#Trial Balance Report

[nupurhfsoft]

Some exciting features of our software:

Balance Sheet

Profit & Loss Statement

Trial Balance Report

General Ledger

Sales And Accounts Receivables

Accounts Payable

Cash and bank Management

Mass Data Management Capability

Leading-Edge Security

Very Fast Data Connection

Offline And Online Version

And Others Facilities 

[morganbritton132]

Having an office job is like, 60% waiting for a report to load.

[wonder-worker]

Margaret of Anjou’s visit to Coventry [in 1456], which was part of her dower and that of her son, Edward of Lancaster, was much more elaborate. It essentially reasserted Lancastrian power. The presence of Henry and the infant Edward was recognised in the pageantry. The ceremonial route between the Bablake gate and the commercial centre was short, skirting the area controlled by the cathedral priory, but it made up for its brevity with no fewer than fourteen pageants. Since Coventry had an established cycle of mystery plays, there were presumably enough local resources and experience to mount an impressive display; but one John Wetherby was summoned from Leicester to compose verses and stage the scenes. As at Margaret’s coronation the iconography was elaborate, though it built upon earlier developments.

Starting at Bablake gate, next to the Trinity Guild church of St. Michael, Bablake, the party was welcomed with a Tree of Jesse, set up on the gate itself, with the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah explaining the symbolism. Outside St. Michael’s church the party was greeted by Edward the Confessor and St. John the Evangelist; and proceeding to Smithford Street, they found on the conduit the four Cardinal Virtues—Righteousness (Justice?), Prudence, Temperance, and Fortitude. In Cross Cheaping wine flowed freely, as in London, and angels stood on the cross, censing Margaret as she passed. Beyond the cross was pitched a series of pageants, each displaying one of the Nine Worthies, who offered to serve Margaret. Finally, the queen was shown a pageant of her patron saint, Margaret, slaying the dragon [which 'turned out to be strictly an intercessor on the queen's behalf', as Helen Maurer points out].

The meanings here are complex and have been variously interpreted. An initial reading of the programme found a message of messianic kingship: the Jesse tree equating royal genealogy with that of Christ had been used at the welcome for Henry VI on his return from Paris in 1432. A more recent, feminist view is that the symbolism is essentially Marian, and to be associated with Margaret both as queen and mother of the heir rather than Henry himself. The theme is shared sovereignty, with Margaret equal to her husband and son. Ideal kingship was symbolised by the presence of Edward the Confessor, but Margaret was the person to whom the speeches were specifically addressed and she, not Henry, was seen as the saviour of the house of Lancaster. This reading tips the balance too far the other way: the tableau of Edward the Confessor and St. John was a direct reference to the legend of the Ring and the Pilgrim, one of Henry III’s favourite stories, which was illustrated in Westminster Abbey, several of his houses, and in manuscript. It symbolised royal largesse, and its message at Coventry would certainly have encompassed the reigning king. Again, the presence of allegorical figures, first used for Henry, seems to acknowledge his presence. Yet, while the message of the Coventry pageants was directed at contemporary events it emphasised Margaret’s motherhood and duties as queen; and it was expressed as a traditional spiritual journey from the Old Testament, via the incarnation represented by the cross, to the final triumph over evil, with the help of the Virgin, allegory, and the Worthies. The only true thematic innovation was the commentary by the prophets.

[...] The messages of the pageants firmly reminded the royal women of their place as mothers and mediators, honoured but subordinate. Yet, if passive, these young women were not without significance. It is clear from the pageantry of 1392 and 1426 in London and 1456 in Coventry that when a crisis needed to be resolved, the queen (or regent’s wife) was accorded extra recognition. Her duty as mediator—or the good aspect of a misdirected man—suddenly became more than a pious wish. At Coventry, Margaret of Anjou was even presented as the rock upon which the monarchy rested. [However,] a crisis had to be sensed in order to provoke such emphasis [...]."

-Nicola Coldstream, "Roles of Women in Late Medieval Civic Pageantry," "Reassessing the Roles of Women as 'Makers' of Medieval Art and Culture"

[endivinity]

I've been diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive! It's clinically mild. It wasn't picked up in childhood because I was a gifted kid who wasn't disruptive or fidgety, or doing otherwise vastly inappropriately-timed behaviour outside of the usual for my age group, and then when it started presenting in later high school years I got the classic 'has potential, just needs to focus. Unfinished projects' in my reports, but because I wasn't fidgety or majorly disruptive it just got sort of sidelined. I fell between the cracks. But I think that's just the done thing, for people like me. Not severe enough to be noticeable, or the symptoms are managed (with a lot of hidden difficulty), or you're not enough of a compelling case (trying to get government assisted work placement failed, back when it was just the sleep disorder) - just mediocre, a mild inconvenience, your strengths prevented from being fully reached because they don't like all the issues of your deficits. which for me is in administrative stuff, as evidenced by never replying to emails :'D And then people sort of wonder why you're not doing everything they think you can. Believe me, we fucking know. We're frustrated too. There's a special kind of grief that comes with that, being left behind because you exist in a middle ground of expectation and disappointment, that I think I have to make peace with as I move forward with this. I'm 31. I've lost nine years to struggling between my degree and now. It wasn't all bad, but it's one of those things where I can't help but wonder how different it could've been if I'd known earlier. So what happens from here? I dunno. I'm being put on a trial run of meds and I have to properly handle my life balance since it's very easy to neglect your health when there are no outside pressures to do otherwise. more than anything I want to finish those five-year-old commissions that are still outstanding. Every time I open the files I get anxious and it really, really fucking sucks for everyone involved. From there, who knows?

[literaryvein-reblogs]

how to write characters with muteness/mutism? (i hope i'm using the right words)

Both words may be used :) Mutism seems to be the more frequently used term in research and clinical settings.

Character Development: Mutism

Mutism - an inability or unwillingness to speak, resulting in an absence or marked paucity of verbal output

It is a common clinical symptom seen in psychiatric as well as neurology outpatient department

It rarely presents as an isolated disability and often occurs in association with other disturbances in behavior, thought processes, affect, or level of consciousness

The condition may also be voluntary, as in monastic vows of silence or the decision to speak only to selected individuals

Mutism occurs in a number of conditions, both functional and organic, and a proper diagnosis is important for the management

To write your character with mutism, you may want to begin with their backstory. Below are some types of mutism you could consider.

Types of Mutism

Selective mutism - having the ability to speak but feeling unable to, often because of social anxiety and debilitating shyness

Organic mutism - caused by brain injury, such as with drug use or after a stroke

Cerebellar mutism - caused by the removal of a brain tumor from a part of the skull surrounding the cerebellum, which controls coordination and balance

Aphasia - occurs when people find it difficult to speak because of stroke, brain tumor, or head injury

Additional definition: Selective mutism is characterized by a consistent failure to speak in social situations in which there is an expectation to speak (e.g., school) even though the individual speaks in other situations. The failure to speak has significant consequences on achievement in academic or occupational settings or otherwise interferes with normal social communication.

After determining the possible type/s and/or causes of your character's mutism, below are some characteristics and behaviours. Choose which ones are appropriate for your character. Also determine the frequency and the degree in which these occur.

Some Characteristics of People with Mutism

Social anxiety or shyness outside of the home

Silence that interferes with work or school

Mutism that can't be explained by trouble with language skills

Having experienced trauma

Suddenly becoming silent after speaking regularly

For organic or cerebellar mutism, not being able to speak despite wanting to

For aphasia, mutism can come with difficulty reading, telling time, understanding numbers, and writing

Being silent in social situations outside of the home

Paralyzing anxiety

Using nonverbal communication when spoken to

Asking others to speak for them

Interruptions in daily well-being because of mutism

Is caused by intense anxiety or social phobia

The symptoms interfere with school or work

Difficulty connecting

For Selective Mutism:

Ability to speak at home with family or people they are comfortable with

Fear or anxiety around people they do not know well

Inability to speak in certain social situations

Shyness

This pattern must be seen for at least 1 month to be called selective mutism. (The first month of school does not count, because shyness is common during this period.)

Note: In selective mutism, the child can understand and speak, but is unable to speak in certain settings or environments. Children with mutism never speak. Selective mutism falls under the "Anxiety Disorders" category.

Sample Case Report from this article

A 35-year-old married male was brought by police personnel with chief complaints of not speaking for the last 3 months. The patient had been under trial for the last 6 months for the alleged charge of setting fire in a cowshed. He would not interact with any of the jail inmates. He would however ask for food by non-verbal communication/gestures and would perform all his daily chores normally as reported. He was asked to follow up with family members. History reviewed from wife and elder brother reveled history of 18 years history characterized by violent abusive behavior, wandering behavior, irritability, decreased sleep, restlessness, muttering to self, and at times reporting that other would harm him, associated with withdrawn behavior and socio-occupational dysfunction. On one occasion, he became mute also and did not talk for a period of around 4 months associated with sadness of mood and decreased interest in surroundings. 6 months back, he had symptoms of muttering to self, would often roam about naked and get irritable on minor issues. No other significant history was obtained. MSE revealed decreased PMA, rapport not established, eye to eye contact could not be maintained, he was mute and would communicate nonverbally appropriately. His affect was blank with no facial expressions. All his routine investigations were within normal limits. A diagnosis of schizophrenia was entertained, and he was started on risperidone 6 mg per day and lorazepam 4 mg per day. Gradually the patient started showing improvement in symptoms.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6

If this inspires your writing in any way, do tag me, or send me a link. I would love to read your work!

[babeyun]

dilemmas & desires ✩ k.sn [teaser]

✩ series m.list

✩ synopsis: kim sunoo was by far your biggest opponent - both in and out of the court room. he fought his way to the top, and you hated coming in second to his wins...much like you hated being second priority to his studies when you dated in law school.

✩ genre: rivals to lovers | second chance romance.

✩ pairing: attorney!ksn x fem!attorney!reader

✩ word count: 793 [full fic: tbd]

✩ rating: 18+. minors dni.

✩ warnings: dark themes. mentions of drug rings, murder (non-descriptive)/death, quite a bit of misogynist undertones in the world of law (none from sunoo). i think that's it for now?

tuesday, november 7th.

