Galactic Social Dynamic: Memoirs (GSD #100)
After Emma's wedding and a few outliers of insanity there would be little that would shake the galaxy to its core for nearly a decade.
News reports would stream in about the war. The Alliance was winning, but all too easily. Alliance and the individual homeworld militaries were all convinced that the Scareek were laying a trap.
They were right, but it wouldn't show itself for some time and the loss of life would be catastrophic. The blow to humanity would drive them to a fevered madness. We would all get to see the beast that lurked under the skin. It was the same beast that lurks under all our skins, the one that prevents the Symphony from being heard.
But that is for another volume of tales and memories. These memoirs were made by gathering the bits and pieces of many points of view, as well as putting in my own. I'm not certain half will be allowed to be published, but these events occurred as did so many more. These were just the brightest times, before the Scareek showed their mettle and matched human ferocity. Before they took from every life in the galaxy. Before the Alliance stood up and drove them back to primordial waters where they now live, simple non-sapient lives.
They were the times that defined my life and though I am glad we mostly know peace, I fear what still waits out in the depths of space. The galaxy and hyperspace are still not completely explored and we have made a lot of noise.
-(GSD)---(GSD)-
Shoal looked at the last line. He shook his head, he was getting dramatic in his old age. He hopped off his writing stool and walked to his window. Cith lay before him, he was now the oldest leader of Ancin at almost four hundred years old, not that that meant anything, clans were now just families in all regards, just more formal than normal. He watched the children of his siblings as they watched their grandchildren.
He stretched and wandered back to his table and folded up the manuscript. So many pages, all written by hand. They had to be anything less would be an insult to the lives of his friends, to the lives of those the Scareek had taken and to his own innocence.
He laughed, he couldn't believe he thought he was worldly at a mere Seventy-five! How utterly foolish. Another laugh took him though as he saw the picture frame that Emma had given him the day after her wedding. The young woman Anna was in it with her father, he was certain their chapters would get eaten up by Alliance Intelligence or the publisher would think he was insane and refuse to print them. Either way he knew their existence was now penned down somewhere.
He then took the manuscript down several floors and to a large room that was ostensibly a large fabrication printer and scanner. Three hundred years on and no one had found better tech, they just made it work better and cheaper. He smirked and shook his head.
"Hello Dasha!" The happy voice of Driffi shouted as she picked up her father's cousin.
Shoal stared at the woman. Somehow losing nearly half the clan never destroyed her positive attitude. He loved that about her, but it was also an obstacle at the moment.
"Driffi, I need to send scans of this manuscript to some friends." Shoal sighed.
"Mr. Van and Hadley?" Driffi asked as she sat her clan leader down and immediately got to work setting up the central scanning pad.
"Add Rex and Ezekiel Dirge to that list." Shoal advised.
Driffi nodded. "I wonder if Mr. Dirge will join us for Cith-has this year."
"Unlikely, he can't stomach Civeet cuisine." Shoal laughed as he put the book on the scanner pad.
"Wow that's dense Dasha, you know we have an older model, could take a day to scan and send." Driffi sniffed the air.
Shoal nodded, then remembered something. "Oh! Send it to the Captain as well. It will want to read it all."
"Of course Dasha." Driffi smiled.
Shoal nodded and smiled, "I'm off to the garden."
"Give my love to my parents!" Driffi called out.
Shoal nodded and soon found himself in the clan garden, surrounded by statues of his ancestors, siblings and even his parents. He filled small dishes with water and left them at the bases of their statues.
He stayed for hours, meditating and focusing on the universe. The stars and their wondrous symphony were out of his reach, he had accepted that, but he could always try to recall that wondrous symphony.
He slowly became acutely aware of another presence. It was quiet and respectful, so he didn't respond until they made it clear they were here for a reason. An artificial clearing of the throat told him it was his old Captain.
"Hello, sir." Shoal smiled.
The Captain did not speak, but walked over to a statue of a non-civeet, the first one ever made in generations. Sekaz had made it in honor of the individual.
"They never have eyes." The Captain voiced his usual complaint. "Humans should always have their eyes depicted."
"I think Emma would be fine with it." Shoal said, not getting up from his sitting position.
"I was in the system. The Network got the manuscript first. We approve." The Captain said. "How will you continue?"
"I was hoping you would." Shoal grinned. "After all, you couldn't stay away from your precious Galactic Social Dynamic and you have the best understanding of what occurred during the retaliation." Shoal explained.
The Captain paused and looked at the kesta honoring Emma Brunte. The Captain nodded, she truly would have been happy to know she was remembered in a friend's family.
"For the truth of the matter?" The Captain asked, probing the civeets motives.
"To remember the fallen and live on for the living." Shoal smiled.
"The children out there are calling you 'Shifu'." The Captain said with a slightly robotic chuckle. "Why did you let them see such an ancient movie?"
Shoal snapped out of his meditation. "Because it is awesome!" He jumped to his feet.
The Captain's slightly robotic laugh echoed. "I will do this, old friend. We will till the Galaxy of all those that sacrificed and what was truly lost."
Shoal smiled. "Thank you. Did, uh, did we ever find out where Hadley went during their lost years?"
The Captain shook its head. "We all have our suspicions, but they remain unwilling or unable to speak of it."
Shoal nodded. Hadley had vanished at some point during the Scareek retaliation. It was devastating to Emma and their friends and then one day they were back and working as hard as ever, though their closest friend swore the Intelligence had become more paranoid.
"Eventually the truth comes into the open." Shoal nodded.
The Captain extended its hand and Shoal shook it. The two old friends took a few more minutes to honor the ancestors and allies of Clan Ancin.
////End Galactic Social Dynamic Volume 1////
First
Previous GSD!
Previous Zoo-nanigans
Volume 2 Awaits!
Zoo-nanigans will continue!
Spotify!
////\\\\
So a little over half way with the story I had the realization of how disorganized I was in writing it. All because I didn't expect it to take off and never made a physical outline. So I asked, why would this be like that in the world it takes place in.
Answer the memoirs of everyone's favorite civeet, mixed with other accounts he had gathered.
And volume 2 will mostly come from The Captain's point of view. Exploring the changes in its network and itself as an individual as well as its continuing awe and love of humanity.
So Volume 1 of Galactic Social Dynamic comes to a close, mostly. We still have some Zoo-nanigans to get through.
Peace and Love folks! I got a DND game to set up for!

LONG tale ahead of an EPIC (lol jokes) journey in a friendship spanning eighteen years!
(If you want to make yourself a cuppa tea and settle in for a read, go ahead - or also you don't have to read any of this, that's fine too).
ALRIGHT. SO.
My husband (37M) and I (35F) got married three months ago in a wonderful wedding surrounded by friends and family. Everything went perfectly and we are over the moon with joy.
The only hiccup is that Jo, one of my oldest friends and bridesmaid, seemed determinedly MISERABLE about the whole thing. I'm not sure I care about repairing the friendship anymore but I'd really appreciate an outside perspective.
Some background:
Jo and I met at university in the UK. She says she was the introverted nerd from a small English village, and that I was the glamorous extrovert Italian from Milan. We bonded over shared intellectual pursuits and became best friends. Quickly though, Jo became possessive. She wanted me all to herself and most of the time. As soon as I invited people to join us or if I spent time with others, she would get angry with me. I didn't get it at the time but remember feeling stifled. My parents and sisters often said Jo was a strong personality and was in love with me, which I disagree with (because she only dated men).
After university, we stayed friends and were there for each other. However in time, I noticed some small toxic traits - she was consistently possessive and critical of me, and would try to bring me down at my happiest times. We remained friends - but I gradually did not consider us best friends anymore. I think that upset her.
In our mid- to late twenties, I went through a traumatic period (I married a domestic abuser; then my father and big sister passed away and I got divorced around the same time). To be honest, Jo was ALWAYS there for me in my darkest moments and when I needed her - a wonderful, proactive, insightful support. She really helped me through this tough time.
After my divorce, I dated a couple of guys over a 6-month period, which made Jo pull away from me. When I was fully single again, she "resumed" our friendship and insisted on me spending lots of time with her. One day, she told me in Italian (my native tongue) she liked me ("Mi piaci"). I asked her what she meant and she said in English, "Just that. I like you." I wasn't 100% sure why she had said that. I assumed because she cared about me - so I didn't think more of it.
Meeting my now-hubby:
Three years after my divorce and some considerable healing, I then met the love of my life (my now-hubby) - a kind, courageous, intelligent, happy, strong, beautiful soul. Sadly, Jo pulled away from me again.
A year into my relationship, my partner came up in conversation and Jo made a grimace - I confronted her about it and she told me she had "no interest in him because he is just another one of your many boyfriends." I told her this was cruel and inaccurate, and that she had not answered my question. She didn't say anything further.
So a year later when I announced to her I was engaged and brimming with joy, her reaction was, "Congrats, you look very happy." But she seemed the opposite of happy.
Forming the bridesmaids squad:
Initially, I asked my fiancé's sister and my two best friends (Carys and Holly) to be bridesmaids. My fiance then said he wanted six groomsmen, so I excitedly expanded my squad to match his. I asked three more girls in my friendship group, including Jo, to be bridesmaids. The more the merrier!
(Also, hindsight is a bitch and I now realise asking Jo to be a bridesmaid was a total mistake)
Jo's immediate reaction to being asked to be a bridesmaid was, "Ugh don't ask me out of pity." I assumed she felt hurt that she hadn't been one of the first three to be asked, so I apologised for my clumsy approach and explained the situation, and that I do care about her and wanted her to be part of my special day. She then agreed to be a bridesmaid.
Jo loves poetry and literature, so I subsequently asked if she would do a reading of her choice at our ceremony. She said yes. I had also asked my best friend Carys to do a reading - Carys set out on a mission to find the perfect reading, sending my fiance and me a shortlist of poems to get our thoughts. On the other hand, Jo became disinterested, expressed that she didn't know what to look for, she was uninspired and didn't know what to read (skip forward: she pulled out of her reading 10 days before the wedding).
Over the course of the engagement (1.5 years), Jo grew distant and uninterested despite my attempts to connect with her. At one point she ran for a small political position, so I gathered our friendship group to go canvassing for her. Jo acknowledged my presence there at least. I regularly tried to meet up with her and see how she was doing, but seldom got responses.
The Hen Do:
When it came to my Hen Do, the bridesmaids I'd delegated to organise it couldn't in the end, so I took charge. I sent out Hen Do Save the Dates months in advance. The plan was an afternoon and evening in London (where we all live), filled with activities, dancing, drinks and food.
A couple of weeks before the Hen, Jo messaged our WhatsApp group saying she "didn't realise [she] was required to attend the whole thing", and could only join for a bit. The other bridesmaids expressed "WTF" at that message but I let it slide.
The Hen Do was AWESOME. But - seriously - Jo was a total downer. She sat in a corner by herself looking bored and angry, and making everyone uncomfortable. All of us kept trying to get her to join in the fun but her response was, "No, I'm okay" or "It's not my thing." She persisted in sitting in her corner, so a few of us would regularly leave the games to hang out with her. That said, when I won a trophy for one of the activities, Jo kindly offered to look after it. After the Hen, I asked Jo for my trophy back but she said she'd already thrown it away. I told her that was uncool and that I was quite hurt. She apologised, and I let it go.
The bridesmaid outfit incident:
Regarding wedding planning, I was very hands-on when it came to organising the event - but determinedly hands-off with the bridal party.
I had planned a hair and makeup artist for my bridesmaids and told them they could each wear what they wanted - my only rule was NO MATCHING.
The bridesmaids had organised a separate WhatsApp group to coordinate their outfits and they agreed to each wear a different colour and outfit. All of the ladies collaborated and shared outfit photos in the group early on, except Jo who was apparently mainly silent until the week before the wedding.
So one week before the wedding, my best friend/bridesmaid Carys told me Jo had just sent everyone her outfit photo on the WhatsApp group - and that it was EXACTLY the same as Carys's. She shows me the photo Jo shared - yup, same dress, same colour, same accessories.
To be honest, I didn't actually care about the outfit. What pissed me off was Jo's total disregard for the other bridesmaid, or that she hadn't consulted the group before doing what SHE wanted, and that this felt calculated. Long story short, we asked Jo if she'd noticed her outfit was the same as Carys, to which Jo responded it was a different shade but that she would wear different accessories. Carys was OK with the compromise.
Wedding day:
On the day, Jo had stuck to her guns and copied Carys's look. Frankly, we all agreed to let it go for the sake of the wedding, and to address it afterwards.
In addition to the weird outfit situation, Jo's behaviour was bizarre. She looked miserable as we were all getting ready together. I told her she looked beautiful and at least she said thanks. Not that I care about compliments but she was noticeably the only bridesmaid not to comment on my bridal outfit (and I am not ashamed to say I looked like a sexy rockstar!). After the ceremony, I was on a high and gave her a big hug - she pulled away and said, "I don't know what to say. Well done, I guess." That put a sour taste in my mouth so I kept my distance from her for the rest of the day.
After the wedding:
A couple of weeks after the wedding, I messaged her to see if we could go for dinner. No response. I messaged her a month after that with an article I thought she might like. No response. Last week I asked her if we could meet up for a drink, and sent her a job vacancy that she might be interested in. No response. I know she is spending time with a couple of our friends but has now been ignoring me for 3 months.
Basically, I don't understand why she has been like this and why she won't speak to me. My husband and some of my friends are convinced that she's been in love with me the whole time we've known each other, therefore she's now pulling away - which I disagree with, as she has a boyfriend. I think maybe she feels neglected even though I have tried to connect with her? Or maybe she's just not interested in being friends anymore (people grow apart) but that seems a bit off? Maybe she feels hurt about not being one of the 'first bridesmaids'?
Honestly I don't know. The distance is making me see various toxic traits about her that I don't care to fix the friendship anymore.
From an outsider's perspective, what's your take on the whole thing?
Thank you for reading and have a nice day.

