#conspiracy to blast in train

[the-life-of-stella]

The Tempi Train Tragedy and the Ongoing Cover-Up

"I have no oxygen."

On February 28, 2023, Greece experienced the tragic train accident in Tempi, which left 57 dead and dozens injured, causing deep sorrow and outrage in Greek society. Two trains—one passenger train carrying citizens and one freight train carrying goods—ended up traveling on the same railway track in opposite directions. After the violent collision, a massive explosion followed, raising numerous questions. Immediately after the accident, hasty actions were observed that altered the crime scene. Specifically, excavation and backfilling of the collision site were carried out before all necessary evidence had been collected.

According to experts, these actions significantly hindered the judicial investigation in uncovering the truth. In a country that lacks funds for photocopy paper in schools and where it takes years to fix a pothole in a road, on the night of the accident, 700,000 euros were found and orders were given for the immediate planning and execution of the site’s cleanup and backfilling.

The very next morning, the entire political leadership of Greece, accompanied by the President of the Republic, rushed to the accident site. Suspicion arose from the Prime Minister's statement just a few hours after the tragedy, attributing the accident to "human error." The victims' families have spoken about the presence of flammable materials on the freight train, which caused the deadly explosion. These materials were not listed in the official cargo records of the train.

Three weeks after the incident, the Prime Minister dismissed the allegations as "conspiracy theories," insisting that the explosion was caused by the train's brake oil. Key witnesses to the incident were killed in car accidents just days after the crash. Additionally, video footage of the freight train's loading process mysteriously disappeared, with no logical explanation provided. From the very first day, audio recordings of conversations between stationmasters were made public; however, it was later revealed that they had been edited, with the apparent goal of misleading public opinion and reinforcing the narrative that human error was the primary cause of the collision. Subsequent revelations have brought to light strong indications of attempts to cover up the real causes of the explosion, those truly responsible for the tragedy, and the deep-rooted corruption within Greece.

A recent report by an expert that surfaced in the media suggests that the explosion was caused by the presence of flammable substances, excluding brake oil as the cause, since it would not have been capable of producing such a massive blast. The explosion is believed to have been triggered by chemical fuel adulterants. Recorded emergency calls made by victims to 112—activated by the automatic collision mechanism—reveal that survivors of the crash were crying out that they could not breathe. The recorded distress calls confirm the presence of oxygen depletion due to the fire. The victims survived the collision but were burned alive.

According to the victims' families, political mechanisms are deliberately delaying legal proceedings, keeping case files buried in bureaucratic drawers and obstructing their fight for justice. As if all this were not enough, the son of the prosecutor handling the Tempi case has been missing for three weeks. Recent reports suggest that the prosecutor has stepped down from the case. Public outrage continues to grow, fueled by the widespread belief that a deliberate cover-up is taking place.

The families of the victims, railway workers, and society at large demand transparency. The victims' families, through their association, are calling for an independent judicial process in Greece. Today, across Greece, without political banners or affiliations, people are gathering under one slogan—the last words of those who burned alive:

"I have no oxygen."

#tempi #tempi_crime

[south--of--nowhere]

Nichole Daniels Head Canons

These are all high school and college era.

💜 Nichole is a high femme, coquette queen. Petite cutie, and quite short. Very pretty in an obvious way.

💜 Gorgeous and absolutely THAT GIRL. Guys think she's unattainable, but she's really just down to earth and chill.

💜 Cheerleader with gymnastics training. Made it to regionals.

💜 Karen wanted to learn parkour to be like Mysterion but Kenny thought it would be too dangerous. So he takes her to Nichole and she teaches Karen gymnastics instead.

💜 Whip smart, and cheeky. Always has a funny quip in her back pocket.

💜 Still a board game and TTRPG queen. Has a weekly game night with Stan.

💜 Stayed broken up with Tolkien after S22E1, but they're still friends.

💜 Learned to do braids, tried to form a weekly get together with Tolkien and Kyle so she could practice on textured hair. The first time they tried it, Nichole was blasting "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar. Cartman heard it from the sidewalk and was convinced it was a conspiracy.

💜 Hangs out with Kenny a lot because he isn't intimidated by her attractiveness. When people find out, they're confused as fuck. It totally came out of left field. They become surprisingly close.

💜 Goes to prom with Kyle. Never misses any of his basketball games. He's captain of the basketball team and she's an A-Squad cheerleader. Total power couple energy.

[bonefall]

I hope you find a way to keep starclan involvement minimal because making them able to zoom call frostpaw so directly at any time raises the obvious question of why she (or anyone else in riverclan who wasn’t in on the conspiracy frankly) aren’t told who did it earlier

I’m curious if Splashtail was rejected for lives or if he refused to take them on principle

The solution is very simple. Most angels can't communicate directly! What's the point of speaking in omens and signs and prophecies if you can just say what you want

Between the realms of life and death is a sort of veil, like a strange, dusty membrane. A spirit can cross through it and try to influence the mortal plane, but it's got that disconnected feeling of working in heavy gloves.

Still, it's reliable to zip down and drag a couple of items to the nearest Cleric. They're trained in divination, learning basic systems for properly interpreting signs and omens.

The bright feather of a jay = StarClan is pleased with you

The dull feather of a jay = StarClan is disappointed in you

Hairstreak butterfly = Follow this

Snail shell, swirl-up = Yes

Snail shell, swirl-down = No

Trying to chat casually is AWFUL. Have you ever been asleep, and someone started trying to tell you something or command something of you? Sometimes you'll remember it, other times it just ends up warping whatever dream you were in, but most of the time you'll catch absolutely NOTHING. That's what it's like when gramma talks to you.

It's easier to connect to spirits you knew in life, or have a kinship with. Strong emotions make this more powerful. Rituals, like invocation (calling StarClan to connect the ancestor to you), channeling (directly contacting the spirit, usually via a sacrifical object), or prayer (catching the attention of a spirit) can strengthen the connection, but there will always be that veil.

Think of spirituality kind of like a stat. In life, having a huge number means you're really good at receiving messages and understanding intuitively if you're near something supernatural. In death, you're better at sending them and what exactly will get through.

Other assorted tidbits in closing;

More powerful spirits have a higher "stat" in spirituality, but they're also usually more disconnected from the mortal they once were.

Skystar, Patron of War, could pretty directly tell you what the confusing omen means...

But. He's very likely to angrily blast you with a lightning bolt for asking him to do something he sees as beneath him.

Thankfully this is why Invocation is helpful. If you tried to invoke someone who would get angry you're bugging them, the "call" won't go through.

Thanks to Clan cat ego and shifting popularity, good patrons often go uncontacted because they're less "cool" or unpopular. Pinestar actually got a lot of mileage out of his invocations of Bumble.

SPIRITS ARE INDIVIDUALS. Even when they've hit godly status and are distant from mortality, StarClan is not as united of an entity as it presents.

StarClan is not a fair or rational entity. It's the most powerful ancient spirits remembered over many decades, and a bunch of recent dead relatives a few generations behind the living.

Lizardstripe understands it best; the lower angels make a jury and a crowd and the patrons are the court staff.

The younger spirits are more connected to the living, but the older spirits have more functional power to pass on accurate signs

Ancient patrons, especially the founders, tend to not give a lot of "personal" attention to prayers, and when they do answer they tend to be cryptic. They are very disconnected from their mortal selves, more legend than life now.

Riverstar in particular is notorious for this. As the Patron of Water, he's essentially an abstract concept, on top of being a mysterious and wise person when he was alive.

Angels of all levels are perfectly capable of acting alone and messing things up, though. Birchface actually sent the sign that wound up getting Mapleshade’s kittens drowned, and he's just kept quiet about it out of fear this whole time.

Spottedleaf was UNRIVALED in her connection, both in life and in death.

Firestar doesn't know how she made it look so EASY... and he's also got a good connection, himself. He wishes he had more time to learn from her.

Shadowsight got his incredible connection by being tormented by Ashfur. He blasted him with lightning and turned him into a living radio tower.

If Ashfur and his accomplices hadn't blocked off StarClan, Shadowsight would have been more haunted and hounded than Goosefeather. They were the only "signals" he was picking up

(And then Ashfur ate all his accomplices anyway.)

