#its the river power i tell ya

[msunitedstatesjames]

Frances Hardinge is a criminally underrated author. If you've never heard of her, I'm not surprised. Even though I'm in several fantasy book groups on Facebook with thousands of members, I've only ever seen one or two other members post about her. And yet, since I first read one of her books in 2020, I've bought every book she's published and read most of them.

Frances Hardinge, for those who've missed out, writes fantasy young adult books. Her books are extremely well written, romance free, unfailingly unique, and somewhat dark, all of which are qualities I find to be more and more rare in today's YA fantasy market (not to hate on YA, I've read tons of it). If you need a comparison, I would say aspects of her books remind me of YA/middle grade books by T. Kingfisher or Neil Gaiman.

If I haven't convinced you yet, here's a little preview of some of her books that I've read:

A Face Like Glass (my personal favorite): A girl named Neverfell lives in a world where people have to be taught how to show emotion in their facial expressions. She has to wear a mask at all times because, mysteriously, she naturally shows facial expressions and if people found out they would freak. If that's not unique enough, this society is underground and produces magical artisinal goods, such as cheeses, wines, and perfumes that can do some wild things. If that still hasn't convinced you, the book critiques the privelege of the wealthy, as in this world only the rich can afford to hire Facesmiths to teach them expression, while the poor languish along with one or two facial expressions for their entire lives.

Fly by Night and Fly Trap (these might have different titles depending on where you are in the world): In a world where reading is illegal and seen as revolutionary activity, Mosca Mye escapes her awful life with her aunt and uncle by forcing an infamous conman (Eponymous Clent, this world has cool naming conventions) to take her under his wing. Joining them is Mosca's only friend, Saracen, the murderous goose. Yeah, you read that right. Highlights of the series include a heartwarming found family tale, an accidental revolution, a city that literally changes its population, personality, and shape when day changes to night, and, of course, an extremely violent goose. I mean, if you've read Pratchett, Saracen the goose is basically the Luggage. There's more than one scene in these books where all hope seems lost, and Mosca is like, "I guess it's up to you now Saracen," and she just straight up lobs her goose at the enemy and he utterly wrecks their shit. If I recall correctly, this happens once during a pitched river boat battle over an illegal printing press.

The Lie Tree: Faith's father, who refused to recognize her potential as a scientist, mysteriously dies. Faith discovers a tree he kept hidden that grows when you tell lies and reveals secrets in its fruit. The bigger the lie you tell the world, the bigger the secret that will be revealed. You can imagine the chaos that eventually ensues. This book critiques gender roles and discrimination, and tackles both the dangers and the necessity of telling lies.

Cuckoo Song: When Triss wakes up after apparently falling in a lake, everything seems wrong. She's missing memories, she has an insatiable hunger, dead leaves are mysteriously appearing in her room, and her sister claims she's a monster. Triss must piece together what's happening to her before it's too late. This book deals with the complexities of life with overbearing parents, siblings who've been pitted against one another, and families that have been torn apart by tragedy.

Verdigris Deep (another one that goes by different titles): A group of friends are cursed by a well witch after they take some coins from her well. She forces them to work for her by granting her wishes. Working with the witch gives them powers, but the wishes are getting increasingly complex. Does that guy really want a motorcycle or does he want to be someone else? And if he wants to be someone else, does that mean what he really wants is not to exist at all? This book deals with issues of self worth, power and control, and toxic friendships.

She has a bunch of other great books as well. So if you're looking for a unique fantasy story with adventure and no romance, definitely check some of Frances Hardinge's books out!

[invis-o-william]

Day 7: Mind Control

With a start, Tucker woke up, the memory of sand and pyramids fresh in his mind. After looking around his darkened room for a moment, he sighed and settled back into his pillow.

Ever since his encounter with the staff of Duul Aman, he kept having odd dreams. Of Egypt, ancient temples, and strange foreign words he could almost decipher but kept escaping his grasp.

Turning, Tucker looked at his bedside clock. It was 3:35 A.M. and there was no way he would be able to fall asleep again after his dream. He knew from experience that if he did the dreams would only grow in intensity. So instead he flicked on the light and grabbed his PDA from its stand.

He opened its journal app, and after tapping for a new entry began typing out what he could remember from his dream. It wasn’t much this time; a river boat on the Nile, an image of the Great Pyramids, and a few odd hieroglyphs, but nevertheless he recorded all he could. The journal was full of these dream entries. Sometimes Tucker could manage to decipher the hieroglyphs he saw in his dreams, but most of the time there were too few to gain any real meaning from them.

From what he could learn though, most of them were from spells. Spells reserved for only the highest priests to perform, often in secret. Spells that Tucker couldn’t help but wonder if he could use. He had used ancient Egyptian magic before hadn’t he? While it had been when his mind was in the grips of Duul Aman, it was still his body, his abilities. But he was still nervous to try. To do so would mean using the staff, letting its power course through him again, and Tucker wasn’t sure he could handle it.

He had long accepted that he was somehow the reincarnation of Duul Aman, living once more in the modern age. While that was true though, he also wasn’t Duul Aman anymore. He wasn’t a tyrant bent on power and immortality through any means, and he valued his family and friends more than anything else. What bothered him though was that version of himself still existed, at least within the staff.

Whenever he held it, it was hard not to lose his mind to the power that it contained. The staff would so easily overtake him and make him into the man he didn’t ever want to be that he was nervous to go near it.

If these dreams kept up though, he might just have to try. They were growing in frequency and intensity and Tucker desperately wanted to understand what they meant. Mulling it over in his mind, he sent a text out in his group chat with Danny and Sam which was appropriately titled “Boo Buddies” before beginning his research on the hieroglyphs from this night's dream.

. . .

The next morning at school he ran into Sam first, which was typical. Danny usually either ran into a minor ghost on the way to school, or was otherwise held up by his parents’ insane inventions.

“What did you mean by past life dreams Tuck? And in the middle of the night?” she asked straight to the point. Tucker sighed, he had been hoping she would at least wait for Danny to get there.

“Well, it's Duul Aman. Ever since the whole staff thing I keep getting dreams about him, and I want to try something." He kept his wording intentionally vague, half worried about her response and half worried about getting to class on time. “I’ll tell both you guys more about it at lunch, we should get to class.”

Sam narrowed her eyes at him, but followed to homeroom regardless as she saw Danny rounding the corner.

. . .

“You want to try what?!” Danny’s yell was swallowed by the cacophony of sound produced by the cafeteria.

“Keep it down will ya?” Tucker hushed him, “It’s not that big of a deal!”

Danny ran a hand through his hair, “Not a big deal? Tucker we’re talking about messing with Duul Aman’s powers. You know, the guy who kinda turned you into a megalomaniac for a bit? I’d say that’s pretty big.”

Sam shrugged, “I don’t know, I think it might be worth a shot.”

Tucker huffed a laugh. Of course, leave it to the goth to be interested in spells.

“But what if he takes over Tucker’s mind again and goes all Pharaoh-ey!” Danny said, waving his hand in a mimicry of Tucker using the staff.

“That’s why you guys will be staying with me.” Tucker swallowed, “Just in case I can’t fight it off, I want you guys to knock me out before I start going nuts.”

Danny looked at Sam for help, but she shut him down.

“You know if we don’t help he’ll just end up trying it by himself.” she said, and Danny couldn’t help but agree that she had a point there.

“Fine,” he sighed, “but I still think this is a bad idea.”

. . .

They met that night in Jackson Park by the treeline, Sam and Tucker on foot and Danny in ghost form with the staff. Ever since the Duul Aman incident he had kept it stored in the Ghost Zone with Pandora since she seemed the type to know how to care for ancient cursed artifacts.

“Ok,” said Tucker, rubbing his hands together nervously. “Did you bring a book Sam?”

Sam replied by pulling out a black leather-bound journal from her coat.

“Good, good. Ok so now I just need…the staff.” he looked hesitantly at the scarab topped staff in Danny’s hand.

“Uh, what spells exactly are you going to try? Just in case something goes wrong.” Danny asked, well aware of how the staff thrummed with power when Tucker looked at it.

“Right, um well, first I’m going to try a book protection spell that I found. I figure that should be pretty safe. And then, uh, there’s this one spell that’s for ‘opening up the west’. I think that one is to make a temporary portal to the afterlife, so like, it'll lead to the Ghost Zone? At least that’s if I read everything right.” Tucker’s nerves were really starting to get to him, but he had to try to do this and see if he was right. See if he could actually do it.

