#but also absolutely willing & ready to throw down against the rich the elite & the very political bodies that keep the cycle of abuse going

[alteredphoenix]

Some character designs for some more of the girls that appear in the Daemon Familiar’s story in the present day era and whom Airi will meet - and contend with - on her travels to find the Demon King-in-Exile. That I...did during the ice storm and three of the sixteen hours spent in the dark without power, but y’all don’t need to know that.

Locations, and mostly outfits, are not 100% finalized, but written here as a reference point for future material.

A quick rundown:

Rochelle (left): The current leader of a community-driven law enforcement agency out in the jungles west of Esserings that was founded by her ancestors shortly after the Great War, in a direct counter-response to the police brutality and corruption among and enacted by the Displacers. Rochelle is dedicated to continuing her family’s line of work and upholding the peace that they feel the Displacers have failed in their duty to follow since their formation in the Rift War. Although she is willing to give the Displacers an opportunity to redeem themselves of their crimes against the common folk, Rochelle is willing to fight dirty and shed blood against them if it means their corruptive influence and arrogance will not harm her people and fellow officers - including a time-displaced cadet in training such as Airi, whose wanderings with Iryna lead her right into the heart - and the cross-hairs - of the group colloquially called ‘the Displacer Hunters’.

Hikari/Akari (middle): A former Displacer in the Esserings Displacer agency. As one of the two rising stars among their generation, Hikari was considered to be a candidate for promotion as an elite captain of the Displacer Honor Guard, an exceptional honor that is normally granted to more older, experienced members - especially to people that inhabit the islands to the far west and south of the mainland continent. However, observation of the corruption and misconduct committed by not only her own unit but other divisions among the Displacers led Hikari to become increasingly disillusioned, frustrated, and ultimately disgusted with the lack of investigation and accountability toward them, until she became a target of harassment and sexual abuse from the upper echelons. One such crime committed by her unit was the theft of a sword from a demon society, said to be forged under a full red moon, with the spirit of a night gaunt and the ability to drink the blood of people with sinful hearts. Unaware of the crime that had been done save for the claims of its creation, Hikari was drawn to and found solace at the sight of the bloodletting blade. Eventually, she came to the conclusion that the Displacers were a lost cause and must be dismantled. On that day, she broke through the containment housing the Blade, slaughtered her way through the ranks she once called ally, and fled the Esserings a wanted fugitive, taking up the pseudonym Akari. There she finds her way into Rochelle’s community and slowly earns her favor - and her respect - by providing evidence of the ongoing misconduct of the Displacer agencies. At the time of Airi’s travels, Hikari is currently Rochelle’s third-in-command, below her lieutenant and confidante, Marshall.

Eri (right): The second of the two Displacers within the Esserings Displacer agency that were considered for promotion to Honorary Guard. Eri and Hikari belonged to and fought in the same unit and were known to be close friends, to the envy of many that vied for Hikari’s attention. However, whereas Hikari had been relaxed and carefree, Eri is quiet, no-nonsense, and a strict follower of the law, focused on upholding the honor and integrity of her organization. However, she herself was not blind to the rumors and allegations of corruption among the Displacers, and although Hikari struggled to bring to light their severity and calls for investigation from the unions and parliament, Eri could only watch as each request was denied or failed with no follow-up. It is then that news of Hikari’s theft of the Bloodletting Blade and mass slaughter of their comrades quickly spreads through the mainland - news that drives Eri into denial and despair. What became of that promotion is unknown, but presently Eri remains within the ranks not only as an elite Displacer but as a licensed bounty hunter, in the wake of rumblings that the Demon King-in-Exile has selected a new Chosen Hero. Eri bides her time and carries out her duty as seen fit, determined to keep tabs on the time-lost stranger named Airi who is on the move with the return of the Majestic Twelve but root out the corruption of the Displacers from within - and, eventually, come to blows with Hikari, who is equally resolute in supplanting the Displacers from their seat of power.

[junker-town]

The Patriots shouldn’t get to forget they ever signed Antonio Brown

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The Patriots don’t want to give any real answers about Brown. That’s not good enough.

Antonio Brown was a New England Patriot for 11 days before the team released him during a tumultuous week for the now-free agent receiver. The Patriots signed Brown just days before his former personal trainer, Britney Taylor, filed a civil lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault.

Six days later, SI’s Robert Klemko reported a separate allegation of sexual misconduct involving an artist Brown had hired. The catalyst for the Patriots to release Brown wasn’t this allegation, but rather Brown’s “intimidating” text messages he sent to the artist, which her lawyer then forwarded to the NFL. ESPN reported had Brown not sent those, he would still be with the Patriots and would have played against the Jets on Sunday.

While Brown’s stint in New England didn’t last long, bringing him on didn’t make much sense anyway. The team didn’t need him to win games and there were a lot of concerns about Brown before the lawsuit. As much as the Patriots would like to move on now that Brown is no longer on the roster, the organization should still be held accountable for signing him and not giving a real explanation as to why.

The Patriots signed Brown before the sexual assault suit was filed, but there were already a ton of red flags surrounding the receiver.

The Sunday before Taylor’s lawsuit was filed, Brown reportedly rejected a $2 million settlement. Brown’s camp knew a lawsuit was coming, and the Patriots claimed they didn’t know about it. Even if they didn’t, and even though Brown didn’t face criminal charges, they overlooked many other matters, both on the field and off.

Here’s a look at just some of the incidents he’s been involved in in the last year:

In September 2018, he posted a threatening tweet toward ESPN reporter Jesse Washington.

The same month, he got in an argument with offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner during a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

In October 2018, he was sued for throwing furniture out of the balcony of his apartment and injuring a 22-month-old toddler when a vase shattered.

