#ss endurance week

[en-tara]

2025 SS PRADA FASHION SHOW

OUTFITS!

GALLERIA VITTORIO

FASHION SHOW

AFTER PARTY

HIGHLIGHTS!

enhypen has taken over milan's fashion week with their grand entrance to prada's 2025 ss womenswear show

engenes were buzzing over tara as she had a similar outfit on as jake, making them match together on their way to milan

with that, of course tara made a great debut (?) when they visited the galleria — her dress was so cute! but the boys were shocked with her basically bare back. but she was able to get cute pics and bought a few things for herself and her family

fashion show wise, she toned it down as they were all dressed in such thick clothing despite it being very hot but she endured it all

and during the show, she sat in between sunghoon and jake

now the after party was the star of the show — people were shocked at her dress. it looked elegant yet so hot on her!

#tarasafterparty got trending in 30 minutes after the reveal of her new outfit

got to meet lots of people, like her favorite actress, emma watson again

100% got tipsy with heeseung and took one too many drinks — the champagne glasses were just calling her name but she wasn't as bad as heeseung

overall, 10/10 experience, it was better than last year and one of her favorite shows that she's attended out of all of them

TAGLIST (click here to be added):

@ateezjuliet . @pinkbrries . @moonlight-additions . hello i lost this taglist???

[precious-little-scoundrel]

Me too 😭😭 and you can see why they’d taunt the fuck out of them for it as well when they take over

MARINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ITS TRUUUEEEEEE and i need you to think of two things. Or three things.

(this fic is so daunting I procrastinate writing it by screaming here instead))

1. Ida recognizes them/him, right away, and she’s endured a lot but this feels too much. And then she sees him smile in recognition and yet he continues down the ranks of prisoners he’s inspecting and only comes to her when it’s her turn. And she cannot actually manage to meet his eye, she might’ve done so for that whole week but she can’t now. And he tells her he was sorry to have mislaid her, they got interrupted but he’s glad to have found her again. He was glad she enjoyed prolonging their adventures as much as he did. There’s more. It’s sick. Bucky loses it.

2. Lu down the line desperately looking to Ida to see if this is just some random SS dude spouting off on a famous story or really one of them

3. When the man moves on, and Ida is holding her breath for when he will come to Lu but he stops sooner. At her brother. Utterly gleeful at the uncanny resemblance

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

WIP Sunday

Thank you for the tags @emilykaldwen & @queen--kenobi! This is a snippet from my upcoming Tom Bennett one shot.

She had traveled aboard the SS Lafonia to the Falklands, accompanied by two doctors and eleven other nurses to treat the injured of the HMS Exeter following the battle of the River Plate. Having qualified as a nurse almost five years ago, she was experienced in dealing with blood and injury and, in the days spent sailing across the South Atlantic Ocean, she had been steeling herself for the inevitable carnage she would be witness to. Nothing, however, could have prepared her for the utter devastation she was met with upon arrival. Pulling back the canvas flap of the medical tent, the smell was the first thing to hit her, pushing her backwards like an invisible, oppressive force; burned flesh and the rancid, yet somehow sickly sweet scent of decay. Everything from minor burns to missing limbs needed to be treated, but those sailors were the fortunate ones, they still drew breath. Seventy two British sailors had lost their lives defending against German forces. It would be two weeks until a boat arrived to collect those fit enough to travel back to England, so those able bodied enough to do so assisted with dressing wounds and changing bed pans. She was grateful for the help as, despite there being fourteen medical staff to attend to their patients, it was overwhelming and she was tired, so tired. Her exhaustion had worn her patience thin, however, she was certain that the sailor assigned to helping her with her rounds would have grated upon her nerves even with a full night’s rest. She found his cocky smirk and continual stream of flirtatious remarks wholly inappropriate, considering the situation they found themselves in. There was no doubt in her mind that he had fought bravely and his service upon the Admiral Graf Spee was to be highly commended, but it didn’t mean she had to enjoy his company, she merely endured it. “Private Bennett, I need to give this patient a sponge bath, can you please dispose of these dressings?” She asked, keeping her tone curt as she seated herself beside a cot. “My turn next, yeah?” He quipped cheekily, causing her to press her lips into a tight line to suppress the urge to sigh. She lifted her eyes to meet his, her stern gaze wholly unaffected by the way the blue of his sparkled with mischief. “The dressings, Private Bennett.” “You can call me Tom, y’know,” he said airily, the smirk on his face never faltering as he snatched up the dirty bandages and turned to walk away. “I’d rather not,” she muttered wearily to his retreating form, turning her attention back to the sailor laid dozing in the cot beside her.

No pressure tags: @targaryenrealnessdarling @exitpursuedbyavulcan @flowerandblood @superprincesspea @peachessndreamss

[thedepartmentofdiscoveries]

David Bowie employed his artistic endeavours as a means to delve into the depths of his profound interests, among which was his enduring fascination with Buddhism and broader Eastern philosophy. His exploration of these themes became a distinctive thread woven into the rich tapestry of his creative expression.

Bowie was introduced to the power of Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies by his older half-brother, Terry Burns, who had a tremendous impact on how his life and career would turn out. Burns also opened Bowie’s mind up to total creativity with the works of Beat Generation writers such as William S. Burroughs, modern jazz, and even the occult. Many of what would become his artistic hallmarks can be traced back to these formative influences.

In the early years, when Bowie was still trying to find his feet as an artist, his fascination with Buddhism made its way into his work. The first song to contain his interest in religion is ‘Silly Boy Blue’ from 1967’s self-titled debut album. Years later, Bowie would claim that he wrote the song ‘Karma Man’ about the ongoing strife between Tibet, the home of the Dalai Lama, the leader of ‘Yellow Hat’ Tibetan Buddhism, and China, who annexed it in 1951.

Bowie developed his interest in Tibetan Buddhism in 1965. In addition to what his brother showed him, this materialised after reading Nazi SS Sergeant Heinrich Harrer’s 1952 memoir Seven Years in Tibet. It retold his experiences in the country between 1944 and the Chinese annexation.

Speaking to Melody Maker in 1966, Bowie outlined his love for Tibet, stating: “I want to go to Tibet. It’s a fascinating place, y’know. I’d like to take a holiday and have a look inside the monasteries. The Tibetan monks, Lamas, bury themselves inside mountains for weeks and only eat every three days. They’re ridiculous – and it’s said they live for centuries.”

Although Eastern philosophy and Buddhism greatly influenced the counterculture of the 1960s, Bowie was serious in his dedication to the faith, and it would remain for decades after the zeitgeist changed. In 1966, he visited the North London Buddhist Centre, Tibet House, and spoke to one of its teachers, Chime Yong Dong Rinpoche, with whom he would become lifelong friends.

Introducing ‘Silly Boy Blue’ at the Tibet House Benefit in 2001, Bowie explained: “I stumbled into the Buddhist Society in London when I was about seventeen. Sitting in front of me at the desk was a Tibetan lama, and he looked up and he said, ‘Are you looking for me?’ He had a bad grasp of English and, in fact, was saying, ‘Who are you looking for?’ But I needed him to say, ‘You’re looking for me.’ It’s absolutely true!”

Bowie recalled: “So he became my friend and teacher for quite some time. His name is Chime Yong Dong Rinpoche and he now is head of [he was Curator of Ancient Tibetan Manuscripts] at the British Museum in London. This was ’65, ’66. That’s when I met him. Around that time, I wrote this next song… ‘Silly Boy Blue’.”

Bowie also introduced Rinpoche to his friend Tony Visconti, who also became his student. Looking back on their significant first meeting, Lama Chime Tulku Rinpoche told The Telegraph in 2016: “I said, ‘Come in, young man. Why did you come to see me?’ He said, ‘I want to become a monk.’ I asked him, ‘What is your talent?’ And he said music. I said, so then don’t become monk; you do the music. And from that day, that is what he did."

[mischas]

First, Merry Chrismukkah & I hope you have a happy 2024! Second, I was wondering if an O.C. revival ever happened, how would it play out in terms of story, characters, & a R+M reunion? (I see it like the final scene in Titanic, the trope where they don't get a happy ending, but still end up together nonetheless)

Hello! Same to you! Happy belated Chrismukkah! ❤️🎄

Do you mean revival as if Marissa went off to Greece? I operate in this head canon daily so I'm always thinking up random scenarios. I'm personally of the mind that she goes to Greece, comes back a year or half a year later, enrolls in NYU, lives her best New York life, visits Providence a bit to see SS, becomes besties with Seth, has a college-spanning situationship with Ryan as they mine their high school traumas. Sometimes I wonder if RM would ever really talk everything out or if Marissa would hold things against Ryan unintentionally that keeps them in the situationship phase. I also see them deciding to be a couple again for good without ironing everything out and that coming back to bite them in the ass. Avoidant babies doing avoidant baby things.

As for the others, I imagine Julie marrying Neil but still making time for Jimmy when he pops back into her life. Which Marissa and Kaitlin are more than aware of and it impacts how they view love and marriage. Enter: convenient situationships.

I also sorta head canon that Marissa and Summer are more reticent about marriage than Ryan and Seth ever are. Ryan obviously comes from a broken home but has lived with the Cohens' since he was 16 and he and Seth don't really live with frayed parental relationships in the ways Marissa and Summer do. Sometimes I think that Seth proposes to Summer and that's when their relationship falls apart. I think they'd still find their way back to one another someday but it quickly dawns on Summer in college that she's been with one guy her whole life.

Kirsten starts a foundation for lower-income addicts in Southern California and Sandy gets back into the PD's office. There's no earthquake so the Cohen home endures.

Seth gets back into creating for Atomic County and has a fun, though sometimes tense, working relationship with Zach. There's no big-budget adaptation shit going on but it's steady money and mildly successful. At some point Seth plans to create a spinoff set on the east coast but is still figuring that out.

Seth visits New York a lot for work meetings and indie concerts and stays with Marissa who becomes his bestie. They smoke weed and talk about Allen Ginsburg. Seth-Ryan time is still on the books every week but it's hard to do so when they live on opposite coasts and have different schedules. Ryan grows mildly jealous that he sometimes gets more Marissa updates from Seth than he does Marissa herself. But them being such good friends warms his heart, and it warms Summer's too.

At some point Trey dies and it forces Ryan to face some things he's been pushing down for years. I think Marissa's been working on things in therapy but it's still a source of tension between them. Marissa's all-too-understanding that Ryan's confused about his grief and he's mad that he's grieving at all. It translates into them finally acknowledging this thing between them is built on a love that is unconditional and profound and has existed since they were 16. It's a connection that they've always been scared of losing if they were to ever give into it fully. Their propensity for jumping into full-on-yet-noncommunicative commitment in their youth contrasted with their friends-who-hook-up-nature in college is a twist I like imagining them taking, especially as their lives mellow out when living outside Newport.

As for the ending up together yet sorta unhappy ending, I can see Marissa and Ryan finally jumping into long-term commitment after years of being friends who hook up and it taking a while before it all slots into place. I do think it would, but there's the idea in their heads that maybe this is a relationship that cannot last because it's never been all that successful before. And I think they both have a ton of self-loathing to work through before their hearts can be open to the possibility of happily ever after.

[aeoki]

Blackjack - Epilogue 1

Location: Yumenosaki Student Council Room Characters: Shinobu & Mayoi Season: Winter

TL Note:

To be precise, this is from December 29th until January 3rd.

Just to clarify, the Japanese school/working year begins and ends in April. 

Urashima Tarou is a Japanese fairy tale that tells the story of how a fisherman (Urashima Tarou) rescues a turtle and is rewarded with a visit to the Dragon Palace. There, he spends several days with the princess but returns to land only to discover one hundred years has passed.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ< One week later – New Year’s Day. Yumenosaki Academy, Student Council Room. >

Mayoi: Happy New Yeaaaarrrr.

I–I apologise for showing such a grim expression during the New Year. It’s depressing, isn’t it? Seeing my gloomy face.

Shinobu: Happy New Year ~de gozaru…

You’re in perfect form during the New Year in a bad sense, huh. Where did your confident attitude during “Star Fest” go? Was it an illusion that only I saw?