SO those sorts of stunts are not pulled often. You need to be extremely powerful to alter the living like Ashfur did to Shadowsight

(In case you're about to ask; Goosefeather was likely either a mistake or an accident, unless I end up tweaking his story later)

The only time where you're guaranteed to be able to directly, perfectly talk to any cat is during a leadership ceremony. It's considered too sacred and personal to burden with commands, because the leader will only ever experience this once.

Going through the Moonplace is actually not a guarantee! They send very strong dreams to those who visit, more like TPB than later arcs.

As for why ghosts don't just reveal their murderer-- in addition to how hard it actually is to speak directly, most murderers simply take precautions.

It's known StarClan can be watching, but there are also demons to channel. There are rituals to ward watchful eyes.

Can't reveal your murderer if you don't know who killed you.

If you're Redtail in particular and your incredible sister breaks the law to summon you directly for answers, you actually waste the entirety of the time you got to yell at her about using the wrong method <3

But in a nutshell; no more zoom calls. You will STRUGGLE for your divine revelations and only end up receiving them when you've royally pissed them off the way God INTENDED

(also i think in the wind excerpt it said that splashtail rejected them outright, but I haven't read the whole book yet)

[tempestswing]

Ranking the Dark Council:

hi! I was writing some notes for a piece of SWTOR fiction I am working on, and decided to create this list as a fun way to share that information.

Dark Council Pre-Shadow of Revan:

12. Darth Aruk - we know nothing about this character, other than that they were head of the Sphere of Sith Philosophy. According to the Wiki, rooting out Revanites was supposed to be their job. What a failure, hopefully they still have a job after Shadow of Revan?

11. Darth Rictus - Also kind of a mystery, which is ironic since he was head of the Sphere of Mysteries. Rictus does appear in a novel called 'Annihilation', but that book is mostly about Theron Shan. All we really know about Rictus is that he's (A) old, (B) dislikes aliens, unless they're murderous enough, and (C) founded the Dread Executioners to take down the Dread Masters. Not enough information to rank any higher.

10. Darth Acharon - at least this guy appears in the game. He's kind of a nothing character though. He defended the imperial occupation of Corellia unsuccessfully. He was head of the Sphere of Biotics. Since he died on Corellia, he would presumably have been replaced by Shadow of Revan, but we don't know who by.

9. Darth Arkous - hate this guy, but he's still technically head of the Sphere of Military Offense after the Hutt Cartel plotline. God, what a bag of dicks he is though. The one good thing about this character is that he's technically Lana Beniko's master? Although she's an advisor rather than an apprentice, so he gets no credit for the existence of awesome Sith wife.

8. Darth Decimus - Also found in game on Corellia! Decimus is actually present in the imperial quests, so you get a lot more interaction with him than Acharon. Canonically, he also trained Krovos! Krovos is really cool, so decimus should get a few points by association. Not enough to bump him up the list though. For the head of Military Strategy, he's not a very good commander.

7. Darth Ravage - You can meet Ravage at the end of the Inquisitor and Warrior storylines, and for all imperials he is present during the cutscenes preceding the Emperor Malgus flashpoints (although does nothing to help?). The main reason I'm putting Ravage so low is that he's a little bit inconsistently written. He'll gladly say "good riddance" to Darth Thanaton's death in the inquisitor plotline, but if you kill Baras in the Warrior plotline, he'll show up at Nathema and be all offended that you claimed power by murdering your master... does he know what a Sith is?

6. Darth Mortis - I have a bit of a soft spot for Mortis. He's got a no-nonsense demeanour which is rare amongst Sith, and he's clearly serious enough about their philosophy to join a secret conspiracy against the alliance if you "squander" the power of the Eternal Throne - a petty move, this man is a bitch after my own heart. He also is the one who snaps Darth Thanaton's silly little neck, which definitely earns him a few points in my eyes. As a point, he's involved in the Macrobinocular missions, which I did not enjoy, but he was a highlight of the questline.

5. Darth Acina - WOMEN IN POWER!!! Empress Acina is better than Emperor Vitiate. Unfortunately Acina is kind of bland, I really don't feel strongly about her either way. I've killed her on Iokath in most of my playthroughs, even if I don't intend to defect to the republic later. I might be lesbian but I just don't like her that much. Her reforms to the Empire are interesting though, I do have to give her credit for making the Empire slightly less racist and Sith dominated.

4. Darth Vowrawn - Silly guy!! This man is genuinely quite funny. He's a blast to spend time with at the end of the Warrior story, after dealing with Baras' grumpy ass for close to fifty levels. His choice to help the Wrath with the Hand on Rishi says... something. He's genuinely an interesting character to me, especially since he maintains that joviality when he becomes Emperor. It's tempered, to be sure, but I think it does show it wasn't entirely an act. Vowrawn could be a genuine friend to the Wrath.

3. Darth Jadus - Sue me, I like unapologetically evil characters. Jadus is not just an evil clown, he's an evil circus. Schemer to the core and melodramatic as fuck. I chose to serve him without a second thought in my agent playthrough. I appreciated the name drop on Iokath and I have 1% chance 99% cope that he will return at some point in the story.

2. Darth Occlus/Nox/Imperius - OCs are fun. No further notes. I should probably drop the lore for my verison of this character, huh... maybe in another post.

Darth Marr - Everyone's favourite tired Dad just trying to keep his society from collapsing as his colleagues bicker about inane bullshit. I reckon he drinks coffee straight outta the pot in the Dark Council's break room. I really wish he hadn't died, but his force ghost shenanigans were neat and I liked seeing him find a measure of redemption. Again, I am on a high dose of copium but if Malgus can return after being killed and abandonded on an exploding space station why can't someone scrape Marr off the floor of Zakuul and rebuild him. I do also low-key ship Marr with Satele Shan?

anyway, that's my totally subjective ranking of Dark Council members.

[pepsiiwho]

Louis wip....

(MC known as Galileo, this takes place around when you're first invited into his gauntlet runner)

“They all think you’re a tryant” Galileo murmers, too busy watching Louis’ perfectly manicured hands pick at the citron’s rind. They never done this before, just sit in each other’s quiet company, but it was startlingly easy. Louis had a way of lowering your defenses when he wanted to, shedding the image of a cold killer as easily as he does his massive coat and military garb; without the thick fabic of his actions weighing on his frame, sculpting him into a monster— he almost looks Elda. 

Louis hums, bouncing his folded leg a bit and balancing himself on the table’s edge. He looks up at Galileo once, fleetingly, with those bright blue eyes of his, before going back to the fruit. It gives to his nails first, the tough skin pierced by dull force, little cresent moons indented in the parts of rind that didn’t give way immeidetly. “I think them sheep. We’re all allowed our opinions”

It was odd. He’d never seen Louis kill or harm or maim, only having heard of his kingslaying and blatant disregard for life second hand, but now it was difficult to imagine him harming much of anyone. He looked tired, and soft, in his much too large office with only a few candles to light his face. His horns bracketing his head like a halo, nestled into the long, thick train of hair he usually wore so librarlly. Tonight it was pulled back, fastened into a messy ponytail. 

Galileo didn’t think Louis [Last name] even knew what a ponytail was. Let alone how to fashion one on himself.

His staring is paused when Louis finally reveals the meat of the citron, the heavy sour scent of the fruit filling the space between them. It bleeds onto the Clemar’s palm, droplets of juice catching under her nail before bending around the citron and catching at the bottom, waiting for gravity. Does he kill like this? Galileo asked himself uselessly. Did he rip skin from bone expertly with such practice it seems uniform and right? Such ease you doubted the pain inflicted? The thought was as concerning as it was eye opening. 

Before he can follow that trail, inist upon an answer that’ll satisfy, Louis picks one of the sections out of the fruit and hands it over– a little wedge between pointer and thumb. “Here”

“I don’t like Citrons” 

“This is unlike any citrus you’ve had before. It’s a new breed, an original”

It’s poisoned, his brain supplies uselesly. He’s found us out and now plans to kill you, as proof that he can, to end this blasted conspiracy. The voice sounds like Gallica’s, the little bell of her whisper echoing loudly. 

But Louis, the man who kills humans like its nothing, towering over any and all who apose him, could kill Galileo whenever he wanted, with little fanfaire. A poisoned fruit seemed beneathe even him. 

So Galileo takes the fruit, and pops it in his mouth. It is, inexplicably, sweet. 

“What did you say this was?”

