. We have no way of knowing if her future is going to be ours anymore. Heck, if we really wanted to be sure I could just never give her her miraculous.”

“Wouldn’t work baby bug. Miraculous are funny like that. Fu shoulda told you some of this stuff, but every generation that we’re active in, the miraculous inevitably find their way to the best person to wield them.” Plagg shook his head, crossing his arms.

“What about me?” Chloe asked. “I found my miraculous by accident.”

“There are no accidents when the miraculous are involved. It’s why they’re miraculous and not just...magic rocks.” Plagg said.

“No coincidences...like the first Sentimonster Paon made when akuma attacks started again being Penknight, and not just one of the blob looking ones?” Luka asked thoughtfully. Plagg shrugged.

“That would be more Dusu’s department, but from what I hear? One’s that can pass for people and think for themselves are really rare. I’m shocked you’ve seen two of them in one lifetime.” Plagg said.

“Two?” Emilie asked. “And you have both had dealings with time travel? When was all this?” She asked, looking overwhelmed.

“Nathalie made a Ladybug sentimonster when she was still Mayura. She killed her though by removing her amok.” Marinette said, looking sad.

“As for time travel, short term Luka probably has the most experience. It’s what the snake miraculous does, sends you back in time five minutes. The rabbit can go as far as the wielder wants though.” Adrien explained while Emilie rubbed her temples.

“Why haven’t I ever heard of any of this?” She asked.

“Honestly mom? You never asked. We went through tons of crazy stuff before you were revived due to akumas.”

“And you’re going to go through all that again?” Emilie asked, a stubborn look forming on her face.

“Adrien is the best cat for the job, and if you take it away from him you might be dooming all of Paris.” Plagg cut in, uncharacteristically serious.

“...We may have to do that anyway.” Marinette said softly. “Too many people know our identities. I don’t want to just dump this job on someone else but…” She sighed.

“But nothing! Our friends won't tell anyone!” Adrien argued.

“And if they get akumatized?” Marinette calmly shot back. There was a stretch of uncomfortable silence.

“Oh for heaven's sake! You’re both over thinking this! Plagg JUST said there were no coincidences with the Miraculous. It’s fate or something right?” The destruction kwami made an ‘eh’ motion, and Chloe ploughed on. “If you’re still meant to be Ladybug and Chatnoir no one will find out who you are. The miraculous won’t let them.”

“Chloe it’s not that simple-”

“Could be.” Plagg said, lazily floating on his back. “or you could just erase everyone’s memories of you being Ladybug and Chatnoir.”

“What?!” The entire room, except Samson who was silently watching the exchange, shouted.

“Yesh, don’t yell! My ears are delicate.” Plagg simpered. “The miraculous cure works by fixing what YOU think is wrong.” he waved a paw at Marinette “So if you think it’s wrong for your friends to know your secret identities, they won't. Wouldn’t be the first time you brain blasted them with the cure. Heck, you’ve blasted yourself a few times.” Marinette looked conflicted.

“It can’t be that easy, and is that even morally sound? Altering their memories without their permission?” She worried.

“You should do it.” Emilie said. “Erase my memory too. It’s safer if no one knows but you two.” Emilie’s eyes strayed to Luka.

“I understand.” He told her, over Adrien and Marinette’s protests. “I knew both your identities from the first day you gave me the snake miraculous, but I was also never akumatized again. If this is the best way to keep you both safe…” He trailed off.

“No.” Marinette said firmly. “I won’t lie to my partner, either of you, ever again. Master Fu forced Adrien and I to hide our identities for so long, and it caused so many problems between us...I won’t do that to you, Luka.” Adrien echoed her thoughts.

“But you should do it to me, and your friends.” Emilie cut in.

“Ugh. Utterly ridiculous that I have to let you mess with my head. But,” Chloe sighed dramatically “Anything for Adrikins. Just know that I am not responsible for any schemes I come up with to break you up with him after I forget you’re Ladybug.”

Marinette and Adrien exchanged looks, having a silent conversation. In the end Marinette hung her head and sighed.

