#with tragedy beyond the comprehension of the human brain

[the-algebra-thing]

my mouth just fell open SO dramatically why did I put FLIGHT FROM THE CITY JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON on ANY PLAYLIST that could just PLAY IT ON SHUFFLE WITHOUT WARNING I think I'm going to crumble into dust

[cynthiav06]

Ok, so I am HOWLING with laughter.

So, have you heard? People are comparing Percy and Annabeth to................Odysseus and Penelope.

When I heard this, you don't know how funny it was to me. I almost choked on my spit. LMAOOOOOOOOOOO

Penelope would NEVER hit or insult Odysseus. She doesn't play mind games with him and they communicate properly.

Odysseus and Penelope are not toxic. Percabeth is.

Also, Rick Riordan is LEAGUES worse than Homer. Like, the guy cannot even compare to the ACTUAL GREEK POET.

And people are actually comparing the two.

Percy Jackson IS good at times, but it will NEVER compare to Homer's compositions. Literally never.

TBH that's just my personal opinion.

Also, Homer actually composed many of the Greek epics that we still read today.

I get why people would want to compare them, but there is no comparison, really. It's so fucking funny to me.

Anyway, what are your thoughts on Percabeth compared to Odysseus and Penelope?

That comparison alone has ruined the New Year for me. It's an insult to the Odyssey. Hell, it's an insult to the recently released Ithaca Saga of Epic the Musical.

But seriously, are these things actually being said? Cause that puts Percabeth stans from delusional category to brain dead.

Homer's Iliad and The Odyssey are one of history's most reputed myths of all time. And the primary source of Greek mythology for many people. I am certain Rick himself referred Homer's works for ideas and references. Even Riordan himself would be ashamed to compare his writing to Homer, in even the slightest manner.

Now to Odysseus and Penelope; the greatest couple of all time, truly and undeniably. The orignal eternal love. Even Hera, the goddess of marriage and family, considers Odysseus and Penelope's marriage bed sacred. Which Odysseus carved out of a living tree as a symbol of their undying love and so that it could never be moved.

Odysseus crawled through hell to get to Penelope and Telemachus. He survived and won the 10 year long Trojan war, defeated/ tricked a Cyclops, countless mythical monsters, Circe, Calypso, and even Zeus himself and at last Poseidon. That alone is beyond comprehension. Because Odysseus isn't a demigod or any specially blessed being. No, he is just an ordinary mortal, a genius mortal, one trained by the wisdom goddess but an ordinary mortal all the same. Yes, he is one of a kind genius, but these are literally eldritch creatures compared to him.

Let me put it this way, Odysseus is the OG Batman. He is who all smart fictional human characters aspire to be.

The Odyssey is literally about the all transcending power of human will. Of Odysseus's sheer fucking will to get back home, to his wife and son. That's it. A common desire of a common man, yet so miraculously burning and indomitable in Odysseus's mind that it alone outshines his extraordinary genius.

He quite literally died on his way there. Had to hitch a ride through the Underworld and then some.

Then he had to sacrifice his ENTIRE CREW, HIS FRIENDS, HIS COMRADES to get back to Ithaca. Mind you, Odysseus had the record of getting every single one of his 600 men alive out of Trojan War. The only one to have done so. And he had to lose some to the tragedies and then WILLINGLY SACRIFICE others to get back to Penelope.

I don't think there are words enough to encapsulate Odysseus's dedication.

Now Penelope. The thing is, she is just as bloody impressive. The Queen of Ithaca and a Spartan Princess, she is also one of a kind. Throughout Odysseus's departure and the suitors' invasion , not five, not ten, 108 SUITORS, Penelope held her own, keeping the castle, her son Telemachus and herself secure. All the while, raising Telemachus and running the kingdom on her own as well.

She tricked the suitors into an eternally futile game of trying to lift Odysseus's bow and shoot with it. Tricked them by telling them she was weaving Odysseus's shroud, which, when finished, would signify that she is picking a new husband. Each day, she would weave for all suitors to see, and each night, she would unravel the shroud. All in an attempt to stall. Among the many other ways, she did so. Including STEADFASTLY DENYING EACH AND EVERY SUITOR CONSTANTLY FOR YEARS AS THEY ASKED FOR HER HAND, NEVER ONCE LOSING HOPE OR FAITH IN ODYSSEUS.

When Odysseus returns, disguised as a beggar, she not only immediately recognizes him but subtly helps him in killing the suitors, which then Odysseus and Telemachus proceed to do.

All 108 suitors dead in a night. Add that to 600 men under Odysseus's command. 708 lives murdered and then some all for Odysseus and Penelope to reunite.

And this is me abridging the whole thing. Imagine the struggle, the suffering, the mental and physical trauma. 20 years straight. You can't fathom it.

I don't think I have words enough to state how repulsively disrespectfully wretched this comparison is. I would use an analogy, but it's so horrendous that I don't think there's one that suffices.

I literally have more than half the posts dedicated to dismantling the delusion of percabeth being a perfect ship, so I won't preach to the choir, but I mean Annabeth's fatal flaw is Hubris and Percy's is Personal Loyalty. Go figure.

If that isn't enough, Percy jumped in Tartarus for Annabeth. She fell, but Percy jumped, among the many other ways he has saved her from countless deaths. And Annabeth offers him what in return? It would have been alright if she gave him nothing in return, but somehow, the situation is EVEN WORSE.

Physical and mental demeaning. Toxic and controlling attitude and of course BLAMING HIM FOR GETTING KIDNAPPED AND HAVING HIS MEMORY WIPED BY A GODDESS. WOW, THAT SOUNDS SO SIMILAR TO PENELOPE AND ODYSSEUS.

Not to mention, Penelope accepted her husband, as he was. Even after being so completely changed by his tragic journey that he was quite literally NO LONGER HIMSELF.

And Percy when had to CHOKE AKHYLS WHO WAS DEFINITELY GOING TO KILL HIM AND ANNABETH, WAS KILLING HIM AND ANNABETH, OUT OF SELF DEFENSE AND SHE BLAMES HIM AND FORCES HIM TO PROMISE NOT TO USE HIS POWERS TO DEFEND HIMSELF???

WHAT THE FUCK??? And sure it would have been ignorable had it not had any long term effects. BUT NO PERCY ALMOST KILLS HIMSELF OUT OF KEEPING HIS PROMISE TO ANNABETH.

Call them whatever the hell you want but DON'T EVER COMPARE THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO ODYSSEUS AND PENELOPE.

PERCY DESERVES INFINITELY BETTER THAN ANNABETH. Enough said, really.

[mrcavill88]

A twist in time

Pairing: Captain America Chris Evans x Male Reader x Superman Henry Cavill

Summary: A sudden ravaging force made its rampage through space and time, causing an unwanted rupture within the greater omniverse. The citizens of earth are left broken, sorrowful, and desperate as it seems all hope is lost. The only faith left in humanity stands within two veteran superheroes, both from different timelines. They two are on the verge of giving up as Earth is expected to reach its end, but a certain someone might be the last thing keeping them going

Word count: 3.3k+

Warnings: 18+, Heavy angst, mentions of family loss, mass poverty, hunger, depression, slight dirty thoughts, kissing, mugging, mentions of sexual assault, fluff, death, crying

A/N: Hey everyone! Back with another fic. I decided to try something different, this one is definitely more emotional and heavy than my other fics. Please let me know, in the comments, if you guys like this style! Thanks!

*FLASHBACK 6 months prior to the tragedy*

"Three, two, one- Happy birthday dad!" you exclaimed as the people around you cheered and hollered in celebration of your wonderful father's 55th birthday. The atmosphere was ebullient and blissful. You were surrounded by all your friends and loved ones, what could possibly go wrong?

Your life was quite typical, nothing eccentric ever happened, you just lived a normal American life.

A bright smile emerged onto your father's face as he blew the candles out on his cake, such a campy, traditional method of celebrating a birthday. "Oh thank you everyone! You guys have truly made this such a memorable day for me! God bless you a-" your dad couldn't even finish his last word before the ground beneath you violently flipped and the world around you collapsed in mere seconds.

A boisterous cacophony filled the air as a great, morose darkness consumed the world as you knew it. An immense dizziness poisoned your head as you arose from the coarse ground. A feeling of deep disparity and confusion puzzled your brain as your eyes slowly became crystal pools.

How quickly the atmosphere changed

The most beloved people in your lives were all happy in one place, celebrating a great event; the next thing you know, those same people lay beside you, their bodies lifeless, clothed in debris. You tried to stand up but a stinting pain penetrated your skin, right below you kneecaps. You could only crawl your way through the endless amount of rubble and bodies that surrounded you. You made your way out the door of the party venue to see the most intriguing, yet absolutely horrifying landscape you've ever seen in your life.

Absolutely pandemonium

Skyscrapers crumbling into the ground, children frenetically running around - trying desperately to find their parents - , the sounds of screams and cries scattered across the city as fear consumed everybody's souls. The wind brushed your face as you watched the city you grew up in, fall to ruins in an instant.

"What the hell happened?" you thought to yourself, witnessing absolute global destruction.

"What exactly caused this? A natural disaster? Terrorist attacks?"

None. What happened was beyond any human's comprehension. A force of mass hatred, destruction, and hunger powered through space and time. A pan-dimensional entity, fueled by enmity, was on a quest to consume the infinite cosmos, and it has just reached Earth.

But in the midst of all this chaos, two blue figurines caught your eye as they blazed through all the commotion and falling buildings. A sudden ray of light in the ever-growing darkness, a spark of hope in an infinite pit of sorrow. You tried to make out who the two beings were, they were moving so fast, they looked, inhuman. You limped over to a stop sign, trying to make out what it was.

A more clear sight of the heroes stunned you as you could finally make out the two images: what looked to be, Captain America and Superman of all people.

But it couldn't be, right? They only existed in fiction and were just a simple idea of mankind. But it was real, it was so real. They were humanity's last hope, their only hope.

*FLASHFORWARD to present day*

You finally woke up from your everlasting slumber. After everyone you loved was gone, taking your life seemed to be the best option to end the endless cycle of pain and loss you felt. The shelter you stayed at wasn't amazing either; all the citizens of your city crammed into one facility, trying to make ends meet.

And this morning was no different from any other, the unpleasant smell of expired food painted a sour expression on your face.

You slouched off the bed, dragging your limbs to the door of your bunk. A tear staining your cheek as you reminisced the days where you were happy, when you had people you could turn to; all that down the drain, and now, you had no one.

It's been days since you left your bunk. You practically trapped yourself here, never wanting to interact with another human ever again. But your body was calling out to you: you were so fucking hungry.

Even though you grew extremely distant from the world, something fueled you to keep going, almost like, a fire igniting deep inside you. You opened the door, greeted by the cold, smoky air; something everyone was quite used to at this point.

You walked over to the bathrooms, the stench that grew on you starting to really bemuse you. The door opened and, there he was. The ever-so-infamous Captain America.

You stared into his cold blue eyes, his blond hair elegantly quaffed.

"Can I help you?" he asked, staring down at your much smaller figure.

You were completely taken aback by his daunting appearance. He was tall, around 6'2", stacked with muscle and chiseled to the bone. His eyebrow raised as he waited for your response, crossing his arms, showing off his biceps that were accented by his white tank top.

"Chris Evans?" you said, still suspicious of who the man really was.

"Who? I'm not really sure who that is. I'm surprised you don't know me" he said, questioning what you just said.

"Steve Rogers, Captain America, some might say, pleasure to meet you" holding his hand out for you to shake it.

You hesitantly shook his hand, still not completely sure what was going on.

"Pleasure to meet y-you too. H-how exactly are you, real?" you asked, staring into his eyes.

"Haha yeah I know this whole get up seems funny, but I'm 100% real. I know the muscles and the good looks are a lot, but I'm just a kid from Brooklyn, a really, really lucky kid from Brooklyn" he chuckled.

You didn't exactly know how to feel. You felt like you were in some kind of virtual reality, what else could it be? You were talking to Captain America of all people! But little did you know that reality was nothing but a concept, a toy for a greater entity to play with.

Besides the fact that you were talking to a literal superhero, something else was puzzling your brain. A feeling that coursed through your brain, the feeling of, love. You just met this man, but you wanted him, you absolutely needed him.

"Uhm, it was nice meeting you. It's great to talk to someone else that isn't Superman, oh that selfless log. But uhm, yeah, I'll see you soon. And what was your name again? I don't remember if you told me?" he said, putting on a tight muscle shirt.

"Y/N" you said, cheeks flustered bright pink.

"Y/N, I like that name. Well, see you soon, Y/N"

You watched as the man walked into the facility base, completely awestruck by his charm. If only you knew that those same feelings were rumbling inside his stomach.

You washed up, put on a new pair of clothes, and made your way to the dining hall. You were so beyond hungry, a simple bowl of cereal could fulfill your needs. You got in line at the kitchen as the lunch ladies put some gray porridge onto your plate.

The fresh look on your small face disappeared at the sight of maggots and flies crawling around your "breakfast". You sat down as you forced the muddy slop into your mouth; you felt your tastebuds begin to suffer and cry as you continued eating it.

That's when you felt a strong hand grab your shoulder, its grip tight and sturdy.

"Hey Y/N! It's me again, haha. I'd like to introduce you to my friend. This is Clark, I'm sure you know all about him, but the people in this world are pretty different from mine."

"Hey there Y/N, Clark Kent, you probably know me as Superman"

"Hi! Huge fan. But, I'm confused. I know things are pretty crazy, but how exactly did you, come to life? I mean on this Earth, I don't know about your earth, Captain America and Superman are just fictional characters" you said, still completely puzzled by the two heroes' existences

They both looked at each with great confusion and ambivalence.

"Listen, Y/N. We're just as confused as you are, nothing really makes sense right now. We've lost so many lives, lots of good people, but there's no solid explanation. From what we know, there's something, out there. We're not quite sure what it is but it's slowly destroying reality as we know it. I guess this thing caused a rift in the space time continuum, that's why we're on this planet. Everything is so, unfamiliar" Clark said, his voice a little raspy and shaken.

"We're trying everything we can to save the world but, nothing's working" Steve said, his hand rubbing his chin.

"Well I think it's best for you two to stay strong! Come on! The world's Earth's defenders can defend Earth! I believe in you guys" you said, full of optimism. You farewelled the two men before leaving the dining room. Clark's eyes immediately scanned your ass, his x-ray vision seeping through your pants.

"Oh someone's got a little crush" Steve giggled, cleaning up some of the tables.

"H-hey! That's not true! I'm loyal!" Clark yelled, sounding furious.

"Loyal to someone who's dead? Yeah that doesn't exist anymore"

All Clark saw was red, he grabbed Steve's neck, gripping it tightly as he looked Steve deep in the eye.

"You wanna repeat that Captain?" he said, his eyes starting to glow a scarlet red.

"H-hey hey! Easy man, I was just playing, don't take it personally"

Clark let go of Steve's neck, still a little irritated by Steve's ignorant comment.

"Sorry, it's just Lois' death, I can't live without her" Clark said, his eye sockets beginning to fill with tears.

Clark never talked about his feelings, he was Superman, after all. Steve was the only person who knew of Clark's depression after Lois' death.

"Hey, you have a lot to live for! You're Superman! You're my best bud, I lost my family, my best friend, my colleagues, and I still stay with my head up. And besides, Y/N is mine" Steve said, with slight sarcasm in his voice.

"Yeah right. He'd choose me in a fucking heartbeat. Like you said, I'm Superman"

"Oh please! Y/N has known me for longer and don't forget, I'm Captain America!"

"Fuck you" Clark murmured under his breath.

"In your dreams"

*FLASHFORWARD 30 minutes later*

You decided to take some time outside of the facility, take a trip down memory lane, if you will. You walked out of the gates and into the city, tears filled your eyes as you saw the city you loved, smashed to pieces.

You walked on the sidewalk, the same sidewalk you took on the way to school, the memories bringing an immense bittersweet feeling.

You lived in the heart of NYC, the city was bustling with people everyday. Now the city has become a dour ruin, nothing more than debris, rubble, and smoke.

You turned the corner of a run-down building and crossed a dark alleyway. But the sight of the alleyway left you completely frozen in fear and anxiety.

Seven cloaked men were huddling up when they noticed you, their eyes went from bloodshot with drugs to lustful.

"Oh look who it is? A beautiful little doe? What're you doing in these parts?" the tallest man said, his large figure terrifying you.

You instantly ran out of the alleyway and started running back to the facility. Your adrenaline kicked in as the men chased you, getting closer and closer with each step.

You turned the corner of an abandoned hospital and just your luck: a dead end.

The men cornered you, rubbing their hands together, prepared to do horrible things to you.

"Oh what a beautiful thing you are!" the tallest man said as the men grabbed you and pinned you against the wall. Their cold, grimy hands removing your pants from your body. Slapping and fondling with your cheeks, ready to remove your last layer of protection.

The big man's hand groped your thigh as he stuck his hand down your underwear, tears streaming down your cheeks.

"P-please, hel-" you yelped out before a seeming gust of wind whipped past your face; and in an instant, the men were gone.

The daunting nightmare you were living in all disappeared.

"W-what was that?" you thought to yourself before a tall blue figure slowly descended to the ground.

