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blasphemous-tiefling · 3 years

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I think part of the reason why there’s so much discord in the MCU fandom has something to do with the varying directors for TFA, The Avengers, Winter Soldier, AOU, Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame. And really, the backbone of the issue is how the different directors and how the audience interprets Steve’s character. Strap in. Because this is a long rant on a topic that normal people really don’t care about.

Joe Johnston created a Steve Rogers that was eager, begging to go to war. I absolutely adored the line in AOU when Steve says, “What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?” Because I feel that sums up Steve in TFA pretty well. He’s anti-bully. He wants to fight. But his whole life he’s been put down, stomped on. Steve repeatedly enlisting is both selfish and selfless. His conversation with Bucky in TFA is a great example of this. Steve says, “There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them. That’s what you don’t understand. This isn’t about me.” And Bucky says, “Right. Because you’ve got nothing to prove.” And that’s it. Yes, Steve wants to fight because he’s always been bullied and doesn’t want anyone else to feel that way. Yes, Steve wants to fight because he wants to defend his country. But also Steve wants to fight because no one has ever given him a chance. Steve wants to fight because he wants his life to mean something. Steve wants to die in battle because he thinks it’s honorable. He wants to prove himself. Steve wants it so desperately for both selfless and selfish reasons, which is why he was so willing to take the serum despite the fact that Erskine told him about past failures. There’s even a certain selfishness to his sacrifice at the end of TFA. Many stories that involve sacrifice ride the line of selfishness and selflessness. By sacrificing himself, you could argue Steve is taking “the easy way out.” He’s distraught over Bucky’s death. He’s won the battle he’s been fighting since getting the super soldier serum. By sacrificing himself, Steve can effectively end the troubles caused by the Tesseract and leave without dealing with the consequences of his sacrifice. This point is a bit of a stretch, and not something that I personally agree with, but the thought it there.

Joss Whedon takes that selflessness and turns it into irrefutable righteousness, and it’s disgusting. Steve has a few goofy lines in The Avengers and AOU that I’ll laugh at, but ultimately, everything he does seems so out of character for him. His constant nagging and arguing with Tony is so unnecessary and doesn’t build friendship. His desire to do everything S.H.I.E.L.D. tells him to do is completely incorrect because Steve went against the military and broke the 107th out of the Hydra facility without permission and repeatedly did whatever he wanted without asking. His incessant need to have all the Avengers do as he says is totalitarian and unbearable to watch. Truthfully, this is where I think people misunderstand Steve the most because not everyone watches every solo movie. The Avengers movies are the biggies that most people won’t miss. So general audiences only see this righteous, dictator Steve Rogers and that really pisses me off.

This is one of the only times you’ll hear me praise the Russos, so get ready- Thank goodness Winter Soldier and Civil War follow Joe Johnston’s characterization of Steve. They even dig into his selfishness and rebellious streak, which I adore. Steve isn’t one to just blindly follow orders. Hello? Does “not a perfect solider but a good man” ring any bells? Perfect soldiers follow orders. Good men fight for what’s right even when the world is telling them not to. That’s who Steve Rogers is. What I adore about Winter Soldier so much is that we see Steve attempting to be this perfect soldier, but it’s just not sitting well with him. Something is fishy and weird. He talks to Peggy about her life. She says her only regret is that Steve didn’t get to live his. Steve talks to Sam about possibly getting out of government work. Sam is that representation for Steve- having a hard time finding out why he’s really in it to begin with. The entire film is about Steve going against the government, military, and S.H.I.E.L.D. with both selfish and selfless desires. He knows he needs to do something because Hydra is growing in S.H.I.E.L.D. but he also doesn’t want anything to do with it anyway, so why not tear it all down? Once Bucky is revealed as the Winter Soldier, Steve puts his life on the line to try to get him back. It’s selfish really. When Steve takes off his helmet and drops his shield, he made the decision to die because he wasn’t gonna continue to live without Bucky. Despite the fact that Steve made friends with Natasha and Sam, he didn’t care. All that mattered to him in that moment was James Bucky Barnes. This is very reminiscent of TFA when Steve breaks Bucky out of the Hydra lab. As the world’s only successful super soldier, Steve could’ve been very valuable to the American government and military. He was even doing mild good by helping sell bonds. But that didn’t matter. His country and his military was no longer priority number one. When it comes to Steve Rogers, nothing and no one means more to him than Bucky. Steve and Sam’s conversation that I previously mentioned also parallels this. After Sam lost Riley, he didn’t want to be in the military anymore. He said he felt like he was up there just to watch, nothing he could do. This is a direct parallel to how Steve feels about Bucky.

Civil War, while a trash movie, sticks with Steve’s selfish yet selfless motivations. “What if this panel sends us somewhere we don’t think we should go? What if there is somewhere we need to go and they don’t let us?” Not wanting to surrender his right to choose is Steve Rogers. He just put down S.H.I.E.L.D.- an organization that was giving him demands. Why would he sign his life away to the American government again? Corporations can be run by greed and corruption- something Steve doesn’t want the world to be full of but also something he doesn’t want his world to be ruled by. When Bucky is framed for killing King T’Chaka, Steve knows the Accords will bring Bucky in and possibly execute him. He can’t let that happen. And he asks Natasha not to get in his way because he doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt. He knows how dangerous Bucky can be, but he doesn’t want Bucky or anyone else getting hurt or in trouble due to this sticky Accords situation. Both selfish and selfless. I don’t even want to get into later in the film, but I guess I will. Guys, there’s no world, no universe, no place in time that Steve wouldn’t try to stop Zemo. Tony never even gave him the chance to explain himself. It was either, “Come with us or we fight.” Steve gathered that team together- not to fight Tony but to fight Zemo. It was never his intention to fight with Tony. He was just trying to stop Zemo. Now, when Tony learns about his parents’ death, anger is a valid emotion. Physically fighting and attacking Steve and Bucky to the point of death? Not valid or even remotely reasonable. It makes no sense as to why Tony would be that angry at Bucky- someone who was tortured and brainwashed to do what he did. Steve had his reasons for not telling Tony considering that when it comes to Steve Rogers, nothing and no one means more to him than Bucky. Of course, Steve was going to hide the truth from Tony in an effort to protect Tony, Bucky, and himself. Selfish yet selfless.

Infinity War gives us the glorious lines of “I’m not looking for forgiveness. And I’m way past asking permission. Earth just lost her best defender. So we’re here to fight. And if you wanna stand in our way, we’ll fight you too.” and “We don’t trade lives.” These lines beautifully sum up Steve’s rebelliousness and need to fight while also not risking others’ lives. He’ll always risk himself first. There’s not much to say about this film considering it’s mostly action and Steve shares the screen with just about every other superhero, so we’re not given a lot of time. But overall, the Russos kept that same Steve Rogers.

And then Endgame does a complete 180 and decides to serve us Joss Whedon’s Steve with a conservative, pro-military, unbelievably illogical twist. Steve’s obsession with Peggy in this film is so out of place. She would’ve died seven years prior in the MCU. Steve’s been living in the present with Natasha, Sam, Bucky, Wanda, Vision, and T’Challa. That was his family. He lost Sam, Bucky, Wanda, Vision, and T’Challa in the Infinity War. It only makes sense that he would be fighting for them in Endgame. Yet he’s not. We’re beat over the head about how much he misses Peggy and it’s so unbelievably weird. Steve is never allowed to mourn Sam and Bucky specifically despite the fact that they were his number one companions. He never mentions them. Never has a touching reunion with Bucky. Barely has any reaction to Natasha’s death. It’s disgusting honestly. This is not “I will fight to my death for the people I love” Steve Rogers. And the ending is the most pathetic of all. There’s no world, no universe, no place in time that Steve would willingly go almost a hundred years away from Bucky and Sam, somewhere he wouldn’t fight for others. “Pretending you could live without a war.” I mean, come on. He’s Steven Grant Rogers. It’s disgusting to paint him as this man who would throw away his friendships and a world that is being bullied all for some girl he kissed once and barely knew. No. No, no. Not my Steve Rogers.

I give the directors a little too much crap. I’m fully aware that a whole team of people make these movies, but you can’t deny that Steve changes from movie to movie depending on the director. Endgame is the exception in which the directors were the same, yet they diverged completely from their original interpretation of the character. I’ve heard people say that it had to be an anti-gay agenda- that ending Steve’s story with Bucky would’ve been too gay even if they weren’t romantically involved, but I still think that’s pathetic. Honestly, I would’ve rather seen Steve die than have his character trashed and pooped on like this. From a narrative perspective, what happened in Endgame is not okay. Marvel Studios’ treatment towards “sideline” characters like Natasha, Rhodey, Sam, and Bucky- particularly in Infinity War and Endgame- is not okay. Yeah, I’m aware I get too heated over this fictional universe. But the characters are the only reason I stick around. The stories are lackluster for me. I’ve never been one to watch movies for action sequences. But I’ve always been in love with Steve Rogers as a character- complicatedly riding the line of selflessness and selfishness, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to a cause and to the people he loves. When in the end that character was completely scrapped and shredded in the garbage disposal like crust on bread or the skin of an apple, I’m gonna be angry for a long time.

#why throw away steve’s character?#sorry but I’m just not over any of it #anti endgame #mcu #marvel #steve rogers #captain america #the first avenger #winter soldier #civil war #I’ve seen every marvel property #but I hate #marvel studios #rant #honestly this rant was just for me #may delete later

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abri-chan · 4 years

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I was reading your unpopular opinions post and saw your buccellati is an incompetent capo without integrity point which is an interesting take! Would you mind explaining your thoughts to me?

