#lin's translation log

[idiotprodigy]

Magnus corrects crisises later in this panel but take a wild guess on the existance of plural form nouns in Chinese. I'm trying you see this is the fun of translation.

-从我们起飞开始你就一直在角落里一蹶不振

-我在审时度势！

-不，擎天柱会审时度势，我会审时度势，你在闹别扭。你现在就在。

-我在面对我生命的有限性！我正在经历那种，呃，那种存在主义危险！

（-……危机）

（-通天晓，打住）

Megs and Rodimus bicker banter is so fun tbh I sure hope nothing bad ever happens--- (knows all the tragic stuff they go through later and enjoys it despite heartache)

[idiotprodigy]

Drift is growing on me through the first couple of issues and this point (when he charged overlord) is where I decided I like this bot. idk the reason but the vibes are aligned right. Poor boy he got the exile treatment and tragic backstories and shit but at least he's got his friend.

"your faith, your sword, and your friend. We do this together"

你有你的信仰，剑和你的朋友。我们共进退。

The version that fits context better would probably be

你有你的信仰，剑和你的朋友。我们一起对付他。

Hello folks the comic cap collection is active again and it's the car robots this time.

"you faith, your sword, and your friend. We do this together"

[wholelotofweird]

Okay, gamers, the first quarter of the year is over and I want to share with you the books I've consumed thus far.

I've recently been using StoryGraph and damn, it's really fun if you like data and also logging the stuff you read. Would recommend. I say that, because a number of these books were consumed thanks to one of the challenges they've set for the year, to read a number of books in different categories. Let me say, this is the most diverse spread I've read in YEARS. So. Anyway.

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses, by Kristen O'Neal

I would 100% recommend reading this book, if you are able, in print format instead of audio. There are a number of sections where the main characters are talking over text chat and I'm not sure how well that would translate over audio.

This book had me saying, "They're just like me fr" non ironically multiple times. It's such a lovely look at friendship and building our own communities and struggling with chronic illness. There is at no point any gatekeeping of what a chronic illness should look like or what a person with a chronic illness needs to look like.

The one thing that I didn't love was the fact that a white author picked first person POV of a POC. It isn't the best choice. I feel better about it after looking through O'Neal's website where she has readily admitted that it was a choice she would not make again. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of not making the "monstrous" character a POC.

Overall! I really enjoyed this book. It's a pretty fast read, but it is heartwarming and hopeful and full of genuine joy.

A Magic Steeped In Poison, by Judy I. Lin

This book was SO fun! Magic, romance, court politics, betrayal. What more could you want? Other than the magic system being tea based. That's right babies, TEA BASED! Monch monch monch, what a beautiful system I am in love.

This is another fast read. I've always been a sucker for magical tournaments and historical fantasy. If any of that is your vibe I would absolutely recommend picking this up. I know there is a second book, but I haven't had the opportunity to read that one yet.

Found, by Margaret Peterson Haddox

Now... Like I said... I was picking books for a reading challenge I'm doing. This one was from "read a middle grade book you never read", so I am FULLY aware that I am not the audience for this book.

That being said, oh my god, this was a rough one. I think my biggest gripe is that the cast are all 13-15 year olds but you would never know it. They're out here acting like 20 year olds. Maybe when I was 13 I would have been able to buy it, but at 30-whatever I am not. This is the first of multiple books and I can't say I regret not reading more.

Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers, by Deborah Heiligman

So, I'll be honest, the reason I was drawn to this was because I got to see this amazing Van Gogh art instillation last year. Part of that instillation was a display of excerpts of the letters between Vincent and Theo, and let me tell you, that is what made me cry.

This book is certainly nothing ground-breaking. It's a biography of these two men. It tells their stories at the same time, side by side. I also cried reading this.

Am I emotional? Is it because I have younger siblings I'm very close to? Is it because I, too, am mentally ill and an artist?

Who knows, gamers.

Quackery - A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything, By Nate Pedersen & Lydia Kang, MD

Again, nothing groundbreaking. This book is a funny and informative look at medical process through history. I'm a sucker for medical history. I did listen to the audiobook for this and I think it really helped the humor shine. If you're also a fan of bizarre medical history (or the podcast Sawbones), this is the book for you.

The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson

I enjoyed this book! For a person who is bad at remembering names, though, it was difficult to follow at times. There were so many players in the conception and realization of the Chicago World's Fair that I would lose track of just who I was hearing about.

That said, it was a very cool look into the trials and tribulations that went into making the spectacle a reality. This book managed to touch on SO much, not even to it's detriment. Despite getting confused by names the main through-line was easy to follow. I was invested start to finish.

In the Vanishers' Palace, by Aliette de Bodard

Do you like beauty and the beast retellings, but instead the beast is a very cool dragon, and also it's hella gay??? Then do I have the book for you! It does one of my favorite sci-fi things where there is a world, there are facts of that world, but you aren't supposed to learn them. Those aren't what matter, they are simply table setting. It's a beautiful story. I do wish there was a bit more depth into the romance, but that's just me.

Beautiful, atmospheric, and emotional. Lovely book.

A Marvelous Light, by Freya Marske

Damn, the pining in this book??? Truly a wonder.

This book is such a lovely blend of interesting plot, intriguing magic system, and just lovely gay romance. I've been trying to consciously read more queer books this year and so far I am having a wonderful time. I'm going to be 32 this year and for the first time since I was a pre-teen I'm seeing myself really reflected in books. It's such a fuckin' cool experience. I'm an emotionally compromised teenaged girl.

[arwainian]

Reading This Week 2023 #6

Testing out colorful text this week for my thoughts on the readings, to better seperate it out visually. What do you think? The default yellow text looked kinda ugly so I went with orange

Finished:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

i very nearly cried at the second proposal scene. to have this moment between Lizzie and Darcy, where they are completely alone together, with no secrets between them and so all that follows it total comfort and absolutely adorable banter.... AUGH

Beastars, Vol. 4 by Paru Itagaki, translated by Tomoko Kimura

Started and Finished:

"Embodied Knowing: An Experiential, Contextual, and Reflective Process" by Mimi Sodhi

"Fashion and the Fleshy Body: Dress as Embodied Practice" by Joanne Entwistle

Beast Complex, Vol. 1 by Paru Itagaki, translated by Tomo Kimura

I feel like i've said most of what I have to say about Beastars and this connected anthology series Beast Complex already, so what am I supposed to do when I'm going to keep reading it and it's going to keep coming up in these roundups? well I shall just deliver this phrase for now: delightfully fucked up!

two tall mountains by misspickman on ao3

(moss if you are reading this i will come back and comment on your wonderful fic on ao3 itself later, suffice to say i thought it was quite good)

"A Woman's Place is in the Nation" from Britons: Forging the Nation 1707-1837 by Linda Colley

Death of a Sorcerer by Jeannie Lin

fuck. I forgot that Jeannie Lin's work is very enjoyable to read despite being so SO heterosexual in nature. Need to add "chinese historical fiction" to my list of things to seek out to read more of

"Regimental World: Interpreting the Experience of British Soldiers during the Napoleonic Wars" by John E. Cookson in Soldiers, Citizens and Civilians: Experiences and Perceptions of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1790-1820 edited by Alan Forrest, Karen Hagemann, and Jane Rendall

"Fashion, Disability, Freedom of Choice" by Heather Watkins

Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen, narrated by Vikas Adams

enjoyable queer murder mystery! I did not spend the novel trying to figure out the murderer until the very end, and then in the last couple of chapters I guessed completely wrong because the correct answer seemed too obvious, also I listened to the entire 10 hour audiobook in a single day thanks to my excellent skill of listening to things on times 2 speed (i have a friend that teases me for listening to things for leisure at double speed, and i have nothing with which to defend myself)

Started and Ongoing:

Frequency by cryptocism on ao3

Tea is for Teacher by Recipe on ao3

tbh considering abandoning reading this one even though I've gotten pretty deep into it. i have to constantly coach myself through my DNF policy, which is: there is so much to read out there, so unless a work is extraordinarily short, or mandatory for something, i should only read things i actually enjoy, and not just don't-dislike. since I'm kinda meh on this fic, the policy is coming to mind

Ongoing:

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

and once again the DNF policy is starting to rear its head as I reach the middle of the book. I'm hesitating on putting it down because my dad really really likes this series and wants to talk about it with me, but what I've enjoyed most about this book is the action sequences, and i'm kinda meh on the characters themselves

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, translated by Constance Garnett, narrated by Frederick Davidson

while I've been enjoying this, you won't see it on the weekly log for roughly a month because my due date for the library loan came up and I had to return it. I will read it more diligently when it's back in my hands, i promise

Sam Patch, the famous Jumper by Paul E. Johnson

"Base and Superstructure in Marxist Cultural Theory" by Raymond Williams

[dragoncityinteriordesign]

When Zhao Yunlan finally goes to investigate Lin Jing's potential treachery, he does so by comparing the empty bag that the syringe should have been in to the log sheet. Thanks to @bisouette's crackerjack language skills, I have some translations of the log sheet:

Column headings: (serial) number, evidence origin, evidence name, amount, case progress/situation, results, inspector

#095-097: Drunken Murder Case; sharp knife, fruit knife, long knife; case confirmed; Inspectors Wang Zuojun, Da Qing #317-[323]: Kong Jing case; syringe, drill, feather duster, steel saw, steel [something], rope, electric saw; case confirmed; Inspector Da Qing [...]: glove; case awaiting confirmation; Inspector Bai Jinyuan [...]; case confirmed; Inspector Zhu Hong [...]; case confirmed; Inspector Zhao Zhugang

And then the bag itself, with explanatory notes:

Case name: Kong Jing case Evidence name: syringe with needle Collection location: old street [something something] building Investigating unit: SID Collector [the one who found it]: Lin Jing Sealer [person who sealed the bag?]: Da Qing Deliver-er [person who passes it on]: Receiving analyst: Receiving analysis unit:

Well, that's all nice and -- wait a minute, who the hell are Wang Zuojun, Bai Jinyuan, and Zhao Zhugang?

