#grant ward slander

[agentoffangirling]

I have a bone to pick with characters who cause problems then run off and use their backstories as an excuse for everything they do. HOWEVER, there is a difference between well-written ones and badly-written ones. Let's examine Grant Ward and Sylvie Laufeydottir (this is gonna be long, bear with me)

Ward, in case you're not familiar with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., is a character who had a difficult upbringing. His parents adored his youngest brother and turned a blind eye to the abuse Ward faced under his older brother. He also was hurt by his parents, so safe to say he had a tragic backstory

Later on in his life, he was picked up by John Garrett, an undercover HYDRA agent. Garrett groomed Ward and manipulated him, and it wasn't long before Ward joined HYDRA as well

Now I am not defending Ward. He is an absolutely despicable character, he's literally a Nazi, he threw two characters into the ocean, became overally obsessed with one of the mcs when it was clear she didn't want him, and killed and kidnapped multiple people with little to no remorse. He also uses his backstory as an excuse for all this stuff, claiming he does it for "Skye", "Kara", "us". Grant Ward gets no sympathy from me

There's a notable moment in s2 where the S.H.I.E.L.D. team is forced to work with him again, and upon getting death stares from all of them, this conversation takes place:

Ward: "And I could stand here and explain again how my parents and brother left me vulnerable..."

May: "We all had our traumas, Ward. Didn't turn any of us into psychopaths."

...

Ward: "I mean, for a while there, we were a good team. Weren't we?"

Skye: "I'm still happy I shot you.

Simmons: "Yeah, me too."

Fitz: "Should've aimed for the face."

And the writers don't ever try to make it so Ward is justified in doing these things. Not just his actions, but also the claim that his backstory excuses it, because as you can see above, other characters point out that they had all been through their fair share of troubles, and they didn't turn out like him. They don't justify the shit they did because their life was hard. The writers do make it so that a watcher can sympathize with Ward, and they also make it very clear he is not correct in doing these things

He's also a very complex person in general. He has so many traits, some of them downright conflicting, but that's who he is. Tancheroen and the others show that very well, and almost everything he does is in-character. Ward is a very well-written bad character

Now we turn to Sylvie. Sylvie also had a difficult upbringing, but I'm not gonna be the one to compare whether or not hers was worse than Ward's. However, where we reach our first road block is that Sylvie has much less character traits than Ward. She's a lot simpler than him in terms of writing, but the creators act as though she's complex and conflicted when she's really not. That doesn't necessarily mean that she's a worse character. There's a lot the writers could do to improve on her or write her well. But they don't even try

Sylvie is not given anything new to do in season 2. Zilch. Nada. A big old goose egg. She could've been dealing with her conflicting feelings on killing He Who Remains, she could've picked up a new hobby or given a personal stake in all this Loom stuff. The writers could've written her so that she didn't know what she wanted since getting rid of HWO was her only task, and now that he's gone, she could go do what actually makes her happy. They had so many opportunities to expand upon her, but nope. She's just given a McDonald's uniform and ends up being the exact same person she was at the beginning of season 1. That's not growth. That's not anything

But hey, if they're not going to do anything with her, maybe they could try for a different angle in how others perceive her. Instead of always being seen as right, she could be seen as wrong in some instances. Fine, make her bitchy, but make it so that the characters call her out on it. Have the creator perception frame her as selfish and and rude. For example, instead of trying to justify her yelling at Mobius in episode 4, have Loki fire back. Say she held them up and only cares about herself in that fight. Say that for once, she should listen to others. Say that everyone has problems, yet they don't do her destructive actions and claim they're right. They didn't need to do the Grant Ward route on everything, but having a couple times where she is framed as him in AoS wouldn't be that bad

Sylvie is a badly-written bad character. Her lack of traits and staticness of arc make her come short compared to Ward, and the continued stubbornness of the creative team to always frame her as justified and right adds to this. I am not against tragic backstories, I am not against characters being bitchy, but I will always have a problem if they use said backstory as an excuse for everything they do

And if they do, then at least have the courtesy to write them well and for other characters to call them out

[secretsandlabrats]

Ward is scary yes but at times he’s just weird I guess 

Posted link : Agents of SHIELD Memes | link here

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

Spoilers for Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

I haven't actually finished the game but I was thinking, what if Zelda never returns to being a hylian and just remains a dragon forever? Who would be the next in line for the throne?

That's right.

Link. Why?

1. Link is from a long family of knights and one of the only known and confirmed nobles in the game

2. Link is one of the only people in Hyrule to know many classified secrets of the royal family (especially if he regains all his memories from his time as Zeldas personal guard and whatnot)

3. Link has saved and aided all of the different tribes on multiple occasions and united them under him.

4. He has personal friendly relationships with all the tribes leaders aka the chiefs and Zora king

5. Link is pretty good as descalating conflicts and finding middle grounds

6. Link is cononically just as compassionate and lovable as Zelda is and would be beloved as Prince

Theres more but I think you got the picture. Just imagine Prince Link, uncomfortable about this turn of events but willing to do what is best for his people.

So I propose a plot for the new DLC: Of course theres a new Big Bad (maybe a sorcerer like Vaati or something) who makes themselves a castle of thier own in the Depths and is trying to take over hyrule but in a different way than we've seen before. Sure they still create monster and cause havoc but they also do political stuff like scandal and slander

Link gathering alliances with the people of the different tribes and trying to clear his name after he's been framed for crimes he did not commit maybe? He, that doesn't really fit the vibe with what I'm going for, but what if the new Big Bad tried to make the people of Hyrule like him more and use thier love of him as a way into power?

Maybe disasters keep happening and the new guys servents/knights keeps saving the day but things keep getting worse and worse. Maybe there could be a new game mechanic where there's a ward or talisman that stops dark magic/ evil entities from entering the city and most of the disasters in that area stopping entirely and when the servent/knight tries to enter the city they hit a magic barrier and it sounds like a mosquitoe getting zapped by a bug zapper and they scream, revealing themselves to be a monster who had been the one causing all the disasters in the first place. The civilians freak out and the monster flees.

Link and the sage of that area believed in Link the whole time/was suspicious of the servant/knight follows the monster with Link and they find a maze like nest the monster has created

Cue dungeon

Cue boss battle

Rinse and repeat for all the sages people (maybe there are some previously unknown Zonai survivors that Minaru is awed and excited to find and she takes them in idk) maybe they were lost in time or something. Maybe thats where the big bad came from and the the Zonai children interrupted the Big Bads spell and thay wound up in the distant future, the children later running away in confusion and terror. So new tribe and dungeon? Just a thought

DLC features:

1. MASSIVE main quest to renovate the castle where you get to redecorate it however you want. Like you get to choose the furniture and decorations and have things restored to thier former glory. Granted you have to pay for repairs out of your own pocket (taxes can only go so far and thats going towards rebuilding the towns and stuff) and you get to put up your own pictures to replace those torn apart portraits and stuff you see around the castle in BOTW and TOTK. You can put up pictures of Hyrules former royals, the champions, the sages, ect. Or you can go the painting route where someone paints the photos you have on your Purah Pad like in your house in Terry Town. I would buy the DLC just for this to be honest

As you renovate the castle and dig out all the collaped pathways you get new memories of Links time as a soldier and get to see his family as well as memories with Zelda

I would throw so much money at Nintendo just to be able to renovate the castle to my liking. Like, so much you have no idea

2. Link getting a freaking crown and royal armor sets. One for prince and another after he's corinated as king near the end of the game

Armor sets based off of the new and old boss monsters

Armor sets based off of the mini-boss monsters including Gloom Hands (this one looks horrifying btw) and you get some kinda boost from each that represents that specific monster like a Hinox set giving you a food affect boost and Gloom Hands set boosts the power of the Phantom Ganon drops

Maybe a sage set that boosts the powers of the sages a bit

Forest dweller set that increases the durability of wooden weapons

3. Rebuilding the town ruins and creating homes for people all over hyrule like the Deya village ruins and Tabantha ruins and you can do it Lurelin Village style (I loved that side quest it was actually pretty fun)

Anyway, this is me officially releasing this idea to Nintendo it they want it so long as they credit me for the ideas they use from me. They don't even have to pay me (but hiring me would be nice)

Here's a poll to maybe help convince them this is a good idea

@nintendo :)

[asoiafandotherbooks]

TWOIAF/Fire & Blood: The Death of Two Queens, A Prince, A Workforce, and the Curse of Harrenhal Begins...

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

Maegor has finished his eradication of House Harroway. That leave the question of who will take ownership of Harrenhal. The answer? A Royal Rumble! Twenty-three knights of the king’s household competed and Ser Walton Towers emerged victorious. He was named Lord of the Tower but died within the fortnight of his wounds. Harrenhal passed to Ser Walton’s eldest son. However, Maegor granted Lord Harroway’s town Lord Alton Butterwell and the rest of the Harroway holdings to Lord Darnold Dary.

This was when the “curse of Harrenhal” stories originated as the string of owners continue to suffer ominous fates.

Maegor returned home to discover Visenya had died. Let us have a moment of silence to honor the true backbone of the first three Targaryen reigns. She was an active participant in the Conquest and the Dornish War, established the Kingsguard, took an active part in governance, prevented Aenys from destroying the dynasty, curbed Maegor’s worst impulses, and put down the rebellion of the Faith. I’m not saying she was a nice woman but put some respect on her name.