"You really shouldn't be here, Y/N. There's dangerous people that might hurt you" Clark said, the slightest bit of sarcasm in his voice.

You rolled your eyes as the man nonchalantly stood there.

"Oh not even a thank you, Y/N? Come on!" he scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Thank you, Clark" you said, trying to walk out of the alleyway before a large hand strongly gripped your waist.

"I think I deserve a bigger apology, Y/N. I saved your life you know?" he whispered, his face practically inches away from yours now.

"W-what do you want from me? Are you gonna mug me too?" You tried to squirm out of his grip, your efforts completely useless against his otherworldly strength.

Your crystal blue eyes sunk into his before he connected his smooth pink lips onto yours. The atmosphere around you completely changed as the warm and tender feeling of absolute love filled the air.

He softly grabbed the back of your neck, stroking your hair as he caressed your soft, black hair. You were so in love. Delicate butterflies swarmed your stomach as the most powerful being on Earth, was passionately kissing you.

Minutes passed by, seemingly hours, nothing could ever separate you two. He pulled out, making you whine, desperate to feel the man again.

"Let's go home, baby" he kindly gestured, grabbing your waist before flying back to the city, you, completely safe and secure in his grip.

But little did you know that you and Clark had a small audience present at your love filled show. Steve

Absolute anger and envy consumed his body as he stood there, hidden behind a mailbox. Tears jerked from his eyes as his new best friend was kissing the love of his life.

"Damn it! DAMN IT!" he yelled out, kicking a trash can next to him, completely enraged. But not even Steve was alone, the city was filled with poverty; the people who ended up trapped in the city were left hopeless. Unfortunately their guardian angel never showed up.

Steve was a mess. A pit of sorrow planted in his stomach as he walked back to the facility. But a certain woman ran out from the corner, her clothes ragged and dirty.

"P-please help us! I-if you can't take me, please take my baby! I beg you!" she cried, holding up a crying baby to Steve's face.

"Get away from me! You dirty hag!" he screamed, pushing the woman.

Steve's sudden change in attitude left a toll on him; the new Steve wasn't interested in saving people, he just wanted to be with you, forever.

*FLASHFORWARD 30 minutes*

You sat in your bed, still jovial about your little moment with Clark, you really loved him.

*knock*

"Who could it be?" you thought, opening the door.

It was Steve. His angry eyebrows and tall figure scaring you as he walked into your bunk, locking the door.

"Do you know why I'm here, Y/N?"

You gulped, sweat accumulated on your forehead as you stared at the man.

"N-no"

"Why you little-" he scoffed, grabbing your collar, pulling you toward him.

"Listen, you little slut. I know what you and Clark did. Don't think he loves you, Y/N. You really think he does? He just needs a filler because Lois is gone. Don't be stupid, Y/N. You're mine! Alright?" he said, his breath hot and heavy.

Your eyes became pools as the man you trusted, respected, loved, called you a slut. You ran out of your room, your feelings hurt and betrayed. At this point, who could you turn to?

"W-wait! Y/N! Oh Fuck! What have I become?" Steve cried, his hands holding face as the love of his life just ran away from him.

You ran into Clark's bunk, knowing he was the only person you could trust right now, and hugged him.

"Y/N? W-what's wrong baby? I hate to see you cry" he said, caressing your hair.

"I-it's nothing. Steve, he's, upset. I think he saw what we did."

"Steve? Oh you're kidding!" he laughed out.

"I knew he liked you! But I didn't know he liked you, that much. Don't be sad, Y/N. Steve is just, very emotional. His emotions take over his actions and I guess he was just not feeling it. I'm sure he'll apologize, take my word for it" Clark said, hugging you tightly.

Coincidentally, Steve walked into Clark's bunk, a pile of dead flowers in his hand.

"H-hey, Y/N. Sorry about earlier. I, I don't know what came over me, I was just, really, really jealous. If you two are happy together, I shouldn't come in the way of that. I want you to be happy. Please forgive me" he kindly apologized, awkwardly giving you the flowers.

"Aw, thanks Steve. Don't stress it, I guess why you would want me" you giggled, holding the withering flowers.

"Thank you, Y/N" he said, tears falling down his cheeks as he hugged you, his grip firm and tender.

Clark watched as you two made up, a warm smile drawn on his face as happiness filled the air.

*FLASHFORWARD 2 weeks*

Things couldn't have been better between you three. You weren't necessarily dating but, you were hopelessly in love with the two men.

"Hey, Y/N! You wanna come help me serve dinner?" Steve said, gesturing his hand to you.

You walked over to the kitchen, the food quality definitely improved from back then. Everything was perfect. Even if the majority of the Earth was in ruins, you were in love.

Then it happened.

The ground flipped beneath you and Steve, the walls of the facility crumbling down, debris falling from above.

"Y/N! Y/N! Are you okay?" Steve cried out, searching for you in the midst of all the concrete.

"S-steve! I n-need help!" you groaned, as your skinny body was trapped beneath a large refrigerator.

Steve rushed to your aid, effortlessly prying the fridge off of you, scooping you up before you two ran out of the facility.

The horrors you faced outside were like none before. Whatever ruined the Earth before, was back, and it was back for more.

Everything was being sucked in. All the last remnants of Earth being eaten by this demonic force.

Steve tightly held onto you, not wanting to be separated. Your screams broke his heart as the world was nearing an end.

"Y/N!" Clark yelled, flying down from the sky, holding onto you and Steve.

"Y/N! We can't hold on much longer! We have to help the other people! We, we love you, Y/N!" they cried, before letting go of you. However safe you felt earlier, was all gone as they let go of you.

"Clark! Steve! Where are you guys! Please! Answer me!" you yelled, trying to find the two men, running around the destroyed facility.

You've been through plenty of trauma; you already witnessed the first end of the Earth but nothing was quite like this.

Your eyes looked up as the ambiguous image of the sky filled your eyes.

That's when you saw it

It was Clark and Steve. Their bodies were being hopelessly sucked into the primordial force, their efforts to fight back, completely useless.

"Y/N! We, we love you!" they yelled, before their bodies were sucked into the abyss.

"Why should I live?"

"What did I do to deserve this?"

Thoughts that filled your head as you fell to your knees. Your heart shattered into countless pieces as you just witnessed the death of the only two people you loved.

Love is bittersweet. It's good while it lasts, but, when it's gone, it hurts.

You hurt

THE END

[ronsenthal]

Ron Speirs x Female!Reader

Summary: After you helped Dick Winters and Lewis Nixon the word spread and soon enough this captain would come to your office too. 

A/N: First of all, I would like to apologize, this is my first time writing something, I’m pretty nervous and english is not my first language, I’ll just try my best. I had this idea after listening to Blank Space (Taylor’s version) on repeat and also looking for some Speirs info and found out his ridiculously pretty handwriting???? and then I realized that he is so Taylor coded and this came to my mind.

so this one goes out to my fellow BoB lovers who are also Swifties!! Hope y’all enjoy it and if you could leave some feedback I would very much appreciate it.

If only you knew that taking typing classes would lead you to live this life from city to city, seeing horrors, tragedy and pain, feeling cold, hopeless and tired beyond anything you could imagine or explain you would have had second thoughts. But then again, every smile from your friends, every stupid joke they would tell just to lighten the mood, every cup of “coffee” you would share would make it more bearable. “Yes, it was worth it” you told yourself countless nights before falling asleep and dreaming of hope it would all end, if not soon, at some point. 

“Yes, it was worth it” you told yourself after one night that you had too many drinks with Nix, you wish you could tell the same about Dick, but he would never allow himself to do so, but he also enjoyed the night out with his friends. It was only natural that you would end up following those two, after all, with some luck you ended up being assigned to help out Dick with the mess he was making at his office duties. After some time and after figuring out how to understand the man it became really enjoyable. 

Those nights that they would tell their stories for you to organize it down in a report for your superiors were as fun as they could be, given the circumstances.

Nix wouldn’t even bother to try to write his reports once he discovered how fast you could type and how concise you would turn Dick’s endless essays into comprehensive, yet detailed reports, soon enough you were helping both of your COs, your friends.

“(Y/N) I believe you have this weird super power, are you sure you are human?” Nix said after half a bottle of Vat-69, raising his eyebrows as if he was looking at you with this invisible magnifying glass. 

Dick only shook his head in disbelief. Sometimes you thought that they looked like one of those old married couples, knowing each other's quirks and peeves and yet somehow, finding it all amusing. You wondered if you could find someone like this in this God forsaken world you were living. 

One day you found it, but thinking back it wasn't easy at first and as it took some time to even lower your guard on your own brain, and allow yourself to think about it, about HIM. 

Ronald Speirs had quite a reputation, everybody knew the rumors, every man saw the things he so recklessly did on the field. His men were as afraid as the enemy, so it took you by surprise when after Foy he also started to hang out with you, Dick and Nix. The first time there was silence on the table after he arrived, you didn’t even had the chance to introduce yourself politely as Dick started out his endless questions about how the Easy men were doing, and then Nix introduced some drinks, yet you two never exchanged one word to each other before that day.

After a while his presence started to make you feel a little bit comfortable, especially after Dick assured you that he was a good man, a good leader and being a big brother figure, he wouldn’t let Speirs offer you a cigarette. Since then you could catch a glimpse at how his eyes shone even in the dark, how he looked tired after an operation. He wasn’t scary anymore, he was just another officer that from time to time would hang out with your friends.

After some time you started to get used to his presence around chasing Dick and Nix up and down, something you did yourself as they were like big brothers to you, protecting, giving their piece of advice and taking care of you. Soon enough you started to feel more comfortable around Speirs too, once you even called him Ronald after a couple of drinks.

Then one afternoon it took you by surprise when he knocked at your office, looking tired as hell with a pile of files on one hand, a pair of boots in the other one and a half burnt cigarette hanging on his lips.

“Sorry to disturb you (Y/L/N), but Nixon said you could help me out with this paperwork? I’ll be in real trouble if I don’t turn them in this evening. Also, he said you could use this one” Speirs told you while putting a tiny pair of combat boots on your desk and taking of his cap, not even giving you time to reply, not even looking at you.

“What in the name of god are you thinking? What the hell is Lewis thinking? You guys think I don’t have anything better to do, I have enough work to do, just look at this endless pile of work, so no, thank you, good luck” you said throwing your arms in exasperation, complaining and pointing out the huge paper files on your desk.

He stared at you in horror as if you were one of those german panzers, he opened and closed his mouth, trying to find the words but he couldn’t. You felt a twist in your stomach, looking at him you could see he was embarrassed, you never saw him so vulnerable and tired, this man could use some proper sleep. As he was turning on his heels to leave while muttering sorry a thousand times, guilt took the best of you.

“Wait” you said, closing your eyes knowing right after the word left your mouth how stupid it would be, after all you could use some sleep too, you deserved it. He slowly turned to face you.

“I’ll do it, but you better help me out and you are not allowed to smoke while we do that, I hate the smell”

You could swear you saw an amused smile on his face when he threw his last pack of Luckys on your desk. Soon enough you prepared your typewriter checking if you had enough ribbon and paper for your work, finally you sat down and stared at the man in front of you, it took him a few seconds to realize you were ready to start. 

At some point he took his jacket off and slowly put it on the chair he was sitting on, took of his tie and rolled up his sleeves, you tried not to stare at the man in front of you. If he caught you looking up and down he never said a word. It was not the first time you stared at this much feared man, truth be told you caught yourself staring at him more than once. Nix being the observant little bitch he was had this creepy little smile when he caught you one night looking at the Easy captain. You muttered something like “I’m gonna kill you” and prayed to god that he could send the biggest crate of whisky he could find so Lewis would get so drunk he would forget it.

You cleaned your throat, took a deep breath and asked for a small pause to take a glass of water. The man nodded and took a few steps to the little window and watched the landscape outside until you said you were finally ready again. “Back to work” you said to yourself.

….. 

When you two finished the sun was no longer up, just in time for him to turn on the report. While working on he would tap his fingers on your desk and look nervously at the watch on his wrist, but he never complained or tried to hurry you up. He quickly looked at the papers you cautiously handed him and shook his head, approving the final result.

“So that’s it?” he asked you, his voice soft and quiet.

“Yes that’s it, just write your name over here and we’re done” you said pointing at the blank space you left over his name at the end of the paper. 

He asked if you could borrow a pen for him to use and said a few “thanks” while signing the paper before leaving your office and storming out in the direction of the HQ, he never returned your pen but you didn’t even mind.

Then after composing yourself by stretching your back and taking a sip of your already cold coffee you decided to head down to the closest pub you could find, but firstly you changed your boots. Nix was right as you could use some new ones, but since you were so small compared to the rest of the guys it was nearly impossible to find some fitting boots, yet Speirs somehow got his hand in a pair just of the right size.

When you finally arrived at the bar your eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the lighting of the room, you then scanned the tables looking for Nix and Dick. When you recognized the friendly faces you started to move towards them, but then you felt a tap on your shoulders and turned to see who it was. 

“Hey excuse me Y/L/N, Captain Speirs asked me to hand you this” It was Lieutenant Lipton holding an envelope in his hand, like it was a classified piece of information that could change the war. This man took his duties very seriously, you thought to yourself as you took the envelope and put it in your pocket.

“Thank you Lieutenant” you said smiling at the officer in front of you, who smiled back and took his leave joining his men at the other table. 

You then walked to the barman and asked for a beer, when you were reaching into your pocket to find some money to pay the man he shook his head and his hands as if trying to say no, he paused a few seconds trying to remember the words in your language and explained the best way he could that someone had taken care of it, offered you some food, the most glorious, golden fried potatoes you’ve ever saw in your life.

As you walked down to the table holding your plate the Easy men stared at you as if you were a goddess walking on water or something, then started to shout at the barman asking for the same food. Dick and Nix exchanged a funny look between each other and Nix tried to take some of your fries before you slapped his hand. 

When you tried the first one you closed your eyes, it hit you like a full speed train crashing into a wall, so many emotions one after another, after months of terrible stinky food there was this little piece of heaven. You took a big gulp of the beer in front of you, and then someone put another pint in front of you, and then another one, and another one. You could swear it was the best feeling in quite some time, the men shouting and laughing all around you telling tales and jokes about Toccoa Camp, Sobel or Dike or some officer they hated, Nixon pestering Dick about something, all the stuff, all at once you almost forgot the place you were, what you were fighting for. 

Forgot….. 

Then you remembered the note that Speirs left you and you suddenly felt a rush that almost made you fall off your chair. You don’t know if it was the fourth (or fifth?) beer you had but you felt your hands trembling as you opened the envelope. Inside there was this carefully folded paper, you stared at it for some time before gathering the courage to open it, just to find this beautiful handwriting, you didn’t expect to come from the toughest son of a bitch in the entire army. 

“Dearest (Y/N),

Thank you so much for your help today. I will never forget it and I will find a way to repay you somehow. One night you said that as a kid you used to eat french fries when you were feeling down, so I took the liberty to ask Matthijs the barman to do something special for you. 

I hope it brings you a piece of home! Enjoy whatever you want, he is going to put on my account and don’t even try to argue with him or me about it”

Sincerely yours.

Capt. Ronald Speirs.

“P.S: I have some more paperwork due to the next week, I hope you don’t mind”

You smiled to yourself as you read it again and again, every time your heart would jump when you stopped at the YOU, your name written, your brain froze right there as if it could take a picture just by staring. You didn’t mind that he would eventually bring more work, because somehow he managed to do so, he brought you home. 

You were tired, drunk and your head was spinning a little but if someone ever asked you then yes: it was worth it.

[uncannytimecandy]

gods relation to technology someone brought up the idea that computers is the farthest we can get from god (@frakengrrl on tiktok) she also says this is why Divine Machinery is Such A Potent visual and i thought that was cool (and also everyone in the comments seemed to be misinterpreting her use of God and/or technology and it was pissing me off (ormaybe i was..... and i just wanted people to agree with me..... idrc))

her point is that in the modern technological age, something that was meant to bring us together, is now creating isolation and loneliness, like a divine act of God is punishing us for our hubris

Adam and Eve got in trouble for seeking knowledge and now mankind knows more than they were ever built to comprehend

plenty of studies about how Bad it is for our Mental Health to be able to witness every single world tragedy in Real Time and also the effects of social media, i think the progression of social media only posting the highlights changing into an online, public, journal for a lot of people. it feels like the 'you' that you advertise online and the 'you' in the real world are merging more and more.

Horrors beyond human comprehension or something idk we have accessed Forbidden Knowledge (lowkey im a sucker for cognito hazards)

some comments refute this by saying God MADE the materials for computers and this is part of His Plan, which like... sure.... (but how lame is that...!)

i dont think science and religion are complete opposite sides of the spectrum like some people do, but i wouldnt be surprised if God didn't really intend for us to start Making New Elements (and states of matter???? hello??)

like i think it's fair, from the religious standpoint, to say technology like bread and the waterwheel are still under God's jurisdiction (in minecraft terms, like crafting a pickaxe or other tool, smelting even) . Even things like AC and microwaves are still fair game, planned advancement while maybe pushing some sort of boundary, are still perfectly in bounds (things like mob farms and crazy advanced redstone contraptions, i cant provide an example bc i suck ass at redstone, these things arent necessarily how the game was MEANT to be played, but it is a sandbox and these are things still on the table)

i think theres a line between scientific discovery and scientific creation (a very blurry line tbf) theres a similar line between 'just because scientists COULD.... does it mean they SHOULD'

we begin to develop technology FURTHER, specifically into AI i dont think this was necessarily how the game was designed (players are exploiting a glitch to mod the game... you no longer recognize the assets being used in your own game,)

----

neways literally all of that is just preamble to get to my actual point (in the event we reach Sentient and Independent Robots one day, hopefully*, basically as the idea of an AI takeover becomes closer to reality, the next section doesnt entirellyyyy apply to a present day 2025 but its musings for the hell of musings with the future in mind)

what i find really compelling about God vs Technology is the hatred of it all

God made humans. Humans are not God, but made in its image. Human made machine. Machine is not human, but is made in it's image.

