#national human rights cities alliance

[metamorphesque]

On March 1, 1984, a short article titled "Imprisoned Armenian Dies" appeared in the New York Times: “Gourgen Migirdic Yanikian, an Armenian author and engineer who killed two Turkish consular officials in California in 1973, died Monday in prison of natural causes. He was 88 years old. He was sentenced to life in prison in July 1973 for first-degree murder."

But who was this man? And why did he commit this "crime"?

Gourgen Yanikyan was born on December 24, 1895, in the city of Karin, Western Armenia, into a traditional Armenian family. Gourgen was six months old when the hamidian massacres began, claiming the lives of approximately 300,000 Armenians. His father had good relations with the Persian consul in Karin, and with the consul's help, the Yanikyan family found refuge in the Persian consulate, escaping the massacres. After two weeks of safety, they were transferred by a mountain road to the village of Kyotah near Kars on the consul’s orders. Suddenly, it was discovered that Gourgen was missing. He had fallen on the road from his mother’s arms that were numbed from the cold. Despite the danger, his mother and brother Hakob went back and, after walking about six kilometers, found Gourgen nearly lifeless. They revived him with the warmth of their bodies.

Six years later, the mother returned to Erzurum with Gourgen and Hakob, intending to take back the money and documents hidden in their barn back. While digging, two turks arrived, captured Hakob, beheaded him, and took the iron chest. The mother and Gourgen witnessed everything from their hiding place. A terrified Gourgen tried to scream, but his mother held his mouth shut. Gourgen never forgot this tragedy throughout his life. For political reasons, he became a Persian citizen and later moved to Switzerland with his family, where he continued his education, which he later pursued in Tbilisi and Moscow.

Like many Armenians of his time, he experienced the devastating effects of the massacres committed by the turks against Armenians. He lost 26 family members to the Armenian Genocide of 1915, as well as his homeland—Western Armenia.

Although Gourgen was far from his homeland, the injustice of the genocide never left him. He had exhausted all peaceful means to inform the world about the genocide and hold turkey accountable for the atrocities they committed.

He chose cinema as the means to achieve his goal: “Our plan was very simple. With our personal funds, we secretly planned to make a film showing the world the sufferings of our people and the barbaric turkish massacres, not forgetting the Armenian genocide and the conspiracy of so-called civilized nations against our rights."

Yanikian's factual book "Paradise" (originally in English), which his wife Shushanik had titled, became the basis for a screenplay. Several foreigners joined the film project, and they shot 20 hours of material depicting turkish atrocities with striking authenticity.

"The film was to be shown simultaneously in the capitals of three different countries, free of charge. Flyers explaining the purpose and our demands were to be distributed with the tickets… The goal was to return the land stolen from the Armenian people to its rightful owners and provide compensation for our two million victims. Many individuals were to join the cause once the film was ready."

Despite the strong dedication to completing "Paradise," the endeavor was unsuccessful because U.S.-Turkey alliances and strategic interests were prioritized, and the US government hindered the production of the film.

Yanikyan, by then old but not despairing, had spent decades using every peaceful means to punish the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide and avenge his compatriots, but he ultimately felt compelled to choose an alternative.

"In all my writings, I always defended the belief that violence should disappear from our lives. But when all of this happened and humanity and the world remained silent about the Armenian Question, I made the decision to take action in order to bring the Armenian cause to the attention of humanity and world governments."

On January 27, 1973, at the age of 78, Gourgen Yanikyan, without hesitation, fired 13 bullets at the turkish consul and vice-consul in Santa Barbara in his room at the "Baltimore" hotel. Following a highly publicized trial, Yanikyan was sentenced to life imprisonment, and in 1984, with a clear conscience, he passed away into eternity.

But his sacrifice was not in vain: the Armenian Question was finally brought back from the dusty archives of history. By sacrificing his freedom, Yanikyan ignited a movement. His act became the catalyst for a wave of Armenian activism, inspiring the creation of ASALA, who would go on to fight for the recognition of the genocide.

Everyone condemns violence but, alas, it is the only language the world understands.

[mariacallous]

This article was produced as part of JTA’s Teen Journalism Fellowship, a program that works with Jewish teens around the world to report on issues that affect their lives.

“How does it feel to be on the wrong side of history?” These were the words flung at a student wearing a Star of David necklace by a leader of one of Binghamton University’s LGBTQ+ clubs.

When the visibly shaken student found Myles Resnick, in the Hillel office, Resnick, a queer peer leader, empathized. Tensions were escalating on campus following the narrow passage of a boycott, divestment and sanctions resolution against Israel on campus last April. But the hurled comment stung Resnick because it came from a friend of his who led an LGBTQ+ organization Resnick was active in. 

This exchange reflects the growing rift between LGBTQ+ activists and Jewish students, many of whom feel increasingly isolated by the strong pro-Palestinian stance within queer organizations. At Binghamton, support for BDS from LGBTQ+ groups, including the university’s Rainbow Pride Union, mirrors a broader national trend of queer groups aligning with the pro-Palestinian cause.

These groups include No Justice No Pride, ACT UP NYC, National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, and Black and Pink, allof which have taken public stances deeply critical of Israel and Zionism since the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023 and the subsequent war. Many queer Jewish teens who once looked to these groups for solidarity and support now feel marginalized by their positions. Disagreeing with the organizations’ statements, they say they feel ostracized from the broader LGBTQ+ community. For these already vulnerable teens, the shift has deepened their sense of isolation and alienation.

Sophia Barenholtz, a senior at a high school in Essex County, New Jersey, has found herself feeling increasingly unsafe and unwelcome in her own LGBTQ+ community. “I have definitely noticed the tendency for LGBTQ+ organizations to take an anti-Zionist, and often antisemitic, stance on the Israel-Hamas War,” she said. “It has made me feel unsafe and unwanted in my own community, and has me questioning the integrity and critical thinking skills of my LGBTQ peers.” 

Barenholtz said that she finds it disappointing that a community that values open-mindedness and understanding won’t consider the voices of queer Jews asking for Israel to be given a chance. 

“Instead of engaging in meaningful dialogue, some people have called me antisemitic slurs, sent me death threats, and wished for me to impose unspeakable harm upon myself,” Barenholtz said. “It’s especially unfortunate that these remarks have come from members of my school’s LGBTQ+ organizations and members of the LGBTQ+ community.” Barenholtz’s school district is currently under a federal investigation for an unspecified allegation of bias related to the disputes between Muslim and Jewish students

Meanwhile, accusations against Israel of “pinkwashing” highlight another wedge within the community. Israel, which advocates describe as a haven for LGBTQ+ people, decriminalized same sex relations in 1988 and passed many anti-discriminatory laws to protect LGBTQ+ individuals in the 1990s. Critics claim the country uses LGBTQ+ rights and promotes these positions to obscure its treatment of Palestinians. Israel’s defenders point to the harsh treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals in Gaza and neighboring regions, including Egypt and Lebanon. In 2016, a Hamas leader was tortured and executed after being accused of being gay, according to a report in the left-leaning Haaretz. 

On Oct. 7, the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, the New York City-based Anti-Violence Project, an LGBTQ+ defense group, issued a statement accusing Israel of “genocide.” A Wider Bridge, which promotes ties between LGBTQ+ groups in America and Israel, called the statement inflammatory and unhelpful, and said it reflected a “callous indifference to the human suffering experienced” on Oct. 7 and after, “particularly by LGBTQ Jews in New York City.”

Shir Levenson, a Jewish LGBTQ+ high school junior from Long Island, said that pro-Palestinian stances from LGBTQ+ groups make her feel disconnected. “When these groups take such extreme positions, it makes me feel like I don’t belong,” she said. Levenson explained that she’s unfollowed influencers and celebrities, including  Matt Bernstein and Reneé Rapp, because of what she calls their anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian narrative. “I thought they’d recognize the truth and support Israel, which is more accepting of LGBTQ people, rather than places where we’re persecuted,” she said. “Their extreme positions, like accusing Israel of genocide, don’t acknowledge the humanity on both sides.”

JTA reached out to ACT UP NYC for comment but received no response. The group’s website accuses Israel of genocide and states that “Israel bombs Queers,” while also criticizing GLAAD, a leading LGBTQ+ media monitoring group, for not taking a stance on the conflict. GLAAD, which has faced criticism for its partnership with the Antidefamation League, released a statement in October expressing sympathy for all those affected by the conflict and calling for an end to antisemitism and Islamophobia. Pro-Palestinian advocates boycotted GLAAD’s 2024 awards, an event that celebrates LGBTQ+ trailblazers.

Some within the LGBTQ+ Jewish community do not feel this tension. Avi Chesler, from Huntington, New York, said he feels comfortable in LGBTQ+ affinity spaces. He blames the natural divisions that the issue causes, and laments “some of my Jewish community’s [inability] to acknowledge Palestinian suffering alongside Israeli suffering, despite the constant pain for all affected that so many members of the community feel.”

Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist organization, links LGBTQ+ liberation with broader social justice goals, including justice for Palestinians. “At JVP, we understand that all people’s liberation is intertwined, and we work towards a world where everyone is safe and free,” media coordinator Liv Kunins-Berkowitz said. “Our commitment to LGBTQ+ rights is inextricably linked with ending genocide, occupation, apartheid, and militarism, which endangers queer people across the world. Queer liberation in Palestine is only possible in a free Palestine.”

Other Jewish groups remain committed to supporting LGBTQ+ youth while acknowledging the pain on both sides of the conflict. “LGBTQ+ Jewish youth deserve, always, to feel genuine belonging as their full, authentic selves,” Keshet, a Jewish LGBTQ+ organization, wrote in a statement to JTA. 

“Especially since the attacks against Israel on October 7th and the ensuing war in Gaza — with ongoing loss and suffering for both Israelis and Palestinians, we have seen an increase in painful division and hate,” wrote Jamie Krass, Keshet’s director of youth programs. “In these times, it is particularly critical that queer Jewish youth have access to affirming community, without needing to leave any parts of their identities at the door.” 

Amelia Mamlet, a queer, Jewish and openly Zionist high school senior from New Jersey, felt the growing tension firsthand. “I’ve noticed that a lot of LGBTQ+ organizations I once followed have taken pro-Palestinian or even anti-Israel stances. It makes me feel unseen,” she said. Mamlet described her discomfort watching liberal groups that she once supported adopt strong anti-Israel positions. “I’m more liberal myself, but when I see these organizations being anti-Israel, it feels like I can’t stand with them, even though I agree with so many of their other ideologies,” Mamlet said. “It leaves me feeling like there’s no place for someone like me.”

Mamlet said LGBTQ+ organizations should focus on supporting queer individuals rather than taking divisive political stances on international conflicts. “We’re already vulnerable. These spaces are supposed to protect us, not alienate us further.”

Mia Rubenstein, a sophomore at Tufts University, once considered the LGBTQ+ Center on her campus a safe space. “Before the conflict, the Q Center felt welcoming,” she said. As part of a pre-orientation LGBTQ+ advocacy group, Rubenstein found comfort there. “But after October 7, they publicly supported Palestine, and it made me feel really uncomfortable.” The center ran events with Students for Justice in Palestine, or SJP, and Rubenstein noticed the group following SJP on social media while showing no support for Jewish or pro-Israel groups. 

“It felt like you had to be LGBTQ and pro-Palestine to be welcomed. You couldn’t just be LGBTQ without also subscribing to their political stance,” she said. This realization left her feeling disconnected from a community she had invested time in. 

Resnick, the Binghamton student, felt a similar shift when LGBTQ organizations, such as the Rainbow Pride Union, a queer student club, endorsed a BDS resolution in April. Though Binghamton’s official LGBTQ+ center didn’t take an official position, its leadership expressed anti-Israel views and continued to run events with groups such as the Rainbow Pride Union.