“I figure if I can make a portal then I could use it to help you when you’re fighting ghosts?” he asked.

Danny considered this for a moment. “The first one, yeah I can understand. The Ghost Zone though? I don’t know, there’s a lot of things that could go wrong there.”

“Which is why you’re here just in case!” Tucker said with as confident a smile he could muster. “Just, let’s try the first one and go from there.” he reached his hand out for the staff which Danny reluctantly handed over.

As soon as it was in his hand Tucker felt a wave of energy wash over him. That was okay though, he was prepared for it this time. Pushing back mentally against the power he cleared his mind and reached for his PDA. “See, I’m alright. Now Sam, we should probably have the book on the ground. Just in case.”

Sam nodded, “Right. Be careful with it, that’s my favorite copy of Dracula.” and laid the book carefully on the grass.

Tucker breathed deeply, feeling the staff’s power flow through him, pulled up the ancient text from his phone, and began reciting the words.

As he read, Danny and Sam exchanged a look. Tucker’s eyes had begun to glow golden but neither wanted to break his concentration by noting it aloud. Soon though that disappeared as he finished the incantation.

“Ok then,” Tucker said shakily, “that was manageable. Also, I think it worked. Danny, you should try and open it.”

Danny nodded and bent down to pick up the book. It seemed normal to him, however when he went to open it the thing felt like it had been glued shut. Raising his eyebrows he handed it over to Sam who was able to easily open the cover.

Tucker smiled, “Cool right, now only Sam should be able to actually open it!”

Danny had to agree that it was pretty impressive, and something he might think about using for his journal of ghost attacks as well. While he had hidden it in his wall for safekeeping from his parents he still wanted some extra security, just in case.

“Do you think you’re okay to try the next one? It’s okay if you need a break.” Sam said, both awe and concern evident in her voice.

Tucker thought about it for a moment. While it was exhausting trying to hold the power back from overwhelming him, he also couldn’t resist seeing what else he could do with this power. “I’m going to give the portal a try.” he said, and before Danny could protest he began the incantation.

Danny was more apprehensive about this spell. The book one was cool and pretty useful, but conjuring a portal to the Ghost Zone? That seemed like a huge leap forward for Tucker. But he wanted to be a good friend and trust in his abilities, so he watched as his friend started the next spell.

Tucker felt confident. He could do this, the first spell was a success and he was sure this one would be as well. As he spoke the ancient words he felt the power emanating from the staff increase, and as it washed over him he felt his mind slip to the power of Duul Aman.

Well, at least he had his friends there to stop him from creating another sphinx.

[serpentface]

The Great Cycle of the World, as known by the Varkhata-Byla, as summarized by the Clanmother Rhoya Ha-Orsva

---

The world-summer is the world that is known. It is the world that you and I live right now. The world-summer has rules, which can perhaps can be bent, but rarely broken. Most could tell you that the animals are animals and people are people, and they do not change back and fourth. Most will agree the living walk the earth and the dead sleep under it. The gods can be known and felt, certainly, but they do not walk among us, and mostly speak to priests, and through the omens and messenger-animals. In the world-summer, the great cycle plays out as seasons on the scale of a year, again and again and again. There may be blazing summers and brutal winters, or winters or summers that fail altogether, but all passes within a period of moons. The world-summer itself lasts a thousand thousand lifetimes, and we can pray there are a thousand more lifetimes yet before it ends. 

---

The world-autumn sneaks in unnoticed. Where and when the autumn started, none will know, but once it has settled over the earth, all will know with the same certainty as knowing one will someday die. The days grow shorter, colder. For a time, the dead escape the ground and walk the earth as spirits. The gods, too, walk the earth, if only to collect the dead and flee to the World Behind the Stars. They know what is to come. Yet as the days grow shorter still, fruits are bountiful and animals are fertile, so the seeds of life become so abundant that not even the cruelest winter could wipe them away in their entirety. The world-autumn is a last triumph, a great harvest of all crops, a time of feasting and mating and the return of magic until the snows begin to fall. The world is a seed in the ground, something not alive yet holds within it the potential of an entire universe.

---

The winter between worlds is the long death. Snows blanket the entire earth, the rivers and lakes and even the seas freeze. Breath turns to ice in the lungs. Almost all things die, but for the smartest, the hardiest, and the plain fortunate who find survival under the snows. Even the gods stay in hiding in the World Behind the Stars, as even they have no power over the snow-demons. The demons are all that walks the frozen earth, and they wander across its length eating the dead (and anyone alive they can find). Some heroes manage to trick or challenge them, but many more who try are killed and eaten. All life must wait until the snow-demons tire and rest again. The world is a bird in the egg. It is a time for hiding. It is a time for sleeping and dreaming of the world that will be. 

---

The world-spring is the time of rebirth. The snows melt and the survivors emerge to inherit the new earth. The seeds take root and the plants return. The gods descend from the stars to walk the earth and stake their claims. Animals and gods create new animals and people by mating in endless combinations, or fashioning them out of dirt or sand or sticks or water or dreams. Animals are people, people are animals, men are women, and women are men. The world-spring is magic itself, it is malleable, wet clay in the hands of its new people. The world that is to be takes shape, and it is born.

---

And thus into eternity, without end. This cycle has passed a thousand times, and it will pass a thousand, thousand, thousand more. Yes, the Saloche will tell you otherwise, that all ends in a last winter in which all will freeze and die and nothing will be reborn, snow forever, freezing and suffering, ya, ya, ya, ya... They are idiots, and see not the way of things. What is winter without summer? What is death without life? 

[stuffforme2]

The details I added to my first ever not sketch or doodle drawing something I actually out time and tears and sweat into

I got rid of jasons baby face and gave him more of a military fashioned haircut (in my first drawing of them I accidentally gave Jason a Baby face.)

I have a hc that in school Ethan was part of the volleyball team and he's wearing his volleyball jacket

jasons golden lightning streak also can be interpretated as a little laurel crown

also the feet uptop are of Krios the titan jason killed

Ethan covers up more becaus he's not a giant fan of his many scars while jason shows off his scars because they're proof that he is powerful

Jason's tanktop is grey instead of white because its very dirty same applies to Ethans jacket

Jason is wearing contacts which is why he has no glasses

ethan's missing eye is out because he lost his eye patch

Jaosn is wearing military boots Ethan has Rainbow socks and E for Ethan on his shoes

and the faded colors on Ethans pants are from him wearing the pants so much

Jason is looking at Ethan cuz I hc he caught feelings first

Jason is taller, even though they're sititng down and hunched you can tell he is taller because he has longer legs and he is nearly the same height as ethan even though he's hunched over more

Their backs are turned to eachother becuz I HC when ethan was about to die his mum sent him to tartarus instead but he landed on his back into a river causing severe damage to his spine, he had to eat ambrosia jsut to heal his spine but there is still bruising and once when Jason failed (techinically accomplished but there was a technicailty) a quest from his father his father punished him by striking lightning onto Jasons back, lightning that would actually hurt jason, so jason now his lightning scars in his spine

Ethan is paler then jason becuz he's been in tartarus longer

Ethan has messier longer hair because he doesnt take care of himself properly and Ethans shoes dont have laces on purpose

The slowly darknening spot behind them is a piece of tartarus that had been cut into you can see lighter reds in the middle thats Tartarus's raw meat

I tried to detail the ground and stuff to look like flesh somewhat

I tried to give Jason a roman nose and Ethans nsoe is slightly crooked (I'm.not good at noses)

Ethan his slightly flaky kind of skin under his ripped out eye (It isnt specified his eye was ripped out/taken by nemesis but I think its heavily impled that Nemesis full on TOOK it) becuz Ethan keep scratching and feeling at the skin around his eye hole

Jason is more muscular becuz ya know he was a soldier much longer then Ethan was

On ethans good eye he has slight purple tints under it for eye bags

Jason has a very confident grin while Ethan has a more sly cat like smile and Jason is blushing alot while Ethan ha sonyl a tiny bit of blush

[yakool-foolio]

Out of all of the Amaterasu employees that we see in the game, if you had to list them from most morally good to least, how would you list them?

