#that 20% for her father is just 20% army values

[mashandmartinis]

Thinking about how every man Margaret has been in love with was a personification of the army in one way or another:

First we have Frank, Major, patriot and a stickler for military rules. Annoying, not nearly as masculine as the other men Margaret is attracted to later on. But he symbolises army values, the patriotism that forms a driving force in career military personnel.

Then there's Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscott, emphasis on the Lieutenant Colonel (as Margaret herself rarely fails to mention when she talks about her husband) who symbolises rank and status, and (as shown during the Olympics episode) a certain amount of athletic masculinity associated with the military.

Enter Scully, soldier gone AWOL, officer, private, manly and (the first time Margaret sees him) covered in front line grime. Scully symbolises the very basic traits associated with the army: masculinity in a very specific soldierly way, carrying the front line on his skin and uniform, ranked (until he isn't).

Margaret has never loved men. She's been in love with the army all along.

[miss-vanta-likes-to-write]

Hiya, can I please request Price eating girlfriend black!reader’s food for the first time and having his mind blown because he has never tasted delicious seasoned food in his life

I never understood why British food looks that way. But yeah, this is my favorite genre of tiktok videos, British people trying American food or soul food. Side note, for most British people, they think a 45 min drive is too far away, lol.

Title: Just throwing something on the grill.

Pairing: J. Price x black!reader (ft those muppets)

CW: none fluff

The house smelt like heaven on this Saturday afternoon. You had spent last night making deviled eggs and prepping most of the dishes you wanted to share with your new boyfriend and his team. Under a glass cake stand was a hummingbird cake, in the fridge a pan of banana pudding, and an array of jello shots right next to it. It took some doing, but a family member was able to send you three jars of moonshine (all different flavors), and for your loving boyfriend, a bottle of real Tennessee Jack Daniel's. (You also had them send you two bottles of MD 20/20 for Johnny's and Kyle's enjoyment. Seemed like the right thing to do.)

The oven is packed with macaroni and cheese, and one of two skillets you own filled with corn bread, all to be kept warm. Two burners on the stove have a pot of greens and a pot BBQ beans (you didn't make either too spicy, afraid you might kill these English men). Out on the grill on the patio are where your ribs and chicken are done cooking (it took forever to find your fathers BBQ sauce recipe that was packed away. You only hope you did it right).

In your opinion, it wasn't much. It was just you throwing something on the grill because the weather was nice, and your boyfriend of three months was back from a two month mission overseas. The conversation earlier in the week went like.

You: Let's throw something on the grill to celebrate you and the guys coming home safely.

John: sure hun. I'll cook-

You: Nah 😲, I got it.

John pulled his truck into the driveway of his girlfriend's place. The forty-five minute drive was ridiculous, and he couldn't imagine his sweet girl doing this every day to get to base.

"Your girl is mental." Kyle said with a grumble, "forty-five minute commute both ways Monday to Friday? Just for work at the base? Why doesn't she just move closer?"

John shrugged his shoulders, "She said when she lived in the States, her commute was an hour and a half with traffic. To her forty-five minutes is a reasonable commute." He doesn't mention that on your first date when he brought you home, he fussed at you about how 'Love you should value your time more'.

Kyle balked at the idea of a ninety minute drive going anywhere that wasn't a week long holiday.

"I don't see why we have to stay the night." Simon isn't happy with the drive, and he isn't happy that he can't be allowed to be antisocial and left alone.

"Cause, it's a forty-five minute drive an' Price's bird asked us tae stay!" Johnny wasted no time hopping out of the truck.

You swing open the front door and run outside to greet John. Crashing into him, arms wrapping around his neck while you pressed several kisses all over his face. "You're just in time!" You shout.

"Glad to see you too." His hug was tight, and he sighed deeply at the feeling of you in his arms.

"Come on, I got my brother to send over some things for you to try!" You start to drag him towards the house.

When John sees the actual amount of food set out on the kitchen island, he stares. When you mention 'throwing something on the grill,' he wasn't expecting enough food to feed an army. "Babe?"

You wasted no time bringing out paper plates, "Come on, I want you to try a bit of everything!" You look at Kyle "can you open the fridge and grab jello shots?"

Simon as surprised as he is, was peeping into one of the pots on the stove. Intrigued by what he was seeing, "What's the leaves in the pot?" He asks.

"Collards." You say, "You'll like them. They aren't too spicy."

By this time, Johnny has already slurped up two jello shots and is looking at the jars of moonshine. A big fat grin on his face "How long ye been plann' this?"

And a reaction is certainly recorded.

The plate you made for John is handed to him, "Since you all shipped out. Come on, don't want the food to get cold!" Your excitement is barely contained, and when the guys are all at the table, you have your phone out ready to record each reaction.

It starts with Johnny first. He's laughing saying "Lass it doesn't count as a vegetable if there's meat in it." (That statement earns a glare from John, because respect his girl's cooking.)

All laughter is gone, though, and it's silent at your dinner table. Kyle nods his head once and continues eating "Not sure what I was expecting but I'm hooked now I guess."

Johnny isn't saying much and is practically inhaling his food. The macaroni didn't stand a chance, really. He swallows his food and says something that's barely intelligible. You catch the words "Bonnie. Price. You and share."

Simon's cheeks are a bit red after eating the beans. A thin shine of sweat on him, but he continues nonetheless. Maybe you used too much spice?

As for your darling John, he was smiling and pressed a kiss to your cheek. His own cheeks that could be seen just past his facial hair was a cute pink. "Love this is great. A bit heavy on the pepper."

"I didn't use a lot of pepper hun." You laugh.

John only hummed and looked over at Johnny, "and no, I'm not sharing my girlfriend." Only for Johnny to pout and try speaking over a mouth full of food.

· · ────── ꒰ঌ·Extra·໒꒱ ────── · ·

It's been two hours, and everyone has helped you pack up the food and clean the kitchen. You brought out the alcohol for the guys to try.

"So John, I got the Tennessee Jack Daniel's for you to try. Oh, and Simon, don't drink the clear moonshine straight, I have a mixer for that." You say as you line up the shot glasses.

"MD 20/20?" Kyle says, "Why is it fluorescent blue?"

John is sitting at the island reading the label of the Jack Daniel's. "Is there a difference with Tennessee Whisky?"

"It's made in Tennessee, love." You simply explain. Just as you turn around, you shout at Johnny, "Boy, wait! Don't take that to the head!" You watch in horror as Johnny downs half of his bottle.

"Ach, pure ethanol I reckon!" He laughs, "but it's good."

"Johnny you're about to have a bad time." You sigh.

Not even twenty minutes later Johnny and Kyle are off their rockers. Simon has been quietly staring at the wall (he didn't listen when you explained that moonshine is a sipping drink). And your darling John Price is happy that he won't be driving forty-five minutes anywhere because as you explained.

"Love you being tired after eating is fine. It's called the Itis."

"The what?"

"Never mind, John."

End.

[littlefankingdom]

I read Batman: Venom (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight issues 16-20) to learn about Bruce's drug addiction and him overcoming it, I did not expect the story to be about fatherhood. The thing is the story seems to be before Bruce met Dick, so there are no batfam in this, no Robin, but it still comment on Bruce's views on fatherhood throught his antagonists.

The two bad guys of this story are both fathers who sacrificed their kid for their goal (US imperialism, which is another thing I wasn't expecting. Like, we are going "the US army is evil and the cause behind latin american countries' instabilities" here) They don't value their kid's life, they only see them as a tool, a soldier, and if they die it means they are weak. Also, they are supposed to always follow their orders.

The story begins with the death of the daughter of the first one. Batman wasn't able to save her, which he hates himself for for the rest of the story. Heart heavy, he goes to announce her death to her father, only for the man to not give a fuck. Bruce grieves her more than her father. He keeps thinking about her and remembering her death through the whole story, while her father doesn’t give a damn. His goal and work is more important than her. Damn, it is revealed he used her to get in contact with the Batman, which means he is responsible for her death. She was a child.

The second kid is already a young man, and he doesn't die, but his life is destroyed by his father, who doesn't value him as nothing but a soldier. He is a test subject and if he dies, it means he's weak. His father doesn't give a damn about him, about his well-being or his personality, he only wants a killing machine that obeys him.

Bruce goes through addiction, withdraw and (unhealthy af) recovery through the stroy, but he is also the only one to care about these kids. He fails to save them and he feels guilty about that. He hates their fathers because they are shitty ass father. He beats them firstly for the harm they have caused to their own kid. In the end, he doesn't consider it a "good ending" because, not only multiple innocents died, but these two kids got their life destroyed and he couldn't save them.

As it was written and published in the years following Jason's death, I strongly believe this is also meant to compare his death and Bruce's grief. Bruce did not sacrifice his son, he did not view him as a soldier, as a tool, disposable and weak if he died. Bruce cried him for days, this death deeply scarred him, he couldn't function normally after it. He was ready to kill for his boy and to die to join him. And also, you cannot tell me the child dying just in front of him, so close yet so far, as he failed to save her, isn't a parallel to Jason's death.

