#PDS Reforms

[thehansindiaseo]

Govt’s efforts in checking PDS rice smuggling fruitful: Minister Nadendla

Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar organised a review meeting with representatives of port workers, transporters, and exporters at Kakinada Collectorate on Tuesday. Kakinada City MLA Vanamadi Venkateswara Rao also participated.

[echoesofadream]

i feel like army as a fandom is going off the rails and i think bts needs to fucking disband or start making music people disagree with because this like endless influx of new fans and just making generally agreeable inoffensive Cough boring music is making for the worst fandom in the world

[orionis13]

Also workin on a dtiys for a twitter milestone im p excited i hope u guys like it :)

[kittyoverlord]

@unbidden-yidden out here speaking the truth.

I work in the "criminal justice" system - I do admin work for the public defenders office. We are the one's fighting against all the shitty institutional injustice our racist/classist/sexist/etc. system creates, and I still recognize that it's a better system than mob violence.

How many times have we seen the public decide someone is definitely evil and should die, only to later learn about some extenuating circumstances that make things more complicate? Also, I don't think anyone deserves to die (yes even those people).

Checks and balances means there's a chance for someone falsely accused to win in court, even if the system is stacked against them. With a mob mentality, there is no space for that. False convictions are going to be higher (I'm reminded of A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Vile Village).

If you want people to be held accountable in ways that are porportionate to their actions, get involved in local government, look into your judges and prosecutors and try to elect progressive ones.

Fun reminder to all leftists especially, but really literally every single person who advocates for mob violence or tries to excuse atrocities committed by mobs: if you wouldn't support the state taking the same actions as a legal punishment after due process, then you shouldn't support a mob enacting that same punishment without due process.

Either the death penalty is wrong or it isn't. Either rape is wrong or it isn't. Either torture is wrong or it isn't. Either terrorism is wrong or it isn't. Either cruel and unusual punishment is wrong or it isn't.

Your pet cause does not get an exemption.

[bitterartist]

“The people of Piltover and Zaun are celebrating the union of two of their biggest hero’s, both highly distinguished veterans of the Noxian War and saviors of Runeterra:

Caitlyn Kiramman, Head of the House Kiramman, Sherrif of Piltover and Violet Kiramman of Zaun, Chief Commander of the First Guard of Zaun.

They’ve found each other despite the cliff that divided the both cities at that time, and their love blossomed, despite the bloodshed and heartbreak they’ve been forced to endure during the Noxian War of 489 A.V. They devoted their lives after the war to the restauration and unification of the two cities who’s children they are, together reforming the Piltover PD, establishing schools and orphanages in Zaun and creating the First Guard of Zaun, the Undercities very first own Enforcer unit and the only unit exclusively consisting of Zaunites. It is thanks to them and their unwavering love for these cities as well as for each other, that Piltover and Zaun today stand together, strong and equal like our heroes stand on their wedding day. We offer them our warmest congratulations. May their days together last till the last flicker of recorded time, and may their union be the final piece in both of these hero’s shared life-work.” (Excerpt from the ‘Piltover Times’)

Enjoy my sketch that I spent way more time on than I originally planned, but I just couldn’t get the idea of Vi in a uniform out of my head. The family portraits we can see in Caitlyn’s house got me wondering if Cait and Vi ever got one done of themselves ( I think Vi wouldn’t want to, but would do it for Cait). Also, I have this head canon where the council establishes a new unit of Enforcers just for Zaun, consisting of Zaunites, and Vi becomes the units first commander – but it is more of an excuse for me to give her an uniform :D

[bratzkoo]

WGM: pre production | dk

Author: bratzkoo Pairing: seokmin x reader Genre: fluff Rating: PG-13 Word count: 1.1k~ Warnings/note: fluff, fake marriage, and real feelings. cursing, seokmin curses a lot in his head.

summary: WE GOT MARRIED is back. Seokmin and Y/N pairs up to shoot 10 episodes for a special. Turns out, there are more things happenings off-camera than what meets the eye.

taglist (hit me up if you wanna be added): -​

requests are close, but you can just say hi! | masterlist series masterlist | next episode

Was it the awkwardness of being in the camera or was it the look of the staff and crews expecting you to do couple things making it hard to start a conversation with someone you're supposed to be pretending you're married to?

To be honest, Seokmin was someone who will try and break the ice despite being shy himself. Except for this time he's speechless seeing Y/N Y/L/N up close.

Y/N Y/L/N is in front of me.

I'm going to pass out.

He tries to open his mouth to speak but he's afraid he'll embarrass himself so he closed it again.

Why am I acting all shy? Since when did fear of embarrassment stop me from meeting new people? GET IT TOGETHER. YOU'RE LEE SEOKMIN.

But she's Y/N Y/L/N.

"Hi." she squeaked and she looked like she regretted starting their conversation that way.

and she's adorable.

"Hi." seokmin manages to breathe out as he stops himself from squealing from seeing how adorably she sips her iced chai tea.

"What made you join the show?"

"I lost the rock, paper, scissors game."

Y/N laughs echoes in the whole room with Seokmin's frank answer.

"You're very honest."

"I try my best." and he winks. WINKS. how much more embarrassing can he be? y/n doesn't seem to mind though. "how about u, what made u join?"

