#Installing that into Conquest immediately.
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𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐕𝚬𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐘
tags: 18+ minors dni, fem reader, condom usage, established relationship, raw sex, creampie, mating press, overstimulation, dacryphilia, cervix fucking (mentioned once), manhandling - let me know if i miss something
synopsis: it’s your three year anniversary and barou knows exactly how to celebrate it, you don’t think you can take it.
Barou’s neat freakiness was well known but no one knew just how far it ran. In the same way, Barou had a specific routine for his day by day so did he have specific rules that would not be broken. Roll towels -do not fold them over, pair all socks immediately and keep all baskets in the washroom. He has rules about personal care too, his long warm-ups and cool-downs, and brushing his teeth three times a day.
And most of these things charm you in a way - seeing how detailed his red gaze makes you laugh behind your hand in a way that Barou thinks has no reason to be that cute. Well, all but one rule makes you laugh like that. Barou Shoei in the three years you’ve been dating after meeting at a high school reunion that ended with phone numbers being exchanged to tonight’s dinner coming to an end has been maintained without room for budging.
He always has to wear a rubber.
It was nice the first couple of months, even with being on the pill at first it made you almost purr seeing how adamant he was on it. After a year the charm had half worn off, any pleas fell on deaf ears after he had pulled you aside for a quickie only to realize his condom had expired. What resulted from that was you getting your thighs fucked and coming around nothing from the silky head of his cock nudging against your clit. The second year you had admitted to him that you no longer planned to take the pill, clearly subtlety wasn’t the strongest trait in the men of his family as it only made him more adamant on condom usage.
It wasn’t until tonight - it’s your third anniversary and you both were changing for bed. He was in the bathroom, his hair down and smelling of soap as he looked at how you gently hung the pretty dress you wore for him but Barou can’t help but think about how much prettier you are dressed in ultra-soft leggings and a dark green long sleeve. He catches one last glimpse of you before turning back to the sink for the task of brushing his teeth. He had left his wallet on the counter, letting it flap in any way it wanted to and his eyes were caught on the raunchy yellow packaging almost neon in the soft lighting you installed in the bathroom.
Barou thinks profoundly for a moment and thinks about you and all the ways he loves you. He’s introduced you to his sisters that call him a loser whenever you are in their presence. You tell them to apologize as they whisk you away and he can catch their half-assed “sorry big brother sho!” on the air while he rolls his eyes at their antics. He gets you soy milk instead of cow milk, and he doesn’t call you a donkey or peasant. That might seem like a weird thing but for Barou that’s a big deal - is probably what you would say in his defense which makes him huff amusedly as he spits out the toothpaste in the sink.
Barou takes the condom out of the folds of his wallet and it lands in the trash with a satisfying ‘flick’.
He comes out of the bathroom and he feels his shoulders drop at the sight of you carefully running a lint roller over his blazer before you zip up the covering, and tuck it away in the closet like you did with your own dress.
Yeah, Barou Shohei doesn’t need anything holding him back tonight.
Three years is a long time, and his hand twitched at the idea of finally having you the proper way, the right way. It’s apparent in the way he kisses you, big hands settling on the curve of your ass in those oh-so-soft leggings of yours that always make him ask you to walk in front of him. You gasp and whine when his tongue makes its way into your mouth - a king on a conquest and you concede without a battle. Your hands curl themselves into his shirt, fisting the fabric as Barou bends his back to have more of the taste of honey on your lips until his teeth ache. He’s sucking your tongue, tracing your teeth, groping, and grabbing at your cute ass. Barou delights in the wet and thin little sounds you make, and he pulls away when he has to not because he wants to. He takes joy in the thin glossy strings that trail after him.
You panting - all soft and thin little sounds that drive him crazy and you’re quick to bring a hand to cover your face when he squeezes your ass again. Barou is back to bumping heads with you, nudging your head with a hungry look in his eyes that makes you want to run and hide.
Lest you are found in the lion’s maw.
“More - I want more, I want to devour you.” He mumbles and you can feel the bass in his chest when he presses his own lips to yours and you gasp when you are met with tongue and teeth. You can only let out shudders of his name, gasps,, and whines because he keeps going until you feel your knees folding when met with the edge of the bed. A hand much bigger than yours goes from your ass to your chest and you find yourself flat on the bed.
From above you, Barou is mighty, and from beneath him, you are divine.
“What’s - what’s gotten into you tonight?” You ask with swollen lips and stolen breath. Barou shakes his head, reaching under your comfortable clothes, and groans at the soft skin under his palms. You smell like the expensive lotion you splurge on, notes of jasmine and peonies are in the air and he thinks about how sweet the smell of your cunt would mix with them.
“It’s our anniversary you’re dumb if you think I’m not going to fuck you tonight.” He gruffs out, red eyes looking at the way you bite your lip and flush at his vulgar word choice. How someone as delicate as you got with him he’ll never know but he’s for sure not going to ruin his gift with insolence. Your shirt is off, his hands tug at the band of your leggings and he can’t help but let out a curse at the sight of pretty lace meeting him. He can see the curls of your hair through the sheer fabric and you hide behind your hand as he finishes tugging off your bottoms.
“You wear pretty things like this for me and you still thought I wouldn’t fuck you tonight?” He almost growls at you and in return you turn away, unable to meet his gaze. Your undergarments look all the more dainty under his fingers when he tugs away the fabric and there’s a groan that is ripped from his chest when he sees the sticky strings of slick that cling to the gusset of the panties.
Your clit is hard, flushed among the petals of folds and your thighs jolt at his touch. His fingers can’t help but strum at it fast and rough, making you whine his name all high and pathetic. Red eyes look at how you shine in the soft golden lamps of the bedroom and moan at how just being played with the littlest bit makes you leak down his palm.
“Fuck, fuck you’re leaking it’s like you’re in heat for me.” He mutters from above you, letting a finger shallowly enter your cunt. Laughing when you tense up hips hiking and thighs popping shut, there’s something wicked in his vermillion gaze.
“You’re fucking cute, huh? Acting like you haven’t taken fucking my cock before?” He can see the sweat that drips down the side of your cheek and fights the urge to lick it up. You shake your head and it’s like your whole body trembles when you feel his finger sink further inside of you.
“It’s not that - just everything ah! Everything is sensitive t-today.” You gasp out and your eyes shut and you feel the telling sign of tears because Barou had slipped in another finger, curling it up into that spongy spot on your upper wall.
“Yeah? You need it bad, huh?” He asks you all mocking and cruelty because he knows, keeping a thumb at your clit and you feel like your brain is gonna melt out of your ears. You whimper into his smug grin and he laughs at your scrunched expression because you’re about to come for him. Despite being covered by your hair he can see how warm your ears are when your hands come to grip at the forearm of the hand that’s fucking your cunt with almost cruel precision. There are tears in your eyes as you cum with a squeal of his name - he can see his reflection in the shine and there is something vicious in his stomach that groans in approval at your pleasure-stricken face.
Barou tries very hard to be gentle with you, leaning into his better nature with tentative steps but right now with his head swimming with all the things he wants to do to you - he can’t help but want to be a villain. There’s nothing gentle with how he lets your orgasm crash and burn through you, your nerves buzzing and burning as you tremble beneath him. Your thighs are still shaking and your nipples are tight, his cock slaps against your folds; he moans with you at how the strings of your cum cling to the silk skin of its ruddy head. It rubs into your folds, and you feel tears drip down your cheeks because when one orgasm fuzzes out you still have more pleasure to traverse.
“Ah- wait, where’s the condom Sho-” You began to ask and you can only squeak when you feel the bare head of his cock being pressed into the opening between the petals of your cunt. Your hands had gone to clutch at his biceps - you had gotten your nails down for dinner tonight and Barou can’t help but moan at the sting.
“Not wearing one, I’m, fuck,” His head is in and Barou feels like the floor just swallowed him when he feels how hot you are. Barou is most familiar to your body, has seen it, and touched it the most intimately over the years. He’s felt your warmth and felt your slick when it would drip down to his balls but this..this was different. It feels like a punch to the gut, how you take him - a tight little fit because you’re in that time of the month when all your body can think about is cock. It’s like hot silk, pulpy and needy with how it drools around him and there’s a shiver that racks down his back when he feels a drop of your slick drip down a particularly sensitive vein down the left side of his cock. “I’m fucking you raw.”
His words are heavy in the air and you only let out soft girlish sounds when he pushes the rest of his cock in, long and heavy as it twitches inside of you. You’re losing your mind, it feels like the first time all over again and you feel like you’re going to sob your heart out with each inch that slips inside of you. Swallows around nothing and groans as he presses against your forehead when he feels himself slip the base. Is this how he could have had you for the past three years?
But it isn’t enough. Not like this.
His hands go to grip your thighs so tightly you mewl at the sting, red eyes lock on where your bodies are joined and you feel the ache in your joints as his hands force your thighs further and further apart.
“A-ah, Shoei what are you doing?” You ask voice wobbling and thin as you feel yourself being manhandled, your weight shifting higher and higher on your upper back. The world tilts on its axis as you feel your ankles meeting the sturdy skin of his defined shoulders. The angle makes everything slip further - the head of his cock meeting a special sponge-like spot that makes you moan high and thin. It makes his cock twitch, eyes snapping up to watch how you keep the tears coming and you’re trembling all over.
“Trying to see what I've been missin’ all this time - tryin' to fuck you the right way.” He grunts out, voice thick and rough, racked with lust that he can’t contain. The first thrust feels like a freight train and you squeal like a mouse at the feeling of it, an adorable little tidbit but it isn’t what he wanted. He fucks you deeper, harder he’s sure there will be indents of his hips on your cute ass that ripples each time your bodies smack against each other. It’s too much for you, the weight, the length, and the strength of his cock. You’re too delicate at times and he feels your dainty hand come up to his pelvis, nails swiping at his stomach accidentally and he tries to [push past the way the sting makes him moan.
Barou wanted you to sound like a whore, just for him, just for tonight.
“You holdin’ out on me? Begged for my dick like this for years and now you have it you can’t take it?” He grunts at you, hiking you further up until you’re bent into a shape you’ve never been in. Your ankles are freely hanging in the air and your hands grip his biceps. Your shoulders and your cunt feel like a river - you don’t know how you’ll live with the embarrassment that you like being manhandled like this.
Barou feels like a beast and less of a man, he should have fucked you like this from the beginning because he can feel how you pulse, how you moan in time to the flutters of your walls and the throbs of your clit. You’re soaking him from tip to balls and he groans when he feels your slick drip down to his inner thighs. Thighs twitching at the idea of you creaming on his for the first time makes him ignore the burning in his core because Barou thinks if he’s denied that he’ll kill someone and he is desire is realized faster than he thought.
You fall apart with a wail - something too loud and deep in your chest he’s sure the next house overheard you and the thought makes him pump into you at an even pace. The stimulation makes the pleasure endure and it’s like watching the fibers of your mind being frayed right in front of you. Your cum is milky, thin, and opaque and Barou watches it froth at the base of his cock even spilling into the trimmed black hairs of his crotch. He moans because fuck, fuck this is what he’s been waiting for.
There’s a fog in your eyes and you wonder if you even have a brain anymore and when the too-hot pleasure pain from Barou’s thrusts keeps up you know you do. You peek down at where you two are connected and moans so weakly he wonders if he broke you. There are red scratch marks on his biceps and you gasping, stuttering over your words because God this is the best sex of your life.
“Di-did you cum, ah, Shoei?” You ask with a rocky voice and you whine in between the syllables because you feel the bump as the head of his cock meets a wall it’s never touched before.
“Nah - that’s just, fuck,” you twitched around him when he bumps into the wall of your cunt again,” that’s just fucking you and this messy cunt you got.” You moan with him at the same and your eyes have black rims around them from the remnants of mascara that you couldn’t get off but most certainly had cried off looking up to meet him. Barou doesn’t think you’ve ever looked more prettier than right now, and he thinks about how he’ll get to have this view again and again until you get sick of him.
Maybe that’s the thought that gets him - in time with the shuddering ache at his core of fucking you like an animal and he spills into you. You gasp his name, whining it out and Barou’s never felt like more of a man than right now as you watch how his cum leaks out of you; cunt swollen and puffy he can’t help but huff when he feels his cock twitch at the thought of filling you again. Your legs are still over his shoulders and he turns his head to press a kiss to the delicate slope of your calf.
“Hope you’re ready for the next round,” he mutters into your scented skin nipping at the delicate line of your ankles. “I still have more I want to devour.”
What a foolish thing you are, you’ve always been in the lion’s maw and what a lovesick thing you are turning away bashfully but still presenting yourself for him. Greedy things the two of you really.
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List of HotD Inconsistencies:
(This list will be Continuously Added the more I realize where there is an inconsistency)
Daemon saying to Rhaenyra that he left her bc she "was a child" in episode 7 -- he was the one who said to Viserys to marry them for the sake of the House and that he wanted her, the only thing he asked Viserys in spite of all he wanted; he also said she was not a girl anymore (she's past Westerosi marriageable age and older than 18); Laena is younger than Rhaenyra in the show, yet Daemon married her not long after he left KL, assuming so since we have another time jump after episode 5; Rhaenys and Corlys had a larger age gap than either Daemyra or Aemma x Viserys/Viserys x Alicent and Corlys would have been attracted and talking to Rhaenys for a while before they married for her to be so adamant about marrying him when she was 16....yet the show changes all that
Alicent is adamant in saving Rhaenyra despite having tried to essentially get her and her kids killed or exiled for 10 years
Daemon himself had to claim Caraxes, he didn't bond with him when he was a baby or small child, yet he doesn't know how to comfort his daughter Rhaena about the same "issue" that is actually not an issue at all
a possible relationship with Criston Cole is framed and shit as if it were the most romantic and healthy relationship Rhaenyra could have had aside from the one with Harwin (who still is messing around with a person way younger than him who he had been attracted to since before she hit 18) -> the music and the actors' playfulness of episode 4, the hopefulness of Criston's proposal unpaired with any indication of what a delusion he's drawn up of who she is despite living and talking with her for years...and the Daemon is supposed to be framed as one of the moral villains and antagonists and worst persons in Rhaenyra's personal circle
[pt.2 of the one above] the show not taking advantage of Criston Cole witnessing the white stag approach Rhaenyra and thus (for him, at least, with his devotion to Andal beliefs and customs) show us how he reacts to the sign legitimizing Rhaenyra...and then deciding to abandon her -> making it seem as if a relationship between them would in any way be healthier than one with Daemon -> really, just presenting this whole idea that this is a good relationship and making their separation sem more Rhaenyra's fault than actually Criston's!