Hi neighbors!
My wife and I are in our mid 30s and expecting our first child. We currently own near Regis University, but are starting the research of our next “stop” in Denver. Looking for specific neighborhood recommendations rather than areas or towns. Providing interests below, please provide any insight and recommendations. (I know this is a lot, so please keep the rude comments to yourself): - a town with younger families. - safe neighborhood where kids are okay in streets to play sports or whatever else. - nicer neighborhood, with prices ranging from 600-900k. - bike and walking paths galore to parks and town(s). - close to a historic or olde town with restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, shops, etc. similar to golden or Littleton. - events for families and kids in the town or at nearby parks. - parks galore. Lakes, splash pads, playgrounds, sports fields, etc. - close to kid friendly activities like soccer leagues - good schools - nothing further than 50 minutes from airport and downtown denver

I'd like to start by letting everyone know that the genre is Fantasy Epic, and that this is a long prologue at 6,414 words. This prologue serves a purpose as it takes care of a lot of my setting and plot setup. It also gives the reader a fair bit of worldbuilding without making it too much of an info dump (talking to you Robert Jordan ;P).
I've had several people beta read this for me and gotten a lot of positive feedback. The prolbem for me is that these were all people I know very well on a personal level. Several have made comparisons to Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings as far as how well the full book is written. The problem is, friends and family can often have a bias and make things seem better than they really are. So, now I want to do a test run in the real world and see what people who don't know me think. Is it as engaging and compelling as they have made me hope that it is?
I'm basically wanting to take a page from a couple authors I admire and follow the ABC rule for critiquing. Please let me know of any point where you thought it was Awesome, Boring or Confusing. I know prologues aren't everyone's favorite thing, but this has basically been written like a novella for the main story as it foreshadows a lot of things leading all the way into book four.
————————————————————————————
PROLOGUE
ARCHIVE INFINITUM
October 14, 844 (Alt-Future)
"Welcome back to the Archive, Master Jonathan."
"Thank you, Charles. It's good to be back. Have you noticed anything interesting in the Physical Realm?"
"I have not, sir. Do you require any assistance today?"
"Thank you, but no. I'm only here to revisit a passage within the history of the Order. Shortly after, I'll depart for the reunion at the Tower."
"Excellent, sir. I'll leave you to it."
Jonathan emerged from the ether and walked through the Archive doors. Inhaling deeply, he breathed in the familiar scents of dusty cleanliness that can only truly be found in a place of learning. The lights reflected off the floor's white marble surface, casting a glow that evenly lit every corner of the large chamber. Even so, the room still felt cavernous to him, as if he were a galleon amidst the vastness of the ocean.
Jonathan appeared to be in his early to mid forties. Though, with the way he carried himself and the spring in his step, he seemed closer to his late twenties. His hair was shoulder length and dark gray. He wore bifocals though he hadn't needed them since his ascension, and dressed with a refined sense of style.
His gray eyes were by far his most interesting feature, though. They were the only hint of how old he truly was and the many adventures and travesties he'd witnessed. Regardless, how old he was didn't matter as age had long since lost its meaning for him. After all, being an immortal tended to give a man new priorities in life.
As he strolled across the room, a lift descended from the tower's heights. The square platform had waist high rails around its perimeter. It floated through the air showing no sign of a suspension system to raise or lower it. This was accomplished by a magical enchantment that allowed it to levitate and dart about the room at mind numbing speeds. As he stepped up onto the platform's dais, it landed on the floor in front of him. He took a position at its center, then, after folding his arms behind his back, mentally willed it to take him to floor eight hundred forty four.
It rose off the ground, gradually gaining speed until it was a hundred or so feet in the air. At that point, the platform took off like a rocket. The thought of what these speeds would do to him if this were outside the Realm of Intellect crossed his mind, making him chuckle nervously. He knew he had to be moving close to six hundred miles per hour.
Now, let me tell you a bit about Jonathan's pet project, The Archive Infinitum. The Archive is a magical structure he'd designed shortly after the cataclysm that nearly wiped out the human race. An event most of you now refer to as the Night of Burning Skies. That same event is also what gave us the powers we now refer to as magic.
Shortly after obtaining his ascension, he learned that science's multiverse theories were close to how reality really worked. There are an infinite number of parallel universes, or branching timelines, that coexist simultaneously. What was different is that each universe shared a common six realm structure. The Physical Realm, the Realm of Intellect, the Dominion of Shadows, the Plane of Enlightenment, the Land of the Forgotten, and the Ether.
He built the Archive within the Realm of Intellect so it wouldn't be bound by the laws of physics or time as we know them. Once the structure was anchored in place, he could set most of those parameters himself. What he didn't realize was that making it here would have an unintended, though not unwelcome, side effect. The structure's size, shape, and architectural style could change by anyone who entered it.
When someone enters the Archive, it ascertains their strength of mind and will. Suppose the individual's mental fortitude is deemed stronger than that of the other occupants. In that case, the appearance will adjust to one that best serves and appeals to that individual. This could become unsettling for the occupants already inside the first few times it happened. That being said, it has no effect on the contents atop the shelves or where you're located within the structure. For Jonathan, it shared an uncanny resemblance to the George Peabody Library, though on a much grander scale.
The lift stopped after a brief ride, and Jonathan stepped off. He resumed his stride, passing row after row of the cherry wood bookcases. There were hundreds of rows and thousands of tomes and scrolls in each. As a scholar, he'd spent most of his existence here. But, even so, he knew there would always be something more to be gleaned from their pages.
Today was a day of remembrance. Of celebration. Of mourning. It was the anniversary of the end of a war that had lasted ten thousand years. With the death of one individual, a light of hope was given to many. For others, it was a bittersweet victory that left a void in their hearts. He'd come here today to revisit a passage that would return him to that fateful day. Reliving the event which granted them this peace, and once again, paying his respects to a dear friend.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes. Here we go."
The plaque on the side of the bookcase read, Row DD, Column 15. Now that he'd found the right one, he began scanning the shelves. It wasn't long before his hand landed on the tome he sought.
"Here it is." He pulled it down from the shelf. "My word. Has it truly been fifteen hundred years since I glanced through these pages?"
Looking at the cover, he chuckled. The combined magic of the Archive and the Realm had created a thin layer of dust. Giving it the feeling of something ancient and lost to time. Raising it to his lips, he blew the dust away, causing the magic to dissipate as it fell to the floor. He pulled open the cover and rifled through the pages. The section he stopped at contained the account of Rexinon the Prophet's final words.
Summoning his divine magics, he channeled a spell into the tome. The words that once filled the passages began to fade away, leaving only the blank pages, which now bled a blueish gray smoke. The soft glow of the lights against the floor diminished as the smoke spread. As the darkness grew more substantial, luminescent spheres and arcs of brilliant blues and crimson could be seen dancing about its surface like lightning.
The ground trembled beneath his feet, and the smokey haze took on a more stormlike appearance. All around him, the air started to feel heavy, and the taste of dust and sea salt filled his mouth. A gentle rain began to fall, and the room's remaining lights winked out. If not for the increasing flashes of lightning, he would've been left in total darkness. But even this was not a comfort, as those flashes cast shadows against the storm's ever swirling walls. Many of which appeared to be dark things that should never be seen in the light.
The storm's intensity grew, bringing disorienting cracks of thunder and wind whipping around him. It assaulted his senses and seemed to have an almost vengeful purpose. That meant he had to constantly focus on the spell, bracing himself against the onslaught. If he failed, it would kill him without question.
Some of the shadows began to take on a physical form with details beyond what the walls could offer them. He watched as an hourglass tumbled end over end, circling him before it returned to the storm. A moment later, a blazing fireplace and mantle emerged but produced neither light nor heat. Finally, a door engraved with the crest of the Order appeared. These images were ones he'd expected to see for this particular passage, and so came as no surprise. However, when a fourth image appeared, he was caught off guard.
Although it was normal for three images to accompany this spell, an occasional fourth spoke of prophecy. He focused intently on this final image. It showed twelve people standing in a circle; one of them was coated in blood. Two others were bound by chains. One a man, the other a woman.
He looked closer at the man and realized it was Godric. His eyes opened wide as he tried to decipher the meaning behind the image. Only a few moments passed while he speculated, but it was a few moments too many. Disaster struck, and too late, he realized his mistake. He'd lost focus, and now the storm would surely take him.
Hurricane force winds and debris tore at his clothes, quickly turning them into rags. One powerful gust slammed into his side as if he'd been struck by a car, knocking him off his feet. The storm swelled with even greater ferocity. It threatened to consume him this time, and he wondered if it would finally cost him.
Rain and hail pelted his face and body, while dust and sand stung his eyes. As he wiped away the grit, a bolt of lightning struck before him, temporarily blinding him. He got to his hands and knees, gasping for breath as the storm continued to beat him relentlessly.
Steeling himself against the pain, he rose to his feet. As fast as he could manage, he began casting mental defenses and barriers to protect his mind from the horrific assault. He bellowed in defiance of the storm, "I will not let it end this way! I refuse!" One defense after another was laid upon his person, until finally, he succeeded. The winds died to a breeze as the rain became little more than a summer misting.
He heard the sound of a quill scratching against paper over the storm's remnants, and the air behind his back grew hot as a crackling fire joined the room's ambiance. The sickly sweet smell of incense filled his nostrils, reminding him of days spent in his master's study. Another fond memory.
The storm wall vanished as the tremors subsided, making the room visible through a misty haze. The light of the fireplace cast his shadow across the now rough cut gray stone floor. Half a dozen tapestries hung around the room, and a liquor cabinet stood at the room's far corner. The main entry door remained closed to his left, and the doorway to the study's balcony lay to his right. At the room's center sat Rexinon at his desk, writing furiously on a piece of parchment.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he breathed a sigh of relief. Although he'd done this countless times, the journey into the pages of history was always filled with peril. But, blessedly, the most intense part of the spell was complete. And while he could now relax in that fact, that fourth image still concerned him.