Obviously, they are all terrible people in multiple ways, but I'm just curious

Hmm, interesting! I haven't even really considered how much they'd be weighed on a scale for their morality. I like contemplating new ways to 'rank' characters though, and the peacekeeper higher-ups, other than Yomi (and Hitman Zilch since they basically come in a package deal in my brain), do deserve some more attention from me, so I'll give it a go! I'll just stick with ranking the higher-ups since we have the most info on what we see of them in canon, so sorry Huesca, your judgement day will have to come another time (not to mention we don't have enough info on the specifics of how bad he really was other than him 'sacrificing others for his own research' and conspiring to kill Yakou's wife, but honestly that should be enough to send him into the murky depths of the river Styx). This list will go from least morally corrupt to most morally corrupt, but I think we can already tell who's at the top.

First off, it's our lil sickly guy Seth! Poor guy honestly did the least things wrong, probably couldn't even hurt a fly if he really tried. While he did threaten to sink the sub and arrest the detectives on scene, he did give them a time limit to investigate and find the culprit. It was a very restrictive time limit, but still a chance to save themselves nonetheless. He was just doing as he was ordered to by Yomi in regards to taking money from the church, who knows what would've happened to him if he disobeyed. Guess we'll never know, sorry Seth.

Next up is Martina. I've been debating on where to put her, but honestly compared to the others, she somehow manages to scrape by as the second least morally corrupt. Most of my reasoning is due to her actively realizing that Yomi was an awful influence and resigning as a peacekeeper. No peacekeeper other than Seth had that kind of hindsight of their actions being the cause of Yomi being Yomi. Martina's above Seth on the moral corruption list cause she still actively threatened to shoot two young detectives and definitely would've pulled the trigger had she not been stopped.

Swank takes a spot right smack dab in the middle on the Amaterasu morality scale. This dude is greedy af and worked alongside Hitman Zilch to frame Yuma for the massacre on the train. And he would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for that meddling chief! As soon as Yakou stepped into the scene, Swank's disposition took a surprising turn. He surrendered Yuma over to Yakou when he could've easily still arrested Yuma and moved on with his day. And yet, all it really took was for Yakou to say 'I'll tell WDO about your bad behavior and they'd be so mad at you >:T' and Swank took the hint and backed off. MAN DIDN'T EVEN GET BRIBED WITH MONEY! HE JUST TOOK THE L AND LEFT! That's the power of the charismatic blue father figure for ya. Honestly, Swank could've been ranked lower than Martina, but as far as we know, he never got that same sense of hindsight, so he could still be a money-grubbing, mass-murder framer to this day.

And now we move up to Guillaume and Dominic. These two are inseparable, so they shall be treated as such. I think its safe to say these guys like the thrill of hunting down Yuma and want to beat him and his allies to a pulp despite his pleas for mercy. They punch first and ask questions later. Not to mention they view all citizens as slaves, easily manipulated the power of Amaterasu. At least they gave up on harming Yuma when they were given the actual culprits, but Yuma would've easily been turned to paste if not for the detectives' intervention.

And finally, earning the top spot for most morally fucked by a landslide is Yomi! Do I even really need to go into the specifics about why this guy is so damn horrendous? Well, let's do a lightning round! Yomi hired a hitman to kill anyone who criticized or went against him (such as Yakou's wife), violently abused and almost had his 'girlfriend' killed, planned the Amaterasu Express Massacres, physically punished many of his coworkers, manipulated Yakou into killing Huesca, kicked down a dying Yakou, threatened to kill the detectives multiple times, and attempted to leak info about a militaristic experiment to create immortal soldiers to other facilities for some cash. Fuckin' bitch.

[moopiter]

For the OC ask I would like 1, 4, 10, 23, 24!!

What memory would your OC rather just forget?

Buckshot is someone that never wants to forget anything, even if it hurts. When you lose everything, you cling onto what you can. But there is one thing that really particularly hurts, burned into her memory forever:

“Hey dad! I hope you’re doing okay! I got that job across the river! It pays enough to get that place we looked at! I’ll talk at ya later! Love you!

Hey dad! Just wanted to let you know I’ll be home in a week! I love you!

Hey dad, I hope you get to stop and call me back soon! You gotta tell me what you want me to make for you when I get back home! Happy driving, love you!

He didn't call back.

4. When scared, does your OC fight, flee, freeze, or fawn?

Buckshot is so guilty of fawning. Flee and freeze are up there too, but her first instinct is never to fight (unlike someone *cough cough* Homelander)

10. What’s an AU that would be interesting to explore with your OC?

Those frickin Vampire Homelander AUs!!! I love monster AU’s with all my heart, especially since its spooky season! I love to think Buckshot would be some kind of cryptid thing with antlers. I wanted to do something likethat for Goretober, but writing ate me alive and murdered my drawing hand.

23. What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express?

GREIF. Buckshot cannot let anyone go. She’s guilty of isolation, that’s what she was doing after the unfortunate uhhh. “power discovery event” up until Vought called. We’re going to watch it get worse in real time as it gets closer and closer to the fateful night where Buckshot has to make the decision of what happens to Homelander.

24. What is an alternative life path your OC might have gone down? How different would their life be if they’d made those decisions?

I absolutely love the idea that the abilities a supe manifests is based off of their environment and not just genetics. I’m not sure if its actually from the show? Or if I’ve just seen it discussed so any times? Things that play into it would be Buckshot being subjected to child abuse and isolation, never having control over the things that happened to her. Her only “friends” being animals, bugs, trees, etc. and of course going to school for pathology (which is literally about as in depth about the human body as you can get) is what caused her powers to end up the way they were. If anything had been different, she would have different powers.

BONUS: 8. Is your OC able to get away with murder?

100%

[zipperzoo]

FIGHT TO MAKE IT UP

The Batman (2022) bruce wayne x f!reader Word count: - 2259 Masterlist / AO3 / Playlist Themes: Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Crime Family, Thriller, Nior, Heist, Action, Comedy, Crime. A/N: howdy! I took a um a hiatus HA- I needed a break due to life stuff but I really wanna finish this! and I did some research into stuff >.>

Chapter Eight:

Helping solve the crime you’d need many of these, a particular way of viewing things to bring justice to its knees

“Name?” “Oliver Caddel” “Okay Oliver, Occupation?”

“Circus staff… Is this going to take long?” He murmured, scratching his jaw with his thumb.

Rubbing his eyes, Exhausted already. Gordon pressed on. “Could you describe the events that took place here- what did you see or hear?”

Seated inside one of the many tents around the outskirts of the crime scene, outstretched a long line of partially injured civilians. Witnesses holding papers. Awaiting their turn to share their own statements of their experiences. 

Unkempt appearances could already tell their own personal experiences of the night. Injuries as well as haunting distant empty stares into space. Lined up one by one behind one another. There was no discrimination of person, the victims were diverse among age, gender and race.

In an attempt to evacuate the camp site of the circus that was now taped off to the public while forensic officers would use their magic along with the help of the 'CID' (Criminal Investigation Department). It didn't stop news anchors or news broadcasters from attempting to get in through sky or ground for any latest scoop or raw footage of the damage. 

Swirling around, capturing the long queues and the smoke trailing up above the main tent into a cloud of green and yellow mystery gas that just settled.

The tent that Gordon sat in, was small, cramped practically and opposite him was a singular witness who was nervous, worse for wear. 

Oliver was the tenth or maybe the eleventh witness that Gordon had spoken too so far, and all he had to show for it was either vague descriptions of evocative unique descriptions per person of the events. Nothing was the same, they were all like different accounts of different events stitched together. Making a hazy similarities.

Nothing was drawing him closer to any answers to why, why this circus, why these people, why this specific method and importantly who would have the motive? What was the motive?

Was it a display of power? 

Was it just so they could? 

Was it a test? Was it a test? 

What was the reason?

What is that mysterious gas?

“I wasn't inside the tent when It happened, I was… around.” The hesitation in his voice caused Gordon to drop the pen he held. 

“Around?”

“You know, like around the tent.”

“But not inside?”

“No.”

“What part of the team did you work a part of?” With a deep sigh through his nose, Gordon picked his pen back up and jotted down everything the witness was sharing onto his witness form. Maybe this should have been something for Rivers to work on. Gordon wasn't getting anywhere and some fresh eyes on this would actually get him somewhere. He was beginning to regret putting them on the Wayne tower case.

That case feels like a distant dream now.

I worked on the electrics, ya know the lights. To make sure everything was-” “Hmm hm-” Gordon cut him off, lacing his hum with attitude. He knew what a tech did, he didn't need a recap. He just wanted to know what the man's experience of the evening was. “-I had a hard time focusing but when I finally did they were red, beet red i mean red!!”