Rhaenyra knowing that the greens are plotting against her for years to install Aegon, having proposed to Daemon explicitly saying she needed him for her upcoming conflict with he greens, and then calling it "Daemon's war" and not wanting Daemon to shore up their defenses not immediately imprisoning Otto Hightower to have him right where she can keep him
Rhaenyra flip-flopping between showing strength to Otto or Daemon....then crying over a torn out page from a person who tried to kill/banish her and her sons
Rhaenyra being in any way affected by Alicent's page when she told Alicent before Alicent is essentially the biggest hypocrite AND Alicent has been trying to get her and her kids either killed or banished forever -> the page was specifically about Nymeria who would become the founder of the current House of Martell and remade the entire Dornish culture through her conquests and marriage to the then Martell Andal-only lord, aka, one of ASoiaF's women who was completely assured of her autonomous right to rule and responsible for a literal cultural reset that only benefited both herself as well as those she conquered for generation into current time, ahem genderless primogeniture....Alicent is trying to usurp Rhaenyra based on the "only males can rule" bullshit....you can't make this stuff up
Rhaenys absolutely knowing (or should know) that the greens could and would imprison or kill any of her grandkids, herself, and Corlys....yet allowing them to live in episode 9
Aemond supposedly being the son who "reads all the philosophies and prepared himself for leadership to protect his home and family"...then making the bright decision in antagonizing an envoy under someone else's home and killing him after chasing him down for more than 5 minutes tops -> Even if it weren't a decision, that would be even worse! If he knew he didn't have control over a dragon, AND didn't want to kill Luke, just to scare him (for 5 mins?)...why chase him down at all?! He's been riding Vhagar for years, so he either should have been way better at getting her to obey him OR he would have known that he couldn't control her all that well and avoid letting his emotions get the better of him. He would have known the risks, yet took them anyway! Then we have to assume that he actually wanted Luke dead and sought it out. That he did have control over Vhagar! Otherwise, we fall back again on him just being a dumbass, bc again, he said he studied to become better, have more emotional control, be more strategic, and smarter...but then pulls this? What a mess!
Criston Cole managing to get out of execution or imprisonment simply because Alicent said so, when he killed a man under Viserys' roof and that same man essentially having had guests rights...(digressing from the topic of inconsistencies and plotholes, this does not happen in the book -- Cole killed Joffrey during a tourney match, which both show and book audiences know are highly dangerous, so the point there was that Cole could get away with it on account of it being an already dangerous sport/event that is socially sanctioned; the book's telling of how Cole killed Joffrey makes more sense and has more potential to be emotionally more charged with helplessness)
*the Targs somehow not having an ounce of darker skin or kinkier/curlier hair despite making the Velaryon the exclusively black house and Viserys/Daemon/Rhaenys have 2 female Velaryon ancestors*
Rhaenyra showing a desire for vengeance for Luke but not Visenya, who died before Luke and who she lost while trying to hurry up and respond to the green threat herself without Daemon "interfering" (AND her calling the council at all, in the book, for the fact that she lost Visenya and the greens took her throne...again, going back to how she knows the greens want it)
episode 3, in the daytime Daemon (relatively way less armored than before) charges through the field without getting a single arrow to the head but in the 2nd episode (nighttime) an arrow pierces what looks to be his chest or shoulder while he is in full armor and on the mobile Caraxes. The entire thing, while entertaining and shocking, still makes about as much sense as Rhaenys bursting through the floor of the Dragonpit; my man should have become a porcupine with specific choreography matches with the specific set pieces and props locations they decided to go with
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Sabine Wren x Ezra Bridger
Starburst Phoenix
Follow-up to this story:
Takes place one month after the Thrawn crisis. As the New Republic begins to build after the warlord's conquest, the Jedi Knights, Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren, find some brief respite on his homeworld of Lothal.
However, news arrives that spells uncertainty for the future of one . . .
"Sickness," said Huyang. "It's terminal."
Sabine rocked back at the statement and looked to Ezra.
Her partner, and fellow Jedi, merely smiled. He looked to Sabine and sent a reassuring pulse through the Force.
"Tell me more, Huyang," he said.
They were sitting in the living room of Ezra's old watchtower, where they now called home. Huyang was reaching out via hologram, installed into a work table.
The war with Thrawn had barely been over for a month and the two Jedi had been exceedingly busy in the following weeks helping with the clean-up. Only now had they found some time to rest, courtesy of Hera pulling some strings.
They had done some rudimentary medical examinations before returning to Lothal, just as a precaution.
Huyang had reached out two days later with the results. Sabine had received a clean bill of health.
Ezra, however . . .
"It will not kill you immediately. Or any time soon. However, your time spent in another galaxy seems to have had some unforeseen side-effects, I'm afraid."
"Wait," said Sabine. Her stomach was twisting itself into knots, but she forced calm into her voice. "Ahsoka and I also spent time on Peridea. Yet neither of us have this illness."
"True," said Huyang. "But both of you spent significantly less time there than Ezra. That appears to be the difference."
Sabine stared at the holographic droid feeling numb.
I was too late.
"I mean, I don't feel sick," replied Ezra. He waved his hands and wiggled the fingers in comical fashion.
"Most amusing," said Huyang, dryly. "But this is no ordinary sickness. You won't be feeling it's effects for quite some time."
The droid pointed to the datapad on Ezra's lap. "You've read the report, am I right?"
"Yes."
"Still confused?"
"Very."
"Then let me elaborate: something in the air, water, or food you ate on Peridea has caused these strange . . . deposits, shall we say, to start accumulating in your organs."
Sabine asked, "Which organs?"
Huyang's reply took on an unusual somber tone. "All of them. Lungs, liver, heart, . . . even your brain, Ezra."
Sabine wanted to be sick. Her eyes found Ezra's. Even he was starting to look rattled now. "And these deposits affect me how?"
"For now, nothing. But they'll never go away. And, over time, these deposits will begin to erode against your body's natural ability to function and heal itself."
"Leading to what?" asked Ezra, quietly.
"Complete systemic organ failure."
Silence hung thickly over the room like a funeral shroud.
Sabine, desperate, leaned forward towards Huyang. "Can we remove these deposits?"
The droid shook his head. "Too small and too numerous. Even with our modern technology, it's entirely too risky. The risks far outweigh the benefits."
"What if we replace the organs? We can flash-clone them, right?"
"Flash-cloning is still a temporary solution at best. The organs have an unnaturally short life-span. Ezra would have to undergo the operation every few years, at best, and even then . . ."
Sabine felt her frustration mounting. "Even then, what?"
Ezra reached out and grasped her hands. "There's deposits in my brain, remember? You can't flash-clone that."
Huyang nodded. "Precisely."
She jerked her hands out Ezra's and stood up. "What about the Force? Have you spoken with Ahsoka?"
The droid showed no surprise at her outburst. "Of course, Lady Wren. The Force could help alleviate the problem for some time, but it only aids with the body's natural healing process. The problem with Ezra's illness is that it counteracts that."
Not good enough. Not nearly good enough.
Something must have showed on her face because Ezra reached out again to take her hand.
"Sabine," he said, softly. "Please sit down."
Sabine could not bring herself to look at him.
"After all this? After everything he's given for this galaxy! And this is how it turns out?"
She could not prevent the anguish and despair from filling her voice. It just spilled forth, out of some deep, dark chasm that had opened up at Huyang's words.
Ezra was going to die. She was going to lose him. Again.
Ezra was standing now, hugging her to his chest.
Quietly, he said, "How much time do I have?"
Huyang replied, "It's hard to say. I've never seen a case like this. Due to the slow nature of this illness, it's better to estimate how much time has been taken from you."
"Tell me."
The medical droid shrugged, an uncharacteristic motion from him. "Five, maybe ten years."
Sabine reached out and shut the hologram off.
"Sabine," Ezra protested.
"I've heard enough." She let go of Ezra and left.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
It was late at night when she returned home. Sabine had spent the day travelling aimlessly around Lothal on her speeder, listening to the sounds of the city.
So much life. None of it soothed her.
She entered the living space and found it empty. Ezra had already gone to sleep it seems.
Flopping down on the couch, she leaned her head back.
A second later, her comm-link beeped.
Sabine groaned and opened up the channel.
It was her master, Ahsoka Tano. The older Jedi looked calm, as always, dressed in her customary white robes.
"Hello, Master."
"Hello, Sabine. Huyang filled me in."
Sabine cast her eyes down, out of shame. "I didn't handle the news well."
"I can tell."
Her voice was hoarse with emotion. It was barely a whisper when she replied.
"It's not fair."
Her master sighed. "I know. It can seem that way. Especially living the life of a Jedi."
"There's nothing you can do?" Sabine pleaded. The feeling of helplessness sickened her more than she could stand.
Ahsoka said, "The Force is a vast and powerful ally in any situation. But even it has limits."
"What can we do? We have to do something. We can't just let Ezra die."
Ahsoka just looked at her. "Everything has it's time. As Jedi, we must accept that. But the nature of this illness, as I understand it, means that Ezra still has plenty of life left to live."
"He should have more. He deserves more."
"Sabine." Her master's words cut sharply through the despair choking at the younger Jedi's heart. "What does Ezra need most, right now?"
Sabine sat back and focused herself.
" . . . A cure?"
Ahsoka shook her head. "No. He needs you, right now. Most of all."
"I can't get him back the time he lost."
Ahsoka smiled. "True. But you can still do something with the time he does have, right?"
The younger Jedi thought about that for a few moments.
It's not how much time you have that matters. It's what you do with it.
"It's his birthday, tomorrow," Sabine said.
"Ah, true," said her master. "Better make it special, then."
Sabine smiled for the first time since this morning.
"Thank you, Master."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The next day, Sabine took Ezra to a hangar bay in the Lothal capital.
"Can I take off this blindfold, now? Seems pointless. I'm a Jedi."
"Nope. Keep it on, please." Sabine led him into the hangar bay and nodded at the technician on duty.
"Sabine, what is this all about?" Ezra asked, exasperated.
"Just a second . . . okay, you can take it off now."
Ezra removed the blindfold and blinked.
"Is that . . . it can't be."
Sabine grinned. "It is. Happy birthday, Ezra Bridger."
Sitting a dozen yards in front of him was an old G9 Rigger-class light freighter. It was in desperate need of repair - and several coats of new paint - but it was salvageable.
Ezra turned to Sabine, stunned. "It's a G9. Just like my parents used to fly around. The Starburst."
"I know. It'll be our home away from home. We'll be busy again shortly, so I thought it'd be nice to have our own starship to fly around in. Like Ahsoka's T-6."
She handed him a datapad with the ship's new registry and name on it.
"The Starburst Phoenix," he read. Ezra looked up at Sabine and the fire bird symbol that was her custom on her jacket.
Starburst Phoenix. The perfect name for her and Ezra's starship - Starburst from Ezra, Phoenix from Sabine. Together.
Ezra just held her hands, overcome with emotion. Sabine just gave him a smile back, feeling her heart swell with the love she felt.
After a moment, he re-collected himself and looked back towards the freighter.
"Where'd you find this? They don't make these anymore." Ezra circled around the starship, inspecting every nook and cranny.
Sabine smiled affectionately. He looked just like the curious kid she'd met, all those years ago.
"Hit up some old contacts in the Rebellion. They knew some smugglers who'd seen some lying around in junkyards."
Ezra asked, "Lando?"
"Yeah, Lando."
He snorted. "Figures. He gave you a discount, I hope?"
Sabine sighed, remembering the amount he had sent her for his services. "So he says."
Ezra rolled his eyes. "Once a smuggler, always a smuggler."
She laughed. "He prefers the term, 'business man', nowadays."
"Right. Sure he does."
Sabine clambered onto the ship with Ezra. "Ezra, listen . . . about yesterday."
He turned to her, eyes serious. "I'm not scared Sabine."
She choked out a laugh. "Of course you're not. But I am."
He leaned against the hull. "I don't regret the choices I made."
Sabine just looked at him, feeling exasperated. After a second, she just hugged him. "I know. But I shouldn't have acted the way I did. It didn't help."
She looked into his eyes. "It wasn't what you needed."
He looked confused. "And what I needed is . . . this ship?"
"No - it's about time. You've lost some of it. I want to make sure we fill up what's left with as much life and love as we can give it."
Understanding dawned on him. "And with this ship, we can travel together. Always."
"Together. Always." She nuzzled into his arms, feeling his strength and surety, responding with her own through the Force.
"And," he noted, wryly, "it's a private transport."
Sabine gave him a wicked grin. "I was wondering when you'd notice."
His eyes sparkled. "Should we check out the interior, then? I think our first stop should be the sleeping quarters."
"Very astute, Master Jedi. Lead the way."
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If House Durandon had bent the knee to Aegon and Argillac had a male heir, would Aegon have given Harrenhal to Orys Baratheon?
In the three examples from the Targaryen Conquest IOTL where pre-Conquest male heirs of established ruling dynasties bent the knee to the Targaryens - Ronnel Arryn, Torrhen Stark, and Loren Lannister - Aegon the Conqueror allowed each established ruler to retain his (subsequently non-royal) ruling position and continue the dynasty already in place in that region. As such, it may well have been the case that, had Argilac Durrandon already had a son at the time of the Conquest who (perhaps following some version of the Last Storm) acknowledged the Targaryens as his overlords, the Targaryens would have in turn acknowledged this Durrandon prince as Lord of Storm’s End and House Durrandon as the crown’s ruling vassal family in the Stormlands.