"i was curious about the reformed we got married." seokmin nodded. Think, Seokmin. Continue the conversation! YOU BITCH!

"Reformed is a good word for it," he says, mentally congratulating himself for forming a coherent sentence. "The original was more... scripted? At least that's what Jeonghan-hyung told me."

Oh god, am I already bringing up my members? Could I BE more obvious that I'm nervous?

Y/N leans forward slightly, seeming genuinely interested. "That's what attracted me to this version. They said it would be more authentic. Less manufactured."

Her eyes. Her eyes are looking right at me. Don't panic. Don't you dare panic, Lee Seokmin.

"Authentic, huh?" he manages, taking a sip of his own drink to buy time. "So you're saying you genuinely want to be fake married to me?"

WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL, SEOKMIN? WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?

To his eternal relief, Y/N laughs again, a light blush coloring her cheeks. "I mean, if I had to pick someone to fake marry for television..."

Is she flirting? Is this flirting? I think this is flirting. What do I do with my face?

"The honor is all mine," he says with an exaggerated bow, his performer instincts finally kicking in. "I promise to be the best fake husband Korea has ever seen."

Behind the cameras, the PD nods approvingly. This is exactly the kind of chemistry they were hoping for.

"So," Y/N says, shifting slightly in her seat, "should we set some ground rules? Boundaries?"

Ground rules. Yes. Professional. Be professional, Seokmin. Stop staring at her hands.

"Absolutely. Communication is key in any relationship, fake or otherwise." He sounds like a relationship counselor now. Great. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well..." Y/N seems to consider her words carefully. "How comfortable are you with... physical affection? For the cameras, I mean."

Seokmin's brain short-circuits for approximately 2.7 seconds.

"I'm... flexible." TERRIBLE CHOICE OF WORDS. "I mean, comfortable. Within reason. Whatever you're comfortable with."

Stop saying comfortable, you absolute disaster.

"Maybe we start small?" she suggests mercifully. "Hand-holding, casual touches. Nothing that feels forced."

"Perfect," he says too quickly. "Natural progression. Like a real relationship."

Except it's not real, you idiot. Remember that part.

The PD interrupts, handing them both folders. "Here's the schedule for the first few episodes. Look these over and we'll discuss the concept for episode one."

As they both reach for the folders, their fingers brush briefly. Seokmin feels the contact like an electric shock.

She's just a person. A regular person who happens to be brilliant and beautiful and somehow agreed to do this ridiculous show with you.

"Baseball?" Y/N says, looking at the first page. "That's our first date?"

"Hoshi's idea," Seokmin admits. "He has connections with the team."

"I don't know much about baseball," she confesses.

An opportunity. Finally.

"I'd be happy to teach you," he offers, finding his footing at last. "I'm not an expert, but I know enough to get by."

Y/N smiles, and it reaches her eyes this time. "I'd like that."

The rest of the meeting passes in a blur of scheduling details and concept discussions. Seokmin catches himself staring at Y/N more than once, quickly looking away whenever she notices. At one point, she tucks her hair behind her ear, and he nearly knocks over his drink.

Get it together, man. It's going to be a long ten episodes if you keep this up.

When the meeting concludes, they walk together toward the elevator. The cameras have stopped rolling for now, giving them a brief moment of privacy.

"I'm glad it's you," Y/N says suddenly, her voice softer than before.

Seokmin's heart does a complicated gymnastic routine in his chest. "What do you mean?"

"For this show. I was worried they'd pair me with someone difficult or... you know, someone who'd make it all about themselves. You seem... kind."

The elevator arrives, saving him from having to respond immediately. They step inside, and he presses the button for the lobby.

"I'll try to live up to that," he says finally. "Being kind, I mean."

The doors are about to close when he remembers something. "Wait, can I get your number? For... coordination purposes."

Y/N's smile turns slightly mischievous. "Coordination purposes?"

"Professional ones," he clarifies, ears burning. "Entirely professional.”

"Of course." She takes his phone and enters her contact information. "For the sake of authenticity."

As she hands the phone back, their fingers brush again, and this time, Seokmin thinks it might not have been entirely accidental.

Later that night, alone in his room, he stares at her name in his contacts list for a full five minutes before typing out a message.

Seokmin: Just wanted to say I'm looking forward to our baseball "date." Promise not to judge your sports knowledge.

He presses send before he can overthink it, then throws the phone onto his bed as if it might explode. When it dings a minute later, he practically lunges for it.

Y/N: Looking forward to it too. Fair warning: I might pretend to know less than I do just to make you explain things. You have a nice voice.

Seokmin reads the message seventeen times before falling backwards onto his bed with a groan that's half anguish, half delight.

Ten episodes. How is he going to survive ten episodes of this? How is he going to feel when it's over?

[disillusioneddanny]

You Are in Love Jazz/Cass

Jasmine Fenton let out a sigh as she followed behind her boss as they made their way across the large ballroom. It was the annual Wayne Charity Gala for Criminal Justice Reform and as a public defender at Gotham County Courthouse, Jazz was unfortunately obligated to be there rubbing elbows with rich, pretentious assholes. It was for a wonderful cause, and all of the money went to local nonprofit organizations that helped give people the life-saving resources that would keep them from reoffending or resorting to working for the Goonion as Jazz had heard it called.