“The president of the Rainbow Pride Union used to be a close friend, and now I’m literally blocked on Instagram,” he said. After voicing support for Israel and speaking out against the BDS resolution, Resnick faced backlash from his peers. “I released an article to share at the [BDS] hearing, and after that, I was slammed by people who were very involved in the queer community.”

“That was the moment [when] it all sort of clicked for me. This isn’t just something we’re tiptoeing around. This is something that’s really important to me, and it made me feel like I can’t be in that space if I disagree,” he said.

[kemetic-dreams]

Jamil Abdullah al-Amin (born Hubert Gerold Brown; October 4, 1943), is an American human rights activist, Muslim cleric, African separatist, and convicted murderer who was the fifth chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the 1960s. Best known as H. Rap Brown, he served as the Black Panther Party's minister of justice during a short-lived (six months) alliance between SNCC and the Black Panther Party.

He is perhaps known for his proclamations during that period, such as that "violence is as American as cherry pie", and that "If America don't come around, we're gonna burn it down." He is also known for his autobiography, Die Nigger Die! He is currently serving a life sentence for murder following the shooting of two Fulton County, Georgia, sheriff's deputies in 2000.

Brown's activism in the civil rights movement included involvement with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Brown was introduced into SNCC by his older brother Ed. He first visited Cambridge, Maryland with Cleveland Sellers in the summer of 1963, during the period of Gloria Richardson's leadership in the local movement. He witnessed the first riot between whites and blacks in the city over civil rights issues, and was impressed by the local civil rights movement's willingness to use armed self-defense against racial attacks.

Brown later organized for SNCC during the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer, while transferring to Howard University for his studies. Representing Howard's SNCC chapter, Brown attended a contentious civil rights meeting at the White House with President Lyndon B. Johnson during the Selma crisis of 1965 as Alabama activists attempted to march for voting rights.

Major federal civil rights legislation was passed in 1964 and 1965, including the Voting Rights Act, to establish federal oversight and enforcement of rights. In 1966, Brown organized in Greene County, Alabama to achieve African voter registration and implementation of the recently passed Voting Rights Act.

Elected SNCC chairman in 1967, Brown continued Stokely Carmichael's fiery support for "Black Power" and urban rebellions in the Northern ghettos.

During the summer of 1967, Brown toured the nation, calling for violent resistance to the government, which he called "The Fourth Reich". "Negroes should organize themselves", he told a rally in Washington, D.C., and "carry on guerilla warfare in all the cities." They should, "make the Viet Cong look like Sunday school teachers." He declared, "I say to America, Fuck it! Freedom or death!"

In this period, Cambridge, Maryland had an active civil rights movement, led by Gloria Richardson. In July 1967 Brown spoke in the city, saying "It's time for Cambridge to explode, baby. Black folks built America, and if America don't come around, we're going to burn America down." Gunfire reportedly broke out later, and both Brown and a police officer were wounded. A fire started that night and by the next day, 17 buildings were destroyed by an expanding fire "in a two-block area of Pine Street, the center of African-American commerce, culture and community." Brown was charged with inciting a riot, due to his speech.

Brown was also charged with carrying a gun across state lines. A secret 1967 FBI memo had called for "neutralizing" Brown. He became a target of the agency's COINTELPRO program, which was intended to disrupt and disqualify civil rights leaders. The federal charges against him were never proven.

He was defended in the gun violation case by civil rights advocates Murphy Bell of Baton Rouge, the self-described "radical lawyer" William Kunstler, and Howard Moore Jr., general counsel for SNCC. Feminist attorney Flo Kennedy also assisted Brown and led his defense committee, winning support for him from some chapters of the National Organization for Women.

The Cambridge fire was among incidents investigated by the 1967 Kerner Commission. But their investigative documents were not published with their 1968 report. Historian Dr. Peter Levy studied these papers in researching his book Civil War on Race Street: The Civil Rights Movement in Cambridge, Maryland (2003). He argues there was no riot in Cambridge. Brown was documented as completing his speech in Cambridge at 10 pm July 24, then walking a woman home. He was shot by a deputy sheriff allegedly without provocation. Brown was hastily treated for his injuries and secretly taken by supporters out of Cambridge.

Later that night a small fire broke out, but the police chief and fire company did not respond for two hours. In discussing his book, Levy has said that the fire's spread and ultimate destructive cost appeared to be due not to a riot, but to the deliberate inaction of the Cambridge police and fire departments, which had hostile relations with the African community. In a later book, Levy notes that Brice Kinnamon, head of the Cambridge police department, said that the city had no racial problems, and that Brown was the "sole" cause of the disorder, and it was "a well-planned Communist attempt to overthrow the government."

While being held for trial, Brown continued his high-profile activism. He accepted a request from the Student Afro-American Society of Columbia University to help represent and co-organize the April 1968 Columbia protests against university expansion into Harlem park land in order to build a gymnasium.

He also contributed writing from jail to the radical magazine Black Mask, which was edited and published by the New York activist group Up Against the Wall Motherfucker. In his 1968 article titled "H. Rap Brown From Prison: Lasima Tushinde Mbilashika", Brown writes of going on a hunger strike and his willingness to give up his life in order to achieve change.

Brown's trial was originally to take place in Cambridge, but there was a change of venue and the trial was moved to Bel Air, Maryland, to start in March 1970. On March 9, 1970, two SNCC officials, Ralph Featherstone and William ("Che") Payne, died on U.S. Route 1 south of Bel Air, when a bomb on the front floorboard of their car exploded, killing both occupants. The bomb's origin is disputed: some say the bomb was planted in an assassination attempt, and others say Payne was carrying it to the courthouse where Brown was to be tried. The next night, the Cambridge courthouse was bombed

Brown disappeared for 18 months. He was posted on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Ten Most Wanted List. He was arrested after a reported shootout with officers in New York City following an alleged attempted robbery of a bar there. He was convicted of robbery and served five years (1971–76) in Attica Prison in western New York state. While in prison, Brown converted to Islam. He formally changed his name from Hubert Gerold Brown to Jamil Abdullah al-Amin.

After his release, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he opened a grocery store. He became an imam, a Muslim spiritual leader, in the National Ummah, one of the nation's largest African Muslim groups. He also was a community activist in Atlanta's West End neighborhood. He preached against drugs and gambling. It has since been suggested that al-Amin changed his life again when he became affiliated with the "Dar ul-Islam Movement"

On May 31, 1999, al-Amin was pulled over while driving in Marietta, Georgia by police officer Johnny Mack for a suspected stolen vehicle. During a search, al-Amin was found to have in his pocket a police badge. He also had a bill of sale in his pocket, explaining his possession of the stolen car, and he claimed that he had been issued an honorary police badge by Mayor John Jackson, a statement which Jackson verified. Despite this, al-Amin was charged with speeding, auto theft and impersonating a police officer.

On March 16, 2000, in Fulton County, Georgia, Sheriff's deputies Ricky Kinchen and Aldranon English went to al-Amin's home to execute an arrest warrant for failing to appear in court over the charges. After determining that the home was unoccupied, the deputies drove away and were shortly passed by a black Mercedes headed for the house. Kinchen (the more senior deputy) noted the suspect vehicle, turned the patrol car around, and drove up to the Mercedes, stopping nose to nose. English approached the Mercedes and told the single occupant to show his hands. The occupant opened fire with a .223 rifle. English ran between the two cars while returning fire from his handgun, and was hit four times. Kinchen was shot with the rifle and a 9 mm handgun.

The next day, Kinchen died of his wounds at Grady Memorial Hospital. English survived his wounds. He identified al-Amin as the shooter from six photos he was shown while recovering in the hospital[citation needed] Another source said English identified him shortly before going into surgery for his wounds.

After the shootout, al-Amin fled Atlanta, going to White Hall, Alabama. He was tracked down by U.S. Marshals who started with a blood trail at the shooting site, and arrested by law enforcement officers after a four-day manhunt. Al-Amin was wearing body armor at the time of his arrest. He showed no wounds. Officers found a 9 mm handgun near his arrest site. Firearms identification testing showed that this was used to shoot Kinchen and English, but al-Amin's fingerprints were not found on the weapon. Later, al-Amin's black Mercedes was found with bullet holes in it.

His lawyers argued he was innocent of the shooting. Defense attorneys noted that al-Amin's fingerprints were not found on the murder weapon, and he was not wounded in the shooting, as one of the deputies said the shooter was. A trail of blood found at the scene was tested and did not belong to al-Amin or either of the deputies. A test by the state concluded that it was animal blood, but these results have been disputed because there was no clear chain of custody to verify the sample and testing process. Deputy English had said that the killer's eyes were gray, but al-Amin's are brown.

At al-Amin's trial, prosecutors noted that he had never provided an alibi for his whereabouts at the time of the shootout, nor any explanation for fleeing the state afterward. He also did not explain why the weapons used in the shootout were found near him during his arrest.

On March 9, 2002, nearly two years after the shootings, al-Amin was convicted of 13 criminal charges, including Kinchen's murder and aggravated assault in shooting English. Four days later, he was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole (LWOP).He was sent to Georgia State Prison, the state's maximum-security facility near Reidsville, Georgia.

Otis Jackson, a man incarcerated for unrelated charges, claimed that he committed the Fulton County shootings, and confessed this two years before al-Amin was convicted of the same crime. The court did not consider Jackson's statement as evidence. Jackson's statements corroborated details from 911 calls following the shooting, including a bleeding man seen limping from the scene: Jackson said he knocked on doors to solicit a ride while suffering from wounds sustained in the firefight with deputies Kinchen and English. Jackson recanted his statement two days after making it, but later confessed again in a sworn affidavit, stating that he had only recanted after prison guards threatened him for being a "cop killer". Prosecutors refuted Jackson's testimony, claiming he couldn't have shot the deputies as he was wearing an ankle tag for house confinement that would have showed his location. Al-Amin's lawyers allege that the tag was faulty.

Al-Amin appealed his conviction on the basis of a racial conspiracy against him, despite both Fulton County deputies being black. In May 2004, the Supreme Court of Georgia unanimously ruled to uphold al-Amin's conviction.

In August 2007, al-Amin was transferred to federal custody, as Georgia officials decided he was too high-profile for the Georgia prison system to handle. He was first held in a holdover facility in the USP Atlanta; two weeks later he was moved to a federal transfer facility in Oklahoma, pending assignment to a federal penitentiary.

On October 21, 2007, al-Amin was transferred to ADX Florence, a supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. He has been under an unofficial gag order, prevented from having any interviews with writers, journalists or biographers.

On July 18, 2014, having been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, al-Amin was transferred to Butner Federal Medical Center in North Carolina. As of March 2018, he is incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Tucson.

Al-Amin sought retrial through the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Investigative journalist, Hamzah Raza, has written more about Otis Jackson's confession to the deputy shootings in 2000, and said that this evidence should have been considered by the court. It had the potential of exonerating al-Amin. However, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his appeal on July 31, 2019.

In April 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from al-Amin. His family and supporters continue to petition for a new trial.

[threepandas]

Bad End: Heroic Collection

New Haven wasn't a major metropolis. Some big city like Delhi or Tokyo, Jakarta and the like. It was big for the area. A major hub for commerce and crime on a local scale. But Nationally? INTERNATIONALLY? Not even close. No matter WHAT the great ambitions that haunted the Mayor, late at night, may tell you.

So, really, there was NO fucking reason for any A Listers to be here.

NONE.

