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loki-lover84 · 4 years

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Season 01 Episode 01: “The Dragon’s Call”

I stormed down the cold stone corridors determined to get away from Uther, Arthur and any of the guards, once again Uther had sentenced another person to death for having magic and he honestly didn’t show any signs of remorse. That thing is cruel, petty and an abomination to the human race; he has the power to dictate who in Camelot may live and who must die but instead of executing the people that commit horrific crimes he goes out of his way to track down any that may possess the gift of magic and put an end to them just because they exist. I have slandered him and called him a coward many times, he kills what he can’t even begin to understand. Magic itself isn’t the issue, the issue only occurs when it is used for evil that is something that once again Uther can’t seem to understand.

In my fury I’d ended up bumping into Guinevere and knocking my sisters dresses onto the hard dusty stone ground.

“Oh Gwen, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to!” I apologised picking up each delicate silk gown from the ground.

“Lady Y/n, you needn’t apologise. I was in the way clearly.” Gwen attempted to reason.

“Gwen, I’ve told you countless times to refer to me as Y/n you don’t need to add the Lady part I don’t like it especially not when it’s coming from you, my friend.” Gwen smiled timidly at me as I walked with her to the scullery to assist with cleaning my sisters dresses.

“I’ll never understand why you insist on doing the chores assigned to us you’re supposed to-“

“Get bored after doing nothing in my room or wander the castle aimlessly as I’m forbidden to venture anywhere else, yeah not my fancy.” I interrupted.

“What did King Uther do this time?” She questioned as we waited for the fire to do its part and heat the water up.

“He’s sentenced another to death for practicing sorcery, whether the man was or wasn’t doesn’t really matter all too much to him just as long as he gets the power to say they live or they die.” I huffed as I began to scrub away the dust and dirt off the first of Morgana’s dresses.

“He believes he’s keeping the kingdom safe.” Guinevere attempted.

“The kingdom isn’t safe from his bad decisions though; let’s face it they’re a greater danger than magic.” I ranted causing Gwen to sigh but she was amused by my statement.

“You keep scrubbing at the rate you are you’ll have me out of a job.” She laughed trying to lighten the mood.

“Never, for you shall receive the credit and they shall be none the wiser.” I smiled before continuing, “What’s next on your to do list today then?”

“I was going to go out to the lower town, I need to get some supplies.”

“Great I’ll join you, anything to get me away from here for a while.” I respond as we air out the dresses.

“Are you sure that’s wise I mean, King Uther’s already angry at you is he not what if today’s the day he catches you?” My friend asked anxiously.

“I don’t fear him besides what’s the worst that’ll happen?”

Guinevere walked alongside me she kept seeming like she wanted to say something, anything to change my mind but knew it’d be like talking to the castle’s stone walls. Eventually we reached my room and I pulled out the chest that was tucked under my bed and out of sight before revealing its contents of commoners clothing which to me was actually rather charming but to most people was all they could get. With some of Guinevere’s assistance I was able change out of my noble clothes and into my common ones.

With Gwen’s usual aid in keeping the guards occupied I was able to sneak around and out of the castle without a single guard harassing me, we’d arranged to meet up in the lower town so we could purchase everything she needed, everything was going to plan until a swarm of the townsfolk sped up the courtyard capturing me in their tight knit hoard. I was so close and now I was back in the courtyard unable to move and forced to behold the treacherous sight I desperately wanted to avoid…

The execution.

The drums began their solemn steady beat as two guards brought forth the man whose life was about to be stolen from him.

“Let this serve as a lesson to all, this man Thomas James Collins is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death.” I woman shoved passed me to get a closer look causing me to fall onto a raven haired man.

I utter a small apology to him and continued to glare up at Uther.

“I pride myself as a fair and just king.” He continued.

“You’re a delusional, arrogant, pigheaded King.” I scoffed under my breath causing the raven haired guy I’d just bumped into to titter slightly.

“But for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass.” Thomas was forced onto his knees his head on now held against the block.

I looked around anywhere I could to avoid the inevitable and saw my twin lower her head in disgust as she beheld the sight. Knowing she was watching this made my stomach fall, I’d always tried to keep her distracted and away from these events but today it seems she chose to watch. Unable to look at my sister I scowled at Uther and watched as without a care, without remorse he lowered his hand signalling for the executioner to behead Thomas. The boy next to me gulped and tensed, I’m not sure what he was expecting to happen seen as though he’d willingly come to see this but his reaction certainly held elements of shock and fear? The rest of the crowd gasped, at least they had some elements of humanity in them.

“When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos, but with the people’s help, magic was driven from the realm. So I declared a festival to celebrate 20 years since The Great Dragon was captured, and Camelot free from the evil of Sorcery. Let the celebrations begin.” Uther dismissed his face gleaming with pride.

The crowd started to disperse until a woman cried loudly gaining everyone’s focus, even Uther remained upon his balcony.

“There is only one evil in this land and it is not magic! It is you. With your hatred and your ignorance…you took my son.” She cried to Uther as the crowed cautiously backed away from her. “I promise you before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears. An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth… a son for a son!” My heart pounded not Arthur yeah he could be a royal prat sometimes but he didn’t deserve to lose his life over Uther’s decisions.

“Seize her!” Uher commanded.

The old woman began chanting something in a high pitched squeal before she eventually disappeared from sight and creating a sudden gust of wind. Cautiously everyone disbanded and I snuck back out among the crowd to help Gwen once again.

I’d remained quiet the entire time I spent with her, I’d witnessed not only the execution but the threat on Arthur’s life. Arthur was like a brother to me we grew up together Arthur, Morgana and I we’d always been there for one another and now because of Uther, Arthur’s life was in danger.

The sun was setting by the time Guinevere and I had finished in town and it was probably best that we got back to the castle to perform our respective duties, Gwen’s to work and mine to float around the castle looking pretty and being the envy of others much like my sister, if only they knew. I scurried back to my chambers, Brenna my maid assisted with my redressing to look my part. Brenna and Gwen were my closest friends and I knew I could trust them with anything all the servants knew I helped them out but, only they knew and helped me sneak out of the castle.

“Thank you Brenna, I got caught up Gwen today I apologise for my absence.” Brenna smiled at me and shook her head.

“Hey, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to avoid our pompous King.” I couldn’t help but laugh at her boldness, she’s always true to her opinions and to herself and that’s what I love about her.

“Have you seen Morgana today?” Brenna shook her head as she made my hair look presentable. “She witnessed the execution today is all and I just want to make sure she’s alright.”

“Well from what I’ve heard she avoided everyone today and requested for time to think.” I find it great that if the slightest thing happens around Camelot somehow Brenna is the first to know.

“Thank you so much, I’m going to go and check on her hopefully Uther hasn’t completely corrupted her yet.” With that I left Brenna to her own devices and searched for my sister.

I was at the bottom of a stone staircase when I heard Uther conferring with Morgana.

“What is this? Why are you not joining us at the feast?” Uther’s voice sounded.

“I just don’t think chopping someone’s head off is cause for a celebration. That poor mother.” Morgana replied.

“You’re starting sound like your sister, it was simple justice for what he’d done.”

“To whom? He practiced some magic. He didn’t hurt anyone.”

“You were not around 20 years ago. You have no idea what it was like.”

“How long are you going to keep punishing people for what happened then?”

“Until they realize there is no room for magic in my kingdom. You will be with me when I greet Lady Helen.”

“I told you I want no part of these celebrations-“

“I’m your guardian! I expect you to do as I ask. If you show me no respect, at least respect our finest singer. You should stay away from your sister more she’s a horrible influence on you!” With that Uther began to storm away.

“You know, the more brutal you are, the more enemies you’ll create.” Morgana called to him as I walked up the stairs.

“Morgana, are you okay?” I ask gazing at my sisters infuriated expression.

“I see what you mean about him Y/n I really do.” The pair of us stood in a peaceful silence for a moment before heading back to our chambers for the rest of the evening.

“Aren’t you glad all you did was brush my hair?” I teased Brenna.

“Yeah, it would’ve been a shame if one of my amazing styles was only worn for fifteen minutes.”

“You can leave no you know.”

“But-”

“But nothing, get home and take care of yourself I see us as equals, you should too.” With that Brenna left and went home knowing she didn’t actually need to come back and ‘work for me’ yet she still does all the same.

The Next Morning

Brenna and I met up with Gwen and decided to help her dry the rest of Morgana’s dresses out of the windows as it was a pleasantly warm day.

“Keep hold of that especially tight, it’s one of her favourites.” I said to Brenna as I wafted another out of my window. “Hey look, surprise, surprise Arthur’s being a prat again.”

Guinevere and Brenna stopped what they were doing and stood beside me.

“I wish someone would just put him in his place sometimes, he can be so rude.” I grumbled.

“He’s just showing off in front of the other knights.” Brenna chimed.

“He still shouldn’t treat him like that though.” Gwen said clearly irritated.

“Tell me about it. Oh wait what’s happening here?” Brenna asked getting excited.

“At least someone’s trying to help.” Gwen sighed.

“Arthur’s not going to like that…Geez that was unnecessary!” I gasped as Arthur twisted a raven haired boy’s arm behind his back before motioning to the guards. “Arthur don’t be such a prat!” I growled as the guards took the lad away.

I left angrily leaving Gwen and Brenna to finish the remainder of the dresses in attempt to defend this stranger. Sadly by the time I got there he was already in the cells and he wasn’t allowed visitors either that or I was still forbidden from going down there after last time.

As night came Gwen got Morgana ready and Brenna helped me get ready for our guest performer, I didn’t want to be there but Uther demanded Morgana’s presence and she’d requested my emotional support so how could I refuse my own twins plea for help. Once we were prepared we stood waiting patiently in the throne room Gwen stood behind Morgana and Brenna stood beside me. Eventually Lady Helen arrived and Uther hurried to greet her.

“Lady Helen. Thank you so much for coming to sing at our celebrations.” Uther welcomed as she curtsied before him.

“The pleasure’s all mine.” Lady Helen smiled at him.

“How was your journey?”

“Oh the time it took sire.”

“Well, it’s always worth the wait.” Uther charmed as he politely kissed the back of her hands.

“It will be.” Lady Helen says ominously as she fiddles with her necklace.

After the welcoming of Lady Helen we’re quickly dismissed.

“Seriously, I spent longer doing your hair than you did wearing it like that.” Brenna grumbled as we walked back to my chambers.

I couldn’t help but laugh, no matter what she can always get a smile out of me.

“I’ll keep it up like this until I actually go to sleep if you’d prefer then your efforts wouldn’t be wasted.”

“Yes, do that.”

“I will.”

“Good.”

Our faces were hard and firm until we locked eyes and ended up laughing at our extremely childish behaviour.

“Now go to the tavern and have fun for me.” I say ushering her away.

“Of course, Lady Y/n whatever you say.” With that she grinned at me and hurried off to the tavern to spend her wages.

I’d snuck out once again with Guinevere only this time it was in hopes of finding Brenna she hadn’t shown up in my chambers earlier which was fine, she probably had a hangover but a few hours went by and she still wasn’t here so I found Gwen explained the situation and we hurried off to find her.

“She’s a nightmare that Brenna, keeps us all up takes our money then passes out knocking over my ale in the process. As if leaving me broke wasn’t bad enough!” I purple faced man complains loudly as he staggers out of the tavern clinging onto his red faced friend.

“My first time going to the tavern is not going to be just to take home my unconscious friend. Gwen pretty please can you get her, I want our first time to be special.” I ask childishly admiring the tavern.

Gwen shakes her head at my behaviour but goes in by herself nonetheless. Seconds later a swarm of giddy children rush by me, as much rotten food in their hands that they can carry. Curiously I follow them and I’m led right to the stocks, where the raven haired guy from earlier is as food is flung at his head. Remaining out of the line of fire I approach him and his breathtaking blue eyes meet my e/c ones. Okay he’s far more attractive than I initially gave him credit for, he’s looking at me. Y/n say something!

“Hi.” I squeak out. Well Y/n that was pathetic congratulations at being useless when talking to boys.

“Hello.” He smiles up at me despite his predicament.

“I’m Y/n, I help out around the castle sometimes.” I introduce, well it’s not a complete lie and I had to say something right?

“Right. Well, I’m Merlin…” He offers as much of his closest hand as he can and try my best to shake it giving the situation. “Although most people just call me ‘Idiot.’”

“No, I saw what you did, it wasn’t particularly smart but it was brave of you to stand up against royal prat.” I complimented or at least I hope it came off as a compliment.

“It was stupid.” Merlin laughed to himself causing me to smile slightly.

“Y/n.” Guinevere called from behind me with a half conscious Brenna hanging off her. “I’m Guinevere but most people call me Gwen, I’m Lady Morgana’s maid.” She introduced herself.

Merlin’s eyes brightened when he look at her, of course what guy wouldn’t find her to be stunning?

“Merlin.” He smiled at her as I took Brenna off her so she could also shake his hand.

“I saw what you did, it was so brave.” Gwen stated smiling at him.

“It was stupid.” Merlin sighed this time instead of laughing his self-deprecating laugh.

“Well I’m glad you walked away, you weren’t going to beat him.” Gwen said as she charmingly fiddled with her dress.

How can someone do that without looking even the slightest bit weird? I’ve got to ask her at some point.

“Oh, I…I could beat him.” Merlin says almost cockily if it weren’t for the slightly anxious laugh that accompanied it.

“You think? Because you don’t look like one of these big muscly kind of fellows.” She teases cocking her head to one side.

“Thanks.” He replies.

I might as well just leave the pair of them alone and take Brenna to her home until she’s feeling better.

“See you around Gwen, Merlin.” I call as Brenna and I stagger back to her home.

Wow I’m useless with men, it comes so effortlessly with other women, why do I fail miserably at it?

“Aw Milady blew off a lovely gentleman to take care of me I’m honoured.” Brenna slurred a silly grin on her face.

“Yes well the lovely gentleman likes Gwen so I thought we should leave them be.” I attempted to reason with my drunken friend.

“Pfft that won’t last.” Brenna giggled.

“Why not?” I asked genuinely intrigued.

“She likes Arthur, Merlin’s destined to like you.” She sing songed.

“Ah yes because Uther will allow Gwen and Arthur to marry and Merlin is what, my destiny? You lose grip on reality when you’re drunk.” I laugh as I make her some broth.

“It’s true! I promise!” She pleads.

“Okay I believe you now eat up so you can get into bed and be ready for tomorrow.” I kissed the top of her chestnut brown hair before leaving her home and heading back up to the castle walking passed a laughing Merlin and a giggling Gwen.

Upon arrival I changed into my exquisite f/c dress that complimented everything I had to show before pinning back some strands of my hair to speak with my sister.

“Morgana, do you have a minute?” I asked her as I poked my head around her chambers door.

“Of course sister, I have all the time in the world for you.” She smiled brilliantly at me.

“So, you have more experience with boys than I do and I need some help.”

“Which dashing prince stole my sisters heart, or maybe which knight?” Morgana teased as she pulled me into her room.

“Well I don’t know if he has you know because I haven’t the slightest idea when it comes to these sort of things. How am I supposed to feel?”

“Well when you like a guy usually your stomach feels weird and you become flustered so much so that you even sometimes forget how to speak coherently.” She began to explain.

“Okay and how am I supposed to feel when he talks to pretty girls?”

“Well everyone’s different, some people don’t mind it others get angry and annoyed, some become forlorn and feel like they’ve lost all hope.” Morgana calmly answered.

Great so ticks all across the board for liking a guy I hardly know, way to go me.

“Has someone else caught the attention of your love, sister?” Moargana asked a beautiful features contorting into strained ones expressing concern.

“Oh what no, nothing like that happened to me, I’m writing a story and needed help with the relationship front of things, got to pass time somehow around here.” I stuttered before giving her a false smile and leaving quickly.

In my hurry to escape from everything and just get back to my chambers I ended up colliding straight into someone. I tripped on my dress and hit the cold stone floor as did the other person. They were already up on their feet by the time I’d even turned around to take in my surroundings.

“I’m terribly sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going.” A familiar voice apologised profusely as they held a hand out to me.

I must’ve done something horrific if this is how life decided to play with me. I kept my head angled down but accepted his assistance in standing up. It’s not always easy when your corset is too tight.

“Thank you, I’m partially to blame though so don’t try to carry all that burden Merlin.” Oh why did I say his name I’m so stupid!

“Y/n?” Merlin asked as I looked up at him, “I thought you said you helped out here, but you’re-“

“I’m a dear friend of Morgana’s and she gave me one of her dresses for the celebration tomorrow night.” I hurriedly lied, “So, bye Merlin it was nice bumping into you literally.” Before scurrying away.

I’m weird I’m very, very weird . I mean good lie, failed on every other front though. I sighed audibly as I hid my flustered face in my hands and skulked back to my chambers were I spent time clearing my head by leaning out of my window and surveying Camelot in all her beauty. Once again night fall came and Camelot’s truer beauty shone brightly the flaming torches allowed finer parts to look even more exquisite thanks to the assistance of the dramatically casted shadows cascading on to any surface. I took a deep breath and gazed longingly at the moon, now that, natures own creation was the truest beauty of them all.

Once again the sun rose and Brenna was by my side eagerly waking me up in the most obnoxious of ways.

“Thank you for yesterday off, I really needed the recovery day.” She grinned.

“Yes, I know, you nearly scared Guinevere and myself to death when you didn’t show up and, the state you were in once we found you but hey, at least you gambled your way to fortune the other night.”

“Ah yes I’m a professional at predicting the future drunk and sober.” Her smile weakening slightly as did mine.

“It would be great you know if you really could see into the future like one of those, oh what are they called…”

“Seers, magic folk that can see into the future.” Brenna finished.

“Yeah a Seer it would make my state of mind better if you were one but then again Uther would have you killed so it’s probably for the best that you’re not one eh?” I laughed and Brenna shifted slightly.

After that we spent a few hours just talking about random things but we did make an arrangement for my first tavern visit which I was now eagerly awaiting with baited breath.

“Let’s do visit Lady Morgana and Guinevere I’m sure they’ll need our assistance with Morgana’s dress for tonight.” Brenna said randomly as she pushed me out of my room.

By the time we reached Morgana’s room Chambers we saw a very smiley yet flustered Merlin lean and came face to face with a beaming Gwen. Not what I wanted to see ever but yet there it was.

“So, it’s whether I wear this little tease, or give them a night they’ll really remember.” Morgan said deviously showing her dress options to us.