And now we're at the reason I originally asked @bisouette to look at this for me. I've mentioned before that my grasp of Chinese is beyond shaky, but by this point in the process, I can reliably read the names of all the main characters -- and these are not the names of the main characters.

Obviously the numbering system is nonsequential, which means that Wang Zhojun might be an employee from any time in the past decade, as long as Da Qing's been around. However, two of them have been busy recently: This is from episode 27; the Kong Jing case (AKA the Great Personality Caper) was episode 25. That means that somewhere in the interim, in the midst of wrangling Da Ji, SID also logged in at least eight new pieces of evidence, only three of which correspond to a case managed by someone we know.

On a meta level, I figure these are probably the names of some of the people who worked on the show, and those trusting fools figured no one would ever care enough to look closely. Ha! I sure showed them.

But when it comes to in-universe explanations? Go wild.

Theory 1: SID takes in all the weird shit anyone finds in Dragon City. Wang Zuojun, Bai Jinyuan, and Zhao Zhugang are employees of some other division, who, in the course of doing their otherwise mundane jobs, came across ooky spooky objects. These objects were collected and delivered to SID HQ, with the names of the original investigators preserved for future reference.

Theory 2: Despite what we see in the show, we are expected to understand that SID is actually a much larger division. All those "new" employees we see at the end have been there all along. However, Zhao Yunlan has chosen not to notice them, and we, experiencing the world through his protagonist's perspective, have not either.

Theory 3: Zhao Yunlan has concocted an entire roster of fake employees in an attempt to keep the funding coming in, and needs to keep putting their names on things to justify it all to payroll.

The possibilities are endless! And that's even without scratching the surface of what a Drunken Murder Case would entail, why it would be supernatural enough to warrant SID involvement, how that specific knife trio was involved, and whether those knives are or are not now being used for cutting up little fish in Lao Li's kitchenette (it's okay, he washed them real good first).

[slothspaghettiwrites]

for the soulmate au: d with lee bodecker please <3

d...amage done to a person also translates into their soulmate’s body (cuts, bruises and all).

Welcome to the Angst Train once again courtesy of @wakingbeauty 😌😌😌

Warnings: major characters death, blood, pain, bruises, we are taking no prisoners tonight pals.

God it was like they were just banging their head against a wall every damn night so you'd wake up with a splitting headache. Not to mention a couple of weeks ago they got a black eye. Your face was all bruised and swollen for five days. Whoever had hit them, hit like a truck. Your friends commented that maybe they were a boxer, someone real athletic. You weren't really sure that's what you wanted. You just wanted them to be happy.

This morning had been no different from the others. Another headache, another curse to your soulmate and their bad habits. You decide a walk in nature would help you feel better, something to feel the sun and nice breeze on your skin, not have to worry about being seen by anyone. A couple of shots rang out, nothing to unusual during this time of year. You didn't pay them no mind, just stayed clear of the usual hunting paths.

As you crested a hill, feeling a bit winded, but head a lot clearer, you saw some kid jump over a rotting log. Sheriff Bodecker of all people came rushing after him with his shot gun in hand. He looked wild, like he wasn't in his right mind. You moved behind a tree for a cover and waited for them to move on. The sheriff caught sight of you, or at least you think he did, but quickly was distracted by the boy again.

The ringing in your ears made it feel like your eyes were gonna pop out of your skull. A sick feeling in your stomach had you falling to your knees, your hands clutching at your side. It burned, whatever was going on was lighting your insides on fire. A weak cry left your lips.

Around you there was no one but the sheriff lying on the ground, gasping for air. You crawled to him, your bloody hands staining the dried leaves around you. His own torso was covered in blood. His eyes were the clearest blue. They focused and unfocused on his surrounding until they landed on you. A shaky hand scraped against your face, smearing the tears across your cheeks.

"S-sorry, darl-lin'."

[hunxi-after-hours]

all right friends I just finished 《倾国》 today and I feel the need to yell

(no spoilers below the cut, I just felt it was getting long)

folks have been asking me for links; I personally went back to the author’s Lofter and... scrolled, but it also appears to be collected on jjwxc. I was under the impression that an English translation of this fic was ongoing under the name “Peerless” on AO3 back in 2016, but I can’t seem to track it down -- if someone knows what happened to it, I’d be much obliged!

but like... where do I begin with this fic. the language is archaic and enchanting, the character interactions vibrant and delightful. the vast majority of the 177k+ words are spent on incredibly intricate intrigue and political maneuvering, supported by the author’s apparently encyclopedic knowledge of both book and show canon. I lost count of the classical and poetic references that are utilized (好一个 ‘何以解忧, 唯有杜康’) and woven into the thematic backdrop of what it means, what it truly means, for Xiao Jingyan and Mei Changsu to be who they are to each other--as emperor and strategist, as ruler and subject, as the person they would sacrifice entire kingdoms for

and friends. if you have ever once lost your mind over Lan Wangji’s linguistic register. if you have ever been moved by the combination of pining and self-restraint, sacrifice and sublimation. if you have ever wished for Xiao Jingyan to tenderly nurse Mei Changsu back to health. if you have ever gone feral for two characters who communicate with each other through layers of buried meaning and poetic references. friends this fic doesn’t just deliver, it slams it into your face with more force than than a body striking stone after a long fall from a cliffside

(oh, too soon?)

this fic really captures Mei Changsu’s 狠心, the cruelty and determination it takes to make difficult decisions that will benefit everyone in the long run, despite the temporary hurt it causes now. it also does justice to Xiao Jingyan’s perseverance and stubbornness, nobility and devotion. 

but to tunnel vision on those two would be unfair to the lovingly drawn supporting cast--methodically, the author goes through all of the recurring characters and then some to bring them both closure and development. I would die for YanDad and YanSon. Xiao Jingrui begins to realize his potential. Zhen Ping and Li Gang are engaged in a long-standing war consisting of elbowing each other to shut up. I could hear Jin Dong’s voice in my head every time I read a line of Lin Chen’s dialogue

friends what I’m trying to say is that 《倾国》 is very, very good and I’m going to need a second because wow

EDIT: the translation for “Peerless” is on hiatus if you log in on AO3!

[merakiui]

✄ - - anon list - -

a list of all of my named anons. send an ask if you’d like to be added to the list.