Maegor had Visenya cremated and had her ashes interred with Aegon the Conqueror. Poor Rhaenys never had her body returned so she is not buried with her sibling-spouses. The lack of her body lends more credence that Aegon killed her (and destroyed the body) when he brought “fire and blood” to Dorne.

Visenya’s death wasn’t the only bad news awaiting Maegor upon his return. Dowager Queen Alyssa Velaryon used Maegor’s absence to flee Dragonstone with her children. Except for one – Prince Viserys, the squire of Maegor. I assume Viserys was with Maegor on his “eradicate the Harroways” tour. Alyssa had stolen Dark Sister, and the children took their dragons (Vermithor and Silverwing).

Did Alyssa realize she was condemning Viserys to death when she fled Dragonstone with Alyssa and Jaehaerys. Maegor is not a forgiving man. Or even a nice man. Did Alyssa feel it was better to sacrifice one child than risk all three?

Maegor did not take the news of Alyssa’s desertion well. He sent the Kingsguard to seize Prince Viserys: “Chain him in a black cell and question him sharply. Ask him where his mother is gone.” Ser Owen Bush, a knight of the Kingsguard, protested: “He may not know”.

Maegor responded: “Then let him die. Perhaps the bitch will turn up for his funeral.”

Tyanna plied Viserys with her “dark arts” but he did not know where his mother had gone. The poor prince died after nine days of questioning. Maegor had left Visery’s body out in the ward of the Red Keep for a fortnight: “Let his mother come and claim him”. She never did and Maegor had Viserys’ body burned after Alyssa failed to appear. Viserys was fifteen years old when he was killed and had been “much loved by smallfolk and lords alike”.

Can you imagine the terror that Viserys felt upon his return to King’s Landing? He had witnessed Maegor’s wrath against Alys and her entire extended family. He knew first-hand what Maegor was capable of when angered. And the sense of abandonment he must have felt – his mother fled with her younger children and left him to the wolves. He suffered a tremendously cruel fate and did nothing to deserve it.

In 45 AC, construction came to an end on the Red Keep. Maegor celebrated by holding a feast for the builders and workmen who labored on the castle. It lasted for three days. On the third day, Maegor had the workers killed and their bones interred beneath the castle.

Not long after, Queen Ceryse was stricken with a “sudden illness” and passed away. A rumor around the court said that Ceryse had offended Maegor and he ordered Ser Owen Bush to remove her tongue. There was a struggle and Ser Owen accidentally slit Ceryse’s throat. This story was widely believed at the time but maesters feel it slander concocted by the king’s enemies.

I would put money on Tyanna being behind Ceryse’s death. Lo and behold, Tyanna is the sole remaining queen. A queen who is hated and feared by all.

Maegor ordered the construction of the Dragonpit atop Rhaenys’ Hill. He wanted a great stone “stable for dragons” erected, a lair worthy of Balerion, Vhagar, etc. Unsurprisingly, Maegor wasn’t having trouble finding a workforce for this project. It tends to happen when you massacre the previous workforce. Maegor had to resort  to using prisoners from the city’s dungeons, under the supervision of builders from Myr and Volantis.

Up next, the Poor Fellows and the Warrior’s Sons raise their pesky heads (again)…

[cheddargoblin]

5, 55 and 81 for Meisi/Perre

prompt

oh boy! 5. What is something they like to do together? Quality time, honestly. It was quite a commodity throughout the dragon cycle campaigns, so a lot of what theyd get to do was spend a little time together as Meisi would wind down for a few hours before waking up at the crack of dawn again every morning. Turned into a consistent routine where Perre, the sleepless energy being, would simply spend the time he could with meisi in the evenings, and reconvene whenever pact affairs or downtime would allow. the allegations that perre who is a master of wards would have a few set up to know exactly when meisi is free to get as much time as possible are rumors and or slander. 55. Who spoils who? Does their S/O tolerate it? Do they secretly enjoy it? Rather predictably with the way these questions are trending, Perre is also the spoiler. Meisis never been much for extravagance or much of anything really. Bro was contentedly living in a tent for 10 years to see through the dragon cycle. Perre on the other hand is rather low on physical needs and high on interest in doting on Meisi, and living vicariously through him :). Meisi will put up a gigantic fuss for just about anything special Perre pulls, but yes, he secretly likes the treatment and feeling loved/special. Perre knows.

81. Did they have a meet cute? Or was it a train wreck? brb googling what a meet cute is. ok yeah no they didnt have that. Perre found meisi bleeding from multiple wild animal attacks on the edge of Tarir, shortly after the latter had clawed his way out of 5 years in the mist war. Slightly delirious and very shellshocked, Perres the first ""person"" Meisi meets outside the mists, and hes certainly thankful for the refuge the exalted are willing to grant 1 stray asura. The circumstances are hectic and not cute but yes shortly later meisi does develop some feelings for the amusingly snarky sage. good for him.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Something occurred me when I was reading a couple of your posts today regarding to Islam and mental illness (in separate posts, of course) and I don't know if it's true or not but this is what occurred me, most people in Islam countries do not seek or have a hard time seeking medical help, be it voluntarily or involuntarily, for mental health such as depression, trauma or other mental disorders like people does in western countries because over and over again, I see muslims (the good muslims, not the good people) are willing to protect their religious beliefs rather than care for people's well-being. I can't imagine a muslim person saying to a member of the muslim person's family, "I'll take you to a therapist to help you deal with your depression" after being beaten or tortured for doing a blasphemy or for taking off the hijab as a prank, let alone encourage women and girls who are being treated as sex objects to seek help. I guess what I am asking is, is it haram or a taboo when it comes to seeking professional help for mental illness or mental disorders in a Islam country?

It's an interesting question. I'll try to explain it as best I understand it.

Let's take that example of the Muslimah who says she wants to remove hijab. Islamically, she deserved it.

https://quranx.com/24.31

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed.

https://quranx.com/Hadith/Tirmidhi/DarusSalam/Volume-2/Book-10/Hadith-1173

Abdullah narrated that The Prophet said:

“The woman is Awrah, so when she goes out, the Shaitan seeks to tempt her.”

Hijab is a commandment from Allah. This isn't an option, it's an obligation. Take note of the shaitan - it'll come back in a moment.

https://quranx.com/4.34

Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.

Allah has made it clear what is the right path, the true path of virtue to Jannah (paradise), as specified clearly in the quran. As-sirat al-Mustaqim; literally, the straight path.

https://quranx.com/7.200-201

And if a slander from the devil wound thee, then seek refuge in Allah. Lo! He is Hearer, Knower.

Lo! those who ward off (evil), when a glamour from the devil troubleth them, they do but remember (Allah's Guidance) and behold them seers!

https://quranx.com/114.1-6

Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,

The King of mankind,

The god of mankind,

From the evil of the sneaking whisperer,

Who whispereth in the hearts of mankind,

Of the jinn and of mankind.

https://quranx.com/41.34-36

And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.

But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good].

And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

These whispers are the same voices of temptation that caused Adam and Eve to fall.

https://quranx.com/20.120-121

Then Satan whispered to him; he said, "O Adam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and possession that will not deteriorate?"

And Adam and his wife ate of it, and their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred.

https://quranx.com/7.19-20

And "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat from wherever you will but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers."

But Satan whispered to them to make apparent to them that which was concealed from them of their private parts. He said, "Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or become of the immortal."

One of the counter-apologetics (refutations) of the first cause/prime mover/"everything needs a creator"-type cosmological religious apologetics is "then who created your god?" If "everything needs a creator/cause/etc" then either god needs a creator, or if a god can exist without being created, then we might as well apply that to everything else. This isn't a new refutation. Muhammad clearly heard about it, and not having any valid counter, simply warned people to expect it, and ignore it as a trick of the shaitan.

https://quranx.com/Hadith/Muslim/USC-MSA/Book-1/Hadith-244

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah may peace be upon him) observed:

The Satan comes to everyone. of you and says: Who created this and that? till he questions: Who created your Lord? When he comes to that, one should seek refuge in Allah and keep away (from such idle thoughts).

Muslims are told they are under constant supernatural assault on their very thoughts, for their very "souls."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_possession#Islam

In contrast to Jinn, the shayatin are inherently evil. Iblis, the leader of the shayatin, only tempts humans into sin by following their lower nafs. Hadiths suggest that the demons/devils whisper from within the human body, within or next to the heart, and so "devilish whisperings" (Arabic: waswās وَسْوَاس) are sometimes thought of as a kind of possession. Unlike possession by jinn, the whisperings of demons affects the soul instead of the body.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nafs

Nafs (نَفْس) is an Arabic word occurring in the Quran, literally meaning "self", and has been translated as "psyche", "ego" or "soul".

Islamically, when she wanted to remove hijab, she was being tempted by waswas, the whispers of the shaitan (Satan), trying to coax her to stray from Allah and from her iman (faith) and deen (religious belief). Having doubts or wanting to do other than Allah commands is the mental problem. What's wrong with her? She will end up being tortured in Jahannam!

She was hit to bring her to her senses, to bring her back to Allah, to silence the temptations of the shaitan that seeks to make her fall from the straight path. Not only did she deserve it, she should be grateful that she was beaten back to her senses, back into submission to Allah. Why would she need anything other than Allah? Why would she need therapy or help? They'll just validate her waswas. She needs to see an imam to help her silence the shaitan, not listen to and contemplate it. That's all that matters, because eternity in hellfire is at stake.

