#shira savage

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Rephael Ariel Guri | Reuven Heinik | Reuven Weisman | Revaya Mansouri | Ricardo David Lischov | Rinat Even | Rinat Hodaya Zagdon | Rivka Ben Horin | Robert Shaulov | Roi Idan | Roi Popplewell | Roie Monder | Roland Sultan | Romi Brandt Eliyahu | Ron Binyamin | Ron Shemer | Ron Weinberg | Ron Yehudai | Ronen Ditchman | Ronen Engel | Roni Petrovski | Roni Polvanov | Roni Shitrit | Ronit Hodaya Zagadon | Ronit Sultan | Ronnie Levi | Rosa Yedgarov | Rotem Neiman | Rotem Rahel Levi | Rudy Skrzewski | Ruth (Rutti) Akuni | Ruth Hodaya Peretz | Sagi Zak | Sagiv Beilin Ben Zvi | Sahar Ashuan | Sahar Baruch | Said (David) Moshe | Sakda Surakhai | Saksit Khotmee | Samer Fuad El-Talalka | Sami Keidar | Sammi Jarjawi | San Amnon Yakobov | Sapir Bilmas | Saryut Penkitwanitcharon | Sattawat Phiaaia | Savyon Chen Kipper | Savyon Chen Kipper | Rotem Kalderon | Sefi Yossef Gennis | Segev Israel Kishner | Segev Shushan | Semion Abdilemov | Seriyut Pankitwanitchirnm | Seta Homsorn | Shachaf Kreif | Shachar Gal Kadman | Shachar Siman Tov | Shahak Yossef Madar | Shahar Ben Naim | Shahar Gal | Shahar Gindi | Shahar Mansour | Shahr Mattias | Shai Regev | Shai Shalev | Shai Shalom Elior Mutzafi | Shaked Habani | Shalev Gal | Shalev Madmoni | Shalom Abudi | Shani Ben Ami | Shani Gabai | Shani Kupervaser | Shani Nicol Louk | Sharif Suad | Sharon Goradny | Sharon Hirsch Uzan | Sharon Refai | Sharona Shmunis Harel | Shaun Davitashvili | Shenhav Ya’akov Gerfi | Shifra Noy | Shimon (Shimi) Hayat | Shimon Hiat | Shir Hanna Georgie | Shir Yaron | Shira Ayalon | Shiran Ganon | Shiraz Brodash | Shiraz-Shiran Yashmireni | Shlomi Davidovitch | Shlomi Mattias | Shlomi Molko | Shlomo (Shlomi) Sividia | Shlomo Elfasi | Shlomo Eliyahu Elsheikh | Shmil Abasov | Shmuel Shmulik Weiss | Shoham Lia Turgeman | Shoham Ya’akov Gerfi | Shon Deutshvili | Shoshana Brosh | Shoshana Karasanti | Shraga Hassid | Shulamit Merenstein | Shuval Ya’akov | Sigal Itah | Sigal Levi | Simon Vigdergauz | Sindi Flash | Sivan Alkavetz | Sivan Sharhabani | Sofia Popov | Solomon Aliagoyev | Somchai Sayang | Somkhoun Pansa-Ard | Sonthaya Oakkharasri | Sophia Bongart | Srithat Kawao | Stav Barazani

These are the names of just a few of the victims of October 7, those murdered by the horde of Nazi savages from Gaza, or those kidnapped and imprisoned within that moral sewer.

On October 6, all of these people were alive and minding their own business. They were living their own lives. Islamic terrorists from Gaza took that all away from them, leaving a permanent scar on their communities and the entire nation of Israel.

More names will be coming up soon.

[are-they-z]

Supporters of #NoHostageLeftBehind Open Letter to Joe Biden - Part 1/2

The letter consists of lies, no mention of Palestinian genocides, and a call for ceasefire.

Read the full letter:

Dear President Biden,

We are heartened by Friday's release of the two American hostages, Judith Ranaan and her daughter Natalie Ranaan [Raanan] and by today's release of two Israelis, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husbands remain in captivity.

But our relief is tempered by our overwhelming concern that 220 innocent people, including 30 children, remain captive by terrorists, threatened with torture and death. They were taken by Hamas in the savage massacre of October 7, where over 1,400 Israelis were slaughtered—women raped, families burned alive, and infants beheaded.

Thank you for your unshakable moral conviction, leadership, and support for the Jewish people, who have been terrorized by Hamas since the group's founding over 35 years ago, and for the Palestinians, who have also been terrorized, oppressed, and victimized by Hamas for the last 17 years that the group has been governing Gaza.

We all want the same thing: Freedom for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace. Freedom from the brutal violence spread by Hamas. And most urgently, in this moment, freedom for the hostages.

We urge everyone to not rest until all hostages are released. No hostage can be left behind. Whether American, Argentinian, Australian, Azerbaijani, Brazilian, British, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Eritrean, Filipino, French, German, Indian, Israeli, Italian, Kazakh, Mexican, Panamanian, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, South African, Spanish, Sri Lankan, Thai, Ukrainian, Uzbekistani or otherwise, we need to bring them home.

Supporters:

Adam & Jackie Sandler

Amy Schumer

Aaron Sorkin

Barry Diller

Behati Prinsloo

Bella Thorne

Ben Stiller

Bob Odenkirk

Bobbi Brown

Bradley Cooper

Brett Gelman

Chris Rock

Constance Wu

Courteney Cox

David Alan Grier

David Chang

David Geffen

David Oyelowo

Diane Von Furstenberg

Eli Roth

Emma Seligman

Eric Andre

Ewan McGregor

Gal Gadot

Gwyneth Paltrow

Harvey Keitel

Isla Fisher

Jack Black

James Brolin

Jason Blum

Jason Sudeikis

Jeff Goldblum

Jerry Seinfeld

Jesse Plemons

Jessica Biel

Jessica Seinfeld

Joey King

John Slattery

Jon Hamm

Jordan Peele

Josh Brolin

Judd Apatow

Judge Judy Sheindlin

Julia Garner

Julianna Margulies

Julie Rudd

Justin Theroux

Justin Timberlake

Karlie Kloss

Katy Perry

Kirsten Dunst

Lana Del Rey

Laura Dern

Liev Schreiber

Madonna

Martin Short

Michelle Williams

Mila Kunis

Nicola Peltz

Noa Tishby

Olivia Wilde

Orlando Bloom

Paul & Julie Rudd

Richard Jenkins

Rita Ora

Ross Duffer

Sacha Baron Cohen

Sam Levinson

Sarah Paulson

Sean Combs

Shira Haas

Sting & Trudie Styler

Taika Waititi

Thomas Kail

Tiffany Haddish

Tyler Perry

Will Ferrell

Andy Cohen

Alex Edelman

Amy Sherman Palladino

Aubrey Plaza

Barry Levinson

Billy Crystal

Brad Falchuk

Brian Grazer

Bridget Everett

Brooke Shields

Chelsea Handler

Chloe Fineman

Chris Jericho

Colleen Camp

David Schwimmer

Dawn Porter

Dean Cain

Debra Messing

Elisabeth Shue

Erin Foster

Eugene Levy

Gene Stupinski

Gina Gershon

Guy Oseary

Henry Winkler

Holland Taylor

James Corden

Jason Reitman

Jessica Elbaum

Jimmy Carr

Jonathan Ross

Josh Charles

Juliette Lewis

Kristen Schaal

Kristin Chenoweth

Lea Michele

Mark Foster

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Matthew Weiner

Michael Rappaport

Molly Shannon

Noah Schnapp

Pattie LuPone

Regina Spektor

Sara Foster

Sarah Cooper

Scott Braun

Seth Meyers

Sharon Stone

Zack Snyder

Zoey Deutch

Zosia Mamet

Zoe Saldana

Alex Aja

Aaron Bay-Schuck

Amy Chozick

Aron Coleite

Adam Goodman

Alan Grubman

Adam Levine

Allan Loeb

Amy Pascal

Angela Robinson

Antonio Campos

Anthony Russo

Alexandra Shiva

Andrew Singer

Alison Statter

Alona Tal

Ali Wentworth

Ari Dayan

Ari Greenburg

Arik Kneller

Ashley Levinson

Asif Satchu

Barbara Hershey

Barry Rosenstein

Beau Flynn

Ben Turner

Ben Winston

Ben Younger

Blair Kohan

Bobby Kotick

Brad Slater

Bradley Fischer

Bruna Papandrea

Cameron Curtis

Casey Neistat

Cazzie David

Charles Roven

Chris Fischer

Christian Carino

Cindi Berger

Claire Coffee

Craig Silverstein

Dan Aloni

Dan Rosenweig

Dana Goldberg

Dana Klein

Danny Strong

Daniel Palladino

Danielle Bernstein

Danny Cohen

Daphne Kastner

David Bernad

David Baddiel

David Ellison

David Gilmour &

Polly Sampson

David Goodman

David Joseph

David Kohan

David Lowery

Deborah Lee Furness

Deborah Snyder

Donny Deutsch

Doug Liman

Douglas Chabbott

Eddy Kitsis

Edgar Ramirez

Elizabeth Himelstein

Embeth Davidtz

Emmanuelle Chriqui

Erik Feig

Evan Jonigkeit

Evan Winiker

Francis Benhamou

Francis Lawrence

Fred Raskin

[wrestlingisfake]