Mayoi: I–I suppose you could say I was just influenced by the atmosphere back then.

I couldn’t show my pathetic side in front of my student. Although, it was just a short teacher-student relationship that came into being due to how things unfolded.

It is standard for the phantom to show his disgraceful behaviour in front of the songstress, though.

Anyway, I see you two are working right after the New Year – Chief, Anzu-san.

Shinobu: Yeah. I couldn’t sleep since I was too excited for “SS”, so I thought about stopping by the student council room.

I wanted to see who would be in. Then, I saw Anzu-dono working on some paperwork at the speed of light and that nearly scared me half to death.

Mayoi: Hehe. Anzu-san was under house arrest for the entirety of “SS” and was only released right before the Main Stage began – or so I’ve heard.

She must have a mountain of things she needs to do and things she wants to do.

But working during the New Year holidays[1] is banned under the Labour Standards Act or whatnot, so she decided to bring her work to Yumenosaki instead.

Shinobu: She’s a real workaholic ~de gozaru. Truly knock on wood. You’re just asking to get sick again, you know?

Hm? You say you’re not actually working…?

Then what are you doing? You’re rummaging through a lot of paperwork, though…?

Hmm? You’re searching for traces of Hitsugi Kurone?

Mayoi: Ahh, it was truly unfortunate what happened to them.

We had a lot of fun singing together on the “Star Fest” stage for a while.

Then, NEGI-san suddenly left the stage. We let our guard down and she broke away from us, leaving us all alone.

We still don’t know why she did that.

But NEGI-san got away from our wall of flesh and “Priest’s” subordinates decided that would be the perfect time to aim for her…

She was shot and ended up with a fatal injury that even medical treatment may not be of any help.

According to the doctor who brought her to the hospital in a hurry, it was practically immediate death.

Shinobu: …I still can’t believe it. It feels like some nightmare ~de gozaru.

Kurone-dono refused visitors after he was admitted to hospital.

I couldn’t get a hold of any information after that, so all I could do was to focus on the “SS” Main Stage right in front of us.

But I always remembered the smile NEGI-dono had on stage that day and her beautiful singing.

No. NEGI-dono was shot and she lost a lot of blood… It makes me feel awful every time I remember that scene.

It felt as though the NEGI-dono in my memory was scolding me – telling me not to stand there absent-mindedly and to smile and sing if I’m an idol.

That’s why I was just barely able to endure it all. I was able to overcome “SS” right until the very end.

But I can’t take it anymore… I’m a little tired.

Mayoi: Hehe. She has really haunted us in that sense.

We were haunted by a mysterious child who was like a hallucination or a ghost – a girl who detested idols but grew to love them a little at the very end.

Maybe she really was a ghost. Tell me, did she really exist?

Everyone was sparkling brightly like a proper idol during “SS” as if that tragedy never happened.

That’s why it makes me wonder if it was all a dream…

Shinobu: Hm? It wasn’t a dream? What do you mean, Anzu-dono?

Hmm? What are those documents…? Uhh, they’re this year’s[2] dreamfest proposals submitted from the summer until the current day…?

What about them ~de gozaru? Huh, the one who came up with them?

They’re all names I’ve seen before. It’s the Student Council’s job to receive them and judge whether they’re worthy of implementation.

Those proposals are all written by fairly well-known and influential students from the “Producer Course”. Err, in other words, they’re mostly from the “Peace Party”.

Huh? You want us to look into them and see if they actually exist? Well, I’m a ninja so conducting investigations is in my area of expertise but… why?

Hmm? It may not be all of them but there’s a chance that some of them are “people who don’t actually exist” – people who Kurone-dono disguised himself as?

Mayoi: Come to think of it, Hitsugi-kyun mentioned that he was skilled in disguises. No, it was transforming into others to be precise…

Shinobu: Which means, uhh, what does that mean ~de gozaru?

Mayoi: Perhaps he was a performer in his own work.

Shinobu: Huh? What?

Mayoi: I’ve heard that Hitsugi-kyun was bullied by the “Peace Party” and Anzu-san was the one who saved him.

Just like the turtle who was saved by Urashima Tarou[3].

They met each other and conspired together in the secret feud between them and the “Peace Party”.

What if their encounter and their series of confrontations with the “Peace Party” was all just Hitsugi-kyun who disguised himself as those influential members of the “Peace Party” and did all the work himself…?

Shinobu: …You’re saying Kurone-dono put on an act and did all that in order to curry Anzu-dono’s favour? Since she was said to be a legendary “producer” and was powerful within Yumenosaki and ES?

Mayoi: Not only that, maybe the tragedy during “Star Fest” was also…

Come to think of it, right before the tragedy unfolded, I met Mr. “Gatekeeper” at the dead of night in school. He seemed rather suspicious.

He helped Hitsugi-kyun escape from my family’s residence.

Shinobu: Oh, so that’s why Kurone-dono was on that stage.

Mayoi: Yes… While Mr. “Gatekeeper” was getting Hitsugi-kyun out, there must have been a chance for them to talk alone.

Maybe… the two of them conspired together to come up with a plan.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[akiscigarette]

One Shot Summer Day 2: "Cicatrices" (Scars)

Inspired by Cicatrices, perfomed by Kalimba. If you're Mexican, you understand why there isn't any link to the song.

Ven y dime corazón, ¿cómo empezar Come here and tell me love, Una vez más sin ti? how can I start again without you? Ven y dile al corazón que puede seguir Come and tell my heart that it can move on Que puede vivir sin ti That it can live without you Este amor que se fue This love is already gone Y que no puedo vivir sin ti And I can’t live without you Este amor que se fue This love is long gone Y que no puedo tener And I can’t have it anymore Que era de los dos, pero se olvidó It was ours, but it’s already forgotten Dejando cicatrices Just leaving scars behind

Another day long gone, another day in which Kazutora Hanemiya didn’t receive any letter from the outside.

He felt like he was slowly losing it completely, because he kept waiting from that particular letter since he came back to juvie. Only 15 years old, and two murder chargers were already weighting on his shoulder. He was lucky enough that his father’s money could afford an outstanding lawyer that managed to prove that his guilty confession was just a trauma response for seeing that boy of his same age lying lifeless next to him. He was even luckier that he wouldn’t get transferred into an adult’s prison before he became of age.

Maybe that was the reason no one wrote to him. He was a murderer.

But he still looked up to the moment in which mail was delivered to his fellow inmates, waiting anxiously for an envelope with the messiest handwriting that has been known to man. Sometimes, Kazutora could swear that the kanjis used were actually mistaken, but he just shrugged it off with a chuckle.

 He knew that his best friend was a little slow. But he didn’t care. Why would anyone mind that he had a hard time spelling when Keisuke Baji was the most loyal person that had ever lived?

Not matter what kind of hell awaits us, I’m with you until the end!

Kazutora was proud to admit that he spared Baji the hell that juvie was. As physically strong as Baji was, he was too pure to survive a system in which only the deranged survived. Even if both were present when Shinichiro Sano was murdered, Baji – who tried to stop Kazutora and was already struggling with adapting to junior high – was held back for a school year. But he was free.

And it was all that matters.

Unlike the others who eventually turned his back to him, especially those who were closer to Mikey, Baji still wrote to him every single week.

But he was a liar.

Baji died before they both saw the end to the hell that Kazutora was going through.

However, Baji didn’t die. Kazutora killed him. Instead of running away, Kazutora stayed behind when the police arrived at the junkyard in which the Bloody Halloween took place.

I died on my own.

Those words still echoed Kazutora’s mind whenever he started to drift into sleep.

That big oaf was trying to reassure him on his last breathes.

Baji could’ve saved them. Maybe if he hadn’t exhausted himself, he wouldn’t have been declared dead on the scene.

Kazutora still regretted not being able to face his mother. She already hated him for the incident at SS Motors, and she asked her son to end their friendship as soon as she learned the first verdict. Baji was the one who confessed it in one of his letters because that idiot couldn’t hide anything from Kazutora.  

But only if Baji hadn’t gotten in the way of his knife, maybe Kazutora would’ve done anything and beyond to earn Ryoko’s forgiveness instead of spending his days wondering when Baji’s next letter would arrive.

Kazutora couldn’t change the past. What was done, was done.

He wondered if he ever told Baji how much he loved him. Did he feel it? Were his actions enough?

Kazutora still loved Baji.

Love felt like such a strong word, but it was the only right one to accurately describe and label his feelings towards Baji. He remembered that his mom once told him that love endures all things. The only one who had been by Kazutora’s side since the day they met was Baji. And he never left him behind. He was the first one to openly calling him out for being bullied, but also stood up for him without expecting anything in return. Baji was also there during the trial. And he also followed him to Valhalla just to assure that he was safe.

Kazutora wasn’t sure if his feelings for Baji were romantic. Both were still so young. But love didn’t have to be romantic, right? Love could be manifested in numerous ways…

Even in a destructive manner, just like his parents had shown him. And the way in which Kazutora himself had loved, ending the life of the only person that had deeply cared about him.

Yet, he was still holding to the delusion of receiving another Baji’s letter to keep himself sane.

His gaze was already lost, looking at nowhere in specific, when he heard a distant voice calling him.

Hanemiya, it seems like your little girlfriend finally forgave you for coming back to this hole. You got a letter.

Not even the warden’s mocking made Kazutora react. Silently, he just took the letter and walked back to his bunk bed. It wasn’t exactly quiet, but his cellmate was somewhere else.

The calligraphy on the envelope was different. It was cleaner than Baji’s, even elegant. If he didn’t know better that the only girl he actually talked to before juvie was Emma, he could’ve believed it was indeed a girl who wrote that letter to him.

Hanemiya-san,

I don’t think we have truly met, and it isn’t like I really want to because you’re far from being my favorite person right now. But Baji-san wouldn’t forgive me if I left you alone… Whatever. My name’s Chifuyu Matsuno, vice-captain of the Tokyo Manji First Division…

[girlgamesnetwork]

Girl Games Network #1 (21/5/23)

Hello and welcome to the first instalment of the Girl Games Network newsletter. Each Sunday, I'll be sharing games industry news from a feminist angle and highlighting the games and women/non-binary people in the industry that you might not have heard about.

Riot Games paying out $100 million to 1,500 female employees

"It isn't everything you deserve. But it is an acknowledgement that you aren't alone, you are never alone, and we can stop this across the industry together."

US game developers Riot Games (Valorant) are paying out $100 million to 1,548 women employed at the company between 6th November, 2014 and 27th December, 2021. This follows a 2018 class action lawsuit for gender discrimination from former employees Melanie McCracken (Nuverse) and Jes Negrón (Retcon Games) that had its final approval hearing on 16th May, 2023.

After the initial $10 million settlement was objected to by California's Department of Fair Employment & Housing (DFEH), the $100 million was agreed on in 2021, with $20 million covering legal fees.

According to the settlement Riot must pay out the following to those eligible  :

$2,500-5,000 depending on whether they worked as an employee or temporary agency contractor, and regardless of whether they exclude themselves (the “Minimum Payment”), and

$15,000-35,000 if they worked as an employee and do not exclude themselves, or

$5,000-10,000 if they worked as a temporary agency contractor and do not exclude themselves

Group/Class Members may also receive an additional $40,000 if they worked as an employee in or before 2015 and do not exclude themselves.

In statements on LinkedIn, Negrón and McCracken both expressed relief at the end of their four year journey. McCracken emphasised that "this is just the beginning" and talked about the importance of "inclusivity and belonging" in the workplace, while Negrón spoke about the stories of "disgusting bro culture" she and other women involved in the case had to endure and repeat throughout the process to get a "modicum of justice".

Any "current and former female employees and temporary agency contractors" at Riot in California between 6th November, 2014 and 27th December, 2021 can participate in the settlement and payment will be distributed in the three weeks following the final approval hearing last Tuesday. If you think you or someone you know might be eligible, go to https://www.riotsettlement.com/ for more details.