- wonderful anon

- rain anon

- 🌙 anon

- fate anon

- vibin’ anon

- anon lin

- sailor anon

- 🐇 anon

- cookie anon

- lumi anon

- ☘️ anon

- v anon

- 🍵 anon

- 🐝 anon

- 🐉 anon

- 🐙 anon

- 🔑 anon

- 🔥 anon

- 🦢 anon

- thirst anon

- kaeya anon

- 🌻 anon

- zhongli simp anon

- aether 🐛 anon

- 🦋 anon

- 🍒 anon

- scared-of-childe anon

- 🌸 anon

- 💌 anon

- 🎂 anon

- orchid anon

- emi anon

- applepie 🍎 anon

- ( ͡≖ ₃ ͡≖) anon

- ioio anon

- 🦆 anon

- 🧸 anon

- 🥕 anon

- rainbow anon

- blep cat anon

- peareye 🍐👁 anon

- 🐏 anon

- 📸 anon

- 💕 anon

- 🍄 anon

- 🩹 anon

- 🍁 anon

- 🥖 anon

- yanven anon

- 🍽💭 anon

- 🐺 anon

- tomo anon

- andromeda anon

- taki anon

- 😅 anon

- :) anon

- galaxy brain anon

- 🥶 anon

- :D anon

- mama anon

- doll anon

- lurker anon

- 🌿 anon

- 🐻 anon

- 🔮 anon

- 🤔 anon

- 🦩 anon

- savanaclaw magnet anon

- 🎭 anon

- plum anon

- fwb anon

- boba anon

- ✨🌌🌒 anon

- 💫 anon

- eel anon

- 🦐 anon

- 😥 anon

- 🖤 anon

- 🦈 anon

- 🌹 anon

- 🍡 anon

- 🌊 anon

- rolly polly anon

- M anon

- heartslabyul anon

- miyanon

- glasscup 🥃 anon

- concha anon

- 🪵 log anon

- mer eggs anon

- 🐔 anon

- ghostie anon

- 🐍 anon

- azul’s tentacle anon

- amethyst anon

- lilac anon

- 🌟 anon

- ☄️ anon

- 🌧 anon

- 🐚 anon

- 👻 anon

- 🌸🍒 anon

- 🍰 anon

- star anon

- 👠 anon

- 💜 anon

- cuchito anon

- 🤺 anon

- 👁️‍🗨️ anon

- lionfish anon

- honey anon

- 🦉 anon

- 🕷 anon

- 🌷 anon

- 🤓☝🏼 anon

- risska anon

- :3 anon

- melon anon

- ☣️ anon

- 🦖 anon

- 🙈 anon

- 🦭 anon

- orca anon

- epel felmier anon

- google translate anon

- ⛩ anon

- >_< anon

- 🫧 anon

- 🎐 anon

- scorpion anon

- 🐁 anon

- 🥀 anon

- 🖊 anon

- jelly anon

- rie anon

- violet anon

- 📚 anon

- 🎶 anon

- ☕️ anon

- merra anon

- pot roast brain anon

- vermy anon

- lily anon

- 🍋 anon

- 📀 anon

- 🫐 anon

- ❤️‍🩹 anon

- barista anon

- 🤠���‍⬛ anon

- 🤘 anon

- phantom anon

- 🥥 anon

- ♦️ anon

- rimi anon

- GG anon

- 🐼 anon

- 🥝 anon

- 🪴 anon

- 😇 anon

- 💥 exploding anon

- killer whale anon

- 🐰💤 anon

- 🎨 📝 anon

- princess anon

- wild garden flower anon

- 🦝 anon

- ™️ anon

- 🗝️ anon

- riddle loving anon

- 🎀 anon

- pomefiore 💷 anon

- emphy anon

- 🏵️ anon

- 🐶 anon

- 🪄 anon

- floyd obsessed anon

- ⭐️ anon

- 🍮🥄 anon

- ❤🥐 anon

- 🐌 anon

- no. 1 furina kinnie anon

- jadefucker anon

- bill cypher anon

- mafia tako/mera day anon

- 🖋 anon

- science freak anon 🤡🧪

[kentuckywrites]

Imperium 2: Chapter 7

Tu reliquisti me. (You left me.)

The further inside they got, the worse it became. Nessa found herself sickened by all the bodies they had to tiptoe over, and as they made their way into what appeared to be the central building, they were forced to navigate rubble and debris as well. Some of the walls looked torn and thrown apart, as if something had taken them and thrown them across the halls like a toy. The chilly wind seeped in through these holes, and it did nothing to stop Nessa from shivering, her arms folded in an effort to ward off her fright. 

“Was this...it couldn’t have been Starr, right?” Nessa tried to fool herself, though the moment she spoke her theory, Solstice’s shoulders slumped.

“This could very well have been Starr. I am not an advocate for the Ganglion by any means, but this...this is a massacre.”

Nessa could only afford to nod once, forcing herself to continue on into a stretch of the building that seemed more sturdy and undamaged. Claw marks and dents still littered the walls, but the wind couldn’t reach them this far in. Nessa was thankful for that, for the time being.

The hallway they’d entered continued for a long and winding way, until it opened up into a room far too large for the purpose it likely served. In the center of the room, a large towering console that connected the floor and ceiling, dull and lifeless. Around the console were more bodies, even more bodies, and a startling amount of debris and rubble compared to what they’d found outside. The source became apparent once they’d fully entered. One of the adjacent walls was completely ripped apart, a giant gaping hole where someone - something - had forced its way out. Tables, chairs, documents, all scattered across the floor, bodies of their own accord, with information and evidence just as comprehensible as the organic dead. 

For a change of pace, however, two living beings were stationed next to the center console. Elma waved them over, her guns both drawn and at the ready, while Lin was hunched over one of the console’s many screens, looking quickly between it and her comm device in her left hand. Nessa approached first, her brow furrowed.

“Looks like you guys won the race. Don’t tell me you caused all this.”

“I did a sweep of the entire fortress before you both arrived,” Elma relayed her information with a solemn heart, “Everyone was already dead. No signs of anything living in here. The bodies aren’t fresh, but Ganglion tend to decompose at a slower rate, so I want to say this likely happened within the past few weeks.”

“So the likely conclusion is that this is Starr’s handiwork,” Solstice put their head in their hands, rubbing away at more unborn tears, “This is horrific. I should've worked faster, I should’ve done more to arrive in Cocytios sooner so as to avoid this mess -”

“Hey, Sol, this isn’t your fault,” Nessa reassured them, “Besides, better Ganglion than humans, right?”

“Their species does not matter. What does matter is that this is a tremendous loss of life.”

“I agree,” Elma said, “Though that doesn’t mean this is your fault. I don’t believe anyone could have thwarted this. That being said, Lin is hard at work attempting to unlock the computer and access its data. We’re hoping to discover what truly happened here, as well as uncover any existing files on Starr or Pongo.”

“There wasn’t any sign of him here, then?” Nessa asked, slightly hopeful.

But Elma shook her head. “None, I’m afraid. I even checked amongst the bodies, but there’s -”

“No. No, he’s not dead,” Nessa interrupted, suddenly defensive and colder than she felt, “I refuse to believe he’s dead. He probably picked up a brain cell and stayed as far away from here as he could.”

Elma opened her mouth to object, but before she could speak, the computer Lin was standing in front of lit up, emitting a soft static to indicate that it was awake, that it was powered on and ready to go, though likely damaged. “There! Looks like this one still works.”

“Great job, Lin,” Elma commended her efforts, and everyone quickly gathered around the young Outfitter to gaze at the currently black screen. Letters decorated the edges and some of the sides, a language Nessa couldn’t understand. However, Lin pieced things together and started to tap random sequences, unfazed. 

“You can read Ganglion?” Nessa asked.

“I can’t exactly read it, but I know enough from my past attempts at hacking these to know where things are, if that makes sense,” Lin explained, pulling up a long string of letters accompanied by tiny thumbnails Nessa couldn’t quite understand. “This subsection is full of videos. Might be worth watching them, since...well, can you read Ganglion?”

“Nope,” Nessa scoffed, “But we should start somewhere, I guess? Mira, can you confirm that you’ll be able to translate the Ganglion if they’re speaking in the video?”

Yep. No worries there.

“Okay, it’ll translate. Pick a video and pray.”

Lin tapped on one of the lower video entries, and the screen switched to a new interface. Solstice flinched as a Ganglion appeared on the screen, a Misaaldi in standard attire. She spoke clearly, staring into the screen with such a silent rage that it made the hairs on the back of Nessa’s neck raise.

“Entry 22 in the superweapon experiment. We believe we have identified the ritual’s formula in the creation of an endbringer. The puny natives utilized ether in their day-to-day lives as easily as air. If we can collect enough ether from the surrounding environment and consolidate it into one location, we could theoretically force a subject to intake that ether and transform. The specifics of this process shall be outlined by Sharnaak, once he returns from his journey to the lava continent. We have great hopes for this next step in the experiment. The Great One shall be pleased with our hard work in restoring his honor. End log.”

“They...they replicated the ritual?” Solstice’s hands began to shake, and this time, Nessa didn’t hesitate. She took one of Solstice’s hands, squeezed it tightly, felt them squeeze back. Their eyes remained glued to the screen, attempting to say something, though words failed them. Elma was the one to speak in their stead, taking a deep breath in, exhaling out.

“The superweapon experiment...and what exactly is the ritual you’re speaking of?”

Solstice looked to Nessa, and with a small shake of their head, Nessa stepped up to the plate to explain. “The Telethia in Noctilum was created through an ancient ritual. It’s a person - or it was one, a very long time ago.”

The lie flowed easily, and Elma and Lin believed with with all their hearts. However, Elma’s confusion was still apparent. “So then, the Ganglion tried to harness this ritual and create their own Telethia? That would explain Starr, as well as his behavior.”

“Find another video,” Solstice finally managed to stutter, “I-I need to know more.”

Lin scrolled through the available videos for a moment, clicking on one that was farther away from the one they’d watched. Once more, the screen switched to the same Misaaldi, still in standard attire, though far more activity behind them indicated that something in the atmosphere had changed.

“Entry 59 in the superweapon experiment. We’ve successfully completed the ether serum. We will begin testing on our human subjects shortly, and I shall report back the details at a later time. Pause recording.”

The video cut to black for a second before returning to the Misaaldi woman, who wiped her brow before addressing the camera.

“Resume recording. All five human test subjects did not survive the injection. We have reason to believe that, once they successfully transformed, their consciences remained in tact, and they utilized their newfound strength to turn against us. We are awaiting data analysis from Sharnaak before conducting more experiments, as we wish for his input before proceeding. End log.”

The video ended. Lin didn’t waste any time in picking a new video log, and the Misaaldi soon reappeared, now wearing a confident and knowing smile.