ROH Fake Rankings, 12/2/2023

Men's singles division - babyfaces

Eddie Kingston (ROH men's world champion, STRONG men's champion)

Dalton Castle

El Hijo del Vikingo (AAA mega champion)

Komander (AAA cruiserweight champion)

Ethan Page

Lee Johnson

Gravity

Trent Beretta

Metalik

Willie Mack

Men's singles division - heels

Wheeler Yuta (ROH pure champion)

Brian Cage (ROH trios champion)

Kyle Fletcher

Tony Nese

Josh Woods

Evil Uno

Nick Comoroto

Unranked: Fred Rosser, Gringo Loco, Jack Cartwheel, Slim J, SK Bishop

After Tony Khan launched AEW in 2019, ROH went through a bit of a dark age until Khan acquired the promotion in 2022. Few names from that era remain on the roster--Castle, Yuta, and Woods are the most prominent on the weekly TV series right now.

We're two weeks away from ROH's next pay-per-view, Final Battle, and the men's side only has one match announced--a six-way for the television title, which Samoa Joe abandoned. Joe is putting his focus on chasing the AEW men's world champion MJF, who has been one of the ROH tag team champions for three months and has yet to appear on an ROH show. As for the six-way, only Castle and Komander have been confirmed as participants thus far.

I assume there won't be a men's world title match on the PPV, since Kingston is busy with AEW's Continental Classic tournament. Similarly the pure title has seen more action in AEW than ROH. Brian Cage and the trios title are effectively on ice until his tag partners return from New Japan's World Tag League.

I have no doubt Final Battle will end up being a good show. But with ROH in the state it's in, the quality of the show will largely depend on how many big names from AEW (or perhaps New Japan) will come in for exactly one night, tear the house down, and then not stick around. That approach isn't going to convince people to pay $10/month for the weekly TV.

Men's tag team division - babyfaces

Darius Martin & Action Andretti

Dralistico & Preston Vance

Iron Savages - Boulder & Bronson

Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo

Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal

The Outrunners - Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd

Colt Cabana & Brandon Cutler

The Boys - Brandon Tate & Brent Tate

The Bollywood Boyz - Gurv Shira & Harv Shira

Men's tag team division - heels

Gates of Agony - Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona (ROH trios champions)

The Righteous - Vincent Marseglia & Bobby Dutch

The Butcher & The Blade

Shane Taylor Promotions - Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty

The Workhorsemen - Anthony Henry & JD Drake

Cole Karter & Griff Garrison

Spanish Announce Project - Serpentico & Angelico

The Wingmen - Ryan Nemeth & Peter Avalon

The West Coast Wrecking Crew - Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs

Unranked: Jacoby Watts & Sebastian Wolfe, Trevor Outlaw & GPA

On paper this looks like a stacked tag team division. However, most of the teams listed are booked like jobbers when they appear on AEW teleivison, and get booked 50/50 in ROH matches. I think the Iron Savages, the Infantry (Dean/Bravo and Trish Adora), and the Outrunners have a ton of potential, but I can't fool myself into thinking they're being pushed right now. Andretti/Martin and the Righteous are presented like big deals, but their win-loss records don't reflect that--hell, the Righteous couldn't even beat MJF two-on-one.

The main exception is Kaun and Liona, who are booked like monsters. But there's no sense of that leading to them challenging for the ROH tag title. The main idea is that they're part of a monster trio with Brian Cage. But after a year at the top of the trios division, they've destroyed every possible trio combination on this roster, and it feels like only an AEW superteam could topple them.

Women's division - babyfaces

Willow Nightingale

Billie Starkz

Leyla Hirsch

Rachael Ellering

Kiera Hogan

Trish Adora

Women's division - heels

Athena (ROH women's world champion)

Marina Shafir

Nyla Rose

Mercedes Martinez

Diamante

Emi Sakura

Robyn Renegade

Charlette Renegade

Unranked: Amira, Brooke Havok, Heather Reckless, Heidi Howitzer, Johnnie Robbie, Kel, Ronda Rousey, Zoey Lynn

The biggest storyline in ROH lately has been Athena training Starkz to be her "minion," and feuding with Shafir, until Starkz flipped out on both Shafir and Athena, and challenged Athena for the title at Final Battle. At this point I'm not sure which of the three are supposed to end up being babyfaces or heels, but the story's still in progress.

They're also doing a thing with Hirsch trying to decide whether Ellering or Maria Kanellis truly has her back. So good for ROH for actually having multiple women's storylines, although I wish the second one wasn't the same passive-agressive "are you really my friend?" stuff we see all the time in women's wrestling.

The Renegades have gotten involved with both of these storylines, in tag matches against Athena/Starkz and Ellering/Hirsch. That's a good idea to keep things interesting. Unfortunately the Renegades have the same problem the Bella Twins had in WWE--their whole deal is being a cohesive duo, but the promotion doesn't have a women's tag team title for them to dominate.

OK, this next part is where I list wrestlers who are on the roster but haven't had a match in over a month. Thing is, ROH doesn't really have an official roster. So this is just a selection of wrestlers who are either on AEW's official roster or free agents that seem to be ROH regulars.

No televised ROH matches in 30 days: Allysin Kay, Blake Christian (GCW world champion), Kip Sabian, Lady Frost, Marti Belle, QT Marshall, Rocky Romero (CMLL historic welterweight champion), Scorpio Sky, Skye Blue

No televised ROH matches in 60 days: Angelina Love, AR Fox, Claudio Castagnoli, Chuck Taylor, Jimmy Jacobs, Leila Grey, Nick Wayne, Silas Young

Last televised ROH match between June 1 and August 31: Alex Reynolds, Big Bill (AEW tag team champion), Cheeseburger, Daniel Garcia, Eli Isom, Jacked Jameson, John Silver, Leon Ruffin, Madison Rayne, Mark Briscoe, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Miranda Alize, Penta El Zero Miedo, Rey Fenix, Rhett Titus, Samoa Joe, Stokely Hathaway, Stu Grayson, Tracy Williams

Looking at all these names, you can see talent that will probably be back before long, and others who have clearly moved on. I really doubt Castagnoli and Samoa Joe will be back. The Kingdom (Taven and Bennett) feel integral to 2020s ROH, but their AEW act with Roderick Strong is so hot right now that it'd be silly to move them back here. In other cases (for example, Isom, Cheeseburger, Williams, Titus) I never know if they're just on a hiatus or if Tony Khan has just decided to stop booking them altogether.

I would guess about half of these names will return to ROH now and then over the next six months. But "will return" could mean "will appear weekly leading to a PPV match" or just "will do one match and then nothing for another six months."

Inactive

Bandido (left wrist - triangular fibrocartilage complex tear)

Katsuyori Shibata (leave of absence)

There's no way to know if either of these guys will be ROH regulars when they return, but they were when we last saw them. By the same token, Dante Martin (who was injured on an ROH show months ago and has just made his return) could be headed back here or maybe he won't.

Conspicuous by their absence on this list are the ROH tag team champions, since Adam Cole hasn't wrestled under the ROH brand since 2017, and MJF never has. I thought it was possible they'd at least show up for Final Battle, but there's no timetable for Cole's return from an ankle injury. MJF could show up to defend the tag belts solo, or with a substitute partner. But considering he's working through a torn labrum, and trying to make it to the December 30 show, Final Battle is probably a low priority for his schedule.