Louis smiles, his eyes sqinting ever so softly. He looks pleased, amused rather. “I’ve coined them as ‘clementines’—”

“After ‘clemar’?”

The pause that follows is unexpected, he’s never seen Louis not speak without purpose. It feels like a volley going back and forth, this conversation of theirs. “No. Not after clemar” 

[writing-whump]

The ache on the inside

Matt meets Shawn and has some thoughts about it. Some angst and comfort.

"I can't believe the Executioner is making me breakfast," Shawn said with a dreamy smile, leaning his head on top of his entwined hands.

Isaiah sighed. "It's too early for the restaurants to be open." Which was better than acknowledging that cooking was an extremely unusual skill for wolves to engage in.

Shawn was giving him those knowing long looks, his eyes too wide and his teeth flashing when he smiled.

"It's just eggs and tomatoes. Get over yourself," Isaiah said as he served it from the pan onto the plate in front of Shawn and turned to boil some water.

"I didn't get a homecooked meal for ages." Shawn poked into the steaming bright yellow and red mix with the fork enthusiastically.

"What exactly do you eat on your travels? Do you hop from one restaurant to the next?" Isaiah leaned back against the counter with his hands crossed.

"Just so you know, people can do wonderful things from instant and powder foods." Shawn got way too much on his fork, stuffing his cheeks, comically resembling a hamster.

"I don't want to know," Isaiah said dryly.

"It's that big brother persona speaking," Shawn managed to comment before gulping down and stuffing another forkfull in his mouth.

A thumb from the door alerted Isaiah to Matthew returning from his run. That's why he wasn't sitting down. He intercepted Matt right when he came around the corner, sweaty sleeveless shirt and shorts and all, clasping his shoulder.

"Matt, this is Shawn. Shawn, this is my second, Matt." He gave Shawn a stern look so the wolf didn't say something careless. Fortunately he still had his mouth full. "Stay here for a bit. We are going on a little walk." Before Matt got over his shock and registered Shawn's shadow. Or identity.

Shawn regarded them with a sly grin but Isaiah didn't miss how his eyes narrowed that he introduced him to Matt first nd not the other way around.

...

"I'm sorry, he is a what now?!"

Isaiah braced his elbows on his knees. They found a nice bench on top of a hill with a great view. It was still early enough that they were alone and could see whoever was nearing from hundred meters away.

"Johann Minz, yeah."

"That Johann Minz? The Minz first in line? What? What?"

Isaiah shrugged. "I didn't know he would come." In hindsight, it made sense, though. Shawn had always appeared when things were at their most fragile, as if he had some instinct for when Isaiah’s world was on the verge of cracking.

"But do you know why he came? All the way over here?" Matthew paced around the bench, not being able to sit down. His red hair shimmered in the sunlight. "It doesn't make any damn sense. What does he want? What's the big plan here?"

"Relax. It's not a conspiracy or anything. He came for a visit from the states and heard from his network where I was so he flew right over for a visit." Isaiah was still a bit worried about that mysterious 'someone' Shawn mentioned earlier.

"And you left him there alone with Sel," Matt said in an accusatory tone.

"He wouldn't do anything. Besides, if he as much as pulls his shadow out, I'll know. Not to mention that Seline around sea? She can blast him from the window if she wishes."

Matthew peered at him with raised eyebrows in silence for a few stunned seconds. "You trust him that much? How do you even know him?"

"Heirs of big named packs all know each other. Contacts and stuff." Shawn was not the only big heir put in his vicinity since young age.

Not that it mattered to him, but Matt was from a big named pack himself. He would have been the Blackwell heir if he wasn't kicked out at 14. His mother effectively took away his training, contacts and opportunities that should have been his by right.

"I don't like him. He has been spying on us? Shows up out of nowhere? Wouldn't trust him the nose between his eyes. He is weird."

"You have met him for 10 seconds."

Matt threw out his hands. "He is a foreign wolf and you see each other for a couple of days every few years. That doesn't make him trustworthy, okay?"

Isaiah grimaced. He didn't like the implications he wasn't being cautious enough.

Matt still stared at him as if waiting for an answer. "Well?"

Isaiah looked down at the sea glittering under the hill. It was so vast and wide he couldn't see the end of it on the horizon. "Couple of weeks after I left the Wolfsons, he came to visit me," he said finally.

Surprised flashed through Matthew's face before his eyebrows drew together.

A long minute of silence passed between them.

"You know...what was Hector's first question when he found out about me challenging and defeating dad?" Isaiah snorted unhappily to himself, eyes still locked on the sea. "How could I betray father like that."

Matthew clenched his teeth with an audible click.

"You know what Shawn asked me? How did father betray me so badly to push me to do such a thing."

Shawn wasn't there to witness it. He didn't live with Isaiah the way his brothers did and yet he could see it. Maybe he could see the striking difference between Isaiah then and from 5 years earlier.

The happy and proud son who loved his father and learned everything from him. And then the Exectioner who had deaths and lies and humiliation behind him just to cover for a father who hurt him out of pleasure.

Another long pause. Matthew blew out a long breathe and sat down on the bench next to him heavily.

"You think that makes me biased and easier to manipulate?" Isaiah said softly. He thought he could handle the conversation well, but his insides felt shaken.

"Nah, Zaya, that's not what I think." Matt copied the direction of his gaze. "You...never talk about that time. Are you saving it for the shock value when I disagree with you on something?"

Isaiah couldn't help but chuckle.

Matthew sighed again, then draped his arm on the backrest behind Isaiah. Offering closeness but not forcing it.

Isaiah took slow, deep, carefully measured breaths. His chest felt tight again and his heart was doing those painful flip flops. If he didn't calm down soon, he might have to take a pill for it and he didn't want to rely on it that much. Or draw attention to his need for it.

Their earlier conversation with Shawn flickered in his mind. Yes, he did feel more comfortable sharing something like this with Matt or Sel than he did with Hector or Arnie.

But he didn't think it was because Hector was on the same level as him. Couldn't it just be that he trusted Matthew more? Or that he felt too protective of his younger brothers and of his image in their eyes?

Or was it because of the specialised training that Hector had and Matt didn't, the one that would allow Hector to see things Matt wouldn't know were his deficiencies?

He cleared his throat roughly, feeling conflicted and guilty and stupid and way too much in the line of fire.

Isaiah shifted, feeling the weight of Matt’s arm behind him. It was a miniscule movement. Just a bit of sliding back and brushing against Matt's arm. That's all it took for the red wolf to throw his whole arm around Isaiah's shoulders and squeeze him against his side.

It was almost too much, the ease of it.

"Okay. We are okay." Matt didn't look at him and Isaiah didn't either. It was emberassing enough.

He translated the words to himself as: Whether the intruder can be trusted or not, we will handle it either way.

[exhausted-archivist]

Cassandra Pentaghast Timeline

A summarized and organized timeline of Cassandra's life. Summarizing the major points of Dawn of the Seeker; such as naming characters and such key events.

Warning in advance about some spoilers for Absolution as I quote a couple lines in the notes section.

9:04 Dragon

Cassandra is born in a carriage halfway between Cumberland and Val Chevin. She was raised in her family estate in Nevarra City until 9:10 Dragon.

9:10 Dragon

Lord Matthias and Lady Tigana, Cassandra and Anthony's parents, are executed by King Markus Pentaghast for taking the wrong side during the second attempt to overthrow the king. Cassandra and Anthony were spared from execution thanks to their uncle, their father's brother, Vestalus who was a senior member of the Mortalitasi who vouched for them and took them as his wards.

Cassandra and Anthony were moved to the Grand Necropolis in Nevarra.

9:12 Dragon

Vestalus was promoted to prelate of the Mortalitasi and overseer of the Grand Necropolis. This left Cassandra and Anthony by themselves more often, leaving them in isolation save for Nomi in the Chantry where Cassandra devoted her time.

Anthony and Cassandra started training in swordsmanship with asperations to becoming dragon hunters.

9:16 Dragon

Cassandra, at the age of 12*, witnesses her brother Anthony; a renowned dragon hunter, get beheaded at the hands of blood mages.

Cassandra begs to join the Templar Order when faced with a lack of justice for Anthony. Her uncle instead sends her to the Seekers of Truth.

She begins her training at the Seeker fortress of Montsimmard as an apprentice to Seeker Byron, a senior member. He focused on her religious education rather than her martial education.