[novakaiserart]

FE Awakening AU; Verdant Pegasi House

I finished these like 2 weeks ago but I've just been procrastinating lmao Last house‼️ Last three houses can be found here, here and here To the west lies the continent of Valm, home to the ancient gods Mila and Duma. Long ago, King Albein Alm Rudolph II and Queen Anthiese von Lima united the kingdoms to form Valentia. Union wouldn't last after their reign and as such, the continent was divided once again. Small countries throughout the land popped up, each with their unique cultures. 15 years ago, King Walhart Alm Rudolph I sought out to reunite the continent of Valm under one empire, thus crowning him Emperor. Though Valm pledged allegiance to no Gods, Tiki became a symbol of divinity and was embraced. As such, she allowed them one house in her Academy. The Verdant Pegasi gain their names from their vast and beautiful green plains and the abundance of wild Pegasi in many of their regions. They value honor, hardship, determination and kindness. Walhart II: Eldest son of the Emperor, he's determined to continue his father's rule over the continent and keep the empire afloat. Stern and headstrong, he's not afraid of a challenge. He enrolled in the Academy to strengthen his skills and hopefully make new allies. Yuu'ya: Only son of Say'ri, he embodies the image of a warrior of Chon'sin. Opposed to the united Valm, he's secretly amassing a rebel army to go against the foreign occupation of his land. Usually quiet and reserved, he rarely lets his presence be known. Kazu'sa: Oldest son of Yen'fay, he openly rejects his father's submission to Valm. He's growing to detest his father and his actions and strives to free his country. Despite having the same goals as his cousin, he's the polar opposite. Loud, brash and vulgar; he doesn't care for tradition and prefers to express himself freely. Nah: Nowi and Donnel's youngest daughter, she's pretty composed and reserved for her age. Growing up amongst so many other manaketes in the Church has allowed her to understand her culture and come to terms with her human half. Naga's descendants never usually take up any last names, but Nah insisted in taking her father's as a way to combine her two backgrounds. Aurelia: General Pheros's only daughter, she's hopes to become a Knight of Naga after graduation. She dedicates her life to her faith and holds Tiki in extremely high esteem. While she should usually inherit her house, she has stepped away from her noble lineage to pursue her dreams. Benedict: Youngest son of The Great Ignatius of Valm, his father's war prowess inspired him to follow in his footsteps. With great honor, he's taught himself all ways of magic to assist Walhart II in his future endeavors. Rumor has it, though, that he's terrified of boats. Hildegard: Daughter of Commander Farber, she's delicate as a flower. Shy, reserved and unassuming; she enrolled in the Academy to become a great healer to save lives. She fully expects to be married off for political gain, since she's a noble; but her only hope is to help those in need. Gerome: Heir to the Head of House Rosanne, Gerome focuses on his strength above all else. His father surrendering his homeland so easily to Valm has left him estranged from him over the years. He enrolled in the Academy for 2 reasons; to learn from his Mother, who's an instructor and to reunite with Lucina and the others in hopes of gaining their strength to drive back Valm. Crest of Duma: May half damage of an attack. Crest of Mila: Heals 20% of HP at the start of every turn. Crest of Chon'sin: Increases Crit chance by 20% Crest of Naga: Allows wielder to transform into a Manakete. Crest of Rosanne: May nullify effective damage

[darkshrimpemotions]

As of chapter 20 of Fourth Wing, I am firmly camp Xaden for 5 reasons:

1. He treats Violet as a capable adult who can make her own decisions and gets her training for where she needs improvement, rather than assuming she's helpless and in need of his rescue all the time.

2. He absolutely has preconceived notions about Violet but modifies his view of her over time based on their interactions as he sees more of her personality, rather than having an image of her he holds her to and getting mad when she dares to be something else.

3. He values people over rules and orders, rather than being willing to let people flounder, suffer, or die to avoid breaking a rule.

4. He always, always touches Violet gently no matter how angry he is, rather than letting his elevated emotions translate into harsh touches or a bruising grip.

5. He calls her Violence. It's just such an unhinged little nickname, I love it.

And aside from his appeal as a love interest for Violet, I also just have a huge soft spot for him as a character. This man was forced to watch his father executed, was forced to assimilate into a culture not his own with core beliefs he finds abhorrent, was conscripted into the very army that killed his father and conquered his people, and isn't even allowed to be in community with people of his culture who would understand his trauma on pain of death.

He has a lot to be angry about and a lot of reasons not to trust anyone, and yet he shows concern toward his fellow marked conscripts, risks execution to help them, and speaks against punishing Violet for her mother's sins the way he himself has been punished. He also clearly feels a deep sense of responsibility to his fellow conscripts in terms of keeping their culture and beliefs alive in the midst of the cruel forced assimilation they're all enduring. I fucking adore him.

[enbyleighlines]

Leigh plays Tellius prt 12

I forgot how dramatic Geoffrey can be. But I guess with a best friend like Bastian, he would have to be a little dramatic.

I love how Ike continues to value his work as a mercenary above everything else. Of course, I don't think this high level of integrity is common amongst mercenary groups, but the Greil Mercs have always been different. Like how Greil himself would take work without pay, if it meant helping out someone in need. They fight for people, not for ideals such as honor or glory.

Now, I remember this map giving me so much trouble when I was a kid. This was the map that had me give up on not losing any units. I remember sacrificing Calill here, back in 2007, just so I could finally advance to the next chapter.

So when it came time to face this map again, 16 years later, I was feeling rather nervous.

Turns out I had no reason to be nervous, because I wiped the floor with all the enemies without issue. The boss gave me a scare at first, when I realized he was activating a skill in battle. I was afraid it was Resolve, but it turned out to be Parity, which was far less intimidating.

What a gorgeous scene! I love this moment between Elincia and her retainers. Their friendship is so great, and I'm glad that they got to be reunited.

This may be my shipper goggles blinding me again, but... was there something in that letter you don't want others seeing, Tibarn?

I understand where he's coming from, but it is jarring to be see a young boy say "Kill 'em all!"

Love this base conversation. Ike cannot be bothered to figure out what the hell Bastian is talking about half the time. And we learn that, though Ike's not a fan of desserts, he does drink tea! Unsweetened, I imagine, but still. Idk why, but I really love the idea of manly man Ike sitting down and having a cup of tea. Maybe he even used to have tea parties with Mist as a child. Too cute!

Here comes Largo. I do think this entire conversation is hilarious enough to justify Largo's existence as a playable unit, but otherwise I have never used him and probably never will. That being said, I love his character development in Radiant Dawn, where he goes from a fame-seeking beserker for hire to a humble restaurant owner and doting father.

I made Jill another custom javelin, and I named it Diablo because of how much it cost. Plus it's red, to match her armor!

Funniest NPC? Funniest NPC.

They don't go into it, but I can imagine that Soren must be really nervous at this moment. He's about to lead a discussion in front of an army that includes judgemental Begnion knights, beast laguz, and hawk laguz, including the king of the hawk laguz. That's a lot of pressure, especially for a character who doesn't feel comfortable talking to anyone that isn't Ike. He did a brilliant job, though! It probably helps that he has an A rank with Ike now, so his biggest insecurity has been put to rest.

Kudos, Soren! You're going to need that growing confidence when you're promoted to chief strategist of the Laguz Alliance.

I love how Ike is just so taken off guard here. This conversation also raises some questions for me. Namely, how long do pegasi live? Didn't Elincia say that this one belonged to her great-grandmother? Are they just like... immortal?

Time to seize Fort Pinell! This map is a little intimidating due to its sheer size, especially it doesn't have many choke points. However, I managed to beat this map on my first try. Luckily, they let you take a ridiculous amount of units, so I managed to just cross the field by lining up my defensive fighters in a long vertical wall to keep my squishies protected. Meanwhile, Ike, Soren, and Ranulf destroyed the entire upper right section of the map all by themselves.

The Black Knight fight is coming!! I'm so nervous ahhhhhh

It was also around this point that I realized that it would be nearly impossible to achieve one of my goals. I intended to get Ranulf to level 20 with as many capped stats as possible. Unfortunately, after doing the math, it looks like the only stats it's possible to cap are strength and defense, because you get him so late in the game, and his stat caps are so ridiculously high.

For example, you get him at level 9, which means he will only level up 11 times. In order to cap his strength, he has to level up strength 10 times, which is possible, but not without a lot of resetting. Meanwhile, in order to cap his defense, he has to level up his defense 13 times, which is only possible if you get him to level up defense Every Single Level, plus give him a Draco Shield for that +2 defense.

As much as I love Ranulf, I want to use that Draco Shield for someone else if I can. So in the end, I only capped his strength. And I was only able to do so by burning through the rest of my bexp. Ugh!

Was this worth it, or a massive waste of resources?

Probably the latter, but what's done is done.

Either way, Ike's 1v1 match with the Black Knight is imminent. I would like to save Nasir if I can, so I'm hoping that I get lucky with triggering Aether.

[lifeslemonaid-blog]

The Verbal Values Vs The Actions That Prove The Value Of A Man

I once "knew" a man that liked to talk about the values he had. The way he would weave the importance of his 20 year career he never thought he would need but that found him. After losing a future in basketball. Going away to college. Becoming someone that his father could finally be proud of, he was staring down at a the smallest person in the world that could finally give him the validation, or so he thought, that he so longed to have. After a few failed attempts at a "normal" job. He found himself enlisting.

There, in that career, he found his purpose. He would continue to formulate this story over the twenty years he continue with this careers. Just as I tell this story, that's all it was.

He wanted to believe in the following values;

Loyalty.

Duty. Fulfill your obligations. ... 

Respect. Treat people as they should be treated. ... 

Selfless Service. Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own. ... 

Honor. ... 

Integrity. ... 

Personal Courage.

With each additional year, something continued to break. He did the right thing. He got the job. He married the child's mother. He had additional children. He continued to enlist. Then why, why did he need additional validation?

Why would he go out and find others? Why didn't he just the mother of his children? She wasn't looking to be with him either. Before long, Hit was hard to trust anything. They were both at fault. The girl he dreamed about was ruined. The life he wanted to show his father was false.

One day he was hurt. At the right time, the best worst person came into his life. She would reach out to see if he was "ok". She had heard from her husband that there had been injuries. The validation slowly grew into the banter he needed.

His wife was telling him he no longer wanted to be there for his kids. Everything the wanted for his own childhood seemed so far gone. This new person in his life seemed to tell him all the right things. She could do it. She could understand. She could easily step in. She could be the women and mother for his kids that he was looking for. He was so desperate to feel like he was good enough, he let her slip right in.