When she had first graduated from Harvard Law, she hadn’t known what exactly she wanted to do. What kind of law she wanted to practice, who she wanted to help. And then Danny had told her about how bad Gotham was. After he had started working with Constantine and the rest of the Justice League Dark on the more magical problems, he had started to tell Jazz about all of the horrors of Gotham from when the bats called him there for assistance.

It was then that Jazz finally realized what it was that she was wanting to do. She wanted to help reform the horrible justice system that was the Gotham City justice system and help with the major crime that was going on there. So she had put in an application to be a public defender in Gotham County to help the most disenfranchised people of Gotham and she found her way to New Jersey of all places.

Four years later and the public defender’s office had been completely redone under the watchful eye of Jasmine Fenton and she had managed to make it work like a well oiled machine. She had helped partner with a few nonprofits who helped them work on their basic needs while the PD’s office focused more on helping them keep from going to prison or worse–Arkham.

It wasn’t a perfect system but it was getting better. So here she was, prepared to schmooze with the best of them to get more funding for all of the different organizations that were helping them reduce Gotham recidivism. For the first time in her life, Jazz found herself thankful for the lessons that she had received from Vlad when it came to trying to get people to give her money. Not that she would ever admit that to her godfather.

She plastered her most pleasant smile on her face as she floated through the ballroom, trying to not be self conscious of the fact that she was in a long, green ball gown that had already caused a few people to make comments about the fact that combined with her red hair was reminiscent of Poison Ivy. It was a little embarrassing but her girlfriend had told her multiple times that she looked good in it and that had her feeling a bit better. If her girlfriend thought it looked good, then it had to be.

She would never lie to Jazz.

Jazz was slightly suspicious that her girlfriend didn’t even know how to lie.

Teal eyes roved through the city as she eyed the other gala guests, looking for her next target. She really needed to find someone to chat with or else she was going to start looking a bit too awkward.

Then, her eyes landed on the most beautiful woman in the room and Jazz felt her stomach flutter a bit in anticipation as she made her way to Jazz.

Jasmine Fenton was a ruthless, cutthroat defense attorney. She scared Harvey Dent. Yet her girlfriend seemed to make her weak at the knees every time she so much as looked Jazz’s way.

Cassandra Wayne was the only daughter of Brucie Wayne, the playboy billionaire and host of their lovely gala for the night. Jazz had met her for the first time just two years prior when she had been forced to attend her first gala. The woman had been following Brucie around like a shadow, a pleasant, if not forced smile plastered onto her face as she followed the man around the room, sneaking glasses of champagne from her overly intoxicated father’s hand whenever she thought he had been drinking too much, or glaring menacingly at women who tried to approach the older man in attempts to get him to bring them home.

Then her eyes had landed on Jazz and she had given her the most genuine, beautiful smile that the redhead had ever seen. Jazz had found herself compelled to go over and talk to both Brucie and his daughter and it was probably the best decision she had ever made in her life. Bruce had managed to convince Cass to drift off with Jazz while he got into a long conversation with one of the DA’s who was also at attendance at that gala.

Which was fine with Jazz. The two ladies had found themselves chatting the rest of the night, trading stories, people watching, commiserating over the fact that they were forced to even be at a gala in the first place. And then as the night had come to an end, Cassandra had slipped Jazz a napkin with a phone number and a smiley face before she gave Jazz another one of those breathtaking smiles that had her swooning where she stood.

And really, the rest was history. The women had found themselves talking more and more, seeking one another out whenever they had the chance. Jazz had gone to see Cass’s ballet shows and Cass started to make weekly trips to the courthouse to make sure that the red head was eating properly and taking care of herself.

Somehow they had found themselves here. In a happy, comfortable relationship, living together in a nice brownstone in Upper Gotham and attending fancy galas together. Cass still followed her father like a shadow and Jazz still had to unfortunately kiss ass to a bunch of rich billionaires but sometime during the night they would find one another and get just a little too wrapped up in one another to even notice anyone else.

“Fancy seeing you here, beautiful,” a soft, polite voice said, as strong, calloused hands twined with Jazz’s dainty soft ones. Jazz looked down at her gorgeous, amazing, beautiful girlfriend and felt her cheeks go red like it was that first night all over again.

“I know, it’s almost like your father is hosting the charity ball,” Jazz said with a soft snort. Cass gave her that soft, secretive smile that always seemed to draw the older woman in.

Her kohl lined eyes rolled once as she glanced over at where Bruce was laughing loudly, throwing his arm over Oliver Queen’s shoulder as he laughed raucously, causing others to look over at him in thinly veiled disdain.

“Yes, he does enjoy coming to these,” Cass said, her nose crinkled ever so slightly. Jazz just gave her girlfriend a small smile.

“He seems to be really hamming it up tonight,” Jazz said with a laugh as her girlfriend just let out a tired sigh and shook her head. That was one of the fun parts of getting to know Cass, Jazz started to learn a bit more about all of the family and their treasure trove of secrets. She learned that Bruce Wayne wasn’t nearly as ditzy and arrogant as he let people think and was much more level headed and open. She had gotten to know each of Cass’s siblings as well and learn a bit more of each of them.

