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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 2 years

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A panel of judges on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has granted a request from the Justice Department to stay portions of a ruling by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon that had effectively paused the government's investigation into former President Donald Trump's potential mishandling of classified records after leaving office.

The three-judge panel, comprised of two Trump appointees and a Barack Obama appointee, ruled unanimously on Wednesday that the Justice Department is no longer enjoined from investigating the documents with classification markings that were recovered from Mar-a-Lago and will no longer have to submit those materials to special master Ray Dearie for his review.

"[Trump] has not even attempted to show that he has a need to know the information contained in the classified documents," the panel wrote in its ruling. "Nor has he established that the current administration has waived that requirement for these documents."

The judges also agreed with the Justice Department that Trump has submitted no record or claim that he ever declassified the documents at issue -- which undercut Trump's statements on social media otherwise. His team resisted stating as much when pressed by Dearie during a separate hearing on Tuesday.

"In any event, at least for these purposes, the declassification argument is a red herring because declassifying an official document would not change its content or render it personal," the judges wrote. "So even if we assumed that Plaintiff did declassify some or all of the documents, that would not explain why he has a personal interest in them."

Earlier this month, Judge Cannon, who was nominated by Trump, granted his request for a special master to review what was taken by the FBI in a court-authorized search of Mar-a-Lago last month.

The special master's review, as ordered by Cannon, was to be for items that might be covered by both attorney-client privilege and executive privilege, even though Trump is no longer the president and has never asserted privilege over any specific records.

Cannon's ruling, which enjoined the government from further use of the seized documents as part of its criminal investigation, was widely criticized by legal experts with a range of political views -- including Trump's former Attorney General William Barr.

"The Court hereby authorizes the appointment of a special master to review the seized property for personal items and documents and potentially privileged material subject to claims of attorney-client and/or executive privilege," Cannon wrote. She cited "the need to ensure at least the appearance of fairness and integrity under the extraordinary circumstances presented."

In a filing earlier this week, Trump's legal team urged the appellate court not to grant a stay, arguing in part: "The District Court did not err in temporarily enjoining the Government's review and use of records bearing classification markings for criminal investigative purposes because the merits support that narrowly tailored injunction." The Trump attorneys called the government's investigation "both unprecedented and misguided" and repeated their claim that it was merely "a document storage dispute that has spiraled out of control."

The 11th Circuit panel ruled Wednesday that they don't believe Trump would risk irreparable injury if Cannon's order is partially stayed because he has not asserted attorney-client privilege over any of the documents at issue with classification markings.

The three judges undercut Cannon directly as well, noting the government is "substantially likely to succeed" in showing she "abused [her] discretion in exercising jurisdiction over [Trump's] motion as it concerns the classified documents."

"The engrained principle that 'courts must exercise the traditional reluctance to intrude upon the authority of the Executive in military and national security affairs' guides our review of the United States's proffered national-security concerns," the appellate judges wrote.

The Justice Department previously requested that Cannon partially stay her order, relating to the special master and review of classified documents. But she rejected that motion and the government sought an appeal.

Cannon, in denying the government's request of a stay, wrote that she was not willing to accept their assertions that the roughly 100 documents taken from Mar-a-Lago were classified -- even though they were labeled as such, with some bearing "SECRET" and "TOP SECRET/SCI" markings.

FBI photograph of redacted documents and classified cover sheets recovered from a container stored in former U.S. president Donald Trump's Florida estate that was included in a U.S. Department of Justice filing Aug. 30, 2022. (U.S. Department Of Justice via Reuters)

"The Court does not find it appropriate to accept the Government's conclusions on these important and disputed issues without further review by a neutral third party in an expedited and orderly fashion," Cannon wrote in her rejection.

She approached with heavy skepticism the government's arguments about the documents with classified markings and the government's claims that Trump has no right to the materials at all.

In its motion last week for a partial stay from the 11th Circuit, the Justice Department argued that Cannon "has entered an unprecedented order enjoining the Executive Branch's use of its own highly classified records in a criminal investigation with direct implications for national security."

And while Cannon ruled that the intelligence community could continue its own assessment of the possible national security risks from Trump's handling of the documents, the government said in court papers that such a separation was not feasible.

The 11th Circuit judges agreed with the Department of Justice.

They wrote in their Wednesday ruling that Cannon's effort to distinguish the intelligence committee's classification review from the FBI's own criminal investigation was "untenable" and that they believe the FBI has "sufficiently explained how and why its national-security review is inextricably intertwined with its criminal investigation."

"No party has offered anything beyond speculation to undermine the United States's representation—supported by sworn testimony—that findings from the criminal investigation may be critical to its national-security review," the judges wrote. "According to the United States, the criminal investigation will seek to determine, among other things, the identity of anyone who accessed the classified materials; whether any particular classified materials were compromised; and whether additional classified materials may be unaccounted for. As [Trump] acknowledges, backwards-looking inquiries are the domain of the criminal investigators."

"It would be difficult, if not impossible, for the United States to answer these critical questions if its criminal investigators are not permitted to review the seized classified materials," they added.

In another rejection of Cannon's assessment, the judges wrote that they agreed with the government's arguments that allowing special master Dearie, as an outside third-party, to examine the classified records with Trump's legal team could "impose irreparable harm."

"The Supreme Court has recognized that for reasons 'too obvious to call for enlarged discussion, the protection of classified information must be committed to the broad discretion of the agency responsible, and this must include broad discretion to determine who may have access to it,'" they wrote. "As a result, courts should order review of such materials in only the most extraordinary circumstances. The record does not allow for the conclusion that this is such a circumstance."

Former President Trump could seek to appeal to the full 11th Circuit Court of Appeals or even potentially the Supreme Court, but it's unclear how long it would take either to act on their appeal while the Justice Department has access to the documents.

#us politics #news #donald trump #abc news #fbi #fbi raid #department of justice #judge raymond dearie #judge aileen cannon #11th circuit court of appeals #Trump's fucked #2022 #classified documents #top secret documents #special master #judge Robin Rosenbaum #judge Andrew Brasher #judge Britt Grant

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fingerless-glovez · 6 months

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A Balm To My Shuddering Heart

Spoilers for Tino's route. Based on that one Tino perspective about why he loves Lynt so much. Lynt is five years old in this, and I put Tino at 12.

TW: Implied abuse and PTSD responses

“Good morning, Your Highness! Happy birthday!”

“Happy birthday, Young Master!”

“Hello, Your Highness! Are you excited for your party? I can’t wait to see you there. Happy birthday!”

These were just a few examples of the well-wishes of every maid, steward, and scullion little Prince Lynt Akedia passed in the hallway. He regarded each with a small wave or a nod, and a smile as he continued walking.

It’s true, today was his birthday. Come the afternoon, he would officially be five years old. However, even though everyone in the entire castle, and even in the entire kingdom of Akedia, was bustling with activity, eagerly preparing for the event, Lynt could barely muster up more than a yawn over the whole ordeal. He strode along in search of his father, King Liam, hoping they could slip away together and find a quiet spot to nap.

Lynt simply couldn’t understand what all the excitement was about. What was so special about him becoming one year older? Why did that require such extravagant celebration? He learned from his last birthday that he wouldn’t feel any different after the specific time of his birth passed, and he was still the same little boy he’d always been. Perhaps he could ask his father when he found him.

***

As Lynt’s sleepy hunt continued, a whole gaggle of older and taller boys clad in bright green eagerly approached him and stopped him in his tracks.

“Good morning, Your Highness! Where might you be going?” One greeted, only to be shoved backward by another in the group.

“Shall I accompany you?” The next boy inquired before he was pushed aside as well.

“Is there something you need? I can fetch it for you at once!”

“Hey, I asked him first!”

“Well, I saw him first!”

“I was the first to reach him. You two always try to hog the prince to yourselves!”

Lynt didn’t know all of their names, but he knew who they were and why they were so determined to mind him. They were from the House of Maes, a large and prestigious family that had served the Akedian royal family since the early years of its existence. Every child born into the Maes family is trained to become a valet from the moment they can walk, brought up the be the perfect model of Akedian citizenship. While it would already be a privilege to be part of such an esteemed household of people, the highest honor a Maes child can receive is the title of Primi Ordinis. The Primi Ordinis would not only be made the head of the entire House of Maes but they would also be selected valet to Akedia’s king, a goal that they all dreamed of achieving. These three boys were no exception.

Despite being aware of all this, however, Lynt was not thrilled with the three who had managed to catch him. They were all several heads taller than him, and they continued to crowd him as he tried to get by, as if to intentionally impede his progress. Lynt always felt the enthusiasm of the Maes children ranged from bothersome at best to suffocating at worst. This opinion was not limited to these three in particular; Every time he found himself within a Maes child’s field of vision, they would follow him around and essentially beg him to let them fuss over him. To make things worse, the only request they wouldn’t take him up on was leaving him alone to let him sleep, his singular favorite activity. To put it simply, Lynt was quite unhappy with the attention he was receiving.

“Why d’you frown so, Young Master?”

“It’s because you keep trying to monopolize him, you nincompoop!”

“I beg your very pardon?! I’m not nearly as stingy as you are with him!”

“Boys…”

The bickering came to a screeching halt at the call of a stern voice no one could ignore. Said voice belonged to none other than the current Primi Ordinis himself: Styn Maes. And, more importantly to Lynt, his father’s valet. Just behind him was one of his nephews, a tall, polite boy named Daan.