Of course, it’s worth pointing out that such a scenario would have completely changed one of the, well maybe not quite immediate inciting incidents of the Conquest, but an important political exchange that occurred shortly before it IOTL. King Argilac himself had, of course, reached out to the Targaryens prior to the conquest, “offering Lord Aegon his daughter in marriage, with all the lands east of the Gods Eye from the Trident to the Blackwater Rush as her dowry” according to Gyldayn. When Aegon Targaryen made a counteroffer, demanding more land and substituting Orys as the bridegroom, Argilac angrily rejected what he saw as an insult to his daughter and dynasty (a rejection that I think the narrative wants to suggest was poetically resolved by Orys’ (and Rhaenys’) victory and the subsequent Orys-Argella marriage). While I very much doubt Aegon solely based the decision of the Conquest on King Argilac’s refusal, I do think Argilac would have been that much less likely to even consider carving off some of his son’s inheritance to create a Targaryen buffer state.
Anyway, what would Aegon have done with Orys Baratheon in such a scenario? It’s possible that Aegon would have installed him as Lord of Harrenhal, although I think the great unknown factor here is to how and what extent Aegon wanted Orys to wield power. Having already accepted House Tully as the ruling dynasty of the Riverlands, Aegon would have been relegating Orys as Lord of Harrenhal to a secondary geopolitical role, which the king may or may not have wanted to do. Perhaps instead Aegon would have installed Orys as Lord of Highgarden (maybe married to some Gardener princess, any of whom could presumably have existed after the Field of Fire but none of whom, of course, we know anything about). It’s possible Aegon would have installed Orys as Lord of the Iron Islands (although maybe Aegon would have remembered the historical folly of Aubrey Crakehall in just such a role). It’s possible Aegon would have made Orys governor of Dorne, or even offered to marry Orys to Princess Deria Martell, as a means of incorporating Dorne into the kingdom of the Iron Throne. It’s possible that Aegon would have built Orys a new castle (as Aegon IV would promise to do later for another Targaryen-fathered bastard, Daemon Blackfyre). Or perhaps Aegon would simply have kept Orys on as his champion and strong right arm, without necessarily making him a great lord in the bargain.
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How quickly did everything change with the Inak and everything. As I was reading at first I thought things had been this way for a really long time but then it's made clear that it has only been 70 years since people discovered them. That is only a couple generations ago for both Inak and (most) Humans. Did the whole genocide/subjugation happen really quick or did it build up to it? Is it really only the current Generation of adult Inak who have spent there entire lives like this (with some of the elders remembering before hand)?
It's been a process, and it's still ongoing. The first inak were "discovered" in central Sharteshane seventy years ago when - tale as old as Tolkien - dwindling resources caused Shartes to dig too deep. Miners blasted open a huge layer of bedrock and discovered an inak village. The inak seemed to recognise the humans immediately and were NOT receptive to their arrival. They slaughtered them, and relations have been poor ever since.
Cresce and a few of the other countries immediately went looking for lizards of their own, enticed not only by the idea of enslaving these clever little monsters, but by tales of the rich First Materials that they were hoarding, often as the result of their continue pagan worship and support of living senet beasts. That first generation of inak were not amenable to capture, but their eggs and children were. Many were taken, educated to become servants, installed in facilities where they could breed and make even more docile generations.
Inak conquest is less systematic now. When new lizards are discovered they often evade capture and are even able to discreetly relocate, leaving their home and their treasures to the invaders. This results in a mix of thoroughly indoctrinated, passive servants, and more "wild" inak who keep on the downlow and just try to get by. The Litriya family was a family like this, three generations, each increasingly less resistant to spiderpaws.
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Things in "Engage" that confused/frustrated me (Spoilers)
Just finished Engage! While I enjoyed certain aspects of it, there were a few things about it that bothered me.
Why couldn't the Emblems revive Alear immediately instead of having Veyle revive them (and then watch them die for a second time)?
The "Sombron is your father" didn't really have any long-term consequences. It was a twist I saw coming because of previous installments, but all we see if a flashback of evil Alear (it would make more sense as a nightmare, imo). When we go to the past, they aren't like this at all; they're pretty apathetic. I'm also confused about how Alear was "willed" into becoming a divine dragon.
Rushed/no development for the villains.
3.5. Marnie's redemption arc. Marnie's game to kill a bunch of people (and her backstory rashly explains her desire for praise/attention), but when Veyle is being brainwashed, she's furious. We never see her really interact with Vayle, so the revelation that they had a friendship instead of a professional relationship felt super rushed.
3.6. Zephia helps us out. She talked a big game about worshipping Lord Sombron, then helps us on a whim when she's about to die. She then reveals she wanted a child and undervalued the Hounds. It would've been neat if she was secretly working for Lumera and acting on her orders, or that she was secretly Vayle and Alear's mother. It'd be neat if it went into a branching route similar to Birthright/Conquest, but I digress. In any case, 3.5 and 3.6 exemplify how underdeveloped Zephia and the Hounds are, especially with the confessions she and Griss shared at their deaths.
3.7. Ivy having little plot relevance after returning the rings to us. It sucks how she and Hortensia start off as villains, then when they join us, they eventually fade to the background. Plus Zelkov made it clear he doesn't even like her and just sees his loyalty as an obligation; wouldn't him betraying her (because she betrayed her father) make more sense? And despite summoning Sombra, Hyacinth is immediately killed for sustenance. Feels like a waste of a villain. I'd enjoy it if Sombra entrusted the Hounds and Zephia to him to lead. Plus removing Sombron's craving for royal blood would also keep Morion alive as well.
3.8. Sombron's brief backstory deserved more attention, but instead it's crammed in there at the last minute and rushed. Rather than "I came from another world and my family was slaughtered," maybe all that stuff happened in Elyos, and it made Sombron turn against the lands, as well as having a protective, twisted love for his children; he'd emotionally abuse them until they were emotionless like Alear or fearful like Veyle. It'd parallel how Zephia had no concept of "real love." His conversation with Alear made me cringe: "I'm alone in this world and unloved, I'll slaughter my kids since they're means to an end, but if you commit patricide, you're a monster."
Why did Sombron have so many kids? It feels needless to mention them if they aren't involved in the plot or flashbacks and only Alear and Veyle survive. Past Alear mentions how some of them were killed, but it feels needless to mention them. I get that this plays into why Alear fears the curropted, but I wish we had more time to see the weight of it (ie seeing one of the children killed due to Alear's failure). Staying in the past a bit longer would also help flesh out Zephia's character a bit more. Or the plot could've nixed the 12 rings idea and made them 12 (or less) of Sombron's kids he needed to reabsorb in order to attain full power.
Nix the bittersweet battle against Lumera. It feels copied from Fates (Revelation) with Mikoto: your queen mother dies early on, only to battle you towards the end, hoping to be together forever. It would've been nice to have her survive! It sucks that the last three protagonists of FE games are left orphans. Plus her asking Veyle to call her "Mother" and Veyle saying she already has a mother feels hollow since we don't know much about her and Alear's biological mothers.
Was it ever explained if Alear can turn into a dragon? Veyle said she can't, but I don't recall it being addressed if Alear could.
Nit-picks: you need a pact ring for platonic S-supports. That's ridiculous to me. And while I liked the voice acting, the voice direction could've been better.
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Title: Nautilus
WC: 850
“It’s probably no big deal.”
—Kate Beckett, Love Me Dead (2 x 09)
His daughter is a nice kid. That doesn’t surprise her any more—not the way it did when she first met him. She’s nice. She has a good head on her shoulders. She’s earnest and a mixture of self-reliant in some ways an a little immature in others. It makes sense, she supposes, given him and, she has to admit, especially given the girl’s mother. She’s had to do for herself in a host of ways and, given Castle’s overprotective tendencies, she hasn't been asked or maybe even allowed to do for herself in others. And she’s attached to him, obviously and unsurprisingly. The two of them are attached to each other, and she has to hand it to him. He’s raised a nice kid.
. . . who knows an awful lot about her.
She’s trying not to be weirded out by it—the confident opening after the almost comically formal Thank you for taking the time to meet with me Detective. She is reasonably sure she managed at least not looking weirded out by the the sudden declaration: I understand you did a semester abroad, and I know Paris isn’t Kiev, but . . .
It’s an absurd thing to be weirded out by. Of course he knows she studied abroad, despite the fact that she has never told him any such thing. But she’d categorically refused to elaborate on her Russian gangster’s moll persona after their adventure in Chinatown. Of course, he would have wheedled as many details as possible out of Ryan and Esposito immediately after said adventure. She understands that’s how he works. He develops infuriatingly good hunches and displays equally infuriating skill in following them.
What she doesn’t understand is how any of this translates into dinner table conversation that someone as wildly overprotective as he is would consider suitable for his teenage kid’s tender ears. Because she knows he's not sharing tales of himself about to die of a self-inflicted Russian mobster wound. And she has to believe that he’s not regaling his daughter with her adventures in pantslessness. So how do the dry details of her college career even come up? More to the point: Why does he even care?
That may actually be the question. Why does he care? What does he care about?
He’s a writer. She gets that, sort of. She has a vague sense and the memory of the murderboard in the Bat Cave to tell her that—loath as she is to admit it—there is some work involved in what he does. He’s not exactly Michelangelo chipping away all the bits that are not Nikki Heat, but the Nikki that ends up on the page does emerge out of backstory, some of which he’s left on the cutting room floor, to mix a metaphor.
So he lives his life dreaming up ways to provoke her not just into externalizing her thought processes—which, by the way, have always worked just fine as internal thought processes—but into sharing about her mother, into coughing up details about the secrets she kept from her dad when she was his daughter’s age.
It’s on that last point that he loses her. Or she gets lost there, at least, because how can that possibly matter? What deftly shaded nuance can her adolescent secrets possibly impart to Nikki Heat?
Contemplating all this may be what’s actually weirding her out.
Things with him are like the very start of the yellow brick road. When the powers that be conspired against her and she took those first resentful steps on to that path, everything was well within sight. His motives seemed as clear as they were clichéd—he was dead set on a conquest and while he was pressing every single one of her buttons, as well as a few he had installed himself, he’d shake her down for details for a book he might or might not ever write.
She has, since then, moved further along that road, the two of them spiraling out together. She has come to accept that he is invested in the work. Even though his dogged interference on that first case might have been boredom or morbid curiosity or a thinly veiled excuse to pursue her, she knows that their rift last spring—his banishment—wounded him in ways that go well beyond the clichéd. She’s come to accept that the thoughts he coaxes out of her as they work a case are a net positive—that the ways they challenge each other’s thinking are a recipe for success and he’s proud of that. He values it.
But he talks to his daughter about her college days. He might well want to know all the secrets that she kept from her dad, even if they’re boring, innocent, teenage things that simply looked silly in the light of day. He might be invested in more than the work and that’s a possibility that she didn’t see coming when they stepped out on to this wide spiral arm of the yellow brick road they’re on.
She’s trying hard not to be weirded out by that.
A/N: The dreadmill lives. Brain Poneh cannot let go of the issue of conduits of information here. It's hard not to picture Beckett squirming, at this stage of the game, to think she's a topic of dinner table conversation.
#Castle#Caskett#CastleABC#Castle: Season 2#Castle: Love Me Dead#Castle: 2 x 09#Kate Beckett#Richard Castle#Alexis Castle#Martha Rodgers#Lanie Parish#Johanna Beckett#Javier Esposito#Jim Beckett#Kevin Ryan#Roy MontgomeryFic#Fanfic#Fanfiction#Fan Fic#Fan Fiction#Writing#Fabrications
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Finished Engage. The story is still awful but it had its good moments (Ex. Zephia and Griss’s final scene). However, the other problem is that they crammed everything interesting into the last 5-6 chapters, so it was a ton of character exposition and “I told you my sad backstory, so I am now off to die immediately” flags. There are 26 chapters, excluding DLC and Paralogues.
Honestly, outside of gameplay maps, Three Houses feels like the better game for me. The Engage maps are fun and there are some good mechanics. I don’t think they’re Conquest level maps but they’re still solid. Really enjoyed Griss’s teleporting map and the final battle thematically (even if I think gameplay wise, it’s bland).
However, the Paralogues are an absolute pain because they’re mostly faithful recreations of the originals, and I do enjoy the nostalgia since I’ve played them all, but if it wasn’t fun in the original, it’s not fun here. Horses and Fliers still dominate even if Backup Infantry is very good. It just becomes painful to travel like say, Camilla’s DLC map or Lyn’s Paralogue unless you have high Movement (which is, again, a problem of faithfully recreating maps) and others like Corrin’s are boring even if there’s a gimmick.
Like thematically it makes sense but gameplay? Eh…
And the skill system itself being locked behind Tempest Trials, SP, and post-game is awful. Unless you are on Normal/Hard for Skirmishes to grind/cheesing SP with Great Sacrifice, you’re getting one really good skill or two okay ones at best. They made Tempest Trials worse than FEH’s too because the maps are tedious and you can’t auto easily
Emblems are broken of course, and you can clear Maddening without inheriting skills, but it just feels horrid that key mechanics are locked behind a grindy mode (Crystals) or to post-game (SP books). Not to mention the problem of Emblems being busted.
Like do not use the DLC Emblems or weapons if you want a decently hard game. Camilla breaks the game and I made Dimitri 2 on a flying horse with Alfred (70-105 dmg per round with Pair Up and Canter + forged Spear and forged Fensalir). And Soren is basically broken because he allows for baiting bosses like Lyn does.
Even the base game Emblems are gamebreaking (Ex. Lyn!Kagetsu who can use clones to chokepoint entire areas with dodgetanking).
They give you a lot of tools, but the most fun is early to mid game imo. And Paralogues themselves are way too backloaded. It was a pain to play them.
And the story itself has a lot of cute callbacks but it’s like…the pacing is bad. Really bad. I enjoyed the cast and my favorites were Zephia and Alfred, but this is worse than Three Houses by a large bit (and you generally don’t expect games to backslide on new installments).