--

When you have doubts about something, the correct thing to do is test it. What confirms it? What disconfirms it?

It's a moral imperative and Islamic virtue not to do this. To instead "overcome" waswas, to suppress doubts, to ignore instincts, to silence the thoughts that are in your head that are not for Allah and his way. Basically, denial, repression and self-sabotage. Which, as usual, is the exact opposite of everything that is psychologically healthy.

If you've ever interacted with a devout Muslim, this might be setting off lightbulbs of recognition in your head, explaining those interactions. Islam pathologizes normal human thought processes as entirely of the devil. The objective is to empty yourself of all thoughts and commit to being a Drone in the Islamic Borg Collective. Never forget: "Islam" means "submission." And to be a "good Muslim," that submission must be complete and absolute.

Islam isn't just false and an appalling belief system, it's also totalitarian and amazingly unhealthy.

[firefly-fez]

I think the thing I love about a good corruption arc is the deconstruction of what makes someone vilified. Vilification is, I think [sometimes] a process of assassinating someone else’s character to absolve yourself of the responsibility you played in their misguidance. Slander them for the path they chose and conveniently ignore the fact that you are the one who made it their only viable option.

Character analysis of Morgana from BBC’s Merlin below…

Like, look at Morgana. She was the most morally, speaking in the right character at the beginning of BBC Merlin. (Except maybe Gwen)

Arthur was an asshole, and she frequently took him down a peg and pushed him to be better. Gwen didn’t have that much of an awareness of what was going on at first, so her goodness never made as much of an impact on magic in Camelot either way. Merlin was guided by Kilgharra’s deceptive and manipulative prophecies, and frequently made bad choices because of it. (Eg: 1. Hesitating to save Mordred, 2. Not telling Morgana he had magic, 3. Distrust against Mordred without reason - putting a prohecy over his own experiences 4. Punishing Mordred for saving his lover even though he did the exact same thing with Freya) And Gaius only prioritised Marlin’s safety. With the sole exception of his love interest, Alice, Gaius makes no steps to protect any other sorcerer except Merlin, and frequently encourages Merlin to do the same.

Morgana, on the other hand, always fights for people other than herself and Arthur. She sticks up for Gwen’s father. She fights against the exceution of the old woman’s son in the first episode.

Granted, Morgana is the King’s Ward, and she says things about magic that Gaius or Merlin would be sentenced to execution for. Gaius, especially, since the King has agreed to look past his magic, cannot afford to rock the boat. Merlin has to stay hidden out of survival.

But there is an opportunity in the story for the forces to unite, for Merlin to recognise Morgana’s struggle and help her through it; for him to tell her he does understand because he has magic too; but he doesn’t - out of fear.

There comes a time in the story when Gaius and Merlin do not have more reason to be afraid for Morgana, when her position becomes insufficient to protect her and - where they have each other, she is left to face this fear alone. Effectively, without intending to, they gaslight her. Gaius tries to make her believe that her dream is just a dream, and refuses to disclose whether it’s truly magic.

Eventually, she turns to other, more dangerous sources of trust. She is goes on to do many evil things, but her first ‘sin’ is looking for solace no-one in Camelot will give her. That’s why she seeks out Morgause. That’s why she allows herself to be the centre of the spell. Gaius talks a big game about how Merlin chose to use his magic for good and Morgana didn’t but in reality, Morgana becomes a villain because she was left disillusioned - she fought for everyone where no one would fight for her.

And she gets to be the villain.

[loominggaia]

NOTABLE MINERVAE

(Gold stars around their names signifies that they were part of Karenza’s “Chosen Ones”--aka: her most trusted confidants. In other words...the ones who know about her child.)

OVERVIEW

Minervae are a type of titan nymph. All minervae were once maenads, nymphs of spirit, but were transformed into their titan forms by Karenza, the Divine of Love. As titans, these nymphs grow in size, they become stronger and more intelligent, and the glowing crescent on their forehead opens into a full circle called an “eyespot” or “third eye”.

Through this third eye they can see things that most other peoples cannot, such as ghosts, auras, or even the future. Becoming a minervae grants these nymphs extraordinary powers, and it’s not a gift Karenza gives away frivolously. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and sometimes the burden is too much for even the strongest of minervae.

Though all minervae once served Karenza in exchange for her blessing, not all of them continue to serve her forever. Many go out into the world and use their new powers as they see fit, and not all of them continue to obey Karenza’s teachings.

There are only a few hundred minervae upon Looming Gaia. Some particularly notable ones are…

Destiny – As a maenad, she was known as Jubilee. Destiny was the first maenad Karenza ever transformed into a minervae. With her eyespot she can see into the future, and the future she witnesses is what shall be no matter what action is taken. She was one of the few Karenza chose to build the Trial of Titans. She later left Karenza’s company to become a researcher at the World Athenaeum, specializing in divinity and celestials.

Patience – As a maenad, she was known as Sweet Cheeks. Patience sought Karenza’s gift so that she could help the poor and unfortunate. Today she operates in one of Karenza’s many Houses of Love and Light, where she grows food for the hungry. She specializes in botanical magic.

Hope – As a maenad, she was known as Allura. Hope is a High Priestess of Love and Light. She oversees one of Karenza’s temples in the crime-riddled city of Taybiya, where she preaches Karenza’s teachings to all who will listen. While she preaches peace and love, she specializes in hazard magic—particularly pyromancy. She uses her fearsome fire spells to ward off hooligans.

Austerity – As a maenad, he was known as Dizzy. Austerity is the only male minervae on Looming Gaia. He was once a feminine maenad like any other, but asked Karenza to transform him into a masculine form as a minervae. His wish was granted, and along with his new form he gained a third eye that could see many possible futures. Today he spends half the year travelling between Houses of Love and Light all over the world, where he counsels the troubled. They can peer into his eyespot and see what their future holds if they continue on their current path, or learn what will happen if they take a different one. Austerity is also a master of transmutation magic, able to change others into any form they wish. When he is not traveling, he’s at home with his wife Prudence, another notable minervae.

Prudence – As a maenad, she was known as Melancholy. With her third eye, Prudence can see ghosts and other metaphysical beings that others cannot. She specializes in the art of necromancy and is believed to be the most masterful exorcist alive on Looming Gaia. If Prudence can’t dispel a spirit, then no one can. She is currently married to another notable minervae named Austerity. She spends half the year at home with her husband and the other half travelling around the world to clear haunted areas and dispel rogue undead.

Courage – As a maenad, she was known as Skipper. Courage can see into different dimensions with her third eye. She is a skilled teleportationist who can not only teleport across Looming Gaia, but into other these dimensions as well. She has an insatiable wanderlust and no fear of the unknown. She is credited for discovering many celestial dimensions, which have been recorded by the World Athenaeum’s research division.

Gratitude – As a maenad, she was known as Misery. Gratitude suffered much abuse and tragedy during her life as a maenad, so she wishes to use her powers as a minervae to make the world a gentler place. She is a talented witch who knows countless blessings and curses, and she bestows them upon anyone she feels is deserving of it. She may bless the meek or curse the malicious, but her intention is always to teach a lesson.

Honesty – As a maenad, she was known as Loud Mouth. As her name suggests, Honesty has no patience for lies and deceit. With her third eye she can see the truth, whether that means exposing someone’s lies or seeing their true form behind a disguise. She has made it her life’s mission to expose corrupt priests, politicians, and other powerful leaders. However, her efforts are not appreciated by everyone. The rich and powerful have launched many slanderous campaigns against her and have even tried to have her assassinated, yet Honesty still prevails. She specializes in telepathy, able to read the thoughts and emotions of others.

Justice – As a maenad, she was known as Vicious. Justice was among Karenza’s closest friends, and even served as her finest knight for centuries. She has since been promoted to Soldier of Love, and she has been sent out into the world to hunt down the wicked. Justice has removed her own eyes to blind herself, forcing herself to perceive the world with only her third eye. She cannot see what a person looks like, and so she cannot judge them based on her own prejudices. With her third eye, she can only see the quality of their hearts, and if she senses irredeemable wickedness, she swiftly disposes of them with one of many hazard spells in her arsenal. Fire, frost, wind, and electricity—Justice masterfully wields all of these elements and more. She’s a sworn enemy of Mercy, another notable minervae.

Charity “Asha” – As a maenad, she was known as Asha, which translates to “Beautiful Music” in Galsungi. Asha sought Karenza’s blessing because she wanted to use her great power to help the sick. With her third eye, she can see a body’s aura and identify problem areas, where there may be hidden wounds or lurking illness. She once healed plague victims and wounded soldiers, but after so many centuries of this thankless work she became depressed and burned out. She decided to abandon her lofty dreams and instead live a quiet, simple life as a private physician for Uekoro’s royal family, who she is still serving today. She decided to abandon her minervae name “Charity” and go back to “Asha” at this time. Asha can heal almost any ailment with her talents in curative magic.