9:19 Dragon

At the age of 15, Cassandra is the youngest Seeker to go through her vigil since the Storm Age. Her vigil takes place in a remote castle located within the Blasted Hills of Northern Orlais and lasts for two weeks.

9:22 Dragon

The following are the events of Dawn of the Seeker that take place. This is the briefest of summaries.

Cassandra and a group of Seekers attack a group of blood mages who abducted Avexis, an elven mage from the White Spire who has the ability to control beasts. The blood mages use a ritual to extend that power to controlling dragons. Byron, Cassandra's mentor and father figure, reveals to Cassandra a conspiracy within the Chantry as he is leaving the fortress with Cassandra and Avexis.

The three are attacked by blood mages, in wich Byrion dies and Avexis is kidnapped again. Cassandra is branded a traitor. Regalyan, a friend of Byrion and the contact they were to take Avexis to, is captured by Cassandra under the suspicion he is a blood mage. The pair is then captured by Templars and eventually make their escape. Cassandra's goal is to clear her name and discover proof of the conspiracy.

The conspiracy is that Knight-Commander Martel and Grand Cleric of Orlais, Callista, are working with the blood mages who intend to attack the 10 year gathering at the Grand Cathedral. Grand Cleric Callista and Knight-Commander Martel intend to unleash dragons on the Divine and gathered Grand Clerics during the ceremony so that Callista may become Divine as the last remaining Grand Cleric.

The conspiracy is thwarted by Cassandra, Regalyan, the Circle Mages, and additional Seekers. Cassandra kills two dragons and a high dragon. Saving the Divine.

As a reward for their actions, Cassandra is made the Right hand of the Divine and declared Hero of Orlais.

After the ceremony, Divine Beatrix III speaks with Cassandra about how the attack on the Gathering was only the beginning. Insisting that the Chantry must prepare for the coming storm before placing the holy writ into her hands. The writ that grants the Right and Left Hands of the Divine the authority to restore the Inquisition.

9:34 Dragon

Divine Beatrix III dies and Divine Justinia V is elected. Upon election, Divine Justinia V made a bit to retain Cassandra as her right hand. Pitching to Cassandra the multiple aspects of reform of the Chantry she wanted to do. Which Cassandra met with intrigue and accepted the role once more.

Leliana sent Cassandra a letter that speaks of her observations and how she welcomes the opportunity to work with Cassandra.

9:39 Dragon

Cassandra writes a letter to the now Lord Seeker Lucius, declaring she will not be joining the Seekers and will continue to work with the Divine.

There is an error with this as the Mage-Templar War didn't start until late autumn or winter of 9:40 Dragon. Seeker Lucius doesn't take over for Seeker Lambert until after the events of Asunder where Lambert is killed by Cole at the end of the book a few months later. Leaving the date of this letter to be 9:40 or 9:41.

9:40 Dragon

Cassandra interrogates Varric following the outbreak of the Mage-Templar War.

9:41 Dragon

Cassandra brings Varric and Cullen to Haven with Leliana, they both miss the chance to join the Divine at the beginning of the Conclave as they were delayed.

The Breach opens up and Cassandra leads soldiers into the valley to look for survivors. Her soldiers find the player character (PC Herald/Inquisitor) and the events of Inquisition begin.

Cassandra advocates with Leliana to approach the rebel mages for support with closing the Breach. If the player goes to Redcliffe and sees the situation, Cassandra's opinion will change to supporting the Templars.

Cassandra is investigating the disappearance of her fellow Seekers, her theory is they are prisoners of Corypheus.

Evidence is found that Samson/Calpernia sold the Seekers to the Order of Fiery Promise after finding out that the Seekers are resistant to red lyrium.

When Cassandra investigates the castle of Caer Oswin after tracking the Seekers there, she discovers that her apprentice Daniel, has been implanted with a demon and fed red lyrium. At this point, she discovers that it was Lord Seeker Lucius wh sold the Seekers to the Promisers and has been operating there the whole time. Cassandra then confronts Lucius and kills him in battle.

Procuring the Book of Secrets from the Lord Seeker, Cassandra learns the truth about the vigil. That Seekers were made tranquil and that it was only reversed once they were touched by a Spirit of Faith. This is what granted them their abilities and restored their minds. A fact she learns all Lord/Lady Seekers have known up until this point, and that Lord Seeker Lambert actively hid from the Divine.

Cassandra considers finding the scattered Seekers, reading the Book of Secrets with them, so there are no more secrets between them and establishing a new charter. She also wishes if there is a way to refine the process of reversing Tranquility on mages without the dangers that come with them being overcome by their emotions. The PC character will determine whether she actually does reform the Seekers and investigate the rite further.

If Divine:

Cassandra is said to enact reforms for a new Templar Order and Circle of Magi. She rebuilds the Seekers of truth and rededicates them to protecting the innocent, if the player encourages her. Her attempts of reform are controversial despite her popularity though are generally seen as successful efforts to stabilize peace.

If Not Divine:

She takes the position of advisor on the Divine's council, giving advice on important matters to Divine Victoria. Depending on if the Divine is Leliana or Vivienne dictates how long she stays. If the Divine is Leliana, she stays and works well with her as Cassandra holds respect for Leliana. If Vivienne is Divine, Cassandra eventually leaves disgusted, feeling that Vivienne is perverting the Chant of Light's intent.

9:42-9:44 Dragon

If Cassandra is Divine, she is working on efforts to clean up red lyrium and stating that it is going well.

If Cassandra is not Divine, and she is encouraged to rebuild the Seekers; a month before she returns to Orlais for Trespasser she is in the Hunterhorn Mountains tracking down Seeker Emery and finding leads on other Seekers in Rivian.

If Cassandra is not Divine and wasn't encouraged to rebuild the Seekers; she is in the port of Antiva City and completing a survey and establishes that there are no further signs of Fade energy or demons since the Inquisitor closed a rift there in the Spring. She confirms the Inquisition mages deem the Veil stable in the region. Cassandra also confirms that at this point, all rifts have finally been sealed.

Unclear

At some point, Cassandra aided a reaver named Nyree in defeating her first dragon. By doing so Nyree completed her Rite of Passage.

At some point prior to Cassandra's interrogation of Varric, the Seekers investigated the Vimmark Mountains that housed Corypheus and were turned away by the Grey Wardens and were told that everyone who had been in the prison were dead. Unclear if Cassandra was part of this investigation.

At some point in 9:41 during the Inquisition, Cassandra orders Sidony to return to Nevarra City and stop a Mortalitasi plot that is seeking to assassinate a member of the very unstable line of succession.

It is unclear when this occurred, as Absolution happens after Trespasser and that is about all that is established.** Cassandra and Leliana dispatch Fairbanks and Hira to steal an artifact from the Tevinter Imperium, the Circulum Infinitus.

Notes:

* Cassandra tells Sera that she was trained as a Seeker since she was 6. This is in conflict with a letter from Cassandra's uncle to the Seekers stating she was "even at the tender age of twelve, is too old to begin training with the Seekers". This is reinforced though dialogue the PC can have with her where she establishes she was training with the Seekers at a far older age than most recruits, and was able to do so because of her status.

** The Interview establishes this (emphasis by me)

"Despite its relative proximity to Dreadwolf, though, Absolution intentionally doesn’t try to use its time establishing any real sort of canon for players to latch onto. Some characters from the prior games show up for a spell, and events are broadly mentioned, but Epler (who also serves as Dreadwolf’s creative director) admitted that it was important to avoid setting a definitive canon." He acknowledged it as a “tricky balancing act,” in part because BioWare making its own canon runs the risk of conflicting with the canon players make on their own, and the studio’s word being potentially declared definitive gospel is the last thing anyone wanted. Similarly, there was a desire to make sure Absolution stood on its own, explicit ties to the games or no. “There’s all these elements that make up Thedas and what’s going on,” said Epler. “We were fine with leaving space for these stories to exist and feed into a larger world as a whole.”

Up until the Dragon Age cookbook, there was no establishment of the BioWare canon or the game default. Which are at times two separate things, but do overlap in areas. But the difference between the two is for another conversation.

Additionally some lines in Absolution are about all we have in regards to the fact it definitely happens after Trespasser.