Looking up at the witness through his brows, stopping his notes for a second Gordon asked “What was? The lights?”

“Like the worst sunburn you’ve ever seen!”

“Yes I’ve gotten the colour- what exactly was red though?”

Oliver’s face scrunched up, trying to recall exactly what then realization washed over him. His face stretched as his brows frowned. His gears were moving and Gordon was captivated by it. 

Then, as if an alarm went off in his mind, he shot up and looked at Gordon, confused. “I’m sorry, what was the question again?” “You said something was red?”

“Hm? I’m sorry I-” He paused, looking down at his lap “I don't really remember?”

Leaning back on his chair, pushing aside the witness form which was half way filled in. Gordon looked at the witness. This was getting nowhere. Again they all had different descriptions of the events that might as well have been about different incidents.

One witness stated she was in the middle of an airplane on fire and about to crash, she remembered running through the cabins when pieces of the walls flew off. Vacuuming out civilians on the flight with her to then find herself standing in the middle of a field having others crash into her, fleeing. 

Another stated he lost the ability to speak while everyones face morphed into empty sockets. His instinct was to fight back. Upon the realization that he could have very possibly hurt someone made him hysterical and had to be escorted out by officers.

Moving things along, Gordon quickly signed off the sheet, shuffling it to the growing pile beside him. If anything was to come from this maybe one hell of a book with all these testimonies. Some of these would make one hell of a horror novel.

“That's alright.” Gordon spoke. “We’re done, could you let in the next person in the line?” 

Without a word, the witness Oliver pushed back his chair to then exit, letting the next person in through the tent’s flimsy waterproof door. 

The next witness meekly made her way to the chair opposite Gordon. She looked extremely exhausted, eyebags fresh and sharp. Her hair knotted and fried. She was cradling her arm which was in a sling. “Name?” “Is this going to take long?” “It depends on the information you’ll be able to provide- name?” Gordon licked his thumb to then pluck a fresh form from the immaculate pile besides the ruffled one. “Abigail Williams. But I’m known as Dizzy on the staff”

“Okay, Dizzy, Occupation?” when pronouncing her nickname, he raised his eyebrows. Wasn't the first one of the evening preferring their stage name he heard. He had jotted down her name with Dizzy alongside it in quotation marks.

“Circus staff. I work closely with the performers.”

“So you were inside the tent?”

“I didn't know where I was or what time it was, let alone what was happening.”

“Could you try.” He leaned back on his chair, the wood squeaked under his weight. He had nothing but time right now. 

It's all he could really do. 

By the books he had nothing but time.

A very uneasy nod bloomed from her still state. Dropping her arm that cradled her sling to her lap, to then fiddle around with nervousness, an attempt to try and jog her foggy memory of a very traumatizing evening.

“I remember just my body feeling a sense of urgency, like something wasn't right. And the smell mostly.”

“A smell?”

“Um- A very sweet smell, kind of like honeysuckle-like?” she scrunched her brows together. “Yeah! Honeysuckle! Like a flower but it was kind of sour, burning at the back of the nose.”

Gordon pulled his eyes away from her to jot down exactly what she was saying. Pulling out a notebook from his pocket, completely separate from any of the paperwork scattered on the makeshift table.

Taking note, he scribbled ‘Honeysuckle smell- sour???’ 

“Then um.”

“Then what?”

Looking down, frowning, trying my best to remember. “I… I remember- oh god.” she gasped covering her mouth, panic eroded as she looked up at Gordon with a sudden realization. “Are the Grayson's okay?”

“The Grayson's?”

“The Grayson's?! The performers of the circus. They were the leading performers and they are a family. Two parents and one child. But I saw- I swear on my life I saw the two fall and crash into the ground.”

“Fall and crash like-”

“Like, fall and crash! Falling to the ground and just kind of a thud.” Lowing her hand revealing her mouth agape, worry lines forming beside it. “Then after that I- I just remember like everyone acting frantic and not normal.”

“Wait, you mentioned a child? Was the child a part of the two bodies you saw?”

“Huh? No, oh god no? The child wasn't there. I have no idea where the child was.”

“Did you see the child before or after the incident?”

“Uh.” her eyes frantically moving around the room, searching. “I haven't seen him since maybe this morning? With his parents? Besides that-” she shook her head.

“So the child wasn't there at the show?”

She pulled a face and shook her head again. “He was planning to be there but he wasn't. I just assumed it was a last minute change? Is… Is he not with the officers?”

“What's the child's name?”

“Dick Grayson.”

A moment Gordon’s thoughts raced, staring at Dizzy the Witness to then suddenly reach over the messy pile of paperwork flipping through all of them. Looking for any witnesses that matched the name of the child. Flipping through once, nothing. He blinked then flipped through again.

He hadn’t spoken to a Dick Grayson.

“Does the child have a stage name? What's his description?”

“Um, short boy. Dark hair, kind of an innocent look but he has a know it all attitude of sorts- Hard to miss.” She shifted in the chair slightly. “I’m sorry, is the questioning over?-” She asked, cocking her head with an inquisitive brow, concerned.

Dropping the paper he was holding, he scooted out of his chair. “Excuse me for a moment.” Swinging around the table to then dash out of the tent, leaving her there, turning around to look at the exit where he left. Confused.

Welcomed by harsh on sight lighting of the powerful The Nomad tripod lights scattered across the field illuminating the field. Gordon was momentarily blinded. 

Blinking, adjusting his eyes to the lighting, he looked at the long line of witnesses.

Gordon turned to the first person in front of him who was covered head to toe in mud and blood- no clue where the source of the bleeding was from or if it was even their blood. “Where's the officers?”

The person stared hard at Gordon, startled by Gordons urgency. Shaking their head frantically to then turn to the person next to them. They too shook their heads.

They didn't know where they could be.

With a huff, Gordon looked around. Police standing by taped off areas bantering among themselves, one even laughing. Several forensic teams built recreational mysterious tools, while others carried bags of evidence. 

Even several paramedic teams were attending to some civilians close by. 

Gordon Marched towards the police Officers.

Grabbing an officer by the shoulder, turning him to Gordons attention. “I need you to locate a child for me, goes by the name Dick Grayson.”

“Sir?”

“It's urgent.”

One of the officers laughed, “Good luck with that.”

“You think this is funny?”

The officer coughed, changing his entire demeanour. “No sir.” he panicked.

“Dick Grayson, A young boy- meant to be one of the events mainline acts with the parents. Any information on him?”

“Dick Greyson? Yeah the kid, he is on the missing list.” 

Gordon frowned in response. The officer looked to his colleagues to then pull up a clipboard of names that had red dashes next to them. 

Below two dashes that were two Greyson's was a Dick Greyson that had a blank space.

“We are still searching the wreckage, there are alot of bodies sir but so far from what we have accounted for, no Dick Greyson has been found that we can formally account for. He is either dead or missing.”

“The red marks?” Gordon pointed at the clipboard. “What do the red marks mean?”

“Deceased. His parents have been identified. But again-” The words failed to leave the officer, he didn't need to say anything; it was in between the words he had spoken.

Gordon ran a hand down his face. A defeated sigh slipped through his tired lips. 

There was no doubt about it that there was an ever growing number of missing people and children. But to know one thing was out of place before the actual events could be a crucial key to this mystery.

Cutting short the brief haunting thought of a child and his parents- A crowd of people started running, dashing out of the way to either side. 

The officers by Gordon jumped besides him, all turning their attention towards a loud pipe like noise that was vastly approaching.

With mud flying it was hard to make out what was heading their way. Gordon took a few dragged steps back and squinted, hoping to focus on any details betrayed between the specks of mud flying.

He saw the red lights of a vehicle flooding the field and painted the tents with its harsh light. 

A monster that looked like a car screamed life so much so that a few civilians flinched and cowered.

Slowing down as it spun around to turn then coming to a halt.

The engine dying down like a beast just suddenly being tamed to rest. 

Steam coming from its exhaust fogging the ground. Tendrils of smoke swarming around the site, invading the tents. Entrapping the residents who stood idle in its mist.

Bursting open the steel doors from the vehicle, black boots emerge from its inner shadow.

A tall dark figure lurked out, with its piercing blue eyes looming over the people that stood around him and his beast. 