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

“Damn Ladybugs.” Penknight growled, swatting at the magical swarm as they tried to approach where he, Marc, and Nathaniel were stiffly sitting on the Anciel’s couch halfway across the city. Sitting across from them in the lounge chair was their biggest obstacle yet: Marc’s overprotective, older sister.

[blackspeaks2020-blog]

Racism in Accenture [PROOF] 

Have you ever worked in a company where all the leaders are all white? Have you ever felt alienated and seeking for a person of color that can represent you and relate with? Or that company says equal opportunity employer but when you check all their leaders all of them are white? But why is that? What is going on?

Accenture is even proud to show into their website all of the higher executives and all of them are white and a very few Indians and Chinese you can count below five fingers. Where is the opportunity, inclusivity, and diversity the company is talking about for every people including Black people? Yes of course there will be some available roles for employee roles but what about opportunities in the Leadership Team? Is it really inclusivity or exclusivity? Racism is a form of discrimination of your color and it’s evident with this company. Please don’t even try to deny it, it is shown in the company website in the Leadership Team section, all of them are White. 

And in a separate note from the CEO Julie Sweet, recently, they say that they will increase the equality of African and Latinos in the company but why just implement now? Because something happened in the issue of racism globally? But what if it not happened at all? There wouldn’t be any need for equality for Black People in the company, right? How can a company claim such equality where it never happened to begin with from Leadership? That is so questionable. Should we tolerate such actions? Leadership have never realized this not until a Black Person died on the knees of a White Police guy choking him to his last breath. Such a shame for Leadership and too much pride, privilege, and entitlement for being White. White people have this superiority complex in them that they are better than anybody else in the room. Including the Leadership space. 

How can we get insurance that the company really do show support in Black Lives Matter? Some CEOs are very willing and generous enough to step down to give way and show support and some would probably just sit around and keep their position and only take action when faced with issues. Believe me no one in the Leadership Team will be generous enough to give their position to a Black Person because most of them are selfish and that’s business. Accenture is business for White People. This is the issue that the company have failed to deliver in their Leadership. Accenture is in hot seat now. 

The company also put racism on another level by excluding only Black People but you can see Indians and Chinese people in higher leadership roles and that is called bullying. Bullying Black People by not allowing them to sit in higher roles and limiting it to only White People and some few Non-Black People. Why so selective about it? As long as they are not Black, it’s ok. Really? 

On a final note, before companies even dare to claim equal opportunity, inclusivity, and diversity. They must first practice what they preach on a higher level and not only practice it on lower roles where they can run away from and be exempted to the rule, and that is cheating. Before Accenture would even attempt to remove this from their website, I took a screenshot of all their White Leaders as a PROOF so they can’t get away with it and stop them from fabricating lies. 

If you are Black and this matters to you. Reblog this post or share on other social media platforms in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

#BlackLivesMatter #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #JusticeForBlackPeople #Racism #Discrimination #FreedomOfSpeech #BullyingInTheWorkPlace #StandUp #BeHeard

[racefortheironthrone]

Thoughts on Powers of X #3

Gotta go fast!

Pride and Grace (X^2):

This issue starts off on a pretty heavy note with a look at the religion of humans in the Man-Machine Ascendancy, and what we see is that humanity has constructed a religion around transhumanism and it’s entirely negative.

So here is the catechism of this religion:

“All humans are slaves,” and humans should “accept [the machines]] dominance.”

Human nature is inherently “fallen,” and in order to ascend humans must reject “every last shred” of their humanity.

Critically, humans must reject the “heretics” who preach biological transhumanism, both becasue of the inherent impossibility of “improv[ing] on our flawed design” and their mistaken belief in free will.

And then just in case you were wondering whether Hickman was going to be at all subtle in his belief that mechanical transhumanism is bad, he then shows us a baby being baptised into this faith by having half its face lasered off as it screams in pain. 