“Anyone in particular you’re after, maybe a certain blonde haired prince?” Brenna teases. “I’m pretty sure everyone except from him is aware of your intentions towards him.”

“I believe you’re right there Brenna at this rate though I wouldn’t be too surprised though, unless it’s fighting he’s not the sharpest tool around.” Morgan sighed sadly.

“I’m certain he’ll notice you tonight though, don’t worry.” Brenna winked as we decided upon her wine red dress that whilst left little to the imagination also provided a great sense of elegance.

“Y/n what about the boy you like do you have an idea of which dress you’ll wear to recapture his attention?” Morgana asked.

“Y/n you like someone?” Guinevere asked this being obvious new news to her.

“No these two are just convinced that I do for some reason.” I lied, wanting Gwen to be happy.

“Fine, but you still need to look stunning!” Morgana insisted whilst the other two agreed so I was now shoved all the way back to my chambers after being shoved all the way to my twins.

In the end we decided upon an elegant dress with a dark blue and silver burst and a greyish blue skirt with some light floral embroidery. I didn’t want to go to the celebration in the slightest but, at least I’ll look good while I’m there.

The celebration arrived sooner than I anticipated and Brenna and I were running late.

“I want you to blow everyone away tonight.” Brenna insisted as we hurried down the corridor my heels clacking against the ground as I held my dress up to run.

“I don’t know why, nobody will be looking at me, it’s either going to be the Lady Morgana or Lady Helen.” I argued.

“Yeah but now, thanks to me you’re another option for them.” Brenna replied.

“I don’t want to be!”

“Merlin will be there.”

“What?” I was amazed she’d even remembered his name, she was barely conscious and yet she somehow knows that, ugh never mind! “He likes Gwen, Gwen likes him we can just let them be happy.” I finally said as we reached the grand hall.

My twin had just entered and had immediately captivated Arthur as well as every other mans attention, I could’ve sworn Arthur murmured “God have mercy.” Whilst she strutted past him but I could be wrong. As I watched her walk with confidence I saw Merlin gazing at her before getting a disapproving look from Gaius.

“In you go.” Brenna ushered but I didn’t move.

“I can’t.”

“You promised Morgana you’d be here with her.”

“Yeah but that was before things go complicated besides she’s got Arthur and everyone else’s attention now.”

“Okay so while they’re all looking at her you and I can sneak in.” Brenna did have a point we could just sneak in now and hopefully remain unnoticed.

“Fine .” I entered the grand hall and walked to the opposite side of the room as Morgana, Arthur and Merlin whilst keeping my head turned away from most people.

Brenna and I chatted amongst ourselves for a while until.

“Don’t look now but a certain Mr Merlin is looking at you with his mouth hanging open.” Brenna whispered.

“It’s not nice to tease Brenna you know that there’s so lines we don’t-“ Before I could finish my sentence she turned me around to face Merlin and she had indeed been telling the truth.

Merlin was looking right at me his mouth slightly agape as Gaius lectured him before walking off. I turned back around to apologise to Brenna when she was suddenly next to Merlin saying something to him with a devious smile on her face as they looked towards my general area. Great I’m being looked at and I’m alone and back to looking like a weirdo. Well until my twin and Arthur came over to me.

“Y/n you scrub up well.” Arthur said.

“Wow geez thanks, as do you my royal prat.” I reply jokingly with a mock curtsey.

“Hey, I was trying to be nice.” He defended.

“Ah leave him be Y/n I’m afraid that’s as silver tongued as our dear friend gets.” Morgan playfully insulted threading her arm through mine.

“That’s not fair there’s two of you and only one of me.” Arthur huffed.

“Yeah that is how twins work you know, two of them all the time.” I reply before sneaking a glance Merlin’s way whom now had Gwen by his side but at least Brenna was there also so they couldn’t have alone time.

Why do I care I’ve hardly spoken to him, she knows him so much better than I do, I don’t get a say in any of this.

“…Don’t you agree Y/n?” Arthur asked.

“Hm what?”

“Where is your mind tonight?” Arthur asked.

“Oh is it him, is he here?” Morgana asked peering around the room.

“He, who?” Arthur demanded.

“No one, Morgana and Brenna are convinced I like someone so they keep acting weird and made me dress up like this tonight.”

“Okay so who do you reckon our lovely Y/n’s type is? Mybe it’s him?” Arthur said pointing to someone.

“No, I think more him.” Morgana said pointing at one of the knight’s, “ Or maybe-“ Morgana was cut off by the sound of the horns indicating for everyone to stand by their seats for the King’s entrance before they could actually sit.

“We have enjoyed 20 years of peace and prosperity. It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures. But few can compare with the honour of introducing Lady Helen of Mora.” Uther introduced causing an applaud from everyone present, even me out of politeness as he joined Arthur, Morgana and I at the head table.

Lady Helen stood upon a makeshift stage at the back of the hall to perform her song. Her voice was indeed beautiful but the words she sang were not English, there was an enchanting aura to everything about her in this moment, we were held captive to her talent. Slowly and gracefully she approached our table people succumbing to a sleep as she past them. My eyelids felt undeniably heavy and it became a challenge so stay awake to the side I could make out Merlin covering his ears as the room became cooler and darker with each note, Uther was already asleep quickly followed by Arthur and my sister. I fought to remain awake but it felt futile all my energy was being drained, the last thing I saw was cobwebs slowly appearing before I was out.

Minutes later I woke to a dark cobweb infested cold grand hall with the old woman from the execution trapped beneath our once hanging candelabras whom quicker that a flash threw her dagger right at Arthur, had it not been for Merlin, Arthur would be dead.

“You saved my boys life, a debt must be repaid.” Uther spoke to Merlin.

“Oh, well…” Merlin began.

“Don’t be so modest. You shall be rewarded.”

“No, honestly, you don’t have to, your highness.”

“No, absolutely. This merits something quite special.”

“Well…” Merlin sighed shrugging his shoulders slightly.

“You shall be awarded with a position in the royal household.” Uther says clapping his hand against Arthur’s back who in turned looked disgusted by Uther’s suggestion. “You shall be Prince Arthur’s Manservant.”

Poor Merlin, it was as if he’d been punished instead of rewarded for saving Arthur’s life. Everyone else applauded as Uther began to walk away.

“Father!” Arthur complained as neither he nor Merlin seemed particularly happy with the outcome.

People began to leave the grand hall Merlin included as Arthur pouted.

“Arthur, give him a chance. He saved your life treat him with some element of respect!” I said before also leaving the hall.

I was barely out of the doors when I was pulled to one side out of sight from the guards and passersby, a hand was over my mouth to prevent me from squealing in shock. I was up against a wall when Merlin’s bewitching blue eyes met my wide e/c ones once again.

“You’re just a close friend of the Lady Morgana are you, I didn’t think even close friends would be allowed to sit at the King’s table nor influence the prince like you do.” Merlin smirked as he slowly drew his hand from my mouth.

I didn’t know how to respond, I didn’t know if I was even capable of responding, my heart pounded against my chest my breaths uneven, I felt dizzy.

“I-I’m the Lady Y/n, the Lady Morgana’s twin sister.” I stuttered my eyes never leaving his.

“Well then, good night my Lady.” He smirked once again kissing the back of my hand before walking away leaving me dumbfounded using the wall against my back to keep me upright.

“Y/n you look…I honestly don’t know how to politely describe you right now, what did I miss?” Brenna asked a mischievous knowing grin on her face.

“Merlin.” I sighed almost swooning still looking down the hall Merlin just left down.

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hitchell-mope · 4 years

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(Third film. After “I’ve gotta be me”. Uma looks around nervously)

Uma: I really hope nobody in there heard that

Ben: nah, don’t worry, I shielded and soundproofed is from them

Uma: surprisingly thoughtful, uhhhh, aheh, at this point I usually call you derogatorily by your last name

Ben: Le Roi. Well legally it’s Bach. But officially it’s Le Roi

Uma: Benjamin. Florian. Le Roi. Do you have any idea how fucking ridiculous that sounds?

Ben: and your last name would be

Uma: Facillier. She doesn’t have a last name

Ben: ah.

Uma: oh. Oh my.

Ben: what’s up? Oh. Yeah he does that.

Uma: s’clever.

Ben: that’s Doug for you

Uma: why am I interested by that

Ben: we’re eighteen. And therefore weak to his power.

(They’re watching Doug eat a bowl of peanuts with just his tongue. Ben snaps out of the stupor first)

Ben: moving swiftly onwards. Hit me

Uma: heh?

Ben: hit me, sock me one, deck me, gimme a knuckle sandwich. Any variations the phrase retains the same meaning. Punch me in the face.

Uma: why?

Ben: I’ve got a theory I wanna test out.

Uma: but aren’t you...

Ben: ...more powerful then you? Yes. So make sure to give it you’re all then. C’mon, cahmon. C’mon, cahmon. HitmehitmehitmehitmehitmeWOOOO

(Uma slogs him around the face do hard he flips horizontally in midair and lands flat on his back right next to where the gazebo was. A full three feet away)

Uma: Z’that what you wanted?

Ben (utterly jubilant): as a matter of fact. Yes

Uma: so now what? Gonna Tell the missus?

Ben: nope. I’m gonna offer you a job.

Uma: ahahah that’s funny. I thought you said you were offering me a job?

Ben: I figure. If you put that much effort punching me. You’ll put the same effort into protecting me.

Uma: n-no, no, you’re not supposed to do that. You’re supposed to hate me. I had you kidnapped. I almost had you thrown to sharks. I hypnotised you. I almost capsized your stinking yacht. And you wanna give me the job of protecting you? Who the fuck does that?!?! For all you know I could do that again?

Ben: now why would you do that when our interests align? Besides the fact that I forgive you. I want to get kids off the island. You want to get kids off the island. What better way to do that then by working together? And yeah. You could probably do that again. But I’m willing to take that chance.

Uma (as Ben’s saying all this, and devolving into tears): no, no, shut up I your forgiveness that’s not how it’s supposed to go you’re supposed to hate just like I hate her will you SHUT UP

Ben: ooh. (Through a Cheshire Cat grin) Finally

(She’s skewered Ben in the stomach with her sword. He smiles, bends the blade in half, pulls it out of him and throws it upwards. He leaps up ten foot in the air and gives it a flying kick, shattering it into a chunky powder. He lands next to Uma, conjures an umbrella, pulls her close and lifts the umbrella over them just as the powder lands on their heads. In response she blasts him away with magic. What follows is a very violent, very acrobatic duel that trashes the garden, obliterates what’s left of the gazebo and Harry, gives Uma a broken arm, Ben a broken nose and leaves both of them missing a foot each. As a form of foreshadowing, throughout the entire fight the instrumental for “superhero” plays)

Uma: god I hope you’re happy

Ben: I am actually. Cause now I know I’m right

Uma: what?

Ben: we are both almost perfectly evenly matched. My twelve months of sheer power with your eighteen years of practice and look what we managed to do?

Uma: give your future sister in law a coronary?

Ben: fight to a stalemate. Please? For six months. You’ll get paid to yell at people and beat them up if necessary

Uma:...no

(This is when “superhero” happens. After the song Ben starts fixing the garden)

Uma: ok then. Let’s say I did take the job? Wouldn’t one of your own be more trustworthy?

Ben: Jane’s still in school. Lonnie’s going off to college with Gil next year and she was only filling in for the summer anyway. And Doug’s my major-domo. So can’t choose them even if I wanted to.

Uma: and the other three?

Ben: conflict of interest. Carlos is legally my son and he’s also still in school. Mals my fiancé and Evie’s her sister. So again. No go.

Uma: couldn’t you...

Ben: duplicate myself and have him as my bodyguard? I could. But then I’d be breaking my promise to my mother

Uma: huh?

Ben: she was ok with me having magic so long as I legitimately practiced it, didn’t use it for schoolwork, didn’t use it for paperwork, didn’t use it for personal gain, and it didn’t give my subjects cause to worry. For a year at least

Uma: personal gains the best part of magic though

Ben: last time a king used the power he’d been afforded for personal gain...well. You grew up in the result so telling you wouldn’t achieve anything

Uma: oh. But...

Ben: I could use my magic to quicken the relocation? Like I said. Paperwork, personal gain, worrying the subjects. It’s definitely something that needs to happen. But I’m not taking shortcuts because it needs to be done properly and through the correct channels.

Uma: well that’s bullshit. Wait. What was all that fighting singy thing for then?

Ben: loophole

Uma (snickering): oh beasty boy you are perfect

Ben: why thank you kindly captain

Uma (flatly): Don’t push it

Ben: ok, ok

Uma: I’m serious though. The best part about magic is that you can do anything you want

(This is when “everything is not what it seems” happens. After the song they go back into the house to find it in chaos. Doug has Cj in a full Nelson with her head near the lit stove. Elsa’s downing an entire bottle of sambuca. Evie’s preventing Harriet and Hades from trying to patch up Harry. Mal has stuck Hadie to the sofa so he can’t help Harry. Jane’s drunkenly yelling about how much she loves her friends. Carlos is on Jay’s back, Celia and Dizzy are hanging off Jay’s arms and all four are chanting “kill her” at Doug. Lonnie’s eating a sloppy joe omelette and watching the events unfold intently. Gil is swirling round a smoothie. He notices them first)

Gil: oh you’re back. Finally. D’you wanna...?

Ben: yeah. Um...ooh. Yes that’s it. Uma. Take half of this sceptre and follow my lead

(He snaps his own, collapsible sceptre in half, hands one of those halves to Uma, jumps onto the kitchen island, helps Uma up and together they spin each half until they make a high pitched screeching sound that makes the chaos stop)

Ben: could all my friends please come over to my side

Uma: alright you useless fuckers, SIDDOWN!!!!

Ben: now, what happened

Uma: yeah ceej, what did you do?

Cj: why do you assume I did anything when it was clearly this heterosexual imbecile

Uma: cause I know you kid, since you were five in fact, so I know it was probably your doing

Ben: what happened Doug?

Doug: she insulted Evie and I in our own house, belittled our relationship and tried to stab me in the head with a rotisserie blade. And I f that wasn’t bad enough

Evie: she called me a traitor and slapped me around the face

Doug: and that is how the situation you walked in on transpired.

Cj: bald faced lies

Uma: eh I believe it. What about you beasty boy?

Ben: sounds airtight

Cj: I cannot and refuse to believe that

Uma: that I believe him over you? Well get used to kiddo. Ya just like Harry, no matter how much ya try to deny it

Ben: one question tbough. How are you a traitor

Mal: oooh yeah, you dunno do you? It’s ugly. Just like every Hook in existence

Evie: if everyone must know. When I was fourteen she flirted with me. And I turned her down

Cj: her mother braINWASHED HER

Everyone except for her siblings: shut up!

Evie: I turned her down. Because. A. I’m straight. And. B. Even if I wasn’t, I have higher standards then filthy pirates

Ben: were you rude?

Evie: pardon?

Ben: were you rude? Sometimes you can be a little bit rude.

Evie: if I remember correctly my exact words were “I’m very sorry but my gang sent me on a mission so I must go”

Ben: that was very polite

Evie: thank you. Plus. I even withheld the information from Grimhilde cause I know she wouldn’t take it well.

Cj: What has that got to do with anything?

Evie: Quinn Harts

(The room seems to grow colder as hades and the Vks, including the hooks, all look at each other uneasily)

Cj: oh. So it’s not because you’re

Evie: homophobic? God no. It was incompatible orientation pure and simple.

Cj (chuckling nervously now because the eggs on her face): but you see I thought

Doug: all straight people are jackasses? Quite a few are. But Evie and I aren’t. If we’re being wholly honest. Your sexuality is literally the only thing I respect about you. If you weren’t a pirate I might’ve even introduced you to my cousin Sadie. But you’re an asshole. So I won’t

Ben: good to hear that’s all cleared up

Evie: we are as well. Now. You three. Get the fuck out of my house. You stray bitches have been here too long. I’m sure there’s a nice posture ruining rock outside for you to sleep on

Harriet: we’re family

Hadie: actually. No. You and straw girl aren’t our family. Harry is. But not you.

Evie: nah. He can piss off too. I’m still waiting for a dna test. Until then. He can rot from the inside for all I care.

Mal: even when the test is confirmed he can still rot. (Uma scowls at her) What? It’ll be funny

Elsa: Jay. C’mere. Would it be completely out of the question for you to replicate your previous spell.

Jay: uhhhh....No. But I’d need a living conduit. Like a performer.

Hadie: I’ll do it. The party’s dying and that won’t do. What? I’m a disciple of Dionysus. Partying is literally my job description.

Elsa: as well as loose morals.

Hadie: harsh much?

Jay: she means you sleeping around with any dude that looks at you nicely. Ready

Hadie: fire away

Jay: To get rid of these ants in their pants/I command thee all to get up and dance. Again

(This is when “shut up and raise your glass” happens. After the song everyone but Hadie, Jayand Elsa looks very disgruntled)

Mal: seriously? Again? That’s like twice in one hour

Jay: had to be done. And it’s of my professional opinion that every time you guys get uppity I’m gonna help instigate an impromptu rave

Ben: well it worked. And it was funny. So two birds one stone. Now. I believe Doug and Evie asked you three to leave

Harriet: ya cannae do that man. Ya don’t have the authority

Doug: ok then. Get out of our house. NOW!

Harry: no I. I don’t think we will.

Celia: get out. Or I’ll throw you out.

Cj: you and what army?

Celia: this one

(Here is glow fuchsia and the wall is washed down in shadows)

Harriet: d’ya really think I’m scared of a little girl like you?

Ben: to hell with this. May I?

Doug: please

Ben: thank you. (He jumps off the kitchen island, lifts Harriet off the ground by her coat collar with one hand, morphs his face into that of a beast and screams in her face) GET OOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!

(There’s a moment of deathly quiet. Harriet whimpers. There’s a sound like a leaky faucet. And Ben morphs back to his human face which now bears a look of disgust)

Ben: did you just...?

Harriet: it’s been a really stressful day with no let up

Ben: uh-huh. (He drops Harriet on the floor and turns to his brother) Gil, buddy, uh

Gil (stony faced): burn the shoes then burn them again then throw them out.

Ben: on it

(He poofs out. Celia turn to Doug and Evie)

Celia: my turn?