[ulkaralakbarova]

Summer '03

A 16-year-old girl and her extended family are left reeling after her calculating grandmother unveils an array of secrets on her deathbed. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Jamie Winkle: Joey King Luke: Jack Kilmer Shira Winkle: Andrea Savage Ned Winkle: Paul Scheer Hope: Erin Darke March: Stephen Ruffin Emily: Kelly Lamor Wilson Dylan: Logan Medina Dotty Winkle: June Squibb Officer Quincy: Elise…

[pin-crusher2000]

Character files 013: Hector Hall

HawkBoy is a young superhero who is also the son of HawkMan & the late HawkWomen/Girl.

Appearance: a young man with brown short hair with red dye & blue eyes.

Outfit: a green skin tight suit with yellow & red knee pads, elbow pads, & biker gloves. He wears nth metal amulet that has a black & red hawk head that allows armor & wings to fly for the wearer. He has a black & yellow hawk mask.

Personality: kind, smart, strong will, most of his personality is that of Atreus from god of war.

Powers: his come from his nth metal amulet, which allows him super strength, durability, regeneration, magic negation. He has a mace made from the same material which can also materialize into any weapon like an axe or spear, he can also throw & call back the weapon. In my universe, his parents have thangarian souls, which in my universe are descendants of hawk gods evolving into the thangarianians of today, that allows them to keep up with gods & kryptonians. His skin gets darker & hair gets brighter plus gain sharp nails & teeth, I call this form: Savage Beast mode.

Trivia/FunFact

He likes history, mostly Egypt stuff like mummies & king tut.

Hectors relationship with HawkMan is pretty much kratos & Atreus’s, In canon HawkMan hates him for having no soul, in my universe, having Hector broke the curse of the reincarnation & HawkWomen (Shira Sanders Hall) died causing both to emotionally distance. (Which sounds better imo, but they do reunite as father & son)

Best friends with Connor Queen

Favorite movie is the mummy

[jcmarchi]

Top-Scary-Good-Security-Tips-For-A-Happy-Halloween-2022

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/top-scary-good-security-tips-for-a-happy-halloween-2022/

Top-Scary-Good-Security-Tips-For-A-Happy-Halloween-2022

By Shira Landau, Editor-in-Chief, CyberTalk.org

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Halloween is a widely celebrated holiday in the U.S. Seventy-three percent of Americans intend to celebrate Halloween this year, and U.S. consumers are expected to spend roughly $4.1 billion on dress-up costumes alone.

While the holiday has dark historic origins, it has largely evolved into a festive celebration that focuses on the thrills and chills from spooky costumes, haunted houses, scary movies, ghoulish tales and things that go ‘bump’ in the night. Fear is front-and-center, but the slow-burn supernatural stimuli can be devilishly fun, enjoyable and spook-takular.

Here at CyberTalk, we enjoy a good Halloween hoot as much as the next person, but we would also like to help you steer clear of spine-chilling online Halloween trickery. Your Halloween doesn’t need to include nightmarish cyber security scenarios.

This Halloween, stay safe with these pro tips.

1. Phishing. Halloween brings out the trick-or-treaters, along with the cyber criminals. The latter leverage Halloween to launch new cyber attacks designed to deceive everyday internet users into revealing passwords, sharing files, or downloading malware. For hackers, the trick is to get unsuspecting individuals to click, and the treat is business or personal identity theft, intellectual property theft or other online ills.

This Halloween, avoid new terrors, reduce risk and increase resiliency. Apply anti-phishing software across devices, employ artificial intelligence that can auto-detect anomalies, upgrade firewalls, and reappraise incident response protocols.

2. Spam emails. Hair-raising Halloween-themed spam emails are not uncommon. Hackers sometimes send the same emails year-after-year, and they’re as effective the 5th time around as they are the first. The subject lines may say “Halloween sale,” and advertise pirated goods or bogus deals, or messages may lure eager festival-of-frights revelers with Halloween-themed quizzes, surveys, and links to online videos.

Take control of the inbox. Minimize mischief by investing in anti-spam and email security software.

3. Software updates. Merciless miscreants can worm their way into network systems via unresolved software vulnerabilities. In some cases, cyber criminals then lurk in systems for days, weeks or years, eventually launching savage cyber attacks that often include much-dreaded ransomware.

By installing security patches and other updates on a regular basis, you can prevent cyber criminals from gaining a foothold in systems and accessing data, deliverables or delicate information.

4. Endpoint security. Old traditions die hard, but modernize your endpoint security to strengthen your overall security posture. Evaluate solutions for complex, cloud-based business environments that address unprecedented, sophisticated Gen V attacks. An elegant endpoint security solution can prevent some of the most frightful and haunting witchy-ness on Halloween and year-round.

5. Employee education. Costume contests, bone-chilling breakfasts, and desk decorating competitions are all part of creative office-based Halloween fun, but none are perhaps as critically important as educating around hacker-based hocus pocus. Advancing your organization’s employee awareness programming can help keep your enterprise protected 24/7/365.

Cyber threats can stab an organization in the back and make everyone’s blood boil. But the cat is out of the bag – Your organization can avoid a frightening affair or a beastly blowout by putting the pro-tips listed above into practice. After all, tricksters could tie up your infrastructure like so many strawberry twist Twizzlers, rendering your Halloween more spooky-season-haunting than fun.

Transform your organization’s cyber security routine and have a wonderfully Happy Halloween!

Lastly, discover new trends, expert interviews, and so much more – subscribe to the CyberTalk.org newsletter.

[metacogblog]

Vocabulary

1. The Trolly Problem: “A recent lawsuit filed against Tesla reveals a critical key to understanding how its autopiloted cars would handle the iconic ‘trolley problem’ in ethics.” -Here’s How Tesla Solves a Self-Driving Crash Dilemma, Patrick Lin

The Trolly Problem: a question first posed by the contemporary British philosopher Philippa Foot as a qualified defense of the doctrine of double effect and as an argument for her thesis that negative duties carry significantly more weight in moral decision making than positive duties.

The classic, “would you redirect a train to kill one person over five? what if you knew the singular person?”

2. Mono no aware: “That feeling in your heart: It’s called mono no aware. It is a sense of the transience of all things in life.” -Mono No Aware, Ken Liu

Mono: thing(s)

No: possessive article for a noun

Aware: feeling/ sentiment

Mono No Aware: the deep feeling or pathos of things, the powerful emotions that objects can evoke or instil in us.

3. Go: “The perspective of Go is bigger.” -Mono No Aware, Ken Liu

Go: an abstract strategy board game for two players in which the aim is to surround more territory than the opponent.

4. Adaptive technology: “‘Disability drives innovation. It’s undeniable,’ said Joshua Miele, a blind adaptive technology designer who was recently named a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation’s ‘genius’ grant.” -Disability Drives Innovation, Shira Ovide

Adaptive Technology: something specifically designed for people with disabilities.

For example, can openers.

5. Compulsory Heterosexuality: “We live in a society influenced by compulsory heterosexuality where we assume that everyone is, and ought to be heterosexual”, The Privilege of Coming Out, Nancy J. Mezey

Compulsory Heterosexuality: the theory that heterosexuality is assumed and enforced upon people by a patriarchal and heteronormative society.

6. Silent Tolerance: “Although many lesbians of color did not want to directly come out to family and communities of origin, they managed to negotiate their sexual identities by following a ‘silent tolerance’, or ‘don't ask, don't tell’ practice.” The Privilege of Coming Out, Nancy J. Mezey

Silent Tolerance: unspoken acceptance.

May good, but is still rather harmful.

7. Prima Facie: “Prima Facie values; universal ethical principles, such as honesty and respect for others, exist and are considered to be self-evident and obvious to rational individuals of every culture.” -Ethical Positions, Sherri Diester

Prima Facie: Principles are binding unless it conflicts with another moral principle - if it does we have to choose between them.

8. Egalitarian: “Egalitarianism; the highest value is equality which means justice and opportunities distributed equally.” -Ethical Positions, Sherry Diester

Egalitarian: Relating to or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.

9. Utilitarian: “Utilitarianism; the highest value os that which promotes the greatest general happiness and minimizes unhappiness.” -Ethical Positions, Sherry Diester

Utilitarian: Actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority.

These ethical positions are all different ways of defining “the greater good.”