“May I ask what reason you three could possibly have to be smothering the prince as you are?” The tall man asked. The boys shrunk under his steely green gaze.

“W-We’re sorry, sir!”

“We just wanted to make sure Young Master Lynt was being tended to properly…”

“These two keep trying to keep Young Master Lynt to themselves!”

“Don’t give him that unicorn dung! You’re no better than-”

Styn cleared his throat, cutting off the petty argument before it could escalate any further. Once again, all three boys drew back, standing shamefully at full attention.

“I believe we’ve had this discussion before. There is a difference between ‘tending to’ and ‘badgering’, and there is absolutely no excuse for you to fight over him. Besides, today is his birthday. Would it really do to overwhelm him now when he’s already going to be getting so much attention at his party?”

“No…” They unanimously conceded.

“And speaking of the party, have you completed the tasks I gave you to help with the arrangements?”

The boys hung their heads, looking everywhere but Styn’s eyes. The silence spoke for itself.

“I see,” The head valet said, “Perhaps instead of continuing this little quarrel, you ought to consider getting back to your chores. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir…” They groaned, skulking away. Once they were gone, Styn took a moment to sigh, shake his head, and adjust his glasses. Then, he kneeled to address Lynt.

“My apologies, Young Master Lynt. It seems my nephews are a bit overzealous today. They didn’t trouble you too much, I hope?”

Lynt shook his head. “Master Styn, have you seen my father? I was hoping to take a nap with him.”

At the mention of his father, Styn’s poise and professionalism visibly slipped by a small amount, revealing the antsier side that Lynt was more familiar with. “Ah, yes. As it so happens, I was embroiled in a hunt for King Liam myself. Perhaps he had the same idea as you and saw fit to get a head start. However, he is presently needed in the ballroom to give his opinion on the arrangements of the venue, so I’m sorry to say that your nap with him shall have to wait.”

“Oh…” Lynt sighed, dejectedly. He knew his father would be busier than usual today, and had only wanted a small respite with him before the festivities started. Sadly, it appeared that wouldn’t be happening now.

Styn’s expression softened at the noticeable drop in his spirits. “I’m truly sorry, Young Master, but I’m sure you understand your father shares the responsibility to make sure you have the celebration you so deserve with everyone else in this castle. It will be worth the wait, I assure you. For now, if it is a rest you desire, the library is unoccupied. That should suit your needs nicely.”

“Sir, if I may,” Daan, who had been quietly waiting for his uncle to finish his reprimanding, piped up, “Might I escort His Highness to the library? It’s only a short ways away, and I believe seeing me with the prince will deter my siblings and cousins from swarming him as they just did.”

Styn hummed consideringly at the proposal before turning back to Lynt. “Would that be alright, Young Master?”

“Mm…” Lynt glanced at Daan, studying him for a moment, then shrugged, “... I suppose.”

“Very well,” Styn remarked, standing back to his full height and turning to his nephew, “Once His Highness has reached his destination safely, you are to return to your duties at once. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Daan replied with confidence. He held out his hand for Lynt to take, “Come along, Your Highness. I will see that you are undisturbed during our trip.”

Lynt only hummed his understanding before walking past him. He knew where the library was; He napped there often. He didn’t need his hand held to get there, even if Daan was going to be his temporary bodyguard.

Of all the Maes children of his generation, Daan was the closest to the model citizen they all strived to be. To anyone else, he was near perfect in every way. Composed, graceful, courteous, and always ready to do whatever is asked of him with uncanny accuracy, all the other children in his family gave him almost the same respect as Styn Maes himself. But to Lynt, he was simply a quieter version of almost every other Maes child, and the offer to escort Lynt to the library was a convenient excuse to be close to him. In his eyes, Daan was allowed more opportunities to shadow him due to his charm, skills, and popularity among his relatives and all of the adults in the castle.

However, Lynt couldn’t shake the… strange feeling that swirled in his stomach whenever Daan was around him. He couldn’t put his finger on why, but this particular boy always made him feel like there was something very wrong.

But, as Daan said, the library was not far away, and his pushier relatives never bothered Lynt while he was around, so Lynt decided he could bear it until he was alone again.

***

Just as the clock struck noon, noblemen and women poured into the ballroom. Music drifted from the floor to the ceiling, just barely audible over the chatter of excited guests. The aroma of the banquet wafted over the room, enticing those nearby to sample the exquisite dishes the cooks had been wakeful since dawn to prepare. The atmosphere was so light, it was almost impossible not to partake in the frivolity.

And yet, there were two in attendance who weren’t feeling fit to revel. First, to the surprise of many, was Styn, who seemed to be in a frantic search of something. And second was the birthday boy, dressed to the nines in a formal outfit that many had already described as adorable.

At first, Lynt truly was enjoying himself; The fact so many came just to say they were happy he was there and eager to see him grow and become his own person left him with a bubbly in his chest. He hadn’t realized just how much his subjects appreciated him for merely existing, and for the first time, he felt grateful for it. The food was also quite delicious.

But after a while of greeting guests and receiving many more wishes for a happy birthday, Lynt began to stifle yawns and rub his eyes to keep them open. The energy he had felt at the beginning of the party was stagnating, and people shifted their attention from him to each other, mingling and dancing and eating, which gave Lynt very little reason to stay and keep celebrating. As such, he felt the only thing left to do was to sneak off to find somewhere to take a nap…

“Oh, there you are, Your Highness. Are you enjoying your party? There’s more food for you to try this way.”

Dragon’s breath, Lynt thought as Daan whisked him away from one of the doors leading out of the venue. The Maes boy had been hovering around him more than usual since the party started, constantly checking in and diverting him away from any of the exits. Lynt supposed he was trying to impress Styn, who was still preoccupied with whatever it was he was looking for, by keeping an eye on him, and Lynt was starting to grow weary from it.

But since Daan’s only purpose of the night was to be his honorary valet, Lynt had no choice but to accept it. Or maybe…

“... Daan?”

The boy in question startled slightly; Lynt had not directly spoken to him all day, but he quickly regained his composure. “Yes, Your Highness?”

“I am feeling peckish.”

“Oh, I see. Would you like me to fetch you a plate of food?”

“Yes. I would like some bread rolls, potatoes, and a cup of fragipara juice, please.”

Daan nodded, “As you wish. Wait here for me, please. I will return shortly.”

Once he was a good distance away, Lynt ducked into the crowd and made his way toward the first door he could spot. However, the difficulty came with trying to navigate his way through all the big people occupying the space. It was hard to see past all the legs and ball gowns blocking his path, especially when they leaned down to say hello to him, and he managed to get turned around quite a few times, making him completely lost in the sea of nobility.

Finally, he found himself being hoisted up from the floor by a pair of large, familiar hands.

“Why, hello there, my son.”

“Father!” Lynt exclaimed as King Liam placed him on his hip. His emerald eyes were shining with affection.

“How are you, my son? Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Mm-hmm,” Lynt replied, only to be interrupted by a large yawn that made Liam giggle.

“Styn informed me that you sought a nap with me this morning. I’m sorry we didn’t get the chance to do so. I found the most wonderful spot in the garden. Perhaps we might sleep there after the party is over.”

“Mm… I’m quite sleepy now, as it so happens,” Lynt mumbled, swallowing another yawn.

“Yes, that I can see. Well, I’m sure it won’t be too much trouble to give you a brief respite from the merrymaking,” Liam supposed. With Lynt in his arms, he strode to the exit that Lynt had been aiming for, politely excusing himself as the guests made way for him to cross the room. Once he reached the door, he set his son down and pulled at the handle.

“Oh, how strange…” Liam uttered when the door stayed shut, “This door has been locked for some reason.”

After unlocking and cracking the door open, Liam ushered Lynt out into the hallway. “When you get to the courtyard, look for the sky apple tree by the fountain. You’ll get a nice breeze and plenty of shade at this hour. Sleep well, my son.”

Lynt beamed up, grateful for the escape, “Mm-hmm. Thank you, Father.”

Liam gave him one last smile before shutting the door again.

***

The sun was high in the sky, and just as King Liam said, the breeze was pleasant to Lynt’s skin as he wandered about the castle’s central courtyard. His puffy, layered formal outfit did not combine well with the early summer weather, but the cool wind that swept by him counteracted the mild heat nicely. He allowed himself a long, drawn-out yawn, eager to find the bespoke fragipara tree and sleep under its shade.

“Father said it was near the fountain,” Lynt reminded himself. He didn’t normally nap near there, as the water was too loud to sleep right by it, but maybe it wouldn’t be too bad by the tree.

It took a couple of minutes of listening around for the fountain behind the tall, thick hedges, but at long last, he’d found it: A large tree of crimson bark, topped with red leaves and budding fragipara fruits. Just to the side of it was a shadow that seemed to call his name like a siren. The fountain could still be heard, but it was far enough away that he could regard it as soothing white noise. Lynt ambled closer to the shaded area, strangely giddy for a boy who planned to go right to sleep, the splashing of the water close by blanketing his mind with its constant, monotonous rhythm…

Then he heard a different sound. He stopped and listened for a moment. He heard it again. And again. Was that… sobbing? Even over the cacophony of rushing water, Lynt could hear the raspy breathing and high whimpers of someone who must’ve been relatively young.