Evie: yup. But don’t break the glass

Celia: perfect (she grabs Harriet by the back of her coat) out ya go rummy. (She throws her towards the window making her dissipate into shadow before contact). I’ve wanted to do this for years (she slaps Harry around the face, he too turns into shadow) buh bye you fatuous egotist (she pulls Cj’s hair and the final pirate disappears into smoke) that felt good

Uma: where did you put them?

Celia: eh don’t worry. I put them in the nautilus. Now. Shall we crack on with the party?

Everyone but Uma: HEAR HEAR

(Mal inches over to Jane and Lonnie)

Mal: what do you say we get some air for a while

(They nod and two minutes later they’re all on the bench laughing their asses off about certain unsavoury topics)

Lonnie (crying due to laughter but still trying to speak): all I’m saying is going to my grans seventieth in my ROAR uniform is nothing compared to you and Ben and his you know what

Mal (in the same state as Lonnie): its still pretty damn funny though

Jane: my mother should be here

(The other two stop laughing)

Mal: I know hon

Jane: but if she were here she’d complain. “Leave room for Jesus”. “Time for the lobster quadrille”. “I know you can now but you shouldn’t drink when you have guests”. The only ones I wanted to invite are here. Plus the four stooges. And she didn’t even show up to the party she made me have!

Lonnie: oooh please can I call the squid a stooge M? Pretty please with merlot on top?

Mal: you shouldn’t really be calling her a squid or a stooge. But if you do. Ok not responsible for what happens to ya.

Lonnie: fine.

Mal: now Janey. What say you we try and get all these annoyances out huh?

Jane: errrr...I’m game if you are.

Mal: perfect. (She gets up, goes to the midpoint between the bench and the gazebo and magically constructs a model version of Verna) now. What do you wanna say to her?

Jane: I ha...I can’t. I can’t. I’m sorry.

Mal: it’s ok bud.

Lonnie: could uh could music help? Possibly?

Jane: it might. I dunno.

Mal: shall we try it?

Jane: yes. And uh. You can vent too, I mean, if you want.

Lonnie and Mal: well alright then

(Mal clicks her fingers, a copy of Maleficent and Fa Li appear and music starts up. This is when “you don’t own me happens”. After the song they look and feel better. That’s when they hear Evie scream a profanity and a slap rings out from the kitchen)

Mal (heaving a heavy sigh): and once again. Chaos reigns supreme.

Lonnie: I’ll stay with Jane. You go.

Mal: I’ll send Hadie out to keep you company

(She goes back inside just in time for Evie to stalk past her. Hades is on the floor with a slightly shocked expression, a handprint on his face and he’s apologising profusely to Doug)

Mal: you got it down here? (Doug nods). Good. I’ll go kick her head into gear.

(She heads upstairs. Doug turns to back to Hades)

Hades: I’m so sorry my boy, I was just trying to help, if I caused——

Doug: yeah, no, my opinion of you doesn’t matter. Only Evie’s does. I want to ask you a question.

Ben: uh. Doug. Can I eat what’s left in the freezer? Only I can smell somethings about to go out of date

Doug: yeah sure. There only meat products in it. Go crazy. But please please mute the chewing.

Ben (brightly): thank you!

Hades: what is it you want to know

Doug: Maleficent

(Up in the guest room. Evie enters in a huff and slams the door to show Mal hiding behind it)

Mal (sardonically imitating a British accent): hello Harold (Evie screams in surprise) we need to talk

Evie (fed up): what? What now? What could we possibly have to talk about?

Mal: what I thought you got over earlier toady

Evie (cackles hollowly): THAT? That! Was a fluke. And then he tried to “help” me by getting in my way

Mal: has it maybe occurred to you that he actually WAS trying to help?

Evie: if he really wanted to help then he wouldn’t have abandoned me with Grimhilde sixteen years ago

Mal: oh Christ. You know why he did that

Evie: I know why he did it but it still hurt though. He could’ve taken me with him. He could’ve taken us with him

Mal: they wouldve hunted us down and made him watch as they killed us. Or worse

Evie: that doesn’t make me feel any better

Mal (in what she hopes is a comforting voice): look on the bright side. You got me as a sister. That’s gotta count for something, right?

Evie: no, not really.

Mal: urrrrgh. Would me making a fool of myself help you feel less of a loser?

Evie:...mayhaps

Mal: fine. Remember back before graduation we got paired up for the senior class showcase because verna wouldn’t let you and Doug dirty dance?

Evie: yeah

Mal: Bea Arthur or Bette Midler?

Evie (chuckling slightly): surprise me

(Mal clicks her fingers, they’re transported to a music hall stage with an invisible audience and the song starts up. This is when “sisters” happens. After the song Evie looks briefly empowered. Then deflates and flops onto the bed face first. Mal chuckles at this)

Mal: uh. Sis. Your remember that apart from being the guest room, this is Lonnie and Gil’s room as well, right?

Evie (in a muffled tone of voice): what’s your point?

Mal: well besides both being very sweet they’re also a pair of incorrigible gym rats who always forget to clean up the bed before they leave for home. So it wouldn’t be entirely out of the realm of possibility that there’s still a certain amount of used up gym wear under the covers you’re currently laying on...

(Evie’s eyes snap open cartoonishly, she screams, jumps up from the bed, makes claw hands at Mal in an attempt to throttle her, flails at the window, then looks down at her clothes and screams again. Throughout all this Mal is calmly amused, silently watching her sister crisis. When she’s had enough she grabs Evie by the arm and hurls her into the en-suite. Evie re-emerges two seconds later in new clothes and a cloudy expression)

Mal: lemme guess. Doug make that sweater?.

Evie: of course. I can sew. Doug can knit.

Mal: mmkay. Now are you going to get over yourself and let go of this ridiculous grudge you have against our father?

Evie: you just don’t get it do you?

Mal: probably not so enlighten me

Evie: this isn’t something I’m gonna get over in a day. This isn’t mamma Mia. I found out who my father was in the middle of a crappy day with even more crappy events piled on it. The man I love was put in a coma. My daughter was missing for most of the day. Ive had to fight for my life at least twice. I’ve had no time to process any of this. And you’re expecting me to get over this massive family reveal instantaneously? No. Something like this will take a lot longer then a day to get over. He abandoned me. I understand why he did it. But it still hurts. And as much as you say that you’re not like me. You have to understand that I’m not like you either. I’m angry. I’m angry he could’ve been there for me and wasn’t. And that anger’s not gonna go away any time soon. Either accept that or get out of my face

Mal: ahhhh. Ok. Now I understand. Katara

Evie: what?

Mal: you’re acting like katara. She was mad that her dad went off to war because she was a kid who needed him but felt like she couldn’t be because the reason for him leaving was noble. Dad let us go to save our lives. So you feel pissed that he left us. But you also feel like you can’t be cause of the REASON he left. It’s ahh, it’s a dilemma for sure

Evie: that’s not a dilemma. A dilemma is deciding between chicken and fish at your wedding. This is an impasse

Mal: mhmm, mhmm, uh huh. You know what would help.

Evie: what?

Mal: talking to him. And I mean not just calling him a rat bastard abandoner. Actually talk to him.

Evie: it’s not that easy M. Not when you were raised by Grimhilde. Not when every time you try to talk something out your met with scorn.

Mal: ohhhh. So that’s where “when in doubt, don’t” came from.

Evie: yup.

Mal: you were the good child. The golden daughter. You never misbehaved and you never spoke up for yourself. And now it come back to use your posterior as an entree.

Evie: yup. So you understand why it’s difficult for me. I can’t. I just can’t. Not after how my upbringing went.

(This is when “here I am” happens. After the song Evie confronts Hades in the kitchen just as he’s finishing his talk with Doug)

Hade:...I’m sorry my boy that’s all I know. Hello dear

Evie: I’m mad at you. I’m always gonna be mad at you. But. I don’t hate you. If I’m being honest, to protect Dizzy, I would’ve done the same. But it’s going to take time for me to...accept you.

Hades: I understand

Hadie: per...perhaps it would help if she saw it. The uh...incident in question, pops, maybe she’d understand a bit more if she saw what happened?

Evie: what, what incident

Mal (who’s been listening in): when he made the decision to stop contacting us.

Hades: I’m going to need a wand. And...A hat.

(Mal takes the sceptre, shrinks it down so it resembles a wand, ignores Uma’s incensed expression and hands it to her father while Hadie hands him his top hat. Hades sticks the wand handle in his right ear up to the emitter, to the teenagers collective disgust, roots around for a minute, then pulls out what looks like ash grey smoke tinged with midnight blue and pours it all into the top hat)

Hades: there you go. Just put the hat on the floor and spin

Doug (taking the hat): thanks. I think.

Mal: that looks worse then the hair ball Dude coughed up at his birthday party last month

Doug: how can...

Mal: don’t ask

Doug: ready

Evie: I guess

(In devies room. They’re sitting in the footlocker at the bottom of they’re bed)

Doug: now remember. No ones pressuring you into anything. You can stop any time

Evie: you’re very sweet. But I need to do this.

Doug: well ok then

(He sets the hat on the floor and spins. It goes faster and faster until it’s a blur. Light fills the room and replaces it with an alleyway on the island. They see Hades in his John Barrowman guise arguing with Grimhilde. He obviously loses since he gets a horrified expression on his face and leaves as Grimhilde smirks. There’s no sign of Evie. In Hades’s lair)

Anastasia: it couldn’t have been that bad

Hades (now Sebastian Stan): they both said the same thing. Iris and Hestia will be imperilled if I remain in contact. I have no choice. Please Antoine. For me

Facilier (wearily): only if you’re sure

Hades: yes. It doesn’t matter about me. Do it. Now.

(In the foyer)

Doug: are you ok?

Evie: no. But I want to keep watching

Doug: as you wish

(Anastasia pours Hades a drink and Facillier gets started. This is when “losing your memory” happens)

#disney descendants #zendaya!mal

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kuonabnaq · 5 years

Text

What is Wicca and how do you get started?

As Wicca stems from Paganism, it is closely linked to the belief that nature rules everything. However, the founder mixed in Eastern mysticism, Kabbalah and British legend as well as various esoteric traditions. The result is an intricate religion that is interpretation-based, you will often meet Wiccans who pick and choose what fits their needs and what they grew up with. For me personally, Wicca is a way to communicate my wishes and necessities to myself. The spells and prayers help to articulate what my body and mind are lacking in the moment. If you ask a Gardnerian Wiccan, that is probably different – Gardnerians are the most orthodox members of the community and follow the original traditions closely. The most basic principle is that everything exists in a duality – and all individuals do as well. Therefore, there's a dual deity manifesting in a male and a female avatar. Witches (a gender-neutral term) can choose to see them as not having a specific name or form, but there are those who honor Isis and Osiris, Hera and Zeus, or Apollo and Athena, to mention a few established pairings. Gardnerian witches receive the „true names“ of the God and Goddess after their initiation ceremony.

If you choose to practice the Wiccan religion in a community (sometimes called a coven), there is probably a High Priest or Priestess who will initiate you in a ceremony. After that, you will be at the lowest step of their degree system and with experience (studying the craft) and time gain ranks – that time is often referred to as the traditional „year and a day“ period. The initiation is seen as your rebirth to most covens, dedicating yourself to their deities is therefore something you will do for your whole life. Not being part of a coven is also accepted and common, and witches may choose to perform a ritual of self-dedication to pledge their loyalty to the path.

The word „witch“ already implies that magic is something very ingrained into Wiccan belief – and that's true. Magic is something that happens all the time, wherever we are. The difference is whether we add our intention or not. Magic isn't inherently supernatural, it's more about the natural energy. Looking at a candle or a bonfire is pretty soothing, because the controlled flames have calming energy. Watching a forest or a house burn down is upsetting, because that energy is out of control and often unleashed because someone had bad intentions or was neglectful of their environment. This is why rituals and spells are mostly performed inside a sacred circle: The circle is laid out intentionally, it harnesses any energy you may invoke and keeps outside energies at bay, allowing you to focus on what you want to work on. Anyone can work magic with a bit of practice, you don't need to belong to the priesthood for it.

Common tools to help you with focusing your intent are

the athame, a ritual dagger used to carve symbols into materials (also in the air, as it is seen as having energy as well)

a Book of Shadows

herbs (especially herbal wands that may be lit to create smoke)

crystals

Tarot cards

runes

coal

and candles.

Most Wiccans I know adhere to the Wiccan Rede, it's the closest thing the religion has to gospel – it's a set of rules that you choose to live by. Not everyone does, but especially the ones focusing on performing magic to change the world around them perform rituals according to the Law Of Threefold Return (also called the Rule Of Three): Whatever energy you put out into the world, whether positive or negative, will be returned to you three times as strongly. That's why people will often discourage using magic to harm others, it's going to bite you in the end.

If you choose to get started practicing this religion and find a coven, they will probably explain anything according to their rules, so it's best to follow their advice. If you want to be self-dedicated, though, I encourage you to start by looking up what a Book of Shadows is and what people have put in theirs. Books like these are used to document the witches' „year and a day“ journey. Anything related to the workings land there. It doesn't matter whether it's a cheap binder filled with print-outs and screenshots, or a giant tome handpainted and filled with your own secret language. What matters is that you document everything you've learned because all of our knowledge influences our behaviour and our opinions. Popular topics to put into your Book of Shadows include:

crystal types and their magical abilities

herbs and their use in medicine

the „wheel of the year“, a calendar for witches

moon phases

drawings of tools and tea leaf readings

sigil style studies

spell poems, chants and ritualistic words

aspects of the deities

the history of the religion/influencing religions

dream diaries or regular journals to keep track of their personal character development

ritual progress (especially important for charging rituals etc)

elemental correspondences

and many more, honestly.

Still interested in starting your journey of being a witch? Great, welcome to the wonderful world of weirdness! Your room is probably the place where you will spend a lot of time studying and also where you may keep your Book of Shadows, so it doesn't hurt to cleanse it. If you already know that you will perform all your magic in a different room, perform this ritual there.

To get you started, gather the following things:

a clear, round glass bowl (size doesn't matter)

white salt

a white candle and something to light it with

white paper

your favorite writing tool (ballpoint pen, pencil, marker, doesn't matter)

Fill the glass bowl with clean, cold water to about a third. Place it either in the middle of the room's floor or, if you want to contain your magic to a special table, in the middle of that. It should have as much clear space around it as possible, and if you cleanse a table, its surface should be empty.

Next, write out your intention on the paper: If you already know why you want to be a witch, you can write that down. If you feel excited, write that down. If you want to greet the deities, write that down as well. This is about cleansing your room of negative energy, so it's not the time to write down worries or doubts – those will have space in a later ritual, if you so wish.

Done writing? Great! Place your paper next to the bowl and get out the salt. In a clockwise movement and keeping the salt in your right hand, draw a circle around your bowl. It should be big enough to let you sit /stand in front of it, or if you cleanse a table, it should encompass the biggest possible area of the surface. Don't worry about special words right now, just focus your thoughts on keeping negative energy out of the circle and gathering positive energy inwards.

Now you're ready to light the candle. Once it's lit up, hold it over your water bowl and let it burn until the flame is completely still. Then, say this poem out loud, or in your mind: "Creature of wax - Creature of fire - Listen to me - Hear my desire - Cleanse this room - By the power of three - and blast away all negativity - With harm to none - So shall it be!"

Light the paper carefully, let it burn a little and then put it into the water bowl. Leave the candle to burn for at least an hour after that, to ensure that the light has cleansed every corner. If it's hard to hold it for that long, you can carefully place it next to the water bowl. Don't leave it burning alone, though, stay focused on the good energy that it emits.

After you're done, blow out the candle while thanking the fire's energy for cleansing the room. Next, remove the salt circle in counter-clockwise direction, if you can. The water should be thrown out either outside or down the drain, as it has absorbed negativity – you asked fire to bring positivity and the natural opposite, water, has taken on the opposite task. Take out the soggy paper before throwing the water out to protect the environment!

#wicca for beginners #wiccan #wicca spells #ritual #wiccan 101 #magic #how to be cool

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prorevenge · 6 years

Text

Revenge for the boss from hell. 30k+ payable to me, thanks.

Greetings,

I posed this story once before in days past but deleted it in fear legal reasons. I’ve revised it and feel more comfortable sharing. I enjoy the heck out of this blog along with @r-maliciouscompliance and @petty-revenge-stories. I can tell you as a long time lurker this story is worth the read for the most deserved revenge.

TLDR: Boss was a d*ckhead all the time, then insulted me while I was eating lunch with a client in public. I painfully planned and executed a plan to make him pay me over 30,000 dollars as punishment , I was successful.

I worked for this small business IT Consulting firm for seven years. Owned and operated by a person we will call d*ck.

First two years things were fine. Occasionally this guy would take things a little too far, he was just passionate about his opinion and always had to be right, so I’d always give him that. I don’t have to agree but I saw his need and left it at that.

What I started to discover however is the turn over for the company is a couple of years and I began to realize why. The Boss (d*ck), picks one worker and makes it his life’s work to make that person as miserable as possible. I’m guessing the reason, ego purposes?

For months I’d hear him shouting all the time at this one guy. The co-worker after leaving the meeting would go back to his office from where I had a view and I could just see the stress and misery in his face. Till finally I said to him, “what the hell man? He’s always giving you a hard time here lately, what did you do?”

He didn’t seem to know. He confided in me right there the level of hell he’s in and some of the things d*ck has said or done. I couldn’t believe some of the details he shared on what d*ck both said and did. I felt things were embellished because people just don’t do some of the things he said. I would realize much later he was telling the truth as crazy as it sounded.

A few months later he finally found another job and left. I talk to him couple times a year and he always said it was the best choice in his life he ever made.

d*ck’s sights then narrowed on to me. I can take a lot. So for the next five years I took it. He would insult me pretty much every day, each day more and more colorful. I didn’t really care or take it home with me so it wasn’t a problem for me, for d*ck I would learn it was.

Unrelated, five years in I put in my notice because he asked me to get a couple certifications and if I did he would take care of me. Once I did what was requested he backed out of the agreement and played coy. Once he received my notice a couple months later he called me up within a minute, begged me to stay. It’s important to note he only asked for two certifications, I not only obtained those but an addional fourteen on top of that. Each time he would tell me “Great job, you will be well taken care of”. He lied 16 times in total on this matter. He matched the offer and increased my Salary up another 15k. Not looking forward to starting a new job I decided to stay.

What I learned is I was a fool to do that and money isn’t everything. Go where you’ll be the most happy. Best life advice I can give after this experience.

