#I never chose to be the new host or for him to purge himself and make the fragments of him and many others fuse into me

[gemmaswriting]

Anidala Fanfiction Recommendations!!

I’ve been asked for a long time for my fanfiction recommendations, so I’ve finally taken the time to compile them. If there are any you love that I missed out (this includes Vaderdala!) leave them as a reply so we can all have a good time reading together. 

Writer: Shelivesfree (fanfiction profile) This wonderful girl has some of the most amazing Anidala stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Unfortunately, a lot of them have been hiatus for a while but her Boy Next Door trilogy has two amazing parts completed. 

The stories I recommend: 

“The Boy Next Door”: “When Padme Naberrie returns to her home after 10 years, the last thing she expects to find is her childhood friend, Anakin Skywalker; the boy next door. But 10 years is a long time, and he has changed more than she is prepared for. How will she react when little Ani is now a grown man, impulsive, handsome and completely infatuated with her? Modern AU.”

“The Girl from Harvard”: “Sequel to ‘The Boy Next Door’ Absence makes the heart grow fonder. It also makes it grow more paranoid. Padme is in her last year of Harvard. Anakin has just started at the University of Chicago. Though they won't admit it, their long-distance relationship is taking it's heavy toll. Will their love prevail or will the distance prove too much for both of them? Sequel to The Boy Next Door. Modern AU.”

“look into my eyes, that's where my demons hide”:  ”Each time he comes back to her, a little piece of him is missing... left out there, in the field, with his brothers. She can see it in the way he smiles and it doesn't reach his eyes. In the way he cries to himself when he thinks she's not awake. And all she can do is hold him. Modern AU.”

“I Know Your Type”  “Am I dead?" It slips out, accidentally. She turns her head towards me, a confused look on her face and tips her head. "Excuse me?" Flashing her an impish grin, I lean casually against the wall. "I must have died and gone to heaven, because you look like an angel." The look she gives me is far from impressed. "Do you use that with all the girls, or am I just lucky?"

“we both know what we want, so why don't we fall in love?” “Rhythmic Gymnast Padme Naberrie has dreamed of being an Olympian since she was five years old. Now, after years and years of training and preparations, she's finally made it to Rio, and nothing is going to stand in the way between her and a gold medal. Except a certain Canadian beach volleyball player, perhaps.”

“Infinite” “ My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.”

“for a moment” “And, just for a moment, all the worries and concerns that troubled the young couple cease to exist. Fade away to just this. Husband and wife. Asleep. Dreaming of the sweet little life they will soon bring into the world and into their hearts. Set somewhere in ROTS.”

“Procrastination” “Padmé is busy with a new bill she must bring before the next Senate meeting. Her husband has other ideas, it would seem.”

“There’s a million reasons I should give you up”  “Padmé struggles to deal with Anakin's frequent departures for weeks, even months, at a time during the Clone Wars. It's in these moments she contemplates the practicality of their marriage. Grief-stricken with loneliness, she stumbles across something she wrote a long time ago... a list of sorts. The find brings about a whole host of emotions she'd rather not deal with.”

“all I need is you” “It was her fault. His pain, his jealousy, his insecurity. It was all her fault. Padme looked up at the beautiful man in front of her, her husband, her Ani, and decided she needed to make him remember. Remind him of how much she loved him. Because no one, no man in the entire galaxy, could take the place of Anakin Skywalker.” 

“Her” “A glimpse into the Cosmic Force after Darth Vader's redemption and return to the Light Side. Anakin Skywalker is consumed by guilt and Obi-wan and Yoda are there to appease him. But it's been twenty-four years and all he wants is to see her.” 

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  Writer: SphinxScribe (Fanfiction profile/ Tumblr account @sphinxscribe ) This fantastic writer has many, many alternate takes on the plot of Revenge of the Sith - often allowing our favourite couple to have a happy ending. Their writing captures the world of Star Wars perfectly. 

The stories I recommend: 

“Where Catalysts Stand Down” “Palpatine issues Order 66, and Anakin and Padmé flee Coruscant. ROTS AU. Anakin/Padmé, Anidala.”

“Viability’s Edge” “Anakin tells Obi-Wan the truth. ROTS AU. Anakin/Padmé, Anidala.”

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Writer: Disco Shop Girl (Fanfiction profile) This writer’s take on Anidala is so well written within every story of theirs I have read. They truly capture their dynamic and relationship perfectly. 

The stories I recommend:

“Your helmet cracked” “He'd been restrained, forced to watch while her helmet cracked and the Mon Calamari sea water threatened to drown her before his eyes. Now they're free. And alone. Set at the end of the Clone Wars season 4 Water War arc.” 

“Order 66-S” “The order was to exterminate all Jedi: Past, Present and Future. Captain Rex has a different plan. Order 66-S: to save General Skywalker.”

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Writer: Rogue Darth Skywalker (Fanfiction profile/ Tumblr - @roguedarthskywalker) This wonderful person has been one of the biggest supporters of my own writing for a long time and I value them immensely! They have many delicious Anidala/Vaderdala stories for you to obsess over for hours and hours. I highly recommend following both profiles linked above.

The stories I recommend:

“Pin up Problems” “He hated the nose art. He hated seeing others degrade her other exceptional qualities by depicting her as some pin up girl. He hated thinking about how many other beings across the stars fantasized about her in such a way. At the same time, he can't deny that the art makes her look… hot. He can't deny that the sight turns him on.”

“Letting Go” “It was their custom. Every year on that fateful day, Anakin would make his way to the cemetery with his children and seek out the mausoleum where she rested."

“Far from Perfect” “Darth Vader is dead. Anakin is redeemed and lives on Naboo with Padme and their children. But not all happy endings are perfect.”

“Far from Easy” “Sequel to Far From Perfect. Redeemed Anakin Skywalker tries to make things right with his wife and kids.

“Perfect” “Happy Family style AU post ROTS. Padme wakes up in the middle of the night and ponders the most recent events in her life.”

“A Dangerous Fantasy” “Pure Smut. Padme helps Anakin fulfil a fantasy he has had since they were married- one that involves the Jedi Council Chambers.”

“Untitled” “Anakin and Padme deal with having to tell their young twins they are having another baby.”

“Strictly Professional” “There are times she hates that she has to resort to this- that rather than being in a long term relationship with someone, she chose to instead pay someone for sex. Modern AU.”  

“Out of his Depth” “I fought in a war. I commanded legions of soldiers against battle droids. I think I can handle my own four-year-old twins."

“Love and Jealousy” “Anakin gave the binders an experimental tug, testing his chances of escaping. There was none. A light chuckle left his lips after a few moments, letting his head fall back to rest on the chair. What a compromising position for a Jedi Knight to be in. Handcuffed in a respected senator's bedchambers practically naked… oh, how the holonews would rave should the story get out!” 

“Against all Odds” “He shouldn't be here. The election was only a few weeks away and the final debate was due in the next few days. There were so many other things he should be doing. He shouldn't be here, in enemy territory wrapped in the arms of the woman his boss despised. Modern AU. Smut.” 

“What we Hope is Never Found” “The impending existence of a recording of them together held dangers that went a little deeper than if they were found naked and tangled together in her office or on his cruiser. The physical proof of their relationship would cause an uproar if it were discovered. But she trusted Anakin. Smut.”

“It was Found” “Sequel to What We Hope is Never Found.”

“Things that go bump in the night” “Luke and Leia think there is a ghost in their home. Their parents know better.”

“Preparations” “She couldn't wait to meet their little ones. It hadn't been too long since they learned she was having twins, and as stressful as that idea was at first, she was quickly growing accustomed to the idea of having two perfect little babies. Her husband, however, seemed to be taking it a little worse than her.” 

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Writer: Skywalkersamidala (Archive of our Own profile/ Tumblr @markantonys) I absolutely adore the Anidala stories created by this author whether they’re aus or canon! They nail the couple’s dynamic throughout their many wonderful stories. 

The stories I recommend:

“Snow Place like Home” “For genre-typical convoluted reasons involving ill-timed blizzards, Padmé is forced to spend the holidays at Anakin's house. Anakin isn't as upset about his boss staying with him for Christmas as he probably should be.“

“Soulmates R Us” “Anakin works at a toy store, and single-mother-of-twins Padmé is becoming one of the store's best customers.”

“Heirs of Light and Darkness” “After escaping the Jedi purge two years ago made him the most wanted fugitive in the galaxy, Anakin Skywalker has at last been captured by the Empire. He expects to be killed, but Lady Padmé Amidala, the imperial heir, has other ideas.”

“Friendly Competition” “Playing Quidditch is awfully difficult when you’re in love with the rival Seeker. Snapshots of Anakin and Padmé’s 7 years at Hogwarts.“

“Perfect” “The war is over, Luke and Leia are five years old, and Anakin and Padmé finally have the peaceful life and big family they've always dreamed of. But their life is about to get a little less peaceful and their family a little bigger.“

“Nos Cedamus Amori“ “Anakin is a gladiator and a slave. Padmé is the wife of the Roman emperor's heir. Circumstances should never even allow them to meet, let alone fall in love.“

“I Do Take Two” “Thirty years after their clandestine wedding on Naboo, Anakin and Padmé decide to finally do the proper wedding ceremony they never got to have, with all their friends and family present.“

“Flat Tire” “Who knew something as simple as getting a flat tire could change the entire course of your life?“

“Strays” “Anakin had always had a penchant for taking in strays.”

“Five weddings and a funeral” “Padmé's feeling gloomy about her perpetual singleness, but everything changes when she meets an attractive stranger at her sister's wedding.“

“Pipe Dream” “Padmé's new plumber is the most attractive human being she's ever laid eyes on, so naturally, she keeps faking plumbing emergencies so she can keep seeing him.“

“Birthdays and Birth days” “Anakin gets a birthday surprise — two of them, in fact.“

“Spouses with Benefits” “Anakin and Padmé wake up after a wild night in Vegas and discover they accidentally got married—and that Ahsoka posted about it all over social media, so now every single person they know is texting and calling them to offer congratulations. They decide to save face by pretending the marriage was totally 100% intentional and not a drunk mistake at all, keeping up the charade for six months, and then quietly getting divorced. But a lot can change in six months…“

“Two Halves Make a Whole” “Anakin is the single dad of Luke. Padme is the single mom of Leia. Luke and Leia meet in kindergarten and become best friends. The rest is history.“

“Home” “In which "Darth Vader" is no more than Anakin's playtime alter ego (happy Skywalker family AU)“

“Someday” “At age fourteen, Padme receives a marriage proposal from the nine-year-old boy next door and tells him to ask her again when she's thirty. Surely he'll have forgotten all about it by then.“

“Across the Centuries” “They meet each other in every century, but something always goes wrong before they can make it to happily-ever-after.”

“Madam President” “Between late nights and headaches and mountains of paperwork and fierce opposition from her political opponents, President Padmé Amidala already had enough on her plate. And then she just had to go and fall for one of her bodyguards, a relationship which would ruin her reputation and his career if anyone were to find out about it. Also, someone's trying to kill her.“

“Scars” “How do Anakin and Padmé go from "I love you" to "I do"? Missing scene from Attack of the Clones.”

“The Bet” “Anakin's had a crush on Padmé since fourth grade, and after putting up with his pining for seven years, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka are finally stepping in and making a bet that he can't ask her to junior prom in the spring. Meanwhile, Padmé is realizing that Anakin isn't as annoying as she'd always thought. In fact, her feelings towards him are starting to go in quite the opposite direction...”

“Three” “His and Padmé’s first wedding anniversary isn’t going nearly as well as Anakin had hoped it would. Until, suddenly, it’s so much better than he could have ever imagined.“

“The Anakin Disaster” “Padmé is mortified upon waking up beside her strictly platonic childhood best friend Anakin Skywalker the morning after a drunken one-night stand. A couple weeks later, she discovers that's the least of their problems.“

“Will You Fake Marry Me?” “Anakin's boss may or may not have accidentally given her family the impression that she's engaged to him. Anakin may or may not be pleased about the situation”

“Aggressive Negotiations” “Empress Amidala invites Lord Vader to her private rooms to persuade him to form an alliance with the Empire. Her methods are very effective.”

“Troubling Implications” “Perhaps he hated himself for it—Padmé thought he probably did—but he came that night (several times, in fact). And the night after that, and the next one, and the next, until it became a habit that neither of them seemed especially inclined to break. (Sequel to "Aggressive Negotiations")

“Imperial Obligations” “Padmé's advisors suggest that she get rid of Vader and make a politically advantageous marriage. The Empress is less than pleased. (Sequel to "Aggressive Negotiations" and "Troubling Implications")”

“Welcome Home” “Anakin Skywalker closes his eyes on the face of his son. When he opens them again, he is in Naboo, and someone is waiting for him.“

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Writer: Shawn30 (Fanfiction profile) The one, the only, the deservedly famous! I think every Anidala fan is aware of this f a n t a s t i c writer’s work. Deliciously smutty. Unbelievably well written. Unfortunately, many of their works have been left uncompleted for years but the stories are still worth reading!

 “Whisper” “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but can also whither your soul and breed doubt in your heart. AP angsty erotica.”

“The Ties that Bind” “Given a brief period of time off during the Clone Wars, Padmé and Anakin visit her family at the Lake Country estate on Naboo. A family that still doesn't know they are married, although they are about to find out. Complete.” 

“The Light and the Dark” “Chapter 1 in the Hearts and Souls series. An unexpected Separatist attack 'accidentally' reunites two star-crossed lovers, giving them a brief moment of peace at a time of war. Complete.”

“Shadows of Winter” “Chapter 2 in the Hearts and Souls series. With six days to spend together celebrating their two year anniversary, Anakin and Padme travel separately to a remote planet in the Hoth system. Romance, passion, and danger await them. Complete.” 

 “Beloved” “Chapter 3 in the "Hearts and Souls" series. When faced with the most horrific news imaginable, Padme's utter desperation forces her to turn to Obi-Wan and even Chancellor Palpatine for help. Her greatest personal challenge awaits... Complete” 

 “Paradise” “The sequel to "Beloved." Following Padme's daring rescue of her husband, the Skywalker's return to Naboo for eight days to heal, unwind, spend time with family, and deal with their connection to the Dark Side of the Force.” 

 “Salvation” “After facing his moment of truth, Anakin and Padmé must finally deal with the consequences. Obi-Wan reveals a startling discovery. Complete” 

“Scandalous” “The sequel to Salvation. On the eve of Padmé Skywalker's official ascension to the role of Vice Chair of the Republic, Anakin steals her away for a wild vacation to Cloud City. Complete.”

