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cosmiccannibalcamille · 5 months ago

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YOUR Venus in Virgo Love & Money HOROSCOPE

What: Venus in Virgo

When: Aug. 4 - Aug. 28, 2024

Who’s Impacted: Virgo, Pisces, Sagittarius, Gemini, Taurus, Libra—in that order

Takeaway: Precision, pragmatism, and being efficient with your affections, creativity, and money is about to get 10x sexier.

A major shift has happened: Venus, the planet of love, money, relationships and creativity, has entered earthy Virgo, doubling down on the need for efficiency and productivity. (Mercury is also in Virgo, and currently retrograde, btw.) Ever the workhorse, Virgo loves to be of use, toiling away at tasks simply for the sake of getting them done. Venus, however, loves to take it easy, preferring relaxation and reveling in the pleasures of good food, beautiful art, and pleasing company over plodding. This, therein, lies the crux of this would-be wonderful transit.

This week—the week of Aug. 5—brings only two transits, one of which involves Venus and Mercury Retrograde in Virgo on Aug. 7. The other? Sun in Leo sextile Jupiter in Gemini—also on Aug. 7—and it’s a great transit. In fact, both of these transits are great for spreading love, joy, and sweetness. Which we so desperately need right now, given the current sh*t show state of the world. Anyway! Since Venus entered Virgo late on Aug. 4, it is ~technically~ a part of this week’s astrology. (At least, I’m including it in this week’s astrology, given the limited number of transits.)

Despite what some astrologers might say about it, I consider Venus’ shift into Virgo a good thing. Yes, the planet ~technically~ struggles in the sign, for previously stated reasons, but Venus in Virgo is so, so good for getting practical about your money, creative endeavors, and relationships. It also helps you cope a little better with the first leg of Mercury Retrograde in Virgo.

As we bid adieu to the fiery flamboyance of Venus in Leo, we shift gears and welcome the precise and pragmatic vibes of Venus in Virgo. This transit, which lasts from Aug. 4 through Aug. 28, brings an impactful shift to the area of your life ruled by Virgo. While Venus in Leo thrived on dramatic declarations of love and grand romantic gestures, Venus in Virgo is all about the little things that make a relationship work. Think of it as moving from the passionate poetry of Shakespeare to the precision of a well-crafted spreadsheet. Virgo's energy encourages you to take a closer look at your relationships and finances, seeking to refine and improve them through practical means.

Virgo’s energy encourages you to break down your one-on-one interactions, your spending / earning habits, and your creative projects into manageable, daily acts and seemingly scrupulous to-dos. However, it’s easy for Virgo to fall into the trap of fault-finding, as the sign craves order, tidiness, and functionality. Imagine Venus in Virgo as the ultimate helper, tending to and tidying up the details in your money habits, romantic interactions, and creative ventures that Venus in Leo may have seen you ignoring. How can you show your loved ones you care? How can you bring order to the alleged chaos of your love life or finances? What needs to be tidied up, tended to, or systemized?

Venus also helps us uncover some of the lesser-known qualities of Virgo. While Venus in Leo saw you boldly boasting about your own power, passion and attractions, Venus in Virgo makes your affections shyer, more diffident and reserved. But that doesn’t mean your love life will be boring! Yes,Virgo is often associated with meticulousness, order and virgin-like qualities, but when transiting this mutable earth sign, Venus coaxes out the sensual, nurturing, and sweetly fussy side of Virgo.

Get the FULL SCOOP on Venus in Virgo, including KEY dates for love & money, and YOUR Horoscope on The Cosmic Almanac:

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processedinparallel · 1 year ago

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Prologue - The Flesh Demands Its Own Truths

this is the working prologue to my story. i really appreciate stories that have some sort of commentary on the human experience, and so i decided to try my hand at something like it. any feedback is appreciated! i will be posting this story on royalroad.com

Ohhh, yes, yes, you wish to learn about humans, do you? Why, you've just inquired about my favorite tragedy! Sit, sit, let me tell you about humanity's adversities.

A tragedy, yes… They're twice cursed, you see? Born with the capacity to love, and born with the capacity to hate. And therein lies their misfortune, for humanity loves to hate! Humans love… conflict. They crave it. And without fail, generation upon generation, they manage to find it.

Come! Look deep into the heart of the Tritor Forest, and there you will find Elurius. Carved out of the ancient trees surrounding it, the first people to settle there fought old horrors and fended off the closest Dungeons out of sheer stubbornness. They could've retreated to the coast and lived off the sea, but no! The founders of the town tore up the twisted roots of the forest and used them for the first walls. Spears were thrown and spells were cast in defense of the land they claimed as their home. They wanted to fight for a place to live! Their pride demanded it! And proud does the town still stand, built upon the bodies of thousands. Oh, how they weep for their fallen, as if they themselves did not send their men to die!

Look north to the lush plains that stretch from horizon to horizon. See how the soil is stained crimson from the blood of countless battles. See how it's dyed a richer hue as you edge closer to Gelya, a place trespassing monsters have learned to fear. The gentle rolling hills surrounding the town are filled with traps and tripwires! Flowers, birds, and bees watch every move! Men armed with magic and bows line the tall walls of the town, bastions against anything that dares approach. See, humans fought for their place here as well, and here they remain firmly entrenched. They will not be routed out.

Most of all, look to the realm as a whole!

A plethora of creatures lie deformed and corrupted beyond their nature. Swathes of land have been turned barren and others grow without bound. Countless kingdoms razed to mere ruins, their histories long forgotten.

The whole continent has mutated beyond recognition! Broken by spellcasters with too much magic at their disposal, remade by nature's insistence on enduring everything thrown at it. At the expense of the land itself, ancient Archmages and Archwizards fought until nothing was left but the echoes of their self-importance.

Once a thriving home to tens of millions of people, our continent of Aqeron now has less than a hundred thousand human souls.

And it's all due to some petty squabbles, human avarice, and the untimely intercession of the Divine.

Ah, but it's no matter!

Their desire for conflict, it seems, is inexplicably linked to their essence. To fight is to be human. They will pick a struggle against a rock if it means they get their fix! Even in the moments of peace, even during the peak of a kingdom's prosperity, humans will stoop so low as to bicker over things like who gets more bread. And even those who refuse to fight, those who refuse to do violence, fail miserably, for they crusade against their very nature. They lack the means to be rid of their curses.

Now you see their paradoxical nature laid before you. What pushes humanity forward if not competition? What tears down the tallest castles if not the unrest of the masses? They will love someone to the point of hating others. They will hate so much that love becomes but a memory for them. But in equal parts?

In the soul of a human who possesses strong feelings of both "love" and "hate" lies a chaos. A "conflict", some might say! Even if their tumultuous soul manages to die down, they get no rest, as the chaos takes root in their bones instead. Born from the conflict between the "love" and "hate" of a human soul arises the need for conflict in the body. A tragedy indeed! Humanity shall simply never escape their curses, even in death!

Gaze upon the damned! Behold their eternal struggle! Can't you grasp their agony?!

Even if the soul is satisfied, their flesh demands its own truths!

#writing #mywritingjourney #mycoolstory #writers on tumblr #writeblr #creative writing #dark fantasy #fantasy #litrpg

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skullytheskully · 2 years ago

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See also the radfem rhetoric of "only women can be lesbians/trans men can't be dykes/women-centric spaces should exclude trans men even if they call themselves lesbians." Label theory has always, ALWAYS been a *descriptivist* endeavor, not a *prescriptivist* one. From the get go, there have always been folks who feel "masc" or "butch" or what have you, but these labels-as-gender-identities were never so neatly divided as the radfems would have you believe currently. In the old days, your "queer" bar was the one where *everyone* outside of the monocisheteropatriarchal norm would be, from the more widely recognized modern identities of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, to trans people, nonbinary people, and most importantly, the many, _MANY_ combinations and amalgamations therein. People with full beards and rippling muscles in dainty tutus, or long, sleek hair, a full face of makeup, and a strap-on the size of your forearm. Swingers, kinksters, leather daddys, dolls... The community was and always has been a community of folks who recognize each other and say "hey, we may be incredibly different with tremendously diverse ideas, feelings, and backgrounds, but the one thing we have in common is that we are doing everything we can to help each other survive and thrive in a world which wants us dead."

I think this is where so many people take the bait from the radfems. They think on those times in our history, the struggles we've faced, and think "well, it was a time of survival, so of course there was confusion...But if we want to build a better world, a brighter future, shouldn't we try to bring order to that chaos? Shouldn't we try to clean up the messiness of it all?"

But labels were never meant to define others to ourselves. OUr bars, our bath houses, the salons we'd host, the marches we'd organize, the dinner parties we'd throw... THAT was how we would get to know each other. LAbels were created for us to describe OURSELVES to OTHERS, a stepping off point so that when we'd say "hey, i'm a [blank]" the other person could know what causes we had aligned ourselves with, what challenges we were facing, what we were or were not comfortable in engaging in with that other person. It was a starting point in a conversation, not an ending point, a quick summary to get you up to speed on the folks this person was connected to--especially because for a lot of that time, those labels were the ONLY WAY to flag to each other who or what we were. It's not like we've always had the freedom to walk down the street holding the hands of our lovers freely.

There's always this push these days when coming out to ask us elder queers "who am I, what label would you put me under?" and believe me, we get it, like, REALLY get it, because we too went through that same process of feeling lost, feeling cast off the path that had been laid out for us by society and its expectations. But the whole idea of "queer liberation" is that no one else defines that for us but ourselves. We have each been told to walk a certain line, to "man up" or "settle down" or what have you, and realized it was confining, suffocating; its why we chose the language of "coming out of the closet," because hiding our true selves in the back of some dusty old cupboard was stifling us. To tell others "hey, you have this gender because [whatever reason] and you date [whatever gender(s)] so that means you're [whatever label]" is to do exactly what patriarchy, ciscentrism, heterosexism, etc have been doing for CENTURIES. It's why the radfems love it; they've adopted the mechanisms that have kept everyone *including themselves* oppressed and marginalized, in hopes of being able to subjugate their enemies.