He left me alone for a couple months after that, he wasn’t in the office much either. Then a day struck his fancy to start things up again only he ran out of material. My work is solid and he had no opportunity to criticize that.

The only method he had was bashing his ego and sarcasm around but he realized it had no impact on me. Here is a Brief snippet of any given day of what it’s like to be selected as his target. He would communicate a problem he was having in length. Let’s say he complained about his cell phone. After he finished his story you would provide a helpful suggestion or advice from your experience. In turn he would ask with an entitled and sarcastic tone if you were an expert on the matter and wanted to see those credentials. I learn fast, just never speak unless spoken too. Any comment or insult he made I would respond without emotion and just say ok.

Because d*ck wasn’t able to get a rise out of me the old fashioned way he decided to create fictional content for a new direction.

Our small company would go out to eat as a whole, or just order in on Fridays. I ate half my sandwich, and wrapped the remaining to take home. He saw me with leftover food and claimed that I was taking home dinner on his dime. Any time there was any leftover, even a single French fry he’d be there with a magnify glass for inspection to find any conceivable way to yell.

So on Fridays I started packing my lunch, I’d order a beverage and a side. I’d finish the beverage and the side. Then eat what I brought, if I didn’t finish it he had no opportunity. You could see his look of disappointment when he would scan my plate.

This went on a couple weeks, he had no opportunity and couldn’t complain. He realized he failed again. So then he came up with the next item.

The Bathroom. This I actually did a little research on and couldn’t find anything legally I could do. But anytime anyone would use the rest room he would blame me for the smell. Instead of hello when passing in the highway he would say “Did you use spray” or “Did you light a match” as hateful as he could, but that was his normal. It went much deeper than this, more then I care to share. But I honestly believe d*ck has a fetish on this topic which is why I looked in to it legally. It was just always on his mind and a little too important to him, let’s just leave the rest unsaid.

I must have visually tipped him off I didn’t approve of this because he never got bored with it. However I did at least get him to stop asking about if I used spray. Anytime I used the bathroom, even to take a piss I’d use the entire can of air freshener. This wasn’t an easy task as I’d have to mask my face to empty that entire thing. Takes a while surprisingly to empty an entire can in a session. One thing is for certain when I was finished, someone used the “spray” and d*ck was buying a new can. Took about five weeks but I think he figured it out spending so much on spray, he stuck to just asking about matches after that. He even provided them in the bathroom.

One day we were out with a client. The current topic at this moment was “what is your favorite meal? My answer was “hot wings, I could eat those every day!” d*ck jumps in, his comment “Just think how bad the bathroom would smell”. Most at table wouldn’t get the context and direction of that comment, but I knew. He did this in front of a client, in public, while people are eating.

I almost walked out. Then I remembered he drove and it’s a long way back. Plus d*ck is over 60, what kind of person knocks out a senior? I had to chant that in my mind to keep control. I never get pissed but after years this was the last straw! I seriously pleaded with myself all day not to do it because I’d go to jail and he would win.

During this time period he also started playing with my money. Behind 4-5 months with reimbursement, week late on paychecks, stuff like that. You ask where it’s out, he says “next week” you explain he already said that last week, then he’d play coy.

I finished out the day without reacting somehow. Took everything I had but I’m not going to allow this to be unanswered. That was dangerous and too close. If he want’s trouble, I’ll give it to him! I will get even in a lawful way, somehow.

Then the idea came to me that night, did my research and odds were in my favorite that it could work. I’m just going to mirror him until he fires me. When he fires me he will have to pay half my current salary of 65k until I get a new job. You know what? I can live perfectly fine on 32.5k. Why not make him pay out of his pocket 32.5k for everything he had said and done? He would have to pay this over the course of six months or until I found a new job. So my goal was to make him pay me $32,500 to be exact over 6 months as restitution for what he said at that table.

I read up on all the rules in my state for Unemployment. Each state is different. But basically to qualify for it, it can’t be your fault if you were fired. So If I stood there and told him where to put it, that’s a no go. However if I was laid off I would qualify.

So I hit him where it hurt first, his favorite thing in the world is meetings. Because he loves to hear himself talk and take you step by step through his thought process with a noble tone congratulating himself for his thinking and why his way is the best way. So I started speaking up and illustrated a more efficient way that cost less.

He would argue, sometimes red in the face mad. Especially if others in the meeting liked my idea. He knew he was wrong but he would dismiss them and demand it be done his way.

I then started talking about him within ear shot on purpose. I’d say things like “Make sure you perform that d*cks way, takes longer but it’s better than him releasing the Kraken”. It would make everyone laugh, but it wasn’t a direct insult.

Trust me when I say this guy has a massive ego and I was counting on this for pissing him off. I laid it on thick, in time it took its toll. I knew it did because what came next.

His retaliation was the kitchen sink, he had nothing so he started accusing me of things, then playing coy when it came to reviewing the details or facts. He would put words in my month, I’d state he was wrong and then he would tell me I was. All he was doing was opening the door so he could play a revengeful sarcasm game. I know it’s a game so I decided to take his new toy away from him by just going along with whatever it is he said. Which further made him mad because what he was doing had no effect on me.

Fast forward six months, yes I’m STILL working here. But were only receiving a couple calls a day which are fifteen minutes each. This was due to d*ck’s bad business discussions.

While I took delight knowing he was hemorrhaging money for months, I was hoping for a lay off to execute my plan. Nothing. I have to make him want to fire me, it’s the only way. I have to beat him at his own game while providing the illusion he is in control.

So I turned up the heat. I was asked to travel to a client by the 2nd in command. I said “I’m sorry man, I haven’t received reimbursement in six months for travel expenses and I just had my work cell phone service turned off. With the way business is right now things aren’t looking good, I’d be stupid to take on more expenses, and I’m owed over two thousand dollars as it is. Once that’s paid in full I’d be more than happy to continue on a week to week bases after reimbursements”.

That day d*ck had a meeting with me and setup a payment plan to pay the money back. After three weeks it would be paid. So I said to d*ck “understood, after three weeks I’ll be on the road again, cool” just making sure he understood because he wanted to play games and not pay the amount in full d*ck is now going to pay me my salary for three weeks to do nothing until the reimbursement fee is paid.

Guy has a several million dollar house, goes on vacations has a boats, etc. Out of all the things I’ve done so far, this had made the most significant impact. Because I out whit him at his own game, it embarrassed him in the eyes of others. Why? Because the second of command was instructed to drive me anywhere I was needed. So I had my own personal Taxi driver for the few calls we had over the next two weeks. Two weeks he paid two people, me and the admin to drive and watch me work. I was friends with the admin and he knew exactly what I was doing and he loved every second of it.

Then on the third week, three days until the final payment, it happens. d*ck enters my office, and gives me the filmier demeaning dog wave gesture to follow him without speaking. We sit down and he asks me what the problem is?

I told him the problem is he needs a new hobby. In one hand you have someone sitting here that busted his ass for the last seven years, in the other your need to bash someone’s face in the dirt with your ego. The problem with me is I won’t conform and provide both.

He asked for some examples. I said you know what I’m talking about and even if I did review them you’d play coy. He then played coy about being coy, I laughed.

After a pause He said if you feel that way why didn’t you speak to me about it? I reminded him that I did twice and both times you humiliated me for it and said “this is I.T!” What the I.T Career that I’ve done the last twenty years had to do with his ego I’ll never know.

He responded with I’m behind the times, my work has been poor and out of the kindness of his heart he gave me a raise after I demanded it. I responded with Ok.

Then he finally said what I wanted to hear “I want to call it quits”.

I remained professional and communicated I’m sorry things didn’t work out and spent the next two hours reviewing stuff with co-workers on how to handle certain things. I shook his hand with a smile and left without saying anything negative. The fruit of my labor will do the talking for me shortly.

In route on the way home I called family members to tell them the good news. Everyone was so happy for me. It finally happened.

When I arrived home I promptly adjusted the dates on the unemployment forms I had filled out already in wait and submitted them. I called the state and confirmed everything was documented on my end accurately and now it’s the waiting game.

My plan wasn’t realized until my boss receive the letter in the mail about a week later stating he’s going to have shell out my Salary for the next six months or until I found a job.

Panicked at this point he realized what I set him up for. So He claimed he fired me for poor work performance. The state said, ok prove it. In this state it’s the employers’ burden to prove it. My record had no blemishes and he couldn’t use a client because a number of people at any given client would vouch for me and the truth as they all liked me and appreciated my work.

Realizing the shit storm he’s in now I’m told from the admin friend he was on the phone with them quite a while twisting and turning the fake stories out. Bottom line, the state needed to see documented verbal and written warnings, signed so he couldn’t fake them. He called his lawyer and his lawyer told him he’s screwed.

Later my boss told co-workers he felt bad for me that I couldn’t find work and he decided to give unemployment to me to save face of his ego. That made official that his ego was effected, he didn’t want anyone to know the truth. At this point he realized I got the better of him when I fought back and I won, big!

In a last ditch effort he lied about how much I made. The state sent me paper work stating this fact and asked me to prove my salary. So I gave them copies of checks and pay stubs for the last six months. After that things went easy, he was flagged for lying which made the reaming steps effortless the state rep told me.

For the reason I was terminated I said “d*ck the owner made some poor business discussions that impacted the company losing business and clients. He let me go as a business discussion, in his shoes I’d of done the same and understand.”

I wrote it that way for a reason. But d*ck didn’t realize why. I knew what his reaction would be. The state saw a down to earth guy that was honest and understanding on paper. Then they saw d*cks predicted response of being a d*ck, most likely yelling and of course lying. I had no doubt that would seal the deal simply on the evaluation on character before the facts even entered in to it.

His reaction being, his ego had to take it up the ass. Once for failing as a business man, another for me saying so on state paper work, and lastly accepting that I got the better of him and all this time I have been coaxing him to make this move.

The only thing left to do is pay me, every single week. And his money goes to the state first then the state sends it to me, so he can’t play games with my money or the state is coming after him.

Over the next six months I took that time to enjoy myself, pursue hobbies and lived life to the fullest on his dime as a reward for his comment. Once the letter came to renew unemployment, d*ck would no longer have to pay or only a parentage I forget, the important thing to know is tax payers would have to pay after six months not d*ck. So I declined the renewal. Three weeks later I had a new job.

It was either that or knock him out during that lunch, It wasn’t easy, took work but I’m proud of the way I handled it. I feel vindicated, it’s pretty rare the world is balanced, evil often wins. But not this time. This time it cost d*ck, 32,500 dollars to be exact. All in all I can say 10/10 would do it again.

Due to his age I can’t imagine that it would be a humbling experience at this point. But it was for me, money isn’t everything, there is only one thing of true value, your happiness. A year later, I’m very happy now, I enjoy my new job and my new boss. I discovered myself again, who I really am. The goofy friendly guy, my light is no longer dimmed by a dark presence and I can be myself without punishment.

(source) (story by Divine_Squire)

#prorevenge #by Divine_Squire #pro revenge stories #revenge stories #pro #revenge #revenge story #last10

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liviastudiespsych · 5 years

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My week on Waterloo Bridge

Hi guys, as you may or may not know I spent a week and a half (on and off, not all the time) protesting with Extinction Rebellion. It has been one of the best experiences of my life and I will never forget it. I really wanted to make a post about it to clear my head, put my thoughts black on white and to share a few things I have learned.

I don’t want to, because I really want people to read this, but I’ll have to put a read under the cut cause this is tooooo long.

First of all, what is Extinction Rebellion (or XR for short). XR is a non-violent movement that was mostly rooted in the UK but present in several countries around the world, about climate change. By that I mean that the whole scope of the protest was to sensitise the public about climate change and demand an action from the governments through acts of pacific social disobedience. Such as occupying a bridge, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it (I’m so funny lol). Social disobedience in the case of XR has been disrupting traffic, occupying major spots and raising the voice against a perceived wrong doing of the government who hasn’t been listening to the science, the warnings and the speaking up of people. To be precise, XR wants to stop climate change to stop the otherwise inevitable and catastrophic changes that will happen to our planet in 12 years if we don’t act NOW. This was based mostly, but not only on the 2018 IPCC report (which you can find here if you are interested x) that explains how the rise of the planet’s overall temperature could cause irreparable damage to the amount of global ice which would in turn mean a rise of the ocean, floods and other natural disasters that would possibly mean migration of humans to better areas, overpopulation and starvation. These are not opinions. XR feels that if we don’t act now, there will be a problem in the near future so they set 3 demands:

Government must tell the truth and declare climate emergency

Government must make laws to reduce all carbon emission (which is related to global warming) by 2025

Creation of a citizen assembly to oversee and asses changes

It’s important to mention that none of this was legal. And part of the movement’s idea was that getting people arrested is important because it brings visibility and it forces the government to engage with the protest (more on this later).

Good, now that we have cleared this first let’s dive into my experience.

I got involved with XR on the second day of the London protests (tuesday the 16th of April, 2019) when a friend of a friend came from Edinburgh to take part and brought us along. What I saw that day was I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E an entire bridge, one of the mostly used in London, was completely empty of cars. We could walk on the bridge and there were plants and music and people. It was so beautiful. That day I spent it all there, on that bridge. We even slept there, or tried to. I left at 3 am because I was too cold. But not before we had a massive dance party on that bridge. Day 2 was wednesday. And that day too I spent it on the bridge and that night we went around the other occupied places in London until 6 am in the morning when we collapsed home to sleep for a few hours. I danced in a completely empty Parliament Square. I sang in front of a pink boat in the middle of Oxford Circus. I had an animated discussion about climate change next to a sea of tent in Marble Arch. London was like a place I had never seen. Day 3 was Thursday which too I spent on and off that bridge, leaving only when the police started to arrest people only to be back for another night of roaming the occupied streets of London and I saw the most beautiful dawn on the City. On Friday I was there again as my friends were being arrested and almost got in trouble myself. I took a few days because if four days I had slept about four hours in total not per night and I was sleep deprived. I was back one final time the 23rd to march to Parliament Square and show the MPs what we were about.

Some things that will forever stay with me of those days are the amazing people I have met all over those sites and the awesome stories I have heard all through the protest. The chant of “whose bridge?” “OUR BRIDGE!” will forever be in my memory. The overall feeling of being together, sharing something everyone was so passionate about, to discuss important topics and to feel like even if this might not result in nothing at least we tried, at least we did our best. For my future. For my children’s future. I thought about my future children a lot this protest. A bit sombre and a bit happy. Maybe we created a chance for them, maybe their generation will be better. I saw those days what London (and a lot of cities) could be like. There was a place for children to play, there were trees in the middle of the road - something I personally am not used to as having grown up in a big city - and the human interaction was warm and welcoming. I hope, if nothing else, that we will keep this at least in memory to change the way we interact with others, to make us more open. I learnt what it means to be able to socialise like that. I learnt what it mean to be part of a real community. I learnt how to make myself useful for others. I learnt how to talk about important topics. I met extraordinary people and honestly, I had a blast.

I also will remember the opposition and critics we got.

We were called “Cunts!” shouted at us from a motorbike as we were simply walking. We were called “You fucking cunts.” again, with no provocation. We were called “You fucking hippies.” by a punk drunk dude at 4 am. We got called “Socialist scum” to which someone I don’t know replied “Yes and proud of”. I want to point out that the movement was non violent. That it was the most peaceful protest ever seen by the met police. That no police officer got hurt.

I heard a lot of people say “I support you and your idea, but not how you are doing it.” which I understand, I honestly do. From outside we must look like a bunch of assholes blocking a bridge and not letting you get to work. But other ways were tried before and no one listened. This got everyone’s attention. I am not saying you have to agree with the way, but keep an open mind, support in other ways. We are not doing this to hurt you personally, we are doing it to save the planets.

I also heard a lot of “Well, what’s this going to do?” to which I am simply going to say: what’s that going to do? Being all pessimistic about it. At least we are trying.

Also a few more notes. It was not a privileged movement of stuck up middle class. It was not. I met people from everywhere, every social extraction and a lot of different backgrounds, I promise you.

Now, the arrest. I know 3 people who got arrested. 2 of which I consider good friends at this point. And I met countless more who shared their stories. No one I know has been charged. Why? Because there were more than a THOUSAND arrest in the UK alone and there was no way they could process everyone. So unless you glued yourself to something, you were not charged. I did not get arrested because I can’t. And I know a lot of people who did the same and left when the police moved in. But I respect those that did. Because it really helped to put the story on the news, it made people stop and say “ah, if they are willing to get arrested there must be something really going on.” No one EVER asked me to get arrested. That is not how the movement works. You can if you want, but no one forces you. Ever. To do anything. There are no requirements. So, no. No forcing, no radicalisation. Nothing of the sort. Just plain and simple social disobedience and people very passionate.

I will continue to be part of XR and we will be back if the requests aren’t met, if we aren’t listened. I am doing this for myself, for my children and for the planet.

TLDR: if it’s too long I will sum it up like this. Help our planet by asking the government to act. I had an amazing week protesting. I will not stop. Climate change is happening. Join Extinction Rebellion

thanks for reading, if anyone did. I will block people being rude under this post. If you have questions/want to PEACEFULLY discuss the issue please do. Basically, don’t be shit.

#politics #political #xr #extinction rebellion #extinctionrebellion #London #protest #climate change #personal #this honestly means a lot #and i have a lot more thoughts about it but for today this is enough #i was not kidding when i said i will block you

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theshapeshifter100 · 6 years

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Guess What? I’m Not a Robot Epilogue

Summary: Android Allies protest in Washington

Chapter Warnings: Some casual swearing, implied anxiety

Word Count: 1,211

There’s a long A/N at the end, but it has some important information, so please read it.

11AM Monday 22nd November 2038

“This is insane,” Megan looked at the crowd of people. Alex had put the protest on social media, and it had exploded.

Thousands of people were crammed into a few wide streets in Washington. Most were bearing signs, either cardboard or electric. Some had banners and others even had megaphones.

The crowd was mostly human, but androids who had managed to avoid the massacre were in the crowd. Hats covering their LEDs just in case, but Paul pointed them out with ease.

The three main chapters of Android Allies were here, with the leaders all where Megan was standing. That included everyone in the Detroit Chapter, Lucas’s sister and her group, and Megan’s brother James.

Hank Anderson was also there, although no one could explain why. Not even him, but here he was, grumbling like an old man.

Alex grinned broadly as Megan spoke. “You’re not kidding!” was it her, or was their smile strained? “We’ll easily counter the anti android protest!”