She ran to take the kids from the only home they had ever known. Take them away from any chance they had to be with family that made sense. created a world that only she could supply. Before he could learn to walk, lead, be loyal to himself, for his kids, she made sure the insecurities stayed open.

The longer he served the more the validation was needed and she would no longer do. He would see someone that looked like they could be easy to talk to. Someone that also had a need to talk. A connection that could be made. Maybe they need me too. I'm not harming them, I'm providing them something they want, he would think.

Affair after affair his wounds were ripped open, he could feed the real thing he was validating. His ego! The side that said , no dad, look at me. I can do whatever the hell I want. The more he served the larger the mental wound grew. The more it was safer to live in the validation.

After 20 years, the world decided it was time for everyone to wake up. 2019, the world needed to see things needed to change. For him, this was the end of the career that held him "together" in the world he could control. The one that kept him "safe". After a final move to show what an honorable man he had become. He would finally show his family he deserved to be home.

On September of 2022, he met someone that would hold him accountable. That would not allow for the lies. That would test every conversation every had. It was time to wake up from the story we were told as children.

Regardless of the handicaps we are born with, challenged with or thrown into, we decide the person we choose to leave this world as.

Are you really the Loyal person you took the oath to be?

Duty, is a profound thing. Being obligated to complete a role does not mean to show up as your worst.

Respect, how can others respect you if you don't respect yourself?

Selfless Service. Find a way to help the community but don't allow others to walk all over you. Including a toxic partner.

Honor? What honor do you have left if you keep the same habits? Hold the same lies?

Integrity, how do you have any left if the others are not followed?

Courage will not surface. There is nothing left to give you what you need.

When you are this low. All you can do is take from others. You can longer see the person you wanted to be.

It was only the beginning of the most lovely and hurtful restart she would ever know.

[ancestorsofjudah]

1 Kings 20: 18-22. "The Hair."

There is a fight raging between education and superstition within the Walls of the Kingdom of Israel. King Ahab, "father of the brotherhood" abandoned reflection upon the truth for debauchery embodied in his wife, the horror whore, Jezebel who encourages him to violence his people.

God tries everything- the Temple, the Government, foreign sovereigns, and Ahab considers the possibilities of being a Godly man. His worries include his reputation after he repents and earns his privileges for a change. That road, the steep road to Aram, the High Citadel where men are proud but not arrogant is not as appealing as the flat, effortless one he is on.

But what is happening to his people? And Spring is just around the corner...and what does it mean to be dead or alive after a Spiritual War? Find out now:

18 He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

19 The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them 

20 and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. 

21 The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.

22 Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, “Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again.”

There is an infamous Mitzvah "do not eat a kid that has been boiled in its mother's milk." This means religion should not turn the child against its mother. Whether or not the mom should scold her child is not the question.

Parenting, according to the Torah requires religion, the only way a child will learn how to be ethical outside the house. This means religious discourses are to tame the animal inside the man, not kill the man waiting to emerge from the skin of the animal. So like the prohibition against eating a kid, which means the child must return home with his love for his parents intact, the Lord in Aram's voice says religion always returns a man home from war with his ego intact, just much improved.

Pride according to the Torah is a demonstration of the 12 Noble Skills which are skills learned from others who have become proficient in religion. Arrogance causes fear. Fear causes the death of the self and is the enemy of faith.

So in this combat between Aram and Israel, God says liberation from fear is the object of victory.

v. 18: has a value of 6792, וזטב‎‎ , and zetab, = seth ab, "the professional leader."

The verb שית (shyt) means to give, set or place firm. Noun שית (shyt) refers to occupational garb, the dress upon which the profession stands. Noun שת (shat) describes a national foundation; whatever a nation is set on. 

v. 19: The Junior Officers are the little men, the Bar Mitzvahs who are trained in obeying the Mitzvot; Provincial Commanders are the Laws. Verse 19 has not allowed common sense is enough, there must be a framework in the mind that governs one's conduct at all costs and provides an ethical spider web that catches the flies of superstitious or outlying perceptions that originate on the outside. Right and wrong are different things and we need to study the Torah in order to impress this upon ourselves.

v. 19-20: Ben Hadad, the Son of the Voice of God escapes on horseback. Horses are unholy in Jewish mythology. A man on a horse is up to no good.

The value is 10882, יחחב, "will hide". The Hebrew word for "to hide" is sathar, from se'ir, "hairy guys on horseback who do not shave their bush."

When the Voice of God is riding on one of these, superstition will abound.

v. 21, thankfully, the King of Israel overtakes the hairy dudes. Hair in Jewish mythology signifies experience. To little hair is a sign of immaturity or inflexibility, too much is the negative side of Aram, a sign of pride and arrogance.

A man that cuts his hair, his beard and shaves his saddle bag demonsrates he is well cultivated and able to settle in with other civilized persons. The King of Israel will always win over men that do not shave their bodies. In other words, cavemen are forbidden.

The Number is 6155, ו‎אהה‎ ‎, "and oh", = "the mark."

The verb אוה ('wh III) means to sign or make a sign, mark or describe with a mark, etc. Its obvious derivation is the noun אות ('ot), meaning sign or mark. 

=

The mark of a man is a nice shaved bush.

v. 22: Every spring, the Temple is obligated by God to remind the People of Israel of the importance of remaining Jewish, but a superstition free kind of Jewish, signified by 8980, חט‎חאֶפֶס, hathafes, "destruction due to diaspora."

The verb חתת (hatat) means to deplete of strength, courage, willpower or any essential support, which results in a collapse of sorts. Nouns חת (hat), חתת (hatat), חתה (hitta), חתחת (hathat) and חתית (hittit) describe the various nuances of debilitating or paralyzing terror or fear. The identical adjective חת (hat) means shattered or dismayed. Noun מחתה (mehitta) means destruction, ruin or terror.

The verb חתה (hata) means to seize or snatch up, usually of fire or coals. Noun מחתה (mahta), meaning fire pan or censer.

fes, from pes= diaspora

The verb פסס (pasas II) means to disappear or vanish. It's used only once, in Psalm 12:1, where the psalmist laments that the faithful disappear from among men. Since faithfulness requires social cohesion (to establish and retain standards to be faithful to), the disappearance of these faithful was likely due to their density in society, which results from them being spread out.

It is the appearance of hair on a boy's body that signifies he is either about to become an intelligent and gallant hunk, or a smelly disgusting brute. Religion is supposed to be the decisive factor in the way he sorts out. Even still our Jewish ancestors saw how readily the myths and legends were able to warp mankind. While we are often able to maintain our appearance without nobles, men who are shaped by proper instruction in religion to lead us we will always be kind of naked, hairy, and unkempt.

[donttalkaboutmemes]

Mulan (1998) Sentence Meme

Under the cut you will find 150+ sentences from the 1998 version of Mulan to use for your enjoyment!    

1.      “Now all of China knows you’re here.”

2.      “We’ll set up defenses around the palace immediately.”

3.      “Send your troops to protect my people.”

4.      “I believe my troops can stop him.”

5.      “A single grain of rice can tip the scale. One man may be the difference between victory and defeat.”

6.      “Whose the smartest doggy in the world?”

7.      “Remember, the doctor said three cups of tea in the morning and three at night.”

8.      “You should already be in town. We are counting on you to uphold the family honor.”

9.      “I’m going to pray some more.”

10.   “The matchmaker is not a patient woman.”

11.   “I should have prayed to the ancestors for luck.”

12.   “How lucky can they be? They’re dead.”

13.   “This is your chance to prove yourself.”

14.   “Who spit in her bean curd?”

15.   “Recite the final admonition.”

16.   “Fulfill our duties calmly and respectfully.”

17.   “This shall bring you honor and glory.”

18.   “Now, pour the tea.”

19.   “To please your future in-laws, you must demonstrate a sense of dignity and refinement.”

20.   “You may look like a bride, but you will never bring your family honor!”

21.   “My, my. What beautiful blossoms we have this year. But look, this one’s late. I’ll bet that when it blooms, it will be the most beautiful of all.”

22.   “By order of the Emperor, one man from every family must serve in the imperial army.”

23.   “I will serve the Emperor in my father’s place.”

24.   “I am ready to serve the emperor.”

25.   “You would do well to teach your daughter to hold her tongue in a man’s presence.”

26.   “You dishonor me.”

27.   “You shouldn’t have to go! There are plenty of young men to fight!”

28.   “It is an honor to protect my country and my family.”

29.   “So you’ll die for honor?”

30.   “I will die doing what’s right.”

31.   “I know my place! It is time you learned yours!”

32.   “You must go after her. She could be killed.”

33.   “So tell me what mortal needs my protection, great ancestor! You just say the word and I’m there!”

34.   “These are the family guardians.”

35.   “And you, O demoted one?”

36.   “One family reunion comin’ right up.”

37.   “Rise and shine. Ya’ll way past the beauty sleep thing, trust me.”

38.   “Don’t look at me. She gets it from your side of the family.”

39.   “She’s just trying to help her father.”

40.   “Dishonor will come to the family. Traditional values will disintegrate.”

41.   “Your great-granddaughter had to be a cross-dresser!”

42.   “Let a guardian bring her back.”

43.   “We must send the most powerful of all.”

44.   “You are not worthy of this spot.”

45.   “Just one chance, is that too much to ask?”

46.   “I’m doomed and all cause Miss Man decides to take her little drag show on the road.”

47.   “Go get her? What’s the matter with you?”

48.   “The emperor will stop you.”

49.   “By building this wall, he challenged my strength. Well, I’m here to play his game.”

50.   “Tell your emperor to send his strongest armies.”

51.   “How many men does it take to deliver a message?”

52.   “I see you have a sword. I have one, too. They’re very manly and tough.”