Curiosity “Curie” – As a maenad, she was known as Joy. Joy was the last maenad Karenza ever transformed, and so she remains the youngest minervae on Looming Gaia. Shortly after becoming a minervae, Curie saw something with her third eye that struck dread into her heart. To this day no one knows exactly what she saw, for she immediately drove an iron spike into her eyespot to stop the vision, causing herself massive brain trauma in the process. Curie survived the incident and is still alive today, though she refuses to remove the spike from her head and becomes violent when others try to remove it for her. She has since fled Karenza’s company and is occasionally seen wandering the world in a wretched state, twitching and muttering gibberish to herself. Karenza is deeply ashamed of this tragedy and has since refused to create any more minervae, fearing another may meet the same fate. Some theorize that Curie had seen her own death or perhaps the end of the world, but no one really knows for sure.

Mercy – As a maenad, she was known as Cadence. Mercy has served Karenza for a very long time, but at some point the two had a falling out and Mercy left her company to serve Looming Gaia her own way. Unlike Karenza who believes the wicked are best destroyed, Mercy believes no one is beyond redemption and refuses to kill or harm anyone, no matter how evil they may be. With her third eye, she can see the good in even the most despicable of people. She takes a pacifist approach and tries to conquer hate with love and understanding rather than violence. While she does not succeed 100% of the time, she has still disbanded many hate groups, turned terrorists towards peace, and has even stopped wars with her gift of diplomacy. She constantly butts heads with Justice, another notable minervae.

 *

Questions?

Masterpost

*

[1piece-for-you]

𝐀 𝐇𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐚 ━ 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬

[𝐀𝐒𝐊] - 𝐇𝐢 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠! 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬/𝐨, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞? 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞! 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞! :)

[𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄] - 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.

𝐇𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐬 - 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞, 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

━━ 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐨

— Sabo’s refined image is managed in a fashion that could resemble the transition of a harsh winter to a blossoming spring. Any dirt and dust that suffocates his space will be swept away with practiced ease, allowing his princely charms and adorning blue to flourish; Sabo discreetly adores compliments and praise, after all. Though he cultivates a polish character for the sole purpose of a good reputation, it mainly stems from the necessity of maintaining hygiene. Sabo holds tolerance for sluggish outfits and even uncouth behaviors, albeit it is a thin thread.

— As long as proper hygiene is kept, physical appearances or facial features would never hinder his attraction or appreciation. He associates every attribute with its own positive; a short stature allows him to swaddle you in his arms! Being abnormally tall would let him be the little spoon for once! A little chub around the edges would give him more skin to pepper in kisses! Name any part or characteristic, and Sabo will start listing every sublime detail about it.

— Sabo is the picture-definition of home; the embodiment of cushy pillows and silky sheets. His soothing presence would remind those of light drizzles and lush flora, and with such a relaxing nature, everybody would be drawn to the twinkling warmth of his solace. A calm persona would bode well with another of its own kind, and that sort of visual, of being able to wander in their own Garden of Eden with no lingering worries, ruffles him up into a red fluttery mess. 

— But as much as he enjoys the quiet days of sipping herbal tea and skimming through faded literature, a little sprinkling of mischief in his routine would not hurt. Playful teasings and jesting conversations are naturally embraced due to his impish wit, a product bred by his childhood and time spent with his dear sworn brothers. However, he prefers to avoid entangling himself in troublesome webs involving any marines; not only does it jeopardize his position, but it is utterly taxing for him to deal with.

— Reestablishing once more, he is forever a gentleman at heart; mannerism is woven in every movement and speech performed by Sabo. Blatant rudeness and crude slanders he deems unnecessary will have the offender painted black and blue. And so, to find a kindhearted soul, unbothered by stigmas and hoping for change, would certainly make his heart swoon and sing for even the cherubs to hear. The beautiful prospect of spreading unfiltered happiness to every corner of the world with his lover sends him down a dream that grants him a path through a field of sunflowers. 

— Along with his much-too-big heart, there also exist his innate ability to dispel dreading worries and locked muscles with only tender words of reassurance and determination. His sheer confidence and gentle sincerity seem to have its own harmonious, yet mystifying effect, and dare his friends would even say, magical. But Sabo is only human. He strains under the weight of high expectations and revolutionary work; the pressure of securing and saving will soon leave him stranded and wilted in a brittle desert. 

— He pleads for a savior who can offer a haven for him to rest in floating clouds and whispering lullabies. If his most selfish desire is heard by those above and is faithfully bestowed, he would cry quiet streams and sleep pleasant nights, for the prickling sand underneath him will have grown a meadow that tickles instead. Someone who he can deeply intertwine with, to shatter his deep-rooted insecurities, to ward off the demons that lurk in his shadow, to bind their love into one entity, it all would make him crumble into strawberry bits and stardust.

— But as much as Sabo entertains himself with these dainty scenarios of him and his perfect soulmate, where they are free to alter their universe to orbit their own envisioned sun, reality comes before fiction. 

— Possessing a strong, fighting spirit positively attracts Sabo. For him to witness such radiance that flares with profound resolve and purpose; it would make his eyes swim in galactical admiration and respect. Yet this sort of liking is not merely to satisfy his interest, though rather the reason stands behind the fact of how cruel the oceans are. Sabo’s ranking places him in horrid settings that are riddled with suffering and violence and death. If he were to ever search for that special someone who he can embrace with steeled firmness, their strength would have to prove themselves first. Perhaps then, the dreaded fear of loss will be quelled.

— Each day spent with Sabo has its own special twinkle; from the blooming of everlasting to the dazzling exchange of afterglow. He would gift his partner the hidden gems of the world and promise such no matter the absurdity of it. He would pour every cosmic dust and glistening sunlight that is his love into his words, but even then it will never be enough to convey the true magnitude of his adoration. Sabo will eagerly lend his ears if there is no one else who is willing to, but he will also need his own pillar of support to keep him grounded. He loves so wholeheartedly and deeply, and despite any conscientious judgment he may splutter, it is only done out of death-gripping concern. The only thing he asks of his partner in return is that they share the equal sentiment of commitment.

[bargainbinwizard]

The Book of Psalms

Original Source:

http://readersandrootworkers.org/wiki/Category:The_Book_of_Psalms

Psalms 1: For removal of the ungodly from a group; for a safe pregnancy.

Psalms 2: To aid in disbanding and breaking up enemy conspiracies.

Psalms 3: For relief from a severe headache or from back pain.

Psalms 4: For restful and peaceful sleep; to change one's luck from bad to good.

Psalms 5: For finding favor with authorities or superiors in business.

Psalms 6: For healing diseases of the eye; for protection in the dark.

Psalms 7: To stop conspiracies, enemy pursuit, for court cases.

Psalms 8: Business success through the good will of associates; blessing of oils.

Psalms 9: To punish enemies; to restore health to male children; for court cases.

Psalms 10: To cleanse off an unclean, restless, or intranquil spirit.

Psalms 11: To cast off fear; for righteous retribution against your foes.

Psalms 12: For protection against severe persecution or oppression.

Psalms 13: For safety from unnatural death; for curing painful eye diseases.

Psalms 14: To stop libel and slander from tarnishing the trust others have in you.

Psalms 15: To exorcise evil spirits and devils from a person; for mental peace.

Psalms 16: To identify a thief; to change sorrow to joy and to heal pain.

Psalms 17: For safe travel abroad and to help bring a loved one safely home.

Psalms 18: To drive off approaching robbers; for anointing the sick to cure them.

Psalms 19: For help in childbirth, for release from jail, to remove evil spirits.

Psalms 20: Protection from danger for a day; to be justified in a court case.

Psalms 21: To both calm a storm and to offer protection for seafarers and sailors.

Psalms 22: For travel protection from dangerous storms, pirates, beasts, and men.

Psalms 23: For prosperity, love, protection, wisdom, and guidance.

Psalms 24: For protection from floods and escape from rising waters.

Psalms 25: Forgiveness of the sins of youth; protection from capture.

Psalms 26: For the release of someone from confinement or from jail.

Psalms 27: For protection and hospitality while one is travelling abroad.

Psalms 28: To bring back estranged friends who have become hostile to you.

Psalms 29: To drive out devils and restore peace and tranquility to the home.

Psalms 30: For protection from enemies; for recovery from severe illnesses.

Psalms 31: For protection from conspiracies, back-biting, and gossip.

Psalms 32: To gain respect, love, grace, and blessings from Heaven.

Psalms 33: To protect, unite, and bless all of the members of a family.

Psalms 34: To destroy and reverse back evil; for protection while travelling.

Psalms 35: For justice to prevail in court cases and legal matters.

Psalms 36: For protection from slander and gossip and to expose liars.

Psalms 37: For protection against slander, gossip, lies, and evil-doers.

Psalms 38: To help in court cases where slander fouled up the proceedings.

Psalms 39: To turn around a court case when false testimony has been given.

Psalms 40: For protection against evil spirits and to cast them out.

Psalms 41: To restore a good name if slander and gossip have ruined a reputation.

Psalms 42: For spiritual guidance; for answers in dreams; for love reconciliation.

Psalms 43: To work against slander and wicked people; to turn back evil.

Psalms 44: To guard and protect against enemies, invading armies, or war.

Psalms 45: For peace between husband and wife; to calm an angry spouse.

Psalms 46: To help a struggling marriage; to soothe marital tensions.

Psalms 47: To gain favour from those in power; for mastery over people.

Psalms 48: To destroy hateful and envious enemies; to seize them with terror.

Psalms 49: To help heal and ease serious illnesses, diseases, and fevers.

Psalms 50: For healing; to overcome fevers and other forms of sickness.