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/04/activision-riot-settlement-payments

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/riot-s-100-million-gender-discrimination-settlement-granted-final-approval

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7064643428264857600/

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/melaniemccracken_toggle-navigation-activity-7064744567169822720-sS-t/

https://twitter.com/JesNx/status/1659212142829264899?cxt=HHwWhoDTxeWp2oYuAAAA

Streamer Alanah Pearce banned for watching Zelda trailer footage on Twitch

"It would appear that Nintendo DMCA'd me for watching approved Zelda gameplay"

When their long-awaited game The Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom leaked over a week before release, Nintendo's notorious legal efforts and takedowns only got more aggressive.

One person caught in the crosshairs was Alanah Pearce, a game writer for Sony Santa Monica as well as a YouTube video-maker, boxer, DJ and most importantly Twitch streamer. During a stream where she watched a TOTK preview video from SkillUp that only contained pre-embargo footage, Pearce's channel charalanahzard received a DMCA strike from Nintendo and was suspended. The SkillUp video has not been subject to any takedowns.

After 70 minutes, Pearce managed to appeal and reverse the Twitch ban and regained access to her channel. With over 163K followers on Twitch alone, the size of her audience may have sped up her appeal; smaller streamers may not be so lucky.

https://twitter.com/StreamerBans/status/1655817156553060353

https://twitter.com/Charalanahzard/status/1655799864457035776?cxt=HHwWgIDQwYbNyvotAAAA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKc2_3-vRf8

Fullbright and Open Roads Developers Separate

"It's just no longer Fullbright's place to represent Open Roads publicly going forward" 

As of 12th May 2023, the developers behind Gone Home and the upcoming Open Roads have parted ways with their founder Steve Gaynor and the Fullbright name. This announcement comes not from what are now known as "The Open Roads Team" or from their publisher Annapurna Interactive, but Gaynor himself in his first Fullbright newsletter in years.

In the newsletter, Gaynor alludes to "serious turmoil" at the studio that came to light shortly after the announcement of Open Roads and acknowledges that events have shown his "own strengths do not lie with attempting to manage a large project or direct the work of others", but does not detail what happened at Fullbright.

Within a year and a half of Open Roads' announcement at the 2020 Game Awards, fifteen employees left Fullbright. Current and former members of the studio spoke to Polygon in 2021 about their concerns with Ganyor's behaviour toward them, specifically the women. They emphasised that the behaviour did not veer into sexual harassment or explicit sexism, but Gaynor's "controlling" behaviour and "demeaning presence" that wore many down, to the point of their quitting en masse. The overall impression was that Gaynor saw Open Roads less as the team's game and more as his; Fullbright as an extension of his auteurship. Indeed, his personal Twitter account was Fullbright until forced to change it by the unrest in May 2021.

By the time of the Polygon report, Annapurna were already aware of the situation and had conducted an internal investigation, but the team were dissatisfied. When speaking to People Make Games in 2022, the staff - again anonymous for fear of repercussions from either Annapurna or Gaynor - said that Annapurna "talked around" the issue when asking the staff what they would need to finish the project and the prospect of removing Gaynor from his position at the head of the studio and writer on Open Roads was not brought up.

After the report went out and news of Gaynor's misconduct was public knowledge, the Open Roads twitter issued a statement now deleted saying : "Fullbright's co-founder Steve Gaynor has stepped back from his role as creative lead and manager, and transitioned to a role as a writer". The statement could also be found on the game's website, which was a part of Fullbright's website and is currently down. A day later, Gaynor issued a statement on twitter saying much of the same and acknowledging his "hurtful" leadership, but also not giving details. Through all of this, Annapurna Interactive remained silent and continues to do so.

When the changeover from Fullbright to The Open Roads Team happened is unclear : Gaynor's influence on the game was gone from June 2021 according to the Game Informer interviews and Amy Fincher's job as executive producer on Open Roads changed from under Fullbright to under Annapurna in September 2022. The game's website and Steam page were both linked to Fullbright as recently as early May and the developer still hasn't been updated on Annapurna's website. Whether Gaynor's announcement was ahead of or instead of a statement from Annapurna or The Open Roads Team, the developer is once again in his shadow, hopefully for the last time.

Open Roads is a mother- daughter road trip currently in development by The Open Roads Team at Annapurna Interactive. In light of its rocky development, the release date is unknown.

https://youtu.be/xDPzZkx0cPs?t=1015

https://fullbright.cmail20.com/t/t-e-fhtudtt-pikikkhuk-k/

https://web.archive.org/web/20210806094550/https://twitter.com/OpenRoadsGame/status/1423071532952080386

https://twitter.com/SteveGaynorPDX/status/1423094322396762113?cxt=HHwWgsCsheKv7L8nAAAA

https://www.gameinformer.com/feature/2022/07/21/a-new-destination-how-open-roads-changed-direction-and-saved-its-turbulent-road

https://www.polygon.com/22610490/fullbright-steve-gaynor-controversy-stepped-down-open-roads

News of note :

Article by Lin Codega at Gizmodo collecting trans experiences with Link https://gizmodo.com/legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-link-trans-1850430832

Feminist Frequency is fundraising $20000 for the Game and Online Harassment, with donations matched by Landfall Games  https://givebutter.com/femfreqspring2023

Excellent art of Tear of the Kingdom's best returning character by @aurahack https://cohost.org/aurahack/post/1492484-purah

One day left for the Earthquake Relief Bundle on itch https://itch.io/b/1805/trkiye-syria-earthquake-relief-mega-bundle

Humble's first Black Game Developer Fund game "Protodroid DeLTA" releases on 25/5 with Day One DLC Armour Pack that goes to Girls Make Games scholarship fund https://www.humblebundle.com/store/protodroid-delta

New podcast "Confessions of a Gamer Girl" looking for female, Australian panellists https://twitter.com/Doomcutie_/status/1658130126683480065?cxt=HHwWgoC9hZWk7oIuAAAA 

"Blackpink The Game" management sim launched for mobile by TakeOne Company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERl_J3b_ejI

Coming attractions :

Playstation Showcase 24/5 https://www.youtube.com/live/e9z0atV8VDk?feature=share

Summer Games Done Quick returns online and in-person in Minneapolis 28/5-4/6 https://gamesdonequick.com/schedule/43

Summer Games Fest returns online and in-person at the YouTube Theater, Los Angeles 8/6 https://www.summergamefest.com/

GDC Showcase 27-29/6 (book tickets before June to save $40) https://gdconf.com/

Thanks for reading this far! If you're looking for latest news in girl games and girls in games, be sure to follow @girlgamesnetwork wherever good posts are found.

[ammg-old2]

AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU, Poland — Along a desolate stretch of road in southeastern Poland, a dozen miles from Auschwitz, there is a graveyard. Candles and fresh flowers cover nearly all the marble tombs. But in the corner stands a large black marble slab separated from the rest.

“Forty-two victims, women, men and children, prisoners from the Auschwitz concentration camp, who were murdered by the Nazis during the death march, and died on Jan. 18, 1945, in the village area of Miedzna were buried in a mass grave in this cemetery,” an inscription explains.

But there are only four names. Another 21 people are identified by their inmate numbers. And 17 have never been identified.

Seventy-five years ago on Jan. 27, Soviet forces swept across Poland from the east and liberated Auschwitz, the camp complex where 1.3 million were enslaved — and 1.1 million among them systematically murdered — during the war.

But before they could arrive, the Nazis force marched some 56,000 weakened prisoners out of the camp ahead of their advance, in the dead of winter, with an estimated 15,000 shot or dying of cold, hunger and illness along the way.

Similar marches were taking place all across the eastern front after the SS chief Heinrich Himmler ordered that all able-bodied prisoners be taken to the Reich.

Despite years of study and troves of testimony from witnesses, the chaos of that evacuation is one of the least understood periods of the Holocaust.

Himmler’s orders served several purposes, according to research by the United States Holocaust Museum. First, he wanted to eliminate evidence of German crimes and witnesses who could testify to those crimes. He also hoped to use inmates as slave labor to keep the German war going. And rather irrationally, he believed that the prisoners could be used as bargaining chips in any peace negotiations.

While death might not have been the goal of the marches, that was indeed the fate of many, as the scattered gravestones that remain along these roads today attest.

Zofia Posmysz still remembers her inmate number: 7566. Sitting in her neatly kept apartment in Warsaw, the 96-year-old survivor remembered the biting cold on the night the guards gathered thousands of women outside the gates of Birkenau, a death camp that was part of the Auschwitz complex.

“We didn’t know what it meant that we would leave the camp,” she said. “We didn’t know if we would have to undergo some sort of selection.

“We heard that those who could not walk would get to stay in the hospital, but we weren’t sure if they would be kept alive. We knew nothing and worried.”

But how could it be worse than the hell she had endured for three years? One memory came rushing back to her.

“One night, I woke up and heard someone singing outside. It was a man’s voice. I thought to myself that our guard wouldn’t probably notice if I sneaked out to have a look. I went outside and saw a man dressed in a black coat. He was singing and raising his arms in the air. Suddenly I felt someone grabbing my arm. It was a Jewish friend from the ward. She asked me: ‘Do you know what he’s singing?’”

“‘No,’ I replied. But it was hauntingly beautiful.”

“It’s a Hebrew song, a prayer for a good death,” her friend told her.

“When we woke up in the morning, there was no more singing; the square was completely empty. All we saw was the smoke coming from the crematory chimney.”

Ms. Posmysz was among those made to march. In her memory, after the first bitterly cold night, the days blend together, something Holocaust scholars say is common among those who survived.

Her next memory is arriving at the station in Wodzislaw Slaski for a train that would take her to another camp in Germany. She would be moved one more time before the end of the war. Once free, she walked for weeks until she finally made it back to her home in Krakow.

Until recently, it would have been possible to find people who lived in the towns and villages along the route who could recall seeing the columns of starving and abused prisoners flanked by Nazi soldiers walking past their homes.

Their numbers, like the survivors, grow fewer every year.

Maria Kopiasz, 93, still lives in the same house in the town of Brzeszcze that she did during the war, and the grim scene of the march has stayed with her.

“They marched in the middle of this road,” she said. “SS men on both sides. Every third of them or so with a German shepherd. I remember mainly women. We knew we couldn’t even show any sympathy as we would be taken with them. I could only watch quietly through the window.”

Jan Stolarz, a retired miner, has led a small group of people on a trek to retrace the path of one of the marches for nine years.

“I visited Auschwitz-Birkenau with my wife 10 years ago,” he explained. “I saw a handwritten note left by someone in one of the barracks. It read: We live as long as the memory of us is alive. This message resonated with me strongly.”

[crystalelemental]

Alright, Champion Stadium clear for this week.  This shouldn’t be too bad.  Hoenn’s one of the stronger ones, but I always felt like Sinnoh’s shenanigans were a lot more annoying.  We should be fine as long as-

“Steel-weak Glacia time!”

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Drake was weak to Ice, and I decided yeah, I want to run Rosa here.  Winter Rosa doesn’t get enough love.  I know she’s awful, but I love her so.  Something about myriad randomized buffing every trainer move use is delightful to me.  Summer Steven is also just a lot of fun.  I dunno, I love the guy.  Candice is also just a great sync nuker when EX.  I gotta validate that decision every so often.  Drake really wasn’t too bad, so that was nice.

But then, the big one.  Steel-weak Glacia is here to throw down.  I have a Raihan now!  So let’s see what she can-oh, one-shot with the first Blizzard.  Huh.  HUH.  So then I briefly entertained the idea of Thorton before realizing that wasn’t going to work due to horrific gauge issues between him, Marnie, and a support that can provide him the needed special attack/crit.  So I gave up on him too and decided that Zinfogel was right, just off-type it.  With Eevee Kris.  “Is that SST Red?”  Listen.  I did get a copy of him.  1/5, I refuse to engage with the overbearing bullshit of full kit.  And this is exactly why, because Volkner wasn’t getting the job done.  Inconsistent paralysis for Kris meant slowing her down too much, and inconsistent flinch rate meant taking a lot of damage we didn’t want to take.  So SST Red had to happen for this.  Kimono Jasmine helped Kris get set up, and SST Red applied team-wide paralysis and some defensive drops that really helped out.  We did have to deal with first sync, and Red did drop like a bitch.  But Kris and Jasmine survived, because they’re good units.  Kris actually does really good damage.