And then she had gotten to learn the real secret about the Waynes after dating her girlfriend for a year. She had learned about their nightly activities and had been more than excited to learn as much as she could about them. Not only that but then she got to listen to them tell her fun stories about her baby brother. Apparently he worked rather closely with Cass’s younger brother, Tim and the two caused more chaos than Danny had ever let her know about.

It was fun, getting to know all of the secrets behind her girlfriend, to learn every facet of who she was and how she came to be. How there were days when words were just too much for the shorter women, when days were so hard and difficult that she couldn’t seem to get out of bed. Then there were the days when her laugh filled their apartment along with the pitter patter of her feet as she danced along the kitchen to music only she could hear.

And Jazz found herself able to talk to someone who understood what it was like to grow up with just plain insanity. She felt more comfortable telling Cass about her childhood, opening up about the fact that the reason she was interested in justice reform was because her own parents had been thrown in prison when she had been just twenty years old after what they had done to Danny. Not to mention the years of neglect that they had endured under her parents' care.

Cass never looked at her like she was insane when she mentioned times where she had to beat down turkeys with a baseball bat. They found solace in one another, a comfort that Jazz had never felt before in her life. She found acceptance in Cassandra Wayne and she was addicted to it. In love with the feeling of being in love.

Cass treated Jazz like she was fine china, a delicate thing that needed to be treasured and loved. And Jazz made sure that Cass felt the same way, that Cass knew that she was loved and valued. That the shorted, hardened woman knew that she was more than just a weapon for other’s to use. That she could be more than just Black Bat.

That she could be whatever she wanted to be. That she was Jazz’s tiny dancer that she adored endlessly.

“Would you like to dance?” Cass asked, the corners of her eyes crinkled slightly with her smile.

“You just like showing off,” Jazz said with a roll of her eyes before taking Cass’s hand, watching the way her yellow ball gown seemed to swish around her as she led the taller woman to the dance floor.

“I like showing you off, yes,” Cass said simply before she rested her hand on Jazz’s waist, the other holding Jazz’s hand carefully. “How is it?”

“It’s fine,” Jazz said with a huff as she looked around at the other party goers. “We’re raising a lot of money already and we haven’t even gotten to the silent auction yet. I just hate having to play nice with all of these people.”

“Better than me,” Cass said simply as she allowed Jazz to twirl her around a bit. Jazz gave her a small smile and shook her head in amusement.

“You just have to smile and you have everyone here vying for your attention. You’re the favorite out of Brucie’s kids, you know,” Jazz told her with a small grin.

“Whatever. Tim’s the favorite,” Cass pointed out. Jazz just shook her head and dipped Cass down before pulling her back and giving the woman a soft kiss.

“Whatever you say,” she murmured, lips a hair’s breadth from Cass’s. “If it’s any consolation, you’re my favorite.”

Cass let out a hum, her eyes fluttered closed for a moment as she relished in the attention from the red head. “Everyone is watching.”

“Let them,” Jazz said, running her nose along Cass’s jawline for a moment before they went back to spinning and swaying and sashaying through the dance floor. “Isn’t that what you always tell me? Let them watch?”

Cass hummed. “Makes you more interesting,” she murmured. “Sometimes you’re scary, dancing makes you more approachable. More open.”

Jazz scoffed. “I’m approachable.”

“Intimidating,” Cass told her, pinching her side lightly. “Powerful women scare people. You’re powerful. Scarry. Unapproachable.”

“It’s not my fault that people are cowards and are intimidated by me,” Jazz grumbled. Cass just smiled and shook her head.

“No, but dancing makes you seem more approachable. More,” Cass paused and thought for a moment. “More human,” she finally said.

“I’m human,” Jazz argued.

“No, liminal. Big difference,” she said with a laugh. “Sometimes you stand too still, your eyes glow too much. Too strong, a little too other,” she said, smiling up at Jazz.

Jazz rolled her eyes and just gave her girlfriend another kiss. “Well, I suppose we can prove to everyone that I’m a non intimidating, kind, fully human person.”

Cass let out an excited giggle and allowed Jazz to spin her across the ballroom. The attorney just grinned as they took over the dancefloor, her love for her girlfriend bloomed in her chest.

[opencommunion]

framing the fentanyl contact poisoning conspiracy theory as a “mental health crisis” for cops will (at best) only lead to more funding for PDs to send their hateful murderous supersoldiers to a therapist who will try to explain the science, which the cops will laugh off as liberal propaganda, and maybe prescribe them further therapy or medication, which will never make them less murderously racist. my regular old crazyperson paranoia can be alleviated by learning more about the things that trigger it — white supremacist paranoia does not work that way. no amount of psychotherapy can change the ideology that lets cops feel comfortable killing (or in the case of overdose “letting die”); if therapy had any impact it would just make them happier calmer killers. in prison abolition there’s a foundational principle that while short-term reform can be crucial to save lives, you should never propose a reform that would make the carceral system more efficient, secure, sustainable, functional, or in any way better at doing what it does (white supremacy). better mental healthcare for cops only helps the cops, not the people they terrorize — a more therapized cop is not a less racist cop

[kashmiresims]

Father’s Day 2025 - Darius Biacotti

Darius Biacotti has his work cut out for him. With two young sons, who seem to have boundless energy, he feels like he can’t keep up and he has the stamina of a trained SWAT team leader! But that training didn’t prepare him for the challenges of fatherhood. He takes an active role in rearing his boys, has methodically tried to potty train them both, and taught them to walk and talk to give his wife back her time as she pursues her career in science.