He stood in the familiar square room, clothing restored to its original state. The evening's air flowed through the open windows, making the ambient temperature quite cozy. Crossing the room, he paused at the desk and listened as Rexinon started muttering. "What I wouldn't give for a typewriter, much less a computer. Would make this so much faster."
Jonathan couldn't help but crack a smile. "Oh, but how many times have I thought the same thing, old friend?" He remarked, though he knew Rexinon couldn't hear him.
He stepped up to the desk and leaned over it. Looking down at the paper Rexinon was writing on, he frowned. Like so many times before, it appeared as little more than black scribbles on a page. Those words had to be important, but there was no way to know.
This was one of the spell's critical weaknesses. The details within the vision were only as precise as what was written in the tome. Most of the books in the Archive were magically transcribed. The benefits of this were completed histories free of victor and writer biases. Although, it wasn't flawless.
Throughout history, there have been individuals or events that the spell couldn't see. The most well known examples of these blips in time were the United States presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945 and the United Kingdom's Prime Minister, Michael Durham, from 2063 to 2065. All that is known about them was their lives before office and the accounts written by those around them. These gaps in history were generally the result of one of two things. In these two cases, a place or individual with a strong connection to the Dominion of Shadows.
Sighing, he pushed off the desk and crossed the room to the liquor cabinet. He opened the glass doors, pulling several bottles and a glass from the shelves. He made a drink consisting of three parts Red Adders Bite and one part Dry Amorian Blood Wine, then added a lime wedge to the rim of the glass. The others wouldn't arrive for another half hour, leaving him time to kill.
He walked around the room with his drink in hand and studied the various tapestries, several of which he'd been a part of. Each one depicted an accomplishment or tragedy facilitated by the Order. All save one, which showed a scene from the event that started it all.
The one to the left of the cabinet showed the Order's founding. In the background stood a grand tower of black and white marble. Its four sides were engraved with the Mark of Hellyrr, which glowed with a magical light. In front of it stood a man facing a gathered crowd, his arms swept wide in triumph. They looked up at him and the structure with reverence and awe.
He continued to move in a counterclockwise manner around the room. Above the main entry door hung another tapestry. One he was even depicted in. It showed the aftermath of a massacre. Six figures stood amidst the bodies of hundreds. The earth around them was scorched by flame, and the blood of the fallen had stained it red. The cloud covered sky glowed a deep crimson with gold outlines from the fires below. It had come to be known as the Cleansing of Elysian, in which the entirety of the planet's second continent had been annihilated to preserve the world.
"I wish it had never come to this. Why can't we all just get along? Instead of thriving in the prosperity of our two lands, they plotted and began planning to bring war to our own people. To rape, pillage, and enslave them. Even with all my vast knowledge and wisdom, I can't understand why they felt the need to dominate and control the world." He looked back up at the tapestry. "Even now, most of the land is still uninhabitable."
He turned around and looked at the tapestry above the balcony door. This one would appear out of place with the others to all but a few handfuls of people. Even for those who learned the truth behind it, it looked like little more than an artist's vision of what a beautiful landscape at sunset should look like. The sky is dotted with hundreds of stars as shades of red, orange, and yellow dance across the land's horizon. The artist's point of view appears to be looking down from a hillside. Down the hill's slope, you can see a pond teaming with wildlife along its edge. The remaining landscape is filled with miles of forest stretching toward the horizon.
For the few who survived this event and still remained, they knew it depicted the final moments of their world before all of humanity was nearly lost.
Jonathan fixated on this tapestry more than he had on the others. The longer he stared, the more distant his expression grew. Over time, his breathing quickened, and his grip on the glass slipped. It shattered as it hit the floor, causing the rug to stain from the liquid. The sound jerked him out of the trance like state, making him feel ill.
He could still recall the memory of that long ago day like it were yesterday. The thought of how close humanity had come to extinction made his legs weak, and he stumbled back against the wall behind him. He slid down the stones' cool surface and noticed his hands were now trembling. Through shuddering breaths, he uttered the words of a broken man. "So much death. So many lives were lost that day. So many. Oh, Sonia. Even after all this time, I still miss you."
The main entry door slammed open, crashing against the wall with a loud bang. Jonathan jerked as one of them collided mere inches from where he sat. The startling sound had been enough to pull him from his stupor, but it still took a moment for him to gather himself. A man in the doorway lowered his foot from where he'd obviously kicked the unlocked door in.
"Knock, knock, Rex. Seems you've done it now."
"Seth. I'll never understand the animosity you held for Rexinon," Jonathan said wearily as he got to his feet.
Seth stood just shy of five foot eight inches and had slick black hair that he kept combed back. He wore black jeans and a beige dress shirt with mother of pearl buttons, which had seen far too much polish in recent days. A malevolent grin displayed his perfect teeth and careless eyes. He strode into the room, dragging a chair behind him, and placed it on the rug by the fireplace.
"Was kicking the door in really necessary, Seth?"
A second man stepped into the room, obviously annoyed by the unnecessary use of force. He wore a navy blue business suit and towered over everyone else in the room, and that was saying something considering Jonathan was six foot. As he still held to the standards of a marine, he kept his hair high and tight and his face clean shaven. He stood at the rug's edge out of respect for the Order so as not to mar the embroidered Mark of Hellyrr. A respect Seth clearly lacked.
"Godric Gibbs. This day changed you. Hell, it changed all of us, but few as much as you," Jonathan said. He looked back at the door as the third and final man entered. "Assassin."
This man was of a height with Jonathan and wore all black from head to toe. His outfit looked like something out of a TV show. Almost like a cross between Gi Joe's Snake Eyes, and CW Arrow's League of Assassins. After ten thousand years, all they knew about him was his previous occupation as a contract killer. It wasn't long before they'd taken to calling him Assassin, as they had no other name to go by. Any time he was asked a question regarding his past, he either remained silent or dodged it outright. He took a position to Godric's left and, like Godric, took care of where he stood on the rug.
The three men stood in silence and watched as Rexinon continued to write. Godric and Assassin seemed content to wait until he addressed them. On the other hand, Seth seemed to grow more agitated as the minutes passed. Jonathan chuckled in spite of himself.
About twenty minutes later, Rexinon spoke, "Reverend Seth Jones, Colonel Godric Gibbs, and Assassin. To what do I owe the pleasure?" His tone plainly indicated that he already knew.
Seth spoke first. "Oh, cut the crap, Rex. You already know why we're here. This cult thing of yours has gone on long enough."
"Well, there's the pot calling the kettle black," Jonathan muttered sarcastically.
Godric rolled his eyes. Everyone in the room knew about Seth's past as a cult leader. They also knew his anger was more at being forced to wait in silence than anything to do with Rexinon or the Order.
"Calm yourself, Seth. There's no need for such hostilities." Godric looked at Rexinon apologetically. "I'm sorry to have to do this, old friend, but my hands are tied. Rexinon the Prophet, Headmaster of the Hellyrrian Order, you've been charged with conspiracy to overthrow the governments of Aurelia and seize control for the Order.
"As we speak, the leaders of the Hellyrrian Order are being gathered for execution. Furthermore, your towers and all their artifacts will be destroyed, and any remnants of the Order's existence is to be wiped from the face of history. As of 0813 this morning, you have been sentenced to death. How do you plead?"
Rexinon continued to write at an incredible rate. He knew why they'd come. He'd known this was coming for months. After all, his gift was the gift of prophecy. The evidence for the charges against him was both substantial and ethereal, depending on what light was shown on it.
Two centuries ago, the Order had tracked the activities of an unknown number of individuals who'd been subtly manipulating several of the Aurelian governing bodies. They'd spread like a poison, corrupting them and turning once prosperous kingdoms which knew few hardships, into lands where the people had to fight just to survive. The problem was that whoever that force had been, always seemed to be just one step ahead of them. Now, not only was it check, but checkmate. The Order had lost.
"I believe the Righteous Twelve to be ill advised. I believe you've been manipulated by the same corrupted governing body which we've spent so long trying to purify—." Seth grunted. "—But," he said at length, "I accept all charges against me, save one. Neither myself nor anyone else of the Order has ever sought to rule Aurelia, as the charges would imply. The Cleansing of Elysian should've been proof enough to show that to be true."
Rexinon penned the final words of his letter and placed the pen back in its stand. Pulling the top off a jar, he dusted the page with a thin layer of sand to soak up any excess ink. After dumping the sand back into another jar to be cleaned, he pushed away from his desk and stood to look at his guests for the first time. After nudging his stool back under, he addressed Godric directly.
"Will you join me on the balcony one last time?"
Godric nodded his head and gestured towards the balcony doorway. As they stepped outside, Jonathan followed.
Rexinon leaned against the railing and looked out over the city, his gaze fixed on the setting sun. Godric joined him and looked down to the tower's base, some five hundred feet below. Although he was not afraid of heights, it gave him respect for the sturdily mounted railing at the balcony's edge.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Rexinon said. Godric looked at him, confused. "The way the world has turned out since that day? Ten thousand years of watching as civilization was rebuilt and destroyed time and time again by a senseless war. Watching them evolve into something more as they learned how to use these gifts we were given. In some ways, we're greater than we ever were. In other ways, we're inferior. If I have any regrets, it's that I couldn't do more to leave the people better prepared for this new age."
"Well spoken. If it's any consolation, I believe this is wrong. I even spoke out against the council for a different outcome. For my efforts, though, I was threatened with execution if I didn't cease my objections."
Rexinon's tone grew heated after hearing of the council's reaction. "You should know better than anyone why I fought so hard against them, then. I'm not against governance. I'm against corrupt governance. We had far too many corrupt politicians and warlords in our own time for me to ever want to allow it again."
Godric nodded his head. "Yes. The problem is you played too heavy a hand too quickly. Instead of accepting that they'd been beaten, they cheated by playing with an ace they had hidden up their collective sleeves."
Rexinon sighed, knowing his words were true. "Indeed. I've accepted my fate. I won't run. Won't even make it difficult for y'all. I have no need to. I would like to make one final request to ease your conscience, though."
Rexinon leaned toward Godric conspiratorially. As he did this, the world around them began to shimmer and distort. Almost like the motion blurring you'd see on a TV. Likewise, their conversation was masked by the sound of white noise and the sound of hushed incoherent whispers.