Lynt was a kind soul. The only thing stronger than his desire for sleep was his hatred for the suffering of others. If someone was hurting, he would at least want to try and help. With this conviction in mind, he abandoned his objective and cautiously stepped closer to the fountain, rounding its circular base to find the source of the crying.

The weeping was coming from a blond boy in a bright green vest, and Lynt immediately recognized him as a Maes child. He looked to be around Daan’s age, and he looked more familiar than most of the other Maes children. A few questions arose in the prince’s mind: Who was he? Why wasn’t he in the castle? All of the Maes children were meant to be inside tending to the guests, and Lynt most importantly, so why would he be out here where no one else is? And, most importantly, why is he crying? Lynt didn’t know the answer to any of these questions, but he was sure the last one could be partially blamed on the red and purple marks that littered his bare right arm, only visible because his sleeve was rolled up past his elbow.

Lynt had never seen someone so distraught before. This boy sat hunched over on the edge of the fountain, elbows resting on his knees, and his hands tugged at his hair. Each sob racked his entire body. Every whimper was thick and hoarse as if they were being ripped from his throat. Any breath he tried to take was like a strangled wheeze, and Lynt wondered if he could even breathe at all.

Whatever was making this boy so upset, Lynt realized it must have been bad. Something worse than a scraped knee or watching two people fight. But he didn’t know what it could have been, and ultimately decided it wasn’t important. This boy was in clear distress, and he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Sad?”

Upon hearing him speak, the Maes boy jolted upright with a rough gasp.

“Pardon?” His voice was almost too quiet to hear as he slowly turned to look at Lynt. Finally, Lynt could pinpoint which Maes child this was. His face was nearly identical to that of his father, Styn Maes. Lynt hadn’t been around him as often as Daan, but there was no mistaking the son of King Liam’s valet. If only he could remember his name…

… Chino?

If Chino was startled before, the sight of the young prince seemed to jar him into a state of mortification, evidenced by his bloodshot green eyes growing to the size of saucers. He hastily yanked down his sleeve and wiped his tearful face, scrambling for words.

“Y-Young Master Lynt! I-I-I apologize! Oh dear, I’m so sorry! You, you should never have had to see this! I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t be… Oh my stars…!” Despite his best efforts, Chino was simply too emotional to form his apology, and the more he tried to say, the more tears would roll down his beat-red face.

Lynt bit down a grimace. He may not have been fond of the overly-doting young members of the Maes family, but watching poor Chino choking on his own feelings yet being more concerned about what Lynt was thinking made his little heart ache. When Chino turned away again, likely from embarrassment, Lynt took the opportunity to sit down on the fountain next to him. Chino glanced over at him but made no attempt to move away other than putting his head down, breathing raggedly.

His face is still wet, Lynt noticed. He pulled his sleeve past his palm and gripped it in his fingers, then reached toward Chino’s cheek. He was still very puzzled about why Chino despaired so, and this was not remedied when he flinched and threw up his battered arm as if to shield his face from an attack. Neither of them moved for a few seconds, Too long, Lynt felt, until Chino finally looked at him again. He appeared to be genuinely seeing him for the first time. Lynt didn’t dwell on it, though, and slowly raised his sleeve to wipe the tears again. Chino allowed it this time, as his breathing began to take on a steadier rhythm and sounded less and less labored. No more tears escaped his eyes once he was done.

The two sat in silence for a short while, save for the occasional sniffle from the older boy. Lynt wanted to say something, but couldn’t decide on what to say. Should he ask him what was wrong? No, he’d probably brush it off as something the prince was too young to understand. Should he ask about the bruises? No, that might make him start crying again out of embarrassment, as Lynt did when was younger. Maybe it was best not to ask anything about it at all because he certainly didn’t know what Chino would say or what to do about it.

There must be something I can do to help him. But what… Oh!

Lynt gave Chino’s shirt a gentle tug to get his attention. “Nap with me?”

“W-What?” Chino asked quietly, gripping the edge of the fountain’s base, “I… I-I shouldn’t. It would be improper of me… Besides, you have already wasted enough of your precious time on me…”

Lynt frowned at the idea that someone in such clear pain would consider themselves a waste of time. That just wouldn’t do. To counteract that horrible notion, he took Chino’s considerably larger hand in his smaller one, hopped to his feet, and began walking. Chino stood and followed after him, very confused, but never once trying to pull away from the little prince.

Lynt led him the short distance back to the shade of the fragipara tree he had intended to nap under and settled down against its trunk, keeping ahold of Chino’s hand to prompt him to sit, too. He looked around nervously before he did so, albeit still tense and uneasy. Once he was seated, Lynt slung Chino’s arm over his shoulder and cuddled up to his side, pleased to discover he was quite warm, if a bit stiff. It came as no surprise when he started to feel sleepy.

“Mm… Goodnight, Chino…” Lynt muttered as he got more comfortable, barely noticing the subtle quiver he felt after saying the other boy’s name before easily drifting off.

“Erm… It’s Tino, Young Master…”

***

Back inside, the celebration continued in the birthday boy’s absence. No one seemed to mind, as there was still plenty of food to go around, the band had struck up a waltz that many noble couples were keen to engage in, and all in attendance were enjoying being in the presence of King Liam.

Speaking of Liam, he had elected to take a break from entertaining his guests and was immersed in a lively conversation with his beloved wife, Queen Norah. They had finished their dance a while ago and now stood in a corner, chatting and giggling on any topic that came to mind.

“What a marvelous day this turned out to be,” Norah chirped, “Everyone has truly outdone themselves this year. I’m particularly impressed that you haven’t snuck away to go sleep somewhere yet!”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Liam said gleefully, “The banquet is divine, the music is gorgeous, and even the weather outside has remained agreeable. I daresay our son has yet to experience a more perfect birthday.”

“Hm. Incidentally, would you happen to know where Lynt’s scampered off to? It’s been some time since I saw him last.”

“Oh, a while ago he expressed to me that he fancied a nap, and I advised him of a wonderful place in the courtyard to rest his head for a spell.”

Norah looked thoughtful for a moment. “I see… Perhaps I ought to check on him. I’m sure he’s fine, but it would be best to make sure he’s well on his own, yes?”

Liam nodded, “Very well. I shall stay here and see the that guests are satisfied. Lynt should be sleeping under the fragipara tree near the fountain. Do hurry back, please and thank you.”

With another giggle, Norah placed a chaste kiss on her husband’s cheek. “I shall return anon. Don’t go slipping away for a nap of your own, alright?”

With the reassurance that he wouldn’t, Norah glided across the room to the door that led to the courtyard. She strode about the corridor at a leisurely pace, eager to see her child was alright but confident that he didn’t need immediate attention. As she rounded the corner, she caught sight of a familiar figure, one she was used to seeing pacing around anxiously and muttering to himself.

“Oh, stars above… Where could he be?”

It wasn’t unusual to see Styn engrossed in a frantic manhunt around the castle. It was unusual, however, knowing his charge wasn’t actually missing at the moment. Yet, here he was, wandering about the empty hallway and somehow looking more uptight than Norah had ever seen before.

“Styn?” She called, causing him to whirl around faster than what should be naturally possible.

“Oh! Queen Norah!” He squawked, “I-I’m dreadfully sorry for my unexcused absence at the party venue. Does His Majesty have any need of me?”

“Um, no…” Norah replied, “If it’s Liam you’re looking for, he hasn’t left the ballroom.”

“Erm, yes, I’m aware…”

Styn lapsed into silence for several seconds as his eyes darted to look at everything except the queen. Norah was aware he’d be unwilling to thrust his personal troubles onto the people he was meant to be serving, but seeing him so distressed worried her, so she felt it necessary to press the issue. “Then may I ask what it is that troubles you so?”

“Ah… I don’t wish to be any bother to you, Your Majesty.”

“Styn, please. It bothers me more to see you in such a frenzy.”

Styn was quiet for a few more seconds, then sighed in defeat. “... Er, in truth, it is not King Liam who eludes me at this time… But rather, my son.”

“Valentino?”

“Indeed. I haven’t seen him since this morning and he’s nowhere to be found anywhere in the castle. I’ve asked almost all of his cousins and the staff, but no one has seen him at the party at all!”

“Hm, that is quite worrying,” Norah conceded, “I’m afraid to say I haven’t seen him around either.”

“I’ve been searching everywhere. The kitchen, the dining room, and even the library, and guest bedrooms. It’s as if he’s simply vanished into thin air!” Styn proclaimed, growing more fidgety by the second, “Oh, Tino… I am beginning to fear that something horrible may have become of him!”

“Styn!” Norah grasped his hands gently, but firmly, “Please contain yourself. I’m certain your son is perfectly safe wherever he might have gone. Have you checked the courtyard yet?”

Styn shook his head, “N-No… I was just on my way there now, in fact.”

“Well, as it so happens, my own son should be there napping. Perhaps Valentino is watching over him as we speak. Please, allow me to accompany you. We will only find him faster if we search together.”

Styn hesitated but quickly relented, the fear for his son’s wellbeing overpowering his interest in their difference in status, “Y-Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty. Your kindness has touched my very soul this day!”

***

“Tiiiiiinoooooo! If you are nearby, I would appreciate a response! Pleeeeeeaaaaase!”