"bail is set at fifty thousand, cash or bond." judge kang minkyung bangs her gavel, making your shoulders jump as you process what she's said. fuck, you think. i'm screwed.

"i can't…i can't pay that." your client is near tears, and you can almost cringe in on yourself as you place your hands on her shoulders. "don't worry, mrs. jung. we'll get it all sorted out, alright?" you let her go as the officer guides her back out, running your hand through your hair frustratedly as you avoid the defense attorney's eyes.

"y/l/n, a word?" he clears his throat as the courtroom empties, and you merely glance over your shoulder at him. you snatch your briefcase off the table before making eye contact, grimacing at his gentle smile. "what, kim?" you're walking towards the door, before feeling his hand circle your arm with a loose grip.

"you don't always have to be so defensive, you know." he says pointedly, and you yank your arm out of his grasp. "unless you're going to offer my client a plea deal, i don't believe there is anything for us to discuss." your voice is laced with insecurity, and he can hear it. 

"your client laundered money for over twenty years, y/l/n. she has connections to several drug rings, and she refuses to talk. we both know she's going to try to lie on the stand, and then she will have a perjury charge on her back. a plea deal won't help her now, not when she's choosing to fall on the sword herself." he shakes his head, and you just roll your eyes. "then i'll see you when this goes to trial." "this little schtick, acting like you don't care? it might've worked for you in law school, and it might work with the other district attorneys, but i see right through you." he scoffs, before pushing past you out the double doors. pressing your lips into a firm line, you follow suit, keeping your eyes on the ground before you as you make your way to the front entrance. barreling down the steps, you can hear reporters shouting over him, question after question.

and you can't help but feel a little envy boil in your stomach. that should be you, the top attorney in your jurisdiction. you should be respected so widely, you should be badgered by shifty reporters wanting answers about your cases and clients. your photo should be plastered across billboards, newspapers, the sides of public transportation. 

instead, you're haunted by him. you're cursed, coming second to him in every which way – salutatorian in high school, magna cum laude in university. losing more than a third of your cases to him, the unbreakable bond he holds with the population of seoul is unbelievable. any time you're in a courtroom with him, you're always bound to lose. you'd never won a case against him in the three years you've both fought for the heart of the jury – and you hated how easily he'd won you over, too.

your relationship with sunoo in law school was something far beyond your wildest dreams. it was a perfect balance of work and romance – hours of practice case briefings, editing each other's essays and bitching about the long hours of your internships. all while sneaking gentle kisses, holding hands in the library under the table, laying in his bed snuggled into each other so tightly you could feel his heart beating softly under your hands. this all seemed so docile, so domestic – just two aspiring attorneys working through the turmoil of legal research and peer reviews by dancing around your romantic feelings for each other.

the difference between you and sunoo? you let your feelings take precedence. you noticed a drop in your grades, a lull in your determination to the best. you let your guard down as he carefully wrapped you around his finger, with promises that would go unfulfilled and sweet nothings whispered in your ear as he'd look over your case analysis papers. he took this as the perfect moment to strike, to knock you off your game, to take the spot you so deserved for himself.

it was selfish. and you told him so, only to be told that you would always come second to the sole love of his life – justice. "you were never a priority, y/n. don't expect that to change."

"stupid." you mutter to yourself as you hail a cab, feeling eyes on you as one finally pulls to the curb for you. looking up, you catch sunoo's line of vision, his lips pursed as he gives you a curt bow. you scowl, before slipping into the impatient driver's backseat. "where to, miss?"

BABEYUN © 2024. no translations, reposting or modifications are allowed. do not claim as your own. viewer discretion is advised. your media consumption is your responsibility.

taglist [those in red could not be tagged!]: @thesassy-mia @starfallia @ramenoil @hoonieversies @wintabite @shnnzsworld @eneiyri @jjongsha @ilovejungwonandhaechan @oopshee @capri-cuntz @petalsofink @teddybeartaetae @chocminteu @moon0fthenight @delvziion @heeseungthel0ml @marimariiiiiiii @thenastone

✩ a/n: since i didn't manage to finish the fic in time for his birthday, i figured i'd throw in a teaser for the modus operandi series. i hope you guys enjoy this one! happy birthday kim sunoo, you absolute angel.

[within-your-eyes-if]

Codex Update & Some Rewrites

Hello everyone!

I decided to do this now because reworking the vices may take me a little bit.

Many fixes have been added as well, thank you once again for the reports!

Codex Update: This update didn't add a ton of Codex entries, but I did add a few and reworked many... I think almost all previously available entries received revisions in some shape or form. I held onto this because I was having some trouble grappling with some feelings.

For context, I've been working on this world for last 10 years (yes, I'm old). It has shaped and formed and reformed in various ways, and saw more reformation when I decided to make this a Twine story. Sometimes I question myself on certain things, and stepping back and giving it time helps me see things with a fresh perspective — I've made some changes that I feel work best with what the story has become, but nothing too audacious. I'm sorry for the delay and I greatly appreciate your patience.

Chapter One Rewrites (again): More portions of Chapter One also got some heavy rewrites. It's sort of silly, but the more I grow as a writer the more I physically couldn't read what I wrote — it made me uncomfortable (I was seriously adverting my eyes T.T). So I finally just 'erased' the parts that I was dissatisfied most with and rewrote them. They are not so different in regards to the narrative, but now have better flow and clarity.

However, the first POV for Gabriel does have more information on Auris's past and choosing the initial combat skill now gives a tactical overview so you're not missing out on information (if you liked the old version more, I could add a 5th choice for this but I'd like to see how receptive this is first).

I hope these revisions only enhance the story in a way that's still easy to digest while giving better information.

Progress for Part Two: I have finished the trial scenes and the scenes leading to it. Going by my detailed timeline, I'd say in terms of events, it's almost halfway there — but in terms progression, I'd say I'm about 25% there. I'm excited though, and I can't wait to share!

I was going to do this on the 1st of February, but I feel it's ready. More areas will receive some rewrites, but I'm trying to balance my time and creative flow accordingly.

Thank you everyone for your love and support!

[ukrfeminism]

Experts and lawyers involved in sexual offence cases in Britain have warned that suspected rapists are evading justice by claiming to have a rare sleepwalking disorder that causes them to engage in sexual activity while asleep.

They said there had “definitely” been cases where guilty people had been found not guilty, and warned of the potential for further miscarriages of justice – and harm to the public – without more robust challenges to “sexsomnia” claims put forward by defendants.

The warnings come after an investigation by the Observer uncovered a rise in the use of “sexsomnia” as part of defence cases in criminal trials. It found 80 cases over the past 30 years where defendants accused of rape, sexual assault or child sexual abuse claimed to have been sleepwalking or suffering from sexsomnia at the time.

But while there were only occasional cases in the 1990s and early 2000s, the analysis reveals at least 51 in the past decade and eight in the past year alone. The figures are likely to represent only part of the true total, with many not publicly reported. In about 60% of cases where sexsomnia was part of the defence, a not-guilty verdict was returned, the Observer’s analysis suggests. Overall, the average jury conviction rate for rape was 58% in England and Wales.

Charges against suspects have also been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service before they even reached court after defence lawyers raised sexsomnia behind the scenes. One law firm advertised how it “kept pressure” on the CPS after it decided to continue with the prosecution of a wealthy client charged with sexual assault. The charges were dropped before the case went to trial.

Dr Neil Stanley, an independent sleep expert who has provided expert evidence in trials where sexsomnia was raised as an issue, said that while some claims of the condition were undoubtedly genuine, others were not.

“It is being used cynically,” he said. “There are cases that are in the public domain where it is clear that they’re just chancing their arm. Because, of course, if it is sexsomnia, you’re found not guilty. Judges haven’t a clue. Juries haven’t a clue. So it’s worth a try.”

Stanley said attempted use of sexsomnia by defendants had “massively skyrocketed” in recent years and that such claims were very difficult to definitively disprove – meaning often “just saying, ‘I don’t remember. It could be sexsomnia,’ is enough”.

He said the current system was failing victims – and true sufferers of the condition – and called for reforms including more robust challenging of sexsomnia claims and a less adversarial approach to questioning expert witnesses, so they could provide more nuanced responses in the courtroom.

“The law seems not willing to admit that there’s a strong likelihood of miscarriages of justice. And given the severity of the offence, we should be very certain of having checks and balances in place so we take as many precautions as possible to stop miscarriages of justice,” he said. “In terms of sexsomnia, that is not happening.”

He added: “I know in my heart of hearts that there are cases where guilty men have got away with it. And that cannot be a legitimate consequence of the system. The system has to change.”

Sexsomnia is recognised in the DSM-5 diagnostic manual of psychiatric conditions and is a type of para­somnia, a disorder involving abnormal sleep behaviour. Sufferers engage in sex acts while in non-REM sleep. They might have their eyes open but will have no awareness or memory of their behaviour.

If a jury decides that an accused person was in such a state – known as “automatism” – when they committed an alleged offence, they will be found not guilty. But while lab tests and partner histories can be used to try to establish whether a sexsomnia claim is genuine, sleep experts and lawyers say the system is open to abuse because uncertainty in the science means it is impossible to say for sure whether someone was or was not suffering from sexsomnia.

Many of those successfully pleading sexsomnia in court had no known history of sleepwalking and no formal diagnosis. Other cases involved defendants performing a complicated series of actions in unfamiliar settings, which experts said were less typical of genuine sexsomnia.

In about a third of the cases, the defendant was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and some were very intoxicated, but sexsomnia was cited as the primary factor behind their behaviour.

Sometimes, just a mention of the condition in court appears to sow a seed of doubt that can contribute to a not-guilty verdict. In one rape case, two expert witnesses said evidence for the defendant having sexsomnia was “weak” but that they could not categorically rule it out. The jury subsequently acquitted the man.

In at least one case, a man who avoided a rape prosecution after claiming to have sexsomnia went on to attack again. Joseph Short evaded charges in 2011 after saying he had no memory of an alleged rape. He was later jailed for 15 years for another violent attack. And a man convicted of strangling and beating his partner was acquitted of raping her and another woman after claiming to have been suffering from the condition.