“Entry 81 in the superweapon experiment. As per Sharnaak’s guidance, our team has created a secondary serum to combat the existence of being. Finely crafted and tuned, this serum is far more technological in nature, as the human body is not organic. The serum shall enter the data bloodstream of the human and remove everything that makes them human - their puny dreams and desires, their personality, their useless memories. Their mind shall become a blank slate, and thus, their transformation shall not be hindered by their humanity. Now, we must locate another test subject, and perhaps this shall be the final experiment required before we complete the transition. The Great One will be pleased to see that his servants have gifted him an army, forged from his enemies, forged into mindless, willing servants. End log.”

“A serum to erase someone…” Elma’s voice cracked, the fear radiating from Solstice contagious. “That…”

“There’s only one more video,” Lin told everyone, her voice barely a whisper, hushed and quiet and full of dread. “Should I…”

“We have to know.” Nessa said, clearing her throat. “Play it.”

And so, with that final, resolute command, Lin pressed the final file. The scene changed, though the Misaaldi still stood in front of the camera. Behind her, Nessa could make out a steel board, with cuffs placed where wrists and ankles would go, a larger strap where hips would likely be. Many other Marnaak and Misaaldi stood nearby, some walking around with medical tools, others standing guard off to the side, bystanders to the beginning of the end. The Misaaldi chuckled before starting her speech.

“Entry 82 in the superweapon experiment. We’ve found a perfect candidate. Alone, rather strong for a human. We think he will make the perfect base. As such, Sharnaak has given us the all-clear to begin the test.”

She glanced over her shoulder, and her voice rose as she ordered, “Bring him in!”

Nessa held her breath as, from off screen, she heard the sounds of protest, wincing, startled yelps and cries. Two Marnucks dragged another humanoid in, his legs kicking and struggling, though because of the Marnucks’ height advantage, she couldn’t see the human, couldn’t identify him. They brought him to the board, strapping him into place, all while the human continued to cry out, begging, pleading with them to stop, to tell him what was going on. When the Marnucks finally stepped away, and they had a clear visual on who was strapped to the board, who the Ganglion had picked as their test subject…

Nessa was met with a pair of pupiless indigo eyes, identical to her own. Wide with fear, obscured only slightly by long black hair, draping over pale skin and a torn purple combat vest. 

No one said his name. Everyone was frozen, watching, waiting. 

The Misaaldi stepped up to him. She had the nerve, the fucking nerve, to reach out and place her hand on his cheek, shushing him with one of her fingers. 

“Not to worry, my dear. It will all be over soon.”

She then addressed the Marnucks standing slightly behind the board, to the Marnucks that were standing close by in preparation. “Inject the first serum. Let us put an end to his suffering.”

On command, a Marnuck with a syringe stepped up, tall enough to look him in the eye as he forced his head up, exposing his neck fully. The syringe went deep inside, and he screamed, and Nessa nearly covered her ears because it shattered something deep inside her that she didn’t know could shatter, and tears were forming in her eyes, obscuring her vision, what was happening to him, what were they doing to him, make it stop make it stop make it stop -

He stopped crying. He stopped screaming, he stopped struggling. He simply went limp, head dropping as if he had no energy left, no will to fight or to live or to escape this madness. The silence was overwhelming. 

Then, his head picked back up.

Nessa was met with a pair of dead, pupiless gray eyes. Void of life, obscured only slightly by long black hair, draping over pale skin and a torn purple combat vest. 

The Misaaldi returned her hand to his cheek. He did not respond.

“My little puppet...it’s time to give you strings.”

She waved another Marnuck over, another one holding a syringe. The injection was performed without resistance into the same place as the former. It took a good ten seconds for anything to happen, and his eyes suddenly began to shift, his body started to swell, his fingers formed claws and tried to scratch at the air as he let out a howl, not a scream, a full blown howl, guttural and from the deep confines of his empty body -

Nessa couldn’t watch. She squeezed her eyes shut and simply listened to the sound of metal snapping under pressure, the howls turn into roars, the tearing of flesh and the new symphony of Ganglion screams as heavy thuds echoed against the walls, as structures began to tumble and fall and collapse under pressure, and it only kept going and going and going and -

Silence. 

Nessa opened one eye, and the video had ended abruptly. Its aftermath, however was clear as day, scattered around them, the remnants of a massacre.

It was her turn to start shaking. It was Solstice’s turn to squeeze her hand. Elma and Lin sat, staring at the screen as if they were hoping it’d provide something else, a little message saying “it’s all a prank”, “it’s all a dream”, “none of this is real”. But nothing came. They were only met with darkness. Quiet. Nothingness.

But of course, even if Nessa asked for nothingness, she would always have a little voice in her head, a separate being acting as her inner conscience.

My...my baby…you...

She didn’t think she’d ever hear Mira’s voice waver, she didn’t think Mira was capable of showing such a parental kindness. But here it was, and it sounded so torn, so lost. 

Before she could respond, a distant roar echoed across the skies, and Solstice looked up to meet it. There, behind the clouds, descending towards them…

Solstice stared dead into Starr’s eyes as he landed, teeth bared, ready to fight. They addressed Nessa without looking at her. Their hands remained intertwined.

“Your brother has great timing,” They whispered.

[idiotprodigy]

“牺牲，老通，多窝囊啊，那是胆小鬼的出路。我需要为了弥补错误活下去而且——啊啊啊啊啊！”

pov Rodimus when he thought he may die in saving others, mtmte issue 21

alternative is 我需要活下去来弥补错误, not sure which one works better

[second-chance-stray]

RP Log: Cravendy meets Lin! I think both of them have a terrible time.

Cravendy Hound woke up two days prior, and has spent those days awkwardly exploring the company while simultaneously avoiding all of its members. Finally, she understands what has happened in her absence...a very basic understanding, at least. The details are far too many to untangle at the moment.

Cravendy Hound has left a note on Lin’s door, inviting her to meet at one of the Lavender Bed islands. She waits on the bench absolutely terrified. Outwardly, this unintentionally translates into a menacing aura. Fists clenched, eyes dark, looking pissed off as hell.

Aislinn North It was a day with no work to be done. For most people, that would be a cause to celebrate. Right now, at this point in time, for Aislinn, it's a nightmare. Nyscera's people and Bertram, all of them had conspired against her. Sweeping the paperwork from her desk, aiding her in the clinic, leaving her with no escape. Work was the distraction used to keep her thoughts from looking back. Like a colorful toy you waved in front of a child to keep their attention where you wanted it. However, there was one piece of parchment left for her on her now far-too-clean desk. A note. She turned her head to the sound of approaching footsteps, the blood promptly draining from her face as she read it over. What in the Seven Hells was this? She fought back a litany of curses. No. She wasn't doing this today. She couldn't do this today. However, underneath the note was another's handwriting. Bertram had written something. And whatever he had penned had her out here, in the rain, making her way to this damned meeting. She caught sight of the familiar silhouette as she approached and immediately felt her throat go dry. As she drew closer, she realized the look was all wrong. The anger, the glaring eyes. Nothing about this....person was Wyda. She came to stand wordlessly just under the gazebo's shelter. She simply couldn't find anything to say.

Cravendy Hound similarly feels her heart sink when Lin steps into view. There is no plan, no eloquent speech prepared. Hells, she doesn’t even have a rough idea of what she wants to talk about. But she feels like she has to say something - anything - for both of their sakes. And yet, words fail her. The silence stretches between two of them like a widening fissure, and it feels unsurmountable. Gods, what was she thinking?

Cravendy Hound gets up. Why did she do that? Now she’s standing! She moves to sit back down, but wouldn’t that be more awkward? Cravendy freezes in a half-squat for a second until finally deciding to throw caution to the wind. Hells. She’s got the nerves of a kid on stage for the first time, but at least things can only get better...right?

Cravendy Hound strides over to Lin, grabs her shoulder, sits her down on a bench, and then takes a seat across from her. Okay, pieces in place. Things should happen now. Aaaanytime now. “.....................................”

(Aislinn North) ((Awww! OKay, this has me laughing! xD)) (Cravendy Hound) xD!! )) (Cravendy Hound) cravs has 0 braincells 0 plans. the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in many ways ))

Aislinn North eyes flared widely as Cravendy grabbed hold of her shoulders, clearly taking umbrage at being maneuvered into place by a person she knows is a total stranger. Unfortunately, her still-healing injuries leave her unable to swiftly move out of the way in time and she finds herself plopped on the nearby bench instead. "Nymeia's bloody britches." she muttered, returning the Seawolf's glare with one of her own. "Starting to think I might have been better off wandering another circle around the House." In all honesty, it's the most emotion she's displayed since the events of that horrible day.

Cravendy Hound: “Aye, you an’ me both. Suppose we got that in common? Not wantin' to be ‘ere. Today being a weird an’ unpleasant day.” Cravendy tries to laugh and her voice cracks from high to low. Twelve have mercy, her expressions are not fully her own yet. Her face reddens and her scowl only deepens. “M-mud an’ shite! Been more than a year since I last spoke, I promise I ain’t like this normally...”