"The master's tools shall never dismantle the master's house" - Audre Lorde

Does that mean, then, that *everyone* under the lgbtqia+ umbrella should be adopting the term queer? No, of course not, not if that term doesnt help accurately communicate your experience. Its like asking if every trans person should go by their dead name, or a name their parents pick out for them. Sure, if it makes sense to that individual, they should by all means go for it, but those options wont fit every person, and expecting it to work that way is to presume that those who dont want to use those names are broken, abberant, inferior. It's ridiculous at best and cruel at worst. Same for the opposite; assuming no one should use the word "queer" is to assume that those who have suffered blows through the use of that word are somehow superior, more pure, more worthy of respect than those who havent. In no way has that ever been true, and at no point should our community ever be one in support of such barbaric elitism.

So what I’ve learned from the past couple months of being really loud about being a bi woman on Tumblr is: A lot of young/new LGBT+ people on this site do not understand that some of the stuff they’re saying comes across to other LGBT+ people as offensive, aggressive, or threatening. And when they actually find out the history and context, a lot of them go, “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I never meant to say that.”

Like, “queer is a slur”: I get the impression that people saying this are like… oh, how I might react if I heard someone refer to all gay men as “f*gs”. Like, “Oh wow, that’s a super loaded word with a bunch of negative freight behind it, are you really sure you want to put that word on people who are still very raw and would be alarmed, upset, or offended if they heard you call them it, no matter what you intended?”

So they’re really surprised when self-described queers respond with a LOT of hostility to what feels like a well-intentioned reminder that some people might not like it.

That’s because there’s a history of “political lesbians”, like Sheila Jeffreys, who believe that no matter their sexual orientation, women should cut off all social contact with men, who are fundamentally evil, and only date the “correct” sex, which is other women. Political lesbians claim that relationships between women, especially ones that don’t contain lust, are fundamentally pure, good, and unproblematic. They therefore regard most of the LGBT community with deep suspicion, because its members are either way too into sex, into the wrong kind of sex, into sex with men, are men themselves, or somehow challenge the very definitions of sex and gender.

When “queer theory” arrived in the 1980s and 1990s as an organized attempt by many diverse LGBT+ people in academia to sit down and talk about the social oppressions they face, political lesbians like Jeffreys attacked it harshly, publishing articles like “The Queer Disappearance of Lesbians”, arguing that because queer theory said it was okay to be a man or stop being a man or want to have sex with a man, it was fundamentally evil and destructive. And this attitude has echoed through the years; many LGBT+ people have experience being harshly criticized by radical feminists because being anything but a cis “gold star lesbian” (another phrase that gives me war flashbacks) was considered patriarchal, oppressive, and basically evil.

And when those arguments happened, “queer” was a good umbrella to shelter under, even when people didn’t know the intricacies of academic queer theory; people who identified as “queer” were more likely to be accepting and understanding, and “queer” was often the only label or community bisexual and nonbinary people didn’t get chased out of. If someone didn’t disagree that people got to call themselves queer, but didn’t want to be called queer themselves, they could just say “I don’t like being called queer” and that was that. Being “queer” was to being LGBT as being a “feminist” was to being a woman; it was opt-in.

But this history isn’t evident when these interactions happen. We don’t sit down and say, “Okay, so forty years ago there was this woman named Sheila, and…” Instead we queers go POP! like pufferfish, instantly on the defensive, a red haze descending over our vision, and bellow, “DO NOT TELL ME WHAT WORDS I CANNOT USE,” because we cannot find a way to say, “This word is so vital and precious to me, I wouldn’t be alive in the same way if I lost it.” And then the people who just pointed out that this word has a history, JEEZ, way to overreact, go away very confused and off-put, because they were just trying to say.

But I’ve found that once this is explained, a lot of people go, “Oh wow, okay, I did NOT mean to insinuate that, I didn’t realize that I was also saying something with a lot of painful freight to it.”

And that? That gives me hope for the future.

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dawntrailing · 3 years ago

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Hitting The Books

For those who missed the other books in Noumenon for the Level 80 Endwalker Main Scenario Quest. I’ve also included the ones that you do need to proceed with MSQ.

An Introduction to the Heavens

Have you ever gazed at the skies above and contemplated the mysteries contained therein? I speak not of shifting cloud patterns, but of the vastness beyond─of the sun and the twinkling tapestry of the night. Some think the dome above us to be a finite space, yet amongst the leading thinkers of our age, one scholar's depiction of a boundless sea of stars has firmly taken root. Alas, this heavenly sea remains an unreachable, unknowable destination. There are few indeed who can explain, in satisfactory detail, why our own star is believed to revolve around the sun. It was the technologists of Allag who came closest to understanding the laws which govern that starry abyss. It was they who launched Dalamud, and sought to expand beyond our earthbound existence. Having read of their ancient ambitions, I wonder: has your interest in this field of study waxed or waned? What if I were to tell you that the eternal constellations were arranged differently in the distant past? That their positions continue to shift almost imperceptibly but measurably as we journey into the future? Would it shock you to learn that the stars drift further and further apart, and may indeed do so forever? Are you eager to learn more?

Stewards of Wisdom

During the chaos of the Sixth Umbral Calamity, Archon Nyunkrepf, founder of Sharlayan, bore witness to the madness and savagery of men brought to the brink of despair. Upon raising a settlement on an island in the Northern Empty, he instructed his people thus: Renounce the ways of war, and pursue enlightenment through knowledge and reason. The Sharlayans took to heart the words of their savior, and thenceforth served as stewards of wisdom. Upon a foundation of accumulated learning, they built a homeland unlike any other─a nation born from strength of minds, rather than strength of arms. With knowledge of economics came shrewd trading. With knowledge of agriculture came bountiful crops. Engineering brought wells and sewers, ending squabbles over water. Wealth of expertise could be bartered for wealth in coin. And the more their wisdom spread throughout the world, the more mankind as a whole would thrive. And so it was that no matter the trials and tribulations of the age, the citizens of Sharlayan would live by their founder's teachings. For the sake of a better tomorrow─for the sake of a brighter star─they would eschew the tools of war, and with knowledge deliver the world.

Forever Twenty Summers

My beloved seekers of knowledge. Have you ever put learning before your health, and neglected to feed and rest your body as you should? I, too, once engaged in such foolish practices. But one night, engrossed in philosophical study, I had an epiphany: For all the world's mysteries that drive us to reckless abandon, we have so very few years of life in which to achieve our goals. Thus do I share with you this mantra: I am forever twenty summers young. The number itself is unimportant─you could be nineteen, or twenty-three, or forty. Whatever age you are when you discover this manual, let that be the age you aspire to remain. Through mindful, healthy living, will you extend the time available to spend upon your chosen research─another day, another moon, another summer to grasp the greater truths you pursue. In the pages that follow, we will explore the secrets of maintaining one's physical condition from a biological, aetherological, and arcane viewpoint...

The Story of Sharlayan

Long, long ago, on an island in the northern sea, there lived a Roegadyn man by the name of Nyunkrepf. Nyunkrepf was a student of astrology, and he divined that a flood of terrifying proportions would soon sweep over the lands of Eorzea. So it was that he built a gigantic ship, assembled a crew, and set sail for that imperiled realm. The flood arrived as foretold, and to their horror the strangely churning waters drove the people towards the ocean. It was there, however, that Nyunkrepf's crew hauled them aboard his ark, but the danger had not passed: a towering wave approached, threatening to smash the vessel to pieces! With only moments to spare, Nyunkrepf wove a mighty spell of teleportation, and shifted the entire ship to safety atop Abalathia's Spine. Refugees from the surrounding regions huddled there alongside them, but it was not long before disputes over the dwindling supply of food led to violence and bloodshed. Saddened by the sight, Nyunkrepf gathered to him his crew and his grateful passengers, and abandoned the ark to those reddened peaks. They journeyed to the coast where they built a new ship, intent upon returning to the northern seas. They landed on the beach of an island, and settled upon that very spot. That settlement prospered and grew, and in time it became the city of Sharlayan we live in to this day.

The Voice of a Growing City

In the years which followed the founding of Sharlayan, civic policy and other matters of import were decided at the Ecclesia─a public forum at which every citizen was eligible to speak. As the city's population grew, however, this format became increasingly impractical. The larger number of participants gave rise to ever-longer debates, resulting in significant delays of vital resolutions. Various measures were introduced in an attempt to curtail protracted discussions, but in the year 201 of the Sixth Astral Era, it was ultimately decreed that Sharlayan would transition to a new form of governance. The nation would now be led by a body of ninety-nine members─citizens chosen from amongst their peers by means of a nationwide vote. Thus was the Forum as we know it today conceived and created.

Roads of Old: The Colony

Many years ago, on the banks of the Thaliak in the Dravanian Hinterlands, a Sharlayan colony once thrived. This settlement was originally established as a mere outpost to study the aetherial sea in the year 1311 of the Sixth Astral Era. Scholars dispatched to Eorzea found the facilities wanting, and their demands encouraged a gradual expansion in structures and services. As rumors spread of a growing community of academics, the area was further inundated with Eorzean students hoping to share in the renowned wisdom of the Sharlayans. Fifty years later, the Forum passed a motion to recognize what had become a flourishing town as an official Sharlayan colony. Eorzean residents took to calling the colony itself “Sharlayan,” which led to no small amount of confusion when discussions turned to the subject of the motherland. In response, some Sharlayan inhabitants, if pressed for a name, would simply refer to it as “Emporium.” Following the exodus, however, goblins and treasure hunters claimed for themselves a corner of the abandoned colony and gave it yet another name: Idyllshire.

#final fantasy series #final fantasy xiv #final fantasy xiv: endwalker #ffxiv #ffxiv lore #sharlayan #idyllshire #nyunkrepf nyunkrepfsyn #the forum

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serpent-in-the-lions-den · 5 years ago

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SEVERUS SNAPE | DOUBLE-AGENT | MID-LEVEL

PERSONALITY:

Generally, Severus is seen rather than heard.