On a more high-falutin’ level, the purple-clad cyborg priest’s concluding thought that “there is something perfect trapped in your flawed human shell” is Gnosticism turned against itself, from a religion that preached an egalitarian message of salvation through transcendant knowledge into a religion that denies the very possibility. It’s also not a good sign that the priest inverts Milton’s most famous epigram on individualistic defiance into a message of submission. 

I find it very odd that so much of the fandom can read these pages and then turn around and call Krakoan culture a cult. As I’ll get into longer, Krakoan culture is all about proving and celebrating individuality as well as community, about rejoicing in the defeat of death, and the multiple layers of call-and-response rest power in the congregation as much as the preacher. If I had to choose between these two religions, I’d pick Krakoa every time. 

And then the mutant resistance shows up bringing fire and the sword(s). And yet, in what is surprising for a group of mutants organized and led by Apocalypse, their tone is more disappointed than hostile. More on this in a bit.

Surviving Sol Mutants Infographic:

In this org chart, we learn about the mutant resistance as led by Apocalypse. Some interesting little details here:

Apocalypse has a new group of horsemen (we don’t learn that the first horsemen who Hickman has been emphasizing so much died during the fall of Krakoa until later), with Logan in the War role, Kuan-Yin Xorn as Death, North as Pestilence, and Krakoa/Cypher as Famine.

This group includes “Pureblood” (not wild about this label) mutants, Chimeras, and “Symbiotic” mutants, which covers pretty much every kind of mutant in this timeline in the same way that the All-New X-Men were designed to be internationally diverse.

While some of these designations - War for Wolverine and Death for the nihilist Xorn - make sense, there’s something really ironic about the plant-man representing Famine, and there doesn’t seem to be much of a clear link between North and the concept of Pestilence.

North as a second generation Lorna Dane/Emma Frost hybrid became a fan favorite despite uttering very few words, I guess because of the interesting combination of Magneto’s costume in Polaris’ colors and pink telepathy powers. 

For her part, Moira stands in as “Mother” of the younger mutant team (which I guess makes Apocalypse the “Father” of the older team), making this resistance cell a Brady-style fused/found family.

I was wrong about which generations Rasputin and Cardinal belong to: despite the fact that Rasputin is named Rasputin IV, both she and Cardinal are third generation Chimeras. Cardinal’s powerset seems to include Nightcrawler-style teleportation as well as Jean/Rachel/Nate-style telepathy. No idea who Freeman corresponds to, but no one else seems to know either. 

The Church, the Church is On Fire!:

On the other side of town, the Machine half of the Ascendancy reacts to the distraction attack. Omega Sentinel both seems to care more about humanity and be more human both in terms of her interests and her affect, while noted sociopath Nimrod the Lesser advocates for human genocide, just in case you were wondering who the bad guys were.

A further sign that we shouldn’t let our pre-existing knowledge color our interpretation is that we find out that the mutant resistance “have always sought to free the humans in some hope that together they might overcome the inevitability of” Nimrod. Needless to say, fighting to save “a world that hates and fears them” hasn’t exactly been Apocalypse’s wheelhouse, but it’s a sign that existential struggle changes all kinds of people’s characters in unexpected ways.

I really like the idea that mutants and humans are two peoples “divided by one language,” because it’s an interesting counter-point to Magneto’s argument in House of X #1 that a mutant language is a necessary precondition for cultural separation.

Further evidence for my thesis about AIs and analysis paralysis: Nimrod the Lesser’s obsession with trying to “disassemble the variables” and his total lack of interest in more qualitative understandings of his opposition leads him to delay just long enough to allow the resistance to get away with their data and unleash a singularity in his capital. Can’t help but see a parallel there with the Phalanx and other intelligences.

We move from there to a Highly Thematically Significant ecumenical debate between the cyborg purple priest and Cardinal, who describes himself as “a pacifist who’s been pushed to the brink” (much like Xavier?) and in the process has abandoned many of his own beliefs, even “overcome my genetic predispositions” for a higher purpose. (Which itself is thematically significant, given that the cyborg purple priest explicitly denied that one could avoid genetic destiny.) Cardinal wants to know why the priest would betray humanity on behalf of a malevolent divinity, but it’s not clear whether his own form of self-destruction is much different (although given that Cardinals deny the self, did the “terminal apocalypse seed” destroy his authentic self or create one?). 