I have hinted this in previous posts but time to compile them in a long one. However, do keep in mind integrity as a capo is different from that as a person. Sometimes they overlap: Polpo was corrupted as a person (a personification of greed) and that greed leaked into his integrity as a capo. As we see his own zone is in shambles during the opening of VA and probably what inspired Giorno to decide Passione needs a better leader. For Bruno, he is actually a kind person, but he doesn’t make the best leader.

So by *integrity* I will use the meaning of “being whole and undivided”, or said in a better way “how much do your decisions or ideals conflict?” So a person would have low integrity if his decisions really go in conflict with his stated ideals. Integrity is befuddled with morality plenty of times, but I want to make the case that it is separate: integrity only measures how much the actions of a system conflict with its core values. Morality comes into play when these conflicts have real consequences on people’s lives.

I’ll also compare Bruno with Risotto, because I see Risotto as a better leader and I want to illustrate by contrast. LONG POST AHEAD

So to start, why is Bruno inefficient? I think his inefficiency as a capo comes from his inherent kindness. It’s a bit like that part in Black panther, where the now dead king says: You are a good man, and it’s hard for a good man to be king. As a capo you have to prioritize your own team; because that’s why they are willing to sacrifice for you in the first place. So sometimes to be efficient you have to take decisions that to you as a *person* may be morally appalling but they’re needed for the greater good of the team. If you think about it murder doesn’t sound okay... but you can justify why Bucci Gang had to commit plenty of murders with regards to their team goal of getting up in the ranks. Or that it is just work assigned by the boss, and so on.

When it comes to Bruno we see him unwilling to harm citizens. Yeah I know he used this guy’s body in his fight with Giorno, but could be the Vegeta effect: at first the author makes us see this guy as bad bc he’s a villain and his personality suddenly changes a lot after he’s baptized as a good guy. I feel mangakas do change small details about characters as time goes on; overall their personality is constant but there are slip ups. Also Bruno may consider those that take drugs to not be worthy citizens... But overall Bruno is okay with torturing a 15 year old boy bc this boy is linked to the mafia by killing Luca, but he’s not okay with sacrificing a 15 year old girl bc she didn’t choose to be thrown into the mess the boss made. That’s a kind decision, and Bruno really acted like a father to Trish; but that’s a dumb and inefficient decision with regards to his team. As Fugo said, they had done plenty of vile things before, so what’s special about abandoning another girl? You can’t endanger the whole team that has served you and put their life on the line, and then just quit and tell them go do whatever, follow me or not, I don’t care.

In my opinion, one thing people don’t talk about leadership, is that when shit hits the fan the leader is someone that is willing to shoulder the responsibility. A team-member can be relieved from the stress of making a hard decision if they say: my capo made me do it. You can’t be blamed if you are a mindless machine that follows orders. And that’s what keeps you sane in morally grey situations where the answer is not obvious. The leader on the other hand, in return for all the power and the willingness of each team member to be his pawn, has to shoulder the burden of the hard decision as well as its moral blame. He has to live with the fact of being the hand that pulled the trigger, and be the ONE to take the decision that no one else wants to take (bc it’s a mentally taxing thing to do).

So you can’t have a capo like Bruno who cannot take hard decisions, but instead unloads that burden on their team: think for yourselves. Definitely makes sense for the team to be self-sufficient on their own, but the capo sets the team goals, so if you area capo, in a hierarchy, you can’t have every member doing their own thing bc it will lead to chaos. You can’t unburden the decision of “following the capo or not” onto Narancia, bc he didn’t sign up for it. He signed up to be a follower and Bruno just changed the terms and conditions (more on this in a moment). Deciding to betray the boss was a capo-level decision, getting on that boat was a capo-level decision, and Bruno the capo just throws that decision burden away and onto his teammates; you pilot your own plane now I don’t care I never trained you and it was out of the blue. (Don’t come with the argument of maybe they all wanted to be capos one day. Sure, but you don’t train fledgling capos on a life and death situation of betraying the boss! It should be a gradual process, not throwing in the towel so your members have to pick up your slack. Bruno highhandedly dissolved the Bucci Gang as a team with no warning and on the worst situation possible for all his members-- when shit hit the fan his answer was to prioritize this stranger girl instead of his own team.)

Inefficiency is linked with lack of integrity bc if your actions conflict with your core values you won’t get much done. A good capo (different from a good person) would have set some capo core values, as well as core goals for his team, and would disclose those to his team members. There’s a contract between the capo and the team member, with terms and conditions; the member follows and sacrifices for capo’s vision because of tangible benefits that come from rising up the ladder. Sure, in many cases people follow for reasons that are not in the “contract”: we have Narancia following bc he respected Bruno, Abbacchio has a one-sided crush, etc. But the reason they were all elated when Bruno became capo is that all members knew they would have power and other benefits coming from them raising in the ranks of Passione. They trust the capo to stay true to the disclosed values and goals, because TRUST is of the essence.

Now what does Bruno do? He has a different contract with the newcomer Giorno, which he doesn’t disclose to the other team members. It’s not smart to play favorites, especially if you have nothing to justify this preference with regards to what the other team members know. We slowly see signs of distrusts or at the very least anxiety appearing in Bucci Gang; Abbacchio and Fugo question why Bruno trusts Giorno so much. It eventually culminates with Fugo breaking away, because Bruno has no integrity as a capo.

In the boat scene, Bruno prioritized his personal trauma and feelings: Trish reminds him of himself and his complicated relationship with his father. But your personal feelings should not come above your capo core values. (There are core personal values and core capo values, and you cannot mix them up as you please). Other members also have had shitty lives and personal feelings, but they don’t deviate from the team values bc they trust their capo won’t either. Why should Bruno’s feelings be special? Fugo rightfully asks why Bruno suddenly changed their contract, for a girl they don’t even know. And Fugo is right; Bruno betrayed his trust, along with the team’s trust: he didn’t uphold the contract and didn’t disclose his real intentions and core values to them. Not only that, but Fugo is made out to be a coward for not getting into that boat, but how could he follow a capo that no longer has integrity? Fugo did the logical thing: his capo who he trusted broke his trust for a stranger, changed the contract, and no one even knows what the new contract is. What are the new core values for the team? What are the new goals? Bruno can’t even lead well anymore, and slowly everyone starts seeing Giorno as more of a leader (Narancia in the fight with Squalo and Tiziano). Because Giorno’s core values and actions align: he has integrity. Why would someone smart like Fugo follow a now chaotic leader like Bruno, who doesn’t even care how much the team has sacrificed for them and breaks their trust as if it were the right thing to do.

Compare that to a team like La Squadra, and it’s sad we don’t see more of their interactions. But from what we see, it’s telling that no one defected, unlike in Bruno’s Gang. And I doubt it’s bc these men were more friends or buddies than Bruno’s Gang. I’m willing to bet they have their own subgroups, and some severely dislike one another. But they stick together bc Risotto’s integrity has a leader has trickled down to his own team: they trust that Risotto will make the hard decisions when the time comes. And they trust he won’t betray the trust and sacrifice they have put into this.

Unlike Bruno who has favorites, it seems Risotto treats his men equally, since he divides the pay among them. It also seems the team clearly knows their core values and goals, otherwise they wouldn’t be so secure in following their leader. You can’t just follow blindly, if the leader doesn’t prove himself that his actions do align with the values he has disclosed to you.

As an example of Risotto putting his team’s values over his own personal feelings: Sorbet and Gelato’s death. We know he’s Sicilian and stereo-typically so at times. In the backstory, the murderer of his cousin is punished by law, but Risotto still kills him... bc blood is a family issue. You have to take honor in your own hands and inflict punishment. Mafia is a bit like family too, so the boss killing two of Risotto’s men has caused harm and humiliation to the entire team. No one will persuade me that Risotto’s initial reaction wasn’t to bust down Diavolo’s door (once he found him) and make him pay for the blood he spilled from his “squadra tree”. But he kept those feelings down, he swallowed the humiliation, bc seeking personal revenge on Sorbet and Gelato would be the foolish thing to do. It’s what Risotto the man would do, but now what Risotto the capo should do. He made the decision to bear the humiliation himself, as the capo who didn’t avenge his fallen men, and it took courage to say: “forget about those two, as if they never existed”. He swallowed both his Sicilian and capo pride in that statement. And he probably stays up at night thinking on how he would want Diavolo to pay through his nose.

In fact, La Squadra didn't’ defect again until Trish appears and they have a real chance at taking down the boss. And even then, Formaggio brings up the financial benefits of being the new leaders of Passione: it’s not just about the humiliation of having Sorbet and Gelato killed, but there are clear financial benefits to them following Risotto this time, and that’s worth sacrificing for. And Risotto doesn’t just up and change his terms and conditions as he pleases, so that makes their men feel secure. You can be angry all you want at Prosciutto killing an entire train, but if you’re need a team partner, would you want Bruno who will change his mind bc one guy on the train reminds him of his dad, or Prosciutto who to protect his own team is willing to kill an entire train? I think a lot of courage in Bucci Gang comes from the inherent virtues in his team members: Narancia is loyal by nature. In La Squadra, since even someone like Melone has “team virtues” it probably comes from the way the leader inspires them all and the kind of environment he has created. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather take the team that guarantees no one will abandon my ass in a mission, bc the capo has high integrity.

On a tangential note, I do believe Bruno is kinder than Risotto; I feel Risotto is more just than he is kind. But maybe for a leader it is more important to be just then, because too much kindness will get you into contradicting the core values you set up for your team.

#anime manga rambles #Bruno Buccellati #Bruno Bucciarati #Risotto Nero #jojo #jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure

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thebiasrekkers · 4 years

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Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,163

Tag List: @prisczero, @pinkpjmin, @btsaudge, @flowerwrites06, @unoriginal-username15432, @halussali

CHAPTER 36: SAVE ME

“I want to breathe, I hate this night. I want to wake up, I hate this dream.”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

When she saw Min Yoongi being wheeled into the hospital’s emergency room, Raelyn pulled herself away from her assigned task almost immediately. Her heart hammered heavily against her chest and her forehead broke out into a cold sweat. She couldn’t hear the people calling her name and she blindly began digging through her pockets for her cell phone.