The mind of Severus Snape is complex – to be sure. Filled with calculations, fragile threads of truths and lies he’s told and webbing them all together, and innovations for many different forms of magic. To keep all of these thoughts collected, Severus keeps a journal that he has heavily bound to keep secret. There, he states the deepest parts of his soul, creates new potions, spells, and whatever else he deems worthy. It is protected by a blood spell that only he knows the enchantment to. Like him, everything is kept very private and close to his chest.

While Severus has plenty of thoughts coursing through his brilliant mind, he does not initiate conversation. In fact, he says much more with his eyes. Even if they can be cold. However, this does not mean Severus will keep silent – nor is it out of shyness. When Snape graces others with his opinions or ideas, they should not be taken lightly. Every single word uttered has meaning.

Being around Death Eaters and the Dark Lord, he’s kept a keen eye – finding everyone’s tells and when it is best for him to speak his true sentiments. As well as this, if he feels provoked or given an opportunity to speak freely, he will not cower. Often, his retorts have a bite to them, thick with sarcasm or bitterness; or both.

Severus Snape is profound in potions – and dare we say even more skilled in the Dark Arts. Books were a comfort for him growing up, finding company with leather-bound pages and becoming well-versed in their contents. A strength he chooses not to boast about is his ability to create new spells, new magic, even. Most of these, however, were being saved to get a slight revenge over his old school enemies. And therein lies the rub. Snape’s insecurities are tightly bound to Hogwarts and being bullied – not to mention his inability to reveal his true feelings toward the one girl who showed him kindness all those years.

FAMILY:

A broken family. That was the home of Tobias Snape and Eileen Prince.

A Muggle father and a Pureblood mother. Such parents didn’t give Severus an opinion on blood purity – but rather if an individual could prove themselves. While his parents may have had married for love at some point, something shifted their feelings.

For Snape’s father, nothing seemed to please him. Except for, perhaps, a bottle of gin. This instilled a primal instinct for Severus to do better; be better. Strive for power.

As for Snape’s mother, she grew sickly and thin. Her grief taught him empathy. It also made him value any comfort, starving for any sort of love and affection. This was, most likely, the cause for Severus’ immediate interest in Lily Evans – and the roots of his near-obsession with her.

Both of his parents were unhappy, and let it affect both their home and their son. Living near-destitution, the Snape house was filled with hateful words, arguments, loud shattering of priceless heirlooms or objects, and other things that still haunt Severus to this day. When thinking back on his past, Severus prefers the memories of when they both neglected him altogether, rather than any other aspects of his upbringing.

OCCUPATION:

Potions Apprentice to Professor Slughorn.

Invaluable to the Dark Lord, the talents of Severus Snape brought him closer to his inner circle. For Voldemort, it also meant he could manipulate the young man’s talents to foil any plots that the Order may have against him. Knowing his passion for potions, Voldemort encouraged Snape to take on an apprenticeship with Professor Slughorn – while also peeking behind the curtain at Hogwarts and keeping an eye on the Headmaster.

ROLE WITHIN THE ORDER/THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ORDER:

Mid-Level | Double Agent

Walking a thin line between hero and villain had never once crossed Severus’ mind. Yet, here he was. An Order member. At first, in a plot for the Dark Lord, carrying out the order to spy on the organization; find out how it could crumble. The young wizard had already grown steadily in their ranks, garnered enough trust, and was even listening to Voldemort’s other requests like his employment. All for the sake of war. It was a task daunting enough for anyone; however, Severus knew pretending to be an Order member would bring him closer to Lily. That, and potentially erase any suspicions Frank Longbottom might have if he thought he saw the Slytherin’s face during the arrest. At first, it was all an act.

Now, within the Order, Severus is a black sheep. Many of his childhood bullies are within their ranks, and many who distrust him. Although, with Severus’ lust for power, proving himself is nothing new to him. In fact, he thrives on it. No more fighting behind a mask…watching those he cares for nearly meet their end. An easy task to spy, being a great reader of both people and their minds. However, an overwhelmingly difficult task to want to continue fighting for something he didn’t believe in. Not that he believes in the Order either, but his lust for power has now been overcome with a desperate need to win an old friendship back. Perhaps to take Lily Evans far away from any wars as well, forgetting the two sides; no more choosing between what is right, and what is easy. Severus faces this new challenge, while fighting off those he once stood beside. For now, he’ll leave it to fate – if he’s able to win Lily’s friendship back.

After the latest events of Muggles being slaughtered from his mistakes with the orb, Severus feels a familiar pang of guilt. The same kind he felt after calling Lily that horrid name in school. It doesn’t help that The Order sees him as a risk and has been keeping him away from the center of the action. Severus feels responsible and a need to redeem himself. The night of the wedding, The Order tasked him with staying with the healers – at least giving him that opportunity. Among the chaos, steady hands and minds are needed. Which, thankfully, Severus was very skilled with.

SURVIVAL:

Severus Snape survives purely relying on his skills – and providing them to whichever side he feels is winning. It was part of the reason why he joined the Death Easters in the first place. Unfortunately for the Order, Snape believes the Dark Lord will win; that they will fall – and not rise from the ashes, as their namesake. A lust for power has blinded him most of all. But with it, he’s earned the trust of Voldemort, become invaluable. A faithful servant. Once the war s over, Severus believes he will be rewarded for his acts. At least, as long as he continues to do his bidding…

While with the Order, Severus has taken up housing in Hogwarts during the school year under his apprenticeship with Slughorn. During the summers, he’s found a small flat down near Hogsmeade to keep close enough. Beforehand, he often stayed with Lucius Malfoy in their incredibly large manor. It made it easy to stay near his comrades and to carry out any dark deeds.

Until there seems to be a clear winner, Severus will carry out his work as a spy. Even if it means slightly changing sides to do it as time goes on. The skills he carries with Occlumency are not to be trifled with. It seems he’s one of the few to have mastered such magic, making him the perfect soldier for espionage. Especially now that he has a desire for redemption for the mistakes he’s made and devastation he’s caused.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Severus’ relationship with Lily Evans was broken long ago. However, he will try and make peace with her, at the very least. If they rekindle their friendship, Severus would likely switch sides; happily die for her and prove himself. If it blossomed even more (something he fears even daydreaming about will jinx it), Severus would give up everything with the Dark Lord and his following - and give all his loyalty to the Order.

PRIVILEGES & BIASES:

Having gone through a very traumatic animalistic incident in his years at Hogwarts, Severus has a large bias against werewolves. The whole experience left a nasty memory for him, left in complete shock and disagreement with Dumbledore. And having Fenrir Greyback at the Dark Lord’s disposal certainly didn’t make matters any better.

There is one thing that will never chance for Severus Snape, and that is his hatred and bitterness towards certain Gryffindor boys he now has to work with in the Order. The thought alone makes his blood boil and skin crawl. Yet, he will do what he must for his cause…and maybe even throw in a snide remark or two every so often.

Muggleborns are something of a mystery to Snape now. When he first met Lily, he thought she was different from any other one – slumping the rest together with the likes of his father. Although seeing how fierce Dorcas has become – and so well integrated with the Wizarding World – Severus has gained a new understanding. Of course, he’s still untrusting, at first, and even a little cold; but that doesn’t mean his mind cannot be changed.

#bio #updated #redemption arch coming #he's in between good and bad at the moment #loving it lol #hc #head canon

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kaurwreck · 1 year ago

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I fundamentally disagree. I think different people thrive in different environments. I think Chuuya thrives where he can be loyal and have people to protect and love, and I think he's a delinquent at heart who thrives from stewarding the city from its shadows. I also think he's caught in chains of grief and trauma and internal conflict, but I don't think that precludes any of the above.

I also don't agree that the Port Mafia is inherently unhealthy for everyone therein. I think it was unhealthy for several of the perspective characters, and that causes the audience to project their experiences and suffering on everyone else within it. But if the characters were that interchangeable, I'd be so bored.

Also, I think it would be wild for Natsume-sensei to design a tripartite framework in which one of the pillars is innately unhealthy and unsustainable. Both narratively (the Port Mafia wouldn't be stable or load bearing for his in-universe intentions if that were true) and metatextually. Much of his irl writing explores conflict and chaos, but always within the discipline and structure of his technical mastery over the language, and it's in that facet of his legacy that I see the wisdom of Mori and the Port Mafia.

We are introduced to the Port Mafia from a lens that invites bias, and several of our perspective characters did suffer in it. But then, as the story unfolds, so too do the dynamics as we become privy to the Port Mafia in other contexts and through several more characters who do well in it, and for whom it's their chosen family.

Rejecting that the Port Mafia has those facets is an organic response to the first impression, to internalized biases regarding organized crime, and to the experiences of multiple beloved characters, and reflects a common struggle that people have with reconciling complex moral and interpersonal decison making. But, also, I think rejecting that many of the characters choose the Port Mafia, even if not at first, denies them their agency and flattens their motivations, Mori's motivations, and Natsume's motivations.

It's fine if that's the story you perceive and prefer. But it's not the one that I do. I like the messy, ambiguous, compassionate, contradictory guts of what I see in the Port Mafia, and I like the vibrant individuality of the characters and their experiences. If I wanted archetypes, good vs. bad, or a morality tale, that's what I'd seek out. But bsd isn't that to me.

unironically, I think chuuya loves being in the Port Mafia and also a punk ass delinquent, and Fifteen and Stormbringer both affirmed for me that Chuuya chose the Port Mafia, over and over again. but even without the light novels, the unadulterated glee, playfulness, and tenderness with which he approaches the Mafia is why I can't extrapolate other characters' experiences over his.

while the Port Mafia was terrible for Kyouka and Dazai, Akutagawa and Chuuya thrive in it. (one of the most poignant moments of the cannibalism arc for me was when Akutagawa acknowledged to Kyouka for the first time that what worked for him wasn't what she'd needed, and that he was happy she'd found it with the Agency.) that akutagawa and chuuya are also nurtured by their loves ones in the light too doesn't detract from that, it's feeds into it. They're the yin to others' yang, and I find it just really lovely.