Psalms 51: For cleansing and removing sin, especially after acts of revenge.

Psalms 52: To end all manner of gossip and calumny by poison-tongued people.

Psalms 53: To protect from enemies whose names are known or unknown.

Psalms 54: To give protection by reversing works of evil and malice.

Psalms 55: To call upon the Lord to bring down retribution against attackers.

Psalms 56: For intercession by the Almighty to remove temptation and bad habits.

Psalms 57: To turn around one's luck, changing bad luck into good luck.

Psalms 58: For warding off snakes and wild beasts; to reverse evil unto enemies.

Psalms 59: To bring down the vengeance of the Lord against one's enemies.

Psalms 60: For the Lord to march into battle and protect His soldiers.

Psalms 61: For a new home to be fixed with good fortune, happiness, and peace.

Psalms 62: For forgiveness of sins and to gain the blessing of the Lord.

Psalms 63: To protect from being victimized by business partners and investors.

Psalms 64: For protection, especially while at sea, and for a safe return.

Psalms 65: For road opening that breaks through barriers and leads to success.

Psalms 66: To remove evil spirits; to heal those possessed; for wishes to come true.

Psalms 67: Against illness and fever; to free one imprisoned or bound; for protection.

Psalms 68: Recited while preparing baths that are used to exorcise evil spirits.

Psalms 69: To free one from slavery to addictions and unhealthy habits.

Psalms 70: To cast down and reverse the wickedness wrought by enemies.

Psalms 71: To release clients from prison, for acquittals in court cases.

Psalms 72: To craft talismans that bring favour; to bless children for success.

Psalms 73: To protect travellers against religious persecution in foreign lands.

Psalms 74: For an end to persecution and to destroy oppressors and persecutors.

Psalms 75: Used along with specially prepared baths for the cleansing of sins.

Psalms 76: For the Lord's intercession, to provide protection from all attacks.

Psalms 77: Used against danger, poverty, chronic illness, drought, and famine.

Psalms 78: To gain favors from kings, princes, and other government officials.

Psalms 79: To utterly destroy the wicked and also to cast fatal curses.

Psalms 80: To end spiritual doubts and to prevent people falling into unbelief.

Psalms 81: To save people from error and mistakes, for safety from accidents.

Psalms 82: To facilitate business deals and assist those making investments.

Psalms 83: To keep clients safe during times of war, persecution, and captivity.

Psalms 84: For healing, especially when the body has contracted unusual odors.

Psalms 85: To soften hearts and restore peace to friends who have become enemies.

Psalms 86: To bring goodness, spiritual peace, and happiness to the community.

Psalms 87: To cleanse the community before starting healing and blessing work.

Psalms 88: To remove evil and bring blessings; used with baths and talismans.

Psalms 89: To anoint the sick, to secure a release from prison, for psychic vision.

Psalms 90: Used with Psalms 91 for protection; also to bless the work of the hands.

Psalms 91: For protection from distress and harm; to exorcize evil spirits.

Psalms 92: Prayed over herbal baths used to bring good fortune and high honors.

Psalms 93: Against prosecution by unjust and oppressive men; to win in court.

Psalms 94: For protection and to turn all evil back onto your enemies.

Psalms 95: To cleanse sins; to pray for guidance and forgiveness for enemies.

Psalms 96: To bless a family and bring happiness, peace, and joy to them.

Psalms 97: Used with Psalms 96 for healing, blessing, and cleansing a family.

Psalms 98: To restore peace between two hostile families; to bless a home.

Psalms 99: For praise and devotion to God; to gain conversation with God.

Psalms 100: To bring victory against enemies by uplifting the client.

Psalms 101: For protection against enemies and to be rid of evil spirits.

Psalms 102: For assistance in matters of fertility and to be granted grace.

Psalms 103: For help in conceiving of a child and for the forgiveness of sins.

Psalms 104: To cleanse away evil; to bless natural curios and spiritual supplies.

Psalms 105: For healing illnesses, especially recurrent or periodic fevers.

Psalms 106: For healing and to restore one to health, especially from fevers.

Psalms 107: For remission or healing from periodic or recurrent fevers.

Psalms 108: Utilized in a spell for financial success in your place of business.

Psalms 109: Used in a powerful curse against oppressive, slanderous enemies.

Psalms 110: For victory; to cause enemies to bow before you and beg for mercy.

Psalms 111: Recited to acquire many friends, as well as respect, and admiration.

Psalms 112: To increase in might and power, for success, abundance, and blessings.

Psalms 113: Prayers and blessings for those in need; to stop infidelity and heresy.

Psalms 114: Used in a spell for success in matters of finance, business, and money.

Psalms 115: To foster truth-telling, for victory in debate over scoffers and mockers.

Psalms 116: Recited daily for protection from violent or sudden death or injury.

Psalms 117: For forgiveness of a failure to keep a vow or promise that you made.

Psalms 118: For protection against those who try to misguide or lead you astray.

Psalms 119: The longest Psalm, its 22 alphabetic divisions cover all human problems.

Psalms 120: For success in court and for protection against snakes and scorpions.

Psalms 121: For safety at night, both during sleep and while travelling in darkness.

Psalms 122: For peace within a city, and to gain the favour of those in high station.

Psalms 123: Employed in a spell to cause a servant, trainee, or employee to return.

Psalms 124: Cleansing of the soul, protection at sea and from being wronged.

Psalms 125: For protection in foreign lands and against those who work iniquity.

Psalms 126: After miscarriage or the death of a child; for the next child to live.

Psalms 127: Placed in a mojo for the protection and blessing of a newborn baby.

Psalms 128: For a fortunate, accident-free pregnancy; for uncomplicated childbirth.

Psalms 129: Recited daily to prepare one for a long life of virtue and good works.

Psalms 130: Recited to the four quarters when passing by sentries in a war zone.

Psalms 131: Recited three times a day to reduce one's sin of pride and scornfulness.

Psalms 132: To remediate one's unpunctuality and failure to perform duties on time.

Psalms 133: To retain the love and respect of friends and family, to gain more friends.

Psalms 134: For altar work in matters of higher education and for success in school.

Psalms 135: For repentance, spirituality, and rededication of one's life to God.

Psalms 136: Recited on behalf of those who wish to confess and be cleansed of sins.

Psalms 137: For cleansing of the heart and soul from hate, envy, evil, and vice.

Psalms 138: Recited daily to bring love and friendship from the Lord.

Psalms 139: To nurture and maintain love, especially within the context of marriage.

Psalms 140: To restore tranquility and to preserve and maintain relationships.

Psalms 141: To ward against terror and fear and against looming oppression.

Psalms 142: To heal the body, restore health, and alleviate pain and suffering.

Psalms 143: To heal bodily limbs, especially the arms and to alleviate pain.

Psalms 144: To speed up healing and to ensure the perfect mend of a broken arm.

Psalms 145: To cleanse and purify clients who are beset by ghosts or evil spirits.

Psalms 146: Used with altar work for healing and recovery after being wounded.

Psalms 147: For healing wounds and bites from snakes, insects, and other animals.

Psalms 148: Used with Psalms 149 to keep clients safe from accidents by fire.

Psalms 149: Used with altar work to protect against fire-related accidents.

Psalms 150: For the glory of the Lord and to give thanks for His intervention.

[agentoffangirling]

I think some Ward stans need to start learning how to separate real world Grant Ward and Framework Ward

Because yes, irl Grand Ward could've been a good person, he could've been a double agent but the other way around, he could've helped save the team, but the fact is that he didn't. Because all that is just a "could". All of that is just a "what if"

Framework Ward was designed to be exactly that. He was designed to be the opposite of the Ward we know, to be a genuine good person, because in the end, it was simply a scenario. It was just what we could've had

Framework Ward is not a replacement for the real Ward and he is not an excuse for the real Ward

[frederickwiddowson]

The Acts of the Apostles, the history of the early church, by Luke the physician - Acts 6:1-7 comments : choosing the seven, including Stephen

Acts 6:1 ¶  And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2  Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3  Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4  But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6  Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7  And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

 If Ananias and Sapphira weren’t enough to throw a monkey wrench into communism, then the murmuring and complaining of the Greek Christians against the Jews would. Their complaint was that their own widows were being neglected. Every church at some point, because it is composed of fallible human beings, although hopefully saved human beings, who will argue and whose self-centered egos will sow discord and there is often favoritism and cliques, the in-crowd, will have these problems. This can lead to people being neglected or perceiving that they are being neglected. If this is typical human behavior, even saved human behavior on this scale imagine how hopeless communism would be on a national scale.

 The twelve Apostles were already overworked and needed help and so they could focus on the ministry of the word they needed deacons to assist them with the care of the congregation. I am reminding of Moses and how he was in danger of being crushed by his responsibility. He took the advice of his father-in-law, Jethro, to keep from burning out.

 Exodus 18:13 ¶  And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. 14 And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? 15  And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: 16  When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. 17  And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. 18  Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. 19  Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: 20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21  Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22  And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. 23  If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. 24  So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. 25  And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. 27  And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

 Seven men are chosen to oversee service to the congregation in the way of physical needs. Most commentators report that these and those who follow after them were called deacons. There are later listed certain requirements and restrictions for deacons.

 1Timothy 3:8 ¶  Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9  Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10  And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11  Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12  Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13  For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

 Roman documents suggest that the early church had female deacons as well.