For his part, the cyborg priest chooses veneration of the Great Machine above all else, seemingly dying in a state of religious ecstasy. There’s also another interesting contrast being drawn here - after Magneto positioned the mutants as pagan “gods,” we have a decidedly monotheistic capital-G “god” in the form of Omega Sentinel. 

Buying Time/Space:

As his X-Men prepare to go down swinging to buy him enough time, Apocalypse and his strike team make it to the data-base. I know that Hickman is usually described as more of a world-builder than dialogue wrioter, but I loved the line “I am older than even the idea of machines.” (Not so sure that’s true, Ancient Egypt loved itself some simple machines, but he could be referring more specifically to the computer.) 

We also learn that the data they’re looking for is “when Nimrod came online,” which initially sounds unimportant...up until we see Moira and realize that historical data is priceless when you’re dealing with time-loopers.

Nimrod is alerted by Cypher/Krakoa’s accessing of the data, but it’s worth noting that Nimrod doesn’t know what they’re looking for. He’ll describe it as “old data and machine lore,” but he clearly can’t recall and hasn’t integrated the data that’s been acquired into his own mental framework - which raises the question of whether the Phalanx or higher ups do any better with the data they’ve consumed. 

In the mean-time, Rasputin and Xorn unleash his singularity in order to sideline Omega Sentinel and buy their cause a little more time. There’s an interesting parallel with what Erasmus will do in House of X #3, but the singularity adds another level.

Omega’s question “do you have any idea of what lies at the heart of a real black hole” is even more ambiguous in the wake of Powers of X #5, where we learn that there are massive AI societies inside black holes. Is the Man-Machine Ascendancy a vassal of one of these, has Omega seen one? Or is she referring to a more abstract idea about the ultimate death of all things? (Watching A Brief History of Time messed me up as a kid.)

But just as the X-Men of X^1 underestimate the self-sacrificial tenacity of Orchis humans, Omega underestimates that of the X-Men and so a singularity is unleashed on Earth. Does this destroy the planet, in the same way that the singularity of the 4th Generation Chimeras wiped out Mars? Do Rasputin, Xorn, or Cardinal end up in another time/place as the tarot cards from Powers of X #1 would suggest? Is their desination one of the Titan Societies?  

In a parallel act, Apocalypse sacrifices himself to get the data away. Even as Nimrod is giving his big speech about how Apocalypse is no longer the “fittest of all,” we see how the Big A has clearly moved beyond that conception of himself, to embrace a larger cause he’s willing to die for.

As Aocalypse is dying, Wolverine awakens Moira in her ninth life and kills her so that she can bring the data about Nimrod into her tenth life. Which is one main reason why I’m really skeptical we’ll see a reboot into an 11th life at the end of the mini-series, because otherwise why devote half or more of your run-time to what she’s learned in this life if the next one is the really important one?

Infographic of the Ninth Life of Moira X:

I just realized that Moira’s last name works as both a play on the Nation of Islam’s tradition of giving out X as a new last name symbolic of the heritage destroyed by slavery (although the X-gene probably gives that a different symbolism for Krakoan mutants), and the number 10. Yes, I can be really short-sighted sometimes.

So what new information do we get about Life 9?

Well, the Apocalypse War goes well for mutants for fourteen years, with Avengers World defeated three years later, and the Annihilation Wave repelled eleven years later. Crucially, however, Apocalypse is unable to prevent Nimrod from coming online in Year 50, and within six years the mutants lose most of their earthly power, forcing a retreat to Krakoa and the adoption of Sinister’s breeding program. This buys the mutants about thirty years, but Krakoa’s fall in advance of the collapse of Mars suggestsa that it was never more than a band-aid.

Note that once again Moira goes into a coma. Man, by this point, she and Emma are going to have plenty to talk about wrt to their Sleeping Beauty syndromes.