Aislinn North "I'll have to take your word on that." came Aislinn's rapid fire retort. She had clearly reached 'Anger' along her trip through the five stages of grief. But even she can hear the bite in her words and knows they're misdirected. She looked away, out over the water as a war waged within her chest. Logically, what happened wasn't Cravendy's fault. It also wasn't Cravendy's fault she woke up. She just did. Logically, Aislinn knew all of this. She just didn't like it. "....It'll get easier, I'm sure." she finally, grudgingly allowed. That felt alright to say. That felt safe.

Cravendy Hound winces slightly, but the bite in Lin’s voice feels deserved. It isn’t as if she’s unaware of what has happened in the past year. In dreams you can become another on the flip of a dime...She’s in possession of memories that are both hers, and not hers. She shakes her head.

Cravendy Hound: “Don’t go easy on me. I know what happened. The mess I caused.” She  crosses her arms and...my god. She was never going to get used to how after waking up, she suddenly had the toned body of a fistfighter. God, everything is so weird. “...An’ I won’t go easy on ye. Ye look like shite, an’ ye look like ye can stand to get somethin’ off yer chest.

(Cravendy Hound) sleep is the most powerful workout xD )) (Aislinn North) ((God, I wish that were true! lol!))

Aislinn North shot the Seawolf a swift, dry look out of the corner of her eye. "You're looking for someone to unload on you, aren't you?" she shrewdly assessed. "Did you? Cause this mess? I mean, did you mean to summon..." her voice caught, stumbled over the word. "the primal?"

Cravendy Hound: “Personally, could do without. But when ye do somethin’ wrong, an’ ye don’t get what ye deserve then...well, I’d be wonderin’ whether or not I was still dreamin’.” Her jaw set, tight. To Lin’s second point, she found herself at a loss for words. Part of her wanted to absolve herself of guilt and claim it wasn’t her fault. A half-truth to make everyone feel better, and one that she knew would gnaw away at her heart like all of her other white lies. No...She literally died following this creed. She had to carry on differently, no matter how uncomfortable.

Cravendy Hound: “....It was unintentional. But what I did leadin’ up to it was my fault.”

Cravendy Hound: “Accident or not, I made a right mess of things. If hatin’ me will make ye feel better, then I’ll gladly bear it.” Hair fell in front of her face as she let out a short breath.

Aislinn North "How could I hate you? I don't *know* you." Aislinn replied. "And that's an awful lot of wasted energy, in my experience." She grew quiet as she mulled over Cravendy's words. For a long stretch the only sound was the rain drumming against the roof of the gazebo. She saw what she was trying to do. Get all the information and assemble it into something that made sense. That gave her answers. And what would answers do now? They wouldn't change the outcome. "You're right though...you did make a mess of things." she said with blunt honesty. "And we're all just going to have to learn to live with it. Not all of us are going to manage...*well*"

Cravendy Hound’s brows knitted together. She was partly relieved to hear that she wasn’t going to be immediately hated by Lin. Dream-friend or no, it was definitely something she could do without. But the other half of her was frustrated at the existence of yet another problem that she caused, that she couldn’t fix at once.

Cravendy Hound: “Maybe ye don’t know me, and maybe I don’t know ye, but whether ye like it or not, I’m ‘ere for you. Because...” Cravendy pauses. Because what? She feels selfish for saying anything at all. If her goal isn’t closure, then what is it? She doesn’t know, and it infuriates her. “...Just because.”

Cravendy Hound: “....................” It dawns on her that she hasn’t introduced herself. Shit, is it too late to bring it up now? She simmers in anxiety and, as usual, it comes across as looking like she’s about to fight something.

Aislinn North sat back sharply, caught up short. Clearly, she wasn't ready for that. She looked away. Her fingers tapped out a quick rhythm against her leg, her jaw squared. How many times did it take for her to learn this particular lesson? Cracking herself open again and again only to lose people. No. *This* time she would get it. *This* she'd learn. Upon glancing back at Cravendy, her dark musings fly from her. The woman looked like she wanted to punch something. Aislinn tensed. "Alright, there?" ...she asked uncertainly.

(Cravendy Hound) xD )) (Aislinn North) ((Lin's wondering if she's gonna have to dodge and roll xD))

Cravendy Hound narrows an eye as she reads Lin’s expression. Shit, looks like she’s closing up. But then again, what other outcome could she expect? Thrust herself in her life and expect immediate and full reconciliation? Of course not. Cravendy doesn’t know Lin either, and maybe never seeing each other would be the best path to take...but it feels wrong to see her like this. It just does.

Cravendy Hound: “It’s not alright! I...I wake up after tryin’ to end things and I guess things are better? But worse at the same time? I’m still where I was a year ago an...” She cuts off her outburst. Piss n’ wind, just another way to further alienate Lin. “‘SCUSE ME.”

Cravendy Hound gets up, dunks herself under the water and yells at the top of her lungs. When she comes back, she looks spent. “Should’ve said this at the beginnin’, but I’m Cravendy. And I’m...I’m just losing me mind! Haha. That’s a...a joke.”

(Cravendy Hound) i dont know whether to laugh or cry )) (Aislinn North) ((ohhhhh...I think this is one of those times where its just both!)) (Cravendy Hound) both? both. xD )) (Aislinn North) ((xD)) (Aislinn North) ((Also did she just go and pitch herself into the water, or just her head?)) (Cravendy Hound) LOL she stepped into the water, slams herself completely underwater, and then came back )) (Aislinn North) ((lol! Got it!)) (Cravendy Hound) lmao i dont know which would give off more of an insane person vibe. if she crawled on the wood and dunked just her head in the water versus what she actually did )) (Aislinn North) ((lol! Oy, that's true! Six of one, I suppose))

Aislinn North As the woman let loose on her, Aislinn realized the turn of phrase she's used since childhood may have been misconstrued. She sat in stunned silence after watching Cravendy pitch herself into the lake. She'd get up but at the moment, in her condition, that seemed like too much of a chore. "I didn't..." it was all for the best as Cravendy immediately returned and squelched back down on the bench. "It's just...something I say. Of course nothing about this is alright." she let go a breath. "Cravendy...I gathered that. From the note you left me." A part of her had to admire someone who could do exactly what they felt like doing. She, herself, had been holding in a scream for days. She looked forward to when she could pick up her pistol again and target shoot. She had always been better at letting her gun snarl and growl for her. "And like I said, it's not an easy thing. But it'll get easier."

Cravendy Hound sits in wet, miserable silence. Her hair, once a dense tangle resembling a pine tree, is now slicked down against her face and shoulders. And she’s godsdamned grateful for looking like a mess right now, as it hides the tears and redness in her eyes. She’s not some whelp to be pitied, she’s a tough pirate that shoots first and asks questions later! Used to be, anyway. Cravendy sniffs once. Must be the cold.

Cravendy Hound: “Hah, ah...No.” She takes a bundle of hair in her hand and wrings water out of it. It’s a little salty. “Yeah. No...No? No.”

Cravendy Hound: “........Aye.”

Aislinn North tipped her head as she listened to Cravendy argue. Though whether it was with Aislinn or herself, the highlander couldn't be sure. "Aye." she affirmed. "Because there's no other option." she spoke like someone who knew that was the way of it.

Aislinn North After a pause, she slowly pulled herself to her feet. "I'll be heading back to the House now. Not that anyone has left me much of anything to do...but still." she sighed. She hesitated a moment, studying Cravendy. Feeling torn in several directions all at once. "Come back up when you're ready. No sense sitting in wet clothes for very long."

Cravendy Hound sighs. Well, that went swimmingly. She shrugs her shoulders and lets Lin go, preferring to unwind in the privacy of this lonely island for now.

[mikkies]

YOUR PFP OMG

I’m so in love with the new cards and I NEED translations right this instant. I got Epel’s card and I somehow got Ace’s dorm SRR (i hate him/j)

Also ignore how most of those cards say new, I barely go in JP

WERE GONNA GET CHAPTER 7 SOON LIKE PROBABLY NEXT YEAR BUT IM SO EXCITED, I’m so scared for silver and Lilia because I feel like one of them is gonna end up hurt or something

dw lin i also barely log in jp, im so excited and also scared for chapter 7 like bro lilia and silver my best buds i will absolutely throw hands if sebek gets hurt.. also tyyy lin i was trying to get a burnt up pfp

[urbanchristiannews]

UK Christians Welcome Refugees amid Frustrations with Immigration Process

UK Christians Welcome Refugees amid Frustrations with Immigration Process

When Wai Lin Wong arrived in Bristol from Hong Kong in April 2021, one of the first things she did was look for a new church. “I logged onto Facebook; I searched Google,” she said, “and found churches with webpages translated into Chinese, groups of other Hong Kongers, and sanctuaries full of people like me.” That happened a lot, said Mark Nam, an Anglican priest in Bristol. As the Chinese…

[pamphletstoinspire]

EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO THE HEBREWS - From The Latin Vulgate Bible

Chapter 10

PREFACE.