Phoebe was a bit easier.  Or should have been, except someone had to get half time to sync, and apparently I thought SS Cyrus was a good pick?  Legitimately don’t know what I was thinking.  He managed, but we had to take first sync.  Again.  SS Kris gives enough special defense, and switching back to Dark Zone helped alleviate the threat.  But it wasn’t great.  Not my best work.

Sidney was Bug-weak, which means Lusamine.  She was able to deal great damage thanks to Lucian’s support.  SC Lillie, despite being Dark weak, handled the stage pretty well too.  Funny story, when Sidney himself used Snarl later on, it knocked Lusamine straight to Endure.  Which was a problem, except it kicked off Power Reserves 5.  So that was fun.  10k+ per Bug Buzz.  Great stuff.

Finally, Water-weak Steven.  She’ll kick you apart.  SHE’LL KICK YOU APART.  I love her new grid.  It’s stupid good.  And it means rising Halloween Caitlin stocks, which is great.  I actually like Winona best as the third partner here, I think she’s legitimately better than May.  Flinch rate.  I guess Tech Gyarados eggmon can do the same thing, while also activating theme skills, but can Tech Gyarados use Hurricane?  I didn’t think so.

Anyway, that’s Hoenn down.  Good work, team.

[books-are-my-life-stuff]

I somehow survived this week...Next week is gonna be scary though...

Wikstrom: God bless Silver. That's it, really. His sync nuke wiped the floor. Clemont was there mostly for debuffing defenses, and SS Morty made the team immortal. Yeah, I really don't need any more Fire-types, everything's covered.

Malva: Hyper Beam missed like 4 times, at 90% accuracy. Thanks to that, the team almost didn't survive. In hindsight maybe I should've brought Spring Burgh here, but SS Brendan's debuffs helped a lot...oh well. The opposing team mostly used physical attacks too, so maybe SS Brendan wasn't a good idea but, this team somehow survived. If only Blue didn't miss his Hyper Beam too much, maybe it could've been a lot smoother.

Drasna: Yeah, this stage was made for SS N. Luckily the sides didn't have ridiculous passives nor Endurance...well, apart from Furious Brain, and at +1 Sp. Atk Dragon Pulse from sides hit like 350 damage...ouch. Caitlin could take that, but still a lot more damage than what I was expecting. Thankfully, once SS N used B Noble Roar and Winter Leon stacked lots of Physical Move Up Next, the battle was over. SS N one-shot Drasna with his Freeze Shock, and Winter Leon one-shot sides with Glacial Lance+5 Physical Move Up Next Stacks.

Siebold: No, you don't need 3/5 SST Red. Well, maybe I went a little overkill for bringing Classic Elesa, but the entire team here was all 1/5 and still cleared the stage no problem so...yeah. I basically composed the team that had good gauge control/didn't need too much gauge and support EX, since Siebold debuffed Speed a lot. Maybe this was possible with N as long as he's partnered with Hilbert and Hilbert kept the speed buff going? Not sure, maybe I'll try that.

Diantha: This stage was made for Halloween Iris, the game even gave a permanent field effect parameter for this. I don't have her unfortunately, so I used Kiawe instead to make use of permanent move gauge acceleration, coupled with Speed buffs from both Emma and Kiawe too, and he also brought some defense debuffs to help Emma (not that she needed debuffs for optimal damage but still appreciated). I brought Janine to inflict Poison and theme skills, but maybe I should've chosen increased additional effect instead of increased sync buff parameter, coin flip chance to Poison is still coin flip chance. Emma is pretty strong, and I'm happy to have her.

[salvager-beyblade-fanfiction]

Salvager Chapter 1: Floor 190

There looked to be… about a hundred and twenty androids plugged into the recharge ports. Trouble, Salvager grimaced to himself, peering through his magnification glasses at them all from his hiding spot. His back was against the hard glass surface of what had once been a display screen--fortunately, someone had thought to paint it black at some point in the last seven years, renewing its usefulness--and his boots were planted firmly against the floor, his eyes raised just a slit above the screen’s top. Two second intervals, he decided, flicking his gaze to the ceiling. Yeah… That should do the trick… 

Though the robots were tethered to the battery farm now, it would take less than a penny dropping to activate their dormant sensory receptors. Every last one could wake up in less than an instant and Salvager--by himself, anyways--didn’t stand a chance against that many. He and Venom had calculated their individual odds earlier that week--just in case either of them ever found themselves in such a situation. After reviewing Shinoda’s system, it had been decided that Venom could reasonably handle six androids at once. Salvager, on the other hand, could only dispatch two without wasting inventory. So, for now, he’d have to maneuver past the dozing horde silently.

He sank below the edge of his hiding spot, folding in a way that he landed gently on his knees. The floor was thrumming with the constant pulse of batteries, the electrical activity bleeding warmth into the tiling, heating his legs. Just how much electricity the androids guzzled up as they slept, Salvager wasn’t sure--he couldn’t even have guessed how much it took to power a prototype android compared to the self-replicated, reconstructed, Starving Silver, or Devoured Men models--and how each one continued to consume so much after seven years of the Tower’s lockdown, he had even less of an idea.

Swallowing with anticipation, Salvager ignited his player board with a sweep of his hand, summoning his transparent blue data screen just beside his right palm.. Shinoda--the Tower’s A.I. system--quickly rolled through his stats--

Valt Aoi

[SALVAGER]

Rank: 4

Strength: B

Speed: A

Endurance: S

Dexterity: A

Power: D

Inventory: SS

--until Salvager himself keyed the display to his inventory.

INVENTORY

Capacity rank: SS

Capacity limit: None

Current items interred: 1, 578

Lifetime items interred: 100, 759

SEARCH BY

CATEGORY

Weaponry

Food

Drink

Power sources

Press for more CATEGORY

TAGS

Too Loud

Elevator Repair

Floor 133 (Old)

Hand Maintenance (for Venom)

Press for more TAGS

RECENTLY-USED

Repulse cannon

Casserole dish

Hiking boots

Electric sword

Press for more RECENTLY-USED

MOST-USED

Laser grapnel

Black leather jacket

Steel-toed boots

Protein bar

Press for more MOST-USED

STARRED

Acid capsule

Blowtorch

Disruptor pistol

Reactor cannon

Press for more STARRED

MOST-COMMON

Lunch tray

Scrap metal

Laser pistol

White socks

Press for more MOST-COMMON

HIGHEST-RANKING

[[AWARD-CLASS]] Shinoda’s Wings (L)

Laser blade (SS)

Android skeleton (S)

Repulse bomb (S)

Press for more HIGHEST-RANKING

Custom search

Select filters…

Enter search parameters

Ignoring the extensive lists, he selected his laser grapnel and--for futility’s sake (in case something went wrong)--one of his fifteen disruptor pistols. At once, Shinoda extracted both tools from its digital database and loaded them into his hands, automatically conjuring the grapnel into his right, as the item’s user preferences had indicated. Sniffing, Salvager removed his magnification glasses, tossed them back into his inventory (by way of his player board), dismissed Shinoda, and lifted the small screen on the back of the grapnel closer to his eyes. Thumbing carefully over the options, he adjusted the laser whip settings to match his earlier decision--Two second intervals, immediate relaunch--and, with a small squeeze of the trigger, a buzzing glow filled the short barrel. Perfect.

Moving quickly but softly, Salvager skirted around the edge of his blacked-out hiding spot and, disruptor gripped tightly in his left fist, swung the tip of the grapnel skyward. He locked the sights to the exposed metal beams of the ceiling and, taking light, swift bounds forward, snapped down the trigger. 

A beam of ice-blue light shot from the end, connecting with a steel bar roughly a sixth of the way across the battery farm and instantly beginning to retract. Teeth bared in concentration, Salvager plunged into a full sprint, resisting the tug until, only two yards from the first line of androids, he tucked in his knees and launched into the air.

The laser whip immediately drew in his weight, carrying him a near fifteen feet off the floor, the distance not changing at all even as he dropped into a forward swing, the lolling heads of one hundred and twenty androids blurring beneath him. One! Two--!

The laser cut, detaching from the ceiling beam.

Salvager jerked his right arm forwards, locked the grapnel’s sights--

A second beam shot out, connecting with a new target.

And again, he fell into his swing.

One, two. Release. Catch. One, two. Release. Catch. One, two. Release. Catch. One, two. Release. Catch. One, two. Release. 

Over and past the ending edge of the farm, Salvager removed his finger from the trigger and allowed his body to fall, the stagnant Tower wind flaring through his dark hair, tugging at the open edges of his heavy jacket, and furrowing his brow. Midair, he flicked his grapnel to the side, dismissing it back to his inventory, and bent his knees, preparing to land on--

Oh, shoot. It’s a--

His boots hit the loose metal grate with an audible clank--louder than a blood-curdling scream in the silence--followed by an equally alarming echo, and, immediately, he threw himself off it, spun up to his knees, and leveled his pistol at the nearest line of androids. Seven self-replicated, one reconstructed, two Starving Silver variants. His heart thundered like a sledgehammer against his skull and he bit into his own teeth, fighting to restrain his breath. No more noise, no more noise.

He waited for several seconds.

Maybe even a full minute.

Nothing happened.

On the edge of satisfaction, Salvager swallowed down a hard wad of spit in the back of his mouth and slowly--slowly--began treading backwards. He readjusted his aim as he went, hands shaking slightly with the force of his grip, switching the pistol’s tip from the androids to their batteries. An explosion would work better than a laser bullet anyways…

Step after step, he maneuvered backwards, allowing his mind to drift to his next directive… Venom was ahead of him, scouting the safe zone Salvager had located the last time he’d been on Floor 190. They would meet up, proceed forward, and continue towards the top. They’d decided they could pull it off, could reach Floor 193--the Tower’s apex--in two days.

Drawn back into the shadows now, Salvager lowered his pistol, unlocking the strain on his lungs and releasing a short, ragged exhale. Safe, then, he decided. Only a little ways left to--

Sharp, cold fingers--a disjointed metal hand, knobbed and jagged--closed around his shoulder.

[warningsine]

Two police officers have been hospitalised after clashes with hooded protesters outside the congress of Germany’s far-right AfD, as the party met weeks after its record European Union election result.

About 1,000 police were deployed in the western city of Essen on Saturday, where demonstration organisers said 50,000 protestors marched towards the congress. The police have not yet provided figures.

Police said two officers, a man and a woman, who had been escorting a politician were seriously injured when protesters kicked them in the head after they fell to the ground and that they had to be hospitalised.

A further seven officers were also slightly injured in the clashes near the Grugahalle hall. The perpetrators fled the scene.

Police said earlier they had used pepper spray and batons in earlier clashes.

“Several disruptive violent actions occurred in the Rüttenscheid quarter. Demonstrators, some of them hooded, attacked security forces. Several arrests were made,” police in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, where Essen is located, said on X.

A top regional official had warned that “potentially violent far-left troublemakers” could be among the protesters.

“We are here and we will stay,” said the AfD co-president, Alice Weidel, opening the two-day congress – which started half an hour late due to street blockades – and drawing sustained applause.

“We have the right, like all political parties, to hold a congress.”

Both Weidel and her co-president, Tino Chrupalla, were re-elected to lead the party for another two years.

“We want to govern, first in the east [of Germany], then in the west, then at federal level,” Chrupalla told the about 600 delegates.

Chrupalla said party membership had grown by 60% to 46,881 members since January last year. Some 22,000 people had joined while 4,000 had left.

“Despite all the harassment you have to endure as a member of the AfD, this is an absolutely sensational figure,” Chrupalla told the convention.

In early June, the AfD had its best EU election result since the party’s creation in 2013, winning 16% of the vote to take second place.

It was behind the main conservative CDU-CSU opposition bloc but ahead of the Social Democrats (SPD) – the party of the chancellor, Olaf Scholz – which is in power at the head of a troubled three-party coalition.

Buoyed up by a surge in immigration and a weak performance by Europe’s top economy, the party hit as high as 22% in opinion polls in January.

However, its support faltered amid a welter of scandals that mainly implicated its top EU election candidate, Maximilian Krah.