And this is very much personal preference but I prefer Three Houses Skill System because it feels like you can actually build units and not just slap Emblems onto them + you’re forced to use new units each route if you don’t recruit. It just feels more thoughtful at times even with Three Houses’s weaknesses.
While Engage returns to the normal formula of chapter recruits, the problem comes in of “why would I use this character if Emblems can patch up earlier ones that are weaker?” It’s a conundrum that makes it not worthwhile to use new ones unless they’re busted (Ex. Soren!Ivy or Micaiah!Hortensia) or you really like them. It’s not the same as with Nino or the other Ests of the series.
And the Somniel mechanics itself…they made the monastery but somehow worse, and I’m someone who liked the monastery. You get 10-20 glowing spots per visit, Arena is 3 sessions that you have to manually choose + can’t skip intro quotes, Sommie Pet and Feed are unskippable scenes (and I love Sommie), mini games will break your thumb even on Normal for the button mashing one, and so forth. Horrid after the novelty wears off.
Really feels like they saw that people liked certain mechanics and ideas from Three Houses and went “yeah let’s shove it in but make it worse.” Lumera just felt like a worse written and less complex Rhea too…
However, you can really feel the love in the game, and it’s a delight for series veterans like me for callbacks even if the gameplay suffers from bizarre decision making and poor story pacing. And some supports like Alfred/Céline are genuinely good imo.
Game is heavily censored though to the point of contrivance as a note. It’s to the point where they censored all of Alear’s age appropriate relationships with other 17-year-olds and left in the adults only as explicit romance. Or how Veyle’s S Support now makes 75% or so of the game’s story and motivations bizarre and even incoherent/weaker.
NOTE: I don’t care about fictional characters’ rights, but it’s funny because you know they were trying to sanitize the game but somehow made it “worse.”
I think Engage is a solid 6.5/10 or 7/10 for me which is not a bad score.
Ultimately, if you want a good story, pick up Three Houses, Tellius duology, or Genealogy. Awakening for a solid, if vanilla, story.
If you want Gameplay, pick up Engage or like Conquest. Three Houses isn’t bad map-wise, it’s just weaker and the fact you have to play the maps at least 4 times to get the full story.
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Today was the day. December Ninth, the day of the rebel Salmonid invasion. The Squidbeak Splatoon had already set up posts throughout the amusement park, one being right where Turf Wars are normally held. Mirage and friends were in charge of it.
"Your majesty!" A kingdom Salmonid called out, rushing to Mirage. "It's all set!"
"The egg basket's in place?" They asked. "The pipelines are being surveillanced, and the pumps are functioning?"
"Y-Yes! All clear and ready for the invasion!"
"Good. Return to your post then. I'll take it from here." They nodded, seeing the Salmon off.
"So....mind telling us why we installed an egg basket and water pumps?" Sandy tilted her head curiously. Mirage turned to the group.
"Notice how the tide around Wahoo World is low at the moment. They aren't going to be able to reach the park with it being as low as it is. However...there is another way. One I'm sure you're familiar with, Sandy."
"Eh....? Oh, gross!! You don't mean-!! Nasty...!"
"They intend to invade through the sewers, then. They connect to the ocean after all." Plat answered, a confirming grunt coming from the Inkling-Salmonid hybrid.
"Exactly. And if they do as such, there's a chance water is going to start pouring into the stage and start flooding it. And we're not very useful surrounded by water."
"So you installed the water pumps to keep the area drained." Minu finished. "But why the egg basket?"
"Killing two birds with one stone. We recover the stolen golden eggs, and by depositing them in the basket, it'll power the pumps. Which means it's going to be crucial that we keep a constant flow of eggs coming, or we'll be drowned out."
"That's smart."
"Wait, if they're invading through the sewers...does that mean they could just swim straight into Inkopolis' sewers and get in?" Sandy worriedly brought up.
"That's why we have posts set up all throughout Wahoo World. Callie and Marie will make sure they don't get in. I also heard a rumor that King Octavio came to help out, but I didn't see him anywhere...but there's a lot of volunteer employees that are with them that wanted to help, so...."
The sky above began to turn into a deep crimson color.
"It's happening...get ready guys."
-
Televisions, phones, anything with a screen immediately cut to static. A fuzzy video began playing.
“ATTENTION, INKOPOLIS.”
“WE ARE THE SALMON REBELLION. WE ARE LOYAL TO NO ONE KING, NO KINGDOM. WE ANSWER TO NO ONE.”
“THIS AMUSEMENT PARK OF YOURS BELONGS TO US NOW. WE WILL TAKE THIS PIECE OF LAND FROM YOU, AS WELL AS THE SHORELINE.”
“iF YOU’RE SMART, YOU’LL RETREAT AND SURRENDER TO US. OUR CONQUEST OF ALL OF THE SURFACE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE TAKE IT FOR OURSELVES.”
“IF YOU DARE BATTLE AGAINST US, YOU WILL LOSE YOUR LIVES. CHOOSE WISELY. THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING.”
-
Cruesa's eyes lingered on the static of the massive TV hanging overhead after the message had played. The sky was a terrifying red, and the plaza was devoid of people.
Her communicator rang, and she slowly grabbed it out and answered the call.
"Cruesa. What is your status?" Tara asked, not even muttering a hello.
"I'm fine. I've learned quite a bit about our enemies, even the ones from beyond our world."
After giving her mother a brief summary, she sighed. "Mother...there is a massive invasion being led by these rebel Salmons, and everyone has either gone into hiding or gone to fight them. They present a real threat-"
"They can die for all I care. They're all tainted, so let them run to their deaths. It makes it easier for me. Listen to me, Cruesa." Tara's tone grew darker. "You will not, under any circumstances, come anywhere near those heathens. I forbid it. Remain in hiding and wait for the storm to blow over."
"I...Mother, are you worried over me...?"
"....Yes. I'm very worried about you." She responded monotonously. "So be a good daughter and obey me." Her mother hung up before Cruesa is able to respond.
"..." She knew it was best to listen to her mother's words...
But she had too many questions to listen.
"I'm sorry Mother." She grumbled to herself, rushing toward Deco Tower to get quick transportation to Wahoo World.
#//ic#//mirage#//sandy#//plat#//minu#//cruesa#//tara#//ster#//roebecca#//cinnabar#//my art#BIG RUN.....
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The Early Coptic Papacy: The Egyptian Church and its Leadership in Late Antiquity - A Review
In this volume, renowned scholar of Egyptian and Arabophone Christianity Stephen J. Davis explores how the ancient Egyptian Church’s hierarchy came to develop in the first centuries A.D., as well as how the shepherds of the late antique Coptic Church leveraged notions of apostolicity, orthodoxy, resistance, exile, and persecution to solidify their authority over the Egyptian Christian faithful. While this book covers the history of the Coptic Church from its inception to the Arab conquest in the 7th century, for the purposes of this review we will be focusing primarily on the events following the council of Chalcedon to the Rashidun invasion of Egypt, discussing any events antedating 451 only where necessary to provide needed historical context.
Davis begins chapter four by discussing the aftermath of the council of Chalcedon and the banishment of Dioscorus to Gangra. The author speaks of the endeavor to create a rival Imperial or “Melkite” Church as a form of imperialism or “ecclesiastical colonialism.” While I’d normally be hesitant to project contemporary postcolonial theory onto 5th century Imperial Church politics, I think Davis for the most part does so appropriately and effectively. The fact of the matter is that following Chalcedon, the majority of the native Egyptian faithful as well as Egypt’s domestic bishoprics continued to recognize Dioscorus and his anti-Chalcedonian successors as the legitimate heirs of both the Markan throne and the Alexandrian Church’s theological heritage. Thus, the attempt by the Emperor Marcian’s loyalists to install Proterius instead of a popularly-backed anti-Chalcedonian from the school of Dioscorus and Cyril was an effort on the part of an out-of-touch colonial aristocracy to form a “new elite system” to contest with “local, institutional leadership.” Thus, the Coptic Church post-Chalcedon can thus rightly be described as a colonized community under the hegemony of the Imperial Byzantine establishment.
I also quite enjoyed the concise but informative survey of Coptic Church history after the deposition of Dioscorus. Casual readers of post-Chalcedon Church history might be tempted to think of the schism as crystallizing overnight, with two separate ecclesial communities forming immediately in the wake of the council. This is not at all the case, as Davis rightly notes. Instead, partisans and opponents of the council competed for the same bishoprics throughout the empire, with the anti-Chalcedonian Patriarch Theodosius I being the last Alexandrian bishop to be recognized by both sides in the mid-6th century. Many Coptic Patriarchs sought compromise with the other side, including Peter Mongus who signed Zeno’s henoticon in an attempt to reestablish communion with the other major eastern sees, by effectively ignoring Chalcedon and the Tome of Leo. Later anti-Chalcedonians would agree to reunion on the basis of Cyrus’ “monothelite” pact of union. In many such cases, extremists on both sides of the divide opposed their hierarchs’ conciliations. One such movement, the acephalites or “headless ones,” counted among their ranks the future Antiochian Patriarch Severus and the Church historian Zacharias Rhetor - both of whom were associated with this movement while they were still laymen.
Davis also documents intra-ecclesial conflicts within the Church of Alexandria during this time. In addition to the schism between the miaphysites and dyophysites, the anti-Chalcedonian leadership faced many internal divisions within their own ranks. For one, the dispute between Severus of Antioch and Julian of Halicarnassus throughout their shared exile in the Egyptian desert led to a devastating rift within both the Coptic Church and the wider anti-Chalcedonian Orthodox communion of Churches. The “Gaianites,” followers of the popular Julianist/Aphthartodocetist Patriarch Gaianus formed a rival hierarchy to the imperially-backed Severan Patriarch Theodosius. The Gaianites existed as a separate hierarchical structure from the mainstream Severan-Theodosian Coptic Church well into the 8th century.
Davis also talks about internal sub-schisms within the Severan-Theodosian faction. The death of the perenially exiled Theodosius in Constantinople led to a power vacuum which gave rise to four rival claimants to the Markan throne:
The Severan-Theodosian bishop Peter IV, whom the Coptic Church considers to be the legitimate successor to Theodosius to this day
The Chalcedonian bishop John
The Gaianite-Julianist bishop Dorotheus
Another Severan-Theodosian named Theodore, whom the anti-Chalcedonian bishop of Antioch Paul tried to install, much to the ire of the local Egyptian bishops
After the death of Peter IV, a schism broke out between Peter’s successor, the Syrian-born Alexandrian Patriarch Damian, and his Antiochian counterpart Peter Callinicus. Damian accused Callinicus of being a tritheist, while the latter accused Damian of Sabellianism. This schism lasted for the better part of 30 years, until their successors Anastasius and Athanasius mended the rift based on a mutually declared statement of faith. This, only for Pope Damian’s extreme loyalists to elect an antipope in response to the rapprochement between Antioch and Alexandria.
Davis briefly discusses the civil strife and palace intrigue that led to the Persian invasion of Egypt during the first half of the 7th century. While the Persians generally treated the Christians harshly, some sources indicate that they were more conciliatory towards the anti-Chalcedonian populace than the Byzantines. In any case, the Byzantines shortly retook Egypt in 629 under the leadership of Heraclius. Cyrus is then installed as Chalcedonian Patriarch of Alexandria, while also wielding significant civic authority. Cyrus attempts to broker a reconciliation between anti-Chalcedonians and Chalcedonians on the basis of the monothelite pact of union. While this attempted reunion was partially successful, it was resisted by no less a figure than the renowned Coptic monastic Samuel of Kalamun, who rejected the pact out of solidarity with the exiled Coptic Patriarch Benjamin. The solidarity between the monastic communities of the Coptic Church and their exiled Patriarchs is a recurring theme throughout Coptic history, as Davis notes throughout this volume. Indeed, Coptic Patriarchs from Athanasius to Theophilus to Cyril would often draw on monastic support in the face of opposition from their theological and political opponents.
This then brings us to what is arguably the most consequential event in the history of the Egyptian Church (alongside the council of Chalcedon): the Arab conquest of 641. While it was traditionally believed by some historians that the Copts welcomed the Arabs as liberators from their Byzantine-Chalcedonian hegemons, the historical data paint a much more nuanced picture. It is true that Amr Ibn Al-As, the Arab military commander in charge of the Egyptian military campaign, did grant certain concessions to the Coptic Patriarch Benjamin. He returned property to the Egyptian Church that was previously seized by the Byzantines and allowed him to come out of imperially imposed exile and freely administer the affairs of his Churches. That said however, many Coptic writers, including the chronicler and bishop John of Nikiu describe the Arabs as oppressors who brought upon the Copts a heavy “yoke” comparable to that of the biblical Pharaoh.
Worth noting is that there existed a strong cultural continuity with Egypt’s Greco-Roman heritage for quite some time after the Rashidun invasions. The Arabs, for instance, retained Greek as the official language for imperial account books and did not integrate into wider Egyptian society for at least the first two centuries after the fall of Alexandria, remaining for the most part cloistered in their army barracks. Many Copts also seemed to mistakenly assume that the Arabs would eventually leave, just like the Persians had done shortly before.
Davis is, as I said, a world class scholar of Egyptian and Arabic-speaking Christianity. He is known for such works as “Coptic Christology in Practice” as well as a translation of the medieval Copto-Arabic text “Disputations Over the Fragment of the Cross.” He is also the editor of the new series “Christian Arabic Texts in Translation” and has served as academic dean of the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo. Davis’ work is a must have for anyone interested in Coptic Christianity and the history of the ancient Egyptian Church. Davis’ meticulous research methods present the history of the late antique Alexandrian Church in a concise and accessible manner, without sacrificing precision and detail. I particularly enjoyed his summary of the very complicated (and even convoluted) history of the Coptic Church post-Chalcedon. Wracked with political intrigue, imperial persecution, and divisions both across and within confessional lines, it can be difficult for the student of Church history to keep track of all the different creeds, confessions, and rival claimants to the Patriarchate during this turbulent period of time. Nevertheless, Davis manages to do so quite successfully, giving us a clear overview of the rival lines of episcopal succession, as well as the historical backdrop of Byzantium’s loss of Egypt to both the Persians and eventually the Rashidun invaders.