53.   “Who am I fooling? It’s going to take a miracle to get me into the army.”

54.   “Did I hear someone ask for a miracle?”

55.   “Your serpentine salvation is at hand, for I have been sent by your ancestors to guide you through your masquerade!”

56.   “If the army finds out you’re a girl, the penalty is death!”

57.   “Who am I? Who am I? I am the guardian of lost souls! I am the powerful, the pleasurable, the indestructible.”

58.   “My ancestors sent a little lizard to help me?”

59.   “Dragon. Dra-gon. Not lizard. I don’t do that tongue thing.”

60.   “I’m travel size for your convenience!”

61.   “My powers are beyond your mortal imagination.”

62.   “All right, that’s it! Dishonor! Dishonor on your whole family! Make a note of this. Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow!”

63.   “I’m just nervous. I’ve never done this before.”

64.   “You’re gonna have to trust me. And don’t you slap me no more.”

65.   “This is it. Time to show ‘em your man walk. Shoulders back, chest high, feet apart, head up, and strut.”

66.   “It’s all attitude. Be tough, like this guy here.”

67.   “Punch him. It’s how men say hello.”

68.   “I’m gonna hit you so hard, it’ll make your ancestors dizzy.”

69.   “Relax and chant with me.”

70.   “Chicken boy? Say that to my face, ya limp noodle!”

71.   “Excellent strategy, sir. I do love surprises.”

72.   “You will stay and train the new recruits.”

73.   “This is an enormous responsibility. Perhaps a soldier with more experience…”

74.   “I don’t need anyone causing trouble in my camp.”

75.   “Sorry you had to see that, but you know how it is when you get those manly urges and you just gotta kill something. Fix things. Cook outdoors.”

76.   “Your commanding officer just asked you a question.”

77.   “I’ve got a name. And it’s a boy’s name, too.”

78.   “I didn’t ask for his name. I asked for yours!”

79.   “Tomorrow the real work begins.”

80.   “You know, we have to work on your people skills.”

81.   “Remember, it’s your first day of training, so listen to your teacher and no fighting. Play nice with the other kids, unless one of the other kids wanna fight, then you have to kick the other kids butt.”

82.   “But I don’t wanna kick the other kid’s butt.”

83.   “Lets see your war face!”

84.   “I think my bunny slippers just ran for cover.”

85.   “That’s my tough looking warrior. That’s what I’m talking about. Now get out there and make me proud.”

86.   “Wait! You forgot your sword!”

87.   “My little baby, off to destroy people.”

88.   “Looks like our new friend slept in this morning.”

89.   “Are ya hungry? Cause I owe you a knuckle sandwich.”

90.   “You will assemble swiftly and silently every morning. Anyone who acts otherwise will answer to me.”

91.   “The quickest way to the emperor is through that pass.”

92.   “This is not a good idea. What if somebody sees you?”

93.   “Just because I look like a man doesn’t mean I have to smell like one.”

94.   “We’re doomed! There are a couple of things I know they’re bound to notice!”

95.   “Come back here. I know we were jerks to you before, so let’s start over.”

96.   “I never want to see a naked man again.”

97.   “Hey, don’t look at me. I ain’t bitin’ no more butts.”

98.   “You think your troops are ready to fight? They would not last a minute against the Huns!”

99.   “Those boys are no more fit to be soldiers than you are to be captain.”

100. “The general may be your father, but I am the emperor’s counsel. And by the way, I got that job on my own.”

101.  “I’ll hold him and you punch.”

102.  “For what it’s worth, I think you’re a great captain.”

103.  “I saw that. You like him, don’t you?”

104.  “I think it’s time we took this war into our own hands.”

105.  “You men owe me a new pair of slippers.”

106.  “We’re in a war, man! There’s no time for stupid questions!”

107.   “Search for survivors.”

108.   “I don’t understand. My father should’ve been here.”

109.   “We’re the only hope for the emperor now.”

110.   “Prepare to fight. If we die, we die with honor.”

111.   “You missed! How could you miss? It was three feet in front of you!”

112.   “Man, you are one lucky bug.”

113.   “We’re gonna die! We are definitely gonna die! No way we survive this! Death is coming!”

114.   “I knew we could do it! You the man! Well…sort of.”

115.   “You are the craziest man I’ve ever met. And for that, I owe you my life. From now on, you have my trust.”

116.  “I knew there was something wrong with you.”

117.  “I did it to save my father.”

118. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far. It was the only way. Please, believe me.”

119. “A life for a life. My debt is repaid.”

120. “I was this close. This close to impressing the ancestors, getting the top shelf, an entourage. Man. All my fine work.”

121. “I should have never left home.”

122. “You went to save your father’s life. Who knew you’d end up shaming him and disgracing your ancestors and losing all your friends?”

123.  “Maybe what I really wanted was to prove I could do things right, so when I looked in the mirror I’d see someone worthwhile. But I was wrong. I see nothing.”

124. “Your ancestors never sent me. They don’t even like me.”

125. “You risked your life to help people you love. I risked your life to help myself. At least you had good intentions.”

126.  “I’ll have to face my father sooner or later.”

127.  “We started this thing together, and that’s how we’ll finish it.”

128.   “Are we in this together or not?”

129.   “Well, let’s go kick some hunny buns!”

130.   “You don’t belong here. Go home.”

131.    “Keep your eyes open. I know they’re here.”

132.   “I know what this means to you. Your father would have been very proud.”

133.   “Your walls and armies have fallen, and now it’s your turn. Bow to me.”

134.   “I tire of your arrogance, old man. Bow to me!”

135.   “No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it.”

136.   “You took away my victory.”

137.   “So what’s the plan? You don’t have a plan?”

138.    “It looks like you’re out of ideas.”

139.   “That creature’s not worth protecting.”

140.   “She’s a woman. She’ll never be worth anything.”

141.   “I’ve heard a great deal about you. You stole your father’s armor, ran away from home, impersonated a soldier, deceived your commanding officer, dishonored the army, destroyed my palace. And you have saved us all.”

142.   “See to it that this woman is a member of my council.”

143.   “There are no council positions open, your majesty.”

144.   “With all due respect, your excellency, I think I’ve been away from home long enough.”

145.  “Take this so your family will know what you have done for me, and this, so the world will know what you have done.”

146.   “Is she allowed to do that?”

147.   “Um…you…you fight good.”

148.  “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.”

149.  “You don’t meet a girl like that every dynasty.”

150.  “The greatest gift and honor is having you for a daughter.”

151.  “She brings home a sword. If you ask me, she should’ve brought home a man.”

152.   “Sign me up for the next war!”

153.   “Would you like to stay forever?”

154.   “Come on. Tell me. Who did a good job?”

155.   “You can be a guardian again.”

156.   “You know, she gets it from my side of the family.”

[thebuzztrack]

A Review of Hayao Miyazaki's 'Castle in the Sky' (1986)

In 1986, Hayao Miyazaki directed an animated fantasy adventure film titled Castle in the Sky. It would be his second feature-length animated film. Its story revolves around an orphan girl named Sheeta, who possesses a magic crystal linked to the legendary floating island of Laputa. Pazu, a young boy who works as an apprentice in a gem mine, dreams of proving his father's discovery of the lost city of Laputa is true and not a myth. He joins Sheeta on her journey to reconnect with the fantastical metropolis that floats above the clouds. They face various dangers from a group of pirates, an army, and government agents who are after Sheeta's enchanted crystal and the mysteries of Laputa. The film explores themes of friendship, courage, identity, and environmentalism, making it an imaginative and thrilling story.

I love every single one of Hayao Miyazaki's animated movies, just like this one. It felt like a movie that ran less than its two hours long run time. His storytelling skill is powerful enough to keep my attention until the end. Miyazaki continues with the motif of youthful innocence displaced in a world thrown in disrepair by the adults who place their selfishness and near-sightedness over the needs of the collective. As the case would be in this movie, along with a few of his other films, some adults come to their senses and realize there are more imperative matters than the never-ceasing turn of the hamster wheel with their selfish desires.

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the world's most influential and acclaimed animators. He co-founded Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation studio that has produced many award-winning and beloved films, such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl's Moving Castle. Miyazaki's films are known for their imaginative worlds, complex characters, environmental themes, and humanistic values. He is also a prolific manga artist who created the epic Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind series, which he adapted into a film. Miyazaki has worked in the animation industry since 1963 and has directed over 20 feature films and TV series. Recently, he finished working on his final film, How Do You Live?, which will be Studio Ghibli's first IMAX release.

[fireemblems24]

Azure Moon Ch 20 Reactions

Hi everyone, spoilers below for Fire Emblem Three Houses AM route up till Ch 20 and all the other routes roughly the same spot.

Pre-Battle

Time to take Fort Merceus. If I remember right, I get to fight the Death Knight . . . again. Still feels better than fighting with that guy. Same like last chapter saving Claude felt so much better than killing him in CF.

Ah, it's so nice to hear Dimitri's voice again.

"Perhaps a head-on siege was a foolish plan, after all." LAMO I love how wonky battle strategy is in most stories compared to real life. A head-on siege is actually smart. The nonsense about disguising soldiers and relying on tricks isn't how things really went most of the time.

There's instances of tricks working throughout history (one of my favorite was how a Chinese General sent out dancing girls to distract his enemy and it WORKED), but that means your whole plan hinged on a trick working and most of the time when an army used a trick it's because that was their ONLY choice.

Just remember this folks. Good army commanders aren't the one who know the most tricks, it's the ones who win (or the one who can keep their army together even when they keep losing like George Washington for the longest time). Don't listen to the movies.

Also, bows were soooooo much more effective than swords. Our penchant for giving every hero a sword actually has classist roots since it was the weapon of the rich because it cost a lot to make and time to properly learn unlike a spear or arrows.