“I believe that the party has learned a lot in recent months and will be very careful when we put forward leading candidates in the future,” Weidel, who is standing for re-election, told the Politico news outlet on Thursday.

Krah initially faced allegations of suspicious links to Russia and China.

He then sparked widespread anger by telling an Italian newspaper that not every member of the Nazis’ notorious SS was “automatically a criminal”.

The comments prompted the AfD to be expelled from the far-right European parliament group Identity and Democracy (ID), in which France’s National Rally and Italy’s League had been its partners.

While the AfD has sought to shift the blame for its recent woes on to Krah, there were signs of problems before.

The National Rally had already distanced itself from the AfD after reports emerged in January that the German party had discussed the expulsion of immigrants and “non-assimilated” citizens at a meeting with extremists.

The reports caused shock in Germany and triggered weeks of mass protests.

After the EU polls, the AfD ejected Krah from the delegation it sends to Brussels, but the ID group does not seem ready to readmit the party, leaving it searching for new partners.

The congress comes before three key elections in September in states that once formed part of communist East Germany, and where the AfD has been topping opinion polls.

[shammah8]

"Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring."

2 Thessalonians 1:4

BE A GOOD STEWARD OF YOUR TRIALS

The Apostle Paul praises the Church in Thessalonica for their faith and love in the face of persecutions and trials. In essence he is telling them that they are good stewards of their trials, not letting them impact their faith negatively.

 

I recently heard gospel singer Lynda Randall express this same thought of “being a good steward of the trials I face,” as she introduced her next solo “It is Well With My Soul.”

 

The lyrics of this hymn were written by Horatio Spafford, a lawyer of some prominence in Chicago. He and his wife Anna had one son and four daughters, and were good friends of D.L. Moody and Ira Sankey for many years. Mr. Spafford’s children had come to Christ through the influence of Ira Sankey’s music. When the Spafford’s son died, the family went into deep mourning.

 

After two years of ministering to the homeless and needy people of Chicago, Mr. Spafford thought his family needed a vacation. D. L. Moody and Ira Sankey were in England holding evangelistic so Mr. Spafford decided to take his family to England, where they could vacation and also be a help to his friends Moody and Sankey.

 

He booked passage for his family on the ship SS Ville de Havre, but at the last minute was unable to go with his family due to business. He promised to follow them within a few weeks and they would all be reunited in England.

 

As the ship sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, it collided with the English ship Lochearn, and sank within 12 minutes. 226 lives were lost, including the four Spafford daughters. Mrs. Spafford was rescued from a floating piece of debris. When she arrived in Wales 10 days later she cabled a message to her husband, “Saved Alone...”

 

Mr. Spafford booked passage on the next ship heading to England. As the ship crossed the area where the SS Ville de Havre sank, taking his daughters to the ocean’s depths, Mr. Spafford felt the Holy Spirit fill him with a comforting peace. Leaving the ship’s railing he went into his cabin where he penned the hymn that has  soothed so many souls who have been broken hearted...and one which I often hear sung in the meetings of the persecuted Church:

 

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot,

Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Response

Today I will be a good steward of the trials I face…with faith, love and perseverance.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for Your faithfulness in all the trials I face. Help me not waste them.

© 2013 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

[elwynten]

Chapter 40

Fighting Goliath in pairs to rank up to level 4.

Iris and I fight Goliath first

Since it's been about four weeks since we ranked up to Level three. I figured it would be a good time for Kimmy and Cindy to fight the Goliath on the 18th floor to see if they can kill it and hopefully rank up to level four. So, we all headed to the 17th floor.

That means my Team would rank up to level four about the same time Bell ranks up to level four. Well, two of us would rank up before Bell ranks up and then the other two should rank up shortly after Bell's ranks up.

I port all of us to the 17th floor, a short walk to the Wall of Lamintation. I don't want to port right in front of Goliath. As we are walking, Cindy asks. "Why aren't you and Iris fighting Goliath first?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I just figured you and Kimmy should fight him first. I'm stronger so I don't really need to rank up. So, I thought I'd wait to fight the Goliath." I tell Cindy.

In reality with the abilities and powers I have, we don't even have to fight any monsters to rank up. I can give us what we need to rank up to the next level. But I don't want to do it that way. Besides we are ranking up a lot faster than anyone ever did before. So 'cheating' isn't needed for us to rank up.

"I'm second in strength to you. So, I could wait as well. Even though Kimmy and Iris are stronger than most adventurers of their level, they are still the weakest of our Team, so it would make more since for them to fight the Goliath and possibly rank up first." Cindy argues.

I nod my head in understanding. "I see what you're talking about, but Iris and Kimmy won't be able to take down Goliath by themselves." I explain.

"Then you and Iris should fight the Goliath first. You're our leader so you should rank up first, and Iris being the weakest should rank up first so she can get stronger." Cindy tells me, then she turns to Iris. "And you do know that we don't think you are weak or a weakling. It's just in our Team you are the physically weakest member. Although you have more energy than the rest of us after lord Eilwyn." Cindy clarifies.

"But after you two rank up, you'll still be stronger than I am." Iris states.

Cindy nods her head in agreement. "True, but you'll still have more energy than we do."

Iris giggles. "Yes, I will."

"It's decided then. Eilwyn and Iris will fight Goliath first and in two weeks, Kimmy and I will fight him." Cindy states.

I look at Iris then to Cindy. "If that's what you want, Iris and I will go after Goliath first." I agree. "Getting a little bossy there little dragon." I add with a grin on my face.

Cindy giggles.

It looks like the girls had talked about letting Iris and me fight Goliath first. But then we had been having sparing matches and practice fights the days we don't go into the dungeon. I usually end up being the practice dummy but then I can take the beating without being hurt at all. It also helps me as well. The sparing helps the girls raise up their status some each time we practice. But it helps raise up my status as well. Usually my Agility, Dexterity and Endurance.

After ranking up to level three, I gave Cindy her Companions abilities back, Plus I gave her one of her 'S' back as well and with going into the dungeon plus sparring, she was up to 'SS' in all of her basic stats. Kimmy, I gave back her level 2 from all of her Companion's abilities as well as giving her an 'S' back, again she has gone up to 'SS' in all of her basic stats. And Iris I did the same, so she would be at 'SS' in all of her basic stats as well. And Last, myself, Eilwyn, I gave myself back one 'S' so all of my stats started out at 'S', but with the sparring and fighting monsters, I'm now up to 'SS' in all of my basic stats.

We had arrived a little before Goliath would respawn, so we had to wait, which was good because this gave Iris and I time to make sure we had our plan of attack worked out. While Kimmy and Cindy would station themselves at each end of the hall to make sure no one interfered with our fight with Goliath.

Goliath respawned about ten minutes after we arrived. This time I didn't need to use my mental control to give the impression of an aura of our 'Animal Spirits' around us. Because of our new Skill "Animal Spirit" the aura appeared as we fight monsters. The Skill, Animal Spirit also seems to increase our strength, agility and durability. The Skill seems to activate when we start fighting monsters. I believe it has something to do with concentrating on fighting or something similar. We are all excited to see what else the Skill will do as we learn more about it.

Once Goliath was fully spawned, he spots Iris and I and starts running towards us. "GGGUURRRRR!" he yelled.

At the same time Goliath started running towards Iris and myself. To distract the Goliath from the others I sent one hundred missiles at the monster's head. As the missiles streaked towards the giant monster I took to the air and throw Sasori. Just as Sasori leaves my hand I use Doppelganger to create thirty copies of my naginata.

This was no simple throw; I used a quarter of my strength. That may not sound like much, but considering I can lift and juggle army tanks with ease. Thus, even a quarter of that is enough to punch through a twenty-four-inch cement wall.

Goliath swings an arm at me. "GRRUUUHHHH!" He yells in anger and rage.

I flew up over the hand he had swung at me. I wanted all of Goliath's attention on me so Iris could get a sneak attack on him if possible.

By this time the missiles were striking Goliath, causing him to raise his arms up to protect his face and head.

Once the naginatas are halfway to Goliath I summon Sasori back to me. While the thirty naginatas flying at Goliath, this gives Iris the chance to sneak behind him to the side. I throw Sasori again and create thirty more naginatas. Once they were in flight, I summon Sasori back to me again. The first volley of naginata's hit Goliath and sank over half way into him.

When the first volley of naginatas strike Goliath, Iris is flying with the aura of a giant hawk around her in the air. Iris hooked her hook swords together and started swinging them in a circle over her head while using extended range.

At this time the second volley of thirty naginatas struck and sunk into goliath giving Iris the chance to attack Goliath from behind with the extended range on her hook swords. Even with her strength and the force of her hook swords they didn't cut his head off as she had hoped. Although it did cut almost halfway through his neck. Fortunately, the second volley of naginatas struck Goliath at that time.

This time his roar of anger and pain was more of a gurgle from the blood flowing from his slashed neck, and he was moving slower.

I yell and send to Iris. "[The other direction. Hit him the other way with Plandai and Jord.]" Her hook swords.

Iris had practiced this kind of maneuver enough she was able to change direction at a moment's notice, but this time instead of just swinging Plandai and Jord over her head, she spins her whole body around like she was doing a hammer throw. Striking Goliath's neck on the other side, severing his head from his shoulders.

Goliath's body started slumping as his head rolled off his shoulders. His body went up in smoke and ash before it hit the floor.

As Goliath's body fell to the floor Cindy and Kimmy are already cheering our victory. "Yoo-hoo! You did it. You killed Goliath." Kimmy yells. While Cindy is jumping up and down clapping her hands over her head. "Iris did it. Iris killed Goliath!" She yelled.

"What about me?" I ask.

Cindy grins from ear to ear. "Oh, ya, you did a little bit. What, you didn't run away and hide. That was so brave of you." Cindy teased me.

"Thank you so very much, ah-tad yázhí. (little girl)." I say and stick my tongue out at Cindy.

Iris flies down to where I'm standing talking to Cindy and Kimmy. She flings her arms around my neck and hugs me. "We did it! We killed Goliath! We really did it!" She exclaims in her excitement. Once she calms down. "But I didn't cut its head off the first time I hit it." Iris stated with some sadness in her voice and on her face.

I hug Iris to me. "The Goliath has thick skin, it's not easy to cut through. I don't even think Kimmy could cut through its neck in one hit." I tell Iris to encourage her. Although it is also true, as strong as Kimmy is she would probably have to hit Goliath's neck two time to be able to cut all the way through its neck. "But you made the killing blow." I remind her. "I just distracted him. Now you can brag that you killed the Goliath on the 17th floor." I told Iris.

=======================

Back up on the surface, we headed back home. Iris and I want to see if we were able to rank up to level four. Walking into Hearthstone Manor we all head to the kitchen. Hestia wasn't in the living room so the kitchen is the next likely place she would be, if she's at home that is. To make it easier I mentally searched for Hestia. When I do that, I don't read anyone's mind. I just do a quick search to find where they are, nothing else. Hestia is out in the courtyard with Wiene.

"Get a drink and snack if you want one." I tell my Team. "I'll go talk to Hestia about updating our status." I open the door to the courtyard and walk outside.

"Lady Hestia!" I call out to Hestia.

Hestia looks at me from where she is sitting under one of the trees. "You're back already?" She asks a little surprised.

"Eilwyn!" Wiene yells and runs over to me. She throws her arms around me and gave me a big hug.

I gathered Wiene in my arms and return her hug. "It's good to see you too, Wiene."

I look over at Hestia "Yep, again, we only went down to fight the Goliath on floor seventeen." I reminded her.

"Oh, ya. You said that was what you were going to do. I'm guessing you want me to check your status, then?" Hestia said more as a statement than a question.

I nodded my head, yes. "That's right. If you wouldn't mind." I reply.

"The things I have to do for you people." Hestia said trying to sound exasperated, but she starts giggling before I could take her seriously.

"I'll carry you up to our room if it's too much trouble for you to climb all those stairs." I tease Hestia.

"Would you? Really?" Hestia asks, but her expression changes from elated to worried. "I don't think Bell would like that." She added.