Styn’s voice echoed throughout the vast space of hedges and flowers, but no reply came no matter how many times he called. The deeper he and Norah ventured, the stronger his anxiety gripped his heart.

“Styn…” Norah interjected after a while, “May I suggest that you cease your bellowing for a time? Your voice is growing hoarse and you look close to tears.”

Styn attempted to protest, but was swiftly disrupted by a long coughing fit, “Ugh… Perhaps… A quick breather is in order…”

Norah sighed; This poor man likely wouldn’t have his voice for several days after this ordeal, “Besides, we’ve almost reached the tree my husband spoke of. Lynt will likely still be asleep if he is there, and it wouldn’t do to wake him in such a manner.”

After a few more minutes of walking, the pair of worried parents finally came across the fountain, and the tree was just in sight. Norah insisted that Styn take a moment to catch his breath while she checked in on Lynt. As he huffed and puffed for air, she made her way around the trunk of the tree, only to pause at the sight before her.

“Styn!” She whisper-shouted, putting a finger over her lips and waving him over when he turned to her again. Styn’s brow furrowed as he slowly came closer, a mixture of curiosity and suspicion pooling in his stomach.

Resting with his back against the tree was none other than Tino. To Styn’s utter astonishment, he was fast asleep, breathing deeply and steadily with his mouth slightly open and his head slightly hung to the right. Nestled under his arm was little Prince Lynt, snoring away using Tino’s stomach as a comfortable pillow. It was truly a sight to behold.

“How darling,” Norah mused, “I believe this is the first time Lynt’s ever sought a nap with a child from your house. Valentino must be special.”

Styn’s head snapped to Norah, then back at the boys. He didn’t know what to say; He hadn’t seen Tino sleep this soundly since he started his valet training, nor had he ever seen him interact with the prince without being assigned to do something for him. And yet… Both things were happening right before his eyes.

Perhaps Norah was right, and there was something special here. Styn smiled at the thought.

#court of darkness #lynt akedia #tino maes #tw abuse #deleted this and forgot to repost it

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beardedmrbean · 1 year

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lindsey Lundholm looked out over hundreds of people at the Utah State Capitol last year and felt a deep sense of healing. Abuse survivors, religious leaders and major party politicians were all gathered to rally for an end to a legal loophole that exempts religious clergy from being required to report child sexual abuse once it comes to their attention.

Lundholm, one of the rally's organizers, recalled telling the crowd how, growing up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Idaho, she told her bishop about her painful abuse only to see it go unreported.

Unearthing the trauma wasn't easy, but back in August she hoped reforms could be forthcoming so others would not face what she did.

“There was really a lot of momentum," said Lundholm, now a teacher in northern Utah. “Everyone we were talking to was like, ‘This is a no brainer. This is something that needs to be changed.’”

It hasn't.

Pressed by Lundholm and other survivors, Republicans and Democrats announced plans last year to reform laws that exempt religious clergy from reporting child sexual abuse cases revealed in conversations with parishioners. Despite initial momentum, religious groups in several states have blocked those efforts, doubling down on lobbying tactics they've used for years to defend exemptions.

That's the case in Utah, a deeply religious state where the majority of lawmakers are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church. State law requires most professionals — therapists, doctors and teachers among them — report abuse, yet clergy are exempt from alerting authorities about abuse they learn of through confessions.

Behind-the-scenes conversations between legislative leaders in Utah and what Senate President Stuart Adams said was “a broad base of religious groups” helped thwart four separate proposals to add clergy to the list of professionals required to report child sexual abuse. None received hearings as lawmakers prepare to adjourn for the year.

“I think they have First Amendment rights and religious protections,” Adams, a Latter-day Saint himself, said, noting fears among religious leaders that clergy could be punished for breaking vows of confidentiality.

Each proposal was introduced or announced after an Associated Press investigation found that the Utah-based faith's sexual abuse reporting hotline can be misused by its leaders to divert abuse accusations away from law enforcement and instead to church attorneys who may bury the problem, leaving victims in harm’s way.

In lawsuits detailed in the investigation, church attorneys have argued clergy-penitent privilege allows them to refuse to answer questions and turn over documents about alleged sexual abuse.

Church officials declined to comment about the stalled legislative efforts. The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City did not respond to requests for comment but campaigned against them, saying in January that priests and clergy were different from others mandated to report sexual abuse, including doctors, teachers and social workers.

“Legislation that would require a priest to (report sexual abuse) violates our right to practice our religion,” Bishop Oscar Solis, of the Salt Lake City Diocese, wrote in a Jan. 25 letter to parishioners.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox last month said he “had no problem with the bills moving forward” and receiving consideration in the statehouse.

“I think it’s an important conversation to have. We’ve encouraged the Legislature to look at this and make sure that our model is the right model,” he told reporters.

Marci Hamilton, chief executive of the abuse prevention nonprofit Child USA, said churches have maintained the same playbook for decades in opposing more disclosure.

Routinely it involves a two-pronged approach, defending clergy-penitent privilege in statehouses and using it to avoid damaging disclosures in court cases, said Hamilton, also a University of Pennsylvania law professor.

"They have not veered from it. Both institutions are hoping that time will simply let everybody start trusting them again," Hamilton said, referring to Catholics and Latter-day Saints.

But, she added, "by preventing the public — and especially the sincere believers — from getting the full story you don’t create the accountability that these organizations should be held to and the secrets continue.”

“The problem in the United States — and this is particularly acute in state like Utah — is that the lobbying power of these religious organizations is so extraordinary,” Hamilton said.

Laws in 33 states exempt clergy — regardless of religion — from laws requiring professionals such as teachers, physicians and psychotherapists to report child sexual abuse allegations to authorities. Religious leaders have systematically fought efforts to expand the list of states. They currently oppose efforts from Vermont to Washington, where a proposal advanced through the state Senate Tuesday.

Kansas lawmakers introduced multiple proposals on penalties for not reporting suspected child sexual abuse, including one in the state Senate that would have added clergy to a list of mandatory reporters. It faced especially fierce public rebukes from Catholic leaders because it didn’t exempt confessions. No proposal received even a hearing before an initial deadline this year.

In the wake of the AP's investigation last year, Republican state Rep. Phil Lyman and Democratic Rep. Angela Romero announced plans to reform Utah's clergy-penitent privilege loophole. Lyman, who served six years as a Latter-day Saints' bishop, said at the time lawmakers should want to reexamine the loophole “regardless of religious or political affiliation.”

“People should be able to go and confess their sins to their bishop without fear of being prosecuted up until when they are confessing something that has affected someone’s else life significantly,” he told the AP in August.

Lyman ultimately released a proposal that broadly affirmed clergy's exemption from mandatory reporting. It didn't advanced or received any hearing as lawmakers prepare to adjourn Friday. He did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Proposals from Democratic Reps. Romero and Brian King, and Sen. Stephanie Pitcher to close or narrow the loophole have also not moved forward amid opposition from religious groups.

Both Pitcher and Romero, who is Catholic, said they planned to reintroduce their proposals next year.

“With AP uncovering what they uncovered, you'd think this would be a matter of urgency for this Legislature and for Legislatures across the country. But again we are allowing these institutions to dictate what we mandate,” Romero said, referring to the Catholic Church.

Several Utah lawmakers told AP that opponents of limiting clergy-penitent privilege regarding child sexual abuse had circulated research that they claimed suggests mandatory reporting reform doesn't result in more confirmed reports of sexual abuse and may deter perpetrators from speaking to clergy.

“What most of the research shows is that if people aren’t able to come to them for fear of being reported on, they’re not able to provide the help and support they need,” Sen. Ann Milner said.

However, conclusions drawn from the study, which the Catholic Diocese also circulated in opposition to a similar bill from Romero in three years ago, have been challenged by its authors.

University of Michigan law professor Frank Vandervort and his co-author, Vincent Palusci, a pediatrics professor at New York University, told the AP last year the study was limited, partly because churches often wouldn’t give them access to relevant data.

“A single article should not be the basis for making policy decisions,” Vandervort said. “It may be entirely the case that there’s no connection between the changing of the laws and the number of reports.”

Lundholm said Utah lawmakers adjourning without having a “true public discussion” on any clergy-penitent privilege reform proposal provoked eerily familiar feelings for survivors. Though she never expected political change to happen overnight, she said survivors like her who had abuse go unreported — once again — feel unheard.

“Maybe the worst part is that this is something that survivors experience often, and unfortunately, it’s rare when their stories are heard,” she said.

#nunyas news

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mariacallous · 1 year

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Since 2016, hundreds of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and contractors have faced internal investigations into abuse of confidential law enforcement databases and agency computers. The alleged misconduct includes a swath of unlawful behavior, from stalking and harassment to passing information to criminals.

ICE says these databases are vital tools for enforcing the law. However, agency records of internal misconduct investigations reveal that they can also be used to subvert it. They show for the first time how ICE employees allegedly exploited their access to these databases to unlawfully search or disclose sensitive information, including medical, biometric, and location data. And they detail how access to these databases can be misused to carry out personal schemes and vendettas.

According to an agency disciplinary database that WIRED obtained through a public records request, ICE investigators found that the organization’s agents likely queried sensitive databases on behalf of their friends and neighbors. They have been investigated for looking up information about ex-lovers and coworkers and have shared their login credentials with family members. In some cases, ICE found its agents leveraging confidential information to commit fraud or pass privileged information to criminals for money.