“Sacred” “Chapter 2. Ahsoka and Jo'Seth grow closer. Padme's trip to the Jedi Temple on Republic business turns a bit more adventurous. Anakin and Obi-Wan have a heart to heart talk about moving forward.”

“Belonging” “A private afternoon lunch to catch up with an old friend during the Clone Wars reveals a great deal to ObiWan Kenobi. AP”

“Before the Seasons Change” “With the Darth Sidious finally defeated and the Clone Wars ended, Anakin and Padme consider what comes next in their lives. Anakin/Padme”

“Amor Vincit Omnia” “AU. After a three and a half year separation Vice Chair Amidala and Jedi Master Skywalker have some unfinished business as the Clone Wars have finally ended and Palpatine is dead.”

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If there’s any stories I missed, let me know!

#Anidala #anidala fanfiction #Vaderdala #vaderdala fanfiction #Anidala fic rec

[four-loose-screws]

FE4 Suzuki Novelization Translation - Chapter 1 Part 1

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations 

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Chapter 1 – High Priest Bragi

Part 1

In the year 447 of the Gran Calendar, the Gran Republic, located in the center of the Jugdral, was overthrown after a reign that lasted over 200 years. The Loptyrian Empire rose to power in its place.

Archbishop Galle, the founder of the Loptyrian Cult, was crowned its first emperor.

In his youth, Galle had ventured across the seas and traveled the world. When he returned to Jugdral, he possessed a mysterious power.

Three years later, a diamond-shaped red mark appeared on his forehead. Its shape was too perfect and its color too vibrant to be a normal birthmark or wrinkle. And even when he washed his face, it did not come off.

He said it was the symbol that proved his body was the host of the god Loptous. He then went on to found the Loptyrian Cult and give himself the title of archbishop. People soon realized just how powerful Loptous was.

Many of the youth were dissatisfied with the republic's ochlocracy, and were drawn to that power, causing the cult to become very large very quickly.

The radical youths plotted to overthrow the republic, wishing to establish a nation ruled by Loptous' ideology.

To achieve that goal, they created a rebel army. Galle chose its twelve most promising members and granted them the ability to wield dark magic. He named them the Twelve Deadlords. They became the core of the army.

Soon after, the Loptyrian Empire was born, and the radicals' dream was realized. However, Loptous was not a god who had come to save humanity. All of the power shifted into Emperor Galle's hands, and it became clear that Loptous' true nature was that of a dark god.

The majority of the common people did not accept those who converted to the Loptyrian Cult, calling them heretics, the most offensive term one could use to refer to a person. When the republic was in power, heretics had been forced to become slaves and treated even worse than livestock.

The following year, the empire swiftly carried out "The Great Purge," killing over 100,000 people. In the Gran Year 452, a large group of children were burned to death as sacrifices to Loptous. This tragedy became known as "The Sorrow of Miletos." And in the next year, tens of thousands of people were killed in the "Massacre of Edda."

The people came to see Loptous as a calamity that only brought fear, death, and destruction. They hated the empire, they hated the Loptyrian Cult, and they hated the emperor. However, the empire and the cult's oppression was so great that no one tried to rebel. The people didn’t think that they could succeed, and even if anyone did entertain the idea, they would be found and captured before they could try.

The first recorded rebellion did not occur until one hundred years after the empire had been established.

The emperor's younger brother, the Holy Knight Maera, preached a new doctrine, and tried to reform the Loptyrian Cult. He claimed that Loptous was not the only god, rather, that he was but one high ranking god among the many that the people of the Gran Republic had worshipped. Maera aimed to balance the harmony between the gods and end discrimination within the empire.

The emperor at that time, Galle III, did not give any response to Maera's teachings. The priests that opposed discrimination noticed this this, and supported the new doctrine, quickly forming a reformist sect. While they’d always had the same ideas as Maera, they only felt that they could speak out after he began preaching.

The reformists and the conservatives debated the relationship between Loptous and the old gods, but did not reach a conclusion.

In the Gran Year 535, a group of imperial soldiers started a riot at a reformist gathering. Maera and the other reformist leaders were arrested on suspicions of plotting a rebellion, and were found guilty in a private trial. Maera hand his family was executed, while the other leaders were put in jail. The remaining members were exiled, and the reformist sect ceased to exist.

But this did not mean that Maera’s teachings were forgotten.

While there were no records left within the empire or the Loptyrian Cult, the exiled priests formed a sect called the “Hidden Maera Sect,” with factions in every area of Jugdral.

There were even members within the priesthood of the Loptyrian Cult. They saved as many children as they possibly could from becoming sacrifices and sent them to the Hidden Maera Sect’s secret village.

Even High Priest Bragi of the Twelve Crusaders was one of the children they saved.

ー

Every few years, the village of Agustria was required to provide sacrifices for the empire. The village leaders would gather together and choose the sacrifices from a lottery that included all children aged five to seven.

The people were told that the children were not sacrifices, rather, that they would serve the gods at the temple in the imperial capital, Belhalla. However, everyone knew the truth. And the village leaders claimed that the lottery was fair, but it was often the children of poor families that were chosen.

When Bragi was six, the village was asked to provide five sacrifices. Bragi was smart and kind, but his family was poor, so he was one of the five chosen.

Bragi and the other children were ushered into a carriage bound for Belhalla.

They rode with the Loptyrian priests' children so that they had someone to talk to and would not be frightened.

Three days after the carriage left the village, they stopped to have dinner at an inn. Afterwards, Bragi suddenly came down with a fever.

A priest gave him some medicine and had him sleep in a different room from the other children.

When morning came, his fever was much lower, but he felt like he was tied up, and couldn't move. A guard came to tell him it was time for breakfast, but instead panicked and called in a priest.

The priest checked his pulse and said, "He has already gone to be with Loptous."

And covered his face with a blanket.

‘No I haven’t! I'm still alive!’ Bragi tried to scream, but nothing came out of his throat.

"My my, what a shame." The soldier said with a sigh. "But he's probably happier this way."

"Children pass away during the trip to the capital all the time. I'll write an explanation of what happened."

"Please do. It'll prove that he didn't run off."

After some time passed, Bragi heard the priest's voice again. "Innkeeper, this boy has already gone to be with Loptous. We must continue our journey, so please bury him for us."

"Understood. I'll give him a proper burial."

'No, I don't want to die!' He tried to say, however, just like before, he had no voice, and couldn't even lift a single finger.

About an hour later, he felt someone lower the blanket. "Poor thing, you must have been so lonely!" It was the innkeeper. She opened his mouth and poured a strange liquid into it.

Once he had swallowed it, he could move again. He shook his hands and feet and said, "I'm alive, ma'am! I'm alive!"

"I know. You won't die. You've been chosen."

"I've been chosen?"

"That priest thought it would be a shame for you to become a sacrifice. So he spared your life. He's no longer here, but be sure to thank him in your heart."

"He saved me?"

"Yes he did, young man. You musn't forget. Your life was spared, so one day, you must spare someone else's." She said before opening a small coffin. "I’m going to perform your funeral soon, so I want you to get inside of that closet and stay quiet. You are not to come out, no matter what. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." Bragi answered.

The innkeeper put a bag about the same size and weight of a six-year-old child in the coffin and lifted it.

Bragi didn't make even a single peep while inside of the closet. When funeral was over and the innkeeper came back to open the door, he was still in the same position he had been in when had she left.

"Good boy! No wonder you were chosen. It's all over now. You've already died and been buried in the ground once, so you will never die again."

#fire emblem #Genealogy of the Holy War #fe #fe4 #japan #japanese #snes #super nintendo #nintendo #famicom #super famicom #fe4 suzuki novelization translation #novel #light novel

[gffa]

One of the very best things about STAR WARS fandom is that there’s so much variety here that I never seem to get bored, that there’s always something for almost everyone to pick up and read! Whether I want to read about the Jedi or the clones or the Empire being fought back against or character pieces on the space twins or continue my love for the Solo characters or continue to cry about the Rebels crew or to capitalize on the potential of the still-unfolding sequels, Star Wars fandom is going to give me something and it’s going to be fantastic. This list of recs will hopefully give you something to read, whether you want massive time travel (maybe) fix it or delicious more character-focused stuff or just some straight up kissing fic or something that will give you feelings or whatever, there should be at least one thing you’ll like! Because Star Wars fandom is excellent for spreading that love around! STAR WARS FIC RECS: TIME TRAVEL RECS: ✦ Although He Smiles by AutumnChild22, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & padme & qui-gon & cast, time travel, 86.9k wip    She’d counted the 750 steps down from the Temple. She’d said her goodbyes, and left Master Anakin standing below the great pillars. What more could the Force want from her? ‘Everything’ sums it up nicely. Waking 13 years in the past, Ahsoka faces a harsh reality. As events begin to unfold, she faces a ticking clock that times a galaxy’s end. ✦ Adrift by Ripki, obi-wan & anakin & cast, time travel, 4.9k wip    In the aftermath of painful revelations, Obi-Wan and Anakin struggle to come to terms with the heavy price of secrets. But the war gives no respite and soon enemies are closing in, putting the Team’s honesty, loyalty and trust in each other to the test. ✦ A New History by Annie Walker, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & dooku & cast, time travel, 533.4k wip    During a heated battle, Dooku escaped into the past! Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker follow to stop him, but discover that Dooku went to the past where Obi-Wan is a young padawan to a very much alive Qui-Gon Jinn. Now, the two must go undercover to stop Dooku’s plans from coming to fruition in order to save not only the future, but also young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn. ✦ untitled by lurkingcrow, obi-wan & anakin, time travel, 1.3k    At first he thinks he is dreaming. After all, he is dead, and who is to say the dead do not dream? It’s not the most pleasant of dreams, back in the place of his childhood, the hot Tatooine winds blowing sand inside the coarse fabric of his tunic. PREQUELS RECS: ✦ Magic Blankets by Lady_Lombax, obi-wan & anakin/padme & ahsoka & cast, 3k    C-3PO accidentally saves the galaxy by teaching a young Ani Skywalker how to crochet. Or in which the power of love and crafts solve a lot of problems and the Jedi Creche is about two inches away from kidnapping Anakin at any given moment. ✦ Remedial Jedi Theology by MarbleGlove, obi-wan & anakin & mace & palpatine & cast, 51.3k    Let us consider the fact that the Jedi Order is a monastic religious organization based out of a temple, with five basic tenets of faith. ✦ untitled by stonefreeak, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka, 2.6k    The past and the present blurs together, Anakin can hardly breathe through it. Too many thoughts crowd inside his head and the more he tries to sort himself out, the more of the past he remembers and the more fears for the future it brings up. ✦ There’s some use crying over spilled milk. by McKenziethewriter, obi-wan & anakin, 1.3k    Anakin and Obi-Wan’s first night at the Temple without Qui-Gon. ✦ The One Where Anakin Tries to Be Serious by GirlwithCurls98, anakin & ahsoka, 1k    Even though they’re fighting a war, Anakin finds the time to lead his apprentice through one of the Jedi’s sacred ceremonies. ✦ untitled by swhurtcomfort, obi-wan & anakin, 1.8k    Prompt: So…. what if Anakin gets the news that he is going to take the Trials of Knighthood in a week and completely shuts everyone out in his panic to prepare himself and then he gets sick from not sleeping or something bad happens to him. ✦ untitled by stonefreeak, quinlan & cast, 3.4k    Quinlan nurses his mug of aseet as he keeps scanning the room with sharp eyes, his sensitive ears working overtime to try and pick up the slightest bit of interesting conversation—preferably something to do with the Senate bombing; maybe a cocky bounty hunter bragging about their excellent work. ✦ A Passing Evening by belldreams, obi-wan/satine & anakin & cast, 2.9k    With Qui-Gon’s passing and a brand new Padawan in tow, Obi-Wan finds himself at a loss. An old companion helps him find his way again. ✦ Their Promises They’d Kept by The_Peridot_Shade, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & cast, 2.5k    Obi-Wan’s never felt human, not really. When all of time and space is at your fingertips, when there are rules you must obey absolutely and others you can break as easily as breathing—well, it’s no surprise to discover that you aren’t what you thought you were. ✦ untitled by swhurtcomfort, obi-wan & anakin, 1.8k    'Blast it—ow!“ A great swarm of tiny orange insects erupted from of the stump Obi-Wan had hit with the hovercrate. ✦ untitled by swhurtcomfort, obi-wan & anakin & cast, 2.2k    Be brave don’t look back be brave don’t look back ✦ Sweater Dresses by Lady_Lombax, anakin/fives (one-sided), 1k    In which Anakin likes to wear sweater dresses in his downtime and Fives Cannot Deal™ with this information. ✦ Obi-Wan and the Force by AwayOHumanChild, obi-wan & cast, ~1k    One of the first things Jedi Initiates learn is that everyone experiences the Force differently. ✦ A Mother’s Love by achilleanobiwan, obi-wan & qui-gon & xanatos & oc & cast, 18.7k wip    A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a young mother on a small planet in the Outer Rim chose to not give her son up to be raised by the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan never becomes a Jedi, Xanatos never falls to the Dark, and the colorful Kenobi family keeps the galaxy on its toes. ✦ Simmer 'til tender by Brynnen, TwaCorbies (Brynnen), obi-wan & anakin, ~1k    It’s hard forming a partnership with the one left behind and Obi-Wan realises that he might have to embrace a less conventional approach to gain his skittish padawan’s trust. ✦ that sleep of death by snartfellows, ahsoka & plo, 1.6k    On her worst nights, after the Great Purge, Ahsoka Tano has a nightmare. ✦ In the Heart of the Force by ReneeoftheStars, ahsoka & qui-gon, 1.7k    Ahsoka Tano travels back to the world between world’s. Searching for answers, she comes across a past event that only makes her question the past even more. ✦ untitled by stonefreeak, rig nema & cast, 1.2k    Rig Nema steps out of the transport, glad to be back on solid ground again—gladder still to be back at the Temple at last. The Coruscant air is as it always is, filtered and almost polluted. ✦ genesis by kernsing, anakin & shmi & cast, ~1k wip    genesis /ˈʤɛnəsəs/ — n. the origin or mode of formation of something ✦ if the sky comes falling down, for you (there’s nothing in this world i wouldn’t do) by skywalking-across-the-galaxy (BadWolfGirl01), obi-wan/satine & anakin & cody & maul & cast, 6.2k    [or: The Lawless, but Obi-Wan’s not alone.] ✦ where war is no more by silveronthetree, obi-wan/satine, 3k wip    AU where Satine survives and Obi-Wan goes on the run with her and Luke after Order 66. ✦ One Drink Too Many and a Joke Gone Too Far by victoria_p (musesfool), obi-wan/satine & anakin/padme, nsfw, 7.2k    Obi-Wan and Satine wake up married. Obi-Wan intends to file for divorce. Really he does. ✦ Tooka While But We’ll Get There… by LurkingCrow, anakin & wolffe & rex & cast, 4.5k    In a universe where the events of the Clone Wars went very differently, all Wolffe wants to do is find passage off this station before his leave is over. He’s not expecting to make new friends of either human or feline variety… OBI-WAN/ANAKIN RECS: ✦ a blessing from the Force itself by Anonymous, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, d/s, ~1k    ‘So what we are we gonna do,’ he teases, ‘master?’ ✦ Upfall by bell (belldreams), obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 3.6k wip    Anakin is doing just about everything he can to hold himself together; it won’t last. ✦ Ahsoka’s Masters by Ralph_E_Silvering, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka, 2.4k    Basically a story about how Ahsoka Tano learns she has two masters instead of one, and Anakin and Obi-Wan are their usual charming, bickering, infused with sexual tension selves. ✦ Qui-Gon Does It Well by Jen425, obi-wan/anakin & luke & leia & qui-gon, 2.1k    It’s Qui-Gon’s turn. (But when has Qui-Gon ever done anything right about Obi-Wan and Anakin?) ✦ Say Hello to Master Qui-Gon for Me by zarabithia, obi-wan/anakin, ~1k    At the end of a long life together, Anakin bids farewell to Obi-Wan. ✦ A Father’s Love by TheAndromedaFangirl, obi-wan/anakin/padme, 2.2k    In Vader’s dying moments, Luke makes a wish, for his father to be able to have a better life. The force answers. ✦ Needing Touch by aphorisnt, obi-wan/anakin, ~1k    Anakin needs to hold Obi-Wan. ✦ Sometimes a family is a cultural anthropologist, a PoliSci PhD, a snippy sophomore, a golden cat, a Snorkie, and a guy who just wants to build a really smart robot by bessyboo, cantarina, exmanhater, forzandopod, heartequals (savvygambols), Opalsong, reena_jenkins, sophinisba, theleanansidhe, obi-wan/anakin/padme & ahsoka & quinlan & asajj, modern au, 19.4k ✦ i’ll wait no longer by Ralph_E_Silvering, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 5.3k    Soon after Anakin is rescued from the Thrugii Asteroid Belt, he and Obi-Wan are sent undercover at a masquerade party hosted by Senator Amidala. Bereft of Obi-Wan for weeks, Anakin may not be able to resist demanding his Master’s touch for long. ORIGINAL TRILOGY RECS: ✦ There Lies a Beast (and when it wakes you know it will not hide) by AceQueenKing, leia/amilyn & padme, sith!padme, 3.7k    Sometimes, Leia thinks Padmé Amidala Naberrie will drown the universe in her tears. Or, if not that, then let the streets run with blood. Perhaps Mother finds atonement for her dead husband and dead son in the blood she’s spilled. ✦ Of Sons and Fathers by AliuIce0814, obi-wan & luke, 2.3k    "What a child Anakin’s son is, Obi-Wan thought to Qui-Gon. What an utterly remarkable boy.” Starring six-year-old Luke, grieving Obi-Wan, some bratty neighbor kids, and the ghosts of Padawans and Masters past. ✦ A Great Many Things by lirin, obi-wan & mara & yoda & leia & padme, 1.2k    “But Master Yoda,” Mara said, “What about Prince Vader? They say he knows the Force.” REBELS RECS: ✦ Uncharted by glorious_clio, kanan/hera, 1k    New crew member. New roommate. New rules? They’re figuring this out as they go along. ✦ Dehiscence by veritascara, hera(/kanan) & cham, 4.8k    An unexpected holo-call reopens wounds, both new and old, for Hera and creates a rift she never intended. ✦ Home and Honor by ncfan, sabine/ketsu, 7k    Ketsu and Sabine aren’t exactly on the same page about what honor entails. ✦ Like An Image Passing By by rebelsfromstars, kanan/hera & jacen, 3.7k    Every once in a while Hera comes with Jacen to Lothal to visit the mural that Sabine had painted. As time goes by, Jacen has more and more questions about his father. ✦ The Signs by veritascara, hera & ezra & isval & background kanan/hera, 3.5k    A childhood lesson she hoped she’d never need comes back to haunt Hera, and she isn’t sure how she feels about it. SOLO RECS: ✦ Honour Among Thieves by rain_sleet_snow, han/qi'ra & vos & maul, 1.3k    Qi'ra doesn’t get many opportunities to do the right thing. SEQUELS RECS: ✦ Now, Voyager by glorious_clio, leia & rey & poe & rose & finn, 1.9k    Make no mistake, Leia Organa is driven by duty, by a desire for peace and democracy. So when she is shown a way to bring peace to the Galaxy, she sets herself on that path. It’s what she’s always done. ✦ blood is thicker by saiditallbefore, rey & palpatine, 2.2k    Other people couldn’t see Rey’s grandfather, because he was a ghost. That was okay, though— she’d never needed other people anyway. ✦ Between by Splintered_Star, leia/han & obi-wan, force ghosts, 2k    Leia, the night after everyone returns from the Starkiller base. (Almost everyone.) FULL DETAILS + RECS HERE!