Allison Summers KC, a barrister and head of Drystone Chambers, who has represented three clients who used sexsomnia as a defence, all of whom were acquitted, said the increase in defences using the condition could be in part because it had historically been “underdiagnosed generally” and that there were some “very genuine” cases.

But she said the presence of alcohol complicated things – “are they using the sleep defence to cover up what has happened?” – and that there was an issue of defendants “trying it on”.

“I think there are probably [defence lawyers] running these cases on fairly spurious evidence,” she added. “Juries are strange creatures and I suspect sometimes they give the benefit of the doubt when they shouldn’t.”

Summers said it was for defence counsels to investigate such claims and for prosecutors to robustly challenge them, but that this did not always happen: barristers instructed “rubbish” experts or failed to get relevant histories, or prosecutors did not properly interrogate claims in court. “It comes back to laziness and a lack of understanding,” she said.

Sexsomnia has also been used by defence teams in an attempt to discredit victims. Jade McCrossen-Nethercott, 31, from Croydon, is taking legal action against the CPS after it dropped her rape case days before it was due to go to trial after expert witnesses said she had sexsomnia.

McCrossen-Nethercott said the conclusion was made by an expert instructed by the defence who had never met her, and was based on her answers to a 15-question survey. “It was plucked out of thin air,” she said.

The CPS has since “apologised unreservedly” for its decision to drop the case and said “the expert evidence and defendant’s account should have been challenged and put before a jury to decide”.

McCrossen-Nethercott is now calling for “robust, rigorous and consistent” assessment of sexsomnia claims “across the board”, including a “thorough assessment, bed partner histories, extensive polysomnographies”.

“It has to be taken seriously to protect victims from being told they have it without significant evidence; to prevent perpetrators claiming they do when they don’t, but also for genuine sufferers, to prevent them being wrongly convicted,” she said.

Dame Vera Baird KC, the former victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, called for safeguards to be put in place to protect victims and the public. She said sexsomnia was being seen as an “escape route” by some defendants and that in cases where it arose, prosecutors needed to be consistent in applying for sexual risk orders, which can be made regardless of whether someone is convicted if they are deemed to pose a danger.

Such an order could require a person to warn future partners, or others sleeping under the same roof, about their condition, or face prison.

Baird, a barrister who was previously solicitor general and a Labour MP, said increasing the use of such orders might also deter people from using sexsomnia as a “get-out-of-jail card”. “A person who says, ‘Oh dear, I raped somebody without knowing it,’ is a danger to the public and cannot be left simply acquitted,” she said.

A CPS spokesperson said prosecutors always “robustly challenge legal defences when contrasting evidence is available” and that sexsomnia was no exception. It said any decision to drop a case in response to a claim of sexsomnia “must now be approved at the most senior level” and that victims always had the right to seek a review. However, it said it did not record data on how many cases had been dropped due to sexsomnia claims by the defendant.

The Ministry of Justice said the government had taken “decisive action” to ensure rape victims got justice and that “the validity and credibility of a defence” was for the courts to decide.

Claire (not her real name), a complainant in a recent case where the defendant was acquitted on multiple counts of sexual assault after claiming to have sexsomnia, said the verdict had a “devastating” effect. She said the man did not deny the acts took place but said he must have done them while asleep, and that he had never sleepwalked before, had no formal diagnosis, and had had “no tests done”.

The woman, a mother from Lancashire, said the process had left her “baffled”: “It’s like they’ve said, ‘Well yeah, he might’ve sexually abused you numerous times but he did it in his sleep, so it’s OK. So you’re just going to have to get on with your life and deal with it and he’s got away with it.’ It’s like they just took his word for it. There is nothing to stop him from doing it again and just saying, ‘I was asleep’.”

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for blackmailing someone and then snitching to the feds anyway? Okay, so I work for a contract medical research lab generating quantitative image data, working closely with veterinary pathologists who provide the qualitative data. Together, we put together a report like "okay, here's what the medicine/medical device did and here's why we think it happened", and that report usually gets sent to the FDA if it looks promising enough that the sponsor wants to push for clinical trials and eventual market release. So we get a study in and we've got (fake numbers here) 400 sections, but the quote says they only want 300 measurements done. I'm confused and go "wait, which 300 out of the 400? which 100 should I ignore?" and go to the pathologist. She also thinks it's weird and reaches out to the client, hoping it's a typo and we're about to get paid for the bonus 100. Nope! He pressures us for it to be a phone call (no paper trail) and then not-so-subtly hints that he wants the... uglier-looking sections dropped. In other words, he wants to cherry-pick data that makes him look good. This is not only dangerous but The Most Illegal Shit. People's lives hang in the balance and they have to be able to trust the research that tells them medicines and medical devices are safe. We take that responsibility seriously. So the pathologist gathers data and emails him like "I'm taking a REPRESENTATIVE 300 samples for analysis, my report will include scoring of the ones that make you look bad, and if I find out you doctored the reports behind my back, I'm sending everything I have directly to the FDA." (this is not how data is normally submitted in the industry. normally the report is commissioned, and then all dealings with the FDA are done by the client) He grouses, but agrees. And then says "if the FDA reaches out to you, don't respond." .....What? But that's already industry standard? Why would he say that? Why would he expect the FDA to reach out to us? Anyway the pathologist and I discuss it, and both assume he's definitely about to doctor these reports behind our back once it's submitted. So at my suggestion... the pathologist sends the communications to the FDA anyway. Here's the thing: we don't actually know that this guy meant to do some ethics violations. We just assumed he was suspicious without real proof. Even unproven accusations in this industry can get you blacklisted for life, if not facing criminal charges. Did we risk destroying some random guy's life over bad vibes and nothing else?

What are these acronyms?

[codenameredkrystalmatrix]

⁘꩜⚓Hurricane (Neuvillette x Fem! Sailor Reader)⚓꩜⁘

synopsis:

With those ominous thunderclaps, you know your husband needs you.

word count:

1380

genres:

angst, hurt/comfort, domestic fluff

warnings:

Mentions of schizophrenia, cannibalism.

There were darkly elegant swirls in the clouds. Lightning danced through the air. The smell of ozone left notes of something that clung to your windpipe. This was not the typical ocean storm. Racing below deck, you checked to ensure the supplies were secured, and raced to the navigation cabin.

In your earlier sailing days, they'd been known as freak storms that strangely coincided with the more dramatic trials. No meteorologist could explain them, and they were eventually theorized to be a quirk of The Oratrice or something to do with the Primordial Sea. But time, and your secret marriage to a certain Iudex, had taught you better.

"Check the equipment and divert more power to the engines. We make a break for the port."

"Yes, Captain."

On land, all a storm was something of the outside. It could be avoided entirely, or admired from within well-enforced walls. On the seas, however, they swallowed one whole. The primeval roar of the waves was to be endured (and soothed the moment you had the chance).

A sailor's report- there were enough reserves for the return. You nodded distractedly when they complimented your judgement. Some would go as far as to say you challenged the seas themselves with the might of Fontainian technology. You knew better than to let that flattery get to your head.

After minutes that felt like hours of struggle, electric blue lamplight cut through fog and fear. Cheering, the crew guided the ship to Fontaine's southwestern inlet. Their work was near its end- but not yours. Pulling a greatcoat around your shoulders, you left your first mate to supervise things and headed to the hurricane's true eye.

Just wait a little longer for me.

The wind and rain battered you, making every step a battle to keep balance. The drops lashed against your face and left stinging pain in your eyes. Not that they could help the scenario- they couldn’t even make out the cobblestone past the grey all around. The shapes of the people and Melusines were only outlines and shadows caught in the haze. It was hard to even hear their shouts.

The city lamps (to your eyes now fuzzy blue orbs), and your experience served as guides. They led you to Quartier Nabonnais, past the now eerily glowing fountain. Racing through the passageway below a deceptively designed arch, you found a brief respite. It led to the outskirts of the city proper, and you headed through the muddy fields up the slopes to your home.

Though inside the moderate, but tastefully decorated villa, the thunderclaps were very much still audible. The lights were off, rendering the once-cozy home black and frigid. You flung off your uniform and headed across the hallway and up the stairs to the bedroom. Your heart ached at the sight.

He was crumpled on the ground, facing away from the doorway and tail wrapped around his body. Crossing the room, you reached your arms around his stomach and rested your forehead on his back.

He seized once, violently- not expecting you back so soon. Patrols around Fontaine could take weeks. He'd encumbered upon your life again. But in that moment, he had not the strength to act on the guilt.

The case had been that of a man in Poisson, struggling under poverty. The voices in his head had fed on his desperation, his isolation and his hunger. That ever-growling beast that made him tremble all over, that stole the time he had in flashes of unconsciousness. And, once back in waking moments, made him salivate after the warm, young, tender flesh of the children he once loved so.

And with the sentencing he handed down, it seemed he'd given them license to take his life too.

For the lives of the little ones lost, for the nightmares of the witnesses who'd heard the screams, for the sick dread that would eternally haunt the officers who'd been called to the scene, the judgement had to be severe. But what about him? He, who'd not had a clear thought for months and drifted half-aware of reality? He, for whom the iron stench and sizzling meat brought a sickening clarity. He, who'd been found sobbing, screaming, and clutching what little was left of his son's hand.

In the man's earlier pictures, the Iudex saw Vautrin's eyes- worn, yet determined. His children clung to him, sensing nothing but their father's devotion. None of them, not even this perpetrator, could have perceived what was to come. What was the use of his justice, if it could not have saved this family? All this power, and yet he could do nothing but condemn one already living a nightmare.

You'd been inching around, trying to reach his front. But with smooth, scaly hands, he gripped your arms.

“Do not look at me.”

You complied, returning to your position behind him.

He wished not to hide the fangs or the scales or the tail, but the tears. Tiny, ever-so tiny-pools sang of the distillation of that which he'd never seemed to master. Each pat onto the ground tolled a damning accusation for which he had no counter. The prosecution found him guilty of unquantifiable counts of failure to protect the innocent and an unpardonable lack of self-control. His sentence- to drown within his own mind, where images of the ones he'd left behind would dance in time to a throbbing heartbeat.