Did any of the others know what was happening?

Because she wasn’t his assigned nurse, there was no way for her to be directly involved in his treatment. Half an hour later, she was handed a coffee by one of her co-workers as they attempted to quell her concerns. They didn’t know what her connection with the patient was, but Raelyn knew not to open her mouth. The less they knew, the better. Everyone was better off that way.

Raelyn wanted to call Hoseok on instinct. She stopped herself, swallowing the heavy lump in her throat. Instead, she called Taehyung. He did his best to get her nerves to settle, telling her that it would take an act of some deity to pull Min Yoongi into his grave. He was just that stubborn. This got her to laugh a little and she sighed, feeling a little better than she had a few minutes earlier. Unfortunately, Taehyung was in Osan and wouldn’t be back in Seoul until later that afternoon. However, he did promise that he’d get one of the guys over to the hospital when Yoongi was cleared for discharge.

Her friend and fellow nurse, Seyeong, approached her just as she hung up with Taehyung. “Raelyn-ssi,” she called softly as Raelyn slipped her phone into her pocket, “are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, though she didn’t feel it, “how is he doing?”

“It was fatigue mixed with an anxiety attack.” Raelyn’s brows furrowed as Seyeong continued. “He experienced some shock, but he’s stabilized and resting.”

“That’s good.”

It was the only thing that Raelyn could say without falling apart herself. She nodded her head at the appropriate moments when Seyeong explained his condition, but the woman wasn’t really listening. There were too many other things filling her head. Mostly questions that she knew she wouldn’t be getting the answers to anytime soon.

Why the hell does this keep happening?

Once she was left alone, Raelyn unconsciously bit her thumbnail as her eyes narrowed. This was crazy. Anyone would think this was crazy. Who would go out of their way to bring someone back into the fold when it was obvious that they were competition? Wasn’t it normal to want to wipe out any obstacles that would potentially stand in a person’s way, no matter what avenue it was in reference to?

While a more twisted and jaded side of Raelyn could understand the thrill of wanting to taunt and torment an opponent, this seemed just shy of overkill. Yoongi was in the hospital because something shook him to the point of falling out. That or he was stressed and doing a terrible job of burying it down inside of himself. She hadn’t wanted to bother him with twenty questions, allowing him time to relax and to put whatever disturbed him out of his mind if even for a moment.

She toyed with the idea of calling Eden, but after the altercation she had with Yoongi at the hospital last time, she decided against it. The two of them would just wind up arguing about why he was in the hospital in the first place. Both of them would stroke out before either of them was able to get a word in edgewise.

Sighing, Raelyn angrily began scratching at the back of her head. No. This wasn’t going to work. She had to get the answers straight from Yoongi himself. Taehyung was sweet, but he always tried to cover things up as best he could. Mostly because he knew how much their old life stressed Raelyn out. They were supposed to be finished with that life and things continued to seemingly spiral out of control.

Making her way toward Yoongi’s room, she looked over his chart to see what medication they were giving him. It was a mild sedative, enough to get him to relax and maybe help him sleep. Who knew how long he’d been doing things without sleeping at this rate? Once she was able to ascertain that it was the proper dosage, she quietly slipped inside.

It took her a minute for her sight to adjust to the low light of the room provided by a small lamp. The ECG monitor beeped steadily, his heart rate normal and showing that he was, indeed, resting. Raelyn closed the door quietly behind her, the latch catching with a soft click. There was a humidifier by his bedside and his attendants seemed to have adjusted his bed so that he was sitting up as he slept.

She sighed again. Okay, maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all.

As someone in the medical field, the last thing she wanted to do was pull someone out of the comfort of sleep.

Raelyn turned slowly, intent on leaving the room, when she heard movement behind her. Her hand froze, hovering just above the doorknob.

“Raelyn-ah,” he heard Yoongi grunt. She turned around to see him sitting up full, the blankets shifting around in his lap as he did so.

She turned back around to face him. “Did I wake you?”

“Who can sleep when you exist so loudly?”

Raelyn frowned, unsure of what to make of that statement. Yoongi’s wistful smirk, however, showed that he was merely teasing. She crossed the room, plopping down into a nearby chair as he pressed a hand to his forehead. She noticed the look of disapproval on his face at the IV attached to his arm. When Yoongi attempted to remove it, Raelyn smacked his wrist on reflex.

“Don’t even think about pulling that out until you’ve been discharged,” she snapped, giving him a warning glare which he huffed at.

The two of them sat in silence – both probably processing the moment shared between them. It wasn’t often that Raelyn spent time with Yoongi alone. When Hoseok and she were still together, she interacted with all the other boys – lower and upper tiered alike. But rarely was she allotted alone time with any member as an individual. In fact, she felt she’d gotten to know them better when she was no longer the boss’s girl. The title came with its privileges, sure, but that also meant she was placed on a glass pedestal that she felt would shatter at any given moment.

Truth be told, she always felt Yoongi disliked her; for reasons completely all his own. On the flip side, she never really tried to bridge the gap between them either. Yoongi kept to himself, busy moving in and out of the thick of things alongside Jungkook. He never once hinted that he knew any of Raelyn’s friends, let alone that he was even dating Eden back then. Then again, she’d kept her own connection to the Golden Jackals a secret herself.

Now that everything was out in the open, Raelyn wondered where the time had gone.

“Yoongi-ah,” she murmured while looking at him. He raised a brow, silencing urging her to continue. “What happened?”

For a long while, all Yoongi did was stare at her; as if he was mentally cracking the cogs in his head to determine how to best answer the question. He blinked a few times, brushing his hair out of his eyes before folding his arms across his chest.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself over,” he answered simply, causing the muscle near Raelyn’s jaw to pulse angrily.

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me, Min Yoongi?” Raelyn’s voice went up an octave as she rose from her chair. He followed her with his eyes. “You are now the third person connected to me in some way to wind up in the fuckin’ hospital! Why should I not be concerned about this?”

Yoongi frowned. “Because there isn’t a single thing you can do about it.” The directness of the statement was like a punch to her gut, causing her to take a step back. His expression was icy and so was his tone. “Telling you what happened won’t change anything, so why bother?”

Raelyn felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach and she fell into the chair, semi-defeated. Why was he the second person to seemingly knock the wind out of her sails? What was so damn heavy that they felt the need to try and chase her off like none of this mattered? Raelyn clenched her jaw, furious at being dismissed in such a way.

“Listen up,” she said, her ire bubbling near the surface, “there is only so much that you guys can do to keep us in the dark. We’re going to find out eventually.”

He scoffed as he cut his eyes at her. “You find out and then what? Huh?” Raelyn blinked, unsure of what he was getting at. “You’re either going to get caught up in this nonsense until it settles, or you’ll turn tail and run. Those are pretty much your only options.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but found she couldn’t find the right words to throw back at him. Didn’t she have a rebuttal for this? She normally did. In this instance, however, Yoongi seemed to knock the fight right out of her.

“So, I guess the only real question you should be asking yourself now,” he broached, causing her to meet his gaze, “is how long do you plan on sticking around this time?”

Even though Yoongi was a few feet away from her, when he leaned forward, Raelyn instinctively leaned back in her chair.

“Because I can tell you right now that things aren’t going to be pretty. Not for a while.”

Raelyn’s vision began to swim momentarily. It was like she was hearing Jimin’s words all over again. They held a different tone, but the implication was still there. Each of them were telling her to make a choice. Even Taehyung had asked her to believe in her, to have faith that she wouldn’t be left alone. She wanted to believe him. There wasn’t a reason for her not to. They’d proven time and again that they were steadfast and willing to walk the hard road together – side by side.

So why was she so afraid to walk with them?

“I don’t know what’s going to happen from today on,” he said, cutting through her thoughts, “and I don’t want to think about it. I tried to keep Eden as far away from this nonsense as possible and she still managed to stumble her way into this shit.”

Relieved that the pressure was off her, even for a moment, allowed Raelyn the chance to regain her voice. “That is her choice, Yoongi-ah. You tried to take it from her once already. She’s a grown ass woman and can make her own decisions.”

He rolled his eyes, averting his gaze to stare at his phone on the nightstand by the bed. It vibrated relentlessly as Jungkook’s name flashed across the screen. Neither of them made a move to answer it.

“Yeah, well,” he finally said after the phone stopped buzzing, “she’s made that clear enough. I don’t need you to remind me of that.”

Raelyn narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t let your own regrets get in the way of other people’s progress.”

There was a flash of anger that danced over Yoongi’s gaze as his eye-line met hers. She didn’t waver, despite how scary he appeared at that moment.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not stupid and I’m not blind,” she said, pushing her glasses up along the bridge of her nose. Raelyn’s arms folded across her chest slowly. “You may have messed things up with her, but that doesn’t mean Jungkook will.”

“Raelyn…” Yoongi growled out her name in warning but she didn’t heed it.

“Their relationship has nothing to do with you.”

“Jungkook is my brother!” he bellowed, causing her shoulders to tense up slightly.

She took a breath. “Stop using him as an excuse.”

Raelyn knew she was treading on dangerous ground, but this was something she’d been wanting to say to Yoongi for a while. Ever since she found out that he was the Yoongi who’d broken her best friend’s heart.

“Eden is choosing to stay by Jungkook’s side. After everything that’s happened, she’s making the choice for herself. Something you never took the chance on.”

Rising from the chair, she could feel Yoongi’s eyes following her. “And you’re right about one thing, Yoongi-ah.” Taking a moment to look over his monitors, she let her gaze linger on his for a moment longer before making her way toward the door. “It’s time I made a choice of my own.”