#obi wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #padme amidala #obikin #ahsoka tano #luke skywalker #leia organa #han solo #hera syndulla #rey #obianidala #satine kryze #obitine #qui gon jinn #fic recs #star wars fic recs

[whatisonthemoonarchive]

Appreciate the history lesson Robert M.

https://www.firstthings.com/article/1999/12/john-paul-ii-and-the-crisis-of-humanism

What ever our contribution, we as Moonies still have a voice as witnesses to history and watching John Paul 2 getting gunned down in St. Peter's square was the culmination of a process that we were swept into and out of our innocence.

Whether we choose to educate ourselves about the essential nature of Communism or even modern Liberal Democracy for that matter is almost irrelevant to the core message. Atheistic materialist Communism=bad. Democratic Capitalistic Consummerism=bad. Christian piety charity=good.

We made these choices every day as Moonies from the first day that we were induced to reject "Hippie freedom", (speaking for myself, of course). To consecrating our lives in a form of martyrdom to Jesus Christ. It would be many years before we discovered that Moon himself didn't believe in it but was another of the incessant weeds thrown up to misguide and redirect impressionable souls to largely politically convenient ends. 

Communism was destined to collapse upon it's own preposterous claims and everybody intuitively understood this. Including Pope John Paul, Moon, Solzhenitsyn, C.I.A. Director George H. Walker Bush, Reagan, Andropov and his successors, The Bank of London, Federal Reserve bank, etc, etc. The only ones who didn't know how or when were the actual folks caught in it's meat grinding mechanism on either side of the wall.

When the wall finally started to crumble there were no shortage of lunatics claiming responsibility. Fortunately, it was fairly evident to the rest of the world that it was the indomitable spirit of God deep inside the hearts of men and women trapped behind the wall that collapsed the monstrosity. 

The Pope went down in a hail of gunfire as if to punctuate the orgy of madness. Naturally, it was perceived to be a militant muslim at first. Very convenient. Further public investigation perhaps fueled by the remnants of the K.G.B. revealed that Turkish Grey Wolves were in fact an appendage of the C.I.A. A cacophony of indignation from the west flipped the story to blame the K.G.B. and it cohorts in Bulgaria. The Pope would survive and the world breathed a sigh of relief. Blame didn't seem appropriate any more as the Pope expressed forgiveness and Christians responded. The secret remained with him until his death. Yet another martyr for God.

The Moonies were beside ourselves. What to do now? Hundreds made the pilgrimage to mother Russia to claim victory for God, including yours truly. Most of us were confused by what we saw. Young Russians, Tartars, Georgians, etc. Swarmed to our workshops guided by former, or perhaps, current K.G.B. functionaries. The kids were extraordinarily well educated and well behaved. Most spoke fluently at least 2 languages and were well versed in something known to them as "the classics". I personally was utterly humbled. The experts organizing the events for the church were besides themselves alternating between threats and cajoling us not to fraternize to deeply with the locals. I threw caution to the wind and immediately embraced our new friends. Some were obvious, like little Vladimir who was the spitting image of early Lenin but older than the others who privately indicated to me that he was the designated F.S.B. representative monitoring our activities. He continuously plied me with offers to help him escape with his family, to the U.S. or anywhere that wasn't there. I assured him that I had no ability to do so but he persisted throughout the entire time. The other children of probably mostly former Communist officials were a delight. They loved Americans and were disappointed when I told them I was Canadian. Most of the male moonies had multiple offers of marriage in their first week there which I assumed were politely turned down in favor of our Moonies blessed wives. We were instructed by our handlers to return to Moscow and stay together as a group by train from the Sanitorium on the Black Sea in Yalta where the workshop was held. I rejected this out of hand and chose to follow up little Vladimir's offer to stay with his family in their flat in Moscow. His wife and family were wonderful he had a modest apartment with the usual amenities which I discovered later was an anomaly. I visited in turn all of my guests in Moscow and discovered that most Russians lived in dire poverty usually with three Generations crammed into Tenements blocks without a stick of furniture save a table with a couple chairs. Vladimir has lost control of me by then as well. I hopped from apartment to apartment meeting people that you and I would never have access to in the United States. One girls father was a Scientist working on Artificial Intelligence at the time (1993). I hadn't a clue what that was, sounded important so I feigned astonishment and shook his hand emphatically. He revealed to me in perfect English that a taxi driver made more money than he did because they had access to foreign exchange. I knew that was true because I had taken about thirty people out for Ice cream the previous night and spent the equivalent of two Baskin and Robbins sundays. I commented on this to an American participant next to me and he cautioned me to keep quiet about it so not to offend our hosts. I agreed. Everywhere I went I was plied with shots of Vodka or I "was not a friend". Originating from Canada, I had no problem complying to my new found friends. I was escorted through dazzlingly clean and orderly cavernous subway terminals all over the city from one district to the next. I went horseback riding outside of Moscow at a Orthodox Monastery that had miraculously survived the Communist purges.

A week had passed before I collected my senses and realized that my plane rendezvous was quickly approaching. I found my way to the original Unification church lodgings which was a former Hotel close to the Airport. I was strictly admonished by the church leadership and plied with questions about my adventure. I assured them that their fears were completely and utterly groundless and that they may be suffering from some sort of cultish miasma themselves. They told me that I was never to return to Russia and I assured them that it probably wouldn't be necessary. Russians and everyone else from the former C.I.S. states would descend upon us like a swarm in the days ahead. My newfound Russian friends showed up at the airport to see me off with a flurry of embraces and kisses on the lips, much to the astonishment of the workshop organizers. Some were crying, I was feeling it too but managed to keep my sh*t together. Yes, I was still married to my Moonie bride and maintained my integrity throughout my experience.

I never returned to Russia like others did, but was content to correspond for a few years after, including with little Vladimir. I was busy raising a family in rural Alabama trying to deal with the local Unification church leadership that was starting to resemble the former autocrats of Communism. Moon himself made the unlikely effort to reach out to his perceived counterpart in North Korea. I understood the process but was still taken back by how easily Moon had embraced his former sworn enemy. Amid showers of multi-millions of dollars in gifts, Moon had reached an understanding with his former nemesis to open businesses in North Korea and foster a new age of cross cultural exchange. We later found out that Moon personally profited from this arrangement, seemingly at the expense of his former countrymen. While the overtly Communist Government of North Korea went on to systemically starve their citizens and develop dreadful weapons of mass destruction in order to secure their control.  

Why did I relate all of this you may ask? Since my experience both in the Moonie cult and my travels during. (Russia, C.I.S., El Salvador, during the revolution, Korea, both pre-cold war and post.) My mind has expanded, thankfully, to God. Yeah, I concede that Moon played a role here too. We eventually arrived at something called the Internet with which to educate ourselves in order to digest these experiences. What we have come to fathom, much in line with the admonishments of Pope John Paul 2 and others. Is that God exists and pours his love upon us daily whether deserving or not, in such volume that we are affected in spite of the desperate tangle of 'Isms and ideologies seemingly designed to distort and confuse our spirits from that which we naturally cherish. Someone tried to murder John Paul but they forgot that Catholics, and many others follow someone known as Jesus Christ. We don't even worship the dude but seek his guidance provided in a little handbook called New Testament. Sometime I remember to crack it open in a moment of anguish and my heart was melted in utter complete surrender. Not by force of course, but because my mind could suddenly absorb the kernels of truth from the scant but magnificent parables taught over 2000 years ago by this guy to a bunch of miscreants. Not unlike myself, abandoned by the wealthy and powerful who always seem to be with us but not of us. Trying to control and take what they can from us including our impoverished spirits. But no. Not this time. It is nothing but sand. Of course Jesus said it best. Matt. 4:1; Mk. 1:12; Lk. 4:1

"You will bow down and serve your God and creator" (paraphrasing Jesus speaking to Satan in the wilderness). I concur, God's will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Thanks for reading. Shout out to John Paul and all the saints. I'm unworthy but have committed myself to do what I can, come what may.

Frank F

[agentargus]

The first part of the Merman!Hamish/Angel!Morgan AU fic I’m writing for @thatdamnokie

I.

“So then the angel of the Lord came to commune with him, and said, ‘I will be along with thee,’ saith [the angel], ‘henceforward for ever and ever, and I will teach thee how to find the beautiful island which thou hast seen, and which thou desirest to obtain.’ Brenainn then wept exceedingly, because of his delight at the angel’s answer to him, and he renders thanks unto God.”

Life of Brenainn (Brendan) from the Book of Lismore

Before the advent of the land, before the creation of Hell and even sin itself, there was only sky and sea. The waters of primordial ooze were cloven by the Creator, the firmament of heaven evaporating upwards while what remained swirled below. By the Day of Rest, the holy order had been established in entirety. There existed realms of the earthly soul, separated by moral judgement, vice, and virtue. Through it all, the sea remained. Soulless. Bottomless. Like the worm of the ouroboros, no end and no beginning. Though the sun’s gleam ran tentative fingers across the water’s surface and the moon laid gentle kisses upon the tides, heaven’s light drew back its touch when confronted with the depths beneath.