“We’ll certainly be able to drown them out,” Megan agreed, looking around again. The march hadn’t started yet, so the leaders were standing on some steps to get a feel for who was there. In the distance it looked like someone had brought a freaking marching band!

Someone clapped her hard on the back and she stumbled for a second. She wasn’t worried though, only one person announced themselves like that.

“James! I am not one of your football buddies!” Megan protested loudly. She was still wearing the sling, and she hoped that her brother had spotted that.

“I know you’re tougher than you look,” she could hear the smug grin in his voice. They had the same colour hair, but that was where all similarities ended; while she was short and skinny, he was tall and broad. However, he wasn’t as large as Oscar. Megan suspected they played different positions in football, but what those positions were she had no idea.

“Yes, but I still have a hole in my shoulder,” she reminded him. “And I’d like to keep the stitches as they are.”

“I’m guessing you haven’t told mom and dad about that?”

“No, and you won’t either.”

“Gotcha.”

“Why won’t you be telling your parents?” Paul asked, having watched the exchange between the two blood siblings.

“Because they’ll fuss and demand I come home, again,” Megan sighed. “I’ll probably have to go home for Christmas, and make sure I book a flight back so that they can’t keep me at home.”

“They would do that?”

“Oh, they’d try,” Megan assured.

“You can come for Christmas with me and my folks,” Alex offered, overhearing.

“That’s, a lovely offer, thank you,” Megan was uncomfortable now, looking at her shuffling feet.

“It’s cool, my parents always cook loads anyway,” Alex easily shrugged it off. They then checked their watch. “We’ll have to put Christmas plans aside. It’s time to get going!”

They grabbed a megaphone from next to them and brought it to their lips. There was a loud squeal of feedback which managed to catch everyone’s attention.

“Alright people! We’re about to move out!” Alex announced. “I will be at the front with the rest of the Detroit chapter, all of whom you should know by now. Hopefully enough of you have the route to hand in case anyone gets lost. And remember! We’re here to protest peacefully! If the other protest starts something, that does not mean we can retaliate in kind! Leave the confrontation to Nathan and the marching band!”

There was some laughing at that, but that was the actual plan.

“Who the fuck hired a marching band?” Hank asked, more to himself.

“I did,” responded Nathan, like it was obvious.

“Of course.”

“Finally, we’re all friends here! There’s enough water and snacks to hopefully keep everyone going. If someone’s struggling, stop and help! We’re here to show the best of humanity and that we can live with androids. Most importantly, have fun!”

There was a cheer as Alex put down the megaphone. On their face was an odd expression. Nervousness.

Julia was quick to put a hand on their shoulder as the rest of the chapters took their place in the crowd. “You’ll be great,” she reassured, and Alex nodded.

“Thanks Jules,” they swallowed. “I never, seriously thought, that it would get this big.”

“This is your baby,” Megan added with a lopsided shrug. “Be proud of it,”

Alex nodded again. “I am. Let’s take our places.”

The Detroit chapter made their way to the front of the crowd. Without having to say anything Paul put Megan on his shoulders. Megan could almost hear James huffing in annoyance, but too bad, James had never done it when he had the chance.

She held a sign in one hand, with Paul holding the massive banner in front of them along with the rest of the Detroit chapter. On it the name ‘Android Allies’ was emblazoned in blue with Markus’s stick figure/peace sign, the CyberLife triangle and the initials ‘AA’ in various colours on the white background.

Alex stood in front of all them, holding a megaphone. Usually Allison or Ivy would be standing with them, but they all recognised this as their brainchild. They deserved the credit for this.

“What do we want?!” they bellowed into a megaphone, and the crowd chanted back.

“Android rights!”

“When do we want it?!”

“Now!”

The crowd, several thousand strong, began to march through Washington. Alex kept up their chant, while at the back different chants were popping up.

“Androids Are Alive!”

“Equal right for androids!”

“The tin man has his heart!”

That one threw Megan off, but it made some sense. The tin man went with Dorothy looking for a heart, but it turned out that he had it the entire time. Oddly fitting.

Paul never faltered in his pace as he walked. Even when James forced himself to the front to offer to give him a break.

“I’m fine James,” he assured. “Perhaps we should talk later, over a coffee or something?”

“Can you drink?”

“No, but the offer still stands.”

James looked at him oddly for a second before nodding. “Sure, okay. I’d like that.”

“I’ll leave you two to your budding bromance then,” Megan smirked. “Finally, Alex will have another ship!”

“I’ve just met him!” James protested.

“I’m messing with you!” Megan laughed. “But seriously, I’ll leave you two to talk it out. I’ll probably hang around Alex or something. We’re in DC for a few days after all.”

“Sure, whatever,” James huffed before chanting again.

Megan looked around at the crowd, and felt a surge of pride. She had contributed to this. She had helped make this happen. Now, there was a partnership with Markus, the government was starting to listen, people were starting to change.

It wasn’t over, and of course this wasn’t solely down to them. Most of this was down to Markus and his revolution. But one week won’t change a country, won’t change laws. Markus had laid the groundwork, Android Allies had been on the sidelines, helping with the public opinion and both efforts had lead to this.

This wasn’t over, but it was another step in the right direction. They intended to keep walking.

Yeah, this is it. The epilogue. This has been a wild ride from start to finish, in a genre I never really tried before. I tried a few new things with this, the slice of life opening, the flowchart things at the end and the connection between Paul and Megan. I deliberately did it like that, and it was surprisingly easy. I did have to watch myself a couple of times to stop it going romantic, but overall, not as hard as I thought it would be. I just had to think of fluff for them.

In the chapter itself. I understand why it might seem a little out of left field that Alex has the glory moment at the end, but Android Allies is their brain child. It always was, Megan and Paul just got caught up in it, and yeah had the most to lose or gain, but this is still Alex's group, their idea, their baby. We also finally meet James, I know his mental health side story never really went anywhere, it was more to showcase that any can suffer from mental illness, especially the people we least expect.

A few reasons why I wrote this story. One, was because of some complainants I saw on tumblr about the main game, primarly, where are the human pro android supporters. The game says they exist, but we never see them. Here we go, I made some!I also did this, a little out of spite. I am incredibly sick of seeing stories, original and fanfic, where there's two leads of different genders and they end up in a romantic relationship. I hate it, despise it. It's not necessary and it pops up all the damn time, heck I'm guilty of it! So, I wrote Megan and Paul, and made them deliberately adorable just to piss off anyone who thinks that they'd make a good romantic couple. Which, actually, even if Megan wasn't Ace/Aro they wouldn't be a good romantic couple, I don't that would be healthy. I'm not quite done with this yet. I've got a list of the alternative endings and how to get them almost ready, with some 'post credit scenes' for them. There is also a completely different ending. You know how in the main game you can have Deviant/Machine, Pacifist/Revolution and Canada/Camp. Well, there is an alternate ending for this as well, where Paul gets arrested and sent to one of these Recycling Camps.It's not finished. Not yet, and given that I'm on holiday right now and will be for another three weeks, I can't guarantee when it will be up. I'll get the alternate endings list up some time next week, but other than that I make no promises.I think that's all I had, and no flowchart this time. It's the ending cutscene, there is nothing left to influence.

Tags: @nightmarejim @septicart-appreciation thank you both for sticking with this. To your, and everyone else reading, thank you for sticking with this.

#Detroit Become Human #Detroit Become Human fanfic #Detroit Become Human OC #Guess What? I'm Not a Robot #Guess What? I'm Not a Robot Epilogue #Hank Anderson #Washington #proandroid protest #TheShapeshifter100 writes

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aurorasandsadprose444 · 6 years

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y’all i’m fucking crying

my 5yo nephew Y and his little like 7yo friend J keep walking down to the basement (where i’m sitting on the couch in pitch black darkness on my phone brightness down white point reduced) they turn on the only light they can reach without me seeing them by reaching super far around the corner. and now they keep running down here every time, they run back up the stairs after quick council about someone being asleep. and now they’ve come down here and are chanting “wake her up! wake her up! wake her up!” and they put a sound making toy down here with me to ‘wake me up’ and i’m just keeping quiet the whole time. it’s hilarious. now they’re down here. disrupting my not-sleeping. i’m high asf right now. this isn’t happening. Y came back to get his pretzels and said good night and we yelled i love you’s. This Is Why I’m In The Closet. i just don’t know how me liking girls will affect the smallest things. i don’t think they’d be kept separate from me or that i wouldn’t get to babysit them anymore or hug them. i knew that. but if i was out, i would wanna be really out. like making lesbian comments and jokes all the time just like we do straight comments. our friend D is gay but he just isn’t the same if my brother-in-law is around. i wouldn’t have to be like that because he’s the interrogative type, military, always quizzing us on knowledge and opinions he knows nothing about. the boys would be okay. my nephews would accept me and understand. they love me. my sisters would love me and allow to be my full self, wlw g-rated lesbian comments during dinner, family time, tv/movies to assert my sapphic tendencies periodically and frequently. i know myself. i’m not afraid of initial reactions as much as lasting, awkward ones, which i’m afraid might occur with my mother. whether condescending or attempting to connect, it would make my skin crawl. i love you’s to and from my mom catch in my throat and abbreviate. i can’t stand the feeling of her touching anywhere on my body. i’m fine with showing affection to anyone else. literally. as a kid, i constantly hugged my girl friends and boy friends alike. i didn’t mind having girls sit on my lap (ohmigawd im gay) on bus rides or at snack time. but something happened. the summer i was 18 i lost my virginity while post shower intoxicated and then weeks later was sexually assaulted (not raped) while very intoxicated. with the loss of my virginity came the blossoming of a friendship in the form of ‘i had sex 10 feet away from your sleeping form.’ R still doesn’t know to this day that i lost my virginity that night. then one night, a battle between a drunken, hazy okay? and a sober, eager yes! had me losing the only virginity i had left. kissing virginity. the guy who unknowingly took my virginity, didn’t kiss me because (as i would find out) he had a girlfriend. then i got really, super, ‘drunkest i’d been to that day’ drunk and let a guy carry me home. he kissed me while she showered then dropped me off to go try his luck with her. when she said no, he came back and forced his way into my bed. offering warmth during and icy rainstorm to my near incoherent self. we kissed and used his hands and that’s it, but the next morning he called by a name that only vaguely sounded like mine but one that happened to be the nickname of one of my sisters. i stopped trusting and sharing everything with my best friend R because she didn’t bunk with me that night and she rejected the guy who then invited himself into my not private hotel room. i don’t mean to. i want to trust her but she’s a whole different person after a year. so we at least started somewhere happy, but now you know the tale of why i’m a lonely useless lesbian who keeps a secret from everyone she wants to be close with. i know that it makes no sense. but i can’t do anything about it. not yet.

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moderately-stable-dm · 7 years

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Tips for fantasy writers, a guide to magic systems.

Being a fantasy writer myself, I know how hard we all try to make in depth world’s, interesting characters, environments, possibly creatures, and even plant life. But most of all, we try to make interesting magic systems.

I have been writing ever since I was 8, and I’ve always wanted to be an author. I go through tons of creatively stimulating things such as being the dungeon master for a d and d group, with a campaign that is roughly based off of my book that I am currently writing. As well as taking multiple creative writing classes in school. I have “attempted” to write multiple books, all with a cool idea in mind, then I would rush into them and see what would happen.

All failed.

The things that bug me about “fantasy writers” is that … They still do this. People who claim to be good writers but just make their character so grossly over powered it’s irritating to even read. Powers where they have no problem fighting a massive horde of enemies and not even taking any drawbacks from the magic, let alone even a scratch from their opponents.

In my opinion, the most interesting part about a magic system is its consequences. for example, a magic system that allows you to change the forces of nature around you. How hot things are, how fast things move how quickly things heal, even other forces like magnetism or gravity. What is the exchange for someone altering the world? Maybe something like blood. People who use their magic will destroy their blood cells to change forces around them.

sure you can be somewhat over powered if you have TRAINED AND PRACTICED in this magic for years, but no matter what, you’ll still have a limiting factor just like everyone else. Blood. No one has infinite blood.

For some reason these so called fantasy writers give their characters a massive wealth of power, without even explaining it’s origins or even what the power comes from.

So, to put an end to my rambling, let’s go onto some tips.

TIP 1: the 3 magic types. Magic is all about consequences. I’d say that their are 3 types of systems which we can categorize most magics into. Soft, average, and hard magic. Soft magic is very wishy washy, doesn’t give much explanation about where the powers come from, and you never really know what a magic can do. I’d say tolkeins magic systems are the key definition of this. You never really know what gandalf can do. They talk about magic, but just briefly and it’s this sort of tabooed, ominous thing to be left alone. Don’t get me wrong, soft magic can still be incredibly interesting, and the excitement of not knowing what the magic can do is always entertaining. BUT, this doesn’t make an excuse for giving your character thousands of powers they can use infinitely at their disposal. Their has to be consequences.

The next, my favorite, is hard magic. Hard magic is clearly explained, and has definite laws and rules that are made known to the reader. Brandon sandersons books are a good example of this. Mistborn, clearly explains the rules, and what the magic can do, and what the magic can’t do. It’s turned into more of a science really. I really like this system as I know exactly what can happen, and what can’t happen. Don’t let my bias get in your head however. Soft and average magic systems can still be very affective. This is just my personal opinion.

Tip 2: term definitions; cost, requirement, limit, and rules. - First off, let’s define these for the reason of this post. I’ll be using avatar the last Airbender magic systems for this.

Cost- the consequence for using the magic. Cost dosent have to be a physical drawback. While bending for hours can make the user exhausted, we saw in some episodes where you could even be imprisoned for using earthbending. And while Aangs use of Airbending gives him an edge over his opponents, it will also reveal him as the Avatar. These are clearly costs of the magic system.

Requirement- what you need to cast the magic. Whether it be chanting magic words, having a catalyst or staff, a magic stone of tome. In avatar, we clearly see that a requirement for something is motions. Toff couldn’t earthbend with her hands tied, but she can still use it with her feet. Iro was chained up but he still managed to use a hidden technique by drawing from his breath, and even firebending from his NOSE. nothing in avatar has ever been bent without motions. It is not a mental thing it is a physical thing. As well as with some elements, like water, the element needs to be present to manipulate.

Limit- what the stretch of the magic is, how far it can go, what it can do. Avatar sets the rules for what it can do early on. More skill with bending means you can do more things. We saw Toff manage to hone her earthbending so much that she was able to manipulate the sediments of elements left over in metals. Allowing her to bend metal. Zuko learned to channel and redirect lightning from Iro, and katara learned to turn her water into ice, and even learned to manipulate the water in other people’s blood. These are clearly limits to what the magic can do. And with aang, being able to bend the air does not mean he can fly, as that would require constant hand motions and probably begin to exhaust him. Instead he uses a glider, using the natural air currents to glide.

Rules- pretty self explanatory. What the magic cannot do, no matter what. Generally a summing up of the previous 3 rulings. These could even be literal or ethical rules for using the magic. In Harry Potter using curses is forbiddened. These could be actual rules for using it. But otherwise these are things the magic must follow, and can be a summing up of the last 3. So, now that we see this, what are your magics rules? What is the consequence for using it? consequences don’t have to be physical. They can also be emotional or social. Such as losing sanity when you use magic. Or magic can be incredibly tabooed and social reputation is ruined.

One book I read, magic made your hair change color. And people with colorful hair were shunned and even hunted and linched by extremists. Consequences are much more interesting then what the magic can actually do. That’s why we read novels, is to see how to over come trials. If you have more trials, more consequences for using a magic, it gives you leave to make it more powerful.

Remember, it’s what the magic can’t do that makes it interesting. If your character has the powers over everything there is literally no challenge he can face that he won’t win. Instead of giving your character a new power to get over some block in a story reason, give them a new way to use what they already have. - Like how katara learns to turn water into ice, Zuko learns to redirect lightning and Toff learns to metal bend. They are already using what they have at their disposal, but with more practice with the magic, they can get over something.

And if your magic system is based off of things like spells, where you literally do learn new powers, have the learning of spells be slow. Go through what the spell can’t do, write your character messing up with a spell!

Final tip: show, don’t tell. I cannot tell you how boring it is to read pages and pages of how a magic system works. Instead of telling me how something works, show it to me! You don’t have to explain it either, which makes it all the more fun to learn about later. If you need to clear something up about magic, have a mentor explain it to them, but don’t go over every single aspect, secret, or specific ruling of it.

Stretch out the rules throughout the book, so that the reader can learn what the magic can do. That way when the character(s) face something intense, the reader knows exactly what they can do to fight against it.

Anyway, these are just my personal opinions and advice on how to write magic systems. I hope this helped! If you have any questions, please message me!

*Edit* OH MY GOODNESS people actually re-blogged this post! I saw how horribly constructed it was (apparently editing a draft is hell) so I went on my computer to edit it and fix my countless spelling mistakes and set up. Thank you all for re-blogging! If you have any questions please ask me!

#writers #fantasy #writing #writing tips #author #author tips #magic #magic system #magic tips #magic system tips

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elenawickman-blog · 7 years

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Tips for fantasy writers: a guide to magic systems

Disclaimer: I did not write with this. I saw this post from @blacktiger994, and I was able to read through part of it before my sensory issues said, “NO this text is too much ahhhHHH STOP,” and I couldn’t get through the whole thing. I wanted to reblog it, because the information is great, but I really wanted to make it accessible for any of my disabled writer followers who, like me, can’t handle huge chunks of text like this all the time. @blacktiger994 still has 100% all the credit for the info. Please let me know if you’re not okay with this, and I’ll delete it! :) This is just an accessible, reformatted reblog.

“Being a fantasy writer myself, I know how hard we all try to make in depth world’s, interesting characters, environments, possibly creatures, and even plant life. But most of all, we try to make interesting magic systems.

All failed.

For some reason these so called fantasy writers give their characters a massive wealth of power, without even explaining it’s origins or even what the power comes from.

So, to put an end to my rambling, let’s go onto some tips.