Darius has an old man, but lost out on a lot of time bonding with the man as he was incarcerated for most of Darius’s life. He has a lot of parental influence from his mother who, despite her struggles of losing a partner and raising four boys, was a loving and firm hand in his development. He believed her when she said his father was set up, and it spurred him to want to join the police force and try to find answers, if not at least reform it in some way so innocent people were not jailed for crimes they didn’t do. He spent many of his years as a bachelor so is an older-than-average father with children, and that fact could be why he feels so breathless after chasing Damian and Matteo around. He is no longer a spring chicken but he wouldn’t say he’s decrepit, after all he still works in the Scandalica City PD! Damian is a rambunctious little fellow that loves to parkour off the sofa and the front steps, and when he’s not running off his energy physically he’s shouting his favorite songs at the top of his lungs and dancing until one of his parents send him to the backyard where he can serenade all the building sin the hospital district. Darius likes to also take him out to toss a football when he has time.

Matteo is still a tyke, but a dignified one who can walk around and make it to the potty before he has an accident. He likes his block toys, and watches his bigger brother, trying to badly mimic Damian’s singing. Darius prefers to toss Matteo in the air when they play.

Darius would like to rest but knows he has a responsibility to raise his boys the best he is able.

[cynfuldelights]

Wardens: Cops By Another Name

So, in writing my Dresden fanfic I've once again stumbled upon another interesting quandary in the Dresdenverse and that's just how remarkably pro-cop the series is. Not in like, its representation of the Chicago PD which someone tried to point out to me was not "copaganda" because there were "good cops AND bad cops" Okay. Let's talk about Wardens then. So, Wardens unequivocally are the police of the wizard world at least for human mages. They answer to the authority of the White Council and the Head Warden, they're allowed to use lethal force in order to enforce those laws, and members are generally pulled from the populace policed (e.g. other wizards). With maybe the exception of Morgan, they're all generally portrayed the same was as the CPD are. They're also about as easy to corrupt and abuse their power as normal police, are given extrajudicial power to murder pretty much whoever they want if given a good enough "reason", and are able to carry out that act using a means of force unavailable to the rest of the population they police. Warden Donald Morgan IN THE FIRST BOOK, deliberately tries to misinterpret the Laws of Magic in order to kill Harry, who Morgan sees as a dangerous liability to leave lying around. So he just like. Tries to lie to Harry about how the Law works. Either that or he just doesn't understand the Laws of Magic. Kinda fucked up don't you think? Isn't it even more fucked up that if Harry didn't know about the Laws of Magic, Morgan could've just killed him right there in that Chicago park and the series would've just ended? Like. There's not really a criminal justice system it seems in the White Council aside from the Doom of Damacles, a laughably terrible system, that puts people who want to help reform people instead of kill them in harm's way. The only other trial we see is when a poor kid is laughably fucked up from using mind control magic and we just had to kill the fifteen-year old don't you see??

Like, sure, the Doom of Damacles is obviously a terrible shitty system that you could say is a reflection of how old and backwards the White Council is but so little of the Wardens or even the Laws of Magic are shown in the same light. Like, Morgan, is our "quintessential" bad cop, but like NOTHING BAD HAPPENS TO HIM FOR ABUSING HIS POWER! If anything in the end he's given a heroic death despite the fact that he was a terrible Warden who most definitely killed innocent people. He almost killed Harry!

Not only could he have killed him, he could've killed him easily. All Wardens, after all, are given anti-magic swords, purpose-built to negate the magic of 'renegade' mages and warlocks that they're trying to murder bring to justice. Nobody else is given these. Only Wardens, using a method that only ONE WARDEN knows how to use.

All based on, not the letter of the law, but on Morgan's interpretation of it. Just like cops do. They don't have to actually understand the law. Just try to stomp on anyone they perceive as dangerous. I wonder how it would've gone if Harry wasn't a tall White guy. You think Morgan a guy raised in a different CENTURY doesn't have weird internalized views about people different than him? Y'know. LIKE HARRY?

Plus, like... what would've even happened if he did!? Who would investigate Morgan? Other Wardens?! You think a community as insular as The White Council would actually bother with doing something when a Law of Magic hasn't been broken? Do you think they're going to believe a warlock or Lawbreaker over a wizard and Warden of the White Council? After all, breaking the Law(s of Magic) is one of the most fundamentally evil things you can do. So in order to fix that, we need to use summary execution via military police, no matter if they're a child or an adult.

After all: KILLING SOMEONE WITH AN ANTI-MAGIC SWORD DOESN'T COUNT AS KILLING SOMEONE WITH MAGIC. SO THAT MAKES IT OKAY, DOESN'T IT? (And as an aside, uh, what do you mean killing someone with an anti-magic sword, doesn't count as killing them with magic.