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sometimesrosy · 7 years

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What main characters in the 100 do you consider as selfless?

All right. I think there are selfless characters in this story, but I am not considering being selfless to actually be an admirable trait. Or not totally admirable. Let me explain why.

Someone like Abby will risk her life to do the right thing or to save her daughter or both. But she is definitely doing it for herself and her love of her daughter and self identity and such. And what that means is she actually thinks about the repercussions of things and how what she wants interacts with what is right and how the rest of the world works. She isn’t BLINDLY selfless.

Someone like JAKE, was selfless. He risked his life in order to do what was right, and was willing to give up his life to do it. This was actually kind of stupid and defeated his purpose, because he didn’t recognize the effect this would have on people around him, notably his daughter, who, in echoing his selfless behavior, threw herself onto the same sword and was imprisoned and given a death sentence for it. Not only did his selflessness affect his loved ones, but it also affected the outcome of his goal– to save everyone on The Ark and tell the truth– because the truth was silenced, the oppressive regime continued their oppression enacting even more draconic punishments, AND the head of engineering was no longer around to work on solving this problem, whether that entailed simply fixing the air system, which he couldn’t do, or finding creative solutions to the problem… which ABBY found. And she found it out of selfISHness, because she was desperate for a way to save Clarke from being floated on her 18th birthday.

I think there are some characters that people THINK are being selfless, when really they are sacrificing one thing so they can have another that they want more. That’s not selfless. If you give up love so that you can have power, that’s not selfless. You want to have POWER. You are doing it in your self interest. f you decide later that you want love more and then sacrifice your power for that love, you still aren’t being selfless. You are then wanting to have LOVE. Still self interest. This can be seen in both Lxa and Jaha. Where their personal self interest is subsumed into their zealotry. What they want for themselves isn’t their motivation (until it is) but rather, their dominance over other people. They believe they are the only ones who truly understand and their beliefs, wisdom and power comes first. Not selfless.

I think there are some characters who are selfless, but perhaps have a really twisted idea of what selfless means and how they give themselves to their people. Like, a character like Dante Wallace is pretty selfless in that he’s willing to take on the burden of evil so his people don’t have to worry about it, but it doesn’t really work like that, as those people are STILL bearing it and still responsible for their acceptance of the evil so that they can benefit. He’s just giving them an excuse for pretending they don’t have a choice in the atrocities they are taking part of because they didn’t order it themselves. Because they follow him. Is that selfless? Or does he want his people to survive so much that he would do anything to reach his goal? Is his self interest driven by the survival of those he considers his tribe? I think so. Thus not selfless but self interest.

So let me think about who the selfless characters are and which ones I think are most effective in their selflessness. Maybe these won’t be surprises.

Maya Vie. She saw that what her people were doing was wrong, and while she went along with it for years, knowing it, when she reflected upon who her people really were and what they would do for their self interest, she stood up and faced down her own selfishness, her own desire to survive (which she never gave up btw) and did the right thing, not only sacrificing her loved ones and her entire people, but her own life. Willingly. And she weighed her selfless goals with her self interested survival and she chose to give up self interest.

Lincoln. He also saw that his people were doing wrong and stood with the side of the others who were being wronged. Again and again he made the choice to side with the sky people, and it wasn’t just for Octavia’s sake. He would have left with her when the kill order was lifted if it WAS for Octavia’s sake. He wanted peace. He wanted another way to live. He wanted to protect his people who were also interested in unity and working with the sky people and followed him. He stood up to tyranny, whether it came from his own people or the sky people. Like Maya, he ALSO sacrificed his life so that the world would be a better place and to face down tyranny and oppression. I say his selflessness wasn’t quite as successful as Maya’s because in his selflessness, he lost a little too much self. He WAITED. He always waited for someone else to make the decision (except in regards to Octavia) he let Lxa or Indra or Bellamy or Kane make the decisions and he passively accepted what they decided. He knew what was right and he tried to convince others that it was right, but his proactive attempts to right wrongs was mostly limited to Octavia. So his self interest is what made him be more effective. See? I think he should have believed more in his understanding of right and wrong. Because he was right. So he should have been more selfish.

Bellamy. Bellamy as a person is pretty selfless. giving up his life to keep his sister alive and safe. This was not good for him. And when it failed to work, he went into a spiral of self hate and acting out and selfish behavior in reaction. Over the course of the story he’s learned to expand his selfless protection beyond just those he loved. I think he was the most effective and the best in his selflessness in season 2 when he sacrificed himself to at first just save his people, but then, upon recognizing that it wasn’t just about his own people, attempting to save the mountain, too. But while he succeeded with his people he failed with the mountain and this was so traumatic that he, in way, gave up his self in season 3. Rather than selfless, he erased his self, and gave away his power to other people, so he no longer had to make the decisions that led to horror. And in doing so, he let his selfish desire for revenge and his need to protect only those he loved be manipulated. He became a weapon for someone else to use, because he did not recognize anymore that his understanding of right and wrong was the right thing, even though it could fail and cause him personal pain. I think Bellamy regains a lot of his sense of self in season 4, when he makes choices to do the right thing, not just what was in his people’s best interest, or in revenge for what was done to him and his people. Bellamy still struggles with the positive and negative aspects of self interest and selflessness, and in the end, he might be the most effective– but it might be because he has learned NOT to erase his own sense of self in service of humanity. huh. interesting.

Clarke. Clarke has her father’s self destructive selflessness. She will sell her soul in order to protect other people. She took her father’s short sighted selflessness and combined it with Dante’s false selflessness, Bellamy’s self sacrifice in the name of his people, and Jaha’s and L’s egotism in deciding who is worth saving, and just made a mess of it all. She didn’t want to do it, but it was given to her, and she did it. She did things that she believed were wrong, because she was sacrificing her own morality. She erased her own self so many times in order to save people, that I think it’s possible there was little left of her. UNTIL she was forced to sacrifice very personal love in order to do it. She would NOT sacrifice Emori. She would NOT sacrifice Bellamy. She would NOT sacrifice Raven or Monty or Harper or Murphy or Emori anymore. She loved them and it wasn’t worth leaving them behind or testing on them or shooting them. Not even if it meant humanity would collapse. So she was beginning to remember her own sense of self and weigh it with self sacrifice, morality, long term cause and effect, and giving her self up for a cause.

this went on longer than I planned. It turns out to be a complicated question.

#the 100 meta #selflessness #maya vie #lincoln #bellamy blake #clarke griffin #leadership #jake griffin #abby griffin #dante #thelonious jaha

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feathersandblue · 7 years

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Existentialism, John Silver style

I think part of the reason why I can relate so strongly to Silver’s decision in the finale is that at the core of my convictions, I’ve always seen existentialism as fundamentally true.

The idea of being condemned to freedom (as a lack of superordinate morality and purpose), to an existence that does not have an inherent meaning but gains its meaning only through personal actions - an existence where the inidivdual and their choices are not good or evil but only true or not true to their own inner conviction - is reflected exceptionally well in Silver’s arc in Black Sails. It’s made explicit when Silver himself refuses to attach meaning to the events of his past in 4.09, where he outright denies the existence of a storyteller. Due to that lack (and rejection) of a “higher” purpose, Silver becomes one of two (arguably three) characters in Black Sails to choose his own fate through an act of personal sacrifice.

I’ve seen a piece of meta very recently that basically said that Silver had no right to act the way he did because he was taking choices away from Madi (and the maroons). That way of thinking is deeply foreign to me, because existentialism is all about individual choices. The characters in Black Sails have always been strongest when they were taking responsibility for their own actions - when they were acting true to their own nature.

If going along with Madi’s and Flint’ war went against the things Silver truly believed in, should he have done it only for her and Flint’s sake? That might have been more loyal on a surface level, but it would have required of him to act against his own convictions.

Besides, none of the main characters have ever worried all that much about taking choices away from anyone, not, at least, when it came to politics. Flint, Silver, Vane and Billy didn’t show any kind of hesitation to undermine the governor’s position by threatening and intimidating every pirate who had taken the pardon. And Madi was also willing to go to great lengths to make that war happen, even in opposition to Julius, who had valid reasons to oppose it. I think it’s only fair to add that Madi had also selfish reasons to want that war - as a young woman, stepping out of the shadow of her parents, trying to establish herself as a leader to her people, in opposition to the more protectionist rule of her mother. That war was her personal quest, her coming of age.

In any case, all throughout the series, the parties who wanted the war didn’t much care about other people’s opposition. And war is what they got until Jack, Max, and Silver pulled a page from their book and put a stop to it.

Do we believe for a second that Madi would have left the war behind for Silver? Of course not, and we woulnd’t expect her to, because she was deeply convinced that the war was a righteous cause.

Then why do we expect Silver to go along with the war for her sake, even though he truly believed it was the wrong thing to do? THERE IS NO MORAL HIGH GROUND. Black Sails has shown us both the noble sheen of a war for freedom and the horrible price people have to pay for it. The whole tragedy of the ending is that we have two people who deeply love and respect each other, but whose belief systems don’t work the same way.

The strongest existentialist struggles are always found where people claim their own freedom, where they make difficult choices not according to what other people believe, but to their own values. Where they take a stand.

Of course, this existentialist freedom only exists where people are actually free to decide -, only then can it be acknowledged and claimed, and only in that moment, people actually are free. Free to be bound by nothing but their own conscience - free to fight an inner battle when the outer circumstances allow for that kind of luxury. Mrs Hudson is not free to make a choice based on her inner convistion because she’s bound by her love and responsibility for her children. Likewise, Vane, the character for whom freedom is the first and foremost priority, avoids every kind of attachment to material goods, any commitment that would bind him, knowing they are civilization’s greatest weapon. When Vane chooses his death, that's an existentialist choice right from the textbook - while the decision to hang him is Eleanor’s, he chooses the terms and the meaning of his execution, and ultimately, he chooses to die because his death will be a catalyst for a revolution. That’s not the same as, say, someone committing suicide to escape neverending horrors. Choosing the lesser of two evils, forced by the circumstances, is not freedom. The truly existentialist choice is the one you make willingly, the one not dicatetd to you by others.