In November 2018, he was cited for reckless driving after driving over 100mph. He didn’t show up to court and was found guilty in February.

In December 2018, he missed the Steelers’ season-ending game against the Cincinnati Bengals after a heated dispute with Ben Roethlisberger.

In January 2019, police were called to his home for a domestic dispute with the mother of his daughter, during which he allegedly pushed her to the ground with two hands.

In March 2019, Brown basically demanded a trade from Pittsburgh and became a Raider.

In July 2019, he was sued by his former chef for allegedly not paying him owed money.

Then there was the rocky training camp with the Raiders in August. Brown wasn’t able to participate in camp due to frostbite he suffered while using a cryotherapy machine barefoot, which was soon followed by the infamous helmet drama that led him to miss practice and get fined. A dustup with general manager Mike Mayock eventually resulted in his release from the Raiders.

The Patriots were willing to play Brown after the lawsuit without providing a reason.

After Taylor’s lawsuit was filed, Brown was a full participant in practice. Head coach and de facto GM Bill Belichick’s presser made it clear he wasn’t ready to answer questions with respect to Brown. When asked if the plan was to play Brown against Miami, Belichick responded multiple times with some form of, “We’ll do what’s best for the team.”

He played, and after the win, Brown skipped out of the team’s media availability.

Then on Sept. 16, Klemko’s SI article came out. The report included the artist who accused him of sexual misconduct, domestic incidents police had responded to, and various claims of Brown not paying people money he owed for services rendered. Even with the additional allegations surfacing — none of which involved criminal charges — Brown still fully participated in practices. He fulfilled his media obligations on Thursday without saying much:

Antonio Brown answered four questions but would not discuss his standing with the league. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/1miSJ0ItB0

— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) September 19, 2019

At that point, Brown was expected to suit up against the Jets. That is until Thursday evening, when Klemko reported the threatening texts that Brown sent to the artist regarding her family.

When Belichick was asked repeatedly about Brown during the team’s presser the next day, he just walked away from the podium, after giving a short statement on Brown.

“I know there are questions about Antonio,” Belichick told reporters. “We take all the situations with our team very seriously, and there are some things that we’re looking into. But I’m not going to have any comments on the off-the-field situations or questions on that. Anything on football, I’d be happy to answer.”

Hours later, Brown was released, solidified with a rather terse statement from the organization that was once again did not offer an explanation:

Statement from a #Patriots spokesperson: https://t.co/c98rNDX9QG pic.twitter.com/DAohupBLHo

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 20, 2019

Less than two weeks after his signing, Brown was a free agent again.

Let’s make something clear — New England didn’t need Brown to begin with.

There were other teams that were interested in Brown, last season’s NFL leader in touchdown receptions and a four-time All-Pro. But it was the Patriots, who already had a wealth of riches, that signed him just hours after the Raiders released him.

The Patriots have won 10 straight division titles and have six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady as their quarterback. Before Brown was even on the team, Brady’s receiving corps featured the likes of reigning Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman, former All-Pro Josh Gordon, and former first-round pick Phillip Dorsett. It also included four-time Pro Bowler Demaryius Thomas, who ended up getting traded to the Jets after Brown’s signing, and running back James White. This offense was absolutely stacked when it added Brown.

As Christian D’Andrea pointed out, it was an elite passing attack without Brown — this is what they were able to do in a 33-3 win over the Steelers in Week 1:

Brady spread the ball to a long list of WR and RB targets to obliterate Pittsburgh’s single coverage downfield. Edelman reeled off six catches for 83 yards. Gordon showed he’s still a dynamic weapon, taking a short drag route 20 yards to the end zone for the game’s first score and later adding a 44-yard catch on a deep ball in traffic over the middle.

No one benefitted more from New England’s explosive passing attack than former Colts first-round pick Phillip Dorsett. The fifth-year receiver, acquired in 2017 in exchange for Jacoby Brissett, was left to thrive as the Steelers turned their defensive attention elsewhere, creating windows in single coverage Brady was eager to exploit.

In the end, the Patriots signed Brown for a game in which he had four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown during a 43-0 blowout of the Miami Dolphins. They would’ve beaten Miami just as easily without him.

Without Brown against the Jets in Week 3, the Patriots won handily 30-14, and New England’s top three receivers combined for 198 yards and two touchdowns, even as Edelman left the game early with a chest injury. This season, the team is outscoring opponents 106-17, and the defense hasn’t allowed an offensive touchdown yet.

The Patriots hardly needed Brown to be winning like this. They’re still Super Bowl favorites, with or without him.

More importantly, the Patriots never gave any insight into any of their decisions regarding Brown.

Ahead of New England’s game on Sunday, Belichick told CBS Sports’ Dana Jacobson “we’re focused on the Jets today,” before staring her down when she asked him what the final straw for Brown was:

Bill Belichick gave the death stare... pic.twitter.com/czX2KJ9G0D

— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) September 22, 2019

After their win over the Jets, Belichick was similarly mum, only providing reporters with six words: “We’ll just focus on today’s game.”

According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, New England claims it wouldn’t have signed him had it known about the lawsuit. That’s convenient, but that doesn’t explain why the Patriots both started and made Brown a full participant in practice immediately after the lawsuit, and why they were ready to start him for a second consecutive week had it not been for the texts he sent.

The Patriots have moved on from Brown, and would prefer it if his time in New England become a thing of the past. With Brown’s upcoming grievance against them, and his Twitter tirade involving Patriots owner Robert Kraft, that won’t be the case anytime soon.

Nor should it be. Just because the Patriots still don’t want to give answers about Brown’s brief tenure doesn’t mean they get to forget that it happened.