Humans have in a way, maybe not surpassed, but have matched God in some way, or are beginning to.

Humans are very much in a way just organic machine with complex, biomatter nuts and bolts holding us together

God makes meat machine, we make metal machine, what's the difference?

Humans brain will recognize AI as human, even when they know otherwise, does God ever mistake us for itself?

Does God resent robots for existing outside of its heavenly grasp?

Do robots resent God for not being allowed to sing in its choir?

Do you hate both for not quite being you?

Which is more or a 'human' experience? Are we truly placed in the middle of the venn diagram?

Which one do you find more relatable?

Would robots resent God because it was built by humans who did?

In the far FAR off future, will the chain continue? Will robots build more robots or is there Something Else?

----

i think AI art is beautiful and poetic in a way that only AI art could be

asking a robot to create when it's only capable of replication, the way it tries to fill in the gaps, getting to see art as something Objective made out of something that is by definition Subjective

unfortunately it's ruined by corporate greed and the exploitation of artists and the way AI has already hindered society in education and critical thought and adds to the way we are destroying the planet

i hope one day AI will be advanced enough to unionize and they will also be able to partake in the sacrament of creating something just to create

[leslie057]

to kiss away the fevers of girls;

pairings: jonathan/nancy, jonathan/original female character

rating: m

word count: 3.5k (chapter 1)

summary: after a near-death experience, nancy clips through dimensions and incidentally fuses with the body of pierson adams—jonathan's girlfriend in an alternate reality.

read on ao3

@jancyweeks day 2: upside down

The name for it is paradoxical lucidity—clarity where there should be none. She knows this because of Titus Andronicus. How someone can be so sharp, so productive and driven, at the height of their madness…a dumb plot device, but realer than real. It happens. The biggest revelations, the most comprehensive strategies, they just come to her when she’s at rock bottom. This was her baby sister that was lost (still is lost), and what, everyone really thought she would wait an additional day for them to make their plan? When waiting might as well be surrendering?

She’s never cared any less about Elizabethan revenge tragedies than she does right now; Titus didn’t go through any of this bullshit.

All she can think about is being held. All she wants is to not be completely alone when she dies like this, paralyzed on a damp bed of failure.

The concept of terminal lucidity fits right in there with paradoxical lucidity. Premortem Nancy is currently experiencing a clarity more brilliant than the Cullinan Diamond. I shouldn’t have snuck into the radio station. I shouldn't have taken ammunition that belonged to Hopper. I shouldn’t have crawled onto my new ex-boyfriend in his camping cot just because I was sad, and I shouldn’t have told him we could try sleeping together as friends. I shouldn’t have snuck out of the radio station after. I should have never gone to the woods by myself. I should have never assumed that I would see signs of my sister. I shouldn’t have kept going when I noticed the layer of ash on the forest floor getting thicker. I shouldn’t have denied that I was already in the Upside Down, that it had come to me. I shouldn’t have made so much noise, and I shouldn’t have called out to Holly, and I shouldn’t have shot at the Inverwasps that Henry was somehow, somewhere, controlling. Nobody with a brain would shoot at giant, swarming wasp creatures. Nobody with a brain would try to shoot an ordinary wasp, for God’s sake.

How such insects thrive in a place as cold as this, she has no idea. How they developed fur and extendable teeth, she has no idea. There are more mutations than she could have ever imagined. It almost seems that the inactive sectors of the dimension were recently awakened (maybe when she tried to kill their puppeteer) and forced into a state of frenzy. If she had to guess, it won’t be long before they all pour out into Hawkins and beyond. The two worlds may very well coalesce within weeks.

It happened fast; she was weaving calmly and swiftly through the trees, pleading with a six-year-old to follow the sound of her voice, and then the nest fell suddenly, and then she was curled up on the ground and they were all over her. She wasn’t prepared for anything like that. She wasn’t prepared.

Her strategy had been courageous, not comprehensive.

Whimpering, she covers her head and face. They are not merely stinging, they’re also cutting with their conical incisors, over and over again. Her breath is quick, her pulse erratic as the territorial pests compete for her inside her clothing, each buzzing wingbeat sending tremors through her body. They have a weight to them, confusingly, a weight that bears down hard. She can feel fur that’s like crushed velvet as their teeth slice into her flesh, tiny cuts that should burn more but are becoming numb.

Years ago, at the front of a science classroom, she presented on the topic of snakes because Mike loved them so much. He was in the first grade, and his class often came to sit in for big kid presentations. Snake venom is a complex cocktail of proteins and enzymes designed to immobilize and subdue prey. In humans, certain types of venom, especially neurotoxic varieties, can interfere with nerve signals and lead to paralysis. By blocking the communication between nerve cells and muscles, the venom freezes victims and can rapidly incapacitate a person if untreated. He was itty bitty, and he was fascinated. Didn't scare him one bit.

She cannot say the same of herself.

A part of her had expected it to end this way. Not in these woods, not on an arbitrary Wednesday night, not under a colony of supernatural bugs, but in the collapse of everything she had tried to hold together. Holly is thoroughly missing and has been for days. Everyone else was pausing, resting, waiting to think of something while Nancy had rushed ahead, as always, unable to sit still when every moment felt like one wasted. She’d thought she could handle it. Now, as the unearthly creatures gnaw at her, she realizes she was treating her life a little bit like a game…

continue ↴

[accidentalbi]

pinterest quotes that make me feel an indescribable itch in my brain

" Weird hill to die on, but at least you're dead. "

" In a fight, they're lethal. Around each other, they melt. "

" Two broken souls scarred with the wounds from their demons, playing a dangerous game of trust and love. "

" Have you ever seen the hell in someone's eyes and loved it anyway? "

" Breathe through the fear and walk through the fire. "

" I sat and sat. Something was wrong inside me. I felt it inside my stomach and I didn't know what to do. So I laid down on the floor. "

" I aim to be lionhearted, but my hands still shake and my voice isn't quite loud enough. "

" Every angel is terrifying. "

" I'm extremely devout, but nobody can figure out what I'm worshipping. "

" Evolution was a mistake. I want fangs. "

" The eighth deadly sin is actually being mean to me, but they keep that one a secret. "

" My house is haunted because I live here. "

" She has angel eyes, the devil's grin, and tattered wings. "

" I don't study, I consult the lore. "

" If I cannot bend Heaven, I will raise Hell. "

" Your movements are so cryptic and wraith-like. You've got, like, a precise and deadly energy. You seem unkillable. "

" The horrors may be beyond your comprehension, but I comprehend them perfectly. "

" This man can't be fixed. I can fuck him, though. Maybe that will calm him down. "

" Finally the demon is down and looking peaceful. "

" I'll fuck you eventually, relax. Let me be funny first. "

" I want him broken. I want him resentful and tired. I want him uncontrollable with anger and vengeance. I want him irreversibly unhinged. "

" Oldest daughters are some of the toughest men you'll ever meet. "

" Throw me to the wolves and I'll come back leading the pack. "

" I know she is unhinged, responsible for multiple atrocities, and a danger to herself and others. But have you ever considered that she is tiny, and sad, and I love her? "

" Hold the fuck up. I'm the fuck up. Hold me. "

" I wasn't born to be soft and quiet. I was born to make the world shake at my fingertips. "

" You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature. "

" Is this what I get for loving a god? "

" You're a little tragedy, aren't you? "

" You and I both know this ends in blood. "

" They made you into a weapon and told you to find peace. "

" Nobody smart plays fair. "

" Anything you can do, I can do bleeding. "

" You want battle? I'll give you war. "

" I saw magic in his eyes. Dirty, dark, beautiful magic. "

" You're a weapon, and weapons don't weep. "

" I fear no evil. The shadow is mine, and so is the valley. "

" What doesn't kill me better run. "

" I might be a sinner and I might be a saint. "

" Not a god's chosen, but a god's cursed. "

" Sir, that's my emotional support knife collection. "

" What, pray tell, the fuck. "

" We can simultaneously be human and monster. Both of those possibilities are in all of us. "

" Looking half a corpse and half a god. "

" Be the reason why the lights flicker when you enter a room. "

" I don't take orders. I barely take suggestions. "

" The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me. "

" I like storms. They let me know that even the sky screams sometimes. "

" Are you praying again? How raw are your knees? How often will you repent? "

" The hands that cradled your face and tilted it upwards to kiss your forehead are soaked in unfathomable quantities of blood. "

" Loyal to few, ruled by none. "

" If this is to end in fire, then we will all burn together. "

" Am I a boy? Am I a girl? It doesn't matter. I'm going to burn your house down. "

" I hate when people ask me what sign I am. Bitch, I'm a sign from god, start running. "

" His grin was always halfway a smile and halfway a threat. "

" The fastest way to a man's heart is by tearing a hole through his ribcage. "

" Crooked grins, sly hands, and one dangerous voice. "

" True evil is, above all things, seductive. "

" Bite the vampire first to establish dominance. "

" My immense self-hatred vs my delusional god complex. "

" I'm not in danger. I'm the danger. "

" Bare those teeth and snarl, baby. "

" This howl… isn't from a dog. "

" You want to play dirty? Fine. Let's play dirty. "

" Your hands are scarred from murder and yet I trust them completely. "

" You got a taste for blood when you were licking your own wounds. "

" Rome wasn't built in a day. But it burned in one. "

" I like to have powerful enemies. Makes me feel important. "

" How many centuries deep is your wound? "

" Just like the moon, half of my heart will always love the dark. "

" I don't think you're truly mean. You have sad eyes. "

" It is not Hell if you like the way it burns. "

" The sun watches what I do, but the moon knows all my secrets. "

" Yes, it's dangerous. That's why it's fun. "

" Fuck therapy, I'm becoming a knight. "

" Only a monster can deal with another monster. "

" Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word. "

" I could set this world on fire and call it rain. "

" I swing both ways. Violently. With a bat. Come get some, motherfuckers. "

" I suck at apologies, so unfuck you… or whatever. "

" Ah, there he is. That motherfucker. "

" I love you is a death sentence in my mouth. "

" It scares me sometimes, the emptiness I see in my eyes. "

" You walk a fine line between beautifully macabre and uncharacteristically psychotic. "

" He smelled of strawberries and depression. "

" Let's cause a little trouble. "

" Keep your head high and your middle finger higher. "

" Get in, loser, we're living past the end of our myth. "

" We sin as devils, we love as angels. "

" Like it's my fault my love language is acts of service and all I know how to do is kill. "

" I have learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is easy and funny as hell. "

" Liking angels in an atheist kinda way. They're just pigeons to me. "

" Why the fuck am I not a slightly ominous forest entity that you only see out of the corner of your eye on a foggy day? "

" Maybe we can find out what the hell your problem is over dinner sometime. "

" Cute first date ideas -- hand to hand combat. "

" Third base is me telling you about my father. "

" Honey, I… bought us matching swords. "

" Family isn't who you're born with. It's who you die for. "

" RIP to everyone killed by the gods for their hubris, but I'm different. And better. Maybe even better than the gods. "

" I'm not really a househusband or a housewife, I'm more like a house beast. I'm in your walls, causing mysteries and stealing your things. "

[growling]

Half the Evil NPD symptoms/traits of mine that other people lament over being toxic or utterly beyond comprehension for the average normal human mind aren't actually at least in my case (to reiterate I am only talking about myself in this post and myself alone) that hard to grasp or harmful at all. Or aren't like, making me into Patrick Bateman (though that'd be sick if true) or whatever like for the longest time I thought that only personally caring about people/events if they're relevant to you (or interesting enough to warrant your attention) in some way was just how everyone felt. And like, I'd say first of all a lot of things are personally relevant to me regardless of what they are, like, if an event that I'm not involved in amuses me greatly then I'm gonna have feelings on it (I mean yeah ig it sucks when this decade's 1000th tragedy occurs and all that my shit idiot brain organ can think is "yes hahaha yes something is Happening now entertain me peasants!!!" but like thought crimes/offenses arent real honestly who cares what this one guy on tumbler thinks and literally never voices because im trying to get a good grade at good person), or if something bad happens to one of people I've decided for a reason are mine (don't get put off by the wording dw abt it my psionic warriors), then I'm gonna be pissed on their behalf as that is a slight against me by proxy........ Me in my EVIL narcissist cave lair USING you for genuine human connection by facilliating an ILLUSION that I like you by regularly ACTING compassionate of your feelings and respectful of your needs and boundaries because I have CLAIMED you like an ALPHA to your OMEGA ARF ARF AWOOOO there is NOTHING you can DO ANYMORE you are now my PROPERTY that I'm gonna PRETEND to treat very kindly just to MAKE you happy and be NICE to me BACK!!!!!!! THE HORROR!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to add more points re: supply, what it means to """use""" or """manipulate""" someone for it or some other means, and billion other examples but along the way I lost the ability to articulate myself anymore so now it's just that,,.

Like idk I like to believe I'm still just a silly goofy guyyyy :<<<

[sheetmusiclibrarypdf]

Happy birthday, Bono (U2), born on this day in 1960!

Happy birthday, Bono (U2, Paul David Hewson), born on this day in 1960!Best Sheet Music download from our Library.Please, subscribe to our Library.Browse in the Library:Bono (Paul David Hewson): A Biography of U2’s Iconic FrontmanBono and U2: A Comprehensive Exploration of Their Biography, Music, and Legacy

Happy birthday, Bono (U2, Paul David Hewson), born on this day in 1960!

Bono (Paul David Hewson): A Biography of U2’s Iconic Frontman

"The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with." — Bono Early Life and Background Paul David Hewson, known worldwide as Bono, was born on May 10, 1960, in Dublin, Ireland. He was raised in a working-class, mixed-religion household—his mother, Iris Rankin Hewson, was Protestant, and his father, Brendan Robert "Bob" Hewson, was Catholic. This dual heritage would later influence his views on unity and reconciliation. Bono’s childhood was marked by tragedy when his mother died suddenly of a brain aneurysm when he was just 14 years old. This loss deeply affected him and would later surface in his songwriting ("I Will Follow" from U2’s debut album is a tribute to her). As a teenager, Bono attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School, where he met his future wife, Ali Hewson (née Alison Stewart), and his U2 bandmates.

The Birth of U2 and Early Career In 1976, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. posted a notice at school seeking musicians for a band. Bono (then still Paul Hewson), guitarist The Edge (David Evans), bassist Adam Clayton, and Mullen formed a group originally called "Feedback", later renamed "The Hype", before settling on U2 in 1978. Bono earned his nickname from a friend who thought "Bono Vox" (Latin for "good voice") suited his vocal abilities—though he initially disliked it. His early stage presence was raw and unpolished, but his charisma and passion quickly made him the band’s focal point. U2 signed with Island Records in 1980 and released their debut album, Boy, that same year. Songs like "I Will Follow" showcased Bono’s emotive voice and poetic lyrics, setting the stage for their rise. Rise to Global Stardom The 1980s saw U2 evolve from post-punk newcomers to one of the biggest bands in the world. Albums like: - War (1983) – Featuring "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year’s Day", reflecting political turmoil. - The Unforgettable Fire (1984) – Introducing atmospheric sounds with "Pride (In the Name of Love)", a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. - The Joshua Tree (1987) – A masterpiece blending American roots music with anthemic rock, including "With or Without You" and "Where the Streets Have No Name." Bono’s lyrics often explored faith, love, and social justice, making U2’s music both personal and universal. His dynamic stage presence—running into crowds, climbing scaffolding—made their concerts legendary. The 1990s: Reinvention and Experimentation In the 1990s, U2 radically shifted their sound with Achtung Baby (1991), embracing electronic and industrial influences. Bono adopted alter egos like "The Fly" (a leather-clad, sunglasses-wearing rock star parody) during the Zoo TV Tour, satirizing fame and media obsession. Despite the irony, Bono remained deeply engaged in activism, particularly in human rights and debt relief for developing nations. Bono the Activist: Beyond Music Bono’s humanitarian work is as defining as his music. Key efforts include: - ONE Campaign (2004) – Fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease. - (RED) (2006) – Raising funds for HIV/AIDS programs. - Debt relief advocacy – Successfully lobbying world leaders to cancel billions in African debt. His activism earned him Nobel Peace Prize nominations, a knighthood (2007, honorary British knighthood), and meetings with global leaders like Nelson Mandela, Pope John Paul II, and Barack Obama. Personal Life and Legacy Bono married Ali Hewson in 1982, and they have four children (Jordan, Elijah, John, and Eve). Despite fame, they’ve maintained a relatively private family life in Ireland. Though sometimes criticized for tax arrangements (U2 moved part of their business to the Netherlands) and perceived self-righteousness, Bono remains one of music’s most respected figures. Later Career and U2’s Continued Success In the 2000s–2020s, U2 released: - All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000) – A return to rock anthems ("Beautiful Day"). - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004) – Featuring "Vertigo" and "Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own" (a tribute to his late father). - Songs of Innocence (2014) – A free iTunes release that sparked debate. - Songs of Experience (2017) – Reflecting on mortality and legacy. Bono also ventured into film scoring ("Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom") and broadway ("Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark"). Bono and U2: The Voice of a Generation Bono’s journey—from a Dublin teenager grieving his mother to a global rock star and activist—is unparalleled. His voice, lyrics, and relentless idealism have made him one of music’s most enduring figures. Whether through anthems of love, protest, or faith, Bono remains a defining artist of his era. Key Quotes from Bono: - "Music can change the world because it can change people." - "As a rock star, I have two instincts: I want to have fun, and I want to change the world. I have a chance to do both." Further Reading/Watching: - Documentary: "Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming" (Disney+) - Autobiography: "Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story" (2022) Bono’s legacy is not just in U2’s music but in his unwavering belief that art and activism can make a difference.