Our biggest exports were fancy fucking jams and that one fashion line I couldn't pronounce. We had honest to God Jam festivals in the fall. It was a circuit, Mayor gave out awards. There were pies. Firestrike always ate himself sick. Agent always laughed at him. I... Fuck, my head was ringing. I'd hit that last building HARD. Was pretty sure I tasted blood. Not... not sure if that was because I busted something in my mouth or...

Over my comms, I could hear my teammates fighting. Trying to hail the Alliance. If we could... could just hold on...

Long enough for the major players to GET here?

Then what? I had to wonder. Staring at a burning bus in front of me. It was half way lodged through Mrs. Brahimi's shop. Please, God, let her and the workers have got out all right. I'd been there just this morning. She made me those stuffed flatbread things. Said I was still too skinny. Should rest more.

I use the twist remains of a book return to lever myself to my feet. Book..? Oh. I'm by the library. Which..? Fuck. Main one. That's city hall.

Smoke rises around the city I've lived in all my life. Fires everywhere. I'm supposed... supposed to be a hero. But I can barely stand. Feel sick as the world sways. My body is one big bruise. Gotta... gotta keep fighting. Helping. Save people.

In the distance, I can hear screams.

I'm coming. I promise. I'm coming!

I make my screaming body move. Stumble. Catch myself. Then keep going. The hiss and spit in my ear tells me that my communicator is probably half broken. I don't try it, in case that breaks it the rest of the way. Wrench doors from half crushed cars to free trapped civilians. Lever wreckage, hold it with trembling limbs, so people can crawl to safety. Run. Please, god, RUN!

We aren't strong enough.

He's here, The Collective.

A hivemind super threat. Alien supposedly. So far above my team's pay grade we know basically nothing. The kind of thing we were expected to never realistically see. We're nobody's. Fuck it, we're HAPPY being nobody's. It meant we got to go home each night. Didn't face The Horrors. Like him.

He CONSUMES.

Hungry. Trying to fill some void that's never going to fill. Supposedly a planet eater. Gutting worlds for resources, materials, to continue his own expansion. Now fixated on Earth for it's continued refusal to die. For its defiance. Some A+ sort of monster, to our high C rank. At best.

Fuck... we dealt with HUMANS. Fought gimmicks and tech. Little fish in our little pond. Now this tsunami was bringing the ocean to US and it was all we could do, to swim and survive.

I leaned against a half smashed car. Braced myself against it, more then anything, then started pulling pot shots. I... I was gonna black out soon. With a concussion like this? Probably wasn't gonna be waking up. Especially if those THINGS found me before a friendly did.

All across the city I called home, The Collective had Drones tearing the place apart.

They'd almost be pretty. Tall, elegant, androgynous lookin, supermodel twinks in battle armor. Drones apparently covered their lower face. I'd know the "commander" by their uncovered face and "use of adornments". Useful! Except they could fucking SWITCH on command, so you have to take out ALL of them.

Because they weren't a collection of different soldiers.

THEY weren't a THEY. That? Was a fucking HE. Singular.

You don't consider each of your individual cell as people. Each follicle of hair. Why would HE? God damn it. It was like fighting a giant. Against Gods. They just kept coming. And my ammo? Was not endless.

Worse. The drones had stopped looking. I don't know WHAT they had been searching for. But now? They started to converge on me. On city hall. Fuck. I... I couldn't even really stand anymore. My vision was blurring. I knew for a FACT my shots were shit. But dense as they were crowding? It seemed enough. Kept them back.

Three cartridges left.

Two.

Only one more...

The Alliance was coming. Half my team had gone silent. I could hear tears in the voice of Tech, back in the office. They had our life signs. Built into our armor. I could only imagine what mine looked like. Prayed, like I hadn't since I was a kid, that the others were just unconscious. Safe somewhere.

Someplace this nightmare couldn't reach them.

I doubted I was that lucky.

Tech was begging me to hold on. Giving me ETAs. And... And I was out of bullets. The block half full of Drones. I had escrima sticks. A fucking tazer. It would have to do. Sticks came out, as I swayed to my feet. No longer letting the car behind me hold my weight. What's a little... let's say, hundred or so, on one? Eh?

Bring your friends. Let's make it a fair fight.

I'll go easy on you.

Bravado until the end. Remember, never know who's watching. You are a symbol. Before you are a man, you are their HERO. Don't you DARE let them down. Even if you die. Especially when you die. B.. Bravado until the end. Plaste on a smirk and say a one-liner, we got hope to shoulder.

I took down about three Drones... I think... before the rest swarm me.

Feel hands pinning my arms. My torso. Everything. A weak point between the panels is ripped open. High grade military fabrics doing jack shit against their impossible strength. The distinct pinch tug of a needle in my skin. Cold spreading. The sudden exhaustion of a powerful sedative. I... am gone.

Time... is blurry.

Now and Then running together in my senses. My brain. The concussion doesn't help. Or... or didn't? It feels... gone? Gone-ing? Oh... look, sky. Clouds. Pretty. Wasn't I standing? I am standing. No... no being dragged. Chair? Not chair. Stairs? Carried. Pretty window..... where am I? Fuzzy. Bluzzy fuzzy purple beans~ he he he~ oh! Those are the... watch'ma call it! Gucci chairs! That rich lady had! Neat. Plurble.

Ouch! Why'd you pi...?

My mouth is dry as sand. But suddenly? I am hyper aware. The floating drift of my mind VIOLENTLY gone, replaced by alerted and focus. Drones surround me in a vaguely familiar hallway. Shit. I think it's that rich designer's place. My helmet is off, but my mask is still in place, thank god. The Drones stand far to close for my liking. Their many eyes, amused.

So glad to entertain, you Fuck.

I am frog marched down the hall. Damn near dragged. They were too smart to restrain me with my own cuffs, unfortunately. So my hands are bound behind my back with something tight I can't get a good feel off. Bastard secured it to my belt, too. Great.

The Collective's "Face" is surrounded by what must be every jewel in the city. Piled high in some vague sorting pattern I refuse to even try and comprehend. He's trying on rings. One on every finger, to see what matches his skin tone. Looks good. Already, he has a pearl stud and some earrings he's decided he likes. He looks up as I'm dragged in, and I realize immediately what one of "a few other differences" between him and the Drones are...

It's the EYES,

They GLOWED.

Metallic almost. Nearly neon. They reflected the light in a way the Drones simply did not. It made their face... horrificly predatory. Made for WATCHING, somehow. Unnerving and haughty. Beautiful still, but uncomfortable to be near.

Sitting up on a table that basicly swallows the room, dead center like a show piece on display, with one long leg tossed over the other and no fucking shirt on? The Face looks almost carefully, artfully, staged. To maximize some "haughty yet coy, alien prince who maybe wants to fuck you" shtick.

Does... Does he not realize I'm NOT one of the usual opponents? I mean. Flattered at the "join me! The Darkside has sex and cookies!" set up. Always fun. Classic, really. But, like? I would be... at BEST... a solidly MID goon.

Also "NO".

Gonna preemptively throw that out there. Maybe some expletives for flavor. Suggest someplace sunless to shove it. SOLID "No". Good try, though.

Around me, the Drones are shaking with silent laughter. Staring down at me, their pale eyes dancing with amusement. It's creepy as hell. Unnerving to be the center of attention like this. For this many eyes, utterly in synch, to surround and watch my every twitch. Act fascinated and amused, like I'm some little animal performing tricks.

The Face hasn't dropped his Seduction to the Darkside routine. If anything, he seems delighted by the defiance. Which... yeah, that tracks. It's why he's harrasing out planet to begin with. That one's definitely on me. So, better question? Not that I'm not glad and all? Why the FUCK am I not dead.

"And lose my HERO? Perish the thought~" drawles The Collective, the posture light and lazy, even as something dangerous threaded itself through their tone. It sounded... possessive. But that couldn't be right. "I would NEVER do such a thing! In fact, we are going to have to be far more careful with that little processor of yours. Far too fragile. Just the one, too. Horrifying, really."

Thanks. Just what every guy loves to really make 'im feels special. Insults.

Fucker.

More laughter from all around me. I grit my teeth. Come oooon, Alliance. Where the hell ARE you guys!? Could REALLY use a rescue! The hands holding me still are drifting. Fucking handsy. Damn near stroking even as they hold me immobile. They're looking for the clasps and buckles on my armor. Have already found the obvious ones. Fingers oh so casually drifting over, to grip, flex, and tear them apart.

I do NOT like how loose my armor is starting to feel. Barely able to hold on. Protect me. Limited as that protection may be. I think I'm developing a horrifying empathy for clams. Crustaceans in general. Anything that gets slowly pried from the safety of it's shell, too certain doom.

The Face casually tosses the rings he was playing with aside. Tens of thousands of dollars bouncing off to God only knows where. He slides from the table to stand. Shit. He's huge.

The androgynous twink supermodel thing he has going on? Fucking LIES. Twists your perception of how, EXACTLY, strong the Face body IS. He clears seven feet easily, is muscled in that distinctly "never see me coming until it's too late" sort of way all the ninja types are.

The tattoos. It's the FUCKING tattoos! They give the illusion that he's slimmer then he actually is.

It HIDES MUSCLE MASS.

I can't tell if that's vanity or strategy and I hate it. Glare as he sashays towards me. Hips rolling in that elegant catwalk strut. I'm forced to my knees. Because of course I am. How ELSE will the bastard loom and gloat? Though really, weak as I currently feel, it's more that the Drones holding me up? Stop doing that. My knees more or less just give up on their own.

"Like what you see? You're staring so intently~" He mocks. If he were being genuine, I'd call it teasing. Flirtatious. But I know better. "It IS a pretty body, isn't it? I worked hard on it, you know. All sort of fun little details~ Might honestly be one of my favorites. If you're good for me, I'll let you explore it~"

THERE it is.

Darkside. Sex and cookies. Sign up today. Fuck you and not in the fun way. Keep your hands to yourself, Collective. You're not convincing me. You could tell me the sky was blue, and I'd make three presentations with a PowerPoint, on why you were a liar. No, still No, and a hefty fuck off No for spice.

Three steps away. Two steps. One.

A man that tall and dangerous? Frankly did NOT need heels. Figures he'd wear them anyway. Sharp enough to kill a man. Right infront of my folded knees. I refuse to look up. No more fucking games. Did have to wonder, though, if those pants... if they even WERE pants? Were painted on or not. Very tight. Looked vaguely metal yet leather.

Shit.

Fingers, splayed wide as they run themselves through my sweaty and probably bloodstained hair. Couldn't have been nice to touch. Wrong angle and just a touch too big to be a Drone. Light as a lover, sweet almost, soothing. Before it inevitably tightens, gripping the strands. Honestly not as hard as I expected, didn't even hurt.

Still, my head is forced back.

Back and back and back, forced to arch my spine, hang awkwardly at some forty-five degree angle. My thighs and abs already screaming. A Drone grabs the back of my armor and, with an almost casual yank, my chest plate is violently snapped free. Both tossed to the floor away from us.

"There we are~" the Face hums down at me, eyes nearly hypnotic in how the light moved from within, grin full of sharp and deadly teeth. "No more of that ugly thing in the way. I much prefer this~"

"Tell me, Little Hero, do you remember? Becoming mine."

No, I certainly do fucking not. What the HELL is he-!? From behind the Face a Drone steps. Dressed differently to the others. Casual clothes. Like... actual street clothes. If they weren't GREEN I never would been able too-...

In horror, I watch as the pigment of the Drones skin melts away to a middling average. So utterly nondescript a blend of ethnicities that it's genuinely hard to place, but won't stand out no matter where he goes in the city.

I... I had seen that face.

SAVED that man.