Left to its own devices, the sea brought forth a power of its own. Such power served neither good nor ill save the nature of its use.  There came magic—Fata Morgana, the siren’s song, the Kappa’s remedies—and there came revolution—irrigation, great canons that produced violent jets, the purging of disease, preservation through salt and ice. The sea drank the waters of the Great Flood, leaving little trace just as it purged hellfire and brimstone with its waves. It coursed through the bodies of God’s lesser children and gave form to their tears. Wherever there was ambiguity, where time served little purpose and change without direction ran rampant, there was the sea.

All the while, the Creator and His angels lived far above it all, ensconced in Grace and innocence. She was a seed sheltered in her pod upon tallest branch, content to exist as a fragment of a divine whole

She was born devoid of matter, an incorporeal soul exuding pure light within the dark skies of the Beginning. Her first breaths came from the winding sheets of primordial mist before the Earth had grown below. She was one of many, a fraction of a whole. For time immaterial, she knew only the perfect peace and comfort of a swaddled infant in its mother’s arms, floating between the realms of waking and sleep. Likewise, as an infant might love and need its mother, so too was she devoted to her Creator. She never questioned Him, for He made sure that she for nothing. Though her independence grew, she chose to use it in His service whenever possible.

But where there was creation, there were beginnings and endings. She could not remain a child forever. It was, perhaps, the five hundredth year of the Common Era, a time when boundaries between realms and the lines between history and myth blurred beyond easy distinction. Mortal men were granted sainthood by the angels themselves as the Word of Jesus spread upon the tongues of believers born of heaven and earth alike. Magic and divine mystery were willed into being among mortals, who in turn wielded belief as readily as they made war.

It was a coming-of-age for the young seraph, who had never left the Creator’s side for more than a few moments at a time. Like a little bird dropping from its nest to take its first flight south for the winter, she descended. Assigned the Hibernian shores that would become the British Isles, she cradled kings, kissed the heads of knights, and held the hands of gentle monks. She led quests of valor as readily as she did the spiritual journeys of the gentry. She took the form of a white swan to ferry Lohengrin across the river to and from Brabant, fed Sir Bors De Ganis when the knight was half-mad with starvation in the English wilderness, and gave visions of the Holy Grail to the young Sir Galahad.

The praise and friendship of the wide-eyed humans brought new joy to the young seraph’s heart. To bask in the Creator’s love had been a simple and singular ecstasy, like that of a well-fed child half-asleep in a parent’s arms. Now, it was her turn to wear the mother’s apron, to care for fragile, unworldly charges who adored her in return. She cherished the chaste, reverent affection they gave her—heads bowed as they kissed her feet; their fragile, shallow breaths as they laid sleeping in her lap—but as she watched them grow, the angel soon came to envy the love shared between equals. She watched Guinevere wed King Arthur and fall in love with Lancelot.  She bore witness to the marriage then shed tears at the separation of Sir Lohengrin and the princess of Brabant. All the while, she wondered what it would feel like to be held as Lancelot held Guinevere, the knight’s hands still bloodied from climbing across a razor’s edge to save her. Only Sir Galahad seemed to understand her loneliness, choosing duty until the Grail healed his heart. She watched such intimacy from afar, and the seeds of something almost akin to envy burned within her.

When the opportunity to take monks under her patronage came, Morgan took it with enthusiasm. After all, she reasoned, if they could forgo human intimacy and survive upon the love of God alone, so could she. In Ireland, she appeared to the future Saint Brendan, sending him visions of an earthly paradise beyond the reaches of Clew Bay. When he began his voyage, Morgan hovered above the monk’s ship, guiding him upon his journey to the so-called Blessed Islands. For all the heavenly visions Morgan brought with her, the ocean itself had been unexplored, shrouded in mystery, and often feared.  Jesus walking upon its surface, Moses parting it, even men of God hovered at its margins, never allowing it too much power. The fear of drowning, that the sea would consume creatures of the land and pull them down toward its unseen depths, stayed the hands of even the holiest of souls. Hell could be understood, its character obvious. The sea had no obvious character to speak of. It could only be explored, a darkened path that separated one tiny patch of light from another. It was off these Celtic coasts where she was given the name “Morgan.” Glinting with the light’s reflection upon the water, flashing rainbows in sun-kissed sea-foam and the ripples of rivers earned her the title—bright-sea, circle of the sea, queen of the sea, for Brendan saw in her a spiritual anchor amongst such uncertainty.

Nevertheless, Grace could only achieve so much against the power of the sea. Great waves and storms came with increasing intensity the further the monks sailed from land. Thunderclaps and the splashing of hail upon the ocean drowned out their prayers. Morgan spread her wings wide over the little boat, emanating all the light she possessed within herself, but she could manage little more than to keep the brethren afloat. Finally, after many weeks of struggling against howling winds and torrents of rain, one of the monks caught sight of a dark silhouette on the horizon, the first sign of land since the mountains of Dooega had faded into the distance behind them. As the ship approached the island, the clouds parted. The whitecaps dissolved and the waters calmed. Soon enough, the currents changed, gently guiding the ship towards the land. While the brethren gave thanks to God for their good fortune, Morgan could not help but wonder if more than Heaven had leant its power to their salvation.

Morgan’s suspicions only grew when, upon arriving ashore, Brendan and his men were greeted with hospitality. Their host, who appeared the island’s sole resident, was wide-eyed and hairless as a newborn child, though towering in stature and preternaturally long-limbed. He slipped and slid across the sand as though it were solid ice, tripping unsteadily upon his wide, web-toed feet with every step he took toward them. The missionaries, half-delirious with hunger, paid such oddities little mind, for he carried with him great armfuls of fruit and loaves of bread, beckoning with a nod of the head for them to follow should they hunger further. Tongue weighed down with a thousand questions, Morgan followed too.

Though the stranger spoke little as the missionaries ate, when their plates were cleared their spirits brightened enough to sing, he joined them with elegant, lilting harmonies. The elegance that eluded his stride came twofold when he sang. His body swayed and rippled in time, eyes flashing from sea-blue to earthen brown minute by minute as the tides waned and waxed at the island’s border. Long after the monks had retired to their makeshift camps, he sat before the waves, humming soft shanties under his breath. While his strange appearance had piqued her curiosity, it was his song that swayed Morgan’s heart in earnest. Low and lilting rhythms carried melancholy ballads that swayed with the creaking of the boat upon the waves. An echoing emptiness whistled upon the wind, a tune devoid of praise in favor of the vastness of the infinite. No chorus, no bridge, no end nor beginning, only verse crashing upon verse, each speaking of a more harrowing loneliness than the last. As she lay ensconced in the leaves of a fruit tree, a lump began to form in Morgan’s throat, her chest growing heavier with each passing minute until tears came in earnest, salty and sharp as the waves below.

Finally, the song faded into the wind and Morgan rose from her stupor, descending from her perch as the creature left the mariners to sleep. Though Brendan and his crew never once questioned their good fortune, Morgan knew at a glance that the man who offered food and shelter to the holy mariners was more what he seemed. She followed him from above, watching from the sky as he padded across the length of the island. Finally, reaching the water’s opposite edge, the stranger stretched himself out upon the shore. As the tide began to roll in, his eyelids fluttered closed. Surely, Morgan feared, he would drown, the current pulling him into oblivion before he’d time to struggle. Reaching out a tentative hand, Morgan made a move to wake him, but stopped short. Though she had suspected that he was not human, she was unprepared for what she sensed within him—or rather, what she didn’t. She felt nothing, his body an empty shell, not even the flickering embers of a dying soul within him. It was though he had already ascended, leaving the casing of his corpse behind, yet his heart still thrummed beneath her fingers. Startled, Morgan pulled her hand away, but kept close vigil as the water drew ever closer.

As Morgan watched, the waves, once menacing, caressed the man’s form gently, pulling him into the water as they receded from the land. As he drifted along the the tide, it became more and more difficult to distinguish him from the swelling crests. Pale skin and sea foam blurred, glassy waves drawing blue translucent fins from his flesh. His body contorted with the swells of each wave, the force of them kneading the simulacrum of land from him. His legs followed the line of the current, ever more fluid until they formed a single, pliant entity. The bubbling residue of sea foam upon his skin brought forth a shimmer of fish-scale. Then a great swell broke upon him and he was gone, submerged completely and hidden from Morgan’s view within a matter of seconds.

So this was one of those many mysteries the sea kept hidden, Morgan thought. A generous yet unhallowed being, a beating heart devoid of a soul, a voice that drew tears from heaven and a touch that calmed an untamed sea…What was this creature, Morgan wondered. As the night wore on, she strained to keep watch in the hopes that he might surface once more.

#mun's writing

[yee-nagaram]

Including new players

So last night I encountered my favorite part of DMing and that's including new players into the story.

However, this time it turned unfortunate and he doesn't even know it.

My campaign this semester is a conclusion of my last one where one of my players got a hold of an evil sword that was the prision for a demon Lord. That same party is playing again, but they wanted new characters AND to know the end of Lareth. So this campaign was them learning all the stuff I had planned but didn't get to finish because of various reasons.

Stryker, the fighter who obsessively wanted the demon subdued and the power retained in his sword, hired a warlock to attempt this subduing. However the warlock was weak and Lareth convinced him to break the sword instead. This freeing Lareth. Being weak he decided to possess Stryker since they already had a bond and Stryker's sense of evil was already activated.

This would lead to the destruction of the rest of the party.

Two Eladrin artificers would find the blade and a dying forge cleric who pleaded they stop him anyway they could. So they took the broken sword pieces and began work recreating it. However they had a disagreement. She thought it was better to make it a purifying blade that would purge Lareth from his host and destroy him in his weak stage. While they decided it would be better to resubdue the demon. The two, in a Huff of Eladrin suporiority, set off to two different hidden workshops and hired paladins to guard them.

Lareth would get wind of this recreation of his centuries old prison and send demons to kill the artificers and take back the pieces of his old prison. The demons succeeded in getting the artificer who wished to subdue Lareth. In his final moments he made his blade un wieldable by any infernal or abyssal being by trapping his own soul inside.

The other, (who I actually named) Negreme, would have a finished version of her blade that she would use to defend herself and stow away in her workshop. The attack would leave her left arm crippled. So, she severed it and used metal in her shop to build a golem arm. This quick surgery would leave her too weak to fight the rest of the demons still lingering in her workshop.

My players would know about the work shop that had the sword Librettos and save the artificer.

My new player for next semester found Captiso when he was hired by locals to get rid of a cluster of demons they assumed some warlock summoned and then was unable to control. The Eladrin Bladesinger recognized the type of weapon because it was a traditional style Eladrin blade, able to lengthen and harden at the will of the master Bladesinger. He himself owned a much less intricate one and decided to take the blade as his payment.

"It feels like its calling to me. Constantly. I can never tell if its anguish or anger and it won't tell me."

He knows nothing about it's true purpose. He will encounter the rest of the party when the semester starts and he stops by their inn on his way to Thentia searching for adventure.

Now for the unfortunate in planning that I had come up with to a) include him more and b) add a romance subplot because I've always wanted to.

I made my Eladrin NPC, Negreme, be really particular on who she let's use her wonderful blade. She only let's the party use it when they're in dire need 💯 because she's an Eladrin and they are not and thus could not understand Eladrin artistry. But my new player's character, Lysander is an Eladrin trained in THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS COMBAT STYLE AND HAS AN ELADRIN BLADE. So obviously she'd be swoon to finally find somebody who is worthy of wielding her fine work.

This player is a friend of my girlfriend so I asked her if this would make him uncomfortable. She said probably not. I will ask him too when it comes down to it, but this was enough to begin planning. I was talking to him about stuff he wanted his character to have specifically and what rules I need to fudge to allow.

Note: at this time the fancy magic sword he got was just a magic outline that would apply to what ever weapon he chose.

He messages me and asks

"Can I use a whip?"

This romance subplot got kinky too fast

#d&d #dnd 5e #fantasy #player stories

[utopia-game]

War Hungry War Birds 7:7

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UTOPIA NEWS

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JANUARY EDITION 1 Yr 4

 WarBirds (7:7)

 Aka Smiles’ Kingdom

Aka 99 Problems Today we are looking at Warbirds (7:7), a great story for anyone looking for guidance on how to build an organic 25 player kingdom! I spoke with the Monarch of Warbirds and this is what he told me about their kingdom.  

 What is your position and do you enjoy it?

 My name is RedBird, and I am the elected monarch and co-founder of Warbirds, though most probably know us just as "smiles' kingdom" or by our server name "99 Problems". We are a warring kingdom that started out in age 83 as a teaching and training kingdom for new players that evolved rapidly as we found ourselves competing at higher and higher levels.

 Why was the kingdom created and what is your modus operandi?

 I was a few years off from Utopia (and enjoying sleep), it was in late 2017 I think, when Smiles asked me to come back for an age and play with him and puncher in a revived TFC. I was hesitant at first, but he sold me on the idea of a 25 faery kingdom, said he would be running the wars, and I couldn't say no to that -- I believe that Smiles is the best war leader in the game. It was a terrific age (age 81) with a killer setup and we crowned honor and WW, top 3 land and nw. I'd really only planned to come back for a single age, but that success made me want to stick around. I did one more age with TFC, but the magic was gone. Drama began to appear in the kd, there were personality conflicts etc., and it just wasn't a great age. I'd been bit by the uto bug though, so after age 82 I just decided to random into a ghetto and fool around for another age.

 The Kingdom I randomed into in age 83 was a kingdom of 100% random provinces. No one in the kd had played with anyone else there before, so there was no leadership or discord or anything like that. I didn't really have any interest in trying to be in charge, this was supposed to be a sort of "age off" for me where I could just play casually. But when it became clear that no one else was going to step up, I just put myself out there and offered to do what I could. Little did I know...

 A lot of the players were brand new to the game; some were experienced but had spent most or all of their time in the ghetto. There were a few people with more substantial experience as well, but I would only slowly discover that as we went along. I set up a discord (very trial and error, as I had never run a server before)  and started teaching people how to use bot, and take intel before attacking, and how to properly do ops, etc. It was slow going. In the first week I got I think... 5 people into the discord server? Most people were shy, and just wanted to use the chat bar or in-game forums.