"Before the Inquisition ended, we learned the Tevinter Chantry was in possession of an artefact. The Circulum Infinitus." ep1. , 7:50ish

"Rezaren is dead. I have the Circulum. It's over, if you want it to be. You were right, Hira. Tevinter is an evil place, and I know what it feels like for that hate and that fear to infect you, but... you can't let it. Help me take the Circulum to what's left of the Inqusition and we can try again, free from everything." ep.6, 21:40ish

Source:

World of Thedas Vol. 1 p. 143 World of Thedas Vol. 2 p. 220-223 Dragon Age: Inquisition Dialogue Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker Dragon Age: Redemption Interview with Absolution showrunner Mairighread Scott and EP John Epler by io9

Codex:

Cassandra Pentaghast Cassandra and the Last Few Years

[herosparkyart]

My Sherlock Holmes ocs :) My own adaptation where it takes place in modern-day Montreal, and every character has been hit with the lgbtq+ beam

More info of them below the cut!!

🔎 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A peculiar and withdrawn young man residing in the Westmount area of the city of Montreal with his two siblings, Mycroft and Enola. He spends most of his days indoors and away from others, heavily indulging in chemistry and horror media (while receiving questioning yet conditioned glances from his two siblings). Sherlock spends a fair amount of time studying crime cases from the comfort of their bedroom, writing notes and drawing conclusions in a fashion that may be reminiscent of a crazed conspiracy theorist - that is, were it not for the fact that whenever they announce their findings on forums, they consistently and miraculously end up being correct. It's only when the discovery of a body near the campus of the city's top medical school goes unsolved that Sherlock is dragged out of their room, path crossing with one of the students attending said university: John H. Watson, who is quickly roped in by the detective to assist them with solving the case.

🩺 JOHN H. WATSON: A strong-willed, albeit flustered young man residing in the city of Montreal. John took part in combat training in military school, but when someone's pin accidentally slipped during tpg hand-grenade throwing training, John acted on instinct and threw himself over the blast. He miraculously survived, but not before suffering intense shrapnel wounds that left over half of his body littered with scars and his left leg rendered nearly unusable. Forced to leave the military due to his injury, John instead pursued medicine, and is now in his second year of university, working in writing/editing on the side. He also has a personal blog, which has a very small audience and often gets him berated over his out-of-fashion hobby. While he is passionate and very excellent in his field of study, his thrill-less days of academics and work have left him yearning for more exciting purpose. Luckily (for the better or worse), his life takes a stirring turn when a body ends up being discovered on his university's campus - and he gets roped into the case when a mysterious person named Sherlock Holmes enlists him to help them solve it.

And yes they eventually fall in love and kiss

[creature-wizard]

The Illuminati Formula Used To Create An Undetectable Total Mind Controlled Slave is reaching new heights in silly.

They're claiming that the Illuminati creates alters with Illuminati sensibilities in Good Christian Citizens, so that said alters can effectively serve as "super spies" to spy on the Christians and tell the Illuminati what the Christians are up to:

The proper training of a person for this role would be long and tedious, but once he was trained, you would have a super spy compared to which any creation in a mystery story is just plain weak. This is what the Illuminati have done. They create good Christian fronts, with Illuminati dark alters who can see what the Christians are doing.

Hmmm... a long and tedious process, you say? Hmm, imagine if there were easier ways to get this information... like reading Christian publications, listening to Christian radio, watching Christian television, visiting Christian websites, or just attending church services... it's not like these people just blast their agendas to anyone who'll listen 24/7 or anything...

The fact that there are people vain enough to think that there are secret conspiratorial cults going to all this work to do all of this unnecessary spying is kinda funny, IMO. Christofascists are some of the most self-absorbed fuckers on the planet.

Later, Cisco Wheeler cites the lyrics from "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera as an example of a "hypnotic script." Yeah, it wasn't like, a song written for a character who was canonically supposed to be creepy or weird or anything.

Seriously though, this is a great example of how conspiracy theorists ruin art. Anything that's a little weird or uncomfortable to them must be some sort of evil programming. God forbid they have to understand things like context and artistic intent and shit like that.

Next is a list of things that supposedly keep a child's mind dissociative. One item on the list is spending fifteen minutes a day writing backwards, an obvious mutation of the old "witches recite the Lord's Prayer" canard. Because writing backwards doesn't cause dissociation. You just learn to write backwards.

And the rest is pretty typical torture stuff; many of which genuinely happen in actual child abuse cases, but in the context of the conspiracy theory are given special significance, because... shitty parents don't just abuse their kids for no reason, I guess.

And the book claims that Billy Graham was a Monarch handler. I really have no idea why conspiracists have singled him out among all the other celebrity preachers of the time, lemme go look at his Wikipedia page...

...Oh well he wasn't a total dick; he refused to glue himself to the Moral Majority or the GOP, pushed for military disarmament and AIDS support; yeah, that might have something to do with it.

Oh hey it's that Saturn worship thing (links to antisemitic conspiracy theories) with extra antisemitism by linking the Anti-Christ to Kabbalah:

The AntiChrist is also known as Black Saturn, and other names. Satan himself is known within a Monarch system often by the name Bilair, Bilar, or Bilid which are his cabalistic names.

Conflation of "the occult" with Wicca:

In the occult world, goddesses are triune: maiden, mother and crone. The one to the left of center is Midnight (the Mother figure), and the other is Morning Star (the maiden). Morning Star (Stella Matutina) may be a very young alter, rather than a teenager.

If you think this is bad, shit's about to get much, much worse.

So first of all, the book claims that The Wizard of Oz is an Illuminati thing, and has something to do with ancient Isis mystery religion:

One of the secrets of the Mystery Religions, especially the Egyptian Isis mystery religion was the ability to use drugs and torture to create multiple personalities. The word Oz is known to have been used by its author as an abbreviation for Osirus.

And then.

And then.

There's THIS fucking whopper:

The Grimm brothers, who were cabalistic jews, gathered the folk occult stories together. Their stories are full of spells, trances, and drugs. Sleeping Beauty is put to sleep, and the trigger to wake her is a kiss on the lips. These are serious hints that the occult world didn't stop programming people with dissociative states and triggers when the ancient Egyptian empires fell. Instead of using modern lingo such as "hypnotize", they would say "cast a spell."

The Grimm Brothers? Jews? Of ANY kind? Holy shit, you'll just pull anything out of your asses, won't you?

By the way, pinning the conspiratorial blame on Kabbalistic Jews specifically is how a lot of the conspiracy theories Nazi Germany believed in were made palatable for American gentiles post-WWII. Most Christians would agree that full-out mass slaughter was a little unfair. Many Christians could agree, though, that everyday Jews were perfectly fine people; they just needed to accept Jesus. And believing that it's just those Kabbalistic Jews who are the problem doesn't feel as hateful as all that Nazi shit. Must be totally different, right?

Nah.

Rehabbed conspiracy crap is still crap.

[canichangemyblogname]

So, I recently left these comments in the tags of a poll about my interpretation of Commander Fox:

I think I may interpret Fox very differently. Because, see, he's canonically one of the most decorated men in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. He clearly took his duty very seriously, and was good at his job. I'm sure he, much like Rex (and many other clones), believed it an honor to serve. And based on the actions of other Corrie Guard Commanders, there seemed to be a cult of death among the Corrie Guard (the honorable death being is one of the 14 characteristics of fascism Umberto Eco listed in his essay Ur-Fascism). They absolutely would die to protect Coruscant, and I absolutely believe that they believed in the system they fought for, as many clones did. I see Fox as a narrative representation of who Rex might have become and the path he might've taken had he not had influences from brothers like Slick, Cut, Fives, Dogma, and Echo, or influences from Jedi like Ahsoka and even Pong Krell. Fox would go on to have an absolute view of O66, and go on to believe the extermination of the Jedi was righteous. Would he have believed so had he had a mentee like Ahsoka? Or met brothers like Cut and Fives and Echo who challenged his worldview around honor and duty and purpose? Or met brothers like Slick and Dogma who revealed the injustices within the system & challenged his view of the Republic? Or if he had ever had to serve on a front that wasn't Coruscant? Serve alongside partisans? Serve behind enemy lines? Or lose entire divisions under the capricious orders of a bad Jedi?