#bsd #bungo stray dogs #port mafia #tl;dr i dont really care that other people dont agree or even if most people dont agree #ive always found the world more beautiful for its complexity and where there isnt universality #the port mafia is a microcosm of that

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homenum-revelio-hq · 5 years ago

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Welcome (again) to the Order of the Phoenix, Gina!

You have been accepted for the role of SEVERUS SNAPE with the faceclaim of Aneurin Barbard! We particularly loved Severus’ ambiguous motivations and how he’s playing spy as a double agent for both the Order and the Death Eaters! He’s not all good - he’s not all bad - and that fits our morally grey theme within this roleplay. So glad to see you playing him again!

Please take a look at the new member checklist and send in your account within 24 hours! Thank you for joining the fight against Voldemort!

OUT OF CHARACTER:

NAME: Gina AGE: 25 TIMEZONE: MST-Arizona ACTIVITY LEVEL: Weekends are usually when I’m on the most 😊 I’ll try to get on during the week – especially on my early days. All that being said, I’ll definitely will be able to post at least once a week! As long as writing is still fun, and doesn’t feel like a chore, I’ll be on the dash frequently (and I’ll keep y’all informed if there’s ever going to be an issue with an activity check)! ANYTHING ELSE: trigger: non-con.

CHARACTER DETAILS:

NAME: Severus Snape AGE: 21 GENDER, PRONOUNS, and SEXUALITY: Cis-Male, He/Him, Heterosexual. BLOOD STATUS: Halfblood HOUSE ALUMNI: Slytherin ANY CHANGES: Request FC change: Aneurin Barnard.

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

PERSONALITY:

Generally, Severus is seen rather than heard.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FAMILY:

A broken family. That was the home of Tobias Snape and Eileen Prince.

For Snape’s father, nothing seemed to please him. Except for, perhaps, a bottle of gin. This instilled a primal instinct for Severus to do better; be better. Strive for power.

OCCUPATION: Potions Apprentice to Professor Slughorn.

ROLE WITHIN THE ORDER/THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ORDER:

After the latest events of Muggles being slaughtered from his mistakes with the orb, Severus feels a familiar pang of guilt. The same kind he felt after calling Lily that horrid name in school. It doesn’t help that The Order sees him as a risk and has been keeping him away from the center of the action. Severus feels responsible and a need to redeem himself. The night of the engagement party, The Order tasked him with staying with the healers – at least giving him that opportunity. Among the chaos, steady hands and minds are needed. Which, thankfully, Severus was very skilled with.

SURVIVAL:

RELATIONSHIPS:

OOC EXPLORATION:

SHIPS/ANTI-SHIPS: Ships: Snape/Lily & Snape/Chemistry. Anti-Ships: None

WHAT PRIVILEGES AND BIASES DOES YOUR CHARACTER HAVE?

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?

I am excited to explore a redemption arch for Severus! I think it could be really great to see him actually believe in the cause and put his complete loyalty to The Order. I’ve tinkered with this idea before in another RP where his motives were driven by romance. Now, I can see hm relying on changing his mind on his own accord and a longing for his old friendship back to guide him to the side of good and light.

ANYTHING ELSE? Super excited to be re-applying as Sev! 😊

#homenumaccepted #harry potter rp #harry potter rpg #marauders rp #marauders rpg

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thesevenseraphs · 6 years ago

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Bungie Weekly Update - 4/4/19

This week at Bungie, we’re getting ready for some high voltage.

A storm is brewing. Next week, we’ll kick off what we’ve been calling Arc Week. Our goal for this happening has been to take the element that makes our sandbox crackle and put it under the microscope. The most noticeable update is that we improved many Arc subclass paths from the time before Forsaken. The week will also feature Arc Singe and Arc Bounties to synergize with your updated abilities. To provide a proving grounds for all this new energy, Mayhem will be available in the Crucible to let you experiment with your enhanced Arc abilities using shockingly short cooldowns.

Arc Week will also feature one of the most powerful Arc weapons ever created, the Thunderlord Exotic Machine Gun. If you weren’t able to complete the quest to obtain Thunderlord last year, you will have from April 9 to April 23 to revisit the Cosmodrome and add it your collection.

A Spark Can Give Life... or Take It

Arc Week buffs up several Arc subclasses.

Designer Dan Gniady has all the details on what changes you can expect.

Dan: After the release of Forsaken, the sandbox team wanted to revisit some older subclass paths and freshen them up a bit. This entailed tuning for balance as well as quality-of-life fixes. We’ve also added new functionality to a couple of subclasses. In update 2.2.1, we're focusing on Arc subclasses for Titans, Hunters, and Warlocks to kick off Arc Week. That said, we also made a couple needed changes to non-Arc abilities. Let’s get into it.

Striker Code of the Juggernaut (Bottom Path)

Notes: This path is all about punching enemies to get better at shooting them and shooting enemies to get better at punching them. We want to further incentivize engaging in this loop and make doing so move visible and flashy. Shooting an enemy should make you feel like you are primed to strike with melee. Punching an enemy and releasing your rage will make you feel like a more focused shot.

Frontal Assault:

Now increases all weapon damage for the duration of the buff

25% against combatants

20% against players

Duration increased from 10 to 16 seconds

Buff timer is now displayed on the HUD

Knockout:

Melee damage bonus increased from 25% to 60%

Now also triggers once you have dealt 60% damage to a target

Any damage done after 60% will refresh the timer

Still also triggers off shield pop

No longer consumed after 1 melee attack

Duration increased from 3 to 5 seconds

Arcstrider Way of the Warrior (Top Path)Notes:

This path thrives on striking with precision and timing and is heavily melee focused. To enhance this loop, we are giving it a bit more nuance with a higher potential payout. We want to allow for more room to execute and engage with both the path to success and the benefits once you do succeed.

Combination Blow

Bonus melee damage can now be stacked 3 times (requires a melee ability kill for each stack)

Buff increases melee damage by 60% per stack in PvE

Buff increases melee damage by 22.7% per stack in PvP

For comparison, this ability used to be 1 stack and increased melee damage by 50%

Kills with this ability now heal 40 health in addition to starting health regen

Deadly Reach:

Increased buff duration from 6 to 8 seconds

Buff is no longer consumed by a melee hit

Arcstrider Way of the Wind (Bottom Path)

Notes: This path is about quick movement and thriving under pressure. We want to increase your ability to survive while at low health and enhance your elusiveness so you can be more confident when in danger. This way, you don't just get a bonus when you’re injured, you have more control over what state you are in, and you can make more risk/reward choices.

Disorienting Blow:

Increased the disorient distance by 50%

Increased duration of disorient on players from 1.5 to 2 seconds

Focused Breathing:

Increased dodge recharge bonus while sprinting by 100%

Combat Meditation:

Increased bonus grenade and melee regeneration while bloodied by 25%

Lightning Reflexes:

Increased damage resistance while dodging from 25% to 40% in PvP

Increased damage resistance while dodging from 63% to 70% In PvE

Stormcaller Stormtrance Super (Top and Bottom Path)

Damage scales up to 150% over 5 seconds of continuous use of the attack

Updated FX and audio to support this functionality

Stormcaller Attunement of Conduction (Top Path)

Notes: This path focuses prominently on chain lightning, but we also want to better sell the fantasy of being a god of erratic and dangerous energy. We want you to be delighted and surprised by the chaos you cause. On top of that, we should make the choice of using your abilities something to better strategize around, and reward you for doing so.

Chain Lightning Melee

Can now chain up to 5 times, up from 1, and each individual target can be hit twice

Chain damage decreased from 50 to 31 damage per chain hit

Arc Web

Can now chain to many (many) more targets, and back and forth between targets

The amount of chaining varies based on use, and I will leave it to you all to discover!

Increase chain range from 10 meters to 12 meters

Chaining Arc damage now reduces the cooldown of your grenade

Works with Arc Web chains and chains from Chain Lightning Melee

Earn 3% energy per instance of chain damage in PvE

Earn 10% energy per instance of chain damage in PvP

Stormcaller Attunement of the Elements (Bottom Path)

Notes: Currently this path focuses on creating drone buddies for allies and staying close to them to dish out more Rifts and the buddies therein. Generally, Arc drone is short-lived, and you need to stay close to your Rift to keep it around. Now you will be able to take your pal further and, if you stick with friends, will be able to have it around much more often, making this path more potent as support.

Electrostatic Surge:

Increased bonus regeneration rate of Rift by 600% per nearby friendly Guardian

This sounds insane, and it’s a big boost you will definitely feel, but it was previously very low.

Extends Rift duration from 15 to 20 seconds

Added a UI notification for when the buff is active

Arc Soul:

Extended duration by 50%.

Now let’s talk about some non-Arc Changes, as well…

Voidwalker Nova Warp Super

Notes: Clearly we swung a bit hard when we hit this previously. This should serve as a nice middle ground to settle into.

Reduced initial charged detonation energy cost by 20%

Reduced energy cost of holding the charged detonation by 7%

Reduced time required to fully charge the charged detonation from 0.9 seconds to 0.7 seconds

Reduced Dark Blink cost by 20%

Increased base Super duration from 18 seconds to 22 seconds

Dawnblade Everlasting Fire Perk

Notes: Similar to the Striker, we wanted to make sure this perk didn’t allow for infinite Supers in certain activities. We’ve increased the amount you get back upfront but put diminishing returns on it so you can’t go forever. This will still be a Super you can extend much longer with skill.

Tuned the amount of Super gained from Everlasting Fire

Initial return increased from 10% to 13% Super energy

Return then decays linearly over the course of 30 kills from 13% to 0.75% returned per kill

You may be asking “What about Spectral blades???”

We know it’s out of bounds and are working right now on a few tweaks to bring it back in line. We’ll let you know the details once we’ve finished play testing and tuning to lock in on what the changes will be.