Thought he was CUTE! T..Thought WE were having some sort of MEET CUTE! Oh God. That was at the festival. I was out of costume. Saved him from getting crushed. Then my teammates handled everything before I could slip away. So I just... stayed. Showed the cute tourist the festivities.

We ate FANCY JAMS, YOU FUCK!

I pined our that cute tourist for WEEKS. Was UNBEARABLE. Tech threatened to shove me off a roof! Oh my god.

Laughter.

Dozens of mouths, laughing in perfect sync. The noise layered and bouncing strangely around the room. Deeper then it should be, higher as it swings. Like a radio or voice modulator that someone is messing with. A momentary loss of control. My anger fizzles out to fear. Oh... oh yeah...

I forgot I was fucked.

At.. at least I know why?

A step forward. Past too close and now basically in my lap. A foot on either side of my knees. I try not to think exactly where my face would be pressed if I wasn't dragged back, to hang near painfully arched, so he could lean down and I could be forced to make eye contact. That way lay madness.

He moved his other hand to my face, cupping it. Dragging his thumb possessively across my mouth. He hummed, pleased.

He pressed closer, sliding down my front to his knees, straddling my lap. REALLY hoped that WAS, in fact, a weapon in your pocket there, buddy. Because I am not liking the handsy direction this is going, nor have I come to terms with my meet cute being a monstrous planet killing warlord. Not feeling sexy, my guy.

....okay, a LITTLE sexy, but that is hormones and we ignore those.

Fuuuuuck, wandering haaaaands! Now would be a GOOD TIME for door kicking rescues! I do NOT want to learn anything new about myself today! I want to go HOME. Sleep forever, maybe! Have a burrito the size of my head! Oh god. Think unsexy thoughts. Math. Sad puppies! Sad puppies doing MATH!

The Collective had dragged me upright. Pressed my face right up against their Face's bare skin. All I could smell was expensive cologne and man. Warm skin. Oh god, I am so gay. This is hell and I am very, VERY gay. If evil, why sexy hot hot hot? Hormones are making very convincing arguments. Horny brain says let's make terrible life choices.

No! Nooooo. Stop it, Me! We are fucking better then this! God damn it, you trainwreck, you are a ROLE MODEL! Act like one! (But horny...) (NO!!!)

God I was never going to mock the fuckers who hesitates at the "sex n cookies" speech again. Persuasive mother FUCKER!

"Aah~" he sighed contentedly, far too close to a moan for my sanity's liking. Hands having finally found the hidden zippers of my undersuit. Slowly dragging it open. "You are FAR too cute~♡"

"I can't wait to get you off this worthless little rock. Back to ME. I'll have so many WAYS to take care of you~ Backups and rudimentary supports we can set up, at least until I get you something proper."

Horrifying. Deeply Horrifying. REALLY never wanted to know what terrified and horny felt like, but here we are. Distantly, I hear thunder. There's no clouds. A flash of red through the skies. Green followed by metallic purple. Oh thank fuck. Keep his attention. Just... just keep his attention.

"We'll use me as a base. Keep you in stasis. Away from all these ugly, dangerous things~! Just you and me. Perfect. BETTER. Infinite and beautiful. I'll make all sort of bodies just for you to play with. Even let you keep this one! If you want. It'll be a precious memory for us, of where you began. How we met."

A mouth on mine. I can't breathe. Can't escape the arms wrapped around me. My protests do little more then waste oxygen. I feel light headed. Come one, team Alliance! He's here! HE'S HERE!!!

"You're going to be MINE, little Hero. I finally figured it out. What I was missing. It was YOU~♡! My beloved, delicate, little thing~. I'm going to take SUCH good care of you."

"Forever~"

[marinerainbow]

Do you have any more information on that when’s were peach fell in love with bowser eyes 👀 it interest me a lot

Powser is my favorite Mario ship... So yes, I do >:3

Let us renember; in my headcannon, Peach is SEVEN FOOT THREE! Imagine how huge Bowser is if he can grab her up like this!?!?

This post shall also be done in dot points for my sanity XD also, this will be referring to the Powser Timeline of my Mario's Galexy.

In this cycle, Mario and Luigi showed up much later, so they aren't around for a good while. So when it came to maintaining the peace of The Strangelands, it fell on our beloved princess' shoulders. In fact, in this timeline, Bowser doesn't get to kidnap her because she approached him first for peace between their nations.

Bowser had been planning to take over the Mushroom Kingdom for the same reasons I stated in my Mario AU post. So you can imagine how surprised he was when he received an invitation to the very palace he was planning on conquering in the first place. He took this as a chance for a surprise take-over, and told his men to prepare as such.

... The thing is, though, he expected to come face to face with a sentient mushroom ruler. Not the beautiful, kind-hearted, and collected Princess Peach we know and love to greet him at the edge of her city. He actually thought she was a passing human, but no. The toads flanking her sides introduced her as their princess. And when Peach approached Bowser with a sweet smile and took one of his clawed fingers in both of her hands, he fell in love instantly... Which was quite the show when his koopa troops surrounded the princess and her toad guards as was the original plan 😅 Bowser had to quickly call them off, and come up with an excuse on the spot as to why his koopas would point their spears at her.

Peach: Wh-What is this!?

Bowser: No! No! It, uh... Y-You see, my princess *totally not squealing on the inside for getting to say that* uh... My people, we uh...

The Koopas: 😶😶🤨🤨🤨🤨

Bowser: We aren't used to uh... Friendly people, such as you.

Peach: Really?

Bowser: Yeah, yeah! It uh... We were expecting an attack, actually-

Koopa: But my lord, you said-

Bowser: *gives him the 'shut the shell up!' Look*

Peach: Oh, you poor koopas! 🥺 don't worry. You will find nothing but acceptance and peace among the toads. And with our alliance, we'll be sure to offer your people the prosperity you deserve ^^

Bowser: *definitly not wondering what Peaches ring size is already* Right, that's why we're here! For peace! Haha...

(Eventually, after they get married, Bowser tells Peach the truth of what happened. To which she surprises him by confessing she already knew, but decided to give him a chance since he called off his troops, and she's glad she did. My Peach may be a pacifist, but she's not blind.)

Anyways, they went inside her kingdom, and Bowser not only got to see a side of The Strangelands he never did get to see in The Darklands, but was also shocked at how peacefully they were able to work together. Peach never spoke down to him or his people, and made sure neither side would be treated unfairly in their kingdoms union. He was honestly amazed, having never seen anything political being taken care of through non-violent means. It made him reflect on his own laws and Kingdom, too. But he wanted to leave a good impression on Peach, so he tried to paint his kingdom and ruling in a positive light... Which failed miserably 😅😅😅 but at least it encouraged Peach to renain in contact with him and help bring his people into a new, kinder era, so... He considers it a win.

There was a lot of work to be done. Imagine if all of the main Mario games focused on Peach and Bowser teaming up and fixing various issues between their kingdoms. That's how much time passed between them after that first meeting (I actually wanna see that 🤔 Bowser being able to use force and offense when Peach's negotiations and defense fail, and vice versa. Kinda like Bigby and Snow from The Wolf Among Us). But it only made Bowser fall for her harder, and eventually Peach started to fall in love with Bowser, too. And since their kingdoms were already united, it seemed like the most natural course of action ^^

Their love and marriage lasted for the rest of their lives. Raising the koopalings and Junior, and changing all of the Strangelands for the better. However, it all ended on the star festival, as it always does with each cycle; Bowser, Peach and their children were all enjoying a night of fun and collecting star bits, and forming the final grand star before their timeline ends with the galexy resetting itself... Unfortunately, Bowser and Peach don't fall in love in the next cycle, but they at least had their happy ending while they had it...

I hope this timeline makes sense 😅 but! Time for headcannons/tid-bits of the Powser Galexy Cycle!

As you can see, Bowser is still a bit of a goof in this timeline. In fact, he's able to show that side of himself more in this cycle than in previous cycles. That's because there's no need for him to be so tyrannical, and because his precious wife encourages him to let this side of him out ^^

Even so, he still knows how to lay down the law. Peach, she is a good and benevolent ruler. However, there were plenty of times when people tried to take advantage of that. Whether it be neighboring kingdoms during negotiations, enemies trying to take over her kingdom, or even their own people trying to get out of paying for a crime they committed. In that case, Bowser is always there to make sure nobody tries to pull the wool over Peach's eyes. He's kind of like her guard dog, standing behind her with his arms crossed and ready to roast somebody if they hurt or try to fool Peach... Needless to say, this does make people think twice about trying to harm the princess.

Though on the flip side, Peach is able to get Bowser to realize when aggression is unnecessary and whether or not a punishment for a criminal is just or too extreme. It's not uncommon in the kingdom to see Peach by Bowsers' side, holding his claw and keeping him calm enough to see reason and keep things smooth during meetings. If Bowser is her guard dog, then Peach would be his emotional support kitty.

Sometimes, just to tease Peach or because he needs he close in that moment, Bowser will pick up Peach just like in the gif above to give her a kiss, whisper something in her ear, or even during meetings and he and Peach need to talk without anyone else listening in. Sometimes, Peach will hop up onto his shoulder to peck his cheek and see him turn red ^^

In my previous post, I said that Ludwig was the first to be adopted, followed shortly by Iggy. They were actually brought in by Bowser before he and Peach were married. Even though they weren't a couple, however, Peach fell in love with them instantly and would constantly ask Bowser how he and his sons are doing. And he even trusted her enough to send them to her palace whenever necessary! 🥺🥺🥺 Peach treated them like her own, and when they came back, the first thing Iggy asked his dad was why aren't he and mama Peach married yet? This was actually what encouraged Bowser to finally confess his love to her ^^ (Ludwig was in his emo phase at this point, so he was just like "Yeah, she's alright." // "Shut up, Luddy, you still have the violin Peach got you." // "SHUT UP!-")

As such, Ludwig and Iggy are the only koopa kids who remember having only Bowser as a parent. The other koopa kids, even though lived under the rule of Peach and Bowser, were adopted after they got together.

After they were married, they built their own palace on the borders of both of their kingdoms. Peaches' original castle is the families' summer vacation home, and Bowsers Castle is their winter vacation home.

The Mario Bros come to The Strangelands during Bowser and Peach's wedding planning, actually XD when they were due to be married within a week, in fact. Larry found them first and showed them to his parents like they were cool bugs or stones he found XD "Mama, look! They look like you, but very small!" They were able to fix some plumbing issues in the castle that would have potentially interferred with the wedding, so Peach and Bowser promised to help them find their way back home for their help ^^ (I like to think Mario may have developed a mini crush on Peach, but since she was getting married, it obviously went nowhere.)

When it comes to parenting, Peach is the more firm parent. Bowser loves his kids, and he can discipline them. But... He's weak. He can't do it unless it's something serious. And we know he spoils his kids 😅😅😅 Peach loves them to peices as well! But she knows where to draw the line with them and makes sure Bowser doesn't go too far with spoiling them or letting their antics slide. As such, they actually grow up less bratty and not so "we just love being mean!" Then they do when it's just Bowser raising them. Imagine Peach being like Mary Poppins with them, making sure they behave without being aggressive about it. Except she's their mother, not their nanny. Daisy though, is their cool aunt.

When it comes to Junior, Bowser still made him on his own. Even though he and Peach wanted to try for kids, their drastic size and biology differences did make them hesitate. So, to stay on the safe side, Bowser incubated Juniors egg all on his own. Though this time, he had Peach tp take care of him through the draining process and take care of their kids ^^ (and that's how, in the current timeline, Bowser Jr. Still has buried memories of a past life with Peach as his mother. Just not by blood.)