 It took a lot of coaxing, but slowly more and more people started popping in. The first few people I trained became my "LS" by default, and they helped the new arrivals learn bot and all the rest. Very, very basic stuff. Expectations were minimal, it was all about making people feel comfortable and safe and welcome. Our kd location was 9:9, so we called ourselves "99 Problems" in honor of the basket case of a kingdom we all instinctively knew we were.

 Well, little did I know, Smiles had done more or less the same thing as I had! He'd left TFC after age 82 as well, and randomed into the deep ghetto. Sure enough, he'd found himself flying his own little flock of misfit birds. We got to talking, and when we realized that we both had only like ~15 provinces each, and a couple of inactives apiece, we came up with a plan: we would war our two kingdoms against one another, purge our respective inactives in the eowcf, and then merge the kingdoms.

 So we did. It was a rough and very basic little war. Lots of bounces. Activity sporadic. But it was good training for both kds.  In the end, 99 Problems won, and smiles asked the admin to merge his remaining provinces into my kingdom, so I became monarch by default. I'm not a war leader though and never have been, so from the very beginning, smiles was the one calling the shots and doing the hard training. My role is and always has been to bring people together, problem solve, and make people feel safe, welcome, and appreciated as part of our community.

 Once we settled into a system that worked for us we set about training our players and replacing inactives using the in-game recruiting tool. We finished 9th in kd honor that first age, as a kingdom of 22 completely random provinces, the only two of whom had ever played with one another before being myself and smiles. That was the beginning of our kingdom, and I was so very proud of all of our players.

 We decided after our first age that we would be a teaching and training kingdom, and that we would prioritize giving as many people as possible opportunities to learn leadership, and that we would welcome brand new players and encourage players who were completely new to the game to play with us and learn with us. For the first three ages that remained our central focus, though we found ourselves creeping up the rankings charts every age. With Smiles as your war leader, that sort of thing is going to happen! It's only a matter of time until you find yourself competing at higher and higher levels. In more recent ages we have begun to shift our focus to crown goals, and recruitment strategies have shifted to attracting the best talent possible. As our community continues to grow we may consider starting a second kingdom based on the same principles that we started with only a little over a year ago -- those of teaching, training, and egalitarian spirit.

 When was the kingdom started, how many founders?

 The answer would be, age 83, and every one of the people who played with us in that first age can be thought of as the founders of our kingdom. There was no "core" group, and that principle of egalitarianism and equal ownership of the kingdom continues to this day. All of our players have an equal voice in setting the direction for our kingdom, and while seniority or status as an original member might hold special meaning for those of us who remember that first age together, seniority does not confer any special status or authority in our community.

 How many actual members do you have and how do you recruit?

 Currently we have an active roster of 25 players with four active former players standing by as potential substitutes. There are also around twenty former players. I try to stay in regular contact with everyone who leaves or decides to take a few ages off. Some are retired for good and others I hope will return at some point when they have more time. Our kingdom has a policy of filling any empty spots first from our veteran pool if possible before recruiting from the outside. In addition to the 50 or so players and former players our server is also host to a few dozen regular guests from various other kingdoms. Our numerous public channels are open to everyone, and we make no effort to hide our location at the start of the age, so all are welcome at any time. I encourage everyone to come join us in our public channels.

 What about these 10 laws of effective leadership and 6 eternal principles of the constitution I hear about?

 Well, I will start with the nuts and bolts, because I really enjoy talking about our kingdom's constitutional structure. Our kingdom has functioned as an elective monarchy since the end of our second age. At the end of every age our kingdom votes on goals and direction for the next age. Things like level of competitiveness and level of activity expected from players, criteria for recruitment, age goal, kd name, and theme for the age are decided by straw polls and secret ballot.

 Once our age goals are decided upon, we hold a formal election to select a monarch for the next age. The only stipulation is that whoever is elected must accept the goals and direction that the kd chose for the coming age, and cannot try to change them or the constitutional nature of the kingdom. A Returning Officer is selected from the pool of original kd members, and they are entrusted with handling the nomination and selection process and ensuring a fair result of the vote.

 Once a monarch is elected, the constitution stipulates that they must appoint a war leader to lead the kingdom, and a council of advisors to support the war leader. Once the war leader is appointed, the show is theirs to run however they deem appropriate. The monarch can change war leaders mid-age if they want, but not during a war in progress, and the monarch has no power to overrule or interfere with a war leader's conduct of a war.

 The elected monarch has final say on withdrawing from war, recruitment, and removing players, or selecting people for leadership, but it is the war leader who is at the top of the org chart for most in-game decisions. So in some sense you could say that the kingdom runs on a consular system with two leaders; one civilian, and one military. In that sense the constitution is a formal description of the system that Smiles and I designed for ourselves out of necessity that first age. It worked well, so we made it official.

 In practice, our core leadership has not changed much in 5 ages. Smiles and I have served as war leader and monarch respectively every age since our kingdom's foundation, though we do rotate people through council as often as we can to give people experience of war planning and wave leading. In the last three ages we have brought in some tremendously experienced and capable people from other kingdoms, and this expanded leadership capacity has added tremendously to our success. It also gives me great hope for the future of our constitutional experiment.

 As for RedBird's ten laws of leadership, well, these are just the rules I expect my leadership team to lead and play by:

 1. No topic of discussion is off limits in leadership council, and everyone has an equal voice there.

 2. Morale is everything, and no negativity, complaining, or defeatist talk is permitted outside of council.

 3. We reward initiative and encourage risk taking.

 4. Everyone deserves a second chance. Most people deserve a third chance. Some people deserve a fourth chance.

 5. We review personnel after every war and we are always looking for ways to make our kingdom stronger, and support players who are struggling.

 6. We offer praise for positive actions, and gentle correction for mistakes. We always address the members of our kd using terms of affection and respect.

 7. We always put the needs of the KD ahead of our own provinces.

 8. We are decisive in giving orders and we do not argue or plead.

 9. Life is more important than utopia.

 10. Don't be a martyr: set a sitter and get some sleep.

 ---------

 There are some goals that are so poetic as to be necessary goals. A crowning achievement for our kingdom would be to achieve a level of success greater than that crowning age Smiles captained for us in TFC in age 81. If we could do that, it would feel like a full circle and culmination of the first chapter of our kingdom's journey. It would be a crown for all of us, but for Smiles more than myself. A legacy for me would be seeing this constitutional and democratic model I am trying to create actually carry on after I am gone. I'm sure I still have plenty of ages ahead of me, but the time will come eventually when I either step aside or the members of my kingdom decide to hand the reins to a new king or queen.

 If and when that day comes, if I could take a few ages off from utopia, and then come back and discover that the kingdom I helped to found was still going strong, and had stayed true to the systems and principles on which it was founded... well, that would be the crown for me.

 Thank you for the interview opportunity!

 Thank you Redbird and Thank you Warbirds for being part of the community! You have a very unique kingdom structure and a nice piece of history for anyone who many have missed the early 80’s. It also serves as a very inspirational story on building a kingdom from the ground up and how you overcame struggles you faced in order to maintain a presence in the war charts age over age.

 I would like to thank Smiles for constantly commenting and participating in the MUGA chat especially when I mention him as he has been very transparent about sharing information and data. Thank you Smiles for your contribution!

 For any Monarchs out there if you would like your kingdom/war featured please reach out to me in discord or at 1:1!

 W1nD#9514

 Reporter - w1nd 1:1

[ryokiowriter]

Sweet Dreams

His carefully cultivated darkness was swirling, the swell of nebulous tide keeping the same time as his tapping foot. It rippled and trembled, echoing its master's meticulous metronome as he waited. Patience was nothing new, a skill he'd been forced to cultivate over the years, but it was currently running thin. He’d been waiting for quite a while now. Just where on earth was his guest?

A burst of static broke the silence, a cold breeze ghosting across the back of his neck. Ah. There.

Reaching up to readjust his tie, Darkiplier chose to address his guest without looking, only turning his head once he finished speaking. 

"I’ve been waiting. You're late."

Even though the monochrome man's voice held no hints of irritation, Anti couldn't help but bristle. He'd worked hard to get here, bent his own reality and warped it to pursue his adversary all the way to this dismal little corner of space. His grin faltered slightly, flickering gaze darting between Darkiplier and the table behind him. 

"͈̱̹̩͙I̬'̞̼̣̺m ̢̤̥n̟e͎̻͓v̭̳͈eŗ̱ ͉l͉̜͎̞̮̀a̗̩̬̗̯t̘̯͟e̳̻͎͓̞͠.̷̤̲̲̼̟͙ ̦͚̙Ì͓̞̬̥ ҉̩͙g͞e̩̝̳̭̱t͖̜̕ ͇wẖ͔̱̖er҉̻̙̰̱e̷̩̤̲̙̮̹̼ I̝̫̯͙̰ͅ ̣̺̤w͈̩̻̹͖̩a͉̦̱͚̝͉n̷͉̩t̷͚ w̼̥̪͔͇̼̜h̶͎̼̦̮ẹ̖n̫̘ ̻͉͙͕I̦̬ ͍̖w̬a͕̲̣̪̹̥͈͟n̤͜t̴̪̼̤̣.”͘ 

His eyes caught the table again.

"͓͉̺̥͈̭͜W̗̘̝h̠̼͚͇at͉̙͔͔̕.̭͙͚͓̜͚.̣ͅ.̸ ̶̦i͖s҉̜̝̖͓̪ ͇̺̼̻̲t͘h̤̯͔̯̜̻a̧̮̤t҉̟̜͉?̞̫"͕͍͇

Turning slowly on his heel, the broader-shouldered man opened his arms in a welcoming gesture. That set Anti's very teeth on edge. 

"Relax."

A cold hand seemed to squeeze at his stomach. There was no chance of any relaxation happening anytime soon, especially not when his opponent asked him to in such a honeyed tone.

 "I'm not looking to fight today. Our last two encounters have been... well, 'tense' would be putting it very lightly."

T͚͉͖̳̙̝͙̤ͥ́͊ͬ͞r̬̻̤͈͌ͥͣͅã̝̖̤ͪͩ̋ͨ̑̕͜p̷͕͎̖͋̓͋͑̕t̸̠̗̹̲̓̕r͙͙̣̣̩ͮ͛̍̿̽̒͂ä̢͍̥̰̰͈̻̳̪̂ͦ̿̔̚p̡͍͚͚ͤͪ͆̉ṯ̢͔̫͖̜͍͎̪ͪ̔̈́̇̍͝ŗ̳̎̋͂ͤ̄ͦ̆a̴̼̥̘ͫͬ̎̐͝͞ͅp̮͚̳̟̗̔̋̓̾̿̑t͕̠̗̽̌́̀͞ŗ͔̲̗͎͎̟͗̄͂̿ͫ̄ͨͤ͜a̘͊ͬͬ̄̉͌̈̓͋͡p̡͔̬̒̔ͩ͂̾̆̃͞t͇͈̝͐ͦ̂̈ͤ̀ͅr̶͖̞͍̿̍͌͌̀͑͟Á̵̵͔̭͔̝̽̌ͥ̌̍͆̇P̡̳̘͓͊̇ͣ̓͒͟T̢̛͔̖͙͖̈̏ͅȐ̶̳̖̜̥̜͗ͭ͒ͨ͌̈ͭĄ̴̩ͮ̽̇ͦP̵̳̬͎̣̗͍̫ͩͮ͡͝Tͯ͌̐̋̋̍̆͋ͨ҉͍͖̟͖ͅR̢̨̻̙͆ͫͬA͋̅̇ͥ́̚��̥͎̮͖̳̘ͮP̝̻̟͈͎̓ͭ̄̈́͘T̵̻͚̬͍̥̫̪̭ͣ̓͢ͅR̷̟͖̳̖̻̪̯͙͗̄ͨ͂͞A̴̦̘͓̺ͥͫͥ́̚͡P̵̮̣̯͍̜͓͌ͣͧ̑͠—̶̵̯̚͢ͅ

"́T̤̥h̸͔͈ą̣̟̟̣̦̝t̴̼͎͍̼̹'̫̰̮s̲̳ ̤̮͉̻̼͜a̜͈̟͞ ̛̤̹̳f͡u̝̠̣c̡̭͓k̫̜̫i҉ng̳͝ ̘̲̤̳̙͎u̩̮̕ͅn̲̤̭̤d̴e̛͓̱̺͖r̴͍̬͇͈s̙̯͉̙͎͎̤͠t̛a̩̜̤͍̱̰̻ţ͓e̷͖͔̟͇m̧̘̱̦͚̬̦e̪̗̪̻͓ͅn͖̟̮̣̙͔t̹̥͕̬͢ͅͅͅ.̷̫̦̙"̱

A derisive snort followed his proclamation, fingers twitching as if longing to wrap around the handle of a blade. He never really did stop moving, but the way Dark was looking at him, he couldn’t help but immobilize just a tad. Noting the stilling of Anti’s glitches, Dark gave a slightly warmer version of his usual smirk.

“Anyways, back to your question. ‘That,’ as you put it, is my peace offering. A light luncheon, something to whet our appetites for conversation. Let us not compete, but conversate instead.”

Bending slightly, Anti peered around the smoky silhouette of the other man. The table was indeed set with a small feast, though not the kind he had been anticipating. Instead of a variety of foodstuffs, he was greeted with the sight of sweets. The only thing they had in common was that they were all chocolate.

“̸͍̼̳̣…̬̪I͙̼̱ ̢͈͔̲͔͎̩h̪͚̝̜̦ad ̩̗͕̬̝̺͟n̛o̭̠̪̠̹̝͡ ̛̹̹̫i͞d̗̱̼͖͎e̞̝̱͎͟a͞ ̨̫̳̭̜̠y̫͎̖̩͉̬o̤ṷ̤̩̣̩͞ ̷̩̥̖h͎̬͓̪̮̟ḁ̷d҉̲͉̜̥ ͇̲̣̱̭̀s͇͕̟̖͔͚ư͎̜̱̮ch̰̥͕͉̻̻ ͎͎̀ḁ̮̻͠ ͖̜̜͕͓s̝͕͉ẁ͎͍̰e̷̠͙̱͙̲͕e̜̗t͚͓ ̝͓t̝̦̺̪̫̹̱͝o̹̟̲̖̺o̘̖͈̬̬̳͓͞t҉͙͉̭̬̗h҉,҉̩̩̤̫̺̪”̵̫ he finally grumbled, glitching forward and into one of the unoccupied chairs. In a swirl of shadows, Darkiplier followed suit, reappearing in the chair opposite his adversary. Silence hung in the air, uneasy and full of hesitation. As he helped himself to a slice of Black Forest cake, he couldn’t help but notice that his guest was not— save for the occasional glitch— moving.