The interesting thing about Silver is that he has that feedom on a very basic level right in the beginning - as a drifter, committed to no one - but then he gives it up, or rather, loses it in a variety of ways. And when he decides to put an end to the war, that’s both reflective of who he truly is - a pragmatist, a survivor, a man who does not understand the idealism that drives Flint and Madi - and what he truly believes. That’s what makes his decision so important. He’s not a hero, he’s not a villain, but maybe for the first time, he is authentic. And his act is more tragic and, in a way, even heroic, because it requires him to betray the two people closest to him and condemn himself to a life that lacks all its glory.

Comparing Siver’s situation with Max’ decision to prioritize her relationship with Anne over a position of power makes it obvious how much more difficult Silver’s decision is. Max makes a simple choice, one that requires a personal sacrifice - giving up power - but allows her to act in accordance with her truest believes. What she doesn’t do is betray her loved ones on a personal level, quite the opppsite; it’s her way to make up for an earlier betrayal. There is quite an allure in self-sacrifice, if it means you can go on knowing you have the moral high ground. Max does it, and the narrative rewards her for it, telling the audience, quite clearly: “You chose love over power, and it was the right choice.” The narrative favors Max to an almost incredible degree. Max gets to be governor. Max also gets Anne’s forgiveness.

But it’s not Max’ personal sacrifice that makes it happen, it’s Silver’s.

Silver, by acting in accordance with his truest believes, gives up everything he’s won. He doesn’t get the fame. He doesn’t get the captaincy. He doesn’t get the treasure. He has irreparably damaged every meaningful relationship he has ever had, and what is his gain?

I can’t emphasize this enough: it would have been a lot easier for Silver to go along with what Madi and Flint wanted. If Silver had only been interested in his own, short-lived gain and gratification, if he hadn’t felt active disgust at the person he was becoming - the person who killed and tortured and betrayed his friends and orchestrated the death of people under his protection for the greater cause - then he would not have acted against them. What he did was not the action of a person who chose the path of least resistance. It was the action of a man who found the strength and conviction to make a choice. It was the action of a man who no longer wanted to do bad things in the name of a good cause.

Did he have the right to make that choice? That’s a moot question, because under these existentialist terms, having the power means having that right. Silver was in a position to end the war, and that’s what he did.

What Silver is, in that moment, is the master of his fate, and there’s really no bigger accomplishment in terms of existentialism.

Robert Louis Stevenson based his character of Long John Silver on William Ernest Henley, who is most famous for his poem “Invictus”, which may be the epitome of the kind of freedom at the core of existentialism :

It matters not how strait the gate

how charged with punishments the scroll

I am the master of my fate

I am the captain of my soul.

That’s what Silver is doing, in this final episode. Instead of letting others decide for him - instead of blindly following Madi and Flint into a war which, in Silver’s understanding, is the horror - he uses all the means at his disposal to help Max and Jack to put a stop to it, and he does it without further bloodshed. It is only Silver who is in a position to achieve this ending. It is only Silver, with his cunning and his inventiveness, who can be Flint’s end without killing him.

I have no understanding for people who are trying so very hard to deny the difficulty of Silver’s choice, and what it cost him, and what it means for him in terms of character development, who are completely willing to throw him under the bus and deny that his feelings and respect for Madi were ever real, or that his decision to send Flint to Savannah instead of killing him was not an act of love and mercy on his part.

#black sails #john silver

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adiwriting · 8 years

Text

All the Kings Horses: A Great Fall

Authors: @acheaptrickandacheesyoneline and @adiwriting

Summary: After a year of Prometheus’s mind games, the truth has been revealed. Oliver knows what he has to do. He should have done this five years ago. If it’s a fight to the death he wants, Oliver will give it to him.

Notes: Special thanks to @dettiot for helping us look over this one! This one-shot is the prequel to the fic “All The Kings Horses” which should be posted sometime in February ;) Enjoy a little tease!

If anyone would be willing to make title art for the fic that follows this- we’d be eternally grateful!

Alternatively: read on A03

Oliver opens the door to the rooftop and dodges out of they way as Prometheus — no, Malcolm — shoots an arrow at his head. It misses. Oliver steps out onto the roof of what used to be Merlyn Global. If the deja vu hadn’t been present before, it most certainly is now.

“So tell me,” Malcolm says, still using the voice modulator, as if there’s any reason to bother concealing his identity any longer. “Are you ready to die?”

Malcolm shoots another arrow at him, but it misses.

His mind flashes back to the same fight five years ago, and it’s like nothing ever changed.

“Take him out,” Felicity says over the coms, her voice filled with rage, and he’s angry for her. Malcolm has, once again, pulled the rug out from under them and destroyed everything they hold dear. And for what? To prove to Oliver that he’s a murderer? To prove to the new team that Oliver is a killer? Malcolm has no leg to stand on.

Oliver doesn’t hesitate. He walks towards Malcolm as he raises his bow and shoots. Malcolm returns his fire with an arrow of his own.

This is pointless. They are both skilled archers, but neither of them are going to land a shot on the other. Oliver fires off two more quick shots before he runs at Malcolm. They’ve fought each other before. They’ve fought since the Undertaking and Oliver had won, taking Malcolm’s hand. He will win again. They may have both been Ra’s al Ghul at one time, but Oliver is the one that won the title on merit. In a fight to the death, Oliver will win.

He calculates the risk. He plays defensive as he allows Malcolm to believe he has the upperhand. All the while, Oliver is studying, learning his opponent, looking for a weak spot in his armor. He dodges fists and lands a few blows himself. Then, he sees his opening.

He allows Malcolm to land a hit to his stomach, because it leaves him vulnerable. Oliver grabs into his arm with one hand, elbows him in the face with the other arm. Then, he does a sweep, satisfied when Malcolm falls to the ground. Now that Oliver has him where he wants him, he can finish this.

He uses Malcolm's own bow to hit him in the face, hard. He lands perfectly-aimed kicks to his sides with the intent of breaking his ribs. He knows from personal experience how difficult it is to fight when each breath feels like a knife to the side. He hits him in the face several more times with the bow. But like the cockroach he is, Malcolm doesn’t stay down.

He catches Oliver around the legs and he finds himself falling to the ground. He does a kip up and is on his feet again quickly, but not fast enough. Malcolm has found his own footing and Oliver has lost his tactical advantage for the moment. Of course, Malcolm never makes it easy.

Oliver takes several steps back and aims an arrow at Malcolm’s head. He releases the arrow and watches it fly, not in the least bit surprised when Malcolm catches the arrow inches from his face. Oliver counts.

One.

Malcolm still has on his mask, but Oliver can just picture his self-satisfied smirk at thinking he’s done something impressive.

Two.

It’s Malcolm’s arrogance that always trips him up in the end.

Three.

The arrow detonates. Malcolm falls to the ground.

“We’ve been through this before, Malcolm,” Oliver says, frustrated that it’s come to this.

He still doesn’t understand what the point of all of this is. If Malcolm wanted him dead, then why didn’t he come at him as the Dark Archer? Why all the smoke and mirrors, dressing up as Prometheus? Why recreate their fight from five years ago?

Malcolm gets to his feet.

He lunges at Oliver, grabbing him around the middle. Oliver uses his bow to hit him in the back, trying to get him to let go. It doesn’t work. Malcolm lifts him up and slams him down on the ground, hard. He sees stars as he tries to clear his vision. He takes a handful of gravel and throws it at Malcolm's face, blinding him just long enough so that he can get to his feet again.

They stare at each other for a moment, Oliver catching his breath. He can hear the grunts of his team over the comm, letting him know that they are still engaged with Malcolm’s men downstairs. Digg isn’t going to reach the rooftop to save him if Malcolm gets the upper hand this time. This is on Oliver. He has to be the one to take Malcolm out. No mercy.

They went down the road of mercy when he took Malcolm’s hand and here they are. Again. How many times is he going to do this with him?

No. No more. Oliver isn’t a killer, but he’s been left with no choice. Malcolm has to die. Felicity is right. Some men are unredeemable.

Malcolm takes a swing at him, but Oliver ducks and lands a punch to his stomach. He keeps punching. He can’t give Malcolm even a sliver of an opening. If he lets up, Malcolm will take advantage.

“Oliver?” Felicity calls out to him, her voice filled with worry and reminding him of what he’s fighting for. He won’t let this monster ruin the lives of his family any longer. Enough is enough. He should have ended this years ago. He was naive to think it could play out any differently.

He doesn’t care if this is Thea’s father. This ends tonight.

“I’m okay,” Oliver says, taking a second to reassure her that he’s alive.

A second is all Malcolm needs. The moment Oliver's attention isn't 100% on the fight, Malcolm attacks. He gets his arm around Oliver’s throat. Oliver grasps at his arm, trying to get him to loosen his hold as he struggles to breathe, but he doesn’t let up. If Oliver doesn’t get out of this soon, Malcolm is going to win.

His eyes scan for something, anything that he can use against Malcolm to get free of his hold. An arrow that Malcolm had dodged earlier is in front of him, within reach.

Oliver flashes back to that night, five years ago, when he’d stabbed himself with an arrow in order to defeat Malcolm. The scar tissue still aches when the temperature drops. It’s clear now what Oliver has to do. It’s the only play he has left.

He’s not as suicidal as he once was. He no longer is waiting for death to find him under the hood. He actively fights to come home every night. However, if Malcolm wants a recreation, that’s what he’ll get. Oliver doesn’t want to die, but he’ll make the sacrifice play in order to protect the people he can’t live without.