A kinda funny thing though, is that when the palace is under attack, Bowser will go face the threat and the koopalings will surround Peach in their own version of a kill circle XD even though she's their mama, it's no secret that she's the most delicate family member (koopa babies, while still being fragile compared to adult koopas, are still pretty tough compared to humans. I mean, Lemmy and Junior, the youngest kids, already have sharp spikes on their shells 😬). So even though Peach will stand between her babies and any threat, her kids really are the next line of defense if, for whatever reason, Bowser fails.

Though, Peach is still a mama. And any mother worth their salt would break a man in two for touching her baby... That is actually what people find out in this timeline, after the one and only time Peach was actually kidnapped in this cycle. She had Junior with her, so he was taken too. Bowser pulled up with his battleships, ready to destroy the whole galexy to get his wife and son back... Only for him to find his darling, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly wife having tossed her vow of pacifism out the window and curb stomping her and her sons' kidnapper the second she broke out of the cage. That was just more proof to Bowser he found the perfect woman. (He still set fire to the guy when Peach was done with him. The koopa kids all think their mom is even cooler now.)

Oh yeah. Bowser still writes Peach love songs. And Peach writes him so many lovey dovey letters- yes, even after they're married- and bakes him many cakes. They love each other so much 💕

So yeah. They are a pretty dynamic duo with running kingdoms and raising families in this timeline ^^ Thank you for sending this in! I hope you enjoy reading this ^^

[confused-rat]

A Rat’s List of 50 Villain’s that had a Point

So beforehand, here’s Lily’s dumbass fucking rules for the list. 

Have a point 

Successfully navigate still being a villain

Are written well

From other lists I’ve seen, I think some people have either misinterpreted or ignored the “have a point” bit. (Or maybe I have.) Having a point means the villain was correct on a certain issue, but otherwise failed with their handling of it. (Leading to the second rule, is still a villain despite having a valid point.) So I’m going to try and explain what issue each villain I’ve listed was correct on, and why they’re still a villain. 

But I’m also ignoring rule 3. Because it’s stupid. ☺️ Spoilers inbound.

Ardyn Izunia, FFXV — The point, the gods ruined his life and to correct their mistakes, set up a prophecy that would ruin/kill countless other lives in the process, forcing everyone into roles they had not consented to. Why he’s still the villain, lost himself in the role he was forced into, killing needlessly and mentally torturing others for the dramatics. 

Emet-Selch, FFXIV — The point, the world is a fractured existence, where its inhabitants live infinitely shorter and arguably strife-filled lives, their souls 1/14 of what they originally were. Reality itself is broken. Why he’s still a villain, mortals still have the right to live and better themselves and if fixing the world means mass genocide across 14 different versions of reality, maybe let it stay broken?

Nidhogg, FFXIV — The point, the Ishgardians renege on their alliance and unjustly slew his sister for power, eventually rewriting their own history to place the blame on the dragons to justify their centuries long war. Why he’s still bad, genocide is never the answer. Also was just tossing hatchlings out to war to satisfy his own hatred.

Zodiark, FFXIV — The point, was created to stop the end of the world. Did that. Quite successfully for thousands of years. Why was it still bad though? Because it was gonna sacrifice millions to fulfill the wishes of its summoners after the fact. (See: Emet-Selch)

Vayne & Venat, FFXII — The point, humanity was being controlled by fantasy mindflayers, who routinely destroyed nations to keep their status quo. Vayne and Venat wished to free humanity from them, unfortunately, they decided to do that by invading and conquering other countries and killing thousands. 

Megatron, TFA — The point, Cybertron created his people as a slave race for war and denied them basic rights. Why is he still a villain, thinks colonizing and genocide is needed to provide for his people.

Megatron, IDW — The point, Cybertron’s government was a functionalistic hellscape where dissent was punished with anything from brainwashing to amputation. Why is he still a villain, lost the plot and murdered millions, innocents who were victims of the same system he was, eventually was guilty of the same crimes as the people he originally fought against.

Megatron, TFP — The point, another functionalist society, one where dissenters were sent to gladiator pits. Why is he still a villain, became essentially a terrorist when he bombed a theme park and later whole cities, again murdering fellow victims. 

Silco, Arcane — The point, despite being ruled by the same government, the Undercity received no support from Piltover and was left poverty stricken and oppressed. Zaun deserved its independence. Silco, however, is a drug lord, so he’s still a villain.

Count Dooku, Star Wars — The point, the Jedi Council and Republic were actually corrupt. Why he’s still the villain, worked with the absolute worst person in the galaxy. He tried to fight fire with an active volcano, very not smart.

The Architect, Dragon Age: Awakening — The point, was trying to give darkspawn and other blighted creatures back their self-awareness and control, eventually stopping the Blights entirely. Why he’s still the villain, abducted Grey Wardens to drain of blood and experiment on to achieve his goals. 

Teyrn Logain, Dragon Age: Origins — The point, Orlais was actually trying to secretly conquer Fereldan through a political marriage to King Cailan. Why he’s still the villain, let hundreds of his own people die to secure the throne, including the Grey Wardens, who had nothing to do with Orlais’ plans. 

Solas, Dragon Age: Inquisition — THE POINT, WHICH HE DID HAVE, both times he fucked with the Veil, he was trying to essentially stop an unjust social hierarchal system that supported slavery. Why he’s still the villain, he admitted it would likely kill a lot of people and we do not want that actually? 

Handsome Jack, Borderlands 2 — The point, Pandora is FUCKED. It needs some kind of intervention, people are wearing face masks made of FACES. Why he’s still a villain, it’s. It’s Handsome Jack? He airlocks people for fun, and that’s TAME compared to the other shit he’s done. 

Colonel T. Zarpedon, Borderlands the Pre-Sequel — The point, wanted to prevent the powers of the Vault from being misused. (Points at Borderlands 2 and 3) How she’s still the villain, decides to blow up the moon and all the people on it to do so.

Akechi Goro, Persona 5 — The point, Shido was a vile person who appeared to be above the law as he used his influence to ruin countless lives. Why Goro’s still the villain, murdering innocents in a long-con revenge plot isn’t justified. 

Louis Guiabern, Metaphor: Refantazio — The point, he’s essentially trying to end fantasy racism. Why he’s still bad, his solution to ending said fantasy racism is nonconsensual body modification on a worldwide scale. 

The Flame Emperor, Fire Emblem: Three Houses — The point, the church was corrupt and allowed atrocities to be committed to meet its status quo. Working with arguably worse people (reluctantly) and allowing other atrocities to occur to defeat said church is still bad though.

Miquella, Elden Ring — The point, the Golden Order is flawed and shunned many of the Lands’ Between’s inhabitants. Why he’s still the villain, you can’t brainwash an entire country into being nice, that’s insane. 

Shadowlord, Nier: Gestalt/Replicant — The point, oh man, where do I fucking begin? Shades are all just disembodied souls trying to reunite with their clone vessels. If they don’t reunite, said vessels will eventually die, as both are connected. Unfortunately, the clone vessels gained sentience, dooming humanity. The Shadowlord is just trying to save his daughter/sister, but he’s essentially sacrificing another version of her to do this with neither’s consent. No bueno. 

The Wicked Witch of the West, Wizard of Oz — The point, Dorothy totally did steal her sister’s shoes off her corpse. The death was accidental, but the theft was deliberate. Theft isn’t a murdering offense though, also Toto was just a dog? Wtf. Still a villain.  

The Gnome King, Return to Oz — The point, the Emerald City did in fact steal all his emeralds. Why he’s still the villain, sore loser. Tried to eat a child. 

Shere Khan, the Jungle Book (LA) — The point, mankind sucks. That is all…. Also the wolves totally broke the rules by keeping Mowgli, they could’ve just dropped him off at a village. Why he’s still the villain, preferred child murder to relocation. 

Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty — The point, you do not FUCK with the Fae? Don’t be rude? Why she’s a villain, did not stop after making her point. Sore loser. Cursed the baby instead of the rude parents. 

Ursula, the Little Mermaid — The point, technically, Ariel made a deal with the witch of her own free will. Why she’s still the villain, also a sore loser. Sabotaged Ariel to get the trident. Not a girls girl. Boo.

The Creature, Frankenstein — The point, was shunned and ostracized by literally everyone, including the man who created him, for something beyond his control. Victor owed him (child support). Why he’s still a villain, literally killed a child to spite his creator. He literally. Killed a child. And framed the nursemaid. To torment Victor. He also threatens all Victor’s friends and family, innocent people who had NO HAND in his creation. 

Dracula, Netflix’s Castlevania — The point, radical religious zealots killed his wife (and others) unprovoked. Why is he still a villain, did not stop at the zealots. (This iteration isn’t a predator, you empty-headed fuck ass, as a MLP enjoyer, you should understand the concept of MULTIPLE VERSIONS OF ONE CHARACTER??)

Lucian, Underworld Trilogy — The point, werewolves were slaves and fantasy racism got his lover and unborn child killed. Why he’s still the villain, kidnapped and helped experiment on countless people (who also died) to create a hybrid to facilitate his revenge. 

Red Queen, Resident Evil — The point, she was literally stopping the zombie infection from breaching contamination and destroying the entire world. Why she’s still the villain, told nobody, explained nothing, boom laser hallway. 

Ozymandias, Watchmen — The point, literally just watch the movie. Dude united global powers and ended a Cold War by creating a fake obstacle to scare them, but that’s bad because he killed a lot of people to do that. 

The Count, Gankutsuou — The point, he was unjustly convicted by three corrupt men who abused their positions of power and got away scott-free for years. Still bad because he dragged many innocent people into his revenge plot. Franz did NOT deserve all that. 

Knives, Trigun Stampede — The point, humanity destroyed their own planet and was actively using his people as portable life support batteries and slowly killing them. Why he’s still the villain, genocide is not a valid solution. 

Kyubey, Madoka Magica — Fuck you Lily, Kyubey isn’t a psychopath, it’s a manipulative little shit that doesn’t have humanity’s morals. The point, the universe is dying and they’re trying to stop that. Why they’re still the villain, their solution was the emotional and physical torture of children in a never-ending cycle of despair of death. 

Bandit King Bakura, Yu Gi Oh — The point, the then Pharaoh literally massacred his entire village to create the Millennium Items. Why he’s still the villain, once you fuse with a Great God of Evil, it’s kinda hard to argue for your continued righteous vengeance. 

Shōgo Makishima, Psycho Pass — The point, the Sybil System is flawed, criminalizing innocent people while letting dangerous sociopaths like him walk free (until they get brain jarred). Why he’s still the villain, he decided to demonstrate the system’s flaws by orchestrating so. many. murders. Like. So many. 

Luke Castellans, PJO — The point, the Gods didn’t care for their kids equally and left many to fend for themselves. Why he’s still the villain, trying to murder your fellow campers cause they won’t join your cause is bad actually. 

Medusa, PJO — The point, was unfairly cursed while Poseidon got away scott-free. Why she’s still DEFINITELY a villain, turns innocent people to stone, was gonna turn a child because she’s still not over her ex, getting dealt a raw hand doesn’t excuse CHILD MURDER. 

Poseidon, Odyssey — The point, Odysseus could’ve just avoided all this if he had just killed Poseidon’s son. 🤷 Why he’s still the villain, he would’ve raised the tides so high that all of Ithaca would’ve died, cause he had beef with ONE (1) MORTAL MAN. 

Lord Cutler Beckett, Pirates of the Caribbean — The point, uhhh. This may come as a surprise, but. Pirates… bad? Why he’s still a villain, he did not stop at pirates. Blackmailed and killed basically bystanders. ACAB. 