I shrug my shoulders. "Up to you." I tell her, then made a sweeping motion with my hand and arm for her to lead the way.

"Will you carry me up to our room?" Wiene asks me.

I chuckle. "I would love to carry you upstairs." I tell Wiene as I squat down so she can get on my back so I can carry her piggyback. "Don't get used to this." I tall Wiene looking over my shoulder at her.

"I won't." Wiene replied.

In the kitchen Iris hands me a glass of tea. "Thank you, Iris." I look around a bit then I looked over my shoulder. "Wiene, could you hold my glass until we get to the room, please?" I ask.

Wiene sticks out her hand towards Iris. Iris hands the glass of tea to Wiene.

I turned to Hestia. "Do you want something to drink before we head upstairs?" I ask Hestia.

Hestia shakes her head, no. "Thank you, no. I'm fine." She tells me.

"Up to our room." I say to my Team, and we all head upstairs.

As we are walking to our room on the 3rd floor. "We need to build or dig a pond preferably in the courtyard, but in the back yard would work too." I tell Hestia.

"Why do we need a pond?" Hestia asked me.

"We have Wiene living with us." I said looking over my shoulder at Wiene. "So, we're all used to having a monster…" I made a one-handed finger quotes around "monster". "And shortly we'll be going down to the Water World. There is a Xenos mermaid down there and I thought I'd set up a teleportation site for the mermaid to come visit us up here as well as so she can port to the 18th floor and the 28th floor. That way she can get away from the monsters in the Water World for a while. And I'm sure the mermaid and Wiene would get along really well." I told Hestia. "Or I can give her a Companion like I did for the other Xenos." I added.

Water World is what I call the 25-27 floors in the Dungeon. Everyone else calls those floors the Water City or Water Capital.

"Another Xenos will be living with us?" Wiene asked.

I waggle my head from side to side. "Yes and no but, possibly. Marie as I said is a mermaid. If we build a pond somewhere around the manor, I can set up teleport sites here and in the Dungeon. Marie will be able to visit us. I don't know if she would want to live here with us. But if she does want to live here, we can make a bigger pond for her to swim in." I tell Wiene, then I chuckle. "But if we build the pond big enough, all of us could use it to swim in." I add. "I can always set up the port point in the PD. That way no one will see Mari or will know she's here, other than us, that is."

Hestia's head was cocked to the side as she listens to me. "Is this some of your seeing the future again?" She asked me.

I chuckled. "More or less, yes. Since we will probably have ranked up to level four and Bell will rank up to level four shortly. The guild will make us go on an expedition to the 25th floor. The 25th, 26th and 27th floors as I said, are known as the Water City because of all the water on those three floors and the water fall that goes from the 25th floor all the way down to the 27th floor. Although I call those floors Water World." I told Hestia.

"And there's a mermaid that lives there, that is a Xenos?" Hestia asked.

I nod my head, yes. "That's right. She's a little childish, but she's quite friendly and lonely because she's the only Xenos down there. Although the other Xenos do go down to the Water City from time to time and visit her. So, I thought it would be nice to set it up so she can come up here to a pond. That way anyone around could talk to her, and she could get away from the real monsters and just relax." I told Hestia.

"Are you going to give her one of the Companions, too?" Hestia asked.

It sounded like Hestia already knew what my answer would be, or she was fairly sure what my answer would be.

I nod my head, yes. "That was my plan. That way she can take human form when she's up here and when any friendly humans are on the floors she can go to." I told Hestia.

"Well, we do have Wiene, Ski and Fia here and you gave Companions to all of the Xenos that wanted one so they can look human. I don't see why we couldn't put in a pond for another Xenos." Hestia agreed to my idea. But then her expression darkened. "She's not going to want my Bell is she!?" She asked me almost accusingly.

I chuckle and shake my head, no. "Don't plan on it. In fact, I'm going to try to be the one that finds her and befriends her when we get down to the Water World. That way she'll be interested in me and 'not' Bell." I inform Hestia of my plan.

Hestia gave a quick sharp nod of her head. "That's good. I don't want more girls after my Bell." Hestia told me as we walk into our room. Even with the harem ability I gave Bell, Hestia still has a tendency to be a little jealous of other girls being interested in Bell. She gets over her jealousy fairly quickly after she meets any girls that are interested in Bell, and she gets to know them. But at first the jealousy rears its ugly head.

I stopped walking and cocked my head.

Hestia stopped and looked at me. What?" Hestia asked.

"I lied. We don't need to build a pond. I can set up the teleport point in the PD. That would save a lot of work. and Marie can port to the PD, and we won't have to worry about anyone seeing her by accident." I corrected myself and started walking again.

"That would be a lot better. The mermaid can swill around in the pond, streams and ocean in your PD all she wants." Hestia agreed.

When we enter the room, I squat down so Wiene could drop off my back and Wiene handed me my glass of Tea.

"Thank you, Sweetheart." I tell her and kiss her on the cheek.

I smiled at Hestia. I wasn't going to argue with Hestia about Bell. I create the massage chair again so, we can sit on it to have our statuses updated. I pulled my shirt off and sat on the chair and put my face into the hole in the head rest of the massage chair.

"This is crazy. First Bell ranks up to level two in six weeks then he ranks up to level three in another six weeks. You and your Team rank up to level two in about six weeks then you rank up to level three in about six weeks, and now you've probably rank up to level four in four weeks." Hestia said. I'm not sure if she was complaining or just making a statement of fact.

"With all that, I'm guessing I'm level four now." I stated.

"Yes, you are now Level four, but no Developmental Abilities this time and no new Skills." Hestia tells me.

I start laughing. "Not like I need any Developmental Abilities or Skills. I have more than enough already." I said.

Hestia put a piece of paper on my back and circles her hand over it. A moment later she pulls the paper off my back. It had all my status listed on it. Hestia moves back from the massage chair.

I stand up and take the paper from Hestia and look it over while Iris takes her shirt off and sits on the chair. Hestia repeats the prosses.

"You ranked up as well. You're now Level four." Hestia informs Iris.

"You have a new Skill. It's called War Dance." Hestia looks over at me with furrowed brows.

"She is a Plains Indian. It sounds like it might have something to do with fighting." I offer my opinion.

Hestia turns back to Iris. "You also have a Magic Spell; it's called Rain Dance." Hestia told Iris, and again she looked over at me.

"The chant is; 'I call the winds, I call the rain, lightning strikes without delay. Rain Dance.' That's a short chant." Hestia said looking at Iris's back.

I shrug my shoulders. "They do a Rain Dance to try to summon rain. I guess it has something to do with rain or storms." I offered.

Hestia shook her head in disbelief. "I still don't understand how all of your Team can rank up so fast and get rare skills. I'm not complaining, I'm just curious on how you're doing it." She tells me. "Plus, there are so many new Skills, Development Abilities and now magic.

I chuckle. "I don't think I can explain it. And it's not like I can make the Falna give us anything I want." I told Hestia.

By this time Iris had stood up and Cindy has taken her place. Cindy. Kimmy and Rosni were about the same, since they had not fought the Goliath, so they hadn't ranked up yet. But Hestia did work on their status a little raising up some of their basic stats.

"Why didn't they rank up?" Hestia asked.

"They didn't fight Goliath. Only Iris and I fought him. That's why. When he respawns in two weeks, we'll go down and they'll fight him so they can rank up. At least that's what we hope will happen." I told Hestia.

"Ok, I see." Hestia replies. "Is that all you needed?" She asked.

I nod my head in agreement. "That's everything for now. Thank you, lady Hestia. We appreciate it." I told Hestia.

Hestia blushed. She usually doesn't get complements for doing what she is supposed to do.

"I'll see you later then." Hestia said and left our room.

"See yah later." I called after her. "Thank you, bye." Cindy said. Thanks. See you later." Iris called out. Thank you, lady Hestia." Kimmy said as Hestia reached the door to the room.

Like I had done when we ranked up to level two and level three, I did this time also. I give myself and Iris back an 'S' in each of our Basic abilities. So now all of my basic stats are 'S'. I gave Iris another 'S' which increased Iris's basic stats to 'SS'. That will help her quite a bit.

===================

Iris and I decided to wait almost two weeks before we go to report our ranking up. That way it won't be as much of a shock to Eina when we tell her. Plus, it will be nice to be able to report our ranking up to level four before Bell ranks up for once. And Bell and the rest of my Team will rank up in a day or two.

==========

Cindy, Kimmy and Rosni fight Goliath

It's been two weeks since Iris and I killed the Goliath on the 17th floor. That means it is Kimmy, Cindy and Rosni's chance to kill Goliath to see if they can rank up to level four like Iris and I did.

Again, I ported all of us to the hall where Goliath will be when he respawns. We want to get there a little early just in case another group shows up to fight the Goliath. We want to make our claim on him first.

Because of their new Skill, Spirit Animal, I don't have to put the image of their 'Spirit Animals' into anyone's minds. Although since Rosni doesn't have the Spirit Animal Skill, I still put the image of a Winged Leopard around Rosni once she starts fighting.

In preparation Cindy summons Chhaya (Shadow) and Uisce (Water) her two Gossip Yuanyang Tomahawks, Kimmy summons her Pole Axe, Sioc (Shockwave) and Rosni pulls out her wrist cross bow and short sword. Kimmy has also made a metal golem she is going to use as a distraction. It looks kind of like a giant metal spider.

We wait for little over half an hour when we hear cracking sounds. Large fissures start appearing in the wall. There is what sounds almost like small explosions as the wall cracks more and an arm reaches out. A moment later what felt like half the wall starts falling to the floor as Goliath leans forward then falls out of the wall and roared. "RRREEEHHH!" The sound was almost deafening as he stands up.

"You're up girls!" I call to Kimmy, Cindy and Rosni.

"It's about time." Cindy calls as she runs towards Goliath extending her dragon wings as she takes flight.

"Climb the wall across from Goliath." Kimmy commaneds her golem.

The golem starts climbing the wall across from where Goliath had spawned. Goliath watches the 'spider' as it crawls up the wall then onto the ceiling. While Goliath's attention is on the golem. Cindy and Kimmy move so they are on either side of goliath. Rosni stays back a little ways because she is going to use her wrist cross bow (Sting), with Gravity Dust bolts. They want to divide his attention so it would be harder for him to attack them at the same time.

Cindy takes to the air and morphs her Gossip Yuanyang Tomahawks to look almost like giant throwing stars. She throws one Gossip Yuanyang Tomahawk and uses Doppelganger to create twenty of them flying at Goliath. Then she summons the Gossip Yuanyang Tomahawk back and repeats the throw again at a different part of goliath's body. Bombarding goliath with large numbers of Gossip Yuanyang Tomahawk attacks.

"GRRRHHHGGG!" Goliath roars with outrage and pain as the Gossip Yuanyang Tomahawks that he can't block with his arms strike his body. He can't see Cindy clearly because of all the Gossip Yuanyang Tomahawks flying at him.

While Goliath is distracted by Cindy's attack Kimmy takes flight as well. She throws Sioc at Goliath. She did the same as Cindy and I had done and uses Doppelganger to create thirty copies of her Pole Axe. Kimmy summons Sioc back to her as the copies fly towards Goliath.

Goliath was Yelling and swinging his arms trying to block Cindy's Gossip Yuanyang Tomahawk copies. As well as now trying to block the doppelgangers of Kimmy's Pole Axe.

Meanwhile Rosni was shooting Gravity Dust bolts at Goliath using Sting. As she shoots each bolt, she also uses Doppelganger creating thirty Gravity Dust Bolts at Goliath's legs.

Cindy used her Metal control to make the doppelgangers of Chhaya and Uisce fly around Goliath almost like a chain saw. While Cindy was doing that Kimmy creates electricity and shoots multiple bolts of electricity at Goliath.

Rosni's first volley of Gravity Dust Bolts strike Goliath's legs. The Gravity Dust making Goliath's legs heavier, making it more difficult for Goliath to walk or move.

Goliath was able to get past Cindy's Gossip Yuanyang Tomahawk chain saw. He swings his arm hitting Cindy, knocking her against the wall. Sending rocks everywhere.