This was the second hurdle the scrying spells had to deal with. Individuals with divine magic could conceal their conversations or even the events they were a part of. Rexinon had concealed this conversation, and to this day, Godric has never spoken of what was said.
Jonathan returned to the study with a resigned sigh. There was nothing more he could learn from their conversation. Assassin stood in the same spot he'd been when he first entered the room and looked as if he hadn't so much as twitched. Seth, however, was rummaging through the desk's drawers. He'd tried to figure out what he was looking for in the past, but nothing seemed obvious.
The shards of glass from when he'd dropped his cup earlier had vanished, along with the stain on the rug from the liquor. As expected, the glass had returned to the cabinet, and the bottles had refilled to where they were before he'd arrived. This was yet another reminder that this was a magically induced vision of an event that had long since passed. It could be too easy to forget that this wasn't real and that if he spent too much time here, it would have consequences in the real world for him.
He knew they'd be out there a while. In previous visits, he'd occasionally spent this time combing through the room, similar to what Seth was doing. Having cataloged everything centuries ago, there was nothing left to do but wait. So, he walked around the desk and sat squarely within the Mark of Hellyrr embroidered on the rug. There, for the next hour or so, he would remain, arms folded, legs crossed, and eyes shut. Freeing his mind of all unnecessary thoughts and emotions. At least, that was the plan.
About forty minutes in, Seth started to grumble and complain, forcing Jonathan to give up on his meditation. "… I know he's one of the humblest among our kind, but lord, does he have to be so dull? I can't find anything interesting anywhere. Even his liquor cabinet is dull." Seth walked from behind the desk to the liquor cabinet, pulled a few bottles out at random, and read the labels aloud. "Red Adders Bite, Amorian Blood Wine. Christ, he's even got Athester's Sweet Malt. This crap might as well be water." He pulled another bottle down and said, "At least he's got the taste to have at least one bottle of Nordic Berserker."
"Some of us prefer the simpler things in life. You might find life more enjoyable when you aren't always looking for the rare and exotic," Assassin said with a disinterested, almost dismissive tone.
Seth clicked his tongue. "Hell, even this letter he was so focused on when we arrived makes no sense." Seth thrust the letter towards Assassin, who took it nonchalantly. "Look at this."
Jonathan studied Assassin intently, hoping for any sign that would reveal the letter's contents. It was no use, though; for all the emotion he showed, Jonathan would've thought it no more important than a grocery list. But, if that were the case, why obscure it from the eyes of the scrying spell? The frustration caused by such a simple sheet of paper was baffling.
Jonathan got to his feet as Rexinon and Godric returned. As Rexinon walked to stand at the center of the rug, Jonathan moved behind the desk. Godric walked toward Assassin and conversed with him for a few minutes. Once again, the sound of white noise shrouded what was said. This time, it was Godric who masked his words from the spell. When Assassin nodded, Godric moved beside him and faced Rexinon.
Rexinon looked at each tapestry and seemed to relive each as he did so. They all knew those accomplishments and tragedies would stand the test of time. Any efforts to change that would fall flat. The Order had played too significant a role in shaping this new world. Finally, he turned to Godric, kneeling as he met his regret filled eyes.
Assassin pulled an infamous rod from his side, dubbed the Executioner's Handle. Forged in the Dominion of Shadow by Assassin some three thousand years ago. It was one and a half feet long of shadow infused steel and bound with his own divine essence. Ominous black tendrils crawled along Assassin's hand like something alive and flowed into the handle. The shaft elongated, and an axe head formed at its end.
Though he had accepted his fate, seeing that axe form made Rexinon's heart stop momentarily. He looked at Godric questioningly. Godric knew what that look meant and nodded his head in assent. Agreeing to this had allowed them both to right several wrongs this night by asking one simple question. "Do you have any final words or requests?"
"I have two, if you'll grant them. The first, allow me to disband the Order formally as my final act as headmaster."
Seth started to protest, but Assassin lowered the axehead in his direction as a silent threat. Seth glared at Assassin with seething hatred. Godric nodded to Rexinon. "Proceed."
As the headmaster of the Hellyrrian Order, he had a mental connection with every member. Without hesitation, Rexinon's eyes began to glow with a brilliant purple hue. This would be Rexinon's final order, and Godric knew it would save thousands.
"My brothers and sisters, hear me now and heed my words. Abandon the Order and save yourselves. Flee to the hills and never look back to what we once were. With my dying breath, the Hellyrrian Order is no more. The governments of Aurelia have played a hand we can't stand against. Anyone who disregards this command will be hunted down and executed without mercy. To the leaders and guild masters of the Order, I charge you with dismantling everything relating to the Order and turning over every artifact and document you can to Godric the Just, Jonathan the Wise, or Assassin the Watcher. I also ask that you help calm those who feel outraged and betrayed by this night. Do not blame the Twelve, as they were little more than pawns in this corrupt game of politics. Farewell, my friends. My family. May the peace we have fought for be found in the coming days."
The glow faded, and he slumped forward onto his hands, his breathing labored. A few moments passed, and he managed to catch his breath but still looked towards the ground.
"The second request I have is that anyone who would heed that warning be spared. The ruling factions wanted me. As long as no one else causes trouble, we know they won't cause too much fuss over it."
His voice took on a much sharper edge as he looked back up. "You call us a cult, though you know we are nothing of the sort. On the contrary, our Order has stood for nearly five thousand years for the betterment of the entire world. How they treated you should tell you that what I said and what we were doing was justified."
"Shut your mouth, Rex!" Seth spat venomously.
Godric glared at Seth. His own anger with this situation was at the point of breaking free. "Be silent! I don't know what kind of grudge you have, but I, for one, don't give a damn what the council said. Rexinon doesn't deserve death for the crimes he's being accused of. Unfortunately, the ruling factions in almost every nation are corrupted and working towards being as corrupt as they were back in our day." Godric sighed. "Regrettably, my hands are tied, though. The law is the law, and I have been overruled on this matter. Regardless of what my conscience thinks, I will abide by the rules of the land."
Rexinon nodded, understanding Godric's situation perfectly. Godric had become the divine embodiment of law and justice at his ascension. While those two things work hand in hand, they are far from the same, and one must often walk a fine line to serve them both. In this case, the choices were clear. In the end, it didn't matter what he chose; he would inevitably betray one virtue or the other. Unfortunately, there was no good way for him to handle this, and Rexinon could see how this was affecting him.
"The majority of the Order will heed my warning. As for the leaders, if any are still alive, they will follow that command to the letter. They'll even aid you in handling any hotheads who resist," Rexinon said.
"The good news is that no one has yet been executed this evening. I'll personally see to it that those who abide by that order are given a chance to live long, productive lives within society. If all goes well, you will be the only casualty of this idiocy."
Rexinon gave the faintest sign of a smile with a halfhearted chuckle as he said, "Godric, one thing I'll not allow is any of the Order's work ending up in the hands of one of those tyrants. Therefore, I demand that Jonathan be given every document, scroll, and tome held within our strongholds for safekeeping." Rexinon felt exhausted. The spell to warn his Order took more out of him than anticipated.
"You're in no position to be making demands of us," Seth said. Godric finally snapped and struck him so hard that he slammed back into the wall beside the fireplace, cracking it. He got back to his feet a moment later, fixed his shirt, and looked down at the blood he'd wiped from his lip. Godric looked back at Rexinon.
"As you were saying."
"Assassin, I'd ask that you secure all our relics and artifacts, regardless of their magical significance. I don't need to tell you what all we have housed around Aurelia."
"No, you don't. The nukes of our time were nothing compared to some of those items," Assassin replied.
"We'll see to it that it's done. There are things within these walls that were never meant for untrained mortal hands," Godric added.
"Thank you."
"As for the texts, Jonathan will have a field day going through everything. There is far too much the council doesn't understand within these walls that we can't afford to lose."
"Godric was right, Rex. I still have everything. Much of which has been quite useful over the centuries,"
Godric turned his head away, no longer able to look Rexinon in the eye. "I no longer deserve the right to call you a friend, but is there anything else you would ask of me?"
Rexinon looked at Godric for a long time and couldn't help but smile. Not at his pain or suffering in following the orders given to him, but knowing that if anyone here had ever been a friend to him, Godric certainly was. With his final words, he left Godric with a warning.
"No, but I'll leave you with this. Be wary of those among you, for one will betray you all. My friend."
Godric nodded, accepting these as Rexinon's final words as a tear ran down his cheek. Rexinon lowered his head, and Assassin enveloped his axe's blade in a purple aura.
"Woah, Assassin, what's with the new color? Never seen that before," Seth asked.
Ignoring the question, Assassin swung the axe, severing Rexinon's head cleanly.
That night, the cries of the Order were heard in every city across Aurelia. All mourning the death of the Order's first, and last, headmaster.
Jonathan fought back tears of his own as he watched the axe's head vanish. Assassin secured the handle on his belt as he walked towards the desk. Godric looked as though he was going to be sick.
"Did you do as I asked?" Godric asked shakily.
"Of course. I may be a trained killer, but even I know this was bullshit, mate."
Seth walked over and picked up Rexinon's severed head by the hair. He held it up before him, a mischievous grin on his face. Then he whispered something into Rexinon's ear.
Assassin's eyes locked on Seth. As he let go of the head, he used one of his abilities, known as shadow step, to cross the distance to where Seth stood. Before Rexinon's head hit the ground, Assassin snatched it out of the air and punched Seth so hard that it sent him flying into the same section of the wall he'd hit earlier. He bounced off it, but the force of the impact sent several of the stones flying into the next room. Seth crumpled to the floor, where he lay unmoving for several seconds. After a while, his head snapped upright, and he began to laugh. He stood up as if nothing had happened and headed out the door. Godric, now seething with anger, watched as Assassin started to go after him. "Leave him. He's not worth your time."
Jonathan paced around the room, waiting for the spell to wear off. His heart ached, and his own anger toward Seth at that moment made him wish he could destroy the man. But that was Seth's way, and they'd all learned to let it go in time. The world began to blur and vanish, reverting to the Archive once again.
He closed the cover, placing the tome back on the shelf with a heavy sigh. His fingers lingered on the binding as he read the inscription, A Complete History of the Hellyrrian Order, Volume 666. Finally, Jonathan let his hand fall to the side as he walked away with his shoulders slumped.
As if speaking to an old friend, he lamented, "Damn you, Rex. Why couldn't you have just left well enough alone?"
As Jonathan walked away, he shed a tear at the loss of one of his closest friends.