In total, ICE employees or contractors have been investigated for misusing agency data or computers at least 414 times since 2016. In nearly half of those incidents, the misconduct triggered investigations by the Office of Professional Relations (OPR), a division responsible for investigating allegations of serious misconduct, both criminal and noncriminal.

Of these serious misconduct cases, 109 were “substantiated” or “referred to management” after an internal investigation by OPR fact finders. Those include a Vermont-based enforcement and removals officer accused of “online solicitation of an intellectually disabled adult”; a special agent who received gifts from a Colombian drug trafficker in exchange for information; a Virginia deportation officer who altered electronic records to assist a family member; and an ICE attorney who stole immigrants’ identities in an attempt to defraud credit card companies.

ICE categorizes allegations as “substantiated” or “referred to management” if the evidence shows that the alleged misconduct is more likely to have occurred than not—a lower standard of proof than in criminal investigations.

The records do not include what disciplinary measures, if any, were imposed on ICE employees or contractors whose allegations of misconduct were substantiated by investigators.

While many of the records lack enough detail to discern the full nature of the allegations, two dozen investigations were categorized as criminal. And in at least 14 incidents, the records explicitly say that agents were investigated for allegedly using agency databases or computers to harass someone or make threats.

In March of 2021, for instance, a special agent in McAllen, Texas, allegedly used information from a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) database called TECS to threaten a coworker. And in July 2020, employees at the Port Isabel Detention Center were investigated for illegally accessing a detainee’s medical records and sharing videos of detainees.

ICE did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.

An ICE official familiar with the way internal investigations are conducted at the agency reviewed the records WIRED obtained. The official, who asked not to be named because they are not authorized to speak to the media, says that because ICE agents collectively query confidential law enforcement databases “many millions of times a year,” the presence of a few “bad apples” is inevitable and not particularly surprising.

But legal experts and privacy advocates who reviewed the data resoundingly disagree with the ICE official’s characterization of the issue as likely isolated to a handful of problematic officers.

“This isn’t about a few bad apples, it’s about a tree that’s rotten to the core,” says Albert Fox Cahn, the founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP). “There’s no version of mass surveillance that’s compatible with civil rights.”

Erik Garcia, an organizer and program manager with the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition, a Southern California-based migrant advocacy organization, says ICE agents’ abuse of confidential databases “very much is the culture of abuse and unchecked power at ICE. It’s part of the culture of policing generally, which makes me question whether they should be collecting this data in the first place.”

ICE is already under increased scrutiny for how agents are misusing the law enforcement tools at their disposal. In February, for example, the DHS inspector general released a report detailing how agents at ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division conducted illegal surveillance of cell phones using a controversial tool called a cell-site simulator.

Earlier this month, a WIRED investigation revealed how ICE used customs summonses to demand data from elementary schools, news organizations, and abortion clinics in ways that experts say could be illegal. “Calling ICE a rogue agency doesn’t even quite get at how bad the problem is with them,” said Emily Tucker, the executive director at the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law, in response to those findings. “They are always pushing to the limits of what they are allowed to do and fudging around the edges without oversight.”

Law enforcement abuse of databases is far from unique to ICE agents. In the past decade, local police around the US have repeatedly abused their access to confidential databases. In 2016, an Associated Press investigation found that police officers across the country misused confidential law enforcement databases to get information on romantic partners, business associates, neighbors, and journalists.

The misconduct records that WIRED obtained detail similar allegations. However, due to ICE’s sprawling access to data sets from federal, state, local, and private entities, experts are particularly concerned about how an agency with a prolific history of misconduct could abuse these tools.

Last May, Tucker and three colleagues coauthored a report called “American Dragnet: Data-Driven Deportation in the 21st Century.” Their report, based on a review of ICE spending transactions, found that the agency has amassed an enormous trove of databases containing billions of data points that enable the agency “to pull detailed dossiers on nearly anyone, seemingly at any time.”

“The databases ICE employees can access contain almost everything you might want to find about someone: who they are, where they live, where they drive, and who their family is,” says Nina Wang, a policy associate at the Center on Privacy & Technology and one of the “American Dragnet” coauthors. “All of that access to bulk data leaves the door wide open for misconduct.”

ICE is one of 22 agencies housed under DHS. In 2021, the American Immigration Council used DHS privacy and compliance documents to compile a list of databases and information systems that DHS uses in relation to immigration law enforcement. The list captures the breadth of databases that ICE officials can access, some of which are referenced in the misconduct records.

Among the databases that ICE agents allegedly misused were those containing medical records, license plate reader data, and biometric data. One of the most widely misused databases in the records is the Investigative Case Management (ICM) system, software developed by the data-mining firm Palantir that serves as the primary database for information collected by ICE during criminal and civil investigations.

According to documents obtained by the Intercept, ICM allows ICE agents to access a kaleidoscope of data that reportedly includes information about “a subject’s schooling, family relationships, employment information, phone records, immigration history, foreign exchange program status, personal connections, biometric traits, criminal records, and home and work addresses.”

Representatives from Palantir declined to be interviewed for this story. But in an email, Courtney Bowman, the company’s director of Privacy and Civil Liberties, pointed WIRED to public documents detailing ICM’s oversight mechanisms, including its ability to log and record every query an individual makes.

Much of the ICM misconduct that internal investigators flagged involves employees looking up information about themselves—so-called self-queries. While this kind of misconduct might seem harmless, Adam Schwartz, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, asserts that it speaks to a culture of impunity at the ICE. “When you have officers taking a database intended for a specific purpose and subverting for self-gain, it exposes a lawless and dangerous mindset,” Schwartz says.

To Fox Cahn of STOP, the presence of so many self-queries in the data might say more about how ICE monitors its databases for abuse than about the volume of underlying misconduct. Fox Cahn suggests that the likely reason so many self-queries appear in the records is that it’s easy for agencies to spot this kind of behavior. “They should really be going query by query to make sure that someone has a legitimate reason to do a search,” he says.

Because ICE did not answer specific questions about how it monitors misconduct, it’s unclear how the agency spots abuse of its databases.

Every expert we spoke to, including the current ICE official, says that because the vast majority of misconduct probably goes undetected, the records the agency released likely only detail a small fraction of the total abuse.

“If you’ve got hundreds of abuses, you have a systemic problem that needs a systemic solution,” says Schwartz. “This is a flood of misconduct,” he adds. “It raises serious questions about whether this is just the tip of the iceberg.”

WIRED categorized each record using the case summary for the incident to attempt to discern the nature of the underlying misconduct and the database or type of data that was abused. Each of the 414 allegations of misconduct in the database includes a short case summary of the incident, information about the employee involved, and a brief summary explaining how an internal investigation was conducted. WIRED is making the raw data available here.

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insurrection-if · 2 years

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Considering the gifted are usually forceable recruited by the Hawks is there any type of protection from discrimination for them in the organization? Like what rights do they have? Do they have rights still? 🤔

Sorry if this has been asked before feel free to ignore if so

Specialist (Gifted) Agents like the MC are essentially glorified prisoners, so their freedoms and rights are considerably limited. That said, it veers closer to a Norwegian style of imprisonment . . . without any end goal for societal reintegration other than turning Gifted into a nationless / humanity’s soldier for the “greater good”.

WINGS, as a whole, is not entirely founded upon a goodwill towards the Gifted themselves but rather the practical utility of their use, capture, and reform for a greater societal (human) good. The MC would be considered rather fortunate to have received specially requested placement within Division-01, which would have otherwise been at full capacity, since the authority of Akil is far preferable to other Commanders in HAWKS (even if some Agents on the MC’s team might try to say otherwise).

There is the universal expectation that Supervising Agents (Akil, Kamiko, Nasrin, and Yadon in the MC’s case) would adhere to appropriate conduct; neither too harsh nor too friendly to the Specialists assigned to them. Officially, DOVES Agents are tasked with investigating reports of excessive abuse within the HAWKS, though it’s a roll of the dice on whether absolutely no tampering or bias occurs (though DOVES does try to actively weed out bad apples since a cornered, frightened, and abused Gifted is incredibly dangerous to the livelihoods of the Supervisors and other Specialists alike).

Specialist Agents are to be confined to their respective compounds (or rendezvous points) outside field missions, assigned their own quarters where they must report come curfew hours. There are luxuries such as supervised television, a game room, a communal kitchen, special requests for supplies, and (for the most well-behaved and well-connected Specialist Agents) the possibility of visitation or “free roaming” hours. Akil has approved numerous social / bonding activities to encourage camaraderie and loyalty within the team and tries to foster hobbies to allow Specialists to decompress on their own, though these are privileges rather than rights.

In the MC’s division, only Elouan has earned the privilege to leave the base for set hours bi-weekly under the custody of a Supervising Agent. Imka receives visitation, though that’s because strings have been pulled behind the scenes against her own wishes as the experience is rather painful for her. She also knows she’d regret rejecting the visits if she did.

Ultimately, however, not every non-Gifted Agent expresses too much concern for discrimination based on one’s Gifted qualities. Most have some common sense to not poke a superhuman bear with a stick, but others might do just that anyways. Not everyone does, but most . . .

(Oh, though to add as a side note, abuses are rampant in CROWS and RAVENS as a sense of twisted “Justice” against the atrocities caused by certain Inmates—and those are much more likely to be covered up. Dearil will attest to that.)