A watchful gargoyle that breathed life as his chest heaved with vengeance as his eyes met with Gordons.

A few heads turn to face Gordon, with fear residing in their expressions.

“Batman.” Gordon whispered, relieved. “Finally.”

[dragonlights]

I'm feeling Some Type of Way about other Jewish folks being like. "They're chanting to Kill Us" about "from the river to the sea". Like.

It feels the same type of way as usmericans (I am one, for context) getting afraid for calls to return the land to its native inhabitants. That doesn't mean kill???

Also, do they just think that because Israel exists, Palestinian Jews just.... All got up and left? Nobody stayed? With their families, their friends, their Homes???

I find that. Unlikely.

And FURTHERMORE. It's not free of Jews! It's free of Israel!!! It doesn't even imply the people of Israel getting hurt!

And look. I do believe that there are lots of folks here in the US who can't tell when their activism maybe crosses the line into antisemitism. But. Just saying "X thing is antisemitic" with No Further Conversation???? Like people don't have a right to go "how? Why do you think it means what it does? Have you considered you might be wrong?"

It's frustrating. People getting arrested and harmed for protesting a Fucking Genocide that we're complicit in and like.

Even if you as an individual believes it's fine for Israel to exist and it has a Right To Defend Itself like... Can we use critical thinking here? That maybe actions of The State have Ulterior Motives for killing 30k people, even while retaliating an act of terrorism???

It's like being like "well, I think the United States has a Right to defend itself" to protestors against the war in Iraq and such. And it's like. Okay! Cool. Conversation to be had after the civilian casualties slow down, ya?

Like. I have Thoughts about violent resistance against oppressive regimes and how people like the Idea of it but not The Reality. And that there are harms that are done to relatively innocent individuals but that sad fact doesn't necessarily mean that the method isn't necessary, but moreso what steps were taken before, and how can we solve these systemic problems with oppression and colonial power being inherently abusive Before it reaches this point.

Like. Maybe we can look at the bombing, the mass casualties, and go "isn't Israel supposed to be some kind of powerful military- who not only has been offered their hostages back in exchange for Palestinian hostages, at a rate consistent with the ratio of Palestinians Taken hostage, so why do they not use this method instead? How can they be sure they aren't killing their own citizens when they bomb areas like this?? Can you think of any Ulterior Motives a colonial state may have for bombing a region and then trying to develop real estate???? Any at all????"

And idk. I'm not A Great Wordsmith who can get these ideas out in an evocative and thought-provoking way. I'm just tired and mad. And want less oppressive regimes in the world.

[whenimgoodandready]

When you wanna put a stop to something, you take action. Like how the Bee Miraculous does it’s job by paralyzing the person they sting. Chloe had that job and then Zoe. Both sisters did well, but only one earned it by using their intended purpose for it wisely and for the greater good. Chloe sought fame and recognition as a super (“Queen’s Battle Part 2:Queen Wasp”), but Zoe was the one with the moral compass to only look out for the people and lend a hand (“Queen Banana”). Perhaps maybe Chloe would’ve eventually grown to do the same had she not been so selfish and listened to Ladybug (or Marinette/Ladybug giving her a chance more instead of a personal grudge), but alas it did not happen and we got a huge mess of a character from Chloe. That’s exactly what will also happen to the world if we don’t give it a chance and it causes a huge mess! We need to take action! How!? Read and learn:

*Action-This here special takes place in the middle of Season 5 and it turns out, Monarch was re-creating the world before the finale! How? Well, there’s a heat wave in Paris and Gabe was “solving the problem” by using 3-D Adrien and Kagami to promote these decorative (yet single use) plastic fans, that Mayor Andre had installed in vending machines all throughout Paris, which get discarded into the Seine river which pollutes it re-creating the city (and eventually the world) into a planet of trash!

None of the adults would help or understand the dangers of plastic pollution:Nadja with her news network (but for ethical reasons cuz she’d lose her job and not support her child), Gabe with the fan advertisements and even Mayor Andre on removing the vending machines selling said fans. Not even when Marinette and the gang decide to get to the root of the problem by going over to the head of the plastic industry and confronting Bertrand King, “The King of Plastic” (think Colonel Sanders, but “bubblegum flavored”), about their issue helped cuz Bertrand refuses to listen to the kids on reducing plastic, so they hijack the news station and point out (along with their Miraculous World friends) how over endorsing plastic can be harmful. These kids play hardball, let me tell ya, when they want to get a point across, they do it! Go big or go home!

This causes Gabe and Andre to save face by claiming to be “unaware” of the negative effects plastic can do for the environment and humiliating Bertrand to be akumatized, with the Bee Miraculous, as King of Plastic. An all plastic looking villain with the power to turn anyone he touches with his staff into colorful paralyzed plastic. When I first saw his look, he looked a bit too colorful to be a “plastic” themed villain. He looked more like a King Candy type of villain, but after seeing the ep, I realized that the reason why he was so vibrant was because all plastic is like that and he was like the human version of his multi-color changing pen that you see tween girls carrying in their trapper keepers! (Shhh! I have one too! It’s scented!), so it was fitting. The dynamic duo struggled with him at first, but it turned out his strength, was also his weakness! Whomp! Whomp! Whooooooop!

First ep to not be written/directed by Thomas Astruc and instead by the Breteau Foundation and despite the ep seeming “bland” and “Captain Planet” esque theme, kids shows tend to have episodes focused on environmental care so they can get their attention and take part in saving the world (in small doses that is) and having a little something for elementary school classrooms to learn from in a “Bill Nye:The Science Guy” type of way. Part of what motivates the kids to take action and not be so careless for the Earth. Which is why Zoe was more worthy of the Bee Miraculous as she was taking part in helping to minimize plastic use and Chloe was just there watching the interrupted news special (perhaps maybe this’ll come back to her and she’ll finally get that redemption arc we’ve all been dying for). Like before, this ep stands on its own being set in the middle of Season 5 possibly between “Confrontation” and “Collusion” which is why the more eco-friendly atmosphere isn’t established yet cuz of our new mayor, Bustier, and why Gabe/Monarch isn’t rotting in the dirt in his wife’s place (“The Last Day Part 2:Re-creation”). Not much else to go by since this whole special was pretty self explanatory and alls I can say is that we should do what we can to stop pollution and that I’m just waiting for the next special with Shadybug and Claw Noir!😉. I will still be back with that and the Season 6 premiere with new frames and thoughts on the show. Good-bye fellow Miraculars, the power is yours!

[loremonster]

If its something you can do with your bear hands that isn't doing harm to another human being, I feel denying people knowledge and oppertunity to do those things infringes on our human rights.

Repairing things is something Humans Do. We are a tool using species, and when something breaks we have the ability to examine the breakage, theorize on what went wrong, repair the damage, and idiate on an improved version of that tool / better techinique to use it with *while still having the use of the original tool!!!* THAT IS BUCK WILD SHIT MY DUDES, we can just... DO that through trial and error. Birds make nests, humans figured out if you weave a whole lotta long soft tree limbs together and tie it to big rooted trees you can make a bridge and cross a river without drowning-- all labor that can be done with abundant planet wide plant fibers, your hands, and thinking about it long enough.

So why the fuck do we not teach our children these things? Why do we demand the body and mind are seperate, and then make training the body The Worst Class That Everyone Hates As They Age Into Highschool?

Because rich assholes stand to gain if we forget that People Make Things. And People Repair Things. And People Have Hands That Make Tools, and Tools Make Machines, and Machines Make Industry. Cut your hard laborors off from anything that might, MIGHT lead to losing a single dollar you could have gotten out of the ignorance you're demamding be willed into being.

Yall might notice this logic is circular. The rich folks making decisions assume the farmers are stupid because they are poor. Since they're poor, they will be stupid, so they won't notice when we infringe on the Human Right To Be Part Of The Enviroment You Live In by making repairs Unfairly Difficult without our permission and illigal to fix on their own. And because they're poor and stupid, they'll never figure out how to fix things once we tell them no! Then they'll have to pay us EVEN MOAR just to stay alive!!

Humans don't forget how to do things with their bodies. Denying them knowledge simply forces them to Start From Zero and make mistakes more often. Hurt themselves more often. Hurt others more often. Fail to figure things out and get fustrated and depressed more often. Get sick more often. Need more care and produce less as they age, and their peers watch them die preventable deaths.