By studying Davis’ work, one can also draw certain parallels between events in the late antique Egyptian Church and contemporary Coptic Church history, particularly in the life of the late Pope Shenouda III. For instance, Demetrius’ attempted suppression of Origen’s pedagogic activities is similar to the conflict between the late Pope Shenouda and the scholar George Bebawi. In both cases, the bishop of Alexandria leverages his episocopal power to strictly define what “Orthodoxy” is in the face of what is perceived to be a lay teacher overstepping his authority.
Similarly, Theophilus’ attempt to consolidate monastic support while isolating Isidore and the tall brothers is comparable to the state of relative marginalization the monks of St. Macarius’ monastery experienced in the wake of the dispute between Pope Shenouda and Father Matthew the Poor. Likewise, the exile of many Egyptian Popes like Athanasius, Dioscorus, Timothy Aelurus, Theodosius, and Benjamin on account of pressure from the governmental authorities is a recurring historical theme that played out in the life of Pope Shenouda as recently as the Sadat era in the 1980s.
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25, including 4 children, killed as Russia launches air strikes in Ukraine in nearly 2 months
Russia launched large-scale air strikes across Ukraine in nearly two months, killing 25 people. In February last year, Russia invaded Ukraine, claiming that the Kyiv government posed a threat. Ukraine and its Western allies call it an unprovoked war of conquest.
Russia hurled missiles at cities across Ukraine as people slept on Friday (local time), killing at least 25 civilians in the first large-scale air strikes in nearly two months, as Kyiv said it was nearly ready to launch a huge assault to retake occupied land.
Firefighters tackled a blaze at a residential apartment hit by a Russian missile in the central town of Uman and rescue workers clambered through a huge pile of smouldering rubble, searching for survivors and bodies as anxious people stood by.
"My neighbours are gone. No one is left," said Serhii Lubivskyi (58), who survived inside a flat on the seventh floor. He was rescued by firefighters from the balcony where he escaped with his wife after the explosion blocked their front door.
Officials said at least 23 civilians were killed, including four children, with an estimated 109 people living in the part of the block that was hit and 27 flats completely destroyed.
Lubivskyi wept as he looked up at the smouldering gaps in the building where adjacent flats had been blasted away.
"An elderly woman, her daughter and two grandchildren lived on the ninth floor. They are gone. A man with his son lived on the eighth floor. They are gone. A woman with her daughter lived on the seventh floor. They are gone. A young family lived on the sixth floor, their son was lucky ... he is alive."
In the southeastern city of Dnipro, a missile killed a two-year-old child and a 31-year-old woman, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said. Video released by the authorities showed a blackened hole where a missile had crashed through an apartment window.
Moscow said it had targeted locations of Ukrainian reserve troops and had struck them successfully, preventing them from reaching the front. It supplied no evidence to support this.
Reuters could not independently verify Moscow's accounts.
The wave of Russian missile attacks was the first since early March. Russia had launched such attacks almost weekly for most of the winter, but they tapered off as spring arrived, with Western countries saying Moscow was running out of missiles.
The capital Kyiv was also rocked by explosions in the early hours, as were the central cities of Kremenchuk and Poltava, and Mykolaiv in the south. Two people were wounded in the town of Ukrayinka just south of Kyiv, officials said.
The war is coming to a crucial juncture after a months-long Russian winter offensive that gained little ground despite the bloodiest fighting so far. Kyiv is preparing a counteroffensive using hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles sent by the West.
It wants to drive Russia out of the nearly one fifth of Ukraine that it occupies and claims to have annexed.
"As soon as there is God's will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it," Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told an online news briefing.
Ukraine was "at a high percentage ready", he said, with new modern weapons to provide an "iron fist". CRUISE MISSILES
Closer to the front, in Donetsk, an eastern city controlled by Russian proxies since 2014, a Russian-installed official said seven people, including a child, had been killed by Ukrainian shelling that hit a minibus.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the number of casualties or who was to blame. Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Ukrainian military said it had shot down 21 out of 23 cruise missiles fired by Russia. Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians. Kyiv says strikes on cities far from the front lines have no military purpose apart from intimidating and harming civilians, a war crime.
"This Russian terror must face a fair response from Ukraine and the world," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in a Telegram post alongside images of the wreckage. "And it will."
Along hundreds of kilometres of front, Russia has been fortifying its territory for months in anticipation of Kyiv's planned assault, widely expected once warmer weather dries out Ukraine's notorious sucking black mud.
Ukraine made swift gains throughout the second half of 2022, but has kept its forces on the defensive for the past five months. Russia, meanwhile, launched a huge winter campaign using hundreds of thousands of freshly called up reservists and convicts recruited as mercenaries from jail.
But despite the heaviest ground combat in Europe since World War II, Moscow captured little additional territory, focusing mainly on the small mining city of Bakhmut where Ukrainians have withstood for almost a year.
Kyiv and its Western military backers hope a push by thousands of Ukrainian troops trained at Western bases, using hundreds of newly donated tanks and armoured vehicles, will shift the dynamics of the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree giving people living in parts of Ukraine under Moscow's control a path to Russian citizenship. It means that those who decline or who do not legalise their status could be deported.
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February last year, claiming that the Kyiv government posed a threat. Ukraine and its Western allies call it an unprovoked war of conquest.
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Conquest of elysium 5
#Conquest of elysium 5 how to
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Covering more than 26.000 Games, this database representsĪll genres and focuses on recent releases. Gamer and want a few extra weapons or lives to survive until the next level, this freeware cheat database can come to the rescue. XBox, Playstation 1 and 2, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Sega, Nintendo 64, Wii U,ĭVD, Game Boy Advance, iPhone, Game Boy Color, N-Gage, Nintendo DS, PSP, Gamecube, Dreamcast, Xbox 360, Super Nintendo) easily accessible from one central location.
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Spotlight - New Version CheatBook DataBase 2022Ĭheatbook-Database 2022 is a freeware cheat code tracker that makes hints, Tricks, Tips and cheats (for PC, Walkthroughs, Visit Cheatinfo for more Cheat Codes, FAQs or Tips! Help out other players on the PC by adding a cheat or secret that you know! Submit your codes! Having Codes, cheat, hints, tips, trainer or tricks we dont have yet? Immediately quit the report so you don’t have to wait, or annoy yourself by When you view a battle happening you can use “s” key to speed it up or “q” to Hold shift to select a row or a square or whatever. Infantry which are making your commander move slower on world map. You may press “s” to select or deselect slow units like catapults or heavy You can double left click on a type of unit to pick all of that type of unit. In assignment mode with “a” key you may select (assign) all units. (important since you don’t want to attack or move without your units) With “t” key you may assign soldiers to your commanders. The little top right corner menu when you select your Baron or Necromancer or Rituals/unique faction powers are used with “p” key, you can also see it on You may hold right click on the specific citadel (on world map ofc). To pick from the list of citadels to recruit at a specific citadel, it’sĪnnoying, because of that in order to recruit in a specific citadel quickly When you press “r” to recruit you deploy at your capital as default, you have With “r” key you may recruit troops or commanders, or buy items. You may chain or break commanders to/from each other by selecting them on the With space key you may pass commander’s turn for just one turn so game won’tīother you by showing you that commander when you press “n” to see the next Try to end turn, game won’t bother you about him until you activate him by With “s” key (on world map) you may sleep/station your commander so when you On world map, and by clicking the square again (provided your commander hasĮnough movement points left) you may move your commander. You can select a commander by right clicking on world map, or with “n” keyīy left clicking world map squares you may set destination for your commander Or on battle map or even on descriptions itself. Game, it will give you a chance to quickly see what happened in battles.īy right clicking you may see descriptions in general (i mean on world map
#Conquest of elysium 5 how to
Just because you don’t know which key to use to raise undead or how to move.ĭo not forget to tick “Battle reports” option when you are creating a new I want to give you shortcuts because i don’t want you to drop the game It’s a primitive basics guide to quickly throw you into game. Hints and Tips for: Conquest of Elysium 5īeginners Guide + Gameplay Tips + World Map Info: Have fun and play! Don’t forget to run the game as administrator as it helps prevents crashes and errors with the game.Ĭlick the Download button below to start Conquest of Elysium 5 freeload PC.Conquest of Elysium 5 Cheats, Cheat Codes, Hints, TipsĬonquest of Elysium 5 Cheats, Codes, Hints and Walkthroughs for PC Games.Double click on the Conquest of Elysium 5 folder and run the exe application.(To do this you will need the free program called WinRAR, which you can get here.) iso) file and click on ‘Extract to Conquest of Elysium 5’. Once Conquest of Elysium 5 is done downloading, right click the.From there, choose the preferred download link to start the download.Click the Download button below and you should be redirected to ShareTheURLs.
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HOW TO DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL CONQUEST OF ELYSIUM 5 We’re not talking about a unique building here and a unique unit there, we’re talking about completely different playstyles, with different mechanics and different goals. The main focus in the CoE series is that each race plays differently. There are also a huge number of factions, each with its own unique gameplay and magic rituals.
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Conquest of Elysium 5 freeload full version for PC with direct links.Ĭonquest of Elysium 5 is a quick turn based fantasy strategy game with a touch of rogue-like. Conquest of Elysium 5 was released on August 17, 2021. Conquest of Elysium 5 freeload PC Game in Direct Link and Torrent.
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How Parker Met Stark
Pairings/Characters: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader (Andrew Garfield’s Peter)
Warnings: Swearing, graphic depictions of violence, end fluff
A/N: COMMENTS/REBLOGS APPRECIATED/ENCOURAGED: Because, honestly, I don’t know if anyone likes it otherwise so I can continue or not.
Summary: A prequel to my Hard Enough one-shot, and the second installation of my Crumble!Verse work: The first time you meet Peter Parker, he saw your hot temper and couldn’t help himself.
This is definitely post-college, adult Spider-Man
Something was wrong. Peter could feel it. The air was thick, his throat was dry, and he was certain that the ground beneath his feet may have shook just a tiny bit, but maybe that was his spidey senses toying with him. Perhaps something was happening with the woman he spotted across the hall.
Peter was currently in the MET, taking photos for a high-class, black-tie event that he was afforded, somehow, a press pass to get into so he could catch some of Earth’s mightiest heroes let their hair down. He still wasn’t entirely sure how he was standing here. He wasn’t taking pictures nearly as much as he used to since he was finally working in an actual lab that produced actual results and he made actual money for it. But because he had such a hot streak catching pictures of Spider-Man (and still does, when it’s the holiday season and he wants to treat himself), J. Jonah Jameson reached out to him with a quest.
Get amazing pictures of the Avengers.
He had Tony with an arm wrapped around Pepper, and another arm wrapped around Bruce’s shoulders as he had yanked the man into his side and was kissing his temple while Pepper was watching the scene and laughing at Bruce cringing because Tony was laying a ‘wet one’ on him.
Clint looked bored, but Peter couldn’t resist this photo. The man was literally standing by a window, unbothered by everyone, nearly hiding behind one of the curtains as he shoveled food in his mouth. The man resembled a chipmunk/human hybrid and it was impressive. Natasha was caught whispering in Wanda’s ear, but both of their eyes were clearly glued to a man’s butt as he bent over to pick up his fallen handkerchief.
Steve, Bucky, and Sam looked like the perfect trio of pals. Steve was in the center, head down, smile on his face, eyes closed as he listened to Sam and Bucky go back and forth roasting each other, with Bucky outright flipping Sam off while said man was using a napkin to mimic an emo, swooping hairstyle. Thor, in typical Thor fashion, was surrounded by women, and even a few men, as he spun tales of Asgard and his conquests, not realizing Steven Strange was behind him and rolling his eyes at the stories.
Then there was you. You were off to the side, a corner that could’ve been hidden to most, but Peter couldn’t help but spot you immediately. After all, you weren’t just an Avenger, you were a very, very pretty Avenger who happened to perfectly fit in the same age bracket as he did. You were absolutely glowing in a floor-length, golden gown moved like water whenever you did.
You were off speaking to someone in a corner, a man he recognized to be your boyfriend, thanks to several magazines and newspapers that couldn’t manage to keep themselves out of your life. However, instead of the usual demeanor they caught you in when together, smiling, laughing, having fun, you looked like you were going to explode. That must have been the feeling that he was having. It really was his spidey senses tingling.
Confused, Peter slowly started to walk towards you, his senses going off the closer he got. He felt the floor shake ever so slightly and looked around, but not a soul seemed to be bothered by this except for him. Perhaps because of his senses he was more sensitive to it, but he knew what was coming, he was familiar with your powers. He knew what was next for this whole building if things were as bad as he was imagining them to be.
Looking at you, Peter noticed your hand shaking. He then noticed the tips of your fingers start to turn red. Suddenly, he could see the veins bulging on your hand up to the middle of your forearm, and ugly red and purple bruising start to form around them. His eyes widened a little bit, looking up to see your face. Your right eye was twitching and you were gritting your teeth like you were trying to hold back, and what were you trying to hold back?
By the looks of it, he’d have to guess you were trying not to put your fist through his face.
Peter watched as you opened your mouth to speak and were immediately shut down by your boyfriend talking over you, hands waving around, voice getting louder by the second. Your eye was still twitching, and the bruising was creeping up your forearm fast and reaching your shoulder, causing you to wince as your other arm grabbed it and held on to it.
Peter could hear the sound of marble cracking and knew he had to intervene. Quick on his feet, he walked over to you and held up his camera the second he saw your injured hand starting to rise, “Ms. Stark, why don’t I take your photo over there? Just yours, of course.”
You saw this as your out, and as much as you wanted to let go of the powers you were holding in and just break your boyfriend’s face in two, you decided that maybe now was not the time to commit manslaughter, against your better judgement. Instead, you exhaled slowly, smiled politely at the photographer, and nodded as he quickly led you away out in the hall, lying to you and saying something about getting the ‘perfect’ night lighting.