Sorry, but it always annoys me whenever I see stuff like this misrepresented, and I like to rant about it.

See, there we go, Gilbert for the win. "I don't think the Death Knight would've fallen for any tricks." Well, aside from why on earth we still fear this guy aside, bravo for not hinging success or failure based on some wonky trick.

And now Gilbert's talking about supplies. I could KISS this man right now. And now reinforcements. Thank you, Gilbert 😭

Oh, man, I get the option to flirt with Dimitri, I'm taking the "Will you save me if I'm in trouble?"

Aw, Mercie, you're better off without him. Dimitri's letting her step away too, if she wants. But best girl (one of them) isn't about to run away like the champ she is.

Battle

Do we ever learn why the Death Knight is so obsessed with Byleth?

LAMO Dimitri's like "wow, I know why this fortress is known for being impregnable," says he after busting through the front door on day 1. There's a joke somewhere here about Dimitri's incredibly potent dick.

I wanted Mercie to attack the Death Knight, but she couldn't take the hit. So Byleth one-shot him with a crit lol. Byleth wouldn't have killed if she didn't crit, and then Mercie would've gotten her chance, but alas it wasn't meant to be.

Poor Mercie deserves a better older brother.

Dimitri MVP. This is my surprised face.

Post-Battle

Poor Mercie is an angel and has nothing to be sorry or. I like that she gets this scene though. I feel like every member of the Blue Lions got their own mini-arc.

Time to take down the Empire, aw yeah.

Which means I'm coming up on the last monastery visit for BL. For all the routes really. This has been such a long journey. I have no idea what I'll do with my free time after this lol. The DLC I guess. and then more Azure Moon!

I'll wait and see how the other routes wrap up, but I feel this game has a high replay value, but I don't know if I can bring myself to play a route where Dimitri dies again.

Dimitri's such a workaholic. I can't relate.

Good! The Kingdom is all united now. Glad Sylvain is speaking well of his father. It makes Margrave Gautier seem like a more fleshed-out person and not just an excuse for Sylvain angst. (as much as I love some good angst)

Oh, so some Faerghus nobles were behind Duscur. I thought it was those lame mole men? Having corrupt nobility behind is sooooo much more interesting.

Hey, I just noticed. No light bombs in this route. Cause we actually just killed the Death Knight.

"I only did what I believed was right." Says the prisoner. Seems like it's the theme of Three Houses as a whole summed up there. Pending on your perspective, what's "right" and "wrong" look very different.

Ohhhh so Patricia wasn't supposed to be harmed at all, and Dimitri was supposed to die too. Makes it seem like she really did set that up. If she really was involved, what an awful, selfish, sad excuse for a person that would condemn so many people to brutal deaths just because she missed her daughter. I sincerely hope there's more to her than "oh, I miss Edelgard. I'll hand my husband and other child over to burn to death so I can please my own desires."

What do you all think of Patricia? Is she a pathetic sad waste of air or an enigma we'll never find out or a poor hapless victim in a plot she didn't understand or mostly an innocent? What's your headcannons?

I'd really like the believe she never intended for Lambert or especially Dimitri to get hurt, because I want Dimitri to have a mother figure that loved him and not one that sent him into a meat grinder because she redefined playing favorites (which would be ironic given Edelgard never mentions her whereas she obviously had a huge impact on Dimitri). I'd also prefer a character a bit more complex than evil step-mother. We have enough of those, thanks.

It sounds like she's just an evil useless windbag according to Gilbert though.

What were Lambert's radical ways?

I see why Edelgard and Dimitri will never both exist in the same world. Dimitri's always appalled when people in charge involve soldiers and especially citizens in their personal quests for justice, but Edelgard thinks that justice is worth getting all those people killed for (and is actively doing just that).

I have to ask, though, how is Edelgard any different from the people who committed the Tragedy of Duscur? They both believe their cause was right and don't care how many others die in their quest to see their own vision through to the end.

I'm sure people would say "but Edelgard is fighting for a good cause, they didn't, they caused genocide too!"

Did they? Do we know what Lambert's causes were? Maybe he wanted to strengthen the church's influence or crests and Klienman and co were against that, which would make them the exact same as Edelgard. Also, I believe they're referring only to the attack on Lambert and co, not the persecution of Duscur people that came after. That was a product of war and chaos. Who's to say Edelgard's actions won't begin a massacre of anyone who worships Sothis? Or further violence she didn't directly begin? Impersliam and blaming the world's ills on a single religious group of people tend to cause chain-reaction violence.

That's ultimately why I think she's morally incorrect. She's blinded by her own vision and has no control over what might happen because of it or how others might see it. She sees her cause as just, but you can be sure the farmers who fields she robbed to feed her soldiers (no, not personally, but there's no way that didn't happen) could give less of a hoot about her grand vision seen from the height of her golden throne, unable to even see what anyone else thinks or believes.

Note though, part of what I like about her is how unbending she is. Just because I think someone is wrong doesn't mean I dislike them as a character.

Man, the writers are so mean to Dimitri. Edelgard gets to fra-la-la through a field with Byleth with little to no conflict or loss on her part and Claude gets to joke around with Hilda about dressing up as Edelgard to sneak in a fortress while Dimitri learns his mother sent him to a slaughter house because she loved her other child better. Yikes. That's also why it's the best route. Fight me.

Good for Dimitri moving on though, and not lingering on what Patricia might or might not have done. I noticed he left her out this time when listing people who died though lol.

Yes, Dimitri, talking to Edelgard is a fool's errand. That would require her to do things she's not very good at - listening, understanding someone else's POV, and compromise. Pretty sure you need to die for her to stop or else you're too big of a threat to her rule.

Still. So glad he's trying to use diplomacy to end this war rather than weapons. I think this is the first time in FE history a leader has tried meeting with the enemy and not just killing them (oh, wait, Erikia did that too with Lyon, didn't go well. Guess I have a type lol).

Is it weird to feel proud of a fictional character? Lol. Dimitri moving on past Patricia to focus on what he still has and value those he knows that love and support him is just 👌

OMG I love this route. I'm going to miss it so much once it's over.

[lightdancer1]

Lu Ten benefits most in the stories where he dies from the Rashomon-effect and that Azula's voice is central where Zuko's is peripheral

In all truth he treated her with baseline dignity as a human being allowed to be human. He neither put her on a pedestal nor called her a monster and treated her accordingly, nor did he seek to weaponize her. He valued her as his cousin, no more and no less. This is a ludicrously low bar, and it's an indictment of the Fire Nation Royals that only Hino and Lu Ten actually manage to cross it in real time, as well as an illustration of how deeply enmeshed their toxicity actually is.

That is the Lu Ten that Azula sees.

The Lu Ten that went to war with his father and rose from Captain to general in the Fire Nation Army was an actually genuinely skilled and gifted Fire Nation Army officer who was ruthless to degrees bordering on Rough Rhinos/Marauder Army proportions. As Iroh is Grant, Lu Ten has shades of William Tecumseh "BURN BABY BURN" Sherman.

His approach to war would have seen scorched-earth campaigns directly targeting the willpower of their enemies to carry on the war and willfully unleashing vandalism on a scale to deliberately create and weaponize famines had he lived.

The Fire Nation also had a nasty habit of burning people as 'discipline', both in their Army and beyond it. By the standard of Army officers and in tune with Sherman Lu Ten is a hardass who did this more than usual, and relied on a bit of the old 'it would take a brave man to be a coward in my formations' methods. As he would see it he is saving lives by targeting the very marrow and sinew of their enemies' abilities to sustain a seemingly endless war.

As they would see it the only thing that kept him from becoming a second Azulon in the AUs where he dies is that he was slain in the Siege.

Lu Ten is also in his early 20s when he died and started his war service at 14, the same age that Azula was sent to fight. His meteoric rise from captain to division commander is partially nepotism, partially that in seven years he proved himself an effective officer and when Iroh ascended to the throne he would have taken his place as general in chief of the armies at the front. Which would be very largely nepotism, though Shermanesque ruthlessness would have done much to quash it, and unleashing the Kempeitai equivalents to take heads of people who protested too loudly would have done the rest.

Part of Lu Ten's greater empathy to Azula is that he is bisexual and polyamorous, having his girlfriend/future wife Naru (who in keeping with my naming theme is named after Sailor Moon's friend Naru Osaka) and his boyfriend Kenpachiro. And had he lived he would have directly collapsed the Sozin Laws for his own personal reasons. This is one of the areas where when he was alive Iroh flat out failed as a father, and created a lot of messy feelings between father and son that contribute to Iroh's grief. It was an unspoken secret in the family and Azulon essentially rolled with it under the basis that Iroh would successfully quash it or Naru would, and if he didn't he would have sought to correct Lu Ten personally and probably would have died in the effort.

Lu Ten is also an extremely powerful Firebender, with the main advantages that Ozai, Iroh, and Azulon having over him that they have more experience and that he in turn has an extra set of years on his cousins plus serving in combat for years instead of part of a year for Azula and just over a year for Zuko meaning he has a much bigger variety of nasty dirty tricks to pull that they're still blushing innocents with.

He was also/is also a sincere, genuine imperialist in a Gorbachevian fashion, which would be one of his problems in actual power as he would have operated under the completely sincere belief ala Sozin that the Fire Nation really is making life better for peoples incapable of ruling themselves and that its subjects endorse its empire and would do so with kinder rule within its dominions. On this score, at least, Sozin, Azulon, and Iroh were under no such illusions.

As far as my AU extended Fire Nation Royals are concerned, he was one of the most sincerely respectful to Princess Usaki and had the harshest view of Princess Jiren of anyone in the family, because he believed his own family experience was perfect until it abruptly wasn't and didn't turn violent because of issues. Which is another reason why he tends to benefit in the AUs where he dies from dying and not having to face a cousin with a violent streak who's completely uninterested in hearing why she was wrong to go full Lizzie Borden on people who 110% deserved it.