And there's one arc that drives this interpretation home for me: The Wrong Jedi Arc. In this Arc, Captain Rex and Commander Fox come to a head as they disagree over Ahsoka's guilt and how to proceed with the investigation into the temple bombing. Rex knows that Ahsoka embodies the ideals he believes they (the GAR & Republic) should stand for because he has served alongside her and fought with her. He knows because he trained her. "I know Commander Tano. She would never do something like this." Rex had tried to instill in her a value of and loyalty to the men she served alongside.

Earlier in the Arc, Fox had been working with Ahsoka and had even complimented her efforts in apprehending suspects as "A lot of innocent people died in that blast." But as soon as Ahsoka is suspected of having masterminded the conspiracy, Fox moves to arrest her. In season 7 when Rex told Ahsoka that loyalty meant everything to the Clones, he didn't mean loyalty to the Senate or the Republic or the Power Base, but to those they have served beside and fought alongside.

This seems not to be an idea that Fox shares. Despite having worked alongside her every step of the investigation and despite her having an alibi (a.k.a. literally being recalled from the front to investigate because she was nowhere near the Temple during the incident), he never gave Ahsoka the benefit of the doubt. There seemed to have been no sense of duty or loyalty or responsibility to someone he was fighting alongside. He was given orders to arrest her and so pursued them.

Fox was deeply bound by a sense of duty and honor in the same way Rex had been early in the war. This sense of honor compelled Fox to loyally serve and protect Coruscant, and, more specifically, the Galactic Senate. I'd argue that Fox's duty was to the Senate first and the Republic second because he was specifically stationed on Courscant to serve and protect the Galactic Senate.

For comparison, Rex's priority was primarily toward his men rather than the Galactic Senate. That priority stemmed, at least partly, from how he was stationed compared to how Fox was stationed. Rex served behind enemy lines and alongside partisans and was unfortunately familiar with significant loss. He'd lost men under tragic and unjust circumstances. He'd lost entire companies of men. On-screen, the deaths of the men of the 501st were given little show and little pretense compared to the death of, say, Commander Thorn. Death is shown to be comparatively banal on the fields of Umbara in service to the Republic compared to any death among the Corrie Guard in service to the Senate.

These sort of circumstances create a very specific bond between Rex and his men, but they also shape a person's priorities. Rex started out as one of those "follow orders for the Republic" guys, something we see him and Anakin joke about at the start of the Umbara arc. But eventually, Rex's priority became getting his brothers through to the end of the war alive. In fact, I'd argue that the overarching plot of The Clone Wars was about Rex coming to believe that his duty was to his brothers first and the power base second.

By the time The Wrong Jedi Arc airs, Rex has learned that fealty to the Republic (& thus the governing body of the Republic: the Senate) does not ensure a solid moral framework. He was less concerned with loyalty to order and some inherent sense of duty, and more concerned with loyalty to the ideals he believed they should stand for and to the people who embodied those ideals. Rex had been headed down this path since early in the Clone Wars series. It's what he told Cut as early as season 2. However, it would be a couple more seasons (season 4 to be specific) before he realized that serving the power base can conflict with those ideals, and that the people who represented the power base did not embody those ideals.

And this is what brings him and Fox to a head.

Fox never had an Ahsoka who he trained and fought beside. Fox also never experienced the opposite end of the spectrum by serving under Pong Krell. Unlike Rex, Fox had never had to come to terms with his loyalty to the order he served. That loyalty always remained unchallenged until the moment he died. He was never confronted with the consequences of the Senate's (lack of) morality on other peoples, districts, or planets. He was never confronted with the hypocrisy of those in power. He didn't have brothers whose actions challenged him to build a morality outside fealty to the Republic. (Slick saw their service as enslavement. Cut believes service is a choice and that family is paramount. Fives believes Clones can think for themselves, disobey wrong orders, and challenge authority.) Serving the power base did not conflict with Fox's ideals because his ideals aligned with the values of the power base; the values the Republic had instilled in him during his training. They believed- and he believed- that good soldiers follow orders. Consequently, he became one of the best-decorated soldiers in the GAR.

Rex, however, had come to question the purpose of the war. Without the war, he wouldn't exist, but if he sees the war to its end, he may stop existing (die). The war gave him purpose, but it also took away the opportunity to define for himself a different purpose. He knew nothing else besides life in the military, but he also knew that he had lost so much because of a life of war. Much like the Jedi he served beside, he was unconventional, driven by a deep attachment to those he loved, and he would eventually also grow wary of the system he was serving.

We talk about how Ahsoka being framed and leaving the Order destroys Anakin's faith and trust in the Order and shifts his priorities. But we seldom discuss how this might have affected Rex. Like Anakin, Rex had a lot resting on his shoulders. Rex was effectively trapped. He had limited options and nowhere else to go. Like Anakin and most Clones, Rex could not leave it all behind. Unlike Anakin and many Clones, Rex learned to let go. Ahsoka and Echo played a crucial role in that lesson.

But unlike Rex, Fox never let go. There was never an indication he had grown wary of the system. Not just because his values aligned with the system he served and continued to serve, but also because he was totally committed to it. Just as he had no one to model questioning authority and duty and purpose, he had no one to model choice and letting go. He was attached to his duty like Anakin was attached to Padmé. Fox held on to his convictions and his belief in the absolute morality of his cause and in total commitment to his cause until the bitter end when he was cut down without pretense. Fox was loyal to the end because it was his commitment that would bring his end.

And his death was as banal as the death of every clone before him.

Had Rex not learned the things he had when he had, I think he would have met a similar end as Fox did. A rigid attachment to his ideological beginnings, an absolute belief in the morality of following orders, and a black-and-white value system would have led to his death. His commitment would have brought his end, too.

“Yeah, I didn’t much like being a Commander anyway.” -Rex

______________________________________________________________

As a Commander, Rex's commitment would have had to change, too. There are many reasons why I think he did not want to be a Commander, as I discussed here, and I believe one of them includes a change in his commitment to the system he was serving. As commander, he would have had very different responsibilities and a different relationship with both the Republic he was serving and the Men he was commanding. "He enjoyed being a Captain because it allowed him to be right beside–like right beside–his men facing the line of fire. He gets to be in the thick of action as a Captain in a way that he may not always be as a Commander." But I think it would be interesting if didn't want to be a Commander because he also didn't want new & more commitments to the system he served. Maybe, he wanted to stay right where he was because he liked his position relative to his relationship with the men he was commanding AND relative to the commitments he held.

[cyclone-rachel]

Thoughts on The Boys, episodes 2 and 3:

Episode 2:

Huh. Guess I have to watch The Wire.

Will Ferrell? What are you doing here

Guess they couldn’t have Clancy Brown play the coach

He played the coach, right

Oh hey, he’s back!

You don’t know the half of his low point

“sensitivity readers” and how many of those did you hire?

hahahaha

he’s gonna be fun

“braindead maniac” does describe the comic version

Of course

Don’t take anything they give you

Oh, it’s his mom that’s doing that stuff

Far from “wee” Hughie.

wait who’s this guy playing the boyfriend, I feel like I’ve seen him before

Oh he was the original Dove on Titans, that makes sense

she has a speech therapist?

I love her so much

Oh dear

Fuck off, Butcher

Oh no, they’re making a movie about Ryan

“Homeboy” oh no

Anakin too

This man says volumes with his face

again, I love Sage

Ashley changed her look! I forgot when she ditched the bangs

Oh ouch

Do you not know what the word solo means

That’s the exact wrong advice to give him

Is she 32?

oh she’s a decade older. I see.

Is that the right idea?

What are they doing

Ryan is not a good actor

Using the Captain America line, I see.

Yikes.

He’s gonna go on a power trip

Damn, really?

I want Kimiko’s jacket

Nothing like free hotel breakfast

Oh no, these weirdos are flat earthers too?

“Starlight is a lizard person” jesus

not the minion memes

oh they are calling him Dakota Bob

“soldier boy held captive by the CIA” well he’s being held captive by someone

fuck, they’re climate change deniers too?

“soldier boy + liberty= secret lovers?” I mean, maybe

gosh there’s so much here.

“stormfront is alive” the fuck she is

“tinfoil hat wearing nazi motherfuckers” correct!

Kimiko are you okay

you can tell this was filmed in 2022 because that’s the year before last’s baja blast

hahaha these guys believe delaware isn’t real?

“alt-Supe”

How dare you come for Tom Hanks

NO

god, Frenchie doesn’t believe in the moon landing?