 Pliny the Younger was the governor Bithynia in what we know today as Turkey, geographically Asia Minor. He wrote a letter about Christians to the Emperor Trajan around 115AD. Here is the content of what we have today. Paul could not go to Bithynia but Peter may have gone there.

Acts 16:7  After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

1Peter 1:1  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Here is one translation from the Latin between the two men.

“Pliny the Younger to the Emperor Trajan

It is my practice, my lord, to refer to you all matters concerning which I am in doubt. For who can better give guidance to my hesitation or inform my ignorance? I have never participated in trials of Christians. I therefore do not know what offenses it is the practice to punish or investigate, and to what extent. And I have been not a little hesitant as to whether there should be any distinction on account of age or no difference between the very young and the more mature; whether pardon is to be granted for repentance, or, if a man has once been a Christian, it does him no good to have ceased to be one; whether the name itself, even without offenses, or only the offenses associated with the name are to be punished.

Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished. There were others possessed of the same folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be transferred to Rome.

Soon accusations spread, as usually happens, because of the proceedings going on, and several incidents occurred. An anonymous document was published containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ--none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do--these I thought should be discharged. Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They all worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ.

They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food--but ordinary and innocent food. Even this, they affirmed, they had ceased to do after my edict by which, in accordance with your instructions, I had forbidden political associations. Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition.

I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you. For the matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of the number involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of both sexes are and will be endangered. For the contagion of this superstition has spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and farms. But it seems possible to check and cure it. It is certainly quite clear that the temples, which had been almost deserted, have begun to be frequented, that the established religious rites, long neglected, are being resumed, and that from everywhere sacrificial animals are coming, for which until now very few purchasers could be found. Hence it is easy to imagine what a multitude of people can be reformed if an opportunity for repentance is afforded.

Trajan to Pliny the Younger

You observed proper procedure, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those who had been denounced to you as Christians. For it is not possible to lay down any general rule to serve as a kind of fixed standard. They are not to be sought out; if they are denounced and proved guilty, they are to be punished, with this reservation, that whoever denies that he is a Christian and really proves it--that is, by worshiping our gods--even though he was under suspicion in the past, shall obtain pardon through repentance. But anonymously posted accusations ought to have no place in any prosecution. For this is both a dangerous kind of precedent and out of keeping with the spirit of our age.”(1)

(1)   http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/pliny.html. (accessed 3.28.2018).

  Female deacons were also present in the early Baptist churches of the seventeenth century.(2)

 (2)   McBeth, H. Leon. The Baptist Heritage (Kindle Location 780). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

 Laying hands on someone to confer a blessing or authority was established a long time prior to this.

 Deuteronomy 34:9 ¶  And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.

 Notice how what was in the beginning thought to be merely a sect of Judaism was cutting into the company of the priests.

[discoursecatharsis]

i'm a bit out of the loop, everyone says how shitty of a human onision is there like a full list/explanation of all his crimes/shitty behavior? i already know he had a relationship with a minor so yikes

Ooh boy, it’s A Lot. He’s had a relationship with at least two minors, actually.

This person did a timeline of his abusive behavior, there’s a google doc linked in this tweet.

https://twitter.com/OnionUnprivated/status/1185209032648396800

The doc is over 100 pages though, so I’ll try to summarize as well to make it a bit shorter (though it’s still gonna be long so it’s going under a “read more”).

The tl;dr:

Basically he treated his first wife like crap, and was very creepy towards his wife’s younger sister. Divorced his wife for a 17 year old when he was ~25. Dated another women in her 20s during a break-up with this 17 year old but she caught onto his manipulative behavior quickly and dumped him after 3 weeks. He got back with the 17 (now 18) year old but they break up for good a little later. Soon after, he enters a relationship with ANOTHER 17-year-old (his current spouse, named Kai). Kai identified as a woman at the time and went by the name Lainey, but now is a transguy and goes by he/him pronouns. When Onision is 31 and Kai is 22, they enter a polyamorous relationship with an 18 year old girl.They treat her like crap, and she eventually breaks up with them. There were other girls (in their late-teens or early 20s) who came close to being in a relationship with them after that. During this time, Kai had a 16 year old “friend” who lived with them, Kai had power of attorney over her because she didn’t have a good home life. That girl has recently come forward with allegations that Greg and Kai began a sexual relationship with her shortly after she turned 18 last year, and that Kai was inappropriate with her while she was still underage. Basically they groomed her to be a third person in their relationship. Other Youtubers have come to support her and bring awareness to it to get Onision off of Youtube, some of Onision’s ex’s have come out of the woodwork with their stories, and even Chris Hansen has gotten involved.

Now onto the full list of his shitty behavior.

cw: descriptions of abusive behavior, including sexual abuse

Let’s start with his first wife, Skye:

They met in high school. I believe they’re either the same age or he’s a year older. They got married shortly after they graduated high school because he was in the military.

Onision (whose real name is Greg) left the military and started Youtube and Skye joined him in making videos together.

During their marriage, Skye said that Greg would shame her for not wearing shorts under her skirt, said that would lead to her being raped. He also insulted her for having long hair (said it made her look “Amish”). She also said that he wouldn’t let her hang out with friends or family because that’s less time/attention she’s spending with/giving him. That THEY were abusive for taking her away from her husband. He also had possession of the one phone in the house, so she shouldn’t call her family easily. He wouldn’t allow her to have a full-time job because he wanted her help making videos for the Youtube channel.

A few years into their marriage, Greg started talking to a 16 year old fan name Shiloh. They became friends and talked on Skype for hours a day. Skye begins to feel depressed.

One day out of the blue, Greg presented divorce papers to Skye and said he was leaving her for Shiloh. She was in tears, obviously upset,and he made her sign some “divorce contract.”

Skye eventually is able to visit her family, where she immediately breaks down and tells them what happened. Her sister helps her collect her things from Greg’s home. The “divorce contract” she signed was later thrown out in court because it was signed under duress.

After they divorce, Skye rightfully demands alimony. The courts grant her this. For YEARS after though, Greg emails her, complaining and begging her to bring a stop to the payments. He even threatens to take his life at one point. She ignores him and he continued paying (though with complaints and accusing her of being equivalent to a slave owner and a lot of other dumb crap).

While that was going on, there were also some incidents with Skye’s younger sister, Alicia.

Alicia alleges that when she was 15 and Greg was 18, she got drunk and Greg tried to kiss her. She dodged him and walked away to a friend. For years though, Greg had told a story in videos that she tired to kiss HIM and he acted like he was so noble for dodging HER kiss.

After divorcing Skye, Greg emailed Alicia constantly asking her to film videos together. Very clearly coming onto her though and wanting to hook up. He got so bad, she eventually lied to him and told him she was leaving the country so that he’d leave her alone and stop messaging her.

She had taken some boudoir (nude) photos that Onision searched out and found online. He saved them to his computer and showed these photos to at least two future girlfriends and admitted to pleasuring himself to the photos. Alicia was understandably creeped out by this when she found out.

Now back to that 16-year-old, Shiloh

She’s 17 at this point. Onision is about 25. She thought she had just been speaking to Onision as friends, so she was blindsided when he showed her divorce papers over Skype and said “I’m leaving my wife for you.”

She’s from Canada and was a pretty successful up-and-coming pop star up there at the time. She’s in the states for a show or something, and he drives to meet her. He goes to her hotel and they immediately have sex, she said that he didn’t even give her time to say “hey how was your trip?”

They enter a relationship quickly. There’s a lot that happens, as Shiloh has recently reappeared online and given her side of events. Basically, like Skye, he also isolated her from family and friends. Made her drop her singing career to help with his Youtube channel.

She said that Greg is very sexual and they would be intimate a lot. She said they’d have sex multiple times a day and that he’s very rough. He would hurt her during these times, and since this was her first sexual relationship, she didn’t realize that it wasn’t normal, and apparently he never checked in on her or never asked her if she was okay with the things they did. One time during sex, he stopped, took her to the bathroom and shaved her head without her consent, called her some degrading names, and then continued. She found this very humiliating and de-feminizing.

She has a seizure one day and loses a bit of her memory. She’s frightened and doesn’t know where she is. Instead of calling 911 for an ambulance, Onision films it and uploads it to his channel.

She has another breakdown at some point and ends up in the mental ward of a hospital. He doesn’t come to get her, her mom does. She went back to him for some reason.

She gets pregnant and suffers a miscarriage. The fetus never passed though, and she gets sepsis a few weeks later. Greg never cared, straight-up told her that he wasn’t going to pay for the medical bills. She goes home to Canada to get medical treatment, and her mom takes her passport to prevent her from going back to him.

She’s bullied online by Onision’s fans and disappears from the internet for years afterwards. She’s only recently begun to have a singing career again.

Next is a woman named Adrienne:

First, she wrote a letter about everything she went through if you want to read it, it’s a doozy but I’ll summarize it in bullet points cause it’s long. https://onisiondrama.tumblr.com/letter

This relationship happened during/in-between one of Greg’s break-ups with Shiloh.

Adrienne is in her 20s, closer to Greg’s age, maybe just a year younger. Also a fan of his that starts talking to him. He expresses interests in her and they start dating.

Long story short, Adrienne eventually realizes that Greg is crazy obsessive. He gets annoyed if she doesn’t answer his Skype calls or if she hangs out with friends too much.