10. Hermetic: “He awoke with a start, ranting in his hermetic language and with tears in his eyes, and he flapped his wings a couple of times, which brought on a whirlwind of chicken dung and lunar dust and a gale of panic that did not seem to be of this world.” -A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Hermetic: relating to an ancient occult tradition encompassing alchemy, astrology, and theosophy.

11. Dulcet: “Yet I repeat that these were not simple folk, not dulcet shepherds, noble savages, bland utopians.” -The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, Ursula K LeGuin

Dulcet: sweet and soothing.

Like pan dulce

12. Apathy: “The greatest danger to our future is apathy.” -The Power of One, Jane Goodall

Apathy: lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

Please care.

13. Catastrophe: “Unlike the people living in the years before the First World War, we won’t be sandbagged by catastrophe.” -A Climate Plan for a World in Flames, Kim Stanley Robinson

Catastrophe: an event causing great and often sudden damage or suffering; a disaster.

Hell.

14. Socioeconomic: “I knew who left their first real apartments to move back into their childhood bedrooms, who was locked down in the mountains or by the beach, and whose socioeconomic backgrounds gave them no choice but to stay in cities hit hard by the plague.” -Are We “Generation Screwed”?, Jordan Salama

Socioeconomic: relating to or concerned with the interaction of social and economic factors.

Specifically, how those two intersect with each other.

[dirtyandmelancholy]

[girlactionfigure]

On this day five years ago, a Palestinian terrorist savagely rammed a truck into a crowded group of IDF soldiers as they were getting off a bus at a promenade in southern Jerusalem. the terrorist drove a large flatbed truck into them and after he hit them, he put the vehicle into reverse and began to run over them a second time, what an animal!!! 4 soldiers were viciously murdered and more than a dozen injured. May the memories of Shir Hajaj, Yael Yekutiel, Shira Tzur, and Erez Orbach always be remembered for a blessing. Amen! 

#EnoughHate

Joseph Waks

[mychemicalrachel]

@we--are---not--afraid

I already answered about Horny af and the self indulgent band au, but I’m gonna talk about them both again because I adore them so much 😊

This is gonna be long, bear with me.

As for the horny fic, there is one fun part I could give you a snippet of;

“I want to talk,” Adam said.

Kavinsky didn’t want to talk. He wanted to put his tongue back in Adam’s mouth, he wanted to keep kissing him until his lips were numb, until he couldn’t tell Adam’s body parts from his own.

“Right now?” Kavinsky asked. At Adam’s nod, he started to sit up, moving away, but Adam’s hand on the back of his neck held him in place.

“I said I want to talk,” Adam said, “not to stop.”

K licked his lips, bit back a smile, and lowered himself back down against his boyfriend, slotted between his legs, pressed against his chest. He kissed Adam soft and quick, and then started trailing his lips down. Kisses against his cheeks, his jaw, his chin, his neck. Teeth grazed his pulse, tongue lapping after, and Adam released a breath. “I’m listening,” Kavinsky said.

The vibrations from Adam's laugh tingled in his lips. “I want to have sex.”

“Shitfuck,” Kavinsky said. His eyelids fluttered closed. “Are you sure?”

Adam’s fingers threaded through his hair, pulled him back enough to look him in the eyes. Blue eyes that had never seemed so sure in their life. He kissed him once, hard, and added, “I want to do it with Ronan, too.”

“Hmm,” Kavinsky said. “Double penetration seems kind of advanced for your first time.”

And there is another part of the band au I like (I deadass could not decide on tense, so it switches between past and present randomly)

Outside, the sidewalks are clearing. A few groups wait on the curb for rides, some milling around debating on what to do next, since the night was still young. Ronan leans against the wall, lighting up a cigarette. He’s the kind of guy Eleanor always wanted to have the guts to go for. Tall, dark, savagely handsome. The kind of guy she wanted to be with before she settled down with an Adam type. If he hadn’t said he was gay, she would have definitely changed course and started flirting with him tonight, but as it was her sights were still set on Adam. Ronan and Blue started bickering about something, Shira and Toby nestling into a shadow to kiss in feigned secrecy, and Adam glanced back toward the bar.

“I don’t really like concerts,” Adam admitted in a low voice and Eleanor was relieved that he was the one initiating conversation. She didn’t know what else to say. She wasn’t like his friends with their artfully destroyed clothes and piercing gazes. “They’re loud and being in the crowd makes me dizzy because–” he gestured to his deaf ear. “That’s why I hang out on the sidelines.”

“I like being around people who don’t give a shit,” Eleanor says. “It’s like, freeing, you know? Just throwing yourself into it without a care in the world.”

“That’s what Ronan says,” Adam says, a glimpse of Ronan stolen out of the corner of his eye. “He likes it. That’s why I tag along. And to see Kavinsky, of course.”

“Right,” Eleanor says, “the cute drummer,” and Adam laughs.

“Ah!” a voice shouts. “My adoring fans! Please no pictures. No, I’m so sorry, I can’t sign any autographs. My hand has prior engagements tonight.”

Eleanor knows– she knows– before she even turns who it is. Joseph Kavinsky. He was cute, really cute. But he was also such an asshole. Maybe meeting him face to face will be painful for Adam. She’d been told never meet your idols and she figured it was the same for meeting your celebrity crushes. She knows what it’s like to have a crush that ends in sorrow and disappointment.

“What prior engagements?” Ronan says. “Jerking yourself off?”

Kavinsky’s mouth hangs open and his eyebrow shoots up as he joins their little group along the wall. His fingers hook in Ronan’s belt loops and he tugs him closer, bodies flush from hips to knees. “You should be nicer to me, maybe I was planning on jerking you off.”

Blue looks affronted. “Is this your idea of flirting?”

Kavinsky looks at her sideways and then his gaze keeps traveling over to Adam and he smiles. “Hey, hot stuff. You finally decided to become a groupie?”

Adam cocks his head. “You think I’d make a good groupie, K?”

K! Was Adam actually flirting with him?

“That depends, sweetheart,” Kavinsky said and his eyes traveled up and down Adam’s body. “Does that mouth do more than talk?”

Eleanor made a surprised noise in the back of her throat.

Kavinsky’s gaze kept going and landed on her, half hidden by Adam’s shoulder. His eyes narrowed curiously. She regretted wearing a band shirt, but she didn’t plan on actually meeting any of the band members. “Oh, is that an actual groupie? Did you pick up a stray?”

Ronan scoffed, probably because he’d said the same thing.

“No,” Adam sighed. “She’s a classmate.”

Kavinsky turned his attention back to Ronan for a fleeting moment and seemed to realize he was still holding onto his belt loops. He let go and stepped back to light up a cigarette. He blew out some smoke and gestured to Eleanor. “You’re a fan?”

Eleanor looked down at her shirt again and gnawed on her lip. He didn’t seem to recognize her, but that wasn’t surprising. Kavinsky probably had girls throwing themselves at him all the time. She didn’t really feel offended so much as scrutinized. She just shrugged. “I guess.”

“Okay.” Kavinsky nodded. “I was, uh– I was just kidding about the hand thing. Did you want an autograph or something?”

“No.”

Adam laughed a surprised laugh. And maybe it was the alcohol swimming in her stomach, blurring in her head, but she really wanted to hear it again.

“Okay,” Kavinsky said again. He took his cigarette between two pinched fingers and held it out, letting Ronan take it from him, bringing it to his own lips. It was hot in a way she didn’t look at too closely. Kavinsky stepped toward Adam and Adam shifted, bumping against Eleanor as he straightened to his full height. “You look fucking stunning tonight,” Kavinsky said. He wasn’t wrong. Adam, out here beneath the yellow glow of the streetlights, looked heavenly.

Adam’s lips curled. “You smell like shit.”

Blue threw her hands up. “What the fuck is wrong with you people? Can you not flirt normally?”

Adam licked his lips. “Blue’s right. Um, Kavinsky, you looked very sexy up there hitting your big drum with small sticks.”

Kavinsky laughed. Blue sighed. Ronan batted Kavinsky’s shoulder and held out the cigarette. Before he could take it back, Adam intercepted it and brought it to his lips. Kavinsky watched him appraisingly. Typically Eleanor didn’t like cigarettes or the smoke that came with them, but watching Adam’s cheeks hollow around the filter, his lips pursing as he blew out. She definitely saw the appeal.

“So,” Kavinsky said, pleased, “your mouth does more than talk.”