Like, I understand that a certain level of semantic bullshit can be argued with a lot of things in any Fantasy setting but like... What? You're telling me a sword forged with magical properties does not count as killing people with magic, even if its magical properties are used to kill them? Like. If I stab someone with a flaming sword and they burn to death, does that count?)

[m--rtyr]

Okay so i rewatched the first episode of rebirth and have... thoughts.

generally negative, but some positive.

I've already expressed my hatred of the first 50 seconds, but something else i'll mention about the opening is that it really... diminishes Zenix... and it is one of my least favourite things in the world.

The first three characters we ever see on screen in the OG are Zenix, Garroth and Vylad. And i think it's really interesting how these three are all characters who have both worked for and against Aphmau's favour throughout MCD. But the major point is that they're all important, though have varying degrees of on-screen relevance. And even when they're not physically present, they have a big significance to the plot.

them being the first characters we see is a big deal. They've been around since the beginning and were likely to remain important until the finale, if we ever got it. Them showing up FIRST, even before Aph (because we do see Vylad momentarily before Aph), is a huge deal. It sets them up really for their later significance.

But This is taken away from Zenix in Rebirth.

We see 4 characters before Aph in rebirth, but i like to work in 3s, so we will ignore Hyria for this point. i don't like her inclusion in this moment anyways so. boo.

We meet Vylad first, which I'm actually entirely okay with. It makes sense. Of all of them, he is probably the most significant for how MCD turns out as he was the one who led Aph to PD. But... then we get a little flash of... Zane... of all characters.

And not only does this little Zane moment spoil that he's evil, it is just fucking infuriating. Is he an incredibly important (and iconic) MCD villain? Yes... but i don't actually think he was significant to the level that Zenix was. And maybe that's controversial... but he only got Garroth's SECOND face reveal... Zenix gave us Garroth's first. And i just cannot fuck with a second-place bitch taking such a significant spot in the intro.

MCD is not about the Ro'Meaves. It's not even, as a whole, about the conflict of O'Khasis trying to take over Ru'Aun... It's always been about the Shadow Knights, and their little reign of terror, and trying to bring back Shad. O'Khasis was a significant plotpoint, sure, but MCD was never going to end with defeating O'Khasis... it was gonna end with defeating the SKs... 'The King' in earlier episodes is the prototype of Shad... we see SKs are villains constantly. Shad is introduced as the Big Bad before we even know O'Khasis exists...

So why is Zane there?

It gives a very O'Khasis Conflict-centric idea of MCD that isn't accurate at all. Even when Zane is a major issue, he is still contributing to the SK storyline... He is literally spending S1 trying to reform Shad's relic...

and i dont... i don't understand why Jesson did it other than fanservice...

it just pisses me off.

I can get more into this, and why i think Zenix deserves to get that recognition more than Zane (and i do understand the scene is Vylad trying to express why he's putting Aph in PD, but it's about what Jesson was trying to tell us too), but i am very angry and will just insult Zane the whole time.

So i'll simplify it to: Vylad/Zane/Garf intro is very O'Khasis-centric. Zenix/Garf/Vylad intro shows us some of the most major characters in MCD and foreshadows their later significance, as well as sets up that both O'Khasis and Shad are major threats.

[paperanddice]

Firebird

A red and purple bird with a long tail that flows like a wave of flame, firebirds are celestial beings that bring succour and warmth to those in need. They will find adventuring parties that compliment their goals, or ones who they believe can be reformed, and assist them in achieving works of great good. Those lost in the dark and cold are relieved to see a firebird, as its very presence provides the light and warmth needed for survival. A firebird's feather sheds light for a year after removal, and the birds will often gift them to those who have done good for it, acting as proof of their meeting. Specialized feathers can also be planted in secretive locations, which burst into new firebirds after a year, fully grown and ready to take up their duties in protecting the vulnerable.

Inspired by the Tome of Beasts 1. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Pathfinder 2e

Firebird Creature 4 Small, Celestial Perception +14; truesight Languages Common, Elven, Empyrean, Fey Skills Acrobatics +12, Arcana +11, Deception +13, Medicine +10, Nature +10, Religion +10 Str +1, Dex +4, Con +2, Int +3, Wis +2, Cha +5 Light of the World (aura, light) 5-20 feet. The firebird sheds bright light in the aura, and dim light for the same radius. As an action with the concentrate trait, it can change the size of this aura to any range between 5 and 20 feet. A feather plucked from the firebird sheds light as a torch for 1 hour. Warming Presence (aura, divine) 5 feet. The firebird and all creatures in the aura treat environmental cold effects as if they were one step less extreme (incredible cold becomes extreme, extreme cold becomes severe, and so on). AC 20; Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +12 HP 65; Immunities fire, frightened; Resistances electricity 5 Speed 20 feet, fly 100 feet Melee beak +12 (finesse), Damage 2d6+3 piercing Melee talon +12 (agile, finesse), Damage 2d4 +3 slashing Innate Divine Spells DC 21 ; 3rd heal, hypnotize; 2nd revealing light (×3); 1st charm (×3), cleanse cuisine (at will); cantrips (2nd) guidance, light Constant speak with animals, truesight Divine Rituals DC 21; geas Blinding Ray [2 actions] (divine, fire, light) The firebird throws a burning ray of light from its tail feathers that deals 5d6 fire damage in a 50-foot line (DC 18 basic Reflex save). A creature that fails the save is also blinded for 1 round, or blinded for 4 rounds on a critical failure. The firebird can't use Blinding Ray again for 1d4 rounds.