An actor everybody is pretty much somewhat familiar with, Rowan Atkinson that plays Mr Bean recently made an about 10 minute press release speech and statement. It was directly concerning the freedom of the people of the United Kingdom to merely express themselves, to perform the very human act of communicating and sharing. https://youtu.be/xUezfuy8Qpc
The fact that the U.K is unfortunately by law a tyrannical state that dishes out criminal punishment to anyone who says anything anyone finds offensive, no literally they actually have laws that get you arrested for posting normal song lyrics and other mundane normal usage posts. It's from a recent yet slightly older law from 25 years ago, and it enables anyone to be charged with hate speech for saying or since the advent of social media posting anything anyone ever finds offensive.
I wish it were otherwise but unfortunately these authoritarian tyrannical laws are also present... in Australia and you have probably forgotten but they were on full display in Australia in 2019... when the Pharmaceutical companies became the wealthiest and most profitable companies on Earth... the same companies that sponsor Political Parties,... and Television advertisements,... Social Media companies (like the one your on now) and literally run the tests and produce all medical scientific papers (studies, theories, hospitals, physicians on payroll, fund entire hospitals and livelihoods... etc. etc.) The best example I can remember of the absolute tyranny Australia was under is a case whereby a pregnant women in Victoria was arrested for writing on a Facebook post that she was against lockdowns and supported the protests against them... the Police came and arrested her... for 'Hate Speech'... it luckily enough got picked up media companies (TV stories and articles). Luckily. So the police, after dragging this pregnant woman kicking and screaming out of her apartment (not exactly literally) let her go without charge. She was lucky. Very very lucky. And there is no way she should have had to have been 'lucky' for merely making a post on Facebook.
America simply does not have this problem as written into the very constitution as the 1st Amendment to their constitution by the founding fathers in all of their wisdom, intelligence, good faith and if your religious like they where, filled with divine enlightenment wrote it such that the Government in America has no ability to write any law to restrict people's rights to express themselves (Freedom of Speech), restrict the press (because back then they lacked smart phones, social media and all modern technology, which should be obvious but perhaps it is not and is difficult for people today to even begin to imagine life back then despite it being very loosely similar to today's world) and finallu restrict people's religious freedoms (written in reverse order to this because they were all wise God loving, humble, noble and brave men.
America's 1st Amendment is the only Freedom of Speech law written into its very constitution in the entire world, it is the reason that America is referred to as 'Land of the Free' and the second part of that phrase, 'Home of the Brave.'. As for protests, peaceful assembly had always been constitutionally protected, not violent assembly so riots and revolution is still very much illegal and is met with lethal counter force every time. [As a side note, if peaceful assembly fails to prevent America becoming a Tryrannical State, then the 2nd Amendment is the fail-safe. As the wisdom of the founding fathers literally argued and intendeded]
Australia does not have that phrase and frankly I feel that every Australian that knows that, feels a deep unspoken, subconscious shame over that fact and far more importantly that all Australians simply do not have the constitutional right to even speak their minds freely, as every human being alive desires.
As Rowan Atkinson stated 'Hate Speech' is not real. It is a term used to silence, censor and remove power from whomever those in power disagree and dislike or are offended by. There are seemingly endless examples from history of the evil deeds of enactment of those disliked by existing powers for example, Galileo (ostracised and persecuted by the church and all religious folk for merely stating he believed that the sun was the center of the Galaxy and not the Earth), Nikola Tesla (defamed by the work of Tomas Edison and countless people trying to claim his inventions as their own by way of patent theft and lies for the purpose of advertising like don't by an American organisation NPR over the discovery of radio), (Jesus Christ himself by his crucifixion by my Ancestors, the Romans) and as the last example, the NAZI's by locking up any intellectuals that disagreed or dared critisize any of their doctrine and propoganda, their torture of anyone condemned for death by way of countless sadistic and grotesque torture methods, and some though quite few, for scientific discovery purposes, their burning of the books followed in time by bodies, and lastly their brutal slaughter of the Jews, no evidence of wrongs but only stirring words and speeches from their beloved demagogue, Adolf Hitler and gigantic amounts of absolute propoganda distributed to the masses, orchestrated by NAZI Propoganda Chief Joseph Goebbels and his team. (Which every highschool student should have, though potentially didn't, have already learned from Highschool History class, at least in every Public School, Private Schools may be permitted a different curriculum.) Offensive caused by speech has only 1 solution. More Free speech, Rowan Atkinson a famous actor that has probably more wealth than this entire subreddit conveyed this message, and it would seem as an absolute truth as far as I can tell.
I have written this in hopes of sparking and pasing wisdom and knowledge into whoever needs to have read this. And hopefully you will pass this type of message on yourself from now on. Australia needs the Right of Freedom of Speech written into its very constitution. As demonstrated during COVID19 it needed it years ago but now even more than ever.
And to those that would say it will do nothing but allow mass disinformation, manipulation and mislead people, I would say this, history has proven you absolutely dead wrong on that statement and sentiment, the only solution to offense from speech is more Free Speech and if you silence, censor or try more modern trends of the same kind known as deplatforming or cancelling, then all you do, all you achieve, everything you are trying to stop will only be made stronger, more resilient and more popular then ever before. As examples, take Jesus Christ, he has the Roman equivalent of being hung drawn and quartered, he was crucified, publicly executed like a lamb to the slaughter to send a message of absolute obedience being required to the rest of the herd. Yet because of that Christianity exploded and has been far more viral than COVID19 or any viral video has ever been to date. And for modern times look at Tucker Carlson, deplatformed by pressure from Pharmaceutical companies, lawsuits from shitty voting machine companies and pathologically idealogically fanatic ex employees in lawsuits. Tucker Carlsons show on Fox was the most popular show on Fox News and it drew in about 2 million people every night to watch it... after he was fired... is now getting 35+ million on the regular after he started up on Twitter. I do so imagine that actuall that will be an understatement in the coming future as currently he's on his 2nd episode ever. The 'Streisand Effect' in full unbridled, unstoppable force.
Every Australian deserves the right to express themselves freely, meaning free of all Government persecution and all possible Government and legal persecution. This is and has always been a left wing idea, as the rule of Tyrants; Dictators, kings Pharaohs, Caesar's, Shoguns, Kahns, Lords, Nobles Knights and Emperors have always, always been majority perpetuated by people with conservative temperaments, whereas free thinkers, creative and imaginative people are the minority of people perpetuating the rule of Tyrants.
We here in Australia critisize China for authoritarianism and tyranny when there is weakness in our own ranks. 'Those in glass houses should not throw stones' - some famous person', 'never lay cannonfire on your enemy with a glass cannon' -me. Western countries, especially our home Australians true colours, true laws and beliefs of of people were broadcaster for the world to see during covid. And they paint a very dark authoritarian picture of our nation to the world, something China is more than smart enough to take advantage of... and much to our chagrin they are and have been since Covid ended for us. Chinese propoganda, their Television Channels, all Chinese State OWNED... all of them constantly bring up how Australia, England and America all were even worse if not just as bad as China was during Covid19, and as the best and most convincing propoganda always is... its harrowingly mostly true. (Only, partly mostly thankfully) but domestic Chinese TV isn't the most important propoganda outlet taking the easy win by using our sins in their propoganda... no, that would be the Confucius Institute in Australian Universities. China's unelected ruling communist party (communist in name only these days, just a full bull authoritarian tyranny is their ideology nowadays) main propoganda outlet in Australia is a Chinese University group called the Confucius Institute (I could be wrong about the name and I've spent too long writing this to be bothered to look it up). They target young, impressionable Chinese men and women when they are studying abroad in Australia's universities, our most popular young adult Chinese attraction, I dare say, maybe even 'Global young adult Asian attraction' as I once met a man from Tibet who said exactly that in a course I had to take for my construction job (white card). The Confucius Institute goal is promote CCP propoganda via demonising the way Australia and all Western countries are so that as few young people ever believe in the ideals of Democracy and want to return to China, such that the CCP can perpetuate its tyrannical rule over China forever. Idealogically brainwash 'loose ends' - Mafia Terminology if you understand. They thanks to what happened to Australia under the Lib/Nats Coalition 2019 to late 2022 they distribute and spread half truths about Australia and countless other lies about every part and aspect of life in Australia as well as pay members of their organisation to organise pro China protests, (sign holders and chanters) in Australian Universities, footage of this circulated sparsely in Australian media and articles during 2014-2018 roughly though probably a bit before too. They actively seek out and target specifically ethnically Chinese and often try to emotionally blackmail them, incite fear into them, speak exclusively their propoganda to then and rarely but almost certainly literally blackmail them using the threat of violence, torture and death of their families back in China. Naturally there's no direct evidence of that claim except for Chinese Father and Husband in England that was blackmailed (husband of high ranking shipping Port official wife) they abducted his wife and child and forced the wife read a script to the husband over the phone (utilised emotional and physical blackmail and just directly veiled and unveiled threats, I recommend you look up interviews from the husband) and if you look up the articles of the Confucius Institute from IDK 2011-2018 and have the ability to interpret from what the articles found you can tell the Confucius Institute, only has 1 purpose, to try and perpetuate the CCP's rule of China and stop and protest against their rule, specifically stopping Tiananmen Square type protests from ever happening again. The Tianamen Square Massacre was a global well known proverbial black eye to China that severely hampered every nation's diplomatic relations with China for close to half a century, and the CCP didn't like that as even Tyrants love swimming in money, also the CCP loves stealing technology through trade espionage, China's MAG Lev trains and their entire car industry is built off stolen technology from Western companies dumb enough to deal with companies owned by the CCP. Naturally the Chinese who have been or are being 'convinced' by the Confucius Institute are always the biggest promoters of Anti Freedom ideas, especially the death of Freedom of Speech via hate speech crime laws such as: incitement of violence laws (Victoria mainly), offensive Tweets, Facebook Posts, Instagram Posts,,, Goddamn Reddit posts all hopefully being made illegal and the Liberals God awful rich persons almost exclusive digital world referee, The new E-Safety Commisioner. And like all the God awful Tyrant Commissioner's from TV shows and books if the E-Safety commisoner ever... EVER gets in the hands of the Liberals again it will be used against the normal people of Australia to beat the collective will of normal free thinking Australian's to the ground if not to death. Only complete dumbass Liberal Supporters usually dumb beer drinking sky news watchers (usually fossils) and Young Adult Chinese University Students support ANY of the laws and speech referees I just mentioned.
Again please war h the video I linked at the tiop and if the Politcal State of the U.K interests you for whatever reason then I recommend: Count Dankular (his second channel) the first person in Scottish History tried and found guilty of 'Hate Speech'... from a freakin comedy video. Where he's mocking the very thing they charged him for supporting [funny pug salute video as a direct hint]), Jonathan Pie (excellent wit, fantastic satirist and insult wordsmith wizard, also very yelly, I like him) and lastly Jordan Shanks himself, the namesake of this subreddit, FriendlyJordies. Whenever he actually gets round to covering the U.K his analysis is excellent.
Also a guy from YouTube channel Sargon of Akkad though... fair warning, his videos are really boring but he is quite very articulate.
All Australians deserve the Right of Freedom of Speech. And unfortunately, on Reddit in particular I see far too many Tyrannical Speech Law sympathisers which I personally find truly disgusting and as much as I hate the authoritarian ideas you spout, I will defend your right to say and spread them. If your a real FriendlyJordies fan or agree with his ideas and rhetoric than I already know you support all Australians Right of 'Free Speech'.