That’s all for me this time. As always, we look forward to you getting your hands on these changes and letting us know what you think. Happy electrocuting everyone!

Patch Note Preview

Next week, Update 2.2.1 will be deploying on April 9. Here is a preview of some changes you can look forward to along with the Arc Week rollout.

Catalysts

Four new Exotic weapon catalysts will be available to drop in Nightfall, strikes, and the Crucible

Prospector (Nightfall, strikes)

Rat King (Nightfall, strikes)

Hard Light (Nightfall, strikes)

SUROS Regime (Crucible)

Warlock Bloom Ability

Fixing an issue where the Bloom ability would not deal damage

Xûr

Xûr’s inventory will now offer random-rolled perks for armor

Infusion

Fixing an issue where the Vow could not be infused above 650

Fixing an issue where the BrayTech RWP Mk. II could not be infused above 600

Gambit Prime Weapons

Most Gambit Prime weapons will now have a chance to drop as match completion rewards from Gambit Prime

Increasing drop rates for Gambit Prime weapons from the Reckoning

Both Gambit Prime and the Reckoning will have increased drop rates for weapons after each completion without a drop until players are guaranteed a reward

Gambit Prime

An invasion kill will heal 8% of the Primeval's health, down from 12%

The invasion portal cooldown time during the Primeval phase will be increased to 40 seconds, up from 30 seconds

This cooldown triggers after a player has been killed or successfully returns from an invasion

Gambit Prime will now count to unlock the Weekly Gambit Clan Engram

Quests and Bounties

Power Surge Bounties that have been deleted or expired will now be available on the Drifter

Each bounty can still be completed only once per character

Yes Sir, I'm a Closer Weekly Gambit Prime bounty will now award 4 points for a win and 2 points for a loss, with a completion value of 20 points

All 4 weekly role bounties for Gambit Prime now grant powerful helmet rewards

Strong Resolves

Our Player Support team is keeping track of all known issues in the game. If you see something they aren’t tracking, make a post on the Help forum letting them know.

This is their report.

Destiny 2 Update 2.2.1

Next Tuesday, on April 9, Destiny 2 will undergo maintenance and Update 2.2.1 is scheduled to go live. No downtime is expected during this maintenance; however, players who have not yet updated to version 2.2.1 by 1 PM PDT will be returned to the title screen.

Please see below for the timeline of this deployment window:

9 AM PDT (1600 UTC):

Destiny 2 service maintenance is scheduled to begin with no expected downtime.

Update 2.2.1 will begin rolling out across all platforms and regions.

Destiny Companion features will be unavailable on web, mobile, and third-party apps.

1 PM PDT (2000 UTC):

Destiny 2 service maintenance is scheduled to conclude.

Players who have not yet installed Update 2.2.1 will be removed from activities and returned to the title screen.

1:15 PM PDT (2015 UTC):

Destiny Companion features will be re-enabled on web, mobile, and third-party apps.

Console players who encounter issues updating to 2.2.1 should reset their console and try downloading the update.

For more information on Destiny maintenance, players should visit our

Destiny Server and Update Status support page. For live updates on the 2.2.1 deployment, players should follow @BungieHelp on Twitter, or monitor our support feed on help.bungie.net. Destiny 2 Update 2.2.1 Resolved Issues PreviewWith the upcoming launch of Destiny 2 Update 2.2.1, we’d like to take the opportunity to follow up on a sampling of player-impacting issues that have emerged in Destiny 2 over the past several months.

The following known issues are expected to be resolved after the launch of Destiny 2 Update 2.2.1 on Tuesday, April 9.

Like a Diamond Triumph: Players who became eligible for the “Like a Diamond” Triumph during the window when it was not available will have this Triumph unlocked retroactively following the 2.2.1 update. Impacted players will receive a notice in game when this fix begins rolling out to their accounts.

Acting Bad, Looking Good Pursuit: The “Acting Bad, Looking Good” pursuit is not completing for players using a full set of Ancient Apocalypse armor.

Obsidian Crystal: The Obsidian Crystal doesn't always drop for players on the Unidentified Frame quest step for Izanagi’s Burden.

Wish-Ender: Players cannot see behind walls with Wish-Ender while invisible.

The Vow Infusion: The Vow cannot be infused above 650 Power.

BrayTech RWP Mk. II Infusion: BrayTech RWP Mk. II cannot be infused above 600 Power.

Stronghold Power Ammo: Stronghold consumes Power ammo when blocking with Black Talon.

The Weight of Guilt: The Weight of Guilt emblem does not display its purchase price after it has been unlocked for purchase from Lord Saladin.

For the complete list of resolved issues and patch notes, please keep an eye on our Updates page once 2.2.1 is live.

If you’re excited for ShArc Week and you want everyone to know, there is one more way you can express your electric personality. Three emotes will be available in bundles for direct purchase, one for each class. Now you can show off your mastery of the Arc arts even when your Super is on cooldown.

One more thing before we close This Week out. There have been a lot of questions about the future of the Crucible in Destiny, and what plans we have to support PvP going forward. Yesterday, we let you know during a stream that we have no plans to remove PVP from the Destiny franchise.

A lot of feedback on Crucible and how it could improve comes in the form of suggested sandbox changes that would impact the flow of combat in PvP. As you can see from the section above, we are still committed to updating the sandbox as frequently as we can, and we have an update going out next week. We have bigger Crucible changes being planned for later this year, but we aren’t ready to talk about those plans just yet. We hope to share more with you sometime this summer. In the meantime, we will continue to provide updates to matchmaking, QOL fixes, Sandbox balance, and Glory changes.

#bungie weekly update #Destiny #Destiny the game #Destiny 2 #Destiny 2 Forsaken #long post

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kennethprobeck-blog · 6 years ago

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Kingdom Hearts III

Developed and Published by Square Enix

A game that we’ve waited for this long HAS to be worth it, right? We couldn’t have been waiting this long for nothing, it HAS to be the best in the series! RIGHT?! These questions can only be answered from an individual perspective, and after more than a decade of restless waiting, Kingdom Hearts III may in fact not live up to the hype it’s received.

For anyone returning to the Kingdom Hearts franchise, you’re greeted with many familiar faces upon start up, with a “simple” recap of previous installments. “Simple,” yes, if you’ve watched multiple timeline explanation videos or made a handful yourself to unravel the chaos that is the Kingdom Hearts plot. But we’re not here to discuss the franchise as a whole, so let’s focus on the title at hand. The formula follows suit similar to previous games: travel to a new world, beat some baddies, repeat. The overall narrative is sprinkled here and there as you’re traversing the Kingdom Hearts multiverse, along with standalone Disney stories at each leg of the journey. This allows for some fun dialogue and interaction, starring Square Enix characters pairing up and interacting with more family-friendly and nostalgia-filled personas. The player is presented with events and characters many have grown to love over the years, and see them in a new light thanks to offbeat scenarios. While these scenes may be unique, however, the worlds themselves can prove to be strikingly lacking.

Most of the worlds are crafted with such beauty and elegance, one could say they were taken right from their original Disney environments, but others fall by the wayside due to either their stories being cut too short, or not living up to their full potential to match that of the films depicted. Each level looks stunning, sounds immaculate, and reacts to the player with grace, but unfortunately larger worlds feel abandoned with nothing to do but explore empty areas, while smaller worlds feel meaningless and serving no purpose in the grand scheme of the game itself. Some levels felt purposed simply to teach the player some new or returning mechanic, and while this is an important aspect of any game, an entire story-line and adventure had been sacrificed in place of being an eye-pleasing opener or tutorial.

The mechanics of the game are similar to that of any other mainline Kingdom Hearts, while bringing in fun additions from that of Dream Drop Distance and putting a spin on changing forms mid-battle. The real-time combat of Kingdom Hearts is something I have always found to be extremely satisfying, in that it doesn’t take too much skill to be comfortable and effective in combat. While this is fun for a more casual player, therein lies a problem for those seeking a challenge with Kingdom Hearts III. I had completed the game on Proud Mode, the hardest difficulty available in the game, (currently available, as there are rumors of a more difficult mode to be released at some point) and nothing in the game seemed to prove as a challenge, combat-wise. Simply mashing the X button and using magic when needed usually did the trick, but one would expect strategy and depth to be required when ramping up the difficulty in an RPG. I cannot say that the developers did anything wrong by this, since I’m simply comparing this game’s Proud Mode to that of previous titles, but the previous titles had set up an expectation of difficulty that wasn’t presented here. I found myself having to search for challenges, so I figured why not earn every Playstation trophy the game had to offer? While I’m still on this treacherous expedition to complete every mini-game in a certain time limit, collect every Synthesis item in the game, and craft the Ultima weapon, some of these additional challenges are proving to be more of a task than a thrill.

Kingdom Hearts III thrives on being a very eye-catching, flashy experience. Its responsiveness to the player are both satisfying and rewarding, but leaves the player wanting more than what is given. I was saddened to see some of the more memorable worlds and characters from previous titles to be excluded, but was overjoyed to see fresh new faces in a seemingly everlasting adventure. It asks more questions about the plot than it answers, leaving most long-waiting players a bit disheartened, and unfortunately I cannot say for certain if it was worth the fourteen-year long wait, but I’m very optimistic for any DLC released for Kingdom Hearts III, along with any future installments in Kingdom Hearts.