The Bane, The Underland Chronicles — The point, the Underlanders were originally a colonizing force that poisoned and killed the original inhabitants of the caves they took for their own. Why he’s still a villain, HE EATS PEOPLE? Many of the species underground are sentient and HE EATS THEM?

Tsaritsa/Fatui, Genshin Impact — The point, Celestia has a chokehold on humanity, controlling people’s fates and harshly punishing any dissent. They need to be stopped. Why they’re still villains, essentially is fighting fire with fire, manipulating Nations and experimenting on/killing folks to pursue their own goals to topple Celestia. 

Tsumugi Shirogane, Danganronpa V3 — The point, just doing her job, allegedly the entire class signed up willingly to play the Death Game. Why she’s still the villain, broke her own rules, also, cool motive, still murder?

Chris Walker, Outlast — The point, is trying to keep a highly dangerous swarm of nanites from breaking containment. Why he’s still the villain, does this by breaking others’ spines. And necks. And everything really.

Charioce XVII, Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul — The point, Bahamut is a world ending threat that almost succeeded two separate times in the past, and was guaranteed to awaken again in the imminent future to finish the job. Charioce wanted to stop it. However, waging a war with Heaven and enslaving the demon race to build a weapon to combat it was an awful way to go about it.

William Moriarty, Moriarty the Patriot — The point, England’s class system was allowing the rich to get away with absolutely abhorrent crimes. Murder is still murder though. 

Azure Lion, Lego Monkie Kid — The point, the celestial realm really doesn’t care about the mortal realm and is arguably very corrupt. Why he’s still a villain, broke the universe despite multiple people telling him to Not Do That. 

Toffee, SVTFOE — The point, wanted to get rid of magic, which kind of did fuck a lot of people over. Why he’s still the villain, child murder 🎶 is not 🎶 okay! 🎶

Oropo, Wakfu — The point, sought to replace seemingly uncaring gods with their abandoned offspring. Why he’s still the villain, was going to nuke the world to topple said gods. 

Julith, Dofus — The point, was unjustly framed for the murder of her lover because of fantasy racism. Why she is still the villain, sacrificing a stadium’s worth of souls to bring back your deceased lover is not okay.  

Prince Nuada, Hellboy 2 — The point, humanity had forgotten its truce with the Fae and was actively poisoning the planet. Dooming Nuada’s people and other creatures to a slow death and extinction. Why he’s still bad, genocide 👏 is not 👏 a valid 👏 solution!!

[richincolor]

This was a year filled with a bunch of great YA books, and of them all, these four were Audrey's favorites:

Asking for a Friend by Kara H.L. Chen Quill Tree Books || Audrey's Review

Juliana Zhao is absolutely certain of a few things:

1. She is the world’s foremost expert on love.

2. She is going to win the nationally renowned Asian Americans in Business Competition.

When Juliana is unceremoniously dropped by her partner and she’s forced to pair with her nonconformist and annoying frenemy, Garrett Tsai, everything seems less clear. Their joint dating advice column must be good enough to win and secure bragging rights within her small Taiwanese American community, where her family’s reputation has been in the pits since her older sister was disowned a few years prior. Juliana always thought prestige mattered above all else. But as she argues with Garrett over how to best solve everyone else’s love problems and faces failure for the first time, she starts to see fractures in this privileged, sheltered worldview. With the competition heating up, Juliana must reckon with the sacrifices she’s made to be a perfect daughter—and whether winning is something she even wants anymore.

Icarus by K. Ancrum HarperTeen || Audrey's Review

Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man—the wealthy Mr. Black—has been their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t get caught.

Until one night, he does. Not by Mr. Black but by his mysterious son, Helios, now living under house arrest in the Black mansion. Instead of turning Icarus in, Helios bargains for something even more dangerous—a friendship that breaks every single one of Icarus’s rules.

As reluctance and distrust become closeness and something more, they uncover the gilded cage that has trapped both their families for years. One Icarus is determined to escape. But his father’s thirst for revenge shows no sign of fading, and soon it may force Icarus to choose: the escape he’s dreamed of, or the boy he’s come to love. Reaching for both could be his greatest triumph—or it could be his downfall.

The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le Roaring Brook Press || Audrey's Review

Nhika is a bloodcarver. A coldhearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch.

In the industrial city of Theumas, Nhika is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure. And in the city's criminal underbelly, the rarest of monsters are traded for gold. When Nhika is finally caught by the infamous Butchers, she's forced to heal the last witness to a high-profile murder.

As Nhika delves into the investigation, all signs point to Ven Kochin, an alluring yet entitled physician's aide. Despite his relentless attempts to push her out of his opulent world, something inexplicable draws Nhika to him. But when she discovers Kochin is not who he claims to be, Nhika will be faced with a greater, more terrifying evil lurking in the city's center...

Her only chance to survive lies in a terrible choice—become the dreaded monster the city fears, or risk jeopardizing the future of her kind.

Sound the Gong (Kingdom of Three #2) by Joan He Roaring Brook Press || Audrey's Review

All her life, Zephyr has tried to rise above her humble origins as a no-name orphan. Now she is a god in a warrior’s body, and never has she felt more powerless. Her lordess Xin Ren holds the Westlands, but her position is tenuous. In the north, the empress remains under Miasma’s thumb. In the south, the alliance with Cicada is in pieces.

Fate also seems to have a different winner in mind for the three kingdoms, but Zephyr has no intentions of respecting it. She will pay any price to see Ren succeed—and she will make her enemies pay, especially one dark-haired, dark-eyed Crow. What she’ll do when she finds out the truth—that he worked for the South all along…

Only the heavens know.

[eretzyisrael]

by Gabriel Gaysinsky

In Canada, an open letter by city councilor Susan Kim and provincial parliament member Sarah Jama dismissed accusations of rape by Hamas as misinformation. This letter was endorsed by the head of the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Center. After facing significant backlash, Jama doubled down, blaming the “Zionist lobby” for pressuring the Canadian government into reprimanding her.

At the United Nations, it took eight weeks for an official condemnation of Hamas’ rapes to be released by UN Women. Sarah Douglas, Deputy Chief of Peace and Security at UN Women, has endorsed 153 tweets attacking Israel and Zionists, and attended UN meetings with pro-Palestine posters, violating UN neutrality guidelines. Suffice it to say that a key leader in the UN’s initiative to uplift women is actively working against the very women she is charged with uplifting.

The traditionally progressive Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, particularly its Chicago chapter, has also faced criticism for endorsing terrorism. Mere hours after the release of the first October 7th footage, BLM Chicago posted a tweet with a hang-glider image, referencing Hamas terrorists who used hang-gliders to attack and kill hundreds of partygoers at the Nova Music Festival. This blatant support for a violent attack on innocent civilians by an organization that has committed itself to the fight for equality is shocking, especially considering the fact that Hamas has held Avera Mengistu, a mentally ill Ethiopian-Israeli man, in captivity since 2014.

On college campuses, the situation is dire. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at UC Davis, the university I attend, justified the October 7th attack and glorified the attackers. Their rallies have featured slogans like “We don’t want no Jewish state” — which is a call for the eradication of Israel — and “Globalize the Intifada,” which calls for the violence of the intifadas to be repeated against Jewish communities worldwide. Professors also joined in; Jemma Decristo, a university faculty member, tweeted threatening messages against “Zionist journalists.” Another professor stated that “all Israeli residents are legitimate targets,” actively calling for violence against his own Israeli students and colleagues. After UC Davis students began an encampment mimicking those already established on other campuses, several professors reportedly required classes to attend the space, or have given extra credit for doing so, despite the fact that many Jewish and Israeli students are extremely uncomfortable with its messaging.

The aftermath of October 7th revealed that the hatred I experienced at my university is not unique. Higher education, while more radical, mirrors the outside world. The antisemitism and disregard for basic principles of human rights when it comes to Israelis might start on college campuses but can spread throughout society. I see this hate everywhere. Unless progressives worldwide undergo a fundamental shift that includes Jewish and Israeli voices, I will never call myself a progressive again.

[jainaism]

The Prophet: The dead in this land might lie still for the time being, but don't be fooled. Your young prince will find only death in the cold north.

Jaina: You! Arthas is only doing what he believes is right!

The Prophet: Commendable as that may be, his passions will be his undoing. It falls to you now, young sorceress. You must lead your people to the west to the ancient lands of Kalimdor. Only there can you combat the shadow and save this world from the flame.

His thoughts turned to the hooded figure who had urged him to flee from the Eastern Kingdoms. Antonidas now realized that this stranger was no madman; he had been right all along. It was too late for Antonidas to go west. As the Kirin Tor's leader, he could not abandon Dalaran. Protecting the city and its vaults of arcana was his duty. However, there was someone who could act on the stranger's advice and save innocent lives: Jaina Proudmoore. The sorceress was initially hesitant to leave. She wanted to stay by Antonidas's side and defend Dalaran. She also wanted to see what had become of Arthas. Jaina sensed the death knight among the approaching Scourge. She still wrestled with guilt about abandoning him at Stratholme, and she wondered if there were some way to save him. It was only after much debate that Jaina relented. She understood, just as Antonidas did, that the city could not hold out against the Scourge. If she and the archmage died, who would be left to heed the stranger's warning? The master and apprentice parted ways. Though neither of them said it, they both knew that this was the last time they would ever see each other. In the days to come, Jaina worked tirelessly to rally as many refugees as she could. Not everyone she met agreed to go with her, but many did. When she finally set sail for Kalimdor, her force included members from nearly every Alliance race. Some were survivors from Lordaeron and Quel"Thalas. Some were dwarves and gnomes from the Alliance military. And some were humans from Stromgarde, Kul Tiras, and other nations in the region. Though they came from different places, they followed Jaina Proudmoore for the same reason. She represented something that had almost entirely vanished from the Eastern Kingdoms. She represented hope.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

The American people lost the debate last night, and it was more painful than usual to watch the parade of platitudes and evasions that worked in the debate format run by CNN. The network’s glossy pundit-moderators started by ignoring the elephants in the room – that one of the two men standing at the podiums was a convicted felon, the leader of a coup attempt, an alleged thief of national security documents who was earlier this year found liable in a civil court for rape, and has promised to usher in a vengeful authoritarian regime if he returns to office.

Instead they launched the debate with the dead horse they love to beat in election years, the deficit and taxes. Throughout the excruciating evening, Joe Biden in a hoarse voice said diligent things that were reasonably true and definitely sincere; Donald Trump in a booming voice said lurid things that were flamboyantly untrue. The grim spectacle was a reminder that this is a style over substance game.

Debates are a rite in which not truth but showmanship wins the day, and in which participants get judged as though it was a sporting event – which it pretty much is, in high school and college debate events. Before 2016, presidential debates were relatively decorous events in which the participants slammed each other, but more or less within the parameters of the true and the real with maybe a little distortion and exaggeration.

Then came Trump. You cannot win a debate with a shameless liar, because what you’re supposed to be debating are facts and positions. A lie is a kind of poison; once it’s in the room it makes an impression that is hard to undo, and trying to undo it only amplifies it.

Trump’s positions on anything and everything shift and slide at will, and he lies about his own past with pathological confidence – in this debate he both denied that he had sex with Stormy Daniels and that he praised the white supremacists who stormed Charlottesville in 2017. More substantively he lied – unchallenged, except by Biden – about his role in the January 6 coup attempt, and the CNN pundits did not trouble him further about his crimes. Trump talked about whatever he wanted – asked about the opiates crisis, he reverted to the lurid stories about sex crimes and open borders that obsess him and inflame his followers.