13th Age

Firebird 2nd level leader [beast] Initiative: +7 Beak and Talons +7 vs. AC – 6 damage. Natural 14+: The firebird gives one nearby ally a +1 bonus to its next attack roll before the end of the firebird’s next turn. C: Blinding Ray +7 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies in a rough line) – 3 fire damage. Natural 14+: The target is also dazed until the end of the firebird’s next turn. Natural 18+: The target is dazed and hampered until the end of the firebird’s next turn. Limited Use: 1/battle, recharges the first time the escalation die reaches 5+. Flight. Resist Fire 16+. Warming Presence: The firebird and all of its nearby allies have resist cold 14+. AC 17 PD 15 MD 14 HP 34

[goat-guy-tm]

The lore of Zane in my MCD Rewrite is something else for sure. For some small context the Twilight Realm exists within the multi-realms, thusly litches do as well. Shad, being one fun fact.

Garte in my rewrite is a horrible person. He takes on the old word of Esmund and continues the wanting to overthrow the rest of Ru'aun to expand O'Khasis. As part of this, after Garroth runs away Garte takes measures into his own hands to keep Zane from running off too, and basically sacrifices his body as a possesion vessel to a litch, not Shad, but to a different one.

Because of this Zane is pretty fucked up physically and mentally, having to share his body with quite literally a physical depiction of rot and decay. He has some nasty 'tattoos' all over his body from it, at first he thinks they're cool but after the litch basically gets purged from his body he starts to really hate them.

Zane isn't inherently evil in my rewrite, but out of fear and misplaced hate he follow his father's every word. He's made to hate Garroth for leaving them, that Garroth was selfish and stupid, so when he finds the new leader of Phoenix Drop to be his runaway brother, he decides no one would really miss the little village.

He does get reformed though, after him and Garroth get saved from the Irene dimension. He's like "yeah lock me up I fucking sucked so much" and Garroth is like "mmm well, if you wanted I think we might need more guards in PD" "...really?"

Brothers am I right?

[todaysdocument]

Reformed Viet Cong (Kit Carson Scouts) - February 16, 1970

Record Group 127: Records of the U.S. Marine CorpsSeries: Black and White Photographs of Marine Corps Activities in VietnamFile Unit: Divider/Subject - 298 - Reformed Viet Cong (Kit Carson Scouts)

2 1/4 Negative

AMD-421-1-70

lst MarDiv

Vietnam

16Feb70 Photog: Cpl Rappel

Major General E.B. Wheeler, Commanding General 1st Marine Division presents the Honor graduate of the Kit Carson

Scout School with a Navy Commendation Medal. at the Kit Carson School. 3 miles NW

of Da Nang.

DEFENSE DEPT. PHOTO (MARINE CORPS)

pd A372749

127 GVB-298

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Curtis Bunn at NBC News:

MINNEAPOLIS — Nine minutes and 29 seconds was enough time for 46 cars to pass 38th Street and Chicago Avenue.  In the same 9 minutes and 29 seconds, 18 customers went in and out of the convenience store on the corner. Six patrons bought beverages or snacks from the coffee shop across the street. Four people signed up for a guided tour of the neighborhood in front of the gas station. Four visiting Chicagoans took pictures of the flowers, stuffed animals, potted plants, posters and other ephemera that form a makeshift memorial.  For 9 minutes and 29 seconds on May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee and the weight of his body against George Floyd’s neck at this very intersection. As Floyd called for his mother in his final words, Chauvin killed him in the street as people watched. Two officers held the unarmed, handcuffed Black man down. A third monitored the crowd that was stunned by what it witnessed.  “That’s a long time to kill a man,” said Mattie Atta, who spent a few minutes surveying the area before she left, shaking her head.  In less than 10 minutes, Floyd’s young daughter was left fatherless. The deadly series of events began because her dad was suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill. He was 46 years old.  What followed five years ago was an uprising that resulted in burned buildings and cars, and looting throughout Minneapolis, but was largely peaceful in parts of the country. Floyd’s murder prompted outraged responses from politicians, businesses, schools and other institutions nationwide, with vows to deal with America’s deep-seated racial injustices. Companies pledged more than $66 billion for racial equity initiatives. Cries for police reform were thrust into the forefront.  

Now, five years later, many of those same lawmakers, companies and institutions have pulled back from those commitments.  Donald Trump’s return to the White House this year marked the end of many widespread initiatives announced in Floyd’s name, some of which were already winding down, forgotten or being purposefully abandoned.  Five years later in this previously nondescript area of Minneapolis, hardly anyone could agree on whether things have gotten better here. Or worse.  [...] But after those 9 minutes and 29 seconds, Minneapolis police officers’ strained relationship with Black citizens intensified. Protests led to casualties, weeks of rampant looting and a police station being set afire. More than 300 officers quit in the aftermath. 

5 years ago yesterday, 9 minutes and 29 seconds changed Minneapolis forever, as George Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis PD officer Derek Chauvin.