My Overall Score: 7/10

Played on Playstation 4

Source for Images

#game review #kenny's game review #gaming #video games #kingdom hearts #rpg #jrpg #squareenix #disney #pixar #kingdom hearts 3 #arpg

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tomasorban · 6 years ago

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Simon Forman - Of the Division of Chaos

Into darkness then did descend the spirit of God, Upon the watery chaos, whereon he made his abode. Which darkness then was on the face of the deep, In which rested the Chaos, and in it all things asleep. Rude, unformed, without shape, form or any good, Out of which God created all things as it stood. But first he commanded a light to appear, That all might be seen, that before was hid. And God saw that the light was good and clear, And the darkness and light he did then divide, Calling the one day, and the other night, For darkness [to] obscure (and day for shining bright). And a firmament then God did let make, To sever the waters above from those below; And divided the Earth from the waters also, Wherein greatly his power he did show. Then out of this Chaos, the four elements were made: Heat and cold, moist and dry, in like wise, Which are the beginning of all creatures wide, That under the globe of Luna do abide. The quintessence (that some men it call) Was taken out of the Chaos before the four elements all: Which is the first being, as we may descry, And uncorruptible, whereof was made the sky, And celestial bodies all, which do never die. So that of Hyle, nor Chaos, nor quintessence high, Is there any generation to multiply, In species or kinde here in Earth below, Of creatures abiding under the sky, But the four elements do make influence, By their special power into all things below; And into every specific thing do put quintessence, To reap such seed thereof: as men do sow, But of themselves. As they are simple and pure in kind, In every species together conjoined we do them find, Creating Sulphur, Salt, and Argent vive - The inward bodies of things that make them thrive. Whose gross bodies to destroy, if we them have, We must not spare thereof to deprave. Next after this, four elements pure, simple and clear, That is, hot and cold, moist and also dry, Are assigned to work on four bodies gross, The last substance of the Chaos, and of the highest the dross. Earth, water, air and fire, therein to show their might, And therein to make generation and bring forms to light; In every one severally, out creatures to bring, Which is the beginning and generation of all things. For heat is assigned to the fire, which doth burn; Moisture to the air, which doth corrupt and round turn; Dryness to the earth, the mother of each thing; And coldness to the water, from whence all do spring. Heat and moisture are active to generation; Cold and dryness are passive, in and to each thing; Fire and air, active by elementation; Water and earth, passive to generation. For in dryness of the earth and in water clear. All things are engendered, before they appear. According the the conjunction of the four elements, In each of their subjects severally, Are engendered and brought forth every creature, Living or being under the Moon's sky. The earth is fixed, durable for ever to abide; The air continually moveth from place to place beside, And is the life of the fire which purges all; And the water (for coldness) destructive, men call. But when they are commixed, one with another, Not simple, but compound in their elemental qualities, Then work they in kind by diversities, More or less as they are commixed by degrees. If these four elements do work in the fire, To engender and bring forth some creature, As the Salamander, ever living therein, You must conceive well of his commixtion, Which is by Nature and elements tempered so well, That he delights as gold in the fire to dwell. For to the creatures of the fire and his region, The fire is always most natural. For that in their commixture it is most predominate, Which maketh them the more able the fire to endure, By reason of much heat and dryness in their temperature. The water to the fire is most enemy. Therefore, keep fire in water, and moisten that which is dry, And it will perish and die, and soon putrefy. For as the fire is hot of himself, and of the earth dry, So the water is cold and moist of the sky, Which causes creatures of the fire to die and putrefy. For cold doth destroy and moist doth putrefy, Except you know this, study not philosophy. Likewise, the creatures that in the air do live, Of the airy substance are most compact. The other elements which do under drive, As water, earth and fire, of which they are facte (made). Yet in the air they most delight, and of it do feed, And in their contrary full ill do they speed. For it is omne oppositum under the sky, Which is the only cause all creatures do die. For in their simile all things do rejoice, And of their simile they all ways make choice. And creatures engendered in the waters cold and moist, Are sluggish and heavy, are given to much rest, And feed of such things as that Element doth hold. For their bodies are gross and of a moist mould, As fishes, frogs and herbs: milk, butter and cheese, To feed so grossly, they are nothing greasy.

Alchemical poem by the physician, astrologer, magician and alchemist, Simon Forman (1552-1611) is in the Bodleian Library Oxford

#alchemy #poem #esoteric #hermeticism #cosmology

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robert-sparrow-blog · 6 years ago

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Journal Excerpt 3A

5-11-2018

I think that the values my peers and I have been brought up with (as well as attitudes) are not preparing us for the rapid pace of change, namely technological, in today’s society. It would certainly help to explain the lack of meaning that so many in the younger generations seem to have in their lives. It’s not often talked about, but it is there in our thoughts. The advances of technology today continue to be ever more impressive, from SpaceX rockets to AI and everything else in between, but it comes at a cost. Things like automation and growing social inequality gradually deprive people of the means to find meaning in their lives. What once required the work of 20 people can now be done by one person. What about those other 19 people? What do they do? How do they cope with the chaos of their life being uprooted like that? In most cases, not very well. We simply are not set up to allow people to philosophize and create freely, which is fundamentally where meaning or purpose is found in life. We so strongly prioritize the pursuit of materials wealth that to pursue anything purely idealistic tends to be seen as foolish and naïve. But this stigma stems from the fact one needs to earn money in order to house and feed oneself in today’s world. Idealistic pursuits are not always good at this.

Back to values and attitudes. People are understandably worried about what things like AI and automation will do to their lives. This sort of worrying is counterproductive to mental health. One of the cornerstones of what I think would greatly help many in finding purpose is to live in the present ー to be mindful. Thankfully, this is starting to gain traction. But mindfulness alone is not enough. We need to be able to embrace change and live with it. Thrive with it, even. But of course, this is difficult to do if such change takes away your livelihood, and therein lies the crux of the problem with finding meaning and purpose in today’s world. Unfortunately, a significant restructuring of societal roles, hierarchies, and norms would need to take place in order to realize the idea of free pursuit.

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glitchinthesystemspiderbyte · 7 years ago

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[2] Glitch in the System - A Guest

By K. A cat happens.

—

Autumn descended on Talon’s Venetian outpost like the leaves which heralded it, lazy and uncharacteristically calm. Summer’s slow death and the chaos sown in its final throes gave way in increments to inertia; with every passing day, Talon’s deployments grew fewer and farther between as Akande Ogundimu, fresh from his prison break, set his sights on the new year and the work to be done therein. Between his meticulous planning and the tight-lipped response from the rest of the Council regarding the sudden passing of Councilman Vialli, the organization’s rank and file found themselves suddenly devoid of objectives.

Lesser operatives took to the dearth of work with relief or abandon, availing themselves of old Italy’s attractions while the opportunity - a rare one, indeed - presented itself. Widowmaker, however, was no lesser operative.

She indulged once, twice: an evening stroll along the coast, an art museum; yet what fleeting interest she was able to manifest in these altogether brief flights of fancy always and without fail gave way to the familiar, instinctual restlessness which underscored the minutiae of her days. Few things, most of them far from above board, assuaged that innate disinterest comprising the framework of her existence. Those distractions which were permissible beyond the constraints of a given mission were rooted almost exclusively in physical exertion and the adrenaline rush it offered. Reading, sometimes, but even her interest in that reliably eroded after any prolonged endeavors. More often than not, she returned to basic training: sprinting, acrobatics, stealth exercises - areas of expertise in which she excelled, but always found room to be better, if not the best. At the very least, it distracted from the question which buzzed, gnatlike, about the periphery of her thoughts with troubling constancy: why was life, for her, defined by her work while others seemed perfectly capable of thriving beyond it?

“Lacroix!”

Widowmaker averted gold eyes from the atrium path ahead of her, glancing only momentarily to the balcony overlooking the gardens. It was a perfunctory reaction, rooted in sheer instinct and utterly unnecessary; the deliberate, over-emphatic aspiration given her last name betrayed Sombra’s trademark irreverence immediately. She ignored the interruption as easily as she identified it, returning her gaze to the thin dirt path and the ghost of her own footsteps where she’d been jogging for the better part of an hour.

“Got something to show you,” the other woman continued. “Secret.”

The assassin kept running, breezing past the balcony wordlessly and keeping time with the metronomic sound of her own, relentlessly steady heartbeat in her ears. She could hear Sombra, of course, could hear the conspiratorial glibness that was the hallmark of her speech, but knew better than to pursue whatever bait the hacker threw at her feet; if it wasn’t the means to an end, it was the setup to a punchline.

“Come on,” Sombra whined in a mock plea, descending the stairs to the garden two, then three at a time. “It’s a good secret.”

The taller woman rolled her eyes as she came to a gradual stop, turning to her colleague approaching from across the garden. “The last time you wanted to share a secret with me-“

“It’s not porn,” Sombra interrupted, dismissing Widowmaker’s suspicion with a wave of her hand. “Not this time, anyway. Promise.”

Eyeing Sombra with pointed scrutiny, the sniper pursed her lips as she tried and failed to will an excuse into existence. She could just brush her off - it would be far from the first time she’d done so - but the other woman’s insistence betrayed a modicum of excitement that was, if nothing else, intriguing.

“Fine.”

If she were to ascribe a singular tactical advantage to Talon’s Venetian estate, it would be its sheer expansiveness. Truthfully, Widowmaker had neither known nor particularly cared where Sombra established herself amongst its myriad rooms; as such, discovering she’d chosen a corner suite along the far edge of the outpost’s westernmost wing was only noteworthy in its proximity to her own - only a few, elegant hallways removed, in fact. That their paths rarely crossed in the smaller hours of the night was curious, but a thought easily dismissed.

As Sombra slid from the dusk-darkened hallway into the neon purple glow of the dimly-lit room beyond, her colleague lingered in the doorway, arms folded and eyes narrowed with the same, persistent suspicion. The hacker preempted her before she could even open her mouth to speak. “It’s not porn, okay? Just because you invite a pretty lady to your place to show her a secret-” she trailed off, kneeling at the far side of the bed and reaching for something beneath the mattress with obvious difficulty. Widowmaker considered moving to assist precisely as she reappeared over the edge of the bed cradling a small, black bundle in her arms.

It purred.

“Got us a friend,” Sombra grinned.

Widowmaker sighed, punctuating her immediate irritation by pinching the bridge of her nose with two pale blue fingers.

“You are kidding,” she muttered.

“Am not.”

“Gabriel hates cats,” the sniper hissed, refusing the kitten as the other woman offered it to her. “I hate cats.”

“You hate everything,” Sombra quipped. “Shut up and take it.”