Most outrageous of all, and of course utterly unchecked, was one of the outrageous falsehoods Trump has been pushing for years – the claim that abortion continues on into infanticide, that doctors and new mothers are murdering babies at birth. That one candidate has long supported reproductive rights and the other has led the attack on them was not something you would learn from this debate.

Debates exist so that people can hear from the candidates, which makes sense when they’re relative unknowns. We’ve heard plenty from both of them for 40 years or so, since Biden was a young congressman and Trump was a young attention-seeker in New York City’s nightclubs and tabloids, and both of them have had the most high-profile job on earth for four years.

We didn’t need this debate. Because 2024 is not like previous election years, and the reasons it’s not are both that each candidate has had plenty of time to show us who they are and because one of them is a criminal seeking to destroy democracy and human rights along with the climate, the economy and international alliances. If you are too young to remember 2017-2021, this would not help you figure that out.

As political journalist John Nichols put it, “CNN is illustrating how a ‘debate’ where the moderators reject the basic responsibility of fact-checking in real time, and refuse to challenge blatantly false statements, is not a debate. It’s a chaos where lies are given equal footing with the truth.”

Much has been said about the age of the candidates, but maybe it’s the corporate media whose senility is most dangerous to us. Their insistence on proceeding as though things are pretty much what they’ve always been, on normalizing the appalling and outrageous, on using false equivalencies and bothsiderism to make themselves look fair and reasonable, on turning politics into horseraces and personality contests, is aiding the destruction of the United States.

The major American newspapers have been unable or unwilling to convey to the voting public that the fate of the country and its constitution are at stake, that the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is a game plan for authoritarian rule and the loss of long-protected rights for many kinds of Americans.

Trump dodged a mild question about taking action on climate change, and though moderator Dana Bash brought him back to the subject he then just boasted about how under his reign we had “the cleanest” air and water, on the very day that the US supreme court justices he appointed savaged yet another piece of environmental protection. The highly-paid pundits could have asked him about his recent promise to leaders of the oil and gas industry that he’d serve their interests if they donated $1bn to his campaign.

Because it’s not just the fate of the US but of life on earth that’s at stake in this election; in 2016, the US undermined global cooperation on climate by electing Trump, who withdrew us from the Paris climate treaty, installed Exxon’s longtime CEO as his first secretary of state, and went to war against environmental protections. Biden has a flawed record but many huge achievements on climate – plus less huge ones too many and complex to bring up in a debate format.

But the hacks running the debate were no more interested in substance or the fate of the country or the earth than Trump. They were putting on a show, and they were putting it on as though we still lived in a world that no longer exists. By so doing they further endangered the world in which we do exist.

[Rebecca Solnit]

[skylarmoon71]

Bumblebee (Transformers) - Chapter 1

Meeting Bumblebee and Sam was possibly the best thing to happen in your life. At heart you’d always been a nerd. In high school that really wasn’t a flex. You always sort of knew Sam. He was constantly running a little hussle on the side. 

It was adorable. 

But after the fight in the national city, things changed. Sam changed and then you met his cousin Bumblebee. You just assumed it was some kind of nickname. Your little crew had expanded. It was just you, Sam, Mickeala and Bee. You couldn’t have been happier. Especially since they were the only ones that seem to believe your theory of alien existence. 

Most people thought it was just a phase, but you were a scientist and you’d been studying the markings and messages since the battle that the government tried to cover up. 

They said it was an international attack and everyone just believed it. 

None of it made sense. 

You were determined to prove that with the help of your friends. 

“Bee! You won’t believe what I found!!” 

His blue eyes sparkled at your call, brown hair a bit tousled from whatever activity he’d been doing in the living room of the Witwicky household. You had pretty much become a member of the family. 

“Well Hello (Y/N) it’s always nice to see you. Can I get you anything?” Judy asked. You shook your head. 

“No thanks Mrs. Witwicky, I just had a scientific breakthrough. Come on Bee!!” 

You grabbed his hand, leading him to the backyard as you dropped your bag. With notebook in hand, you flipped the pages taking a seat as Bumblebee joined you. 

“What did you find?” He looked intrigued. The second his eyes landed on the symbols you drew, he swallowed. 

“I’ve been trying to decipher these for months and I think I finally cracked the code. “ 

There were a few scribbles, and next to the foreign writing was a few notes. “ 

“Bee these symbols have to be alien and I think I figured out what this one means. It says prime.” 

He was impressed that you were even able to translate the writing. 

“Of course there’s a lot more, it has to be, but I don’t have the entire message. So prime must mean something. In a lot of other languages it means savior or leader.” Your brows were furrowed as you reached for your computer from your bag, pulling up some sites to correlate. 

“Whatever it means, I'm getting close, I can feel it. I’m almost done with my radio system too. Plus John said that if I helped him with the last three cars that I could use the junkyard to hook up my portal. “ You did a little cheer. 

“It’s all starting to look up!!” 

You were overly excited, and Bee wanted to share your joy. But he couldn’t. Because all the answers you were looking for were right in front of you. It killed him not to tell you the truth, but Optimus was very clear about involving anyone else in this war. While they had an alliance with the navy, it was agreed that staying hidden, at least for the time being, was the best call. There were still Decepticons out there hunting them. Wanting to cause harm to the human race. They couldn’t allow that. 

“I’m protecting her.” 

That’s what he kept telling himself. 

Everyone around you knew the truth and Bee was worried that when you did find out, it wouldn’t be as exciting as you hoped. 

“Hey Bee, you okay?” 

You took notice of the sadden expression. He looked up, letting out a breath and he forced himself once again to lie to you for your safety. 

“I’m fine, I just did really bad on a test recently.”

“Why didn’t you say anything! It’s algebra isn’t it? I can help you. This alien stuff can wait. I have plenty of time to become a scientific genius. First I gotta make sure my best friend makes it through high school.” 

You placed all your items down with a grin, and the pit in his stomach just became worse. You literally just dropped everything to help him because you thought he was struggling. His spark felt a bit cold in his chest. 

“Come on, let’s go study.” You started shoving your items into your bag as you nudged his shoulder with a giggle. When you moved to the door, Sam came running out. 

“Bee Opti-Uh I mean your dad needs to talk to you pronto!!” 

Bumblebee’s eyes lifted, and you looked a bit worried. 

“Is your dad doing okay?” 

He almost forgot that even Optimus’s existence was another cover story. 

Bumblebee nods. 

“He’s doing better.” He assured you.

As far as you knew his father had an illness, hence his reason for living with Sam. You’d never even question why you were never able to meet him. One night you’d just sat down and told him that you understood what it was like losing a parent to an illness. You’d been raised by your grandparents. You barely remembered your parents because you’d lost them so early in life. Then shortly after you’d lost your grandfather. Now it was just you and your grandmother. 

His gut twisted, and he bid you goodbye, following Sam out the door. He hoped that this distraction would help his conscience. 

[zandoarts]

Explain the Hibourverse why not?

Okay

Website -> https://hibourverse.com/

Truncated Synopsis:

The alternate history diverges around the time humanity was painting on cave walls. In the binary Spica system, about 260 light years away in Virgo, Spica A went supernova. After the cataclysm, the Spica system consisted of a rapidly spinning neutron star and what remained of Spica B. Descriptions of the nebula in Virgo date back to the very start of record keeping.

1960-2180 was a period of chaotic space expansion. Motivations varied, but soon humanity saw independent nation states in cislunar, Mars sphere, Jupiter, Saturn and everywhere in between. Fusion and fission power permitted humanity to thrive in the void, which was fortunate because...

In 2181 a relativistic impactor struck the North Atlantic. Originating from Virgo, the catastrophe eventually cost 2/3 of humanity both on and off planet. Many space nations barely survived the brief dark age that followed. Humanity scrambled to find footing in the solar system.

Luna and the gas giants emerged as concentrated spheres of humanity, with Luna retaining most surviving seats of Earth governments and the only military force. Industrialization resumed and reconstituted mega-corporations positioned themselves to profit off the impending growth.

Commercial empires, rivaling the power of many nation states, quickly developed the base of industry to build massive cities, constellations of ships and material infrastructure to push humanity beyond the biological baseline at the consumer level.

Brand specific babies found popularity as companies perfected genetic traits over multiple generations. Human divergence became a concern in the traditionalist systems of Luna, Jupiter and the Solar Empire. The outer solar system, facing rapid growth, began to isolate itself.

Political upheaval beyond Neptune required intervention, but Luna could never respond at such great distances, especially as the remote, fractured states of the high orbits began unifying. They called it the Kuiper Alliance, and transhumanism was a founding ideal.

The Alliance offered terms. Independence for the worlds at Neptune and beyond, the right to defense, the right to sustain those genomes who already existed... at the expense of a freeze on all further post-human development and a mutual defense policy... a check on Jupiter.

Denouncing perceived betrayal by Luna and the inner worlds, the Galilean Federation (Jupiter and all politically associated spheres) began rapid militarization and unification. The Federation made territorial claims owed from the early expansion era, prior to the loss of Earth.

Turbulent is the situation. The Kuiper Alliance, although massive, is fractured in it's response to Jupiter. Likewise the nations of Luna struggle to unify a response from the inner solar system as old allies cede to neutrality under the threat of a devastating war.

In the high orbits, the worlds of the Alliance are content to pursue their own diversified prosperity, expanding ever higher into the dark, abyssal Oort. It's from within these transhumanist cultures that stories of strange and consistent visions have permeated.

Originally thought to be the ravings of fringe society lunatics, these stories were lent credibility when it was discovered that clandestine, government and commercial organizations were contacting and tracking those affected, often at great expense.

Now, the public is on the lookout for sleeping or waking dreams with consistent themes. Images of neutron stars, an overwhelming presence and most unnerving of all... images of the North Atlantic impact of 2181. "The gods are among us" some people now say.

So here we are, somewhere between war, gods and an ever diluted destiny. The historic seat of humanity wanes. The cultures of Sol grow diverse and unsympathetic towards baseline. Jupiter fights for relevance and power.

And the eye of Virgo watches...

//There's about 400 years of alternate history (or ~20,000, depending on how you measure) crammed into one post!

[mariacallous]

Less than two weeks before his 2020 election defeat, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration rolled out a document that purported to promote women’s health and rights while declaring that there was “no international right to abortion.”

“It’s the first time that a multilateral coalition has been built around the issue of defending life,” then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a signing ceremony, conducted virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, and Uganda joined the United States in sponsoring the nonbinding directive, called the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family. Another 28 countries, many with authoritarian governments that repress women’s rights, signed it.

Abortion is one of the most pivotal issues that will determine whether Trump returns to the Oval Office. The Republican nominee routinely brags about his role—via three Supreme Court nominations—in overturning Roe v. Wade in a 2022 court ruling that inevitably limited abortion access for millions of people in the United States. Less known is the work that Trump and his appointees did to prevent women in other countries from obtaining the procedure.

The Geneva Consensus Declaration, which encourages governments to improve women’s health care without abortion, is one slice of Trump’s work to impose anti-abortion values on people overseas. It has garnered fewer concrete results than his expansion of the Mexico City policy, a perennial Republican rule that prevents foreign organizations that accept U.S. assistance from providing abortions or related services. But if Trump is elected, the declaration is expected to have renewed vigor. In fact, it could loom over all U.S. foreign assistance.

While the one-page document—with its emphasis on health and human rights for women—presents as nonthreatening, detractors assert that a Trump victory on Nov. 5 could make it very threatening indeed.

“I mean, sorry—to be brutal about it, women are going to die,” said Swetha Sridhar, a senior global policy research officer for Fòs Feminista, an international alliance that promotes sexual and reproductive health and justice. “That’s what we’re going to see.”