As the series progresses . . . There will be a lot more room for autonomy as cracks begin to form in the hold of the HAWKS and CARDINALS alike.

#mc #doves #hawks

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dusterson · 2 years

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rules & ooc (mobile)

this line it not to be edited as to maintain the integrity of the post’s URL. please inform the mun if any directories to this post do not work properly.

Mun is over the age of 21, muse is under the age of 18. Mature themes concerning violence, trauma, abuse, death, etc. will be present. Romance will not surpass mild PG-13.

THE RULE OF LAW

01 : DON’T BE A DICK.

godmoding metagaming etc. ain’t cool, ooc drama is even less cool, don’t reblog IC posts you’re not involved in, yadda yadda yadda, i’m crossing my fingers here that i won’t need to make an entire encyclopaedia of regulations here i have faith that you’re smarter and more mature than that.

i like anons throw em my way ic or ooc, but misuse the anon function and you lose the privilege of being a faceless horror-terror that gives Dustin nightmares.

i’m not going to say no drama because humans as a species are the biggest drama-mongers of the earthly organisms. but i will avoid engaging in it like the plague. i do not tolerate hateful and/or aggressive behaviour. i don’t care why, to who, or what about. calm. down. this is a fucking hobby.

02 : DON’T BE A PUSHY DICK.

the muse is not the mun, if my answer’s no then it’s no. if you pester/nag me after saying no, i’ll just block you. my post length will vary and no i don’t expect you to match or vise versa. i don’t really fancy up posts for rp replies that’s too much effort i’m here to write you know?

i am disabled physically, neurologically, and psychologically; that along with other IRL circumstances mean that i will be slow. i may need to take breaks from rping, not have the focus for this specific muse, and i might forget things. i don’t mind the occasional poke if you feel i’ve forgotten a thread or an ask etc, but please be patient with me.

do not get angry with me that i roleplay to my comfort. if i don’t meet your expectations i don’t want to hear it, just find another cove to sail.

03 : DON’T BE A GROSS DICK.

dustin is a minor in official canon and in my canon. i ain’t shipping him with anyone outside his age range, and i sure as fuck ain’t shipping right off the bat. i don’t know you, therefore i don’t trust you, to write that kinda dynamic with you. any romantic/affectionate content will be light PG-13 if not straight-up PG. if you try and sneak in suggestive or NSFW shit i will thanos snap your creative motivation. and block you.

i may unfollow blogs that have a highly frequent amount of such content on their blog.

DON’T LET ME BE A DICK!

any commonly triggering content will be tagged (example tw), such as gore, abuse, suicide, etc. but don’t be afraid or ashamed to request i tag something specific for you. i’m grouchy, not judgemental.

don’t hesitate to let me know if you’re losing interest in a thread, don’t know how to respond, or even that you’re no longer interested in rping. honestly if the third’s the case you don’t even need to explain, yeet to freedom my sweet bird good luck out there and for the love of god enjoy yourself and feel no shame for it.

THANK YOU FOR NOT BEING A DICK!

that’s why i’m saying the don’t part, cos i’m trusting you (kind of) not to be one, cos like you got this far so you can’t be one see? here’s some apple cider, thank you for coming on the tour, now let me introduce myself.

So now all THAT’s out of the way, ‘sup. You can call me Saahs or J. I’m a 28 year old artist, writer, and lover of horror. Any pronouns are fine with me. RP has been a major part of my life for 99.9% of it, I started playing AD&D before I could properly write, and I’m not letting this strain of hobby go any time soon. Like I said I probably won’t be a highly active rper due to chronic illness and IRL issues, but my messages, askbox, are always open! And I’m happy to give my Discord if you’d like to chat over there as well. The rules are a lil snippy I wrote em at 4 in the morning initially then it only got worse cos and I’m a jaded animal but legit I don’t assume You are gonna break rules or anything there’s just been too many times man. Like I’m a shy guy and I don’t like having to deal with conflict so don’t make me ok

#mobile rules #mobile ooc

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lomobabes · 2 years

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Tab suspender for firefox

#Tab suspender for firefox install#

#Tab suspender for firefox update#

#Tab suspender for firefox android#

#Tab suspender for firefox software#

Managing your apps, extensions, and themesĪnyone who has installed any of the above-mentioned Edge add-ons should remove them immediately.Reading and changing all your data on the websites you visit.While reports indicate that the add-ons do nothing more than hijack legitimate searches, the privileges they require provide the possibility of doing much worse. Search engine redirections are typically part of a scheme to generate fraudulent revenue by ginning up ad clicks, and that's what's likely happening here. The problem is that anyone can submit them, and Google, Mozilla, and now Microsoft haven’t come up with a system that adequately vets the authenticity of the people submitting them or the safety of the code.

#Tab suspender for firefox android#

Readers should remember, however, that legitimate developers can't be held responsible when their apps or add-ons are spoofed.Īlong with Android apps, browser extensions are one of the weak links in the online security chain. Neither of the remaining two legitimate developers of the real extensions responded to a request for comment. NordVPN, meanwhile, issued a statement that said in part: “We noticed this fraudulent extension on Friday and immediately took action to have it removed.” “It is not uncommon for popular, trusted brands like TunnelBear to be spoofed by malicious actors.” The real AdGuard VPN, for its part said issued a statement from CEO Andrey Meshkov that said: “We are taking action to have these removed from both platforms and investigating the matter with both Google and Microsoft,” a TunnelBear representative said. “We are taking action to have these removed from both platforms and investigating the matter with both Google and Microsoft,” a TunnelBear representative said. It said there's an extension in the Chrome Web Store that's also fraudulent.

#Tab suspender for firefox software#

The maker of the legitimate TunnelBear software and browser extensions told me that the add-on hosted in Microsoft's official Edge store is a fake.

#Tab suspender for firefox update#

“Once I have any news from them, I will update this thread accordingly.” “The team just updated me to let me know that anyone seeing these injections should turn off their extensions and let me know if you continue to see them at that point,” the person using the handle MSFTMissy wrote. His account was consistent with images and accounts from other forum participants.

#Tab suspender for firefox install#

“It's easy enough to see it happening-if you install one of the affected extensions in Edge, open dev tools, and press the ‘sources’ tab, you'll see something that shouldn't be there like or cdn77.” “I had the tunnelbear extension installed, but I removed it once I figured out it was causing the issue,” Laurence Norah, a photographer at Finding the Universe, told me by email. That means that while the extensions bear the names of legitimate developers, they are, in fact, imposters with no relation.įloating Player - Picture-in-Picture Mode All of them are knockoffs of legitimate add-ons. Often, the searches use cdn77org for connectivity.Īfter discovering the redirections weren’t an isolated incident, participants in this Reddit discussion winnowed the list of suspects down to five. Over the past several days, people in website forums have complained of the Google searches being redirected to oksearchcom when they use Edge. There, click on Accept the Risk and Continue button and Advanced Preferences page will open.For years, Google and Mozilla have battled to keep abusive or outright malicious browser extensions from infiltrating their official repositories. You will see a Proceed with Caution warning message. For this, type about:config in the address bar, and press the Enter key. Now access the Advanced Preferences page.

Set its value to false to disable tab sleep.Īt first, open the Firefox browser using the Search box or some other way you prefer.

Those who use the Firefox browser can try this built-in option to automatically suspend Firefox tabs when not in use or disable that feature. Microsoft Edge also comes with a similar feature to enable or disable sleeping tabs and automatically suspend tabs. Enable or disable Tab Sleep in Firefox browser If you don’t find this feature useful, you can simply disable it using some simple steps. Whenever you access any of the inactive tabs, those are awakened or bring back to the active mode with a refresh. That is helpful so that tabs won’t occupy system resources or memory unnecessarily. When this feature is turned on, then Firefox puts inactive tabs (that you haven’t accessed for minutes) to sleep mode or suspends those tabs. In this post, we will show you how you can enable or disable the Tab Sleep feature in the Firefox browser.