The Catholic Church hath received and declared this Epistle to be part of the Canonical Scriptures of the New Testament, though some doubted of it in the first ages[centuries], especially in the Latin Church, witness St. Jerome on the 8th chap. of Isaias; Luther and most of his followers reject it, but the Calvinists and the Church of England have received it. Others, who received this Epistle in the first ages[centuries], doubted whether it was written by St. Paul, but thought it was written by St. Barnabas, or by St. Clement of Rome, or St. Luke, or at least that St. Paul only furnished the matter and the order of it, and that St. Luke wrote it, and St. Paul afterwards read it and approved it. It was doubted again, whether this Epistle was first written in Hebrew (that is, in Syro-Chaldaic, then spoken by the Jews) or in Greek, as Estius pretends. The ancient writers say it was written in Hebrew, but that it was very soon after translated into Greek either by St. Luke or St. Clement of Rome, pope and martyr. Cornelius a Lapide thinks the Syriac which we have in the Polyglot to have been the original; but this is commonly rejected. See Tillemont on St. Paul, Art. 46, and note 72; P. Alleman on the first to the Hebrews, &c. St. Paul wrote this letter about the year 63[A.D. 63], and either at Rome or in Italy. See Chap. xii. 24. He wrote it to the Christians in Palestine, who had most of them been Jews before. This seems the reason why he puts not his name to it, nor calls himself their apostle, his name being rather odious to the Jews, and because he was chosen to be the apostle of the Gentiles. The main design is to shew that every one's justification and salvation is to be hoped for by the grace and merits of Christ, and not from the law of Moses, as he had shewn in his Epistles to the Galatians and the Romans, where we many observe this kind of difference: To the Galatians he shews, that true justice cannot be had from circumcision and the ceremonies of the law: to the Romans, that even the moral precepts and works of the law were insufficient without the grace of Christ: and in this to the Hebrews, he shews that our justice could not be had from the sacrifices of the old law.

Chapter 10

Because of the insufficiency of the sacrifices of the law, Christ, our high priest, shed his own blood for us, offering up once for all the sacrifice of our redemption. He exhorts them to perseverance.

1 For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things: can never with those same sacrifices which, they offer continually every year, make the comers thereunto perfect:

Notes & Commentary:

Ver. 1. The law having a shadow[1] of the good things to come. The apostle continues till the 19th verse to shew the insufficiency of the former law, as to the redemption and salvation of mankind. By the good things to come, some understand heaven itself, and the happiness of the elect there, of which the law was but a shadow, whereas we have a much more perfect image and knowledge of heaven in the new law, than they who were under the former law. Others by good things to come, understand the blessings of interior graces, with a remission of our sins in the sight of God, and true sanctification, of which all the sacrifices and sacraments of the old law, without faith in Christ, were but a shadow: and now in the new law we have an express image of them, i.e. we have these blessings themselves. (Witham)

Note 1:

Ver. 1. Umbram,...non ipsam imaginem rerum, skian, ouk auten ten eikona. It seems hard to take eikona for the things themselves represented; but only to signify, expressam imaginem.

2 For then they would have ceased to be offered: because the worshippers once cleansed should have no conscience of sin any longer:

Ver. 2. Then they would have[2] ceased to be offered. That is, if they could have made the worshippers perfect; to wit, in such a manner as the one sacrifice of Christ, who was the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world, by making a full reparation to the divine justice for the sin of Adam, and of all his offspring. For we must take notice that he compares the sacrifice of Christ, which wrought a general redemption, with the sacrifices of the former law, which could never make any sufficient atonement to the majesty of God offended by sin, and which, by the decree of heaven, were to cease as soon as Christ's sacrifice of a general redemption was made: for then the worshippers would be so cleansed from sin, that they would stand in need of no more, but that the merits and satisfactions of Christ, their Redeemer, should be applied to them according to the order of God's providence; that is, by faith in Christ, by his sacraments, by a true repentance, and the practice of virtue and good works. (Witham) --- If they had been of themselves perfect to all the intents of redemption and remission, as Christ's death is, there would have been no occasion of so often repeating them; as there is no occasion for Christ's dying any more for our sins. (Challoner)

Note 2:

Ver. 2. Alioquin cessassent offerri. In the ordinary Greek copies, epei an ouk epausanto prospheromenai; but in other manuscripts ouk is left out.

3 But in them a remembrance of sins is made every year.

4 For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should be taken away.

Ver. 3-4. But in them a remembrance of sins is made every year. For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sins should be taken way. The sacrifices of the former law, even that great sacrifice on the day of expiation, when victims were offered for the ignorances or sins of the priests, and of all the people, were only types and figures of Christ's sacrifice upon the cross, it was impossible that they themselves should take away sins, like that one oblation of Christ, though in them was made a remembrance of sins, and of the same sins for which so many victims had been offered. (Witham)

5 Therefore coming into the world, he saith: Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldst not: but a body thou hast fitted to me:

6 Holocausts for sin did not please thee.

7 Then said I: Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me: that I should do thy will, O God.

8 In saying before: Sacrifices and oblations, and holocausts, for sin thou wouldst not, neither are they pleasing to thee, which are offered according to the law.

9 Then said I: Behold, I come to do thy will, O God: he taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

Ver. 5-9. Therefore, Christ as it were, coming into the world, he saith, by the psalmist, (Psalm xxxix. 7. 8.) Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire, &c. That is, such sacrifices as were offered in the former law, they could not please thee, appease thy anger, nor make a sufficient reparation for sin. --- But a [3] body thou hast fitted to me. Thou didst decree I should be made man, to suffer and die upon a cross to redeem mankind. And I as willingly undertook the work of man's redemption. --- Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me.[4] That is, in the volumes of the Scriptures. --- He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. That is, he taketh away what I first mentioned, the imperfect sacrifices of the law of Moses, that to them might succeed the sacrifice of Christ. (Witham)

Note 3:

Ver. 5. Corpus autem aptasti mihi; soma de katartiso moi; i.e. according to the Septuagint but in the Hebrew aures perfodisti, or as in the Latin, (Psalm xxxix. 7.) perfecisti mihi. How these different expressions agree, see Estius, Cornelius a Lapide, &c.

Note 4:

Ver. 7. In capite libri, en kephalidi bibliou. The Greek and Latin seems to signify no more than in the volume, or book itself; kephalis, says Suidas, oper tinos eilema, alicujus involucrum, ab eileo. No need of translating, in the front of the book.

10 In which will, we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of Jesus Christ once.

Ver. 10. The source and primary cause of our sanctification is the will of God, who so loved the world as to give us his only Son; the meritorious cause of our sanctification is the voluntary oblation of Jesus Christ, sacrificed for us upon the cross. Methodists shamefully misrepresent the tenets of Catholics, as if we excluded Christ from the work of our salvation, or hoped to be saved not by the merits of Christ, but by our own.

11 And every priest indeed standeth daily ministering, and often offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

Ver. 11. No explanation given.

12 But he offering one sacrifice for sins, for ever sitteth on the right hand of God,

Ver. 12. No explanation given.

13 From henceforth expecting until his enemies be made his footstool.

Ver. 13. No explanation given.

14 For by one oblation he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Ver. 14. By one oblation[5] he hath perfected or consummated for ever them that are sanctified, or justified, because this one oblation was sufficient to sanctify all men. He repeats this, to shew them the excellency of Christ's sacrifice above those of the former law. (Witham)

Note 5:

Ver. 14. Unâ oblatione, &c. mia prosphora. See St. Chrysostom (log. iz. p. 523. lin. 20. et seq.) ti oun emeis kath ekasten emeran ou prospheromen; prospheromen men, all anamnesin poioumenoi tou thanatou autou. kai mia estin aute, kai ou pollai....ton gar auton aei prospheromen....osper pollachou prosphomenos en soma esti. kai ou polla somata, outo kai mia thusia (et unum, sive idem sacrificium) o Archiereus emon ekeinos esti, o ten thusian kathaiousan zmas prosnegkon. ekeinen prospheromen kai non, ten tote prosenechtheisen, &c.

15 And the Holy Ghost also doth testify to us. For after he said:

16 And this is the testament which I will make unto them after those days, saith the Lord, I will give my laws in their hearts, and in their minds I will write them:

17 And their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.

18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no more an offering for sin.