She agrees to meet him in person anyway. He flies down to her state, and again just like with Shiloh, immediately initiates sex as soon as they get into the hotel room. There are questions of if he forced himself on her, because she said “no, no, no” but he continued. He even came in her when she said not too, and bought her plan B the next day.

He was very adamant about her moving in with him. He pressured her into quitting her job and re-homing her pets, which she was hesitant about. She agrees though and moves in with him.

Moves in very briefly though, as he throws a tantrum because she wasn’t paying attention to him or something. She catches on to his controlling behavior and leaves and breaks up with him for good.

He goes onto his Youtube channel and slanders her, and also leaves like 13 voice mails on her phone while she was at work.

All of this happened in the span of like 3 weeks, mind you.

Many believe the reason this relationship was so short-lived is because, with Adrienne being older, she didn’t fall for his abusive, manipulative tactics as easily and had more knowledge and confidence to leave him before things got bad. Notice this is the only relationship Greg enters where the partner is NOT in their teens at the start.

Next up is Laineybot/Kai, also now his accomplice in these crimes. Just this year, Kai came out of trans and uses he/him pronouns now. But when Kai first entered the picture, he went by the name Lainey (with the Youtube channel/name Laineybot) with she/her pronouns. During his transition, he also identified as nonbinary at one point and went by they/them pronouns. So excuse me if I make any mistakes and accidentally misgender at times when referring to Kai in past incidents.

Onision started talking to and dating Kai when he was 17. Like his other relationships, Kai was a fan of his. Kai’s family didn’t approve of their relationship.

Kai graduated high school and his parents sent him to college to live in a dorm… or so they thought. Kai went behind their backs and moved in with Greg (who had moved down to Kai’s state).

Shortly after Kai turned 18, they got married in court. Kai moved up to Greg’s state with him.

Kai got pregnant very soon after. They have two kids now. With the second pregnancy, Kai said that Greg wasn’t very enthusiastic and I believe Kai drove himself to the hospital when he was in labor. Some husband Greg is.

Greg also would get into frequent fights on Twitter with Kai. Example: Kai once made a tweet talking about a fun memory he had with his mom. Greg jumped in to say “your mom also did (bad thing) to you.” Kai told him to stop and he didn’t. In the public eye on twitter, so damn childish to shame your spouse’s parents and not stop when asked.

Kai is also complicit in grooming allegations that I haven’t gotten to yet. So Kai is just as bad if not worse than Greg, but also a victim of his too too. I personally believe he wouldn’t be like this if he had never met Greg. It’s too late now though.

Next in line is Billie. When Kai was still trying to figure out his identity and was switching between identifying as a woman and non-binary (and still going by Lainey at this time), Kai expressed wanting a girlfriend, which Greg supported. In comes a girl named Billie.

Billie is a newly 18-year-old Instagram model. Onision is 31 at this point and Kai is 22.

Basically Billie started as a girlfriend for Kai, but Greg weaseled his way into their relationship.

It was really gross how Greg would talk about how “beautiful” it was for “two women to make love” too (keep in mind, Kai’s experiencing dysphoria and has doubts about identifying as a women at this point, so I’m sure that’s nice to hear from your husband /s). He has this clear obsession with threesomes and polyamorous relationships, specifically f/m/f. It’s obvious that the dude just wants a harem of attractive women at his beck-and-call and doesn’t really care about his spouse exploring their sexuality.

Lots of ups and downs with Billie. Basically I think they had an agreement that they would only do intimate things together with all 3 of them. But at one point Kai leaves to run errands or visit family or something and Greg and Billie sleep together. Kai is furious but blames Billie instead of, y’know, his husband, as if it doesn’t take two to tango.

They blamed Billie a lot for being a homewrecker. Never blamed the much older responsible adult Greg, no, they blame the 18 year old.

Greg almost leaves Kai for Billie. Kai is pregnant with their 2nd kid at this point, and Greg literally almost signs over his kids to leave Kai for an 18 year old. Billie had enough though and left for good.

Billie smoked weed and Greg didn’t like that and shamed her for it. Apparently Billie smoking weed betrayed Greg and Kai’s trust, and Greg wanted Billie to be punished for it by… being tied up in his basement (”because it’d be hot” he said), shaving her head, and getting a tattoo as an “apology.” She declined and he shamed her for it.

Another reason Billie left them is because Greg wouldn’t allow her to see her family when she wanted. Greg tried to justify this by saying “Lainey only sees her family twice a year.” Another example of how isolating he is.

After breaking up for good, Billie called Greg “the worst person I’ve ever met,” Greg went on twitter and revealed very personal information about Billie, something an ex did to her. Billie was distraught as you can imagine, that her personal info was made public for all of twitter.

Next is Sarah. Sarah is the victim of the grooming accusations. She’s the person who first came out with all this a couple months ago and got the ball rolling.

Sarah was 14 when she started talking to Kai (who was going Lainey at the time). Just a fan who reached out and they became friends.

Sarah didn’t have a good home life, and expressed this to Kai. Kai invited Sarah to live with him and Greg. She accepted the invited and Sarah moved in with them. Her mom signed over “power of attorney” to Kai (so that Kai could take her to a doctor and stuff). Sarah was 16 at this time.

Sarah was around during the relationship with Billie, just to help with the timeline.

Outwardly Sarah appeared to just be friends with Greg and Kai, but recently she revealed things were not on Just Friend levels.

Sarah alleges that she and Kai would cuddle in bed together. Kai also spoke to Sarah sexually too, like telling her about how Greg was like in bed. As a 22-year-old, you do NOT discuss that stuff with your 16-year-old friend, that’s so inappropriate.

The biggest allegation: while she was still underage, Sarah and Kai  exchanged nudes. THIS is where the possible criminal charges come in, because Kai very well could go to jail for possession of child porn.

Greg was always cruel to Sarah when she was 16/17. It’s clear in videos when they had outings to like a trampoline/gymnastics place that he would bully her. He says that he treats teenagers badly so that they “won’t like him like that” but it’s really freakin’ weird. As an adult, you should be able to interact with teens WITHOUT bullying them “so they don’t fall in love with you” (? or something) wtf?? If a teen expresses interest in you, you shut that down, it’s not that hard, you don’t have to bully them and make them hate you.

When things were going south with Billie, Sarah said that at one point Greg said to Kai “why don’t we just wait for Sarah (to turn 18)?”

Sarah says that after she turned 18, they did start being sexual with her. Onision is 33 and Kai is 24 at that point. The three of them were watching a movie one night, when Sarah looked over and saw Greg and Kai having sex. Greg asked Sarah to join them, and she did because she felt pressured. 

They continued being sexual with her. She and Greg were intimate together, just the two of them at one point when Kai was out of town.

Sarah released a screenshot of a conversation between Greg and Kai where they were arguing over Sarah’s virginity (it’s so gross ugh)

The allegations first came out much earlier this year, from a friend of Billie’s who witnessed Sarah’s interactions in the home and felt something wasn’t right. Greg forced Sarah to release a video statement saying that the allegations were bogus and that Kai is innocent. That was back in like January or February. Recently Sarah released a “blooper” of her filming that statement where she was crying and saying she hated that she had to do this as more evidence that she was forced, along with texts of Greg instructing her on what to say.

Sarah hasn’t released much more details than that, but it’s clear that they groomed her so that they could engage in a sexual relationship with her as soon as they were legally able too.

And that only covers the major people in Onision’s life. There were other teenagers  also. To put it shortly, there were girls who were mainly texting Kai, almost like Kai was luring them in as “candidates” to be the 3rd person in their relationship. Lots of teenagers (mostly 17-19 year olds, maybe one 20 year old) that Kai more-or-less led on into being a relationship with just him, only for the teens to be blindsided with “btw, Greg gets in on the relationship too.” And Greg did indeed worm his way in, either through DMs or physically. Very skeevy. One of these people named Regina also exchanged nudes with Kai when they were underage. I believe they’re pursuing legal charges for that. Sarah said there are other girls who were never made public also. Greg may not be able to be charged with any crimes here, as he’s always very careful to skirt the law.

Outside of relationship troubles, he’s just a shitty, greedy person.

He treats his pets badly. A former friend took his guinea pigs because he wasn’t taking proper care of them. They get new dogs as if they’re fashion accessories.

Apparently he’s an awful father too and Kai does most of the parenting. People in their life have said that Greg doesn’t even talk to his youngest kid because she can’t speak back to him… she’s freakin’ TWO. She’s a toddler, ofc she can’t talk, how do you expect them to learn to talk if you don’t talk to them?

He’s very money-hungry. Youtube’s adpocalypse really did a number on them, but they were living WAY above their means. Had this mansion of a house, a second house that he used for filming, two teslas, and lots of expensive crap. They had to “downgrade” to a slightly smaller mansion and self the second house and sell the teslas (he recently bought another one though). During this time, he basically guilt-tripped his audience for not giving him money, said that fans who didn’t pledge to his Patreon weren’t “true fans.”

Dude is a really shitty person all around. He’s had this coming and I really hope this is finally his downfall. I first heard of him during the Shiloh incident and a little into his marriage to Kai, then he dropped off my radar until the Billie incident and I was like “how is this guy still around and still allowed to treat people like this?!” and have been following this train wreck ever since.

[scotianostra]

Burlesque Lament For The Absence Of William Creech, Publisher.