Cindy shakes off the attack. She had an angry look on her face. "CINDY… DUCK!!" I yell as she was getting ready to fly straight towards Goliath. My yell stops her in her tracks. Cindy looks at me and gives me a dirty look and yells. "THANKS… A… LOT!" But it gives her time to calm down.

Rosni sent several more voiles of Gravity Dust bolts at Goliath, using Doppelganger each time. Because of Rosni's Gravity Dust bolts, Goliath is at a standstill. He is to the point of not being able to move because of his legs weighing so much from the Gravity Dust.

With all the electrical attacks and Cindy's chain saw attack Goliath was staggering. Cindy created more copies of Chhaya and Uisce and starts up the chain saw attack again. With the electrical attack, the renewed chain saw attack from Cindy and all of the Gravity Dust bolts striking his legs. Goliath drops to his knees. Within moments Goliath falls to the ground and blows up in a cloud of smoke and ash.

Cindy looks over at me as the cloud dissipates. I yawn. "Boring, next time make it more exciting." I say with a big grin on my face.

"You meany!" Cindy yells at me and flies at me. Once she was close to me, she starts hitting me with her fists while I laugh.

Kimmy is jumping up and down in her excitement of killing Goliath, but she is laughing at Cindy bumbling me with her fists. Iris is yelling and celebrating Cindy's, Rosni's and Kimmy's killing Goliath.

Kimmy runs over to Rosni and grabs her in a big hug. "We did it! We killed Goliath!" Kimmy yells.

I grab Cindy in a bear hug and hug her to me. "You did a great job killing Goliath. You did great." I tell her.

I drop the auras of Rosni's 'Spirit Animal'.

"Let's go tell Hestia and see if the three of you ranked up to level four." Iris suggests.

Cindy has stopped trying to hit me and is starting to snuggle into my hugging her.

"YES!" Kimmy yells. "Let's go. Rank up, rank up!" She starts chanting.

"Do you think we will rank up?" Rosni asks.

"I don't see why not." Kimmy assures Rosni.

I kiss the top if Cindy's head. "Love you naʼashǫ́ʼiitsoh yázhí (little dragon)." I tell her.

Cindy looks up at me and smiles. "I Love you too." She says and reluctantly drops her arms from around me and steps back so we could go back home to Hearthstone Manor.

Iris walks over and picks up the magic stone. Then she walks back over to the rest of us.

Kimmy calls her golem down from the ceiling. "It didn't do much, but it did distract Goliath long enough for us to get into position." Kimmy states.

I nod my head in agreement. "It worked quit well. Plus, you don't have to build another one because Goliath didn't destroy it.

We all went on down to the 18th floor and found a secluded area so I could port us back to the manor. Once home, it didn't take us very long to find Hestia. She is in the living room reading a book.

"Lady Hestia, could you update our status? I think we ranked up to level four." Kimmy asks Hestia excitedly.

Hestia looks at Kimmy. "You think you ranked up? Who is we?" She asks.

"Rosni, Cindy and me." Kimmy tells Hestia.

"Ok, let's go to your room and I'll update your status." Hestia tells Kimmy.

As soon as I enter our room, I pull out several small Magic Stones and hand some to Wiene, Ski and Fia. Since they are monsters, they can eat Magic Stones to increase their stats.

"Thank you, Eilwyn." Wiene says as she hugs me.

"You're wecome, Sweetheart. You might not like fighting but it's always good for you to be able to fight and be strong enough to defend yourself." I tell Wiene as well as Sky and Fia.

"Yes, thank you Eilwyn." Fia tells me and as Wiene steps back Fia gave me a hug.

Sky took her turn hugging me after Fia let go of me and stepped away. "Thank you." She says as she hugs me.

While I was giving Wiene, Sky and Fia the Magic Stones to eat, Kimmy took her shirt off and sat on the massage chair. Hestia pricked her finger and places a drop of blood on Kimmy's back. Hestia manipulates the excelia.

Hestia looks over at me. "What is it with you lot? Bell ranks up to level two and right after that all you rank up to level two. Now before Bell can rank up to level four you and Iris 'have' ranked up level four. Now Kimmy has ranked up to level four. I'm guessing Cindy will rank up to level four as well." Hestia says somewhat confused.

I nod my head in agreement. " You asked us that when Iris and I ranked up to Level four. But yes, Cindy should rank up to level four and we're hoping Rosni will rank up to level three. I don't know exactly why or how we can rank up as fast or faster than Bell does, but we're doing it, somehow." I tell Hestia.

Hestia shakes her head and goes back to updating Kimmy's status.

"Kimmy, you have the Skill 'Slayer'. I've never heard of that one before." Hestia tells us over her shoulder.

Hestia turns back to Kimmy. "You have a Development Ability too. It is Strong Defense. That sounds like a good one." Hestia tells Kimmy.

"You're finished." Hestia tells Kimmy and steps back.

Cindy starts pulling her shirt off as Kimmy stands up from the chair. Cindy took Kimmy's place on the chair.

Again, Hestia pricked her finger and places a drop of her incur on Cindy's back. Hestia starts manipulating the excelia. "Cindy's gone up to level four as well." Hestia says and turns to look at me again. "Our Familia's going to get the reputation of having the fastest rank ups of adventurers in Orario." She states with a big smile on her face.

"Remember you promised to not go out and recruit just anyone. I get to check anyone out that wants to join our Familia. We don't want people that just want to rank up fast. Besides there is no guarantee others that join our Familia will rank up as fast as we are." I remind Hestia.

"I remember. I just want my Familia to grow more." Hestia tells me.

I nod my head in understanding. "I know you do, and I would like our Familia to grow as well. I just want the people that join, to want to be family, and not just to join for their own ambitions." I tell Hestia.

Hestia nodded her head. "Yes, I understand, and I agree with you about that." She says and turns to Cindy's back again.

"You have a new Skill. It's Ultimus Burn. I'm not sure what that does. I know Verias Burn, it gives the user high fire resistance and increases their attack power when using fire element attacks. Maybe Ultimus Burn does something like that. I'm sure you'll find out." Hestia tells Cindy.

"Rosni fought Goliath with Cindy and Kimmy, so she might have ranked up as well. We're all hoping she does." I tell Hestia.

"Cindy, I'm done with you." Hestia said and looked at Rosni. "Do you want me to update your status then?"

"Yes, please, meow." Rosni replies as she pulled her shirt over her head and takes Cindy's place on the massage chair.

Yet again Hestia pricked her finger and put the incur on Rosni's back. "You ranked up to level three. Well done." Hestia tells Rosni.

"Thank meow, lady Hestia." Rosni says.

Again, Hestia looks over at me. "She's got the Skill, Spirit Animal as well. How is that possible?" Hestia asks.

I shrug my shoulders. "Not a clue, considering Rosni doesn't have a 'Spirit Animal'." I tell Hestia. 'Not that any of us really have one.' I said to myself.

"This is beyond me. I'll have to talk to Miach or Hephaistos about this." Hestia says more to herself than to me or the girls.

"You also have a new Developmental Ability. It's Targeting. Another new one." Hestia says with curiosity in her voice. "You're finished." She tells Rosni.

"It might have something to do with shooting a cross bow. I do a lot of that in the Dungeon." Rosni says as she stands up and puts her shirt back on. She has a big smile on her face.

Hestia looks at me. "Do you want me to update your status since I'm here?" Hestia asks me.

"Since you're up here, it would be a good idea." I tell Hestia and take my shirt off. I sit on the massage chair once Rosni moved out of the way.

Hestia updated my status as well as Iris's status. Both of us went up a little in our basic abilities.

"All of your basic abilities and skills are at level 'SS'. How is that possible? You just ranked up two weeks ago." Hestia said confused and looks around at everyone in the room. "I'm going to have to stop asking questions like that. You keep coming up with all kinds of surprises like this." She says more to herself than to us.

"Thank you, Hestia. We all appreciate it." I tell Hestia and hold my arms out to her.

Hestia looks at me for a moment then steps in so I can give her a hug, which she returns. "If only Bell would do this." Hestia says in a whisper.

After a couple moments Hestia drops her arms and steps back. She has a smile on her face. "I'm going downstairs." Hestia says. Her twin ponytails are swishing back and forth as she leaves the room.

===================

Reporting our Ranking up to the Guild.

I wasn't really looking forward to reporting to the guild about all of us ranking up yet again so soon. But this time we ranked up before Bell did. Although if I remember correctly Bell should rank up to level four close to this time. Although we will be reporting our ranking up after Bell reports his ranking up.

Bell ranked up yesterday to Level four. So, with five Level four adventurers in the Familia, we will have to start going on Expeditions.

Because I had given Lili, Welf, Haruhime and Mikoto Companions which caused their stats to raise up to 'D' or higher. They all were able to rank up. Welf and Mikoto are now Level three, while Lili and Haruhime ranked up to Level two.

Iris, Kimmy, Rosni, Cindy and I are walking to the Guild Hall to report our ranking up to Level four. On the way we take a more direct route by taking side roads. By doing that we will go by the Benevolent Mistress.

As we walk by the Benevolent Mistress, I see that Anya and Ryu are outside talking. I wave to them as we get closer.

Anya sees me waving and an ear-to-ear smile crosses her face. She runs to me and grabs me in a big hug. I put my arms around Anya and lift her up swinging her around in a circle. Putting Anya back on the ground, I keep my arm around Anya's waist as we walk back to Ryu.

"Hello Ryu." I say reaching my hand out to take Ryu's hand in mine.

Ryu jerks her hand back but halfway through the motion she stops and lets me take her hand. I raise her hand up to my mouth and kiss the back of her hand while I look into Ryu's eyes. Then I release her hand.

Ryu blushes but her lips curled into a small smile. "H-hello, lord Eilwyn." She gets out.

"Hello." "Hi Ryu, Anya." "How are you doing?" My Team greets Anya and Ryu.

"Hello, it is good to see all of you." Ryu tells my Team.

"Are you stopping to eat, meow?" Anya asks.

I shake my head, no. "We're headed to the Guild to report our ranking up to level four. Iris and I, ranked up a couple weeks back while Kimmy, Cindy and Rosni raked up yesterday." I inform Anya and Ryu.

Ryu's eyes get as big as dinner plates. "You're level four already!?" She asks me surprised.

I nod my head, yes. "Yes, we are. Iris and I went down and fought the Goliath on the 17th floor, all by ourselves. And yesterday, Kimmy, Rosni and Cindy fought Goliath." I tell Ryu. Anya already knew we had ranked up because she is living at Hearthstone Manor since she has joined the Hestia Familia.

"You were all just level three at the time?" Ryu asks in amazement.

I grin. "Correct on both parts. Well Rosni was level two, now she's level three" I reply.

"After getting over her shock and surprise. "May I ask, how you, Miss Iris, Miss Cindy, Miss Kimmy, Miss Rosni and Mister Cranel can rank up so fast?" Ryu asks me.

I chuckle. "Technically that's a Familia secret. Although I can tell you that my Team and I are a lot stronger than most people think. Because of that, we are able to rank up quickly." I tell Ryu.

"Does it have something to do with you having the Spirit Animals you told me about in the dungeon?" Ryu asks.

"Yes, that might be a big part of it." "I tell Ryu. Then I gave Anya another hug and as I released her. "We need to get going. We'll see ya later." I say.

"Bye, come see meow soon." Anya tells me.

"Bye lord Eilwyn. Take care. By, Miss Iris, Miss Cindy, Miss Kimmy, Miss Rosni." Ryu says as we head off.

So, again we all walk into the Guild Hall. When Eina saw us walking up to the counter, she went pale. Probably because we usually don't go into the Guild Hall all together unless we are reporting us ranking up.

As we reach the counter. "D-don't t-tell me all of… all of you r-ranked up at the same time, a-again!?" Eina quietly yells.

I smile sympathetically at Eina. "Yes and no. Iris and I ranked up a couple weeks back and Cindy, Kimmy and Rosni ranked up yesterday. We knew Cindy, Rosni and Kimmy were going to try to tank up, so Iris and I waited until we knew one way or the other before we came in and report our ranking up to Level four, and Rosni ranked up to Level three." I confirmed Eina's fears.