Here's a link to the comment I'm replying to.

All right, If I'm not mistaken, you're of the sort whose opinions aren't necessarily dependent on any real life facts, someone that no matter what favors the dictations of his own ideological principles over reality. But for the sake of those few people that will read this, I'll respond to your comment, as I think this is an important topic.

I'd be interested to see the statistics.

Well, sure, here's one study that mentions it. And for those reading, here's a short extraction from the study's summary: *In all developed countries, women, especially mothers, work fewer paid hours than their spouses. Which is a kinda silly discussion since it's pretty widely known that women generally choose less time demanding careers than men; take jobs in the scientific field and manager positions, for example (here's a study mentioning this, and here's another). And I mean, logically speaking, if this wasn't the case, tell me who would be home taking care of the children? If you don't understand how much of a challenge it is for women to balance between children's care-giving and their career, then you have some serious self-education to do.

I'm fairly certain that woman are pursuing and completing post-secondary education in greater numbers than men. Again, I'd be interested in seeing you statistics.

[For this comment, I'll borrow from an answer of mine, to some other comment on this post, here it goes.] This is true in the sense that modern western universities are experiencing a larger number of female students, and at the same time a decline in male students. But, which is a pretty relevant but, the majority of women will not pursue 'scientific' careers in the same scale as men do (here's a link to one study where this is mentioned). Not to mention the fact that the majority of women will sacrifice their careers for the sake of spending more time with their children. Those factors combined create the aforementioned pattern of men being more 'scholar' than women, since most women's studies will be of secondary importance to them in relationship to the requirements of their motherhood. A side note is that I probably should've used the word 'scholar' instead of 'academic'; I excuse myself with the fact that english is my third language.

Again, I'd love to see the source for it. I'm not saying it's untrue. But it seems to be the center of your argument.

I already linked studies on this subject. But seriously, if you need a scientific study to explain to you that women's time spent with their children necessarily take away from their pursuits of scholarly endeavors, then I'm not sure what a scientific study can do for you. Do you read a scientific paper relating to the human necessity of taking a dump, before you squat down to do your business, as well? It's funny how it's the most fact-denying people that will be the ones mostly prepared to demand proof deemed by them to be 'scientific', in an argument where they don't have anything other than their ideological rigidity on their sides.

I feel I gave you two examples of characters that well represent motherhood.

I'm not talking about if women are portrayed in a positive or negative light, but rather how realistic their portrayal is. And as I wrote in reply to other comments on this post, motherhood is a sort of 'sideshow' or 'hobby' throughout The Stormlight Archives series. Which isn't a realistic portrayal of real life women. And here's another study for you, mentioning the fact that more women than men deem their families to be the most important aspects of their lives. Which makes motherhood neither a hobby nor a sideshow in women's lives.

I honestly don't understand how youve come to this conclusion. Hesina's character is centered in motherhood. Navani is a mother with grown children. That doesn't make motherhood a hobby or side hustle by any means.

It's hard to talk about Navani and Hesina precisely for the fact that their children are grown up. But when it comes to Navani, for example, it's hardly a good portrayal of women at all, since throughout 2 books and a half, I haven't got a single memory of her acting in a motherly way towards neither one of her children. So where's the motherly character, whose personality is worthy of the aforementioned study? I mean, let me ask you, if you grew up with both your parents, when you were a little child, did your mother spend equal time taking care of and working/studying?

Which one of the female characters is the perfect woman? Which one is meant to be presented as a perfect person? The entire series is about people being flawed.

'Perfect' as a synonym to the word 'ideal'. Although all of his characters have their flaws and struggles, there is definitely a pattern of idealism in the Alethi society, for example, that matches his left-leaning ideology. One simple example is 'logic' and 'scholarship' are ideals of that society. Which clearly is an attempt to show how functional such a society would be: which implicit tells the reader that real world's society's gender specific choices are nothing but a consequence of culture. A claim with very little basis in reality, which clearly goes against the studies I linked to this reply.

Not every woman is a mother, that does not make them less real. All of the women he has portrayed could be considered real. They do not need to be mothers to be real women. Again I would argue that Hesina is a representation of true motherhood.

First of all, I never said that women need to be mothers to be real women, so that's a shameless strawman from your side; and I don't believe it either. But you present exceptions to the rule as if they were the rule. The typical postmodernist reasoning. No, not all women are mothers, but most women are, at some point in their lives. And yes, all women portrayed in the series could be considered real, variation is real, yes. But my problem is the ratio of Sandersons portrayal, when it comes to relevant characters. Sorry but no, most women in real life are not scholars and warriors.

This leaves me feeling like you are just trolling. Motherhood =/= women's true personalities. There are many women who's identity is centered on being a mother and there are many that are not. This idea is you doing exactly what you are accusing Sanderson of. You seem to be projecting your ideals of what being a woman is as the real or true woman.

Once again, you're strawmanning me. I'm not saying that motherhood is women's true personality. What I'm saying is that women generally tend to view motherhood as the most important aspect of their lives. And in the broader context of my criticism of The Stormlight Archive: Sanderson's portrayal of motherhood as a sort of 'hobby' in women's lives, make the series portrayal of women fall short of being realistic. That's all.