The hacker left her little choice as she pressed the puny ball of fur into her arms, relinquishing it more quickly than she could reprise her refusal. Widowmaker considered, albeit briefly, the unimpressive modicum of force required to snap its neck or crush its windpipe, ending the other woman’s insipid whim with ease. Yet just as she conceived of it, she noticed that, agitation aside, this diminutive, four-legged surprise makes the first time in days she didn’t feel the nagging, hungry restlessness to which she was so accustomed. Inconvenience, yes - in leaps and bounds - but cagey? Not quite.

Strange.

“Cute, right?” the dark-haired spy asked, eyebrows canted. “Couldn’t think of a name, though. Thoughts?”

“Chat,” Widowmaker replied glibly.

“You can’t just call it ‘Cat’, Lacroix. Je parle Français, lo tengo? Romance languages and shit. Try harder.”

The assassin clucked her tongue, shrugging with marked disinterest in the challenge set before her. “I don’t know,” she groaned, grimacing as the kitten stretched to place petite, white-tipped paws against her shoulder and press its face beneath her jaw. “Please, take it back.”

“Not until you give me a name,” Sombra replied, crossing her arms in a perfect imitation of her colleague’s earlier posture.

“Toulouse,” Widowmaker grumbled against the cat’s face, lifting her chin to avoid its continued affection. The name came like an electric shock, unprompted and uninvited but undeniably there - an echo from another place and time which felt both strangely familiar and impassibly distant. “Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Le Chat Noir. His favorite cabaret.”

It was consistently perplexing, these bits of information from another life that filtered through at the strangest, most unpredictable moments - jarring, even, in the way they roused some inkling of something, an almost-sadness.

Sombra tilted her head to one side, studying the woman before her. She’d seen it before, these transient moments of confusion, but was never able to grasp its catalyst or implications. She knew the story, of course, had dragged it from Talon’s databases kicking and screaming; moments like this made her question whether their reprogramming was as steadfast as estimated.

“Not bad. I like it,” she chuckled, dismissing the thought as she slid deft fingers beneath the kitten’s stomach and removed it from Widowmaker’s grasp. “Toulouse. Classy.”

“I know.”

Silence settled between them as Sombra sat on the edge of the bed, pressing her face into the soft fur along the kitten’s stomach. A smile lingered at the corners of her lips when she returned her gaze to her colleague. “Always wanted a cat,” she grinned. “Saw this little guy and thought, ‘mine’.”

“Well, don’t tell Gabriel,” Widowmaker said, acquiescing only as she turned on her heel to leave. “And clean up after it.”

“Him.”

“You’re going to help me, right?” Sombra asked, simultaneously coy and sincere.

“Help you with what?” Widowmaker asked, stopping mid-step to cast an incredulous glance over her shoulder.

“With the cat. With Toulouse.”

“Absolutment pas.”

Sombra frowned. “You don’t do anything, Lacroix,” she chided, and for a moment Widowmaker almost took her for sincere. “Just try.”

The assassin opened her mouth to retort, only to find the string of excuses that leapt to mind washed away by the uninvited brush of fur against her leg as the kitten circled her.

She sighed.

“Fine,” she said, curling thin fingers around the doorknob as she left. “But you’re doing the litter box.”

*Read from the beginning or check out our intro post! All stories tagged under #glitchfic.

#spiderbyte #overwatch #sombra x widowmaker #widowmaker x sombra #sombramaker #glitch in the system #overwatch fanfic #overwatch fandom #sombra #amélie lacroix #widowmaker #fanfic #glitchfic

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some-bitch-named-destyni · 7 years ago

Text

The Mad Machine

at this time of day, the day hasnt begun yet.

its silent, dark and still.

mostly like my state of mind. and where am i going?

what will i do, what will i forge from this mass of time yet to be had,

still forming in front of me. still begining to settle into exsistence..

the nights on her way about to be bourne into a breakIng light.

the dawn is close and from inside my blonde mind i feel the spirits settle into place.

the whole of life is getting ready. soon the sin will come

and the makers mark will be stamped into the heavens

illuminate the unseen reastless, the remains and on their way out

and then burning flames of fire 93 million miles out from where i sit here

waiting for this day to become alive

to be here, present, to breathe its first and take its first....

who is doing this for the last time .....who is waking one more six a.m. to make it to work

who will drink their last coffe in the next hour?

who hasnt finished things, they have waited their entire life to...

who will this measure of moment claim as it becomes viable, seeable, touchable in front of me

i see the bushes begin to wrestle, the sky begin to change, from black to dark blue, then mid blue

and its forming

its being born around me in the air im connected with here by opening up the door

opening up my soul to blend into the coming new day, to accept the hands of fate

to bargin one last time with chance and mental illness

the sun rises and the angels and demons flex and begin in motion all around and

life is happening one more time

to be greeted by one more opportunity to suffer

one more guarantee of smoke and focus and listess hours of no peace

no pride

no love

no reason

i have an itch as i feel the froming morning touch the tissue in my nerve endings and surround, swirl and sustain me in surreal understanding that im not stopping it.

no one is.

the day will be real in one hour. the time will arrive, and move and keep going and drag us all into its bitter cruel grasp , and then provide for the platform from which the undone, the unsatisfied forgotten and wasted therein suddenly UNbecome the essence of understanding higher concious, and regress to UNeternal, UNuniversal, UNable to continue as energy and BEcome disconnected from the oneness that life and all things are together..,seeing that this force of nature in harmony was always the beautiful lie bekieved by desperate sad fools to pacify our crushing weight of seperation by having been trapped in mortal skin and lend faith that only need be in place for the purpose of worsening the impact of truly being what we and all that can feel are and mean in our core...NOTHING. NEVER. no point, no divinity, no sanctity, and no where to go after the last breath as it settles in that there is no thing binds us all, because we exsist to simpl matter as least as we can be actualized into matteringl that, awaits, instead of the lie we will continue on in any remotely justifing pattern. its all here for nothing, we go nowhere.we find no ultimate value because in reality.... we are meant to experience and generate the lack of worth, the structure of pain from losing any significance. and in this stark realization....our exsistance of disharmony and violence regretfully Iver takes us.

me. overtakes me. fullfill true human nature and begin an afterlife thrived from the opposite of substance.

worst. the worst thingbu can think of or be told. its the only thing there, or that makes us, me, serve our function.........

im not stopping it. im not slowing it down. im not escaping it. u cant relax reality...u just cant.

and im able to tap into these natural certainties lately, see the dead still not departed, retain awareness that each new day is a new reason for the leaves to change, the wind to burn , the flowers to wither and the hands of hate to close strong around the hope this universe insists must

come

end

and i see the things aroumd me now the sun has begun to give creedence to the possibility.

tje worst of al, enemies . possibility. its inevitable. with every dawn, once again we vome back to attention just to be dashed uppn our graves like thpusand year old samd forgotten blowing lifelessly for eternity.

thats what today is. tjats all this day is. its what i, watching and feeling life force on us.

wothout tomorow, u would never be worse.

without tomorrow you would never lose again

without tomorrow u could just lie atill

without tomorrow you could just pretend

so each new experience in the change between the night and the dawn, i suddenly plug in

weather i want to, with the bees and bords and fox and geese and fish and ground and dirt and sound and thoughts about the family dead solhiers left behind when they died a thousand years ago...i plug into the other side, and see the truth of finality.

as we are here, every day is anothee reason to be terified and consu,ed with gloomy onsession.

and when we are gone, we stay like that forever . part of this mad machine

an eternal piece of the construct that causes chaos, brings happines to an end, makes certain all pleasure faded and grips us gentle hard enough our spirits leak the essence of misery fuel to keep the heels turning

i get plugged into this when the new oppotunity comes

every morning just at day break

maybe im getting closer?

maybe todsy is my day

maybe this is my last morning. my last coffee. my last post on tumblr.

maybe my parents will know the unhealing wound of living long enough to bury a child finally.

maybe im close, and i can feel it all like this because its coming closer now

in these mornings, im startimg to get close enough that i cam hear through the wall

that i can hear the other side...

when the sun is fully risen in a moment, i become fair game just like we all do.

and my chances may end. all that i am and ever was, ever did, ever thought, ever felt or loved or needed or lived or ,ade or gave or took or shared or wanted or hoped for

hoped for

maybe today, will be the day its all turned into half hearted recollection by someone i cant ever see or touch or kiss again

so let the sun rise now, as i can see its thoughtless intention on forcing one more day into the galaxy, and let it take full stance above us all.

and remain there clear and fixed, to show me, to show you, to show remind us all

of the sky doesnt look dark today...u arent looking hard enough.

if ull pay attention....u will see whats waiting for you in the echo. in the eternal. in the mad machine....

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rivaco · 5 years ago

Text

More than chat, smarter than a messenger

Flock’s all-in-one productivity software aims to change the way small businesses and remote teams work together

Four calling birds. (Source: Flock)

Flock’s VP of global marketing, Ryan Kelly, reflects on the past year and the year ahead. This story was originally published on the Flock blog.

Looking back at 2019, Flock’s global marketing team accomplished a lot. We opened a Boston office and expanded our functional teams across organic, performance, content, design, lifecycle, operations, and sales. But one of the challenges we face as a company in 2020 is managing our brand identity alongside positioning our product at the top of a category that continues to expand and evolve.

When we began making inroads into the US last year, there was a natural ambition to scale with the market because when you take a realistic look at the landscape, there are only two major players in the space right now: Slack and Microsoft Teams. I honestly believe that Flock is in a real position to become the third.

Part of why I feel so strongly about that is because we understand the needs of small businesses and remote teams better than most — because we’re both. Flock is the textbook definition of a globally dispersed team with offices in Boston, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, and we consistently improve our product to better align with the needs of small businesses, remote teams, and the digital workplace at large. Flock isn’t just a smarter way to communicate and collaborate company-wide, it offers a more efficient way to work cross-functionally and connect with teams across the globe.