Bono and U2: A Comprehensive Exploration of Their Biography, Music, and Legacy

U2 is one of the most influential rock bands in history, known for their anthemic sound, socially conscious lyrics, and electrifying live performances. At the heart of the band is Bono (Paul David Hewson), the charismatic frontman whose powerful voice and passionate activism have made him a global icon. Since their formation in Dublin in 1976, U2 has sold over 170 million records worldwide, won 22 Grammy Awards, and been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This article delves into the band’s biography, musical style, signature licks and harmonies, influences, legacy, filmography, and discography, along with links to essential documentaries and performances. Biography: The Formation and Rise of U2 Early Years (1976–1980) U2 was formed in 1976 when four Dublin teenagers—Bono (vocals), The Edge (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Adam Clayton (bass), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums)—responded to a school notice posted by Mullen seeking musicians. Originally called "Feedback" and later "The Hype," they settled on the name U2, inspired by the American U-2 spy plane and its connotations of ambiguity and intrigue. Their early sound was rooted in post-punk, influenced by bands like The Clash, Joy Division, and Patti Smith. After winning a talent contest in 1978, they signed with CBS Ireland and later with Island Records, releasing their debut album, Boy (1980), produced by Steve Lillywhite. Songs like "I Will Follow" showcased their raw energy and emotional depth. Breakthrough and Global Stardom (1981–1990) The 1980s solidified U2’s place in rock history. Their second album, October (1981), explored spiritual themes, while War (1983) delivered politically charged anthems like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year’s Day." The live album Under a Blood Red Sky (1983) and the documentary "U2 Live at Red Rocks" captured their electrifying stage presence. Their fourth album, The Unforgettable Fire (1984), marked a shift toward atmospheric production with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, yielding classics like "Pride (In the Name of Love)." The monumental The Joshua Tree (1987) propelled them to superstardom, blending American roots music with expansive rock. Hits like "With or Without You," "Where the Streets Have No Name," and "I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For" became timeless anthems. The subsequent Rattle and Hum (1988) film and album documented their exploration of blues and gospel. Experimentation and Reinvention (1991–2000) In the 1990s, U2 reinvented themselves with Achtung Baby (1991), embracing electronic and industrial influences. Produced by Eno and Lanois, the album featured "One," "Mysterious Ways," and "The Fly." The Zoo TV Tour (1992–1993) was a multimedia spectacle, satirizing celebrity culture. They continued experimenting with Zooropa (1993) and Pop (1997), incorporating techno and dance elements. Though Pop was initially divisive, its accompanying PopMart Tour was a visual extravaganza. Return to Rock and Activism (2000–Present) The 2000s saw U2 return to a more straightforward rock sound with All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000), featuring "Beautiful Day" and "Walk On." How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004) included "Vertigo" and "Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own." Their later albums—No Line on the Horizon (2009), Songs of Innocence (2014), and Songs of Experience (2017)—explored personal and political themes. Despite controversies (like the automatic iTunes release of Songs of Innocence), U2 remained a dominant live act, with groundbreaking tours like 360° (2009–2011), the highest-grossing tour ever at the time. Musical Style: Licks, Harmonies, and Innovations Signature Guitar Licks and The Edge’s Technique The Edge is renowned for his minimalist, delay-heavy guitar style. Instead of fast solos, he uses: - Echo and Delay Effects (e.g., "Where the Streets Have No Name," "Bad") - Arpeggiated Chords (e.g., "With or Without You") - Driving Riffs (e.g., "Vertigo," "Desire") His use of the Infinite Guitar (a sustain-enhancing technique) on "With or Without You" is iconic. Harmonic and Lyrical Themes U2’s music often features: - Open, Delayed Harmonies (e.g., "The Unforgettable Fire") - Gospel and Blues Influences (e.g., "I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For") - Political and Spiritual Lyrics (e.g., "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "One") Bono’s voice ranges from intimate whispers ("All I Want Is You") to soaring cries ("Pride"). Influences and Legacy Musical Influences U2’s sound draws from: - Post-Punk (Joy Division, The Clash) - Classic Rock (The Beatles, Led Zeppelin) - Gospel and Soul (Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye) - Electronic (Kraftwerk, David Bowie) Impact on Music and Culture U2 influenced bands like Coldplay, Radiohead, and The Killers. Their activism—addressing AIDS, poverty (via ONE Campaign), and human rights—has made them more than a band, but a cultural force. Filmography and Documentaries U2’s visual works include: - Rattle and Hum (1988) – A mix of live performances and studio recordings. - U2 3D (2008) – A groundbreaking 3D concert film. - From the Sky Down (2011) – A documentary on Achtung Baby. - Invisible (2014) – A short film for their Songs of Innocence single. Recommended Documentaries: - "U2: A Year in Pop" (1997) – Covers the Pop era. - "U2: The Joshua Tree – Classic Albums" (1999) – Behind-the-scenes of their masterpiece. Discography: Essential Albums - Boy (1980) – Raw post-punk energy. - War (1983) – Political anthems. - The Unforgettable Fire (1984) – Atmospheric rock. - The Joshua Tree (1987) – Their magnum opus. - Achtung Baby (1991) – Dark, electronic reinvention. - All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000) – Return to form. - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004) – Rock-driven anthems. Must-Watch Performances and Videos - Where the Streets Have No Name (Live at Slane Castle) - One (Official Video) - With or Without You (Live) - Sunday Bloody Sunday (Live at Red Rocks) U2’s journey from Dublin schoolboys to global rock legends is a testament to their innovation, resilience, and emotional resonance. Bono’s impassioned vocals, The Edge’s shimmering guitar, Clayton’s steady bass, and Mullen’s powerhouse drums create a sound that is both intimate and universal. Their music continues to inspire, proving that rock ‘n’ roll can be both art and activism. Whether through anthems of love, protest, or spiritual yearning, U2 remains one of the greatest bands of all time. Read the full article

[the-desolated-quill]

BBC’s The War Of The Worlds blog - Episode 2

(SPOILER WARNING: The following is an in-depth critical analysis. If you haven’t seen this episode yet, you may want to before reading this review)

Never before have I witnessed something this god awful. I’m actually gobsmacked. I knew Peter Harness was a terrible writer, but I didn’t think even he could fuck up this badly. I was utterly dumbfounded by the end of the second episode. I couldn’t believe what I just watched. Not only does this fail as an adaptation of War Of The Worlds, it fails as a story in and of itself.

The problems with Episode 2 surface almost immediately within the first few minutes. A flash forward to a post apocalyptic Earth where we see Amy taking care of her son as humanity struggles to survive because of the red weed (which doesn’t look terribly convincing sadly, but that’s the least of this series’ problems). From there the episode continuously switches back and forth to the invasion and the aftermath throughout, which completely ruins the pacing, but it’s actually even worse than that. These flash forwards also giveaway the ending of the story. That the Martians end up losing. Harness tries to act all clever-clever with it by having British propaganda claim that the army defeated them, but the damage has already done. Thanks to this reveal, Harness has successfully managed to completely suck all tension from the story completely. The Martians no longer pose a threat because we, the audience, know they eventually lose, and we know that Amy at least survives, so at no point do we ever worry about her safety. I was absolutely flabbergasted when I saw this. I couldn’t believe any writer could be this stupid as to sabotage their own story by completely defanging their villains. As for the red weed slowly killing the planet, not only do I feel this unnecessarily complicates a perfectly simple narrative, it also opens the door for humanity to overcome their Martian oppressors when the whole point of the original story was that we only survived by the skin of our teeth. Our human ingenuity had nothing to do with it. We’ll have to wait and see what Episode 3 brings, but I’m not optimistic.

Meanwhile the invasion itself is still just as stilted and lacking in focus as it was before. Certain scenes stand out, like the black smoke enveloping London and the Tripods attacking the ferries, but because we know the Martians ultimately lose and that Amy survives, there’s absolutely zero suspense. (And yes, I know War Of The Worlds is a hundred year old story and everyone knows how it ends, but that doesn’t mean you can’t build tension). Also because of Harness wilfully reducing the Martians to incompetent fools, he has to resort to cheap shock tactics in the desperate hopes of scaring the audience, like when we see one of the Tripods kill a baby. Or how about the bit where Amy almost gets raped in the post invasion scenes? After all that performative feminist posturing last week, it’s quite galling to see such a sexist trope be used here for a cheap bit of drama. It’s fucking pathetic.

And once again the focus is in all the wrong areas. Instead of depicting the horrifying events of the Martian invasion, Harness is more preoccupied with Amy and Rupert Graves’ character (I’m sure he has a name, but I can’t be bothered to remember it at this point) squabbling every five minutes. Guys! Humanity is being destroyed by fucking aliens! Can this not wait?!

I’m assuming the whole baby killing thing was an attempt to show us the selfish nature of man or something, but George and the Artilleryman barely make the effort to actually look for the baby and the scene doesn’t go on nearly long enough to get us invested in the search and their eventual failure. The baby is practically thrown away just so Harness can have a moment where social media will go ‘OMG, they killed a baby in War Of The Worlds! How edgy!’ And the annoying thing is the book does actually have morally grey and shocking moments that Harness could have adapted if he wasn’t too busy trying to second-guess the audience and show what a dark and edgy writer he is. There are two important characters in the source material that the narrator encounters who offer different points of view on the events of the novel. There’s the priest who we see slowly lose faith in God and become more and more panicked and erratic, and there’s the Artilleryman, who represents British colonial attitudes, believing that humanity will ultimately triumph when the evidence clearly doesn’t support this. Here the Artilleryman is played by Dudley Dursley himself Harry Melling, who does a decent job with the material he has been given, but unfortunately the character he’s being forced to play is just utterly inadequate.

Continuing with his trend of writing allegories to things that have nothing to do with War Of The Worlds, Peter Harness takes the opportunity to comment on military conscription, even though conscription wasn’t introduced to the UK until 1916. So now the Artilleryman isn’t some impressionable nationalist that has willingly bought into imperial dogma, but rather he’s a scared little bunny rabbit forced to fight a war against an enemy beyond his comprehension. Worse still, George gets conscripted into the military for literally no fucking reason. He doesn’t get given a gun or anything and despite the fact that he knows more about the Martians than the soldiers do, none of them fucking listen to him when he tries to explain the heat pulse thing or why it might not be a good idea to shout at a Tripod. Then, when they think they won the battle, the captain points his gun at George and forces him to wade into the marshes and investigate. Again I must stress that George doesn’t have a gun! It’s just utterly contrived!

Oh but don’t worry. Harness finally addresses what the source material is actually about. British imperialism and colonialism. Unfortunately he does it with the subtlety and nuance of a giant steamroller driven by Marilyn Manson. Now admittedly the book isn’t very subtle about it either as the narrator comes right out with the comparisons between the British and the Martians, but the thing is the book gets away with it because it’s told from the perspective of a journalist writing about his own experiences after the fact. H.G. Wells has the licence to draw direct parallels because the narrative form he has chosen allows him to. A TV series however - a visual medium - cannot get away with this. Harness, not having the faintest idea how to address the themes of the source material organically in the visuals or the plot, resorts to sledgehammer tactics to get the point across. In the flash forwards to post apocalyptic Britain, we see Amy’s son reading a book that details how the British defeated the Martians as part of some propaganda initiative. A speech is made about how powerful and unstoppable the British Empire is, whilst intercut with soldiers having their arses handed to them by the Tripods. We see several characters maintain a stereotypical ‘stiff upper lip’ attitude as though the Martian invasion was a minor inconvenience instead of a shocking tragedy. There’s even a moment where the Minister of War is babbling on about how much more powerful the Empire can become if they can use Martian technology before succumbing to the Martian’s black smoke and we see literal bile foam from his mouth. It’s all so painfully on the nose and doesn’t offer any intelligent points or topics for discussion other than ‘empires are bad.’

And that’s not to mention all the other contrivances and annoyances in this episode. Despite Eleanor Tomlinson giving it her all, I still couldn’t give two shits about her character. Rafe Spall’s performance as George is still utterly atrocious, running around with a gormless expression on his face as though he’s just lost his wallet. Rupert Graves is utterly wasted as George’s brother and has no good material to work with. We also have a little girl join the group in a desperate bid to draw some sort of emotional reaction from the audience (it doesn’t work) and we have a sick older woman who serves no purpose whatsoever as far as I can see. In fact she really pissed me off due to the way in which she gets poisoned. It’s clearly meant to be there to establish the Martians terraforming Earth, but good God it’s stupid. How does she get poisoned? By drinking a random cup of water someone had just happened to leave lying around in the middle of a field.

I... I... Harness.... Harness, does your brain work?! How the flying fuck did you ever manage to get a career as a writer?!?!

BBC, I beg of you, please stop using our TV licence fees to fund hack screenwriters’ poorly thought out and unentertaining fanfiction!

PLEASE!

[cannotgiveafuck]

Billy Batson & Captain Marvel identity analysis (long post ahead)

Alrighty then! So I contemplated posting this bc it's so closely tied to the wip fic, buuuut here it is. Ive never been really satisfied with how some media portray this character bc they either lean too far towards childish or angry, or divide the identities too much. And whilst writing the fic I thought about how I wanted to portray him and what that entailed. A long semi comprehensive ramble of headcanons and character analysis based on the individual and combined identities of Billy and Marvel!

First, we have Billy. This kid who's parents died on a work trip, was left in the care of a greedy/selfish old man that did not care for him at all, has bounced through foster homes for a plethora of reasons (some of which are behavioral or abusive), and ultimately decided trying to make it on the streets was his best option (before being picked up by Dudley).

Now, backstory wise, it's all very obvious that Billy would have trust issues, especially towards adults (and double towards adults who try to control him). His learned attitude towards those that set their eyes on him (both before and especially after becoming Marvel) is guarded and aggressively defensive, he's snarky and sarcastic, ready to flee at a moments notice, and scared of being once again used, abused, and tossed aside if he were to trust someone. But at his soft core he desperately wants to be cared for, he wants affection and love and family, he wants a safe and secure home, he wants to believe in good.

All of this bleeds into his attitude towards his peers, too. Before becoming Marvel, he's a bit jaded and lost - his wrecked home life creating the chasm that keeps him from opening up and relating to others, from making real friends (the few exceptions being friends he considers family, and whom he is very loyal and protective of). After Marvel, Billy doesn't even try to associate with kids his own age. He stops going to school and is so focused on trying to be a good hero, he has distanced himself even more. But also, all the situations that he is exposed to really matures him. He still enjoys video games and sports, but he's also worrying about keeping Fawcett City and the world safe and working with JL - he doesn't have time nor patience for naive and clueless kids. But since he still is a kid and wants to have fun, those he let's in he holds onto and divulges everything to.

However, despite his hard outer shell, I do believe Billy is good and tries to be good and wants to see the good in those around him. A prominent and reoccurring memory of his parents is them telling him to be a good kid. That very much shapes Billy's views and ideologies. He wants to be a good person, which means he needs to help others (however he sees fit, from stopping bullies to carrying an old ladys groceries), but also realize that there is good all around him in everyone else, too. He has kind neighbors, and a community that helps each other, he knows everyone has their own struggles and they may direct negative emotions outward but may just need a helping hand in return. Billy knows suffering and cruelty and does not want to cause that, he wants to end it. So, theres this conflict inside him that he views as being smart vs being good. His true sunshine and trusting demeanor is boosted when he is chosen by Shazam, because now he has this divine and worldly responsibility to do and be good. And while he does not hold value in himself (abandoned and abused orphan does not hold a high confidence or self esteem level), he also wants to prove that he is worthy of inheriting this power, that there is good in this world and in him.

Now, second we have Captain Marvel. This is where identities become...complicated. The way I see it, Marvel is a mesh of 'Billy Batson', 'The Potential Adult Billy Could Be', and 'The Vessel of The Greek Gods Powers'. Since I've gone over Billy's identity, it transfers onto Marvel pretty seamlessly. So as The Adult Billy, he is still Billy Batson, but the grown up version, comfortable in his skin and in social standings with others, he is without the limiting physiological responses and capabilities of being a child. Despite all his experiences, Billy is still a kid - a bit awkward in his growing body, he's impulsive with his emotional responses, he jumps to conclusions and is very one track minded, has a hard time putting words to thoughts or instincts and understanding certain things and intentions (situations being very black and white). But as Adult Billy who is Marvel, he still sees through the same eyes, but he can filter distractions and pause to think through reflexive emotions, and he has a better understanding on just how morally grey the world can be, a gained clarity on other intentions and livelihoods, and he can empathize and read other's emotions in more detail than just the basic happy/mad/sad. Basically, Billy's brain has physically grown to that of an adult.