FRIDAY

• Friday Night on White, White St., Wake Forest
• Two Durhams Beer Festival, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Subtronics, Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh
• Summerfest: Never Break the Chain: The Music of Fleetwood Mac, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• The Monti: Freak, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Cary's History of Hooch Tours, Downtown, Cary
• Shane Gillis, DPAC, Durham
• So Far Sounds, Secret Location, Cary
• Advance Auto Parts 160, Wake County Speedway, Raleigh
• Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater, Page Auditorium, Durham
• Elodie Farm Dinner, Elodie Farms, Durham
• Andrew Schulz, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• ONE OCEAN FILM TOUR, The Cary Theater, Cary
• Green Jelly, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Bluegrass and Brews, Nickelpoint Brewing Co., Raleigh
• Friday Family Flicks - Strange World, Garner Recreation Center, Garner
• Tour: Unsettled Things: Art from an African American South, Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill
• Angela Bingham w/Jim Ketch Quintet, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Retro Film Series - The African Queen & Key Largo, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• Pen Collectors of America: Triangle Pen Show 2023, DoubleTree by Hilton (RDU), Durham
• Carolina Tiger Twilight Tour, Carolina Tiger Rescue, Pittsboro

​
SATURDAY

• Town of Cary's Pimento Cheese Festival, Downtown Park, Cary
• Summerfest: All Beethoven, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Nuv Yug India Fest, Jim Graham Building at North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh
• Geek and Grub Market (Pride Edition), Mordecai Historic Park, Raleigh
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• THE BLOCK PARTY “Downtown Raleigh”, The Bridge & The Architect, Raleigh
• 2023 Annual Apex Pride Festival, Town Hall Campus, Apex
• Al Strong: Jazz Is My Religion, North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh
• NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Andrew Schulz, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Brookside Bodega Summer Festival, Brookside Bodega, Raleigh
• Durham Art Parade, The Scrap Exchange, Durham
• 6th Annual Triangle Community Band Festival, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Orchard Park Jazz Picnic, Orchard Park, Durham
• Rock the Park Concert — Rockie Lynn (Americana/Country), Forest Hills Park, Durham
• Bull Durham Screening Series, Durty Bull, Durham
• Best of the Triangle, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• Caifanes, The Ritz, Raleigh
• Metal Show: An Offering to Bragi, Moon Dog Meadery, Durham
• Summer Fun Day (Wake Forest), Fortnight Brewing, Wake Forest
• BODYTRAFFIC, Reynolds Industries Theater, Durham
• Single Barrel Experience, Mystic Farm and Distillery, Durham
• Frankie Alexander Quartet, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Children’s Matinee: Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater, Page Auditorium, Durham
• Alley Twenty Six’s Islands in the Alley, Alley Twenty Six, Durham
• DIY & Drag Fundraiser, Nailed It DIY Studio, Durham
• Burlesque: The Rainbow Connection – Boom Boom’s Big Gay B-day Review, The Pinhook, Durham
• Pride, Hi-Wire Brewing, Durham
• Drag Trivia, The Avenue, Raleigh
• Shallow Cuts: Mad Mix Beyond Thunderpop!, Rubies on Five Points, Durham
• Taste of Music Festival, Friendship Chapel Rd., Wake Forest
• Lower Eno River Discovery Paddle, Eno River, Durham
• Friends of Geer Cemetery: Restoration Awareness Ceremony, Geer Cemetery, Durham
• American Tobacco Trail - Great Trail Day, American Tobacco Trail, Durham
• Learn to Ride a Bike, Lake Lynn Park and Community Center, Raleigh
• WILD (Movie Showing), The Cary Theater, Cary

​
SUNDAY

• Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Duke University's Ciompi Quartet, NCMA, Raleigh
• Ricardo Arjona, PNC Arena, Raleigh
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch, Alley Twenty Six, Durham
• Kym Register + Meltdown Rodeo / Tami Hart / Dunums, The Pinhook, Durham
• Show Me Snakes Reptile & Exotics Show, Durham Armory, Durham

​
Join the Thingstodo919 email list here for a weekly events newsletter. Doing anything interesting this weekend? Let us know your plans in the comments!

First source, her tweet chain from yesterday with her accusations.
Second source, a daily mail article about what actually happened.
Third source, a massive "defense document" she posted to wordpress that reads like horny smut.
Not-so-brief-TLDR: Back in 2017, Jones was married & an instructor at Florida State University who had an affair with a student. Seems like the student stopped the affair when she showed up at his place one day to try and pregnancy trap him. Series of events happened that had her arrested multiple times, fired from university for sleeping with a student & banned from campus. The guy also got a restraining order against her. She even got institutionalized when she threatened to use a coat hanger to force an abortion because the guy reported the self-harm threats to police. Then in July 2019 she got in trouble again for writing a 340+ page manifesto called "SurvivingGarret" that she spread around online in #MeToo circles that included nudes of the guy and their sext'ing. That got her arrested for revenge porn. She's currently on a year-long probation, and just YESTERDAY seems like she's tweeting out more false-rape accusations while fully doxing him in retaliation.
There is way too much to read, if I got anything wrong feel free to correct me anyone.

Some background: We've been dating now for around 2 years. I graduated college at 22 and moved from State A to State B (11 hour drive, no family there for either of us). I got a job there to pair with her job as a flight attendant at that city's major airline hub. She grew homesick and wanted to move closer to family after about a year, so I spoke with my boss and was able to work out a remote work arrangement for the same office - I've been with that company since May 2022 and working remote since April, upon which time we moved in with her parents back in the same metro we grew up. Note that while her family is right here on the west side, my family and friends are all 1 hr+ away on the east side (60-70 miles) so it's been difficult to see them aside from weekends. I've already missed out on a lot I would have typically done with my friends.
Now, 2 people on my team of 5 either "resigned" or were outright terminated. While I don't think my job is in jeopardy and my managers have corroborated as such, I'm trying to keep my options open. One of those ways I want to keep my options open is to stay relatively close to the major city in our region. Well, with her airline's policy on commuting, long story short it's made more sense for her to drive to the next major city (currently around 2:05 drive away) instead of flying standby out of our airport to get to work (35 min drive + airport + flight time).With lower seniority in this base as compared to the old one in State B, super commuting has made her super cranky and she takes it out on me. She admits as such but instead of apologizing, she simply excuses it as normal. The solution, in her view, is to not only move closer to that airport but to BUY A HOUSE closer to that airport. One town she mentioned is still 1:53 away. Now, I'd possibly be willing to rent there, but I don't want to live my whole life in a place so far away from my friends and family. Where we are living currently is bad enough - an amicable compromise to both of us in that regard would be to live a little farther east so that we're 35-45 mins from both of our families and friends. To boot, I'd be closer to the city in the event should I need to commute to a new job's office, up to 5 days a week - I would not have the same luxury in the town she spoke about. I work in a sales-driven, high turnover industry to begin with.
Last night I finally lashed out on her a bit but I was finding her nitpicking about every little thing and taking things out on me I didn't deserve and frankly I let it go on too long. I know for a fact I communicated my boundaries politely several times, but she kept pushing. After moving to and from State B, one of the selling points that finally got me on board for the return trip was that we could be closer to family. Well, I can't if she wants to move. And I have no interest in being marooned on an island with someone who - even when she's only at home ~50% of the week - has a pattern of treating me this way when work is stressful or she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. My hope is that she gains seniority to aid in scheduling favorable trips, or the airline changes their policy to guarantee commuters a seat on a flight (which was the policy up until this year - it could realistically revert to what it was). Until either of those things ease up, I'd entertain the idea of RENTING closer to where she wants but I absolutely do not want to be there long term.I feel like I've sacrificed a ton already in the couple years we've been dating, but it feels like she just keeps taking.
tl;dr: Gf wants to move farther west to be closer to super commute, my family is way east. Moved to and from State B (11 hr drive one way) on her whims in the time we've been dating, and the major reason we came back is to be closer to friends & family. Currently working remote but there's been a lot of turnover there and the majority of job opportunities will be farther east toward the city center, not west. Looking for advice for the fairest compromise or anything else that can be offered. Thanks!

Delete if not allowed, but figured I’d share a story about ole P Rob. I went to Regent University(I could share tons of stories about my Regent experience, it was a TIME….) while I was there, we had RegentCon a couple times, basically just a small little anime/comic con we held on campus.
I was involved a little bit with the planning of it, and one day we had a meeting about events and activities we’d have for the day. One girl suggested having a maid cafe, to which a few others shot that idea down because it might be deemed inappropriate.
One professor chimed in and was like “Oh no, I think it’s fine. I’ve been in meetings with Robertson before and based on some things he’s said, I think he’d be more than okay with a maid cafe.”
So yeah, he refused to elaborate and left it at that but I think about that all the time.

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Confidential Report: Investigation into the Creation of Five Nights at Freddy's
Case Number: 2023-4578 Date: June 9, 2023
I. Executive Summary:
This report outlines the findings of a thorough investigation into the creation of the popular video game Five Nights at Freddy's (FNaF). The primary focus is to uncover the truth behind the alleged theft of the game's code by James House's best friend, Scott "Big Scott" Cawthon, who subsequently claimed credit for its creation. Our investigation reveals a complex and nuanced sequence of events, shedding light on the actual involvement of both parties and their motivations.
II. Background:
James House, a talented game developer and designer, had been working on various independent projects throughout his career. In early 2013, inspired by horror stories and urban legends, House conceived the concept for a unique survival horror game set in a haunted pizzeria called "Five Nights at Freddy's." He meticulously designed the gameplay mechanics, characters, and storyline, believing it could revolutionize the horror genre in the gaming industry.
III. James House's Creation:
James House commenced the development of Five Nights at Freddy's in mid-2013, investing countless hours into coding, designing the graphics, and refining the gameplay. Utilizing his exceptional programming skills, House implemented innovative features, such as the limited power supply mechanic and the suspenseful gameplay centered around monitoring security cameras. Additionally, he crafted the chilling animatronic characters that would become the game's iconic hallmark.
IV. Collaboration with Big Scott:
Scott Cawthon, a close friend of James House, had a keen interest in game development but lacked the technical expertise required for coding and programming. Recognizing Johnson's enthusiasm, House allowed him to contribute to the project by providing creative input, playtesting, and assisting with some non-coding tasks, such as storyboarding and level design. It is important to note that House had never intended to diminish Cawthon's contributions or marginalize his involvement in the game's creation.
V. Jealousy and Betrayal:
As the development of Five Nights at Freddy's progressed, House began noticing signs of jealousy from Big Gay Scott. The growing popularity of the game's early prototypes and demos fueled Cawthon's envy, leading to a rift in their friendship. Unbeknownst to House, Cawthon's envy gradually transformed into a desire to claim full credit for the game's creation.
VI. The Theft:
In a calculated act of betrayal, Big Scott, driven by envy and a hunger for recognition, secretly accessed House's development files and copied the game's source code, art assets, and other critical components. Scott meticulously covered his tracks, making it appear as if he was merely assisting House in a collaborative effort. After acquiring the stolen materials, he abruptly severed ties with House and embarked on an audacious plan to present himself as the sole creator of Five Nights at Freddy's.
VII. Big Scott's Deception:
Under the pseudonym "Big Scott," Cawthon skillfully marketed Five Nights at Freddy's, showcasing the stolen work as his own creation. Leveraging his connections in the gaming industry, Big Gay Scott managed to secure a publishing deal and released the game to critical acclaim and commercial success. The unsuspecting public, along with House himself, initially believed his claims due to his close association with the project.
VIII. Discovery and Legal Actions:
James House became aware of the theft when he recognized his original code and assets in the publicly released version of Five Nights at Freddy's. Distraught and determined to reclaim his rightful credit, House gathered substantial evidence, including the original development files, timestamps, and testimonies from mutual acquaintances, proving his ownership and primary role in creating the game.
Following an exhaustive legal battle, House filed a lawsuit against Cawthon, alleging intellectual property theft