Adam scoffed. “Fuck you.”

He held his arms wide, a request. “Do I have to beg? Or just ask nicely?”

Blue made a retching noise.

AND THE POSSESSION FIC. I will admit, there is more in my head than on file at the moment. Basically, I had the idea of Kavinsky being stuck in the dreamspace after his death and, in an attempt to bring himself back to life, he possesses Ronan. I said this one was Pynch and Rovinsky, but I definitely considered some moments between Kavinsky and Adam.

I never really decided if Kavinsky taking over Ronan’s body was accidental or intentional. The whole fic would be following Adam trying to get Ronan back (and maybe falling in love with Kavinsky along the way? Or straight up murdering him. Could go either way.) I never even figured out when this actually takes place. Adam’s at Harvard, but Cabeswater is still alive? This is why its a work in progress…

I don’t have much of this actually written, but there is a small piece;

Adam wakes up in a cold sweat still attached to the nightmare he’d been having. It takes a moment for him to gather his surroundings, realizing he’s not in Cabeswater anymore. He forces his muscles to relax, his breath to even, as his eyes adjust to the dark dorm room. His roommate’s light snoring is the only sound.

He feels wrong.

Everything feels wrong.

He grabs his phone from the floor beside his bed and scrambles to his feet, already hitting the speed dial by the time he’s headed out the door. He doesn’t want to wake his roommate and have to explain that he’s freaked out by a nightmare.

That’s all it is, he assures himself. It was just a bad dream.

Ronan doesn’t answer.

He keeps walking, bare feet against the rough carpet. All of the rooms he passes are utterly silent. It’s past three in the morning and most of his fellow classmates are probably either dead asleep or buried in last minute assignments.

He keeps calling.

He finds the common room secluded, most of the lights off. He sits on the sofa and tries calling Ronan again.

When he doesn’t answer, Adam starts to panic.

It was just a dream. A horrible, terrifying, panic inducing bad dream.

But it was so real. And Adam knows by now that just because it’s a dream, doesn’t mean it’s a work of fiction.

He sucks in a breath and pushes in a different number.

After four rings, a tired voice says, “It’s three in the fucking morning.”

Declan is different from Ronan in so many ways, and yet there are always similarities popping up, surprising Adam in new ways.

“Something’s wrong,” he says.

And suddenly Declan is very much awake. “Parrish? What do you mean? Is Ronan okay? Is Matthew?”

“I don’t know,” Adam admits. “I had a dream--” he releases a shaky breath. “I can feel it, something is wrong. And Ronan won’t answer his phone.”

“Okay,” Declan says, a terrifying calm taking over his voice. Adam can hear rustling in the background as he gets dressed. “Tell me about the dream.”

So Adam does, to the best of his abilities. It’s faded now, as if every second awake is erasing what he recalls, but he tells Declan what he remembers. There was a darkness eating Cabeswater, like a shadow stretching its fingers through the branches of the trees and threading between the blades of grass.

“Was it like the demon?”

“No, it was different. It was so cold. There was a figure. A person. I don’t remember all of it, but I remember watching it drag Ronan away. He disappeared and I heard screaming.”

That was when he woke up, Ronan’s scream still echoing in his head.

[edensrose]

❝ 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐄 ── 𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐄 𝐗 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐇 ─────

genre: fluff, some angst

includes: oc x tomoe | lovey dovey stuff | mention of death

words: 690

“Mother! You know, my favourite story!’’ A child whines as his mother plays coy. “The one of the yokai and village girl!’’ His pout morphs into a smile once she clicks her fingers. "That one again, you've heard it, what? 300 times?" She cooes, the dark-haired boy gleams. "And I'll hear it again!" As she sighs, a soft, warm smile finds its way to her lips. Excitedly, he mimics her, “The Cherry Blossom Tale.’’

“Legend speaks of a maiden so beautiful that even the gods fancied her. With long ebony locks, eyes of shimmering amethyst and a smile from the heavens.’’

“A village girl!’’ He chirpss

“Despite this, she refused to marry a man.’’ “So she found a yokai!’’

“And a troublesome one at that, he was feared by many, a tyrant of the land. A leader of yokai.’’ Alas, another interruption. "But she loves hiimmm."

“Now, dear. Let me tell the story,’’ She tuts, brushing some of his hair back.

Then, she whisks him away to a world of blooming sakura trees whose pinkish petals graced the sky. When melodies of streams synced with choirs of birds. A time where the only light came from villages in the heart of midnight.

There, the darling human met the devilish yokai, along a riverbed. A long mane of white hair yet eyes that mirrored hers, he towered over her. It was only natural for her to cower, he was a beast after all. A being said to have so much blood on his hands that his soul was irredeemable.

Yet, she didn't flee. Such a thing confused about the beast. Was a death wish on this human's agenda? Or was she braver than she led on to believe? Such curiosity is what spared her life.

And so, she returned.

When the moon peaks, she skipped to that riverside where she meets the monster those fear under their bed, those cower at within their closet.

As their talks and encounters grew, she learned that not all urban legends are true.

They say yokai are savages, then why is he so gentle? That spirits love chaos, why does this one appreciate small dates at cherry blossom fields?

The field at which they kissed, where they laid and watched the stars. Where times of tears and ache could never amount to the nights of laughter and comfort. The place he held her and called her his. That very field is where he uttered the words,

“marry me, Shirashika.’’

“Not yet, Kitsune.’’

She’d whisper, bringing her hand to his pale cheek. “One day, I’ll be your wife. For now, we wait...’’ A love between human and yokai was forbidden, they both knew. Even more so a woman of yokai hunter lineage.

That night, she left him with a kiss, a vow to return in the morning.

Her return never came.

The true magnitude only hit him the following dawn, when he discovered her mangled body. Her beautiful skin now coated in crimson, pale and drained of colour. Her bright, vibrant eyes resembling that of a withered flower.

Slaughtered for whom she loved.

“That is not how it ends, right? Your ending is true?’’ Asks the child. “Of course.’’ She sighs. “Shirashika returns in her new life and finds the yokai she promised to wed. Their story is a happy one, dear.’’ Assured, he relaxes.

"Rest well… Takeda." Her expression softens as she presses a peck to his head. The woman leaves him to his slumber, flicking on his nightlight and shutting the door.

“Telling him stories again, Hannah my love?’’ Calls her husband.

She smiles and turns, instinctively hooking her arms around his neck and leaning into the cold, pale hands that rest upon her hips.

“Of the yokai and village girl, Tomoe dearest.’’

Their amethyst eyes lock as her fingers brush against his white strands, delicately caressing them.

“Tales which you remember well, Shira.’’

He whispers, leaning his forehead against hers. A warm look fills either of their matching hues, the years flash within the swirl of violet, the memories.

“Tales of which we shared, my Kitsune.’’

Even after centuries, still, their lips meet.

[sisilafami]

2020

Rap:

Lil Uzi Vert - Eternal Atake Playboi Carti - Whole Lotta Red Polo G - The Goat Los and Nutty - Panagnl4e Vol. 2 Preservation - Eastern Medicine, Western Illness Sada Baby - Skuba Sada 2 (Deluxe) Medhane - Cold Water $ilkMoney - Attack Of The Future... / G.T.F.O.M.D Akai Solo - Eleventh Wind Roc Marciano - Mt. Marci Chief Keef - Ferrari Musik Rio Da Yung Og - City On My Back Armand Hammer - Shrines Max_B - Charly Tony Shhnow & 10kdunkin - Rp's & Plan B's Shawny Binladen - Merry Wickmas Babyface Ray - For You Tae Dawg - Ooze God / Dawgprint 2 Lil Baby - My Turn (Deluxe) TisaKorean - Wasteland Lil Uzi Vert - Luv vs The World 2 R.A.P. Ferreira - Purple Moonlight Pages Ka - Descendants of Cain 03 Greedo - Load It Up Vol. 01 TyFontaine - 1800 / Virtual World Moor Mother & billy woods - BRASS Boldy James - The Price Of Tea In China (Deluxe) Mad Moon - Mad Space Smino - She already decided mixtape G Herbo - PTSD B Side WTM Scoob - A Beautiful Drug / Don't Be Proud / I Went to Plu2o Young Nudy - Anyways KanKan - B4 AMGs & SRTs Drakeo the Ruler - We Know the Truth (Deluxe) Tree - The Blue Tape Yak Gotti - Gotti Outta Here KrispyLife Kidd & Ysr Gramz - Kid N Play CeeFineAss - Welcome to My City H31R - ve·loc·i·ty Baby Smoove - Hardwood Classic Lucki - Almost There Bandgang Lonnie Bands & Bandgang Javar - The Scamily Damedot - Mafia Lord (Chapter I)