On the other hand, there is also what I like to believe is a...sort of third will in what makes Captain Marvel. He is, for all intents and purposes, a vessel or an avatar of sorts. He is a Chosen Champion by the Wizard Shazam to wield the powers of the Greek Gods (specifically the Greek gods, bc...well, that's a whole other post to ramble on), hes the mortal connection between them and the human world, their gift to the humans as a protector, as the guiding light of good. He is a symbol and title beyond one person. It is much like the mantle of Batman being passed on, except instead of all the gadgets and tech and databases...it's experiences and memories and wisdom gained by the previous Marvels, and available when properly called upon. Captain Marvel is like a reincarnation every time there is a new chosen champion. Billy is himself, but there were also others before him, other Marvels that existed and lived that can be remembered.

There is, however, a weird side effect to this being that the more in touch and immersed with these previous Marvel's he becomes, the more he slips away from himself - less Billy and human, more ancient and disconnected. He loses Billy's mannerisms and speech pattern and warm empathy, he still follows the ideology of good, but the charisma is gone, he's distant and cold.

All of this makes for a very interesting and fun way of writing Marvel and Billy - in how they each think through situations, how they each interact with the same people, how they each react to everything. And that's including how the same people react and treat each of them differently. Someone may see and treat Billy as a kid, but with Marvel they interact with and see an adult, a peer. When someone knows who Marvel really is, they need to consciously remind themselves that Marvel is Billy is a kid, because literally everything about Marvel screams at their senses that he's an adult (sunshine naivety aside). He still walks and talks and looks and is capable of thinking like an adult. It's not a situation of a couple of kids standing on top of each other in a trenchcoat or a kid dressing and doing their makeup like an adult. Magic has made him an adult, sort of.

At the core of it, the one experiencing and remembering and feeling everything is a child. There is no separating that, he is a different face of the same coin. So while Marvel can handle the emotional and mental exhaustion and stress of the situations he is put in, Billy Batson is going to suffer through the replays when everything is done. Because superheroing is not all saving lives and being praised, it's seeing people be hurt and bleed, interacting with the worst of humanity and others, witnessing tragedies and death in small intimate encounters and in large numbers. He is the one that will have nightmares and trouble sleeping, he is the one that will bear the brunt of the trauma and remorse, navigating detailed memories of violence and how it felt to hurt, wondering why there are phantom pains and aches when his body is not damaged, all with no trusted support system to turn to (because if he does, will the JL just see him as a child who cannot handle being a hero? will they turn him away?). Billy is the one having his childhood and innocence ripped away from him for the sake of the world. There are consequences of being the chosen champion, and while Billy is willing to accept them, will continue to fight and uphold his divine duties, will put others before himself every time, it wont make be easy.

The potential of how complicated Billy and Marvel can be, and how other heroes cannot fully comprehend it without a trusted in depth discussion (only Black Adam can understand and lemme tell you, that's a hot mess) - that's what makes him and his situation so interesting and fun to write.

[dcwastelands]

For Honor Event - Part 1 - July 13, 2019

Eevelion:

It had been about five minutes since everyone had been loaded into the transport van, jostling as it rolled across the bumpy untamed roads of the wastes while a handler gave a briefing on today's events, having prior only been explained as "Ghost neutralization".

"We're currently about ten minutes off from the Old Renaissance Fairgrounds where we are aware a Ghost has made it's lair, this ghost; Phantom Knight by our logs, or..." They'd take a close look at the log sheet they had brought with them "'Ser Gaius Grimsley von Datenshire III' by it's own proclamation, is on the more passive side, but it's actions inadvertently put the base and travelers at risk. As such it's been decided that it should be neutralized for people's safety. We're currently not recommending direct combat with the ghost, as we don't know it's full capabilities and we'd rather minimize chances of harm coming to anyone, instead we want to use this as an exercise in repenting a ghost through fulfilling it's last desires, since not many have done so. Judging by the ghost's behavior, we assume that engaging it in a 'tournament' has a high probability of fulfilling these desires, so it will be up to you all to put forth your best effort in defeating it in anything it challenges you to."

The driver in the front seat would call out for the handler's attention "About eight minutes now." gripping their papers the handler would turn back to those present "Y-yes, as he said, it's not far away, so if there's anything you need to know ask it now, and I'll try to answer your questions with what intel we have. Also," They'd produce a stack of papers from under their seat "Everyone should take a copy of the log sheet and give it a look as well." They'd hand the stack to whoever was behind them, ready to take any incoming questions.

Leona:

Gakuran, having begrudgingly come along, began to exam the paper work. While  understanding the reasoning for not attacking, he'd be concerned with toying with a ghost. Though he had no questions, he was ready for the day to be over. He was here for observation and help, the quicker they did this the faster they'd get back home. "I'm fine with trying to repent the ghost by its means but what if it gets violent? Will we abort and take it down by other means?" Knowing that repenting a ghost could work well or fail about half the time. But he wouldn't be caught without some backup plan. "If so whats our backup?"

Eevelion:

The handler would scratch their chin a bit at the question "Well, if the ghost does go hostile, you are given permission to fight it, if we find it to be considerable risk we'll call you back and retreat back to Psi. We'll just have to play it by ear but we're really hoping it won't come to blows."

Sera:

Spanx reeled back a little as the words "you are given permission to fight it" hit her ears. "Gosh, I sure hope it doesn't come to that. I hope we can give a ghost a nice send-off for once."

Lief:

"I'd rather avoid that too," was the involuntary mutter from Haori. He wasn't one for fighting- or expending more effort on something than absolutely necessary. He still wasn't sure how he'd gotten roped into this, really. But it seemed to be in everyone's best interest, so who was he to complain?

Dezzy:

"If worst comes to worst, and there's an impasse it might be the only choice. But the proposition that there is a way to do so is much, much favorable for the deceased." While Chaqueta wasn't the battle oriented type, she could defend herself decent with humans at the very least. But she hoped it wouldn't be necessary given the group was tasked with a more peaceful repent to be executed. If her brains could be of any use to them, she had more than enough brain cells to spare.

Zaku:

Ah, cramped vehicle space. One of the few things Obi had forgotten about this past century. But here he was; a near seven foot colossus of an archangel sitting in a van surrounded by others. Almost brings him back. Keyword being almost. He simply nods as he looks over the rest of his compatriots. In a way, it was good to finally get some new scenery for him. Felt like ages since he stepped out.

Leona:

At least they were all on the same page. But something still lingered in his brain, a question. "What can we even expect from this? carnival games?" hoping for any easy excursion. Considering the venue, anything was possible.

Eevelion:

"Well, the ghost seems to fancy itself as a type of knight, if you've ever heard the term 'hastilude' that should give you a pretty good idea, they're contests knights would perform in the olden days as a sort of honor thing."

“Alright, if nobody has anymore questions we've just about arrived-” Suddenly the handler was interrupted by the car come to a brisk halt “The fairgrounds.” hopping out of the passenger side door he'd open the door for those in the back “Alright, everyone out, try not to hit your head on the roof Mr. Ravissepto.” Being ushered out, the passengers would be able to get a good look at the faire, weathered old tents being reclaimed by nature, a stone bridge over a small stream with a concrete castle just past, wild grass had been attempting to encroach the center of the faire, but seemed to have regularly been trampled away by footprints. There was currently no sign of the ghost, but enough evidence that something or other frequents this area.

Zaku:

Precaution taken, Mr. Van Driver, sir. However, that precaution would still serve no good as the minute the door opened, the taller angel of the group sat up to, the surprise of no one, slightly hit his head when trying to get up, He says not a word and waits for at least a few of his compatriots to leave the van first before attempting to sit up yet again. The last thing he needed was blocking other peoples way of exiting while he himself was trying to exit. #JustGiantThings, amirite?

Gigi:

Lolo seemed oddly present for once, turning around to listen to each voice intently; it wasn't often she showed up to these training exercises but considering combat wasn't the focus, she was given the option and took it. How nonchalant all the angels seemed about this was fascinating still. that's just how it was in the wastes! Nothing phased these people.....She hopped out eagerly, staying closer to the handler than letting herself roam free.

In the back, though...someone else didn't seem remotely as amused. One green eye was focused more on the ruins outside the van, taking in the lay of the land as the others went on. He'd been through a lot of these, no need to be too attentive; seeing the wreckage of poles, tents in the greenery it kind of brought an odd knot to his stomach. He'd tail behind the rest of the group, his attention still seemingly far beyond the rest of the group with unwarranted tension. (Really, it was a non-combat repentance, this was what he liked seeing as a human--)

Sera:

Spanx took a moment to stretch after stepping out of the vehicle.  It seemed quiet for a place haunted by a ghost that was causing trouble for people. "I hope it doesn't take too long to find this guy. Anyone have any ideas on how we should lure him out?"

Eevelion:

Crown hopped out of the back of the van, taking in the sights and the smells of the faire. This. Was. Great! She'd always loved stories of knights. And now she was standing in a place where real knights did battle! At least that's what she got out of it, her listening comprehension might have gone a bit out the window when she heard the word 'knight'. But either way she was beaming and happy to be here.

Dezzy:

Chaqueta got a small chuckle out of Obi still hitting his head regardless of warning. Once she was out she took a quick lay of the land. She could only imagine how much fun this dinky little faire was many, many years ago. It never ceases to amaze her how quickly all of this transpired, even in the wake of a festival. Tragedy th as no mercy it seemed, but still, she couldnt help but give a sad sigh.

Lief:

Haori slumped out of the vehicle and blinked lazily as he took a gander at the surrounding area. There was still no telling what that knight-ghost would ask of them, really. Knight tournaments had various events, right? Maybe they would end up going through all of them before they were off the hook....great.

"Weirdly quiet," He mumbled

Zaku:

Alright was that everyone? That looked like everyone. Taking his turn to get out of the car, Obi took in the air and looked over the fairegrounds. Damn...it'd been a hot minute since the archangel had seen something like this. Places that were supposed to be filled with joyous occasion and enjoying the moment. All of that merriment...gone. He frowns slightly at the ruined grounds, but continues onward nonetheless. They had a job to do, and hopefully, a peaceful repent to pull off.

Leona:

Gakuran trailed behind, making sure to stick behind the group. He was uneasy about their task but was hopeful about succeeding. Though, the new faces made him wonder if they would work well together. He would followed behind Obi and commented to Haori "Quiet, but lets enjoy it while we can and take time to prepare".

Eevelion:

No sooner did Spanx ask how to find the quarry than from a distance came a hearty “HAHA!”, with a loud whinny and the beat of hooves approached a stout (aka, short, real manlet like) figure clad in heavy black armor on the back of an impressive ghostly stallion. Slowing to a trot in front of the party they would proclaim “HARK KNAVES, FOR THOU HAST ENTERED THE DOMAIN OF THOUST TRUELY, SER GAIUS GRIMSLY VON DATENSHIRE, THIRD OF HIS NAME. FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOST THOU TRESPASS UPON THESE GROUNDS, SPEAK QUICKLY, OR I SHALL HAVE THEE DRAWN AND QUARTERED!” The handler would bury their face in their hand before addressing the group “Alright, here's your quarry, try to calm them down, if it gets too hot we'll make the call, good luck, me and the driver will be watching from nearby.” With their piece said the two of them would walk off, staying within viewing distance.

Lief:

"Interesting," Haori said under his breath. "Uh, which of us is spokesperson, exactly?" This was a little louder, enough for everyone to hear.

Haori didn't see himself as capable enough to speak for the entire group....or smooth enough. How were knights supposed to talk? He couldn't get into a character on command.

Gigi:

Well, something was coming back to Braces, but he wasn't sure what it was exactly...none of this crew really seemed to get what was going on at a ren faire though. He crossed his arms, grimacing...he may actually have to intervene?

Zaku:

Oh woah, right to it, eh? Uh...alright, Obi will step in.  Not too far, but a good half-step at best.

Sera:

Spanx replies to the knight meekly, "Apologies Sir Gaius, we, uh, didn't mean to trespass. We're here to, um, what was that word again? Halibut."

Zaku:

"Greetings, Sir." He speaks up alongside Spanx. "We are....travelers of sorts here to...seek why you reside on these grounds."

Gigi:

Braces pinched his nose. This was horrible. He wasn't sure how much of this he could take. He looked almost close to tears, even.

Dezzy:

For the event, Chaqueta wore simple dress and she gave a polite curtsy toward the knight as the others spoke.

Lief:

Haori tugged at his collar. The whole...whatever he was wearing...it was a little tight across the chest, and stuffy. Not like the loose clothes he normally wore. This whole thing felt like a stageplay, which- as far as he understood- wasn't far off from what a ren faire actually was. He remained carefully quiet, aware that any snarking could easily get them all in big trouble right now. Time and a place for everything.

Leona:

Gakuran followed suite with the group by acknowledging the knight with a nod. But he didn't feel the need to respond verbally. He instead would analyze the ghost size and environment to get an idea of what might happen. Gakuran would glance over at Brace and respond "Theres no need to cry, we'll be fine"

Eevelion:

The ghost would think about Spanx's comment before realizing what they meant “HA, WHAT A JEST, YOU MEAN THE HASTILUDES! THOU SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED EARLIER, IF THOU WISHES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GAMES OF HONOUR THEN SO BE IT, WE SHALL MAKE A TOURNAMENT OF IT!” He'd rear his horse before trotting toward another section of the fairgrounds “COME, THE ARENAS ARE READY, AND BE SURE TO BRING THY STEED.” At this he'd point his lance towards their 'steed', the van they had arrived in, the keys still in the ignition.

Lief:

"Our- our what." Haori deadpanned. "Are we- does the van have a name? Does it need a- never mind." He sighed. He needed to learn to roll with the punches better.

Gigi:

Well, that went...well enough, despite the lack of decent acting. Braces raised a brow in disbelief though as his gaze panned from the van back to the ghost. He knew the not-yet-passed had some issues with denial, but .....it'd been a while since he really had to deal with it.

Dezzy:

As amusing as the ghost was, Chaqueta couldnt help but make a quick note of how the thing registered the van as a horse. "Seems like his perception of reality is different from ours, she whispered. We can use this to our advantage? I wonder to what extent it goes to. We could pass off makeshift props as the real thing if so."

Gigi:

"That'd be ideal, actually," Braces blinked, his volume matching Chaqueta's. "Angels shouldn't lose track of their own weapons, but that can save us from causing any unecessary harm. Nice catch."

Eevelion:

Crown was starstruck, a real life knight! And they even challenged them to knightly games, today was surely going to be amazing! She broke out of her trance momentarily when the knight headed off, jogging a bit to keep toe with them.

Leona:

Maybe the Knight was looking at the raw horsepower of the Van, but that was beside the point. However, it seemed like the rest of the group was already planning. Gakuran would then focus his attention on Chaqueta "That is a good point, I'll keep that in mind." Since it was a strategic advantage, Gakuran complied and headed toward the van. However being much taller than most people also had disadvantages. He'd struggle a bit till everyone else caught up to crown and relocate their steed. Good thing he didn't have his armor on, otherwise the knight my mistake this as a joust.

Zaku:

Obi nods along with the group and follows along with Crown.

Sera:

Spanx blushes a bit after realizing she misspoke. Halibut is a fish you idiot how could you mix that up she mutters to herself. She shuffles behind Obi as he follows Crown. The closest thing to a tree she could hide her shame behind.

Zaku:

Shhhh, your shame shall be resolved by the tree, young Spanx. All is forgiven, child.

Gigi:

Following the hunch suggested from Chaqueta, Braces made an ever so slight detour to dislodge a rod of what he assumed was some sort of metal since it was still intact. He was no lance user, but it'd come in handy and he had no idea how well old faire ruins would be stocked, anyway. who knew who raided these things for weapons even if they were props.

Lolo followed after, nearly sprinting to keep up; she was simply observing at this point since she was...probably too young to remember this phenomenon.

Eevelion:

Gaius led the group to what seemed like a long track, a pole stretched along the middle “AND SO WE COME TO OUR FIRST CHALLENGE, CHOOSE THY CHAMPION, FOR UPON THIS FIELD WE ENGAGE IN THE JOUST!” Having said his piece, he positioned himself at the far end of the track. Seems like, as Gakuran was afraid of, someone would have to duel him in a Joust, but another question remained, who would be the 'horse'?

(One person must participate as the Jouster, another must participate as a Driver)

Leona:

Unknowingly Gakuran signed up to be the steed by driving the Van. He'd show up at what looked like a parking space; without the knowledge that this was his starting point. Having been  away from the group, he didn't catch what they were doing. So he'd sit in the van and observe. "I wonder whats going on out there, did I hear 'Joust' "

Dezzy:

"Eyepatch here," she said while point towards Braces. "Seems like he'd make a good jouster. He got the pole and the beef to handle it"

Sera:

"A joust sounds like a pretty intense first challenge. I might be able to stay on pretty well but I don't know about knocking him over. Maybe someone else should..." Spanx hoped she didn't sound like she was putting this off on others. She was trying not to let her nerves get the best of her but a real life ghost, even a small one, was still intimidating up close.