People don't forget. You can deprive us of history, but you cannot delete living memory, so the next play is to ensure the poor don't live long enough to figure things out, separate parents from children so kids are not witness to the anguish, and drive wedges into personal relationships by any means nessesary to prevent spouses from working as partners. Ensure life sucks so bad that any kid who manages to escape never comes back, and their family resents the kid instead of the system that drove them away. Blame the young as the old die at the hands of their masters.

The fact that The Internet Never Forgets, that we have a living memory in which anyone can save anything no matter how stupid or trivial, is why I have hope the cycle can break.

Even if I'm dead tomorrow, someone could be reading this a year from now. That's power people below the ruling class rarely get free access to.

And sometimes it sucks. That's okay. People suck sometimes. I suck sometimes. That's why the internet sucks sometimes, but the intent of our current oligarchs is to flood the space with so many bots people either Cannot Trust or Do Not Use the web anymore.

The fact that AI is everywhere despite it not being sophistocated enough to convince a person that its a person in prolonged one on one interaction is the same logical failure in action. Those who think They Own Us think we're dumb enough to not notice when a bot tries to sell itself as a new friend in our DMs-- cause friends ain't looking to buy anything, ya dummies. They want to talk to a human, that's why they exist in a space with DMs.

The extractive purpose is built in, and breaking the last link in the chain never goes well. People still have skills, and still think, and still make tools to solve problems. That's how we got AdBlock, VPNs, and Spam folders. Indivudals made a tool, the tool was overwhelmingly popular, and sees wide adoption.

The difference is while a Spam folder is really easy to build into a system at minimal cost, and a VPN can be monitized the same way bandits monitized bridges in ye olden days, AdBlock denies an advertiser access to their end goal; time, attention, and influence over a human person somewhere in the world. THAT is the last link in the chain, the boundary line that actively says NO, I LIVE HERE, YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO MONITIZE MY TIME.

The Right To Repair is the last link in the chain for farmers. Corpos are actively trying to break it, and people are finding ways around it because it infringes upon their ability to live their life without Sales By Harassment And Sabotage.

[gobboguy]

Chapter 11: Idgo'dol

The journey through the valley had been a trying one for Ulf, enduring Rogmog's constant posturing and boasting. She sighed with relief as the royal procession finally approached the neighboring warband of Idgo'dol, nestled in a breathtaking valley.

The city of Idgo'dol sprawled across the fertile landscape, its stone buildings blending seamlessly with the verdant surroundings. A majestic waterfall cascaded down from the cliffs, filling a pristine lake with cool, crystal-clear water that sparkled in the sunlight. The Orcs of Idgo'dol had harnessed the power of the land, using boats to transport lumber and other goods across the lake and through the network of rivers that crisscrossed their territory.

As the procession moved through the city, they passed scenes of bustling industry. Orcs labored with the strength and determination that defined their race. Lumberjacks felled trees with mighty swings of their axes, their rhythmic grunts echoing through the forest. "Keep that timber steady, Gorak! We'll need it for the new fortress wall!" barked an overseer.

Blacksmiths hammered glowing metal into weapons and tools, their forges roaring with heat. "Hand me that tongs, will ya, Arissh?" called a smith to his apprentice, who eagerly complied.

Amidst the industrious scenes, a heartwarming sight caught Ulf's eye. An Orc family, the parents both muscular and scarred from years of battle, sat by the lakeshore with their many whelps. The young Orcs splashed in the water, their laughter ringing through the air. "Careful, little Igunk! Don't go too far!" the mother called out, her voice filled with a blend of sternness and affection. The father, a proud smile on his face, ruffled the hair of the smallest whelp who had toddled over to him, holding up a small fish he had caught. "Look, papa! I got one!" the whelp exclaimed, beaming with pride.

Beyond the idyllic scenes of daily life, Castle Doomspire loomed ominously above the city. Its dark, jagged spires seemed to split the sky itself, casting long shadows over the land. The castle's malignancy was palpable, a stark reminder of the power and authority it represented.

As the procession reached the castle gates, Ulf and Ionia dismounted and made their way inside. The atmosphere within was as foreboding as the exterior, the walls lined with banners of conquest and halls echoing with the distant sounds of clashing steel. The two women, regal and resolute, moved forward with purpose, prepared to meet the next challenges that awaited them in the dark heart of Idgo'dol.

As Ulf and Ionia approached the gates of Castle Doomspire, they were met by Warchief Gronak Skullcrusher. His appearance was a testament to a life of relentless combat and unyielding leadership. Deep scars crisscrossed his weathered, green skin, each telling a tale of battles fought and enemies vanquished. His left eye was a milky white, blinded by a vicious blow years ago, yet it only added to his fearsome visage. Muscles bulged beneath his armor, and his tusks, chipped and cracked, jutted proudly from his lower jaw. He stood tall, his presence commanding respect and exuding a raw, primal power.

"Queen Ionia," Gronak greeted, his voice gravelly and authoritative. "It is an honor to welcome you to Idgo'dol. I am Gronak Skullcrusher, one of the first to leave Orc Island with your father, Gelbeg. I swore to follow him, and now you, to the ends of this world."

Ionia nodded, her eyes sharp and appraising. "Warchief Gronak, your loyalty is legendary. How fares Idgo'dol under your command?"

Gronak's chest swelled with pride. "Productivity has never been higher. We have cleared new forests, mined deeper into the mountains, and our forges burn day and night. Recently, we crushed a small thrall uprising with extreme prejudice. I ordered a decimation of a tenth of the thrall population as a reminder of their place. The rest work harder now, knowing the price of defiance."

Ionia's lips curled into a pleased smile. "Well done, Gronak. Your vigilance and ruthlessness are commendable. Know this: when Acury falls, Idgo'dol will be richly rewarded. New lands, new slaves, and endless opportunities for conquest await."

Gronak's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Thank you, my Queen. Your promises fill my heart with joy and my soul with fire."

With a powerful clap of his hands, Gronak summoned his children. "Duran! Dura! Come and greet our guests!"

Two formidable Orcs emerged from the shadows. Duran, tall and broad-shouldered like his father, with a fierce glint in his eyes, and Dura, equally imposing, with a gaze that spoke of cunning and strength. They approached with deference, bowing to Ionia and Ulf, their movements reflecting both discipline and power.

"It is an honor to meet you, Queen Ionia, Princess Ulf," Duran said respectfully, his voice deep and resonant.

"Indeed," Dura added, her tone firm and resolute. "We are eager to serve and prove ourselves worthy of the Skullcrusher name."

Ionia nodded approvingly. "I see the strength of Gronak runs true in his bloodline. Welcome, Duran and Dura. Together, we shall forge a future where Orc-kind reigns supreme."

Duran stood tall and broad, his physique impressive but lacking the scars and hardened edge of a seasoned warrior. His green skin was unmarred, almost pristine, and he seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time ensuring his armor shone to perfection. His hair, meticulously oiled snd shaved on one side, glistened under the torchlight, and his tusks were polished to a gleaming white. Despite his imposing frame, there was something almost comical about his foppish demeanor and the exaggerated care he took with his appearance.

In stark contrast, Dura exuded raw power and fierceness. She wore traditional Orcish clothing of leather and fur clothing and a blood staineed loincloth. Her untamed black hair cascaded wildly down her back, barely constrained by a crude leather thong. A large, iron nose ring dangled from her nostrils, extending down below her chin, swaying with every movement. Her form was robust, a perfect blend of muscle and fat that spoke of both strength and resilience. Scars crisscrossed her skin, each one a testament to battles fought and won. Her dark eyes were sharp and vigilant, constantly scanning her surroundings for threats.

Gronak, with a hint of reluctance in his voice, addressed Ionia. "My Queen, I present to you my son, Duran. Though he may seem... preoccupied with his appearance, I assure you he has the potential to prove himself a great match for Princess Ulf. Provided, of course, that his older sister, Dura, accompanies him to... watch over him."

Duran sneered slightly, casting a sideways glance at his father before stepping forward to address Ionia. "Queen Ionia, it is an honor to stand before you. I am eager to prove my worth and demonstrate that I am more than just a pretty face."

Ionia, ever tactful, nodded graciously. "Duran, I am sure you will have ample opportunity to show us all your true potential. The strength of the Skullcrusher bloodline is evident."

Ulf couldn't help but eye Duran up and down. He was undeniably handsome, almost pretty, with his polished tusks and gleaming armor. But what husband needed his sister to watch over him all the time? The thought made her laugh on the inside, and she couldn't wait to see Rogmog's reaction to this foppish competitor.