His fingers wrap around the fletching of the arrow.

“We both know how this ends,” he says, picking it up. He gives Malcolm one last chance to save himself. Praying for him to have a moment of sanity and realize how stupid this all is. Is he really willing to die for this pointless crusade of his?

When the hold around his neck doesn’t loosen, Oliver tells himself that this is his only option. Malcolm has left him with no choice. He takes one final breath, preparing himself for the pain he knows is inevitable, and drives the arrow through his own shoulder, needing to push harder than he had before in order to break through the old scar tissue. He breathes through the agony and continues pushing until he hears Malcolm’s pained hiss, letting him know that he’s succeeded.

He can stop. He’s won.

Oliver closes his eyes and takes several steadying breaths, doing his best to hold it together despite the fact that he’s never known a pain like this before.

He knows the pain of skin and muscle being sliced open. This isn’t that. This is the feeling of muscle being torn apart in directions that it was never meant to go, as the old wound that never healed properly protests being reopened. This is thick scar tissue that hadn’t given way easily.

He was naive to think that it had hurt before, the first time he had skewered himself. That had been child’s play compared to this. Oliver may have had worse injuries, but his body had always reacted quickly and allowed him to block out the pain. He waits for that to happen here. He waits for himself to black out.

Malcolm’s right hand comes around to brace itself against Oliver’s chest. The left hand comes around to grab onto the arrow. Oliver sees white as the motion causes the arrow to move. He blindly reaches up for Malcolm to make him stop, but he isn’t quick enough. Malcolm pulls the arrow out of them both, and Oliver screams out in pain as Malcolm shoves him to the ground.

The movement causes his hood to fall back and his comm to fall out of his ear. He rolls over onto his back, his body protesting every move.

Malcolm is standing over him, arrow in hand. His body is still, all hard lines, but his hands are shaking in pure rage. Oliver waits for the death that he knows is coming. He doesn’t have the strength to fight back.

“Oliver! Oliver!”

Felicity’s voice can be heard clearly even with the comm lost in his hood somewhere.

Malcolm takes a step back and his head tilts to the side.

“I need visual. Can somebody tell me what’s going on?” Felicity asks, sounding frantic. Oliver wants to reassure her that everything will be okay. She’s safe now. Oliver won’t be around any longer to put her in danger.

“We’re a little busy at the moment trying not to die,” Curtis responds, breathing heavily.

Oliver can hear the sound of his team still fighting for their lives downstairs. He has faith that once he’s gone, Malcolm will call off his men. It’s okay. Everything will work out. He has to believe that.

He watches as Malcolm hesitates. If he’s going to do it, Oliver would rather get it over with. But Malcolm makes no move. Oliver doesn’t understand what is happening. Malcolm has never been one to second guess himself. So it’s hard to believe, in these final moments, he’s changed his mind about killing him.

Yet here they are. Is it possible that Malcolm has finally come to his senses? Despite his own feelings about Malcolm, he knows the man cares about Thea in his own twisted way. Is he just now realizing the ramifications of his actions? That’s not the Malcolm he knows. Always so sure and calculating with every move.

But Thea has always been his weak point. Seeing his opening and knowing he has nothing left to lose, Oliver gathers his will. He struggles to his knees. With trembling hands, fighting back the pain, he reaches up and pulls down the mask.

Malcolm takes another step back and Oliver knows his instincts were right. If he can get Malcolm to see him as Oliver Queen, the boy he’s known his entire life, then Oliver has a chance. He needs Malcolm to not see the Green Arrow, but instead, Thea’s brother.

Stumbling to his feet, he says, “Malcolm, don’t do this. Think of Thea.”

“Wrong Merlyn,” he says. He reaches up and pulls off his mask, throwing it away.

Oliver’s heart leaps to his throat as he meets the eyes of his best friend. Eyes he’d know anywhere.

“Tommy?”

It certainly looks like his best friend, but it can’t be. Tommy has never let his anger control him so completely before. He didn’t want to be like Malcolm. Even at his worst moments when he was yelling at Oliver, there had always been a smile lurking, ready to disarm the fight. This man before him trembling with rage looks like his best friend, but Oliver has to be hallucinating.

“What? No. Oliver. Man, that’s not Tommy. Take your shot,” Digg says, a distant voice coming from the comm unit on the ground. Oliver can barely hear him over the sound of blood rushing through his ears.

Logically, he knows that Digg is right. How could this even be possible? He watched Tommy die. He held him as he took his last breath. This isn’t Tommy. It can’t be.

Oliver’s fingers itch for his bow, but his body won’t move.

Malcolm would have killed him by now. He hasn’t. Maybe this is Tommy. He’s seen stranger things happen. They brought Sara back from the dead last year… Why not Tommy?

He makes a split second decision, praying he’s right. He holds out his arms in surrender. If he’s wrong, he’s dead. But he’s not willing to risk the possibility.

The man looks confused. His hand is no longer shaking in rage. He lowers it to his side.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Oliver now knows: this is Tommy.

“Tommy?”

Tommy takes another step towards him, raising the arrow in his hand. While his face is twisted up in pure hatred, his eyes tell another story. He’s haunted, yes, but there’s recognition there. Oliver can’t believe it. He wants to cry in relief.

“You’re a murderer,” Tommy says. “A killer.”

It’s not as convincing as it had been when he’d had been under the mask. He isn’t sure anymore. It’s like he’s trying to convince himself.

Oliver plays his last card, and bets the house. “And I’m your best friend.”

To be continued in “All The King’s Horses”

Tagged/Untagged? Let us know!

@almondblossomme // @bushlaboo // @cinfos // @dettiot // @effie214 // @emisfritish // @emmaamelia95 // @felicity-said–yes // @geniewithwifi // @hope-for-olicity // @imusuallyobsessed // @loveyoubeyondhope // @lynslogic // @memcjo // @miriam1779 // @missyriver // @nightkeepyr // @oliverfel4 // @pleasantfanandstudent // @pottercastleminds // @puddintan3 // @realityisoverrated-fic //@scu11y22 // @somewhatinvisible // @spaztronautwriter // @sweettooth52 // @thatmasquedgirl

#arrow fic #Tometheus #Arrow #arrow fanfiction #Tommy Merlyn #Oliver Queen #Damnit Malcolm #prometheus

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calliecat93 · 7 years

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RWBY V5, CH4 Review: Lighting the Fire

(Repost Form My Now Defunct Review Blog)

Back in Volume 2, we had an episode called Burning the Candle. Int hat episode, Yang told Blake about her backstory. The biggest part of that being about her mother, Raven Branwen. A woman that Yang has never met because she walked out on the family long ago to the point that Yang thought her stepmom, Summer, was her real mom until she died. Well after several years of endless searching and no results, Yang’s wait is finally over. But how will this meeting end? Lets find out.

Overview

So, as a surprise to no one, Shady Guy lead Yang into a trap to get payback. Not even Yang is surprised. Which gives us Yang’s first fight since the Fall of Beacon, and there’s a lot to take in. First, Yang takes it a lot more seriously. She’’s not joking around or being cocky, she remains calm and collected. She also doesn’t just pound the bandits into oblivion. Oh don’t get me wrong, she kicks their asses soundly, but she is smarter and uses more dodging and agility than before. She doesn’t just rely on her Semblance and charge in recklessly. She’s thinking smarter and going around obstacles instead of barreling through them. She took Tai’s advice to heart, and it shows. Her hand twitching shows that she still has PTSD and is still learning to control those feelings, but the fact that we see her trying shows her character development. Love how Shady Guy realizes how screwed over he is when Yang tells him that she’s Raven’s daughter.

We’ll go back to the inevitable mother/daughter reunion in a bit. For now, we go to Mistral where Ruby and Oscar are having a fist fight. Both… well they’re not bad, but they’re clearly un-coordinated and just blindly launching blows instead of thinking over their movements. But Ruby does utilize her speed, has been trained longer than Oscar, and does channel some anger ala Yang to punch Oscar down. But when Ozpin takes over and activates Oscar’s aura… yeah Ruby doesn’t last long. But we do see that Aura can be turned off, something that Ren goes on to clarify. Since Oscar is very much new to all of this, he ca’t properly activate it without Ozpin’s help, but the more he trains, the sooner it’ll be second nature and he can use it without activating it. This fact also explains how Sienna was so easily killed since Adam acted before she could really react to it.

We also get an info dump on Semblances. While it’s been talked about before, even Miles and Kerry have admitted that they didn’t do a good job of it. I think during RTX, Miles confirmed that there would be mroe talk about it to establish the rules better, and it shows here. A Semblance is said to be a reflection of a person, but some thunk its the other way around or not connected at all. It can also pretty much activate whenever as Ren’s was activated during stress, Ruby’s kicked in during training, and Nora… got struck with lightning and lived. I’m not surprised. Not at all. Jaune is still bummed that he still hasn’t discovered his, but Ozpin encourages him to keep growing. After all even when the Semblance is unlocked, it’s not the end of them learning. They can keep learning, and keep moving forward. And if they do, who knows what they’ll be capable of. It’s a really nice scene and the lighting was fantastic.

But it can’t be encouraging forever. We cut back to Yang, who is now in the Branwen camp. Her presence has attracted everyone,including Vernal and the guards gearing Weiss. Weiss promptly initiates her escape plan, but more on that later. Because after years of searching and no results, after being saved during the fight with Neo by her, after being told by Qrow that the rescue was a one time deal, Yang at last meets her mother, Raven. Which Raven… is surprisingly civil. But she displays no motherly affection to her daughter, even making a quip about how Yang finally came to visit her. Wow lady, wow. But still, she compliments Yang on managing to find her and using her drive to do so. She’s willing to answer any of Yang’s questions, but it’s obvious what Raven is doing. Especially since she’s talking to Yang like she’s talking to all of the tribe. She’s trying to get Yang to join her by commending her for her determination and strength and by using the affection that Yang has always wanted to draw her in. Yang proved her strength by getting back up after all she went through, and to Raven, ti means that her daughter is ready to join her.