Almost in tears. "H-how can a-all of you rank up so f-fast!? Even Bell reported he ranked up to Level four earlier today. The notice for Bell's ranking up is already on the bulletin board." Eina tells us. Then more to herself than to us. "How am I going to explain this to my superiors?"

I felt sorry for Eina, so I didn't tell her that Rosni has also received the Skill, Spirit Animal and the Developmental Ability, Targeting. We can wait and tell her about that later on.

"That's all we needed today, Eina." I tell Eina and turn to leave. I motion for the others in my Team to head out of the Guild Hall.

At the doors to the Guild Hall, I turn and looked back at Eina. She was talking to Misha who was staring at my Team and I with a shocked expression on her face.

===================

Celebrating our ranking up

As usual, when anyone in our Team ranks up. We are headed to the Benevolent Mistress to celebrate our ranking up. Although we stop by at least once a week to have something to eat anyway.

By this time Mama Mia had agreed to let all of her employees have a Companion. Because of that there are two 'new' girls working today because Chloe and Runoa have the day off. The two 'new' girls are Malita, Ryu's Companion and Ryma, Anya's Companion. I also gave Anya a little more intelligence and memory so she won't be an airhead, although Ryma can help her remember what people's orders are if she needs to.

Also, since the Freya Familia has been disbanded. Mama Mia has not converted to another Familia. She wants to stay unaffiliated for now. Anya has joined the Hestia Familia. With the agreement with Hestia that she doesn't have to go into the Dungeon unless she wants to or needs to, and she is living at the Hearthstone Manor. While Syr is living in Anya's old room behind the Benevolent Mistress for the girls that work here.

Anya met us at the door. "Party of five." She calls out as she led us to our table. "Are you celebrating meowr ranking up?" She asks me.

I nod my head in agreement. "Yes, we are. We went to the Guild and reported our ranking up this morning." I tell Anya.

Anya smiles from ear to ear. "I'll let Mama Mia know, meow." Anya says as we arrive at our table. We didn't need to give Anya our drink orders because she already knows what we like to drink. After we sit down, Anya goes back to get our drinks.

When Anya brings our drinks to the table, Mia is with her. She has her arms crossed over her chest. "Congratulations for your ranking up. But how are you able to rank up so fast?" Mia asks us with a sour expression on her face.

I stand up and lead Mia back behind the bar. Then I look around to make sure no one is close enough to hear me. "I know you're not in our Familia, but this is a Hestia Familia secret. I'm telling you this because I believe you will 'not' tell this to anyone else." I say to Mia.

Mia nods her head in agreement. "I would not do anything to hurt Bell or any of you." Mia assures me.

I point to Benca, Mia's Companion. "That's part of the reason. When you receive a Companion some of your stats go up. Because of that you don't have to fight monsters for months or years before you can rank up. All you have to do is do something big to get noticed by the 'gods' to rank up." I explain.

Mia looked at me with a frown on her face. "You mean if you have a Companion you can rank up in almost no time at all!?" Mia asks not sure if she can believe me or not.

I nod my head in agreement. "That's about it. The other reasons we can rank up so quickly, I don't think you would believe or understand. Plus, it would take me a couple hours to explain it all." I tell Mia.

Mia stares off into space for a few moments. Then she looks at me and her expression changes back to what it normally is. "Get out from behind the bar. I don't have time for any of your nonsense. I'm busy!" Mia exclaims and she gives me a dirty look.

I bow to Mia a couple times and walk back to the table, chuckling to myself.

As I reach the table Anya is bringing our food out. The girls had ordered our food while I was talking to Mia.

Before anyone starts eating. "I have an idea I'd like to toss out for everyone to think about." I start.

"What is it?" Cindy asks.

"I was thinking that maybe we should change the name of our Team to Thunder or Rolling Thunder." I suggest.

"Why those names?" Iris asks.

"Thunder is a name that they come up with for a group of dragons. We are a group of dragons after all." I lean in closer and talk a little softer so those around us couldn't hear. "Since our second "Spirit Animals" are dragons." I made finger quotes around Spirit Animals. I sat up straight and went back to my regular voice. "We could be Team Thunder or Team Rolling Thunder. Rolling Thunder because we're always on the move.

"But Thunder or Rolling Thunder doesn't have all of our initials in it. So, it wouldn't work." Kimmy stated.

"That's true, although I wasn't thinking of using our initials. I was just thinking of a name that relates to our dragon 'Spirit Animals'. Nothing more, nothing less. And since Thunder is a group of dragons, we would all be first in the Team name." I explain.

"I like that. Team Thunder." Cindy thought for a moment or two. "That's it, we can be Team Thunder, but when we're on the move we can be Rolling Thunder." Cindy gave her opinion.

I look over at Iris, Ronsi and Kimmy. "What do you three think?" I ask them.

"I like it. Team Thunder." Iris replies.

"I'll go with it. It sounds more intimidating than Team Starling." Kimmy states with a grin on her face.

I look at Rosni and raise my eyebrows.

"It works for me." Rosni replies.

"Then we're no longer Team Starling. We are now Team Thunder." I confirmed. Then I raise my tankard. "To Team Thunder."

Cindy, Kimmy, Rosni and Iris all raise their tankards and clink them all together. "To Team Thunder!" We all say together.

We spend a couple hours eating drinking and having a good old time. Although I don't need to, I stay until Anya gets off work and walk her home to Hearthstone Manor.

=====

Conpanions I gave to employees of the Benevalent Mistress.

Mama Mia, Owner and Proprietress Automation Name: Benca/F Mythical (Winged Manticore) (Eagle, Couger, Scorpion) Intelligent L2 Strength L2 Agility L2 Durability L2 Regeneration L2 Teleportation L1 Sustenance L2 Elemental Blast L1 (Ice) Size L2 Magical L2 (Mending, Dancing Lights, Healing, Missile, Servant, Cleaning) Flight Shapeshift L1 (Winged Manticore, Couger, Eagle, Scorpion, Human/Half Dwarf, Dog/Boxer) Venom L1 (Tail, Paralysis) Free

Anya, Waitress Automation Name: Ryma/F Mythical (Winged Manticore) (Eagle, Snow Leopard, Scorpion) Intelligent L2 Strength L2 Agility L2 Durability L2 Regeneration L2 Teleportation L1 Sustenance L2 Elemental Blast L1 (Electrical/lightning) Size L2 Magical L2 (Mending, Dancing Lights, Chill, Missile, Invisibility, Cleaning) Flight Shapeshift L1 (Winged Manticore, Snow Leopard, Eagle, Scorpion, Human/Cat Person, Ferrat) Venom L1 (Tail, Paralysis)

Chloe, Waitress Automation Name: Lyra/F Mythical (Winged Manticore) (Eagle, Back Jaguar, Scorpion) Intelligent L2 Strength L2 Agility L2 Durability L2 Regeneration L2 Teleportation L1 Sustenance L2 Elemental Blast L1 (Ice) Size L2 Magical L1 (Missile, Servant, Cleaning) Flight Shapeshift L1 (Winged Manticore, Black Jaguar, Eagle, Scorpion, Human/Cat Person, Raven) Venom L1 (Tail, Paralysis)

Runoa, Waitress Automation Name: Qara/F Mythical (Winged Manticore) (Eagle, Back Jaguar, Scorpion) Intelligent L2 Strength L2 Agility L2 Durability L2 Regeneration L2 Teleportation L1 Sustenance L2 Elemental Blast L1 (Fire) Size L2 Magical L1 (Mending, Servant, Cleaning) Flight Shapeshift L1 (Winged Manticore, Couger, Eagle, Scorpion, Human/Human, Ferrat) Venom L1 (Tail, Paralysis)

May, Cook Automation Name: Ursel/F Mythical (Winged Manticore) (Eagle, Back Jaguar, Scorpion) Intelligent L2 Strength L2 Agility L2 Durability L2 Regeneration L2 Teleportation L1 Sustenance L2 Elemental Blast L1 (Earth) Size L2 Magical L1 (Healing, Servant, Cleaning) Flight Shapeshift L1 (Winged Manticore, Bob Cat, Eagle, Scorpion, Human/Human, Horse) Venom L1 (Tail, Paralysis)

[its-my-whump]

Whumptober 27+28+29

No. 27: “You drew stars around my scars; But now I’m bleeding.” - Scars | “Let me see”

No. 28: Bloody Knife

No. 29: “I only sink deeper the deeper I think." - Troubled Past Resurfacing | “What happened to me?”

Hummingbird 27+28+29

Part 3 of 3

It's even getting much darker from here on out. Please watch yourselves. There is and will be emotional whump, despair, self-doubt, self-inflicted wounds and gore.

Story starts here / previous

...

A feeling so painfully sharp and devastating, that it felt like his heart being actually impaled, just shook him. Maybe, he even didn't deserve Grey's caring. Maybe, him being on this earth was just a big interdimentional error.

Something died inside of him. Sam felt the last of emotional warmth and hope leaving him. Being all alone in the world really wasn't something new. Now realising, that this freak must have been watching his everyday move for more than 3 years and godknows how long in his childhood, was unsettling, but scarily it wasn't as bad as his sudden awareness, that he wasn't supposed to roam this world at all.

Maybe being constantly drugged over weeks on end, had finally fucked up his brain completely and had crumbled his last defenceline to be able to keep it together.

Sam wasn't afraid anymore. He wasn't feeling anything anymore all of a sudden. By all that had happened to him, was forced upon him, by everything, that he had to endure over years and years, he never was so extremely convinced to just give up.

There was an awkward silence. Everything Grey had thrown at him was pilling up on his broken soul and about to crush him for good. He leaned to the side and just puked all over the nice handcrafted carpet under his feet.

All strength had abanded him with the last part of his broken heart shattered into a million pieces, that couldn't possibly ever be restored. The knife slipped out of his hand and his left grabbed for the edge of the table so he wouldn't fall off his chair, while his stomach still violently protested.

Montys eyes went wide, when he realised the amount of blood on Sam's hand, seeping into the white fabrik of the tablecloth. Sam only slowly leaned back up. After whipping his mouth with a napkin, he pushed his half eaten lunch away and nested his head in his hands, smearing blood into his own hair. Finally the sting in his hand had developed into stirring pain, that was bad enough to make it through to his muffed mind. He pulled his hand away from his face and stared at thick red welding out of his palm, not able to make the connecting, how it got there or, that it was his blood, freely flowing.

Monty...Grey was by his left side all of a sudden. Worry in his eyes, shock clearly written into his facial expression. “Let me see.”

Sam wanted to pull away, but he was too groggy. Mental exhaustion was taking its toll on him. Grey easily took hold of his hand and inspected his self-inficted wound nervously.

"Let's get you patched up, hummingbird." Sam let himself be escorted towards 'his' room. He didn't care for Grey touching him for once, he didn't even care for being called a little fragile bird. Maybe he was.

Sam reall just didn't care anymore. Probably all this was the universe just correcting a fatal error, him.

...

Minutes passed without any if them saying a word. Sam felt quizzy, couldn't take the awkward silence any longer, while he was laying on the bed, being taken care of.

"Anything in your private practice you can't offer, Doc Monty." 'Damn, that bastard had drugged him up again.' Sam instantly realised as the slurred words found a way out of his mouth.

"I guess by heart surgery and blood transfusion I'll have to pass, but besides that, there are hardly any limitations for me to take care of you. I upgraded from being a pedriatrist, y'know." Monty blinked, fixating the bandage on his hand, but Sam hardly registered anymore, his eyes were closing already.

"What, u.. wouldn't give ..ur blood, if nes..ss..ry. Should I be of..fended?" Sam pushed out a humorless laugh. He had no idea, why he was talking to Grey at all.

"Oh, I would, you should know that by now. But unfortunately you got O- and I got AB+. In case of an emergency that is actually good for me, but bad for you. So don't..."

Whatever it was Grey-Monty-Fuckface had to add, didn't reach Sam's attention anymore. His own thought, how that man could have known of his bloodtyp just vanished into a 'never mind' inside his head in a blink of an eyes. Sam had drifted off into soothing, dreamless and numbing darkness, that was catching him with open arms.

TBC

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