Hm:

18veno – R4z / Pablo 21 Savage - Savage Mode II Akai Solo - Ride Alone, Fly Together / Like Hajime Autumn! - Ils Verront / Solitary DaBoii - Tour Vibes Dopeboy Ra - Mobstyle Duwap Kaine - Bad Kid From The 4 Flo Milli – Ho, why is you here Goonew - Big64 2 Hook - I Love You 2, Hook Key Glock - Yellow Tape Lil Durk - Just Cause Y'all Waited 2 (Deluxe) Lil Keed - Trapped On Cleveland 3 (Deluxe part) Lil Shane Krush - 5000 Degrees in the Field Los - Carlos \ G Shit Vol. 1 Master Holy - A Holy Journal Megan Thee Stallion - Good News MIKE - weight of the world NLE Choppa - Top Choppa PG RA - God's Gift Rod Wave - Pray 4 Love (Deluxe) Rylo Rodriguez - G.I.H.F Rx Papi - The Real Dominic Toretto/ Mood Sada Baby - Bartier Bounty 2 Spotemgottem - Final Destination Starlito – Paternity Leave Su'lan - Baby Glock Gang WB Nutty – TWYH (That's What Ya Heard) Yhung T.O. x DaBoii - Demon and Mufasa YN Jay - Coochie Land (Deluxe)

R&B:

amaarae - The Angel You Don't Know Brent Faiyaz - Fuck The World Teyana Taylor - The Album Liv.E - Couldn't Wait to Tell You... Brandy - B7 Kehlani - It Was Good Until It Wasn't keiyaA - Forever, Ya Girl

Amplify20 (info @ amplify2020.blogspot.com) :

Michael Pisaro-Liu - Tai Pi Bryan Eubanks - Qualia-Cosmos English - Democracy Keith Rowe - an assemblage - construct for 45 voices / GF SUC TARAB - 41 containers Vanessa Rossetto - perhaps at some time you have acted in a play- even if it was when you were a child Bonnie Jones - An Hour is a Sea Joe Foster - Since I Don't Know When Michael Rosenstein - Outer Cape Sojourn Lionel Marchetti - L'ignorance Kevin Drumm - Q Manja Ristić - Out Of Thin Air Benedict Drew - Music for crawling inside a costume Marc Baron - Elle a traversé deux fois la même rivière Shira Legmann - The Ganges Heather Frasch - The sound of objects helps me remember Zhu Wenbo - Open Reinier van Houdt - friction sleep maze (22 april 2020) / horizon without traveler (22 may 2020) Moniek Darge - Quarantine Butterfly Ivan Palacký - Sanctuary

Contemporary:

Choi Joonyong & Jin Sangtae - Hole In My Head Olli Aarni - Mustikoita ja kissankelloja Linda Catlin Smith - Meadow Naomi Pinnock - Lines and Spaces Dominique Lemaître - De l’espace trouver la fin et le milieu Manuel Pessôa de Lima - Realejo Sarah Hughes - I love this city and its outlying lands Philip Sulidae - Tupik Paolo Coteni - Nel Corso Del Tempo Lil Jurg Frey Live 5-2-2020 / Live 5-14-2020 Delphine Dora - L'inattingible Greg Stuart - Colluvium Du Yun - A Cockroach's Tarantella Clara Ianotta - Earthing Timothy McCormack - Karst Lucy Liyou - Welfare YIN YUE- An Amateur Compilation

Digital Beats:

DJ Diaki - Balani fou DJ MC - DA LEGENDARY HIT FACTORY Equiknoxx - Equiknoxx Music in 2020 Gooooose & DJ Scotch Egg - jac DJ Lycox - Kizas do Ly NÍDIA - Badjuda Sukulbembe FELIX - Oito ou Oitenta

Nice forms:

Elysia Crampton - ORCORARA 2010 Joanne Robertson - Painting Stupid Girls Lorenzo Senni - Scacco Matto Beatrice Dillon - Workaround Dylan Henner - The Invention of the Human Brannten Schnure - Ei, wir tun dir nichts zuleide! Space Afrika - hybtwibt Autechre - PLUS James Ferraro - Neurogeist Mohammad Reza Mortazavi & Burnt Friedman - Yek 2 Mark Fell & Will Guthrie - Infoldings Merula - Sleep Eiko Ishibashi - Hyakki Yagyō Various - Kulør 006 Employee - Hold Music Vol. 1

Techno / House?:

Serwed - Serwed II 33EMYBW - Arthropods Terrence Dixon - Galactic Halo Actress - 88 / Karma & Desire Nkisi - Initiation Speaker Music - Black Nationalist Sonic Weaponry Lord of the Isles - Whities 029

Jazz?:

Moor Mother - Circuit City Nick Malkin - A Typical Night in the Pit Lemon Quartet - Crestless Moor Mother and Olof Melander - ANTHOLOGIA 01 Jon Hassell - Seeing Through Sound (Pentimento Volume Two) Moor Mother - Clepsydra

Pop?:

Charli XCX - How i'm feeling now LISACHRIS - uchushimin meat computer - virtual house arrest FROMTHEHEART - things happen- it's ok! EM Records - S.D.S -零- (Subscription Double Suicide -Zero-)

New Old:

Foul Play - Origins Roland Kayn - Requiem Pour Patrice Lumumba George Lewis - Rainbow Family Henning Christiansen - Op.201 L´Essere Umano Erravando La Voca Errabando Adult Fantasies - Towers of Silence Notchnoi Prospekt - Курорты Кавказа (Health Resorts of the Caucasus) Charles Curtis - Performances & Recordings 1998-2018

[sasorikigai]

' You really mastered the Netherrealm's Hellfire well and made it your own. '

The young Goddess commented, having decided to pay a visit to the Shirai Ryu compound and watching it's Grandmaster in one of his training sessions. Eyes tracking every movement he made with interest and concentration as they flowed with harmony and strength from the man. It had almost become a habit of her's to check up on each fighter that help defend the Earthrealm, growing fond of each of them with every visit. Finding a warmth and joy with each one she grew close to, even if it was little by little. Plus, it helped unburden Raiden and Fujin in their duties ever slightly if she also helped keep a watchful eye on their warriors and she liked to relieve them of as much stress as she could.

There was also the fact she quite enjoyed the Fire Garden that was part of the Shira Ryu grounds. That and Hanzo was quiet nice to be around and she had form a soft fondness for him, even if it would be hard to convince anyone given the ever stoic nature he projected and held. They'd just have to figure out that mystery for themselves.

Random Inbox Shenanigans || @swordsxandxshadows || always accepting!

▬▬ι═══════ﺤ 🔥 || Bright eyes simmer as Hanzo Hasashi stares on the setting sun, as the piercing kunai continues to viciously whirl, drawing swirling wreaths of firestorm amidst the searing scorch burning ablaze. The symphony of familiar crackling whoosh, its rhythms and rhyme all rapidly pierces the atmosphere, already thickened with ascending smoke, barely visible beneath the obsidian night, settling deep amidst the Shirai Ryu Fire Gardens. Even with the broken flames of his irreversible yesterdays still ricocheting off his cranium in throbbing ache, it is nothing compared to the remnants of ferrous blood and tar, black as oil, choking lump in throat as he struggles even amidst the long-granted freedom and liberation. The shadowed storm of it, manifesting as the veil-wrapped sky billowing in a climbing release will continue to conquer and devour him. After all, all the grief-fueled wrath and vengeance had strewn him roughened and indomitable, as untamed beastly bloodthirst savagely drowned him and devoured his humanity whole. 

Aren’t people all the broken pieces of this world? A symbol for those who struggle as if nothing’s left to hold, and yet humanity holds itself responsible for all the trouble its heart has sold? Scorpion had been relentless in his pursuit, even as the unconquerable eldritch magic rendered him as the pawn to the greater scheme. The Shirai Ryu nothing more than the expendables in their sick, sacrilegious immoral games. His vices once were the sanctuary which obscured and confounded the piercing gaze of myriad truths, an ephemeral shelter he embraced willingly for respite from the harsh glare of open sky that was his human sentiments and unfiltered emotions. 