But therein lies the challenge: How do we brand Flock as an all-in-one messaging tool when it’s so much more than just messaging? How do we better align ourselves with productivity and performance when Flock is all the smart tools small businesses and remote teams need — group and 1:1 messaging, video conferencing, secure file-sharing, shared note-taking, task management, process automation, and much more — all wrapped into one?

“Not only are chat tools extremely limited in functionality, but they’re social apps by nature, not productivity tools by design.”

There’s something truly magical about this software. At Flock, we say it all the time: when teams talk, teamwork thrives. As a messenger, Flock naturally encourages teams to start new conversations or add context to existing ones. But as a productivity tool, it elevates collaboration on projects which leads to the exchange of new ideas that can ignite innovation in ways I’ve never seen before.

Still, many businesses think they can accomplish this kind of omnipresent teamwork by using a basic chat app like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Hangouts Chat — but they can’t. Not only are chat tools extremely limited in functionality, but they’re social apps by nature, not productivity tools by design.

Something I hear all the time from regular chat users is: “My business doesn’t need Flock, we’re doing okay with XYZ.” And that’s fine — part of finding the right tool is knowing what works best for your business. But I’m a staunch believer that the vast majority of small businesses with more than 10 employees will need a smarter, more professional communication tool in 2020 that works for everyone in the organization, not just a few employees.

Our multiple sets of use cases showcase how Flock has been adopted across all the levels of an organization from sales to human resources to engineering to marketing. Different teams use Flock every day for project management and collaboration without ever having to leave their workspace or be in the office at all. Functionality wise, all your favorite features are there to empower your team to work together from anywhere at any time.

Sipping our own champagne

I’m not just the head of our global marketing team, I’m also a user. Since I started working here, I’ve witnessed firsthand how Flock has dramatically transformed the way our entire organization operates. I think I speak for everyone here that Flock has 100% enabled us to hit our goals faster by accelerating the rate at which we communicate and collaborate. Why do I say that?

Having an all-in-one communication tool has dramatically reduced the noise and the clutter that fills up our inbox, thus reducing the time we spend responding to emails in general

It has also increased transparency within our organization — from top to bottom — enabling our open communication culture to thrive

It consistently prevents people from suffering in silence as part of a group channel because someone’s always there to help solve a problem or answer a question in real-time

We like to say we eat our own dog food or sip our own champagne because we use Flock every day and are proud of the collective, team-centric culture it has instilled. Without the tool itself, I’m not sure we’d have the flexibility to build the kind of team we have here today.

”We continue to improve and develop our software far more efficiently than many of counterparts in Seattle or San Francisco because frankly, we’re able to do it with a remote team and avoid the cutthroat chaos of those markets — that’s just a very honest answer.”

When you look at it strictly from a workplace talent perspective, globally dispersed teams have a massive advantage. Those shortsighted small businesses and startups who aren’t willing to transition to some aspect of remote work won’t be able to compete from a recruitment standpoint much longer — it’s just not sustainable.

If you’re only going to recruit folks in Seattle or San Francisco because that’s where you’re based, you’re really selling yourself short by limiting your talent pool. You may have candidates or potential contractors who check all the boxes but you can’t hire them because they live in another state or maybe even another country. This cripples your ability to add the kind of value, versatility, or diversity your teams might be lacking and therefore need.

Flock is the perfect antidote. Case in point, we continue to improve and develop our software far more efficiently than many of counterparts in Seattle or San Francisco because frankly, we’re able to do it with a remote team and avoid the cutthroat chaos of those markets — that’s just a very honest answer. I’ll also video chat our head of product or engineering who are both based in India and ask why we don’t have a certain feature, that we need this, that or the other to work better and we’ll put it into the pipeline. As a business leader, I constantly advocate for new features and innovation of our software because I’m a passionate power-user, not some makeshift marketeer.

The bottom line is that no single all-in-one productivity tool is powerful enough to convince you to take an all-or-nothing approach. In fact, I’d argue that much of Flock’s muscle comes from the built-in deep app integrations of other tools like Asana, Google Drive, or Dropbox, for example. Using Flock together with your favorite stack streamlines the overall experience to better visualize, organize, and prioritize all of the projects on your plate like a pro.

Go out and get yourself a team messenger or try Flock for free today. I guarantee you won’t regret it.

More than chat, smarter than a messenger was originally published in Flock Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

#Flock #Enterprise Chat

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preachbvne · 5 years ago

Video

And Those “With Him” ARE- Called, Chosen--& “FAITHFUL” (Mind the Prize of the HIGH CALL) Woe....No More Arrogant Presumption and Debate of "THE CALLED" vs. "THE CHOSEN" Here is Wisdom!!! (SET REMINDER and TUNE IN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMzZvTz17S4

"WITH HIM" The 'FAITHFUL" Revelation 17:14 (KJV) 14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are With Him Are Called, And Chosen, And Faithful.

Grace Nuggets: • Setting Difference on Called vs Chosen • The FAITHFUL are WITH HIM • Faith in His Way of Living and Being • Faithful in Your Work • Faithful in His Character • Faithful in Prayer • Faithful in Love

…SO Focus on BEING FAITHFUL that YOU MAY be ONE WITH HIM

To The Jew (1st) Then To The Gentile (Last) Romans 1:16 (KJV) 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew First, And Also To The Greek. Romans 1:16-17 (MSG) 16-17 It’s news I’m most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God’s powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God’s way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: “The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives.” Romans 1:16 (NIV) 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Romans 2:10 (KJV) 10 But Glory, Honour, And Peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

Grace Note: • Because the Hebrews were to Be the Ones who take the GOSPEL to the World • Last shall Be First and The First Last....

Many Called- Few Chosen-- Look On The Faithful Matthew 20:15-16 (KJV) 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for MANY BE CALLED, BUT FEW CHOSEN

CALLED- BUT CHOSEN FOR TASKS Grace Nuggets: • Rather He Called You By Name • Rather He Called You out of Darkness • Rather He Called you and Chose you for tasks • Rather He called You Chosen • FAITHFULNESS IS WHAT HE SEEKS AND IS THE KEY

GLORY NUGGETS: • Called Us to Holy Life 2 Timothy 1:9 • Called Us Heavenward in Christ Philippians 3:14 • Called Us According to Purpose Romans 8:28 • Called Us into Fellowship with His Son Christ 1Cor. 1:9 • Chose he Lowly things 1Cor. 1:28-29

For He Has Called You In To Righteousness Isaiah 42:6 (KJV) 6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

~~~~~~CHOSEN~~~~~~~~ Isaiah 44:1 (KJV) 44 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I Have Chosen: 1 Chronicles 16:13 (KJV) 13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, His Chosen Ones. 1 Chronicles 16:13 Amplified Bible (AMP) 13 O seed of Israel His servant, Children of Jacob, His chosen ones! 1 Peter 2:9-10 (KJV) 9 But ye are a Chosen Generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Ephesians 1:4-5 (KJV) 4 According as he hath Chosen Us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. ~~~~~CALLED~~~~~~~~ Many He Called you and By Name Isaiah 43:1(KJV) 43 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have Called Thee By Thy Name; thou art mine. Exodus 3:4 (KJV) 4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. Many will be Called ALONE Isaiah 51:2 (KJV) 2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I Called Him Alone, and blessed him, and increased him. Many CALLED from their Native Land Hebrews 11:8(KJV) 8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 1 Samuel 3:6 (KJV) 6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE BY FAITH Romans 1:17 (KJV) 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. THEREFORE MAKE YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE 2 Peter 1:10-11 (KJV) 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. F.Y.U Rapture connected with: THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE • Those who Fear God • Those who Give alms • Those who pray continually

Scripture Reference: Malachi 3:16 (connect with)Acts 10:1-4 Hebrews 7 & 8 Revelation 8:3-4 The 5 BOOK S in HEAVEN

• BOOK OF THE LIVING - Psalms 69:28 and Psalms 139:16 • LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE – Revelation 3:5 (Heaven’s Registry) • BOOK OF TEARS – Psalms 56:8 • BOOK OF WORKS - Revelation 20:12 • BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE - Malachi 3:16 (connect with)

Grace Nuggets: • (No Open Heavens( No Rain)=No Rhema Word=No Flow = Drought • Rivers will Dry up - Lack of Flow (Prophetic) (Spiritually and Physically) • The Decrease In Flow- Threatens Drought • The Flow of the River Cleanses • Demons thrive in Droubt IF YOU OBEY---IT WILL BE Well Jeremiah 7:23 (KJV) 23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. Grace Nuggets • The World was Formed(Out of Alignment) VOID(Chaos) • God Goes from Dark to Light(The Evening and the Morning) • IF WE - LIVE WITH-- STICK WITH- DIE WITH 2 Timothy 2:11-13 (KJV) 11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

"I Prophesy to The Perplexities and Give the Practicalities"

Preach Be a Voice Not an Echo www.preachbvne.webs.com www.preachbvne.blogspot.com Twitter@Preach_BA_Voice Facebook: www.facebook.com/PREACHbeaVoicenotanEcho Podacast: www.preachbeavoicenotanecho.podomatic.com Google+ URL: google.com/+PREACHbeaVoicenotanEchoMinistry Youtube Channel:www.youtube.com/c/PREACHbeaVoicenotanEchoMinistry

So Seed into Good Ground: Mail to: Shawntrell or Thomas Davis P.O. BOX 30392 Clarksville, TN 37040 PayPal: www.paypal.me/SHAWNTRELLDAVIS or Email:[email protected]

Ambassador Thomas Emmanuel Davis III Ambassador Shawntrell Davis Ambassadors of the Word of Reconciliation Followers of "The Way"

Distributors of the Revelation! Distributors of the Truth! Distributors of the Release!

S.H.I.F.T Suddenly Heaven Invades Forcing Transformation!!

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Let the Lord be Magnified! Announcing the Coming of the Glorious Kingdom of God!

2 Corinthians 5:20(KJV) 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Obadiah 1:1 (KJV) 1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.

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