The next average magic. Average magic is well, what you normally see in most fantasies. Magic that is somewhat explained, and generally, the cost of using the magic is simply growing tired. You can cast huge amounts of magic, but maybe they might feel woozy, or even pass out. I CANNOT BEGIN to explain how overused this consequence is. One spin that I’ve seen on it that was quite interesting was the exact OPPOSITE of this. Using magic made the user more awake. This can be very helpful, keeping the user more active and alert in the heat if a battle. HOWEVER it becomes maddening. As the more magic used, it keeps the user from falling asleep. Eventually the ability to stay awake makes the user so groggy and tired, and their ability to remain alert generally turns into a sensory overload. When they finally doze off they try to sleep for days. This was actually very interesting. The consequences give you extra bonuses but crushing, and debilitating consequences. The next, my favorite, is hard magic. Hard magic is clearly explained, and has definite laws and rules that are made known to the reader. Brandon sandersons books are a good example of this. Mistborn, clearly explains the rules, and what the magic can do, and what the magic CAN’T do. It’s turned into more of a science really. I really like this system as I know exactly what can happen, and what CAN’T happen. Don’t let my bias get in your head however. Soft and average magic systems can still be very affective. This is just my personal opinion. Tip 2: term definitions; cost, requirement, limit, and rules.

First off, let’s define these for the reason of this post. I’ll be using avatar the last Airbender magic systems for this. Cost- the consequence for using the magic. Cost dosent HAVE to be a physical drawback. While bending for hours can make the user exhausted, we saw in some episodes where you could even be imprisoned for using earthbending. And while Aangs use of Airbending gives him an edge over his opponents, it will also reveal him as the Avatar. These are clearly costs of the magic system.

Requirement- what you need to cast the magic. Weather it be chanting magic words, having a catalyst or staff, a magic stone of tome. In avatar, we clearly see that a requirement for something is motions. Toff couldn’t earthbend with her hands tied, but she can still use it with her feet. Iro was chained up but he still managed to use a hidden technique by drawing from his breath, and even firebending from his NOSE. nothing in avatar has ever been bent without motions. It is not a mental thing it is a physical thing. As well as with some elements, like water, the element needs to be present to manipulate.

Limit- what the stretch of the magic is, how far it can go, what it can do. Avatar sets the rules for what it can do early on. More skill with bending means you can do more things. We saw Toff manage to hone her earthbending so much that she was able to manipulate the sediments of elements left over in metals. Allowing her to bend metal. Zuko learned to channel and redirect lightning from Iro, and Katara learned to turn her water into ice, and even learned to manipulate the water in other people’s blood. These are clearly limits to what the magic can do. And with Aang, being able to bend the air does not mean he can fly, as that would require constant hand motions and probably begin to exhaust him. Instead he uses a glider, using the natural air currents to glide.

Rules- pretty self explanatory. What the magic cannot do, no matter what. Generally a summing up of the previous 3 rulings. These could even be litteral or ethical rules for using the magic. In Harry Potter using curses is forbidden. These could be actual rules for using it. But otherwise these are things the magic must follow, and can be a summing up of the last 3.

So, now that we see this, what are your magics rules? What is the consequence for using it? consequences don’t have to be physical. They can also be emotional or social. Such as losing sanity when you use magic. Or magic can be incredibly tabooed and social reputation is ruined. One book I read, magic made your hair change color. And people with colorful hair were shunned and even hunted and linched by extremists. Consequences are much more interesting then what the magic can actually do. That’s why we read novels, is to see how to over come trials. If you have more trials, more consequences for using a magic, it gives you leave to make it more powerful.

Remeber, it’s what the magic CAN’T do that makes it interesting.

If your character has the powers over everything there is literally no challenge he can face that he won’t win. Instead of giving your character a new power to get over some block in a story reason, give them a new way to use what they already have. Like how Katara learns to turn water into ice, Zuko learns to redirect lightning and Toff learns to metal bend. They are already using what they have at their disposal, but with more practice with the magic, they can get over something. And if your magic system is based off of things like spells, where you litteraly do learn new powers, have the learning of spells be slow. Go through what the spell can’t do, write your character messing up with a spell!

Final tip: show, don’t tell.

I cannot tell you how boring it is to read pages and pages of how a magic system works. Instead of telling me how something works, show it to me! You don’t have to explain it either, which makes it all the more fun to learn about later. If you need to clear something up about magic, have a mentor explain it to them, but don’t go over every single aspect, secret, or specific ruling of it. Stretch out the rules throughout the book, so that the reader can learn what the magic can do. That way when the character(s) face something intense, the reader knows exactly what they can do to fight agaisnt it.

Anyway, these are just my personal opinions and advice on how to write magic systems. I hope this helped! If you have any questions, please message me!”

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tohoberry · 7 years

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Foolish

(written on December 20, 2010)

They are finally coming back, it was about time they did. this year has been tiring. Taking diferent paths, they made their decision and we respect that, wait no we, not everyone will think the way I do.. I respect their decision, I have never had clear why they decided it, something about a beauty cream company, creativity, money and freedom. Still am not clear about it, it was their choice, that's their life. Am just a foolish person for supporting them no matter what.

You might think that this "obssession" (that's how even I call it) for a boy group it's childish and inmature. I don't disagree with that, it is childish and inmature. No. It was childish and inmature: because it became love. And being in love with 5 guys it's even worse than being childish and inmature. And you might say that's not love, you don't even know them. I do know them, because they are honest. As honest as they can be, but honest either way. When you worry about someone, when you care about that persons health, when you care about that persons opinion, when you see that person smile, and you also smile, when you feel helpless because you just want to see that person smiles but you can't even calm its pain, and you do everything in your might to relieve it, even if it's just a little bit. Don't you love that someone? I love the 5 of them, and it's not like a I want to marry with one of them and drool the rest of my life because of their handsome faces. I just want them to be happy becuase it makes me happy. Selfish, I know, I know. I decided this to be my first entry here, because reality affected me today, because this blog is going to be the place where I'll freely talk about them, and let everything out. They are split and that affected me. All this time I have been in my little bubble, chanting my self: "they are the same", "they have never changed" If you ask me why do I love TVXQ. I won't be able to answer that question with confidence, becuase I don't even know the true reason myself. If I loved them because they are really good looking, I would be in love wiht BSB or Take That, or N'sync or just any boy group that has a bunch of cute guys. The truth is that for people to be chosen to be in a musical group, they have to be appealing. So it's not that.. then it is because of their cuteness? I can have a great time with it, but not, that's not it. Because they are funny? nope. Because they are 5 and five has always been my favorite number since that was the first multiplication table I learnt? nope. It was because of their team work. I've always been alone in my entire life. I've always thought that if I want something to be good, I have to do it myself, asking for help is a waste of time and effort. And at that time I was so damn alone, deciding what to do with my life, just stay stucked or go and fight for a dream? does dreams come true? I believe now that they do. thanks to them, am happy or sad, or worried, or anything. Thanks to them I could actually live and realize that the only way you gain something is fighting for it, is taking a lot of pain, sweat and blood. And if I go for the music field... They are amazing. They have a least one song for each mood. For even when you don't want to listen to nothing at all. They have they really cheesy bubble gum pop songs, that you would only love in you teens, no doubt about it. It was a challenge for them to be considerate more than an "idol group" that an actual group of music. There are so many songs, that am sure I would be listening to when I'll be on my 30s. they have perfect harmonization. They can compose, and write, and play instruments, they are talented. They have what it takes to be in the music field. This is when I blame us. Because for them being an "idol group" a group of perfect five boys that are not more than human being that are not perfect, because we are obssessed with them, we care too much about them, we daydream the whole day with them, we buy anything that has their face on it, anything that come from their lips is an angel's comand and we go and do it, because we are so foolish in love with 5 people that have no idea of our existence as individuals... then comes marketing and publicity and reputation and money and contract deals and all that sh*t. So if there is anyone to turn the finger of blame, its on us, because we love them and people who loves gets hurts. This is how love is so painfully beautiful. Is not SM faults. because I don't know what was going trough those five minds when they sign that paper. I don't know what on earth does the paper says. I have not the correct aknowledge to determine if its fare or not. If SM has the fault in something its about them having the tools to make people famous, and make artists. I don't know anything about that world, so things has to be the way they are for some reason, it'll probably be money, may be not. Still is not SM's fault that this world is ruled for a tiny piece of paper. We could blame it of being greed. But wich business doesn't greed for money? Is not JYJ faults because wanting to be free and spread your wings and want to sing about anything you want, wanting to not be smiling the whole day and feign that everything is perfect when it isn't, it's human nature. They got tired, and I can't blame them for that, I have never been adored by millions of fans being photographed another billion, being told what to sing, what to wear, when appear, what to say, being asked about my life, and not having one at all. I've never been in their shoes, so who am I to judge them? Is not the new TVXQ faults (I got sick of call them HoMin when they call themselves TVXQ) it's about their time to finally shine, to finally perform, because that's actually all they know how to do, all they want to do. It kind of bothers me that they actually call themselves tvxq because its not the same without 5 members. But they have all the right of being called tvxq, they all won that spot in our hearts with effort, not just for the pretty name, but I can't help myself, it bothers me. This is one thign I could blame on SM, but again, was I there when they decided to came back? would you came back with that huge name, reputation you had all over the world with less than the half of people you use to work with? I understand why are they scared to hell. I would've rather to change my name, so I won't have to carry that amount of pressure. They have to work 10 times harder, they have to fill 3 empty spots, not dissapoint any one, and sing and dance 10 times better to fill the stage. Is not that they can't.. of course they can each of them can handle a world tour and rule it. But when you are used to be in a group, to be in charge of part of the job, to enjoy your work, to have someone that knows exactly what you are going trough because he is part of your team. It's hard to let that go, and go to face the world on your own. It's hard for everyone to go away from home and make your own. I'm not going to support any of them more than the other because I'm a self proclaimed cassiopeia, and when I decided that, I decided to be Jaejoong's, Yunho's, Yoochun's, Junsu's and Changmin's fan I knew the time would come when they would take seperate ways and each one do whatever they wanted to. Actually I just want to each of them do whatever they want, act, produce, write, compose, go into law school, protect animals, anything! is their life! I can't not even wait to listen to the leader sing a ballad by himself to remind me why is he a TVXQ member. I can't wait to see in the great men they are becoming, I can't wait to envy their wifes, and trying to find someone like them for me. They deserve to live as much as any human being in this world. So its no fair to blame any one. Because in the end, everyone is guilty. My selfish little wish is to be able to see them perform as 5 , live! with me being part of the red ocean. It was my wish before all this begun and it'll be until it'll become true. Is a dream that am not the only one who has to fight for. Actually makes me sad that it could never be reachable and not because of me... Either way, I still have to study, have a job, save money for the trip... So take all the time you need to be five again, I won't push you, I don't want to see you suffer trying to make something that is out of your hands. It depresses me that you are not free at all, that you have to carry such a big burden on you, that it's also my fault and there is nothing I can do to remend it. It's not fair, it's not fair that JYJ can't perform in their own country, it's unfair that Yunho and Changmin can't talk about the matter, and have to carry so much pressure, it's not fair that things turned out this way. I'll just stand by you, because am helpless and that brings me back to earth and reminds me whats truly important in life. No one can predict the future. All we can do is keep the faith that someday everything gets better, all we can do is learn from the past, remember it with a bitter smile, and never forget it. Your story has just begun, don't tear out the pages, nothing can be misspelled. Because it's yours.

Thank you, thank you for everything This shining feeling is a gift from you It's taught me that we can support each other, Gaze into each others eyes, And that I'm not alone Because I'm with you

I wrote this on centimeterisloved.blogspot.com. I deleted that blog today but I did not want this to go to waste because surprisingly I still agree with most of this.

#tvxq #dbsk #yunho #changmin #jaejoong #yoochun #junsu #mebackin2010 #7 years later I still love these guys

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marymosley · 5 years

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Column: No Law And No Court Can Compel Anyone To Sing Anything

I am very clear on one thing right from the time I was child: No one can compel anyone to sing anything which he/she does not want to sing. There is not even an iota of doubt in my mind that no law and no court can compel anyone to sing anything against his/her wishes. Our Constitution guarantees not just the right to freedom of speech and expression as envisaged in Article 19 but also guarantees to remain silent to what one does not wish to sing.

Having said this, let me refer here now to the judgment by the Madras High Court which had culminated from a goof-up by the Government of Tamil Nadu. A government job applicant – K Veeramani had in his entrance exam for the post of BT Assistant written to a question that Vande Mataram was written in Bengali. The examiner said that it was Sanskrit. The applicant challenged it as he missed by just one mark. The applicant contended that in all the books he had read, Bengali was mentioned as the language in which Vande Mataram was originally written.

Following this, the Judge had directed the Advocate General of Madras High Court – R Muthukumaraswamy to apprise the court of the correct answer in order to settle the dispute over the linguistic origin of the song. When the case up on July 13, the Advocate General informed the court that Vande Mataram was of Sanskrit origin but had originally been penned in Bengali by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. The Judge directed the Teachers Recruitment Board to award the mark to the petitioner.

Needless to say, the Hon’ble Madras High Court should have focused only on this. Instead what we saw is that it stipulated that the national song Vande Mataram should be compulsorily sung and played in all schools and educational establishments across the State at least once a week. Justice MV Muralidharan also ordered that Vande Mataram should be played in all Government offices and institutions, private companies, factories and industries at least once a month. Certainly I must say here that patriotism cannot be thrust upon anyone. Singing of national song or anything else must be purely voluntary.

Be it noted, Justice Muralidharan also made it clear that nobody should be forced to sing the national song provided there were valid reasons. This itself proves that it is just not correct to force anyone to sing Vande Mataram or anything else which he/she does not want to sing. Singing or not singing anything cannot be made a crime by any law.

But the moot question that arises here is: Who will determine these valid reasons and what standards will be applied haven’t been specified? All this will only serve to provide more leeway to authorities and moral brigade to harass a common person who is just concerned about how to earn his/her bread and butter! Moreover, every citizen have been guaranteed the fundamental choice by the founding fathers of our Constitution to sing what they want or not to sing at all! No law and no court can force any citizen to sing any song whether it is national song or anything else! Patriotism cannot be forced at gun point or lawpoint or any other point!

This latest order of Madras High Court is reminiscent of the Supreme Court direction in November 2016 on the compulsory singing of the national anthem in cinema houses. We all know how some fringe elements exploit such orders to further their own narrow vested political interests by forcing people from a particular religion or group to sing something which they feel their religion does not permit them to sing! This is why I very strongly feel that no one should be forced anyhow to sing anything against his/her wishes because this is no way to usher in nationalism.

Truth be told, there are many who don’t like to sing any song but they love our nation as much as we do. Why should they be made to sing any song against their wishes? Why should goons be given a pretext to attack those who refuse to sing song? How can this be legally justified?

Don’t we know that there were incidents of physical assaults on those who did not stand up when the national anthem was played in theatres and in some cases even the physically disabled people or those who can’t hear properly or see properly were beaten up! What sort of nationalism is this? Such sort of forced nationalism cannot be justified under any circumstances! All courts right from bottom to top must guard against giving such judgments which can be misconstrued by goons to further their own vested interests or the vested interests of their political masters!

Nationalism cannot be forcibly spoon-feeded. What is the guarantee that those who sing Vande Mataram or any other song would be good citizens or would not indulge in anti-national acts or corruption? Who invited Pakistani invader Gen Pervez Musharraf who masterminded Kargil war in which we lost more than 500 brave soldiers as per official figures? Who gave Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan unilaterally for more than 20 years which is even now continuing? Those politicians who love singing Vande Mataram and other songs!

Everyday our brave soldiers are dying because of the proxy war being waged by our rogue neighbour – Pakistan and yet our politicians who keep chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Vande Mataram etc etc” are not ready to declare Pakistan as a “rogue and terror” nation just like Kuwait did recently and severe all ties with Pakistan! No national party is willing to support the likes of independent MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar who has tried several times to bring in a private member Bill to declare Pakistan a terror state! Most shameful!

Even former Rajya Sabha MP Maulana Mehmood Madani who is also leader of Jamiat-e-Ulema had demanded sometime back that Pakistan be named “Aatankistaan” and India should severe all ties with Pakistan but our mainstream parties who enjoy singing national songs are just not prepared for it and feel very strongly that no matter how many soldiers are killed but relations with Pakistan must remain intact! Corruption is silently killing so many people more than that of terror killings and there are so many corrupt politicians who never tire of singing national songs yet shamelessly and wantonly indulge in corruption by nexus with corrupt contractors, engineers etc in making weak roads, weak bridges and weak buildings etc thus directly ensuring that many innocent people are killed in the most brazen manner! Thus there can be no two opinions about the irrefutable truth that moral character is the biggest asset and this should always be stressed upon right from childhood but nowadays it seems that more focus is attached on national songs etc which alone is just not enough!

It is most unfortunate that sparks flew in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on July 28 as the ruling BJP MLAs slammed Samajwadi Party’s Abu Asim Azmi who opposed a demand for making the singing of the song mandatory in the schools and colleges of the State. What is most disconcerting to note is that Maharashtra Public Works Minister and BJP leader Chandrakant Patil even went to the extent of saying that those who want to live in the country must say Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai! This is just not done!

India is a very liberal and democratic country where everyone is free even to worship any God of his/her choice or not worship any God and remain an atheist! How can anyone be forced to worship a particular God or Goddess? I myself consider Bharat as father and not as Mata so will those who disagree with me beat me up? Same is the case with singing of national song or anthem. If some person does not like singing anything, that does not imply that he/she is an anti-national or does not love his/her country!

I am reminded of 1994 when my faith in Lord Shiva was completely shattered and my best friend Sageer Khan took a vow from me that I would worship Lord Shiva till my last breath just like he himself worshipped Allah. He rightly said to me to always remember that anything can be changed but parents, religion which includes God whom we worship right from our childhood days and nationality can never be shunned or changed! I had to agree not at gunpoint but because of friendpoint which he pointed towards me and while visiting temple alone I used to utter “Matha to tekna hain tekna hain tekna hain Shraddha nahin hain bhakti nahin hain paar matha to tekna hain tekna hain tekna hain, naak to ragaadni hain Sageer Khan ne kahan hain Sageer Khan ne kahan hain”.

An old priest used to observe me daily and one day he said to me that, “You are doing a crime by worshipping Lord Shiva against your wishes and Lord Shiva will be more angry with you”. I said that I don’t care but I have to fulfill the vow which I gave to my best friend Sageer. He said that Lord Shiva will be most angry with your best friend Sageer Khan because no God wants that anyone should worship him/her against his/her own wishes and your best friend Sageer Khan has committed the biggest sin by forcing you to worship Lord Shiva whom you don’t want to even see! From then on I decided to always go to temple only with true dedication and not because of gunpoint or friendpoint – Sageer Khan! Also, Sageer himself never wanted that I should worship Lord Shiva in a disinterested manner or in a forcible manner.