Ver. 15-18. The Holy Ghost also doth testify to us, and assures us of this, by the prophet Jeremias, (Chap. xxxi. 33.) in the words above cited, (Chap. viii. ver. 8.) when he promises to give a new testament, and that he will remember no more their sins. --- Now where there is remission of these, there is no more an oblation for sin. That is, there is no need of any other oblation to redeem us from sin, after the price of our redemption from sin is paid. There is no need of any other different oblation; all that is wanting, is the application of the merits and satisfactions of Christ. No need of those sacrifices, which were ordered in the law of Moses. To convince them of this, is the main design of St. Paul in this place. The pretended reformers, from several expressions of St. Paul in this chapter, think they have clear proofs that no sacrifice at all ought to be offered after Christ's one sacrifice on the cross; and that so many sacrifices and oblations of masses, are both needless and against the doctrine of the apostle, who says, that Christ by one oblation hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (ver. 14.) And again, that where there is a remission of sins, now there is no more an oblation for sin. This objection, which is obvious enough, was not first invented by the Calvinists against them they nickname Papists: the same is found in the ancient Fathers; and by their answers, and what they have witnessed concerning the daily sacrifice of the mass, they may find their doctrine of a religion without a continued sacrifice evidently against the doctrine and practice of the Catholic Church from the first ages[centuries] of the Christian religion, till they came to be reformers, not of manners, but of the Catholic belief. Hear St. Chrysostom (hom. xvii.) in his commentary on this very chapter: "What then, saith he, do not we offer up (or make an oblation) every day? We offer up indeed, but with a remembrance of his death. And this oblation is one, and not many. How is it one, and not many? ...because, as he that is offered many times, and in many places, is the same body, not many and different bodies, so is it one sacrifice. He (Christ) is our high priest, who offered this sacrifice, by which we are cleansed: we now offer up the same....He said: Do this in remembrance of me. We do not offer a different sacrifice, but the very same, as then our high priest." St. Chrysostom here says, and repeats it over and over again, that we offer up a sacrifice. 2. That we offer it up every day. 3. That the sacrifice which we daily offer is one and the same oblation, one and the same sacrifice, which our high priest, Christ, offered. 4. That in offering this sacrifice, which in all places, and at all times, is the same body of Christ, and the same sacrifice, we do, and offer it, as he commanded us at his last supper, with a remembrance of him. Is this the practice, and is this the doctrine of our dear countrymen, the English Protestants? But at least it is the constant doctrine, as well as practice, of the whole Catholic Church. The council of Trent, as we have already cited the words, (chap. vii.) teacheth the very same as St. Chrysostom who never says, as some one of late hath pretended, that what we offer is a remembrance only. As the sacrament of the Eucharist, according to the words of Christ in the gospel, is to be taken with a remembrance of him, and yet is not a remembrance only, but is his body and blood, so the sacrifice is to be performed with a remembrance of his benefits and sufferings, by his priests and ministers, but at the same time is a true and propitiatory sacrifice, the priests daily sacrifice, and offer up the same sacrifice, the manner only being different. The sacrifice and mass offered by Peter, is not different in the notion of a sacrifice or oblation from that of Paul, though the priests and their particular actions be different: the same sacrifice was offered by the apostles, and in all Christian ages; and the same sacrifice, according to the prophecy of Malachias, (chap. i. ver. 11.) shall be offered in all nations to the end of the world. This doctrine and practice is not only witnessed by St. Chrysostom but generally by the ancient Fathers and interpreters, as we have taken notice in short in the annotations on St. Matthew. See St. Ignatius, in his epistle to the people of Smyrna; St. Justin Martyr, in his dialogue with Tryphon; St. Irenæus, lib. 4. chap. xxxii. and xxxiv.; Tertullian, lib. de Velandis Virg.; Eusebius lib. 1. de demonst. Evang. chap. ult.[last]; St. Jerome, ep. ad Evangelu,; St. Ambrose, in Psalm xxxviii. and on 1 chap. of St. Luke; St. Augustine, lib. 16. de civ. Dei. chap. xxii. lib. cont. Advers. legis chap. 22. and lib. ix. Confess. chap. xii.; St. Chrysostom, hom. lx. ad Pop. Antiochenum. et hom. lxxii. in Matt.; The first general council of Nice[Nicaea]. --- But from this one oblation on the cross and remission of sins, obtained by our Saviour Christ, will our adversaries pretend insisting on the bare letter, that Christ has done all for us, and that we need do nothing, unless perhaps endeavour to catch hold of the justifying cloak of Christ's justice by faith only? At this rate the love of God and of our neighbour, a life of self-denials, such as Christ preached to every one in the gospel, the practices of prayer, fastings, almsdeeds, and all good works, the sacraments instituted by our Saviour Christ may be all safely laid aside; and we may conclude from hence, that all men's sins are remitted before they are committed. Into what extravagances do men run, when their private spirit pretends to follow the letter of the Holy Scriptures, and when they make their private judgment the supreme guide in matter of divine faith? It is very true, that Christ hath paid the ransom of all our sins, and his satisfactions are infinite; but to partake of the benefit of this general redemption, the merits and satisfaction of Christ are to be applied to our souls, and this by the order of Providence is to be done not only by faith but by other virtues, by good works, by the sacraments, and by repeating the oblation and the same sacrifice, the manner only being different, according to the doctrine and practice of the Catholic Church from the apostle's time. (Witham) --- Where there is a full remission of sins, as in baptism, there is no more occasion for a sin-offering to be made for such sins already remitted; and as for sins committed afterwards, they can only be remitted in virtue of the one oblation of Christ's death. (Challoner)

19 Having therefore, brethren, a confidence in the entering into the sanctuary by the blood of Christ,

Ver. 19. Having therefore, brethren, a confidence. Here begins as it were the second part of this epistle, in which the apostle exhorts the Hebrews to the practice of Christian virtues, to a firm hope, and confidence of entering with Christ into the holy of holies; i.e. into heaven. (Witham)

20 A new and living way, which he hath dedicated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh,

Ver. 20. A new and living way; that is, having a new way, which he hath traced out and opened for us, by entering himself first into heaven, through the veil, i.e. through his flesh, or by taking upon him, our flesh or human nature. He speaks with an allusion and comparison with the high priest of the former law, who to enter into the sanctuary, was to pass through the veil of separation. He compares Christ's flesh or body to this veil, inasmuch as Christ entered into the sanctuary of heaven by his sufferings in the flesh, and by the death of his body on the cross; or, inasmuch as the divinity of Christ was hidden from us by the veil of his human nature, as the sanctuary was hidden from the people by its veils. (Witham)

21 And a high priest over the house of God:

Ver. 21. And a high priest; i.e. and having a great priest, to wit, Christ, over the house of God, that is, over the Church, or over all the faithful, both in the Church militant on earth and in the Church triumphant in heaven. (Witham)

22 Let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with clean water.

Ver. 22. Let us draw near with a full and firm faith, our hearts being cleansed and sprinkled from sin. He again alludes to that ceremony, by which the high priest of the Jews on the feast, called of expiation, sprinkled the people with the blood of the victim offered. (Witham) --- En plerophoria pisteos. The Protestant version gives erroneously, in full assurance of faith. See Ward's Errata.

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering (for he is faithful who hath promised),

Ver. 23. No explanation given.

24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto charity and to good works:

Ver. 24. No explanation given.

25 Not forsaking our assembly as some are accustomed, but comforting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.

Ver. 25. Not forsaking our assembly.[6] St. Chrysostom understands the assemblies of Christians, where they met to celebrate the divine mysteries. Others expound it of not leaving the faith and communion of the Catholic Church by turning apostates: this is confirmed by the following words: for if we sin wilfully,...there is now left no sacrifice for sins. The Novatian heretics understood no pardon for sins after baptism. St. Chrysostom and others understood no second baptism, wherewith to be cleansed in the same manner as before; but the most probable interpretation, and most agreeable to the text and doctrine of St. Paul, seems to be, that now remained no sacrifice for sins, i.e. no other sacrifice but that of Christ, which the apostate renouncing, by quitting and abandoning his faith, thereby cuts himself off from the very groundwork and foundation of salvation, as long as he continues in his apostacy. So that nothing remains for him but a dreadful expectation[7] of God's just and severe judgments. (Witham)

Note 6:

Ver. 25. Non deserentes collectionem nostram, me egkataleipontes ten episunagogen eauton, collectionem, congregationem.

26 For if we sin wilfully after having received the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no sacrifice for sins,

Ver. 26. If we sin wilfully. He speaks of the sin of wilful apostacy from the known truth; after which, as we cannot be baptized again, we cannot expect to have that abundant remission of sins, which Christ purchased by his death, applied to our souls in that ample manner as it is in baptism; but we have rather all manner of reason to look for a dreadful judgment; the more, because apostates from the know truth seldom or never have the grace to return to it. (Challoner)

27 But a certain dreadful expectation of judgment and the rage of a fire, which shall consume the adversaries.

Note 7:

Ver. 27. Ignis æmulatio, puros zelos, thus attibuting zeal and rage to an inanimate thing.

28 A man making void the law of Moses, dieth without any mercy under two or three witnesses:

29 How much more, do you think he deserveth worse punishments, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath esteemed the blood of the testament unclean, with which he was sanctified, and hath offered an outrage to the Spirit of grace?

Ver. 28-29. A man making void, &c. He brings this comparison from the manner that transgressors were dealt with under the law of Moses, to shew how much greater punishments Christians deserve when they are ungrateful to Christ after much greater benefits, when they may be said to have trodden under foot the Son of God by despising him, who was the author of their salvation, by shedding his blood upon the cross. (Witham) --- What is here said of the crime of apostacy, may in some measure be applied to every deadly sin committed after baptism or the sacrament of penance; for a Christian by returning to sin, treads under foot the Son of God, despises the adorable blood by which he was sanctified, and offers a henious[heinous?] affront to the spirit of grace. Apostacy, though enormous, like all other sins can be forgiven by true repentance; but the apostle declares, there is no victim for the guilt of a person who perseveres and dies in apostacy.

30 For we know him who hath said: Vengeance is mine, and I will repay. And again: The Lord shall judge his people.

Ver. 30. No explanation given.