But Yang wants none of it. Hell, she doesn’t even care about the reunion. No, she’s there for Ruby. This causes Raven to go right back tot he cold person we saw in Volume 4. She even complains when Yang tries to sue the family card, saying that they only come around when they want something. I think Qrow would have words about that considering she seeked him out in V4 because she wanted something, but that’s beside the point. But Raven does raise a good question, if Yang is going after Ruby, why come to her instead of using that drive to locate her herself? Oh, that’s the fun part. You see, Yang knows that Ruby is heading for Mistral, but she has no way of knowing if she got there. But she does know that Qrow will be looking after her and is therefore within her vicinity. So she intends to reach him to reach Ruby. How? By using Raven’s Semblance, which is to make a portal to someone that the bandit leader has bonded with. She has one for Tai, one for Yang, and one for her brother. By suing that portal, Yang can get to Qrow and therefore get to her sister. Damn Yang, damn.

While Raven is impressed by Yang’s boldness (or so she claims), she tells Yang that Ruby is a lost cause. This is the only time we really see Raven with any sign of vulnerability. She says that Ozpin can’t be trusted, looking almost weary as she talks about it. Clearly something happened, and whatever that was is what provoked Raven to leave and cut out everyone in her life, even her brother. Who she calls a fool. This… is interesting. While I ultimately believe Ozpin and I do think he’s fighting for the greater good, as we saw in V3 the greater good demands sacrifices. Ozpin himself said he’s made many mistakes and likely, he has many regrets. But unfortunately, people will still be hurt and no matter what the cause if for, ti won’t excuse it. I don’t think Raven left because Summer died, that had to have happened after she left after all. Though I don’t doubt that to her, ti was a conformation of every doubt that she had. I think that Raven learned of everything for whatever reason, likely due to Summer’s silver eyes, and wanted nothing to do with it. But I’ll talk about that more in the overall review.

Yang isn’t interested in anything that Raven has to say. All that she cares about is getting to her sister, and no one is going to stop her. Raven, realizing that she can’t get Yang to join her, declares the meeting over and for Yang to be taken away. But Yang refuses to quit, demanding to be sent to Qrow. This provokes a guard to attack her, but she punches him into a tent… and it falls, revealing Weiss. Both girls are shocked, but since she’s not on the open, Weiss decides to throw subtlety out and enlarges her tiny knight to break the cage. It looks like a brawl is going to break out, but a sudden lightning bolt stops everything. SO fi anyone needed anymore conformation of Vernal being the Spring Maiden, there you go.

Whether it’s to get the girls out of her camp before it stirs up too much emotion and attracts the Grimm or her having some kind of motherly attachment, Raven orders the two girls to her tent. She intends to tell them the ‘truth’ before they go after Ruby. So we’re likely going to hear more about the negative side of Ozpin’s multiple lives and Raven may inform them about the Maidens and Relics. The bandits disperse and Yang’s about to apologize to Weiss for everything that just happened… but she’s cut off when the former heiress leaps at her for a hug. After being locked away and having to hide her emotions, Weiss has finally reunited with one of her friends. She can now feel safe and express how she feels, tearfully telling Yang that she missed her. Yang is taken back, but it isn’t long before she returns the gesture. And as the instrumental for Home plays, the knight fades away, his presence no longer necessary.

Review

Holy Hell, that was… that was a LOT of things. So lets talk about the Mistral scene first. It was the calmest scene in the episode, which is good with what came after it. It shows us that RNJR and Oscar are beginning their progression. While there’s still a lot of work to be done, Ruby shows a lot of willingness to keep trying. It’s a HUGE contrast to how she acted in the Yang Character Short. There, she didn’t see the point of learning hand-to-hand as she was perfectly capable with Crescent Rose. But it looks like she’s finally realized that she has to at least try to learn, which with how many times he’s been disarmed I’d be worried if she didn’t, and is showing far more willingness and enthusiasm in trying to learn to be better. She’s never going to be Yang-level good, but I think by the end of the volume we’ll see her put that training to good use.

Oscar is also already melding into the main cast really well. he’s the newcomer, and RNJR has gladly accepted him into the fold. Ren and Nora acting like older siblings and giving him solid advice on Aura and Semblance knowledge not only clears things up for us as the audience, even on info we mostly knew about, but it allows Oscar to learn as well. Plus it let Ren and Nora still feel involved and not reverting back into comedic relief. After V4, they feel mroe fleshed out and like three-dimensional characters,s o I’mg lad that they’re feeling mroe like part of the main cast. It’s also nice to see Ozpin encouraging Jaune and Ruby to encourage both him and Oscar due to them still learning. It’s just a really sweet scene and Ozpin is showing to be a good mentor… even if making Oscar learnt he heard way is kind of mean. But he does need to not rely on him all the time, so… it’s just a really calm scene and I loved it.

But now lets get into the meat of the episode, Yang and Raven’s reunion. Lets talk Raven first. On the on hand, seeing a character jaded and on the morally grey side of things is a nice addition to the series. Most everyone is either on Ozpin’s side or Salem’s side. Raven? She’s a third party. She’s not a good guy but she’s not evil either. She just doesn’t give a shit about the conflict and is doing her own thing. Sure she has the Charles Darwin philosophy of things and previously showed no remorse about slaughtering people in Shion, but still she’s not using Grimm or murdering of no reason either (her reason is flimsy, but it’s a reason). She’s also likely the character who is going to show how Ozpin’s actions hurt and negatively affected people who trusted him. Again, I don’t think that Ozpin is evil, but as we saw in V3 people will still be used and hurt for the greater good. It sucks but its how it works, but hurt isn’t just easily forgiven. Whatever drew Raven away, it hit her hard and the recent events only made her feel mroe justified. It’ll be good to hear the truth from a third party and will add mroe insight to Ozpin’s actions.

That being said… Raven’s not much better. While she’s interesting, I also want to punch her int he face. She shows no love to Yang at all, she just wants to get her into the tribe because she values strength. Do I think that she loves Yang? TO a degree, but not even close to how much Tai loves their daughter. Speaking of Tai… God I feel HORRIBLE for him. We learn that Raven has a Semblance that pretty much allows her to go to him or their daughter whenever she felt like it. And she never did. Since Raven did seem kind of solemn when Yang mentions him, I’m going to assume that on some level Raven does still care about him and maybe does regret leaving him. But I assume that he refused to join bandits, aka murderers, and also refused to let her take Yang and have her live that lifestyle. So she abandoned them and cut them out of her life. It’s ironic, how Raven has a portal to her loved ones, but chose to leave them behind. It also makes sense why Tai probably never told Yang until she was an adult. Imagine leaning that your parent could drop in at anytime, but actively refused to. That would be painful. Neither Tai nor Yang deserved that.

But Dear God, if I didn’t love Yang before I love her now. I figured from the beginning that she was going to Raven but Ruby was her end goal, I just couldn’t work out how. But now it makes sense and it shows how Yang is now using strategy. If this was pre-Fall of Beacon Yang, she probably would have gone around Anima recklessly in search of Ruby. But she’s using her brain now. She also, at least for now, seems to not care about reconnecting with Raven Tai and Qrow finally gave her answers and most likely, learning that Raven was refusing to help her after the one time deal and knowing that her actions really hurt people has probably made Yang decide it’s not worth it. I mean think about it, Qrow, a man who has bad luck at any moment and can cause misery to others, was around more and cared about her more than her own mother, who again could have dropped by whenever she wanted. While Yang may try to have a relationship with Raven in the future, right now her sister is the top priority. She wants to go to her sister and uncle, her family. The ones that she trusts and who she cares for. Ravens just an easy way of getting there. I’m so glad that Yang didn’t fall for her praises at all and, while she’s going to learn the truth now, didn’t care at all about her opinion, only her own goal.

And finally, we have the ending. Our first Team RWBY reunion. Not gonna lie, when Weiss hugged Yang, I cried. Both of these girls have been through Hell. Weiss was forced back into an abusive environment, forced to shut off all that she felt, and be used all over again. Then when she finally stood up for herself, she was imprisoned even more and lost her title as heiress. But now, Weiss has taken control of her life and while the plane wreck and getting kidnapped sucks, it led her to Yang. One of her friends, her real family. She may not have Winter now, but she has one of her teammates. Someone that she knwos that she is safe with and who cares about her. She needed that safety, as the fading knight symbolized. As for Yang, she lost her arm, got abandoned by Blake and, in a way, Ruby (I am NOT calling Ruby out, she had a very good reason to leave and it’s clear she told Yang, but I doubt it made Yang feel better). While she had Tai in Patch, on the road she was on her own. But now she’s reunited with one of her friends, one that she knew got forced away and liely assumed that she’d never see again. And after all the drama with Raven, she has at least one person that she can turn to. It’s something that they both needed, and it was done beautifully. Now whether the two will get out before Cinder makes her move, I don’t know, but I think that they’ll at least reunite with Ruby by the volume’s end at this point. But if now, I’ll take a Freezerburn reunion.

Conclusion

This may be shorter than the previous three chapters, but ti didn’t feel like it. Which is good, it means the pacing was very well done. But yeah, this chapter may be the best so far. We finally got Yang and Raven’s reunion as well as our first Team RWBY reunion and both played out perfectly. We got more talk about Semblances and it definitely helped cleat up some of the confusion. Now next week we’re going back to Menagerie, so we might not hear what Raven has to say (I say might cause we very well could), but for now we have plenty to hang onto. I have no complaints or nitpicks, the episode was just perfect. I loved it and I eagerly await what’s coming next!