[mafaldaknows]

Just saw someone say “The cannibalism claims aren’t even the worst part, look up how horrible his father and family is.” blah blah blah. People who clearly don’t know anything about Armie need to sit down and discuss something they actually know about. What does something his dad possibly did have to do with him? He’s been separating himself from his family for years and is not like them in any way. All of this under a post anti-Dakota Johnson defending him against cancel culture. I can’t wait until the divorce stuff is settled so that this HoE bs can be sorted.

Hello, Anon:

People often resort to logical fallacies in order to win an argument, even if it makes no sense at its face value, and/or use little to no verifiably true facts to argue their point. We are all guilty of this from time to time, it’s a component of our imperfect human nature, so it’s important to maintain focus on the primary argument, in this case, the verifiable facts and evidence concerning the allegations against Armie Hammer, and to not be sidetracked by the strawman/guilt by association/red herrings frequently employed by Armie’s detractors.

[x]

Most grown adults have within themselves the capacity to form different values and make different choices than those of the family who raised them, if their family’s values and choices do not align with their own, so this flawed argument that Armie is guilty of his family’s transgressions leaves no room to consider Armie’s actions as an individual, which I think is the point of that argument, as if he were incapable of having his own thoughts and values as an intelligent, autonomous, free, and independent adult.

Many people who use the “sins of the father are visited upon by the son”-guilt-by-association fallacy against someone (Exodus 20:5) to prove their point also conveniently forget that there’s another verse in that same Bible says quite the opposite (Ezekiel 18:20).

This usually just means that they know they have no other way out of the argument except to deflect away from the primary argument and to go off on a tangent that’s easier for them to defend, imho.

I think we all can make better arguments in defense of the truth when we rely on the facts and evidence of a case, and not on the heat and emotions and opinions about how we feel about the people and/or circumstances involved in the case, and the people arguing for or against it. How we might feel about the facts doesn’t change what’s actually true.

[x]

I agree, Anon: The sooner The Hammers wrap up their divorce in a tidy, square-knot bow, the closer we will all be to knowing the truth about this nasty, unfortunate situation.

Thanks for your comment. ☺️❤️🧿✨✌️

[ackermans-freedom-inc]

The Sham - arranged marriage AU

So I thought of this...and it was one of those times where I couldn’t stop thinking about it until I wrote it down. It got really long 4k+. Please enjoy!

You plastered a smile on your face as your father walked you down the aisle, wheezing breaths coming from his frail body. If it weren’t for the dread in your heart and the man who stood waiting for you at the end of the plush carpet, eyes cold and hard, this would’ve been your fairy tale wedding.

It was only a month ago that your father had revealed to you his sickness. The growth in his lungs dangerously large. He was adamant for you to live on, but refused to leave his fortune to you, worried you would be taken advantage of by distant members of the family. Instead, he had introduced you to Erwin, a powerful commander in the Survey Corps. Erwin, you were told, would be in charge of finding you a suitable husband and protector. You protested at first, demanding that your father reconsider, demanding that he let you make your own choices. But he refused to listen. It was only after Erwin had softly whispered to you that your father was running out of time, and that the marriage could easily be annulled after your father passed that you relented to the sham. You had never been particularly close to the man who called himself your father. Your values never matched up after your mother passed. He was obsessed with wealth and protecting it, while you were content just living an ordinary life. But even so, you were determined to fulfil his dying wish, as a dutiful daughter should.

It was during those meetings that you realized how dangerous Erwin was. He knew you wanted no part of the enormous fortune you were to inherit, and told you between quiet whispers of negotiation that he would provide you with documents that allowed you to leave the marriage after your father’s death with 80% of your inheritance, the remaining 20% to remain with your future husband as a donation to the Survey Corps. The man was a master negotiator, running a ploy within a ploy; telling your father he would choose for you a suitable protector while assuring you of your freedom all the while securing a massive influx of funds. He was truly not a man to be trifled with.

That was how you got into this position, walking down the aisle to take as your lawfully wedded husband a man you never met before. Sure, everyone knew of the great Levi Ackerman, but few had the pleasure of his company. Gulping, you looked into his eyes, not a flicker of softness within them as he took your hand and thanked your father. 

And then you were married, whisked off after the ceremony to spend the rest of your days on a cold army base while your father lived out his days in a special hospital. Your lips still tingled at the soft kiss the man had pressed to them as the priest pronounced you as Ms. Ackerman.

The entire way back, you rode silently behind your new husband. You had quickly dismissed the idea of a carriage back to base, happy to ride a horse and not make a big deal of the whole situation. However much you tried to shy away from the attention, you still found yourself in the middle of it. The entire town had come out to see you, cadets and villagers alike clamoring to catch a glimpse of the new Ms. Ackerman. Rumours travelled fast, and you could hear the whispers as you rode by. “Heard she’s doing this to keep her fortune!” “I heard her father sold her to the Captain!” “What a sham, her poor father” ‘Poor father? Poor her! Married to a guy like that!”

You just ducked your head, tears swimming in your eyes as you swallowed the lump in your throat. You didn’t know how to feel. Everything they said was true. You did get sold, in a sense, to your husband by your father, and this was indeed a sham. But what could you do? You were powerless in such a situation and this was the best way to deal with it.

By the time your breathing was controlled, and your tears dried, the horses stopped. You had arrived.

You waited, watching as Levi dismounted, expecting him to come steady your horse. What you didn’t expect was for him to glance in your direction, annoyance in his eyes. “Oi. We don’t have all day. Get your ass off that horse.” He barked, already walking away. Disappointment flowed through you. You did not have much experience with men, always choosing to sit in the garden and read rather than go about the town, but with as little experience you’ve had with men and relationships, even you knew this was harsh treatment.

You gently unhooked your foot from the stirrups and swung yourself down from the horse, landing hard on your feet with an “oof” that fell from your lips. The hapless cadet that stood by you quickly rushed up to steady you as your body tiled backways, arms flailing. As his hands righted you, your cheeks aflame, you bowed to thank him, his green eyes sparkling as he waved his hands, brushing away your thanks and embarrassment and introducing himself as Eren with a wink.

Bowing again to the young man, you didn’t have time to rest, grabbing the reins as you scurried after your husband to the stables. When you finally caught up to him, your horse unruly, refusing to cooperate with a stranger, he was leaving again. Throwing a curt “Take care of your horse. This isn’t your castle anymore princess; you need to earn your keep.” over his shoulder at your crestfallen form. All you could do was silently obey, willing your heart to be strong.

~

Levi walked back to his room; brows furrowed the whole way. He didn’t owe you any special treatment. Sure, he had agreed to this in the first place, but only because Erwin asked him to. You also knew of the plan, and he didn’t see any reason in trying to force himself to be nice for the sake of some noble woman who would only hinder him in his duties. But when you had shyly met his eyes at the wedding, the way you had gasped when he kissed you…he shook his head. Reminding himself not to get attached, he continued to walk away, leaving you all alone in the stables.

~

By the time you finished up and put everything away, it was dusk. You had followed the other cadets into the mess hall, determined to make some friends over dinner. You figured you would also see Levi there, and would use that opportunity to get acquainted. Your eyes immediately found your husband, sitting with the other superiors at a table, drinking from his cup silently as a frazzled looking individual you knew to be Hanji threw their head back and laughed at something Erwin said. You smiled and picked up your pace to find your own spot at the table, spotting Eren and giving him a shy wave that he returned, the beautiful girl in a red scarf beside him shooting daggers at your interaction.

Erwin spotted you first, and he stood, bowing at you as he took your hand. “Miss Y/N! I hope our humble base is to your liking. Please, join us.”

You looked around, squeezing yourself into a spot beside Levi. He barely gave you a second glance, grey eyes meeting yours for a moment as you wilted in your seat. The tension was palpable. Everyone’s drinks seemed to go down a little slower as they waited for you to say something. For him to say something. Quickly plastering a smile on your face, you reached for a cup. “To the Survey Corps!” you chirped, praying no one heard your voice crack, trying to make light of the awkward situation.

The group recovered, blinking at your sudden mood change. Cups were brought to the middle as they cheered, the only one absent was from the man by your side. Hanji quickly took over the conversation, asking you about your childhood, your parents, and what your hobbies were like. They shrieked when you told them about how you liked to cook and read, clapping in glee when you shared your love of knitting as well. They quickly decreed you as their official medical helper when their laugh suddenly cut out. “Oh! Levi! Did you want Y/N to be on your shifts and spend time with her? I may be able to negotiate if you’ll let me experim-”

The bench shook as Levi stood up unexpectedly. Glaring at the now quiet Hanji, cold eyes flicking to you, he growled, “Look. This is fake. This is all fake. Don’t expect me to owe you shit you little brat. Just stay out of my way.” A glance at Hanji and he continued, “Keep her. Do whatever you want. I don’t care.”

Your jaw ached with the effort it took you to clench your teeth, trying not to cry. You hadn’t expected much from this marriage, maybe a soft hand to hold or a warm body to hug once in a while, but you had never expected this. To be so utterly unwanted and despised was a new feeling for you, and you hated it.

Hanji squeaked, scurrying out the room after Levi as Erwin laid a hand on your shoulder. “He’s difficult. I’m sorry.”

You just nodded, determined to make it through this farce of a marriage in one piece.

~

Catching up to the shorter man, Hanji fell into step beside him, their silent judging enough to make the man reach out and punch the wall in annoyance.

“Spit it out four-eyes. Just say it.”

“You know you fucked up. Why are you being so mean to her? The poor girl didn’t ask to be married, let alone to you! Her father is dying, why make it harder.”