[plethoraworldatlas]

Basics of WoT: 4th Age

This is the starting information/overview of the state of the world in the grand scale for the Fourth Age project I worked on.

The setting takes place 25-35 years after the very end of the series (Most likely 1035 NE; A new Calendar has been proposed amongst all Dragon Peace nations, but only some have decided to start phasing it in, using two calendars until 1100 NE/65 PD "Post Dragon Reborn")

The Industrial Revolution has taken swing, the new Printing Press in particular igniting a thousand different fires of revolution and repression

Powers and abilities from Ages past creep back into the world, and new Powers never seen appear as well

The "Peace" of the Lands

The Dragon Peace unites all of the Westlands (also called Marhol) not occupied by the Seanchan, as well as the Aiel Three-fold Lands under a order of peace, with the Aiel taking the role of the primary Peacekeepers

The Griffin Truce, named for the Seanchan Raven and the Lion of Andor as the signing took place in Caemlyn, has formalized non-aggression between the Dragon Peace United nations and the Seanchan occupation and its Imperial Dominions

The Seanchan Empire under Empress Fortuona rules its Dominions, yet under the the Viewings of the Doomseer, they have yet to return in force to their fractured home Continent to reform the Empire as a whole

Republicanism has become a fire sweeping through a world of Monarchies, splitting the young Empire of the Sun and the founding member of the Republic's League, the Rivers Republic

The White Tower is rocked by scandal after the greatest journalistic reporting of the century reveals to the world a major secret of the Hall, as well as the different directions the Ajahs move

The Black Tower raises in prominence, yet the world still distrusts male channelers

The great Empire of Shara has collapsed to the joy of those they subjugated for centuries, only for the "Restoration Peacekeeping" to lead to strife as outsiders try to decide the fates of entire peoples

the Aiel balance their role as peacekeepers with the reckoning coming towards them; Fueds with the Seanchan, the uncertain future of the Three-fold Lands, New visions of possible futures guiding their choices as peacekeepers yet still each choice made to prevent one dark future seems to cause another. The Clans united under the Dragon Reborn, but what of the new holds in the Wetlands? What of the remnant Free Shaido? What of the Warrior society's without wars?

The Atha'an Meire have formed their Empire of All Seas in reaction to the new age of imperialism, Traveling and Gateways, and industrial trading

The Shadow's Corruption has diminished from the Blight, yet monsters and Trollocs and Darkfriends and Turned remain; With the Dark One sealed away, however, the now Free Trolloc are said to have turned from the chains their old master put on their minds, and collaboration between the White and Black Towers lead many to believe those forcibly Turned to the Shadow may yet be saved. Ancient hate does not die easily, and the Broderlanders and the world at large itch to take the new frontiers of the Wild North, to Crusade against what is seen as the last vestiges of the Dark

The Borderland Bloc has formed to unite the weary borderlanders among the Dragon Peace and rebuild greater and with more prominence; In 2 years, the First Premier Imperator's 12 year term shall end and a new ruler of the Bloc must be elected, with nearly every choice leading the Bloc into one grand conflict or another

Everloyal Darkfriends scheme still, and those forced to serve the Dark fight to survive a world where there is little mercy for those so much as touched once by the Shadow. Dreadlords attempt to carve out realms of their own

This and more is the state of the world.

Will the peace hard fought for stand strong, or is such a thing a fantasy during the rising Age of Empires and Industry? Will the world become one where all peoples and perhaps even all species exist together, or is domination inevitable? In a new age, called the Fourth Age by some, will the times to come be known as a Great Ending, or a Great Beginning?

Notes:

I ramped up on some of the poetical wordings for this. Also, my notes are harder to read than I remember. Marhol is directly from @highladyluck from Tumblr, I was working on this long enough to see them post their idea for the name of the Continent and I always liked it better than Westlands. Obviously, Rand wanted the Dragon Peace to bring, well, peace, but it's still basically just a Renaissance version of the EU; These are nations that have fought since their founding, facing a changing world, an empire occupying their Continent's western coast, and strung together under an agreement they were forced to sign with peacekeepers they don't understand as a culture who also aren't honestly the best option. The Aiel got flanderized in the last books by Sanderson, but there are serious issues with them being last minute made into basically the nationality of Peacekeepers. The Seafolk Empire is interesting in that it forms to protect their trading culture as well as the ports they were granted yet remains a brutal empire. The Borderland Bloc is similar, the borderlanders basically thanklessly fighting the Shadow for centuries while many thought the Trollocs they fought fairy-tales, being the most devastated nations after the Last Battle, unifying to rebuild each other and make sure the rest of the Dragon Peace remembers them; Still, every choice for the future leader is an iffy one. Don't worry, Malkier has been reformed, it has an interesting place in this mess. Everyone admits Shara was a mess, so I decided to try and fix it; Shara is the name of the Continent, but also the Empire that ruled it, and the other nations they oppressed and erased are "free" with its fall. This being the beginning of the age of imperialism, though, how "free" they are under "reconstruction" is soon to be decided. That's it for this one, go ahead and ask questions about the summary, keep in mind I will be doing posts for basically every nation and faction I have so asking things like "what's up in Andor?" will be answered later or have a special post to ask under. Please share if you like, this is basically my first big attempt at a project like this.