“Are you not hungry?”

Jumping slightly, Anti tried to pass off his shock at being called out as just another glitch, flickering in and out of view for a few beats. Before he could even offer up a response, Dark spoke again.

“I understand that you may not trust me… so, consider this.” Spearing part of the cake upon his fork, the shadowy figure raised it to his mouth, making an effort to show Anti that he had indeed swallowed it.

“If it was poison, why on earth would I be eating it?”

Not entirely convinced, Anti scowled at his host, reaching forward and taking an éclair. Taking a bite, he chewed thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes at the other antagonist.

“̛̮̟͔͚̣͈W͎͕̪̻͓͍h̦̤̦̫̠̯a̸̱̪̟͕̜̜̩t̛̰͓̣̪͉͙͔ ͎̠̻̗͜dó̠̖ yo̠̘͈̹̦̺̯u̯̠̭͇̗͟ ̵̤w͙͈͚͎̻̯a͚̦̤̟̻n͓̭̭̠̗ͅţ̘̘̮̝̩?̣͠”

Sighing, Darkiplier let his fork rest upon the plate with hardly a clatter.  “I already told you, my verdant villain. This is a peace offering, a chance to talk rather than trade blows.” Steepling his fingers together, he regarded Anti with a serious look. “We are not meant to exist on the same plane outside of these dreamscapes. Yet we fight and squabble here, trying to outdo one another, to be king on the outside.” As he continued to explain, Anti had already polished off the éclair, reaching next for a cupcake, laden with frosting. Dark waited until he’d taken a bite to continue.

“To be quite honest, I wanted to tell you that you’ve lost.”

Anti froze in place, all-too keenly aware of the fact that crumbs lingered on his lips. Bright blue eyes flickered to black, the sugary confection suddenly tasting bitter upon his tongue as he set the remainder down upon the plate. He didn’t want to swallow, not after hearing that. With an absolutely wicked grin, Dark continued.

“See, here’s the thing. If you want to catch a rat, you can easily set a trap. But there’s a chance the slippery little rodent will escape. Besides, even if the trap is triggered, it’s far too quick to properly enjoy the rat’s demise.” Letting his toothy smile subside to a smug smirk, he regarded Anti with half-lidded eyes. “Poison works so much better, especially if it’s in the form of too much antidote. Tell me: how are you feeling now?”

If he was going to be honest, Anti was actually feeling quite unwell. Antidote. Clever. However, before he could even voice a violent complaint, he clenched his jaw, one hand flying to cover his mouth. His stomach lurched, bile rising to the back of his throat unbidden. Standing so sharply as to knock over the chair, Anti moved to bolt, instead collapsing to his knees. Despite his efforts to keep his mouth shut, his lips pulled away from his teeth, expression locked into a painful grimace.

“̶Y̡̞͎͉-͇͓̤̝̻̘̮y͞o͘u̵͎̻̦͈͙ͅ—̨̖̣͕“̧͈̭̣̭̮͍ He couldn’t even finish his sentence, his already fragmented form twitching and heaving as his system attempted to purge the toxic substance he’d unknowingly ingested. Green dripped from his mouth as he raised his gaze, a similarly-colored pupil flaring brightly in the darkness.

“͓͕B͖̖̱͚-̴̘͉̟̰b̫a҉̩̯̥͚s̱̺̝̞͢ṱ̥̩͇̤ͅḁ̶͈̬̥͖͔ṛ͍̰̤̩d̳͖̙̞̗͍!̡̟”̫ Clicking his tongue, the sharply-dressed man stood, walking to stand over the hunched-over figure that was his adversary. “Now, now. There’s no need for such language. Your last words should be more than just an insult, they should be something meaningful.”

Anti tried to use the close proximity between them to lash out, summoning up his knife from the depths of the abyss for additional damage. The second the handle touched his fingers, however, he was immobilized. Even his glitches had stopped. The source of his frozen state was made evident, his shadow still moving slightly. Crooking his finger in a beckoning motion, Darkiplier brought the shadows upright, thusly straightening Anti upwards and bringing them uncomfortably close.

“As I said before, you’ve lost. So… any last words, Anti?” A few beats of silence passed before Dark realized he’d immobilized the other so much so that he couldn’t even speak. Sighing, he relinquished his control over Anti’s shadow, the green glitch falling to the floor with a spluttering cough. Anti took several shuddering breaths, green liquid still spilling from his lips as he tried not to choke and gasp. Unsatisfied with the other’s lack of a proper response, Dark’s expression turned to rage, grey fingers reaching down to tangle in silken strands, yanking the poisoned youth upwards.

“Any. Last. Words?!”

Unexpectedly, his words garnered a response. It started softly, a weak gurgle, rising in pitch first, then in volume. Anti was laughing.

Dark’s astonishment at the laughter didn’t last long, nor did his wonder for the cause of it. Anti had barely twitched, and yet the monochrome spectre felt a strange warmth blooming from his shoulder, accompanied by a white hot pain. As he tried to pull away, he found skinny arms wrapping around him, practically crushing their forms together. Another cough wracked Anti’s form, the action followed by the softest words Darkiplier had ever heard from his fellow villain. 

 “̸̲̦̯͔̘͕͕I̯̻̺̕f̻͈̯̱͝ ̸̦̤I̻-̮̞̦͎̫͈̜͝I̯͇͙̯’̴̦m̛̟̲̗̤̝ ̤͈̱g̸͎̟̬̰̩ò͔͍̟̯̝i̵̘̲͓̦n̬̮̞͝g̸̝͓̬̦̜ ̡̣̖d́o̳w͕̰͕ṉ̬̫͓͢…̨̩ ̟̲̗̼I̩’̪̻̳͇͚m̻̼͉̯̪ ̵̖̣t̛̬̘a͕̗k̸̜̤̹̰̳͔̦i̮̫̟͝ǹg̻̣͈̗ ̟̫̺̣̭̥̼̕y͖̟ơ̹̙̲̜ͅu̸̘ ̜wi̱̦̼t̬͈̠̫͙͙h̟̬̕ ͍̺̭̗͔m̡̘̖͕̮̙-̛̯͕̘͙͚͎m̗͔ę͕͕͙̤ͅ.͏̦̠̼̫̰̳̟”̰̜̠̭

The knife in his hand was yanked unceremoniously from Darkiplier’s back, only to be plunged into his shoulder again. The action repeated several times in an astonishingly rapid fashion, each blow going slightly lower than the last. A cough to match Anti’s left him, blackened blood spattering forth and staining his lips and chin. With one final plunge of the knife, Anti ceased his barrage of attacks, both of them collapsing to their knees, exhausted and wounded beyond saving. As Darkiplier’s vision began to blur, he heard one last fragmented sentence from his adversary. 

“̘ͅN̯̯̩o̥͚͙̹̙̬͟ͅw̹͙̹͢…̜͙̀ ̴̱̤n̶̼͚̭-̗͖͉̼̲͚̀ǹ͎̘̖̘̳͉o͓͔w̮̤͖̪ ̝̰̘̤i͍̱͖͍ͅt̯̭̱̘̯̳̼͟’̟̲͝s̩̼̤̣̩̲ ҉̲͖̫̬y̡͖̥̮o̝̱̖u̘̠͞r̪ ̧̯̟̙̼t͚̳̞ṷ̴̩ͅr̷͓͚̱n͕͜ ̴̹͖̼̦͚͓̬t̥͇ơ͎̦̣̫͔ ̴̫̤̗w̹̳̼̰͘ạ̞͎͈ķ̩̼ę̱̯̣̪ ̦͍̜̘͚͈u̸��̮̫̮͔p̼̹͖̳.̭̺̝̜͔̖̻”̳̘

Mark jerked awake in a cold sweat. He could still feel a lingering burning sensation on his back. Subsequent contorting and frantic patting confirmed that there was no actual wound that carried over from the dream, prompting a sigh of relief. Admittedly, though, he was going to need a bit of a walk, maybe a glass of water. He had to shake off such a disturbing dream. Fumbling for his glasses, he threw his blanket back, sliding out of bed easily and speed-walking down the hall.

The water was cool on his tongue, washing away the bad taste the dream had left in his mouth. Or maybe that was mouth ick from sleep. Either way, he couldn’t help but mull the dream over in his head, inspecting his reflection in the glass. A frown curved his mouth downwards, dissatisfaction evident on his face and in his reflection. “So, Anti wants to kill Darkiplier?” he mumbled, talking to himself, musing almost. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed at his eyes again, groaning softly.

“He’s not going to get rid of me that easily.” A tiny smirk tugged at his lips, before he took another sip of water. “Clearly, we both need to try harder if one of us is to rule absolute.”

One thing was for sure. This was, by no means, over. And if he had his way, Darkiplier was going to finish the battle, once and for all.

He would be king. 

#jacksepticeye #markiplier #antisepticeye #darkiplier #I took some creative liberties with Darkiplier's abilities #I mean the wiki says he's a Tulpa #but he's so shadowy and spooky #I can't help but like the idea that in the dreamscape he can control shadows #tw: vomit #tw: emetophobia #Series: Dreamscaping

[obaewankenope]

Hate? Really bitch?

Quran (3:56) - “As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help.”

Quran (3:151) - “Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority”. This speaks directly of polytheists, yet it also includes Christians, since they believe in the Trinity (ie. what Muhammad incorrectly believed to be ‘joining companions to Allah’).

Quran (4:74) - “Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward.” The martyrs of Islam are unlike the early Christians, who were led meekly to the slaughter. These Muslims are killed in battle as they attempt to inflict death and destruction for the cause of Allah. This is the theological basis for today’s suicide bombers.

Quran (4:76) - “Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah…”

Quran (4:89) - “They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks.”

Matthew 10:34 — “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.”

Exodus 32:26-28 — “And when Moses saw that the people were naked (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies), then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’S side? Let him come unto me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: ‘Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out  from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’”

Revelation 21:8 — “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.“

Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT  — Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel.”

2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB  — They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.”

Deuteronomy 13:13-19 NLT — Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it. Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors. “The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him.” 

Romans 1:24-32 NLT — So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved. When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. They are fully aware of God’s death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.”

Deuteronomy 13:6-11 — “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”

Deuteronomy 17:2-20 — “If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.”

2 Chronicles 15:13 — “But that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.”

Luke 19:27 — “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”

The reason I’ve just spat all these at you, inanimateconscious is because it is very easy to take religious texts thousands of years old, which have been relentlessly revised over the ages, and to find the most violent, cruel and supportive of violence and war and murder in said texts. 

If you think I’m impressed, or have been converted to your way of thinking, you are unfortunate in that respect. All you have managed to do is show that you too can use google; colour me impressed. 

Enjoy your bigotry and hate. It evidently suits you well. 

#reply #kat replies #islamophobia #selective use of religious texts #two can play at that game #submission

[totallyrhettro]

The Lone Jedi, Chapter 6

Word Count: 2025 Rating: This chapter: G. Overall story: explicit Warnings: None Summary: Jedi Knight Rhett McLaughlin managed to escape the purge of the Emperor to become one of the last of his celibate order. After years of a solitary life, he finds himself with a former slave for a friend. Despite his efforts to maintain anonymity and the jedi code, he starts to realize that doing either is easier said than done. Notes: Star Wars AU; Events take place between episodes III and IV

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

*See the end of each chapter for additional notes on star wars terms*

Rhett POV

After dropping off the brown bag in a small room near the side entrance, Rhett walked back with Link to the kitchen. The shorter man sat down at the table, like he did yesterday, waiting until the other had already started preparing their food before taking a deep breath. "Where did you learn to do that?" he asked, referring to his host's earlier demonstration. "With the pole. I've never seen anyone do that before." Rhett didn't look up as he cooked and there was a slight pause before he answered. "My father taught me. He felt it was important that I knew how to defend myself." "With a pole?"

"It's called a bokken," he chuckled. "It's used for practice instead of a real sword."

"Do you own a real sword?" Again Rhett hesitated. He still wasn't sure how much information to give with each answer and it got harder to avoid the difficult questions. "I do, actually," he finally said. "I don't use it often, except to hunt." "Is that what you used to kill the beast that tried to eat me?" "Yes. I was out hunting when I found you." "I guess I'm lucky you were nearby." Rhett smiled and nodded but didn't really agree. Jedi don't believe in luck. Rhett believed that it was the will of the Force that brought them together, for him to save this man. He just wasn't sure why yet. "Where's your, uh, animal? The one I saw after I woke up?" "It's called a kybuck. He's a friend of mine; keeps me company up here in the mountains. You'll see him around, I'm sure. He comes and goes as he pleases. I don't own him. I give him shelter, and an occasional meal, and he helps me get to and from town when I need to." "What's his name?" "You know, I don't think he's ever told me." He gave an amused grin to his guest but only got a confused expression in response. "I never felt the need to give him one." There were a few minutes of silence as Link seemed to contemplate this information while Rhett continued to prepare breakfast. "So what is this place?" he asked after a while. "Or, what did it used to be?" "This used to be an academy." Rhett slid the ingredients he had been chopping into a large wok with his knife. He turned and placed it over the waiting stove. "It was a long time ago. I doubt many people even know it exists." "An academy? What's that?" "It's like a school. People would come from light years away to learn from the teachers here." "What did they teach here?" "Many things... I'm- I'm sure," he stumbled to amend his answer, silently cursing himself at his inability to lie comfortably. If his guest noticed his lame answer, he didn't bring attention to it. "And you just... live here?" "It's a boring life, sure, but these are troubling times. A little peace and quiet appeals to me." There was a short pause and he latched onto it, using it to turn the topic of conversation away from himself. "What about yourself? You know I've told you an awful lot about my life and my history. I know so little about you. I'd like to learn more about you, if that's alright." "There's not much to tell." Link fidgeted in his seat, suddenly very interested in the skin around his fingernails. "I used to be a dancer for my master. I guess I'm nothing now." Rhett felt a soft ache in his heart. The pieces were falling into place but, as expected, they didn't show a happy portrait of this man's life, or state of mind. "That's not true. You could never be nothing." Link looked up at him, wistful but hopeful. "You're Link and that's the most important thing you could ever be." "But my master..." Before Link could finish, Rhett walked over to him and knelt by his side. He placed a hand on his bare shoulder and looked him right in the eye. "You are your own master. Your opinion is the only one that matters." "But what do I do now? Dancing for my master was the only life I knew. What will become of me?" "You are a free man, now." Rhett let his hand slide down Link's shoulder to just above his elbow. The brunet's eyes really were the most beautiful shade of blue. "You can do whatever you want." For a moment they just regarded each other, both thinking about what that meant, what it could mean. "I don't know what I want," he finally said. "All I ever wanted to do was dance."