Kimiko!

omg I love her

CUE TOM CARDY’S RED FLAGS

Hey!

Yeah, you should go to the hospital

So glad that he didn’t mean that

Thank you, Hughie

Haven’t seen him in a while

Clovergenders?

The political commentary on this show is too real.

Hahaha I love her

So like conspiracy theorist Jubilee.

YES GIRL

A-Train redemption? That would be nice.

Let him have his moment, man.

YIKES

He’s gonna have to work on his restraint

Kimiko are you okay

Firecracker said “fuck the French” I guess

She’s not gonna do it

That’s like 3 references in one

Drown his ass in the chocolate fountain

“Zionist cabal” NO

Goddamn

Run, bitch!

Hughie cheering on his girlfriend I love them so much your honor

oh hey she’s back!

Go off, Hughie

ooooh Kimiko what are you doing

Episode 3

This is not going to go well.

Also look how few Starlight supporters there are compared to the Homelander supporters

Fuck off

“they want to get rid of superheroes” and what do they think Starlight is, then?

What has she actually said?

There are not seven of them.

I do really like those suits

Oh good, Butcher seems to be doing the right thing

SHE’S ANTI-VAX TOO?

gosh, I do kind of hope she doesn’t believe all of this and is just looking up what will cause the most controversy and clicks. Would be funnier if she was a true believer though.

She’s not wrong

He is that petty

“make a sandwich out of her”

Guess we know Starlight says trans rights, good for her

I’m sure he’s gonna try

Just let him go into the basement and see there are no kids in there.

Well, then she’s gonna be out of a job

Love how The Masked Singer hasn’t changed here

Eyyy kimiko’s a hacker good for her

Kimiko and Helena would be great friends

I love Hughie wearing a dolly parton shirt

Maeve didn’t blow a dude

as far as I know

oh this is fun

“dodgy incel” he’s not wrong

Oh, his voice is changing

That’s fuckin’ brutal.

I’m obsessed with her

do I like Ashley now?

She is a girlboss

gosh, this song

Ryan!

It is clearly not nothing

He also helped take down Stormfront

Not wrong on any of those counts

MM is a great character

You two should hide

Oh yikes

Not the best thing to see

Get your head in the game

Oh hey, it’s Nina

Glad Butcher threw those away

Why did she end that sentence with a question if she wasn’t lying

You said she would be fine!

Ashley are you alright

Yes, go after her, queen

What is a dinosaur doing on her poster

Oh damn, Annie as a bully

She is better

Hasn’t she been traumatized enough

Oh no this is very out of date

also how dare they use Maeve’s image for this

OMG THE BOOK OF MORMON GUY

Hughie can chill.

There’s no way the vents are that big

Oh no

Hughie get out of there

“critical supe theory” I think that is just known as the works of Garth Ennis and a few other authors here in the real world, ma’am

Is Stan dead? I can’t remember

How did Homelander know

Hughie’s sweat is going to get him hurt

YIKES

Well they’re not performing that show anytime soon

Yeah, listen to her

You can try

And how would you do that?

why is she watching reality TV

Is he really?

Oh no

Stop talking about how people smell, Homelander

“gave you everything that I ever wanted” oh that was pointed

oh hey mirror Homelander is back

What start?

[moviemunchies]

Honestly, so much of this movie relies on its twists, so I’m struggling to figure out how to talk about it. For a brand new movie like this, I don’t want to spoil it for readers who haven’t seen the movie.

I can tell you that the book wasn’t wasn’t written by Taylor Swift, though?

Ellie Conway is the successful author of the bestselling Argylle series, a sequence of spy thriller novels that have captivated the world. Ellie herself, though, is mostly a recluse, with a small social circle, an anxious disposition, and lives alone with her cat, Alfie. She’s struggling to write an end for the series, so she books a train for herself and Alfie to her parents’ house for a brainstorming session. But on the way, Ellie meets a supposed spy, Aiden, that tells her stories are eerily accurate reflections of an actual, real-life conspiracy in the intelligence community. And now some actual bad guys are after her, and Aiden’s the only one who could save her. The line between fiction and reality gets blurry, and Ellie has to help Aiden figure out what’s actually going on.

Alright, so most of the critical conversation about this movie talk about how twisty the Plot is. And it is very twisty, because, well… that’s kind of The Point of the movie. Like many critics, I can’t help but think that it doesn’t quite all add up. At the end of the day, I’m scratching my head, thinking, “Wait, that was the villains’ plan? They couldn’t think of anything more effective than that?” I also suspect that there will come a point when the viewer will see some of the twists right before they happen.

That being said, I think if you can say to yourself, “Alright, this movie is built on ridiculous twists–so bring it on,” you will have a much better time. I certainly did. 

This being a Matthew Vaughn film, there are pretty great action scenes throughout the movie. It’s not John Wick, no, but it’s stylish, cool, and fun to watch. Towards the end you get some fight scenes that are truly ridiculous, and they’re lovely like that. It reminds me of some of the great fight scenes in the Kingsman movies.

One thing that felt a bit odd was the marketing of the film. The first few minutes are featured heavily in trailers, despite them being a version of the action from the book Ellie Conway wrote, rather than an actual event occurring in Ellie’s life. It’s fine that the sequence is there, because it is actually relevant, and it’s great fun. Still, it felt very weird that it took up so much of the marketing, with Dua Lipa being on the poster for the movie when she’s barely in it.

Henry Cavill is one of the people from that opening sequence, and he continues to be through the movie as an active piece of Ellie’s imagination. And he is delightful, honestly. The man is clearly having a blast with his ridiculous haircut and over-the-top fight scenes, and I say that we should let him continue having a blast with roles like this. 

Honestly, the rest of the cast looked like they were having fun, too. Notably, Bryce Dallas Howard gets to do an active part of action scenes! I don’t know how often she does that, so it’s quite fun. Sam Rockwell gets to be a bit silly as a spy who is supremely competent but absolutely tired of all of this crap and would rather Ellie listen to his instructions, thank you very much.

And the cat! I was fond of Alfie the cat! However! I was less fond of how much of the cat is computer-generated in this movie. I get that for the stunts he’s got to be CGI; they’re not going to put a real cat in danger (especially because he’s played by the director’s wife’s cat). There are still scenes, like one in which he’s on the desk in a hotel room, where he’s quite obviously CGI and it’s distracting.

All in all, it’s a fun movie, though it’s not anywhere near as clever as it thinks it is. There’s too many twists that don’t add up. But if you manage to let go and let yourself have a fun time with a ridiculous spy movie, that mostly knows that it’s a ridiculous spy movie, then you’ll have a good time watching this movie.

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Bengaluru: A Bangladeshi man has been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment by an NIA court here for radicalising Muslim youths and raising funds for terror activities.Jahidul Islam alias Kausar has also been fined Rs 57,000 in the cases connected with offences of dacoity, conspiracy and raising funds, as well as procurement of ammunition, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a statement on Monday.With this, a total of 11 accused have been convicted in these cases, said the statement.As per NIA investigations, Jahidul, the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Amir of India, along with absconding JMB head Salauddin Salehin, had illegally crossed over into India in 2014 after escaping the custody of Bangladesh police in connection with the 2005 serial blasts in Bangladesh.During the hiding, he and his associates were involved in the October 2014 Burdwan blast case, the NIA said.Two persons were killed and another was injured in a bomb explosion at a house in the Khagragarh locality of Burdwan in West Bengal on October 2, 2014."After the blast, Jahidul and his aides fled to Bengaluru, where he radicalised and recruited gullible Muslim youths from West Bengal and Assam for furthering the anti-India activities of JMB. The accused and his associates had also committed the blast in Bodhgaya in January 2018," the agency said.NIA investigations further revealed that the accused and his associates had also conspired to raise funds through dacoity to further the activities of JMB, a banned outfit.During 2018, they had committed four dacoities in Bengaluru as part of this agenda, and had used the looted money for procuring ammunition and arranging hideouts and training to carry out terrorist activities, the probe agency said. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] Bengaluru: A Bangladeshi man has been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment by an NIA court here for radicalising Muslim youths and raising funds for terror activities.Jahidul Islam alias Kausar has also been fined Rs 57,000 in the cases connected with offences of dacoity, conspiracy and raising funds, as well as procurement of ammunition, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a statement on Monday.With this, a total of 11 accused have been convicted in these cases, said the statement.As per NIA investigations, Jahidul, the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Amir of India, along with absconding JMB head Salauddin Salehin, had illegally crossed over into India in 2014 after escaping the custody of Bangladesh police in connection with the 2005 serial blasts in Bangladesh.During the hiding, he and his associates were involved in the October 2014 Burdwan blast case, the NIA said.Two persons were killed and another was injured in a bomb explosion at a house in the Khagragarh locality of Burdwan in West Bengal on October 2, 2014."After the blast, Jahidul and his aides fled to Bengaluru, where he radicalised and recruited gullible Muslim youths from West Bengal and Assam for furthering the anti-India activities of JMB. The accused and his associates had also committed the blast in Bodhgaya in January 2018," the agency said.NIA investigations further revealed that the accused and his associates had also conspired to raise funds through dacoity to further the activities of JMB, a banned outfit.During 2018, they had committed four dacoities in Bengaluru as part of this agenda, and had used the looted money for procuring ammunition and arranging hideouts and training to carry out terrorist activities, the probe agency said. [ad_2] Source link