And yet, here you were- laying your head against the centre of his spine and leaving warmth to blossom. He knew you'd hear of the trial. And yet, as always, you'd trust that he'd made the best choice.

A lone dewdrop dissolved in love's and agony's deluge.

Teeth gritted, revealing his fangs. Lightning once more cracked and clawed through the clouds. Rain lashed against the windows and the winds gave agonizing howls. But he knew that, any longer, and the city would have to be evacuated. He could almost see them- human and Melusine alike clinging to anything they could reach. This had to end.

He began relaxing his posture. Your body was there, reassuring as always.

Focus on that, Neuvillette.

Her breathing is even- match her tempo.

They...are cool. Like the zephyrs of fall that comfort the workers, dance around the children and refresh all the people of Fontaine. All these souls still need me. They, too, trust my judgement.

This man is now a danger to Fontaine, and to himself. He was lost long before the case came to you. There are many more that can still be saved. Many others can find closure in the court over which you preside.

May the light of Justice cast burning upon the fog of sin, that her children may glory in her warmth.

With time, the frenetic drumbeats above softened to rumbles. He could at last, loosen his grip and turn to you. Gently, but still a little desperately, he nuzzled in under your jaw. His tail inched around your body and drew you closer. A huge improvement.

"May I, now?"

A low, choked assent. You lifted his head so he could look into your eyes.

Scale patterns had risen, transforming the texture of his skin. Their faint indigo was being lent a beautiful, though poignant shine from saline stars. And his eyes, though a beautiful shade of lavender, seemed darkened in grief.

He could not voice his thoughts, and he would not for a long time. But you did not ask it of him. Instead, you gave. You traced the bumps and ridges, warming them with your touch while you wiped away the tears.

Once you ceased, drawing back to smile at him, he stared in awe. The floods within his heart and the city's streets began to ebb. Your gentle, powerful hands had showed once again the road to peace, and to the strength he needed.

With hesitant, but nonetheless earnest adoration, he kissed those hands. They always accepted his offerings of affection- bloodied, raw and trembling as they were. He kissed them, while whispering your name as one would a prayer in their darkest hours. For somehow, you knew the spells to part the sea of tears, perform the tenderest of hydromancies, and through its reflection divine a dragon-man worthy of love.

⚓⁘꩜⁘Author's Notes⁘꩜⁘⚓

Dividers:

@firefly-graphics @div1nepetal

Kaomojis:

@junghwansy2k  @yvbiko @dientesdeporcelana @itmodelblog

Thank you for reading!

[split-spectrum]

Water and Rock

Chapter 8

Pairings: Obi Wan/FemReader

Warnings/Tags: explicit content, slow burn, smut, dubcon, angst

Description: There are only so many excuses a master and padawan can make to kiss under "extenuating circumstances" before circumstances stop arising and start being created. You are an expert at your craft - a Jedi knight in service as a spy for the Republic. When your former master Obi Wan joins you on a mission, it's clear things aren't the same as they once were. The trials you face together may break your bond, or turn it into something else entirely.

☆☆☆

When the holomessage flickers off, the spell over you is broken. You finish taking off your coat and immediately start keying in codes on the holoreceiver. After minutes of waiting, the image of Mace Windu appears before you.

"Master Windu," you greet. "I'm glad to see you are well."

He nods respectfully. "And you, Commander. I trust you've received the Council's message?"

"I have. I thought perhaps we could discuss it further."

"Of course. What further discussion is needed?"

"To be honest, Master, I feel there are many other Jedi who would be able to complete this mission with more success than me."

You shift your gaze uneasily, but bring it back to meet his eyes quickly. "Is my presence on this mission... absolutely necessary?"

His tone remains even, although there's a little more authority in his voice. "We don't have 'many other Jedi' available at the moment. We are spread more thinly every day the war goes on. If we did not require your presence, we would not have asked for it."

You nod. "I understand."

You hesitate, not wanting to push the issue further, but not wanting to end the conversation until you've tried all options. "But at the present time, I'm... not entirely sure I'm ready to return to full duty."

He's silent for a moment, eyebrow slightly raised. "Might I remind you, Commander, that you are currently on full duty? Your assignment was changed, but your efforts are of no less value on Ilum."

You silently curse the lack of tact in your wording. Being away from Coruscant for so long as made you forget how easily your words can be twisted. You bow your head in acknowledgement.

"Yes, of course."

He regards you for a moment before speaking again. "If you are refusing the orders, you may say so. You will be relieved of duty."

It isn't a threat. Like everything Master Windu says, it's a clear statement of truth without hidden meaning. He is simply reminding you of the options available. You can report for duty, or you can admit that despite your year of light service to focus inward and reconnect with the force, you still aren't ready to face combat again, and you can leave the Jedi Order.

"That is not my intent," you assure him. "I will accept the orders and report. I simply wanted to ensure that... I had a full understanding of the circumstances."

His face remains neutral. "Then, unless there's anything else, Commander, good luck on your mission. May the force be with you."

You nod respectfully. "And with you, Master."

The hologram flickers out, and you stare at the empty space. Perhaps if you'd had a few more months to find balance... even a few weeks to prepare for this mission...

But no. You shake the thoughts from your head. It would have made no difference. This is the most dedicated you have ever been in your training, and you are the strongest you've ever felt in the force. Yet, for all the time you'd spent in meditation, you're still unbalanced, and you know that no amount of time would have been enough to bring you back to center.

When you'd first arrived for your new assignment, you'd spent a great deal of your time expressly trying not to reach out in the force. It went against everything you'd been taught by all of your masters, but in your experience, there had been many times you'd needed to trust in the force, and a few times you'd needed to trust in yourself. You knew your thoughts were in turmoil and your emotions were not in your control. To connect with the force in such a state, you knew, would be a mistake.

So you focused on your daily tasks, using the dull repetition of cycling screens as a form of meditation, and the arduous perimeter checks around the temple as a method of clearing your mind. Although your days were long and tiresome, you were grateful for the blank feeling it afforded you. It was better than the alternative, which was what you exerperienced each night before sleep. Sometimes, all too often, during sleep.

The screams you'd heard, each guard pleading for their life before a vicious silence permeated the air, sometimes preceeded with the grinding of bones or the thick pop of dislocating joints...

The hallway filled with bodies in poses crawling away from their attacker, some with faces darkened by lack of blood flow, some missing multiple appendages - not just the hands that had held their weapons, but their arms, and their legs...

He would have done it on the way back... He would have disarmed them already. They weren't a threat by the time he'd retrieved your sabers. He would have killed them on his way down the hallway, back to you, as they lay there...

The most disturbing part of all of it, though, was the feeling, deep within you, of pure contentment. It had stroked a part of your mind that you hadn't known existed. It was so pleasing to you, knowing that he was out of control. It soothed you. He was safe.

In every battle you'd fought by his side, you'd tried to let go of your fear of death. In many of your missions, you'd left people alive who easily could have killed you in return. This was part of the path you chose to walk - to fight with the knowledge that taking an enemy's life wasn't the goal. You fought to protect others, not yourselves. If you could manage to leave an enemy alive, but disarmed, it was always attempted.

But sometimes, enemies didn't stay disarmed once defeated. Sometimes it managed to create a bigger threat. These were the choices you lived with, in order to protect the sanctity of all life. But for one shining moment, you had felt the weight of those choices lift from your shoulders.

When you had watched Obi Wan remove the shackles of compassion, mercy, and restraint, you'd felt a relief like nothing you'd ever experienced before. It was intoxicating, to a level that terrified you.

Because of this, you had spent many months on Ilum without allowing yourself to even attempt a connection with the force. The feeling was still too near, the power too overwhelming. But as time passed and you felt more like yourself each day, you eventually began short meditations with all of your mental barriers firmly in place. Over the weeks which turned into months, you managed to restore your connection, grow in it, and surpass your previous experiences.

But even now, with your strength returned to you, as you contemplate the mission ahead, you can feel the imbalance within yourself. Your desire to do good in the universe will always be tinged with the knowledge of what it felt like to let go of your obligations and use your power to protect what you want to protect.

As you board your ship and make the short journey to the rendezvous point with the Republic cruiser, nervous thoughts of your potential shortcomings are slowly replaced with nervous thoughts of another sort.

It's been over a year, and you haven't spoken.

You went to your frozen outpost with every intention to write after a few weeks, as you always did. Even in the midst of countless assignments, you'd always made time to leave an occasional friendly message to one another. You'd kept ties with all your previous masters - some more closely than others. But Obi Wan was your true Master, and you never went more than a couple of months without at least a simple "Hope all is well" message or a quick chat over the holonet to discuss your latest mission reports.

He'd stopped calling after six months, evidently taking the hint that you hadn't been trying to send. You'd played the few short messages he'd left repeatedly just to hear his voice, hanging on his every word. But you couldn't bear to respond; to pretend as if you were okay. You didn't want to lie to him. It was easier to ignore him.

Now, as you dock with the cruiser and make your way onboard, you have no idea what you can say to him. Perhaps, you think optimistically, you won't need to say much. After all, you're here to do a job. You were ordered to report to him as your commanding officer. You didn't receive your orders together, meaning it's likely a solo mission he'll be sending you on.

You turn down a hallway approaching the main bridge and let out a long-held breath, trying to calm yourself. As you sink into the force to steady your nerves, you sense him. You knew you would, but you aren't prepared for the way you feel when his familiar aura makes gentle contact with the edge of your own. Now he knows you're here, too.

His presence grows stronger as you get closer to the ship's center, and you pass a door marked as the general's personal quarters. Your gait slows just a little as you consider knocking. But you hardly miss a step, reminding yourself you have orders to report to the captain. You convince yourself this is the reason you keep walking, and not because you're too afraid to stop.

As you approach the bridge, the scene around you gets markedly busier. The ship's crew is hard at work monitoring status reports and managing the daily operation of the cruiser, and as you step onto the main bridge, you're careful to keep out of the way. A couple of clones you recognize greet you in passing and you give a friendly nod in return. When you reach the captain, he's engaged in a conversation with another clone with whom you're familiar.