Same is the case with singing of songs. No song whether it is national song or national anthem can be forced on anyone whether it is Waris Pathan or Abu Asim Azmi or anyone else! Singing of song or anthem has to be purely voluntary! There should be no coercion at all under any circumstances. Just because a person does not sing a song or anthem does not make him/her an anti-national and just because a person sings a song or anthem does not make him/her a true patriot! This is what we all especially those who are educated must understand and stop quarreling over such trivial issues like illiterate people! Also, Supreme Court itself had on a writ petition on this specific issue of singing of national song clearly stated that there is no mention in the Constitution of the national song that Vande Mataram is meant to be.

Let me now conclude by quoting what the former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian known for his impeccable credentials and genius whom all Central Governments keep consulting from time to time and even has headed many important Committees like the one on National Education Policy had to say in this regard: “I believe that most people in India are patriotic, while they may not be overly demonstrative about it all the time. Love for one’s country is something that comes naturally and can’t be forced. Nothing can be ensured by using force. The national anthem and Vande Mataram deserve to be respected but binding people by rules can’t ensure patriotism. In my view, it is not to be brought to the bazaar by saying that every shop and every courtroom will sing it every morning. While I respect the spirit of the Madras High Court ruling. I am critical of its application. By asking to play Vande Mataram in every classroom and every office, the court is certainly overdoing it. We should accept and accommodate different views. I think that a debate on patriotism or Vande Mataram, per se, is not required. There are insufficient debates on what’s affecting the country like poverty, preventive medication and education. Our government, Parliament, media and judiciary are not paying attention to these vital subjects.” Very rightly said! What more should I say on this? What the former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian has said must be adhered to by all of us!

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Full text of Pope Francis' in-flight press conference from Panama

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Full text of Pope Francis' in-flight press conference from Panama

Aboard the papal plane, Jan 28, 2019 / 07:52 am (CNA).- Please read below for CNA's full transcript of the Pope's July 28 in-flight press conference from Panama City to Rome:

Alessandro Gisotti, interim director of the Holy See Press Office: Good evening! Holy Father, we can still hear in our ears the cry of “La Juventud del Papa” [Ed. note: a chant in Spanish translated to “The Young People of the Pope”], the Youth of Jesus Christ, as Monsignor Ulloa said, this great joy, these intense days, which nevertheless gave you so much energy. And, I believe that we have all seen in your face so much joy, the joy of this meeting, as well as the joy of the youth.

I brought something that I think many of the journalists here know about. This will not be a document that enters the magisterium of the Pope, but it is a document that you care so much about. This here is a song written by a girl from Honduras, Marta Avila, whose image I gave you yesterday, and this song is practically a song against bullying, which was a bit like the meeting with Scholas Occurrentes. This is to say that there was also the element of pain of these young people, as well as that of joy that we have seen on many occasions. I just want to say one image that struck me a lot, Holy Father, when you passed with the popemobile and said goodbye, I saw so many young people, perhaps for a single moment, embraced each other after greeting you. This touched me, the sharing of joy: that is, young people who hugged each other after seeing you even just for a moment, and this is perhaps a lesson for us adults. When young people are happy, they share joy, they don't keep it to themselves. This is something I wanted to share with you and the journalists. Here, Holy Father, you also had – among the many surprises that you had in these days – a meeting with UNICEF in the nunciature, just in the last moments before your departure. I don't know if you want to say a few words before giving the floor to the journalists for questions and before greeting them. Pope Francis: Good evening, and then rest well because certainly everyone is tired after such an intense trip. Thank you for your work. Also for me, there were things I did not imagine, surprises, like this one that Gisotti said of the 16-year-old girl from Honduras, a victim of bullying, who sang with a beautiful voice and who wrote this song. Then the meeting before leaving the nunciature with people from the UNICEF of Central America, some testimonies of two young people and then those who work there. I heard things that touch the heart…It was an intense trip! You have the floor!

Gisotti: This is a trip that has many journeys within it, so please stay within the theme of this great voyage that has represented the world through the young people who were present. Obviously, the first word goes to the local press from Panama. Edwin Cabrera Uribe of Radio Panama will ask you two questions on behalf of the whole group of journalists from Panama. He will ask you one question, then after your answer another question. Thank you, Edwin.

Edwin Cabrera Uribe, Radio Panama: On behalf of the six Panamanian colleagues, the journey you gave to the Panamanian people is very big. You spoke to the volunteers about the fact that they have lived a mission. They know how the heart beats when you live a mission. What was your mission for the Central American WYD?

Pope Francis: My mission in a World Youth Day is the mission of Peter, which is to confirm in our faith. And this is not done with cold commands and orders but by letting oneself be touched by the heart and responding to what comes to you. I do not conceive, because I live it like this in me, I find it hard to think that someone can accomplish a mission only with the head. To fulfill a mission you have to feel it, and when you feel it, it strikes you. Life strikes you. Thoughts strike you.

At the airport, I was greeting the president and they brought me a child, a nice little boy… such a child… They told me that [when] this boy was crossing the Colombian border his mother died and he was left alone. He must be about 5 years old. He is from Africa but they don't know what country, because he doesn't speak English, Portuguese or French, but only his tribal language. They adopted him. He was a very lively child, he moved very well. It's the abuse of a boy abandoned by life because his mother died there, the policeman handed him over to the authorities to be taken care of. This is like a slap in the face and makes the mission take on color. The mission involves me. Maybe because I am… and it comes from inside me. I tell young people what they have to do in life they have to do by walking and using the three languages: head, heart and hands. Three harmonious languages, so that they do what they feel and what they think, think what they feel and what they do, feel what they think and what they do.

I don't know how to take stock of the mission. With all this I go to prayer and stay there before the Lord, sometimes I fall asleep, but I entrust him with the things I have lived in the mission and ask him to confirm in faith through me. This is how I conceive the pope's mission and how I live it.

There have been cases in which difficulties of the dogmatic type have been presented and I do not have to respond only with reason but in another way.

Cabrerà: Were the expectations of the WYD of Panama fulfilled?

Pope Francis: Evidently, the thermometer to understand it is tiredness. And, I am destroyed.

Cabrerà: There is a problem throughout Central America, Panama and much of Latin America: girls get pregnant early. Only in Panama have there been [unintelligible] Detractors of the Church say that it is the responsibility of the Church because it opposes sex education. The Catholic Church has many schools in Latin America and in universities. I would like to know the opinion of Pope Francis on sex education…

Pope Francis: I believe that in schools we must give sex education. Sex is a gift from God, it is not a monster, it is a gift from God to love. That some people use it to earn money or exploit is another problem. But we need to give an objective sexual education, that is without ideological colonization. If you start by giving sexual education full of ideological colonization you destroy the person. But sex as a gift from God must be taught. To educate is to educate, to make the best of people emerge and to accompany them along the way.

The problem is with those responsible for education, whether at the national, provincial or unit level (…), which teachers are chosen for this task and which textbooks, etc.. I have seen some books that are a little dirty. There are things that mature and things that do harm. I don't know if it's objective or not, that you don't have sex education in Panama. I say this without putting myself in the political problem of Panama. We need to have sex education for children. The ideal is to start from home, with the parents. It is not always possible because there are so many different situations in families, and because they do not know how to do it. And so the school makes up for this, because otherwise it will remain a void that will then be filled by any ideology.

Javier Martinez Brocal, Rome Reports: Holy Father, first of all I would like to congratulate you because you have set the record; in just four days you’ve become a Panamanian. It was just four days to fill your heart with Panama. And I would like to ask you a question in Italian.

These days, you have spoken with many young people. Surely, you have also spoken with young people who are fallen away from the Church or who have difficulties. In your opinion, where do young people find these difficulties, what are the reasons that drive them away from the Church? Thank you!

Pope Francis: There's a lot! Some are personal, but most general. I believe that first, it is the lack of Christian witnesses, priests, bishops. I'm not saying that of the popes because that's too much… but it is also! The lack of witness! If a pastor is an entrepreneur or an organizer of a pastoral program, or if a pastor is not close to the people, this pastor does not give witness of a true pastor. The pastor must be with the people, shepherd and flock we say. The shepherd must be ahead of the flock, to show the way in the midst of the herd, to smell the people, and to understand what they feel, what they need, how they feel, and to guard the flock from behind. But if a shepherd does not live with passion, people feel abandoned or in a certain sense feel despised [Ed. ignored], or when one feels orphaned and where orphanhood exists, I believe this…

I emphasized pastors, but also Christians, the hypocritical Catholics, right? Hypocritical Catholics, you know? They go to mass every Sunday but they don't pay a bonus and they pay you under the table, using people, then they go to the Caribbean on vacation all through the exploitation of people. "But I'm a Catholic, I go to mass every Sunday." If you do that, you give a counter-witness. This, in my opinion, alienates people from the Church the most. Even the laity, all of them. But I would say: don't say that you're a Catholic if you don't bear witness. Say 'I am from a Catholic upbringing, but I'm lukewarm, I'm worldly, forgive me, don't look at me as a model,' this must be said.

I'm afraid of Catholics like that, huh? That they believe themselves to be perfect! But history repeats itself. The same with Jesus and the doctors of the law, no? "I thank you Lord because I am not like this poor sinner…" This is the lack of a witness. There are others, like personal difficulties, but this is the most general.

Gisotti: Holy Father, now Caroline Pigozzi of Paris Match will ask you a question.

Pope Francis: First of all I want to thank you, I tracked down Father Benoist de Sinety, he concelebrated with me, good man, and with also 200 young people from Paris.

Caroline Pigozzi, Paris Match: There is another letter for you, Holiness, I will give it to you next week because he must write it.

Pope Francis: Very good.

Pigozzi: For four days, we have seen many young people praying with such intensity. Among them there is maybe a certain number that intend to embrace the religious life, you can think that a certain number have a vocation. But maybe someone is hesitating because he thinks that it will be a difficult path not being able to marry. Is it possible to think that in the Catholic Church, following the Eastern rite, you will permit married men to become priests?

Pope Francis: In the Eastern rite of the Catholic Church they may do it. The celibate option is given before diaconate [ordination].

Pigozzi: But now, with the Catholic Church of the Latin rite, do you think that you will reconsider the decision [of priestly celibacy]?

Pope Francis: For the Latin rite, I am reminded of a phrase of St. Paul VI: "I prefer to give my life before changing the law of celibacy." This came to me and I want to say it because it is a courageous phrase. In a moment more difficult than this — it was in the years 1968-1970. Personally, I think that celibacy is a gift to the Church. Secondly, I would say that I do not agree with permitting optional celibacy, no. There remains only some possibility for very far places. I think of the Pacific islands, when there is a pastoral necessity, the pastor should think of the faithful.

There is an interesting book by Fr. Lobinger [Ed. note: Fritz Lobinger, bishop emeritus of Aliwal, South Africa] [on this topic] — this is an issue of discussion between theologians, it is not yet my decision — my decision is: optional celibacy before the diaconate, no. It is my thought, personally, but I would not do it. And this remains clear. It is only my personal thought. Am I narrow-minded, maybe? I do not want to put myself before God with this decision.

Fr. Lobinger says that the Church makes the Eucharist and the Eucharist makes the Church. But where there is not the Eucharist, do you think Caroline, in the Pacific islands, maybe there… In many places, says Lobinger, who does the Eucharist? The directors, the organizers of those communities are deacons or sisters, or directly, the laity. And Lobinger says: you can ordain an older married man, it is his thesis, but only that exercise the munus santificandi, that is, that celebrate the Mass, that administer the sacrament of reconciliation and of unction.

Priestly ordination gives three munera [functions]: regendi [governing], that that commands; docendi [teaching], that that teaches, and santificandi [sanctifying]. This comes with ordination. But the bishop gives them [the viri probati] only the license of santificandi. The book [of Lobinger] is interesting. And maybe it could help to think about the problem. I believe that the problem should be open in this sense: where there is a pastoral problem due to the lack of priests. I do not say that it should be done, because I have not reflected, I have not prayed sufficiently on this. But the theology should be studied.

For example, Fr. Lobinger is an example, is a fidei donum of South Africa. [The potential candidate for priesthood] is already a mature man. I make this example to show the places where it should be done. I was speaking with an official of the Secretary of State, a bishop, that had worked in a communist country at the beginning of the revolution. When he had seen the crisis of the Revolution arrive it was the 1950s. The bishops secretly ordained peasants, of good religious faith. The crisis passed and 30 years later the thing was resolved. And he told me the emotion that he had when during a concelebration of the Mass he saw these farmers with their farmer hands put on their shirts to concelebrate with the bishops. This has been given in the history of the Church. It is something to study, think, rethink, and pray about.

Pigozzi: But there are also married Protestant clergy that have become Catholic?

Pope Francis: You ask me a question about that which Benedict did, that it is true, I had forgotten this. Benedict XVI made the "Anglicanorum coetibus" [Ed. creating personal ordinariates for the reception of former anglicans]. Anglican priests that have become Catholic and maintain the life an Eastern priest would. I remember in a Wednesday audience that I saw many men with a collar, but many women and children with them, in the hands of the priests, and they explained it to me… it's true, thank you for reminding me of this.

Gisotti: She will now ask you a question, Lena Klimkeit of the DPA.

Lena Klimkeit, DPA: Holy Father, during the Stations of the Cross on Friday a young man spoke very strong words about abortion. I want to repeat them for a moment. [Ed. note: The reporter repeats the comment in Spanish] ‘There is a tomb that cries out to heaven and denounces the terrible cruelty of humanity. It is the tomb that opens in the womb of the mothers from which innocent life is plucked. May God grant us to truly humanize ourselves, to defend life fervently, to make the laws that kill life not feel erased forever.’ This is a very radical position, in my opinion. I wonder and would like to ask you if this position also respects the suffering of women in this situation and if it corresponds to your message of mercy. Pope Francis: The message of mercy is for everyone. Also for the human person who is in gestation. It is for everyone. After this failure, there is mercy as well. But a difficult mercy because the problem is not in giving forgiveness. The problem is to accompany a woman who has become aware of [what it means to have had] an abortion. These are terrible tragedies. Once I heard a doctor talking about a theory that a cell of the newly conceived fetus goes to the marrow of the mother and there is also a physical memory. This is a theory, but to say, a woman when she thinks about what she did… but I tell you the truth, you have to be in the confessional and you have to give comfort there, you can't say anything. That is why I have opened up the power [for priests] to absolve abortion out of mercy, because many times, but always, they have to meet with their child. I advise many times when they call, they have this anguish: "Your child is in heaven, talk to him. Sing to him the lullaby that you have not sung… you have not been able to sing to him". And there is a way for the mother to reconcile with her child. With God there is already forgiveness, God always forgives. But mercy also, that you elaborate this. The tragedy of abortion, to understand it well, one must be in a confessional. Terrible.

Gisotti: Thanks, Holy Father. The next question is from Valentina Alazraki of Televisa. Valentina, come. Valentina is coming up. If I remember well, it’s her 150th Apostolic Trip. I believe.

Valentina Alazraki, Televisa: Pope Francis, you have said these days here in Panama that you were very close to Venezuela, that you felt very close to the Venezuelans and today you asked for a just, peaceful solution, in respect of the human rights of all. The Venezuelans want to know what this means. They await your word. They want to know if this solution passes through the recognition of Juan Guaido, who has been backed by many countries. Others are asking for elections in the short term, free elections so the people can vote. They feel that you are a Latin American Pope and they want to hear your support, your help, your counsel. Thanks.

Pope Francis: I support in this moment all of the Venezuelan people – it is a people that is suffering – including those who are one side and the other. All of the people are suffering. If I entered to say, “listen to these countries,” or “listen to these others who say this,” I would be putting myself in a role I don’t know. It would be a pastoral imprudence on my side, and it would do damage. The words. I thought about them and thought about them again. And I think with this I expressed my closeness, what I feel. I suffer for what is happening in Venezuela right now. And for this I desire that they come to an agreement. I don’t know, not even saying to come to an agreement is okay. A just and peaceful solution. What is it that scares me? The shedding of blood. And there I also ask greatness to help, to those who can help and resolve the problem. The problem of violence terrifies me. After all the effort made in Colombia, what happened in the cadets’ school the other day was terrifying. Blood is not the solution. That why I have to be… I don’t like the word “balanced.” I have to be a shepherd, to all. And if they need help, from a mutual agreement, may they ask for it. That’s it, to help. Thanks.

Gisotti: Thank you, Holy Father. It is the turn of Junno Arocho Estevez of Catholic News Service. Junno.

Junno Arocho Estevez, CNS: Good evening, Holiness. During her lunch with a group of young pilgrims, a young American girl told us that she had been asked about the pain and indignation of so many Catholics, particularly of the United States, for the crisis of abuse. Many American Catholics pray for the Church, but many feel betrayed and downcast after recent reports of abuse and cover-up by some bishops and have lost faith in them. Holiness, what are your expectations or hopes for the meeting in February so that the church can begin to rebuild trust between the faithful and their bishops?

Pope Francis: This is sneaky, he left WYD and he arrived here. My compliments. No, but thank you for the question.

The idea of this was born in the G9 [Ed. note: he means “C9”] because we saw that some bishops did not understand well or did not know what to do or did something good or wrong and we felt the responsibility to give a "catechesis," in quotation marks, on this problem to the episcopal conferences. That is why we called upon the presidents.

First, a catechesis: that we become aware of the tragedy, what is an abused boy, an abused girl. I regularly receive abused people [in audience]. I remember one… 40 years without being able to pray. It is terrible, the suffering is terrible. That first, [the bishops] become aware of this.

Second: that they know what must be done, the procedure, because sometimes the bishop does not know what to do. It is something that has grown very strong and has not arrived at all angles, so to speak. And then, let them make general programs, but they will come from all the episcopal conferences: what the bishop must do, what the archbishop who is the metropolitan must do, what the president of the episcopal conference must do. But it must be clear in that… that they are – let’s say it in terms [that are] a little juridical – that there are protocols that are clear. This is the main thing. But, before [talking of] what must be done, is that which I said before, raising awareness.