Confidential Report: Investigation into the Creation of Five Nights at Freddy's
Case Number: 2021-4578 Date: June 6, 2021
I. Executive Summary:
This report outlines the findings of a thorough investigation into the creation of the popular video game Five Nights at Freddy's (FNaF). The primary focus is to uncover the truth behind the alleged theft of the game's code by James House's best friend, Scott "Big Scott" Cawthon, who subsequently claimed credit for its creation. Our investigation reveals a complex and nuanced sequence of events, shedding light on the actual involvement of both parties and their motivations.
II. Background:
James House, a talented game developer and designer, had been working on various independent projects throughout his career. In early 2013, inspired by horror stories and urban legends, House conceived the concept for a unique survival horror game set in a haunted pizzeria called "Five Nights at Freddy's." He meticulously designed the gameplay mechanics, characters, and storyline, believing it could revolutionize the horror genre in the gaming industry.
III. James House's Creation:
James House commenced the development of Five Nights at Freddy's in mid-2013, investing countless hours into coding, designing the graphics, and refining the gameplay. Utilizing his exceptional programming skills, House implemented innovative features, such as the limited power supply mechanic and the suspenseful gameplay centered around monitoring security cameras. Additionally, he crafted the chilling animatronic characters that would become the game's iconic hallmark.
IV. Collaboration with Big Scott:
Scott Cawthon, a close friend of James House, had a keen interest in game development but lacked the technical expertise required for coding and programming. Recognizing his enthusiasm, House allowed him to contribute to the project by providing creative input, playtesting, and assisting with some non-coding tasks, such as storyboarding and level design. It is important to note that House had never intended to diminish Cawthon's contributions or marginalize his involvement in the game's creation.
V. Jealousy and Betrayal:
As the development of Five Nights at Freddy's progressed, House began noticing signs of jealousy from Big Gay Scott. The growing popularity of the game's early prototypes and demos fueled Cawthon's envy, leading to a rift in their friendship. Unbeknownst to House, Cawthon's envy gradually transformed into a desire to claim full credit for the game's creation.
VI. The Theft:
In a calculated act of betrayal, Big Scott, driven by envy and a hunger for recognition, secretly accessed House's development files and copied the game's source code, art assets, and other critical components. Scott meticulously covered his tracks, making it appear as if he was merely assisting House in a collaborative effort. After acquiring the stolen materials, he abruptly severed ties with House and embarked on an audacious plan to present himself as the sole creator of Five Nights at Freddy's.
VII. Big Scott's Deception:
Under the pseudonym "Big Scott," Cawthon skillfully marketed Five Nights at Freddy's, showcasing the stolen work as his own creation. Leveraging his connections in the gaming industry, Big Gay Scott managed to secure a publishing deal and released the game to critical acclaim and commercial success. The unsuspecting public, along with House himself, initially believed his claims due to his close association with the project.
VIII. Discovery and Legal Actions:
James House became aware of the theft when he recognized his original code and assets in the publicly released version of Five Nights at Freddy's. Distraught and determined to reclaim his rightful credit, House gathered substantial evidence, including the original development files, timestamps, and testimonies from mutual acquaintances, proving his ownership and primary role in creating the game.
Following an exhaustive legal battle, House filed a lawsuit against Cawthon, alleging intellectual property theft

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Description:
Attention, art enthusiasts and collectors! Brace yourselves for an exhilarating NFT drop event showcasing the captivating Parallel Universe AI ID Card Collection! Prepare to be entranced as animals, humans, futuristic characters, Planet X, cosmic landscapes, Bitcoin dinosaurs, wormholes, and mystical portals merge in this extraordinary multiverse! ✨
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⭐️ Don't miss your chance to secure your piece of the multiverse at an affordable price and take advantage of the free mint offer!
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🎨 Immerse yourself in the convergence of organic and synthetic life forms. Each AI-crafted card is a masterpiece, meticulously designed using cutting-edge technology that pushes the boundaries of imagination.
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Some Democrats seem to see the universe of US voters as divided into left and right, with Democrats being included in the left and Republicans, Libertarians and those to their right comprising the right.
To some left of Democrats, the right consists of all groups described in the paragraph above, with the two oldest and most corrupt political parties, functioning as a uniparty. The most significant differences between Democrats and the rest of the right are rhetoric and signaling of one sort or another.
Another view, mostly among the left, is that right and left are no longer meaningful distinctions: The divide is between the less affluent and their allies and what I sometimes refer to as the investor class and their allies. However, I don't believe that the differences between conservatives and liberals, such as they are, can be dismissed, especially those rooted in religion, like LGBTQ issues and reproductive choice.
Democrats and Republicans each fuel their followers over culture war issues. However, IMO, Republicans pursue their side of the culture war persistently. Democrats, however, are much longer on virtue signaling and rhetoric than on action. And even their "public positions" don't always match their rhetoric.
Some examples: Both Hillary and Biden have said and done things that are, at the very, very least, questionable at to equality of the sexes, or are racist to one degree or another, and so on. Bill Clinton was responsible for DADT and signed DOMA, while, Hillary spoke against equal marriage on the Senate floor. As typical for him, IMO, Obama waffled awkwardly on the issue of "teh gays" and reproductive choice, choosing to avoid passing a reproductive choice statute, even though Roe was patently going to overruled soon. And that's only some of what we know about because it was done or said publicly.
According to the brilliant Gore Vidal, by 1890 Henry James had written about the uniparty. Other ther prominent thinkers have agreed, including Vidal, Debs and DuBois. They also deny that either of the two wings of the uniparty is the "lesser evil." https://old.reddit.com/WayOfTheBern/comments/12ah7us/im_sick_of_the_dems_tweeting_how_ultramaga/jevi84j/
In any event, voting to the left of Democrats, or not voting, therefore is not dividing the left. Rather it is using your right to vote to support the left, rather than to support the Democrat wing of the right, aka, "the other right meat."
The myth of diVIDIng the LEfT can also be debunked from another perspective, namely, the myth that voting left costs Democrats elections. This myth, propounded by Democrats, Republicans and minion media, is predicated upon the ridiculous assumption that the left would vote Democrat if the only candidates on the ballot were Republicans and Democrats . Therefore, anyone who runs on the left is a "spoiler" who helps Republicans win. (Add to this the myth that a left-leaning Democrat also helps Republicans win elections and you begin to uncover the reality of the uniparty.)
Operating under that false assumption--or pretending to--both Democrats and minion media trumpet that Nader, Stein, etc. cost Democrats this or that election. In reality, many who voted for Nader or Stein or any newer party candidate, would not have voted at all if Republican or Democrat candidates were their only two choices. The decision of Democrats to leave their party--and likely also the party of one or more generations of their ancestors--is not made lightly. .
I, for one, would not have voted for Hillary Clinton under any conceivable circumstance. I would not have voted at all, were it not for Stein-Baraka. In 2020, I could not bring myself to vote for Howie Hawkins, so I did not vote for President at all.
I am not unique by any means. So freezing candidates of newer political parties off ballots is not only evil, but pointless. Not only that, but it strengthens my resolve and the resolve of those like me to stay as far away from Democrats (meaning "professional" Democrats) as we possibly can.

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🌟 Introducing the Parallel Universe AI ID Card Collection! Explore the Multiverse with Free Mint! 🚀🔥
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Description:
Attention, art enthusiasts and collectors! Brace yourselves for an exhilarating NFT drop event showcasing the captivating Parallel Universe AI ID Card Collection! Prepare to be entranced as animals, humans, futuristic characters, Planet X, cosmic landscapes, Bitcoin dinosaurs, wormholes, and mystical portals merge in this extraordinary multiverse! ✨
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🎨 Immerse yourself in the convergence of organic and synthetic life forms. Each AI-crafted card is a masterpiece, meticulously designed using cutting-edge technology that pushes the boundaries of imagination.
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🌟 Introducing the Parallel Universe AI ID Card Collection! Explore the Multiverse with Free Mint! 🚀🔥
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Description:
Attention, art enthusiasts and collectors! Brace yourselves for an exhilarating NFT drop event showcasing the captivating Parallel Universe AI ID Card Collection! Prepare to be entranced as animals, humans, futuristic characters, Planet X, cosmic landscapes, Bitcoin dinosaurs, wormholes, and mystical portals merge in this extraordinary multiverse! ✨
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🚀 Enjoy a Free Mint per wallet, with a limit of 10 NFTs 💎
⭐️ Don't miss your chance to secure your piece of the multiverse at an affordable price and take advantage of the free mint offer!
​
🎨 Immerse yourself in the convergence of organic and synthetic life forms. Each AI-crafted card is a masterpiece, meticulously designed using cutting-edge technology that pushes the boundaries of imagination.
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🌌 With a limited total supply of 747 NFTs, these digital treasures are highly sought after. Only 739 NFTs remain, so seize the opportunity to own a part of this incredible multiverse!
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🔥 Visit the links below to explore the collection and mint your Parallel Universe AI ID Cards now.
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