An add on to my post about Willoiam Creech below., written when Creech left to spend some time in London.......

If you’re struggling with some of the words click on them for a glossary.

Auld chuckie Reekie's^1 sair distrest, Down droops her ance weel burnish'd crest, Nae joy her bonie buskit nest Can yield ava, Her darling bird that she lo'es best- Willie's awa! O Willie was a witty wight, And had o' things an unco' sleight, Auld Reekie aye he keepit tight, And trig an' braw: But now they'll busk her like a fright, - Willie's awa! The stiffest o' them a' he bow'd, The bauldest o' them a' he cow'd; They durst nae mair than he allow'd, That was a law: We've lost a birkie weel worth gowd; Willie's awa! Now gawkies, tawpies, gowks and fools, Frae colleges and boarding schools, May sprout like simmer puddock-stools In glen or shaw; He wha could brush them down to mools- Willie's awa! The brethren o' the Commerce-chaumer May mourn their loss wi' doolfu' clamour; He was a dictionar and grammar Among them a'; I fear they'll now mak mony a stammer; Willie's awa! Nae mair we see his levee door Philosophers and poets pour, And toothy critics by the score, In bloody raw! The adjutant o' a' the core- Willie's awa! Now worthy Gregory's Latin face, Tytler's and Greenfield's modest grace; Mackenzie, Stewart, such a brace As Rome ne'er saw; They a' maun meet some ither place, Willie's awa! Poor Burns ev'n Scotch Drink canna quicken, He cheeps like some bewilder'd chicken Scar'd frae it's minnie and the cleckin, By hoodie-craw; Grieg's gien his heart an unco kickin, Willie's awa! Now ev'ry sour-mou'd girnin blellum, And Calvin's folk, are fit to fell him; Ilk self-conceited critic skellum His quill may draw; He wha could brawlie ward their bellum- Willie's awa! Up wimpling stately Tweed I've sped, And Eden scenes on crystal Jed, And Ettrick banks, now roaring red, While tempests blaw; But every joy and pleasure's fled, Willie's awa! May I be Slander's common speech; A text for Infamy to preach; And lastly, streekit out to bleach In winter snaw; When I forget thee, Willie Creech, Tho' far awa! May never wicked Fortune touzle him! May never wicked men bamboozle him! Until a pow as auld's Methusalem He canty claw! Then to the blessed new Jerusalem, Fleet wing awa! Note To Mr. Renton Of Lamerton Your billet, Sir, I grant receipt; Wi' you I'll canter ony gate, Tho' 'twere a trip to yon blue warl', Whare birkies march on burning marl: Then, Sir, God willing, I'll attend ye, And to his goodness I commend ye. R. Burns

[ofcloudsandstars]

Happy Sunday! Here's the forecast for this week! 

June 9th - 15th

It’s going to be an intense week that will force us to examine ourselves, our past actions and form new ways to break through obstacles that will grant us a new sense of freedom for the full moon that’s to come next week in Sagittarius!

June 09

Moon transits Virgo The mood of today will make us gravitate towards practical activities. In an urge to set things right we might find ourselves re-organizing and rethinking plans. Emotional satisfaction will come from solving problems, making order out of confusion and helping others. Health matters might come into focus. We might fixate on ironing out troubling matters so that we can feel more confident moving ahead. This moon favors the following activities: Mental pursuits, work activities, services and routines.

Sun (Gemini) square Neptune (Pisces) This is a great time to be a recluse and not do work at all (imagine if that were possible for all of us haha). Enjoy this Sunday by engaging in art and fueling your escapist desires into writing, drawing, running away into the woods and not returning etc. This transit might may you feel inclined to escape through substance abuse or media binging but to avoid any consequences the future might bring, try to release that energy through healthier outlets. This will not be a day that you'd be inclined to get work done. You will feel more stressed out by completing tasks than usual and worse other people  might cause some additional obstacles. It might be normal to feel insecure, guilty and apologetic which some worst people might take advantage of so it's best to avoid any important decision making on this day. Especially with Neptune's transit you might tend to see the best in people and this can lead to a chance of becoming disillusioned or if dealing with a particularly manipulative person they can easily deceive you. Over idealization and gullibility can lead to slander or loss. It's important to stand your ground on this day.

Magical Activites: Meditation, vision boards, divination

June 10

Sun (Gemini) opposite Jupiter RX (Sagittarius) This transit brings opportunities for success, good fortune and happiness. A lot may fall into place without too much effort making you feel like you have a lucky streak. Be careful to take it all for granted because this transit can also result in overindulgence which can lead to loss. Especially with Jupiter in retrograde forcing us to expand within this transit may make us examine our own behavior and motives giving the opportunity for personal and spiritual growth. Use this energy wisely to focus on completing tasks that need to be ironed out (with the energetic influence of the moon transiting virgo). The remainder of this week might bring challenges and obstacles but this transit can be a helpful boost in laying the right things into place. 

First Quarter

Moon conjunct Eros in Virgo The mood will be a longing for erotic intimacy that can bring emotional fulfillment. This conjunct can bring emotive passion and plans to conjure an appropriate hook up in your life. This can also bring light to hidden longing desires or bring about intense passionate feelings which can heighten insecurities or feelings of possessiveness. Eros in virgo is a position where we can express our passions or sexual nature through a giving side. We may have the desire to give ourselves to someone and find a reward through our services satisfying them.

Magic Activities: Road opening, attraction magic, sex magic

June 11

Moon Transits Libra Creating order is the focus, not necessarily through tidying or organizing as was the case with the moon's previous journey through Virgo but rather through pleasing interactions with others and our environment. We tend to solve problems through diplomacy and we are more able to put aside our own emotions in order to achieve the peace we crave. The tendency now is to avoid direct confrontations and decisions will not come easily. Seeing both sides to any situation will be the reason for hesitation. With previous transits making it easy to side with others despite their intentions being harmonious towards you, use this mood to find a diplomatic ground with them to establish peace instead of giving into their wishes which might not be best for you. Remember to set boundaries. This moon favors the following activites: relationship and partnership issues, activities involving teamwork and cooperation and activities related to beauty.

Magic Activities: Energetic Sheilding, Warding, Sound healing/balancing

June 12

Moon grows into a Waxing Gibbous, energy begins to heighten

Magical Activites: charging magical tools

June 13

Moon transits Scorpio The mood of this moon will bring intensity. As the energy of the moon heightens into its full moon position, Scorpio will exaggerate the climax. Whether its passion, elation, sorrow or desire, emotions are felt on a deeply personal level. We are motivated by the desire to get to the bottom of things and we instinctively read between the lines. This moon will urge us to uncover our own power. Its a great time to rid ourselves of old fears and limiting habits. It can be an intimate and passionate time. Avoid manipulative tactics and unnecessary suspicions. This moon favors the following activities: intimacy issues, psychological examinations, research and shedding away old things.

Magical Activities: Shadow work, divination, sex magic (orgasmic release/manifestation)

June 14

Mars (Cancer) trine Neptune (Pisces) This transit stimulates your sensuality and creativity. It also will make it an ideal time for passionate romances as attractions might feel strongly magnetic with a sultry charm. Sexual encounters would be compassionate, tender and spiritual in nature. If you are seeking love you are more likely to attract a less aggressive more spiritually inclined partner. You will be more in touch with the subtle vibrational energies that influence our lives and this energy can motivate you to express your creativity through the physical arts such as dance, music or sculpture. You will also have the energy to draw on strong spiritual courage and fighting spirit to defend yourself and loved ones. You can win battles now but more through acts of kindness than being on the offense. This transit will also bring out the desire and good karma for someone wanting to become actively involved in charitable organizations since your desire to help others will be based on strong moral and ethical convictions.

Mars (Cancer) opposite Saturn (Capricorn) This transit might bring frustration disappointment and anger. The frustration might be due to others standing in your way whereas disappointment will come from unfulfilled desires. With the previous transit mentioned this frustration can be focused on the lack of justice towards your needs or the needs of loved ones or human/animal/environmental rights. Even if you lack obstacles this could bring out the situation that you are your own worst enemy. Since this is a slow energy transit this can make your energy feel low and powerless. Don't feel upset if you feel unsuccessful, this transit will force you to face your battles with long term endurance. "This is a marathon not a sprint". Endurance is rewarded here. Any aggressive confrontations can be very painful and bring out bitterness in you. If someone is an obstacle towards you they might lash out today. You might find it hard to express your own anger but you need to find a healthy outlet so that it won’t build up within you. 

Magical Activities: Attraction Magic (for more spiritual minded friends, a sensual lover), creating charms especially with the intention for defense/protection. Journaling to relieve stress, protection for yourself or loved ones. 

June 15

Moon transits Sagittarius The mood here is optimism and joy. We are motivated by a need to seek the truth and are ready to pursue a new vision. We are not interested in details at the moment yet the bigger pictures. New experiences and adventures will satisfy a deep emotional need. Spontaneity is the key! New adventures, travel, higher education and sharing knowledge or publishing a product will be favored with this transit.

Magical Activities: dream oracling, nature walks, journaling for expressing spiritual insight and self examination

I wish you all the best week!

[agents-of-frickle-frackle]

if grant ward is the Dog Dude™ does that mean that all puppers are hydra

puppers are pure beams of light and could never ever be turned to the dark side please don’t try to slander the name of puppers