As they exchanged pleasantries, Ulf's mind buzzed with amusement and anticipation. She was excited to see how this journey would unfold with such a diverse group of suitors vying for her hand.

[bookoformon]

Ether 15: 8-9. "The River Wide."

The Book of Mormon consists of a series of wars or arguments for the eradication of corruption and oppression in the world. America in particular. America began due to a vision of an oppression free existence, then it became a hotbed for some of the world's most notorious outbreaks of slavery, genocide, and abuses of power in history. It is still struggling to put a stop to it.

Every time the Nephits and Lamanite or a prophet in the Book of Mormon engage in a war the sum of the arguments grows. The pitching of tents, not uncommon in warfare as most housing developments get destroyed during them is the realization reality has to change and in between periods of "modification" one's way of life which seemed fixed oscilates and has to become firm again.

Election years are times we migrate out of houses, start warring with each other and live in tents instead. This election year in America is, like the others the most important in the world as we struggle once again to protect the planet from a decaying intelligentsia in our country. There are no nice ways to say it- this is bullshit. The Republicans and Donald Trump have broken so many laws, have murdered so many innocent lives due to their disregard for human life it is inconceivable to permit them to maintain their approach.

But nonethelss we are doing it. To pitch a tent and continue a vapid approach is called Ripliancum "your river bed" by the Book of Mormon:

8 And it came to pass that he came to the waters of Ripliancum, which, by interpretation, is large, or to exceed all; wherefore, when they came to these waters they pitched their tents; and Shiz also pitched his tents near unto them; and therefore on the morrow they did come to battle.

9 And it came to pass that they fought an exceedingly sore battle, in which Coriantumr was wounded again, and he fainted with the loss of blood.

To faint is to realize how far from good sense and the greater good one has seems to have departed. When the riverbed is so entrenched that one does not know how much one is either a Democrat or a Republican or Christian or Jew instead of a man or woman trying to be a little happier each day before we die, then this is called a faint to a loss of blood.

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 8: They came to the waters. A large river that exceeds all is called the Sea. One cannot cross the Sea it is too vast. It is a moment of realization of the might and power of God and how terrible it is to realize one has defied Him and there is no going back.

The Number is 11955, יא‎טה‎ה‎, yata, "Go, get out."

ya= yes

ta= wander

America needs to tell the Republicans to get the fuck out. It's all come out now, it is time for the Department of Justice to get its ass moving and remove these people from our soil.

The situation began when the Trump Administration and its friends from the Party, the LDS, the Family Research Council, Heritage Foundation and Friends of Israel who were running an extortion ring using little kids as a weapon against the adult opponents of the Republican Party. In my case, this resulted in a "complex case" with sealed records. Even after my numerous reports to the police, FBI and Secret Service, thousands of additional cases of rape and assault involving sexy little kids took place.

Then the same persons who were involved in the Cock Ring collaborated with Hamas and Hezbollah to attack Israel on October 7, shortly after that, they played ping pong with the balls of the people of Ukraine when they came to us for help at Christmas time. That was nearly a year ago. So today would be a good day for the Republicans to die.

v. 9: And it came to pass and he fainted with the loss of blood.

The Number is 8576, חה‎‎ז‎ו‎, this is it.

The little kids that attacked me after I turned Donald Trump into the police for election fraud and having sex with minors came walking right into my hotel room, which is just down the street from the White House in the company of Trump, Mitt Romney and their little friends and family.

The kids were all wearing jock straps and leather gear, had crack pipes bigger than their heads, and many had those orange capped needle syringes tucked behind their little ears and they knew how to use them. They thought they were having the time of their lives while the adults egged them on. If they were even in the room.

The Marriotts, owners and hotel staff, who knew what was happening the entire time and were obviously allowing numerous guests and visitors into my room.

Fortunately one of the little ones belonging to Justice Barrett called it a day when they tried to make me have sex with my cat and started screaming like an opera star about it. I am not the only one to which this happened either before or after I told the FBI about it.

My first report, made just after qurantine in 2020, resulted in the Capitol Coup on January 6. Trump and Pence and the rest did not want to face the music after I told authorities they and every member of their cabinet were trafficking in explicit material featuring they and their colleagues engaged in sex with minors, some of whom were quite young. Yes, January 6 happened because of me. As one can see, the practice was fairly widespread and the Republicans were clearly determined to protect it at all costs.

After that, I was sexually assaulted hundreds of times, and left for dead in that hotel room, hanging from a wall fixture by three pairs of handcuffs. When I recovered consciousness, I screamed and yelled for around eight hours while hotel staff and guests came and went in the hallway. I could hear them laughing at me. Finally, someone from the front desk came into the room and cut me down using a pair of pipe cutters.

Fortunately, I survived and am determined to prevent what happened to me and to those people in Israel on October 7 from ever happening again.

During the incident(s) Donald Trump himself was present in person as were his entire legal team and many of the same politicians and SCOTUS Justices still being permitted to serve today.

Many of the others involved, who were working at the hotel in which I was staying have been seen in Gaza working alongside Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists. They frequently discussed attacking Israel in my presence, and then on October 7, they did. The event was clearly coordinated and financed by members of the very top tiers of the US Gov. Imagine my feelings when I saw that smug mother fucker Mike Johnson doing his best to prevent an aid package, vital to the people of Ukraine for their war effort against Russia from passing.

So when the Numbers say "this is it" they aren't whistling Dixie. We are indeed all gathered along a dividing line and we cannot go home until this has been dealt with. The very idea the US Gov might toy with the idea of a man like Donald Trump entering the White House again is astounding, and must not happen.

We are afraid to be just in this country and this is why no one respects us. We have no reason to be afraid of the evil housed in the Republican Party and we need the respect of other nations in order to perform our duties to this world and keep our promises. Someone in a position of power in the US Gov therefore needs to show the human race it is not afraid and put a stop to it. Otherwise, after the election, we are all going to be having raucous sex in Romper Room till Kingdom Come.

Obviously a cease fire between Israel and Hamas is out of the question until the Mormons, Republicans, and their friends in Hezbollah and Iran are all dead and gone.

[crossover-enthusiast]

Unfortunately, I now have to explain Ass-ams part of of the story—I mean Adam.

Here he is

Adam, along with his sister Eve, was born in Magic Kingdom Levianta in the BT 20s, the son of Queen Maria Moonlit. Despite Maria Moonlit's protests that the babies were a virgin conception, the Leviantan senator Miroku Loop Octopus hid the twins' birth and had the infants thrown into the river to prevent a potential scandal. Miraculously, Adam was rescued by a former forest spirit named Catherine who, being in the shape of a whale, carried him to the coast in her mouth. The baby, along with a message in a bottle with his name "Adam Moonlit", was later found by a fisherman,[1] and the boy spent the next five years growing up in an orphanage.[2]

One night, Adam's home was destroyed by a tsunami. Despite this, the young child managed to survive and lived alone on the coast. He was occasionally visited by the whale Catherine, and came to see her as his mother, while other humans who visited the coast treated the boy with hostility. One day Adam was approached by the head of the Levianta Royal Institute, Horus Solntse, who claimed to be there to adopt him on his real mother's orders. Though Catherine protested this claim and tried to stop Adam from leaving, Horus convinced the boy she was an evil forest spirit and Adam angrily left his former mother figure behind.

Once in Horus' care, rather than be reunited with his mother Adam was brought to live in the royal institute's research facility and stayed confined in its walls, forbidden to leave except when sent shopping. With Horus continually telling him that he needed to study more and work harder in order to meet his mother, Adam grew up well educated but severely emotionally deprived. Although Adam was eventually adopted as Horus' son, he continued to ask him about his mother, only to be denied.[1]

As Horus' health declined, he began employing various apprentices whom Adam began to work with as well, having by now become a skilled scientist. When Horus neared his death, he finally explained to Adam that his mother was Maria Moonlit. He claimed that Maria had been forced to give Adam up and became a puppet of Miroku thanks to the brainwashing drug Venom, Horus claiming that his "apprentice" Seth Twiright created it. Before departing to die alone, Horus had Adam agree to become the new head of the institute, and gave him a list of his allies who wished to help overthrow Miroku.