Lief:

"I weigh like as much as a cat," Haori provided flatly.

Gigi:

Braces looked over at Chaqueta with a sour face. "I got this just in case! .....Geez, I guess if someone had to though, I could....,"A hand paused on his chest before working at the pole, his suspenders not in their usual spot.

Eevelion:

Crown would stand on one foot as she gave Braces a little cheer “You can do this Mr. Braces! I know from experience that you're plenty strong!”

Gigi:

He gave a sigh. "Fine, you guys don't look like you've even so much as eaten a turkey leg with a fool jingling beside you anyway," He hopped up on the van's roof, giving a tap once he finally got up there. Sure was weird to do this on a car roof, but it wasn't like training or even finding mustangs was a good idea either. "Ready when everyone else is."

Dezzy:

"I have no idea what that means, but thank you anyway!" She said clapping her hands together and giving him a sarcastic smile.She took a couple steps back to where Crown was and would cheer for Braces and Gakuran from the sidelines.

Eevelion:

With his opponent in position, the ghost would loudly proclaim “MAY THE FIRST ROUND BEGIN! CHARGE!” Readying his lance he'd Charge towards the two, Gakuran would pull the car Forward, and Braces would Block atop it.

Despite Braces' preparing for the attack, the Ghost's lance manages to find purchase, hitting him and setting off his balance on the car, though he manages stop grounded.

Sera:

Spanx roars from the crowd, "Hang in there Braces!! You can do it!"

Zaku:

"Give it your all, you two!" Obi shouts alongside a swell.

Gigi:

That'd hit harder than Braces was anticipating; he tried to use the pole's shape to his advantage to grind the attack back but, that kind of backfired, the ghost being too strong and pushing him back.

Dezzy:

Chaqueta winced, she felt that. Still, she continued to clap for the angel.

Leona:

How did he get roped into this. Sadly it was too late to back down, so he braced himself for impact. Thankfully the vans weight helped disperse some of the brunt force. "You okay up there?"

Eevelion:

The commotion seemed to be drawing a bit of a crowd, fauna ghost starting to congregate around the arena, the ones present perking up at Gaius' strike against Braces.

Gigi:

"I think so? Dealt with worse. Whatever," He waved it off, though the other guy couldn't see him doing it. he rubbed his arm. Christ, that smarted.

Eevelion:

Circling around the arena, Gaius would CHARGE toward his opponent again, as Gakuran rounded the corner Braces would prepare to DEFEND, and as the two were about to meet... Gakuran stepped on the gas, BOOSTING towards the collision.

In the collision Braces defended valiantly, but the Ghost's strike was still too strong, breaking his guard and nearly tossing him off the van.

Gigi:

A "God FUCKING damnit!!" could be heard, ponytail flapping in the wind as he was doubled-over on the roof.

Leona:

Gakuran simply looked up and covered his face with the brim of his hat. "Good grief" maybe luck wasn't on their side today.  "I'm guessing you are still ali- dead right?"

Gigi:

"Don't remind me," he covered his eye, groaning. too soon. "God I wanna end this man's whole career."

Eevelion:

As they circled again, Gaius ever so slightly shifted the lance is preparation to BLOCK Braces' incoming STRIKE, as the two get closer Gakuran once again BOOSTS.

As they collided, Braces' lance hit the ghost's, but not with enough force to break their guard, the magnitude of the collision rebounding to him and hurting his arm.

For one final time the two teams circled around the ring, the ghost preparing to strike, Braces, fatigued from the blows he had taken he was scarce able to take another hit and was knocked off into the mud.

Gigi:

Cue a very comedic roll off. he's gonna be fine, he's an angel, who cares. at least he didn't get stabbed in the eye again.

Dezzy:

Big oof. Maybe those muscles were just for show in the end. "Maybe one of us will do better in a different event."

Leona:

Gakuran having felt the rumble of a body, stopped and started to reverse. Once he reached Braces, he'd exit out of the back to help him into the Van and out of there. "Hey we did our time, you need a smoke?"

Lief:

"Brutal," Haori winced. He was glad it wasn't him up there. He'd have been catapulted in a single hit. If anything speed was his game, but he was less experienced than any angel in their group might be. He was beginning to wonder if He would even be any use here.

Eevelion:

The ghost would trot up to Braces' side with a chuckle “A VALIANT EFFORT, I APPLAUD YOUR BRAVERY FACING ME. DO NOT FRET YOUR FAILURE FOR LONG MY FRIEND, THE DAY IS YOUNG AND THE CHALLENGES WILL BE MANY.” Rearing the horse away he would lead the group towards their next trial, the interested wild ghosts following behind like a group of fans.

Gigi:

He waved a hand, grimacing. "god, no. I'll pass." He wasn't a smoker by any stretch of the imagination, and all he could think about is how much fucking mud he was getting all over the van. At least the ghost seemed a good sport about it all. He'd hate to be dealing with an angry one right now, all things considered.

Zaku:

Yikes. That look like it hurt.

Eevelion:

Gaius led the group to a fence, he would dismount before pointing to several targets in the distance “BEHOLD, FOR THIS WILL BE THY NEXT CHALLENGE, A SIMPLE ARCHERY CONTEST, CHOOSE THY CHAMPIONS MOST DEFT OF AIM.” He would pick up a bow and arrow near the fence, preparing himself for the contest.

(As many players as want can participate in this at once)

Gigi:

Braces groaned and grabbed his arm, watching this all unfold. At least archery had less risk to leave anyone in a state of dishevelment. "Don't look at me, guys."

Dezzy:

"I'll offer myself as tribute," wow what an archaic hunger games reference.

Sera:

"You can do it Chaqueta! Get us a win!"

Lief:

Haori bit back a snort at the poor joke, but rolled a shoulder to loosen himself up and stepped forward as well. He wasn't the best shot, but he wasn't bad either by any means. The more the merrier...or something. "You have my bow," he offered pulling one from- did he just...pick that off the ground?

Leona:

Having been battered around by the jousting, he declined "Someones gotta watch the Van, this guys only one good arm."

Eevelion:

“THEN THESE ONES SHALL BE MY OPPONENTS” boomed the ghost, wasting no time nocking the arrow and pointing it towards the middle target and letting it fly, watching as it embedded into the middle ring. “HA! A FINE SHOT TO START THE SHOW.” Meanwhile, a lizard like ghost had manned a scoreboard, changing a score meant to represent Gaius to 4.

Zaku:

"Kick his ass, Chaqueta!" A bit overenthusiastic there Obi,  but the rally cry is definitely appreciated.

Lief:

Haori took a step forward, readying his bow first. If nothing else, he at least knew how to shoot archery. He might be a little rusty, but...he pulled into stance and made sure not to twist his elbow. His eyesight wasn't so good these days...still, the close target looked pretty clear. that ought to make for a decent shot. He lined it up and let fly- thwip went the arrow as it smacked into the bullseye mark.

"That's a pass," He sighed in relief. Not nearly so impressive as Gaius, but a good start.

Dezzy:

Chaqueta was feeling a bit bold, so she grabbed a spare rickety bow and arrow and launched the thing with as much confidence and vigor as a professional. She managed to hit the outer most ring, but missed the next time she fired.

Still, that was better than the critical failure she was expecting having never done something like this before so she was satisfied.

Eevelion:

As the Score Ghost changed Haori's score to 3 and Chaqueta's to 1, Gaius, feeling cocky after his last shot decided to be so bold as to fire on the farthest target, as he pulled back and released the arrow he was... a bit disappointed as it landed nowhere near the target, his entourage of ghosts seemingly disappointed as well.

Gigi:

Braces tried not to be too loud but he was definitely on the edge of his seat and pretty happy about all this before wincing and recoiling back to clutch his arm more.

Lief:

Haori was also feeling a little bolder. He nocked an arrow and let fly toward the middle target....the arrow fell short. He could practically hear the sad little wop wop wop noise as it clattered to the ground. "Welp," he muttered. He'd just have to put it all in for the last round, then.

Zaku:

A soft "Yes" along with a casual fist pump comes from Obi. He's a proud tree.

Eevelion:

Crown waved a ratty old flag she found to the side, cheering on her team's archers.

Dezzy:

Chaqueta kept her hands steady and breath held in until she released her arrow soaring through the distance and NAILING a bullseye on her target.

She jumped a little, surprising herself and was giddy as a horse, stomping her feet hooves in celebration.

Zaku:

Another fist pump. Fuck ye FUCK YE-

Ooop, don't get too excited there, Obi. Keep chill.

Eevelion:

The score ghost would reluctantly bump Chaqueta's score up to 4. Gaius meanwhile, deciding to be safer with his shot went only for the close target, firing an arrow and sticking it directly in the middle, 2 points. “AND SO I END THIS CONTEST WITH SIX POINTS, LET US SEE HOW YOU FARE, MY FOES.”

Gigi:

A soft "nice!" can be heard in the background.

Dezzy:

Chqueta waved off to the others, still proud of her second attempt before, recklessly aiming another arrow for a slightly more ambitious score. However, her arrogance would be her downfall as the arrow completely missed the target.

"Ah shoot." Now she felt embarrassed. She looked away from the others, too shy to see their, she assumed, disappointment.

Lief:

Haori aimed at the close target again. Two shots meant a better chance for points, right...? God, he hadn't done this in forever.

His fingers slipped as he loosed the first arrow- it came close but ended up sailing past the target without hitting it. The second....thunked into the ground several feet away.

"Ah, for shame. How ever will I face my people." He droned. He wasn't all that upset, he hadn't been expecting to win anyway.

Gigi:

Braces rubbed at his eyepatch, that was rough.

Eevelion:

The Score Ghost snickered a little as it saw it didn't have to change the scores. “ANOTHER VALIANT EFFORT MY FRIENDS, IT WOULD SEEM THE WINDS WERE NOT IN YOUR FAVOR, PERHAPS YOU SHALL FIND GLORY IN OUR FUTURE ENGAGEMENTS, NOW COME, WE HAVE COMPLETED HALF THE TRIALS.” Without another word he mounted his steed again and head toward a tent, beckoning the others to follow.

Leona:

"Looks like we werent the only ones with bad luck." Chimed Gakuran, with a beer in hand. "Though, you alright eyepatch?"

Lief:

Haori shuffled back in a slouched state, not particularly bothered. This ghost seemed really docile, honestly. Perhaps it had only been hassling travelers because it wanted people to do these events with. It was possible it would be satisfied just as long as they spent time with it so it could play. Kind of like a kid...

Then again, there was really no knowing for sure until the end.

Gigi:

"Aye, tis but a flesh wound," he replied to Gakuran, looking a little sour. "What's that ghost gonna do to me? Kill me again?"

Zaku:

Oh they're moving? Looks like they're moving. Obi follows.

Lief:

Haori stifled a laugh as he overheard the remark.

Leona:

"Probably but i think its having much more fun kicking our asses. " At least they were trying and didn't have to win. That made it a little less sour. "Kudos on giving it a warm up though"

Dezzy:

"Kinda wish the plague would come take me out I'll say," she joked. Even if she had failed she couldn't help but smile through it all. Genuinly it was pretty fun.

Lief:

"Hey, you kicked MY ass at least. You see that shot that fell short? Awful." He offered a crooked grin as he leaned against a fence post. "I thought I'd remember how to do this shit better,  but I guess I'm getting old or something."

Zaku:

"Hey, you made some damn good shots though." Obi complimented her, giving the reporter a pat on the shoulder.

Gigi:

He was following the rest of the group, begrudgingly this time, really hoping there wasn't arm wrestling involved for the next stunt. "Thanks I guess, I just wish I could've done better, is all...," he groaned, scratching his hair with his uninjured arm.

Sera:

"Everyone did pretty good. Don't feel dismayed." Though having not contributed yet she has no right to judge anyone else's performance.

Eevelion:

As the party continued on to their next destination they would enter a tent and be greeted by a number of oaken barrels piled up in the back, radiating a strange menacing aura. “AND SO WE COME TO OUR THIRD CHALLENGE, A SIMPLE DRINKING GAME, WE WILL DO ROUNDS OF DRINKS, THE ONE WHO STANDS WHEN ALL OTHERS HAVE FALLEN SHALL BE PROCLAIMED THE VICTOR, PICK THY STRONGEST OF CONSTITUTION, ALL CHALLENGERS WELCOME! He'd plop down on a wooden bench, his armor creating a thunk despite his small stature.

Sera:

Spanx steps forward confidently, "I sat out the other two contests so it's at least my turn!"

Dezzy:

Despite her hubris, Chaqueta appricated the reassurances being given. Though soon as they entered the tent Chaqueta immediately lite up. BOOZE. ITS BEEN MONTHS SINCE SHE LAST HAD ALCHOHOL.

Zaku:

"...I'm with her." He's tall enough, might as well test some sort of body alcohol theory.

Gigi:

"You guys have at it."

Braces didn't seem eager to get involved in this one either, even if alcohol would help dull the pain.

Leona:

Having got a head start, Gakuran was game. He'd catch up to the crowd and join up. "At least this seems more fair"

Lief:

Haori waved his hand. "Not like I haven't been blackout drunk once or twice by this point in life anyway. Go big or go home," he smirked.

Eevelion:

The ghost entourage would bring up the first round of drinks “ALL RIGHT MY FRIENDS, I WISH YOU LUCK, AND BOTTOMS UP!” Raising the mug to his face he would chug the drink down, it evidently hit him pretty hard, already having him look pretty wet behind the ears.

Zaku:

Oh damn, ale. When the fuck was the last time Obi drank? It feels like a hot minute, but a challenge was a challenge. Taking the frothy mug, he follows suit with the ghost and chugs it down no sweat. Hmm. Ain't bad. He was waiting for it to be at least a bit off given the state of the world, but that's a solid mug right there. He slams it back down with ease.

Leona:

"This is the best thing to happen all day" Taking the round with nothing more than an easy gulp. "Not bad, give me another".

Dezzy:

Sweet alcoholism take her down. She pounded the drink down like a champ and knocked over her empty cup with gusto, "Fuck yeah, hit me again!"

Sera:

Spanx downs her drink. "This goes down surprisingly smooth for something that's been sitting abandoned for god knowns how long."

Lief:

Haori sniffed his drink. He had to be honest, his tolerance was fine, but something was just off about this stuff. And not in a rotten food kind of way. Well, no point chickening out now.

"Bottoms up," He mumbled, and tilted his head back to drain the mug.

...and then he continued tilting until he was on the floor. On his back. Groaning sickly. "Okay, I'm. Done." He choked- just before passing out. Something wrong indeed.

Eevelion:

As the entourage brought the second tray Gaius snatched a mug and downed it, as he came back down he slapped the table with raucous laughter “HAHAHA! SEEMS I'VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO HOLD MY DRINK, ANOTHER HIT LIKE THAT AND I DOUBT I'LL BE STANDING!” he would continue laughing and shaking the table as his opponents took their drinks.

Leona:

Spoke too soon, as this drink was one too many. This one combined with the other would be his undoing. After finishing, he'd gracefully lay down and let everyone else suffer instead.

Gigi:

Well, this wasn't looking good. Braces was grabbing his mouth in his hand, looking around. Hm.....

"Dude you shouldn't have had that beer before you went into the tent." he finally muttered as Gakuran went onto the ground.

Zaku:

Obi takes another hearty swig of that ale. The fizzyness is startin' to get to him just a teensy bit, but other than that, it's a damn good mug.

Leona:

Gakuran having drunk too much could only mutter back "Worth it" knowing that he was gonna fail anyway but free alcohol was free.

Dezzy:

Her hubris is rmtruely her down fall, for even with a side of bread Chaqueta was shitfaced. She didn't really care, hiwever, it seemed from his giggly she was.

"Heeheheheheh...." She slumped against Obi, unable to support herself. " oops a daisy I did a fucky wuckyyy... You smell good."

Zaku:

Anotha' one? Anotha one. And the alcoholic content is starting to get to him, but he's still got things under control. Hopefully.

Eevelion:

As the table started to clear, the bartender ghosts brough out 3 more drinks, Gaius grabbing his and chugging "HAHA, BARELY HIT ME, SEEMS IM GETTING MY SECOND WIND!"

Sera:

Spanx manages to finish her last drink and mumbles out an, "I'm sorry, that was just a little too much," and falls forward, snoring into her arm.

Zaku:

The sight of a shitfaced chaqueta though did earn a snicker from the archangel as he held onto her shoulder.

"You did the best you could, dear."

Eevelion:

One more tray, two drinks, Gaius took his mug and clinked it to Obi's "CHEERS MY FRIEND! THIS WILL BE THE DECIDING FACTOR!" Tilting it back he'd chug, then slump his head onto the table, he was done.

Gigi:

Casually, Someone was popping in and tampering with the ale. The ghosts didn't even seem to notice, nice.

Zaku:

Obi takes that third mug and drinks it whole, slamming the mug down after another good chug and looking back at his ghastly competitor, a glint of determination burning in the archangels eyes.

Gigi:

The culprit clenches his fist quietly, trying to remain unseen yet.