“How do you get perfect night lighting at night in a dimly lit hallway? Shouldn’t that be outside?” You asked as the doors shut behind you.
“Nah, doesn’t matter,” Peter turned around and lowered his hands in front of him as he studied you. “I just thought I should stop you from murdering someone during a charity event, as cool as those pictures would look.”
You laughter. You snorted and laughed at him, and while you thought that snort was some kind of combination of unholy and unattractive, Peter grinned watching you shake your head and turn away from him.
“So that’s why you lured me out here? And here I thought you thought I was pretty,” you replied.
Peter grinned, “It can’t be both?”
You blushed, surprised he matched your banter. You scoffed a little and crossed your arms over your chest before remembering the pain one of them was in. You winced slightly and let your arms drop to your sides as you studied him, “What’s your name, hero?”
He smirked, because he was positive you had no idea the double meaning behind that nickname, “Peter Parker. It’s a nice to meet you, Ms. Stark.”
“Yeah, even under these circumstances?” You quipped, stepping backwards to lean under a particularly dim sconce, just to rest your back and get some weight off of those pointy heels you were wearing, “Sounds a little strange, Parker. You’ve got a murder kink or something?”
“Well, if I did, I would’ve let you finish off your boyfriend back there.”
“And watched? Now that’s just a little too voyeuristic of you, Parker.”
Peter laughed as got down to his knees and angled the camera up to take a photo of you. You tilted your head to the side in confusion and stepped forward to leave but Peter protested quickly as he moved to lay on his stomach.
“No, stay right there. You look amazing like that,” He said as he started to snap photos of you, “Like a real bad ass.”
“I don’t usually let press take photos this easily.”
“I know, I hear you’re a camera breaker,” Peter remarked and glanced up at you from behind the camera, “What’s a guy got to do to get you to spare me?”
You chewed on your bottom lip, “Not sure. You already got down on your knees fairly quickly for me,” You laughed and leaned back again, staring off to the side with your injured arm resting in the shadows, your good arm resting softly on your stomach as you thought about this particular predicament you were in. “How about you don’t release any pictures of the two of us arguing?”
“What makes you think I took any?”
“I’m confident it was your job to get some juicy pics of the Avengers here, since you’re Spider-Man’s personal photographer — well, not so much these days,” You replied, watching as he looked up at you in surprise before standing up. “Yeah, took me a minute, but I remember the name now. I like your photos.”
“Thanks,” Peter nodded as he dusted his pants off and walked towards you. “No pics of you and the boyfriend fighting.”
“Hm, well, not sure how long he’ll have that title anyway. I’ll give you the exclusive in case I do rip his heart out with my bare hands.”
“Hot,” He mumbled, watching you chuckle and shake your head once more. “Should we get that checked out for you? That looks, well, not great,” he told you as he studied your arm.
“It’ll go away in a few days,” You waved your good hand dismissively. “It’s happened before. It’s not a big deal. It’ll recover quick enough. It’s just going to be annoying walking in with this for all to see now. I left my jacket at my seat.”
“Oh,” Peter slipped his jacket off quick enough, “I got you. That’s fine.”
“I can’t —“
“Come on. You can walk in. Get your jacket, and give me mine back. Plus, I had this dry-cleaned.”
You raised an eyebrow, “Recently?”
He blinked twice as he chewed on his bottom lip, “This year. I think.”
Snickering, you thanked him and slipped on the jacket. You took a moment to inhale the scent lingering on the jacket to see if it was as bad as you feared — it wasn’t. It smelled like his cologne, spicy, warm, and left just the right amount of tingle in your nostrils, and you were instantly attracted to it. You cleared your throat, muttered your thanks, and walked into the main hall with Peter hot on your trail.
All you had to do was get to your seat, put on your jacket, and you were good. Hell, you might even try to make an early exit and just go home, but, no, why would things be easy. Your boyfriend was waiting by the door, checking his watch anxiously and looking around. When he spotted you wearing Peter’s coat after you returned, everything he wanted to say flew out of his brain as he started walking towards you.
Peter noticed him and cringed “So, uh, what were you two fighting about?”
“He embarrassed me in front of a bunch of people and got really angry and defensive when I said he was being shitty and condescending. Why?”
“I think he wants to finish the conversation.”
You turned around at his remark and nearly slammed into your oncoming boyfriend. He looked at the jacket you were wearing, then at Peter, who stood there with his lips pursed, eyebrows up, and eyeballs going in very other direction that did not have either of you in it.
“I thought you were just taking pictures. The fuck are you doing with this soy-faced cuck’s jacket on you? The hell did you do out there?” He shouted, garnering too much attention from those surrounding you.
Including your father, Tony Stark, who immediately sobered up and put his drink in Bruce’s chest as he undid his jacket button and started to walk over.
Peter, however, sensed it before he could see it coming. Before he could even react, your hand was up, your boyfriend was on his back having gone through a table and wound up on the ground covered in appetizers, drinks, and a now-soiled white tablecloth.
You exhaled and twisted your wrist a few times, “That feels better. We’re done, by the way.”
“Spawn…” Tony began as he looked between your new ex-boyfriend, Peter, and yourself. “You know, if you held out for twenty more minutes, I would have won a bet.”
“Sorry, dad,” you remarked as you began to slip off Peter’s jacket. “I couldn’t help myself. Really, really tried, too.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” Tony sighed and noticed your arm, “Holy shit that looks horrible.”
“Yep.”
“Okay, time to make an exit,” Tony looked to Peter and furrowed his brow. “What, you think now’s the time for a photo op?”
“He’s my friend, dad,” you turned and handed him the coat. “Thank you, Peter. It was nice meeting you.”
He beamed as he took his jacket, “Nice meeting you too, Y/N.”
“Make sure you give them a good picture,” you joked as Pepper came over to you with your jacket so you guys could leave. “Sorry it wasn’t a real homicide.”
“Oh, I’m sure I’ll catch it another day,” He joked with you, ignoring the confused looks he was getting from Tony and Pepper. “Maybe I’ll even see you around.”
“Maybe,” you nodded and waved goodbye to him. Charmingly enough, you gave your boyfriend the middle finger and told him to lose your number as you walked out of there with your father and Pepper in tow, while the rest of the Avengers seemed to be playing games of rock, paper, scissors to see who should stay for appearances, and who could run out and leave as well.
~*~
The following day, you made your way over to the kitchen, feet padding against the cold floor as you made a beeline to the coffee. After pouring yourself a cup, you grabbed the Daily Bugle sitting on the counter and unfolded it. You smirked behind the coffee cup as you spotted the photo on the front page.
‘Y/N Stark, Showstopper at MET Charity’
Of course, the story went on to detail some of the drama from the night, but you were enthralled by the photo. You looked ethereal, god-like, powerful. You could faintly see your bruised arm in the background. Hiding in the shadows, it almost looked sinister, but you loved how you looked.
You looked to see ‘photograph by: Peter Parker’ and smiled. So he did pick a good photo of you, as he should.
Humming to yourself, you leaned over the counter, “Hey, Jarvis.”
“Yes, madam?”
“What do you know about Peter Parker?”
#peter parker x reader#tasm!peter x reader#tasm!peter parker x stark!reader#peter parker x stark!reader#stark!reader#crumble!verse#crazycookiecrumbles#spiderman x reader#tasm!spiderman x reader#peter parker x you
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Its COOL MANNN!
Bernie was unwrapping a large parcel he received from the mail, something that was sent by someone who goes by the name Roy Chang...
Of course he was cautious, even going so far as to research the fellow and found that he was a trashy idiotic asian eBoi who swears a lot and talks about his conquests with girls, not to mention his association with a couple of ‘prank celebrities’ which really rile his nerves. His husband also received a parcel from one of those jerks too, and was getting up and wanted to-
BZZT
He wanted to stop his husband from opening it but then he received a couple of messages from Reynard’s phone, claiming that everything was fine and that Roy was cool and all, and that he had won a prize from them but couldn’t claim it as he wasn’t a citizen of the country...yet.
There were a couple of freak-out exchanges, with suggestions to even call the cops, but eventually...he trusted Reynard.
He and his husband were close friends with both Reynard and his bear of a boyfriend, exchanging multiple conversations with the duo these past few years. They were intelligent and cautious...and after all, even if it was a prank, it couldn’t do too much harm to him. That kind of stuff was annoying and rude, but these college guys never outright pulled something that could cause extreme harm since supposedly-they were directly under the big names.
Well, at least Bernie hoped so.
“W...wow...”
Out screamed the largest computer set he had ever seen. Laced with neon green highlights which glowed like it was out of this world. From the keyboards to the hardware.
It...
It screamed idiotic.
But even so, Bernie felt really compelled to try it out. Ditching whatever he wanted to do in favour of immediately setting up this computer. Surprisingly enough, it took less than a couple of minutes, plugging it in as the monitor was already wide awake, and automatically opened to a pre installed client of a game, nudging the man to create an account and sign in.
Bernie scoffed of course that Eboi would have his gift have one of those MOBAS. Might as well entertain him. Registration was relatively easy might as well type his username something stupid like-
‘MENTALLY GONE’
>LOG IN
CLICK!
“Wha was tha...tha?”
Almost instantly, the neon green lights of the computer glowed brightly. As he felt himself sucked into the game. Mouse hovering over the lobby, starting the match...
Subtile spirals played amidst the background, grinning idiotically, completely out of character for Bernie...but who cares about Bernie?
He was ‘MENTALLY GONE’.
CHAMPION SELECT
Over his screen, there were a multitude of characters ranging from guys to hot chicks...did he just think hot chicks? Huhuhuh maybe the dumb game is really getting to him.
Doubt his husband would mind right?
Grinning to himself, feeling drawn more to the in game client. Adjusting his posture... hunching more towards the screen, feeling an increase in height while his back broadened within his gamer’s chair.
Gaming Chair? Must’ve came with the package Roy gave! Cool!
The dude was pretty cool, teaching him how to play the latest and hottest game young men played. Heroes Enter Tribulations. Specially teaching him one of those really cool looking characters, one of those asian looking ones that always talked about the wind.
‘Tryhard’
‘Noob’
‘Insta lock one trick’
Oberni blinked, focusing in the comments of his teammates who were less than...friendly. He was still new to the game, but man, were these guys SALTY. At least that was how Roy would describe these players.
“Man are you guys SALTY!”
He spat, and not just typing in game. Feeling the need to VOICE out his opinion, taking on an exaggerated accent similar to one of those cool kids would use. He was quite old, but that was not gonna stop him from actin’ young.
Rubbing his eyes, he took off his spectacles moment as they were entering the game, before he SLAMMED his snapback over on his head, with a branded logo like the ones his peers wore.
But wait...weren’t those his specs?
“Must be TRIPPIN’!”
Yelling uncharacteristically, more than before. He was really getting into it. Getting into character, Man. Roy was one of those dumb EBois, he gotta act like one of em’. It was fake though, he was still smurt, he’s in UNI amirite?
FIRST BLOOD!
‘Dumb Eboi’
‘Idiot’
‘Typical’
“You guys SUUUUUUUCCCCKKK!”
Yelling, aggression filled his palms. Clicking rampantly amidst the death screen. Keyboard typing trash in chat like some kind of warrior. Who duckin’ cared bout’ being civil.
As far as these dumbasses know? He was popular. You hear him, POPULAR. He was associated with DA PHOENIX PRO, DMs and all. Hope his fiancé don’t mind, totally straight convo...not that he was straight!
Though he did act like one-
AN ENEMY HAS BEEN SLAIN
“Yeah take that, NOOB!”
Yelling in all chat, flexing his biceps, which strained tightly in his sleeves. Man...wearing grown up clothes SUCKED! Maybe if he yelled at them, they would-
“CHILL OUT!”
With that command, the sleeves shrivelled into shorter, grey cotton. One like the Merch he and his boyfriend created. You know, like those cool kids that were a little younger than they were...college dudes like em!
Fitting snuggly onto the avid gamer, the young influencer gave a sigh of relief as he leaned back and played the game. Fingers tightening as the single ring multiplied into various shades of bling, loose and not tied down.
Sweat oozing out as a tanned coloration overrode his complexion. His gym pectorals kinda sore from that intense workout with his lover, but Man, did that gay just go WILD with his dance moves while he had just a typical six pack like his bros.
Wait...did he just?
ENEMY DOUBLE KILL!
“FUKKKK! FHAGS!”
Cobern yelled, while simultaneously typing. By now, his entire team probably muted him. The enemy team might have also double muted him if that was even possible.
Misspelling was also common place for the dumb flunking UNI student. Solid, thick fingers programmed to do a few things, play games, work out, jack off and shyt talk. But who cares when he was HAWT!
No idea how he even got accepted, probably cause he was so darn SMOKIN’!
Grabbing hold of his hard virile joystick, pumping it with his left while his right subconsciously still played the game. Smirking as his Tak-Tik frat bud would wish to taste a piece of his manly meat. He wuz hot! But it felt too GAY to think of the other male that way.
Kicking off his signature, styled basketball sneakers, his musky size 13 feet wiggled with intense excitement, testosterone roaring in the young man.
Yeah...they were dumb ebois but so what? They were cool, and that didn’t make him an eboi, he was still smart! 1 + 1 = Window! He still got his college degree....wait.
No! College SUUUUUUKS!
His body regressed itself, becoming younger and wilder as his rebellious side stuck to the game, Toned pectorals and abdominals completed his slouched posture, having worked out a lot since young, though not caring bout’ his posture. He was from DA HOOD, and dis looked cool from da hood.
But wasn’t he missing something? Something that starts with a-
“Pen...Pen...”
Acober tried to think of loving times with his boyfriend, but that was gay. His mind scrambled to remember when he first kissed his boi-friend, but that was gay. His brain attempted to focus on the wonderful intimate make out session with...some g....girl, but that was...wait a sec-
That was H-A-W-T!