Now, Grandmaster Hasashi’s defiant strength and will stretches and sweeps in sacred relief, painting effulgent strokes as the flaming kunai ripples in the air, along with his thrusted katana, in a quiet wash of golden oranges and vivid reds, burning the knowledge of his growth and development, as the rapid transport of scorching crackle rushes through not only his being, but the entirety of the Shirai Ryu. This is his sheer love and unbridled joy of leading the clan honorable and almighty, as Hanzo Hasashi solemly vows that he will protect the essentiality and fundamentality of the clan with all his heart, mind, and soul. “It no longer burns with appallment of hatred, rage, and vengeance, but of tenacious passion, will, and dedication,” compacted and chiseled sculpt of his form extends and glistens, beneath the slick perspiration as he fights the boneless exhaustion that stems from his strenuous day. 

“Though there still may be calamity and chaos born from its nature, I solemnly swear that I have only the purest and best of intentions from a broken heart, even as it remains coarse and weathered.” He will truly understand now, his hellfire was meant to create, not to destroy. He will embody and encompass the paralysis of the heart, lest he may succumb to dread, approaching towards him like death. He could simply be lost in the infinite; washing the myriads of his vices and blessings away as the indellible ink of his soul will only seek the halcyon goodness. ▬▬ι═══════ﺤ 🔥 ||  

[wildcardaces]

@ruby-static "oops more operation blackout stuff" edition!

cause for some reason I'm enjoying drawing this stuff way too much

herbert built his op blackout base from scrap he found in the many abandoned human settlements far in the islands wilderness.

this includes metal from old buildings, planes and trucks. he even used the old wires from said trucks to power the base.

basically I'm saying it's entirely possible to run across a pair of car keys to a truck in herbert base and hear the unlock sound a car door makes if you press the button.

earlier on during the blackout when dot wasn't captured, she gave shira one of the Herbert costume she made for the mission to get past the camera's.

and Shira absolutely l o v e d it

Anna: HERBERT WOULD NEVER SING NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP AND THAT MAKES THIS MORE HILARIOUS!

Shira keeps this suit for meme purposes

Dan: Yes we get it big bobby you're tall now where's the lock on this thing!

this I saw in the tags of a reblog absolutely sent me. I had to add it in.

also the leads are shivering- I mean I wouldn't blame them they were f r o z e n. get them all warm blankets omg-

and onto the moment herbert went savage and almost annihilated Dan after his plan and hard work got ruined .

Headcannon time- Herbert if he's angry enough, WILL charge at you on all fours, he may be a vegetarian but he's still a polar bear who can go 25 mph when running. running on all fours has got to be faster for him.

also polar bear claws? ouch- Shira knows just how horrible those things are, now Dan does too.

especially since how after all of that he collapses too from the pain- aaaaaa

the leads all have varying levels of "OH NO" expression, even Anna's all "oh fuck"

*cries* aaaaaa

[grootpoepjeplasjehoofd]

Good night to everyone except for stinky poo poo revisionist racist Mr. Eduard Bernstein.

“We will condemn and oppose certain methods of subjugating savages. But we will not condemn the idea that savages be subjugated and made to conform to the rules of a higher civilization. Any struggle for emancipation which is to command our enthusi­asm, possibly even our active support, must have an clement of cul­tural interest in it - whether it involves peoples or nationalities, who have developed a cultural life of their own, rising against a foreign domination which hinders their development, or classes who are striving to advance, rebelling against their suppression by backward classes. We acknowledge that any people which has shown itself ca­pable of developing and maintaining a national civilization has the right of nationality.

Our remarks so far are unlikely to meet with serious opposition. Some time ago, it was indeed suggested in the socialist camp that savages and barbarians be assisted in their struggles against advanc­ing capitalist civilisation, but that was an outcome of romanticism which needed only to be followed to its logical conclusion to be proved untenable.

But even among peoples capable of civilisation we cannot treat every revolt with equal sympathy. The freedom of an insignificant people in a non-European or semi-European region does not carry the same weight as the free development of the great and highly civi­lised nations of Europe. If, then, the struggle of such a people poses a serious threat to the interests of this development, it is entirely appro­priate that we should adopt a negative attitude towards it." - 1896

“There is a great deal of sound evidence to support the view that, in the present state of public opinion in Europe, the subjection of na­tives to the authority of European administration does not always entail a worsening of their condition, but often means the opposite. However much violence, fraud, and other unworthy actions accom­panied the spread of European rule in earlier centuries, as they often still do today, the other side of the picture is that, under direct European rule, savages are without exception better off than they were before. Even before the arrival of Europeans in Africa, brutal wars, robbery, and slavery were not unknown. Indeed, they were the regu­lar order of the day. What was unknown was the degree of peace and legal protection made possible by European institutions and the con­sequent sharp rise in food resources. I have previously, in this jour­nal, quoted a bitterly anti-English article from Grenzbote in which it was, half-reproachfully, established that, under the protection of British rule, the Negro population of Shira province (between Lake Nyasa and the Zambesi) increased tenfold in the space of a few years (see Neue Zeit, xiv, 1, p. 485, and Grenzbote, 14 July 1895). Of course, the Negroes have not yet read Bax's work and, in their Philistinism, would rather live under English protection than in that African paradise where slave-raiding adds zest to life. The same is true elsewhere. In the United States today, where previously a few hundred thousand Indians fought endless internecine battles over hunting grounds, sixty million people, most of them perfectly respectable, live and export food for further millions of people. Ro­mantics may find this deplorable, but, despite the dark side of con­temporary American life, we find nothing in it that is "intrinsically evil." Whatever wrongs were previously perpetrated on the Indians, nowadays their rights are protected, and it is a known fact that their numbers are no longer declining but are, once again, on the increase.” - 1898

“We may not occupy a purely negative standpoint on colonial policy, but must pursue a positive socialist colonial policy. (Applause), We must get away from the utopian idea which Leads to disposing of the colonies. The final, consequence of this approach would be to return the United States to the Indians. (Protests) The colonies are here to stay: we have to come to terms with that. Civilised peoples have to exercise a certain guardianship over uncivilised peoples – even socialists have to recognise this. Let us base ourselves on real facts, which will lead us to oppose capitalist colonial policy with a socialist one. Much of our economic life rests upon products from the colonies which the natives were not able to utilise. On all these grounds we must accept the resolution of the majority.“ - 1907

[overfedvenison]

Dnd Session 6

Oh dang, I never updated my D&D journal for the past session.

So quick summary of the past events: An orcish princess was murdered, implicating our organizations and causing the orc faction to go to war with us, after we refused to hand over a stone that can empower demons of the Black Veil. We suspected the Black Veil - An organization allegedly dedicated to maintaining cosmic balance, but was clearly playing us in some way. Our investigation uncovered a grand conspiracy where the Veil's enemies, including a demon hunter, were trapped inside crystals in a secret house in the city.

But in the process, one of the Veil's members was interviewed in a circle of truth and exploded, and a shadow demon was unleashed from a crystal sphere from the rolm - The veil then declared war on us. However, we got proof of our innocence in these events, and found the culprit was someone named Rilo...

The party:

Charn, a human fighter from the Storm Petrel Academy currently acting as a revolver-brandishing PI unravelling a demon conspiracy and acting as the party's lawyer Arka, a lizardfolk bloodrager and close ally of Charn who had recently begun studying at the same school Pavia, the victim of a scheme to frame her for murder. She is a soldier of the Black Ravens, and has a colonial mindset. Erdrick, a dwarven barbarian who has recently entered an alliance with a demon to reclaim his lost honor And... An Aasimar I can't remember the name of. Slowly learning to stand for herself, but hasn't had a lot of screentime or character development

(Also Tosh, a kistune)

First, I presented my findings to the king, who was very irate at the investigation that transpired. Since one of the people we interviewed kind of... Exploded? The Black Veil had up and left town, and declared war on Angelpoint and the Storm Petrel Acandemy. I'm alive, though, free of treason for now - I uncovered various conspiracies from the Veil that proved that they were doing some incredibly dodgy things, and it's probably good that they're legitimately our enemy instead of just our enemy in secret. So things are kind of up in the air.