As head of the institute, Adam was left in charge of the ongoing "Next Queen Project" which had been started to artificially produce the next queen of Levianta, and the project lagged without Horus' guidance. One day, Adam received a visit from one of Horus' collaborators, Miroku's older son Gammon, and quickly used his knowledge from Horus to form a tentative alliance with him. One night, Adam conversed with Gammon at a bar about his family's prophetic dream ability and the current corrupt state of the Leviantan government. During their conversation, Adam was approached by Seth Twiright, who came to help with the Next Queen Project.

After Adam reluctantly allowed Seth to join the institute, the latter introduced the "God Seed", a living liquid alleged to be derived from Levia-Behemo, with which the institute could artificially create powerful magic users. During their meeting, Adam confronted Seth on his role in creating Venom; he learned that Seth had devised the recipe after being commissioned for it, but allegedly hadn't used it himself. In the wake of Alice Merry-Go-Round's prophecy and the Next Queen Project being re-purposed into Project 'Ma', Adam resolved to use the project to get revenge on Miroku for robbing him of a normal life with his mother, as well as to overthrow the current government and put himself in power.[1]

(Stopping so ya can read)

Ohhhhh

[kendylouwhoo]

What cold plunges have taught me about darkness

If cold was dark and warm was light...

The goal isn't to feel cold. It's more like feeling comfortable in coldness. Having reverence for cold is important, because it can kill you and it can make you feel sick, if it's not danced with properly...

When you start out slow, with curiosity, you can change your relationship to it. On a hot day, when you put your feet into a cold river and then take them out, how good does that feel... then look for that feeling when going into the cold water. Notice all the uncomfortably, retraction, not wanting to do it, not needing to change it and ask your body if this is what it wants. At first it feels hard but the more you do it, the easier it gets. When you soak up the moments of bliss when your body feels so good afterwards, more moments like that will come. When you go from hot to cold back and forth, it helps remind yourself that this is safe and you will warm back up. Staying cold could mean death, while being able to find warmth builds trust... and at some point, your body will crave the cold, while also telling you when it's enough. And when your warm, and you feel that freezing cold breeze caress your face, like a lover with an open heart, maybe in the past you retract, because you don't understand it, but now you open into it embracing how fucking amazing it feels.

We don't understand what darkness is, because of how manipulated it's been. We don't understand its gifts because how much we've desperately clung to the light. Like the feminine that's been in hiding for a very long long time... not turning the darkness into light or masculine into feminine... but finding the love in it all with the balance of both. Whats the authentic expression of darkness? It's not hurtting others or ourselves. It's walking the line of uncomfortably to find the truth in both sides. Light has burned us just as much as darkness has drown us. The extremes are distortions of weilding the power of holding both. Swinging left to right to find the middle. People think the middle is boring but I think that's where the magic is.

To keep doing, you need to rest. To rest well you need to do. Holding hands, like two lovers dancing the dance of balance.

Relax into the cold. When darkness comes, be still with it, breath into it, it's not a time to push.

When warmth is in flow, dance and do! That zap of lightning downloading into your brain is a time to go!

When it gets too hot, get hot enough to sweat or time to cool down. When you get too cold, hibernate or warm up.

There are no rules, do whatever the fuck you want! There are only laws, like the law of gravity which may be a bunch of bull shit. And the law of attraction which feels like a bunch of bullshit, you mean I have to love what I hate to make real change? And don't forget the law that says you can't kill someone, even if they are old and ready to move on because their bodies arent working at all and they aren't actually living, and they want to die, but nope, they must stay "alive". And you can also know that nature thrives in balance and so will you. But you know, if you're still swinging that pendulum, the grass isn't greener on the otherside. Maybe it is for minute or two, but ultimately if your growing a fucking lawn you're just going to spend more and more money on it until it fucking dies, so you might as well grow a food forests. Because that side of the pendulum is definitely the only right side. Or ya know, you could just start with a garden. Or just allowing the living beings that are there to be there and not eradicate anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. But like seriously how have we not figured out yet how ridiculous lawns are yet? They take sooo much water, you have to constantly manicure them, they won't be green unless you kill all the weeds and give it nitrogen and like 3 nutrients that then deplete all the other nutrients that then makes the land incapable of sustaining anything, therefore making it co-dependable on some humanbeing who thinks that they are being a good humanbeing by making their yard look green, fucking chemical shit storm...

*me to myself* ok breath... hahaha yeah that one still gets me.

What inside me is a manicured lawn

😂😘

[the8thsphynx]

KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISSES KISS--

[exocynraku]

hmmm i saw a post from someone recently about them wanting the 4 prophecy cats to be from different clans (i think they were talking about lion jay holly and dove) so i thought id make a little thing for that

jay & holly are still born to leaf and crow, but crow takes holly to windclan and leaf keeps jay. crow convinces nightcloud to raise holly as her kit and she reluctantly agrees. jays story is pretty much the same lol. holly has a hard time fitting in to windclan cuz of her fur colour & thickness so she has some trouble finishing her apprenticeship. during this time, squilf & jay are attacked by ashfur after the forest gets lit on fire. squilf says jays not her kit and that hes actually leaf and crows kit, but she doesnt tell ash about holly. before the next gathering, jay finds ash at the lake (i think it was the lake? was it a river? whatever) and kills him. then, at the next gathering he announces what holly did canonically, BUT! someone puts the pieces together. breezepelt, who knew that holly might not have been nightclouds real kit, realizes he’s right, and that shes probably leaf and crows kit too!!!! crow confirms this, which only causes more problems. breeze & holly now hate crow for lying, and team up with nightcloud to yell at him lol. holly has a hard time fitting into windclan even MORE now that shes found out shes half thunderclan. jay also has alot of trouble doing his med cat duties, because it means he has to be near leafpool, who he’s rlly uncomfortable with.

lion is born to russetfur, of shadowclan. his story is about his identity as the son of a former rouge (fun fact russetfur used to be a rouge named red). he doesnt know this at first because russet doesnt tell him. during the time he doesnt know, he’s got a pretty big ego cuz omggg im the son of the deputy!!!! awesoem. until he finds out russet used to be a rouge and now hes like. omg im… the son of a rouge? who is now deputy?!?? he kinda freaks out about it for a while until shadowclan (all of them) explain ya russetfur was a rouge but shes proved herself as a good deputy & clanmate and now hes chill …… until he discovers his powers. the first time he found out and WHY he found out is because he accidentally killed russetfur during a training session. hes totally spiralled into depression now and questions his identity even more cuz hes now 1: the son of a rouge 2: the son of the (former) deputy AND 3: a murderer

dove and ivy are born in riverclan, born to dawnflower alongside minnowtail. (tumblekit and pebblefoot dont exist anymore LOL) dove & ivys story are like the exact same except theyre in riverclan now lol. ivy gets shoved into the df because hawkfrost convices her (which honestly makes more sense now cuz shes riverclan), and guess who she sees there? breezepelt….. and hollyleaf. (and all the other df trainees) holly and ivy get along well, and train alongside eachother. dove finds out she has powers, and befriends willowpaw. willowpaw discovers that there are other cats who have powers, and takes dove to meet jay, and then later on lion. they get their prophecy (its not the kin of ur kin one anymore tho its a new one) and meet at the gathering island whenever they can

everything is the same up until ivy finds out the df’s true plans, and tries to convince holly to stop going to the df. holly refuses, not believing what ivys saying, and wanting to say with breeze. ivy runs away, and tells dove the truth. dove then goes and tells lion & jay. jay goes and tells firestar, who tells the rest of the clans, who then start planning for the df’s attack

everything is the same until the battle, where ivy gets in a confrontation with holly. ivy shows holly whats going on, and she FINALLY realizes whats going on, and joins the side of the clans. she’s also able to convince the majority of the other windclan df trainees to join the clans…. except breezepelt. holly and breeze get into a fight, and holly brutally injures breeze, killing him, and sending him into the dark forest

after the battle is over, the clans have won. holly meets leafpool and jay, and helps crow and leaf become friends again. night breaks up with crow, and moves on, starting a new life with someone else. lion is able to overcome his identity struggles, and becoming a wonderful warrior. blackstar offered him the spot as deputy, but he refused, still not feeling he deserved it after what he did to russetfur

the 3 lose their powers, and ivy and dove repair their relationship, holly, leaf, jay and crow try their best to get along, and dove starts seeing tigerheart. avos happens, dove & tiger leave and come back with kits, dove moves to shadowclan, aaand thats it! this got way too long but. whatever