"Captain Shrike," you greet, a genuine smile on your face. You've completed a few missions together, and it puts you slightly more at ease to see him.

The clone captain gives you a warm grin, his stance softening slightly to a more open posture as he turns toward you. "Commander! It's been a while. Looking forward to another easy one?"

You laugh, and he introduces you to the captain, the three of you making polite conversation until the topic of the mission is brought up. The captain, whose last name you've now learned is Pais, tells you they plan to discuss it momentarily.

"We were awaiting your arrival so that the General- ah, there he is now." He looks behind you. "General Kenobi wanted to brief everyone at once."

You turn and follow the captain's line of sight to the person who's just entered the room, and there he is.

His beard is neatly trimmed, his hair perfectly finger-combed back from his bright eyes. He's clad in his familiar white armor, likely having returned from battle recently, but looking none worse for the wear. His gaze is as piercing as ever.

"Commander," he acknowledges you with a muted smile. "Welcome aboard. It's good to see you."

"Thank you, General." You say nothing more, unable to return his warm greeting without it sounding forced.

With his usual amount of grace, he continues on to the task at hand, dropping eye contact with you too quickly for anyone to notice your stiff moment of pause. He circles around to the other side of the holoprojector table at the center of the bridge and keys in coordinates to bring up a softly glowing map. The scale model is instantly recognizable to you as a nearby listening post - one which you've personally spent several rotations mapping.

The lights on the bridge automatically darken to allow for better viewing, and the captain joins you at the table along with the clone captain and several of the higher ranking bridge officers. Obi Wan folds his arms behind his back and begins the brief.

"This is a Separatist listening post, located on the lesser moon of Asar-2. We have reason to believe that a Republic vessel traveling in this area had communications intercepted and possibly decoded, revealing our plan of attack on a Separatist blockade in the Gaulus sector. A plan which is set to go into effect in less than fourty standard hours."

He pauses briefly, glancing around the room. "These battle plans are our best chance of breaching the blockade and successfully bringing humanitarian aid to the people of Aaloth. If we were to call off the attack, we may not have another opportunity. However, if the Separatists are already aware of the offensive fleet's coordinates, they will be flying directly into a trap. It is our mission to prevent this by infiltrating the listening station and accessing their transmission logs. We must confirm whether the Separatists were able to decode whatever information they may have gathered, and relay our findings before the planned attack."

He turns to the clone captain beside him. "Captain Shrike, you and I will be approaching from the west, here."

He taps a spot on the map to zoom in. "Their security forces are concentrated at this entrance, and their numbers are limited. To make it to the turbolift on the first floor and reach the comms center, we need only bypass the main guard unit. We will be disguised as Separatist soldiers."

He lifts his eyes to yours, tapping the map again to zoom out and show a path leading to the main entrance. "Commander, that is where you come in. We will need your skills to convince the guards that we have the appropriate security clearances. I presume if you are within this area, it would be close enough to get the job done?"

You follow his motion as he gestures to a wide expanse of land along the path. You open your mouth hesitantly. "It... would."

He nods. "Very well-"

"If I may," you interrupt before the subject can move on. "...sir," you add hastily.

His posture tightens just slightly at the interjection. "Go ahead, Commander."

You reach out and use your fingers to widen the angle of the holographic model. Then you turn it, inspecting it carefully, first on one side, then the other. "When was the layout of this station last updated?"

"The latest recon available was from sixteen months ago. Why?"

Your head shoots upward from the table. "Sixteen months? I submitted several updated reports on this post just a few weeks ago. These details are completely wrong."

His brow furrows and an air of uncertainty falls over the rest of the briefing attendees.

"What do you mean, 'completely wrong'?"

You give a small shake of your head in disbelief. "They've made considerable increases in security since this. For one thing, there's no 'main guard'. Security forces are spread throughout the many additional levels which aren't shown on this map. And the rest of those levels are filled with soldiers, not automated. Aside from that, they have a failsafe for their security system - rayshielded entrances that lock into place when activated from a remote base of operations which is in orbit. Intruders can't shut down the security from the ground; it's a two-part countermeasure."

Silence falls over the briefing group, and Obi Wan brings his arms out from behind his back, folding them over his chest and bringing a hand up to stroke his chin. After a moment of contemplation, he looks back at you.

"How certain are you of these changes?"

"I've done multiple inspections and received reliable information from inside their supply lines. I sent all the details in my reports."

"Then why did we not receive them?" he asks plainly. The question isn't directed at you; more rhetorical, or open for discussion.

You shake your head again. "I sent them directly to the chancellor's office, as instructed."

His hand drops from his chin. "The chancellor's office?"

You tilt your head just slightly, giving him a careful look at his surprised response. "I received orders several months ago that all reports in this sector were to be submitted through encrypted channels to the office of the chancellor, for more direct communication."

When he continues staring at you, you add, "The orders came from the Council."

His frown deepens. "I remember no such order."

"Regardless of the reason," Captain Pais observes delicately, "It appears we are missing crucial intelligence. How do you suggest we proceed?"

"I have the updated reports in my personal logs. We may be able to come up with something if we reevaluate."

Obi Wan doesn't give another moment's hesitation at your offer. "We have very little time as it is. Please, get them. I'll come with you."

Turning back to the group around the table, he adds, "You are dismissed, for now," and then follows as you leave the room.

Your pace is quick and a little nervous as he falls into step beside you, his footsteps as confident as ever. You glance over at him. "I have to say, I'm a little confused."

"Confused?"

"When I arrived, I wondered why you'd requested me for this mission. Then I saw the location, and I assumed my knowledge of the outpost would be helpful. Now it turns out that you never even received my reports."

You shake your head a bit. "If you'll forgive my asking, why me? Any Jedi would be capable of accessing a station like the basic one you thought this was."

He's quiet for a beat. "It wasn't my request. The Council assigned you here."

You reach the hatch to your ship and open it, turning your face away from him to hide how foolish you feel for asking. "Ah."

"I believe they had good reason. These listening posts are known to destroy all records as soon as any breach is detected. Normal attack or infiltration wouldn't be an adequate plan. Your skills were -are needed to ensure we retrieve the data with as little chance of detection as possible. If we're discovered before we reach it, all will be lost."

"I see," you answer, logging into your personal records and pulling up your reports. "That explains it."

He looks at you for a moment, then continues, "I did mean what I said on the bridge, you know."

Your eyes flicker from the screen over to him and you look at him questioningly.

"I may not have asked you here, but it is good to see you."

The heat in your cheeks intensifies and you turn back to the screen, retrieving the report and sending it to him.

"It's... good to see you, too."

He gives you an amiable look, if not quite a smile, then pulls it up on the datapad in his hand and walks a few paces away.

As he reads through the material, you're left without much to do. You're already intimately familiar with the information, but you pass your eyes over the screen in front of you to skim the material anyway, and when you finish, your eyes slowly drift back to him.

He's concentrating deeply on the datapad, eyes focused and darting quickly over words and diagrams. Without your permission, your gaze falls down the profile of his face, fixating on the rigidness of his jaw, the whispers of grey at his temple now spreading into more noticeable patches, the once warm tan at his neck, now turned to a deep and lasting bronze. You let yourself stare for just a moment longer, trailing over his shoulders and falling down to where the armor defines the cut at his waist. The way he's holding himself is the same as always, and yet something is different.

When he'd kept his hair long, when you'd been his Padawan, he'd had such strength and tenacity, his chest full and upright, his shoulders broad and stiff, his back creating a hard, straight line. All of those things are the same now, but there's something else. The war seems to have softened and hardened him all at once. His posture is more self-assured than ever, and yet it lacks the bravado of his youth. It's melted into true confidence, a commanding air of expertise about him, exuded with every movement.

It had been true the last time you'd seen him, but a year later, it's more evident than ever before - he had been a warrior. Now, he's a general.

You're about to pull your gaze back to the screen when he slowly takes a few steps while reading and settles himself into a chair. Your ship is a small transport vessel, so there's not much space, and the seat is small. It's surrounded by a ledge, and he leans back in the chair to hold the datapad in front of himself with one hand, letting his other arm stretch over the ledge behind him.

Your eyes widen at the sight of him spreading out, and though you know there's nothing inherently sexual about it - he's probably more comfortable sitting this way in full armor - you can't stop staring. You fixate on the way he's holding the datapad in his lap. You imagine the way he held your head in his hands...

He's looking at you. Your eyes snap up. You flick your gaze back down to the datapad and then meet his eyes again. "Do you have any questions so far?" Your voice comes out higher than usual, and you try to play it off as casual lightness.

He blinks, seeming deep in thought. "No. It's quite comprehensive, thank you. I just wondered if there might be something here."

He stands and brings the datapad over to you, zooming in on a small access panel on the eastern side of the station.

"It's underwater so it isn't monitored by these security checks you've indicated. The only problem is that it is covered by the electromagnetic barrier that surrounds the entire outpost. We could access it, but not using technology. Not even rebreathers."

You try to ignore the way your chest flutters when he leans into you so you can both see the datapad clearly, and you think for a moment, despite the fact that he smells so good.

"I might have a solution. Storne. He's amphibious."

"Your friend from Bespin?" he clarifies, and you nod in return.

"If we make the payment worth his while, I'm sure he could be here within a matter of hours."

He regards you carefully, then looks back at the image of the outpost as if reconsidering all the options. After a long pause, he lowers the pad. "Very well; contact him. It may be our best chance."

You nod again, turning back to the main screen to send him a message. When you finish, Obi Wan is still dragging his fingers down either side of his beard, deep in thought.

"Would you like something to drink? Tea?" you offer. You don't have much on board besides tea and a few ration packs, while the main ship will have plenty more options for food and drink, but you still feel you should say something to break the silence.

He glances over at you as if he'd forgotten he was in the room. "Tea... yes, thank you."

You switch on the kettle while he seats himself again, and while the water quickly comes to a boil, you speak over your shoulder.

"I do have one other suggestion."

"I'm open to anything."

"I should be the one going inside the station, not Shrike. It'll be more effective for me to actively participate than to stay outside and work through the force. If I can use my eyes and ears to evaluate as we go, it will be easier to prevent any mistakes."