Playing with one hand, the straight E Boi yelled in the non-existent voice chat like some idiot, that’s cause he was CAUSE GIRLS LIKE HIM DUMB! Massaging his hard 8 inches in those ratty sweatpants of his. His slightly oversized shirt embraced onto his young dumb hunky body like one of da ladies! Showing off some firmness as a the white ‘Mentally’ imprint began continuing in letters, starting with-
G-cause he was a duckin’ Goofus, skipped skool, didn’t give a shit bout things unless it gave his Bois a laugh. The multitude of awards shifting to tons of trash he couldn’t be bothered to clean.
O-Olways a gamer, as books warped into decade long gaming since he was young. That’s all he duckin’ cared bout, alongside duckin’ chicks!
N-Joy life, E-njoy lyfe! He collab’ed with DA PHOENIX PRO!
The college dropout felt so much happier with himself, no more stupid faggy shit to worry about, only his stupid gamer shit. He facerolled over his keyboard, his sexy beard darkening coating with the sweat from his MAN fingers.
He was having so much fun, thrill, so much easier. His left hand pumpin’ away the last bits of his intelligence as he didn’t need that crap anymore, right hand gave a huge slap to his thigh as he-
He was-
Jacob Kasher
He was-
MENTALLY GONE!
PSSH-!
“PEN-TA-KILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!”
#gay to straight#g2s#mental change#personality change#jock#jockification#eboi#transformation#sexuality change#dumbing down#straight gamer#frat jock#its cool mannn!#straight gamer tf
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“The ancient world was divided fundamentally between rulers and ruled, in culture as well as in political-economic structure. A tiny percentage of wealthy and powerful families lived comfortably in the cities from the tithes, taxes, tribute, and interest that they extracted from the vast majority of people, who lived in villages and worked the land. We must thus first examine the historical dynamics of that fundamental societal division in order to understand the circumstances in which the early Jesus movements formed and expanded.
At the time of Jesus, the people of Israelite heritage who lived in the southeast corner of the Mediterranean world, Judea in the south, Galilee in the north, and Samaria in between, lived under the rule of Rome. A Roman army had conquered the area about sixty years before Jesus’ birth. The Romans installed the military strongman Herod as their client king to control the area. He in turn kept in place the Temple and high priesthood. The temple-state and its high priestly aristocracy had been set up by the Persian imperial regime centuries earlier as an instrument of their rule in Judea, the district around the city of Jerusalem. Subsequent imperial regimes retained this political-economic-religious arrangement for the control of the area and collection of revenues.
With the decline of Hellenistic imperial power, the Hasmonean high priests extended Jerusalem’s rule over Idumea to the south and Samaria and Galilee to the north, little more than a century before the birth of Jesus. After the Roman conquest, however, the high priestly aristocracy at the head of the temple-state in Jerusalem was again dependent on the favor of the imperial regime. Dependent, in turn, on the favor of the high priesthood were the professional scribal groups (such as the Pharisees) that worked for the priestly aristocracy as administrators of the temple-state and custodians of the cultural traditions, traditional laws, and religious rituals in which its legitimacy was articulated.
The old construct of a monolithic Judaism glosses over the fundamental division and multiple conflicts that persisted for centuries in Judean and Galilean history. Conflicts between rival factions in the priestly aristocracy, who competed for imperial favor, and the corresponding factions among scribal circles came to a head in the Maccabean Revolt of the 160s BCE. Further conflict developed as the Maccabean military strongmen consolidated their power as the new high priestly regime. The groups known as the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes, whom we now understand to have been closely related to the Qumran community that left the Dead Sea Scrolls, cannot be understood in early modern terms as sects of Judaism. They were rather rival scribal factions or parties who competed for influence on the high priestly regimes or, in the case of the Essenes, withdrew into the wilderness when they lost out.
The history of Judea and Galilee in the two centuries preceding and the century immediately after Jesus’ mission, however, was driven by the persistent conflict between the peasantry and their local and imperial rulers. In fact, according to our principal sources for these centuries—such as the books of the Maccabees, the Jewish War and the Antiquities of the Jews by the Judean historian Josephus, and later rabbinic literature—it was actions by Judean and Galilean peasants that drove most of the major historical events. The period of history around the time of Jesus was framed by four major peasant revolts: the Maccabean revolt in the 160s BCE, the revolt at the death of Herod in 4 BCE, the great revolt against Roman rule from 66 to 70 CE, and the Bar Kokhba revolt in 132–35 CE.
In the immediate period of Jesus’ mission and the first generation of Jesus movements, furthermore, peasants and ordinary people in Jerusalem mounted numerous protests and formed a number of renewal and resistance movements, most of which the Romans suppressed with brutal military action. Almost all of these revolts, protests, and movements were directed both against the foreign imperial rule of the Romans and against the Herodian and high priestly rulers in Jerusalem. Such popular revolts are rare in most areas of the world and periods of history. In response to their perpetual subjection to exploitative practices of the elite, peasants regularly engage in hidden forms of resistance, such as sequestering portions of their crops before the tax collectors arrive.
Peasants generally do not mount serious revolts, unless their backs are against the wall or they are utterly outraged at their treatment by their rulers. They do, however, organize vocal protests against their conditions and treatment. We can see the remarkable level of organization and discipline that popular protests were capable of generating in the strike against the emperor Caligula mounted by Galilean peasants a few years after Jesus’ mission there (Josephus, Ant. 18.269–84). Gaius Caligula, incensed that diaspora Jews refused to render him divine honors, ordered his statue installed in the Jerusalem Temple by military force.
As the military expedition prepared to march through Galilee, large numbers of peasants organized a strike, refusing to plant the crops. The Roman Legate of Syria as well as the Herodian officers in control of Galilee knew well that they faced the prospect of a “harvest of banditry” instead of the crops on which their expropriation of tribute depended. Gaius’s timely death prevented an escalation of the conflict. Clearly, Galilean and Judean people were capable of mounting serious widespread protests and other movements of resistance. As the Galilean peasant strike illustrates, most of the widespread peasant revolts, urban protests, and popular renewal-resistance movements were rooted in and inspired by Israelite tradition.
The central social memories of the origin and formation of Israel as an independent people focused on their liberation from foreign rule of the pharaoh in Egypt and on their Covenant on Sinai with their true, divine king (God), to the exclusion of oppressive human rulers (“no gods other than me”; “no images”). Judeans’ and Galileans’ loyalty to these formative traditions shaped their very identity as a people and led them to oppose foreign and Jerusalem rulers who conquered them and interfered with their community life directly under the covenantal rule of God.
Perhaps the most vivid example is the Passover celebration of the exodus from foreign oppression in Egypt. Jerusalem rulers had long since centralized this celebration in Jerusalem so that it would associate the formative memory and identity of Israel as a people with the Temple and its priesthood. Celebration of the exodus by pilgrims to Jerusalem, however, became a time of heightened awareness of their own subjection by the Romans and intense yearning to be independent again, in accordance with God’s will and previous deliverance.
In response to regular outbreaks of protest at festival time, the Roman governors made a habit of posting Roman soldiers on the porticoes of the Temple courtyard to intimidate the Passover crowds. But that merely exacerbated the intensity of popular feeling. Under the governor Cumanus at mid-first century, the crowds burst into a massive riot, provoked by a lewd gesture by a Roman soldier—and were slaughtered by the troops (War 2.223–26; Ant. 20.105–12). Most distinctive and widespread resistance and renewal efforts among the Galilean, Samaritan, and Judean people were the popular messianic movements and the popular prophetic movements.
The many movements that took one or the other of these two distinctively Israelite forms are surely most important in understanding why the Galilean and Judean peoples, more than all others subjected by the Romans, persisted in mounting repeated resistance against Roman rule. These movements are most important for understanding the social forms taken by the Jesus movements. Both the popular prophetic movements and the popular messianic movements were following distinctively Israelite “scripts” based on memories of God’s original acts of deliverance led by the great prophets Moses and Joshua or by the young David as the people’s “messiah.”
Memories of these founding events were still alive in villager communities, ready to inform the people’s collective action in circumstances of social crisis. When Herod finally died in 4 BCE, after a long and intensely oppressive rule over the people he had conquered with the aid of Roman troops, widespread revolts erupted in nearly every district of his realm (War 2.56– 75; Ant. 17.271–85). In Galilee, Perea across the Jordan River, and Judea itself, these revolts were led by figures whose followers acclaimed them king, according to Josephus. They attacked the royal fortresses and storehouses, “taking back” the goods that had been seized and stored there, and they raided Roman baggage trains.
In Galilee the movement led by Judas, son of the famous brigand-chief Hezekias, was suppressed within a few months, with great slaughter and destruction in the general area around Nazareth—shortly before Jesus came to live and grow up there. In Judea the movement led by the strapping shepherd Athronges and his brothers managed to maintain the people’s independence in the Judean hill country for three years. Roman troops were finally able to ferret it out, again with much slaughter and the crucifixion of thousands as a means of terrorizing the people into submission.
Again in the middle of the great revolt of 66–70 CE, Judean peasants acclaimed Simon bar Giora as king (War 2.652–53; 4.503–34, 574–78; 7.29– 36, 153–55). The Romans having been temporarily driven out, he moved around the countryside in the area of Hebron, where the young David had gotten his start. He liberated (debt-)slaves, restored people’s property, and in general effected justice for the people. Having amassed a peasant army of thousands, he entered Jerusalem, joining other forces from other areas of the countryside that had taken refuge in the fortress-like city to resist the inevitable Roman reconquest. After being captured in the Roman reconquest of the city, Simon was taken in chains to Rome. There he was formally executed as the vanquished enemy general (the “king of the Judeans”) by the emperor Vespasian and his son Titus in the lavish celebration of their glorious triumph.
All of these movements appear to have been patterned after the messianic movement led centuries earlier by the young David. As the Philistines continued their attacks against the Israelite peasantry, the people acclaimed David as their messiah-king (2 Sam. 2:1-4; 5:1-4) to lead them against the oppressive foreign rulers and to reestablish justice among the people. In his accounts of the movements in 4 BCE and 66–70 CE, Josephus does not use the term “messiah” (“anointed”), probably because he was writing for a Greek-speaking audience. But if we translate his accounts back into the Hebrew-Aramaic culture of Judea and Galilee, these movements must be understood as messianic movements patterned after the liberating revolts led by David and other popularly acclaimed messiah-kings in formative Israelite tradition.
That several such messianic movements emerged a generation before and a generation after the time of Jesus’ mission is significant when we recognize that literature produced by the Judean scribal elite rarely mentions a messiah. This is in sharp contrast to previous Christian understanding, according to which the Jews were eagerly expecting the Messiah to lead them against foreign rule. But as scholars finally began to recognize about forty years ago, there was no such job description just waiting for Jesus to fulfill (in his own way). The Judean elite, of course, would not have been interested, since their positions of power and privilege depended on the Romans, who appointed oppressive kings such as Herod.
Perhaps it was against just such an illegitimate king set in power by the Romans that the memory of the popularly acclaimed messiah-king David and other popular kings was revived among the Judean and Galilean peasantry and came to life in numerous movements for the independence and renewal of Israel right around the time of Jesus. After the revolt led by Judas, son of Hezekias (4 BCE), this Israelite cultural “script” of a popular messianic movement would certainly have been alive in the area around Nazareth, the very area in which Jesus supposedly grew up. And its brutal suppression by the Romans would have left a collective social trauma of villages pillaged and burned and family members slaughtered and enslaved by the Romans.
Such historical events and cultural memories cannot have been without their effect on popular life in Nazareth and other Galilean and Judean villages. In another distinctively Israelite form, a number of popular movements led by prophets in anticipation of new acts of deliverance by God appeared in mid-first century. According to the ever hostile Josephus, “Impostors and demagogues, under the guise of divine inspiration, provoked revolutionary actions and impelled the masses to act like madmen. They led them out into the wilderness so that there God would show them signs of imminent liberation” (War 2.259), and “For they said that they would display unmistakable signs and wonders done according to God’s plan” (Ant. 20.168).
The first of these movements led by prophets was among the Samaritans (circa 36 CE). A prophet led a crowd up to Mount Gerizim, the most sacred mountain, promising that they would recover the holy vessels from the tabernacle of the formative exodus-wilderness experience of Israel, buried at the spot where Moses had put them. But the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, dispatched cavalry as well as infantry, killed some, took many prisoner, and executed the leaders (Ant. 18.85–87).
Perhaps the most famous prophetic movement was led about a decade later (circa 45 CE) by Theudas, who “persuaded most of the common people to take their possessions and follow him to the Jordan River. He said he was a prophet, and that at his command the river would be divided and allow them an easy crossing. . . . A cavalry unit killed many in a surprise attack [and] having captured Theudas, cut off his head and carried it up to Jerusalem” (Ant. 20.97–98; also mentioned in the Book of Acts 5:36).
About another decade later (56 CE), just prior to Paul’s visit to Jerusalem after his mission in Corinth, Ephesus, and Macedonia, a Jewish prophet from Egypt rallied many thousands in the countryside. He led them up to the Mount of Olives, opposite Jerusalem, declaring that the walls of the city would fall down and the Roman garrison would be overpowered, giving them entry into the city. The Roman governor Felix, with heavily armed cavalry and infantry, killed hundreds of them, before the prophet himself and the others escaped (Ant. 20.169– 71; War 2.261–63). As with the messianic movements, so these prophetic movements were peasant movements clearly patterned after formative events in Israelite tradition.
In the general characterization by Josephus (who called those who performed signs of liberation in the wilderness “prophets”) and in the case of Theudas, who told his followers to take their goods along and expected the waters to be divided, these figures stepped into the role of a new Moses (or Joshua), leading a new exodus (or entry into the land, which had been more or less collapsed with the exodus in popular memory). The Judean prophet from Egypt patterned his role and the anticipated divine act of deliverance after Joshua’s leadership of Israel in taking over their land from oppressive kings in their fortified cities, particularly the battle of Jericho.