#Tab suspender for firefox

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malialaka · 2 years

Photo

The ocean has risen from the sea of Nānā #nana. The bones of the iwi extension of the holi ones and kohala has been laid out above the papa on kula, “the sacred high priest na wahipana”. This is no Hollywood act of old runes in a bag but a requested prayer by all Hawaiian national and koko. For years the foreigner families in Hawaii purposely premeditated murders, a practice passed down from fathers to sons and supporting mothers. Did no one think about the consequences of human nature, that your own family members would stop and refuse to turn a blind eye; or that those manipulated perceptions would be undone by one you raised. The wind gourd and Bones #bonesofali have spoken . Your cattle and #hawaiitours of fake stories and protection womt work, all sales are leases, all leases are invalid. A new Hui has resonated into entirety of honey resin , itll never expire. The Poho Gin has reformed the educational system of the world, un silenced are their testimonies, the origins of Hawaiians, the birth and deaths of the World, the exiles and the protection of Makaainana that has been ignored so humans can have over welcomed privileges and military veterans of gods and giants suffer an internal torcherous death of psychological abuse. #lonomakahikifest is coming, tenacious is she. God may enter, man cannot. MauiAKalana o Ani will share in HanaLima, Papakuhikuhi the names of funerary ignorance by officials who tainted the names of all Americans, Brit, Norse, Swiss, Portuguese , Chinese and Spain. Every Honu dies in the land of its birth, a births where it was birthed. To our loved ones who didnt enter Milu, the Alim-buyu water cyclones we see and hear you. The shoals of time has washed away the tears of fear, and brought forth the springs of new fruit in 1993. The Puna has helped you dig your debt to Milu. Come now the beginnings of urban restoration and native soul of hawaiian rehabilitation. The Hawaiian will free all indigenous peoples. A 40 year of commitment practitioner of one Hawaiian child passed to the next and the next, the next god , mene, and giants that enters , man canot. (at Kauai) https://www.instagram.com/p/ChPcb_ZrygQ9cnjypsvok5GQTQnUEKLivFhdtQ0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#nana #bonesofali #hawaiitours #lonomakahikifest

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aradhya21 · 2 years

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The draft IT rules will be back with revisions: The impact on social media is explained

The arrival of a draft proposition - - looking for public remarks on certain corrections to Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021- - and its rushed withdrawal has offered some brief look into the public authority plans opposite social media platforms.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology or MeitY had emerged with the upgraded IT manages last year - which happened from 26th May, 2021. The principles set up a system for content guideline by online distributers of information and current issues content, and organized general media content. The point of the 2021 guidelines was to make web-based entertainment and web organizations - - having in excess of 5,000,000 clients - more responsible for the substance on their foundation.

The 2021 guidelines had ordered that web-based entertainment go-betweens distribute rules to check posting and sharing of content which is fiery, questionable, scornful, racially and ethnically frightful and so on. The web-based delegates were likewise told to name a nodal an accessible round-official in India the-clock to help policing. Through the principles, the public authority had endorsed a three-level complaint redressal instrument.

However, up until this point, in the event that any client was not happy with any virtual entertainment stage's complaint redressal framework, he had just a single choice, and that was to move toward court.

On June 1, the draft that MeitY had placed on its site proposed setting up of government boards to address such complaints. The draft was reclaimed the following day for certain changes.

Thus, before the public authority changes the proposed revisions to the IT rules and emerges with another adaptation, let us see what all it had proposed.

One of the critical proposition of the draft was that the public authority would lay out at least one Grievance Appellate Committees, which would be comprised of an executive and different individuals delegated by the public authority. Under this revision, a client would have the option to pursue a complaint official's structure before the council in no less than 30 days of getting it from the previous.

As far as concerns its, the advisory group would need to try to determine the allure in somewhere around 30 days of getting it. Furthermore, the concerned go-between would need to follow each request passed by the Grievance Appellate Committee. The 2021 standards didn't have an arrangement for such a Grievance Appellate Committee.

Pavan Duggal, Cyberlaw Authority and Advocate, Supreme Court of India says Grievance Appellate Committee proposition is a positive development. It adds another level that will decrease the quantum of web-based entertainment suit, he says adding that any extra consistence will be viewed as grave. However, we want to find some kind of harmony between the privileges of clients and delegates, says Dugga.

The draft said that a delegate would need to recognize a client objection got by its complaint official in 24 hours or less. This would explicitly apply when the grievance being referred to is about client or record suspension, expulsion, and obstructing.

Additionally, assuming the grievance is for the expulsion of data or connections that encroach copyrights, are obscene, or are disparaging, in addition to other things. The concerned mediator would need to answer demands for expulsion in 72 hours or less. Notwithstanding, the draft additionally said that the stages were permitted to set up shields against the abuse of such arrangements.

Under the 2021 Rules, a mediator needs to recognize an objection shipped off the complaint official in no less than 24 hours and discard it inside a time of 15 days from the date of receipt.

Duggal proceeds, proposed decreased timetables for complaint redressal should be considerably more limited. In addition, more limited courses of events supported as go-betweens acquiring from information of Indians without any information security regulation, he says. SC has held that delegates can't be judges.

Under the 2021 standards, enormous virtual entertainment stages, like Facebook and Twitter, were additionally commanded to empower the distinguishing proof of the 'primary originator' of any data that sabotages the sway of India, security of the state, or public request.

Obviously a few changes to the nation's innovation and online entertainment guidelines are in the offing, regardless of whether we know their careful forms right now. This will essentially affect online entertainment monsters, for whom India is a key market, which has not immersed at this point and has potential gain possible left to it. As per statista, more than 50% of India's populace was getting to informal communities in 2020. By 2025, it is assessed that interpersonal organization infiltration would be 67% of the nation's populace.

As of February 2021, reasonable information and cell phones, alongside the public authority's Digital India drive, have brought about India's advanced populace arriving at around 624 million dynamic clients. As indicated by statista, India is the world's second-biggest web market at this stage.

Nonetheless, even with the shade of perhaps difficult guidelines, India is a market online entertainment and tech monsters can't easily overlook, and that is a direct result of its size, yet in addition in view of the income it produces.

As homegrown media organizations have lost ground and income, Google and Facebook have arisen as the principal recipients of India's roaring web publicizing market. As per a media report, as of late, the joined promotion incomes of Google and Facebook emerged to be higher than the consolidated advertisement incomes of the main 10 recorded customary media organizations.

Nonetheless, one central issue, which is whether the now-removed draft recommendations, or the ones that will come out soon, will prompt improved government control should be tended to.

#IT ACT #SOCIAL MEDIA #INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING MINISTRY

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poisonousquinzel · 2 years

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"Harley Quinn is a criminal, a villain!!! she needs to pay for her crimes! she can't just have a redemption arc without being punished for her misdeeds and murders!"

oh so are we just forgetting the bargaining chip that the government/Waller uses for the Suicide Squad? :)

Cause news flash, Harley has done her time.

She's served her sentence in Belle Reve prison.

She worked off her years by going on actual suicidal missions for years.

She. Did. Her. Time.

And She's Cleared Her Record.

Suicide Squad: Blaze #1

“You’ve been selected for a special task. I know you’ve all served on Suicide Squads before, so--”

“So you can skip the details, bosslady-- we know the score. Go out there, face certain death, coupla creepy laughs, maybe a dance number-”

“In return for which state-sponsored violence we gain access to certain off-list privileges-- and a bloody massive reduction in our sentences.”

Suicide Squad: Blaze #2

“You are sitting among the Suicide Squad. They are not nice people. They’re not here for your emotional support. They’re here because--should you feel a little hesitant about my polite requests?--

--They will murder you before you’ve finished saying “No.” For this I will reward them handsomely.”

Harley Quinn (2021 - ) #1

“It’s time I make amends for everythin’ I did when... Back before...

Well, you know.

After The Joker War... I can’t help but feel responsible. I’ve hurt this city. Enabled that clown prince of ***** for a long time.

My records are officially clean thanks to that Suicide Squad business, but I figure I got a lot to make up for.”

And a redemption arc isn't always going to look like Zuko's arc in the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

We need to stop holding every single "redemption" arc to that standard alone because characters aren't all the same, and frankly, at this point, it's getting really damn frustrating.

Character can be, and are, nuanced, multilayered people that come from vastly different circumstances & backgrounds, various forms of medias, and have differing levels of trauma that have led to their criminal actions.

They have different writers and creative teams, and depending on the company in change, those writers may or may not be equipped to probably handle the more sensitive and serious aspects of that character.

And some of them come from (or have later appeared in) media types that have a much, much higher rating than Avatar did. The creators are free to go to more extreme levels with that trauma and showing the audience the full extent of things like domestic abuse.

But in the end redemption is when the person themselves wants to change and realizes the wrongs they've committed. It's when they want to make amends and atone for their actions.

It doesn't necessarily mean the world forgives them. A redemption arc isn’t earned when the in universe world decides to forgive that character.

It means they've decided to try. They're putting in effort. They're putting that part of their life behind them and they're trying to be a better person.

They’re trying to change for the better.

Not all redemption arcs are clean and easy. And not of all them only have to make amends for a handful of wrongdoings.

But it is in the very core of her character to feel guilt and remorse once she’s free from The Joker’s manipulation and love bombing.

This is still a redemption arc because she is fundamentally trying to be a better person and is putting in the effort. And it is an arc that’s been building for almost 30 years.

It was her saying No when that voice is telling her

"You're a villain, remember? Time to nasty up and act like one."

Trying to convince her to leave one of her teammates behind to succumb to the effects of the Joker Toxin invading their system.

Suicide Squad (2016 - ) #4

She's immune to the toxin. She hears and sees him, just like she hears and sees Harleen, which makes it all the more powerful that she's working through fighting against those urges when she's got a literal devil manifested in front of her encouraging said villainous urges.

And later, it's taking accountability when confronted by a victim who was wrong by her and Joker. Going so far that she fully ready to let herself die at the hands of said victim to right that wrong.

Batman (2016) #105

“I wanted to be strong, and he was able to manipulate me and control me and make me feel loved enough that I was willing to help him do really terrible things. Because I wanted to feel strong too.

I wanted to be the one with all the power. I wanted to be the one people were afraid of.

And now... I’m gonna be dealing with the consequences of that for my entire life. I’m always going to be Harley Quinn. And I’m trying my damnedest to make the most of it.

I’m gonna try to save as many people as I tried to hurt, back in the day. I want to be a better version of me.

But if you want to kill me, you can. I deserve it.”

“Harley...”

“Stand back, Bats. It’s the kid’s choice.”