You turn to look at him as you add the tea leaves to the boiling kettle. His expression is hesitant.

"I would consider that risk to be greater than the reward."

"In what way?" you ask, frowning.

"There is a high likelihood that this will end in a fight for escape. With the level of security and the numbers of the enemy, our only goal is to make it inside without issue. Getting out is another matter. You would be of better use outside the line of fire."

Your hands still on the handle of the kettle. You place it back down on the counter without pouring. "I've always been useful enough in combat before."

"And you are certain that you still are?"

Your breath halts. His words sting. But you reach out calmly and pour the tea anyway, not wanting to show any sign of emotional response.

"I may have taken some time away, but I'm still capable of handling myself."

You turn and bring both of your cups with you, handing one over to him.

"Thank you," he says, then places the cup on a shelf beside him as he continues looking at you.

"Commander, you may feel that you are prepared, but I... have doubts."

He says it slowly and softly, but the message is no less painful. You meet his eyes.

"I don't believe that you're more qualified to evaluate my own abilities than I am." Your face flushes hot when the words leave you, and you quickly add, "...sir."

He doesn't rise to your bait. He just looks at you with the same compassion he's always shown you. "It is my duty to evaluate the abilities of all those under my command, as well as my own."

The silence stretches between you, your embarrassment at arguing with your general only compounded by his grace in response. He looks to the side, as if gathering his words, and then looks back at you again.

"You are unbalanced."

He says it simply, not accusing or disappointed. You can't meet his eyes.

"I can still perform my duties," you say, seeing no point in trying to deny it.

"Perhaps I can help."

You shake your head. "There's nothing you can do for me."

"I have my doubts," he retorts, his unfailing confidence in his own abilities as frustrating as it is consoling.

"I am lost," you admit. "But I know I can only find the path I need on my own."

He raises his brows gently. "How can you be so sure?"

You let out a deep sigh, then take a sip of your tea while he watches you. Finally, you take a seat across from him, and you answer.

"Master," you start, allowing yourself to slip back into familiar terms and knowing he'll allow you to do so. "When you connect with the force, what do you feel?"

He pauses to consider before giving his response. "I feel warmth and comfort, as if I am grounded in something permanent and unchanging. I feel surrounded and filled with a presence of peace and certainty."

You nod slowly. "I also feel a sense of warmth and comfort. But when I reach out to the force, it doesn't feel unchanging or steady to me. It's like immersing myself in a flood. I'm filled with the purpose of the universe and I feel the current of every living being around me."

He nods along with you, encouraging you to go on.

"...but there's nothing to hold onto. When I was younger, it was hard for me to surrender to the force because it felt so much like losing myself. You showed me how to find myself within the force, and everything changed. It was wonderful."

You take another breath before continuing. "Until... until what happened on Oba Diah showed me the consequences of losing myself entirely."

He's quiet for a long time. "And... you feel that you can no longer trust in the force because of this?"

You bite your lip. "I've never felt I could trust in the force enough to give myself over completely to its will. Something has always held me back. Maybe I've always been unbalanced, to some degree."

He sighs softly. "I have told you for many years, young one, the force is balance. You must not hold back from it. You will find your balance if you release yourself to its will."

You swallow. Some part of you knows he'll never be able to understand that it's because he is balanced that he believes the force is in perfect balance as well. He can find himself in it so easily.

"I understand, Master. And I will try. But, I must trust in myself as well. In my own judgement."

He looks at you uncertainly. Then he stands. "How long before Storne will arrive?"

You glance over at the comms screen, standing up to go over and check the pending response. After you read it, you report, "Eleven hours."

"Plenty of time for meditation. Would you like to join me?"

You sigh internally, appreciating the gesture but wishing you could explain to him the certainty you feel that it will make no difference.

"Of course."

You close the main hatch of the ship for privacy, then sit next to him on the floor, folding your legs to mirror his posture. His eyes are already closed, and you close yours as well.

"Quiet your thoughts. Let them pass. Listen only to the force."

His words are familiar. It's a mantra he's used with you for countless sessions. You sink into the sound of his voice and try to obey.

Minutes pass as you settle into your own mind, lowering your barriers and reaching out into the ether. The force answers your beckon, enveloping you as always - predictably, comfortingly. As more time passes, you let the soft hum of your own aura open itself to the force's stronger current, releasing yourself to its embrace. You repeat Obi Wan's words in your mind, listening only to the force.

"You have grown strong, my Padawan," his voice echoes richly in your mind, padded with the energy of the force when he speaks.

Your face remains neutral as you answer him with your eyes still closed, although his choice to use your old title makes your heartbeat quicken. "I've had plenty of time for meditation and practice."

You feel his aura at the edge of your own, starting to nudge for your acceptance. You let him in gratefully, welcoming his steadying presence. It's been so many years since you've felt it. It nearly overwhelms you.

You take in a deep breath, leveling out your breathing, reminding yourself to keep your focus on the force.

"And yet your faith is lessened. You have said you trust in your own abilities, as I trust in my own. Use that trust. Reach into the force, and let go."

Your pulse picks up even more. His presence is surrounding you, asking to give yourself over. You remain steadfast within yourself. "I... know what will happen."

"You are afraid."

"Yes."

His voice somehow soothes you and fills you with apprehension at the same time. "Fear is not real. Only the force is real."

"My fear is based in reality. How can I ignore it?" Your eyes are still closed but your brows are pushing together, almost in a frown.

"We all experience fears. But they are not a part of you. You can separate yourself from those thoughts."

You're quiet again for a long stretch of time. It could be minutes, or it could be hours. Your only concentration is on doing as he's instructed. But no matter how you reach into the force to take your fears from you, they stay. He speaks again softly when he feels you struggling.

"You're holding on."

"I'm not trying to," you say back, a little too quickly.

"Yes, you are."

He says it with perfect clarity. He's not disparaging or chiding you. He's simply pointing out the truth. But it gets to you. It evokes a reaction, finally, because you know that it's true.

You feel your presence in the force become uneven, wavering and malformed. "You don't understand. I know you're trying to help, but you can't understand."

"Then help me to understand," he responds, his tone still firm and neutral, as if he hasn't noticed your change in demeanor.

You fight for a moment longer, and then you give in. "I am... not the Jedi I was before. Or maybe I never was the Jedi I should be. I feel... things I shouldn't feel. And I can't set them aside. Not like you."

You feel him pulling away from you, almost imperceptibly. "It is not that I set my feelings aside. I surrender them to the will of the force. The burden can only be lifted when you stop trying to carry it."

You squeeze your eyes more tightly shut. "I am trying, Master, but you don't know the burden I carry."

This time, you really feel it when he pulls away. "That is not true."

"I..." you flounder, surprised at his reaction. "I didn't mean that you don't have your own burdens. But yours are not like mine."

He takes in a long, slow breath and releases it. "I know what you carry."

His aura dims a little, almost flickering like a candle.

"I live with the knowledge each day that I took unnecessary lives. Undefended lives. I remember the fear in their eyes as I..." he breaks off, swallowing. "I remember all of it."

You continue to sit in silence, each of you reflecting. When his presence beside you becomes steady again, he goes on.

"And the other mistakes I made... The thoughts and actions of that night will be with me for the rest of my life."

Your stomach tightens, the blood in your face heating. "I... can't forget, either."

"We don't need to. We only need to rely on the strength of the force."

"And..." your throat goes dry. "What if these thoughts have... continued?"

Your connection slips apart for a moment, and he doesn't answer. His presence his hazy, hard to read. You regret your words immensely, until he speaks again.

"I've already told you, you don't carry your burden alone."

You're about to ask what he means when his aura surrounds you again. This time, though, it's like nothing you've ever felt from him. It is heavy, sweet and carnal. The thoughts within him are so clear, the images so bright. He's only allowing you to see a small part of himself, but that part is howling.

You feel yourself immediately getting wet, watching the memory of him brushing a thumb over your nipple while he kisses your neck, thrusting into you from behind. His moan fills your ears, although there's no sound in the room. You feel the heat of his mouth on your neck, a phantom touch that sends shivers over your entire body. You're drawn in, almost reaching for more of the feeling, but it's buried within an endless stream of filthy vision after filthy vision, and you can only see the very top of the collection.

It's like looking into one of your own dreams.

As quickly as he opened it, he severs the connection and you blink your eyes open, finding yourself staring into his. You're almost panting from the whiplash. He clears his throat, appearing completely unaffected.

"I have struggled. I will continue to struggle. But I will continue to seek guidance in the force. As should you. It is not an easy path, as you have said. But it is not one that you walk alone."

Your mind is spinning. Your heart is racing. Your eyes are fixated on his mouth as he speaks, and for all the wrong reasons.

Then he releases another long breath and settles back, closing his eyes to return to his meditation.

"So, shall we begin again?"

--

Tag List: @cosmicsierra @projectdreamwalker @guacam011y @thriving-n-jiving @reverieisaway

Please feel free to comment or message me directly if you'd like to be added to my taglist. :)

Masterlist // Next Chapter >>

[powerfultipsforyourhealth]

The 12 easiest ways to lose weight

Many people develop an increase in body weight in middle age, and it occurs gradually, somewhat imperceptible. Of course, some resort to strict diet or exercise, but some attempts fail due to the nature of the busy lifestyle, family and social commitments, and working hours.

Two new studies offer a glimmer of hope in the form of small changes approaches to weight loss and improved health, with firm promise of promising scientifically grounded results.

In her research study, Professor Amanda Daly, a professor of behavioral medicine at Loughborough University, and her research team analyzed data from 19 trials involving more than 3,000 people to see if a simple microapproach yields enough changes to help maintain a healthy weight or lose excess weight. The results showed that participants who adhered to the approach of small changes – such as walking 1,000 extra steps a day or cutting 100-200 calories by choosing healthier alternatives to highly processed, sugary and high-calorie-rich foods lost about 1 kg less compared to those who did not follow these methods over eight to 14 months. While the amount doesn't seem great, Professor Daly says it was enough to stave off weight gain.