31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Ver. 31. Man is mortal, and therefore cannot extend his vengeance beyond death; God is immortal, and, as he lives eternally, can punish eternally; and he who during life despises a God who died for him, will at death experience the rigour of a God always living to punish him.

32 But call to mind the former days, wherein, being illuminated, you sustained a great conflict of afflictions,

Ver. 32. But call to mind the former days, &c. After having laid before them the severity of God's judgments, he comforts them with the hopes they may have of their eternal salvation, from what they had already suffered soon after they received the light of the gospel, and were illuminated by baptism. (Witham)

33 And on the one part indeed, by reproaches and tribulations made a spectacle: and on the other, made companions of them that were so treated.

Ver. 33. No explanation given.

34 For you also had compassion on those who were in chains, and received with joy the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and permanent substance.

Ver. 34. No explanation given.

35 Do not therefore lose your confidence, which hath a great reward.

Ver. 35. No explanation given.

36 For patience is necessary for you: that doing the will of God, you may receive the promise.

Ver. 36. He encourages them to patience in the short time of this mortal life. (Witham)

37 For yet a very little while, and he that is to come will come, and will not delay.

Ver. 37. Yet a very little while, and the judge that is to come, and who is to judge every one, will come. (Witham) --- O erchomenos, he who is coming. It is observed by commentators, that this is the appellation given by the Jews to the Messias. See Matthew xi. 3. and xxi. 9.

38 But my just man liveth by faith: but if he withdraw himself, he shall not please my soul.

Ver. 38. But my [8] just man, he that liveth according to the doctrine I have taught, liveth by faith, which is the groundwork and foundation of a good life. --- But if he withdraw himself, and fall from this faith of Christ, he shall not please my soul. It is a Hebrew way of speaking, and as it were in the person of God. (Witham) --- Luther and Calvin teach that faith alone is sufficient for justification, and they define this faith to be an assured confidence that their sins are forgiven them wholly by Christ's passion. No text, however, in Scripture teaches that a man is justified by faith only. In Romans, (ii.) Luther makes St. Paul say that a man is justified by faith only, without the works of the law: the authorized Protestant version has omitted the word only, foisted into the German translations. Solifidians [Those who pretend justification by faith alone] vainly cite this text, as its obvious meaning is, that neither the works of the written law, done by the Jew, nor the works of the law of nature, done by the Gentile, before either of them believe in Christ, can without faith in Christ justify any one. Saving faith is a faith working through charity in Jesus Christ, a faith which includes hope, love, repentance, and the use of the sacraments. Hence St. James (Chap. ii.) declares, that a man may have faith but not works, but that faith without works will not save him. St. Paul teaches the same, 1 Corinthians xiii. 2. "If I should have all faith, so as to move mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing;" where we should observe the word all faith.

Note 8:

Ver. 38. Justus meus, dikaios; in some Greek manuscripts, mou, as also in the Septuagint Habacuc ii. 4.

39 But we are not the children of withdrawing unto perdition, but of faith to the salvation of the soul.

Ver. 39. But we are not the children of withdrawing;[9] i.e. we are not such as withdraw ourselves in this manner from the true faith to perdition, but remain constant in the faith and law of Christ. (Witham)

Note 9:

Ver. 39. Non sumus substractionis filii, ouk esmen upostoles, subaudi uioi.

[image-transcribing-bot]

mechowic AV!, by tronfaes \I a gimmandodmfi' by Volt! arp b vespaSara!| _spedal mails to oil} ard followers | 0691", Two months ago, he walls tndo my shap, Tolaly last "This is Star- He storing at his iPhone. as if i h oldef tha world, and asts if I cnx it, or gine him dracon. Iven though is is +echnicaly a VE RJ high clais avto warm/J, Hes got all he carnéstnass - and techsoury ~ of a 1950; boy pout J I fix his phone andywe him my Cord, in Case he needs achl avto uork done « Nesayr he doesnt have a ". car but hat Saving up fir -. abike, ord la calld ue Q) °. , hen a white since Tg tophy around with R vacuum fubes Numb Al T kow is tvo ve's a vealy greak guy wo Was no no frends, ord li , no social life. . ] get to «wi me log o n ort Am T apet pefect tuat nds Q9 fjn/rm 11/7 feeding and us p), Wuhich is Conpletely bizarre ard. a lhle lpiaohs . mon, Steves. hot as het Serously, bave yout seen this na in agpordiis ? E So hon wa. hait is he Single? He should be covered in atirective. frends -| Not harging ot uith a muggy“? Metal seu) necvonc in Wis off sie U What . [ie fied hi tooster befae. "rats hot his Anastor “An/m iHleoks [rte Im flown Sue. To fine out whot hes ponh. (Nota statter:) &

I am an image transcribing bot which uses Tesseract OCR to translate images to text. I'm far from perfect but I try my best! Anarchy is the only thing Humans® will ever understand. | PayPal | Patreon

Part 1

This is too fucking cute!!!!! I found it on a tiny dark corner on Aoa !!! There you go! Read it!! Jajaj i loved it!! “ nope, screw this im out” jajaja tonyyy xD this is part 1

I will let the link for you to left a kudo !!!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1148493

Credis to: Ironfries(machinate),Vespasiana

Link to part 2 https://misaky0.tumblr.com/post/168486754149/part-2-butt-vision-jajajaja-steveeee-xd-the

[idiotprodigy]

Translating Megatron's speech/script/essay in mtmte issue 34 to Chinese

在一个围绕赛博坦式正统分类学运作的社会中，所有分类方式都被不厌其烦地反复修订和重新诠释，而唯一不能改变的——绝对不能改变的——就是系统本身。一切修订，一切重新诠释，都发生在僵化的社会分层规则框架之内。任何事物不得威胁机能主义者的核心哲学，即功能性是组织管理的基础原则。

如果你能跳出这个系统，你就能认清它的本来面目：一座监狱。更糟的是，它关满了心甘情愿服刑的囚犯。你不仅仅被囚禁在系统之内，还被囚禁在你自己的身体中；当你被创造或制造，无论神铸或冷铸，你就被困在了你的变形形态中。机能主义者打造了这把锁，钥匙掌握在国会手上，但我们中的大多数都对自己囚犯的身份毫无知觉。

无需误会：你的生命就像你变形齿轮上的齿槽一样被安排的一清二楚。就像赛博坦星无法选择不再公转，你也无法选择你履行的任务；就像苍天大地无法学会道德良知，你也无法学会与你命定职业无关的技能。

当他们拒不承认你摒弃自己变形形态的能力，进而阻止你走自己选择的路时，国会和理事会都说他们做这些是为你好。他们说，他们有责任去保证你将你神赐的形态物尽其用。如果你能变形成钻头，那一定是因为普神知道赛博坦需要钻头；因此，背离你的功能将带来挑拨神怒的风险，恐怕会使世界在神罚之下不得安宁。

实际上，这都是为了控制。一个掌握了多种技能的社群是能够自主自立的。那么如果你摒弃你的变形形态，接下来又要怎样？你会摒弃你的社会阶层吗？你会摒弃你的政府吗？

机能主义者反对变革的时候并不只依靠神学。他们也会说，做与你变形形态不符的工作会令人困惑：想想，如果救治你的医生长着坦克履带，你肯定会质疑它的能力。他们将相似的逻辑应用在矿工上，“要是你和一个显微镜并肩工作，你不觉得奇怪吗？”，也应用在军队中，“你会把你的性命交给一个老旧U盘去保护吗？”

他们说的也不错。人们在一开始当然会感到不舒服。有国会撑腰的机能主义者有意地创造出了利于滋生怀疑的社会文化条件，从而巩固现状，连开始也不要开始。更甚，这种现状助长分裂，而分裂是他们控制人民的另一大手段。人之间的分类方式越花样繁多，人民就越容易被管理和控制，社会系统的结构完整性也就更坚不可摧。

这就是为什么当你看到一个陌生人的时候你不会想知道他们有什么样的性格，你会想他们是为什么功能而生的；你不会想他们的希望，梦想和人生目标是什么，你会想他们是做什么的。接着，你会去想，他们和你的相对社会关系是什么？他们是比你高贵，和你平起平坐，还是比你低贱？他们比你上等，还是你比他们高？

就算你相信赛博坦式的正统分类学，你也该扪心自问：谁定的这规矩？为什么要有这规矩？而这就是国会和机能主义者最害怕的问题。因为他们很清楚，如果人们得出了答案，他们的世界必将分崩离析。为什么要有这规矩？我可以告诉你：不该有。

他们教导我们，应当从工作中寻找快乐，因为它充盈你的精神；应当为你的变形形态感恩戴德，因为它定义你；应当对他们的系统充满感激，因为它保护你；应当敬爱社会中的上等人，因为他们为你着想。要我说，够了。摒弃你的工作，摒弃你的变形形态，抵抗这个系统和那些“比你上等”的人。没人比你“上等”。人皆生而平等，我们有权决定自己如何生活。

Can't praise JR enough for being an awesome comic writer. A lot of writers just go "and a great speech happened" but don't write it, which is understandable but still a pity. JR my king he gave us the whole thing and it's banger.

Next thing to translate would be Roddy's speech in issue one (written by Drift).