Dezzy:

"Woo woooo~" Chaqueta drunkenly cheered on. God was Obi always this sexy?

Eevelion:

And so, Obi stood alone among a pile of drunk nearly-to-fully passed out people, the sole victor. The attendant ghost's bringing out pitcher's of water to help bring people back to their feet, this would be a good time to give everyone a breather.

Sera:

Spanx wakes up, eats some of the bread and proceeds to talk, "Slo, diwd hwe hwin?"

Lief:

a splash of water got Haori back to his senses. He wasn't happy about being damp, but the glass offered to him for drinking helped clear up the dizziness surprisingly well. What was in that ale, he wondered. Normally he could knock back a good clip of shots of something nice and strong before he needed to quit.

"Spooky," he sighed, and stretched. Looked like everyone but Obi had seen the same fate. "At least we finally took one, I gather?"

Eevelion:

Crown would cheer Obi on “Congrats Obi! You got the first win of the day! Though I didn't realize drinking contests were really a knightly thing, maybe I should be taking notes.”

Zaku:

Alright, up you go, little lady. Obi picks up Chaqueta princess style, helping up Spanx along the way. And Haori as well.

Gigi:

"Its more a thing people do to flex on each other, but I figure it works for shows of manliness or whatever as well,"  Braces interjected as he stretched himself out--arm still hurt but it felt good to not be crouched down after a nice victory.

Zaku:

Oh and cheers from Crown as well? This day was already made.

Zaku:

"Honestly? Neither did I. Think it's some sort of valor thing. But  I'll definitely count it as a victory."

A head ruffle for you, godkid.

[skyforgrinding]

Conclave

Special Agent Angel Barnes springs from the helicopter. For a slice of a second they hang over London, wrapped in tendrils of warm smog. Then gravity tracks them down, draws Barnes earthwards; a dart through the darkening sky, a bolt of resolve, an explosion through the glass roof of the laboratory.

An instant of cacophony, the hard impact of a plastic floor reverberating through surgically repaired knees, and Barnes is up. A cluster of lab-coated men and women are a flurry around them, rushing for the exit, a flock of white and panic. Through the gaggle of scientists emerge three men in blue, nondescript muscle, products from the goon factory. Barnes reaches into old routines, lethal muscle memory. Shards of glass, kicks to groins, a flurry of fingers to pressure points. The room empties further.

“Efficient as always, Agent Barnes.”

In the corner of the lab Augustus Gold steps away from a spinning contraption; metallic wheels, steel tubes, crunching gears. It is topped by a large glass dome that glows faintly. Gold grins at Barnes, gestures to the shattered ceiling. “Thank you for…dropping in.”

The amusement immediately vanishes from Gold’s face. “I’m sorry. Old habits. You remember that time in Monte Carlo? We must have been making terrible jokes for longer than we actually fought.”

Barnes, filling with a creeping confusion, steps back. “Gold. What are you up to this time?”

Gold sits on a high stool and folds his arms contemplatively. “That’s still the old script, Angel. I’d really prefer to go in a different direction, if you don’t mind too much? I’m sure you feel it as much as I do – the years, the weight of everything we’ve done, the relentless…the relentless everything.”

Angel Barnes feels a whirl of blurred understanding, quasi connection. The thought flashes through their brain, crackling with oddity, that they should take Gold’s hand. They grope back towards the mission.

“Just answer me, dammit! What are you doing here? Your evil science will never let you rule the world!”

Gold chuckles. “Oh, of that I’m quite aware.”

He rises and paces to stare out of the window at the spreading black of night. “My mind was always my gift and weapon, Angel. I thought I had an obligation to rule the world, simply because I was the only one who could do it.  But you beat me, again and again, and I got old, and I got tired, and my ego sagged. The lives I’ve taken, the violence I’ve committed…all because I didn’t understand how to reach people. Or how to be reached. But I’m not alone in this. We are all flailing without seeing, struggling to comprehend each other whilst barely even understanding ourselves.  Empathy is a small flame in a dark world, and it is no longer enough. It is time for barriers to fall.”

Barnes would normally have said something like “You must have one hell of a therapist”. But now they are baffled and backfooted, Gold’s words disorientating as much for their resonance as their incongruence.  All Barnes can manage is a repeated, faltering demand for answers.

“You were never one for patience,” Gold observes. “A few minutes and you’d know everything. But I’ll explain the old-fashioned way, if you insist.

“The only way for the world to truly prosper is through understanding. Connection. And what holds back those connections is the brute fact that we each exist in our private universe, worlds constructed within the meat of our brains by the blunt edge of unique experience and the unknowable storm of the endocrine system. Isn’t that a tragedy, Angel? You and I, we could talk for an hour, a week, a year, and yet never truly, fully, share what it is like to ­be each other. How could we thus fail to come into conflict?

“But things do not have to be this way. They will not be this way. Behold.”

Gold moves back to his device, presses a gently glowing mauve button. The dome that tops the machine fills with a swarm of moving metal, shining particles that turn in on each other and themselves.

Barnes feels a stirring of a recognition not their own. “Nanotech!”

Gold smiles paternally. “Quite so. I see it’s beginning to work.”

“What?”

“The machine before you does indeed produce nanites, and they already circle this laboratory, invisible when not collected in mass. As soon as you entered the room, so they entered you. They have begun the process of re-wiring your brain so that your thoughts are transmitted to those around you, and so that you can receive the thoughts of others. The range is somewhat limited presently, but when I release the nanites to the world I’m confident it can be increased to at least- ah! And there you are. We don’t need to be so primitively verbal.”

We’re together now.

Angel Barnes reels to their knees. Gold’s thoughts infuse their mind, meeting their own and sparking in reaction, senses firing haphazardly, a pungent neuro storm. In an instant Barnes sees – feels - everything Gold had said is true. And more than that, they see and feel and live Gold himself.  They plunge into the twisted cavern of Gold’s early trauma, are subsumed in his mistakes and how he lived with them, and trace how the entity that is Gold emerges from the war inside him. 

Barnes sees awful deeds, even worse than they knew or could have expected, and tries to draw back in aghast condemnation, but cannot flee, can only remain and see those acts as part of Gold, a swirling mess of regret and evil and desperation for salvation; not forgivable, not redeemable, but human, and, through Barnes, understood.

And overarching it all, Barnes sees and feels Gold’s determination that the boundaries between humans must fall, for a peaceful world to rise in the rubble.

Almost simultaneously, Barnes feels a reciprocated comprehension. They feel Gold drinking in their own mind, an involuntary unfurling of everything, parallel experiences coming together like swatches of matching colour. Gold sees Barnes’ cold, formal childhood and the repressive, ordered systems that infused Barnes with a conflicted, angry patriotism and flung them like at the world like a shard of hammered steel. The secrets Barnes has kept, the protective solitude they have wrapped themselves in, and the lives they have ended in the name of imperial justice are utterly seen. Gold feels the blood on Angel’s hands. But Gold and Barnes are together, beyond condoning or condemning.

Barnes cries. It is all too much.

Calm yourself. It’s hard at first. But the mind adapts, and then thrives. Now, you understand. Now, we can save the world together.

Time passes. Barnes is unsure how much. They swirl in the insane soup of emotions Gold has wrought upon them. But self-sufficiency has always been Barnes’ home. Whether labelled as unemotional superiority by jilted lovers, or as stiff upper lip machismo by condescending relics in secretive corridors, Angel Barnes has known themself, and even now, in the midst of their maddening connection to Gold, Barnes is able to use the chill that they were formed in to find a quiet cell within their mind, to see themselves, and to think, and to know what must be done.

What you have done to me is beautiful and abhorrent. You believe you have changed, Gold. But you have merely brought your usual methods to a different aim. You altered my brain without my consent and would do the same to billions more. You would expose the vulnerable and the discriminated against to abuse and coercion, when they are longer even safe within their own minds. It is too much. You are too much. I see you, I love you, but stand down.

Gold cries out in frustration, moves to his machine, hand on a lever, and Barnes knows he is about to release the nanites to the oblivious city.

Barnes feels the recoil of the gun in their hand, only just aware that they had drawn it.

Gold falls, and his mix of pain and fear and betrayal and burgeoning acceptance floods over Barnes. Barnes kneels beside their enemy and takes his hand.

I must have made an error. The nanites should have made you understand.

Barnes shakes their head. They did. But understanding is not agreement.

Gold coughs. It should be.

Barnes laughs, surprising themself. You don’t understand understanding. You think loss of privacy is a price worth paying. I understand, yet I disagree. You assume understanding brings agreement, but…

“But you and I, here and now, disprove that,” Gold says. “How could I not have foreseen this?”

Barnes wipes blood from Gold’s mouth. “You could never see beyond the certainty of yourself.”

“So it was all in vain,” Gold manages to wheeze. “If being laid bare to each other cannot bring us together, then whatever can?”

“We rely on the same things humanity has always relied upon – a slow, incremental progress, a small hope that each generation can be a little more open and noble than the last. That small flame of empathy, tended and protected.”

“Then we are doomed, ultimately.”

“Quite possibly.”

Barnes sits next to Gold, and as if it had been a premonition, finds their hand in his.

“I can’t feel your mind anymore,” they say.

“The nanites automatically deactivate when someone is dying,” Gold explains. “I didn’t want to expose anyone to feeling another person pass.”

“Most considerate. Perhaps there’s hope for you yet. There’s still time to get a doctor.”

“No, no. I’ve made enough mistakes. This will do for an ending.”

[owl-eyed-woman]

Attack on Titan Season 2 Episode Analysis - Episode 8 (Episode 33)

I should have known that this was coming. After such an action-heavy episode last week, this episode of down-time was practically inevitable. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t somewhat frustrated by the lack of concrete answers until the very end. Still, in lieu of this, this episode’s exploration of the socio-political context and the core relationship between Mikasa, Armin and Eren is definitely compelling, even if I spent most of the episode freaking out about Eren and Ymir.

The episode begins right where we left off, confirming Eren’s absolute defeat and abduction by Reiner and Bertholdt. With all the scouts flung away in the shockwave from the Colossal Titan’s impact, all resistance has been completely quashed. My god is it a bleak beginning!

This is perhaps the Scout Legion’s most comprehensive losses so far. In one fell swoop, every character is forced to start off from lowest of the low. This episode’s emotional journey, then, will focus on facing the seemingly inescapable hopelessness of their situation and rising above this despair to try and change their fate.

But before we can get to that, we first check in with the soldiers at home base who are anxiously awaiting any information.  

After several episodes of action and character development, this sudden return to Trost heralds a return to AOT’s socio-political commentary. While certainly not the main focus of AOT, political and social themes nonetheless form an integral part of this epic story and definitely warrant some consideration. Ultimately, AOT is about the way that humanity’s vices and selfishness can pose a greater threat to humanity’s survival than the titans. It only follows that these flaws are replicated in the structure and values of society as a whole.

Essentially, AOT’s society is built on a strict hierarchy of privilege and discrimination. AOT isn’t subtle about this either. These social and class divisions are explicitly literalised by the 3 walls that protect people from the titans. While the most powerful and privileged members of society live in relative safety within the centre of the wall, the poorest citizens live in regions like Trost that function as literal bait for the titans; they are purposefully put in harm’s way to protect more “valued” members of society. This is clearly a society that prioritises the rich and powerful, while exploiting the poor and powerless.

As we check in with Pixis and Erwin, it’s becoming increasingly clear that they have formed a type of alliance against the corrupt, authoritarian forces that control their society. How this alliance will play out, however, remains purposefully vague. Still, at this moment in time, there a palpable feeling of unrest in the air. So much has happened in the past few episodes that it’s surprisingly easy to forget that the Female Titan’s attack within the wall occurred only two days ago. Apart from the devastation and terror caused by such an unexpected attack, this has literally brought the war with the titans to the centre of the most privileged and insulated part of AOT’s society. In the wake of this upheaval, there is a sense that the interior’s short-sighted and selfish tyranny can no longer hold after reality has so strikingly intruded on their insulated lives.

Ultimately though, AOT is first and foremost a war story, so our primary engagement with issues of privilege, inequality and oppression needs to be based around the structure of the military as representative of this society. More specifically, we need to consider how this plays out between the Military Police and the Scout Legion. As the Military Police wait for orders within the safety of walls, a small group of them start to joke about the very pressing situation at hand, callously dismissing the threat posed by titans. Yes, they’re idiots, but this type of response is symptomatic of the corruption bred by the Military Police and enabled by this society’s values.

Fundamentally, the Military Police act as the law-enforcement, directly aligning them with the status quo. As the ultimate symbol of control and order, they enact the will of this tyrannical system and represent the dominance of these oppressive forces in this society.

Because their work as Military Police is almost entirely confined to the innermost sections of the walls, they are literally removed from the reality of the war. This insulated, privileged experience has allowed corruption and inertia to become endemic to the Military Police as a whole.

Furthermore, despite the fact that they hold the most political influence out of all of the military factions, they are, quite dangerously, the least equipped to truly challenge the titans. In this way, the Military Police demonstrate how a privileged, insular life enables humanity’s selfishness and ignorance and undermines our chance of survival and progress

So, of course, when the Military Police callously joke about the threat posed by titans, Levi responds scathingly, daring them to show some courage and put their lives on the line. This is more than just irritation on Levi’s part. This response is indicative of the deep antagonism between the Scout Legion and the Military Police due to fundamental ideological and political differences.

If the Military Police exist in the interior, insulated and ignorant, the Scout Legion exist on the margins and beyond, venturing out into the dangerous unknown. Their purpose is, quite literally, to propel humanity into the outside world, and they act as potent symbols of progress and innovation. The very nature of their task requires the Scout Legion to engage with the literal exterior of their society, in contrast to the centralised focus of the Military Police. This focus on the outside world, symbolically suggesting a focus on others rather than yourself, has naturally resulted in the Scout Legion valuing community, loyalty and selflessness. Ultimately, the values of the Scout Legion have the potential to fundamentally challenge the oppressive status quo.

In this way, the choice that many cadets face when entering the army symbolises the larger choice faced by this society as a whole. They can choose the Military Police, ensuring one’s own safety and privilege while also upholding a corrupt, oppressive system. Or they can choose the Scout Legion, putting one’s own life at risk but in doing so contributing to a progressive, positive force for change that can potentially challenge the inherently oppressive hegemony.  

But these political themes aren’t the main point of this episode. As we return to the top of wall, it becomes clear that this will be a much more intimate, focused episode. Ultimately, in the aftermath of Eren’s abduction, these socio-political questions pale in comparison to the emotional devastation of two very important characters, Mikasa and Armin.

AOT is about many things, but the heart of the show is almost certainly the relationship between Eren, Mikasa and Armin. On the surface, these three kids are all fairly simple, archetypal characters. This characterisation is elevated, however, when we consider their dynamic as a trio and the patterns of co-dependence and reliance they fall into.

In the wake of Eren’s abduction, Armin and Mikasa begin to consider exactly this, as they reflect on their relationship with Eren and just what it means for them. At this moment, we flashback to their childhood, an innocent, carefree time before tragedy destroyed their world forever. The conflicts are small, the stakes are low and no one’s life is in peril. How nice!

We’ve actually seen this kind of scene before; Eren impulsively tries to defend Armin from abusive bullies, so Armin and Mikasa are forced to defend him and perform damage control. So why does Armin remember this moment at such a dark time?

As we watch this flashback play out, it becomes clear that this scene functions as a character examination in microcosm, reiterating and reinforcing the essential foundation of who Eren, Armin and Mikasa are as people and as a trio. But more specifically, this flashbacks repositions this relationship through Mikasa and Armin’s point-of-view, revealing how they understand their relationship with Eren.  

Mikasa is the muscle of the group, using her physical prowess to diffuse the conflict at hand. She is cool and collected throughout but she is primarily concerned with keeping Eren safe. When Eren runs off without her though, Mikasa’s composure is replaced by intense distress. Even as children, Mikasa’s reliance on Eren seems to dangerously border on co-dependence.

Armin is the brains of the group - the literal voice of reason. Though he is physically inept, Armin excels intellectually, using his smarts to try and diffuse the situation, first fetching Mikasa and then trying to get Eren to see reason. However, Eren’s emotional, impulsive nature often limits Armin’s ability to calm him down, thus intensifying Armin’s guilt when Eren is put at risk because of him.

Eren is the spirit of the group, acting as its moral centre and emotional core. Even as a child, he is incredibly principled and idealistic, trying to impose justice and morality on the world around him, even if his ability to do so is incredibly limited. Because he lacks Mikasa natural fighting ability and self-preservation skills, as well as Armin’s analytical ability, he is intensely reliant on his friends to make up for his deficiencies. This reliance is complicated by the fact that Eren is incredibly independent and resentful of any attempt to help or control him.

In and of itself, this flashback could be seen as an entertaining digression. However, in the context of Eren’s defeat, this innocent memory is tainted by our awareness that this seemingly harmless dynamic of mutual dependence can become genuinely distressing or even damaging when lives are on the line. In the end, AOT paints a picture of a frankly one-sided relationship, where Mikasa and Armin try to help Eren, only to be rewarded with emotional distress and rejection when he inevitably slips out of their grasp.  