Small goals that are easy to achieve

Professor Daly said: "Adult weight gain is not usually the result of a short lack of exercise and excessive intake, but rather rather the result of a gradual decrease in activity levels and increased energy intake, the effects of which are cumulative and affect over time.

Professor Daly adds that providing guidelines that ask people to make big changes to their health, such as cutting calories by 500 or more a day or taking 10,000 steps from the starting point from scratch, requires a lot and may be better to "make them realize that it's only good to make one small change the first time and gain confidence in achieving it," noting that "big changes, by their very nature, make it difficult for some to achieve."

Small changes in food

In the second scientific study, published in the journal Nature Food, researchers from the University of Michigan reported how small changes in food choices can also help get extra minutes of healthy living. By classifying 5,800 foods according to their "dietary burden of disease," the researchers found, for example, that a small dietary shift such as eating 30 grams of nuts and seeds a day provides a 25-minute gain from healthy living — as expected from During an increase in disease-free life expectancy. "The message from researchers now is that doing small things, being physically active, eating a little better, and turning ideas into an initial change approach can make a difference to human health, and it's also a stimulus that can drive thinking about bigger changes in the long term," says Daly.

Simple methods of motor activity

1- Strengthen the gluteal muscles while sitting

A 2019 study from Wichita State University, published in the journal Peer J, showed that pressing the gluteal muscles in the buttocks while sitting in a chair can enhance strength and endurance, and possibly reduce the risk of injury. Study participants were asked to sit up straight in a chair — hips and knees at right angles, knees shoulder-width and feet apart — and squeeze the glutes as hard as possible for five seconds before relaxing and repeating. The exercise does not require any weights Or training tools. After eight weeks of doing this for an accumulated 15 minutes per day, one doesn't even need to do them all at once, lab test results showed that it increased gluteal muscle strength by 16% compared to an 11% increase in the control group that was asked to do the same amount of conventional gluteal bridge exercises.

2- Jump 10 times twice a day

The slightest amount of exercise can make a difference when it comes to maintaining bone strength throughout life, balancing the risk of osteoporosis. For an experiment, published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, 60 premenopausal women aged 25 to 50 were asked to perform 10 or 20 jumps with 30 seconds of rest between jumps, twice a day for 16 weeks, to see how they affected their bones. The results showed that daily jumping led to a 0.5 percent increase in bone density, while the control group that did not jump showed a 1.3 percent reduction in bone density during the four-month trial.

3- Reduce 10% of red and processed meat

In a study conducted by the University of Michigan, calculations by researchers revealed that for every gram of processed meat a person consumes, 0.45 minutes of their lifespan are lost. If a person eats a lot of red or processed meat, the researchers' advice is to replace 10% with a combination of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, which can add 48 minutes of healthier life.

4- Climb 4 groups of stairs in less than a minute

Last year, researchers at the European Society of Cardiology conference reported that being able to climb four steps of stairs, equivalent to 60 steps, in less than a minute is a strong predictor of good heart health. Study author Jesús Petero, a cardiologist at the University Hospital of a Spanish Coruña, says: "If it takes you more than a minute and a half to climb four steps on the stairs, your health is suboptimal, and it would be good to consult a doctor."

5- Jumping rope for 10 minutes a day

Daily jumping for ten minutes over 6 weeks has been shown to lead to improvements in cardiovascular health, equivalent to what is benefited by running for 30 minutes a day, in addition to strengthening bones.

6- Spend 60 minutes outdoors

Getting out of the house for an hour a day is, in short, the exact translation for better health, according to the results of a study to be published in the December issue of the journal Affective Disorders.  Sean Cain, an assistant professor of psychology at Monash University in Australia, studied the effects of daylight exposure on the mood and health of more than 400,000 participants at Biobank in the UK. He discovered that adults in the UK, on average, spend about 2.5 hours of daylight outside, and that each hour of daylight exposure is associated with easier morning wakefulness and reduced overall fatigue. Kane says:  "Getting bright light in the day is just as important as avoiding light at night to sleep."

7- 1000 additional steps per day

Instead of targeting 10,000 steps or more, start by recording an additional 1,000 steps per day. Henrietta Graham, a researcher in sports and exercise science at Loughborough University and colleagues, and the lead researcher on the latest scientific study, says. "People who do a low step count per day and who try to accomplish 10,000 steps per day from day one are more likely to give up." Even this added step, just 1,000, will pay off. In May, researchers from the University of North Carolina conducted a study on the walking habits of 16,732 women age 60 or older. Presenting their findings at the American Heart Association's Conference on Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle, Heart Health and Cardiac Metabolism, they showed that, compared to women who did not take daily steps, each initial increase of 1,000 steps per day was associated with a 28 percent lower risk of dying during the eight-year follow-up period, and women who took more than 2,000 steps a day in continuous shifts had a 32 percent lower risk of death. You can walk for two minutes every hour of the workday, about 20 minutes a day, a goal that a team from the University of Utah School of Medicine showed was associated with a 33% lower risk of death.

8- Jog for 5 minutes

Prof Dali says you can start by setting small goals before aspiring to run marathons "over distances of about 10km or more". Small, consistent but moderate exercise patterns can make all the difference. One study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, involving 55,137 adults showed that running at a manageable pace for just five minutes a day was associated with an increased lifespan of an adult by about three years.

9- Commit to 20-second training doses

If you really can't find the time (or motivation) to exercise, the practice of taking light infusions is something to think about. Martin Gibala, professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Canada and principal investigator of a study on light training doses, found that just 20 seconds of strenuous exertion, like climbing 60 steps three times a day, resulted in a 5 percent increase in fitness and an improvement in leg muscle strength after six weeks. Graham says that just as much activity will help: "You can walk or run around, anything that makes you breathe hard will be helpful. Any amount of activity is better than nothing."

10- Practice yoga for 15 minutes daily

If one can't commit to a 90-minute yoga class, start with 15 minutes of simple exercise, and you'll get major benefits. A study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reported how yoga and deep breathing for a quarter of an hour reduced blood pressure by 10 percent as well as a heart rate reduction for at least 24 hours in a group of 78 patients with mild hypertension.

11- Stand on one leg for 20 seconds daily

By the time a person reaches the age of twenties, there are about 70,000 specialized neurons, motor neurons, concentrated in the lower part of the spinal cord, which connects with the leg muscles to control balance. But researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University have shown that by the age of 75, 40 per cent of these motor neurons are lost even in the fittest individuals. The result is a deterioration in coordination of movement and balance. While young people can stand on one leg, with their eyes closed, for 30 seconds, the average age of 70 can only hold up for four to five seconds. But the time period can be improved with practice. The goal should initially be to stand on one leg for 20 seconds daily, then it develops gradually and the exercise is repeated with the eyes closed. "You can stand on one leg while brushing your teeth or waiting for the water to boil [to make tea or coffee," says Graham.

12- Lifting weights for 13 minutes

Not everyone needs or can head to the gym just to train to lift weights in low doses for short periods. Indeed, exercise physiologists at Lehman College in New York have figured out the possibility of not going to gym training and achieving good results, asking participants in a scientific study to perform 8 to 12 repetitions of exercise with weights in three weekly sessions, and lifting them until their muscles are too tired to do anything else. While the researchers asked some to perform five sets of each in a 70-minute gym session, they assigned other participants to do just three sets of 40 minutes and do one set of each exercise, and the gym group spent only about 13 minutes doing weightlifting. Two months later, the researchers revealed that strength gains were similar across all groups and that those who did the fast-paced exercise for 13 minutes in the gym had similar results to those who exercised at home for longer periods of time and training sessions.......read more

🤰🤱🙋‍♂️🧗‍♂️

[alfredsimp]

In Remake, it still made sense for Ada to kill Krauser (But even without that, they did good plot).

(actually, it's more about Ada and Luis' friendship, a little bit about Krauser and Leon's connection, and a little speculation that Wesker was the one who finally killed Krauser in the Remake.)

First, I want to say that I really love the work they've done for Separate Ways in Remake. Obviously, it turned out to be a cut above the original DLC, where we otherwise just ran through the locations that we ran through as Leon. The Original Separate Ways were good too, we saw Ada's perspective, the reports were a particularly good part of the roof on DLC. But still, the volume of Separate Ways in Remake is many times larger, in terms of passage time it is almost the same as Re3Make. So I'm, as Ada Stan, absolutely loves this.

It would be untrue to say that we were "robbed" just because Capcom didn't let Ada kill Krauser. They gave Ada the U-3, making U-3 her personal monster, her personal "nightmare" that belongs to her personally, not Leon, Ashley, Luis or anyone else. They created in a new boss for Ada and gave her the laser room. They tried to make an equal balance between Ada and Leon, between the difficulties and trials that they go through on their way. It is wonderful.

In the original, Ada fought Krauser twice: in Separate Ways (where it turned out that it was Ada who finally killed Krauser) and in Assignment Ada (non-canon DLC). They had built rivalry and distrust as Wesker's two "employees", and Krauser confirmed Ada as a "traitor" after Ada interfered with Wesker's direct order and prevented Krauser from killing Leon (then Krauser realized the romantic tension between Leon and Ada).

Ada finished off Krauser because Krauser wanted her dead as a "traitor" and because a living Krauser could reveal her "betrayal" to Wesker.

Remake removed this part of the conflict. Ada and Krauser did not have a single dialogue between themselves, Ada only unsuccessfully tried to catch Krauser, but he "defeated" her, run from her (unlike the original, where Ada studied Krauser's fighting style and successfully "eliminated" him). Krauser said he was killing "a couple of rats," meaning Ada and Luis, but that was it. Even the one who saves Leon from Krauser's knife is no longer Ada, but Luis. This makes sense, because now Krauser is Leon's "personal boss." The one who trained him all these years and made him who he is now. Leon's advice for Ada that "a knife is better for close contact" is literally what Krauser taught Leon. All those times when Leon wielded a knife in the game, these are the fruits of Krauser's training. From a narrative point, it makes sense that Leon is now the one who finally kills Krauser, the trope "the student has surpassed his teacher." Ada just doesn't have that connection with Krauser.

But there is one new aspect: Luis Serra.