However, it's a bad situation... With the Veil gone and without the stone, there is a chance the apocalypse will happen within two years - If the Veil were telling the truth. What's more is that the person we have in holding is threatening us and saying how the Veil can invade us whenever she wants, etc. Of course, I pressed him: "If she's so powerful, why didn't she just go get the stone herself?"

We have to find a conclusive solution within two years, in any case, and then sailed off to present our investigation to the Orcs of the Mistveil Islands.

----

The orcs were receptive to our findings... We conclusively proved that Rilo was responsible for the murder, and not our ally Pavia as they believed. We also learned a nugget of information: Rilo did indeed bring the Obsidian Shard to the misty isles. The Veil, for all their conspiracies, mind control, and dirty deeds, did in fact have a traitor in their midsts working against them. One who took the Shard for his own means.

The orcs demanded a trial by combat for continued relationships. Through strength and valour, they would judge our valor.

Pavia fought the orc's strongest champion... She was quickly crushed, as he has immune to bullets. Tosh jumped in soon after, only to be overwhelmed as well. But Arka stepped up with great honor

"Heal my enemy. I will fight with all my might."

The orcs were impressed. "Very well," said the chieftain.

...The two barbarians raged at each other and traded immense blows. Arka's new magic allowed him to grow to the size of a giant, while the orc was naturally 8-feet tall and wore a mask of steel tusks that dealt horrible goring wounds.

After leaving his swamp, learning of the outside world, studying at the Storm Petrel Academy, and getting a metal arm in his adventures, and learning of the demons that would control the fate of the mortal realm... Arka died here, defending the honor of a human city. But in his death, he dealt a critical blow to the Orc - He collapsed of exhaustion just after killing the lizardfolk.

----

It was this sacrifice that allowed the orcs to forgive us - Somewhat. The chieftain was pleased, and a day later brought the now-recovered Pavia to his tend as we were readying to leave.

He asked of Pavia a request - To go find the true killer, and return his head to him. That will show that the orcs that Pavia is truly in her good graces, and valued Okra.

Pavia, however... As you'll recall, she hated the orcs. This made her the perfect target to frame in the first place - And all this trouble had only made her double down.

"No," she said "That problem is your own. I may not have pulled the trigger, but I hated Okra and I hate your people. I might have done it myself, had I the chance."

The Orc Chief became enranged, and punished her for this insolence. This attracted the rest of the party, who watched. He gave her one last chance to make amends - And she said "You have proven nothing to me. You are what I thought - Savages"

And so, she was executed. I returned the gifts they had given us, and the party left the island to a rocky and very tenuous "peace." This, too, we will have to fix.

----

The party was down a few members, but upon returning to town, got some back.

Erdrick the Dwarf hired a new Black Raven Mercinary, a skilled but naïve soldier who does everything by the book and who is built to call out assists and spot. He's Pavia's player's new character, and is much more of an idealist (and much less of a racist)

I also encountered a summoner, who began to follow me around. He's Arka's player's new character, a socially-awkward summoner who makes friends with summoned creatures.

Finally, the NPC we rescued from the Veil - An experienced demon-hunter, skilled but unused to having a body after many years in a crystal. She is serious and intelligent.

Together, we had one final piece of unfinished business before we could proceed to bigger issues. - To defeat a shadow demon we had inadvertently unleashed when exploring the Veil's secret room.

-----

While we were planning, Erdrick met with his Patron. As you'll recall, when we refused to return the Shard, Erdrick became enraged and made a deal with a demon to retrieve the shard to restore his dwarven honor... And so he conversed once more.

This demon was Rilo, the very one who had killed Okra and betrayed the Veil, and was now playing him as well - To get the shard, and to betray the Veil for his own ends. He has a new plan - He wants to converse with me. He would come to our meeting place in disguise, and get me to agree to an accord to meet with him later...

The summoner and I spent the time researching the Shadow Demon in the library, getting an entire monster manual entry on the thing and planned out a strategy. Erdrick approached us as well, and got the party together to discuss plans. He took me aside as well, acting friendly and courteous - As far as I know, I'm our issues are over, and so Charn trusts him.

What we were speaking of was mostly irrelevant... Buy while we met, I heard a voice in my head from a passerby - Rilo was offering to explain everything to me. I told him that I would agree, and we would need to work out an accord... No magic, no allies, and no weapons. We would talk... In my research on the shadow demon, I also found the perfect spot - A section of the sewers with a metal grate between us. Furthermore, I agreed to get him to wear gloves and not phase through that grate with his mist form. Not an hour later, I would be in a nearby location to combat a shadow demon.

Charn and Rilo would meet. And talk.

----

The DM and I skipped ahead to the demon fight from this part because I had taken up a lot of screentime this game, and did this later.

The talk was long and tenuous. Charn started incredibly suspicious at first, but through either honeyed words of legitimately speaking the truth, he gradually said more and began to saw Rilo's side.

Charn was suspicious, but as crazy and prepared as always. He had a smokebomb on hand in case he needed a quick escape, and a plan for afterwards.

Rilo told me many things that seemed to make sense...

That the Veil was, for all it's misgivings, actually legitimate about protecting the multiverse from an apocalypse, and needed the stone to do so. Rilo stole the stone in order to seal off the material realm, and in doing so, would free the people of the god's control and the control of Shira so they might stand on their own

Shira, as seen with the followers, was controlling the fates of many humans for her own ends. She cares only for her own goals, and not for the hearts and souls of human beings. She is a villian, but not an evil one... She maintains a status quo in the blood war, but her existence is bad for humanity. Positives and negatives.

Shira can call in forces through the tower - This is something we have to deal with. She can also spy on us, but we are unsure how. The Veil Member in holding is also a liability, and should be dealt with.

He cleared up a bit about the murder... He actually climbed down from the roof, killed, and the became invisible after, for instance. But the broad strokes of Rilo as the culprit were accurate... Rilo betrayed the Veil, gave the Shard to the orcs for safekeeping, then when we didn't return it to him, panicked and killed Okra as a threat. The conspiracy with the Veil was unrelated.

And now, he asks that I help him - Go to the abyss, return his sister who is trapped there, and then seal away the material plane. A tempting offer... I told him that I would have to consider the philosophy teachings of the Storm Petrel Academy - A faction about defending from the apocalypse, the potential of humanity without fate and destiny, and hunting demons - to see what I should do.

This wasn't fast enough for him, so he had an imp slave cast Dominate on me - From a demon's perspective, an imp slave is no ally, just a tool to be used and discarded.

Charn would get him that shard, of his own free will, or not.

----

OR THAT'S HOW IT WOULD GO DOWN, IF I DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING!!

The party was fighting a shadow demon immediately after this meeting. A shadow demon's most dangerous ability is Possession... Which can be warded off with a Protection from Evil spell. Protection from Evil also suppresses mental control for it's duration - And so I had a few minutes to alert someone.

The demon slayer and Aasimar! Aasimar has perspective from Charn's secular humanism, and Seranrae's Church - Both anti-demon. The Demon Slayer is an enemy of the veil, but also an enemy of demons. I let these two in on my plans...

"A word - Before we fight this shadow demon, I was investigating the final aspects of the Okra case. I understand everything now... But I'm not sure why I made some of the decisions I did, and believe I have made an accord to meet with a demon, at 3 AM at (location) three days from now. Neither of us are to bring any allies, weapons, or magic...

Over the next few days, I need you to investigate me. If you think I've been dominated into being your enemy, or have become an enemy of this city, go there with any many forces as you can - But anyone who comes, must come as my enemy, not my ally, ready to kill me if need be. Capture his demon's soul in the crystal ball we retrieved so we can offer it to the veil to leave this city alone - this demon is a traitor to them. Then, give his body to the Mistveil Orcs as justice for murder, for peace on that front. I'm counting on you two... I trust you wouldn't fall in line with demons.

Hrm. Now then, this spell is limited, so lets kill this shadow demon before anything else."

The pieces are all in motion - These two will investigate me, and find out the truth. If they agree with Rilo, of free and sound mind, that is what our path forward shall be. If they come to try and free me, as allies, they will have come against my will - And thus, I have not brought allies, they have shown up on their own and against my wishes. If they show up as enemies, the city will be saved and the war with the orcs will be over. The only thing they have to do is not fail.

...metanarratively, I'm also giving the Aasimar some focus. She's kind of been a wallflower, haha.

----

Regardless, we manage to defeat the shadow demon and had a brief moment of levity with the town wizard which I may detail later... And are set for the next arc.