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LONDON - In a development that has left fans fuming and owls in therapy, a critical plot hole the size of a Hungarian Horntail egg has been unearthed in the beloved Harry Potter series. The revelation? The seemingly inexplicable absence of Patronus charms in Dumbledore's fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. "It just doesn't make sense!" cried Mildred Pinchwhistle, a self-proclaimed "Potterhead" and owner of a suspiciously large collection of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans. "Dumbledore, the man who could knit a scarf so intricate it could predict the weather, couldn't conjure a little stag to chase away a greasy-haired git with a snake obsession?" Experts are baffled. Renowned "armchair Auror" Barry Periwinkle theorizes that Dumbledore must have simply forgotten the spell in the heat of battle. "Maybe he was distracted by Voldemort's truly atrocious taste in robes," Periwinkle mused, stroking his carefully-maintained beard. "Dark wizards these days, no sense of style at all." Others propose more outlandish explanations. Conspiracy theorist Griselda Tutshill, known for her belief that house-elves are secretly running Hogwarts, suggests Dumbledore was a closet Death Eater all along. "He never did trust house-elves," Tutshill pointed out with a suspicious glint in her eye. "Clearly, he was in cahoots with the whole lot of them!" More level-headed fans have proposed alternative uses for the Patronus charm. Perhaps Dumbledore simply used it to order a takeaway curry after a particularly stressful day of battling dark wizards. Or maybe he cast a Patronus stag every night to keep away the particularly aggressive gnomes plaguing Hogwarts' vegetable patch. Meanwhile, some fans have taken a more philosophical approach. "Maybe the true magic wasn't in the Patronus, but in Dumbledore's unwavering belief in a teenage boy with questionable glasses," mused Harold Featherbottom, a man who unironically wears a Hogwarts scarf year-round. "Just think, if Dumbledore had blasted Voldemort with a stag, Harry wouldn't have gotten his hero moment!" Indeed, the implications of this plot hole are vast. Does it cast doubt on the entire wizarding education system? Was Dumbledore a terrible teacher who neglected to properly train his students in basic Patronus-casting? Or was he simply a master strategist, playing a long game that involved letting a scrawny teenager take down a Dark Lord? The debate rages on, with #DumbledoreGate trending on all major social media platforms. Fans are urged to share their own outlandish theories and engage in spirited online discourse. Remember, folks, a healthy dose of skepticism is key, even in the magical world! Just don't get too hung up on it, or you might find yourself muttering spells under your breath and accidentally turning your goldfish into a ferret. P.S. In a shocking turn of events, J.K. Rowling herself has taken to Twitter, claiming the entire series was a fever dream she had after eating a particularly potent batch of chocolate frogs. We'll have more on this developing story as it unfolds.

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Planning, plotting and execution of the blast... This is how Israel's intelligence unit shook Lebanon

Now it is clear that behind the pager, walkie talkie and solar panel blasts in Lebanon, it is not Mossad, but the Israeli Defense Force, that is the army unit known as Unit 8200. That is, if anyone is involved in the planning, plotting and execution of these serial blasts, then it is Unit 8200.

Lebanon Serial blasts Mossad Unit 8200 Conspiracy: Israel's military unit Unit 8200 played an important role in the serial blasts that took place in Lebanon for two consecutive days. Actually, Unit 8200 is Israel's highly confidential and high-tech military unit. Its job is to fight technical wars. This smart unit fully supported Mossad in the serial blasts in Lebanon. The story of this unit will surprise you.

After the series of blasts in Lebanon, the name of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad was on top. The reason is that Mossad, one of the world's most dangerous intelligence agencies, is known for such horrific and covert operations. And then when the blame is on Israel, the first suspicion falls on Mossad.

But now it is clear that behind the pager, walkie talkie and solar panel blasts in Lebanon, it is not Mossad, but the Israeli Defense Force, that is the army unit known as Unit 8200. That is, if anyone is involved in the planning, plotting and execution of this serial blast, then it is Unit 8200. However, Israel has not yet openly admitted its involvement in these blasts.

But sources claim that those who supplied pagers to Hezbollah and conspired to kill its fighters were experts from Unit 8200... Now the question is what exactly is this 8200, about which very few people in the world know till now. So let's try to understand this with the help of some pointers.

'Unit 8200' is one of Israel's most secret and high-tech military units. This unit plays the most important role in high-profile intelligence operations and cyber warfare. Its work is related to technical warfare, intelligence meetings and cyber security. It is considered more secret and dangerous than Mossad. It works by gathering intelligence and making strategies accordingly.

The unit trains young soldiers in everything from hacking to encryption and surveillance. The unit recruits Israel's best security personnel. It is known for out-of-the-box thinking, technical expertise and innovation. People who have worked in this unit have later created Israel's high-tech industries like Orca Security.

Unlike Mossad, the members of this unit are very sharp army officers who work on many special operations. It is also called Israel's warning system. A system that detects threats in advance. They also do special work on AI and cyber security. And the unit has a large team of technical experts. Like the 8200 unit, there are also 9900 units and 504, which work at different levels. But the largest among them is 8200.

You can understand the importance of this unit from the fact that it reports directly to the Prime Minister of Israel. And it has close coordination with Mossad. This is not the first time that 'Unit 8200' has carried out a major operation. It has been involved in such operations before as well. This unit is believed to have played a major role in destroying Iran's nuclear plants.

It is said that this unit had developed a virus called Strux-net, which was used to attack Iran's nuclear plants. This virus used to burn the centrifuges installed in nuclear plants from inside. And the expertise was such that Iran was not even aware of it for a long time. Apart from this, 'Unit 8200' saved a plane going from the United Arab Emirates to Australia from being hijacked in 2018.

Now when we are talking about such intelligence agencies of Israel, we should also talk about Mossad and Shein-Bet. So let us give you information about these two agencies one by one. Mossad is the national secret agency of Israel, which takes care of the security and national interests of the country. Its work is to collect intelligence information for the Israeli government, analyze it and use it. Broadly, the activities of Mossad can be divided into four parts.

Intelligence gathering - Mossad gathers intelligence from around the world that is vital to Israel's security and well-being.

Analysis and Evaluation – This agency also analyzes and evaluates its information, so that it can be used at the right time.

Operational Activities - Mossad is also involved in various operational activities, such as counter-terrorism operations, cyber security, and other intelligence operations.

Security and Defense - Since the target of Mossad is to protect Israel, it actively attacks Israel's enemies when needed and ensures the safety of its citizens under all circumstances.

Despite so much discussion, information about the working style and activities of Mossad is not publicly available, because this agency keeps its work secret. Now let's talk about Shin-Bet. Like Mossad, Shin-Bet is also an intelligence agency of Israel, but unlike Mossad, its name rarely comes to the fore. This agency is known for dealing with terrorists as well as eliminating the enemies of Israel at all costs, no matter where they are.

Israel laid its foundation in 1948 after its independence. After this, it carried out many big operations. Capturing Syrian spy Eliyahu Hakim in 1956 is considered one of its major achievements. Similarly, in 1960, Shin-Bet also kidnapped a Nazi officer from Argentina, who was considered an enemy of Israel.

News is originally taken from: https://bit.ly/3XTA8Jl

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