Levi ran a hand across the base of his neck. “I just don’t see a need to indulge her when we both know there’s an expiry on this.”

A slap on his back earned Hanji another death glare. “There doesn’t have to be an expiry if you treat her right.”

~

Your wedding night was about as enjoyable as the day you had. You stayed away from your bedroom for as long as possible, but when your aching feet and pounding headache couldn’t take any more, you finally made your way through the maze of hallways to find your room. Your husband was in there already, sitting at his desk. You sucked in a breath looking at the large bed in the room and cleared your throat, catching his attention. “Uhm…” you couldn’t form words.

“Do...do you want me to sleep on the couch?” you managed to squeak, trying desperately not to look into his eyes.

“Don’t be stupid. Bed is big enough. Just don’t expect me to read you a bedtime story.” Was his answer.

“Levi…” your voice was soft, laced with bitterness. “Levi do you love someone else?”

“What did I say about being stupid?”

“Why did you agree to marry me if you’re in love with someone else?” you choked, trying to keep the lump down your throat.

“I’m not in love with someone else. I’m just not in love with you.”

You cried yourself to sleep, knowing full well he was right beside you, pen scratching at his papers. You kept silent, not wanting to give him another reason to cut you with his words, so you held yourself as sobs wracked your body. You missed home. You missed your books. You missed your garden. And above all, you missed how it felt before you came onto this base.

The next morning, you woke to a rumpled his side of the bed. When he slipped in to sleep and when he slipped out was beyond you. You heaved a sigh and resolved yourself to be a good wife during your marriage. Determined not to lose face or embarrass Levi.

-

And so you did. While your interactions with Levi were limited, your days filled with Hanji’s instructions, you found yourself falling into an easy rhythm, getting used to the “married life” as it were. Every morning you would make your shared bed, dusting and clearing any dirt that fell during the night over your morning coffee. You would sing to yourself, dancing around the room with your duster, something you never got to do back home. Then you would make your way to the mess hall and make Levi his cup of tea. That much he let you do. He would usually be halfway through his morning mountain of work by now, and you would collect his empty cup, replacing it with a piping hot one before creeping back out the room, a soft “See you later” echoing across the quiet room. While the cadets trained, you would watch, trying and failing to keep your gaze away from your husband’s chiseled back.

You realized you couldn’t make him love you, and it would be cruel and foolish to try. After all, it was just a waiting game. But something in your heart stirred whenever he would look at you. You came to understand the little ways in which he showed kindness, and after hearing stories of his childhood from Erwin, you understood the man a little better.

The cadets were all whipped by your kindness, the young men always giving you their best salute when you walked by with a shy wave, and the young women clamoured to sit with you to chat. At mealtimes, you were surrounded by a gaggle of people, your eyes crinkling as you laughed at the jokes they would tell you. And for your part, you tried to do everything you could on base. You comforted broken hearts, mended scratched skin, helped with stable duty, and handed water to exhausted cadets who stumbled back after running punishment laps. Soon, you couldn’t imagine a different life.

~ Levi sighed, reaching for his cup to find it empty. Tch. You were late today. Usually you swept into the room by now, hot tea in tow. Even he had to admit that you were growing on him. Your quiet presence something he was used to by now. It surprised him how independent you were, how steadfast and hardworking. Each night he would slip into bed after your breathing slowed and would slip out before you started to groan in the morning. He would sometimes watch while you dusted the room, the sway of your hips and the song on your lips familiar. He even got used to you watching him train the cadets. When everyone started to work harder, blows coming down stronger, he would know you had made an appearance. He would ignore the way his body would tingle when he looked to find you underneath your usual tree, waving to him and the others. The cadets always waved back. He never did.

Just when he was about to get up and get his own damn tea, you came into the room. You placed his tea down and noticing the small grimace on his face, your smile faltered. “Sorry I’m late Levi.”

He hated the way you would shrink around him. He hated the way your smile would falter when he looked at you. He hated that you would walk on eggshells around him. When he started to feel this way, he did not know. All he knew was that he was the cause of your behaviour.

_

It was a beautiful day on the town, and Levi found himself lost in thought as he made his way back to base. He stopped and looked around when he thought he heard your voice. He did not know you had gone out today. Looking around again, he followed the sound. What he did not expect to find was you, with another man’s hand wrapped around your wrist. You were angry. That much he could tell.

“Don’t you dare say that about my husband!” you breathed, struggling in the man’s hold.

“Oh, come on now honey, the rumour is the great Captain Levi didn’t even make you his on your wedding night.”

“Keep his name out of your mouth you pig!” you shot back, your other hand attempting to pry his hand from your wrist.

“Don’t defend him now, how ‘bout I take you home, show you a good time. Show you what a real husband does?”

Hackles rising, Levi was about to go and rip that ingrate’s arm off you when your words made him freeze.

“He is a real husband to me.”

The next moment, your well-placed kick had the man writhing on the floor, the skin of your wrist tender from his harsh grasp.

Levi watched from afar as you stomped back towards base. A small smile crossed his lips. He could almost see the steam pouring out of your ears. As quick as it came, his next thought wiped his smile. You had defended him. Called him a real husband. Sure you could have been just acting, but he couldn’t deny that way his chest filled with pride even as his heart did a weird pitter patter thing he never felt before.

~

You didn’t tell Levi about the incident on the town. You were too scared. Would he be mad that someone tried to take you home? Would he not care? You didn’t want to know the answer, not sure which reaction you were more scared of. So, when he crawled into bed later that evening with you while you lay there, you froze. Did he think you were asleep? You screwed your eyes shut, still as you could as you felt him get comfortable.

“Oi. Brat. You constipated or something? Relax.” Came his soft voice beside your ear. You let out a shuddery breath, praying Levi couldn’t feel the way your heart started to hammer in your chest. You fell asleep that night as a couple, side by side, one of his arms thrown lazily around you as you dozed off.

Waking up to the sounds of birds outside, you were alone again, as you had been these past several weeks. You got out of bed and started to make it when your jaw dropped to the floor. Levi came in through the door, two cups in his hand. Handing you your coffee, he sipped at his tea, as if this was perfectly normal. So you sat in comfortable silence, softly sipping your drink before he gave you a pat on your head, ruffling your hair. “I’m off.”

“Work hard!” you chirped, offering a smile that made Levi’s heart thump.

When you brought him tea, he put his pen down, handing you his empty cup and taking the one you offered, “thank you Y/N” falling from his lips as you stuttered, cheeks aflame as you rushed from the room to catch your breath.

That night, he sat with you at dinner, your usual group of friends giggling at you while you sat beside him, shyly telling him about your day as he listened, grey eyes never leaving your face.

You weren’t sure what happened. But you didn’t care. Shuffling around under the covers that night, he once again threw his arm around you, the blanket a helpful barrier. He had tucked his nose against your hair, before grunting in response to your soft “goodnight”.

The next morning you woke up first, your limbs tangled in his as you starfished across the bed. Looking over, you couldn’t quite believe the man beside you was the Levi you got to know. His face was soft and content, but you missed his eyes and the way they would make your knees wobble when they looked into yours. Your breath on his nose must have tickled, because the next moment, those grey eyes you were thinking about were looking into yours, a hand rubbing against them as they focused. You were once again speechless. At a loss as to what to say and what to do as you stared. Then. It happened.

His hands somehow found their way to your neck, pulling you close as he bridged the gap, lips as soft on yours as they had been on your wedding day. You gasped the same way you did then, but this time he didn’t stop. Pressing you tighter against him, he explored your mouth with his, your useless hands against him as your brain stopped functioning. When he finally pulled away, your unfocused eyes blinked, a trembling finger touching your lips in disbelief. “Good morning” was all he said as he got out of bed and ready for another day, leaving you and your pounding heart in bed.

The same thing happened the next day, and the next. Until every morning, you were woken with a good morning kiss as Levi went off to work. That is, until that day.

That morning, your post kiss reverie was cut short by a rap on the door. You knew. As Erwin stepped into the room, you felt a tear slide down your face. Your father had died in the night.  

Levi stayed in the room; expression clouded as Erwin explained to you what would happen. Your father’s assets were being transferred to you as you spoke, and he would bring by the annulment paperwork in the evening. By the next day, you would be free to return to your home, a newly single woman. He thanked you again as you sat there in shock before excusing himself.

As the door clicked behind Erwin, Levi looked at you a moment before following his superior out the door, a look on his face you haven’t seen before. “Good job. You made it.”

Not sure what else to do, you packed. Your clothing was easy, but all the trinkets you had spread slowly around the room were harder to take. Your hairclip lay beside the cup that you had claimed as your own, your hairties by the bedside table where you placed them every night. Ghosts of memories floated around the room and the entire base, things you couldn’t pack to take home with you.

_

You didn’t see Levi all day. As night fell, you looked eagerly towards the door as he strode in, only to see Erwin trailing in after, papers in hand. Telling you where to sign, Erwin left the room, leaving you with Levi and your papers, a thousand words unsaid.

You looked down at the parchment. Black ink on paper. It was that easy. The freedom you wanted, the life you yearned to have back. It was that easy. When you had fallen in love you did not know. But now, it seemed like everything you wanted, you had. You didn’t want your old life back. Your old house filled with memories, but none with him. Your tears swirled as Levi silently picked up the pen, his name in his script signed along the dotted line. He handed the pen to you. Silent. Looking into your eyes.

You trembled. Shakily pressing a dot onto the paper above your name. That’s when he spoke. “Y/N…” he breathed, “Ask me again.”

You looked at him, not understanding.

“You asked me something on our first night together. Ask me again.”

Your heart thudded. You understood. Your heart soared, hoping against hope as you formed the words. Disbelieving. ‘Levi…do you love someone else?”

The pen thudded to the ground as he enveloped you in a hug, crushing you as he held you close. “No.” he whispered against you. “I don’t. I love you. Don’t go.”