Judging from the terms used in Josephus’s hostile accounts, these prophets and their followers were acting under inspiration. The most noteworthy aspect of these movements to the ruling elite, of course, was the threat they posed to the imperial order. Josephus says that they were out to make “revolutionary changes.” The Israelite traditions they were imitating, the exodus led by Moses and the entry into their own land led by Joshua, moreover, suggest that these movements anticipated a restoration of the people as well as a liberation from alien rule. Given our limited sources, of course, we have no indication of how they imagined the future of an Israel again living in independence of foreign domination.
Although Josephus claims that the Samaritans were armed, his accounts of the others suggest that, unarmed, they were acting in anticipation of God’s action to deliver them. The Roman governors, however, saw them as serious threats to the imperial order and sent out the troops to crush them and kill their prophetic leaders. In all of these protests and movements the ordinary people of Galilee, Samaria, and Judea were taking bold action, often involving considerable organization and discipline, in making history. The people, facing acute economic distress and a disintegrating political order, took control of their own lives, under the leadership of popular kings (messiahs) like Judas ben Hezekias or popular prophets such as Theudas.
These movements of social renewal and political resistance put the Roman and Jerusalem rulers on the defensive. The peasants were challenging the Roman imperial order! In response, the Roman governors, along with the Jerusalem high priesthood in some cases, took brutal, sometimes massive military action, often symbolically decapitating or ceremonially executing the prophetic or messianic leader. Most striking is how, with the exception of epidemic banditry, these protests and movements took distinctively Israelite social forms. The protests were driven by outrage at the violation of traditional Mosaic covenantal principles.
Both the messianic movements and the prophetic movements were decisively informed by (or patterned after) social memories deeply embedded in Israelite tradition. That there were so many of these movements that took one or another of two basic social forms strongly suggests that these distinctive cultural memories, these “scripts” for movements of renewal and resistance, were very much alive in the village communities of the peoples of Israelite heritage in Palestine around the time of Yeshua bar Yosef. It is in precisely this context of persistent conflict between the Judean and Galilean peasantry and their Jerusalem and Roman rulers that we must understand the origins and development of the earliest Jesus movements.
Given how prominent the popular prophetic and messianic movements were in the immediate historical context, moreover, we might expect that the earliest movements that formed in response to Jesus’ mission would exhibit some similar features and patterns. Several closely interrelated factors in the traditional Christian theological scheme of Christian origins, however, have worked to isolate Jesus from his historical context, even to keep Jesus from having any direct relation to Jesus movements. First, since he was supposedly a unique person and revealer, Jesus is treated as separate from the social roles and political-economic relationships in which historical figures are usually engaged.
Second, rather than being read as complete stories, the Gospels have been taken merely as containers in which to find individual sayings. Jesus’ sayings are then understood as artifacts that have meaning in themselves, rather than as genuine communication with other people in historical social contexts. Third, Jesus is viewed as a revealer, separated from the formation of a movement in the context of the village communities in which people lived. Not Jesus himself but the disciples were supposedly the ones who established a community—in Jerusalem after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, from which they then founded “churches” in Judea and beyond.
The net effect of these interrelated factors of theologically determined New Testament interpretation is a combination of assumptions and procedures that would be unacceptable in the regular investigation of history. When historians investigate popular movements and their leaders (for example, the civil rights movement and its leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr.), they consider multiple contextual and relational factors. Since there are no leaders without followers and no movements without leadership, leader-follower interaction is central. Leader and movement would not emerge in the first place, moreover, unless there were a problematic historical situation.
Yet we do not understand why the leader and followers who form a movement find their situation intolerable unless we know something of the previous historical developments that led to the problems. And we cannot understand why they found the situation intolerable unless we have a sense of their cultural values. Indeed, we cannot understand how and why the leader’s message and program resonate with followers such that they form a movement without a sense of the cultural traditions and values that provide the media in which they communicate.
To investigate the earliest Jesus movements, including possible similarities with contemporary Galilean and Judean movements, we will follow just such a relational and contextual approach—simply bypassing the problematic assumptions, approaches, and concepts of previous New Testament interpretation. We will focus mainly on what are by consensus the earliest Gospel sources, the Gospel of Mark and the sequence of Jesus speeches that appear in closely parallel versions in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark, and known as Q (for Quelle, the German word for “source”).
Both of the earliest Gospel texts, Mark and Q, represent Jesus and followers as a prophet-led movement engaged in the renewal of Israel that condemns and is condemned by the Jerusalem (and Roman) rulers. The people who produced and used the sequence of Jesus speeches that is called Q understand Jesus as—and themselves as the beneficiaries of— the figure whose activities fulfilled their yearnings for a prophet who would heal and bind up the people and preach good news to the poor (Q/Luke 7: 18-35). They even see his exorcisms as manifestation of a new exodus, done “by the finger of God,” a clear allusion to Moses’ divinely empowered performances in the exodus (Q 11:14-20).
In the longest speech of Q (6:20-49), moreover, Jesus speaks as the new Moses, enacting a renewal of the covenant as the guiding principles for cooperation and solidarity in community relations. Jesus’ speech sending envoys out into villages indicates that the movement of renewal of Israel is expanding by sending delegates to more and more village communities. In speeches that take the distinctively Israelite form of prophetic woes and oracles, Jesus pronounces divine condemnation of the Jerusalem rulers and their representatives. He pronounces a series of woes against the scribes and Pharisees and prophetic oracles of lament over the aristocracy who presume on their lineage, the Jerusalem ruling house (Q 11:39-52; 13:28-29, 34-35).
The speeches heard by the Q people thus represent Jesus as the latest in the long line of Israelite prophets to be killed by the oppressive rulers. The people who produced and used Mark’s Gospel had an even more vivid sense of Jesus, his disciples, and themselves as engaged in a renewal of Israel against, and under attack by, the Jerusalem and Roman rulers. Jesus called and commissioned the Twelve as the representative heads of the twelve tribes of Israel as well as disciples who extend his mission of renewing Israel in village communities. The hearers of Mark’s story resonated to the clear allusions to the origins of Israel under Moses and the renewal of Israel led by Elijah in the sequences of sea-crossings, exorcisms, healings, and wilderness feedings in the middle of the Gospel (3:35— 8:29).
That a renewal of Israel is under way is confirmed by the disciples’ vision of Jesus with Moses and Elijah on the mountain. And in a series of dialogues (Mark 10:2-45) Jesus presents Torah-like instruction to the communities of his followers, teaching that constitutes a renewed Mosaic covenant, indicated by the recitation of the covenantal commandments. After he marched up into Jerusalem with his entourage, he had condemned the Temple itself in a forcible demonstration reminiscent of Jeremiah’s famous pronouncement that God would destroy the Temple because of the rulers’ oppressive practices (Mark 11; Jeremiah 7 and 26).
Finally, just before he was arrested, tried, and executed by the Romans, Jesus celebrated the Passover at the “last supper,” a meal that renewed the Mosaic covenant with the Twelve representatives of Israel, and announced that the cup was “my blood of the covenant” (an allusion to the original covenant meal (Exodus 24). Mark and Q are different in overall literary form, the one a complex story in a sequence of episodes, the other a series of speeches on different issues. They appear, moreover, to have been produced and used by different communities or movements.
Yet they both represent Jesus as a Moses and Elijah-like prophet engaged in the renewal of Israel in its village communities and pronouncing prophetic condemnations of the Jerusalem Temple, its high priestly rulers, and its Pharisaic representatives. That the two earliest Gospel sources, so different from one another in form, share this portrayal of Jesus as leader of a movement suggests the same role and relationship with followers at the origin of the respective communities or movements.
Within the overall agenda shared by both texts, we will focus our investigation on a few key aspects of both movements: the sending of workers on the mission of building and expanding the movement, covenant renewal, and persecution by hostile authorities. Before moving to those key aspects, however, we may note some distinctive features of Mark and Q that seem to distinguish their communities from other movements of Jesus followers. Mark appears to be setting its movement’s identity off against the Jerusalem community headed by Peter and others of the Twelve. The story portrays the disciples as increasingly misunderstanding Jesus’ mission and, in the crisis in Jerusalem, betraying, denying, and abandoning him.
Mark represents Jesus’ role as in a sense patterned after a messianic role in addition to his dominant prophetic role. Yet the narrative qualifies and criticizes the messianic role in decisive ways. Mark also downplays Jesus’ resurrection so seriously that it is merely instrumental to calling the hearers of the story back up to Galilee to continue the movement that Jesus had started. The Q speeches indicate no knowledge of a resurrection at all. Jesus’ death is understood as the climax of the long line of prophets killed by the rulers. And Q’s Jesus demonstrates virtually no messianic traits in his dominantly prophetic agenda.
In these ways and more Mark’s story and the Q speeches appear to address movements that originated in Galilee and spread into the bilingual villages of nearby areas (Aramaic and Greek). They are both different from other communities or movements of Jesus loyalists, such as the Jerusalem community known from Acts and the assemblies that Paul addresses in his letters. Before we explore these earliest sources and Jesus movements, however, it makes sense to have a more precise sense of the historical conditions in which the Jesus movements developed.”
- Richard A. Horsley, “Jesus Movements and the Renewal of Israel.” in Christian Origins
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Chase You / Chase Me
Prologue: I've been roaming around, always looking down
Series Synopsis: Fiercely passionate for law, Gabe Ricci suddenly finds himself quickly enraptured by newly-hired senior associate Alex Keating. As both tread the lines crossing between career and romance, it leads them to a path they never travelled before. But as his past chases him in the present, Gabe and Alex are forced to finally confront what the future may hold.
Book/Pairing: Choices - Laws of Attraction / Gabe Ricci x MC (Alex Keating)
Words: 800+
Rating/Warnings: Mature (16+) / implied sexual content
Author's Notes: It's been a long time coming, but here it is! Another series for another choices book I'm currently stanning. I'm unsure how long will this be, but if you're interested, let me know if you want to be tagged on succeeding installments. If not, please reblog or comment, I'd really appreciate it!
Disclaimer: Characters except MC are original characters from Pixelberry. I am just borrowing them.
Almost Midnight, in a bedroom in New York City
Awakened by the horns of the infamous yellow taxis from the road nearby, Alex Keating rubbed her eyes from traces of the euphoric slumber she rose from.
That fireman surely knew how to set things alight.
Her thoughts got filled by the afternoon she just spent with Tyler, invoking a smirk to cross upon her lipstick-smeared mouth. With so many parts of her aching from the passionate encounter, her effort to sit up from the bed beside the sleeping stranger proved to become a struggle. She boosted herself up with her elbows, and she eventually climbed out and picked up the mess of clothes that scattered on the floor. Zipping her red dress, she picked up her heels and quietly led herself out of the apartment, not feeling an ounce of regret from leaving the guy without even a kiss goodbye.
Perhaps practice made her routine perfect. Good thing her reputation as a fierce lawyer superseded her similar "conquests" back in her hometown. And with a city as big as New York, her playground just got bigger.
Stepping into the hallway of the apartment building, she immediately slipped her shoes on and took the elevator straight down, exiting the building without looking back. The city dwellers that passed her by were none the wiser, not giving any care from her less-than-polished appearance.
She brushed her fingers through her pixie cut as she attempted to map out the right direction towards her own condo, taking a quick glance of her brunette hair on the wide window of a shop she just passed by. The soles of her black pumps clicked against the concrete pavement, the sky a shade of gray as the lights of the sprawling buildings illuminated the city above her head.
It's just been a few days, and she's beginning to love this city. She wondered why she didn't bring herself here much earlier.
As she contemplated, she pulled out her phone and checked her messages. In one of her notifications, she saw his name. And instantly, a prickle of regret rose from within her like poison. She halted her steps, confusion rendering her stuck. With a frown wrinkling her brows, she looked back on her screen, trying to make sense of the sensations taking over.
Gabe Ricci.
Shaking her head, she blew a long breath. She never backed down from flirtations, she loved it. The smooth talking, the pseudo-romance - it was a her own brand of stress relief. Being a lawyer is not an easy job after all. But the strange feelings she was having right now for this particularly attractive man definitely was new to her. She didn't know what to make of it - yet.
Alex Keating was all for the chase. Relentless as she is, she'll definitely bring herself to the end of it, regardless of the outcome. What's a chase without a thrill, right?
I'll definitely see how this pans out. Burying the last of her thoughts of her boss, she finally found the glass door of her own complex. She went inside, dismissing the brewing emotions as she did.
***
At a nearby Penthouse
Half-naked, he downed the remaining scotch from the second shot he just poured for himself. Leaning forward as he set down the thick glass on the marble top, Gabe's tousled hair wet from a quick shower.
His eyes darted to his door, which was ajar from the hasty exit of an attractive blonde whom he met earlier from the bar. He didn't intend to get laid tonight, but alcohol just couldn't drown the itch that a certain senior associate has ignited in him.
Ever since she walked his office at McGraw Byrne, he became enraptured with her. And for the first time since he switched to corporate, he invited this attractive new hire for coffee and made excuse after excuse to be involved with her more. His rationality wants to leave him every time he was around her.
For Gabriel Ricci, this wasn't normal. He was never this infatuated. Groaning, he rubbed a hand on his temples, hoping to quell the distracting thoughts.
He made himself think of his senior partnership. All of the years of hard work has finally came into a fruition. Every effort he made was paying off. And he wanted to revel in it, he really did. Because for the first time, as a senior partner, he has full control on how much pro bono cases he could take. He can make more difference in the justice system . The same system that years before, almost killed his own passion for law.
At last, he can make it up to Rob. A pang of guilt quickly engulfed him at the thought of his lost brother. It took so much of him to swallow it back into the depths of his mind.
But the thought of Alex once again made it difficult to keep his head straight.
So Gabe poured himself another glass, hoping that the strength of the brown liquid was enough to extinguish any of his lingering desire to become someone more in her life.
Yet he knew, deep down, he would never be able to shake it off.
Tags: @choicesficwriterscreations
#gabe ricci x mc#gabriel ricci#choices laws of attraction#fics of the week#choices fic writers creations#yet another choices fanfic
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