President Joe Biden withdrew the United States from the declaration upon assuming the presidency in 2021 because, his administration said, it “promotes anti-LGBTQI sentiment and undermines women’s health.” But Washington’s rejection of a document that it produced did not kill it. The declaration has been kept alive largely through the work of one former Trump administration official, Valerie Huber, who is known as its “architect.”

Sridhar and other abortion and gender rights advocates say that the Geneva Consensus Declaration represents a long-term, conservative attempt to create new international standards grounded in faith-based views of abortion and family structures.

“It has a big impact when you have these established global norms,” said Serra Sippel, the executive director of the Brigid Alliance, which provides logistical support for people who need to travel to obtain abortions within the United States. “Anti-gender, anti-rights folks can use this consensus as a tool to try to get countries to pass laws,” Sippel added.

The effort to export anti-abortion policies to other countries did not start under Trump. The Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam), an organization with ties to the Catholic Church, worked for 24 years to create a declaration, said its president—Austin Ruse—in a statement issued the day of the signing ceremony. In a summation of the declaration’s principles, Ruse said: “There is no international right to abortion. There is no international obligation to fund abortion. The United Nations has no business interfering in sovereign decisions when it comes to protecting life in the womb.”

C-Fam did not make anyone available for an interview for this story.

Huber, the declaration’s most visible proponent and a former U.S. special representative for global women’s health in the Trump administration, has spent the past few years traveling the globe, sometimes working with foreign first ladies to bring more countries on board. Huber also founded the Institute for Women’s Health, which “identifies high-impact solutions to promote women’s health and thriving,” according to its website. The institute created a framework called Protego to partner with countries that sign the declaration and provide guidance as they implement “high-impact, low-cost interventions” to meet the needs of women and their families, Huber said in two statements issued in response to an interview request.

“The tenet of the GCD [Geneva Consensus Declaration] regarding abortion points to the sovereignty of nations to chart their own path on this issue—therefore, GCD coalition nations have differing laws regarding abortion,” Huber wrote. “The GCD accurately states that abortion is not an international right, but rather it is up to the country to decide on its own abortion policies—without external pressure.”

Of course, countries already have the ability to pass and enforce their own laws on abortion. Opponents of the Geneva Consensus Declaration, however, argue that the document would allow governments to ignore international accords related to abortion, such as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, better known as the Maputo Protocol. That 2003 treaty recognizes abortion rights in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest, life-threatening fetal anomalies, and situations in which continuing a pregnancy would endanger the pregnant woman’s life or her mental and physical health.

Nevertheless, a handful of the countries that ratified the agreement do not permit abortion under any circumstances.

“The Maputo Protocol is an African instrument for Africans, created by Africans. No external pressure,” said Kemi Akinfaderin, who leads global advocacy work for Fòs Feminista and is based in Lomé, Togo.

To date, the Geneva Consensus Declaration does not appear to have many real-world consequences for women, according to abortion rights advocates in the United States and abroad. It is not an official treaty and, therefore, has no teeth. It also has had no consistent overseer, the secretariat having been passed from the United States to Brazil and then, after new leaders emerged in those countries, to Hungary.

But its trajectory—and implications for women worldwide—could change rapidly if Trump wins a second presidential term in the Nov. 5 election, abortion rights advocates who spoke with Foreign Policy said.

Trump, who has courted abortion opponents in his three presidential runs, has pledged to rejoin the coalition that signed the declaration, now numbering 39 countries (despite withdrawals from Brazil, Colombia, and the United States). In addition, Project 2025, a document seen by many in the United States as the blueprint for a new conservative presidency, proposes that U.S. foreign policy should align with the declaration’s tenets on abortion and the family.

“As soon as the next president is elected, we will reveal our priorities for the next four years,” Huber said in her statement.

For women in some of the world’s poorest countries, a return of Trump could signal real danger, according to abortion rights advocates in the U.S. and abroad.

Sridhar, who is based in Mumbai, might sound hyperbolic when she predicts an increase in deaths, but her fear is based on Trump’s track record. During his four-year term, he greatly expanded the Mexico City policy, forcing medical providers that received U.S. money to make a choice: Either they stopped providing abortions and related services, such as counseling or referrals—even if they were subsidized by non-U.S. money—or they lost what was often the bulk of their funding. Many clinics that provided a full array of services, including HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, closed.

A report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences estimated that Trump’s reinstatement of the policy between 2017 and 2021 led to 108,000 maternal and child deaths and 360,000 new HIV infections.

Project 2025, which was drafted by the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank with the help of Trump administration alumni, including Huber, would expand the Mexico City policy considerably further. Starting with former President Ronald Reagan in 1984, every Republican president has invoked the policy, dubbed the “global gag rule” by opponents, and applied it to foreign assistance for family planning services. (Every Democratic president has rescinded the policy.)

Trump extended it to all health care aid and changed the policy’s name to the “Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance” policy. Project 2025 would extend the practice to apply it to all foreign assistance, including humanitarian aid.

Layered on top of that would be the Geneva Consensus Declaration. Project 2025 proposes applying the anti-abortion, pro-family doctrine not only to foreign nongovernmental organizations and governments, but also to large international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO), which have programs that support reproductive rights and health.

Lynn Morgan, a professor emeritus of anthropology at Mount Holyoke College and an expert on the declaration, said that Trump could use it to undermine the work of U.N. agencies and the WHO, which sets international standards for health care.

“It’s going to empower a coalition of countries who might want to say, ‘We don’t want to participate in the World Health Organization anymore. We’re going to stop funding the World Health Organization because of their advocacy around abortion,’” Morgan said.

The declaration would gain potency if Trump made it a condition of foreign assistance, said Gillian Kane, the director of policy and advocacy at Ipas, an international organization that supports access to contraception and abortion. “I think what the Trump administration could do is say, ‘Hey, if you don’t sign onto this, or if you sign off of this, you’re not going to get foreign aid,’” Kane said. “I think this can be a real cudgel and sort of force people to align to this ideology.”

Huber said in her statement that no matter who becomes president, the Institute of Women’s Health seeks to build consensus. “We don’t want anything to stand in the way of improved health and wellbeing for women and families,” she wrote.

But it’s difficult to fathom Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, working with Huber and other proponents of the declaration. Harris has been outspoken in her support of abortion rights, and advocates say that they hope she will go further than Biden has to promote access abroad.

Although Biden rescinded Trump’s version of the Mexico City policy and withdrew from the Geneva Consensus Declaration, abortion rights advocates said his administration was slow to communicate with foreign aid recipients. Akinfaderin, of Fòs Feminista, said that some U.S. agencies were implementing Trump’s restrictions well into Biden’s term.

Akinfaderin said that she would like a Harris administration to view reproductive rights and justice “more holistically” to include such issues as infertility, comprehensive sex education, and maternal mortality. And, she said, Harris should stop conservatives from “rolling back everything that we’ve done—every single thing that we’ve done.”

Beirne Roose-Snyder, the director of the Preclusion Project, an independent legal organization that supports gender rights, said that supporters of abortion and gender rights would relish working with a President Harris, whom she described as “a very public advocate on reproductive rights and sexual orientation and gender identity.”

“This is not someone who is going to take to the creation of fake documents particularly well,” Roose-Snyder said in reference to the declaration. “So I think we would expect to see continued distance and maybe even further engagement with other countries about diminishing the role and power of the future of the Geneva Consensus Declaration. I think we’d expect to see that.”

[itssovero]

07. Final Fantasy XIV Online: Dawntrail (Square Enix Creative Studio III, 2024)

I'm far from an MMO-focused gamer (I won't be talking about hardcore raiding as I haven't yet worked up the courage to take the leap into that content), but FFXIV absolutely stole my heart back in 2020 with its rich worldbuilding, incredible life-affirming storytelling, immaculate vibes and soundtrack, satisfying cooperative gameplay, and generally welcoming in-game community. With prior expansion Endwalker wrapping up a 10-year narrative saga spanning the game's entire history up to that point, this new adventure is poised to be the start of a whole new phase of the game, and in my opinion, Dawntrail absolutely starts that journey on the right foot (despite what media literacy-devoid outrage merchants on social media would have you believe).

The narrative revolves around themes of community, collaboration, and understanding, with the player character taking on a mentor role to the empathetic and sociable but inexperienced Wuk Lamat as she participates in a rite of succession to become the leader of her nation while coming to truly know the hearts of the people she would serve. She's not running unopposed, however; her journey pits her against a host of other claimants, including her elder brother, who harbors warmongering, expansionist intentions for the nation. With the legend of a fabled city of gold at the heart of this continent-spanning contest, thrilling adventure, heartwarming character interactions, and manmade horrors beyond your comprehension delicious-looking local cuisine are abound.

Without spoiling the twists and turns the story throws at the player as it wends on, Dawntrail in typical FFXIV fashion tells a fundamentally prosocial story that really made me want to connect with my fellow human beings. The story actually positions itself as a sort of companion piece to the critically acclaimed Shadowbringers, both expansions tackling the premise of making the world a better place for those who follow in our footsteps, but each from a different angle, with Shadowbringers focusing on taking back the world from oppressive forces while Dawntrail focuses on preventing such oppression from materializing during times of peace. The setting of Tural is a character unto itself, its lands lush and beautiful, and its peoples and cultures endearing. The revelations throughout also help further expand the scope of FFXIV's universe in ways that will almost certainly be relevant in future stories.

The dungeon and trial design is tight and streamlined, hitting upon what I feel is the perfect level of challenge for normal duties. The two new DPS jobs, Viper and Pictomancer, are both fluid and satisfying to play, the former focusing on pure selfish damage with a busy fast-paced attack rotation, and the latter requiring strategic timing of skills with longer cast times in exchange for absurdly high burst damage and strong party buffs.

The slate of announced patch content is massive, as well, with a large-scale Field Operation, a new roguelike Deep Dungeon, a new wave of multi-path Variant Dungeons, some new form of lifestyle content, and a new unique Limited Job gameplay style all being promised in addition to the usual 8-Player and Alliance Raids. We've seen a lot of these types of content before, but never all at the same time. Combine that with the start of a new story and the currently-ongoing graphical overhaul, and this new phase of FFXIV almost feels more like the start of a sequel than an average expansion release.

[mentally-quiet-spycrab]

URGENT! PLEASE DO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN TO STOP HR 9495!

(CALL YOUR REPS!)

Tell Congress: Take action to prevent cuts to IRS funding in the end-of-year government funding bill! (HURRY BEFORE DECEMBER 20TH COMES!)

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Spread it to Reddit, BlueSky, Instagram, or wherever you are able to do so!

[pannaginip]

Rights and youth groups in this city marked the 52nd anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the country with a protest action and various cultural performances on Saturday, Sept. 21, highlighting cases of continued repression faced by Cordilleran activists and human rights defenders under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Cordilleran activist Joanna Cariño, who was a student when arrested during martial rule, said not much has changed 52 years since.

“I have a feeling of deja vu (of martial law) with Duterte and with Marcos Jr.,” she said during the mobilization, bringing up the cases of disappeared activists Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” De Jesus.

Cariño said it was important to recall the spirit of “indigenous people power” and to continue remembering the atrocities of martial law because this period was “an important part of our history that is not always taught in schools.”

Rey Cortez, a lawyer from the National Union of People’s Lawyers, claimed that “despite the former dictator being gone, repression of all government critics was continuing” under the term of Marcos Jr.

In the Cordillera, members of the indigenous peoples’ group, the Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA), had been named as terrorists by the Anti-Terror Council in June 2023.

“In the time of Marcos Jr., the anti-terror law can be used to illegally detain someone, arrest them without a warrant, freeze their bank accounts, and [subject them to surveillance],” Cortez concluded.

2024 Sept. 23