Capcom has built a close partnership, even a friendship between Ada and Luis. Although Ada tried to follow the "work code", it is clear that these two actually began to genuinely care about each other. They finally let Ada build an emotional connection with someone who is not Leon: Ada pulled Luis out of the fire, Ada was the one who motivated Luis not to give up and breathed motivation into him to act, and this is what Luis means when he thanks Ada before he dies for giving him a chance to become the best a person being. Not that she demanded that he bring Amber for an unknown murky villainous dude (not much different from Saddler, whom Luis is trying to prevent), but that she gave him the motivation and strength to become a better person, recreate the antidote on his own and helped him throughout the process (it was Ada who collected all the ingredients for Luis... and again she puts off her direct work).

But all this turned out to be so that she would witness Luis' death at the hands of Krauser. She can't even say goodbye to him because Krauser stole Amber and now every second of time counts. Luis call Ada not for "she come and say goodbye to him", Luis does not expect this from Ada and does not ask her to "spend the last minutes with him", he even saves Leon from Krauser himself. All he asks is to take care of Leon for the foreseeable future (well, he doesn't know that taking care of Leon is what Ada is literally always doing). He did it. Ada did not "abandon" Luis for the sake of the mission, Luis called precisely so that Ada would find out that Krauser had stolen Amber and managed to give chase in time. If Ada had allowed herself to become weak because of his death, she would have lost time, this is not why Luis warns her about Krauser. He had already said goodbye to her when he said his last words to her and thanked her for the chance to become a "better person", now she could only go after the "bad guy". In order for someone to keep him company in the last moments of his life, Luis had Leon.

So in terms of how Ada and Luis' relationship was built, Ada actually had a narrative point in killing Krauser. She doesn't have the strong bond with Krauser that Leon had, but she has another motivation, revenge for Luis Serra. In the summary of the chapter, her motivation to chase after Krauser is not even described as "taking Amber", only as "Ada chases after the man who just killed Luis", this is her real inner motivation to chase after Krauser. Not Amber, whom she will abandon at the end of the game, but to catch up with the man who killed Luis.

(love the way they put it in the content of the chapter. Luis' words about "Krauser just stole the Amber". but Ada's motivation to chase after Krauser and how does she perceive Krauser in the first? "man who just killed Luis".)

Ada didn't have time to say goodbye to Luis, but if she could deal with Krauser as an act of retribution for Luis' murder, it would give some compensation and it would work for the players. Krauser's death at Leon's hands was not "revenge for Luis' murder", it was a personal moment of Leon and Krauser's bond, the culmination of their own teacher-student relationship, at the end of which Krauser recognizes Leon as his equal. But it's not about Luis. Therefore, if they had given Ada a final fight with Krauser, Krauser's "death" at the hands of Leon would have been the end of their relationship, then Krauser's death at the hands of Ada would have been retribution for Luis' murder. It wouldn't hurt what kind of closure Leon and Krauser got, because in their relationship, the fact that Krauser recognized Leon (and Leon got his knife, the narrative meaning is clear) was important, not that Leon killed Krauser. Reading some of the comments, I can agree that Krauser's death did not look "final" (Leon just stabbed him with a knife, which does not look like a convincing final death, but maybe it was Wesker who really killed Krauser and eventually took his body, which also makes a lot of sense... especially for RE5).

But they took a more interesting path and gave more than just "Ada killed Krauser" (in my mind). They gave Ada a different ending to this conflict when, with the help of files that Luis gave her, she deactivated the explosion of the entire island, giving Leon and Ashley a chance to escape from the island (which was not only about Luis, but about her own feelings for Leon). This is also satisfactory.

I agree with Capcom that the idea of how Ada fulfills the last request/will of Luis and the entire island section, where Ada literally encounters and defeats Amber's living incarnation, is much more and more interesting than just "Ada killed Krauser definitively." So I'm glad with what we got. Capcom has done a really amazing plot.

[intersectionalpraxis]

"International Criminal Court chief prosecutor says he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders." "More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the past 24 hours, the Gaza health ministry said, as Israel intensified its attacks across the enclave. Doctors Without Borders reports that the besieged al-Awda Hospital close to Jabalia refugee camp has completely run out of drinking water." "Meanwhile, hunger has gripped the enclave, with the UN humanitarian chief on Sunday warning of “apocalyptic” consequences of aid shortages as key Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings remain “effectively blocked”. "At least 35,562 people have been killed and 79,652 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s attack is 1,139, with dozens still held captive."

ALL zionist war criminals need to be held accountable -not just the one's in positions of power -their entire occupational forces. And rightfully so, many people and organizations including the Government Media Office in Gaza have criticized the ICC's decision to also penalize leaders of the resistance -Al Jazeera reports:

“We appreciate the decision of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for two Zionist war criminals”, a statement from the office begins." “We see the issuance of these memorandums as a legal step in the right direction, despite the fact that they came late”, it continues." "On the other hand, the office says that “We also deplore the fact that this step was accompanied by the issuance of similar decisions against some of the leaders of our people, in a scene in which the court equated the victim with the executioner”, referring to requests for arrest warrants against several Hamas officials."

Rafah is also still under severe bombardment and many Palestinian people have been either wounded or murdered. This ICC decision also doesn't help Palestinians right now. There needs to be immediate actions. The IOF must stop attacking and bombing the Gaza Strip effective immediately and permanently and aid MUST be allowed to reach millions of Palestinians.

Israel should have been sanctioned LONG ago:

"Diana Buttu, a lawyer and former spokesperson for the PLO, says that the ICC’s Khan is doing “a lot of bothsidesism”.

“He’s looking and seeing that there is a genocide that Israel is perpetrating – a genocide that Israel has been very open about perpetrating with over 35,000 Palestinians killed, mass starvation, 15,000 children killed, and in order to balance it out he has to make it seem as though he’s addressing both sides,” Buttu told Al Jazeera." “But if we want to be honest we should be looking at what it is that the Israeli government has been doing and the orders that it has issued to its soldiers,” she said." “If this court is to have any credibility, it should be going out after the people who are committing genocide rather than just simply trying to play this game of bothsidesism,” Buttu added." [Al Jazeera Updates, May 20th, 2024.]

You can read the full ICC's statements here. There's SO much to unpack, but I wanted to make sure I included it for folks to view:

As always -the occupation must end and Palestine will be free.

[longwindedbore]

The Question of the Day: How was the Trump Hush money trial ‘politically motivated’ as the GOPee cultists screech -

- IF every one of the 34 felony charges involved demonstrable falsification of business records?

The GOPees never mention that ALL 200 documents entered into evidence were exclusively from the Trump Organization.

The witness testimony in the trial explained a prosecution narrative of why false documents were created.

It is always a Felony to charter a business in any State in the Union - or in any Developed Country- and create fraudulent business documents. To keep a ‘second set of books.

The GOPees have no explanation why the Defense team were unable to successfully dispute the factual nature of even one of the 200 Trump created documents that supported the 34 counts of felony falsification of business records.

The GOPees do not have from Trump or his Defense team an alternate narrative, in whole or in part, about the documents.

Media reports have ignored the nature of the charges and all 200 documents. Ignored the witnesses testimonies about the documents.

Instead focused on the bombastic theatrics of the Defense cross examination of Prosecution witnesses.

Implying that the Defense bombast was equal in effect on the jury as the Prosecutions far more boring-to-media direct questioning of the witnesses which created a connect-the-dots between each of the charges.

This media approach was better for the viewership numbers that bring in higher ad revenue to the six corporations that own 95% of USA news outlets.

To increase viewer ratings the media focused on the potential felony charges the Witnesses described; HOWEVER these are alleged felonies for which Trump was not indicted or charged in this case.

By pretending that these potential felonies were the included in the case was how the media created a false but far more exciting narrative.

The false media-created narrative presented what appeared to be a far more evenly balanced trial between contending sides. After all, Prosecution definitely can be seen not proving the non-existent charges.

This 🐴💩 approach wasn’t just Faux News. It was all of the media outlets including most of the ‘respected’ overseas outlets.

[gatheringbones]

[“In 1866, nearly all the settlers in King County signed a petition against the creation of a Duwamish reservation along the Black River in south Seattle. Hundreds of Duwamish people had rejected the terms of the Point Elliott treaty, which created the Port Madison reservation across the Sound on Suquamish territory, and called for their own reservation located on their ancestral homelands near the fork of the Duwamish and Black Rivers. With backing from the Indian agent of Washington Territory, George Paige, the federal government appeared ready to move ahead with the Duwamish reservation when the settlers got wind of the plan and moved to squash it. As Paige noted in a report, “The white settlers in the neighborhood desire to have [the Indians] remain among them, that they may avail themselves of their labor, yet at the same time they are unwilling they should have a reservation where they are, because they, the white men, want to appropriate the valuable bottom land which they occupy.” In other words, settlers desired Duwamish land and Duwamish labor, and the involvement of the federal government in the form of a reservation threatened both.

In the absence of federal control, town leaders, many of the settlers and prominent landowners who occupied government positions at the local and county levels, took on the role of managing the Indigenous presence in Seattle. They did this primarily through segregation and other modes of containment. Though boundaries had been imposed during the previous decade in the form of land claims and town plats, these remained just scribbles on a piece of paper, abstract lines that meant little in daily life—particularly in the 1850s and early 1860s, when settlers were outnumbered, ill equipped, and reliant on Indigenous knowledge and labor. By the mid-1860s, however, the balance had shifted, and settlers had gained more power, in numbers as well as through the creation of the municipal state. The removal ordinance was passed on the heels of Seattle’s official incorporation and coincided with the founding of the city police, the election of the first mayor, and the construction of a new courthouse; trials until that point had been held in Yesler’s cookhouse. And while the ordinance simply formalized a spatial division that was already taking shape by 1865, the town now had an apparatus of enforcement to police these boundaries and punish those who transgressed. Ordinance 5 would be one of several passed during the next decade that restricted the movement and residency of Indigenous peoples in Seattle, serving to criminalize their very presence in the town and further legitimize white settler claims to the land."]

megan asaka, from seattle from the margins: exclusion, erasure, and the making of a pacific coast city, 2022