Shadow War Zone (2022 - ) #1

“...And, most shocking of all, her recent encounter with Hugo Strange indicates she genuinely wants to make amends for her past.”

It's the dozens of little, important moments over the years that's shown she's been developing, she's been growing.

We’re just seeing it come full circle now.

And that's a fucking good thing.

She’s saving people, she’s helping people in multiple ways. She’s making more friends, she runs a support group for people like her and Kevin, putting her therapist skills to use.

This is good for her. She’s healing.

And that’s what we want from characters because they’re nuanced, multilayered creations that shine best when they’re not boxed into a one dimensional Bad Guy trope.

#harley quinn #harleen quinzel #dc comics #tw blood #tw clown boy #tw abuse mention #just to be safe

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modernmagdalene · 3 years

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Saint and Crystal Associations Part 2

Once again, I’m posting this as a potential resource for other Christian witches or Christian mystics (whatever you call yourself). These are my own personal associations, not official associations of any Christian denominations, so if they don’t feel right for you feel free to use different crystals with different saints. Thanks and enjoy.

Saint Francis of Assisi --> Amber

Francis is best associated with Amber. While not technically a crystal it still is used in a lot of crystal magic. Francis is a very complex saint who helps with a lot of different things: voluntary poverty, helping the poor, antiwar, and oneness with nature. Amber is very old and connected deeply to the earth. It helps with grounding, clarity, patience, wisdom, dissolves negativity, eliminates fear, and balances emotions. All things Francis needed to leave his life of privilege behind and follow God. I think it represents much of who Francis is and can help support the same virtues that Francis represents.

Saint Brigid --> Opal

St. Brigid would be associated with Opal. Brigid is a saint that is very connected to the goddess Brigid. Their stories are extremely intertwined that you can’t really talk about without the other. Both are connected to fire, love, and hope and that’s all things Opal is connected with as well. I also personally tend to associate Opal with the divine feminine and Brigid connection to a goddess makes that work as well.

Saint Julian of Norwich --> Moonstone

Julian of Norwich I said in a comment that I associated with Lapis Lazuli but then relaized I was already using that crystal with St. Perpetua and Felicity. So I did some more research and decided that Moonstone would work really well for Saint Julian of Norwich. Moonstone is obviously associated with Lunar magick and the moon is also regularly associated with femimine energy. Which works wonders with St. Julian who often depicted God as femimine. One of the things that made her contraversal. St. Julian of Norwich had visions and was a prolific writer. Moonstone helps those seeking wisdom and strengthens psychic abilities. St. Julian of Norwich is also a known cat lover so have moonstone carved into the shape of a cat is even better.

Saint Mary MacKillop --> Obsidian

(Trigger Warning Mentions of sexual abuse in this.)

Mary MacKillop is the first saint of Australia and one of my favorites! Mary MacKillop reported a priest who was abusing children and not longer after a friend of this priest used his connections to get her excommunicated. Her excommunication was eventually lifted. I have always admired her strength and resilience. That’s why I chose obsidian for her. Obsidian shines a light on the negativity and clears it away, helping us to choose the path leading towards light and love. It is also a protective stone as it used to be used for weapons. If you need to fight the devil obsidian is up there with tourmaline as an excellent crystal to clean house.

Saint Raphael the Archangel --> Ametrine

St. Raphael the Archangel is another favorite of mine. If you use a Protestant Bible you might not have read about him. Raphael is featured in the Book of Tobit which is only in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. The Book of Tobit is an epic love story between Tobias and Sarah that also features thievery, exile, and fights with demons. Where Michael and Gabriel tend to appear to humans briefly then leave. Raphael, disguised as a human, travels with Tobias throughout the whole book. Raphael is most associated with healing and I connect him to the crystal ametrine. Ametrine is associated with healing, harmony, strength, balancing physical and spiritual life, and aids in contacting spirit guides. This works with Raphael’s connections to healing. Furthermore, Raphael’s role guiding Tobit and being a spiritual being working on earth makes ametrine perfect in helping to connect with him. Use this stone and ask him to help find balance in your practice and assist you with finding spiritual guides.

Saint Rita --> Smoky Quartz

St. Rita is the patron saint of impossible tasks. She is someone I rely on when I really need to overcome an obstacle or problem in my life. She is also prayed to when someone has a deadly illness or serious problem helping with things that seem impossible to deal with is just her jam. Because of this I associate her most with smoky quartz. This crystal is super powerful and is a great grounding and balancing stone. It absorbs negative energy like a sponge (because of this it should be cleansed often-ish use your best judgement). It’s so useful and can even cleanse other crystals. It keeps all the negativity away from you which is something that one really needs when dealing with impossible situations.

Saint Mary Magdalene --> Celestite

Mary Magdalene is one of my favorite witchy women in the Bible. She wasn’t scared away like the other disciples when Christ was crucified, she was the first to preach about the resurrection, and was active in preaching and teaching others about Christ. One of my favorite stories about her comes from the Orthodox tradition where she was preaching to Emperor Tiberius Caesar about Christ and turned an egg red to prove to the emperor that Christ’s story and power was true. I associate Mary Magdalene most with Celestite. Celestite raises spiritual vibrations, promotes spiritual growth, and aides in communication with the spiritual realm. This crystal also boosts self-worth and self-expression, all things Mary Magdalene had in abundance. Mary Magdalene also seems to be the most connected to the spiritual world out of all the apostles (with the exception of maybe John) so this crystal is perfect for her.

Saint Joan of Arc --> Bloodstone

St. Joan is a warrior and protector. I also consider her a trans and/or genderfluid saint who will naturally protect trans and genderfluid peoples. Because of this I associate her most with bloodstone. Bloodstone promotes justice and strength, it is also good for healing and renewal, but bloodstone is probably best known for boosting spells and banishing spirits. Or as I prefer to use it, boosting protection spells and banishing TERFs.

Saint Francis de Sales --> Kyanite

St. Francis de Sales is one of my favorite saints purely because he is the patron saint of writers and I am someone who greatly enjoys writing. Kyanite is the crystal I use with this saint. It promotes creativity and also dispels negativity aka those negative thoughts that tell you that you can’t write. It’s also supposed to sharpen your focus which can be especially helpful with writing or any creative work, especially if you are easily distracted like me.

Saint Anthony of Padua --> Amazonite

St. Anthony was one of my grandmother’s favorite saints and probably the saint I use the most in day to day life. He is the patron saint of lost items. He was a devout priest and taught students from a book of psalms. He once tried to preach to people who refused to listen to him. He instead decided to preach to the fish who all started to gather near the shore to listen to him. When people saw this they decided they should listen too. So you know when in doubt preach to fish I guess. Anyway, I associate St. Anthony with amazonite. Amazonite helps sharpen the mind, aids communication and promotes good luck all of which are great attributes for learning and teaching, finding lost items (that’s the good luck bit), and aiding communication could help you talk to people or fish, your call.

Saint Valentine --> Rose Quartz

St. Valentine did a lot but he is most associated today with marrying couples in the Christian church during the height of Roman persecution. So naturally I associate him with rose quartz, a crystal that promotes love and fertility, dispels loneliness, opens the heart to compassion, and even strengthens faith. The perfect stone for this romantic saint.

Saint Scholastica --> Citrine

St. Scholastica was the twin sister of St. Benedict, and was the founder of the women’s benedictine order. As someone who went to a benedictine college I have a fondness for her. If you are a storm witch in particular I think this might be the saint for you. At one point Benedict and his monks visit Scholastica and her nuns. Scholastica didn’t think she would live long enough to see her brother again after this meeting so begged him to stay the night, but Benedict didn’t want to spend the night outside his monastery and told her he couldn’t. So Scholastica prayed and a massive thunderstorm suddenly came making it unsafe for Benedict and his monks to travel. And here is my favorite bit:

“Realizing what had happened, Benedict reproached her: "What have you done, my sister?” Scholastica answered simply, "I asked a favor of you, and you refused to listen to me. So I asked my God, and He, more generous than you, granted my request.” Once again Scholastica’s pleas won the favor she was seeking.”

With Scholastica I associate the crystal citrine. Citrine is all about manifesting change, protection, creativity, and success all things she needed to live the life she did.

Saint Dymphna --> Blue Lace Agate

St. Dymphna is one of my favorite saints and she is one I utilize often. She is most associated with mental and emotional illnesses. If you are a spoonie witch this is the saint for you. Because of this I associate her most with Blue Lace Agate, which helps people express themselves (helpful when going to therapy or a doctor) and also helps with dealing with any sorts of fears or anxiety. (Reminder: That utilizing this saint and crystal is meant as a prayerful way to ask for help dealing with mental and emotional illness. It is not a replacement for therapy or meds.)

St. Sara-la-Kali --> Jasper

St. Sara-la-Kali is the patroness of the Romani people. She is said to have helped the Three Marys of the Bible arrive safely in Gaul after she had a vision of them arriving. She used her dress as a raft and helped the women get to shore despite the tumultuous waves. She was also extremely generous and often collected alms for the poor. I associate her most with jasper. A crystal native to Romania it aids in peace and wisdom and also is particularly helpful during times of transition by providing stability and protection. It also supports perseverance and acceptance, something we definitely need Sara's help with right now.

#christian witch #catholic witch #christian mysticism #crystals #saints #crystal witch #witchcraft

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