"What about your... uh, family? You could go home, maybe? Be with them?" He stumbled, slightly, over his words. He felt his heart sank as his fears were quickly confirmed.

"The other dancers were my family. My master was my family. I don't remember ever having another. I don't have anyone else."

"Well, I have plenty of space and food if you want to stay here. You are more than welcome." Something in the back of the jedi’s mind told him he shouldn't have offered such an invitation, but he didn't care. It told him this was bad idea, but he ignored it. He reasoned that he was helping someone in need and it wasn't his own loneliness that he was trying to sooth. Link looked grateful. "Thank you. I promise I won't be a burden to you. I'll try to help where I can." His voice was so sweet and eager to please, Rhett couldn't help but smile. "All I want from you is for you to get better." He sniffed the air. "I hope I haven't burnt breakfast!" Going back to the stove, he finished cooking the food before serving it to the both of them. The meal was far less awkward than their last one together had been. Link was happy to have a home, however temporary, and Rhett was happy to have company.

~

After breakfast, Rhett gave Link a tour of the compound. He avoided showing him the archives downstairs, sticking to the buildings above ground. To the West was the main entry hall, housing a stable for the kybuck and small rooms for storage, mostly medical and travel supplies. To the South was the small dining hall and the rooms set aside for foodstuffs and cooking equipment.

Not far from there were the former sleeping quarters. Rhett assured his guest that he could make up a separate sleeping space for him if he wished, but Link assured him the extra effort would not be necessary. He was used to sharing a room with other people and didn't want to make more work for his host.

To the East was Rhett's exercise area and meditation chamber. A large room, it took up most of that side of the compound. To the North more buildings, mostly in ruins, lay buried in rubble. A small section had been cleared to provide access to the underground chambers, but Rhett chose to overlook their existence, instead showing his guest the rest of the courtyard even though there wasn't much to explain.

When he finished talking about his expertly maintained garden, Rhett sat down on the stone bench by the fountain, motioning for his new companion to sit with him. It had been a relatively short tour, but he was concerned Link would tire himself out. The healing properties of the river water would aid in his recovery, but it would be all for naught if he didn't rest enough.

"You'll need to have your bandages changed at least once a day for a while," the jedi explained. "The healing salve will help quite a bit. Hopefully you'll get your strength back soon."

"I just wish I could do something about this," the brunet muttered, rubbing his scraggly beard. Rhett looked it over, assessing.

"It's been a long while since I’ve shaved," he chuckled. "I never thought to buy a razor." Link frowned.

"I never had a beard before. Master didn't like it." Rhett held back a grimace at the mention of the Hutt, instead nodding thoughtfully.

"Well, now you can grow one if you want." His guest seemed to mull that fact over a few seconds, continuing to run his fingers over the rough, black hairs.

"I don't like it," he finally concluded. Rhett smiled. It was a small decision, but it was nice seeing his new companion making choices for himself, possibly for the first time in his life.

"I'll have to see what I can do, then."

For the most part the rest of the day was spent teaching Link more about the garden. The now former-slave had never seen a real garden before and he was fascinated by the prospect of growing his own food. Rhett told him how he started out, tilling the soil, planting the seeds, and tending to the plants.

He enjoyed watching the eagerness in Link’s eyes as he taught him about the various fruits and vegetables that grew in the academy garden. It wasn’t exactly a simple craft, but while Link was uneducated his mind was sharp and quick, and his curiosity was insatiable. New knowledge had rarely been offered to him in the past. He didn't need to know much in his old life, but now he couldn't get enough. Rhett could tell his friend would be a fast learner. Still, hands on experience would have to wait.

~

That evening, as Link changed into the long pants Rhett had given him, the jedi asked him again if he wanted his own room.

"I can easily extend this room," he told him. "It would take a few days but-"

"To be honest, I would rather stay here, if that's alright with you. I'm used to sharing space with others anyway. Besides..." He looked down, biting his lip nervously. "I don't like being alone." Rhett felt his heart break a little bit inside at the tender sadness of this man. He wanted to just hold him, as if his arms could protect him from all the pain and sorrow of the world.

"Tomorrow I have to go into town for supplies. It will take a few hours, but I'll be back as soon as I can." Link nodded, looking sad but obviously trying to be brave. His life had changed so much in a few days. Rhett placed his hands on the shorter man's arms. "Maybe when you're stronger you can go with me, but you still need to rest. I promise, when I get back, you'll never have to be alone again."

Link looked up, his blue eyes sparkling in the dim light of the room. Rhett felt like he could see the whole galaxy in those eyes. For a brief moment, he was lost in them. Then, to his surprise, Link fell against him, dropping his face against his chest and folding his arms between them. The jedi was taken aback at first, but then gently wrapped his arms around the shorter man. He rested his chin on top of Link’s dark hair and closed his eyes. Rhett couldn't remember the last time he had hugged someone, or had been hugged. It was nice.

All too soon, his new roommate pulled away, taking with him his warmth and touch. He crawled into his simple bed and Rhett walked across the room to lay down on his own. As the two men settled in for the night, Link sighed contently.

"Goodnight, Rhett," he said, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight, Link," the jedi replied. He watched Link for a minute or two, enjoying the man’s momentary bliss that only slumber seemed able to give. During the day that youthful face was lined with many troubles. Now, those troubles faded away in the ignorance of sleep, leaving a serenity that most jedi could only hope to achieve. Then his mouth fell open. Rhett chuckled to himself.

‘Sweet dreams, my friend. May you find only peace and happiness in the morning's light.’

Next Chapter

Additional Notes-

Bokken: Not from star wars, but adapted for this fiction. A wooden sword used for training.

Kybuck: an animal originally from Kashyyyk. They look very much like the Tauntauns found on Hoth, if you crossed one with a horse.

More Fics

#rhett #link #rhink #fanfic #star wars #starwars #the lone jedi

[lavellansthree]

Investigate the Duke Antoine of Wycome

“Jester has reported in,” Leliana said as she entered the Inquisitor’s quarters, report in hand, “And it seems things may be more dire than we originally thought.” The spymaster made her way across the large room towards Lavellan’s desk, nodding to Bull who was lounging on the settee. The Qunari simply stretched his legs, watching the exchange closely.

“What do you mean, Leliana?” Lavellan asked, setting down the book he was skimming through. He had been anxious to hear back from Jester after Leliana’s field agents sent word that his clan had not had to endure any more attacks. They were safe but something still felt off.

“See for yourself,” she said as she held out the rumpled report.

The elf took the parchment and read through it carefully. He could hear Bull adjust on the settee, either trying to get more comfortable or possibly getting up. He wasn’t sure, his focus entirely on the short report.

Nightingale,

I have new information regarding Duke Antoine of Wycome’s move against the Inquisitor’s Dalish clan. It appears that Wycome has been experiencing some sort of plague that affects only humans. The duke has kept news of the disease quiet; as his fellow nobles grow louder in their anger, blaming the elves in the alienage for what has been called the “Knife-Eared Plague,” Antoine evidently chose to use Clan Lavellan as a scapegoat. His surreptitious move against the Dalish was an attempt to convince his nobles that he was taking action.

Suspicions in the city remain high. I can gather information, but any action on my part will be high risk.

Jester

“A disease that’s only affecting the humans?” Lavellan muttered as he set the report on his desk, glaring at it like it had personally offended him, “And they’re calling it the Knife-Eared Plague? When it originated amongst the human nobles?”

“And it seems the Duke is using your clan as a way out,” Leliana said darkly glancing up as the Qunari joined them at the desk.

“Typical noble crap,” Bull said, looking down at the report, his eye scanning it quickly, “Using fear and prejudices to make themselves look good.”

Levellan sighed softly, glancing up at his companion before turning to Leliana. “What do you suggest we do?” he asked the spymaster, crossing his arms, “My clan is still in danger where they are but so are the elves in the alienage. I also don’t want Jester to overstep. He’s risked enough getting this information.”

“The Duke of Wycome believes himself an ally of the Inquisition. Josephine’s ambassadors can go where my agents cannot,” Leliana said thoughtfully, “Perhaps they can enter the City under the guise of diplomatic relations and gather information about this plague.”

“That’s what we’ll do,” the elf said with a nod and slight frown, “And have Jester pull back. I want him to remain in the city but I don’t want him to bring any attention to himself.”

“Of course,” Leliana said as she turned away from the Inquisitor, “I’ll speak with Josie about sending a few ambassadors to Wycome. We will get to the bottom of this, Inquisitor.”

Lavellan watched her leave before picking up the report again. He glared at the words, anger bubbling up under his skin. The man called himself an ally yet he sent mercenaries to attack his clan and put blame on all elves for a mysterious illness, knowing full and well that he himself was an elf.

“Don’t worry, Kadan,” Bull said as he took the parchment from the elf’s hands and setting it aside, “If anyone can figure this out, it’s your people.”

_______________________________________________

Lavellan was preparing his Hart for their second journey to the Western Approach when Josephine came upon him. The elf looked up from adjusting the saddle bags when he heard her footsteps and smiled.

“Hello Josephine,” he said as he pat the Hart’s neck softly, “You caught me at a good time. We’ll be heading out within the hour.”

Josephine forced a smile as she came to a stop in front of the elf. “It’s good timing indeed,” she said with a soft tone, “I received a letter from one of the ambassadors I sent to Wycome. She has some interesting things to say.” She handed said letter to the redhead, studying the elf’s face for a reaction.

Lavellan frowned as he read over the letter:

Ambassador Montilyet,

Duke Antoine has been a most charming and gracious host, and has made himself a friend, indeed, to the Inquisition. His city is a wonder, and he was quite keen to display some of the improvements he has made recently. Of particular note are the wells, which use a red crystal to purify the water from which all humans in the city drink. Duke Antoine has not yet made these improvements to the wells from which the elves in the alienage drink.

The duke assures me that concerns about some sort of disease affecting his city are wholly overblown, and has quite convinced me that his plans to rid the city of “the rats causing the problem” should be underway quite soon.

I continue to enjoy my visit to Wycome, and I confess that I hope I do not hear the noisy clatter of the Inquisition’s armored troops ruining my quiet afternoons. The elves of Clan Lavellan, by contrast, are quiet, like their poor cousins here in Wycome’s alienage, and it might be a welcome change to my daily regime to see them in the future.

Yours in haste, Lady Guinevere Volant

Lavellan nearly growled as he finished reading the letter, a deep frown marring his features. “He plans to rid the city of ‘the rats causing the problems,’” he spat, refusing to look up to Josephine. He didn’t want her to see his rage.

“It seems like he intends to purge the alienage,” Josephine said softly, shaking her head, “And these red crystals used to purify the water sound an awful lot like-”

“Red lyrium,” Lavellan interrupted, closing his eyes with a sigh, “Of course it’s red lyrium. When is it never not red lyrium?”

“I’m going to have my ambassadors do a little more digging before we make our next move,” the Antivan said softly, gently taking the letter from the Inquisitor’s hands, “Leliana has already sent some more of her elven agents to your clan and to the alienage. They’ll act as the eyes and ears for the elves and prevent any of the lyrium from making it into any more wells.”

“Thank you Josephine,” Lavellan said softly.

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #da: inquisition #dalish elf #lavellan #inquisitor #inquisitor lavellan #Cole Lavellan #qunari #iron bull #Leliana #josephine montilyet #Investigate the Duke Antoine of Wycome #story time #skyhold #clan lavellan

[englishchinesetranslations]

Six years ago, the Chinese president Xi Jinping made a state visit to Britain. It was an important moment for both nations — the launch of a new “Golden Era”— designed to show that any differences caused by David Cameron’s meeting with the Dalai Lamai in 2012 were forgotten. Behind the scenes, however, it was preceded by months of difficult negotiations as Downing Street tried to meet Beijing’s conflicting demands for a schedule that showed their President to be an ordinary man of the people, while also according him with the respect that befits the leader of a nation better than any other on earth.

Finally, when they unfurled the flags for Xi’s three-day trip, there was lunch for the Red Emperor with the Queen, a glitzy state banquet, two nights at Buckingham Palace and an address to Parliament. But there were also pictures of the President standing aboard a London bus, enjoying fish and chips over a pint with Dave and hanging out with football stars in Manchester — all designed to reinforce the narrative of an ordinary bloke who happened to be ruling one-sixth of the world’s population.

“He has a confident and bullish exterior — he sees himself very much as the big leader,” wrote Cameron in his biography. “But behind the scenes I found him reflective and thoughtful.” Yet there seems surprisingly little wider interest in this enigmatic character who changed the course of China and now seeks to reshape the world.

That state visit came at a time of greater optimism, when many people beyond the Tory leadership fell for the delusion that China might be nominally a Communist country but, propelled by capitalism and consumerism, was sliding inexorably down a path towards greater freedom. How different the world looks today — and not just due to the devastating pandemic that mysteriously emerged from the heart of China, made all the worse by the state cover-up.

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Indeed, there is a growing consensus that this is a country intent on pushing its dictatorial creed in a tussle for global supremacy against Western liberal democracy. It is a nation which has inflicted genocide on Muslim minorities, throttled freedom in Hong Kong, threatened Taiwan, sabre-rattled on borders in the Himalayas, developed a sinister surveillance society and even infiltrated our universities to scoop up their latest research.

All of which makes the lack of curiosity surrounding the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong seem rather strange. As Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a professor of Chinese history, recently asked: “Why are there no biographies of Xi Jinping?”. Their absence is all the more striking when you consider that China’s ruler is not simply far more important than the likes of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has spawned a small library of books; he is also a fascinating figure with a compelling life story.

Lurking behind that calm facade lies a childhood tale that helps cast some light on Xi’s controlling policies and his aggressive nationalism. Bear in mind that it is Xi who turned his nation back towards harsh totalitarianism, ordered his acolytes to ratchet up repression in Xinjiang and broke any pretence of keeping to the handover deal with Britain to protect Hong Kong’s freedoms. He has ditched term limits to retain power, crushed party foes, stifled domestic dissent and enshrined his name in the party constitution, elevating his position and ideology to the status of Chairman Mao. It is hard to disagree with the view of former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd that he is “the most formidable politician of our age”.