And that was how Erwin found you, still in a tight embrace when he came to retrieve the papers. He had sighed, grumbling about Levi being a pain and something about owing Hanji a week of dishes as he closed the door behind him.

Tears spilling down your face, you leaned your forehead against Levi’s, still in disbelief. “I love you too.”

[luulapants]

Teen Wolf and Perceptions of Character Age

There is a certain discussion that I find myself having (in different variations) over and over again with other Teen Wolf fans: how the age of the actors, compared to the age of the characters, affected the way we perceive and empathize with those characters. Studios have good reasons for not using actual underage kids in their shows - work hour restrictions, school arrangements, limits on racy/sexy scenes - but using adults in a show depicting younger teenagers drastically changes how we interpret their stories.

It’s easy to brush off with some of them, to think, “Oh, well it was a 19-year-old playing a 16-year-old. Not that big a difference.” But I’m going to challenge that notion with a few examples:

Erica Reyes:

Gage Golightly was about 19 when she played 15-year-old Erica. Erica was unpopular, struggled with epilepsy and medication side-effects. She was offered the bite, given the opportunity to make the life-altering decision to become a werewolf. She had no support in making that choice, and the consequences were fatal.

Remember how bad you felt for Erica when she and Boyd were being shot full of arrows, begging Allison to stop hurting them? Well, now imagine that scene with Gage Golightly as she actually looked at age 15-16:

Look at that picture. That is a child. Probably a child that thinks she’s an adult (I know I fucking thought so at that age) but a child nonetheless. Imagine that face being offered the bite. Trying to kiss Derek. Having the shit beat out of her as “training.” Being tortured by Gerard. Being killed by Kali.

Isaac Lahey:

Daniel Sharman was 25 when he played Isaac, who was 15-16 in S2.

Again, we had some really harrowing, emotionally difficult scenes with him. His father abused him. He was offered the bite. Derek beat him as part of their “training.” Chris sent him, alone, into an arms deal with the Japanese mafia. His girlfriend was murdered. Now, I couldn’t even find a picture of Daniel at 15 or 16, but here he is at 17:

How does picturing that face change Isaac’s scenes? His whole story arc?

Scott McCall:

This is a big one for me. Tyler Posey was only 20 years old when he played 16-year-old Scott, but the difference still made a stark contrast in the audience’s expectation of him as the hero of the show. I constantly see people wondering why he didn’t make better decisions, why his priorities weren’t right or why he reacted poorly in dire circumstances.

This is the (admittedly youthful) face that we see going through all of Scott’s S1 challenges. He gets attacked by a monster, turned into a monster himself, has his life threatened by multiple adults, is put into multiple deadly situations within the span of a few months, and is thrust into a position of leadership as the protector and savior of Beacon Hills.

Here is Tyler Posey at 15 (couldn’t find a great 16 pic):

I’ll admit that he was one of the more youthful looking actors in the early seasons. But by season 6, where he is supposed to be 18 (still younger than S1 Posey) but Tyler Posey was 26? When Scott was leading an army and clawing his own eyes out?

What is my point?

My point is NOT that we need to re-interpret the entire story in the context of them being children. Because, clearly, the writers didn’t treat them like real children either. And that’s part of the problem. TV shows present us with teenage characters that often look, act, and feel like adults. When it’s convenient for the plot, of course. We get glimpses of immaturity when that’s convenient, too.

Having older actors gives writers permission, in a way, to write about children in situations that we, in reality, would never want to see a child in. Who would be able to stomach watching a 16-year-old Daniel Sharman being beaten? Or 15-year-old Gage Golightly being shot full of arrows? The show suddenly goes from exciting and suspenseful to outright horrifying.

Maturity-wise, how different did 18-year-old Lydia Martin feel from 24-year-old Jordan Parrish? Not very. So when you see part of fandom freaking out that it was an inappropriate and predatory relationship and another part of fandom like “Are you joking? No, it just... wasn’t,” it’s not necessarily because that second part of fandom would actually see that sort of relationship in real life and think it’s 100% okay. It’s because Lydia Martin wasn’t portrayed as an 18-year-old physically, emotionally, or intellectually. Holland Roden was 30 years old by season 5. They just put her in a high school.

Similarly, there are people who think Sterek is an inappropriate ship. And I agree that it would be VERY creepy for these two to date:

But that’s not what we saw. Dylan O’Brien was 20. Tyler Hoechlin was 23.

Some people have very clear mental pictures of what teenagers look and act like. When watching shows like this, they will project age-appropriate thoughts and expectations onto those characters. Others don’t have that clear picture. When you are that age, you don’t think of yourself as being young, and if you’re not around people that age afterward, you probably won’t develop a clear sense of what a 16-year-old is or is not. For those people, they’ll take these depictions at face value: adult-like people walking around a high school. It produces two very different watching experiences.

So when one person says Derek is a horrible monster for abusing children in Season 2 and another says that he was just training his army to prepare them for the real danger... that’s what that is. It’s not that one is right and the other is wrong. The first person was watching an adult beat children. The second person was watching a 24-year-old, pretending to be 20-mumblety-something or whatever the fuck Derek was, giving tough-love training to three people who, by function of appearance and how they were written, were his age and older.

(Side note: Derek was actually playing someone his own age, but only retroactively. Originally, his character was meant to be “a few years older” than Scott and Stiles but that was retconned due to the Kate Argent plotline.)

Oh and here’s Shelley Hennig at 17 vs 27 and playing 17:

Here are some who I couldn’t find pictures of at younger ages, but whose age gaps from their characters are significant:

Sinqua Walls was 26 when he played Boyd, about a decade too old. There’s a whole mess of complicated implications with perceptions of black boys being perceived as “looking older” in that casting.

Crystal Reed was also 26 when she played 17-year-old Allison Argent, and was 29 by the time she left the show. Allison was still 17.

Keahu Kahuanui was 25 when he played Danny, who was 15-17.

Arden Cho was 29 when she started playing 16-year-old Kira.

Colton Haynes was 23 while playing Jackson, who was 16 or 17.

It is interesting that, starting in Season 4, they began hiring actors and actresses a little bit closer to their characters’ ages. Someone else write a meta on that, plz.

[church-history]

St. George, Christian, soldier, dragon slayer, martyr

Feast day(s): April 23rd (Catholic) April 23rd, November 26th, November 3rd (Russian Ortho) November 17th, May 1st (Coptic Ortho)

Patronage: soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, those suffering from leprosy, plague and syphilis.

It is uncertain when Saint George was born and historians continue to debate to this day. However, his death date is estimated to be April 23 303 A.D.

The first piece of evidence of George's existance appeared within the works of the Bollandists Daniel Papebroch, Jean Bolland, and Godfrey Henschen's Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graeca. George was one of several names listed in the historical text, and Pope Gelasius claimed George was one of the saints "whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose actions are known only to God."

George was born to a Gerontios and Polychronia, a Roman officer and a Greek native of Lydda. Both were Christians from noble families of the Anici and George, Georgios in the original Greek, was raised to follow their faith.

When George was old enough, he was welcomed into Diocletian's army. by his late 20's, George became a Tribunus and served as an imperial guard for the Emperor at Nicomedia.

On February 24, 303 A.D., Diocletian, who hated Christians, announced that every Christian the army passed would be arrested and every other soldier should offer a sacrifice to the Roman gods.

George refused to abide by the order and told Diocletian, who was angry but greatly valued his friendship with George's father.

When George announced his beliefs before his peers, Diocletian was unable to keep the news to himself.

In an effort to save George, Diocletian attempted to convert him to believe in the Roman gods, offered him land, money and slaves in exchange for offering a sacrifice to the Roman gods, and made several other offers that George refused.

Finally, after exhausting all other options, Diocletian ordered George's execution. In preparation for his death, George gave his money to the poor and was sent for several torture sessions. He was lacerated on a wheel of swords and required resuscitation three times, but still George did not turn from God.

On April 23, 303 A.D., George was decapitated before Nicomedia's outer wall. His body was sent to Lydda for burial, and other Christians went to honor George as a martyr.

Saint George and the Dragon

There are several stories about George fighting dragons, but in the Western version, a dragon or crocodile made its nest at a spring that provided water to Silene, believed to be modern-day Lcyrene in Libya.

The people were unable to collect water and so attempted to remove the dragon from its nest on several ocassions. It would temporarily leave its nest when they offered it a sheep each day, until the sheep disappeared and the people were distraught.

This was when they decided that a maiden would be just as effective as sending a sheep. The townspeople chose the victim by drawing straws. This continued until one day the princess' straw was drawn.

The monarch begged for her to be spared but the people would not have it. She was offered to the dragon, but before she could be devoured, George appeared. He faced the dragon, protected himself with the sign of the Cross, and slayed the dragon.

After saving the town, the citizens abandoned their paganism and were all converted to Christianity.

Interesting Facts

Saint George stands out among other saints and legends because he is known and revered by both Muslims and Christians.

It is said Saint George killed the dragon near the sea in Beirut, thus Saint George bay was named in his honor.

Saint George's feast day is celebrated on April 23, but if it falls before Easter, it is celebrated Easter Monday.

The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates three St. George feast days each year -April 23 as is expected, November 3, to commemorate the consecration of a cathedral dedicated to him in Lydda, and on November 26, for when a church in Kiev was dedicated to him.

In older works, Saint George is depicted wearing armor and holding a lance or fighting a dragon, which represents Christ's enemies.

In Bulgaria, his feast day is celebrated May 6 with the slaughter and roasting of a lamb.

In Egypt, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria calls St. George the "Prince of Martyrs" and celebrates on May 1. There is a second celebration November 17, in honor of the first church dedicated to him.

Saint George is the patron saint of England and Catalonia and his cross can be found throughout England.