#rwby #rwby reviews

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antonioebangelista · 7 years

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What does it take to be a TRUE MANDIRIGMA or SPIRITUAL WARRIOR for the E.V.M. Administration? How does one prove that he is truly ONE WITH E.V.M.? Up to what extent would an E.V.M. fanatic follower go to prove his loyalty?

Let us remember the likes of well known EVM henchmen who went over and beyond the call of duty to prove that they are truly ONE WITH E.V.M. (REMEMBER, IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH BRAINS TO BE AN E.V.M. HENCHMEN.)

What makes you think that these people are even capable of doing illegal and heinous things?

Simple. Let’s use these questions and see how a henchman would answer it:

Are you ONE WITH EVM? Henchmen: YES.

Are you willing to follow obey the EVM Church Administration? Henchmen: YES.

What are you willing to sacrifice for the Church Administration? Henchmen: Everything including my life.

Are you willing to die for the Church Administration? Henchmen: YES.

Are you following along with the questionnaire? How are you faring so far? If your answers are the same then you are ready for the next level.

If you are willing to give even your very LIFE for EVM and the Church Administration, are you then willing to use your position in your office/department to be of service for the Church Administration? Henchmen: YES.

Are you willing to FIGHT for the Church Administration? Henchmen: YES.

Are you willing to LIE for the Church Administration? Henchmen: YES.

Are you willing to bend the law for the Church Administration? Henchmen: YES.

Are you willing to kidnap and detain anyone for the Church Administration? Henchmen: YES.

The last and most important question to prove that you are TRULY ONE WITH E.V.M…

ARE YOU WILLING TO KILL FOR THE CHURCH ADMINISTRATION?

HENCHMEN: YES!!!

And these are the TOP NOTCHERS who passed the EVM LOYALTY TEST

One needs to CONSTANTLY prove his ABSOLUTE LOYALTY to E.V.M. to become and “REMAIN” as a member of the POWERFUL and HIGHLY EXCLUSIVE SANGGUNIAN.

Next, comes the HEAD HENCHMEN for all Black-Ops (Operations) for the Church: Minister Benefrido Canicosa Santiago (brother of Bienvenido Canicosa Santiago Jr. and former Sanggunian Minister) [Read: https://incsilentnomore.com/2016/04/01/expose-1-going-back-to-the-scene-of-the-first-crime/]

The next level of trusted henchmen are the so-called “0-1s” or District Ministers. If a Minister doesn’t have the same level of atrocity and aggressiveness, then he has no right to remain as a District Minister. But among the District Ministers, one stood out in the sight of E.V.M. when he proved that he is willing and highly capable of orchestrating a high-profile kidnapping in his own District, complete with a clean-up crew and a silencing tactic for any eye-witnesses during the covert operations:

Sorsogon District Minister Ernesto Mabasa and Assistant District Minister Israeli Gatchalian as his kidnapping accomplice

[Read: https://incsilentnomore.com/2016/04/08/jungko-otsukawhat-are-you-going-to-do-next-kill-my-sister/]

The only difference between low-life criminal syndicates and EVM’s Church Administration is the “WAY” they commit their crimes. While the low-life crooks simply commit a crime by violating the law, the elusive and exclusive E.V.M. Church Administration commits the CRIME and uses its influence in different agencies of the Government such as the Justice System and Law Enforcement to make all their EXTRAJUDICIAL ACTIVITIES (Crimes) appear to be LEGIT! If not, they have the power to black out their crimes from all forms of news media. The EVM Church Administration ushered in THE MODERN DAY E.V.M. INQUISITION.

That is why they have 2 figureheads in the INC Legal Department, each focusing on different aspects of the church. One is Glicerio Santos IV or GP, who is the labeled Head of the Legal Department, he handles all the “lucrative” businesses of the Church and when we say the “Church” here, we’re referring to the Church’s alter-egos, which is the Maligaya Development Corporation, FYM Foundation, Subic-FYM Foundation, UNLAD, and so many more, and as you look deeper into these corporations, only one surname will always pop up as the sole beneficiaries, THE SANTOSES. [Read: https://incsilentnomore.com/2015/07/16/part-4-glicerio-p-santos-iv-sold-four-inc-prime-properties-in-antipolo-city-for-php-16-9-million/]

[Read: https://incsilentnomore.com/2016/03/27/evm-there-is-absolutely-no-corruption/]

The second figurehead in the INC Legal Department is the son of Minister Dan V. Orosa, T.J. Orosa, and husband of Eduardo Manalo’s eldest daughter, Kristine Dorothy Manalo-Orosa. He prides himself as the brilliant mind behind the “black-ops” against the “enemies of the church”. He uses his fondness of Sun Tzu’s Art of War stratagems in his efforts to quash the growing number of brethren who are now standing up against the anomalies in the church despite the threats of unjust expulsions.

And ofcourse, what use is a sinister plan without a “go-to” guy, somebody who would enact all their “illegal” tactics to make it appear as “legal”. They would need people with just enough legal know-how in handling a jaywalking case because they wouldn’t need much brain power due to the immense political clout of the EVM Administration that can command Justices and Courts to bend to its will. Lying in the media or in the courts will never be a problem to them because they believe that what they are doing is a service to God. Among those who are swift to obey to do evil are these characters.

Lies: [Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEdMDaud9ew]

Truth: [Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z63GwgL0uY]

Minister/Lawyer Rommel San Pedro

INC Lawyer Wilfredo Santos

[Watch: https://youtu.be/Yes5lKEsNbY]

Atty. Vimar Barcellano

There are a lot more of these two-faced lying lawyers who are always at the beck and call of EVM and his Sanggunian Ministers.

So whenever there would be lying lawyers and constant propaganda and cover-ups they will need a media machinery to stitch everything together in order to make it appear true and responsible. The once prestigious NET-25 and reputable INCTV have been reduced to tabloid media outlets that can no longer differentiate holiness from obscenity and maliciousness. It is evident that they cannot dissociate from foul, vile and vulgar journalism whenever they publish articles, posts, and videos against their so-called critics. They will throw damaging and harmful lies at anyone who has a different opinion from their own. That’s where the face of “The Spokesperson” comes into play. Minister Edwil Joy Zabala, who used to exude an honest persona which is probably why they used him to replace the extremely expressionless poker-faced Minister Bienvenido Casanova Santiago Jr. They picked someone who has a credible reputation and not someone who is known to lie. They needed a fresh face, a convincing personality, modernistic and westernized, and who could be better than the neoteric and newfangled face of Minister Edwil Joy Zabala. He has the responsibility to herald the smear campaigns and make them palatable not only to the general public but most of all to the brethren. He has full access and use of the Church’s TV (NET-25 and INCTV), Radio, Print (Pasugo God’s Message) and Social Media sites (Access the Truth, Cutting Classes Series, INCMedia.org and others).

[Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PCEf80M5a0]

Now comes the worker ants that tirelessly follow every bidding blindly. These members turned officers turned mercenaries have gone thru a rigid test of loyalty because once they are tasked with something, the Church Administration needs to know if their obedience to EVM supersedes any code of ethics or conduct tied to their position or job. EVM fanatics make the best mercenaries because they are willing to lie, die and kill for the sake of the Church Administration and they will not hesitate to use their position or authority to carry out their extrajudicial acts.

Here are some basic examples of how these people look like…

This vicious chain of command is designed for one thing and one thing only and that is to make EVM Smile and feel loved. This is what constitutes the perverted pride of a ruthless yet insecure and troubled Executive Minister.

So what do all of these traits pertain to? The fulfillment of what is written in the Bible so that we would all be aware..

What the Lord Hates

“The Lord hates these seven things: eyes that show pride, tongues that tell lies, hands that kill innocent people, hearts that plan evil things to do, feet that run to do evil, witnesses in court who tell lies, and anyone who causes family members to fight.“ ~ Proverbs 6:16-19 Easy-to-Read Version

Their blind obedience to a prideful man is what drove these supposedly God-fearing men into vicious agents of inquisition and murder.

Now isn’t it ironic that all the things that the Lord God hates can be found in one Church Administration- the Eduardo V. Manalo Administration. What does the Bible say about these works of darkness?

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.“ ~ Ephesians 5:6-11 New King James Version

You may not be the one who held the knife that stabbed, you may not be the one who pulled the trigger that killed, you may not be the one who forged the signature of the deed, you may not be the one who ordered the abductions and killings, but you kept quiet and did not expose them, rather you remained in membership or in fellowship with them. Therefore, the anger of God is upon you and His wrath will come upon those who disobey His commandments and continue to do the things that He hates.

Now that you know the things that are abominable in His sight, would you remain to obey them in silence or would you stand up and speak of them in all goodness, righteousness, and truth?

“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. “ James 4:17 New International Version.

~ Antonio Ramirez Ebangelista

“They tried to bury us…they didn’t know we were seeds.”

“Unlike you, I don’t have power or money, but what I do have is a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you tell the truth now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will expose you.” – A.E.

Philippine Daily Inquirer Article: “Antonio Ebangelista writes Philippine Daily Inquirer, Warns Iglesia Elders”

Question adn Answer: Q & A with Antonio Ebangelista

The CHOICE is always UP TO YOU : “The Red Pill. The Blue Pill”

Contact Information:

Official Email: [email protected]

Official Blog: http://www.incsilentnomore.com

Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreTheSeedsSilentNoMore/

Official Facebook Account:https://www.facebook.com/antonio.ebangelista.77

Official Instagram: @antonioramirezebangelista

Official Twitter: @AEbangelista01

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Deciphering the E.V.M. Henchmen Code What does it take to be a TRUE MANDIRIGMA or SPIRITUAL WARRIOR for the E.V.M. Administration? How does one prove that he is truly ONE WITH E.V.M.?

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