It does not take a psychologist to see that the seeds of his ruthless desire for order, his rigid toughness and perhaps even his political pragmatism may have been sown during his turbulent background, even if it is hard to disentangle the myths from the man. Like any smart modern politician, Xi knows the power of public relations and has worked hard over the decades to create an image that dovetails with both his personal and national desires. Hence those “man of the people” pictures over a pint down The Plough with Cameron.

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Like his British host, Xi had an elite upbringing that involved attendance at one of his nation’s finest schools — although in his case, this led only to trouble and tragedy during the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. Xi, born in 1953, is the son of Xi Zhongxun, a Communist revolutionary hero who was close to Mao and became a vice premier. Although China was riddled with poverty, this prominent family lived in a compound for party chiefs with their own cooks, nannies and drivers. One official biography claims that his parents sought to ensure their children were not spoilt, so he wore clothes handed down from his siblings — including floral shoes from his sisters that were dyed black. His father, meanwhile, was so strict that friends said his treatment of his son bordered on inhuman, and Xi also attended the “CCP aristocracy school” in Beijing infamous for military-style discipline. Any hint of softness, said one classmate, was seen as weakness.

Disaster struck when he was nine. His father fell out with Mao amid party in-fighting, so was sent to work in a factory in central China and his family lost its prized home —although his mother Qi Xin retained her party job in Beijing. Worse came in the 1966 Cultural Revolution, with its brutal purging of senior officials as enemies of the state. His father was beaten, paraded on a truck through jeering crowds and jailed. The family home was ransacked by militants, his mother forced into hard labour on a farm. Xi, a bookish boy, was made to denounce his father and bullied by teachers as the child of a “black gang”, the term for disgraced officials. His older sister eventually killed herself after being “persecuted to death”.

The following year Xi’s school was shut down and turned into an exhibition to showcase the pampered privileges of the reactionary elite. At the age of 14, he was caught by a gang of revolutionary Red Guards, who threatened to execute him before making him read quotations from Mao. Another time, he fled from a meeting attacked by students armed with clubs, who caught and badly beat one of his friends. “I always had a stubborn streak and wouldn’t put up with being bullied,” he claimed later. “I riled the radicals and they blamed me for everything that went wrong.”

There can be little doubt that Xi suffered as the son of a prominent man who was purged repeatedly for remaining loyal to his lifetime cause of communism. Xi himself only evaded jail after Mao, seeking to regain control of spiralling chaos, ordered 30 million young city dwellers into the countryside for “re-education” by peasants. Analysts speculate this difficult period in his teenage years led to Xi’s ability to hide his feelings beneath an impassive surface, along with the development of his fervent desire for stability. “This generation had everything taken from them so they have the survival instinct,” said Kerry Brown, professor of China Studies at King’s College, London. “They had to deny who they were. It becomes all about control with no room for ego.”

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Xi has since made much of the seven long years he spent as a “son of yellow earth”, living from the age of 15 in a cave dwelling in a remote, impoverished village in Shaanxi region. “I felt lonely at first,” he admitted in his autobiography. He found it a shock to eat rough peasant food, sleep on flea-ridden blankets and perform hard rural labour. Dozens of others sent to this region died from disease or the tough conditions. Instead Xi developed extraordinary self-discipline: “The knife is sharpened on a stone, people are strengthened in adversity,” he said later.

His loathing of chaos was fuelled later by the collapse of the other major twentieth-century Communist empire. “Why did the Soviet Union disintegrate?” he once asked. “In the end nobody was a real man, nobody came out to resist.”

Yet during those formative years he also saw the danger of extremism, when children had free reign to kill and torture in the name of delivering utopia. Did this all leave him with the pragmatism needed to achieve his goals? A leaked US diplomatic cable, based on information from a friend, reported that Xi focused from an early age on reaching the top as an “exceptionally ambitious” character. Unlike many youths who “made up for lost time by having fun” after the Cultural Revolution, Xi “chose to survive by becoming redder than the red”, reading Karl Marx and laying foundations for a political career. He was seen as “cold and calculating”, deemed “boring” by women.

Now he wants to impose his will on the world, having navigated a path through the choppy waters of the Chinese Communist Party. Today, our challenge is not China, that huge land of epic history and extraordinary culture; it is President Xi and his vision of total control. His goal is clear: to make his country great again while usurping the global leadership of the United States — and he does not hide his aims.

In a speech to his party’s 2017 National Congress, Xi laid out “the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation”: to finish building a prosperous society by this year, centenary of the party’s birth; to assume global economic and military leadership by 2035; then to “resolve” the Taiwan issue by 2049, centenary of the People’s Republic, to conclude their rebirth as a “strong country”.

At the centre of his vision lies the Communist Party, firmly in control of everything in China, aided by skilled propaganda and use of technology to control his people in Orwellian style as they walk, talk, shop and work. Such is Xi’s sway that a smartphone app was developed which allowed users to compete over who could virtually applaud that party congress speech with the most enthusiasm — more than one billion claps were recorded in 24 hours. Two years later, the most downloaded app in the country was “Study the Great Nation”, which combined chat and games with quizzes about Xi’s ideology — a digital update on Mao’s Little Red Book designed to ensure compliance and diligence from citizens.

When Xi first met Putin in 2013, he told the Russian president: “We are similar in character.” There is truth in this statement, yet the Chinese leader is far more subtle and ambitious. Xi Jinping sees himself as a saviour of his creed and a man of destiny for his country, a ruthless character driven by fierce resolve inflamed by that suffering of his youth. He is the very embodiment of that Confucian saying: “To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”

[theconservativebrief]

Within the past 24 hours, Apple, Facebook, and YouTube have all joined in summarily banning far-right broadcaster and known conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his Infowars network from their platforms.

The bans have been swift and startling, coming after mounting public backlash against Infowars’s pernicious rhetoric, which is most notoriously responsible for helping popularize the false belief that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting never happened. Jones is currently the defendant in a precedent-setting lawsuit brought against him by the parents of a Sandy Hook victim.

But the ongoing conversation around the real-life damage Jones and his network have inflicted has also been accompanied by weeks of hedging from major internet companies, including Facebook and Spotify, about how to deal with Jones on their platforms while still protecting free speech.

Initially, Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify all took selective action, banning some episodes of Jones’s podcasts and shows, or removing selected social media posts they found to be in violation of various policies while allowing Infowars channels to remain active. Last Thursday, the popular audio streaming app Stitcher became the first platform to pull all of Jones’s content, without a lot of fuss.

But on Sunday night, Apple followed suit, summarily banning all of Jones’s content from iTunes — and in the process, sending a definitive message about what is and isn’t permissible free speech. Almost immediately, the dominoes began to fall: In the hours since Apple took action, multiple sites have started scrambling to reverse positions they were defending just a week ago.

The most notable of these is Facebook, which abruptly about-faced on its own free speech policy just hours after Apple did, essentially in the middle of the night. After that came YouTube, which appeared to ban Alex Jones’s channel (which had more than 2.5 million subscribers as of Monday) from its platform late Monday morning.

Spotify, which spent last week under fire after it decided to remove only selected episodes of Jones’s shows from its streaming platform, has also followed Apple’s lead, removing its entire library of Infowars-related media.

The swiftness of these removals highlights a truth that many tech companies don’t want to fully acknowledge in an age of increased ideological polarization among their users: The idea of “protecting free speech” isn’t actually a hard-and-fast policy on their sites, but rather an increasingly handy excuse they can use to avoid taking controversial action.

That’s almost certainly why, as soon as Apple took the step of entirely banning Jones and his content, the cudgel fell: All of a sudden the more controversial action would have been to allow Jones and Infowars to remain. And so, sites that just a week ago were tentatively committed to protecting Jones’s “free speech” couldn’t about-face fast enough.

Facebook follows Apple in banning Infowars, giving up the game after weeks of sanctimonious lectures about free speech. This was always about being too scared to go first. https://t.co/dbAB2nPqZQ

— Kevin Roose (@kevinroose) August 6, 2018

In July, while attending a controversial journalist consortium hosted by Facebook whose participants included multiple far-right publications like the Daily Caller, CNN reporter Oliver Darcy asked Facebook News Feed director John Hegeman “how the company could claim it was serious about tackling the problem of misinformation online while simultaneously allowing Infowars to maintain a page with nearly one million followers on its website.”

Hegeman’s answer was less than clarifying: “I guess just for being false that doesn’t violate the community standards,” he said, adding that Infowars had “not violated something that would result in them being taken down.”

But the question of Infowars’s policy violations is not theoretical; it is a fringe broadcast network that has on multiple occasions propagated conspiracies with appalling real-world effects, from Pizzagate to the false belief that the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting was a lie.

The latter has resulted in multiple parents of Sandy Hook victims being extensively targeted online. Those parents include Lenny Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa, whose 6-year-old Noah was killed in the attack and who have since had to move seven times in the past five years to escape harassment from Sandy Hook “truthers” egged on by the unsupportable fringe rhetoric of Infowars.

Pozner and De La Rosa are behind the aforementioned lawsuit against Jones and Infowars, and its outcome stands to redefine the question of what “free speech” is, legally. But in the meantime, the lawsuit has galvanized the public conversation around the damage that Infowars has done — and merged with the ongoing conversation about Facebook’s responsibility for combatting the spread of fake news.

Facebook invited me to an event today where the company aimed to tout its commitment to fighting fake news and misinformation.

I asked them why InfoWars is still allowed on the platform.

I didn’t get a good answer.https://t.co/WwLgqa6vQ4

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) July 12, 2018

In a July interview, Kara Swisher of Recode — which, like Vox, is owned by Vox Media — asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the mentality behind the company’s policy of refusing to ban the presence of properties like Infowars, given its stated commitment to dealing with fake news. In response, Zuckerberg seemed to use the idea of protecting free speech to dance around the ethically blurry line of leaving his platform open to people who could spread harmful fake news and potentially dangerous views:

“The approach that we’ve taken to false news is not to say: You can’t say something wrong on the internet,” Zuckerberg said. “I think that that would be too extreme. Everyone gets things wrong, and if we were taking down people’s accounts when they got a few things wrong, then that would be a hard world for giving people a voice and saying that you care about that.”

Following this interview, however, backlash mounted over Zuckerberg’s comments, which included an attempt to explain why Facebook probably wouldn’t ban Holocaust denialism despite its repugnance. In response to criticism of what seemed to be Zuckerberg’s nebulous stance, Facebook temporarily suspended Jones himself — that is, his personal Facebook page — as well as four selected videos that the company deemed had violated its community standards.

Facebook’s selectiveness seemed to guide the other sites that subsequently took steps toward placing restrictions on Infowars. Both Spotify and YouTube chose to allow Jones’s channels to remain active while removing only the specific episodes of his shows and podcasts that they said violated their content guidelines.

Stitcher and Apple, however, took a less wishy-washy approach. On Thursday night, Stitcher responded to an angry tweet about Jones’s presence on the platform with a note that it had removed his podcasts.

Thanks for your note. We have reviewed Alex Jones’ podcasts and found he has, on multiple occasions, harassed or allowed harassment of private individuals and organizations, (1/2)

— Stitcher (@Stitcher) August 3, 2018

and that harassment has led listeners of the show to engage in similar harassment and other damaging activity. Therefore, we have decided to remove his podcasts from the Stitcher platform. (2/2)

— Stitcher (@Stitcher) August 3, 2018

And Stitcher didn’t have to wait long before another podcast platform joined with its position. Apple has never hosted Infowars on Apple Podcasts or iTunes, but its search engine included off-site listings for the podcast. Not anymore. As first reported by BuzzFeed, five Infowars podcasts were removed from Apple’s search index as of Sunday evening.

“Apple does not tolerate hate speech, and we have clear guidelines that creators and developers must follow to ensure we provide a safe environment for all of our users,” an Apple spokesperson told BuzzFeed Sunday evening. “Podcasts that violate these guidelines are removed from our directory making them no longer searchable or available for download or streaming.”

Despite Zuckerberg’s previous fence-sitting on the subject, Facebook was the first to move into action after news broke that Apple had entirely removed Jones’s library. Early Monday morning, the platform unpublished four of Infowars’ pages. “The timing of Facebook’s announcement was unusual, with the company confirming the ban at 3am local time,” the Guardian noted about Facebook’s early morning purge.

Facebook’s official statement on the removal noted that since its initial ban of four Infowars videos in July, “more content from the same Pages has been reported to us,” which the company found “violates our graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims and immigrants, which violates our hate speech policies.”

YouTube was next to fall in line, banning Jones late Monday morning by removing all of his channels. In a statement, a YouTube spokesperson told Vox, “All users agree to comply with our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines when they sign up to use YouTube. When users violate these policies repeatedly, like our policies against hate speech and harassment or our terms prohibiting circumvention of our enforcement measures, we terminate their accounts.”

YouTube had previously warned Jones by applying a “strike” to his account for content violation, as well as suspending Jones’s live-streaming privileges; however, Jones apparently continued to live-stream from his other channels despite the suspension — so YouTube ultimately saw fit to give him the boot.

Now that the pressure is on, many people are calling for Twitter and other social platforms to take action against Jones next. Pinterest, for example, has since pulled Infowars’s page, which apparently existed.

While I’m very glad that @Facebook, @Apple, & @Spotify have finally taken the step to remove Alex Jones & Infowars from their platforms, it’s past time that @Twitter & @YouTube step up.

They are spreading hate, lies, and violence.

— Shaun King (@shaunking) August 6, 2018

So far, Jones is still a verified Twitter user, and multiple accounts related to various Infowars productions remain active. (Vox has reached out to Twitter for comment, with no response).

And Infowars’s reach is still mighty. Some media outlets have noted that despite Apple’s removal of Jones’s shows from its Podcasts platform, the Infowars app is still available on Apple’s mobile app store, where it currently has a 5-star rating. Similarly, Infowar’s 4.9-rated Android app is still available in the Google Play store (though its download count of 10,000 feels refreshingly small).

However, the online public seems to be celebrating the move, especially from Facebook and YouTube, as a definitive and crucial step forward in the fight against fake news and fringe extremism.

Original Source -> Apple banned Alex Jones’s Infowars. Then the dominoes started to fall.

via The Conservative Brief

#IFTTT #The Conservative Brief