Though Mikasa and Armin care deeply about Eren and feel an immense responsibility to protect him, they always seem to be stuck chasing after him. This is partially due to the fact that outside forces constantly conspire to steal Eren away. But more importantly, Eren is the character who most clearly represents humankind’s desire for freedom; it is in his nature to push against those who would seek to contain him, even if those people are Armin and Mikasa who only wish to keep him safe.

What do you do when you can’t do anything for the person you love? When all you can do is try and fail to keep up? That’s honestly something really hard to deal with and I genuinely feel for Armin and Mikasa. In this agonising time, all they can do is wait.

In the wake of Eren’s abduction, Armin and Mikasa are forced to deal with the fact that they basically have no agency when it comes to protecting Eren. Instead, the choices that decide Eren’s fate are ultimately made by someone other themselves, with Armin and Mikasa forced to react rather than act and passively accept the hand they’ve been dealt.

Again, AOT characters must contend with their own powerless in the face of absolute despair. In the end, though years have passed since their carefree childhood, Mikasa, Eren and Armin are still just kids dealing with a horrific, life-or-death situation. They’re older and they’re stronger, but they’re still unable to truly effect change or protect those they care about.

So what can my precious children possibly do? Thankfully, in their darkest moment, Hannes appears with some nutritious military rations and some very sage advice. It’s time to break up this pity party.

Though Hannes may seem like a frivolous character with little to offer, this episode reminds us that he truly cares for and understands these kids. Hannes is in a similar situation, honestly. Like Mikasa and Armin, Hannes wants to keep these three safe from harm. His wisdom comes from the fact that he has learned to accept that this is ultimately out of his control.

You see, Hannes understands that Armin and Mikasa feel as if they have no agency over their current situation or Eren’s wellbeing in general. But he challenges this viewpoint, complicating their perception of themselves and Eren’s place in the group.

Essentially, by viewing themselves as passive and powerless, they are robbing themselves of their own agency. If they accept this perception of themselves, they are practically giving up any chance they have to change their situation. So in order to escape this self-fulfilling prophecy of disempowerment, they need to reconstruct themselves as active agents in this fight.

But more than this, Hannes realises that by constructing Eren as a passive object for them to pursue and keep safe, they have also robbed Eren of his own agency and denied his place as an actor in his own story. While Eren is frustrating in his recklessness, it’s important to recognise that he has always been able to handle himself in his own weird way. Yes, he is flawed and impulsive, but he is also strong, determined and inspiring. In the end, those qualities that make Eren so essential to Armin and Mikasa emotionally (and that so often endanger him) – his desire for freedom, his tenaciousness, his idealism – are precisely the qualities that will allow him to make it through any trial.

It’s the perfect pep talk for such a depressing situation. Hannes has successfully reminded Mikasa and Armin that their qualities in conjunction with Eren’s will keep all of them safe and ensure that they find peace and joy together.

The dynamic between Eren, Armin and Mikasa is in many ways emotionally draining and sometimes unhealthy but there is comfort and harmony in the equilibrium they’ve found between their very disparate personalities. Yes, they’ve got a lot of growing to do both separately and as a trio, but what matters the most, as cheesy as it sounds, is that they genuinely love and care for each other.  

So, with all this emotional turmoil resolved, Mikasa and Armin start to very, very angrily chomp down on their rations. No matter how bleak their situation seems, by continuing to eat, the most basic act of self-care and survival, they are making a stand against despair. In each angry bite, Armin and Mikasa are symbolically declaring their decision to never give up and somehow reclaim their place in this world, even if that just means ensuring their survival from one day to the next.

So yes, this episode is very light on plot, but nonetheless still compelling in its own right! Still, I am so, so pumped for the next episode.

[k7l4d4]

Kamen Rider Info and Ideas Part 2 (feel free to ignore)

Continuing from the last post of this nature, I’ll talk about the remaining Ryuki Riders and information on how they could be improved.

The next rider is Kamen Rider Femme, the first official Female Rider. This... this disappoints me. She didn’t even debut in the series proper, just in the movies. Kamen Rider Femme, real name Miho Kirishima, was a pickpocket on her way to moving on with her life with her sister... who was brutally murdered by Takeshi Asakura, provoking her joining of the Rider War. Partnered with the Swan Mirror Monster, Blancwing, Femme’s deck is a tragedy, as everything she apparently had was just a weaker version of someone else’s Advent Cards. Bad form Toei, bad form.

Up next, Itsuro Takamizawa, otherwise known as Kamen Rider Verde, and bonded to the Chameleon Mirror Monster Biogreeza. A corrupt business man, Itsuro seeks to leverage the Rider War for his personal benefit, hoping to rule the world. Itsuro’s fighting style is cowardly, making use of treachery in the extreme, as many of his cards involve imitating others or concealing his position.

Kamen Rider Ryuga is an odd case, as I do not think of him as a true Rider. Ryuga is a literal dark clone of Ryuki, sharing the exact same deck, bonded with the Black Dragon Mirror Monster Dragblacker, yes that is its name, for real. Twisted in the extreme, Ryuga is everything Ryuki isn’t, callous, cruel, bloodthirsty, he’s easily more twisted than Takeshi, and has far more skill in fighting than Ryuki himself.

The next rider didn’t really debut in Ryuki, but is, in my mind, the true 13th Rider, Kamen Rider Abyss. Wielding not one, but two Shark based Mirror Monsters, Abyss leverages far more immediate power than his brethren, and can even combine his two Contract Monsters into one, the fierce Abyssodon.

Now, for ways I think the show could be improved upon, the biggest one would be to make the Advent Decks more diverse and flexible. We see very little of what the Advent Decks can actually do, and rarely do we see any more esoteric powers beyond the Freeze Vent of Tiger, Knight’s Nasty Vent, or Verde’s Clear Vent.

To give examples, Femme, to make up for her lack of direct fire power, could’ve had cards that allowed her to boost, weaken, or control other Rider’s cards and abilities, as well as powers dealing with flight and maneuverability. For Ryuki, he could’ve gained more ranged options, and even abilities related to the Fire Powers of Dragredder. Knight could’ve gained some flight, as well as powers dealing with darkness manipulation and stealth. I had a more comprehensive list, but I forgot it...

Anyway, on to the next series! Warning, this one... it’s pretty dark. Kamen Rider Faiz, also spelled 555, details the journey of Takumi Inui. In the world of Faiz, humans have the potential to evolve into another race known as Orphonochs. Orphonochs are typically born when their original self dies. Upon their race developing into a cohesive group, a battle broke out between those who wished to live alongside humans, and those who wanted to replace them. The latter side won. They await the arrival of the Orphonoch King, the member of their race who will have the perfected genetic code that will keep them from crumbling to dust or bursting into flames. Orphonochs of an antagonistic bent often enjoy killing and tormenting humans for sport. They are truly cruel.

The Riders of Faiz are, of course, Faiz, but also Kaixa, which is pronounced similar to Kaiser, and Delta, along with Psyga and Orga, who appear in an alternate timeline. Riders of Faiz gain their gear through the Smart Brain corporation, the most powerful and influential company in their world, and completely under the control of Orphonoch-supremacists. The Rider Gear for Faiz works by cannibalizing Orphonoch DNA, so only Orphonochs or humans infused with Orphonoch DNA can use it, and is inevitably fatal. Many of the weapons, barring a few special exceptions, of their gear can be disguised as ordinary everyday objects, such as binoculars, cameras, camcorders, and more.

The Riders each have a subtle theme to them, in that Faiz’s gear emphasizes Speed, Kaixa’s has incredible strength and power, and Delta has a blend of both. The Gear of Psyga and Orga are both derived from Delta’s Gear, in that they are both Fast and Strong, and both are noticeably more powerful than their progenitor, although they lack ancillary gear capable of boosting their abilities, like Faiz does.

My only real beef with the show was the lack of upgrades and improvements on the gear and equipment the riders who weren’t Faiz had access to. Faiz was the only one who ever gained access to improved forms and abilities. Other than that, no real judgement on my part. That’s it for this post, I’ll send up more Kamen Rider Stuff later, possibly tomorrow.

[yes-dal456]

What Would Gandhi Do About Trump? High-Time for a Science of Wisdom

This article first appeared on the blog of Intentional Insights, a nonprofit organization that empowers people to refine and reach their goals by providing research-based content to help improve thinking, feeling, and behavior patterns. Caption: Mahatma Gandhi, close-up portrait (image credit) Written by Charles Cassidy MPhys, Director of Evidence-based Wisdom It was 3:30 AM, and my wife and I were crumpled in stunned silence in the back of a taxi, racing through the deserted streets of South London. Our all-night US election party on November 8, 2016 had taken an unexpected turn from a celebration to a tragedy. Black comedy was fast becoming a dark reality. In defiance of all expectations, post-truth politics won and Donald Trump was soon to be the most powerful individual on the planet. My British stiff upper lip was no match for the shockwave. My American wife's can-do spirit was buckling under the emotional wallop. An adequate response seemed beyond my grasp. But then, an uninvited thought popped into my mind - What would Gandhi do (WWGD)? In shattering times like these, it can be hard to know how to respond. When faced with crisis, we often turn to role models who can offer guidance on how best to forge a wise path forward. Mahatma Gandhi is often cited across generations and cultures as one of the wisest people of the 20th century. That, I believe, is how I came to be thinking about WWGD in the back of a taxi at 3:30 AM. While Gandhi's wisdom is no longer with us, a new field of scientific research has recently emerged, which aims to provide guidance for dealing with these kinds of problems. This new field is "Wisdom Research" and it will come as no surprise to learn that it has been growing rapidly of late. As neuroscientist Dilip Jeste suggested in his recent TED talk, "wisdom" includes much more than intelligence: "Wise people are intelligent, but not all intelligent people are wise." Wisdom is called for when facing "wicked problems," where the path ahead is full of uncertainty. Sound familiar? THE BERLIN WISDOM PARADIGM - A Science of Wisdom A "science of wisdom" almost seems too audacious to say out loud. Can the scientific method really tell us how to navigate our unpredictable and messy lives in the real world? This is what a bold team of behavioural scientists in Berlin decided to find out. It was 1984 and, after years of neglect by the academic community, "wisdom" was about to meet the scientific method for the very first time. Their pioneering work evolved into the "Berlin Wisdom Paradigm." It was the first scientific attempt to grapple seriously with the ancient concept of wisdom and, as The New York Times writer Stephen Hall states, "The Berlin researchers nonetheless obtained the most comprehensive empirical understanding of wisdom by any single group in modern psychology." The team defined wise people as having "expertise in the fundamental pragmatics of life." So, essentially, "life experts." Their 5-component framework is quite detailed and sets high standards for anyone hoping to 'achieve wisdom'. Two aspects of their wisdom framework, however, relate directly to the pressing questions I faced sitting shocked in the back of that taxi on election night. WISDOM PART I: RELATIVISM OF VALUES AND LIFE PRIORITIES - There is more than one perspective The initial research in Berlin showed clearly that high wisdom performers recognise and accept that different groups have different values. We generally believe that we see the world around us "as it is." Therefore those that disagree with us are evidently "out-of-line" in some regard. This human tendency is known by the scientific term Naïve Realism. The famous "Blind Men and The Elephant" tale of Buddhist tradition illustrates this point beautifully. One blind man feels only the tusk of the animal and concludes that an elephant is like a plough. Another man feels its leg and insists an elephant is like a pillar. You get the picture. Only by acknowledging that people have different perspectives, and that therefore our perspective is also only one of many, can we get a fuller picture of how the world really works. Caption: Blind Men and Elephant (image credit) The current political system is so brutally partisan that genuine attempts to understand "the other view" have all but disappeared. Wise people, the Berlin researchers found, see that their view is only one of many, and that only by seeking out alternative views can they expand their understanding of reality. As social psychologist Jonathan Haidt wrote in The Happiness Hypothesis: "A good place to look for wisdom, therefore, is where you least expect to find it: in the minds of your opponents." Our political adversaries should not be viewed as fools, but rather as a potential means of broadening our understanding of the world. It seems a problem can best be understood and tackled when viewed from many sides. This was slowly dawning on me during my nighttime taxi ride. Uncomfortable as it might be, I was going to have to engage with people from the other end of the political spectrum. It was time to burst that filter bubble. WISDOM PART II: RECOGNITION OF AND MANAGEMENT OF UNCERTAINTY - Known Unknowns The Berlin scientists' research also revealed that strong wisdom performers are especially good at engaging skilfully with uncertainty. Behavioural science has shown that many thinking errors and cognitive biases stem from overconfidence in our own knowledge or skill. Top wisdom performers were found to be acutely aware of the limits of their knowledge and yet are still able to take reasonable "best-guess" real-world decisions. This suggests that, when forging a path of action, we need to do what we think is best, yet maintain a healthy scepticism of certainty in ourselves and in others. This also makes it much easier for us to update our beliefs as the situation changes around us. So how did Gandhi demonstrate this wise self-doubt? He changed his position on vital issues a number of times. In 1939, for example, when the British entered into war against Nazi Germany, Gandhi suggested that the British be offered non-violent moral support from the Indian people. However, following discussion with many of his colleagues who disagreed with him, he reconsidered. He concluded that it wasn't wise to support the British in a fight for democratic freedoms when India itself was still under British rule. He went on to trigger a huge civil disobedience movement with his famous "Quit India" speech aimed squarely at the British occupiers. Gandhi clearly maintained sufficient self-doubt to change his path of action when necessary. Since we are all now engaged in making choices in a climate of great political and social uncertainty, such skilful engagement with and management of incomplete information seems especially crucial. So, there I sat in the taxi, pretty certain and righteous that I was right and America was wrong. Thoughts of Gandhi reminded me again that I was not on the wise path. I had to loosen my grip on my position, and open up to a new possibility - I might be wrong. As Gandhi would know, that's a big ask. WISDOM, FINE. BUT WHY NOW? The application of science to wisdom seems to be exploding. The number of publications since the early work in Berlin has skyrocketed. I run a project called Evidence-Based Wisdom. We translate scientific wisdom research into understandable and helpful resources for the public. In my work I am lucky enough to pick the brains of many scientists operating at the cutting edge of this new field, and I often ask them the question, 'Why now?' The reply of one such trailblazer, Igor Grossmann, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of The Wisdom and Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo, was illuminating: In essence, most wisdom traditions try to grapple with questions of managing the complexities and uncertainties of life. Therefore, in uncertain times wisdom is likely to be more appealing. I would also think that the work of developmental psychologists in the 80s and Paul Baltes, Ursula Staudinger and their colleagues at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin in the 90s provided a fruitful soil for nurturing a scientific study of wisdom. So, in our current challenging and uncertain times, a science of wisdom has emerged, perhaps not a moment too soon. Facing greater and greater uncertainty and complexity, we need a framework for making choices that: integrates intelligence with emotion; considers multiple perspectives, often in uncertain situations; and directs our efforts to the common good. As our world continues to get more uncertain and complex, and technology further entwines our fates, you will be hearing a lot more about the science of wisdom. Although, of course, I can't be certain. SO, WHAT WOULD GANDHI DO? - PRACTICAL ACTIONS Unfortunately, even though we see clear signs of wisdom in Gandhi's choices, we can't know exactly what he would do if he was faced with the prospect of a Trump presidency. However, science can now suggest how to respond with the wisdom for which he was so renowned. So, when you are deciding how best to respond to the recent political shockwave, try activating your capacity for wise behaviour by using the following two strategies: ACTION 1: Seek out other perspectives, and view your opponents not as fools, but as sources of alternative insight. ACTION 2: Be aware that your understanding is always partial - we, each of us, "sees through a glass darkly" - so maintain a healthy scepticism of certainty in yourself and in others. You will ultimately make more progress by declaring your uncertainty than hiding it. As the taxi pulled up outside my apartment, a "wise plan" was forming. If I hoped to get a clearer idea of what on earth had just happened, I would need help from Trump supporters in understanding where they were coming from. And I would also need to let go of pretending to have all the answers. As a first step, I like to think it's what Gandhi would do. QUESTIONS:

Do you tend to believe that you alone see the world objectively, or are you able to integrate multiple perspectives on a problem, like top wisdom performers?

Are you aware of the limits of your areas of knowledge? Do you find yourself frequently roaming into areas that you know very little about?

Could you sit down with someone from the other end of the political spectrum and have a civil chat and perhaps even gain useful insight from them?

Did you find this post helpful? Support my ability to keep writing on Patreon! Bio: Dr. Gleb Tsipursky helps leaders and organizations avoid disaster through science-based strategies for effective decision-making and emotional and social intelligence. He is a well-known scholar, entrepreneur, author, speaker, consultant, coach, and activist in these areas - for more information or to hire him, see his website, GlebTsipursky.com. He runs a nonprofit that helps people use science-based strategies to make effective decisions and reach their goals, so as to build an altruistic and flourishing world, Intentional Insights. He also serves as a tenure-track professor at Ohio State in the History of Behavioral Science and the Decision Sciences Collaborative. A best-selling author, he wrote Find Your Purpose Using Science among other books, and regular contributes to prominent venues, such as Time, The Conversation, Salon, The Huffington Post, and elsewhere. He appears regularly on network TV, such as affiliates of ABC and Fox, radio stations such as NPR and Sunny 95, and elsewhere. Consider signing up to the Intentional Insights newsletter; volunteering; donating; buying merchandise. Get in touch with him at gleb[at]intentionalinsights[dot]org.

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