Then, there we will pray. There will be testimonies to help to become aware and then a penitential liturgy to ask forgiveness for the whole Church. But they are working well in preparation for this. I permit myself to say that I’ve perceived a bit of an inflated expectation. We need to deflate the expectations to these points that I’m saying. Because the problem of abuse will continue. It’s a human problem, but human everywhere. I read a statistic the other day, there are those statistics that say that 50 percent is reported, of this 50 percent, 20 percent is listened to… and it goes down, and it finished like this: five percent is condemned. Terrible. Terrible. It’s a human tragedy and we need to become aware. Also us, resolving the problem in the Church, but becoming aware will help to resolve it in society, in the families where shame covers everything, and the victim… in so many others… or in so many other societies. But first, we must become aware, have the protocols [in place] and move forward. This is the thing.

Gisotti: So, I’m not sure there is time for another question. Maybe another quick question would be possible… Yes. Manuela Tulli. Please, if you could be brief because they are about to serve dinner. Thank you, Manuela.

Manuela Tulli, ANSA: Good evening, Holy Father. During this WYD, you said that it’s absurd and irresponsible to consider migrants as bearers of social problems. In Italy the new immigration policies have led to the closing of the CARA facility at Castelnuovo di Porto, which you know well. That was an experiment where you could see seeds of integration, the children were attending school, and people are at risk of being evicted. You have chosen that precise facility to celebrate Holy Thursday Mass back in 2016. Therefore, I would like to ask you what your opinion about the closing of the CARA facility in Castelnuovo di Porto is.

Pope Francis: I did not understand the question. What was ultimately decided?

Tulli: to close the CARA facility of Castelnuovo di Porto, where you celebrated Holy Thursday Mass in 2016 and now there is the risk that the people involved in the experience will be sent away.

Pope Francis: I did hear rumors about what was happening in Italy, but I was immersed in the WYD preparations, so I am not well aware of the circumstances, but I can imagine what is going on, I can imagine. It is true that the issue regarding the arrival of migrants is a very complex situation, a problem that wants memory, to ask ourselves what would happen if my country was made of immigrants. We, the Argentinians, for instance, we are all migrants. The United States was all made of immigrants. It takes recalling and… Recently, one bishop, a cardinal actually, I can’t remember his name, but he has written a beautiful article about the ‘problem of our lack of memory,’ that was the article’s title.

Then, the words that I use to express myself… is to receive, to have a heart willing to receive, to welcome, to accompany, to help grow and integrate. And I also say: the ruler must use prudence because prudence is the ruler’s most proper virtue. I said that in my last flight. With these words, yes. It is a tough equation. It comes to my mind the example of Sweden, a country that back in the 1970’s has received many, many immigrants due to a situation of dictatorship in Latin American countries and managed to integrate all the people who migrated. It is what I see that the Sant’Egidio Community [in Rome] does: they integrate migrants very fast. But the Swedish have said a few years ago that they should take this process more slowly so they can finish it, and this is the prudence of the rulers. It is a problem of charity, of love, of solidarity, and I praise the nations that have been more generous to welcome migrants, but we have other countries that did not manage to do as much, nevertheless, we have the example of Italy and Greece, and Turkey on a lesser scale. Greece was extremely generous and so was Italy. When I went to Lampedusa, that was just the beginning…. But it is true that it's important to think realistically. Then there’s another important aspect, something we should all consider: one way of helping migrants is to offer help to the countries where they come from. Migrants often flee because of famine or because of wars. It's necessary to invest where there’s starvation. Europe is capable of doing it and it is a way of fostering growth. But, speaking again about the case of Africa, there is always that unconscious thought: Africa is to be exploited. This remains in our history and it causes a large damage. The migrants from the Middle East on the other hand, they have found another way out. In Lebanon, generosity is outstanding: there are over one million citizens from Syria living there. Jordan is the same thing, they are open, they do what they can, hoping to reintegrate everyone. And also, Turkey has received quite a few [migrants], right? And so did we in Italy. But it's a complex problem, that we must speak about without prejudice. Considering all these things that just came to my mind.

Gisotti: Thank you, Holy Father. So, have a good dinner and a good trip and within in a week we’ll see you again for another very important trip, so…

Pope Francis: I thank you so much for you work. I would just like to say a thing about Panama. I felt a new feeling. I know Latin America but not Panama. And this word came to me: Panama is a noble nation. I found nobility. This I wish to say, and I want to say another thing that I said when I came back from Colombia, speaking of the experience in Cartagena and the other cities, a thing that we don’t see in Europe, that is, the pride, in this case of the Panamanians. You lift up the children and they say to you, “this is my victory,” “this is my future,” “this is my pride.” This in the midst of the demographic winter we’re living in Europe. In Italy, below zero. It has to make us think. What is my pride? Tourism? The villa [home]? The dog? Or lifting up a child? Thanks! Pray for me, I need it.

CNA Daily News

#conference #Francis #from #full #inflight #Panama #Pope #press #text #Catholic News

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prorevenge · 6 years

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Revenge for the boss from hell. 30k+ payable to me, thanks.

very long story. TL;DR at the end.

I worked for this small business IT Consulting firm for seven years. Owned and operated by a person we will call Dick.

What I started to discover however is the turn over for the company is a couple of years and I began to realize why. The Boss (Dick), picks one worker and makes it his life’s work to make that person as miserable as possible. I’m guessing the reason, ego purposes?

He didn’t seem to know. He confided in me right there the level of hell he’s in and some of the things Dick has said or done. I couldn’t believe some of the details he shared on what Dick both said and did. I felt things were embellished because people just don’t do some of the things he said. I would realize much later he was telling the truth as crazy as it sounded.

A few months later he finally found another job and left. I talk to him couple times a year and he always said it was the best choice in his life he ever made.

Dick’s sights then narrowed on to me. I can take a lot. So for the next five years I took it. He would insult me pretty much every day, each day more and more colorful. I didn’t really care or take it home with me so it wasn’t a problem for me, for Dick I would learn it was.

What I learned is I was a fool to do that and money isn’t everything. Go where you’ll be the most happy. Best life advice I can give after this experience.

Because Dick wasn’t able to get a rise out of me the old fashioned way he decided to create fictional content for a new direction.

This went on a couple weeks, he had no opportunity and couldn’t complain. He realized he failed again. So then he came up with the next item.

The Bathroom. This I actually did a little research on and couldn’t find anything legally I could do. But anytime anyone would use the rest room he would blame me for the smell. Instead of hello when passing in the highway he would say “Did you use spray” or “Did you light a match” as hateful as he could, but that was his normal. It went much deeper than this, more then I care to share. But I honestly believe Dick has a fetish on this topic which is why I looked in to it legally. It was just always on his mind and a little too important to him, let’s just leave the rest unsaid.

I must have visually tipped him off I didn’t approve of this because he never got bored with it. However I did at least get him to stop asking about if I used spray. Anytime I used the bathroom, even to take a piss I’d use the entire can of air freshener. This wasn’t an easy task as I’d have to mask my face to empty that entire thing. Takes a while surprisingly to empty an entire can in a session. One thing is for certain when I was finished, someone used the “spray” and Dick was buying a new can. Took about five weeks but I think he figured it out spending so much on spray, he stuck to just asking about matches after that. He even provided them in the bathroom.

One day we were out with a client. The current topic at this moment was “what is your favorite meal? My answer was “hot wings, I could eat those every day!” Dick jumps in, his comment “Just think how bad the bathroom would smell”. Most at table wouldn’t get the context and direction of that comment, but I knew. He did this in front of a client, in public, while people are eating.

I almost walked out. Then I remembered he drove and it’s a long way back. Plus Dick is over 60, what kind of person knocks out a senior? I had to chant that in my mind to keep control. I never get pissed but after years this was the last straw! I seriously pleaded with myself all day not to do it because I’d go to jail and he would win.

He would argue, sometimes red in the face mad. Especially if others in the meeting liked my idea. He knew he was wrong but he would dismiss them and demand it be done his way.

I then started talking about him within ear shot on purpose. I’d say things like “Make sure you perform that Dicks way, takes longer but it’s better than him releasing the Kraken”. It would make everyone laugh, but it wasn’t a direct insult.

Trust me when I say this guy has a massive ego and I was counting on this for pissing him off. I laid it on thick, in time it took its toll. I knew it did because what came next.

Fast forward six months, yes I’m STILL working here. But were only receiving a couple calls a day which are fifteen minutes each. This was due to Dick’s bad business discussions.

That day Dick had a meeting with me and setup a payment plan to pay the money back. After three weeks it would be paid. So I said to Dick “understood, after three weeks I’ll be on the road again, cool” just making sure he understood because he wanted to play games and not pay the amount in full Dick is now going to pay me my salary for three weeks to do nothing until the reimbursement fee is paid.

Then on the third week, three days until the final payment, it happens. Dick enters my office, and gives me the filmier demeaning dog wave gesture to follow him without speaking. We sit down and he asks me what the problem is?

He asked for some examples. I said you know what I’m talking about and even if I did review them you’d play coy. He then played coy about being coy, I laughed.

He responded with I’m behind the times, my work has been poor and out of the kindness of his heart he gave me a raise after I demanded it. I responded with Ok.

Then he finally said what I wanted to hear “I want to call it quits”.

In route on the way home I called family members to tell them the good news. Everyone was so happy for me. It finally happened.

My plan wasn’t realized until my boss receive the letter in the mail about a week later stating he’s going to have shell out my Salary for the next six months or until I found a job.

For the reason I was terminated I said “Dick the owner made some poor business discussions that impacted the company losing business and clients. He let me go as a business discussion, in his shoes I’d of done the same and understand.”

I wrote it that way for a reason. But Dick didn’t realize why. I knew what his reaction would be. The state saw a down to earth guy that was honest and understanding on paper. Then they saw Dicks predicted response of being a dick, most likely yelling and of course lying. I had no doubt that would seal the deal simply on the evaluation on character before the facts even entered in to it.

The only thing left to do is pay me, every single week. And his money goes to the state first then the state sends it to me, so he can’t play games with my money or the state is coming after him.

Over the next six months I took that time to enjoy myself, pursue hobbies and lived life to the fullest on his dime as a reward for his comment. Once the letter came to renew unemployment, Dick would no longer have to pay or only a parentage I forget, the important thing to know is tax payers would have to pay after six months not Dick. So I declined the renewal. Three weeks later I had a new job.

It was either that or knock him out during that lunch, It wasn’t easy, took work but I’m proud of the way I handled it. I feel vindicated, it’s pretty rare the world is balanced, evil often wins. But not this time. This time it cost Dick, 32,500 dollars to be exact. All in all I can say 10/10 would do it again.

(source) (story by Divine_Squire)

#prorevenge #by Divine_Squire #pro revenge stories #revenge stories #pro #revenge #revenge story

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brixie19 · 8 years

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Rock the Boat, Baby

I’ve been fairly quiet on social media about the current political situation for the most part. I share articles that I find to be either informative or mind-numbingly insane, but other than that, I keep my mouth shut on Facebook. Twitter is a different story - my entire timeline is filled with political retweets and one-sided conversations with our new President. I keep that to Twitter for one big reason - I don’t have family members or many friends as followers. On Facebook, everyone I’ve ever gone to school with or spoken to more than twice can see my posts - and, although I pride myself on being respectful and open, the few opinions I’ve shared have still led to public fights with family members and acquaintances.

Everyone wants to believe- or at least hope- that, with time, the heightened emotions of the past few months will fade. That things will return to normal, or some semblance of the normal we once knew. I believed it myself for a while - on my darkest days after the election, I would think, “we’ll be fine. How bad can it really get? How much can things really change?” But now, more than 2 months later, I am still angry. I am still sad, disappointed, shocked, and terrified that this happened. That it’s still happening. And while I won’t bore you with the minute details of every offense Donald Trump has committed - the list would be far too long, as they seem to occur on an almost hourly basis at this point- I am remaining vigilant and am going into his term with my eyes wide open. While I don’t love making myself angry every day or wanting to pull my hair out every time I read the responses to his tweets, I feel that it is so imperative to remain informed and educated.

For that reason, among many other obvious ones, I attended the Women’s March in Downtown Los Angeles yesterday. If you know me, you’ll know that I do not like crowds, people, or walking - but this felt big and important and life changing, so I wanted to be there. I NEEDED to be there. The experience was unforgettable. A day and a half later, I can still feel the energy, the positivity, the unity. I don’t wax poetic very often, but what I witnessed yesterday - what I was a part of- was beautiful and powerful. It was inspiring and empowering and will stick with me for a long, long time.

But then when I turned to social media to share my joyous feelings, I instead- as with everything else that has happened over the past year- found so many distorted facts and outright falsehoods about what I and millions of others had just experienced. Stories of violence and desperation- I even saw a quote that called the Marches a “total collapse of the social order.” Something in me snapped. I can’t stand for this anymore. I won’t.

On the day of Trump’s inauguration, there were protests in the streets of Washington DC. Thousands of people peacefully protested what could very well be the worst president in our lifetimes. They protested his words, his lies, his plans. They chanted and made signs. They marched through the streets together, passionate and united.

And then one group of people fucked everything up.

A group of people who do NOT represent me or anyone I know decided to go full blown anarchist and create chaos. They broke windows, they threw bricks, they set a damn limo on fire. I think everyone, from all sides, can come together on this one and agree that these types of actions - protests, riots, whatever you want to label them as- are absolutely not ok and is the opposite of what liberals and anti-trump protesters are trying to convey. But even the Chief of Police admitted that it was one small, organized group who just wanted to come in and cause mayhem. And it worked. Because now, in the minds of Trump supporters, those people represent the thousands of people who peacefully protested. And even worse, the 2.9 million people who marched across the globe yesterday for the Women’s March are being lumped in with them, too.

I can’t speak for other marches around the world. But I can tell you what I experienced among the hundreds of thousands of strong women and their supporters: Thousands of people peacefully protested what could very well be the worst president in our lifetimes. They protested his words, his lies, his plans. They chanted and made signs. They marched through the streets together, passionate and united.

And no one fucked anything up.

And yet I see these tweets and these stories from “news” sites I’ve never heard of that people are desperately googling to fit the agenda Trump has created for them. Liberals are “soft,” we’re “elite snowflakes” who are “triggered” by Trump’s strength and vision. We’re angry and pathetic, making mountains out of molehills and being too politically correct.

Well fuck that. FUCK THAT. No one is going to tell me that wanting equal rights for everyone makes me weak. You’re not going to call me a baby killer because I want Planned Parenthood to continue to receive federal funding. Wanting to see our President’s tax returns doesn’t make me a crybaby. Supporting Black Lives Matter doesn’t mean I hate cops and therefore veterans and anyone performing a public service. I work hard. I pay my fucking taxes and I love my country. I am grateful for our service men and women. But we need to do better. And I’m going to keep shouting that from the rooftops for as long as Trump holds office.

I support Planned Parenthood, 100%. I think it is so important for women to have affordable health care, whether that means education, pap smears, screening for ovarian cancer, or STD testing. It is so much more than what these people are focusing on.

I had an abortion once. Talk about burying the lead, huh? I was 20 years old. The father was someone older than me who was in a long-term relationship. When I told him, he told me I couldn’t have the baby. While some of you may be grabbing your pearls in horror right now, let me assure you - I was agreeing with him before the words were even out of his mouth. I could barely pay my rent. I couldn’t (legally) drink yet. He wasn’t mine - he never was and he never would be. There was no future here. There were relationships to destroy, lives to stall, and an unwanted child who I couldn’t - and didn’t want to- provide for.

I called Planned Parenthood immediately. They asked a few questions and made me an appointment right away. Once I got there, I had to go through several therapy sessions and medical tests. They MAKE SURE you are ok with this. Almost ad nauseam. I honestly got to the point where I wanted to scream, “can you just DO IT already so I can go home?!” The doctor who performed it was kind and not at all judgmental. And I assure you that he also was not a mustache twirling villain who scratched a mark into the wall to count off the babies he had killed that day. This was not fun for anyone involved. But it was my right. It IS my right. I was not raped. I was not a teenager or a victim of incest. I did not have medical issues or any indication that the pregnancy would be high risk. I was just a 20 year old idiot who didn’t have the emotional or financial capabilities to have a child at that moment. And I own my mistake - I got pregnant, I own that. I do not advocate for abortion as a form of birth control. But here we are, 14 years later - and I’ve never gotten pregnant again. And had Planned Parenthood not been able to legally perform my procedure, I would have had a very different life. Can I say that it would have been a BAD life? No, of course not. But no matter what happened, I would have a 14 year old right now. And even now- even right now as I sit here typing this as a wizened, more mature 34 year old woman living in Los Angeles and happy in a relationship- I can say that I don’t regret it. I regret that the entire situation ever happened, of course. But I don’t regret my decision.

I don’t ever want a scared 20 year old to go through what I went through and not have a way out. Because what happens then? Nothing good, I assure you. Life is not an uplifting coming-of-age movie. Life is hard and ugly and unfair. So don’t tell me that I can’t voice my opinion when things that make our short time on the earth just a little easier are being threatened. I won’t listen to it anymore. We need to support each other, to help our fellow man. This is basic human decency.

I stand with my fellow women. I stand with the gay community. The black community, the muslim community- with the immigrants and the people just trying to get out of bed every day and make something of their lives. I stand with people who just want to marry the person they love, the men and women who want to use the public restroom that coincides with the gender they identify with, the couple who wants to order some goddamned cupcakes without being asked what their religious beliefs are. I stand with women who are scared, women who are strong; poor women and the Meryl Streeps of the world.

Women’s rights are human rights. If our country is as great as many of you want to keep screaming, then it should be great for each and every one of its citizens - not just the ones you pick and choose. I’m tired of being polite to hold on to relationships that weren’t very strong in the first place. You think liberals are too politically correct? Alright, let me fix that. Fuck you for not wanting to help people. For wanting to take away people’s health care, for denying scientific evidence of climate change. Fuck you for victim blaming and trying to pass laws that discriminate against the LGBTQ community. Fuck you for trying to use the government to try to tell me what I can and can’t do with my own body because a deity you’ve never seen tells you so in a book that was written a million years ago. Fuck you for electing this horrid excuse for a man into our country’s highest position. I pray it works out for us. For ALL of us. But until we know that it will, I will no longer be censoring myself. I will wear my anger and my anxiety for our future on my sleeve and on my Facebook page. You don’t like that? Too bad.

To quote the words of one of my heroes, the strong, beautiful Amy Poehler; when a male comedian told her to be more ladylike because he didn’t like the raunchy joke she was telling, she replied:

“I don’t fucking care if you like it.”

And neither do I.

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